ALBERT

Description: Nek2A (NIMA-related kinases 2A) has been known as an important centrosome regulatory factor. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of Nek2A and the role it played in different stages of breast cancer. We detected the expression of Nek2A in both mRNA and protein levels in MCF10 cell lines including MCF-10A, MCF-10DCIS.com, MCF-10CA1a and in human breast samples which contained normal breast tissue (NBT), breast ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), and invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). Our study revealed that the mRNA and protein expression of Nek2A were significantly up-regulated in MCF-10DCIS.com and MCF-10CA1a cell lines as well as in human primary breast cancer tissue (DCIS and IDC). Our study also presented a correlation between Nek2A mRNA expression and some clinic pathological factors. We found that Nek2A mRNA expression was associated with molecular subtypes, ER, PR and Ki-67 immunoreactivity ( P  〈 0.05) in DCIS and associated with histological grade, lymph node metastasis, molecular subtypes, c-erbB-2, and Ki-67 expression ( P  〈 0.05) in IDC. In addition, we observed that ectopic expression of Nek2A in “normal” immortalized MCF-10A breast epithelial cell resulted in increased Nek2A which lead to abnormal centrosomes. Furthermore, knockdown of Nek2A in MCF-10DCIS.com could remarkably inhibit cell proliferation and induce cell cycle arrest in MCF-10DCIS.com cell line. These data suggested that Nek2A might bear a close relationship with development and progression of breast carcinoma, and highlighted its role as a novel potential biomarker for diagnosis and a possible therapeutic target for human breast cancer especially for DCIS. J. Cell. Biochem. 113: 1904–1914, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Description: Two new lanostane triterpenoids, schiglauzic acid ( 1 ) and schiglaucyclozic acid ( 2 ), together with two known ones, anwuweizic acid ( 3 ) and manwuweizic acid ( 4 ), were isolated from the stems of Schisandra glaucescens. Their structures were determined on the basis of extensive spectroscopic methods, including two-dimensional NMR techniques, and were further confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis.

Description: As a frequent phenomenon occurring during summer days in high-latitude ionosphere, the F-lacuna manifests itself as disappearance of F-region ionogram traces. Based on the 7.5-min interval Digisonde ionograms recorded at Zhongshan station (69.4 o S, 76.4 o E geographic coordinates; 74.5 o S ,96.0 o E corrected geomagnetic coordinates), we present temporal characteristics of the F-lacuna, as well as its correlation with geomagnetic activity, interplanetary magnetic field and co-located TEC. Magnetic Local Time (MLT) distribution of the F-lacuna occurrence exhibits a dawn-dusk asymmetry. All types of F-lacuna favors the dawn sector, mainly occurring at 08:00-11:00MLT for F1 and total lacuna, 6:00-8:00MLT for F2-lacuna. The magnetic activity is found to have strong positive correlation with the F2 and total lacuna. F2-lacuna occurrence is favored by southward component of IMF, and total lacuna by high values of either eastward or westward component. It is worth to mention that the F-lacuna associates with the simultaneous TEC condition which has a positive correlation with F1-lacuna occurrence, while a strong negative correlation with the F2 and total lacuna. The associated TEC variation may provide a significant evidence for interpreting the F-lacuna phenomenon.

Description: Shrublands via artificial planting were considered the most effective restoration strategies to reduce soil erodibility on the Loess Plateau. Abstract Near soil surface characteristics change significantly with vegetation restoration, and thus, restoration strategies likely affect soil erodibility. However, few studies have been conducted to quantify the effects of vegetation restoration strategies on soil erodibility in regions experiencing rapid vegetation restoration. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of vegetation restoration strategies on soil erodibility, reflected by soil cohesion (Coh), penetration resistance (PR), saturated conductivity (Ks), number of drop impacts (NDI), mean weight diameter of soil aggregates (MWD), and soil erodibility K factor on the Loess Plateau. One slope farmland and five 25‐year‐restored lands covered by old world bluestem, korshinsk peashrub, shrub sophora, sea‐buckthorn, and black locust were selected as test sites. The old world bluestem was restored via natural succession, while the other four lands were restored by artificial planting. A comprehensive soil erodibility index (CSEI) was produced by a weighted summation method to quantify the effects of vegetation restoration strategies on soil erodibility completely. The results showed that Coh, Ks, NDI, and MWD of the five restored lands were greater than those of the slope farmland. However, the PR and K of the five restored lands were less than those of the slope farmland. CSEI varied greatly under different restoration strategies, from 1 to 0.214. Compared with the control, these indices decreased on average by 68.2%, 78.6%, 72.7%, 75.8%, and 62.8% for old world bluestem, korshinsk peashrub, shrub sophora, sea‐buckthorn, and black locust, respectively. The variation in soil erodibility was significantly influenced by biological crust thickness, bulk density, organic matter content, plant litter density, and root mass density. Shrub‐lands via artificial planting, especially korshinsk peashrub, were considered the most effective restoration strategies to reduce soil erodibility on the Loess Plateau. The results are helpful for selecting vegetation restoration strategies and asking their benefits in controlling soil erosion. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Description: Headcut height had a significant impact on flow energy consumption, and thus influenced the changes in sediment yield and surface landform during the process of gully headcut erosion. As headcut height increased from 25 to 125 cm, flow energy consumption, soil loss volume and retreat distance at gully heads all increased significantly. Abstract To quantify the changes in flow energy, sediment yield and surface landform impacted by headcut height during bank gully erosion, five experimental platforms were constructed with different headcut heights ranging from 25 to 125 cm within an in situ active bank gully head. A series of scouring experiments were conducted under concentrated flow and the changes in flow energy, sediment yield and surface landform were observed. The results showed that great energy consumption occurred at gully head compared to the upstream area and gully bed. The flow energy consumption at gully heads and their contribution rates increased significantly with headcut height. Gully headcuts also contributed more sediment yield than the upstream area. The mean sediment concentrations at the outlet of plots were 2.3 to 7.3 times greater than those at the end of upstream area. Soil loss volume at gully heads and their contribution rates also increased with headcut height significantly. Furthermore, as headcut height increased, the retreat distance of gully heads increased, which was 1.7 to 8.9 times and 1.1 to 3.2 times greater than the incision depth of upstream area and gully beds. Positive correlations were found between energy consumption and soil loss, indicating that energy consumption could be used to estimate soil loss of headcut erosion. Headcut height had a significant impact on flow energy consumption, and thus influenced the changes in sediment yield and landform during the process of gully headcut erosion. Headcut height was one of the important factors for gully erosion control in this region. Further studies are needed to identify the role of headcut height under a wide condition. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Description: It is well known that owing to the transport of high-density sunlit plasma from dayside to night side primarily by convection, polar cap tongue of ionization (TOI), polar cap patches, and blobs are common features in the polar ionosphere. The steep density gradients at the edges of these structures lead to severe problems in applications involving radio waves traversing the ionosphere. To better understand the evolution of TOI/patches/blobs, it is essential to examine how the transported sunlit plasma is distributed. Through averaging the hourly TEC (Total Electron Content) in solar-maximum winter, we present complete distribution of polar ionospheric plasma and find that the dayside plasma can be transported through cusp, over polar cap and eventually to the prevailing dawn side, showing asymmetric distribution around magnetic midnight. The negative IMF (Interplanetary Magnetic Field) By or Bz component is favored for the plasma transportation from dayside to the prevailing dawn sector. This provides direct evidence for the plasma source of the dawn-side high-density plasma structure. The same corotating convection direction as convection at auroral dawn side is responsible for the prevailing dawn-sector transportation. This finding is significant for forecasting TOI/patches/blobs in conducting space weather in the polar ionosphere.

Description: Five new nortriterpenoids, schicagenins D–F ( 1 – 3 , resp.) and negleschidilactones A and B ( 4 and 5 , resp.), together with eleven known ones, were isolated from the stems of Schisandra neglecta. Their structures were established on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses. All the compounds were evaluated for their activities regarding insulin sensitivity in 3T3-L1 differentiated adipocytes. None of them showed a significant bioactivity at 10 μ M concentration.

Description: Adiponectin is secreted from adipose tissue and functions as a protein hormone in regulating glucose metabolism and fatty acid catabolism. Adiponectin plays an important role as a novel risk factor and potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in cancer. Crystal structures of globular adiponectin have been resolved with three calcium-binding sites on the top of its central tunnel. However, the calcium-binding property of adiponectin remains elusive. Mouse globular adiponectin was cloned into pET11a and expressed in Escherichia coli . The folding of adiponectin was indicated by the spread of resonances in HSQC spectrum. Luminescence resonance energy transfer was used to obtain the binding constant ( K d ) of Tb 3+ and the inhibitor constant ( K i ) of Ca 2+ for globular adiponectin. The obtained calcium-binding affinity to adiponectin is relatively low (~2 mM), which indicates that the high concentration of adiponectin in circulating system may function as calcium storage bank and buffer the free calcium concentration. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Description: Osteosarcoma is the most common malignant bone tumor in children and adolescents with high rate of incidence, high frequency of recurrence and high degree of metastasis. This study aimed to investigate the effects of long noncoding RNA antisense ncRNA in the Abundant in neuroepithelium area (ANA)/B-cell translocation gene 3 (BTG3) locus (lncRNA ASBEL) on the pathogenesis of osteosarcoma. The expression levels of ASBEL in human osteoblast cells and human osteosarcoma cells were evaluated using qRT-PCR. Effects of ASBEL knockdown on cell viability, migration and invasion were detected using trypan blue exclusion assay, cell migration and invasion assay, respectively. The regulatory effects of ASBEL on microRNA-21 (miR-21) were analyzed using qRT-PCR. The roles of miR-21 and protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), the possible downstream factor of miR-21, in osteosarcoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion were also explored. The results showed that ASBEL was highly expressed in osteosarcoma cells. Knockdown of ASBEL inhibited osteosarcoma cell viability, migration and invasion, as well as the expression level of miR-21. PP2A was a direct target of miR-21, which was participated in the effects of ASBEL and miR-21 on the activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase 3/glycogen synthase kinase-3β (PI3K/AKT/GSK3β) and mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular regulated protein kinase (MEK/ERK) signaling pathways as well as the enhancement of osteosarcoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Therefore, we believe that ASBEL-miR-21-PP2A pathway may play critical regulatory effects on the pathogenesis of osteosarcoma and could be as the potential therapeutic target and biomarker for osteosarcoma treatment. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved