Lamin B2 promotes the progression of triple negative breast cancer via mediating cell proliferation and apoptosis

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a more common type of breast cancer with high distant metastasis and poor prognosis. The potential role of lamins in cancer progression has been widely revealed. However, the function of lamin B2 (LMNB2) in TNBC progression is still unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the role of LMNB2 in TNBC. The cancer genome atlas (TCGA) database analysis and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were performed to examine LMNB2 expression levels. LMNB2 short hairpin RNA plasmid or lentivirus was used to deplete the expression of LMNB2 in human TNBC cell lines including MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-231. Alterations in cell proliferation and apoptosis in vitro and the nude mouse tumorigenicity assay in vivo were subsequently analyzed. The human TNBC tissues shown high expression of LMNB2 according to the bioinformation analysis and IHC assays. LMNB2 expression was correlated with the clinical pathological features of TNBC patients, including pTNM stage and lymph node metastasis. Through in vitro and in vivo assays, we confirmed LMNB2 depletion suppressed the proliferation and induced the apoptosis of TNBC cells, and inhibited tumor growth of TNBC cells in mice, with the decrease in Ki67 expression or the increase in caspase-3 expression. In conclusion, LMNB2 may promote TNBC progression and could serve as a potential therapeutic target for TNBC treatment.     

入侵种小管福寿螺对本土物种 梨形环棱螺的生态挤压作用

在世界范围内,物种入侵正成为一个影响经济发展、公众健康的重大生态事件。为了探究入侵物种小管福寿螺(Pomacea canaliculata)对本土近生态位物种的生态挤压作用,选择了梨形环棱螺(Bellamya purificata)作为受试动物,设置直接生态竞争实验和间接分泌物胁迫实验两类实验。直接生态竞争实验中两种螺直接竞争生存资源,而间接分泌物胁迫实验中则观测两种受试螺分泌物对彼此与自身种群的影响。为了模拟野外不同水体的竞争情况,设置了两种密度,即每组共计6只受试螺(低密度组)及每组共计12只受试螺(高密度组),在两种密度下设两种螺不同比例的个体组合。结果显示,两类实验中,小管福寿螺的体重相对变化与生存率都优于梨形环棱螺。直接竞争实验小管福寿螺体重相对变化率显著优于梨形环棱螺(P 0.05),但二者生存率无显著差异;低密度组中,福寿螺与梨形环棱螺的体重相对变化及生存率均无显著差异,而高密度组中,当梨形环棱螺个体数极多时(8只),其体重相对变化率会显著差于小管福寿螺(P0.05);当梨形环棱螺个体数少时(4只),其体重相对变化率与小管福寿螺无明显差异,但生存率会显著低于小管福寿螺(P 0.05)。间接分泌物干扰实验中,小管福寿螺的体重相对变化率极显著优于梨形环棱螺(P 0.01),且其生存率高于梨形环棱螺;在低密度组中,高比例(4只)的小管福寿螺生存率显著高于高比例(4只)的梨形环棱螺(P 0.05);而在高密度组中,高比例(8只)的梨形环棱螺在28d内全部死亡,由于对照组中即使是高密度的梨形环棱螺也拥有高生存率,说明这种效应不是梨形环棱螺本身所导致的,而是小管福寿螺的间接分泌物胁迫导致了梨形环棱螺的大量死亡。以上结果充分表明,小管福寿螺的间接分泌物干扰效应比直接生态挤压作用具有更严重的生态威胁性,且小管福寿螺的种内竞争调节能力优于梨形环棱螺,这可能是小管福寿螺作为入侵物种的一种有效生活史策略。     

河西走廊植被净初级生产力时空变化及其影响因子研究

干旱半干旱区植被NPP变化对全球碳循环有重要影响,该区域NPP对气候变化的响应表现出较大的时空异质性,其驱动机制并不十分清楚。选择中国河西走廊,利用随机森林算法估算了2002-2018年的NPP,基于偏导数法计算了气候与人类活动对NPP的影响。结果表明：（1）随机森林算法能较好的适用于干旱半干旱区NPP估算。（2）2002-2018年间河西走廊年NPP的平均值为153.32 gC m^-2 a^-1,总量为37.468 Tg C/a,呈东南向西北递减的分布特征,研究期间NPP呈2.37 gC m^-2 a^-1（P=0.09）增长趋势。（3）河西走廊NPP变化52.51%由气候因子贡献,47.49%由人类活动贡献。（4）在气候变化对NPP的影响中,降水主导了该区72.21%的区域,温度对NPP变化量的贡献占73.71%,前者影响着NPP变化格局,后者主导NPP变化数量。升温和增湿均有利于该区NPP增加,随着西北地区气候暖湿化,河西走廊植被会持续改善,该研究有助于理解干旱半干旱区NPP对气候变化的响应机制,为适应气候变化政策制定提供理论依据。     

消癌平注射液联合表柔比星新辅助化疗对三阴性乳腺癌患者免疫功能、生活质量及血清肿瘤标志物的影响

摘要 目的：探讨消癌平注射液联合表柔比星新辅助化疗对三阴性乳腺癌（TNBC）患者免疫功能、生活质量及血清肿瘤标志物的影响。方法：选取TNBC患者89例,按照随机数字表法分为对照组和研究组,对照组（n=44）患者给予表柔比星新辅助化疗治疗,研究组（n=45）患者给予消癌平注射液联合表柔比星新辅助化疗。对比两组疗效、免疫功能、生活质量、血清肿瘤标志物及不良反应。结果：研究组治疗12周后的临床总有效率为91.11%（41/45）,高于对照组的63.64%（28/44）（P<0.05）。两组治疗12周后健康调查简表（SF-36）量表各维度评分升高,且研究组较对照组高（P<0.05）。两组治疗12周后CD4+CD25+Treg、Th17/ Treg均降低,且研究组较对照组低（P<0.05）,Th17升高,且研究组较对照组高（P<0.05）。两组治疗12周后癌胚抗原（CEA）、糖类抗原199（CA199）、糖类抗原125（CA125）均降低,且研究组较对照组低（P<0.05）。两组不良反应发生率对比未见差异（P>0.05）。结论：消癌平注射液联合表柔比星新辅助化疗治疗TNBC,具有确切的治疗效果,可降低血清肿瘤标志物水平,改善患者免疫功能和生活质量。     

四维子宫输卵管超声造影假阳性与假阴性的原因分析

目的:调查与分析四维子宫输卵管超声造影假阳性与假阴性的原因。方法:选择2015年6月到2019年8月在本院妇产科临床初步诊断为输卵管不孕症患者125例,所有患者都给予X线子宫输卵管碘油造影(Hysterosalp ingography,HSG)与四维子宫输卵管超声造影,记录诊断效果、不良反应,判断假阳性与假阴性的发生原因。结果:在125例患者中,HSG诊断输卵管通畅33例,通而不畅72例,阻塞20例;四维超声造影诊断为输卵管通畅33例,通而不畅74例,阻塞18例。将HSG检查作为金标准,四维超声造影检查输卵管阻塞准确率93.6%,Kappa值=0.929(P<0.05),出现假阳性与假阴性共8例。四维超声造影检查期间发生的阴道少量出血、造影剂过敏、恶心呕吐、腹痛等不良反应发生率为2.4%,显著低于HSG检查的13.6%(P<0.05)。单因素分析结果显示合并糖尿病、产次、初潮年龄、孕次与四维子宫输卵管超声造影的假阳性与假阴性显著相关(P<0.05);多因素Logistic回归分析结果显示合并糖尿病、产次、初潮年龄为导致四维子宫输卵管超声造影假阳性与假阴性的主要原因(P<0.05)。结论:四维子宫输卵管超声造影可实时动态观察输卵管通畅情况,应用安全性也比较好,但是也存在假阳性与假阴性情况,合并糖尿病、产次、初潮年龄为导致四维子宫输卵管超声造影假阳性与假阴性的主要原因。     

Abstract Nature Forms

Abstract

This article is the introduction to the special issue about Evaluation, Educational Policy Reforms, and Their Implications for Arts Education. A summary of all the articles comprised in the special issue is reported, mainly featured, on the one hand, by a discussion about how the education policy reforms shape a particular approach to evaluation that ends up conforming education and arts education and, on the other hand, it shows some magnet examples of arts curriculum evaluation combining both standardized assessment with qualitative strategies pertinent to the nature of arts content and experiences. The article also discusses how it could be possible to move from the current scope of school arts education most of the authors depict to the development of another way of evaluation and curriculum development where the experiential process is taken into account. While these signals might be still scarce, for some other authors could be the opportunity to overcome at least partially the current demise of school arts curriculum.     

Stochastic-rheological Simulation of Free-fall Arm Impact in Children: Application to Playground Injuries

The aim of this study was to develop and pilot a stochastic-rheological biomechanical model to investigate the mechanics of impact fractures in the upper limbs of children who fall in everyday situations, such as when playing on playground equipment. The rheological aspect of the model characterises musculo-skeletal tissues in terms of inertial, elastic and viscous parameters. The stochastic aspect of the model allows natural variation of children's musculo-skeletal mechanical properties to be accounted for in the analysis. The relationship of risk factors, such as fall height, impact surface, child mass and bone density, to the probability of sustaining an injury in playground equipment falls were examined and found to closely match findings in epidemiological, clinical and biomechanical literature. These results suggest that the stochastic-rheological model is a useful tool for the evaluation of arm fracture risk in children. Once fully developed, information from this model will provide the basis for recommendations for modifications to playground equipment and surface standards.     

Implementation and validation of thoracic side impact injury prediction metrics in a human body model

This study's purpose was to implement injury metrics into the Total Human Model for Safety (THUMS) mirroring the spinal accelerometers, rib accelerometers and chest band instrumentation from two lateral post-mortem human subject sled test configurations. In both sled configurations, THUMS contacted a flat rigid surface (either a wall or beam) at 6.7 m/s. Sled A maximum simulated wall forces for the thorax, abdomen and pelvis were 7.1, 5.0 and 10.0 kN versus 5.7 ± 0.8, 3.4 ± 1.2 and 6.2 ± 2.7 kN experimentally. Sled B maximum simulated beam forces for the torso and pelvis were 8.0 and 7.6 kN versus 8.5 ± 0.2 and 7.9 ± 2.5 kN experimentally. Quantitatively, force magnitude contributed more to variation between simulated and experimental forces than phase shift. Acceleration-based injury metrics were within one standard deviation of experimental means except for the lower spine in the rigid wall sled test. These validated metrics will be useful for quantifying occupant loading conditions and calculating injury risks in various loading configurations.     

Assessing the Environmental Impact of Water Consumption by Energy Crops Grown in Spain

The environmental impact of the water consumption of four typical crop rotations grown in Spain, including energy crops, was analyzed and compared against Spanish agricultural and natural reference situations. The life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology was used for the assessment of the potential environmental impact of blue water (withdrawal from water bodies) and green water (uptake of soil moisture) consumption. The latter has so far been disregarded in LCA. To account for green water, two approaches have been applied: the first accounts for the difference in green water demand of the crops and a reference situation. The second is a green water scarcity index, which measures the fraction of the soil‐water plant consumption to the available green water. Our results show that, if the aim is to minimize the environmental impacts of water consumption, the energy crop rotations assessed in this study were most suitable in basins in the northeast of Spain. In contrast, the energy crops grown in basins in the southeast of Spain were associated with the greatest environmental impacts. Further research into the integration of quantitative green water assessment in LCA is crucial in studies of systems with a high dependence on green water resources.