Extracellular pH (pHe) decrease is associated with tumor growth, invasion, metastasis, and chemoresistance, which can be detected by chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Here, we demonstrated that ioversol CEST MRI can be exploited to achieve pHe mapping of the liver cancer microenvironment. In in vitro studies, we firstly explored whether ioversol signal is pH-dependent, and calculated the function equation between the CEST effects of ioversol and pH values, in the range of 6.0 to 7.8, by a ratiometric method. Then we verified the feasibility of this technique and the equation in vivo by applying pHe imaging in an MMTV-Erbb2 transgenic mouse breast cancer model, which is often used in CEST pHe studies. Furthermore, in vivo ioversol CEST MRI, we were able to map relative pHe and differentiate between tumor and normal tissue in a McA-RH7777 rat hepatoma model. This suggests pHe may be a useful biomarker for human liver cancer.

We demonstrate a novel all-fiber-optic humidity sensor comprised of a WS₂ film overlay on a side polished fiber (SPF). This sensor can achieve optical power variation of up to 6 dB in a relative humidity (RH) range of 35%-85%. In particular, this novel humidity fiber sensor has a linear correlation coefficient of 99.39%, sensitivity of 0.1213 dB/%RH, and a humidity resolution of 0.475%RH. Furthermore, this sensor shows good repeatability and reversibility, and fast response to breath stimulus. This WS₂ based all-fiber optic humidity sensor is easy to fabricate, is compatible with pre-established fiber optic systems, and holds great potential in photonics applications such as in all-fiber optic humidity sensing networks.

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The current study reveals a high epidemic rate of hypertension and prehypertension in Central China. These results indicate the urgent need to develop strategies to improve the prevention of hypertension and prehypertension in Central China.

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The members of the metastasis-associated protein (MTA) family play pivotal roles in both physiological and pathophysiological processes, especially in cancer development and metastasis, and their role as master regulators has come to light. Due to the fact that they were first identified as crucial factors in estrogen receptor-mediated breast cancer metastasis, most of the early studies focused on their hormone-dependent functions. However, the accumulating evidence shows that the members of MTA family are deregulated in most, if not all, the cancers studied so far. Therefore, the levels as well as the activities of the MTA family members are widely accepted as potential biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and predictors of overall survival. They function differently in different cancers with specific mechanisms. p53 and HIF-1α appear to be the respectively common upstream and downstream regulator of the MTA family in both development and metastasis of a wide spectrum of cancers. Here, we review the expression and clinical significance of the MTA family, focusing on hormone-independent cancers. To illustrate the molecular mechanisms, we analyze the MTA family-related signaling pathways in different cancers. Finally, targeting the MTA family directly or the pathways involved in the MTA family indirectly could be invaluable strategies in the development of cancer therapeutics.

MicroRNAs (miRs), a class of small non-coding RNAs, have been demonstrated to be involved in the development and progression of human malignancies, including cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC). miR-186 serves a suppressive role in certain common types of human cancer; however, its exact function in CSCC has not been reported previously. In the present study, the expression of miR-186 was significantly increased in CSCC tissues compared with adjacent non-tumour tissues. Overexpression of miR-186 significantly promoted CSCC cell proliferation while inhibiting cell apoptosis. Reticulophagy regulator 1 (RETREG1), a gene that is significantly downregulated in CSCC tissues and cell lines, was identified as a novel target of miR-186. In addition, the expression of RETREG1 was inversely correlated with miR-186 expression in CSCC tissues. Furthermore, the expression of RETREG1 was negatively regulated by miR-186 in CSCC cells, and restoration of RETREG1 attenuated the effects of miR-186 on CSCC cells. Taken together, the results of the current study suggest that miR-186 serves an oncogenic role in CSCC and may be used as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of this disease.