MicroRNAs are being considered as a novel type of bio-markers and potential therapeutic targets for various diseases. Diverse chemical tools are being developed for the detection or regulation of microRNAs with bio-medical implications. Chemical probes have been developed for use in combination with in situ signal amplification strategies to realize sensitive detection of microRNAs of low abundance. Regulation of microRNAs aberrantly expressed in tumours represents a new approach to cancer chemotherapy. Synthetic oligonucleotides including antisense oligonucleotides and microRNA mimics have been successfully delivered into cells or tissues to inhibit or enhance the function of specific endogenous microRNAs. Small-molecule modifiers of microRNAs that modify the expression or function of endogenous microRNAs are emerging not only as useful probes to explore microRNA-involved regulatory networks, but also as potential therapeutic reagents. In this tutorial review, we discuss the strategies developed by chemists in recent years for microRNA detection and regulation, with a focus on the potential of these chemical tools in microRNA-related biomedical applications.

Radiolabeled bombesin (BBN) analogs that bind to the gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) represent a topic of active investigation for the development of molecular probes for PET or SPECT of prostate cancer (PCa). RM1 and AMBA have been identified as the 2 most promising BBN peptides for GRPR-targeted cancer imaging and therapy. In this study, to develop a clinically translatable BBN-based PET probe, we synthesized and evaluated 18F-AlF- (aluminum-fluoride) and 64Cu-radiolabeled RM1 and AMBA analogs for their potential application in PET imaging of PCa. Methods 1,4,7-triazacyclononane, 1-glutaric acid-4,7 acetic acid (NODAGA)–conjugated RM1 and AMBA were synthesized and tested for their GRPR-binding affinities. The NODAGA-RM1 and NODAGA-AMBA probes were further radiolabeled with 64Cu or 18F-AlF and then evaluated in a subcutaneous PCa xenograft model (PC3) by small-animal PET imaging and bio-distribution studies. Results NODAGA-RM1 and NODAGA-AMBA can be successfully synthesized and radiolabeled with 64Cu and 18F-AlF. 64Cu- and 18F-AlF-labeled NODAGA-RM1 demonstrated excellent serum stability and tumor-imaging properties in the in vitro stability assays and in vivo imaging studies. 64Cu-NODAGA-RM1 exhibited tumor uptake values of 3.3 ± 0.38, 3.0 ± 0.76, and 3.5 ± 1.0 percentage injected dose per gram of tissue (%ID/g) at 0.5, 1.5, and 4 h after injection, respectively. 18F-AlF-NODAGA-RM1 exhibited tumor uptake values of 4.6 ± 1.5, 4.0 ± 0.87, and 3.9 ± 0.48 %ID/g at 0.5, 1, and 2 h, respectively. Conclusion The high-stability, efficient tumor uptake and optimal pharmacokinetic properties highlight 18F-AlF-NODAGA-RM1 as a probe with great potential and clinical application for the PET imaging of prostate cancer.

The objective of this study is to summarize the experiences of our department in the management of heterotopic pregnancy (HP) and to analyze the influence of different treatment modality on the viable intrauterine pregnancy.There were 64 patients diagnosed as HP in the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics in our hospital between January 2003 and June 2014, 52 HP patients with viable intrauterine pregnancy were included and analyzed in our study. Interventions included expectant management, surgical management and transabdominal sonographic guided transvaginal aspiration of ectopic gestational embryo (embryo aspiration) management.Main outcome measures are maternal outcome and pregnancy outcome.In expectant management group, 4 patients suffered rupture of ectopic pregnancy, 6 patients transferred to surgical management, 1 patient suffered a fever of 40.4°C, the abortion rate was 5% (1/20). In surgical management group, emergency surgery was performed in 9 patients with unstable hemodynamics and 3 patients with stable hemodynamics, 1 patient suffered uterine rupture 5 weeks later and dead fetus was demonstrated, 1 patient suffered urinary retention postoperative, the abortion rate was 14.8% (4/27). In embryo aspiration management group, 1 patient needed another embryo aspiration, all patients were eventful and no abortion was observed.In our retrospective study, transabdominal sonographic guided aspiration of ectopic gestational embryo has the best maternal outcome and the lowest abortion rate, surgical management group shows the highest abortion rate, and expectant management presents the worst maternal outcome.

The western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), is an invasive species and the most economically important pest within the insect order Thysanoptera. F. occidentalis , which is endemic to North America, was initially detected in Kunming in southwestern China in 2000 and since then it has rapidly invaded several other localities in China where it has greatly damaged greenhouse vegetables and ornamental crops. Controlling this invasive pest in China requires an understanding of its genetic makeup and migration patterns. Using the mitochondrial COI gene and 10 microsatellites, eight of which were newly isolated and are highly polymorphic, we investigated the genetic structure and the routes of range expansion of 14 F. occidentalis populations in China. Both the mitochondrial and microsatellite data revealed that the genetic diversity of F. occidentalis of the Chinese populations is lower than that in its native range. Two previously reported cryptic species (or ecotypes) were found in the study. The divergence in the mitochondrial COI of two Chinese cryptic species (or ecotypes) was about 3.3% but they cannot be distinguished by nuclear markers. Hybridization might produce such substantial mitochondrial-nuclear discordance. Furthermore, we found low genetic differentiation (global F ST = 0.043, P<0.001) among all the populations and strong evidence for gene flow, especially from the three southwestern populations (Baoshan, Dali and Kunming) to the other Chinese populations. The directional gene flow was further supported by the higher genetic diversity of these three southwestern populations. Thus, quarantine and management of F. occidentalis should focus on preventing it from spreading from the putative source populations to other parts of China.

Background To develop a machine learning model for predicting acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) events through commonly available parameters, including baseline characteristics and clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods A secondary analysis of a multi-centre prospective observational cohort study from five hospitals in Beijing, China, was conducted from January 1, 2011, to August 31, 2014. A total of 296 patients at risk for developing ARDS admitted to medical intensive care units (ICUs) were included. We applied a random forest approach to identify the best set of predictors out of 42 variables measured on day 1 of admission. Results All patients were randomly divided into training (80%) and testing (20%) sets. Additionally, these patients were followed daily and assessed according to the Berlin definition. The model obtained an average area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) of 0.82 and yielded a predictive accuracy of 83%. For the first time, four new biomarkers were included in the model: decreased minimum haematocrit, glucose, and sodium and increased minimum white blood cell (WBC) count. Conclusions This newly established machine learning-based model shows good predictive ability in Chinese patients with ARDS. External validation studies are necessary to confirm the generalisability of our approach across populations and treatment practices.

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MYB transcription factors (TFs) belong to one of the largest and important gene families, which regulate development under changing environmental conditions, primary and secondary metabolism, and plant response to stresses (biotic and abiotic stresses). MYB repressors have a conserved N-terminal domain like other MYB TFs, but the C-terminal domain makes them structurally and functionally different from the rest. MYB repressors usually possess some repressive motifs, such as EAR (ethylene-responsive element binding factor-associated amphiphilic repression motif), SID (Sensitive to ABA and Drought 2 protein interact motif), and TLLLFR motifs, which contribute to their repression function through a variety of complex regulatory mechanisms. In this review, we summarize recent developments in research of MYB repressors and suggest directions to future research.

Poly(phthalazine ether sulfone ketone) (PPESK) is a newly developed membrane material with superior thermal stability and comprehensive properties. Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 )-entrapped PPESK ultrafiltration (UF) membranes were formed by dispersing uniformly nanosized TiO 2 particles in the casting solutions. Initially, the inorganic nanoparticles were organically modified with silane couple reagent to overcome the aggregation and to improve the dispersibility in organic solvent. The membranes were prepared through the traditional phase inversion method. The effects of inorganic TiO 2 nanoparticles on the membrane surface morphology and cross section structure were investigated using scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Water contact angle (CA) measurement was conducted to investigate the hydrophilicity and surface wettability of the membranes. The influence of TiO 2 on the permeability, antifouling, and tensile mechanical properties of the PPESK membranes were evaluated by UF experiments and tensile tests. The experimental results showed that the obtained TiO 2 -entrapped PPESK UF membranes exhibit remarkable improvement in the antifouling and mechanical properties because of the introduction of TiO 2 nanoparticles.