We employed next generation RNA sequencing analysis to reveal dysregulated long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in lung cancer utilizing 461 lung adenocarcinomas (LUAD) and 156 normal lung tissues from 3 separate institutions. We identified 281 lncRNAs with significant differential-expression between LUAD and normal lung tissue. LINC00857, a top deregulated lncRNAs, was overexpressed in tumors and significantly associated with poor survival in LUAD. knockdown of LINC00857 with siRNAs decreased tumor cell proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion in vitro, as well as tumor growth in vivo. Overexpression of LINC00857 increased cancer cell proliferation, colony formation and invasion. Mechanistic analyses indicated that LINC00857 mediates tumor progression via cell cycle regulation. Our study highlights the diagnostic/prognostic potential of LINC00857 in LUAD besides delineating the functional and mechanistic aspects of its aberrant disease specific expression and potentially using as a new therapeutic target.

Whole transcriptome analyses of next generation RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) data from human cancer samples reveled thousands of uncharacterized non-coding RNAs including long non-coding RNA (lncRNA). Recent studies indicated that lncRNAs are emerging as crucial regulators in cancer processes and potentially useful as biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. To delineate dysregulated lncRNAs in lung cancer, we analyzed RNA-Seq data from 461 lung adenocarcinomas (LUAD) and 156 normal lung tissues. FAM83H-AS1, one of the top dysregulated lncRNAs, was found to be overexpressed in tumors relative to normal lung and significantly associated with worse patient survival in LUAD. We verified this diagnostic/prognostic potential in an independent cohort of LUAD by qRT-PCR. Cell proliferation, migration and invasion were decreased after FAM83H-AS1 knockdown using siRNAs in lung cancer cells. Flow cytometry analysis indicated the cell cycle was arrested at the G2 phase after FAM83H-AS1 knockdown. Mechanistically, we found that MET/EGFR signaling was regulated by FAM83H-AS1. Our study indicated that FAM83H-AS1 plays an important role in lung tumor progression and may be potentially used as diagnostic/prognostic marker. Further characterization of this lncRNA may provide a novel therapeutic target impacting MET/EGFR signaling.

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An interesting way to obtain compatible blends of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and polystyrene-b-poly(ethylenepropylene) (PS−PEP) has been achieved. The intrinsically immiscible blends such as PCL/PS and PCL/PEP become compatible while the PS and PEP components form a diblock copolymer to melt blending with PCL. The morphology of PCL/PS−PEP blends was examined by polarized light microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The PCL/PS−PEP blends were found to self-assemble as lamellar microstructure with tens of nanometers dimension. Their compatibilities were investigated in terms of differential scanning calorimetry. No significant change on the T g of PEP-rich phase in the blends has been found whereas the T g of PS-rich phase gradually decreases with decreasing the molecular weight of PCL in blends. However, the changes on the T g of PS are insignificant as compared to the expected glass transition temperature predicted by the Fox equation. Taking advantage of the driving force of self-assembly for block copolymers, the PCL component appears to be localized in between the lamellar microdomains of PS block. The behavior of localization for PCL was further confirmed by the TEM phase contrast imaging. Contrary to typical microphase-separated morphology of crystallizable block copolymers (designated as chemically confined environment for crystallizing blocks), we name this unique phase-separated morphology as a physically confined environment for the crystallization of PCL.

We employed RNA sequencing analysis to reveal dysregulated lncRNAs in lung cancer utilizing 461 lung adenocarcinomas and 156 normal lung tissues from 3 separate cohorts. We found that LINC00152 was highly overexpressed in lung tumors as compared to their adjacent normal tissues. Patients with high LINC00152 expression demonstrate a significantly poorer survival than those with low expression. We verified the diagnostic/prognostic potential of LINC00152 expression in an independent cohort of lung tumor tissues using quantitative RT-PCR. After knockdown of LINC00152 using siRNAs in lung cancer cell lines, both cell proliferation and colony formation were decreased. Cell fractionation and qRT-PCR analysis indicated that LINC00152 is found mainly in the cytoplasm. Treatment with Trichostatin A in cell lines having low LINC00152 expression indicated that histone acetylation may be one mechanism underlying LINC00152 overexpression in NSCLC. Western blot analyses indicated that p38a, STAT1, STAT3, CREB1, CCNE1 and c-MYC proteins were decreased after LINC00152 siRNA treatment. Our study indicates LINC00152 plays an important role in lung tumor growth and is potentially a diagnostic/prognostic marker. Further characterization of LINC00152 in regulating its target proteins may provide a novel therapeutic target of lung cancer.

Poly[(1,7‐dihydrobenzo[1,2‐d:4,5‐d′] diimidazole‐2,6‐diyl)‐2‐(2‐sulfo)‐p‐phenylene], a conjugated rigid‐rod polymer, was derivatized with pendants of propane‐sulfonated ionomers. The derivatized rigid‐rod polymer was soluble in aprotic solvents as well as in water for isotropic solutions that were processed into isotropic films. Direct‐current electrical conductivity σ of the films was measured using the four‐probe technique. Room‐temperature σ as high as 2.9 × 10−4S/cm was achieved on pristine isotropic films without using dopants. When the rigid‐rod polymer concentration exceeded 25 wt %, the isotropic solution could be transformed into a liquid‐crystalline solution that allowed deformations to be applied to produce anisotropic films. Significant increase in σ was obtained in a sheared film along both the parallel direction (∥) and the transverse direction (⊥) with a σ∥/σ⊥ = 5. Additionally, enhanced σ was realized in films heat‐treated at about 100°C, in the derivatized polymer with higher molecular weight from dialysis, and in substituting the sulfonated ion Na+ by H+ in the pendants of the polymers. Constant‐voltage measurements were applied to the polymers to monitor the σ stability for ascertaining the nature of the conductivity. No electronic contribution in σ was detected. Instead, a monotonically decreasing σ was consistently observed indicative of ionic conductivity. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to analyze the pattern and types of sensory nerve endings in ankle collateral ligaments using histological techniques, in order to observe the morphology and distribution of mechanoreceptors in the collateral ligaments of cadaver ankle joint, and to provide the morphological evidence for the role of the ligament in joint sensory function.MethodsTwelve lateral collateral ligaments including anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL; n = 6), posterior talofibular ligament (PTFL; n = 6), and calcaneofibular ligament (CFL; n = 6) were harvested from six fresh frozen cadavers. The ligaments were embedded in paraffin, sectioned at 4 μm, and then stained using a modified gold-chloride staining methods. The collateral ligament was divided into three segments: proximal, middle, and distal segments. Fifty-four ATFL slides, 90 PTFL slides, and 108 CFL slides were analyzed. Mechanoreceptors were classified based on Freemen and Wyke’s classification. Mechanoreceptor distribution was analyzed statistically. One-way ANOVA (postHoc LSD) was used for statistical analysis.ResultsAll the four typical types of nerve endings (the Ruffini corpuscles, Pacinian corpuscles, Golgi tendon organs, and free nerve endings) were identified in these ligaments. Pacinian corpuscles were the predominant in all four complexes. More mechanoreceptors were found in synovial membrane near both ends of the ligaments attached to the bone. No statistical differences were found in the amount of mechanoreceptors among distal, middle, and proximal parts of the ligaments.ConclusionsThe four typical types of mechanoreceptors were all identified in the collateral ligaments of the human ankle. Pacinian corpuscles were the predominant in all four complexes. This indicates that the main function of ankle collateral ligaments is to sense joint speeds in motions.

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