Tongji University

About: Tongji University is a education organization based out in Shanghai, China. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Computer science & Population. The organization has 76116 authors who have published 81176 publications receiving 1248911 citations. The organization is also known as: Tongji & Tóngjì Dàxué.

Overexpressed circPVT1, a potential new circular RNA biomarker, contributes to doxorubicin and cisplatin resistance of osteosarcoma cells by regulating ABCB1.

Abstract: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) represent a widespread class of non-coding RNAs generated from back-splicing, with a circular loop structure. Many circRNAs have been reported to play essential roles in cancer development and have the potential to serve as a novel class of biomarkers for clinical diagnosis. However, the role of circRNA in osteosarcoma (OS) remains largely unknown. In the current study, we examined the expression level of circular RNA PVT1 (circPVT1), previously screened and identified the oncogenic role in gastric cancer, in OS and found that circPVT1 was significantly up-regulated in the OS tissues, serums and chemoresistant cell lines, correlated with poor prognosis of OS patients. Besides, ROC curve demonstrated that circPVT1 may be a better diagnostic biomarker than alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in OS with more sensitivity and specificity. In addition, functional assays revealed that circPVT1 knockdown by siRNA could weaken the resistance to doxorubicin and cisplatin of OS cells through decreasing the expression of classical drug resistance-related gene ABCB1. These findings may provide a new insight into the role of circPVT1 as a biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment target of OS.

Failure mode and effects analysis using D numbers and grey relational projection method

Abstract: Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) is a widely used risk assessment tool for defining, identifying and eliminating potential failures or problems in products, process, designs and services. Two critical issues of FMEA are the representation and handling of various types of assessments and the determination of risk priorities of failure modes. Many different approaches have been suggested to enhance the performance of traditional FMEA; however, deficiencies exist in these approaches. In this paper, based on a more effective representation of uncertain information, called D numbers, and an improved grey relational analysis method, grey relational projection (GRP), a new risk priority model is proposed for the risk evaluation in FMEA. In the proposed model, the assessment results of risk factors given by FMEA team members are expressed and modeled by D numbers. The GRP method is used to determine the risk priority order of the failure modes that have been identified. Finally, an illustrative case is provided to demonstrate the effectiveness and practicality of the proposed model.

CREB pathway links PGE2 signaling with macrophage polarization

Abstract: Obesity is thought to promote insulin resistance in part via activation of the innate immune system. Increases in proinflammatory cytokine production by M1 macrophages inhibit insulin signaling in white adipose tissue. In contrast, M2 macrophages have been found to enhance insulin sensitivity in part by reducing adipose tissue inflammation. The paracrine hormone prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) enhances M2 polarization in part through activation of the cAMP pathway, although the underlying mechanism is unclear. Here we show that PGE2 stimulates M2 polarization via the cyclic AMP-responsive element binding (CREB)-mediated induction of Krupple-like factor 4 (KLF4). Targeted disruption of CREB or the cAMP-regulated transcriptional coactivators 2 and 3 (CRTC2/3) in macrophages down-regulated M2 marker gene expression and promoted insulin resistance in the context of high-fat diet feeding. As re-expression of KLF4 rescued M2 marker gene expression in CREB-depleted cells, our results demonstrate the importance of the CREB/CRTC pathway in maintaining insulin sensitivity in white adipose tissue via its effects on the innate immune system.