Poolehorne1210

The developed biohybrid robot composed of skeletal muscle tissue and collagen structure can be employed within platforms used to replicate various motions of land animals. © Author(s).Physical forces play a profound role in the survival and function of all known forms of life. Advances in cell biomechanics and mechanobiology have provided key insights into the physiology of eukaryotic organisms, but much less is known about the roles of physical forces in bacterial physiology. This review is an introduction to bacterial mechanics intended for persons familiar with cells and biomechanics in mammalian cells. Bacteria play a major role in human health, either as pathogens or as beneficial commensal organisms within the microbiome. Although bacteria have long been known to be sensitive to their mechanical environment, understanding the effects of physical forces on bacterial physiology has been limited by their small size (∼1 μm). However, advancements in micro- and nano-scale technologies over the past few years have increasingly made it possible to rigorously examine the mechanical stress and strain within individual bacteria. Here, we review the methods currently used to examine bacteria from a mechanical perspective, including the subcellular structures in bacteria and how they differ from those in mammalian cells, as well as micro- and nanomechanical approaches to studying bacteria, and studies showing the effects of physical forces on bacterial physiology. Recent findings indicate a large range in mechanical properties of bacteria and show that physical forces can have a profound effect on bacterial survival, growth, biofilm formation, and resistance to toxins and antibiotics. Advances in the field of bacterial biomechanics have the potential to lead to novel antibacterial strategies, biotechnology approaches, and applications in synthetic biology. © Author(s).Background How to select variables and identify functional forms for continuous variables is a key concern when creating a multivariable model. Ad hoc 'traditional' approaches to variable selection have been in use for at least 50 years. Similarly, methods for determining functional forms for continuous variables were first suggested many years ago. More recently, many alternative approaches to address these two challenges have been proposed, but knowledge of their properties and meaningful comparisons between them are scarce. To define a state of the art and to provide evidence-supported guidance to researchers who have only a basic level of statistical knowledge, many outstanding issues in multivariable modelling remain. Our main aims are to identify and illustrate such gaps in the literature and present them at a moderate technical level to the wide community of practitioners, researchers and students of statistics. Methods We briefly discuss general issues in building descriptive regression models, strategies for variable selection, different ways of choosing functional forms for continuous variables and methods for combining the selection of variables and functions. We discuss two examples, taken from the medical literature, to illustrate problems in the practice of modelling. Results Our overview revealed that there is not yet enough evidence on which to base recommendations for the selection of variables and functional forms in multivariable analysis. Such evidence may come from comparisons between alternative methods. In particular, we highlight seven important topics that require further investigation and make suggestions for the direction of further research. Conclusions Selection of variables and of functional forms are important topics in multivariable analysis. To define a state of the art and to provide evidence-supported guidance to researchers who have only a basic level of statistical knowledge, further comparative research is required. © The Author(s) 2020.Background Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) LINC00152 (CYTOR) has been reported to be upregulated and to serve as a diagnostic biomarker in multiple types of cancers, including laryngeal squamous cell cancer (LSCC). However, the functional role and molecular mechanisms of LINC00152 in LSCC progression need to be further investigated. Methods LINC00152 levels in LSCC and adjacent normal tissues were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Gene knockdown of LINC00152 was achieved in LSCC cells by use of small interfering RNA (siRNA). Cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion were examined by a series of methods. The micoRNA (miRNA) interaction with LINC00152 was screened by starBase v2.0 and confirmed by luciferase reporter activity. Results LINC00152 levels in LSCC tissues were significantly higher than those in adjacent normal tissue, and patients with lymph node metastasis or an advanced clinical stage displayed higher LINC00152 expression. Moreover, siRNA-mediated LINC00152 knockdown significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of LSCC cells and induced apoptosis in those cells. Mechanistically, LINC00152 functioned as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) sponging miR-613. The inhibitory effect of LINC00152 knockdown on malignant behavior was abrogated by inhibiting miR-613. Conclusion LINC00152 exerts an oncogenic effect on the tumorigenesis of LSCC by sponging miR-613 and may serve as a potential target for treating LSCC. © 2020 Xuesong Zheng et al., published by De Gruyter.The aim of the present study was to investigate the role and mechanism of microRNA-204-5p (miR-204-5p) in atherosclerosis (AS)-related abnormal human vascular smooth muscle cells (hVSMCs) function. Firstly, we analyzed the expression of miR-204-5p and found that the miR-204-5p expression level was clearly downregulated in atherosclerotic plaque tissues and blood samples compared to the normal controls. Then, matrix metallopeptidase-9 (MMP-9) was predicted to be the potential target of miR-204-5p by TargetScan and this prediction was confirmed by luciferase assays. Besides, we observed that miR-204-5p could negatively regulate the expression of MMP-9 in hVSMCs. see more Subsequently, Thiazolyl Blue Tetrazolium Bromide (MTT) assay, transwell assay and flow cytometry were performed to detect the proliferation, migration and apoptosis of hVSMCs. Down-expression of miR-204-5p led to the promotion of proliferation and migration accompanied with the suppression of apoptosis in hVSMCs, and these effects were reversed by MMP-9-siRNA.