While long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to play an important role in human cancer types, they remain poorly understood in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). The aim of this study was to use genome-wide expression profiling to identify lncRNAs acting as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) in PTC. We constructed a ceRNA network based on our lncRNA microarray data and validated the correlation between myocardial infarction-associated transcript lncRNA (MIAT), miRNA-150-5p, and EZH2 in vitro and in vivo. We found 15 lncRNAs, 28 miRNAs, and hundreds of mRNAs involved in this ceRNA network. Splendid positive correlations were found between the MIAT and EZH2 expression in types of cancer in TCGA data. Besides, significant differences in MIAT/EZH2 expression were found among various clinicopathological features. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments revealed that MIAT inhibited cell proliferation and migration in vitro. Moreover, EZH2 was identified as a direct downstream target of miR-150-5p in PTC cells. Restoration of EZH2 expression partially abolished the biological effects of miR-150-5p. Furthermore, overexpression of MIAT was inversely correlated with miR-150-5p expression. Knockdown of MIAT produced significant behavioral alter maybe partly due to the function of the MIAT-150-5p-EZH2 network. Our findings suggest MIAT may inhibit EZH2 expression and promote PTC cell invasion via the miR-150/EZH2 pathway. Therefore, MIAT may serve as a valuable prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for PTC.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) has been applied in many fields for detecting and imaging a variety of metabolites. In cancer research, this fast-growing imaging method also helps to elucidate the connection between the changes of metabolites in the microenvironment and the proliferation and survival of cancer cells. Free fatty acids (FFAs) are a vital building block of phospholipids (PLs) that can serve as a second cellular messenger and provide nutrients in the cancer microenvironment. The metabolism process of FFAs and PLs is highly relevant to the initiation and progression of different cancers. To better understand the metabolism process in cancer tissues, simultaneously detecting and imaging FFAs and PLs is essential. Despite the crucial developments that have been performed in the field of lipids imaging, FFAs and PLs have rarely been detected and imaged simultaneously in positive ion mode with good detection sensitivity. In this work, an on-tissue derivatization method was used to add a permanently quaternary amine onto FFAs; then, the FFAs and PLs were simultaneously imaged in positive ion mode. The derivatized FFAs are suitable for detection in positive ion mode. In comparison with the traditional matrix and the previous derivatization method, our derivatization reagent has a higher sensitivity for imaging FFAs. In addition, for simultaneous imaging analysis of FFAs and PLs, the number of imaged FFAs and PLs is greater than that with the previous on-tissue derivatization method. This high-sensitivity on-tissue derivatization method was applied to detect and image PLs and fatty acids in thyroid cancer tissues. In the MSI experiment, FFA derivatives and PLs were imaged while molecular localization and tissue integrity were maintained. Meanwhile, the correlation between PLs and FFAs was also studied, and the results showed that the correlations between saturated FFAs of C16:0 and C18:0 and PLs are better than the correlations of unsaturated FFAs with PLs.

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Inconel 718 alloy samples were fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM). Microstructure and precipitation in solution-heat-treated-and double-aging-SLM-made Inconel 718 were studied by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Electron microscope observations showed that disc-shaped and cuboidal γ″, and circular γ′ precipitates with an average size of 10-50 nm developed within cellular γ austenite matrix. The simulated, experimentally observed electron diffraction patterns, and dark-field imaging further revealed that the precipitation of three variants of γ″ in the γ matrix occurred. The coarser acicular γ″, and globular as well as plate-like δ phases precipitated at grain boundaries and also within the interior of austenite matrix. The morphology, distribution and crystallography of these precipitates and their formation mechanisms were analyzed and discussed. Investigations of γ′, γ ″and δ precipitates in heat-treated Inconel 718 alloy fabricated by selective laser melting." Materials Characterization 136 (2018): 398-406. AbstractInconel 718 alloy samples were fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM).Microstructure and precipitation in solution-heat-treated-and double-aging-SLM-made Inconel 718 were studied by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Electron microscope observations showed that disc-shaped and cuboidal γ″, and circular γ′ precipitates with an average size of 10 -30 nm developed within cellular γ austenite matrix. The simulated, experimentally observed electron diffraction patterns, and dark-field imaging further revealed that the precipitation of three variants of γ″ in the γ matrix occurred. The coarser needle-like γ″, and globular as well as plate-like δ phases precipitated at grain boundaries and also within the