Observation of spectral splitting of whispering-gallery modes in asymmetrical photonic molecules

This Letter investigates mode splitting via whispering gallery modes (WGMs) in asymmetrical photonic molecules (PMs) composed of size-mismatched dual microspheres fabricated from fused silica. The characteristics of asymmetrical PMs were analyzed both numerically and experimentally, focusing specifically on the separation and intensity differences of splitting peaks. The splitting spectra exhibited a redshift, and the separation of two splitting peaks reached a maximum in symmetrical PMs, with a minimal difference in intensity also observed. It was noted that the splitting peaks shifted in opposite directions for the same PMs when coupling points with the tapered fibers were varied. This phenomenon can be applied to select similarly sized microparticles and to recognize PMs in optical devices.

A nomogram for predicting the overall survival in rectal cancer patients after total neoadjuvant therapy

BACKGROUND

Total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) has been recommended by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network for treating locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), but extremely rare studies have focused on establishing nomograms to predict the prognosis in these patients after TNT. We aimed to develop a nomogram to predict overall survival (OS) in rectal cancer patients who underwent TNT.

METHODS

In retrospective cohort study, we extract the data of the rectal cancer patients from the SEER database between 2010 and 2015, including demographic information and tumor characteristics. The cohort was divided into training set and validation set based on a ratio of 7:3. Univariate logistic regression analysis was utilized for the comparison of variables in training set. Candidate variables with P < 0.1 in training set was entered into the best subset selection, LASSO regression and Boruta feature selection. Finally, the selected variables significantly associated with the 3-year, 5-year, and 8-year OS were used to build a nomogram, followed by validation using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, area under the curve (AUC), and calibration curve.

RESULTS

A total of 3265 rectal cancer patients (training set: 2285; test set: 980) were included in the present study. A nomogram was developed to predict the 3-year, 5-year, and 8-year OS based on age, household income, total number of in situ/malignant tumors, CEA, T stage, N stage and perineural invasion. The nomogram showed good efficiency in predicting the 3-year, 5-year and 8-year OS with good AUC for the training set and test set, respectively.

CONCLUSION

We established a nomogram for predicting the 3-year, 5-year, and 8-year OS of the rectal cancer patients, which showed good prediction efficiency for the OS after TNT.

Automatic segmentation of high-risk clinical target volume and organs at risk in brachytherapy of cervical cancer with a convolutional neural network

PURPOSE

This study aimed to design an autodelineation model based on convolutional neural networks for generating high-risk clinical target volumes and organs at risk in image-guided adaptive brachytherapy for cervical cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A novel SERes-u-net was trained and tested using CT scans from 98 patients with locally advanced cervical cancer who underwent image-guided adaptive brachytherapy. The Dice similarity coefficient, 95th percentile Hausdorff distance, and clinical assessment were used for evaluation.

RESULTS

The mean Dice similarity coefficients of our model were 80.8%, 91.9%, 85.2%, 60.4%, and 82.8% for the high-risk clinical target volumes, bladder, rectum, sigmoid, and bowel loops, respectively. The corresponding 95th percentile Hausdorff distances were 5.23mm, 4.75mm, 4.06mm, 30.0mm, and 20.5mm. The evaluation results revealed that 99.3% of the convolutional neural networks-generated high-risk clinical target volumes slices were acceptable for oncologist A and 100% for oncologist B. Most segmentations of the organs at risk were clinically acceptable, except for the 25% sigmoid, which required significant revision in the opinion of oncologist A. There was a significant difference in the clinical evaluation of convolutional neural networks-generated high-risk clinical target volumes between the two oncologists (P<0.001), whereas the score differences of the organs at risk were not significant between the two oncologists. In the consistency evaluation, a large discrepancy was observed between senior and junior clinicians. About 40% of SERes-u-net-generated contours were thought to be better by junior clinicians.

CONCLUSION

The high-risk clinical target volumes and organs at risk of cervical cancer generated by the proposed convolutional neural networks model can be used clinically, potentially improving segmentation consistency and efficiency of contouring in image-guided adaptive brachytherapy workflow.

[The association between overweight/obesity and the risk of malignancy in Hürthle cell neoplasms of the thyroid]

Objective: To explore the association between obesity/overweight and the risk of malignancy in Hürthle cell neoplasms of the thyroid. Methods: The data of patients with complete data who were diagnosed with Hürthle cell neoplasms of the thyroid at the Third Hospital of Peking University from September 2016 to September 2023 were retrospectively collected. Based on postoperative pathological diagnosis, tumors were classified into thyroid Hürthle cell adenoma group and Hürthle cell carcinoma group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to explore the association between overweight/obesity and the risk of malignancy in Hürthle cell neoplasms of the thyroid. Results: A total of 102 patients (13 males and 89 females) were included, aged (48.7±13.1) years. There were 22 cases of thyroid Hürthle cell carcinoma and 80 cases of thyroid Hürthle cell adenoma. Univariate analysis showed that the rate of overweight/obesity in the Hürthle cell carcinoma group was higher than that in the adenoma group [73% (16/22) vs 46% (37/80), P=0.050]. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the overweight/obese patients had a higher risk of malignancy in Hürthle cell neoplasms of the thyroid compared with the non-overweight/obese patients (OR=3.170, 95%CI: 1.126-9.955, P=0.035). Sensitivity analysis excluding individuals with multiple tumors was consistent with the main study results (OR=2.878, 95%CI: 0.922-10.228, P=0.080). Conclusion: Overweight/obesity may be associated with a higher risk of malignancy in patients with Hürthle cell neoplasms of the thyroid.

Observation of Strong Nuclear Suppression in Exclusive J/ψ Photoproduction in Au+Au Ultraperipheral Collisions at RHIC

We report a measurement of exclusive J/ψ and ψ(2s) photoproduction in Au+Au ultraperipheral collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV using the STAR detector. For the first time, (i) the ψ(2s) photoproduction in midrapidity at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider has been experimentally measured; (ii) nuclear suppression factors are measured for both the coherent and incoherent J/ψ production. At average photon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of 25.0 GeV, the coherent and incoherent J/ψ cross sections of Au nuclei are found to be 71±10% and 36±7%, respectively, of that of free protons. The stronger suppression observed in the incoherent production provides a new experimental handle to study the initial-state parton density in heavy nuclei. Data are compared with theoretical models quantitatively.

High sensitivity fiber SPR sensor based on a spiral coarse cone structure

A fiber SPR sensor can achieve rapid and portable detection of trivalent arsenic ions (As3+) in drinking water or food, but their sensitivity and detection limit need to be further improved and developed toward specific detection. This article proposed the implementation of the SPR sensor using a biased core fiber spiral coarse cone structure. The fine core of the biased core fiber was used to reduce the mode of transmitted light. By controlling the pitch of the spiral core to control the SPR incidence angle, a significant increase in the sensitivity of the fiber SPR sensor was achieved. Meanwhile, the harmless glutathione (GSH) was modified on the surface of the sensing gold film to achieve the specific detection of As3+. The experimental results indicate that the spiral coarse cone fiber SPR sensor proposed in this article has a detection sensitivity of 32.48 nm/ppb for As3+, with a detection limit as low as 0.011 ppb, meeting the detection requirements of the World Health Organization for As3+ in water, which provides a new feasible solution for fast, portable, and highly sensitive detection of metal ions in water and food.

Development and evaluation of vaccination strategies for addressing the continuous evolution SARS-CoV-2 based on recombinant trimeric protein technology: Potential for cross-neutralizing activity and broad coronavirus response

Given the significant decline in vaccine efficacy against Omicron, the development of novel vaccines with specific or broad-spectrum effectiveness is paramount. In this study, we formulated four monovalent vaccines based on recombinant spike trimer proteins, along with three bivalent vaccines, and five monovalent vaccines based on recombinant spike proteins. We evaluated the efficacy of different vaccination regimens in eliciting neutralizing antibodies in mice through pseudovirus neutralization assays. Following two doses of primary immunization with D614G, mice received subsequent immunizations with Omicron (BA.1, BA.2, BA.4/5) boosters individually, which led to the generation of broader and more potent cross-neutralizing activity compared to D614G boosters. Notably, the BA.4/5 booster exhibited superior efficacy. Following two doses of primary immunization with Omicron (BA.1, BA.2, BA.4/5), mice were subsequently immunized with one dose of D614G booster which resulted in broader neutralizing activity compared to one dose of Omicron (BA.1, BA.2, or BA.4/5). In unvaccinated mice, full-course immunization with different bivalent vaccines induced broad neutralizing activity against Omicron and pre-Omicron variants, with D614G&BA.4/5 demonstrating superior efficacy. However, compared to other variants, the neutralizing activity against XBB.1.5/1.9.1 is notably reduced. This observation emphasizes the necessity of timely updates to the vaccine antigen composition. Based on these findings and existing studies, we propose a vaccination strategy aimed at preserving the epitope repertoire to its maximum potential: (1) Individuals previously vaccinated or infected with pre-Omicron variants should inoculate a monovalent vaccine containing Omicron components; (2) Individuals who have only been vaccinated or infected with Omicron should be inoculated a monovalent vaccine containing pre-Omicron variants components; (3) Individuals without SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination should inoculate a bivalent vaccine comprising both pre-Omicron and Omicron components for primary immunization. Additionally, through cross-inoculation of SARS-CoV-2 D614G spike trimer protein and SARS-CoV-1 spike protein in mice, we preliminarily demonstrated the possibility of cross-reaction between different coronavirus vaccines to produce resistance to the pan-coronavirus.

Transformer-based AI technology improves early ovarian cancer diagnosis using cfDNA methylation markers

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the deadliest women's cancer and has a poor prognosis. Early detection is the key for improving survival (a 5-year survival rate in stage I/II is over 70% compared to that of 25% in stage III/IV) and can be achieved through methylation markers from circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) using a liquid biopsy. In this study, we first identify top 500 EOC markers differentiating EOC from healthy female controls from 3.3 million methylome-wide CpG sites and validated them in 1,800 independent cfDNA samples. We then utilize a pretrained AI transformer system called MethylBERT to develop an EOC diagnostic model which achieves 80% sensitivity and 95% specificity in early-stage EOC diagnosis. We next develop a simple digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) assay which archives good performance, facilitating early EOC detection.

[Comparative study on CT image characteristics of pneumoconiosis large shadow and primary lung cancer mass]

Objective: To compare the CT image characteristics of pneumoconiosis large shadow and primary lung cancer mass, and analyze the value of CT image characteristics in the differential diagnosis of pneumoconiosis large shadow and primary lung cancer. Methods: In September 2022, 43 patients with stage Ⅲ pneumoconiosis who were hospitalized in Zibo Occupational Disease Prevention Hospital from January 2020 to June 2021 and 52 patients with primary lung cancer who were confirmed by pathology in the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University during the same period were selected as the investigation objects, and the image characteristics of pneumoconiosis large shadow or lung cancer mass and surrounding tissues in the chest CT images of the two groups were compared. Univariate analysis, cluster analysis and cross analysis were used to screen out statistically significant indicators as independent variables, and pneumoconiosis and lung cancer as dependent variables for logistic regression analysis. Results: There were statistically significant differences between large shadow of pneumoconiosis and primary lung cancer mass in single factor CT imaging, such as irregular shape of lesions, CT attenuation value, calcification, cavitation, spiculation, liquefactive necrosis, satellite lesions, adjacent emphysema, short spicules, and pleural thickening (P<0.05). CT value ≥92 HU (abnormal CT attenuation value), calcification, peripheral satellite lesions, pleural thickening, parapunctal emphysema, spines on the lesion margin, irregular lesion morphology were typical features of stage Ⅲ pneumoconiosis, with multiple features of aggregation. The typical features of lung cancer were liquefaction necrosis, round or quasi-round appearance, cavitation and interlobar pleura. A logistic regression model was constructed using satellite lesions, spiculation, pleural thickening, and lesion abnormal CT attenuation value had an R(2) of 0.880 and an accuracy of 95.3% for differentiation. Conclusion: Abnormal CT attenuation value, calcification, peripheral satellite lesions, pleural thickening, spiculation at the edges, liquefaction necrosis, interlobar pleura involvement, and cavitation can distinguish the large shadow of stage Ⅲ pneumoconiosis from lung cancer mass.

Biological Mediators and Partial Regulatory Mechanisms on Neuropathic Pain Associated With Chemotherapeutic Agents

One of the most common issues caused by antineoplastic agents is chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). In patients, CIPN is a sensory neuropathy accompanied by various motor and autonomic changes. With a high prevalence of cancer patients, CIPN is becoming a major problem for both cancer patients and for their health care providers. Nonetheless, there are lacking effective interventions preventing CIPN and treating the CIPN symptoms. A number of studies have demonstrated the cellular and molecular signaling pathways leading to CIPN using experimental models and the beneficial effects of some interventions on the CIPN symptoms related to those potential mechanisms. This review will summarize results obtained from recent human and animal studies, which include the abnormalities in mechanical and temperature sensory responses following chemotherapy such as representative bortezomib, oxaliplatin and paclitaxel. The underlying mechanisms of CIPN at cellular and molecular levels will be also discussed for additional in-depth studies needed to be better explored. Overall, this paper reviews the basic picture of CIPN and the signaling mechanisms of the most common antineoplastic agents in the peripheral and central nerve systems. A better understanding of the risk factors and fundamental mechanisms of CIPN is needed to develop effective preventive and therapeutic strategies.

[Study of the methotrexate loaded extracellular vesicles in the treatment of experimental periodontitis in mice]

Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effect of methotrexate loaded vesicles on experimental periodontitis in mice. Methods: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) were isolated from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSC). Methotrexate loaded vesicles (MTX-EVs) were constructed, whose morphology and size were analyzed by using scanning electron microscopy and particle size analyzer. Western blotting was used to identify their surface specific proteins. C57BL/6J male mice of 4-5 weeks (provided by Experimental Animal Center of The Fourth Military Medical University) were selected, among which 8 were randomly selected by blind grasp method without treatment and fed normally as normal group, and others were induced to periodontitis models by local injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) into the periodontium. The LPS was injected once every day with a concentration of 2 g/L and a volume of 5 μl, lasting for two weeks. The mice with successfully induced periodontitis were randomly divided into 4 groups by blind grasping method, with 8 mice in each group. The LPS group was with no treatment, and the other three groups were treated with periodontal local injection of MTX, EVs or MTX-EVs, respectively. Two weeks later, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the expressions of inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in gingival tissue. The amount of alveolar bone resorption of four groups was detected by using micro-CT scanning and HE staining. The expression proportion of the inflammatory factor in gingival tissue was analyzed by using flow cytometry. Results: The scanning electron microscopy results showed that EVs and MTX-EVs were circular or elliptical in shape. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) particle size analysis showed that the particle size of EVs was around 200 nm, while that of MTX-EVs was around 300 nm. The ELISA results showed IL-1β levels in the normal group, LPS group, LPS+MTX group, LPS+EVs group and LPS+MTX-EVs group were (28.86±2.76), (51.50±2.04), (35.26±2.40), (45.49±2.04) and (35.77±3.49) ng/L. That is, the IL-1β concentrations in the LPS+MTX group, LPS+EVs group and LPS+MTX-EVs group were significantly lower than that in the LPS group (P<0.05); the mass concentration of IL-1β in the LPS +MTX-EVs group was significantly lower than that in the LPS+EVs group (P<0.05). The concentrations of IL-6 in the normal group, LPS group, LPS+MTX group, LPS+EVs group and LPS+MTX-EVs group were (125.44±4.12), (221.64±10.59), (178.16±16.90), (181.09±18.22) and (170.15±9.04) ng/L, among which the concentration of IL-6 in the last three groups were significantly lower than that in the LPS group (P<0.05). The mass concentration of IL-6 in the LPS+MTX-EVs group was significantly lower than those in the LPS+MTX group and LPS+EVs group (P<0.05). The concentrations of TNF-α in the normal group, LPS group, LPS+MTX group, LPS+EVs group and LPS+MTX-EVs group were (320.27±38.68), (479.62±40.94), (342.18±25.89), (415.88±12.01) and (325.75±30.83) ng/L, among which the concentrations of last three groups were significantly lower than the LPS group (P<0.05); the mass concentration of TNF-α in the LPS+MTX-EVs group was significantly lower than those in the LPS+EVs group and LPS+MTX group (P<0.05). The micro-CT results showed that the distance of cement-enamel junction-alveolar bone crest (CEJ-ABC) of the first molar and root (M1R1) in the normal group, LPS group, LPS+MTX group, LPS+EVs group and LPS+MTX-EVs group of mice were (0.11±0.03), (0.28±0.02), (0.23±0.03), (0.20±0.04), and (0.18±0.03) mm, respectively. Compared with the LPS group, the CEJ-ABC of the M1R1 in the LPS+MTX group, LPS+EVs group and LPS+MTX-EVs group were inhibited to varied degrees with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). Among them, LPS+MTX-EVs group had the best bone resorption inhibitioin effect compared to LPS+MTX group and LPS+EVs group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). The flow cytometry results indicated that the proportion of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) positive cells was (11.77±1.02)% in the LPS group, (6.87±0.65)% in the LPS+EVs group, and (4.15±0.92)% in the LPS+MTX-EVs group, respectively. The proportions of IFN-γ positive cells in the LPS+EVs group and LPS+MTX-EVs group were significantly lower than that in the LPS group (P<0.05), while the ratio of IFN-γ positive cells in the LPS+MTX-EVs group was found significantly lower than that in the LPS+EVs group (P<0.05). Conclusions: MTX-EVs can effectively alleviate the periodontal local inflammatory environment and reduce bone resorption of alveolar bone in periodontitis model mice.

METTL3 Modulates Ctsk+ Lineage Supporting Cranial Osteogenesis via Hedgehog

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification, a eukaryotic messenger RNA modification catalyzed by methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3), plays a pivotal role in stem cell fate determination. Calvarial bone development and maintenance are orchestrated by the cranial sutures. Cathepsin K (CTSK)-positive calvarial stem cells (CSCs) contribute to mice calvarial ossification. However, the role of m6A modification in regulating Ctsk+ lineage cells during calvarial development remains elusive. Here, we showed that METTL3 was colocalized with cranial nonosteoclastic Ctsk+ lineage cells, which were also associated with GLI1 expression. During neonatal development, depletion of Mettl3 in the Ctsk+ lineage cells delayed suture formation and decreased mineralization. During adulthood maintenance, loss of Mettl3 in the Ctsk+ lineage cells impaired calvarial bone formation, which was featured by the increased bone porosity, enhanced bone marrow cavity, and decreased number of osteocytes with the less-developed cellular outline. The analysis of methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing and RNA sequencing data indicated that loss of METTL3 reduced Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway. Restoration of Hh signaling pathway by crossing Sufufl/+ alleles or by local administration of SAG21 partially rescued the abnormity. Our data indicate that METTL3 modulates Ctsk+ lineage cells supporting calvarial bone formation by regulating the Hh signaling pathway, providing new insights for clinical treatment of skull vault osseous diseases.

Effect of ursodeoxycholic acid on preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with liver transplantation: a multicenter retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Immunosuppressed recipients of liver transplantation (LT) are more likely to develop coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and may have an increased risk of developing worse outcomes.

AIM

To assess the effect of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) on preventing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in LT recipients.

DESIGN

Adult patients (aged ≥ 18 years) who underwent LT between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2022 were included and categorized into two groups according to their use of UDCA.

METHODS

The prevalence and severity of COVID-19 among transplantation patients between the UDCA and non-UDCA groups were estimated and compared.

RESULTS

Among the 897 LT patients who met the inclusion criteria, infection rate of SARS-CoV-2 was 78.4%, and the rate of severe illness was 5.1% from January 2022 to January 2023 in China. In the multivariate analysis, only UDCA treatment (P = 0.006) was found to be a protective factor against SARS-CoV-2 infection. After propensity score matching, the SARS-CoV-2 infection rate in the UDCA group was lower than that in the non-UDCA group (74.1% vs. 84.6%, P = 0.002). This rate was further reduced to 62.1% (P = 0.002) when the oral administration dose was >15 mg/kg/day. There was no difference in the rates of severe COVID-19 illness, ICU admission, or ventilation rate or length of hospital stay with or without UDCA treatment (all P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The use of UDCA in LT patients significantly reduced the SARS-CoV-2 infection rate and showed a dose-dependent protective effect.

Wave type fiber SPR sensor for rapid and highly sensitive detection of hyperoside

The fiber surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor used for the detection of active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine has the problems of low sensitivity and difficult specific recognition. This paper proposed a wave type fiber SPR sensor, which reduced the mode of transmitted light through a periodic wave structure and caused concentrated and total reflection of the transmitted beam at the interface between the bent peak cladding and the air. A 50 nm gold film was coated on the surface of the cladding in the wave structure area to form the SPR sensing area. By controlling the width and height of the wave structure to control the total reflection angle of the transmitted light, i.e., the SPR incidence angle, the sensitivity of the fiber SPR sensor was effectively improved to 4972 nm/RIU. Furthermore, HSP90AA protein was modified on the gold film of the sensor to achieve specific detection of hyperoside. The longest single detection time was only 3 minutes, and the detection sensitivity was 0.53 nm/(µg/ml), with a detection limit as low as 0.68µg/ml, which is comparable to liquid chromatography. The proposed wave type fiber SPR sensor is fast in production and has high structural mechanical strength, providing a new approach for the rapid, highly sensitive, and specific detection of active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine.

Brassica napus BnaA09.MYB52 enhances seed coat mucilage accumulation and tolerance to osmotic stress during seed germination in Arabidopsis thaliana

Seed coat mucilage plays an important role in promoting seed germination under adversity. Previous studies have shown that Arabidopsis thaliana MYB52 (AtMYB52) can positively regulate seed coat mucilage accumulation. However, the role of Brassica napus MYB52 (BnaMYB52) in accumulation of seed coat mucilage and tolerance to osmotic stress during seed germination remains largely unknown. We cloned the BnaA09.MYB52 coding domain sequence from B. napus cv ZS11, identified its conserved protein domains and elucidated its relationship with homologues from a range of plant species. Transgenic plants overexpressing BnaA09.MYB52 in the A. thaliana myb52-1 mutant were generated through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and used to assess the possible roles of BnaA09.MYB52 in accumulation of seed coat mucilage and tolerance to osmotic stress during seed germination. Subcellular localization and transcriptional activity assays demonstrated that BnaA09.MYB52 functions as a transcription factor. RT-qPCR results indicate that BnaA09.MYB52 is predominantly expressed in roots and developing seeds of B. napus cv ZS11. Introduction of BnaA09.MYB52 into myb52-1 restored thinner seed coat mucilage in this mutant to levels in the wild type. Consistently, expression levels of three key genes participating in mucilage formation in developing seeds of myb52-1 were also restored to wild type levels by overexpressing BnaA09.MYB52. Furthermore, BnaA09.MYB52 was induced by osmotic stress during seed germination in B. napus, and ectopic expression of BnaA09.MYB52 successfully corrected sensitivity of the myb52-1 mutant to osmotic stress during seed germination. These findings enhance our understanding of the functions of BnaA09.MYB52 and provide a novel strategy for future B. napus breeding.

[Study of proanthocyanidin promotes osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament stem cells through the transcription factor EB-induced autophagy-lysosome pathway]

Objective: To investigate the mechanism of proanthocyanidin (PA) in regulating the osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs), and to explore the effects of PA on the expression and nuclear translocation of transcription factor EB (TFEB) and on the autophagy-lysosome pathway. Methods: PDLSCs were divided into control group and PA group, which were subjected to RNA sequencing analysis (RNA Seq) to detect differentially expressed genes. The osteogenic differentiation ability and autophagy level were observed by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining and transmission electron microscope (TEM), respectively. Scratch assay and Transwell assay were used to detect the migration ability of PDLSCs. Lysotracker and immunofluorescence staining were used to detect the biogenesis of lysosomes. The total protein expression of transcription factor EB (TFEB) as well as that in cytoplasm and nucleus were detected by Western blotting. Confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) was used to observe the nuclear translocation of TFEB. The PDLSCs were treated with small interfering RNA (siRNA) technology to knock down the expression levels of TFEB gene with or without PA treatment. Western blotting was used to analyze the expressions of autophagy-related proteins Beclin1 and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3B), as well as osteogenic-related proteins runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), ALP, and osteocalcin in PDLSCs. Results: Compared with the control group, the osteogenic-related and autophagy-related genes showed differential expression in PDLSCs after PA treatment (P<0.05). The mRNA expression levels of osteogenic-related genes RUNX2 (2.32±0.15) and collagen type Ⅰ alpha 1 (COL1α1) (1.80±0.18), as well as the autophagy related genes LC3B (1.87±0.08) and Beclin1 (1.63±0.08) were significantly increased in the PA group, compared with the control group (1.01±0.16, 1.00±0.10, 1.00±0.07, 1.00±0.06, respectively, all P<0.01). Compared with the control group, the PA group had higher ALP activity, and more autophagosomes and autophagolysosomes observed by TEM. PA promoted the migration of PDLSCs (P<0.05) and the increased number of lysosomes and the expression of lysosomal associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP1). In the PA group, the relative expression level of total TFEB protein (1.49±0.07) and the nuclear/cytoplasmic expression of TFEB protein (1.52±0.12) were significantly higher than the control group (1.00±0.11, 1.00±0.13, respectively) (t=6.43, P<0.01; t=5.07, P<0.01). The relative nuclear/cytoplasmic fluorescence intensity of TFEB in the PA group (0.79±0.09) was increased compared with the control group (0.11±0.08) (t=8.32, P<0.01). Knocking down TFEB significantly reduced the expression of TFEB (1.00±0.15 vs 0.64±0.04), LAMP1 (1.00±0.10 vs 0.69±0.09), Beclin1 (1.00±0.05 vs 0.60±0.05), and LC3B Ⅱ/Ⅰ (1.00±0.06 vs 0.73±0.07) in PDLSCs (P<0.05, P<0.05, P<0.01, P<0.01). When TFEB gene was knocked down, the expression levels of Beclin1 (1.05±0.11), LC3B Ⅱ/Ⅰ (1.02±0.09), RUNX2 (1.04±0.10), ALP (1.04±0.16), and osteocalcin (1.03±0.15) proteins were significantly decreased in the PA group compared with the pre-knockdown period (1.28±0.03, 1.44±0.11, 1.38±0.11, 1.62±0.11, 1.65±0.17, respectively) (P<0.05, P<0.01, P<0.05, P<0.01, and P<0.01, respectively). Conclusions: PA promotes the osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs through inducing the expression and nuclear translocation of TFEB and activating the autophagy-lysosome pathway.

Serous surface papillary borderline ovarian tumors: correlation of sonographic features with clinic pathological findings

Serous surface papillary borderline ovarian tumor (SSPBOT) is a distinct subtype of serous borderline ovarian tumor characterized by solid tissue deposition confined to the ovarian surface. Because SSPBOT is rare, there are few published reports on the ultrasonographic features of this condition. In this retrospective study, we investigated 12 cases of SSPBOT. Ultrasound imaging of SSPBOT showed grossly normal ovaries that were encased partially or wholly by tumor deposits that were confined to the surface, with clear demarcation between normal ovarian tissue and surrounding tumors. Color Doppler imaging demonstrated the 'fireworks sign' in all cases of SSPBOT, corresponding to an intratumoral vascular bundle originating from the ovarian vessels and supplying hierarchical branching blood flow to the surrounding tumor. No patient with ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma showed these morphological and Doppler features. In our series, the fireworks sign appeared to be a characteristic feature of SSPBOT that could facilitate correct identification of this tumor. © 2023 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

[A retrospective study of postoperative adjuvant therapy following immunotherapy combined with targeted therapy and sequential curative surgical procedures for initially unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma]

Objective: To report the clinical efficacy of adjuvant therapy based on pathological results following immunotherapy combined with targeted therapy and sequential curative surgical procedures in patients with initially unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods: This is a retrospective case series study. Data from 100 patients who underwent adjuvant therapy based on pathological results following immunotherapy combined with targeted therapy and sequential curative surgical procedures with long-term survival were collected from December 2018 to December 2022 at the Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, First Medical Center, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital. According to inclusion and exclusion criteria, 47 cases were included, among which patients who met the discontinuation criteria and maintained a drug-free tumor-free status. Thirty-nine male and eight female patients were included, with an age of (54.2±18.8)years(range:38 to 73 years) at initial diagnosis. At the time of initial diagnosis, 43 cases (91.5%) were classified as Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer(BCLC) stage C. Survival curves were made using Kaplan Meier method. Results: Forty-seven patients underwent R0 resection, all achieved a drug-free tumor-free state through postoperative adjuvant therapy based on pathological examination results. Thirty-six patients(76.6%) maintained a drug-free tumor-free survival status for more than 6 months,28 patients(59.6%) for more than 12 months,and 8 patients(17.0%) for more than 24 months. The longest drug-free tumor-free survival in this cohort reached 48 months. The median follow-up time in this study was 32 months. After diagnosis, the overall survival rates at 1- and 3- years were 97.7%(95%CI:93.4% to 100%) and 90.7%(95%CI:82.5% to 99.8%). The postoperative recurrence-free survival rates at 1- and 3- years were 91.0%(95%CI:83.0% to 99.8%) and 71.3%(95%CI:58.7% to 86.5%). Conclusions: The adjuvant therapy based on pathological results following immunotherapy combined with targeted therapy and sequential curative surgical approach provides long-term survival benefits for patients with initially unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. Standardized adjuvant therapy maybe sustain long-term tumor-free status,and achieve drug-free tumor-free survival.

Large detection range and high strain sensitivity fiber SPR sensor based on wave structure

To achieve a fiber strain sensor with a large detection range and high sensitivity, this paper proposes a wave structured fiber SPR strain sensor. When subjected to axial strain, the wave structured fiber is stretched axially, increasing the stretchability of the sensor and achieving a large detection range strain sensing. Meanwhile, axial strain reduces the longitudinal amplitude of the fiber wave structure, effectively changing the total reflection angle of the transmitted beam at the peak and valley (SPR incidence angle) to achieve high sensitivity SPR strain sensing. The experiment indicates that the strain detection range of the sensor can reach 0-1800µε, with a maximum strain sensitivity of 36.25pm/µε. The wave structured fiber SPR strain sensor designed in this article provides a new approach to improve the range and sensitivity of strain detection.

Establishment and evaluation of rat models of parastomal hernia

PURPOSE

Parastomal hernia poses a challenging problem in the field of hernia surgery. The high incidence and recurrence rates of parastomal hernia necessitate surgeons to enhance surgical techniques and repair materials. This study aimed to develop a rat model of parastomal hernia by inducing various types of defects on the abdominal wall with colostomy. This established method has potential for future studies on parastomal hernia.

METHODS

In this study, 32 male rats were included and randomly divided into four groups: the oblique abdominis excision (OE), oblique abdominis dissection (OD), rectus abdominis excision (RE), and rectus abdominis dissection (RD) groups. In each group, colostomy was performed and an abdominal wall defect was induced. The rats were observed for 28 days following surgery. The survival rate, body weight, parastomal hernia model scores, abdominal wall adhesion and inflammation, and collagen level in the hernial sac were compared.

RESULTS

No significant differences in survival rate and weight were observed among the four groups. The parastomal hernia model scores in the RE and RD groups were significantly higher than those in the OE and OD groups. The ratio of collagen I/III in the RE and RD groups was significantly lower than that in the OE and OD groups. Adhesion and inflammation levels were lower in the RE group than in the RD group.

CONCLUSION

Based on a comprehensive comparison of the findings, RE with colostomy emerged as the optimal approach for establishing parastomal hernia models in rats.