The immune modulation effects of gemcitabine plus cisplatin induction chemotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Background

Studies are trying to add immunotherapy to gemcitabine and cisplatin (GP) induction chemotherapy, the standard therapy, in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients with locoregionally advanced disease. However, how the immune system responds to GP remains unknown.

Method

We examined the dynamic changes of circulating immune cells and plasma cytokines in NPC patients administered with GP.

Result

After GP administration, immunosuppressive myeloid cells, including CD11b+CD14+ monocytes, CD33+ myeloid cells, CD33+CD11+ myeloid cells, total MDSCs (CD33+CD11+HLA‐DR−/low), monocytic MDSCs, and granulocytic MDSCs decreased significantly. The regulatory T cells and B cells, two important suppressive lymphocyte subpopulations, also decreased. On the other hand, the levels of CD3+ T cells, total B cells, central memory CD4+ T cells, and pro‐inflammatory cytokines (including Interleukin [IL]‐1β, IL‐6, IL‐2, IL‐5, and IL‐8) increased significantly after GP administration. Besides, GP chemotherapy did not weaken the cytotoxic activity and proliferative capacity of T cells.

Conclusion

Our results showed the immune modulation effect of GP induction chemotherapy in locoregionally advanced NPC, providing a solid basis for its combination with immunotherapy.

Association between Cognitive Frailty and Adverse Outcomes among Older Adults: A Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVES

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to pool the effect size of the association between cognitive frailty and adverse outcomes (e.g., falls, disability, and hospitalization) among older adults.

DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

METHODS

PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Embase were searched from their respective inceptions to June 1, 2022. We extracted prospective cohort studies that reported the association between cognitive frailty and adverse outcomes. Random or fixed-effects models based on heterogeneity were used to pool the effect sizes of independent associations of cognitive frailty, frailty only, and cognitive impairment only with each adverse outcome.

RESULTS

Fifteen studies involving 49,122 older adults were included in the meta-analysis. Older adults with cognitive frailty had higher odds ratios (OR) for falls (1.82, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.29-2.58), disability (3.17, 95%CI: 2.24-4.48), and hospitalization (1.78, 95%CI: 1.48-2.14) compared with those without frailty and cognitive impairment. Older adults with frailty only demonstrated a high risk for falls (pooled OR 1.76, 95%CI: 1.25-2.48), disability (pooled OR 1.82, 95%CI: 1.43-2.33), and hospitalization (pooled OR 1.64, 95% CI: 1.45-1.85). The influence of cognitive impairment only on adverse outcomes was lower compared with cognitive frailty or frailty. Subgroup analyses showed that those with cognitive frailty (defined by the frailty phenotype plus Mini-Mental State Examination) were at greater risk for developing adverse outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that cognitive frailty is an independent risk factor for adverse outcomes (e.g., falls, disability, and hospitalization). Early screening and comprehensive intervention may improve cognitive frailty and reduce the risk for adverse outcomes among older adults.

Inhibition of LncRNA Vof-16 expression promotes nerve regeneration and functional recovery after spinal cord injury

Our previous RNA sequencing study showed that the long non-coding RNA ischemia-related factor Vof-16 (lncRNA Vof-16) was upregulated after spinal cord injury, but its precise role in spinal cord injury remains unclear. Bioinformatics predictions have indicated that lncRNA Vof-16 may participate in the pathophysiological processes of inflammation and apoptosis. PC12 cells were transfected with a pHBLV-U6-MCS-CMV-ZsGreen-PGK-PURO vector to express an lncRNA Vof-16 knockdown lentivirus and a pHLV-CMVIE-ZsGree-Puro vector to express an lncRNA Vof-16 overexpression lentivirus. The overexpression of lncRNA Vof-16 inhibited PC12 cell survival, proliferation, migration, and neurite extension, whereas lncRNA Vof-16 knockdown lentiviral vector resulted in the opposite effects in PC12 cells. Western blot assay results showed that the overexpression of lncRNA Vof-16 increased the protein expression levels of interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and Caspase-3 and decreased Bcl-2 expression levels in PC12 cells. Furthermore, we established rat models of spinal cord injury using the complete transection at T10. Spinal cord injury model rats were injected with the lncRNA Vof-16 knockdown or overexpression lentiviral vectors immediately after injury. At 7 days after spinal cord injury, rats treated with lncRNA Vof-16 knockdown displayed increased neuronal survival and enhanced axonal extension. At 8 weeks after spinal cord injury, rats treated with the lncRNA Vof-16 knockdown lentiviral vector displayed improved neurological function in the hind limb. Notably, lncRNA Vof-16 knockdown injection increased Bcl-2 expression and decreased tumor necrosis factor-α and Caspase-3 expression in treated animals. Rats treated with the lncRNA Vof-16 overexpression lentiviral vector displayed opposite trends. These findings suggested that lncRNA Vof-16 is associated with the regulation of inflammation and apoptosis. The inhibition of lncRNA Vof-16 may be useful for promoting nerve regeneration and functional recovery after spinal cord injury. The experiments were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Guangdong Medical University, China.

[Efficacy of relocation and expansion pharyngoplasty by suspension sutures in the treatment of OSAHS with soft palate oropharyngeal obstruction]

Objective: To explore the efficacy of relocation and expansion pharyngoplasty by suspension sutures in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS). Methods: Seventy-three patients(including 60 males and 13 females) with OSAHS admitted to the department of otorhinolaryngology of our hospital in recent two years were retrospectively analyzed. All the patients had velopharyngeal obstructionevaluated by electronic endoscopic Müller test and were divided into control group (34 cases) and observation group (39 cases). The patients in the control group were performed modified uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, while those in the observation group were performed relocation and expansion pharyngoplasty by suspension sutures.The scores of ESS, AHI and LSaO₂ before and after treatment were collected and compared. Results: The total effective rate of the observation group was 94.87%, which was significantly higher than 79.41% of the control group. The AHI was lower and LSaO₂ value was higher (χ²=-1. 896,-1. 968,P<0.05)in the observation group. The sleeping symptoms and quality of life of the two groups were significantly improved. The ESS score of the observation group was decreased more significantly than that of the control group after treatment, and the difference was statistically significant (χ²=-1.451,P<0.05). The incidence of foreign body sensation in pharynx of the observation group (89.74%) was higher than that of the control group (55.88%), and the postoperative bleeding and postoperative recurrence rate (0.00%, 2.56%) was lower than that of the control group (8.82%, 14.70%)with statistical significance (χ²=4.738,4.249,4.119,P<0.05).The incidence of transient nasopharyngeal reflux in both groups was low and statistically insignificant (χ²=0.629,P>0.05). Conclusions: Preoperative strict screening of indications plays an important role in the selection of palatopharyngeal surgery methods and curative effect. Relocation and expansion pharyngoplasty by suspension sutures can improve the clinical efficacy of OSAHS with better safety and less recurrence.

Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells treatment for refractory uveitis: a case series

AIM

To evaluate therapeutic outcomes of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (HUC-MSCs) treatment in patients with refractory uveitis.

METHODS

A retrospective and noncomparative review was performed on four patients with refractory uveitis from December 2013 to December 2017. HUC-MSCs were administered intravenously at a dose of 1×10⁶ cells/kg. Clinical response, relapse rate, change of visual acuity, and other metrics were evaluated.

RESULTS

All four patients presented with responses to HUC-MSCs treatment, with three males and one female. The numbers of uveitis attacks per year after the HUC-MSCs treatment (0, 2, 0, 0 respectively) all decreased compared with the numbers before the treatment (3, 6, 4, 4 respectively). The oral steroid and immunosuppressive agents were tapered in all patients without recrudescence of ocular inflammation, and three patients discontinued their oral medicine at the last visit. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 3 patients was improved to varying degrees, and the BCVA of 1 patient remained at 20/20 (Snellen chart) from the first to the last consultation.

CONCLUSION

The study provides an effective therapy of HUC-MSCs in maintaining remission in patients affected by uveitis refractory to previous immunosuppressant treatments.

[Outcome of radiotherapy for low-risk early-stage patients with extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal-type]

Objective: To evaluate the prognosis and determine the failure patterns after radiotherapy for low-risk early-stage patients with extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal-type (ENKTCL). Methods: A total of 557 patients from 2000-2015 with low-risk early-stage ENKTCL who received radiotherapy (RT) with or without chemotherapy (CT) from China Lymphoma Collaborative Group were retrospectively reviewed. Among them, 427 patients received combined modality therapy, whereas 130 patients received RT alone. Survivals were calculated by Kaplan-Meier method and compared with Log-rank test. Overall survival (OS) was compared with age and sex-matched general Chinese population using expected survival and standardized mortality ratio (SMR). Cox stepwise regression model was used for multivariate analysis. Results: The 5-year OS and progression-free survival (PFS) were 87.2% and 77.2%. The SMR was 3.59 (P<0.001) at 1 year after treatment, whereas it was 1.50 at 4 years after treatment, without significant difference between ENKTCL group and country-matched general population (P=0.146). Compared with RT alone, CMT did not result in significantly superior 5-year OS (87.0% vs 87.4%, P=0.961) or PFS (76.1% vs 80.7%, P=0.129). Local failure (11.5%, 64/557) and distant failure (10.8%, 60/557) were the main failure modes, while regional failure was rare (2.9%, 16/557). The 5-year locoregional control rate (LRC) was 87.2% for the whole group, with 89.5% for ≥50 Gy versus 73.7% for <50 Gy (P<0.001). Radiotherapy dose was an independent factor affecting LRC(P<0.05). Conclusions: Radiotherapy achieves a favorable prognosis in patients with low-risk early-stage ENKTCL. The incidence of either locoregional or distant failure is low. Radiation dose still is an important prognostic factor for LRC.

[Preliminary study of the fourth-generation CAR-T cells targeting CS1 in the treatment of refractory and recurrent multiple myeloma]

Objective: To design the fourth-generation chimeric antigen receptor-T (CAR-T) cells that secrete interleukin-7 (IL7) and chemokine C legend 19 (CCL19) on the basis of the second-generation CAR, and to analyze and compare the differences in proliferation, chemotaxis, tumor cell clearance and persistence in the microenvironment of multiple myeloma (MM) between them. Methods: The fourth-generation CAR vector plasmid was constructed by using 2A self-cleaving peptide technology. The third-generation lentiviral packaging system was used to prepare high-titer lentivirus. Flow cytometry was used to monitor the transduction efficiency of lentivirus and the subtype changes of CAR-T cells. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to quantify the IL7 and CCL19 secreted by CAR-T cells.The calculation of absolute number of CAR-T cells during culture was used to analysis cell proliferation activity. Transwell migration assay was used to verify the chemotactic ability of CAR-T cells. The specific killing activity of CAR-T cells was detected by using the luciferase bioluminescence method. The NOD-Prkdcem26Cd52Il2rgem26Cd22/Nju (NOD) mouse xenograft model was used to verify the anti-myeloma activity and safety of CAR-T cells in vivo. Results: Flow cytometry results showed that the stable CAR expression rates of the second-generation anti-CS1 CAR-T and fourth-generation anti-CS1-IL7-CCL19 CAR-T cells were (91.50±0.29)% and (46.7±0.12)%, respectively. CAR-T cells were successfully constructed. Subtype analysis demonstrated that the ratio of stem memory T cell (TSCM) in anti-CS1-IL7-CCL19 CAR-T cells was (67.58±0.59)%, which was significantly higher than (50.74 ± 1.01)% of anti-CS1 CAR-T (P=0.000 1), with more strong immune memory function and better durability. Anti-CS1-IL7-CCL19 CAR-T cells can continuously secrete IL7 and CCL19 compared to MOCK-T and anti-CS1 CAR-T (P<0.000 1). The number of anti-CS1-IL7-CCL19 CAR-T cells reached (22.77±0.79)×10(6) on the 9th day after lentivirus transduction, which was significantly higher than (9.40±0.79)×10(6) of anti-CS1 CAR-T cells (P=0.000 1), with stronger proliferation ability. The number of chemotaxis cells of anti-CS1-IL7-CCL19 CAR-T cells to reactive T cells was (109.0±4.04), which was significantly higher than (9.33±1.20) of MOCK-T (P<0.000 1) and (7.33±0.88) of anti-CS1 CAR-T (P<0.000 1), with stronger chemotactic ability. The specific killing activity showed that both anti-CS1-IL7-CCL19 CAR-T and anti-CS1 CAR-T cells had specific killing efficacies when compared with the MOCK-T cells (P<0.000 1). Animal experiment indicated that anti-CS1-IL7-CCL19 CAR-T cells significantly reduced the tumor burden (P<0.000 1) and extended the overall survival time (P=0.006 1) of tumor-bearing mice. Conclusions: The anti-CS1-IL7-CCL19 CAR-T cells designed in this study show stronger proliferative activity, chemotactic ability, and durability without affecting the anti-myeloma activity in vivo and in vivo, which provides strategies for overcoming the defects of low survival rate, poor durability and inhibition by tumor microenvironment of traditional CAR-T cells, and offers preliminary experimental basis for the clinical application of the fourth-generation CAR-T cells.

[Potential of three-dimensional bioprinting in oral soft tissue engineering applications]

Oral soft tissue engineering involves the reconstruction or restoration of oral and maxillofacial functions and esthetics. As an emerging technology from the early 21st century, three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting promises great application potentials in the preparation of scaffolds and engineered tissues/organs. Although oral soft tissues include dental pulp, periodontal ligament, gum, oral mucosa, and salivary glands as well as related maxillofacial skin, vascular, muscular, and neuronal tissues, the current application of 3D bioprinting in oral soft tissue-restoration is mainly limited to dental pulp-regeneration. Different bioinks are used to load dental pulp cells into the dentin matrix for restoring the dental pulp tissue; 3D bioprinting has only been reported in a few in vitro studies on periodontal ligament-reconstruction and salivary gland culture; and 3D bioprinting used towards regenerating gingival tissue/oral mucosa has not been demonstrated. The limited application of 3D bioprinting in oral soft tissue engineering is perhaps related to the complex, fine, and orderly structure of the periodontal ligament, the moist environment of the oral cavity, the small operating space, and the continuous chewing pressure. The studies on bioprinting of skin, vascular, muscular, and neuronal tissues are broad, but they are typically not oral-specific. This article introduces the current application status and prospects of 3D bioprinting in the regeneration of oral soft tissues, using cytocompatible hydrogels as bioinks.

[A case of glufosinate-ammonium poisoning in a patient with total gastrectomy]

Objective: To analyze the diagnosis and treatment of a patient with glufosinate-ammonium poisoning after total gastrectomy. Methods: The clinical data of a patient with oral glufosinate-ammonium poisoning after total gastrectomy in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University in August 2020 were analyzed. Results: After total gastrectomy, the patient took about 200 ml of glufosinate-ammonium orally, and the plasma glufosinate-ammonium concentration was 816.8 ng/ml 6.5 h after poisoning. After symptomatic treatment such as promoting poison excretion, rehydration, anti infection and protecting important organs, the patient improved and discharged. Conclusion: The clinical manifestations of patients with glufosinate-ammonium poisoning after total gastrectomy are still mainly neurological symptoms, with delayed effect. Whether total gastrectomy will affect the distribution and toxic effect of the poison still needs further exploration.

Disorganization of the retinal inner layers as a predictor of visual acuity in eyes with macular edema secondary to uveitis

AIM

To assess the correlation between disorganization of the retinal inner layers (DRIL) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in patients with uveitis and macular edema (UME) who underwent systemic treatment using optical coherence tomography (OCT).

METHODS

A retrospective clinical study of 23 patients (30 eyes) with DRIL and 23 patients (31 eyes) without DRIL secondary to UME were included. All patients underwent comprehensive ophthalmic examinations at baseline, 3, 6, and 12mo after local and systemic treatment. The OCT-based parameters included foveal center point thickness (FCPT), mean thickness (MT), and diameters of DRIL in horizontal and vertical directions. BCVA and OCT-based parameters were compared between the two groups. The relationship between each OCT parameter and BCVA was evaluated using linear correlation and regression analysis.

RESULTS

At the initial visit, the mean baseline FCPT was 441.03±128.68 µm in the eyes with DRIL and 337.26±99.31 µm in the eyes without DRIL (P=0.001). No significant differences were observed in MT (P=0.357). The mean size of transverse and vertical diameters of DRIL was 684.07±267.51 and 267.07±104.61 µm at baseline, respectively. There was significant improvement in BCVA and OCT-based parameters at 3, 6, and 12mo in all cases (P<0.001 for each timepoint). In addition, significant differences were detected in BCVA and OCT parameters between eyes with and without DRIL at each time point (P<0.01 for each timepoint). A greater DRIL range at baseline was associated with a worse baseline BCVA (transverse diameter of DRIL: r=0.875, P<0.001; vertical diameter of DRIL: r=0.622, P<0.001). The transverse diameter of baseline DRIL was found to be significantly correlated with the final BCVA (P=0.003).

CONCLUSION

The improvement in BCVA is associated with DRIL in patients with UME. DRIL is an easy-to-determine and robust imaging biomarker that could help predict BCVA prognosis in eyes with UME.

MicroRNA-383-5p predicts favorable prognosis and inhibits the progression of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

The roles of microRNA (miRNA/miR)-383-5p have been reported in several malignancies, including breast cancer, gastric cancer, ovarian cancer and lung adenocarcinoma. However, its function in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) remains unclear. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the role of miR-383-5p in DLCBL. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analysis was performed to detect miR-383-5p expression in 80 paired tissue samples from patients with DLBCL and control subjects, as well as related cancer cell lines. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed, and the prognostic value of miR-383-5p was determined via Cox regression analysis. Furthermore, the association between miR-383-5p expression and the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with DLBCL was investigated. The Cell Counting Kit-8, crystal violet staining and Transwell assays were performed to assess the effects of miR-383-5p on cell proliferation and invasion, respectively. The results demonstrated that miR-383-5p expression was upregulated in human DLBCL tissues and cell lines. In addition, miR-383-5p expression was closely associated with clinical stage and extranodal invasion in patients with DLBCL. Notably, high miR-383-5p expression was able to predict a favorable clinical prognosis in patients with DLBCL. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-383-5p significantly inhibited the proliferation and invasion of DLBCL cells, the effects of which were reversed following miR-383-5p knockdown. Taken together, the results of the present study suggest that miR-383-5p may predict favorable prognosis, and thus may be used as a prognostic biomarker for patients with DLBCL. In addition, miR-383-5p appears to play critical roles in inhibiting the proliferation and invasion of DLBCL cells, and thus may be used as a potential therapeutic target in patients with DLBCL.

Improved quantification of immune-gold labeling and its use to compare the distribution of cellular factors among sub-chloroplast compartments

Quantification of immuno-gold labeling can provide valuable information on the quantity and localization of a target within a region of interest (ROI). Background subtraction usually requires preparation of material with a deliberately reduced amount of target component often by gene knockout/knockdown. This paper reports a modified method without the need for gene knockout/knockdown, by using a region outside the ROI as a background and non-immune serum to verify the reliability of the data. An optimized parameter for use in image processing was also developed to improve semi-automatic segmentation of gold particles, by using the standard deviation of pixel intensity together with default parameters (size and intensity) to improve specificity. The modified methods were used to quantify the gold labeling of various components within chloroplasts and their 3 sub-organelle compartments (thylakoid, stroma and starch). Rubisco, actin, myosin, β-tubulin, Endoplasmic reticulum-retention signal HDEL, Sterol methyltransferase 1, and double stranded RNA were all effectively and consistently quantified at the level of the different sub-chloroplast compartments. The approach should be applicable more widely for high resolution labelling of samples in which a background requiring gene knockout/knockdown is not a realistic option.

Utilizing dexamethasone intravitreal implant to control postoperative inflammation in refractory uveitis undergoing cataract surgery

AIM

To report the effectiveness of intravitreal implantation of dexamethasone implant (Ozurdex) after phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation in refractory uveitis patients.

METHODS

This single-center retrospective study conducted for refractory pan-uveitis patients who underwent cataract surgery combined with intravitreal Ozurdex implantation. The main outcome measurements were best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central retinal thickness (CRT), grade of anterior chamber cell (AAC), intraocular pressure (IOP), and systemic/ocular adverse events.

RESULTS

Ten eyes of 7 patients were included. BCVA showed significant improvement at 1mo (P=0.004), 3mo (P=0.0004), and 6mo (P=0.001) post operation. There were no statistically significant differences in the postoperative CRT among follow-up groups (P>0.05). No significant differences were observed in the baseline IOP when compared to 1, 3, and 6mo (all P>0.05) post operation. One patient developed a transient elevated IOP post injection. Two eyes (20%) developed posterior capsular opacifications and underwent neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser capsulotomy. In six patients (8 eyes, 71.4%), the systemic steroid usage was reduced to below 10 mg/d. The patients experienced a mean of 1.4±0.52 recurrences of inflammation in the 6mo before operation and 0.7±0.48 in the 6mon post operation. The mean recurrence time was 13±0.58wk (range 12-14wk) post operation. In five of seven patients (7 out of 10 eyes), inflammation relapse was developed postoperatively. Only one patient (2 eyes) needed increased amounts of oral corticosteroids. Intraocular inflammation recurrence in the remaining patients was controlled by topical steroids.

CONCLUSION

Ozurdex is considered a safe and effective approach to control postoperative inflammation in cataract surgery for patients with refractory uveitis in our study. After the disappearance of Ozurdex's anti-inflammatory effects over time, in most cases the recurrent inflammation can be controlled by topical steroids.

The activation of galanin receptor 2 plays an antinociceptive effect in nucleus accumbens of rats with neuropathic pain

Our previous research has shown that galanin plays an antinociceptive effect via binding to galanin receptors (GalRs) in nucleus accumbens (NAc). This study focused on the involvement of GalR2 in galanin-induced antinociceptive effect in NAc of neuropathic pain rats. The chronic constriction injury of sciatic nerve (CCI) was used to mimic neuropathic pain model. The hind paw withdrawal latency (HWL) to thermal stimulation and hind paw withdrawal threshold (HWT) to mechanical stimulation were measured as the indicators of pain threshold. The results showed that 14 and 28 days after CCI, the expression of GalR2 was up-regulated in bilateral NAc of rats, and intra-NAc injection of GalR2 antagonist M871 reversed galanin-induced increases in HWL and HWT of CCI rats. Furthermore, intra-NAc injection of GalR2 agonist M1145 induced increases in HWL and HWT at day 14 and day 28 after CCI, which could also be reversed by M871. Finally, we found that M1145-induced antinociceptive effect in NAc of CCI rats was stronger than that in intact rats. These results imply that the GalR2 is activated in the NAc from day 14 to day 28 after CCI and GalR2 is involved in the galanin-induced antinociceptive effect in NAc of CCI rats.

TiO2-supported Au-Ag plasmonic nanocatalysts achieved by plasma restructuring and activation

Plasmonic Au-Ag/TiO₂ bimetallic nanocatalyst is regarded as a promising visible-light (VL) photocatalyst due to its wide light absorption and potentially enhanced activity. For its preparation, Au precursors usually contain Cl and co-impregnation/co-deposition suffers from AgCl precipitation, and consequently Au and Ag have to be sequentially supported. However, Au and Ag species of the sequential preparation are individually isolated and difficult to be homogeneously mixed. Here we report an Au-Ag plasmonic nanocatalyst achieved by plasma restructuring and activation from the sequential preparation. The isolated cationic Au and Ag species on the sequentially-prepared Au-Ag/TiO₂ sample are restructured to be homogeneously mixed and highly activated by O₂ plasma, which can be partially auto-reduced to Au-Ag bimetallic nanoparticles within the induction period of a few minutes in VL photocatalytic oxidation of CO. The Au-Ag plasmonic nanocatalyst exhibits a strongly enhanced activity in the VL photocatalytic reaction. The contribution of O₂ plasma treatment and the enhancement mechanism for the Au-Ag plasmonic nanocatalyst are disclosed.

Hyperentanglement concentration of nonlocal two-photon six-qubit systems via the cross-Kerr nonlinearity

We present an efficient hyperentanglement concentration protocol (hyper-ECP) for two-photon six-qubit systems in nonlocal partially hyperentangled Bell states with unknown parameters. In our scheme, we use two identical partially hyperentangled states which are simultaneously entangled in polarization and two different longitudinal momentum degrees of freedom (DOFs) to distill the maximally hyperentangled Bell state. The quantum nondemolition detectors based on the cross-Kerr nonlinearity are used to realize the parity checks of two-photon systems in three DOFs. The hyper-ECP can extract all the useful entanglement source, and the success probability can reach the theory limit with the help of iteration. All these advantages make our hyper-ECP useful in long-distance quantum communication in the future.

lncRNA RHPN1-AS1 promotes the progression of endometrial cancer through the activation of ERK/MAPK pathway

AIM

This study aimed to investigate the function of long noncoding RNA RHPN1 antisense RNA 1 (lncRNA RHPN1-AS1) in the progression of endometrial cancer (EC) and its underlying molecular mechanisms.

METHODS

The RHPN1-AS1 expression was measured by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in EC tissues and cells. The cell clones, proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, migration and invasion in Ishikawa and HEC-1A cells were respectively measured by colony formation assay, cell counting kit-8 assay (CCK-8) assay, flow cytometry, wound healing assay and transwell assay. In addition, the protein expressions in Ishikawa and HEC-1A cells were measured using western blot and Immunofluorescence assay.

RESULTS

Our data showed the RHPN1-AS1 expression was significantly upregulated in both EC tissues and cells. The expression of RHPN1-AS1 was significantly correlated with FIGO stage, histological grade, and lymph node metastasis. Additionally, silencing RHPN1-AS1 could inhibit proliferation, cell cycle progression, migration and invasion, and also promote apoptosis in Ishikawa and HEC-1A cells. Moreover, silencing RHPN1-AS1 could markedly elevate the expressions of caspase-3 and Bax, but reduce the Bcl-2 expression in Ishikawa and HEC-1A cells. We also found that silencing RHPN1-AS1 could significantly inhibit the phosphorylation of MEK and ERK in Ishikawa and HEC-1A cells. After U0126 pretreatment, the inhibition effect of silencing RHPN1-AS1 on the phosphorylation of MEK and ERK was strengthened.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrated that RHPN1-AS1 could facilitate cell proliferation, migration and invasion, as well as inhibit apoptosis via activating ERK/MAPK pathway in EC.

[Treatment strategies of spinal cord ischemia after endovascular repair of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm]

It is more than 20 years since the first endovascular repair of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm was performed. Significantly reducing risk of morbidity and mortality compared with open aortic repair, the advent of endovascular repair has revolutionized the treatment of complex aortic disease. It is now the first-line treatment for most thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm patients. However, spinal cord ischemia (SCI) remains one of the most threatening complications after the procedure, and significantly reduces overall survival. The pathophysiology of spinal cord ischemia remains unclear but may well be multifactorial. Risk factors for SCI include excessive aortic coverage, detriment to the collateral network through occlusion of the left subclavian or internal iliac arteries, perioperative hypotension and chronic renal failure. SCI could be predicted, prevented and ameliorated through the application of motor evoked potential, permissive perioperative hypertension, cerebrospinal fluid drainage (CSFD), preoperative or concomitant left subclavian artery (LSA) revascularization and some drugs. However, there are certain complications and contraindications for CSFD and arterial revascularization. As a result, we must balance the pros and cons of these invasive measures. So we summarize our clinical experience and propose the employment of LSA revascularization and CSFD in certain kinds of high-risk patients respectively. With the development of technology and preventive measures, we believe that SCI could be minimized in the forseeable future.

Phase transitions in the classical exchange-anisotropic Kitaev-Heisenberg model

The Kitaev model on the honeycomb lattice has been receiving substantial attention due to the discovery of quantum spin liquid state associated with this model. Consequently, its classical partners such as the Kitaev-Heisenberg (KH) model and associated phase transitions become concerned. Specifically, an intermediate Kosterlitz-Thouless (KT) phase engaged in the transition from the high-temperature (T) disordered state to the low-T sixfold degenerate state is predicted in the isotropic KH model [Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 187201 (2012)10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.187201], but so far no sufficient experimental proof has been reported. In this work, we consider an essential extension of this KH model on the honeycomb lattice by including the Kitaev exchange anisotropy that is non-negligible in realistic materials. The associated phase transitions are thus investigated using the Monte Carlo simulations. It is found that such an anisotropy will result in a degradation of the sixfold degeneracy of the ground state in the isotropic KH model down to the fourfold or twofold degenerate ground state, and the finite-T phase transitions will also be modified remarkably. Interestingly, the intermediate KT phase can be suppressed by this Kitaev exchange anisotropy. This work thus provides a more realistic description of the physics ingredient with the KH model and presents a possible explanation on absence of the intermediate phase in real materials where the Kitaev exchange anisotropy can be more or less available.

[Role of microRNA-17-5p in the pathogenesis of pediatric nephrotic syndrome and related mechanisms]

OBJECTIVE

To study the role of microRNA-17-5p (miR-17-5p) in the pathogenesis of pediatric nephrotic syndrome (NS) and its effect on renal podocyte apoptosis via the activin A (ActA)/Smads pathway.

METHODS

An analysis was performed on 55 children with NS (NS group) who were admitted from March 2018 to March 2019. Fifty healthy children who underwent physical examination during the same period of time were enrolled as the control group. The mRNA expression of miR-17-5p in peripheral blood was measured and compared between the two groups. Human renal podocytes were transfected with antisense oligonucleotide recombinant plasmid containing miR-17-5p (inhibition group) or control vector containing nonsense random sequence (negative control group), and untreated human renal podocytes were used as the blank group. These groups were compared in terms of cell apoptosis and the mRNA and protein expression of miR-17-5p, ActA, and Smads after transfection.

RESULTS

The NS group had a significantly higher level of miR-17-5p in peripheral blood than the control group (P<0.001). Compared with the blank and negative control groups, the inhibition group had significantly lower apoptosis rate and relative mRNA expression of miR-17-5p and significantly higher relative mRNA and protein expression of ActA, Smad2, and Smad3 (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

There is an increase in the content of miR-17-5p in peripheral blood in children with NS. Low expression of miR-17-5p can inhibit the apoptosis of human renal podocytes, which may be associated with the upregulation of the mRNA and protein expression of ActA, Smad2 and Smad3.