Clinical efficacy analysis of surgical treatment for spinal metastasis under the multidisciplinary team using the NOMS decision system combined with the revised Tokuhashi scoring system: a randomized controlled study

OBJECTIVE

Despite advancements in spinal metastasis surgery techniques and the rapid development of multidisciplinary treatment models, we aimed to explore the clinical efficacy of spinal metastasis surgery performed by a combined NOMS decision system-utilizing multidisciplinary team and Revised Tokuhashi scoring system, compared with the Revised Tokuhashi scoring system.

METHODS

Clinical data from 102 patients with spinal metastases who underwent surgery at three affiliated hospitals of Zunyi Medical University from December 2017 to June 2022 were analysed. The patients were randomly assigned to two groups: 52 patients in the treatment group involving the combined NOMS decision system-utilizing multidisciplinary team and Revised Tokuhashi scoring system (i.e., the combined group), and 50 patients in the treatment group involving the Revised Tokuhashi scoring system only (i.e., the revised TSS-only group). Moreover, there were no statistically significant differences in preoperative general data or indicators between the two groups. Intraoperative and postoperative complications, average hospital stay, mortality rate, and follow-up observation indicators, including the visual analogue scale (VAS) score for pain, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status, Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) score, negative psychological assessment score (using the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, [SAS]), and neurological function recovery score (Frankel functional classification) were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

All 102 patients successfully completed surgery and were discharged. The follow-up period ranged from 12 to 24 months, with an average of (13.2 ± 2.4) months. The patients in the combined group experienced fewer complications such as surgical wound infections 3 patients(5.77%), intraoperative massive haemorrhage 2 patients(3.85%), cerebrospinal fluid leakage 2 patients(3.85%), deep vein thrombosis 4 patients(7.69%),and neurological damage 1 patient(1.92%), than patients in the revised TSS-only group (wound infections,11 patients(22%); intraoperative massive haemorrhage, 8 patients(16%);cerebrospinal fluid leakage,5 patients(10%);deep vein thrombosis,13 patients (26%); neurological damage,2 patients (4%). Significant differences were found between the two groups in terms of surgical wound infections, intraoperative massive haemorrhage, and deep vein thrombosis (P < 0.05). The average postoperative hospital stay in the combined group (7.94 ± 0.28 days) was significantly shorter than that in the revised TSS-only group (10.33 ± 0.30 days) (P < 0.05). Long-term follow-up (1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively) revealed better clinical outcomes in the combined group than in the revised TSS-only group in terms of VAS scores, overall KPS%, neurological function status Frankel classification, ECOG performance status, and SAS scores.(P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

A multidisciplinary team using the NOMS combined with the Revised Tokuhashi scoring system for spinal metastasis surgery showed better clinical efficacy than the sole use of the Revised Tokuhashi scoring system. This personalized, precise, and rational treatment significantly improves patient quality of life, shortens hospital stay, reduces intraoperative and postoperative complications, and lowers mortality rates.

Volume-based 18F-FDG PET/CT predicts prognosis and outcome of active surveillance for intra-abdominal desmoid tumor

PURPOSE

Desmoid tumor (DT) is a rare monoclonal, fibroblastic proliferation characterized by a variable and often unpredictable clinical course. Initial active surveillance is recommended by current guideline, and surgery is one of the main therapies for DT. Predicting the prognosis and outcome of active surveillance for intra-abdominal DT is pressing issue.

METHODS

The study included eighteen patients with intra-abdominal DT. Metabolic tumor volume (MTV), total lesion glycolysis (TLG), and maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) were measured. We analyzed their relationship with the outcome of active surveillance, as well as clinical, prognostic, and pathological data.

RESULTS

The MTV and TLG of recurrent DT were significantly higher than those of non-recurrent DT (P < 0.001 and P = 0.00, respectively). The ROC curve suggested that the appropriate cutoff values for distinguishing recurrent DT from non-recurrent DT were 760.8 for MTV (sensitivity = 1, specificity = 0.857 and AUC = 0.929), and 1318.4 for TLG (sensitivity = 1, specificity = 0.786, and AUC = 0.911). The cutoff values of MTV and TLG significantly correlated with PFS using the Kaplan-Meier method (P = 0.002 and P = 0.007, respectively). MTV and TLG could distinguish DTs with subsequent progression from stable ones (P = 0.004 and P = 0.004, respectively). The ROC curve suggested that the appropriate cutoff values for distinguishing DTs with subsequent progression from stable ones were 197.1 for MTV (sensitivity = 0.9, specificity = 1, and AUC = 0.900), and 445.45 for TLG (sensitivity = 0.9, specificity = 1, and AUC = 0.900).

CONCLUSION

Volume-based 18F-FDG-PET can predict prognosis of intra-abdominal DT. MTV and TLG can predict the outcome of active surveillance for intra-abdominal DT. MTV and TLG can potentially be predictors of surgical risk and difficulty.

Discovery of tryptanthrin analogues bearing F and piperazine moieties as novel phytopathogenic antibacterial and antiviral agents

BACKGROUND

Plant bacterial infections and plant viruses seriously affect the yield and quality of crops. Based on the various activities of tryptanthrin, a series of tryptanthrin analogues bearing F and piperazine moieties were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their biological activities against three plant bacteria and tobacco mosaic virus (TMV).

RESULTS

Bioassay results indicated that compounds 6a-6l displayed excellent antibacterial activities in vitro and 6a-6c and 6g exhibited better antiviral activities against TMV than commercial ribavirin. In particular, 6b showed the most effect on Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) with a half-maximal effective concentration (EC50 ) of 1.26 μg mL-1 , compared with the commercial pesticide bismerthiazol (BT; EC50  = 34.3 μg mL-1 ) and thiodiazole copper (TC; EC50  = 73.3 μg mL-1 ). Meanwhile, 6a also had the best antiviral activity at 500 μg mL-1 for curative, protection, and inactivation purposes, compared with ribavirin in vivo.

CONCLUSION

Compound 6b could cause changes in bacterial morphology, induce the accumulation of reactive oxygen species, promote apoptosis of bacterial cells, inhibit the formation of biofilm, and block the growth of Xoo cells. Proteomic analysis revealed major differences in the bacterial secretory system pathways T2SS and T6SS, which inhibited membrane transport. Molecular docking revealed that 6a and 6g could interact with TMV coat protein preventing virus assembly. These results suggest that tryptanthrin analogues bearing F and piperazine moieties could be promising candidate agents for antibacterial and antiviral use in agricultural production. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Design, synthesis, antibacterial evaluation of isopropylamine linked with different substituted phenol and piperazine novel derivatives

BACKGROUND

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) is often considered one of the most destructive bacterial pathogens causing bacterial leaf blight (BLB), resulting in significant yield and cost losses in rice. In this study, a series of novel derivatives containing the isopropanolamine moiety linked to various substituted phenols and piperazines were designed, synthesized and screened.

RESULTS

Antibacterial activity results showed that most compounds had good inhibitory effects on Xoo, among which compound W2 (EC50  = 2.74 μg mL-1 ) exhibited the most excellent inhibitory activity, and W2 also had a certain curative effect (35.89%) on rice compared to thiodiazole copper (TC) (21.57%). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results indicated that compound W2 could cause rupture of the Xoo cell membrane. Subsequently, proteomics and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed that compound W2 affected the physiological processes of Xoo and may exert antibacterial activity by targeting the two-component system pathway. Interestingly, W2 upregulated Xoo's methyltransferase to impact on its pathogenicity.

CONCLUSION

The present study offers a promising phenolic-piperazine-sopropanolamine compound as an innovative antibacterial strategy by specifically targeting the two-component system pathway and inducing upregulation of methyltransferase to effectively impact Xoo's pathogenicity. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Dracotangusions A and B, two new sesquiterpenes from Dracocephalum tanguticum Maxim. with anti-inflammatory activity

Two new guaiane sesquiterpenoids were isolated from the dried aerial parts of Dracocephalum tanguticum Maxim., named as dracotangusions A (1) and B (2), together with four known sesquiterpenoids, which were identified as Curcumenone (3), (4Z,7Z,9Z)-11-Hydroxy-4,7,9-germacratriene-1,6-dione (4), Kobusone (5), and (1S,10S), (4S, 5S)-(+)-germacrone-1(10)-4-diepoxide (6). The structures of isolates were determined by UV, IR, HR-ESI-MS, and NMR analysis. What is noteworthy is that four known sesquiterpenoids were isolated for the first time from the genus of Dracocephalum L. All compounds inhibited the extremely significant difference (p < 0.01) in anti-inflammatory activity, suggesting that these compounds may be promising candidates as an anti-inflammatory agent.

Directional electronic tuning of Ni nanoparticles by interfacial oxygen bridging of support for catalyzing alkaline hydrogen oxidation

Metallic nickel (Ni) is a promising candidate to substitute Pt-based catalysts for hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR), but huge challenges still exist in precise modulation of the electronic structure to boost the electrocatalytic performances. Herein, we present the use of single-layer Ti3C2Tx MXene to deliberately tailor the electronic structure of Ni nanoparticles via interfacial oxygen bridges, which affords Ni/Ti3C2Tx electrocatalyst with exceptional performances for HOR in an alkaline medium. Remarkably, it shows a high kinetic current of 16.39 mA cmdisk-2 at the overpotential of 50 mV for HOR [78 and 2.7 times higher than that of metallic Ni and Pt/C (20%), respectively], also with good durability and CO antipoisoning ability (1,000 ppm) that are not available for conventional Pt/C (20%) catalyst. The ultrahigh conductivity of single-layer Ti3C2Tx provides fast transmission of electrons for Ni nanoparticles, of which the uniform and small sizes endow them with high-density active sites. Further, the terminated -O/-OH functional groups on Ti3C2Tx directionally capture electrons from Ni nanoparticles via interfacial Ni-O bridges, leading to obvious electronic polarization. This could enhance the Nids-O2p interaction and weaken Nids-H1s interaction of Ni sites in Ni/Ti3C2Txenabling a suitable H-/OH-binding energy and thus enhancing the HOR activity.

Post-Modification of a Robust Covalent Organic Framework for Efficient Sequestration of 99 TcO4 - /ReO4. Chemistry 2023;29:e202302168. [PMID: 37534580 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202302168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0]

Nuclear industry spent fuel reprocessing and some radioactive contamination sites often involve high acidity and salinity environments. Currently developed and reported sorbents in 99 TcO4 - sequestration from the nuclear waste are unstable and show low adsorption efficiency in harsh conditions. To address this issue, we developed a post-synthetic modification strategy by grafting imidazole-based ionic liquids (ILs) onto the backbone of covalent organic framework (COF) via vinyl polymerization. The resultant COF-polyILs sorbent exhibits fast adsorption kinetics (<5 min) and good sorption capacity (388 mg g-1 ) for ReO4 - (a nonradioactive surrogate of 99 TcO4 - ). Outstandingly, COF-polyILs composite shows superior ReO4 - removal even under highly acidic conditions and in the presence of excess competing ions of Hanford low-level radioactive waste stream, benefiting from the stable covalent bonds between the COF and polyILs, mass of imidazole rings, and hydrophobic pores in COF.

Promoting electrochemical nitrogen fixation by nanoporous AuCu alloys

Electrochemical nitrogen fixation provides a sustainable alternative to the Haber-Bosch technique. Herein, nanoporous AuCu alloys are fabricated with more active sites and accessible channels, which promote N2 absorbability and activation. Our catalyst displays superior efficiency of 45.7%, ammonia yield of 25.7 μg h-1 cm-2 and selectivity of 98%, overcoming solid Au and Cu nanoparticles.

Flexible Luminescent Hydrogen-bonded Organic Framework for the Separation of Benzene and Cyclohexane

A nonplanar phenothiazine derivative with three cyano moieties (PTTCN) is designed and synthesized to achieve functional crystals for absorptive separation of benzene and cyclohexane. PTTCN can crystallize into two kinds of crystals with different fluorescence colors in different solvent systems. The molecules in two crystals are in different stereo isomeric forms of nitrogen, quasi axial (ax), and quasi equatorial (eq). The crystals with blue fluorescence in ax form may selectively adsorb benzene by a single-crystal-to-single-crystal (SCSC) transformation, but separated benzene from a benzene/cyclohexane equimolar mixture with a low purity of 79.6%. Interestingly, PTTCN molecules with eq form and benzene co-assembled to construct a hydrogen-bonded framework (X-HOF-4) with S-type solvent channels and yellow-green fluorescence, and can release benzene to form nonporous guest-free crystal under heating. Such nonporous crystals strongly favor aromatic benzene over cyclohexane and may selectively reabsorb benzene from benzene/cyclohexane equimolar mixture to recover original framework, and the purity of benzene can reach ≈96.5% after release from framework. Moreover, reversible transformation between the nonporous crystals and the guest-containing crystals allows the material to be reused.

A Multistimuli Responsive, Flexible Luminescent Framework and Its Applicability in Anticounterfeiting

A linear distyrylanthracene derivative (DDATAn) with two diaminotriazine (DAT) groups acting as the hydrogen bond (H-bond) units was designed and synthesized in order to construct flexible organic porous crystals. H-bonds between the DAT moieties helped the molecules to construct a double interpenetrated two-dimensional layer, and the stacking between layers provided a H-bonded organic framework (X-HOF-3) with one-dimensional solvent channels. When X-HOF-3 was placed in contact with methanol, the fluorescent colors of the HOF exhibited an apparent bathochromic shift. More interestingly, the methanol-activated HOF was able to rapidly adsorb water from the air, which was accompanied by a change in fluorescent color from yellow to red. Under heating, water was released from the HOF and the fluorescent color returned to yellow. Water molecules in the pores were also able to be released after an applied mechanical force disrupted the ordered structure of the HOF. Based on these stimuli-responsive properties, these HOFs can be used as advanced functional materials in anticounterfeiting applications.

Cytoreductive surgery offers prognostic benefits in metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumors with generalized progression following imatinib therapy: a single institute retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. Distant metastasis has been detected in approximately 50% of GIST patients at the first diagnosis. The surgical strategy for metastatic GIST with generalized progression (GP) after imatinib therapy remains unclear.

METHODS

We recruited 15 patients with imatinib-resistant metastatic GIST. They received cytoreductive surgery (CRS) for tumor rupture, intestinal obstruction and gastrointestinal bleeding. We collected clinical, pathological and prognostic data for analyses.

RESULTS

OS and PFS after R0/1 CRS were 56.88 ± 3.47 and 26.7 ± 4.12 months, respectively, when compared with 26 ± 5.35 and 5 ± 2.78 months after R2 CRS (P = 0.002 and P < 0.001, respectively). The OS of patients from the initiation of imatinib in the R0/1 group was 133.90 ± 15.40 months when compared with 59.80 ± 10.98 months in the R2 CRS group. There were two significant grade III complications after 15 operations (13.3%). No patient underwent reoperation. In addition, no perioperative death occurred.

CONCLUSIONS

R0/1 CRS is highly probable to provide prognostic benefits for patients with metastatic GIST who experience GP following imatinib treatment. An aggressive surgical strategy for achieving R0/1 CRS can be deemed safe. If applicable, R0/1 CRS should be carefully considered in imatinib-treated patients with GP metastatic GIST.

Hydrophobicity Tailoring of Ferric Covalent Organic Framework/MXene Nanosheets for High-Efficiency Nitrogen Electroreduction to Ammonia

Electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) represents a promising sustainable approach for NH₃ synthesis. However, the poor NRR performance of electrocatalysts is a great challenge at this stage, mainly owing to their low activity and the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein, 2D ferric covalent organic framework/MXene (COF-Fe/MXene) nanosheets with controllable hydrophobic behaviors are successfully prepared via a multiple-in-one synthetic strategy. The boosting hydrophobicity of COF-Fe/MXene can effectively repel water molecules to inhibit the HER for enhanced NRR performances. By virtue of the ultrathin nanostructure, well-defined single Fe sites, nitrogen enrichment effect, and high hydrophobicity, the 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecanethiol modified COF-Fe/MXene hybrid shows a NH₃ yield of 41.8 µg h^-1 mg_cat. ^-1 and a Faradaic efficiency of 43.1% at -0.5 V versus RHE in a 0.1 m Na₂ SO₄ water solution, which are vastly superior to the known Fe-based catalysts and even to the noble metal catalysts. This work provides a universal strategy to design and synthesis of non-precious metal electrocatalysts for high-efficiency N₂ reduction to NH₃ .

Novel 2-Amino-1,4-Naphthoquinone Derivatives Induce A549 Cell Death through Autophagy

A series of 1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives containing were synthesized as anti-cancer agents and the crystal structure of compound 5a was confirmed by X-ray diffraction. In addition, the inhibitory activities against four cancer cell lines (HepG2, A549, K562, and PC-3) were tested, respectively, and compound 5i showed significant cytotoxicity on the A549 cell line with the IC₅₀ of 6.15 μM. Surprisingly, in the following preliminary biological experiments, we found that compound 5i induced autophagy by promoting the recycling of EGFR and signal transduction in the A549 cell, resulting in the activation of the EGFR signal pathway. The potential binding pattern between compound 5i and EGFR tyrosine kinase (PDB ID: 1M17) was also identified by molecular docking. Our research paves the way for further studies and the development of novel and powerful anti-cancer drugs.

Short- and long-term surgical outcomes of pancreatic resection for retroperitoneal sarcoma: A long-term single-center experience of 90 cases

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Resection of retroperitoneal sarcoma (RPS) en bloc with pancreas is challenging and controversial. This single-center retrospective study aimed to analyze the impact of pancreatic resection (PR) and its different types on short- and long-term outcomes in patients with RPS.

METHODS

Data from 242 consecutive patients with RPS who underwent surgical treatment at the Peking University Cancer Hospital Sarcoma Center between January 2010 and February 2021 were analyzed. Out of these, 90 patients underwent PR, including pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) in 31 and distal pancreatectomy (DP) in 59.

RESULTS

Patients in the PR group had a higher major morbidity (37.8% vs. 14.5%) and mortality (8.9% vs. 1.3%) than those in the non-PR group, with a similar 5-year overall survival (OS) rate (46.9% vs. 53.6%). Patients in the PD and DP groups had a slight difference in major morbidity (48.4% vs. 32.2%), mortality (6.4% vs. 10.2%), and 5-year OS rates (43.3% vs. 49.3%). The PR type was not an independent risk factor for major morbidity or OS.

CONCLUSIONS

PR in RPS resection was associated with increased morbidity and mortality with minimal influence on survival. Patients with RPS undergoing PD and DP showed slight differences in terms of safety and OS.

Allicin-inspired disulfide derivatives containing quinazolin-4(3H)-one as a bacteriostat against Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae

BACKGROUND

Plant bacterial diseases have seriously affected the yield and quality of crops, among which rice bacterial leaf blight (BLB), caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae has seriously affected the yield of rice. As plant-pathogenic bacteria gradually become resistant to existing bactericides, it is necessary to find effective bactericides with novel structures.

RESULTS

Herein, a series of compounds containing quinazolin-4(3H)-one and disulfide moieties were designed and synthesized using a facile synthetic method. The bioassay results revealed that most target compounds possessed noticeable antibacterial activity against Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae. Particularly, compound 2-(butyldisulfanyl) quinazolin-4(3H)-one (1) exhibited remarkable antibacterial activity with the half effective concentration (EC₅₀ ) of 0.52 μg mL^-1 . Additionally, compound 1 was confirmed to inhibit the growth of the bacteria, change the bacterial morphology, and increase the level of reactive oxygen species. Proteomics, and RT-qPCR analysis results indicated that compound 1 could downregulate the expression of Pil-Chp histidine kinase chpA encoded by the pilL gene, and the potting experiments proved that compound 1 exhibits significant protective activity against BLB.

CONCLUSIONS

Compound 1 may weaken the pathogenicity of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae by inhibiting the bacterial growth and blocking the pili-mediated twitching motility without inducing the bacterial apoptosis. This study indicates that such derivatives could be a promising scaffold to develop a bacteriostat to control BLB. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Enhancing the Stability of Poly(ionic liquids)@MOFs@COFs via Core-Shell Protection Strategy for 99TcO4− Sequestration

Sequestration of 99TcO4− from acidic or alkaline nuclear waste is highly desirable and necessary for purpose of energy sustainability and environment safety. However, it remains currently an unmet challenge given...

Highly efficient electrochemical ammonia synthesis using superhydrophobic nanoporous silver

Electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (ENRR) under ambient condition offers a greatly promising alternative to the highly-polluted Haber-Bosch process for the production of ammonia. However, due to unsatisfactory catalytic efficiency, fussy...

Multidimensional characteristics, prognostic role, and preoperative prediction of peritoneal sarcomatosis in retroperitoneal sarcoma

Background

Peritoneal sarcomatosis (PS) could occur in patients with retroperitoneal sarcomas (RPS). This study aimed to expand the understanding of PS on its characteristics and prognostic role, and develop a nomogram to predict its occurrence preoperatively.

Methods

Data of 211 consecutive patients with RPS who underwent surgical treatment between 2011 and 2019 was retrospectively reviewed. First, the clinicopathological characteristics of PS were summarized and analyzed. Second, the disease-specific survival (DSS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) of patients were analyzed to evaluate the prognostic role of PS. Third, preoperative imaging, nearly the only way to detect PS preoperatively, was combined with other screened risk factors to develop a nomogram. The performance of the nomogram was assessed.

Results

Among the 211 patients, 49 (23.2%) patients had PS with an incidence of 13.0% in the primary patients and 35.4% in the recurrent patients. The highest incidence of PS occurred in dedifferentiated liposarcoma (25.3%) and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (25.0%). The diagnostic sensitivity of the preoperative imaging was 71.4% and its specificity was 92.6%. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) was elevated in patients with PS (P&lt;0.001). IHC staining for liposarcoma revealed that the expression of VEGFR-2 was significantly higher in the PS group than that in the non-PS group (P = 0.008). Survival analysis (n =196) showed significantly worse DSS in the PS group than in non-PS group (median: 16.0 months vs. not reached, P &lt; 0.001). In addition, PS was proven as one of the most significant prognostic predictors of both DSS and RFS by random survival forest algorithm. A nomogram to predict PS status was developed based on preoperative imaging combined with four risk factors including the presentation status (primary vs. recurrent), ascites, SUVmax, and tumor size. The nomogram significantly improved the diagnostic sensitivity compared to preoperative imaging alone (44/49, 89.8% vs. 35/49, 71.4%). The C-statistics of the nomogram was 0.932, and similar C-statistics (0.886) was achieved at internal cross-validation.

Conclusion

PS is a significant prognostic indicator for RPS, and it occurs more often in recurrent RPS and in RPS with higher malignant tendency. The proposed nomogram is effective to predict PS preoperatively.

[A case-control study of occupational noise exposure induced high-frequency hearing loss and the risk of hypertension]

Objective: To investigate the relationship between high frequency hearing loss caused by occupational noise and the risk of hypertension. Methods: In March 2020, a case-control study was conducted. All noise exposed workers who participated in occupational health examination in Wuxi City in 2019 were selected as the study subjects (95432 cases in total) . The hypertension group was defined as the case group, and the normotensive group was defined as the control group. According to the hearing threshold, they were divided into the non high frequency hearing loss group (<40 dB) and the high frequency hearing loss group (≥ 40 dB) . Univariate statistical method and binary logistic regression were used to evaluate the relationship between high-frequency hearing loss and hypertension risk. Stratified analysis was used to compare the risk of hypertension among workers with high-frequency hearing loss of different ages and length of service. Results: There were significant differences in gender, age, length of service, enterprise scale, economic type and high-frequency hearing loss between control group and hypertension group (P<0.05) . Binary logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for gender, age, length of service, enterprise scale and economic type, the risk of hypertension in the high-frequency hearing loss group was still increased (OR=1.062, 95%CI: 1.007~1.121, P=0.027) . The risk of hypertension in high-frequency hearing loss patients was higher than that in non high-frequency hearing loss patients in 20-39 years old and 40-59 years old age groups (OR=1.536, 95%CI: 1.353~1.743; OR=1.179, 95%CI: 1.111~1.250; P<0.05) . The risk of hypertension in high-frequency hearing loss patients in <5years, 5-9years, 10-14 years, 15-19 years and ≥20 years working age groups were higher than that in non high-frequency hearing loss groups (OR=1.926, 95%CI=1.007-1.121; OR=1.635, 95%CI=1.478-1.810; OR=1.312, 95%CI=1.167-1.474; OR=1.445, 95%CI=1.238-1.686; OR=1.235, 95%CI=1.043-1.463; P<0.05) . Conclusion: There is a certain relationship between high-frequency hearing loss caused by occupational noise and the risk of hypertension, and the risk of hypertension is different among high-frequency hearing loss patients of different ages and working years.

Bixbyite-type Ln2O3 as promoters of metallic Ni for alkaline electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution

The active-site density, intrinsic activity, and durability of Ni-based catalysts are critical to their application in industrial alkaline water electrolysis. This work develops a kind of promoters, the bixbyite-type lanthanide metal sesquioxides (Ln₂O₃), which can be implanted into metallic Ni by selective high-temperature reduction to achieve highly efficient Ni/Ln₂O₃ hybrid electrocatalysts toward hydrogen evolution reaction. The screened Ni/Yb₂O₃ catalyst shows the low overpotential (20.0 mV at 10 mA cm⁻²), low Tafel slope (44.6 mV dec⁻¹), and excellent long-term durability (360 h at 500 mA cm⁻²), significantly outperforming the metallic Ni and benchmark Pt/C catalysts. The remarkable hydrogen evolution activity and stability of Ni/Yb₂O₃ are attributed to that the Yb₂O₃ promoter with high oxophilicity and thermodynamic stability can greatly enlarge the active-site density, reduce the energy barrier of water dissociation, optimize the free energy of hydrogen adsorption, and avoid the oxidation corrosion of Ni.

While renewable H₂ evolution will require inexpensive, abundant catalysts, non-noble metals typically show relatively low activities. Here, authors examine lanthanide metal sesquioxide doped metallic Ni and show efficient, stable performances for alkaline H₂ evolution electrocatalysis.

Tunable Fluorescence in Two-Component Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Frameworks Based on Energy Transfer

A dumbbell-shaped compound (TPAD) with four 2,4-diaminotriazine moieties as H-bond units and a benzene ring as a bridge group was found to form hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) with strong cyan fluorescence. An energy acceptor, 6,6',6″,6‴-(((benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole-4,7-diylbis-(4,1-phenylene))bis(azanetriyl))tetrakis(benzene-4,1-diyl))tetrakis(1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine) (BTAD), with the same molecular skeleton as TPAD and a longer emission wavelength could homogeneously distribute within the framework of TPAD through occupying the locations of TPAD. As a result, two-component HOFs (TC-HOFs) were formed. The nonradiative energy transfer from TPAD as the donor to BTAD as the acceptor happens within frameworks owing to the efficient spectral overlap between the emission of TPAD and the absorption of BTAD. Moreover, the emission wavelengths and colors of TC-HOFs could be easily and continuously modulated by the content of the acceptor. The fluorescence color changed from cyan to orange when the content of BTAD gradually increased. This finding affirms that TC-HOFs with continuously adjustable composition can be constructed from two molecules with the same molecular skeleton, and highly efficient nonradiative energy transfer may happen in porous TC-HOFs. To the best of our knowledge, these TC-HOFs are the first example of TC-HOFs involved in energy transfer.

[Scanning electron microscopic observation of the external morphology of Dermatophagoides farinae at different developmental stages]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the morphological characteristics of Dermatophagoides farinae at different developmental stages.

METHODS

The cultured D. farinae was isolated, and the external morphological features of mites at various developmental stages were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), including egg, larva, nymph and adult stages.

RESULTS

The D. farinae egg appeared a long oval shape, and the larval mites had three pairs of legs. The nymph had four pairs of legs and underdeveloped genital pores containing genital setae and anal setae, and adult mites appeared long and oval in shape, with decorative patterns on epidermis, and had four pairs of legs. In male adult mites, remarkable thickening of the leg I and thicker and longer leg III than the leg IV were seen, and ventral genital regions were found between the basal segments of legs III and IV; the anus was surrounded by a circular peri-anal ring, with a pair of anal suckers and anal setae within the ring. In the female adult mites, slender legs III and IV with an equal length were seen, and a "λ-shape" genital hole was observed on the ventral surface, with a crescent-like genital plate in the anterior part, and the anus appeared a longitudinal slit.

CONCLUSIONS

An SEM observation of the external morphology of D. farinae provides understandings of the morphological characteristics of D. farinae, which is of great significance for the classification and identification.

Impact of Fatty Pancreas on Postoperative Pancreatic Fistulae: A Meta-Analysis

Background

Soft pancreas is widely recognized as an important risk factor for the development of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF). Although fatty pancreas (FP) has not been formally defined as a cause of pancreatic fistula, existing research has shown that it can increase the incidence of POPF by increasing pancreatic tenderness; therefore, it may be a potential risk factor. This study aimed to discern whether FP was associated with POPF.

Method

Two reviewers independently performed literature searches from five electronic databases. According to the established inclusion criteria, we extracted necessary data from the studies that met the criteria for further analysis. We pooled the odds ratios (ORs) from individual studies using a random-effects model to investigate the associations between POPF and the prognosis of FP.

Result

A total of 11 studies involving 2484 individuals were included. The pooled prevalence of POPF was 18% (95% CI: 12-24%). Body mass index (BMI) was associated with a significantly increased risk of POPF (OR=3.55; 95% CI: 1.83, 6.86; P=0.0002; I²=0). FP was obviously associated with the occurrence of POPF (OR=3.75; 95% CI: 1.64, 8.58; P=0.002; I²=78).

Conclusion

FP is closely associated with the development of POPF, and the early identification of these high-risk patients can help to reduce the incidence of POPF.

Systematic Review Registration

The Registration URL link is (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/). The ID is "CRD42021265141".

[Correlational verification of drug-induced liver injury with HLA-B*35:01 allele due to Polygonum multiflorum]

In order to verify the correlation between Polygonum multiflorum-induced liver injury and HLA-B*35 : 01 alleles, six hospitalized patients diagnosed with Polygonum multiflorum-induced liver injury (PM-DILI) were selected, and their clinicopathological data were collected. Simultaneously, blood HLA-B* 35 : 01 allele detection was performed. Among the six PM-DILI cases, 4 were male, aged 38.83 ± 10.13 years old. The types of liver injury were hepatocellular injury types in all, and the severity of liver injury in five cases was grade 3. The histological presentations were acute hepatitis and acute cholestatic hepatitis. PM-DILI cases were all HLA-B*35:01 carriers, with a carrier rate of 100%. This finding indicates that PM-DILI is significantly correlated with HLA-B*35:01 alleles. Therefore, HLA-B*35 : 01 alleles can be used as an important predictive indicator for PM-DILI.

The dominant strain of SARS-CoV-2 is a mosaicism

COVID-19 is seriously threatening human health all over the world. A comprehensive understanding of the genetic mechanisms driving the rapid evolution of its pathogen (SARS-CoV-2) is the key to controlling this pandemic. In this study, by comparing the entire genome sequences of SARS-CoV-2 isolates from Asia, Europe and America, and analyzing their phylogenetic histories, we found a lineage derived from a recombination event that likely occurred before March 2020. More importantly, the recombinant offspring has become the dominant strain responsible for more than one-third of the global cases in the pandemic. These results indicated that the recombination might have played a key role in the pandemic of the virus.

Predictive Value of Preoperative Controlling Nutritional Status Score Combined with Fibrinogen-Albumin Ratio in Postoperative Local Recurrence-Free Survival of Patients with Retroperitoneal Liposarcoma

Background

Previous studies have shown that nutrition and systemic inflammation plays an essential role in the development of soft tissue sarcoma. However, few studies have explored the association of clinicopathologic features and local recurrence with nutritional and inflammatory markers in retroperitoneal liposarcoma (RPLS). This study sought to evaluate the prognostic value of the preoperative nutritional and inflammatory markers for local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) among surgical RPLS patients.

Methods

The study included 111 RPLS patients who underwent surgery between May 2010 and June 2019 at the Peking University Cancer Hospital Sarcoma Center. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (time-ROC) curve analysis was conducted to evaluate the ability of markers to predict LRFS. The associations of the CONUT-FAR score with clinicopathological variables and LRFS were evaluated.

Results

In the time-ROC curve analysis, the CONUT-FAR score was superior to other nutritional and inflammatory markers in predicting LRFS. The CONUT-FAR score was the only nutritional and inflammatory marker that independently predicted LRFS in the multivariate analysis, and patients with a high CONUT-FAR score (> 11) showed significantly decreased LRFS. Although the CONUT-FAR score failed to discriminate patients with low grade (G1) (p = 0.327) or undergoing incomplete (R2) resection (p = 0.072), it stratified patients with high grade (G2 and G3) or undergoing complete resection (R0/R1) into subgroups with significantly distinct LRFS (p < 0.001). The CONUT-FAR score also showed good clinical utility among patients with different clinical characteristics.

Conclusion

The preoperative CONUT-FAR score reflects both nutritional and inflammatory factors and is an effective predictor of LRFS for surgical RPLS patients.

[Survival analysis of silicosis patients in Wuxi City]

Objective: To analyze the living condition and influencing factors of silicosis patients in Wuxi City form 1975 to 2019. Methods: Through the monitoring of death causes of residents, the paper-based materials and online report system of diagnosis over the years, and the combination of public security and human social system to obtain 3721 cases of silicosis patients as subjects form August to December 2019. And the combination of Kaplan Meier method and life table method were used to carry out single factor survival analysis. Through Cox regression model to analyze the factors affecting the survival time of patients. Results: From 1975 to 2019, 3721 cases of silicosis and 1274 deaths have been reported in Wuxi City, with a mortality rate of 34.24% and a median survival time of 30.9 years. With the development of diagnosis time, the mortality decreased significantly (χ(2)=747.75, P<0.05) . Compared with the first stage silicosis patients, the risk of decreased survival time of the third stage silicosis patients increased (HR=1.486, P<0.05) . Compared with the non-smoking patients, the risk of decreased survival time of the smoking patients increased (HR=1.136, P<0.05) . Compared with the patients who were less than 30 years old, the risk of decreased survival time of patients with 40-49 years old, 50-59 years old and more than 60 years old were increased (HR=9.641, 13.650, 26.794, P<0.05) . Compared with the patients who received industrial and commercial insurance, the risk of decreased survival time of patients who received compensation from employers, basic medical insurance for urban and rural residents, other social compensation and no compensation were increased (HR=3.137, 3.119, 5.129, 8.442, P<0.05) . Conclusion: The survival time of silicosis patients is related to the stage of silicosis, smoking condition, age of onset and social compensation. We should focus on controlling the above risk factors so as to improve the quality of life of patients and prolong their lives.

Optimizing Strategy for Enhancing the Stability and 99TcO4 - Sequestration of Poly(ionic liquids)@MOFs Composites

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a class of promising sorbents for effective sequestration of radioactive ⁹⁹TcO₄ ^- anions. However, their poor stability and slow sorption kinetics in the industrial condition pose a great challenge. Herein, we demonstrate an optimizing strategy via in situ polymerization of ionic liquids (ILs) encapsulated in the pores of MOFs, forming polyILs@MOFs composites with greatly enhanced TcO₄ ^- sequestration compared with the pristine MOFs. Notably, the cross-linked polymerization of ILs facilitates the formation of both the inside ionic filler as the active sites and outside coating as the protective layers of MOFs, which is significantly beneficial to obtain the optimized sorption materials of exceptional stability under extreme conditions (e.g., in 6 M HNO₃). The final optimized composite shows fast sorption kinetics (<30 s), good regeneration (>30 cycles), and superior uptake performance for TcO₄ ^- in highly acidic conditions and simulated recycle stream. This strategy opens up a new opportunity to construct the highly stable MOF-based composites and extend their applicability in different fields.

Pancreaticoduodenectomy for Retroperitoneal Sarcomas: A Mono-Institutional Experience in China

Background

En bloc resection of retroperitoneal sarcoma (RPS) with adjacent organs such as pancreatic head and duodenum is challenging for surgeons. This mono-institutional study aims to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and outcome of performing pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) during RPS resection.

Methods

The clinical data of RPS patients who underwent PD at the Sarcoma Center of Peking University Cancer Hospital from January 2011 to December 2019 was collected and analyzed.

Results

Twenty-seven patients out of a total of 264 surgically treated RPS underwent PD. The main pathological subtype was liposarcoma. All patients received concomitant resection of a median of three additional organs (range: 1–5), including 11 patients (40.7%) who underwent inferior vena cava resection and one patient who underwent segmental superior mesenteric-portal vein resection. Microscopic tumor infiltration to the duodenum or pancreas was observed in 81.5% of patients. Major complications occurred in 40.7% of patients; the reoperation rate was 22.2%. One patient (3.7%) died from liver abscess postoperatively. During a median follow-up of 18.9 months, 15 patients (55.6%) developed locally recurrent disease; two patients (7.4%) also had pulmonary metastases additionally. Twelve patients (44.4%) died from local relapse eventually.

Conclusion

PD during RPS resection is feasible, and it may be necessary to achieve complete resection. However, considering the complexity and risk, it should be performed by an experienced surgical team. The long-term survival benefit of this procedure should be verified by further large-scale multi-institutional studies.

A Highly Efficient Coordination Polymer for Selective Trapping and Sensing of Perrhenate/Pertechnetate

A porous cationic Ag(I) coordination polymer, [Ag(1,2,4,5-p4b)](SbF₆) (TJNU-302) with the ligand 1,2,4,5-p4b (1,2,4,5-tetra(pyridin-4-yl)benzene), is reported that shows high sorption capacity (211 mg g^-1) and distribution coefficient K_d (5.8 × 10⁵ mL g^-1) as well as outstanding selectivity in 500 times excess of CO₃^2- or PO₄^3- anion for perrhenate removal. TJNU-302 can act as a crystalline turn-off sensor for perrhenate upon UV radiation. In this way, a test paper strip for sensing ReO₄^- could be produced. In water solution, TJNU-302 shows an efficient fluorescence quenching response to ReO₄^- ion, with the highest quenching percentage (86%) among all reported ReO₄^- sensors. These results could be elucidated by the bonding properties of single-crystal structures of TJNU-302 before and after perrhenate sorption, as well as density functional theory (DFT) calculations.

M-polynomials and topological indices of linear chains of benzene, napthalene and anthracene

The universality of M-polynomial paves way towards establishing closed forms of many leading degree-based topological indices as it is done by Hosoya polynomial for distance-based indices. The study of topological indices is recently one of the most active research areas in chemical graph theory. The aim of this paper is to establish closed formulas for M-polynomials of Linear chains of benzene, napthalene, and anthracene graphs. From this polynomial we also compute as many as nine degree-based topological indices for these three chains. Our results will potentially play an important role in pharmacy, drug design, and many other applied areas of molecular sciences.

Comprehensive comparison of patient-derived xenograft models in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and metastatic Liver Cancer

Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models are effective preclinical cancer models that reproduce the tumor microenvironment of the human body. The methods have been widely used for drug screening, biomarker development, co-clinical trials, and personalized medicine. However, the low success rate and the long tumorigenesis period have largely limited their usage. In the present studies, we compared the PDX establishment between hepatocellular cancer (HCC) and metastatic liver cancer (MLC), and identified the key factors affecting the transplantation rate of PDXs. Surgically resected tumor specimens obtained from patients were subcutaneously inoculated into immunodeficient mice to construct PDX models. The overall transplantation rate was 38.5% (20/52), with the HCC group (28.1%, 9/32) being lower than MLC group (56.2%, 9/16). In addition, HCC group took significantly longer latency period than MLC group to construct PDX models. Hematoxylin and eosin staining results showed that the histopathology of all generations in PDX models was similar to the original tumor in all three types of cancer. The transplantation rate of PDX models in HCC patients was significantly associated with blood type (P=0.001), TNM stage (P=0.023), lymph node metastasis (P=0.042) and peripheral blood CA19-9 level (P=0.049), while the transplantation rate of PDX models in MLC patients was significantly associated with tumor size (P=0.034). This study demonstrates that PDX models can effectively reproduce the histological patterns of human tumors. The transplantation rate depends on the type of original tumor. Furthermore, it shows that the invasiveness of the original liver cancer affects the possibility of its growth in immunodeficient mice.

Mechanism-Property Correlation in Coordination Polymer Crystals toward Design of a Superior Sorbent

A methodology was developed to design superior sorbents of oxoanions. To integrate the high efficiency of chemisorption, selectivity, and recyclability into one sorbent, understanding the nature of oxoanions-sorbent interactions and the structural evolution of the sorbents is essential. Three cationic Ag(I) coordination polymers (CPs) are synthesized for dichromate (Cr₂O₇^2-) removal, and three distinct oxoanion-exchange mechanisms are identified, namely, the replacement, breath, and reconstruction processes, depending on the degree of framework distortion induced by the dichromate-CP interactions. The single crystal to single crystal transformation during the oxoanion exchange has been investigated by using single-crystal X-ray diffraction and energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis. The replacement process, due to a weak chemisorption, shows excellent recyclability at the cost of reduction of efficiency and selectivity of adsorption. The reconstruction process may achieve a high efficiency and selectivity, but it loses recyclability. Due to the formation of a Ag-O(dichromate) bond and the breathing effect of the framework, the sorbent with the breath mechanism shows both superior efficiency and high recyclability in dichromate removal. The study of perrhenate (ReO₄^-) removal using the same CPs demonstrates that one CP performing the reconstruction process during dichromate removal turns to the breath process in removal of perrhenate anions. These results of mechanism-property correlation provide an insight into improvement of the methodology to fabricate a superior CP sorbent for oxoanion removal.

Nanoporous Gold Embedded ZIF Composite for Enhanced Electrochemical Nitrogen Fixation

The electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) offers an energy-saving and environmentally friendly approach to produce ammonia under ambient conditions. However, traditional catalysts have extremely poor NRR performances because of their low activity and the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction. The high catalytic activity of nanoporous gold (NPG) and the hydrophobicity and molecular concentrating effect of the zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) were incorporated in the NPG@ZIF-8 nanocomposite so that the ZIF-8 shell could weaken hydrogen evolution and retard reactant diffusion. A highest Faradaic efficiency of 44 % and an excellent rate of ammonia production of (28.7±0.9) μg h^-1  cm^-2 were achieved, which are superior to traditional gold nanoparticles and NPG. Moreover, the composite catalyst shows high electrochemical stability and selectivity (98 %). The superior NRR performance makes NPG@ZIF-8 one of the most promising water-based NRR electrocatalysts for ammonia production.

Metal-Assembled, Resorcin[4]arene-Based Molecular Trimer for Efficient Removal of Toxic Dichromate Pollutants and Knoevenagel Condensation Reaction

Self-assembly of resorcin[4]arene-based coordination cages involving more than two resorcin[4]arenes poses significant challenges for the requirements of suitable functionalized resorcin[4]arene ligands and metals. Here, we report an unusual example of a metal-coordinated, resorcin[4]arene-based molecular trimer (1-NO₃), composed of three resorcin[4]arenes and three Cd(II) cations. In particular, 1-NO₃ features efficient and selective removal of environmentally toxic dichromate (Cr₂O₇^2-) anions. Moreover, the Knoevenagel condensation reaction was also explored by using 1-NO₃ as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst.

[HEAD-US-C quantitative ultrasound assessment scale in evaluation of joint damage in patients with moderate or severe hemophilia A received on-demand versus prophylaxis replacement therapy]

目的

探讨血友病关节超声评估量表（Haemophilic Early Arthropathy Detection with UltraSound in China，HEAD-US-C）对中间型/重型血友病A患者按需、预防治疗关节损伤评估的适用性。

方法

回顾性分析2015年6月至2017年7月70例接受肘、膝、踝关节超声检查的中间型及重型血友病A患者，应用HEAD-US-C超声评估量表及血友病关节健康评分量表2.1版（HJHS2.1）进行关节状况评分。对按需、预防治疗患者HEAD-US-C、HJHS评分进行相关性分析。

结果

70例中间型及重型血友病A患者共接受919例次关节超声检查。在中间型血友病患者中，按需、预防治疗组患者中位年靶关节出血次数差异无统计学意义[1（0，7）对1（0，5），z=1.271，P=0.137]。按需治疗组中位HEAD-US-C评分[1（0，6）对0.5（0，3），z=0.177，P=0.046]及HJHS评分[2（0，4）对2（0，3），z=0.375，P=0.007]明显高于预防治疗组。重型血友病患者按需、预防治疗组中位HEAD-US-C评分分别为4（0，7）、1（0，6）（z=2.189，P=0.008），中位HJHS评分分别为4（1，6）、2（0，5）（z=3.646，P<0.001），年靶关节出血次数分别为3（0，8）、2（0，8）（z=0.780，P=0.037），按需治疗组均高于预防治疗组。按需、预防治疗组患者HEAD-US-C评分与HJHS评分均存在正相关关系（P值均<0.05）。重型患者按需、预防治疗组HEAD-US-C评分与HJHS评分的相关系数分别为0.739（95%CI 0.708~0.767）、0.865（95%CI 0.848~0.880），95%CI不重合（P<0.05），预防治疗组两评分系统间具有更强的相关性。

结论

中间型/重型血友病A患者预防治疗疗效明显优于按需治疗。HEAD-US-C超声评估量表可有效评估中间型/重型血友病A患者按需、预防治疗关节损伤状况，与HJHS系统一致性较好，可为临床疗效评估提供客观指标。

[Clinical application and optimization of HEAD-US quantitative ultrasound assessment scale for hemophilic arthropathy]

目的

评价HEAD-US评估量表在血友病性关节病临床应用的可行性，提出优化的超声评估量表HEAD-US-C。

方法

2015年7月至2017年8月期间，91例血友病患者接受1 035例次关节超声检查，分别采用Melchiorre、HEAD-US、HEAD-US-C量表进行评分，分析与血友病关节健康评分量表（HJHS）评分之间的相关性并比较上述量表评价血友病性关节病的敏感性。

结果

91例患者均为男性，中位年龄16（4~55）岁，血友病A 86例，血友病B 5例。1 035例次关节检查Melchiorre、HEAD-US、HEAD-US-C量表的评分[M（P₂₅, P₇₅）]分别为2（0,6）、1（0,5）、2（0,6），均与HJHS评分之间存在相关关系（相关系数分别为0.747、0.762、0.765，P值均<0.001）。Melchiorre、HEAD-US-C、HEAD-US评分量表的阳性率分别为63.0%（95%CI 59.7%~65.9%）、59.5%（95%CI 56.5%~62.4%）、56.6%（95%CI 53.6%~59.6%），差异有统计学意义（P<0.001）。336例次无症状关节（HJHS评分0分）Melchiorre、HEAD-US-C、HEAD-US评分量表的阳性率分别为25.0%（95%CI 20.6%~29.6%）、17.0%（95%CI12.6%~21.1%）、11.9%（95%CI 8.4%~15.7%）（P<0.001）。40例有关节出血症状的血友病患者（107例次）关节出血前、出血后超声评分差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。HEAD-US-C与HEAD-US评分的变化幅度比较，差异有统计学意义（P<0.001）。

结论

与Melchiorre比较，HEAD-US、HEAD-US-C与HJHS之间具有相似的良好的相关性。HEAD-US-C评分量表较HEAD-US更为敏感，尤其适合亚临床状态血友病性关节病的评估。

Clinicopathological features and prognostic factors of solid pseudopapillary neoplasms of pancreas

.To explore the clinicopathological features of solid pseudopapillary neoplasm (SPN) of pancreas and to analyze the related factors of SPNs with aggressive behavior. Clinical data of SPN patients admitted in the Single Center of Peking University Cancer Hospital from January 2007 to September 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. The correlations of clinicopathological features with aggressive SPNs and distant metastasis after curative resection were analyzed using univariate analysis. Twelve of the total 54 SPN patients were diagnosed as aggressive SPNs. Univariate analysis suggested clinical features had no correlations with aggressive SPNs. Patients were followed up for an average of 5.0 years, four of them developed distant metastases. Univariate analysis indicated that distant metastasis of SPNs was correlated with the aggressive behaviors (P=0.031). Moreover, vessels invasion (VI) and Ki-67>4% (P=0.012) were the independent risk factors of distant metastasis of SPNs. The aggressive SPNs, especially VI and Ki-67>4% are the independent factors correlated with distant metastases after SPNs surgery.

Ultra-highly selective trapping of perrhenate/pertechnetate by a flexible cationic coordination framework

This work presents a 3D cationic coordination framework, showing ultra-highly selective trapping of perrhenate/pertechnetate in the presence of sulfate 20 000 times in excess.

Cancer is not a risk factor for bullous pemphigoid: 10-year population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is the most common autoimmune bullous disease. Whether there is an increased risk for subsequent BP among patients with cancer is still unclear.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the risk for subsequent BP in patients with cancer.

METHODS

This nationwide population-based cohort study was based on data obtained from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Database between 2000 and 2011. A total of 36 838 patients with cancer and 147 352 age-, sex- and index-date-matched controls were recruited. The hazard ratio (HR) of subsequent BP in the patients with cancer was analysed using a Fine-Gray competing risk regression model with mortality as the competing event.

RESULTS

The incidence of BP per 100 000 person-years was 17·2 in the patients with cancer and 19·8 in the controls; therefore, the crude incidence rate ratio was 0·87 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0·53-1·36]. The HR of subsequent BP in the patients with cancer was 0·47 (95% CI 0·23-0·94) using the Fine-Gray competing risk regression model. Age (HR 1·05, 95% CI 1·03-1·07), diabetes mellitus (HR 1·69, 95% CI 1·10-2·59) and cerebrovascular disease (HR 2·14, 95% CI 1·36-3·34) were independent risk factors for BP.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of BP in patients with cancer was not higher than in the control group. Cancer is not a risk factor for BP.

Mechanisms of Solvent-Mediated Structural Transformations for Dynamic Crystals of Supramolecular Coordination Systems

Thus far, reports about the transformations for dynamic crystals of supramolecular coordination systems mainly include single-crystal-to-single-crystal reactions, and solvent-mediated processes. This Concept focuses on the mechanisms for solvent-mediated structural transformations of dynamic crystals, which can be classified into two categories, that is, core-on-shell and core-to-core. The core-on-shell mechanism means that the core of the new crystal is generated from the shell of original crystal, being concomitant with the dissolution of the mother crystal. In contrast, for the core-to-core case, the growth of new crystal core and the dissolution of original crystal core will proceed simultaneously, but they are physically separated. Herein, the two mechanisms are elucidated in detail, with some typical examples from recent advances.

[Scanning electron microscopic observation on morphology of Carpoglyphus lactis]

OBJECTIVE

To observe the morphological characteristics of live Carpoglyphus lactis at different stages of life cycle and its ultrastructure.

METHODS

The live C. lactis specimens were isolated from longan pulp, and firstly rinsed with double distilled water under a light microscope to make slide preparation by the conventional manner, and then were made into scanning electron microscope (SEM) specimens. The specimens were observed under SEM for the ultrastructure characteristics at different developmental stages including egg, larva, nymph and adult (male and female) .

RESULTS

The SEM photographs showed that the egg was oval and milky. The larva had three pairs of legs, without genital setae, preanal seta and coxal rod, and there was no trace of genital growth. The nymph had four pairs of legs, genital seta and preanal seta, whereas the genital area was looked still under-developed. The male adult had a conical gnathosoma and a pair of external verticals which were longest setae at the dorsal idiosoma, whereas the other dorsal setae were all short rhabdoid. At the ventral idiosoma, there was an aedoeagus which was like a bent cube, and the top was straight forward. The external sacral setae and post anal were longest setae. The female adult's genital plates were a composite of plastron and cutex inner root, covering the genital tract, and a hole of anus and a pair of anal setae were located at posterior of idiosoma.

CONCLUSIONS

The morphological characteristics and ultra-structure of C. lactis at different stages of life cycle can be vividly observed under SEM, which provides the morphological bases for further study of the relation between parasitism and disease.

Anti-Aging Effect of Chitosan Oligosaccharide on d-Galactose-Induced Subacute Aging in Mice

Chitosan oligosaccharide (COS), a natural polysaccharide with good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, is the depolymerized product of chitosan possessing various biological activities. The present study was designed to investigate the possible anti-aging effect of COS on the aging model mouse induced by d-galactose (d-gal) and explore the underlying mechanism. In the experiment, 48 male Kunming mice (KM mice) were randomly divided into the normal group, model group, positive group, and low-medium-high dose polysaccharide groups (300, 600, 1200 mg/kg/day). The results showed that COS, by intragastric gavage after subcutaneous injection of d-gal (250 mg/kg/day) into the neck of mice consecutively for eight weeks, gradually recovered the body weight, the activity of daily living, and organ indices of mice, as well as effectively ameliorated the histological deterioration of the liver and kidney in mice triggered by d-gal. To be specific, COS obviously improved the activities of antioxidant enzymes in liver and kidney of KM mice, including catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), as well as decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels when compared with those in model group mice. Furthermore, COS not only elevated the diminished levels of serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM induced by d-gal, but also significantly inhibited the d-gal-caused upregulation of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), uric acid (UA) and creatinine (CREA) levels as compared with those of mice in the model group. These results demonstrate that COS has an obvious anti-aging activity in d-gal-induced subacute aging mice, the mechanism of which, to some extent, is associated with enhancing the antioxidant defenses, reducing oxidative stress, and improving the immune function of aging model mice.

Anterior Approach to En Bloc Resection in Left-Sided Retroperitoneal Sarcoma with Adjacent Organ Involvement: A Study of 25 Patients in a Single Center

Background

There is no standard surgical approach for the management of retroperitoneal sarcoma. The aim of this clinical study was to describe the experience of an anterior approach to en bloc resection in left-sided retroperitoneal sarcoma with adjacent organ involvement.

Material/Methods

This retrospective clinical study included 25 patients who were diagnosed with left-sided retroperitoneal sarcoma and underwent tumor resection at a single center between May 2012 and July 2017. All patients had tumors that were adjacent to the left colon, pancreas, left kidney, left adrenal gland, and psoas major; some of the tumors were adjacent to the diaphragm, stomach, and small intestine. An anterior approach was used to remove the left-sided retroperitoneal tumor with the adhesive organs en bloc, an approach that is described in detail. The value of this surgical approach was evaluated based on the histopathological findings, postoperative complications, and patient follow-up.

Results

The median number of resected organs, in addition to the retroperitoneal tumor, was 8 (range, 6–10). Complete macroscopic tumor resection was achieved in 23 cases (92%). Twenty-four patients (96%) had tumor infiltration of at least one organ or the surrounding fat. Three patients (12%) experienced Grade III and IV postoperative morbidities. The one-year disease-free survival rate was 91.3% among patients with macroscopically complete resections. The one-year overall survival rate was 83.2%.

Conclusions

In selected patients, left-sided retroperitoneal sarcoma associated with local organ involvement can be surgically managed using an anterior approach with en bloc resection of adjacent organs.