Alternative polyadenylation regulates the translation of metabolic and inflammation-related proteins in adipose tissue of gestational diabetes mellitus

In gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), adipose tissue undergoes metabolic disturbances and chronic low-grade inflammation. Alternative polyadenylation (APA) is a post-transcriptional modification mechanism that generates mRNA with variable lengths of 3' untranslated regions (3'UTR), and it is associated with inflammation and metabolism. However, the role of APA in GDM adipose tissue has not been well characterized. In this study, we conducted transcriptomic and proteomic sequencing on subcutaneous and omental adipose tissues from both control and GDM patients. Using Dapars, a novel APA quantitative algorithm, we delineated the APA landscape of adipose tissue, revealing significant 3'UTR elongation of mRNAs in the GDM group. Omental adipose tissue exhibited a significant correlation between elongated 3'UTRs and reduced translation levels of genes related to metabolism and inflammation. Validation experiments in THP-1 derived macrophages (TDMs) demonstrated the impact of APA on translation levels by overexpressing long and short 3'UTR isoforms of a representative gene LRRC25. Additionally, LRRC25 was validated to suppress proinflammatory polarization in TDMs. Further exploration revealed two underexpressed APA trans-acting factors, CSTF3 and PPP1CB, in GDM omental adipose tissue. In conclusion, this study provides preliminary insights into the APA landscape of GDM adipose tissue. Reduced APA regulation in GDM omental adipose tissue may contribute to metabolic disorders and inflammation by downregulating gene translation levels. These findings advance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying GDM-associated adipose tissue changes.

Neural mechanisms of Chinese character recognition, updating, and maintenance in the N-back task

Using the N-back task, we investigated how memory load influences the neural activity of the Chinese character cognitive subprocess (recognition, updating, and maintenance) in Mainland Chinese speakers. Twenty-seven participants completed the Chinese character N-back paradigm while having their event-related potentials recorded. The study employed time and frequency domain analyses of EEG data. Results showed that accuracy decreased and response times increased with larger N values. For ERPs, N2pc and P300 amplitudes decreased and SW amplitude increased with larger N values. For time frequency analyses, the desynchronization of alpha oscillations decreased after stimulus onset, but the synchronization of alpha oscillations increased during the maintenance phase. The results suggest that greater memory load is related to a decrease in cognitive resources during updating and an increase in cognitive resources during information maintenance. The results of a behavioral-ERP data structural equation model analysis showed that the ERP indicators in the maintenance phase predicted behavioral performance.

Quinic acid regulated TMA/TMAO-related lipid metabolism and vascular endothelial function through gut microbiota to inhibit atherosclerotic

BACKGROUND

Quinic acid (QA) and its derivatives have good lipid-lowering and hepatoprotective functions, but their role in atherosclerosis remains unknown. This study attempted to investigate the mechanism of QA on atherogenesis in Apoe-/- mice induced by HFD.

METHODS

HE staining and oil red O staining were used to observe the pathology. The PCSK9, Mac-3 and SM22a expressions were detected by IHC. Cholesterol, HMGB1, TIMP-1 and CXCL13 levels were measured by biochemical and ELISA. Lipid metabolism and the HMGB1-SREBP2-SR-BI pathway were detected by PCR and WB. 16 S and metabolomics were used to detect gut microbiota and serum metabolites.

RESULTS

QA or low-frequency ABX inhibited weight gain and aortic tissue atherogenesis in HFD-induced Apoe-/- mice. QA inhibited the increase of cholesterol, TMA, TMAO, CXCL13, TIMP-1 and HMGB1 levels in peripheral blood of Apoe-/- mice induced by HFD. Meanwhile, QA or low-frequency ABX treatment inhibited the expression of CAV-1, ABCA1, Mac-3 and SM22α, and promoted the expression of SREBP-1 and LXR in the vascular tissues of HFD-induced Apoe-/- mice. QA reduced Streptococcus_danieliae abundance, and promoted Lactobacillus_intestinalis and Ileibacterium_valens abundance in HFD-induced Apoe-/- mice. QA altered serum galactose metabolism, promoted SREBP-2 and LDLR, inhibited IDOL, FMO3 and PCSK9 expression in liver of HFD-induced Apoe-/- mice. The combined treatment of QA and low-frequency ABX regulated microbe-related Glycoursodeoxycholic acid and GLYCOCHENODEOXYCHOLATE metabolism in HFD-induced Apoe-/- mice. QA inhibited TMAO or LDL-induced HCAECs damage and HMGB1/SREBP2 axis dysfunction, which was reversed by HMGB1 overexpression.

CONCLUSIONS

QA regulated the gut-liver lipid metabolism and chronic vascular inflammation of TMA/TMAO through gut microbiota to inhibit the atherogenesis in Apoe-/- mice, and the mechanism may be related to the HMGB1/SREBP2 pathway.

The Optimal Design of the Press Roller to Improve the Winding Molding Quality of Heat Insulation

In the heat insulation winding molding process of solid rocket motors, the pressure applied by the press roller directly affects the quality of the winding molding. Insufficient pressure can result in poor bonding quality and may cause defects. This paper aims to provide an optimal design of the press roller to improve the winding molding quality of the heat insulation. The effect of the cylindrical press roller on the pressure distribution was analyzed using the elastic foundation model and a finite element (FE) model, which was assessed by Hertz theory. Subsequently, the press roller was optimized to an elliptical concave design. The effect of the radius of the elliptical concave press roller on the pressure distribution was analyzed. A comparison of the effect of the elliptical concave press roller and the cylindrical press roller on the pressure distribution was conducted using the FE model. The results show pressure uniformity is significantly improved when the elliptical concave press roller is employed on the mandrel with the smallest radius. Additionally, the elliptical concave press roller increases the pressure at the edge of the tape, which reduces the risk of lifted edges and, thereby, improves the winding molding quality of the heat insulation.

Self-Healing Ionogel-Enabled Self-Healing and Wide-Temperature Flexible Zinc-Air Batteries with Ultra-Long Cycling Lives

Hydrogel-based zinc-air batteries (ZABs) are promising flexible rechargeable batteries. However, the practical application of hydrogel-based ZABs is limited by their short service life, narrow operating temperature range, and repair difficulty. Herein, a self-healing ionogel is synthesized by the photopolymerization of acrylamide and poly(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether acrylate in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide with zinc acetate dihydrate and first used as an electrolyte to fabricate self-healing ZABs. The obtained self-healing ionogel has a wide operating temperature range, good environmental and electrochemical stability, high ionic conductivity, satisfactory mechanical strength, repeatable and efficient self-healing properties enabled by the reversibility of hydrogen bonding, and the ability to inhibit the production of dendrites and by-products. Notably, the self-healing ionogel has the highest ionic conductivity and toughness compared to other reported self-healing ionogels. The prepared self-healing ionogel is used to assemble self-healing flexible ZABs with a wide operating temperature range. These ZABs have ultra-long cycling lives and excellent stability under harsh conditions. After being damaged, the ZABs can repeatedly self-heal to recover their battery performance, providing a long-lasting and reliable power supply for wearable devices. This work opens new opportunities for the development of electrolytes for ZABs.

Cognitive Deficits and Alzheimer's Disease-Like Pathologies in the Aged Chinese Tree Shrew

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common chronic progressive neurodegenerative disease in the elderly. It has an increasing prevalence and a growing health burden. One of the limitations in studying AD is the lack of animal models that show features of Alzheimer's pathogenesis. The tree shrew has a much closer genetic affinity to primates than to rodents and has great potential to be used for research into aging and AD. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether tree shrews naturally develop cognitive impairment and major AD-like pathologies with increasing age. Pole-board and novel object recognition tests were used to assess the cognitive performance of adult (about 1 year old) and aged (6 years old or older) tree shrews. The main AD-like pathologies were assessed by Western blotting, immunohistochemical staining, immunofluorescence staining, and Nissl staining. Our results showed that the aged tree shrews developed an impaired cognitive performance compared to the adult tree shrews. Moreover, the aged tree shrews exhibited several age-related phenotypes that are associated with AD, including increased levels of amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation and phosphorylated tau protein, synaptic and neuronal loss, and reactive gliosis in the cortex and the hippocampal tissues. Our study provides further evidence that the tree shrew is a promising model for the study of aging and AD.

Coaxial 3D Printing of Zeolite-Based Core-Shell Monolithic Cu-SSZ-13@SiO2 Catalysts for Diesel Exhaust Treatment

Core-shell catalysts with functional shells can increase the activity and stability of the catalysts in selective catalytic reduction of NOx with ammoniax. However, the conventional approaches based on multistep fabrication for core-shell structures encounter persistent restrictions regarding strict synthesis conditions and limited design flexibility. Herein, a facile coaxial 3D printing strategy is for the first time developed to construct zeolite-based core-shell monolithic catalysts with interconnected honeycomb structures, in which the hydrophilic noncompact silica serves as shell and Cu-SSZ-13 zeolite acts as core. Compared to a Cu-SSZ-13 monolith which suffers from the interfacial diffusion, the SiO2 shell layer can increase the accessibility of active sites over Cu-SSZ-13@SiO2, resulting in a 10-20% higher NO conversion at200-550 °C under 300 000 cm3 g-1 h-1. Meanwhile, a thicker SiO2 shell enhances the hydrothermal stability of the aged catalyst by inhibiting the dealumination and the formation of CuOx. Other representative monolithic catalysts with different topological zeolites as shell and diverse metal oxides as the core can be also realized by this coaxial 3D printing. This strategy allows multiple porous materials to be directly integrated, which allows for flexible design and fabrication of various core-shell monolithic catalysts with customized functionalities.

Quercetin: A promising therapy for diabetic encephalopathy through inhibition of hippocampal ferroptosis

BACKGROUND

The pathophysiology of diabetic encephalopathy (DE), a significant diabetes-related pathological complication of the central nervous system, is poorly understood. Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent regulated necrotic cell death process that mediates the development of neurodegenerative and diabetes-related lesions. Quercetin (QE) exerts anti-ferroptotic effects in various diseases. However, the roles of ferroptosis in DE and the potential anti-ferroptotic mechanisms of QE are unclear.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to investigate if quercetin can ameliorate DE by inhibiting ferroptosis and to elucidate the potential anti-ferroptotic mechanisms of QE, thus providing a new perspective on the pathogenesis and prevention of DE.

METHODS

The spontaneously type 2 diabetic Goto-Kakizak rats and high glucose (HG)-induced PC12 cells were used as animal and in vitro models, respectively. The Morris water maze test was performed to evaluate the cognition of rats. Pathological damage was examined using hematoxylin and eosin staining. Mitochondrial damage was assessed using transmission electron microscopy. Lipid peroxidation was evaluated by examining the levels of malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione. Additionally, the contents of iron ions were quantified. Immunofluorescence and western blotting were carried out to poke the protein levels. Network pharmacology analysis was conducted to construct a protein-protein interaction network for the therapeutic targets of QE in DE. Additionally, molecular docking and cellular thermal shift assay was performed to examine the target of QE.

RESULTS

QE alleviated cognitive impairment, decreased lipid peroxidation and iron deposition in the hippocampus, and upregulated the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. HG-induced ferroptosis in PC12 cells resulted in decreased cell viability accompanied by lipid peroxidation and iron deposition. QE mitigated HG-induced ferroptosis by upregulating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, which was partially suppressed upon Nrf2 inhibition. Network pharmacology analysis further indicated that the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway is a key target of QE. Molecular docking experiments revealed that QE binds to KEAP1 through four hydrogen bonds. Moreover, QE altered the thermostability of KEAP1.

CONCLUSION

These results indicated that QE inhibits ferroptosis in the hippocampal neurons by binding to KEAP1 and subsequently upregulating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.

Nuclear Receptor FTZ-F1 Controls Locust Molt by Regulating the Molting Process of Locusta migratoria

Fushi-tarazu factor 1 (FTZ-F1) is a class of transcription factors belonging to the nuclear receptor superfamily and an important molting regulator in insects; however, its detailed function in the molting process of Locusta migratoria is still unclear. This study identified two FTZ-F1 transcripts (LmFTZ-F1-X1 and LmFTZ-F1-X2) in L. migratoria. The classical domains of FTZ-F1 were present in their protein sequences and distinguished based on their variable N-terminal domains. Reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that LmFTZ-F1-X1 and LmFTZ-F1-X2 were highly expressed in the integument. RNA interference (RNAi) was used to explore the function of LmFTZ-F1s in the molting of the third-instar nymph. Separate LmFTZ-F1-X1 or LmFTZ-F1-X2 silencing did not affect the normal development of third-instar nymphs; however, the simultaneous RNAi of LmFTZ-F1-X1 and LmFTZ-F1-X2 caused the nymphs to be trapped in the third instar stage and finally die. Furthermore, the hematoxylin-eosin and chitin staining of the cuticle showed that the new cuticles were thickened after silencing the LmFTZ-F1s compared to the controls. RNA-seq analysis showed that genes encoding four cuticle proteins, two chitin synthesis enzymes, and cytochrome P450 303a1 were differentially expressed between dsGFP- and dsLmFTZ-F1s-injected groups. Taken together, LmFTZ-F1-X1 and LmFTZ-F1-X2 are involved in the ecdysis of locusts, possibly by regulating the expression of genes involved in cuticle formation, chitin synthesis, and other key molting processes.

Synthesis of WS42- Intercalated NiZnAl LDHs as Effective Adsorbents to Remove Copper Ions from Water

A series of WS42- intercalated NiZnAl ternary-layered double-hydroxides (LDHs) with various Ni/Zn ratios were synthesized by an ion-exchange method and used as adsorbents to remove Cu2+ from water. The introduction of Zn produced ZnS on the surface of LDHs. The LDH with the Ni/Zn/Al molar ratio of 0.1/1.9/1 showed the best adsorption ability. Cu2+ ions are removed via three routes: forming [Cu-WS4]n- complexes via soft acid-soft base interaction between WS42- and Cu2+, isomorphic substitution of Zn2+ in sheets by Cu2+, and cation exchange of Cu2+, with ZnS on the surface of LDHs. With the increased Cu2+ concentration, the complexes dominated the adsorption because polynuclear [Cu-WS4]n- complexes with high Cu/W ratios (2-6) may be formed. Cu+ is present in such complexes, which is produced by the internal redox. Even at Cu2+ concentration up to 600 mg·L-1, neither amorphous CuWS4 nor decreased interlayer distance was observed. Contrarily, the interlayer distance was slightly enlarged due to forming bigger [Cu-WS4]n- complexes. The adsorption followed the pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm model. The experimental maximum adsorption capacity reached 555.4 mg·g-1.

Linc00707 regulates autophagy and promotes the progression of triple negative breast cancer by activation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a pathological subtype of breast cancer (BC) with high malignancy, strong invasiveness and poor prognosis. Long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) plays an important role during tumorigenesis. We identified that Linc00707 was upregulated in TNBC tissues by TCGA database and RT-qPCR assay, compared with normal breast tissues and other subtypes of BC. Linc00707 promoted TNBC cells proliferation, migration and invasion. Furthermore, we found that knockdown of Linc00707 influenced autophagy via PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in TNBC cells. Linc00707 affected the progress of TNBC cells through affecting autophagy. Further mechanistic experiments confirmed that Linc00707 could competitively bind with miR-423-5p to up-regulate MARCH2 expression, ultimately promoting TNBC progression and autophagy through PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. In conclusion, we demonstrate that Linc00707 is a key molecule in tumor progression and may be an effective target for patients with TNBC.

Chemotherapy re-use versus anti-angiogenic monotherapy as the third-line treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: a real-world cohort study

BACKGROUND

There are various recommendations for third-line treatment in mCRC, however, there is no consensus on who is more suitable for particular strategy. Chemotherapy re-use in third-line setting is a common option in clinical practice. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of third-line chemotherapy re-use by the comparison with that of anti-angiogenic monotherapy, and further find the population more suitable for third-line chemotherapy.

METHODS

Using electronic medical records of patients with mCRC, a retrospective cohort study was conducted. A total of 143 patients receiving chemotherapy and 40 patients receiving anti-angiogenic monotherapy in third-line setting as control group were retrospectively collected. Baseline characteristics were analyzed using the χ² test or the Fisher's exact test. ROC curve and surv_cutpoint function of 'survminer' package in R software were used to calculate the cut-off value. Survival curves were plotted with the Kaplan-Meier method and were compared using the log-rank test. The Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to analyze the potential risk factors.

RESULTS

A total of 143 patients receiving chemotherapy and 40 patients receiving anti-angiogenic monotherapy in third-line setting were retrospectively collected. Chemotherapy rechallenge was recorded in 93 patients (93/143, 65.0%), and the remaining patients chose new chemotherapeutic drugs that had not been previously used, including irinotecan-based (22/50), oxaliplatin-based (9/50), raltitrexed (9/50), gemcitabine (5/50) and other agents (5/50). The ORR and DCR of third-line chemotherapy reached 8.8%, 61.3%, respectively (anti-angiogenic monotherapy group: ORR 2.6%, DCR 47.4%). The mPFS and mOS of patients receiving chemotherapy were 4.9 and 12.0 m, respectively (anti-angiogenic monotherapy group: mPFS 2.7 m, mOS 5.2 m). Subgroup analyses found that patients with RAS/RAF mutation, longer PFS (greater than 10.6 m) in front-line treatment or larger tumor burden had better prognosis with third-line chemotherapy rather than anti-angiogenic monotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Third-line chemotherapy re-use was effective in mCRC. Those with more aggressive characteristics (RAS/RAF mutant, larger tumor burden) or better efficacy of previous chemotherapy (longer PFS) were more appropriate for third-line chemotherapy, rather than anti-angiogenic monotherapy.

Noncanonical and reversible cysteine ubiquitination prevents the overubiquitination of PEX5 at the peroxisomal membrane

PEX5, the peroxisomal protein shuttling receptor, binds newly synthesized proteins in the cytosol and transports them to the organelle. During its stay at the peroxisomal protein translocon, PEX5 is monoubiquitinated at its cysteine 11 residue, a mandatory modification for its subsequent ATP-dependent extraction back into the cytosol. The reason why a cysteine and not a lysine residue is the ubiquitin acceptor is unknown. Using an established rat liver-based cell-free in vitro system, we found that, in contrast to wild-type PEX5, a PEX5 protein possessing a lysine at position 11 is polyubiquitinated at the peroxisomal membrane, a modification that negatively interferes with the extraction process. Wild-type PEX5 cannot retain a polyubiquitin chain because ubiquitination at cysteine 11 is a reversible reaction, with the E2-mediated deubiquitination step presenting faster kinetics than PEX5 polyubiquitination. We propose that the reversible nonconventional ubiquitination of PEX5 ensures that neither the peroxisomal protein translocon becomes obstructed with polyubiquitinated PEX5 nor is PEX5 targeted for proteasomal degradation.

[Design of an improved percutaneous transhepatic cholangio drainage tube based on MRCP imaging data]

Objective: Quantified MRCP imaging data was used as a reference for design and preparation of a modified percutaneous transhepatic cholangio drainage (PTCD) tube. Methods: 3.0 T upper abdominal MR and MRCP imaging data of 2 300 patients treated from July 2015 to July 2020 at the Department of Radiology of the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University were screened and a total of 381 patients diagnosed with biliary duct structures were identified. Causative etiologies among these patients included pancreatic adenocarcinoma (pancreatic head), cholangiocarcinoma, ampullary carcinoma, as well as intrahepatic and/or extrahepatic bile duct dilation. An improved PTCD tube was designed based on MRCP quantification of left and right hepatic and common hepatic duct length. Results: In the setting of biliary obstruction caused by malignancy, the distance of the left hepatic duct from its origin to the point of left and right hepatic duct confluence was 15.9±3.8 mm, while the distance of the right hepatic duct from its origin to the point of left and right hepatic duct confluence was 12.4±3.2 mm; the length of the bile duct from its origin to the point of left and right hepatic duct confluence was 34.0±8.1 mm. The improved PTCD tube design incorporated an altered length of the drainage orifice. Conclusion: MRCP imaging of the biliary tract is effective for measuring biliary tract length in the setting of pathological dilation. Based on our biliary tract measurements, a modified PTCD tube was designed to more effectively meet drainage requirements and manage biliary obstruction caused by Bismuth-Corlette type Ⅱ and Ⅲ malignancies.

Fabrication and characterization of poly(lactic acid-trimethylene carbonate) based biodegradable composite films

Two biobased composite films have been prepared with poly (lactic acid-trimethylene carbonate), polylactic acid and Laponite by solvent evaporation method. The 1H NMR and FTIR spectrums illustrate that P (LA-TMC) polymer is successfully synthesized and designed composite films are produced. Morphometric analyses demonstrate that the roughnesses of the film's surface and cross-section are on the increase with higher PLA and Laponite content. Mechanical performances reveal that the rise in tensile strength and modulus while maintaining excellent elongation at break is mainly due to the increase in the content of polylactic acid and Laponite. By utilizing the nano effect of Laponite, the maximum tensile strength of the composite film reaches 34.59 MPa. Thermal property results illustrate that the Tg and initial decomposition temperature are on the growth with the increase of PLA content. However, it is not significant on the effect of Laponite on the initial decomposition temperature. The water vapor permeability measurements prove that the barrier property of P(LA-TMC)/PLA/Laponite composite film is on the ascent with the Laponite addition. Hydrolytic degradation tests indicate that PLA and Laponite play avital part in accelerating the degradation rate of composite films and alkaline media is superior acidic and neutral conditions.

[Statistical analysis of disability-adjusted life years for stomach and colorectal cancers in Changning District of Shanghai]

Objectives: To analyze the status and temporal changes of disability-adjusted life year (DALY) for stomach and colorectal cancers among registered permanent residents in Changning District of Shanghai Municipality, and provide scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of stomach and colorectal cancers in this district. Methods: Using the cancer registration data of stomach and colorectal cancers from 2002 to 2019, we estimated the indices such as the DALYs, the DALY crude rates, the age-standardized DALY rates, etc. Then we used the Joinpoint regression model to calculate the average annual percent change (AAPC) and annual percent change (APC) to explore the temporal variations in different periods. Results: The DALYs of stomach and colorectal cancers in Changning District from 2002 to 2019 were 55 931 person years and 65 252 person years, respectively. The crude rates of DALY were 512.16/105 and 597.51/105, respectively. We observed a higher disease burden in men than in women, and the peak rate of DALY in stomach cancer was in the 75-79 years age group, while in colorectal cancer the rate was in the 85-years-or-older age group. Joinpoint regression analysis showed that from 2002 to 2019, the age-standardized DALY rate of stomach cancer showed a downward trend (AAPC=-3.86%, P＜0.05), while the trend of colorectal cancer was not statistically significant(AAPC=-0.08%, P＞0.05). However, the trends in the age-standardized DALY rates of colorectal cancer were different between males and females, with males showing an upward trend (AAPC=1.24%, P＜0.05) and females showing a downward trend (AAPC=-1.67%, P＜0.05). Conclusions: The DALY of stomach and colorectal cancers in Changning District of Shanghai showed a decreasing trend. Males and the middle-aged and elderly populations are still the key targets for disease prevention and control in this district.

Combined score based on plasma fibrinogen and platelet-lymphocyte ratio as a prognostic biomarker in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Increasing evidence has showed that inflammatory biomarkers, including neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and fibrinogen can be used as predictors in the prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The aim of this study was to explore prognostic value of these biomarkers and evaluate the clinicopathological and prognostic significance of combined score based on plasma fibrinogen and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (F-PLR score).

METHODS

A total of 506 patients with ESCC were enrolled in this study. Harrell's concordance index (c-index) was used to determine the optimal cut-off values of these markers and evaluate their prognostic significance. The relationship between factors with survival rates (including overall survival [OS] and disease-free survival [DFS]) was explored by Kaplan-Meier curve, univariate analysis and multivariate cox hazard analysis.

RESULTS

Our result indicated that high F-PLR score was significantly associated with longer tumor length and deeper depth of tumor invasion (p < 0.01). The result of Cox multivariable analysis showed that F-PLR score was an independent prognostic factor for OS (p = 0.002) and DFS (p = 0.003). In addition, F-PLR score presented the greater c-index values for OS and DFS compared with NLR, PLR and fibrinogen level. Our result also showed that the c-index values for OS and DFS were both greater in TNM + F-PLR than those in TNM stage alone.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, F-PLR score is a predictive biomarker for prognosis in patients with ESCC.

The solute carrier SLC25A17 sustains peroxisomal redox homeostasis in diverse mammalian cell lines

Despite the crucial role of peroxisomes in cellular redox maintenance, little is known about how these organelles transport redox metabolites across their membrane. In this study, we sought to assess potential associations between the cellular redox landscape and the human peroxisomal solute carrier SLC25A17, also known as PMP34. This carrier has been reported to function as a counter-exchanger of adenine-containing cofactors such as coenzyme A (CoA), dephospho-CoA, flavin adenine dinucleotide, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), adenosine 3',5'-diphosphate, flavin mononucleotide, and adenosine monophosphate. We found that inactivation of SLC25A17 resulted in a shift toward a more reductive state in the glutathione redox couple (GSSG/GSH) across HEK-293 cells, HeLa cells, and SV40-transformed mouse embryonic fibroblasts, with variable impact on the NADPH levels and the NAD+/NADH redox couple. This phenotype could be rescued by the expression of Candida boidinii Pmp47, a putative SLC25A17 orthologue reported to be essential for the metabolism of medium-chain fatty acids in yeast peroxisomes. In addition, we provide evidence that the alterations in the redox state are not caused by changes in peroxisomal antioxidant enzyme expression, catalase activity, H2O2 membrane permeability, or mitochondrial fitness. Furthermore, treating control and ΔSLC25A17 cells with dehydroepiandrosterone, a commonly used glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase inhibitor affecting NADPH regeneration, revealed a kinetic disconnection between the peroxisomal and cytosolic glutathione pools. Additionally, these experiments underscored the impact of SLC25A17 loss on peroxisomal NADPH metabolism. The relevance of these findings is discussed in the context of the still ambiguous substrate specificity of SLC25A17 and the recent observation that the mammalian peroxisomal membrane is readily permeable to both GSH and GSSG.

Application of calcium overload-based ion interference therapy in tumor treatment: strategies, outcomes, and prospects

Low selectivity and tumor drug resistance are the main hinderances to conventional radiotherapy and chemotherapy against tumor. Ion interference therapy is an innovative anti-tumor strategy that has been recently reported to induce metabolic disorders and inhibit proliferation of tumor cells by reordering bioactive ions within the tumor cells. Calcium cation (Ca2+) are indispensable for all physiological activities of cells. In particular, calcium overload, characterized by the abnormal intracellular Ca2+ accumulation, causes irreversible cell death. Consequently, calcium overload-based ion interference therapy has the potential to overcome resistance to traditional tumor treatment strategies and holds promise for clinical application. In this review, we 1) Summed up the current strategies employed in this therapy; 2) Described the outcome of tumor cell death resulting from this therapy; 3) Discussed its potential application in synergistic therapy with immunotherapy.

An excitatory projection from the basal forebrain to the ventral tegmental area that underlies anorexia-like phenotypes

Maladaptation in balancing internal energy needs and external threat cues may result in eating disorders. However, brain mechanisms underlying such maladaptations remain elusive. Here, we identified that the basal forebrain (BF) sends glutamatergic projections to glutamatergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in mice. Glutamatergic neurons in both regions displayed correlated responses to various stressors. Notably, in vivo manipulation of BF terminals in the VTA revealed that the glutamatergic BF → VTA circuit reduces appetite, increases locomotion, and elicits avoidance. Consistently, activation of VTA glutamatergic neurons reduced body weight, blunted food motivation, and caused hyperactivity with behavioral signs of anxiety, all hallmarks of typical anorexia symptoms. Importantly, activation of BF glutamatergic terminals in the VTA reduced dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens. Collectively, our results point to overactivation of the glutamatergic BF → VTA circuit as a potential cause of anorexia-like phenotypes involving reduced dopamine release.

[Retracted] Effects of miR‑138‑5p and miR‑204‑5p on the migration and proliferation of gastric cancer cells by targeting EGFR

Following the publication of the above paper, it was drawn to the Editor's attention by a concerned reader that the numerous immunohistochemical images shown in Fig. 1D on p. 2626 exhibited a number of overlaps comparing among the data panels, such that data which were intended to show the results from differently performed experiments were likely to have been derived from a smaller number of original sources. A subsequent independent investigation of the data in this paper in the Editorial Office also revealed that certain of the cell migration and invasion assay data shown in Fig. 4A on p. 2629 were strikingly similar to data that had previously appeared in a couple of already published papers written by different authors at different research institutes.  Owing to the fact that the contentious data in Fig. 4 in the above article had already been published prior to its submission to Oncology Reports, in addition to the matter of several panels in Fig. 1D showing overlapping data, the Editor has decided that this paper should be retracted from the Journal. The authors were asked for an explanation to account for these concerns, but the Editorial Office did not receive a reply. The Editor apologizes to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [Oncology Reports 39: 2624-2634, 2018; DOI: 10.3892/or.2018.6389].

Quantification of perfluorinated compounds in atmospheric particulate shows potential connection with environmental event

A method of quantification of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) from atmospheric particulate matter (APM) is described. A single step pretreatment method, selective pressurized liquid extraction (SPLE), was developed to reduce the high matrix background and avoid contamination from commonly used multiple sample pretreatment steps. An effective sorbent was selected to purify the PFCs during SPLE, followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), for quantification of PFCs. Conditions affecting the SPLE efficiency, including temperature, static extraction time, and number of extraction cycles used, were studied. The optimum conditions were found to be 120°C, 10 min, and 3 cycles, respectively. LC-MS/MS method was developed to obtain the optimal sensitivity specific to PFCs. The method detection limits (MDLs) were 0.006 to 0.48 ng/g for the PFCs studied and the linear response range was from 0.1 to 100 ng/g. To ensure accurate values were obtained, each step of the experiment was evaluated and controlled to prevent contamination. The optimized method was tested by performing spiking experiments in natural particulate matter matrices and good rates of recovery and reproducibility were obtained for all target compounds. Finally, the method was successfully used to measure 16 PFCs in the APM samples collected in Beijing over five years from 2015 to 2019. It is observed that some PFCs follow the trend of total PFC changes, and can be attributed to the environment influencing events and policy enforcement, while others don't seem to change as much with time of the year or from year to year.

Directional region-based feature point matching algorithm based on SURF

Feature point matching is one of the fundamental tasks in binocular vision. It directly affects the accuracy and quality of 3D reconstruction. This study proposes a directional region-based feature point matching algorithm based on the SURF algorithm to improve the accuracy of feature point matching. First, same-name points are selected as the matching reference points in the left and right images. Then, the SURF algorithm is used to extract feature points and construct the SURF feature point descriptors. During the matching process, the location relationship between the query feature point and the reference point in the left image is directed to determine the corresponding matching region in the right image. Then, the matching is completed within this region based on Euclidean distance. Finally, the grid-based motion statistics algorithm is used to eliminate mismatches. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can substantially improve the matching accuracy and the number of valid matched points, particularly in the presence of a large amount of noise and interference. It also exhibits good robustness and stability.

miR-362-3p inhibited the invasion and metastasis of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells by targeting the regulation of pituitary tumor-transforming gene 1

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to explore the effect of pituitary tumor-transforming gene 1 (PTT-G1) on the invasion and proliferation of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cell lines under the action of miR-362-3p.

METHODS

The bioinformatics online database was used to query the expression of PTTG1 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The expression of PTTG1 in the Cal-27, HN-30, and HOK cell lines was detected by Western blot. A wound-healing assay was used to determine the effect of PTTG1 on the migration ability of the OSCC cells. The Transwell assay was used to examine the changes in cell-invasion ability. 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) cell-proliferation assay was used to detect changes in cell-proliferation ability. Bioinformatics approach predicted the upstream miRNA of PTTG1. The targeting relationship between miR-362-3p and PTTG1 was examined by the dual luciferase assay, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to determine the expression of miRNA in OSCC tissues.

RESULTS

The ENCORI database showed that PTTG1 expression was up-regulated in OSCC tissues. Western blot confirmed that PTTG1 expression was up-regulated in Cal-27 and HN-30 cells than HOK cells. PTTG1 knockout can inhibit the migration, invasion, and proliferation of Cal-27 and HN-30 cells (P<0.05). Bioinformatics prediction websites predicted that the upstream miRNA of PTTG1 was miR-362-3p, and PTTG1 can bind to miR-362-3p. Results of qRT-PCR showed that miR-362-3p expression was downregulated in OSCC tissues compared with normal tissue (P<0.05). Transwell and EdU experiments confirmed that miR-362-3p knockdown can promote the invasion and proliferation of Cal-27 and HN-30 after PTTG1 knockdown.

CONCLUSIONS

miR-362-3p can inhibit the invasion and proliferation of Cal-27 and HN-30 cells by targeting PTTG1.

[Studies on clinicopathological features of duodenal-type follicular lymphoma of 18 patients]

To investigate the clinical and pathological characteristics of duodenal-type follicular lymphoma (D-FL), and to deepen the understanding of Duodenal-type follicular lymphoma. The clinical symptoms, endoscopic features, pathologic features, immunophenotype, molecular pathological features and treatment follow-up of 18 D-FL patients diagnosed in Department of Pathology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University between January 2020 and July 2023 were summarized. A total of 18 patients with D-FL were included, including 10 males and 8 females. The median age was 49 (32-69) years respectively. Most of the patients were found during gastroenteroscopy or presented with the common gastrointestinal symptoms of stomach pain, acid reflux, vomiting and diarrhea. Most endoscopic findings were multiple small gray and white polyposis. In the pathological morphology, the mucous layer and submucous layer showed lymphoid follicular structures with full and strained follicles. The immunophenotype showed that the tumor cells strongly expressed CD20 and BCL2 and had low proliferation activity. Immunoglobulin clonal analysis of 1 case showed IgK monoclonal rearrangement (1/1). FISH showed 1 case of BCL2 gene rearrangement (1/3). All patients did not receive targeted chemotherapy and adopted a wait-and-see strategy. Median follow-up was 12 (2-34) months. This study shows that D-FL is an indolent lymphoma, which tends to occur in the duodenum and has a good prognosis.

[Clinicopathological study of epithelioid and spindle cell rhabdomysarcoma with EWSR1/FUS-TFCP2 fusion]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological and genetic features of epithelioid and spindle cell rhabdomysarcoma with EWSR1-TFCP2 or FUS-TFCP2 fusion. Methods: The clinical, morphological and immunohistochemical features of 14 cases of epithelioid and spindle cell rhabdomysarcoma with EWSR1-TFCP2 or FUS-TFCP2 fusion diagnosed from January 2019 to December 2022 in the Department of Pathology, Foshan Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Foshan, China were retrospectively analyzed. The cases were all subject to FISH or next generation sequencing for analysis of molecular genetic features. The literature was reviewed. Results: There were 5 males and 9 females, with the age at presentation ranging from 6 to 36 years (mean, 22 years). Tumors occurred in the head and neck (9 cases), pelvic region (2 cases), bladder (one case), right humerus (one case), and the abdominal wall, humerus and pubic at the same time (one case). Presenting symptoms varied by location but often included pain or discomfort. Most of the patients showed aggressive radiographic features with soft tissue extension. The tumors had a median size of 6.6 cm (range, 2-23 cm). The tumors were poorly defined and irregularly shaped. Microscopic examination showed diffuse proliferation of spindle or epithelioid cells. While morphologically high-grade tumors displayed obvious cytological atypia, a high mitotic count and tumor necrosis, low-grade tumors grew in sheets and fascicles composed of spindle, epithelioid cells with moderate or abundant amounts of eosinophilic cytoplasm, without pronounced cytological atypia. The tumor cells expressed Desmin, MyoD1, and Myogenin, as well as ALK, EMA, and CKpan. EWSR1/FUS-TFCP2 gene fusion was detected in 14 cases with next generation sequencing and confirmed by FISH. Six cases had EWSR1-TFCP2 fusions and 8 cases showed FUS-TFCP2 fusions. Follow-up information was available in 13 patients, ranged from 5 to 37 months. At the end of follow-up period, 7 patients died of the disease. Six patients were alive:two cases had local recurrences and metastases, two cases of recurrences, one case of metastasis and one case without recurrences and metastasis. Conclusions: Epithelioid and spindle cell rhabdomysarcomas with EWSR1-TFCP2 or FUS-TFCP2 fusion show a very aggressive clinical course, and more commonly occur in the head and neck. Their genetic hallmark is the presence of EWSR1/FUS-TFCP2 fusions. Familiarity with its clinicopathological characteristics is helpful in avoiding misdiagnoses.

WRKY transcription factors in passion fruit analysis reveals key PeWRKYs involved in abiotic stress and flavonoid biosynthesis

WRKY transcription factors (TFs) are a superfamily of regulators involved in plant responses to pathogens and abiotic stress. Passion fruit is famous for its unique flavor and nutrient-rich juice, but its growth is limited by environmental factors and pathogens. In this study, 55 WRKY genes were identified from the Passiflora edulis genome. The structure and evolutionary characteristics of PeWRKYs were analyzed using a bioinformatics approach. PeWRKYs were classified into seven subgroups (I, IIa, IIb, IIc, IId, IIe, III) according to their homologs in Arabidopsis thaliana. Group IIa PeWRKY48 gene was highly up-regulated under cold stress by RNA expression analysis, and transgenic PeWRKY48 in yeast and Arabidopsis showed resistance exposure to cold, salt, and drought stress. Metabolome and transcriptome co-expression analysis of two different disease resistance genotypes of P. edulis identified PeWRKY30 as a key TF co-expressed with flavonoid accumulation in yellow fruit P. edulis, which may contribute to biotic or abiotic resistance. The qRT-PCR verified the expression of key genes in different tissues of P. edulis and in different species of Passiflora. This study provides a set of WRKY candidate genes that will facilitate the genetic improvement of disease and abiotic tolerance in passion fruit.

Strain ultrasonic elastography imaging features of locally advanced breast cancer: association with response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and recurrence-free survival

BACKGROUND

Due to the highly heterogeneity of the breast cancer, it would be desirable to obtain a non-invasive method to early predict the treatment response and survival outcome of the locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). This study aimed at investigating whether strain elastography (SE) can early predict the pathologic complete response (pCR) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) in LABC patients receiving NAC.

METHODS

In this single-center retrospective study, 122 consecutive women with LABC who underwent SE examination pre-NAC and after one and two cycles of NAC enrolled in the SHPD001(NCT02199418) and SHPD002 (NCT02221999) trials between January 2014 and August 2017 were included. The SE parameters (Elasticity score, ES; Strain ratio, SR; Hardness percentage, HP, and Area ratio, AR) before and during NAC were assessed. The relative changes in SE parameters after one and two cycles of NAC were describe as ΔA1 and ΔA2, respectively. Logistic regression analysis and Cox proportional hazards model were used to identify independent variables associated with pCR and RFS.

RESULTS

Forty-nine (40.2%) of the 122 patients experienced pCR. After 2 cycles of NAC, SR2 (odds ratio [OR], 1.502; P = 0.003) and ΔSR2 (OR, 0.013; P = 0.015) were independently associated with pCR, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the combination of them to predict pCR was 0.855 (95%CI: 0.779, 0.912). Eighteen (14.8%) recurrences developed at a median follow-up of 60.7 months. A higher clinical T stage (hazard ratio [HR] = 4.165; P = 0.005.), a higher SR (HR = 1.114; P = 0.002.) and AR (HR = 1.064; P <  0.001.) values at pre-NAC SE imaging were independently associated with poorer RFS.

CONCLUSION

SE imaging features have the potential to early predict pCR and RFS in LABC patients undergoing NAC, and then may offer valuable predictive information to guide personalized treatment.

Directly and ultrasensitivity detecting SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in pharyngeal swab solution by using SERS-based biosensor

The global pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a great disaster to the economy and human society. Nowadays, SARS-CoV-2 is fading away from people's memory but it still exists around us. PCR plays an important role in detecting SARS-CoV-2 but it requires a long detecting time, equipped laboratory, and professional operators. In comparison with polymerase chain reaction (PCR), surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a promising method for detecting SARS-CoV-2 due to its fast, easily operated, and high-sensitivity properties. In this study, the monolayer Ag nanoparticles (MAgNPs) covered with single-layer graphene (SLG) are applied as a SERS substrate. The angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is selected as a bio-probes that can specifically bind to the SARS-CoV-2 S protein. The SERS-based biosensor is formed by ACE2 functionalized SLG/MAgNPs and the LODs of detecting SARS-CoV-2 S protein in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and in pharyngeal swabs solution (PSS) are 0.1 fg mL-1 and 10 fg mL-1, respectively. This biosensor provides a way of directly detecting SARS-CoV-2 S protein with high sensitivity and specificity. It illustrates a practical potential in the rapid detection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Multifunctional regulation of NADPH oxidase in growth, microsclerotia formation and virulence in Metarhizium rileyi

OBJECTIVES

Microsclerotia (MS), anti-stress structures produced by many filamentous fungi, have been proven to be a great substitute for conidia in the production of insecticides within entomogenous fungi. NADPH oxidase (Nox) is a highly conserved ROS-response protein family that is widespread in eukaryotes and plays distinct roles in environmental fitness among various filamentous fungi. However, it is not clear whether the formation of MS and pathogenicity in entomogenous fungi is regulated by the Nox inside. In this study, we reported the presence of NADPH oxidase homologs in a great potential biocontrol fungus, Metarhizium rileyi, and further showed multiple biological functions.

RESULTS

Three Nox homologous genes in M. rileyi showed high expression throughout the entire process of MS formation. Targeted deletion of MrNoxA, MrNoxB and MrNoxR all led to a decrease in MS yield and impaired morphology. Moreover, the anti-adversity assay showed that they are indispensable for growth, osmotic pressure and oxidative stress regulation in Metarhizium rileyi. Most importantly, △MrNoxR and △MrNoxA but not △MrNoxB showed a dramatic reduction in virulence via inoculation. The normality of appressoria might be unaffected in mutants since there are no striking differences in virulence compared with WT by topical injections.

CONCLUSION

Our results revealed that NADPH oxidase plays important roles in growth regulation, MS formation and pathogenicity in M. rileyi, perhaps in the ROS response and hyphal polarity.

Comparative transcriptome analysis to unveil genes affecting the host cuticle destruction in Metarhizium rileyi

Insect pathogenic fungi, also known as entomopathogenic fungi, are one of the largest insect pathogenic microorganism communities, represented by Beauveria spp. and Metarhizium spp. Entomopathogenic fungi have been proved to be a great substitute for chemical pesticide in agriculture. In fact, a lot of functional genes were also already characterized in entomopathogenic fungi, but more depth of exploration is still needed to reveal their complicated pathogenic mechanism to insects. Metarhizium rileyi (Nomuraea rileyi) is a great potential biocontrol fungus that can parasitize more than 40 distinct species (mainly Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to cause large-scale infectious diseases within insect population. In this study, a comparative analysis of transcriptome profile was performed with topical inoculation and hemolymph injection to character the infectious pattern of M. rileyi. Appressorium and multiple hydrolases are indispensable constituents to break the insect host primary cuticle defense in entomopathogenic fungi. Within our transcriptome data, numerous transcripts related to destruction of insect cuticle rather growth regulations were obtained. Most importantly, some unreported ribosomal protein genes and novel unannotated protein (hypothetical protein) genes were proved to participate in the course of pathogenic regulation. Our current data provide a higher efficiency gene library for virulence factors screen in M. rileyi, and this library may be also useful for furnishing valuable information on entomopathogenic fungal pathogenic mechanisms to host.

Shear wave elastography parameters adds prognostic value to adverse outcome in kidney transplantation recipients

INTRODUCTION

The tissue stiffness of donor kidneys in transplantation may increase due to pathological changes such as glomerulosclerosis and interstitial fibrosis, and those changes associate worse outcomes in kidney transplantation recipients. Ultrasound elastography is a noninvasive imaging examination with the ability to quantitatively reflect tissue stiffness. Aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of ultrasound elastography for adverse kidney outcome in kidney transplantation recipients.

METHODS

Shear wave elastography (SWE) examinations were performed by two independent operators in kidney transplantation recipients. The primary outcome was a composite of kidney graft deterioration, all-cause re-hospitalization, and all-cause mortality. Survival analysis was calculated by Kaplan-Meier curves with the log-rank test and Cox regression analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 161 patients (mean age 46 years, 63.4% men) were followed for a median of 20.1 months. 27 patients (16.77%) reached the primary endpoint. The mean and median tissue stiffness at the medulla (hazard ratio: 1.265 and 1.229, respectively), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and serum albumin level were associated with the primary outcome in univariate Cox regression. Adding mean or median medulla SWE to a baseline model containing eGFR and albumin significantly improved its discrimination (C-statistics: 0.736 for the baseline, 0.766 and 0.772 for the model added mean and median medulla SWE, respectively).

CONCLUSION

The medullary tissue stiffness of kidney allograft measured by shear wave elastography may provide incremental prognostic value to adverse outcomes in kidney transplantation recipients. Including SWE parameters in kidney transplantation recipients management could be considered to improve risk stratification.

[The efficacy of chemotherapy re-challenge in third-line setting for metastatic colorectal cancer patients: a real-world study]

Objective: To explore the efficacy of chemotherapy re-challenge in the third-line setting for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) in the real world. Methods: The clinicopathological data, treatment information, recent treatment efficacy, adverse events and survival data of mCRC patients who had disease progression after treatment with oxaliplatin-based and/or irinotecan-based chemotherapy and received third-line chemotherapy re-challenge from January 2013 to December 2020 at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital were retrospectively collected. Survival curves were plotted with the Kaplan-Meier method, and the Cox proportional hazard model was used to analyze the prognostic factors. Results: A total of 95 mCRC patients were included. Among them, 32 patients (33.7%) received chemotherapy alone and 63 patients (66.3%) received chemotherapy combined with targeted drugs. Eighty-three patients were treated with dual-drug chemotherapy (87.4%), including oxaliplatin re-challenge in 35 patients and irinotecan re-challenge in 48 patients. The remaining 12 patients were treated with triplet chemotherapy regimens (12.6%). Among them, as 5 patients had sequential application of oxaliplatin and irinotecan in front-line treatments, their third-line therapy re-challenged both oxaliplatin and irinotecan; 7 patients only had oxaliplatin prescription before, and these patients re-challenged oxaliplatin in the third-line treatment. The overall response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) reached 8.6% (8/93) and 61.3% (57/93), respectively. The median progression free survival (mPFS) and median overall survival (mOS) were 4.9 months and 13.0 months, respectively. The most common adverse events were leukopenia (34.7%) and neutropenia (34.7%), followed by gastrointestinal adverse reactions such as nausea (32.6%) and vomiting (31.6%). Grade 3-4 adverse events were mostly hematological toxicity. Cox multivariate analysis showed that gender (HR=1.609, 95% CI: 1.016-2.548) and the PFS of front-line treatments (HR=0.598, 95% CI: 0.378-0.947) were independent prognostic factors. Conclusion: The results suggested that it is safe and effective for mCRC patients to choose third-line chemotherapy re-challenge, especially for patients with a PFS of more than one year in front-line treatments.

Adverse effects of type 2 diabetes mellitus on ovarian reserve and pregnancy outcomes during the assisted reproductive technology process

Objective

To study the effect of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)on overall ovarian reserve and pregnancy outcomes during assisted reproductive technology (ART) among childbearing infertile women.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

The Reproductive Medicine Special Hospital, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, between January 2019 and December 2022.

Patients

A total of 265 infertile female patients aged 20-45 years who underwent in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET), intracytoplasmic sperm injection-embryo transfer (ICSI-ET), or rescue intracytoplasmic sperm injection-embryo transfer (RICSI-ET) in the first fresh cycle.

Interventions

None.

Main Outcome Measures

Serum Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) levels, clinical pregnancy rate (CPR), live birth rate (LBR), and abortion rate (AR) in the T2DM group and non-T2DM group.

Results

Patients with T2DM showed statistically decreased levels of AMH compared to the non-T2DM group. During ovarian stimulation, those with T2DM required significantly higher total and initial doses of gonadotropin (GN), although they had fewer retrieved oocytes and worse pregnancy outcomes than the non-T2DM group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusting for confounding factors showed that T2DM alone was an independent risk factor for CPR and LBR (adjusted odds ratio [a OR], 0.458, adjusted 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.235-0.891, P = 0.022; a OR, 0.227, 95% CI, 0.101-0.513, P<0.001; respectively), and the abortion rate in the T2DM group was 3.316 times higher than the non-T2DM group(a OR, 3.316, 95%CI, 1.248-8.811, P = 0.016).

Conclusion

Infertile patients with T2DM have decreased ovarian reserve, and T2DM has a deleterious impact on clinical pregnancy outcomes during the ART process compared with non-T2DM infertile women.

Capsule

Infertile women with T2DM have decreased ovarian reserve and pregnancy outcomes during the assisted reproductive technology process compared with non-T2DM infertile women.

Flavokawain A ameliorates pulmonary fibrosis by inhibiting the TGF-β signaling pathway and CXCL12/CXCR4 axis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a progressive fibrotic lung disease characterized by myofibroblast proliferation and extracellular matrix deposition that has a high mortality rate and limited therapeutic options. Flavokawain A(FKA) is the major component of chalcone in kava extract. FKA has been reported to inhibit TGF-β1-induced cardiomyocyte fibrosis by suppressing ROS production in A7r5 cells, but the role and mechanism of FKA in pulmonary fibrosis are unknown. In this study, we evaluated the effect of FKA on pulmonary fibrosis using an animal model of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis and showed that FKA alleviated the development of pulmonary fibrosis in a dose-dependent manner and improved lung function as well as collagen deposition and extracellular matrix accumulation in mice. In vitro studies showed that FKA inhibited myofibroblast activation and lung fibrosis progression by inhibiting TGF-β1/Smad signaling in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, we identified CXCL12 as a potential target of FKA through target prediction. Molecular docking, CETSA(cellular thermal displacement assay) and silver staining assays further demonstrated that FKA could interact with CXCL12 and that FKA could inhibit CXCL12 dimerization in vitro. Further analysis revealed that FKA could inhibit fibroblast activation and reduce extracellular matrix (ECM) production and collagen deposition by blocking CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling, and knocking down CXCR4 expression could weaken the inhibitory effect of FKA on CXCL12/CXCR4 signal transduction. In conclusion, our study showed that FKA inhibited CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling by inhibiting CXCL12 dimerization, blocked the CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling pathway and inhibited the TGF-β1-mediated signaling pathway to ameliorate pulmonary fibrosis, and FKA is a promising therapeutic agent for pulmonary fibrosis.

Nomilin and its analogue obacunone alleviate NASH and hepatic fibrosis in mice via enhancing antioxidant and anti-inflammation capacity

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and hepatic fibrosis are leading causes of cirrhosis with rising morbidity and mortality worldwide. Currently, there is no appropriate treatment for NASH and hepatic fibrosis. Many studies have shown that oxidative stress is a main factor inducing NASH. Nomilin (NML) and obacunone (OBA) are limonoid compounds naturally occurring in citrus fruits with various biological properties. However, whether OBA and NML have beneficial effects on NASH remains unclear. Here, we demonstrated that OBA and NML inhibited hepatic tissue necrosis, inflammatory infiltration and liver fibrosis progression in methionine and choline-deficient (MCD) diet, carbon tetrachloride (CCl4 )-treated and bile duct ligation (BDL) NASH and hepatic fibrosis mouse models. Mechanistic studies showed that NML and OBA enhanced anti-oxidative effects, including reduction of malondialdehyde (MDA) level, increase of catalase (CAT) activity and the gene expression of glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) and Nrf2-keap1 signaling. Additional, NML and OBA inhibited the expression of inflammatory gene interleukin 6 (Il-6), and regulated the bile acid metabolism genes Cyp3a11, Cyp7a1, multidrug resistance-associated protein 3 (Mrp3). Overall, these findings indicate that NML and OBA may alleviate NASH and liver fibrosis in mice via enhancing antioxidant and anti-inflammation capacity. Our study proposed that NML and OBA may be potential strategies for NASH treatment.

Coexistence of Multiple Functional Variants and Genes Underlies Genetic Risk Locus 11p11.2 of Alzheimer's Disease

BACKGROUND

Genome-wide association studies have identified dozens of genetic risk loci for Alzheimer's disease (AD), yet the underlying causal variants and biological mechanisms remain elusive, especially for loci with complex linkage disequilibrium and regulation.

METHODS

To fully untangle the causal signal at a single locus, we performed a functional genomic study of 11p11.2 (the CELF1/SPI1 locus). Genome-wide association study signals at 11p11.2 were integrated with datasets of histone modification, open chromatin, and transcription factor binding to distill potentially functional variants (fVars). Their allelic regulatory activities were confirmed by allele imbalance, reporter assays, and base editing. Expressional quantitative trait loci and chromatin interaction data were incorporated to assign target genes to fVars. The relevance of these genes to AD was assessed by convergent functional genomics using bulk brain and single-cell transcriptomic, epigenomic, and proteomic datasets of patients with AD and control individuals, followed by cellular assays.

RESULTS

We found that 24 potential fVars, rather than a single variant, were responsible for the risk of 11p11.2. These fVars modulated transcription factor binding and regulated multiple genes by long-range chromatin interactions. Besides SPI1, convergent evidence indicated that 6 target genes (MTCH2, ACP2, NDUFS3, PSMC3, C1QTNF4, and MADD) of fVars were likely to be involved in AD development. Disruption of each gene led to cellular amyloid-β and phosphorylated tau changes, supporting the existence of multiple likely causal genes at 11p11.2.

CONCLUSIONS

Multiple variants and genes at 11p11.2 may contribute to AD risk. This finding provides new insights into the mechanistic and therapeutic challenges of AD.

Double-Layer Hydrogel with Glucose-Activated Two-Stage ROS Regulating Properties for Programmed Diabetic Wound Healing

Slow healing of wounds induces great pain in diabetic patients. However, developing new approaches to promote diabetic wound healing is still one of the toughest challenges in the medical field. Here, we constructed a new double-layer hydrogel to effectively regulate reactive oxygen species (ROS) on the wound and promote diabetic wound healing. The inner layer contains glucose oxidase (Gox), ferrocene-modified quaternary ammonium chitosan (Fc-QCs), and poly(β-cyclodextrin) (Pβ-CD), which is used to generate hydroxyl radicals (•OH) for antibacterial in the early stage of wound healing and collapses gradually. The outer layer is composed of gelatin and dopamine. In the later stage of wound healing, the outer layer contacts the skin, which is beneficial for ROS clearance on the wound. Antibacterial, ROS scavenging, and wound healing experiments have shown that the double-layer hydrogel possesses two-stage ROS regulating properties for programmed diabetic wound healing. In conclusion, it will be one of the most potential dressings for treating diabetic wounds in the future.

Diagnosis of mycobacterium avium complex infection utilizing metagenomics next-generation sequencing: a case report

Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex (MAC) is a type of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) and is associated with underlying pulmonary diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchiectasis, chronic aspiration or recurrent pneumonia, inactive or active tuberculosis, pneumoconiosis, and bronchogenic carcinoma. The risk factors for NTM-PD include host, drug, and environmental factors. In this report, we present the case of a 61-year-old man who developed bilateral lung nodules and was experiencing severe hemoptysis. The repeat acid-fast bacilli test performed on both sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples showed a negative result, as did the GeneXpert test. We employed metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) to analyze the lung nodule and BALF samples collected from the patient. Both samples tested positive for MAC within 3 days. In addition, traditional MAC culture, conducted for 2 months, confirmed the growth of MAC in the patient's BALF. Then, the patient was treated accordingly. Following treatment, a high-resolution chest computed tomography scan revealed a significant reduction in lung nodules of the patient after 2 months. These results indicate that MAC-associated lung nodules were responsible for the patient's symptoms, emphasizing the need for vigilance in diagnosing MAC infection in the patient without predisposing conditions. Furthermore, these results highlight the potential utility of mNGS as a promising rapid diagnostic tool for MAC infection and its potential role in the diagnosis of NTM disease.

Temporal Structures in Positron Spectra and Charge-Sign Effects in Galactic Cosmic Rays

We present the precision measurements of 11 years of daily cosmic positron fluxes in the rigidity range from 1.00 to 41.9 GV based on 3.4×10^{6} positrons collected with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) aboard the International Space Station. The positron fluxes show distinctly different time variations from the electron fluxes at short and long timescales. A hysteresis between the electron fluxes and the positron fluxes is observed with a significance greater than 5σ at rigidities below 8.5 GV. On the contrary, the positron fluxes and the proton fluxes show similar time variation. Remarkably, we found that positron fluxes are modulated more than proton fluxes with a significance greater than 5σ for rigidities below 7 GV. These continuous daily positron fluxes, together with AMS daily electron, proton, and helium fluxes over an 11-year solar cycle, provide unique input to the understanding of both the charge-sign and mass dependencies of cosmic rays in the heliosphere.

Correlation between malignant peritoneal cytology and survival in patients with uterine leiomyosarcoma and endometrial stromal sarcoma

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to examine the correlation between malignant peritoneal cytology and overall survival among patients with uterine leiomyosarcoma and endometrial stromal sarcoma.

METHODS

Patients with uterine leiomyosarcoma and endometrial stromal sarcoma between January 2010 and December 2016 were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. The multiple imputation method was used to address missing values. Propensity score matching was conducted to balance baseline data between the malignant and negative peritoneal cytology groups. The prognostic significance of malignant peritoneal cytology was evaluated using Cox regression, random survival forest, and subgroup analyses.

RESULTS

Among 733 eligible patients, 8% (59/733) had malignant peritoneal cytology, increasing to 20% (42/209) in advanced cases. Before and after propensity score matching, patients with malignant peritoneal cytology had significantly lower 5-year overall survival rates and shorter median survival time than patients with negative peritoneal cytology. Multivariate Cox regression revealed that malignant peritoneal cytology (hazard ratio 2.03, 95% confidence interval 1.29 to 3.20, p=0.002) was an independent prognostic factor for uterine leiomyosarcoma and endometrial stromal sarcoma. Random survival forest further indicated that, among the factors analyzed, peritoneal cytology status was second only to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage in terms of prognostic prediction. Finally, subgroup analyses substantiated the correlation between malignant peritoneal cytology and unfavorable overall survival in most subgroups.

CONCLUSIONS

Malignant peritoneal cytology status was an important prognostic factor complementing FIGO stage and was associated with a reduction in overall survival. Peritoneal cytology evaluation during hysterectomy may be recommended for prognosis estimation for uterine leiomyosarcoma and endometrial stromal sarcoma.

[Efficacy and safety analysis of an improved overlength biliary stent in the treatment of biliary stricture]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of an improved overlength biliary stent in the treatment of bile duct stricture. Methods: Prospective randomized controlled study. Patients with bile duct stricture in Peking University International Hospital from February 2016 to June 2021 were randomly divided into the conventional plastic biliary stents (CPBS) group and the improved overlength biliary stents (IOBS) group by envelope random method. CPBS or IOBS were placed after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) breast catheterization was successfully conducted and the stenosis length was determined by angiography. The incidence of postoperative complications, median patency time of postoperative stent and reoperation rate within 6 months were compared between the two groups, Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw the survival curve, and log-rank test was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of IOBS in the treatment of bile duct stricture. Results: A total of 90 patients were included. There were 45 patients in IOBS group, including 28 males and 17 females, aged (67.2±11.7) years. There were 45 patients in CPBS group, including 26 males and 19 females, aged (64.6±14.4) years. The patients in the both groups were balanced and comparable. There were no significant differences in success rate of operation, operation time, hospitalization time, operation cost and prospective complication rate between the two groups (all P>0.05). There were no significant differences in the changes of liver function index before and 72 hours after operation between the two groups (both P>0.05). The median patency time of stents in IOBS group was longer than that in CPBS group [M(Q1, Q3), 201(155,246) vs 109(55,167) d, P=0.002].The IOBS group had lower reoperation rate than the CPBS group within 6 months [46.2% (18/39) vs 78.9%(30/38), P=0.003]. Conclusion: IOBS has good safety in the treatment of bile duct stricture and the clinical efficacy is superior to CPBS.

Studying the effect of hyperoside on recovery from cyclophosphamide induced oligoasthenozoospermia

Oligoasthenozoospermia is becoming a serious problem, but effective prevention or treatment is lacking. Hyperoside, one of the main active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine, may be effective in the treatment of oligoasthenozoospermia. In this study, we used cyclophosphamide (CTX: 50 mg/kg) to establish a mouse model of Oligoasthenozoospermia to investigate the therapeutic effect of hyperoside (30 mg/kg) on CTX-induced oligoasthenozoospermia. All mice were divided into four groups: blank control group (Control), treatment control group (Hyp), disease group (CTX) and treatment group (CTX + H). Mice body weight, testicular weight, sperm parameters and testicular histology were used to assess the reproductive capacity of mice and to explore the underlying mechanism of hyperoside in the treatment of oligoasthenozoospermia by assessing hormone levels, protein levels of molecules related to hormone synthesis and transcript levels of important genes related to spermatogenesis. Treatment with hyperoside significantly improved sperm density, sperm viability and testicular function compared to untreated oligoasthenozoospermia mice. In mechanism, treatment with hyperoside resulted in significant improvement in pathological changes in spermatogenic tubules, with an increase in testosterone production, and upregulations of Protein Kinase CAMP-Activated Catalytic Subunit Beta (PRKACB), Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory Protein (STAR), and Cytochrome P450 Family 17 Subfamily A Member 1 (CYP17A1) for testosterone production. Hyperoside also promoted the cell cycle of germ cells and up-regulated meiosis and spermatogenesis-related genes, including DNA Meiotic Recombinase 1 (Dmc1), Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (Atm) and RAD21 Cohesin Complex Component (Rad21). In conclusion, hyperoside exerted protective effects on oligoasthenozoospermia mice by regulating testosterone production, meiosis and sperm maturation of germ cells.

Third-line treatment patterns and clinical outcomes for metastatic colorectal cancer: a retrospective real-world study

Background

There are multiple recommendations on the third-line therapy of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC); however, no consensus has been reached.

Objectives

This study aimed to explore the patient demographics and the real-world third-line treatment landscape of mCRC.

Design

A retrospective real-world cohort study.

Methods

Electronic medical records of mCRC patients from Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital between 2013 and 2020 were collected. Upon descriptive, comparative, and survival analyses, a retrospective study was conducted to describe demographics and clinical outcomes of mCRC patients receiving third-line treatment.

Results

Among 218 mCRC patients receiving third-line therapy, 65.5% received chemotherapy combined with or without targeted drugs, followed by anti-angiogenic monotherapy (18.4%), anti-epidermal growth factor receptor drugs (6.9%) and immunotherapy (6.4%). The overall response rate and disease control rate reached 10.2% and 59.2%, respectively; and median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival were 4.0 m and 10.7 m, respectively. After Cox multivariate analysis, we found that therapeutic regime was an independent prognostic factor. Compared to patients receiving anti-angiogenic monotherapy, those receiving chemotherapy combined with or without targeted drugs exhibited better prognosis. For patients whose PFS were longer in the front-line treatment, the PFS of third-line therapy was also relatively longer (p = 0.023). Multiple types of therapies (>3, p = 0.002) or multiple drugs (>5, p = 0.024) in the whole-course management of mCRC are indicators of longer survival.

Conclusion

Chemotherapy combined with or without targeted therapy remained dominated third-line choice and showed favorable efficacy compared with anti-angiogenic monotherapy. With the application of more types and quantities of effective drugs, patients would achieve better survival.

Subclonal TP53 mutations are frequent and predict resistance to radioimmunotherapy in follicular lymphoma

Although TP53 is commonly mutated in transformed follicular lymphoma, mutations are reported in <5% of pretreatment follicular lymphoma (FL) specimens. We assayed archival follicular B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma specimens from a completed clinical trial, Southwest Oncology Group S0016, a phase 3 randomized intergroup trial of CHOP (cyclophosphamide, hydroxydaunorubicin, oncovin, and prednisone) chemotherapy plus R-CHOP (rituximab-CHOP) compared with CHOP chemotherapy plus 131-iodine tositumomab (radioimmunotherapy [RIT]-CHOP). Subclonal TP53 mutations (median allele frequency 0.02) were found in 25% of diagnostic FL specimens and in 27% of a separate validation cohort. In the R-CHOP arm, pathogenic TP53 mutations were not associated with progression-free survival (PFS) (10-year PFS 43% vs 44%). In contrast, among patients with no detectable pathogenic TP53 mutation, RIT-CHOP was associated with a longer PFS than with R-CHOP (10-year PFS 67% vs 44%; hazard ratio = 0.49; P = .008). No relationship was detected between PFS and the extent of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AICDA)-mediated heterogeneity. In summary, subclonal TP53 mutations are common in FL and are a distinct phenomenon from AICDA-mediated genetic heterogeneity. The absence of a detectable subclonal mutation in TP53 defined a population that particularly benefited from RIT.

[Development and validation of a prognostic prediction model for patients with stage Ⅰ to Ⅲ colon cancer incorporating high-risk pathological features]

Objective: To examine a predictive model that incorporating high risk pathological factors for the prognosis of stage Ⅰ to Ⅲ colon cancer. Methods: This study retrospectively collected clinicopathological information and survival outcomes of stage Ⅰ~Ⅲ colon cancer patients who underwent curative surgery in 7 tertiary hospitals in China from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2017. A total of 1 650 patients were enrolled, aged (M(IQR)) 62 (18) years (range: 14 to 100). There were 963 males and 687 females. The median follow-up period was 51 months. The Cox proportional hazardous regression model was utilized to select high-risk pathological factors, establish the nomogram and scoring system. The Bootstrap resampling method was utilized for internal validation of the model, the concordance index (C-index) was used to assess discrimination and calibration curves were presented to assess model calibration. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot survival curves after risk grouping, and Cox regression was used to compare disease-free survival between subgroups. Results: Age (HR=1.020, 95%CI: 1.008 to 1.033, P=0.001), T stage (T3:HR=1.995,95%CI:1.062 to 3.750,P=0.032;T4:HR=4.196, 95%CI: 2.188 to 8.045, P<0.01), N stage (N1: HR=1.834, 95%CI: 1.307 to 2.574, P<0.01; N2: HR=3.970, 95%CI: 2.724 to 5.787, P<0.01) and number of lymph nodes examined (≥36: HR=0.438, 95%CI: 0.242 to 0.790, P=0.006) were independently associated with disease-free survival. The C-index of the scoring model (model 1) based on age, T stage, N stage, and dichotomous variables of the lymph nodes examined (<12 and ≥12) was 0.723, and the C-index of the scoring model (model 2) based on age, T stage, N stage, and multi-categorical variables of the lymph nodes examined (<12, 12 to <24, 24 to <36, and ≥36) was 0.726. A scoring system was established based on age, T stage, N stage, and multi-categorical variables of lymph nodes examined, the 3-year DFS of the low-risk (≤1), middle-risk (2 to 4) and high-risk (≥5) group were 96.3% (n=711), 89.0% (n=626) and 71.4% (n=313), respectively. Statistically significant difference was observed among groups (P<0.01). Conclusions: The number of lymph nodes examined was an independent prognostic factor for disease-free survival after curative surgery in patients with stage Ⅰ to Ⅲ colon cancer. Incorporating the number of lymph nodes examined as a multi-categorical variable into the T and N staging system could improve prognostic predictive validity.

Value of conventional ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound for the assessment of renal allograft dysfunction and prognosis

BACKGROUND

Ultrasound (US) is the primary imaging modality for the assessment of transplanted kidneys. This study aims to investigate the ability of conventional US and contrast-enhanced US (CEUS) in assessing renal allograft function and prognosis.

METHODS

A total of 78 consecutive renal allograft recipients were enrolled. Patients were classified as normal allograft function (n = 41) and allograft dysfunction (n = 37) groups. All patients underwent US and parameters were measured. The independent-samples t-test or Mann-Whitney U test, logistic regression analysis, Kaplan-Meier survival plots, and Cox regression analysis were used.

RESULTS

In multivariable analysis, cortical echo intensity (EI) and cortical peak intensity (PI) were determinant US parameters for renal allograft dysfunction (p = .024 and p = .003, respectively). The combination of cortical EI and PI showed an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of .785 (p < .001). Of 78 patients (median follow-up: 20mo), 16 (20.5%) exhibited composite end points. Cortical PI had a general prediction accuracy with an AUROC of .691, sensitivity of 87.5%, and specificity of 46.8% at the threshold of 22.08 dB in predicting prognosis (p = .019). The combination of estimated-glomerular filtration rate (e-GFR) and PI in predicting prognosis showed an AUROC of .845 with a cut-off value of .836, sensitivity of 84.0%, and specificity of 67.3% (p < .001).

CONCLUSION

This study indicates that cortical EI and PI are useful US parameters for evaluating renal allograft function and e-GFR combined with PI may provide a more accurate predictor of survival.

[CT texture analysis for predicting pseudoprogression in metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma during PD-1 inhibitor therapy]

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of enhanced CT texture feature analysis in predicting pseudoprogression in patients with metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (mccRCC) undergoing programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitor therapy. Methods: A cross-sectional study. Data from 32 patients with mccRCC were retrospectively collected who received monotherapy with PD-1 inhibitors after standard treatment failure at Henan Cancer Hospital, from June 2015 to January 2021. Clinical information and enhanced CT images were analyzed to assess target lesion response. The lesions were divided into pseudoprogression and non-pseudoprogression groups. Manual segmentation of target lesions was performed using ITK-Snap software on baseline enhanced CT, and texture analysis was conducted using A.K. software to extract feature parameters. Differences in texture features between the pseudoprogression and non-pseudoprogression groups were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. A predictive model for pseudoprogression was constructed, and its performance was evaluated using ROC curve analysis. Results: A total of 32 patients with 89 lesions were included in the study. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in seven texture features between the pseudoprogression and non-pseudoprogression groups. These features included"original_ngtdm_Strength"(0.49 vs. -0.61,P=0.006), "wavelet-HLH_glszm_ZonePercentage"(0.67 vs. -0.22,P=0.024),"wavelet-LHL_ngtdm_Strength"(1.20 vs. -0.51,P=0.002), "wavelet-HLL_gldm_LargeDependenceEmphasis"(-0.84 vs. 0.19,P=0.002), "wavelet-HLH_glcm_Id" (-0.30 vs. 0.43,P=0.037),"wavelet- HLH_glrlm_RunPercentage"(0.45 vs. -0.01,P=0.032),"wavelet-LHH_firstorder_Skewness"(0.25 vs. -0.27, P=0.011). Based on these features, a pseudoprogression prediction model was developed with a P-value of 0.000 2 and an odds ratio of 0.045 (95%CI 0.009-0.227). The model exhibited a high predictive performance with an AUC of 0.907 (95%CI 0.817-0.997) according to ROC curve analysis. Conclusions: Enhanced CT texture feature analysis shows promise in predicting lesion pseudoprogression in patients with metastatic ccRCC undergoing PD-1 inhibitor therapy. The developed predictive model based on texture features demonstrates good performance and may assist in evaluating treatment response in these patients.

[Pre- and post-diagnosis body mass index in association with colorectal cancer death in a prospective cohort study]

Objective: To evaluate the association between pre-and post-diagnosis body mass index (BMI) and risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) death. Methods: The cohort consisted of 3, 057 CRC patients from Shanghai who were diagnosed from Jan. 1, 2009 to Dec. 31, 2011 and aged from 20 to 74 years. The pre- and post-diagnosis BMI and clinical and lifestyle factors were collected at baseline. Death information was collected using record linkage with the Shanghai Cancer Registry and telephone confirmation during follow-up by the end of 2019. The Cox proportional regression model was used to estimate HR with 95% CI. Results: Analysis by multivariable Cox model showed no association between pre-diagnosis BMI and death risk in both male and female patients. Male patients with a post-diagnosis underweight BMI had an elevated risk of death compared to those in normal weight (HR=1.69, 95% CI: 1.21-2.37), especially in early stage cases. Overweight patients (HR=0.74, 95% CI: 0.61-0.89) and patients with obesity class Ⅰ (HR=0.63, 95% CI: 0.45-0.89)had better survival with decreased risks of death, especially in advanced stage cases. The decreased death risk in patients with obesity class Ⅱ was not significant (HR=0.57, 95% CI: 0.24-1.39). The P(trend) value for decreased risk of death with increased BMI in female patients was statistically significant (P<0.001), and the overweight and obesity class Ⅰ categories had better survival in advanced stage(HR(overweight)=0.62, 95% CI: 0.42-0.93; HR(obesity class Ⅰ)=0.39, 95% CI: 0.16-0.98). Both male and female patients with post-diagnosis BMI loss >2.0 kg/m(2) had an increased death risk when compared with those with stable BMI (change≤1.0 kg/m(2)) between pre- and post-diagnosis. BMI gain after diagnosis did not change death risk. Conclusions: Post-diagnosis BMI in the overweight or obesity class Ⅰ groups might be conducive to prolonging male CRC patients' survival, while underweight might result in poor prognosis. Keeping weight and avoiding excessive weight loss should be suggested for all CRC patients after diagnosis.

[Fibrocartilaginous lipoma: a clinicopathological analysis of six cases]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics, immunophenotype, molecular genetics and differential diagnoses of fibrocartilaginous lipomas which consist of adipose tissue, fibrocartilage and fibrous elements. Methods: The clinicopathological features, immunohistochemical profiles and molecular profiles in six cases of fibrocartilaginous lipomas diagnosed at Foshan Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University and the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University from January 2017 to February 2022 were included. The follow-up information, diagnosis and differential diagnoses were evaluated. Results: There were three males and three females with a median age of 53 years (range 36-69 years) at presentation. Tumors were located in the extremities, the head and neck region and trunk; and presented as painless masses that were located in the subcutaneous tissue or deep soft tissue. Grossly, three cases were well defined with thin capsule, one case was well circumscribed without capsule, two cases were surrounded by some skeletal muscle. The tumors were composed of fatty tissue with intermingled gray-white area. The tumors ranged from 1.50-5.50 cm (mean 2.92 cm). Microscopically, the hallmark of these lesions was the complex admixture of mature adipocytes, fibrocartilage and fibrous element in varying proportions; the fibrocartilage arranged in a nodular, sheet pattern with some adipocytes inside. Tumor cells had a bland appearance without mitotic activity. Immunohistochemical analysis using antibodies to SMA, desmin, S-100, SOX9, HMGA2, RB1, CD34, adipopholin was performed in six cases; the fibrocartilage was positive for S-100 and SOX9, adipocytes were positive for S-100, adipopholin and HMGA2; CD34 was expressed in the fibroblastic cells, while desmin and SMA were negative. Loss of nuclear RB1 expression was not observed. Other genetic abnormalities had not been found yet in four cases. Follow-up information was available in six cases; there was no recurrence in five, and one patient only underwent biopsy of the mass. Conclusions: Fibrocartilaginous lipoma is a benign lipomatous tumor with mature adipocytes, fibrocartilage and fibrous elements. By immunohistochemistry, they show the expression of fat and cartilage markers. No specific molecular genetics changes have been identified so far. Familiarity with its clinicopathological features helps the distinction from its morphologic mimics.