Different biological responses of Skeletonema costatum and Prorocentrum donghaiense to polymetallic nodules from seawaters

The negative impacts of polymetallic nodules mining on deep-sea benthic organisms have been widely established, but there is still a lack of understanding of the environmental impact on the surface ocean scenario. Phytoplankton growth experiment was conducted to determine the biological effect of polymetallic nodules on Prorocentrum donghaiense and Skeletonema costatum. The results showed that regardless of concentration and particle size, polymetallic nodules show a promoting effect on P. donghaiense (p < 0.05), the cell density in the experimental group increased by 35.2%-46.5% compared to the control at the end of the experiment. While fine particles significantly inhibited the growth of S. costatum (p < 0.05), the maximum inhibition rate on cell density reached 63.1%. Polymetallic nodules significantly enhance the Fv/Fm and the maximum electron transport rate of photosystem II in P. donghaiense, thereby increasing its growth rate. However, polymetallic nodules particles stimulated the antioxidant activity and extracellular polymeric substances secretion of S. costatum, resulting in phytoplankton flocculation and sedimentation, which inhibits its growth. Thus, these discriminatory impacts may cause alterations in biomass and community structure, ultimately affecting the ecological function.

Phosphorus forms and zinc concentrations affect the physiological ecology and sinking rate of Thalassiosira weissflogii

The combined effects of phosphorus (P) forms and zinc (Zn) concentrations on diatom silicification remain unclear. In this study, we investigate the effects of different Zn concentrations on the growth, cellular silicon content and sinking rate of Thalassiosira weissflogii under different P forms. The results showed that under the dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) treatments, the specific growth rate of T. weissflogii in Zn limitation culture was significantly lower than that in Zn-replete culture. However, T. weissflogii cellular silicon content and sinking rate increased. Moreover, the reduced specific growth rate (7 %, p < 0.05), enhanced ALP activity (63 %, p < 0.05), and sinking rate (20 %, p < 0.05) for Zn-deplete T. weissflogii implied that the bioavailability of dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) was depressed under Zn deplete medium. This study demonstrates that the physiological ecology and sinking rate of the diatom T. weissflogii were affected by both individual and combined changes in P forms and Zn concentrations.

[Epidemiological characteristics of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome in China, 2018-2021]

Objective: To understand the epidemiological characteristics and incidence trend of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) in China. Methods: The incidence data of SFTS in China from 2018 to 2021 were collected from Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System for a statistical and descriptive epidemiological analysis by using software such as Excel 2016, Joinpoint 5.0.2, SPSS 26.0, and GraphPad Prism 8.0, especially, the SFTS cases reported monthly by key provinces were analyzed. Results: From 2018 to 2021, a total of 8 835 SFTS cases were reported in 25 provinces and the annual incidence showed an upward trend. The distribution of SFTS cases showed clustering, but the cases were mainly sporadic ones. The cases began to increase in March, mainly occurred during April to October (96.79%,8 551/8 835), and peaked during May to July. The cases were mainly distributed in middle-aged and old farmers, and slight more cases were women. The average case fatality rate was 5.38%, which varied greatly with areas. The case fatality rate tended to increase with age. Conclusion: From 2018 to 2021, the epidemiological characteristics of SFTS in China remained stable, but the number of reported cases gradually increased and the distribution showed an expanding trend, to which close attention should be paid.

[Efficacy analysis of surgical combined with postoperative adjuvant therapy for T3 gallbladder carcinoma: a multicenter retrospective study]

Objective: To explore the clinical value of adjuvant therapy in patients with T3 gallbladder cancer (GBC) who have undergone R0 resection. Methods: Clinical and pathological data from 415 patients with T3 GBC who underwent surgical treatment in 7 tertiary centers in China from January 2013 to December 2018 were collected,including 251 males and 164 females,aged (61±11)years (range: 26 to 88 years). Depending on whether to receive adjuvant therapy after radical resection,the patients were divided into the radical resection group alone (group A,n=358) and the radical resection combined with the postoperative adjuvant therapy group (group B,n=57). The general data of the two groups were matched 1∶1 by propensity score matching method,and the caliper value was 0.02.Clinicopathological characteristics,overall survival and disease-free survival of the two groups were compared.The Cox regression model was used for multivariate analysis,and patients with at least one or more independent risk factors were classified as high-risk clinicopathological subtypes. Subgroup analysis was performed to assess the clinical value of adjuvant therapy after radical resection in patients with high-risk clinicopathological subtypes. Results: After the matching,there were 42 patients in each of the two groups. The incidence of gallbladder cancer and the number of dissected lymph nodes in group B after cholecystectomy were higher than those in group A (χ2=9.224,2.570,both P<0.05). There were no significant differences in overall survival rate and disease-free survival rate between the two groups before and after matching (all P>0.05). The results of the univariate and multivariate analysis showed that CA19-9>39 U/ml,nerve invasion,tumor location (liver side or bilateral),TNM stage ⅢB to ⅣB ,poorly differentiated tumor were independent prognostic factors of overall survival and disease-free survival of patients with T3 stage gallbladder cancer (all P<0.05).Three hundred and twenty-nine patients(79.3%) had high-risk clinicopathological subtypes,and the median survival time after curative resection with and without adjuvant therapy was 17 months and 34 months respectively,and the 3-year and 5-year overall survival rates were respectively 40.0%,21.3% and 46.0%,46.0% (χ2=4.042,P=0.044);the median disease-free survival time was 9 months and 13 months,and the 3-year and 5-year disease-free survival rates were 23.4%,13.6% and 30.2%,18.2% (χ2=0.992,P=0.319). Conclusions: Postoperative adjuvant therapy following radical surgery did not yield significant improvements in the overall survival and disease-free survival rates of patients diagnosed with T3 gallbladder cancer. However, it demonstrated a significant extension in the overall survival rate for patients presenting high-risk clinicopathological subtypes.

[The technical difficulties and surgical key points of laparoscopic radical resection for perhilar cholangiocarcinoma]

With the continuous accumulation of laparoscopic radical resection for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma(PHC), the safety and feasibility have been confirmed, and some studies have shown that considering the comparable long-term prognosis and short-term outcomes of laparoscopic surgery and open surgery, laparoscopic surgery could be a technically feasible surgical method for PHC patients of all Bismuth-Corlette types. However, laparoscopic radical resection for PHC is still challenging and controversial due to the complex operation process, surgery-related complications and quality control in different centers. How to solve some key points and difficulties in the operation process, reduce surgical complications, improve the survival prognosis of patients, to make the operation widely popularized and applied are urgent problems for hepatobiliary surgeons. In this paper, some technical difficulties and key points of laparoscopic radical resection for PHC are discussed with the author's team surgical experience and related literature.

[Survival analysis of patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma treated with adjuvant chemotherapy after radical resection based on CoxPH model and deep learning algorithm]

Objective: To establish a predictive model for survival benefit of patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) who received adjuvant chemotherapy after radical resection. Methods: The clinical and pathological data of 249 patients with ICC who underwent radical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy at 8 hospitals in China from January 2010 to December 2018 were retrospectively collected. There were 121 males and 128 females,with 88 cases>60 years old and 161 cases≤60 years old. Feature selection was performed by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis. Overall survival time and survival status were used as outcome indicators,then target clinical features were selected. Patients were stratified into high-risk group and low-risk group,survival differences between the two groups were analyzed. Using the selected clinical features, the traditional CoxPH model and deep learning DeepSurv survival prediction model were constructed, and the performance of the models were evaluated according to concordance index(C-index). Results: Portal vein invasion, carcinoembryonic antigen>5 μg/L,abnormal lymphocyte count, low grade tumor pathological differentiation and positive lymph nodes>0 were independent adverse prognostic factors for overall survival in 249 patients with adjuvant chemotherapy after radical resection (all P<0.05). The survival benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy in the high-risk group was significantly lower than that in the low-risk group (P<0.05). Using the above five features, the traditional CoxPH model and the deep learning DeepSurv survival prediction model were constructed. The C-index values of the training set were 0.687 and 0.770, and the C-index values of the test set were 0.606 and 0.763,respectively. Conclusion: Compared with the traditional Cox model, the DeepSurv model can more accurately predict the survival probability of patients with ICC undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy at a certain time point, and more accurately judge the survival benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy.

[A nomogram for preoperative prediction of lymph node metastasis in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma based on inflammation-related markers]

Objectives: To construct a nomogram for prediction of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) lymph node metastasis based on inflammation-related markers,and to conduct its clinical verification. Methods: Clinical and pathological data of 858 ICC patients who underwent radical resection were retrospectively collected at 10 domestic tertiary hospitals in China from January 2010 to December 2018. Among the 508 patients who underwent lymph node dissection,207 cases had complete variable clinical data for constructing the nomogram,including 84 males,123 females,109 patients≥60 years old,98 patients<60 years old and 69 patients were pathologically diagnosed with positive lymph nodes after surgery. Receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn to calculate the accuracy of preoperative imaging examinations to determine lymph node status,and the difference in overall survival time was compared by Log-rank test. Partial regression squares and statistically significant preoperative variables were screened by backward stepwise regression analysis. R software was applied to construct a nomogram,clinical decision curve and clinical influence curve,and Bootstrap method was used for internal verification. Moreover,retrospectively collecting clinical information of 107 ICC patients with intraoperative lymph node dissection admitted to 9 tertiary hospitals in China from January 2019 to June 2021 was for external verification to verify the accuracy of the nomogram. 80 patients with complete clinical data but without lymph node dissection were divided into lymph node metastasis high-risk group and low-risk group according to the score of the nomogram among the 858 patients. Log-rank test was used to compare the overall survival of patients with or without lymph node metastasis diagnosed by pathology. Results: The area under the curve of preoperative imaging examinations for lymph node status assessment of 440 patients was 0.615,with a false negative rate of 62.8% (113/180) and a false positive rate of 14.2% (37/260). The median survival time of 207 patients used to construct a nomogram with positive or negative postoperative pathological lymph node metastases was 18.5 months and 27.1 months,respectively (P<0.05). Five variables related to lymph node metastasis were screened out by backward stepwise regression analysis,which were combined calculi,neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio,albumin,liver capsule invasion and systemic immune inflammation index,according to which a nomogram was constructed with concordance index(C-index) of 0.737 (95%CI: 0.667 to 0.806). The C-index of external verification was 0.674 (95%CI:0.569 to 0.779). The calibration prediction curve was in good agreement with the reference curve. The results of the clinical decision curve showed that when the risk threshold of high lymph node metastasis in the nomogram was set to about 0.32,the maximum net benefit could be obtained by 0.11,and the cost/benefit ratio was 1∶2. The results of clinical influence curve showed that when the risk threshold of high lymph node metastasis in the nomogram was set to about 0.6,the probability of correctly predicting lymph node metastasis could reach more than 90%. There was no significant difference in overall survival time between patients with high/low risk of lymph node metastasis assessed by the nomogram and those with pathologically confirmed lymph node metastasis or without lymph node metastasis (Log-rank test:P=0.082 and 0.510,respectively). Conclusion: The prediction accuracy of preoperative nomogram for ICC lymph node metastasis based on inflammation-related markers is satisfactory,which can be used as a supplementary method for preoperative diagnosis of lymph node metastasis and is helpful for clinicians to make personalized decision of lymph node dissection for patients with ICC.

[Effect of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy on prognosis of patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma:a multicenter retrospective study]

Objectives: To examine the influence of adjuvant chemotherapy after radical resection on the survival of patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(ICC) and to identify patients who may benefit from it. Methods: The clinical and pathological data of 654 patients with ICC diagnosed by postoperative pathology from December 2011 to December 2017 at 13 hospitals in China were collected retrospectively. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria,455 patients were included in this study,including 69 patients (15.2%) who received adjuvant chemotherapy and 386 patients (84.8%) who did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy. There were 278 males and 177 females,with age of 59 (16) years (M(IQR))(range:23 to 88 years). Propensity score matching (PSM) method was used to balance the difference between adjuvant chemotherapy group and non-adjuvant chemotherapy group. Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot the survival curve,the Log-rank test was used to compare the difference of overall survival(OS) and recurrence free survival(RFS)between the two groups. Univariate analysis was used to determine prognostic factors for OS. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were then performed for prognostic factors with P<0.10 to identify potential independent risk factors. The study population were stratified by included study variables and the AJCC staging system,and a subgroup analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method to explore the potential benefit subgroup population of adjuvant chemotherapy. Results: After 1∶1 PSM matching,69 patients were obtained in each group. There was no significant difference in baseline data between the two groups (all P>0.05). After PSM,Cox multivariate analysis showed that lymph node metastasis (HR=3.06,95%CI:1.52 to 6.16,P=0.039),width of resection margin (HR=0.56,95%CI:0.32 to 0.99,P=0.044) and adjuvant chemotherapy (HR=0.51,95%CI:0.29 to 0.91,P=0.022) were independent prognostic factors for OS. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the median OS time of adjuvant chemotherapy group was significantly longer than that of non-adjuvant chemotherapy group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in RFS time between the adjuvant chemotherapy group and the non-adjuvant chemotherapy group (P>0.05). Subgroup analysis showed that,the OS of female patients,without HBV infection,carcinoembryonic antigen<9.6 μg/L,CA19-9≥200 U/ml,intraoperative bleeding<400 ml,tumor diameter>5 cm,microvascular invasion negative,without lymph node metastasis,and AJCC stage Ⅲ patients could benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy (all P<0.05). Conclusion: Adjuvant chemotherapy can prolong the OS of patients with ICC after radical resection,and patients with tumor diameter>5 cm,without lymph node metastasis,AJCC stage Ⅲ,and microvascular invasion negative are more likely to benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy.

Highly expressed carbohydrate sulfotransferase 11 correlates with unfavorable prognosis and immune evasion of hepatocellular carcinoma

Despite great advance has been made in multi-modality treatments for HCC patients, the effectiveness is far from satisfactory with worse survival outcome, which may be partly explainable by the anti-tumor deficiency of the immune system. It is necessary to clarify the molecular mechanism of HCC immunodeficiency. Here, we demonstrated that carbohydrate sulfotransferase 11 (CHST11) was upregulated in HCC and related to advanced TNM stage. HCC patients with TP53 mutation showed higher CHST11 expression. Survival analysis revealed that CHST11 was an independent prognostic biomarker in HCC. Cellular functional experiments indicated that knockdown of CHST11 in HCC inhibited cell proliferation and metastasis. Gene functional enrichment analyses indicated that CHST11 modulated pathways related to tumor growth, metastasis and immune regulation. Continuative immune-related analyses revealed that CHST11 expression facilitated Tregs infiltration in HCC and promoted the expression of checkpoints PD-L1/PD-1, resulting in the immunosuppression of HCC. Targeting CHST11 may inhibit Tregs infiltration and enhance the antineoplastic effect of immune checkpoint inhibitors, which provides a novel insight into the combination immunotherapy with Treg-modulating agents and PD-L1/PD-1 inhibitors.

[The analysis of long-term prognostic factors after laparoscopic liver resection for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and establishment of survival Nomogram model]

Objective: To establish a survival prediction model based on the independent prognostic factors of long-term prognosis after laparoscopic liver resection(LLR) for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(ICC). Methods: The clinical and pathological data of 351 consecutive patients with ICC who received radical LLR in 13 Chinese medical centers from August 2010 to May 2021 were collected retrospectively. There were 190 males and 161 females,aged(M(IQR)) 61(14)years(range:23 to 93 years). The total cohort was randomly divided into a training dataset(264 cases) and a validation dataset(87 cases). The patients were followed up by outpatient service or telephone,and the deadline for follow-up was October 2021. Based on the training dataset,the multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to screen the independent influencing factors of long-term prognosis to construct a Nomogram model. The Nomogram model's discrimination,calibration,and clinical benefit were evaluated through internal and external validation,and an assessment of the overall value of two groups was made through the use of a receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve. Results: There was no significant difference in clinical and pathological characteristics and long-term survival results between the training and validation datasets(all P>0.05). The multivariate Cox analysis showed that CA19-9,CA125,conversion to laparotomy during laparoscopic surgery,and lymph node metastasis were independent prognostic factors for ICC patients after LLR(all P<0.05). The survival Nomogram was established based on the independent prognostic factors obtained from the above screening. The ROC curve showed that the area under the curve of 1, 3 and 5-year overall survival rates of patients in the training dataset were 0.794(95%CI:0.721 to 0.867),0.728(95%CI:0.618 to 0.839) and 0.799(95%CI:0.670 to 0.928),and those in the validation dataset were 0.787(95%CI:0.660 to 0.915),0.831(95%CI:0.678 to 0.983) and 0.810(95%CI:0.639 to 0.982). Internal and external validation proved that the model exhibited a certain discrimination,calibration,and clinical applicability. Conclusion: The survival Nomogram model based on the independent influencing factors of long-term prognosis after LLR for ICC(including CA19-9,CA125,conversion to laparotomy during laparoscopic surgery,and lymph node metastasis) exhibites a certain differentiation,calibration,and clinical practicability.

Low temperature magnetic behavior and thermal expansion anomaly of cubic CeTiO3

Lanthanum-based LnBO₃ perovskite oxides have demonstrated fascinating magnetic properties and spin–lattice coupling. In this work, we report an unusual thermal expansion anomaly coupled with the magnetic ordering in the cubic CeTiO₃ with the vacancy of Ce ions. The magnetic behaviors and lattice thermal expansion at low temperature were systematically investigated using the temperature dependence of the magnetization measurements and low temperature X-ray powder diffraction. It is clearly revealed that there are two magnetic transitions in the cubic CeTiO₃ from 5 to 350 K: one is a magnetic ordering–disordering transition at 300 K and the other one might be a change of the magnetic component near 32 K. Both the magnetization and hysteresis change correspondingly upon cooling. Intriguingly, a lattice thermal expansion anomaly is found below the magnetic ordering temperature, which indicates a strong coupling of spin and lattice, i.e., a magnetovolume effect (MVE). Our findings provide the possibility of adjusting thermal expansion behavior and magnetic properties by introducing a vacancy of Ln atoms in lanthanum-based perovskite oxides.

An unusual thermal expansion anomaly with magnetic ordering in cubic CeTiO₃ was found. A magnetic ordering–disordering transition at 300 K and a change of the magnetic component near 32 K were noted. A magnetovolume effect was found below the magnetic ordering temperature.

[Safety and efficacy evaluation of laparoscopic and open hepatectomy for hepatolithiasis: a propensity score matched analysis]

Objective: To compare the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic and open hepatectomy for hepatolithiasis. Methods: Between January 2014 and May 2020, the clinicopathological data of 254 patients with hepatolithiasis who underwent laparoscopic or open hepatectomy at the First Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery,Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College were collected retrospectively. There were 74 males and 180 females with age of (56±8) years (range: 38 to 77 years). Of the 254 patients, 162 underwent laparoscopic surgery (laparoscopic group) and 92 underwent open surgery (open group). Propensity score matching(PSM) was performed to match baseline characteristics of the two groups,and then the perioperative results and follow-up efficacy were compared between the two groups. The t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, χ² test or Fisher's exact probability method was used to compare the perioperative data and follow-up results of the two groups after matching, respectively. Results: Each group had 63 patients after PSM with well-balanced baseline characteristics. There was no statistic difference in the type of hepatectomy,combined common bile duct exploration rate,T tube drainage placement rate,operation time,intraoperative transfusion rate,intraoperative accidental injury rate,initial and final stone clearance rate,and stone recurrence rate between the two groups. However,compared with the open hepatectomy group, the laparoscopic group had significantly lower intraoperative blood loss (M(IQR))(300(175)ml vs. 350(145)ml, Z=3.227,P=0.001),shorter postoperative hospital stay((10.6±4.1)days vs. (14.0±4.0)days,t=4.634,P<0.01),shorter time to postoperative oral intake ((1.8±1.1)days vs. (2.9±1.6)days, t=4.556, P<0.01), and lower postoperative complication rate (25.4%(16/63) vs. 49.2%(31/63), χ²=7.635, P=0.006). Conclusion: Laparoscopic hepatectomy is safe and effective for hepatolithiasis with the advantages of less intraoperative blood loss,lower postoperative complications and faster postoperative recovery.

Structure, thermostability and magnetic properties of cubic Ce2-x Ti2O7 pyrochlore obtained via sol-gel preparation

Lanthanum-based titanates have been attracting considerable interest by virtue of their structural operability and hence diverse physical properties. The preparation of lanthanum-based titanates with novel crystal structure is a fascinating task. In this work, we report the preparation of a cubic Ce_2−xTi₂O₇ pyrochlore using the sol–gel method. The crystal structure, thermostability and magnetism were studied via the temperature dependence of X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and magnetization measurements. It has been revealed that the as-prepared Ce_2−xTi₂O₇ pyrochlore possesses a cubic symmetry (space group: Fd3̄m), however there is an 18(1)% vacancy of Ce ions in the as-prepared samples. No distinct phase transition and thermal expansion anomaly were observed in the investigated temperature range from 300 K to 700 K. Intriguingly, lattice defects may favor the transformation of Ce valence from +3 to +4 and an unusual weak magnetic ordering state emerged up to 400 K. The persistence of magnetism at such high temperatures is rare and mysterious for cerium titanates. Our findings provide the possibility of adjusting the crystal structure and magnetic properties of cerium titanates, anticipated to the development of lanthanum-based oxides.

We report a novel cubic Ce_2−xTi₂O₇ compound prepared via the sol–gel method. There is an 18% vacancy of Ce ions in the as-prepared samples. The lattice defects may favor the transformation of Ce valence from +4 to +3, and a weak magnetic ordering state emerges up to 400 K.

[Impact of adjuvant chemotherapy on prognosis in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma patients underwent radical resection]

Objectives: To investigate the clinical value of adjuvant chemotherapy(ACT) in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(ICC) who underwent radical resection and to explore the optimal population that can benefit from ACT. Methods: A retrospective cohort study method was adopted. The clinical and pathological data of 685 patients with ICC who underwent curative intent resection in 10 Chinese hepatobiliary surgery centers from January 2010 to December 2018 were collected;There were 355 males and 330 females. The age(M(IQR)) was 58(14) years (range: 22 to 83 years). Propensity score matching(PSM) was applied to balance the differences between the adjuvant and non-adjuvant chemotherapy groups. Log-rank test was used to compare the prognosis of the two groups of patients. A Bayesian network recurrence-free survival(RFS) prediction model was constructed using the median RFS time (14 months) as the target variable, and the importance of the relevant prognostic factors was ranked according to the multistate Birnbaum importance calculation. A survival prognostic prediction table was established to analyze the population benefiting from adjuvant chemotherapy. Results: Among 685 patients,214 received ACT and 471 did not receive ACT. A total of 124 pairs of patients were included after PSM, and patients in the ACT group had better overall survival (OS) and RFS than those in the non-ACT group(OS: 32.2 months vs. 18.0 months,P=0.003;RFS:18.0 months vs. 10.0 months,P=0.001). The area under the curve of the Bayesian network RFS prediction model was 0.7124. The results of the prognostic factors in order of importance were microvascular invasion (0.158 2),perineural invasion (0.158 2),N stage (0.155 8),T stage (0.120 9), hepatic envelope invasion (0.090 3),adjuvant chemotherapy (0.072 1), tumor location (0.057 5), age (0.042 3), pathological differentiation (0.034 0), sex (0.029 3), alpha-fetoprotein (0.028 9) and preoperative jaundice (0.008 5). A survival prediction table based on the variables with importance greater than 0.1 (microvascular invasion,perineural invasion,N stage,T staging) and ACT showed that all patients benefited from ACT (increase in the probability of RFS≥14 months from 2.21% to 7.68%), with a more significant increase in the probability of RFS≥14 months after ACT in early-stage patients. Conclusion: ACT after radical resection in patients with ICC significantly prolongs the OS and RFS of patients, and the benefit of ACT is greater in early patients.

Screening of Translocation Ets-Leukemia-Acute-Myeloid-Leukemia-1 Fusion Gene and Expression Pattern of Multidrug Resistance Protein Protein in Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

The study aimed to investigate the positive rate of TEL-AML 1 fusion gene in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) children and the clinical characteristics of ALL patients with TEL-AML 1 fusion gene positively expressed, as well as the expression level of MRP-1. 40 ALL children were selected, with their medical records collected. The TEL-AML 1 fusion gene was screened by nested RTPCR. Bone marrow specimens were taken for G-banded karyotype analysis and flow cytometry immunophenotyping of the marrow chromosome. A semi-quantitative RT-PCR method was used to study the mRNA expression level of MRP 1. The results showed that the positive rate of TEL-AML 1 fusion gene in ALL patients was 22.5% (9/40). The positive group exhibited lower gene expression level, the hepatosplenomegaly degree, the total number of peripheral white blood cells, the absolute count of naive cells, and the Hb level at the first visit, indicating that the tumor burden of children in the positive group was lower. The complete remission rate of the positive group was higher (P < 0.05). The mRNA expression level of MRP 1 gene positive group was lower. In conclusion, patients with positive TEL-AML 1 fusion gene were more sensitive to chemotherapeutic drugs, and their treatment responses and prognosis were better.

Extraction and Back-Extraction Behaviors of La(III), Ce(III), Pr(III), and Nd(III) Single Rare Earth and Mixed Rare Earth by TODGA

N,N,N′,N′-Tetraoctyl diglycolamide (TODGA), as a new extraction agent, is effective for its excellent performance and low environmental hazard, and it is very welcome for the rare earth separation process. In this paper, by controlling the extraction time, diluent type, acid type and its concentration, rare earth concentration, etc., the optimum extraction and back-extraction effects of TODGA on La(III), Ce(III), Pr(III), and Nd(III) and mixed rare earths were obtained. The experiment showed that 0.10 mol·L⁻¹ TODGA had the best extraction effect on single rare earth under the conditions of using petroleum ether as diluent, 5 mol·L⁻¹ nitric acid, 20 min extraction time, and 0.01 mol·L⁻¹ rare earth. In the mixed rare earth extraction, the percentage concentrations of La(III), Ce(III), Pr(III), and Nd(III) could be achieved from 21.7%, 19.9%, 30.8%, and 22.2% at the initial stage to 90.5%, 37%, 51%, and 62% after extraction, respectively, by controlling the number of back-extraction cycles and the concentrations of hydrochloric acid and nitric acid in the back-extraction system. The TODGA–rare earth carrier system showed the best back-extraction effect when the hydrochloric acid concentration was 1 mol·L⁻¹ and the back-extraction time was 20 min. At the same time, the mixed rare earth liquid system with low initial concentration was selected for extraction and separation of mixed rare earth. The separation effect was better, and the recovery rate was higher than that of mixed rare earth liquid system with a high initial concentration.

[CCAAT/enhancer binding protein δ inhibits invasion and metastasis of liver cancer by regulating M1 type macrophages polarization]

Objective: To explore the regulation of macrophage polarization and its effects on liver cancer invasion, metastasis and apoptosis by CCAAT/enhancer binding protein δ (CEBPD). Methods: THP-1 stable transfected cells with knockdown CEBPD (shCEBPD) and negative control shNC were constructed by lentviral transfection technique. THP-1 transfected cells were induced into macrophages, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interferon γ(IFNγ) by phorbol 12-tetradecanoate 13-acetate (PMA), and then the polarized macrophages were further induced to M1 type. The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect M1 type macrophage related interleukin 1β (IL-1β) genes, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA expression level. Flow cytometry was used to detect M1 macrophage-specific surface marker CD80 expression levels. M1-induced macrophages were co-cultured with liver cancer MHCC97H cells using Transwell non-contact small sized co-culture dishes. MHCC97H cells invasion and metastasis were detected by Transwell and scratch assay under co-culture conditions, and the MHCC97H cells apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. Results: The mRNA expression levels of M1 macrophage marker genes iNOS, TNFα, IL-6 and IL-1β in THP-1 derived macrophages were decreased after CEBPD knockdown. M1 macrophage-specific surface marker CD80 expression levels were decreased (23.7% ± 2.1% and 62.5% ± 2.0%, t = 9.58, P < 0.05). THP-1 were co-cultured with MHCC97H in shCEBPD and shNC group, respectively. Compared with shNC group, the invasion [(158.0 ± 3.5) and (75.0 ± 4.5), t = 39.87, P < 0.01] and metastatic ability (54.6% ± 1.5% and 24.3% ± 1.0%, P < 0.01) of MHCC97H cells co-cultured in shCEBPD group were stronger and the apoptosis rate was reduced [(9.4% ± 1.0%) vs. (23.7% ± 1.2%), t = 12.68, P < 0.01]. Conclusion: CEBPD can inhibit the invasion and metastasis and increase the apoptosis by amplifying M1 type macrophages polarization in liver cancer cells.

Isolation and identification of a 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-P-dioxin degrading strain and its biochemical degradation pathway

This study aims to find a high-efficiency degradation strain which can biodegrade the 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-P-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD). In this paper, a new fungus strain was isolated from activated sludge of Dagu Drainage River in Tianjin which was able to degrade 2,3,7,8-TCDD in the medium. Based on its morphology and phylogenetic analysis of its 18S rDNA sequence, the strain was identified as Penicillium sp. QI-1. Response surface methodology using central composite rotatable design of cultural conditions was successfully employed for optimization resulting in 87.9 % degradation of 2,3,7,8-TCDD (1 µg/mL) within 6 days. The optimum condition for degrading 2,3,7,8-TCDD was at 31℃ and pH 7.4. The biodegradation process was fitted to a first-order kinetic model. The kinetic equation was C_t=0.939e^- 0.133t and its half-life was 5.21d. The fungus strain degraded 2,3,7,8-TCDD to form intermediates, they were 4,5-Dichloro-1,2-benzoquinone, 4,5-Dichlorocatechol, 2-Hydrooxy-1,4-benzoquinone, 1,2,4-Trihydroxybenzene and β-ketoadipic acid. A novel degradation pathway for 2,3,7,8-TCDD was proposed based on analysis of these metabolites. The results suggest that Penicillium sp. QI-1 may be an ideal microorganism for biodegradation of the 2,3,7,8-TCDD-contaminated environments.

[The effect on patient life quality of prophylactic treatment to seasonal allergic rhinitis and related transcriptomics research]

Objective: The preseason prophylactic treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis (AR) caused by pollens could alleviate AR symptoms during the pollen season. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of prophylaxis usage of suplatast tosilate on the life quality of AR patients in the pollen season, and investigate the potential mechanism of action through transcriptomic analysis. Methods: This is a randomized controlled study. AR patients allergic to weed pollens were recruited from Allergy Clinic of Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2020 to June 2020, and divided into prophylactic group who started to take suplatast tosilate as prophylaxis 2 weeks before the spread of weed pollens[n=10, 4 men and 6 women with age range of (34±6) years old] and control group who did not use any prophylactic treatment[n=24, 12 men and 12 women with age range of (33±9) years old]. The differences of age (t=0.381, P=0.706) and gender (χ²=0.595, P=0.715) distribution between the patients of two groups were not statistically significant. All the subjects filled in the rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire (RQLQ) while onset of AR symptoms, and peripheral blood was drawn for transcriptomic analysis 1 month before and during the pollen season. Differences between groups were statistically analyzed through chi-square test and t test. Results: There was no significant difference in visual analogue scale of rhinitis symptom in the last pollen season between prophylactic group and control group[ 8.0 (6.4, 9.3) vs 7.3 (6.1, 8.0), Z=1.180, P=0.254]. The RQLQ score of prophylactic group was superior to that of control group in the weed pollen season (2.9±0.9 vs 3.7±0.9, t=-2.438, P=0.026). 210 differentially expressed genes of fold change ≥2 were identified, with 147 genes upregulated and 63 genes downregulated in the prophylactic group compared to the control group. Gene Ontology annotation showed that IL-12 and IL-23 related pathways were downregulated in prophylactic group (P=0.006 48). Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) verification of differentially expressed genes indicated that the relative expression level of HLA-G in prophylactic group was significantly lower than that in control group (0.23±0.19 vs 1.00±0.49,t=4.016, P=0.006). Conclusion: The prophylactic treatment of suplatast tosilate showed some benefit to the life quality of seasonal AR patients during the pollen season, and the potential mechanism might be related with the downregulation of IL-12 and IL-23 pathways and decreased expression of HLA-G.

[A prognostic model of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma after curative intent resection based on Bayesian network]

Objective: To examine a survival prognostic model applicable for patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) based on Bayesian network. Methods: The clinical and pathological data of ICC patients who underwent curative intent resection in ten Chinese hepatobiliary surgery centers from January 2010 to December 2018 were collected.A total of 516 patients were included in the study.There were 266 males and 250 females.The median age(M(QR)) was 58(14) years.One hundred and sixteen cases (22.5%) with intrahepatic bile duct stones,and 143 cases (27.7%) with chronic viral hepatitis.The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis.The univariate and multivariate analysis were implemented respectively using the Log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard model.One-year survival prediction models based on tree augmented naive Bayesian (TAN) and naïve Bayesian algorithm were established by Bayesialab software according to different variables,a nomogram model was also developed based on the independent predictors.The receiver operating characteristic curve and the area under curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the prediction effect of the models. Results: The overall median survival time was 25.0 months,and the 1-,3-and 5-year cumulative survival rates was 76.6%,37.9%,and 21.0%,respectively.Univariate analysis showed that gender,preoperative jaundice,pathological differentiation,vascular invasion,microvascular invasion,liver capsule invasion,T staging,N staging,margin,intrahepatic bile duct stones,carcinoembryonic antigen,and CA19-9 affected the prognosis(χ2=5.858-54.974, all P<0.05).The Cox multivariate model showed that gender,pathological differentiation,liver capsule invasion,T stage,N stage,intrahepatic bile duct stones,and CA19-9 were the independent predictive factors(all P<0.05). The AUC of the TAN model based on all 19 clinicopathological factors was 74.5%,and the AUC of the TAN model based on the 12 prognostic factors derived from univariate analysis was 74.0%,the AUC of the naïve Bayesian model based on 7 independent prognostic risk factors was 79.5%,the AUC and C-index of the nomogram survival prediction model based on 7 independent prognostic risk factors were 78.8% and 0.73,respectively. Conclusion: The Bayesian network model may provide a relatively accurate prognostic prediction for ICC patients after curative intent resection and performed superior to the nomogram model.

[Clinical value of extended radical resection for pT3 stage gallbladder cancer]

Objective: To investigate the clinical value of extended radical resection for stage pT3 gallbladder cancer (GBC). Methods: The clinical and pathological data of 323 patients with stage pT3 GBC who received regional radical resection or extended radical resection in 7 domestic hepatobiliary centers in China from January 2013 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The propensity score matching method was used to select 36 cases in each of the regional radical resection group (group A1) and the extended radical resection group (group B1). The surgical indicators and overall survival rates of the two groups were compared, and prognostic factors were analyzed. Results: The number of positive lymph nodes [2(0,3)] and the total number of lymph nodes removed [3(1,4)] in group B1 were both higher than those in group A1 [1(0,1), 4(2,7)] (all P<0.05). There was no significant difference in other clinical and pathological factors between the two groups (all P>0.05). The 1, 3, and 5-year survival rates of group A1 were 75%, 44%, and 29%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those of group B1 of 50%, 15%, and 11% (χ(2)=11.311, all P<0.001). Extensive radical resection (HR=2.161, 95%CI: 1.222-3.821), hepatic parenchymal invasion (HR=2.324, 95%CI: 1.305-4.139), positive lymph node rate ≥1/3 (HR=2.927, 95%CI: 1.641-5.220), and ⅢB/ⅣB staging (HR=3.325, 95%CI: 1.750-6.320) are risk factors for the prognosis of GBC patients (all P<0.05), of which extended radical resection (HR=1.969, 95%CI: 1.083-3.581) was an independent risk factor for prognosis (P<0.05). When the ratio of positive lymph nodes was<1/3 and the tumor invaded the hepatic parenchyma, the overall survival rate of group B1 was significantly lower than that of group A1 (all P<0.05). Conclusions: The overall survival rate in patients with stage pT3 GBC whose lymph node positive rate<1/3 and/or hepatic parenchymal invaded cannot be improved by extended radical resection. Extended radical resection is an independent risk factor for patient prognosis.

[A multicenter clinical analysis of short-term efficacy of laparoscopic radical resection of hilar cholangiocarcinoma]

Objective: To investigate the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic radical resection of hilar cholangiocarcinoma at multiple centers in China. Methods: Between December 2015 and August 2019, the clinical data of 143 patients who underwent LRHC in Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Affiliated Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, the First Hospital Affiliated to Army Medical University, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital Affiliated to Medical College of Zhejiang University, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University and the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University were collected prospectively. There were 92 males and 51 females with age of (64±11) years (range: 53 to 72 years). Bismuth type: type I, 38 cases (26.6%), type Ⅱ, 19 cases (13.3%), type Ⅲa, 15 cases (10.5%), type Ⅲb, 28 cases (19.6%) and type Ⅳ, 43 cases (30.0%). The patients within the first 10 operation cases in each operation time (the first 10 patients in each operation team) were divided into group A (77 cases), and the patients after 10 cases in each operation time were classified as group B (66 cases); the cases with more than 10 cases in the center were further divided into group A(1) (116 cases), and the center with less than 10 cases was set as group A(2) (27 cases). T test or Wilcoxon test was used to compare the measurement data between groups, and the chi square test or Fisher exact probability method was used to compare the counting data between groups. Kaplan Meier curve was used for survival analysis. Results: All patients successfully completed laparoscopic procedure. The mean operation time was (421.3±153.4) minutes (range: 159 to 770 minutes), and the intraoperative blood loss was 100 to 1 500 ml (median was 300 ml) .Recent post-operative complications contained bile leakage, abdominal bleeding, abdominal infection, gastrointestinal bleeding, and delay gastric emptying, pulmonary infection, liver failure, et al.The post-operative hospital stay was (15.9±9.2) days. The operation time in group B was relatively reduced ( (429.5±190.7)minutes vs. (492.3±173.1)minutes, t=2.063, P=0.041) and the blood loss (465 ml vs. 200 ml) was also reduced (Z=2.021, P=0.043) than that in group B. The incidence of postoperative biliary fistula and lung infection in patients in group A was significantly higher than that in group B (χ(2)=4.341, 0.007; P=0.037, 0.047) .Compared with group A(2), the operation time in group A(1) was relatively reduced( (416.3±176.5)minutes vs. (498.1±190.4)minutes, t=2.136, P=0.034) , the incidence of bile leakage and abdominal cavity infection in group A(1) was lower than that in group A(2) (χ(2)=7.537, 3.162; P=0.006, 0.046) . Kaplan Meier survival curve showed that the difference of short-term survival time between group A and group B was statistically significant (P<0.05) . Conclusions: The completion of laparoscopic hilar cholangiocarcinoma radical surgery is based on improved surgical skills, and proficiency in standardized operation procedures.It is feasible for laparoscopic radical resection of hilar cholangiocarcinoma to well experienced surgeon with cases be strictly screened, but it is not recommended for widespread promotion at this exploratory stage.

[Influence factors related epidemics on hantavirus disease]

Hantavirus disease is a globally distributed, natural foci-related infectious disease caused by hantavirus, that maintaining persistent infections in their rodent hosts without apparent disease symptoms but seriously affecting the health safety of human beings. Development of the disease depends on the interaction between virus, rodent host and the individual person. Factors as significant geographical and seasonal variations, certain periodicity and contingency can all be related to the incidence of hantavirus disease. The disease is affected by climate and meteorological,environment, economic and social development, human life style and individual behaviors, etc.. Results from the analysis on main influencing factors and the nature of epidemics provide as with more evidence and information in setting up programs onto timely implementation of related prevention and control measures scientifically. By searching relevant scientific and technological literature, this paper summarizes the factors that affecting the nature of transmission and infection of hantavirus from related perspectives and factors including virus, host, climate and meteorological, meteorology, geographical environment, economic and social factors, etc.. In order to elaborate on the understanding of the epidemics and transmission characteristics of this kind of diseases, this paper provides evidence on prediction, prevention and control measures of hantavirus disease.

[Application value of different lymph node staging system in predicting prognosis of patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma]

Objective: To examine the value of number of metastatic lymph nodes(NMLN), lymph node ratio(LNR) and log odds of metastatic lymph nodes(LODDS) in assessing the prognosis of patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(ICC). Methods: The clinical and pathological data of 440 ICC patients who underwent curative-intent resection in 10 of Chinese hepatobiliary surgery centers from January 2010 to December 2018 were collected, and the deadline of follow-up was April 30th, 2019. Among them, 205 were males and 235 were females, with age of (57.0±9.9) years (range:23-83 years).Eighty-five cases (19.3%) had intrahepatic bile duct stones, and 98 cases (22.3%) had chronic viral hepatitis.The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis. The univariate and multivariate analysis were implemented respectively using the Log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard model. Results: A total of 440 patients underwent curative-intent resection and lymphadenectomy.R0 resection were achieved in 424 cases (96.4%) and R1 resection were in 16 cases (3.6%). The results of postoperative pathological examination showed that high, moderate and poor differentiation was 4.2%(18/426), 60.6%(258/426) and 35.2%(150/426), respectively.Adenocarcinoma was seen in 90.2%(397/440) and non-adenocarcinoma was seen in 9.8%(43/440), respectively. T stage: 2 cases (0.5%) with Tis, 83 cases(18.9%) with T1a, 97 cases(22.0%) with T1b, 95 cases(21.6%) with T2, 122 cases (27.7%) with T3 and 41 cases(9.3%) with T4.The overall median survival time was 24.0 months, and the 1-,3-, and 5-year survival rate was 74.3%, 37.7% and 18.3%, respectively. Lymphatic metastasis occurred in 175 patients(39.8%), the median total number of TNLE(M(Q(R))) was 6(5), the median number of NMLN was 0(1), the median number of LNR was 0 (0.33) and the median number of LODDS was -0.70(-0.92). Rerults of univariate analysis showed that combined stones, pathological differentiation, vascular invasion, LODDS, margin and T staging affected the prognosis (all P<0.05). Rerults of multivariate analysis showed that pathological differentiation, LODDS, margin, and T staging were independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of ICC patients (all P<0.05). Conclusion: LODDS could be used as an optimal prognostic lymph node staging index for ICC, and it is also an independent risk factor for survival after curative intent resection.

[Discussion on pT3 staging in TNM staging of AJCC 8(th) edition gallbladder carcinoma]

Objective: To discuss the rationality of stage pT3 in the AJCC 8(th) TNM criteria of gallbladder carcinoma. Methods: A retrospective study was performed to analyze the clinical and pathological data of 88 patients with pT3 gallbladder carcinoma admitted to Department of Second Biliary Surgery of Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, affiliated to Naval Medical University from May 2013 to September 2018.pT3 stage tumors were divided into two groups: (1) pT3a stage: tumors had penetrated serosa but not directly invaded liver and/or an adjacent organ or structure; (2) pT3b stage: tumor penetrating serosa and directly invaded liver and/or an adjacent organ or structure. There were 45 patients with pT3a stage, including 15 males and 30 females, aged 36 to 80 years, with a median age of 59 years; 43 patients with pT3b, including 24 males and 19 females, aged 41 to 78 years old, median aged 63 years old.Patients with pT3a and pT3b were further divided into two groups respectively: radical resection group and extended radical resection group according to surgical radicalization. Independent sample t-test was used for comparison between two groups with normal distribution measurement data. Wilcoxon rank sum test was used between groups of non-normally distributed measurement data.The comparison of the count data was performed by χ(2) test or Fisher exact probability method. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier method, and survival rate was compared using Log-rank test. Results: (1)Serum total bilirubin(15.6(90.3)mmol/L), albumin(40.2(4.8)mmol/L), and CA19-9(132.90(455.78)U/ml) levels in pT3b patients were higher than that in pT3a patients(10.2(6.8)mmol/L, 41.8(4.9)mmol/L, 14.35(36.27)U/ml), respectively(Z=-3.816, -1.966, -3.739, all P<0.05),postoperative complication rate in pT3b patients(24.4%) was higher than that in pT3a patients(8.9%)(P<0.05),postoperative hospital stay(12(7)days) and overall hospital stay((26±17)days) of pT3b patients were longer than that of pT3a patients((10±5) days and (19±7)days) (P<0.05). (2) The 1-, 3-, 5-year survival rates of pT3b and pT3a patients were 53%,22%,22% and 69%, 46%,38%,and the median survival time was 13 months and 26 months, respectively. The difference in survival rates between the two groups was statistically significant(χ(2)=5.117, P=0.024). (3)The 1-, 3-year survival rates of extended radical resection group(n=19) and radical resection group(n=24) in the pT3b stage were 73%, 36% and 28%, 7%, respectively.The survival time was 20 months and 9 months,respectively,and the difference in survival rates between the two groups was statistically significant(χ(2)=4.976, P=0.026). Conclusions: pT3 gallbladder carcinoma could be further subdivided into pT3a stage and pT3b stage based on the TNM criteria of AJCC 8(th) gallbladder carcinoma. Extended radical resection for pT3b gallbladder carcinoma should be further considered after comprehensive assessment of the patient's basic condition and surgical tolerance.

[Comparison the clinical efficacy of 3D versus 2D total laparoscopic thyroidectomy for thyroid cancer by via-breast approach]

Objective:To summarize and analyze the clinical efficacy of 3D and 2D laparoscopic surgery in thyroidectomy for thyroid cancer. Method: Thirty-seven patients with early-differentiated thyroid cancer underwent laparoscopic surgery from August 2016 to November 2018. Their clinical data were retrospectively analyzed. They were divided into 3D laparoscopic group and 2D laparoscopic group based on laparoscopic imaging systems. The perioperative clinical indicators and postoperative complications of the two groups were compared. Result: Compared with the 2D laparoscopic group, the 3D laparoscopic group had shorter operation time and less bleeding, and the incidence of postoperative complications was less, but the differences between the two groups were not statistically significant(P>0.05). Conclusion: Compared with the 2D laparoscopic thyroidectomy, 3D laparoscopic thyroidectomy for thyroid cancer allows higher surgical precision, shorter operation time, lower operation risk and smoother surgical procedure, thus improves surgical efficiency.

Cell changes and differential proteomic analysis during biodegradation of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) byPseudomonas aeruginosa

BDE-209 is a persistent organic pollutant. To promote microbial biodegradation of BDE-209 and gain further insight into its mechanism, cell changes and differential proteomic analysis ofP. aeruginosaduring biodegradation were studied.

[Clinical and immunohistopathologic study of phosphaturic mesenchymal tumor]

Objective: To study the clinicopathological characteristics and immunohistochemical phenotype of phosphaturic mesenchymal tumor (PMT) . Methods: The clinicopathological data and immunohistochemical profiles were obtained retrospectively from 206 patients diagnosed with PMT at Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) during July 2008 to September 2017, with a review of literature. Results: The mean age of PMT patients was 42 years (range 13 to 70 years), with a male to female ratio of 1.1∶1.0. All patients presented with different degree of bone pain, muscle weakness, shorten of stature, thoracic deformity and pathological fractures, with hypophosphatemia and high serum ALP. Phosphatemia returned to normal within 1 week after operation in all cases underwent complete tumor resection. The duration of osteomalacia before resection (documented in 197 cases) ranged from 20 days to 40 years (average 5.7 years). The average blood phosphorus concentration raised from 0.49 mmol/L to 0.92 mmol/L before and after tumor resection (P<0.01), with 147 cases (84.0%, 147/175) returned to normal range within 2 weeks. The rate or blood phosphorus concentration recovery in 15 days after operation was 79.6% in average, displayed significant differences between patients with complete resection and those with partial resection (85.4% vs. 21.1%, P<0.01). PMT lesions mainly involved lower extremities (55.8%), followed by head and neck (29.1%). In immunohistochemical study, all cases were positive for vimentin (100.0%), while most cases were positive for NSE (96.3%), CD56 (94.2%), FGF23(88.4%), CD68 (88.3%), D2-40 (70.9%), CD34 (23.1%), SMA (55.5%), bcl-2 (59.8%) and CD99 (47.1%). The Ki-67 positive index of tumor varied from less than 2% (51.4%), 3% to 10% (41.3%) to >10% (7.2%). Conclusions: PMT mainly occurs in lower limbs or head and neck, with unique clinical characteristics and blood biochemical indexes. The tumor expresses a variety of immunohistochemical markers, indicating the potential of multi-directional differentiation. Clinical profile, blood biochemistry testing and immunohistochemical phenotype is helpful for diagnosis of PMT.

[Clinical investigation of basophil activation test as a complementary test for house dust mite allergen]

Objective:To investigate the clinical application of glass micro fiber basophil activation test (BAT) used as a complementary test for house dust mite allergen.Method:Forty patients with clinical diagnosed allergic rhinitis was test by three methods for house dust mite allergen, skin prick test(SPT),Immuno CAP sIgE, and BAT in vitro. The sensitivity and specificity of glass micro fiber were accessed, and the consistency between BAT, SPT, and Immuno sIgE was analyzed. As in vivo provocation was not performed, gold standard is regarded as the combination of medical history and positive reports of SPT and/or ImmunoCAP sIgE test.Result:Twentythree patients are diagnosed as house dust mite allergic rhinitis by gold standard. The sensitivity and specificity of glass micro fiber BAT were 60.9% and 88.2%, the sensitivity of SPT and sIgE was 87.0% and sIgE 73.9%. The correlation rates between BAT with SPT is 0.67(P<0.05), and sIgE 0.55(P<0.05). The accuracy, predictive value of positive and negative of BAT are 0.47,60.9%,88.2%.The Kappa values of BAT, SPT and sIgE with gold standard are 0.47,0.86,0.71.Conclusion:As a complementary test for house dust mite allergic rhinitis, BAT have a good consistency with SPT and sIgE, while as it has only moderate consistency with "gold standard", further studies are needed to prove its clinical significance.

[A multicenter retrospective study for the prognosis of T1b stage gallbladder carcinoma underwent different surgical procedure]

Objective: To explore the prognosis of patients with T1b stage gallbladder carcinoma underwent different surgical procedure. Methods: The clinicopathological data of 97 patients with T1b stage gallbladder carcinoma came from 8 clinical centers from January 2010 to December 2016 and 794 patients who were admitted to the SEER database of USA from January 1973 to December 2014 were analyzed.There were 891 patients including 254 males and 637 females (1.0∶2.5) with age of (69.5±12.0)years. There were 380 patients who were less than 70 years old, 511 patients who were more than 70 years old. And there were 213 patients with the diameter of tumor less than 20 mm, 270 patients with the diameter of tumor more than 20 mm, 408 patients were unclear. There were 196 patients with well differentiation, 407 patients with moderately differentiation, 173 patients with poorly differentiation, 8 patients with undifferentiated, 107 patients were unclear. In the 891 patients with T1b stage gallbladder carcinoma, there were 562 cases accepted the simple cholecystectomy, 231 cases with simple cholecystectomy plus lymphadenectomy, and 98 cases with radical cholecystectomy. The time of follow-up were until June 2017. χ(2) test was used to analyze the enumeration data, rank-sum test was used to analyze the measurement data, the analyses of prognostic factors were used Cox proportional hazards model, the survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier method. Results: The results of Cox proportional hazards model indicated, age, differentiation, surgical procedure were the risk factors of prognostic(1.929(1.594-2.336), P<0.01; 1.842(1.404-2.416), P<0.01; 1.216(0.962-1.538), P<0.01). The results of Kaplan Meier test indicated, the overall survival of T1b stage gallbladder carcinoma were (85.5±3.8)months, the overall survival of patients with simple cholecystectomy were (71.3±4.4)months, the overall survival of patients with cholecystectomy plus lymphadenectomy were(87.6±5.8)months, and the overall survival of patients with radical cholecystectomy were(101.7±9.3)months. The overall survival of patients with cholecystectomy plus lymphadenectomy and radical cholecystectomy were more than simple cholecystectomy(P<0.05). There were 329 patients with Lymph nodes examined in and after operations(231 patients with cholecystectomy plus lymphadenectomy, 98 patients with radical cholecystectomy). There were 265 patients with negative lymph node metastasis, the overall survival were(98.3±4.2)months. There were 64 patients with positive lymph node metastasis, the overall survival were(75.5±3.1)months. The overall survival of 38 patients with cholecystectomy plus lymphadenectomy were(62.7±2.6) months, and 26 patients with radical cholecystectomy were (82.2±3.7)months. The overall survival of patients with radical cholecystectomy were more than cholecystectomy plus lymphadenectomy(P<0.05). Conclusions: The T1b stage gallbladder carcinoma patients with cholecystectomy plus lymphadenectomy or radical cholecystectomy has improved the prognosis comparing with simple cholecystectomy, significantly. When lymph node metastasis occurs, radical cholecystectomy has improved the prognosis comparing with cholecystectomy plus lymphadenectomy.

[Current status of laparoscopic techniques in the surgical treatment of biliary carcinoma]

Biliary carcinoma includes intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, hilar cholangiocarcinoma, distal cholangiocarcinoma, and gallbladder cancer. There are few studies about laparoscopic treatment for biliary malignancy due to the complicated dissection of porta hepatic structure, and even reconstruction of biliary tract and(or) vessel under laparoscopy, which increases the difficulty of the laparoscopic radical resection of biliary malignancy. To promote the standardized application and development of laparoscopic techniques in operation of biliary malignancy, the safety and effectiveness of laparoscopic techniques are explained in this paper.

Abstract GS2-02: Direct regulation of estrogen receptor-α (ER) transcriptional activity by NF1

Inactivating germline mutations in the NF1 gene (encoding neurofibromin) cause neurofibromatosis type 1. In addition to peripheral nervous system tumors, NF1 patients are at higher risk for other cancers, including breast cancer. Tumor exome-sequencing studies demonstrate that approximately 20% of all human cancers have somatic NF1 mutations. NF1 has been best known for its ability to inactivate Ras as a GAP (GTPase Activating Protein). However, this function is served by a small GAP domain in a very large protein. Recurrent missense mutations inactivating the GAP activity are infrequent. In contrast, it is common to detect frameshift (FS) and nonsense (NS) NF1 mutations, which can create an NF1-null state deleting not only GAP, but also, potentially, undefined NF1 functions whose loss could also drive tumorigenesis.

As we reported at SABCS previously, in 600+ patients treated by tamoxifen adjuvant monotherapy, we found that FS/NS NF1 mutations independently correlate with relapse risk (HR=2.6, p=0.03). To explore this finding, we silenced NF1 in preclinical models of ER+ breast cancer, which markedly enhanced ER transcriptional activities, causing estradiol (E2) hypersensitivity and converted tamoxifen into an agonist (in vitro and in vivo). Most important, these activities depend on ER, but not on NF1's GAP activity. These findings readily explain the poor patient outcomes associated with NS/FS NF1 mutations, and reveal a previously unrecognized function for NF1 in ER regulation.

In the presence of an agonist, liganded ER repels co-repressors and recruits co-activators, while the reverse is true with an antagonist such as tamoxifen. Many co-regulators contain leucine/isoleucine rich motifs, which bind directly to the ligand-binding domain (LBD) in ER. NF1 has several of these motifs that are much more highly conserved in species with a functional ER pathway, and some of these are mutated in cancers (e.g., in our patient cohort). Furthermore, we found that NF1 canbind directly to ER, and that this binding is mediated between the ER LBD and the NF1 leucine-rich regions. Like a classic co-repressor, wildtype NF1 (but not mutants lacking GAP activity or the Leu-rich motif) binds to ER, and is recruited by ER to the ERE in the presence of tamoxifen, but not E2.

Further preclinical treatment studies indicate that while NF1-deficient ER+ breast cancer should not be treated by tamoxifen or AIs, fulvestrant remains effective. Furthermore, when fulvestrant is combined with dabrafinib and trametinib to inhibit Ras effectors Raf and MEK, apoptosis is induced in vitro, and tumor regression is observed in vivo. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that NF1 is a dual negative regulator at the intersection of two potent oncogenic signaling pathways, Ras and ER, and that NF1-deficient ER+ breast cancer patients may be more effectively treated by co-targeting the Ras and ER signaling. These patients, up to 10% of those with advanced ER+ breast cancer, can be readily identified for treatment by ctDNA analysis. A clinical trial is under development.

Citation Format: Chang EC, Zheng Z, Philip L, Burcu C, Lei J, Singh P, Anurag M, Chan D, Li JD, Du XP, Shafaee MN, Banks K, Sacker S, Song W, Nguyen T, Cao J, Chen X, Haricharan S, Kavuri M, Kim B-J, Zhang B, Gutmann DH, Lanman RB, Foulds C, Ellis M. Direct regulation of estrogen receptor-α (ER) transcriptional activity by NF1 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr GS2-02.

Synthesis and characterization of magnetic mesoporous Fe3O4@mSiO2–DODGA nanoparticles for adsorption of 16 rare earth elements

The high selectivity magnetic mesoporous Fe₃O₄@mSiO₂–DODGA nanomaterials were prepared for adsorption of 16 rare earth elements.

Operation of Lanzhou all permanent electron cyclotron resonance ion source No. 2 on 320 kV platform with highly charged ions

The 320 kV platform for multi-discipline research with highly charged ions is a heavy ion beam acceleration instrument developed by Institute of Modern Physics, which is dedicated to basic scientific researches such as plasma, atom, material physics, and astrophysics, etc. The platform has delivered ion beams of 400 species for 36,000 h. The average operation time is around 5000 h/year. With the beams provided by the platform, lots of outstanding progresses were made in various research fields. The ion source of the platform is an all-permanent magnet electron cyclotron resonance ion source, LAPECR2 (Lanzhou All Permanent ECR ion source No. 2). The maximum axial magnetic fields are 1.28 T at injection and 1.07 T at extraction, and the radial magnetic field is up to 1.21 T at the inner wall of the plasma chamber. The ion source is capable to produce low, medium, and high charge state gaseous and metallic ion beams, such as H(+), (40)Ar(8+), (129)Xe(30+), (209)Bi(33+), etc. This paper will present the latest result of LAPECR2 and the routine operation status for the high voltage platform.

Anaemia and prognosis in acute coronary syndromes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

This meta-analysis was conducted to summarize the association between anaemia and outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS).

METHODS

MEDLINE®, Cochrane Library, OVID and EMBASE databases were searched to identify studies that examined the effect of anaemia on mortality or other adverse events (heart failure, cardiogenic shock or major bleeding).

RESULTS

Nineteen studies met the final inclusion criteria (total number of patients 241 293). The risks of shortterm mortality (odds ratio [OR] 2.77; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.09, 3.65), long-term mortality (OR 2.03; 95% CI 1.52, 2.71), heart failure (OR 1.96; 95% CI 1.47, 2.62), cardiogenic shock (OR 1.95; 95% CI 1.04, 2.64) and major bleeding (OR 4.28; 95% CI 1.05, 17.14) were increased in patients with anaemia, compared with patients without anaemia. Anaemia was also associated with a higher risk of mortality (adjusted hazard ratio 1.49, 95% CI 1.24, 1.79).

CONCLUSIONS

These study findings suggest that anaemia can be used to identify patients with ACS who are at a high risk of death or adverse events, and it may become a promising risk stratification factor in ACS.

Potential protective effect of nuclear factor-κB decoy oligodeoxynucleotides on endotoxin-induced liver injury

PURPOSE

We sought to study the protective effects of nuclear factor-κB decoy oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) on endotoxin-induced liver injury in a rat model.

METHODS

Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a control (n=20), a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (n=20), and an NF-κB decoy ODN group (n=20). Liver and blood serum samples were collected at 24 hours after the operation. NF-κB binding activity was detected by an electrophoretic mobility shift assay, liver histopathology, by light microscopy; and cell apoptosis, by a terminal-deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end-labeling assay. The serum of liver enzyme (aspartate transaminase [AST]) levels were measured using an automated biochemical analyzer and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.

RESULTS

NF-κB was dramatically activated after endotoxin-induced liver injury. Many hepatocytes underwent degeneration and necrosis in the LPS group. The expressions of AST, TNF-α, and IL-6 were significantly increased compared with the control group (P=.0005), However, NF-κB decoy ODNs altered these undesirable changes. On the other hand, IL-6 expression was not significantly decreased by the NF-κB decoy versus the LPS group (P=.0745).

CONCLUSIONS

NF-κB decoy strategy inhibited the binding activity of NF-κB, thus suppressing production of downstream cytokines which play crucial roles in protection from endotoxin-induced injury.

Differential gene expression profiling of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma by DNA microarray and bioinformatics analysis

Differential gene expression profiling was carried out on primary tumour tissues and adjacent non-neoplastic tissues from patients with oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). RNA extracted from ESCC tissues and matched normal oesophageal epithelium of four ESCC patients was analysed using whole-genome microarrays. Bioinformatics analysis was also carried out to ascertain which genes and pathways may be important in the carcinogenesis of ESCC. A total of 570 genes were identified that differed significantly in expression: 303 genes were up-regulated and 267 genes were down-regulated in ESCC tissues compared with normal oesophageal epithelium. Gene ontology analysis showed that the primary molecular functions of these genes were related to the extracellular region, collagen and endopeptidase inhibitor activity. Pathway analysis revealed seven pathways or networks highly associated with the differential expression profile. Gene set analysis showed that the POD1_KO_UP gene set was significantly enriched, containing 15 matching genes. Thus, a large number of genes are involved in the carcinogenesis of ESCC and participate in various cell processes and pathways.

Suppression of nuclear factor-kappaB activity in Kupffer cells protects rat liver graft from ischemia-reperfusion injury

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to investigate the protective effect and mechanisms of nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB decoy oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) on rat liver grafts following ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI).

METHODS

Animals were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 8): control ischemia-reperfusion (IR) and decoy ODN groups; in the last cohort donor grafts were transfected with 120 microg NF-kappaB decoy ODN before procurement. Following 2 hours of reperfusion, NF-kappaB binding activity was detected in isolated Kupffer cells (KCs) using electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA). Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interleukin (IL)-6 messenger RNA (mRNA) expressions were analyzed using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) methods. Liver tissue and blood serum were collected for histopathologic examination and liver function test, respectively.

RESULTS

The NF-kappaB binding activity, TNF-alpha and IL-6 mRNA expression as well as serum ALT and total bilirubin levels were significantly increased compared with the control group following reperfusion (P < .01). A large number of hepatocytes showed degeneration and necrosis. However, these indices were significantly ameliorated among the decoy ODN group (P < .01) with preserved hepatic lobule architecture.

CONCLUSION

KCs NF-kappaB activation following reperfusion plays an important role in IRI after liver transplantation. The decoy strategy showed an apparent effect to suppress NF-kappaB activation and inhibit production of downstream cytokines, thereby protecting liver grafts from IRI.

Aromatase inhibitors in ovarian cancer: is there a role?

Estrogen plays a role in ovarian tumorigenesis. Aromatase is the enzyme required for the synthesis of estrogen via conversion of androgen to estrogen, which is the major source of estrogen in postmenopausal women. Aromatase is present in normal ovaries and other tissues (e.g., fat and muscle) as well as in 33-81% tumor tissues of ovarian cancer. Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) block estrogen synthesis by inhibiting aromatase activity. In patients with recurrent ovarian cancer, single-agent AI therapy has been shown to elicit clinical response rates of up to 35.7% and stable disease rates of 20-42%. Given the limited treatment options for recurrent ovarian cancer and the favorable safety profile and convenient use, AI is a rational option for prolonging platinum-free interval in recurrent ovarian cancer. Further studies are required to determine the efficacy of combination treatment with AIs and biological agents, determine the benefit of AIs for treating special types of ovarian cancer (e.g., endometrioid type), and identify biomarkers for targeted patient selection. This review summarizes the current epidemiologic, preclinical, and clinical data regarding estrogen's role in ovarian cancer, the expression and regulation of aromatase in this disease, the development and characteristics of the three generations of AIs, and the preclinical and clinical studies of AIs in the treatment of ovarian cancer.

Ethanol-induced mitogen activated protein kinase activity mediated through protein kinase C

The aim of this study was to determine the pathway(s) by which ethanol activates mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling and to determine the role of Ca2+ in the signaling process. MAPK signaling was determined by assessing MAPK activity, measuring phosphorylated extracellular signaling-regulated kinase (pp 44 ERK-1 and pp 42 ERK-2) expression and ERK activity by measuring ERK-2-dependent phosphorylation of a synthetic peptide as a MAPK substrate in rat vascular smooth muscle cells. Ethanol activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase expression (ERK 1 and 2) could be observed when vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were stimulated for 5 min or less, but was inhibited when cells are treated for 10 min or more with 1-16 mM of ethanol. Maximum ethanol-induced MAPK activity was observed within 5 min with 4 or 8 mM. Ethanol stimulated MAPK activity was blocked by the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor (GF109203X) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor antagonist (PD153035) by 41 +/- 24 and 34 +/- 12.3%, respectively. The calcium channel blocker, diltiazem and the chelating agent, BAPTA, reduced the activation of MAPK activity by ethanol, significantly. The data demonstrate that ethanol-stimulated MAPK expression is mediated partially through both the EGF-receptor and PKC intermediates and that activation through the PKC intermediate is calcium-dependent.

Capillary electrophoresis-electrospray mass spectrometry for the characterization of high-mannose-type N-glycosylation and differential oxidation in glycoproteins by charge reversal and protease/glycosidase digestion

The characterization of high-mannose-type N-glycosylation by capillary electrophoresis-electrospray mass spectrometry (CE-ESI MS) was described. In addition to the use of a cationic noncovalent capillary coating, strong acidic buffer, and charge reversal to increase the glycoform resolving power, N-glycosidase F (PNGase F) combined with a basic protease and alpha-mannosidase combined with an acidic protease were used to analyze the high-mannose-type N-glycosylation in ribonuclease B (RNase B) and in a novel C-type lectin from the venom of Trimeresurus stejnegeri (TSL). The structures of oligosaccharide, glycosylation sites, and glycoform distributions were determined simultaneously, and the differential oxidation of Met residues in glycopeptides obtained from TSL protease digestion was also characterized successfully by CE-MS/MS. The results showed that the oligosaccharide attached to RNase B has a structure of GlcNAc2Man5 approximately 9, and that attached to TSL has a structure of GlcNAc2Min5 approximately 8. The glycoform distributions in these glycoproteins are quite different, with the GlcNAc2Man5 type predominant in RNase B, and the GlcNAc2Man8 type, in TSL This method may be useful not only for the characterization of glycosylation sites and glycan structures, but also for the determination of the relative abundance of individual glycoforms.

[System study of endangerment medicinal animals in China]

OBJECTIVE

Establishing system study of endangerment medicinal animals is essential for the protection of certain species of medicinal wild fauna.

METHOD

It was analyzed and summed up according to the study and protection actuality of endangerment medicinal animal in recent years.

RESULT AND CONCLUSION

It was essential to research endangerment medicinal animals for realizing modernization, industrialization, internationalization and stabilization development of Chinese Materia Medica.

Activation of NF-kappa B by nontypeable Hemophilus influenzae is mediated by toll-like receptor 2-TAK1-dependent NIK-IKK alpha /beta-I kappa B alpha and MKK3/6-p38 MAP kinase signaling pathways in epithelial cells

Nontypeable Hemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is an important human pathogen in both children and adults. In children, it causes otitis media, the most common childhood infection and the leading cause of conductive hearing loss in the United States. In adults, it causes lower respiratory tract infections in the setting of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. The molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of NTHi-induced infections remain undefined, but they may involve activation of NF-kappa B, a transcriptional activator of multiple host defense genes involved in immune and inflammatory responses. Here, we show that NTHi strongly activates NF-kappa B in human epithelial cells via two distinct signaling pathways, NF-kappa B translocation-dependent and -independent pathways. The NF-kappa B translocation-dependent pathway involves activation of NF-kappa B inducing kinase (NIK)--IKK alpha/beta complex leading to I kappa B alpha phosphorylation and degradation, whereas the NF-kappa B translocation-independent pathway involves activation of MKK3/6--p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway. Bifurcation of NTHi-induced NIK-IKK alpha/beta-I kappa B alpha and MKK3/6--p38 MAP kinase pathways may occur at transforming growth factor-beta activated kinase 1 (TAK1). Furthermore, we show that toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) is required for NTHi-induced NF-kappa B activation. In addition, several key inflammatory mediators including IL-1 beta, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha are up-regulated by NTHi. Finally, P6, a 16-kDa lipoprotein highly conserved in the outer membrane of all NTHi and H. influenzae type b strains, appears to also activate NF-kappa B via similar signaling pathways. Taken together, our results demonstrate that NTHi activates NF-kappa B via TLR2-TAK1-dependent NIK--IKK alpha/beta-I kappa B alpha and MKK3/6--p38 MAP kinase signaling pathways. These studies may bring new insights into molecular pathogenesis of NTHi-induced infections and open up new therapeutic targets for these diseases.

[Effects of heat stress on DA mediated PI signal transduction system in rat striatum]

Objective. To study the effects of heat stress on dopamine (DA) and related phosphatidylinositol (PI) signal transduction system members: PLA2, PI, Ca2+ in rat striatum. Method. Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group and heat stressed group. Heat stressed rats were placed in small hot chambers and taken out as soon as their rectal temperatures (Tr) reached the preset temperature. Then the animals were killed and their striatums were taken out. Fluorospectrophotometry, HPLC, Fura-2/AM fluoresence labelled method and acidalkaline titration were used to measure the content of DA, PI, [Ca2+]i and the enzyme activity of PLA2. Result. During heat stress, when rats' Tr reached 41.0 degrees C or higher, with increase of Tr, DA content increased continuously. When Tr = 43.0 degrees C, DA content was significantly higher than control. When Tr = 41.0 degrees C PLA2 activity was higher than control significantly, PI content of heat stressed group decreased significantly than control. [Ca2+]i increased significantly when Tr = 42.0 degrees C as compared with control. But if DA receptor2 (D2R) antagonist was given an hour before heat stress, [Ca2+]i decreased and Tr took a longer time to get to 42.0 degrees C. Conclusion. During heat stress, DA mediated PI signal transduction system was activated. The increase of [Ca 2+]i might be mediated by D2R, and D2R antagonist may improve thermotolerance.

Cell biology of tubotympanum in relation to pathogenesis of otitis media - a review

The sterility of the eustachian tube and tympanic cavity of normal individuals is maintained not only by the adaptive immune system, but also by the mucociliary system and the antimicrobial molecules of innate immunity. Mucin production and periciliary fluid homeostasis are essential for normal mucociliary function and dysfunction of this system is an important risk factor for otitis media. The secreted antimicrobial molecules of the tubotympanum include lysozyme, lactoferrin, beta defensins, and the surfactant proteins A and D (SP-A, SP-D). Defects in the expression or regulation of these molecules may also be the major risk factor for otitis media.