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Solute carrier family 27 member 5, a key enzyme in fatty acid transport and bile acid metabolism in the liver, is frequently expressed in low quantities in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, resulting in poor prognosis. However, it is unclear whether SLC27A5 plays non‐canonical functions and regulates HCC progression. Here, an unexpected non‐canonical role of SLC27A5 is reported: regulating the alternative splicing of mRNA to inhibit the metastasis of HCC independently of its metabolic enzyme activity. Mechanistically, SLC27A5 interacts with IGF2BP3 to prevent its translocation into the nucleus, thereby inhibiting its binding to target mRNA and modulating PIP4K2A pre‐mRNA splicing. Loss of SLC27A5 results in elevated levels of the PIP4K2A‐S isoform, thus positively regulating phosphoinositide 3‐kinase signaling via enhanced p85 stability in HCC. SLC27A5 restoration by AAV‐Slc27a5 or IGF2BP3 RNA decoy oligonucleotides exerts an inhibitory effect on HCC metastasis with reduced expression of the PIP4K2A‐S isoform. Therefore, PIP4K2A‐S may be a novel target for treating HCC with SLC27A5 deficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aims to construct an artificial intelligence (AI) model capable of effectively discriminating between abdominal Henoch‐Schönlein purpura (AHSP) and acute appendicitis (AA) in pediatric patients. Methods: A total of 6965 participants, comprising 2201 individuals with AHSP and 4764 patients with AA, were enrolled in the study. Additionally, 53 laboratory indicators were taken into consideration. Five distinct artificial intelligence (AI) models were developed employing machine learning algorithms, namely XGBoost, AdaBoost, Gaussian Naïve Bayes (GNB), MLPClassifier (MLP), and support vector machine (SVM). The performance of these prediction models was assessed through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, calibration curve assessment, and decision curve analysis (DCA). Results: We identified 32 discriminative indicators (p <.05) between AHSP and AA. Five indicators, namely the lymphocyte ratio (LYMPH ratio), eosinophil ratio (EO ratio), eosinophil count (EO count), neutrophil ratio (NEUT ratio), and C‐reactive protein (CRP), exhibited strong performance in distinguishing AHSP from AA (AUC ≥ 0.80). Among the various prediction models, the XGBoost model displayed superior performance evidenced by the highest AUC (XGBoost = 0.895, other models < 0.89), accuracy (XGBoost = 0.824, other models < 0.81), and Kappa value (XGBoost = 0.621, other models < 0.60) in the validation set. After optimization, the XGBoost model demonstrated remarkable diagnostic performance for AHSP and AA (AUC > 0.95). Both the calibration curve and decision curve analysis suggested the promising clinical utility and net benefits of the XGBoost model. Conclusion: The AI‐based machine learning model exhibits high prediction accuracy and can differentiate AHSP and AA from a data‐driven perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant-bacteria is a serious public health threat, which prompts us to speed up the discovery of novel antibacterial agents. Phage display technology has great potential to screen peptides or antibodies with high binding capacities for a wide range of targets. This property is significant in the rapid search for new antibacterial agents for the control of bacterial resistance. In this paper, we not only summarized the recent progress of phage display for the discovery of novel therapeutic agents, identification of action sites of bacterial target proteins, and rapid detection of different pathogens, but also discussed several problems of this technology that must be solved. Breakthrough in these problems may further promote the development and application of phage display technology in the biomedical field in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the effects of sulfate drying and wetting cycles on the bond performance between fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) and clay brick, a test was performed in this study by simulating the sulfate environment through the cyclic accelerated sulfate drying and wetting cycles. Results showed that the failure mode of the carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) and clay brick interface was greatly affected by the sulfate wetting and drying cycles. Furthermore, the interfacial bonding properties (including ultimate bearing capacity and peak shear stress) increased slightly at the beginning and then showed a rapid decline. Based on the experiment and the existing interface theory, a bond–slip model that considers the cycle times is proposed. After comparing the predicted data with the experimental data, the results showed that the model can well reflect the degradation law of the interface bonding performance under the actions of sulfate drying and wetting cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To obtain the price return and price volatility spillovers between renewable energy stocks, technology stocks, oil futures and carbon allowances under different investment horizons, this paper employs a frequency-dependent method to study the dynamic connectedness between these assets in four frequency bands. The results show that, first, there is a strong spillover effect between these assets from a system-wide perspective, and it's mainly driven by short-term spillovers. Second, in the time domain, technology stocks have a more significant impact on renewable energy stocks compared to crude oil. However, through the study in the frequency domain, we find renewable energy stocks exhibit a more complex relationship with the other two assets at different time scales. Third, renewable energy stocks have significant spillover effect on carbon prices only in the short term. On longer time scales, other factors such as energy prices, climate and policy may have a greater impact on carbon allowance prices. Fourth, the spillover effect of the system is time-varying and frequency-varying. During the European debt crisis, the international oil price decline and the COVID-19 pandemic, the total spillover index of the system has experienced a substantial increase, mainly driven by medium, medium to long or long term spillovers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The effect of sacubitril-valsartan in heart failure patients with mid-range (HFmEF) and preserved (HFpEF) ejection fractions remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the clinical benefits of sacubitril-valsartan in HFmEF and HFpEF patients.Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure were searched from inception to 29 February 2020 to identify pertinent articles. Studies meeting the inclusion criteria were included and analysed.Results: Six (6) studies, with a total of 5,503 patients, were included. Compared with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers, sacubitril-valsartan significantly reduced the rate of HF hospitalisation (risk ratios, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.77-0.91; p<0.001) and improved the New York Heart Association class (risk ratios, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.10-1.43; p=0.001) in HFmEF and HFpEF patients. Both the cardiovascular mortality and all-cause mortality were not significantly decreased by sacubitril-valsartan. In addition, there were no significant between-group differences in the N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and left ventricular ejection fraction changes. Regarding safety, sacubitril-valsartan was likely to increase the risk of hypotension, but the incidence of serum creatinine elevation was significantly lower in the sacubitril-valsartan group than in the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers group.Conclusions: This meta-analysis suggests that sacubitril-valsartan may be an effective and safe strategy with which to improve the clinical symptoms and reduce HF hospitalisation in HFmEF and HFpEF patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The Glasgow Prognostic Score or modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS/mGPS), a novel inflammatory indicator, which acts as a prognostic predictor in various cancers. However, these results are still controversial. In this meta-analysis, we aimed to investigate the prognostic role of GPS/mGPS in patients with gynecologic cancers.Methods: We explored eligible studies by searching the databases PubMed, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Web of Science. The hazard ratio (HR) and odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were extracted to investigate the correlation between GPS/mGPS and overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Additionally, we performed subgroup analyses to detect the potential heterogeneity in our study.Results: 11 studies involving 2830 patients were enrolled in this meta-analysis. The results revealed that a high GPS was significantly related to a shorter OS (pooled HR = 1.94; 95% CI = 1.54-2.43; P < 0.001) and PFS (pooled HR = 1.92; 95% CI = 1.56-2.35; P < 0.001) in patients with gynecologic cancers. Moreover, mGPS also predicted poor OS (pooled HR = 1.67; 95% CI = 1.41-1.96; P < 0.001) and PFS (pooled HR = 1.73; 95% CI = 1.47-2.04; P < 0.001) in gynecologic cancers patients.Conclusion: A higher GPS/mGPS is correlated with poor survival outcomes in patients with gynecologic cancers. Pretreatment GPS/mGPS is a valid prognostic predictor in gynecologic cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy storage devices operating at low temperatures are plagued by sluggish kinetics, reduced capacity, and notorious dendritic growth. Herein, novel potassium dual‐ion batteries (PDIBs) capable of superior performance at −60 °C, and fabricated by combining MXenes and polytriphenylamine (PTPAn) as the anode and cathode, respectively, are presented. Additionally, the reason for the anomalous kinetics of K+ (faster at low temperature than at room temperature) on the Ti3C2 anode is investigated. Theoretical calculations, crossover experiments, and in situ XRD at room and low temperatures revealed that K+ tends to bind with solvent molecules rather than anions at subzero temperatures, which not only inhibits the participation of PF6− in the formation of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), but also guarantees co‐intercalation behavior and suppresses undesirable K+ storage. The advantageous properties at low temperatures endow the Ti3C2 anode with fast K+ kinetics to unlock the outstanding performance of PDIB at ultralow temperatures. The PDIBs exhibit superior rate capability and high capacity retention at −40 °C and −60 °C. Impressively, after charging‐discharging for 20,000 cycles at −60 °C, the PDIB retained 86.7 % of its initial capacity. This study reveals the influence of temperatures on MXenes and offers a unique design for dual‐ion batteries operating at ultralow temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy storage devices operating at low temperatures are plagued by sluggish kinetics, reduced capacity, and notorious dendritic growth. Herein, novel potassium dual‐ion batteries (PDIBs) capable of superior performance at −60 °C, and fabricated by combining MXenes and polytriphenylamine (PTPAn) as the anode and cathode, respectively, are presented. Additionally, the reason for the anomalous kinetics of K+ (faster at low temperature than at room temperature) on the Ti3C2 anode is investigated. Theoretical calculations, crossover experiments, and in situ XRD at room and low temperatures revealed that K+ tends to bind with solvent molecules rather than anions at subzero temperatures, which not only inhibits the participation of PF6− in the formation of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), but also guarantees co‐intercalation behavior and suppresses undesirable K+ storage. The advantageous properties at low temperatures endow the Ti3C2 anode with fast K+ kinetics to unlock the outstanding performance of PDIB at ultralow temperatures. The PDIBs exhibit superior rate capability and high capacity retention at −40 °C and −60 °C. Impressively, after charging‐discharging for 20,000 cycles at −60 °C, the PDIB retained 86.7 % of its initial capacity. This study reveals the influence of temperatures on MXenes and offers a unique design for dual‐ion batteries operating at ultralow temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) is an important opportunistic pathogen causing serious nosocomial infections, which is considered as the most threatening Gram-negative bacteria (GNB). Outer membrane protein A (OmpA), a major component of outer membrane proteins (OMPs) in GNB, is a key virulence factor which mediates bacterial biofilm formation, eukaryotic cell infection, antibiotic resistance and immunomodulation. The characteristics of OmpA in Escherichia coli (E. coli) have been extensively studied since 1974, but only in recent years researchers started to clarify the functions of OmpA in A. baumannii. In this review, we summarized the structure and functions of OmpA in A. baumannii (AbOmpA), collected novel therapeutic strategies against it for treating A. baumannii infection, and emphasized the feasibility of using AbOmpA as a potential therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (transvaginal NOTES) aims to minimize surgical trauma and reduce recovery time. Clinical trials comparing transvaginal NOTES and traditional laparoscopy were identified by searching EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Web of Science (from 2004 to March 2018). Major outcomes evaluated were risk of postoperative complications and secondary outcomes were pain on postoperative day (POD) 1, POD2, and POD3, time needed for full recovery, risk of intraoperative complications, the duration of surgery, and hospital stay. The results of the meta-analysis are presented as standardized mean difference (SMD) and risk difference (RD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Thirteen trials with 1340 patients were identified. There were no statistical differences for risk of complications between transvaginal NOTES and traditional laparoscopy (intraoperative complications: RD −0.01, 95% CI −0.03 to 0.01; P = 0.37; postoperative complication: RD −0.02, 95% CI −0.05 to 0.01; P = 0.148). The pain score was lower in transvaginal NOTES on POD1 (SMD: −0.71, 95% CI: −1.30 to −0.11, P = 0.019), on POD2 (SMD −0.41, 95% CI −0.75 to −0.07; P = 0.018), and on POD3 (SMD −0.43, 95% CI −0.63 to −0.23; P < 0.001). Patients in transvaginal NOTES needed much shorter time to fully recover after surgery (SMD −1.36, 95% CI −1.84 to −0.87; P < 0.001). In addition, patients underwent transvaginal NOTES had less pain and shorter time of recovery. It is recommended that patients have cholecystectomy, adnexectomy, and appendectomy using transvaginal NOTES as it is safe and minimally invasive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary renal synovial sarcoma (PRSS) is an uncommon malignancy with diagnostic challenges and poor prognosis. Research on PRSS is limited, primarily based on case reports, leading to a lack of widely recognized effective treatment options. This article reports a case of primary renal synovial sarcoma diagnosed using a novel fusion gene with a fusion site involving the SS18 and SSX2 exons. A 34-year-old male, presented with intermittent right upper abdominal pain. Abdominal CT revealed an isolated mass in the upper pole of the right kidney, which was initially diagnosed as renal cell carcinoma. The patient underwent radical right nephrectomy, and postoperative histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of synovial sarcoma, and immunohistochemistry supported the diagnosis. Further detection through RT-PCR and DNA sequencing confirmed the presence of the SS18-SSX2 fusion gene. Despite the recommendation for adjuvant therapy, the patient refused chemotherapy and other treatments and succumbed to systemic metastasis. This case highlights the diagnostic challenges and aggressive nature of PRSS. The novel fusion gene with the fusion sites SS18: exon9 and SSX2: exon5 has important implications for the diagnosis of primary synovial sarcoma of the kidney. Further research is warranted to explore novel therapeutic strategies and improve patient outcomes in PRSS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective The study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Methods A total of 553 EOC patients were retrospectively analyzed. 250 patients from West China Second University Hospital were assigned into the discovery cohort and 283 patients from The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University were assigned into the validation cohort. The correlation between SII and survival were analyzed using Cox regression analyses and Kaplan-Meier method. Prediction accuracy was evaluated with the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve. Results The high SII (≥612) was correlated with advanced FIGO stage, lymph node metastasis, and tumor recurrence. In univariate Cox regression, patients with high SII (≥612) had a significantly shorter progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared to low SII patients (<612) in both cohorts. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, SII was an independent prognostic indicator for PFS (HR = 7.61, 95% CI 3.34–17.35, P < 0.001) and OS (HR = 6.36, 95% CI 2.64–15.33, P < 0.001) in the discovery cohort. These results were verified in the validation cohort. Conclusion High SII was correlated with poor survival in patients with EOC. The SII was an independent prognostic factor for patients with EOC. Highlights • SII is associated with stage, lymph node metastasis, and residual disease in EOC. • SII was correlated with decreased survival in patients with EOC. • The SII was an independent prognostic factor for patients with EOC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several previous studies have confirmed that thrombocytosis was related to reduced survival in many solid tumors. However, the prognostic significance of thrombocytosis in endometrial carcinoma (EC) was still controversy. Therefore, we conducted this study to assess the prognostic value of thrombocytosis in EC.Methods: The database including PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science was searched to explore available literature. Above all, the hazard ratio (HR), odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was used to investigate the correlation between thrombocytosis and overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Moreover, the association between thrombocytosis and patient clinicopathological characteristics was explored. Publication bias and sensitivity analysis also were conducted in this study.Results: Overall, 11 studies involving 3439 patients were contained in this study. The results revealed that pretreatment thrombocytosis was significantly related to a decreased OS (pooled HR = 2.99; 95% CI = 2.35-3.8; P < 0.001) and DFS (pooled HR = 2.86; 95% CI = 2.27-3.6; P <  0.001) in patients with EC. Moreover, thrombocytosis was correlated with adverse clinicopathological parameters.Conclusions: Pretreatment thrombocytosis is an adverse prognostic marker in patients with EC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The effect of preoperative statin treatment (PST) on the risk of postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) after cardiac surgery remains controversial. We performed a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCT) to investigate whether PST could improve the renal outcomes in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search on PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Randomised controlled trials which reported incidence of AKI and renal replacement treatment (RRT), mean change of serum creatine (SCr) and C-reactive protein (CRP), length of stay in intensive care unit (LOS-ICU) and hospital (LOS-HOS) were included.Results: A total of nine RCTs, covering 3,201 patients were included. Based on the results of our meta-analysis, PST could not reduce the incidence of AKI (risk ratio (RR) 1.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.97 to 1.29, p=0.37), and RRT (RR 1.13, 95% CI 0.45 to 2.85, p=0.80). Furthermore, SCr was not likely to be improved by PST (weighted mean difference (WMD) 0.03, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.06, p=0.055). However, the level of CRP (WMD -5.93, 95% CI 11.71 to 0.15, p=0.044) in patients treated with PST was significantly lower than that of patients administered with placebo. In addition, no significant difference was observed in LOS-ICU and LOS-HOS between PST and control groups.Conclusion: Our meta-analysis suggests that PST cannot provide any benefit for improving renal complications and clinical outcomes, but may slightly reduce postoperative inflammation in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. In the future, more powerful RCTs will be needed to confirm these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on an analysis of 9 solar cell enterprises from 2008 to 2014, this paper examined the Chinese solar cell industry's market structure and performance. The empirical results reveal that China's photovoltaic (PV) cell market supports the X-efficiency structure hypothesis and that enterprises with higher levels of production technology and management earn higher profits. However, market concentration, market share, and scale efficiency are not significantly related to corporate performance. In addition, reasonable and effective control of the debt-to-assets ratio of such enterprises is conducive to revenue improvement. Based on these conclusions, this paper offers suggestions on how to improve the performance of the PV cell industry from the perspectives of enterprise and government. The research results have substantial significance for the promotion of enterprise reform and the optimization of industrial resource allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel cauliflower-like CoNi microstructures assembled by many thick petals were synthesized via a solvothermal process at 120 °C with the assistance of citric acid as complex agent. The obtained samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) techniques. It was found that the amount of reducing agent and solvothermal reaction time played important roles in the formation of cauliflower-like CoNi alloy assemblies. Magnetic hysteresis measurement at room temperature revealed that CoNi cauliflowers exhibited a ferromagnetic property with a coercivity of 178.3 Oe, which was much higher than those of CoNi micro/nanostructures reported in recent literatures. Our work may shed light on the design and preparation of other nanomaterials with similar complex morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CoNi alloy nanoparticles were prepared via a solvothermal method, and ethanol and water mixed solution was used as solvent. No surfactant or template was employed during the entirely synthetic procedure. The dependences of product size and shape on the temperature and volume ratio of ethanol to water were investigated in details. As the volume ratio of ethanol to water decreased, the shape of CoNi alloy changes from particle to platelets. The obtained samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, and VSM techniques. Magnetic measurement at room temperature showed that the CoNi nanoparticles possessed ferromagnetic behavior, and these CoNi nanoparticles could be used in magnetic media, sensors, and other devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Recently, emotion classification from EEG data has attracted much attention with the rapid development of dry electrode techniques, machine learning algorithms, and various real-world applications of brain–computer interface for normal people. Until now, however, researchers had little understanding of the details of relationship between different emotional states and various EEG features. To improve the accuracy of EEG-based emotion classification and visualize the changes of emotional states with time, this paper systematically compares three kinds of existing EEG features for emotion classification, introduces an efficient feature smoothing method for removing the noise unrelated to emotion task, and proposes a simple approach to tracking the trajectory of emotion changes with manifold learning. To examine the effectiveness of these methods introduced in this paper, we design a movie induction experiment that spontaneously leads subjects to real emotional states and collect an EEG data set of six subjects. From experimental results on our EEG data set, we found that (a) power spectrum feature is superior to other two kinds of features; (b) a linear dynamic system based feature smoothing method can significantly improve emotion classification accuracy; and (c) the trajectory of emotion changes can be visualized by reducing subject-independent features with manifold learning. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Cobalt hollow microspheres were prepared by a surfactant-assisted solvothermal method in water and ethanol mixed solution. The outer diameter ranged from 1.5 to 2μm, and the shell with average thickness of about 250nm was constructed by smaller cobalt nanoparticles. The surfactant polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) was found to play an important role in the formation of such novel morphology. Room temperature magnetic measurement of the hollow microspheres demonstrated its enhanced ferromagnetic property with a coercivity of 202Oe. The possible formation mechanism was also discussed. The result showed a potential application in ferrofluids and other related magnetic devices. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Novel flower-like copper indium diselenide (CuInSe2) microstructure has been successfully prepared via a solvothermal process at 180°C for 36h. Selenium powder, copper (II) chloride, and indium (III) chloride were employed as the starting materials. Ethylenediamine was served as both solvent and reducing reagent, and no surfactant or any template was employed during the entire synthetic process. The CuInSe2 microflowers with size ranging from 25 to 30μm were constructed by many platelet-like petals with thickness of 150nm. The assembled petals with coarse and smooth surface could be obtained with different solvothermal durations, and shape evolution process was proposed on the basis of time-dependent experiments. The band gap was calculated to be 1.04eV according to the UV–vis absorption spectrum. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In 2020, China proposed the goal of achieving carbon emission peaks by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. For China, whose energy consumption structure has long been dominated by fossil energy, carbon trading and new energy are crucial for the realization of the emission target. By establishing a connectedness network model, this paper studies the static and dynamic spillovers between the Hubei carbon trading market, new energy stock market, crude oil market, coal market, and natural gas market in China, and draws the following conclusions: (1) the static spillover index of the carbon–energy–stock system is 3.57% and the dynamic spillover index fluctuates between 7.67% and 22.62%, indicating that the spillover effect of the system is low; (2) for the whole system, whether from a static or dynamic perspective, the carbon market always plays the role of net information receiver, while new energy is the net information transmitter; (3) the new energy stock market and the coal market always act as net information transmitters to the carbon market; and (4) the spillover effect of the system is asymmetric, wherein the system is more sensitive to negative information about price returns, and this asymmetry is much greater when the system is active. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increased electron donating effect on carboxylic acid substituents, the ferromagnetic interaction between the paramagnetic centres was enhanced, whereas the contribution of the antiferromagnetic interaction was reduced. • The calculations at the B3LYP/def2-TZVP level could describe the magnetic properties of the azide copper complex accurately. • Magnetic orbits were mainly composed of orbits 3 d z2 of Cu(1)/Cu(2) and the -type molecular orbital. • With the increased electron donating effect on carboxylic acid substituents, the ferromagnetic interaction between the paramagnetic centres was enhanced, whereas the contribution of the antiferromagnetic interaction was reduced. The magnetic properties of the azide copper complex [Cu 2 (dpyam) 2 (μ 1,1 -N 3) 2 (O 2 CCH 3) 2 were studied using the density functional theory-broken symmetry methodology under different functional methods and basis sets. The magnetic coupling constant between paramagnetic centres was calculated as 36.75 cm−1, which agreed with the experimental value of 31.9 cm−1. Accordingly, the calculations at the B3LYP/def2-TZVP level could describe the magnetic properties of the azide copper complex accurately. To study thoroughly the effect of carboxylic acid auxiliary ligands in azido-Cu(II) systems, acetas were deleted from the auxiliary ligands(1) and replaced by H 2 O-(2), HCOO-(3), CH 3 COO-(4), C 2 H 5 COO-(5), and C 6 H 5 COO-(6), yielding six research models. With the increased electron donating effect on carboxylic acid substituents, the ferromagnetic interaction between the paramagnetic centres was enhanced, whereas the contribution of the antiferromagnetic interaction was reduced. The parameters ρ HS 2 - ρ BS 2 , S ab 2 , and (ε 1 - ε 2) 2 can be extended to other binuclear complexes for the study of magneto-structural correlation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare outcomes and prognosis among women with type I endometrial cancer undergoing hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (H-BSO) with or without systematic pelvic lymphadenectomy (PLD) or para-aortic lymphadenectomy (PALD).Methods: Retrospective review of women postoperatively diagnosed with type I endometrial cancer who underwent H-BSO at a university hospital in Chengdu, China (January 2010 to June 2012). Women were divided into no lymphadenectomy (PLD-/PALD-), systematic pelvic lymphadenectomy (PLD+/PALD-), or combined pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy (PLD+/PALD+) groups. Follow-up was by telephone. Postoperative outcomes and prognosis were compared and risk factors were analyzed.Results: In total, 333 women met the inclusion criteria: 121 underwent PLD+/PALD-, 166 underwent PLD+/PALD+, and 46 underwent PLD-/PALD-. There were no differences in pre-operative characteristics among the groups (all P>0.05). The PLD+/PALD+ group had a higher laparotomy rate (P=0.001), the PLD-/PALD- group had shorter operation time (P=0.001) and lower blood loss (P<0.001). There were no differences between the PLD+/PALD- and PLD+/PALD+ groups. Overall, 291 women had sufficient follow-up data; there was no difference in overall survival, and PALD was not a predictor of survival.Conclusion: Postoperative outcomes were similar among all surgical groups; a survival benefit of PALD was not demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the dysregulation of bile acid (BA) composition has been associated with fibrosis progression, its precise roles in liver fibrosis is poorly understood. This study demonstrates that solute carrier family 27 member 5 (SLC27A5), an enzyme involved in BAs metabolism, is substantially downregulated in the liver tissues of patients with cirrhosis and fibrosis mouse models. The downregulation of SLC27A5 depends on RUNX family transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), which serves as a transcriptional repressor. The findings reveal that experimental SLC27A5 knockout (Slc27a5−/−) mice display spontaneous liver fibrosis after 24 months. The loss of SLC27A5 aggravates liver fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCI4) and thioacetamide (TAA). Mechanistically, SLC27A5 deficiency results in the accumulation of unconjugated BA, particularly cholic acid (CA), in the liver. This accumulation leads to the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) by upregulated expression of early growth response protein 3 (EGR3). The re‐expression of hepatic SLC27A5 by an adeno‐associated virus or the reduction of CA levels in the liver using A4250, an apical sodium‐dependent bile acid transporter (ASBT) inhibitor, ameliorates liver fibrosis in Slc27a5−/− mice. In conclusion, SLC27A5 deficiency in mice drives hepatic fibrosis through CA‐induced activation of HSCs, highlighting its significant implications for liver fibrosis treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to compare the efficacy of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) between early gastric cardiac cancer (EGCC) and early gastric non-cardiac cancer (EGNCC), and investigate associated risk factors for non-curative resection. Early gastric cancer (EGC) patients who underwent ESD from January 2015 to September 2020 in Beijing Friendship Hospital were consecutively enrolled. The clinical, histopathological and endoscopic data were retrospectively analyzed. The study was registered in Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR1800017117). Among 500 patients with 534 EGC lesions, 117 patients with 118 lesions were allocated to the EGCC group, and 383 patients with 416 lesions to the EGNCC group. The rates of en bloc resection, complete resection and curative resection in the EGCC group were 97.5%, 78.8% and 71.2%, respectively, significantly lower than those in the EGNCC group (99.8%, 94.5% and 90.4%, p =.010, <.001 and <.001). Among non-curative resected lesions, EGCC had more cases in both endoscopic curability (eCura) C-1 and C-2 groups than EGNCC (10.2% and 18.6% vs. 2.4% and 7.2%, p <.001). Multivariate analysis showed that tumor size (OR 2.393, 95% CI 1.388–4.126) and submucosal invasion (OR 11.498, 95% CI 3.759–35.175) were risk factors for non-curative resection in the EGCC group. For EGCC larger than 3 cm, none achieved curative resection, 86.7% were classified as eCura C-2 and 46.7% exhibited deep submucosal infiltration. The curative resection rate of ESD for EGCC was lower than that for EGNCC. ESD for EGCC larger than 3 cm should be cautiously considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore the influence of intermediate-conductance-Ca2+-activated K+ channels. (IKCal) on HeLa cell proliferation.Materials and Methods: An IKCal blocking agent (clotrimazole (CLT)) and small hairpin ribonucleic acid interference (RNAi) was used to block IKCal in HeLa cells; subsequently, cell growth was observed. Furthermore, the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression of IKCal was detected by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) after IKCal-blocking.Results: The obvious morphological changes in HeLa cells were observed 48 h after CLT-blocking. The PCR results indicated that CLT reduced the mRNA expression of IKCal in HeLa cells. HeLa cells were transfected with pGenesil via RNAi; the HeLa cells transfected with pGenesil-IK displayed obvious morphological changes 48 h after transfection. In addition, RT-PCR further demonstrated the reduced mRNA expression of IKCal in the pGenesil group.Conclusion: CLT and blocking of IKCal gene expression effectively inhibits HeLa cell proliferation; therefore, the use of a blocking agent and RNAi both effectively downregulated the mRNA expression of IKCal, which in turn mediated the proliferation of HeLa cells, producing an antitumor effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emissions trading scheme (ETS) is one of the effective measures to realize energy conservation and emission reduction. In order to set up a nationwide carbon emissions trading mechanism, seven ETS pilots have been launched in China. Firstly, based on empirical investigation and research of seven pilots, this paper analyzed the market efficiency of ETS pilots from four aspects: carbon price, trading volume, market liquidity, and information transparency. The result showed that the market efficiency of ETS pilots is not satisfactory in spite of the fact that system designs of ETS have achieved preliminary result. Then, the reason for low market efficiency of ETS pilots was discussed from some factors such as institutional arrangements, market participants, the supply and demand, etc. Finally, this paper puts forward some policy suggestions to improve the market efficiency of China׳s carbon trading market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pulmonary infection is a frequent complication among stroke patients and adversely affects clinical outcomes, increases the length of hospitalization stay and costs, and aggravates the financial burden of the national medical health system. Early identification and management of high-risk patients are necessary and imperative to reduce the incidence of stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP).Aim: The evidence-based practice project evaluated the effectiveness of a standard care bundle intervention in preventing the occurrence of SAP.Methods: The project was conducted in a neurology department of a teaching hospital. Given the variation in assessment and management standards, evidence-based practice (EBP) methodology was used to establish a process for quality improvement. A thorough literature search was conducted to identify evidence-based interventions to manage and prevent SAP. Thorough critiques of the literature and synthesis of the evidence were completed. A systematic management flow and care bundle interventions were established. The care bundle included interventions, such as the utilization of tools for SAP risk screening; dysphagia screening and rehabilitation; feeding modification, oral care, airway management, position management, and the nursing techniques of traditional Chinese medicine.Results: A significant improvement was observed in preventing SAP in patients in the postimplementation group compared with those in the preimplementation group (14.0% vs. 37.2%, p = 0.025). In addition, significantly lower duration of hospitalization, lower rate of aspiration, and improvements in albumin and oral hygiene were found after the implementation of the care bundle.Conclusions: Evidence-based care bundles successfully empower nurses to reduce the incidence of SAP. The management flow of SAP prevention could be promoted to other units of the neurology department in the future. The results of the project reflect positively on the capacity to implement EBP in an acute care setting for stroke. The EBP methodology can be utilized to solve other clinical problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Glucuronic acid metabolism participates in cellular detoxification, extracellular matrix remodeling and cell adhesion and migration. Here, we aimed to explore the crosstalk between dysregulated glucuronic acid metabolism and crucial metastatic signalling in glutathione S‐transferase zeta 1 (GSTZ1)‐deficient hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: Transwell, HCC xenograft and Gstz1−/‐ mouse models were used to examine the role of GSTZ1 in HCC metastasis. Non‐targeted and targeted metabolomics and global transcriptomic analyses were performed to screen significantly altered metabolic and signalling pathways in GSTZ1 overexpressing hepatoma cells. Further, RNA‐binding protein immunoprecipitation, Biotin‐RNA pull‐down, mRNA decay assays and luciferase reporter assays were used to explore the interaction between RNA and RNA‐binding proteins. Results: GSTZ1 was universally silenced in both human and murine HCC cells, and its deficiency contributed to HCC metastasis in vitro and in vivo. UDP‐glucose 6‐dehydrogenase (UGDH)‐mediated UDP‐glucuronic acid (UDP‐GlcUA) accumulation promoted hepatoma cell migration upon GSTZ1 loss. UDP‐GlcUA stabilized TGFβR1 mRNA by enhancing its binding to polypyrimidine tract binding protein 3, contributing to the activation of TGFβ/Smad signalling. UGDH or TGFβR1 blockade impaired HCC metastasis. In addition, UGDH up‐regulation and UDP‐GlcUA accumulation correlated with increased metastatic potential and decreased patient survival in GSTZ1‐deficient HCC. Conclusions: GSTZ1 deficiency and subsequent up‐regulation of the glucuronic acid metabolic pathway promotes HCC metastasis by increasing the stability of TGFβR1 mRNA and activating TGFβ/Smad signalling. UGDH and a key metabolite, UDP‐GlcUA, may serve as prognostic markers. Targeting UGDH might be a promising strategy for HCC therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Outbreaks of infection due to multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, especially Gram-negative bacteria, have become a global health issue in both hospitals and communities. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) based therapeutics hold a great promise for treating infections caused by MDR bacteria. However, ASOs therapeutics are strangled because of its low cell penetration efficiency caused by the high molecular weight and hydrophilicity. Results: Here, we designed a series of dendritic poly-peptides (DPP1 to DPP12) to encapsulate ASOs to form DSPE-mPEG2000 decorated ASOs/DPP nanoparticles (DP-AD1 to DP-AD12) and observed that amphipathic DP-AD2, 3, 7 or 8 with a positive charge ≥ 8 showed great efficiency to deliver ASOs into bacteria, but only the two histidine residues contained DP-AD7 and DP-AD8 significantly inhibited the bacterial growth and the targeted gene expression of tested bacteria in vitro. DP-AD7anti-acpP remarkably increased the survival rate of septic mice infected by ESBLs-E. coli, exhibiting strong antibacterial effects in vivo. Conclusions: For the first time, we designed DPP as a potent carrier to deliver ASOs for combating MDR bacteria and demonstrated the essential features, namely, amphipathicity, 8–10 positive charges, and 2 histidine residues, that are required for efficient DPP based delivery, and provide a novel approach for the development and research of the antisense antibacterial strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Esophageal stricture is a distressing issue for patients with early esophageal cancer following extensive endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), and the current steroid-based approaches are unsatisfactory for stricture prophylaxis. We evaluated the efficacy of oral hydrocortisone sodium succinate and aluminum phosphate gel (OHA) for stricture prophylaxis after extensive ESD. Methods: Patients undergoing > 3/4 circumferential ESD were randomized to either the endoscopic loco-regional triamcinolone acetonide injection (ETI) plus oral prednisone group or the OHA group. The primary endpoint was incidence of esophageal stricture, and the secondary endpoints included adverse events (AEs) and endoscopic balloon dilations (EBDs). Results: The incidence of esophageal stricture in OHA group (per-protocol analysis, 9.4%, 3/32; intention-to-treat analysis, 12.1%, 4/33) was significantly less than that of control group (per-protocol analysis, 35.5%, 11/31, P = 0.013; intention-to-treat analysis, 39.4%, 13/33, P = 0.011). Two sessions of EBD were necessary to release all strictures in the OHA group, while the similar EBDs (median 2, range 1–4) for 11 of the control. Operation-related AEs included infection (control vs. OHA group = 9.7% vs. 31.3%, P = 0.034), operation-related hypokalemia (19.4% vs. 31.3%, P = 0.278), perforation (3.2% vs. 3.1%), post-ESD hemorrhage (6.5% vs. 0%), and cardiac arrhythmia (0% vs. 6.3%). Steroid-related AEs included steroid-related hypokalemia (16.1% vs. 25%) and bone fracture (3.2% vs. 0%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that OHA was an independent protective factor for stricture (OR 0.079; 95%CI 0.011, 0.544; P = 0.01) and mucosal defect > 11/12 circumference was an independent risk factor (OR 49.91; 95%CI 6.7, 371.83; P < 0.001). Conclusions: OHA showed significantly better efficacy in preventing esophageal stricture after > 3/4 circumferential ESD compared to ETI plus oral prednisone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Uterine leiomyoma (UL) is a common benign pelvic tumor in women that has a high recurrence rate. Our aim is to propose a prognostic index (PI) model for predicting the long-term recurrence risk of uterine leiomyoma (UL). Methods: A total of 725 women who underwent myomectomy were enrolled in this retrospective multicenter study. Patients were contacted for follow-up. A PI model was proposed based on the multivariate Cox regression analysis in the model group. The predictive value of this model was tested in both internal and external validation group. Results: PI formula = 1.5(if 3–5 leiomyomas) or 2(if >5 leiomyomas)+1(if residue)+1(if not submucosal)+1(if combined endometriosis). The PI value was divided into low-risk, intermediate-risk, and high-risk group by cut-off values 1.25 and 3.75. In the model group, the high-risk group had a significantly 4.55 times greater recurrence risk of UL than that in the low-risk group [cumulative recurrence rate (CR): 82.1% vs 29.5%, HR = 4.55, 95% CI 2.821–7.339]; the intermediate-risk group had a significantly 2.81 times greater recurrence risk of UL than that in the low-risk group (CR: 62.3% vs 29.5%, HR = 2.81, 95% CI 2.035–3.878). The differences between any two risk groups were also significant (P< 0.05) in both internal and external validation groups. Conclusion: The model was proved to be effective in predicting recurrence of UL after myomectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this research is to summarize the prenatal ultrasound characteristics of congenital duodenal obstruction (CDO), especially in the diagnosis of duodenal diaphragm and annular pancreas. At present, few researchers have summarized the specific ultrasound features of duodenal diaphragm and annular pancreas.Methods: In this study, a retrospective analysis of 40 patients diagnosed with CDO between January 2016 and December 2019 was carried out. Data on the diagnosis, ultrasound images and outcomes of the patients were gathered, and the features of the patients were analyzed.Results: The results showed that there were 17 patients (42.5%) of congenital duodenal diaphragm, all with a 'rat tail' sign on the ultrasound images. Moreover, there were 4 patients (10.0%) of CDO caused by annular pancreas, all with a 'pliers' sign on the ultrasound images. We summarized the imaging features of the 'rat tail' sign and the 'pliers' sign.Conclusion: The main conclusion of this study was that the 'rat tail' sign could be used as an indirect ultrasound feature to diagnose duodenal diaphragm. The 'pliers' sign could be used as a direct ultrasound feature in the diagnosis of annular pancreas in CDO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reaction mechanism of B4C synthesis as yet remains unclear due to the lack of sufficient thermodynamic investigation, which limits the large‐scale controllable production of B4C ceramic material. In this paper, thermodynamic investigation of B4C synthesized by carbothermal reduction was calculated at atmospheric pressure over a wide temperature range (1500‐2500 K) coupled with the effects of pressure on B4C synthesis. Besides, predominance diagrams for B–C–O system at different temperatures and pressures were further established. Upon thermodynamic results, reaction mechanism was proposed and then verified by the synthesis experiment of B4C at desired temperatures. The thermodynamic investigation indicates that B4C may be synthesized by the reactions of C with liquid B2O3 (LS mechanism) or gaseous B2O2 (VS mechanism). At low temperature (~1823 K), B4C is polyhedral shape via LS mechanism, while two‐dimensional flake‐like B4C is synthesized by VS mechanism at high temperature (2123 K~). The obtained two types of B4C verify the accuracy of thermodynamic results. This study is instructive for the optimization of temperature, pressure for large‐scale controllable production of B4C ceramic material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

B4C composites toughened by MoB2/Mo2B5‐SiC interlocking structure were prepared via reactive hot pressing with B4C and MoSi2 as raw materials. The phase composition, microstructure, and mechanical properties of the fabricated B4C composites were studied. The crack propagation and fracture surface were observed, and the toughening mechanism was analyzed. The results indicate that the interlocking structure of MoB2/Mo2B5‐SiC is formed in the obtained B4C composites. The relative density, flexural strength, and fracture toughness of the B4C composites reach 99.3%, 480 MPa, and 5.2 MPa·m1/2, respectively, when the MoSi2 content is 30 wt%. The hardness is 33 GPa when the MoSi2 content is 20 wt%. The special laminar fracture of the interlocking structure of MoB2/Mo2B5‐SiC elongates the crack extending path and thus consumes more energy of crack extension. The phenomena of crack bridging and branching and the special laminar fracture of the interlocking structure have a synergistic effect on promoting the overall fracture toughness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Key sour and volatile flavor compounds were lactic acid, acetic acid and p-cresol. • Dominant microbes were Lactobacillus , Trichosporon , Candida in sour bamboo shoots. • Key flavors compounds strongly correlated with Lactobacillus , Levilactobacillus. • Levilactobacillus spicheri strain was first validated to produced p-cresol. Identifying key flavor compounds and their producing bacteria in sour bamboo shoots is crucial for flavor stabilization and industrial production. This study analyzed 15 traditional sour bamboo shoot samples from northern Guangdong to determine key flavor substances and microbial community. Results showed key flavor substances were acetic acid (RTC ≥ 50% in 10 samples), lactic acid (RTC ≥ 50% in 5 samples), and p-cresol (ROC ≥ 93%). Lactobacillus (ARA: 54.62%) was the dominant genus, significantly correlated with p-cresol (r = 0.80, p ≤ 0.01). Levilactobacillus (ARA: 3.33%) was positively correlated with lactic acid and p-cresol (r = 0.78, p ≤ 0.01; r = 0.66, p ≤ 0.01). Lentilactobacillus (ARA: 4.29%) was positively correlated with acetic acid (r = 0.85, p ≤ 0.01). Levilactobacillus was isolated, screened, identified, and its ability to produce key flavor substances was tested. Four strains of Levilactobacillus spicheri and their mixed strains produced lactic acid (10.12–16.62 g/kg), acetic acid (10.21–21.60 g/kg), and p-cresol (25.67–143.87 mg/kg). This is the first report of Levilactobacillus spicheri producing p-cresol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand of high-quality boron carbide (B 4 C) is enormous for various application, while its yield is quite low (40–50%) that needs to be improved. In this study, the effects of sodium chloride (NaCl) additive on the quality and yield of B 4 C synthesized by carbothermal reduction from an H 3 BO 3 –C powder mixture were investigated in detail. Under the optimal amount of 4 wt% NaCl additive, the purity, yield, and average particle size of B 4 C increase from 93.54% to 96.28%, 88.82% to 93.56%, and 24.2 to 43.3 μm, as compared to the case without additive. Furthermore, the underlying effect mechanism of the NaCl additive was comprehensively analyzed. The NaCl additive promotes the depolymerisation of the complex network structure of B 2 O 3 reactant and effectively decreases its viscosity by about 73%. This facilitates the mass transfer and improves the reaction kinetic, and thereby increases B 4 C yield. Additionally, the lower viscosity improves the kinetic condition of B 4 C crystal formation and promotes the growth of crystal, thus increasing the particle size. This study may imply a feasible route for the large-scale production of high-quality B 4 C. Unlabelled Image • The NaCl additive can greatly increase the purity, yield, and particle size of B 4 C. • The effect mechanism of NaCl is not chemical but physical effect on B 2 O 3 flux. • NaCl promotes depolymerisation of B 2 O 3 structure and decreases its viscosity (73%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine whether or not the risk of recurrence of uterine leiomyoma (UL) was different between laparoscopic myomectomy (LM) and open myomectomy (OM).Methods: This study combined a multicenter cohort study with a meta-analysis. The cohort study included women aged 18-44 years with 1-3 leiomyomas who underwent LM or OM for UL at one of three teaching hospitals. The meta-analysis included trials comparing recurrence rates of UL between OM and LM.Results: A total of 396 patients (LM: n = 83; OM: n = 313) were recruited in the cohort study. For women aged 18-44 years with 1-3 leiomyomas, surgical approach (LM vs. OM) was not an independent risk factor of UL recurrence (31.3% vs. 34.2%, P = 0.571), and the reoperation rate of UL was similar between the LM and OM (2.4% vs. 4.2%, P = 0.726). A total of 2566 patients were meta-analyzed. The recurrence of UL was similar between LM and OM when the patients had ≤ 5 leiomyomas (OR 1.10; 95% CI 0.76-1.61; P = 0.610; I2 = 0%), while the recurrence rate in LM group was higher when the patients had > 5 leiomyomas (OR 1.50; 95% CI 1.14-1.97; P = 0.004; I2 = 38%).Conclusion: From the meta-analysis, the recurrence rate of UL was similar between LM and OM when the patients had ≤ 5 leiomyomas, while the recurrence of LM was higher when the number of leiomyomas was > 5. The cohort study partially supported this conclusion and it further proved the reoperation rate of UL was also similar among women aged 18-44 years with ≤ 3 leiomyomas. Therefore, OM should be considered for patients with > 3 or 5 leiomyomas if myomectomy has already been chosen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pressureless sintering of B 4 C with MoSi 2 (5–30 wt%) as a sintering aid was carried out at 1600–2260 °C in vacuum. The phase compositions, relative density, microstructures and mechanical properties of the obtained ceramic composites were investigated. Results indicate that MoSi 2 can react with B 4 C to in-situ form Mo 2 B 5 and SiC below 1600 °C. Mo 2 B 5 will gradually transform to MoB 2 with the further increasing temperature. Liquid-phase sintering of B4C is realized at about 2150 °C and the formed liquid phase fills the pores in the matrix, enhancing the densification of the composites. The relative density, fracture toughness and hardness of the samples with 30 wt% MoSi 2 sintered at 2260 °C reach 96.5%, 3.98 MPa m1/2 and 28.1 GPa, respectively. The high-toughness second phases and the coexistence of transgranular and intergranular fracture have a synergistic effect on improving the overall fracture toughness of the ceramic composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Fertility-preserving treatment (FPT) has been widely used for young patients with early stage endometrial cancer (EC). However, the literature on the effectiveness and safety of FPT remains controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate malignant transformation in EC after FPT by immunohistochemistry (IHC).Methods: A retrospective analysis of pre- and post-treatment biopsy specimens from 24 patients with grade 1 endometrioid adenocarcinoma (EAC) or complex atypical hyperplasia (CAH) was performed. The expression levels of ARID1A, PTEN, and β-catenin were assessed by IHC.Results: The protein expression levels of ARID1A, PTEN, and β-catenin were not significantly different between pre- and post-treatment specimens. However, there was a significant difference between pre-treatment and normal specimens as well as between post-treatment and normal specimens. The protein expression of β-catenin was significantly increased in patients with progression compared with those without progression after FPT.Conclusion: The morphologic normalization of patients with EC after FPT may not be accompanied by the absence of tumor malignancy, and β-catenin may serve as a biomarker for the response to FPT. These results may contribute to a better understanding of the malignant transformation of EC after FPT and the optimization of treatment strategies for young patients with birth plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility and safety of single-incision laparoscopic hysterectomy using conventional instruments.Methods: Twenty-five patients undergoing single-incision laparoscopic hysterectomy (SI-LAH) using conventional instruments at West China Second University Hospital between July, 2017 and December, 2017 were selected for participation. Another 25 cases undergoing traditional multi-port laparoscopic hysterectomy (MP-LAH) matched with similar uterine size were selected as controls. Characteristics and clinical data of patients including operative time, estimated blood loss, hospital stay, catheter retention time, and intraoperative and postoperative complications were compared between the two groups.Results: The baseline characteristics of the two groups were comparable. The estimated blood loss was less in SI-LAH with respect to MP-LAH (30 mL [range 20-50] vs 50 mL [range 10-200], P < 0.05), with no statistically significant difference in terms of decrease of hemoglobin level (17 g/dL [range 2-24] vs 18 g/dL [range 5-28], P > 0.05). There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of operative time (150 min [range 85-225] vs 145 min [range 100-220], P > 0.05), intraoperative injury, catheter retention time, time to exhausting, postoperative hospital stay. In all cases, no additional port incision was needed and no conversion to laparotomy was necessary in two groups. No patient had development of intraoperative or postoperative complications. After a follow-up of 2 months, no incisional hernia occurred in all patients.Conclusions: Single-incision laparoscopic hysterectomy using conventional instruments is a feasible and safe technique for patients with uterine size less than 12 weeks of pregnancy and no serious pelvic adhesion, requiring for more experienced skill of surgeons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: PEP06, a polypeptide modified from endostatin, was investigated for its antitumour effects on colorectal cancer (CRC) and the possible mechanisms of this antitumour activity were examined in in vitro and in vivo models.Experimental Approach: After PEP06 treatment, cell proliferation and migration assays were performed in CRC cells. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) progression was determined by Western blotting, immunofluorescent staining and immunohistochemistry in vitro and in a residual xenograft model. MiRNAs regulated by PEP06 were identified by miRNA microarray and verified by in situ hybridization and quantitative real-time PCR. The interactions between PEP06 and integrin αvβ3 were determined with Biacore SA biochips. The cellular function of miR-146b-5p was validated by gain-of-function and loss-of-function approaches. A mouse model of lung metastasis was used to determine the effect of PEP06 on metastatic growth.Key Results: PEP06 did not affect cell viability but reduced migration and EMT in SW620 and HCT116 cells. PEP06 significantly repressed the expression of miR-146b-5p in these two cell lines through binding to integrin αvβ3. MiR-146b-5p was shown to increase EMT by targeting Smad4, and the miR-146b-5p-Smad4 cascade regulated EMT in CRC. PEP06 also suppressed CRC pulmonary metastasis, increased survival of mice and hampered residual tumour growth by inhibiting EMT through down-regulating miR-146b-5p.Conclusions and Implications: PEP06 is a polypeptide that inhibits the growth and metastasis of colon cancer through its RGD motif binding to integrin αvβ3, thereby down-regulating miR-146b-5p to inhibit EMT in vitro and in vivo. It might have potential as a therapeutic for CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors and the efficacy of the preventive measurements for the in-hospital complications of fall-related fractures. Methods. The data on older Chinese patients with fall-related fractures were collected, including information on the patients, diseases, and preventive measurements. The potential risk factors for the in-hospital complications included health status on admission, comorbidity, fractures, preventive measures of the complications, and drugs use for the comorbidity. After univariate analyses, multivariate logistic regression analyses were applied to investigate the impact of the potential risk factors on the number of the complications and each individual complication, respectively, and the efficacy of the preventive measurements. Results. A total of 525 male and 1367 female were included in this study. After univariate analyses, multiple logistic regression showed that dementia, pneumonia, antidepressant, postural hypotension, and cerebral infarction could increase the incidence and number of comorbidities. Meanwhile, dementia has shown the strongest association with each individual complication. Conclusions. Different combinations of comorbidity, medication use, and preventive measurements were related to the in-hospital complications of fall-related fractures. Dementia emerged as the most important risk factor for these complications, while most of the preventive measurements could not reduce their incidences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facing with great pressure to feed the demand outstripping the supply situation as well as alleviate the energy pollution problem, China has accelerated the pace of shale gas exploration. During the 12th Five-Year-Plan (FYP) period, Chinese government and petroleum enterprises actively promoted the development of shale gas industry, and made certain progresses in various aspects. Meanwhile, a series of preferential and supportive policies were developed to encourage shale gas exploration. However, as the shale gas industry is still in the initial stage in China, there are many challenges and difficulties existing in shale gas development. This paper presents a systematical review on the current status and policies of shale gas industry in China, aiming to provide important reference to the policy-makers for introducing and improving policies. Firstly, the current status including progresses and difficulties is presented. Subsequently, the recent policies for shale gas development are reviewed. The analyses of current policies and implementation barriers are followed. Finally, specific policy suggestions are proposed and a general conclusion is drawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nedaplatin, a cisplatin analog, was developed to reduce the toxicity of cisplatin, whereas it can be cross-resistant with cisplatin in some circumstances. This study aimed to investigate the role of autophagy in nedaplatin induced cell death in cisplatin-resistant nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. Here, we showed that HNE1/DDP and CNE2/DDP cells were resistant to nedaplatin-induced cell death with reduced apoptotic activity. Nedaplatin treatment resulted in autophagosome accumulation and increased expression of LC3-II, indicating the induction of autophagy by nedaplatin in HNE1/DDP and CNE2/DDP cells. Inhibition of autophagy by Bafilomycin A1 (Baf A1) and 3-Methyladenine (3-MA) remarkably enhanced the antitumor efficacy of nedaplatin in HNE1/DDP and CNE2/DDP cells, suggesting that the resistance to nedaplatin-induced cell death was caused by enhanced autophagy in nedaplatin-resistant NPC cells. Additionally, Baf A1 enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and apoptosis induced by nedaplatin in HNE1/DDP cells. Mechanistically, nedaplatin treatment caused activation of ERK1/2 and suppression of Akt/mTOR signaling pathways. While inhibition of ERK1/2 by MEK1/2 inhibitor, U0126, could reduce the expression of LC3-II in nedaplatin-resistant NPC cells. Furthermore, suppression of ROS could inhibit nedaplatin-induced ERK activation in HNE1/DDP cells, indicating that ROS and ERK were involved in nedaplatin-induced autophagy. Together, these findings suggested that autophagy played a cytoprotective role in nedaplatin-induced cytotoxicity of HNE1/DDP and CNE2/DDP cells. Furthermore, our results highlighted a potential approach to restore the sensitivity of cisplatin-resistant nasopharyngeal cancer cells to nedaplatin in combination with autophagy inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel silver crystals with three ditches on one of the facets have been synthesized via a simple hydrothermal method using poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) as mild reductant and capping agent. Sodium chloride (NaCl) served as aCl − source, and the formation of AgCl compound could greatly reduce the amount of free Ag + in solution and therefore can control the reaction rate. The factors including ratio of Ag + :Cl − and temperature on the shape as well as size of the silver product were investigated in detail, and higher concentration of NaCl was helpful in the formation of one-dimensional (1D) silver nanorods. This work provides a new way to fabricate silver crystals from insoluble salts, and it can be extended to synthesize other nanomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Arsenic trioxide induces apoptosis in cardiac fibroblasts. [•] Injury of cardiac fibroblast is new mechanism for arsenic-induced cardiotoxicity. [•] TGF-β1 is involved in arsenic-induced apoptosis of cardiac fibroblasts. [•] TGF-β1 is a new target to prevent arsenic-induced cardiotoxicity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]