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Lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab or everolimus have considerable clinical benefits. However, it is controversial whether the high-cost combination regimen will be approved by the guidelines and widely used in clinical practice. Based on current prices, lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab is a cost-effective treatment option. Our conclusions provide objective data reference for clinicians when making clinical decisions, individual treatment of patients, and reference for national health insurance decision-making. Introduction: The CLEAR trial indicated that survival benefits were generated with lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab (LP) or everolimus (LE) than with sunitinib for advanced renal cell carcinoma (aRCC). However, the high cost of immuno-target and dual-targeted treatment, we assessed the costeffectiveness of lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab or everolimus in the first-line setting for treatment of patients with aRCC from the United States (US) payers' perspective. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive Markov model was developed to evaluate the cost and effectiveness of LP or LE in first-line therapy for aRCC. We estimated life years (LYs), quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). Utility values and direct costs related to the treatments were gathered from the published studies. Then, one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed. Additional subgroup analyses were considered. Results: Treatment with LP and LE provided an additional 0.67 QALYs (0.62 LYs) and 0.66 QALYs (0.90 LYs) compared with sunitinib, resulting in ICER of $131,656 per QALY and 201,928 per QALY, respectively. The most influential factor in this model was the cost of pembrolizumab with LP. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed there was a 58.97% and 28.91% probability that LP and LE were cost-effective at WTP values of $150,000 per QALY in the US. Subgroup analyses demonstrated that LP was more cost-effective for patients from Western Europe and North America, intermediate risk of the International risk group of Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium (IMDC), favorable and intermediate risk group of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) and PD-L1 combined positive score greater than or equal to 1%. Conclusion: From the perspective of the US payer, LP is a cost-effective option as first-line treatment for patients with aRCC at a WTP threshold of $150,000 per QALY, but LE is the opposite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have suggested that puerarin may impede osteoclastogenesis and facilitate bone regeneration, in addition to attenuating tissue inflammation. The present study investigated the therapeutic effects of puerarin on inflammatory responses and monocyte recruitment in in vitro and in vivo osteoarthritis (OA) models. Puerarin treatment increased the proliferation of OA chondrocytes, as determined by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. In addition, the present results suggested that puerarin suppressed the interleukin-1β-induced production of inflammatory cytokines in OA chondrocytes and monocytes/macrophages, as assessed by ELISA. In a mouse model of mono-iodoacetate-induced OA, the present histological analyses suggested that administration with puerarin attenuated the inflammatory profile of OA joints and reduced cartilage destruction. Using flow cytometry, a decreased number of myeloid-derived C-C chemokine receptor 2+/lymphocyte Ag 6C+ monocytes was identified in the blood of OA mice treated with puerarin compared with control OA mice. Furthermore, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis suggested that puerarin treatment decreased C-C chemokine ligand 2 expression in arthritic tissues. Collectively, the results suggested that puerarin treatment limited the recruitment of inflammatory monocytes. In summary, the present study provided pre-clinical evidence that puerarin may serve as a potential target in the treatment of OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The creation of a catalytic method that possesses high activity and effective reusability for the oxidative cleavage of vegetable oils and their derivatives to prepare bio-based oxo-chemicals is a challenge. This work introduces a “release and capture” catalytic system consisting of H2O2, WO3 and mesoporous SnO2. This system was intended to promote catalyst reusability in the oxidative cleavage of methyl 9,10-epoxystearate (ME) to the corresponding aldehydes. No organic solvent was used in the reaction. The reaction temperature, molar ratio of ME/WO3/H2O2, and reaction time were optimized to 70 °C, 1/0.017/1.3, and 20 min, respectively. Under these conditions, complete ME conversion and 80% aldehyde yield were obtained. The hot filtration experiment and ICP-MS analysis confirmed the leaching of tungsten. Mesoporous SnO2 did not affect the ME conversion and aldehyde yield, but effectively adsorbed the leached tungsten. The catalyst in this system showed no significant decrease in activity after being reused ten times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: There are multiple treatment options for hiccups, including non-pharmacological therapies, but little evidence of superiority of one treatment over another. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of acupuncture on persistent hiccups after arthroplasty. Methods: From April 2010 to December 2015, 15 patients with primary unilateral total hip/knee arthroplasty were diagnosed with persistent hiccups and given acupuncture at PC6, CV12 and ST36. Each acupuncture session lasted 30 min. The total number of treatment sessions was determined by the persistence of symptoms, but acupuncture was administered no more than three times over the course of a week. The hiccups assessment instrument (HAI) was used to assess the severity of hiccups pre-treatment and post-treatment. Adverse events were also recorded. Results: Absolute resolution was observed in all 15 patients after less than three acupuncture sessions. Of these, 10 patients required only one acupuncture session, 3 patients required two sessions and 2 patients required three sessions. The HAI score improved after each round of acupuncture treatment (P<0.05). The average HAI score improved significantly post-acupuncture compared to baseline values pre-treatment (P<0.05). Symptoms accompanying the hiccups included pain in the diaphragmatic area (five patients), mild dyspnoea (three patients), dysphagia (two patients) and nausea/vomiting (one patient). All these accompanying symptoms disappeared at the point of resolution of the hiccups. There were no adverse effects related to acupuncture during the study period. Conclusion: Based on our results, acupuncture may represent a potential treatment option for hiccups after arthroplasty. Caution must be exercised, however, given the lack of a control group. Accordingly, randomised controlled trials will be required to verify the efficacy and effectiveness of acupuncture for the treatment of hiccups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the utilization of grease has attracted more and more attention. This article presents a simple method that efficiently cleaves methyl oleate‐derived methyl 9,10‐epoxystearate (a) to give high yields of methyl 9‐oxononanoate (d) with nonanal (c) as co‐product. A WO3/MCM‐41 catalyst is prepared via direct mixed‐gel synthesis. The catalyst is tested in the oxidative cleavage of a to produce d which can be used as a polymer precursor or an important feedstock. The effects of WO3 loading, temperature, time, H2O2/a molar ratio, catalyst/a weight ratio, and t‐BuOH/a weight ratio on the a conversion and d yield are examined using single‐factor experiments. The optimal reaction conditions are determined by orthogonal experiments. The optimal WO3 loading, temperature, time, H2O2/a molar ratio, catalyst/a weight ratio, and t‐BuOH/a weight ratio are 35%, 80 °C, 20 min, 1.3, 0.04, and 0.5, respectively. Under these conditions, the a conversion and d yield reach 99.4 and 78.4%, respectively. In addition, the catalyst shows no significant decrease in activity after being reused three times. Moreover, the reaction mechanism is studied based on the product distribution over time. Practical Applications: Few studies on methyl 9,10‐epoxystearate used as the raw material to give methyl 9‐oxononanoate and nonanal are found. Because the ethylene oxide bond is more unstable than the carbon–carbon double bond, the oxidative cleavage of methyl 9,10‐epoxystearate is easier than cleavage of methyl oleate that allows the oxidative cleavage to be done under milder conditions. Methyl 9‐oxononanoate can be converted to a monomer of high‐value polymers and is also an important feedstock in the production of chemicals. The co‐product nonanal is a natural spice which can be used in the fragrance industry. The results show that the reaction time is short and methyl 9‐oxononanoate yield is high under mild reaction conditions. The method in this study can also be widely used in other oxidative cleavage reactions of epoxides. Methyl 9,10‐epoxystearate is used as the raw material to produce methyl 9‐oxononanoate with nonanal as co‐product using WO3/MCM‐41 as catalyst and H2O2 as oxidant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the roles of miR-149 in the progression of human osteosarcoma (OS).Results: miR-149 level was upregulated in tissues from OS patients more than in normal subjects. Cell proliferation and apoptosis assays revealed that miR-149 increased cell proliferation and inhibited cell apoptosis in OS cell line (MG63). An increase of Bcl-2 gene expression and a decrease of cleaved-caspase-3, and cleaved-PARP expression were observed in MG63 cells with transfection of miR-149. Additionally, bone morphogenetic protein 9 (BMP9) was identified as a target of miR-149 in MG63 cells, and BMP9 expression was negatively correlated with miR149 level in OS clinical samples. Co-overexpression of BMP9 with miR-149 in MG63 cells prohibited miR-149-mediated promotive effects on OS progression. Importantly, overexpression of miR-149 conferred chemoresistance in MG63 cells.Conclusions: miR-149 promotes OS progression via targeting BMP9. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Due to the adverse effects of cemented hip arthroplasty, uncemented stems with hydroxyapatite (HA) coating reduces these risks and enhanced integration. The concept of an extensive HA coating for the fixation of a tapered femoral stem (Corail) was introduced, which can achieve durable biological fixation and preserve normal periprosthetic bone activity. Here we describe the clinical and radiological outcome in patients with the Corail stem. Methods: 92 total hip replacements in 81 patients using the Corail stem were followed-up. 47 patients were women, and the mean age at surgery was 62.9 ± 8.7 (34-71) years. The indications included: osteoarthritis of the hip (71.1%), avascular necrosis (13.6%), femur neck fractures in elderly (9.7%) and post-traumatic osteoarthritis (6.8%). Findings: Eight patients died during follow-up. The revision was only found in two patients due to line wear and resulted in an 10-year Kaplan-Meier estimated overall survival rate of 97.83%. The clinical results were good, with a mean Harris hip score of 92.3 ± 5.6 (72-100). The mean total Merle d'Aubigné and Postel score was 6.8 ± 0.5 pre-operatively and 16.1 ± 1.4 at latest follow-up. All unrevised implants were radiographically stable, with a mean liner wear of 0.07 mm/year. Conclusion: This long-term analysis confirmed the durability of the functional and radiographic results. Our findings suggest the long-term results of Corail HA-coated stem are more satisfactory which is preferable to any other system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Many randomized controlled trials have indicated that immuno-chemotherapy could generate clinical benefits, though the cost of immuno-chemotherapy was so prohibitive and the options were varied. This investigation aimed at evaluating effectiveness, safety, and cost-effectiveness for immuno-chemotherapy as a first-line therapeutic option for ES-SCLC patients., Methods: Multiple scientific literature repositories were searched for clinical studies where immuno-chemotherapy was regarded as the first-line treatment for ES-SCLC, which were published in English between Jan 1, 2000, and Nov 30, 2021. This study conducted a network meta-analysis (NMA) and cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) based upon US-resident payer perspectives. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and adverse events (AEs) were evaluated through NMA. In addition, costings, life-years (LYs), quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and incremental cost-benefit ratio (ICER) were estimated by CEA., Results: We identified 200 relevant search records, of which four randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (2,793 patients) were included. NMA demonstrated that the effect of atezolizumab plus chemotherapy was ranked at a more elevated position in comparison to other immuno-chemotherapy options and chemotherapy alone, within the general population. The influence of atezolizumab plus chemotherapy and durvalumab plus chemotherapy was ranked higher within populations experiencing non-brain metastases (NBMs) andbrain metastases (BMs), respectively. The CEA revealed that the ICERs of immuno-chemotherapy over chemotherapyalone were higher than the willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of $150,000/QALY in any population. However, treatment with atezolizumab plus chemotherapy and durvalumab plus chemotherapy were more favorable health advantages than other immuno-chemotherapy regimens and chemotherapy alone, and the results were 1.02 QALYs and 0.89 QALYs within overall populations and populations with BMs, respectively., Conclusion: The NMA and cost-effectiveness investigation demonstrated that atezolizumab plus chemotherapy could be an optimal first-line therapeutic option for ES-SCLC when compared with other immuno-chemotherapy regimens. Durvalumab plus chemotherapy is likely to be the most favorable first-line therapeutic option for ES-SCLC with BMs., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Zhu, Liu, Yang, Zeng and Peng.)

Introduction: Two targeted drugs (apatinib and lenvatinib) show clinical efficacy in first-line treatment of Chinese patients with radioactive advanced iodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (RAIR-DTC) and are recommended by the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology guidelines. Considering the high clinical cost of long-term vascular endothelial growth factor receptor inhibitor administration and to determine which of the two targeted drugs is preferable, we opted to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) and network meta-analysis (NMA)., Material and Methods: The results of NMA and CEA included in the two phase III randomized clinical trials REALITY (NCT03048877) and Study-308 (NCT02966093), in which Bayesian NMA and CEA were performed on 243 and 149 Chinese patients, respectively, were retrieved. Overall survival and progression-free survival (PFS) for apatinib versus lenvatinib were determined by NMA. CEA involved the development of a 20-year Markov model to obtain the total cost and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and this was followed by sensitivity and subgroup analyses., Results: Compared with lenvatinib, apatinib therapy provided a 0.837 improvement in QALY and $6,975 reduction in costs. The hazard ratio of apatinib versus lenvatinib and the cost of the targeted drugs had a significant impact on the model. According to the sensitivity analysis, apatinib was more cost-effective and had no correlation with willingness-to-pay in China. Subgroup analysis showed that apatinib maintained PFS more economically., Conclusion: NMA and CEA demonstrated that apatinib was more cost-effective compared to lenvatinib in the first-line treatment of Chinese RAIR-DTC patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Zhu, Liu, Wang and Peng.)

The oxidative cleavage of vegetable oils and their derivatives to produce bio-based aldehydes is a potentially useful process, although the aldehyde products are readily oxidized to carboxylic acids and thus seldom obtained in high yields. The present study developed a room-temperature method for the synthesis of bio-aldehydes via the oxidative cleavage of vegetable oil-derived epoxides, using H 2 WO 4 as the catalyst, H 2 O 2 as the oxidant, and t -BuOH as the solvent. Reactions were carried out at temperatures ranging from 25 to 35 °C for 3.5-10.5 h, and provided >99% conversion and >90% aldehyde yield. In particular, an approximately 97% yield was obtained at 25 °C after 10.5 h. As the reaction proceeded, the H 2 WO 4 dissolved to form a W-containing anion. Several mesoporous Al-MCM-41 materials having different Si/Al ratios were hydrothermally synthesized and used as adsorbents to recover the catalyst by adsorbing these anions. The adsorption capacity of the Al-MCM-41 was found to increase with decreases in the Si/Al ratio. The Al-MCM-41 had little effect on the oxidative cleavage reaction at 25 °C, and thus could be directly added to the reaction system. The excellent anion adsorption performance of the Al-MCM-41 greatly improved the reusability of the H 2 WO 4 catalyst. When using the Al-MCM-41 with the best adsorption performance, there was no significant decrease in the activity of the catalyst following five reuses., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Background: Due to the adverse effects of cemented hip arthroplasty, uncemented stems with hydroxyapatite (HA) coating reduces these risks and enhanced integration. The concept of an extensive HA coating for the fixation of a tapered femoral stem (Corail ® ) was introduced, which can achieve durable biological fixation and preserve normal periprosthetic bone activity. Here we describe the clinical and radiological outcome in patients with the Corail ® stem., Methods: 92 total hip replacements in 81 patients using the Corail ® stem were followed-up. 47 patients were women, and the mean age at surgery was 62.9 ± 8.7 (34-71) years. The indications included: osteoarthritis of the hip (71.1%), avascular necrosis (13.6%), femur neck fractures in elderly (9.7%) and post-traumatic osteoarthritis (6.8%)., Findings: Eight patients died during follow-up. The revision was only found in two patients due to line wear and resulted in an 10-year Kaplan-Meier estimated overall survival rate of 97.83%. The clinical results were good, with a mean Harris hip score of 92.3 ± 5.6 (72-100). The mean total Merle d'Aubigné and Postel score was 6.8 ± 0.5 pre-operatively and 16.1 ± 1.4 at latest follow-up. All unrevised implants were radiographically stable, with a mean liner wear of 0.07 mm/year., Conclusion: This long-term analysis confirmed the durability of the functional and radiographic results. Our findings suggest the long-term results of Corail ® HA-coated stem are more satisfactory which is preferable to any other system.

Primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) is most commonly encountered in the soft tissue or bone in children and young adults, and its involvement in the intestines is exceedingly rare. To the best of our knowledge, eighteen cases have been reported to date. The present study reports three cases of PNET arising in the mesentery and ileocecum in 59- and 22-year-old males and a 36-year-old female. Computed tomography revealed a solid mass in the lower abdomen, with areas of cystic changes. Microscopically, the tumors were composed of small round cells arranged in sheets and rosettes with scant cytoplasm, hyperchromatic nuclei and a high mitotic rate. The tumor cells were immunopositive for CD99 and FLI1. EWS/FLI1 translocations were detected in all cases. Case 1 and case 2 underwent tumor resection without any preoperative radiotherapy, chemotherapy or biological therapy. Case 3 underwent tumor resection and received eight cycles of IAP chemotherapy (2.0 mg ifosfamide, 80 mg epirubicin, 30 mg cisplatin 30mg). Case 3 was followed up for 34 months until they succumbed to peritoneal recurrence, whereas the other cases were not followed up. The incidence of these small round-cell tumors in the intestinal system, their clinical and pathological features and differential diagnosis are discussed with a review of the literature.

The erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular (Eph) family of receptor tyrosine kinases regulates a multitude of physiological and pathological processes. EphA1 is the first member of Eph superfamily and is involved in carcinogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of EphA1 in prostate cancers cell lines and the tissues, then explore the correlation with the clinicopathologic parameters. The EphA1 transcript expression in prostate cancer cell lines was detected by Quantitative real-time PCR. The expression of EphA1 protein in 138 prostate cancer tissue samples and 21 benign prostate hyperplasia samples were checked by using immunohistochemical staining. EphA1 mRNA was high expressed in LNCap, moderately expressed in 22RV1 and Du145, and lost in PC3. Loss of expression of EphA1 transcript was related to hypermethylation of CpG island around the translation start site. EphA1 protein was differentially expressed in prostate cancers and hyperplasia. Increased expression of EphA1 protein was more frequently detected in prostate cancers than in hyperplasia (P = 0.02), and more often detected in prostate cancer with high Gleason score (P < 0.001). Our data indicate that EphA1 receptor may have roles in carcinogenesis and progression of prostate cancer, and can be a potentially useful target for prognostic and therapeutic application.

We report a case of diffuse hyperplastic mesothelial cells in multiple lymph nodes. Microscopically, the lymph nodes had a normal follicular pattern. The lymphatic sinus was extremely expanded, within the sinuses the epithelial-like cells proliferated actively in the form of sheets and clusters. Epithelioid-like cells had eosinophilic cytoplasm, prominent nucleoli and vesicular nuclei. Mitotic figures were rarely observed. These cells were immunopositive for Calretinin, CK5/6, D2-40, MC and Ckpan and immunonegative for S-100, HMB45, MelanA, TTF-1, CDX-2, Villin, ALK, CD30, CD20, CD3, CD1a and CD68. In addition, during a 22 months follow-up period failed to identify any malignant neoplasms, thus confirming the benign nature of these cells. It is the first reported case of diffuse hyperplastic of mesothelial cells mainly in the cervical lymph nodes associated with systemic multiple lymph node involvement. Awareness of this event is important for the pathologist in preventing the misdiagnosis of malignancy.