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Autophagy is a self‐recycling machinery to maintain cellular homeostasis by degrading harmful materials in the cell. Autophagy‐related gene 5 (Atg5) is required for autophagosome maturation. However, the role of Atg5 in tumorigenesis under autophagy deficient conditions remains unclear. This study focused on the autophagy‐independent role of Atg5 and the underlying mechanism in tumorigenesis. We demonstrated that knockout of autophagy‐related genes including Atg5, Atg7, Atg9, and p62 in mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cells consistently decreased cell proliferation and motility, implying that autophagy is required to maintain diverse cellular functions. An Atg7 knockout MEF (Atg7−/− MEF) cell line representing deprivation of autophagy function was used to clarify the role of Atg5 transgene in tumorigenesis. We found that Atg5‐overexpressed Atg7−/‐MEF (clone A) showed increased cell proliferation, colony formation, and migration under autophagy deficient conditions. Accordingly, rescuing the autophagy deficiency of clone A by overexpression of Atg7 gene shifts the role of Atg5 from pro‐tumor to anti‐tumor status, indicating the dual role of Atg5 in tumorigenesis. Notably, the xenograft mouse model showed that clone A of Atg5‐overexpressed Atg7−/− MEF cells induced temporal tumor formation, but could not prolong further tumor growth. Finally, biomechanical analysis disclosed increased Wnt5a secretion and p‐JNK expression along with decreased β‐catenin expression. In summary, Atg5 functions as a tumor suppressor to protect the cell under normal conditions. In contrast, Atg5 shifts to a pro‐tumor status under autophagy deprivation conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a long history in the treatment of Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN). A large number of animal experiments focused on the TCM treatment of IgAN are conducted every year. The evidence for these preclinical studies is not clear. This study summarized and evaluated the results of animal experiments on TCM treatment for IgAN. Methods. We systematically searched animal studies from 6 databases from inception to August 30, 2022. We included Chinese studies from the key magazine of China technology. The quality of the included studies was evaluated with the SYRCLE animal experimental bias risk assessment tool and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). Results. Out of 832 records identified in the initial search, 30 studies were selected. The results indicated that, compared with the control group, the TCM treatment group improved 24 h urine protein (24 h-UP) level (standardized mean difference (SMD) 3.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.48 to 2.66, P < 0.001), urine red blood cell (U-RBC) (SMD 13.66, 95% CI 17.99 to 9.32, P < 0.001), serum creatinine (Scr) (mean difference (MD) 10.89, 95% CI 17.00 to 4.77, P < 0.001), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (MD 2.44, 95% CI 3.42 to 1.47, P < 0.001), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (MD 171.28 to 95% CI 323.68 to 18.88, P = 0.03), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β) (SMD 4.02, 95% CI 7.26 to 0.77, P = 0.02), matrix metalloproteinase-9/tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase-1(MMP-9/TIMP-1) (MD 0.03, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.06, P = 0.02), nephrin mRNA (SMD 3.39, 95% CI 2.59 to 4.18, P < 0.001). However, there is no difference in albumin level (MD 1.10, 95% CI 0.06 to 2.26, P = 0.06) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) (MD 170.77, 95% CI 365.3 to 23.75, P = 0.09). Conclusions. TCM can improve 24 h-UP, U-RBC, Scr, BUN, MMP-9/TIMP-1, TNF-α, TGF-β, and nephrin mRNA of IgAN animal models. Moreover, there is a need for rigorous reporting of preclinical research methodology, which is essential to support the quality of preclinical research. Registration. This review was registered with a systematic review record CRD42020171404 in the PROSPERO database. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis) is the sole freshwater subspecies of Neophocaenaphocaenoides, and there is a lack of data on its transcriptome. In this study, we applied RNA-seq technology to assemble, de novo, a transcriptome and analyzed differential expressed genes (DEGs). About 6 Gb of clean data was generated for the Yangtze finless porpoise blood (n = 6) through de novo sequencing. In total, 151,211 unigenes were generated and a total of 119,039 of these unigenes (78.72%) were functionally annotated when searched for within the NCBI Nr, SwissProt, GO, COG, and KEGG databases. Diverse and extensive expressed gene catalogs were sampled for the Yangtze finless porpoise. DESeq2 was used to analyze the differential expression genes (DEGs) obtained from the assembled transcriptome. The results indicated that DEGs have close relationships with the Yangtze finless porpoise's development, evolution and adaptation. Further, we found that genes involved in cetacean TAG synthesis might directly explain the molecular basis of cetacean blubber thickening. These transcriptome data will assist in understanding molecular mechanisms of Yangtze finless porpoise adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The interaction between Src homology 2 domain-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase (SHP-2) of gastric epithelial cells and cagA from H. pylori plays a crucial role in developments of gastric atrophy and gastric cancer. This study aimed to investigate the association of haplotype tagging SNPs (htSNPs) in the PTPN11 gene encoding SHP-2 with gastric atrophy and gastric cancer in Chinese population. Methods The subjects comprised 414 patients with gastric cancer, 109 individuals with gastric atrophy and 923 healthy controls. Blood was collected from October 2008 to October 2010. Five htSNPs rs2301756, rs12423190, rs12229892, rs7958372 and rs4767860 from the PTPN11 gene were selected and genotyped by Taqman assay. Serum Ig G antibodies to H. pylori were detected by ELISA. Gastric atrophy was screened by the levels of serum pepsinogenIandII, and confirmed by endoscopy and histopatholgical examinations. Odds ratio (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by a multivariate logistic regression. Results Among H. pylori seropositive subjects, age and gender-adjusted OR of gastric atrophy was 2.47 (95%CI 1.13-4.55, P = 0.02) for CC genotype compared with CT/TT genotypes, suggesting a recessive model of genetic risk for rs12423190. The prevalence of H. pylori seropositivity were significantly higher in groups of gastric cancer and gastric atrophy compared to the control group (70.3% vs. 75.2% vs. 49.7%, P Conclusions Our study provides the first evidence that rs12423190 polymorphism of the PTPN11 gene is significantly associated with an increased risk of gastric atrophy in H. pylori infected Chinese Han population, suggesting that rs12423190 polymorphism could be used as a useful marker of genetic susceptibility to gastric atrophy among H. pylori infected subjects. The biological roles of this polymorphism require a further investigation.

Herein, four kinds of initial Goss textures with different deviation angles (0°, 5°, 10°, and 15°) are obtained by controlling the included angles between the longitudinal directions of rectangular cutting specimens and the initial rolling direction of the raw material. Then, 0.05 mm thick grain‐oriented silicon steels are fabricated by cold rolling and primary recrystallization annealing. Effects of initial textures on the microstructure and texture evolutions and magnetic properties are investigated in detail. Compared with sharp {111}<112> in the cold rolling sheet with initial exact Goss, the deviated Goss favors the formation of strong {111}<112> + weak {h11}<1/h 1 2> textures. After annealing, sharp {210}<001> + medium {110}<001> textures develop as a result of the small initial deviation, while larger initial deviations contribute to the {310}<001> texture. In addition, the average grain sizes are also related to recrystallization textures. Consequently, the distinct recrystallization microstructures and textures result in the differences of magnetic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Both CD5 and CD43 are expressed on the surface of B lymphocytes of definite phase and associated with the adverse outcome in diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL). However, the relationship between CD5 and CD43 expression and the prognostic value of CD5/CD43 coexpression in DLBCL are unknown. We herein determined the correlation between CD5 and CD43 expression, as separate factors or in combination, with the clinicopathological features and survival of 200 patients with DLBCL receiving standard chemotherapy with or without rituximab. Among these DLBCL patients, CD5 expression, CD43 expression, and CD5/CD43 coexpression were detected in 18 (9%), 57 (27%), and 10 (5%) patients, respectively, and all were positively correlated with advanced age and nongerminal cell type. CD5‐positive and CD43‐positive DLBCL patients had poorer event‐free survival (EFS, P < 0.001) and overall survival (OS, P < 0.001) than CD5‐negative and CD43‐negative patients, respectively. CD5/CD43 coexpression was correlated with a significantly worse prognosis than CD5 or CD43 expression alone. Univariate analysis showed that CD5 expression, CD43 expression, and CD5/CD43 coexpression were all adverse prognostic factors for DLBCL patient survival, and CD5/CD43 coexpression was associated with a greater relative risk for recurrence and death than either CD5 or CD43 expression alone. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that CD5/CD43 coexpression was an independent prognostic factor for EFS (P < 0.001) and OS (P < 0.001) in DLBCL. In conclusion, our data indicate that DLBCL patients with CD5/CD43 coexpression represent a specific subgroup with a significantly worse prognosis than those expressing either marker alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Balitoridae, a family within the Cypriniformes, inhabit torrential mountain streams in Asia. Although they have long fascinated ichthyologists for their numerous adaptations to this tumultuous environment, the evolutionary history of this group remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigate the evolutionary relationships of the balitorids with particular attention to the phylogenetic placement of two balitorid species, Yaoshania pachychulis and Erromyzon kalotaenia. Both species have extremely limited distributions, they are limited to Mt. Dayaoshan of the Pearl River in China and require dedicated conservation plans. However, little is known about their evolutionary relationships to other balitorids. Here, we examined the evolutionary relationships of Y. pachychulis and E. kalotaenia to each other and other balitorids through sequencing the complete mitochondrial genomes of nine balitorid individuals. For the newly sequenced balitorids, the length of the whole mitogenome, gene arrangement and their base composition are similar to those of other bony fishes. Analyses based on these newly sequenced mitogenomes and an additional 50 previously published mitogenomes show that Y. pachychulis and E. kalotaenia cluster as different clade within the subfamily Gastromyzontinae. The genetic distance between these two species ranges from 0.127 ± 0.003 to 0.132 ± 0.004 which is slightly higher than that between some genera (e.g. the distance between Vanmanenia and Metahomaloptera is 0.127 ± 0.004). Therefore, it is reasonable to assign Y. pachychulis and E. kalotaenia to different genera. Phylogenetic signal assessment suggested that ND1, ND4 and ND5 genes as well as their concatenated subsets perform relatively well in reconstructing the Cobitoidea phylogeny. The divergence time estimation indicated that the balitorids distributed in Mt. Dayaoshan might have originated and evolved following the flattening and uplifting of the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau during the late Miocene to late Pliocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

0.05–0.15 mm-thick ultra-thin grain-oriented silicon steel sheets were successfully produced by a novel processing route including strip casting, hot rolling, normalizing, two-stage cold rolling with intermediate annealing, primary recrystallization annealing and secondary recrystallization annealing. The evolutions of microstructure, texture and inhibitor along the processing were briefly investigated. The results showed that the initial Goss orientation originated due to the heterogenous nucleation of δ-ferrite grains during solidification. Because of the lack of shear deformation, only a few Goss grains were observed in the hot rolled sheet. After the first cold rolling and intermediate annealing, Goss texture was enhanced and distributed in the whole thickness. A small number of Goss grains having a high fraction of high energy boundaries exhibited in the primary recrystallization annealed sheet. A large number of fine and dispersed MnS and AlN and a few co-precipitates MnS and AlN with the size range of 10–70 nm were also observed. Interestingly, a well-developed secondary recrystallization microstructure characterized by 10–60 mm grains and a sharp Goss texture were finally produced in the 0.05–0.15 mm-thick ultra-thin sheets. A magnetic induction B 8 of 1.72–1.84 T was obtained. Another new finding was that a few {2 3 0}〈0 0 1〉 and {2 1 0}〈1 2 7〉 grains also can grow up abnormally because of the high fraction of high energy boundaries and the size and number advantage, respectively. These non-Goss grains finally deteriorated the magnetic properties of the ultra-thin sheets. In addition, low surface energies of {hk0} planes may also contribute to the abnormal growth of Goss, {2 3 0}〈0 0 1〉 and {2 1 0}〈1 2 7〉 grains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palladium(II)-induced selective B(4)−H activation of an o-carboranylthioamide has been developed. A tetranuclear palladium(II) complex has been obtained in high yield with excellent regioselectivity. DFT calculations have confirmed that the B(4)-borometalate is lower in energy than the corresponding B(3)-borometalate. The product proved to be a good precursor for target mononuclear or trinuclear B(4)−H activated complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a 0.71 wt%Si+0.44 wt%Al as-cast strip was produced by novel twin-roll casting. Some as-cast samples were respectively reheated and hot rolled at different temperatures in order to obtain different microstructure prior to cold rolling and annealing. The effects of the hot rolled microstructure on microstructure, texture evolution and magnetic properties were investigated in detail. A coarse deformed microstructure with λ-fiber texture was formed after hot rolling at 850–1050 °C, finally leading to an inhomogeneous recrystallization microstructure with strong λ-fiber, Goss and extremely weak γ-fiber texture. By contrast, a fine transformed microstructure was formed after hot rolling at 1150–1250 °C, finally leading to a fine and homogeneous recrystallization microstructure with stronger α-fiber, γ-fiber and much weaker λ-fiber texture. It should be noted that both the magnetic induction and core loss non-monotonically decreased or increased according to the hot rolling temperature. The unfavorable α-fiber and γ-fiber textures in the annealed sheets were much weaker than those of the conventional products regardless of the hot rolling temperature, thus contributing to a much higher magnetic induction. However, the average grain size in the annealed sheets was much lower than those of the conventional products regardless of the hot rolling temperature, thus leading to a higher core loss except the case of 1050 °C. Hence, it is underscored that better integrated magnetic properties than those of the conventional products can be obtained by optimizing the hot rolled microstructure to produce final desirable recrystallization microstructure and texture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 0.27 mm-thick grain-oriented silicon steel sheet with extra-low carbon was successfully produced by a novel processing route including strip casting, normalizing, two-stage cold rolling with an intermediate annealing, primary annealing, and secondary recrystallization annealing. The evolutions of microstructure and texture along the whole processing route were investigated with a special emphasis on the effects of two-stage cold rolling schedule. It was found that Goss orientation originated in the first cold rolling due to shear banding and relatively strong Goss texture evolved through the whole thickness after intermediate annealing. This is significantly different from the results in conventional process in which the origin of Goss texture is in the hot rolling stage and Goss texture only develops below the sheet surface. Besides, it was found that cold rolling schedule had significant influences on microstructure homogeneity, evolution of λ-fiber texture in primary annealed state and, thus, on secondary recrystallization. In case of appropriate cold rolling schedule, a homogeneous microstructure with Goss texture, relatively strong γ-fiber texture and medium α-fiber texture was observed in the primary annealed strip. Although Goss texture in primary annealed state was much weaker than that in two-stage route in conventional process, a perfect secondary recrystallization microstructure was produced and the magnetic induction B was as high as 1.85 T. By contrast, when the cold rolling schedule was inappropriate, the primary annealed strips exhibited inhomogeneous microstructure, together with weak γ-fiber texture, medium α-fiber and λ-fiber texture. Finally, the sheets showed incomplete secondary recrystallization microstructure in which a large number of fine grains still existed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 0.23 mm thick grain-oriented silicon steel sheet was successfully produced based on strip casting and two-stage cold rolling route. The evolutions of microstructure and texture along the complete processing route were briefly investigated. It was shown that the as-cast strip was composed of coarse ferrite grains and martensite, and the texture was mainly characterized by strong {001} $\langle 0vw\rangle $ texture. Goss texture was absent in the hot-rolled strip, which was distinct from the well accepted results that Goss texture had its origin during hot rolling. After the cycle of the first-stage cold rolling, an intermediate annealing, the second-stage cold rolling, and a primary annealing, the strip exhibited a fully recrystallized microstructure with a weak \alpha $ -fiber texture and a relatively strong \gamma $ -fiber texture. Goss texture was not observed through the thickness of the primary annealed strip. This was significantly different from the previous results that Goss texture was the most populous component in the primary recrystallization texture of two-stage route in conventional process. After secondary recrystalization annealing, the magnetic induction of the sheet was as high as 1.84 T. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel half-sandwich metal (Ir, Rh) complexes constructed from carboranylthioamide ligands containing an unexpected metal–boron bond were synthesized and characterized. The strong base n-butyllithium is demonstrated to be necessary in the reaction process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ethnopharmacological relevance: Acupoint application of cold asthma recipe (CAR) was a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) method, widely used as an alternative medicine for clinical prevention of the common winter diseases of asthma and bronchitis. Tetrahydropalmatine (THP) was a main active ingredient of CAR extract. The aim of this study is to compare plasma pharmacokinetics and lung distribution of THP between Feishu (FS) acupoint (BL 13) and Non-Feishu (NFS) acupoint application of CAR extract by ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Materials and methods: The extract of CAR was topically administrated in FS and NFS acupoint of rats for plasma pharmacokinetics, and topically administrated in FS and NFS acupoint of mice for lung distribution. The plasma and lung homogenates were pretreated by protein precipitation with acetonitrile. Chromatographic separation was performed on an ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 column with a mobile phase consisted of 0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid in water. The detection was accomplished by multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) scanning in the positive electrospray ionization (ESI+) mode. All pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated by non-compartmental analysis. Results: A sensitive, accurate and precise UPLC-MS/MS method was successfully established for determination of THP in 100?L plasma and lung homogenate. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of THP was 0.05ng/mL and 0.072ng/mL, respectively. The pharmacokinetic results manifested that THP was absorbed and eliminated slowly in plasma. Additionally, it was found that there was significantly higher amount of THP absorbed into blood and lung after FS acupoint application compared to NFS acupoint application. Conclusions: Both of the rat plasma pharmacokinetics and mice lung distribution of THP could support that FS acupoint application of CAR extract has greater advantages of absorption into the blood circulation and distribution in target tissue over NFS acupoint application. The results might be helpful in providing a rational explanation for why the TCM chose the acupoint application and elucidating the underlying mechanism of this treatment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Introduction: Galectin-9 (Gal-9) induces adhesion and aggregation of certain cell types and inhibits the metastasis of tumor cells. T-cell immunoglobulin–and mucin domain-3–containing molecule 3 (TIM-3) plays a pivotal role in immune regulation. The aim of this study is to investigate Gal-9 and TIM-3 alterations in gastric cancer and their prognostic values. Methods: Gal-9 and Tim-3 expression was evaluated using a tissue microarray immunohistochemistry method in 305 gastric cancers, of which 84 had paired adjacent normal samples. Cell lines SGC-7901, BGC-823, MGC-803, MKN45 and GES-1 were also stained. Correlations were analyzed between expression levels of Gal-9 and Tim-3 protein and tumor parameters or clinical outcomes. Results: Gal-9 and Tim-3 stained positive on tumor cells in 86.2% (263/305), and 60.0% (183/305) patients with gastric cancer, respectively. Gal-9 expression was significantly higher in cancer than in normal mucosa (P<0.001). Reduced Gal-9 expression was associated with lymph-vascular invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis and worse TNM staging (P = 0.034, P = 0.009, P = 0.002 and P = 0.043, respectively). In contrast, Tim-3 expression was significantly lower in cancer than in control mucosa (P<0.001). Patients with lymph-vascular invasion had higher expression levels of Tim-3 (P<0.001). Moreover, multivariate analysis shows that both high Gal-9 expression and low Tim-3 expression were significantly associated with long overall survival (P = 0.002, P = 0.010, respectively); the combination of Gal-9 and Tim-3 expression was an independent prognostic predictor for patients with gastric cancer (RR: 0.43; 95%CI: 0.20–0.93). H.pylori infection status was not associated with Gal-9 and Tim-3 expression (P = 0.102, P = 0.565). Conclusion: The results suggest that expression of Gal-9 and Tim-3 in tumor cells may be a potential, independent prognostic factor for patients with gastric cancer. Gal-9 and TIM-3 may play an important part in the gastric carcinogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To investigate discovered on gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST)-1 (DOG-1) and protein kinase C-θ (PKC-θ) expression in a series of GISTs and determine the sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic value of these two antigens. Methods. Immnunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to detect CD117, DOG-1, PKC-θ, CD34, Ki-67, α-smooth muscle actin (SMA), S100, and Desmin expression in 147 GISTs and 51 non-GISTs. c-Kit gene (exons 9, 11, 13, and 17) and platelet-derived growth factor receptor-alpha (PDGFRA) gene (exons 12 and 18) mutations were also detected. Results. About 94.5% GISTs were CD117 positive, 96% were DOG-1 positive, and 90.5% were PKC-θ positive. DOG-1 had a specificity of 100%, while CD117 and PKC-θ had a specificity of 90% and 80%, respectively. There was no significant difference between DOG-1 and PKC-θ expressions when compared to CD117 expression. In 30 out of 42 (71.5%) GISTs, a c-Kit gene mutation was found, and in 3 out of 42 cases (7%), PDGFRA was mutated. Wild-type c-Kit/PDGFRA genes accounted for 21.5% (9/42). Most c-Kit gene mutations were found to be located at exon 11, mainly as in-frame deletions. Mutations in exon 9 were all missense mutations. Most PDGFRA gene mutations were found in exon 18, codon 842. c-Kit gene mutations in exons 13 and 17, and the PDGFRA gene mutation in exon 12 were not detected. Conclusions. Compared to CD117, DOG-1 is a biomarker with higher sensitivity and specificity. The combination of CD117 and DOG-1 can be used to improve the diagnosis of GIST. Although PKC-θ has a lower specificity than DOG-1, it can be a useful biomarker, especially in CD117− and/or DOG-1− cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel antioxidant polysaccharide-peptide complex LB-1b from the fruiting bodies of the edible abalone mushroom (Pleurotus abalonus) was purified and identified. The structural characteristic of LB-1b was identified by FTIR (Fouriertransform IR), 13C NMR and 1H NMR spectroscopy. LB-1b is a polysaccharide-peptide complex that contains glucose, rhamnose, glucuronic acid and galactose in the molar ratio of 22.4:1:1.7:1.6 and the N-terminal sequence of its peptide moiety has also been determined. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of LB-1b, IPKERKEFQQAQHLK, showed some resemblance to antioxidant enzymes. LB-1b exhibited high antioxidant activity in erythrocyte haemolysis in vitro and the anti-proliferative activity towards hepatoma HepG2 cells and breast cancer MCF7 cells with an IC50 of 24 and 14 µM respectively. LB-1b also demonstrated hypoglycaemic activity in drug-induced diabetic mice and anti-HIV-1 RT (reverse transcriptase) with an IC50 value of 12.5 µM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is a primary glomerulonephritis which may lead to end-stage renal disease. This article aims to provide the latest evidence with respect to the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the treatment of IgAN. We systematically searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), and WanFang databases for randomized controlled trials from inception until 31 December, 2020. The quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Cochrane Reviewers' Handbook 5.3 and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). In total, 47 eligible studies with 3523 patients were included. Three were multicenter, double-blind studies which included a placebo, 13 studies used a patented TCM, 28 studies used TCM decoctions, and 6 studies used granules. The results indicated that, compared with routine treatment alone, a combination of TCM with routine treatment improved 24-h urine protein levels (mean difference [MD] = −0.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] = −0.44 to −0.29, P < 0.001; GRADE rating: moderate), serum creatinine levels (MD = −8.68, 95% CI = −10.72 to −6.64, P < 0.001; GRADE rating: moderate), the estimated glomerular filtration rate (MD = 4.15, 95% CI = 1.01 to 7.28, P = 0.01; GRADE rating: low), and the urine red blood cell count (MD = −7.58, 95% CI = −10.79 to −4.37, P < 0.001; GRADE rating: low), and reduced the incidence of adverse events (risk ratio = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.41 to 0.72, P < 0.001). Sensitivity analysis showed the results were robust, and there was no significant publication bias. Evidence from this meta-analysis suggests that the combination of routine treatment and TCM treatment was more effective in treating IgAN than routine treatment alone but heterogeneity is high due the different TCMs assessed. Safety remains unclear due to insufficient reporting. Before widespread use more long-term, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, and placebo controlled clinical trials are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Effect of two-stage cold rolling route on microstructure and texture was studied. • Low-reduction cold rolling and intermediate annealing resulted in coarse grains. • γ-Fiber was weakened while λ-fiber and Goss texture were enhanced in final sheet. • Increasing grain size prior to cold rolling led to improved magnetic properties. The 0.5 mm-thick Fe-0.9 wt%Si-0.3 wt%Al non-oriented electrical steel sheets were successfully produced with one-stage and two-stage cold rolling methods. The comparative investigations were conducted on the relationships between the processing routes, microstructures, textures and magnetic properties. This study mainly focused on how to increase the grain sizes prior to cold rolling and its influences on subsequent microstructure and texture evolution. The results showed that the fine microstructure prior to final cold rolling led to the pronounced γ-fiber texture, fine recrystallized grains and deteriorated magnetic properties after final annealing. Nevertheless, by introducing a low-reduction cold rolling and intermediate annealing, coarse grains could be generated prior to the final cold rolling. When the cold rolling reduction was 11%, a relatively homogeneous microstructure composed of fully coarse grains was produced. The increased grain sizes promoted the generation of dense shear bands during final cold rolling, which served as the nucleation sites for λ-grains and Goss grains. This resulted in the improved magnetic properties due to the weakened γ-fiber texture, strengthened λ-fiber texture and Goss texture and increased grain sizes in the final annealed sheets. This work provided a new way to improve the magnetic properties of non-oriented electrical steels by controlling the grain sizes prior to final cold rolling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palladium ‐ induced selective B(4)−H activation is achieved by the reaction of o ‐ carboranylthioamide and [PdCl2(CH3CN)2]. A tetranuclear palladium complex is formed in high yield. Mononuclear and trinuclear palladium complexes are obtained directly from the reaction of tetranuclear palladium complex with small molecules, such as tert ‐ butyl isocyanide and CO. These reactions are featured on the back cover. More information can be found in the Full Paper by G. ‐ X. Lin et al. on page 1814 ff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructure and texture evolution along the processing was investigated with a particular focus on the secondary recrystallization behavior in a 0.23 mm-thick twin-roll cast grain-oriented electrical steel. A striking feature is that Goss orientation originated during twin-roll casting as a result of shear deformation and it was further enhanced during hot rolling and normalizing. After primary recrystallization annealing, a homogeneous microstructure associated with a sharp γ-fiber texture was produced. During secondary recrystallization annealing, the γ-fiber texture was first strengthened and weakened with increasing temperature prior to the onset of secondary recrystallization. Goss grains always exhibited more 20–45° misoriented boundaries than the matrix. The matrix was quite stable during secondary recrystallization with the aid of dense inhibitors. Finally, a complete secondary recrystallization microstructure consisting of large Goss grains was produced. The grain boundary characteristics distribution indicated that the high energy model was responsible for the abnormal growth of Goss grains under the present conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 0.1 mm-thick grain-oriented silicon steel sheet was successfully produced using strip casting and three-stage cold rolling method. The microstructure, texture and inhibitor evolution during the processing was briefly analyzed. It was found that Goss texture was absent in the hot rolled sheet because of the lack of shear deformation. After normalizing, a large number of dispersed MnS precipitates with the size range of 15–90 nm were produced. During first cold rolling, dense shear bands were generated in the deformed ferrite grains, resulting in the intense Goss texture after first intermediate annealing. The microstructure was further refined and homogenized during the subsequent cold rolling and annealing processes. After primary recrystallization annealing, a homogeneous microstructure consisting of fine and equiaxed grains was produced while the associated texture was characterized by a strong γ-fiber texture. Finally, a complete secondary recrystallization microstructure consisting of entirely large Goss grains was produced. The magnetic induction B 8 and iron loss P 10/400 was 1.79 T and 6.9 W/kg, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: Gliomas are a group of center nervous system tumors of glial origin. Most are characterized by diffuse infiltrative growth in the surrounding brain. Patients almost always ultimately die from their disease. The drastically increased knowledge about the molecular abnormalities, these are linked with tumor grade and patient prognosis. The aim of this study was to examine the role of KIF2C and AURKB as prognostic factors in gliomas. Materials and methods: A total 40 tumor samples and 6 normal brain tissue samples were collected. Biomarker KIF2C and AURKB were tested by qRT-PCR. Using Western blot validate the results. Results: We found that KIF2C and AURKB genes were higher expression in glioma samples when were compared with normal brain tissues. KIF2C and AURKB expression were associated with histopathological grades. We found that KIF2C as a potential independent prognostic marker for patient with glioma by Cox analysis. Conclusion: The expression level of KIF2C mRNA could be a potential independent marker to evaluate patient prognosis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Castleman's disease is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder of unknown etiology. The most frequent location of the disease is the mediastinum. Castleman's disease involving the pleura is rare,with only 3 previously reported cases. Here we describe the case of a 20-year-old female with the incidental finding of a pleural mass, discovered during a health checkup. X-rays and a computerized tomography (CT) scan revealed a relatively well circumscribed,4-5 cm ×2-2 cm,flat-round mass arising from the right parietal pleura and compressing the lung. It had the density of soft tissue. The lung did not show significant change. The final diagnosis was reached after surgical resection of the mass. On histopathologic examination this mass showed features of Castleman's disease of the hyaline vascular-type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify prognostic factors for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), specifically those classified into conflicting subgroups by Hans' and Choi's classification algorithms. We retrospectively reviewed clinical and pathological data of 154 patients diagnosed with de novo DLBCL in the First Hospital of Jilin University from January 2004 to September 2011. All cases were classified into subgroups based on Hans' and Choi's algorithms with immunohistochemical markers., Statistical Analysis Used: The correlation between various clinicopathological factors and 5-year survival rate, the correlation between those factors with the International Prognostic Index, the concordance between Hans' and Choi's approach was evaluated. The survival in different subtypes as classified by Hans' or Choi's approach was mapped., Results: The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance score 2-5, positive Bcl-2 expression, negative CD10 expression or negative Bcl-6 expression significantly correlated with worse prognosis. The two algorithms showed good consistency (83% concordance, Kappa = 0.660, P < 0.001). By both classifications, the 5-year overall survival rate in germinal center B-cell-like subtype (GCB) lymphoma is significantly higher than that in the non-GCB subtype. There were 25 cases assigned to conflicting subtypes by the two approaches. Among these 25 cases, ECOG 2-5, positive Bcl-2 expression, negative CD10 expression, or negative Bcl-6 expression significantly correlated with worse prognosis., Conclusions: ECOG 2-5, positive Bcl-2 expression, negative CD10 expression, or negative Bcl-6 expression are independent markers for poor prognosis of DLBCL patients. There were 15% cases assigned to conflicting subgroups based on the two algorithms. For these cases, ECOG 2-5, positive Bcl-2 expression, negative CD10 expression, or negative Bcl-6 expression still significantly correlate with poor prognosis.

Aim: To investigate the role of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CD24 gene in susceptibility and overall survival of gastric cancer (GC)., Methods: We genotyped 3 tagging SNPs of CD24-P-534 in the promoter region, P170 in the coding region of exon 2 and P1527 in the 3' untranslated region - using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism in specimens from 679 histologically-confirmed GC cases, 111 gastric atrophy (GA) cases and 976 tumor-free controls. Serum immunoglobulin G antibodies to Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) of all subjects were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. CD24 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 131 GC specimens. Correlations between SNPs and risk of GC or GA were shown by P values and odd ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) compared with the most common genotype of each SNP using the unconditional logistic regression model after adjusting for age, sex and H. pylori infection. Survival within each SNP group was plotted by Kaplan-Meier method and compared by log-rank test (recessive model). Hazard ratios with 95%CIs were computed by Cox regression model after adjusting for age, sex, histological type, tumor differentiation, clinical stage and post-operational chemotherapy., Results: All of the three loci were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in the control group. Median follow-up time for the 600 GC patients included in the survival analysis was 36.2 mo (range, 2.1-66.7 mo; 95%CI: 34.3-36.5 mo). Patients with the P-534 A/A genotype had significantly shorter survival (HR = 1.38, 95%CI: 1.01-1.88, P = 0.042) than did the C/C or C/A genotype carriers after adjusting for age, sex, histological type, tumor differentiation, clinical stage and post-operational chemotherapy. This trend was more evident in patients who lived longer than 2.5 years (HR = 7.55, 95%CI: 2.16-26.32, P = 0.001). The P170 T/T genotype was associated with a shorter lifespan than the non-T/T genotypes, but not significantly so. None of the three genetic variants was found to be associated with risk of GC (including tumor stage, grade and distant metastasis) or with risk of gastric atrophy. Furthermore, no difference of CD24 expression was found among the genotypes., Conclusion: The P-534 site in CD24 gene affects the overall survival of gastric cancer and may serve as a prognostic marker for gastric cancer.

Aim: To explore the alteration of DNA methyltransferase expression in gastric cancer and to assess its prognostic value., Methods: From April 2000 to December 2010, 227 men and 73 women with gastric cancer were enrolled in the study. The expression of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), including DNMT1, DNMT3a and DNMT3b, in the 300 cases of gastric carcinoma, of which 85 had paired adjacent normal gastric mucus samples, was evaluated by immunohistochemistry using a tissue microarray. Serum anti-Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) IgG was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The relationships between the above results and the clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed. Their prognostic value was evaluated using the Cox proportional hazards model., Results: In gastric cancer, expression of DNMTs was mainly seen in the nucleus. Weak staining was also observed in the cytoplasm. Expression of DNMT1, DNMT3a and DNMT3b in gastric cancer was significantly higher compared to that in the paired control samples (60.0% vs 37.6%, 61.2% vs 4.7%, and 94.1% vs 71.8%, P < 0.01). The overall survival rate was significantly higher in the DNMT3a negative group than in the DNMT3a positive group in gastric cancer patients (Log-rank test, P = 0.032). No significant correlation was observed between DNMT1 and DNMT3b expression and the overall survival time (Log-rank test, P = 0.289, P = 0.347). Multivariate regression analysis indicated that DNMT3a expression (P = 0.025) and TNM stage (P < 0.001), but not DNMT1 (P = 0.54) or DNMT3b (P = 0.62), were independent prognostic factors in gastric cancer. H. pylori infection did not induce protein expression of DNMTs., Conclusion: The results suggest that expression of DNMT3a is an independent poor prognostic indicator in gastric cancer. DNMT3a might play an important role in gastric carcinogenesis.

Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 are important proteases involved in invasion and metastasis of various tumors. Extra-gastrointestinal stromal tumors (EGISTs) are rare neoplasms. This study was performed to assess MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression in EGIST tissue samples for association with clinicopathological data from the patients. Twenty-one surgical EGIST tissue specimens were collected for analysis of MMP-2 and MMP- 9 expression using immunohistochemistry. MMP-2 and MMP-9 proteins were expressed in all of the epithelial cell types of EGISTs, whereas they were only expressed in 75% of the spindle cell type, although there was no statistically significant difference (p>0.05). Expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 proteins was associated with tumor size, mitotic rate, tumor necrosis, and distant metastasis (p<0.05). MMP-2 expression was linked with MMP-9 levels (p<0.05). However, there was no correlation between MMP-9 expression and age, sex, primary site, or cell morphology in any of these 21 EGIST patients (p>0.05). Moreover, expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 proteins increased with the degree of EGIST risk. This study provided evidence of an association of MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression with advanced EGIST behavior.

Aim: To explore the alteration of tyrosine phosphatase SHP-2 protein expression in gastric cancer and to assess its prognostic values., Methods: Three hundred and five consecutive cases of gastric cancer were enrolled into this study. SHP-2 expression was carried out in 305 gastric cancer specimens, of which 83 were paired adjacent normal gastric mucus samples, using a tissue microarray immunohistochemical method. Correlations were analyzed between expression levels of SHP-2 protein and tumor parameters or clinical outcomes. Serum anti-Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) immunoglobulin G was detected with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate prognostic values by compassion of the expression levels of SHP-2 and disease-specific survivals in patients., Results: SHP-2 staining was found diffuse mainly in the cytoplasm and the weak staining was also observed in the nucleus in gastric mucosa cells. Thirty-two point five percent of normal epithelial specimen and 62.6% of gastric cancer specimen were identified to stain with SHP-2 antibody positively (P < 0.001). Though SHP-2 staining intensities were stronger in the H. pylori (+) group than in the H. pylori (-) group, no statistically significant difference was found in the expression levels of SHP-2 between H. pylori (+) and H. pylori (-) gastric cancer (P = 0.40). The SHP-2 expression in gastric cancer was not significantly associated with cancer stages, lymph node metastases, and distant metastasis of the tumors (P = 0.34, P = 0.17, P = 0.52). Multivariate analysis demonstrated no correlation between SHP-2 expression and disease-free survival (P = 0.86)., Conclusion: Increased expression of SHP-2 protein in gastric cancer specimen suggesting the aberrant up-regulation of SHP-2 protein might play an important role in the gastric carcinogenesis.

Aim: To investigate the role of expressions of Ki-67, p53, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) grading and prognosis., Methods: Tumor tissue was collected retrospectively from 96 patients with GIST. Antibodies against Ki-67, p53, EGFR and COX-2 were used for immunohistochemical staining. Tumor grading was designated according to a consensus system and the staining was quantified in 3 categories for each antibody in the statistical analysis., Results: The Ki-67 expression in GISTs was significantly associated with the size of the tumors, mitotic rate and the risk of malignancy (χ(2) = 15.51, P = 0.02; χ(2) = 22.27, P < 0.001; χ(2) = 20.05; P < 0.001). The p53 expression was also significantly correlated with mitotic rate and the risk of malignancy (χ(2) = 9.92, P = 0.04; χ(2) = 9.97; P = 0.04). Over-expression of Ki-67 was strongly correlated with poor survival (χ(2) = 10.44, P = 0.006), but no correlation was found between the expression of p53, EGFR or COX-2 and survival. Multivariate analysis further demonstrated that Ki-67 expression (relative risk = 15.78, 95% CI: 4.25-59.37) could be used as an independent prognostic value for GIST patients. Adjuvant imatinib therapy could improve clinical outcomes in the patients with high risk and intermediate risk of recurrence after complete tumor resections (median survival time: 52 mo vs 37 mo, χ(2) = 7.618, P = 0.006)., Conclusion: Our results indicated that the expression of Ki-67 could be used as an independent prognostic factor for GIST patients.