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To develop and validate a predictive model include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameters preoperatively which can assess the risk of incontinence after laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) accurately.We retrospectively reviewed and included 170 patients with prostate cancer who underwent LRP between July 2015 and June 2018 in our institution. All 170 patients were randomly resampled and divided into training set (n = 124) and verification set (n = 46) according to the ratio of 7:3. The Nomogram prediction model of the risk of incontinence after LRP was established through the training set and verified by the verification set. Baseline patient characteristics were obtained, including age, body mass index, and prostate volume. Perioperative characteristics such as pre-biopsy prostate specific antigen, biopsy Gleason score, clinical staging, and NVB sparing status were also collected. MRI parameters preoperatively including membranous urethral length (MUL), prostate apex depth ratio (PADR), and intravesical prostatic protrusion length (IPPL) were obtained. The C index and visual inspection of calibration curve were used to evaluate the discrimination and calibration of the model.According to the urinary incontinence (UI) at 3 months postoperatively, the patients were divided into 104 cases (61.2%) in the group with no incontinence and 66 patients (38.8%) in the group with incontinence. Multivariate logistic regression analysis of training set showed that cT3a (OR = 0.427, 95% CI 0.142-1.281, P = 0.1288), MUL (OR = 0.237, 95% CI 0.102-0.551, P 0.01), PADR (OR = 0.276, 95% CI 0.116-0.655, P 0.01), and IPPL (OR = 0.073, 95% CI 0.030-0.179, P 0.01) were independent predictors of urinary incontinence at 3 months postoperatively. The model showed good discrimination with an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.880, with the sensitivity and specificity 0.800 and 0.816, respectively, and good calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow test result of 5.57, P = 0.695). Decision curve analysis demonstrated that the model was clinically useful.This study developed and validated a preoperative model in the form of a nomogram to predict the risk of UI after LRP at 3 months. MUL, PADR, and IPPL were significant independent predictive factors of the postoperative early urinary continence.

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To provide insight into the surgical and oncological outcomes of robotic, laparoscopic and open radical nephrectomy with venous thrombectomy (RALRN-VT, LRN-VT, ORN-VT) in patients with renal tumor and venous thrombus.A propensity-matched retrospective cohort study containing 324 patients with renal tumor and venous thrombus from January 2014 to August 2021 was analyzed. We compared surgical outcomes and we used the Kalan-Meier method to assess the overall survival (OS), tumor-specific survival (TSS), metastasis-free survival (MFS) and local recurrence-free survival (LRFS). The Pearson chi-square test and Fisher exact test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, Cox proportional hazards regression model and log-rank test were used.After matching, baseline characteristics were comparable in the RALRN-VT, LRN-VT and ORN-VT group. The RALRN-VT group had the least operative time (median 134 min vs 289 min vs 330 min, P 0.001), the least blood loss (median 250 ml vs 500 ml vs 1000 ml, P 0.001) and the fewest packed red blood cells transfusion (median 400 ml vs 800 ml vs 1200 ml, P 0.001). The ORN-VT group had the highest complication rate (18.2 vs 22.7 vs 43.2%, P = 0.005), the highest Clavien grade (P = 0.001) and the longest postoperative hospital stay (median 7d vs 8d vs 10d, P 0.001). No significant difference in OS, TSS and MFS between the minimally invasive procedures (MIP, including RALRN-VT and LRN-VT) group and ORN-VT group was found. The hazard ratio of LRFS for the MIP group was 0.20 (95% CI 0.06-0.70, P = 0.01) compared with ORN-VT group.RALRN-VT can result in the best surgical outcomes compared with LRN-VT and ORN-VT. The MIP group had a better LRFS compared with ORN-VT group.

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is the most common form of urinary incontinence in women, which affects women's quality of life worldwide. Mechanical injury of the pelvic floor may disrupt the pelvic supportive tissues and connections via the remodeling of extracellular matrix (ECM), which is supposed to be one of the main pathological mechanisms of SUI.The SUI mouse model was established using vaginal distension (VD). Leak point pressure (LPP), maximum cystometric capacity (MCC), collagen, Nrf2 and TGF-β1 in the anterior vaginal wall were measured in either wild-type or Nrf2-knockout (Nrf2The collagen content of the anterior vaginal tissues in VD mice and LPP and MCC was decreased significantly. Besides, the expression levels of Nrf2, TGF-β1, collagen I and collagen III of MS group were downregulated in L929 cells. Puerarin pretreatment could reverse mechanical injury-induced collagen downregulation and Nrf2/TGF-β1 signaling inhibition. Moreover, both LY2109761 pretreatment and Nrf2 knockdown could attenuate the protective effect of puerarin in the mechanical injury-induced ECM remodeling, whereas exogenous TGF-β1 could counteract the effect of Nrf2 downregulation.Puerarin protected fibroblasts from mechanical injury-induced ECM remodeling through the Nrf2/TGF-β1 signaling pathway. This might be a new strategy for the treatment of SUI.

Single-cross maize hybrids display superior heterosis and are produced from crossing two parental inbred lines belonging to genetically different heterotic groups. Here we assembled 1,604 historically utilized maize inbred lines belonging to various female heterotic groups (FHGs) and male heterotic groups (MHGs), and conducted phenotyping and genomic sequencing analyses. We found that the FHGs and MHGs have undergone both convergent and divergent changes for different sets of agronomic traits. Using genome-wide selection scans and association analyses, we identified a large number of candidate genes that contributed to the improvement of agronomic traits of the FHGs and MHGs. Moreover, we observed increased genetic differentiation between the FHGs and MHGs across the breeding eras, and we found a positive correlation between increasing heterozygosity levels in the differentiated genes and heterosis in hybrids. Furthermore, we validated the function of two selected genes and a differentiated gene. This study provides insights into the genomic basis of modern hybrid maize breeding.

This study aimed to investigate whether underdilated transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) could reduce the risk of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and ameliorate impaired hepatic function in patients with a history of splenectomy.A retrospective case-control study was conducted with 96 patients who had prior splenectomy and TIPS placement from August 2016 to May 2022. All patients were divided into two groups based on the diameter of expansion balloon catheters, the underdilated group (6-mm balloon catheter, n = 60) and a control group (8-mm balloon catheter, n = 36). Following the 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM), 33 patients in the underdilated group and 33 patients in the control group were included.During a median follow-up of 36 months, a quicker recovery in liver function after TIPS placement was showed in the underdilated group. The mean TBIL content (16.562 ± 6.549 μmol/L vs 23.871 ± 11.609 μmol/L, P = 0.019) and the mean CLIF-C AD score (41.108 ± 5.223 vs 45.100 ± 4.429, P = 0.033) in the underdilated group were significantly lower than those in the control group during 6 to 12 months after the procedure. In line with the control group, the ability to reduce portal pressure gradient (PPG) and achieve a significantly clinical remission of PVT and ascites severity was showed in the underdilated group 3 months after TIPS creation (P 0.001). The Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that no statistically significant differences were found in the cumulative incidence of no overt HE (OHE) (log-rank P = 0.383), cumulative incidence without shunt dysfunction (log-rank P = 0.283), cumulative incidence of no variceal rebleeding (log-rank P = 0.696), and survival (log-rank P = 0.341) (log-rank P = 0.341) between the two groups during the follow-up period.For patients with prior splenectomy, it is safe to employ underdilated TIPS, as the stents will eventually self-expand to 8 mm. The present study has shown some degree of liver function preservation in the underdilated group, which may be related to slower progressive changes in the portal hemodynamics.

The transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), as a master regulator of adaptive responses to hypoxia, possesses two transcriptional activation domains [TAD, N-terminal (NTAD), and C-terminal (CTAD)]. Although the roles of HIF-1α NTAD in kidney diseases have been recognized, the exact effects of HIF-1α CTAD in kidney diseases are poorly understood. Here, two independent mouse models of hypoxia-induced kidney injury were established using HIF-1α CTAD knockout (HIF-1α CTAD−/−) mice. Furthermore, hexokinase 2 (HK2) and mitophagy pathway are modulated using genetic and pharmacological methods, respectively. We demonstrated that HIF-1α CTAD−/− aggravated kidney injury in two independent mouse models of hypoxia-induced kidney injury, including ischemia/reperfusion-induced kidney injury and unilateral ureteral obstruction-induced nephropathy. Mechanistically, we found that HIF-1α CTAD could transcriptionally regulate HK2 and subsequently ameliorate hypoxia-induced tubule injury. Furthermore, it was found that HK2 deficiency contributed to severe renal injury through mitophagy inhibition, while mitophagy activation using urolithin A could significantly protect against hypoxia-induced kidney injury in HIF-1α C-TAD−/− mice. Our findings suggested that the HIF-1α CTAD-HK2 pathway represents a novel mechanism of kidney response to hypoxia, which provides a promising therapeutic strategy for hypoxia-induced kidney injury.

Atmospheric chemistry research has been growing rapidly in China in the last 25 years since the concept of the “air pollution complex” was first proposed by Professor Xiaoyan TANG in 1997. For papers published in 2021 on air pollution (only papers included in the Web of Science Core Collection database were considered), more than 24 000 papers were authored or co-authored by scientists working in China. In this paper, we review a limited number of representative and significant studies on atmospheric chemistry in China in the last few years, including studies on (1) sources and emission inventories, (2) atmospheric chemical processes, (3) interactions of air pollution with meteorology, weather and climate, (4) interactions between the biosphere and atmosphere, and (5) data assimilation. The intention was not to provide a complete review of all progress made in the last few years, but rather to serve as a starting point for learning more about atmospheric chemistry research in China. The advances reviewed in this paper have enabled a theoretical framework for the air pollution complex to be established, provided robust scientific support to highly successful air pollution control policies in China, and created great opportunities in education, training, and career development for many graduate students and young scientists. This paper further highlights that developing and low-income countries that are heavily affected by air pollution can benefit from these research advances, whilst at the same time acknowledging that many challenges and opportunities still remain in atmospheric chemistry research in China, to hopefully be addressed over the next few decades.

Objective This study aimed to examine the effect of exercise intervention for antenatal depression using meta-analysis and to propose the best exercise intervention program. Methods Review Manager 5.3 was used to analyze 17 papers with 2224 subjects by setting five moderators, including type, time, frequency, period, and format of exercise intervention, and a random-effects model was used to test for overall effect, heterogeneity, and publication bias. Results (1) The effect size of the exercise intervention on antenatal depression was d = -0.56, which reached a good effect and was statistically significant; b (2) The effect size of the exercise type on antenatal depression was Yoga and a combination of aerobic exercise in order of intervention; (3) the single intervention duration of 10–75 min all had a good effect on antenatal depression, and 30–60 min had the best effect; (4) the intervention frequency of 3 to 5 times/week had the greatest amount of intervention effect on maternal depression; (5) exercise lasting 6–10 weeks had a good intervention effect on antepartum depression, and the amount of effect decreased gradually with the extension of time; (6) In terms of exercise format, the amount of intervention effect on maternal depression was in the order of group exercise, individual + group exercise. Conclusions Exercise intervention can significantly alleviate antenatal depression symptoms. The best exercise program for exercise intervention for antenatal depression is: Yoga and a combination of aerobic exercise intervention effects are more prominent, and the intervention effect of Yoga is the best. The use of group exercise 3–5 times per week for 30–60 min for 6–10 weeks was more likely to achieve the desired intervention effect of improving antenatal depression.

The survival of tumor cells in the bloodstream, and vasculature adhesion at metastatic sites are crucial for tumor metastasis. Perivascular invasion aids tumor cell self-renewal, survival, and formation of metastases by facilitating readily available oxygen, nutrients, and endothelial-derived paracrine factors. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is among the most prevalent tumors of the urinary system, and the formation of venous tumor thrombus (VTT) is a characteristic feature of RCC. We observed high expression of L1CAM in the VTT with vessel wall invasion. L1CAM promotes the adhesion, migration, and invasion ability of RCC and enhances metastasis by interacting with ITGA5, which elicits activation of signaling downstream of integrin α5β1. L1CAM promotes ADAM17 transcription to facilitate transmembrane ectodomain cleavage and release of soluble L1CAM. In response to soluble L1CAM, vascular endothelial cells release several cytokines and chemokines. Endothelial-derived CXCL5 and its receptor CXCR2 promote the migration and intravasation of RCC toward endothelial cells suggesting that crosstalk between endothelial cells and tumor cells has a direct guiding role in driving the metastatic spread of RCC. LICAM plays a crucial role in the invasive ability of RCC, and regulation of L1CAM expression may contribute therapeutically to preventing RCC progression.