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The establishment of S-scheme heterojunctions represents an effective strategy for enhancing the transfer and separation of charge carriers, thereby bolstering redox capacities and consequently benefiting subsequent photocatalytic reactions. In this study, the pristine Bi 7 O 9 I 3 underwent a facile vulcanization process to in-situ produce various composites. Systematical characterizations confirmed the simultaneous generation of Bi 7 O 9 I 3 /Bi 2 S 3 (BI-BS) heterojunctions with surface oxygen vacancies (OVs). Under visible light, these BI-BS composites exhibited improved NO removal efficiencies with reduced NO 2 generation compared to bare Bi 7 O 9 I 3 . Particularly, the best candidate BI-BS2 possesses the highest NO removal (43.02%) and lowest NO 2 generation (5.44%) among all tested samples. The improvement was primarily attributed to synergetic effects of heterojunction and surface OVs, including enhanced charge separation, heightened light responsiveness, and improved generation of reactive oxygen-containing species through an S-scheme mode. Furthermore, the Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations had demonstrated that the establishment of BI-BS heterojunctions with surface OVs not only optimized the electronic structure to facilitate the transfer and separation of charge carriers, but also significantly enhanced the adsorption of NO, H 2 O, and O 2 molecules, ultimately favoring the generation of NO 3 - species. These as-synthesized composites indicated sufficient structural stability and hold potential for the photocatalytic removal of NO at ppb levels., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore the endoscopic characteristics of radioactive iodine-induced sialadenitis (RAIS), and to evaluate the treatment outcomes of endoscopic intervention for RAIS., Study Design: Retrospective case series., Methods: Eighty-two consecutive patients (11 males and 71 females) diagnosed as RAIS from Nov. 2012 to Sep. 2023 were retrospectively included. All patients underwent endoscopic exploration and intervention of the affected glands. The endoscopic features were collected, and treatment outcomes were followed-up and evaluated through post to pre-operative comparisons of gland status., Results: Overall, endoscopic procedures were undertaken for 162 parotid glands (PGs) and 62 submandibular glands (SMGs). Endoscopy showed severe lumen stricture (49.3%) and ductal atresia (23.5%) in PGs, as well as severe stenosis of the anterior duct and ectasia of the proximal duct (59.7%) in SMGs. During a median six months' follow-up, the treatment outcomes of PGs were evaluated as "improvement" in 23.4%，"lesion maintenance" in 45.1% and "lesion aggravation" in 31.5% of the glands. As for SMGs, the treatment outcomes were scored as "improvement"in 29.0%，"lesion maintenance"in 54.8%, and"lesion aggravation"in 16.1% of the glands. No significant differences of treatment outcomes were found relative to RAI treatment sessions and cumulative dosage., Conclusion: RAIS is characteristic of severe lumen stricture and ductal atresia in PGs, and stenosis of the distal duct and ectasia of the proximal duct in SMGs. Endoscopy can alleviate clinical symptoms of RAIS and help to preserve the gland function., Level of Evidence: 4 Laryngoscope, 134:4506-4513, 2024., (© 2024 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.)

Objectives: To establish an inflammation grading system for radioactive iodine-induced sialadenitis (RAIS) based on spiral computed tomography (CT), ultrasonography and sialography., Methods: In all, 120 RAIS patients (18 males and 102 females) were retrospectively included. Spiral CT, ultrasonography and sialography appearances were analysed and categorized as follows: grade I, approximately normal or mild sialadenitis; grade II, moderate sialadenitis; and grade III, severe sialadenitis. Adenitis severity was analysed relative to sex, age, RAI treatment sessions and cumulative doses., Results: Spiral CT showed heterogeneous (78.9%) and atrophic changes (36.8%) in the parotid glands (PGs) and duct ectasia (24.8%) in the submandibular glands (SMGs). Ultrasonography showed heterogeneous echogenicity (54.3%) and diminished gland size (30.2%) in PGs and duct ectasia in SMGs (34.7%). Sialography showed duct obliteration in 25.3% PGs and 3.2% SMGs. Statistical analysis showed good consistency among the three imaging grading results. The incidence and severity of PG lesions were significantly higher than that of SMGs (p < 0.001). As for PGs, adenitis severity was associated with both treatment sessions and cumulative doses; but in SMGs, disease severity was only related to treatment sessions., Conclusions: A grading system for severity of RAIS was established based on spiral CT, ultrasonography and sialography appearances., (© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the histopathological alterations in human salivary glands after radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment for thyroid diseases., Study Design: We retrospectively selected patients with a history of RAI treatment for thyroid diseases from a database of patients who underwent surgery for oral and maxillofacial diseases and had specimens of salivary glands at Peking University School of Stomatology between December 2012 and July 2023. The patients' clinical records and histopathological slides of the salivary glands were carefully reviewed., Results: Sixteen patients were included. Three symptomatic patients showed duct cell cytoplasmic vacuolization and increased numbers of disordered duct cell layers (3/3), severe duct stenosis and dilation (2/3), and exfoliated epithelial cells in the duct lumen (1/3). The glandular parenchyma showed severe acinar atrophy (2/2), fat content enhancement (2/2), and severe periductal fibrosis (3/3). Thirteen asymptomatic patients showed duct cell cytoplasmic vacuolization (5/13), acinar atrophy and increased fat content in the parenchyma (5/13), and periductal fibrosis (5/13)., Conclusion: Main histopathologic changes in the salivary glands after RAI treatment for thyroid diseases are cytoplasmic vacuolization of duct cells, acinar atrophy, fat content enhancement, and periductal fibrosis. These changes were evident in symptomatic cases, and were also seen in some asymptomatic patients., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the importance of cell block and immunohistochemistry in the accurate diagnosis of serous effusion. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 3 124 cases of serous effusion from the Department of Pathology, Beijing Hospital from 2018 to 2022, include 2 213 cases of pleural effusion, 768 cases of peritoneal effusion, 143 cases of pericardial effusion. There were 1 699 males (54.4%) and 1 425 females (45.6%), average age 69 years old. Of which 1 292 cases were prepared with cell blocks and examined with immunohistochemical stain. Results: The percentage of malignant diagnosis increased from 64.9% (839/1 292) to 84.0% (1 086/1 292) after cell block preparation, and 1 086 cases were accurately diagnosed with histological type and/or origin of primary tumor. The undetermined diagnosis of suspected malignancy decreased from 13.3% (172/1 292) to 0.1% (1/1 292) and that of atypical hyperplasia from 18.8% (243/1 292) to 0.4% (5/1 292). The negative result for malignancy rate increased from 3.0% (38/1 292) to 15.5% (200/1 292). The differences highlighted above were statistically significant (Pearson's chi-squared test=12.739, P <0.01). Conclusion: Application of immunohistochemistry based on cell block can significantly improve malignant diagnosis in serous effusion, identify tumor origin and histological type as well as decrease the uncertain diagnosis.

Objective: To analyse the histopathological features of eosinophilic sialodochitis by using terminal duct biopsy., Methods: Sixty-five patients with suspected eosinophilic sialodochitis and four with chronic obstructive sialadenitis were prospectively enrolled. Clinical features, laboratory tests and sialograms were comparatively analysed. Terminal duct biopsy of the parotid or submandibular glands was performed concomitantly with endoscopy-assisted duct dilatation to determine the histopathological features of eosinophilic sialodochitis., Results: Based on eosinophil quantification, the samples of suspected patients were scored as 'definite', 'highly suspected' and 'negative' in 26 (40%), 15 (23.1%) and 24 (36.9%) cases, respectively. Gland types and peripheral blood eosinophil counts were significantly different among these three groups. The proportions of itching glands, mucus plug exudations and elevated immunoglobulin E levels were higher in the 'definite' group than in the other two groups; however, the intergroup differences were insignificant. The primary pathological features of eosinophilic sialodochitis were abundant eosinophils and lymphocytes infiltrated around the duct, degranulation of eosinophils, extensive fibrosis and scattered mastocytes. Periductal eosinophils were not found in cases of chronic obstructive sialadenitis., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that terminal duct biopsy is safe and valuable for the pathological confirmation of eosinophilic sialodochitis, and can be used simultaneously with endoscopy-assisted duct dilatation., (© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

The STAR tool was used to evaluate and analyze the science, transparency, and applicability of Chinese pathology guidelines and consensus published in medical journals in 2022. There were a total of 18 pathology guidelines and consensuses published in 2022, including 1 guideline and 17 consensuses. The results showed that the guideline score was 21.83 points, lower than the overall guideline average (43.4 points). Consensus ratings scored an average of 27.87 points, on par with the overall consensus level (28.3 points). Areas that scored above the overall level were "conflict of interest" and "working groups", while areas that scored below the overall level were "proposals", "funding", "evidence", "consensus approaches" and "accessibility". To sum up, the formulation of pathology guidelines and consensuses in 2022 is not standardized, and the evidence retrieval process, evidence evaluation methods and grading criteria for recommendations on clinical issues are not provided in the formulation process; the process and method for reaching consensus are not provided, the plan is lacking, and registration is not carried out. It is therefore suggested that guidelines/consensus makers in the field of pathology should attach importance to evidence-based medical evidence, strictly follow guideline formulation methods and processes, further improve the scientific, applicable and transparent guidelines/consensuses in the field, and better provide support for clinicians and patients.

Objective: To validate the diagnostic performance of the Paris system for reporting urinary cytology (TPS). Methods: A total of 7 046 urine cytology samples from 3 402 patients collected in the Department of Pathology, Beijing Hospital, China from January 2020 to January 2022 were analyzed. 488 patients had a biopsy or resection specimen during the follow-up period of 6 months. The sensitivity, specificity, risk of malignancy (ROM) and risk of high-grade malignancy (ROHM) of the TPS were evaluated using histological diagnosis as the golden standard. Results: Among the 7 046 samples, high-grade urothelial carcinoma (HGUC) accounted for 5.7% (399/7 046), suspicious for high-grade urothelial carcinoma (SHGUC) for 3.2% (227/7 046), atypical urothelial cells (AUC) for 8.4% (593/7 046), and negative for high-grade urothelial carcinoma (NHGUC) for 72.9% (5 139/7 046) including low-grade urothelial neoplasm (LGUN) for 0.8% (59/7 046) and insufficient samples for 9.8% (688/7 046). 488 patients had a bladder biopsy or resection in the follow-up of six months, including 314 males and 174 females, aged 27 to 92 years (average, 66 years). The ROHM of TPS was 94.7% in HGUC, 83.3% in SHGUC, 41.3% in AUC and 18.8% in NHGUC. The sensitivity and specificity of urine cytology were 70.1% (169/241) and 97.0% (162/167), respectively. The negative predictive value of NHGUC was 69.2% (162/234). Conclusions: The study has shown that TPS classification has high sensitivity and specificity, high ROHM for HGUC and SHGUC, and high negative predictive value for NHGUC. The application of TPS reporting system can better interpret the clinical significance of cytology samples, improve the accuracy of urine cytopathology and ensure continuous diagnostic consistency.

The aim of this study was to propose a treatment strategy for intraglandular submandibular calculi based on calculus site. Seventy-three consecutive patients with impalpable intraglandular submandibular calculi were enrolled retrospectively. The calculi were classified as either post-hilar type, central type, or superficial type. Treatment approaches included transoral duct slitting (TDS), interventional basket retrieval (IBR), intraductal laser lithotripsy (ILL), and transcervical lithotomy (TCL). Complete calculus removal with gland preservation was achieved in 64 patients (87.7%). The success rate for post-hilar, central, and superficial calculi was 86.4% (51/59), 90.9% (10/11), and 100% (3/3), respectively. The treatment approach applied in patients with treatment success was TDS in 32 cases, IBR in 20, ILL in nine, and TCL in three. During follow-up (median 17.3 months), one patient experienced gland atrophy and three had ductal stenosis; the remaining 60 patients (93.8%, 60/64) had good clinical outcomes. In the eight failure cases operated by TDS, the deeply situated calculi could not be detached despite the parenchymal incision in five cases, while the procedure was ceased due to the patient's inability to cooperate in the other three cases. In the remaining failure case, the submandibular gland was sacrificed after calculus extraction via TCL. Application of the proposed treatment algorithm might help preserve gland function in patients with intraglandular submandibular calculi., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest Neither of the authors has a conflict of interest with anything mentioned in this article., (Copyright © 2023 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the expression differences of LLGL2 between prostatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) and prostatic acinar adenocarcinoma, and its potential clinical significance. Methods: Eighteen patients diagnosed of PDA or prostatic acinar adenocarcinoma with PDA component by histopathology during January 2015 and December 2019 in the Beijing Hospital, China were retrospectively studied. The transcriptome analysis was conducted using the tissue of PDA and prostatic acinar adenocarcinoma. Differentially expressed genes and the differences in expression profiles were identified. Further, differentially expressed proteins were verified by immunohistochemistry. Results: The tissue from 8 of the 18 patients were used for transcriptome analysis, the results of which were compared with data from public databases. 129 differentially expressed genes were identified. 45 of them were upregulated while 84 were downregulated. The results of gene enrichment analysis and gene oncology (GO) analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes were mostly enriched in the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and interleukin-17 related pathways. GPAT2, LLGL2, MAMDC4, PCSK9 and SMIM6 were differentially expressed between PDA and prostatic acinar adenocarcinoma. Moreover, LLGL2 was more likely expressed in the cytoplasm ( P =0.04) than the nucleus ( P <0.01) in PDA, compared with prostatic acinar adenocarcinoma. Conclusions: The gene expression profiling indicates that PDA are very similar to prostatic acinar adenocarcinoma. Among the differentially expressed proteins screened and verified in this study, the expression of GPAT2, LLGL2, MAMDC4 and PCSK9 is increased in PDA, while that of SMIM6 is reduced in PDA. The expression of LLGL2 shows significantly different patterns between PDA and prostatic acinar carcinoma, and thus may help differentiate PDA from prostatic acinar adenocarcinoma in clinical practice.

Objective: To assess the feasibility of nuclear score combined with cyclin D1 immunocytochemistry in classifying indeterminate thyroid nodules with fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytological diagnosis of Bethesda category Ⅲ-Ⅴ. Methods: A consecutive cohort of 118 thyroid FNA specimens with indeterminate diagnosis (TBSRTC category Ⅲ-Ⅴ) and available histopathologic follow-up data were collected between December 2018 and April 2022 at the Department of Pathology, Beijing Hospital, China. These cases were subjected to cytological evaluation and cyclin D1 immunocytochemistry. The optimal cut-off points of a simplified nuclear score and the percentage of cyclin D1-positive cells for the diagnosis of malignancy or low-risk neoplasm were determined using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and area under the ROC curve (AUC). The specificity, sensitivity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of nuclear score and cyclin D1 immunostaining were evaluated from the crosstabs based on cut-off points. The diagnostic accuracy of simplified nuclear score combined with cyclin D1 immunostaining was estimated using ROC curve analysis. Results: Nuclear grooves, intra-nuclear inclusions and chromatin clearing were more commonly found in malignancy/low-risk neoplasms than benign lesions ( P= 0.001, P= 0.012 and P= 0.001 respectively). A cut-off point of≥2 for the simplified nuclear score was sensitive for defining malignancy/low-risk neoplasm, and its PPV, NPV, sensitivity and specificity were 93.6%, 87.5%, 99.0% and 50.0% respectively. A positive cut-off point of 10% positive thyroid cells in cyclin D1 immunostaining demonstrated sensitivity of 88.5%, specificity of 100%, PPV of 100% and NPV of 53.8% for correctly detecting thyroid malignancy or low-risk neoplasm. The sensitivity and PPV of simplified nuclear score combined with cyclin D1 immunostaining were 93.3% and 100%, respectively. Both specificity and NPV were maintained at high levels (100% and 66.7%, respectively). The diagnostic accuracy of simplified nuclear score combined with cyclin D1 immunostaining in detecting thyroid malignancy/low-risk neoplasm was increased to 94.1% compared to using either of them alone. Conclusions: Combing simplified nuclear score and cyclin D1 immunostaining on FNA cytology specimens can increase the diagnostic accuracy in classifying thyroid nodules of indeterminate cytological categories. Thus, this supplementary approach provides a simple, accurate, and convenient diagnostic method for cytopathologists so that may reduce unnecessary thyroidectomies.

The aim of this study was to comparatively evaluate the indications and treatment outcomes of two transcutaneous approaches for the removal of impacted parotid stones. Sixty-eight consecutive patients with impacted parotid stones underwent endoscopy-assisted lithotomy via a direct mini-incision or a peri-auricular flap. Clinical safety and outcomes were evaluated. Complete stone extraction was achieved in all patients. In the mini-incision group (52 patients), the stones were in the middle third of the main duct in 31 patients, at the hilum in 16, and in the intraglandular duct in five. In the flap group (16 patients), they were in the middle third of the main duct in one patient, at the hilum in seven, and in the intraglandular duct in eight. Salivary fistula occurred in five mini-incision group patients (9.6%) and four flap group patients (25%). The clinical outcome in the mini-incision group (47 patients, median 25 months of follow-up) was good in 28 patients, fair in 13, and poor in six (12.8%). The clinical outcome in the flap group (16 patients, median 84 months of follow-up) was good in nine patients, fair in five, and poor in two (12.5%). The direct mini-incision approach was found to be safe and effective for impacted stones in the middle third, hilum, and proximal third of the main duct, while the peri-auricular approach would be best reserved for deeper intraglandular stones., (Copyright © 2022 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common malignant neoplasm of the thyroid gland; fine needle aspiration cytology is the most basic and reliable diagnostic method before PTC operation. However, it is not clear which cell morphological changes can be used as a reliable standard for the diagnosis of PTC. A retrospective analysis was performed on 337 patients with PTC confirmed by postoperative histology. An additional 197 randomly selected patients with benign thyroid lesions were included in the study and used as a control group. True papillary arrangements, swirl arrangements, and escape arrangements had high specificity, all of which were 100%, but only swirl arrangements had ideal sensitivity (77.61%). The nuclear volume characteristics had a high sensitivity of more than 90%, but the specificities of both nuclear crowding and nuclear overlap were too low, only 16.34% and 23.35%. The sensitivities of five nuclear structural characteristics were more than 90%, but only the specificity of intranuclear cytoplasmic pseudoinclusions (INCIs) reached 100%, nuclear contour irregularity and pale nuclei with powdery chromatin also had ideal interpretation value except for grooves and marginally placed micronucleoli. Although the sensitivity of psammoma bodies (PBs) was low, the specificity was 100%. In terms of preparation methods, the method of liquid-based preparation (LBP) is obviously better than that of conventional smears. The diagnostic efficiency by the combined detection method of parallel tests showed that without reducing the specificity, the sensitivity increased with the increase of the number of morphological characteristics and finally reached 98.81%. The INCIs and swirl arrangements are the most common and important indicators for the diagnosis of PTC, whereas papillary-like arrangements, the crowding and overlap of nuclear, grooves, marginally placed micronucleoli, and multinucleated giant cells are of little significance for the diagnosis of PTC., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Xue-Jiao Xiong et al.)

Photocatalytic oxidation is a popular transformation way for organic synthesis and is widely applied in academia and industry. Herein, we report a blue light-induced alkylation-oxidation tandem reaction for the synthesis of diverse ketones by combining alkyl radical addition and oxidation of alkenyl borates. This reaction shows excellent functional group compatibility in acceptable yields, and diversity of radical precursors is applicable.

This study aims to explore the neuroprotective mechanism of ginsenoside Re(GS-Re) on drosophila model of Parkinson's disease(PD) induced by rotenone(Rot). To be specific, Rot was used to induce PD in drosophilas. Then the drosophilas were grouped and respectively treated(GS-Re: 0.1, 0.4, 1.6 mmol·L~(-1); L-dopa: 80 μmol·L~(-1)). Life span and crawling ability of drosophilas were determined. The brain antioxidant activity [content of catalase(CAT), malondialdehyde(MDA), reactive oxygen species(ROS), superoxide dismutase(SOD)], dopamine(DA) content, and mitochondrial function [content of adenosine triphosphate(ATP), NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase subunit B8(NDUFB8) Ⅰ activity, succinate dehydrogenase complex, subunit B(SDHB) Ⅱ activity] were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The number of DA neurons in the brains of drosophilas was measured with the immunofluorescence method. The levels of NDUFB8 Ⅰ, SDHB Ⅱ, cytochrome C(Cyt C), nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2(Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1(HO-1), B-cell lymphoma/leukemia 2(Bcl-2)/Bcl-2-assaciated X protein(Bax), and cleaved caspase-3/caspase-3 in the brain were detected by Western blot. The results showed that model group [475 μmol·L~(-1) Rot(IC&#95;(50))] demonstrated significantly low survival rate, obvious dyskinesia, small number of neurons and low DA content in the brain, high ROS level and MDA content, low content of SOD and CAT, significantly low ATP content, NDUFB8 Ⅰ activity, and SDHB Ⅱ activity, significantly low expression of NDUFB8 Ⅰ, SDHB Ⅱ, and Bcl-2/Bax, large amount of Cyt C released from mitochondria to cytoplasm, low nuclear transfer of Nrf2, and significantly high expression of cleaved caspase-3/caspase-3 compared with the control group. GS-Re(0.1, 0.4, and 1.6 mmol·L~(-1)) significantly improved the survival rate of PD drosophilas, alleviated the dyskinesia, increased DA content, reduced the loss of DA neurons, ROS level, and MDA content in brain, improved content of SOD and CAT and antioxidant activity in brain, maintained mitochondrial homeostasis(significantly increased ATP content and activity of NDUFB8 Ⅰ and SDHB Ⅱ, significantly up-regulated expression of NDUFB8 Ⅰ, SDHB Ⅱ, and Bcl-2/Bax), significantly reduced the expression of Cyt C, increased the nuclear transfer of Nrf2, and down-regulated the expression of cleaved caspase-3/caspase-3. In conclusion, GS-Re can significantly relieve the Rot-induced cerebral neurotoxicity in drosophilas. The mechanism may be that GS-Re activates Keap1-Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway by maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis, improves antioxidant capacity of brain neurons, then inhibits mitochondria-mediated caspase-3 signaling pathway, and the apoptosis of neuronal cells, thereby exerting the neuroprotective effect.

To investigate the antidepressant mechanism of Shenling Kaixin Granules(SLKX) in treating chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS) model rats. Ninety male SD rats were randomly divided into control group, model group, Shugan Jieyu Capsules(110 mg·kg~(-1)) group and SLKX low-(90 mg·kg~(-1)), medium-(180 mg·kg~(-1)), and high-dose(360 mg·kg~(-1)) groups. Depression rat model was replicated by CUMS method. After treatment, the behavioral changes of rats were evaluated by sugar preference, open field, elevated cross maze and forced swimming experiments. The contents of interleukin 1 beta(IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α), brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF) and 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT) in serum were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA), and the activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD) and catalase(CAT) in hippocampal CA1 region were also detected. Pathological changes in hippocampal CA1 region were detected by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining, and Western blot was used to determine the expression of nerve growth factor(NGF), BDNF, phospho-tyrosine kinase receptor(p-TrkB)/TrkB, phospho-cAMP-response element binding protein(p-CREB)/CREB, nuclear factor E2 related factor 2(Nrf2), heme oxygenase 1(HO-1), B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2)/Bcl-2 associated X protein(Bax) and caspase-3 in hippocampal CA1 region. RESULTS:: showed that compared with the control group, the model group had decreased sugar preference, reduced number of entries and time spent in the center of open field and shortened total distance of movement, reduced number of entries and proportion of time spent in open arm, and increased number and time of immobility in forced swimming experiment. Additionally, the serum contents of IL-1β and TNF-α and the expression of caspase-3 were higher, while the contents of BDNF and 5-HT, the activities of SOD and CAT in hippocampal CA1 region, the expressions of NGF, BDNF, p-TrkB/TrkB, p-CREB/CREB, HO-1 and Bcl-2/Bax, and the Nrf2 nuclear translocation were lower in model group than in control group. Compared with the conditions in model group, the sugar preference, the number of entries and time spent in the center of open, total distance of movement, and the number of entries and proportion of time spent in open arm in treatment groups were increased while the number and time of immobility in forced swimming experiment were decreased; the serum contents of IL-1β and TNF-α and the expression of caspase-3 were down regulated, while the contents of BDNF and 5-HT, the activities of SOD and CAT in hippocampal CA1 region, the expressions of NGF, BDNF, p-TrkB/TrkB, p-CREB/CREB, HO-1, Bcl-2/Bax, and Nrf2 nuclear translocation were enhanced. In conclusion, SLKX might regulate the Nrf2 nucleus translocation by activating BDNF/TrkB/CREB pathway, lower oxidative stress damage in hippocampus, inhibit caspase-3 activity, and reduce apoptosis of hippocampal nerve cells, thereby playing an antidepressant role.

This paper illustrates a rare syndrome of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN2A) in a family of three generations. In our case, the father, son and one daughter developed phaeochromocytoma (PHEO) and medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) over a period of 35 years. Because of the metachronous onset of the disease and lack of digital medical records in the past, the syndrome was not found until a recent fine needle aspiration of an MTC-metastasized lymph node from the son. All resected tumors from the family members were then reviewed and supplemented with immunohistochemical studies, previously wrong diagnoses were then corrected. Further molecular study of targeted sequencing also revealed a RET germline mutation (C634G) in the family tree including the three members with onset of the disease and one granddaughter who had no disease at the time of testing. Despite the syndrome being well-known, it may still be misdiagnosed because of its rarity and long disease onset. A few lessons can be learned from this unique case. Successful diagnosis requires high suspicion and surveillance and a tri-level methodology including a careful review of family history, pathology and genetic counselling.

Sialolithiasis occurs in approximately 0.45% to 1.20% of the general population. The typical clinical symptom manifests as a painful swelling of the affected glands after a meal or upon salivary stimulation, which extremely affects the life quality of the patients. With the development of sialendoscopy and lithotripsy, most sialoliths can be successfully removed with preservation of the gland. However, sialoliths in the deep hilar-parenchymal submandibular ducts and impacted parotid stones located in the proximal ducts continue to pose great challenges. Our research center for salivary gland diseases (in Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology) has used sialendoscopy for 17 years and treated >2 000 patients with salivary gland calculi. The success rate was approximately 92% for submandibular gland calculi and 95% for parotid calculi. A variety of minimally invasive surgical techniques have been applied and developed, which add substantial improvements in the treatment of refractory sialolithiasis. Further, the radiographic positioning criteria and treatment strategy are proposed for these intractable stones. Most of the hilar-parenchymal submandibular stones are successfully removed by a transoral approach, including transoral duct slitting and intraductal basket grasping, while a small portion of superficial stones can be removed by a mini-incision in submandibular area. Impacted stones located in the distal third of parotid gland ducts are removed via "peri-ostium incision", which is applied to avoid a cicatricial stenosis from a direct ostium incision. Impacted parotid stones located in the middle and proximal third of the Stensen's duct are removed via a direct mini-incision or a peri-auricular flap. A direct transcutaneous mini-incision is commonly performed under local anesthesia with an imperceptible scar, and is indicated for most of impacted stones located in the middle third, hilum and intraglandular ducts. By contrast, a peri-auricular flap is performed under general anesthesia with relatively larger operational injury of the gland parenchyma, and should be best reserved for deeper intraglandular stones. Laser lithotripsy has been applied in the treatment of sialolithiasis in the past decade, and holmium ∶YAG laser is reported to have the best therapeutic effects. During the past 3 years, our research group has performed laser lithotripsy for a few cases with intractable salivary stones. From our experiences, withdrawal of the endoscopic tip 0.5-1.0 cm away from the extremity of the laser fiber, consistent saline irrigation, and careful monitoring of gland swelling are of vital importance for avoidance of injuries of the ductal wall and the vulnerable endoscope lens during lithotripsy. Larger calculi require multiple treatment procedures. The risk of ductal stenosis can be alleviated by endoscopic dilation. In summary, appropriate use of various endoscopy-assisted lithotomy helps preserve the gland function in most of the patients with refractory sialolithiasis. Further studies are needed in the following aspects: Transcervical removal of intraglandular submandibular stones, intraductal laser lithotripsy of impacted parotid stones and deep submandibular stones, evaluation of long-term postoperative function of the affected gland, et al .

Objective: To assess the value of cyclin D1 immunocytochemistry combined with a small panel molecular analysis in indeterminate cytological diagnosis of Bethesda category Ⅲ-Ⅴ. Methods: A consecutive cohort of 96 thyroid FNA specimens with indeterminate diagnosis (TBSRTC category Ⅲ-Ⅴ) and available histopathologic follow-up data were collected between December 2018 and December 2021 in Department of Pathology, Beijing Hospital. The cases were evaluated by cyclin D1 immunocytochemistry and molecular testing of BRAF V600E or a small panel of markers (BRAF, N-RAS, H-RAS, K-RAS and TERT) in the FNA specimens. The identification of the optimal cut-off point of cyclin D1 for the diagnosis of malignancy was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and the assessment of the area under the ROC curve (AUC). The specificity, sensitivity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of all these markers were evaluated with the crosstabs and significance was calculated. Results: Ninty-six patients with 96 thyroid nodules were enrolled, including 42 cases of TBSRTC-III, 10 cases of TBSRTC-IV and 44 cases of TBSRTC-V. There were 79 females and 17 males with a median age of 47 years (range, 25 to 75 years). A 7.5% cut-off value for positive cyclin D1 nuclear immunostaining in thyroid cells demonstrated 100% PPV, 57.1% NPV, 81.0% sensitivity and 100% specificity for thyroid malignancy diagnosis. The sensitivity of the BRAF V600E mutation test or combined with a small panel test alone for thyroid malignancy diagnosis were 65.5% and 69.0% respectively. The sensitivity for thyroid malignancy diagnosis increased to 94.0% and 95.2% respectively when combining the cyclin D1 immunocytochemistry with the molecular test, and the specificities remained 100% and 91.7% respectively.The accuracy of cyclin D1 immunocytochemistry combined with a small panel of molecular test in detecting thyroid malignancy increased to 94.8% compared to using these markers alone. Conclusions: The addition of cyclin D1 immunocytochemistry and a small panel of molecular testing to FNA cytology can increase the sensitivity and NPV of cytology in indeterminate categories, and this supplementary approach provides a simple, accurate and convenient diagnostic method for reducing unnecessary thyroidectomies.

Objective: Vitamin D and Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) inhibition are involved in the protection of keratinocytes. The effects of combination of 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 and TLR-4 inhibitor on the protection of keratinocytes against ultraviolet radiation B (UVB) irradiation remain unclear. This study was undertaken to explore the effects of combination of 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 and TAK-242 (TLR-4 inhibitor) on the damage to HaCaT cells caused by UVB irradiation., Methods: In vitro , HaCaT cells were treated with 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 or/and TAK-242 prior to UVB irradiation at the intensity of 20 mJ/cm 2 , then the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), cell migration, apoptosis of cells, and the expression of oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and apoptosis related proteins were determined., Results: Compared with the HaCaT cells treated with 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 or TAK-242, the cells treated with both 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 and TAK-242 showed, 1) significantly lower production of ROS ( P < 0.05); 2) significantly less apoptosis of HaCaT cells ( P < 0.05); 3) significantly lower expression of NF- κ B, Caspase-8, Cyto-C, Caspase-3 ( P < 0.05)., Conclusion: The combination of 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 and TAK-242 could produce a better protection for HaCaT cells via inhibiting the oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis than 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 or TAK-242 alone., (Copyright © 2022 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.)

The saliva secreted from submandibular gland (SMG) accounts for 60%-65%. It plays an important role in maintaining the human function of swallow, digestion, testing, speech, protection of oral mucosa, and prevention from dental carries. The SMG is frequently resected during the treatment for various kinds of oral and maxillofacial diseases, resulting in xerostomia and decreased quality of life. During the past 15 years, Research Center of Salivary Gland Diseases in Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology conducted a series of studies on new techniques for preservation of SMG and achieved remarkable results. The clinicopathologic and imaging characteristics of IgG4-related sialadenitis (IgG4-RS) were clarified based on systematic studies. The results of studies on the pathogenesis of IgG4-RS showed that unbalance of inflammatory factors mediated the abnormality of secretion of SMG. IL-4 participates in occurring and development of glandular fibrosis of SMG. Regulation of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and cleaning of senescent cells might be taken as the targets for treatment of IgG4-RS. The combination of glucocorticoid and steroid-sparing agents showed effective results for treating IgG4-RS, clinical remission was achieved in all the patients, serum IgG4 levels decreased, and salivary gland secretion significantly increased. Sialoendoscopy-assisted sialolithectomy was applied in the treatment of about 1 000 cases with submandibular hilar calculi with a success rate of more than 90%. Transfer of SMG was used for prevention from radiation-induced xerostomia in the patients with head and neck carcinoma. SMG was transferred to the submental region before radiotherapy and was kept away from the ra-diation field. The results of prospective clinical controlled study showed this technique could effectively preserve the function of SMG and prevent from xerostomia. Based on the micro-anatomical study on the blood vessels and ducts of SMG, partial sialoadenectomy was applied for treatment of benign tumors in the SMG. A clinical controlled study confirmed its safety for control of the tumors and its advantage of preservation of SMG function. The studies on the involvement of SMG in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) provided the anatomical and histopathological basis for preservation of SMG during neck dissection for early cases with OSCC. A innovated surgical modality "four preservations including SMG" was used during the neck dissection for the early cases with OSCC. A prospective randomized clinical controlled study confirmed its safety, feasibility, effectiveness for control of the carcinoma, and advantages of preservation of SMG function.

There has been ample research showing that insomnia is a potential trigger of depression as well as a symptom of depression. These two factors contribute to behavioural problems and are closely related to the plasticity of hippocampal synapses. Although depression and insomnia impair hippocampal synaptic plasticity, the mechanism by which this happens remains a mystery. This study aimed to investigate the pathogenesis of insomnia comorbidity in depression and the regulatory effect of venlafaxine combined with melatonin on hippocampal synaptic plasticity in chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) with sleep deprivation (SD) rats. Thus, rats were subjected to 14 days of chronic mild unpredictable stress, gradually acclimated to sleep deprivation on days 12-14. Followed by 21 consecutive days of sleep deprivation, 18 h per day, with daily gavage of venlafaxine (13.5 mg/kg) + melatonin (72 mg/kg) on days 15-36. Venlafaxine + melatonin treatment improves depression-like behaviour, pentobarbital sodium experimental sleep latency, and sleep duration in CUMS +SD rats. In addition to improving depressive-like behaviors, sleep deprivation also upregulates the expression of caspase-specific cysteine protein 3 (Caspase 3) in the pineal glial cells of chronic mild rats, as well as in hippocampal microglia. Expression of ionic calcium-binding adaptor 1 (iba-1), downregulates the secretion of several synaptic plasticity-related proteins, notably cAMP response element binding protein (CREB), glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), and the synaptic scaffolding protein Spinophiline (Spinophiline). Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that the structure of the pineal gland and hippocampus was damaged, and Golgi staining showed that the dendrites and spines in the DG area of the hippocampus were destroyed, vaguely aggregated or even disappeared, and the connection network could not be established. Western blot analysis further revealed a positive correlation between low melatonin levels and reduced Spinophiline protein. Interestingly, venlafaxine + melatonin reversed these events by promoting hippocampal synaptic plasticity by regulating melatonin secretion from the pineal gland. Therefore, it exerted an antidepressant effect in sleep deprivation combined with CUMS model rats. Overall, the results of this study suggest that the pathophysiology of depressive insomnia comorbidity is mediated by impaired pineal melatonin secretion and impaired hippocampal synaptic plasticity. In addition, these responses are associated with melatonin secretion from the pineal gland., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Regiodivergent alkene functionalization that produces either regioisomer starting from the same raw materials is desirable. Herein, we report a nickel-catalyzed switchable site-selective alkene hydroalkylation. The selection of reaction temperatures leads to protocols that provide regiodivergent hydroalkylated products starting from a single alkene substrate. This protocol allows the convenient synthesis of α- and β-branched protected amines, both of which are important to the fields of pharmaceutical chemistry and biochemistry. In addition, enantioenriched β-branched alkylamines can be accessed in a catalytic asymmetric variant. Preliminary mechanistic studies indicate that the formation of a more stable nickelacycle provides the driving force of migration. The thermodynamic and kinetic properties of different reduction elimination intermediates are responsible for the switchable site-selectivity., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Objective: To analyze the clinicopathological features of positive surgical margins (PSM) after radical prostatectomy and to explore its associated factors. Method: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 274 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy in Beijing Hospital from June 2018 to June 2021. The margins of these specimens of radical prostatectomy were directly inked with black ink. According to the margin status (tumor present versus not), the patients were divided into PSM and negative surgical margin (NSM) groups. The clinicopathological characteristics were compared between two groups, including age, preoperative prostate specific antigen (PSA), number of tumors, tumor's location, postoperative pathological Gleason score, tumor burden and postoperative pathological staging. Results: Among the 274 cases, 114 showed PSM, and 160 showed NSM. PSM accounted for 41.6% of the cases. The mean age was 68.3 years, while the PSM group's mean age was 68.0 years, and that of the NSM group was 68.6 years, with no statistical significance between groups ( P >0.05). The mean preoperative PSA was 15.8 μg/L in all patients, 21.5 μg/L in the PSM group and 11.3 μg/L in NSM group. PSA in the PSM group was statistically higher than that in the NSM group ( P <0.001). The PSA level (10 μg/L, 10-20 μg/L, and >20 μg/L) was associated with the PSM rate (31.1%, 48.7%, and 69.4%). Regarding tumor numbers, 118 cases had a single focus, including 40 cases with PSM (33.9%). In the 156 cases of multiple foci, 74 cases had a PSM (47.4%). There were statistically more PSM cases in the cases with multi-focal disease ( P <0.05). Tumors were seen in the transit zone of 44 cases, while 107 cases showed tumors in the peripheral zone, and 123 cases in the whole zone. The PSM rate was 27.3% (12/44), 40.2% (43/107), and 48.0% (59/123) by tumor location, respectively, but the difference among groups was not statistically significant ( P >0.05). The postoperative Gleason scores were 3+3=6 in 51 cases, 3+4=7 in 98 cases, 4+3=7 in 81 cases, and ≥8 in 44 cases, with PSM rates of 19.6% (10/51), 38.8% (38/98), 45.7% (37/81) and 65.9% (29/44), respectively ( P <0.001 for rate differences). The tumor burden was <30% in 157 cases, 30%-60% in 91 cases, and>60% in 26 cases, with PSM rate of 21.0% (33/157), 65.9% (60/91) and 80.8% (21/26), respectively ( P <0.001 for rate differences). Moreover, there were 181 cases of pathological stage T2 (PSM rate, 29.3%) and 93 cases of pathological stage T3 (PSM rate, 65.6%), with statistical difference in PSM rates ( P <0.001). The multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that preoperative PSA >20 μg/L, postoperative Gleason score ≥8, high tumor burden and pathological stags were different between the PSM and NSM groups ( P <0.05). Conclusions: The PSM of radical prostatectomy is closely related to the preoperative PSA level, the number of lesions, postoperative Gleason score, tumor burden and pathological stage. Preoperative PSA level >20 μg/L, postoperative Gleason score ≥8, high tumor burden and pathological stage are independent predictors for PSM.

The purpose of this study was to clarify the differences in the diagnosis and treatment outcomes between radioactive iodine-induced sialadenitis (RAIS) and chronic obstructive parotitis (COP). The study cohort comprised 47 consecutive patients diagnosed with RAIS and 50 patients with COP. All patients were treated by interventional endoscopy. Clinical, sialography, and endoscopy characteristics and treatment outcomes were compared between the two groups. Compared with the COP group, the RAIS group included more females (male:female ratio 1:8.4 vs 1:2.1; P = 0.011) and had a younger onset age (42 vs 50 years; P = 0.001) and shorter disease duration prior to hospital visit (5.4 vs 34.8 months; P < 0.001). In the RAIS group, sialography revealed obliteration of the main duct (20.4% vs 0%; P < 0.001), non-visualization of the main gland (23.7% vs 0%; P < 0.001), and incomplete contrast filling of the main gland (19.4% vs 6.4%; P = 0.008), which were scarcely observed in the COP group. Endoscopy revealed a higher percentage of duct atresia in RAIS compared to COP (20.4% vs 0%; P < 0.001). During follow-up, a higher percentage of RAIS patients had duct atresia and gland atrophy (49.5% vs 1.1%, P < 0.001). Compared with COP, RAIS more commonly involves younger females and has a shorter disease duration. Atresia of the main duct and atrophy of the gland parenchyma occur more often despite the use of interventional endoscopy., (Copyright © 2021 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Recent developments in the instrumentation and data analysis of synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) on biomolecules in solution have made biological SAXS (BioSAXS) a mature and popular tool in structural biology. This article reports on an advanced endstation developed at beamline 13A of the 3.0 GeV Taiwan Photon Source for biological small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS-WAXS or SWAXS). The endstation features an in-vacuum SWAXS detection system comprising two mobile area detectors (Eiger X 9M/1M) and an online size-exclusion chromatography system incorporating several optical probes including a UV-Vis absorption spectrometer and refractometer. The instrumentation and automation allow simultaneous SAXS-WAXS data collection and data reduction for high-throughput biomolecular conformation and composition determinations. The performance of the endstation is illustrated with the SWAXS data collected for several model proteins in solution, covering a scattering vector magnitude q across three orders of magnitude. The crystal-model fittings to the data in the q range ∼0.005-2.0 Å -1 indicate high similarity of the solution structures of the proteins to their crystalline forms, except for some subtle hydration-dependent local details. These results open up new horizons of SWAXS in studying correlated local and global structures of biomolecules in solution., (© O. Shih et al. 2022.)

Some kinds of chronic sialadenitis were recognized during the recent years. They have specific pathogenesis, clinical and histopathologic appearances, and require specific treatment. IgG4-related sialadenitis (IgG4-RS) is one of the immune-mediated diseases, characterized by tumefactive lesions. The incidence of IgG4-RS obviously increased during the past 30 years. The study on the potential relationship between occupational exposure to chemical substances and the incidence of IgG4-RS showed that subjects with occupational exposure to agents known to cause IgG4-RD had an increased risk for IgG4-RS. Surgical excision of involved SMG could not control the disease progression, which is not recommended for treatment of IgG4-RS. The combination of glucocorticoid and steroid-sparing agents is effective for treating IgG4-RS, and restores salivary gland function. Radioiodine induced sialadenitis (RAIS) is one of the common complications of postoperative adjuvant treatment of differentiated thyroid cancer by 131 I. The incidence of the disease is related to radiation dosage. Clinically, the patients suffered from swelling and tenderness in the buccal or submandibular regions, especially during the mealtime. Imaging appearances are similar to those of chronic obstructive sialadenitis. Conservative managements, such as gland massage, sialagogues, are the mainstream methods in the treatment of RAIS. Sialendoscopy is feasible for RAIS, but not as effective as conventional obstructive sialadenitis (COS). Therefore the prevention of RAIS is crucial. Eosinophilic sialodochitis (ES) is a new type of chronic inflammatory disease of the salivary gland related to allergy. It has characteristics of swelling of multiple major salivary glands, strip-like gelatinous plugs discharged from the duct orifice of the gland, elevated level of serum IgE and eosinophils in peripheral blood, infiltration of eosinophils and IgE positive plasma cells in the tissues, allergic history, increased expression of allergy-related cytokines, such as IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, and eotaxin, which suggest allergic reactions as a potential pathogenesis of the disease. The clinical, laboratory, histological, and immunohistochemical characteristics of ES are significantly different from conventional obstructive sialadenitis (COS). Therefore, it is suitable to separate ES from COS. Conservative managements, such as self-maintenance therapy and anti- allergic modality are the choices of treatment for ES. Based on the results of our comprehensive studies a new classification of chronic sialadenitis is suggested.

The optical design and performance of the recently opened 13A biological small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) beamline at the 3.0 GeV Taiwan Photon Source of the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center are reported. The beamline is designed for studies of biological structures and kinetics in a wide range of length and time scales, from angstrom to micrometre and from microsecond to minutes. A 4 m IU24 undulator of the beamline provides high-flux X-rays in the energy range 4.0-23.0 keV. MoB 4 C double-multilayer and Si(111) double-crystal monochromators (DMM/DCM) are combined on the same rotating platform for a smooth rotation transition from a high-flux beam of ∼4 × 10 14  photons s -1 to a high-energy-resolution beam of ΔE/E ≃ 1.5 × 10 -4 ; both modes share a constant beam exit. With a set of Kirkpatrick-Baez (KB) mirrors, the X-ray beam is focused to the farthest SAXS detector position, 52 m from the source. A downstream four-bounce crystal collimator, comprising two sets of Si(311) double crystals arranged in a dispersive configuration, optionally collimate the DCM (vertically diffracted) beam in the horizontal direction for ultra-SAXS with a minimum scattering vector q down to 0.0004 Å -1 , which allows resolving ordered d-spacing up to 1 µm. A microbeam, of 10-50 µm beam size, is tailored by a combined set of high-heat-load slits followed by micrometre-precision slits situated at the front-end 15.5 m position. The second set of KB mirrors then focus the beam to the 40 m sample position, with a demagnification ratio of ∼1.5. A detecting system comprising two in-vacuum X-ray pixel detectors is installed to perform synchronized small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering data collections. The observed beamline performance proves the feasibility of having compound features of high flux, microbeam and ultra-SAXS in one beamline., (open access.)

Objective: To observe the effect of Yishen Tonglong Decoction (YTD) on the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and Ras/ERK signaling pathway in human PCa DU-145 cells and explore its action mechanism., Methods: We treated human PCa DU-145 cells with normal plasma (the blank control) or plasma containing 5% (low-dose), 10% (medium-dose) and 15% (high-dose) YTD. After intervention, we examined the proliferation of the DU-145 cells in different groups with CCK-8 and their apoptosis by Annexin V/PI double staining. We detected the cell cycle by PI assay, the invasion and migration of the cells using the Transwell chamber and scratch test, and the expressions of the proteins and genes related to the EMT and Ras/ERK signaling pathways in the cells by Western blot and RT-PCR., Results: Compared with the blank control group, high-, medium- and low-dose YTD significantly inhibited the proliferation of the PCa DU-145 cells, decreased their adherence and growth (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), promoted their apoptosis (P < 0.01), regulated their cell cycles (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), and reduced their in vitro invasion and migration abilities (P < 0.05), all in a dose-dependent manner. The results of Western blot and RT-PCR revealed down-regulated protein and mRNA expressions of N-cadherin, zinc finger transcription factor (Snail), Ras, p-ERK1/2 and ERK1/2, but up-regulated protein and mRNA expressions of E-cadherin in the PCa DU-145 cells treated with YTD (P < 0.05, P < 0.01)., Conclusions: Yishen Tonglong Decoction can effectively inhibit the proliferation, promote the apoptosis, regulate the cell cycle and suppress the invasion and migration abilities and EMT process of human PCa DU-145 cells. The mechanism of Yishen Tonglong Decoction acting on PCa may be associated with its inhibitory effect on the EMT process and expression of the Ras/ERK signaling pathway in PCa cells./.

Objective: To measure the three-dimensional morphology of the labial supraosseous gingiva (SOG) and the thickness of related labial bone in maxillary anterior teeth of periodontally healthy Han nationality youth using soft tissue indirect imaging cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT)., Methods: Twenty-five periodontally healthy subjects (11 males and 14 females) with 150 maxillary anterior teeth were involved in this study. A special impression with radiopaque material including the maxillary teeth was made, then a CBCT scan with the elastomeric matrix in position was taken for each subject. The imaging data were generated and transferred to a volumetric imaging software in which three-dimensional reconstruction was conducted and the image analyses were carried out. Measurements were made at the site of labial center of the maxillary anterior teeth. The height of the SOG, the distance between cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) and bone crest, the gingival thickness at the CEJ, and the thickness of bone 2 mm below the labial bone crest were measured and the correlation analysis between the parameters was made. All the data analyses were performed using SPSS 22.0. The data were analyzed with ANVOA and Pearson correlation tests with the significance level at α =0.05., Results: The mean SOG values were (3.49±0.70) mm, (3.48±0.81) mm, and (3.54±0.67) mm for central incisors, lateral incisors and canines, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences among the different sites ( P > 0.05). The mean gingival thickness values were (1.45±0.23) mm, (1.13±0.24) mm, (1.14±0.22) mm for central incisors, lateral incisors and canines, respectively. The gingival thickness of the central incisors was the largest among the maxillary anterior teeth with statistically significant difference ( P < 0.05). No correlation was found between the SOG and gingival thickness among the maxillary anterior teeth ( P > 0.05)., Conclusion: The gingival thickness of central incisors was the largest and the supraosseous gingival height had no correlation with gingival thickness among the periodontally healthy maxillary anterior teeth.

Objectives/hypothesis: To explore the clinically feasible diagnosis criteria and treatment outcomes of allergy-related sialodochitis (ARS)., Study Design: Prospective Cohort Study., Methods: Ninety-six consecutive patients were enrolled by the following criteria: 1) recurrent swelling of ≥2 large salivary glands that lasted for ≥3 months; 2) with mucus plug exudations; 3) with atopic diseases; 4) ductal stenosis and/or ectasia. Sixty-four patients with elevation of peripheral blood eosinophil (PBE) and/or serum IgE level comprised group A (highly-suspected ARS group), while the remaining 32 comprised group B (patients without confirmed evidence of ARS). These patients were treated with interventional endoscopy. A chronic obstructive sialadenitis symptom (COSS) questionnaire was used to quantify the treatment outcomes., Results: In group A, Serum IgE was elevated in 84.4% of patients and PBE was elevated in 34.4% of patients. Percentage of submandibular gland involvement was higher in group A than group B (48.4% vs. 18.8%). On sialograms, the snowflake changes of branch ducts were seen in higher percentage of group A compared with group B (59% vs. 35% for parotid glands, 27% vs. 8% for submandibular glands, respectively). Mucus plug smears showed abundant eosinophils in 14 group A patients. Biopsy of five group A patients revealed significant eosinophil infiltration around the main and interlobular ducts. During follow-up, the COSS scores were significantly decreased in both groups, and group B was improved better than group A., Conclusion: PBE and serum IgE are important diagnostic indexes of ARS. Mucus plug smear or histopathology verifies the diagnosis. Interventional endoscopy is helpful for ARS cases., Level of Evidence: 3 Laryngoscope, 131:2030-2035, 2021., (© 2021 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc..)

The direct anterior approach (DAA) are attracting increasing attention from orthopedic arthroplasty surgeons, due to the less blood loss, mild soft tissue invasion, rapid rehabilitation and shorter length of stay. However, the longer learning curve in DAA can give rise to several complications, such as intraoperative femoral fracture, lateral femoral cutaneous nerve injury, wound-healing problem, premature revision and so on. This meta-analysis was performed to compare the rate of postoperative orthopedic complications between the DAA and the lateral approach (LA). All studies involving the comparison of postoperative orthopedic complications after THA between the DAA and LA group were searched in 7 databases prior to October 2020. The odds ratio (OR) with the 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each outcome was calculated by using the RevMan 5.3. The methodological bias of included studies was evaluated and the potential heterogeneity sources were analyzed. Thirteen comparative studies including a total of 24853 hips (9575 hips in the DAA group and 15278 hips in the LA group) were eligible for this meta-analysis. There was no significant difference in the rate of surgical site infection [2.59% vs 2.14% (OR = 0.98; 95% CI: 0.59-1.61, P = 0.93)], heterotopic ossification [12.16% vs 26.47% (OR = 0.46; 95% CI: 0.20-1.07, P = 0.07)] and reoperation [2.70% and 2.11% respectively (OR = 0.93; 95% CI: 0.68-1.26, P = 0.64)] between the DAA and LA groups. Although a lower rate in prosthesis malposition [36.19% vs 54.86% (OR = 0.50; 95% CI: 0.35-0.73, P = 0.0003)], leg length discrepancy [1.87% vs 2.37% (OR = 2.35; 95% CI: 1.30-4.25, P = 0.005)] and Trendelenburg gait [1.68% vs 4.78% (OR = 0.29; 95% CI: 0.13-0.65, P = 0.003)] was observed in the DAA group, a higher rate in dislocation [0.77% vs 0.18% (OR = 3.73; 95% CI: 2.35-5.94, P< 0.00001)], periprosthetic fracture [1.05% vs 0.41% (OR = 2.38; 95% CI: 1.58-3.58, P< 0.0001)], prosthesis loosening [0.61% vs 0.37% (OR = 1.66; 95% CI: 1.05-2.62, P = 0.03)] and nerve injury [0.95% vs 0% (OR = 7.12; 95% CI: 1.66-30.48, P = 0.008)] was found in the DAA group. This meta-analysis demonstrated several evidences indicating that the DAA exhibited the advantages in the accurate prosthesis placement and less damage of surrounding hip musculature. However, a higher rate in dislocation, periprosthetic fracture, prosthesis loosening and nerve injury in the DAA group should be paid more attention, due to the limited exposure and a longer learning curve, compared to the LA., (© 2021 The Authors. Orthopaedic Surgery published by Chinese Orthopaedic Association and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

The Taiwan Photon Source (TPS) with high brightness and energy tunability is suitable for applications in spectroscopy. The tender X-ray absorption beamline will be optimized for X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements using a bending-magnet source in a unique photon energy range (1.7-10 keV) and two crystal pairs [InSb(111) and Si(111)] separated using back-to-back double-crystal monochromators (DCMs). InSb crystals are typically used in the lower photon energy range of 1.7-3.5 keV. However, the poor thermal conductivity of InSb crystals leads to severe deformation. This factor should be considered when the monochromator is installed on a tender X-ray beamline in a storage ring with a high power density. There are many approaches to reducing the thermal load on the first crystal of a DCM. Double-bounce high harmonics rejection mirrors in front of the DCM serve not only to reduce the high-order harmonics but also to absorb considerable quantities of heat. Two coating stripes on the silicon surfaces with a variable incident angle will be key to solving the thermal load on this beamline.

Objective: To study the application of cell transfer technology to solve the problem of the limited number of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) smears for various immunocytochemistry (ICC) staining and other auxiliary tests, and to enhance accurate cytological diagnosis. Methods: Thirty-four cases of FNAC smears from January 2020 to April 2020 in the Department of Pathology of Beijing Hospital were collected for investigation of the cell transfer technique. The materials in the most cell smear were divided and transferred to several glass slides. After de-staining, the recipient slides were stained with EnVision ICC. The technique was validated by comparing the consistency of the ICC of transferred cell smears and the corresponding immunohistochemical (IHC) staining on biopsies. Results: There were a total of 180 cell transfer slides from 34 cases, of which 174 had the same cell morphology, size and structure as the original smears, with the success rate of cell transfer of 96.7% (174/180). Totally 174 ICC stains were performed on the successfully transferred cell smears, of which 153 smears had available corresponding IHC staining of histologic specimens. Of these, 148 showed concordance between ICC staining and the IHC staining. Cells were successfully transferred in 96.7 % (148/153) of the cell sheets, keeping the same morphology and structure as compared to their original smears. The diagnosis of all 34 FNAC cases was the same to that of their corresponding pathology on biopsies with 100 % concordance. Conclusions: The cell transfer technique is a simple and effective way to make full use of diagnostic cells on a cell smear, and is valuable for accurate cytological diagnosis.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyze the morphologic features of alveolus in relatively healthy maxillary and mandibular incisors using cone-beam-computed tomography (CBCT)., Methods: CBCT images of 318 patients were retrospectively acquired. Alveolar bone in incisive area was divided into: type 1 (thick), type 2 (relatively thick with mono-plate concavity), type 3 (thin with double-plate concavities), and type 4 (vulnerably thin). Alveolus prevalence and widths were analyzed statistically relative to age, gender, and molar relationship., Results: Prevalence of type 1 alveolus was 78.9% in maxillary central incisors, 15.1% in maxillary lateral incisors, 24.1% in mandibular central incisors, and 5.0% in mandibular lateral incisors. Type 2 alveolus was commonly observed in the maxillary lateral incisors (82.2%), mandibular central incisors (66.2%), and mandibular lateral incisors (87.9%). Prevalence of type 3 and 4 alveoli ranged from 0.0 to 9.4%. As for maxillary central incisors, type 1 was the widest both at the alveolar crest (7.77 ± 0.58 mm) and apical area (9.05 ± 1.86 mm), while type 3 had the lowest width at the apical region (4.08 ± 0.51 mm). Among maxillary central incisors, prevalence of type 1 tended to decrease with age. At all maxillary and mandibular incisor sites, alveolus widths were significantly thicker in males than in females. At maxillary lateral incisor and mandibular incisor sites, prevalence of alveolus type was significantly different among three molar relationships., Conclusion: A 4-type classification system was suggested for alveolus morphology in incisive region. Identification of alveolus type might aid in the corresponding treatment.

A large body of data has confirmed that α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) play a pivotal role in cognition, memory, and other neuropsychiatric diseases, but their effect on seizure susceptibility in C57BL/6 wild-type mice is not fully understood. Here, we showed that decreased activity of α7 nAChRs could increase the excitability of CA1 pyramidal neurons and shorten the onset time of epilepsy in pilocarpine-induced mouse models. However, compared with the control group, there was no apparent effect of increasing the activity of α7 nAChRs. Moreover, the expression of α7 nAChRs is downregulated in human epileptogenic tissues. Taken together, our findings indicate that α7 nAChR is an essential regulator of seizure susceptibility., 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 © 2021 Sun, Liu and Ye.)

Objective: To analyze the three-dimensional radiographic characteristics of maxillary radi-cular cysts using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and spiral CT., Methods: Clinical records, histopathological reports, and CBCT or non-enhanced spiral CT images of 67 consecutive patients with maxillary radicular cysts were retrospectively acquired, and radiographic features, including size, shape, expansion, internal structure and relationship with the surrounding tissues, were analyzed. The lesions were divided into three types according to the involved tooth number, as follows: type Ⅰ (single tooth), the epicenter of the cyst was located at the apex of a nonvital tooth, without involvement of the neighbo-ring tooth; type Ⅱ (adjacent tooth involvement), the cyst was located at the apex of a nonvital tooth with involvement of the mesial and/or distal tooth root; and type Ⅲ (multi-teeth), the cyst involved the apexes of ≥4 teeth. Besides, these cysts were classified as another three types on sagittal views, as follows: centripetal, the root apex was oriented centripetally to the center of the cyst; palatal, the cyst was located mainly at the palatal side of the apex; and labial/buccal, the cyst was located mainly at the labial/buccal side of the apex., Results: Totally, 67 patients with maxillary radicular cysts were acquired, including 38 males and 29 females, and their ages ranged from 13 to 77 years. Among them, 46 lesions (68.7%) were located in the anterior maxilla and 65 (97.0%) were round or oval. Labial/buccal cortex expansion was present in 43 cases (64.2%) and palatal cortex expansion in 37 cases (55.2%). The nasal floor was invaded in 27 cases (40.3%), the maxillary sinus was invaginated in 26 cases (38.8%), and root resorption was present in 9 cases (13.4%). The average diameter of lesions was (20.89±8.11) mm mesio-distally and (16.70±5.88) mm bucco-palatally. In spite of the 4 residual cysts, the remaining 63 lesions included 14 type Ⅰ, 26 type Ⅱ and 23 type Ⅲ cysts according to the involved tooth number. Besides, the 63 lesions included 46 centripetal, 15 palatal and 2 buccal cysts on sagittal views., Conclusion: The maxillary radicular cysts were frequently well-circumscribed round or oval radiolucency, with significantly different sizes. According to the involved tooth number, it can be divided into single tooth, adjacent tooth involvement and multi-teeth types. On sagittal views, the root-cyst relationship was centripetal in most cases, while a minority of cysts expanded palatally or buccally.

Objectives: To investigate the clinical, laboratory, radiological, histopathological, and immunohistochemical features, and the expression of allergy-related cytokines in eosinophilic sialodochitis (ES)., Methods: Thirty-eight patients diagnosed with chronic obstructive sialadenitis (COS) who had undergone glandular excision or incisional biopsy were enrolled. Seventeen patients with comorbid atopic disease and increased ductal tissue eosinophils comprised the ES group, while 21 patients comprised the COS group. The clinicopathological features and allergy-related cytokine expression were compared between groups., Results: The ES group frequently involved multiple, bilateral major salivary glands, and the number of glands was significantly greater than the COS group (2.8 ± 1.1 vs. 1.2 ± 0.4, P < .001). Serum immunoglobulin (Ig) E was elevated in 91% of patients in ES group (419 ± 357 kU/L) and peripheral blood eosinophil was significantly greater compared with the COS group (7.6% ± 4.6% vs. 2.5% ± 1.4%, P < .001). Histologically, eosinophil infiltration in ES group was observed around the main and interlobular ducts (50 ± 39/high power field [HPF]). Follicular hyperplasia (76%), epithelial mucous metaplasia (82%), and mucus plugs with eosinophils (41%) were observed. IgE-positive cell count was 20.7 ± 18.3/HPF and tryptase-positive mast cell count was 23.5 ± 15.1/HPF, which was significantly greater than the respective cell counts in COS group, which mainly infiltrated around the ducts. The levels of interleukin-4, interleukin-13, and eotaxin in tissue were significantly greater in ES than the COS group., Conclusions: The clinicopathological characteristics of ES are significantly different from COS and ES might have an allergy-related pathogenesis., Level of Evidence: 4 Laryngoscope, 131:E800-E806, 2021., (© 2020 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.)

A transition-metal-free decarboxylative thiolation protocol is reported in which primary, secondary, tertiary (hetero)aryl acetates and α-CN substituted acetates undergo the decarboxylative thiolation smoothly, to deliver a variety of functionalized aryl alkyl sulfides in moderate to excellent yields. Aryl diselenides are also amenable substrates for construction of C-Se bonds under the simple and mild reaction conditions. Moreover, the protocol is successfully applied to the late-stage modification of pharmaceutical carboxylates with satisfactory chemoselectivity and functional-group compatibility., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Deep learning is one of the most effective approaches to medical image processing applications. Network models are being studied more and more for medical image segmentation challenges. The encoder-decoder structure is achieving great success, in particular the Unet architecture, which is used as a baseline architecture for the medical image segmentation networks. Traditional Unet and Unet-based networks still have a limitation that is not able to fully exploit the output features of the convolutional units in the node. In this study, we proposed a new network model named TMD-Unet, which had three main enhancements in comparison with Unet: (1) modifying the interconnection of the network node, (2) using dilated convolution instead of the standard convolution, and (3) integrating the multi-scale input features on the input side of the model and applying a dense skip connection instead of a regular skip connection. Our experiments were performed on seven datasets, including many different medical image modalities such as colonoscopy, electron microscopy (EM), dermoscopy, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The segmentation applications implemented in the paper include EM, nuclei, polyp, skin lesion, left atrium, spleen, and liver segmentation. The dice score of our proposed models achieved 96.43% for liver segmentation, 95.51% for spleen segmentation, 92.65% for polyp segmentation, 94.11% for EM segmentation, 92.49% for nuclei segmentation, 91.81% for left atrium segmentation, and 87.27% for skin lesion segmentation. The experimental results showed that the proposed model was superior to the popular models for all seven applications, which demonstrates the high generality of the proposed model.

Background: The false positive rate of the PPI test for the diagnosis of typical symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is extremely high., Objective: This study aims to investigate the effect of the pepsin test on GERD and laparoscopy-assisted anti-reflux surgery for GERD., Methods: A total of 30 GERD patients were enrolled into this study, and the pre-diagnosis of GERD was determined by symptom evaluation, impedance-pH examination, gastroscopy and pepsin test. All patients underwent surgery., Results: Among the 30 GERD patients, 18 patients were male and 12 were female, and their average age was 58.2 + 12.6 years old. The patients were treated with laparoscopic fundoplication and hiatus hernia repair after preoperative assessment. A total of 28 patients were followed up, one patient developed recurrent symptoms, and one patient developed postoperative dysphagia and received non-operative treatment. Furthermore, the symptom scores were significantly lower at postoperative pepsin detection when compared to the scores before the operation (pepsin: preoperative: 148.8 ± 82.6, postoperative: 30.7 ± 24.6; t= 4.848, P= 0.000)., Conclusions: Laparoscopic fundoplication and hiatus hernia repair may effectively control the symptoms of GERD. Furthermore, the detection of pepsin is non-invasive and easy to operate.

Objectives/hypothesis: To suggest a strategy for transoral removal of hilar and intraparenchymal submandibular stones., Study Design: Retrospective case series., Methods: Retrospective evaluation was performed for 514 consecutive patients with hilar and intraparenchymal submandibular stones treated via endoscopy-assisted surgery from January 2006 to June 2018. Three patients had bilateral stones. The stones were classified as: hilar (type I), posthilar (type II), intraparenchymal (type III), and multiple stones (type IV)., Results: The affected glands included 311 with type I, 84 with type II, 65 with type III, and 57 with type IV stones. Stones were successfully removed in 478 glands (92.5%, 478/517). Main treatment techniques included hilum ductotomy in 311 glands, intraparenchymal ductotomy in 68, submandibulotomy in 14, intraductal retrieval in 74, and hilum ductotomy accompanied by intraductal retrieval in 11. At a mean 40-months follow-up of 478 successful cases, clinical outcomes were good in 425, fair in 27, and poor in 26 glands. Postoperative sialograms in 75 stone-free patients were categorized as: type I, normal (n = 6); type II, ectasia or stenosis in the main duct and no persistent contrast on functional films (n = 44); type III, ectasia or stenosis in the main duct and mild contrast retention (n = 15); and type IV, poor shape of the main duct and evident contrast retention (n = 10). Postoperative sialometry of 32 patients revealed no significant differences of the gland function between the two sides., Conclusions: Appropriate use of various endoscopy-assisted approaches helps preserve the gland and facilitates recovery of gland function in patients with different depths of hilo-parenchymal submandibular stones., Level of Evidence: 4 Laryngoscope, 130:2360-2365, 2020., (© 2019 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.)

Background: We focused on the KCNQ1OT1/miR-15a/PD-L1 axis and explored its significance in regulating immune evasion and malignant behaviors of prostate cancer (PC) cells., Methods: The expression levels of KCNQ1OT1, miR-15a, PD-L1, and CD8 in cells or tissues were examined by RT-qPCR, western blot or immunohistochemistry (IHC) assays. The direct regulations between KCNQ1OT1, miR-15a and PD-L1 were validated by luciferase reporter assay. PC cells were co-cultured with CD8 + T cells to study the immune evasion. Proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion abilities were detected by MTT, flow cytometry, wound healing and Transwell assays, respectively. The cytotoxicity of CD8 + T cells was determined by LDH cytotoxicity Kit. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and Ras/ERK signaling markers were evaluated by western blot., Results: KCNQ1OT1, PD-L1 and CD8 were increased, while miR-15a was decreased in PC tissues. MiR-15a directly bound to the 3'-UTR of PD-L1 and inhibited the expression of PD-L1. Overexpressing miR-15a in PC cells was sufficient to promote cytotoxicity and proliferation, while inhibit apoptosis of CD8 + T cells, and also suppressed viability, migration, invasion and EMT while promoted apoptosis of PC cells. The above anti-tumor effects of miR-15a were reversed by overexpressing PD-L1. KCNQ1OT1 sponged miR-15a and released its inhibition on PD-L1. Functionally, KCNQ1OT1 in PC cells was essential for suppressing the cytotoxicity of CD8 + T cells and maintaining multiple malignant phenotypes of PC cells. The Ras/ERK signaling was suppressed after overexpressing miR-15a or knocking down KCNQ1OT1., Conclusions: LncRNA KCNQ1OT1 sponges miR-15a to promote immune evasion and malignant progression of PC via up-regulating PD-L1., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare no conflict of interest., (© The Author(s) 2020.)

Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of recombinant anti-HER2 humanized monoclonal antibody (Cipterbin) combined with vinorelbine in patients with HER2 positive metastatic breast cancer. Methods: Patients were randomized 2∶1 to test group and control group. Patients in test group received Cipterbin (4 mg/kg loading dose and 2 mg/kg maintenance dose each week, IV) combined with vinorelbine (25 mg/m(2) on days 1,8 and 15 of each 28 days, IV). Patients in control group received vinorelbine (25 mg/m(2) on days 1,8 and 15 of each 28 days, IV).The primary end point was progression free survival (PFS). Results: A total of 315 patients were enrolled from Jan 2009 to Jan 2013 (212 in test group and 103 in control group). The median PFS of test group was significantly longer than that of control group, 39.1 weeks vs 14.0 weeks ( HR =0.24; 95 %CI , 0.16-0.36; P< 0.000 1). The objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) in test group were significantly higher than those in control group, ORR was 46.7% vs 18.45% ( P< 0.000 1) and DCR was 79.72% vs 45.63% ( P< 0.000 1). The incidence of neutropenia, leucopenia and erythrocytopenia were higher in both groups, but there was no significant difference between two groups.The most common adverse events associated with Cipterbin were infusion reactions. Left ventricular ejection fraction reduced to less than 50% in 5 patients, which were recovered. No serious cardiotoxicity. Conclusion: The recombinant anti-HER2 humanized monoclonal antibody (Cipterbin) combined with vinorelbine has significant efficacy and good safety. It is the optimized therapy regime for patients with taxane-pretreated HER2 positive metastatic breast cancer, which provides more targeted therapy opportunities for HER2 positive breast cancer patients in China.