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Rationale and Objectives To investigate the feasibility and value of intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion weighted imaging (IVIM-DWI) and texture parameters of primary lesions and lymph nodes for predicting pelvic lymph node metastasis in patients with cervical cancer. Materials and Methods A total of 143 patients with cervical cancer confirmed by surgical pathology were analyzed retrospectively and 125 patients were enrolled in primary lesions study, 83 patients and 134 lymph nodes were enrolled in lymph nodes study. Patients and lymph nodes were randomly divided into training group and test group at a ratio of 2: 1. The IVIM-DWI parameters and 3D texture features of primary lesions and lymph nodes of all patients were measured. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm, spearman's correlation analysis, independent two-sample t-test and Mann-Whitney U-test were used to select texture parameters. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic curves were used to model and evaluate diagnostic performances. Results In primary lesions study, model 1 was constructed by combining f value, original_shape_Sphericity and original_firstorder_Mean of primary lesions. In lymph nodes study, model 2 was constructed by combining short diameter, circular enhancement and rough margin of lymph nodes. Model 3 was constructed by combining ADC, f value and original_glszm_Small Area Emphasis of lymph nodes. The areas under curve of model 1, 2 and 3 in training group and test group were 0.882, 0.798, 0.907 and 0.862, 0.771, 0.937 respectively. Conclusion Models based on IVIM-DWI and texture parameters of primary lesions and lymph nodes both performed well in diagnosing pelvic lymph node metastasis of cervical cancer and were superior to morphological features of lymph nodes. Especially, parameters of lymph nodes showed higher diagnostic efficiency and clinical significance.

Hai Cai,1,* Shao-Ming Chen,2,* Zhi-Bin Ke,1,* Hang Chen,1,* Jun-Ming Zhu,1 Ting-Ting Lin,1 Fei Huang,3,4 Yong Wei,1 Qing-Shui Zheng,1 Xue-Yi Xue,1 Xiong-Lin Sun,1 Ning Xu1,3 1Department of Urology, Urology Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350005, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Nuclear Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350005, People’s Republic of China; 3Fujian Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine for Cancer, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350005, People’s Republic of China; 4Central Lab, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350005, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Ning Xu; Xiong-Lin Sun Tel +86-059187981687Email drxun@fjmu.edu.cn; sunxionglin@fjmu.edu.cnObjective: To develop and validate hub genes involving in the development and progression of primary aldosteronism (PA) and adrenal aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA).Materials and Methods: A total of four datasets of gene expression profiles related to APA were downloaded from GEO datasets. GSE60042 and GSE8514 were used to identify DEGs. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and protein–protein interaction (PPI) network module analysis were conducted. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis was performed. GSE10927 and GSE33371 were used for further external validation.Results: We identified a total of 892 DEGs from GSE60042 and 1167 DEGs from GSE8514. WGCNA analysis demonstrated that the blue module (255 genes) and turquoise module (303 genes) were significantly correlated with APA. PPI networks were then constructed. GO term enrichment analysis suggested that cellular divalent inorganic cation homeostasis, calcium ion homeostasis, collagen-containing extracellular matrix, transport vesicle and metal ion transmembrane transporter activity were the vital annotations. KEGG pathway analysis found that these genes were significantly enriched in neuroactive ligand−receptor interaction, calcium signaling pathway. Finally, we identified a total of 11 candidate genes involving in the development and progression of APA and PA. Besides, two independent datasets (GSE10927 and GSE33371) were used for external validation, and there were seven hub genes successfully verified, including C3, GRM3, AVPR1A, WFS1, PTGFR, NTSR2, and JUN.Conclusion: These newly identified genes could contribute to the understanding of potential mechanism in APA and PA and might be promising targets for the treatment of APA and PA.Keywords: aldosterone-producing adenoma, bioinformatics, primary aldosteronism, gene expression omnibus datasets

Ye-Hui Chen,1,* Ru-Nan Dong,1,* Jian Hou,1,* Ting-Ting Lin,1,* Shao-Hao Chen,1 Hang Chen,1 Jun-Ming Zhu,1 Jia-Yin Chen,1 Zhi-Bin Ke,1 Fei Lin,1 Xue-Yi Xue,1 Yong Wei,1 Ning Xu1,2 1Department of Urology, Urology Research Institute, the First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350005, People’s Republic of China; 2Fujian Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine for Cancer, the First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350005, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Ning Xu; Yong WeiDepartment of Urology, Urology Research Institute, the First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, 20 Chazhong Road, Fuzhou, 350005, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-059187981687Email drxun@fjmu.edu.cn; weiyong2017@fjmu.edu.cnBackground: Urethral stricture is a clinical challenge for both patients and clinicians. Post-traumatic urethral stricture is associated with formation of scar tissue caused by excessive inflammation. The aim of this study is exploring potential therapeutic strategies for this condition.Methods: In vivo experiments on New Zealand rabbits and in vitro experiments on THP-1 monocytes and urethral fibroblasts were performed to investigate the effects on post-traumatic urethral stricture of exosomes isolated from IL-1β-treated mesenchymal stem cells (Exo-MSCsIL− 1β) and the role of macrophage M2 polarization in this process. Additionally, related signaling and mechanism behind were explored.Results: In a New Zealand rabbit model of post-traumatic urethral stricture, injection of Exo-MSCsIL− 1β significantly reduced urethral stricture and collagen fiber accumulation compared with Exo-MSCs. Addition of Exo-MSCsIL− 1β to THP-1 monocytes in vitro induced M2 macrophage polarization, which, in turn, inhibited activation of urethral fibroblasts and synthesis of collagen. Mechanistically, Exo-MSCsIL− 1β were found to contain high levels of the microRNA let-7c, and luciferase reporter assays showed that let-7c interacted with the 3′UTR of PAK1 mRNA. Transfection of THP-1 cells with a let-7c mimic downregulated PAK1 expression and inhibited activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway.Conclusion: These results support a role for let-7c-containing Exo-MSCsIL− 1β in reducing urethral stricture via inhibition of PAK1–NF-κB signaling, M2 macrophage polarization, and differentiation of urethral myofibroblasts.Keywords: urethral stricture, mesenchymal stem cells, polarization of macrophages, exosomes, let-7c

Background COVID-19 pandemic has had direct and indirect impacts on health-care system and maternal and neonatal health, but no multicenter evidence from China of this effects has been undertaken. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impacts of COVID-19 lockdown on maternal and fetal outcomes in China. Methods This retrospective cohort study included 3540 women in their late pregnancy without COVID-19 who received perinatal healthcare in three hospitals in Wuhan, Shanghai and Haikou during COVID-19 lockdown period in 2020 or the non-lockdown period in 2019. Propensity-score matching was used to compare preterm birth (

Glucocorticoid excess often causes a variety of cardiovascular complications, including hypertension, atherosclerosis, and cardiac hypertrophy. To abrogate its cardiac side effects, it is necessary to fully disclose the pathophysiological role of glucocorticoid in cardiac remodelling. Previous clinical and experimental studies have found that omentin-1, one of the adipokines, has beneficial effects in cardiovascular diseases, and is closely associated with metabolic disorders. However, there is no evidence to address the potential role of omentin-1 in glucocorticoid excess-induced cardiac injuries. To uncover the links, the present study utilized rat model with glucocorticoid-induced cardiac injuries and clinical patients with abnormal cardiac function. Chronic administration of glucocorticoid excess reduced rat serum omentin-1 concentration, which closely correlated with cardiac functional parameters. Intravenous administration of adeno-associated virus encoding omentin-1 upregulated the circulating omentin-1 level and attenuated glucocorticoid excess-induced cardiac hypertrophy and functional disorders. Overexpression of omentin-1 also improved cardiac mitochondrial function, including the reduction of lipid deposits, induction of mitochondrial biogenesis, and enhanced mitochondrial activities. Mechanistically, omentin-1 phosphorylated and activated the GSK3β pathway in the heart. From a study of 28 patients with Cushing’s syndrome and 23 healthy subjects, the plasma level of glucocorticoid was negatively correlated with omentin-1, and was positively associated with cardiac ejection fraction and fractional shortening. Collectively, the present study provided a novel role of omentin-1 in glucocorticoid excess-induced cardiac injuries and found that the omentin-1/GSK3β pathway was a potential therapeutic target in combating the side effects of glucocorticoid.

The diverse tumor cell populations may be the critical roles in relapse and resistance to treatment in prostate cancer patients. This study aimed to identify new marker genes and cell subtypes among castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) cells. We downloaded single-cell RNA seq profiles (GSE67980) from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Principal component (PC) analysis and t-Distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding (TSNE) analysis were performed to identify marker genes. CRPC cells were clustered and annotated. GO and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses among marker genes were performed. A total of 1500 genes with larger standardized variance were obtained. The top 20 genes were demonstrated in each identified 20 PCs. PC with P-value < 0.05 was selected, including PC1, PC7, PC8, and PC14. The TSNE analysis classified cells as two clusters. The top 6 genes in cluster 0 included HBB, CCL5, SLITRK4, GZMB, BBIP1, and PF4V1. Plus, the top 6 genes in cluster 1 included MLEC, CCT8, CCT3, EPCAM, TMPRSS2, EIF4G2. The GO analysis revealed that these marker genes were mainly enriched in RNA catabolic process, translational initiation, mitochondrial inner membrane, cytosolic part, ribosome, cell adhesion molecule binding, cadherin binding, and structural constituent of ribosome. The KEGG analysis showed that these marker genes mainly enriched in metabolism associated pathways, including carbon metabolism, cysteine and methionine metabolism, propanoate metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, and citrate cycle pathways. To conclude, our results provide essential insights into the spectrum of cellular heterogeneity within human CRPC cells. These marker genes, GO terms and pathways may be critical in the development and progression of human CRPC.

Objective To screen several immune-related long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and construct a prognostic model for papillary renal cell carcinoma (pRCC). Methods Transcriptome-sequencing data of pRCC was downloaded and a prognostic model was constructed. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted and the area under curve (AUC) was calculated. We conducted quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to verify the model. The gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to show the connection of our model with immune pathways. Result We identified four lncRNAs to constructed the model. The model was significantly associated with the survival time and survival state. The expression-levels of the four lncRNAs were measured and the prognosis of high-risk patients was significantly worse. The two immune-gene sets had an active performance in the high-risk patients. Conclusion We constructed a prognostic model in pRCC which provided more reference for treatment.

This study was to explore the risk factors for postoperative bladder neck contracture (BNC) after transurethral operation of prostate in patients with small-volume prostatic obstruction.Clinicopathologic data at our center from February 2016 to January 2020 were retrospectively collected and analyzed. Clinicopathological characteristics between patients with and without BNC were compared. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the risk factors for postoperative BNC.There were a total of 39 patients (8.53%) with postoperative BNC. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that preoperative bladder neck diameter (BND), intravesical prostatic protrusion (IPP), surgical methods (transurethral resection of prostate (TURP)/anatomical endoscopic enucleation of the prostate (AEEP)), and postoperative urinary tract infection (UTI) were independent risk factors for postoperative BNC in patients with small-volume prostatic obstruction (P 0.05). The incidence of postoperative BNC in patients undergoing AEEP was significantly decreased compared with those undergoing TURP. The optimal cut-off value of preoperative IPP was 6.10 mm while the optimal cut-off value of preoperative BND was 2.52 cm.Larger preoperative bladder neck and higher preoperative IPP lead to decreased incidence of postoperative BNC in patients with small-volume prostatic obstruction. Active management of postoperative UTI could effectively prevent the occurrence of postoperative BNC. Compared with TURP, complete AEEP would contribute to reduce BNC in patients with small-volume prostatic obstruction.

Lymph node metastasis is one of the most important independent risk factors that can negatively affect the prognosis of prostate cancer (PCa); however, the exact mechanisms have not been well studied. This study aims to better understand the underlying mechanism of lymph node metastasis in PCa by bioinformatics analysis. We analysed a total of 367 PCa cases from the cancer genome atlas database and performed weighted gene co‐expression network analysis to explore some modules related to lymph node metastasis. Gene Ontology analysis and pathway enrichment analysis were conducted for functional annotation, and a protein‐protein interaction network was built. Samples from the International Cancer Genomics Consortium database were used as a validation set. The turquoise module showed the most relevance with lymph node metastasis. Functional annotation showed that biological processes and pathways were mainly related to activation of the processes of cell cycle and mitosis. Four hub genes were selected: CKAP2L, CDCA8, ERCC6L and ARPC1A. Further validation showed that the four hub genes well‐distinguished tumour and normal tissues, and they were good biomarkers for lymph node metastasis of PCa. In conclusion, the identified hub genes facilitate our knowledge of the underlying molecular mechanism for lymph node metastasis of PCa.

Versatile graphdiyne (GDY) substrate has been modified by numerous transition metals and resulting composites showed excellent photo/electro-catalytic performance. However, GDY materials modified by actinides that are stockpiled waste product due to large-scale use in nuclear industry, are particularly scarce and remains great challenge. To deeply understand the structural properties, GDY complexating actinyl (AnmO2)n+ (An = U, Np, Pu; m = VI, V) species with its atomistic pore was investigated by relativistic density functional theory (DFT). The GDY pore was found suitable to hold actinyl species, by forming organometallic AnC dative bonds. This chemical coupling interaction was further confirmed by quantum theory of atoms-in-molecule and electronic structure calculations. The GDY-uranyl(V), for instance, shows a π(UC) bonding HOMO, which is anticipated to improve electron transfer between ligand and metal. Orbital structures and compositions of complexes suggest their implication towards catalysis, which were further corroborated by calculations on redox potentials of GDY-actinyl complexes. Hence, our results show the potential applications of GDY complexating actinyl species towards novel catalytic surfaces. Keywords: Graphdiyne-actinyl, Electronic structures and bonding, Redox properties, Relativistic DFT calculations

A new sesquiterpene (1) and nine known alkaloids (2-10) were isolated from the roots of Toddalia asiatica. The structure of compound 1 were resolved by NMR and HRESI data, as well as ECD calculation for determining the absolute configuration. The known compounds were identified to be 8-acetonyldihydronitidine (2), 8-acetonyldihydroavicine (3), dihydronitidine (4), oxynitidine (5), decarine (6), skimmianine (7), g-fagarine (8), N-methylflindersine (9), and 4-methoxy-N-methyl-2-quinolone (10) by comparing the NMR data with those in the literature. Compound 1 is the first eremophilane-type sesquiterpenoid isolated from this species. The known compounds 2, 3, and 6 were discovered for the first time from the genus Toddalia. All the isolated compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory effects against phosphodiesterase-4, as result, compound 2 showed strong inhibitory effect against phosphodiesterase-4 with an IC50 value of 5.14 mM.

Objective To explore the factors associated with improvement of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) after transurethral plasmakinetic enucleation of the prostate (PKEP) and transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) in patients with a small-volume prostate and bladder outlet obstruction (BOO). Methods The clinicopathologic data of 257 patients with BOO and a small-volume prostate from January 2013 to January 2018 were retrospectively collected preoperatively, 3 months postoperatively, and 12 months postoperatively. Patients were divided into postoperative success and failure groups based on the IPSS, IPSS-v, and IPSS-s. The relationship between each parameter and the improvement of postoperative LUTS was analyzed. Subgroup analysis was performed to compare the differences between the TURP and PKEP groups. Results Among patients followed up for 3 months postoperatively, multivariate analysis demonstrated that IPP, PUA, and post-PCB were significant predictors of postoperative IPSS improvement; TZI, IPP, and PUA were significant predictors of postoperative IPSS-v improvement; post-PCB and the surgical procedure were significant predictors of IPSS-s improvement; and IPP and PUA were significant predictors of postoperative Qmax improvement. Among patients followed up for 12 months postoperatively, multivariate analysis revealed that IPP, PUA, and post-PCB were significant predictors of postoperative IPSS improvement; PUA was a significant predictor of postoperative IPSS-v improvement; post-PCB was a significant predictor of IPSS-s improvement; and IPP and PUA were significant predictors of postoperative Qmax improvement. The post-PCB was significantly lower in the PKEP than the TURP group and the prostatic calculi removal rate was significantly higher in the PKEP than the TURP group. Conclusion Patients with a greater preoperative IPP and PUA and smaller post-PCB showed greater improvement of postoperative LUTS. PKEP might help to remove calculi from between the transitional and peripheral zones of prostate. Compared with conventional TURP, PKEP may improve the early postoperative storage symptoms of LUTS in patients with a small-volume prostate and BOO.

To investigate the influence of prostatic calculi on the results of prostate biopsy in patients with a PSA level of 4－10 μg/L.We reviewed the clinical data on 317 patients with a PSA level of 4－10 μg/L on prostate biopsy performed in The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University between May 2012 and May 2019, concerning age, body mass index (BMI), prostate volume, PSA level, FPSA/TPSA ratio, PSA density (PSAD), scores on Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2 (PI-RADS), prostatic calculi and pathological findings. Using logistic regression analysis and ROC curves, we evaluated the influence of prostatic calculi on the results of prostate biopsy.Multivariate analysis showed that age and the PI-RADS score were independent risk factors of positive prostate biopsy, while the prostate volume, FPSA/TPSA ratio and calculus burden were independent protective factors, and that the PI-RADS score was an independent risk factor of clinically significant PCa, while calculus burden and FPSA/TPSA ratio were independent protective factors. Subgroup analysis of the prostatic calculi revealed that the rates of positive prostate biopsy and clinically significant PCa were higher in the patients with calculi in the peripheral zone than in the other groups, but lower in those with calculi in the central or transitional zone than in the peripheral zone and non-calculus groups.The rates of positive prostate biopsy and clinically significant PCa are low in prostatic calculus patients with a PSA level of 4－10 μg/L, especially in those with calculi in the central or transitional zone.

Bedaquiline (Bdq) exerts bactericidal effects against drug-susceptible and drug-resistantMacrophages infected with MDR-MTBs or H37Rv received Bdq treatments (4 h/8 h/24 h/48 h) at 1 × the minimum inhibitory concentration (1 × MIC), 10 × MIC and 20 × MIC. Intracellular colony-forming units (CFUs) and culture supernatant IL-12/23 p40, TNF-(1) 100% of Bdq-treated macrophages (all doses applied over 4-48 h) survived with 0% inhibition of proliferation observed. (2) Intracellular CFUs of Bdq-treated MDR-MTBs-infected macrophages decreased over 4-48 h of treatment, were lower than preadministration and control CFUs, decreased with increasing Bdq dose, and resembled H37Rv-infected group CFUs (48 h). (3) For MDR-MTBs-infected macrophages (various Bdq doses), IL-12/23 p40 levels resembled preadministration group levels and exceeded controls (4 h); TNF-Bdq was strongly bactericidal against intracellular MDR-MTBs and H37Rv in a time-dependent, concentration-dependent manner. Bdq potentially exerted immunomodulatory effects by inducing high-level Th1 cytokine expression (IL-12/23 p40, TNF

Purpose: To estimate whether the city-specific lockdown in Shanghai induced by the COVID-19 pandemic affected preterm birth rates among uninfected pregnant women in different trimesters.Methods: The population-based retrospective cohort study was conducted in the International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital (IPMCH) in Shanghai, China. Pregnant women without COVID-19 received perinatal healthcare during lockdown (from January 24, 2020 to March 24, 2020) and non-lockdown (from January 24, 2019 to March 24, 2019) period and giving birth to a live infant at IPMCH were enrolled. 1:1 propensity score matching and Inverse probability of treatment weighting were used to evaluate preterm birth (Results: 8,270 pregnant women were in the lockdown group, and 9,815 were in the non-lockdown group. Pregnant women in second trimester during lockdown had a higher risk of PTB than those during the non-lockdown period [OR: 1.43 (CI 1.01–2.02), ARD: 1.7% (CI 0.04–3.4%), p = 0.045]. Furthermore, pregnant women in third trimester during lockdown had a higher risk of PROM-PTB than those during the non-lockdown period [OR: 1.64 (CI 1.09–2.47), ARD: 0.9% (CI 0.2–1.6%), p = 0.02]; no group differences were found related to rates of VPTB, S-PTB or MI-PTB.Conclusion: In this cohort study in China, we found that there was an increased risk in preterm birth for non-infected women in COVID-19 lockdown who were in their second trimester.

Purpose: To investigate the risk factors for progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) in metastatic prostate cancer (mPCa) patients who underwent androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Methods: We analyzed 216 patients with mPCa who underwent ADT between January 2006 and December 2015 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis were used to explore the risk factors for progression to CRPC. Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test were used to evaluate the difference in progression-free survival (PFS). Results: A total of 121 (56.0%) patients who underwent ADT showed progression to CRPC. Multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that Gleason grade group, prostate-specific antigen nadir (nPSA), and time to PSA nadir (TTN) were risk factors for progression to CRPC in mPCa patients. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that patients in Gleason grade group ≥3, nPSA >0.2 ng/ml and TTN

Background: Seminoma accounts for the most part of cases of testicular germ cell tumor, which is the most common malignancy among males between ages 15 and 44 years. Understanding the molecular mechanism of tumorigenesis is important for better clinical diagnosis and treatment. Purpose: We performed bioinformatics analysis to better understand seminoma at the genetic level and to explore potential candidate genes or molecules for diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. Methods: A gene expression profile (GSE8607), containing 40 seminoma samples and three healthy testes samples, was analyzed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with the occurrence of seminoma. Functional annotation was then performed using gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses. Cytoscape with Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes was used to construct a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of the DEGs and select hub genes. Moreover, validation of expression level and Kaplan-Meier analysis for overall survival were conducted to those hub genes. Results: A total of 1,636 DEGs were identified between seminoma and healthy samples, including 701 up-regulated in seminoma that were enriched in the regulation of immune responses, defense responses, receptor activity, and signal transducer activity; 935 were down-regulated in seminoma and were associated with reproductive processes, kinase activity, and carbohydrate derivative binding. Five hub genes were selected from the PPI network according to the degree of connectivity: IL6, VEGFA, IL10, CCR5, and CXCR4. Among them, high expression levels of CCR5 and CXCR4 were associated with poor prognosis for seminoma patients. Four modules selected from the PPI network revealed that seminoma was connected with the Janus kinase-signal transducers and activators of transcription signaling pathway, chemokine signaling pathway, endocytosis, and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction. Conclusion: These identified DEGs and hub genes facilitate our knowledge of the underlying molecular mechanism of seminoma and have the potential to be used as diagnostic biomarkers or therapeutic targets for seminoma.

Background Risk factors of visceral metastases in prostate cancer (PCa) patients are unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the risk factors of developing visceral metastases at diagnosis and the impact of these risk factors on the survival of patients with visceral metastatic PCa. Methods Patients with visceral metastases at the time of diagnosis of [2010–2015] PCa were identified using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Visceral metastatic distribution data were provided for liver, lung, and brain. The overall survival (OS) was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariable logistic and Cox regression models were performed to identify risk factors and analyze survival outcomes. Results A total of 13,092 eligible patients with stage IV PCa were identified from SEER database. A total of 598 patients developed visceral metastases at diagnosis among these patients. In multivariable analyses, patients with PSA >80 ng/mL had 1.545-fold higher risk of developing visceral metastases compared with those with PSA

An effective switchable solvent system using carbon dioxide (CO2) and 2-tert-butyl-1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidine (BTMG) for cellulose dissolution and derivatization was developed. High concentration cellulose solution (up to 10 wt%) could be achieved by dissolving microcrystalline cellulose rapidly, within 5 min, into DMSO in presence of BTMG and 1 atm CO2 at room temperature. The cellulose-carbonate anion intermediate was characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopies, emphasizing the generation of cellulose carbonate anions and protonated BTMG. Addition of organochlorides into the cellulose solution triggers a nucleophilic substitution with cellulose-carbonate anions, producing various cellulose benzyl carbonates and a cellulose-carbonate-ester with degree of substitution (DS) up to 1.83 at 1 atm CO2 pressure and room temperature. The activation energy (Ea) and Gibbs free energy change (ΔG) of CO2-mediated dissolution and nucleophilic substitution were calculated by density functional theory. The results showed that the nucleophilic substitution is the rate-limiting step.

Objective. This study sought to determine the diagnostic value of combined intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in predicting parametrial infiltration (PMI) in patients with cervical cancer. Materials and Methods. We enrolled 65 patients with cervical cancer confirmed by radical hysterectomy (25 PMI-negative and 40 PMI-positive) who underwent IVIM and DTI pretreatment. The parameters of IVIM (ADC, D, D ∗ , and f) and DTI (average diffusion coefficient (DCavg) and fractional anisotropy (FA)) were recorded by two observers. All parameter differences were tested, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to estimate the diagnostic performance of significant metrics and their combinations. Results. Compared to the PMI-negative group, the PMI-positive group had significantly lower D (0.632 ± 0.017 vs. 0.773 ± 0.024, p < 0.001 ) and lower FA (0.073 ± 0.002 vs. 0.085 ± 0.003, p = 0.003 ). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of D and FA was 0.801 and 0.726, respectively, and the combination of D and FA improved the AUC to 0.931, with a sensitivity and specificity of 80.0% and 97.5%, respectively. Conclusion. D and FA values could be used to help diagnose PMI in patients with cervical cancer. The combination of IVIM and DTI was more valuable than either option alone.

The predictive values of the platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and red cell distribution width (RDW) have been demonstrated in different types of abdominal surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate the interest of the preoperative PLR and RDW as predictors of 30-day postoperative complications in patients with acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI).Clinical data of 105 AMI patients were retrospectively reviewed. Postoperative complications were evaluated by the Clavien-Dindo classification. The cutoff values for neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), PLR, and RDW were determined by receiver operating characteristic curves. Univariate and multivariate analyses evaluating the risk factors for postoperative complications were performed.In the univariate analyses, advanced age, female, anemia, high white blood cell (WBC), high PLR, high NLR, high RDW, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) score ≥2, and bowel resection were associated with the postoperative complications. A multivariable analysis revealed that advanced age, high PLR, high RDW, and bowel resection were independent predictors of postoperative complications.The PLR and RDW might play important roles in evaluation of the risk of postoperative complications in AMI patients. The preoperative PLR and RDW are simple and useful predictors of postoperative complications in AMI patients.

BACKGROUND Evidence indicates that there is an important role for long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) in numerous cellular processes and that lncRNAs dysregulation contributes to tumor progression. Improved insight into the molecular characteristics of bladder cancer is required to predict outcomes and to develop a new rationale for targeted therapeutic strategies. Bioinformatics methods, including functional enrichment and network analysis combined with survival analysis, are required to process a large volume of data to obtain further information about differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in bladder cancer. This study aimed to explore the role of lncRNAs and their regulation network in bladder cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS We analyzed bladder cancer data by The Cancer Genome Atlas profiling to identify differentially expressed lncRNAs in bladder cancer. The genes involved in the circlncRNAnet database were evaluated using Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Gene Ontology (GO), evolutionary relationship analysis, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. RESULTS Two new lncRNAs, ADAMTS9-AS1 and LINC00460, were shown to be differentially expressed in bladder cancer. Patients were divided into 2 groups (high expression and low expression) according to their median expression values. The overall survival and disease-free survival of patients with high ADAMTS9-AS1 bladder cancer were significantly shorter; the expression of LINC00460 had no significant correlation with survival. GO and KEGG analysis of the 2 lncRNA-related genes revealed that these lncRNAs played a vital role in tumorigenesis. Bioinformatics analysis showed that key genes related to LINC00460, including CXCL, CCL, and CSF2, may be related to the development of bladder cancer. The low expression of ADAMTS9-AS1 may influence the survival rate of bladder cancer with the hub gene as a target. CONCLUSIONS LncRNA, including LINC00460 and ADAMTS9-AS1, might play a crucial role in the biosynthesis network of bladder cancer. Differential expression results of ADAMTS9-AS1 suggests it may be correlated with a worse prognosis and a shorter survival time. We outlined the biosynthesis network that regulates lncRNAs in bladder cancer. Further experimental data is needed to validate our results.

To investigate the influence of the degrees of intravesical prostatic protrusion (IPP) on the recovery of urinary continence after radical prostatectomy.We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data on 212 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer by biopsy and treated by laparoscopic radical prostatectomy by the same surgeon. Based on the degrees of IPP measured by MRI, we divided the patients into an IPP ≤ 10 mm group (n = 146) and an IPP10 mm group (n = 66) and determined the factors influencing the recovery of urinary continence by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.At 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after surgery, the urinary continence rates of the patients were 32.5%, 50.5%, 82.1% and 91%, respectively. Univariate analysis indicated that the factors influencing the recovery of urinary continence included IPP, body mass index (BMI), bladder neck preservation (BNP), neurovascular bundle preservation (NVBP) and clinical tumor (T) stage at 3 months (P0.05 or P0.01), age, IPP, BMI, BNP and clinical T stage at 6 months (P0.05 or P0.01), and age, IPP, BMI, BNP, NVBP and clinical T stage at 12 months (P0.05), while multivariate logistic regression analysis showed the independent influencing factors to be IPP10 mm (P0.001), BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 (P = 0.004) and BNP (P = 0.032) at 3 months, and IPP and BMI at 6 months (both P0.01) and 12 months (P0.01 and P = 0.033).IPP10 mm and BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 are independent factors influencing the long-term recovery of urinary continence after radical prostatectomy.

Purpose: The aim of this work was to investigate the predictive factors for bladder cancer recurrence survival (BCRS) in patients with upper-tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). Methods: We selected patients with UTUC who underwent segmental ureterectomy (Su) or nephroureterectomy (Nu) from 2004 to 2013 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Patients with a history of intravesical therapy for bladder cancer and bladder cancer prior to the diagnosis of UTUC were excluded. We used Kaplan-Meier analysis, log-rank tests, and Cox proportional hazards model to compare overall survival, cancer-specific survival, and BCRS. Results: In a cohort of 1,454 patients, 169 (11.6%) had low-grade tumors and 1,285 (88.4%) had high-grade tumors; 239 (16.4%) underwent Su and 1,215 (83.6%) underwent Nu. We found that T4 grade (hazard ratio [HR] = 6.216; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.197-12.087) and ureteral tumors (HR = 1.764; 95% CI, 1.173-2.652) were predictors of shorter BCRS, whereas Nu (HR = 0.608; 95% CI, 0.388-0.953) predicted longer BCRS. Five-year BCRS rates were low-grade tumors: 94.1%, high-grade tumors: 85.4% (p = 0.038); plus Su: 82.9%, and Nu: 87.6% (p = 0.016). Conclusions: Use of Su should be more selective for high-grade tumors, as it correlates with shorter BCRS. Tumors located in the ureter are associated with shorter BCRS than those located in the renal pelvis.

The catalytic activity of iron(II) complexes with functionalized amine-pyrazolyl tripodal ligands toward dimerization of terminal alkynes in the presence a base (KOtBu or NaOtBu) has been studied. An unusual E/Z selectivity of the reaction determined by tert-butoxide was observed.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age and its etiology has not been characterized. Growth differentiation factor 8 (GDF8) is a member of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily that plays a critical role in the regulation of ovarian functions. However, the expression pattern of GDF8 in the human ovary is not yet clear. This study examined the cellular distribution of GDF8 and its putative cellular receptors (ACVR2A, ACVR2B, and ALK5) in a series of normal (n = 34) and PCOS ovaries (n = 14). The immunostaining of GDF8, ACVR2A, ACVR2B, and ALK5 was detected in the oocytes regardless of the developmental stage. All these proteins were localized in antral follicles in normal and PCOS ovaries, and the expression of these proteins increased with increasing follicle diameter. A significantly higher expression of GDF8 was detected in the granulosa cells than in the matched theca cells (TCs). These proteins were also localized in the luteal cells of the corpus luteum. Granulosa cells and TCs of large antral follicles in PCOS ovaries display a higher expression of these proteins. The higher expression levels of GDF8 and its functional receptors (ACVR2A, ACVR2B, and ALK5) in antral follicles of PCOS ovaries than those in normal ovaries suggest the possible involvement of dysregulated GDF8 in the pathogenesis of PCOS.Summary SentenceFollicular localization of growth differentiation 8 and its receptor is increased in polycystic ovaries than in normal ovaries.

With the development of information technology, rumors propagate faster and more widely than in the past. In this paper, a stochastic rumor propagation model incorporating media coverage and driven by Lévy noise is proposed. The global positivity of the solution process is proved, and further the basic reproductive number R 0 is obtained. When R 0 < 1, the dynamical process of system with Lévy jump tends to the rumor-free equilibrium point of the deterministic system, and the rumor tends to extinction; when R 0 > 1, the rumor will keep spreading and the system will oscillate randomly near the rumor equilibrium point of the deterministic system. The results show that the oscillation amplitude is related to the disturbance of the system. In addition, increasing media coverage can effectively reduce the final spread of rumors. Finally, the above results are verified by numerical simulation.

Antrodia cinnamomea (AC) exhibits many bioactivities, including anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and hepatoprotection activities. Many researchers have studied the functions of the components or fractions of AC, but the functions of the original extractions of AC have not been studied. In addition, the detailed relationship between AC and immune-related signaling pathways is unclear. In this study, we screened the effects of CCM111, which is the extract of AC, on seven immune-related signaling pathways and further investigated whether CCM111 can influence inflammation. Interestingly, our results showed that CCM111 significantly inhibited the IL-6-stimulated STAT3 pathway and the LPS-stimulated NF-κB pathway in macrophages. CCM111 also decreased the phosphorylation of STAT3, Tyk2 and the nuclear translocation of p65. Moreover, CCM111 and F4, a fraction of CCM111, down-regulated nitric oxide (NO) production, the protein levels of iNOS and COX-2, and inflammatory cytokines in macrophage cells. Therefore, our study suggested that CCM111 has the potential to be developed as an effective anti-inflammatory agent.

Mentoring opportunities are regarded as key stages in the development of future psychologists, by the Psychotherapy Section and by the BPS as a whole.

To investigate the value of MRI-based features and texture analysis (TA) in the differential diagnosis between ovarian thecomas/fibrothecomas (OTCA/f-TCAs) and uterine fibroids in the adnexal area (UF-iaas).This retrospective study included 16 OTCA/f-TCA and 37 UF-iaa patients who underwent conventional MRI and DWI between August 2014 and September 2018. Three-dimensional TA was performed with T2-weighted MRI. The clinical, MRI-based and texture features were compared between OTCA/f-TCAs and UF-iaas. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used for filtering the independent discriminative features and constructing the discriminating model. ROCs were generated to analyse MRI-based features, texture features and their combination for discriminating between the two diseases.Six imaging-based features (ipsilateral ovary detection, arterial period enhancement, lesion components, peripheral cysts, "whorl signs", mean ADCs) and six texture features (Histogram-energy, Histogram-entropy, Histogram-kurtosis, GLCM-energy, GLCM-entropy, and Haralick correlation) were significantly different between OTCA/f-TCAs and UF-iaas (p0.05). Multivariate analysis of the MRI-based features revealed that arterial period enhancement (OR = 0.104), peripheral cysts (OR = 16.513), and whorl signs (OR = 0.029) were independent features for discriminating between OTCA/f-TCAs and UF-iaas (p0.05). Multivariate analysis of the texture features showed that Histogram-energy and GLCM-energy were independent features for discriminating between OTCA/f-TCAs and UF-iaas (p0.05). The area under the curve of imaging-based diagnosis was 0.85, and the combination of imaging-based diagnosis and TA improved the area under the curve to 0.87, with higher accuracy, specificity and sensitivity of 86%, 92%, and 84%, respectively (p0.05).MRI-based features can be useful in differentiating OTCA/f-TCAs from UF-iaas. Furthermore, combining imaging-based diagnosis and TA can improve diagnostic performance.