Search

Yan HF, Zheng CL, Li Z, et al. Cancer Manag Res. 2019;11:3237-3251. We, the Editors and Publisher of Cancer Management and Research, have retracted the following article. Concerns were raised about the integrity of the data in the article following the author’s request to make a correction. It was found images from several figures within the article had been duplicated. Specifically, The image for Figure 2C, Migration, SNU216, Si1 has been duplicated with the image for Figure 2C, Invasion, SNU216, Si1. The western blot bands for Figure 2B, SNU216, GAPDH, have been duplicated with the image for Figure 4B, BGC823, GAPDH. The image for Figure S3D, Collagen, 30 minutes, OE, has been duplicated with the image for Figure S3D, Collagen, 60 minutes, NC. When approached for an explanation, the authors were cooperative and provided original data for their study. However, the provided data did not satisfactorily explain how the duplication of these images occurred and was unable to alleviate the journal’s concerns regarding the validity of the findings. As verifying the validity of published work is core to the integrity of the scholarly record, we are therefore retracting the article and the authors do not agree with the retraction. We have been informed in our decision-making by our editorial policies and COPE guidelines. The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as ‘Retracted’.

Qiang-Nu Zhang,1,* Hui-Li Zhu,1,* Meng-Ting Xia,2,* Juan Liao,1 Xiao-Tao Huang,2 Jiang-Wei Xiao,3 Cong Yuan21Department of Gastroenterology, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Gastroenterology, the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong 637000, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong 637000, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workBackground: The systematic expression characteristics and functions of collagen genes in gastric cancer (GC) have not been reported. Through public data integration, combined with bioinformatics analysis, we identified a panel of collagen genes overexpressed in GC. The functions of these genes were analyzed and validated in a GC-related cohort. microRNAs that may potentially target such genes were investigated in vitro.Methods: Four GC-related datasets retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were used to extract differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in GC. Functional annotation was performed to identify the potential roles of the identified DEGs. The association of candidate genes involved in the prognosis of GC patients (n=876) was determined using data provided by the Kaplan–Meier-plotter database, The Cancer Genome Atlas Stomach Adenocarcinoma (TCGA-STAD) repository, and a GC-related dataset (GSE15459). The expression characteristics of candidate genes and their associations with clinical parameters were validated in our in-house cohort (n=58). MicroRNAs able to target the identified candidate genes were predicted and confirmed using qRT-PCR, Western blotting, and dual-luciferase reporter assays in vitro.Results: After the integration of four GEO datasets, 76 DEGs were identified. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis indicated that these DEGs were significantly enriched in ECM-related functions and pathways. A group of collagen genes was significantly upregulated in the GC tissues and constituted a protein–protein interaction network as important nodes. Some of these collagen genes were closely associated with poor prognosis in GC patients. Overexpression of COL1A1 and COL4A1 was confirmed in our in-house cohort, and this was related to prognosis and certain clinicopathological parameters. We found that microRNA-29c-3p could directly target COL1A1 and COL4A1 in BGC-823 cells.Conclusions: Collagen genes identified in this study were associated with patient prognosis in GC and may represent diagnostic markers or potential therapeutic targets. Aberrant expression of such candidate genes may be induced by microRNA-29c-3p.Keywords: gastric cancer, collagen, prognosis, microRNA-29c-3p, COL1A1, COL4A1

Hongfei Yan,1,2,* Chunlei Zheng,1,2,* Zhi Li,1,2 Bowen Bao,1,2 Bowen Yang,1,2 Kezuo Hou,1,2 Xiujuan Qu,1,2 Jiawen Xiao,3 Xiaofang Che,1,2 Yunpeng Liu1,2 1Department of Medical Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China; 2Key Laboratory of Anticancer Drugs and Biotherapy of Liaoning Province, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China; 3Department of Medical Oncology, Shenyang Fifth People Hospital, Tiexi District, Shenyang 110001, China *These authors contributed equally to this work Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effect of NPTX1 on the prognosis of gastric cancer (GC), as well as the metastatic process in GC. Materials and methods: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases were used to analyze the association between NPTX1 expression and prognosis in GC. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blots were applied to examine the expression of NPTX1 in GC cell lines and expression of genes in downstream pathways. The role of NPTX1 on the migration, invasion, adhesion, and proliferation of GC cell lines was investigated with the transwell assay, the adhesion assay, and the MTT assay. Immunofluorescence staining was used to observe the effect of NPTX1 knockdown on the morphology of cells. Results: According to the review of TCGA and GEO databases of GC, we found that the expression of NPTX1 increased in cancer tissues and high NPTX1 expression was correlated with poor overall survival, which was associated with lymph node stage in clinicopathologic parameters. Knockdown of NPTX1 attenuated the migration, invasion, and adhesion abilities of GC cells. According to gene set enrichment analysis, NPTX1 was found to be positively related to integrin and focal adhesion (FA). Additionally, NPTX1 knockdown decreased the expression of integrin α1 and integrin α7, followed by deregulation of the expression of p-Src, p-Akt, p-Erk, MMP2, and MMP7, as well as inhibiting the formation of FA complexes and decreasing the length of pseudopods in GC cells. Conclusion: Our study provides strong evidence that NPTX1 plays a crucial role in promoting metastasis and acts as a prognostic indicator in GC. Keywords: gastric cancer, NPTX1,metastasis, integrin

Background: Odontogenic maxillary sinusitis, often triggered by dental issues like periapical periodontitis, significantly contributes to chronic sinusitis, mainly affecting adults around 50 years old, emphasizing the need for a multidisciplinary diagnostic and treatment approach., Aim: To investigate the therapeutic effect and clinical value of root canal therapy combined with nasal endoscopic surgery compared with simple root canal therapy in the treatment of severe odontogenic maxillary sinusitis caused by periapical periodontitis., Methods: The clinical data, diagnosis, and treatment of 200 patients with severe odontogenic maxillary sinusitis caused by periapical periodontitis from October 2020 to October 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. Among them, 63 patients were treated with simple root canal therapy as the control group, and 137 patients were treated with root canal therapy combined with nasal endoscopic surgery as the observation group. The therapeutic effect, Lund-Kennedy endoscopic score, paranasal sinus Lund-Mackay score, complication rate, recurrence rate, and patient satisfaction were compared between the two groups., Results: First, we compared the effective rates: 23 cases were cured, 22 were improved, and 8 were ineffective in the control group, yielding a total effective rate of 84.90%. Meanwhile, 97 cases were cured, 34 improved, and 6 were ineffective in the observation group, resulting in a total effective rate of 95.62%. The observation group had a higher total effective rate compared with the control group ( P < 0.05). Second, we compared the Lund-Kennedy endoscopic score. Before treatment, no significant difference ( P > 0.05) was observed in this score between the two groups. After treatment, the Lund-Kennedy endoscopic score decreased in both groups. The Lund-Kennedy endoscopic score of the observation group at 3 and 6 mo after treatment was lower compared to that of the control group ( P < 0.05). Third, we compared the Lund-Mackay score of paranasal sinuses. Before treatment, there was no significant difference in this score between the two groups ( P > 0.05). After treatment, the Lund-Mackay scores of paranasal sinuses decreased in both groups. The Lund-Mackay scores of paranasal sinuses in the observation group at 3 and 6 mo after treatment were lower compared to those of the control group ( P < 0.05). Fourth, we compared the incidence and recurrence rate of complications. Three months after treatment, no significant difference was found in the incidence and recurrence rate of complications between the observation group (6.56%) and the control group (9.52%) ( P > 0.05). However, 6 mo after treatment, the incidence and recurrence rate of complications in the observation group (2.91%) was significantly higher compared to that of the control group (12.69%) ( P < 0.05). Fifth, we compared patient satisfaction. Six months after treatment, the patient satisfaction of the observation group (93.43%) was significantly better than that of the control group (84.12%) ( P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Root canal therapy combined with nasal endoscopic surgery has a good therapeutic effect on severe odontogenic maxillary sinusitis caused by periapical periodontitis, and it can reduce the injury of maxillary sinus mucosa and bone, and significantly reduce the incidence of complications and recurrence rate. Meanwhile, it has high patient satisfaction and remarkable therapeutic effect, which is suggested to be popularized and applied in clinic., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article., (©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Preoperative neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) is considered to be the standard treatment strategy for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC); however, the risk of adverse events and postoperative recurrence remains significant. This study aimed to evaluate the non-inferiority of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (nCT) compared with nCRT in patients with LARC and to assess the possibility of eliminating radiotherapy on the basis of guaranteed efficacy., Materials and Methods: We searched the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the efficacy of nCRT and nCT for LARC. The study protocol was registered with the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO)., Results: A total of 2706 patients from 7 studies were included in the meta-analysis. There was no significant difference in overall survival (OS) or disease-free survival (DFS) between the nCT and nCRT groups. This study demonstrated a lower rate of infection (OR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.34-0.82; P = 0.005), anastomotic leak (OR = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.34-0.87; P = 0.01), tumor regression grade (TRG) 0-1 (OR = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.36-0.69; P < 0.0001), preventive diverting ileostomy (OR = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.17-1.02; P = 0.05) and leukopenia (OR = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.25-1.01; P = 0.05) in the nCT group. However, there was no significant difference in the other toxic events, such as intestinal obstruction, urinary complications, diarrhoea, and surgical or pathological outcomes, such as clinical fistula, sphincter preservation, postoperative mortality (≤ 60 d), R0 resection, ypStage 0-I, positive circumferential resection margin (CRM +) or pathological complete response (pCR) between the two groups., Conclusion: This study indicated that OS and DFS were not lower in the nCT group than in the nCRT group. In addition, the nCT group had fewer complications. Preoperative nCT is expected to become a standard treatment option for most patients with stage II-III LARC. It is worth noting that radiotherapy can not be ignored for some patients who need to ensure the conversion effect of neoadjuvant therapy and strongly request to preserve organ function., (Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background: It is worthwhile to establish a prognostic prediction model based on microenvironment cells (MCs) infiltration and explore new treatment strategies for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC)., Methods: The xCell algorithm was used to quantify the cellular components of the TNBC microenvironment based on bulk RNA sequencing (bulk RNA-seq) data. The MCs index (MCI) was constructed using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator Cox (LASSO-Cox) regression analysis. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), spatially resolved transcriptomics (SRT), and multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) staining analyses verified MCI. The mechanism of action of the MCI was investigated in tumor-bearing mice., Results: MCI consists of the six types of MCs, which can precisely predict the prognosis of the TNBC patients. scRNA-seq, SRT, and mIF analyses verified the existence and proportions of these cells. Furthermore, combined with the spatial distribution characteristics of the six types of MCs, an MCI-enhanced (MCI-e) model was constructed, which could predict the prognosis of the TNBC patients more accurately. More importantly, inhibition of the insulin signaling pathway activated in the cancer cells of the MCI high the TNBC patients significantly prolonged the survival time of tumor-bearing mice., Conclusions: Overall, our results demonstrate that MCs infiltration can be exploited as a novel indicator for the prognosis and therapeutic regimen selection of the TNBC patients., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: All animal experimental protocols were approved by the Ethics Committee for the Use of Experimental Animals of Army Medical University (AMUWEC20227011), and all procedures were performed under governmental and institutional guidelines and regulations. The use of two TMAs derived from the TNBC patients was granted ethical approval (XYLL-2021B001), and the study was exempted from the obligation to obtain informed consent. The Declaration of Helsinki of the World Medical Association was followed when the study was conducted. Consent for publication: Written informed consent for publication was obtained from all participants. Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The current method for liver graft implantation during the anhepatic phase is complex. Therefore, this study aimed to introduce a modified orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) technique with major vascular reconstruction using cuff technique to simplify the process of liver graft implantation during the anhepatic phase., Methods: Twenty-four canines were randomly assigned to two groups: the modified orthotopic liver transplantation group (M-OLT, n  = 12) and the control group (n = 12). All animals were randomly assigned to the donor or recipient groups. The recipients received orthotopic liver transplantation using a modified technique in the M-OLT group, and OLT using traditional implantation technique without venovenous bypass was performed in the control group. The donor and recipient characteristics were compared between the two groups. Vascular anastomotic patency was evaluated using angiography immediately and one week after surgery., Results: All recipients underwent successful liver transplantation. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of sex, body weight, or cold ischemia time of the donor liver. However, recipients in the M-OLT group had a shorter operation time, less intraoperative blood loss, shorter anhepatic phase, shorter vascular occlusion time, and shorter warm ischemia time than that in the control group (all p  < 0.05). No anastomotic leakage or stenosis was detected in either group after liver transplantation. One recipient in the M-OLT group and three in the control group died within one week of transplantation., Conclusions: This modified technique is safe and feasible for canine liver transplantation and can significantly simplify liver graft implantation procedures during the anhepatic period., Competing Interests: No authors have conflicts of interest or financial ties to disclose., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Voriconazole (VRZ) is involved in a variety of drug‒drug interactions (DDIs), but few studies have reported adverse events (AEs) associated with the DDIs of VRZ. The primary goal of this study was to analyse the potential risk factors for AEs caused by DDIs between VRZ and other drugs via the OpenVigil FDA platform and to provide a reference for preventing VRZ DDIs and monitoring clinically related adverse drug events., Methods: A retrospective pharmacovigilance study was conducted to investigate the AEs related to DDIs between VRZ and four categories of drugs: proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), immunosuppressants, and other antibacterial drugs. AE information for the target drugs from the first quarter of 2004 to the third quarter of 2022 was downloaded from the OpenVigil FDA data platform. Four frequency statistical models-the reporting ratio method, Ω shrinkage measure model, combination risk ratio model, and the chi-square statistics model-were used to analyse the AEs related to DDIs and evaluate the correlation and influence of sex and age between the drug(s) and the target AEs detected., Results: A total of 38 drugs were included, with 262 AEs detected by at least one of the four models and 48 AEs detected by all four models. Some 77 detected AEs were significantly positively correlated with DDIs and were related to higher reporting rates of AEs than when used alone. Graft-versus-host disease was the AE that had the strongest correlation with the drug interaction between VRZ and immunosuppressants (tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, cyclophosphamide, and cyclosporine), and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome was correlated with VRZ in combination with other antibacterial drugs (linezolid, meropenem, cefepime, and vancomycin). Significant sex and age differences in the target AEs were detected for five and nine target drugs, respectively. For VRZ in combination with linezolid, aggravated conditions and respiratory failure should be given more attention in male patients, and mycophenolate mofetil and respiratory failure in female patients. When conditions are aggravated, febrile neutropenia and septic shock should be of particular concern in patients over 18 years of age who use VRZ in combination with ceftazidime, ciprofloxacin, or cytarabine. In patients aged under 18, septic shock should be considered when VRZ is used in combination with meropenem and dexamethasone., Conclusion: AEs related to DDIs should receive more attention when VRZ is used in combination with PPIs (renal impairment), NSAIDs (constipation and renal failure), immunosuppressants (graft versus host disease, septic shock) and other antibacterial drugs (multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, febrile neutropenia, and respiratory failure). Considering the influence of sex and age differences in VRZ DDIs, these factors need to be considered when assessing the risk of AEs in patients receiving VRZ and other drugs., 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 © 2024 Huo, Shu, Xiao, Yin, Ai, Jia and Song.)

Acetabular quadrilateral plate injury has become a hot spot and focus in the field of orthopaedic trauma and pelvic floor function in recent years. Although there are five fracture types,they are all based on fracture morphology,without considering the pulling force of ligaments,joint capsular and muscles. A perfect classification needs to describe the displacement of bone mass in three-dimensional space to better guide reduction and fixation. The seven incision and exposure methods are still the traditional open-eye surgery,and how to protect the criss-crossing vascular neural network and pelvic organs is still the focus. Quadrilateral defect causes dislocation of artificial hip joint,and quantitative evaluation of quadrilateral defect volume and revision techniques are still a hot topic. In this paper,the viewpoints of three-dimensional network structure of acetabular pelvic vascular anatomy,anatomical surgical target channel and fixation anchor point of acetabular fracture reduction are proposed to design new techniques for accurate and minimally invasive surgical operations,in order to realize the requirements of rapid orthopedic rehabilitation.

Potentilla kleiniana Wight et Arn（ PK , 'Wu Pi Feng' in Chinese） was recorded as Miao ethnic medicine for treatment of fever, cough, ulcer, and erysipelas for thousands years. This study aimed to evaluate the antiviral activity of four PK extracts and seven compounds by using HIV-1 protease (HIV-1 PR). In addition, Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography and High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-HRMS) was employed to identify the bioactive components. The toxicity assessment of the extracts was done before antiviral screening using a highly specific human aspartyl protease, renin protease by fluorimetric method. As a result, seven compounds and four extracts of PK inhibited HIV-1 PR with IC 50 range from 0.009 to 0.36 mg/mL, and did not appreciably inhibit the general human protease renin. This study first demonstrated that four PK extracts, ellagic acid and ursolic acid potent inhibit HIV-1 protease, could be used as an efficacious drug candidate to treat SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Background and Objective: Lateral pelvic lymph node (LPLN) metastasis is one of the prominent reasons for local recurrence (LR) in patients with rectal cancer (RC). The evaluation criteria of lateral lymph node dissection (LLND) for patients in eastern (mainly in Japan) and western countries have been controversial. The aim of this study was to analyse the risk factors for LPLN metastasis in order to guide surgical methods., Methods: We searched relevant databases (Embase (Ovid), Medline (Ovid), PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science) for articles published between 1 January 2000 and 05 October 2022 to evaluate the risk factors for LPLN metastasis in patients with RC in this meta-analysis., Results: A total of 24 articles with 5843 patients were included in this study. The overall results showed that female sex, age <60 years, pretherapeutic CEA level >5 ng/ml, clinical T4 stage (cT4), clinical M1 stage (cM1), distance of the tumour from the anal verge (AV) <50 mm, tumour centre located below the peritoneal reflection (Rb), short axis (SA) of LPLN ≥8 mm before nCRT, short axis (SA) of LPLN ≥5 mm after nCRT, border irregularity of LPLN, tumour size ≥50 mm, pathological T3-4 stage (pT3-4), pathological N2 stage (pN2), mesorectal lymph node metastasis (MLNM), lymphatic invasion (LI), venous invasion (VI), CRM (+) and poor differentiation were significant risk factors for LPLN metastasis (P <0.05)., Conclusion: This study summarized almost all potential risk factors of LPLN metastasis and expected to provide effective treatment strategies for patients with LRC. According to the risk factors of lateral lymph node metastasis, we can adopt different comprehensive treatment strategies. High-risk patients can perform lateral lymph node dissection to effectively reduce local recurrence; In low-risk patients, we can avoid overtreatment, reduce complications and trauma caused by lateral lymph node dissection, and maximize patient survival and quality of life., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Zeng, Yang, Tan, Ran, Liu and Xiao.)

Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) with differential expression characteristics have been found to be closely related to the tumorigenesis and development of gastric cancer (GC), but their specific mechanisms and roles still need to be further elucidated., Aim: To investigate the expression of LINC01268 in GC and its mechanism of affecting GC progression., Methods: Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the expression of LINC01268 in GC tissues, cell lines and plasma. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to evaluate the value of LINC01268 in the prognostication of GC patients. An receiver operating characteristic curve was constructed to evaluate the value of LINC01268 in the diagnosis of GC. Transwell migration and invasion assays and wound healing assays were used to confirm the effect of LINC01268 on the invasion and migration of GC cells. The regulatory relationship between LINC01268 and myristoylated alanine rich protein kinase C substrate (MARCKS), the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process in GC was demonstrated by western blot analysis., Results: The expression of LINC01268 was increased in GC tissues and cell lines. The expression level of LINC01268 was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, and tumor differentiation in patients with GC. Over-expression of LINC01268 indicated a poor prognosis for patients with GC, and it had a certain auxiliary diagnostic value for GC. In vitro functional experiments proved that the abnormal expression of LINC01268 further activated the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and promoted EMT by targeting and regulating MARCKS and ultimately promoted the invasion and metastasis of GC., Conclusion: This study elucidates that LINC01268 in GC may be an oncogene that further activates the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and EMT by targeting and regulating MARCKS, and ultimately promotes the invasion and metastasis of GC. LINC01268 may be a potential effective target for the treatment of GC., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article., (©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Scutellaria barbata D. Don ( SB , Chinese: Ban Zhi Lian), a well-known medicinal plant used in traditional Chinese medicine, is rich in flavonoids. It possesses antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral activities. In this study, we evaluated the inhibitory activities of SB extracts and its active components against HIV-1 protease (HIV-1 PR) and SARS-CoV2 viral cathepsin L protease (Cat L PR). UPLC/HRMS was used to identify and quantify the major active flavonoids in different SB extracts, and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) assays were used to determine HIV-1 PR and Cat L PR inhibitions and identify structure-activity relationships. Molecular docking was also performed, to explore the diversification in bonding patterns of the active flavonoids upon binding to the two PRs. Three SB extracts (SBW, SB30, and SB60) and nine flavonoids inhibited HIV-1 PR with an IC 50 range from 0.006 to 0.83 mg/mL. Six of the flavonoids showed 10~37.6% inhibition of Cat L PR at a concentration of 0.1 mg/mL. The results showed that the introduction of the 4'-hydroxyl and 6-hydroxyl/methoxy groups was essential in the 5,6,7-trihydroxyl and 5,7,4'-trihydroxyl flavones, respectively, to enhance their dual anti-PR activities. Hence, the 5,6,7,4'-tetrahydroxyl flavone scutellarein (HIV-1 PR, IC 50 = 0.068 mg/mL; Cat L PR, IC 50 = 0.43 mg/mL) may serve as a lead compound to develop more effective dual protease inhibitors. The 5,7,3',4'-tetrahydroxyl flavone luteolin also showed a potent and selective inhibition of HIV-1 PR (IC 50 = 0.039 mg/mL)., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Objective: To explore the molecular genetic characteristics of children with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and the application value of RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq)., Methods: The clinical and laboratory examination data of newly diagnosed B-ALL children who were given treatment in the Department of Hematology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from May 2015 to April 2020 were collected and analyzed. All children were confirmed by bone marrow morphology, histochemical staining and flow cytometry, and the karyotype analysis, FISH, RT-PCR and RNA-seq detection were conducted., Results: There were 71 males and 58 females with a median age of 50(8-190) months in 129 newly diagnosed children with B-ALL. The fusion gene was positive in 99 children (76.7%). A total of 86 leukemia related or possibly related gene mutations were detected, with a positive rate of 66.7%. There was no significant difference in the detection rates of ETV6-RUNX1 , BCR-ABL1 , TCF3-PBX1 and KMT2A rearrangements among FISH, RT-PCR and RNA-seq. Rare fusion genes were detected by RNA-seq, including 1 case of KMT2A-USP2 , 4 cases of Ph-like related fusion genes, 5 cases of MEF2D rearrangement, 5 cases of PAX5 rearrangement, 3 cases of ZNF384 rearrangement, as well as several fusion genes whose significance were not clear or had not been reported in children with leukemia. Besides, children with ETV6-RUNX1 fusion gene had good response to induction of remission, while children with BCR-ABL1 and ZNF384 rearrangement had poor response, the remission rate of minimal residual disease was statistically significant compared with other types ( P <0.05)., Conclusion: RNA-seq can not only detect known fusion genes, but also discover new or rare fusion genes and gene mutations. The application of RNA-seq has important guiding significance for risk classification and precise targeted therapy of pediatric B-ALL.

Hypericum kouytchense Lévl is a semi-evergreen plant of the Hypericaceae family. Its roots and seeds have been used in a number of traditional remedies for antipyretic, detoxification, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antiviral functions. However, to date, no bioactivity compounds have been characterized from the insect gall of H. kouytchens . In this study, we evaluated the antiviral activities of different extracts from the insect gall of H. kouytchen against cathepsin L, HIV-1 and renin proteases and identified the active ingredients using UPLC-HRMS. Four different polar extracts (HW, H30, H60 and H85) of the H. kouytchense insect gall exhibited antiviral activities with IC 50 values of 10.0, 4.0, 3.2 and 17.0 µg/mL against HIV-1 protease; 210.0, 34.0, 24.0 and 30.0 µg/mL against cathepsin L protease; and 180.0, 65.0, 44.0 and 39.0 µg/mL against human renin, respectively. Ten compounds were identified and quantified in the H. kouytchense insect gall extracts. Epicatechin, eriodictyol and naringenin chalcone were major ingredients in the extracts with contents ranging from 3.9 to 479.2 µg/mg. For HIV-1 protease, seven compounds showed more than 65% inhibition at a concentration of 1000.0 µg/mL, especially for hypericin and naringenin chalcone with IC 50 values of 1.8 and 33.0 µg/mL, respectively. However, only hypericin was active against cathepsin L protease with an IC 50 value of 17100.0 µg/mL, and its contents were from 0.99 to 11.65 µg/mg. Furthermore, we attempted to pinpoint the interactions between the active compounds and the proteases using molecular docking analysis. Our current results imply that the extracts and active ingredients could be further formulated and/or developed for potential prevention and treatment of HIV or SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Purpose: To compare the stability of the posterior anatomic self-locking plate (PASP) with two types of popular reconstruction plate fixation, i.e. double reconstruction plate (DRP) and cross reconstruction plate (CRP), and to explore the influence of sitting and turning right/left on implants., Methods: PASP, DRP and CRP were assembled on a finite element model of both-column fractures of the left acetabulum. A load of 600 N and a torque of 8 N·m were loaded on the S1 vertebral body to detect the change of stress and displacement when sitting and turning right/left., Results: The peak stress and displacement of the three kinds of fixation methods under all loading conditions were CRP > DRP > PASP. The peak stress and displacement of PASP are 313.5 MPa and 1.15 mm respectively when turning right; and the minimal was 234.0 Mpa and 0.619 mm when turning left., Conclusion: PASP can provide higher stability than DRP and CRP for both-column acetabular fractures. The rational movement after posterior DRP and PASP fixation for acetabular fracture is to turn to the ipsilateral side, which can avoid implant failure., (Copyright © 2022 Chinese Medical Association. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The prognosis of patients with appendiceal neuroendocrine tumors (ANETs) is related to lymph node (LN) metastasis and other factors. However, it is unclear how the number of examined LNs (ELNs) impact on survival., Aim: To determine the factors affecting the cancer-specific survival (CSS) of patients with ANET and to evaluate the impact of the number of ELNs on survival., Methods: A total of 4583 ANET patients were analyzed in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Univariate survival analysis was used to identify factors related to survival and the optimal number of ELNs and lymph node ratio (LNR) were determined by the Kaplan-Meier method. The survival difference was determined by CSS., Results: Except for sex, the other factors, such as age, year, race, grade, histological type, stage, tumor size, ELNs, LNR, and surgery type, were associated with prognosis. The 3-, 5-, and 10-year CSS rates of ANET patients were 91.2%, 87.5, and 81.7%, respectively (median follow-up period of 31 mo and range of 0-499 mo). There was no survival difference between the two surgery types, namely, local resection and colectomy or greater, in both stratifications of tumor size ≥ 2 cm ( P = 0.523) and < 2 cm ( P = 0.068). In contrast to patients with a tumor size < 2 cm, those with a tumor size ≥ 2 cm were more likely to have LN metastasis ( χ 2 = 378.16, P < 0.001). The optimal number of ELNs was more than 11, 7, and 18 for all patients, node-negative patients, and node-positive patients, respectively. CSS rates of patients with a larger number of ELNs were significantly improved (≤ 10 vs ≥ 11, χ 2 = 20.303, P < 0.001; ≤ 6 vs ≥ 7, χ 2 = 11.569, P < 0.001; ≤ 17 vs ≥ 18, χ 2 = 21.990, P < 0.001; respectively). ANET patients with an LNR value ≤ 0.16 were more likely to have better survival than those with values of 0.17-0.48 ( χ 2 = 48.243, P < 0.001) and 0.49-1 ( χ 2 = 168.485, P < 0.001)., Conclusion: ANET ≥ 2 cm are more likely to develop LN metastasis. At least 11 ELNs are required to better evaluate the prognosis. For patients with positive LN metastasis, 18 or more LNs need to be detected and lower LNR values (LNR ≤ 0.16) indicate a better survival prognosis., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article., (©The Author(s) 2022. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Single-incision laparoscopy surgery (SILS) is a new laparoscopic technique that has emerged in the past decade. Whether it has advantages over conventionl laparoscopy surgery (CLS) is inconclusive. This article aimed to compare the short- and long-term outcomes of single-incision laparoscopic surgery and conventional laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer through high-quality literature text mining and meta-analysis., Methods: Relevant articles were searched on the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases from January 2012 to November 2021. All data was from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in order to increase the confidence of the analytical results.The main outcomes were intraoperative and postoperative complications., Results: A total of 10 RCTs were included, involving 1609 patients. The quality of the included studies was generally high. No significant difference was found between SILS and CLS in the postoperative complications, operation time, postoperative hospital stay, number of lymph nodes removed, readmission, reoperation, complication level I- II, complication level IIIa, complication level IIIb, prolonged Ileus, blood loss, infection, anastomotic leakage and operation time. The results showed that SILS group had a higher rate of intraoperative complications, but it had lower incision length and better cosmetic effects., Conclusion: These results indicate that SILS did not have a comprehensive and obvious advantage over the CLS. On the contrary, SILS has higher intraoperative complications, which may be related to the more difficulty of SILS operation, but SILS still has better cosmetic effects, which is in line with the concept of surgical development. Therefore, the SILS needs to be selected in patients with higher cosmetic requirements and performed by more experienced surgeons., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Li, Zeng, Chen, Xu, Tan, Zhang and Xiao.)

Background and Aim: The effectiveness of total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) on patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) is controversy. This study aims to compare the prognostic value of TNT with standard neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for LARC., Methods: We searched databases (Embase [Ovid], Medline [Ovid], PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science) for articles published between January 1, 2000, and March 10, 2022. Studies on evaluating the effects of TNT and standard CRT on the prognosis of LARC were included. The primary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS)., Results: 19 primary studies, involving 10 randomized controlled trials, 3 prospective studies and 6 retrospective studies, with data on 5,074 patients treated for LARC were included in the meta-analysis. Statistical analyses revealed that, compared with standard CRT, TNT significantly improved OS (hazard ratio [HR]=0.77, 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.65-0.90, I 2  = 30%, P  = 0.17), DFS (HR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.74-0.97, I ² = 11%, P  = 0.35), distant metastases-free survival (DMFS, HR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.65-0.90, I ² = 0%, P  = 0.50), pathological complete response rate (pCR, OR = 1.89, 95% CI = 1.61-2.22, I ² = 0%, P  = 0.47), and R0 resection rate (OR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.07-1.67, I² = 16%, P  = 0.28), but local recurrence-free survival (LRFS, HR = 1.12, 95% CI = 0.90-1.39, I ² = 4%, P  = 0.37)., Conclusions: Comprehensive literature research shows that TNT showed excellent short-term efficacy in terms of pCR and R0 resection rate while also improved the long-term outcomes of OS, DFS and DMFS, might become a new standard of treatment in patients with LARC. Even so, more studies and longer follow-up were still warranted., 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., (© 2022 Ma, Tan, Liu and Xiao.)

Objectives: There have been limited studies concerning the safety and efficacy of linezolid (LZD) in children. This study aimed to evaluate the association between LZD exposure and clinical safety and efficacy in Chinese pediatric patients. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included patients ≤18 years of age who received ≥3 days of LZD treatment between 31 January 2015, and 31 December 2020. Demographic characteristics, medication information, laboratory test information, and bacterial culture results were collected from the Hospital Information System (HIS). Exposure was defined as AUC 24 and calculated by the non-linear mixed-effects modeling program (NONMEM), version 7.2, based on two validated population pharmacokinetic models. Binary logistic regression analyses were performed to analyze the associations between AUC 24 and laboratory adverse events, and receiver operating characteristic curves were used to calculate the cut-off values. Efficacy was evaluated by bacterial clearance. Results: A total of 413 paediatric patients were included, with an LZD median (interquartile range) dose, duration, clearance and AUC 24 of 30.0 (28.1-31.6) mg/kg/day, 8 (4‒15) days,1.31 (1.29-1.32) L/h and 81.1 (60.6-108.7) mg/L·h, respectively. Adverse events associated with TBil, AST, ALT, PLT, hemoglobin, WBC, and neutrophil count increased during and after LZD treatment when compared with before medication ( p < 0.05), and the most common adverse events were thrombocytopaenia (71/399, 17.8%) and low hemoglobin (61/401, 15.2%) during the LZD treatment. Patients with AUC 24 higher than 120.69 mg/L h might be associated with low hemoglobin 1-7 days after the end of the LZD treatment, and those with an AUC 24 higher than 92.88 mg/L∙h might be associated with thrombocytopaenia 8-15 days after the end of the LZD treatment. A total of 136 patients underwent bacterial culture both before and after LZD treatment, and the infection was cleared in 92.6% (126/136) of the patients, of whom 69.8% (88/126) had AUC 24 /MIC values greater than 80. Conclusion: Hematological indicators should be carefully monitored during LZD treatment, especially thrombocytopaenia and low hemoglobin, and a continuous period of monitoring after LZD withdrawal is also necessary. Since the AUC 24 cut-off values for laboratory adverse events were relatively low, a trade-off is necessary between the level of drug exposure required for treatment and safety, and the exposure target (AUC 24 /MIC) in pediatric patients should be further studied, especially for patients with complications and concomitant medications., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Huo, Wu, Shu, Zhang, Xiao, Li, Zhao, Jia and Song.)

Fusobacterium necrophorum can cause liver abscess, foot rot in ruminants, and Lemire syndrome in humans, Also, its virulence factors can induce the apoptosis of macrophages and neutrophils. However, the detailed mechanism has not been fully clarified. This study investigated the mechanisms of apoptosis and inflammatory factor production in F. necrophorum -induced neutrophils and macrophages (RAW246.7). After infection of macrophages with F. necrophorum , 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine labeling assays indicated that F. necrophorum inhibited macrophage proliferation in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Hoechst staining and DNA ladder assays showed significant condensation of the nucleus and fragmentation of genomic DNA in F. necrophorum -infected macrophages, Annexin V (FITC) and propidium iodide (PI) assay confirmed the emergence of apoptosis in the macrophages and sheep neutrophils with F. necrophorum compared with the control. The group with significant apoptosis was subjected to RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq), and the sequencing results revealed 2581 up- and 2907 downregulated genes. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis of the differentially expressed genes showed that F. necrophorum drove apoptosis and production of inflammatory factors by activating genes related to the Nuclear Factor-κB (NF-κB) and death receptor pathways. Meanwhile, quantitative reverse transcription PCR and Western blot validation results were consistent with the results of transcriptome sequencing analysis. In conclusion, F. necrophorum induced apoptosis and production of pro-inflammatory factors through the NF-κB and death receptor signaling pathway, providing a theoretical basis for further mechanistic studies on the prevention and control of F. necrophorum disease treatment., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wang, Zhao, He, Jiang, Wang, Xiao, Sun and Guo.)

This article proposes the design of an event-triggered control strategy for consensus of interconnected two-time scales systems with structured uncertainty. The control design under consideration ensures also that consensus is achieved with an overall guaranteed cost. Since each system involves processes evolving on both fast and slow time scales, two Zeno-free event-triggered mechanisms are designed to independently decide the sampling and transmission instants for the slow and fast states, respectively. As the first step, we design an event-triggering consensus protocol in the ideal/nominal case when the interconnected systems are not affected by uncertainties and the interactions happen over a fixed interaction network. Next, the results are extended in order to take into account structured uncertainties affecting the systems' dynamics. At this step, we go further and we provide sufficient conditions for event-triggering consensus with a guaranteed overall cost. Finally, two numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed theoretical results.

Lead-based halide perovskite nanomaterials with excellent optical properties have aroused great attention in the fields of solar cells, light-emitting diodes, lasing, X-ray imaging, etc. However, the toxicity of lead prompts researchers to develop alternatives to cut down the usage of lead. Herein, all-inorganic manganese-based perovskite derivatives, CsMnCl 3 nanocrystals (NCs), with uniform size and morphology have been synthesized successfully via a modified hot-injection method. These NCs have a direct bandgap of 4.08 eV and a broadband emission centered at 660 nm. Through introducing modicum lead (1%) into the CsMnCl 3 NCs, the photoluminescence intensity greatly improves, and the quantum yield (PLQY) increases from 0.7% to 21%. Furthermore, the CsMnCl 3 :1%Pb NCs feature high-efficiency of X-ray absorption and radioluminescence, which make these NCs promising candidates for X-ray imaging., (© 2022 The Authors. Advanced Science published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Asterquanzhouensis sp. nov. (Asteraceae) from Fujian, eastern China, is described and illustrated. It grows on rocks in the riparian zone. Morphological, cytological and molecular investigations of A.quanzhouensis were carried out. The morphological data and phylogenetic analysis based on combined ITS, ETS and trnL-F dataset suggest that A.quanzhouensis is a separate species closely related to A.tonglingensis . The new species differs from the latter by the shorter stem length, leaf morphology, colour of phyllaries, number of ray florets, and achene shape. The cytological observation shows that the new species is diploid with a karyotype of 2n = 18., (Jia-Wei Xiao, Guo-Jiao Yan, Wei-Ping Li, Ming Tang.)

Background: There is controversy regarding the long-term prognosis and short-term postoperative complications of different surgical strategies for proximal gastric cancer (PGC)., Methods: We searched for articles published in Embase (Ovid), Medline (Ovid), PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science between January 1, 1990, and February 1, 2021. We screened out the literature comparing different surgical strategies. We then evaluated the long-term and short-term outcome of different surgical strategies using a network meta-analysis, which summarizes the hazard ratio, odds ratio, mean difference, and 95% confidence interval., Results: There were no significant differences between different surgical strategies for 5-year overall survival (OS), anastomotic leakage, or weight loss after 1 year. Compared with total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y reconstruction (TG-RY) and proximal gastrectomy with double tract reconstruction (PG-DTR), the proximal gastrectomy with esophagogastrostomy (PG-EG) strategy significantly increased the incidence of reflux esophagitis; and the operation time and blood loss of the PG-EG strategy were significantly less than those of the other surgical strategies. The anastomotic stenosis rates of the PG-EG and proximal gastrectomy with jejunum interstitial (PG-JI) strategies were significantly higher than those of TG-RY and PG-DTR; the hemoglobin level after 1 year for the PG-DTR strategy was significantly higher than that of the TG-RY strategy., Conclusion: Our comprehensive literature research found that different surgical strategies had no significant difference in the long-term survival of PGC, but the incidence of reflux esophagitis and anastomotic stenosis after PG-DTR and TG-RY was significantly reduced., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: To study the effects of 12-week Taijiquan exercise on the microvascular reactivity of middle-aged and elderly patients with mild hypertension and to explore the mechanisms of microvascular reactivity. Methods: Thirty patients with mild hypertension were divided into exercise group (53.8±6.3 years old) and control group (52.6±7.5 years old). The number and gender ratio of the two groups were the same. The exercise group performed Tai Chi exercise for 12 weeks, and the control group maintained the original lifestyle and did not do other regular sports. The two groups of subjects were tested for microvascular reactivity, blood pressure, serum nitric oxide content, and nitric oxide synthase activity before exercise intervention, 6th week and 12th week, respectively. Results: There was no significant difference in the basic values of each index between the two groups of subjects before the test ( P ＞ 0.05). In the 6th week, the microvascular reactivity (blood flow increase rate), systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, nitric oxide content, nitric oxide synthase activity of the exercise group did not significantly change from the basic value ( P ＞0.05). At the 12th week, the microvascular reactivity, nitric oxide content, c nitric oxide synthase activity were significantly higher than those of the base values and the control group ( P ＜0.05), but the systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were significantly lower than those of the base values and control group ( P ＜0.05). In the control group, there were no significant changes in the 6th and 12th week values of each index from the basic value ( P ＞0.05). Conclusion: Twelve weeks of Taijiquan exercise can improve the microvascular reactivity of middle-aged hypertensive patients, reduce blood pressure, and increase the nitric oxide content and c nitric oxide synthase of patients. The increase of endogenous nitric oxide production is one of the biological mechanisms of Tai Chi exercise to improve the microvascular responsiveness of hypertension patients.

Background and Aim: The risk factors for bile leakage after hepatectomy without biliary reconstruction are controversial. This study investigated the risk factors for bile leakage after hepatectomy without biliary reconstruction. Methods: We searched databases (Embase (Ovid), Medline (Ovid), PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science) for articles published between January 1, 2000, and May 1, 2021, to evaluate the risk factors for bile leakage after hepatectomy without biliary reconstruction. Results: A total of 16 articles were included in this study, and the overall results showed that sex (OR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.04-1.42), diabetes (OR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.05-1.38), left trisectionectomy (OR: 3.53, 95% CI: 2.32-5.36), central hepatectomy (OR: 3.28, 95% CI: 2.63-4.08), extended hemihepatectomy (OR: 2.56, 95% CI: 1.55-4.22), segment I hepatectomy (OR: 2.56, 95% CI: 1.50-4.40), intraoperative blood transfusion (OR:2.40 95%CI:1.79-3.22), anatomical hepatectomy (OR: 1.70, 95% CI: 1.19-2.44) and intraoperative bleeding ≥1,000 ml (OR: 2.46, 95% CI: 2.12-2.85) were risk factors for biliary leakage. Age >75 years, cirrhosis, underlying liver disease, left hepatectomy, right hepatectomy, benign disease, Child-Pugh class A/B, and pre-operative albumin <3.5 g/dL were not risk factors for bile leakage after hepatectomy without biliary reconstruction. Conclusion: Comprehensive research in the literature revealed that sex, diabetes, left trisectionectomy, central hepatectomy, extended hemihepatectomy, segment I hepatectomy, intraoperative blood transfusion, anatomical hepatectomy and intraoperative bleeding ≥1,000 ml were risk factors for biliary leakage., 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 Tan, Liu, Liu and Xiao.)

Background: There is controversy regarding the efficacy of different treatment strategies for acute left malignant colonic obstruction. This study investigated the 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of several treatment strategies for acute left malignant colonic obstruction., Methods: We searched for articles published in PubMed, Embase (Ovid), MEDLINE (Ovid), Web of Science, and Cochrane Library between January 1, 2000, and July 1, 2020. We screened out the literature comparing different treatment strategies. Evaluate the primary and secondary outcomes of different treatment strategies. The network meta-analysis summarizes the hazard ratio, odds ratio, mean difference, and its 95% confidence interval., Results: The network meta-analysis involved 48 articles, including 8 (randomized controlled trials) RCTs and 40 non-RCTs. Primary outcomes: the 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of the CS-BTS strategy and the DS-BTS strategy were significantly better than those of the ES strategy, and the 5-year OS of the DS-BTS strategy was significantly better than that of CS-BTS. The long-term survival of TCT-BTS was not significantly different from those of CS-BTS and ES., Secondary Outcomes: compared with emergency resection (ER) strategies, colonic stent-bridge to surgery (CS-BTS) and transanal colorectal tube-bridge to surgery (TCT-BTS) strategies can significantly increase the primary anastomosis rate, CS-BTS and decompressing stoma-bridge to surgery (DS-BTS) strategies can significantly reduce mortality, and CS-BTS strategies can significantly reduce the permanent stoma rate. The hospital stay of DS-BTS is significantly longer than that of other strategies. There was no significant difference in the anastomotic leakage levels of several treatment strategies., Conclusion: Comprehensive literature research, we find that CS-BTS and DS-BTS strategies can bring better 5-year OS and DFS than ER. DS-BTS strategies have a better 5-year OS than CS-BTS strategies. Without considering the hospital stays, DS-BTS strategy is the best choice.

Acrylamide has been shown to be neurotoxic. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) can alleviate acrylamide-induced synaptic injury; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, dibutyryl-cyclic adenosine monophosphate-induced mature human neuroblastoma (NB-1) cells were exposed with 0-100 μg/mL acrylamide for 24-72 hours. Acrylamide decreased cell viability and destroyed synapses. Exposure of co-cultured NB-1 cells and Schwann cells to 0-100 μg/mL acrylamide for 48 hours resulted in upregulated expression of synapsin I and BDNF, suggesting that Schwann cells can activate self-protection of neurons. Under co-culture conditions, activation of the downstream TrkB-MAPK-Erk1/2 pathway strengthened the protective effect. Exogenous BDNF can increase expression of TrkB, Erk1/2, and synapsin I, while exogenous BDNF or the TrkB inhibitor K252a could inhibit these changes. Taken together, Schwann cells may act through the BDNF-TrkB-MAPK-Erk1/2 signaling pathway, indicating that BDNF plays an important role in this process. Therefore, exogenous BDNF may be an effective treatment strategy for acrylamide-induced nerve injury. This study was approved by the Laboratory Animal Welfare and Ethics Committee of the National Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control, a division of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (approval No. EAWE-2017-008) on May 29, 2017., Competing Interests: None

Background: The number of dissected lymph nodes (LNs) in rectal cancer after neoadjuvant therapy has a controversial effect on the prognosis., Aim: To investigate the prognostic impact of the number of LN dissected in rectal cancer patients after neoadjuvant therapy., Methods: We performed a systematic review and searched PubMed, Embase (Ovid), MEDLINE (Ovid), Web of Science, and Cochrane Library from January 1, 2000 until January 1, 2020. Two reviewers examined all the publications independently and extracted the relevant data. Articles were eligible for inclusion if they compared the number of LNs in rectal cancer specimens resected after neoadjuvant treatment (LNs ≥ 12 vs LNs < 12). The primary endpoints were the overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS)., Results: Nine articles were included in the meta-analyses. Statistical analysis revealed a statistically significant difference in OS [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.76, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.66-0.88, I 2 = 12.2%, P = 0.336], DFS (HR = 0.76, 95%CI: 0.63-0.92, I 2 = 68.4%, P = 0.013), and distant recurrence (DR) (HR = 0.63, 95%CI: 0.48-0.93, I 2 = 30.5%, P = 0.237) between the LNs ≥ 12 and LNs < 12 groups, but local recurrence (HR = 0.67, 95%CI: 0.38-1.16, I 2 = 0%, P = 0.348) showed no statistical difference. Moreover, subgroup analysis of LN negative patients revealed a statistically significant difference in DFS (HR = 0.67, 95%CI: 0.52-0.88, I 2 = 0%, P = 0.565) between the LNs ≥ 12 and LNs < 12 groups., Conclusion: Although neoadjuvant therapy reduces LN production in rectal cancer, our data indicate that dissecting at least 12 LNs after neoadjuvant therapy may improve the patients' OS, DFS, and DR., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors declare that they have no conflict of interest to disclose., (©The Author(s) 2020. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the pathogenesis of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis in rats induced by nano-indium-tin oxide exposure, and to provide a basis for further determining the limit of occupational exposure to indium and developing related protection measures. Methods: In August 2018, a total of 40 specific pathogen-free Sprague-Dawley rats, with an age of 6-8 weeks and a body weight of (200±10) g, were randomly divided into control group, low-dose group (1.2 mg/kg) , middle-dose group (3 mg/kg) , and high-dose group (6 mg/kg) , with 10 rats in each group. After 1 week of routine feeding, the rats were given non-exposed intratracheal instillation twice every week, with an interval of 3 days, for 12 consecutive weeks. Body weight was measured every week during exposure to observe the change in body weight; The rats were anesthetized and sacrificed by chloral hydrate after the exposure ended, and lung tissue and serum were collected; Hematoxylin-eosin staining and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining were performed for lung tissue to observe pathological results; Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to measure the serum level of indium; ELISA was used to measure the levels of surfactant protein A (SP-A) , surfactant protein D (SP-D) , and the type II alveolar cell surface antigen Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) in lung tissue and the serum level of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) . Results: The pathological results showed that the rats in the control group had basically complete alveolar structure, and after intratracheal instillation of nano indium-tin oxide, uniform, eosinophilic, and unstructured granular substances were observed in the alveolar space of the low-, middle-, and high-dose exposure groups, with macrophage proliferation and an increase in macrophages, especially in the high-dose group. Negative PAS staining was observed in the control group, while substances with positive PAS staining were observed in lung tissue in each exposure group. The three exposure groups had a significantly higher serum level of indium than the control group ( P <0.05) . Compared with the control group, the three exposure groups had significant increases in SP-A, SP-D, and KL-6 in lung tissue and a significant reduction in GM-CSF in serum ( P <0.05) . Conclusion: Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis in rats may be associated with the destruction of alveolar macrophages caused by nano-indium-tin oxide and the aggregation of pulmonary surfactants due to disorders in the metabolism and clearance of pulmonary surfactants by macrophages.

Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to be associated with many tumors. However, the specific mechanism of lncRNAs in the occurrence and development of gastric cancer (GC) has not been fully elucidated., Aim: To explore the expression level and molecular mechanism of HOXD-AS2 in GC tissues and cells, and analyze its significance in the prognosis of GC., Methods: Real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression of HOXD-AS2 in 79 pairs of GC tissues and five cell lines. The pc HOXD-AS2 plasmid vector was constructed and transfected into SGC-7901 and SNU-1 GC cells. Matrigel Transwell and wound healing assays were used to confirm the effect of HOXD-AS2 on invasion and migration of GC cells. Cell counting kit-8 assay and flow cytometry were used to verify the effect of HOXD-AS2 on the proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis of GC cells. The relevant regulatory mechanism between HOXD-AS2 and HOXD8 and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was verified by Western blot analysis., Results: The low expression of lncRNA HOXD-AS2 was associated with lymph node metastasis and tumor-node-metastasis stage in GC. In vitro functional experiments demonstrated that overexpression of HOXD-AS2 inhibited GC cell progression. Mechanistic studies revealed that HOXD-AS2 regulated the expression of its nearby gene HOXD8 and inhibited the activity of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway., Conclusion: These results indicate that downregulation of HOXD-AS2 significantly promotes the progression of GC cells by regulating HOXD8 expression and activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. HOXD-AS2 may be a novel diagnostic biomarker and effective therapeutic target for GC., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no competing interests to disclose., (©The Author(s) 2020. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To study the occurrence of serious adverse events (SAEs) related to chemotherapy with CCCG-ALL-2015 regimen in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and the risk factors for death after the SAEs., Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical data of 734 children with ALL. They were treated with CCCG-ALL-2015 regimen from January 2015 to June 2019. The occurrence of SAEs during the treatment was investigated. The children with SAEs were divided into a death group with 25 children and a survival group with 31 children. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the risk factors for death after the SAEs., Results: Among the 734 children with ALL, 56 (7.6%) experienced SAEs (66 cases) after chemotherapy, among which 41 cases occurred in the stage of remission induction therapy. Of all 66 cases of SAEs, 46 (70%) were infection-related SAEs, including 25 cases of septic shock (38%), 20 cases of severe pneumonia (30%), and 1 case of severe chickenpox (2%), and 87% of the children with infection-related SAEs had neutrophil deficiency. The most common infection sites were blood and the lungs. The most common pathogens were Gram-negative bacteria, viruses, fungi, and Gram-positive bacteria. There were 16 cases (24%) of hemorrhage-related SAEs, with 11 cases of gastrointestinal bleeding (17%), 4 cases of pulmonary bleeding (6%), and 1 case of intracranial bleeding (2%). Of all 734 children with ALL, 66 (9.0%) died, among whom 25 died due to SAEs. The treatment-related mortality rate was 3.4%, and infection (72%) and bleeding (24%) were the main causes of death. Severe pneumonia was an independent risk factor for treatment-related death in ALL children (OR=4.087, 95%CI: 1.161-14.384, P=0.028)., Conclusions: SAEs often occur in the stage of remission induction therapy, and infection-related SAEs are more common in ALL children accepting chemotherapy with CCCG-ALL-2015 regimen. The development of severe pneumonia suggests an increased risk for death in these children.

Gastric cancer (GC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. The poorly prognosis and survival of GC are due to diagnose in an advanced, non-curable stage and with a limited response to chemotherapy. The acquisition of drug resistance accounts for the majority of therapy failure of chemotherapy in GC patients. Although the mechanisms of anticancer drug resistance have been broadly studied, the regulation of these mechanisms has not been completely understood. Accumulating evidence has recently highlighted the role of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including long non-coding RNAs and microRNAs, in the development and maintenance of drug resistance due to their regulatory features in specific genes involved in the chemoresistant phenotype of GC. We review the literature on ncRNAs in drug resistance of GC. This review summarizes the current knowledge about the ncRNAs' characteristics, their regulation of the genes involved in chemoresistance and their potential as targeted therapies for personalized treatment in resistant GC., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this paper., (©The Author(s) 2019. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play critical roles in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases, especially in myocardial infarction (MI). However, the underlying molecular mechanism of how lncRNA involves and affect MI still remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the expression of lncRNA growth arrest-specific transcript 5 (GAS5) and its effects on myocardial cells' proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis. The possible mechanisms involved in GAS5, calmodulin 2 (CALM2), and microRNA (miR)-525-5p were also explored. The messenger RNA (mRNA) level of CALM2, GAS5, and miR-525-5p in postmyocardial infarction (MI) and normal cells were examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Western blot analysis assay was conducted to detect the protein levels of CALM2. The changes of cell cycle/apoptosis and cell viability of post-MI myocardial cells (PMMC) were determined by flow cytometry analysis and MTT (3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide) assay after knockdown of GAS5 or CALM2, respectively. Dual luciferase reporter assay and RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay were performed to verify the targeting relationship between miR-525-5p and GAS5, CALM2 in myocardial. Hypoxic preconditioning was performed in normal cells, which constructed a simulated MI environment, and the effect of GAS5 on cardiomyocyte apoptosis was detected. Our data showed that the expression of GAS5 and CALM2 in PMMC was significantly upregulated, while the expression of miR-525-5p was downregulated. Overexpression of GAS5 and CALM2 profoundly promoted the apoptosis of myocardial cell. However, the proliferation of myocardial cell was inhibited by the upregulation of GAS5 and CALM2. Moreover, GAS5 was proved to be the target of miR-525-5p and GAS5 downregulated the expression of miR-525-5p and CALM2. In addition, lncRNA GAS5 promotes MI, while CALM2 induced MI can be reversed by miR-525-5p. These data suggested that lncRNA GAS5 promoted the development and progression of MI via targeting of the miR-525-5p/CALM2 axis and it has the potential to be explored as a therapeutic target for the treatment of MI in the future., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Estrogen signaling is indispensable for muscle regeneration, yet the role of estrogen in the development of muscle inflammation, especially in the intramuscular T cell response, and the influence on the intrinsic immuno-behaviors of myofibers remain largely unknown. We investigated this issue using the mice model of cardiotoxin (CTX)-induced myoinjury, with or without estrogen level adjustment., Methods: CTX injection i.m. (tibialis anterior, TA) was performed for preparing mice myoinjury model. Injection s.c. of 17β-estradiol (E 2 ) or estrogen receptor antagonist 4-OHT, or ovariectomy (OVX), was used to change estrogen level of animal models in vivo. Serum E 2 level was evaluated by ELISA. Gene levels of estrogen receptor (ERs) and cytokines/chemokines in inflamed muscle were monitored by qPCR. Inflammatory infiltration was observed by immunofluorescence. Macrophage and T cell phenotypes were analyzed by FACS. Immunoblotting was used to assess protein levels of ERs and immunomolecules in C 2 C 12 myotubes treated with E 2 or 4-OHT, in the presence of IFN-γ., Results: We monitored the increased serum E 2 level and the upregulated ERβ in regenerated myofibres after myotrauma. The absence of estrogen in vivo resulted in the more severe muscle inflammatory infiltration, involving the recruitment of monocyte/macrophage and CD4 + T cells, and the heightened proinflammatory (M1) macrophage. Moreover, estrogen signaling loss led to Treg cells infiltration decrease, Th1 response elevation in inflamed muscle, and the markedly expression upregulation of immunomolecules in IFN-γ-stimulated C 2 C 12 myotubes in vitro., Conclusion: Our data suggest that estrogen is a positive intervention factor for muscle inflammatory response, through its effects on controlling intramuscular infiltration and phenotypes of monocytes/macrophages, on affecting accumulation and function of Treg cells, and on suppressing Th1 response in inflamed muscle. Our findings also imply an inhibition effect of estrogen on the intrinsic immune behaviors of muscle cells.

ABX 3 -type halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) have been a hot topic recently due to their fascinating optoelectronic properties. It has been demonstrated that A-site ions have an impact on their photophysical and chemical properties, such as the optical band gap and chemical stability. The pursuit of halide perovskite materials with diverse A-site species would deepen the understanding of the structure-property relationship of the perovskite family. In this work we have attempted to synthesize rubidium-based perovskite NCs. We have discovered that the partial substitution of Rb + by Cs + help to stabilize the orthorhombic RbPbBr 3 NCs at low temperature, which otherwise can only be obtained at high temperature. The inclusion of Cs + into the RbPbBr 3 lattice results in highly photoluminescent Rb 1-x Cs x PbBr 3 NCs. With increasing amounts of Cs + , the band gaps of the Rb 1-x Cs x PbBr 3 NCs decrease, leading to a redshift of the photoluminescence peak. Also, the Rb 1-x Cs x PbBr 3 NCs (x=0.4) show good stability under ambient conditions. This work demonstrates the high structural flexibility and tunability of halide perovskite materials through an A-site cation substitution strategy and sheds light on the optimization of perovskite materials for application in high-performance optoelectronic devices., (© 2019 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Objective: To investigate the safety and efficacy of transcatheter closure of ruptured sinus of Valsava aneurysm(RSVA). Methods: A total of 33 RSVA patients underwent transcatheter closure from January 2006 to March 2017 in our hospital were included in this retrospective study. The RSVA was diagnosed by echocardiography.Different type of occluders were applied for transcatheter closure based on the aortography results. All the patients were followed up after the procedure. Results: The patients were (37.6±12.1) years old,and the male patients accounted for 78.8%(26 cases).RSVA from right coronary sinus was found in 25 patients,and draining chamber was right atrium in 13 cases, right ventricle in 12 cases. RSVA from noncoronary sinus was diagnosed in 8 patients,and the draining chamber was right atrium. Aortography defined the narrowest diameter at the rupture site was (6.4±1.7)mm. The ratio of Qp/Qs was 2.2±0.5,and the mean pressure of pulmonary artery was 24.0(21.2,33.7)mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa). One patient developed serious occluder related aortic regurgitation and underwent surgery, transcatheter closure was successfully performed in 32 patients. The success rate of transcatheter closure was 97.0%. Two types of device were used in the study including small-waist double-disk ventricular septal defect(VSD) occluders in 20 cases and patent ductus arteriosus(PDA) occluders in 12 cases. During a median follow-up of 73.5(28.3,89.5) months, there were no infective endocarditis, residual shunt, thrombosis, device displacement,serious aortic regurgitation, serious arrhythmia or death.At the last follow-up, the left atrial diameter((37.4±6.5) mm vs. (41.5±5.3)mm, P< 0.01),right atrial diameter((42.4±3.0) mm vs. (48.5±6.0)mm, P< 0.01), right ventricular diameter((22.2±3.8) mm vs. (27.7±7.2)mm, P< 0.01) and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter((51.3±4.9) mm vs.(55.0±4.3)mm, P< 0.01)measured by echocardiography were all smaller than pre-procedural level. Conclusion: Transcatheter closure of RVSA is a safe and effective strategy and associated with a good long-term outcome.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of acrylamide on the apoptosis of nerve cells by integral cell modelling in vitro which simulates the barrier effect and metabolic micro - environment. Methods: A non - contact and co-cultured in vitro blood brain barrier (BBB) model was established by using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and rat glioma cells (C6) . The trans - endotheilal electrical resistance (TEER) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) tracer effects were measured to verify the tight connectivity and permeability of the established BBB model. An integrate discrete multiple organ cell co-culture (idMOC) model was established by inoculating the human renal cortical proximal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2) , human normal hepatocytes (L - 02) and human neuroblastoma cells (SH - SY5Y) into the self - made multi - organ plate for co - culturing. Then the model was verified by observing the growth curve of various tissue cells under co - culturing or culturing individually. SH - SY5Y cells were exposed to different concentrations of acrylamide directly and indirectly (through BBB model and idMOC model) . The changes of cell apoptosis rate were analyzed by flow cytometry to explore the impact of model on Acrylamide (ACR) injury of typical neurotoxic agents. Results: HUVEC cells can form a wide range of close - connected complex and then inhibit the external electric field under the cross-endothelial movement, and the mean was lower than that of endothelial cell culture group at 4, 5 and 6 days ( P <0.05) ; After 20 min, the penetration rate of HRP in the co - culture group was less than that in the individual culture group, and the difference was statistically significant ( P <0.05) , indicating that the barrier function of the co - culture group was higher than that of the individual culture group. All cells can exchange substances through the exchange hole of the culture plate, the cells grow well and there was no obvious death. The growth curve in individual culture group and co-culture group were basically the same, the difference was not statistically significant ( P >0.05) . Under the condition of different concentrations of ACR (140, 270 g/ml) , compared with the direct exposure group, the apoptosis rate of the BBB model and the idMOC model were significantly decreased, and the difference was statistically significant ( P <0.05) . Conclusion: Based on HUVEC cells and C6 cells co - culture system, a blood - brain barrier model in vitro was established and based on co-culture of HK-2, L-02 and SH-SY5Y, the idMOC model was established. The toxicity and toxic action characteristics of ACR on SH - SY5Y cells were evaluated by validation tests.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy, safety, and long-term outcomes of percutaneous closure (PC) and surgical repair of ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm (RSVA)., Methods: Eighty-five consecutive patients with RSVA were included in this study. Patients were considered candidates for PC if they met the criterion, surgical repair was performed on patients who were unsuitable or failed PC. Of them, 30 patients underwent PC, while the other 55 patients had surgical repair., Results: RSVA was successfully occluded in 29 of 30 patients who were treated by PC. The mean narrowest diameter at the ruptured site was 6.45 ± 1.60 mm measured by aortography. One patient developed serious occluder-related aortic regurgitation and underwent surgery. The success rate of the interventional approach was 96.7%. In the surgical group, 23 patients underwent repair of combined RSVA and ventricular septal defect. The hospital mortality rate of the surgical approach was 3.57%. During a median follow-up of 83 months (8-152 months), the improvement in NYHA functional class in the PC group was significantly greater than those in the surgical group (P < .01). One patient died of infective endocarditis in the surgical group. There were no further serious complications., Conclusions: PC is a safe alternative to surgical repair for patients with isolated RSVA. Surgical repair is more suitable for those who have multiple cardiac lesions requiring surgical treatment or failed PC., (© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Understanding the epidemiology and risk factors of adverse drug events (ADEs) in pediatric inpatient is essential if we are to prevent, reduce or ameliorate the harm experienced. The Global Trigger Tool (GTT) is a method of retrospective medical record review that measures harm in hospitalized children. We employed a three-stage retrospective chart review of random samples of 1800 pediatric inpatients discharged from January 2013 to December 2015. 31 kinds of pediatric-specific triggers were made based on the previous trigger tool studies developed for use in adult or pediatric. Positive predictive value (PPV) of individual triggers, as well as ADEs detection rates were calculated. Stepwise logistic regression was performed to investigate risk factors associated with ADEs. Of 1746 patients, detected in 221 patients (12.7%) with 247 ADEs. The PPV of the trigger tool was 13.3%. Of the 247 ADEs, 82.6% were identified as category E, 11.7% category F and 5.7% category H. The pediatric-focused trigger tool is a feasible and useful tool for detecting pediatric ADEs. Especially for patients who have had more drugs, more doses or more admissions which needs to be closely monitored as triggers to improve the safety.