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Albumin-based hydrogels have emerged as promising nanoparticle systems for the effective delivery of hydrophobic anticancer drugs. Anti-cancer drugs often cause some adverse effects, such as toxicity and rapid clearance by mononuclear phagocytic systems. Herein, a new strategy of synthesizing N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS)-activated linker to form crosslinkable albumin-based hydrogels (CABH) is reported. The CABH favored physiochemical characteristics improvement of doxorubicin (Dox) and drug release. The CABH was constructed depending on the crosslinking reaction between NHS activated glycerol and albumin. The size of CABH was approximately 200 nm examined by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was found that the particle size and size distribution of the CABH remained stable in neutral PBS for 1 week. Dox loaded CABH would be controllably released in weak acidic environment verified by in vitro release and in vitro cell imaging. The Dox loaded hydrogel results in significant killing in the case of acidic culture medium. Our work provides a crosslinking method to formulate albumin nanoplatform and improve the size, stability, drug loading capacity and controlled release, which throws light on the potential application in drug delivery.

Phytoestrogens may have potential effects on hormone-related cancers (HRC) and cancer biomarkers, but the findings have been inconsistent so far. Participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2010 with information on the levels of urinary phytoestrogens, serum cancer biomarkers and cancer history were included. Sampling-weighted logistic regression models examined the association between urinary phytoestrogens concentrations (creatinine-standardised and log-transformed) and HRC, followed by stratified analyses by race/ethnicity, age and menopausal status for different gender. Correlation analyses between phytoestrogens and cancer biomarkers were performed. Of the total 8844 participants, there were 373 with HRC. We observed total isoflavone and enterodiol excretion were positively associated with HRC, especially in non-Hispanic white female subpopulations (Ptrend < 0·05). Similar association also existed in the total isoflavones and enterodiol levels with breast cancer. Whereas the highest concentration of total isoflavones was significantly linked to a reduced prevalence of HRC (OR = 0·40, 95 % CI: 0·19, 0·84) in white males and of prostate cancer (OR = 0·40, 95 % CI: 0·18, 0·86). Among twenty-four participants with HRC, urinary equol concentration was positively correlated with CA15.3. Also, an inverse correlation of total prostate-specific antigens (PSA) and positive correlation of the PSA ratio with urinary enterolactone were detected in thirteen prostate cancer patients. Our findings indicated that higher concentrations of total isoflavones and enterodiol were positively associated with HRC. Urinary certain phytoestrogen excretion may affect serum cancer biomarker levels in cancer patients. But further prospective studies are needed to provide stronger evidence.

Klotho has both anticancer and hormone-like functions. But the research on Klotho and cancer is mainly based on animal experiments and small-scale clinical research, thus we explored the association between serum Klotho and cancer and cancer mortality based on the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES).Participants were employed from the NHANES 2007-2016, excluding pregnant, chronic renal insufficiency, and incomplete data of cancer questionnaire and serum Klotho level. The association of serum Klotho with cancer and mortality was analyzed by weighted Logistic regression, weighted Cox regression and competitive risk model, respectively. Correlations between serum Klotho and testosterone and estradiol levels were analyzed by Spearman correlation and restricted cubic spline respectively.We found Klotho had an inverse effect with risk of pan-cancer (all p 0.02), with each unit increase in Klotho (1ug/g creatinine) associated with a 0.9%-2.2% reduction in the risk of cancer, and higher levels showing a stronger negative association (all p-trend = 0.0005). Whereas, we did not observe any association between serum Klotho level with all-cause mortality and cancer-specific mortality (all p 0.05). Then, stratified analysis found that people aged 60-79, female, overweight and non-Hispanic whites or Mexican Americans were less likely to develop cancer. In addition, there was a strong nonlinear and linear positive correlation of Klotho with estradiol (p-nonlinear = 0.0178) and testosterone only among male participants (β = -0.513, p = 0.0137), respectively.We found an inverse association between serum Klotho and cancer, but without cancer mortality. And this effect may be partially mediated by estradiol and testosterone. Further prospective studies are needed to prove these findings.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of body mass index (BMI) on the prevalence of overt hepatic encephalopathy (OHE) after the transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) procedure in decompensated cirrhotic patients. A retrospective observational cohort study of 145 cirrhotic patients receiving TIPS was carried out in our department from 2017 to 2020. The relationships between BMI and clinical outcomes including OHE, as well as risk factors of developing post-TIPS OHE, were analyzed. BMI was categorized as normal weight (18.5 ≤ BMI < 23.0 kg/m2), underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2), and overweight/obese (BMI ≥ 23.0 kg/m2). Among the 145 patients, 52 (35.9%) were overweight/obese and 50 (34%) had post-TIPS OHE. Overweight/obese patients more frequently had OHE compared with normal weight patients (OR: 2.754, 95% CI: 1.236–6.140; p = 0.013). Overweight/obesity (p = 0.013) and older age (p = 0.030) were independent risk factors for post-TIPS OHE according to the logistic regression analysis. Kaplan–Meier curve analysis suggested that overweight/obese patients had the highest cumulative incidence of OHE (log-rank p = 0.0118). In conclusion, overweight/obesity and older age may raise the risk of post-TIPS OHE in cirrhotic patients.

Background Aging has become an important mechanism and target for lung diseases. We aimed to explore novel aging markers for lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) that may partially modulate immune responses. Methods Aging-related gene sets were acquired from HAGR and Ageing Atlas databases. We retrieved RNA-seq expression and clinical data of LUAD from TCGA and three GEO cohorts. Candidate differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were selected by univariate COX, LASSO COX and multivariate COX regression to construct the prognostic model and nomogram. The ssGSEA, GO terms and KEGG pathway analysis were employed for functional enrichment. The Wilcoxon test and Kaplan-Meier method were applied for differences in distribution and prognosis, respectively. The Spearman method was performed for the correlations between KL expression and CPG site methylation, m6A modifications and immunological characteristics. Results We identified a four-gene prognostic panel of LUAD to construct a nomogram with C-index of 0.721, screening KL out as one prospective senescence gene. Low-expressed KL independently contributed to a poor prognosis for LUAD patients, which may be partially mediated by hypermethylation and m6A modification. Functional enrichment revealed the involvement of immune pathways, further proved by the positive correlation between KL expression and immune scores, abundance of immune infiltrating cells, and immunological characteristics. High-expressed KL gene in decreased immune cell subgroups (CD4 + memory T cells, Eosinophils, NK cells, et al) had a better prognosis. Conclusion Immune-related KL gene was a potent predictor of LUAD, suggesting that further exploration of KL as a therapeutic agent may break the bottleneck in LUAD treatment.

The interaction of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) with their receptor (RAGE) elicits oxidative stress and inflammation, which is involved in the development of breast cancer. However, large-scale population-based evidence exploring genetically modified circulating levels of AGEs-RAGE axis with risk and mortality of breast cancer is scarce. We recruited 1051 pairs of age-matched breast cancers and controls and measured plasma AGEs and sRAGE concentrations by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Multivariate logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard model were used to calculate the effects of plasma levels and genetic variants of the AGEs-RAGE axis and their combined effects on breast cancer risk and prognosis, respectively. Furthermore, linear regression was performed to assess the modifications in plasma AGEs/sRAGE levels by genetic predisposition. Higher levels of AGEs and AGEs/sRAGE-ratio were associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, but sRAGE levels were negatively associated with breast cancer risk, especially in women

Objectives:TIPS can decrease rebleeding in cirrhotic patients with variceal bleeding (VB), but it is controversial whether TIPS can improve survival. We aimed to assess whether TIPS improves survival in selected patients based on HVPG-related risk stratification in a long-term follow-up.Methods:Consecutive VB patients treated with endoscopic therapy+NSBBs or covered TIPS were retrospectively enrolled between January 2013 and December 2019. All patients had HVPG measurements by experienced personnel before therapy. Outpatient follow-up was performed regularly. The primary outcome was transplant-free survival. The secondary endpoints were rebleeding and OHE. Statistical analysis were performed.Results:According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 184 patients were analyzed (Mean age 55.27years ± 13.86, 107 males; 102 endoscopic therapy+NSBBs, 82 covered TIPS). Based on the HVPG-guided risk stratification, 70 patients had HVPGs lower than 16 mmHg, and 114 patients had HVPGs higher than 16 mmHg. The median follow-up time was 49.5 months. In the total cohort, the difference between the 2 therapies in terms of transplant-free survival was not statistically significant in the TIPS group (hazard ratio 0.6092, 95% CI 0.3546-1.046; p=0.0725). In the high-HVPG tier, transplant-free survival was higher in the TIPS group (hazard ratio 0.4385, 95% CI 0.2255-0.8525; p=0.0037). In the low-HVPG tier, transplant-free survival between the 2 treatments was similar without statistical significance (hazard ratio 0.8583, 95% CI 0.3301-0.232; p=0.7399). The difference in OHE between the two treatment groups was not statistically significant (P=0.0850; P=0.4791).Conclusions:TIPS can effectively improve transplant-free survival when HVPG is greater than 16 mmHg.

The konjac polysaccharide aerogel filter rod has the functions of high filtration efficiency and cooling. The biodegradation rate of konjac polysaccharide aerogel filter rod prepared by vacuum freeze drying machine was studied in this paper. The results showed that at the end of the degradation experiment (the 106th day), the biodegradation rate of konjac polysaccharide gel filter rod reached 84.9%, which was close to the degradation rate of thin-layer chromatography grade cellulose, indicating that it had good biodegradability.

We aimed to explore the association of chronic constipation and diarrhea with major chronic diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and diabetes, as well as with mortality risk. In addition, we characterized the interrelationship of inflammation with abnormal bowel health, major chronic diseases, and mortality.Demographic characteristics, physical and laboratory examinations were collected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database 2005-2010. Chronic constipation or diarrhea was diagnosed by the shape and frequency of defecation. The number of samples used for the cancer, CVD, diabetes, and mortality analyses were 11,217, 11,168, 11,555, and 14,316, respectively. Logistic regression was used to analyze the association among abnormal bowel health, major chronic diseases, dietary inflammatory index (DII), and C-reactive protein (CRP). A Cox proportional hazard regression was performed to assess risk of all-cause mortality, and the Fine and Gray models were subsequently employed to calculate the cancer and CVD mortality risks.There were statistically positive associations of chronic diarrhea or constipation with breast and colon cancer, CVD, risks of all-cause mortality, and CVD mortality. Particularly in participants younger than 60, in addition to the positive correlations of chronic diarrhea with three major chronic diseases and all-cause mortality risk, chronic constipation also contributed to an elevated risk of CVD mortality. With respect to inflammation markers, an increased DII or CRP level was significantly associated with a higher prevalence of abnormal bowel health and major chronic diseases, and a higher mortality risk.Participants with abnormal bowel health were more likely linked to breast cancer, colon cancer, CVD, and risks of all-cause and CVD mortality. Moreover, inflammation may have a potential role in associations among abnormal bowel health, major chronic diseases and mortality. However, these findings need to be confirmed by further prospective studies.

Background and aims Risk stratification to identify patients with high risk of variceal rebleeding is particularly important in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. In clinical practice, eliminating gastroesphageal varices thoroughly after sequential endoscopic treatment reduces the rebleeding rate, however, no simple method has been build to predict high risk of variceal rebleeding. We conducted this study to explore the value of the number of endoscopic sessions required to eradicate gastroesphageal varices in identifying high risk of rebleeding. Patients and methods Consecutive cirrhotic patients received sequential endoscopic therapy between January 2015 and March 2020 were enrolled. Endoscopic treatment was performed every 1–4 weeks until the eradication of varices. The primary endpoint was variceal rebleeding. Results A total of 146 patients were included of which 60 patients received standard therapy and 86 patients underwent sequential endoscopic treatment alone. The cut-off value of the number of sequential endoscopic sessions is 3.5 times. Variceal rebleeding was significant higher in patients with endoscopic sessions > 3 times versus ≤ 3 times (61.5% vs. 17.5%, p 3 times in group of standard therapy (19.6% vs. 88.9%, p p = 0.028) respectively. Conclusion The number of sequential endoscopic sessions required to eradicate the varices is related to the risk of variceal rebleeding in patients with cirrhosis. If three times of endoscopic treatment can not eradicate the varices, a more aggressive treatment such as TIPS should be seriously considered.

Background: Wedge hepatic vein pressure (WHVP) accurately estimates the portal pressure (PP) in chronic sinusoidal portal hypertension patients. Whether this applies to patients with acute portal hypertension due to hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (HSOS) is unclear. Our aim was to assess the agreement between WHVP and PP in patients with HSOS by comparing them to decompensated cirrhosis patients. Methods: From December 2013 to December 2021, patients with pyrrolidine alkaloid-induced HSOS (PA-HSOS) receiving hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) measurement and transjugular intrahepatic portosystem shunt (TIPS) were retrospectively collected and matched with those of patients with virus- or alcohol-related cirrhosis as a cirrhosis group. Pearson’s correlation (R), intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), scatter plots, and the Bland–Altman method were performed for agreement evaluation. Results: A total of 64 patients were analyzed (30 PA-HSOS and 34 cirrhosis groups). The correlation between WHVP and PP was moderate in the PA-HSOS group (R: 0.58, p = 0.001; ICC: 0.68, p = 0.002) but good in the cirrhosis group (R: 0.81, p < 0.001; ICC: 0.90, p < 0.001). The percentage of patients with inconsistent WHVP and PP in the two groups was 13 (43.3%) and 15 (26.5%) (p = 0.156), respectively, and an overestimation of PP was more common in the PA-HSOS group (33.3% vs. 2.9%, p = 0.004). HVPG and portal pressure gradient (PPG) consistency was poor in both groups (R: 0.51 vs. 0.26; ICC: 0.65 vs. 0.41; p < 0.05). Conclusions: WHVP in patients with PA-HSOS did not estimate PP as accurately as in patients with virus- or alcohol-related cirrhosis, which was mainly due to PP overestimation.

In order to overcome the limitation of high threshold of financial investment and the difficulty of massive financial data processing, this paper proposes a novel financial fund investment system based on Hadoop and data mining technology. The system fully combines the advantages of data mining technology, can quickly process all kinds of financial data, and present the data to users. In addition, the system can provide users with various financial data and investment information according to their individual needs, so as to help users make scientific and reasonable investment decisions. The results show that the system can indeed reduce the threshold of financial investment, process massive financial data, and mine valuable information in financial data, so as to increase the economic returns of investors.

A new type of on-line automatic balancing system — the electromagnetic balancing system is concerned in this composition. The balancing head in this system consists of two stators and two slide plates. Each slide plate, on which there is a correction mass, can be driven to move relative to the shaft in single direction by the electromagnetic force. The positions of both masses are able to be detected conveniently by corresponding sensors. The balancing method is a conventional one. The moving procedure of the correction mass to meet the slide’s single -direction rotating character is described. Experiment results of its application to flexible rotor are also included.