Development of a whole-cell biosensor for detecting organophosphorus pesticide methyl parathion in the farmland soil / 生物工程学报

The evaluation of the bioavailability of pollutants in soil is crucial to accurately assess the pollution risk, and whole-cell biosensor is one of the important tools for such evaluation. This study aimed to develop a novel whole-cell biosensor for the detection of methyl parathion in soil using. First, a whole-cell biosensor was constructed by the screened methyl parathion hydrolase mpd gene, the existing specific induction element pobR, and the pUC19 plasmid skeleton. Then, the detection method of methyl parathion in soil extracts was established using 96-well microtiter plate as carrier and five whole-cell biosensors as indicator. The method was applied in the detection of methyl parathion in tested and field soil extracts. Taking E. coli DH5α/pMP-AmilCP with the best detection performance as an example, this biosensor had a detection limit of 6.21-6.66 µg/L and a linear range of 10-10 000 µg/L for methyl parathion in four soil extracts. E. coli DH5α/pMP-RFP and E. coli DH5α/pMP-AmilCP methods have good detection performance for the analysis of methyl parathion in soil extract samples. This biosensor method can help to quickly assess the bioavailability of methyl parathion in soil, and thus help to understand the risk of soil pollution caused by organophosphorus pesticide methyl parathion.

Early prenatal exposure to air pollutants and congenital heart disease: a nested case-control study

BACKGROUND@#Congenital heart disease (CHD) is one of the most common congenital malformations in humans. Inconsistent results emerged in the existed studies on associations between air pollution and congenital heart disease. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association of gestational exposure to air pollutants with congenital heart disease, and to explore the critical exposure windows for congenital heart disease.@*METHODS@#The nested case-control study collected birth records and the following health data in Tianjin Women and Children's Health Center, China. All of the cases of congenital heart disease from 2013 to 2015 were selected matching five healthy controls for each case. Inverse distance weighting was used to estimate individual exposure based on daily air pollution data. Furthermore, the conditional logistic regression with distributed lag non-linear model was performed to identify the association between gestational exposure to air pollution and congenital heart disease.@*RESULTS@#A total of 8,748 mother-infant pairs were entered into the analysis, of which 1,458 infants suffered from congenital heart disease. For each 10 µg/m3 increase of gestational exposure to PM2.5, the ORs (95% confidence interval, 95%CI) ranged from 1.008 (1.001-1.016) to 1.013 (1.001-1.024) during the 1st-2nd gestation weeks. Similar weak but increased risks of congenital heart disease were associated with O3 exposure during the 1st week and SO2 exposure during 6th-7th weeks in the first trimester, while no significant findings for other air pollutants.@*CONCLUSIONS@#This study highlighted that gestational exposure to PM2.5, O3, and SO2 had lag effects on congenital heart disease. Our results support potential benefits for pregnancy women to the mitigation of air pollution exposure in the early stage, especially when a critical exposure time window of air pollutants may precede heart development.

Acupuncture and moxibustion in treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at stable stage: a network Meta-analysis / 中国针灸

The efficacy on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at stable stage treated with different methods of acupuncture and moxibustion was evaluated using network Meta-analysis method. The articles of the randomized controlled trial (RCT) on stable COPD treated with acupuncture and moxibustion were searched electronically in CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science and Cochrane library. The search was conducted from the inception of the databases to March 20th, 2022. Data analysis was performed using R4.1.1, Stata16.0 and RevMan5.3 softwares. A total of 48 RCTs were included, involving 15 kinds of acupuncture and moxibustion interventions and a sample size of 3 900 cases. The results of network Meta-analysis showed that: ① For the forced expiratory volume in one second predicted (FEV1%), both the governor vessel moxibustion combined with conventional treatment (G+C therapy) and the yang-supplementing moxibustion combined with conventional treatment (Y+C therapy) obtained the better effect than that of the conventional treatment (P<0.05), and the G+C therapy was more effective compared with the thread-embedding therapy combined with conventional treatment (E+C therapy) and warm needling (P<0.05). ② Concerning to COPD assessment test (CAT) score, the results indicated that the Y+C therapy, and the mild moxibustion combined with conventional treatment (M+C therapy) were more effective when compared with the conventional treatment (P<0.05), and the effect of the Y+C therapy was better than that of the E+C therapy (P<0.05). ③ Regarding six-minute walking distance (6MWD), the effect of acupuncture combined with conventional treatment (A+C therapy) was better than that of either the E+C therapy or the conventional treatment (P<0.05). The effect of the G+C therapy was optimal for improving FEV1%, the Y+C therapy obtained the best effect for improving CAT score, and A+C therapy was the most effective for improving 6MWD. Due to the limitation of the quality and quantity of included studies, this conclusion needs to be further verified through high-quality RCT.

Clinical value of routine contrast esophagram in the diagnosis of anastomotic leakage for three-incision esophagectomy with cervical anastomosis / 中华外科杂志

Objective: To examine the clinical value of routine contrast esophagram (RCE) for the diagnosis of anastomotic leakage (AL) after three-incision esophagectomy with cervical anastomosis. Methods: Clinical data of 1 022 patients with esophageal cancer who underwent McKeown three-incision esophagectomy with cervical anastomosis from January 2015 to December 2019 at Department of Minimally Invasive Esophageal Surgery, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital and Institute were analyzed retrospectively. There were 876 males and 146 females, aging(M(IQR)) 48(16) years (range: 36 to 84 years). There were 253 patients (24.8%) with neoadjuvant therapy, and 817 patients (79.9%) with minimally invasive esophagectomy. According to the diagnosis and treatment habits of the attending surgeons, 333 patients were included in the RCE group, and RCE was performed on the 7th day postoperative, while 689 patients were included in the non-RCE group, and RCE was performed when the patients had suspicious symptoms. Taking clinical symptoms, RCE, CT, endoscopy and other methods as reference to the diagnosis of AL, the sensitivity and specificity were used to analyze and evaluate the efficacy of RCE for the diagnosis of AL. The data were compared by U test or χ² test between groups. Results: The incidence rate of AL after three-incision esophagectomy was 7.34% (75/1 022), including 30 cases in the RCE group and 45 cases in the non-RCE group (9.0%(30/333) vs. 6.5%(45/689), χ²=2.027, P=0.155). The diagnostic time of AL was 9(5) days postoperative (range: 4 to 30 days). Among them, 23 cases showed cervical leakages, 50 cases showed intro-thoracic leakages, and 2 cases both cervical and intro-thoracic leakages. The diagnostic time of patients with intro-thoracic leakages was longer than that of cervical leakages (10(4) days vs. 6(3) days, Z=-2.517, P=0.012). Among the 333 patients in the RCE group, 16 cases of RCE indicated leakages including 11 cases of true positive and 5 cases determined to be false positive, while 317 cases indicated no abnormalities including 19 cases developed leakages. The sensitivity and specificity of RCE to detect AL were 36.7%(11/30) and 98.3%(298/333), respectively. The Youden-index was 0.35, and the diagnostic accuracy was 92.8%(309/333). The positive and negative predictive value were 11/16 and 94.0%(298/317), respectively. Conclusions: Routine contrast esophagram after three-incision esophagectomy with cervical anastomosis has low sensitivity and high specificity in the diagnosis of AL. The diagnostic time of AL is the 9th day after surgery. It is necessary to prolong the observation time clinically, and combine RCE with CT, endoscopy and other inspection methods for diagnosis.

Construction of a nomogram prediction model for pathological complete response (pCR) of ipsilateral supraclavicular lymph node after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer with first diagnosis of ipsilateral supraclavicular lymph node metastasis / 中华肿瘤杂志

Objective: To develop a predictive model for pathologic complete response (pCR) of ipsilateral supraclavicular lymph nodes (ISLN) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer and guide the local treatment. Methods: Two hundred and eleven consecutive breast cancer patients with first diagnosis of ipsilateral supraclavicular lymph node metastasis who underwent ipsilateral supraclavicular lymph node dissection and treated in the Breast Department of Henan Cancer Hospital from September 2012 to May 2019 were included. One hundred and forty two cases were divided into the training set while other 69 cases into the validation set. The factors affecting ipsilateral supraclavicular lymph node pCR (ispCR)of breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy were analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, and a nomogram prediction model of ispCR was established. Internal and external validation evaluation of the nomogram prediction model were conducted by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and plotting calibration curves. Results: Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that Ki-67 index, number of axillary lymph node metastases, breast pCR, axillary pCR, and ISLN size after neoadjuvant chemotherapy were associated with ispCR of breast cancerafter neoadjuvant chemotherapy (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the number of axillary lymph node metastases (OR=5.035, 95%CI: 1.722-14.721, P=0.003), breast pCR (OR=4.662, 95%CI: 1.456-14.922, P=0.010) and ISLN size after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (OR=4.231, 95%CI: 1.194-14.985, P=0.025) were independent predictors of ispCR of breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. A nomogram prediction model of ispCR of breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy was constructed using five factors: number of axillary lymph node metastases, Ki-67 index, breast pCR, axillary pCR and size of ISLN after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The areas under the ROC curve for the nomogram prediction model in the training and validation sets were 0.855 and 0.838, respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.755). The 3-year disease-free survival rates of patients in the ispCR and non-ispCR groups after neoadjuvant chemotherapy were 64.3% and 54.8%, respectively, with statistically significant differences (P=0.024), the 3-year overall survival rates were 83.8% and 70.2%, respectively, without statistically significant difference (P=0.087). Conclusions: Disease free survival is significantly improved in breast cancer patients with ispCR after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The constructed nomogram prediction model of ispCR of breast cancer patients after neoadjuvant chemotherapy is well fitted. Application of this prediction model can assist the development of local management strategies for the ipsilateral supraclavicular region after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and predict the long-term prognosis of breast cancer patients.

A mitochondria-targeting lipid-small molecule hybrid nanoparticle for imaging and therapy in an orthotopic glioma model

Hybrid lipid‒nanoparticle complexes have shown attractive characteristics as drug carriers due to their integrated advantages from liposomes and nanoparticles. Here we developed a kind of lipid-small molecule hybrid nanoparticles (LPHNPs) for imaging and treatment in an orthotopic glioma model. LPHNPs were prepared by engineering the co-assembly of lipids and an amphiphilic pheophorbide a‒quinolinium conjugate (PQC), a mitochondria-targeting small molecule. Compared with the pure nanofiber self-assembled by PQC, LPHNPs not only preserve the comparable antiproliferative potency, but also possess a spherical nanostructure that allows the PQC molecules to be administrated through intravenous injection. Also, this co-assembly remarkably improved the drug-loading capacity and formulation stability against the physical encapsulation using conventional liposomes. By integrating the advantages from liposome and PQC molecule, LPHNPs have minimal system toxicity, enhanced potency of photodynamic therapy (PDT) and visualization capacities of drug biodistribution and tumor imaging. The hybrid nanoparticle demonstrates excellent curative effects to significantly prolong the survival of mice with the orthotopic glioma. The unique co-assembly of lipid and small molecule provides new potential for constructing new liposome-derived nanoformulations and improving cancer treatment.

Identification of anthelmintic parbendazole as a therapeutic molecule for HNSCC through connectivity map-based drug repositioning

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common human cancers; however, its outcome of pharmacotherapy is always very limited. Herein, we performed a batch query in the connectivity map (cMap) based on bioinformatics, queried out 35 compounds with therapeutic potential, and screened out parbendazole as a most promising compound, which had an excellent inhibitory effect on the proliferation of HNSCC cell lines. In addition, tubulin was identified as a primary target of parbendazole, and the direct binding between them was further verified. Parbendazole was further proved as an effective tubulin polymerization inhibitor, which can block the cell cycle, cause apoptosis and prevent cell migration, and it exhibited reasonable therapeutic effect and low toxicity in the in vivo and in vitro anti-tumor evaluation. Our study repositioned an anthelmintic parbendazole to treat HNSCC, which revealed a therapeutic utility and provided a new treatment option for human cancers.

The correlation between the timed up and go test and fall risks in elderly frail patients / 中华老年医学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the correlation between the timed up and go(TUG)test and fall risks in elderly frail patients.Methods:From July to September 2019, elderly frail patients who were treated at the cardiovascular department of our hospital were enrolled.Basic clinical data and fall-related information of patients were collected.Patients were divided into the fall group and the non-fall group.Results on the body mass index(BMI), TUG, 4-meter maximum walking speed(4 m MWS)and Barthel index were compared between the two groups.The correlation between TUG and each indicator was examined.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the correlation between the TUG and falls in elderly patients.Results:A total of 96 eligible patients were enrolled, including 35 in the fall group and 61 in the non-fall group.The average TUG time was longer in the fall group than in the non-fall group(16.45±6.44 s vs.10.17±2.91 s, t=-6.556, P<0.001). The correlation analysis results showed that the TUG was correlated with falls and 4 m MWS( r=0.582 and 0.875, both P<0.001). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the TUG( OR=1.201, 95% CI: 1.111-1.470, P=0.004)and 4 m MWS( OR=1.146, 95% CI: 1.063-1.244, P=0.015)were risk factors for falls. Conclusions:The TUG is correlated with fall risks in elderly frail patients and should be recommended as a routine test in clinical practice.

Strategies and technical key points of lymph node dissection along the left recurrent laryngeal nerve in robot-assisted esophagectomy / 中华消化外科杂志

Esophagectomy and lymph node dissection are the cornerstones for the treatment of esophageal cancer. Upper mediastinal lymph node dissection is of great value for accurate staging and improving the prognosis of patients. Lymph node dissection along the left recurrent laryngeal nerve is the most challenging procedures in esophageal surgery, and there has been no relevant consensus on the scope and boundary of lymph node dissection. In recent years, with the application of endoscopic technology, especially robotic surgery system in esophagectomy, and the introduction of the concept of superior mediastinal microdissection, the authors have proposed the border of lymph node dissection along the left recurrent laryngeal nerve, so as to achieve precise, radical and standardized dissection. Combined with their own experiences, the authors elaborate on the anatomic boundary, extent and technique of lymph node dissection along the left recurrent laryngeal nerve.

Analysis of influencing factors for synchronous colorectal liver metastasis: a report of 3 172 cases / 中华消化外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the influencing factors for synchronous colorectal liver metastasis (synCRLM).Methods:The retrospective case-control study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 3 172 patients with primary colorectal cancer (CRC) who were admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from January 2010 to January 2016 were collected. There were 1 946 males and 1 226 females, aged (63±12)years, with a range from 21 to 97 years. Observation indicators: (1) general data analysis; (2) clinicopathological data analysis; (3) analysis of influencing factors for synCRLM. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean±SD. Count data were represented as absolute numbers. The influencing factors for synCRLM were analyzed after excluding missing data of tumor differentiation degree, tumor diameter, pathological T stage and N stage. Univariate analysis was conducted by chi-square test or Logistic regression model. Multivariate analysis was conducted by Logistic regression model. Results:(1) General data analysis: among the 3 172 patients, cases with age ≤29 years, from 30 to 39 years, from 40 to 49 years, from 50 to 59 years, from 60 to 69 years, from 70 to 79 years, and ≥80 years were 15, 82, 342, 774, 965, 759 and 235, respectively. There were 2 972 patients in Qingdao, 172 cases in Yantai and 28 cases in Weihai. Of the 2 972 patients in Qingdao, there were 422 cases in Shinan District, 658 cases in Shibei District, 457 cases in Huangdao District, 144 cases in Laoshan District, 188 cases in Licang District, 205 cases in Chengyang District, 252 cases in Jimo District, 221 cases in Jiaozhou City, 255 cases in Pingdu City, 170 cases in Laixi City. (2) Clinico-pathological data analysis: among the 3 172 patients, there were 1 639 cases of colon cancer including 972 cases with left colon cancer and 667 cases with right colon cancer, 1 533 cases of rectal cancer. There were 2 981 cases of adenocarcinoma, 165 cases of mucinous adenocarcinoma, 10 cases of signet ring cell carcinoma and 16 cases of other types including carcinoid tumor, squamous carcinoma, tubular adenocarcinoma, etc.There were 162 cases with highly differentiated adenocarcinoma, 5 cases with highly-moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma, 2 338 cases with moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma, 80 cases with moderately-poorly differentiated adeno-carcinoma, 396 cases with poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma and 191 cases missing tumor differentiation data. There were 708 cases with tumor diameter <4 cm, 1 957 cases with tumor diameter ≥4 cm and 507 cases missing tumor diameter data. There were 486 cases in T1 or T2 stage of pathological T stage, 2 169 cases in T3 or T4 stage of pathological T stage and 517 cases missing tumor pathological T staging data. There were 1 563 cases in N0 stage of pathological N staging, 1 062 cases in N1 or N2 stage of pathological N staging and 547 cases missing tumor pathological N staging data. There were 2 895 cases without synCRLM and 277 cases with synCRLM. There were 2 799 cases without diabetes and 373 cases with diabetes. There were 2 931 cases without fatty liver and 241 cases with fatty liver. There were 2 989 cases negative for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and 183 cases positive for HBsAg. (3) Analysis of influencing factors for synCRLM. Results of univariate analysis showed that gender, tumor location, tumor differentiation degree, tumor diameter, pathological T stage, fatty liver, HBsAg were related factors for synCRLM in primary colorectal cancer ( χ2=7.400, 7.577, 7.111, 4.513, 12.125, 5.686, 5.919, P<0.05), and neutrophils counts, lymphocytes counts, platelet counts, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotrans-ferase (AST), total bilirubin, γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT), triacylglycerol (TG), total cholesterol (TC), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and CA19-9 were related factors for synCRLM in primary colorectal cancer ( odds ratio=1.101, 0.807, 1.002, 1.017, 1.023, 1.027, 1.012, 0.686, 1.169, 1.007, 1.004, 95% confidence interval as 1.048-1.156, 0.678-0.960, 1.001-1.004, 1.011-1.024, 1.016-1.031, 1.011-1.044, 1.009-1.015, 0.541-0.869, 1.047-1.306, 1.006-1.008, 1.003-1.004, P<0.05). Results of multivariate analysis showed that cases as male, case with positive HBsAg, AST, GGT, TC, CEA and CA19-9 were independent risk factors for synCRLM in primary colorectal cancer ( odds ratio=1.503, 2.492, 1.018, 1.007, 1.301, 1.005, 1.003, 95% confidence interval as 1.038-2.178, 1.443-4.304, 1.003-1.034, 1.003-1.011, 1.112-1.522, 1.003-1.006, 1.002-1.003, P<0.05), and lymphocytes, ALT and TG were independent protective factors for synCRLM in primary colorectal cancer ( odds ratio=0.777, 0.983, 0.602, 95% confidence interval as 0.608-0.993, 0.966-0.999, 0.421-0.862, P<0.05). Conclusion:Cases as male, case with posotive HBsAg, AST, GGT, TC, CEA and CA19-9 are independent risk factors for synCRLM in primary colorectal cancer, while lymphocytes, ALT and TG are independent protective factors for synCRLM in primary colorectal cancer.

Clinical characteristics and prognosis of young (<35 years) patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction / 中华心血管病杂志

Objective: To analyze the risk factors and clinical characteristics as well as long-term prognosis of young patients (aged 18-35 years) with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods: In this retrospective study, from January 2007 to December 2017, STEMI patients who were hospitalized in Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University and younger than 45 years old were collected. Patients were divided to the 18-35 years old group and 36-44 years old group. The basic information of patients, clinical laboratory results, surgical information and discharge diagnosis of enrolled patients were extracted from the electronic medical record system. Subgroup analysis on STEMI patients aged 18 to 35 years was performed to compare the clinical features and outcome of patients with normal coronary angiography or stenotic coronary angiography. Results: 496 patients (20.3%) were between 18 and 35 years old, 480 cases (96.8%) were men, and 371 cases (74.8%) were smokers. The proportion of hypertension and diabetes was lower, but percent of obese (122 cases (43.3%)), level of total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), uric acid and homocysteine ​​(Hcy) were significantly higher in patients aged 18 to 35 years compared with STEMI patients aged 36 to 44 years (all P<0.05). In the 18-35 years old group, there were 53 patients (10.7%) with normal coronary angiography and 443 patients (89.3%) with stenosis. The age, proportion of hypertension and diabetes, TC, LDL-C, and triglyceride (TG) levels were lower in the normal coronary angiography group than those in the coronary artery stenosis group (all P<0.05). The main coronary artery lesions were single vessel lesions (263 cases (59.4%)), and the main culprit vessels were left anterior descending artery lesions (238 cases (53.7%)). The follow-up time was 7.0 (4.0, 10.0) years, cardiovascular events were reported in 62 patients (18.9%), of which 14 patients (3.2%) died. The survival rate of patients without cardiovascular events in normal coronary angiography group was higher than that in stenosis group (P=0.029). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that diabetes (HR=2.713, 95%CI 1.479-4.976, P=0.001) and dyslipidemia (HR=2.819, 95%CI 1.564-5.079, P=0.001) were independent risk factors for recurrence of cardiovascular events in adult STEMI patients aged 18 to 35 years. Conclusions: STEMI patients aged 18 to 35 years were featured by male sex, obese and smokers. The proportion of hypertension and diabetes was low, while the levels of LDL-C, uric acid and Hcy were high in these patients. Coronary artery stenosis was common, and the stenosis was more likely to occur in the left anterior descending branch. Patients with normal coronary angiography had a better prognosis than those with stenosis. Diabetes and hyperlipidemia increased the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events.

Development and validation of a nomogram for predicting survival of breast cancer patients with ipsilateral supraclavicular lymph node metastasis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Breast cancer patients with ipsilateral supraclavicular lymph node metastasis (ISLNM) but without distant metastasis are considered to have a poor prognosis. This study aimed to develop a nomogram to predict the overall survival (OS) of breast cancer patients with ISLNM but without distant metastasis.@*METHODS@#Medical records of breast cancer patients who received surgical treatment at the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Jiyuan People's Hospital and Huaxian People's Hospital between December 21, 2012 and June 30, 2020 were reviewed retrospectively. Overall, 345 patients with pathologically confirmed ISLNM and without evidence of distant metastasis were identified. They were further randomized 2:1 and divided into training (n = 231) and validation (n = 114) cohorts. A nomogram to predict the probability of OS was constructed based on clinicopathologic variables identified by the univariable and multivariable analyses. The predictive accuracy and discriminative ability were measured by calibration plots, concordance index (C-index), and risk group stratification.@*RESULTS@#Univariable analysis showed that estrogen receptor-positive (ER+), progesterone receptor-positive (PR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) with Herceptin treatment, and a low axillary lymph node ratio (ALNR) were prognostic factors for better OS. PR+, HER2+ with Herceptin treatment, and a low ALNR remained independent prognostic factors for better OS on multivariable analysis. These variables were incorporated into a nomogram to predict the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS of breast cancer patients with ISLNM. The C-indexes of the nomogram were 0.737 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.660-0.813) and 0.759 (95% CI: 0.636-0.881) for the training and the validation cohorts, respectively. The calibration plots presented excellent agreement between the nomogram prediction and actual observation for 3 and 5 years, but not 1 year, OS in both the cohorts. The nomogram was also able to stratify patients into different risk groups.@*CONCLUSIONS@#In this study, we established and validated a novel nomogram for predicting survival of patients with ISLNM. This nomogram may, to some extent, allow clinicians to more accurately estimate prognosis and to make personalized therapeutic decisions for individual patients with ISLNM.

Effect of the preoperative Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index on the prognosis of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after radical resection / 中国肿瘤临床

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic value of the preoperative Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after radical resection. Methods: Clinicopathological and laboratory data of 315 elderly patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who were older than 60 years and underwent radical resection in Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital from January 2008 to December 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. The GNRI formula was as follows:1.489×serum albumin (g/L)+41.7×(current body weight/ideal body weight). According to the GNRI, patients were divided into the normal and abnormal GNRI groups. The χ2 test was used to analyze the relationship between the GNRI and the clinicopathological char-acteristics of patients. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the survival rate, and survival analysis was conducted using the Log-rank test. Multivariate survival analysis was conducted using the Cox proportional risk regression model. Results: There were 259 patients in the normal GNRI group (GNRI>98) and 56 patients in the abnormal GNRI group (GNRI≤98). The GNRI was closely correlated with age, tumor location, tumor diameter, serum albumin level, body mass index (BMI), and lymph node metastasis (all P<0.05). The 5-year survival rates in the normal and abnormal GNRI groups were 41.2% and 27.0%, respectively, with statistical significance (P=0.002). Univariate analysis showed that age, tumor diameter, serum albumin level, BMI, GNRI, platelet-lymphocyte ratio, tumor invasion depth, and lymph node metastasis were risk factors for the prognosis of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that the preoperative GNRI (hazard ratio=0.687, 95% confidence interval: 0.487-0.968, P=0.032) was an independent factor affecting the prognosis of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Subgroup analysis showed that the survival rates in the normal GNRI group were significantly higher than those in the abnormal GNRI group (P=0.036 and 0.010, respectively), regardless of lymph node metastasis. Conclusions: The preoperative GNRI is associated with malignant biological behav-ior in elderly patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and can be used as a useful indicator for predicting survival after radi-cal resection.

Endoscopic diagnosis for primary gastrointestinal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma / 中华普通外科杂志

Objective To evaluate endoscopy for the diagnosis of primary gastrointestinal mucosaassociated lymphoid tissue lymphoma (MALT lymphoma) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).Methods The clinical pathology,hematological/biochemical studies,and endoscopic data of 98 primary gastrointestinal MALT lymphoma and DLBCL patients from Aug 2010 to May 2017 were analyzed retrospectively.Results 17 patients had higher than normal LDH blood level (＞270 U/L).47 patients were Helicobacter pylori (Hp) positive;Gastrointestinal endoscopic study,including endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR)/endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and endoscopic ultrasonography established diagnosis of MALT lymphoma and DLBCL in 96 out of 98 cases (98％).The endoscopic manifestations of MALT lymphoma and DLBCL were ulcerative,uplift,diffuse and infiltrative,and erosive,with ulcerative type as the dominant one.The follow-up examination showed that the survival ratio (88％) of MALT patients was higher than that of DLBCL(68％),and more patients with lower Ann Arbor stage survived (92％) than those with higher Ann Arbor stage (64％).Conclusion Endoscopic biopsy together with endoscopic ultrasonography makes definite diagnosis of MALT and DLBCL.

The clinical significance of the expression of XB130 in gastric cancer tissues / 新乡医学院学报

Objective To investigate the relationship between the expression of XB130 and the histodifferentiation,lymph node metastasis and survival time of patients with gastric cancer.Methods Seventy-two specimens of gastric cancer tissues and seventy-two specimens of paracancerous tissues were collected from June 2011 to June 2012 in Henan Province People's Hospital.The expression of XB130 protein in gastric cancer and paracancerous tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry.The expression of XB130 mRNA in gastric cancer and paracancerous tissues was detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction.The relationship between the expression of XB130 and clinicopathological features of gastric cancer was analyzed.Results There were 26 cases of positive expression of XB130 protein and 46 cases of negative expression of XB130 protein among the 72 cases of gastric cancer tissues,and the positive expression rate was 36.1％ (26/72).There were 52 cases of positive expression of XB130 protein and 20 cases of negative expression of XB130 protein among the 72 cases of paracancerous tissues,and the positive expression rate was 72.2％ (52/72).The positive expression rate of XB130 protein in gastric cancer tissues was significantly lower than that in paracancerous tissues (x2 =16.200,P ＜ 0.05).The positive expression rate of XB130 protein in poorly and moderately differentiated gastric cancer tissues was significantly lower than that in well differentiated gastric cancer tissues (x2 =5.786,P ＜0.05).The positive expression rate of XB130 protein in gastric cancer tissues with lymph node metastasis was significantly lower than that in gastric cancer tissues without lymph node metastasis (x2 =4.281,P ＜0.05).The relative expression of XB130 mRNA in gastric cancer tissues and paracancerous tissues was 1.52 ±0.46 and 2.28-± 0.51 respectively,the expression of XB130 mRNA in gastric cancer tissues was significantly lower than that in paracancerous tissues (t =-21.744,P ＜0.05).The expression of XB130 mRNA in well differentiated gastric cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in poorly and moderately differentiated gastric cancer tissues (t =-13.982,P ＜ 0.05).The expression of XB130 mRNA in gastric cancer tissues with lymph node metastasis was significantly lower than that in gastric cancer tissues without lymph node metastasis (t =-19.906,P ＜ 0.05).The mean survival time in patients with high and low expression of XB130 mRNA was (37.040 ± 14.826) and (21.529 ± 11.789) months respectively,the survival time in patients with high expression of XB130 mRNA was significantly higher than that in patients with low expression of XB130 mRNA (t =9.121,P ＜0.05).Conclusion XB130 may be involved in the occurrence and development of gastric cancer,and it is associated with the differentiation,lymph node metastasis and survival time of patients with gastric cancer.

Inhibition of retroviral Gag assembly by non-silencing miRNAs promotes autophagic viral degradation

We recently reported an unconventional mechanism by which miRNAs inhibit HIV-1 viral production. This occurs when miRNAs bind nonspecifically to the viral structural protein Gag, interfering with viral RNA-mediated Gag assembly at the plasma membrane. Consequently, misassembled viral complexes are redirected into the endocytic pathway where they are delivered to lysosomes for degradation. In this study, we demonstrate that autophagy is a critical mediator of the viral degradation pathway and that this pathway is not HIV-1 specific. Misassembled viral complexes were found to colocalize extensively with LC3 and p62 in late endosomes/lysosomes, demonstrating a convergence of autophagy with functional degradative compartments. Knocking down autophagosome formation machineries reduced this convergence, while treatment with autophagy-inducer rapamycin enhanced the convergence. Furthermore, similar autophagy-dependent nonspecific miRNA inhibition of murine leukemia virus (MLV) assembly was shown. Overall, these results reveal autophagy as a crucial regulator of the retroviral degradation pathway in host cells initiated by nonspecific miRNA-Gag interactions. These findings could have significant implications for understanding how cells may regulate retroviral complex assembly by miRNA expression and autophagy, and raise the possibility that similar regulations can occur in other biological contexts.

Clinical Observations on Mind-tranquilizing Acupuncture for the Treatment of Scapulohumeral Periarthritis at the Early Stage of Adhesion / 上海针灸杂志

Objective To investigate the efficacy of acupuncture at mind-tranquilizing points plus conventional shoulder points in treating scapulohumeral periarthritis (periarthritis of shoulder) at the early stage of adhesion. Method Sixty patients were randomly allocated to two groups. The treatment group received acupuncture at mind-tranquilizing points plus conventional shoulder points and the control group, at conventional points. In both groups, treatment was given three times a week, for two weeks. The Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) score, the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) score, the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score were recorded before and after treatment. Result The VAS score,the HAMA score, the HAMD score and the JOA score improved in both groups after treatment compared with before (P0.05). Conclusion Mind-tranquilizing acupuncture plus conventional acupuncture is more effective than conventional acupuncture in treating scapulohumeral periarthritis at the early stage of adhesion.

Positional relationship between branches of the facial nerve and the plane of angulus oris: an anatomical study / 中华口腔医学杂志

Objective@#To investigate the relationship between the inferior buccal branch and mandibular marginal branch of the facial nerve in the plane of angulus oris.@*Methods@#Twenty unilateral adults cadaveric heads were dissected. In the vicinity of the posterior border of mandibular ramus, the positional relationship between mandibular marginal branch and the plane of angulus oris, the inferior buccal branch and the plane of angulus oris was recoded and analyzed.@*Results@#In 18 of the 20 samples, the plane of angulus oris was between the inferior buccal branch and mandibular marginal branch in the vicinity of the posterior border of mandibular ramus. In one sample, the plane of angulus oris was below the inferior buccal branch and mandibular marginal branch in the vicinity of the posterior border of mandibular ramus. Another sample was excluded because the starting points of the inferior buccal branch and mandibular marginal branch were in front of the posterior border of mandibular ramus. The distance from the intersection of the posterior border of mandibular ramus and the plane of angulus oris to the intersection of inferior buccal branch and the plane of angulus oris was (14.96±8.55) mm.@*Conclusions@#In most cases studied, the plane of angulus oris is between the inferior buccal branch and mandibular marginal branch in the vicinity of the posterior border of mandibular ramus. Along the plane of angulus oris, within 1.0 cm anterior to the posterior border of mandibular ramus, it is a relatively safe place for surgical approach.

Protective Effects of Tetramethylpyrazine on Cerebrovascular Regulations in Rats with Chronic Alcoholic Encephalopathy / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

Recent studies showed that pathology of alcoholic encephalopathy was associated with cerebral vascular damage. TMP (tetramethyl- pyrazine) is widely used in the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases, however, it has not been reported whether TMP can relieve alcohol-induced cerebral vascular damages. The study was performed to investigate the learning and memory, cerebrovascular pathological changes and the expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and serum levelsofendothelin-1 (ET-1) in the rat model of chronic alcoholic encephalopathy, and explore the effects of TMP intervention on alcoholic encephalopathy. In the present study, the rat model of chronic alcoholic encephalopathy was established by the gavage administration of alcohol; the learning and memory ability was tested by Morris water maze; the expression of VEGF was measured by RT-PCR and Western blot; and the serum levels of ET-1 was measured by radioimmunoassay. We found that alcohol intoxication impaired learning and memory, induced VEGF overexpression and increased ET 1 concentrations. TMP intervention improved learning abilities, increased the VEGF expression and reduced ET-1 level. These results indicate that TMP exhibits therapeutic effects on chronic alcoholic encephalopathy.

Characteristics and risk factors of lymph node metastasis in pN1 stage esophageal squamous cell carcinoma / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the pattern and the clinicopathologic risk factors of lymph node metastasis (LNM) in pN1 stage esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Clinical data of 181 patients (154 male and 27 female patients, aging from 38 to 84 years) who underwent esophagectomy during January 2005 and December 2008 were reviewed, including 69 cases through left thoracotomy and 112 cases through right thoracotomy. All patients underwent systematic lymphadenectomy. The risk factors related to lymph node metastasis were analyzed by χ² test and Logistic regression analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The relatively highest LNM site were middle and lower thoracic paraesophageal (38.4%), right and left cardiac (35.3%) and the left gastric artery (38.8%). The LNM of middle and lower thoracic paraesophageal was correlated with T stage (χ² =11.754, P=0.009). A correlation was also found among the LNM of upper mediastinum and the location of tumor (P=0.039). The T stage (χ² =8.694, P=0.034) and TNM stage (χ² =6.906, P=0.032) were the risk factors of the LNM of middle and lower mediastinum. The risk factors of the LNM of abdomen were the location of tumor, the length of tumor, T stage and TNM stage (χ² =5.713 to 16.749, P>0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that the location of tumor is the independent risk factors for the abdominal lymph node metastasis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The relatively highest LNM sites are correlated with the location of tumor, T stage, the length of tumor and TNM stage. According to the risk factors of LNM, the relatively highest LNM sites should be mainly swept.</p>