Omental fibroma combined with right indirect inguinal hernia masquerades as a scrotal tumor: A case report.

BACKGROUND: The most common causes of scrotal enlargement in patients include primary tumor of the scrotum, inflammation, hydrocele of the tunica vaginalis, and indirect inguinal hernia; scrotal enlargement caused by external tumors of the scrotum is rare. The patient had both a greater omentum tumor and an inguinal hernia, and the tumor protruded into the scrotum through the hernia sac, which is even rarer. Moreover, omental tumors are mostly metastatic, and primary omental fibroma is rare. CASE SUMMARY: Here, we report a rare case of a 25-year-old young man with scrotal enlargement and pain for 3 months. Preoperative examination and multidisciplinary discussions considered intra-abdominal tumor displacement and inguinal hernia, and intraoperative exploration confirmed that the greater omentum tumor protruded into the scrotum. Therefore, tumor resection and tension-free inguinal hernia repair were performed. The final diagnosis was benign fibroma of the greater omentum accompanied by an indirect inguinal hernia. CONCLUSION: This unusual presentation of a common inguinal hernia disease illustrates the necessity of performing detailed history taking, physical examination, and imaging before surgery.

Rapid Quantitative Detection of Voriconazole in Human Plasma Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering.

There is an increasing demand for rapid detection techniques for monitoring the therapeutic concentration of voriconazole (VRC) in human biological fluids. Herein, a rapid and selective surface-enhanced Raman scatting method for point-of-care determination of VRC in human plasma was developed via a portable Raman spectrometer. This approach has enabled the quantification of the VRC spiked into human plasma at clinical relevant concentrations. A gold nanoparticle solution (Au sol) was used as the SERS substrate, and the agglomerating conditions on its sensitivity were optimized. The method involves the formation of hot spots, and the signal of VRC molecules adsorbed on the surface of the SERS hot spot was amplified by 105. The calibration curve was linear in the range of 0.02-10 ppm, with satisfactory repeatability. The limit of detection was as low as 12.3 ppb. The variation in VRC spectra over time on different substrates demonstrated good reproducibility. Notably, the salting-out extraction method developed in this study was rapid and suitable for the quantitation of drugs in biological samples. Compared with traditional methods, this approach allows for the point-of-care quantification of VRC directly in a complex matrix, which may open up new exciting opportunities for future use of the SERS technique in clinical applications.

Sandwich-Structured Sn4P3@MXene Hybrid Anodes with High Initial Coulombic Efficiency for High-Rate Lithium-Ion Batteries.

The high theoretical capacity makes metal phosphides appropriate anode candidates for Li-ion batteries, but their applications are restricted due to the limited structural instability caused by the huge volume change, as in other high-capacity materials. Here, we design an integrated electrode consisting of Sn4P3 nanoparticles sandwiched between transition-metal carbide (MXene) nanosheets. Tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAOH) plays an essential role in the formation of such sandwich structures by producing negatively charged MXene sheets with expanded layer spacings. The strong C-O-P oxygen bridge bond enables tight anchoring of Sn4P3 nanoparticles on the surface of MXene layers. The obtained Sn4P3-based nanocomposites exhibit high reversible capacity with an initial Coulombic efficiency of 82% and outstanding rate performance (1519 mAh cm-3 at a current density of 5 A g-1). The conductive and flexible MXene layers on both sides of Sn4P3 nanoparticles provide the desired electric conductivity and elastomeric space to accommodate the large volume change of Sn4P3 during lithiation. Therefore, the Sn4P3@MXene hybrid exhibits an enhanced cyclic performance of 820 mAh g-1 after 300 cycles at a current density of 1 A g-1.

The Role of Long Noncoding RNA AL161431.1 in the Development and Progression of Pancreatic Cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is known for its notorious fast progression and poor prognosis. Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) AL161431.1 has been reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of different cancers. In this study, we explored the role of lncRNA AL161431.1 in the development and progression of pancreatic cancer by bioinformatic analysis, in vitro and in vivo experiments in pancreatic cancer BxPC-3 and SW1990 cells, as well as clinical samples. We found that lncRNA AL161431.1 was highly expressed in pancreatic cancer cells and tissues. Knock down of lncRNA AL161431.1 led to increased cancer cell death and cell cycle arrest. Xenograft growth of SW1990 cells with stable knockdown of lncRNA AL161431.1 in mice was significantly slower than that of SW1990 cells with scrambled control shRNA. Finally, we showed the involvement of lncRNA AL161431.1 in pancreatic cancer was related to its promotion of epithelial mesenchymal transition process.

Circ-0005105 activates COL11A1 by targeting miR-20a-3p to promote pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma progression.

Growing evidence indicates that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are closely involved in tumorigenesis, but the association between circRNAs and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is far from clear. Here, we focused on the functional investigation of circ-0005105, a newly identified circRNA, in PDAC progression. In the present study, we assessed circ-0005105 expression in PDAC tissues and cell lines with quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The biological functions of circ-0005105 in cellular proliferation and invasion were identified through gain- and loss-of-function experiments in vitro and in vivo. The interaction between circ-0005105 and the microRNA (miR)-20a-3p-COL11A1 (collagen type XI alpha 1) axis was examined using luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation assays. We found that circ-0005105 expression was upregulated in both PDAC tissues and cell lines. Higher circ-0005105 expression correlated positively with the malignant clinical phenotype and poor prognosis of patients with PDAC. Gain- and loss-of-function analysis showed that circ-0005105 facilitated both in vitro and in vivo cellular proliferation and invasion. Mechanistically, circ-000510 served as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) of miR-20a-3p and indirectly modulated COL11A1 expression, leading to activation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Rescue experiments suggested that the oncogenic activity of circ-0005105 was dependent on the modulation of the miR-20a-3p-COL11A1 axis. More importantly, COL11A1 overexpression was significantly associated with poor prognosis in PDAC, and silencing COL11A1 reduced PDAC cell tumorigenicity and metastasis. Taken together, our findings confirm for the first time that circ-0005105 has critical functions by regulating the miR-20a-3p-COL11A1 axis. In the clinic, circ-0005105 can act as a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target in PDAC.

Ileocecal intussusception caused by two different tumors - which is the culprit lesion? A case report.

BACKGROUND: Ileocecal intussusception caused by two different tumors is rare, according to a literature review. We describe a case of a male patient with a cauliflower-like mass in the middle of the transverse colon observed by colonoscopy before surgery. It was considered to be intussusception caused by colon cancer. However, a substantial lipomatous mass was seen in the distal end of the intussusception by computed tomography before surgery, which posed a challenge in the preoperative diagnosis. CASE SUMMARY: We report a 72-year-old male patient with intussusception. The patient underwent right hemicolectomy and cholecystectomy in our hospital on April 29, 2019. During operation, the ileum was inserted into the ascending colon by about 15 cm, and a tumor with a diameter of approximately 3.0 cm was observed in the distal part of the intestine. An atypical liposarcoma/highly differentiated liposarcoma in the adipose tissue was suspected in the postoperative pathology, and a lipoma was diagnosed after MDM2 gene testing. A 4.0 cm × 5.0 cm polypoid mass was seen immediately adjacent to the mass, and the postoperative pathology report suggested a high-level tubular adenoma. The patient was eventually cured and discharged with an uneventful follow-up. CONCLUSION: Intussusception caused by two different types of masses is extremely rare. At present, surgery is the best treatment once intussusception is diagnosed.

Huge primary dedifferentiated pancreatic liposarcoma mimicking carcinosarcoma in a young female: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic liposarcoma is a rare tumor. According to a literature review, the patient described in this study is the seventh case of pancreatic liposarcoma reported in the English literature and the third case of dedifferentiated liposarcoma. Furthermore, this case had the largest primary tumor volume, and a primary pancreatic liposarcoma was diagnosed based on sufficient evidence. CASE SUMMARY: We here report a rare case of a 28-year-old female with a huge dedifferentiated liposarcoma in the pancreatic tail. In June 2015, the patient underwent distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy. During the operation, a huge liposarcoma of approximately 28.0 cm × 19.0 cm × 8.0 cm was found, which had a yellow and white fish-like incisal surface. Based on both pathology and MDM2 gene amplification, the tumor was diagnosed as a dedifferentiated liposarcoma. The patient was treated with surgery but declined postoperative chemotherapy. She was well at the 26-mo follow-up, and no relapse was observed. CONCLUSION: Pancreatic liposarcoma has a low incidence. Chemotherapy should be included in the treatment regimens. Complete resection is the only effective treatment.

Establishment of a model to predict the prognosis of pregnancy-related acute kidney injury.

BACKGROUND: Our aim was to investigate the prognostic factors of pregnancy related acute kidney injury (PR-AKI), establish the prognosis prediction model and evaluate predictability with the model. METHODS: Serum creatinine (SCr), placental growth factor (PLGF), endothelin-1 (ET-1), urinary kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), and ß2-microglobulin (ß2-MG) levels in 122 patients with PR-AKI were measured at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after delivery and the logistic backward stepwise regression method was used to screen the factors associated with the prognosis, establish the model to predict the prognosis of patients 1 year after delivery, and evaluate predictability with the model. RESULTS: 1) At 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after delivery, SCr was not significantly different in the poor prognosis group (P˃0.05); ET-1, KIM-1 and ß2-MG were decreased significantly, and PLGF was significantly increased (P˂0.05); all testing indicators in the good prognosis group were significantly different and returned to normal within 1 year (P˂0.05). By comparing the two groups, there were no significant differences in SCr, PLGF and ß2-MG levels at 1 month after delivery (P˃0.05), while there were significant differences in the remaining testing indicators at each time point (P˂0.05). 2) Logistic backward stepwise regression analysis showed that SCr, KIM-1, ET-1, and time were related to the prognosis of patients with PR-AKI, and the above screening indicators were used to fit the model Logit. CONCLUSIONS: The logistic regression model fitting-effect was good, its accuracy of predicting renal injury prognosis was high. SCr, KIM-1, and ET-1 can be used for PR-AKI screening and are important for monitoring the disease condition of patients, intervention, and evaluation of prognosis.

Microarray analysis for the identification of specific proteins and functional modules involved in the process of hepatocellular carcinoma originating from cirrhotic liver.

In order to identify the potential pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) developing from cirrhosis, a microarray­based transcriptome profile was analyzed. The GSE63898 expression profile was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, which included data from 228 HCC tissue samples and 168 cirrhotic tissue samples. The Robust Multi­array Average in the Affy package of R was used for raw data processing and Student's t­test was used to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs). An enrichment analysis was then conducted using the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery online tool, and the protein­protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes and Cytoscape. Furthermore, the MCODE plug­in of Cytoscape was used to conduct a sub­module analysis. A total of 634 DEGs were identified between HCC and cirrhosis, of which 165 were upregulated and 469 were downregulated. According to the cut­off criteria, the PPI network was constructed and Jun proto­oncogene, AP­1 transcription factor subunit (degree, 39), Fos proto­oncogene, AP­1 transcription factor subunit (degree, 34) and v­myc avian myelocytomatosis viral oncogene homolog (degree, 32) were identified as the hub nodes of the PPI network. Based on the sub­module analysis, four specific modules were identified. In particular, module 1 was significantly enriched in the chemokine signaling pathway, and C­X­C motif chemokine ligand 12, C­C motif chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7) and C­C motif chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5) were three important proteins in this module. Module 4 was significantly enriched in chemical carcinogenesis, and cytochrome P450 family 2 subfamily E member 1, cytochrome P450 family 2 subfamily C member 9 (CYP2C9) and cytochrome P450 family 2 subfamily A member 6 (CYP2A6) were three important proteins in this module. In conclusion, the present study revealed that CCR7, CCL5, CYP2C9 and CYP2A6 are novel genes identified in the development of HCC; however, the actual functions of these genes require verification.

Pathway Interaction Network Analysis Identifies Dysregulated Pathways in Human Monocytes Infected by Listeria monocytogenes.

In our study, we aimed to extract dysregulated pathways in human monocytes infected by Listeria monocytogenes (LM) based on pathway interaction network (PIN) which presented the functional dependency between pathways. After genes were aligned to the pathways, principal component analysis (PCA) was used to calculate the pathway activity for each pathway, followed by detecting seed pathway. A PIN was constructed based on gene expression profile, protein-protein interactions (PPIs), and cellular pathways. Identifying dysregulated pathways from the PIN was performed relying on seed pathway and classification accuracy. To evaluate whether the PIN method was feasible or not, we compared the introduced method with standard network centrality measures. The pathway of RNA polymerase II pretranscription events was selected as the seed pathway. Taking this seed pathway as start, one pathway set (9 dysregulated pathways) with AUC score of 1.00 was identified. Among the 5 hub pathways obtained using standard network centrality measures, 4 pathways were the common ones between the two methods. RNA polymerase II transcription and DNA replication owned a higher number of pathway genes and DEGs. These dysregulated pathways work together to influence the progression of LM infection, and they will be available as biomarkers to diagnose LM infection.