NOX4 promotes tumor progression through the MAPK-MEK1/2-ERK1/2 axis in colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic reprogramming plays a key role in cancer progression and clinical outcomes; however, the patterns and primary regulators of metabolic reprogramming in colorectal cancer (CRC) are not well understood. AIM: To explore the role of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 4 (NOX4) in promoting progression of CRC. METHODS: We evaluated the expression and function of dysregulated and survival-related metabolic genes using Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes. Consensus clustering was used to cluster CRC based on dysregulated metabolic genes. A prediction model was constructed based on survival-related metabolic genes. Sphere formation, migration, invasion, proliferation, apoptosis and clone formation was used to evaluate the biological function of NOX4 in CRC. mRNA sequencing was utilized to explore the alterations of gene expression NOX4 over-expression tumor cells. In vivo subcutaneous and lung metastasis mouse tumor model was used to explore the effect of NOX4 on tumor growth. RESULTS: We comprehensively analyzed 3341 metabolic genes in CRC and identified three clusters based on dysregulated metabolic genes. Among these genes, NOX4 was highly expressed in tumor tissues and correlated with worse survival. In vitro, NOX4 overexpression induced clone formation, migration, invasion, and stemness in CRC cells. Furthermore, RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that NOX4 overexpression activated the mitogen-activated protein kinase-MEK1/2-ERK1/2 signaling pathway. Trametinib, a MEK1/2 inhibitor, abolished the NOX4-mediated tumor progression. In vivo, NOX4 overexpression promoted subcutaneous tumor growth and lung metastasis, whereas trametinib treatment can reversed the metastasis. CONCLUSION: Our study comprehensively analyzed metabolic gene expression and highlighted the importance of NOX4 in promoting CRC metastasis, suggesting that trametinib could be a potential therapeutic drugs of CRC clinical therapy targeting NOX4.

Kimura's disease as a mimicker of cavernous hemangioma: A case report and literature review.

Kimura's disease (KD) is an immune-mediated disorder which mainly affects Asian men. It appears as head and neck subcutaneous masses, with inflammatory infiltrate and elevated serum immunoglobulin E levels. The clinical presentation of KD resembles that of various diseases. Here, we report the case of a 30-year-old Filipino man with KD mimicking cavernous hemangioma who was treated by surgery. Careful survey for possible KD cases is crucial. Misdiagnoses are prone to futile interventions and unwanted effects. Surgery with adjuvant therapy is superior to other forms of KD treatment.

Film Instability Induced by Swelling and Drying.

Poly(2-vinyl pyridine), P2VP, films display a surface pattern of craters in a dried state after being immersed in aqueous solutions containing HAuCl4 and its mixtures with low contents of K2CO3. The morphologies of craters indicate that the formation of craters involves three stages through film blistering and drying: (i) the permeability of water and solutes to swell P2VP films, (ii) partial wetting of liquid droplets near the substrate interface in the presence of the P2VP film, and (iii) evaporation-driven flows. The three stages produce the swelling pressure, Laplace pressure, and interplays among capillary flows, Marangoni flows, and pinning effects, respectively, by which craters of different dimensions and morphologies are obtained. The first stage softens the P2VP films and produces swelling pressure. This stage relies on interactions between AuCl4- ions, water, and protonated P2VP chains. The second stage produces liquid droplets inside the film and near the substrate interface. The surface tensions of those liquid droplets at contact lines deform swollen P2VP films. Changing film thicknesses or substrate types alters craters' lateral dimension and depth. The results indicate that film thicknesses and substrate interface energies influence the shape and dimension of liquid droplets on the substrate interface. The third stage determines morphologies of craters through interplays among capillary flows, Marangoni flows, and pinning/depinning events.

[Application of high offset Corail femoral stem prosthesis in unilateral primary total hip arthroplasty].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the application of high offset femoral stem prosthesis in primary total hip arthroplasty. METHODS: From January 2015 to June 2017, 51 patients with unilateral hip diseases who underwent primary total hip arthroplasty with Corail high offset femoral stem prosthesis(KHO type) were selected for retrospective study, including 20 females and 31 males;the age ranged from 21 to 71 years old with an average of(50.8±13.3) years old. The abduction arm, femoral offset, acetabular offset and the length of lower limbs were measured on the positive X-ray film of hip joint after operation. Harris scores before and after operation and related complications were recorded, and the stability of prosthesis was analyzed. RESULTS: The femoral offset, combined offset and abduction arm of the affected side were significantly greater than those of the healthy side(P<0.05). There was no significant difference in acetabular offset between the affected side and the healthy side (P>0.05). The femoral offset of 17 hips (33.3%) was reconstructed normally, of which 15 cases (88.2%) had equal length of both lower limbs. The femoral offset of 34 hips (66.7%) was greater than that of the healthy side, and 34 cases (100%) had equal length of both lower limbs. All 51 patients were followed up for(42.3±7.3) months. The Harris score increased from 38.0±7.6 before operation to 92.1±3.1 at the final follow-up(P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Although the high offset Corail prosthesis can not normally reconstruct the femoral offset in unilateral primary total hip arthroplasty, it does not affect the reconstruction of the length of lower limbs and the stability of the prosthesis.

Diagnosis and treatment discussion of congenital factor VII deficiency in pregnancy: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Congenital factor VII deficiency (FVIID) is a rare autosomal recessive genetic disorder. The clinical manifestations of this deficiency vary greatly. Predicting the risk of bleeding during and after childbirth of pregnant women with congenital FVIID is difficult. Recombinant factor VIIa is the most common replacement therapy for FVIID. However, no unified diagnosis and treatment plan for pregnant women with congenital FVIID has been established. CASE SUMMARY: We report the clinical history of a pregnant woman who was considered to have congenital FVIID. Recombinant factor VIIa was prophylactically administered to the pregnant woman at the time of cervical fully opening. She successfully delivered a live infant without any complications, such as postpartum hemorrhage, neonatal abnormalities, and so on. CONCLUSION: Prophylaxis of recombinant factor VIIa during delivery can effectively reduce the incidence of postpartum hemorrhage among pregnant women with congenital FVIID associated with a high risk of bleeding.

Genetically-engineered "all-in-one" vaccine platform for cancer immunotherapy

An essential step for cancer vaccination is to break the immunosuppression and elicit a tumor-specific immunity. A major hurdle against cancer therapeutic vaccination is the insufficient immune stimulation of the cancer vaccines and lack of a safe and efficient adjuvant for human use. We discovered a novel cancer immunostimulant, trichosanthin (TCS), that is a clinically used protein drug in China, and developed a well-adaptable protein-engineering method for making recombinant protein vaccines by fusion of an antigenic peptide, TCS, and a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP), termed an "all-in-one" vaccine, for transcutaneous cancer immunization. The TCS adjuvant effect on antigen presentation was investigated and the antitumor immunity of the vaccines was investigated using the different tumor models. The vaccines were prepared

Effects of gaseous agents on the evolution of char physical and chemical structures during biomass gasification.

Bio-char samples were prepared from gasification of corn straw under N2, CO2 and H2O conditions, and systematically characterized to reveal the effects of gaseous agents on the evolution of char structural features during the gasification process. The results showed that the increase of reacting temperature had positive effects on the gasification of char in both H2O and CO2 atmospheres. The evolution of char pore structures under H2O and CO2 was quite different. The formation of micropores was facilitated by CO2, while mesopores and macropores were developed more in H2O condition. Besides, char structures obtained at 800 °C were more ordered than those obtained at 600 °C. Compared with the longitudinal merging, the aromatic layers preferred to grow laterally. Moreover, the mechanisms of gasification between char and gaseous agents were different. CO2 preferred to react with amorphous carbon, while the cross-linked carbon was more likely to be consumed during char gasification with H2O.

Biomimetic albumin-modified gold nanorods for photothermo-chemotherapy and macrophage polarization modulation

Nanotechnology-based photothermal therapy has attracted great attention in the past decade. Nevertheless, photothermal therapy has some inherent drawbacks, such as the uneven heat production and limited laser penetration, often leading to insufficient treatment outcomes. Here, we developed a combination strategy to improve cancer therapy. The biomimetic albumin-modified gold nanorods (AuNRs) were prepared with incorporation of paclitaxel (PTX). This therapeutic system was characterized by several features. First, the albumin modification enhanced the biocompatibility and colloidal stability. Second, the surface-coated albumin promoted cellular uptake the albumin-binding protein pathway. Third, PTX was incorporated hydrophobic interaction between PTX and the albumin lipophilic domain. Fourth, the system can be used for combined photothermo-chemotherapy for yielding synergistic effects. The antitumor activity of the system was evaluated both and using the HCT116 colon cancer cell and tumor model. The combination therapy was found with an enhanced treatment efficiency and no obvious side effect. Most importantly, the thermal effect was also discovered with the ability to modulate the tumor microenvironments and suppress the macrophages polarization towards the M2 pro-tumor phenotype. It could be a mechanism for photothermal immunotherapy. The combination strategy and the system provide a potential method for cancer therapy.

4α-Methylergosta-22(E),24(28)-dien-3ß-ol, a New Marine Sterol from the Octocoral Nephthea columnaris.

A new marine sterol, 4a-methylergosta-22(E),24(28)-dien-3 P-ol (1), was isolated from the octocoral Nephthea columnaris. The structure of I was elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic and mass spectrometric methods.

Radiographic anatomical analysis of the pelvic Teepee view / 中国骨伤

<p><b>OBJECTIVES</b>To research radiographic anatomy of the main structure of the pelvic Teepee view, including its azimuth direction and view anatomy structure.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From June 2013 to June 2014 adult pelvic CT examination results were filtered, excluding skeletal deformities and pelvic osseous destruction caused by tumors, trauma, etc. The data of 2.0 mm contiguous CT scan of 9 adults' intact pelves was,selected and input into Mimics 10.01 involving 7 males and 2 females with an average age of (41.2±10.3) years old. Utilizing the software, the 3D CT reconstructions of the pelves were completed. Setting the transparency being high,the pelvic 3D reconstructions were manipulated from the pelvic anteroposterior view to the combined obturator oblique outlet view and fine-tuned till the regular Teepee-or teardrop-shaped appearance emerges. Cutting tools of the software were at the moment applied to separate the "Teepee" from the main pelvis for each reconstruction. Then the "Teepee" and the rest (main) part of the pelvis were displayed in different color to facilitate the analysis on the Teepee, iliac-oblique, and anteroposterior views.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The "Teepee" started from the posterolateral aspect of the anterior inferior iliac spine and finished at the cortex between the posterior superior iliac spine and the posterior inferior iliac spine in a direction of being from caudal-anterior-lateral to cranial-posterior-medial. The radiographic anatomical composition of the "Teepee" contained one tip, one base,and two aspects. With the inner and outer iliac tables being the inner and outer aspects of the "Teepee", the tip is consequently formed by their intersection. The base is imaged from the cortex of the greater sciatic notch. The medial-inferior-posterior portion of the "Teepee" contains a small part of sacroiliac joint and its corresponding side of bone of the sacrum.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The "Teepee" is a zone of ample osseous structures of the pelvis, aside from a small medial-inferior-posterior portion, the main zone of which can be accepted as a safe osseous zone for the anchor of implants stabilizing certain pelvic and acetabular fracture patterns. The Teepee view can be utilized as guidance for the safe percutaneous insertion of such implants.</p>

The use of glyburide in the management of gestational diabetes mellitus: a meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Glyburide has been used for managing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in a number of countries. It is rather inexpensive. However, its efficacy and safety remain controversial. With this meta-analysis, we evaluated glyburide in comparison with insulin. MATERIAL/METHODS: With a systematic literature search strategy, a total of 93 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with insulin and glyburide comparison were identified. Based on the revised Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) checklist, five of them met the inclusion criteria and were included in this meta-analysis. RESULTS: Six hundred and seventy four subjects were included in these five RCTs. When compared with insulin, glyburide had an increased relative risk (RR) for neonatal hypoglycemia (RR: 1.98; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.17, 3.36). Estimation of standard mean differences (SMD) showed that both fetal birth weight and incidence of macrosomia were higher in subjects receiving glyburide than in those receiving insulin (SMD: 0.21; 95% CI: 0.06, 0.36; RR: 2.22; 95% CI: 1.07, 4.61 respectively). There were no significant differences in maternal glucose control, glycated hemoglobin, the rate of Cesarean section, large-for-gestational age, neonatal hypocalcemia, length of stay for neonatal ICU admissions, preterm birth, or congenital anomalies. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggested that in women with GDM, glyburide is as effective as insulin, but the risks of neonatal hypoglycemia, high fetal birth weight, and macrosomia were higher.

Influence of the included angle between anterior aspects of S2 and S1 vertebral bodies on pelvic inlet imaging in mid-line sagittal plane / 中国骨伤

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the influence of included angle between the anterior aspects of S2 and S vertebral bodies on pelvic inlet imaging in the pelvic midline sagittal plane.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 58 axial pelvic CT scans were chosen as study objects including 43 males and 15 females,with an average age of 40.7 years old (ranged,18 to 68 years old). The angles between the anterior aspects of S2 and S1, vertebral bodies and the horizontal plane on midline sagittal CT reconstruction were measured to simulate the optimal S2 and S1 inlet angles. The included angle between the anterior aspects of S2 and S1 vertebral bodies was calculated by subtrocting the S1,inlet angle from the S2 inlet angle defined as a base number. Then, the impact of the calculated included angles on the pelvic inlet imaging was analyzed. Results:The S2 inlet angles averaged (30.5±6.5) degrees; the S inlet angles averaged (25.7±5.9) degrees. The difference between them was significant (t=3.35, P=0.001). Ten patients had zero angle between the anterior aspects of S2 and S1 vertebral bodies; 14 patients had negative angle, averaged-(8.9±8.1) degrees; 34 patients had positive angle,averaged (11.8+6.4) degrees.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The difference of included angle between the anterior aspects of S2 and S1 vertebral bodies leads to the difference between S1 inlet view and S2 inlet view in most cases, complicating the pelvic inlet imaging,and affecting the reliability of the application of pelvic inlet view. Utilizing the angles measured on the preoperative midlihe sagittal CT reconstruction to obatin the patient-customized S1 and S2 inlet views could accurately guide the S1 and S2 iliosacral screw insertion.</p>