Zoledronic acid-associated osteonecro sis of the jaw in patients with EGFR-sensitive mutant lung cancer: two case reports.

Bone metastasis from lung cancer predicts a decrease in the quality of life and a shortening of survival for patients. While controlling the primary disease, active prevention and treatment of skeletal-related events (SREs) are crucial. The use of bisphosphonates as a basic drug for bone metastases from lung cancer has been increasing; also, the corresponding adverse effects have emerged. The case is here reported of two cases of osteonecrosis of the jaw associated with zoledronic acid treatment were reported in patients with epidermal growth factor receptor -sensitive mutation non-small-cell lung cancer(NSCLC) and discussed the clinical features, early recognition and interventions.

Toward a BT.2020 green emitter through a combined multiple resonance effect and multi-lock strategy.

Color-saturated green-emitting molecules with high Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage (CIE) y values have great potential applications for displays and imaging. Here, we linked the outer phenyl groups in multiple-resonance (MR)-type blue-emitting B (boron)-N (nitrogen) molecules through bonding and spiro-carbon bridges, resulting in rigid green emitters with thermally activated delayed fluorescence. The MR effect and multiple interlocking strategy greatly suppressed the high-frequency vibrations in the molecules, which emit green light with a full-width at half-maximum of 14 nm and a CIE y value of 0.77 in cyclohexane. These were the purest green molecules with quantum efficiency and color purity that were comparable with current best quantum dots. Doping these emitters into a traditional green-emitting phosphorescence organic light-emitting diode (OLED) endowed the device with a Broadcast Service Television 2020 color-gamut, 50% improved external quantum efficiency, and an extremely high luminescence of 5.1 × 105 cd/m2, making it the greenest and brightest OLED ever reported.

Ischemic colitis after receiving the second dose of a COVID-19 inactivated vaccine: A case report.

BACKGROUND: The outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has been the most important clinical challenge worldwide since January 2020. COVID-19 inactivated vaccines play a crucial role in reducing the rates of morbidity and mortality. CASE SUMMARY: We presented a 48-year-old woman from Haidian District, Beijing, China who developed ischemic colitis after receiving the second dose of COVID-19 inactivated vaccine. Computed tomography of the abdomen showed edema and bowel wall thickening with hypodensity in the sigmoid colon and descending colon. Colonoscopy revealed hyperemia, edema and erosion of the mucosa with superficial ulceration and a yellow-white coating at the descending colon and sigmoid colon. The symptoms were relieved after 1 wk of receiving pinaverium bromide (50 mg, tid) and aspirin enteric-coated tablets (0.1 g, qd). CONCLUSION: The possible occurrence of ischemic colitis should be considered after administration of the COVID-19 inactivated vaccines.

Heat shock factor 2-binding protein promotes tumor progression via activation of MAPK signaling pathway in lung adenocarcinoma.

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a malignant tumor that causes a serious public health burden. The biological functions and potential mechanism of heat shock factor 2-binding protein (HSF2BP) in LUAD have not been studied. This study aimed to explore the HSF2BP expression pattern and its potential biological function in LUAD. The transcriptome data and relevant clinical data of LUAD were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The mRNA levels and prognosis of HSF2BP were determined using TCGA datasets. The protein and mRNA expression levels of HSF2BP were identified by conducting western blot analysis and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in tissues and cells, respectively. To determine whether HSF2BP affected the biological function of LUAD cell lines, a series of functional experiments were performed in vitro and in vivo. In addition, gene set enrichment analysis was applied to determine the pathways that HSF2BP regulated, which was further confirmed by western blotting, and the high expression of HSF2BP was observed in LUAD, which was correlated with the unfavorable prognosis in LUAD patients. Clinical correlation analysis revealed that tumor stage was positively correlated with high HSF2BP expression. Furthermore, HSF2BP could serve as an independent risk factor for overall survival. In vitro, HSF2BP knockdown suppressed the proliferation and migration of A549 and H1299 cells. We observed the same results in vivo experiments. Mechanistically, the HSF2BP regulates the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway to perform its biological function. The HSF2BP plays a role in the development of LUAD and could be a useful anticancer target for the treatment of LUAD.

Immuno-Acoustic Sorting of Disease-Specific Extracellular Vesicles by Acoustophoretic Force.

Methods for the isolation and analysis of extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been extensively explored in the field of life science and in clinical diagnosis in recent years. The separation and efficient recovery of high-purity target EVs from biological samples are important prerequisites in the study of EVs. So far, commonly used methods of EV separation include ultracentrifugation, filtration, solvent precipitation and immunoaffinity capturing. However, these methods suffer from long processing time, EV damage and low enrichment efficiency. The use of acoustophoretic force facilitates the non-contact label-free manipulation of cells based on their size and compressibility but lacks specificity. Additionally, the acoustophoretic force exerted on sub-micron substances is normally weak and insufficient for separation. Here we present a novel immuno-acoustic sorting technology, where biological substances such as EVs, viruses, and biomolecules, can be specifically captured by antibody/receptor coated microparticles through immunoaffinity, and manipulated by an acoustophoretic force exerted on the microparticles. Using immuno-acoustic sorting technology, we successfully separated and purified HER2-positive EVs for further downstream analysis. This method holds great potential in isolating and purifying specific targets such as disease-related EVs from biological fluids and opens new possibilities for the EV-based early diagnosis and prognosis of diseases.

Research on Panoramic Stitching Algorithm of Lateral Cranial Sequence Images in Dental Multifunctional Cone Beam Computed Tomography.

In the design of dental multifunctional Cone Beam Computed Tomography, the linear scanning strategy not only saves equipment cost, but also avoids the demand for patients to be repositioned when acquiring lateral cranial sequence images. In order to obtain panoramic images, we propose a local normalized cross-correlation stitching algorithm based on Gaussian Mixture Model. Firstly, the Block-Matching and 3D filtering algorithm is used to remove quantum and impulse noises according to the characteristics of X-ray images; Then, the segmentation of the irrelevant region and the extraction of the region of interest are performed by Gaussian Mixture Model; The locally normalized cross-relation is used to complete the registration with the multi-resolution strategy based on wavelet transform and Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm; Finally, image fusion is achieved by the weighted smoothing fusion algorithm. The experimental results show that the panoramic image obtained by this method has significant performance in both subjective vision and objective quality evaluation and can be applied to preoperative diagnosis of clinical dental deformity and postoperative effect evaluation.

Rebamipide with Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) versus PPIs Alone for the Treatment of Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection-Induced Ulcers: A Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To contrast the effect of rebamipide with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) versus PPIs alone for the treatment of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD-) induced ulcers. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane library, the WanFang database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were searched to identify studies that met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS: Nine randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were recognized, including 1170 patients. In general, rebamipide plus PPIs acted better than PPIs alone against ESD-induced ulcers at four weeks (RR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.13-1.78, P = 0.003) but showed no significant differences at eight weeks (RR = 1.03, 95% CI: 0.97-1.10, P = 0.315). The use of rebamipide plus PPIs was superior to PPIs alone for ESD-induced ulcers greater than 20 mm in size (20-40 mm: RR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.22-3.23, P = 0.006; >40 mm: RR = 5.14, 95% CI: 1.49-17.74, P = 0.010). In addition, rebamipide plus PPI therapy was discovered to be significantly more effective than PPIs alone for lower ESD-induced ulcers (RR = 1.82, 95% CI: 1.04-3.20, P = 0.037). There were no significant differences between the treatment groups with the ulcer reduction rate. CONCLUSION: Evidences now available show rebamipide plus PPIs is practical for protecting against ESD-induced ulcers at four weeks but not at eight weeks, especially large ulcers (>20 mm). However, we still need more high-quality RCTs in the future to supplement our conclusions.

Comparison of Intravenous versus Topical Tranexamic Acid in Nondeformity Spine Surgery: A Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Tranexamic acid (TXA), an antifibrinolytic agent, interferes with fibrinolysis and has been used for many years to reduce blood loss during spine surgery. The purpose of our meta-analysis was to compare the effect of intravenous versus topical administration of TXA in patients undergoing nondeformity spine surgery. METHODS: We searched multiple databases, including PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane library, CNKI, WanFang database, and VIP to find studies that met the inclusion criteria. A meta-analysis was performed according to the guidelines of the Cochrane Reviewer's Handbook. RESULTS: Eight randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were identified, including 660 patients. The surgical methods used in the included studies were nondeformity spine surgery. No significant differences were found in the two groups regarding total blood loss, intraoperative blood loss, hidden blood loss, hematocrit, hemoglobin, fibrinogen, postoperative prothrombin time (PT), postoperative activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), drainage volume, and blood transfusion rate. There were statistically significant differences in the two groups in terms of preoperative PT (MD = -0.39, 95% CI: [-0.63, -0.15], P=0.002) and preoperative APTT (MD = 1.12, 95% CI: [0.57, 1.68], P=0.002) and preoperative APTT (MD = 1.12, 95% CI: [0.57, 1.68]. CONCLUSION: During nondeformity spine surgery, intravenous administration of TXA did not have a significant effect on the decrease of blood loss and blood transfusion rate compared with the topical group. According to the pooled analysis of PT and APTT, intravenous and topical application of TXA may have different effects on the coagulation pathway. More high-quality RCTs are needed to explore the optimal dosage, method, timing in the future in order to recommend TXA widespread use in spine surgery.

Pyrazine-Based Blue Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Materials: Combine Small Singlet-Triplet Splitting With Large Fluorescence Rate.

Metal-free thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters have emerged as promising candidate materials for highly efficient and low-cost organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Here, a novel acceptor 2-cyanopyrazine is selected for the construction of blue TADF molecules via computer-assisted molecular design. Both theoretical prediction and experimental photophysical data indicate a small S1-T1 energy gap (ΔE ST) and a relative large fluorescence rate (k F) in an o-phenylene-bridged 2-cyanopyrazine/3,6-di-tert-butylcarbazole compound (TCzPZCN). The k F value of 3.7 × 107 s-1 observed in a TCzPZCN doped film is among the highest in the TADF emitters with a ΔE ST smaller than 0.1 eV. Blue TADF emission is observed in a TCzPZCN doped film with a short TADF lifetime of 1.9 µs. The OLEDs using TCzPZCN as emitter exhibit a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 7.6% with low-efficiency roll-off. A sky-blue device containing a derivative of TCzPZCN achieves an improved EQE maximum of 12.2% by suppressing the non-radiative decay at T1.

miR-133b inhibits cell proliferation, migration and invasion of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by targeting EGFR.

BACKGROUND: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is an aggressive tumor entity characterized by early metastasis and late diagnosis. MicroRNA-133b (miR-133b) has been considered as a tumor suppressor in many human cancers by regulating epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). However, the specific effects of miR-133b and EGFR on ESCC remain unclear. METHODS: qRT-PCR and western blotting were applied for measuring expression of mRNA and protein. Flow cytometry was used for detecting cell cycle and apoptosis. Cell proliferation, migration and invasion were detected by colony formation and transwell assays. Luciferase reporter assay was used to confirm the interaction between miR-133b and EGFR. RESULTS: Low expression of miR-133b and high expression of EGFR were identified in ESCC cells and tissues. Overexpression of miR-133b or knockdown of EGFR suppressed the cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of ESCC cells, and raised the percentage of G1 phase cells. The apoptosis of ESCC cells were promoted by increasing miR-133b and decreasing EGFR expression. Luciferase reporter assay confirmed EGFR as the target of miR-133b in ESCC cells. Overexpression of miR-133b significantly decreased the phosphorylation of PI3K, ERK and AKT by directly down-regulating EGFR. Higher expression of E-cadherin and CK-18 and lower expression of Vimentin and N-cadherin were observed after the transfection of miR-133b mimics or shEGFR. CONCLUSION: Overexpression of miR-133b could suppress proliferation, migration and invasion of ESCC cells by inhibiting MAPK/ERK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways through targeting EGFR, indicating that miR-133b might be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of ESCC.

MicroRNA-133b/EGFR axis regulates esophageal squamous cell carcinoma metastases by suppressing anoikis resistance and anchorage-independent growth.

BACKGROUND: Anoikis resistance has been demonstrated to facilitate distant metastases of cancers. MicroRNA-133b (miR-133b) is found to be down-regulated in various tumors, including esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), and closely correlates with the malignant phenotype of ESCC. This study aimed to evaluate the roles of miR-133b in metastases of ESCC via regulating anoikis. METHODS: The expression of miR-133b and related molecules were detected in ESCC tissues and cells. The target relationship between miR-133b and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was verified by dual luciferase reporter assay. Cell proliferation was detected by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Anoikis and anchorage-independent growth were assessed by anoikis assay and soft agar assay. Migration and invasion were evaluated by scratch and transwell assays. The expressions of related molecules were detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. The in vivo results were determined by tumor xenografts in nude mice. RESULTS: MiR-133b level was decreased in ESCC tissues and cells, which negatively correlated with EGFR, integrin ß4 (ITGB4), and phosphorylated focal adhesion kinase levels. Moreover, miR-133b down-regulated EGFR expression in ESCC cells. Overexpression of miR-133b inhibited the anoikis resistance, migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of ESCC cells via targeting EGFR. Finally, miR-133b overexpression suppressed tumor growth and lung metastases of ESCC in vivo. ITGB4/FAK/growth factor receptor-bound protein 2 (Grb2), protein kinase B (AKT), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathways were involved in the regulatory mechanisms of miR-133b/EGFR axis in ESCC metastases in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that miR-133b/EGFR axis regulated metastases of ESCC by affecting anoikis resistance via ITGB4/FAK/Grb2, AKT, and ERK pathways.

A Cosine Similarity Algorithm Method for Fast and Accurate Monitoring of Dynamic Droplet Generation Processes.

Droplet microfluidics has attracted significant interests in functional microcapsule synthesis, pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals, cosmetics and biomedical research. The low variability of performing chemical reactions inside droplets could benefit from improved homogeneity and reproducibility. Therefore, accurate and convenient methods are needed to monitor dynamic droplet generation processes. Here, a novel Cosine Similarity Algorithm (CSA) method was developed to monitor the droplet generation frequency accurately and rapidly. With a microscopic droplet generation video clip captured with a high-speed camera, droplet generation frequency can be computed accurately by calculating the cosine similarities between the frames in the video clip. Four kinds of dynamic droplet generation processes were investigated including (1) a stable condition in a single microfluidic channel, (2) a stable condition in multiple microfluidic channels, (3) a single microfluidic channel with artificial disturbances, and (4) microgel fabrication with or without artificial disturbances. For a video clip with 5,000 frames and a spatial resolution of 512 × 62 pixels, droplet generation frequency up to 4,707.9 Hz can be calculated in less than 1.70 s with an absolute relative calculation error less than 0.08%. Artificial disturbances in droplet generation processes can be precisely determined using the CSA method. This highly effective CSA method could be a powerful tool for further promoting the research of droplet microfluidics.

A novel pyridinium modified tetraphenylethene: AIE-activity, mechanochromism, DNA detection and mitochondrial imaging.

We report the design and synthesis of a novel cationic AIE-gen, i.e., (E)-TPEDEPy-DBz, which can be derived from a facile synthetic route. (E)-TPEDEPy-DBz is a stereo-pure isomer and shows evident AIE properties with yellow-greenish emission in the solid state (ΦF = 43.7%). Distinct from most of the ionic AIE-gens reported in the literature, which are usually exemplified by their water solubility and the capacity for interaction with charged biological species, (E)-TPEDEPy-DBz demonstrated moderate solvatochromism and evident mechanoluminochromism behaviours. The emission of (E)-TPEDEPy-DBz can be switched between yellow-greenish in the crystalline state to red-orange in the amorphous state by grinding and fuming treatments. Due to the AIE-characteristics, cationic modification and the thus-acquired water solubility, (E)-TPEDEPy-DBz performed as a sensitive fluorescent probe to detect DNA in Tris-HCl buffer solution. More importantly, (E)-TPEDEPy-DBz showed good membrane permeability and cell viability, and the potentiality to be used as a mitochondria-specific probe working in a fluorescence turn-on mode.