Predictive Value of a New Muscle Parameter in Patients with Resectable Gastric Cancer: A Pooled Analysis of Three Prospective Trials.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia is closely associated with gastric cancer (GC) prognosis. However, its exact definition remains controversial. METHODS: This study included computed tomography images and clinical data of patients from three prospective studies. The skeletal muscle index (SMI) and skeletal muscle radiation attenuation (SMRA) were analyzed, and a new muscle parameter, skeletal muscle gauge (SMG), was obtained by multiplying the two parameters. The values of the three indices for predicting the prognosis of patients with GC were compared. RESULTS: The study included 717 patients. The findings showed median values of 42 cm2/m2 (range, 36.8-48.2 cm2/m2) for SMI, 45 HU (range, 41-49 HU) for SMRA, and 1842 (range, 1454-2260) for SMG. Postoperatively, 111 patients (15.5%) experienced complications. The 3-year overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were 74.3%, 68.2%, and 70%, respectively. Univariate logistic analysis showed that postoperative complications were associated with SMI (odds ratio [OR] 0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.92-0.96), SMRA (OR, 0.87; 95% CI 0.84-0.90), and SMG (OR 0.99; 95% CI 0.98-0.99). After a two-step multivariate analysis, only SMG (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.97-0.99) was an independent protective factor of postoperative complications. Multivariate analysis showed that SMG also was an independent protective factor of OS, DFS, and RFS. The patients were divided into low-SMG (L-SMG) group and high-SMG (H-SMG) groups. Chemotherapy benefit analysis of the patients with stage II low SMG showed that the OS, DFS, and RFS of the chemotherapy group were significantly better than those of the non-chemotherapy group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The prospective large sample data showed that the new muscle parameter, SMG, can effectively predict the short-term outcome and long-term prognosis of patients with resectable gastric cancer. As a new muscle parameter index, SMG is worthy of further study.

Burden of gastroesophageal reflux disease in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of disease study 2019.

INTRODUCTION: For effective preventive strategies against GORD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease), we assessed the GORD burden from 1990 to 2019. METHODS: The burden of GORD between 1990 and 2019 was evaluated globally, regionally, and nationally. Using ASIR (age-standardized incidence), ASYLDs (age-standardized years lived with disabilitys), we compared them to the GBD world population per 100,000. The estimates were based on 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). The AAPC (average annual percent change) in incidence, YLDs, along with prevalence rates with associated 95% CIs were estimated. RESULTS: Data to estimate the burden of GORD are scarce till now. The global ASIR of GORD in 2019 was 3792.79 per 100,000, an increase AAPC of 0.112% from 1990. The prevalence of GORD increased with a AAPC of 0.096% to 9574.45 per 100,000. Global ASYLDs in 2019 was 73.63, an increase AAPC of 0.105% from 1990. The GORD burden varies greatly depending on the development level and geographical location. USA demonstrated the most obvious decreasing trend in burden of GORD, while Sweden had an increasing trend. That the increase in GORD YLDs was mediated primarily by the growth and aging of population, was revealed by decomposition analyses. There was an inverse relationship between SDI (socio-demographic index) and GORD-burden. Frontier analyses revealed significant scope of improvement in the status of development at all levels. CONCLUSION: GORD is a public health challenge, especially in Latin America. Some SDI quintiles had declining rates, while some countries experienced increased rates. Thus, resources should be allocated for preventative measures based on country-specific estimates.

Report: Small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (SCNEC) of the tongue: A case report.

Small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (SCNEC) of the tongue is very rare. We here present a SCNEC impatient with distant metastasis. A 74-year-old Chinese male went to hospital to treat a tongue tumor, which was founded at a conventional physical examination in Weifang Stomatology Hospital. The check of positron emission tomography-computer tomography (PET-CT) by Weifang people's hospital revealed a tumor in the right root of tongue, and distant metastasis in the right submandibular area, neck, mediastinum, right hilar, abdominal, retroperitoneal multiple lymph nodes, left thyroid, right lower lung, right scapula and bilateral adrenal. The patient was diagnosed tongue SCNEC by the pathological analysis of the tissue section. Conforming to the diagnosis of tongue SCNEC, the patient received adjuvant chemotherapy for 6 cycles with etoposide and carboplatin, and is alive now 9 months after the diagnosis.

Mg-protoporphyrin, haem and sugar signals double cellular total RNA against herbicide and high-light-derived oxidative stress.

Cellular total RNA level is usually stable, although it may increase gradually during growth or seed germination, or decrease gradually under environmental stresses. However, we found that plant cell RNA could be doubled within 48 h in response to herbicide-induced Mg-protoporphyrin and heme accumulation or a high level of sugar treatment. This rapid RNA multiplication is important for effective cellular resistance to oxidative stress, such as high-light and herbicide co-stress conditions, where the plastid-signalling defective mutant gun1 shows an apparent phenotype (more severe photobleaching). Hexokinase is required for sugar-induced RNA multiplication. While both sugar and Mg-protoporphyrin IX require plastid protein GUN1 and a nuclear transcription factor ABI4, haem appears to function through an independent pathway to control RNA multiplication. The transcription co-factor CAAT binding protein mediates the rapid RNA multiplication in plant cells in all the cases.

[Effects of tumor necrosis factor-alpha on the growth of rat osteoblasts].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) on the growth of rat osteoblasts. To find out the mechanisms that TNF-alpha regulates the growth of osteoblasts. METHODS: To assay osteoblasts proliferation by MTT. To assay alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of osteoblasts by PP-nitrophenyl phosphate (PNPP). RESULTS: The osteblasts proliferation and the ALP activity decreased in treatment groups, and the significantly lower levels were observed in above 50 ng/mL groups (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: TNF-alpha restrained osteoblasts proliferation and differentiation, and the effects were more significant in above 50 ng/mL groups.

Brassinosteroids counteract abscisic acid in germination and growth of Arabidopsis.

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are involved in multiple plant growth and development processes, such as cell elongation, photomorphogenesis, flowering time control, and stress responses. The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) is crucial to plant development and adaptation to stressful environments. The receptors and pathways of BRs and ABA have been deeply studied. But the relationship between them remained largely unknown and there are only few reports about it. Our experiments showed that the BR-deficient and BR-insensitive Arabidopsis mutants det2, bri1-5 and bri1-9 were more sensitive to ABA than the wild type (Ws-2), especially the det2 and bri1-9 mutants. Germination, hypocotyl and root elongation, and stomatal apertures of the mutants were more severely inhibited by ABA. All the results suggest that BRs counteract ABA in regulating plant growth, and the interaction may be complicated. The possible mechanisms are discussed.

Lack of salicylic acid in Arabidopsis protects plants against moderate salt stress.

Previous studies showed that salicylic acid (SA)-deficient transgenic Arabidopsis expressing the salicylate hydroxylase gene NahG had a higher tolerance to moderate salt stress. SA may potentiate the stress response of germination and growth of Arabidopsis seedlings by inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, the detailed mechanism for a better adaption of NahG plants to moderate salt stress is largely unknown. In the present study we found that a higher GSH/GSSG (glutathione/oxidized glutathione) ratio and ASA/DHA (ascorbic acid/dehydroascorbate) ratio in NahG plants during the stress may be the key reason for their stress-tolerance advantage. NahG plants actually could not produce more active antioxidant enzymes than the wild-type ones under natural conditions, but maintain higher activities of glutathione reductase (GR) and dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) during the stress. Hereby, the reduced glutathione and reduced ascorbic acid contents are higher in NahG plants under salt stress. However, NahG plants do not adapt better under severe salt stress. All antioxidant enzyme activities, GSH/GSSG ratio and ASA/DHA ratio declined substantively at 400 mM NaCl stress in both NahG and wild-type seedlings.

Structure and activity of oxidized Pt(110) and alpha-PtO2.

We present a density functional theory study of the structure and reactivity of Pt(110) under high loads of atomic oxygen. Surface structures in which the oxygen adsorbs on PtO2-like stripes along the Pt ridges of the Pt(110) are found to be highly stable. The structures become further stabilized when Pt atoms are ejected from the Pt ridges since this allows for stress relief along the PtO2 stripes. Our results thus corroborate the Pt(110)-(12x2)-22O surface oxide structure proposed by Li et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett., 2004, 93, 146104]. We further considered the structure and stability of bulk alpha-PtO2 oxide surfaces. The (0001) and (1010) facets are found to be the lowest energy facets. Finally, the reactivity of the surface oxide and the oxide surfaces in terms of CO oxidation was investigated. We find small energy barriers for the reaction at the Pt(110)-(12x2)-22O surface oxide and at the (1010) facet of alpha-PtO2, but only large barriers over the alpha-PtO2(0001) surface.

Changes in T-cell receptor repertoire in aplastic anemia and effects of Shengxue Mixture / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the immune pathogenesis of aplastic anemia (AA) and the therapeutic effects of Shengxue Mixture (SM) through the gene expressions of subfamilies of T-cell receptor variable region beta (TCR Vbeta) using immunologic and molecular biologic technology.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Gene expressions of TCR Vbeta sub-families in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 20 AA patients were detected before and after treatment with SM using RT-PCR and gene scanning method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>TCR Vbeta gene repertoire of the 24 subfamily genes deviated in AA patients, and the oligoclonal gene expressions increased obviously compared with those in healthy people (P < 0.01), including Vbeta2, 5, 6, 15, 16, 22, and 23 were found in 30%-50% AA patients, and Vbeta8, 21 were in more than 50% patients. These oligoclonal genes reduced significantly after treatment with SM compared with those before treatment (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Multiple TCR Vbeta subfamilies of clonal proliferation participate in the pathogenesis of AA. SM can rectify the deviation of TCR Vbeta gene repertoire, reduce the abnormal clonal proliferation of T cells, thus to alleviate the immune injury to hematopoietic tissue, and thus to benefit the recovery of hematopoiesis of bone marrow.</p>