Prediction of severe radiation-induced oral mucositis in locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma using the combined systemic immune-inflammatory index and prognostic nutritional index.

OBJECTIVE: Severe radiation-induced oral mucositis (sRIOM) can seriously affect patients' quality of life and treatment compliance. This study was to investigate the utility of the systemic immune-inflammatory index (SII) and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) in predicting sRIOM in patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LANPC). METHODS: 295 patients with LANPC were retrospectively screened. The pre-radiotherapy SII and PNI were calculated based on peripheral blood samples. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the cut-off value. Logistic regression was used for univariate and multivariate analyses. Patients were classified into three groups based on the SII-PNI score: score of 2, high SII (> cut-off value) and low PNI (≤ cut-off value); score of 1, either high SII or low PNI; score of 0, neither high SII nor low PNI. RESULTS: The SII-PNI demonstrated significant predictive ability for sRIOM occurrence, as evidenced by an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.738. The incidence rates of sRIOM with SII-PNI score of 2, 1, and 0 were 73.86%, 44.35%, and 18.07%, respectively. Multivariate analysis confirmed that the SII-PNI score was an independent risk factor for sRIOM. CONCLUSION: The SII-PNI score is a reliable and convenient indicator for predicting sRIOM in patients with LANPC.

Balanced Thermal Insulation, Flame-Retardant and Mechanical Properties of PU Foam Constructed via Cost-Effective EG/APP/SA Ternary Synergistic Modification.

To address the challenge of balancing the mechanical, thermal insulation, and flame-retardant properties of building insulation materials, this study presented a facile approach to modify the rigid polyurethane foam composites (RPUFs) via commercial expandable graphite (EG), ammonium polyphosphate (APP), and silica aerogel (SA). The resulting EG/APP/SA/RPUFs exhibited low thermal conductivity close to neat RPUF. However, the compressive strength of the 6EG/2APP/SA/RPUF increased by 49% along with achieving a V-0 flame retardant rating. The residual weight at 700 °C increased from 19.2 wt.% to 30.9 wt.%. Results from cone calorimetry test (CCT) revealed a 9.2% reduction in total heat release (THR) and a 17.5% decrease in total smoke production (TSP). The synergistic flame-retardant mechanism of APP/EG made significant contribution to the excellent flame retardant properties of EG/APP/SA/RPUFs. The addition of SA played a vital role in reducing thermal conductivity and enhancing mechanical performance, effectively compensating for the shortcomings of APP/EG. The cost-effective EG/APP/SA system demonstrates a positive ternary synergistic effect in achieving a balance in RPUFs properties. This study provides a novel strategy aimed at developing affordable building wall insulation material with enhanced safety features.

Transcriptome sequencing and metabolome analysis reveal the metabolic reprogramming of partial hepatectomy and extended hepatectomy.

Surgical resection remains a critical treatment option for many patients with primary and secondary hepatic neoplasms. Extended hepatectomy (eHx) may be required for some patients with large tumors, which may cause liver failure and death. Partial hepatectomy (pHx) and eHx mouse models were constructed, liver tissues were sampled at 18, 36, and 72 h posthepatectomy. Transcriptome and metabolome analyses were employed to explore the different potential mechanisms in regeneration and injury between pHx and eHx. The results showed that eHx was associated with more severe liver injury and lower survival rates than pHx. Transcriptomics data showed there were 1842, 2129, and 1277 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in eHx and 962, 1305, and 732 DEGs in pHx at 18, 36, and 72 h posthepatectomy, respectively, compared with the those in the sham groups. Compared with pHx, the number of DEGs in the eHx group reached a maximum of 230 at 18 h after surgery and decreased sequentially to 87 and 43 at 36 and 72 h. Metabolomics analysis identified a total of 1399 metabolites, and 48 significant differentially produced metabolites (DPMs) were screened between eHx and pHx. Combined analysis of DEGs and DPMs indicated that cholesterol metabolism and insulin resistance may be two important pathways for liver regeneration and mouse survival postextended hepatectomy. Our results showed the global influence of pHx and eHx on the transcriptome and metabolome in mouse liver, and revealed cholesterol metabolism and insulin resistance pathways might be involved in regeneration post-pHx and -eHx.

Radioprotective efficacy of Astilbin in mitigating radiation-induced lung injury through inhibition of p53 acetylation.

Radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) is a common side effect in thoracic tumor patients undergoing radiotherapy. At present, there is no ideal radio-protective agent which is widely used in RILI treatment. Astilbin (AST), a bioactive flavonoid, exhibits various biological effects, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-fibrotic activities, which partly result from reducing oxidative stress and inflammation in various pathogenic conditions. However, the protective efficacy of AST to ameliorate RILI has not been reported. In this study, we employed network pharmacology, RNA sequencing, and experimental evaluation to reveal the effects and pharmacological mechanism of AST to treat RILI in vivo and in vitro. We observed that AST reduced radiation-induced apoptosis, DNA damage, inflammatory reactions, and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in human normal lung epithelial cells BEAS-2B. Further study showed that AST treatment significantly ameliorated RILI by reducing the radiation-induced pathology changes and inflammatory reaction of lung tissue in C57BL/6J mice. Mechanistically, the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers and radiation-triggered acetylation of the p53 protein were alleviated by AST treatment. Furthermore, AST alleviated the acetylation of p53 after intervention of Trichostatin A (TSA). Our data indicate that AST can alleviate RILI by inhibiting inflammatory reactions and the EMT process through decreasing the expression of p53 acetylation. In conclusion, our study suggests that AST has great potential to be a new protective and therapeutic compound for RILI.

Highly Active Ni-Ru Bimetallic Catalyst Integrated with MFI Zeolite-Loaded Cerium Zirconium Oxide for Dry Reforming of Methane.

The dry reforming of methane (DRM) is a new potential technology that converts two major greenhouse gases into useful chemical feedstocks. The main challenge faced by this process is maintaining the catalyst with high catalytic activity and long-term stability. Here, a simple and effective preparation route for the synthesis of functional nanomolecular sieve catalysts (NiRuxCZZ5) from kaolinite tailings was developed for dry reforming of methane with CO2. The silica monoliths with flower-like spherical and micropore structures (ZSM-5) were prepared by crystal growth method, and the metal components were loaded by ultrasonic-assisted impregnation method. The NiRu0.5CZZ5 catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic performance (maxmium CO2 and CH4 conversions up to 100 and 95.6%, respectively) and very good stability (up to 100h). The interfacial confinement and the strong support interaction are principally responsible for the excellent catalytic activity of the catalyst. The in situ DRIFTS was used to elucidate the possible carbon conversion steps, and stable surface intermediates were also identified.

Predicting Nomogram for Severe Oral Mucositis in Patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma during Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Oral mucositis is an acute adverse reaction with high incidence during radiotherapy. Severe oral mucositis can seriously affect patients' quality of life and compliance with radiotherapy. The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors for severe oral mucositis and to develop a nomogram for predicting severe oral mucositis in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. METHODS: One hundred and ninety patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma were retrospectively screened in this study. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the best predictors of severe oral mucositis. A nomogram was constructed based on the factors. Finally, the discriminative ability of the nomogram was evaluated. RESULTS: Four independent factors predicting severe oral mucositis were identified: age, N stage, the cycle of induction chemotherapy, and dose-volumetric parameter V40 (%) of oral cavity. The area under the receiver of operating characteristic curve of the nomogram was 0.759 (95% confidence interval: 0.691-0.827). CONCLUSIONS: A predictive nomogram for severe oral mucositis was established and validated in this study. The nomogram provides a reliable and practical model for clinically predicting the probability of severe oral mucositis in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma before intensity-modulated radiation therapy.

Potential allergenicity research of Cry1C protein from genetically modified rice.

With the development of genetically modified crops, there has been a growing interest in available approaches to assess the potential allergenicity of novel gene products. We were not sure whether Cry1C could induce allergy. We examined the protein with three other proteins to determine the potential allergenicity of Cry1C protein from genetically modified rice. Female Brown Norway (BN) rats received 0.1 mg peanut agglutinin (PNA), 1mg potato acid phosphatase (PAP), 1mg ovalbumin (OVA) or 5 mg purified Cry1C protein dissolved in 1 mL water by daily gavage for 42 days to test potential allergenicity. Ten days after the last gavage, rats were orally challenged with antigens, and physiologic and immunologic responses were studied. In contrast to sensitization with PNA, PAP and OVA Cry1C protein did not induce antigen-specific IgG2a in BN rats. Cytokine expression, serum IgE and histamine levels and the number of eosinophils and mast cells in the blood of Cry1C group rats were comparable to the control group rats, which were treated with water alone. As Cry1C did not show any allergenicity, we make the following conclusion that the protein could be safety used in rice or other plants.

Metabonomics study of transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis rice (T2A-1) meal in a 90-day dietary toxicity study in rats.

Rice is one of the most important staple foods in the world. The Cry2A gene was inserted into the rice genome to help the plant combat insects. As the unintended effects of the genetically modified (GM) organisms are the most important barriers to the promotion of GM organisms, we have carried out a useful exploration to establish a new in vivo evaluation model for genetically modified foods by metabonomics methods. In this study, the rats were fed for 90 days with the GM and NON-GM rice diets. The changes in metabolites of the urine were detected using (1)H-NMR. The metabonomics were analyzed to see whether the GM rice can induce the metabolite changes in the rats' urine when compared with the NON-GM rice group. The multivariate analysis and ANOVA were used to determine the differences and the significance of differences respectively, and eventually we concluded that these differences did not have a biological significance. The conclusion of the metabonomics was comparable with that from the traditional method. As a non-invasive and dynamic monitoring method, metabonomics will be a new way of assessing the food safety of GM foods.

Safety assessment of Cry1C protein from genetically modified rice according to the national standards of PR China for a new food resource.

The Cry1C protein produced in Escherichia coli was used for in vitro evaluation and animal studies to support the safety assessment of GM food or feed products containing the Cry1C protein. The Cry1C protein does not have any sequence homology with known allergens or toxins. Although the Cry1C protein was heat stable it was rapidly degraded in vitro with simulated gastric or intestinal fluids. It did not cause adverse effects in mice as administered by gavage at a high level dosage of 5 g (Cry1C protein)/kg body weight. The mutagenicity of this protein was evaluated according to the national standards of People's Republic of China (PR China) for a new food resource. In mutagenic tests, the Cry1C protein caused<4 micronucleated cells per 1000 cells, <16 sperm abnormalities per 1000 cells and was not associated with any increased mutations in the Ames test. Taken together, these data indicate that the Cry1C protein is not a potential allergen or toxin.