Non-nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates and nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates for the treatment of atherosclerosis and vascular calcification: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The role of non-nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (non-N-BPs) and nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (N-BPs) in the treatment of atherosclerosis (AS) and vascular calcification (VC) is uncertain. This meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of non-N-BPs and N-BPs in the treatment of AS and VC. METHODS: The PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang databases were searched from their inception to July 5th, 2023. Eligible studies comparing bisphosphonates (BPs) versus no BPs in the treatment of AS and VC were included. The data were analyzed using Review Manager Version 5.3. RESULTS: Seventeen studies were included in this meta-analysis. Twelve were randomized control trials (RCTs), and 5 were nonrandomized studies. Overall, 813 patients were included in the BPs group, and 821 patients were included in the no BPs group. Compared with no BP treatment, non-N-BP or N-BP treatment did not affect serum calcium (P > .05), phosphorus (P > .05) or parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels (P > .05). Regarding the effect on serum lipids, non-N-BPs decreased the serum total cholesterol (TC) level (P < .05) and increased the serum triglyceride (TG) level (P < .01) but did not affect the serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level (P > .05). N-BPs did not affect serum TC (P > .05), TG (P > .05) or LDL-C levels (P > .05). Regarding the effect on AS, non-N-BPs did not have a beneficial effect (P > .05). N-BPs had a beneficial effect on AS, including reducing the intima-media thickness (IMT) (P < .05) and plaque area (P < .01). For the effect on VC, non-N-BPs had a beneficial effect (P < .01), but N-BPs did not have a beneficial effect (P > .05). CONCLUSION: Non-N-BPs and N-BPs did not affect serum calcium, phosphorus or PTH levels. Non-N-BPs decreased serum TC levels and increased serum TG levels. N-BPs did not affect serum lipid levels. Non-N-BPs had a beneficial effect on VC, and N-BPs had a beneficial effect on AS.

Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitors in Refractory or Relapsing Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma: A meta-analysis and systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is an aggressive lymphoma that primarily affects the central nervous system. Current treatments, such as surgery, chemotherapy, and whole-brain radiotherapy, often fail to achieve satisfactory results. The prognosis for patients with refractory or relapsed (R/R) PCNSL is bleak. The optimal treatment for refractory or relapsed PCNSL is poorly defined due to a limited number of studies in this setting. Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors, as part of targeted therapy regimens, have undergone testing in several clinical trials against PCNSL and have shown promising results in the treatment of R/R PCNSL. In this meta-analysis, we aim to explore and critically appraise the evidence regarding the efficacy of BTK inhibitors in the treatment of refractory or relapsed PCNSL. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted on multiple databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane library, Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, and CNKI, covering the period up to November 2023. The inclusion criteria for studies were patients with refractory or relapsed (R/R) primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) who received Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors, and reported data on overall response (OR) and complete remission (CR). The pooled rates were calculated using a random-effects or fixed-effects model with a double arcsine transformation, and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were determined for all outcomes. RESULTS: In total, eleven studies involving 185 patients were identified and included in the meta-analysis. The pooled complete remission (CR) rate of BTK inhibitors-based treatment for refractory or relapsed (R/R) primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) was found to be 50%. Subgroup analysis revealed that the CR rates for BTK inhibitor monotherapy, BTK inhibitor combined with chemotherapy, and BTK inhibitor combined with radiotherapy for R/R PCNSL were 7%, 68%, and 80%, respectively. The overall response rate (ORR) for BTK inhibitors-based treatment for R/R PCNSL was 70%. Subgroup analysis showed that the ORR rates for BTK inhibitor monotherapy and BTK inhibitor combined with chemotherapy for R/R PCNSL were 55% and 83%, respectively. The most common adverse events reported were hematological AEs, including neutropenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia. Severe nonhematological AEs included rash, febrile neutropenia, increased levels of aspartate aminotransferase, and increased blood bilirubin. CONCLUSIONS: BTK inhibitors can be regarded as a safe and effective treatment option for refractory or relapsed (R/R) primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL), thereby providing a potential new avenue for R/R PCNSL treatment. However, it is important to note that further large-sample prospective randomized controlled trials are needed to validate these findings and establish their wider applicability.

Highly efficient Fe-Cu dual-site nanoparticles supported on black pearls 2000 (carbon black) as oxygen reduction reaction catalysts for Al-air batteries.

Acquiring cost-effective, high-performance, non-precious metal catalysts is crucial for substituting precious metal catalysts in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) to ensure sustainable energy conversion. Herein, we present a preparation strategy for a high-performance Cu-Fe-CN-3 electrocatalyst characterized via X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses. The results demonstrated that the incorporation of Cu and Fe into Black Pearls' carbon black (BP2000) and the strong synergistic effect between Fe and Cu contributed to the enhancement of active sites for the ORR. Electrochemical characterization revealed that the Cu-Fe-CN-3 catalyst synthesized by mixing Cu and Fe in a molar ratio of 3 : 1 exhibits superior catalytic activity for the ORR. The ORR performance of the Cu-Fe-CN-3 catalyst in an alkaline electrolyte (E1/2 0.867 V vs. RHE) surpassed that of Pt/C (E1/2 0.841 V vs. RHE), and the assembled aluminum-air battery demonstrated superior voltage stability compared to Pt/C under the same current density. After 2000 cycles, the E1/2 of the Cu-Fe-CN-3 catalyst exhibited a slight negative shift by 5 mV, which was better than the activity loss of the Pt/C catalyst (12 mV). At the same current density, the average discharge platform of Al-air batteries with the Cu-Fe-CN-3 catalyst was better than that of the commercial Pt/C catalyst. Therefore, the prepared Cu-Fe-CN-3 electrocatalyst exhibits great potential as an efficient ORR catalyst in fuel cells.

Association between a body shape index and prostate cancer: a cross-sectional study of NHANES 2001-2018.

OBJECTIVE: Abdominal obesity, especially visceral fat, may have negative effects on the development and progression of prostate cancer (PCa). A body shape index (ABSI) can more accurately measure visceral fat accumulation. This study aimed to investigate the association between ABSI and PCa in US adults. METHODS: 11,013 participants were enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2001 to 2018. Weighted multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to explore the independent relationship between ABSI and PCa. Moreover, restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis, subgroup analysis, and interaction tests were performed. RESULTS: ABSI was positively associated with the presence of PCa. When comparing the second, third, and fourth ABSI quartile to the lowest quartile, the adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for PCa risk were 1.34 (0.77, 2.31), 1.75 (1.03, 3.00), and 1.91 (1.12, 3.27), respectively (p for trend = 0.011). The restricted cubic spline regression analysis did not reveal a non-linear correlation between ABSI and PCa (p for non-linearity = 0.076). Subgroup analysis showed a significant interaction effect in subgroups of different BMI (p for interaction = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated ABSI is significantly associated with an increased risk of PCa, particularly among individuals who are under/normal weighted or obese.

Novel Circular RNA CircUBAP2 Drives Tumor Progression by Regulating the miR-143/TFAP2B Axis in Prostate Cancer.

BACKGROUND: More and more investigations reveal that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are involved in cancer progression. CircRNA UBAP2 was closely related to prostate cancer. However, the biological function and specifical mechanism of circUBAP2 are still poorly discovered in prostate cancer (PCa). OBJECTIVES: This study aims to explore the biological function and mechanism of circUBAP2 in PCa. METHODS: The levels of mRNA and proteins were assessed by qRT-PCR assay and Western blot, respectively. Cell growth, migration, and invasion ability were measured using CCK-8 assay and Transwell assay. Apoptosis was assessed using flow cytometry. The interactions between circUBAP2, miR-143, and TFAP2B were determined by luciferase report assay. The tumor growth was determined by in vivo tumor formation assay. The tumor morphology was assessed using H&E staining assay, and immunohistochemistry assay was conducted to assess the level of KI67. RESULTS: We found circUBAP2 and TFAP2B were notably elevated, while miR-143 was largely attenuated in prostate cancer cells and tissues. CircUBAP2 was found to affect cell viability, metastasis and EMT, while attenuating the apoptosis rate of prostate cancer cells. CircUBAP2 directly targeted miR-143, and miR-143 inhibitor could reverse the effects that circUBAP2 interference-induced in prostate cancer cells. TFAP2B is directly bound to miR-143, and overexpression of TFAP2B could attenuate the influences that miR-143-induced in prostate cancer cells. CONCLUSION: CircUBAP2 promoted prostate cancer progression via miR-143/TFAP2B axis.

Full thermal ablation versus partial thermal ablation for secondary hyperparathyroidism: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Regarding the thermal ablation treatment of refractory secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT), there is no consensus on the ablation range of the hyperplastic parathyroid gland. Therefore, this meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and complications between full and partial thermal ablation in patients with refractory SHPT. METHODS: Databases including PubMed, EMbase, the Cochrane Library, CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), and Wanfang databases were searched from inception to July 1, 2023. Eligible studies comparing full thermal ablation and partial thermal ablation for SHPT were included. Data were analyzed using Review Manager Version 5.3. RESULTS: Four studies were included in the meta-analysis. Three cohort studies and one randomized controlled trial involving 62 patients in the full thermal ablation group and 63 patients in the partial thermal ablation group were included. The serum parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcium, and phosphorus levels after full ablation were all lower than those after partial ablation (P < .05). There was no significant difference between the partial and full ablation groups concerning the incidence rate of severe hypocalcemia (P = .09). There was no significant difference between the partial and full ablation groups concerning symptom improvement, including bone joint pain, itching, and myasthenia (P < .05). CONCLUSION: Full ablation was superior to partial ablation in terms of reducing PTH, calcium and phosphorus levels. Full ablation might not significantly increase the incidence of severe hypocalcemia. Larger multicentre randomized controlled trials are necessary to confirm the conclusion.

Novel technique for amniotic membrane transplantation for acute Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis patients.

Purpose: To report a novel technique to facilitate amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) for acute stage Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). Design: Laboratory investigation and retrospective, single-center case series. Methods: The polylactic acid (PLA) amniotic fornical ring (AFR) have been successfully manufactured by three-dimensional (3D) printing technology for AMT. This study retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 5 SJS/TEN patients at the acute stage between 2019 and 2023. Patients were surgically treated with AFR or sutured amniotic membrane transplant (SAMT). Epidemiology, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), acute ocular severity score, operative duration, epithelial healing time, amniotic dissolution and follow-up time were evaluated. Results: Of all five patients, three patients (6 eyes) received AFR/AMT (Group A), and 2 patients (4 eyes) received SAMT (Group B). There were no significant differences between two groups in the mean preoperative days and vision changes. The mean operation duration was 11.7 ± 3.8 mins in group A. Compared with the SAMT (48.8 ± 5.3 mins), the operation duration was reduced by 76.02%. The mean times for epithelial healing were 32.5 ± 29.2 days in group A and 12.0 ± 0.0 days in group B. In addition, there were no significant side effects of 3D-printed sterile AFR on the eyes. Conclusions: 3D-printed PLA scaffolds could be used as an AFR device for acute SJS/TEN. In addition, personalized 3D-printed AFR is superior to conventional SAMT in operation duration.

Personalized 3D-printed amniotic fornical ring for ocular surface reconstruction.

In the present work, we used three-dimensional (3D) printing technology to make a polylactic acid (PLA) amniotic fornical ring (AFR) for ocular surface reconstruction. This work is a retrospective and interventional case series of patients with ocular surface diseases who underwent either personalized 3D-printed AFR-assisted amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) or sutured AMT (SAMT). Patient epidemiology, treatment, operative duration, epithelial healing time, retention time, vision changes, morbidity, and costs were analyzed. Thirty-one patients (40 eyes) and 19 patients (22 eyes) were enrolled in the 3D-printed AFR group and the SAMT group, respectively. The clinical indications of AFR and SAMT were similar, such as corneal and/or conjunctival epithelial defects due to chemical burns, thermal burns, Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), or toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). The mean dissolution time was 15 ± 11 days in the AFR group, compared with 14 ± 7 days in the SAMT group. The percentage of healed corneal area was 90.91% (66.10%-100.00%) for AFR and 93.67% (60.23%-100.00%) for SAMT. The median time for corneal epithelial healing was 14 (7-75) days in the AFR group and 30 (14-55) days in the suture AMT group. There were no significant differences in the initial visual acuity, final visual acuity, or improvement in visual acuity between the two groups. The operation duration in the AFR group was significantly shorter than that in the SAMT group. Regarding the cost analysis, the average cost per eye in the AFR group was significantly lower than that in the SAMT group. Furthermore, 3D-printed and sterile AFR showed no obvious side effects on the eyes. Our results suggested that 3D-printed PLA scaffolds could be used as an AFR device for ocular surface disease. In addition, personalized 3D-printed AFR is superior to conventional AMT in operation duration and cost effectiveness, thereby reducing the financial burden on our health care system.

Comprehensive Review on Fabricating Bioactive Ceramic Bone Scaffold Using Vat Photopolymerization.

In recent years, bioactive ceramic bone scaffolds have drawn remarkable attention as an alternative method for treating and repairing bone defects. Vat photopolymerization (VP) is a promising additive manufacturing (AM) technique that enables the efficient and accurate fabrication of bioactive ceramic bone scaffolds. This review systematically reviews the research progress of VP-printed bioactive ceramic bone scaffolds. First, a summary and comparison of commonly used bioactive ceramics and different VP techniques are provided. This is followed by a detailed introduction to the preparation of ceramic suspensions and optimization of printing and heat treatment processes. The mechanical strength and biological performance of the VP-printed bioactive ceramic scaffolds are then discussed. Finally, current challenges and future research directions in this field are highlighted.

Post-anthesis supplementary irrigation improves grain yield and nutritional quality of drip-irrigated rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Introduction: Approximately 50% of irrigation water is saved during drip-irrigation of rice, which has tremendous potential for water-saving agriculture, particularly in areas where water resources are scarce. However, the grain yield and quality of drip-irrigated rice are adversely affected. Methods: In this study, we investigated the effects of different irrigation strategies on the grain yield and quality of drip-irrigated rice using field experiments. Four irrigation treatments were studied: whole growing season flooding (FI), whole growing season normal drip irrigation (DI, soil relative moisture (RSM) was maintained in the range of 90-100%), pre-anthesis drip irrigation and post-anthesis water stress (SAF, the RSM was maintained in the range of 80-90% after anthesis), pre-anthesis drip irrigation, and post-anthesis flooding (FAF). Results: The results showed that grain yield, harvest index, seed setting rate and 1000 grain weight in DI and SAF were significantly lower than in FI and FAF. These parameters were not significantly different between FI and FAF but were significantly greater in DI than in SAF. Compared with FI and FAF, the source capacity, source activity time, and sink activity of DI and SAF decreased, and the sink-source difference increased. The sink-source difference had a significant negative correlation with rice yield and 1000 grain weight. The activities of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase, starch branching enzyme, and amylopectin content in grains in the middle panicles of FAF were significantly higher than those of DI and SAF. SAF resulted in increased amylose/amylopectin ratio and total protein content in grains but decreased proportion of glutenin in total protein. Irrigation after anthesis of drip-irrigated rice narrowed the difference between sink sources in rice plants, increased the grain yield and harvest index by 29.2% and 11%, respectively, compared to DI, increased water productivity by 19% compared to FI, and improved the grain quality of drip-irrigated rice. Discussion: This study highlights that post-anthesis sufficient irrigation of drip-irrigated rice plays a positive role in maintaining the source-sink balance. This study serves as a foundation for the development of more effective rice farming methods that conserve water, while increasing the grain yield and quality of drip-irrigated rice.

Unsupervised Cross-Modality Adaptation via Dual Structural-Oriented Guidance for 3D Medical Image Segmentation.

Deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have achieved impressive performance in medical image segmentation; however, their performance could degrade significantly when being deployed to unseen data with heterogeneous characteristics. Unsupervised domain adaptation (UDA) is a promising solution to tackle this problem. In this work, we present a novel UDA method, named dual adaptation-guiding network (DAG-Net), which incorporates two highly effective and complementary structural-oriented guidance in training to collaboratively adapt a segmentation model from a labelled source domain to an unlabeled target domain. Specifically, our DAG-Net consists of two core modules: 1) Fourier-based contrastive style augmentation (FCSA) which implicitly guides the segmentation network to focus on learning modality-insensitive and structural-relevant features, and 2) residual space alignment (RSA) which provides explicit guidance to enhance the geometric continuity of the prediction in the target modality based on a 3D prior of inter-slice correlation. We have extensively evaluated our method with cardiac substructure and abdominal multi-organ segmentation for bidirectional cross-modality adaptation between MRI and CT images. Experimental results on two different tasks demonstrate that our DAG-Net greatly outperforms the state-of-the-art UDA approaches for 3D medical image segmentation on unlabeled target images.

[Clinical observation of transurethral holmium laser enucleation of prostate by two-way rendezvous and trenching].

OBJECTIVE: Exploring the clinical efficacy, safety, and surgical techniques of two-way rendezvous and trenching method for transurethral holmium laser prostatectomy in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of clinical data on preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative follow-up of 326 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia who underwent two-way rendezvous and trenching method of transurethral holmium laser prostatectomy at the Urology Department of Wujin People's Hospital in Changzhou City from January 2020 to January 2023. RESULTS: Compared with preoperative measures, IPSS symptom score, quality of life (QoL) score, maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), and residual urine volume (PVR) were significantly improved at 1, 6, and 12 months postoperatively (P<0.05). Thirty two patients with normal and regular sexual life pre-operation were observed. There were no significant changes in their IIEF-5 score and Erectile Hardness Scale (EHGS) score after surgery compared with pre-operation (P<0.05). There were 9 patients (28.12%) with retrograde ejaculation after surgery. CONCLUSION: The two-way rendezvous and trenching method of transurethral holmium laser prostatectomy is a safe and effective method for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia, with precise results, high safety, minimal trauma, and fast postoperative recovery.

[Comparison of therapeutic effects between holmium laser and plasma transurethral enucleation in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia].

OBJECTIVE: Comparison of clinical efficacy between transurethral holmium laser prostate enucleation (two-way rendezvous and trenching method) and transurethral plasma enucleation. METHODS: A total of 483 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia who were admitted to our hospital from December 2019 to December 2022 were randomly divided into an observation group (245 cases) and a control group (238 cases) using a random number table method. The observation group underwent transurethral holmium laser prostatectomy, while the control group underwent transurethral plasma prostatectomy,evaluate the efficacy of two surgical methods. RESULT: The IPSS symptom score, quality of life (QOL) score, maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), residual urine volume (PVR) and other indicators were significantly improved in both groups after 6 months of surgery compared to before (P<0.05), and there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). The incidence of postoperative complications in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in sexual function and retrograde ejaculation between the two groups of patients(P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Both surgical methods have good surgical efficacy, but compared with prostate plasma resection, holmium laser prostatectomy can reduce intraoperative bleeding in patients with BPH, effectively shorten catheter retention time, patient hospitalization time, and postoperative bladder flushing time, resulting in higher quality of life and safety.

A lignin-derived flexible porous carbon material for highly efficient polyselenide and sodium regulation.

Low-cost and sustainable sodium-selenium (Na-Se) batteries are promising energy storage media for the advancement of electromobility and large-scale energy storage. However, the sluggish kinetics of Se cathodes and the unpredictable metal electrodeposition of Na at the anode remain critical challenges. In this work, we reveal the catalytic effect of atomic Fe on the conversion of polyselenides (SPSs) to Na2Se by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Then, we prepare a lignin-derived flexible porous carbon matrix loaded with atomic Fe (Fe-BC/rGO, BC: lignin-derived porous carbon material; rGO: reduced graphene oxide) as a Se host to further verify the DFT calculation results. Due to the encapsulation of Se into the porous carbon matrix, the catalytic effect of atomic Fe on the conversion of SPSs to Na2Se and the continuous electron/ion transportation path, the prepared Se@Fe-BC/rGO cathode can deliver a high reversible capacity of 213 mA h g-1 at 2 A g-1, which is much better than the electrochemical performance of a Se cathode without atomic Fe loading (Se@BC/rGO). In addition, we further reveal the advantageous effect of the presence of the Fe-BC/rGO film in regulating the interfacial Na electrodeposition at the anode. Due to the porous structure and the catalytic effect of atomic Fe, a very low nucleation overpotential of 15.3 mV is achieved at a current density of 1 mA cm-2, which is much lower than that of the BC/rGO film. Therefore, this work provides a low-cost and sustainable strategy for simultaneously solving the challenges of the Se cathode and the Na metal anode for future Na-Se batteries.

Effects of Stone Removal via Different Approaches in the Treatment of Incarcerated Upper Ureteral Calculi: A Comparative Study.

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical effects of percutaneous nephrolithotomy and transurethral ureteroscopic lithotripsy in the treatment of incarcerated upper ureteral calculi. Methods: This study retrospectively reviewed 400 patients with incarcerated upper ureteral calculi admitted to the hospital from January 2016 to December 2021. Among them, 200 patients treated with percutaneous nephrolithotomy were included in the percutaneous group and 200 patients treated with transurethral ureteroscopic lithotripsy were included in the transurethral group. Perioperative indicators and stone clearance rates on day 7 and 1 month after operation and the reoperation rate were compared between the two groups. The incidence of postoperative complications was recorded. Results: The operation time and postoperative hospital stay of the percutaneous group were longer than those of the transurethral group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in intraoperative blood loss, 24 h postoperative pain score, stone clearance rates on day 3 and day 14 after operation, or the reoperation rate between the two groups (P > 0.05). Postoperative complications in the two groups were mainly grade I and II. The total incidence of complications in the percutaneous group was significantly lower than that in the transurethral group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Both percutaneous nephrolithotomy and transurethral ureteroscopic lithotripsy are effective in the treatment of incarcerated upper ureteral calculi. The former can reduce the incidence of postoperative complications, but the operation time and postoperative hospital stay are longer.

Vitamin D analogs combined with different types of phototherapy in the treatment of vitiligo: A systematic review of randomized trials and within-patient studies.

OBJECTIVES: This systematic review was to assess the effects of phototherapies (psoralen plus ultraviolet A [PUVA], narrowband ultraviolet B [NBUVB], or 308 nm excimer laser [EL]) in combination with vitamin D analogs compared with phototherapy alone on vitiligo. METHODS: Four databases were searched up to 18 October 2021 for relevant studies. The primary outcome was the proportion of response to treatment (≥50% repigmentation) after treatment. Secondary outcomes included excellent response, treatment failure, and safety. The risk ratio (RR) was used as the estimate measure in meta-analyses. RESULTS: Fourteen studies (n = 642) were included. The meta-analyses showed that the combination of either calcipotriol or tacalcitol and NBUVB was superior to NBUVB monotherapy for vitiligo in the proportion of response to treatment (RR 1.67, 95% CI 1.21-2.31), treatment failure (RR 0.43, 95% CI 0.22-0.85), and excellent response (RR 7.48, 95% CI 1.09-51.13). The tacalcitol was more effective than calcipotriol in increasing the rate of response to treatment when combined with NBUVB (RR 2.25 versus 1.24, interaction p = 0.002). The results did not support better efficacy with the combination of PUVA or EL with vitamin D analogs over phototherapy alone in all outcomes. Adverse events were minor and transient. CONCLUSIONS: The current evidence suggests that the additional use of topical calcipotriol or tacalcitol to NB-UVB may increase the treatment effect of vitiligo, and the effect of tacalcitol is greater than that of calcipotriol. None of the vitamin D analogs were found to enhance the efficacy of PUVA or EL for vitiligo.

circ3323 Motivates Host Gene to Promote the Aggressiveness of Bladder Cancer.

Bladder cancer (BCa) is the most common cancer in the urinary system with high recurrence rate and poor prognosis. Circular RNA (circRNA) is a novel subclass of noncoding-RNA which participate in progression of BCa. Here, we identified a novel circRNA-circ3323 and aimed to investigate the role of circ3323 in progression of BCa. Public data of RNA sequencing was used to identify significant circRNA related to BCa. The role of circRNAs in progression of BCa was assessed in cytotoxicity assay, transwell assay and flow cytometry. Biotin-coupled RNA pull-down and fluorescence in situ hybridization were performed to evaluate the interaction between circRNAs and miRNAs. The expression of circ3323 was higher in BCa tissues and cells than in normal samples. Experiments in vitro showed that the knockdown of circ3323 inhibited cell proliferation and impeded the metastasis of BCa cells. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that circ3323 acts as a sponge for miR-186-5p and promotes host gene APP's expression. Clinically, circ3323 predicts worse overall survival of BCa patients, indicating its prognostic value. Our study identified that circ3323 modulates metastasis of BCa through miR-186-5p/APP axis and may serve as a promising prognostic biomarker for BCa, which provides novel insights into treatment of BCa.

Moxibustion for alleviating chemotherapy-induced gastrointestinal adverse effects: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aims to assess whether moxibustion is effective and safe for gastrointestinal adverse effects, a common and thorny issue arising from chemotherapy. METHODS: Seven electronic databases were searched up to August 28, 2021, to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing moxibustion versus non-moxibustion treatments for various gastrointestinal adverse effects after chemotherapy. The Karnofsky performance status (KPS) and quality of life scores and the incidence of moxibustion-related adverse events were also investigated. Effects in meta-analyses were measured by risk ratios (RRs) or mean differences (MDs). RESULTS: Thirty-two RCTs (n = 2990) were included. Compared to the controls, moxibustion significantly reduced the incidences of nausea/vomiting (RR 0.70, 95% CI 0.61-0.79), severe nausea/vomiting (RR 0.39, 95% CI 0.29-0.51), diarrhoea (RR 0.56, 95% CI 0.38-0.82), constipation (RR 0.59, 95% CI 0.44-0.78), and abdominal distension (RR 0.60, 95% CI 0.46-0.78). The KPS (MD 7.53, 95% CI 3.42-11.64) and quality of life (MD 8.88, 95% CI 0.96-16.80) scores were also significantly improved after moxibustion. The results did not support a benefit of moxibustion on inappetence (RR 0.69, 95% CI 0.40-1.22) or abdominal pain (RR 0.60, 95% CI 0.28-1.30). All adverse events related to moxibustion were mild. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate-to very-low-quality evidence suggests that moxibustion may be safely used as an adjuvant treatment after chemotherapy to reduce the incidences of nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, and abdominal distension and improve the performance status and quality of life in patients with malignant tumours. Its effects on abdominal pain and inappetence are uncertain.

Erratum: Author Correction: Advancing COVID-19 diagnosis with privacy-preserving collaboration in artificial intelligence.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/s42256-021-00421-z.].