[Clinical value of focused ultrasound ablation surgery in the treatment of abdominal wall endometriosis].

Objective: To explore the effectiveness and safety of focused ultrasound ablation surgery (FUAS) for abdominal wall endometriosis. Methods: From November 2019 to October 2022, a total of 34 patients with abdominal wall endometriosis who underwent FUAS were collected, and their clinical features, imaging features, intraoperative treatment and side effects after treatment were analyzed retrospectively, and the improvement of symptoms and re-intervention were followed up. Results: (1) Characteristics of clinical data: the average age of 34 patients with abdominal wall endometriosis was (32.8±3.8) years old. The largest diameter of the lesion was 48 mm, and the median lesion diameter was 24 mm. Thirty cases (88%, 30/34) had moderate to severe periodic pain in abdominal incision before FUAS. All patients were diagnosed by preoperative magnetic resonance imaging, including 19 cases (56%, 19/34) of superficial type, 8 cases (24%, 8/34) of intermediate type and 7 cases (21%, 7/34) of deep type. (2) FUAS treatment parameters: ablation was completed with average operation time of (64±18) minutes, average sonication time was (385±108) s, (103±11) W of average power, (38 819±16 309) J of average total energy, the average treatment area volume of (3.11±1.42) cm3, and (377.79±106.34) s/h of average treatment intensity. (3) Efficiency: the pain of patients after FUAS was significantly relieved, and the pain scores of patients after 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 1 year after FUAS were significantly decreased (Z=-4.66, -5.13, -5.11 and -4.91, all P<0.01). One year after FUAS, the near relief and effective pain relief rate was 74% (25/34), and the clinical effective rate was 85% (29/34). Five patients recurred after one year, including 3 patients who underwent abdominal wall endometriosis lesion resection and 2 patients who received drug treatment. One month after FUAS, the size of the lesion did not change significantly compared with that before FUAS (P>0.05), and the size of the lesion decreased significantly after FUAS at 3 months, 6 months and 1 year (Z=-2.15, -2.67 and -3.41, all P<0.05). It has no difference in pain relief among different types (P>0.05), but has significant difference in focus reduction among three types (P<0.01). (4) Safety: there were 34 cases (100%, 34/34) of skin burning sensation, 19 cases (56%, 19/34) of pain in the treatment area and 2 cases (6%, 2/34) of hematuria. All patients got better after corresponding treatments. Conclusion: FUAS is safe and effective for the treatment of abdominal wall endometriosis, which has clinical application value.

First Probe of Sub-GeV Dark Matter beyond the Cosmological Expectation with the COHERENT CsI Detector at the SNS.

The COHERENT Collaboration searched for scalar dark matter particles produced at the Spallation Neutron Source with masses between 1 and 220 MeV/c^{2} using a CsI[Na] scintillation detector sensitive to nuclear recoils above 9 keV_{nr}. No evidence for dark matter is found and we thus place limits on allowed parameter space. With this low-threshold detector, we are sensitive to coherent elastic scattering between dark matter and nuclei. The cross section for this process is orders of magnitude higher than for other processes historically used for accelerator-based direct-detection searches so that our small, 14.6 kg detector significantly improves on past constraints. At peak sensitivity, we reject the flux consistent with the cosmologically observed dark-matter concentration for all coupling constants α_{D}<0.64, assuming a scalar dark-matter particle. We also calculate the sensitivity of future COHERENT detectors to dark-matter signals which will ambitiously test multiple dark-matter spin scenarios.

Measurement of Electron-Neutrino Charged-Current Cross Sections on

Using an 185-kg NaI[Tl] array, COHERENT has measured the inclusive electron-neutrino charged-current cross section on ^{127}I with pion decay-at-rest neutrinos produced by the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Iodine is one the heaviest targets for which low-energy (≤50 MeV) inelastic neutrino-nucleus processes have been measured, and this is the first measurement of its inclusive cross section. After a five-year detector exposure, COHERENT reports a flux-averaged cross section for electron neutrinos of 9.2_{-1.8}^{+2.1}×10^{-40} cm^{2}. This corresponds to a value that is ∼41% lower than predicted using the MARLEY event generator with a measured Gamow-Teller strength distribution. In addition, the observed visible spectrum from charged-current scattering on ^{127}I has been measured between 10 and 55 MeV, and the exclusive zero-neutron and one-or-more-neutron emission cross sections are measured to be 5.2_{-3.1}^{+3.4}×10^{-40} and 2.2_{-0.5}^{+0.4}×10^{-40} cm^{2}, respectively.

Measurement of the Coherent Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering Cross Section on CsI by COHERENT.

We measured the cross section of coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEvNS) using a CsI[Na] scintillating crystal in a high flux of neutrinos produced at the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. New data collected before detector decommissioning have more than doubled the dataset since the first observation of CEvNS, achieved with this detector. Systematic uncertainties have also been reduced with an updated quenching model, allowing for improved precision. With these analysis improvements, the COHERENT Collaboration determined the cross section to be (165_{-25}^{+30})×10^{-40} cm^{2}, consistent with the standard model, giving the most precise measurement of CEvNS yet. The timing structure of the neutrino beam has been exploited to compare the CEvNS cross section from scattering of different neutrino flavors. This result places leading constraints on neutrino nonstandard interactions while testing lepton flavor universality and measures the weak mixing angle as sin^{2}θ_{W}=0.220_{-0.026}^{+0.028} at Q^{2}≈(50 MeV)^{2}.

A phase II trial of bevacizumab and rucaparib in recurrent carcinoma of the cervix or endometrium.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the tolerability and efficacy of combination bevacizumab rucaparib therapy in patients with recurrent cervical or endometrial cancer. PATIENTS & METHODS: Thirty-three patients with recurrent cervical or endometrial cancer were enrolled. Patients were required to have tumor progression after first line treatment for metastatic, or recurrent disease. Rucaparib was given at 600 mg BID twice daily for each 21-day cycle. Bevacizumab was given at 15 mg/kg on day 1 of each 21-day cycle. The primary endpoint was efficacy as determined by objective response rate or 6-month progression free survival. RESULTS: Of the 33 patients enrolled, 28 were evaluable. Patients with endometrial cancer had a response rate of 17% while patients with cervical cancer had a response rate of 14%. Median progression free survival was 3.8 months (95% C·I 2.5 to 5.7 months), and median overall survival was 10.1 months (95% C·I 7.0 to 15.1 months). Patients with ARID1A mutations displayed a better response rate (33%) and 6-month progression free survival (PFS6) rate (67%) than the entire study population. Observed toxicity was similar to that of previous studies with bevacizumab and rucaparib. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of bevacizumab with rucaparib did not show significantly increased anti-tumor activity in all patients with recurrent cervical or endometrial cancer. However, patients with ARID1A mutations had a higher response rate and PFS6 suggesting this subgroup may benefit from the combination of bevacizumab and rucaparib. Further study is needed to confirm this observation. No new safety signals were seen.

[Pregnancy outcomes in patients with adenomyosis with fertility requirements: retrospective analysis of clinical data from real world].

Objective: To retrospectively analyze the pregnancy outcomes of patients with adenomyosis requiring fertility in a single center under real world condition. Methods: From June 2015 to May 2020, 231 cases of pregnancy complicated with adenomyosis diagnosed by ultrasound with fertility requirements were treated in the Women's and Children's Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University with complete clinical data. And they were divided into three groups according to the treatment of adenomyosis before pregnancy: expectation group, drug group and operation group. The relevant data before pregnancy of the three groups were analyzed, and the pregnancy outcomes of the patients were summarized. According to whether the early pregnancy was treated with medication, the patients who were naturally conceived without symptoms of threatened abortion were divided into observation group and fetus protection group, and the pregnancy outcomes of the two groups were compared. Results: (1) Compared with the expectation group, the ages of patients in the drug group and the operation group were larger [(31.5±1.8) vs (34.1±3.7) vs (36.9±3.6) years old], and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Only 9 patients (11.5%, 9/78) had clinical symptoms in the expectation group, while the patients in the drug group and the operation group had a higher proportion of dysmenorrhea and increased menstrual volume. The uterine volume of the drug group and the operation group were larger than that of the expectation group [(151±46) vs (166±27) vs (97±18) cm3], the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). 78.6% (33/42) of the operation group were focal adenomyosis. The proportion of natural pregnancy in the expectation group was 97.4% (76/78), and in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer was mainly used in the drug group and the operation group. (2) The abortion rates of the three groups were 48.7% (26/111), 4/17, 67.5% (27/78) respectively. Compared with the drug group and the operation group, the preterm birth rate was lower [55.9% (33/111) vs 11/17 vs 12.5% (5/78)] and the natural delivery rate was higher [44.1% (26/111) vs 4/17 vs 67.5% (27/78)] in the expectation group. (3) There were 89 cases of spontaneous pregnancy without threatened abortion symptoms, including 31 cases in the observation group and 58 cases in the fetus protection group. Compared with the observation group, the abortion rate of patients in the fetus protection group was lower [41.9% (13/31) vs 34.5% (20/58)], and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusions: Patients with adenomyosis who have fertility requirements should be comprehensively evaluated and individualized treatment plans should be given. Pregnancy patients with adenomyosis have a high rate of miscarriage, and they should be included in the management of high-risk pregnant women. Active fetal protection treatment during early pregnancy might improve pregnancy outcomes.

[Clinicopathological features of congenital hemangioma: a study of 40 cases].

Objective: To investigate the clinical and pathologic features, diagnosis and differential diagnosis of congenital hemangioma (CH). Methods: Forty cases of CH were diagnosed from January 2017 to December 2020 in Henan Provincial People's Hospital. The clinical and pathological and immunohistochemical data were analyzed, with review of literature. Results: There were 24 male and 16 female patients. The lesions were located in the head, neck (11 cases), limbs (14 cases), and trunk (15 cases). The clinical manifestations were congenital painless plaques or masses, the larger ones protruded on the skin surface, mostly dusky purple or bright red, with surrounding white halos. Under low magnification, the tumor was lobular and well demarcated, composed of neo-microvascular lumen of different sizes. The vascular endothelial cells were cuboidal or hobnail in appearance, forming stellar drainage vessels within the lobules. Extra-medullary hematopoiesis was seen in one case of rapidly involuting CH; there were different number of tortuous and dilated vascular lumen between the lobular structures, and some non-involuting CH cases were vascular malformations, which were devoid of lobulated structures. Immunohistochemistry showed that endothelial cells were strongly positive for CD31, CD34 and ERG, while D2-40 and GLUT-1 were negative. Conclusions: CH is a benign congenital vascular tumor with characteristic lobulated growth and abnormal blood vessels in the stroma. Pathological diagnosis often needs to be differentiated from infantile hemangioma, pyogenic granuloma, kaposiform hemangioendothelioma and vascular malformation.

Plasmonic colors in titanium nitride for robust and covert security features.

A mechanically robust metasurface exhibiting plasmonic colors across the visible and the near-IR spectrum is designed, fabricated, and characterized. Thin TiN layers (41 nm in thickness) prepared by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (ALD) are patterned with sub-wavelength apertures (75 nm to 150 nm radii), arranged with hexagonal periodicity. These patterned films exhibit extraordinary transmission in the visible and the near-IR spectrum (550 nm to 1040 nm), which is accessible by conventional Si CCD detectors. The TiN structures are shown to withstand high levels of mechanical stresses, tested by rubbing the films against a lint-free cloth under 14.5 kPa of load for 30 minutes, while structures patterned on gold, a widely used plasmonic material, do not. The subwavelength nature of the plasmonic resonances, coupled with robustness and durability of TiN, makes these structures an attractive choice for use in nanoscale security features for heavily handled objects. Furthermore, ALD of these films enables scalability, which in conjunction with the cost-effectiveness of the process and material (TiN) makes the entire process industry friendly.

[Identification of New Psychoactive Tryptamines 4-OH-MET and 4-AcO-DMT Using High Resolution Mass Spectrometry and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy].

ABSTRACT: Objective To detect the uncontrolled new psychoactive tryptamines involved in drug-related cases with high resolution mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Methods White and brown powder obtained in actual cases were extracted and analyzed by gas chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry （GC-QTOF-MS）, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-linear ion trap quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry （UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS） and 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy （1H-NMR）. Results After detection by GC-QTOF-MS, the components of white powder showed main characteristic fragment ion peaks at m/z 218.141 0 （molecular ion peak）, 72.080 6 （base peak）, etc. After detection by UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS, its protonated molecular ion was m/z 219.149 4. The main ions in the secondary mass spectrum under the collision-induced dissociation （CID） mode were m/z 160.076 3 and 72.080 8. After detection by GC-QTOF-MS, the components of brown powder showed main characteristic fragment ion peaks at m/z 246.135 7 （molecular ion peak）, 58.065 1 （base peak）, etc. After detection by UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS, its protonated molecular ion was m/z 247.145 0. The main ions in the secondary mass spectrum under CID mode were m/z 202.087 1, 160.076 3 and 134.060 5. NIST 17 library retrieval and 1H-NMR confirmed that the white powder and brown powder contained new psychoactive tryptamines 4-OH-MET and 4-AcO-DMT, respectively. Conclusion GC-QTOF-MS, UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS and 1H-NMR can be used together to identify unknown new psychoactive substances.

[A comparative study of 3.0T (1)H-MRS for varying degrees of liver fibrosis in cynomolgus monkeys].

Objective: To investigate the changing rules with (1)H magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) in order to provide human research theoretical basis with varying degrees of liver fibrosis in cynomolgus monkeys. Methods: Liver fibrosis model in twenty-two cynomolgus monkey was successfully established with carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)). Among them, fifteen cynomolgus monkey developed to early-stage liver cirrhosis (S4 stage). A comparative study was conducted in 15 cynomolgus monkeys that had fully developed liver fibrosis. The changing rules for varying degrees of liver fibrosis in cynomolgus monkeys were analyzed with (1)H-MRS. Supplementary methods: statistical analysis was performed using compatibility group design and analysis of variance for each research indicators. SNK-q test was used for pairwise comparison between the groups. The correlation between the 1H-MRS research indicators and the severity of liver fibrosis was analyzed by Spearman's rank correlation. Results: The Cho of (1)H-MRS was increased with the severity of liver fibrosis in cynomolgus monkeys. Moreover, there were statistically significant (P < 0.01) differences between liver fibrosis staging (S1 ~ S4) and normal liver tissue (S0 stage), severe liver fibrosis staging (S3 and S4) and mild to moderate liver fibrosis staging (S1 and S2). Compared with S0 stage, the peak value of lipid in S1 stage was significantly higher than that of S2 stage, and the peak value of lipid in S3 and S4 stage was significantly lower than that of S0 stage, and the differences between S1, S3, S4 and S0 stages were statistically significant (P < 0.01). The Cho/lipid ratio had gradually increased with the severity of liver fibrosis progression and the differences between groups were statistical significant (P < 0.01). Spearman's rank correlation coefficient between Cho / lipid ratio and pathological stage of liver fibrosis was 0.98 (P = 0.000). ROC curve analysis showed that Cho / lipid ratio was the most significant diagnostic indicator for liver fibrosis. The threshold values of CHO/lipid ratio were≥ 0.028, and≥ 0.131 (P < 0.01) for the diagnosis of liver fibrosis and early-stage cirrhosis. Conclusion: (1)H-MRS of the cynomolgus monkey liver fibrosis model changes rules regularly with the aggravation of severity of liver fibrosis. Among them, the Cho/lipid ratio is the most valuable indicator for the diagnosis of liver fibrosis staging, which may provide a theoretical basis for the study of human liver fibrosis.

[Ergonomic risk factors of carpal tunnel syndrome in workers of an automobile factory].

Objective: To investigate the occurrence of pain symptoms and risk factors of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in automobile manufacturing workers and provide theoretical basis for the prevention of CTS. Methods: From Nov.5th to Nov.19th, 2017, 446 workers in an automobile factory whose work age was above one year participate in questionnaires by cluster sampling. Chi square test and multifactor logistics regression analysis were used to analyze the factors related to the occurrence of CTS pain symptoms in workers. Results: The incidence of CTS pain among workers in this automobile factory was 20.8%. Working in the same position for a long time (OR=2.137, 95% CI:1.183-3.862) and unable to work reasonably because of uncomfortable posture (OR =2.067, 95% CI: 1.075-3.974) were identified as the risk factors of CTS pain symptoms by multifactor logistics regression analysis. Working age (OR=0.537, 95%CI:0.311-0.926) and work break (OR= 0.489, 95% CI: 0.282-0.849) were identified as the benefit factors of CTS pain symptoms. Conclusion: The incidence of CTS pain in automobile manufacturing workers is related to the posture in the process of labor . Effective ergonomic interventions should be carried out to prevent the occurrence of CTS pain in automobile manufacturing workers.

Effects of lactic acid bacteria and smectite after aflatoxin B1 challenge on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility and blood parameters of broilers.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and smectite on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility and blood parameters of broilers that were fed diets contaminated with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1 ). A total of 480 newly hatched male Arbor Acres broilers were randomly allocated into four groups with six replicates of 20 chicks each. The broilers were fed diets with the AFB1 (40 µg/kg) challenge or without (control) it and supplemented with smectite (3.0 g/kg) or LAB (4.0 × 1010  CFU/kg) based on the AFB1 diet. The trial lasted for 42 days. The results showed that during days 1-42 of AFB1 challenge, the feed intake (FI) and body weight gain (BWG) were depressed (p < .05). The inclusion of LAB and smectite increased (p < .05) the BWG by 71.58 and 41.89 g/bird, respectively, which reached the level of the control diet (p ≥ .05), but there were no differences (p ≥ .05) in performance between LAB and smectite. LAB and smectite also increased (p < .05) the apparent total tract digestibility of the crude protein. Regarding the blood parameters, AFB1 decreased (p < .05) the levels of red blood cell count, haematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, haemoglobin, albumin and total protein. In the meantime, the AFB1 increased (p < .05) leucocyte counts, urea nitrogen, cholesterol, total bilirubin, creatinine, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase and alkaline phosphatase. By contrast, LAB and smectite affected (p < .05) these parameters in the opposite direction. It can be concluded that after the AFB1 challenge, LAB and smectite have similar effects on the growth and health of the broilers, suggesting that LAB could be an alternative against AFB1 in commercial animal feeds.

[Investigation on the health status of workers exposed to dimethylformamid].

Objective: By analyzing the examination results of physical examination of workers exposed to DMF among 32 factories in some areas of a province, to investigate the working years of dimethylformamide (DMF) poisoning and the impact on the health status of exposed workers, and to explore the targeted intervention strategies. Methods: From February to May 2018, 2, 457 workers exposed to DMF in some areas of Jiangsu Province were selected as survey targets. Cross-sectional survey was conducted to investigate the health status of workers exposed to health, And the health surveillance data, detection data of occupational disease risk factors in the workplace were collected and analyzed, respectively. Results: The positive rate of abnormal liver function and B-ultrasound of males exposed to DMF was significantly higher than that of females. The abnormal rates of liver function, blood pressure and B-ultrasound in workers aged between 60 and 69 were higher in contrast to those in any other age groups. And the differences was statistically significant. In particular, the highest rate of abnormal blood pressure was found in workers exposed 21-30 years (39.2%) , the highest rate of abnormal liver function was found in workers exposed 11-20 years (44.3%) , and the highest rate of abnormal B-ultrasound was found in workers exposed 0-10 years (60.4%) . Conclusion: Long-term exposure to dimethylformamide can affect workers' liver function and blood pressure. Specifically, with the increase of contact age, the degree of chronic damage to liver, cardiovascular and other organs also increases.

Impact of baseline BMI and weight change in CCTG adjuvant breast cancer trials.

BACKGROUND: We hypothesized that increased baseline BMI and BMI change would negatively impact clinical outcomes with adjuvant breast cancer systemic therapy. METHODS: Data from chemotherapy trials MA.5 and MA.21; endocrine therapy MA.12, MA.14 and MA.27; and trastuzumab HERA/MA.24 were analyzed. The primary objective was to examine the effect of BMI change on breast cancer-free interval (BCFI) landmarked at 5 years; secondary objectives included BMI changes at 1 and 3 years; BMI changes on disease-specific survival (DSS) and overall survival (OS); and effects of baseline BMI. Stratified analyses included trial therapy and composite trial stratification factors. RESULTS: In pre-/peri-/early post-menopausal chemotherapy trials (N = 2793), baseline BMI did not impact any endpoint and increased BMI from baseline did not significantly affect BCFI (P = 0.85) after 5 years although it was associated with worse BCFI (P = 0.03) and DSS (P = 0.07) after 1 year. BMI increase by 3 and 5 years was associated with better DSS (P = 0.01; 0.01) and OS (P = 0.003; 0.05). In pre-menopausal endocrine therapy trial MA.12 (N = 672), patients with higher baseline BMI had worse BCFI (P = 0.02) after 1 year, worse DSS (P = 0.05; 0.004) after 1 and 5 years and worse OS (P = 0.01) after 5 years. Increased BMI did not impact BCFI (P = 0.90) after 5 years, although it was associated with worse BCFI (P = 0.01) after 1 year. In post-menopausal endocrine therapy trials MA.14 and MA.27 (N = 8236), baseline BMI did not significantly impact outcome for any endpoint. BMI change did not impact BCFI or DSS after 1 or 3 years, although a mean increased BMI of 0.3 was associated with better OS (P = 0.02) after 1 year. With the administration of trastuzumab (N = 1395) baseline BMI and BMI change did not significantly impact outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Higher baseline BMI and BMI increases negatively affected outcomes only in pre-/peri-/early post-menopausal trial patients. Otherwise, BMI increases similar to those expected in healthy women either did not impact outcome or were associated with better outcomes. CLINICAL TRIALS NUMBERS: CAN-NCIC-MA5; National Cancer Institute (NCI)-V90-0027; MA.12-NCT00002542; MA.14-NCT00002864; MA.21-NCT00014222; HERA, NCT00045032;CAN-NCIC-MA24; MA-27-NCT00066573.

Evaluation of the efficacy and toxicity profile associated with intraperitoneal chemotherapy use in older women.

OBJECTIVE: Intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy (CT) for treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) has been shown to provide a substantial OS advantage. This study aims to compare the toxicity and benefits of IP CT in patients ≥70 with those <70. METHODS: We performed a single institution retrospective review of patients diagnosed with Stage IIA-IIIC EOC from 2000 to 2013 who received IP CT. Clinicopathologic characteristics were extracted, and survival was calculated. RESULTS: 133 patients were included with 100 pts. <70years old and 33 pts. ≥70years old. Clinical trial enrollment was similar despite age. In trial enrolled patients, older patients received statistically fewer cycles of therapy (6.4 vs 5.8, p=0.002) but had similar dose delays (0.9 vs 0.7, p=0.72), and modifications (0.9 vs 0.36, p=0.11). Median PFS (27 vs 31months) and OS (71 and 62months) were not statistically different. Grade 3/4 neutropenia was significantly worse in the older patients (82% vs 100%, p=0.04). Neuropathy grade ≥2 and other non-hematologic toxicities were not different between age groups. CONCLUSIONS: Despite completing fewer cycles of IP CT, older EOC patients had comparable survival to younger patients. The population of older patients receiving IP CT in this study were on clinical trial and likely to be heartier than the general older population. IP CT appears well tolerated and effective among select older patients and is likely under-utilized outside of clinical trials.

TNFAIP3 inhibits migration and invasion in nasopharyngeal carcinoma by suppressing epithelial mesenchymal transition.

TNF alpha induced protein 3 (TNFAIP3), a member of zinc finger protein family, is a gene whose expression level is promptly induced by the tumor necrosis factor. In this study, the clinical significance of TNFAIP3 was analyzed based on available samples in The Cancer Genome Atlas database. TNFAIP3 downregulation was associated with distant metastasis and worse patient prognosis. TNFAIP3-overexpressing and TNFAIP3-knockdown NPC cell line models were established through plasmid-mediated overexpression and small interfering RNA (siRNA), respectively. Cell migration and invasion capacities were evaluated by wound-healing and transwell assays. Functional studies indicated that TNFAIP3 knockdown promoted migration and invasion, whereas TNFAIP3 overexpression alleviated these functions. Western blot analysis was used to examine protein changes from TNFAIP3 overexpression and knockdown, in which TNFAIP3 promoted the protein expression of E-cadherin and suppressed vimentin expression. Our data suggested that TNFAIP3 inhibited migration and invasion by suppressing epithelial mesenchymal transition in NPC.

[Comparison of intensified myeloablative conditioning regime without antithymocytic globulin (ATG) with myeloablative conditioning regime for single-unit unrelated umbilical cord blood transplantation in hematological malignancies].

OBJECTIVE: To campare the effect and tolerance beween intensified myeloablative conditioning regime (IMCR) without antithymocyte globulin (ATG) and myeloablative conditioning regime (MCR) for single-unit unrelated umbilical cord blood transplantation (sUCBT) in hematological malignancies. METHODS: The clinical data of 190 patients with hematological malignancies undergoing sUCBT between April 2000 and December 2013 at Department of Hematology, Anhui Provincial Hospital were retrospectively analyzed, of whom 156 received IMCR without ATG (IMCR group), including 79 patient receiving total body irradiation (TBI)/cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C)/cyclophosphamide (CY) regime, 47 receiving fludarabine (Flu)/busulfan (Bu)/CY regime, and 30 receiving Ara-C/Bu/CY regime, and all of the 156 received a combination of cyclosporine A (CsA) and mycophelonate mofetil (MMF) for the prophylaxis of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD); the remaining 34 patients received MCR (MCR group), 30 patients receiving Bu/CY regime, and 4 receiving TBI/CY regime, all using CsA/MMF±ATG or methotrexate (MTX) for the prophylaxis of GVHD. The two groups were compared in disease status at the time of transplantation, characteristics of graft, transplantation effect, and transplantation-related complications. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in gender, disease type, human leukocyte antigen match, ABO blood type match, and disease status at the time of transplantation (all P>0.05). The median age and body weight at transplantation in the IMCR group were significantly higher than those in the MCR group (13 years vs 9 years, P=0.003; 44 kg vs 26 kg, P=0.000). The median doses of infused total nucleated cells (×10(7)/kg) and CD34(+) cells (×10(5)/kg) in the IMCR group were significantly lower than in the MCR group (3.87 vs 4.99, P=0.002; 2.00 vs 3.17, P=0.000). The cumulative incidence of myeloid engraftment on the 42th day and platelet engraftment on the 120th day in the IMCR group were remarkably higher than in the MCR group [96.33%(95%CI: 96.27%-96.39%)vs 82.30%(95%CI: 80.67%-83.93%), P=0.000; 86.44%(95%CI: 86.28%-86.60%)vs 51.17%(95%CI: 49.02%-53.32%), P=0.002]. There were no statistically significant differences in the incidences of grade Ⅱ to Ⅳ acute GVHD, grade Ⅲ to Ⅳ acute GVHD, and 2-year chronic GVHD(P=0.482, 0.928, 0.579). The incidence of pre-engraftment syndrome in the IMCR group was higher than in the MCR group(82.70% vs 47.06%, P=0.000). And 180-day transplantation-related mortality (TRM) in the IMCR group was lower than that in the MCR group [20.50%(95%CI: 20.28%-20.71%)vs 42.20% (95%CI: 41.32%-45.09%), P=0.004]. Up to October 2015, with a median follow-up of 44.2(22.7-188.9)months, the estimated 3-year overall survival and disease-free survival in the IMCR group were both significantly higher than those in the MCR group (62.90% vs 34.10%, P=0.000; 58.60% vs 34.10%, P=0.001). CONCLUSION: IMCR without ATG may improve the engraftment without increasing complications, reduce early transplantation-related mortality, and improve survival.

Assessing the benefit-risk of new treatments using generalised pairwise comparisons: the case of erlotinib in pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND: Efficacy and safety are the two considerations when characterising the effects of a new therapy. We sought to apply an innovative method of assessing the benefit-risk balance using data from a completed randomised controlled trial that compared erlotinib vs placebo added to gemcitabine in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer (NCIC CTG PA.3). METHODS: We applied generalised pairwise comparisons with several prioritised outcome measures (e.g., one or more benefit outcomes and one or more risk outcomes). Here, the first priority outcome was overall survival (OS) time. Differences in OS that exceeded 2 months were considered clinically meaningful. The second priority outcome was toxicity. The overall treatment effect was quantified using the proportion in favour of erlotinib, which can be interpreted as the net proportion of patients who have a better overall outcome with erlotinib as compared with placebo. Sensitivity analyses were performed. RESULTS: In this trial 569 patients were randomly assigned in a 1 : 1 ratio to receive gemcitabine plus either erlotinib or a matched placebo. Overall, the method indicated no statistically significant overall treatment effect in favour of erlotinib; if anything, the point estimate of the net proportion leaned in favour of the placebo group (overall proportion in favour of erlotinib=-3.6%, 95% CI, -14.2- 7.1%; P=0.51). The net proportion was never in favour of the erlotinib group throughout all sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Generalised pairwise comparisons make it possible to assess the benefit-risk balance of new treatments using a single statistical test for any number of prioritised outcomes. The benefit-risk assessment was not in favour of adding erlotinib to gemcitabine for the treatment of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.