Potential Alterations of Functional Connectivity Analysis in the Patients with Chronic Prostatitis/Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome.

Background: Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is one of the most common diseases in urology, but its pathogenesis remains unclear. As a kind of chronic pain which the patients suffered for more than 3 months, we investigated the influence on patients' brain functional connectivity in resting state. Methods: We recruited a cohort of 18 right-handed male patients with CP/CPPS and 21 healthy male right-handed age-matched controls. Their resting-state fMRI data and structural MRI data were preprocessed and processed by RESTPlus V1.22. To assess the integrity of the default mode network (DMN), we utilized the voxel-wised analysis that we set medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and posterior cingulate gyrus (PCC) as seed points to compare the global functional connectivity (FC) strength. Results: Compared with healthy control, the FC strength between left mPFC and posterior DMN decreased in the group of CP/CPPS (P < 0.05, GFR correction, voxel P < 0.01, cluster P < 0.05), and the FC strength between the left anterior cerebellar lobe and posterior DMN increased (P < 0.05, GFR correction, voxel P < 0.01, cluster P < 0.05). In the patient group, there was a positive correlation between the increased FC strength and the score of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) anxiety subscale (r = 0.5509, P = 0.0178) in the left anterior cerebellar lobe, a negative correlation between the decreased FC strength and the score of the National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (r = -0.6281, P = 0.0053) in the area of left mPFC, and a negative correlation between the decreased FC strength and the score of HADS anxiety subscale (r = -0.5252, P = 0.0252). Conclusion: Patients with CP/CPPS had alterations in brain function, which consisted of the default mode network's compromised integrity. These alterations might play a crucial role in the pathogenesis and development of CP/CPPS.

Characterization and validation of long noncoding RNAs as new candidates in prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been proved to be an important regulator in gene expression. In almost all kinds of cancers, lncRNAs participated in the process of pathogenesis, invasion, and metastasis. Meanwhile, compared with the large amounts of patients, there is rare knowledge about the role of lncRNAs in prostate cancer (PCa). MATERIAL/METHOD: In this study, lncRNA expression profiles of prostate cancer were detected by Agilent microarray chip, 5 pairs of case and control specimens were involved in. Differentially expressed lncRNAs were screened out by volcano plot for constructing lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA central network. Then, the top ten up-regulated and down-regulated lncRNAs were validated by qRT-PCR in another 5 tumor specimens and 7 para-cancerous/benign contrasts. Furthermore, we searched for the survival curve of the top 10 upregulated and downregulated lncRNAs. RESULTS: A total of 817 differentially expressed lncRNAs were filtered out by the criteria of fold change (FC) and t-test p < 0.05. Among them, 422 were upregulated, whereas 395 were downregulated in PCa tissues. Gene ontology and KEGG pathway analyses showed that many lncRNAs were implicated in carcinogenesis. lnc-MYL2-4:1 (FC = 0.00141, p = 0.01909) and NR_125857 (FC = 59.27658, p = 0.00128) had the highest magnitude of change. The subsequent qPCR confirmed the expression of NR_125857 was in accordance with the clinical samples. High expression of PCA3, PCAT14 and AP001610.9 led to high hazard ratio while low expression of RP11-279F6.2 led to high hazard ratio. CONCLUSIONS: Our study detected a relatively novel complicated map of lncRNAs in PCa, which may have the potential to investigate for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up in PCa. Our study revealed the expression of NR_125857 in human PCa tissues was most up-regulated. Further studies are needed to investigate to figure out the mechanisms in PCa.

Coatomer subunit beta 2 (COPB2), identified by label-free quantitative proteomics, regulates cell proliferation and apoptosis in human prostate carcinoma cells.

Label-free quantitative proteomics has broad applications in the identification of differentially expressed proteins. Here, we applied this method to identify differentially expressed proteins (such as coatomer subunit beta 2 [COPB2]) and evaluated the functions and molecular mechanisms of these proteins in prostate cancer (PCA) cell proliferation. Proteins extracted from surgically resected PCA tissues and adjacent tissues of 3 patients were analyzed by label-free quantitative proteomics. The target protein was confirmed by bioinformatics and GEO dataset analyses. To investigate the role of the target protein in PCA, we used lentivirus-mediated small-interfering RNA (siRNA) to knockdown protein expression in the prostate carcinoma cell line, CWR22RV1 cells and assessed gene and protein expression by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. CCK8 and colony formation assays were conducted to evaluate cell proliferation. Cell cycle distributions and apoptosis were assayed by flow cytometry. We selected the differentiation-related protein COPB2 as our target protein based on the results of label-free quantitative proteomics. High expression of COPB2 was found in PCA tissue and was related to poor overall survival based on a public dataset. Cell proliferation was significantly inhibited in COPB2-knockdown CWR22RV1 cells, as demonstrated by CCK8 and colony formation assays. Additionally, the apoptosis rate and percentage of cells in the G1 phase were increased in COPB2-knockdown cells compared with those in control cells. CDK2, CDK4, and cyclin D1 were downregulated, whereas p21 Waf1/Cip1 and p27 Kip1 were upregulated, affecting the cell cycle signaling pathway. COPB2 significantly promoted CWR22RV1 cell proliferation through the cell cycle signaling pathway. Thus, silencing of COPB2 may have therapeutic applications in PCA.

NOS3 895G>T and CBR3 730G>A Are Associated with Recurrence Risk in Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer with Intravesical Instillations of THP.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the correlation between pharmacogenomic biomarkers and the efficacy of pirarubicin (THP, also named 4'-O-tetrahydropyranyl-adriamycin) and to explore potential associations of individual genetic backgrounds with the clinical outcomes of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) patients. METHODS: Between July 2003 and June 2011, a total of 91 patients were treated with transurethral resection (TUR) of the bladder tumor and were histopathologically confirmed to have NMIBC. Patients received an immediate instillation and maintenance therapy with THP. All patients underwent follow-up for recurrence. We genotyped 13 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from blood and saliva DNA samples of all patients. RESULTS: The associations of patients' genotypes with tumor recurrence risks were analyzed by survival analysis. A total of 16 (17.6%) of the 91 patients with NMIBC had tumor recurrences with a median follow-up of 17 months (range, 2-83 months). We confirmed the effect of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) risk score for predicting tumor recurrence (p = 0.002, log-rank test). We adjusted for the EORTC score and found that 2 SNPs, NOS3 895G>T (rs1799983) (p = 0.02, HR = 4.32, 95% CI, 1.30-14.39, GT+TT vs. GG) and CBR3 730G>A (rs1056892) (p = 0.04, HR = 2.57, 95% CI, 1.07-6.18, GA+AA vs. GG), were significantly associated with a higher recurrence risk after TUR and instillations of THP in NMIBC patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that NOS3 895G>T and CBR3 730G>A are genetic markers that can be used to predict tumor recurrence in NMIBC patients receiving intravesical instillations of THP. The effects of those 2 SNPs are independent of the EORTC scores. Further studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-ups are needed to confirm our results.

A functional variant in TP63 at 3q28 associated with bladder cancer risk by creating an miR-140-5p binding site.

The first genome-wide association study (GWAS) for bladder cancer has identified a susceptibility locus at 3q28 in the European ancestry. However, the causal variant at 3q28 remains unknown. We conducted a three-stage fine mapping study to identify potential causal variants in the region. A total of 41 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across 120 kb at 3q28 were tested for association with bladder cancer risk among 3,094 bladder cancer cases and 3,738 controls. Resequencing and functional assays were further evaluated. The SNP rs35592567 in the 3'-UTR of TP63 was consistently associated with bladder cancer risk in all three stages. In the combined analysis, the T allele of rs35592567 was significantly associated with a decreased risk for bladder cancer (OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.75-0.90, P = 9.797 × 10(-6) in the additive model). Biochemical assays revealed that the T allele reduced the post-transcriptional levels of TP63 mediated by interfering binding efficiency of miR-140-5p. In addition, overexpression of miR-140-5p inhibited bladder cancer cell proliferation and attenuated cell migration, invasion and G1 cell-cycle arrest. Together, these results suggest that rs35592567 in TP63 may be a novel causal variant contributing to the susceptibility to bladder cancer, which provides additional insight into the pathogenesis of bladder carcinogenesis.

TFPI-2 expression is decreased in bladder cancer and is related to apoptosis.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to study the role of TFPI-2 in bladder cancer and its relation with apoptosis. METHODS: Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of TFPI- 2 and TUNEL were applied. By semiquantitative analysis of the IHC data, we compared the TFPI-2 expression with clinicopathological parameters of 24 bladder cancer samples. TUNEL assay was used to study the apoptotic level of bladder cancer cells. Also, quantitative PCR and Western blot were used to confirm IHC results. RESULTS: The expression of TFPI-2 decreased with progression of bladder cancer grade (p<0.001) and tumor stage (p<0.001). Also, TFPI-2 expression was not significantly decreased in smaller and single tumors (p=0.536 and p=0.378, respectively). Increased TFPI-2 expression was significantly correlated with increased apoptosis (p<0.001). Lower TFPI-2 was also correlated with lower Ki67 index but not with TP53 positivity (p=0.003 and p=0.195, respectively). Expression of TFPI-2 detected by IHC was consistent with that detected by Western blotting and PCR. CONCLUSION: TFPI-2 expression was decreased in bladder cancer. TFPI-2 expression was decreased with progression in tumor grade and stage and was correlated to decreased apoptosis. Our findings indicated that TFPI-2 could be a marker of bladder cancer and enhancement of TFPI-2 could combat bladder cancer.

Periostin Mediates TGF-ß-Induced Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition in Prostate Cancer Cells.

BACKGROUND: In our previous study, we found that periostin was upregulated in prostate cancer, and its expression could be modulated by TGF-ß. TGF-ß could upregulate periostin expression in some cells, and both TGF-ß and periostin could induce epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT). We aimed to study the effect of periostin in the process of TGF-ß-induced EMT in prostate cancer cells. METHODS: We constructed a lentivirus vector containing the periostin gene and transduced it into PC3 and DU145 cells. After confirming periostin overexpression by PCR and Western blotting, we used an MTT assay to establish a growth curve to measure cell proliferation. Additionally, we performed transwell and wound healing assays to measure cell invasion and migration, respectively. Lastly, we measured the expression of EMT associated factors using Western blot analysis to test the effect of periostin on EMT in prostate cancer cells. RESULTS: PCR and Western blot analyses confirmed that periostin was upregulated after infection with the periostin lentiviral vector. Periostin overexpression promoted increased cell proliferation, invasion, and migration as measured by MTT, transwell, and wound healing assays, respectively. Western blot analysis illustrated that periostin overexpression increased the expression of EMT associated factors, and periostin overexpression activated Akt and GSK-3ß, which could be inhibited using a PI3K inhibitor. Additionally, TGF-ß increased the levels of STAT3, Twist1 and periostin, while both STAT3 shRNA and Twist1 shRNA inhibited periostin expression. However, STAT3 shRNA also decreased Twist1 expression. Although reduction of STAT3, Twist1 or periostin levels with shRNA inhibited TGF-ß-induced overexpression of EMT associated factors, periostin overexpression could reverse such inhibition by interfering with STAT3 and Twist1. Similarly, periostin overexpression also reversed inhibition of cell invasion induced by interference of STAT3 and Twist1. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that periostin is an important mediator of TGF-ß-induced EMT and suggest that periostin is a potential therapeutic target for suppressing the metastatic progression of prostate cancer.

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2: a significant indicator for predicting progression in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer especially in high-risk groups.

PURPOSE: Current pathological and clinical parameters provide important prognostic information. However, they are still limitations for predicting the true malignant potential of a specific cancer. The aim of this study was to validate the predicting role of HER-2 expression and demonstrated that combination of the high-risk factors with HER-2 expression is more valuable for determining which non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is more aggressive. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 238 patients treated by transurethral resection of the bladder tumor were histopathologically confirmed to be NMIBC. Two experienced uropathologists re-reviewed the slides. HER-2 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and scored for intensity and area of staining. The association of HER-2 staining with tumor recurrence and progression was evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses and Kaplan-Meier survival curves. RESULTS: In multivariable analyses, HER-2 expression was an independent risk factor for predicting tumor progression (HR 2.64, p = 0.024). Combining the EORTC risk scores with HER-2 expression status led to more accurate prediction of progression, especially in patients with intermediate- and high-risk EORTC scores (p < 0.0001, log-rank test). CONCLUSIONS: HER-2 positivity is prognostic for predicting progression to muscle invasion in NMIBC. Combination of the high-risk factors with HER-2 expression is more valuable for determining which NMIBC is more aggressive.

Impact of Obesity on Perioperative Outcomes of Retroperitoneal Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy.

INTRODUCTION: Obesity is usually considered a risk factor for postoperative complications; however, previous studies conclude contradictory results in retroperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA). We aim to evaluate the impact of obesity on the perioperative outcomes of LA. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study from a single center including 353 patients from 2011 to 2013 was conducted. Perioperative outcomes of patients from different groups were compared according to their body mass index (BMI). RESULTS: All the patients were divided into 3 groups: normal (n = 149), overweight (n = 141) and obese (n = 63). Operative time (OT) for patients belonging to the obese group was significantly longer than that in the normal and overweight group, and the results of estimated blood loss, postoperative length of stay in hospital and postoperative complications were all similar. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, OT was an independent risk factor for postoperative complications (odds ratio 1.020; 95% confidence interval 1.001-1.039; p = 0.037), while other factors including BMI had negligible effect. CONCLUSIONS: Retroperitoneal LA offers similar perioperative outcomes for patients with different obesity statuses, which could be safe and feasible for obese patients.

Genetic score of multiple risk-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms is a marker for genetic susceptibility to bladder cancer.

Genome-wide association studies have identified 13 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are associated with bladder cancer; three of these SNPs were validated in the Chinese population. This study assessed the performance of these three SNPs, in combination, to predict genetic susceptibility to bladder cancer in Chinese. Three previously established bladder cancer risk-associated SNPs (rs798766 in TACC3, rs9642880 in MYC, and rs2294008 in PSCA) were genotyped in 1,210 bladder cancer patients and 1,008 control subjects in Shanghai, China. A genetic score was calculated for each subject based on these three SNPs. Each of these three SNPs was significantly associated with bladder cancer risk in this independent study population, P < 0.05. The genetic score based on these three SNPs was significantly higher in cases than controls, with a mean of 1.05 and 0.99, respectively, P = 1.03E-05. Compared with subjects with a genetic score <= 1.00, subjects with an elevated genetic score (>1.00) had a significantly increased risk for bladder cancer after adjusting for age, gender, and smoking status, OR = 1.58, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.21 - 2.06, P = 0.0007. When tested separately for lower (Ta) or higher (Tis, T1-T4) tumor stage, the association was significantly stronger for lower (OR = 2.24, 95% CI = 1.66 - 3.01, P = 1.02E-07) than higher tumor stage (OR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.00 - 1.78, P = 0.05), P = 0.001. In conclusion, A combination of three previously implicated bladder cancer risk-associated SNPs is a significant predictor of genetic susceptibility to bladder cancer in Chinese.

[Roles of folate metabolism in prostate cancer].

Epidemiological surveys show that folic acid can prevent prostate cancer, but fortified folic acid may increase the risk of the malignancy. The physician data queries from the National Cancer Institute of the USA describe folate as protective against prostate cancer, whereas its synthetic analog, folic acid, is considered to increase prostate cancer risk when taken at levels easily achievable by eating fortified food or taking over-the-counter supplements. We review the current literature to examine the effects of folate and folic acid on prostate cancer, help interpret previous epidemiologic data, and provide a clarification regarding the apparently opposing roles of folate for patients with prostate cancer. A literature search was conducted in Medline to identify studies investigating the effect of nutrition and specifically folate and folic acid on prostate carcinogenesis and progression. In addition, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database was analyzed for the trends in serum folate levels before and after mandatory fortification. Folate likely plays a dual role in prostate carcinogenesis. There remains some conflicting epidemiologic evidence regarding folate and prostate cancer risk. However, there is growing experimental evidence that higher circulating folate levels can contribute to prostate cancer progression. Further research is needed to clarify these complex relationships.

Retroperitoneal laparoscopic ureterolithotomy for proximal ureteral calculi in selected patients.

OBJECTIVES: To summarize our experience of retroperitoneal laparoscopic ureterolithotomy for ureteral calculi and evaluate the safety and efficiency of this procedure. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 197 patients with proximal ureteral calculi who accepted retroperitoneal laparoscopic ureterolithotomy from June 2005 to June 2014. RESULTS: All procedures were performed successfully and the mean operating time and estimated blood loss were 87 min and 64 mL. The clearance rate was 98.5% and the rates of urine leak and ureteral stricture were 2.5% and 1.0%. CONCLUSIONS: Retroperitoneal laparoscopic ureterolithotomy is a safe and effective procedure for patients with complex stones or anatomic abnormalities, and, with experience of high volume series, it is also a reasonable choice as the primary treatment for such selected patients.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Malus × adstringens Zabel 'Hopa' (Rosaceae).

Malus × adstringens Zabel 'Hopa' is an important crabapple cultivar with significant ornamental value. Here, we assembled its complete chloroplast (cp) genome using the next-generation sequencing technology to clarify the phylogenetic relationships in Malus. The total length of the complete chloroplast genome was 160,230 base pairs (bp) with a GC content of 36.50%, consisting of a large single-copy (LSC) region with a sequence length of 88,310 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region with a sequence length of 19,196 bp, and a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions of 26,362 bp. The complete chloroplast genome contained 128 genes, namely 84 protein-coding genes, 36 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. In addition, 73 SSRs were found in the M. 'Hopa' cp genome. The phylogenetic relationship of M. 'Hopa' in Malus is closely related to M. spectabilis (Aiton) Borkh. and then to M. sieversii (Lebed.) M. Roem. Our results demonstrate that it is feasible to resolve the phylogenetic relationships of crabapple cultivars and identify their putative maternal lineages using cp genomic data.

Systematic evaluation of bladder cancer risk-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms in a Chinese population.

Recently, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified over 12 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with bladder cancer risk in populations of European descent. However, effects of these SNPs in bladder cancer have not been systemically evaluated in the Chinese population. We conducted association studies of 12 SNPs in a Chinese population of 184 cases and 962 controls. These SNPs were previously identified in European GWAS and a fine mapping study. The reported risk alleles of rs798766 on TACC3 at 4p16 and rs9624880 on MYC at 8q24 were significantly associated with increased bladder cancer risk with P-values of 0.003 and 0.03, respectively. Next, we performed a meta-analysis, by combining our study with previous association studies performed in Chinese. In the meta-analysis, the reported risk allele for four SNPs were significantly associated with increased bladder cancer risk, including rs798766 on TACC3 at 4p16, rs9624880 on MYC at 8q24, rs2294008 on PSCA at 8q24, and rs2736100 on TERT at 5p15. The meta-analysis P-values for the four SNPs ranged from 0.017 to 5.52E-05. The results from our study suggest that a sub-set of bladder cancer risk-associated SNPs identified from the European population are also associated with bladder cancer risk in the Chinese population. Additional studies with larger sample sizes are needed to further confirm our results.

Synthesis and characterization of superparamagnetic CoFe2O4/MWCNT hybrids for tumor-targeted therapy.

Owing to their great potentialities of carbon nanotubes (CNTs)-based magnetic nano-composites, numerous applications of them have been found in nanotechnology, integrated functional system, and in medicine. Herein, nearly monodisperse CoFe2O4 nanoparticles have been deposited on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by high-temperature hydrolysis and inorganic polymerization of ionic Co(II) and Fe(III) salts and MWCNTs in a polyol solution. X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the final products. The average size of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles and their coverage density on MWCNTs can be adjusted to some extent by altering the reaction parameters. A proposed formation mechanism of the magnetic hybrids is presented. Magnetic measurements showed that the hybrids were superparamagnetic at room temperature and their saturation magnetization could be fine tuned by changing the loading of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles on the MWCNTs.

Positive KI67 and periodic acid-schiff mandates wider range of excision in scrotal extramammary Paget's disease.

BACKGROUND: Extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD) of the scrotum is a rare disease that requires surgical excision. A positive margin is related to recurrence and poorer prognosis. We aimed to investigate the expression of Ki67 and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) in a biopsy sample and to evaluate their predictive value in true margin status. METHODS: Sixty-four patients with noninvasive scrotal EMPD were included. Immunohistochemical staining of Ki67 and PAS was reviewed and compared statistically with the margin status of intraoperative frozen section examination (FSE). RESULTS: Seventeen of 64 patients had a positive margin discovered at the first FSE. Expression of Ki67 was not significantly different between positive and negative margin status (p = .16). Expression of PAS was higher in samples with positive margins (p = .05). The incidence of positive margins was significantly higher in the double-positive group than in the double-negative group (p = .03). CONCLUSION: Positive expression of both factors in a biopsy sample requires wider excision to ensure negative margins.

Med19 promotes bone metastasis and invasiveness of bladder urothelial carcinoma via bone morphogenetic protein 2.

Bladder cancer (BCa) remained a major health problem. Med19 was related to tumor growth of BCa. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) were reported to be critical in bone metastasis of cancer. We therefore investigated the relations between Med19 and BMPs in BCa and their effect on bone metastasis of BCa. Bladder cancer cell lines were cultured and interfered with Med19 shRNA and control. Expressions of BMP-1, BMP-2, BMP-4, BMP-5, BMP-6, BMP-7, BMP-9, and BMP-15 were studied between 2 groups. Fifty-two BCa samples were included for immunohistochemical staining of Med19 and BMP-2. Expressions were scored and studied statistically. Invasiveness was studied with Transwell assay. Silencing or Med19 in BCa cells induced altered expressions of BMPs. Increased expressions of BMP-1, BMP-4, BMP-6, BMP-7, and BMP-15 and decreased expressions of BMP-2, BMP-5, and BMP-9 were noticed, but only BMP-2 reached statistical significance. Expressions of Med19 and BMP-2 were significantly higher in cases with bone metastasis and were positively correlated in cases with bone metastasis and muscle invasion. Med19 is a critical factor involved in the invasiveness and promotion of bone metastasis of BCa, possibly via BMP-2.

Ferroptosis-Related Prognostic Gene LAMP2 Is a Potential Biomarker Differential Expressed in Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer.

Background: It remains unclear about the mechanisms of prostate cancer progressing to castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and the correlation with ferroptosis. Methods: We compared the gene profiles between localized prostate cancer and metastatic CRPC using the GEO dataset and intersected with a cluster of known ferroptosis-related genes. We received differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in CRPC related to ferroptosis and performed survival analysis to analyze the prognostic values. Furthermore, we conducted single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) to analyze immune infiltration and investigate microRNA crosstalk and methylation for prognostic genes using online databases. Results: We identified 84 DEGs in CRPC related to ferroptosis and 19 hub genes densely connected into networks by enrichment analysis. We performed survival analysis and Cox regression for these genes and identified LAMP2 with significantly prognostic values in overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) of prostate cancer. Furthermore, we found immune infiltration of various immune cells significantly correlated with LAMP2 expression in prostate cancer and identified multiple microRNAs associated with LAMP2 expression in prostate cancer. In addition, we found that the methylation level of LAMP2 in prostate cancer was significantly associated with cancer and identified 8 methylation sites for LAMP2. Conclusion: Ferroptosis-related gene LAMP2 is a potential biomarker with prognostic value for prostate cancer.

Plasma Fluorinated Nano-SiO2 Enhances the Surface Insulation Performance of Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer.

With the extensive application of glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) in the field of high voltage insulation, its operating environment is becoming more and more complex, and the surface insulation failure has gradually become a pivotal problem affecting the safety of equipment. In this paper, nano-SiO2 was fluorinated by Dielectric barrier discharges (DBD) plasma and doped with GFRP to enhance the insulation performance. Through Fourier Transform Ioncyclotron Resonance (FTIR) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) characterization of nano fillers before and after modification, it was found that plasma fluorination can graft a large number of fluorinated groups on the surface of SiO2. The introduction of fluorinated SiO2 (FSiO2) can significantly enhance the interfacial bonding strength of the fiber, matrix and filler in GFRP. The DC surface flashover voltage of modified GFRP was further tested. The results show that both SiO2 and FSiO2 can improve the flashover voltage of GFRP. When the concentration of FSiO2 is 3%, the flashover voltage increases most significantly to 14.71 kV, which is 38.77% higher than that of unmodified GFRP. The charge dissipation test results show that the addition of FSiO2 can inhibit the surface charge migration. By the calculation of Density functional theory (DFT) and charge trap, it is found that grafting fluorine-containing groups on SiO2 can increase its band gap and enhance its electron binding ability. Furthermore, a large number of deep trap levels are introduced into the nanointerface inside GFRP to enhance the inhibition of secondary electron collapse, thus increasing the flashover voltage.

Is there an association between advanced stage of renal cell carcinoma and paraneoplastic syndrome?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate any association between renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and paraneoplastic syndromes (PNS). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The retrospective analysis included 1,028 patients of Chinese Han nationality with resectable RCC and PNS. The PNS included elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), hypertension, cachexia, anemia, pyrexia, abnormal liver function, hypercalcemia, polycythemia, varicocele and neuromyopathy. Staging was categorized as local (T1-2N0M0) and locally advanced (T3-4NxM0). RESULTS: Among patients with at least one PNS, elevated ESR (p = 0.008), cachexia (p = 0.000), varicocele (p = 0.000) and pyrexia (p = 0.021) were related to advanced stage of RCC. Among patients with only one PNS, hypertension (p = 0.012) and hypercalcemia (p = 0.000) were related to advanced stage. The remaining PNS were not associated with tumor stage. CONCLUSION: Pyrexia, elevated ESR, cachexia and varicocele were related to advanced RCC. Hypertension and hypercalcemia occurring as single PNS, although also correlated with advanced stage, require further investigation.