Evaluation of atmospheric coherent length of free-space optical links by using phase fluctuation.

Atmospheric coherence length is one of the most crucial parameters for free-space optical (FSO) links, which can reflect the level of phase and amplitude fluctuations caused by the atmospheric turbulence. In this paper, we study the evaluation of the atmospheric coherence length of the FSO links. The analytical expression of atmospheric coherence length is rendered based on the phase fluctuation resulting from atmospheric turbulence by using the most realistic Bump model. The proposed method is validated theoretically with the Monte Carlo phase screen. Also, the experimental setup with respect to FSO links is established with the spatial light modulator to validate the method experimentally, wherein the fluctuated phase is collected by Shack-Hartmann sensor. The results show that the evaluation of atmospheric coherence length by the analytical expression is consistent with the theoretical prediction as well as the experimental measurement. Thus, the proposed method enables the accurate evaluation of atmospheric coherence length under various turbulence conditions, which can assist the performance analysis as well as design of free-space optical communication systems.

Phase screen prediction using deep phase network for FSO links.

Due to the presence of air turbulence in free-space optical (FSO) links, random fluctuations in wavefront phase and amplitude of the optical signal are reduced after it propagates through the air channel, which degrades the performance of free-space optical communication (FSOC) systems. Phase screen reflects the phase distortions resulting from air turbulence. Accordingly, accurate prediction with respect to phase screen is of significance for the FSOC. In this paper, we propose a phase screen prediction method based on the deep phase network (DPN). The advantages of the proposed method include strong robustness against air turbulence, low model depth, and fewer parameters as well as low complexity. The results reveal that our DPN enables desired inference accuracy and faster inference speed compared with the existing models, by combining the mean square deviation loss function with the pixel penalty terms. More concretely, the accuracy of phase screen prediction can reach up to 95%; further, the average time consumed to predict the phase screen is in the order of milliseconds only under various turbulence conditions. Also, our DPN outperforms the traditional Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm in convergence speed.

Targeting Amyloids with [18F]AV-45 for Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Imaging: A Pilot Clinical Study.

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a malignant neuroendocrine tumor with a high recurrence rate. Amyloid plaques formed from the misfolding of calcitonin are the key characteristics of MTC. Herein, we conducted a first-in-human pilot clinical study by applying a ß-amyloid-specific radiotracer, [18F]AV-45, to positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) imaging of MTC. The presence of amyloid plaques in the tumor tissue sections from five MTC patients was confirmed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Congo Red staining. [18F]AV-45 selectively accumulated in the amyloid plaques in the continued tumor tissue sections with similar distribution patterns to the H&E and Congo Red staining. In addition, the [18F]AV-45 uptake can be largely blocked by its nonradioactive reference compound. The [18F]AV-45 accumulation in the thyroid, neck lymph nodes, and muscles in healthy human subjects is close to the background indicated by PET/CT imaging. In the comparison PET/CT imaging study of a recurrent MTC patient, 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-d-glucose ([18F]FDG) showed an elevated uptake by multiple neck lymph nodes. In contrast, only one of these neck lymph nodes had increased [18F]AV-45 uptake. Postoperative histopathological analysis confirmed the [18F]AV-45 PET-positive lymph node as MTC with amyloid deposition, while other [18F]FDG positive lymph nodes were free from MTC and amyloid plaques. Thus, [18F]AV-45 showed the promise for the clinical PET/CT imaging of MTC.

Quality of Life in Patients With Velopharyngeal Insufficiency in West China.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the quality of life (QOL) of patients with cleft lip and palate and velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) in relation to sex, age, age at initial cleft lip surgery, and age at initial cleft palate surgery. DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional study. SETTING: The study was conducted in a tertiary medical center. PARTICIPANTS: The participants were caregivers of 72 patients with cleft lip and palate and VPI aged 4 to 20 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Participants completed the Chinese version of the caregiver report of the VPI Effects on Life Outcomes (VELO) questionnaire. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to evaluate the patients' sex, age, age at initial cleft lip repair, and age at initial cleft palate repair in relation to VELO total score and domains. Spearman correlation analysis was completed including all study variables. Associations between the study variables and the VELO total score were tested using a generalized linear mixed model. RESULTS: In the univariate analysis, patients' age and age at initial cleft palate surgery influenced the QOL of patients with VPI. There were no differences in the VELO total score or domains based on sex or age at first cleft lip surgery. In the generalized linear mixed model, patients older than 8 years had higher VELO total scores. CONCLUSIONS: By caregiver report, the QOL of patients under age 8 years with VPI was lower than older patients. In addition, the caregiver impact domain was higher for parents of children who had their initial cleft palate surgery at age 2 years or younger.

Diagnostic and therapeutic ERß, HER2, BRCA biomakers in the histological subtypes of lung adenocarcinoma according to the IASLC/ATS/ERS classification.

Several studies revealed that non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) frequently express ER, PR, HER2 and carry BRCA mutation. However, these markers in histological subtypes of lung adenocarcinoma have not been thoroughly investigated. We retrospectively evaluated a total of 640 lung adenocarcinoma samples for ERα, ERß, PR and HER2 expression by immunohistochemistry and western-blotting, for EGFR and BRCA mutation by real-time PCR and sequencing. Furthermore, HER2 amplification and mutation were explored in samples harboring immunopositivity HER2 using fluorescence in situ hybridization and real-time PCR, respectively. The micropapillary and invasive mucinous predominant adenocarcinoma were frequently detected the higher level of cytoplasmic ERß (64.9% and 56.6%), HER2 (68.1% and 60.1%) protein expression. But, amplification of HER2 was detected in only three cases (3/110, 2.7%) and 26 HER2 mutations in 110 cases were identified (23.6%) in the HER2 immunopositivity patients. Logistic regression analysis showed that cytoplasmic ERß (P = 0.032) and HER2 (P = 0.015) expression were independently associated with EGFR mutation. 8 patients (8/640, 1.25%) harbored pathogenic BRCA mutations, 6 with germline BRCA mutations and 2 with somatic BRCA1 mutations were detected with lacking ERß, PR and HER2 expression. Acinar predominant adenocarcinoma had the higher percentage of BRCA mutations than other subtypes. A systematic examination of ERß, HER2 and BRCA biomarkers could potentially be useful to diagnosis and identify patients with the histological subtypes of lung adenocarcinoma, who might benefit from the further individualized treatment of anti-hormone, anti-HER2 and/or PARP inhibitors therapeutics.

Localized biphasic malignant mesothelioma presenting as a giant pelvic wall mass: a rare case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Localized biphasic MPeM is rare in clinical practice, we reviewed 8 cases of localized biphasic MPeM (including our present case), and summarized the clinical and imaging features of the disease. CASE PRESENTATION: We reported a 79-year-old man with chief complaint of a narrowing in the caliber of the stool for one year. A soft tissue shadow was occasionally found by CT examination in the right pelvic wall, and it was diagnosed as localized biphasic malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPeM) by postoperative pathology. Radical excision was performed and no radio-chemotherapy was applied. Nearly six years after surgery, the mass was significantly enlarged, and the neighboring tissues including rectum, prostate, seminal vesicle, and right ischial ramus were all infiltrated. The patient was in the end stage of cancer with poor prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: The localized biphasic MPeM may show following characteristics: (1) with heterogeneous low-density and obscure margin; (2) with low incidence rate of ascites; (3) with few central hemorrhage and necrosis; (4) with few calcified structures; (5) with mild to moderate heterogeneous delayed enhancement on contrast-enhanced CT. The imaging characteristics can provide further information for the diagnosis of localized biphasic MPeM in the future.

The value of single-source dual-energy CT imaging for discriminating microsatellite instability from microsatellite stability human colorectal cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To demonstrate the value of single-source dual-energy computed tomography (ssDECT) imaging for discriminating microsatellite instability (MSI) from microsatellite stability (MSS) colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS: Thirty-eight and seventy-six patients with pathologically proven MSI and MSS CRC, respectively, were retrospectively selected and compared. These patients underwent contrast-enhanced abdominal ssDECT scans before any anti-cancer treatment. Effective atomic number (Eff-Z) in precontrast phase, slope k of spectral HU curve in precontrast (k-P), arterial (k-A), venous (k-V), and delayed phase (k-D), normalized iodine concentration in arterial (NIC-A), venous (NIC-V), and delayed phase (NIC-D), of tumors in two groups were measured by two reviewers. Consistency of measurements was tested by intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC). Mann-Whitney U test or Student's t test was used to compare above values between MSI and MSS. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze multiple parameters. Receiver operating characteristic curves were calculated to assess diagnostic efficacies. RESULTS: Interobserver agreement was excellent (ICC > 0.80). MSI CRC had significantly lower values in all measurements (NIC-A, V, D; k-P, A, V, D; Eff-Z) than MSS CRC. For discriminating MSI from MSS CRC, the area under curve (AUC) using k-A was the highest (AUC, 0.803; sensitivity, 72.4%; specificity, 76.3%). The multivariate logistic regression (selection method, Enter) with combined ssDECT parameters (NIC-A, NIC-V, NIC-D, Eff-Z, k-P, k-A, k-V, k-D) significantly improved diagnostic capability with AUC of 0.886 (sensitivity, 81.6%; specificity, 81.6%). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of multiple parameters in ssDECT imaging by multivariate logistic regression provides relatively high diagnostic accuracy for discriminating MSI from MSS CRC. KEY POINTS: • ssDECT generates multiple parameters for discriminating CRC with MSI from MSS. • ssDECT measurements for MSI CRC were significantly lower than MSS CRC. • Combination of ssDECT parameters further improves diagnostic capability for differentiation.

[Expression and clinical significance of Dyrk1b in the specimens and cells of cervical lesions].

OBJECTIVE: To detect and explore the expression and clinical significance of dual specificity tyrosine phosphorylation regulated kinase1b (Dyrk1b) in the specimens and cells of cervical lesions. METHODS: (1) All the data were collected from 75 patients with cervical cancer and 52 cases with squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL) admitted in the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical College during Jan. 2011 to Dec. 2013 and confirmed by pathological examination, included 60 cases of stage Ⅰ and 15 cases of stage Ⅱ, 12 cases with low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) and 40 cases with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL). While, 28 cases with chronic cervicitis were chosen as the control group. The protein expression of Dyrk1b was detected by immunohistochemistry among the four groups. (2) The expression of Dyrk1b in HeLa and SiHa cells were detected by western blot method and the expression of Dyrk1b protein were also detected after treatment of AZ191 (5, 10 µmol/L) for 48 hours in HeLa and SiHa cells. (3) The cellular survival and proliferation of HeLa and SiHa cells treated by different concentrations of AZ191 (2.5, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 µmol/L) for 48 hours were detected by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay. (4) The rate of apoptosis of HeLa and SiHa cells was detected by flowcytometry after treatment of AZ191 (5, 10 µmol/L) for 48 hours. RESULTS: (1) The positive rates of Dyrk1b protein in chronic cervicitis, LSIL, HSIL and cervical squamous cancer by immunohistochemistry were 11%(3/28), 1/12, 42% (17/40) and 71% (53/75), respectively. The expression of Dyrk1b in cervical squamous cancer and HISL were higher than those in LSIL and chronic cervicitis (P<0.01), there were significant difference between cervical squamous cancer and HSIL, or between HSIL and LSIL (all P<0.05), while there were not significant difference between LSIL and chronic cervicitis (P>0.05). Expression of Dyrk1b was correlated with stromal invasion depth of cervical cancer (P<0.05), but not with age, clinical stage, lymph node metastasis, and serum squamous cell carcinom antigen (SCC-Ag) levels (all P>0.05). (2) Dyrk1b protein was expressed in different levels in HeLa and SiHa cells, and the expression of Dyrk1b was decreased gradually as the increased of the concentration of AZ191 in both HeLa and SiHa cells by treatment of AZ191 for 48 hours. (3) Different concentration of AZ191 treated on cervical cancer cells could inhibit the cellular proliferation and induce cell apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner (P<0.01), concomitant to the decreased cell survival rate. The apoptosis rate of HeLa and SiHa were increased significantly after 10 µmol/L AZ191-treatment for 48 hours, but no any difference induced by 5 µmol/L AZ191-treatment compared to control group. Also,there was no any difference between Hela and SiHa cells in either inhibitory effect or apoptosis rate induced by AZ191. CONCLUSIONS: Dyrk1b is over-expressed in either specimens or cells of cervical cancer. The expression of Dyrk1b protein in cervical lesions is increased as the progression of disease. Dyrk1b inhibitor AZ191 could inhibit cellular proliferation and induce apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner in cervical cancer cells.

Effect of Infliximab on Radiation-Induced Submandibular Gland Dysfunction in Rats.

Inflammatory response is one of the essential parts of various pathogenic mechanisms of radiation-induced salivary dysfunction. The effect of decreasing the levels of inflammatory cytokines on alleviating submandibular gland injuries after irradiation is unclear. This study aimed to explore the effect of the antibody against tumor necrosis factor-alpha, infliximab, on radiation-induced submandibular gland dysfunction in rats. Male Wistar rats received a single 20 Gy dose to the right submandibular gland region or sham irradiated. Meanwhile, the irradiated group was divided into infliximab treatment groups or untreated groups. Animals were euthanized at 1, 6, and 12 weeks postirradiation, and the irradiated submandibular gland was dissected for subsequent detection. Submandibular gland exposure caused obvious pathological changes. The increased levels of inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1ß, and interleukin-6, represent an aggravated inflammatory response. The results of the western blot, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and immunofluorescence staining showed upregulated levels of claudin-1, claudin-3, and aquaporin 5 and downregulated levels of claudin-4. Moreover, nuclear factor kappa-B phosphorylation levels were also up-regulated. In subsequent experiments, we found that infliximab alleviated inflammatory response, up-regulated tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1ß, and interleukin-6 levels, and improved claudin-1, claudin-3, claudin-4, and aquaporin 5 expression. Our results indicate that infliximab might improve the para-cellular pathway and trans-cellular pathway destruction by reducing the inflammatory.

Correlation of Ktrans derived from dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI with treatment response and survival in locally advanced NSCLC patients undergoing induction immunochemotherapy and concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the prognostic significance of pretreatment dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI parameters concerning tumor response following induction immunochemotherapy and survival outcomes in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who underwent immunotherapy-based multimodal treatments. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Unresectable stage III NSCLC patients treated by induction immunochemotherapy, concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with or without consolidative immunotherapy from two prospective clinical trials were screened. Using the two-compartment Extend Tofts model, the parameters including Ktrans, Kep, Ve, and Vp were calculated from DCE-MRI data. The apparent diffusion coefficient was calculated from diffusion-weighted-MRI data. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under the curve (AUC) were used to assess the predictive performance of MRI parameters. The Cox regression model was used for univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: 111 unresectable stage III NSCLC patients were enrolled. Patients received two cycles of induction immunochemotherapy and CCRT, with or without consolidative immunotherapy. With the median follow-up of 22.3 months, the median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 16.3 and 23.8 months. The multivariate analysis suggested that Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score, TNM stage and the response to induction immunochemotherapy were significantly related to both PFS and OS. After induction immunochemotherapy, 67 patients (59.8%) achieved complete response or partial response and 44 patients (40.2%) had stable disease or progressive disease. The Ktrans of primary lung tumor before induction immunochemotherapy yielded the best performance in predicting the treatment response, with an AUC of 0.800. Patients were categorized into two groups: high-Ktrans group (n=67, Ktrans＞164.3×10-3/min) and low-Ktrans group (n=44, Ktrans≤164.3×10-3/min) based on the ROC analysis. The high-Ktrans group had a significantly higher objective response rate than the low-Ktrans group (85.1% (57/67) vs 22.7% (10/44), p<0.001). The high-Ktrans group also presented better PFS (median: 21.1 vs 11.3 months, p=0.002) and OS (median: 34.3 vs 15.6 months, p=0.035) than the low-Ktrans group. CONCLUSIONS: Pretreatment Ktrans value emerged as a significant predictor of the early response to induction immunochemotherapy and survival outcomes in unresectable stage III NSCLC patients who underwent immunotherapy-based multimodal treatments. Elevated Ktrans values correlated positively with enhanced treatment response, leading to extended PFS and OS durations.

Fraction Dose Escalation of Hypofractionated Radiotherapy with Concurrent Chemotherapy and Subsequent Consolidation Immunotherapy in Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Phase I Study.

PURPOSE: This phase I trial aimed to determine the maximum tolerated fraction dose (MTFD) of hypofractionated radiotherapy (hypo-RT) combined with concurrent chemotherapy and subsequent consolidation immune checkpoint inhibitors (cICI) for patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Split-course hypo-RT and hypoboost combined with concurrent chemotherapy was administered at three dose levels (DL), using a stepwise dose-escalation protocol. The sophisticated esophagus-sparing technique was implemented to restrict the dose to the esophagus. Patients who did not experience disease progression or unresolved ≥grade 2 (G2+) toxicities after RT received cICI. Each DL aimed to treat six patients. The MTFD was defined as the highest DL at which ≤2 patients of the six who were treated experienced treatment-related G3+ toxicity and ≤1 patient experienced G4+ toxicity within 12 months post-RT. RESULTS: Eighteen patients were enrolled, with six patients in each DL. All patients completed hypo-RT and concurrent chemotherapy, and 16 (88.9%) received at least one infusion of cICI, with a median of 10 infusions. Within the 12-month assessment period, one patient in DL1 experienced G3 pneumonitis, and one patient in DL3 developed G3 tracheobronchitis. The MTFD was not reached. The objective response rate was 100%. With a median follow-up of 20.9 months, the 1-year overall survival and progression-free survival rates were 94.4% and 83.3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Utilizing the split-course hypo-RT and hypoboost approach, a fraction dose of 5 Gy to a total dose of 60 Gy, combined with concurrent chemotherapy and subsequent cICI, was well tolerated and yielded a promising objective response rate and survival outcomes.

A pilot trial of consolidation bevacizumab after hypo-fractionated concurrent chemoradiotherapy in patients with unresectable locally advanced non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE: To determine the feasibility of incorporating bevacizumab consolidation into hypo-fractionated concurrent chemoradiotherapy (hypo-CCRT) for patients with unresectable locally advanced non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (LA-NS-NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eligible patients were treated with hypo-RT (40Gy in 10 fractions) followed by hypo-boost (24-28Gy in 6-7 fractions), along with concurrent weekly chemotherapy. Patients who completed the hypo-CCRT without experiencing ≥G2 toxicities received consolidation bevacizumab every 3 weeks for up to 1 year, until disease progression or unacceptable treatment-related toxicities. The primary endpoint was the risk of G4 or higher hemorrhage. Secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), locoregional failure-free survival (LRFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and objective response rate (ORR). All time-to-event endpoints (OS, PFS, LRFS, and DMFS) were measured from the start of radiotherapy. RESULTS: Between December 2017 and July 2020, a total of 27 patients were included in the analysis, with a median follow-up duration of 28.0 months. One patient (3.7%) developed G5 hemorrhage during bevacizumab consolidation. Additionally, seven patients (25.9%) had G3 cough and three patients (11.1%) experienced G3 pneumonitis. The ORR for the entire cohort was 92.6%. The median OS was 37.0 months (95% confidence interval, 8.9-65.1 months), the median PFS was 16.0 months (95% confidence interval, 14.0-18.0 months), the median LRFS was not reached, and the median DMFS was 18.0 months. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study met its goal of demonstrating the tolerability of consolidation bevacizumab after hypo-CCRT. Further investigation of antiangiogenic and immunotherapy combinations in LA-NSCLC is warranted, while the potential for grade 3 respiratory toxicities should be taken into consideration.

An exploratory analysis of MR-guided fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy in patients with brain metastases.

Purpose: To assess the feasibility and potential benefits of online adaptive MR-guided fractionated stereotatic radiotherapy (FSRT) in patients with brain metastases (BMs). Methods and materials: Twenty-eight consecutive patients with BMs were treated with FSRT of 30 Gy in 5 fractions on the 1.5 T MR-Linac. The FSRT fractions employed daily MR scans and the contours were utilized to create each adapted plan. The brain lesions and perilesional edema were delineated on MR images of pre-treatment simulation (Fx0) and all fractions (Fx1, Fx2, Fx3, Fx4 and Fx5) to evaluate the inter-fractional changes. These changes were quantified using absolute/relative volume, Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and Hausdorff distance (HD) metrics. Planning target volume (PTV) coverage and organ at risk (OAR) constraints were used to compare non-adaptive and adaptive plans. Results: A total of 28 patients with 88 lesions were evaluated, and 23 patients (23/28, 82.1%) had primary lung adenocarcinoma. Significant tumor volume reduction had been found during FSRT compared to Fx0 for all 88 lesions (median -0.75%, -5.33%, -9.32%, -17.96% and -27.73% at Fx1, Fx2, Fx3, Fx4 and Fx5, p < 0.05). There were 47 (47/88, 53.4%) lesions being accompanied by perilesional edema and the inter-fractional changes were significantly different compared to those without perilesional edema (p < 0.001). Patients with multiple lesions (13/28, 46.4%) had more significant inter-fractional tumor changes than those with single lesion (15/28, 53.6%), including tumor volume reduction and anatomical shift (p < 0.001). PTV coverage of non-adaptive plans was below the prescribed coverage in 26/140 fractions (19%), with 12 (9%) failing by more than 10%. All 140 adaptive fractions met prescribed target coverage. The adaptive plans also had lower dose to whole brain than non-adaptive plans (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Significant inter-fractional tumor changes could be found during FSRT in patients with BMs treated on the 1.5 T MR-Linac. Daily MR-guided re-optimization of treatment plans showed dosimetric benefit in patients with perilesional edema or multiple lesions.

Efficacy and cost-effectiveness analysis of pretreatment percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy in unresectable locally advanced esophageal cancer patients treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (GASTO 1059).

BACKGROUND: We launched a single-arm phase II study to determine the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) before concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). METHODS: Eligible patients received pretreatment PEG and enteral nutrition during CCRT. The primary outcome was the change of weight during CCRT. The secondary outcome included nutrition status, loco-regional objective response rate (ORR), loco-regional progression-free survival (LRFS), overall survival (OS), and toxicities. A 3-state Markov model was applied for cost-effectiveness analysis. Eligible patients were matched and compared with those who had nasogastric tube feeding (NTF) or oral nutritional supplements (ONS). RESULTS: Sixty-three eligible patients received pretreatment PEG-based CCRT. The mean change of weight during CCRT was -1.4% (standard deviation, 4.4%), and after CCRT, 28.6% of patients gained weight and 98.4% had normal albumin levels. The loco-regional ORR and 1-year LRFS were 98.4% and 88.3%. The incidence of grade ≥3 esophagitis was 14.3%. After matching, another 63 patients were included in the NTF group and 63 in the ONS group. More patients gained weight after CCRT in the PEG group (p = 0.001). The PEG group showed higher loco-regional ORR (p = 0.036) and longer 1-year LRFS (p = 0.030). In cost analysis, the PEG group showed an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $3457.65 per quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) compared with the ONS group with a probability of cost-effectiveness of 77.7% at the $10,000 per QALY willingness-to-pay threshold. CONCLUSION: Pretreatment PEG is associated with better nutritional status and treatment outcome in ESCC patients treated with CCRT compared with ONS and NTF. Pretreatment of PEG can be cost-effective because of its significant clinical benefits.

Global spreading of Omicron variant of COVID-19.

Although two years have passed since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, various variants are still rampant across the globe. The Omicron variant, in particular, is rapidly gained dominance through its ability to spread. In this study, we elucidated the spatial distribution pattern of Omicron from a global perspective. We used the cumulative number of notified COVID-19 cases per country spanning four weeks up to February 10, 2022, and the proportion of the Omicron variant genomic sequences from the Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data (GISAID). The global spatial distribution of Omicron was investigated by analyzing Global & Local Moran's I and Getis- Ord General G. The spatial weight matrix was defined by combining K-Nearest neighbour and flight connectivity between countries. The results showed that the epidemic is relatively severe in Europe, countries with a high number of Omicron cases and incidence tended to be clustered spatially. In contrast, there are relatively fewer Omicron cases in Asia and Africa, with few hotspots identified. Furthermore, some noted spatial outliers, such as a lowvalue area surrounded by high-value areas, deserve special attention. This study has improved our awareness of the global distribution of Omicron. The findings can provide helpful information for deploying targeted epidemic preparedness for the subsequent COVID-19 variant and future epidemics.

Prognostic value of TMEM59L and its genomic and immunological characteristics in cancer.

Background: TMEM59L is a newly discovered transmembrane protein; its functions in cancer remain unknown. This study was designed to reveal the prognostic value and the functional role of TMEM59L in cancer. Methods: The gene expression profiles, methylation data, and corresponding clinical data of TMEM59L were retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Genotype-Tissue Expression database. Survival analysis was employed to calculate the pan-cancer prognostic value of TMEM59L. The correlation between TMEM59L expression and tumor immune microenvironment, as well as DNA methylation dynamics and genomic heterogeneity across cancers were assessed based on data from TCGA. Results: Our findings revealed that distinct differences of TMEM59L mRNA expression were observed in different cancer types and that higher TMEM59L expression was observed in the advanced pathological stage and associated with worse prognosis in kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma, bladder urothelial carcinoma, colon adenocarcinoma, and kidney renal clear cell carcinoma. Pathway analysis indicated that TMEM59L exerted a key influence in cancer development and in immune- and cancer-associated pathways such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition and TGF-ß signaling. Moreover, correlation analysis hinted at a negative correlation of TMEM59L expression with CD8 T cells, activated CD4 T cells, and several immunomodulators, including IDO1, TIGIT, PD-L1, CTLA-4, and BTLA in various cancers. Survival analysis indicated that the hypermethylation of TMEM59L gene was associated with longer survival times. A significant correlation was also observed between TMEM59L expression and immunophenoscore, homologous recombination deficiency, loss of heterozygosity, tumor stemness score, and neoantigens in various cancers. Importantly, we also identified numerous potential agents that may target TMEM59L. Conclusion: Our study revealed the prognostic value as well as the genomic and immunological characteristics of TMEM59L in cancers, highlighting the promising potential for TMEM59L as a prognostic cancer biomarker and a therapeutic target.

Synthesis of a Low-Molecular-Weight Filtrate Reducer and Its Mechanism for Improving High Temperature Resistance of Water-Based Drilling Fluid Gel System.

During the exploitation of deep and ultradeep oil and gas resources, the high-temperature problem of deep reservoirs has become a major challenge for water-based drilling fluids. In this study, a novel high-temperature-resistant filtrate reducer (LDMS) with low molecular weight was synthesized using N, N-dimethylacrylamide; sodium p-styrene sulfonate; and maleic anhydride, which can maintain the performance of a drilling fluid gel system under high temperature. Unlike the conventional high-temperature-resistant polymer filtrate reducer, LDMS does not significantly increase the viscosity and yield point of the drilling fluid gel systems. After aging at 210 °C, the filtrate volume of a drilling fluid with 2 wt% LDMS was only 8.0 mL. The mechanism of LDMS was studied by particle size distribution of a drilling fluid gel system, Zeta potential change, adsorption experiment, change of bentonite interlayer spacing, filter cake scanning electron microscope, and related theoretical analysis. The mechanism study revealed that LDMS could be adsorbed on the surface of bentonite particles in large quantities and intercalated into the interlayer of bentonite. Thus, it can improve the hydration degree of bentonite particles and the colloidal stability of the drilling fluid gel system, maintain the content of fine particles in the drilling fluid gel system, form a compact mud cake, and significantly reduce the filtrate volume of the drilling fluid gel system. Therefore, this work will promote the application of a low-molecular-weight polymer filtrate reducer in high-temperature-resistant water-based drilling fluid gel systems.

Upregulation of δ-catenin is associated with poor prognosis and enhances transcriptional activity through Kaiso in non-small-cell lung cancer.

δ-Catenin is the only member of the p120 catenin (p120ctn) subfamily that its primary expression is restricted to the brain. Since δ-catenin is upregulated in human lung cancer, the effects of δ-catenin overexpression in lung cancer still need to be clarified. Immunohistochemistry was performed to investigate the expression of δ-catenin and Kaiso, a δ-catenin-binding transcription factor, in 151 lung cancer specimens. A correlation between cytoplasmic δ-catenin and Kaiso expression was also associated with high TNM stage, lymph node metastases and poor prognosis. Co-immunoprecipitation assay confirmed the interactions of δ-catenin and Kaiso in lung cancer cells. In addition, gene transfection and RNAi technology were used to demonstrate that increased δ-catenin expression was promoted, whereas its knockdown suppressed its lung cancer invasive ability. In addition, methylation-specific PCR and ChIP assay demonstrated that δ-catenin could regulate MTA2 via Kaiso in a methylation-dependent manner, while it could regulate cyclin D1 and MMP7 expression through Kaiso in a sequence-specific manner. In conclusion, a δ-catenin/Kaiso pathway exists in lung cancer cells. Increased δ-catenin expression is critical for maintenance of the malignant phenotype of lung cancer, making δ-catenin a candidate target protein for future cancer therapeutics.

delta-Catenin promotes malignant phenotype of non-small cell lung cancer by non-competitive binding to E-cadherin with p120ctn in cytoplasm.

As a member of the catenin family, little is known about the clinical significance and possible mechanism of delta-catenin expression in numerous tumours. We examined the expression of delta-catenin by immunohistochemistry in 115 cases of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (including 65 cases with follow-up records and 50 cases with paired lymph node metastasis lesions). The mRNA and protein expression of delta-catenin was also detected in 30 cases of paired lung cancer tissues and normal lung tissues by RT-PCR and western blotting, respectively. Co-immunoprecipitation was used to examine whether delta-catenin competitively bound to E-cadherin with p120ctn in lung cancer cells or not. The effects of delta-catenin on the activity of small GTPases and the biological behaviour of lung cancer cells were explored by pull-down assay, flow cytometry, MTT, and Matrigel invasive assay. The results showed that the mRNA and protein expression of delta-catenin was increased in lung cancer tissues; the positive expression rate of delta-catenin was significantly increased in adenocarcinoma, stage III-IV, paired lymph node metastasis lesions, and primary tumours with lymph node metastasis (all p < 0.05); and the postoperative survival period of patients with delta-catenin-positive expression was shorter than that of patients with delta-catenin-negative expression (p < 0.05). No competition between delta-catenin and p120ctn for binding to E-cadherin in cytoplasm was found in two lung cancer cell lines. By regulating the activity of small GTPases and changing the cell cycle, delta-catenin could promote the proliferation and invasion of lung cancer cells. We conclude that delta-catenin is an oncoprotein overexpressed in NSCLC and that increased delta-catenin expression is critical for maintenance of the malignant phenotype of lung cancer.

Overexpression of SCC-S2 correlates with lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer.

The objective of the current study was to investigate the expression pattern and clinicopathological significance of SCC-S2 in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The expression profile of SCC-S2 in NSCLC tissues and adjacent noncancerous lung tissues was detected by real-time RT-PCR, western blot analysis, and immunohistochemistry. In 25 lung cancer tissues examined, 18 (72%) of them exhibited stronger levels of SCC-S2 mRNA compared with their corresponding normal tissues. SCC-S2 protein level was up-regulated in cancerous lung tissues compared to adjacent normal tissue. Moreover, the expression level of SCC-S2 in 93 archived NSCLC tissues was measured by immunohistochemical staining. SCC-S2 was found to be overexpressed in 71 of 93 (76.3%) human lung cancer samples and correlated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.0181), p-TNM stage (P = 0.0042), Ki-67 expression (P = 0.0028), and poor survival (P = 0.012). In addition, depleting SCC-S2 expression by small-interfering RNA inhibited growth and invasion in lung cell lines. These results indicate that SCC-S2 plays an important role in NSCLC and might be a useful therapeutic target of NSCLC.