Construction of BaTiO3-TiO2 hollow sphere heterojunctions for enhanced microwave dynamic therapy in cancer treatment.

Cancer is one of the primary health concerns among humans due to its high incidence rate and lack of effective treatment. Currently, medical techniques to achieve the precise elimination of local cancer lesions with negligible damage to normal tissues are still intensely desired. Herein, we synthesized BaTiO3-TiO2 hollow spheres (BTHSs) for use in microwave dynamic therapy (MWDT) for cancer. Under UV irradiation, BTHSs can mediate the production of multiple reactive oxygen species (ROS), mainly 1O2, which results in a rapid photocatalytic degradation rate (97%), 1.6-fold that of commercial P25. Importantly, the ROS production process can be triggered by microwaves to effectively execute MWDT for cancer. Under microwave irradiation, BTHSs exhibit a remarkable therapeutic effect and slight cytotoxicity. In terms of mechanism, the enhanced ROS production efficiency of BTHSs can be attributed to their unique hollow structure and the formation of a type-II heterojunction by the incorporation of BaTiO3. The hollow structure increases the availability of active sites and enhances light scattering, while the BaTiO3-TiO2 heterojunction enhances the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 through charge transfer and electron-hole separation. Overall, this study provides important insights into the design and optimization of sensitizers for MWDT applications.

Correlation between Pneumatization Variants of Paranasal Sinuses and Skull Base and Spontaneous Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea: A Case-Control Study.

INTRODUCTION: Spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea (SCSFR) is the most common type of cerebrospinal fluid leakage and may cause serious cerebral complications. The aim of this research was to investigate the relationship between the degree of pneumatization variants of the paranasal sinus and skull base and the incidence of SCSFR. METHODS: In total, 131 patients with SCSFR were analyzed, and 50 patients suffering from the nasal septal deviation were selected as controls. The pneumatization of the paranasal sinus and skull base was observed by CT scan. RESULTS: Among the 137 fistulas, 55 (40.15%) were found in the ethmoid sinus. The incidences of Onodi cells (27.27 vs. 8%) and type 3 lateral recess of the sphenoid sinus (LRSS, 70.37 vs. 22%) in the SCSFR subgroups were significantly higher than those in the control group (p < 0.05). Moreover, the occurrence of SCSFR was linearly correlated with the classification of Onodi cells and LRSS (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of frontal cells, anterior clinoid process pneumatization, and posterior clinoid process pneumatization between the SCSFR patients and the controls. CONCLUSION: The most common site of SCSFR is the ethmoid sinus. The excessive pneumatization of the Onodi cell and LRSS increases the risk for the occurrence of SCSFR in the ethmoid sinus and sphenoid sinus, respectively. The possible association between the paranasal sinus ontogeny and SCSFR pathophysiology needs further studies.

Identification Invasion-Related Long Non-Coding RNAs in Lung Adenocarcinoma and Analysis of Competitive Endogenous RNA Regulatory Networks.

Background: Cell invasion plays a vital role in cancer development and progression. Aberrant expression of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) is also critical in carcinogenesis. However, the prognostic value of invasion-related lncRNAs in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains unknown. Methods: Differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs), lncRNAs (DElncRNAs), and microRNAs (DEmiRNAs) were between LUAD and control samples. Pearson correlation analyses were performed to screen for invasion-related DElncRNAs (DEIRLs). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression algorithms were applied to identify key genes and construct the risk score model, which was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to explore the underlying pathways of the risk model. Moreover, an invasion-related competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory network was constructed. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was performed to detect the expression of prognostic lncRNAs in the LUAD and control samples. Results: A total of 45 DElncRNAs were identified as DEIRLs. RP3-525N10.2, LINC00857, EP300-AS1, PDZRN3-AS1, and RP5-1102E8.3 were potential prognostic lncRNAs, the expression of which was verified by RT-qPCR in LUAD samples. Both the risk score model and nomogram used the prognostic lncRNAs. ROC curves showed the risk score model had moderate accuracy and the nomogram had high accuracy in predicting patient prognosis. GSEA results indicated that the risk score model was associated with many biological processes and pathways relevant to cell proliferation. A ceRNA regulatory network was constructed in which PDZRN3-miR-96-5p-CPEB1, EP300-AS1-miR-93-5p-CORO2B, and RP3-525N10.2-miR-130a-5p-GHR may be key invasion-related regulatory pathways in LUAD. Conclusion: Our study identified five novel invasion-related prognostic lncRNAs (RP3-525N10.2, LINC00857, EP300-AS1, PDZRN3-AS1, and RP5-1102E8.3) and established an accurate model for predicting the prognosis of patients with LUAD. These findings enrich our understanding of the relationships between cell invasion, lncRNAs, and LUAD and may provide novel treatment directions.

[Analysis of correlation between the pneumatization degree of paranasal sinuses and skull base and spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea].

Objective:To investigate the relationship between the pneumatization degree of paranasal sinuses and skull base and the incidence of spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea （SCSFR）. Methods:Date of 107 patients with SCSFR were reviewed retrospectively. Using CT scans, investigator evaluated the pneumatization degree of paranasal sinuses and skull base, and compared classifications of various imaging characteristics between SCSFR group（case group） and nasal septum deviation group（control group）, including frontal cells, Onodi cell, lateral recess of sphenoid sinus （LRSS）, pneumatization of anterior clinoid process and pneumatization of posterior clinoid process. Results:One hundred and eight fistulas are found among 107 cases. The most common site of the fistulas is found in ethmoid sinus （38.89%）, followed by olfactory cleft（37.04%）, sphenoid sinus （21.30%） and frontal sinus （2.77%）.The incidence of Onodi cell was significantly different between case and control group（χ²=4.755, P<0.05）, and the classification of Onodi cell has a linear effect on the occurrence of SCSFR （Z=3.345, P<0.05）, which suggests the increasing level of Onodi cell can increase the probability in occurrence of SCSFR. The incidence of type Ⅲ LRSS in the case group is significantly higher than in the control group（χ²=18.725, P<0.05）,a linear correlation is found between the classification of LRSS and the incidence of SCSFR （Z=3.578, P<0.05）.There was no significant difference in the incidence of frontal cells between the two groups（χ²=0.672, P>0.05）, nor was there a linear relationship between the classification of frontal cells and the incidence of SCSFR （Z=0.503, P>0.05）. Pneumatization of anterior clinoid process and posterior clinoid process were no significant difference between case and control （P>0.05）,nor were there linear relationships between their classifications and SCSFR （P>0.05）. Conclusion:The most common site of SCSFR is ethmoid sinus, followed by olfactory cleft,the hyperpneumatization of the LRSS and Onodi cell are closely related to its pathogenesis.

The anti-neoplastic activities of aloperine in HeLa cervical cancer cells are associated with inhibition of the IL-6-JAK1-STAT3 feedback loop.

Cervical cancer (CC) is recognized as the most common neoplasm in the female reproductive system worldwide. The lack of chemotherapeutic agents with outstanding effectiveness and safety severely compromises the anti-cipated prognosis of patients. Aloperine (ALO) is a natural quinolizidine alkaloid with marked anti-cancer effects on multiple malignancies as well as favorable activity in relieving inflammation, allergies and infection. However, its therapeutic efficacy and underlying mechanism in CC are still unclear. In the current study, MTT assay was employed to evaluate the viability of HeLa cells exposed to ALO to preliminarily estimate the effectiveness of ALO in CC. Then, the effects of ALO on the proliferation and apoptosis of HeLa cells were further investigated by plate colony formation and flow cytometry, respectively, while the migration and invasion of ALO-treated HeLa cells were evaluated using Transwell assay. Moreover, nude mice were subcutaneously inoculated with HeLa cells to demonstrate the anti-CC properties of ALO in vivo. The molecular mechanisms underlying these effects of ALO were evaluated by Western blot and immunohistochemical analysis. This study experimentally demonstrated that ALO inhibited the proliferation of HeLa cells via G2 phase cell cycle arrest. Simultaneously, ALO promoted an increase in the percentage of apoptotic HeLa cells by increasing the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. Additionally, the migration and invasion of HeLa cells were attenuated by ALO treatment, which was considered to result from inhibition of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. For molecular mechanisms, the expression and activation of the IL-6-JAK1-STAT3 feedback loop were markedly suppressed by ALO treatment. This study indicated that ALO markedly suppresses the proliferation, migration and invasion and enhances the apoptosis of HeLa cells. In addition, these prominent anti-CC properties of ALO are associated with repression of the IL-6-JAK1-STAT3 feedback loop.

Assessment of three types of intranasal nebulization devices in three-dimensional printed models and volunteers: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Intranasal nebulization is an effective treatment for chronic rhinosinusitis and allergic rhinitis; however, terminal inhalation devices have not been fully studied. We compared the sinonasal aerosol distributions and adverse effects of different inhalation units. METHODS: A mask, double-head nozzle, and single-head nozzle were applied to atomize the methylene blue solution to 3-dimensional printed models of the pediatric nasal cavity, adult nasal cavity with septal deviation, and postsurgical paranasal sinuses, and staining of the different sites was scored. Volunteers received nebulization of normal saline via different devices; thereafter, the adverse effects were assessed using the visual analogue scale (VAS). RESULTS: After nebulization, the staining scores for the middle turbinate and middle meatus of the pediatric and adult nasal cavity models and the score for the anterior ethmoid sinus of the sinus model with the single-head nozzle were significantly higher than those with the mask and double-head nozzle (all p < 0.05; η2 for effect size estimates were above 0.68). Among the 31 volunteers, the adverse effects, including nasal irritation, facial pressure/pain, ear fullness/pain, postnasal drip, and throat irritation/cough, were mild. The variations in the incidence and VAS scores of the adverse effects among the devices were not significant (all p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The single-head nozzle was the most effective device in aerosol delivery to the lateral wall of the nasal cavity and sinuses; conversely, the mask yielded limited sinonasal deposition. Intranasal nebulization was well tolerated, and the adverse effects among the devices were comparable. These findings are meaningful for selecting and developing inhalation units.

Use of high-fidelity 3-dimensional-printed models for training novice residents in basic nasal endoscopic skills.

BACKGROUND: The use of 3-dimensional (3D)-printed models is promising in nasal endoscopic technique training. Here, we aimed to develop postsurgical simulants for use in conjunction with 3D-printed nasal models and to assess their usefulness in helping residents transfer basic endoscopic skills acquired during simulation training to clinical situations. METHODS: The secretion simulant was prepared via a crosslinked reaction between sodium alginate and acrylamide, whereas the packing simulant was prepared using a superabsorbent polymer. After the simulants' fidelity and utility were evaluated by 5 rhinologists using a 5-point Likert scale, 46 novice residents were trained using the 3D-printed nasal models and postsurgical simulants for 2 weeks. A checklist and Global Rating Scale (GRS) were used to assess their performances before and after training, and the time to finish each task was also recorded. Following training, the qualified trainees operated on real patients and were reevaluated. RESULTS: The simulants' similarity and usefulness scored ≥4.0, and the training cost was 28 CNY ($4 USD) per session. Following training, the checklist and GRS scores increased, and the operation time decreased (all p < 0.05). There were no statistical differences between the trainees' performances on the models with the simulants and on patients (all p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The low-cost simulated secretion and dressing are safe to use. The application of the simulants in conjunction with that of 3D-printed nasal models in a simulated task setting can help residents in transferring endoscopic skills acquired during simulation teaching to real patients.