The therapeutic value of ipsilateral supraclavicular lymphadenectomy in locally advanced breast cancer: A review.

The treatment of isolated ipsilateral supraclavicular lymph node metastasis for locally advanced breast cancer has always been a controversial issue for breast surgeons. However, with the further understanding of the metastasis and treatment of breast cancer, it is now considered to be a locally advanced disease, and there is a new debate on the treatment of isolated ipsilateral supraclavicular lymph node metastasis. The author reviewed the relevant literature and briefly discussed the clinical significance of supraclavicular lymph node resection in patients with locally advanced breast cancer presenting with isolated ipsilateral supraclavicular lymph node metastasis.

Breast mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma: A case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, also known as extranodal marginal zone lymphoma, is more commonly detected in the stomach and rarely in the breast. Our study presented a clinical and pathological examination of a patient diagnosed with breast MALT lymphoma, supplemented with pertinent research, to offer guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of this condition. PEOPLE CONCERNS: The occurrence of breast MALT lymphoma has risen in the past decade, but its etiology, progression and treatment response are less well-studied. DIAGNOSIS: Breast MALT lymphoma was diagnosed by excisional biopsy and histopathology. INTERVENTIONS: Following breast MALT lymphoma diagnosis, the patient was transferred to the hematology department for further treatment, and she made the decision to continue observing. OUTCOMES: After 3 months of observation, the patient remained asymptomatic. CONCLUSION: Breast MALT lymphoma is an indolent disease with an asymptomatic presentation, There are no standardized treatment guidelines for breast MALT lymphoma, treatment must be tailored to the patient willingness to treat and the severity of the disease. Hence, in order to give patients a better chance of cure, more research is needed to explore its pathogenesis and more clinical trials are needed investigate the treatment of this disease.

SECTM1 promotes the development of glioblastoma and mesenchymal transition by regulating the TGFß1/Smad signaling pathway.

Objective: Secreted and transmembrane protein 1 (SECTM1) is a gene encoding a transmembrane protein. The role of SECTM1 in glioblastoma (GBM) is unclear. Here, we reported the abnormal expression of SECTM1 in GBM for the first time and studied the role and mechanism of SECTM1 in GBM. Methods: qRT-PCR, Western blotting and immunofluorescence were used to detect the expression of SECTM1 in gliomas of different grades and GBM cell lines. After the knockdown of SECTM1 expression in cell lines by shRNA, the effect of SECTM1 in GBM cell lines was verified by CCK-8, Transwell, EdU and wound healing experiments. We further investigated the effect and mechanism of SECTM1 on GBM in vitro and in vivo. The effect of SECTM1 on glioma growth was detected by subcutaneous tumor xenografts in nude mice in vivo. Results: The results showed that the knockdown of SECTM1 expression in cell lines significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of GBM cells while inhibiting the progression of subcutaneous xenograft tumors in nude mice. However, the role and molecular mechanism of SECTM1 in GBM remain unclear. SECTM1 was found to promote GBM epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) like processes. Bioinformatics analysis and Western blotting showed that SECTM1 regulates glioblastoma invasion and EMT-like processes mainly through the TGFß1/Smad signaling pathway. Conclusion: The low expression of SECTM1 has an inhibitory effect on GBM and is a potential target for GBM treatment. SECTM1 may also be a promising biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of GBM.

Fatty acid modification of casein bioactive peptides nano-assemblies, synthesis, characterization and anticarcinogenic effect.

In this study, the nano-assemblies of bovine casein hydrolyzed peptides (HP) modified by fatty acids with various alkyl chain lengths (C8, C10, C12 and C14) were synthesized. The physicochemical properties of HP-C8-HP-C14 nano-assemblies were characterized using spectra, laser particle size analyzer, contact angle meter, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and cryo-transmission electron microscope (Cryo-TEM). HP-C8 and HP-C10 self-assembled into a hollow cube cage with an average size of ~500 nm, and the assembly of HP-C12 showed a flower-shaped morphology with more dispersed behavior, and droplet size was observed as ~20 nm. The in vitro cytotoxicity against human breast cancer cells MCF-7 was tested using CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry analysis. HP-C12 showed the highest cytotoxicity for MCF-7 cells with an inhibition rate of 66.03 % ± 0.35 % with an IC50 value of 7.4 µM among HP-Cn. HP-C8, HP-C10 and HP-C12 significantly affected on the migration, invasion and apoptosis of MCF-7 cells. The apoptosis mechanism may depend on the upregulation of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 as well as pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and caspase-8. The dead MCF-7 cells were analyzed with UHPLC-MS/MS using untargeted metabolomics, revealing key metabolic pathways.

Hollow Cu2MoS4 nanoparticles loaded with immune checkpoint inhibitors reshape the tumor microenvironment to enhance immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a fatal disease that responds poorly to single-drug immunotherapy with PD-L1 (CD274) inhibitors. Here, we prepared mesoporous nanomaterials Cu2MoS4 (CMS)/PEG loaded with PD-L1 inhibitor BMS-1 and CXCR4 inhibitor Plerixafor to form the nanodrug CMS/PEG-B-P. In vitro experiments, CMS/PEG-B-P have a more substantial inhibitory effect on the expression of PD-L1 and CXCR4 as well as to promote the apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells KPC and suppressed KPC cell proliferation were detected by flow cytometry, qPCR and Western blotting (WB). Promotes the release of the cytotoxic substance reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the production of the immunogenic cell death (ICD) marker calreticulin (CRT) in KPC cells. CMS/PEG-B-P was also detected to have a certain activating effect on mouse immune cells, dendritic cells (mDC) and macrophage RAW264.7. Subcutaneous tumorigenicity experiments in C57BL/6 mice verified that CMS/PEG-B-P had an inhibitory effect on the growth of tumors and remodeling of the tumor immune microenvironment, including infiltration of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and polarization of macrophages, as well as reduction of immunosuppressive cells. Meanwhile, CMS/PEG-B-P was found to have different effects on the release of cytokines in the tumor immune microenvironment, including The levels of immunostimulatory cytokines INF-γ and IL-12 are increased and the levels of immunosuppressive cytokines IL-6, IL-10 and IFN-α are decreased. In conclusion, nanomaterial-loaded immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies can enhance the immune response and reduce side effects, a combination that shows great potential as a new immunotherapeutic approach. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a fatal disease that has a low response to single-drug immunotherapy with PD-L1 (CD274) inhibitors. We preared PEG-modified mesoporous nanomaterials Cu2MoS4 (CMS) loaded with PD-L1 inhibitor BMS-1 and CXCR4 inhibitor Plerixafor to form the nanodrug CMS/PEG-B-P. Our study demonstrated that Nanomaterial-loaded immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies can enhance the immune response and reduce side effects, a combination that shows great potential as a new immunotherapeutic approach.

Organized Chronic Subdural Hematoma Mimicking Acute Epidural Hematoma.

Background: Chronic subdural hematoma is a common disease in neurosurgery, but organized chronic subdural hematoma is rarely seen clinically. This article reports a case of misdiagnosis of organized chronic subdural hematoma as acute epidural hematoma. Through literature review, the causes of misdiagnosis and the treatment methods of organized chronic subdural hematoma are discussed. Case Description. A 70-year-old male patient was admitted to the hospital due to headache and dizziness after head trauma. Emergency head CT reported "left frontotemporal parietal epidural hematoma." Because the head CT showed that the hematoma occupying effect was obvious, an emergency "intracranial hematoma evacuation" was performed. After opening the skull during the operation, no epidural hematoma was seen. Upon incision of the dura mater, the outer membrane of organized chronic subdural hematoma was found. When the outer membrane was cut open, a large amount of reddish-brown silt-like materials was found in the capsule cavity. The inner membrane was not forcibly removed. Postoperative head CT showed that the organized chronic subdural hematoma was basically cleared. Conclusion: The early symptoms of organized chronic subdural hematoma are atypical, with insidious onset and easy misdiagnosis. By carefully inquiring about the medical history and carefully reading the head CT, such misdiagnosis can be avoided. Craniotomy is currently an important treatment option for organized chronic subdural hematoma.

A hematological parameter-based model for distinguishing non-puerperal mastitis from invasive ductal carcinoma.

Purpose: Non-puerperal mastitis (NPM) accounts for approximately 4-5% of all benign breast lesions. Ultrasound is the preferred method for screening breast diseases; however, similarities in imaging results can make it challenging to distinguish NPM from invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). Our objective was to identify convenient and objective hematological markers to distinguish NPM from IDC. Methods: We recruited 89 patients with NPM, 88 with IDC, and 86 with fibroadenoma (FA), and compared their laboratory data at the time of admission. LASSO regression, univariate logistic regression, and multivariate logistic regression were used to screen the parameters for construction of diagnostic models. Receiver operating characteristic curves, calibration curves, and decision curves were constructed to evaluate the accuracy of this model. Results: We found significant differences in routine laboratory data between patients with NPM and IDC, and these indicators were candidate biomarkers for distinguishing between the two diseases. Additionally, we evaluated the ability of some classic hematological markers reported in previous studies to differentiate between NPM and IDC, and the results showed that these indicators are not ideal biomarkers. Furthermore, through rigorous LASSO and logistic regression, we selected age, white blood cell count, and thrombin time to construct a differential diagnostic model that exhibited a high level of discrimination, with an area under the curve of 0.912 in the training set and with 0.851 in the validation set. Furthermore, using the same selection method, we constructed a differential diagnostic model for NPM and FA, which also demonstrated good performance with an area under the curve of 0.862 in the training set and with 0.854 in the validation set. Both of these two models achieved AUCs higher than the AUCs of models built using machine learning methods such as random forest, decision tree, and SVM in both the training and validation sets. Conclusion: Certain laboratory parameters on admission differed significantly between the NPM and IDC groups, and the constructed model was designated as a differential diagnostic marker. Our analysis showed that it has acceptable efficiency in distinguishing NPM from IDC and may be employed as an auxiliary diagnostic tool.

Effects of different types of vegetation cover on soil microorganisms and humus characteristics of soda-saline land in the Songnen Plain.

Introduction: In the soda-saline grasslands of the Songnen Plain, Jilin Province, China, the prohibition of grazing has led to significant changes in plant communities and soil properties. However, the intricate interplay between soil physical and chemical attributes, the soil microbial community, and their combined influence on soil humus composition remains poorly understood. Methods: Our study aimed to evaluate the impact of natural vegetation restoration on soil properties, microbial community diversity, and composition in the soda-saline soil region of the Songnen Plain. We conducted assessments of soil physical and chemical properties, analyzed community diversity, and composition at a soil depth range of 0-20 cm. The study covered soils with dominant soda-saline vegetation species, including Suaeda glauca Bunge, Puccinellia chinampoensis Ohwi, Chloris virgata Swarta, Phragmites australis (Clay.), Leymus chinensis (Trin.), and Tzvelev. We compared these vegetated soils to bare land devoid of any plants. Results: We found that soil organic content (SOC) in vegetation restoration areas was higher than in bare land, with SOC content varying between 3.64 and 11.15 g/kg in different vegetated areas. Notably, soil pH emerged as a pivotal factor, explaining 11.4% and 12.2% of the variance in soil bacteria and fungi, respectively. There were correlations between SOC content and the relative abundance of specific microbial groups, with Acidobacteria and Mortierella showing a positive correlation, while Actinobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes, and Ascomycota exhibited significant negative correlations with SOC. Discussion: The disparities in SOC composition and content among the soda-saline vegetation types were primarily attributed to variations in pH. Consequently, reducing soil pH is identified as a critical step in the process of vegetation restoration in soda-saline land. Prohibiting grazing has the potential to increase soda-saline SOC content and enhance microbial diversity, with Leymus chinensis and Phragmites australis showing particularly promising results in terms of higher SOC carbon content and microbial diversity.

Developments in small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) for characterizing the structure of surfactant-macromolecule interactions and their complex.

The surfactant-macromolecule interactions (SMI) are one of the most critical topics for scientific research and industrial application. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) is a powerful tool for comprehensively studying the structural and conformational features of macromolecules at a size ranging from Angstroms to hundreds of nanometers with a time-resolve in milliseconds scale. The SAXS integrative techniques have emerged for comprehensively analyzing the SMI and the structure of their complex in solution. Here, the various types of emerging interactions of surfactant with macromolecules, such as protein, lipid, nuclear acid, polysaccharide and virus, etc. have been systematically reviewed. Additionally, the principle of SAXS and theoretical models of SAXS for describing the structure of SMI as well as their complex has been summarized. Moreover, the recent developments in the applications of SAXS for charactering the structure of SMI have been also highlighted. Prospectively, the capacity to complement artificial intelligence (AI) in the structure prediction of biological macromolecules and the high-throughput bioinformatics sequencing data make SAXS integrative structural techniques expected to be the primary methodology for illuminating the self-assembling dynamics and nanoscale structure of SMI. As advances in the field continue, we look forward to proliferating uses of SAXS based upon its abilities to robustly produce mechanistic insights for biology and medicine.

The role of hydrophobic interactions in the molten globule state of globular protein modulated by surfactants.

In order to highlight the role of hydrophobic interactions in the molten globule (MG) state of globular protein modulated by surfactants, the interactions of bovine α-lactalbumin (α-LA) with alkyl trimethylammonium bromides (CnTAB, n = 10, 12, 14, and 16) have been studied by experimental and theoretical techniques. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) showed that the enthalpy changes (ΔH) and area of the enthalpogram increased with increasing the chain length of CnTAB. The result of fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD) and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrum suggested that C10TAB and C12TAB unfolded α-LA partially, C14TAB reconstructed protein with a native-like secondary structure content, and C16TAB induced an MG state α-LA. The SAXS results confirmed that the tertiary structure of α-LA was disrupted by C16TAB forming an MG state complex with a micelle-like structure even at the surfactants concentrations below CMC. As indicated by MD results, the ß-domain and unstructured region(s) were involved in the MG state α-LA modulated by CnTAB. This work not only provides molecular insights into the role of hydrophobic interactions in the MG state of a globular protein but also helps understand the mechanism of preparing α-LA based biomacromolecule modulated by hydrophobic interactions.

Reclamation effects of distinct volumes and concentrations of CaCl2-amended brackish ice in different saline-sodic soils.

The proper usage of marginal soil and water resources has major implications for the sustainability of agriculture, such as brackish water and saline-sodic soils. The saline soils can be ameliorated though melting process of calcium-containing brackish ice, however, the optimum concentration and volume of brackish ice (water) for the reclamation of different saline-sodic soils remain to be determined. In this study, 108 soil columns representing four Ice salinity levels (16, 26, 36, 46 mmolc L-1) and three Pore Volumes (2/3, 1.5, 2.5 PV) of calcium-amended brackish ice were tested to reveal the reclaiming effect on a range of saline-sodic soils. The linear mixed model (LMM), multiple regression equation, and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) were applied to calculate the amelioration effect in terms of three factors: Ice volume, Ice salinity and Column depth. Our results showed that the soil salinity and sodicity generally decreased with increasing Ice volume and Ice salinity, and the saline-sodic soils with low exchangeable sodium percentages (i.e. ESP 20) were more sensitive to Ice salinity, with high salinity (26-46 mmolc L-1) and large volume (2.5 PV) of brackish ice reaching a better amelioration effect. The effect of Ice volume became more dominant in medium and high ESP soils (ESP 40 and ESP 70), whereas the high salinity combined with low volume of brackish ice would lead to worse soil properties, especially at the bottom layers. Meanwhile, the Column depth factor had a considerable effect on the soil chemical properties, with the variance explained ranging from 18.6% to 36.0%. These results provide theoretical guidance in the rational use of calcium-amended brackish ice and highlight the necessity to take layer effect into consideration for reclaiming saline-sodic soils.

Beneficial effect of the mitochondrial ATP­sensitive potassium channel­specific opener nicorandil on the collapsed lung via inhibition of apoptosis in clinical thoracic surgery.

With the use of thoracoscopic surgery technology, one­lung ventilation (OLV) is becoming more crucial as a basic requirement for enhanced recovery after surgery; however, it can lead to severe pulmonary injury, which is an issue for anesthesiologists. Therefore, it is important to protect pulmonary function during thoracic surgery anesthesia, particularly to protect the function of the collapsed lung. Our previous study on rabbits reported that nicorandil, a US Food and Drug Administration­approved mitochondrial ATP­sensitive potassium channel­specific opener, can protect against lung injury in the collapsed lung. Therefore, the beneficial effect of nicorandil on OLV­induced pulmonary injury in clinical thoracic surgery was further evaluated in the present study. Nicorandil was infused at 2 mg/h for 2 h from induction to 1 h after OLV in the nicorandil group. Trends in arterial oxygen desaturation (SaO2), arterial partial pressure for oxygen (PaO2) and the lung microstructure were assessed. ELISA was used to assess the levels of TNF­α and malondialdehyde (MDA), and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD). A TUNEL assay was performed to evaluate apoptosis. Western blotting was used to analyze the relative expression levels of signaling proteins associated with apoptosis. Western blotting was performed to evaluate the protein expression levels of hypoxia­inducible factor 1α (HIF­1α), PI3K, Akt and NF­κB, and reverse transcription­quantitative PCR was used to detect HIF­1α mRNA expression levels in the lungs of patients infused with nicorandil and nitroglycerin. Nicorandil treatment was associated with higher SaO2 and PaO2 compared with nitroglycerin treatment in OLV. The levels of MDA and TNF­α in the operated lung of the nicorandil group were significantly lower compared with those in the control group. In addition, nicorandil was associated with higher SOD activity compared with nitroglycerin. The nicorandil­treated lung, similar to the sham group, exhibited improved microstructure and less apoptosis in the experimental group. The protein expression levels of PI3K, phosphorylated Akt and HIF­1α were significantly increased, whereas NF­κB was significantly decreased in the nicorandil­treated lung compared with the control group. Overall, nicorandil demonstrated beneficial effects by decreasing apoptosis in the operated lung, which was collapsed and then re­expanded during OLV in thoracic surgery anesthesia. Nicorandil may serve a vital role by decreasing the overloading of calcium in mitochondria, shutting off the mitochondrial membrane permeability transition pore, reducing the release of cytochrome c, simultaneously triggering activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway around the cell membrane, downregulating NF­κB, upregulating HIF­1α, and then reducing Bax/Bcl­2, caspase­3 and apoptosis. The trial registration was ChiCTR­IOR­17014061 (registered on December 20, 2017).

Efficiently targeted therapy of glioblastoma xenograft via multifunctional biomimetic nanodrugs.

BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a fatal malignant primary brain tumor in adults. The therapeutic efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs is limited due to the blood-brain barrier (BBB), poor drug targeting, and short biological half-lives. Multifunctional biomimetic nanodrugs have great potential to overcome these limitations of chemotherapeutic drugs. METHODS: We synthesized and characterized a biomimetic nanodrug CMS/PEG-DOX-M. The CMS/PEG-DOX-M effectively and rapidly released DOX in U87 MG cells. Cell proliferation and apoptosis assays were examined by the MTT and TUNEL assays. The penetration of nanodrugs through the BBB and anti-tumor efficacy were investigated in the orthotopic glioblastoma xenograft models. RESULTS: We showed that CMS/PEG-DOX-M inhibited cell proliferation of U87 MG cells and effectively induced cell apoptosis of U87 MG cells. Intracranial antitumor experiments showed that free DOX hardly penetrated the BBB, but CMS/PEG-DOX-M effectively reached the orthotopic intracranial tumor through the BBB and significantly inhibited tumor growth. Immunofluorescence staining of orthotopic tumor tissue sections confirmed that nanodrugs promoted apoptosis of tumor cells. This study developed a multimodal nanodrug treatment system with the enhanced abilities of tumor-targeting, BBB penetration, and cancer-specific accumulation of chemotherapeutic drugs by combining chemotherapy and photothermal therapy. It can be used as a flexible and effective GBM treatment system and it may also be used for the treatment of other central nervous systems (CNS) tumors and extracranial tumors.

Research on the evolution characteristics of future climate change in West Liao River Basin.

In order to explore the characteristics of climate change in the future in the West Liao River Basin under the background of future climate change, this study analyzed the changes of the annual average temperature, annual precipitation, and annual evapotranspiration from 2021 to 2060 in the West Liao River Basin under the scenarios of RCP4.5 (low emission) and RCP8.5 (high emission) originated from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Fifth Assessment Report. The results show that (1) under the two different scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5), the annual average temperature in the West Liao River Basin is 7.67 °C and 8.12 °C, respectively, and the temperature shows an upward trend; the mutation years of RCP4.5 are more than those of RCP8.5; the annual average temperature of RCP4.5 is controlled by periods of 22 years and 29 years, while RCP8.5 has only one main period of 29 years; the contribution rates of the first eigenvector variance of EOF are 97.12% and 96.64%, respectively, and the change types are the same. The sensitive areas of variation are in the southwest and western regions respectively. (2) The annual precipitation in the West Liao River Basin under the two scenarios are 815.78mm and 798.64mm, with tendency rates of -20.51/mm/10a and 17.26/mm/10a; the mutation years in the West Liao River Basin under scenario RCP4.5 are mostly occurred in the 2030s and 2040s, while those under scenario RCP8.5 are mostly occurred in 2040s and 2050s; under scenario RCP4.5, the change is mainly controlled by shorter periods, while under scenario RCP8.5, the change is controlled by two main longer periods of 19 years and 28 years. Under the two scenarios of RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, the cumulative contribution rates of the variance of the first three eigenvectors of the EOF in the West Liao River Basin are 42% and 90.23% respectively. The first eigenvector is consistent, and the second and third eigenvectors are the reverse type of South (East)-North (West). (3) The results show that the annual evapotranspiration in the West Liao River Basin under the scenarios of RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 is 597.79mm and 618.45mm, respectively, and the trend rates are 18.20/mm/10a and 4.48/mm/10a; under scenario RCP4.5, the change is controlled by periods of 23 years and 29 years, while under scenarios RCP8.5, the change is controlled by periods of 18 years and 28 years; the contribution rates of the first eigenvector variance of EOF are 91.05% and 89.51% respectively, and they are consistent distribution, and their sensitive areas are in the southeast and central regions respectively.

Intracranial solitary fibrous tumor/hemangiopericytomas: a clinical analysis of a series of 17 patients.

OBJECTIVE: Solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) and haemangiopericytomas (HPCs) are rare mesenchymal tumors in central nervous system (CNS). Although progressed recognition to the diagnosis and treatment of SFT/HPCs, it still remains many confusions regarding on its occurrence, aggressive evolution, malignant transformation, dedifferentiation phenomenon, distant metastasis and unpredictable propensity. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seventeen cases of CNS SFT/HPCs who underwent surgical treatment from January 2010 to December 2020 were collected in the authors' institute. Clinical, radiological, pathological data and followup details were reviewed in all cases. RESULTS: The age of this series was 41-73 years old. Seven cases located subtentorially, five cases originated from middle skull base and four in supratentorial. MRI shows iso-signal intensity on T1WI, and heterogeneous slightly long/short signal on T2WI. There is significant contrast after gadolinium-enhancement. It is easy to be misdiagnosed before surgery. The positive rate of nuclear STAT6 is 94.12%, higher than CD34 (87.5%). Eight patients were grade I, eight grade II and one in grade III. Five cases developed tumor relapse, in which two cases had local intracranial recurrence combined with dissemination and metastasis of cerebrospinal fluid in the spinal canal, accompanied by pathological malignant transformation, and another one occurred blood metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: CNS SFT/HPCs are rare intracranial tumors with unpredictable propensity. Gross total resection is critical to its overall clinical prognosis. Given its potential recurrence and malignant transition, adjuvant radiotherapies are recommended when necessary, and long-term follow-up is indispensable. The underlying molecular biological mechanisms are still needed to be further exploration.

Soil bacterial microbiota predetermines rice yield in reclaiming saline-sodic soils leached with brackish ice.

BACKGROUND: Saline-sodic lands threaten the food supply and ecological security in the western Songnen Plain of northeast China, and the gypsum is commonly adopted for restoration. However, the dynamics of soil bacterial community and the correlation with crop yield during restoring processes remain poorly understood. Here, we elucidated the soil chemical properties and bacterial communities and their associations with rice yield under different flue gas desulphurization gypsum (FGDG) application rates combined with brackish ice leaching. RESULTS: The increased application rate of FGDG generally improved soil reclamation effects, as indicated by soil chemical properties, bacterial diversity, and rice yield. Compared with fresh ice irrigation, the rice yield in brackish ice treatment increased by 15.84%, and the soil alkalinity and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) decreased by 35.19% and 10.30%, respectively. The bacterial alpha diversity significantly correlated and predicted rice yield as early as brackish ice melt, suggesting the bacterial diversity was a sensitive indicator in predicting rice yield. Meanwhile, the bacterial communities in the control possessed a high abundance of oligotrophic Firmicutes, while eutrophic bacterial taxa (e.g. Proteobacteria) were enriched after brackish water irrigation and FGDG application. Moreover, we also established a Random Forest model and identified a bacterial consortium that explained an 80.0% variance of rice yield. CONCLUSION: Together, our results highlight the reclaiming effect of brackish ice in the saline-sodic field and demonstrate the sensitivity and importance of the soil bacterial community in predicting crop yield, which would provide essential knowledge on the soil quality indication and bio-fertilizer development for soil reclamation. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Preoperative Chronic and Acute Pain Affects Postoperative Cognitive Function Mediated by Neurotransmitters.

The effective prevention of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) needs to be explored, and the effect of preoperative pain on POCD remains unclear. We established a chronic pain model induced by chronic constriction injury (CCI) and models of acute pain and anxiety without pain in mice that were subsequently subjected to partial hepatectomy surgery. Morris water maze (MWM) tests were performed to evaluate the learning and memory abilities of the mice. ELISA was used to measure IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α in serum, and HPLC-MS was used to detect neurotransmitters in the prefrontal cortices and hippocampi of the mice. The results indicated that chronic pain induced by CCI might have significantly impaired the learning and memory abilities of mice, while acute pain and anxiety without pain only affected the memory abilities of mice. Perioperative acute pain increased the level of IL-1ß in serum, and CCI might have increased the level of IL-6. CCI and acute pain increased dopamine (DA) levels in the cortex, similar to anxiety. Like anxiety, CCI increased 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) levels in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Acute pain led to a decrease in the acetylcholine (ACH) level in the hippocampus. Our results suggest that acute pain and CCI-induced chronic pain might aggravate postoperative cognitive dysfunction via neurotransmitters and by changing the levels of inflammatory factors such as IL-1ß and IL-6.

Amendments to saline-sodic soils showed long-term effects on improving growth and yield of rice (Oryza sativa L.).

BACKGROUND: Saline-sodic soils are widely distributed in arid and semi-arid regions around the world. High levels of salt and sodium inhibit the growth and development of crops. However, there has been limited reports on both osmotic potential in soil solutions (OPss) and characteristics of Na+ and K+ absorption in rice in saline-sodic soils under various amendments application. METHODS: A field experiment was conducted between 2009 and 2017 to analyze the influence of amendments addition to saline-sodic soils on rice growth and yield. Rice was grown in the soil with no amendment (CK), with desulfurization gypsum (DG), with sandy soil (SS), with farmyard manure (FM) and with the mixture of above amendments (M). The osmotic potential in soil solution, selective absorption of K+ over Na+ (SA), selective transport of K+ over Na+ (ST), the distribution of K+ and Na+and yield components in rice plants were investigated. RESULTS: The results indicated that amendments application have positive effects on rice yield. The M treatment was the best among the tested amendments with the highest rice grain yield. M treatment increased the OPss values significantly to relieve the inhibition of the water uptake by plants. Additionally, the M treatment significantly enhanced K+ concentration and impeded Na+ accumulation in shoots. SA values were reduced while ST values were increased for all amendments. In conclusion, a mixture of desulfurization gypsum, sandy soil and farmyard manure was the best treatment for the improvement of rice growth and yield in the Songnen Plain, northeast China.

Long Noncoding RNA HOTAIRM1 Maintains Tumorigenicity of Glioblastoma Stem-Like Cells Through Regulation of HOX Gene Expression.

Noncoding RNAs regulate transcription of gene expression and play an important role in the pathogenesis of glioblastomas. These tumors are heterogeneous with some glioma stem cells (GSCs) that are highly tumorigenic subpopulations of cells contributing to recurrence and treatment resistance. In this study, GSCs were established by neurosphere cultures of primary glioblastoma cells and validated by the expression of GSC marker CD133. The expression of the long noncoding RNA HOTAIRM1 was detected using real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). The role of HOTAIRM1 in the proliferation, apoptosis, stemness, and tumorigenicity of GSCs was investigated by soft agar colony formation, flow cytometry, TUNEL analysis, sphere formation, and in vivo xenograft models through silencing of HOTAIRM1. The expression of HOTAIRM1 and the neighboring HOX genes were analyzed by qRT-PCR in different grades of gliomas and nontumor tissues. We found that HOTAIRM1 is significantly elevated in GSCs. The silencing of HOTAIRM1 significantly impairs the proliferation, apoptosis, self-renewal, tumorigenesis of GSCs. In addition, HOTAIRM1 is significantly upregulated in gliomas and associated with tumor grade and patient survival. HOTAIRM1 neighboring genes, HOXA1, HOXA2, and HOXA3, are also significantly upregulated in gliomas and correlate with the expression of HOTAIRM1. Among them, HOXA2 and HOXA3 were identified as being upregulated in GSCs and contributed to the self-renewal of these stem cells. Taken together, our results demonstrate that HOTAIRM1 plays a critical role in the self-renewal of GSCs. These data also suggest that overexpression of HOTAIRM1 can be a negative prognostic factor for patient survival in malignant glioma and may be a promising potential therapeutic target.

The impact of irrigation on yield of alfalfa and soil chemical properties of saline-sodic soils.

BACKGROUND: Forage production in the saline-sodic soil of the western Songnen Plain Northeast China depends on irrigation. Therefore, the water use efficiency (WUE) and soil chemical properties are key factors in the overall forage productivity in this water scarce region. Improving forage yield, WUE, and soil properties under irrigation are very important for food and ecological security in this water-deficient region. Additionally, a suitable irrigation schedule for this region is necessary. METHODS: A field experiment was conducted between 2015 and 2018 to evaluate the effects of irrigation on artificial grassland productivity and the changes in soil chemical properties as well as to plan a reliable irrigation schedule for the western Songnen Plain. Eight irrigation treatments were designed, which depended on the three growth stages of alfalfa. The shoot height (SH), the chlorophyll content (SPAD), the dry yield (DM), the ratio of stem to leaves (SLR), the WUE, the changes in the chemical properties of the soil, and precipitation and evaporation were investigated. RESULTS: The SH, DM, WUE, and SLR were significantly increased by irrigation (P < 0.01). However, the SPAD resulting from irrigation was not significantly higher than the SPAD of CK (no irrigation) (P < 0.05). In addition, the soil chemical properties at the depth of 0-100 cm were significantly decreased by irrigation P (0.05). For example, the soil electrical conductivity, sodium absorption ratio, and total alkalization were reduced 182-345 µS cm-1, 8.95-9.00 (mmolc/L)1/2, and 3.29-4.65 mmolc L-1 by different irrigation treatments, respectively. Finally, considering the highest WUE of I5 (irrigation at branch stage) (2.50 kg m-3), relative high DM of I5 (787.00 g m-2), the precipitation, the evaporation, the water resources, and the changes of the soil's chemical properties, 236.50 mm of irrigation water was recommended at the branching stage of alfalfa for the western Songnen Plain, Northeast China.