Designing Symmetric Gradient Honeycomb Structures with Carbon-Coated Iron-Based Composites for High-Efficiency Microwave Absorption.

The impedance matching of absorbers is a vital factor affecting their microwave absorption (MA) properties. In this work, we controllably synthesized Material of Institute Lavoisier 88C (MIL-88C) with varying aspect ratios (AR) as a precursor by regulating oil bath conditions, followed by one-step thermal decomposition to obtain carbon-coated iron-based composites. Modifying the precursor MIL-88C (Fe) preparation conditions, such as the molar ratio between metal ions and organic ligands (M/O), oil bath temperature, and oil bath time, influenced the phases, graphitization degree, and AR of the derivatives, enabling low filler loading, achieving well-matched impedance, and ensuring outstanding MA properties. The MOF-derivatives 2 (MD2)/polyvinylidene Difluoride (PVDF), MD3/PVDF, and MD4/PVDF absorbers all exhibited excellent MA properties with optimal filler loadings below 20 wt% and as low as 5 wt%. The MD2/PVDF (5 wt%) achieved a maximum effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 5.52 GHz (1.90 mm). The MD3/PVDF (10 wt%) possessed a minimum reflection loss (RLmin) value of - 67.4 at 12.56 GHz (2.13 mm). A symmetric gradient honeycomb structure (SGHS) was constructed utilizing the high-frequency structure simulator (HFSS) to further extend the EAB, achieving an EAB of 14.6 GHz and a RLmin of - 59.0 dB. This research offers a viable inspiration to creating structures or materials with high-efficiency MA properties.

Finger Necrotizing Fasciitis and Septicemia Caused by Vibrio vulnificus.

Background: Vibrio vulnificus infections develop rapidly and have high mortality and disability rates. Vibrio vulnificus can cause local wound infection, gastroenteritis, or septicemia. Case Presentation: In this case, an 86-year-old male was accidentally stabbed in the middle of his right thumb while cleaning whitewater fish and came to the emergency department with high fever and painful swelling of the right hand. Physical examination revealed hemorrhagic bullae in the right hand. Emergency surgery and bacterial culture were performed. Because of timely antibiotic use and surgical treatment, the patient eventually recovered and was discharged from the hospital. Conclusions: This case suggests that the possibility of Vibrio vulnificus should be considered in cases of severe infection of the extremities, even without a history of seafood consumption or seawater exposure. Early recognition, rational choice of antibiotic agents, and timely wound debridement can substantially improve the prognosis of patients and reduce mortality.

Interface-induced dual-pinning mechanism enhances low-frequency electromagnetic wave loss.

Improving the absorption of electromagnetic waves at low-frequency bands (2-8 GHz) is crucial for the increasing electromagnetic (EM) pollution brought about by the innovation of the fifth generation (5G) communication technology. However, the poor impedance matching and intrinsic attenuation of material in low-frequency bands hinders the development of low-frequency electromagnetic wave absorbing (EMWA) materials. Here we propose an interface-induced dual-pinning mechanism and establish a magnetoelectric bias interface by constructing bilayer core-shell structures of NiFe2O4 (NFO)@BiFeO3 (BFO)@polypyrrole (PPy). Such heterogeneous interface could induce distinct magnetic pinning of the magnetic moment in the ferromagnetic NFO and dielectric pinning of the dipole rotation in PPy. The establishment of the dual-pinning effect resulted in optimized impedance and enhanced attenuation at low-frequency bands, leading to better EMWA performance. The minimum reflection loss (RLmin) at thickness of 4.43 mm reaches -65.30 dB (the optimal absorption efficiency of 99.99997%), and the effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) can almost cover C-band (4.72 ~ 7.04 GHz) with low filling of 15.0 wt.%. This work proposes a mechanism to optimize low-frequency impedance matching with electromagnetic wave (EMW) loss and pave an avenue for the research of high-performance low-frequency absorbers.

Microfluidic Synthesis of CuH Nanoparticles for Antitumor Therapy through Hydrogen-Enhanced Apoptosis and Cuproptosis.

Cuproptosis has drawn enormous attention in antitumor material fields; however, the responsive activation of cuproptosis against tumors using nanomaterials with high atom utilization is still challenging. Herein, a copper-based nanoplatform consisting of acid-degradable copper hydride (CuH) nanoparticles was developed via a microfluidic synthesis. After coating with tumor-targeting hyaluronic acid (HA), the nanoplatform denoted as HA-CuH-PVP (HCP) shows conspicuous damage toward tumor cells by generating Cu+ and hydrogen (H2) simultaneously. Cu+ can induce apoptosis by relying on Fenton-like reactions and lead to cuproptosis by causing mitochondrial protein aggregation. Besides, the existence of H2 can enhance both cell death types by causing mitochondrial dysfunction and intracellular redox homeostatic disorders. In vivo experimental results further exhibit the desirable potential of HCP for killing tumor cells and inhibiting lung metastases, which will broaden the horizons of designing copper-based materials triggering apoptosis and cuproptosis for better antitumor efficacy.

Thyroid Hormone Changes Correlate to Combined Breast Cancer with Primary Thyroid Cancer.

Background: Breast cancer and thyroid cancer are two prevalent malignancies in women, and a potential association between the two diseases has been suggested. Methods: This retrospective case-control study was conducted involving 97 patients with breast cancer and thyroid cancer (BC-TC group) and 97 age-matched patients with breast cancer alone (BC group). Thyroid hormone levels, including triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), were analyzed in healthy controls, BC patients, and BC-TC patients. Results: BC-TC patients exhibited a higher rate of estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) positivity compared to BC patients. Serum T3 levels were significantly decreased in BC and BC-TC patients compared to healthy controls. However, there was no significant difference in T3 levels between BC and BC-TC patients. Serum TSH levels were significantly higher in BC-TC patients compared to BC patients. Conclusion: ER positivity, PR positivity, and serum TSH levels greater than 4.45 mU/L were independent risk factors for primary thyroid cancer in breast cancer patients.

Extracellular Vesicles Derived From 3D Cultured Antler Stem Cells Serve as a New Drug Vehicle in Osteosarcoma Treatment.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) from antler reserve mesenchymal (RM) cells play an important role in the paracrine regulation during rapid growth of antler without forming a tumor; therefore, RM-EVs become novel materials for anti-tumor studies, such as osteosarcoma treatment. However, the problem of low production of RM-EVs in traditional 2D culture limits its mechanism research and application. In this study, we established an optimal 3D culture system for antler RM cells to produce EVs (3D-RM-EVs). Morphology and property of harvested 3D-RM-EVs were normal compared with EVs from conventional 2D culture, and the miRNA profile in them was basically the same through transcriptome sequencing analysis. Based on the same number of RM cells, the volume of the culture medium collected by 3D cultural system concentrated nearly 30 times, making it more convenient for subsequent purification. In addition, EVs were harvested 30 times in 3D cultural system, greatly increasing the total amount of EVs (harvested a total of 2-3 times in 2D culture). Although 3D-RM-EVs had a limited inhibitory effect on the proliferation of K7M2 cells, the inhibition effect of 3D-RM-EVs loaded drugs (Ifosfamide + Etoposide) were more significant than that of positive drug group alone (P < 0.05). Furthermore, in vivo studies showed that 3D-RM-EVs loaded drugs (Ifosfamide + Etoposide) had the most significant tumor inhibition effect, with decreased tumor size, and could slow down body weight loss compared with Ifosfamide + Etoposide (IFO + ET) group. These results demonstrated that 3D-RM-EVs were efficiently prepared from antler RM cells and were effective as drug vehicles for the treatment of osteosarcoma.

2D Amorphous Iron Selenide Sulfide Nanosheets for Stable and Rapid Sodium-Ion Storage.

Sodium ion batteries (SIBs) suffer from large electrode volume change and sluggish redox kinetics for the relatively large ionic radius of sodium ions, raising a significant challenge to improve their long-term cyclability and rate capacity. Here, it is proposed to apply 2D amorphous iron selenide sulfide nanosheets (a-FeSeS NSs) as an anode material for SIBs and demonstrate that they exhibit remarkable rate capability of 528.7 mAh g-1 at 1 A g-1 and long-life cycle (10 000 cycles) performance (300.4 mAh g-1 ). This performance is much more superior to that of the previously reported Fe-based anode materials, which is attributed to their amorphous structure that alleviates volume expansion of electrode, 2D nature that facilitates electrons/ions transfer, and the S/Se double anions that offer more reaction sites and stabilize the amorphous structure. Such a 2D amorphous strategy provides a fertile platform for structural engineering of other electrode materials, making a more secure energy prospect closer to a reality.

Study on Clinicopathological Features and Risk Factors of Patients with Multiple Primary Breast Cancers and Thyroid Disease.

Objective: To explore the clinicopathological features and risk factors of patients with multiple primary breast cancers and thyroid disease. Method: An analytic approach of the reviewing method was adopted to analyze the clinical data of 80 breast cancer patients who were admitted to our hospital from January 2020 to January 2022. They were divided into an observation group (breast cancer with thyroid lesions) and a control group (simple breast cancer) according to whether the clinical data were accompanied with thyroid lesions to compare the clinical characteristics, pathological types, staging characteristics, and molecular biological characteristics of the two groups and to research the risk factors of the two groups. Result: (1) In the comparison of clinical data, the number of people aged ≥60 in the observation group was higher than that in the control group, and there was significant difference between the groups in the menopausal status data (P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference between the observation group and the control group in the comparison of clinical data of the body mass index, pregnancy frequency, labor frequency, and abortion history (P > 0.05). (2) In the comparison of pathological type and staging data, there was no statistical difference in the comparison of data on the pathological type, histological grade, T staging, N staging, and TNM staging between the observation group and the control group (P > 0.05). (3) In the comparison of data on molecular biology characteristics, there was a statistical difference in the nuclear proliferation antigen data between the observation group and the control group (P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in the comparison of data on the estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor-2, and molecular typing between the observation group and the control group (P > 0.05). (4) Logistic regression analysis showed that age, menopausal status, and nuclear proliferation antigen index were the high-risk inflammatory factors for combined thyroid lesions (P < 0.05). Conclusion: For patients with simple breast cancer, age, menopausal status, and nuclear proliferation antigen index are risk factors for combined thyroid lesions. Therefore, clinical attention should be paid to the above factors in the process of clinical treatment, and early-risk screening should be performed to achieve the purpose of improving the prognosis to the greatest extent.

Naringenin facilitates M2 macrophage polarization after myocardial ischemia-reperfusion by promoting nuclear translocation of transcription factor EB and inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway.

Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) remains an unsolved puzzle in medical circles. Naringenin (NAR) is a flavonoid with cardioprotective potential. The purpose of this article was to discuss the protective mechanism of NAR in MIRI by regulating macrophage polarization. The MIRI mouse model was established and perfused with NAR before surgery. In the in vitro experiment, macrophages RAW264.7 were treated with lipopolysaccharide to induce M1 polarization after pretreatment with NAR. Rescue experiments were carried out to validate the functions of transcription factor EB (TFEB), the NLR pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, and autophagy in macrophage polarization. NAR reduced histopathological injury and infarction of myocardial tissues in MIRI mice, inhibited M1 polarization and promoted M2 polarization of macrophages, diminished levels of pro-inflammatory factors, and augmented levels of anti-inflammatory factors. NAR facilitated TFEB nuclear translocation and inhibited the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. Silencing TFEB or Nigericin partly nullified the effect of NAR on macrophage polarization. NAR increased autophagosome formation, autophagy flux, and autophagy level. Autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine partly invalidated the inhibition of NAR on the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. In animal experiments, NAR protected MIRI mice through the TFEB-autophagy-NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. Collectively, NAR inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome activation and facilitated M2 macrophage polarization by stimulating TFEB nuclear translocation, thus protecting against MIRI.

miR-7/EGFR/MEGF9 axis regulates cartilage degradation in osteoarthritis via PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative disease in middle-aged and elderly people. Our previous study has proved that microRNA-7 (miR-7) exacerbated the OA process. This study was aimed to explore the downstream genes and mechanism regulated by miR-7 to affect OA. Multiple EGF-like-domains 9 (MEGF9) was the predicted target of miR-7 by databases. Luciferase report experiment results confirmed that MEGF9 could bind to miR-7. Among the 10 collected pairs of OA and healthy samples, the expression levels of miR-7 and MEGF9 were both up-regulated when compared with healthy subjects by qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC). The increased MEGF9 levels were due to the interaction with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) by co-immunoprecipitation. Evaluations found that upregulation of miR-7 or MEGF9 can increase the expression of EGFR, matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) and a disintegrin like and metallopeptidase with thrombospondin type 1 motif 5 (ADAMTS-5), so as to aggravate cartilage degradation. In addition, this effect induced by miR-7/EGFR/MEGF9 axis was by activation of PI3K/AKT signaling. The IHC and western blot assay results on OA model mice also demonstrated that miR-7/EGFR/MEGF9 axis regulated cartilage degradation in vivo. In summary, miR-7/EGFR/MEGF9 axis may perform a crucial function in the regulation of OA, providing potential for OA treatment.

[Treatment of congenital radioulnar synostosis with radial derotational osteotomy and local subcutaneous pedicled fat flap filling in fusion area].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of local subcutaneous pedicled fat flap filling and separation of the synostosis area associated with radial shortening osteotomy and plate internal fixation for the treatment of congenital radioulnar synostosis. METHODS: Between February 2014 and June 2018, 36 patients (41 sides) with congenital radioulnar synostosis were analyzed retrospectively, including 21 males and 15 females, aged 2.5-4.5 years with an average of 3.1 years. The fixed pronation deformity of the forearm ranged from 30° to 90° with an average of 71.6°, and the range of motion of the elbow flexion was 120°-135° with an average of 128.2°. According to the Cleary-Omer classification, there were 8 sides of type Ⅱ, 17 sides of type Ⅲ, and 16 sides of type Ⅳ. All patients were treated by local subcutaneous pedicled fat flap filling and separation of the synostosis area associated with radial shortening osteotomy and plate internal fixation. The range of motion of the elbow, muscle strength, joint stability, and patient discomfort were evaluated by using the Broberg and Morrey elbow scoring system preoperatively and postoperatively. In addition, the ability for daily living of the affected limb was evaluated by using the Failla grading standard. RESULTS: Radial nerve palsy occurred in 3 cases, and nerve function recovered at 2-4 weeks after operation. All the 36 cases were followed up 6-52 months, with an average of 38 months. All osteotomy sites healed, the healing time was 5-12 weeks (mean, 6.3 weeks), and the pedicled fat flap between the radius and ulna survived when the internal fixation was taken. At last follow-up, the flexion range of motion of elbow joint was not decreased, and the pronation and supination range of motion of forearm were improved. The elbow flexion range of motion was 125°-135° with an average of 132.4°. The pronation range of motion of forearm was 15°-45° with an average of 30.1°, and the supination range of motion of forearm was 10°-40° with an average of 22.6°. At last follow-up, the Broberg and Morrey elbow scores increased from the preoperative 85.6±1.0 to 91.8±1.8, showing significant difference ( t=25.593, P=0.000). Moreover, the results were good in 3 sides, fair in 9 sides, and poor in 29 sides according to the Failla grading standard before operation, with an excellent and good rate of 7.3%. At last follow-up, the results were excellent in 6 sides, good in 28 sides, and fair in 7 sides, with an excellent and good rate of 82.9%, showing significant difference when compared with preoperative value ( Z=-5.781, P=0.000). CONCLUSION: The application of local subcutaneous pedicled fat flap filling and separation of the synostosis area associated with radial shortening osteotomy and plate internal fixation is an effective surgical method for the treatment of congenital radioulnar synostosis. It can restore the partial rotation function of the forearm and improve the quality of life of children.

GOLPH3 Regulates Exosome miRNA Secretion in Glioma Cells.

We aimed to examine whether golgi protein GOLPH3 could affect the secretion of glioma cell-derived exosomes. The exosomes were extracted by ultra-centrifugation from the supernatant of U251 and U87 cell cultures and identified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Malvern analyzer, and western blot. The quantity of exosomes was examined by measuring the total protein levels and the number of multiple vesicle bodies (MVBs), the source of exosomes. The exosome miRNAs were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing followed by GO and KEGG analysis, and validated by qRT-PCR. GOLPH3 could not affect the total protein levels of exosomes and the number of MVBs. However, we found 149 differentially expressed miRNAs in exosomes between vector and GOLPH3 over-expression group, and 14 miRNAs were only examined in GOLPH3 over-expression cells. The predicted target genes of these miRNAs had functions in binding and catalytic activity, which were enriched in the pathways of endocytosis, RNA transportation, thyroid hormone signaling and miRNAs in cancer. GOLPH3 could not affect the quantity of exosomes, but rather contribute to miRNA expression in exosomes, which may play some functions in the promotion effect of GOLPH3 on glioma development.

Oxidative Stress Induction Is a Rational Strategy to Enhance the Productivity of Antrodia cinnamomea Fermentations for the Antioxidant Secondary Metabolite Antrodin C.

Antioxidant metabolites contribute to alleviating oxidative stress caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) in microorganisms. We utilized oxidative stressors such as hydrogen peroxide supplementation to increase the yield of the bioactive secondary metabolite antioxidant antrodin C in submerged fermentations of the medicinal mushroom Antrodia cinnamomea. Changes in the superoxide dismutase and catalase activities of the cells indicate that ROS are critical to promote antrodin C biosynthesis, while the ROS production inhibitor diphenyleneiodonium cancels the productivity-enhancing effects of H2O2. Transcriptomic analysis suggests that key enzymes in the mitochondrial electron transport chain are repressed during oxidative stress, leading to ROS accumulation and triggering the biosynthesis of antioxidants such as antrodin C. Accordingly, rotenone, an inhibitor of the electron transport chain complex I, mimics the antrodin C productivity-enhancing effects of H2O2. Delineating the steps connecting oxidative stress with increased antrodin C biosynthesis will facilitate the fine-tuning of strategies for rational fermentation process improvement.

Long Non-Coding RNA Metastasis Associated Lung Adenocarcinoma Transcript 1 (MALAT1) Promotes Hypertension by Modulating the Hsa-miR-124-3p/Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 3, Group C, Member 2 (NR3C2) and Hsa-miR-135a-5p/NR3C2 Axis.

BACKGROUND This study was designed to investigate the role of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) in the proliferation as well as apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), to offer a basis for therapy of hypertension. MATERIAL AND METHODS The lncRNA MALAT1 expression, hsa-miR-124-3p, hsa-miR-135a-5p, hsa-miR-135b-5p, and hsa-miR-455-5p in plasma were measured from 230 patients with hypertension and 230 non-hypertensive controls. The mechanism for lncRNA MALAT1 modulating the proliferation and apoptosis of HUVECs was explored by cell transfection, Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blot, and dual-luciferase reporter assays. RESULTS The expression of hsa-miR-124-3p and hsa-miR-135a-5p was reduced and the expression of lncRNA MALAT1 was increased in the plasma of hypertensive patients. Moreover, the plasma levels of hsa-miR-124-3p and hsa-miR-135a-5p of hypertensive patients were negatively correlated with lncRNA MALAT1 (r=-0.64, -0.72; P<0.01, P<0.01, respectively). The level of nuclear receptor subfamily 3, group C, member 2 (NR3C2) protein was negatively correlated with hsa-miR-124-3p and hsa-miR-135a-5p (r=-0.74, -0.84; P<0.01, P<0.01, respectively). The proliferation of HUVECs was inhibited after the inhibition of MALAT. Additionally, after knocking down MALAT, the levels of hsa-miR-124-3p and hsa-miR-135a-5p in HUVECs were markedly increased, while the expression level of NR3C2 protein was decreased. The apoptotic rate of HUVECs after the transfection of MALAT1 small interfering RNA (si-MALAT1) (3.64±0.21%) was significantly reduced compared to that of transfected si-MALAT1 no template control (NC) (3.76±0.19%) and the control group (10.51±1.24%). CONCLUSIONS LncRNA MALAT1 regulates proliferation and apoptosis of HUVECs through the hsa-miR-124-3p/NR3C2 and/or hsa-miR-135a-5p/NR3C2 axis.

Laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy in elderly patients.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study is to evaluate the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) in elderly patients by short-term surgical effects. METHODS: We retrospectively collected clinical data of 55 non-elderly patients (< 70 years), 27 elderly patients (≥ 70 years) underwent LPD, and 19 elderly patients underwent open pancreaticoduodenectomy (OPD) in biliopancreatic surgery department of Huadong Hospital, affiliated to Fudan University, from Jan 2015 to Jan 2018. Patients were divided into 3 groups: LPD aged < 70 years, LPD aged ≥ 70 years, and OPD aged ≥ 70 years, according to their age at admission and surgical approach in order to compare baseline characteristics and short-term surgical outcomes. RESULTS: Totally 101 patients were included in this study; 59 cases were male; 42 cases were female; mean age was 66 years old. Elderly LPD patients seemed to have higher overall morbidity (41% vs. 20%, P = 0.05) compared to non-elderly patients. This difference is even more significant in our multivariable analysis model with an odds ratio of 4.48 (95% CI 1.31-17.87, P = 0.018). The 90-days mortality, operative time, estimated blood loss (EBL), and post-operative hospital stay (POHS) were similar in two groups. Elderly LPD patients had less EBL and shorter POHS than elderly OPD patients. However, the mortality and morbidity rate were comparable in these two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Aging patients have higher overall morbidity than younger patients in LPD. However, for aging population who need to undergo pancreaticoduodenectomy, LPD might have some advantages over OPD.

Cancer­associated adipocytes exhibit distinct phenotypes and facilitate tumor progression in pancreatic cancer.

Adipocyte infiltration in pancreatic cancer (PC) has been demonstrated to be independently associated with PC risk and an active contributor to tumor progression. However, to date, little is known about these unique pancreatic tumor­surrounding adipocytes, or their response to cancer cells. The present study utilized an in vitro indirect coculture model in which the phenotypic changes of adipocytes following exposure to PC cells were directly observed. RNA­sequencing was performed on 3T3­L1 adipocytes cultured with or without Panc­1 cancer cells, and significant changes were identified at the transcriptional level. In terms of delipidation and the impaired function of glucose and lipid metabolism, coculture with tumor cells resulted in an altered metabolic phenotype in mature adipocytes. In co­cultured adipocytes, the appearance of fibroblast­like cells was observed, and the mesenchymal cell differentiation pathway was enriched following the integrated analysis into the transcriptome. In addition, reverse transcription­quantitative PCR analyses of co­cultured adipocytes revealed a loss in gene expression of mature adipocyte markers, and a gain in gene expression of fibroblast­specific markers. It was also confirmed that newly generated cancer­associated adipocytes could facilitate the invasive capacities of the tumor, and may contribute to PC stromal remodeling. The present study supports a novel concept that reprogramming of stromal adipocytes orchestrated by PC cells may generate cancer­associated adipocytes with activated phenotypes, which may ultimately drive pancreatic tumor progression.

A case-control study on the relationship between miRNAs single nucleotide polymorphisms and sepsis risk.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in the pathogenesis of sepsis, but the association of miRNAs single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and sepsis risk is not clear. We analyzed plasma levels of miR-187, miR-21, and miR-145 in 180 patients with sepsis and 180 healthy controls were analyzed, and the SNPs: rs12605436, rs13137, and rs353291 were detected by sequencing. Plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 were measured in all subjects by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results showed that the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in the plasma of patients with sepsis were significantly higher than those in patients of the control group (P < .0001). Plasma levels of miR-187 in patients with sepsis were significantly lower than those in the control group, while those of miR-21 and miR-145 were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < .0001). Plasma levels of miR-187 in sepsis patients were inversely correlated with those of TNF-α and IL-6 (r = -0.2841, -0.2163), and plasma levels of miR-21 and miR-145 were positively correlated with those of TNF-α and IL-6 (r = 0.615, 0.3057, 0.4465, 0.2734). The T allele of the miR-187 SNP rs12605436 was found to be a risk factor for sepsis (OR = 1.403, 95% CI = 1.205-1.612, P < .001). The T allele of the miR-21 SNP rs13137 and the T allele of the miR-145 SNP rs353291 (OR = 0.685, 95% CI = 0.566-0.820, P < .001) were found to be a protective factor for sepsis (OR = 0.755, 95% CI = 0.632-0.896, P < .001). From our results, we can see that the plasma levels of miRNAs containing the SNPs rs12605436, rs13137, and rs353291 are associated with the occurrence of sepsis.

Management of the uncinate process via the artery first approach in laparoscopic pancreatoduodenectomy.

BACKGROUND: Uncinate process dissection is one of the major challenges for surgeons when performing laparoscopic pancreatoduodenectomy. This study aimed to evaluate the artery first approach for handling uncinate process dissection in laparoscopic pancreatoduodenectomy. METHODS: Between February 2015 and June 2018, a total of 91 consecutive patients without vascular encasement underwent selective laparoscopic pancreatoduodenectomy, including the first 26 consecutive cases treated with the conventional approach and the remaining 65 with the artery first approach applied for uncinate process dissection. Here, we present and analyze the surgical outcomes and the oncological results for the two groups. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the two groups in operative time, intraoperative blood loss, the rate of conversion to open pancreatoduodenectomy, postoperative complications, mortality, as well as the number of lymph nodes retrieved in the malignancies. In contrast, the artery first approach group showed a statistically significant shorter resection time and a higher R0 resection rate when compared with the conventional group. CONCLUSIONS: The artery first approach is a safe and feasible technique that can be used for uncinate process management in laparoscopic pancreatoduodenectomy for patients without vascular encasement. It also has the advantage of increased rate of radical resection in the surgical intervention of relevant malignancies.

Tricetin Protects Rat Chondrocytes against IL-1ß-Induced Inflammation and Apoptosis.

Tricetin is a well-studied flavonoid with a wide range of pharmacological activities in cancer and inflammation. However, the ability of tricetin to ameliorate the inflammation that occurs in osteoarthritis (OA) has not been determined. This study explored the effects of tricetin on interleukin- (IL-) 1ß-induced rat chondrocytes. Chondrocytes harvested from rat cartilage were incubated in vitro with tricetin in the presence of IL-1ß. The expression of matrix metalloproteinase- (MMP-) 1, MMP-3, MMP-13, nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), Bax, and Bcl-2 was evaluated by real-time-PCR, ELISA, Griess reaction, and western blotting. Caspase-3 activity in chondrocytes was determined using a caspase-3 activity assay and MAPK pathway activity by western blotting. Tricetin decreased the expression of MMP-1, MMP-3, and MMP-13 at both the gene and protein level in IL-1ß-induced rat chondrocytes. It also inhibited IL-1ß-induced NO and PGE2 production, by modulating inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase 2 gene expression. An antiapoptotic role of tricetin involving the Bax/Bcl-2/caspase-3 pathway was also determined. The chondroprotective effect of tricetin was shown to be partly related to the suppression of the MAPK signaling pathway. The results of this study demonstrate the chondroprotective role of tricetin, based on its anticatabolic, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic effects in chondrocytes. The therapeutic potential of tricetin in OA patients should be explored in future studies.

Identify differential gene expressions in fatty infiltration process in rotator cuff.

BACKGROUND: Rotator cuff tears are one of the most frequent upper extremity injuries and lead to pain and disability. Recent studies have implicated fatty infiltration in rotator cuff is a key failure element with the higher re-tear rates and poorer functional prognosis. Therefore, we investigated the differential expression of key genes in each stage of rotator cuff tear. METHODS: A published expression profile was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database and analyzed using the Linear Models for Microarray Data (LIMMA) package in R language to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in different stages of injured rotator cuff muscles. Gene ontology (GO) functional and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were performed to annotate the function of the DEGs. Finally, PPI network and module analysis were used to identify hub genes. RESULTS: A total of 1089 fatty infiltration-related DEGs were identified, including 733 upregulated and 356 downregulated genes, and GO analyses confirmed that fatty infiltration was strongly associated with inflammatory response, aging, response to lipopolysaccharide, and immune response. Significantly enriched KEGG pathways associated with these DEGs included the phagosome, cell adhesion molecules, tuberculosis, and osteoclast differentiation. Further analyses via a PPI network and module analysis identified a total of 259 hub genes. Among these, Tmprss11d, Ptprc, Itgam, Mmp9, Tlr2, Il1b, Il18, Ccl5, Cxcl10, and Ccr7 were the top ten hub genes. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicated the potential key genes and pathways involved in fatty degeneration in the development of fatty infiltration and supplied underlying therapeutic targets in the future.