[Clinical study of the cytokine panel in the diagnosis of ocular chronic graft-versus-host disease].

Objective: To investigate the association between cytokines and ocular chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) and identify specific biomarkers for ocular cGVHD to enhance clinical diagnosis, treatment, and evaluation. Methods: A mouse model of cGVHD was established to explore the correlation between cGVHD and serum cytokines. Based on the findings from the animal experiments and literature review, a panel of 16 cytokine combinations was identified. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to compare the cytokine concentrations in the serum and tear samples from patients who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from June 2017 to March 2022 at the Medical Center of Hematology, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University. Results: ① Compared with the control group, mice with cGVHD exhibited elevated serum IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17, IFN-γ, CX3CL1, CXCL11, CXCL13, CCL11, and CCL19 concentrations (all P<0.05). ② Analysis of the cytokine profiles of the serum and tear samples revealed that compared with patients without ocular cGVHD, those with ocular cGVHD exhibited increased serum IL-8 [P=0.032, area under the curve (AUC) =0.678]; decreased serum IL-10 (P=0.030, AUC=0.701) ; elevated IL-8, IFN-γ, CXCL9, and CCL17 in tear samples; and lower IL-10 and CCL19 in tear samples (all P<0.05, all AUC>0.7). Moreover, cytokines in tear samples showed correlations with ocular surface parameters related to ocular cGVHD. Conclusions: Tear fluid demonstrates greater specificity and sensitivity as a biomarker for diagnosing ocular cGVHD than serum biomarkers. Among the identified cytokines in tear samples, IL-8, IL-10, IFN-γ, CXCL9, CCL17, and CCL19 serve as diagnostic biomarkers for ocular cGVHD post-transplantation, offering practical reference value for diagnosis.

Experimental Study on Flame Chemical Composition of Coal and Ammonia Gas-Solid Jet in Flat Flame Burner.

Ammonia as a fuel to partially or completely replace fossil fuels is one of the effective ways to reduce carbon dioxide, and the research on ammonia coal cocombustion is of great significance. The combustion characteristics of ammonia are very different from those of pulverized coal, resulting in the ignition and emission characteristics of ammonia and pulverized coal gas flow that is different from traditional pulverized coal flame. In this paper, the effect of pulverized coal concentration in coal and ammonia mixed combustion jet on the ignition distance and gas-phase components at different positions of the jet flame were studied experimentally on the flat flame burner, and the conditions of ignition and ignition stability of coal and ammonia gas-solid fuel were expounded. It was found that the ammonia mixed with pulverized coal changed the temperature field of the flat flame burner and therefore the ignition characteristics of the jet were changed. The ignition delay time at the same jet speed was positively correlated with the pulverized coal concentration, but when the pulverized coal concentration continued to decrease, the influence on the ignition delay time gradually became smaller. The composition of coal ammonia gas-solid fuel changed the heat transfer path and share during combustion, and finally, the flame temperature was negatively correlated with the concentration of pulverized coal. Therefore, the reduction of the pulverized coal concentration was conducive to the stable combustion of coal ammonia mixed fuel. When HAB = 100 mm, the conversion rate of fuel N to NOx per unit mass of coal ammonia mixture increased with the increase of pulverized coal concentration. The NOx production amount first increased and then decreased with the increase of pulverized coal concentration, and the amount of N2O and NO2 decreased rapidly with the increase of HAB. The proportion of NOx in NO exceeded 94%, which was conducive to achieving low nitrogen combustion of coal and ammonia gas-solid fuel. In general, the O2 concentration in the ammonia coal jet flame decreased, the flue gas temperature, and NOx and CO generation increased after mixing ammonia, and the optimal pulverized coal concentration in this experiment was 0.41 kgc/kga (mass ratio of pulverized coal to the sum of N2 and NH3).

[Correlation between C-reactive protein to albumin ratio and restenosis after femoral popliteal stenting in patients with lower extremity arteriosclerotic obliterans].

Objective: To investigate the study of the correlation between C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CAR) and restenosis after stenting in patients with lower extremity atherosclerotic occlusive disease(LEASO). Methods: The clinical data of 95 patients with LEASO admitted to the Department of Vascular Surgery of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from June 2020 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 67 males and 28 females,aged (73.1±9.4) years (range:51 to 92 years). The patients were classified into the restenosis group (n=61) and the patency group (n=34) according to the CT angiography results. Independent sample t test,Mann-Whitney U test and χ2 test were used to compare the data between two groups. Risk factors for restenosis after femoropopliteal artery stenting in patients with LEASO were analyzed using multivariate Cox regression. The relationship between preoperative CAR level and restenosis after stent placement was analyzed. Subject operating characteristic(ROC) curves of CAR were plotted to assess the predictive value of CAR for restenosis after stenting,and the results were expressed as area under the curve (AUC). Results: The aortoiliac calcification grade,number of stents,length of stents,C-reactive protein and CAR levels in restenosis group were higher than those in the patency group,and the serum albumin level was lower than that in the patency group(all P<0.05). And the results of multifactorial Cox regression analysis showed that higher pre-procedure CAR level and lower ABI value was an independent risk factor for in-stent restenosis. The AUC of the ROC curve for restenosis was 0.737(95%CI:0.617 to 0.856),the AUC of the ROC curve for 12-month restenosis was 0.709(95%CI:0.602 to 0.815), and the AUC of the ROC curve for 24-month restenosis was 0.702(95%CI:0.594 to 0.811). Conclusion: Higher pre-procedural CAR levels in patients with LEASO is risk factor for in-stent restenosis,and CAR has a predictive value for restenosis after lower extremity arterial stent dilatation and angioplasty.

Enhanced pharmaceutical recovery as postoperative standard care after radical cystectomy: A meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of enhanced pharmaceutical recovery as postoperative standard care after radical cystectomy. METHODS: A systematic literature search up to April 2021 was done and 33 studies included 6596 subjects submitted to surgery for radical cystectomy at the start of the study; 3143 of them received enhanced pharmaceutical recovery after surgery and 3453 were controls. The studies reported relationships about the effects of enhanced pharmaceutical recovery as postoperative standard care after radical cystectomy. We calculated the odds ratio (OR) and mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to assess the effects of enhanced pharmaceutical recovery as postoperative standard care after radical cystectomy using the dichotomous and continuous methods with a random or fixed-effect model. RESULTS: Enhanced pharmaceutical recovery after surgery had significantly lower length of hospital stay (MD, -2.78; 95% CI, -3.59 to -1.97, p < 0.001), complications (OR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.60-0.94, p = 0.01), readmission within 30 days (OR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.69-0.94, p = 0.007), and time to defecation (MD, -1.30; 95% CI, -2.22 to -0.37, p = 0.006) compared to control in subjects submitted to radical cystectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Enhanced pharmaceutical recovery after surgery may reduce the length of hospital stay, complications, readmission within 30 days, and time to first bowel movement compared to control in subjects with surgery for radical cystectomy. Furthers studies are required to validate these findings.

[The mid-term effect of corneal collagen cross-linking for progressive keratoconus and the changes in rigid gas permeable contact lens fitting parameters].

Objective: To investigate the effect of corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) for progressive keratoconus and to evaluate changes in the parameters of rigid gas permeable contact lens (RGPCL) fitting after surgery. Methods: It was a prospective cohort study. Fifty-three eyes of 41 keratoconus patients received accelerated CXL in Qingdao Eye Hospital of Shandong First Medical University from May to December 2018. There were 31 males and 10 females, aged (20.46±4.15) years. According to the corneal thickness, de-epithelial CXL (33 eyes) or trans-epithelial CXL (20 eyes) was performed. The best spectacle-corrected visual acuity, refractive power and the thinnest corneal thickness at baseline and at 6 weeks were compared. Corneal topography was performed at baseline and at 6 weeks, 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively. Rose K RGPCLs were used before and 6 weeks after surgery, and the fitting status was monitored until 12 months after surgery. The t test was performed to analyze the difference before and after the operation. Results: The best spectacle-corrected visual acuity, refractive power, and the thinnest corneal thickness were not significantly changed over 6 weeks of follow-up, but the Kf, Ks and Kmax values were significantly increased in all patients (all P<0.05). In the de-epithelial group, the Kmax values before the operation, at 3, 6 and 12 months after the operation were (55.00±5.51) diopters (D), (54.73±5.34) D, (54.58±6.15) D and (54.20±5.49) D, respectively, and the decrease at 12 months was significant [(0.80±2.05) D; t=2.25, P=0.001]. In the trans-epithelial group, the Kmax values were (59.43±8.98) D, (57.97±8.79) D, (58.19±8.37) D and (56.94±7.19) D at the four time points, respectively, and the decreases at 3, 6 and 12 months were all significant [(1.46±2.09) D, (1.25±1.82) D, (2.49±3.64) D; t=3.12, 3.06, 3.50; P=0.006, 0.006, 0.007]. The best RGPCL-corrected visual acuity, the diameter and the average diopters of RGPCLs showed no significant change in both groups. The RGPCL base curve decreased by 0.07 mm in the de-epithelial group and by 0.13 mm in the trans-epithelial group (both P<0.05). The design of edge lifting was used in 10 eyes postoperatively in the de-epithelial group compared with 8 eyes preoperatively, and in 4 eyes postopratively in the trans-epithelial group compared with 7 eyes preoperatively. The number of eyes using the toric peripheral design of the lens was increased to 3 compared with 2 preoperatively in the de-epithelial group and from 1 to 4 in the trans-epithelial group. The acceptance rate of RGPCL fitting in both groups increased at 6 and 12 months after surgery compared to 6 weeks after surgery. Conclusions: The corneal curvature became steep slightly at 6 weeks after CXL and gradually recovered and flattened. The Kmax in the trans-epithelial group decreased earlier and more than that in the de-epithelial group. The base curve of the RGPCLs was slightly reduced after 6 weeks, and the toric peripheral design was increasingly needed, but the requirement for the design of the lifted edge was different between the two groups. A good RGPCL fitting can be achieved within 1 year after CXL.

[Papillary renal neoplasm with reverse polarity: a clinicopathological analysis].

Objective: To study the clinical pathological characteristics, immunophenotype, molecular changes and prognosis of the papillary renal neoplasm with reverse polarity (PRNRP). Methods: Nine cases of PRNRP, diagnosed from 2013 to 2019, were retrieved from the Department of Pathology of Nanjing Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine. Histomorphology, immunophenotype and molecular genetics were analyzed with review of the literatures. Results: There were five male and four female patients, aged from 49 to 70 years, with an average age of 60.1 years. During a mean follow-up of 29 months, one patient died for other cause, and the others survived without disease. Microscopically, the tumor cells arranged in papillary structure with a fibrovascular core, the surface of which was covered with a single layer of cuboidal or columnar cells. The most prominent feature was that the tumor nuclei located at the top of the cytoplasm far from the basement membrane, and they were monotonous in size and arranged neatly with no or few nucleoli. Immunohistochemically, all nine cases of PRNRP showed diffuse positive expression of CK7 and E-cadherin, various degrees of P504s expression, and no expression of CD10 and CD117, with a Ki-67 index of 1%-3%. Unlike other papillary renal cell carcinoma, the nine cases of PRNRP all showed characteristic positive expression of GATA3. The fluorescence in situ hybridization assay showed that the majority of PRNRPs (8/9) did not have triploids on chromosomes 7 and 17. The sequencing of the KRAS gene confirmed the presence of a nonsense KRAS mutation in 8 of the 9 cases. Conclusions: PRNRP is a subtype of papillary renal cell carcinoma with characteristic morphological, immunophenotypic and molecular features, and indolent behaviors. More data are needed to define PRNRP as "carcinoma", and a definitive diagnosis of PRNRP is of great significance for proper treatment choice and accurate prognostication.

Effects of PIM3 in prognosis of colon cancer.

PURPOSE: PIM kinase is called proto-oncogene, but there are less research on PIM family in colon cancer. This study was designed to explore the prognosis of PIM3 in colon cancer. METHODS: In this study, we downloaded RNA-seq and clinical information of colon cancer from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Kaplan-Meier method was used for analyzing the impact of PIM3 on the survival of patients with colon cancer. Single-factor and multi-factor cox regression analysis were used for verifying the prognostic value of PIM3. Spearman correlation analysis was used for screening PIM3 related genes. Functional enrichment analysis was used for analyzing the biological functions and pathways in which PIM3 related genes may be involved. STRING online tools were used for building a co-expression network. Cytoscape was used for co-expression network visualization. RESULTS: Compared with the low expression group, the patients in the PIM3 high expression group lived longer time. Single-factor and multi-factor cox regression analysis indicated that PIM3 was an independent prognostic factor for colon cancer. Sixty-two PIM3 related genes were screened, and GO and KEGG enrichment analyses suggested that PIM3 related genes might be involved in the MAPK and WNT pathways. The co-expression network showed a strong correlation between PIM3 and MLKL, MYL5, PPP3R1 and other genes. CONCLUSIONS: PIM3 is an independent prognostic factor of colon cancer and may be a target for the diagnosis and treatment of colon cancer.

Research on the relationship between RAGE and its ligand HMGB1, and prognosis and pathogenesis of gastric cancer with diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between the expression of receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) and high-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) and the clinical and pathological parameters and prognosis of the patients with gastric cancer (GC) with diabetes mellitus (DM). PATIENTS AND METHODS: 30 normal gastric mucosa, 30 tissues with GC, 90 tissues with GC and DM and their clinical data were collected. The expression levels of RAGE and HMGB1 were detected by immunohistochemistry. Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to analyze the relationship between the expression levels of RAGE and HMGB1 and the 5-year survival rate. MTT and cell scratch assays were used to detect the effects of knockdown RAGE and HMGB1 on the proliferation and migration of BGC-823 cells. Real-Time PCR was used to detect the regulation of RAGE and HMGB1 on PTBP-1, and Spearman correlation analysis was performed to analyze the correlation between RAGE and HMGB1 and Polyprimidine tract protein (PTBP-1). RESULTS: Compared with the normal gastric mucosa group, the expression levels of RAGE and HMGB1 were significantly higher in the GC group, GC with DM group. The expression of RAGE and HMGB1 was related with lymph node metastasis, TNM staging, and tumor invasion (p<0.05). Age, TNM stage, tumor infiltration depth, the expression of RAGE and HMGB1 were related with prognosis of patients with GC and DM (p<0.05). Tumor infiltration depth, the expression of RAGE and HMGB1 could affect the 5-year survival rate of patients with GC and DM (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Knockdown RAGE and HMGB1 increased the expression of PTBP-1, and RAGE and HMGB1 were negatively regulated with PTBP-1. RAGE and HMGB1 are independent risk factors for the prognosis of patients with GC with DM. RAGE and HMGB1 may regulate the expression of PTBP-1 and inhibit the glycolysis of cells, which may affect the cell proliferation and migration of GC.

High expression of WISP1 promotes metastasis and predicts poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the expression level of Wnt1-inducible signaling pathway protein 1 (WISP1) and its clinical significance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to detect the expression level of WISP1 in HCC tissues and cells. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazard regression model were chosen for single and multiple factor analysis of survival analysis, respectively. Furthermore, wound healing assay and transwell assay were used to verify the effect of WISP1 on HCC cell metastasis in vitro. RESULTS: The expression level of WISP1 in HCC tissues was significantly higher than that in para-cancer tissues (p<0.05). WISP1 expression was positively correlated with lymph node metastasis and clinical stage of HCC. Kaplan-Meier curve showed that HCC patients with higher WISP1 expression exhibited significantly worse progression free survival (PFS) time and overall survival (OS) time. Both univariate and multivariate analysis indicated that high expression of WISP1 was an independent predictor of poor prognosis in HCC. In addition, WISP1 significantly promoted the invasion and migration of HCC cells in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: WISP1 might contribute to the development of HCC, serving as a clinical biomarker and therapeutic target for HCC patients.

The safety and efficacy of endoscopic submucosal dissection for treating early oesophageal carcinoma: a meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Oesophageal carcinoma is the sixth most lethal cancer in the world. At present, the choice of specific surgical methods is controversial. This study compares the safety and efficacy of endoscopic submucosal dissection and endoscopic mucosal resection in treating early oesophageal carcinoma. METHODS: We carried out a search of online databases including the Web of Science, PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library with no language restrictions. The inclusion criteria were patients with early oesophageal carcinoma who accepted the treatment of endoscopic submucosal dissection compared with endoscopic mucosal resection. FINDINGS: A total of 1,462 patients with 1,650 lesions from nine studies were included in the meta-analysis. When compared with the endoscopic mucosal resection group, the en bloc resection (endoscopic submucosal dissection 67.94% vs endoscopic mucosal resection 52.78%; odds ratio 19.79, p = 0.000) and complete resection (endoscopic submucosal dissection 75.57% vs endoscopic mucosal resection 59.47%; odds ratio 16.10, p = 0.000) rates were significantly higher in the endoscopic submucosal dissection group, while the local recurrence rate was significantly lower in the endoscopic submucosal dissection group (endoscopic submucosal dissection 0.08% vs endoscopic mucosal resection 2.66%; odds ratio 0.08, p = 0.000). The incidence of complications and procedural time were also tested.

[Expression of H3.3 G34W mutant-specific antibody in giant cell tumors of bone and its diagnostic value].

Objective: To investigate the expression of H3.3 G34W mutant-specific antibody in giant cell tumors of bone (GCTB), and its value in the diagnosis of GCTB. Methods: Immunohistochemical (IHC) EnVision method was used to detect the expression of H3.3 G34W mutant-specific antibody and p63 in 83 GCTBs, 18 aneurysmal bone cysts, 23 chondroblastomas and 28 osteosarcomas diagnosed at Nanjing Jinling Hospital from June 2001 to April 2019. Results: Among the 83 cases of GCTB, 69 cases (69/83, 83.1%) expressed H3.3 G34W. H3.3 G34W expression was found exclusively in the mononuclear cell population with strong and diffuse nuclear staining. H3.3 G34W was expressed in 55 of 57 (96.5%) cases of GCTB in long bones, but only 14 of 26 (53.8%) cases of non-long bone GCTB. All recurrent (9/9)/metastatic GCTB (2/2), post-denosumab GCTB (3/3), primary malignant GCTB (3/3) and secondary malignant GCTB (5/5) also expressed H3.3 G34W. H3.3 G34W was negative in all aneurysmal bone cysts and chondroblastomas. H3.3 G34W was positive in 3 of 28(10.7%) cases of osteosarcomas, and giant cell-rich osteosarcoma(GCRO) was the only histological subtype of osteosarcoma that expressed H3.3 G34W. p63 was expressed in 71.1%(59/83) of GCTB, while the positive rates of p63 in aneurysmal bone cysts,chondroblastomas and osteosarcomas were 3/18, 43.5% (10/23) and 21.4% (6/28) respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of H3.3 G34W mutant-specific antibody in the diagnosis of GCTB were 83.1% and 95.7%. Conclusions: H3.3 G34W mutant-specific antibody is a highly sensitive and specific marker for GCTB and helpful for the diagnosis of GCTB and its variants. The limitation of this antibody is that as a mall number of GCTB harbor G34 mutation other than G34W, and thus that cannot be detected. The incidental expression of H3.3 G34W mutant protein in osteosarcoma could be a potential diagnostic dilemma, and the results of H3.3 G34W IHC staining needs careful interpretation.

Circular RNA hsa_circ_0010882 promotes the progression of gastric cancer via regulation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: Accumulating studies have reported that circular RNAs (circRNAs) can act as novel prognostic biomarkers in multiple malignant tumors. Here, we conducted a study to investigate the potential function and molecular mechanism of action of hsa_circ_0010882 in gastric cancer (GC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The expression of hsa_circ_0010882 in the plasma of GC patients and in GC cell lines was verified by qRT-PCR. Its association with overall survival of GC patients was then analyzed by statistical analysis. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function assays were used to investigate the physiological function of hsa_circ_0010882 in GC cells in vitro in the context of proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion. Moreover, the molecular mechanism of action of hsa_circ_0010882 was predicted using online databases and a literature review. A Western blot assay was used to detect the levels of proteins in the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. RESULTS: We found that hsa_circ_0010882 expression was significantly upregulated in the plasma of GC patients and GC cell lines. Increased expression of hsa_circ_0010882 was significantly correlated with tumor size and histological grade. In addition, GC patients with higher expression of hsa_circ_0010882 had significantly lower overall survival than patients with lower expression of hsa_circ_0010882. Multivariate analysis showed that hsa_circ_0010882 expression could be an independent prognostic factor for overall survival. The proliferation, migration, and invasiveness of GC cell lines were inhibited following hsa_circ_0010882 knock-down, while GC cellular apoptosis increased. Further, overexpression of hsa_circ_0010882 leads to increased proliferation, migration, and invasiveness of GC cell lines. While apoptosis was higher in the GC cell line group with low expressing hsa_circ_0010882 than the control group, no significant difference in apoptosis was detected between the hsa_circ_0010882 overexpressing and the control group. Finally, a mechanistic analysis demonstrated that the hsa_circ_0010882 was positively associated with PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Hsa_circ_0010882, as an oncogenic molecule, is highly expressed in the plasma of patients with GC and is associated with poor prognosis. It plays an important role in proliferation, migration, and invasive genotypes of GC cell lines via regulation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. Additionally, it might be a potential prognostic biomarker for GC patients.

[A clinical analysis of 32 patients with carotid web].

Carotid web is a rare risk factor of ischemic stroke. A total of 32 (0.54%) patients with carotid web were finally diagnosed in 5 943 patients who underwent carotid computerized tomography angiography (CTA) in two hospitals. Only one patient received carotid endarterectomy that pathological findings were fibrous tissue hyperplasia of vascular wall with mucinous degeneration. Stent implantation was administrated in two cases. Among 13 asymptomatic patients, the observational follow-up period was (20.9±12.4) months without strokes. Carotid web is a rare aberration. Asymptomatic patients with carotid web are usually silent. Large sized cohort and long-term follow-up are further needed.

[Low temperature plasma minimally invasive treatment of children piriform fossa fistula].

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of lowtemperature plasma minimally invasive treatment of piriform fossa fistula in children at the infection stage and non-infection stage. Method: Twenty-five pediatric patients of piriform fovea fistula were treated with low-temperature plasma minimally invasive treatment. These patients were divided into the infection stage group(16 cases) and the non-infection stage group(9 cases). In both groups, low-temperature plasma ablation was performed to close the piriform fossa fistula under laryngoscope supported by endotracheal intubation under general anesthesia. For patients in infection stage, simultaneous cervical abscess incision and drainage were performed. The efficacy, postoperative recurrence rate and complications of the two groups were compared. Result: In the non-infection stage group, 7 cases were cured by 1 operation, and 2 cases were cured by the reoperation. In the infection stage group, 10 cases were cured by 1 operation, 5 cases were cured by the reoperation, and 1 case was cured by external fistula resection due to repeated purulent discharge of neck infection. No recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, massive hemorrhage or other complications occurred in these patients. Conclusion: Low temperature plasma minimally invasive treatment is safe and effective for pediatric patients of piriform fossa fistula.

Preventative effects of selenium-enriched Bifidobacterium longum on irinotecan-induced small intestinal mucositis in mice.

Intestinal mucositis is a frequent side effect in cancer patients who are treated with chemotherapy. There are no effective treatment strategies to date. To find a novel way to alleviate mucositis, the effects of selenium-enriched Bifidobacterium longum (Se-B. longum) in preventing irinotecan (CPT-11)-induced intestinal mucositis in a mouse model were investigated. We tested the ability of Se-B. longum (Se 0.6 mg/kg, 5×108 cfu/mice) to reduce small intestinal mucositis induced by CPT-11 (75 mg/kg, daily) injected intraperitoneally for four consecutive days in mice. Se-B. longum significantly decreased mortality induced by CPT-11 from 71.4% to 16.7%. CPT-11 induced body weight loss, which was alleviated by preventative and simultaneous administration of Se-B. longum. Se-B. longum significantly decreased the severity of diarrhoea from 11 to 4% compared to the CPT-11 group. Inflammation, including intestinal shortening and upregulation of tumour necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1ß induced by CPT- 11, were prevented by Se-B. longum. Se-B. longum is effective in preventing small intestinal mucositis induced by CPT-11 and therefore has potential to be used clinically by cancer patients.

Facile synthesis of novel dithioacetal-naphthalene derivatives as potential activators for plant resistance induction.

In this paper, a series of novel dithioacetal-naphthalenes were designed and synthesized for plant immunity. Their antiviral activities were evaluated against tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). The results indicated that most compounds exhibited better activity against CMV than against TMV. These dithioacetal derivatives also displayed good bacterial activity against rice bacterial leaf blight. Among them, compound S16 exhibited relatively good anti-CMV, anti-TMV, and antibacterial activity. Structure-activity relationships indicated that introducing the naphthalene moiety enhanced their activities for plant resistance induction. Therefore, the basic motif of compound S16 could be the most promising candidate for further structural optimization to develop a potential activator for plant resistance induction.

A robust control system for targeting melanoma by a supermolecular DDMC/paclitaxel complex.

A DEAE-dextran-MMA copolymer (DDMC)-paclitaxel (PTX) conjugate was prepared using PTX as the guest and DDMC as the host. The resistance of B16F10 melanoma cells to PTX was confirmed, while the DDMC-PTX conjugate showed excellent anticancer activity that followed the Hill equation. The robustness in the tumor microenvironment of the allosteric system was confirmed via BIBO stability. This feedback control system, explained via a transfer function, was very stable and showed the sustainability of the system via a loop, and it showed superior anti-cancer activity without drug resistance from cancer cells. The block diagram of this signal system in the tumor microenvironment used its loop transfer function G(s) and the dN(s) of the external force. This indicial response is an ideal one without a time lag for the outlet response. The cell death rate of DDMC-PTX is more dependent on the Hill coefficient n than on the Michaelis constant Km. This means that this supermolecular reaction with tubulin follows an "induced fit model".