T2WI-based MRI radiomics for the prediction of preoperative extranodal extension and prognosis in resectable rectal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether T2-weighted imaging (T2WI)-based intratumoral and peritumoral radiomics can predict extranodal extension (ENE) and prognosis in patients with resectable rectal cancer. METHODS: One hundred sixty-seven patients with resectable rectal cancer including T3T4N + cases were prospectively included. Radiomics features were extracted from intratumoral, peritumoral 3 mm, and peritumoral-mesorectal fat on T2WI images. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression were used for feature selection. A radiomics signature score (Radscore) was built with logistic regression analysis. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the performance of each Radscore. A clinical-radiomics nomogram was constructed by the most predictive radiomics signature and clinical risk factors. A prognostic model was constructed by Cox regression analysis to identify 3-year recurrence-free survival (RFS). RESULTS: Age, cT stage, and lymph node-irregular border and/or adjacent fat invasion were identified as independent clinical risk factors to construct a clinical model. The nomogram incorporating intratumoral and peritumoral 3 mm Radscore and independent clinical risk factors achieved a better AUC than the clinical model in the training (0.799 vs. 0.736) and validation cohorts (0.723 vs. 0.667). Nomogram-based ENE (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.625, 95% CI = 1.233-5.586, p = 0.012) and extramural vascular invasion (EMVI) (HR = 2.523, 95% CI = 1.247-5.106, p = 0.010) were independent risk factors for predicting 3-year RFS. The prognostic model constructed by these two indicators showed good performance for predicting 3-year RFS in the training (AUC = 0.761) and validation cohorts (AUC = 0.710). CONCLUSION: The nomogram incorporating intratumoral and peritumoral 3 mm Radscore and clinical risk factors could predict preoperative ENE. Combining nomogram-based ENE and MRI-reported EMVI may be useful in predicting 3-year RFS. CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: A clinical-radiomics nomogram could help preoperative predict ENE, and a prognostic model constructed by the nomogram-based ENE and MRI-reported EMVI could predict 3-year RFS in patients with resectable rectal cancer. KEY POINTS: • Intratumoral and peritumoral 3 mm Radscore showed the most capability for predicting ENE. • Clinical-radiomics nomogram achieved the best predictive performance for predicting ENE. • Combining clinical-radiomics based-ENE and EMVI showed good performance for 3-year RFS.

Incidence, prevention, risk factors, and prediction of venous thromboembolism in Chinese patients after colorectal cancer surgery: a prospective, multicenter cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common and serious complication after colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery. Few large-sample studies have reported VTE incidence and management status after CRC surgery in China. This study aimed to investigate the incidence and prevention of VTE in Chinese patients after CRC surgery, identify risk factors for developing VTE, and construct a new scoring system for clinical decision-making and care planning. METHODS: Participants were recruited from 46 centers in 17 provinces in China. Patients were followed up for 1 month postoperatively. The study period was from May 2021 to May 2022. The Caprini score risk stratification and VTE prevention and incidence were recorded. The predictors of the occurrence of VTE after surgery were identified by multivariate logistic regression analysis, and a prediction model (CRC-VTE score) was developed. RESULTS: A total of 1836 patients were analyzed. The postoperative Caprini scores ranged from 1 to 16 points, with a median of 6 points. Of these, 10.1% were classified as low risk (0-2 points), 7.4% as moderate risk (3-4 points), and 82.5% as high risk (≥5 points). Among these patients, 1210 (65.9%) received pharmacological prophylaxis, and 1061 (57.8%) received mechanical prophylaxis. The incidence of short-term VTE events after CRC surgery was 11.2% (95% CI 9.8-12.7), including deep venous thrombosis (DVT) (11.0%, 95% CI 9.6-12.5) and pulmonary embolism (PE) (0.2%, 95% CI 0-0.5). Multifactorial analysis showed that age (≥70 years), history of varicose veins in the lower extremities, cardiac insufficiency, female sex, preoperative bowel obstruction, preoperative bloody/tarry stool, and anesthesia time at least 180 min were independent risk factors for postoperative VTE. The CRC-VTE model was developed from these seven factors and had good VTE predictive performance ( C -statistic 0.72, 95% CI 0.68-0.76). CONCLUSIONS: This study provided a national perspective on the incidence and prevention of VTE after CRC surgery in China. The study offers guidance for VTE prevention in patients after CRC surgery. A practical CRC-VTE risk predictive model was proposed.

MRI-based multiregional radiomics for preoperative prediction of tumor deposit and prognosis in resectable rectal cancer: a bicenter study.

OBJECTIVE: To build T2WI-based multiregional radiomics for predicting tumor deposit (TD) and prognosis in patients with resectable rectal cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 208 patients with pathologically confirmed rectal cancer from two hospitals were prospectively enrolled. Intra- and peritumoral features were extracted separately from T2WI images and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator was used to screen the most valuable radiomics features. Clinical-radiomics nomogram was developed by radiomics signatures and the most predictive clinical parameters. Prognostic model for 3-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) was constructed using univariate and multivariate Cox analysis. RESULTS: For TD, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for intratumoral radiomics model was 0.956, 0.823, and 0.860 in the training cohort, test cohort, and external validation cohort, respectively. AUC for the peritumoral radiomics model was 0.929, 0.906, and 0.773 in the training cohort, test cohort, and external validation cohort, respectively. The AUC for combined intra- and peritumoral radiomics model was 0.976, 0.918, and 0.874 in the training cohort, test cohort, and external validation cohort, respectively. The AUC for clinical-radiomics nomogram was 0.989, 0.777, and 0.870 in the training cohort, test cohort, and external validation cohort, respectively. The prognostic model constructed by combining intra- and peritumoral radiomics signature score (radscore)-based TD and MRI-reported lymph nodes metastasis (LNM) indicated good performance for predicting 3-year RFS, with AUC of 0.824, 0.865, and 0.738 in the training cohort, test cohort and external validation cohort, respectively. CONCLUSION: Combined intra- and peritumoral radiomics model showed good performance for predicting TD. Combining intra- and peritumoral radscore-based TD and MRI-reported LNM indicated the recurrence risk. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Combined intra- and peritumoral radiomics model could help accurately predict tumor deposits. Combining this predictive model-based tumor deposits with MRI-reported lymph node metastasis was associated with relapse risk of rectal cancer after surgery. KEY POINTS: • Combined intra- and peritumoral radiomics model provided better diagnostic performance than that of intratumoral and peritumoral radiomics model alone for predicting TD in rectal cancer. • The predictive performance of the clinical-radiomics nomogram was not improved compared with the combined intra- and peritumoral radiomics model for predicting TD. • The prognostic model constructed by combining intra- and peritumoral radscore-based TD and MRI-reported LNM showed good performance for assessing 3-year RFS.

Study on the Influence of Graphene Content Variation on the Microstructure Evolution and Properties of Laser Additive Manufacturing Nickel-Based/SiC Composite Cladding Layer on Aluminum Alloy Surface.

A Ni25-10% SiC-X% graphene (mass fraction X = 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5) composite cladding layer was prepared on a 6063 aluminum alloy substrate using laser cladding in order to enhance the comprehensive performance of the aircraft refueling interface. The effect of the graphene content on the organization and properties of nickel-based silicon carbide composite cladding layers was investigated by laser melting. The macroscopic morphology, microstructure, hardness, elemental changes, corrosion and wear resistance of the cladding layer were studied by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, a hardness tester, an X-ray diffractometer, an electrochemical workstation and an M-2000 frictional wear tester. The results indicated that the nickel-based clad layer without graphene incorporation had the worst forming, with a large number of pores and cracks in the cladding layer. Because graphene agglomerated easily, cracks were regenerated when the content of graphene was higher than 0.5%. The material phases of the cladding layer without graphene incorporation were mainly: Al3Ni2, Fe3Si and SiC. Due to the addition of graphene, the clad layer of specimen 2 was refined and a large number of hard phases, such as CrC and Cr23C6, were generated, which led to the increase in the hardness of the clad layer. When the content of graphene was further increased, the number of hard phases such as CrC and Cr23C6 produced in the cladding was relatively reduced due to the agglomeration of graphene, and the hardness of the cladding was reduced. As the impermeability of graphene reduces the diffusion of corrosive media to the substrate, the generation of hard-phase Al3Ni2 in the cladding layer makes the corrosion resistance of the cladding layer increase with the increase in graphene mass fraction. The result is that, when the content of graphene was 0.5%, the overall performance of the clad layer was the best, where its average hardness was increased by 40%, the average coefficient of friction was reduced by 12.7% and the wear rate was reduced by 60%.

Data set on oil palm plantation production and LUC emissions under different management strategies.

Oil palm plantations are the fundamental units in a palm supply chain. The fresh fruit bunch (FFB) yield at a plantation varies based on the maturity (age) of the oil palm trees. Failure to account for the maturity can lead to a demand-supply mismatch. To address this issue, Rajakal et al. (2021) have developed a mathematical optimisation model to determine the optimal maturity of the plantations needed to meet the crude palm oil demand. This article presents the data set on the FFB production and land use change (LUC) emissions at the plantations. The model was coded and solved in LINGO 18.0. The data can be used for further investigation in optimising other related activities in a palm supply chain.

The application of apparent diffusion coefficients derived from intratumoral and peritumoral zones for assessing pathologic prognostic factors in rectal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the diagnostic performance of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) derived from intratumoral and peritumoral zones for assessing pathologic prognostic factors in rectal cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred forty-six patients with rectal cancer who underwent preoperative MRI were prospectively enrolled. Two radiologists independently placed free-hand regions of interest (ROIs) in the largest tumor cross section and three small ROIs on the peritumoral zone adjacent to the tumor contour. Maximum values of tumor ADC (ADCtmax), minimum values of tumor ADC (ADCtmin), mean values of tumor ADC (ADCtmean), mean values of peritumor ADC (ADCpmean), and ADCpmean/ADCtmean (ADC ratio) were obtained on ADC maps and correlated with prognostic factors using uni- and multivariate logistic regression, and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis. RESULTS: Interobserver agreement was excellent for ADCtmax and ADCtmean (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC], 0.915-0.958), and were good for ADCtmin, ADCpmean, and ADC ratio (ICC, 0.774-0.878). The ADC ratio was significantly higher in the poor differentiation, T3-4 stage, lymph node metastasis (LNM)-positive, extranodal extension (ENE)-positive, tumor deposit (TD)-positive, and lymphovascular invasion (LVI)-positive groups than that in the well-moderate differentiation, T1-2 stage, LNM-negative, ENE-negative, TD-negative, and LVI-negative groups (p = 0.008, < 0.001, < 0.001, 0.001, < 0.001, and < 0.001, respectively). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the ADC ratio was the highest for assessing poor differentiation (0.700), T3-4 stage (0.707), LNM-positive (0.776), TD-positive (0.848), and LVI-positive (0.778). Both the ADC ratio (AUC = 0.677) and ADCpmean (AUC = 0.686) showed higher diagnostic performance for assessing ENE. CONCLUSION: The ADC ratio could provide better predictive performance for assessing preoperative prognostic factors in resectable rectal cancer. KEY POINTS: • Both the peritumor/tumor ADC ratio and ADCpmean are correlated with important prognostic factors of resectable rectal cancer. • Both peritumor ADC and peritumor/tumor ADC ratio had higher diagnostic performance than tumor ADC for assessment of prognostic factors in resectable rectal cancer. • Peritumor/tumor ADC ratio showed the most capability for the assessment of prognostic factors in resectable rectal cancer.

Prediction and identification of epitopes in the Echinococcus multilocularis thrombospondin 3 antigen.

BACKGROUND: Alveolar echinococcosis is an epidemic disease caused by the parasitism of Echinococcus multilocularis (Em) larvae in the intermediate or final host. OBJECTIVE: To identify and analyze B-cell and T-cell (Th1, Th2, and Th17) epitopes of the Em antigen protein thrombospondin 3 (TSP3). METHODS: The amino acid sequence of TSP3 was obtained, and the secondary structural characteristics of TSP3 were predicted using bioinformatics software to further predict its potential T-cell and B-cell epitopes. The spleen lymphocytes of BALB/c mice, which were immunized with the TSP3 protein, were collected for co-culture with B-cell and T-cell antigen small peptides. The B-cell epitopes and T-cell epitope subtypes Th1, Th2, and Th17 were identified as having good immunogenicity. RESULTS: After identification, it was found that the predominant epitopes of B cells existing in TSP3 were T18-33, T45-55, and T110-122. Furthermore, the predominant epitopes of T cells existing in TSP3 were T33-42, T45-55, T80-90, and T110-122 in the T1 subtype, T45-55, T68-77, and T92-104 in the Th2 subtype, and T53-63 and T80-90 in the Th17 subtype. CONCLUSIONS: Six T-cell and eight B-cell dominant epitopes of the TSP3 antigen were revealed; these results may be applied in the development of a dominant epitope vaccine.

Value of intravoxel incoherent motion for assessment of lymph node status and tumor response after chemoradiation therapy in locally advanced rectal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the role of region of interest (ROI) selection of intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) for predicting lymph node metastases (LNM) and tumor response after chemoradiation therapy (CRT) in locally advanced rectal cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-nine patients with biopsy-proven rectal adenocarcinoma who underwent pre- and post-CRT MRI and surgery were prospectively enrolled. The exclusion criteria included nonresectable and/or metastatic disease and loss of follow-up. Pathological stage was determined using ypTNM stage and tumor regression grade. Slow diffusion coefficient (D), fast diffusion coefficient (D*), perfusion-related diffusion fraction (f), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and their percentage changes (Δ%) were evaluated by two readers using whole-volume, single-slice and small samples ROI methods. Risk factors including carcinoembryonic antigen, post-CRT T-staging, extramural venous invasion and IVIM parameters were evaluated through multivariate analyses. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) were calculated to evaluate diagnostic performance. Duration of follow-up was two-year. Recurrence-free survival of patients with LNM and tumor response was estimated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: Interobserver agreement were good for pre- and post-CRT three ROI methods (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC], 0.581-0.953). Whole-volume ROI-derived Δ%D was an independent risk factor for LNM, non-pathological complete response (non-pCR) and poor response (odds ratio, 0.940, 0.952, 0.805, respectively; all p < 0.001). Whole-volume ROI-derived Δ%D showed best AUC of 0.810, 0.851 and 0.903 for LNM, non-pCR and poor response (cutoff value, 31.8%, 54.5%, 52.8%, respectively). Patients with post-CRT LNM showed reduction in 2-year recurrence-free survival (hazard ratio, 3.253). CONCLUSIONS: Whole-volume ROI-derived Δ%D provided high diagnostic performance for evaluating post-CRT LNM and tumor response. Patients with post-CRT LNM showed earlier recurrence.

Thymic carcinoma metastasize to the small intestine: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Thymic carcinoma is a rare mediastinal neoplasm with a high malignant potential. It often shows pleural invasion and distant metastasis. The metastasis of thymic carcinoma to the small intestine is rarely reported and difficult to distinguish from other gastrointestinal tract tumors. CASE PRESENTATION: An elderly man presented with lower abdominal pain for 2 months. Abdominal CT showed a mass communicated with the small intestinal lumen. After radical resection of the small intestinal tumor, resected specimens showed moderately differentiated squamous-cell carcinoma with lymph nodes metastases. The patient received chest CT and was found to have a mass in anterior mediastinum. Biopsies of the mass revealed thymic squamous-cell carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: We highlighted the metastasis of thymic carcinoma to the small intestine is rare and easily misdiagnosed. In patients with a mass communicated with the small intestinal lumen, a suspicion of thymic carcinoma metastasis should not be overlooked and we should make accurate differential diagnosis from the other small intestinal tumors.

Prediction and Identification of Epitopes in the Emy162 Antigen of Echinococcus multilocularis.

INTRODUCTION: Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a zoonotic disease caused by the parasitism of Echinococcus multilocularis larvae in the intermediate host or the final host. This study aims to identify and analyze the B-cell and T-cell (Th1, Th2 and Th17) epitopes of E. multilocularis antigen Emy162. METHODS: (1) The secondary structural characteristics of the Emy162 protein were predicted by bioinformatics software to further predict the potential T- and B-cell epitopes. (2) The dominant antigen epitopes were detected by ELISA through the reaction of patient serum with small B-cell antigen peptide and assessing the proliferation of splenic lymphocytes of mice immunized with Emy162. (3) The expression of cytokines in splenic lymphocytes of mice stimulated by small T-cell antigen peptides was detected by ELISA, ELISpot and flow cytometry to enable the identification of the T-cell epitopes. RESULTS: (1) The high-scored T-cell epitopes were located at positions E7-13, E36-41, E80-89, E87-96, E97-106 and E129-139, while B-cell epitopes were located at positions E7-13, E19-27, E28-36, E37-48, E78-83, E101-109, E112-121 and E129-139. (2) The three advanced antigen epitopes of Emy162 were E19-27, E112-121 and E129-139. (3) The four Th1 advanced antigen epitopes of Emy162 were E7-13, E36-41, E80-89 and E129-139. The three Th2 advanced antigen epitopes were E36-41, E87-96 and E97-106. The three Th17 advanced antigen epitopes were E36-41, E87-96 and E97-106. CONCLUSION: (1) The Emy162 protein has advanced antigenicity and numerous potential epitopes. Six T-cell and eight B-cell dominant epitopes were revealed using bioinformatics methods. (2) There are three dominant B-cell epitopes, four dominant Th1 epitopes, three dominant Th2 epitopes, and three dominant Th17 epitopes in the Emy162 antigen.

[Expression Level of FLRG in Colon Cancer Tissue and Its Clinical Significance].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of follistatin related gene ( FLRG) in colon cancer and its relationship with clinicopathological features of colon cancer. METHODS: The cancer tissue, paracancerous tissue and normal tissue were collected from 80 patients with colon cancer who underwent radical operation from December 2018 to December 2019. Immunohistochemistry and Real-time PCR were carried out to examine the expression of FLRG and the clinical implications of FLRG was further analyzed. RESULTS: The expression of FLRG in colon cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in paracancerous tissues and normal tissues ( P<0.05), and the expression of FLRG in paracancerous tissues was significantly higher than that in normal tissues ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the expression of FLRG among colon cancer patients with different sex, age, tumor growth location and differentiation degree ( P>0.05). The expression level of FLRG in patients with distant metastasis was higher than that in patients without distant metastasis ( P<0.05), and the expression level of FLRG in patients with late clinical stage (stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ) was higher than that in patients with earlier clinical stage (stage Ⅰ and Ⅱ) ( P<0.05). CONCLUSION: FLRG is up-regulated in colon cancer tissue, which may be involved in the regulation of tumor development. FLRG may be a potential prognostic target.

Relationship between platelet-based models and the prognosis of patients with malignant hepatic tumors.

Platelets (PLTs) are involved in tumor growth, metabolism and vascular activation. PLT-based models have been reported to have significant value on the recurrence of malignant hepatic tumors. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of PLT count and 18 PLT-based models on the prognosis of patients with malignant hepatic tumors. The clinical data from 189 patients with malignant hepatic tumors were retrospectively analyzed and used to calculate the scores of the 18 PLT-based models. Receiver operating characteristic curve was used to determine the suitable cut-off values of mortality and recurrence in patients with malignant hepatic tumors. The overall survival and cumulative recurrence rates of patients were calculated using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and the difference was analyzed using log-rank test. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine the independent risk factors of recurrence-free survival and overall survival. In the present study, 11 models were considered as predictors of mortality (P<0.05) and six models were considered as predictors of recurrence (P<0.05). The results from multivariate analysis demonstrated that vascular cancer embolus, uric acid >231 µmol/l, hemoglobin >144 g/l and the Lok index model >0.695 were considered as independent risk factors of mortality (P<0.05). Furthermore, vascular cancer embolus, PLT to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) >175 and fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) >4.82 were independent factors of recurrence (P<0.05). In addition, the results from this study indicated that the Lok-index could be considered as a predictor of the overall survival rate. In conclusion, the FIB-4 and PLR model may be valuable for predicting the recurrence-free rate of patients with malignant hepatic tumors.

Primary splenic hydatidosis: a case report.

We herein report a case of primary splenic hydatidosis to provide data regarding the diagnosis, treatment, and epidemiological statistics of this disease. The patient was from a pastoral area and was diagnosed with primary splenic hydatidosis with chronic atrophic gastritis. The patient had no history of surgical treatment of hydatidosis. The diagnosis was mainly based on possible exposure to endemic areas, imaging findings, serological test results, and operative and pathological examination findings. Laparoscopic splenectomy was performed, and regular albendazole therapy was given after the operation. The patient was admitted to the hospital for gastrointestinal bleeding 3 months postoperatively, and she was successfully treated and discharged. No recurrence of hydatid foci has been observed since the follow-up.

Long non-coding RNA PlncRNA-1 promotes cell proliferation and hepatic metastasis in colorectal cancer.

Emerging evidence has identified that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) may play an important role in the pathogenesis of many cancer types, including colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the role of PlncRNA-1 in CRC remains unclear. The aim of our present study was to investigate the potential functions of PlncRNA-1 in CRC and to identify the underlying mechanisms of action. We demonstrated that up-regulated PlncRNA-1 in CRC tissues and cells promoted cell proliferation by accelerating cell cycle process and inhibiting cell apoptosis in vitro, enhanced tumor growth and matastasis in vivo and was associated with cell migration and invasion, EMT process of CRC cells. In addition, PlncRNA-1 was a target of miR-204 and enhanced the expression of an endogenous miR-204 target, MMP9 in CRC cells. Furthermore, we found that PlncRNA-1 activates Wnt/ß-catenin pathway through the miR-204 in CRC cells. These results suggest that the PlncRNA-1/miR-204/ Wnt/ß-catenin regulatory network may shed light on tumorigenesis in CRC.

Physcion, a naturally occurring anthraquinone derivative, induces apoptosis and autophagy in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

AIM: Physcion is a major bioactive ingredient in the traditional Chinese medicine Radix et Rhizoma Rhei, which has an anthraquinone chemical structure and exhibits a variety of pharmacological activities including laxative, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and anti-proliferative effects. In this study we investigated the effect of physcion on human nasopharyngeal carcinoma in vitro and in vivo, as well as the mechanisms underlying the anti-tumor action. METHODS: The nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line CNE2 was treated with physcion, and cell viability was detected using MTT and colony formation assays. Flow cytometry was used to assess the cell cycle arrest, mitochondrial membrane potential loss, apoptosis, autophagy and intracellular ROS generation. Apoptotic cell death was also confirmed by a TUNEL assay. The expression of target or marker molecules was determined using Western blotting. The activity of caspase-3, 8, and 9 was detected with an ELISA kit. A xenograft murine model was used to evaluate the in vivo anti-tumor action of physcion, the mice were administered physcion (10, 20 mg·kg-1·d-1, ip) for 30 d. RESULTS: Treatment with physcion (5, 10, and 20 µmol/L) dose-dependently suppressed the cell viability and colony formation in CNE2 cells. Physcion (10 and 20 µmol/L) dose-dependently blocked cell cycle progression at G1 phase and induced both caspase-dependent apoptosis and autophagy in CNE2 cells. Furthermore, physcion treatment induced excessive ROS generation in CNE2 cells, and subsequently disrupted the miR-27a/ZBTB10 axis, resulting in repression of the transcription factor Sp1 that was involved in physcion-induced apoptosis and autophagy. Moreover, physcion-induced autophagy acted as a pro-apoptotic factor, and possibly contributed to physcion-induced apoptosis. In the xenograft murine model, administration of physcion dose-dependently suppressed the tumor growth without affecting the body weight. Furthermore, the anti-tumor effects of physcion were correlated with downregulation of Sp1 and suppression of miR-27a in the tumor tissues. CONCLUSION: Physcion induces apoptosis and autophagy in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma by targeting Sp1, which was mediated by ROS/miR-27a/ZBTB10 signaling. The results suggest that physcion is a promising candidate for the treatment of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Prophylactic Nasogastric Decompression for Routine Gastrectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the necessity of using nasogastric tubes for patients with gastrectomy. STUDY DESIGN: A non-randomized controlled trial with two arms. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Sichuan Provincial Peoples' Hospital, China, from February 2012 to January 2014. METHODOLOGY: One hundred and twenty one patients undergoing gastrectomy were assigned into intubation group and control group based on patient's own will. The intubation group was intubated with a nasogastric tube before operation and extubated at the earliest evidence of passed flatus. Clinical outcomes, such as operation time, bleeding volume, time to passage of flatus, postoperative complications, and length of stay were recorded and compared between the two groups along with patient characteristics. RESULTS: The two groups did not differ in patient characteristics with similar distribution of gender, age, diagnosis, tumor location and operation type. Nasogastric intubation before surgery was not associated with statistically significant difference in total surgery duration, bleeding volume of operation or postoperative complications. In addition, patients without nasogastric tubes resumed oral diet earlier (52.5 ± 14.1 vs.18.4 ± 2.0 hours, p < 0.05) and had shorter time to first passage of flatus (43.8 ± 11.2 vs. 49.0 ± 13.3 hours, p=0.02). CONCLUSION: It is safe to give up nasogastric intubation for patients undergoing elective gastrectomy and may even result in a better patient outcome.

Suspended, Shrinkage-Free, Electrospun PLGA Nanofibrous Scaffold for Skin Tissue Engineering.

Electrospinning is a technique for creating continuous nanofibrous networks that can architecturally be similar to the structure of extracellular matrix (ECM). However, the shrinkage of electrospun mats is unfavorable for the triggering of cell adhesion and further growth. In this work, electrospun PLGA nanofiber assemblies are utilized to create a scaffold. Aided by a polypropylene auxiliary supporter, the scaffold is able to maintain long-term integrity without dimensional shrinkage. This scaffold is also able to suspend in cell culture medium; hence, keratinocyte cells seeded on the scaffold are exposed to air as required in skin tissue engineering. Experiments also show that human skin keratinocytes can proliferate on the scaffold and infiltrate into the scaffold.

Controlled ultrasonic micro-dissection of thin tissue sections.

In order to obtain sufficient quantities of pure populations of cells or a single cell from surrounding tissue for analytical investigation, we have developed an ultrasonic microdissection system. The system utilizes a vision-based method for detecting the contact between the microdissection needle tip and a target surface. A multilayer stack piezoelectric actuator is employed to generate ultrasonic vibrations for histological isolation. Automated micro-dissection is also realized using visual feedback and vision-based control. Experimental results on tumor tissue sections show that the system has a high dissection accuracy and efficiency and is able to realize dissecting arbitrary shapes in specified locations on a tissue sample. Furthermore, effects in variations of vibration amplitude and frequency of ultrasonic micro-dissection as well as needle insertion depths on micro-dissection accuracy and speed were evaluated.

Protective effect of iridoid glycosides from Paederia scandens (LOUR.) MERRILL (Rubiaceae) on uric acid nephropathy rats induced by yeast and potassium oxonate.

Iridoid glycosides of Paederia scandens (IGPS) are an active component isolated from Chinese herb P. scandens (LOUR.) MERRILL (Rubiaceae). Uric acid nephropathy (UAN) is caused by excessive uric acid, which results in damage of kidney tissue via urate crystals deposition in the kidneys. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of IGPS on UAN in rats induced by yeast and potassium oxonate. Treatment groups received different doses of IGPS and allopurinol (AP) daily for 35 days respectively. The results showed that treatment with IGPS significantly prevented the increases of uric acid in serum and the elevation of systolic blood pressure (SBP), attenuated renal tissue injury, improved renal function and reserved the biological activity of NOS-1. IGPS also inhibited the biological activity of TNF-α and TGF-ß1, and suppressed the mRNA expressions of TNF-α and TGF-ß1 in renal tissue. Taken together, the present and our previous findings suggest that IGPS exerts protective effects against kidney damage in UAN rats through its uric acid-lowering, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. Furthermore, decreasing SBP by up regulation of NOS-1 expression and down regulation of TNF-α and TGF-ß1 expression are involved in the effect of IGPS on high uric acid-induced nephropathy.