Characterization of sexual maturity-associated N6-methyladenosine in boar testes.

BACKGROUND: The health and size of the testes are crucial for boar fertility. Testicular development is tightly regulated by epigenetics. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is a prevalent internal modification on mRNA and plays an important role in development. The mRNA m6A methylation in boar testicular development still needs to be investigated. RESULTS: Using the MeRIP-seq technique, we identify and profile m6A modification in boar testes between piglets and adults. The results showed 7783 distinct m6A peaks in piglets and 6590 distinct m6A peaks in adults, with 2,471 peaks shared between the two groups. Enrichment of GO and KEGG analysis reveal dynamic m6A methylation in various biological processes and signalling pathways. Meanwhile, we conjointly analyzed differentially methylated and expressed genes in boar testes before and after sexual maturity, and reproductive related genes (TLE4, TSSK3, TSSK6, C11ORF94, PATZ1, PHLPP1 and PAQR7) were identified. Functional enrichment analysis showed that differential genes are associated with important biological functions, including regulation of growth and development, regulation of metabolic processes and protein catabolic processes. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate that m6A methylation, differential expression and the related signalling pathways are crucial for boar testicular development. These results suggest a role for m6A modification in boar testicular development and provided a resource for future studies on m6A function in boar testicular development.

A near-IR ratiometric fluorescent probe for the precise tracking of senescence: a multidimensional sensing assay of biomarkers in cell senescence pathways.

Senescence is a complex physiological process that can be induced by a range of factors, and cellular damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) is one of the major triggers. In order to learn and solve age-related diseases, tracking strategies through biomarkers, including senescence-associated ß-galactosidase (SA-ß-gal), with high sensitivity and accuracy, have been considered as a promising solution. However, endogenous ß-gal accumulation is not only associated with senescence but also with other physiological processes. Therefore, additional assays are needed to define cellular senescence further. In this work, a fancy fluorescent probe SA-HCy-1 for accurately monitoring senescence is developed, with SA-ß-gal and HClO as targets under high lysosomal pH conditions (pH > 6.0) specifically, on account of the role ß-gal commonly played as an ovarian cancer biomarker. Therefore, precise tracking of cellular senescence could be achieved in view of these three dimensions, with response in dual fluorescence channels providing a ratiometric sensing pattern. This elaborate strategy has been verified to be suitable for biological applications by skin photo-aging evaluation and cellular passage tracing, displaying a significantly improved sensitivity compared with the commercial X-gal kit measurement.

Design of a prodrug photocage for cancer cells detection and anticancer drug release.

Developing probes for simultaneous diagnosis and killing of cancer cells is crucial, yet challenging. This article presents the design and synthesis of a novel Rhodamine B fluorescence probe. The design strategy involves utilizing an anticancer drug (Melphalan) to bind with a fluorescent group (HRhod-OH), forming HRhod-MeL, which is non-fluorescent. However, when exposed to the high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) of cancer cells, HRhod-MeL transforms into a red-emitting Photocage (Rhod-MeL), and selectively accumulates in the mitochondria of cancer cells, where, when activated with green light (556 nm), anti-cancer drugs released. The Photocage improve the efficacy of anti-cancer drugs and enables the precise diagnosis and killing of cancer cells. Therefore, the prepared Photocage can detect cancer cells and release anticancer drugs in situ, which provides a new method for the development of prodrugs.

A self-amplifying loop of TP53INP1 and P53 drives oxidative stress-induced apoptosis of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) transplantation is a promising regenerative therapy; however, the survival rate of BMSCs after transplantation is low. Oxidative stress is one of the main reasons for the high apoptosis rate of BMSCs after transplantation, so there is an urgent need to explore the mechanism of oxidative stress-induced apoptosis of BMSCs. Our previous transcriptome sequencing results suggested that the expression of P53-induced nuclear protein 1 (TP53INP1) and the tumor suppressor P53 (P53) was significantly upregulated during the process of oxidative stress-induced apoptosis of BMSCs. The present study further revealed the role and mechanism of TP53INP1 and P53 in oxidative stress-induced apoptosis in BMSCs. Overexpression of TP53INP1 induced apoptosis of BMSCs, knockdown of TP53INP1 alleviated oxidative stress apoptosis of BMSCs. Under oxidative stress conditions, P53 is regulated by TP53INP1, while P53 can positively regulate the expression of TP53INP1, so the two form a positive feedback loop. To clarify the mechanism of feedback loop formation. We found that TP53INP1 inhibited the ubiquitination and degradation of P53 by increasing the phosphorylation level of P53, leading to the accumulation of P53 protein. P53 can act on the promoter of the TP53INP1 gene and increase the expression of TP53INP1 through transcriptional activation. This is the first report on a positive feedback loop formed by TP53INP1 and P53 under oxidative stress. The present study clarified the formation mechanism of the positive feedback loop. The TP53INP1-P53 positive feedback loop may serve as a potential target for inhibiting oxidative stress-induced apoptosis in BMSCs.

Association of Handgrip Strength with Hip Fracture and Falls in Community-dwelling Middle-aged and Older Adults: A 4-Year Longitudinal Study.

OBJECTIVE: Hip fracture and falls are significant health concerns. Handgrip strength (HGS) is closely associated with overall muscle strength and physical health. However, the longitudinal relationship between HGS and the risk of hip fractures and falls remains unclear, particularly regarding gender differences. This longitudinal study aimed to investigate the association between HGS and the risk of hip fracture and falls in individuals aged 45 years and above, considering gender-specific differences over a 4-year period. METHODS: This study included 10,092 participants (4471 men and 5621 women) aged 45 years and above from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Incidents of hip fractures and falls were recorded during a 4-year follow-up, along with various demographic and clinical factors. Participants were categorized into five groups based on their HGS quintiles. Logistic regression models were employed to estimate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to assess the relationship between HGS and hip fracture/fall risk. RESULTS: During the 4-year follow-up period, 223 cases of hip fracture (2.2%) and 1831 cases of falls (18.1%) were documented. Notably, higher HGS demonstrated a strong inverse association with the risk of hip fracture in both males and females (p < 0.05). In comparison to the lowest HGS quintile, the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for hip fracture were 0.46 (0.27-0.78) for the total population, 0.4 (0.19-0.81) for males and 0.48 (0.23-0.98) for females in the highest HGS quintile. Furthermore, a profound and statistically significant negative correlation between HGS and falls was detected (p < 0.05). The adjusted ORs for falls in the highest HGS quintile, compared to the lowest quintile, were 0.62 (0.51-0.76) in the overall population, 0.59 (0.44-0.78) in males, and 0.78 (0.62-0.99) in females. CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight the significant inverse association between HGS and the risk of hip fracture and falls in both males and females aged 45 years and above. Assessing handgrip strength may serve as a valuable tool for predicting fracture and fall risk.

Ultrasonic shear wave elastography predicts the quality of the residual tendon before the rotator cuff repair.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Effective evaluation of rotator cuff tear residual tendon quality is the key to surgical repair. However, until now, the evaluation of rotator cuff tissue by ultrasonic shear wave elasticity (SWE) has been controversial. This prospective study analyzed the association between preoperative SWE and arthroscopic residual tendon quality scores. METHODS: The shear wave velocity (SWV) of the deltoid muscle, the supraspinatus tendon, and the supraspinatus muscle were measured in full-thickness rotator cuff tear patients. Tendon quality was scored according to tear size, tendon margin, tendon thickness, and footprint coverage during arthroscopy. The arthroscopic scores were used as the gold standard, and the SWV ratio of tendon and muscle (supraspinatus tendon/deltoid and supraspinatus muscle/deltoid) were calculated and correlated with the arthroscopic scores. RESULT: Eighty-nine patients (129 shoulders) were enrolled, including 89 operation shoulders and 40 control shoulders. In the group of operation shoulders, both the SWV ratios of tendon (SWV-RT) and the SWV ratio of muscle (SWV-RM) were negatively correlated with arthroscopic scores (The correlation coefficient (R) ranged from -0.722 to -0.884 and -0.569 to -0.689). The SWV-RT and SWV-RM of the operation shoulders were significantly lower than that of the control shoulders (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: SWE could be used to predict the quality of the residual tendon before the rotator cuff repair. SWV of the supraspinatus tendon and muscle was a useful parameter to predict the quality of the residual tendon. CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Measuring the shear wave velocity of the supraspinatus tendon and muscle with SWE is useful for predicting the quality of the residual tendon which is one of the key factors for a successful rotator cuff repair. KEY POINTS: • Evaluating the quality of the residual tendon is important before surgery. • Elasticity measurements were negatively correlated with the arthroscopic score. • SWE is useful for predicting the quality of the residual tendon.

Systematic Analysis to Identify the MIR99AHG-has-miR-21-5p-EHD1 CeRNA Regulatory Network as Potential Biomarkers in Lung Cancer.

Lung cancer (LC) remains an extremely lethal disease worldwide, and effective prognostic biomarkers are at top priority. With the rapid development of high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatic analysis methods, the quest to characterize cancer transcriptomes continues to move forward. However, the integrated systematic analysis of lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network in LC is lacking. In this study, we collected samples of cancer tissues and adjacent normal tissues from patients with lung cancer and conducted transcriptome and small RNA sequencing to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs), miRNAs (DEMs), and lncRNAs (DELs). The regulatory roles of miRNAs in LC were explained by functional analysis on DEM-targeted genes. The lncRNA-miRNA pairs, miRNA-mRNA pairs, and lncRNA-mRNA pairs were identified and combined to construct the interplay of lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA. We evaluated the prognostic value of selected lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Finally, we analyzed the expression levels of selected DEM, DELs, and DEGs in lung cancer patients and healthy people to verify our findings. A total of 1492 DEGs, 12 DEMs, and 604 DELs were identified in LC patients. Based on the bioinformatic analysis and the regulatory mechanism of ceRNAs, 3 lncRNAs (GATA2-AS1, LINC00632, MIR99AHG), 1 miRNA (hsa-miR-21-5p) and 5 targeted genes (RECK, TIMP3, EHD1, RASGRP1 and ERG) were figured out first. Through further Kaplan-Meier analysis screening the prognostic value, we finally found the hub subnetwork (MIR99AHG-hsa-miR-21-5p-EHD1) by collating lncRNA-miRNA pairs, miRNA-mRNA pairs and lncRNA-mRNA pairs. As the key of ceRNA regulatory network, the expression of miRNA-21-5p in lung cancer patients was significantly higher than that in healthy people (P < 0.01), and its high expression was significantly associated with poor prognosis (P = 0.0025). Our study successfully constructed a MIR99AHG-hsa-miR-21-5p-EHD1 mutually regulatory network, suggesting the potential efficient biomarkers in LC.

Immunological pathways in viral hepatitis-induced hepato-cellular carcinoma. / è‚ç‚Žç— æ¯’æ„ŸæŸ“å¯¼è‡´è‚ç»†èƒžç™Œå‘ç”Ÿçš„å ç–«æœºåˆ¶ç ”ç©¶è¿›å±•.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a serious neoplastic disease with increasing incidence and mortality, accounting for 90% of all liver cancers. Hepatitis viruses are the major causative agents in the development of HCC. Hepatitis A virus (HAV) primarily causes acute infections, which is associated with HCC to a certain extent, as shown by clinicopathological studies. Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections lead to persistent liver inflammation and cirrhosis, disrupt multiple pathways associated with cellular apoptosis and proliferation, and are the most common viral precursors of HCC. Mutations in the HBV X protein (HBx) gene are closely associated with the incidence of HCC, while the expression of HCV core proteins contributes to hepatocellular lipid accumulation, thereby promoting tumorigenesis. In the clinical setting, hepatitis D virus (HDV) frequently co-infects with HBV, increasing the risk of chronic hepatitis. Hepatitis E virus (HEV) usually causes acute infections. However, chronic infections of HEV have been increasing recently, particularly in immuno-compromised patients and organ transplant recipients, which may increase the risk of progression to cirrhosis and the occurrence of HCC. Early detection, effective intervention and vaccination against these viruses may significantly reduce the incidence of liver cancer, while mechanistic insights into the interplay between hepatitis viruses and HCC may facilitate the development of more effective intervention strategies. This article provides a comprehensive overview of hepatitis viruses and reviews recent advances in research on aberrant hepatic immune responses and the pathogenesis of HCC due to viral infection.

[Clinical Significance of Genetic and Molecular Changes in Primary Myeloid Sarcoma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical significance of genetic and molecular changes in primary myeloid sarcoma (MS). METHODS: Fourteen patients with primary MS were selected in Jiading District Central Hospital Affiliated Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, The First People's Hospital of Lianyungang from September 2010 to December 2021. AML1-ETO fusion, PML-RARα fusion and CBFß breakage were detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and the mutations of NPM1, CEBPA, FLT3, RUNX1, ASXL1, KIT and TP53 genes were detected by new generation sequencing (NGS). RESULTS: Among 14 patients, the MS occurred in bone, breast, epididymis, lung, chest wall, cervix, small intestine, ovary, lymph nodes and central nervous system. The tumor cells expressed MPO (13 cases), CD34 (7 cases), CD43 (8 cases), CD68 (7 cases), CD99 (8 cases) and CD117 (6 cases). Cytogenetic abnormalities were observed in 4 cases, including 3 cases of AML1-ETO fusion and 1 case of CBFß breakage, while no PML-RARα fusion was detected. There were no significant differences in overall survival (OS) and leukemia-free survival (LFS) between patients with and without AML1-ETO fusion/CBFß breakage (both P >0.05). Among the 14 patients, the number of NPM1, CEBPA, FLT3-ITD, RUNX1, ASXL1, KIT and TP53 gene mutations was 5, 3, 5, 3, 2, 2, 1, respectively, of which 7 cases had at least one mutation in FLT3-ITD, RUNX1, ASXL1 and TP53 gene. The OS and LFS of patients with FLT3-ITD, RUNX1, ASXL1 or TP53 mutation were shorter than those without mutations (both P <0.01). CONCLUSION: The genetic and molecular abnormalities of primary MS can be detected by FISH and NGS techniques. FLT3-ITD, RUNX1, ASXL1 or TP53 mutation indicates a worse prognosis, but further clinical studies are needed to confirm it.

Two New Isospirostanol-Type Saponins from the Bulbs of Lilium Brownii and Their Anti-Hepatocarcinogenic Activity.

Bulbs of Lilium brownii, commonly known as "Bai-he" in China, serve both edible and medicinal purposes in clinical practice. In this study, two new isospirostanol-type saponins were isolated from L. brownii, and their structures were identified by spectroscopic method, and absolute configurations were elucidated by comprehensive analysis of spectral data obtained from combined acid hydrolysis. Two compounds were finally identified as 3-O-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-ß-D-glucopyranoside]-(22R,25R)-5α-spirosolane-3ß-ol (1) and 3-O-{α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-[ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)]-ß-D-glucopyranoside}-(22R,25R)-5α-spirosolane-3ß-ol (2), respectively. Further, we found that compound 2 significantly suppressed the proliferation of SMMC-7721 and HepG2 cells with IC50 values of 26.3±1.08 µM and 30.9±1.59 µM, whereas compound 1 didn't inhibit both of the two hepatocellular carcinoma. Subsequently, compound 2 effectively decreased the levels of interleukin-1ß and tumor necrosis factor-α and the expression of Bcl-2, and increased the expression of Bax and Caspase-3 proteins. Which indicated that the anti-hepatocellular carcinoma effect of compound 2 involves reducing the level of inflammation and inducing apoptosis.

Molecular regulation of oil gland development and biosynthesis of essential oils in Citrus spp.

Secretory structures in terrestrial plants serve as reservoirs for a variety of secondary metabolites. Among these, the secretory cavity of the Rutaceae family is notable for containing essential oils with a wide range of applications. However, the molecular basis underlying secretory cavity development is unknown. Here, we reveal a molecular framework for Citrus oil gland formation. Using genetic mapping and genome editing, we demonstrated that this process requires LATE MERISTEM IDENTITY1 (LMI1), a key regulator of leaf serration. A conserved GCC box element of the LMI1 promoter recruits DORNROSCHEN-like (DRNL) for transcriptional activation. This DRNL-LMI1 cascade triggers MYC5 activation, facilitating the development of oil glands and the biosynthesis of essential oils. Our findings spotlight cis-regulatory divergence within leaf shape genes, propelling novel functional tissue formation.

An NIR-II Excitable AIE Small Molecule with Multimodal Phototheranostic Features for Orthotopic Breast Cancer Treatment.

One-for-all phototheranostics, referring to a single component simultaneously exhibiting multiple optical imaging and therapeutic modalities, has attracted significant attention due to its excellent performance in cancer treatment. Benefitting from the superiority in balancing the diverse competing energy dissipation pathways, aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) are proven to be ideal templates for constructing one-for-all multimodal phototheranostic agents. However, to this knowledge, the all-round AIEgens that can be triggered by a second near-infrared (NIR-II, 1000-1700 nm) light have not been reported. Given the deep tissue penetration and high maximum permissible exposure of the NIR-II excitation light, herein, this work reports for the first time an NIR-II laser excitable AIE small molecule (named BETT-2) with multimodal phototheranostic features by taking full use of the advantage of AIEgens in single molecule-facilitated versatility as well as synchronously maximizing the molecular donor-acceptor strength and conformational distortion. As formulated into nanoparticles (NPs), the high performance of BETT-2 NPs in NIR-II light-driven fluorescence-photoacoustic-photothermal trimodal imaging-guided photodynamic-photothermal synergistic therapy of orthotopic mouse breast tumors is fully demonstrated by the systematic in vitro and in vivo evaluations. This work offers valuable insights for developing NIR-II laser activatable one-for-all phototheranostic systems.

Efficacy of lumbar decompression under large-channel spinal endoscope in elderly patients with segmental lumbar spinal stenosis.

OBJECTIVE: The present study was conducted with an attempt to explore the overall efficacy of large-channel spinal endoscopy technology in elderly patients with segmental lumbar spinal stenosis. METHODS: We included a total of 68 elderly patients with segmental lumbar spinal stenosis in our hospital from February 2021 to March 2023. The participants were randomly and equally distributed into the study group and the control group using a random number table method. The control group received the open lumbar decompression surgery, and the study group received the lumbar decompression under large-channel spinal endoscopy technology. We compared the surgical conditions of the two groups, including pain level, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score, and Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score before surgery, 1 week after surgery, 3 months after surgery, and 1 year after surgery. In addition, we compared the efficacy and adverse reactions 1 year after surgery between the two groups. RESULTS: Our findings revealed that the operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage volume, and hospital stay in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group (p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the degree of pain between the two groups before surgery (p > 0.05), and the pain intensity of the study group was significantly lower than that of the control group at 1 week, 3 months, and 1 year after surgery (p < 0.05). Similarly, preoperative ODI and JOA scores were not significantly different between the two groups (p > 0.05), while they were significantly lower in the study group than those in the control group at 1 week, 3 months, and 1 year after surgery (p < 0.05). Before surgery, no significant difference was seen in therapeutic efficacy between the two groups (p > 0.05), whereas the efficacy was remarkably improved in the study group comparing to the control group at 1 week, 3 months, and 1 year after surgery (p < 0.05). All patients in this study were followed up for 10 to 16 months, with an average of 13.29 ± 1.28 months. The incidence of adverse reactions in the study group was significantly lower than that in the control group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Large-channel spinal endoscopy technology exerted promising results in elderly patients with segmental lumbar spinal stenosis, in terms of reducing the surgical time, intraoperative bleeding, postoperative drainage volume, and hospital stay. The approach also alleviated pain, reduced ODI and JOA scores, and restored lumbar function, with decreased incidence of adverse reactions, thereby promoting patient recovery. It is considered valid for wide clinical application.

Multi-omics analysis of small RNA, transcriptome, and degradome to identify putative miRNAs linked to MeJA regulated and oridonin biosynthesis in Isodon rubescens.

Isodon rubescens has garnered much attention due to its anti-tumor or anti-cancer properties. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism of oridonin biosynthesis leveraging the regulatory network between small RNAs and mRNAs. In this study, the regulatory networks of miRNAs and targets were examined by combining mRNA, miRNA, and degradome. A total of 348 miRNAs, including 287 known miRNAs and 61 novel miRNAs, were identified. Among them, 51 miRNAs were significantly expressed, and 36 miRNAs responded to MeJA. A total of 3066 target genes were associated with 228 miRNAs via degradome sequencing. Multi-omics analysis demonstrated that 27 miRNA-mRNA pairs were speculated to be involved in MeJA regulation, and 36 miRNA-mRNA pairs were hypothesized to be involved in the genotype-dependence of I. rubescens. Furthermore, 151 and 7 miRNA-mRNA modules were likely engaged in oridonin biosynthesis as identified by psRNATarget and degradome sequencing, respectively. Some miRNA-mRNA modules were confirmed via RT-qPCR. Moreover, miRNAs targeting plant hormone signal transduction pathway genes were identified, such as miR156, miR167, miR393, and PC-3p-19822_242. Collectively, our results demonstrate for the first time that miRNAs are identified in I. rubescens, and laid a solid foundation for further research on the molecular mechanism of oridonin biosynthesis mediated by miRNA.

ε-Poly-l-lysine-hydroxyphenyl propionic acid/IL-4 composite hydrogels with inflammation regulation and antibacterial activity for improving integration stability of soft tissues and orthopedic implants.

The failure of orthopedic implants is usually caused by inflammation, poor tissue integration, and infection, which can lead to pain, limited mobility, dysfunction of patients. This may require additional surgical interventions, such as removal, replacement, or repair of implants, as well as related treatment measures such as antibiotic therapy, physical therapy. Here, an injectable hydrogel carrier was developed for the steady release of inflammatory regulators to reduce the surface tissue inflammatory response of orthopedic implants and induce soft tissue regeneration, ultimately achieving the promotion of implants stability. The hydrogels carrier was prepared by hydroxyphenyl propionic acid-modified ε-Poly-l-lysine (EPA), hydrogen peroxide and horseradish peroxidase, which showed antibacterial bioactive and stable factor release ability. Due to the introduction of IL-4, EPA@IL-4 hydrogels showed good inflammatory regulation. EPA@IL-4 hydrogels regulated the differentiation of macrophages into M2 in inflammatory environment in vitro, and promoted endothelial cells to show a more obvious trend of tube formation. The composite hydrogels reduced the inflammation on the surface of the implants in vivo, induced local endothelial cell angiogenesis, and had more collagen deposition and new granulation tissue. Therefore, EPA hydrogels based on IL-4 release are promising candidates for promoting of implants surface anti-inflammatory, soft tissue regeneration, and anti-infection.

Comparison of Second-Generation Cryoballoon Ablation and Quantitative Radiofrequency Ablation Guided by Ablation Index for Atrial Fibrillation.

We compared the efficacy and complication rates of quantitative radiofrequency ablation guided by ablation index (RFCA-AI) with those of second-generation cryoballoon ablation (CBA-2). Consecutive patients (n = 230) with symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF) undergoing a first ablation CBA-2 (92 patients) or RFCA-AI (138 patients) procedure were enrolled in this study. The late recurrence rate in the CBA-2 group was higher than that in the RFCA-AI group (P = .012). Subgroup analysis showed the same result in patients with paroxysmal AF (PAF) (P = .039), but no difference was found in patients with persistent AF (P = .21). The average operation duration in the CBA-2 group (85 [75-99.5] minutes) was shorter than that in the RFCA-AI group (100 [84.5-120] minutes) (P < .0001), but the average exposure time (17.36(13.87-22.49) vs 5.49(4.00-8.24) minutes) in the CBA-2 group and X-ray dose (223.25(149.15-336.95) vs 109.15(80.75-168.7) mGym) were significantly longer than those in RFCA-AI group (P < .0001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that left atrial diameter (LAD), early recurrence, and methods of ablation (cryoballoon ablation) were independent risk factors for late recurrence after AF ablation. Early recurrence of AF and LAD were independent risk factors for predicting late recurrence after AF ablation.

SPRi/SERS dual-mode biosensor based on ployA-DNA/ miRNA/AuNPs-enhanced probe sandwich structure for the detection of multiple miRNA biomarkers.

MicroRNA (miRNA) has broad application prospects in the early detection of various cancers. In this work, a SPRi/SERS dual-mode biosensor was developed on the same gold chip by AuNPs as the reinforcing medium. High throughput and sensitivity detection of three typical cervical cancer markers miRNA21, miRNA124 and miRNA143 were achieved based on the sandwich structure of polyA blocks-DNA capture probe/target miRNA/AuNPs-assistant probe or SERS nanoprobes. AuNPs greatly improved the SPR response due to mass increase and more sensitive refractive index changes. Meanwhile, due to the LSPR effect of AuNPs, the signal of SERS nanoprobe can be amplified. The miRNAs were detected in serum to verify its practicality. SPRi achieved detection of three miRNAs simultaneously. LODs were 6.3 fM, 5.3 fM and 4.6 fM, respectively, and wide dynamic response range of 500 pM-10 nM. While SERS assay ensured high sensitivity with LODs as low as 1 fM, 0.8 fM and 1.2 fM, respectively, and with the recoveries in the range of 90.0 %-100.2 %. The redundant detection signals of the two modes can provide more reliable data to prevent false positive or false negative detection, and have great application prospects in detection of cancer-related nucleic acids in early stage of disease.

Prevalence and Impact of Frailty in Pancreatic Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Based on 35,191 Patients.

BACKGROUND: Frailty has been associated with increased mortality among patients with pancreatic cancer. Nevertheless, several lines of evidence regarding the prevalence of frailty in patients with pancreatic cancer and mortality in patients with pancreatic cancer and frailty have not been thoroughly investigated and require clarification. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies indexed in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase through March 2023 were conducted, and the pooled prevalence and relative risk (RR) estimate were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 18 studies containing 35,191 patients with pancreatic cancer were included. The prevalence of frailty in pancreatic cancer was 45% (95% CI = 29-62; I2 = 99.9%; p = 0.000). In patients with pancreatic cancer, frailty was associated with increased relative risk for mortality (RR = 1.70; 95% CI = 1.30-2.22; I2 = 84.8%, p = 0.000). CONCLUSIONS: Frailty prevalence in pancreatic cancer is common and exerts a significant negative impact on the survival of patients with pancreatic cancer. Our findings are characterized by significant heterogeneity, and caution is warranted in their interpretation. However, these findings highlight the importance of evaluating frailty, which may provide prognostic data and inform decision-making priorities.

Tea Harvesting and Processing Techniques and Its Effect on Phytochemical Profile and Final Quality of Black Tea: A Review.

Tea (Camellia sinensis) has grown for over 300 years and is recognized worldwide as among other well-renowned crops. The quality of black tea depends on plucking (method, standard, season, and intervals), withering and rolling (time and temperature), fermentation (time, temperature, and RH), drying (temperature and method), and storage conditions, which have a high influence on the final quality of black tea. At the rolling stage, the oxidation process is initiated and ends at the early drying stage until the enzymes that transform tea polyphenols into thearubigins (TRs) and theaflavins (TFs) are denatured by heat. By increasing fermentation time, TRs increased, and TF decreased. Each is liable for black tea's brightness, taste, and color. The amino acids and essential oils also grant a distinctive taste and aroma to black tea. Throughout withering, rolling, and fermentation, increases were found in essential oil content, but during drying, a decrease was observed. However, the Maillard reaction, which occurs when amino acids react with sugar during drying, reimburses for this decrease and enhances the flavor and color of black tea. As compared to normal conditions, accelerated storage showed a slight decrease in the total color, TF, and TRs. It is concluded that including plucking, each processing step (adopted technique) and storage system has a remarkable impact on black tea's final quality. To maintain the quality, an advanced mechanism is needed to optimize such factors to produce high-quality black tea, and an objective setting technique should be devised to attain the desirable quality characteristics.