Surgical management and outcome of primary intracranial Rosai-Dorfman disease: a single-institute experience and pooled analysis of individual patient data.

Primary intracranial Rosai-Dorfman disease (PIRDD) is considered a nonmalignant nonneoplastic entity, and the outcome is unclear due to its rarity. The study aimed to elaborate the clinic-radiological features, treatment strategies, and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with PIRDD. Patients with pathologically confirmed PIRDD in our institute were reviewed. Literature of PIRDD, updated until December 2019, was systematically searched in 7 databases (Embase, PubMed, Cochrane database, Web of Science, Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, the VIP Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database (VIP), and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI)). These prior publication data were processed and used according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Clinical-radiological characteristics and adverse factors for PFS were evaluated in the pooled cohort. The pooled cohort of 124 cases (81 male and 43 female), with a mean age of 39.7 years, included 11 cases from our cohort and 113 cases from 80 prior studies. Twenty-nine patients (23.4%) had multiple lesions. Seventy-four patients (59.7%) experienced gross total resection (GTR), 50 patients (40.3%) had non-GTR, 15 patients (12.1%) received postoperative adjuvant radiation, and 23 patients (18.5%) received postoperative steroids. A multivariate Cox regression revealed that GTR (HR = 4.52; 95% CI 1.21-16.86; p = 0.025) significantly improved PFS, and multiple lesions (p = 0.060) tended to increase the hazard of recurrence. Neither radiation (p = 0.258) nor steroids (p = 0.386) were associated with PFS. The overall PFS at 3, 5, and 10 years in the pooled cohort was 88.4%, 79.4%, and 70.6%, respectively. The PFS at 5 and 10 years in patients with GTR was 85.4% and 85.4%, respectively, which was 71.5% and 35.8%, respectively, in patients without GTR. Gross total resection significantly improved PFS and was recommended for PIRDD. Radiation and steroids were sometimes empirically administered for residual, multiple, or recurrent PIRDD, but the effectiveness remained arguable and required further investigation.Systematic review registration number: CRD42020151294.

Constructing and Validating a Nomogram for Survival in Patients without Hypertension in Hypertensive Intracerebral Hemorrhage-Related Locations.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the risk factors for patients, who had hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH)-specific location hemorrhage without hypertensive history, to elucidate a novel and detailed understanding. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review to identify patients diagnosed with hemorrhage in hypertensive ICH-specific locations without hypertensive history between January 2011 and December 2019 from West China Hospital. A least absolute shrinkage and selector operation (LASSO) algorithm was used to select the optimal prognostic factors, and then we performed a multivariable logistic analysis. To verify the accuracy of the nomogram in predicting patient outcome, we used Harrell's statistics, area under the curve, and a calibration as well as decision curves. RESULTS: The LASSO method, at a tenfold cross-validation for 7-day mortality, 90-day mortality, and 90-day morbidity, was applied to construct the prognosis-predicting models. Both a higher Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score at admission and larger hematoma volume ≥13.64 mL were independently associated with better survival at 7 days and 90 days in multivariate analysis. Lactic dehydrogenase >250 IU/L and neutrophilic granulocyte/lymphocyte ratio in 1 increase were significantly associated with poor outcome at 90 days. Only one factor (GCS score at 7 days) influencing 90-day morbidity remained in a LASSO model. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the GCS score, hematoma volume, and other laboratory factors (Lactic dehydrogenase and neutrophilic granulocyte/lymphocyte ratio) were related to survival. Our current findings of the specific location ICH need to be proven by a large randomized controlled trial study.

Survival of patients and risk factors for subependymoma: a population-based study.

OBJECTIVE: Given the paucity of data on the subependymoma, we aimed to evaluate its risk factors from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. METHODS: We collected survival and clinical information on patients with subependymoma diagnosed between 1975 and 2016 from the SEER database and screened them according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Then, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to identify significant prognostic factors, and nomograms were constructed to visualize the results. The concordance index (C-index), receiver operating characteristic (ROC), and calibration curves were used to assess the predictive ability of the nomogram. We divided the patient scores into two groups according to the high- and low-risk groups and constructed a survival curve using Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: A total of 731 patients were initially enrolled, including 511 (69.9%) males and 220 (30.1%) females. After screening, a total of 581 patientswere further evaluated by statistical analysis. The 5- and 10-year survival estimates were 92.0% and 81.9%, respectively. Sex (male, p=0.018; HR=2.3547, 95% CI=1.158-4.788) and age (≥56 years, p<0.001; HR=5.640, 95% CI= 3.139-10.133) were identified as independent prognostic factors for overall survival. The nomogram contained 4 prognostic factors. The C-index was 0.741, and the ROC and calibration curves also indicated the good predictability of the nomogram. CONCLUSION: In this large cohort, a significant association was noted between age/sex and outcome, which could serve an important role for patient education. Even though a significant association was not found between the extent of resection and outcome, the effect of surgery on prognosis should be further explored.Abbreviations: AUC: area under the curve; CI: confidence interval; C-index: concordance index; CNS: central nervous system; GTR: gross total resection; HR: hazard ratio; NOS: not specific; OS: overall survival; PTR: partial resection; ROC: receiver operating characteristic; SEER: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results; STR: subtotal resection; WHO: World Health Organization.

Intravenous infusion of the exosomes derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells enhance neurological recovery after traumatic brain injury via suppressing the NF-κB pathway.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a predominant cause of death and permanent disability globally. In recent years, much emphasis has been laid on treatments for TBI. Increasing evidence suggests that human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUCMSCs) can improve neurological repair after TBI. However, the clinical use of HUCMSCs transplantation in TBI has been limited by immunological rejection, ethical issues, and the risk of tumorigenicity. Many studies have shown that HUCMSCs-derived exosomes may be an alternative approach for HUCMSCs transplantation. We hypothesized that exosomes derived from HUCMSCs could inhibit apoptosis after TBI, reduce neuroinflammation, and promote neurogenesis. A rat model of TBI was established to investigate the efficiency of neurological recovery with exosome therapy. We found that exosomes derived from HUCMSCs significantly ameliorated sensorimotor function and spatial learning in rats after TBI. Moreover, HUCMSCs-derived exosomes significantly reduced proinflammatory cytokine expression by suppressing the NF-κB signaling pathway. Furthermore, we found that HUCMSC-derived exosomes inhibited neuronal apoptosis, reduced inflammation, and promoted neuron regeneration in the injured cortex of rats after TBI. These results indicate that HUCMSCs-derived exosomes may be a promising therapeutic strategy for TBI.

Clinical factors and outcomes of malignant meningioma: a population-based study.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate prognostic factors and outcomes of malignant meningioma and to construct a nomogram model of survival. METHODS: Patients with malignant meningioma were collected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. The nomogram was developed for the 3-, 5-, and 8-year prediction of overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). Harrell's concordance index (C-index) and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to verify the predicted effect of the nomogram. RESULTS: Between 1998 and 2016, 806 adult patients with histologically confirmed malignant meningioma were included. The mean age at diagnosis was 61.0 years (median 61.0 years), with a range of 19-104 years. Univariate analysis revealed that male gender, distant metastasis, and age ≥ 80 years as significant adverse factors for OS and CSS. These factors remained significance in the multivariate analysis. The nomogram demonstrated satisfactory discrimination, with a C-index value of 0.663 for OS and 0.654 for CSS, respectively. For both OS and CSS, the DCA curves indicated that the nomogram model performed better than other clinical variables. CONCLUSION: Older age, male gender, distant metastasis, and radiotherapy were significantly related to poor prognosis; and extent of resection did not affect survival.

Survival and treatment of cranial and spinal chordomas: a population-based study.

Chordomas are rare, slow-growing malignant tumors. Given the paucity of data of the disease, the treatment strategies are disputed. We collected clinical and survival information of patients with chordoma diagnosed between 1975 and 2016 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. A total of 1797 patients were initially enrolled, including 762 (42.4%) cranial and 1035 (57.6%) spinal chordoma. A total of 1504 patients were further evaluated after screening. In the cranial group, the surgery (gross total resection (GTR): p = 0.001 for overall survival (OS); p = 0.009 for cancer-specific survival (CSS)), tumor extension (distant metastasis: p = 0.001 for OS; p = 0.002 for CSS), and the age (p < 0.001 for OS) were independent prognostic factors for survival. In the spinal group, the age (p = 0.004), location (p < 0.001), GTR (p < 0.001), and tumor extension (distant metastasis, p < 0.001) were independent prognostic factors for OS; the age (p = 0.007), histological type (p < 0.001), GTR (p < 0.001), radiation (p = 0.018), chemotherapy (p = 0.006), and tumor extension (p < 0.001) were independent prognostic factors for CSS. In this large cohort, a significant association was noted between extent of resection and outcome. Even though adjuvant radiation or chemotherapy did not benefit patients with chordoma, the effect on prognosis can be explored in a further study based on our findings.

Surgical outcomes and prognostic factors of parasagittal meningioma: a single-center experience 165 consecutive cases.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to estimate the prognostic factors, long-term outcomes, and surgical strategies for parasagittal meningioma (PSM) and provide a better understanding of surgical experience. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients (n = 1438) who underwent surgery for meningioma between January 2012 and January 2013 were enrolled in a database. We then identified 165 patients with PSM based on this database. RESULTS: Of the 165 patients with identified PSMs, 103 were female and 62 were male, with a mean age of 49 years. Univariate analysis revealed that male sex (p = .002), non-World Health Organization (WHO) grade I meningioma (p < .001), treatment history (p = .006), surgical time more than 232 minutes (p = .006), and intraoperative bleeding > 300mL3 (p = .019) were associated with decreased progression-free survival (PFS). Multivariate analysis revealed that sex (hazards ratio [HR] = 3.836, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.364-10.794; p = .011], tumour grade (HR = 8.479, 95% CI = 3.234-22.230; p < .001), and surgical time (HR = 3.710, 95% CI = 1.057-13.023; p = .041) were independent factors for PFS. Patients with Simpson grade I-II (p = .015), no-treatment history (p = .006), tumour size < 3cm (p = .005), surgical time < 232 minutes (p = .019), intraoperative bleeding < 300mL3 (p < .001), or WHO grade I meningioma (p = .002) had better follow-up conditions. CONCLUSION: Surgery was an effective treatment for PSM, and at the time of final follow-up, patients who received aggressive resection had a substantially higher Karnofsky performance scale score.

ATPdock: a template-based method for ATP-specific protein-ligand docking.

MOTIVATION: Accurately identifying protein-ATP binding poses is significantly valuable for both basic structure biology and drug discovery. Although many docking methods have been designed, most of them require a user-defined binding site and are difficult to achieve a high-quality protein-ATP docking result. It is critical to develop a protein-ATP-specific blind docking method without user-defined binding sites. RESULTS: Here, we present ATPdock, a template-based method for docking ATP into protein. For each query protein, if no pocket site is given, ATPdock first identifies its most potential pocket using ATPbind, an ATP-binding site predictor; then, the template pocket, which is most similar to the given or identified pocket, is searched from the database of pocket-ligand structures using APoc, a pocket structural alignment tool; thirdly, the rough docking pose of ATP (rdATP) is generated using LS-align, a ligand structural alignment tool, to align the initial ATP pose to the template ligand corresponding to template pocket; finally, the Metropolis Monte Carlo simulation is used to fine-tune the rdATP under the guidance of AutoDock Vina energy function. Benchmark tests show that ATPdock significantly outperforms other state-of-the-art methods in docking accuracy. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: https://jun-csbio.github.io/atpdock/. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Clinical Factors and Outcomes of Atypical Meningioma: A Population-Based Study.

OBJECTIVE: Atypical meningioma is a non-benign tumor, and its prognostic factors and treatment strategies are unclear. METHODS: Patients with atypical meningioma, between 2004 and 2016, were collected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Then, we randomly divided patients into a training set and a validation set at a ratio of 8:2. The nomogram was constructed based on the multivariate Cox regression analyses. And the concordance index, calibration curves, and receiver operating character were used to assess the predictive ability of the nomogram. We divided the patient scores into three groups and constructed a survival curve using Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: After our inclusion and exclusion criteria, 2358 patients were histologically diagnosed of atypical meningioma. The prognostic nomogram comprised factors of overall survival, including age, tumor size and surgery. The concordance index was 0.715 (95%CI=0.688-0.742) for overall survival in the training set and 0.688 (95%CI=0.629-0.747) for overall survival in the validation set. The calibration curves and receiver operating character also indicated the good predictability of the nomogram. Risk stratification revealed a statistically significant difference among the three groups of patients according to quartiles of risk score. CONCLUSION: Gross total resection is an independent factor for survival, and radiation after non-gross total resection potentially confers a survival advantage for patients with atypical meningioma.

Accurate prediction of protein-ATP binding residues using position-specific frequency matrix.

Knowledge of protein-ATP interaction can help for protein functional annotation and drug discovery. Accurately identifying protein-ATP binding residues is an important but challenging task to gain the knowledge of protein-ATP interactions, especially for the case where only protein sequence information is given. In this study, we propose a novel method, named DeepATPseq, to predict protein-ATP binding residues without using any information about protein three-dimension structure or sequence-derived structural information. In DeepATPseq, the HHBlits-generated position-specific frequency matrix (PSFM) profile is first employed to extract the feature information of each residue. Then, for each residue, the PSFM-based feature is fed into two prediction models, which are generated by the algorithms of deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) and support vector machine (SVM) separately. The final ATP-binding probability of the corresponding residue is calculated by the weighted sum of the outputted values of DCNN-based and SVM-based models. Experimental results on the independent validation data set demonstrate that DeepATPseq could achieve an accuracy of 77.71%, covering 57.42% of all ATP-binding residues, while achieving a Matthew's correlation coefficient value (0.655) that is significantly higher than that of existing sequence-based methods and comparable to that of the state-of-the-art structure-based predictors. Detailed data analysis show that the major advantage of DeepATPseq lies at the combination utilization of DCNN and SVM that helps dig out more discriminative information from the PSFM profiles. The online server and standalone package of DeepATPseq are freely available at: https://jun-csbio.github.io/DeepATPseq/for academic use.

Surgical management and long-term outcomes of primary intracranial leiomyosarcoma: a case series and review of literature.

Primary intracranial leiomyosarcomas (PILMSs) are extremely rare neoplasms, and their management remains unclear. The authors aimed to enunciate the radiological features and design a treatment protocol based on previously published cases combined with our series. Clinical data from all 12 cases of PILMS treated at their institute between 2008 and 2018 were reviewed. Meanwhile, they searched the Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane databases using the keywords "leiomyosarcoma" and "intracranial," "central nervous system," "cerebral," or "brain" Previously published data were processed and used according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The authors' cohort included 4 males (33.3%) and 8 females (66.7%) ranging in age from 13 to 67 years with a mean of 44.1 ± 5.0 years. Gross total resection (GTR), subtotal resection, and partial resection were achieved in 8 (66.7%), 3 (25%), and 1 (8.3%) patient, respectively, and only four patients (33.3%) received adjuvant therapy after surgery. After a mean follow-up of 30.5 ± 7.6 months, 6 patients (50%) experienced recurrences, and all of them died at the final. Twenty-seven patients (15 were male and 12 were female), in the literature cases, were identified between January 1980 and November 2019, presenting with PILMS. GTR and non-GTR were achieved in 21 (77.8%) and 6 (22.2%) patients, respectively. Postoperative radiotherapy was administrated in 17 patients (63.0%), and postoperative chemotherapy was administrated in 9 patients (33.3%), After a mean follow-up of 22.2 ± 4.1 months, recurrence and death occurred in 8 (36.4%) and 4 (14.8%) cases, respectively. In the pooled cases, the univariate analysis model revealed that only GTR was a significantly favorable factor for increased progression-free survival (hazard ratio 0.270, 95% confidence interval = 0.093-0.787, p = 0.016) and overall survival (hazard ratio 0.255, 95% confidence interval = 0.073-0.890, p = 0.032). GTR was recommended as an optimal treatment; meanwhile, postoperative radiation was also a choice to help increase the survival of patients of PILMS.

Adverse Factors of Treatment Response and Overall Survival in Pediatric and Adult Patients with Pineoblastoma.

OBJECTIVE: Intracranial pineoblastomas are rare neoplasms with poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to describe the independent prognostic factors and treatment strategies for overall survival in pediatric and adult patients. METHODS: Sixty-four patients were surgically treated between January 2012 and December 2018. RESULTS: The series included 37 (57.8%) males and 27 (42.2%) females. Gross total resection was achieved in 41 (64.1%) cases, and the 1-, 3-, and 5-year rates of overall survival were 86.3, 52.3, and 36.6%, respectively. In the pediatric group (n=42), 28 patients (66.7%) were male, with the median, and the mean age was 4 and 6.2±4.7 years, respectively. After a median follow-up of 25.0 months, twenty-six patients (61.9%) died, and the 1-, 3-, and 5-year rates of overall survival were 84.9, 46.4, and 26.7%, respectively. Postoperative radiotherapy (p=0.058) and postoperative chemotherapy (p=0.183) had a positive influence on the increased overall survival. Meanwhile, postoperative radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy following surgery had a positive impact on overall survival (p=0.174, Log rank). In the adult group, the mean overall survival was 67.3±9.3 months (range, 0.8-95.3 months), and the 1-, 3-, and 5-year rates of overall survival were 89.5, 64.4, and 64.4%, respectively. In this group, no statistical association was observed between clinical factors and outcomes. However, patients who received postoperative radiotherapy (60.7 vs 57.6 month, mean survival; p=0.510, Log rank) or chemotherapy (63.0 vs 59.9 month, mean survival; p=0.404, Log rank) had better survival rates compared with those who declined. CONCLUSION: In the pediatric group, surgery with postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy was a favorable factor for overall survival. In the adult group, a positive trend in overall survival was found when patients received radiation and/or chemotherapy following surgery.

Treatment strategy and long-term outcomes of primary intracranial rhabdomyosarcoma: a single-institution experience and systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Primary intracranial rhabdomyosarcoma (PIRMS) is rare, and the effects of the treatment strategy on overall survival (OS) are unclear. This study aimed to evaluate risk factors pertinent to OS and to propose an optimal treatment strategy. METHODS: Clinical data of patients with PIRMS treated at Beijing Tiantan Hospital and from the English-language literature between 1946 and 2018 were reviewed. A literature review was performed via Ovid, MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases using the terms "rhabdomyosarcoma," "intracranial," "cerebral," and "brain." Previously published data were processed and used according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. RESULTS: There were 8 males (66.7%) and 4 females with PIRMS at our institution, with a mean age of 24.3 years. Gross-total resection was achieved in 4 patients (33.3%), and adjuvant radiation and chemotherapy were administered in 5 (45.5%) and 3 (27.3%) patients, respectively. After a mean follow-up period of 13.7 months, all patients developed local-regional recurrence and died of the disease. Twenty-nine cases (14 female and 15 male) were reported in the literature with a median age of 9.0 years. After a mean follow-up duration of 18.6 months, 13 patients (44.8%) developed recurrences, 7 patients (24.1%) had extracranial metastasis, and 14 patients (48.3%) died. In the pooled cases, adjuvant radiation (hazard ratio [HR] 0.089, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.027-0.288, p < 0.001) and age < 10 years (HR 0.227, 95% CI 0.077-0.666, p = 0.007) were independent predictors of good local-regional progression-free survival (LR-PFS). Adjuvant radiation therapy (HR 0.301, 95% CI 0.110-0.828, p = 0.020) and age < 10 years (HR 0.359, 95% CI 0.131-0.983, p = 0.046) were significant predictors for favorable OS in the multivariate model. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the rarity of the disease, a poor outcome of PIRMS was demonstrated based on the pooled cohort. Use of radiation was associated with improved outcomes and should be considered to improve OS/LR-PFS. Further study is required to identify the optimal treatment regimen.Systematic review no.: CRD42019121249 (crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/).

Proposed Treatment for Intracranial Transitional Meningioma: A Single-Center Series of 298 Cases.

OBJECTIVE: We retrospectively assessed the surgical outcomes of transitional meningioma (TM) in a relatively large series to evaluate the long-term outcomes and propose an appropriate treatment strategy for TM. METHODS: We included 298 patients who had undergone surgery from September 2011 to August 2013. The clinical characteristics, surgical record, and follow-up data for these patients were retrieved. RESULTS: The 298 enrolled patients included 213 women (71.5%). The mean and median age of the 298 patients was 50.7 ± 0.6 years and 52.0 years (range, 6.0-74.0), respectively. Radiologically, 144 tumors (48.3%) were located in the skull base. Gross total resection (GTR) was achieved in 266 patients (89.3%); 7 patients (2.6%) received adjuvant radiotherapy. After a median follow-up of 61.8 months, 23 patients (8.6%) had developed recurrence and 2 patients (0.8%) had died. The results from univariate analysis indicated that GTR was associated with better progression-free survival (hazard ratio, 0.165; 95% confidence interval, 0.071-0.382; P < 0.001).) Skull base tumors tended to predict for poor progression-free survival (hazard ratio, 2.169; 95% confidence interval, 0.919-5.118; P = 0.077). For the first tumor recurrence, 11 patients (47.8%) underwent gamma knife radiosurgery, and only 2 patients developed a second recurrence. CONCLUSION: The results from the present study have shown that GTR should be achieved during the first surgery for TM. Gamma knife radiosurgery might be an effective therapy for patients with tumor recurrence.

Treatment Protocol, Long-Term Follow-Up, and Predictors of Mortality in 302 Cases of Atypical Meningioma.

OBJECTIVE: Because of the paucity of relevant data, treatment and outcomes in intracranial atypical meningioma (AM) remain unclear. The aim of this study was to find useful factors predicting survival and to evaluate the role of postoperative radiation after surgery. METHODS: Data were obtained from 302 patients with AM who underwent surgery between January 2008 and December 2015. RESULTS: A series of 302 patients, including 166 female and 136 male, underwent surgery at our institution. Gross total resection (GTR) was achieved in 201 (66.6%) patients. Seventy-five patients (24.8%) underwent postoperative radiation after surgery. For the entire cohort, there were 131 (43.4%) recurrences, 1 (0.33%) metastasis, and 56 (18.5%) mortalities during a median follow-up duration of 41.6 months. The median recurrence-free survival (RFS) was 55.2 months after the date of the first AM surgery, with 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year RFS rates of 87.6%, 63.3% and 47.7%, respectively. The median overall survival (OS) for patients was 99.8 months, and the actuarial OS rates from the time of the first AM surgery at 1, 3, and 5 years were 97.0%, 90.6%, and 78.8%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, preoperative Karnofsky Performance Scale score (≥80), primary tumor, tumor invasiveness, and GTR were associated with increased RFS, whereas preoperative Karnofsky Performance Scale score (≥80), primary tumor, supratentorial location, lack of peritumoral edema, radiotherapy, and GTR were associated with increased OS. CONCLUSIONS: GTR is the first choice for patients with AM. We recommend that patients with secondary tumors receive radiotherapy after surgery.

[Construction of ecological corridors in Changli County based on ecological sensitivity and ecosystem service values.] / 基于生态敏感性和生态系统服务价值的昌黎县生态廊道构建.

Ecological corridors provide essential routes for biological migration, which would promote species exchange among different habitats. The construction of corridors is beneficial to alle-viate the damages caused by the fragmentation of landscapes due to the acceleration of urbanization, with significance to biodiversity conservation. In this study, we located the ecological sources with the results of ecological sensitivity evaluation and ecosystem service value analysis in Changli County based on its land use status in 2015. Then, we produced the potential corridors with the minimal cumulative resistance model (MCR) and the minimum cost path method, and identified the key corridors with the gravity model. We put forward the ecological corridor system including four important corridors and two general corridors to underpin the scientific knowledge for the ecological corridor construction project and biodiversity conservation. The results showed that the ecological sensitivity of this area was relatively moderate and ecosystem services value was relatively low. Both the ecological sensitivity and ecosystem services were lower in the middle area but higher in around areas. The ecological sources were mainly distributed in the northern Jieshi Mountain Scenic Area, the eastern coastal state-owned forest farm and the western water source conservation area, which were highly coincident with the nature reserves determined by Ecological Environment Construction and Protection Planning (2011-2030) in the study area. The total length of the corridors was 112.66 km, within which the length of important ones was 47.61 km and that of general ones was 65.05 km. The best width of the corridors was around 30 to 60 m. The ecological corridors and ecological sources constituted an annular closed area, which would effectively promote species migration and the exchange of material and energy.

Prognostic Factors, Survival, and Treatment for Intracranial World Health Organization Grade II Chordoid Meningiomas and Clear-Cell Meningiomas.

OBJECTIVE: Chordoid meningioma (CM) and clear-cell meningioma (CCM) are rare World Health Organization grade II meningioma subtypes. This study aimed to evaluate favorable factors and appropriate therapeutic strategies for these lesions. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed clinical data from 111 cases of grade II meningiomas, including 55 cases of CM and 56 cases of CCM, between January 2011 and December 2015. RESULTS: The mean follow-up time of the rare World Health Organization grade II meningiomas (n = 111) was 45.3 months. In the CM group, 8 patients (14.5%) experienced recurrence, and 2 patients (3.6%) died. In the CCM group, 22 patients (39.3%) experienced recurrence, and 9 patients (16.1%) died. Significant differences were observed between the CM and CCM groups in tumor size (P = 0.019), history of surgery (P = 0.038), and peritumoral edema (P = 0.004). In the CM group, gross total resection was associated with favorable progression-free survival (hazard ratio, 0.144; 95% confidence interval, 0.029-0.714; P = 0.018). In the CCM group, univariate analyses showed that preoperative Karnofsky Performance Status <80 (P < 0.001), tumor size ≥5 cm (P = 0.015), tumor size (per-centimeter increase) (P = 0.022), bone invasion (P = 0.004), a history of surgery (P < 0.001), and subtotal resection (P = 0.009) were associated with worse progression-free survival. Male gender (P = 0.039), tumor size (per-centimeter increase) (P = 0.043), bone invasion (P = 0.030), and a history of surgery (P = 0.007) were associated with poor overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that gross total resection should be achieved in grade II meningiomas. Patients with larger tumors and/or surgical histories had worse outcomes.

Prognostic factors and the management of anaplastic meningioma.

OBJECTIVES: Anaplastic meningiomas (AMs)tend to have a higher local recurrence rate and metastasize. but few studies have reported on the prognosis and management of patients with AM, this study aimed to increase the understanding of the prognosis, management and history of AM. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients (n = 56) underwent surgeries in our hospital between December 2008 and January 2016. Postoperative pathology reports confirmed the diagnosis of AM. Prognostic factors and the management were analysed in this study. AM was then divided into two groups. One group was primary AM, the other group was secondary AM. RESULTS: Of all the 56 AM patients, 31 were male and 25 were female (male to female ratio of 1.24:1). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 78.6%, 41.1% and 29.7%, respectively, and the corresponding overall survival (OS) rates were 82.1%, 50.1% and 45.0%, respectively. Homogeneous contrast might be a potential better prognostic factor for PFS (HR = 1.824, P = 0.083). Treatment with postoperative radiotherapy (PRT) was significantly associated with longer PFS (HR = 0.390, P = 0.007) and OS (HR = 0.376, P = 0.008) according to univariate analysis. Gross-total resection (GTR) was a favourable factor for PFS (HR = 2.059, P = 0.035) and OS (HR = 2.802, P = 0.004). CONCLUSION: Achieving GTR is a favourable treatment strategy for patients with AM in our study and patients receiving PRT after resection is essential.

World Health Organization Grade III (Nonanaplastic) Meningioma: Experience in a Series of 23 Cases.

OBJECTIVE: Rhabdoid meningioma (RM) and papillary meningioma (PM) are rare variants of World Health Organization grade III meningiomas. In this study, we presented a series of 23 cases from our institution to investigate adverse factors of and appropriate treatment for RM and PM. METHODS: Clinical data from 23 cases of PM and RM between January 2011 and December 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 38.0 months for World Health Organization grade III meningiomas. The mean progression-free survival (PFS) was 37.6 months, with 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year PFS of 78.3%, 50.8%, and 43.6%, respectively. The mean overall survival (OS) was 48.8 months, with 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year OS of 95.7%, 82.6%, and 44.0%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that a ki-67 proliferation index >20% (hazard ratio [HR], 4.190; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.033-17.001; P = 0.045) and PM (HR, 3.375; 95% CI, 0.998-11.408; P = 0.005) were related to worse PFS. Patients administered postoperative radiotherapy (PRT) after surgery had longer OS than did patients who did not receive PRT (median, 60.7 vs. 35.1 months; P = 0.029). Multivariate analysis showed that PRT was an independent factor for PFS (HR, 0.147; 95% CI, 0.033-0.657; P = 0.012) and OS (HR, 0.130; 95% CI, 0.025-0.691; P = 0.017) and that RM was an independent factor for PFS (HR, 7.312; 95% CI, 1.587-33.688; P = 0.011) and OS (HR, 6.447; 95% CI, 1.310-31.740; P = 0.022). CONCLUSIONS: We recommended adjuvant radiation regardless of the extent of resection. Individuals with PM or RM were at increased risk of recurrence and death; appropriate treatment for these patients should be further studied, and close follow-up is needed.

Proposed Treatment Paradigm for Intracranial Chondrosarcomas Based on Multidisciplinary Coordination.

OBJECTIVES: There was no consensus regarding the treatment of intracranial chondrosarcoma (CSA). The study aimed to evaluate the adverse factors for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) and to propose a treatment strategy for CSA. METHODS: The clinical chart and radiographic data of 106 consecutive cases (mesenchymal and conventional CSA in 18 and 88 patients, respectively) of surgically treated CSAs were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Gross total resection was achieved in 43 patients (40.6%), and adjuvant radiotherapy was administered in 45 patients. After a mean follow-up duration of 47.8 months, 38 patients (37.3%) experienced recurrence. PFS and disease-specific OS at 5 years was 57.7% and 74.4%. Independent adverse factors for PFS were previous surgery (hazard ratio [HR] 2.261; P = 0.028), increased lesion size (HR, 1.298; P = 0.026), extent of surgical resection (HR, 3.226; P < 0.001), malignant pathology (HR, 2.018; P = 0.003), and postoperative radiotherapy (HR, 3.246; P = 0.001). The stereotactic radiosurgery subgroup presented best 5-year PFS of 88.9%, and a linear accelerator prolonged the mean PFS time (57.0 months) compared with no radiation (38.1 months). In the incomplete resection subgroup (n = 63), radiotherapy significantly benefited tumor control (HR, 2.101; P = 0.016). Extent of surgical resection (HR, 1.797; P = 0.026) and malignant disease (HR, 1.717; P = 0.030) were associated with OS. CONCLUSIONS: Intracranial CSAs were not completely amendable by surgery alone. Gross total resection as far as possible plus radiation were necessary for mesenchymal CSA and conventional CSA with active growth or residual tumor. Stereotactic radiosurgery was an alternative if proton therapy was unavailable. A future study with a large cohort is required to verify our findings.