The first A-to-I RNA editome of hemipteran species Coridius chinensis reveals overrepresented recoding and prevalent intron editing in early-diverging insects.

BACKGROUND: Metazoan adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) RNA editing resembles A-to-G mutation and increases proteomic diversity in a temporal-spatial manner, allowing organisms adapting to changeable environment. The RNA editomes in many major animal clades remain unexplored, hampering the understanding on the evolution and adaptation of this essential post-transcriptional modification. METHODS: We assembled the chromosome-level genome of Coridius chinensis belonging to Hemiptera, the fifth largest insect order where RNA editing has not been studied yet. We generated ten head RNA-Seq libraries with DNA-Seq from the matched individuals. RESULTS: We identified thousands of high-confidence RNA editing sites in C. chinensis. Overrepresentation of nonsynonymous editing was observed, but conserved recoding across different orders was very rare. Under cold stress, the global editing efficiency was down-regulated and the general transcriptional processes were shut down. Nevertheless, we found an interesting site with "conserved editing but non-conserved recoding" in potassium channel Shab which was significantly up-regulated in cold, serving as a candidate functional site in response to temperature stress. CONCLUSIONS: RNA editing in C. chinensis largely recodes the proteome. The first RNA editome in Hemiptera indicates independent origin of beneficial recoding during insect evolution, which advances our understanding on the evolution, conservation, and adaptation of RNA editing.

The ypT may better predict the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy than tumor regression grade in locally advanced rectal cancer patients diagnosed ypT1-4N0.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the impact of ypT stage and tumor regression grade (TRG) on the long-term prognosis of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) stage ypT1-4N0 after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 585 patients with histologically diagnosed middle-low LARC (cT3-4 or cN + by pelvic MRI) from 2014 to 2019. All patients underwent NCRT, followed by total mesorectal excision. Disease-free survival (DFS) rates were compared among patients with different ypT stages and TRGs by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. The chi-square test was used to analyze the relationship between clinicopathological or therapeutic factors and ypT stage. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 35.8 months (range 2.8-71.8 months). The 3-year DFS was 79.5%. A better 3-year DFS was achieved in patients with a pathologic complete response (94.0% vs. 74.3%, p < 0.001) and those in the ypT0-2 (86.5% vs. 66.6%, p < 0.001), ypN0 (85.0% vs. 60.2%, p < 0.001), and TRG0 + 1 (83.1% vs. 73.0%, p = 0.004) subgroups. A total of 309 patients (52.8%) achieved stage ypT1-4N0 after surgery. Among these patients, the ypT1-2N0 subgroup achieved a significantly higher 3-year DFS than the ypT3-4N0 subgroup (85.4% vs. 72.8%, p = 0.018); in contrast, the 3-year DFS did not significantly differ between the TRG1 and TRG2 + 3 subgroups (79.9% vs. 81.1%, p = 0.833). In the ypT1-2N0 or ypT3-4N0 subgroup, different TRG had no significant effect on failure patterns. CONCLUSIONS: For LARC patients with a ypT1-4N0 status after NCRT, ypT stage may be a more effective predictor of long-term prognosis than TRG.

Selectively Positioned Catechol Moiety Supports Ultrashort Self-Assembling Peptide Hydrogel Adhesion for Coral Restoration.

Coral reef survival is threatened globally. One way to restore this delicate ecosystem is to enhance coral growth by the controlled propagation of coral fragments. To be sustainable, this technique requires the use of biocompatible underwater adhesives. Hydrogels based on rationally designed ultrashort self-assembling peptides (USP) are of great interest for various biological and environmental applications, due to their biocompatibility and tunable mechanical properties. Implementing superior adhesion properties to the USP hydrogel compounds is crucial in both water and high ionic strength solutions and is relevant in medical and marine environmental applications such as coral regeneration. Some marine animals secrete large quantities of the aminoacids dopa and lysine to enhance their adhesion to wet surfaces. Therefore, the addition of catechol moieties to the USP sequence containing lysine (IIZK) should improve the adhesive properties of USP hydrogels. However, it is challenging to place the catechol moiety (Do) within the USP sequence at an optimal position without compromising the hydrogel self-assembly process and mechanical properties. Here, we demonstrate that, among three USP hydrogels, DoIIZK is the least adhesive and that the adhesiveness of the IIZDoK hydrogel is compromised by its poor mechanical properties. The best adhesion outcome was achieved using the IIZKDo hydrogel, the only one to show equally sound adhesive and mechanical properties. A mechanistic understanding of this outcome is presented here. This property was confirmed by the successful gluing of coral fragments by means of IIZKDo hydrogel that are still thriving after more than three years since the deployment. The validated biocompatibility of this underwater hydrogel glue suggests that it could be advantageously implemented for other applications, such as surgical interventions.

Development and Validation of a Post-Radiotherapy Prediction Model for Bowel Dysfunction After Rectal Cancer Resection.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The benefit of radiotherapy for rectal cancer is based largely on a balance between a decrease in local recurrence and an increase in bowel dysfunction. Predicting postoperative disability is helpful for recovery plans and early intervention. We aimed to develop and validate a risk model to improve the prediction of major bowel dysfunction after restorative rectal cancer resection with neoadjuvant radiotherapy using perioperative features. METHODS: Eligible patients more than 1 year after restorative resection following radiotherapy were invited to complete the low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) score at 3 national hospitals in China. Clinical characteristics and imaging parameters were assessed with machine learning algorithms. The post-radiotherapy LARS prediction model (PORTLARS) was constructed by means of logistic regression on the basis of key factors with proportional weighs. The accuracy of the model for major LARS prediction was internally and externally validated. RESULTS: A total of 868 patients reported a mean LARS score of 28.4 after an average time of 4.7 years since surgery. Key predictors for major LARS included the length of distal rectum, anastomotic leakage, proximal colon of neorectum, and pathologic nodal stage. PORTLARS had a favorable area under the curve for predicting major LARS in the internal dataset (0.835; 95% CI, 0.800-0.870, n = 521) and external dataset (0.884; 95% CI, 0.848-0.921, n = 347). The model achieved both sensitivity and specificity >0.83 in the external validation. In addition, PORTLARS outperformed the preoperative LARS score for prediction of major events. CONCLUSIONS: PORTLARS could predict major bowel dysfunction after rectal cancer resection following radiotherapy with high accuracy and robustness. It may serve as a useful tool to identify patients who need additional support for long-term dysfunction in the early stage. CLINICALTRIALS: gov, number NCT05129215.

The Impact of Mechanical Cues on the Metabolomic and Transcriptomic Profiles of Human Dermal Fibroblasts Cultured in Ultrashort Self-Assembling Peptide 3D Scaffolds.

Cells' interactions with their microenvironment influence their morphological features and regulate crucial cellular functions including proliferation, differentiation, metabolism, and gene expression. Most biological data available are based on in vitro two-dimensional (2D) cellular models, which fail to recapitulate the three-dimensional (3D) in vivo systems. This can be attributed to the lack of cell-matrix interaction and the limitless access to nutrients and oxygen, in contrast to in vivo systems. Despite the emergence of a plethora of 3D matrices to address this challenge, there are few reports offering a proper characterization of these matrices or studying how the cell-matrix interaction influences cellular metabolism in correlation with gene expression. In this study, two tetrameric ultrashort self-assembling peptide sequences, FFIK and FIIK, were used to create in vitro 3D models using well-described human dermal fibroblast cells. The peptide sequences are derived from naturally occurring amino acids that are capable of self-assembling into stable hydrogels without UV or chemical cross-linking. Our results showed that 2D cultured fibroblasts exhibited distinct metabolic and transcriptomic profiles compared to 3D cultured cells. The observed changes in the metabolomic and transcriptomic profiles were closely interconnected and influenced several important metabolic pathways including the TCA cycle, glycolysis, MAPK signaling cascades, and hemostasis. Data provided here may lead to clearer insights into the influence of the surrounding microenvironment on human dermal fibroblast metabolic patterns and molecular mechanisms, underscoring the importance of utilizing efficient 3D in vitro models to study such complex mechanisms.

Efficacy and safety of preoperative immunotherapy in patients with mismatch repair-deficient or microsatellite instability-high gastrointestinal malignancies.

BACKGROUND: Programmed death protein (PD)-1 blockade immunotherapy significantly prolongs survival in patients with metastatic mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR)/microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) gastrointestinal malignancies such gastric and colorectal cancer. However, the data on preoperative immunotherapy are limited. AIM: To evaluate the short-term efficacy and toxicity of preoperative PD-1 blockade immunotherapy. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we enrolled 36 patients with dMMR/MSI-H gastrointestinal malignancies. All the patients received PD-1 blockade with or without chemotherapy of CapOx regime preoperatively. PD1 blockade 200 mg was given intravenously over 30 min on day 1 of each 21-d cycle. RESULTS: Three patients with locally advanced gastric cancer achieved pathological complete response (pCR). Three patients with locally advanced duodenal carcinoma achieved clinical complete response (cCR), followed by watch and wait. Eight of 16 patients with locally advanced colon cancer achieved pCR. All four patients with liver metastasis from colon cancer reached CR, including three with pCR and one with cCR. pCR was achieved in two of five patients with non-liver metastatic colorectal cancer. CR was achieved in four of five patients with low rectal cancer, including three with cCR and one with pCR. cCR was achieved in seven of 36 cases, among which, six were selected for watch and wait strategy. No cCR was observed in gastric or colon cancer. CONCLUSION: Preoperative PD-1 blockade immunotherapy in dMMR/MSI-H gastrointestinal malignancies can achieve a high CR, especially in patients with duodenal or low rectal cancer, and can achieve high organ function protection.

KRAS, NRAS, BRAF signatures, and MMR status in colorectal cancer patients in North China.

We assessed the clinicopathological features and prognostic values of KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, and DNA mismatch repair status in colorectal cancer (CRC) to provide real-world data in developing countries. We enrolled 369 CRC patients and analyzed the correlation between RAS/BRAF mutation, mismatch repair status with clinicopathological features, and their prognostic roles. The mutation frequencies of KRAS, NRAS, and BRAF were 41.7%, 1.6%, and 3.8%, respectively. KRAS mutations and deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) status were associated with right-sided tumors, aggressive biological behaviors, and poor differentiation. BRAF (V600E) mutations are associated with well-differentiated and lymphovascular invasion. The dMMR status predominated in young and middle-aged patients and tumor node metastasis stage II patients. dMMR status predicted longer overall survival in all CRC patients. KRAS mutations indicated inferior overall survival in patients with CRC stage IV. Our study showed that KRAS mutations and dMMR status could be applied to CRC patients with different clinicopathological features.

Single-cell profiling reveals differences between human classical adenocarcinoma and mucinous adenocarcinoma.

Colorectal cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease. Most colorectal cancers are classical adenocarcinoma, and mucinous adenocarcinoma is a unique histological subtype that is known to respond poorly to chemoradiotherapy. The difference in prognosis between mucinous adenocarcinoma and classical adenocarcinoma is controversial. Here, to gain insight into the differences between classical adenocarcinoma and mucinous adenocarcinoma, we analyse 7 surgical tumour samples from 4 classical adenocarcinoma and 3 mucinous adenocarcinoma patients by single-cell RNA sequencing. Our results indicate that mucinous adenocarcinoma cancer cells have goblet cell-like properties, and express high levels of goblet cell markers (REG4, SPINK4, FCGBP and MUC2) compared to classical adenocarcinoma cancer cells. TFF3 is essential for the transcriptional regulation of these molecules, and may cooperate with RPS4X to eventually lead to the mucinous adenocarcinoma mucus phenotype. The observed molecular characteristics may be critical in the specific biological behavior of mucinous adenocarcinoma.

MRI measurements predict major low anterior resection syndrome in rectal cancer patients.

PURPOSE: Current low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) score is lagging behind and only based on clinical symptoms patient described. Preoperative imaging indicators which can be used to predict LARS is unknown. We proposed preoperative MRI parameters for identifying major LARS. METHODS: Patients receiving curative restorative anterior resection from Sept. 2007 to Sept. 2015 were collected to complete LARS score (median 75.7 months since surgery). MRI measurements associated with LARS were tested, and a multivariate logistic model was conducted for predicting LARS. Receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the model. RESULTS: Two hundred fifty-five patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and 72 patients undergoing direct surgery were enrolled. The incidence of major LARS in NCRT group was significantly higher (53.3% vs.34.7%, P = 0.005). In patients with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, the thickness of ARJ (TARJ), the distance between the tumor's lower edge and anal rectal joint (DTA), and sex were independent factors for predicting major LARS; ORs were 0.382 (95% CI, 0.198-0.740), 0.653 (95% CI, 0.565-0.756), and 0.935 (95% CI, 0.915-0.955). The AUC of the multivariable model was 0.842 (95% CI, 0.794-0.890). In patients with direct surgery, only DTA was the independent factor for predicting major LARS; OR was 0.958 (95% CI, 0.930-0.988). The AUC was 0.777 (95% CI: 0.630-0.925). CONCLUSIONS: Baseline MRI measurements have the potential to predict major LARS in rectal cancer, which will benefit the decision-making and improve patients' life quality.

Effect of digestion on bound phenolic content, antioxidant activity and hypoglycemic ability of insoluble dietary fibre from four Triticeae crops.

To assess the physiological functions of bound phenols in insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) from different Triticeae crops, bound phenols in IDF were extracted from wheat, triticale, barley and quinoa. In addition, model in vitro was established and used in evaluating the release of bound phenols and changes in their physiological functions after simulated digestion. Results showed that bound phenol content in IDF from Triticeae crops before digestion was higher than which during digestion, and its physiological functions were also better (p < .05). Moreover, barley extracted before digestion, its bound phenolic content in IDF was higher than those in other three Triticeae crops, besides,its bound phenol also showed better antioxidant ability. Before digestion, bound phenols in IDF from triticale showed the best hypoglycemic ability (the inhibition rate of α-glucosidase was 95%; the inhibition rate of α-amylase was 97%). In the simulated digestion model, the bound phenols were mainly released during the intestinal digestion stage, they showed better physiological functions than which released at the gastric digestion stage. The bound phenol content in triticale was higher and its physiological functions was better than those in the other crops. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The results of this experiment showed that the release of bound phenols measured by chemical extraction (i.e., before digestion) was higher than that by simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Compared with the chemical extraction method, in vitro gastro-intestinal digestion simulates the pH value and enzyme environment of food in the human body gastrointestinal digestion process more effectively. This study can provide reference for selecting Triticeae crops feeding in the future. To be more precise, bound phenol content in the insoluble dietary fiber of barley was the highest before digestion. The bound phenol in the insoluble dietary fiber of triticale had the best hypoglycemic ability. The bound phenolic compounds are mainly released during intestinal digestion, and their physiological functions are better than that in gastric digestion.

Clinical Decision Support for High-Risk Stage II Colon Cancer: A Real-World Study of Treatment Concordance and Survival.

BACKGROUND: Prognostic and pathologic risk factors typically guide clinicians and patients in their choice of surveillance or adjuvant chemotherapy when managing high-risk stage II colon cancer. However, variations in treatment and outcomes in patients with stage II colon cancer remain. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the survival benefits of treatments concordant with suggested therapeutic options from Watson for Oncology, a clinical decision support system. DESIGN: This is a retrospective observational study of concordance between actual treatment and Watson for Oncology therapeutic options. SETTING: This study was conducted at a top-tier cancer center in China. PATIENTS: Postoperative treatment data were retrieved from the electronic health records of 306 patients with high-risk stage II colon adenocarcinoma. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcomes measured were the treatment patterns plus 3- and 5-year overall and disease-free survival for concordant and nonconcordant cases. RESULTS: Overall concordance was 90%. Most nonconcordant care resulted from adjuvant chemotherapy use (rather than surveillance) in patients with high-level microsatellite instability and ≥70 years old. No difference in overall survival (p = 0.56) or disease-free survival (p = 0.19) was observed between concordance groups. Patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy had significantly higher 5-year overall survival than those undergoing surveillance (94% vs 84%, p = 0.01). LIMITATIONS: This study was limited by the use of retrospective cases drawn from patients presenting for surgery, the lack of complete follow-up data for 58% of patients who could not be included in the analysis, and a survival analysis that assumes no unmeasured correlation between survival and censoring. CONCLUSIONS: Watson for Oncology produced therapeutic options highly concordant with human decisions at a top-tier cancer center in China. Treatment patterns suggest that Watson for Oncology may be able to guide clinicians to minimize overtreatment of patients with high-risk stage II colon cancer with chemotherapy. Survival analyses suggest the need for further investigation to specifically assess the association between surveillance, single-agent and multiagent chemotherapy, and survival outcomes in this population. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/B291. APOYO A LA DECISIÓN CLÍNICA DEL CÁNCER DE COLON EN ESTADIO II DE ALTO RIESGO: UN ESTUDIO DEL MUNDO REAL SOBRE LA CONCORDANCIA DEL TRATAMIENTO Y LA SUPERVIVENCIA: Los factores de riesgo pronósticos y patológicos generalmente guían a los médicos y pacientes en su elección de vigilancia o quimioterapia adyuvante cuando se trata el cáncer de colon en estadio II de alto riesgo. Sin embargo, las variaciones en el tratamiento y los resultados en pacientes con cáncer de colon en estadio II permanecen.Evaluar los beneficios de supervivencia de los tratamientos concordantes con las opciones terapéuticas sugeridas por "Watson for Oncology" (Watson para la oncología), un sistema de apoyo a la decisión clínica.Estudio observacional retrospectivo de concordancia entre el tratamiento real y las opciones terapéuticas de Watson para oncología.Un centro oncológico de primer nivel en China.Datos de tratamiento postoperatorio de registros de salud electrónicos de 306 pacientes con adenocarcinoma de colon en estadio II de alto riesgo.Patrones de tratamiento más supervivencia global y libre de enfermedad a 3 y 5 años para casos concordantes y no concordantes.La concordancia general fue del 90%. La mayoría de la atención no concordante resultó del uso de quimioterapia adyuvante (en lugar de vigilancia) en pacientes de alto nivel con inestabilidad de microsatélites y pacientes ≥70 años. No se observaron diferencias en la supervivencia global (p = 0,56) o la supervivencia libre de enfermedad (p = 0,19) entre los grupos de concordancia. Los pacientes que recibieron quimioterapia adyuvante tuvieron una supervivencia global a los 5 años significativamente más alta que los que fueron sometidos a vigilancia (94% frente a 84%, p = 0,01).Uso de casos retrospectivos extraídos de pacientes que se presentan para cirugía, falta de datos de seguimiento completos para el 58% de los pacientes que no pudieron ser incluidos en el análisis, y análisis de supervivencia que asume que no exite una correlación no medida entre supervivencia y censura.Watson para Oncología produjo opciones terapéuticas altamente concordantes con las decisiones humanas en un centro oncológico de primer nivel en China. Los patrones de tratamiento sugieren que Watson para Oncología puede guiar a los médicos para minimizar el sobretratamiento de pacientes con cáncer de colon en estadio II de alto riesgo con quimioterapia. Los análisis de supervivencia sugieren la necesidad de realizar mas investigaciónes para evaluar específicamente la asociación entre la vigilancia, la quimioterapia con uno solo o múltiples agentes y los resultados de supervivencia en esta población. Consulte Video Resumen en http://links.lww.com/DCR/B291. (Traducción-Dr. Gonzalo Hagerman).

Isotactic-Polypropylene/Atactic-Polystyrene Miktoarm Star Copolymers: Synthesis and Aggregation Morphology.

In this work, a series of isotactic-polypropylene/atactic-polystyrene (iPP/aPS) miktoarm star copolymers, PxSy, was synthesized via an arm-first approach. Varied star macromolecule architectures were fabricated by designing the arm length and the arm numbers (x and y). These miktoarm stars were able to form micelles in selective solvent (N,N'-dimethylformamide (DMF)), in which the insoluble iPP arms formed the core and the soluble aPS arms formed the shell. The miktoarm polymers aggregated to micro-nanoscale binary structures (MNBSes) in the casting process, and their morphologies, including the MNBS shape and size, were greatly influenced by the PxSy architectures. The MNBSes endowed the material surface with superhydrophobic performance with a water contact angle of 157.0° and a sliding angle of 1.5°.

[Postoperative short-term complications of laparoscope-assisted transanal total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer after neoadjuvant therapy and their management: a single center report].

OBJECTIVE: To summarize and analyze the postoperative short-term complications of laparoscope-assisted transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME) for rectal cancer patients after neoadjuvant therapy. METHODS: A prospectively established database on taTME patients at Peking University Cancer Hospital was screened with the following conditions: data retrieval from June 2016 to August 2018, pathologically confirmed adenocarcinoma, receiving preoperative neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy or chemotherapy. The transabdominal procedure and the transanal procedure were performed simultaneously in the taTME operation. Occurrence of complications during perioperative period (within postoperative 3 months) in these patients, especially anastomosis-related complications and their management were analyzed. The relevant complications were recorded according to the Clavien-Dindo (CD) grading criteria. The severity of anastomotic leakage and anastomotic stenosis was evaluated according to criteria developed by the International Rectal Cancer Research Group. RESULTS: A total of 29 patients were enrolled in this study. In the 29 patients, 25 (86.2%) were male and 4 (13.8%) were female, the median age was 60 (range, 30 to 72) years, the median body mass index was 25.8 (range, 19.8 to 36.4) kg/m2, the median distance from the tumor to anal verge was 4 (range, 2 to 8) cm. All the patients completed laparoscope-assisted taTME operations successfully without conversion to laparotomy, intra-operative severe complication or death. The median operation time was 300 (range, 198 to 405) minutes, and the median intra-operative blood loss was 100 (range, 50 to 200) ml. All the TME specimens were complete according to the Nagtegaal standard. All the patients underwent prophylactic ileostomy. Hartmann procedure was performed in one case due to poor blood supply in the proximal bowel without the possibility of anastomosis. Anal sphincter preservation rate was 96.6% (28/29). The median postoperative exhaust time was 2 (range, 1 to 10) days, and the median postoperative hospital stay was 9 (range, 7 to 24) days. Fifteen patients (51.7%) had postoperative complications, among which serious complication (CD grade IIIb and above) accounted for 6.9% (2/29). No perioperative death was observed. Five patients (17.2%) presented anastomosis-related complications, including 2 cases of grade C anastomotic leakage due to anastomotic rupture, who underwent abdominal perineal resection 1 month after operation; 2 cases of grade B anastomotic leakage, who improved after conservative treatment; 1 case of grade A anastomotic stenosis, who improved with anal expansion 1 month after operation. The incidence of postoperative infection was 24.1% (7/29), including 6 cases of pelvic infection and 1 case of trocar site infection, all of which were CD grade II. One case had incomplete intestinal obstruction (CD grade II); 1 case had gastroplegia; 1 case had abdominal trocar hernia. All the patients were followed up for a median of 12.0 (range, 3.9 to 29.9) months. Seven cases did not undergo ileal stoma closure. The anal sphincter preservation rate was 75.9% (22/29). CONCLUSION: Pelvic infection and anastomosis-related complications are common after laparoscope-assisted taTME surgery for rectal cancer patients following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, which require active management and appropriate treatment.

[Short-term outcome of transanal total mesorectal excision for male low rectal cancer patients with "difficult pelvis" : a single center report from Peking University Cancer Hospital].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the applicable value of transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME) in male low rectal cancer patients with narrow pelvis-"difficult pelvis", which remains difficult for both open and laparoscopic sphincter-saving operations. METHODS: Clinical data of male low rectal cancer patients diagnosed by pathology undergoing taTME between June 2016 and January 2018 at Peking University Cancer Hospital were collected. A retrospective cohort study was performed. Patients were selected according to the following criteria: (1) low rectal cancer, the distance between inferior margin of tumor and anal verge ≤5 cm; (2) the distance between two sciatic tubercles <5 cm; (3) body mass index (BMI) >25 kg/m2; (4) tumor horizontal diameter ≤4 cm. Operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative hospital stay, postoperative complications and anal function were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 20 patients were included in this study. All the patients received preoperative neoadjuvant chemoradiation and hybrid transabdominal and transanal surgery. The median BMI was 27.7(26.2-36.4) kg/m2; the median distance between two sciatic tubercles was 92.5 (78-100) mm; the median distance between the inferior margin of tumor to the anal verge was 4 (2-5) cm; the median operation time was 302 (215-402) min; the median intraoperative blood loss was 100 (50-200) ml; the median postoperative hospital stay was 9 (5-15) d. Postoperative complications occurred in 5 patients (25%), including 3 pelvic infection, 1 intestinal obstruction, 1 anastomotic leakage receiving sigmoid colostomy. There was no perioperative death. Sphincter-preservation rate was 100%. Nineteen patients received anal manometry 1 month after operation with normal resting pressure (41.5±8.6) mmHg and squeeze pressure (121.0±11.6) mmHg. All the patients were followed up to March 2018, and the median follow-up time was 4.5 months. Only 1 patient had supraclavicular lymph node metastasis and no local recurrence was found. CONCLUSIONS: The safety of transanal total mesorectal excision for male patients with low rectal cancer and difficult pelvis is acceptable. TaTME is helpful to preserve the anal sphincter.

LncRNA LINC00152 promoted glioblastoma progression through targeting the miR-107 expression.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) LINC00152 plays important roles in the progression of some tumors. However, the role of LINC00152 in human l glioblastoma is still unknown. In this study, we indicated that LINC00152 expression level was upregulated in glioblastoma tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of LINC00152 promoted the U87 and LN229 cell proliferation and invasion. Moreover, overexpression of LINC00152 suppressed the E-cadherin expression, where ectopic expression of LINC00152 promoted the N-cadherin, Vimentin, and Snail expression. These results suggested that LINC00152 enhanced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) program in the glioblastoma cell. Overexpression of LINC00152 suppressed the miR-107 expression in the U87 cell and enhanced the HMGA2 expression, which is a direct target gene of miR-107. In addition, we showed that the miR-107 expression was downregulated in the glioblastoma tissues and cell lines. Interesting, the expression of LINC00152 was negatively related with miR-107 expression in the glioblastoma tissues. Furthermore, LINC00152 promoted the glioblastoma cell proliferation and invasion through inhibiting miR-107 expression. These data suggested that LINC00152 acted as oncogene roles in the glioblastoma cell partly through targeting the miR-107 expression.

[Effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on the prognosis of stage II( colon cancer patients with high risk factors].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on the prognosis of stage II( colon cancer patients with high risk factors. METHODS: Clinicopathological and follow-up data of stage II( colon cancer patients undergoing radical surgery from January 2001 to March 2012 at Gastrointestinal Cancer Center of Peking University Cancer Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. The effect of adjuvant chemotherapy (within postoperative 2 month, fluorine uracil as main drugs) on the prognosis of high-risk patients was analyzed. High risk factors were defined as having at least one of the following factors: (1) tumor stage T4; (2) poor differentiation; (3) with vascular cancer embolus; (4) number of harvested lymph node less than 12; (5) complicated with obstruction or perforation. RESULTS: A total of 497 patients with stage II( colon cancer were included in this study, of whom 258 cases(51.9%) had high risk factors, including stage T4 tumor in 80 cases(16.1%), poor differentiation in 80 cases (16.1%), cancer embolus in 37 cases (7.4%), lymph node harvested number less than 12 in 88 cases (17.7%), and obstruction or perforation in 85 cases (17.1%). Among 497 patients, number of cases with 1 to 4 high risk factors was 170 (34.2%), 68 (13.7%), 16 (3.2%) and 4 (0.8%), respectively. The last follow-up time was December 2016. The 5-year overall survival rate of all the 497 patients was 81.7%. The 5-year overall survival rate of 239 patients without high risk factors was 87.0%. The 5-year survival rate in patients with 1 to 4 risk factors was 81.9%, 73.7%, 66.7% and 25.0%, respectively (P=0.001). There was no significant difference in 5-year survival rate between 103 patients with adjuvant chemotherapy and 394 patients without adjuvant chemotherapy (79.6% vs. 82.8%, P=0.814). In patients with high risk factors, 80(31.0%) received adjuvant chemotherapy. There was no significant difference of 5-year survival rate between 80 patients with adjuvant chemotherapy and 178 patients without adjuvant chemotherapy (81.4% vs. 74.7%, P=0.147). Multivariate analysis showed that preoperative CEA level, T4 stage, lymph node harvested number, and tumor differentiation were the independent prognostic factors of patients with stage II( colon cancer (all P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of patients with at least one risk factor is quite high in stage II( colon cancer cases. Adjuvant chemotherapy can not prolong the overall survival time of high risk patients.

Discussion on one algorithm for mapping the radiation distribution on contaminated ground.

Recently, due to progressions in radiation detection systems, the capability to monitor radiation on the ground by employing detection systems high above the ground has been developed. Therefore, how to map radiation distributions on the ground based upon measured data in air is an important question. One kind of reconstructing algorithm for solving this problem is introduced in this paper. This algorithm reconstructs the radiological contamination distribution through solving the detection response factors equation set (DRFES). The study shows that the reconstructing algorithm performs well when the detection height is lower than 50 m. Through this algorithm, the ability to reconstruct the scope of contamination magnitude on the ground by using the measurement data obtained in the air has been established. The algorithm discussed in the paper has the potential to be used in emergency monitoring and nuclear decontamination.

[Prospective study of gracilis muscle repair of complex rectovaginal fistula and rectourethral fistula].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and experience of gracilis muscle transposition for complex rectovaginal fistula (RVF) and rectourethral fistula (RUF). METHODS: Nineteen patients underwent gracilis muscle transposition for complex RVF and RUF from May 2009 to November 2011 in the Beijing Shijitan Hospital and the clinical data were prospectively collected. The success rate and complications were recorded. SF-36 quality of life score, Wexner fecal incontinence score, and female sexual function score before surgery and 6 months after surgery were recorded. RESULTS: In 19 patients, there were 8 males (RUF) and 11 females (RUF). The times of failed attempt repair preoperatively ranged from 0-3 (mean, 1.0). The diameter of the fistula ranged from 0.5-3.0 cm (mean, 1.6), and all fistulas located above the sphincter. The operative time ranged from 145-400 minutes (median, 240). The postoperative hospital stay ranged from 10-39 days (median 21). Early postoperative complications included thigh pain and numbness in 2 cases, leg numbness in 2 cases. No long-term complications were noticed. The follow-up period ranged from 6-35 months (median, 18). The gracilis muscle transposition had a healing rate of 94.7% (18/19). As compared with the preoperative level, Wexner score decreased from 10.0±8.8 to 2.9±5.8, and the continence function improved significantly (P=0.002). Sexual function score of 11 female patients increased from 1.0±1.8 to 4.0±4.0, and the sexual function had a significant improvement after surgery (P=0.022). SF-36 quality of life scores improved significantly (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Gracilis muscle transposition for complex rectovaginal fistula and rectourethral fistula has high success rate with mild and rare complications.

[Study on subtype of human papillomavirus infection among aged 25 - 54 reproductive women in Beijing from 2006 to 2008].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate subtype of HPV infection among women at age of 25 to 54 years in Beijing. METHODS: From Sept. 2006 to Dec. 2008, 5552 reproductive women at age of 25 to 54 years classified into each 5-year as group were screened. Each participant completed a questionnaire and a sample of exfoliated cervical cells for liquid-based cytology and HPV subtype gene testing was performed. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of HPV was 6.68% (371/5552). High-risk HPV and Low-risk HPV prevalence were 5.76% (320/5552) and 2.00% (111/5552), respectively. The most common HPV types were HPV16 (2.61%, 145/5552), HPV58 (0.97%, 54/5552), HPV33 (0.85%, 47/5552), HPV43 (0.74%, 41/5552) and HPV56 (0.70%, 39/5552). There were two peaks of HPV prevalence: groups of 30 - 34 years and 40 - 44 years. CONCLUSION: The most common HPV subtypes in Beijing were HPV 16, 58, 33 and 43 and HPV prevalence showed a bi-modal age-specific curve.

[Epidemiological study of high risk human papillomavirus infection in 25 to 54 years old married women in Beijing.].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate high risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) prevalence among married women in Beijing and to study the high risk factors. METHODS: During March 2007 to September 2008, a total of 6185 married women sampled from 137 communities in 12 districts were screened by HR-HPV DNA test and cytological test. The interview was carried out with unified questionnaires. The database was set up and twice entered in EpiData 3.0. After checked up, the data were analyzed in SPSS 15.0. RESULTS: (1) The HR-HPV infection rate was 9.89%. The HR-HPV infection rate of the city zone, the suburb and the exurb were 9.34%, 10.51% and 9.51% (P > 0.05). The HR-HPV infection rate of the native and the outlander were 9.53%, 11.30% (P < 0.05). (2) The age distribution of HR-HPV infection was that the rate was around 10% among 25 to 44 age groups, which was the highest (11.21%) in 30 to 34 age group; then the rate was descended as the age raising, the rate of 50 to 54 age group was the lowest (7.78%). (3) Multiple logistic regression showed that the related risk factors of HR-HPV infection mainly included 1000 RMB and above of family income per person per month, possessing more than 1 sexual partner of her husband, outlander and high levels of education. (4) The prevalence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) in HR-HPV positive group was significantly higher than that in HR-HPV negative group (29.76% vs 3.32%, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: (1) The HR-HPV infection rate among aged 25 to 54 years was 9.9% and there was no significant difference in area distribution. (2) The high risk population which should strengthen screening was the married bearing-age women with high level of family income, outlander, high levels of education and her husband possessing more than 1 sexual partner. (3) HR-HPV infection is the main risk factor for CIN and cervical cancer, while does not provide a causal relationship with them. The high risk population should be checked regularly to understand the development of HR-HPV infection and CIN incidence.