Analysis of risk factors leading to anxiety and depression in patients with prostate cancer after castration and the construction of a risk prediction model.

BACKGROUND: Cancer patients often suffer from severe stress reactions psychologically, such as anxiety and depression. Prostate cancer (PC) is one of the common cancer types, with most patients diagnosed at advanced stages that cannot be treated by radical surgery and which are accompanied by complications such as bodily pain and bone metastasis. Therefore, attention should be given to the mental health status of PC patients as well as physical adverse events in the course of clinical treatment. AIM: To analyze the risk factors leading to anxiety and depression in PC patients after castration and build a risk prediction model. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on the data of 120 PC cases treated in Xi'an People's Hospital between January 2019 and January 2022. The patient cohort was divided into a training group (n = 84) and a validation group (n = 36) at a ratio of 7:3. The patients' anxiety symptoms and depression levels were assessed 2 wk after surgery with the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and the Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), respectively. Logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors affecting negative mood, and a risk prediction model was constructed. RESULTS: In the training group, 35 patients and 37 patients had an SAS score and an SDS score greater than or equal to 50, respectively. Based on the scores, we further subclassified patients into two groups: a bad mood group (n = 35) and an emotional stability group (n = 49). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that marital status, castration scheme, and postoperative Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score were independent risk factors affecting a patient's bad mood (P < 0.05). In the training and validation groups, patients with adverse emotions exhibited significantly higher risk scores than emotionally stable patients (P < 0.0001). The area under the curve (AUC) of the risk prediction model for predicting bad mood in the training group was 0.743, the specificity was 70.96%, and the sensitivity was 66.03%, while in the validation group, the AUC, specificity, and sensitivity were 0.755, 66.67%, and 76.19%, respectively. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed a χ2 of 4.2856, a P value of 0.830, and a C-index of 0.773 (0.692-0.854). The calibration curve revealed that the predicted curve was basically consistent with the actual curve, and the calibration curve showed that the prediction model had good discrimination and accuracy. Decision curve analysis showed that the model had a high net profit. CONCLUSION: In PC patients, marital status, castration scheme, and postoperative pain (VAS) score are important factors affecting postoperative anxiety and depression. The logistic regression model can be used to successfully predict the risk of adverse psychological emotions.

[Electrophysiological appropriateness technique based on TCM meridian theory for postoperative pain after urethral reconstruction: A real-world study].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical efficacy of electrophysiological appropriateness technique (EAT) therapy based on the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) meridian theory in managing postoperative pain after urethral reconstruction surgery. METHODS: Using the real-world study approach, we enrolled 61 male patients undergoing urethral reconstruction and divided them into a control group (n = 30) and an observation group (n = 31), the former receiving patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA), while the latter PCIA plus EAT at 4 pairs of acupoints (Hegu, Neiguan, Zusanli and Sanyinjiao bilaterally) and the Ashi point, with 100 mg tramadol hydrochloride given orally as remedial analgesia in both groups in case of postoperative Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score ≥4. We compared the VAS scores at 4, 12, 24 and 48 hours postoperatively, the dose of cumulative fentanyl used at 48 hours, the number of cases needing remedial analgesia, the time to first flatus and the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups of patients. RESULTS: The VAS scores were markedly lower in the observation than in the control group at 4, 12, 24 and 48 hours after surgery (P < 0.05), with statistically significant differences in time-dependent effect and interactive effect (P < 0.05). Significant reduction was observed in the doses of cumulative fentanyl (P < 0.05) and remedial tramadol analgesia (P < 0.05), time to first flatus (P < 0.05), and incidence of adverse reactions (P < 0.05) in the observation group in comparison with the controls. CONCLUSION: Electrophysiological therapy based on the TCM meridian theory can safely and effectively alleviate postoperative pain after urethral reconstruction, reduce opioid consumption, and decrease adverse events.

Artificial intelligence in theranostics of gastric cancer, a review.

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the commonest cancers with high morbidity and mortality in the world. How to realize precise diagnosis and therapy of GC owns great clinical requirement. In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has been actively explored to apply to early diagnosis and treatment and prognosis of gastric carcinoma. Herein, we review recent advance of AI in early screening, diagnosis, therapy and prognosis of stomach carcinoma. Especially AI combined with breath screening early GC system improved 97.4 % of early GC diagnosis ratio, AI model on stomach cancer diagnosis system of saliva biomarkers obtained an overall accuracy of 97.18 %, specificity of 97.44 %, and sensitivity of 96.88 %. We also discuss concept, issues, approaches and challenges of AI applied in stomach cancer. This review provides a comprehensive view and roadmap for readers working in this field, with the aim of pushing application of AI in theranostics of stomach cancer to increase the early discovery ratio and curative ratio of GC patients.

The diagnosis interval influences risk factors of mortality in patients with co-existent active tuberculosis and lung cancer: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies reported that tuberculosis (TB) is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer or the survival and mortality of lung cancer. However, the impact of coexisting TB on the survival of lung cancer patients was controversial. We aimed to identify risk factors on the survival rate of patients with co-existent active TB and lung cancer. METHODS: One hundred seventy-three patients diagnosed with active TB and lung cancer from January 2016 to August 2021 in Shanghai pulmonary hospital were selected and divided into two groups (≤ 6 months, > 6 months) according to the diagnosis interval between active TB and lung cancer (the order of diagnosis is not considered). The clinical characteristics and survival were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify the risk factors for overall survival (OS). RESULTS: One hundred seventy-three patients were diagnosed with lung cancer and active TB. The study population exhibited a median age of 64 years, with a majority of 81.5% being male, 58.0% of patients had a history of smoking. Among those involved, 93.6% had pulmonary TB, 91.9% were diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), 76.9% were Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) 0-2 and 12.7% were ECOG 3-4. We observed better survival in the > 6 months group compared with the ≤ 6 months group (hazard ratio [HR] 0.456, 95% confidence interval [CI]:0.234-0.889, P = 0.017). The 1-, 3-, and 5- year OS rates were 94.2%, 80.3%, and 77.6%, respectively, in the > 6 months group and 88.3%, 63.8%, and 58.5%, respectively, in the ≤ 6 months group. Surgery (HR 0.193, [95% CI, 0.038-0.097]; P = 0.046) and ECOG Performance Status (HR 12.866, [95% CI, 2.730-60.638]; P = 0.001) were independent prognostic factors in the > 6 months group. CONCLUSIONS: Patients diagnosed with lung cancer and active TB for more than half a year have a significantly better prognosis than those diagnosed within half a year. ECOG Performance Status and surgery might possibly affect the outcomes of patients with co-existent active TB and lung cancer.

Optimization of O/W Emulsion Solvent Evaporation Method for Itraconazole Sustained Release Microspheres.

Itraconazole, a commonly used antifungal drug in the clinic approved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has been gradually found to have anti-tumor, angiogenesis inhibition and other pharmacological activities. However, its poor water solubility and potential toxicity limited its clinical application. In order to improve the water solubility and reduce the side effects caused by the high concentration of itraconazole, a novel preparation method of itraconazole sustained release microspheres was established in this study. Firstly, five kinds of polylactic acid-glycolic acid (PLGA) microspheres loaded with itraconazole were prepared by oil/water (O/W) emulsion solvent evaporation and then characterized by infrared spectroscopy. Then the particle size and morphology of the microspheres were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). After that, the particle size distribution, drug loading rate, entrapment efficiency, and drug release experiments were evaluated. Our results showed the microspheres prepared in this study had uniform particle size distribution and good integrity. Further study found that the average drug loading of the five kinds of microspheres prepared with PLGA 7505, PLGA 7510, PLGA 7520, PLGA 5020 and PLGA 0020 were 16.88, 17.72, 16.72, 16.57, and 16.64%, respectively, and the encapsulation rate all reached about 100%. More surprisingly, the release experimental results showed that the microspheres prepared with PLGA 7520 did not show sudden release, showing good sustained release performance and high drug release rate. To sum up, this study optimized the preparation method of sustained-release microspheres without sudden release, which provides a new solution for the delivery of itraconazole in the clinic.

Enhanced lysosomal escape of cell penetrating peptide-functionalized metal-organic frameworks for co-delivery of survivin siRNA and oridonin.

In recent years, small interfering RNA (siRNA) has been widely used in the treatment of human diseases, especially tumors, and has shown great appeal. However, the clinical application of siRNA faces several challenges. Insufficient efficacy, poor bioavailability, poor stability, and lack of responsiveness to a single therapy are the main problems affecting tumor therapy. Here, we designed a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP)-modified metal organic framework nanoplatform (named PEG-CPP33@ORI@survivin siRNA@ZIF-90, PEG-CPP33@NPs) for targeted co-delivery of oridonin (ORI), a natural anti-tumor active ingredient) and survivin siRNA in vivo. This can improve the stability and bioavailability of siRNA and the efficacy of siRNA monotherapy. The high drug-loading capacity and pH-sensitive properties of zeolite imidazolides endowed the PEG-CPP33@NPs with lysosomal escape abilities. The Polyethylene glycol (PEG)-conjugated CPP (PEG-CPP33) coating significantly improved the uptake in the PEG-CPP33@NPs in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that the co-delivery of ORI and survivin siRNA greatly enhanced the anti-tumor effect of PEG-CPP33@NPs, demonstrating the synergistic effect between ORI and survivin siRNA. In summary, the novel targeted nanobiological platform loaded with ORI and survivin siRNA presented herein showed great advantages in cancer therapy, and provides an attractive strategy for the synergistic application of chemotherapy and gene therapy.

A comparative study of two single-stage oral mucosal substitution urethroplasty (Kulkarni and Asopa) in the surgical treatments of lichen sclerosus urethral strictures.

Long-segment lichen sclerosus (LS) urethral stricture is a challenge for urologists. Limited data are available for surgeons to make a surgical decision between Kulkarni and Asopa urethroplasty. In this retrospective study, we investigated the outcomes of these two procedures in patients with LS urethral stricture. Between January 2015 and December 2020, 77 patients with LS urethral stricture underwent Kulkarni and Asopa procedures for urethroplasty in the Department of Urology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (Shanghai, China). Of the 77 patients, 42 (54.5%) underwent the Asopa procedure and 35 (45.5%) underwent the Kulkarni procedure. The overall complication rate was 34.2% in the Kulkarni group and 19.0% in the Asopa group, and no difference was observed ( P = 0.105). Among the complications, no statistical difference was observed in the incidence of urethral stricture recurrence ( P = 0.724) or glans dehiscence ( P = 0.246) except for postoperative meatus stenosis ( P = 0.020). However, the recurrence-free survival rate between the two procedures was significantly different ( P = 0.016). Cox survival analysis showed that antiplatelet/anticoagulant therapy use ( P = 0.020), diabetes ( P = 0.003), current/former smoking ( P = 0.019), coronary heart disease ( P < 0.001), and stricture length ( P = 0.028) may lead to a higher hazard ratio of complications. Even so, these two techniques can still provide acceptable results with their own advantages in the surgical treatment of LS urethral strictures. The surgical alternative should be considered comprehensively according to the patient characteristics and surgeon preferences. Moreover, our results showed that antiplatelet/anticoagulant therapy use, diabetes, coronary heart disease, current/former smoking, and stricture length may be contributing factors of complications. Therefore, patients with LS are advised to undergo early interventions for better therapeutic effects.

Programmable DNA Circuit-Facilitated Determination of Circulating Extracellular Vesicle PD-L1 for Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Immunotherapy Response Prediction.

Circulating extracellular vesicle (EV) PD-L1 is correlated with the occurrence and progression of lung cancer and has great potential as a valuable diagnostic and immunotherapy predictive biomarker. In this work, we propose a fluorescent biosensing method for the sensitive and accurate determination of circulating EV PD-L1. Specifically, after the phosphatidylserine-targeting peptide-assisted magnetic enrichment, a programmable DNA circuit is designed to translate the presence of PD-L1 to the appearance of numerous duplex DNA probes on the circulating EV surface. Upon fructose treatment, these newly formed duplex DNA probes are released from the EV surface to activate the trans-cleavage activity of CRISPR/Cas12a system, which finally produces a significant fluorescence signal. Experimental results reveal that the method not only enables sensitive determination of EV PD-L1 with a detection limit of 67 particles/mL but also demonstrates the potential use in the diagnosis and immunotherapy response prediction of lung cancer in a principle-of-proof study. Therefore, the method may provide a useful tool for EV PD-L1 determination, which may provide valuable information for the precise diagnosis and personalized treatment of lung cancer patients.

Antitumor Effect of Photodynamic Therapy/Sonodynamic Therapy/Sono-Photodynamic Therapy of Chlorin e6 and Other Applications.

Chlorin e6 (Ce6) has been extensively researched and developed as an antitumor therapy. Ce6 is a highly effective photosensitizer and sonosensitizer with promising future applications in photodynamic therapy, dynamic acoustic therapy, and combined acoustic and light therapy for tumors. Ce6 is also being studied for other applications in fluorescence navigation, antibacterials, and plant growth regulation. Here we review the role and research status of Ce6 in tumor therapy and the problems and challenges of its clinical application. Other biomedical effects of Ce6 are also briefly discussed. Despite the difficulties in clinical application, Ce6 has significant advantages in photodynamic therapy (PDT)/sonodynamic therapy (SDT) against cancer and offers several possibilities in clinical utility.

Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cell-2 Protects PC12 Cells Injury by Inhibiting BV2 Microglial Activation.

Microglia play a crucial role in the activation of immune defense mechanism as the resident macrophages in the central nervous system (CNS). Microglia can eliminate damaged neurons, plaques, and other infectious agents. Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cell-2 (TREM-2) speculates to be beneficial in preventing inflammation-induced bystander damage of neurons. However, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of TREM-2 on neurons are not clarified. We cultured PC12 cells with conditioned medium which was the supernatant of LPS-treated BV2 cells and six groups of PC12 cells (control group, LPS group, TREM-2 WT + LPS group, TREM-2 over-expression + LPS group, siRNA control + LPS group, and siRNA TREM-2 + LPS group) were investigated. The mRNA levels of inflammatory mediators: Nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and Arginase-1(Arg-1) were quantified by using RT-PCR. Assessment of apoptosis in PC12 cells mediated by BV2 microglia was analyzed using TUNEL assays. The result showed that LPS stimulation significantly enhanced inducible iNOS (M1) production in BV2 cells (P < 0.01), and increased PC12 cells apoptosis (P < 0.01), while reduced the production of Arg-1 (M2) in BV2 cells (P < 0.01). These effects were attenuated by TREM-2 over-expression, but enhanced by TREM-2 silencing. It indicated that TREM-2 inhibited LPS-mediated neuronal apoptosis by down-regulating iNOS and up-regulating the expression of Arg-1 in BV2 microglia. Therefore, our findings may provide new insights in the regulation of TREM-2 on neuronal apoptosis via BV2 microglial M1/M2 modulation.

SIRT1 enhances oxaliplatin resistance in colorectal cancer through microRNA-20b-3p/DEPDC1 axis.

Oxaliplatin (L-OHP) is a standard treatment drug for colorectal cancer (CRC), but acquired drug resistance limits the outcome of patients. We investigated the involvement of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) in L-OHP resistance in the setting of CRC via microRNA-20b-3p/DEP domain containing 1 (miR-20b-3p/DEPDC1) axis. CRC tissues that were resistant or sensitive to L-OHP were harvested, in which SIRT1, miR-20b-3p, and DEPDC1 levels were tested. L-OHP-resistant-resistant CRC cells were transfected, subsequently, cellular proliferation, invasion, migration, and apoptosis were tested, and tumor resistance to L-OHP was observed. The binding of SIRT1 to miR-20b-3p promoter and the targeting relationship between miR-20b-3p and DEPDC1 were verified. An aberrant elevation in SIRT1 expression was seen in L-OHP-resistant CRC tissues and cells. Knockdown of SIRT1 sensitized CRC cells and xenografted CRC tumors to L-OHP. SIRT1 bound with miR-20b-3p promoter to regulate DEPDC1. Reducing miR-20b-3p or raising DEPDC1 levels weakened the effect of SIRT1 knockdown on L-OHP-resistant-CRC cells. SIRT1 enhances L-OHP resistance in CRC by mediating miR-20b-3p/DEPDC1 axis.

TiO2 Gas Sensors Combining Experimental and DFT Calculations: A Review.

Gas sensors play an irreplaceable role in industry and life. Different types of gas sensors, including metal-oxide sensors, are developed for different scenarios. Titanium dioxide is widely used in dyes, photocatalysis, and other fields by virtue of its nontoxic and nonhazardous properties, and excellent performance. Additionally, researchers are continuously exploring applications in other fields, such as gas sensors and batteries. The preparation methods include deposition, magnetron sputtering, and electrostatic spinning. As researchers continue to study sensors with the help of modern computers, microcosm simulations have been implemented, opening up new possibilities for research. The combination of simulation and calculation will help us to better grasp the reaction mechanisms, improve the design of gas sensor materials, and better respond to different gas environments. In this paper, the experimental and computational aspects of TiO2 are reviewed, and the future research directions are described.

Cathepsin B deteriorates diabetic cardiomyopathy induced by streptozotocin via promoting NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis.

Cathepsin B (CTSB), a member of lysosomal cathepsin, is involved in cell autophagy and apoptosis. We previously reported that CTSB increased cardiomyocyte apoptosis in mice heart during pressure overload, while the role of CTSB on diabetic cardiomyopathy has not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study is to explore the role and the underlying mechanism of CTSB on diabetic cardiomyopathy. Mice were subjected to streptozotocin injection to induce a diabetes model. Neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were isolated and cultured with high glucose (33.3 mM) to establish an in vitro model. CTSB protein level was increased in diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) mice heart as well as in cardiomyocytes stimulated with high glucose. CTSB knockout mice showed ameliorated cardiac function, cardiac fibrosis, cardiac inflammation, and pyroptosis level. Oppositely, DCM mice with CTSB transgene showed exacerbated cardiac dysfunction, fibrosis, inflammation, and pyroptosis. We found that CTSB could bind to NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), thus increasing the activation of the NLRP3/caspase-1 inflammasome pathway. When we used a NLRP3 knockout mice, the deteriorating effect of CTSB overexpression via adeno-associated virus (AAV)9 delivery was abolished. Taken together, CTSB aggravates diabetic cardiomyopathy via promoting NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis.

Cultural and Medicinal Use of Amphibians and Reptiles by Indigenous People in Punjab, Pakistan with Comments on Conservation Implications for Herpetofauna.

Amphibians and reptiles have interacted with humans for millennia. However, humans interact with amphibian and reptile species in different manners, which depend on their culture and traditions. This study was designed to better understand the interactions between amphibian and reptile species and their usage among the native peoples in the vicinity of the Jhelum and Chenab rivers, Pakistan. Information was collected through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires, and was analyzed by using different indices, including the frequency of citation, corrected fidelity level, fidelity level, relative importance level, and informant major ailment. Two amphibians and twenty-six reptile species were used in therapeutic medicine in the study area. Based on the cultural analysis, we found that Naja naja (black cobra) was highly cited across all cultural groups. A 100% Fidelity Level was calculated for the following species: Naja naja (eye infection), Varanus bengalensis (joint pain), Eurylepis taeniolatus (cataract), and Acanthodactylus cantoris (cancer). We found five endangered species in the study area, i.e., Aspideretes gangeticus, A. hurum, Chitra indica, Varanus flavescens, and Geoclemys hamiltonii, that were used to cure joint pain, muscle stretching and pain, backbone pain, paralysis, and psoriasis, respectively. Likewise, Lissemys punctata andersoni, a vulnerable species as labelled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, was extensively used for the treatment of joint pain, body pain, paralysis, and arthritis in the study area. In terms of conservation, it is critical to protect the highly vulnerable and endangered species that are being used in therapeutic medicines. Our findings may be helpful for the conservation of amphibian and reptile species by helping to make an effective plan to prevent their extinction. The main threats to the diversity of amphibian and reptile species in the area are hunting, trading, and cultural use. These threats could potentially lead to the extinction of these species. Therefore, with the involvement of concerned authorities, e.g., local stakeholders, the Ministry of Climate Change, provincial wildlife departments, academia, and conservation managers, immediate conservation measures should be taken for the protection and sustainable utilization of medicinal species.

Isoliquiritigenin attenuates emodin-induced hepatotoxicity in vivo and in vitro through Nrf2 pathway.

Emodin (EMO), the main bioactive component of Polygonum multiflorum, Rheum palmatum, Aloe vera and Cassia acutifolia, can cause severe hepatotoxicity. Isoliquiritigenin (ISL), a flavonoid compound from the Glycyrrhiza, has been reported to be the most potent antioxidant response element (ARE)-luciferase inducer among the main components of licorice. But the protective effect and underlying mechanism of ISL on liver injury induced by EMO has not been reported. This study aims to explore the role of nuclear transcription factor 2 (Nrf2) in EMO-induced hepatotoxicity and the protective effect of ISL. EMO treatment caused cytotoxicity in L-02 cells. Combined treatment of EMO with ISL effectively reversed changes in cell viability, reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and malondialdehyde (MDA) generation, enhanced the levels of glutathione (GSH) and super oxide dismutase (SOD) induced by EMO in L-02 cells. Furthermore, ISL could also phosphorylate mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and up-regulate Kelth-like ECH-associated protein (Keap1). The pathways of MAPKs and Keap1 lead to the separation of Keap1 and Nrf2. Free Nrf2 transferred to the nucleus and enhanced the expression of phase II detoxification enzymes. In conclusion, our results are the first to highlight the beneficial role and relevant mechanisms of ISL in EMO-induced liver injury and provide novel insight into its application.

Medicinal waterbirds in the traditional healthcare system: an assessment of biodiversity-cultural linkages in Eastern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Eastern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is home to a vast range of medicinal and edible waterbird species due to its diverse geographical environment. Waterbird species have been used for various ailments and cultural practices since ancient times, while ethno-pharmacological applications and cultural uses of waterbird species in this area have seldom been documented. This study is the first ethnomedicinal and cultural assessment of waterbird species, and the first compilation and listing of all known data on these species in Eastern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. METHODS: Interviews and questionnaires were used to collect data from native respondents (N = 100). To analyze the data, principal component analysis (PCA), relative frequency of citation (RFC), fidelity level (FL%), relative popularity level (RPL), rank order priority, and similarity index were used. RESULTS: In total, 64 waterbird species were utilized in cultural practices, of which 40 species are used to cure different infectious and chronic diseases such as cold, cough, flu, fever, respiratory disorders, asthma, TB, gastric ulcers, kidney stones, male impotency, obesity, paralysis, piles, cancer, arthritis, body pain, and weakness. PCA showed significant differences in the use of waterbird species among the local inhabitants of the study area, separated along the axis-2 (p < 0.05). The FL% of waterbird species varied from 12 to 100%. 100% FL was analyzed for four waterbird species, i.e., Charadrius mongolus (cold), Gallicrex cinerea (asthma), Anas platyrhynchos (cancer), and Esacus recurvirostris (body weakness). In this study, Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) was the most popular species used in the healthcare system of Eastern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with high RFC (4.06), FL% (100), and RPL (1.0) values. CONCLUSION: We concluded that waterbird species are more used for medicine and food purposes in the study area. However, in vitro/in vivo assessment of biochemical activities of waterbird species with a maximum FL% might be significant to produce novel drugs. Recent research shows important ethno-ornithological information about native people and their links with waterbird species, which might be helpful for the sustainable use of waterbird diversity in the research area.

Aperture Modulation of Isoreticular Metal Organic Frameworks for Targeted Antitumor Drug Delivery.

The introduction of different pore diameters in metal organic frameworks (MOFs) could adjust their drug delivery performance. MOFs with customized structures have potential application value in targeted drug delivery. However, no research on this topic has been found so far. In this report, isoreticular metal organic frameworks (IRMOFs) have been taken as a typical case of tailor-made MOFs, the pore size of which is enlarged (average BJH pore sizes of about 2.43, 3.06, 5.47, and 6.50 nm were determined for IRMOF-1, IRMOF-8, IRMOF-10, and IRMOF-16, respectively), emphasizing the relationship between pore size and model drugs (Oridonin, ORI) and clarifying its potential working mechanism. IRMOF-1, whose pore size matches the size of ORI, has an outstanding drug loading capacity (57.93% by wt) and release profile (about 90% in 24 h at pH 7.4). IRMOF-1 was further coated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) modified with a cell penetrating peptide (CPP44) bound to M160 (CD163L1) protein for targeting of hepatic tumor lines. This nanoplatform (CPP44-PEG@ORI@IRMOF-1) exhibited acid-responsive drug release behavior (37.86% in 10 h at pH 7.4 and 66.66% in 10 h at pH 5.5) and significantly enhanced antitumor effects. The results of cell targeting and in vivo animal imaging indicated that CPP44-PEG@ORI@IRMOF-1 may serve as a tumor-selective drug delivery nanoplatform. Toxicity assessment confirmed that PEGylated IRMOF-1 did not cause organ or systemic toxicity. Furthermore, it is encouraging that the IRMOF-based targeted drug delivery system with pore size modulation showed rapid clearance (most administered NPs are metabolized from urine and feces within 1 week) and avoided accumulation in the body, indicating their promise for biomedical applications. This MOF-based aperture modulation combined with a targeted modification strategy might find broad applications in cancer theranostics. Thus, it is convenient to customize personalized MOFs according to the size of drug molecules in future research.

ANP32E contributes to gastric cancer progression via NUF2 upregulation.

Acidic nuclear phosphoprotein 32 family member E (ANP32E) is a histone chaperone that removes H2A.Z from chromatin. ANP32E is implicated in numerous cellular processes, including cell proliferation, apoptosis and cell differentiation. Increasing evidence suggests that dysregulation of ANP32E expression is strongly associated with carcinogenesis. However, the relationship between ANP32E in the development of gastric cancer (GC) is unknown. The present study aimed to explore the potential role of ANP32E in the development of GC using gain­of­function, loss­of­function, CCK­8, colony formation, apoptosis, reverse transcription­quantitative PCR, immunoblotting and luciferase reporter assay. The results of the present study demonstrated that ANP32E expression levels were significantly increased in GC tissues. ANP32E knockdown markedly inhibited GC cell proliferation and colony formation and significantly induced GC cell apoptosis, whereas overexpression of ANP32E significantly induced GC cell malignancy. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that there was a positive association between ANP32E and NUF2 component of NDC80 kinetochore complex (NUF2) expression levels. By assessing NUF2 expression levels, it was demonstrated that ANP32E promoted tumor cell proliferation and inhibited cell apoptosis by increasing NUF2 expression levels in GC cell lines. In conclusion, the present study indicated that ANP32E may function as an efficient oncogene, which promotes tumorigenesis of GC cells by inducing NUF2 expression.

Synthesis of MoS2-based nanostructures and their applications in rechargeable ion batteries, catalysts and gas sensors: a review.

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is a two-dimensional (2D) layered material with a graphene-like structure that has attracted attention because of its large specific surface area and abundant active sites. In addition, the compounding of MoS2 with other materials can enhance the performance in applications such as batteries, catalysts, and optoelectronic devices, etc. MoS2 is prepared by various methods, among which chemical deposition and hydrothermal methods are widely used. In this review, we focus on summarizing the applications of MoS2 and MoS2 composite nanomaterials in rechargeable ion batteries, catalysts for water splitting and gas sensors, and briefly outline the preparation methods.

Efficacy and safety of camrelizumab plus apatinib in previously treated patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer harboring EGFR or ALK genetic aberration.

Background: Camrelizumab plus apatinib shows encouraging antitumor activity and acceptable toxicity in chemotherapy-pretreated patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); however, clinical benefits from this combination regimen in NSCLC patients with EGFR mutations or ALK rearrangements (EGFR+/ALK+) have not been reported. We assessed the efficacy and safety of this combined regimen in pretreated patients with advanced NSCLC and defined EGFR/ALK status (EGFR+/ALK+) in a phase 1b/2 trial. Methods: Previously treated patients with advanced EGFR+/ALK+ NSCLC were enrolled and given camrelizumab 200 mg intravenously every 2 weeks plus apatinib at the recommended dose of 250 mg orally once daily. Patients harboring sensitive EGFR mutations or ALK fusion genes had received at least one EGFR/ALK TKI and a platinum-based chemotherapy regimen before the enrollment. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR). Results: All 43 enrolled patients comprised the efficacy and safety analysis population. The confirmed ORR was 18.6% (95% CI: 8.4-33.4%) and the clinical benefit response rate was 27.9% (95% CI: 15.3-43.7%). Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 2.8 months (95% CI: 1.9-5.5 months) and median overall survival was not reached (95% CI: 7.3 months-not reached), with a median follow-up period of 15.7 months (range, 0.5-24.4 months). The most common grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were hypertension (16.3%), proteinuria (11.6%) and palmar-plantar erythrodysaesthesia syndrome (9.3%). No unexpected adverse events were recorded. Conclusions: Camrelizumab plus apatinib showed moderate antitumor activity and acceptable safety profile in previously treated patients with advanced NSCLC and EGFR or ALK genetic aberrations, which warranted further validation. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03083041. Registered March 17, 2017.