Transglutaminase cross-linking ovalbumin-flaxseed oil emulsion gels: Properties, microstructure, and performance in oxidative stability.

This study prepared emulsion gels by modifying ovalbumin (OVA)-flaxseed oil (FSO) emulsions with transglutaminase (TGase) and investigated their properties, structure and oxidative stability under different enzyme reaction times. Here, we found prolonged reaction times led to the transformation of α-helix and ß-turn into ß-sheet and random coil. The elasticity, hardness and water retention of the emulsion gels increased significantly, but the water-holding capacity decreased when the reaction time exceeded 4 h. Confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) indicated extended enzyme reaction time fostered oil droplet aggregation with proteins. Emulsion gel reduced FSO oxidation, especially after 4 h of the enzyme reaction, the peroxide value (PV) of the emulsion gel was reduced by 29.16% compared to the control. In summary, the enzyme reaction time of 4 h resulted in the formation of a dense gel structure and enhanced oxidative stability. This study provides the potential applications in functional foods and biomedical fields.

4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate Dioxygenase-Like predicts the prognosis and the immunotherapy response of cancers: a pan-cancer analysis.

The 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate Dioxygenase-Like (HPDL) protein plays a crucial role in safeguarding cells from oxidative stress by orchestrating metabolic reprogramming. New research suggests that HPDL is considerably increased in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, although its impact on cancer immunotherapy is still unclear. Pancancer transcriptional data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Genotype-Tissue Expression datasets. The cBioPortal webtool was utilized to examine genomic changes in different cancer types. The prognostic significance of HPDL in pancancer was evaluated using univariate Cox regression analysis. Extensive utilization of the CTRP and PRISM databases was performed to forecast potential medications that specifically target HPDL in LUAD. In summary, studies were conducted to evaluate the impact of HPDL on the proliferation and movement of LUAD cells using loss-of-function experiments. HPDL is expressed excessively in a wide variety of cancer types, indicating its prognostic and predictive value. Moreover, we emphasized the strong correlation between HPDL and indicators of immune stimulation, infiltration of immune cells, and expression of immunoregulators. The remarkable finding of the HPDL was its capacity to precisely anticipate responses to cancer therapies using anti-PDL1 and anti-PD1 antibodies among individuals. Moreover, HPDL can function as a predictive marker for specific inhibitors in instances of cancer. Suppression of HPDL resulted in reduced growth and movement of LUAD cells. To summarize, our results suggest that HPDL acts as a prospective predictor of outcomes and a positive indication of response to immunotherapy in patients undergoing treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).

Integrated multi-omics analyses reveal the TM4SF family genes with prognostic and therapeutic relevance in hepatocellular carcinoma.

TM4SF family members (TM4SFs) have been shown to be aberrantly expressed in multiple types of cancer. However, a comprehensive investigation of the TM4SFs has yet to be performed in LIHC. The study comprehensively investigated the expression and prognostic value of TM4SFs. Then, a TM4SFs-based risk model and nomogram were constructed for prognostic prediction. Finally, functional loss of TM4SFs was performed to verify the potential role of TM4SFs in LIHC. We found that TM4SFs were significantly up-regulated in LIHC. High expression and hypomethylation of TM4SFs were associated with poor prognosis of LIHC patients. Then, a TM4SFs-based risk model was constructed that could effectively classify LIHC patients into high and low-risk groups. In addition, we constructed a prognostic nomogram that could predict the long-term survival of LIHC patients. Based on immune infiltration analysis, high-risk patients had a relatively higher immune status than low-risk patients. Moreover, the prediction module could predict patient responses to immunotherapy and chemotherapy. Finally, loss-of-function studies showed that TM4SF4 knockdown could substantially suppress the growth, migratory, and invasive abilities of LIHC cells. Targeting TM4SFs will contribute to effective immunotherapy strategies and improve the prognosis of liver cancer patients.

Comparing efficacy and safety of first-line treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma: A Bayesian network meta-regression analysis.

Background: This Bayesian network meta-regression analysis provides a head-to-head comparison of first-line therapeutic immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) combinations for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) using median follow-up time as covariate. Methods: We searched Six databases for a comprehensive analysis of randomised clinical trials (RCTs). Comparing progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of different interventions at the same time node by Bayesian network meta-analysis. Bayesian network meta-regression analysis was performed on objective response rate (ORR), adverse events (AEs) (grade ≥ 3) and the hazard ratios (HR) associated with PFS and OS, with the median follow-up time as the covariate. Results: Eventually a total of 22 RCTs reporting 11,090 patients with 19 interventions. Lenvatinib plus Pembrolizumab (LenPem) shows dominance of PFS, and Pembrolizumab plus Axitinib (PemAxi) shows superiority in OS at each time point. After meta-regression analysis, for HRs of PFS, LenPem shows advantages; for HRs of OS, PemAxi shows superiority; For ORR, LenPem provides better results. For AEs (grade ≥ 3), Atezolizumab plus Bevacizumab (AtezoBev) is better. Conclusion: Considering the lower toxicity and the higher quality of life, PemAxi should be recommended as the optimal therapy in treating mRCC. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD4202236775.

Can chronoradiotherapy offer benefits to cervical cancer patients? A scoping review.

The objective of this scoping review was to synthesize the available evidence and evaluate the effectiveness of chronoradiotherapy interventions in cervical cancer patients. This scoping review was performed by searching in the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, Wenpu, and Chinese Biomedical Literature (CBM) databases. Databases were searched for studies published in English or Chinese from inception to 21 May 2021, and reference lists of relevant reports were scanned. Two investigators independently screened eligible studies in accordance with predetermined eligibility criteria and extracted data. The included studies were summarized and analyzed. Five studies including a total of 422 patients with cervical cancer were included in the scoping review; four studies were Chinese, and one was Indian. Main themes identified included the efficiency of chronoradiotherapy and relevant toxic and side effects, including diarrhea toxicity, hematologic toxicity, myelosuppression, gastrointestinal mucositis, and skin reactions. Administration of radiotherapy at different times of the day resulted in similar efficacy. However, the toxic side effects of morning radiotherapy (MR) and evening radiotherapy (ER) differed, with radiotherapy in the evening leading to more severe hematologic toxicity and myelosuppression. There were conflicting conclusions about gastrointestinal reactions with chronoradiotherapy, and further studies are needed. Radiation responses may be associated with circadian genes, through the influence of cell cycles and apoptosis.

A network meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine on intestinal flora in patients with gastrointestinal cancer.

Background and Purpose: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can regulate intestinal flora so as to affect the occurrence, progression, and prognosis of gastrointestinal cancer. According to clinical studies, TCM oral administration, TCM external treatment, and TCM injections, can adjust intestinal flora disorders in patients with gastrointestinal cancer. This network meta-analysis aims to evaluate the effect of three treatments on the intestinal flora in gastrointestinal cancer patients. Methods: This meta-analysis was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022332553). Six electronic databases, namely CNKI, Wanfang, CSTJ, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE, were searched from their inception to 1 April 2022. We identified randomized controlled trials (RCT) used to compare the efficacy of three TCM treatment methods-oral administration, external therapy and injections-on the intestinal flora in gastrointestinal cancer patients. The main outcome indicators were Bifidobacteria, Lactobacilli, Escherichia coli, and Enterococci. Stata (15.1) and the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool were employed. Results: We identified 20 eligible RCTs with a total of 1,774 patients. According to network meta-analysis results, TCM injection plus common treatment (CT) or oral administration of TCM plus CT was superior to CT alone for supporting Bifidobacterium. In supporting Lactobacillus, TCM injection plus CT demonstrated more obvious effect relative to oral administration of TCM plus CT; TCM injection plus CT was more effective than CT only; and oral administration of TCM plus CT was superior to CT only.The inhibitory effect of TCM injection plus CT on Escherichia coli was better compared with CT only. In terms of inhibiting Enterococci, oral administration of TCM plus CT was superior to CT only.The difference in efficacy among the above treatments was statistically significant. In the SUCRA probability ranking, TCM injection plus CT had the best ranking curve among the three treatments and was the most effective in supporting Bifidobacteria (Sucra = 90.08%), Lactobacilli (Sucra = 96.4%), and regulating Escherichia coli (Sucra = 86.1%) and Enterococci (Sucra = 87.1%). Conclusion: TCM injections plus CT is the most effective therapy in balancing the intestinal flora of gastrointestinal cancer patients. However, the current results deserve further validation through high-quality research. Systematic Review Registration: http://www.prisma-statement.org/, identifier 10.1136/bmj.n71.

LncRNA H19 via miR-29a-3p is involved in lung inflammation and pulmonary fibrosis induced by neodymium oxide.

The occupational and environmental health safety of rare earths has attracted considerable attention. In China, the rare earth neodymium oxide (Nd2O3) is extensively refined and utilized. However, the mechanisms of Nd2O3-induced lung injury are elusive. In the present study, we found that exposure of mice to Nd2O3 caused an inflammatory reaction and fibrosis in lung tissues, which was in relation to the Nd2O3-induced higher levels of the lncRNA H19 (H19), tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFRSF1A), p-p65, and p-IKKß and lower levels of miR-29a-3p. Further, in mouse monocyte macrophage leukemia cells (RAW264.7), Nd2O3 induced an inflammatory reaction, increases of H19 and TNFRSF1A levels, decreases of miR-29a-3p levels, and activation of the nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling pathway. Further, we established that miR-29a-3p regulates TNFRSF1A expression. Up-regulation of miR-29a-3p and down-regulation of H19 blocked the Nd2O3-induced secretion of TNF-α, MIP-1α, and IL-6; the increases of TNFRSF1A levels; and activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway in RAW264.7 cells. Further, in Nd2O3-treated RAW26.4 cells, H19 inhibited the expression of miR-29a-3p, which targets TNFRSF1A, and activated the NF-κB signaling pathway to enhance the expression of TNF-α, MIP-1α, and IL-6. Moreover, for mice, up-regulation of miR-29a-3p reversed lung tissue inflammation, pulmonary fibrosis, and activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway induced by Nd2O3. In sum, the present investigation shows that H19 via miR-29a-3p is involved in lung inflammation and pulmonary fibrosis induced by Nd2O3, which is a mechanism for the Nd2O3-induced lung inflammatory response and pulmonary fibrosis. This information is useful for development of a biomarker of Nd2O3-induced lung injury.

H2B gene family: A prognostic biomarker and correlates with immune infiltration in glioma.

The current prognosis of glioma is unfavorable and effective treatments remain limited. However, bioinformatics has created new opportunities for improving glioma treatment. Research indicates that H2B is involved in the pathological process of cancer. Thus, this study conducted bioinformatic analyses of the H2B gene family to evaluate whether these genes can play a role in predicting prognosis and are associated with immune infiltration. High expression of H2B genes was observed in cholangiocarcinoma, esophageal carcinoma, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, and other cancers. In addition, a rise in H2B gene expression was correlated with an increase in glioma grade. In the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) database and multiple datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), high expression of H2B gene family members predicted poor prognosis of a variety of tumors including glioma. In particular, high H2BC5, H2BC9, H2BC11, and H2BC21 expression was associated with poor glioma prognosis. H2BC9, H2BC11, and H2BC12 expression were also positively correlated with both immune and stromal scores. Enrichment analysis indicated that H2B family genes may be involved in the pathological process of glioma using various pathways including the cell cycle and immune response. H2B-specific siRNAs were used to verify the role of H2BC5, H2BC9, H2BC11, and H2BC21 expression on cell cycle distribution. In summary, H2BC5, H2BC9, H2BC11, and H2BC21 were independent prognostic indicators of glioma, and H2BC9 and H2BC11 may correlate with tumor immunity.

Identification and validation of a prognostic risk model based on caveolin family genes for breast cancer.

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most vicious killer of women's health and is accompanied by increased incidence and mortality rates worldwide. Many studies have demonstrated that caveolins (CAVs) were abnormally expressed in a variety of tumors and implicated in tumorigenesis and cancer progression. However, the role of CAVs in BC remains somewhat contentious. Methods: We comprehensively explored the expression and prognostic value of CAVs (CAV1-3) in BC utilizing public databases (ONCOMINE, TIMER, UALCAN, and TCGA databases). Then we constructed a prognostic model based on the expression profiles. Also, a prognostic nomogram was built to predict the overall survival (OS). We further investigated the relationship between this signature and immune cell infiltration and the mutational landscape in BC. The R package "pRRophetic" was used to predict chemotherapeutic response in BC patients. Finally, we employed loss-of-function approaches to validate the role of CAVs in BC. Results: We found that CAVs were significantly downregulated in various cancer types, especially in BC. Low CAV expression was closely related to the malignant clinicopathological characteristics and worse OS and relapse-free survival (RFS) in BC. Then we constructed a prognostic model based on the expression profiles of CAVs, which divided BC patients into two risk groups. The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients in the high-risk group tend to have a poorer prognosis than those in the low-risk group. Multivariate analysis indicated that the risk score and stage were both independent prognostic factors for BC patients, suggesting a complementary value. The clinical profiles and risk module were used to construct a nomogram that could accurately predict the OS in BC. In addition, we found that patients in the low-risk group tend to have a relatively high immune status and a lower mutation event frequency compared to the high-risk group. Furthermore, this signature could predict the response to chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Finally, CAV depletion promoted the colony formation, migration, and invasion of BC cells. Conclusion: CAVs may serve as novel biomarkers and independent prognostic factors for BC patients. Also, the constructed signature based on CAVs may predict immunotherapeutic responses and provide a novel nomogram for precise outcome prediction of BC.

Benefits of weight loss programs for breast cancer survivors: a systematic reviews and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Obesity and weight gain have been associated with poor disease-specific and health-related outcomes in breast cancer survivors (BCS). But the benefits of weight loss in managing BCS have not been elucidated. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the beneficial effects of weight loss programs in randomized controlled trials on BCS. METHODS: We searched English databases PubMed, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Chinese databases China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Weipu Information Chinese Periodical Service Platform (VIP), China Biomedical Literature Service System (SinoMed), and Wanfang from the inception to January 2021 and collected randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of weight loss programs for BCS. Two reviewers independently screened the literature, extracted the data, and assessed the risk of bias in the included studies. The data synthesis was performed on RevMan (version 5.3), and the publication bias was calculated with STATA (version 15.1). RESULTS: Ten RCTs were included in the meta-analysis. The current study showed that diet and exercise interventions resulted in significant improvements in body weight (MD = - 4.43 kg, 95%CI: - 6.23 to - 2.63, P < 0.00001), waist circumference (MD = - 2.81 cm, 95%CI: - 4.37 to - 1.26, P = 0.004), hip circumference (MD = - 3.01 cm, 95%CI: - 4.24 to - 1.77, P < 0.0001), body mass index (MD = - 1.69 kg/m2, 95%CI: - 2.16 to - 1.21, P < 0.00001), systolic blood pressure (MD = - 12.12 mmHg, 95%CI: - 18.97 to - 5.27), p = 0.0005), C-reactive protein (MD = - 1.83 mg/L, 95% CI: - 2.74 to - 0.91, p < 0.0001), body fat (MD = - 1.19 kg, 95%CI: - 1.75 to - 0.63, P < 0.001), fat mass (MD = - 2.29 kg, 95%CI: - 3.12 to - 1.46, P < 0.0001), and lean body mass (MD = - 2.15 kg, 95%CI: - 3.66 to - 0.65, P = 0.005). Alternatively, compared with the effects of control interventions, weight loss programs did not affect fat-free mass, total cholesterol, low-density leptin cholesterol, glucose, insulin, and leptin (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This review summarizes the benefits of weight loss programs for BCS. The results indicated that weight loss programs could significantly improve specific anthropometric outcomes but not affect biochemical indicators. Researchers should tailor weight loss interventions to the body fat status of BCS. Evidence to support the translation of effective weight loss intervention programs into wider-scale implementation is needed to be part of routine survivorship care.

Benefits of Dietary Management in Breast Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute of Cancer Research recommendations include guidance on diet, nutrition, and weight management for people with cancer. However, for women diagnosed with breast cancer there is a lack of comprehensive analyses on the effects of dietary interventions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of changes in dietary behavior and body composition on breast cancer development. A comprehensive and systematic literature search of 12 electronic databases was undertaken on January 27, 2021 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of dietary interventions for breast cancer. The Cochrane risk bias assessment tool was used to evaluate the quality of the trials identified with the data analyzed by Review Manager 5.3 software. The results showed that dietary interventions probably did not modify servings of fruit (P = 0.08), fat intake (P = 0.10), total cholesterol level (P = 0.82), body weight (P = 0.08), waist circumference (P = 0.15), or waist-to-hip ratio (P = 0.32). However, a significant reduction in body mass index (P = 0.03), and hip circumference (P = 0.03), and improvement in energy intake (P = 0.02), vegetable servings (P < 0.0001), and fiber intake (P < 0.00001) were observed. Future studies should investigate the benefits of exercise in combination with dietary interventions in breast cancer patients.Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/01635581.2021.1957129.

The prevalence of frailty among breast cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Coexistence of frailty and breast cancer (BC) is related to a higher risk of hospitalization, mortality, and falls. Given the potential reversibility of frailty, investigating its epidemiology in BC is of great importance. However, estimates of the prevalence of frailty in BC patients vary considerably. We synthesized the existing body of literature on the prevalence of frailty among BC patients. METHODS: We searched English databases (Cochrane Library, PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science) and Chinese databases (CNKI, WanFang, CBM, and VIP database) from the inception to April 15, 2021, and collected observational studies about the prevalence of frailty among BC patients. The robustness of the pooled estimates was validated by analysis of different subgroups, meta-regression, and sensitivity. All data were analyzed using Stata 15.1. RESULTS: In total, 4645 articles were screened and data from 24 studies involving 13,510 subjects were used in the meta-analysis. The prevalence of frailty among BC patients in individual studies varied from 5 to 71%. The pooled prevalence of frailty was 43% (95% confidence intervals (CI): 36% to 50%, I2 = 98.4%, P < 0.05). Subgroup analyses revealed that the therapeutic method, frailty scales, age, frailty stage, regions, publication years, and study quality were associated with the prevalence of frailty among BC patients. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of frailty among BC patients was relatively high, and the conditions of BC treatment can increase the risk of frailty. Understanding the effects of frailty on BC, especially in elderly patients, can provide the healthcare personnel with the theoretical basis for patients' management and treatment.

Effectiveness of physical exercise on the cardiovascular system in breast cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE: The primary purpose of this study is to structure the available evidence relating to physical exercise programs and their impact on patients' cardiovascular system during the convalescence for breast cancer. METHODS: We searched six English databases and four Chinese databases from inception to May 19, 2021. Two reviewers independently screened literature, extracted data. They assessed the risk of bias according to the eligibility criteria, and the Cochrane Collaboration RevMan 5.3.0 version software and STATA 15.0 software were used for this meta-analysis. This study has been registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42021226319). RESULTS: In total, 3483 articles were screened and data from 11 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 666 breast cancer patients were used in this meta-analysis. The results showed that exercise could decrease systolic blood pressure (SBP) (P = 0.006), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (P = 0.0003), triglycerides (TG) levels (P < 0.00001), body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.009). Results also showed that exercise could significantly increase peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) (P = 0.009), maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) (P = 0.01), and High-density leptin cholesterol (HDL-C) levels (P < 0.0001). However, compared with the control group, there was no significant changes of mean arterial pressure (MAP), peak heart rate (HRpeak), and peak respiratory exchange ratio (PERpeak) (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Physical exercise could improve the cardiovascular system function associated with decreased the levels of SBP, DBP, TG, and increased the levels of VO2peak, VO2max, and HDL-C in breast cancer patients. These findings reveal that exercise may be a promising means for cardiovascular nursing.

Effectiveness of five-element music therapy in cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate the effectiveness of five-element music therapy on anxiety, depression, quality of life (QoL), sleep quality and Karnofsky performance score (KPS) in cancer patients. METHODS: We searched English databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science) and Chinese databases (CNKI, WanFang, CBM and VIP database) from the inception to December 25, 2020. Two investigators independently screened literature, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias according to the eligibility criteria. The RevMan 5.3 software was used to perform the meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 22 studies, 2053 people with cancer were included. Meta-analysis showed that five-element music therapy had a significant difference for relieving depression (SMD = -1.11, 95% CI: 1.41 to -0.82, P < 0.00001), QoL (SMD = 1.41, 95% CI:0.58 to 2.23, P = 0.0008), sleep quality (MD = -1.73, 95% CI: 2.34 to -1.12, P < 0.00001), and KPS (MD = 4.75, 95% CI:2.31 to 7.18, P = 0.0001). And five-element music therapy did not show a positive effect on anxiety (SMD = -0.60, 95% CI: 1.47 to 0.27, P = 0.17). CONCLUSIONS: Five-element music therapy had a positive effect on depression, QoL, sleep quality, and KPS in cancer patients, while did not show a positive effect on anxiety. Future researchers need to optimize the research program and conduct more high-quality, large sample, multi-center randomized controlled studies. Besides, it would be helpful for future researchers to explain the five-element music therapy being examined and how it is potentially useful in western contexts.

The scalp cooling therapy for hair loss in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: To systematically assess the efficacy and side effects of scalp cooling in patients with breast cancer. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted in October 2020 across Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, and four Chinese databases (CNKI, Wanfang, SinoMed, and VIP database). Our review included all randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, and cross-sectional studies. Two authors independently searched databases, screened studies, extracted data, and evaluated each included study's methodological quality and risk bias. Meta-analysis was performed using Stata 15.1 software package and Revman 5.3 software, with estimates of scalp cooling effect and its side effects from pooled using a random-effects model. This study has been registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO, CRD42020216224). RESULTS: In total, 755 articles were screened and data from 27 studies involving 2202 participants were used in the meta-analysis. Studies meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria were three randomized clinical trials, 12 cohort studies, and 12 cross-sectional studies. The effectiveness rate of using a scalp cooling device to protect hair was 61% (95% CI: 55 to 67%, I2 = 88%, P = 0.000). However, scalp cooling therapy's side effects are not be ignored, such as headache, dizziness, scalp pain, neck pain, feeling cold, heaviness of the head, skin rash, nausea, and overtightened strap. CONCLUSIONS: This review shows that scalp cooling devices can significantly improve the patients with breast cancer chemotherapy-induced alopecia, but the implications of its side effects provide guide for the implementation of this technology.

An ultrasensitive photoelectrochemical bioanalysis strategy for tumor markers based on the significantly enhanced signal of a bismuth oxyiodine microsphere/graphitic carbon nitride composite.

An innovative and ultrasensitive photoelectrochemical bioanalysis strategy was designed, which provided a promising method for the assay of tumor markers. The BiOI/g-C3N4 composite acted as photoelectrochemical biosensing substrate for significant signal enhancement, and CuS NPs were introduced to label signal antibodies to amplify the signal variation.

Household Fluorescent Lateral Flow Strip Platform for Sensitive and Quantitative Prognosis of Heart Failure Using Dual-Color Upconversion Nanoparticles.

Heart failure (HF) is the end-stage of cardiovascular diseases, which is associated with a high mortality rate and high readmission rate. Household early diagnosis and real-time prognosis of HF at bedside are of significant importance. Here, we developed a highly sensitive and quantitative household prognosis platform (termed as UC-LFS platform), integrating a smartphone-based reader with multiplexed upconversion fluorescent lateral flow strip (LFS). Dual-color core-shell upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) were synthesized as probes for simultaneously quantifying two target antigens associated with HF, i.e., brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (ST2). With the fluorescent LFS, we achieved the specific detection of BNP and ST2 antigens in spiked samples with detection limits of 5 pg/mL and 1 ng/mL, respectively, both of which are of one order lower than their clinical cutoff. Subsequently, a smartphone-based portable reader and an analysis app were developed, which could rapidly quantify the result and share prognosis results with doctors. To confirm the usage of UC-LFS platform for clinical samples, we detected 38 clinical serum samples using the platform and successfully detected the minimal concentration of 29.92 ng/mL for ST2 and 17.46 pg/mL for BNP in these clinical samples. Comparing the detection results from FDA approved clinical methods, we obtained a good linear correlation, indicating the practical reliability and stability of our developed UC-LFS platform. Therefore, the developed UC-LFS platform is demonstrated to be highly sensitive and specific for sample-to-answer prognosis of HF, which holds great potential for risk assessment and health monitoring of post-treatment patients at home.

Labeling and long-term tracking of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in vitro using NaYF4:Yb(3+),Er(3+) upconversion nanoparticles.

UNLABELLED: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) hold great promise as cell therapy candidate in clinics. However, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive due to the lack of effective cell tracking approaches during therapeutic processes. In this study, we successfully synthesized and utilized NaYF4:Yb(3+),Er(3+) upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) to label and track rabbit bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs) during the osteogenic differentiation in vitro. To improve their biocompatibility and cellular uptake, we modified the UCNPs with negatively-charged poly(acrylic acid) and positively-charged poly(allylamine hydrochloride) in turns (i.e., PAH-PAA-UCNPs). The effect of cellular uptake of UCNPs on the osteogenic differentiation of rBMSCs was systematically evaluated, and no significant difference was found between rBMSCs labeled with UCNPs (concentration range of 0-50µg/mL) and UCNPs-free rBMSCs in terms of cell viability, ALP activity, osteogenic protein expressions and production of mineralized nodules. Moreover, the PAH-PAA-UCNPs at a concentration of 50µg/mL exhibited the highest biocompatibility and stability, which could well track rBMSCs during the osteogenesis process. These results would provide a positive reference for the application of these lanthanide-doped UCNPs as fluorescent nanoprobes for stem cell tracking to further understand the mechanism of stem cell fate in tissue engineering and stem cell therapy. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have attracted increasing attention as alternative probes for tracking various types of cells including stem cells. The reported fluorapatite-based UCNPs with the needle-like morphology showed a little poor performance on stem cell tracking, which was possibly attributed to the low upconversion efficiency and cell labeling efficiency potentially due to nanomaterial composition, crystal structure and shape. Here, we synthesized the positively-charged NaYF4:Yb(3+),Er(3+) UCNPs with hexagonal phase and sphere-like morphology to enhance their upconversion efficiency, biocompatibility and cellular uptake, leading to a successful tracking of rBMSCs in osteogenesis process without impairing cell viability and differentiation capacity. This study provided a necessary reference for the application of UCNPs in stem cell tracking to better understand the mechanism of stem cell fate in tissue engineering, stem cell therapy, etc.

Saccharothrix carnea sp. nov., an actinobacterium isolated from soil.

A novel actinobacterium, designated strain NEAU-yn17(T), was isolated from a soil sample collected at the wastewater discharge site of a pesticide factory in Harbin, northern China, and characterized using a polyphasic approach. Morphological and chemotaxonomic properties of strain NEAU-yn17(T) were consistent with the description of the genus Saccharothrix, such as the spore arrangement, the diamino acid of the peptidoglycan, the whole-cell hydrolysates, the predominant menaquinone and the phospholipid profile. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences demonstrated that strain NEAU-yn17(T) should also be classified in the genus Saccharothrix, with Saccharothrix saharensis DSM 45456(T) (99.52 % sequence similarity) and Saccharothrix xinjiangensis JCM 12329(T) (99.04 %) as the nearest phylogenetic relatives. A combination of DNA-DNA hybridization results and some phenotypic characteristics indicated that strain NEAU-yn17(T) can be distinguished from its closest relatives. Therefore, strain NEAU-yn17(T) represents a novel species of the genus Saccharothrix, for which the name Saccharothrix carnea sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NEAU-yn17(T) ( = CGMCC 4.7097(T) = DSM 45878(T)).

Micromonospora violae sp. nov., isolated from a root of Viola philippica Car.

A novel actinomycete, designated strain NEAU-zh8(T), was isolated from a root of Viola philippica Car collected in China and characterized using a polyphasic approach. 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity studies showed that strain NEAU-zh8(T) belongs to the genus Micromonospora, being most closely related to Micromonospora chokoriensis 2-9(6)(T) (99.9 %), Micromonospora saelicesensis Lupac 09(T) (99.3 %) and Micromonospora lupini Lupac 14N(T) (99.0 %). gyrB gene analysis also indicated that strain NEAU-zh8(T) should be assigned to the genus Micromonospora. The cell-wall peptidoglycan consisted of meso-diaminopimelic acid and glycine. The major menaquinones were MK-10(H4), MK-10(H2) and MK-10(H6). The phospholipid profile contained diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylinositol. The major fatty acids were iso-C15:0, C16:0 and C17:0 10-methyl. A combination of DNA-DNA hybridization results and some physiological and biochemical properties indicated that strain NEAU-zh8(T) could be readily distinguished from the closest phylogenetic relatives. Therefore, it is proposed that strain NEAU-zh8(T) represents a novel Micromonospora species, for which the name Micromonospora violae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NEAU-zh8(T) (=CGMCC 4.7102(T)=DSM 45888(T)).