Self-adaptive integration of photothermal and radiative cooling for continuous energy harvesting from the sun and outer space.

The sun (∼6,000 K) and outer space (∼3 K) are two significant renewable thermodynamic resources for human beings on Earth. The solar thermal conversion by photothermal (PT) and harvesting the coldness of outer space by radiative cooling (RC) have already attracted tremendous interest. However, most of the PT and RC approaches are static and monofunctional, which can only provide heating or cooling respectively under sunlight or darkness. Herein, a spectrally self-adaptive absorber/emitter (SSA/E) with strong solar absorption and switchable emissivity within the atmospheric window (i.e., 8 to 13 µm) was developed for the dynamic combination of PT and RC, corresponding to continuously efficient energy harvesting from the sun and rejecting energy to the universe. The as-fabricated SSA/E not only can be heated to ∼170 °C above ambient temperature under sunshine but also be cooled to 20 °C below ambient temperature, and thermal modeling captures the high energy harvesting efficiency of the SSA/E, enabling new technological capabilities.

Hyperfractionation compared with standard fractionation in intensity-modulated radiotherapy for patients with locally advanced recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a multicentre, randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial.

BACKGROUND: Reirradiation in standard fractionation for locally advanced recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma after a previous course of high-dose radiotherapy is often associated with substantial late toxicity, negating its overall benefit. We therefore aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of hyperfractionation compared with standard fractionation in intensity-modulated radiotherapy. METHODS: This multicentre, randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial was done in three centres in Guangzhou, China. Eligible patients were aged 18-65 years with histopathologically confirmed undifferentiated or differentiated, non-keratinising, advanced locally recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to either receive hyperfractionation (65 Gy in 54 fractions, given twice daily with an interfractional time interval of at least 6 h) or standard fractionation (60 Gy in 27 fractions, given once a day). Intensity-modulated radiotherapy was used in both groups. A computer program generated the assignment sequence and randomisation was stratified by treatment centre, recurrent tumour stage (T2-T3 vs T4), and recurrent nodal stage (N0 vs N1-N2), determined at the time of randomisation. The two primary endpoints were the incidence of severe late complications defined as the incidence of grade 3 or worse late radiation-induced complications occurring 3 months after the completion of radiotherapy until the latest follow-up in the safety population, and overall survival defined as the time interval from randomisation to death due to any cause in the intention-to-treat population. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02456506. FINDINGS: Between July 10, 2015, and Dec 23, 2019, 178 patients were screened for eligibility, 144 of whom were enrolled and randomly assigned to hyperfractionation or standard fractionation (n=72 in each group). 35 (24%) participants were women and 109 (76%) were men. After a median follow-up of 45·0 months (IQR 37·3-53·3), there was a significantly lower incidence of grade 3 or worse late radiation-induced toxicity in the hyperfractionation group (23 [34%] of 68 patients) versus the standard fractionation group (39 [57%] of 68 patients; between-group difference -23% [95% CI -39 to -7]; p=0·023). Patients in the hyperfractionation group had better 3-year overall survival than those in the standard fractionation group (74·6% [95% CI 64·4 to 84·8] vs 55·0% [43·4 to 66·6]; hazard ratio for death 0·54 [95% CI 0·33 to 0·88]; p=0·014). There were fewer grade 5 late complications in the hyperfractionation group (five [7%] nasal haemorrhage) than in the standard fractionation group (16 [24%], including two [3%] nasopharyngeal necrosis, 11 [16%] nasal haemorrhage, and three [4%] temporal lobe necrosis). INTERPRETATION: Hyperfractionated intensity-modulated radiotherapy could significantly decrease the rate of severe late complications and improve overall survival among patients with locally advanced recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Our findings suggest that hyperfractionated intensity-modulated radiotherapy could be used as the standard of care for these patients. FUNDING: Key-Area Research and Development of Guangdong Province, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Special Support Program for High-level Talents in Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, the Guangzhou Science and Technology Plan Project, and the National Ten Thousand Talents Program Science and Technology Innovation Leading Talents, Sun Yat-Sen University Clinical Research 5010 Program.

CncC-Keap1-P450s pathway is involved in the detoxification of emamectin benzoate in the spongy moth Lymantria dispar.

The detoxification of insecticides in insects is dependent on the expression and activity of multiple detoxification enzymes. As an important modulator of detoxification enzymes, the CncC-Keap1 pathway was involved in the detoxification of various pesticides. However, whether the CncC-Keap1 pathway is involved in the detoxification of emamectin benzoate (EMB) is unclear. In this study, we cloned the LdCncC and LdKeap1 from spongy moths (Lymantria dispar). Our results showed that EMB exposure induced oxidative stress, and activated the CncC-Keap1 pathway at mRNA and protein levels. Removing ROS by N-acetylcysteine remarkably decreased H2O2 levels and restored the expression of LdCncC and LdKeap1. The silencing LdCncC, not LdKeap1, by dsRNA significantly decreased the cytochrome P450 activities, and increased the sensitivity of larvae to EMB. Besides, the expression of CYP6B7v1, CYP321A7 and CYP4S4v1 were significantly decreased after silencing LdCncC. Notably, the knockdown of CYP6B7v1, CYP321A7 or CYP4S4v1 significantly increased the mortality induced by EMB exposure. Therefore, we proposed that activation of CncC-Keap1 pathway induced by ROS increased the detoxification of EMB in spongy moths by regulating the expression of CYP6B7v1, CYP321A7 and CYP4S4v1. Our study strengthened the understanding of the detoxification of EMB from the perspective of CncC-Keap1-P450s pathway.

Clinicopathological characteristics of pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma and screening of prognostic markers.

BACKGROUND: Malignant pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma (PCPG) is lethal and difficult to diagnose before metastasis. This study is aiming to characterize the PCPG and explore novel prognostic markers. METHODS: Clinical data of patients with pathologically confirmed invasive and noninvasive PCPG were collected and analyzed. Then, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and HUB genes were identified by R package "limma" in GSE67066-GPL570. Afterward, the prognostic markers were screened out using R packages of "survival" and "survminer" based on the TCGA data. RESULTS: The 34 invasive PCPGs were characterized by irregular contour and unclear boundary on CT and capsule/extracapsule tissue invasion on pathology compared with the 42 noninvasive PCPGs. Then, 29 upregulated and 30 downregulated DEGs were identified in malignant PCPG compared with benign, which were mainly enriched in the terms of calcium ion binding, neuron cell-cell adhesion, axon, regulation of hormone levels, and regulation of secretion by cell. Of which, nine DEGs were furtherly selected as the HUB genes. Finally, CNTN4 and SH3GL2 were found to be highly expressed in malignant PCPGs and negatively correlated with progression-free interval. CONCLUSIONS: Malignant PCPGs tend to be aggressive in imaging and pathology. The high expression of CNTN4 and SH3GL2 in PCPGs may indicate a poor prognosis.

Gut bacterial microbiota of Lymantria dispar asiatica and its involvement in Beauveria bassiana infection.

The gut bacterial microbiota of insects has been shown to play essential roles in processes related to physiology, metabolism, and innate immunity. In this study, we firstly performed a broad analysis of the gut bacteria in Lymantria dispar asiatica, one of the most devastating forestry defoliators. We analyzed the bacterial composition among different individuals from lab-reared or wild-collected using 16 s rRNA-sequencing, revealing that the gut bacteria of wild-collected larvae were highly diverse, while lab-reared larvae were only associated with a few genera. We found Lactobacillus sp. present in all the gut samples, which indicates that it is part of the core microbiome in the caterpillar. Further Beauveria bassiana infection-based assays showed that the mortality of non-axenic L. dispar asiatica larvae was significantly higher than that of axenic larvae at 72 h. Moreover, we isolated several bacteria from the hemolymph of the non-axenic larvae infected by B. bassiana, which may be caused by the translocation of gut bacteria from the gut to the hemocoel. Reintroduction of Enterococcus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Enterobacter sp., and Microbacterium sp. into axenic larvae recurred the larval mortality in their non-axenic counterpart. Taken together, our study demonstrates that the gut bacteria of L. dispar asiatica are highly volatile, and different bacteria taxa can promote host infection by entomopathogenic fungus, providing a new strategy for the pest management.

Kaempferol induces mitochondrial dysfunction and mitophagy by activating the LKB1/AMPK/MFF pathway in breast precancerous lesions.

Kaempferol has been suggested to be an effective anticancer agent in several malignant tumors. However, its function and mechanisms in breast precancerous lesions remain largely elusive. Here, we showed that kaempferol induced excessive mitochondrial fission and mitochondrial damage with activated mitochondrial fission factor (MFF)-mediated dynamin-related protein (DRP) 1 mitochondrial translocation. As a result, the PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1)/Parkin signaling pathway was activated, accompanied by excessive mitophagy and reduced mitochondrial mass in cells. We also revealed that kaempferol-induced lethal mitophagy contributed to inhibiting breast precancerous lesion growth in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we verified serine/threonine kinase 11 (STK11/LKB1)/AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway deficiency in breast precancerous lesions. Moreover, LKB1/AMPK pathway reactivation by kaempferol was required for excessive mitochondrial fission and lethal mitophagy. Taken together, our findings shed new light on the molecular mechanisms related to breast cancer prevention by kaempferol and provide evidence for its potential clinical application.

Exploring the role of detoxification genes in the resistance of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus to different exogenous nematicidal substances using transcriptomic analyses.

Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Pine wood nematode, PWN) has become a worldwide forest disease due to its rapid infection ability, high lethality and difficulty in control. The main means of countering B. xylophilus is currently chemical control, but nematicides can present problems such as environmental pollution and drug resistance. The development of novel environmentally-friendly nematicides has thus become a focus of recent research. In this study, BxUGT3 and BxUGT34, which might be related to detoxification, were investigated by comparing transcriptomic and WGCNA approaches. Three other genes with a similar expression pattern, BxUGT13, BxUGT14, and BxUGT16, were found by gene family analysis. Further bioassays and qPCR assays confirmed that these five genes showed significant changes in transcript levels upon exposure to α-pinene and carvone, demonstrating that they respond to exogenous nematicidal substances. Finally, RNAi and bioassays showed that B. xylophilus with silenced BxUGT16 had increased mortality in the face of α-pinene and carvone stress, suggesting that BxUGT16 plays an important role in detoxification. Taken together, this study used novel molecular research methods, explored the detoxification mechanism of B. xylophilus at a transcriptomic level, and revealed a molecular target for the development of novel biopesticides.

Errors in translational decoding: tRNA wobbling or misincorporation?

As the central dogma of molecular biology, genetic information flows from DNA through transcription into RNA followed by translation of the message into protein by transfer RNAs (tRNAs). However, mRNA translation is not always perfect, and errors in the amino acid composition may occur. Mistranslation is generally well tolerated, but once it reaches superphysiological levels, it can give rise to a plethora of diseases. The key causes of mistranslation are errors in translational decoding of the codons in mRNA. Such errors mainly derive from tRNA misdecoding and misacylation, especially when certain codon-paired tRNA species are missing. Substantial progress has recently been made with respect to the mechanistic basis of erroneous mRNA decoding as well as the resulting consequences for physiology and pathology. Here, we aim to review this progress with emphasis on viral evolution and cancer development.

Comparative analysis of the immune system and expression profiling of Lymantria dispar infected by Beauveria bassiana.

Lymantria dispar is one of the most devastating forest pests worldwide. Fungal biopesticides have great potential as alternatives owing to their high lethality to pests and eco-friendly feature, which is, however, often severely compromised by the pests' innate immunity. A better understanding of the antifungal immune system in L. dispar would significantly facilitate the development of the biopesticide. Here, we investigated phylogenetic characteristics of immunity-related genes as well as the tissue expression patterns in L. dispar after the infection of an entomopathogen Beauveria bassiana using RNA-sequencing data. Results showed most immune genes remain at a low level of response after 24 h post-infection (HPI). Almost all genes in the Toll pathway were significantly up-regulated at 48 HPI, and SPH1, SPN6, Toll6, Toll12, Myd88, pelle, and Drosal were significantly down-regulated at 72 HPI. Immunoblotting analysis revealed that the protein levels of ßGRP3 and PPO1 were significantly upregulated at 24 and 48 HPI, while Myd88 was downregulated at 24 HPI, which was further confirmed by Quantitative real-time PCR experiments. Moreover, the relative content of H2O2, a potent reactive oxygen species (ROS), was significantly increased with the decrease of the total antioxidant capacity, indicating that oxidative stress system positively participates in the clearance of the pathogenic fungus. Together, our study provides detailed genetic characteristics of antifungal immunity as well as profiling of the host defense against entomopathogenic infection, and comprehensive insight into molecular interaction between L. dispar and the entomopathogen.

To explore immune synergistic function of Quercetin in inhibiting breast cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: The precancerous disease of breast cancer is an inevitable stage in the tumorigenesis and development of breast neoplasms. Quercetin (Que) has shown great potential in breast cancer treatment by inhibiting cell proliferation and regulating T cell function. γδ T cells are a class of nontraditional T cells that have long attracted attention due to their potential in immunotherapy. In this study, we revealed the immunomodulatory function of Que through regulation of the JAK/STAT1 signaling pathway, which was followed by the synergistic killing of breast cancer cells. METHODS: In the experimental design, we first screened target genes with or without Que treatment, and we intersected the Que target with the disease target by functional enrichment analysis. Second, MCF-10A, MCF-10AT, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines were treated with Que for 0 h, 24 h and 48 h. Then, we observed the expression of its subsets by coculturing Que and γδ T cells and coculturing Que and γδ T cells with breast tumor cells to investigate their synergistic killing effect on tumor cells. Finally, Western blotting was used to reveal the changes in proteins related to the JAK/STAT1 signaling pathway after Que treatment in MCF-10AT and MCF-7 cells for 48 h. RESULTS: The pathway affected by Que treatment was the JAK/STAT1 signaling pathway and was associated with precancerous breast cancer, as shown by network pharmacology analysis. Que induced apoptosis of MCF-10AT, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner (P < 0.05). Most importantly, Que promoted the differentiation of γδ T cells into the Vδ2 T cell subpopulation. The best ratio of effector cells to target cells (E/T) was 10:1, the killing percentages of γδ T cells against MCF-10A, MCF-10AT, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231 were 61.44 ± 4.70, 55.52 ± 3.10, 53.94 ± 2.74, and 53.28 ± 1.73 (P = 0.114, P = 0.486, and P = 0.343, respectively), and the strongest killing effect on precancerous breast cancer cells and breast cancer cells was found when the Que concentration was 5 µM and the E/T ratio was 10:1 (64.94 ± 3.61, 64.96 ± 5.45, 55.59 ± 5.98, and 59.04 ± 5.67, respectively). In addition, our results showed that Que increased the protein levels of IFNγ-R, p-JAK2 and p-STAT1 while decreasing the protein levels of PD-L1 (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, Que plays a synergistic role in killing breast cancer cells and promoting apoptosis by regulating the expression of IFNγ-R, p-JAK2, p-STAT1 and PD-L1 in the JAK/STAT1 signaling pathway and promoting the regulation of γδ T cells. Que may be a potential drug for the prevention of precancerous breast cancer and adjuvant treatment of breast cancer.

Anticancer Effect of Radix Astragali on Cholangiocarcinoma In Vitro and Its Mechanism via Network Pharmacology.

BACKGROUND This study used network pharmacology method and cell model to assess the effects of Radix Astragali (RA) on cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) and to predict core targets and molecular mechanisms. MATERIAL AND METHODS We performed an in vitro study to assess the effect of RA on CCA using CCK8 assay, the Live-Cell Analysis System, and trypan blue staining. The components and targets of RA were analyzed using the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database, and genes associated with CCA were retrieved from the GeneCards and OMIM platforms. Protein-protein interactions were analyzed with the STRING platform. The components-targets-disease network was built by Cytoscape. The TIMER database revealed the expression of core targets with diverse immune infiltration levels. GO and KEGG analyses were performed to identify molecular-biology processes and signaling pathways. The predictions were verified by Western blotting. RESULTS Concentration-dependent antitumor activity was confirmed in the cholangiocarcinoma QBC939 cell line treated with RA. RA contained 16 active compounds, with quercetin and kaempferol as the core compounds. The most important biotargets for RA in CCA were caspase 3, MAPK8, MYC, EGFR, and PARP. The TIMER database revealed that the expression of caspase3 and MYC was related with diverse immune infiltration levels of CCA. The results of Western blotting showed RA significantly influenced the expression of the 5 targets that network pharmacology predicted. CONCLUSIONS RA is an active medicinal material that can be developed into a safe and effective multi-targeted anticancer treatment for CCA.

An Accurate and Comprehensive Clinical Sequencing Assay for Cancer Targeted and Immunotherapies.

BACKGROUND: Incorporation of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology into clinical utility in targeted and immunotherapies requires stringent validation, including the assessment of tumor mutational burden (TMB) and microsatellite instability (MSI) status by NGS as important biomarkers for response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We designed an NGS assay, Cancer Sequencing YS panel (CSYS), and applied algorithms to detect five classes of genomic alterations and two genomic features of TMB and MSI. RESULTS: By stringent validation, CSYS exhibited high sensitivity and predictive positive value of 99.7% and 99.9%, respectively, for single nucleotide variation; 100% and 99.9%, respectively, for short insertion and deletion (indel); and 95.5% and 100%, respectively, for copy number alteration (CNA). Moreover, CSYS achieved 100% specificity for both long indel (50-3,000 bp insertion and deletion) and gene rearrangement. Overall, we used 33 cell lines and 208 clinical samples to validate CSYS's NGS performance, and genomic alterations in clinical samples were also confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Importantly, the landscape of TMB across different cancers of Chinese patients (n = 3,309) was studied. TMB by CSYS exhibited a high correlation (Pearson correlation coefficient r = 0.98) with TMB by whole exome sequencing (WES). MSI measurement showed 98% accuracy and was confirmed by PCR. Application of CSYS in a clinical setting showed an unexpectedly high occurrence of long indel (6.3%) in a cohort of tumors from Chinese patients with cancer (n = 3,309), including TP53, RB1, FLT3, BRCA2, and other cancer driver genes with clinical impact. CONCLUSION: CSYS proves to be clinically applicable and useful in disclosing genomic alterations relevant to cancer target therapies and revealing biomarkers for immune checkpoint inhibitors. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The study describes a specially designed sequencing panel assay to detect genomic alterations and features of 450 cancer genes, including its overall workflow and rigorous clinical and analytical validations. The distribution of pan-cancer tumor mutational burden, microsatellite instability, gene rearrangement, and long insertion and deletion mutations was assessed for the first time by this assay in a broad array of Chinese patients with cancer. The Cancer Sequencing YS panel and its validation study could serve as a blueprint for developing next-generation sequencing-based assays, particularly for the purpose of clinical application.

Crohn's Disease Complicated With Extensive Thrombosis of Limbs and Mesenteric Arteries: A Case Report and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: Crohn's disease (CD) is a lifelong disease characterized by purulent inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract from any part of the mouth to the anus. Various studies have reported complications of the CD. However, arterial thrombosis is an extremely rare complication of CD. We report a patient with CD with extensive thrombosis of the extremities and mesenteric arteries. METHODS: A 41-year-old man came to our hospital for 2 months of discomfort in the right upper abdomen and had previous left lower extremity arterial occlusive disease and left upper limb ischemic contraction for more than 2 months. The patient developed fever and abdominal pain repeatedly after admission; because of the increased abdominal pain, we urgently performed a laparotomy for him. And according to the findings in the surgery, we decided to perform partial small intestine resection, cholecystectomy, common bile duct exploration, and T-tube drainage. RESULTS: Pathological findings of postoperative specimens showed Crohn's disease and mesenteric atherosclerosis with mesenteric artery thrombosis. We performed a series of treatments such as 5-aminosalicylic acid, intravenous infusion, broad-spectrum antibiotic infection treatment, nutritional support, and low molecular weight heparin. The patient was successfully discharged from the hospital. CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of IBD with arterial thromboembolism is extremely rare but can lead to serious consequences. During IBD treatment, we should be aware of the possibility of TEs (especially arterial TEs) and should be alert to the possibility of arterial TEs in young patients with IBD with active and extensive disease.

Effect of Concomitant Positive Hepatitis B Surface Antigen on the Risk of Liver Metastasis: A Retrospective Clinical Study of 4033 Consecutive Cases of Newly Diagnosed Colorectal Cancer.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of chronic hepatitis B infection on the risk of synchronous colorectal liver metastasis (synCRLM). Methods: A total of 4033 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed colorectal cancer (CRC) with hepatitis B testing were enrolled. The prevalence of synCRLM was compared between hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive and -negative patients; significant predictors for synCRLM were analyzed by logistic regression analysis; Fibrosis-4 Index for Liver Fibrosis (FIB-4), aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI), and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) status were compared between patients with or without synCRLM. Results: The prevalence of synCRLM was significantly higher in the HBsAg+ patients than that in the HBsAg- patients (15.57% vs 8.60%; P < .001, χ2 test). A logistic regression analysis indicated that HBsAg+ showed the highest hazard ratio (2.317 [95% confidence interval, 1.406-3.820]) for synCRLM. Both FIB-4 and APRI were significantly higher in those with HBsAg positivity but no synCRLM compared to those with HBsAg positivity and synCRLM (FIB-4: 1.23 [0.92-1.88] vs 1.09 [0.74-1.51], P = .045; APRI: 0.23 [0.227-0.387] vs 0.18 [0.171-0.309], P = .023, Mann-Whitney test; all shown as median [25th-75th percentile]); HBeAg positivity was detected in 26.32% of those with positive HBsAg and synCRLM compared to 18.45% of those with positive HBsAg but no synCRLM; the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusions: Concomitant chronic HBV infection significantly increases the risk of CRLM, and for HBsAg+ CRC patients, elevated FIB-4/APRI may be antimetastatic. Further study is needed to determine whether active HBV replication is prometastatic.

Cetuximab or nimotuzumab plus intensity-modulated radiotherapy versus cisplatin plus intensity-modulated radiotherapy for stage II-IVb nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

To compare intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with cisplatin (CDDP) versus cetuximab (CTX) and nimotuzumab (NTZ) for Stage II-IVb Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC). A total of 1,837 patients with stage II-IVb NPC who received IMRT plus CTX or NTZ, or CDDP between January 2009 and December 2013 were included in the current analysis. Using propensity scores to adjust for potential prognostic factors, a well-balanced cohort of 715 patients was created by matching each patient who underwent IMRT plus concomitant NTZ/CTX with four patients who underwent IMRT plus concomitant CDDP (1:4). Efficacy and safety were compared between the CTX/NTZ and CDDP groups of this well-balanced cohort. Furthermore, we conducted multivariate analysis and subgroup analysis based on all the 1,837 eligible cases. There was no significant difference between CTX/NTZ group and CDDP group in terms of DFS (3-year, 86.7% vs. 86.2%, p > 0.05), LRRFS (96.2% vs. 96.3%, p > 0.05), DMFS (91.1% vs. 92.3%, p > 0.05) and OS (91.7% vs. 91.9%, p > 0.05). Subgroup analysis demonstrated a significant interaction effect between patients with IMRT plus CTX/NTZ and N3 node stage on LRRFS with the highest risk of loco-regional relapse (HR 8.85, p = 0.001). Significantly increased hematologic toxicities, gastrointestinal reactions were observed in the CDDP group (p < 0.05). Patients of 3.4-4.7% experienced severe hematologic toxicities during the treatment with concomitant CTX and NTZ. Increased rate of CTX related-skin reaction and mucositis was observed in the CTX group. CTX/NTZ used concurrently with IMRT may be comparable to those of the standard CDDP-IMRT combination for maximizing survival for patients with stage II-IVb NPC.

The 2A2 protein of Duck hepatitis A virus type 1 induces apoptosis in primary cell culture.

Duck hepatitis A virus type 1, (DHAV-1) 2A2pro, is one of the most highly conserved viral proteins within the DHAV serotypes. However, its effect on host cells is unclear. We predicted that DHAV-1 2A2pro was a GTPase-like protein based on the results of multiple sequence alignment and homologous modeling analysis. Upon transfection of a recombinant plasmid expressing DHAV-1 2A2, cells displayed fragmented nuclei, chromatin condensation, oligonucleosome-sized DNA ladder, and positive terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling staining; hence, cell death has the characteristics of apoptosis. By staining cells with fluorescein Annexin V-FITC and PI, it is possible to distinguish and quantitatively analyze nonapoptotic cells, early apoptotic cells, late apoptotic/necrotic cells, and dead cells through flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. The percentage of apoptotic cells gradually increased and reached a maximum after 48 h of transfection. In conclusion, apoptosis induced by this GTPase-like protein may contribute to DHAV-1 pathogenesis.

A Self-Healing Aqueous Lithium-Ion Battery.

Flexible lithium-ion batteries are critical for the next-generation electronics. However, during the practical application, they may break under deformations such as twisting and cutting, causing their failure to work or even serious safety problems. A new family of all-solid-state and flexible aqueous lithium ion batteries that can self-heal after breaking has been created by designing aligned carbon nanotube sheets loaded with LiMn2 O4 and LiTi2 (PO4 )3 nanoparticles on a self-healing polymer substrate as electrodes, and a new kind of lithium sulfate/sodium carboxymethylcellulose serves as both gel electrolyte and separator. The specific capacity, rate capability, and cycling performance can be well maintained after repeated cutting and self-healing. These self-healing batteries are demonstrated to be promising for wearable devices.

Impact of Laparoscopic Versus Open Hepatectomy on Perioperative Clinical Outcomes of Patients with Primary Hepatic Carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the perioperative outcomes of patients with primary hepatic carcinoma treated with laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) with those treated with open hepatectomy (OH). METHODS: From January 2010 to August 2014, 100 patients with primary hepatic carcinoma were randomly divided into the LH group and OH group respectively, 50 patients in each group. And the incision length, blood loss, operative time, postoperative liver function, anus exhaust time, complications, length of postoperative hospital stay, and cost measures were compared. RESULTS: LH could achieve shorter incision length, less blood loss, more rapid recovery in liver function and gastrointestinal function, and shorter postoperative hospital stay length compared with OH for primary hepatic carcinoma patients (all P<0.05). However, LH could not significantly shorten operative time, and reduce postoperative complications and hospitalization cost (all P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Compared with OH, LH could improve perioperative outcomes of primary hepatic carcinoma patients.

Influence of Photodynamic Therapy on Apoptosis and Invasion of Human Cholangiocarcinoma QBC939 Cell Line.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of photodynamic therapy (PDT) mediated by hematoporphyrin derivative (HPD) on apoptosis and invasion of cholangiocarcinoma QBC939 cell lines. METHODS: In vitro cultured cholangiocarcinoma QBC939 cell line was exposed to 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 µg/ml HPD with 5, 10, and 15 J/cm2 light intensity, respectively. The optical density at 450 nm of the QBC939 cells was measured by CCK8 assay and its growth inhibition ratio was calculated. Flow cytometry and transwell migration assay were applied to detect cell apoptosis and invasion respectively. RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry analyses were used to detect expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was carried out to examine the secretion of VEGF-C and COX-2 in QBC939 cells. RESULTS: Exposure to HPD-PDT can significantly suppress the growth of QBC939 cells (all P<0.05). HPD-PDT can promote apoptosis of QBC939 cells at the early stage. When the concentration of HPD was 2 µg/ml and light irradiation was 5 J/cm2, HPD-PDT had no obvious inhibitory effect on QBC939 cell growth, but can obviously inhibit cell invasion, and significant difference was observed between the HPD-PDT and control groups (P<0.01). The HPD-PDT can reduce the mRNA and protein expressions of VEGF-C, COX-2, and PCNA, and decrease the secretion of VEGF-C and COX-2 in QBC939 cells. CONCLUSION: PDT could promote apoptosis and inhibit growth and invasion of cholangiocarcinoma cells QBC939 in vitro.

Degradation mechanism of sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) ion exchange membranes under vanadium flow battery medium.

The degradation mechanism of hydrocarbon ion exchange membranes under vanadium flow battery (VFB) medium was investigated and clarified for the first time. This work will be highly beneficial for improving the chemical stability of hydrocarbon ion exchange membranes, which is one of the most challenging issues for VFB application.