Fine mapping and characterisation of a PV-PUR mediating anthocyanin synthesis in snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.).

Anthocyanin makes snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) pods purple, which helps seed dispersal and protects against environmental stress. In this study, we characterised the snap bean purple mutant pv-pur, which has purple cotyledon, hypocotyl, stem, leaf vein, flower and pod tissues. Total anthocyanin, delphinidin and malvidin levels in mutant pods were significantly higher than in wild-type plants. We constructed two populations for fine mapping of the PV-PUR purple mutation gene, located in the 243.9-kb region of chromosome 06. We identified Phvul.006g018800.3, encoding F3'5'H, as a candidate gene for PV-PUR. Six single-base mutations occurred in the coding region of this gene, altering protein structure. PV-PUR and pv-pur genes were transferred into Arabidopsis, respectively. Compared with the wild-type, the leaf base and internode of T-PV-PUR plant were purple, and the phenotype of T-pv-pur plant remained unchanged, which verified the function of the mutant gene. The results demonstrated that PV-PUR is a crucial gene for anthocyanin biosynthesis in snap bean, resulting in purple colouration. The findings lay a foundation for future breeding and improvement of snap bean. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11032-023-01362-8.

Draft Genome Sequence of Carrot Alternaria Leaf Blight Pathogen Alternaria dauci.

The fungal genus Alternaria, which causes a variety of crop diseases, is widely distributed in the world. Alternaria leaf blight, caused by Alternaria dauci, is one of the most common and destructive diseases in carrot. The infection of A. dauci leads to dramatic decay on both foliage and taproot in severe cases, which results in significant yield losses. In this study, we sequenced and assembled the genome of A. dauci isolate CALB1, which isolated from the major carrot producing areas of China. A total of 65 contigs were assembled, and the estimated genome size was 34.9 Mb. The draft genome of A. dauci can be used for comparative genomic analysis of Alternaria species and provide genetic information for further research on plant-pathogen interactions.

Bioinformatics analysis on differentially expressed genes between colorectal adenoma and colorectal adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal adenoma (CRA) is the main cause of the progression of Colorectal adenocarcinoma (COAD). Therefore, it is very important to accurately reveal its developmental mechanism. METHODS: Differential expression genes (DEGs) in three microarray datasets were screened using GEO and GEO2R. R packages were used for gene ontology (GO) functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) path enrichment analysis. Hub genes screened by STRING, Cytoscape and CytoHubba were used. R was used for DEGs of hub genes, and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA2) database was used for prognostic Analysis. R-packet were used to analyze tumor pathology, tumour, lymph-nodes, and metastases (TNM) staging, enrichment, immune invasion and prognosis. RESULTS: Among the 66 genes, including 36 up-regulated and 30 down-regulated genes. Survival analysis showed that COL1A1, COL5A2, COL5A1 and secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) were associated with disease-free survival in patients. The four genes were related to tumor pathological stage, TNM stage and immune invasion. COL1A1 and COL5A2 were highly expressed in chromatin modification and cellular senescence. Low expression of COL5A1 and SPARC was significantly enriched in neutrophil degranulation and Wp VegfavegFR2 signaling pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Obviously, these four key genes can serve as important targets for early diagnosis, treatment, immunity and prognosis of CRA to COAD.

[Effects of astragaloside â £ on inflammatory response and percentage of peripheral blood Th17 cells in mice with ulcerative colitis].

This study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of astragaloside Ⅳ in mice with ulcerative colitis(UC) and its effect on the percentage of peripheral blood T helper(Th17) cells. Following the establishment of UC mouse model with 2% sodium dextran sulfate(DSS), mice in the positive control group and low-and high-dose astragaloside Ⅳ groups were treated with corresponding drugs by gavage. Disease activity index(DAI) was calculated, and serum interleukin-17(IL-17), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), and transforming growth factor-ß(TGF-ß) levels were assayed by ELISA. The pathological changes in colon tissue were observed by HE staining, and Th17/regulatory T cells(Treg) ratio in the peripheral blood was determined by flow cytometry. Western blot was conducted for detecting the relative protein expression levels of forkhead box protein P3(Foxp3) and retinoic acid-related orphan nuclear receptor γT(ROR-γt). The findings demonstrated that in normal mice, the colonic structure was intact. The goblet cells were not reduced and the glands were neatly arranged, with no mucosal erosion, bleeding, or positive cell infiltration. In the model group, the colonic mucosal structure was seriously damaged, manifested as disordered arrangement or missing of glands, vascular dilatation, congestion, and massive inflammatory cell infiltration. The pathological injury of colon tissue was alleviated to varying degrees in drug treatment groups. Compared with the normal group, the model group exhibited elevated percentage of Th17 cells, increased IL-17 and TNF-α content, up-regulated relative ROR-γt protein expression, lowered TGF-ß, reduced percentage of Treg cells, and down-regulated relative Foxp3 protein expression. The comparison with the model group showed that DAI score, pathological score, percentage of Th17 cells, IL-17 and TNF-α content, and relative ROR-γt protein expression in the positive control group, low-dose astragaloside Ⅳ group, and high-dose astragaloside Ⅳ group were decreased, while TGF-ß content, percentage of Treg cells, and relative Foxp3 protein expression were increased. The DAI score, pathological score, percentage of Th17 cells, IL-17 and TNF-α content, and relative ROR-γt protein expression in the low-dose astragaloside Ⅳ group were higher than those in the positive control group, whereas the content of TGF-ß, percentage of Treg cells, and relative Foxp3 protein expression were lower. DAI score, pathological score, percentage of Th17 cells, IL-17 and TNF-α content, relative ROR-γt protein expression in the high-dose astragaloside Ⅳ group declined in contrast to those in the low-dose astragaloside Ⅳ group, while the TGF-ß content, percentage of Treg cells, and relative Foxp3 protein expression rose. There was no significant difference between the positive control group and the high-dose astragaloside Ⅳ group. Astragaloside Ⅳ is able to inhibit inflammatory response and diminish the percentage of Th17 cells in mice with UC.

Hsa_circ_0031787 promotes cell proliferation and invasion in colorectal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Circular RNA (circRNA) has been found to be involved in regulating tumor development. However, the roles and underlying mechanisms of circRNA in colorectal cancer (CRC) development remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of hsa_circ_0031787 on CRC.a METHODS: Aberrant circRNA expression was explored by the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and hsa_circ_0031787 was selected for further study. Hsa_circ_0031787 expression was determined in CRC tissues and cell lines by qRT-PCR. Cell proliferation was measured by Edu and colony formation assays. Cell invasion was tested by Transwell assays. RESULTS: Hsa_circ_0031787 expression levels in CRC were significantly increased and correlated with advanced TNM stage and lymph node metastasis in CRC patients. Functional assays showed that hsa_circ_0031787 suppression reduced CRC cell proliferation and invasion in vitro and reduced tumor growth in vivo. Furthermore, hsa_circ_0031787 suppression reduced activation of the Wnt/ß-catenin axis in CRC. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that hsa_circ_0031787 may function as an oncogenic circRNA in CRC progression, thus providing a new potential therapeutic target.

FLI-1 mediates tumor suppressor function via Klotho signaling in regulating CRC.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is an aggressive malignancy with a high incidence and mortality rate. Although a targeting therapy has been developed, the 5-year survival rate is still very low in CRC patients with distant metastasis. Thus, the identification of new targets is still significant for improving CRC treatment. Klotho is a tumor suppressor, and its expression is aberrant in CRC. In this study, the roles of the FLI-1 gene in regulating Klotho gene expression and Klotho-associated signaling, as well as the effects of FLI-1 on colony formation, invasion, and apoptosis were investigated in CRC cell lines. The methylation of the FLI-1 gene was analyzed using a commercial methylation kit. Results showed that FLI-1 messenger RNA and protein expression were downregulated in six CRC cell lines when compared with the normal colon mucosal epithelial cell line, which negatively correlated with the level of DNA methylation. Silencing of FLI-1 gene expression decreased Klotho protein expression and phosphorylation of ß-catenin protein at Thr41 /Ser45 , but increased Wnt3a and ß-catenin protein expression and IGF-1R phosphorylation in HT29 cells. In contrast to silencing FLI-1, overexpressing FLI-1 significantly increased Klotho protein expression and phosphorylation of ß-catenin protein at Thr41 /Ser45 , but decreased Wnt3a and ß-catenin protein expression and IGF-1R phosphorylation in Caco-2 cells. Silencing of FLI-1 gene expression significantly increased colony formation and invasion, but decreased apoptosis in HT29 cells. In contrast, overexpressing the FLI-1 gene significantly decreased colony formation and invasion, but increased apoptosis in Caco-2 cells. These findings suggest that FLI-1 functions as a tumor suppressor in CRC cells and positively regulates Klotho signaling. Hypermethylation may be one of the causes of the loss of FLI-1 gene expression in CRC cells.

A Randomized Multicenter Clinical Trial of RPH With the Simplified Milligan-Morgan Hemorrhoidectomy in the Treatment of Mixed Hemorrhoids.

PURPOSE: To explore the safety and efficacy of Ruiyun procedure for hemorrhoids (RPH) or RPH with the simplified Milligan-Morgan hemorrhoidectomy (sMMH) in the treatment of mixed hemorrhoids. METHODS: This is a randomized, controlled, balanced, multicenter study of 3000 patients with mixed hemorrhoids. The outcomes and postoperative complications were compared between 5 types of surgeries. RESULTS: The efficacy rate was the highest in patients who received RPH+sMMH and decreased in the following order: patients who received RPH alone, MMH alone, procedure for prolapse and hemorrhoids (PPH) alone, and PPH+sMMH ( P < .05). The operation time was the shortest in patients who received RPH alone and increased in the following order: patients who received RPH+sMMH, PPH alone, MMH alone, and PPH+sMMH ( P < .01). The duration of postoperative hospitalization stay was the shortest in patients who received RPH alone and increased in the following order: PPH alone, RPH+sMMH, PPH+sMMH, and MMH alone ( P < .01). The incidence of postoperative hemorrhage, uroschesis, anal fissure, crissum hematoma or thrombosis, and anorectal stenosis was significantly lower in patients who received RPH+sMMH than in patients who received the other 4 types of surgical treatments ( P < .05, P < .01). No significant differences in postoperative rectovaginal fistula and anal incontinence were observed between the 5 groups of patients. CONCLUSIONS: RPH with or without simplified MMH can reduce the incidence of postoperative complications and improve the curative efficacy in the treatment of patients with mixed hemorrhoids.

[Treatment of Mixed Hemorrhoids by RPH with the Simplified Milligan-Morgan Surgery: a Multi-center, Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial].

Objective To observe the safety and efficacy of RPH with the simplified. Milligan-Mor- gan(M-M) surgery on mixed hemorrhoids. Methods Totally 1 200 patients with mixed hemorrhoid were assigned to the control group(600 cases) and the treatment group(600 cases) according to randomized, parallel controlled,multi-center trial design. Patients in the control group received PPH with the simplified M-M surgery, and patients in the treatment group received RPH with the simplified M-M surgery. Postop- erative complications, operation time,the postoperative hospitalization days and the efficacy were ob- served. Results Compared with the control group, the numbers of postoperation hemorrhage, postop- erative uroschesis, anal fissure and anorectal stenosis in treatment group were decreased(P <0. 01 , P < 0. 05), operation time and the postoperative hospitalization days were decreased (P <0. 01 , P <0. 05 ), the cure rate for 3 and 12 months after operation were increased (P <0. 01, P <0. 05). Conclusions RPH with the simplified M-M surgery could reduce the incidence of postoperative complications,improve the clinical cure rate and the curative effect in treatment of mixed hemorrhoids.

[Correlation between Signs of Living Body in Abdominal and Pelvic Cavities and Syndrome Typing of Chinese Medicine in Colorectal Cancer Patients].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the correlation between signs of living body in abdominal and pelvic cavities and syndrome typing of Chinese medicine (CM) in colorectal cancer patients. METHODS: Totally 112 colorectal cancer patients undergoing open abdominal surgery or laporoscopic surgery were syndrome typed as five types, i.e., inner-accumulation of damp and heat, blockage of stasis and toxin, Pi-Shen yang deficiency, blood-qi deficiency, Gan-Shen yin deficiency. Signs of living body in abdominal and pelvic cavities were collected. The correlation between signs of living body in abdominal and pelvic cavities and syndrome typing of CM were analyzed. RESULTS: Red colorectal canals or mass were dominated in colorectal cancer patients with inner-accumulation of damp and heat syndrome. Dark purple colorectal canals or mass were dominated in colorectal cancer patients with blockage of stasis and toxin syndrome. Reddish colorectal canals or mass were dominated in colorectal cancer patients with blood-qi deficiency syndrome. Pale colorectal canals or mass were dominated in colorectal cancer patients with Pi-Shen yang deficiency syndrome. Whitish or red-white stripes were dominated in colorectal cancer patients with Gan-Shen yin deficiency syndrome. Dropsy colorectal canal was associated with Pi-Shen yang deficiency syndrome. Intracavitary effusion was often seen in colorectal cancer patients with inner-accumulation of damp and heat syndrome. The effusion was yellowish in less amount. Intracavitary adhesion was often seen in colorectal cancer patients with blockage of stasis and toxin syndrome. There was no correlation between the maximum diameter of mass or each syndrome type of CM. CONCLUSION: There existed correlation between signs of living body in abdominal and pelvic cavities and syndrome typing of CM, which could be taken as one of references for syndrome typing of colorectal cancer patients.

MicroRNA-based interventions in aberrant cell cycle diseases: Therapeutic strategies for cancers, central nervous system disorders and comorbidities.

Malignant tumors and central nervous system (CNS) disorders are intricately linked to a process known as "aberrant cell cycle re-entry," which plays a critical role in the progression of these diseases. Addressing the dysregulation in cell cycles offers a promising therapeutic approach for cancers and CNS disorders. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a crucial role as regulators of gene expression in cell cycle transitions, presenting a promising therapeutic avenue for treating these disorders and their comorbidities. This review consolidates the progress made in the last three years regarding miRNA-based treatments for diseases associated with aberrant cell cycle re-entry. It encompasses exploring fundamental mechanisms and signaling pathways influenced by miRNAs in cancers and CNS disorders, particularly focusing on the therapeutic effects of exosome-derived miRNAs. The review also identifies specific miRNAs implicated in comorbidity of cancers and CNS disorders, discusses the future potential of miRNA reagents in managing cell cycle-related diseases.

Correlation between SMADs and Colorectal Cancer Expression, Prognosis, and Immune Infiltrates.

Background: In recent years, the incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer (CRC) are increasing, and the 5-year survival rate of advanced metastatic CRC is poor. Small mothers against decapentaplegic (SMAD) superfamily are intracellular signal transduction proteins associated with the development and prognosis of a variety of tumors. At present, no study has systematically analysed the relationship between SMADs and CRC. Methods: Here, R3.6.3 was used to analyse the expression of SMADs in pan-cancer and CRC. Protein expression of SMADs were analysed by Human Protein Atlas (HPA). Gene expression profiling interactive analysis (GEPIA) was used to evaluate the correlation between SMADs and tumor stage in CRC. The effect of R language and GEPIA on prognosis was analysed. Mutation rates of SMADs in CRC were determined by cBioPortal, and potentially related genes were predicted using GeneMANIA. R analysis was used to correlate immune cell infiltration in CRC. Results: Both SMAD1 and SMAD2 were found to be weakly expressed in CRC and correlated with the immune invasion level. SMAD1 was correlated with patient prognosis, and SMAD2 was correlated with tumor stage. SMAD3, SMAD4, and SMAD7 were all expressed at low levels in CRC and associated with a variety of immune cells. SMAD3 and SMAD4 proteins were also expressed at low levels, and SMAD4 had the highest mutation rate. SMAD5 and SMAD6 were overexpressed in CRC, and SMAD6 was also associated with patient overall survival (OS) and CD8+ T cells, macrophages, and neutrophils. Conclusions: Our results reveal innovative and strong evidence that SMADs can be used as biomarkers for the treatment and prognosis of CRC.

BICDL1 Predicts Poor Prognosis and is Correlated with Methylation and Immune Infiltration in Colorectal Cancer.

Background: Bicaudal-D (BICD) Family Like Cargo Adaptor 1 (BICDL1) is an essential component of the molecular mechanism during neuronal development. However, BICDL1 has not been reported in cancer. Using bioinformatics analysis, we systematically evaluated the potential role of BICDL1 in CRC. Methods: Colorectal cancer (CRC) and normal tissue samples were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx), and Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases. Kaplan-Meier (K-M) analysis, nomogram, COX analysis, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the prognostic power. Correlation analysis was also conducted to explore the correlation between mRNA expression and the methylation level of BICDL1 using cBioPortal, and the correlation between immune infiltration and BICDL1. RT-qPCR and Western blot assays were performed to analyze BICDL1 expression level between human colorectal cancer cell lines and normal colonic epithelial cells. Results: BICDL1 had a higher expression in CRC tissues than in normal tissues (p < 0.001) in TCGA and GES 74602 datasets. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that patients with high BICDL1 expression had lower overall survival (OS) (1.53, 95% confidence interval: 1.07-2.17, p=0.019). The ROC curves demonstrated that BICDL1 has high specificity and efficiency in diagnosis (AUC=0.919, CI: 0.895-0.943). The expression level of BICDL1 was significantly correlated with the infiltrating levels of Treg (R=0.146, p <0.001), TFH (R=0.080, p=0.043), NK CD56bright cells (R=0.149, p <0.001), aDC (R=0.095, p=0.016), and T helper cell infiltration (R=-0.084, p=0.034). The correlation between BICDL1 expression and methylation levels was negative (R2=0.134, p <0.001), and CRC patients had lower methylation levels than normal people (p=0.036). BICDL1 mRNA and its protein expression levels in CRC cell lines (SW620) was markedly increased compared with that of normal colonic epithelial cells (NCM460) (p < 0.001). Conclusion: BICDL1 may be a potential biomarker for evaluating immune infiltration levels and prognosis of CRC.

The Prognostic Value of the GNRI in Patients with Stomach Cancer Undergoing Surgery.

Malnutrition often induces an adverse prognosis in cancer surgery patients. The elderly nutrition risk index (GNRI) is an example of the objective indicators of nutrition-related risks. We performed a meta-analysis to thoroughly examine the evidence for the GNRI in predicting the outcomes of patients undergoing stomach cancer surgery. Eligible articles were retrieved using PubMed, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Google Scholar by 24 October 2022. The clinical outcomes were overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and post-operative complications. A total of 11 articles with 5593 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The combined forest plot showed that for every unit increase in the preoperative GNRI score in patients with stomach cancer, their postoperative mortality was reduced by 5.6% (HR: 0.944; 95% CI: 0.933−0.956, p < 0.001). The pooled results also demonstrated that a low GNRI was correlated with poor OS (HR: 2.052; 95% CI: 1.726−2.440, p < 0.001) and CSS (HR: 1.684; 95% CI: 1.249−2.270, p = 0.001) in patients who underwent stomach cancer surgery. Postoperative complications were more likely to occur in patients with a low GNRI, as opposed to those with a high GNRI (OR: 1.768; 95% CI: 1.445−2.163, p < 0.001). There was no evidence of significant heterogeneity, and the sensitivity analysis supported the stability and dependability of the above results. the GNRI is a valuable predictor of long-term outcomes and complications in stomach cancer patients undergoing surgery.

Correlation of uric acid with body mass index based on NHANES 2013-2018 data: A cross-sectional study.

Clinical investigation of obesity-related risk factors aids in the early detection, prevention, and management of obesity. We aimed to examine the association between obesity and serum uric acid (sUA). A cross-sectional study was conducted including 18473 subjects from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The exposure and outcome variables were sUA and body mass index (BMI), respectively. The weighted multivariate linear regression models and smooth curve fittings were conducted to assess the association between sUA and BMI. There were significantly positive correlations between sUA and BMI in both males and females (ß = 1.414, 95% CI: 1.323-1.505, P < .0001, ß = 1.853, 95% CI: 1.740-1.966, P < .0001, respectively). Furthermore, individuals in the higher sUA quartiles had higher BMI than those in the lowest quartile in both males and females. Subgroup analyses were stratified by race/ethnicity, results indicated the positive association of sUA with BMI in males remained in all races including Mexican American (ß = 1.203, 95% CI: 0.965-1.442, P < .0001), other Hispanic (ß = 1.126, 95% CI: 0.858-1.395, P < .0001), non-Hispanic White (ß = 1.493, 95% CI: 1.343-1.642, P < .0001), non-Hispanic Black (ß = 1.331, 95% CI: 1.122-1.540, P < .0001), and other races (ß = 1.329, 95% CI: 1.115-1.544, P < .0001). And the positive association of sUA with BMI in females also remained in all races including Mexican American (ß = 1.806, 95% CI: 1.520-2.092, P < .0001), other Hispanic (ß = 2.033, 95% CI: 1.687-2.379, P < .0001), non-Hispanic White (ß = 1.847, 95% CI: 1.657-2.037, P < .0001), non-Hispanic Black (ß = 2.141, 95% CI: 1.874-2.408, P < .0001), and other races (ß = 1.348, 95% CI: 1.081-1.615, P < .0001). The current cross-sectional study with 18473 US participants found that an elevated sUA was positively correlated with a higher BMI in males, females, and all kinds of races.

Genkwanin Alleviates Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Oxidative Stress in a Murine Model of Experimental Colitis: The Participation of Sirt1.

OBJECTIVE: Genkwanin is a biologically active O-methylated flavone extracted from Daphne genkwa. An increasing number of studies have described the modulatory effects of genkwanin on human diseases, including antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities. However, little is known about whether genkwanin might be a therapeutic agent for inflammatory bowel disease or its possible underlying mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty C57BL/6 male mice were orally administered dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) to generate the colitis model, and genkwanin was orally administered at the indicated concentrations. Body weight, disease activity index, colon length, and H&E staining were used to evaluate colitis. Oxidative stress and antioxidant levels were measured by detecting ROS generation and malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase and glutathione levels. The levels of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1ß, IFNγ and IL-6) were measured using ELISAs. Cell viability was determined using the CCK-8 assay. Mitochondrial function was evaluated by measuring the oxygen consumption rate, mtDNA content, and activities of electron transfer chain (ETC) complexes I, II, and IV. The expression of SIRT1, Nrf2 and its target genes was determined using qRT-PCR and western blotting. SIRT1 was depleted by lentivirus-mediated knockdown. RESULTS: In this study, oral administration of genkwanin alleviated colitis induced by oral administration of DSS in mice, as evidenced by reduced weight loss, colon length shortening and histopathology scores. Furthermore, genkwanin relieved oxidative stress and reduced the production of proinflammatory cytokines. In vitro assays revealed that genkwanin administration inhibited reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and improved mitochondrial function in human intestinal epithelial cells. Genkwanin also upregulated the expression of SIRT1, and lentivirus-mediated SIRT1 knockdown partially abrogated the protective effect of genkwanin on oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from our murine model and cell culture experiments provide a promising basis for genkwanin to be studied as a treatment for IBD in clinical trials.

Simultaneous photoacoustic imaging technique using an acoustic imaging lens.

A simultaneous photoacoustic (PA) tomography imaging technique in multilayer samples was developed. Instead of using the PA image reconstruction methods on the basis of complex algorithms, obtaining a two-dimensional PA image in real time is available by using an acoustic lens that has the ability of parallel imaging. The imaging system can acquire the complete PA signals of high signal-to-noise ratio from all the object planes by utilizing the advantages of the acoustic lens with long focal depth and a fast data acquisition system with a high sampling rate. With the time-resolved technique, the PA signals from different object planes can be distinguished and then the high optical contrast multilayer PA images can be reconstructed simultaneously without any algorithms. The experimental results show that the reconstructed sections agree well with the original samples.

The Involvement of NF-κB/Klotho Signaling in Colorectal Cancer Cell Survival and Invasion.

Lipopolysaccharide significantly increased invasion, cell proliferation, and phospho-NF-κB p65 and phospho-IGF-1R protein, but decreased klotho protein expression, cell apoptosis, and the percentage of sub G0/G1 cells in SW480 and HT29 colorectal cancer cells. In contrast, NF-κB inhibitor exhibited a counteract effect of lipopolysaccharide. Transfection of Toll-like receptor 4 shRNA significantly decreased phospho-NF-κB p65 and phospho-IGF-1R protein levels, invasion, but significantly increased klotho protein expression, cell apoptosis, and the percentage of sub G0/G1 in SW480 and HT29 cells. In conclusion, inflammation inhibits klotho gene expression in colorectal cancer cells through activation of Toll-like receptor 4 /NF-κB signal pathway.

Photoacoustic tomography imaging using a 4f acoustic lens and peak-hold technology.

In this paper we present a new high-contrast photoacoustic tomography (PAT) imaging system using a 4f acoustic lens, a 64-element linear transducer array and peak-hold technology. This PAT imaging system has been developed to obtain three-dimensional (3D) PAT images of experimental samples. By utilizing a 4f acoustic lens, the photoacoustic (PA) signals generated from the sample are directly imaged on the imaging plane and collected by the 64-element linear transducer array, which changes them into the corresponding electronic signals. Then we can get one-dimensional (1D) images from the electronic signals using a peak detection-and-hold circuit. After vertical scanning with a stepping motor on the imaging plane, a 2D PA image of the sample is successfully obtained. Combined with the time-resolved technique, we can then get 3D PAT images. The results show that the reconstructed images agree well with the original samples.

Transanal hemorrhoidal dearterialization versus stapled hemorrhoidectomy in the treatment of hemorrhoids: A PRISMA-compliant updated meta-analysis of randomized control trials.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of transanal hemorrhoidal dearterialization (THD) and stapled hemorrhoidectomy (SH) in the treatment of hemorrhoids by a meta-analysis. METHODS: Randomized control trials (RCTs) comparing SH with THD were searched for in databases, including MEDLINE, PubMed, Web of science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library database. Data were independently extracted from each study, and a meta-analysis was performed using RevMan5.2 software. RESULTS: Eight RCTs, including 977 patients, were included in this meta-analysis. No statistically significant differences were noted between THD and SH in terms of total complications (OR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.69, 1.25), but a significant differences were noted in terms of bleeding (OR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.10, 3.10). The total recurrence rate was higher in THD than in SH on short-term follow-up; however, the recurrence rate was equal in both the THD and SH groups on long-term follow-up. The present study showed that no significant difference between SH and THD in terms of postoperative pain (OR, 0.43; 95% CI, -0.43, 1.29), operative time (OR, -3.12; 95% CI, -7.01, 0.77), hospital time (OR, -0.00; 95% CI, -0.21, 0.20), time before returning to work (OR,-0.50; 95%CI, -4.42,3.43), and reoperation rate (OR, 1.81; 95% CI, 0.93, 3.54). CONCLUSION: Our meta-analysis indicated that THD and SH are equally effective techniques for the treatment of hemorrhoids. However, future studies addressing cost-effectiveness, satisfaction rate, and recurrence rate over a long follow-up period are needed to validate these results.

Characterization of a derivative photoacoustic spectrometer.

A design of derivative photoacoustic spectrometer is presented in this article. It mainly includes a wavelength-intensity splitter and a complementary chopper. In our design, a dual wavelength derivative method is introduced to implement a derivative operation. Through the wavelength-intensity splitter, two beams are obtained and then complementarily modulated by the complementary chopper to satisfy the first derivative requirements as well as to achieve the differential of photoacoustic signals. As examples, the first derivative photoacoustic spectra of He-Ne laser and xenon lamp are also presented in this article. The results show that the first derivative photoacoustic spectrum can provide a superior fine spectral structure and spectral resolution compared to the photoacoustic absorption spectrum.