Comparison of outcomes for Hispanic and non-Hispanic patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma in the International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database.

BACKGROUND: Existing data on the impact of Hispanic ethnicity on outcomes for patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is mixed. The authors investigated outcomes of Hispanic and non-Hispanic White (NHW) patients with advanced RCC receiving systemic therapy at large academic cancer centers using the International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database (IMDC). METHODS: Eligible patients included non-Black Hispanic and NHW patients with locally advanced or metastatic RCC initiating systemic therapy. Overall survival (OS) and time to first-line treatment failure (TTF) were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The effect of ethnicity on OS and TTF were estimated by Cox regression hazard ratios (HRs). RESULTS: A total of 1563 patients (181 Hispanic and 1382 NHW) (mostly males [73.8%] with clear cell RCC [81.5%] treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitor [TKI] monotherapy [69.9%]) were included. IMDC risk groups were similar between groups. Hispanic patients were younger at initial diagnosis (median 57 vs. 59 years, p = .015) and less likely to have greater than one metastatic site (60.8% vs. 76.8%, p < .001) or bone metastases (23.8% vs. 33.4%, p = .009). Median OS and TTF was 38.0 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 28.1-59.2) versus 35.7 months (95% CI, 31.9-39.2) and 7.8 months (95% CI, 6.2-9.0) versus 7.5 months (95% CI, 6.9-8.1), respectively, in Hispanic versus NHW patients. In multivariable Cox regression analysis, no statistically significant differences were observed in OS (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.07; 95% CI, 0.86-1.31, p = .56) or TTF (adjusted HR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.89-1.26, p = .50). CONCLUSIONS: The authors did not observe statistically significant differences in OS or TTF between Hispanic and NHW patients with advanced RCC. Receiving treatment at tertiary cancer centers may mitigate observed disparities in cancer outcomes.

Systematic analysis of perivascular epithelioid cell neoplasms in the female reproductive tract: a comprehensive review.

Perivascular epithelioid cell neoplasms (PEComas) are rare mesenchymal lesions, with gynecological PEComas accounting for just over a quarter of cases. Limited reports exist on gynecological PEComa, primarily treated with surgery; adjuvant therapy is considered in high-risk cases. This systematic review aims to summarize the origin and clinical, pathological and molecular characteristics of uterine PEComa, focusing on treatment options for gynecological PEComa. A comprehensive PubMed review of gynecological PEComa reports was conducted. A detailed examination of the literature ensured a thorough understanding. Gynecological PEComa diagnosis relies on histology and immunology. Despite therapy controversies, surgery remains the mainstay. Adjuvant therapy efficacy in high-risk cases is uncertain. mTOR inhibitors are the first line; alternative treatments, including angiogenesis and aromatase inhibitors, should be considered.

Flow shear force destabilizes carotid plaques by affecting CHOP and GRP78 proteins.

BACKGROUND: Various factors, including blood, inflammatory, infectious, and immune factors, can cause ischemic stroke. However, the primary cause is often the instability of cervical arteriosclerosis plaque. It is estimated that 18-25% of ischemic strokes are caused by the rupture of carotid plaque.1 Plaque stability is crucial in determining patient prognosis. Developing a highly accurate, non-invasive, or minimally invasive technique to assess carotid plaque stability is crucial for diagnosing and treating stroke.Previous research by our group has demonstrated that the expression levels of CHOP (C/EBP homologous protein) and GRP78 (glucose-regulated protein 78) are correlated with the stability of atherosclerotic plaques.2 OBJECT: This research assesses changes in GRP78 and CHOP expressions in human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVEC) following experiments within the hemodynamic influencing factors test system. Additionally, it includes conducting an empirical study on the impact of blood flow shear force on the stability of human carotid atherosclerotic plaques. The objective is to explore the implications of blood flow shear force on the stability of carotid atherosclerotic plaques. METHOD: The hemodynamic influencing factors test bench system was configured with low (Group A, 4 dyns/cm²), medium (Group B, 8 dyns/cm²), and high shear force groups (Group C, 12 dyns/cm²). Relative expression levels of GRP78 and CHOP proteins in human umbilical vein endothelial cells were measured using Western blot analysis, and quantitative analysis of GRP78 and CHOP mRNA was conducted using RT-qPCR. Meanwhile, plaques from 60 carotid artery patients, retrieved via Carotid Endarterectomy (CEA), were classified into stable (S) and unstable (U) groups based on pathological criteria. Shear force at the carotid bifurcation was measured preoperatively using ultrasound. Western blot and RT-qPCR were used to analyze the relative expression levels of GRP78 and CHOP proteins and mRNA, respectively, in the plaque specimens from both groups. RESULT: Expression levels of GRP78, CHOP proteins, and their mRNAs were assessed in groups A, B, and C via Western blot and RT-qPCR. Results showed that in the low-shear group, all markers were elevated in group A compared to groups B and C. Statistical analysis revealed significantly lower shear forces at the carotid bifurcation in group U compared to group S. In group U plaques, GRP78 and CHOP expressions were significantly higher in group U than in group S. CONCLUSION: Blood flow shear forces variably affect the expression of GRP78 and CHOP proteins, as well as their mRNA levels, in vascular endothelial cells. The lower the shear force and fluid flow rate, the higher the expression of GRP78 and CHOP, potentially leading to endoplasmic reticulum stress(ERS), which may destabilize the plaque.

Different pregnancy outcomes in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus treated with belimumab.

OBJECTIVES: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) predominantly occurs in women of child-bearing age. Selecting drugs for pregnant SLE patients has always been a difficult choice. Although there have been several reports of safety of belimumab in SLE patients during pregnancy, the data are far from sufficient. METHODS: We report on 4 cases of belimumab exposure in pregnant SLE patients. We also summarized 6 case reports and case series which were previously published. Further, we compared the different outcomes among SLE patients and their babies who continued with belimumab during pregnancy with those who discontinued belimumab in early pregnancy. RESULTS: Two cases discontinued belimumab in the early pregnancy, while the other two received belimumab until the late pregnancy. All the four women tolerated belimumab. Newborns have all developed normally and continue without complications during 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: In this small case series, we found that belimumab was well tolerated in pregnant SLE patients. There were no safety signals for the mothers or their babies.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio at admission is a risk factor for in-hospital gastrointestinal bleeding in acute ischemic stroke patients after dual antiplatelet therapy: A case control study.

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal bleeding is a clinically important complication in acute ischemic stroke patients after dual antiplatelet therapy. The present study was to explore the association between neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and in-hospital gastrointestinal bleeding in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients who had received dual antiplatelet therapy. METHODS: This restrospective study enrolled AIS patients who had received dual antiplatelet therapy in our hospital from January 2019 to December 2021. Patients were divided into a bleeding group and a non-bleeding group according to whether they had in-hospital gastrointestinal bleeding. Propensity score matching was used to match the confounding variables between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to evaluate the association between NLR and in-hospital gastrointestinal bleeding. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to test the prediction ability of NLR. RESULTS: A total of 1130 patients were enrolled in this study. Before matching, there were 51 patients in the bleeding group, 1079 patients in the non-bleeding group. After matching, 49 pairs of patients were successfully matched. Multivariate regression revealed that NLR was an independent predictor of in-hospital gastrointestinal bleeding in AIS patients who had received dual antiplatelet therapy. The area under curve (AUC) of NLR in predicting in-hospital gastrointestinal bleeding was 0.908, the sensitivity and specificity were 0.878 and 0.857 respectively. CONCLUSIONS: NLR at admission is a useful predictor of in-hospital gastrointestinal bleeding in acute ischemic stroke patients after dual antiplatelet therapy. Still, more prospective studies with larger sample size are needed to validate the result.

Real-world antithrombotic treatment variability in patients undergoing peripheral vascular intervention: Insights from the VQI registry.

For those undergoing peripheral vascular interventions (PVI), guidelines indicate the use of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is reasonable (Class IIb), but recommendations have not reached the highest level of evidence. In the largest effort to date, we found that antithrombotic prescription was dominated by single antiplatelet therapy (SAPT) (51.4%) before PVI, which switched to DAPT (57.7%) following PVI, with some patients still remaining on no therapy (8%). High site variability in prescription rates (median odds ratio: 1.40, 95% confidence interval: 1.32, 1.48) was not much explained by patient and provider factors, revealing a need for the creation and integration of the newest trial data and for interventions at the health system or practice level to help physicians determine the optimal medical therapy following PVI.

Antiplatelet regimens following carotid artery revascularization.

Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is indicated following carotid artery stenting (CAS) and single antiplatelet therapy (SAPT) following carotid endarterectomy (CEA), but it remains unknown how providers adhere to these guidelines in real-world clinical practice. Using the Vascular Quality Initiative New England data, we found that of 12,257 patients, 82% patients were discharged on DAPT following CAS and 66% were discharged on SAPT following CEA. While a high percentage of patients undergoing CAS appropriately receive DAPT, the use of SAPT following CEA exists with more variability and lower adherence rates.

Patient-level and external factors in the use of drug-coated balloons and drug-eluting stents in femoropopliteal endovascular interventions.

OBJECTIVE: Drug-coated balloons (DCB) and drug-eluting stents (DES) have been rapidly adopted for femoropopliteal endovascular interventions due to their favorable patency rates. It is unclear whether choice of using drug coated devices versus bare metal stents (BMS) or plain balloon angioplasty (POBA) as primary treatment in femoropopliteal disease is mostly associated with patient-level factors, safety concerns, or by operator preferences. This study sought to evaluate factors associated with their use in a contemporary dataset. METHODS: All femoropopliteal lesions treated with endovascular interventions between 2016 and 2019 from the Vascular Quality Initiative registry were included. For each procedure, a primary treatment was identified based on the following hierarchy: DES > DCB > BMS > POBA. A hierarchical logistic regression model predicting DCB or DES use included patient-level characteristics, key events (period after Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reimbursement change, January 2018 [vs before] and period after Katsanos meta-analysis December 2018 [vs before]), and random effects for site and operator. Operator-level variability for DCB and DES use was summarized with an adjusted median odds ratio (MOR). RESULTS: A total of 57,753 femoropopliteal endovascular procedures were included. Poor functional status (odds ratio [OR], 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.90-0.94), prior anticoagulant use (OR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.87-0.97), higher Rutherford classification (OR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.84-0.88), chronic kidney disease stage 4 or 5 (OR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.86-0.98), and the period after the Katsanos meta-analysis publication (OR, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.29-0.32) were associated with a lower odds of DCB or DES use; whereas female sex (OR, 1.12; 95% CI,1.08-1.17), prior lesion treatment (OR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.11-1.22), diabetes (OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.02-1.12), Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus class B (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.09-1.24) and C (OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.12-1.28), and the period after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reimbursement change (OR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.03-1.14) were associated with a higher odds of DCB or DES use. Significant variability in use was found across operators (adjusted MOR, 2.70; 95% CI, 2.55-2.85) and centers (adjusted MOR, 2.89; 95% CI, 2.50-3.27). CONCLUSIONS: DCB or DES use in femoropopliteal disease demonstrates wide variability across operators and is linked strongly with external factors, followed by anatomic lesion characteristics and a history of previous interventions. Future work needs to focus on tailoring DCB or DES use to patient and lesion characteristics and to develop appropriate use guidelines integrating these factors.

Prognostic nomograms to predict overall survival and cause specific death in vulvar squamous cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: The incidence of vulvar squamous cell carcinoma has been rising in recent decades. The prognosis of patients with vulvar squamous cell carcinoma was explored, and nomograms were constructed to predict survival rates. METHODS: Vulvar squamous cell carcinoma patient data were downloaded from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database and randomly divided into a training dataset and testing dataset. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression were used to identify risk factors affecting vulvar squamous cell carcinoma overall survival in the training dataset. Cumulative incidence function and Fine-Gray regression were used to analyze cancer specific death in the training dataset. Overall survival and cancer specific death nomograms were constructed and validated in the testing and whole datasets. Receiver operating characteristic and calibration were used to verify the predictive value and clinical applicability of the models. RESULTS: Age ≥60 years, grade 3, American Joint Committee on Cancer stages III and IV, TNM (tumor, nodes, metastasis) stages T2, T3, N1, and M1 had a negative effect on overall survival in vulvar cancer patients. Surgery (hazard ratio (HR)=0.416, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.349 to 0.496, p<0.001) and chemotherapy (HR=0.637, 95% CI 0.544 to 0.746, p<0.001) may improve overall survival. Age, tumor grade, American Joint Committee on Cancer stage, T stage, N stage, M stage, surgery, and chemotherapy significantly affected vulvar cancer specific death. For area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, the predictive ability of the nomograms for overall survival and cancer specific death for 1 year (area under the curve (AUC)=0.862), 3 years (AUC=0.832), and 5 years (AUC=0.808) were all >0.800. CONCLUSION: The nomograms established in our study had an excellent predictive ability for overall survival and cancer specific death in vulvar cancer patients.

Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease Undergoing Peripheral Vascular Intervention.

INTRODUCTION: Guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) is imperative to improve cardiovascular and limb outcomes for patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI), especially amongst those at highest risk for poor outcomes, including those with comorbid chronic kidney disease (CKD). Our objective was to examine GDMT prescription rates and their variation across individual sites for patients with CLI undergoing peripheral vascular interventions (PVIs), by their comorbid CKD status. METHODS: Patients with CLI who underwent PVI (October 2016-April 2019) were included from the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) database. CKD was defined as GFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2. GDMT included the composite use of antiplatelet therapy and a statin, as well as an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker if hypertension was present. The use of GDMT before and after the index procedure was summarized in those with and without CKD. Adjusted median odds ratios (MORs) for site variability were calculated. RESULTS: The study included 28,652 patients, with a mean age of 69.4 ± 11.7 years, and 40.8% were females. A total of 47.5% had CKD. Patients with CKD versus those without CKD had lower prescription rates both before (31.7% vs. 38.9%) and after (36.5% vs. 48.8%) PVI (p < 0.0001). Significant site variability was observed in the delivery of GDMT in both the non-CKD and CKD groups before and after PVI (adjusted MORs: 1.31-1.41). DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: In patients with CLI undergoing PVI, patients with comorbid CKD were less likely to receive GDMT. Significant variability of GDMT was observed across sites. These findings indicate that significant improvements must be made in the medical management of patients with CLI, particularly in patients at high risk for poor clinical outcomes.

Photodynamic inactivation of planktonic Staphylococcus aureus by sodium magnesium chlorophyllin and its effect on the storage quality of lettuce.

Photodynamic inactivation (PDI) is a fast and effective non-heat sterilization technology. This study established an efficient blue light-emitting diode (LED) PDI with the photosensitizer sodium magnesium chlorophyllin (SMC) to eradicate Staphylococcus aureus in food. The antibacterial mechanisms were determined by evaluating DNA integrity, protein changes, morphological alteration, and the potency of PDI to eradicate S. aureus on lettuce was evaluated. Results showed that planktonic S. aureus could not be clearly observed on the medium after treatment with 5.0 µmol/L SMC for 10 min (1.14 J/cm2). Bacterial cell DNA and protein were susceptible to SMC-mediated PDI, and cell membranes were found to be disrupted. Moreover, SMC-mediated PDI effectively reduced 8.31 log CFU/mL of S. aureus on lettuce under 6.84 J/cm2 radiant exposure (30 min) with 100 µmol/L SMC, and PDI displayed a potent ability to restrain the weight loss as well as retard the changes of color difference of the lettuce during 7 day storage. The study will enrich our understanding of the inactivation of S. aureus by PDI, allowing for the development of improved strategies to eliminate bacteria in the food industry.

Identification of an immune-based mRNA-lncRNA signature for overall survival in cervical squamous cell carcinoma.

Aim: To better predict the survival of cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CESC) patients, we aimed to construct a signature according to different immune infiltration. Methods: We downloaded the RNA sequences of CESC patients from the Cancer Genome Atlas database. By using single-sample gene set enrichment analysis, we separated the samples into high- and low-immunity groups. Then we separated the samples into training and testing datasets and performed the following analyses: univariate, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator analysis, multivariate Cox regression analyses and weighted gene coexpression network analysis using R software. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes studies were performed using the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery website. Results & conclusion: We finally identified a signature with three mRNAs and two lncRNAs: ADGRG5, HSH2D, ZMAT4, RBAKDN and LINC00200. In short, our study constructed an mRNA-lncRNA signature related to immune infiltration to better predict the survival of CESC patients.

Lay abstract Cervical squamous cell carcinoma is a prevalent cancer type among females. Our study was to construct a signature which can predict the overall survival time in cervical squamous cell carcinoma patients. We performed some analysis of genetic expression patterns using a public database of genetic data, and successfully constructed the model which holds a good prediction value.

Role of rgsA in Oxidative Stress Resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common opportunistic pathogen that causes infections in vulnerable patients including those with metabolic disorders, hematologic diseases, and malignancies, and in those who have undergone surgery. In addition, P. aeruginosa exhibits high intrinsic resistance to numerous antibiotics and tends to form biofilms rendering it even more refractory to treatment. Among the mechanisms used by P. aeruginosa to adapt to environmental stresses are those involving small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs), which are 40-500 nucleotides long and are ubiquitous in bacteria. sRNAs play important regulatory roles in various vital processes in diverse bacteria, with their quantity and diversity of regulatory functions exceeding those of proteins. In this study, we show that deletion of the sRNA, rgsA, decreased the growth rate of P. aeruginosa. Furthermore, ΔrgsA P. aeruginosa exhibited decreased ability to resist the stress induced by exposure to different concentrations and durations of peroxides in both planktonic and biofilm growth modes compared with the wild-type strain. These results highlight the role of rgsA in the defense of P. aeruginosa against oxidative stress.

DSG2 expression is correlated with poor prognosis and promotes early-stage cervical cancer.

BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis and developmental mechanism of early-stage (FIGO 2009 IA2-IIA2) cervical cancer (CC) remain unclear. Seeking novel molecular biomarkers based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) will facilitate the understanding of CC pathogenesis and help evaluate early-stage CC prognosis. METHODS: To identify prognosis-related genes in early-stage CC, we analyzed TCGA mRNA-seq data and clinical data by univariate Cox and Kaplan-Meier plotter analyses. Differential expression analysis identified upregulated genes in early-stage CC. Combined with the genes correlated with unfavorable prognosis, we selected desmoglein-2 (DSG2) for further investigation. To detect DSG2 expression in early-stage CC, we used immunohistochemistry (IHC), quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blotting. The relationship between the expression of DSG2 and clinical features was analyzed by the Chi square test. Cox analysis was applied to assess the relationship between CC overall survival (OS) and risk factors. The correlations between DSG2 expression and CC cell line proliferation and migration were investigated with Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and migration assays. RESULTS: There were 416 prognosis-related genes in early-stage CC. DSG2, matrix metallopeptidase 1 (MMP1), carbonic anhydrase IX (CA9), homeobox A1 (HOXA1), and serine protease inhibitor B3 (SERPINB3) were upregulated in early-stage CC compared with adjacent noncancerous tissue (ANT) and correlated with unfavorable prognosis. Among them, DSG2 was most significantly correlated with patient survival. Coexpression analysis indicated that DSG2 was probably involved in cell division, positive regulation of transferase activity, positive regulation of cell migration, EGFR upregulation pathway and regulation of lymphangiogenesis. IHC, qRT-PCR and western blotting showed that DSG2 expression was higher in CC than in normal tissue. Significant correlations were identified between DSG2 expression and several aggressive clinical features, including pelvic lymph node metastasis (PLNM). Multivariate Cox analysis showed that DSG2 and PLNM were independent prognostic factors for OS. DSG2 knockdown inhibited CC cell proliferation and migration. CONCLUSIONS: DSG2 is a biomarker that promotes tumor proliferation and metastasis and is correlated with poor prognosis in early-stage CC.

Obesity-associated secondary hypogonadism in young and middle-aged men in Guangzhou: A single-centre cross-sectional study.

AIM: Male obesity-associated secondary hypogonadism (MOSH) is becoming a public health issue. We aimed to know MOSH among young and middle-aged men in our hospital, to analyse their sex hormones and other index, and to determine leptin as a risk factor for MOSH. METHODS: In total, 258 men (ages ranging from 20 to 60, mean 38 ± 15) were enrolled in this study, and 242 of these men had their complete data, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and sex hormones retrospectively investigated. The leptin and lipid levels were also evaluated, and comparisons were made between young (20-39 years old) and middle-aged (40-60 years old) men. RESULTS: Among all the participants, 7 were thin, with a BMI < 18.5 kg/m2 , 95 had a normal BMI (18.5 ≤ BMI < 23.9 kg/m2 ), 87 (35.9%) were overweight (24 ≤ BMI ≤ 27.9 kg/m2 ) and 53 (21.9%) were obese (BMI ≥ 28 kg/m2 ), 173 (71.5%) had a waist sized ≥ 85 cm. Among the 242 men, 104 (43%) had hypogonadism (TT ≤ 331.412 ng/dL). Compared with the men of normal weight, the level of testosterone of the obese men decreased (P = .006), while the level of serum lipids (including total cholesterol, TG and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, P < .05) was elevated, higher UA, FSH and leptin were also present in the obese men. There were 83 (34.2%) men with MOSH. Compared with middle-aged men with MOSH, the FSH in young men was significantly reduced (P < .05); no significant increase in estradiol was observed in the MOSH group. The leptin levels in the MOSH group were significantly higher than those in the hypogonadism only group (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Obesity increases the prevalence of hypogonadism. The decrease in testosterone levels in young men maybe due to inhibition of the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis. Leptin is an independent risk factor for MOSH.

The influence of variables on the bioavailability of heavy metals during the anaerobic digestion of swine manure.

The speciation of heavy metals, besides the total concentrations, urgently need to be considered when assessing the eco-toxicity and the bioavailability of heavy metals in environment. This paper aims to investigate the distribution and chemical speciation (e.g. the acid extractable fraction (F1), the reducible fraction (F2), the oxidizable fraction (F3), and the residual fraction (F4)) of heavy metals during the anaerobic digestion process of swine manure. The majority of six heavy metals from the manure was located in biogas residue in the order of decreasing concentration Zn > Cu > Ni > As > Pb > Cd. The transformation of heavy metals among four fractions was observed during the digestion process, and the change of bioavailable fraction of Zn, Cu, Ni, Cd, As and Pb were 9.71%, -6.04%, -19.24%, 13.62%, -16.48% and -7.22%, respectively. The heat map of correlation coefficients and the stepwise linear regressions model were established to describe the correlation between the bioavailability of the metals and the given digestion variables to predict the influence of the selected variables on the bioavailability of heavy metals. The variations of heavy metal bioavailable fractions are attributed to three key digestion variables, NH4+-N concentration, CH4% in biogas daily yield and pH. These results provide a new perspective for analysis and control of heavy metals during the anaerobic digestion process.

Capsaicin suppressed activity of prostate cancer stem cells by inhibition of Wnt/ß-catenin pathway.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are considered as the origin and driving cells of cancer, and play a key role in the progress of cancer. Studies have shown that capsaicin exerted inhibitory effect on prostate cancer cells, however, the effects of capsaicin on prostate CSCs remain undefined. In the present study, we showed that capsaicin could downregulate prostate CSCs markers and inhibit the growth of PC-3 and DU145 prostate cancer stem cells. Further, we found capsaicin suppressed the expression of Wnt-2, p-GSK3ß and ß-catenin, along with downregulation of Wnt/ß-catenin pathway target genes c-myc and cyclinD1. Using LiCl, a activator of Wnt/ß-catenin pathway, we found activation of Wnt/ß-catenin pathway could ameliorate the downregulation of prostate CSCs markers and the growth inhibition induced by capsaicin in prostate cancer stem cells. Those data suggested that the inhibition effect of capsaicin on prostate cancer stem cells and the anti-cancer effect of capsaicin on prostate cancer stem cell may be mediated by Wnt/ß-catenin pathway. Findings from this study reveals for the first time the potential role and mechanisms of capsaicin on prostate cancer stem cells.

13.34 % Efficiency Non-Fullerene All-Small-Molecule Organic Solar Cells Enabled by Modulating the Crystallinity of Donors via a Fluorination Strategy.

Non-fullerene all-small-molecule organic solar cells (NFSM-OSCs) have shown potential as OSCs, owing to their high purity, easy synthesis and good reproducibility. However, challenges in the modulation of phase separation morphology have limited their development. Herein, two novel small molecular donors, BTEC-1F and BTEC-2F, derived from the small molecule DCAO3TBDTT, are synthesized. Using Y6 as the acceptor, devices based on non-fluorinated DCAO3TBDTT showed an open circuit voltage (Voc ) of 0.804 V and a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.64 %. Mono-fluorinated BTEC-1F showed an increased Voc of 0.870 V and a PCE of 11.33 %. The fill factor (FF) of di-fluorinated BTEC-2F-based NFSM-OSC was improved to 72.35 % resulting in a PCE of 13.34 %, which is higher than that of BTEC-1F (61.35 %) and DCAO3TBDTT (60.95 %). To our knowledge, this is the highest PCE for NFSM-OSCs. BTEC-2F had a more compact molecular stacking and a lower crystallinity which enhanced phase separation and carrier transport.

Modulation of miR-34a in curcumin-induced antiproliferation of prostate cancer cells.

Curcumin is a phytochemical which exhibits significant inhibitory effect in multiple cancers including prostate cancer. MicroRNA-34a (miR-34a) was found to be a master tumor suppressor miRNA and regulated the growth of cancer cells. To date, however, the role of miR-34a in the anticancer action of curcumin against prostate cancer has been rarely reported. In the present study, we showed that curcumin altered the expression of cell cycle-related genes (cyclin D1, PCNA, and p21) and inhibited the proliferation of prostate cancer cells. Furthermore, we found that curcumin significantly upregulated the expression of miR-34a, along with the downregulated expression of ß-catenin and c-myc in three prostate cancer cell lines. Inhibition of miR-34a activated ß-catenin/c-myc axis, altered cell cycle-related genes expression and significantly suppressed the antiproliferation effect of curcumin in prostate cancer cells. Findings from this study revealed that miR-34a plays an important role in the antiproliferation effect of curcumin in prostate cancer.

Design and Synthesis of Chiral oxa-Spirocyclic Ligands for Ir-Catalyzed Direct Asymmetric Reduction of Bringmann's Lactones with Molecular H2.

We herein present a facile and column-free synthetic route toward a structurally unique oxa-spirocyclic diphenol, termed as O-SPINOL. Features of the synthesis include the construction of the all-carbon quaternary center at an early stage, a key double intramolecular SNAr step to introduce the spirocycles and the feasibility of operating on >100 g scale. Both enantiomers of O-SPINOL can be easily accessed through optical resolution with l-proline by control of the solvent. The chiral tridentate ligand O-SpiroPAP derived from O-SPINOL has been successfully synthesized and applied in the iridium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of bridged biaryl lactones under mild reaction conditions, providing valuable and enantioenriched axially chiral molecules in excellent yields and enantioselectivities (up to 99% yield and >99% ee). This method represents a rare example of constructing axially chiral molecules by direct reduction of esters with H2.