Etiological Survey and Traceability Analysis of a Foodborne Disease Outbreak of Salmonella Senftenberg in Guizhou Province.

To conduct a study that examined the molecular epidemiology and pathogenesis of Salmonella Senftenberg isolates associated with an outbreak of foodborne disease in Guizhou Province and to provide a reference basis for the traceability of foodborne salmonellosis outbreaks and clinical diagnosis and treatment in the province. Fourteen strains of suspected Salmonella isolated from patient stool and food samples were used for pathogenic identification and serotyping by biochemical and mass spectrometry methods. Fourteen types of antibiotics were tested for drug sensitivity by the microbroth dilution method, and molecular typing was performed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and whole genome sequencing (WGS). After the sequencing data were spliced by SPAdes, the gene protein sequences were compared with the Comprehensive Antibiotic Research Database and Virulence Factor Database, drug resistance and virulence genes were predicted, and whole genome multilocus sequence typing (wgMLST) was performed. The results were compared with those for Salmonella strains of the same serotype from the past 5 years in China detailed on the TraNet website. All 14 strains were identified as Salmonella Senftenberg (with the antigenic formula 1,3,19:g,s,t:-), and in the PFGE cluster tree, the strains were divided into two band types, with a similarity of 88.9%. The 14 strains were sensitive to the 14 antibiotics. WGS analysis showed that the 14 strains carried the same drug resistance and virulence genes and that all strains carried 3 aminoglycoside and lipopeptide drug resistance genes, including 114 virulence genes. The wgMLST results showed that the strains were distributed on the same small branch as those obtained from previous outbreaks of infection in Tianjin and Jilin. Salmonella Senftenberg, which caused the outbreak, carries a variety of virulence genes, which suggests that the strain is highly pathogenic. These pathogenic bacteria may be associated with the Salmonella strain in Tianjin, Jilin, and other places and have caused foodborne disease outbreaks as a result of imported contamination.

Combined Administration of Escitalopram Oxalate and Nivolumab Exhibits Synergistic Growth-Inhibitory Effects on Liver Cancer Cells through Inducing Apoptosis.

Liver cancer is one of the most lethal malignant cancers worldwide. However, the therapeutic options for advanced liver cancers are limited and reveal scant efficacy. The current study investigated the effects of nivolumab (Niv) and escitalopram oxalate (Esc) in combination on proliferation of liver cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. Significantly decreased viability of HepG2 cells that were treated with Esc or Niv was observed in a dose-dependent manner at 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h. Administration of Esc (50 µM) + Niv (20 µM), Esc (75 µM) + Niv (5 µM), and Esc (75 µM) + Niv (20 µM) over 24 h exhibited synergistic effects, inhibiting the survival of HepG2 cells. Additionally, treatment with Esc (50 µM) + Niv (1 µM), Esc (50 µM) + Niv (20 µM), and Esc (75 µM) + Niv (20 µM) over 48 h exhibited synergistic effects, inhibiting the survival of HepG2 cells. Finally, treatment with Esc (50 µM) + Niv (1 µM), Esc (50 µM) + Niv (20 µM), and Esc (75 µM) + Niv (20 µM) for 72 h exhibited synergistic effects, inhibiting HepG2 survival. Com-pared with controls, HepG2 cells treated with Esc (50 µM) + Niv (20 µM) exhibited significantly increased sub-G1 portion and annexin-V signals. In a xenograft animal study, Niv (6.66 mg/kg) + Esc (2.5 mg/kg) significantly suppressed the growth of xenograft HepG2 tumors in nude mice. This study reports for the first time the synergistic effects of combined administration of Niv and Esc for inhibiting HepG2 cell proliferation, which may provide an alternative option for liver cancer treatment.

Lelliottia steviae sp. nov. isolated from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni.

A Gram-negative, aerobic, chemoheterotrophic, rod-shaped, and motile bacterium, designated as LST-1T, was isolated from wild Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni and subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic analysis. The LST-1 strain grew optimally at 37 °C and pH 6.0-7.0 in the presence of 0.5% (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rDNA sequence indicated that LST-1 is closely related to Lelliottia jeotgali PFL01T (99.85%), Lelliottia nimipressuralis LMG10245T (98.82%), and Lelliottia amnigena LMG2784T (98.54%). Multi-locus sequence typing of concatenated partial atpD, infB, gyrB, and rpoB genes was performed to improve the resolution, and clear distinctions between the closest related type strains were observed. The results of average nucleotide identify analyses and DNA-DNA hybridization with four species (16S rDNA similarity > 98.65%) were less than 90 and 40%, respectively, verifying the distinct characteristics from other species of Lelliottia. The cellular fatty acid profile of the strain consisted of C16:0, Summed Feature3, and Summed Feature8 (possibly 16:1 w6c/16:1 w7c and 18:1 w6c) as major components. The major polar lipids included phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, an aminophospholipid, three non-characteristic phospholipids, and a non-characteristic lipid. The genome of LST-1T was 4,611,055 bp in size, with a G + C content of 55.02%. The unique combination of several phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, and genomic characteristics proved that strain LST-1T belongs to a novel species, for which the name Lelliottia steviae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is LST-1T (= CGMCC 1.19175T = JCM 34938T).Repositories: The genbank accession numbers for the 16S rRNA gene and genome sequences of strain LST-1T are MZ497264 and CP063663, respectively.

Topological boundary states of two-dimensional restricted isosceles triangular photonic crystals.

We propose an all-media photonic crystal (PC) composed of isosceles triangle dielectric cylinders that realizes the topological phase transition by simply rotating the isosceles triangular dielectric cylinders. Additionally, the topological phase transition is closely linked with the size parameters and rotation angle of the isosceles triangle. The topological boundary states with lossless transmission are constructed on the interface of two different topological structures, and the optical quantum spin Hall effect is simulated. Further, we verified that the boundary state is unidirectional and immune to disorder, cavity, and sharp bend defects. By rotating the angle of the triangle to control the transmission path of the pseudo-spin state, we realize diverse transport pathways of light, such as the "straight line" shape, "Z" shape, "U" shape, and "Y" shape. This topological system shows a higher degree of freedom, which can promote the research on topological boundary states and the development of topological insulators in practical applications.

Synergistic Effects of the Combinational Use of Escitalopram Oxalate and 5-Fluorouracil on the Inhibition of Gastric Cancer SNU-1 Cells.

Owing to its high recurrence rate, gastric cancer (GC) is the leading cause of tumor-related deaths worldwide. Besides surgical treatment, chemotherapy is the most commonly used treatment against GC. However, the adverse events associated with chemotherapy use limit its effectiveness in GC treatment. In this study, we investigated the effects of using combinations of low-dose 5-fluorouracil (5-FU; 0.001 and 0.01 mM) with different concentrations of escitalopram oxalate (0.01, 0.02, 0.06, and 0.2 mM) to evaluate whether the assessed combination would have synergistic effects on SNU-1 cell survival. 5-FU (0.01 mM) + escitalopram oxalate (0.02 mM) and 5-FU (0.01 mM) + escitalopram oxalate (0.06 mM) administered over 24 h showed synergistic effects on the inhibition of SNU-1 cell proliferation. Moreover, 5-FU (0.001 mM) + escitalopram oxalate (0.02 or 0.06 mM) and 5-FU (0.01 mM) + escitalopram oxalate (0.02, 0.06, or 0.2 mM) administered over 48 h showed synergistic effects on the inhibition of SNU-1 cell proliferation. Compared with controls, SNU-1 cells treated with 5-FU (0.01 mM) + escitalopram oxalate (0.02 mM) exhibited significantly increased levels of annexin V staining, reactive oxygen species, cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, and caspase-3 proteins. Furthermore, 5-FU (12 mg/kg) + escitalopram oxalate (12.5 mg/kg) significantly attenuated xenograft SNU-1 cell proliferation in nude mice. Our study is the first to report the synergistic effects of the combinational use of low-dose 5-FU and escitalopram oxalate on inhibiting SNU-1 cell proliferation. These findings may be indicative of an alternative option for GC treatment.

Protective Effect of Escitalopram on Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Inducing Autophagy.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive cancer with poor prognosis. Although recent research has indicated that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), including escitalopram, have anticancer effects, little is known about the effects of escitalopram on HCC. METHODS: Both in vitro and in vivo studies were conducted to verify the potentials of escitalopram on HCC treatment. To explore whether the effects of escitalopram are clinically consistent with laboratory findings, a nationwide population-based cohort study was also adopted to examine the association between escitalopram and HCC risk. RESULTS: As compared with THLE-3 cells, escitalopram significantly inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 and Huh-7 cells. Specifically, escitalopram significantly induced autophagy in HepG2 and Huh-7 cells by increasing the LC3-II/LC3-I ratio and the expression of ATG-3, ATG-5, ATG-7, and Beclin-1 proteins. Moreover, escitalopram significantly inhibited the growth of xenografted Huh-7 cells in SCID mice that were treated with 12.5 mg/kg escitalopram. Accordingly, the risk of HCC was negatively correlated with escitalopram use. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provided evidence supporting the therapeutic potential of escitalopram for HCC. Both laboratory and nationwide population-based cohort evidence demonstrated the attenuated effects of escitalopram on HCC.

Meta-analysis of vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms and benign prostatic hyperplasia risk.

The association between vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms and risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) has been investigated in numerous publications, but published results remain inconclusive. Hence, we conducted this meta-analysis to derive a more precise conclusion. Four polymorphisms (Taq-I, Bsm-I, Apa-I, and Fok-I) of the VDR gene with risk of BPH from six case-control studies and one cohort study involving 2,248 individuals were identified from PubMed and China National Knowledge Internet databases up to November 20, 2013 (updated on March 5, 2014). After data extraction, the meta-analysis was performed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software. All four VDR polymorphisms were not associated with the risk of BPH [Taq-I: OR 0.61, 95 % CI (0.38-1.24) for tt vs. TT; Bsm-I: OR 1.27, 95 % CI (0.96-1.69) for bb vs. BB; Apa-I: OR 1.26, 95 % CI (0.64-2.46) for aa vs. AA; Fok-I: OR 0.95, 95 % CI (0.60-1.50) for ff vs. FF]. Subgroup analysis according to ethnicity for Taq-I polymorphism also showed that the polymorphism was not associated with risk of BPH for either Caucasians [OR 0.74, 95 % CI (0.31-1.78) for tt vs. TT] or Asians [OR 0.35, 95 % CI (0.11-1.11) for tt vs. TT]. However, results of this meta-analysis should be treated with caution because this meta-analysis has several limitations. We propose to conduct a high-quality study with large sample size to further identify the association between VDR gene polymorphisms and BPH susceptibility.

Plasma Amino Acid Profile in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Southern China: Analysis of 110 Cases.

To retrospectively explore the characteristics of plasma amino acids (PAAs) in children with autism spectrum disorder and their clinical association via case-control study. A total of 110 autistic and 55 healthy children were recruited from 2014 to 2018. The clinical phenotypes included severity of autism, cognition, adaptability, and regression. Compared with the control group, autistic children had significantly elevated glutamate, γ-Amino-n-butyric acid, glutamine, sarcosine, δ-aminolevulinic acid, glycine and citrulline. In contrast, their plasma level of ethanolamine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, homocysteine, pyroglutamic acid, hydroxyproline, ornithine, histidine, lysine, and glutathione were significantly lower. Elevated neuroactive amino acids (glutamate) and decreased essential amino acids were mostly distinct characteristics of PAAs of autistic children. Increased level of tryptophan might be associated with severity of autism.

Association of Risperidone With Gastric Cancer: Triangulation Method From Cell Study, Animal Study, and Cohort Study.

Purpose: To examine the effects of risperidone, an atypical antipsychotic agent, on gastric cancer. Methods: A triangulation method comprising bench studies, including cell and animal experiments, and a retrospective cohort study, was subsequently performed. Results: The bench study indicated that risperidone exerted more prominent tumor inhibition effects than other atypical antipsychotics on the proliferation of KATO-III cells, a human gastric cancer cell line. Significant and dose-dependent cell viability was observed in Hs27 cells (control cells) in the presence of risperidone compared with in KATO-III cells. Both in vivo and in vitro results indicated that risperidone significantly inhibited the proliferation of KATO-III cells by inducing ROS and apoptosis, and that it suppressed the growth of xenografted KATO-III tumors in nude mice. In addition, the population-based cohort study found that risperidone users had reduced risks of gastric cancer compared with non-users, with lowered adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for two induction periods (HR = 0.75; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.68-0.83 for the one-year induction period, and HR = 0.68; 95% CI 0.61-0.75 for the two-year induction period). Conclusion: The findings are consistent with anticancer effects associated with risperidone, but further research and evaluations are warranted.

Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy Promotes Neural Remodeling and Functional Reorganization by Overcoming Nogo-A/NgR/RhoA/ROCK Signals in Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy Mice.

Background. Little is known about the induction of functional and brain structural reorganization in hemiplegic cerebral palsy (HCP) by constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT). Objective. We aimed to explore the specific molecular mechanism of functional and structural plasticity related to CIMT in HCP. Methods. The mice were divided into a control group and HCP groups with different interventions (unconstraint-induced movement therapy [UNCIMT], CIMT or siRNA-Nogo-A [SN] treatment): the HCP, HCP+UNCIMT, HCP+CIMT, HCP+SN, and HCP+SN+CIMT groups. Rotarod and front-limb suspension tests, immunohistochemistry, Golgi-Cox staining, transmission electron microscopy, and Western blot analyses were applied to measure motor function, neurons and neurofilament density, dendrites/axon areas, myelin integrity, and Nogo-A/NgR/RhoA/ROCK expression in the motor cortex. Results. The mice in the HCP+CIMT group had better motor function, greater neurons and neurofilament density, dendrites/axon areas, myelin integrity, and lower Nogo-A/NgR/RhoA/ROCK expression in the motor cortex than the HCP and HCP+UNCIMT groups (P < .05). Moreover, the expression of Nogo-A/NgR/RhoA/ROCK, the improvement of neural remodeling and motor function of mice in the HCP+SN group were similar to those in the HCP+CIMT group (P > .05). The neural remodeling and motor function of the HCP+SN+CIMT group were significantly greater than those in the HCP+SN and HCP+CIMT groups (P < .05). Motor function were positively correlated with the density of neurons (r = 0.450 and 0.309, respectively; P < .05) and neurofilament (r = 0.717 and 0.567, respectively; P < .05). Conclusions. CIMT might promote the remodeling of neurons, neurofilament, dendrites/axon areas, and myelin in the motor cortex by partially inhibiting the Nogo-A/NgR/RhoA/ROCK pathway, thereby promoting the improvement of motor function in HCP mice.

Phosphorylation of plasma membrane aquaporin PIP2;1 in C-terminal affects light-induced stomatal opening in Arabidopsis.

Guard cells undergo quick volume changes during stomatal movements. However, the contribution of aquaporins to stomatal movements has not been well understood. The plasma membrane aquaporin PIP2;1in Arabidopsis has been found to mediate abscisic acid-induced or flag22-induced stomatal closure. In this research, we investigated the role of PIP2;1 in light-induced stomatal opening by measuring the stomatal apertures of the pip2;1 mutant and PIP2;1 overexpression lines after light treatment. pip2;1 mutant exhibited a larger stomatal aperture, and the overexpression lines displayed a smaller stomatal aperture. It has been reported that the phosphorylation at Ser-280 and Ser-283 of PIP2;1 in rosette tissue increased in response to darkness, whereas osmotic water permeability (Pf) in mesophyll protoplasts in darkness was lower than that under light, suggesting that phosphorylation at Ser-280 and Ser-283 of PIP2;1 affected Pf in mesophyll protoplasts. Therefore, we obtained the pip2;1 mutant expressing phosphorylation-deficient (PIP2;1 AA) or phosphomimetic (PIP2;1 DD) forms of PIP2;1. The PIP2;1 AA lines exhibited a larger stomatal aperture as pip2;1 mutant, whereas PIP2;1 DD lines exhibited a smaller stomatal aperture as PIP2;1 overexpression lines under light. These results suggest that PIP2;1 plays a negative role in light-induced stomatal opening, and phosphorylation of PIP2;1 at Ser-280 and Ser-283 causes reduced water absorption in guard cells and decreased stomatal opening.

Screening and Functional Analysis of Hub MicroRNAs Related to Tumor Development in Colon Cancer.

Various microRNAs (miRNAs) are of importance in the development of colon cancer, but most of the mechanisms of the miRNAs are still unclear. In order to clarify the hub miRNAs and their roles in colon cancer development, GSE98406 was used to screen hub miRNAs by bioinformatics analysis. 46 DE-miRNAs (14 were upregulated and 32 were downregulated) and 1738 target genes of DE-miRNAs were ascertained. miRNAs-gene-networks and miRNAs-GO-networks were built to get more knowledge about the function of candidate miRNAs. After validation, three miRNAs (miR-17-5p, miR-182-5p and miR-200a-3p) were recognized to be hub miRNAs associated with the progression of colon cancer. More importantly, the hub miRNAs and the putative targets genes might be new diagnostic and therapeutic targets for colon cancer in the future.

Effects of hub genes on the clinicopathological and prognostic features of lung adenocarcinoma.

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a common malignancy; however, the majority of its underlying molecular mechanisms remain unknown. In the present study, weighted gene co-expression network analysis was applied to construct gene co-expression networks for the GSE19804 dataset, in order to screen hub genes associated with the pathogenesis of LUAD. In addition, with the aid of the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery, Gene Ontology, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, pathway enrichment analyses were performed on the genes in the selected module. Using the GSE40791 dataset and The Cancer Genome Atlas database, the hub genes were identified. It was discovered that the turquoise module was the most significant module associated with the tumor stage of LUAD. After performing functional enrichment analyses, it was indicated that the turquoise module was mainly enriched in signal transduction. Additionally, at the transcriptional and translational level, nine hub genes were identified and validated: Carbonic anhydrase 4 (CA4), platelet and endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1 (PECAM1), DnaJ member B4 (DNAJB4), advanced glycosylation end-product specific receptor (AGER), GTPase, IMAP family member 6 (GIMAP6), chromosome 10 open reading frame 54 (C10orf54), dedicator of cytokinesis 4 (DOCK4), Golgi membrane protein 1 (GOLM1) and platelet activating factor acetylhydrolase 1b catalytic subunit 3 (PAFAH1B3). CA4, PECAM1, DNAJB4, AGER, GIMAP6, C10orf54 and DOCK4 were expressed at lower levels in the tumor samples, whereas GOLM1 and PAFAH1B3 were highly expressed in tumor samples. In addition, all hub genes were associated with prognosis. In conclusion, one module and nine genes were recognized to be associated with the tumor stage of LUAD. These findings may enhance the understanding of the progression and prognosis of LUAD.

Analysis of the Interaction Network of Hub miRNAs-Hub Genes, Being Involved in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibers and Its Emerging Role in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fibrotic interstitial lung disease with lesions confined to the lungs. To identify meaningful microRNA (miRNA) and gene modules related to the IPF progression, GSE32537 (RNA-sequencing data) and GSE32538 (miRNA-sequencing data) were downloaded and processed, and then weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was applied to construct gene co-expression networks and miRNA co-expression networks. GSE10667, GSE70866, and GSE27430 were used to make a reasonable validation for the results and evaluate the clinical significance of the genes and the miRNAs. Six hub genes (COL3A1, COL1A2, OGN, COL15A1, ASPN, and MXRA5) and seven hub miRNAs (hsa-let-7b-5p, hsa-miR-26a-5p, hsa-miR-25-3p, hsa-miR-29c-3p, hsa-let-7c-5p, hsa-miR-29b-3p, and hsa-miR-26b-5p) were clarified and validated. Meanwhile, iteration network of hub miRNAs-hub genes was constructed, and the emerging role of the network being involved in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was also analyzed by several webtools. The expression levels of hub genes were different between normal lung tissues and NSCLC tissues. Six genes (COL3A1, COL1A2, OGN, COL15A1, ASPN, and MXRA5) and three miRNAs (hsa-miR-29c-3p, hsa-let-7c-5p, and hsa-miR-29b-3p) were related to the survival time of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). The interaction network of hub miRNAs-hub genes might provide common mechanisms involving in IPF and NSCLC. More importantly, useful clues were provided for clinical treatment of both diseases based on novel molecular advances.

Prognostic Factors Analysis and Nomogram Construction of Dual Primary Lung Cancer: A Population Study.

As a special type of lung cancer, multiple primary lung cancer (MPLC) has unique biological characteristics, and its research remains limited. The aim of our research was to identify prognostic factors and construct a prognostic nomogram of dual primary lung cancer (DPLC). A population cohort study of patients with DPLC was conducted using the extracted data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Relevant survival variables were identified using the Cox proportional hazard model. Prognostic nomogram was performed and its predictive performance was validated via the modeling and validating cohort data. Additionally, propensity score matching (PSM) was also applied to evaluate whether surgery affected the OS of this study population. 5411 eligible DPLC patients were included in this study cohort, with 41.0% of 3-year OS rate and 27.7% of 5-year OS rate. Age, sex, race, grade, stage, lymph node (LN) metastasis, histological type, primary site, and surgery were considered to be prognostic factors of OS. The C-indexes of the established nomogram were 0.70 (95% CI (0.69, 0.71)) in the modeling group and 0.70 (95% CI (0.68, 0.72)) in the validation group, which showed an ideal model discrimination ability. AUC and calibration plots of 3- and 5-year OS also proved the good performance of the established nomogram. After 1 : 1 PSM, surgery can potentially reduce the risk of OS (HR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.56-0.72) of DPLC. The prognostic nomogram with reliable performance was developed to predict 3- and 5-year OS rates, which could assist clinicians to make more reasonable survival prediction for DPLC patients. For patients without absolute surgical contraindications, surgery should be actively considered.

[Efficacy of Shenyi Capsule combined with gemcitabine plus cisplatin in treatment of advanced esophageal cancer: a randomized controlled trial].

BACKGROUND: In recent years, Shenyi Capsule has been proven to have certain anti-angiogenic effects, and to be effective to many cancers, but its effects on advanced esophageal cancer are scarcely studied. OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of Shenyi Capsule combined with gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GP) regimen in treatment of advanced esophageal cancer. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS: Sixty inpatients with advanced esophageal cancer from Henan Tumor Hospital, and the Fist Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were included and randomly divided into treatment group and control group. There were 30 cases in each group. Patients in the treatment group were treated with Shenyi Capsule combined with GP regimen, and patients in the control group were treated with GP regimen alone. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The total response rate was calculated. The level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), the chemotherapy side reaction and quality of life in the two groups were evaluated. The follow-up of survival time was conducted too. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in total response rate between the two groups (P=0.264). The levels of VEGF in the two groups were decreased as compared with that before the treatment. After treatment, the VEGF level in the treatment group was lower than that in the control group (P=0.002). The decline rates of white blood cell and blood platelet, and the incidence rate of nausea and vomiting in the treatment group were lower than those in the control group, and there were significant differences between the two groups (P=0.045, P=0.036, P=0.037). The quality of life of the patients in the treatment group was better than that in the control group (P=0.028), and one-year survival rate in the treatment group was higher than that in the control group (P=0.047). CONCLUSION: Shenyi Capsule combined with GP regimen is feasible and safe in treatment of advanced esophageal cancer, and the effects are better than chemotherapy alone. It can improve the total response rate, and is effective in inhibiting new angiogenesis of esophageal cancer, reducing chemotherapy side reaction, and improving the patients' quality of life and survival rates.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: enhancement patterns and quantitative parameters.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS), including the enhancement patterns and the quantitative parameters. METHODS: Having been scanned using conventional ultrasonography (US) and CEUS, every case was confirmed to be NPC under endoscopic biopsy, and no case received any anti-tumor treatment before CEUS examinations. Tumor/node/metastasis stages were determined in accordance with 2002 AJCC 6th edition. Contrast enhancement patterns and quantitative parameters were observed. RESULTS: CEUS imaging of NPC showed that the tumor signal intensity enhanced early, rapidly, and remarkably, and decreased slowly later. The patterns of enhancement included spot/linear enhancement, peripheral enhancement, and mass enhancement, and two types of time intensity curves of NPC included type I and type II. There was a significant difference between peak intensity (PI) and T stage (P<0.05), whereas time-to-peak (TP) and slope did not show significant differences with T stage (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: CEUS is feasible to be applied to the nasopharynx region. The use of CEUS makes it possible to observe vascular permeability of NPC. Our results suggest that the quantitative parameter PI of nasopharyngeal carcinoma is significantly different from T stages. Thus, PI may serve as a potential noninvasive radiological prognostic indicator for NPC.

An overview on the methodological and reporting quality of dose-response meta-analysis on cancer prevention.

BACKGROUND: Dose-response meta-analysis (DRMA) has been widely used in exploring cancer risk factors. Understanding the quality of published DRMAs on cancer risk factors may be beneficial for informed prevention for cancer. METHODS: We searched eligible DRMAs from 1st January 2011 to 31st-July-2017. The modified AMSTAR 1.0 (15 items) and PRISMA checklist (26 items) were used to evaluate the methodological and reporting quality of included DRMAs. We compared the adherence rate of these items by journal type, publication years, region, and funding information, in prior. RESULTS: We included 260 DRMAs. Colorectal, breast, prostate, and lung were the four most commonly investigated cancers. For methodological quality, 6 out of 15 items were adhered by less than 30% of the DRMAs, 2 by less than 60%, only 7 of which by 80% or more. For reporting quality, 3 out of 26 items were adhered by less than 30% of the DRMAs, 1 by less than 80% (> 30%), and 20 of which by 80% or more. Those published in general journal, published more recently, and received any financial support have better methodological (Rate differences, RDs = 10-36%; P < 0.05) and reporting adherence (RDs = 12-36%; P < 0.05). DRMAs by Asian author tend to be less qualified than by European and American. CONCLUSIONS: The methodological quality of DRMAs on cancer risk factors is worrisome that the findings of them may be deflective; more efforts are needed to improve the validity of it.

Fiber-based 1150-nm femtosecond laser source for the minimally invasive harmonic generation microscopy.

Harmonic generation microscopy (HGM) has become one unique tool of optical virtual biopsy for the diagnosis of cancer and the in vivo cytometry of leukocytes. Without labeling, HGM can reveal the submicron features of tissues and cells in vivo. For deep imaging depth and minimal invasiveness, people commonly adopt 1100- to 1300-nm femtosecond laser sources. However, those lasers are typically based on bulky oscillators whose performances are sensitive to environmental conditions. We demonstrate a fiber-based 1150-nm femtosecond laser source, with 6.5-nJ pulse energy, 86-fs pulse width, and 11.25-MHz pulse repetition rate. It was obtained by a bismuth borate or magnesium-doped periodically poled lithium niobate (MgO:PPLN) mediated frequency doubling of the 2300-nm solitons, generated from an excitation of 1550-nm femtosecond pulses on a large mode area photonic crystal fiber. Combined with a home-built laser scanned microscope and a tailor-made frame grabber, we achieve a pulse-per-pixel HGM imaging in vivo at a 30-Hz frame rate. This integrated solution has the potential to be developed as a stable HGM system for routine clinical use.

Androgen receptor gene polymorphisms and risk of prostate cancer: a meta-analysis.

Although the association between CAG and GGN repeats in the androgen receptor gene and prostate cancer risk has been widely studied, it remains controversial from previous meta-analyses and narrative reviews. Therefore, we performed this meta-analysis to provide more precise estimates with sufficient power. A total of 51 publications with 61 studies for CAG repeats and 14 publications with 16 studies for GGN repeats were identified in the meta-analysis. The results showed that short CAG repeats (<22 repeats) carriers presented an elevated risk of prostate cancer than long CAG repeats (≥22) carriers (OR = 1.31, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.47). Prostate cancer cases presented an average fewer CAG repeats (MD = -0.85, 95% CI -1.28 to -0.42) than controls. Short GGN repeats (≤16) carriers presented an increased risk of prostate cancer than long GGN repeats (>16) carriers (OR = 1.38, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.82). In subgroup analyses, the abovementioned significant association was predominantly observed in Caucasian populations. The meta-analysis showed that short CAG and GGN repeats in androgen receptor gene were associated with increased risk of prostate cancer, especially in Caucasians.