The Clinical Value of Apparent Diffusion Coefficient of Readout Segmentation of Long Variable Echo Trains and Correlation With Ki-67 Expression in Distal Rectal Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to explore the clinical value of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) derived from the readout segmentation of long variable echo trains (RESOLVE) technique for identifying clinicopathologic features of distal rectal cancer and correlations between ADC and Ki-67 expression. METHODS: The data of 112 patients with a proven pathology of distal rectal cancer who underwent preoperative magnetic resonance imaging were retrospectively analyzed. The mean ADC value was measured using the "full-layer and center" method. Differences in ADC values and Ki-67 expression in different clinical stages, pathological types, and tumor differentiation were compared using analysis of variance. Correlations between ADC value and clinicopathologic features were assessed using Spearman correlation analysis. RESULTS: Interobserver agreement of confidence levels from 2 radiologists was excellent for ADC measurement ( k =  0.85). Patients with a lower clinical stage, well-differentiated adenocarcinomas, and a higher possibility of mucinous adenocarcinoma exhibited a positive correlation with higher ADC values, but these factors were negatively correlated with Ki-67 expression (all P < 0.05). We found that ADC value was negatively correlated with Ki-67 expression ( r = -0.62, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The ADC value generated by RESOLVE sequences was significantly associated with clinicopathologic features and Ki-67 expression in patients with distal rectal cancer in this study. Thus, the ADC value could be considered a new noninvasive imaging biomarker that could be helpful in predicting the biological properties of distal rectal cancer.

Pd/Co Catalyst with High Pd Atom Utilization Efficiency for Nitrobenzene Hydrogenation at Room Temperature: Experimental and DFT Studies.

Enhancing catalytic performance as well as reducing catalyst cost are the eternal pursuit for the catalysis community. Herein, a simple and effective palladium-doped cobalt (Pd/Co) catalyst with high Pd atom utilization efficiency was synthesized via galvanic replacement reaction for the selective hydrogenation of nitrobenzene with H2 at room temperature, delivering >99 % yield of aniline with up to 158 times higher catalytic activity than commercial palladium powder. Detailed characterizations and DFT calculations revealed that Co-Pd interaction leads to a decrease in electron density of Pd and the distance between Pd atoms that results in the enhanced catalytic performance. Further experiments indicated that the Pd/Co catalyst serves as a highly efficient, selective, and recyclable catalyst for a range of nitroarene substrates. This work might provide a green and sustainable methodology to design and synthesize highly active catalysts with high utilization efficiency of the noble metals in fundamental and applied research.

Characteristics of Marine Biomaterials and Their Applications in Biomedicine.

Oceans have vast potential to develop high-value bioactive substances and biomaterials. In the past decades, many biomaterials have come from marine organisms, but due to the wide variety of organisms living in the oceans, the great diversity of marine-derived materials remains explored. The marine biomaterials that have been found and studied have excellent biological activity, unique chemical structure, good biocompatibility, low toxicity, and suitable degradation, and can be used as attractive tissue material engineering and regenerative medicine applications. In this review, we give an overview of the extraction and processing methods and chemical and biological characteristics of common marine polysaccharides and proteins. This review also briefly explains their important applications in anticancer, antiviral, drug delivery, tissue engineering, and other fields.

Isolated ventricular apical hypoplasia: A report of four cases and literature review.

Isolated ventricular apical hypoplasia (IVAH) is a rare congenital cardiac anomaly, with clinical manifestations depending on the age of the patient, ranging from no symptoms in children to congestive heart failure or even malignant tachycardia in adults. Herein, we describe the clinical and anatomical findings in four cases with hypoplasia of the right or left ventricular apex, and we discuss the possible mechanisms and differential diagnosis of this malformation. Echocardiography is a rapidly accessible, low cost, noninvasive technique for the detection and evaluation of IVAH.

Up-regulation of DDIT4 predicts poor prognosis in acute myeloid leukaemia.

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor, DNA damage inducible transcript 4 (DDIT4), has inducible expression in response to various cellular stresses. In multiple malignancies, studies have shown that DDIT4 participates in tumorigenesis and impacts patient survival. We aimed to study the prognostic value of DDIT4 in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), which is currently unclear. Firstly, The Cancer Genome Atlas was screened for AML patients with complete clinical characteristics and DDIT4 expression data. A total of 155 patients were included and stratified according to the treatment modality and the median DDIT4 expression levels. High DDIT4 expressers had shorter overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) than the low expressers among the chemotherapy-only group (all P < .001); EFS and OS were similar in the high and low DDIT4 expressers of the allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) group. Furthermore, in the DDIT4high group, patients treated with allo-HSCT had longer EFS and OS than those who received chemotherapy alone (all P < .01). In the DDIT4low group, OS and EFS were similar in different treatment groups. Secondly, we analysed two other cytogenetically normal AML (CN-AML) cohorts derived from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, which confirmed that high DDIT4 expression was associated with poorer survival. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis showed that the genes related to DDIT4 expression were mainly concentrated in the acute and chronic myeloid leukaemia signalling pathways. Collectively, our study indicates that high DDIT4 expression may serve as a poor prognostic factor for AML, but its prognostic effects could be outweighed by allo-HSCT.

High expression of chaperonin-containing TCP1 subunit 3 may induce dismal prognosis in multiple myeloma.

The prognosis role of CCT3 in MM and the possible pathways it involved were studied in our research. By analyzing ten independent datasets (including 48 healthy donors, 2220 MM, 73 MGUS, and 6 PCL), CCT3 was found to express higher in MM than healthy donors, and the expression level was gradually increased from MGUS, SMM, MM to PCL (all P < 0.01). By analyzing three independent datasets (GSE24080, GSE2658, and GSE4204), we found that CCT3 was a significant indicator of poor prognosis (all P < 0.01). KEGG and GSEA analysis showed that CCT3 expression was associated with JAK-STAT3 pathway, Hippo signaling pathway, and WNT signaling pathway. In addition, different expressed genes analysis revealed MYC, which was one of the downstream genes regulated by JAK-STAT3 pathway, was upregulated in MM. This confirms that JAK-STAT3 signaling pathway may promote the progress of disease which was regulated by CCT3 expression. Our study revealed that CCT3 may play a supporting role at the diagnosis of myeloid, and high expression of CCT3 suggested poor prognosis in MM. CCT3 expression may promote the progression of MM mainly by regulating MYC through JAK-STAT3 signaling pathway.

Prognostic role of SCAMP family in acute myeloid leukemia.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a malignant disease of myeloid hematopoietic stem or progenitor cells characterized by abnormal proliferation of primary and immature myeloid cells in bone marrow and peripheral blood. Gene mutation and expression profiles can be used as prognosis predictors for different prognostic subgroups. Secretory carrier-associated membrane proteins (SCAMPs) are a multigenic family with five members and act as cell surface vectors in the post-Golgi recycling pathways in mammals. Nevertheless, the prognostic and clinical influence of SCAMP family has hardly ever been illustrated in AML. In our study, expression patterns of SCAMP family (SCAMP1-5) were analyzed in 155 AML patients which were extracted from the Cancer Genome Atlas database. In chemotherapy, only subgroup, higher SCAMP1 level was significantly associated with longer EFS and OS (all P = 0.002), and SCAMP1 was confirmed to be an independent favorable factor in un-transplanted patients by Multivariate analysis (all P < 0.05). Nevertheless, in the allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) treatment subgroup, none of the SCAMP genes had any effect on the clinical survival. Our study found that high expression level of SCAMP1 is a favorable prognostic factor in AML, but allo-HSCT may neutralize its prognostic effect.

Clinical and radiological changes of hospitalised patients with COVID-19 pneumonia from disease onset to acute exacerbation: a multicentre paired cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To analyse clinical and radiological changes from disease onset to exacerbation in coronavirus infectious disease-19 (COVID-19) patients. METHODS: We reviewed clinical histories of 276 patients with confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia and extracted data on patients who met the diagnostic criteria for COVID-19 severe/fatal pneumonia and had an acute exacerbation starting with mild or common pneumonia. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients were included. Of these, 8% were smokers, 54% had been to Wuhan, and 46% had comorbidities. Before acute exacerbation, elevated lactate dehydrogenase (232.9 ± 88.7) was present, and chest CT scans showed the number of involved lobes was 4 (2-5) and total CT score was 6 (2-8). Following acute exacerbation, patients were likely to have more clinical symptoms (p < 0.01) and abnormal laboratory changes (p < 0.01). The number of involved lobes and CT score after an exacerbation significantly increased to 5 (5-5) and 12 (9-14), respectively. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that, when the cutoff value of CT score was 5, the sensitivity and specificity for severe pneumonia were 90% and 70%, respectively. CT findings of ground glass opacity with consolidations (91.7%), bilateral distribution (100.0%), and multifocal lesion (100.0%) were features in found in patients after exacerbation. CONCLUSIONS: There are significant changes in clinical, laboratory, and CT findings in patients from disease onset to exacerbation. An increase in the number of involved lobes or an increased CT score from the baseline may predict poor clinical outcomes. Combining an assessment of CT changes with clinical and laboratory changes could help clinical teams evaluate the prognosis. KEY POINTS: • The common chest CT signs of COVID-19 pneumonia after exacerbation were ground glass opacity (GGO) with consolidation, bilateral distribution, and multifocal lesions. • An increase in number of involved lobes or an increased CT score from the baseline may predict a poor clinical outcome. • Worsened symptoms and abnormal laboratory results are also associated with poor prognosis.

Isolated right ventricular apical hypoplasia characterized by computed tomography and echocardiography.

Isolated right ventricular apical hypoplasia is an unusual congenital heart disease that has been mentioned in only one report to our knowledge. We describe the case of a 62-year-old male patient suffering from recurrent abdominal distention, nausea, and lower extremity edema. The right ventricular morphologic abnormalities as shown by echocardiography and CT were comparable to those of left ventricular apical hypoplasia, suggesting right ventricular apical hypoplasia. However, this speculative diagnosis remains to be confirmed by additional cases. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 46:82-84, 2018.

[Grading standard of processed Curcumae Radix].

As one of the three pillars of Chinese medicine industry, traditional Chinese medicines prepared in ready-to-use forms are important raw materials for clinical medication and production of Chinese patent drugs. By considering the literature of Curcumae Radix, a multi-source Chinese herb and the situation of market investigation, the modern evaluation method based on traditional grading was introduced for comprehensive evaluation of the processed Curcumae Radix. The correlation between traditional grading method and modern evaluation index was explored to establish the grading standard of Curcumae Radix. According to the comprehensive evaluation, Curcumae Radix was divided into four grades: superior, first, second and third grades under the guidance of the theory of traditional Chinese medicine. This study provides a new idea for the grading of multi-source processed Chinese medicine, achieving high quality and good price, which is helpful to improve the clinical efficacy.

Rechallenge and maintenance therapy using cetuximab and chemotherapy administered to a patient with metastatic colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Cetuximab combined with chemotherapy is one of the first-line treatments of metastatic colorectal cancer. Although disease progression inevitably occurs, rechallenge and maintenance therapies using cetuximab-based regimens may be beneficial, particularly for patients with wild-type (WT) KRAS. CASE PRESENTATION: A 47-year-old female patient who underwent right hemicolectomy presented with an ulcerative adenocarcinoma (grade 2) revealed by histopathological analysis. The patient received three cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy, but disease recurred 15 months later. Cetuximab and a FOLFOX-4 regimen were administered, followed by surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy that was administered for approximately one year. Three years after completing adjuvant therapy, her serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels rapidly increased, and enhanced computed tomography showed widespread metastases. Rechallenge with cetuximab and the FOLFIRI regimen was then initiated, and after 12 cycles, lesions in the lung and liver shrank significantly, and serum CEA levels dramatically declined. Maintenance therapy with cetuximab and capecitabine was then administered for 10 months until the metastatic lesions in the lung and liver enlarged. CONCLUSION: Rechallenge and maintenance therapy with cetuximab-based chemotherapy were relatively effective for managing a female patient with WT KRAS. Optimization of this strategy requires further in-depth investigations of more patients.

Construction of three-dimensional graphene interfaces into carbon fiber textiles for increasing deposition of nickel nanoparticles: flexible hierarchical magnetic textile composites for strong electromagnetic shielding.

Since manipulating electromagnetic waves with electromagnetic active materials for environmental and electric engineering is a significant task, here a novel prototype is reported by introducing reduced graphene oxide (RGO) interfaces in carbon fiber (CF) networks for a hierarchical carbon fiber/reduced graphene oxide/nickel (CF-RGO-Ni) composite textile. Upon charaterizations of the microscopic morphologies, electrical and magnetic properties, the presence of three-dimensional RGO interfaces and bifunctional nickel nanoparticles substantially influences the related physical properties in the resulting hierarchical composite textiles. Eletromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance suggests that the hierarchical composite textiles hold a strong shielding effectiveness greater than 61 dB, showing greater advantages than conventional polymeric and foamy shielding composites. As a polymer-free lightweight structure, flexible CF-RGO-Ni composites of all electromagnetic active components offer unique understanding of the multi-scale and multiple mechanisms in electromagnetic energy consumption. Such a novel prototype of shielding structures along with convenient technology highlight a strategy to achieve high-performance EMI shielding, coupled with a universal approach for preparing advanced lightweight composites with graphene interfaces.

Pneumopericardium as a rare complication after esophagopericardial fistula.

Pneumopericardium is a rare clinical entity which is often complicated by trauma. Pneumoperdicardium resulting after esophagopericardial fistula is much rarer. We present a case of pneumopericardium as the complication of esophagopericardial fistula in a 53-year-old man. After undergoing radiotherapy for 26 times, the patient got a fever and an unspecified thoracic pain. Echocardiography showed the rectilinear echoes in the pericardium. Chest computed tomography revealed pneumopericardium, pericardial effusion, recurrence of lung cancer, and pneumonia in right lower and left lung.

[Amplitude Changes of Low Frequency Fluctuation in Brain Spontaneous Nervous Activities Induced by Needling at Hand Taiyin Lung Channel].

OBJECTIVE: To observe amplitude changes of low frequency fluctuation in brain spontaneous nervous activities induced by needling at Hand Taiyin Lung Channel, and to preliminarily explore the possible brain function network of Hand Taiyin Lung Channel. METHODS: By using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), 16 healthy volunteers underwent resting-state scanning (R1) and scanning with retained acupuncture at Hand Taiyin Lung Channel (acupuncture, AP). Data of fMRI collected were statistically calculated using amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (ALFF). RESULTS: Under R1 significantly enhanced ALFF occurred in right precuneus, left inferior parietal lobule, bilateral superior temporal gyrus, bilateral middle frontal gyrus, left superior frontal gyrus, left inferior frontal gyrus, left medial frontal gyrus. Under AP significantly enhanced ALFF occurred in right precuneus, bilateral superior frontal gyrus, cerebellum, bilateral middle frontal gyrus, right medial frontal gyrus, and so on. Compared with R1, needing at Hand Taiyin Lung Channel could significantly enhance ALFF in right gyrus subcallosum and right inferior frontal gyrus. Significant decreased ALFF appeared in right postcentral gyrus, left precuneus, left superior temporal gyrus, left middle temporal gyrus, and so on. CONCLUSION: Needing at Hand Taiyin Lung Channel could significantly change fixed activities of cerebral cortex, especially in right subcallosal gyrus, right inferior frontal gyrus, and so on.

MicroRNA expression profiles in muscle-invasive bladder cancer: identification of a four-microRNA signature associated with patient survival.

Bladder cancer ranks the second most common genitourinary tract cancer, and muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) accounts for approximately 25 % of all bladder cancer cases with high mortality. In the current study, with a total of 202 treatment-naïve primary MIBC patients identified from The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset, we comprehensively analyzed the genome-wide microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles in MIBC, with the aim to investigate the relationship of miRNA expression with the progression and prognosis of MIBC, and generate a miRNA signature of prognostic capabilities. In the progression-related miRNA profiles, a total of 47, 16, 3, and 84 miRNAs were selected for pathologic T, N, M, and histologic grade, respectively. Of the eight most important progression-related miRNAs, four (let-7c, mir-125b-1, mir-193a, and mir-99a) were significantly associated with survival of patients with MIBC. Finally, a four-miRNA signature was generated and proven as a promising prognostic parameter. In summary, this study identified the specific miRNAs associated with the progression and aggressiveness of MIBC and a four-miRNA signature as a promising prognostic parameter of MIBC.

Biopolymer-Based Nanomedicine for Cancer Therapy: Opportunities and Challenges.

Cancer, as the foremost challenge among human diseases, has plagued medical professionals for many years. While there have been numerous treatment approaches in clinical practice, they often cause additional harm to patients. The emergence of nanotechnology has brought new directions for cancer treatment, which can deliver anticancer drugs specifically to tumor areas. This article first introduces the application scenarios of nanotherapies and treatment strategies of nanomedicine. Then, the noteworthy characteristics exhibited by biopolymer materials were described, which make biopolymers stand out in polymeric nanomedicine delivery. Next, we focus on summarizing the state-of-art studies of five categories of proteins (Albumin, Gelatin, Silk fibroin, Zein, Ferritin), nine varieties of polysaccharides (Chitosan, Starch, Hyaluronic acid, Dextran, cellulose, Fucoidan, Carrageenan, Lignin, Pectin) and liposomes in the field of anticancer drug delivery. Finally, we also provide a summary of the advantages and limitations of these biopolymers, discuss the prevailing impediments to their application, and discuss in detail the prospective research directions. This review not only helps readers understand the current development status of nano anticancer drug delivery systems based on biopolymers, but also is helpful for readers to understand the properties of various biopolymers and find suitable solutions in this field through comparative reading.

Bioinspired core-shell nanofiber drug-delivery system modulates osteogenic and osteoclast activity for bone tissue regeneration.

Osteogenic-osteoclast coupling processes play a crucial role in bone regeneration. Recently, strategies that focus on multi-functionalized implant surfaces to enhance the healing of bone defects through the synergistic regulation of osteogenesis and osteoclastogenesis is still a challenging task in the field of bone tissue engineering. The aim of this study was to create a dual-drug release-based core-shell nanofibers with the intent of achieving a time-controlled release to facilitate bone regeneration. We fabricated core-shell P/PCL nanofibers using coaxial electrospinning, where alendronate (ALN) was incorporated into the core layer and hydroxyapatite (HA) into shell. The surface of the nanofiber construct was further modified with mussel-derived polydopamine (PDA) to induce hydrophilicity and enhance cell interactions. Surface characterizations confirmed the successful synthesis of PDA@PHA/PCL-ALN nanofibers endowed with excellent mechanical strength (20.02 ± 0.13 MPa) and hydrophilicity (22.56°), as well as the sustained sequential release of ALN and Ca ions. In vitro experiments demonstrated that PDA-functionalized core-shell PHA/PCL-ALN scaffolds possessed excellent cytocompatibility, enhanced cell adhesion and proliferation, alkaline phosphatase activity and osteogenesis-related genes. In addition to osteogenesis, the engineered scaffolds also significantly reduced osteoclastogenesis, such as tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase activity and osteoclastogenesis-related gene expression. After 12-week of implantation, it was observed that PDA@PHA/PCL-ALN nanofiber scaffolds, in a rat cranial defect model, significantly promoted bone repair and regeneration. Microcomputed tomography, histological examination, and immunohistochemical analysis collectively demonstrated that the PDA-functionalized core-shell PHA/PCL-ALN scaffolds exhibited exceptional osteogenesis-inducing and osteoclastogenesis-inhibiting effects. Finally, it may be concluded from our results that the bio-inspired surface-functionalized multifunctional, biomimetic and controlled release core-shell nanofiber provides a promising strategy to facilitate bone healing.

Value of perfusion parameters from golden-angle radial sparse parallel dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in predicting pathological complete response after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer

PURPOSE: Non-invasive methods for predicting pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) can provide distinct leverage in the management of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). This study aimed to investigate whether including the golden-angle radial sparse parallel (GRASP) dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) perfusion parameter (Ktrans), in addition to tumor regression grading (TRG) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values, can improve the predictive ability for pCR. METHODS: Patients with LARC who underwent nCRT and subsequent surgery were included. The imaging parameters were compared between patients with and without pCR. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate the predictive ability of these parameters for pCR. RESULTS: A total of 111 patients were included in the study. A pCR was obtained in 32 patients (28.8%). MRI-based TRG (mrTRG) showed a negative correlation with pCR (r = -0.61, P < 0.001), and the average ADC value showed a positive correlation with pCR (r = 0.62, P < 0.001). Before nCRT, Ktrans in the pCR group was significantly higher than in the non-pCR group (1.30 ± 0.24 vs. 0.88 ± 0.34, P < 0.001), but no difference was identified after nCRT. Following ROC curve analysis, the area under the curve (AUC) of mrTRG (level 1-2), average ADC value, and Ktrans value for predicting pCR were 0.738 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.65-0.82], 0.78 (95% CI: 0.69-0.86), and 0.84 (95% CI: 0.77-0.92), respectively. The model combining the three parameters had significantly higher predictive ability for pCR (AUC: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.88-0.98). CONCLUSION: The use of a combination of the GRASP DCE-MRI Ktrans with mrTRG and ADC can lead to a better pCR predictive performance.

Preparation and evaluation of decellularized epineurium as an anti-adhesive biofilm in peripheral nerve repair.

Following peripheral nerve anastomosis, the anastomotic site is prone to adhesions with surrounding tissues, consequently impacting the effectiveness of nerve repair. This study explores the development and efficacy of a decellularized epineurium as an anti-adhesive biofilm in peripheral nerve repair. Firstly, the entire epineurium was extracted from fresh porcine sciatic nerves, followed by a decellularization process. The decellularization efficiency was then thoroughly assessed. Subsequently, the decellularized epineurium underwent proteomic analysis to determine the remaining bioactive components. To ensure biosafety, the decellularized epineurium underwent cytotoxicity assays, hemolysis tests, cell affinity assays, and assessments of the immune response following subcutaneous implantation. Finally, the functionality of the biofilm was determined using a sciatic nerve transection and anastomosis model in rats. The result indicated that the decellularization process effectively removed cellular components from the epineurium while preserving a number of bioactive molecules, and this decellularized epineurium was effective in preventing adhesion while promoting nerve repairment and functional recovery. In conclusion, the decellularized epineurium represents a novel and promising anti-adhesion biofilm for enhancing surgical outcomes of peripheral nerve repair.

Dual-Effect Coupling for Superior Dielectric and Thermal Conductivity of Polyimide Composite Films Featuring "Crystal-Like Phase" Structure.

To match the increasing miniaturization and integration of electronic devices, higher requirements are put on the dielectric and thermal properties of the dielectrics to overcome the problems of delayed signal transmission and heat accumulation. Here, a 3D  porous thermal conductivity network is successfully constructed inside the polyimide (PI) matrix by the combination of ionic liquids (IL) and calcium fluoride (CaF2 ) nanofillers, motivated by the bubble-hole forming orientation force. Benefiting from the 3D thermal network formed by IL as a porogenic template and "crystal-like phase" structures induced by CaF2 - polyamide acid charge transfer, IL-10 vol% CaF2 /PI porous film exhibits a low permittivity of 2.14 and a thermal conductivity of 7.22 W m-1 K-1 . This design strategy breaks the bottleneck that low permittivity and high thermal conductivity in microelectronic systems are difficult to be jointly controlled, and provides a feasible solution for the development of intelligent microelectronics.