Multi-Selenophene Incorporated Thiazole Imide-Based n-Type Polymers for High-Performance Organic Thermoelectrics.

Developing polymers with high electrical conductivity (σ) after n-doping is a great challenge for the advance of the field of organic thermoelectrics (OTEs). Herein, we report a series of thiazole imide-based n-type polymers by gradually increasing selenophene content in polymeric backbone. Thanks to the strong intramolecular noncovalent N⋅⋅⋅S interaction and enhanced intermolecular Se⋅⋅⋅Se interaction, with the increase of selenophene content, the polymers show gradually lowered LUMOs, more planar backbone, and improved film crystallinity versus the selenophene-free analogue. Consequently, polymer PDTzSI-Se with the highest selenophene content achieves a champion σ of 164.0 S cm-1 and a power factor of 49.0 µW m-1 K-2 in the series when applied in OTEs after n-doping. The σ value is the highest one for n-type donor-acceptor OTE materials reported to date. Our work indicates that selenophene substitution is a powerful strategy for developing high-performance n-type OTE materials and selenophene incorporated thiazole imides offer an excellent platform in enabling n-type polymers with high backbone coplanarity, deep-lying LUMO and enhanced mobility/conductivity.

Functionalized Phenanthrene Imide-Based Polymers for n-Type Organic Thin-Film Transistors.

High-performing n-type polymers are crucial for the advance of organic electronics field, however strong electron-deficient building blocks with optimized physicochemical properties for constructing them are still limited. The imide-functionalized polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with extended π-conjugated framework, high electron deficiency and good solubility serve as promising candidates for developing high-performance n-type polymers. Among the PAHs, phenanthrene (PhA) features a well-delocalized aromatic π-system with multiple modifiable active sites . However, the PhA-based imides are seldom studied, mainly attributed to the synthetic challenge. Herein, we report two functionalized PhAs, CPOI and CPCNI, by simultaneously incorporating imide with carbonyl or dicyanomethylene onto PhA. Notably, the dicyanomethylene-modified CPCNI exhibits a well stabilized LUMO energy level (-3.84 eV), attributed to the synergetic inductive effect from imide and cyano groups. Subsequently, based on CPOI and CPCNI, two polymers PCPOI-Tz and PCPCNI-Tz were developed. Applied to organic thin-film transistors, owing to the strong electron-deficiency of CPCNI, polymer PCPCNI-Tz shows an improved electron mobility and largely decreased threshold voltage compared with PCPOI-Tz. This work affords two structurally novel electron-deficient building blocks and highlights the effectiveness of dual functionalization of PhAs with strong electron-withdrawing groups for devising n-type polymers.

Selenophene Substitution Enabled High-Performance n-Type Polymeric Mixed Ionic-Electronic Conductors for Organic Electrochemical Transistors and Glucose Sensors.

High-performance n-type polymeric mixed ionic-electronic conductors (PMIECs) are essential for realizing organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs)-based low-power complementary circuits and biosensors, but their development still remains a great challenge. Herein, by devising two novel n-type polymers (f-BTI2g-SVSCN and f-BSeI2g-SVSCN) containing varying selenophene contents together with their thiophene-based counterpart as the control, it is demonstrated that gradually increasing selenophene loading in polymer backbones can simultaneously yield lowered lowest unoccupied molecular orbital levels, boosted charge-transport properties, and improved ion-uptake capabilities. Therefore, a remarkable volumetric capacitance (C*) of 387.2 F cm-3 and a state-of-the-art OECT electron mobility (µe,OECT ) of 0.48 cm2 V-1 s-1 are synchronously achieved for f-BSeI2g-SVSCN having the highest selenophene content, yielding an unprecedented geometry-normalized transconductance (gm,norm ) of 71.4 S cm-1 and record figure of merit (µC*) value of 191.2 F cm-1 V-1 s-1 for n-type OECTs. Thanks to such excellent performance of f-BSeI2g-SVSCN-based OECTs, a glucose sensor with a remarkably low detection limit of 10 nMm and decent selectivity is further implemented, demonstrating the power of selenophene substitution strategy in enabling high-performance n-type PMIECs for biosensing applications.

Feasibility and performance of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease population screener and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease screening questionnaire in a Chinese physical examination center.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects up to 13% of the Chinese population, though it is under diagnosed throughout China. Screening among asymptomatic individual as part of routine health checks in China can facilitate early diagnosis and intervention to prevent disease progress. The COPD Population Screener (COPD-PS) or COPD Screening Questionnaire (COPD-SQ) has yet to be applied in Chinese physical examination centers (PECs) for COPD screening, and their feasibility and effectiveness should be clarified before full-scale implementation. This study is the first to apply the COPD-PS and COPD-SQ in a public hospital PEC in China to assess their feasibility and effectiveness and to identify their optimal cutoff values. Methods: People aged ≥40 years who attended the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University PECs from September 2021 to December 2022 were asked to complete the COPD-PS and COPD-SQ and to undergo spirometry. The optimal cutoff values of the two questionnaires at the maximal Youden index were found, and the sensitivity and specificity were calculated. Results: Data from 198 participants were analyzed; mean [standard deviation (SD)] age of patients was 63.52 (10.94) years. Twenty-five participants (12.63%) were diagnosed with COPD. The number of COPD patients classified as Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) grades 1 to 4 were 8, 12, 4, and 1, respectively. The area under the curves (AUCs) of the COPD-PS and COPD-SQ were 0.730 and 0.738, respectively. The optimal COPD-PS cutoff value of 4 points corresponded to a sensitivity of 72.00% and a specificity of 60.10%. The COPD-SQ optimal cutoff value of 15 points corresponded to a sensitivity of 76.00% and a specificity of 63.60%. Conclusions: Applying the COPD-PS and COPD-SQ in Chinese PECs is feasible, cost-effective and effective. COPD-PS and COPD-SQ can facilitate the early diagnosis of COPD, and whether they can improve the participants' quality of life would benefit a further study. It is recommended that the COPD-PS or COPD-SQ questionnaires be added to the screening of the physical examination program in PECs as part of health checks for people over 40 years old.

Pan-Cancer Analysis and Validation of Opioid-Related Receptors Reveals the Immunotherapeutic Value of Toll-Like Receptor 4.

Introduction: The relationship between the expression of opioid-associated receptors and cancer outcomes is complex and varies among studies. Methods: This study focused on six opioid-related receptors (OPRM1, OPRD1, OPRK1, OPRL1, OGFR, and TLR4) and their impact on cancer patient survival. Bioinformatics analysis was conducted on 33 cancer types from The Cancer Genome Atlas database to examine their expression, clinical correlations, mechanisms in the tumor microenvironment, and potential for immunotherapy. Due to significantly lower expression of OPRM1, OPRD1, and OPRK1 compared to OGFR and TLR4, the analysis concentrated on the latter two genes. Results: OGFR was highly expressed in 16 tumor types, while TLR4 showed low expression in 13. Validation from external samples, the Gene Expression Omnibus, and the Human Protein Atlas supported these findings. The diagnostic value of these two genes was demonstrated using the Genotype-Tissue Expression database. Univariate Cox regression models and Kaplan-Meier curves confirmed OGFR's impact on prognosis in a cancer type-specific manner, while high TLR4 expression was associated with a favorable prognosis. Analysis of the tumor microenvironment using a deconvolution algorithm linked OGFR to CD8+ T cells and TLR4 to macrophages. Single-cell datasets further validated this correlation. In 25 immune checkpoint blockade treatment cohorts, TLR4 expression showed promise as an immunotherapy efficacy predictor in non-small cell lung cancer, urothelial carcinoma, and melanoma. Conclusion: In a pan-cancer analysis of 33 tissues, OGFR was consistently highly expressed, while TLR4 had low expression. Both genes have diagnostic and prognostic significance and are linked to immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. TLR4 has potential as an immunotherapeutic response marker.

Preoperative Abdominal Muscle Elongation Facilitated Laparoscopic Intraperitoneal Onlay Mesh Repair of Complex Ventral Hernia.

Background: Complex ventral hernia remains a challenging situation for any surgeon. In this study, our aim was to analyze the effect of laparoscopic intraperitoneal onlay mesh (IPOM) repair in the treatment of complex abdominal wall hernia, with the assistance of preoperative progressive pneumoperitoneum (PPP) and botulinum toxin A (BTA). Methods: In this retrospective study, we included 13 patients with complex ventral hernia between May 2021 and December 2022. All patients undergoing PPP and BTA protocol before hernia repair. The length of abdominal wall muscles and abdominal circumference were measured from CT scan. All hernias were repaired with laparoscopic or laparoscopic-assisted IPOM. Results: Thirteen patients received PPP and BTA injections. PPP and BTA administration time was over 8.8 ± 2.5 days. Before and after PPP and BTA, imaging showed that the length of lateral muscle on each side increased from 14.3 to 17.4 cm (P < .05). The abdominal circumference increased from 81.8 to 87.9 cm (P < .05). Complete fascial closure was obtained in 13 patients (100%), and no patient experienced postoperative abdominal hypertension and ventilatory support. No patient suffered from recurrent hernia to date. Conclusions: Preoperative PPP combined with BTA injection plays a role similar to component separation technique, avoids the abdominal hypertension after laparoscopic IPOM repair of complex ventral hernia.

Association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms on chromosome 1p22 and 20q12 and nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate: new data in Han Chinese and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCL/P) is a common congenital malformation associated with genetic and environmental risk factors. A recent genome-wide association study identified two novel susceptibility loci on chromosomes 1p22 and 20q12; however, conflicting results, especially for 1p22, have been reported in Han Chinese population. The aims of this study were to replicate this association with risk of NSCL/P in the southern Han Chinese population and to discern the effect of these loci by a meta-analysis. METHODS: To this end, 305 patients with NSCL/P, 356 phenotypically normal controls, and an additional 176 case-parent trios were recruited. Four of the previously associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Furthermore, two published datasets were combined with the present results to determine the precise roles of the loci. RESULTS: SNPs (rs6072081, rs13041247, and rs6102085) on 20q12 were found to be strongly associated with NSCL/P (Bonferroni-corrected and χ(2) test; p values < 0.05). Subsequent analysis of the case-parent trio provided similar results. However, neither the association study nor the trio analysis supported a causative role for SNP rs560426 on 1p22 in NSCL/P susceptibility. Stratified meta- analysis combining Chinese samples supported our findings. CONCLUSIONS: This cross-validation study confirmed the previous findings that SNPs in 20q12 are associated with NSCL/P in Han Chinese population. We further conclude that rs560426 on 1p22 might not have a major influence on susceptibility to NSCL/P in southern Han Chinese, but future studies with other Han Chinese populations are needed.

A novel senescence-related lncRNA signature that predicts prognosis and the tumor microenvironment in patients with lung adenocarcinoma.

Background: Cellular senescence has recently been considered a new cancer hallmark. However, the factors regulating cellular senescence have not been well characterized. The aim of this study is to identify long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) associated with senescence and prognosis in patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Methods: Using RNA sequence data from the Cancer Genome Atlas Lung Adenocarcinoma (TCGA-LUAD) and senescence genes from the CellAge database, a subset of senescence-related lncRNAs was first identified. Then, using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, a senescence lncRNA signature (LUADSenLncSig) associated with LUAD prognosis was developed. Based on the median LUADSenLncSig risk score, LUAD patients were divided into high-risk and low-risk groups. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to compare the overall survival (OS) in the high- and low-risk score subgroups. Differences in Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), immune infiltration, tumor mutation burden (TMB), tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE) module score, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy selection were also compared between the high-risk and low-risk groups. Results: A prognostic risk model was obtained consisting of the following nine senescence-related lncRNAs: LINC01116, AC005838.2, SH3PXD2A-AS1, VIMS-AS1, SH3BP5-AS1, AC092279.1, AC026355.1, AC027020.2, and LINC00996. The LUADSenLncSig high-risk group was associated with poor OS (hazard ratio = 1.17, 95% confidence interval = 1.102-1.242; p < 0.001). The accuracy of the model was further supported based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC), principal component analysis (PCA), and internal validation cohorts. In addition, a nomogram was developed consisting of LUADSenLncSig for LUAD prognosis, which is consistent with the actual probability of OS. Furthermore, immune infiltration analysis showed the low-risk group had a stronger anti-tumor immune response in the tumor microenvironment. Notably, the levels of immune checkpoint genes such as CTLA-4, PDCD-1, and CD274, and the TIDE scores were significantly higher in the low-risk subgroups than in high-risk subgroups (p < 0.001). This finding indicates the LUADSenLncSig can potentially predict immunotherapy efficacy. Conclusion: In this study, a lncRNA signature, LUADSenLncSig, that has dual functions of senescence phenotype identification and prognostic prediction as well as the potential to predict the LUAD response to immunotherapy was developed.

The development and validation of a novel senescence-related long-chain non-coding RNA (lncRNA) signature that predicts prognosis and the tumor microenvironment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: The epigenetic regulators of cellular senescence, especially long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), remain unclear. The expression levels of lncRNA were previously known to be prognostic indicators for tumors. We hypothesized that lncRNAs regulating cellular senescence could also predict prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and developed a novel lncRNA predictive signature. Methods: Using RNA sequencing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma (TCGA-LIHC) database, a co-expression network of senescence-related messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and lncRNAs was constructed. Using univariate Cox regression analysis and a stepwise multiple Cox regression analysis, we constructed a prognostic HCC senescence-related lncRNA signature (HCCSenLncSig). Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to compare the overall survival (OS) of high- and low-risk groups stratified by the HCCSenLncSig. Furthermore, the HCCSenLncSig risk score and other clinical characteristics were included to develop an HCC prognostic nomogram. The accuracy of the model was evaluated by the time dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and calibration curves, respectively. Results: We obtained a prognostic risk model consisting of 8 senescence-related lncRNAs: AL117336.3, AC103760.1, FOXD2-AS1, AC009283.1, AC026401.3, AC021491.4, AC124067.4, and RHPN1-AS1. The HCCSenLncSig high-risk group was associated with poor OS [hazard ratio (HR) =1.125, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.082-1.169; P<0.001]. The accuracy of the model was further supported by ROC curves (the area under the curve is 0.783, sensitivity of 0.600, and specificity of 0.896 at the cut-off value of 1.447). The HCCSenLncSig was found to be an independent prognostic factor from other clinical factors in both univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. The prognostic nomogram shows HCCSenLncSig has a good prognostic effect for survival risk stratification. Finally, we found that a higher number of immunosuppressed Treg cells infiltrate in high-risk patients (P<0.001 compared to low-risk patients), possibly explaining why these patients have a poor prognosis. On the other hand, the expression of immunotherapy markers, such as CD276, PDCD1, and CTLA4, was also up-regulated in the high-risk patients, indicating potential immunotherapy response in these patients. Conclusions: The development of HCCSenLncSig allows us to better predict HCC patients' survival outcomes and disease risk, as well as contribute to the development of novel HCC anti-cancer therapeutic strategies.

Application of a New Mesh Fixation Method in Laparoscopic Incisional Hernia Repair.

Laparoscopic incisional hernia repair using intraperitoneal onlay mesh (IPOM) is one of the most widely used minimally invasive methods for repairing incisional hernias. The laparoscopic IPOM involves implanting the mesh into the abdominal cavity through laparoscopy to repair an abdominal wall hernia. In the IPOM surgery, after the closure of the hernia ring, an anti-adhesion mesh is placed laparoscopically. The correct placement of this mesh is critical to the success of the method, and surgical skills are required to achieve perfect placement. If the mesh placement is not mastered properly, the operation and anesthesia time will be prolonged. In addition, improper placement of the mesh can lead to serious consequences, such as intestinal obstruction and mesh infection. A "contraposition and alignment" mesh fixation method is described in this study, which involves pre-marking the fixation position of the mesh to reduce the difficulty of mesh placement. A properly placed mesh is completely flat on the peritoneum, the edges are not curled or wrapped, and the mesh is adhered firmly such that there is no displacement after removing the pneumoperitoneum pressure. The "contraposition and alignment" mesh fixation technique offers the advantages of reliable placement of the mesh and fewer complications than other techniques, and it is easy to learn and master. It also allows for positioning the nail gun in advance based on the anatomy of the incisional hernia. This enables the use of the minimum number of nails possible while still ensuring good fixation, which can reduce the occurrence of complications and reduce the cost of surgery. Thus, the mesh fixation method described here is highly suitable for clinical applications based on the aforementioned advantages.

Cuproptosis-related long non-coding RNAs model that effectively predicts prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Cuproptosis has recently been considered a novel form of programmed cell death. To date, long-chain non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) crucial to the regulation of this process remain unelucidated. AIM: To identify lncRNAs linked to cuproptosis in order to estimate patients' prognoses for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Using RNA sequence data from The Cancer Genome Atlas Live Hepatocellular Carcinoma (TCGA-LIHC), a co-expression network of cuproptosis-related genes and lncRNAs was constructed. For HCC prognosis, we developed a cuproptosis-related lncRNA signature (CupRLSig) using univariate Cox, lasso, and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to compare overall survival among high- and low-risk groups stratified by median CupRLSig risk score. Furthermore, comparisons of functional annotation, immune infiltration, somatic mutation, tumor mutation burden (TMB), and pharmacologic options were made between high- and low-risk groups. RESULTS: Three hundred and forty-three patients with complete follow-up data were recruited in the analysis. Pearson correlation analysis identified 157 cuproptosis-related lncRNAs related to 14 cuproptosis genes. Next, we divided the TCGA-LIHC sample into a training set and a validation set. In univariate Cox regression analysis, 27 LncRNAs with prognostic value were identified in the training set. After lasso regression, the multivariate Cox regression model determined the identified risk equation as follows: Risk score = (0.2659 × PICSAR expression) + (0.4374 × FOXD2-AS1 expression) + (-0.3467 × AP001065.1 expression). The CupRLSig high-risk group was associated with poor overall survival (hazard ratio = 1.162, 95%CI = 1.063-1.270; P < 0.001) after the patients were divided into two groups depending upon their median risk score. Model accuracy was further supported by receiver operating characteristic and principal component analysis as well as the validation set. The area under the curve of 0.741 was found to be a better predictor of HCC prognosis as compared to other clinicopathological variables. Mutation analysis revealed that high-risk combinations with high TMB carried worse prognoses (median survival of 30 mo vs 102 mo of low-risk combinations with low TMB group). The low-risk group had more activated natural killer cells (NK cells, P = 0.032 by Wilcoxon rank sum test) and fewer regulatory T cells (Tregs, P = 0.021) infiltration than the high-risk group. This finding could explain why the low-risk group has a better prognosis. Interestingly, when checkpoint gene expression (CD276, CTLA-4, and PDCD-1) and tumor immune dysfunction and rejection (TIDE) scores are considered, high-risk patients may respond better to immunotherapy. Finally, most drugs commonly used in preclinical and clinical systemic therapy for HCC, such as 5-fluorouracil, gemcitabine, paclitaxel, imatinib, sunitinib, rapamycin, and XL-184 (cabozantinib), were found to be more efficacious in the low-risk group; erlotinib, an exception, was more efficacious in the high-risk group. CONCLUSION: The lncRNA signature, CupRLSig, constructed in this study is valuable in prognostic estimation of HCC. Importantly, CupRLSig also predicts the level of immune infiltration and potential efficacy of tumor immunotherapy.

A novel senescence-associated LncRNA signature predicts the prognosis and tumor microenvironment of patients with colorectal cancer: a bioinformatics analysis.

Background: Accumulating evidence suggests that cellular senescence promotes tumor formation and that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) expression predicts tumor prognosis. However, senescence-related variables, particularly lncRNAs, are still largely unknown. Therefore, the present study developed a novel senescence-associated lncRNA signature to predict colorectal cancer (CRC) prognosis. Methods: A co-expression network of senescence-associated mRNAs and lncRNAs was built using RNA-sequence data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). By using the prognosis outcomes data of overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) from TCGA, we constructed a prognostic senescence-associated lncRNA signature (SenALSig). The OS and DFS were compared between the low- and high- risk groups defined by SenALSig. A single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) and CIBERSORT algorithm were used to investigate the relationship between the predictive signature and immune status. Finally, the relationship between SenALSig and drug treatment options was investigated. An independent CRC cohort and three CRC cell lines were recruited to perform real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis to validate the results discovered in silico. Results: A prognostic risk model consisting of six senescence-associated lncRNAs was constructed, including SNHG16, AL590483.1, ZEB1-AS1, AC107375.1, AC068580.3, and AC147067.1. High-risk scores according to the SenALSig were significantly associated with poor OS (hazard ratio =1.218, 95% confidence interval: 1.140-1.301; P<0.001). The model's accuracy was further supported by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves (the area under the curve is 0.714) and a principal component analysis (PCA). In univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, SenALSig was further found to be a prognostic factor independent of other clinical factors. Furthermore, we discovered that immune checkpoint expression and response to chemotherapy and targeted therapy differed significantly between the SenALSig-stratified high- and low-risk groups. Finally, the qPCR results revealed that the expression levels of the six senescence-associated lncRNAs differed significantly between tumor and normal tissues and between the CRC cell lines and a normal human colon mucosal epithelial cell line. Conclusions: SenALSig can better predict survival and risk in CRC patients, as well as help develop new anti-cancer treatment strategies for CRC.

Botulinum Toxin A Facilitated Laparoscopic Repair of Complex Ventral Hernia.

Background: Complex ventral hernia repair can be challenging despite the recent advances in surgical techniques. Here, we aimed to examine the effectiveness of preoperative combined use of botulinum toxin A (BTA) and preoperative progressive pneumoperitoneum (PPP) for surgical preparation of patients with complex ventral hernia. Methods: In this prospective, observational study, we included 22 patients with complex ventral hernia between January 2018 and May 2021. All patients were treated with BTA injections into the lateral abdominal muscles and PPP before hernia repair. The lengths of abdominal wall muscles, the volumes of the incisional hernia (VIH), the volumes of the abdominal cavity (VAC), and the VIH/VAC ratio were measured before and after BTA and PPP using abdominal CT scan. All Hernias were repaired using laparoscopic intra-peritoneal onlay mesh (IPOM) or laparoscopic-open-laparoscopic (LOL) techniques. Results: Imaging showed a significant increase in the mean lateral abdominal muscle length from 13.1 to 17.2 cm/side (p < 0.01). Before and after BTA and PPP, the mean VIH was 894 cc and 1209 cc (P < 0.01), and the mean VAC was 6,692 cc and 9,183 cc (P < 0.01). The VAC increased by 2,491 cc (P < 0.01) and was greater than the mean VIH before PPP. An average reduction of 0.9% of the VIH/VAC ratio after BTA and PPP was obtained (p > 0.05). All hernias were surgically reduced with mesh, hernia recurrence occurred in only two patients. Conclusions: The preoperative combined use of PPP and BTA increased the abdominal volume, lengthened the laterally retracted abdominal muscles, and facilitated laparoscopic closure of large complex ventral hernia.

Application of Straight-needle, Three-tailed, Knot-free, Peritoneal Sutures in Laparoscopic Transabdominal Preperitoneal Hernia Repair.

Laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal hernia repair (TAPP) is one of the most widely used methods in inguinal hernia surgery. After the mesh is placed, the peritoneum must be resutured to avoid contact with the tissues and organs in the abdominal cavity. If the peritoneal suture time is too long, the operation and anesthesia time will be prolonged, increasing the burden on the patient. Moreover, improper suture methods cause serious consequences, such as intestinal obstruction and mesh infection. The straight-needle suture method transforms the three-dimensional spatial configuration of the needle holder and the arc needle tip into a two-dimensional planar structure, which greatly reduces the difficulty of suturing. The three-tailed knot can be anchored at the beginning of the suture by its friction and button effect, which has an exact fixation effect. Thus, the suture does not easily slip, and the time to complete the suturing is shortened. Compared with the traditional suture method, the operator can suture the peritoneum more quickly, beginners can pass through the difficult learning curve faster, and skilled operators can also shorten the total operation time of TAPP to a certain extent. Thus, this suture method is extremely amenable to clinical application.

CircRNA hsa_circ_0004771 promotes esophageal squamous cell cancer progression via miR-339-5p/CDC25A axis.

Aim: The role of circRNAs in esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC) remains unclear. Materials & methods: Here we profiled six pair plasma circRNA in ESCC based on RNA sequencing, and then verified the elevation of hsa_circ_0004771 in 20 cancer tissues and 105 pair case-control plasma samples by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR. Results: The upregulation of hsa_circ_0004771 was correlated with heavier tumor burden and poor prognosis, knockdown of it inhibited the ESCC cells proliferation both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, hsa_circ_0004771 positively regulated CDC25A by acting as a molecular sponge of miR-339-5p and rescue assay confirmed this regulatory relationship. Conclusion: These results suggested that hsa_circ_0004771 can serve as a general less-invasive biomarker and may provide diagnostic and prognostic value in carcinoma.

[Association between single nucleotide polymorphisms of v-maf musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene homolog B gene and non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate].

OBJECTIVE: To reveal the association between the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of v-maf musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene homolog B (MAFB) gene rs17820943 locus and non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCL/P) in the southern Chinese Han population. METHODS: Genotyping of MAFB gene rs17820943 polymorphism was carried out in 300 patients with NSCL/P, 354 normal controls, and an additional 168 case-parent trios with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. Then based on the genotyping results, both a case-control association study and a case-parent trio association study were performed. RESULTS: Significant differences were found in the allele and genotype frequencies of rs17820943 locus between case and control groups (Pallele = 0.001 and Pgenotype = 0.002, respectively). To be specific, the odds radio (OR) values and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of allele T (frequencies of cases:controls = 0.358:0.448) and genotype TT (frequencies of cases:controls = 0.110:0.195) were ORT = 0.69 (95% CI: 0.55-0.86) and OR(TT) = 0.43 (95% CI: 0.26-0.70), respectively. Subsequent case-parent trio analysis also indicated an association between MAFB rs17820943 variant and the risk of NSCL/P (ORT(T vs. C) = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.41-0.75, P value of transmission disequilibrium test was 0.000). CONCLUSION: Polymorphism of MAFB gene rs17820943 locus is associated with NSCL/P in the southern Chinese Han population; MAFB rs17820943 variant may be a susceptible gene of NSCL/P.

PVRL1 as a candidate gene for nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate: no evidence for the involvement of common or rare variants in southern Han Chinese patients.

The poliovirus receptor related-1 (PVRL1) gene encodes nectin-1, a cell-cell adhesion molecule (OMIM #600644), and is mutated in the cleft lip with or without cleft palate/ectodermal dysplasia-1 syndrome (CLPED1, OMIM #225000). In addition, PVRL1 mutations have been associated with nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without a cleft palate (NSCL/P) in studies of multiethnic samples. To investigate the possible involvement of this gene in southern Han Chinese NSCL/P patients, we performed (i) a case-control association study, and (ii) a resequencing study. A set of 470 patients with NSCL/P and 693 controls were recruited, and a total of 45 tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. In the resequencing study, the coding regions of the PVRL1 α isoform were direct sequenced in 45 trios from multiply affected families. One (rs7128327) of the 45 tested SNPs showed a trend toward statistical significance in the genotypic-level chi-square test (p = 0.009567). However, this result did not withstand correction for multiple testing. Likewise, sliding window haplotype analyses consisting of two, three, or four SNPs failed to detect any positive association. Resequencing analysis also failed to identify any novel rare sequence variants. In conclusion, the present study provided no support for the hypothesis that common or rare variants in PVRL1 play a significant role in NSCL/P development in the southern Han Chinese population. This is the first study that has used tagging SNPs covering all the coding and noncoding regions to search for common NSCL/P-associated mutations of PVRL1.