Fully automated segmentation and volumetric measurement of ocular adnexal lymphoma by deep learning-based self-configuring nnU-net on multi-sequence MRI: a multi-center study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate nnU-net's performance in automatically segmenting and volumetrically measuring ocular adnexal lymphoma (OAL) on multi-sequence MRI. METHODS: We collected T1-weighted (T1), T2-weighted and T1-weighted contrast-enhanced images with/without fat saturation (T2_FS/T2_nFS, T1c_FS/T1c_nFS) of OAL from four institutions. Two radiologists manually annotated lesions as the ground truth using ITK-SNAP. A deep learning framework, nnU-net, was developed and trained using two models. Model 1 was trained on T1, T2, and T1c, while Model 2 was trained exclusively on T1 and T2. A 5-fold cross-validation was utilized in the training process. Segmentation performance was evaluated using the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), sensitivity, and positive prediction value (PPV). Volumetric assessment was performed using Bland-Altman plots and Lin's concordance correlation coefficient (CCC). RESULTS: A total of 147 patients from one center were selected as training set and 33 patients from three centers were regarded as test set. For both Model 1 and 2, nnU-net demonstrated outstanding segmentation performance on T2_FS with DSC of 0.80-0.82, PPV of 84.5-86.1%, and sensitivity of 77.6-81.2%, respectively. Model 2 failed to detect 19 cases of T1c, whereas the DSC, PPV, and sensitivity for T1_nFS were 0.59, 91.2%, and 51.4%, respectively. Bland-Altman plots revealed minor tumor volume differences with 0.22-1.24 cm3 between nnU-net prediction and ground truth on T2_FS. The CCC were 0.96 and 0.93 in Model 1 and 2 for T2_FS images, respectively. CONCLUSION: The nnU-net offered excellent performance in automated segmentation and volumetric assessment in MRI of OAL, particularly on T2_FS images.

Genetically predicted TWEAK mediates the association between lipidome and Keratinocyte Carcinomas.

BACKGROUND: Reports suggest that lipid profiles may be linked to the likelihood of developing skin cancer, yet the exact causal relationship is still unknown. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the connection between lipidome and skin cancers, as well as investigate any possible mediators. METHODS: A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was conducted on 179 lipidomes and each skin cancer based on a genome-wide association study (GWAS), including melanoma, basal cell carcinoma (BCC), and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Then, Bayesian weighted MR was performed to verify the analysis results of two-sample MR. Moreover, a two-step MR was employed to investigate the impact of TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK)-mediated lipidome on skin cancer rates. RESULTS: MR analysis identified higher genetically predicted phosphatidylcholine (PC) (17:0_18:2) could reduce the risk of skin tumors, including BCC (OR = 0.9149, 95% CI: 0.8667-0.9658), SCC (OR = 0.9343, 95% CI: 0.9087-0.9606) and melanoma (OR = 0.9982, 95% CI: 0.9966-0.9997). The proportion of PC (17:0_18:2) predicted by TWEAK-mediated genetic prediction was 6.6 % in BCC and 7.6% in SCC. The causal relationship between PC (17:0_18:2) and melanoma was not mediated by TWEAK. CONCLUSION: This study identified a negative causal relationship between PC (17:0_18:2) and keratinocyte carcinomas, a small part of which was mediated by TWEAK, and most of the remaining mediating factors are still unclear. Further research on other risk factors is needed in the future.

Identification of potential crucial genes shared in psoriasis and ulcerative colitis by machine learning and integrated bioinformatics.

BACKGROUND: Mounting evidence suggest that there are an association between psoriasis and ulcerative colitis (UC), although the common pathogeneses are not fully understood. Our study aimed to find potential crucial genes in psoriasis and UC through machine learning and integrated bioinformatics. METHODS: The overlapping differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of the datasets GSE13355 and GSE87466 were identified. Then the functional enrichment analysis was performed. The overlapping genes in LASSO, SVM-RFE and key module in WGCNA were considered as potential crucial genes. The receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was used to estimate their diagnostic confidence. The CIBERSORT was conducted to evaluate immune cell infiltration. Finally, the datasets GSE30999 and GSE107499 were retrieved to validate. RESULTS: 112 overlapping DEGs were identified in psoriasis and UC and the functional enrichment analysis revealed they were closely related to the inflammatory and immune response. Eight genes, including S100A9, PI3, KYNU, WNT5A, SERPINB3, CHI3L2, ARNTL2, and SLAMF7, were ultimately identified as potential crucial genes. ROC curves showed they all had high confidence in the test and validation datasets. CIBERSORT analysis indicated there was a correlation between infiltrating immune cells and potential crucial genes. CONCLUSION: In our study, we focused on the comprehensive understanding of pathogeneses in psoriasis and UC. The identification of eight potential crucial genes may contribute to not only understanding the common mechanism, but also identifying occult UC in psoriasis patients, even serving as therapeutic targets in the future.

Risk Prediction Models for Sarcopenia in Dialysis Patients: A Systematic Review.

Nowadays, numerous studies have developed risk prediction models for sarcopenia in dialysis patients. However, the quality and performance of these models have not been integrated. The purpose of our study is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current risk prediction models for sarcopenia in dialysis patients and to offer a reference for the development of high-quality prediction models. Ten electronic databases were searched from inception to March 8, 2024. Two researchers independently assessed the risk of bias and applicability of the studies, and used Revman, 5.4, software to conduct a meta-analysis of common predictors in the models. A total of 12 studies described 13 risk prediction models for dialysis patients with sarcopenia. In dialysis patients, the prevalence of sarcopenia ranged from 6.60% to 63.73%. The area under curve (AUC) of the 13 models ranged from 0.776 to 0.945. Only six models (AUC ranging from 0.73 to 0.832) were internally validated, while two were externally evaluated (AUC ranging from 0.913 to 0.955). Most studies had a high risk of bias. The most common effective predictors in the models were age, body mass index, muscle circumference, and C-reactive protein. Our study suggests that developing a prediction model for the onset of sarcopenia in dialysis patients requires a rigorous design scheme, and future verification methods will necessitate multicenter external validation.

Measuring the intensive care experience of intensive care unit patients: A cross-sectional study in western China.

BACKGROUND: The negative experiences of intensive care unit (ICU) patients seriously affect their quality of life and survival outcomes. Thus, it is of great significance to evaluate the monitoring experience of ICU patients for the clinical improvement of their experiences and promote interventions. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to investigate patients' experiences of ICU and to understand the sources of patient experience and influencing factors. METHODS: From November 2021 to September 2022, a cross-sectional survey was conducted with 600 inpatients from four grade A-III hospitals in western China. Data were collected using the Chinese version of the Intensive Care Experience Questionnaire. RESULTS: 585 valid questionnaires were collected, the response rate was 97.5%. ICU patients in western China scored below-the-average for their intensive care experience. Family monthly income, occupation types, medical payment method, type of ICU, ICU admission plan, ICU admission times, mechanical ventilation use, fertility status, analgesia, sedation, and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores are important factors influencing ICU patients' intensive care experience. CONCLUSIONS: Medical staff need to pay attention to patient experience, improve the awareness of patient stressors and influencing factors, design nursing programs conducive to patient-positive experience, and promote interventions to further improve the long-term prognosis of patients. The results of this study can also be used as a set of nursing-sensitive indicators for evaluating nursing structure, process, and outcomes.

Identification of Heterophilic Epitopes of H1N1 Influenza Virus Hemagglutinin.

Our previous studies found that the H1-50 monoclonal antibody (mAb) of influenza A virus hemagglutinin (HA) cross-reacted with pancreatic tissue and islet ß-cells, and further studies showed that H1-50 mAb binds to prohibitin (PHB) protein of islet ß-cells. These suggest that there are heterophilic epitopes between influenza virus HA and pancreatic tissue, which may be involved in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes. To further investigate these heterophilic epitopes, we screened binding epitopes of H1-50 mAb using a phage 12-peptide library. DNA sequencing and comparative analysis were performed on specific positive phage clones, and the sequence of 12-peptide binding to H1-50 mAb was obtained. The binding epitopes of H1-50 mAb in influenza virus HA were determined by sequence analysis and experimental verification, and their distribution within the three-dimensional structure was assessed by PyMOL. The results showed that H1-50 mAb specifically binds to polypeptides (306-SLPFQNIHPITIGK-319) of influenza A virus HA, located in the stem of the HA protein. However, there is no specific binding sequence between H1-50 mAb and the PHB protein of islet ß-cells in the primary structure, and we speculate that the binding of H1-50 mAb to islet ß-cells may depend on the spatial conformation. The identification of the heterophilic epitopes of H1N1 influenza virus hemagglutinin provides a new perspective on type 1 diabetes that may be caused by influenza virus infection, which may contribute to the prevention and control of influenza.

First report of Trunk Canker Caused by Botryosphaeria dothidea on Cinnamomum camphora in China.

Cinnamomum camphora, an essential woody plant in China, experienced a severe outbreak of trunk canker affecting an area of 540,000 square meters in the Xiaoshan District of Zhejiang province during the early summer of 2022. The observed symptoms included stem canker, dieback, twig blight, and extensive vascular discoloration, with an incidence rate ranging from 45% to 70%. To investigate the etiology of the disease, symptomatic plant samples were subjected to rigorous surface sterilization involving washing with running tap water, followed by surface sterilization using 75% ethanol. The samples were then rinsed twice with sterile distilled water, plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium, and incubated at a temperature of 28°C. The isolated fungi exhibited characteristics consistent with the species Botryosphaeria dothidea. Fungal isolates displayed abundant white aerial mycelium, which darkened to grey after five to seven days, eventually giving rise to black pycnidia. Single hyphal tip cultures of putative two isolates were stored at the Agricultural Experiment Station of Zhejiang University. Conidia formed on pycnidia were one-celled, hyaline, aseptate, and fusiform, with dimensions of 18.34-27.12 µm x 3.77-6.84 µm (average 22.90 µm x 5.20 µm) (one hundred conidia were measured). To determine the fungal species, genomic DNA was extracted from individual isolates ZJUP0868, and subjected to DNA sequence analysis of four gene regions: the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) using the primer-pair ITS4 and ITS1 (White et al., 1990), the large subunit (LSU) gene with LR0R and LR5 (Rehner and Samuels, 1995), the small subunit (SSU) gene with SR1R and SR7 (Zoller et al., 1999), and the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1) with EF1-983F and EF1-2218R (Rehner and Buckley, 2005). Furthermore, DNA sequence analysis of above four genes was performed. BLAST analysis indicated the highest nucleotide sequence identity with Botryosphaeria dothidea CBS 115476 reference sequence (ITS: 99.59%, KF766151; LSU: 99.88%, DQ377852; SSU: 100%, NG_062738; tef1: 98.93%, AY236898). Representative sequences of isolate ZJUP0868 from these regions were deposited in GenBank (ITS: Accession No. OR192838; LSU: Accession No:OR248147; SSU: Accession No:OR248174; tef1: Accession No. OR262053). A phylogenomic analysis was conducted to determine the phylogenetic position of Botryosphaeria dothidea in the family Botryosphaeriaceae. The combined morphological and molecular findings confirmed the identification of the pathogen as Botryosphaeria dothidea. Pathogenicity tests were conducted by stem inoculation of two-year-old Cinnamomum camphora baranches. Mycelial plugs (2-3 mm in diameter) from actively growing colonies of B. dothidea (PDA) were applied to bark of similar size on the middle point of the stems. Inoculated barks were wrapped with Parafilm, while control branches received sterile PDA plugs. Inoculated and control branches (7 each) were maintained in a greenhouse at 28°C. After two weeks, all inoculated plants exhibited dark vascular stem tissue, whereas the control plants remained healthy. B. dothidea was re-isolated from symptomatic tissues, thus fulfilling Koch's postulates. No symptoms were observed in the control branched, and B. dothidea was not re-isolated from their tissues. B. dothidea , the type species of Botryosphaeria (Botryosphaeriaceae, Botryosphaeriales), is commonly associated with cankers and dieback in woody plants. Previous reports have identified Botryosphaeria dothidea as a pathogen causing stem dieback and trunk canker on Glycine max (Chen et al., 2020), Camellia oleifera (Hao et al., 2022), and Gleditsia sinensis (Huang et al., 2020). Additionally, B. dothidea has been reported to cause leave wilt on various plant species in China, including Daimyo oak (Liu et al., 2023) and Cornus officinalis (Zhang et al., 2022). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of B. dothidea on C. camphora in China. This findings contribute to a better understanding of the pathogens affecting Cinnamomum camphora in the China.

The prevalence and interventions of xerosis cutis among older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Xerosis cutis in older adults is a geriatric public health issue that severely affects healthy aging, associated with adverse outcomes and increased nursing burden. Skin care plays a significant role in the management of xerosis cutis. AIM: To assess the pooled prevalence and interventions of xerosis cutis among older adults. METHODS: We searched ten databases systematically from inception to August 29, 2023. We estimated pooled prevalence of xerosis cutis using Stata 15.0. RESULTS: 28 articles were included in this review. The pooled prevalence of xerosis cutis was 53 %(95 %CI:36-69 %). We found the prevalence of xerosis cutis was highest in nursing homes and developed countries. The prevalence of xerosis cutis was similar in males and females. The prevalence of mild xerosis cutis and xerosis cutis at lower limbs was relatively high. Regular use of humectant-containing leave-on skin care products and structured skin care regimens were helpful in alleviating xerosis cutis. CONCLUSION: Older adults are at high risk for xerosis cutis. The research provides health professionals with a basic framework for the prevention and management of xerosis cutis.

PD-L1 Aptamer-Functionalized Metal-Organic Framework Nanoparticles for Robust Photo-Immunotherapy against Cancer with Enhanced Safety.

Immune checkpoint blockade has become a paradigm-shifting treatment modality to combat cancer, while conventional administration of immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as anti-PD-L1 antibody (α-PD-L1), often shows unsatisfactory immune responses and lead to severe immune-related adverse effects (irAEs). Herein, we develop a PD-L1 aptamer-based spherical nucleic acids (SNAs), which consists of oxaliplatin (OXA) encapsulated in a metal-organic framework nanoparticle core and a dense shell of aptPD-L1 (denoted as M@O-A). Upon light irradiation, this nanosystem enables concurrent photodynamic therapy (PDT), chemotherapy, and enhanced immunotherapy in one shot to inhibit both primary colorectal tumors and untreated distant tumors in mice. Notably, M@O-A shows scarcely any systemic immunotoxicity in a clinical irAEs-mimic transgenic mouse model. Collectively, this study presents a novel strategy for priming robust photo-immunotherapy against cancer with enhanced safety.

Novel fluorescent GLUT1 inhibitor for precision detection and fluorescence image-guided surgery in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Early detection and complete resection of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) are crucial to improving patient survival and prognosis. However, specifically targeted imaging probes for OSCC detection are limited. Our study aimed to synthesize a novel near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) probe for precision detection and fluorescence image-guided surgery in OSCC. Bioinformatics data indicated that glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) is highly expressed in patients with OSCC. We demonstrated high and specific GLUT1 expression upon immunohistochemical staining of samples from 20 patients with OSCC. The specific expression of GLUT1 was further validated in both human OSCC cell lines and OSCC tumor xenografts. Based on these findings, the GLUT1 inhibitor WZB117 was utilized to synthesize a novel NIRF imaging probe, WZB117-IR820. The fluorescence molecular imaging data revealed that WZB117-IR820 could specifically bind to the tumor areas in an orthotopic OSCC mouse model after intravenous injection and could be further applied for precision fluorescence image-guided surgery with no residual tumor in the orthotopic CAL27-fLUC mouse tumor model. For further clinical translational application in patients with OSCC, precise delineation of OSCC tumor areas was achieved after topical application of the WZB117-IR820 imaging probe and was validated by histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses. In conclusion, we synthesized a novel fluorescent imaging probe, WZB117-IR820, which has potential clinical applications for early detection and fluorescence image-guided surgery in OSCC with no observable toxicity.

Sensitive and specific detection of breast cancer lymph node metastasis through dual-modality magnetic particle imaging and fluorescence molecular imaging: a preclinical evaluation.

PURPOSE: A sensitive and specific imaging method to detect metastatic cancer cells in lymph nodes to detect the early-stage breast cancer is still a challenge. The purpose of this study was to investigate a novel breast cancer-targeting and tumour microenvironment ATP-responsive superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIOs) imaging probe (abbreviated as SPIOs@A-T) that was developed to detect lymph node metastasis through fluorescence molecular imaging (FMI) and magnetic particle imaging (MPI). METHODS: The conjugation of the targeted peptide CREKA and SPIOs was via linker sulfo-SMCC, while the dsDNA-Cy5.5 was modified on SPIOs through the conjugation between maleimide group in sulfo-SMCC and sulfydryl group in dsDNA-Cy5.5. SPIOs@A-T was characterised for its imaging properties, targeting ability and toxicity in vitro. Mice with metastatic lymph node (MLN) of breast cancer were established to evaluate the FMI and MPI imaging strategy in vivo. Healthy mice with normal lymph node (NLN) were used as control group. Histological examination and biosafety evaluation were performed for further assessment. RESULTS: After injection with SPIOs@A-T, the obvious high fluorescent intensity and MPI signal were observed in MLN group than those in NLN group. FMI can specifically light up MLN using an ATP-responsive fluorescence design. On the other hand, MPI could complement the limitation of imaging depth from FMI and could detect MLN more sensitively. Besides, the biosafety evaluation results showed SPIOs@A-T had no detectable biological toxicity. CONCLUSION: SPIOs@A-T imaging probe in combination with FMI and MPI can provide a promising novel method for the precise detection of MLN in vivo.

P-Induced In Situ Construction of ZnCoMOF@CoP-5 S-Scheme Heterojunctions for Enhanced Photocatalytic H2 Evolution.

In view of the fact that the exposed catalytic active sites of single-metal MOFs cannot satisfy the efficient progress of the catalytic reaction, here we constructed a star-shaped bimetallic ZnCoMOF by introducing a Zn source by the partial ion exchange method and coprecipitation method. By controlling the quality of sodium hypophosphite, ZnCoMOF was subjected to different degrees of phosphating to optimize the experimental conditions. The introduction of the more electronegative P can attract more H+ to participate in the reduction reaction. The ZnCoMOF@CoP-5 S-scheme heterojunction was constructed in situ by generating CoP on the surface of ZnCoMOF under a PH3 reducing atmosphere, which exhibited excellent H2 evolution performance. This unique heterojunction effectively promotes the separation and transfer of e--h+ pairs, ensuring a strong redox capability. The best hydrogen-evolution performance of ZnCoMOF@CoP-5 under the EY sensitization system reaches 16 958 µmol h-1 g-1, which has significant advantages over the same type of materials and similar photocatalytic hydrogen-evolution work. Finally, the photocatalytic mechanism was demonstrated by an in situ XPS technique. Our work provides important ideas for the research of bimetallic MOFs in the field of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

Effects of nurse-led supportive-expressive group intervention for post-traumatic growth among breast cancer survivors: A randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Post-traumatic growth induced from cancer diagnosis and treatment could benefit the prognosis of cancer survivors, but intervention based on self-disclosure in group is limited. OBJECTIVE: Aimed to examine the effectiveness of a supportive-expressive group intervention on post-traumatic growth. The impact of the intervention on anxiety and depression were also explored. DESIGN: This randomized clinical trial enrolled patients from June 2017 to September 2018 with a one-month follow-up. Data collectors were blinded to patient grouping. SETTING: A single center study in Chengdu, China. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred sixty-eight participants who met the eligibility criteria were randomly assigned to the intervention group (n = 84) or control group (n = 84); 46 were excluded and 122 patients finished the one-month follow-up. METHODS: Participants in the intervention group received nurse-led support intervention focusing on topics such as "Being a Patient", "Interpersonal Relationships", "Journey for Recovery", and "Planning the Future" while participants in the control group received health education, rehabilitation training etc. according to the nursing routine of breast cancer patients. The intervention was designed in accordance with the diagnosis and treatment process as well as patient needs. Participants in both groups were evaluated three times (T1-baseline before the intervention, T2-end of the intervention, and T3-1 month follow up). Post-traumatic growth, anxiety and depression were evaluated. RESULTS: Participants in the intervention group reported higher level of post-traumatic growth (p < 0.01 or 0.05) and reduced anxiety and depression (p < 0.01 or 0.05 and p < 0.01 or 0.05). The multilevel model indicated that the intervention significantly promoted post-traumatic growth (ßT3  = 7.87, p < 0.05) and dimensions of relating to others (ßT3  = 4.26, p < 0.001), personal strength (ßT3  = 4.27, p < 0.01), appreciation of life (ßT3  = 8.69, p < 0.001), and new possibilities (ßT3  = 1.91, p < 0.05), anxiety (ßT3  = -3.63, p < 0.001), and depression (ßT3  = -2.27, p < 0.001), but had no effect on the dimension of spiritual change. In addition, the multi-level model showed that patients with younger ages (ß = -0.05~-0.52, p < 0.05-0.001), with high school and above education levels (ß = 1.53~9.29, p < 0.01) and accompanied by husbands(ß = -1.48~-8.51, p < 0.05) had more effective intervention and patients with religious belief had a better spiritual change level (ß = 1.86, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide evidence for the potential effectiveness of the nurse-led intervention on positive benefits of post-traumatic growth and relieved anxiety and depression for Chinese breast cancer survivors and will inform the design and development of a large randomized controlled trial. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The supportive-expression group intervention can be applied independently by nurses. The four themes of self-disclosure can help patients grow after trauma, and this method can be used as a psychological support technique for breast cancer patients during hospitalization.

CdS Reinforced with CoSX /NiCo-LDH Core-shell Co-catalyst Demonstrate High Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution and Durability in Anhydrous Ethanol.

At present, inefficient charge separation of single photocatalyst impedes the development of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. In this work, the CoSX /NiCo-LDH core-shell co-catalyst was cleverly designed, which exhibit high activity and high stability of hydrogen evolution in anhydrous ethanol system when coupled with CdS. Under visible light (λ≥420 nm) irradiation, the 3 %Co/NiCo/CdS composite photocatalyst exhibits a surprisingly high photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate of 20.67 mmol g-1 h-1 , which is 59 times than that of the original CdS. Continuous light for 20 h still showed good cycle stability. In addition, the 3 %Co/NiCo/CdS composite catalyst also shows good hydrogen evolution performance under the Na2 S/Na2 SO3 and lactic acid system. The fluorescence (PL), ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance (UV-vis) and photoelectrochemical tests show that the coupling of CdS and CoSX /NiCo-LDH not only accelerates the effective transfer of charges, but also greatly increases the absorption range of CdS to visible light. Therefore, the hydrogen evolution activity of the composite photocatalyst has been significantly improved. This work will provide new insights for the construction of new co-catalysts and the development of composite catalysts for hydrogen evolution in multiple systems.

Translation and validation of the Chinese version of the MD Anderson symptom inventory for measuring perioperative symptom burden in patients with gynecologic cancer.

BACKGROUND: Gynecologic cancers are among the most prevalent malignancies in China. Cervical and uterine cancer respectively account for the sixth and eighth highest incidence of cancer among Chinese women. Abdominal surgery is one of the important treatment methods for gynecological tumors. However, the tumor- and surgery-related symptom burden are not well studied owing to a lack of a standardized and validated assessment tool in the Chinese population. The study aimed to translate and validate the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory for measuring perioperative symptom burden in gynecologic cancer patients (MDASI-PeriOp-GYN) and examine the utility of the Chinese version of MDASI-PeriOp-GYN. METHODS: The MDASI-PeriOp-GYN was translated in a stepwise manner. First, two native speakers independently translated the 9 PeriOp-GYN symptom items. Then the nine items were translated back into English by two different bilingual translators. After discussion and revision, the four translators reached an agreement. Finally, the finalized Chinese version was administered to women with three common gynecologic cancer types (cervical, ovarian, and endometrial cancers) recruited from the gynecological oncology department of Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute between July and October 2019. The reliability and validity of the translated version were assessed. RESULTS: Overall, 324 women with gynecologic cancers were enrolled. Cronbach's α values were 0.826 and 0.735 for the symptom severity and interference scales, respectively. Test-retest reliability values were 0.885, 0.873, and 0.914 for symptom severity, PeriOp-GYN, and interference scales. Significant correlations were found between the MDASI-PeriOp-GYN-C and EORTC QLQ-C30 along with the QLQ-OV28 module (- 0.608-0.871, P < 0.001). Known-group validity was supported by significant differences in the scores of the four scales grouped by time intervals, surgery type, and functional status (all P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The MDASI-PeriOp-GYN-C is a valid and reliable tool for measuring symptoms in Chinese patients undergoing surgery for gynecologic cancers. The tool could be used in clinical practice and clinical trials to instantly gather patients' health and quality of life data.

Effects of psychosocial factors on posttraumatic growth among lung cancer patients: A structural equation model analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate how locus of control, coping strategies, emotion regulation strategies and social support affect posttraumatic growth. METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was adopted. A convenience sample of 540 patients with lung cancer was recruited from November 2016 to July 2017 at two tertiary grade A hospitals in China. The participants completed a series of questionnaires. Structural equation modelling was used to explore the effects of psychosocial factors on posttraumatic growth. RESULTS: Social support had a direct positive effect on posttraumatic growth (ß = 0.318, SE = 0.071, BC 95% CI = 0.252/0.390), and it also had indirect effects on posttraumatic growth (ß = 0.112, SE = 0.023, BC 95%CI = 0.088/0.135) through mediating psychological factors. Coping strategies and the cognitive reappraisal emotion regulation strategy were the main mediating variables, explaining approximately 73.1% of the indirect effect between social support and posttraumatic growth. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that Chinese lung cancer survivors can show relatively high posttraumatic growth. There are many mediating paths between social support and posttraumatic growth. These results may help healthcare professionals to identify the psychosocial factors that may benefit lung cancer patients and develop interventions to promote posttraumatic growth.

Water environment protection and sustainable development in townlet of China: A case study in Taicang.

The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) model was applied to investigate the relationship between economic growth and water environment quality based on panel data of Taicang during 2010-2017. The typical inversed-U shaped relationship has been obtained between GDP (gross domestic product) and indicators of ammonia, total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP), respectively. The EKC turning point appeared when the GDP per capita was around US$2270, which was much lower than those in some developed countries (US$11,200). However, the decoupling between chemical oxygen demand (COD) and GDP per capita occurred even before this period, which should be attributed to the strict COD emission regulation being implemented since 2010. Further, analysis based on the Tapio decoupling coefficient elasticity model analyzed the ammonia nitrogen and economic development of each industry. We found that the agriculture no-point was strong decoupling in 2011-2014, then came to Recessive decoupling. The domestic wastewater had been in a strong decoupling state; Both urban non-point and industry experienced expansive negative decoupling, due to strict policy that prioritizes the environment over development and the investment in improvement of environment and techniques, both of them gradually came to strong decoupling. The result demonstrated that the EKC turning point could be appear in earlier economic stage and the decoupling coefficient elasticity could be improved through taking strong regulation measures.

LncRNA RP6-65G23.1 accelerates proliferation and inhibits apoptosis via p-ERK1/2/p-AKT signaling pathway on keratinocytes.

Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) play essential roles in the development of various diseases including hepatic carcinoma, melanoma, and psoriasis. Meanwhile, lncRNA-RP6-65G23.1 was upregulated in psoriasis. However, it is still unclear whether lncRNA-RP6-65G23.1 expression is upregulated and contributes to keratinocytes proliferation and apoptosis, and which mechanisms are responsible for these processes. The aims of this study are to address these issues. RP6-65G23.1 was significantly upregulated in M5-stimulated keratinocytes and stimulated the proliferation and inhibited the apoptosis of HaCaT cells. Knockdown of RP6-65G23.1 resulted in defects of growth and increased rates of apoptosis in HaCaT cells, while overexpression of RP6-65G23.1 manifested the opposite effects. Consistently, the expression of antiapoptotic proteins Bcl-xl and Bcl2 were decreased in RP6-65G23.1-knockdown cells but elevated in RP6-65G23.1 overexpression cells. In addition, RP6-65G23.1 depletion blunted the activity of extracellular regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and AKT signaling pathways and induced G1 /S-growth arrest. By contrast, overexpression of RP6-65G23.1 activates the ERK1/2 and AKT signaling pathways and inhibits the expression of p21 and p27 in an AKT-dependent manner leading to promote the G1/S progression. Our results suggested that lncRNA-RP6-65G23.1 would contribute to the pathogenesis of psoriasis by regulating the proliferation and apoptosis of keratinocytes via the p-ERK1/2 and p-AKT pathways.

Knockdown of DNA-binding protein A enhances the chemotherapy sensitivity of colorectal cancer via suppressing the Wnt/ß-catenin/Chk1 pathway.

DNA-binding protein A (dbpA) is reported to be upregulated in many cancers and associated with tumor progress. The present study aimed to investigate the role of dbpA in 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-resistant and oxaliplatin (L-OHP)-resistant colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. We found that 5-FU and L-OPH treatment promoted the expression of dbpA. Enhanced dbpA promoted the drug resistance of SW620 cells to 5-FU and L-OHP. DbpA knockdown inhibited cell proliferation, induced cell apoptosis, and cell cycle arrested in SW620/5-FU and SW620/L-OHP cells. Besides, dbpA short hairpin RNA (shRNA) enhanced the cytotoxicity of 5-FU and L-OHP to SW620/5-FU and SW620/L-OHP cells. Meanwhile, dbpA shRNA inhibited the activation of the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway that induced by 5-FU stimulation in SW620/5-FU cells. Activation of the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway or overexpression of checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) abrogated the promoting effect of dbpA downregulation on 5-FU sensitivity of CRC cells. Importantly, downregulation of dbpA suppressed tumor growth and promoted CRC cells sensitivity to 5-FU in vivo. Our study indicated that the knockdown of dbpA enhanced the sensitivity of CRC cells to 5-FU via Wnt/ß-catenin/Chk1 pathway, and DbpA may be a potential therapeutic target to sensitize drug resistance CRC to 5-FU and L-OHP.

A Novel Metallic Artifact Reduction Technique When Using a Computed Tomography-Guided Percutaneous Metallic Antenna to Ablate Malignant Pulmonary Nodules: A Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment.

BACKGROUND Metallic microwave ablation (MWA) antenna-related artifacts are usually created in conventional CT images, and these artifacts can influence the effect of ablation. The aim of this study was to evaluate a new type of metal artifact reduction (MAR+) technique in CT-guided MWA for lung cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS This retrospective study enrolled 30 lung cancer patients who received CT-guided MWA treatment from December 2017 to April 2018. Images after microwave antenna insertion into the tumor were reconstructed by the filter back projection (group A) and MAR+ reconstruction (group B). The CT values and standard deviations of the regions of interest (ROIs) on the chosen image were recorded, including the most significantly hypodense artifact (ROI1), hyperdense artifacts (ROI2), and chest muscles of the same layer (ROI3). The metal artifact indexes based on ROI1 and ROI2 (AI1, AI2) and the overall metal artifact index (AI) were calculated. Subjective image quality was graded on a five-point scale (1=worst, 5=excellent). RESULTS The AI1 (74.14±76.32), AI2 (13.75±19.02) and AI (54.12±54.82) of group B were lower than those of group A [(153.33±89.04), (30.63±26.42), (112.00±63.10), respectively] (P<0.001 for all). Both radiologists reported that the subjective image value of group B was significantly higher than that of group A (P<0.001). The subjective image quality scores evaluated by 2 observers showed excellent consistency (ICC=0.829). CONCLUSIONS The MAR+ imaging reconstruction significantly reduced metal artifacts, which helps radiologists to clearly observe the relationship between the ablation antenna and the lesion.