Prognostic effects of previous cancer history on patients with major salivary gland cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the prognostic effects of previous cancer history on patients with major salivary gland cancer (SGC). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: SGC patients with (sec-SGC) and without (one-SGC) a previous cancer from the SEER database were identified. Cox proportional hazards regression (CoxPH) models were used to compare the prognosis between sec-SGC and one-SGC patients. Subgroup analyses for sec-SGC patients by gender, previous cancer types, previous cancer histology, and cancer diagnosis interval (CDI) were performed. Two CoxPH models were constructed to distinguish sec-SGC patients with different prognostic risks. RESULTS: 9098 SGC patients were enrolled. Overall, sec-SGC patients (adjusted HR [aHR] = 1.26, p < 0.001), especially those with a CDI ≤ 5 years (aHR = 1.47, p < 0.001), had worse overall survival (OS) than one-SGC patients. In subgroup analysis, only sec-SGC patients with a previous head and neck cancer who were female (aHR = 2.38, p = 0.005), with a CDI ≤ 5 years (aHR = 1.65, p = 0.007) or with a previous squamous cell carcinoma (aHR = 6.52, p < 0.001) had worse OS. Our models successfully differentiated all sec-SGC patients into high-, intermediate- and low-risk groups with different prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Sec-SGC patients with different previous cancer types, gender, CDI and previous cancer histology had varied prognosis. The models we constructed could help differentiate the prognosis of sec-SGC patients with different risks.

Full-duplex cylindrical vector beam multiplexing communication using spin-dependent phase modulation metasurfaces.

Cylindrical vector beam (CVB) has recently gained attention as a promising carrier for signal multiplexing owing to its mode orthogonality. However, the full-duplex multiplexing communication has not been previously explored for the lack of effective technologies to parallelly couple and separate CVB modes. Herein, we present a full-duplex solution for CVB multiplexing communication that utilizes spin-dependent phase modulation metasurfaces. By independently phase-modulating the two spin eigenstates of CVBs with the metasurface via spin-dependent orbital interactions, and loading two binary Dammann vortex gratings, we enabled an independent and reciprocal wave vector manipulation of CVBs for full-duplex (de)multiplexing operation. To demonstrate this concept, we constructed a 16-channel (including 4 CVB modes and 4 wavelengths) full-duplex CVB multiplexing communication system and achieved the bidirectional transmission of 800 Gbit/s quadrature-phase shift-keying (QPSK) signals over a 5 km few-mode fiber. Our results demonstrate the successful multiplexing and demultiplexing of 2 radial CVB modes and 2 azimuthal CVB modes in full-duplex communication with the bit-error-rates approaching 1.87 × 10-5.

The prognostic value of machine learning techniques versus cox regression model for head and neck cancer.

BACKGROUND: Accurate prognostic prediction for head and neck cancer (HNC) is important for the improvement of clinical management. We aimed to compare the prognostic value of various machine learning techniques (MLTs) and statistical Cox regression model for different types of HNC. METHODS: Clinical data of HNC patients were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database from 1974 to 2016. The prediction performance of five ML models, including random forest (RF), gradient boosting decision tree (GBDT), support vector machine (SVM), neural network (NN) and deep learning (DL), were compared with the statistical Cox regression model by estimating the concordance index (C-index), integrated Brier score (IBS), time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under the curve (AUC). RESULTS: Our results showed that the RF model outperformed all other models in prognostic prediction for all tumor sites of HNC, particularly for major salivary gland cancer (MSGC, C-index: 88.730 ± 0.8700, IBS: 7.680 ± 0.4800), oral cavity cancer (OCC, C-index: 84.250 ± 0.6700, IBS: 11.480 ± 0.3300) and oropharyngeal cancer (OPC, C-index: 82.510 ± 0.5400, IBS: 10.120 ± 0.1400). Meanwhile, we analyzed the importance of each clinical variable in the RF model, in which age and tumor size presented the strongest positive prognostic effects. Additionally, similar results can be observed in the internal (6th edition of the AJCC TNM staging system cohort) and external validations (the TCGA HNC cohort). CONCLUSIONS: The RF model is a promising prognostic prediction tool for HNC patients, regardless of the anatomic subsites.

The Relationship Between Sleep Traits and Tinnitus in UK Biobank: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: Understanding the association between sleep traits and tinnitus could help prevent and provide appropriate interventions against tinnitus. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the relationship between different sleep patterns and tinnitus. DESIGN: A cross-sectional analysis using baseline data (2006-2010, n = 168,064) by logistic regressions was conducted to evaluate the association between sleep traits (including the overall health sleep score and five sleep behaviors) and the occurrence (yes/no), frequency (constant/transient), and severity (upsetting/not upsetting) of tinnitus. Further, a prospective analysis of participants without tinnitus at baseline (n = 9581) was performed, who had been followed-up for 7 years (2012-2019), to assess the association between new-onset tinnitus and sleep characteristics. Moreover, a subgroup analysis was also carried out to estimate the differences in sex by dividing the participants into male and female groups. A sensitivity analysis was also conducted by excluding ear-related diseases to avoid their confounding effects on tinnitus (n = 102,159). RESULTS: In the cross-sectional analysis, participants with "current tinnitus" (OR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.04-1.22, p = 0.004) had a higher risk of having a poor overall healthy sleep score and unhealthy sleep behaviors such as short sleep durations (OR: 1.09, 95% CI: 1.04-1.14, p < 0.001), late chronotypes (OR: 1.09, 95% CI: 1.05-1.13, p < 0.001), and sleeplessness (OR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.11-1.22, p < 0.001) than those participants who "did not have current tinnitus." However, this trend was not obvious between "constant tinnitus" and "transient tinnitus." When considering the severity of tinnitus, the risk of "upsetting tinnitus" was obviously higher if participants had lower overall healthy sleep scores (OR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.13-1.53, p < 0.001). Additionally, short sleep duration (OR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.12-1.33, p < 0.001), late chronotypes (OR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.04-1.22, p = 0.003), and sleeplessness (OR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.29-1.59, p < 0.001) showed positive correlations with "upsetting tinnitus." In the prospective analysis, sleeplessness presented a consistently significant association with "upsetting tinnitus" (RR: 2.28, p = 0.001). Consistent results were observed in the sex subgroup analysis, where a much more pronounced trend was identified in females compared with the males. The results of the sensitivity analysis were consistent with those of the cross-sectional and prospective analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Different types of sleep disturbance may be associated with the occurrence and severity of tinnitus; therefore, precise interventions for different types of sleep disturbance, particularly sleeplessness, may help in the prevention and treatment of tinnitus.

Immobilization of purified enzyme EreB in metalorganic framework (MOF) mesopores for erythromycin degradation.

Erythromycin, a commonly used macrolide antibiotic, plays a crucial role in both human medicine and animal husbandry. However, its abuse has led to residual presence in the environment, with problems such as the emergence of resistant bacteria and enrichment of resistance genes. These issues pose significant risks to human health. Thus far, there are no effective, environmentally friendly methods to manage this problem. Enzymes can specifically degrade erythromycin without causing other problems, but their unrecyclability and environmental vulnerability hinder large-scale application. Enzyme immobilization may help to solve these problems. This study used Cu-BTC, a synthetic metal-organic framework, to immobilize the erythromycin-degrading enzyme EreB. The loading temperature and enzyme quantity were optimized. The Cu-BTC and EreB@Cu-BTC were characterized by various methods to confirm the preparation of Cu-BTC and immobilization of EreB. The maximum enzyme loading capacity was 66.5 mg g-1. In terms of enzymatic properties, immobilized EreB had improved heat (25-45 °C) and alkaline (6.5-10) tolerance, along with greater affinity between the enzyme and its substrate; Km decreased from 438.49 to 372.30 mM. Recycling was also achieved; after 10 cycles, 57.12% of the enzyme activity was maintained. After composite degradation, the antibacterial activity of erythromycin-containing wastewater was examined; the results showed that the novel composite could completely inactivate erythromycin. In summary, Cu-BTC was an ideal carrier for immobilization of the enzyme EreB, and the EreB@Cu-BTC composite has good prospects for the treatment of erythromycin-containing wastewater.

The role of HPV status in patients with overlapping grey zone cancer in oral cavity and oropharynx.

PURPOSE: We aimed to explore the clinicodemographic characteristics and prognosis of grey zone squamous cell cancer (GZSCC) located in the overlapping or ambiguous area of oral cavity and oropharynx and to identify valuable factors that would improve its differential diagnosis and prognosis. METHODS: Information of GZSCC patients in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were compared to patients with oral cavity (OCSCC) and oropharyngeal (OPSCC) squamous cell carcinomas with corresponding HPV status, respectively. Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test and multivariate Cox regression analysis were applied to assess associations between clinical characteristics and overall survival (OS). A predictive model integrating age, gender, marital status, HPV status and staging variables was conducted to classify GZSCC patients into three risk groups and verified internally by tenfold cross validation. RESULTS: A total of 3318 GZSCC, 10792 OPSCC and 6656 OCSCC patients were identified. HPV-positive GZSCC patients had the best 5-year OS as HPV-positive OPSCC (81% vs. 82%). However, the 5-year OS of HPV-negative/unknown GZSCC (43%/42%) were the worst among all groups, indicating that HPV status and the overlapping nature of tumors were valuable prognostic predictors in GZSCC patients. Compared with the strategy of dividing GZSCC into two groups by HPV status, the predictive model integrating more variables could additionally identify a unique high-risk GZSCC group with the lowest OS rate. CONCLUSIONS: GZSCC patients had distinct clinical characteristics and prognosis compared with OPSCC and OCSCC, integrating HPV status and other clinical factors could help distinguish GZSCC and predict their prognosis.

Biodegradation efficiency and mechanism of erythromycin degradation by Paracoccus versutus W7.

Continuous and excessive usage of erythromycin results in serious environmental pollution and presents a health risk to humans. Biological treatment is considered as an efficient and economical method to remove it from the environment. In this study, a novel erythromycin-degrading bacterial strain, W7, isolated from sewage sludge was identified as Paracoccus versutus. Strain W7 degraded 58.5% of 50 mg/L erythromycin in 72 h under the optimal conditions of 35 °C, pH 7.0, and 0.1% sodium citrate with yeast powder in mineral salt medium. It completely eliminated erythromycin from erythromycin fermentation residue at concentrations of 100 and 300 mg/L within 36 and 60 h, respectively. Erythromycin esterase (EreA) was found to be involved in erythromycin metabolism in this strain and was expressed successfully. EreA could hydrolyze erythromycin, and its maximum activity occurred at pH 8.5 and 35 °C. Finally, six intermediates of erythromycin degraded by strain W7 were detected by high performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Based on the novel intermediates and enzymes, we determined two possible pathways of erythromycin degradation by strain W7. This study broadened our understanding of the erythromycin catabolic processes of P. versutus and developed a feasible microbial strategy for removing erythromycin from erythromycin fermentation residue, wastewater, and other erythromycin-contaminated environments.

Association between fish oil supplementation and cancer risk according to fatty fish consumption: A large prospective population-based cohort study using UK Biobank.

Whether regular fish oil supplementation is associated with cancer risk is controversial. We aimed to evaluate the association of fish oil supplementation on cancer risk according to fatty fish consumption patterns. From the UK Biobank cohort, 470 804 participants with fish oil supplementation data were included. A total of 147 316 individuals with fish oil supplementation were in the exposed group; the other 323 488 were in the unexposed group. No association was found between self-report regular fish oil supplementation and overall cancer risk (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.97, 95% confidence intervals [CIs] = 0.95-1). Stratified by fatty fish consumption level, we found the association between fish oil supplementation and lower cancer risk in participants who consumed fatty fish less than two times per week, with association noted for both overall cancer (HR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.94-0.99) and some specific cancers (colon cancer: HR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.75-0.94; hepatobiliary cancer: HR = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.58-0.96; lung cancer: HR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.78-0.98). On the contrary, a higher risk of breast cancer was observed (HR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.01-1.32) in participants who consumed fatty fish at least two times per week. In conclusion, our findings underscore the need to refine recommendations for nutritional supplements according to inherent diet habits.

Longitudinal health utility and symptom-toxicity trajectories in patients with head and neck cancers.

BACKGROUND: This study examined long-term health utility and symptom-toxicity trajectories among patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). METHODS: For patients diagnosed with HNC (2014-2019), Health Utility Index 3 (HUI-3), Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS), and MD Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI) surveys (including both the core and head and neck cancer modules) were prospectively collected at multiple time points (at the baseline, after surgery, during radiotherapy, and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after treatment). Locally estimated scatterplot smoothing plots were generated to describe HUI-3, ESAS, and MDASI trajectories over time by clinicodemographic factors, treatment modality, and tumor subsite. Contributions of clinical factors were assessed with univariable and multivariable analyses. RESULTS: In 800 patients, the treatment modality and the tumor subsite produced unique HUI-3, ESAS, and MDASI trajectories. Patients treated with surgery alone experienced rapid improvements in HUI-3, ESAS, and MDASI scores postoperatively. Among patients treated with chemoradiotherapy, patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma had greater declines in HUI-3 during treatment in comparison with patients with oropharyngeal carcinoma, but they had similar ESAS/MDASI scores. Among patients treated with radiotherapy, patients with laryngeal carcinoma had better HUI-3/ESAS/MDASI scores than those with oropharyngeal carcinoma during treatment, but they slowly converged after treatment. Female sex, an age > 75 years, a household income < $40,000, a Charlson comorbidity score > 1, an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status > 0 (at the baseline), and current smoking were independently associated with worse HUI-3 trajectories. HUI-3 had mild to moderate correlations (ρ = 0.2-0.5) with individual symptom-toxicity trajectories. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term HUI-3 trajectories are associated with tumor subsite, clinicodemographic, and treatment factors, and this may be partly explained by relationships with symptoms/toxicities. Separate evaluations by subsite and treatment should occur in health utility and symptom-toxicity studies of HNC. LAY SUMMARY: This study indicates that the long-term health utility and symptoms/toxicities of patients with the most common head and neck cancers (ie, squamous cell carcinomas and nasopharyngeal carcinomas) differ over time with a variety of factors, including the tumor anatomic site, treatment volume, clinicodemographic characteristics (eg, age, human papillomavirus status, tumor stage, gender, smoking status, alcohol status, education, and comorbidities), and treatment modalities. Generalizations across all head and neck cancers should be strongly discouraged. Future studies should evaluate health utility, symptoms and toxicities, and patient need assessments separately for each anatomic site and treatment modality.

Orbital angular momentum mode diversity gain in optical communication.

Vortex beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes show superior multiplexing abilities in enhancing communication capacity. However, the signal fading induced by turbulence noise severely degrades the communication performance and even leads to communication interruption. Herein, we propose a diversity gain strategy to mitigate signal fading in OAM multiplexing communication and investigate the gain combination and channel assignment to optimize the diversity efficiency and communication capacity. Endowing signals with distinct channel matrices and superposing them with designed channel weights, we perform the diversity gain with an optimal gain efficiency, and the signal fading is mitigated by equalizing the turbulence noise. For the tradeoff between turbulence noise tolerance and communication capacity, multiplexed channels are algorithm-free assigned for diversity and multiplexing according to bit-error-rate and outage probability. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate a 6-channel multiplexing communication, where 3 OAM modes are assigned for diversity gain and 24 Gbit/s QPSK-OFDM signals are transmitted. After diversity gain, the bit-error-rate decreases from 1.41 × 10-2 to 1.63 × 10-4 at -14 dBm, and the outage probability of 86.7% is almost completely suppressed.

Prognostic prediction of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: Construction of cuproptosis-related long non-coding RNA signature.

BACKGROUND: Recently, a new type of programmed cell death, cuproptosis, has been identified to play important role in the progression of tumors. We constructed a cuproptosis-related long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) signature to predict the prognostic significance for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). METHODS: The risk model was developed based on differentially expressed lncRNAs associated with cuproptosis. Principal component analysis was used to assess the validity. The Kaplan-Meier curves were analyzed to compare the overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and progression-free survival (PFS) values. The multivariate and univariate Cox regression analyses were used to evaluate the prognostic efficiency. Furthermore, the functional enrichment, immune cell infiltration, tumor mutation burden (TMB), and sensitivity toward chemotherapy were also explored. RESULTS: Six cuproptosis-related lncRNAs (AL109936.2, CDKN2A-DT, AC090587.1, KLF3-AS1, AL133395.1, and LINC01063) were identified to construct the independent prognostic predictor for HNSCC. The area under the curve and C-index values obtained using the risk model were higher than the values corresponding to the clinical factors. Analysis of Kaplan-Meier curves indicated that the OS, PFS, and DSS time recorded for the patients in the low-risk group were higher than the corresponding values recorded for the patients belonging to the high-risk group. By functional enrichment analysis, we observed that differentially expressed genes were enriched in the immune response and tumor-associated pathways. The patients characterized by a low-risk score exhibited better immune cell infiltration than the patients belonging to the other group. We also observed that the sensitivity of the individuals belonging to the low-risk group to chemotherapeutic agents (cisplatin, docetaxel, and paclitaxel) was higher than the sensitivity of those in the other group. CONCLUSIONS: A cuproptosis-related lncRNA-based signature that functioned as an independent prognosis predictor for HNSCC patients was constructed. The chemosensitivity of individual patients can be potentially predicted using this signature.

Risk factors for Meniere disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: To summarized the latest evidence of risk factors for developing MD. METHODS: We searched Medline, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Embase, CBM, VIP, WanFANG, and CNKI, and ClinicalTrials.gov. till June 2021 for cohort and case-control studies investigating risk factors for MD. The exposure group was participants with a clinical diagnosis of MD which was made according to the diagnostic scale of the Equilibrium Committee of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS), the control group was participants without MD. The outcome was determined by incidence or prognostic of MD. Paired reviewers independently screened citations, assessed bias risk of included studies using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Odds ratios (OR), hazard ratios(HR), relative risk(RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated for dichotomous data. The statistical analyses were carried out with the use of Review Manager 5.3. The level of statistical heterogeneity for pooled data were assessed by using I2 statistics and Q-test. RESULTS: 768 abstracts and articles were identified by our search, of which 25 studies (n = 1, 471, 944) were included. There were 18 cohort studies, 7 case-control studies. Three distinct subgroups (age, sex, sleep) were identified. There were a total of two studies involving age, two studies involving gender and two studies involving sleep disorder. High to moderate methodological quality established that age [hazard ratios (HR) 2.21, 95% CI 1.85-2.65, I2 = 0%] and sleep disorder[HR 1.68, 95% CI 1.47-1.93, I2 = 0%] were risk factors for MD. While there was little evidence showing that sex was not a risk factor for MD [HR 1.61, 95% CI 0.91-2.84, I2 = 74%]. CONCLUSION: The current evidence supports the suggestion that age and sleep disorder are risk factors for MD. Sex, gene, and hypothyroidism are tentative risk factors but conflicting/inconclusive results. FUNDING: No external funding. REGISTRATION: CRD42021248199 (Prospero).

A modified kidney-sparing portal vein arterialization model of heterotopic auxiliary liver transplantation increases liver IL-6, TNF-α, and HGF levels and enhances liver regeneration: an animal model.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The success of partial donor liver transplantation is affected by the implantation site of the donor liver and the vascular reconstruction approach. We investigated the effects of different donor liver implantation sites and vascular reconstruction approaches on liver regeneration using a rat kidney-sparing heterotopic auxiliary liver transplantation model, with portal vein arterialization (PVA). METHODS: Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent end-to-end anastomosis of the donor liver portal vein and the right renal artery stent (control group), or end-to-side anastomosis of the donor liver portal vein and the left common iliac artery (experimental group). RESULTS: The experimental group had significantly lower plasma levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin, and cholinesterase than the control group (all, P < 0.05). The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in the liver were significantly higher in the experimental group than that in the control group (all, P < 0.05). Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining of the liver tissue specimens indicated that the experimental group had greater hepatocyte regeneration compared to the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The modified kidney-sparing PVA model of heterotopic auxiliary liver transplantation is more conducive to liver regeneration with quicker return of liver function.

[Differential Expression of Long Non-coding RNA Cancer Susceptibility Candidate 2 and Imprinted Gene H19 in Extrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma].

Objective To investigate the expression and the potential roles of long non-coding RNA(lncRNA)cancer susceptibility candidate 2(CASC2)and imprinted gene H19 in extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(ECC). Methods Four samples from patients with ECC were collected for high-throughput sequencing which was conducted to reveal the transcriptomic profiles of lncRNA CASC2 and H19.Bioinformatics tools were employed to predict the potential roles of the two genes.Another 22 ECC tissue samples and the cholangiocarcinoma cell lines(RBE,QBC939,HuH-28,and HuCCT1)with different degrees of differentiation were selected for validation.The para-carcinoma tissue and normal human intrahepatic biliary epithelial cell(HIBEC)were used as the control groups.The expression levels of lncRNA CASC2 and H19 in carcinoma tissue,para-carcinoma tissue,and cell lines were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR).The correlation analysis was carried out for the clinical indicators of patients with the expression levels of the target genes. Results The two target genes showed significantly different expression between carcinoma tissue and para-carcinoma tissue(all P<0.05).Specifically,CASC2 had higher expression level in the carcinoma tissue than in the para-carcinoma tissue(t=1.262,P=0.025),whereas the expression of H19 showed an opposite trend(t=1.285,P=0.005).The expression levels of CASC2 in QBC939(t=8.114,P=0.015)and HuH-28(t=9.202,P=0.012)cells were significantly higher than that in the control group.The expression levels of H19 were significantly lower in RBE(t=-10.244,P<0.001),QBC939(t=-10.476,P<0.001),HuH-28(t=-19.798,P<0.001),and HuCCT1(t=-16.193,P=0.004)cells than in the control group.Bioinformatics analysis showed that CASC2 was mainly involved in the metabolic process and H19 in the development of multicellular organisms.Both CASC2 and H19 were related to catalytic activity.The expression level of lncRNA CASC2 was correlated with pathological differentiation(χ 2=6.222,P=0.022)and lymph node metastasis(χ2=5.455,P=0.020),and that of lncRNA H19 with pathological differentiation(χ2=1.174,P=0.029)and tumor size(χ2=-0.507,P=0.037). Conclusions In the case of ECC,lncRNA CASC2 and H19 have transcription disorders.lncRNA CASC2 is generally up-regulated in the carcinoma tissue,while H19 is down-regulated.Both genes have the potential to become new molecular markers for ECC.

Pathway of Diatoms Enter Experimental Rabbits through the Lymphatic System of the Digestive Tract.

OBJECTIVES: To study whether diatoms can enter the body through the lymphatic system of the digestive tract. METHODS: Twenty experimental rabbits were divided into the test group and the control group randomly, and intragastric administration was performed with 20 mL water sample from the Pearl River and 20 mL ultrapure water, respectively. After 30 min, lymph, lungs, livers and kidneys were extracted for the diatom test. The concentration, size and type of diatoms were recorded. RESULTS: The concentration of diatoms of the test group was higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). In the test group, Stephanodiscus, Coscinodiscus, Cyclotella, Melosira, Nitzschia, Synedra, Cymbella, and Navicula were detected; in the control group, Stephanodiscus, Coscinodiscus and Cyclotella were detected. The long diameter and the short diameter of diatoms of the test group were higher than those of the control group (P<0.05). In the test group, 1-2 diatoms were detected in 3 lung samples and 2 liver samples, which were Stephanodiscus or Cyclotella, and no diatoms were detected in the kidney samples; in the control group, 1-2 diatoms were detected in 2 lung samples and 3 liver samples, which were Stephanodiscus or Coscinodiscus, and no diatoms were detected in the kidney samples. CONCLUSIONS: Diatoms can enter the body through the lymphatic fluid, which is one of the reasons for the presence of diatoms in tissues and organs of non-drowning cadavers.

Combination of Modified Free Anterolateral Thigh Skin-Fascia Flap and Pedicled Thoracoacromial Artery Perforator Flap for Entire Circumferential Pharyngoesophageal Defect and External Neck Skin Defect Reconstructions.

Simultaneous reconstructions of entire circumference pharyngoesophageal defect and external neck skin defect are challenges for head and neck surgeons. A 57-year old man, who underwent radical tumor resection, suffered with an advanced metachronous second primary esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SPESCC). Our modified operative technique (mALT-TAAP), a combination of modified free anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap (a fasciocutaneous flap with an extension of fascia) and pedicled thoracoacromial artery perforator (TAAP) flap, was utilized to reconstruct the entire circumference of pharyngoesophageal and external neck skin defect reconstructions. The modified ALT flap, TAAP flap and donor wounds recovered well postoperatively. No morbidity of the donor site or operation-related complication was observed. The postoperative recovery of swallowing function was satisfactory. Our mALT-TAAP reconstruction method could be a decent option for simultaneous reconstructions of entire circumference of pharyngoesophageal defect and external neck skin defect.

Biodegradation of erythromycin by Delftia lacustris RJJ-61 and characterization of its erythromycin esterase.

The residual erythromycin in fermentation waste can pollute the environment and threaten human health. However, there are no effective approaches to remedy this issue. In this study, an erythromycin-degrading bacterium named RJJ-61 was isolated and identified as a strain of Delftia lacustris based on morphological and phylogenetic analyses. The degradation ability of this strain was also evaluated; it could degrade 45.18% of erythromycin at 35°C in 120 h. Furthermore, the key degradation gene ereA was cloned from strain RJJ-61 and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21; the molecular weight of the expressed protein was ~45 kDa. The enzyme activity of EreA was 108.0 mU ml-1 at 35°C and pH 7.0. Finally, the EreA protein was used to degrade erythromycin from mycelial dregs and 50% diluted solution, and the removal rates in them were 41.42% and 69.78%, respectively. In summary, D. lacustris RJJ-61 is a novel erythromycin-degrading strain that has great potential to remove erythromycin pollutants from the environment.

Effects of added thermally treated penicillin fermentation residues on the quality and safety of composts.

Thermal treatment and composting are effective methods of degrading antibiotics and organic matter in penicillin fermentation residues (PFR), respectively. However, the composting efficiency and environmental safety of thermally treated PFR (HT-PFR) remain unclear. In this study, HT-PFR was composted with cattle manure and maize straw at ratios of 0:1:1 (CK), 1.5:1:1 (T1), and 5:1:1 (T2). Changes in physicochemical properties, seed germination index (GI), and microbial antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were determined. Addition of HT-PFR significantly reduced the C:N ratio of each compost (P < 0.05) and prolonged the thermophilic stage. The GI of CK and T1 composts increased during processing, whereas that of T2 compost remained low. The PO43- concentrations of T1 and T2 composts were 6.3- and 11.1-fold higher than that of CK, respectively. HT-PFR contained relatively small amounts of mineral elements, and composting it with cattle manure and maize straw provided balanced nutrients for plant growth. After 52 days of composting, most ARGs of the microflora were reduced to low levels, but blaTEM increased significantly in T2 compost. Overall, composting HT-PFR at up to 42% of a mix containing equal parts of cattle manure and wheat straw is an environmentally safe and effective way of transforming it into organic fertilizer.

Multiple imputation and clinico-serological models to predict human papillomavirus status in oropharyngeal carcinoma: An alternative when tissue is unavailable.

In cancer epidemiological studies, determination of human papillomavirus (HPV) in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) typically depends on the availability of tumor tissue testing, and/or tumor tissue access. Identifying alternative methods for estimating HPV status can improve the quality of such studies when tissue is unavailable. We developed multiple predictive models for tumor HPV status and prognosis by combining both clinico-epidemiological variables and either serological multiplex assays of HPV or multiple imputation of HPV status (HPVmi ). Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of these methods compared to either p16 immunostaining (p16 IHC) or survival were assessed. When compared to a reference of tumor tissue p16 IHC in 783 OPSCC patients, the clinic-HPVsero model incorporating a composite of 20 HPV serological antibodies (HPVsero ) and 4 clinical factors (c-index: 0.96) performed better than using HPVsero (c-index: 0.92) or HPVmi (c-index: 0.76) alone. However, the model that contained a single HPV16 E6 antibody combined with four clinical variables, performed extremely well (clinic-s1-16E6; c-index: 0.95). When defining HPV status by HPVsero , s1-16E6, HPVmi or through p16 IHC, each of these definitions demonstrated improved overall and disease-free survival in HPV-positive OPSCC patients, when compared to HPV-negative patients (adjusted hazard ratios between 0.25 and 0.63). Our study demonstrates that when blood samples are available, a model that utilizes a single s1-16E6 antibody combined with several clinical features has excellent test performance characteristics to estimate HPV status and prognosis. When neither blood nor tumor tissue is available, multiple imputation, calibrated on local population characteristics, remains a viable, but suboptimal option.

Quantitative trait loci analysis of seed oil content and composition of wild and cultivated soybean.

BACKGROUND: Soybean oil is a major source of edible oil, and the domestication of wild soybean has resulted in significant changes in oil content and composition. Extensive efforts have been made to identify genetic loci that are related to soybean oil traits. The objective of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) related to soybean seed oil and compare the fatty acid composition between wild and cultivated soybean. RESULTS: Using the specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq) method, a total of 181 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between wild soybean ZYD00463 (Glycine soja) and cultivated soybean WDD01514 (Glycine max) were genotyped. Finally, a high-density genetic linkage map comprising 11,398 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers on 20 linkage groups (LGs) was constructed. Twenty-four stable QTLs for seed oil content and composition were identified by model-based composite interval mapping (CIM) across multiple environments. Among these QTLs, 23 overlapped with or were adjacent to previously reported QTLs. One QTL, qPA10_1 (5.94-9.98 Mb) on Chr. Ten is a novel locus for palmitic acid. In the intervals of stable QTLs, some interesting genes involved in lipid metabolism were detected. CONCLUSIONS: We developed 181 RILs from a cross between wild soybean ZYD00463 and cultivated soybean WDD01514 and constructed a high-density genetic map using the SLAF-seq method. We identified 24 stable QTLs for seed oil content and compositions, which includes qPA10_1 on Chr. 10, a novel locus for palmitic acid. Some interesting genes in the QTL regions were also detected. Our study will provide useful information for scientists to learn about genetic variations in lipid metabolism between wild and cultivated soybean.