FL% is associated with the severity of acute DeBakey type I aortic dissection in patients undergoing frozen elephant trunk and total arch replacement.

Objectives: The diameter, area, and volume of the true lumen and false lumen (FL) have been measured in previous studies to evaluate the extent of DeBakey type I aortic dissection. However, these indicators have limitations because of the irregular shapes of the true and false lumens and the constant oscillation of intimal flap during systole and diastole. The ratio of arch lengths seems to be a more reliable indicator. FL% was defined as the ratio of the arch length of FL to the circumference of the aorta at the different levels of the aorta. The purpose of this article was to investigate whether FL% is a predictor of the severity of acute DeBakey type I aortic dissection in patients undergoing frozen elephant trunk (FET) and total arch replacement. Methods: In this retrospective observational study, we analyzed a total of 344 patients with acute DeBakey type I aortic dissection that underwent FET and total arch replacement at our center from October 2015 to October 2019. The patients were divided into two groups by cluster analysis according to the perioperative course. Binary logistic regression analyses were performed to determine whether FL% could predict the severity of acute DeBakey type I aortic dissection. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was used to assess the power of the multivariate logistic regression model for the severity of acute DeBakey type I aortic dissection. Results: The patients in the ultra-high-risk group (109 patients) had significantly more severe clinical comorbidities and complications than the patients in the high-risk group (235 patients). The ascending aortic FL% [odds ratio (OR), 11.929 (95% CI: 1.421-100.11); P = 0.022], location of initial tear [OR, 0.68 (95% CI: 0.47-0.98); P = 0.041], the degree of left iliac artery involvement [OR, 1.95 (95% CI: 1.15-3.30); P = 0.013], and the degree of right coronary artery involvement [OR, 1.46 (95% CI: 1.01-2.12); P = 0.045] on preoperative computed tomography angiography were associated with the severity of acute DeBakey type I aortic dissection. The AUROC value of this multivariate logistic regression analysis was 0.940 (95% CI: 0.914-0.967; P < 0.001). The AUROC value of ascending aortic FL% was 0.841 (95% CI: 0.798-0.884; P < 0.001) for the severity of acute DeBakey type I aortic dissection in patients undergoing FET and total arch replacement. Conclusions: Ascending aortic FL% was validated as an essential radiologic index for assessing the severity of acute DeBakey type I aortic dissection in patients undergoing FET and total arch replacement. Higher values of ascending aortic FL% were more severe.

Evaluation and Use of Organs from Donors Poisoned by Organophosphorus Pesticide.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to explore the evaluation and use of donor organs from donors with brain death caused by acute severe organophosphorus pesticides and provide a basis for the use of such donor organs. MATERIAL AND METHODS Seven cases of brain dead donors caused by acute organophosphorus pesticide poisoning from January 2014 to December 2018 in the hospital were collected, and a retrospective analysis was made of the donors' age, race, physiological and pathological changes, donor organ function changes and the organ use, liver or kidney function recovery, and complications of the recipients. The 18 recipients were followed up until June 31, 2022. RESULTS We found that 71.42% of organ donors were male, and 71.42% of organ donors were under 50 years old. The main cause of death was respiratory failure caused by organophosphorus pesticide poisoning. The liver and kidney functions of 7 donors were damaged, and 3 livers could not be used due to severe functional damage, but the liver or kidney function of 18 recipients gradually recovered after transplantation. Delayed recovery of graft function occurred after transplantation accounted for 21.43%, and the grafts had good short-term to medium-term performance. CONCLUSIONS Although the function of organs from donor with brain death due to acute severe organophosphorus pesticide poisoning is seriously damaged, most of the organs can still be used for transplantation. Individualized functional maintenance according to the situation of donors is conducive to improving the quality of organs.

[Clinical observational study on the treatment of oligozoospermia with Shizi Sanhua decoction combined with Nuoyu].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical therapeutic effect as well as drug effectiveness and safety of Shizi Sanhua decoction combined with Nuoyu in the treatment of oligozoospermia in men. METHODS: 102 patients with oligozoospermia diagnosed at Longhua Hospital of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from February 2022 to March 2023 were selected and randomly divided into 3 groups. The treatment group was treated with Shizi Sanhua Decoction + Nuoyu; the traditional Chinese medicine group was treated with Shizi Sanhua Decoction; and the Nuoyu nutrient group was treated with Nuoyu nutrient. A review assessment and record were made after one course of treatment (3 months). RESULTS: A total of 102 patients completed the trial due to the treatment process. There were 34 cases in each of the traditional Chinese medicine group, the Nuoyu nutrient group, and the treatment group. Clinical efficacy: total effective rate of 52.94% in the traditional Chinese medicine group; 58.82% in the Nuoyu nutrient group; 82.35% in the treatment group. The clinical efficacy of the treatment group was better than that of the traditional Chinese medicine group and the Nuoyu nutrient group (P<0.05), which was statistically significant. Semen routine: the treatment group was better than the traditional Chinese medicine group and Nuoyu nutrient group in improving the total number of sperm and sperm concentration. CONCLUSION: The semen concentration and forward sperm count of patients with oligozoospermia treated with Shizi Sanhua Decoction combined with Nuoyu improved more significantly, and the clinical efficacy was remarkable. And the clinical efficacy is not affected by age and disease duration. It can be popularized and applied as a treatment for oligozoospermia.

Effects of electrostatic interactions on global folding and local conformational dynamics of a multidomain Y-family DNA polymerase.

The Y-family DNA polymerases specialize in translesion DNA synthesis, which is essential for replicating damaged DNA. The Y-family polymerases, which are made up of four stable domains, exhibit extensive distributions of charged residues, and are responsible for the tight formation of the protein-DNA complex. However, it is still unclear how the electrostatic interactions influence the conformational dynamics of the polymerases. Here, we focus on the case of a prototype Y-family DNA polymerase, Dpo4. Using coarse-grained models including a salt-dependent electrostatic potential, we investigate the effects of the electrostatic interactions on the folding process of Dpo4. Our simulations show that strong electrostatic interactions result in a three-state folding of Dpo4, consistent with the experimental observations. This folding process exhibits low cooperativity led by low salt concentration, where the individual domains fold one by one through one single pathway. Since the refined folding order of domains in multidomain proteins can shrink the configurational space, we suggest that the electrostatic interactions facilitate the Dpo4 folding. In addition, we study the local conformational dynamics of Dpo4 in terms of fluctuation and frustration analyses. We show that the electrostatic interactions can exaggerate the local conformational properties, which are in favor of the large-scale conformational transition of Dpo4 during the functional DNA binding. Our results underline the importance of electrostatic interactions in the conformational dynamics of Dpo4 at both the global and local scale, providing useful guidance in protein engineering at the multidomain level.

Knockdown of miR-543 Inhibits the Proliferation and Migration of Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma Cells and Induces Apoptosis.

This article aims to explore the effects and possible mechanism of miR-543 on small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) cells. The respective levels of miR-543 in lung carcinoma tissues, para-cancerous tissues, human normal lung cells MRC-9, and SCLC cells were detected by RT-qPCR. The proliferation, apoptosis, and migration of SCLC cells were detected after the miR-543 level in SCLC cells was altered by miRNA mimics and inhibitors. The levels of apoptosis-related proteins and potential downstream targeted proteins of miR-543 were detected by western blots. The study revealed that KNTC1 was highly expressed in lung carcinoma tissues and SCLC cells (P < 0.01). It also showed that knockdown of miR-543 can inhibit the proliferation and migration of SCLC cells, induce apoptosis, and increase the level of apoptosis-related proteins. These changes were reversed by the addition of mimics that increased miR-543 levels. The level of miR-543 was positively correlated with the protein expression level of downstream MUC1, ß-catenin, and CDC42 in SCLC cells, suggesting that miR-543 may play a role through them. Thus this study concludes that MiR-543 can affect the function of SCLC cells, which may play a crucial role in the presence and development of SCLC.

Correlation between Plasma Cellular Retinoic Acid-Binding Protein 2 and Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Cells.

BACKGROUND: Our primary aim of the current study was to explore the correlation between plasma CRABP2 and migration, proliferation and invasion of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. METHODS: Human lung cancer cell line A549 was used in the present study, which was cultured in 6-well plates (1 × 106 cells/well) and then transfected with pcDNA-CRABP2 and pcDNA, siRNA with the use of Lipofectamine 2000 based on the manufacturer's protocol. The expression of CRABP2 mRNA was detected through real-time PCR. Proliferation was further detected using MTT assays, and apoptosis was monitored and recorded with the application of flow cytometry. The expression of E-cadherin, MMP9, vimentin and related pathway proteins was detected by Western blotting assays. Transwell assays and cell scratch assays were utilized for the detection of migration and invasion ability of A549 cells. RESULTS: RT-PCR results showed The CRABP2 mRNA transcript levels in the CRABP2 overexpression group were higher when comparing those of the empty vector group (P < 0.05). By MTT assays, CRABP2 overexpression promoted cellular proliferation, while CRABP2 downregulation inhibited cellular proliferation. CRABP2 overexpression inhibited cell apoptosis and promoted cellular proliferation. The number of TUNEL staining positive cells was the lowest in the CRABP2 overexpression group, and the siRNA transfection group had increased apoptosis. CRABP2 downregulation reduced EMT in cells and cell migration and invasion reflected from western blotting results and cell migration and invasion assay results, respectively. CONCLUSION: Inhibition of plasma CRABP2 expression offers the potential in terms of reducing the expression of MAPKs and proteins in the NF-κB pathway and inhibiting the proliferation and migration of NSCLC cells, which is ideally suited for further treatment for NSCLC.

[Dietary Patterns and Their Association with Diabetes Mellitus in Middle-Aged and Older Rural Population in Xinxiang County, Henan Province].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the prevalence of diabetes mellitus among middle-aged and older rural adults of Xinxiang county, Henan Province and its correlation with dietary patterns. METHODS: The study was done based on the data collected from a cross-sectional survey of Xinxiang County, which was part of the Prospective Cohort Study on the Common Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases in Rural areas of Henan Province. Randomized cluster sampling was used to select adult respondents (≥18 years old) from among the residents of 17 villages in Xinxiang county. The respondents completed questionnaires, and underwent physical examinations and laboratory tests between April, 2017 and June, 2017. A total of 7604 individuals aged between 45 and 79 were included in our study. Dietary patterns were established through factor analysis and the dietary pattern factor scores were divided into quartiles (Q1-Q4). The relationship between dietary patterns and diabetes mellitus was analyzed with multivariate logistic regression model. RESULTS: Out of the total of 7604 middle-aged and older rural adults in Xinxiang County, Henan Province, 1604 had diabetes mellitus, suggesting a 21.1% prevalence of diabetes mellitus. Factor analysis was used to establish four dietary patterns, namely animal-based diet, vegetable-egg diet, mixed diet and traditional diet. Subjects of these four dietary patterns displayed different demographic characteristics. There were no statistical difference in anthropometricor clinical indicators between the quartile with the lowest dietary pattern factor score (Q1) and the quartile with the highest dietary pattern factor score (Q4) for subjects with animal-based diet ( P>0.05). Compared with those in the Q1 quartile of vegetable-egg diet, subjects in the Q4 quartile of vegetable-egg diet showed lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), along with different distribution of fasting blood glucose (FBG), showing statistically significant difference ( P<0.05). In comparison to subjects in Q1 quartile of mixed diet, those in Q4 quartile showed lower levels of systolic blood pressure (SBP), the difference being statistically significant ( P<0.05). In the traditional diet group, subjects in the Q4 quartile had lower waist circumference (WC), but higher levels of HDL-C than those of subjects in Q1 quartile. In addition, the distribution of glycated-hemoglobin (HbA1c) and FBG were different, the difference being statistically significant ( P<0.05). The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that traditional diet could be a protective factor of diabetes mellitus (odds ratio [ OR]=0.810, 95% CI: 0.690-0.952, P trend<0.05) after adjusting for multiple confounding factors. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of diabetes in middle-aged and older rural residents is relatively high in Xinxiang County, Henan Province, and there may be a protective relationship between traditional diet and diabetes mellitus.

Impact of ball-milling and ionic liquid pretreatments on pyrolysis kinetics and behaviors of crystalline cellulose.

In this work, the kinetic mechanisms of pyrolysis of cellulose with different physical structures were illustrated. The crystalline cellulose showed better thermal stability and required higher energy for decomposition with more concentrated reactions due to the highly ordered structure. The crystallinity of the ball milling and ionic liquid pretreated cellulose decreased and the structure was relatively loose and disordered, thereby reducing the thermal stability, so the global activation energy of both samples decreased and the intensive reaction caused by the collapse of structure was alleviated. In fast pyrolysis, crystalline cellulose favored fast pyrolytic saccharification, and the highest levoglucosan yield reached 64.3 wt% at 400 °C. This research was helpful to deduce the influence of physical structure on the pyrolytic product distribution of cellulose, thereby providing useful information to promote the development of pyrolytic saccharification.

The protection of NF-κB inhibition on kidney injury of systemic lupus erythematosus mice may be correlated with lncRNA TUG1.

We aimed to know the effect of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) inhibition on the kidney injury of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) mice. Pristane-induced SLE mice were treated with pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC, 50 or 100 mg/kg), a NF-κB inhibitor. Histopathological changes were observed by hematoxylin & eosin, Masson and periodic schiff-methenamine stainings. Long noncoding RNA Taurine upregulated gene 1 (LncRNA TUG1) was measured by real-time reverse transcription PCR, NF-κB p65 expression by western blotting, levels of inflammatory cytokines, antinuclear antibodies (ANA), and antidouble stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the deposition of IgG and C3 by immunofluorescence. The kidney of SLE mice exhibited interstitial inflammatory cell infiltration, interstitial fibrous proliferation, glomerular mesangial proliferation, and crescent formation, which was mitigated after PDTC administration. The levels of BUN, Cr, ANA, and anti-dsDNA and the pro-inflammatory factors in SLE mice were increased with obvious deposition of IgG and C3, but they were also reversed by PDTC. Furthermore, the NF-κB p65 expression in the nucleus in the SLE mice was decreased with the up-regulation of TUG1 expression and NF-κB p65 expression in the cytoplasm after PDTC treatment. Correlation analysis revealed the negative correlation between the TUG1 expression and NF-κB p65 in the nucleus in the kidney tissues. NF-κB inhibition with PDTC protected against the kidney injury of pristine-induced SLE mice possibly via up-regulating lncRNA TUG1, and further clinical studies are needed to clarify whether NF-κB inhibition may be a therapeutic modality for the kidney injury of SLE.

Clinical significance of reduced expression of lncRNA TUG1 in the peripheral blood of systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression and clinical significance of long non-coding RNA taurine up-regulated gene 1 (lncRNA TUG1) in the peripheral blood of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. METHODS: With the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs: T-cells, B-cells and monocytes) collected from SLE patients and healthy controls, TUG1 expression was determined to identify the correlation with the clinicopathological features of SLE patients. Thereby, the diagnostic value of TUG1 expression in diagnosis of SLE was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: As compared to healthy controls, SLE patients manifested a lower expression of TUG1 in PBMCs, which was further decreased in SLE patients with lupus nephritis (P < .05). The lowest level of TUG1 was found in monocytes, rather than T-cells or B-cells (P < .05). Negative correlations were identified between TUG1 levels and SLE Disease Activity Index score (r = -.904, P < .001), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r = -.779, P < .001), disease duration (r = -.503, P < .001) and 24-hour urinary protein (r = -.807, P < .001). Complement C3 levels were positively associated with TUG1 expression (r = .817, P < .001). In addition, the area under the ROC curve of diagnostic efficiency for SLE based on TUG1 was 0.982, and 0.930 for SLE with lupus nephritis. CONCLUSIONS: The levels of lncRNA TUG1 was markedly lower in the SLE patients, which was more obvious in SLE patients with lupus nephritis, and thus, it could be a promising clinical diagnostic tool for SLE patients or SLE patients with lupus nephritis.

Effect of Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation for the Treatment of Chronic Insomnia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Parallel-Group, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Not all adults with chronic insomnia respond to the recommended therapeutic options of cognitive behavioral therapy and approved hypnotic drugs. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) may offer a novel potential treatment modality for insomnia. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the efficacy and safety of tACS for treating adult patients with chronic insomnia. METHODS: Sixty-two participants with chronic primary insomnia received 20 daily 40-min, 77.5-Hz, 15-mA sessions of active or sham tACS targeting the forehead and both mastoid areas in the laboratory on weekdays for 4 consecutive weeks, followed by a 4-week follow-up period. The primary outcome was response rate measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) at week 8. Secondary outcomes were remission rate, insomnia severity, sleep onset latency (SOL), total sleep time (TST), sleep efficiency, sleep quality, daily disturbances, and adverse events at the end of the 4-week intervention and at the 4-week follow-up. RESULTS: Of 62 randomized patients, 60 completed the trial. During the 4-week intervention, 1 subject per group withdrew due to loss of interest and time restriction, respectively. Based on PSQI, at 4-week follow-up, the active group had a higher response rate compared to the sham group (53.4% [16/30] vs. 16.7% [5/30], p = 0.009), but remission rates were not different between groups. At the end of the 4-week intervention, the active group had higher response and remission rates than the sham group (p < 0.001 and p = 0.026, respectively). During the trial, compared with the sham group, the active group showed a statistically significant decrease in PSQI total score, a shortened SOL, an increased TST, improved sleep efficiency, and improved sleep quality (p < 0.05 or p < 0.001). Post hoc analysis revealed that, in comparison with the sham group, the active group had improved symptoms, except for daily disturbances, at the end of the 4-week intervention, and significant improvements in all symptoms at the 4-week follow-up. No adverse events or serious adverse responses occurred during the study. CONCLUSION: The findings show that the tACS applied in the present study has potential as an effective and safe intervention for chronic insomnia within 8 weeks.

Efficacy of tiotropium in treating patients with moderate-to-severe asthma: A meta-analysis and systematic review based on 14 randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: The goal of the current meta-analysis and systematic review was to explore the efficacy of tiotropium in treating patients with moderate-to-severe asthma on the basis of qualified randomized controlled trials (RCTs). METHODS: The following online electronic databases, such as Cochrane, PubMed, and Embase database were screened to identify qualified studies updated to January 2019 through the use of index words. Several literatures that were relevant to the present analysis were also included. To further analyze the main outcomes, we utilized the odds rations (OR), and mean difference (MD) along with its 95% confidence interval (95% CI). RESULTS: A total of 14 RCTs with 4998 patients in the tiotropium group and 5074 patients in the control group were included in the present study. On the basis of the pooled results, tiotropium was significantly associated with improved morning PEF (SMD: 3.29, 95%CI: 2.03-4.55), evening PEF (SMD: 3.36, 95%CI: 2.24-4.48), peak FEV (SMD: 2.67, 95%CI: 1.47-3.88), and trough FEV (SMD: 1.90, 95%CI: 0.87-2.92) vs the control group. Nevertheless, no significant difference was observed in peak FVC (SMD: 0.77, 95%CI: -0.21-1.76), trough FVC (SMD: 0.67, 95%CI: -0.18-1.53), AE (RR: 0.98, 95%CI: 0.94-1.02) and serious AE (RR: 1.08, 95%CI: 0.77-1.52) between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: In this review, we summarized the significant effect of tiotropium for the treatment of moderate-to-severe asthma, mainly in increasing morning PEF, evening PEF, peak FEV and trough FEV based on high-quality RCTs. Nevertheless, no significant difference in peak FVC, trough FVC, AE and serious AE was found between the 2 groups. A close comparison of the 2 groups revealed that more high-quality larger-sample RCTs are needed to gather more strong evidence on the therapeutic efficacy and safety of tiotropium for clinical practice.

Evaluation and application of donors with primary central nervous system tumors.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore the safety of donors with primary central nervous system tumors for kidney and liver transplantations. METHODOLOGY: Clinical data of 29 donors with primary CNS tumors in January 2007 to December 2017, as well as the follow-up data of 16 liver transplant recipients and 46 kidney transplant recipients, were analyzed. According to the risk factors, the high-risk group was classified as Group 1, the low-risk factors were classified as Group 2, and the unknown risk group was classified as Group 3. The incidence of donor-transmitted CNS tumors was calculated and compared. RESULTS: The duration from the diagnosis of 29 donors to donation was 5.67 ± 6.36 months. None of the liver and kidney transplant recipients who were followed up had tumor metastasis. Although the mean survival time of Group 1 was lower than that of Group 2 and Group 3, the Kaplan-Meier curve showed no significant difference in survival time. CONCLUSION: No obvious difference was observed between high-risk and low-risk and unknown risk CNS tumors in terms of the survival rate of transplants and tumor metastasis rate. High-risk CNS tumor donors can be used with the informed consent of recipients after a full evaluation.

A Printed and Flexible NO2 Sensor Based on a Solid Polymer Electrolyte.

Solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) is an important part of printed electrochemical gas sensors and are of value to electrochemical sensors. Here, a new type of SPE was prepared by dissolving a poly-vinylidene fluoride (PVDF) matrix in a 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) to immobilize 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([EMIM] [BF4]), which was then used in a new electrochemical amperometric nitrogen dioxide sensor. The SPE was coated on a single electrode and attached to the electrode to construct a simple two-layer structure. Nitrogen dioxide in the air was reduced on the working electrode at a bias voltage of -500 V. We controlled the components and process parameters separately for control experiments. The results show that the SPE based on [EMIM] [BF4], NMP, and PVDF coated on the electrode at a thickness of 1.25 mm with a 1:1:4 weight ratio under heat treatment conditions of 80°C for 2 min has the best sensitivity. The FTIR and XPS results indicated that SPE is prepared via physical miscibility. The SEM and XRD results showed that the sensitivity of the sensor is strongly dependent on the interconnected pore structure in SPE, and the pore structure is related to the synthesis ratio, morphology, and heat treatment mode of SPE. Moreover, the sensor sensitivity has a certain relationship with SPE conductivity. The reaction principle and cycle performance of the sensor were also studied.

A comparative investigation of fast pyrolysis with enzymatic hydrolysis for fermentable sugars production from cellulose.

In this study, ball milling and ionic liquid pretreatments were utilized to alter cellulose structure prior to fast pyrolysis and enzymatic hydrolysis. The variations in the products distribution of cellulose fast pyrolysis, and their dependence on the structure of cellulose, and the temperature of fast pyrolysis were illustrated. Fast pyrolysis of pretreated cellulose yielded more levoglucosan than crystalline cellulose (14.7%) at 300 °C. Nevertheless, the levoglucosan achieved higher yield (64.3%) from crystalline cellulose at 400 °C. At last, a comparison between fast pyrolysis and enzymatic hydrolysis for cellulose saccharifaction was made. Fast pyrolysis was a promising alternative to liberate levoglucosan from cellulose. Further investigation and development were required to maximize the levoglucosan production.

Observation of the effect of targeted therapy of 64-slice spiral CT combined with cryoablation for liver cancer.

AIM: To observe the effect of targeted therapy with 64-slice spiral computed tomography (CT) combined with cryoablation for liver cancer. METHODS: A total of 124 patients (142 tumors) were enrolled into this study. According to the use of dual-slice spiral CT or 64-slice spiral CT as a guide technology, patients were divided into two groups: dual-slice group (n = 56, 65 tumors) and 64-slice group (n = 8, 77 tumors). All patients were accepted and received targeted therapy by an argon-helium superconducting surgery system. The guided scan times of the two groups was recorded and compared. In the two groups, the lesion ice coverage in diameter of ≥ 3 cm and < 3 cm were recorded, and freezing effective rate was compared. Hepatic perfusion values [hepatic artery perfusion (HAP), portal vein perfusion (PVP), and the hepatic arterial perfusion index (HAPI)] of tumor tissues, adjacent tissues and normal liver tissues at preoperative and postoperative four weeks in the two groups were compared. Local tumor changes were recorded and efficiency was compared at four weeks post-operation. Adverse events were recorded and compared between the two groups, including fever, pain, frostbite, nausea, vomiting, pleural effusion and abdominal bleeding. RESULTS: Guided scan times in the dual-slice group was longer than that in the 64-slice group (t = 11.445, P = 0.000). The freezing effective rate for tumors < 3 cm in diameter in the dual-slice group (81.58%) was lower than that in the 64-slice group (92.86%) (χ2 = 5.707, P = 0.017). The HAP and HAPI of tumor tissues were lower at four weeks post-treatment than at pre-treatment in both groups (all P < 0.05), and those in the 64-slice group were lower than that in the dual-slice group (all P < 0.05). HAP and PVP were lower and HAPI was higher in tumor adjacent tissues at post-treatment than at pre-treatment (all P < 0.05). Furthermore, the treatment effect and therapeutic efficacy in the dual-slice group were lower than the 64-slice group at four weeks post-treatment (all P < 0.05). Moreover, pleural effusion and intraperitoneal hemorrhage occurred in patients in the dual-slice group, while no complications occurred in the 64-slice group (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: 64-slice spiral CT applied with cryoablation in targeted therapy for liver cancer can achieve a safe and effective freezing treatment, so it is worth being used.

LncRNA UCA1 promotes renal cell carcinoma proliferation through epigenetically repressing p21 expression and negatively regulating miR-495.

Long non-coding RNAs have recently emerged as important regulators in the pathogenesis and progression of cancers. The long non-coding RNA urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 is reportedly upregulated and functions as an oncogene in some tumors. However, the role of urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 in renal cell carcinoma is not well elucidated so far. In this study, we found that urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 was overexpressed in renal cell carcinoma tissues compared with the adjacent normal tissues, and higher urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 expression levels were positively associated with advanced tumor stage and poor survival time in renal cell carcinoma patients. Further studies showed that knockdown of urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 suppressed renal cell carcinoma cell proliferation and S-phase cell number in vitro. Moreover, urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 was found to be associated with enhancer of zeste homolog 2, which suppressed p21 expression through histone methylation (H3K27me3) on p21 promoter. We also showed that knockdown of urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 increased the p21 protein expression through regulating enhancer of zeste homolog 2. In addition, bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assays confirmed that miR-495 was a target of urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 in renal cell carcinoma, and urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 promoted cell proliferation by negatively regulating miR-495. These findings illuminated that urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 promoted renal cell carcinoma progression through enhancer of zeste homolog 2 and interacted with miR-495. Overall, overexpression of urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 functions as an oncogene in renal cell carcinoma that may offer a novel therapeutic target for renal cell carcinoma patients.

BMI and BMI Changes to All-cause Mortality among the Elderly in Beijing: a 20-year Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the association between body mass index (BMI) and all-cause mortality among the elderly in Beijing. METHODS: This analysis was based on the Beijing multidimensional longitudinal study of aging (BLSA), which included 2,090 subjects over 55 years old and was followed-up from 1992 to 2012. BMI-mortality curves were drawn to find the optimal BMI range with the lowest mortality. Cox proportional hazard models were used to obtain the hazard ratios (HRs) for BMI and BMI changes in the overall population and in specific stratified populations. RESULTS: During follow-up, 1,164 deaths were recorded; BMI-mortality curve was U-shaped, with the lowest mortality at a BMI of approximately 25 kg/m2. After adjusting for gender, age, smoking, drinking and some pre-existing diseases, HRs for underweight, overweight and obesity compared with normal weight were 1.372 (95% CI: 1.154-1.631), 0.767 (95% CI: 0.666-0.884) and 0.871 (95% CI: 0.830-1.246), respectively. HR for BMI drop was 3.245 (95% CI: 0.824-12.772) in the underweight group and 1.892 (95% CI: 0.830-1.246) in the normal weight group, HR for BMI rise was 1.795 (95% CI: 1.243-2.591) in normal weight group and 1.962 (95% CI: 1.202-3.203) in the overweight group. CONCLUSION: Keeping BMI in an overweight status and stable is related to a reduced mortality.

Single-center study on transplantation of livers donated after cardiac death: A report of 6 cases.

Effective use of all available donated organs is critical, in order to meet the increasing demand for transplants. The present study explored liver transplantation with livers that were donated following cardiac death (DCD). According to the guidelines established by The Red Cross Society of China, 42 DCD organs were procured. Selected donors were treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) prior to the organ retrieval. The present single-center study included 6 liver transplantations of DCD organs (5 liver transplants and 1 liver-kidney combined transplant). All 6 recipients had a successful recovery without significant complications. The serum alanine transaminase, total bilirubin and international normalized ratio returned to the normal levels within a short period of time following transplantation, and the liver function remained normal during the follow-up period, which lasted up to 24 months. The present report demonstrated the feasibility of orthotopic liver transplantation using DCD livers. The pre-conditioning DCD donors and optimization of the recipient's condition using ECMO, played a crucial role in ensuring the success of transplantation.

Tailoring electromagnetically induced transparency with different coupling mechanisms.

Tailoring electromagnetically induced transparency with two different coupling mechanisms has been numerically demonstrated. The results show that EIT based on simultaneous electric resonance and magnetic resonance has relatively larger coupling distance compared with that based on electric resonance near field coupling to magnetic resonance. The relatively large coupling distance is due to the relatively small susceptibility change. For EIT based on simultaneous electric resonance and magnetic resonance, not only incident electric field but also the incident magnetic field pays a role on the susceptibility of system. The influence of the incident magnetic field leads to relatively smaller susceptibility change compared with that based on electric resonance near field coupling to magnetic resonance.