Probabilistic Analysis of Color Doppler Ultrasonography for Breast Cancer Detection in Asymptomatic Individuals.

Objective: This study aims to investigate and analyze the detection rate of breast cancer utilizing color Doppler ultrasonography in asymptomatic individuals. Methods: A cohort of 500 female patients who underwent physical examinations at our hospital from January 2018 to August 2020 was selected for this research. The diagnosis involved conventional surgical palpation and color Doppler ultrasound in all cases. The control group underwent conventional surgical palpation, while the study group utilized the color Doppler ultrasound diagnosis method. A comparative analysis of the results obtained by both methods was conducted, involving observation and recording of all detected objects. Results: The study group demonstrated a significantly higher detection rate of hyperplasia (40.20%) and nodules (19.00%) compared to the control group (32.60%, 12.40%) (P < .05). Biopsy or surgical resection of tissue samples from 200 subjects revealed nine cases of breast cancer and 191 cases without breast cancer. In comparison to pathological examination, color Doppler ultrasonography exhibited increased accuracy (95.50%) and sensitivity (100.00%) with a specificity of 95.29%. Analysis of color Doppler ultrasound images from five subjects demonstrated its intuitive and effective use in diagnosing breast mass characteristics and understanding tissue morphology, edges, and size. Conclusions: The application of color Doppler ultrasound in the physical examination of healthy individuals proves effective in breast cancer screening. It provides a clear display of breast disease symptoms, offering an essential imaging foundation for cancer diagnosis. Clinically feasible, it is recommended as a routine examination method for widespread use across the clinical spectrum.

Construction of a direct Z-scheme CeO2/UiO-66-NH2 heterojunction for boosting photocatalytic organic pollutant degradation and H2 evolution performance.

In this study, hollow CeO2 nanospheres were grown on UIO-66-NH2 nanosheets to form a novel CeO2/UiO-66-NH2 (abbreviation, CUx) Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst by calcination and hydrothermal method for hydrogen production and photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants. Under visible light, the H2 generation rate of the CU0.50 composite was 5662.1 µmol g-1 h-1, which was 22 and 7 fold than that of pure CeO2 and pure UiO-66-NH2, respectively. In addition, compared with CeO2 and UiO-66-NH2, the as-prepared CUx composites exhibited enhanced photo-degradation efficiencies for tetracycline (TC) and 2,4-dichlorophenol (DCP) under simulated solar light irradiation. Among them, the CU0.50 composite demonstrated the highest photocatalytic performance and reached 91.5% for TC, and 94.3% for DCP. In addition, a logical solid-state Z-type electron transfer mechanism is presented with the results of radical scavenging and ESR experiments to illustrate the intensive decomposed ability of the photocatalytic system. The enhanced photocatalytic performance of CUx heterostructures can be attributed to the formation of a band-position-matched hollow structure heterojunction between CeO2 and UIO-66-NH2, which can effectively inhibit the recombination of carriers and increase the specific surface area as well as the light absorption. Moreover, the oxidation and reduction ability of the charge carriers was also increased. This work resulted in a feasible idea for removing organic pollutants and hydrogen production by traditional inorganic semiconductor/MOF-based heterostructured photocatalysts.

Sigma-1 Receptor Activation Improves Oligodendrogenesis and Promotes White-Matter Integrity after Stroke in Mice with Diabetic Mellitus.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major risk factor for stroke and exacerbates white-matter damage in focal cerebral ischemia. Our previous study showed that the sigma-1 receptor agonist PRE084 ameliorates bilateral common-carotid-artery occlusion-induced brain damage in mice. However, whether this protective effect can extend to white matter remains unclear. In this study, C57BL/6 mice were treated with high-fat diets (HFDs) combined with streptozotocin (STZ) injection to mimic type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Focal cerebral ischemia in T2DM mice was established via injection of the vasoconstrictor peptide endothelin-1 (ET-1) into the hippocampus. Three different treatment plans were used in this study. In one plan, 1 mg/kg of PRE084 (intraperitoneally) was administered for 7 d before ET-1 injection; the mice were sacrificed 24 h after ET-1 injection. In another plan, PRE084 treatment was initiated 24 h after ET-1 injection and lasted for 7 d. In the third plan, PRE084 treatment was initiated 24 h after ET-1 injection and lasted for 21 d. The Y-maze, novel object recognition, and passive avoidance tests were used to assess neurobehavioral outcomes. We found no cognitive dysfunction or white-matter damage 24 h after ET-1 injection. However, 7 and 21 d after ET-1 injection, the mice showed significant cognitive impairment and white-matter damage. Only PRE084 treatment for 21 d could improve this white-matter injury; increase axon and myelin density; decrease demyelination; and increase the expressions of myelin regulator 2'-3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (CNpase) and myelin oligodendrocyte protein (MOG) (which was expressed by mature oligodendrocytes), the number of nerve/glial-antigen 2 (NG2)-positive cells, and the expression of platelet-derived growth factor receptor-alpha (PDGFRα), all of which were expressed by oligodendrocyte progenitor cells in mice with diabetes and focal cerebral ischemia. These results indicate that maybe there was more severe white-matter damage in the focal cerebral ischemia of the diabetic mice than in the mice with normal blood glucose levels. Long-term sigma-1 receptor activation may promote oligodendrogenesis and white-matter functional recovery in patients with stroke and with diabetes.

Tolfenamic acid inhibits ROS-generating oxidase Nox1-regulated p53 activity in intrastriatal injection of malonic acid rats.

It has been reported that wild-type p53-induced gene 1 (Wig1), which is downstream of p53, regulates the expression of mutant huntingtin protein (mHtt) in Huntington's disease (HD) patients and transgenic mouse brains. Intrastriatal injection of malonic acid in rats is often used as a model to study the pathological changes of Huntington's disease, and this model has the advantages of a fast preparation and low cost. Therefore, in this study, we used intrastriatal injections of 6 µM malonic acid in rats to evaluate the effect of tolfenamic acid on motor and cognitive deficits and the effect of 6 mg/kg and 32 mg/kg tolfenamic acid on p53 and its downstream targets, such as Wig1. The results showed that 32 mg/kg tolfenamic acid attenuated motor and spatial memory dysfunction, prevented Nox1-mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and downregulated the activity of p53 by increasing the phosphorylation level at the Ser378 site and decreasing the acetylation level at the Lys382 site. Tolfenamic acid reduced mouse double minute 2 (Mdm2), phosphatase and tensin homologue (Pten), P53-upregulated modulator of apoptosis (Puma) and Bcl2-associated X (Bax) at the mRNA level to inhibit apoptosis and downregulated sestrin 2 (Sesn2) and hypoxia inducible factor 1, alpha subunit (Hif-1α) mRNA levels to exert antioxidative stress effects. In addition, 32 mg/kg tolfenamic acid played a role in neuroprotection by decreasing the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL)-positive cell numbers. However, there was no difference in the Wig mRNA level among all groups, and tolfenamic acid could not decrease the protein level of Wig1. In conclusion, tolfenamic acid inhibited the ROS-generating oxidase Nox1-regulated p53 activity and attenuated motor and spatial memory deficits in malonic acid-injected rats.

Olaparib and paclitaxel in combination with carboplatin in treatment of ovarian cancer: influence on disease control.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy and safety of olaparib and paclitaxel combined with carboplatin in the treatment of ovarian cancer and its impact on disease control. METHODS: The medical data of 120 patients with ovarian cancer admitted to our hospital from February 2019 to February 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. According to different treatment methods, the enrolled patients were divided into two groups: a control group (n=60) treated with paclitaxel combined with carboplatin, and an experimental group (n=60) additionally treated with olaparib on the basis of the control group. The short-term efficacy, serum levels of carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and human epididymis protein 4 (HE4), and the incidence of adverse effects and tumor metastasis were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: There was no difference in the baseline data between the two groups (P>0.05). The objective remission rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) of the experimental group were higher than those of the control group (P<0.05). The experimental group had lower levels of serum CA125, TNF-α, IL-6, and HE4 than the control group after treatment (P<0.05). The two groups showed no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions (P>0.05). The one-year follow-up identified a lower tumor metastasis rate in the experimental group compared to the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Olaparib and paclitaxel combined with carboplatin improve the serum indexes of patients with ovarian cancer, enhance the disease control, and reduce the recurrence rate, without extra toxic side effects.

Application of vincristine and cisplatin combined with intensity-modulated radiation therapy in the treatment of patients with advanced cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of vincristine and cisplatin combined with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) on the treatment of patients with advanced cervical cancer and its influence on adverse reactions. METHODS: In this retrospective clinical trial, 90 patients with advanced cervical cancer admitted to our hospital from January 2019 to January 2020 were collected as research subjects and were divided into two groups according to different treatment methods. The control group received IMRT, and the experimental group was treated with a triple therapy of vincristine, cisplatin, and IMRT. The clinical efficacy, incidence of adverse reactions, immune function indexes, serum indexes, and 3-year survival were compared between the two groups. The Generic Quality of Life Inventory-74 (GQOLI-74) questionnaire was used to assess the quality of life, and the Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) was used to evaluate the health status. RESULTS: The experimental group exhibited a significantly higher total clinical treatment efficacy in comparison with the control group (P<0.05). Patients in the experimental group experienced fewer adverse reactions and better immune indexes as compared to those in the control group (all P>0.05). The serum indexes of the experimental group were significantly lower than those of the control group (P<0.05). Significantly higher GQOLI-74 scores and KPS scores were obtained in the experimental group than the control group after treatment (all P<0.05). The 3-year overall survival rate of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Vincristine and cisplatin combined with IMRT for patients with advanced cervical cancer can effectively optimize the clinical indicators of patients and improve their quality of life, with a high safety.

Novel fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy for advanced well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors: a clinical update.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with advanced well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) who have bulky and/or symptomatic and/or rapidly progressive disease require chemotherapy treatment. AREAS COVERED: This review summarizes the accumulating evidence for treatment with fluorouracil-based chemotherapy in well-differentiated NETs. The main clinical studies, toxicity and predictors of fluorouracil- based chemotherapy regimens in well-differentiated NETs are discussed, along with the current issues, future research directions and therapeutic prospects. EXPERT OPINION: Somatostatin analogs may control symptoms of hormone excess and tumor growth in patients with well-differentiated metastatic NETs, and biological therapies may improve progression-free survival for these patients. However, chemotherapy leads to higher objective response rates and symptom control by reducing tumor bulk. The low response rate and significant toxicities of conventional chemotherapy regimens limit their widespread use. Fortunately, some novel fluoropyrimidine-based treatment including fluorouracil, capecitabine, or S-1 based chemotherapy with or without antiangiogenic agents have been investigated in recent years. These treatments showed significant efficacy and less toxicity in pancreatic and non-pancreatic metastatic well-differentiated NETs. Additionally, non-pancreatic well-differentiated NETs have also achieved similar tumor response or survival comparable to pancreatic NETs. Moreover, some predictors of response to these treatment regimens have been evaluated.

Nanoaramid Dressed Latex Particles: The Direct Synthesis via Pickering Emulsion Polymerization.

The direct synthesis of polymer microspheres modified by aramid nanofibers (ANFs) is an interesting challenge. This work describes a simple aqueous process to prepare polystyrene (PS)/ANF composite microspheres, where the specific ANF network was "dressed" on PS. ANF was derived from the copolymerization of terephthaloyl chloride, p-phenylene diamine, and methoxypolyethylene glycol and could be dispersed in water stably. We applied the as-synthesized ANF as a Pickering emulsifier in the o/w emulsion of styrene monomer. Radical polymerization was subsequently initiated in the Pickering emulsion system. The combination of ANF with polymer spheres was revealed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermal gravity analysis. The role of ANF in the monomer emulsion as well as in the polymerization was studied through SEM, optical microscopy, optical stability analyzer, and pulse nuclear magnetic resonance combined with the polymerization kinetic analysis. Moreover, we investigated the effects of other synthesis parameters, such as monomer type, monomer content, pH value, and salt concentration.

[Dynamic observation on ultrasonographic image during chemotherapy of hepatic cystic echinococcosis and a proposal for ultrasonic classification].

OBJECTIVE: To submit a proposal for the classification of ultrasonographic image in patients with hepatic cystic echinococcosis, on the basis of characteristic and distribution of ultrasonic image of hydatid cysts in cases and systematic observation on dynamic changes of sonographic image under treatment with emulsion albendazole and in relation to clinical efficacy. METHODS: The ultrasonic image of 645 cysts in 497 cases with liver cystic echinococcosis was classified. The distribution of different types of image in patients was analyzed. A comparative analysis of correspondence between the sonographic type and clinical efficacy was made in association with the rule of changes in ultrasonic features during chemotherapy. RESULTS: The ultrasonographic image of hydatid cysts was divided into six types. The distribution of ultrasonic types in patients reflected the process of natural evolution of cysts in human bodies. The dynamic change of ultrasonic image during treatment was identical with the natural evolution process of hydatid cysts. CONCLUSION: The proposal for ultrasonographic classification submitted reflects a long evolutionary process from growth to death of hydatid cysts in human body. The dynamic change of hydatid cysts during chemotherapy indicated that the effect of drug has accelerated this process. Therefore this classification may be applied in diagnosis and to judge the chemotherapeutic efficacy of cystic echinococcosis.

[Structure characteristics of ORF2a gene of potato leafroll virus Chinese isolate].

According to the genomic sequence of foreign four PLRV isolates, three pairs of specific primer were designed and synthesized. The cDNA of the ORF2a gene of PLRV-Ch was synthesized by reverse transcription and followed by Polymerase Chain Reaction amplication. The synthesized 3' and 5' cDNA fragment of the PLRV-Ch ORF2a gene were inserted into pUC19 and cloned in E. coli JM109 and were sequenced respectively. The middle cDNA fragment were directly sequenced. The homology of nucleotide sequence of PLRV-Ch compared with PLRV-S (Scotland, UK), PLRV-N(Netherlands), PLRV-A(Australia) and PLRV-C(Canada) were 98.96%, 98.70%, 94.79%, 97.5%, the homology of putative amino acid sequence are 97.97%, 97.97%, 89.69%, 95.94%. In 3' region of ORF2a gene a slippery sequence for-1 frameshift and its downstream "stem-loop" or "pseudoknot" and upstream nucleotide sequence repeats were found. Authors suggested that the nucleotide repeat sequences characteristic for PLRV could form a tight successively folded complementary double stranded regions and hairpins. This structure possibly has something to do with-1 frameshift. The amino acid sequence of C terminus region of 70 kD protein translated by motif IV has a protease characteristic motif and a helicase motif IV. The amino acid sequence of polypeptide translated by ORF2a gene undergoing frameshift has a single-stranded nucleic acid binding protein-like characteristic motif.