Mxene-bpV plays a neuroprotective role in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury by activating the Akt and promoting the M2 microglial polarization signaling pathways.

Studies have shown that the inhibition of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN)was neuroprotective against ischemia/reperfusion(I/R) injury. Bisperoxovanadium (bpV), a derivative of vanadate, is a well-established inhibitor of PTEN. However, its function islimited due to its general inadequacy in penetrating cell membranes. Mxene(Ti3C2Tx) is a novel two-dimensional lamellar nanomaterial with an excellent ability to penetrate the cell membrane. Yet, the effects of this nanomaterial on nervous system diseases have yet to be scrutinized. Here, Mxene(Ti3C2Tx) was used for the first time to carry bpV(HOpic), creating a new nanocomposite Mxene-bpV that was probed in a cerebral I/R injury model. The findings showed that this synthetic Mxene-bpV was adequately stable and can cross the cell membraneeasily. We observed that Mxene-bpV treatment significantly increased the survival rate of oxygen glucose deprivation/reperfusion(OGD/R)--insulted neurons, reduced infarct sizes and promoted the recovery of brain function after mice cerebral I/R injury. Crucially, Mxene-bpV treatment was more therapeutically efficient than bpV(HOpic) treatment alone over the same period. Mechanistically, Mxene-bpV inhibited the enzyme activity of PTEN in vitro and in vivo. It also promoted the expression of phospho-Akt (Ser473) by repressing PTEN and then activated the Akt pathway to boost cell survival. Additionally, in PTEN transgenic mice, Mxene-bpV suppressed I/R-induced inflammatory response by promoting M2 microglial polarization through PTEN inhibition. Collectively, the nanosynthetic Mxene-bpV inhibited PTEN' enzymatic activity by activating Akt pathway and promoting M2 microglial polarization, and finally exerted neuroprotection against cerebral I/R injury.

A Multifunctional Herb-Derived Glycopeptide Hydrogel for Chronic Wound Healing.

Chronic wounds constitute an increasingly prevalent global healthcare issue, characterized by recurring bacterial infections, pronounced oxidative stress, compromised functionality of immune cells, unrelenting inflammatory reactions, and deficits in angiogenesis. In response to these multifaceted challenges, the study introduced a stimulus-responsive glycopeptide hydrogel constructed by oxidized Bletilla striata polysaccharide (OBSP), gallic acid-grafted ε-Polylysine (PLY-GA), and paeoniflorin-loaded micelles (MIC@Pae), called OBPG&MP. The hydrogel emulates the structure of glycoprotein fibers of the extracellular matrix (ECM), exhibiting exceptional injectability, self-healing, and biocompatibility. It adapts responsively to the inflammatory microenvironment of chronic wounds, sequentially releasing therapeutic agents to eradicate bacterial infection, neutralize reactive oxygen species (ROS), modulate macrophage polarization, suppress inflammation, and encourage vascular regeneration and ECM remodeling, playing a critical role across the inflammatory, proliferative, and remodeling phases of wound healing. Both in vitro and in vivo studies confirmed the efficacy of OBPG&MP hydrogel in regulating the wound microenvironment and enhancing the regeneration and remodeling of chronic wound skin tissue. This research supports the vast potential for herb-derived multifunctional hydrogels in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Minimally invasive surgical approaches for spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage in neonates aged 0-3 months.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to assess the clinical efficacy of minimally invasive surgical interventions in addressing spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage among neonates aged 0-3 months. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on a cohort of 30 neonates diagnosed with spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage, who underwent minimally invasive cranial trepanation and drainage procedures at our department between 2011 and 2015. RESULTS: A comprehensive follow-up, spanning a duration of 1-5 years, was conducted for all 30 neonates, revealing a 100% survival rate among the pediatric cohort. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that minimally invasive cranial trepanation and drainage exhibit efficacy in neonates aged 0-3 months experiencing spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage, leading to a reduction in both mortality and disability rates. It is recommended that surgery be promptly performed upon definitive diagnosis and identification of operation indications to prevent severe brain damage resulting from prolonged intracranial hypertension and potential fatal outcomes in neonates. Furthermore, the surgical procedure is characterized by its simplicity, involving minimal trauma.

Hydrophilic, Porous, Fiber-Reinforced Collagen-Based Membrane for Corneal Repair.

Collagen membrane with outstanding biocompatibility exhibits immense potential in the field of corneal repair and reconstruction, but the poor mechanical properties limit its clinical application. Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a biodegradable polymer widely explored for application in corneal reconstruction due to its excellent mechanical properties, biocompatibility, easy processability, and flexibility. In this study, a PCL/collagen composite membrane with reinforced mechanical properties is developed. The membrane has a strong composite structure with collagen by utilizing a porous and hydrophilic PCL scaffold, maintaining its integrity even after immersion. The suture retention and mechanical tests demonstrate that compared with the pure collagen membrane, the prepared membrane has a greater tensile strength and twice the modulus of elasticity. Further, the suture retention strength is improved by almost two times. In addition, the membrane remains fully intact on the implant bed in an in vitro corneal defect model. Moreover, the membrane can be tightly sutured to a rabbit corneal defect, progressively achieve epithelialization, and remain unchanged during observation. Overall, the PCL/collagen composite membrane is a promising candidate as a suturable corneal restoration material in clinical keratoplasty.

A study on whether deep learning models based on CT images for bone density classification and prediction can be used for opportunistic osteoporosis screening.

This study utilized deep learning to classify osteoporosis and predict bone density using opportunistic CT scans and independently tested the models on data from different hospitals and equipment. Results showed high accuracy and strong correlation with QCT results, showing promise for expanding osteoporosis screening and reducing unnecessary radiation and costs. PURPOSE: To explore the feasibility of using deep learning to establish a model for osteoporosis classification and bone density value prediction based on opportunistic CT scans and to verify its generalization and diagnostic ability using an independent test set. METHODS: A total of 1219 cases of opportunistic CT scans were included in this study, with QCT results as the reference standard. The training set: test set: independent test set ratio was 703: 176: 340, and the independent test set data of 340 cases were from 3 different hospitals and 4 different CT scanners. The VB-Net structure automatic segmentation model was used to segment the trabecular bone, and DenseNet was used to establish a three-classification model and bone density value prediction regression model. The performance parameters of the models were calculated and evaluated. RESULTS: The ROC curves showed that the mean AUCs of the three-category classification model for categorizing cases into "normal," "osteopenia," and "osteoporosis" for the training set, test set, and independent test set were 0.999, 0.970, and 0.933, respectively. The F1 score, accuracy, precision, recall, precision, and specificity of the test set were 0.903, 0.909, 0.899, 0.908, and 0.956, respectively, and those of the independent test set were 0.798, 0.815, 0.792, 0.81, and 0.899, respectively. The MAEs of the bone density prediction regression model in the training set, test set, and independent test set were 3.15, 6.303, and 10.257, respectively, and the RMSEs were 4.127, 8.561, and 13.507, respectively. The R-squared values were 0.991, 0.962, and 0.878, respectively. The Pearson correlation coefficients were 0.996, 0.981, and 0.94, respectively, and the p values were all < 0.001. The predicted values and bone density values were highly positively correlated, and there was a significant linear relationship. CONCLUSION: Using deep learning neural networks to process opportunistic CT scan images of the body can accurately predict bone density values and perform bone density three-classification diagnosis, which can reduce the radiation risk, economic consumption, and time consumption brought by specialized bone density measurement, expand the scope of osteoporosis screening, and have broad application prospects.

Remdesivir inhibits Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus infection in vitro.

Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV) is a highly contagious and pathogenic virus that causes symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, weight loss, and even death in piglets. Due to its high transmission rate, PEDV has resulted in significant global losses. Although some vaccines have been developed and utilized to prevent PEDV, their effectiveness is limited due to the virus's mutations. Therefore, it is imperative to investigate new strategies to combat PEDV. Remdesivir, a classic antiviral drug for coronaviruses, has been proven in our experiment to effectively suppress PEDV replication in Vero and LLC-PK1 cells. Additionally, the cell experiment demonstrated its direct inhibition of PEDV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) enzyme activity. Molecular docking simulations were employed to predict the binding site of remdesivir and PEDV RdRp. Moreover, we observed that remdesivir does not impact the production of inflammatory factors and exhibits antagonistic effects with exogenous nucleosides. Furthermore, we conducted RNA-Seq analysis to investigate the global changes in transcriptome of infected cells treated with remdesivir. Overall, our findings indicate that remdesivir holds promise as a potential candidate for the treatment of PEDV infection.

Development and validation of a nomogram based on biparametric MRI PI-RADS v2.1 and clinical parameters to avoid unnecessary prostate biopsies.

BACKGROUND: Biparametric MRI (bpMRI) is a faster, contrast-free, and less expensive MRI protocol that facilitates the detection of prostate cancer. The aim of this study is to determine whether a biparametric MRI PI-RADS v2.1 score-based model could reduce unnecessary biopsies in patients with suspected prostate cancer (PCa). METHODS: The patients who underwent MRI-guided biopsies and systematic biopsies between January 2020 and January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The development cohort used to derive the prediction model consisted of 275 patients. Two validation cohorts included 201 patients and 181 patients from 2 independent institutions. Predictive models based on the bpMRI PI-RADS v2.1 score (bpMRI score) and clinical parameters were used to detect clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) and compared by analyzing the area under the curve (AUC) and decision curves. Spearman correlation analysis was utilized to determine the relationship between International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) grade and clinical parameters/bpMRI score. RESULTS: Logistic regression models were constructed using data from the development cohort to generate nomograms. By applying the models to the all cohorts, the AUC for csPCa was significantly higher for the bpMRI PI-RADS v2.1 score-based model than for the clinical model in both cohorts (p < 0.001). Considering the test trade-offs, urologists would agree to perform 10 fewer bpMRIs to avoid one unnecessary biopsy, with a risk threshold of 10-20% in practice. Correlation analysis showed a strong correlation between the bpMRI score and ISUP grade. CONCLUSION: A predictive model based on the bpMRI score and clinical parameters significantly improved csPCa risk stratification, and the bpMRI score can be used to determine the aggressiveness of PCa prior to biopsy.

The investigation of the ultrafast excited state deactivation mechanisms for coumarin 307 in different solvents.

The intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) and twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) processes of coumarin 307 (C307) in different solvents were investigated by performing steady-state/time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopic and steady-state photoluminescence spectroscopic characterizations in combination with time-dependent density functional theoretical calculation (TDDFT). The study unveiled the remarkable influence of solvent polarity and the strength of intermolecular hydrogen bonds formed between the solutes and solvents on the relaxation dynamics of the electronic excited state. Significantly, the emergence of the TICT state was observed in polar solvents, specifically dimethylformamide (DMF) and dimethyl sulfoxidemethanol (DMSO), owing to their inherent polarity as well as the enhanced intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions. Interestingly, even in a weak polar solvent such as methanol (MeOH), the TICT state was also observed due to the intensified hydrogen bonding effects. Conversely, nonpolar solvents, exemplified by 1,4-dioxane (Diox), resulted in the stabilization of the ICT state due to the augmented N-H⋯O hydrogen bonding interactions. The experimental findings were corroborated by the computational calculations, thus ensuring the reliability of the conclusions drawn. Furthermore, schematic diagrams were presented to illustrate the mechanisms underlying the excited-state deactivation. Overall, this investigation contributes valuable mechanistic insights and provides a comprehensive understanding of the photochemical and photophysical properties exhibited by coumarin dyes.

Molnupiravir Inhibits Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Infection In Vitro.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is a swine coronavirus that is highly infectious and prone to variation. Vaccines derived from traditional PEDV strains provide less protection against PEDV-variant strains. Furthermore; there is a complex diversity of sequences among various PEDV-variant strains. Therefore; there is an urgent need to develop alternative antiviral strategies to defend against PEDV. Molnupiravir is a nucleotide analogue that could replace natural nucleosides to restrain viral RNA replication. Our study provided evidence for the dose-dependent inhibition of PEDV replication by molnupiravir in Vero cells. Molnupiravir also exhibited a strong inhibitory effect on viral RNA and protein production. Our results demonstrated that molnupiravir inhibits PEDV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) activity and induces a high frequency of mutations in the PEDV genome. Further studies revealed that molnupiravir can reverse changes in the transcriptome caused by viral infection. In conclusion, our results indicated that molnupiravir has the potential to be an effective treatment for PEDV infection.

Dauer larva-derived extracellular vesicles extend the life of Caenorhabditis elegans.

There is growing evidence that extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a functional role in tissue repair and anti-aging by transferring the contents of donor cells to recipient cells. We hypothesized that Dauer (C. elegans), known as "ageless" nematodes, can also secrete extracellular vesicles and influence the lifespan of C. elegans. Here, we isolated EVs of dauer larvae (dauer EVs). Dauer EVs were characterized using transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), and Western blot analysis. Wild-type C. elegans were fed in the presence or absence of dauer EVs and tested for a range of phenotypes, including longevity, mobility and reproductive capacity. Results showed that dauer EVs increased the average lifespan of nematodes by 15.74%, improved mobility, slowed age-related pigmentation as well as body length, and reduced the accumulation of reactive oxygen species and lipids, while not impairing nematode reproductive capacity. These findings suggest that dauer EVs can extend the lifespan of C. elegans as well as the healthy lifespan by reducing ROS accumulation, with potential anti-aging capacity.

Underwater Oleophobic Electrospun Membrane with Spindle-Knotted Structured Fibers for Oil-in-Water Emulsion Separation.

The potential of spider silk as an intriguing biological prototype for collecting water from a humid environment has attracted wide attention, and various materials with suitable structures have been engineered. Here, inspired by this phenomenon, a kind of superwetting poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membrane with spindle-knotted structured fibers was prepared by the electrospinning method followed by oxygen plasma etching treatment. The prepared membrane presented a satisfactory separation efficiency for various oil-in-water emulsions. The cooperative effect of the special wettability property and the spindle-knot structure stimulated the emulsified oil droplets to accumulate quickly on the membrane surface. A model that explains the accumulation of emulsified oil droplets has also been developed. Furthermore, an artificial fiber comprising a micron-sized spindle-knot structure was prepared by the dip-coating method to clearly illustrate the aggregation process of the emulsified oil droplets and to verify the theoretical explanation. We hope that this study will provide new inspiration for oil/water emulsion separation techniques.

Overexpressing SIRT6 can Attenuate the Injury of Intracerebral Hemorrhage by Down-Regulating NF-kB.

Sirtuin-6 (SIRT6), a member of the sirtuins family of NAD ( +) dependent deacetylases, has been shown to have beneficial effects in ischemic stroke. However, the role of SIRT6 in intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) has not reported. We observed that SIRT6 expression was down-regulated in human ICH patients and down-regulated in ICH-induced rat cortical neurons. We subsequently found that SIRT6 overexpression reduced brain tissue damage and increased neuronal survival in the ICH model of rats and hemin-induced cortical neurons. Our further study found that overexpression of SIRT6 can reduce inflammatory response by down-regulating the expression of NF-kB and thus promote the recovery of neurological function in ICH animals. In conclusion, SIRT6 can inhibit the expression of NF-kB and plays a neuroprotective role in ICH by inhibiting the NF-kB-mediated inflammatory response.SIRT6 could be a novel therapeutic target for ICH.

Hepatic portal venous gas complication associated with the thoracic endovascular aortic repair for aortic dissection: a case report and literature review.

Aortic dissection (AD) is a serious disease with a higher mortality. The thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is a first line regimen for aortic dissection. Hepatic portal venous gas (HPVG) is a rare disease, and its definite mechanism is unknown. This is a rare association between the aortic and HPVG. In the present report, we present a case of thoracic aortic dissection, which was the type of Standford B by the computer tomography (CT) angiography, which implicated acute abdominal pain and abdominal distention after TEVAR and immediate abdominal CT shown hepatic portal venous gas (HPVG). The patient, who was treated with conservative treatment of gastrointestinal decompressing, fluid resuscitation, electrolyte replacement, anti-infection, anti-inflammation and anticoagulation, was recovered and discharged without abnormalities. This patient has been followed up for 5 years and has not experienced any physical discomfort related to HPVG. This is the first report that the aortic dissection patient implication with HPVG after thoracic endovascular aortic repair.

Transcranial direct current stimulation in the treatment of anxiety and depression in patients with oral cancer during perioperative period.

This study retrospectively investigated the efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in the treatment of anxiety and depression in patients with oral cancer (OC) during the perioperative period (PPP). This retrospective study reviewed the electronic medical records of patients who underwent OC surgery and experienced anxiety and depression during PPP. The patients were divided into the treatment (n = 36) and control (n = 36) groups. The patients in the treatment group received tDCS, whereas those in the control group did not receive tDCS. The primary outcomes included the Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and the Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS). Secondary outcomes included adverse events (AEs). We analyzed the outcome data before and after treatment. After treatment, patients in the treatment group achieved greater relief in SAS (P < .01) and SDS (P < .01) scores than those in the control group. Regarding safety, no electronic medical records reported any AEs in this study. The results of this study showed that tDCS may help relieve depression and anxiety in patients with OC during PPP. However, high-quality prospective randomized controlled trials are required to confirm these findings.

The Application Effect of Jiawei Sanyu Shengjing Decoction Combined with High Ligation of the Spermatic Vein in Varicocele Male Infertility Patients.

Objective: To analyze the application effect of Jiawei Sanyu Shengjing decoction combined with high ligation of the internal spermatic vein in male infertility patients with varicocele (VC). Methods: 106 male infertility patients with VC treated in our hospital from December 2018 to March 2019 were selected as examples. According to the length of stay, they were divided into the control group and observation group, with 53 cases in each group. High ligation of the internal spermatic vein was performed in both groups. On this basis, the observation group was treated with modified Sanyu Shengjing decoction, and the therapeutic effects of the two groups were compared. Results: The effective rate of 94.34% in the observation group was higher than 79.25% in the control group (P < 0.05). After treatment, the serum index level and sperm deformity rate in the observation group were lower than those in the control group, and the semen density and sperm activity were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The treatment of VC male infertility with modified Sanyu Shengjing decoction combined with high ligation of the internal spermatic vein can effectively improve the number of sperm and reduce the density of semen.

Factors influencing mosaicism: a retrospective analysis.

RESEARCH QUESTION: What factors affect the incidence of mosaic embryos resulting from assisted reproductive technology? DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of data from preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies in 544 couples was conducted using data from an electronic medical record database. RESULTS: Of 1910 embryos studied, 127 (6.6%) were mosaic. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, mosaicism incidence increased in embryos from IVF versus intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) (odds ratio [OR] 4.560, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.800-7.424, P < 0.001), and in embryos from abnormal versus normal semen (OR 3.496, 95% CI 2.455-4.979, P < 0.001). Embryos tested using SurePlex 24Sure had lower mosaicism percentages than those tested using MALBAC-NGS and PicoPLEX GenetiSure (OR 2.726, 95% CI 1.532-4.852, P = 0.001; OR 2.389, 95% CI 1.537-3.711, P < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Semen quality, fertilization method and detection system are independent factors associated with embryonic mosaicism.

Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization in Combination With High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound for Intermediate and Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Meta-Analysis.

Background: The study was conducted to explore whether high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) can improve the effect of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in intermediate and advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Wanfang Data, CQVIP, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Chinese Biomedical (CBM) databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the effect of TACE in combination with HIFU group (group A) to TACE alone group (group B) in treating intermediate and advanced HCC. The primary outcomes were overall survival (OS) rate and tumor response rate. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for each study were calculated and then pooled with fixed effects model or random effects model. Sensitivity analyses and subgroup analyses were conducted. A publication bias was also evaluated. Results: After literature selection, eleven RCTs involving 803 patients were included in this meta-analysis. This meta-analysis revealed that group A was associated with an increased 6-month OS rate (OR = 0.20), 12-month OS rate (OR = 0.23), 24-month OS rate (OR = 0.32), and overall response rate (WHO criterion, OR = 0.22; RECIST criterion, OR = 0.30). Furthermore, subgroup analyses showed no bias in the result. Given the limited number of studies that reported major complications, no additional meta-analysis of complication was conducted. Despite no special treatment, any complication following HIFU treatment was found to subside within 3-7 days. Conclusion: TACE in combination with HIFU is associated with increased OS and tumor response in intermediate and advanced HCC. Current evidence supports the use of HIFU after TACE treatment in intermediate and advanced HCC.

Highly Robust de Novo Full-Length Protein Sequencing.

Accurate full-length sequencing of a purified unknown protein is still challenging nowadays due to the error-prone mass-spectrometry (MS)-based methods. De novo identified peptide sequence largely contain errors, undermining the accuracy of assembly. Bias on the detectability of the peptides also makes low-coverage regions, resulting in gaps. Although recent advances on multi-enzyme hydrolysis and algorithms showed complete assembly of full-length protein sequences in a few examples, the robustness in practical application is still to be improved. Here, inspired by genome assembly strategies, we demonstrate a contig-scaffolding strategy to assemble protein sequences with high robustness and accuracy. This strategy integrates multiple unspecific hydrolysis methods to minimize the bias in the hydrolysis process. After de novo identification of the peptides, our assembly algorithm, named Multiple Contigs & Scaffolding (MuCS), assembles the peptide sequences in a multistep, i.e., contig-scaffold manner, with error correction in each step. MS data from different hydrolysis experiments complement each other for robust contig extension and error correction. We demonstrated that our strategy on three proteins and three replications all reached 100% coverage (except one with 98.85%) and 98.69-100% accuracy. It can also efficiently deal with the membrane protein, although the transmembrane region was missing due to the limitation of the MS. The three replicates reached 88.85-92.57% coverage and 97.57-100% accuracy. In sum, we provided a practical, robust, and accurate solution for full-length protein sequencing. The MuCS software is available at http://chi-biotech.com/mucs/.

Atomic-scale probing of heterointerface phonon bridges in nitride semiconductor.

Interface phonon modes that are generated by several atomic layers at the heterointerface play a major role in the interface thermal conductance for nanoscale high-power devices such as nitride-based high-electron-mobility transistors and light-emitting diodes. Here we measure the local phonon spectra across AlN/Si and AlN/Al interfaces using atomically resolved vibrational electron energy-loss spectroscopy in a scanning transmission electron microscope. At the AlN/Si interface, we observe various interface phonon modes, of which the extended and localized modes act as bridges to connect the bulk AlN modes and bulk Si modes and are expected to boost the phonon transport, thus substantially contributing to interface thermal conductance. In comparison, no such phonon bridge is observed at the AlN/Al interface, for which partially extended modes dominate the interface thermal conductivity. This work provides valuable insights into understanding the interfacial thermal transport in nitride semiconductors and useful guidance for thermal management via interface engineering.

The association between handgrip strength and depression in cancer survivors: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The association between handgrip strength and depression in cancer survivors has been unexplored until now. We aim to examine the association between handgrip strength and depression in cancer survivors by using publicly available data (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey). METHODS: Two waves of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, from 2011-2012 and 2013-2014, were extracted and combined to explore this important issue. We extracted maximum patient handgrip strength value (from both hands). The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to evaluate depression with a cut-off > = 10 points indicating that patients had depressive symptoms. Other basic characteristics and health-related variables were also collected. We used Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression to select potential confounding factors. Multivariable linear or logistic regression models were adopted to explore whether handgrip strength as a continuous variable, or low handgrip strength, was associated with depressive symptoms. RESULTS: There were 876 cancer survivors in our present total sample, with 403 (46.0%) males and 473 females (54.0%). The mean (SD) age of the entire group was 64.67 (13.81) years. The prevalence of depression and low handgrip strength was 12.90% and 16.7%, respectively. The results showed that handgrip strength was negatively associated with depressive symptoms in cancer survivors (OR = 0.95, 95%CI:0.92-0.99; P = 0.024). In addition, after adjusting for age, gender, race; marital status, polypharmacy, sleep disorder, arthritis, congestive heart failure, history of stroke, type of cancer, chronic coronary bronchitis and being overweight, cancer survivors with low handgrip strength had a 2.02-fold risk of depression, compared to those with normal handgrip strength (OR = 2.02,95%CI:1.07-3.81; P = 0.028). CONCLUSIONS: Our present study suggests that low handgrip strength, as a simple and modifiable parameter, is associated with a higher risk of depression in cancer survivors. Therefore, future larger-scale prospective cohort studies are warranted to determine this association.