Sub-pixel marking and depth-based correction methods for the elimination of voxel drifting in integral imaging display.

Integral imaging is a kind of true three-dimensional (3D) display technology that uses a lens array to reconstruct vivid 3D images with full parallax and true color. In order to present a high-quality 3D image, it's vital to correct the axial position error caused by the misalignment and deformation of the lens array which makes the reconstructed lights deviate from the correct directions, resulting in severe voxel drifting and image blurring. We proposed a sub-pixel marking method to measure the axial position error of the lenses with great accuracy by addressing the sub-pixels under each lens and forming a homologous sub-pixel pair. The proposed measurement method relies on the geometric center alignment of image points, which is specifically expressed as the overlap between the test 3D voxel and the reference 3D voxel. Hence, measurement accuracy could be higher. Additionally, a depth-based sub-pixel correction method was proposed to eliminate the voxel drifting. The proposed correction method takes the voxel depth into consideration in the correction coefficient, and achieves accurate error correction for 3D images with different depths. The experimental results well confirmed that the proposed measuring and correction methods can greatly suppress the voxel drifting caused by the axial position error of the lenses, and greatly improve the 3D image quality.

How to Omit the Potential Pitfalls in Distal Radial Access: Lessons From Cadaveric and CTA Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To verify the anatomical basis, ideal puncture sites, and potential pitfalls of the distal radial artery (dRA) in the anatomical snuffbox region for distal radial access (dTRA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Overall, 26 formalin-fixed upper limbs and computed tomography angiography (CTA) of the upper limbs of 168 consecutive patients were studied. Cadaveric dissection and dRA 3D reconstruction were used to evaluate the dRA route for dTRA. The puncture sites, dRA diameter, and angle of the dRA and tendons of the extensor pollicis brevis were also measured in the patients and cadavers. RESULTS: The cadaver dissection provided more insights than did the dRA 3D reconstruction. However, preoperative evaluation had better diagnostic accuracy (p=0.024). Puncture sites 1 and 3 had a high success rate (63.2% possible success rate, 191/302). The DISFAVOR theory was put forward, in which 8 types of potential pitfalls that may interrupt puncture procedure or lead to a surgical failure were observed, including occlusion, stenosis, tortuosity, arteriovenous fistula, angioma, different radial artery (RA) ramifications, radial veins, and cephalic veins. The mean diameter of dRA based on cadaver dissection and CTA was 2.53 (SD=0.73) and 2.63 (SD=0.69) mm, respectively. Furthermore, the minimum distance from the outer layer of dRA to the skin was 5.71 (SD=2.0) mm based on CTA. The angle between the dRA and tendons of extensor pollicis brevis (TEPB) based on cadaver dissection and CTA was 58.0° (SD=21.5°) and 51.8° (SD=16.6°), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Puncture sites 1 and 3 were more suitable for the dTRA, and we put forward the DISFAVOR theory to summarize the 8 types of potential pitfalls during the use of dTRA.

Cardiorespiratory fitness and morbidity and mortality in patients with non-small cell lung cancer: a prospective study with propensity score weighting.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to investigate the association between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and perioperative morbidity and long-term mortality in operable patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: This prospective study included consecutive patients with early-stage NSCLC who underwent presurgical cardiopulmonary exercise testing between November 2014 and December 2019 (registration number: ChiCTR2100048120). Logistic and Cox proportional hazards regression were applied to evaluate the correlation between CRF and perioperative complications and long-term mortality, respectively. Propensity score overlap weighting was used to adjust for the covariates. We performed sensitivity analyses to determine the stability of our results. RESULTS: A total of 895 patients were followed for a median of 40 months [interquartile range 25]. The median age of the patients was 59 years [range 26-83], and 62.5% were male. During the study period, 156 perioperative complications and 146 deaths were observed. Low CRF was associated with a higher risk of death (62.9 versus 33.6 per 1000 person-years; weighted incidence rate difference, 29.34 [95% CI, 0.32 to 58.36] per 1000 person-years) and perioperative morbidity (241.6 versus 141.9 per 1000 surgeries; weighted incidence rate difference, 99.72 [95% CI, 34.75 to 164.70] per 1000 surgeries). A CRF of ≤ 20 ml/kg/min was significantly associated with a high risk of long-term mortality (weighted hazard ratio, 1.98 [95% CI, 1.31 to 2.98], p < 0.001) and perioperative morbidity (weighted odds ratio, 1.93 [1.28 to 2.90], p = 0.002) compared to higher CRF. CONCLUSION: The study found that low CRF is significantly associated with increased perioperative morbidity and long-term mortality in operable patients with early-stage NSCLC.

Low cardiorespiratory fitness is significantly associated with increased perioperative morbidity and long-term mortality in operable patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer.Future research is recommended to investigate the potential prognostic role of integrating cardiorespiratory fitness into the currently used prognosis algorithm for patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Exercise prevents fatal stress-induced myocardial injury in obese mice.

Introduction: This study aimed to explore whether aerobic exercise (AE) can prevent fatal stress-induced myocardial injury. Methods: Thirty C57BL/6J mice were divided into either a normal diet, high-fat diet, or high-fat diet plus AE (n=10 per group). The AE protocol consisted of eight weeks of swimming. At the end of the diet and AE interventions, the mice were stimulated with fatal stress caused by exhaustive exercise (forced weight-loaded swimming until exhaustion), after which cardiac function was evaluated using echocardiography, myocardial ultrastructure was examined using transmission electron microscopy, and myocardial apoptosis was assessed using western blotting and TUNEL. Mitophagy, mitochondrial biogenesis and dynamics, and activation of the macrophage migration inhibitor factor (MIF)/AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway were evaluated using quantitative PCR and western blotting. Obesity phenotypes were assessed once per week. Results: AE reversed high-fat diet-induced obesity as evidenced by reductions in body weight and visceral fat compared to obese mice without AE. Obesity exacerbated fatal stress-induced myocardial damage, as demonstrated by impaired left ventricular ejection fraction and myocardial structure. The apoptotic rate was also elevated upon fatal stress, and AE ameliorated this damage. Obesity suppressed mitophagy, mitochondrial fission and fusion, and mitochondrial biogenesis, and these effects were accompanied by suppression of the MIF/AMPK pathway in the myocardium of mice subjected to fatal stress. AE alleviated or reversed these effects. Conclusion: This study provides evidence that AE ameliorated fatal stress-induced myocardial injury in obese mice. The cardioprotective effect of AE in obese mice might be attributed to improved mitochondrial quality.

Integral imaging three-dimensional display system with anisotropic backlight for the elimination of voxel aliasing and separation.

Compared with conventional scattered backlight systems, integral imaging (InIm) display system with collimated backlight can reduce the voxel size, but apparent voxel separation and severe graininess still exist in reconstructed 3D images. In this paper, an InIm 3D display system with anisotropic backlight control of sub-pixels was proposed to resolve both voxel aliasing and voxel separation simultaneously. It consists of an anisotropic backlight unit (ABU), a transmissive liquid crystal panel (LCP), and a lens array. The ABU with specific horizontal and vertical divergence angles was proposed and designed. Within the depth of field, the light rays emitted from sub-pixels are controlled precisely by the ABU to minimize the voxel size as well as stitch adjacent voxels seamlessly, thus improving the 3D image quality effectively. In the experiment, the prototype of our proposed ABU-type InIm system was developed, and the spatial frequency was nearly two times of conventional scattered backlight InIm system. Additionally, the proposed system eliminated the voxel separation which usually occurs in collimated backlight InIm system. As a result, voxels reconstructed by our proposed system were stitched in space without aliasing and separation, thereby greatly enhancing the 3D resolution and image quality.

Prognostic role of minute ventilation/carbon dioxide production slope for perioperative morbidity and long-term survival in resectable patients with nonsmall-cell lung cancer: a prospective study using propensity score overlap weighting.

BACKGROUND: The role of minute ventilation/carbon dioxide production ( / CO 2 ) slope, a ventilation efficiency marker, in predicting short-term and long-term health outcomes for patients with nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) undergoing lung resection has not been well investigated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This prospective cohort study consecutively enrolled NSCLC patients who underwent a presurgical cardiopulmonary exercise test from November 2014 to December 2019. The association of / CO 2 slope with relapse-free survival (RFS), overall survival (OS), and perioperative mortality was evaluated using the Cox proportional hazards and logistic models. Covariates were adjusted using propensity score overlap weighting. The optimal cut-off point of the E/ CO 2 slope was estimated using the receiver operating characteristics curve. Internal validation was completed through bootstrap resampling. RESULTS: A cohort of 895 patients [median age (interquartile range), 59 (13) years; 62.5% male] was followed for a median of 40 (range, 1-85) months. Throughout the study, there were 247 relapses or deaths and 156 perioperative complications. The incidence rates per 1000 person-years for relapses or deaths were 108.8 and 79.6 among patients with high and low E/ CO 2 slopes, respectively [weighted incidence rate difference per 1000 person-years, 29.21 (95% CI, 7.30-51.12)]. A E/ CO 2 slope of greater than or equal to 31 was associated with shorter RFS [hazard ratio for relapse or death, 1.38 (95% CI, 1.02-1.88), P =0.04] and poorer OS [hazard ratio for death, 1.69 (1.15-2.48), P =0.02] compared to a lower / CO 2 slope. A high E/ CO 2 slope increased the risk of perioperative morbidity compared with a low E/ CO 2 slope [odds ratio, 2.32 (1.54-3.49), P <0.001]. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with operable NSCLC, a high E/ CO 2 slope was significantly associated with elevated risks of poorer RFS, OS, and perioperative morbidity.

Bone marrow stromal cells attenuate oxygen and glucose deprivation followed by re­oxygenation­induced brain microvascular endothelial cell injury.

Ischemic stroke is a severe threat to the health of older individuals. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have been implicated in ischemic stroke. Urokinase­type plasminogen activator (uPA) and its specific receptor (uPAR) are associated with the pathological process of ischemic stroke. However, the relationship between BMSCs and uPA/uPAR in ischemic stroke remains unclear. For simulating the occurrence of an ischemic stroke in vitro, human cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs) were subjected to oxygen and glucose deprivation followed by re­oxygenation (OGD/R) and were then cocultured with BMSCs. 3,4,5­dimethylthiazol­2,5­diphenyltetrazolium bromide and bromodeoxyuridine staining were used for measuring cell viability and proliferation. Flow cytometry was performed for assessing cell apoptosis. Endothelial cell tube formation was determined using angiogenesis assays. Alterations in the protein and gene expression in HBMECs were evaluated using western blot analysis and quantitative reverse transcription­polymerase chain reaction, respectively. OGD/R considerably inhibited the viability and proliferation of HBMECs by inducing apoptosis, which was reversed by BMSCs. Consistently, OGD/R­induced inhibition of angiogenesis was attenuated by BMSCs. In addition, BMSCs could protect HBMECs against OGD/R­induced injury by positively regulating the uPA/uPAR/stromal cell­derived factor­1α (SDF­1α)/C­X­C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) pathway, and uPA/uPAR could mediate the SDF­1α/CXCR4 pathway in OGD/R­treated HBMECs. Therefore, this study provides novel strategies to investigate the specific role of BMSCs in ameliorating OGD/R­induced vascular endothelial cell injury.

Exercise inhibits JNK pathway activation and lipotoxicity via macrophage migration inhibitory factor in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

The macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) expressed in hepatocytes can limit steatosis during obesity. Lipotoxicity in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is mediated in part by the activation of the stress kinase JNK, but whether MIF modulates JNK in lipotoxicity is unknown. In this study, we investigated the role of MIF in regulating JNK activation and high-fat fostered liver lipotoxicity during simultaneous exercise treatment. Fifteen mice were equally divided into three groups: normal diet, high-fat diet, and high-fat and exercise groups. High-fat feeding for extended periods elicited evident hyperlipemia, liver steatosis, and cell apoptosis in mice, with inhibited MIF and activated downstream MAPK kinase 4 phosphorylation and JNK. These effects were then reversed following prescribed swimming exercise, indicating that the advent of exercise could prevent liver lipotoxicity induced by lipid overload and might correlate to the action of modulating MIF and its downstream JNK pathway. Similar detrimental effects of lipotoxicity were observed in in vitro HepG2 cells palmitic acid treatment. Suppressed JNK reduced the hepatocyte lipotoxicity by regulating the BCL family, and the excess JNK activation could also be attenuated through MIF supplementation or exacerbated by MIF siRNA administration. The results found suggest that exercise reduces lipotoxicity and inhibits JNK activation by modulating endogenous hepatic MIF in NAFLD. These findings have clinical implications for the prevention and intervention of patients with immoderate diet evoked NAFLD.

NGF/TrkA promotes the vitality, migration and adhesion of bone marrow stromal cells in hypoxia by regulating the Nrf2 pathway.

BACKGROUND: Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) transplantation is a treatment strategy for ischemic stroke (IS) with great potential. However, the vitality, migration and adhesion of BMSCs are greatly impaired due to the harsh environment of the ischemic area, which affects the therapeutic effects. Herein, we aimed to investigate the roles of nerve growth factor (NGF) in regulating cell behaviors of BMSCs in IS. METHODS: The mRNA and protein expressions were assessed using qRT-PCR and western blot, respectively. To simulate ischemic-like conditions in vitro, Brain microvascular (bEnd.3) cells were exposed to oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD). Cell viability and cell proliferation were evaluated by MTT assay and BrdU assay, respectively. Transwell migration and cell adhesion assays were carried out to determine cell migration and adhesion of BMSCs, respectively, coupled with flow cytometry to evaluate cell apoptosis of bEnd.3 cells. Finally, angiogenesis assay was performed to assess the angiogenesis ability of bEnd.3 cells. RESULTS: NGF overexpression resulted in increased cell vitality, adhesion and migration of BMSCs, while NGF knockdown presented the opposite effects. We subsequently discovered that TrkA was a receptor for NGF, and TrkA knockdown significantly inhibited the cell viability, migration and adhesion of BMSCs. Besides, Nrf2 was confirmed as the downstream target of NGF/TrkA to promote the viability, adhesion and migration of BMSC cells. Finally, NGF-silenced BMSCs could not effectively restore the OGD-induced brain microvascular cell damage. CONCLUSIONS: NGF/TrkA promoted the viability, migration and adhesion of BMSCs in IS via activating Nrf2 pathway.

Effectiveness of a multicomponent exercise program to reverse pre-frailty in community-dwelling Chinese older adults: a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: the Xiangya Hospital circuit training (X-CircuiT), was developed to reverse pre-frailty in Chinese older adults and determine potential mechanisms through which pre-frailty is reversed. METHODS: this randomised controlled trial was performed at Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, China from September 2020 to May 2021. Forty-eight pre-frail older adults were enrolled. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to X-CircuiT (46 min/session, three supervised sessions/week for 3 months at a community health centre) or control (1-time advice on physical activity without supervised exercise). The primary outcome was the proportion of participants with pre-frailty after 3-month intervention. The secondary outcomes included absolute risk reduction (ARR), number needed to treat (NNT), and the changes in senior fitness, body composition and clinical measures. RESULTS: among 48 participants (mean age, 72 years; women [65%]), 22 participants in the X-CircuiT (92%) and 21 participants in the control (88%) completed the study. After 3 months, the proportion of pre-frailty was significantly lower in the X-CircuiT group than the control (14% versus 95%, P < 0.001). The ARR and NNT were 82% [95% CI, 65-99] and 1 [1-2], respectively. X-CircuiT was associated with significant improvements in senior fitness indicators and body composition. No significant difference in blood chemistry, carotid ultrasound and echocardiography parameters was found between groups. No significant interaction was detected between sex, BMI, baseline peak oxygen consumption and study groups. CONCLUSION: this study demonstrates that X-CircuiT could significantly reverse pre-frailty in Chinese older adults. The underlying mechanisms may involve X-CircuiT-induced improvements in body composition and senior fitness.The trial is registered at Chictr.org.cn. Number: ChiCTR2100048125.

Screening for Asymptomatic Coronary Artery Disease via Exercise Stress Testing in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objectives: This meta-analysis aims to investigate the diagnostic value of exercise stress testing (EST) for asymptomatic coronary artery disease (CAD) among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and to ascertain the influence of different variables on the sensitivity and specificity of EST. Background: Asymptomatic CAD occurs in >1 in five diabetes mellitus patients, and it is associated with an increased risk of complications. Methods for screening asymptomatic CAD in T2DM patients are still not unified. Methods: MEDLINE (via Ovid), Embase (via Ovid), Cochrane Library, SCOPUS, PubMed, Ovid, EBSCO ASP, and Web of Science were systematically searched on June 8 and 9, 2021, for diagnostic cohort and case-control studies. We included studies that used EST to screen for CAD in asymptomatic patients with T2DM, and that used coronary angiography to diagnose CAD and had reported the basic diagnostic indicators. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 tool was used to assess study quality. The combined effect sizes were calculated by overall analysis and multiple variable effects were explored by regression analysis and subgroup analysis. Results: Nine groups of data from eight diagnostic cohort studies, totaling 515 participants, were included. Included studies showed a low risk of bias in most items, except for flow and timing. The combined sensitivity and specificity of EST for asymptomatic CAD in patients with T2DM were 55 (48 to 61%) and 66 (61 to 70%), respectively. When non-diagnostic tests were excluded, sensitivity increased to 73 (56 to 88%). The proportion receiving angiography also significantly affected sensitivity. No significant difference was found in the duration of diabetes or other additional risk factors. Conclusions: EST is a tool of moderate sensitivity and specificity to be used for the initial screening of asymptomatic CAD in T2DM. It has the advantage of being non-invasive, relatively inexpensive, easily available in most settings, and has no radiation associated with its use. Additional research with higher quality studies in which tests that are non-diagnostic are included and flow and timing is described clearly, will be important to further our understanding of EST for asymptomatic CAD detection in patients with T2DM. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42021259555.

Case Report: Bilateral Renal Cell Carcinoma With Different Histological and Morphological Features, Clear Cell and Cystic Thyroid-Like Follicular Subtype.

Thyroid-like follicular renal cell carcinoma is a rare subtype of renal cell carcinoma that has only been recently recognized, as most cases involve a solid tumor in one kidney. In this study, we report a rare case of bilateral renal cell carcinoma wherein the tumor in the left kidney was diagnosed as clear cell carcinoma, while the tumor in right kidney as thyroid-like follicular renal cell carcinoma. The difference between this case and the ones described in previous reports is that thyroid-like follicular renal cell carcinoma showed cystic changes on imaging. This suggests that when renal cystic lesions are encountered, we should consider the possibility of such rare tumors.

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma with chondrosarcomatous differentiation: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is a rare malignant tumor. In addition to the main ATC type with classical histopathological features, the other morphological types of ATC include paucicellular variant, angiomatoid, lymphoepithelioma-like, and small-cell variant. However, an ATC variant with a chondrosarcomatous component has not been reported to date. CASE PRESENTATION: Computed tomography imaging of a 63-year-old male with a 2-month history of a cervical mass revealed a 4.5-cm lesion with heterogeneous enhancement in the left thyroid lobe and two smooth and homogeneous nodules in the right thyroid lobe. The patient underwent total thyroidectomy and cervical lymph node resection. Histologically, the tumor boundary in the left lobe was clear, with a few mitotically active, spindle sarcoma-like tumor cells observed in some areas. Immunohistochemically, these spindle cells were positive for vimentin and negative for cytokeratin, paired box-8, epithelial membrane antigen, calcitonin, thyroglobulin, and thyroid transcription factor-1. In other areas, abundant cartilage matrix production and irregularly shaped lobules of cartilage, often separated by fibrous bands, were observed. The chondrocytes appeared mildly/moderately atypical and contained enlarged, hyperchromatic nucleoli. One of the two nodules in the right thyroid lobe had a clear boundary and comprised some bland spindle cells in a prominently collagenous stroma with clear boundaries. The other nodule in the right thyroid lobe was completely enclosed within a thin, fibrous capsule and exhibited normofollicular and microfollicular architecture. The patient received adjuvant radiotherapy after the surgery and was free of any local or regional recurrence or distant metastases at the 8-month follow-up evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: This unusual case of ATC with chondrosarcomatous differentiation is an important addition to the morphology spectrum of ATC types.

Association between androgen receptor gene polymorphisms and testicular germ cell tumor: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate association between androgen receptor (AR) gene polymorphisms and testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT) susceptibility. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Systematic search of studies on the association between AR gene polymorphisms and TGCT susceptibility was conducted. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were used to pool effect size. RESULTS: For CAG repeat, no evidence was found for association between (>25 vs. ≤25), (>25 vs. 21-25), (<21 vs. 21-25), (others vs. 21-25), (>23 vs. ≤23), (<21 vs. ≥21), (<21 vs. ≥21)'s some subgroups and TGCT susceptibility, which showed stability. In (>24 vs. ≤24), (>24 vs. 21-24), (<21 vs. 21-24), and (others vs. 21-24) and almost all of their subgroups, increased TGCT risk was found without sensitivity analysis. For GGN, no statistical change of TGCT risk was found in (<23 vs. ≥23), (<23 vs. 23), which showed stability. For single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs6152 G > A, rs1204038 G > A and rs2361634 A > G, no statistical change was found without sensitivity analysis. CONCLUSIONS: GGN repeat number <23 may not be associated with TGCTs susceptibility. However, there was insufficient data to fully confirm association in GGN repeat number >23, CAG repeat number, SNP rs6152, rs1204038, and rs2361634.

DNA demethylation of claudin-4 suppresses migration and invasion in laryngeal squamous carcinoma cells.

Claudin-4 (CLDN4) is a member of the claudin transmembrane protein family, which consists of integral membrane proteins that are components of the epithelial cell tight junctions; these tight junctions regulate movement of solutes and ions through the paracellular space. CLDN4 is also a differentiation marker and is believed to indicate an epithelial phenotype. However, the role of CLDN4 in laryngeal squamous carcinoma is still unclear. Here, we showed that CLDN4 expression was down-regulated in laryngeal squamous carcinoma tissues and negatively correlated with methyl-CpG-binding protein 2. In addition, CLDN4 was hypermethylated in HEp-2 cells. DNA demethylation of CLDN4 by 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine suppressed migration and invasion of HEp-2 cells, whereas CLDN4 silencing restored the migration and invasion of HEp-2 cells. Therefore, CLDN4 plays a key role in laryngeal squamous carcinoma progression.

An absorption-free and Doppler-improved optical waveguide for diffractionless light propagation.

We propose a novel scheme to realize an optical waveguide induced by an active Raman gain (ARG) process in a four-level N-type atomic system. Because of the nature of the ARG, there are two distinct features related to the waveguide: i) It is not absorptive, on the contrary, weak gain is presented; ii) It can be improved by the Doppler effect in the sense that the dispersion is enhanced while the gain is further reduced. This is in sharp contrast to the previously considered schemes where usually the optical induced waveguide is passive and is severely attenuated by the Doppler effect. We then study the paraxial light propagation in the waveguide which shows that the propagation dynamics is lossless and diffractionless.

Amplified Singlet Oxygen Generation in Semiconductor Polymer Dots for Photodynamic Cancer Therapy.

This paper described the energy-transfer amplified singlet oxygen generation in semiconductor polymer dots (Pdots) for in vitro and in vivo photodynamic therapy. Hydrophobic photosensitizer tetraphenylporphyrin was facilely doped in the nanoparticles consisting of densely packed semiconductor polymers. Optical characterizations indicated that the fluorescence of Pdots was completely quenched by the photosensitizer, yielding an energy transfer efficiency of nearly 100% and singlet-oxygen generation quantum yield of ∼50%. We evaluated the cellular uptake, dark toxicity, and photodynamic therapy of the Pdot photosensizer in human gastric adenocarcinoma cells. The in vitro studies indicated that cancer cells were efficiently destroyed at very low dose of the Pdots such as 1 µg/mL by using the light dose of 90 J/cm(2), which is considerably less than that in clinical practice. The antitumor effect of the Pdots was further evaluated in vivo with human gastric adenocarcinoma xenografts in Balb/c nude mice, which show that the xenograft tumors were significantly inhibited and eradicated in some cases. Our results indicate the energy transfer amplified Pdot platforms have great therapeutic potential for treating malignant cancers.

ABT737 enhances cholangiocarcinoma sensitivity to cisplatin through regulation of mitochondrial dynamics.

Cholangiocarcinoma responses weakly to cisplatin. Mitochondrial dynamics participate in the response to various stresses, and mainly involve mitophagy and mitochondrial fusion and fission. Bcl-2 family proteins play critical roles in orchestrating mitochondrial dynamics, and are involved in the resistance to cisplatin. Here we reported that ABT737, combined with cisplatin, can promote cholangiocarcinoma cells to undergo apoptosis. We found that the combined treatment decreased the Mcl-1 pro-survival form and increased Bak. Cells undergoing cisplatin treatment showed hyperfused mitochondria, whereas fragmentation was dominant in the mitochondria of cells exposed to the combined treatment, with higher Fis1 levels, decreased Mfn2 and OPA1 levels, increased ratio of Drp1 60kD to 80kD form, and more Drp1 located on mitochondria. More p62 aggregates were observed in cells with fragmented mitochondria, and they gradually translocated to mitochondria. Mitophagy was induced by the combined treatment. Knockdown p62 decreased the Drp1 ratio, increased Tom20, and increased cell viability. Our data indicated that mitochondrial dynamics play an important role in the response of cholangiocarcinoma to cisplatin. ABT737 might enhance cholangiocarcinoma sensitivity to cisplatin through regulation of mitochondrial dynamics and the balance within Bcl-2 family proteins. Furthermore, p62 seems to be critical in the regulation of mitochondrial dynamics.

[Effect of Different Processed Products and Extracts of Morinda officinalis Root on Adjuvant-Induced Arthritis in Rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the therapeutic effects of different processed products and extracts of Morinda officinalis root in rat adjuvant-induced arthritis (AA) model, and to explore the possible mechanism. METHODS: AA model in SD rats was established, then the arthritic rats were randomly divided into seven groups such as model, Tripterygium Glycosides Tablet (TGT), morinda with xylem, morinda, salt-steamed morinda, licorice-processed morinda, morinda EtOAc extract, morinda n-BuOH extract, H2O residue, total polysaccharides and control groups. The paw edema and arthritis indexes were observed, and the contents of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), IL-6, IL-2 and INF-γ in AA rats serum were detected by ELISA. RESULTS: Morinda processed by salt and n-BuOH extract could reduce paw swelling and levels of TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6 and INF-γ in AA rats serum, which followed by morinda EtOAc extract. The differences were significant compared with the model group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Salt-steamed morinda and morinda n-BuOH extract have the best curative effect, followed by morinda EtOAc extract. Reducing TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6 and INF-γ contents in serum may be the mechanism of drug treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Interference-induced peak splitting in extreme ultraviolet superfluorescence.

We investigate the laser-induced quantum interference in extreme ultraviolet superfluorescence (SF) occurring in a dense gas of Λ-type helium atoms coupled by a coherent laser field in the visible region. Due to the constructive interatomic and intraatomic interferences, the SF can split in two pulses conveniently controlled by the gas density and intensity of the driving field, suggesting potential applications for pump-probe experiments.