Deciphering male influence in gynogenetic Pengze crucian carp (Carassius auratus var. pengsenensis): insights from Nanopore sequencing of structural variations.

In this study, we investigate gynogenetic reproduction in Pengze Crucian Carp (Carassius auratus var. pengsenensis) using third-generation Nanopore sequencing to uncover structural variations (SVs) in offspring. Our objective was to understand the role of male genetic material in gynogenesis by examining the genomes of both parents and their offspring. We discovered a notable number of male-specific structural variations (MSSVs): 1,195 to 1,709 MSSVs in homologous offspring, accounting for approximately 0.52%-0.60% of their detected SVs, and 236 to 350 MSSVs in heterologous offspring, making up about 0.10%-0.13%. These results highlight the significant influence of male genetic material on the genetic composition of offspring, particularly in homologous pairs, challenging the traditional view of asexual reproduction. The gene annotation of MSSVs revealed their presence in critical gene regions, indicating potential functional impacts. Specifically, we found 5 MSSVs in the exonic regions of protein-coding genes in homologous offspring, suggesting possible direct effects on protein structure and function. Validation of an MSSV in the exonic region of the polyunsaturated fatty acid 5-lipoxygenase gene confirmed male genetic material transmission in some offspring. This study underscores the importance of further research on the genetic diversity and gynogenesis mechanisms, providing valuable insights for reproductive biology, aquaculture, and fostering innovation in biological research and aquaculture practices.

Momordica charantia Bioactive Components: Hypoglycemic and Hypolipidemic Benefits Through Gut Health Modulation.

Momordica charantia (MC), a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, is well known for its pharmacological activities that exhibit hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic properties. These properties are largely because of its abundant bioactive compounds and phytochemicals. Over the years, numerous studies have confirmed the regulatory effects of MC extract on glycolipid metabolism. However, there is a lack of comprehensive reviews on newly discovered MC-related components, such as insulin receptor-binding protein-19, adMc1, and MC protein-30 and triterpenoids 3ß,7ß,25-trihydroxycucurbita-5,23(E)-dien-19-al, and the role of MC in gut microbiota and bitter taste receptors. This review offers an up-to-date overview of the recently reported chemical compositions of MC, including polysaccharides, saponins, polyphenolics, peptides, and their beneficial effects. It also provides the latest updates on the role of MC in the regulation of gut microbiota and bitter taste receptor signaling pathways. As a result, this review will serve as a theoretical basis for potential applications in the creation or modification of MC-based nutrient supplements.

Protective Effects and Mechanisms of Esculetin against H2O2-Induced Oxidative Stress, Apoptosis, and Pyroptosis in Human Hepatoma HepG2 Cells.

Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of many diseases. Esculetin is a natural coumarin compound with good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, whether esculetin can protect HepG2 cells through inhibiting H2O2-induced apoptosis and pyroptosis is still ambiguous. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the protective effects and mechanisms of esculetin against oxidative stress-induced cell damage in HepG2 cells. The results of this study demonstrate that pretreatment with esculetin could significantly improve the decrease in cell viability induced by H2O2 and reduce intracellular ROS levels. Esculetin not only apparently reduced the apoptotic rates and prevented MMP loss, but also markedly decreased cleaved-Caspase-3, cleaved-PARP, pro-apoptotic protein (Bax), and MMP-related protein (Cyt-c) expression, and increased anti-apoptotic protein (Bcl-2) expression in H2O2-induced HepG2 cells. Meanwhile, esculetin also remarkably reduced the level of LDH and decreased the expression of the pyroptosis-related proteins NLRP3, cleaved-Caspase-1, Il-1ß, and GSDMD-N. Furthermore, esculetin pretreatment evidently downregulated the protein expression of p-JNK, p-c-Fos, and p-c-Jun. Additionally, anisomycin, a specific activator of JNK, blocked the protection of esculetin against H2O2-induced HepG2 cells apoptosis and pyroptosis. In conclusion, esculetin can protect HepG2 cells against H2O2-induced oxidative stress, apoptosis, and pyroptosis via inhibiting the JNK signaling pathway. These findings indicate that esculetin has the potential to be used as an antioxidant that improves oxidative stress-related diseases.

A novel VP1-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay revealed widespread Enterovirus G infections in Guangxi, China.

Enterovirus G (EV-G) has recently been shown to affect weight gain and cause neurological symptoms in piglets. However, the serological investigation of EV-G is limited. In this study, we developed a novel serological detection method based on the structural protein, VP1 of EV-G. The intra-assay and inter-assay coefficient variations were 3.2-8.9% and 2.6-8.0%, respectively. There was no cross-reaction of the VP1-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with antisera against the other known porcine viruses. In addition, a comparison was made with other methods including the developed indirect ELISAs based on VP2 and VP3 proteins and western blot (WB) analysis, which demonstrated the reliability of the novel method. Using the VP1-based ELISA, we carried out the first seroepidemiological survey of EV-G in China by testing 1041 serum samples collected from different pig farms in Guangxi from 2019 to 2021. Our results showed that 68.78% of the serum samples and 100% of the pig farms were positive for EV-G, with a relatively high incidence of seropositivity in pigs of different ages. This was specifically evident in fattening pigs and sows, which may suggest that the piglets have experienced an infection with EV-G during their growth process. Our data provide the first serological evidence of EV-G infections in pigs from China and reveal the widespread presence of EV-G infections in Guangxi, China.

Optimal timing of surgery for gastric cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Following neoadjuvant chemotherapy, surgical resection is one of the most preferred treatment options for locally advanced gastric cancer patients. However, the optimal time interval between chemotherapy and surgery is unclear. This review aimed to identify the optimal time interval between neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery for advanced gastric cancer. METHODS: Beginning on November 12, 2022, we searched the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science databases, and Embase.com databases for relevant English-language research. Two authors independently screened the studies, assessed their quality, extracted the data, and analyzed the results. The primary goal was to investigate the relationship between the time interval to surgery (TTS) and long-term survival outcomes for patients. This study has been registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022365196). RESULTS: After an initial search of 4880 articles, the meta-analysis review ultimately included only five retrospective studies. Ultimately, this meta-analysis included 1171 patients, of which 411 patients had TTS of < 4 weeks, 507 patients had TTS of 4-6 weeks, and 253 patients had TTS of > 6 weeks. In survival analysis, patients with TTS of > 6 weeks had poorer overall survival outcomes than patients with TTS of 4-6 weeks (HR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.03-1.75, P = 0.03). No significant differences were found in terms of disease-free survival the groups. CONCLUSION: Based on the current clinical evidence, patients with locally advanced gastric cancer may benefit better with a TTS of 4-6 weeks; however, this option still needs additional study.

Ursolic acid induces apoptosis and pyroptosis in Reh cells by upregulating of the JNK signalling pathway based on network pharmacology and experimental validation.

Objective: To explore the mechanism of ursolic acid (UA) against acute B lymphoblastic leukaemia (B-ALL) based on network pharmacological analysis, molecular docking and experimental verification. Methods: The core targets, functional processes, and biological pathways of UA in B-ALL were predicted by network pharmacology and molecular docking. The efficacy and mechanism of UA against B-ALL were verified through in vitro experiments such as cell viability assays, CCK-8 assays, LDH assays, AO/EB staining, flow cytometry, and Western blot assays. Results: Network pharmacology analysis of the core targets indicated that the effects of UA on B-ALL were related to programmed cell death (apoptosis and pyroptosis). Molecular docking results showed that FOS, CASP8, MAPK8, IL-1ß and JUN were the key targets of UA against B-ALL. The MTS assay showed that UA decreased the viability of Reh cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Cellular and Western blot experiments found that UA induced Reh cell apoptosis and pyroptosis by upregulating the JNK signalling pathway. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrated that UA could induce Reh cell apoptosis and pyroptosis by activating the JNK signalling pathway to exert anti-B-ALL effects. This indicates that UA may become a potential drug for the effective treatment of B-ALL.

Beneficial action of cinnamic acid against ovarian cancer via network pharmacology analysis and the pharmacological activity assessment.

Naturally occurring cinnamic acid (CA) shows the beneficial potential in the suppression of ovarian cancer (OC). Currently, the in-depth molecular mechanisms of CA to suppress OC are still undescribed entirely. Thus, our research used the preclinical methodology through network pharmacology approach and pharmacological evaluation in vitro to unshroud the anti-OC targets and mechanisms of CA. Our data primarily identified 202 CA targets and 495 OC targets, and additional 45 shared targets in CA and OC were screened as presented in interaction network map. All 11 core targets in CA against OC were identified completely. The enrichment analysis of core targets revealed the biological functions and molecular mechanisms of CA against OC in details, including metabolic recombination and immune microenvironment regulation. Additionally, pharmacological evaluation data in vitro suggested that CA inhibited human OC cell proliferation in the time- and dose-dependent manners. In conclusion, CA can exert antineoplastic effects against OC effectively, and the pharmacological functions may directly actualize through a multi-target and multi-pathway avenue for suppressing OC.

Evaluation of packaging capacity at the genomic 2C/3A junction region in Porcine enterovirus G.

Porcine enterovirus G (EV-G) is endogenous to most pig farming countries worldwide. Reports that a papain-like protease (PLP) gene has been naturally inserted into the 2C/3A junction region of the EV-G genome, has increased the potential public health threats from this virus. We constructed a full-length infectious cDNA clone of EV-G, CH/17GXQZ/2017, in order to determine the packaging capacity at the 2C/3A insertion site. Subsequently, recombinants viruses containing the coding tags, GFP, iLOV and His at the 2C/3A junction region, were synthesized. The infectious virus was successfully rescued only with the insertion of the His-tag, which displayed similar virological and molecular properties to its parental strain. This study determined the packaging capacity of the 2C/3A insertion site, and it provides a practical tool for studying the functions and pathogenic mechanisms of EV-G in pigs.

Research trends of radiation induced temporal lobe injury in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma from 2000 to 2022: a bibliometric analysis.

BACKGROUND: In patients with nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC), radiation-induced temporal lobe injury (TLI) is the most dreaded late-stage complication following radiation therapy (RT). We currently lack a definitive algorithmic administration for this entity. In the meantime, the pathogenesis of TLI and the mechanism-based interventions to prevent or treat this adverse effect remain unknown. To better answer the aforementioned questions, it is necessary to comprehend the intellectual foundations and prospective trends of this field through bibliometric analysis. METHODS: Articles were gathered from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database between 2000 and 2022. CiteSpace was utilized to create a country/institutional co-authorship network, perform dual-map analysis, and find keywords with citation bursts. VOSviewer was used to build networks based on author co-authorship, journal citation, co-citation analysis of authors, references, and journals, and keyword co-occurrence. RESULTS: A total of 140 articles and reviews were included in the final analysis. The number of publications has steadily increased with some fluctuations over the years. The country and institution contributing most to this field are the China and Sun Yat-Sen University. Han Fei was the most prolific author, while Lee Awm was the most frequently cited. The analysis of co-occurrence revealed three clusters, including: "radiation-induced injury or necrosis in NPC," "clinical studies on chemotherapy/radiotherapy complications and survival in recurrent NPC," and "IMRT/chemotherapy outcomes and toxicities in head and neck cancer"). Most recent keyword bursts were "volume," "temporal lobe injury," "toxicities," "model," "survival," "intensity modulated radiotherapy," "induced brain injury," "head and neck cancer," and "temporal lobe." CONCLUSION: This study provides some insights of the major areas of interest in the field of radiation-induced TLI in patients with NPC by bibliometric analyses. This study assists scholars in locating collaborators and significant literature in this field, provides guidance for publishing journals, and identifies research hotspots. This analysis acknowledges significant contributions to the discipline and encourages the scientific community to conduct additional research.

Degradation of Levofloxacin by a green zero-valent iron-loaded carbon composite activating peroxydisulfate system: Reactivity, products and mechanism.

In this study, a green zero-valent iron-loaded carbon composite (ZVI-SCG) was synthesized using coffee grounds and FeCl3 solution through two-steps method, and the synthesized ZVI-SCG was used in the activation of peroxydisulfate (PDS) to degrade Levofloxacin (LEX). Results revealed that ZVI-SCG exhibited a great potential for LEX removal by adsorption and catalytic degradation in the ZVI-SCG/PDS system, and 99% of LEX was removed in the ZVI-SCG/PDS system within 60 min. ZVI-SCG/PDS system showed a high reactivity toward LEX degradation under realistic environmental conditions. Also, the ZVI-SCG/PDS system could effectively degrade several quinolone antibiotics including gatifloxacin, ciprofloxacin and LEX in single and simultaneous removal modes. A potential reaction mechanism of LEX degradation by ZVI-SCG/PDS system was proposed, SO4•-, HO•, O2•- and 1O2 involved in radical and non-radical pathways took part in catalytic degradation of LEX by ZVI-SCG/PDS system, but HO• might be the main reactive species for LEX degradation. The possible degradation pathway of LEX was also proposed based on the identified ten intermediate products, LEX degradation was successfully achieved through decarboxylation, opening ring and hydroxylation processes. The potential toxicity of LEX and its oxidation products decreased significantly after treatment. This study provides a promising strategy of water treatment for the antibiotics-containing wastewater.

The prognostic nutritional index represents a novel inflammation-nutrition-based prognostic factor for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Purpose: This study explored the relationship between the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and overall survival rate (OS) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), and established and validated an effective nomogram to predict clinical outcomes. Methods: This study included 618 patients newly diagnosed with locoregionally advanced NPC. They were divided into training and validation cohorts at a ratio of 2:1 based on random numbers. The primary endpoint of this study was OS, progression-free survival (PFS) was the second endpoint. A nomogram was drawn from the results of multivariate analyses. Harrell's concordance index (C-index), area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC), and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to evaluate the clinical usefulness and predictive ability of the nomogram and were compared to the current 8th edition of the International Union Against Cancer/American Joint Committee (UICC/AJCC) staging system. Results: The PNI cutoff value was 48.1. Univariate analysis revealed that age (p < 0.001), T stage (p < 0.001), N stage (p = 0.036), tumor stage (p < 0.001), PNI (p = 0.001), lymphocyte-neutrophil ratio (NLR, p = 0.002), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH, p = 0.009) were significantly associated with OS, age (p = 0.001), T-stage (p < 0.001), tumor stage (p < 0.001), N-stage (p = 0.011), PNI (p = 0.003), NLR (p = 0.051), and LDH (p = 0.03) were significantly associated with PFS. Multivariate analysis showed that age (p < 0.001), T-stage (p < 0.001), N-stage(p = 0.02), LDH (p = 0.032), and PNI (p = 0.006) were significantly associated with OS, age (p = 0.004), T-stage (<0.001), N-stage (<0.001), PNI (p = 0.022) were significantly associated with PFS. The C-index of the nomogram was 0.702 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.653-0.751). The Akaike information criterion (AIC) value of the nomogram for OS was 1142.538. The C-index of the TNM staging system was 0.647 (95% CI, 0.594-0.70) and the AIC was 1163.698. The C-index, DCA, and AUC of the nomogram demonstrated its clinical value and higher overall net benefit compared to the 8th edition of the TNM staging system. Conclusion: The PNI represents a new inflammation-nutrition-based prognostic factor for patients with NPC. In the proposed nomogram, PNI and LDH were present, which led to a more accurate prognostic prediction than the current staging system for patients with NPC.

Effects of emergency/nonemergency cervical cerclage on the vaginal microbiome of pregnant women with cervical incompetence.

Background: Evaluation of the therapeutic effects of cerclage on preterm birth (PTB) caused by cervical incompetence remains challenging. The vaginal microbiome is associated with preterm births. Thus, this study aimed to analyse the vaginal microbiota of patients with cervical incompetence, explore the relationship between the composition of the vaginal microbiota before cervical cerclage and at term delivery, and assess the effect of cervical cerclage on the vaginal microbiota. Methods: Patients (n = 30) underwent cerclage performed by the same surgical team. Vaginal swabs were obtained pre-surgery and seven days post-surgery. A gestational age-matched cohort of healthy pregnant women (n = 20) (no particular abnormality during pregnancy, delivery at term) was used as the control group and sampled during a comparable pregnancy. All collected vaginal swabs were analysed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Results: When comparing the healthy control and cervical cerclage groups, the enriched microorganism in the healthy controls was G. Scardovia, and the enriched microorganism of the cerclage was G. Streptococcus. α diversity was significantly increased in patients who received cerclage with preterm delivery compared with those with full-term delivery, and the enriched microorganism was F. Enterococcus. A comparison before and after nonemergency cerclage suggested that the enriched microorganisms were G. Lactobacillus and F. Lactobacillaceae before surgery. After nonemergency cerclage, the enriched microorganisms were F. Enterobacteriaceae and C. Gammaproteobacteria. Vaginal microbiota diversity significantly increased, and the proportion of women with Lactobacillus spp.-depleted microbiomes increased after emergency cerclage. Significant differences in ß diversity were found between the groups. Before the emergency cerclage, the enriched microorganisms were G. Lactobacillus, O. Alteromonadales, and P. Firmicutes. After emergency cerclage, the enriched microorganisms were P. Actinobacteria, C. Actinobacteria, P. Proteobacteria, F. Bifidobacteriaceae, O. Bifidobacteriales, G. Gardnerella, and G. Veillonella. Conclusion: Cerclage (particularly emergency cerclage) may alter the vaginal microbiota by increasing microbiota diversity, decreasing vaginal Lactobacillus abundance, and increasing the abundance of pathogenic bacteria that are not conducive to pregnancy maintenance, thereby affecting surgical efficacy. Therefore, the role of the vaginal microbiome should be considered when developing treatment strategies for pregnant women with cervical incompetence. Clinical trial registration: https://www.chictr.org.cn, identifier ChiCTR2100046305.

Potential role of long noncoding RNA RP5-881L22.5 as a novel biomarker and therapeutic target of colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of colorectal cancer in humans is high, and it is in the top five for cancer-related morbidity and mortality. It is one of the main threats to human health. The function of long noncoding RNAs in tumor occurrence and development has gradually gained attention in recent years. In increasing numbers of studies, researchers have demonstrated that it plays an important role in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer. AIM: To find out if long noncoding RNA RP5-881L22.5 played a role in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer in relation to the tumor microenvironment. METHODS: We analyzed the transcriptome data and clinical data in The Cancer Genome Atlas-colon adenocarcinoma. The CIRBERSORT algorithm was applied to evaluate these tumor-infiltrating immune cells in The Cancer Genome Atlas-colon adenocarcinoma cancer tissue samples. Using the "estimate" package in R, we assessed the tumor immune microenvironment. The expression level of RP5-881L22.5 in tumor tissue and adjacent normal tissue samples from 4 pairs of colorectal cancer patients was determined by quantitative reverse transcription PCR. Colorectal cancer cells were tested for invasiveness using a transwell invasion assay after RP5-881L22.5 expression was knocked down. RESULTS: The expression of lncRNA RP5-881L22.5 was related to the clinical characteristics of the tumors, and it was negatively related to the infiltration level of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment and the expression of T cell inhibitory receptors. A major function of its coexpressed mRNA was to regulate tumor immunity, such as the immune response. When quantitative reverse transcription PCR was performed on tumor tissues from 4 pairs of colorectal cancer patients, the results showed that RP5-881L22.5 was highly expressed. Subsequently, knocking down the expression of RP5-881L22.5, the invasiveness of colorectal cancer cell lines was reduced, and the apoptosis rate was increased. CONCLUSION: RP5-881L22.5 plays a crucial role in the microenvironment of tumors as well as in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer. The relationship between RP5-881L22.5 and the tumor immune microenvironment deserves further study.

Tunable mode-locked Tm-doped fiber laser based upon cross-phase modulation.

We demonstrate the generation of soliton and dissipative soliton in an ultrafast thulium (Tm) doped fiber laser based upon cross-phase modulation (XPM) induced mode-locking. The mode-locking is realized by periodically modulating the 2-µm signal through XPM that is activated by an injected 1.5-µm pulsed laser. Such a mechanism enables the laser to be mode-locked in various operation regimes without any real or artificial saturable absorbers. Thanks to the XPM pulling effect, the wavelength of the Tm-doped fiber laser can be tuned by adjusting the repetition frequency of the 1.5-µm pulsed laser. The maximum tuning ranges achieved in this work for the soliton and dissipative soliton regimes are respectively 11 nm and 15 nm. The outcomes of this work not only provide a continuously and controllably wavelength-tunable ultrafast laser but also offer a passively synchronized dual-color fiber laser system, which is promised for many important applications such as Raman spectroscopy, nonlinear frequency conversion systems, and multi-color pump-probe systems.

Efficacy and safety of radiotherapy plus anti-PD1 versus transcatheter arterial chemoembolization plus sorafenib for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: a real-world study.

BACKGROUND: The combination of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) plus sorafenib prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) than sorafenib or TACE monotherapy for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study assessed the efficacy and safety of radiotherapy (RT) plus monoclonal antibody against programmed cell death 1 (anti-PD1) versus TACE plus sorafenib for patients with advanced HCC. METHODS: Patients with advanced HCC who treated with RT plus anti-PD1 and TACE plus sorafenib were enrolled. Objective response rate (ORR), PFS, disease control rate (DCR) and OS were calculated to assess the antitumor response and the treatment-related adverse events to the safety. RESULTS: Between January 2018 to March 2021, 37 patients underwent RT plus anti-PD1 and 41 patients underwent TACE plus sorafenib. The baseline characteristics between the two groups were comparable. The ORR and DCR were significantly higher in the RT + PD1 group than the TACE plus sorafenib group according to RECIST 1.1 (54.05% vs. 12.20%, P < 0.001; 70.27% vs. 46.37%, P = 0.041; respectively) and according to mRECIST (56.76% vs. 31.71%, P = 0.039; 70.27% vs. 46.37%, P = 0.041; respectively). RT plus anti-PD1 provided significantly better PFS (HR, 0.51; 95% CI 0.30-0.86; P = 0.017) than TACE plus sorafenib. Moreover, patients with RT plus anti-PD1 had significantly higher 3-, 6-, and 9-month OS rates than those with TACE plus sorafenib(97.3% vs. 92.30%, P < 0.001; 91.89% vs. 68.60%, P < 0.001; 75.5% vs. 60.60%, P < 0.001; respectively). The median OS was more favorable 17.4 months for the RT + PD1 group and 11.9 months for the TACE plus sorafenib group. No treatment-related death was observed. Grade 3 or more treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred significantly less in patients in the RT + PD1 group than the TACE plus sorafenib group (29.7% vs. 75.6%, P < 0.001), and all TRAEs were manageable. CONCLUSIONS: In this real-world study, RT plus anti-PD1 showed significantly promising efficacy and manageable safety than TACE plus sorafenib in patients with advanced HCC. Toxicities were manageable, with no unexpected safety signals. The study provides evidence on a new therapeutic method in the treatment of advanced HCC.

Average-power (4.13 W) 59 fs mid-infrared pulses from a fluoride fiber laser system.

We report a high-average-power mid-infrared ultrafast laser system consisting of a fluoride fiber mode-locked oscillator and a nonlinear amplifier. A backward pumping scheme was used in the amplifier to simultaneously realize pulse amplification and self-compression. The input signal polarization was demonstrated to play an important role in the self-compression process. Through the optimization of input polarization, a 4.13 W average-power 59 fs pulse at 2.8 µm was achieved, with an estimated pulse energy of 42.2 nJ and a peak power of 715 kW. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest average-power pulse with sub-100-fs duration generated from a mid-infrared fiber laser system to date.

Survival among subgroups of patients with stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

To assess survival between subgroups (T1N1, T2N0, and T2N1) of patients with stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This retrospective cohort study evaluated pathologically confirmed stage II NPC patients from The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database from 2004 to 2016. The included patients were divided into three subgroups: T1N1, T2N0, and T2N1. Overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method among the three subgroups. This study investigated 836 patients: 383 (45.8%) patients were in the T1N1 subgroup, 175 (20.9%) patients were in the T2N0 subgroup, and 278 (33.3%) patients were in the T2N1 subgroup. The 5-year OS (75.7%, 68.6%, and 75.7%) and CSS (85.3%, 83.4%, and 84.5%) were similar among the T1N1, T2N0, and T2N1 subgroups. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses revealed that the subgroup (T1N1, T2N0, and T2N1) of stage II NPC was not an independent prognostic factor for OS or CSS. Survival was comparable among subgroups (T1N1, T2N0, and T2N1) of stage II NPC patients. However, patients with T1N1, T2N0, and T2N1 stage disease who receive different treatments might have different prognoses.

A porous biochar supported nanoscale zero-valent iron material highly efficient for the simultaneous remediation of cadmium and lead contaminated soil.

Risk associated with heavy metals in soil has been received widespread attention. In this study, a porous biochar supported nanoscale zero-valent iron (BC-nZVI) was applied to immobilize cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in clayey soil. Experiment results indicated that the immobilization of Cd or Pb by BC-nZVI process was better than that of BC or nZVI process, and about 80% of heavy metals immobilization was obtained in BC-nZVI process. Addition of BC-nZVI could increase soil pH and organic matter (SOM). Cd or Pb immobilization was inhibited with coexisting organic compound 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), but 2,4-DCP could be removed in a simultaneous manner with Cd or Pb immobilization at low concentration levels. Simultaneous immobilization of Cd and Pb was achieved in BC-nZVI process, and both Cd and Pb availability significantly decreased. Stable Cd species inculding Cd(OH)2, CdCO3 and CdO were formed, whereas stable Pb species such as PbCO3, PbO and Pb(OH)2 were produced with BC-nZVI treatment. Simultaneous immobilization mechanism of Cd and Pb in soil by BC-nZVI was thereby proposed. This study well demonstrates that BC-nZVI has been emerged as a potential technology for the remediation of multiple heavy metals in soil.

Efficacy of Chemotherapy in Survival of Stage I Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

PURPOSE: To identify whether chemoradiotherapy improves survival of stage I nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: NPC patients were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database between 2010 and 2015. Pathologically confirmed stage T1N0M0 (the 7th edition AJCC) were investigated. Overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were compared between the radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy groups using the Kaplan-Meier method and propensity score matching (PSM) analyses. RESULTS: This study included 91 (40.27%) patients in the chemoradiotherapy group and 135 (59.73%) patients in the radiotherapy group. Before PSM, chemoradiotherapy was associated with worse 3-year OS (74.31 vs 87.23%; P = 0.025) and 5-year OS (64.28 vs 83.12%; P = 0.001) compared to those associated with radiotherapy. Similarly, chemoradiotherapy showed worse 3-year CSS (87.01 vs 96.97%; P = 0.028) and 5-year CSS (80.39 vs. 96.97%; P = 0.002) than those of radiotherapy. After PSM, chemoradiotherapy revealed worse 5-year OS (63.10 vs. 82.49%; P = 0.031) and CSS (80.95 vs. 93.70%; P = 0.016) than radiotherapy. The multivariate regression analysis revealed that chemoradiotherapy was an independent risk prognostic factor for OS and CSS before and after PSM. CONCLUSION: Radiotherapy alone is recommended for stage I NPC patients.

Simultaneous adsorption of Cr(VI) and phenol by biochar-based iron oxide composites in water: Performance, kinetics and mechanism.

The pollution of heavy metals and organic compounds has received increased attention in recent years. In the current study, a novel biochar-based iron oxide composite (FeYBC) was successfully synthesized using pomelo peel and ferric chloride solution through one-step process at moderate temperature. Results clearly demonstrate that FeYBC exhibited more efficient removal of Cr(VI) and/or phenol compared with the pristine biochar, and the maximum adsorption amounts of Cr(VI) and phenol by FeYBC could reach 24.37 and 39.32 mg g-1, respectively. A series of characterization data suggests that several iron oxides such as Fe2O3, Fe0, FeOOH and Fe3O4 were formed on the FeYBC surface as well as oxygen-containing groups. Thermodynamics study indicates that Cr(VI) and phenol adsorption by FeYBC were endothermic and exothermic processes, respectively. Langmuir adsorption isotherm and pseudo-second order models could better explain the Cr(VI) and phenol adsorption behaviors over FeYBC. The Cr(VI) adsorption might be primarily achieved through the ion exchange and surface complexation and reduction, whereas the π-π interaction and electron donor-acceptor complex mainly contributed to phenol adsorption. The findings indicate that the biochar-based iron oxide composites material was an efficient adsorbent for the remediation of industrial effluents containing Cr(VI) and phenol.