Anxiety and depression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients and network analysis to identify central symptoms: A cross-sectional study from a high-incidence area.

PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and to identify central symptoms and bridge symptoms among psychiatric disorders. METHODS: This cross-sectional study recruited patients with NPC in Guangzhou, China from May 2022, to October 2022. The General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) were used for screening anxiety and depression, respectively. Network analysis was conducted to evaluate the centrality and connectivity of the symptoms of anxiety, depression, quality of life (QoL) and insomnia. RESULTS: A total of 2806 respondents with complete GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores out of 3828 were enrolled. The incidence of anxiety in the whole population was 26.5% (depression, 28.5%; either anxiety or depression, 34.8%). Anxiety was highest at caner diagnosis (34.2%), while depression reached a peak at late-stage radiotherapy (48.5%). Both moderate and severe anxiety and depression were exacerbated during radiotherapy. Coexisting anxiety and depression occurred in 58.3% of those with either anxiety or depression. The generated network showed that anxiety and depression symptoms were closely connected; insomnia was strongly connected with QoL. "Sad mood", "Lack of energy", and "Trouble relaxing" were the most important items in the network. Insomnia was the most significant bridge item that connected symptom groups. CONCLUSION: Patients with NPC are facing alarming disturbances of psychiatric disorders; tailored strategies should be implemented for high-risk patients. Besides, central symptoms (sad mood, lack of energy, and trouble relaxing) and bridge symptoms (insomnia) may be potential interventional targets in future clinical practice.

Optimizing electrochemical performance of Na0.67Ni0.17Co0.17Mn0.66O2 with P2 structure via preparing concentration-gradient particles for sodium-ion batteries.

P2-type layered oxides for rechargeable sodium-ion batteries have drawn a lot of attention because of their excellent electrochemical performance. However, these types of cathodes usually suffer from poor cyclic stability. To overcome this disadvantage, in this work, novel ball-shaped concentration-gradient oxide Na0.67Ni0.17Co0.17Mn0.66O2 with P2 structure modified by Mn-rich surface is successfully prepared using co-precipitation method. The concentration of Mn increased from the inner core to the surface, endowing the material with an excellent cyclic stability. The cathode exhibits enhanced electrochemical properties than that of the sample synthesized by solid-state method and concentration-constant material. It shows 143.2 mAh/g initial discharge capacity and retains 131 mAh/g between 2 V and 4.5 V after 100 rounds. The significant improvement in the electrochemical properties of the sample benefits from the unique concentration-gradient structure, and the Mn-rich surface that effectively stabilizes the basic P2 structure. The relatively higher Ni content in the core leads to a slight improvement in the discharge capacity of the sample. This strategy may provide new insights for preparing layered cathodes for sodium-ion batteries with high electrochemical performance.

Fine-tuning of thermally induced SCO behaviors of trinuclear cyanido-bridged complexes by regulating the electron donating ability of CCN-terminal fragments.

To achieve fine regulation of FeII SCO behavior, a series of trinuclear cyanido-bridged complexes trans-[CpMen(dppe)MII(CN)]2[Fe1II(abpt)2](OTf)2 (1-4) (1, M = Fe2 and n = 1; 2, M = Fe2 and n = 4; 3, M = Fe2 and n = 5; 4, M = Ru and n = 5; CpMen = alkyl cyclopentadienyl with n = 1, 4, 5; dppe = 1,2-bis-(diphenylphosphino)ethane; abpt = 4-amino-3,5-bis-(pyridin-2-yl)-1,2,4-triazole and OTf = CF3SO3-) were synthesized and fully characterized by using elemental analysis, X-ray crystallography, magnetic measurements, variable-temperature IR spectroscopy and Mössbauer spectroscopy. It is worth mentioning that different from many mononuclear Fe(abpt)2X2 (X = NCS, NCSe, N(CN)2, C(CN)3, (NC)2CC(OCH3)C(CN)2, (NC)2CC(OC2H5)C(CN)2, C16SO3 and Cl) complexes with more than one polymorph, only one polycrystalline form was found in complexes 1-4. Moreover, the thermally induced SCO behaviors of these four complexes are independent of intermolecular π-π interactions. The electron-donating ability of the CCN-terminal fragment of CpMen(dppe)MIICN can be flexibly regulated by changing the methyl number (n) of the cyclopentadiene ligand or metal ion type (MII). These investigations indicate that the electron-donating ability of the CCN-terminal fragment has an influence on the SCO behavior of Fe1II. The spin transition temperature (T1/2) of the complexes decreases with the increase of the electron-donating ability of the fragment CpMen(dppe)MII. This study provides a new strategy to predict and precisely regulate the behaviors of SCO complexes.

Toripalimab plus capecitabine in the treatment of patients with residual nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a single-arm phase 2 trial.

Patients with residual nasopharyngeal carcinoma after receiving definitive treatment have poor prognoses. Although immune checkpoint therapies have achieved breakthroughs for treating recurrent and metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma, none of these strategies have been assessed for treating residual nasopharyngeal carcinoma. In this single-arm, phase 2 trial, we aimed to evaluate the antitumor efficacy and safety of toripalimab (anti-PD1 antibody) plus capecitabine in patients with residual nasopharyngeal carcinoma after definitive treatment (ChiCTR1900023710). Primary endpoint of this trial was the objective response rate assessed according to RECIST (version 1.1). Secondary endpoints included complete response rate, disease control rate, duration of response, progression-free survival, safety profile, and treatment compliance. Between June 1, 2020, and May 31, 2021, 23 patients were recruited and received six cycles of toripalimab plus capecitabine every 3 weeks. In efficacy analyses, 13 patients (56.5%) had complete response, and 9 patients (39.1%) had partial response, with an objective response rate of 95.7% (95% CI 78.1-99.9). The trial met its prespecified primary endpoint. In safety analyses, 21 of (91.3%) 23 patients had treatment-related adverse events. The most frequently reported adverse event was hand-foot syndrome (11 patients [47.8%]). The most common grade 3 adverse event was hand-foot syndrome (two patients [8.7%]). No grades 4-5 treatment-related adverse events were recorded. This phase 2 trial shows that combining toripalimab with capecitabine has promising antitumour activity and a manageable safety profile for patients with residual nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

AI-Based Risk Score from Tumour-Infiltrating Lymphocyte Predicts Locoregional-Free Survival in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Locoregional recurrence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) occurs in 10% to 50% of cases following primary treatment. However, the current main prognostic markers for NPC, both stage and plasma Epstein-Barr virus DNA, are not sensitive to locoregional recurrence. METHODS: We gathered 385 whole-slide images (WSIs) from haematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained NPC sections (n = 367 cases), which were collected from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Centre. We developed a deep learning algorithm to detect tumour nuclei and lymphocyte nuclei in WSIs, followed by density-based clustering to quantify the tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) into 12 scores. The Random Survival Forest model was then trained on the TILs to generate risk score. RESULTS: Based on Kaplan-Meier analysis, the proposed methods were able to stratify low- and high-risk NPC cases in a validation set of locoregional recurrence with a statically significant result (p < 0.001). This finding was also found in distant metastasis-free survival (p < 0.001), progression-free survival (p < 0.001), and regional recurrence-free survival (p < 0.05). Furthermore, in both univariate analysis (HR: 1.58, CI: 1.13-2.19, p < 0.05) and multivariate analysis (HR:1.59, CI: 1.11-2.28, p < 0.05), we also found that our methods demonstrated a strong prognostic value for locoregional recurrence. CONCLUSION: The proposed novel digital markers could potentially be utilised to assist treatment decisions in cases of NPC.

A deep learning-based semiautomated workflow for triaging follow-up MR scans in treated nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

It is imperative to optimally utilize virtues and obviate defects of fully automated analysis and expert knowledge in new paradigms of healthcare. We present a deep learning-based semiautomated workflow (RAINMAN) with 12,809 follow-up scans among 2,172 patients with treated nasopharyngeal carcinoma from three centers (ChiCTR.org.cn, Chi-CTR2200056595). A boost of diagnostic performance and reduced workload was observed in RAINMAN compared with the original manual interpretations (internal vs. external: sensitivity, 2.5% [p = 0.500] vs. 3.2% [p = 0.031]; specificity, 2.9% [p < 0.001] vs. 0.3% [p = 0.302]; workload reduction, 79.3% vs. 76.2%). The workflow also yielded a triaging performance of 83.6%, with increases of 1.5% in sensitivity (p = 1.000) and 0.6%-1.3% (all p < 0.05) in specificity compared to three radiologists in the reader study. The semiautomated workflow shows its unique superiority in reducing radiologist's workload by eliminating negative scans while retaining the diagnostic performance of radiologists.

[Effect of Sunitinib on Pyroptosis of Drug-Resistant Leukemia K562/ADR Cells and Its Pathway].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the inducing effect of sunitinib on the death of drug-resistant leukemia K562/ADR cells and the related signaling pathway. METHODS: K562/ADR cells were treated with different concentrations of sunitinib, and the cells were collected at 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours, respectively. MTS assay was used to detect the effect of sunitinib on the proliferation of K562/ADR cells, and the appropriate sunitinib intervention time and concentration were determined. QPCR and Western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of apoptosis-related genes in K562/ADR cells treated with sunitinib. Four different cell death inhibitors Nec-1, VX-765, CQ and Fer-1 were used to detect the death mode of K562/ADR cells treated with sunitinib. QPCR and Western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of pyroptosis-related genes in K562/ADR cells treated with sunitinib. RESULTS: Sunitinib significantly inhibited the proliferation of K562/ADR cells in a time - and concentration-dependent manner(R48 H=0.9579, r4 µg/ml=0.9740). The IC50 of sunitinib was (3.96±0.14) µg/ml at 48 hours. The mRNA and protein expression levels of apoptosis-related genes Bax, BCL-2 , Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 in K562/ADR cells treated with sunitinib did not change significantly. After treatment with four different cell death inhibitors, only the pyroptosis inhibitor VX-765 could significantly reverse the inhibitory effect of sunitinib on the proliferation of K562/ADR cells (P<0.01). The mRNA and protein expression levels of pyroptosis-related genes Caspase-1, Caspase-4, Caspase-5, NLRP3, GSDMD and IL-1ß in K562/ADR cells treated with sunitinib were significantly increased (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Sunitinib can induce pyroptosis in drug-resistant leukemia K562/ADR cells. Further study of the signaling pathways related to pyroptosis may provide experimental basis for the treatment of drug-resistant leukemia.

Electronic Transition and Magnetic Coupling Regulation in Trimetallic Complexes Featuring a New Bridging Ligand Obtained by Oxidative Addition.

A series of trimetallic complexes [FeIII(µ-L)(py)]2MII(py)n (n = 2, MII = MnII, 1; FeII, 2; CoII, 3; ZnII, 4; n = 3, MII = CdII, 5) with a new bridging ligand L4- (deprotonated 1,2-N1,N2-bis(2-mercaptoanil) oxalimidic acid) were synthesized and fully characterized by elemental analysis, single-crystal X-ray crystallography, IR, and Mössbauer spectra. Interestingly, the bridging ligand was obtained by oxidative addition of the (gma•)3- ligand from the mononuclear precursor Fe(gma)py (gma = glyoxal-bis(2-mercaptoanil)). In the obtained complexes, the bridging ligand L4- coordinates to the terminal FeIII ions (intermediate-spin with SFe = 3/2) by the N, S atoms, and coordinate to the central metal MII ion by the four O atoms. The resonance structure of the bridging ligand can be described as the two 4π-electron delocalized systems connected by one single-bond (C1-C2), which is different from the electronic structure of the precursor Fe(gma)py. Remarkably, the magnetic coupling interaction can be regulated through the central metal. The ferromagnetic coupling constant J gradually decreases as MII changes from FeII to CoII and MnII, while the paramagnetic behaviors are presented when MII = ZnII and CdII, confirmed by the magnetic susceptibility measurements and further supported by using the PHI program. Furthermore, the bridging ligand to the terminal FeIII charge transfer (LMCT) transitions emerged in all complexes but the central FeII to terminal FeIII charge transfer (MMCT) only presented in complex 2, strongly supported by the UV/vis-NIR electronic spectra and TDDFT calculations.

Widely targeted quantitative lipidomics and prognostic model reveal plasma lipid predictors for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Dysregulation of lipid metabolism is closely associated with cancer progression. The study aimed to establish a prognostic model to predict distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), based on lipidomics. METHODS: The plasma lipid profiles of 179 patients with locoregionally advanced NPC (LANPC) were measured and quantified using widely targeted quantitative lipidomics. Then, patients were randomly split into the training (125 patients, 69.8%) and validation (54 patients, 30.2%) sets. To identify distant metastasis-associated lipids, univariate Cox regression was applied to the training set (P < 0.05). A deep survival method called DeepSurv was employed to develop a proposed model based on significant lipid species (P < 0.01) and clinical biomarkers to predict DMFS. Concordance index and receiver operating curve analyses were performed to assess model effectiveness. The study also explored the potential role of lipid alterations in the prognosis of NPC. RESULTS: Forty lipids were recognized as distant metastasis-associated (P < 0.05) by univariate Cox regression. The concordance indices of the proposed model were 0.764 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.682-0.846) and 0.760 (95% CI, 0.649-0.871) in the training and validation sets, respectively. High-risk patients had poorer 5-year DMFS compared with low-risk patients (Hazard ratio, 26.18; 95% CI, 3.52-194.80; P < 0.0001). Moreover, the six lipids were significantly correlated with immunity- and inflammation-associated biomarkers and were mainly enriched in metabolic pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Widely targeted quantitative lipidomics reveals plasma lipid predictors for LANPC, the prognostic model based on that demonstrated superior performance in predicting metastasis in LANPC patients.

Tumor residue in patients with stage II-IVA nasopharyngeal carcinoma who received intensity-modulated radiation therapy: development and validation of a prediction nomogram integrating postradiotherapy plasma Epstein-Barr virus deoxyribonucleic acid, clinical stage, and radiotherapy dose.

BACKGROUND: To develop and validate a predictive nomogram for tumor residue 3-6 months after treatment based on postradiotherapy plasma Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), clinical stage, and radiotherapy (RT) dose in patients with stage II-IVA nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). METHODS: In this retrospective study, 1050 eligible patients with stage II-IVA NPC, who completed curative IMRT and underwent pretreatment and postradiotherapy (-7 to +28 days after IMRT) EBV DNA testing, were enrolled from 2012 to 2017. The prognostic value of the residue was explored using Cox regression analysis in patients (n=1050). A nomogram for predicting tumor residues after 3-6 months was developed using logistic regression analyses in the development cohort (n=736) and validated in an internal cohort (n=314). RESULTS: Tumor residue was an independent inferior prognostic factor for 5-year overall survival, progression-free survival, locoregional recurrence-free survival and distant metastasis-free survival (all P<0.001). A prediction nomogram based on postradiotherapy plasma EBV DNA level (0 vs. 1-499 vs. ≥500 copies/ml), clinical stage (II vs. III vs. IVA), and RT dose (68.00-69.96 vs. 70.00-74.00 Gy) estimated the probability of residue development. The nomogram showed better discrimination (area under the curve (AUC): 0.752) than either the clinical stage (0.659) or postradiotherapy EBV DNA level (0.627) alone in the development and validation cohorts (AUC: 0.728). CONCLUSIONS: We developed and validated a nomogram model integrating clinical characteristics at the end of IMRT for predicting whether tumor will residue or not after 3-6 months. Thus, high-risk NPC patients who might benefit from immediate additional intervention could be identified by the model, and the probability of residue can be reduced in the future.

Incidence, consequences, and predictors of serious chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the incidence, consequences, and predictors of serious chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia (CIT) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of patients with NPC between 2013 and 2015. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model and propensity score matching were used to estimate the effect of serious CIT on overall survival. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were applied to identify the predictors of serious CIT. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The incidence of serious CIT was 5.21% in patients with NPC. Patients who experienced serious thrombocytopenia had a worse long-term prognosis, while the difference in short-term survival rate was slight. Chemotherapy regimens of gemcitabine and platinum, 5-fluorouracil and platinum, taxane and platinum, serum potassium ion concentration, serum lactate dehydrogenase levels, platelet count, red blood cell count, and estimated glomerular filtration rate were predictors of serious CIT.

Coexistence of Three Different Spin States in a Cyanido-Bridged Trinuclear Iron(III) Complex with an Unusual FeIII to Ligand Charge Transfer.

We report a trinuclear iron(III) cyanido-bridged complex trans-[CpMe3 FeIII (dppe)(CN)]2 [FeIII (LN4 )][PF6 ]4 (2[PF6 ]4 ) as the oxidation product of binuclear complex [CpMe3 (dppe)FeII CN-FeIII (LN4 )][PF6 ] (1[PF6 ]) (CpMe3 =1, 2, 4-trimethyl-1,3-cyclo-pentadienyl, dppe=1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane, LN4 =pentane-2,4-dione-bis(S-methylisothiosemicarbazonato). Complex 1[PF6 ] possesses an intermediate-spin five-coordinated FeIII (S=3/2) which couples antiferromagnetically to the π-radical ligand (L⋅N4 )2- and shows a LMCT (ligand to metal charge transfer) transition from (L⋅N4 )2- to FeIII and the FeII →FeIII MMCT transition. Upon oxidation of 1[PF6 ], (L⋅N4 )2- loses one electron to be the strong electron-attracting ligand (LOx N4 )- and the intermediate-spin five-coordinated FeIII (S=3/2) becomes a low-spin six-coordinated FeIII (S=1/2) in 2[PF6 ]4 . Also interestingly, 2[PF6 ]4 presents the coexistence of three different spin states (one S=3/2 and two S=1/2) and an uncommon FeIII →(LOx N4 )- MLCT transition, confirmed by the experimental results and supported by the TDDFT calculations.

[Dryness-alleviating effect of processed Aurantii Fructus from Lingnan based on correlation of fecal metabolomics and dryness].

With the approach of untargeted metabolomics and correlation analysis, this study aimed to explore the mechanism of Aurantii Fructus from Lingnan region in alleviating dryness by analyzing the different effects of raw Aurantii Fructus(RAF) and processed Aurantii Fructus(PAF) on fecal endogenous metabolism in normal rats. Eighteen Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats were randomly divided into a control group(C), an RAF group(10 g·kg~(-1)), and a PAF group(10 g·kg~(-1)). After seven days of administration, the effects of RAF and PAF on dryness-related indexes were compared, including water intake, fecal water content, salivary secretion, the expression of AQP5, VIP, and 5-HT in the submandibular gland, as well as the expression of AQP3, VIP, and 5-HT in the colon. The fecal samples in each group were determined by LC-MS. Multivariate statistical analysis and Pearson correlation coefficient were used for screening the differential metabolites and metabolic pathways in alleviating dryness of RAF. The results indicated that both RAF and PAF showed certain dryness, and the dryness of RAF was more significant. Moreover, PAF could alleviate dryness of RAF to a certain extent by reducing the water intake, fecal water content, and the expression of AQP3, VIP, and 5-HT in the colon and increasing the salivary secretion and the levels of AQP5, VIP, and 5-HT in the submandibular gland. According to the analysis of fecal metabolomics, 99 and 58 metabolites related to dryness were found in RAF and PAF respectively, where 16 of them played an important role in alleviating dryness of RAF. Pathway analysis revealed that the mechanism of PAF in alleviating dryness of RAF was presumably related to the regulation of riboflavin metabolism, purine metabolism, arginine biosynthesis, pyrimidine metabolism, alanine metabolism, aspartate metabolism, glutamate metabolism, and retinol metabolism pathways. This study suggested that PAF might alleviate dryness of RAF by affecting the metabolic levels of the body, which provides a new basis for further clarifying the processing mechanism of PAF.

Proteomic and Biochemical Evidence Involving Root Cell Wall Biosynthesis and Modification, Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle, and Glutathione Metabolism in Cultivar-Dependent Cd Accumulation of Water Spinach (Ipomoea aquatica).

Proteomic analysis and biochemical tests were employed to investigate the critical biological processes responsible for the different cadmium (Cd) accumulations between two water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) cultivars, QLQ and T308. QLQ, with lower shoot Cd accumulation and translocation factor than T308, possessed higher expression of cell wall biosynthesis and modification proteins in roots, together with higher lignin and pectin contents, higher pectin methylesterase activity, and lower pectin methylation. The results demonstrated that QLQ could more effectively restrict root-to-shoot Cd translocation by compartmentalizing more Cd in root cell walls. In contrast, T308 showed higher expression of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, glutathione (GSH) metabolism, and heavy metal transporter proteins, accompanied by higher GSH content and glutathione S-transferase (GST) and glutathione reductase (GR) activity, which accelerated Cd uptake and translocation in T308. These findings revealed several critical biological processes responsible for cultivar-dependent Cd accumulation in water spinach, which are important for elucidating Cd accumulation and transport mechanisms in different cultivars.

Maternal Common Cold or Fever During Pregnancy and the Risk of Orofacial Clefts in the Offspring: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

The common cold and/or an associated fever during pregnancy have/has been suspected to harm the developing fetus. We sought possible correlations between a maternal common cold or fever during pregnancy and the risk of orofacial clefts in the offspring.We systematically searched PubMed and Embase using appropriate keywords, and we checked the reference lists of retrieved articles. We used random-effects models to estimate overall relative risks.Incidence of orofacial clefts.We included 13 case-control studies. Modest but statistically significant associations were found between a maternal common cold and cleft lip with or without a cleft palate (CL/CP) (odds ratio [OR] 2.17; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.66-2.83) and a cleft palate only (CPO) (OR 3.08; 95% CI 1.5-6.34). Furthermore, maternal fever was also associated with an increased risk of CL/CP (OR 1.91, 95% CI 1.3-2.8) and CPO (OR 1.48, 95% CI 0.83-2.63) in the offspring. Further analyses of maternal influenza (alone) yielded similar results.Although evidence of heterogeneity should be carefully evaluated, our findings suggest that maternal common cold or fever during pregnancy may be associated with a greater risk of CL/CP or CPO in the offspring. Future cohort studies using valid assessments of maternal common cold exposure during pregnancy that consider the severity of fever are needed to clarify the contribution of maternal common cold or fever status to the risk of orofacial clefts in children.

Recognition of Digital Dental X-ray Images Using a Convolutional Neural Network.

Digital dental X-ray images are an important basis for diagnosing dental diseases, especially endodontic and periodontal diseases. Conventional diagnostic methods depend on the experience of doctors, so they are highly subjective and consume more energy than other approaches. The current computer-aided interpretation technology has low accuracy and poor lesion classification. This study proposes an efficient and accurate method for identifying common lesions in digital dental X-ray images by a convolutional neural network (CNN). In total, 188 digital dental X-ray images that were previously diagnosed as periapical periodontitis, dental caries, periapical cysts, and other common dental diseases by dentists in Qilu Hospital of Shandong University were collected and augmented. The images and labels were inputted into four CNN models for training, including visual geometry group (VGG)-16, InceptionV3, residual network (ResNet)-50, and densely connected convolutional networks (DenseNet)-121. The average classification accuracy of the four trained network models on the test set was 95.9%, while the classification accuracy of the trained DenseNet-121 network model reached 99.5%. It is demonstrated that the use of CNNs to interpret digital dental X-ray images is an efficient and accurate way to conduct auxiliary diagnoses of dental diseases.

Short-term efficacy and long-term survival of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients with radiographically visible residual disease following observation or additional intervention: A real-world study in China.

Background: To explore the short- and long-term outcomes in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-detected residual disease at 3 months post-treatment who received intervention either promptly (0 month) or following observation (after an additional 3 months). Methods: A total of 272 patients with residual disease at 3 months post-treatment (observation [observation for additional 3 months]: 122, intervention [prompt intervention]: 150) were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to examine the survival. Adverse events were analyzed in all patients. Results: Patients in the observation group had a lower 3-year overall survival (77.1% vs. 85.2%), progression-free survival (10.2% vs. 18.1%), and locoregional relapse-free survival (10.2% vs. 20.6%) (all p < .05), but not distant metastasis-free survival (83.8% vs. 78.4%, p = .189), whereas patients in the intervention group achieved higher complete remission (CR) rates (43.3% vs. 21.2%, p = .003). Patients who achieved CR after prompt intervention had a better survival rate than those who achieved observation-CR or non-CR (p < .001). Multivariate analyses revealed that a wait-and-see policy was an independent prognostic factor for impaired survival (p < .001). No significant differences of acute or late toxicities were observed between the two groups. Conclusions: Patients with NPC with MRI-detected residual disease 3 months post-radiotherapy should be encouraged to undergo prompt intervention rather than adopting a passive wait-and-see policy.

Influence of the electronic effect of an ancillary ligand on MMCT and LMCT in localized cyanide-bridged complexes containing non-innocent ligands.

Mixed-valence (MV) complexes containing non-innocent ligands are excellent models for the investigation of the electron-transfer process. A series of twelve bimetallic cyanide-bridged complexes [CpMen(dppe)RuCNFeLx][A] (A = PF6- or I-, CpMen = alkyl cyclopentadienyl, dppe = 1,2-bis (diphenylphosphino)ethane, and LX = pentane-2,4-dione-bis (S-alkylisothiosemi-carbazonato); n = 0, x = Methyl (Me), Ethyl (Et), n-Propyl (Pr) and n-Butyl (Bu), and A = PF6-, 1Me[PF6], 1Et[PF6], 1Pr[PF6], and 1Bu[PF6]; n = 1, x = Me, Et, Pr, and Bu, and A = PF6-, 2Me[PF6], 2Et[PF6], 2Pr[PF6], and 2Bu[PF6]; n = 5, x = Me, Et, Pr, and Bu, and A = I-, 3Me[I], 3Et[I], 3Pr[I], and 3Bu[I]) have been synthesized and well characterized. The investigations demonstrate that all the cations of the complexes could be described with the basic electronic configuration , in which the fragment could be regarded as being delocalized. The ligand to metal charge transfer (LMCT) transition in the fragment and the low-spin RuII to the intermediate-spin FeIII charge transfer (MMCT) transition have been investigated. The UV-vis-NIR spectral analysis results suggest that the energy of the LMCT transition is lower than that of the MMCT transition due to electron delocalization between the non-innocent ligand and the FeIII ion, which is strongly supported by TDDFT calculations. Furthermore, the RuII → FeIII MMCT energy decreases and the LMCT energy increases with the increasing electron donating ability of the ancillary ligands from Cp, CpMe to CpMe5, but slightly changes with the variation of the ligand Lx from Me, Et, Pr to Bu. Compared to the MMCT energy change, however, the energy of the LMCT from to FeIII in the delocalized moiety is less influenced by the electronic effect of the ancillary ligand or the CpMen(dppe)RuIICN (n = 0, 1 and 5) fragment.

A pilot study of neoadjuvant combination of anti-PD-1 camrelizumab and VEGFR2 inhibitor apatinib for locally advanced resectable oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Novel neoadjuvant therapy regimens are warranted for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). In this phase I trial (NCT04393506), 20 patients with locally advanced resectable OSCC receive three cycles of camrelizumab (200 mg, q2w) and apatinib (250 mg, once daily) before surgery. The primary endpoints are safety and major pathological response (MPR, defined as ≤10% residual viable tumour cells). Secondary endpoints include 2-year survival rate and local recurrence rate (not reported due to inadequate follow-up). Exploratory endpoints are the relationships between PD-L1 combined positive score (CPS, defined as the number of PD-L1-stained cells divided by the total number of viable tumour cells, multiplied by 100) and other immunological and genomic biomarkers and response. Neoadjuvant treatment is well-tolerated, and the MPR rate is 40% (8/20), meeting the primary endpoint. All five patients with CPS ˃10 achieve MPR. Post-hoc analysis show 18-month locoregional recurrence and survival rates of 10.5% (95% CI: 0%-24.3%) and 95% (95% CI: 85.4%-100.0%), respectively. Patients achieving MPR show more CD4+ T-cell infiltration than those without MPR (P = 0.02), and decreased CD31 and ɑ-SMA expression levels are observed after neoadjuvant therapy. In conclusion, neoadjuvant camrelizumab and apatinib is safe and yields a promising MPR rate for OSCC.

The regulatory role of abscisic acid on cadmium uptake, accumulation and translocation in plants.

To date, Cd contamination of cropland and crops is receiving more and more attention around the world. As a plant hormone, abscisic acid (ABA) plays an important role in Cd stress response, but its effect on plant Cd uptake and translocation varies among plant species. In some species, such as Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, Brassica chinensis, Populus euphratica, Lactuca sativa, and Solanum lycopersicum, ABA inhibits Cd uptake and translocation, while in other species, such as Solanum photeinocarpum and Boehmeria nivea, ABA severs the opposite effect. Interestingly, differences in the methods and concentrations of ABA addition also triggered the opposite result of Cd uptake and translocation in Sedum alfredii. The regulatory mechanism of ABA involved in Cd uptake and accumulation in plants is still not well-established. Therefore, we summarized the latest studies on the ABA synthesis pathway and comparatively analyzed the physiological and molecular mechanisms related to ABA uptake, translocation, and detoxification of Cd in plants at different ABA concentrations or among different species. We believe that the control of Cd uptake and accumulation in plant tissues can be achieved by the appropriate ABA application methods and concentrations in plants.