Recent progress on topological semimetal IrO2: electronic structures, synthesis, and transport properties.

5dtransition metal oxides, such as iridates, have attracted significant interest in condensed matter physics throughout the past decade owing to their fascinating physical properties that arise from intrinsically strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC) and its interplay with other interactions of comparable energy scales. Among the rich family of iridates, iridium dioxide (IrO2), a simple binary compound long known as a promising catalyst for water splitting, has recently been demonstrated to possess novel topological states and exotic transport properties. The strong SOC and the nonsymmorphic symmetry that IrO2possesses introduce symmetry-protected Dirac nodal lines (DNLs) within its band structure as well as a large spin Hall effect in the transport. Here, we review recent advances pertaining to the study of this unique SOC oxide, with an emphasis on the understanding of the topological electronic structures, syntheses of high crystalline quality nanostructures, and experimental measurements of its fundamental transport properties. In particular, the theoretical origin of the presence of the fourfold degenerate DNLs in band structure and its implications in the angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurement and in the spin Hall effect are discussed. We further introduce a variety of synthesis techniques to achieve IrO2nanostructures, such as epitaxial thin films and single crystalline nanowires, with the goal of understanding the roles that each key parameter plays in the growth process. Finally, we review the electrical, spin, and thermal transport studies. The transport properties under variable temperatures and magnetic fields reveal themselves to be uniquely sensitive and modifiable by strain, dimensionality (bulk, thin film, nanowire), quantum confinement, film texture, and disorder. The sensitivity, stemming from the competing energy scales of SOC, disorder, and other interactions, enables the creation of a variety of intriguing quantum states of matter.

[Clinical characteristics of 288 cases of pathologically confirmed benign pulmonary nodules post-surgery].

Objective: To analyze retrospectively the clinical characteristics of pathologically confirmed benign pulmonary nodules post-surgery, and therefore to provide evidence for the diagnosis of benign pulmonary nodules. Methods: 288 cases of pulmonary nodules were selected in the Ruijin Hospital from 1st January 2017 to 31st October 2019. All the lesions of these patients were confirmed by surgery and had definite pathological diagnosis. The clinical data were collected, including demography, clinical data, radiological features. Features that indicated benign pulmonary nodules were summarized. Results: The main etiologies of benign pulmonary nodules were granulomas, hamartomas, cryptococcus infection, organizing pneumonia and non-specific inflammation. In our cohort, we found that the radiological characteristics of benign nodules were single, solid, less than 10 mm in average diameter, with well-defined margins, absence of vacuole sign or vascular convergence , and negative functional imaging. Conclusion: The most common etiologies of post-surgical benign nodules were granulomas, hamartomas, and cryptococcus infection, characterized by being single, solid and with well-defined margins. Caution should be taken before considering surgery for such nodules.

[Cost-effectiveness of anti-tumor associated antigen autoantibody screening for hepatocellular carcinoma in the population with chronic hepatitis B-related cirrhosis].

Objective: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of anti-tumor associated antigen autoantibody (TAAb) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) screening in cirrhosis population with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Methods: A simulated cohort of 40-year-old patients with CHB cirrhosis was established with a sample size of 10 000. Using TAAb screening alone or TAAb and AFP screening in parallel (TAAb + AFP) as the research strategy, and liver ultrasound and AFP screening in parallel (liver ultrasound + AFP) as the control strategy, the decision analysis Markov model was constructed and the model validity was evaluated. The 6-month cycle was simulated using TreeAge Pro 2020 software. Cost and quality-adjusted life years (QALY) were calculated. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was used to compare the two strategies, and sensitivity analysis was used to evaluate the uncertainty of results. Results: The Markov model had a total of 11 outcomes, of which 7 were natural outcomes and 4 wereclinical intervention outcomes, and the goodness of fit was 0.969. The lifetime screening cost of TAAb+AFP strategy for HCC screening was 249 612 yuan/case, and the QALY per capita was 7.704 years. Compared with liver ultrasound +AFP strategy (247 805 yuan/case), the total health cost increased by 1 807 yuan/case, and the QALY obtained was 0.014. The ICER was 127 635 yuan /QALY. When the TAAb screening fee was higher than 889.552 yuan, or the discount rate was higher than 0.068, or the antiviral treatment compliance was lower than 45.1%, ICER > 212 676 yuan /QALY. When the single TAAb screening fee was 400-600 yuan, the TAAB+AFP strategy had cost effective value. When the willingness to pay was 70 892, 141 784 and 212 676 yuan /QALY, the probability of cost-effectiveness of TAAb+AFP strategy was 70.6%, 75.3% and 77.8%, respectively. Conclusion: It is cost-effective to use TAAb+AFP for early screening of liver cancer in Chinese population with CHB cirrhosis.

[Detecting of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome using a multi-parameter pressure sensitive sleep monitor].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of an electro-mechanical film-based(EMFi) multi-parameter pressure sensitive sleep monitor(MPSSM)on clinical diagnosis and research significance of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome(OSAHS). METHODS: Retrospective analysis was made of 58 test subjects at Peking University Third Hospital with suspected OSAHS who were simultaneously monitored by MPSSM and polysomnography(PSG). The PSG test results were used as the gold standard in evaluating the sensitivity and specificity of OSAHS diagnosis of MPSSM. The test result consistency of sleep apnea and hypopnea index(AHI)and total apnea time of the two methods was evaluated. Real-time waveform comparison of sleep respiratory events of a randomly selected patient diagnosed with OSAHS was performed. RESULTS: For 58 test subjects, 48 were male, 10 were female, with an average age of(40.6±12.2)years. Thirty-nine out of the 58 test subjects were diagnosed with OSHAS by PSG. The sensitivity of MPSSM for OSAHS diagnosis was 92.3%, with 95% confidence interval of 79.1%-98.4%, and the specificity of MPSSM for OSAHS diagnosis was 100%, with 95% confidence interval of 82.3%-100%. Kappa test k=0.887 (P < 0.001) showed OSAHS diagnosis results of the two methods were almost identical. The AHI measured by MPSSM [12.0(2.6-32.2) times/h] and PSG [13.4(3.1-38.8) times/h] were highly correlated (ρ=0.939, P < 0.001). The total apnea time measured by MPSSM [37.9(9.9-80.5) min] and PSG [32.3(8.6-93.0) min] were highly correlated(ρ=0.924, P < 0.001). Bland-Altman plot showed that the consistency between the test results of the two methods was very high. CONCLUSION: As a portable, non-contact, fully automatic monitoring device, MPSSM is reliable in the screening of OSAHS compared with PSG. It is suitable to be promoted and applied in primary medical institutions, nursing homes and domestic usage. However, further research is required in improving the analysis of different sleep phase and the differentiation of central sleep apnea syndrome respiratory events in order to effectively assist medical personnel in making an accurate sleep apnea diagnosis.

[A study of LEF1 protein expression in diagnosis and differential diagnosis of lymphoblastic lymphoma/acute lymphoblastic leukemia].

Objective: To evaluate the expression of LEF1 protein in lymphoblastic lymphoma/acute lymphoblastic leukemia (LBL/ALL) and small B-cell lymphomas, and its value in pathologic diagnosis and differential diagnosis of LBL/ALL. Methods: 53 cases of LBL/ALL were collected at shanghai Tongji Hospital from January 2012 to December 2019. The protein expression of LEF1 and TdT was detected by immunohistochemistry in 53 paraffin-embedded tissue samples of LBL/ALL. The specificity and sensitivity of LEF1 and TdT in the diagnosis of LBL/ALL were compared. The expression of LEF1 protein in 77 cases of small B-cell lymphomas including chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphoid lymphoma (CLL/SLL), follicular lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma, marginal zone lymphoma and Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia/lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma was studied. The correlation between LEF1 expression and overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) was performed by univariate analysis. Results: The expression of LEF1 in LBL/ALL was 100% (53/53), the median value was 90%; the expression of TdT was 84.9% (T-LBL/ALL 78.1%, B-LBL/ALL 95.2%), the median value was 80%; the expression rate and median value of LEF1 and TdT were significantly different (P=0.008 and 0.001 respectively). The expression of LEF1 in CLL/SLL was 14/18, the median value was 45%; LEF1 was not expressed in follicular lymphoma (0/16), mantle cell lymphoma (0/16), marginal zone lymphoma (0/19), and Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia/lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (0/8). LEF1 expression was significantly different between B-LBL/ALL and small B-cell lymphomas. The median follow-up time of LBL/ALL cases in this group was 16 months. There was no statistical difference between LEF1 expression and the OS and PFS in LBL/ALL patients. Conclusions: Immunohistochemical staining of LEF1 has high sensitivity and good specificity in the diagnosis of LBL/ALL, and its combination with TdT can improve the diagnostic rate of LBL/ALL.

Exosomes transferring long non-coding RNA FAL1 to regulate ovarian cancer metastasis through the PTEN/AKT signaling pathway.

The article "Exosomes transferring long non-coding RNA FAL1 to regulate ovarian cancer metastasis through the PTEN/AKT signaling pathway, by Q. Zhang, T.-Y. Len, S.-X. Zhang, Q.-H. Zhao, L.-H. Yang, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2020; 24 (1): 43-54-DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202001_19894-PMID: 31957817" has been withdrawn from the authors stating that "after the manuscript has been accepted, we are ready to continue to study the exosomes and their mechanism of action. Before the research, we read the latest guideline of exosomes research, MISEV2018. This guideline first suggests that extracellular vesicles should be used to refer to these cell-derived noncellular membrane structures, while exosomes are only applicable to those vesicles released from intracellular sources to extracellular cells by special means. Secondly, the guidelines suggest that when performing key functional verification experiments with extracellular vesicles, methods such as density gradient centrifugation should be used to purify the vesicles. Thirdly, strict negative control should be set up in the functional study of cells, such as cell-conditioned medium treated with extracellular vesicle production inhibitor (GW4869), so as to exclude the false positive of other non-extracellular vesicle components in functional analysis. In our published manuscripts, we called extracellular vesicles as exosomes, and used exosomes separation kit with low purity to separate the exosomes. No appropriate negative control is used in the functional analysis. Most importantly, the conclusion we made in our study is "SKOV3-secreted exosomes inhibited the PTEN/AKT signaling pathway by transferring lncRNA FAL1, thus inhibiting OC cell metastasis in vitro and in vivo". However, the study did not confirm whether lncRNA FAL1 was encapsulated by extracellular vesicles and transferred to OC cells or induced by extracellular vesicles to upregulate its expression in OC cells. Based on the above reasons, we believe that our understanding of extracellular vesicles is not deep enough, which leads to the inaccuracy and over-interpretation of the experimental results. In order to avoid the readers' misunderstanding of extracellular vesicles and ensure the preciseness of scientific research, all of our authors decided to withdraw this article. We will conduct our research again according to MISEV2018, interpret the experimental results and write articles again, and will submit to ERMPS in the near future". The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/19894.

[Clinical effect of one-stage total knee arthroplasty for knee osteoarthritis with femoral extra-articular deformity].

Objective: To investigate the application and efficacy of the one-stage total knee arthroplasty (TKA) of intra-articular compensation osteotomy in knee osteoarthritis(KOA) patients with extra-articular deformity (EAD). Methods: A retrospective study of 9 patients with end-stage KOA and EAD undergoing one-stage TKA from January 2014 to December 2017 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University was performed. There were 3 males and 6 females with an average age of 56 years(range, 19-77 years);5 cases of simple coronal deformity (varus 10°-27°, mean 18.2°), 3 cases of sagittal deformity (recurvatum15°-35°, mean 22.6°), 1 case combined with coronal and sagittal deformity (varus 16°, recurvatum 31°); hemophilia dysplasia in 1 case, fracture malformation in 8 cases. Main outcome measures included the mechanical axis, range of motion (ROM) and Hospital for Special Surgery Knee Score (HSS). Results: The mean follow-up period was 33.2 months (range, 25-47 months). The mechanical axis angle was restored from 12.4°±4.1°to 1.4°±0.9°(t=7.954, P<0.01). The HSS was improved from 28±14 preoperatively to 87±7 postoperatively (t=-11.174, P=0.013). The ROM increased from 56°±22°to 99°±8° (t=-5.480, P=0.010). There was no complications such as joint instability, infection, fracture, common peroneal nerve injury and early prosthesis loosening. Conclusions: For KOA patients with femoral EAD, one-stage TKA with intra-articular compensatory osteotomy can effectively restore the mechanical axis and obtain satisfying joint function. Through a series of measures such as preoperative measurement, soft tissue evaluation and 3D printing, the accuracy of surgery can be improved and the difficulty of surgery can be reduced.

[The analysis of clinical characteristics of 34 novel coronavirus pneumonia cases in Ningxia Hui autonomous region].

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics of 34 COVID-19 cases and to provide the basis for the prevention and control of the epidemic disease. Methods: Thirty-four COVID-19 patients diagnosed with RT-PCR in the isolation ward of the Fourth People's Hospital of Ningxia Hui autonomous region (infectious diseases hospital) from the January 22 to February 4, 2020 were selected as the research subjects. The clinical data were collected. Excel was used to describe the relationship between clinical classification and age distribution, contact history and date of onset. SPSS 25.0 statistical software was used for analysis. The general information, clinical symptoms, blood test, virus nucleic acid test results, epidemiology, CT imaging, treatment and prognosis were analyzed. Results: There were 5 mild cases (5/34), 24 ordinary cases (24/34), 5 severe cases (5/34). The elderly was more common in severe patients. The main clinical symptoms were fever (27/34)and dry cough(26/34). The peripheral blood showed normal or decreased leukocyte count (33/34), decreased lymphocyte count (12/34). The increase of C-reactive protein (CRP) and D-dimer was related to the severity of the disease. Some patients had mild liver and kidney damage. Six patients were diagnosed through 3 or more times of nucleic acid tests. Sixteen cases had Wuhan related history,13 cases were close contacts, 5 cases had no confirmed route. The clustered infections were found in 6 families. In typical cases, CT showed single or multiple patchy ground glass shadow with thickening of interlobular septum. In severe cases, diffuse lesions of both lungs were found, with ground glass shadow, consolidation shadow and strip shadow coexisting. Thirty-four patients were treated with interferon-α and Lopinavir/Ritonavir with good prognosis. Conclusions: The clinical characteristics of COVID-19 were similar to that of general viral pneumonia but with strong infectivity. Close contact and family aggregation caused disease outbreaks. COVID-19 could not be excluded if two nucleic acid tests were negative and high-resolution CT was helpful for differential diagnosis. Early detection, early isolation, early diagnosis and early treatment are important for good prognosis. The effectiveness of antiviral drugs needs to be further verified.

[Evaluation of the emergency response strategies and measures on the epidemic of COVID-19 in Shenzhen, China].

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the strategies on COVID-19 outbreak control in Shenzhen, and to clarify the feasibility of these strategies in metropolitans that have high population density and strong mobility. Methods: The epidemic feature of COVID-19 was described by different phases and was used to observe the effectiveness of intervention. Hierarchical spot map was drawn to clarify the distribution and transmission risk of infection sources at different time points. The Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Asymptomatic-Recovered model was established to estimate case numbers without intervention and compare with the actual number of cases to determine the effect of intervention. The positive rate of the nucleic acid test was used to reflect the risk of human exposure. A survey on COVID-19 related knowledge, attitude and behaviors were used to estimate the abilities of personal protection and emergency response. Results: The epidemic of COVID-19 in Shenzhen experienced the rising, plateau and decline stage. The case number increased rapidly at the beginning, with short duration of peak period. Although the epidemic curve showed human-to-human transmission, the "trailing" was not obvious. From the spot map, during the intervention period, the source of infection was widely distributed. More cases and higher transmission risk were observed in areas with higher population density. After the effective intervention measures, both infection sources and the risk of transmission decreased. After compared with the estimated case numbers without intervention, actual number proved the COVID-19 control strategies were effective. The positive rate of nucleic acid test for high risk populations decreased and no new cases reported since February 16. Shenzhen citizens had high knowledge, attitude and behavior level, and high protection ability and emergency response. Conclusions: Although the response initiated by the health administration department played a key role at the early stage of the epidemic, it was not enough to contain the outbreak of COVID-19. The first-level emergency response initiated by provincial and municipal government was effective and ensured the start of work resumption after the Spring Festival. Metropolitans like Shenzhen can also achieve the goals of strategies and measures for containment and mitigation of COVID-19.

Exosomes transferring long non-coding RNA FAL1 to regulate ovarian cancer metastasis through the PTEN/AKT signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: Tumor-derived exosomes have been repeatedly studied as tumor antigens, suppressing T-cell signaling molecules and promoting apoptosis in ovarian cancer (OC). Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been recognized as major regulators in tumorigenesis, including OC. For this study, we try to find out the mechanism of exosomes and lncRNA FAL1 in OC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After the extraction and identification of exosomes, the internalization of exosomes was observed. Invasion and migration experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of SKOV3 cells-secreted exosomes on OC tumorigenesis and metastasis. Furthermore, the in vivo findings were verified via xenograft tumors in nude mice. FAL1 was knocked out on exosomes. OC cells treated with exosomes were co-cultured with lncRNA FAL1 or/and PTEN to measure cell invasion and migration. RESULTS: SKOV3-secreted exosomes were absorbed and internalized by OC cells. After exosome treatment, the migration and invasion of OC cells were enhanced, tumors in nude mice were larger and heavier, metastasis was increased, and lncRNA FAL1 expression was increased. When lncRNA FAL1 was knocked out, the promoting effects of SKOV3 cells-secreted exosomes on OC cell metastasis were weakened, along with increased PTEN level and decreased AKT phosphorylation level. In HO-8910PM cells treated with siRNA-FAL1 exosomes and siRNA-PTEN, cell invasion and migration, and AKT phosphorylation were restored. CONCLUSIONS: SKOV3-secreted exosomes inhibited the PTEN/AKT signaling pathway by transferring lncRNA FAL1, thus inhibiting OC cell metastasis in vitro and in vivo.

Expression and prognostic significance of melatonin receptor MT1 in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma.

Melatonin receptor type 1 (MTNR1A or MT1) is known to play an important role in cancer progression; however, its prognostic value for resected gastric adenocarcinoma (RGA) is unknown. In this study, we examined the potential of MT1 as a prognostic biomarker for RGA. The expression of the MT1 was evaluated in 67 patients with RGA by immunohistochemistry, and the relationship between MT1 levels and RGA prognosis was analyzed by Chi-square test, multivariate Cox regression, Kaplan-Meier method, and log-rank test. High MT1 expression was associated with a poor survival rate (29.0%, p=0.002) and the occurrence of metastasis (62.9%, p=0.004). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and log rank tests revealed that patients with high expression of the MT1 had significantly shorter median overall survival compared to those with low expression (33.0 vs. 65.0 months, respectively; p=0.02). Multivariate Cox analysis indicated that the calculated death risk (hazard ratio [HR]) in patients with high expression levels of the MT1 increased to 2.68 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.21-5.94, p=0.015), which was higher compared to those with low levels. HR of death was also high in patients with advanced T stage (2.51; 95 % CI 1.00-6.26, p=0.049) and metastasis (5.02; 95% CI 1.94-13.03, p=0.001). Our results showed that high MT1 expression in primary gastric adenocarcinoma tissues was associated with the occurrence of metastasis and poor prognosis. It may have prognostic significance as a potential biomarker in patients with RGA.

[Prevalence and risk factors of Blastocystis hominis infection in inpatients in Jiangjin District, Chongqing City].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the prevalence and risk factors of Blastocystis hominis infection in inpatients in Jiangjin District, Chongqing City. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a community hospital in Jiangjin District, Chongqing City, and the inpatients were surveyed by questionnaires. After obtaining the informed consent from the inpatients or legal guardians, the stool and blood samples were collected and examined by microscopy and PCR from April 17 to May 1, 2018. The univariate analysis and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the risk factors of the B. hominis infection. RESULTS: A total of 198 hospitalized patients were investigated, and the infection rate of B. hominis was 10.61% (21/198), and the infection rate of the females (12.10%) was higher than that of the males (8.11%), but the difference was not statistically significant. The highest rate of infection was 19.23% in the age group of 10 to 20 years, followed by 17.74% in the age group of 60 years and above, and the lowest rate was 2.38% in the age group of 20 to 40 years. The difference in infection rates of B. hominis among the different age groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The infection rate of B. hominis in the people who used dry pail latrines was 33.30%, which was higher than that of the people who used water flush toilets (9.10%) (P < 0.05). The genotypes of B. hominis were ST1, ST3, ST6 and ST7, and ST6 and ST3 being the most predominant genotypes which accounted for 47.62% (10/21) and 38.10% (8/21) respectively, and among the infected males, the genotypes were only ST3 and ST6. The multiple logistic regression analysis showed that among the factors affecting B. hominis infection, only keeping pets was a risk factor [OR = 3.798, 95% CI (1.245, 11.581), P < 0.05]. CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence of B. hominis infection is found in the inpatients in Jiangjin District, Chongqing City, the predominant genotypes are ST6 and ST3, and keeping pets may be one of the main risk factors.

[Epidemiological characteristics and risk factors of Blastocystis hominis infection among patients with HIV/AIDS in Fuyang City Anhui Province].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of Blastocystis hominis infections among patients with HIV/AIDS in Fuyang City, Anhui Province. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Fuyang City, Anhui Province in 2016. The demographic and socioeconomic status, and the lifestyle and production style were collected using a questionnaire survey. B. hominis DNA was detected in subjects'stool samples using a PCR assay, and the CD4+ T lymphocyte count and HIV viral load were measured in the subjects' blood samples. The risk factors of B. hominis infections among patients with HIV/AIDS were identified using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: A total of 398 HIV/AIDS patients were enrolled in this study, with a mean age of 49.3 years, a mean body weight of 55.9 kg and a mean height of 164.4 cm. The prevalence of B. hominis infection was 6.78% in the study subjects, and no gender- (χ2 = 1.589, P = 0.207), education level- (χ2 =0.508, P = 0.776), marital status- (χ2 = 0.419, P = 0.811) or occupation-specific prevalence (χ2 = 2.744, P = 0.615) was detected. Among the patients with HIV/AIDS, there were no significant differences in the age (t = 0.370, P = 0.712), height (t = 1.587, P =0.113), body weight (t = 0.516, P = 0.606), CD4+ T lymphocyte count (t = 1.187, P = 0.230) or HIV viral load (t = 0.193, P =0.496) between B. hominis-infected and uninfected individuals. Dinking non-tap water [OR = 6.554, 95% CI: (1.876 to 22.903)] and keeping dogs [OR = 5.895, 95% CI: (2.017 to 17.225)] were identified as risk factors for B. hominis infection in patients with HIV/AIDS. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of B. hominis infection is high in HIV/AIDS patients, and drinking non-tap water and keeping dogs are risk factors for B. hominis infection among HIV/AIDS patients.

[Advances in internal fixation for the treatment of extra-articular distal tibial fracture].

Extra-articular distal tibial fractures as a result of high-energy damage are often comminuted or displaced, frequently accompanied by severe soft tissue injuries.Poor blood supply and various complications make the treatment more difficult,affecting life quality of the patients.The main goals of the treatment are to abtain a healed,well-aligned fracture,functional range of motion of the ankle joint and minimizing complications.It is generally recommended that surgical treatment be performed in the proper context of local conditions to facilitate early functional exercise.Plate fixation and intramedullary nail fixation are the common options for closed fractures.This article focuses on the two treatment methods and some important auxiliary technologies in both domestic and foreign, hoping to provide some references for clinical treatment.

A comprehensive study of risk factors for post-operative pneumonia following resection of meningioma.

BACKGROUND: Post-operative pneumonia (Pop) following meningioma surgery is the dominant systemic complication which could cause serious threats to patients. It is unclear whether hematological biochemical markers are independently associated with the Pop. This study attempted to perform a more comprehensive study of taking both clinical factors and hematological biomarkers into account to promote the management of patients after meningioma surgery. METHODS: We collected clinical and hematological parameters of 1156 patients undergoing meningioma resection from January 2009 to January 2013. According to whether the symptoms of pneumonia had manifested,patients were divided into the Pop group and the Non-Pop group. We analyzed the distinctions of clinical factors between the two groups. We successively performed univariate and multivariate regression analysis to identify risk factors independently associated with the Pop. RESULTS: 4.4% patients infected with the Pop (51 of 1156). The median age at diagnosis of the Pop patients was significantly older than the Non-Pop group (p = 0.002). There were strike distinctions of post-operative hospital stays between two groups, with 21 days and 7 days each (p < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, tumor relapse (p < 0.001), skull base lesions (p = 0.001), intra-operative blood transfusion (p = 0.018) and cardiovascular diseases (p = 0.001) were linked with increased risk of the Pop following meningioma resection. For hematological biochemical markers, it was the factor of Red blood cell distribution width-standard deviation (RDW-SD) (OR 5.267, 95%CI 1.316, 21.078; p = 0.019) and Neutrophils lymphocytes ratio (NLR) (OR 2.081, 95%CI 1.063, 4.067; p = 0.033) that could appreciably predict the Pop. CONCLUSIONS: Apart from tumor recurrence, localizations, intra-operative blood transfusion and cardiovascular diseases are independent risk factors for the Pop. We initially found hematological RDW-SD and NLR are also important predictors.

Centromere protein U promotes cell proliferation, migration and invasion involving Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway in non-small cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine centromere protein U (CENPU) expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and identify the clinical values of CENPU, as well as investigate the potential molecular mechanisms in NSCLC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The expression levels and clinical significance of CENPU were systematically evaluated in human protein atlas datasets and TCGA datasets. CENPU protein expression was studied by Western blotting. CENPU mRNA expression was studied by Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). Proliferation, migration, and invasion capacities of CENPU cells were assessed after silencing CENPU. Apoptosis was determined using flow cytometry. Western blotting was performed to assess the protein expression levels. RESULTS: We found that the expression of CENPU at mRNA and protein levels was significantly up-regulated in both NSCLC tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of CENPU was significantly associated with poor prognosis of NSCLC patients. Knockdown of CENPU significantly suppressed proliferation, migration, and invasion, and caused apoptosis of NSCLC cells in vitro. In addition, knockdown of CENPU suppressed epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Furthermore, our results revealed that the abnormal expression of CENPU could influence the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: CENPU was highly expressed in NSCLC tissues and its knockdown of CENPU strongly suppressed NSCLC cell proliferation and metastasis through modulating Wnt/ß-catenin signaling. Targeting CENPU could be a promising therapeutic strategy for patients with CENPU.

[Evaluation of economic outcomes of "hepatitis B vaccine event reported by media" in China, 2013].

Objective: To edentify the increased cost, the decreased benefits and effectiveness of hepatitis B vaccine event reported by media in 2013 in China both in Chinese nationwide and in Shenzhen. Methods: The decision analytic-Markov models were constructed. The cohort born in 2013 in nationwide and in Shenzhen were respectively introduced to the models. The vaccination coverage and the rates of antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen were determined as major parameters. The average costs and benefits per case, the effectiveness which included the numbers of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and the patients with HBV-related diseases, the average quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) per case were calculated from the medical-care and societal perspectives. The benefit cost ratio (BCR), ratio of the total costs and the net QALYs were as indicators of cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis, respictively. Results: In nationwide, the BCRs decreased from 9.10 and 8.58 to 2.48 and 2.43, respectively, because the average costs increased to 6 796.60 yuan (RMB) and 8 451.45 yuan, and average benefits decreased to 6 799.57 yuan and 8 484.41 yuan, respectively, from the medical-care and societal perspectives. In Shenzhen, the BCRs decreased from 16.21 and 14.51 to 3.11 and 3.04 with the average costs of 5 244.88 yuan and 8 937.64 yuan, and average benefits of 5 248.11 yuan and 8 977.27 yuan. Totally, the increase of 2.1314 million and 181 hundreds of the HBV infectors occurred for the event in nationwide and in Shenzhen, respectively. Of all the infectors increased the most, the numbers of acute and chronic hepatitis B were 1 904 hundreds and 807 hundreds in nationwide, 794 and 395 in Shenzhen, espectively. The decreases of average QALY per case were 0.119 8 in nationwide and 0.090 6 in Shenzhen. The costs per averted a QALY increased from 6 231.90 yuan to 22 883.51 yuan in nationwide, from 3 567.25 yuan to 1 8571.49 yuan in Shenzhen (for medical-care perspective), from 8 252.79 yuan and 6 807.45 yuan to 29 091.92 yuan and 32 553.60 yuan (for societal perspective). Conclusion: The hepatitis B vaccine event reported by media in 2013 in China caused the costs increased, both benefits and the economic values obviously decreased.