Impact of Postoperative Radiotherapy on the Prognosis of Early-Stage (pT1-2N0M0) Oral Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

PURPOSE: To identify subgroups of patients with early-stage (pT1-2N0M0) oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) who may benefit from postoperative radiotherapy (PORT). PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included 528 patients diagnosed between October 2009 and December 2021. Clinicopathological characteristics and treatments with or without PORT were analyzed for their impact on outcomes. RESULTS: Among 528 patients who underwent radical surgery (median age, 62 years [IQR, 52-69]), 145 (27.5%) also underwent PORT. Multivariate analyses revealed that PORT was associated with improved survival outcomes, whereas moderate-to-poor differentiation, perineural infiltration (PNI), lymphovascular invasion (LVI), and increasing depth of invasion (DOI) were associated with poorer survival outcomes. For patients with moderate-to-poor differentiation, the surgery + PORT group showed improved outcomes compared with the surgery-alone group. After propensity score matching, the results were as follows: overall survival (OS), 97% versus 69%, P = .003; disease-free survival (DFS), 88% versus 50%, P = .001. After excluding cases with PNI/LVI, the differences persisted: OS, 97% versus 82%, P = .040; DFS, 87% versus 64%, P = .012. Similar survival benefits were observed in 104 patients with PNI and/or LVI (OS, 81% v 58%; P = .022; DFS, 76% v 47%; P = .002). In subgroups with DOI >5 mm or close margins, PORT contributed to improved DFS (80% v 64%; P = .006; 92% v 66%; P = .049) but did not significantly affect OS. CONCLUSION: Patients with moderately-to-poorly differentiated pT1-2N0M0 OTSCC benefited from PORT. Our study provided evidence that patients with PNI and/or LVI who underwent PORT had improved survival. PORT also offered DFS benefit among patients with DOI >5 mm.

A GT-1 and PKc domain-containing transcription regulator SIMPLE LEAF1 controls compound leaf development in woodland strawberry.

Leaves are strikingly diverse in terms of shapes and complexity. The wild and cultivated strawberry plants mostly develop trifoliate compound leaves, yet the underlying genetic basis remains unclear in this important fruit crop in Rosaceae. Here, we identified two EMS mutants designated simple leaf1 (sl1-1 and sl1-2) and one natural simple-leafed mutant monophylla in Fragaria vesca. Their causative mutations all reside in SL1 (FvH4_7g28640) causing premature stop codon at different positions in sl1-1 and sl1-2 and an eight-nucleotide insertion (GTTCATCA) in monophylla. SL1 encodes a transcription regulator with the conserved DNA-binding domain GT-1 and the catalytic domain of protein kinases PKc. Expression of SL1pro::SL1 in sl1-1 completely restored compound leaf formation. The 35S::SL1 lines developed palmate-like leaves with four or five leaflets at a low penetrance. However, overexpressing the truncated SL1ΔPK caused no phenotypes, probably due to the disruption of homodimerization. SL1 is preferentially expressed at the tips of leaflets and serrations. Moreover, SL1 is closely associated with the auxin pathway and works synergistically with FveLFYa in leaf morphogenesis. Overall, our work uncovered a new type of transcription regulator that promotes compound leaf formation in the woodland strawberry and shed new lights on the diversity of leaf complexity control.

Comparative Study of Multifunctional Irrigation-assisted Vacuum Drainage, Vacuum Sealing Drainage and the Penrose Drain in Treating Severe Multi-space Deep Fascial Infection in the Head and Neck.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to compare multifunctional irrigation-assisted vacuum drainage (MIVD), vacuum sealing drainage (VSD) and the Penrose drain in treating severe multi-space deep fascial infection (DFI) in head and neck. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on 113 patients who had suffered from severe multi-space DFI in head and neck and underwent surgical treatment. Patients were divided into the MIVD group, the VSD group, and the Penrose group according to their treatment. Baseline characteristics and clinical outcome data regarding infection control, clinicians' workload, surgical procedure required, and cost were analyzed. RESULTS: Duration of antibiotic administration was significantly shorter using MIVD and VSD than Penrose drains (p = 0.002 with MIVD, p = 0.008 with VSD). Hospital stay in the MIVD group was shorter than the Penrose group (p = 0.034). Compared to the other two groups, more times of manual irrigation were needed in higher frequency in the Penrose group (p < 0.001). Longer Incision and more surgical operation were required in the VSD group than the other two groups (p < 0.001). The treatment cost in the VSD group was higher than the MIVD group (p = 0.045) and the Penrose group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In the treatment of severe multi-space DFI in head and neck, MIVD and VSD are superior to the Penrose drain in infection control and reduction in clinicians' workload. Meanwhile, MIVD, with fewer surgical procedures required and less cost, seems to be a more promising method than VSD.

The application of human periodontal ligament stem cells and biomimetic silk scaffold for in situ tendon regeneration.

BACKGROUND: With the development of tissue engineering, enhanced tendon regeneration could be achieved by exploiting suitable cell types and biomaterials. The accessibility, robust cell amplification ability, superior tendon differentiation potential, and immunomodulatory effects of human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs) indicate their potential as ideal seed cells for tendon tissue engineering. Nevertheless, there are currently no reports of using PDLSCs as seed cells. Previous studies have confirmed the potential of silk scaffold for tendon tissue engineering. However, the biomimetic silk scaffold with tendon extracellular matrix (ECM)-like structure has not been systematically studied for in situ tendon regeneration. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the effects of hPDLSCs and biomimetic silk scaffold on in situ tendon regeneration. METHODS: Human PDLSCs were isolated from extracted wisdom teeth. The differentiation potential of hPDLSCs towards osteo-, chondro-, and adipo-lineage was examined by cultured in different inducing media. Aligned and random silk scaffolds were fabricated by the controlled directional freezing technique. Scaffolds were characterized including surface structure, water contact angle, swelling ratio, degradation speed and mechanical properties. The biocompatibility of silk scaffolds was evaluated by live/dead staining, SEM observation, cell proliferation determination and immunofluorescent staining of deposited collagen type I. Subsequently, hPDLSCs were seeded on the aligned silk scaffold and transplanted into the ruptured rat Achilles tendon. Scaffolds without cells served as control groups. After 4 weeks, histology evaluation was carried out and macrophage polarization was examined to check the repair effects and immunomodulatory effects. RESULTS: Human PDLSCs were successfully isolated, and their multi-differentiation potential was confirmed. Compared with random scaffold, aligned silk scaffold had more elongated and aligned pores and promoted the proliferation and ordered arrangement of hPDLSCs. After implantation into rat Achilles tendon defect, hPDLSCs seeded aligned silk scaffold enhanced tendon repair with more tendon-like tissue formation after 4 weeks, as compared to the scaffold-only groups. Higher expression of CD206 and lower expression of iNOS, IL-1ß and TNF-α were found in the hPDLSCs seeded aligned silk scaffold group, which revealed its modulation effect of macrophage polarization from M1 to M2 phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, this study demonstrates the efficacy of hPDLSCs as seed cells and aligned silk scaffold as a tendon-mimetic scaffold for enhanced tendon tissue engineering, which may have broad implications for future tendon tissue engineering and regenerative medicine researches.

The MADS-box gene FveSEP3 plays essential roles in flower organogenesis and fruit development in woodland strawberry.

Flower and fruit development are two key steps for plant reproduction. The ABCE model for flower development has been well established in model plant species; however, the functions of ABCE genes in fruit crops are less understood. In this work, we identified an EMS mutant named R27 in woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca), showing the conversion of petals, stamens, and carpels to sepaloid organs in a semidominant inheritance fashion. Mapping by sequencing revealed that the class E gene homolog FveSEP3 (FvH4_4g23530) possessed the causative mutation in R27 due to a G to E amino acid change in the conserved MADS domain. Additional fvesep3CR mutants generated by CRISPR/Cas9 displayed similar phenotypes to fvesep3-R27. Overexpressing wild-type or mutated FveSEP3 in Arabidopsis suggested that the mutation in R27 might cause a dominant-negative effect. Further analyses indicated that FveSEP3 physically interacted with each of the ABCE proteins in strawberry. Moreover, both R27 and fvesep3CR mutants exhibited parthenocarpic fruit growth and delayed fruit ripening. Transcriptome analysis revealed that both common and specific differentially expressed genes were identified in young fruit at 6-7 days post anthesis (DPA) of fvesep3 and pollinated wild type when compared to unpollinated wild type, especially those in the auxin pathway, a key hormone regulating fruit set in strawberry. Together, we provided compelling evidence that FveSEP3 plays predominant E functions compared to other E gene homologs in flower development and that FveSEP3 represses fruit growth in the absence of pollination and promotes fruit ripening in strawberry.