CXCL10 is a potential biomarker and associated with immune infiltration in human papillary thyroid cancer.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, the annual incidence of thyroid cancer (TC) has increased, with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) identified as the most commonwinwordpathological type accounting for approximately 80% of all thyroid cancer cases. The tumor microenvironment is known to play a vital role in tumor information transmission and immune detection. METHODS: In the present study, we examined gene expression data from 518 patients with PTC. The ESTIMATE algorithm was used to calculate immune and stromal scores of PTC patients. Based on a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, functional enrichment and overall survival analyses, C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10) was identified as a core gene. We further investigated the roles of core genes of PTC in the tumor immune microenvironment using LinkedOmics, GSEA, and TIMER tools. RESULTS: Immune, stromal and ESTIMATE scores were related to clinicopathological variables of patients with PTC, but not survival outcomes. Eight differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were associated with survival outcome. In addition, immunochemical staining experiments revealed lower expression of CXCL10 in PTC than paracancerous tissues. GSEA pathway enrichment analysis revealed downregulation of CXCL10 in multiple cancer pathways. CXCL10 and related genes were enriched in pathways related to adaptive immune response, cellular defense response and regulation of innate immune response. CONCLUSION: The tumor microenvironment plays a critical role in development of PTC and CXCL10 may serve as a novel target of precision therapy for this patient population.

Ultrasonic evaluation of congenital vaginal oblique septum syndrome: A study of 21 cases.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the ultrasound features and classify the lesion types of congenital vaginal oblique septum syndrome (CVOS) in 21 patients prior to surgery. Grey-scale pelvic ultrasound was performed to evaluate the uterus, vagina and kidneys in 21 patients with suspected CVOS. Ultrasound features, including the presence of a double uterus, hematocolpos masses and renal absence, in CVOS types I, II and III were studied and compared with intra-operative results and the results of surgery. Ultrasound identified the presence of double uteruses and cervices with ipsilateral renal agenesis on the oblique septum side in all 21 patients. There were 14 hematocolpos lesions on the right and 7 on the left of the vagina. Type I CVOS was diagnosed in 15 patients with a large hematocolpos mass (volume, 64-268 ml) and these diagnoses were confirmed by surgery. Furthermore, there were 4 patients with type II and 2 patients with type III CVOS exhibiting small hematocolpos lesions (volume, 5-36 ml) identified by ultrasound, which were all confirmed by surgery. Therefore, ultrasound imaging is useful tool to evaluate the abnormal features of CVOS and determine the type of CVOS in patients prior to surgical intervention.

Hollow Carbon Microspheres/MnO2 Nanosheets Composites: Hydrothermal Synthesis and Electrochemical Behaviors.

This article reported the electrochemical behaviors of a novel hollow carbon microspheres/manganese dioxide nanosheets (micro-HC/nano-MnO2) composite prepared by an in situ self-limiting deposition method under hydrothermal condition. The results of scanning electron microscopy reveal that MnO2 nanosheets homogeneously grow onto the surface of micro-HC to form a loose-packed microstructure. The quantity of MnO2 required in the electrode layer has thereby been reduced significantly, and higher specific capacitances have been achieved. The micro-HC/nano-MnO2 electrode presents a high capacitance of 239.0 F g-1 at a current density of 5 mA cm-2, which is a strong promise for high-rate electrochemical capacitive energy storage applications.

Diagnosis of the cavo-hepato-atrial pathway in Budd-Chiari syndrome by ultrasonography.

The aim of this study was to investigate the ultrasonic features of the cavo-hepato-atrial pathway in Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS), by which blood is drained from the occluded inferior vena cava (IVC) to the right atrium via hepatic veins. Ultrasonograms from 11 patients with BCS with cavo-hepato-atrial pathways were retrospectively studied. Doppler ultrasound was used to observe the direction of the flow and measure the velocity of the blood-draining vessels. Blood flow in the draining vessels and the collaterals was shown as blue, red or bicolored depending on whether the flow direction was away from the transducer, towards the transducer or both. For measurement, the Doppler angle between the axis of the Doppler beam and that of the vein examined was always <60°. Ultrasonography was performed 1-2 weeks prior to digital subtraction angiography (DSA). All patients were confirmed by DSA. Membranous and segmental occlusions of IVCs were observed in seven and four cases, respectively. Blood flow from the IVC reversed to the hepatic/accessory hepatic vein, continued through the dilated intrahepatic collaterals, onward to the other hepatic vein and finally to the right atrium. The majority of the inlets (8/11) of hepatic veins above the occlusion were narrow compared with the dilated distant parts of the lumens. Accelerated blood flow in the inlets was detected in all patients regardless of the luminal diameter. In conclusion, the results from the present study suggest that the unusual cavo-hepato-atrial pathway can be diagnosed reliably by ultrasonography, which may be useful for clinical management.

[Enrichment of trace iron with activated carbon in Bi-based superconductor powder and determination by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy].

A new method for determination of trace iron in superconductor powder by ICP-AES was proposed. The instrument parameters were optimized, and the matrix effects as well as the method of eliminating interferences were also studied systemically. The results showed that matrix interference was serious when the amount of matrix increased, and the repeatability was poor, so it was necessary that separation and preconcentration were used to improve the accuracy and precision. In the experiment, complex was formed with Fe and phenanthroline after the matrix elements Bi and Cu were masked by triethanolamine in an appropriate acidity condition. Then the complex was quantitatively adsorbed by activated carbon, and desorbed by 1 : 1 HNO3. The enrichment conditions were investigated in detail. Under the optimal condition, an artificial sample was analysed, and the result was identical with reference values, with the RSD and detection limit being 2.42% and 0.033 microg x g(-1), respectively. The method was applied for the determination of trace iron in Bi-based superconductor powder samples with satisfactory results, in which the recoveries experiment was performed with the recovery coefficient falling in the range of 95.6% to 98.0%.

[Determination of trace nickel in bi-based superconductor powder by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy after separation with anion exchange resin and extraction with methylbenzene].

A new method for the determination of trace nickel in superconductor powder by ICP-AES was proposed. The instrument parameters were optimized, and the matrix effects as well as the method of eliminating interferences were also studied systemically. The results showed that matrix interference in the superconductor powder was serious when the amount of matrix increased, and the repeatability as well as the accuracy was poor, so it was necessary to used separation and preconcentration to improve the accuracy and precision. In this experiment, Ni-diacetyl dioxime complexes were enriched by toluene extraction in alkaline condition after eliminating the interference of major element Bi and partial Pb, Sr, Ca and Cu by eluting with anion exchange resin, then the Ni-complexes were back extracted by diluted hydrochloric acid. The enrichment conditions were investigated in detail and the recovery rate of Ni was higher than 95%. Under the optimal condition, an artificial sample was analysed, the result showed that the found values were identical with reference values, and the RSD and detection limit were 1.9% and 0.19 microg x g(-1), respectively. The method has been applied to the determination of trace nickel in Bi-based superconductor powder samples with satisfactory results.

[Correction of spectral interferences with mutual interference coefficient matrix for determination of impurities in Bi-based superconductor powder by inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry].

In the present paper a method was proposed for the determination of Fe, Cr, Ni, Si, Al and Ba in Bi-based superconductor powder (BSCCO, Bi(2-x), Pb(x)Sr2Ca2Cu3O8) by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry(ICP-AES). The operation parameters for ICP-AES were optimized, and the influences of acid kind and concentration were examined. The interferences of matrix elements Bi, Sr, Pb, Ca and Cu in Bi-based superconductor powder on the determination of impurities were studied systematically. The interference coefficients of Bi, Sr, Pb, Ca and Cu were obtained for each target elements respectively, and the mutual interferences matrix was constituted with the above coefficients. The equated concentrations of background from matrix elements were calculated by interferences coefficients matrix and concentrations of Bi, Sr, Pb, Ca and Cu using Gaussian elimination with full pivoting method. Then the concentrations of impurities were obtained by calculation of differences. By means of the mutual interference coefficients matrix, the artificial sample was determined for the target elements with the recovery coefficient of 99.5%-100.5%. The superconductor powers were analysed with satisfactory results also, and the results were identical with the reference values from ICP-MS.