Catalytic performance and mechanism study of the isomerization of 2,5-dichlorotoluene to 2,4-dichlorotoluene.

This work investigates the influence of catalyst HZSM-5 on the isomerization of 2,5-dichlorotoluene (2,5-DCT) to produce 2,4-dichlorotoluene (2,4-DCT). We observe that hydrothermal treatment leads to a decrease in total acidity and Brønsted/Lewis ratio of HZSM-5 while generating new secondary pores. These characteristics result in excellent selectivity for post-hydrothermal modified HZSM-5 in the isomerization reaction from 2,5-DCT to 2,4-DCT. Under atmospheric pressure at 350 °C, unmodified HZSM-5 achieves a selectivity of 66.4% for producing 2,4-DCT, however after hydrothermal modification the selectivity increases to 78.7%. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations explore the thermodynamic aspects of adsorption between the HZSM-5 surface and 2,4-DCT. The kinetic perspective investigates the mechanism involving proton attack on the methyl group of 2,5-DCT followed by rearrangement leading to formation of 2,4-DCT during isomerization. The consistency between simulation and experimental results provides evidence for the feasibility of isomerizing 2,5-DCT to 2,4-DCT. This work fills the gap in the low value-added product 2,5-DCT isomer conversion, indicating its significant practical application potential and provides a valuable reference and guidelines for industrial research in this field.

Ligand-Mediated Regulation of the Chemical/Thermal Stability and Catalytic Performance of Isostructural Cobalt(II) Coordination Polymers.

Regulating the chemical/thermal stability and catalytic activity of coordination polymers (CPs) to achieve high catalytic performance is topical and challenging. The CPs are competent in promoting oxidative cross-coupling, yet they have not received substantial attention. Here, the ligand effect of the secondary ligand of CPs for oxidative cross-coupling reactions was investigated. Specifically, four new isostructural CPs [Co(Fbtx)1.5(4-R-1,2-BDC)]n (denoted as Co-CP-R, Fbtx = 1,4-bis(1,2,4-triazole-1-ylmethyl)-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzene, 4-R-1,2-BDC = 4-R-1,2-benzenedicarboxylate, R = F, Cl, Br, CF3) were prepared. It was found that in the reactions of oxidative amination of benzoxazoles with secondary amines and the oxidative coupling of styrenes with benzaldehydes, both the chemical and thermal stabilities of the four Co-CPs with the R group followed the trend of -CF3 > -Br > -Cl > -F. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggested that the difference in reactivity may be ascribed to the effect of substituent groups on the electron transition energy of the cobalt(II) center of these Co-CPs. These findings highlight the secondary ligand effect in regulating the stability and catalytic performance of coordination networks.

Pancreatic cancer with ovarian metastases: A case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic cancer with ovarian metastases is rare and easily misdiagnosed. Most patients are first diagnosed with ovarian cancer. We report a rare case of ovarian metastases secondary to pancreatic adenocarcinoma. We also review the literature to analyze the clinical characteristics of, diagnostic methods for, and perioperative management strategies for this rare malignancy. CASE SUMMARY: A 48-year-old woman with an abdominal mass presented to our hospital. Computed tomography revealed lesions in the pancreas and lower abdomen. Radiological examination and histological investigation of biopsy specimens revealed either an ovarian metastasis from a pancreatic neoplasm or two primary tumors, with metastasis strongly suspected. The patient simultaneously underwent distal pancreatectomy plus splenectomy by a general surgeon and salpingo-oophorectomy with hysterectomy by a gynecologist. Histological examination of the surgical specimen revealed a pancreatic adenocarcinoma (intermediate differentiation, mucinous) and a metastatic mucinous adenocarci-noma in the ovary. CONCLUSION: For this rare tumor, surgical resection is the most effective treatment, and the final diagnosis depends on tumor pathology.

Cross-sectional study for the clinical application of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in Mainland China, 2018.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the epidemiology and in-hospital mortality of veno-venous (VV) and veno-arterial (VA) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in Mainland China throughout 2018. METHODS: Patients supported by ECMO from 1700 tertiary hospitals in 31 provinces from January 1 to December 31, 2018, were selected from the National Clinical Improvement System database. RESULTS: The 1700 included hospitals had 2073 cases of ECMO in 2018, including 714 VV and 1359 VA ECMOs. The average patient age was 50 years (IQR 31-63), and 1346 were male. The average hospital stay was 17 days (IQR 7-30), and the average costs per case was $36,334 (IQR 22,547-56,714). The three provinces with the highest number of ECMO cases were Guangdong, Beijing, and Zhejiang; the southeast coastal areas and regions with higher GDP levels had more cases. Overall in-hospital mortality was 29.6%. Mortality was higher among patients who were male, over 70 years old, living in underdeveloped areas, and who were treated during the summer. Mortality in provinces with more ECMO cases was relatively low. The co-existence of congenital malformations, blood system abnormalities, or nervous system abnormalities increased in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Mortality and medical expenses of ECMO among patients in China were relatively low, but large regional and seasonal differences were present. Risk factors for higher in-hospital mortality were older age, male sex, in underdeveloped areas, and treatment during the summer. Additionally, congenital malformations and blood system and nervous system abnormalities were associated with in-hospital mortality.

Transducin-Like Enhancer of Split-1 Inhibits Malignant Behaviors in vitro and Predicts a Better Prognosis in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

Background: Transducin-like enhancer of split-1 (TLE1), a member of the Groucho/TLE family of transcriptional corepressors, has been reported to be involved in the tumorigenesis of various cancers and function as a clinical prognostic indicator. However, the mechanisms and prognostic significance of TLE1 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) have not been elucidated. Methods: In this study, western blot analyses and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were employed to evaluate the expression of TLE1 and related proteins in PDAC cell lines. Wound healing, transwell migration and invasion, and Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assays were used to determine cell line-specific differences in metastasis and proliferation. Flow cytometry was performed for cell cycle detection. RNA sequencing and bioinformatics were undertaken to explore the molecular mechanisms and potential targeted molecules of TLE1. TLE1 expression in tumor and para-tumor tissues was evaluated by tissue microarray-based immunohistochemistry using a semiquantitative method (H-score) in 262 patients with radical PDAC resection. Correlation, Kaplan-Meier survival, univariate, and multivariate analyses were also performed. Results: Our findings showed that TLE1 expression was common in PDAC cell lines. Upregulation of TLE1 inhibited PDAC cell migration, invasion, and proliferation in vitro by delaying the G0/G1 transition. Immunohistochemistry revealed that TLE1 was specifically expressed in the nucleus and at higher levels in tumor tissues compared with para-tumor tissues. Generally, high TLE1 expression was associated with no vascular invasion. In univariate analyses, high TLE1 expression was associated with longer disease-specific survival (DSS) in all patients and in 16 patient subgroups. In multivariate analyses, TLE1 expression was independently associated with DSS in all patients and four patient subgroups. Conclusion: In conclusion, these results suggest that TLE1 has an inhibitory role in PDAC progression and is a favorable prognostic indicator for patients with resectable PDAC.

[Effect of Hematopoietic Pre-B-cell Leukemia Transcription Factor Interacting Protein Knockdown on Proliferation,Cell Cycle and Apoptosis in Pancreatic Cancer Cells].

Objective To unravel the role of hematopoietic pre-B-cell leukemia transcription factor interacting protein(HPIP)in the proliferation,cell cycle,and apoptosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC)cells. Methods The HPIP expression in PDAC tissue was determined by immunohistochemical staining.Knockdown of HPIP was accomplished in MIA PaCa-2 and BxPC-3 cell lines by transient transfection of HPIP siRNA and validated by Western blotting.Cell proliferation was assessed using the cell counting kit-8 assay and colony formation assay.Cell cycle and apoptosis were detected by flow cytometry.Western blotting was performed to detect the expression levels of cyclin D1,caspase 7,and cleaved caspase 7. Results HPIP was overexpressed in PDAC tissue compared with matched adjacent pancreatic tissue(Z=-2.060,P=0.039).Knockdown of HPIP inhibited the proliferation of MIA PaCa-2 and BxPC-3 cells(all P<0.05).Knockdown of HPIP significantly reduced the positive colonies formed by MIA PaCa-2 and BxPC-3 cells(t=4.706,P=0.009;t=9.514,P=0.000).Knockdown of HPIP decreased the proportion of S phase cells(t=7.642,P=0.001;t=2.714,P=0.051)and increased the proportion of G0/G1 phase cells(t=3.244,P=0.031;t=6.095,P=0.003)in MIA PaCa-2 and BxPC-3 cells.Meanwhile,knockdown of HPIP increased the proportions of late-phase MIA PaCa-2 and BxPC-3 cells(t=24.58,P=0.000;t=36.45,P=0.000)and the overall apoptosis rate(t=29.43,P=0.000;t=43.52,P=0.000).In MIA PaCa-2 and BxPC-3 cells,knockdown of HPIP decreased the expression level of cyclin D1(t=6.705,P=0.002;t=6.238,P=0.003)and increased the expression level of cleaved caspase 7(t=3.991,P=0.016;t=6.536,P=0.002). Conclusions HPIP is overexpressed in PDAC tissue.Knockdown of HPIP inhibits the proliferation and G0/G1 to S transition of PDAC cells.Meanwhile,knockdown of HPIP promotes the apoptosis of PDAC cells.Thus,HPIP may act as an oncogene in PDAC.

Plasma levels of acylated ghrelin in patients with insulinoma and expression of ghrelin and its receptor in insulinomas.

BACKGROUND: Insulinoma is a subtype of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Many patients with insulinoma are obese due to frequent food intake. Ghrelin is associated with obesity and blood levels of insulin. It is not clear if plasma levels of ghrelin in insulinoma patients correlate with hyperinsulinemia and obesity. Expression of ghrelin and its receptor has not been well demonstrated in insulinoma. OBJECTIVE: To study if plasma levels of ghrelin is associated with obesity and hyperinsulinemia or hyperproinsulinemia in patients with insulinoma, and to detect the expression of ghrelin and its receptor in insulinoma. METHODS: Plasma levels of acylated ghrelin, insulin, and proinsulin were measured in 37 patients with insulinoma and 25 controls by ELISA. Expression of ghrelin and its receptor GHS-R1A was examined in 20 insulinoma and paired pancreatic specimens by immunostaining. P ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: The plasma levels of acylated ghrelin in patients with insulinoma were significantly lower than that in the controls (median 15 pg/ml vs. 19 pg/ml, respectively, P = 0.016). The reduced plasma levels of acylated ghrelin in patients were significantly correlated with obesity, hyperinsulinemia, and hyperproinsulinemia (P = 0.029 and P = 0.028, respectively). Expression of ghrelin and its receptor GHS-R1A was shown in the majority of insulinoma specimens. The expression of GHS-R1A was positively correlated with ghrelin expression in insulinoma (P = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: Plasma levels of acylated ghrelin decreased in patients with insulinoma, probably due to the hyperinsulinemia and obesity in the patients. Expression of both ghrelin and its receptor is common in insulinoma.

Cancer-derived immunoglobulin G: A novel marker for differential diagnosis and relapse prediction in parathyroid carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: A differential diagnosis between malignant and benign parathyroid lesions is difficult due to their overlapping clinicopathological characteristics. As such, molecular markers are urgently needed. Cancer-derived immunoglobulin G (CIgG) is a novel molecule playing important roles in carcinogenesis. The present study aimed to investigate the clinical significance of CIgG in parathyroid neoplasms. PATIENTS: Fifty patients with parathyroid carcinoma (PC), 50 patients with parathyroid adenoma (PA) and 9 patients with parathyroid hyperplasia (PH) were retrospectively enrolled in the current study. MEASUREMENTS: Immunohistochemistry was used to assess CIgG expression in these patients. The performance of CIgG expression in the differential diagnosis between parathyroid lesions was assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The associations between CIgG expression and clinical outcomes were also analysed by Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: The expression level of CIgG was significantly higher in PC patients than in PA or PH patients (P < .001). CIgG expression discriminated PC from PA or PH, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.84 (76% sensitivity and 88% specificity). High CIgG expression was significantly associated with worse disease-free survival (DFS) in PC patients (P = .018) and was validated as an independent risk factor for DFS in the multivariable Cox regression analysis (P = .002). CONCLUSIONS: The ability of CIgG expression both in the differential diagnosis between malignant and benign parathyroid lesions and in the prognosis prediction for PC was shown in the present study. CIgG might be used as a novel biomarker of parathyroid lesions in future clinical practice.

Primary pancreatic cystadenocarcinoma with ovarian metastases in a 38-year-old female: case report.

Pancreatic cystadenocarcinoma with ovarian metastases is rare and easily misdiagnosed as primary ovarian cancers. Here we report 38-year-old female manifested tumors in pancreas and ovary concurrently, which was difficult to distinguish the primary site. She was admitted to hospital because of abdominal distension and a palpable mass in the lower abdomen. Abdominal ultrasound showed a lesion in pancreas and two masses in bilateral ovaries. Computed tomography (CT) revealed the hypo-enhancing pancreatic mass and the large pelvic lesion simultaneously. The largest cross-sectional of the right mass was 12×15.1 cm and 15.4×18.3 cm for the left side, probably malignant lesions. In addition, the level of the serum CA19-9 and CA125 were higher than the normal level. Positron emission tomography CT (PET-CT) revealed there might be the cystadenocarcinoma in the pancreatic tail with multiple metastatic lesions implanted in the pelvic. After comprehensive examination, she received bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and biopsy of the pancreatic tumor. The pathological finding revealed that it was pancreatic cystadenocarcinoma with ovarian metastases. Postoperatively, she received the chemotherapy and the follow-up continued for 26 months until she died. This case reminded doctors that pancreatic primaries should be paid attention when dealing with metastatic ovarian malignancies although it was rare. Choosing effective diagnostic method and timely surgical intervention are essential to improve prognosis.

Antifungal susceptibility of clinical isolates of 25 genetically confirmed Aspergillus species collected from Taiwan and Mainland China.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the in vitro antifungal susceptibilities of 25 genetically confirmed Aspergillus species collected from Taiwan and Mainland China. METHODS: A total of 390 non-duplicate and consecutive Aspergillus isolates representing of 25 species recovered from clinical sources at two teaching hospitals in Taiwan and Mainland china were preserved for this study. In vitro antifungal susceptibility testing (AFST) of those Aspergillus isolates against seven antifungal agents was performed using Sensititre YeastOne (SYO) system. The susceptibility profiles of isolates were analyzed according to the general interpretation code drawn from the SYO instruction. The CYP51A gene sequencing analysis was performed for triazole-resistant Aspergillusfumigatus isolates. RESULTS: Among the 390 Aspergillus isolates, 76.7% (n = 299) exhibited complete susceptibility to all the tested antifungals, and 23.3% (91/390) of different Aspergillus species isolates showed resistance to one or two classes of antifungal agents with higher minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of >2 mg/L. Resistance to amphotericin B was found in 91.2% (83/91) of those less susceptible isolates and most of them focused on species being resistant to Amphotericin B innately. The total rate of triazole resistance in this study was low (3.3%, 13/390), and only 3 (2.8%) A. fumigatus isolates were resistant to at least one of the triazoles with mutations of TR34/L98H or TR46/Y121F/T289A in CYP51A gene. The echinocandins were highly potent to the tested Aspergillus isolates. CONCLUSION: The existence of triazole resistance among A. fumigatus isolates in Taiwan and Mainland China indicates the need for continuous monitoring from now on.

New Insight into the Role of Exosomes in Pancreatic Cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal diseases among solid malignancies. Most patients are diagnosed in the late stage or after metastasis. Notably, pancreatic cancer is resistant to chemotherapy and lacks efficient target therapy methods. Given that, investigating the mechanism of metastasis, finding biomarkers for early detection and identifying novel therapeutic target of pancreatic cancer are needed. Exosomes, which are one type of extracellular vesicules, play an important role in intercellular communication. It has been confirmed that exosomes can be released by all types of cells and are significantly associated with multifaceted cancer, including pancreatic cancer. It has been suggested that they correlate with biogenesis, progression, metastasis, and tumor immunity in pancreatic cancer. Meanwhile, exosomes have the potential to be non-invasive biomarkers for early detection of pancreatic cancer. In this review, we retrospectively assess the discovery and evolvement of exosomes and highlight the multiple roles of exosomes in pancreatic cancer. Exosomes, as intercellular messengers, are projected to be a novel strategy for early detection and targeted therapy in pancreatic cancer.

Effect of Blumgart anastomosis in reducing the incidence rate of pancreatic fistula after pancreatoduodenectomy.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic fistula is one of the most serious complications after pancreatoduodenectomy for treating any lesions at the pancreatic head. For years, surgeons have tried various methods to reduce its incidence. AIM: To investigate and emphasize the clinical outcomes of Blumgart anastomosis compared with traditional anastomosis in reducing postoperative pancreatic fistula. METHODS: In this observational study, a retrospective analysis of 291 patients who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy, including Blumgart anastomosis (201 patients) and traditional embedded pancreaticojejunostomy (90 patients), was performed in our hospital. The preoperative and perioperative courses and long-term follow-up status were analyzed to compare the advantages and disadvantages of the two methods. Moreover, 291 patients were then separated by the severity of postoperative pancreatic fistula, and two methods of pancreaticojejunostomy were compared to detect the features of different anastomosis. Six experienced surgeons were involved and all of them were proficient in both surgical techniques. RESULTS: The characteristics of the patients in the two groups showed no significant differences, nor the preoperative information and pathological diagnoses. The operative time was significantly shorter in the Blumgart group (343.5 ± 23.0 vs 450.0 ± 40.1 min, P = 0.028), as well as the duration of pancreaticojejunostomy drainage tube placement and postoperative hospital stay (12.7 ± 0.9 d vs 17.4 ± 1.8 d, P = 0.031; and 21.9 ± 1.3 d vs 28.9 ± 1.3 d, P = 0.020, respectively). The overall complications after surgery were much less in the Blumgart group than in the embedded group (11.9% vs 26.7%, P = 0.002). Patients who underwent Blumgart anastomosis would suffer less from severe pancreatic fistula (71.9% vs 50.0%, P = 0.006), and this pancreaticojejunostomy procedure did not have worse influences on long-term complications and life quality. Thus, Blumgart anastomosis is a feasible pancreaticojejunostomy procedure in pancreatoduodenectomy surgery. It is safe in causing less postoperative complications, especially pancreatic fistula, and thus shortens the hospitalization duration. CONCLUSION: Surgical method should be a key factor in reducing pancreatic fistula, and Blumgart anastomosis needs further promotion.

WT1 associated protein promotes metastasis and chemo-resistance to gemcitabine by stabilizing Fak mRNA in pancreatic cancer.

WT1 associated protein (WTAP), playing an important role in several malignancies owing to its complex function in transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation, is an independent prognostic indicator for pancreatic cancer (PC). However, its specific role and underlying mechanism in PC remain unclear. In the present study, we found that WTAP could promote migration/invasion and suppress chemo-sensitivity to gemcitabine in PC. Further mechanical investigation revealed that WTAP could bind to and stabilize Fak mRNA which in turn activated the Fak-PI3K-AKT and Fak-Src-GRB2-Erk1/2 signaling pathways. In addition, GSK2256098, a specific Fak inhibitor, could reverse WTAP-mediated chemo-resistance to gemcitabine and metastasis in PC. Taken together, Fak inhibitor might be a promising therapeutic option for PC patients with WTAP overexpression.

Clinicopathological and prognostic significance of MKK4 and MKK7 in resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 4 (MKK4) and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 7 (MKK7) were shown to regulate biological behavior in many malignancies. In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), it remains controversial whether MKK4 and MKK7 have pro-oncogenic or tumor-suppressive activities. Furthermore, their clinicopathological and prognostic implications are unknown. In the present study, we detected MKK4 and MKK7 expressions in the nucleus and cytoplasm of resected PDAC tissues from 321 patients by tissue microarray-based immunohistochemistry. Cytoplasmic MKK4 and MKK7 expressions were significantly downregulated, whereas nuclear MKK4 expression was significantly upregulated in tumor tissues compared with nontumor tissues. Tumor cytoplasmic MKK4 and MKK7 expressions were significantly negatively associated with histologic grade. Cytoplasmic MKK4 expression was also negatively correlated with CA19-9 level. By univariate analysis, high cytoplasmic MKK4 expression was significantly associated with longer cancer-specific survival (hazard ratio [HR], 0.705; 95% confidence interval, 0.510-0.974), with a similar trend observed for MKK7 expression. High MKK4 and MKK7 messenger RNA expressions were significantly associated with longer overall survival in The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Although MKK4 expression was not significant in a multivariate Cox regression analysis, combination of MKK4/MKK7 and pN stage was identified as an independent prognostic indicator and had the lowest HR (HR, 0.308; 95% confidence interval, 0.126-0.752). Furthermore, combined analysis of MKK4 and MKK7 greatly increased the prognostic predictive power. In addition, downregulation of MKK4 or MKK7 increased proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells in vitro. In conclusion, high MKK4 expression and its combination with high MKK7 expression both predicted favorable prognosis in resectable PDAC.

Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 as a Poor Prognostic Indicator in Resectable Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) was previously established to impact several phenotypes in many kinds of cancer, including pancreatic cancer. However, its prognostic significance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) needs support of further evidence. This study was designed to address the issue. METHODS: PAI-1 expression was detected by tissue microarray-based immunohistochemical staining in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens from 93 PDAC patients with surgical resection from September 2004 to December 2008. Its relationships with clinicopathologic variables and tumor-specific survival (TSS) were further evaluated using Chi-square, Kaplan-Meier, log-rank, as well as Cox regression analyses. RESULTS: Expression of PAI-1 was much higher in tumor than that in nontumor tissues, based on comparison of all samples and 74 matched ones (95 [47.5, 180] vs. 80 [45, 95], Z = -2.439, P = 0.015 and 100 [46.9, 182.5] vs. 80 [45, 95], Z = -2.594, P = 0.009, respectively). In addition, tumoral PAI-1 expression was positively associated with N stage (22/35 for N1 vs. 21/51 for N0, χ2 = 3.903, P = 0.048). Univariate analyses showed that TSS of patients with high PAI-1 tumors was significantly poorer than that of those with low PAI-1 tumors (log rank value = 19.00, P < 0.0001). In multivariate Cox regression test, PAI-1 expression was identified as an independent predictor for long-term prognosis of resectable PDAC (hazard ratio = 2.559, 95% confidence interval = 1.499-4.367, P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that expression of PAI-1 is upregulated in PDAC and might serve as a poor prognostic indicator.

High nuclear Survivin expression as a poor prognostic marker in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Survivin, one of the key regulators of mitosis and apoptosis, has long been well recognized to play important biological roles in many neoplasms, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, its prognostic value in PDAC remains controversial. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Nuclear expression of Survivin was detected, using tissue microarray-based immunohistochemistry, in paired-tumor and nontumor samples from 306 patients with radically resected PDAC. The staining H scores were further correlated with clinicopathologic features and disease-specific survival (DSS). RESULTS: Nuclear Survivin expression was much higher in tumor than in nontumor tissues (P < 0.001). No significant association between tumoral Survivin expression and clinicopathologic variables was found. For prognosis, high Survivin expression was associated with shortened DSS in all eligible patients and four subgroups, that is, male and nondiabetic patients as well as those with head-located and G1-2 tumors, shown by univariate analyses. In addition, a statistically marginal significance was revealed in eight subgroups. For the entire cohort and two subgroups, nuclear Survivin expression was also multivariate identified as an independent predictor for DSS. For patients with G1-2 tumors, it was the single prognostic marker. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest an association between high nuclear Survivin expression and poor prognosis in PDAC. However, further confirmation might be necessary.

Identification of Candida glabrata complex species: use of Vitek MS® RUO & Bruker ClinproTools®.

AIM: Distinction of species within the Candida glabrata complex (i.e., C. glabrata sensu stricto, Candida nivariensis and Candida bracarensis) is relevant for epidemiological purposes and antifungal management. MATERIALS & METHODS: Two commercial matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry systems were comprehensively evaluated for the identification of fungi within this complex. RESULTS: None of the species (C. nivariensis and C. bracarensis) were identified correctly by Vitek mass spectrometry (MS®) v2.0 In Vitro Diagnosis system and Bruker Biotyper MS® v3.1, but all were correct by the Vitek MS® Research Use Only system. The Bruker ClinProTools software showed 100% recognition capability and cross validation for the discrimination of C. nivariensis and C. bracarensis. CONCLUSION: Using Vitek MS Research Use Only and Bruker ClinProTools can overcome limitations of the Vitek MS In Vitro Diagnosis and Bruker Biotyper databases in the identification of C. glabrata complex.

Microbiological characteristics of a novel species most closely related to 'Bergeyella cardium' as a pathogen of infectious endocarditis.

Infectious endocarditis (IE) can be caused by various pathogens, from dominating agents such as viridans group streptococci and staphylococci to rare species that are less virulent and not typically considered to be pathogens. In this study, we have isolated a novel species from a patient with problem of IE which was genetically most closely related to 'Bergeyella cardium', a causative pathogen of IE first reported in Korea in 2015 as a new species of the genus Bergeyella, with a similarity of 98.8% in 16S rRNA sequences. Microbiological characteristics, including morphology, biochemical identification and antimicrobial susceptibility profiling, of this novel species were determined. This fastidious Gram-negative bacillus could only be identified successfully by molecular sequencing analysis at present, and it exhibited low minimum inhibitory concentrations to the antibiotics tested except for aminoglycosides. Phylogeny analysis revealed this novel species clustered well with 'B. cardium' and other close species of genus Bergeyella.

High expression of GRK3 is associated with favorable prognosis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: It was found that G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 3 (GRK3) played key biological roles in some cancers. However, its associations with clinicopathologic features and prognosis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remain unknown. METHODS AND METHODS: Expression of GRK3 was detected, using tissue microarray-based immunohistochemistry, in paired formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor and non-tumor samples from 165 patients with PDAC after curative resection, and was further correlated with clinicopathologic parameters and cancer-specific survival (CSS). RESULTS: It was shown that GRK3 expression was much lower in tumor than in non-tumor tissues. Moreover, expression of GRK3 in tumor tissues was significantly associated with gender and T stage. Univariately, high GRK3 expression was predictive for favorable CSS, along with some conventional clinicopathologic variables. In multivariate Cox regression test, GRK3 expression remained to be a significant prognostic marker for PDAC. Finally, combination of GRK3 with some clinicopathologic variables, especially N stage, obtained more precise prediction for CSS. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggested that expression of GRK3 was down-regulated in PDAC and was an independent prognostic factor.