Olanzapine for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting after gynecologic laparoscopic surgery: a randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: This study was designed to investigate the prophylactic effect of oral olanzapine in postoperative nausea and vomiting after gynecologic laparoscopic surgery. Methods: ASA I-II, aged 18-75 years, planned to undergo gynecologic laparoscopic surgery with general anesthesia in adult female patients. Using the randomized numbers table, the patients were placed in two groups. Oral olanzapine 5 mg or placebo was given 1 h before anesthesia. All patients received standard antiemetic prophylaxis with dexamethasone and granisetron. The primary outcome was nausea and/or vomiting in the 24 h after the postoperative. Results: A total of 250 patients were randomized, and 241 were analyzed. The primary outcome occurred in 10 of 120 patients (8.3%) in the olanzapine group and 23 of 121 patients (19.2%) in the placebo group (p = 0.014). According to Kaplan-Meier analysis, the probabilities of nausea and/or vomiting in the 24 h after the postoperative in the olanzapine group were lower than in the placebo group (log-rank p = 0.014). In a multivariate Cox analysis, the variables of use of olanzapine [hazard ratio (HR): 0.35, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.16-0.79; p = 0.012] and use of vasoactive drugs (HR: 2.48, 95% CI: 1.07-5.75; p = 0.034) were independently associated with nausea and/or vomiting in the 24 h after the postoperative. Conclusion: Our data suggest that olanzapine relative to placebo decreased the risk of nausea and/or vomiting in the 24 h after gynecologic laparoscopic surgery. Trial registration: The trial was registered prior to patient enrollment at The Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=166900, link to registry page, Principal investigator: Nanjin Chen, Date of registration: 25 April 2022).

Preventing nausea and vomiting after laparoscopic gynecological surgery: the benefits of using olanzapine Why was this study done? Despite the use of antiemetics, postoperative nausea and vomiting remain prevalent. Furthermore, patients who undergo gynecological laparoscopic surgery are at an increased risk. Therefore, this study investigated whether oral Olanzapine could reduce the incidence of nausea and vomiting after gynaecological Laparoscopy? What did the researchers do? The research team examined patients who underwent gynecological laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia. They observed the occurrence of nausea and vomiting within 24 hours after surgery in patients who either received or did not receive Olanzapine treatment. The goal was to assess the effectiveness of Olanzapine in reducing postoperative nausea and vomiting. What did the researchers find? The addition of Olanzapine, when combined with granisetron and dexamethasone, resulted in a decreased risk of nausea and/or vomiting within the 24 hours following gynecologic laparoscopic surgery, as compared to the placebo. Administering oral Olanzapine at a dosage of 5 mg reduced the incidence of nausea and vomiting after gynecological laparoscopy from 19.2% to 8.3%. What do the findings mean? This study has identified a safe and effective medication for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting. Implementing Olanzapine as a preventive measure can significantly reduce the incidence of nausea and vomiting following surgery, thereby enhancing the overall medical experience for patients.

Expression and significance of pigment epithelium-derived factor and vascular endothelial growth factor in colorectal adenoma and cancer.

BACKGROUND: The incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer (CRC) are among the highest in the world, and its occurrence and development are closely related to tumor neovascularization. When the balance between pigment epithelium-derived factors (PEDF) that inhibit angiogenesis and vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF) that stimulate angiogenesis is broken, angiogenesis is out of control, resulting in tumor development. Therefore, it is very necessary to find more therapeutic targets for CRC for early intervention and later treatment. AIM: To investigate the expression and significance of PEDF, VEGF, and CD31-stained microvessel density values (CD31-MVD) in normal colorectal mucosa, adenoma, and CRC. METHODS: In this case-control study, we collected archived wax blocks of specimens from the Digestive Endoscopy Center and the General Surgery Department of Chengdu Second People's Hospital from April 2022 to October 2022. Fifty cases of specimen wax blocks were selected as normal intestinal mucosa confirmed by electronic colonoscopy and concurrent biopsy (normal control group), 50 cases of specimen wax blocks were selected as colorectal adenoma confirmed by electronic colonoscopy and pathological biopsy (adenoma group), and 50 cases of specimen wax blocks were selected as CRC confirmed by postoperative pathological biopsy after inpatient operation of general surgery (CRC group). An immunohistochemical staining experiment was carried out to detect PEDF and VEGF expression in three groups of specimens, analyze their differences, study the relationship between the two and clinicopathological factors in CRC group, record CD31-MVD in the three groups, and analyze the correlation of PEDF, VEGF, and CD31-MVD in the colorectal adenoma group and the CRC group. The F test or adjusted F test is used to analyze measurement data statistically. Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test was used between groups for ranked data. The chi-square test, adjusted chi-square test, or Fisher's exact test were used to compare the rates between groups. All differences between groups were compared using the Bonferroni method for multiple comparisons. Spearman correlation analysis was used to test the correlation of the data. The test level (α) was 0.05, and a two-sided P< 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The positive expression rate and expression intensity of PEDF were gradually decreased in the normal control group, adenoma group, and CRC group (100% vs 78% vs 50%, χ2 = 34.430, P < 0.001; ++~++ vs +~++ vs -~+, H = 94.059, P < 0.001), while VEGF increased gradually (0% vs 68% vs 96%, χ2 = 98.35, P < 0.001; - vs -~+ vs ++~+++, H = 107.734, P < 0.001). In the CRC group, the positive expression rate of PEDF decreased with the increase of differentiation degree, invasion depth, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and TNM stage (χ2 = 20.513, 4.160, 5.128, 6.349, 5.128, P < 0.05); the high expression rate of VEGF was the opposite (χ2 = 10.317, 13.134, 17.643, 21.844, 17.643, P < 0.05). In the colorectal adenoma group, the expression intensity of PEDF correlated negatively with CD31-MVD (r = -0.601, P < 0.001), whereas VEGF was not significantly different (r = 0.258, P = 0.07). In the CRC group, the expression intensity of PEDF correlated negatively with the expression intensity of CD31-MVD and VEGF (r = -0.297, P < 0.05; r = -0.548, P < 0.05), while VEGF expression intensity was positively related to CD31-MVD (r = 0.421, P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: It is possible that PEDF can be used as a new treatment and prevention target for CRC by upregulating the expression of PEDF while inhibiting the expression of VEGF.

Mucosa color and size may indicate malignant transformation of chicken skin mucosa-positive colorectal neoplastic polyps.

BACKGROUND: Lipid metabolism reprogramming is suspected to exist in pre-cancerous lesions, including colorectal adenoma. Screening colonoscopy frequently reveals chicken skin mucosa (CSM; white or yellow-white speckled mucosa) surrounding colorectal polyps, caused by macrophages engulfing and accumulating the lipids decomposed by colon cells or adjacent tumors. CSM-positive colorectal polyps are associated with various diseases; however, their prognosis varies greatly. Cold snare polypectomy is commonly used to resect lesions up to 10 to 15 mm in diameter without signs of submucosal invasion but is controversial for CSM-positive colorectal polyps. Improved imaging is required to diagnose and treat CSM-positive colorectal polyps. AIM: To highlight the clinical significance of CSM surrounding colorectal polyps and clarify the associated treatment for endoscopists. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included 177 patients with CSM-positive colorectal polyps diagnosed using endoscopy. All patient-related information was extracted from the Goldisc soft-clinic DICOM system or electronic medical record system. Based on the pathological results, patients were classified as non-neoplastic polyps (five juvenile polyps), neoplastic polyps, non-invasive high-grade neoplasia (NHGN), or submucosal invasive carcinoma (SM stage cancer). We analyzed and compared the clinical features, suspected risk factors for malignant transformation of neoplastic polyps, and early infiltration of submucosal carcinoma. RESULTS: The diameters of NHGN and SM polyps were much smaller than those of neoplastic polyps. Most NHGN polyps had a deeper red mucosal color. On logistic regression analyses, diameter and deeper red mucosal color were independent risk factors for malignant transformation of neoplastic polyps. Type 1 CSM was more common in high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia and SM; type 2 CSM was more common in neoplastic polyps. Logistic regression analyses revealed no significant differences in the malignant transformation of neoplastic polyps or early submucosal invasion of CSM-positive colorectal cancer. Changes in the CSM mucosa surrounding neoplastic polyps and submucosal invasion of colorectal cancer disappeared within 12 months. No tumor recurrence was found during either partial or complete endoscopic resection of the CSM. CONCLUSION: CSM-positive colorectal polyps > 1 cm in diameter or with deeper red mucosa may be related to NHGN. Resection of CSM surrounding colorectal adenomas did not affect tumor recurrence.

Bioinformatic Identification and Expression Analyses of the MAPK-MAP4K Gene Family Reveal a Putative Functional MAP4K10-MAP3K7/8-MAP2K1/11-MAPK3/6 Cascade in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades act as crucial signaling modules that regulate plant growth and development, response to biotic/abiotic stresses, and plant immunity. MAP3Ks can be activated through MAP4K phosphorylation in non-plant systems, but this has not been reported in plants to date. Here, we identified a total of 234 putative TaMAPK family members in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). They included 48 MAPKs, 17 MAP2Ks, 144 MAP3Ks, and 25 MAP4Ks. We conducted systematic analyses of the evolution, domain conservation, interaction networks, and expression profiles of these TaMAPK-TaMAP4K (representing TaMAPK, TaMAP2K, TaMAP3K, and TaMAP4K) kinase family members. The 234 TaMAPK-TaMAP4Ks are distributed on 21 chromosomes and one unknown linkage group (Un). Notably, 25 of these TaMAP4K family members possessed the conserved motifs of MAP4K genes, including glycine-rich motif, invariant lysine (K) motif, HRD motif, DFG motif, and signature motif. TaMAPK3 and 6, and TaMAP4K10/24 were shown to be strongly expressed not only throughout the growth and development stages but also in response to drought or heat stress. The bioinformatics analyses and qRT-PCR results suggested that wheat may activate the MAP4K10-MEKK7-MAP2K11-MAPK6 pathway to increase drought resistance in wheat, and the MAP4K10-MAP3K8-MAP2K1/11-MAPK3 pathway may be involved in plant growth. In general, our work identified members of the MAPK-MAP4K cascade in wheat and profiled their potential roles during their response to abiotic stresses and plant growth based on their expression pattern. The characterized cascades might be good candidates for future crop improvement and molecular breeding.

Rapid FRET Assay for the Early Detection of Alpha-Synuclein Aggregation in Parkinson's Disease.

Alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) is a key protein of Parkinson's disease (PD). Oligomers formed by misfolding and aggregation of α-Syn can cause many pathological phenomena and aggravate the development of PD. Therefore, sensitive and accurate detection of oligomers is essential to understanding the pathology of PD and beneficial to screening and developing new drugs against PD. Here, we demonstrated a simple and sensitive method to detect the early aggregation of α-Syn via Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) technology. We performed systematic investigations of the FRET sensitizations, efficiencies, and donor-to-acceptor distances during α-Syn aggregation, which was proved to be more sensitive to reflect small distance changes in the early stage of α-Syn aggregation, especially for α-Syn oligomers. The FRET assays were also applied to study the influence of Ser129 phosphorylation (pS129) on the aggregation rate of α-Syn. Our results showed that pS129 modification promotes α-Syn aggregation and enhances the ability of preformed fibrils to induce monomer aggregation. pS129 also increased the cytotoxicity of α-Syn. These results are of great significance for a better understanding of the pathological mechanisms of PD and future PD drug development.

Capillary Wicking on Heliamphora minor-Mimicking Mesoscopic Trichomes Array.

Liquid spontaneously spreads on rough lyophilic surfaces, and this is driven by capillarity and defined as capillary wicking. Extensive studies on microtextured surfaces have been applied to microfluidics and their corresponding manufacturing. However, the imbibition at mesoscale roughness has seldom been studied due to lacking fabrication techniques. Inspired by the South American pitcher plant Heliamphora minor, which wicks water on its pubescent inside wall for lubrication and drainage, we implemented 3D printing to fabricate a mimetic mesoscopic trichomes array and investigated the high-flux capillary wicking process. Unlike a uniformly thick climbing film on a microtextured surface, the interval filling of millimeter-long and submillimeter-pitched trichomes creates a film of non-uniform thickness. Different from the viscous dissipation that dominated the spreading on microtextured surfaces, we unveiled an inertia-dominated transition regime with mesoscopic wicking dynamics and constructed a scaling law such that the height grows to 2/3 the power of time for various conditions. Finally, we examined the mass transportation inside the non-uniformly thick film, mimicking a plant nutrition supply method, and realized an open system siphon in the film, with the flux saturation condition experimentally determined. This work explores capillary wicking in mesoscopic structures and has potential applications in the design of low-cost high-flux open fluidics.

RNA barcode segments for SARS-CoV-2 identification from HCoVs and SARSr-CoV-2 lineages.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the pathogen responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), continues to evolve, giving rise to more variants and global reinfections. Previous research has demonstrated that barcode segments can effectively and cost-efficiently identify specific species within closely related populations. In this study, we designed and tested RNA barcode segments based on genetic evolutionary relationships to facilitate the efficient and accurate identification of SARS-CoV-2 from extensive virus samples, including human coronaviruses (HCoVs) and SARSr-CoV-2 lineages. Nucleotide sequences sourced from NCBI and GISAID were meticulously selected and curated to construct training sets, encompassing 1733 complete genome sequences of HCoVs and SARSr-CoV-2 lineages. Through genetic-level species testing, we validated the accuracy and reliability of the barcode segments for identifying SARS-CoV-2. Subsequently, 75 main and subordinate species-specific barcode segments for SARS-CoV-2, located in ORF1ab, S, E, ORF7a, and N coding sequences, were intercepted and screened based on single-nucleotide polymorphism sites and weighted scores. Post-testing, these segments exhibited high recall rates (nearly 100%), specificity (almost 30% at the nucleotide level), and precision (100%) performance on identification. They were eventually visualized using one and two-dimensional combined barcodes and deposited in an online database (http://virusbarcodedatabase.top/). The successful integration of barcoding technology in SARS-CoV-2 identification provides valuable insights for future studies involving complete genome sequence polymorphism analysis. Moreover, this cost-effective and efficient identification approach also provides valuable reference for future research endeavors related to virus surveillance.

Evaluation of the coupling coordination degree between digital inclusive finance and green technology innovation in China.

Digital inclusive finance (DIF) has been growing fast in recent years in China, and green technology innovation (GTI) is strongly promoted by the Chinese government. The coordinated development of DIF and GTI is important for China's economic transition to high-quality development. Therefore, utilizing the panel data of 288 prefecture cities from 2011 to 2020 in China, the research evaluates the coupling coordination degree between DIF and GTI (CCD-DG), analyzes spatial-temporal characteristics of CCD-DG, explores its regional disparities and finally analyzes its spatial effects. Results demonstrate that CCD-DG at the prefecture-city level showed a rise from 2011 to 2020, but the degree was only in the stage of basic coordination till 2020, which was mainly driven by the development of DIF in recent years. The regional disparities in CCD-DG remarkably existed but gradually narrowed down during the observation period, which mainly originated from the between-subregions differences as a result of the huge difference in GTI. Additionally, there was a significant spatial spillover effect of CCD-DG and its spatial distribution was roughly consistent with the spatial effect layout. Policy implications based on these results are finally proposed, including formulating policies with local characteristics to promote CCD-DG, emphasizing the discrepancies of CCD-DG between the East and the Northwest, and that within the Northwest and the South, etc.

Interleukin-10 gene intervention ameliorates liver fibrosis by enhancing the immune function of natural killer cells in liver tissue.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Interleukin 10 (IL-10) and natural killer (NK) cells have the potential to combat liver fibrosis. However, whether NK cells play an important role in the anti-fibrotic effects of IL-10 is not sufficiently elucidated. In this study, we investigated the regulatory effects of IL-10 on NK cells during liver fibrosis. METHODS: Fibrotic mice induced with carbon tetrachloride were treated with or without IL-10 in the presence or absence of NK cells. Liver damage and fibrosis were assessed using hematoxylin and eosin and Sirius Red staining and serum transaminase and liver hydroxyproline assays, respectively. NK cell distribution, quantity, activation, cytotoxicity, development, and origin were analyzed using immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and flow cytometry. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine chemokine levels. RESULTS: In the presence of NK cells, IL-10 gene intervention improved liver fibrosis and enhanced NK cell accumulation and function in the liver, as evidenced by increased NKG2D, interferon-γ, and CD107a expression. Furthermore, IL-10 promoted the migration of circulating NK cells to the fibrotic liver and elevated C-C motif ligand 5 levels. However, depletion of NK cells exacerbated liver fibrosis and impaired the anti-fibrotic effect of IL-10. CONCLUSIONS: The anti-fibrotic effect of IL-10 relies on the enhancement of NK cell immune function, including activation, cytotoxicity, development, and migration. These results provide valuable insights into the mechanisms through which IL-10 regulates NK cells to limit the progression of liver fibrosis.

Association between hepatitis B virus replication during pregnancy and perinatal outcomes: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The effect of hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication during pregnancy on the outcomes of pregnancies remains to be elucidated. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the association between HBV replication and adverse maternal and infant outcomes. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed the clinical data of 836 pregnant inpatients with hepatitis B surface antigen positivity who delivered at two provincial tertiary grade A hospitals in the Fujian province between June 2016 and October 2020. RESULTS: The incidence of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, hypertensive syndrome complicating pregnancy, gestational diabetes mellitus, preterm birth, macrosomia, growth restriction, and vaginal infections did not differ in the HBV replication and non-replication groups (p > 0.05); however, the rates of caesarean section (p = 0.017; OR, 1.423; 95% CI, 1.065-1.902) and neonatal jaundice (p < 0.001; OR, 2.361; 95% CI, 1.498-3.721) were higher in the replication group than that in the non-replication group. After using propensity score analysis to adjust for alanine transaminase and aspartate aminotransferase levels in both groups, the replication group was still found to have an increased risk for caesarean section (p < 0.001; OR, 2.367; 95% CI, 1.668-3.359) and their infants had higher rates of neonatal jaundice (p < 0.001; OR, 12.605; 95% CI, 4.456-35.656). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the association between maternal HBV replication status and perinatal outcomes. Pregnant women with HBV replication face an increased risk of caesarean section, and their infants appear to have a higher risk for neonatal jaundice.

Inflammation as a Mediator of Microbiome Dysbiosis-Associated DNA Methylation Changes in Gastric Premalignant Lesions.

Evidence for the influence of chronic inflammation induced by microbial dysbiosis on aberrant DNA methylation supports a plausible connexion between disordered microbiota and precancerous lesions of gastric cancer (PLGC). Here, a comprehensive study including multi-omics data was performed to estimate the relationships amongst the gastric microbiome, inflammatory proteins and DNA methylation alterations and their roles in PLGC development. The results demonstrated that gastric dysbacteriosis increased the risk of PLGC and DNA methylation alterations in related tumour suppressor genes. Seven inflammatory biomarkers were identified for antrum and corpus tissues, respectively, amongst which the expression levels of several biomarkers were significantly correlated with the microbial dysbiosis index (MDI) and methylation status of specific tumour suppressor genes. Notably, mediation analysis revealed that microbial dysbiosis partially contributed to DNA methylation changes in the stomach via the inflammatory cytokines C-C motif chemokine 20 (CCL20) and tumour necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 9 (TNFRSF9). Overall, these results may provide new insights into the mechanisms that might link the gastric microbiome to PLGC. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43657-023-00118-w.

Ccrl2-centred immune-related lncRNA-mRNA co-expression network revealed the local skin immune activation mechanism of moxibustion on adjuvant arthritis mice.

BACKGROUND: Moxibustion is an important external therapy of traditional medicine that operates on some acupoints on the skin and is usually used for immune-related diseases. However, whether the immune function of the skin, especially the immune-related lncRNAs, contributes to the mechanism of moxibustion remains unclear. METHODS: Adjuvant arthritis (AA) was induced by injection of Complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) into the right hind paw of mice. Moxibustion was administered on the Zusanli (ST36) acupoint for 3 weeks. The alteration of foot volume and cytokine concentration in serum was used to evaluate the anti-inflammation effect of moxibustion. CD83 expression in the local skin of ST36 was measured by immunofluorescence staining. Transcriptome RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and lncRNA-mRNA network analysis were performed to construct a moxibustion-induced Immune-related lncRNA-mRNA co-expression network. qRT-PCR was used to validate the RNA-seq data. RESULTS: Moxibustion at ST36 relieved the foot swelling, decreased the TNF-α and IL-1ß concentrations in serum, and obviously increased the CD83 expression at the local skin of ST36. A total of 548 differentially expressed lncRNAs and 520 linked mRNAs were screened out. The significantly and predominately enriched Go term was inflammatory and immune response, and the main pathways related to inflammatory and immune responses include Toll-like receptor, cytokine-cytokine receptor, and MAPK signaling. The immune-related lncRNA-mRNA co-expression network showed 88 lncRNAs and 36 mRNAs, and Ccrl2 is the central hub of this network. CONCLUSION: Local immune activation is significantly triggered by moxibustion in ST36 of AA mice. The Ccrl2-centered immune-related lncRNA-mRNA co-expression network would be a promising target for decoding the mechanism of moxibustion for immune-related diseases.

Chicken skin mucosa surrounding small colorectal cancer could be an endoscopic predictive marker of submucosal invasion.

BACKGROUND: Chicken skin mucosa (CSM) surrounding colon polyps is a common endoscopic finding with pale yellow-speckled mucosa during a colonoscopy screening. Although reports about CSM surrounding small colorectal cancer are scarce, and its clinical significance in intramucosal and submucosal cancers is unclear, previous studies have suggested it could be an endoscopic predictive marker for colonic neoplastic and advanced polyps. Currently, because of the inaccurate preoperative evaluation by endoscopists, many small colorectal cancers, particularly lesions with a diameter < 2 cm, are improperly treated. Therefore, more effective methods are required to better assess the depth of the lesion before treatment. AIM: To explore potential markers of small colorectal cancer early invasion under white light endoscopy, providing patients with better treatment alternatives. METHODS: This retrospective cross-sectional study included 198 consecutive patients [233 early colorectal cancers (ECCs)] who underwent endoscopy or surgical procedures at the Digestive Endoscopy Center of Chengdu Second People's Hospital between January 2021 and August 2022. The participants had pathologically confirmed colorectal cancer with a lesion diameter < 2 cm and received endoscopic or surgical treatment, including endoscopic mucosal resection and submucosal dissection. Clinical pathology and endoscopy parameters, including tumor size, invasion depth, anatomical position, and morphology, were reviewed. Fisher's exact test, the χ2 test, and Student's t-test were used to analyze the patient's basic characteristics. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between morphological characteristics, size, CSM prevalence, and ECC invasion depth under white light endoscopy. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: The submucosal carcinoma (SM stage) was larger than the mucosal carcinoma (M stage) with a significant difference (17.2 ± 4.1 vs 13.4 ± 4.6 mm, P < 0.01). M- and SM-stage cancers were common in the left colon; however, no significant differences were found between them (151/196, 77% and 32/37, 86.5%, respectively, P = 0.199). The endoscopic features of colorectal cancer revealed that CSM, depressed areas with clear boundaries, and erosion or ulcer bleeding were more common in the SM-stage cancer group than in the M-stage cancer group (59.5% vs 26.2%, 46% vs 8.7%, and 27.3% vs 4.1%, respectively, P < 0.05). CSM prevalence in this study was 31.3% (73/233). The positive rates of CSM in flat, protruded, and sessile lesions were 18% (11/61), 30.6% (30/98), and 43.2% (32/74), respectively, with significant differences (P = 0.007). CONCLUSION: CSM-related small colorectal cancer was primarily located in the left colon and could be a predictive marker of submucosal invasion in the left colon.

Tumor attachment to Major intrahepatic vascular for Colorectal liver metastases.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal liver metastases attached major intrahepatic vessels has been considered to be a risk factor for survival outcome after liver resection. The present study aimed to clarify the outcomes of R1 surgery (margin < 1 mm) in CRLM patients, distinguishing parenchymal margin R1 and attached to major intrahepatic vessels R1. METHODS: In present study, 283 CRLM patients who were evaluated to be attached to major intrahepatic vessels initially and underwent liver resection following preoperative chemotherapy. They were assigned to two following groups: R0 (n = 167), R1 parenchymal (n = 58) and R1 vascular (n = 58). The survival outcomes and local recurrence rates were analyzed in each group. RESULTS: Overall, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates after liver resection were 53.0% and 38.2% (median overall survival 37 months). Five-year overall survival was higher in patients with R0 than parenchymal R1 (44.9%% vs. 26.3%, p = 0.009), whereas there was no significant difference from patients with vascular R1 (34.3%, p = 0.752). In the multivariable analysis, preoperative chemotherapy > 4 cycles, clinical risk score 3-5, RAS mutation, parenchymal R1 and CA199 > 100 IU/ml were identified as independent predictive factors of overall survival (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference for local recurrence among three groups. CONCLUSION: Parenchymal R1 resection was independent risk factor for CRLM. Vascular R1 surgery achieved survival outcomes equivalent to R0 resection. Non-anatomic liver resection for CRLM attached to intrahepatic vessels might be pursued to increase patient resectability by preoperative chemotherapy.

A Single Strain of Lactobacillus (CGMCC 21661) Exhibits Stable Glucose- and Lipid-Lowering Effects by Regulating Gut Microbiota.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is usually accompanied by obesity and nonalcoholic fatty-liver-related insulin resistance. The link between T2D and dysbiosis has been receiving increasing attention. Probiotics can improve insulin sensitivity by regulating imbalances in microbiota, but efficacy varies based on the probiotic used. This study screened the main strain in the feces of healthy adult mice and found it to be a new Lactobacillus (abbreviated as Lb., named as CGMCC No. 21661) after genetic testing. We designed the most common Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum (CGMCC1.2186, abbreviated as B. longum. subsp.), fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), and Lb. CGMCC No. 21661 protocols to explore the best way for modulating dysbiosis to improve T2D. After 6 weeks of gavage in T2D mice, it was found that all three protocols had a therapeutic alleviating effect. Among them, compared with the B. longum. subsp. and FMT, the Lb. CGMCC No. 21661 showed a 1- to 2-fold decrease in blood glucose (11.84 ± 1.29 mmol/L, p < 0.05), the lowest HOMA-IR (p < 0.05), a 1 fold increase in serum glucagon-like peptide-1 (5.84 ± 1.1 pmol/L, p < 0.05), and lowest blood lipids (total cholesterol, 2.21 ± 0.68 mmol/L, p < 0.01; triglycerides, 0.4 ± 0.15 mmol/L, p < 0.01; Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, 0.53 ± 0.16 mmol/L, p < 0.01). In addition, tissue staining in the Lb. CGMCC No. 21661 showed a 2- to 3-fold reduction in T2D-induced fatty liver (p < 0.0001), a 1- to 2-fold decrease in pancreatic apoptotic cells (p < 0.05), and a significant increase in colonic mucus layer thickness (p < 0.05) compared with the B. longum. subsp. and FMT. The glucose and lipid lowering effects of this Lb. CGMCC No. 21661 indicate that it may provide new ideas for the treatment of diabetes.

Using search trends to analyze web-based users' behavior profiles connected with COVID-19 in mainland China: infodemiology study based on hot words and Baidu Index.

Background: Mainland China, the world's most populous region, experienced a large-scale coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Existing infodemiology studies have primarily concentrated on the prospective surveillance of confirmed cases or symptoms which met the criterion for investigators; nevertheless, the actual impact regarding COVID-19 on the public and subsequent attitudes of different groups towards the COVID-19 epidemic were neglected. Methods: This study aimed to examine the public web-based search trends and behavior patterns related to COVID-19 outbreaks in mainland China by using hot words and Baidu Index (BI). The initial hot words (the high-frequency words on the Internet) and the epidemic data (2019/12/01-2021/11/30) were mined from infodemiology platforms. The final hot words table was established by two-rounds of hot words screening and double-level hot words classification. Temporal distribution and demographic portraits of COVID-19 were queried by search trends service supplied from BI to perform the correlation analysis. Further, we used the parameter estimation to quantitatively forecast the geographical distribution of COVID-19 in the future. Results: The final English-Chinese bilingual table was established including six domains and 32 subordinate hot words. According to the temporal distribution of domains and subordinate hot words in 2020 and 2021, the peaks of searching subordinate hot words and COVID-19 outbreak periods had significant temporal correlation and the subordinate hot words in COVID-19 Related and Territory domains were reliable for COVID-19 surveillance. Gender distribution results showed that Territory domain (the male proportion: 67.69%; standard deviation (SD): 5.88%) and Symptoms/Symptom and Public Health (the female proportion: 57.95%, 56.61%; SD: 0, 9.06%) domains were searched more by male and female groups respectively. The results of age distribution of hot words showed that people aged 20-50 (middle-aged people) had a higher online search intensity, and the group of 20-29, 30-39 years old focused more on Media and Symptoms/Symptom (proportion: 45.43%, 51.66%; SD: 15.37%, 16.59%) domains respectively. Finally, based on frequency rankings of searching hot words and confirmed cases in Mainland China, the epidemic situation of provinces and Chinese administrative divisions were divided into 5 levels of early-warning regions. Central, East and South China regions would be impacted again by the COVID-19 in the future.

Genome-wide identification, new classification, expression analysis and screening of drought & heat resistance related candidates in the RING zinc finger gene family of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

BACKGROUND: RING (Really Interesting New Gene) zinc finger (RING-zf) proteins belong to an important subclass of zinc fingers superfamily, which play versatile roles during various developmental stages and in abiotic stress responses. Based on the conserved cysteine and histidine residues, the RING-zf domains are classified into RING-HC (C3HC4), RING-H2 (C3H2C3), RING-v, RING-D, RING-S/T, RING-G, and RING-C2. However, little is known about the function of the RING-zfs of wheat. RESULTS: In this study, 129 (93.5%) of 138 members were found in nucleus, indicating TaRING-zf were primarily engaged in the degradation of transcription factors and other nuclear-localized proteins. 138 TaRING-zf domains can be divided into four canonical or modified types (RING-H2, RING-HC, RING-D, and RING-M). The RING-M was newly identified in T. aestivum, and might represent the intermediate other states between RING-zf domain and other modified domains. The consensus sequence of the RING-M domain can be described as M-X2-R-X14-Cys-X1-H-X2-Cys-X2-Cys-X10-Cys-X2-Cys. Further interspecies collinearity analyses showed that TaRING-zfs were more closely related to the genes in Poaceae. According to the public transcriptome data, most of the TaRING-zfs were expressed at different 15 stages of plant growth, development, and some of them exhibited specific responses to drought/heat stress. Moreover, 4 RING-HC (TraesCS2A02G526800.1, TraesCS4A02G290600.1, TraesCS4B02G023600.1 and TraesCS4D02G021200.1) and 2 RING-H2 (TraesCS3A02G288900.1 and TraesCS4A02G174600.1) were significantly expressed at different development stages and under drought stress. These findings provide valuable reference data for further study of their physiological functions in wheat varieties. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, the characterization and classifications of the TaRING-zf family were extensively studied and some new features about it were revealed. This study could provide some valuable targets for further studies on their functions in growth and development, and abiotic stress responses in wheat.

Optimal surgical sequence for colorectal cancer liver metastases patients receiving colorectal cancer resection with simultaneous liver metastasis resection: A multicentre retrospective propensity score matching study.

BACKGROUND: There is little evidence regarding the optimal surgical sequence for colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRLM) patients undergoing colorectal resection with simultaneous liver metastasis resection. METHODS: CRLM patients from five centers were retrospectively evaluated. The short-term outcomes included intraoperative and postoperative outcomes. Postoperative complications were measured according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. Grade I to II complications were defined as minor postoperative complications. The long-term outcomes were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) were performed to overcome the selection bias between colorectal resection first and liver resection first. RESULTS: A total of 1255 CRLM patients were included. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, a body mass index (BMI) < 24 kg/m2, primary site in the left hemicolon, non-bilobar distribution of liver metastases and no preoperative chemotherapy were significantly associated with the likelihood of colorectal resection first. After 1:1 PSM, there was no significant difference between the colorectal resection first group and the liver resection first group. Compared with patients with colorectal resection first, patients with liver resection first had a comparable postoperative infection rate (15.0% vs. 16.0%, P = 0.735), a longer operation time (305.0 [231.3-416.0] vs. 300.0 [225.0-374.0], P = 0.033), more intraoperative blood loss (200.0 [150.0-400.0] vs. 100.0 [100.0-300.0], P < 0.001), a higher postoperative minor complication rate (28.7% vs. 20.7%, P = 0.023) and a higher postoperative ICU rate (14.7% vs. 8.7%, P = 0.022). IPTW-adjusted Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients who underwent colorectal resection first had a similar PFS (P = 0.702, median: 20.6 months vs. 16.6 months) and unfavourable OS (P = 0.014, median: 48.5 months vs. 67.0 months) compared with patients who underwent liver resection first. In the IPTW-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, colorectal resection first was an unfavourable risk factor for OS (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.301, 95% CI 1.048-1.616, P = 0.017) and was not an independent predictor for PFS (HR = 0.986, 95% CI 0.831-1.170, P = 0.874). IPTW-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, including postoperative complications, operation time, intraoperative blood loss and postoperative chemotherapy, produced consistent results. CONCLUSION: Although violating the "sterility principle", patients who underwent colorectal resection first did not have an increased postoperative infection rate and had some better short-term outcomes and comparable PFS than those who underwent liver resection first.