Preparation of Ce-Doped Gd3(Al, Ga)5O12 Nanopowders via Microwave-Assisted Homogenization Precipitation for Transparent Ceramic Scintillators.

Ce-doped gadolinium gallium aluminum oxide (Ce: GGAG) precursors were first prepared by the microwave-assisted homogeneous precipitation method (MAHP). Thermal gravity-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), specific surface area analysis (BET) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) were employed to investigate the crystal structure, phase evolution and morphologies of the Ce: GGAG precursors and powders. The influence of Ga ion concentration in the salt solution on the properties of Ce: GGAG powders was investigated. All the precursors were transformed into single-phase GGAG after being calcined at 950 °C in a furnace for 3 h. Monodispersed Ce: GGAG powders were obtained as the Ga ion concentration was lower than 0.06 mol/L. Single-phase and dense Ce: GGAG ceramics were obtained after sintering at 1600 °C in a flowing oxygen atmosphere for 10 h. Specifically, the Ce: GGAG ceramic reached its maximum density of ~6.68 g/cm3, which was close to its theoretical density of 6.70 g/cm3, and exhibited the highest optical transmittance of 65.2% at 800 nm after hot isostatic pressing sintering (HIP) as the Ga ion concentration was 0.02 mol/L. The decay time and light yield of the GGAG ceramic were 35 ns and 35,000 ± 1250 ph/MeV, respectively, suggesting that Ce: GGAG ceramics prepared using MAHP-synthesized nanopowders are promising for scintillation applications.

Fabrication and Luminescence Properties of Highly Transparent Green-Emitting Ho:Y2O3 Ceramics for Laser Diode Lighting.

Highly transparent Ho:Y2O3 ceramics for laser diode lighting were prepared using the vacuum sintering method with 0.3 at.% Nb2O5 as a sintering additive. The microstructures, transmittance, and luminescence properties of the Ho:Y2O3 ceramic samples were investigated in detail. The transmittance levels of all samples with various Ho3+ concentrations reached ~81.5% (2 mm thick) at 1100 nm. Under the excitation of 363 nm (ultraviolet) or 448 nm (blue) light, Ho:Y2O3 transparent ceramic samples showed that green emission peaked at 550 nm. The emission intensity was strongly affected by the concentration of Ho3+ ions, reaching its highest level in the sample doped with 1 at.% Ho3+. The CIE coordinates of the luminescence were in the green region (i.e., the CIE coordinates of the sample doped with 1 at.% Ho3+ were [0.27, 0.53] and [0.30, 0.69], under the excitation of 363 nm and 448 nm light, respectively). The possibility of its application as laser diode lighting was reported. Under the excitation of 450 nm blue laser, the sample doped with 0.5 at.% Ho3+ had the best performance: the saturated luminous flux, lumen efficiency, and the luminescence saturation power densities were 800 lm, 57.7 lm/W, and 17.6 W/mm2, respectively. Furthermore, the materials have high thermal conductivity and mechanical strength due to their host of rare-earth sesquioxide. Thus, Ho:Y2O3 transparent ceramics are expected to be a promising candidate for green-light-emitting devices for solid-state lighting, such as laser diode lighting.

Fabrication and Luminescent Properties of Highly Transparent Er:Y2O3 Ceramics by Hot Pressing Sintering.

Highly transparent Er:Y2O3 ceramics (1-9 at.% Er) were fabricated by hot pressing sintering with ZrO2 as the sintering additive. The microstructures, transmittance, luminescent properties, thermal conductivity, and mechanical properties of the Er:Y2O3 ceramic samples were investigated in detail. The samples all exhibited dense and fine grain microstructures; the average grain sizes were about 0.8 µm. The transmittance levels of the samples with various Er concentrations (2 mm thick) at the wavelengths of 600 and 2700 nm were ~74 and ~83%, respectively. As the Er doping concentration increased from 1 to 9 at.%, the up-conversion luminescence of the samples gradually changed from green to red, with the intensity ratio of red/green light increasing from 0.28 to 2.01. Meanwhile, the down-conversion luminescence properties of the specimens were also studied. When the samples were under 980 nm excitation, the emission bands were detected at 1552, 1573, 1639, and 1661 nm. The thermal conductivity of the samples was found to decrease from 8.72 to 5.81 W/(m·K) with an increase of the Er concentration from 1 to 9 at.%. Moreover, the microhardness and fracture toughness of the samples with 1 at.% Er concentration were ~8.51 GPa and ~1.03 MPa·m1/2, respectively.

Dietary Factors and Pancreatic Cancer Risk: An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses of Prospective Observational Studies.

Dietary factors may be associated with the occurrence of pancreatic cancer. This umbrella review aimed to review and grade the evidence for the associations between dietary factors and pancreatic cancer risk. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and CINAHL for eligible literature. We included meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or prospective observational studies. We used AMSTAR-2, a measurement tool to assess systematic reviews, to evaluate the methodological quality of the included meta-analyses. For each association, we calculated the summary effect size, 95% CI, heterogeneity, number of cases, 95% prediction interval, small-study effect, and excess significance bias. The protocol for this review was registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42022333669). We included 41 meta-analyses of prospective observational studies describing 59 associations between dietary factors and pancreatic cancer risk. None of the retrieved meta-analyses included RCTs. No association was supported by convincing or highly suggestive evidence; however, there was suggestive evidence of a positive association between fructose intake and pancreatic cancer risk. There was weak evidence for an inverse association of nuts intake or adherence to the Mediterranean diet with pancreatic cancer incidence, and for positive associations between a higher intake of red meat or heavy alcohol intake and pancreatic cancer incidence. The remaining 54 associations were nonsignificant. Consistent with the American Institute for Cancer Research review, this umbrella review found that regular consumption of nuts and reduced intake of fructose, red meat, and alcohol were associated with a lower risk of pancreatic cancer. Emerging weak evidence supported an inverse association between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and pancreatic cancer risk. As some associations were rated as weak and most were considered nonsignificant, further prospective studies are needed to investigate the role of dietary factors and risk of pancreatic cancer.

Diet and Esophageal Cancer Risk: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Observational Studies.

Diet may play an important role in the occurrence of esophageal cancer (EC). The aim of this umbrella review was to grade the evidence for the association between dietary factors and EC risk. A protocol for this review was registered with the PROSPERO database (CRD42021283232). Publications were identified by searching PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and CINAHL databases. Only systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies (cohort studies, case-cohort studies, nested case-control studies) were eligible. AMSTAR-2 (A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews) was used to assess the methodological quality of included systematic reviews. For each association, random-effects pooled effect size, 95% CI, number of cases, 95% prediction interval, heterogeneity, small-study effect, and excess significance bias were calculated to grade the evidence. From 882 publications, 107 full-text articles were evaluated for eligibility, and 20 systematic reviews and meta-analyses describing 32 associations between dietary factors and EC risk were included in the present umbrella review. By assessing the strength and validity of the evidence, 1 association (positively associated with alcohol intake) was supported by highly suggestive evidence and 1 (inversely associated with calcium intake) showed a suggestive level of evidence. Evidence for 7 associations was weak (positively associated with red meat and processed-meat intake; inversely associated with whole grains, fruits, green leafy vegetables, green tea, and zinc intake). The remaining 23 associations were nonsignificant. In conclusion, the findings of this umbrella review emphasize that habitually consuming calcium, whole grains, fruits, green leafy vegetables, green tea, and zinc and reducing alcohol, red meat, and processed-meat intake are associated with a lower risk of EC. Since this umbrella review included only observational study data and some of the associations were graded as weak, caution should be exercised in interpreting these relations.

Identification of Key mRNAs and Pathways in Colorectal Cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most cancer-related death worldwide. This work aimed to identify potential hub genes and dysregulated pathways in the CRC by bioinformatics analysis. Three gene expression datasets were collected from GEO datasets, including tumor sample (N = 242) and adjacent nontumor tissue sample (N = 59). RankProd was used to discover the differential expressed genes between tumor and adjacent nontumor tissues for datasets generated by different laboratories. The gene set enrichment analysis conducted on the DE genes, followed by the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. In total, 2,007 significant differential expression (DE) genes between tumor and adjacent nontumor tissues, include 1,090 upregulated genes and 917 downregulated genes in the tumor. The DE mRNAs are involved in cancer-related pathways. We comprehensively identified the CRC-related key mRNAs. Our data demonstrated combined different resources of transcriptomes will promote the understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying CRC development and may be useful in discovering candidate molecular biomarkers for diagnosing, prognosis, and treating of CRC.

SOX10-dependent CMTM7 expression inhibits cell proliferation and tumor growth in gastric carcinoma.

Numerous studies have shown that CMTM family members have a variety of important roles in the occurrence and progression of cancer. CMTM7 has also been reported to be down-regulated in some digestive system tumors, but the expression patterns and pathological role of CMTM7 in gastric cancer remains unclear. In this study, we found that both CMTM7 and SOX10 were significantly down-regulated in gastric cancer tissues compared with paracancerous tissues, and the expression pattern of CMTM7 and SOX10 were strongly correlated (r = 0.6455, p < 0.001). Further, through bioinformatics technology and luciferase assay, we identify that SOX10 can be a transcriptional regulator of CMTM7 to mediate the expression of CMTM7 in gastric cancer. In addition, we found silencing the expression of CMTM7 can increase the proliferation and tumorigenesis of gastric cancer cells in vivo and in vitro. More interestingly, overexpression of SOX10 in cell lines stably silencing CMTM7 expression significantly inhibited the proliferation and tumor growth of gastric cancer. Therefore, our results demonstrate that CMTM7 as a tumor suppressor is down-regulated in gastric cancer, and SOX10 can regulate the proliferation and tumor formation of gastric cancer by regulating the expression of CMTM7.

MiR-370 promotes apoptosis in colon cancer by directly targeting MDM4.

MicroRNA (miR)-370 functions as a tumor suppressor or promoter in several cancers. However, the expression and biological role of miR-370 in colon cancer remains undefined. In the present study, miR-370 expression in both normal and malignant colon tissues was quantified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. An in vitro cell viability and apoptosis assay and an in vitro xenograft tumor model were employed to investigate the role of miR-370 on colon cancer growth. Furthermore, the potential direct target of miR-370 was identified using a luciferase assay. Our results demonstrate that down-regulation of miR-370 expression occurs in malignant tissues and miR-370 expression is inversely correlated with tumor grade. Moreover, we determined that miR-370 functions as a tumor suppressor in colon cancer by inhibiting cell proliferation and promoting cell apoptosis. In addition, overexpression of miR-370 impairs xenograft tumor growth in nude mice. Mechanistically, mouse double minute 4 (MDM4) was demonstrated to be a potential direct target of miR-370, inducing apoptosis in colon cancer. Collectively, these findings suggest that upregulation of miR-370 may impair colon tumor growth by directly targeting MDM4. These findings provide a new direction for the diagnosis and treatment of colon cancer.

ATP-Dependent Lon Protease Contributes to Helicobacter pylori-Induced Gastric Carcinogenesis.

Helicobacter pylori infection is the strongest risk factor for development of gastric cancer. Host cellular stress responses, including inflammatory and immune responses, have been reported highly linked to H. pylori-induced carcinogenesis. However, whether mitochondrial regulation and metabolic reprogramming, which are potently associated with various cancers, play a role in H. pylori-induced gastric carcinogenesis is largely unknown. Here we revealed that Lon protease (Lonp1), which is a key inductive of mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPR(mt)) and is required to maintain the mitochondrial quality, was greatly induced in H. pylori infected gastric epithelial cells. Importantly, we uncovered that knockdown of Lonp1 expression significantly diminished the metabolic switch to glycolysis and gastric cell proliferation associated with low multiplicity of H. pylori infection. In addition, Lonp1 overexpression in gastric epithelial cells also promoted glycolytic switch and cell overgrowth, suggesting H. pylori effect is Lonp1 dependent. We further demonstrated that H. pylori induced Lonp1 expression and cell overgrowth, at least partially, via HIF-1α regulation. Collectively, our results concluded the relevance of Lonp1 for cell proliferation and identified Lonp1 as a key regulator of metabolic reprogramming in H. pylori-induced gastric carcinogenesis.

Does intravenous fish oil benefit patients post-surgery? A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Supplementation of fish oil (FO) containing lipid emulsions has been associated with a reduction in the length of hospital stay, infections and liver dysfunction in patients undergoing major surgery. We carried out a meta-analysis and subgroup analysis to examine randomised clinical trial (RCT)-based evidence of the aforementioned effects. METHODS: Four databases, reference lists and the WHO ICTRP were systematically searched for RCTs to access the clinical efficacy of fish oil-enriched total parenteral nutrition in post-surgery patients. Methodological quality assessment was based on the Cochrane Handbook and GRADE. RESULTS: Twenty-one RCTs were enrolled for meta-analysis. FO was associated with a significant reduction in the length of hospital stay (mean = -2.14 d, 95% CI = -3.02 to -1.27), infections (OR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.35-0.81), ALT (mean = -6.35 U/L, 95% CI = -11.75 to -0.94), GGT (mean = -11.01 U/L, 95% CI = -20.77 to -1.25) and total bilirubin (mean = -2.06 µmol/L, 95% CI = -3.6 to -0.52), as well as a non-significant change in mortality and postoperative medical cost. The quality of evidence of each clinical outcome was accessed as high. CONCLUSION: FO-enriched lipid emulsions are likely to reduce infections, the length of hospital stay and liver dysfunction without influencing mortality and may be a safe and preferable choice in post-surgery patients. Further well-designed trials should be performed to determine whether FO lipid emulsions reduce mortality in patients undergoing hepatic surgery, especially liver transplantation, and the cost effectiveness of such treatment.

XRCC3 Thr241Met polymorphism and gastric cancer susceptibility: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: X-ray repair cross-complementing group 3 (XRCC3) is responsible for maintaining the integrity of the genome, playing a critical role in protecting it against mutations which lead to cancer. Polymorphisms at exons 7 of the XRCC3 gene may alter the XRCC3 repair efficiency. The aim of this study is to derive a precise estimation of the relationship between XRCC3 Thr241Met polymorphism and gastric cancer (GC) risk. METHODS: Two investigators independently searched the databases of Pubmed, EMBASE and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) up to May 15, 2013. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for XRCC3 Thr241Met polymorphism and GC were calculated in a fixed- or random- effects model depending on statistical heterogeneity. RESULTS: This meta-analysis included 9 case-control studies, which included 2209 cases and 3269 controls. Overall, the combined results based on all studies indicated that there was no association between XRCC3 Thr241Met polymorphism and GC susceptibility for all genetic models. When stratifying for race, we found the 241Met/Met genotype carriers might be at high risk of GC among Asians, but not among Caucasians. When stratifying by the location of gastric cancer, the combined results showed that Met/Met genotype carriers might have an increased risk of GC in non-cardiac gastric cancer, but not in cardiac cancer. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis confirmed that the XRCC3 Thr241Met gene polymorphism might be a risk factor for GC among Asians, and that differences in genotype distribution may be related to the location of gastric cancer. More well-designed studies based on larger population are needed to confirm our results.

Magnetic endoscopic imaging vs standard colonoscopy: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

AIM: To assess the theoretical advantages of magnetic endoscope imaging (MEI) over standard colonoscopies (SCs) and to compare their efficacies. METHODS: Electronic databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane library and the Science Citation Index, were searched to retrieve relevant trials. In addition, abstracts from papers presented at professional meetings and the reference lists of retrieved articles were reviewed to identify additional studies. The meta-analyses were performed using RevMan 5.1. A random effect model with the Mantel-Haenszel method was used for pooling dichotomous and continuous data. A sensitivity analysis was performed by excluding the trials with a small number of patients and by excluding the trials performed by inexperienced providers. RESULTS: Eight randomized controlled trials (RCTs), including 2967 patients, were included in the meta-analysis to compare cecal intubation rates and times, sedation dose, abdominal pain scores and the use of ancillary maneuvers between MEI and SC. The overall OR was 1.92 (95%CI: 1.13-3.27, eight RCTs), as indicated by the cecal intubation rate of MEI compared with SC, but MEI did not have any distinct advantage over SC for cecal intubation time (MD = -0.07, 95%CI: -0.16-0.02; three RCTs). MEI did not generally result in lower pain scores. Outcomes were also analyzed for the two subgroups based on the endoscopists' experience level to evaluate cecal intubation rates. MEI presented better outcomes for non-experienced colonoscopists than experienced colonoscopists. CONCLUSION: The real-time magnetic imaging system is of benefit in training and educating inexperienced endoscopists and improves the cecal intubation rate for experienced and inexperienced endoscopists.

[Clinical observation of preoperative administration of enteral nutrition support in gastric cancer patients at risk of malnutrition].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate safety and efficacy of preoperative administration of enteral nutrition support in gastric cancer patients at risk of malnutrition. METHODS: A single center randomized controlled clinical trial was performed in 60 gastric cancer patients in West China Hospital from May to October 2012. Thirty patients were given enteral nutrition support(Ensure(R)) manufactured by Abbott Laboratories for ten consecutive days before surgical operation in the treatment group, and 30 patients were given an isocaloric and isonitrogenous homogenized diet in the control group for 10 days as well. The laboratory parameters of nutritional status and hepatorenal function were observed and compared between the two groups on admission, preoperative day 1 and postoperative day 3, respectively. Clinical observations, such as nausea and vomiting, were carried out until patients were discharged. RESULTS: Before the intervention, there were no significant differences in the baseline characteristics between the two groups. The levels of serum albumin [(33.9±5.6) g/L vs. (31.0±5.3) g/L, P<0.05], and hemoglobin[(103.4±7.7) g/L vs.(96.6±10.5) g/L, P<0.01] were significantly improved in the treatment group on postoperative day 3. However, the levels of body mass index, lymphocyte count, liver and renal function, serum glucose, sodium, and potassium were not significantly different between the two groups(all P>0.05). Moreover, two patients with nausea and one with vomiting in each group were found. In clinical observation period, no severe treatment-related adverse event were observed. CONCLUSION: The enteral supplement with Ensure(R) in gastric cancer patients at risk of malnutrition during preoperative period is effective and safe, which is superior to homogenized diet and an appropriate choice for gastric cancer patients with nutritional risk.

Glutathione S-transferase T1 gene polymorphism and colorectal cancer risk: an updated analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The association between glutathione S-transferase T1 (GSTT1) gene polymorphisms and colorectal cancer (CRC) susceptibility is still controversial. In order to clarify the effect of GSTT1 genotype on the CRC risk, we carried out an updated meta-analysis of published case-control studies to provide more precise evidence. METHODS: Two investigators independently searched the databases of Pubmed, EMBASE and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) up to October 15, 2012. Crude odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to investigate the strength of the association in a fixed- or random-effects model depending on statistical heterogeneity. RESULTS: Forty-six case-control studies with 15,373 colorectal cancer cases and 21,238 controls were included. Overall, the pooled results indicated that GSTT1 null genotype was significantly associated with increased CRC risk (OR=1.21, 95% CI=1.10-1.33). When stratifying for ethnicity and control sources, we also observed positive association between GSTT1 null genotype and increased risk of CRC. When stratifying by the location, we found there was a statistically significant association in the rectal cancer (OR=1.28, 95% CI=1.01-1.64), but not in colon cancer (OR=1.27, 95% CI=0.94-1.73). Subgroup analyses for Dukes stage, histological differentiation of CRC and smoking habit did not reveal any significant differences in genotype distribution. In addition, we observed a strong correlation between increased CRC risk and the combined GSTM1 and GSTT1 null genotype. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis suggests that the GSTT1 null genotype may contribute to increased risk of colorectal cancer. More well-designed studies based on larger population are needed to confirm our results.

Highly efficient Tm:YAG ceramic laser resonantly pumped at 1617 nm.

We report on a highly efficient polycrystalline Tm:YAG ceramic laser in-band pumped by an Er:YAG laser at 1617 nm. Lasing characteristics of 4.0 and 6.0 at.%Tm(3+)-doped YAG ceramics were investigated and compared. With an output coupler of 10% transmission, a maximum output power of 7.3 W was obtained at 2015 nm under 12.8 W of incident pump power, corresponding to a slope efficiency with respect to incident pump power of 62.3%.

CDH1 -160C>A gene polymorphism is an ethnicity-dependent risk factor for gastric cancer.

The associations between E-cadherin (CDH1) gene polymorphisms and gastric cancer (GC) susceptibility are still controversial. Given this uncertainty, we carried out a meta-analysis of published case-control studies to derive more precise estimations of these relationships. Relevant studies were identified from PubMed and EMBASE up to March 2011. Seventeen studies with 3511 GC cases and 4826 controls were selected. Crude odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to investigate the strength of the associations. No associations between CDH1 (+54T>C, -160C>A, -347G>GA, -616G>C, -2076C>T and -3159T>C) gene polymorphisms and GC risk for all genetic models were found. As for CDH1 -160C>A polymorphism, subgroup analyses by country, gender, study design, smoking status, Helicobacter pylori infection, and the Lauren classification of GC did not change the results. When stratified by ethnicity, we found the A allele carriers had a significantly increased risk of GC among Caucasians (AA vs. CA+CC: OR=1.50, 95% CI=1.03-2.19, P=0.03), but not among Asians (AA vs. CA+CC: OR=0.87, 95% CI=0.56-1.37, P=0.56). No publication bias was found in the present study. This meta-analysis suggests that CDH1 -160C>A gene polymorphism may contribute to increased risk of GC among Caucasians.