Metastatic pericardial mass and cardiophrenic lymph nodes resection in ovarian cancer.

Introduction: Epithelial Ovarian cancer most commonly presents at advanced stages with extra-abdominal disease metastasis. Notably, enlarged cardiophrenic lymph nodes are found in 10.5-62 % of patients with advanced ovarian cancer. However, the safety and feasibility of cardiophrenic lymph nodes dissection as a component of debulking surgery remains controversial (Acs et al., 2022, Agusti et al., 2024). Case/methods: We present a surgical video demonstrating the technique of bulky pericardial mass and metastatic cardiophrenic lymph nodes resection by transdiaphragmatic approach in advanced ovarian cancer. After the complete excision of intra-abdominal disease at laparotomy, the diaphragm is exposed, following the liver mobilization. According to the preoperative radiological examinations, the pericardial mass in the diaphragmatic space is reconfirmed, and then carefully removed by blunt and sharp dissection. Next, the pericardial cavity is closed by continuous suture. Through the transdiaphragmatic access to thoracic cavity, the pericardial fat pad containing cardiophrenic lymph nodes is explored and completely resected in view throughout. The diaphragm incision is closed continuously using non-absorbable suture with a biofilm, meanwhile, performing air aspiration in thoracic cavity. Conclusion: We demonstrate that advanced ovarian cancer with extra-abdominal diseases, such as bulky pericardial mass and cardiophrenic lymph nodes, should not be an absolute contraindication to a planned complete debulking surgery. Based on our growing experience, transdiaphragmatic approach is a safe and feasible access for metastatic cardiophrenic lymph nodes dissection.

Effects of ant nests on soil CH4 emissions from Syzygium oblatum communities of a secondary tropical forest.

Exploring the effects of ant nests on soil CH4 emissions in the secondary tropical forests is of great scientific significance to understand the contribution of soil faunal activities to greenhouse gas emissions. With static chamber-gas chromatography method, we measured the dry-wet seasonal dynamics of CH4 emissions from ant nests and control soils in the secondary forest of Syzygium oblatum communities in Xishuangbanna. We also examined the linkages of ant-mediated changes in functional microbial diversity and soil physicochemical properties with CH4 emissions. The results showed that: 1) Ant nests significantly accelerated soil CH4 emissions, with average CH4 emissions in the ant nests being 2.6-fold of that in the control soils. 2) The CH4 emissions had significant dry-wet seasonal variations, which was a carbon sink in the dry seasons (from -0.29±0.03 to -0.53±0.02 µg·m-2·h-1) and a carbon source in the wet seasons (from 0.098±0.02 to 0.041±0.009 µg·m-2·h-1). The CH4 emissions were significantly higher in ant nests than in control soils. The CH4 emissions from the ant nests had smaller dry-wet seasonal variation (from -0.38±0.01 to 0.12±0.02 µg·m-2·h-1) than those in the control soils (from -0.65±0.04 to 0.058±0.006 µg·m-2·h-1). 3) Ant nests significantly increased the values (6.2%-37.8%) of soil methanogen diversity (i.e., Ace and Shannon indices), temperature and humidity, carbon pools (i.e., total, easily oxidizable, and microbial carbon), and nitrogen pools (i.e., total, hydrolyzed, ammonium, and microbial biomass nitrogen), but decreased the diversity (i.e., Ace and Chao1 indices) of methane-oxidizing bacteria by 21.9%-23.8%. 4) Results of the structural equation modeling showed that CH4 emissions were promoted by soil methanogen diversity, temperature and humidity, and C and N pools, but inhibited by soil methane-oxidizing bacterial diversity. The explained extents of soil temperature, humidity, carbon pool, nitrogen pool, methanogen diversity, and methane-oxidizing bacterial diversity for the CH4 emission changes were 6.9%, 21.6%, 18.4%, 15.2%, 14.0%, and 10.8%, respectively. Therefore, ant nests regulated soil CH4 emission dynamics through altering soil functional bacterial diversities, micro-habitat, and carbon and nitrogen pools in the secondary tropical forests.

Mediating effects of sleep quality between clinical characteristics and quality of life in children with epilepsy: A cross-sectional study from Southwest China.

BACKGROUND: Although sleep quality (SQ) reportedly affects the health-related quality of life (QOL) of patients with epilepsy, little is known about the potential association between SQ and QOL, particularly in children with epilepsy (CWE). Our study aimed to investigate the mediating effect of SQ on the QOL of CWE to obtain more information for the prevention and treatment of epilepsy in children. METHODS: We collected general demographic and clinical data of 212 CWE and 79 controls (children who visited the Health Examination Department), and their guardians were instructed to answer the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) and the optimized Quality of Life in Childhood Epilepsy Questionnaire-16 (QOLCE-16). The t-test, analysis of variance, chi-square test, and Fisher's exact test were used for between group comparisons. The Pearson correlation was used to analyze the correlation between variables. The direct, indirect, and total effects of predictors on the QOL of CWE were estimated based on an adjusted mediation model. RESULTS: CWE had significantly smaller long-term urban residence rates, less educated guardians, higher total CSHQ score, higher incidence of poor SQ, higher bedtime resistance, more sleep anxiety, worse sleep-disordered breathing, increased parasomnia, more daytime sleepiness, more frequent night waking, and greater sleep onset delay than controls (P < 0.05 for all). The univariable analysis showed significant differences in total CSHQ scores between CWE with different seizure frequency in the last month, whether or not drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE), and with different video electroencephalogram (VEEG) findings (P < 0.05 for all). Differences in QOLCE-16 scores between CWE with different guardian's employment status, age at diagnosis, number of anti-seizure medication (ASM) types, seizure frequency in the last month, DRE status, seizure type, VEEG findings, neuropsychological evaluation findings, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, and etiology were statistically significant (P < 0.05 for all). The correlation study indicated that the total CSHQ score was negatively correlated with the QOLCE-16 score (P < 0.05). The mediation analysis showed that DRE and VEEG abnormalities had a standardized direct effect on the QOL. Seizure frequency in the last month, DRE, and VEEG abnormalities had an indirect effect on the QOL through SQ, and their mediating effect values of SQ were 31.61 %, 13.45 %, and 14.35 %, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our findings uncovered the relationship of some clinical characteristics with SQ and QOL and characterized the nature of factors affecting the QOL of CWE. SQ could be a key factor in the prognosis of CWE experiencing epileptic seizures, and more attention should be paid on the management of SQ in interventions for epilepsy.

Explainable machine learning for early predicting treatment failure risk among patients with TB-diabetes comorbidity.

The present study aims to assess the treatment outcome of patients with diabetes and tuberculosis (TB-DM) at an early stage using machine learning (ML) based on electronic medical records (EMRs). A total of 429 patients were included at Chongqing Public Health Medical Center. The random-forest-based Boruta algorithm was employed to select the essential variables, and four models with a fivefold cross-validation scheme were used for modeling and model evaluation. Furthermore, we adopted SHapley additive explanations to interpret results from the tree-based model. 9 features out of 69 candidate features were chosen as predictors. Among these predictors, the type of resistance was the most important feature, followed by activated partial throm-boplastic time (APTT), thrombin time (TT), platelet distribution width (PDW), and prothrombin time (PT). All the models we established performed above an AUC 0.7 with good predictive performance. XGBoost, the optimal performing model, predicts the risk of treatment failure in the test set with an AUC 0.9281. This study suggests that machine learning approach (XGBoost) presented in this study identifies patients with TB-DM at higher risk of treatment failure at an early stage based on EMRs. The application of a convenient and economy EMRs based on machine learning provides new insight into TB-DM treatment strategies in low and middle-income countries.

Polarized emission of Cs3Cu2I5 nanowires embedded in nanopores of an anodic aluminum oxide template.

Due to the intrinsic polarized emission property, polarized emissive materials with anisotropic nanostructures are expected to be potential substitutes for polarizers. Herein, by the template-assisted strategy, well-aligned lead-free metal halide Cs3Cu2I5 nanowire (NW) arrays are fabricated by evaporating the precursor ink in the anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) for polarized emission. The Cs3Cu2I5/AAO composite film emits highly polarized light with a degree of polarization (DOP) of 0.50. Furthermore, by changing the molar ratio of CsI/CuI, the stability of Cs3Cu2I5 precursor inks is improved. Finally, an ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diode (LED) is adopted to pump the composite film to achieve a blue LED device. The reported Cs3Cu2I5/AAO composite film with highly polarized light emissions will have great potential for polarized emission applications such as liquid crystal display backlights, waveguides, and lasers.

MOF-Derived Bimetallic Selenide CoNiSe2 Nanododecahedrons Encapsulated in Porous Carbon Matrix as Advanced Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Transition metal selenides have received considerable attention as promising candidates for lithium-ion battery (LIB) anode materials due to their high theoretical capacity and safety characteristics. However, their commercial viability is hampered by insufficient conductivity and volumetric fluctuations during cycling. To address these issues, we have utilized bimetallic metal-organic frameworks to fabricate CoNiSe2/C nanodecahedral composites with a high specific surface area, abundant pore structures, and a surface-coated layer of the carbon-based matrix. The optimized material, CoNiSe2/C-700, exhibited impressive Li+ storage performance with an initial discharge specific capacity of 2125.5 mA h g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 and a Coulombic efficiency of 98% over cycles. Even after 1000 cycles at 1.0 A g-1, a reversible discharge specific capacity of 549.9 mA h g-1 was achieved. The research highlights the synergistic effect of bimetallic selenides, well-defined nanodecahedral structures, stable carbon networks, and the formation of smaller particles during initial cycling, all of which contribute to improved electronic performance, reduced volume change, increased Li+ storage active sites, and shorter Li+ diffusion paths. In addition, the pseudocapacitance behavior contributes significantly to the high energy storage of Li+. These features facilitate rapid charge transfer and help maintain a stable solid-electrolyte interphase layer, which ultimately leads to an excellent electrochemical performance. This work provides a viable approach for fabricating bimetallic selenides as anode materials for high-performance LIBs through architectural engineering and compositional tailoring.

Effects of minocycline on dendrites, dendritic spines, and microglia in immature mouse brains after kainic acid-induced status epilepticus.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate whether minocycline could influence alterations of microglial subtypes, the morphology of dendrites and dendritic spines, the microstructures of synapses and synaptic proteins, or even cognition outcomes in immature male mice following status epilepticus (SE) induced by kainic acid. METHODS: Golgi staining was performed to visualize the dendrites and dendritic spines of neurons of the hippocampus. The microstructures of synapses and synaptic proteins were observed using transmission electron microscopy and western blotting analysis, respectively. Microglial reactivation and their markers were evaluated using flow cytometry. The Morris water maze (MWM) test was used to analyze spatial learning and memory ability. RESULTS: Significant partial spines increase (predominate in thin spines) was observed in the dendrites of neurons after acute SE and partial loss (mainly in thin spines) was presented by days 14 and 28 post-SE. The postsynaptic ultrastructure was impaired on the 7th and 14th days after SE. The proportion of M1 microglia increased significantly only after acute SE Similarly, the proportion of M2 microglia increased in the acute stage with high expression levels of all surface markers. In contrast, a decrease in M2 microglia and their markers was noted by day 14 post-SE. Minocycline could reverse the changes in dendrites and synaptic proteins caused by SE, and increase the levels of synaptic proteins. Meanwhile, minocycline could inhibit the reactivation of M1 microglia and the expression of their markers, except for promoting CD200R. In addition, treatment with minocycline could regulate the expression of M2 microglia and their surface markers, as well as ameliorating the impaired spatial learning and memory on the 28th day after SE. CONCLUSIONS: Dendritic spines and microglia are dynamically changed after SE. Minocycline could ameliorate the impaired cognition in the kainic acid-induced mouse model by decreasing the damage to dendrites and altering microglial reactivation.

Effects of measurement protocols and repetitions on handgrip strength weakness and asymmetry in patients with cancer.

BACKGROUND: The use of handgrip strength (HGS) in clinical cancer research is surging. The association between HGS and outcomes in patients with cancer varied across studies, which might be due to the different measurement protocols for HGS. We aimed to answer three questions: (1) Did the use of various protocols for HGS, along with different numbers of repetitions, lead to significant differences in maximum HGS values? (2) If yes, were these differences clinically significant? (3) Did the differences in HGS protocols and repetitions affect the identification of HGS weakness or HGS asymmetry? METHODS: We continuously recruited adult patients with solid tumours. Two protocols were used to measure HGS: Method A, following the American Society of Hand Therapists guidelines, and Method B, following the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey guidelines. To analyse HGS, we used the maximal value obtained from either two or three repetitions of the dominant hand or four or six repetitions of both hands. RESULTS: We included 497 patients (326 men and 171 women, median age: 58 years). The maximal HGS values, measured with Method B, were significantly higher than those measured by Method A in both men and women, despite repetitions (all P < 0.05). The maximum HGS values were significantly different across the repetition groups, regardless of measurement protocols and sex (all P < 0.01). The protocol-induced differences in maximal HGS values might be clinically meaningful in over 60% of men and 40% of women despite repetitions. The repetition-induced difference was only clinically significant in 4.3-17.8% of men and 4.1-14.6% of women. To identify HGS weakness, using Method A (six repetitions) as the 'gold' standard, the other protocols demonstrated an overall accuracy of 0.923-0.997 in men and 0.965-1 in women. To identify HGS asymmetry, using Method A (six repetitions) as the 'gold' standard, Method B (six repetitions) demonstrated a diagnostic accuracy of 0.972 in men and 0.971 in women. Method A (four repetitions) showed a diagnostic accuracy of 0.837 in men and 0.825 in women, while Method B (four repetitions) showed a diagnostic accuracy of 0.825 in men and 0.807 in women. CONCLUSIONS: Both measurement protocols and repetitions significantly affect the maximal HGS values. The identification of HGS weakness is not significantly affected by either protocols or repetitions, while the identification of HGS asymmetry may be affected by different repetitions but not protocols.

TTC13 expression and STAT3 activation may form a positive feedback loop to promote ccRCC progression.

Background: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) originates from renal tubular epithelial cells and is mainly classified into three histological types, including clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) which accounts for about 75% of all kidney cancers and is characterized by its strong invasiveness and poor prognosis. Hence, it is imperative to understand the mechanisms underlying the occurrence and progression of ccRCC to identify effective biomarkers for the early diagnosis and the prognosis prediction. Methods: The mRNA level of TTC13 was quantified by RT-PCR, while the protein level was determined by western blot and immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining. Cell proliferation was measured by cck-8, and cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. The binding of STAT3 to the promoter region of TTC13 was determined by the luciferase reporter assay and chip experiments. STAT3 nuclear translocation was assessed by immunofluorescence staining. Results: We found that TTC13 was up-regulated in ccRCC, and TTC13 promoted cell proliferation as well as inhibited cell apoptosis and autophagy of ccRCC through wnt/ß-catenin and IL6-JAK-STAT3 signaling pathways. Furthermore, TTC13 might play a role in the immune infiltration and immunotherapy of ccRCC. Mechanistically, STAT3 activated the transcription of TTC13 gene. Conclusions: STAT3 directly regulated TTC13 expression through a positive feedback loop mechanism to promote ccRCC cell proliferation as well as reduce cell apoptosis and autophagy. These findings suggested new and effective therapeutic targets for more accurate and personalized treatment strategies.

Perampanel effectiveness in treating ROGDI-related Kohlschütter-Tönz syndrome: first reported case in China and literature review.

PURPOSE: This study reported the first case of Kohlschütter-Tönz syndrome (KTS) in China and reviewed the literature of the reported cases. METHODS: This patient was registered at the Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. The patient's symptoms and treatments were recorded in detail, and the patient was monitored for six years. We employed a combination of the following search terms and Boolean operators in our search strategy: Kohlschütter-Tönz syndrome, KTS, and ROGDI. These terms were carefully selected to capture a broad range of relevant publications in PubMed, Web of Science, WHO Global Health Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure, including synonyms, variations, and specific terms related to KTS. The pathogenicity of the variants was predicted using SpliceAI and MutationTaster, and the structures of the ROGDI mutations were constructed using I-TASSER. RESULTS: This is the first case report of KTS in China. Our patient presented with epilepsy, global developmental delay, and amelogenesis imperfecta. A trio-WES revealed homozygous mutations in ROGDI (c.46-37_46-30del). The brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and video electroencephalogram (VEEG) were normal. The efficacy of perampanel (PMP) in treating seizures and intellectual disability was apparent. Furthermore, 43 cases of ROGDI-related KTS were retrieved. 100% exhibited epilepsy, global developmental delay, and amelogenesis imperfecta. 17.2% received a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and 3.4% were under suspicion of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Language disorders were observed in all patients. Emotional disorders, notably self-harm behaviors (9.1%), were also reported. CONCLUSION: ROGDI-related KTS is a rare neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by three classic clinical manifestations: epilepsy, global developmental delay, and amelogenesis imperfecta. Moreover, patients could present comorbidities, including ADHD, ASD, emotional disorders, and language disorders. PMP may be a potential drug with relatively good efficacy, but long-term clinical trials are still needed.

Clinical and electroencephalographic characteristics of 34 infant with onset of epileptic spasms before three months of age.

Epileptic spasms (ES) occur mostly between age 3 months and 24 months. ES beginning before 3 months of age were called early-onset ES in previous studies. The aim of this study was to identify clinical and electroencephalographic characteristics of patients with ES onset before 3 months of age. In total, 34 ES patients were retrospectively identified at Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 1, 2020 to October 1, 2022. Our patients had diverse etiologies, including genetic (32.3 %), genetic-structural (11.8 %), structural-acquired (11.8 %), structural-congenital (8.8 %), and metabolic (5.9 %), with 29.4 % of patients having unknown etiology. Some patients experienced ES in clusters (either symmetrical or flexional) that occurred most often during awakening after sleep, and a minority of ES were characterized as isolated or asymmetrical, occurred during sleep, and could also manifest as relatively subtle. Approximately 35.3 % of patients also experienced other seizure types concurrently, including 10 focal seizures and 2 generalized seizures, and only half of the focal seizures had structural causes. The other seizure types occurred alone or sequentially with ES. Interictal electroencephalography revealed hypsarrhythmia or its variants, multifocal discharge, or burst suppression. 18 patients had no seizures lasting for more than 2 months, however, at the last follow-up visit, 5 of them had relapsed. All patients had different degrees of psychomotor retardation.

Combination of Multiple MRI Parameters Related to Signal Intensity and Volume for Predicting Response to Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy by Patients with Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: MRI of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) can predict the pathological complete response (pCR) to preoperative chemoradiation therapy (CRT). Our purpose was to use MRI results to evaluate the diagnostic value of combined changes in signal intensity (SI) and volume (V) of patients with LARC for predicting pCR to CRT. METHODS: This retrospective study on 100 patients with LARC analyzed clinical and imaging data that were collected from March, 2018, to March, 2020. Before and after CRT, T2-weighted (T2W), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted (ceT1W) data were analyzed. Percent changes of V (%#916;V) and relative SI ratio (%#916;SIR) on different sequences were calculated. After CRT, patients had pathological confirmation as pCR or non-pCR. Data were analyzed using nonparametric tests and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. RESULTS: There were 34 pCR and 66 non-pCR patients. Except for ADC-%#916;SIR, the combined parameters and single parameters had a greater decrease in the pCR group. The combination of ADC-%#916;V and T2W-%#916;SIR had the greatest diagnostic value (AUC=0.85,cutoff=0.23%) and the combination of ADC-%ΔV% and #916;SIR had the best accuracy (89%, cutoff=44.11%). Except for T2W-%#916;V and T2W-%#916;SIR, the different sequences had moderate differences in diagnostic performance. The diagnostic performance of combined parameters or single parameters on ADC and T2W was significantly better than those on ceT1W (p#916;60;0.01). CONCLUSION: All sequences except ADC-%#916;SIR provided reliable predictions of pCR, although ceT1W data had limited usefulness.

Different computed tomography parameters for defining myosteatosis in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Myosteatosis, excess muscle fat infiltration, is a novel prognostic factor in cancer patients. To define myosteatosis, skeletal muscle radiodensity (SMD) is most commonly used, while intramuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) is newly introduced. We aimed to compare SMD-defined and IMAT-defined myosteatosis for predicting overall survival (OS) in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to explore whether patients with both low SMD and high IMAT had a shorter OS than patients with low SMD or high IMAT alone. METHODS: We consecutively and prospectively recruited adult patients with stage IIIB or IV NSCLC at a teaching hospital. The mean SMD of all skeletal muscle areas and the area of IMAT on the unenhanced chest computed tomography (CT) images at the 12th thoracic vertebral level were segmented using Mimics version 21.0. Myosteatosis was defined by either low SMD (SMD-defined myosteatosis) or high IMAT (IMAT-defined myosteatosis). The optimal cutoffs for low SMD and high IMAT were also determined using the maximally selected rank statistics method. We calculated hazard ratios (HRs) and the corresponding confidence intervals (CIs) to evaluate the associations of OS with low SMD, high IMAT, and a combination of them. RESULTS: We included 565 patients (345 men and 220 women; mean age 58.5 ± 9.0 years). Lower IMAT exhibited a tendency toward a favorable prognosis in men (p = 0.0015) and women (p < 0.0001); whereas higher SMD tended to have a favorable prognosis in men (p = 0.0006) and women (p < 0.0001). At baseline, 423 (74.9 %) participants had high IMAT, 432 (76.5 %) participants had low SMD and 370 (65.5 %) participants had both high IMAT and low SMD. Compared to those without either high IMAT or low SMD, the participants with either high IMAT or low SMD had a shorter OS, while the participants with both High IMAT and Low SMD had the shortest OS (log-rank p < 0.0001). After adjustment for the same confounders, high IMAT (HR, 1.44; 95 % CI, 1.10-1.87) and low SMD (HR, 1.92; 95 % CI, 1.36-2.43) were separately associated with poor prognosis. Moreover, the combination of high IMAT and low SMD indicated a higher risk of poor prognosis (HR, 2.43; 95 % CI, 1.62-3.66). CONCLUSIONS: Both SMD-defined and IMAT-defined myosteatosis are highly prevalent in patients with advanced NSCLC and may serve as independent prognostic factors for OS. The diagnosis of myosteatosis might consider a combination of low SMD and high IMAT because this would help identify patients at a higher risk of mortality.

A dual-cycle amplification-based electrochemical platform for sensitive detection of tobramycin.

BACKGROUND: Tobramycin (TOB), an essential aminoglycoside antibiotic in human life, poses potential threats due to its residues in the environment. The primary concern is the adverse impact of excessive TOB on human kidneys, hearing, and other organs, significantly affecting human health. Constructing a sensitive electrochemical platform for simple and rapid trace detection is crucial. Herein, to enhance the sensitivity of TOB detection in the environment and mitigate the risks associated with residual antibiotics, an ultrasensitive electrochemical aptasensor was developed. RESULTS: The sensor employs a dual-cycle amplification strategy involving catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA) and exonuclease III (Exo III) for efficient signal amplification. Simultaneously, the electrode performance was optimized by incorporating gold nanowires (AuNWs) onto the surface of reduced graphene oxide (PDA-rGO). Specifically, in the presence of TOB, which binds to the aptamer (Apt), dsDNA dissociates, releasing cDNA to open hairpin 1 (HP1) and initiate the CHA cycle with the participation of hairpin 2 (HP2). Exo III shears HP1 in the HP1/HP2 complex, freeing HP2 to participate in the CHA cycle again. Ultimately, a significant amount of signal label is retained on the electrode by hybridizing with sheared HP1, generating a robust electrical signal. SIGNIFICANCE: Through the signal amplification strategy, the aptasensor design provides a broad linear range of 0.005-500 nM, with a low detection limit of 0.112 pM for TOB. It is worth mentioning that the aptasensor displayed favorable stability, specificity, and reproducibility, and has been successfully applied to practical samples, demonstrating its utility in practical applications.

Prevalence of menopausal symptoms and attitudes towards menopausal hormone therapy in women aged 40-60 years: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Menopause is a specific physical and psychological transition period for women, during which they experience a series of menopausal symptoms. Menopausal hormone therapy is an important treatment for improving menopausal symptoms. Helping women correctly understand menopausal hormone therapy is a prerequisite for increasing the acceptance and utilization of menopausal hormone therapy by women. Physical examinations are an important method for women to master their own health status and detect potential health problems, and in recent years, an increasing number of women have actively participated in physical examinations. Therefore, this study aims to comprehend the prevalence of menopausal symptoms and attitudes towards menopausal hormone therapy among women aged 40-60 who underwent physical examinations, which would provide a useful reference to reduce the prevalence of menopausal symptoms and improve acceptance of menopausal hormone therapy. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Health Management Centre of the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University in Luzhou City, Sichuan Province. The data were collected from 295 women aged between 40 and 60 using convenience sampling. Information on all participants was collected through face-to-face interviews. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire and an attitude towards menopausal hormone therapy questionnaire, and the modified Kupperman index was used to assess the prevalence and severity of participants' menopausal symptoms. The collected data were processed using SPSS and Excel software and analysed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. RESULTS: The top 5 menopausal symptoms were insomnia, fatigue, bone and joint pain, sexual dysfunction and emotional instability. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that residence, sexual intercourse frequency, mentality, and physical exercise were the influencing factors of menopausal symptoms. The study showed that 77% of women said they were still reluctant to receive menopausal hormone therapy after experiencing menopause-related symptoms. The main source of menopausal hormone therapy-related knowledge among women was from surrounding menopausal women (62%), and 54% wanted to gain menopausal hormone therapy-related knowledge through a web-based approach. CONCLUSION: The incidence of menopausal symptoms is higher in women aged 40-60 years, which is related to women's mentality, exercise, and sexual intercourse frequency. In addition, the results of this study indicate that women's knowledge of menopausal hormone therapy is insufficient, which suggests that we need to strengthen health education to improve the acceptance rate of menopausal hormone therapy.

The treatment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer carrying uncommon EGFR mutations, HER2 mutations, or brain metastases: a systematic review of pre-clinical and clinical findings for dacomitinib.

Background: Accumulating evidence has shown that dacomitinib has potential activities for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring uncommon epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) mutations, or central nervous system (CNS) metastases. Methods: This study aimed to give a systematic review on its potential applications in the above settings by searching MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, American Society of Clinical Oncology.org, European Society for Medical Oncology.org, and ClinicalTrials.gov. Results: The literature search yielded 649 publications in total. According to our findings, dacomitinib exhibited promising efficacy in patients with major uncommon EGFR mutations (including G719X, S768I, and L861Q). Both EGFR exon 20 insertional mutation (Ex20ins) and HER2 Ex20ins demonstrated significant internal heterogeneity in response to dacomitinib, among which specific subtypes (including EGFR D770delinsGY, A763_Y764insFQEA, and HER2 M774delinsWLV) were highly sensitive. Other uncommon EGFR mutations including 18del and L747P have also been shown responsive to dacomitinib. Interestingly, limited studies suggested dacomitinib application on certain first or third generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs)' resistant secondary mutations. Last but not least, both pre-clinical and clinical data indicated that dacomitinib has an encouraging intracranial tumor control ability, regardless of uncommon mutations. Conclusions: Dacomitinib demonstrated good disease control on patients with NSCLC harboring major uncommon EGFR mutations and specific EGFR or HER2 mutation subtypes, and selective clinical application of dacomitinib is considerable in this setting, especially for those with intracranial metastases.

Corrigendum: Genome-wide identification and capsaicinoid biosynthesis-related expression analysis of the R2R3-MYB gene family in Capsicum annuum L.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.598183.].

Structural Insights into the Stability and Recognition Mechanism of the Antiquinalphos Nanobody for the Detection of Quinalphos in Foods.

Nanobodies (Nbs) have great potential in immunoassays due to their exceptional physicochemical properties. With the immortal nature of Nbs and the ability to manipulate their structures using protein engineering, it will become increasingly valuable to understand what structural features of Nbs drive high stability, affinity, and selectivity. Here, we employed an anti-quinalphos Nb as a model to illustrate the structural basis of Nbs' distinctive physicochemical properties and the recognition mechanism. The results indicated that the Nb-11A-ligand complexes exhibit a "tunnel" binding mode formed by CDR1, CDR2, and FR3. The orientation and hydrophobicity of small ligands are the primary determinants of their diverse affinities to Nb-11A. In addition, the primary factors contributing to Nb-11A's limited stability at high temperatures and in organic solvents are the rearrangement of the hydrogen bonding network and the enlargement of the binding cavity. Importantly, Ala 97 and Ala 34 at the active cavity's bottom and Arg 29 and Leu 73 at its entrance play vital roles in hapten recognition, which were further confirmed by mutant Nb-F3. Thus, our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the recognition and stability mechanisms of anti-hapten Nbs and shed new light on the rational design of novel haptens and directed evolution to produce high-performance antibodies.

Safety and efficacy of left colic artery preservation in laparoscopic anterior resection for lower rectal cancer.

Background: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of left colic artery (LCA) preservation in laparoscopic anterior resection with D3 lymphadenectomy for lower rectal cancer. Methods: A total of 117 patients with lower rectal cancer who received laparoscopic anterior resection were retrospectively analyzed. Results: No differences were detected in terms of the numbers of harvested lymph nodes and metastatic lymph nodes, the intraoperative and postoperative complications or the postoperative recurrence and survival rates between the two groups (p > 0.05), but the LCA preservation group showed a lower anastomotic leakage rate than the LCA nonpreservation group (2/49 vs 12/68). Conclusion: LCA preservation may help reduce the incidence of anastomotic leakage without impairing surgical and oncological outcomes.

Microbial distributions in the conjunctiva and lacrimal sacs of patients with chronic dacryocystitis in a tertiary hospital.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to clarify the distributions of bacteria in the conjunctival sac and lacrimal sac in patients with chronic dacryocystitis. METHODS: In total, 297 (322 eyes) chronic dacryocystitis patients who underwent nasal endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (EN-DCR) were included. Conjunctival sac secretions from the affected eye were collected preoperatively, and lacrimal sac retention fluid from the affected side in the same patient was collected intraoperatively. Bacterial culture and drug sensitivity testing were performed to determine bacterial distributions. RESULTS: In total, 127 bacterial isolates (49 species) were detected in 123 eyes in the conjunctival group, with a positivity rate of 38.2% (123/322); 85 bacterial isolates (30 species) were detected in 85 eyes in the lacrimal sac group, with a positivity rate of 26.4% (85/322). The positivity rates were significantly different (P = 0.001) between two groups. The gram-negative bacilli proportion in the lacrimal sac group (36/85, 42.4%) was significantly higher than that in the conjunctival sac group (37/127, 29.2%) ( P = 0.047). Positive conjunctival sac secretion culture (123/322) was significantly associated with increased ocular secretion (281/322, 87.3%) (P = 0.002). Among the culture-positive bacteria in the conjunctival sac group and the lacrimal sac group, 30/127, 23.6% and 43/127, 26.7% and 21/85, 24.7% and 20/85, 23.5% were resistant to levofloxacin and tobramycin, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study illustrated differences in bacterial distributions between conjunctival sac secretions and retained lacrimal sac fluid in chronic dacryocystitis patients, with a higher proportion of gram-negative bacilli in lacrimal sac secretions. The ocular surface flora in chronic dacryocystitis patients is partially resistant to levofloxacin and tobramycin, which need to be considered by ophthalmologists.