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Locally advanced cervical carcinoma (LACC) remains a significant global health challenge owing to its high recurrence rates and poor outcomes, despite current treatments. This study aimed to develop a comprehensive risk stratification model for LACC by integrating Cox regression and competing risk analyses. This was done to improve clinical decision making. We analyzed data from 3428 patients with LACC registered in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program and diagnosed them between 2010 and 2015. Cox regression and competing risk analyses were used to identify the prognostic factors. We constructed and validated nomograms for overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS). Multivariate Cox regression identified key prognostic factors for OS, including advanced International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage, age, marital status, ethnicity, and tumor size. Notably, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stages IIIA, IIIB, and IVA had hazard ratios of 2.227, 2.451, and 4.852, respectively, significantly increasing the mortality risk compared to stage IB2. Ethnic disparities were evident, with African Americans facing a 39.8% higher risk than Caucasians did. Competing risk analyses confirmed the significance of these factors in DSS, particularly tumor size. Our nomogram demonstrated high predictive accuracy, with area under the curve values ranging from 0.706 to 0.784 for DSS and 0.717 to 0.781 for OS. Calibration plots and decision curve analyses further validated the clinical utility of this nomogram. We present effective nomograms for LACC risk stratification that incorporate multiple prognostic factors. These models provide a refined approach for individualized patient management and have the potential to significantly enhance therapeutic strategies for LACC., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Aim: To investigate the DNA damage response (DDR) in a cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced mouse model of premature ovarian failure (POF)., Methods: The POF model was established by injecting mice with CTX. The body, ovarian weights, the estrus cycle, and pathological changes of the ovaries were recorded. The serum levels of 17 β-estradiol (E2) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) were measured. The expression of Ki67, β-galactosidase (β-gal), p21, p53, γH2AX, and pATM in ovarian tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry. The expression of β-gal, γH2AX, and pATM was analyzed by immunofluorescence staining of primary cultured granulosa cells (GCs)., Results: The body and ovarian weights decreased, the estrus cycles were erratic, and the FSH level increased, whereas the E2 level decreased in POF mice compared to controls. The pathological consequences of POF revealed an increase in atretic follicles, corpus luteum, and primordial follicles and a decrease in the number of primary, secondary, and tertiary follicles. Ki67 expression was reduced, β-gal, p21, p53, γH2AX, and pATM expression were elevated in the ovaries of POF mice. The expression of β-gal, γH2AX, and pATM increased in GCs with the concentration in a time-dependent manner., Conclusion: In total, CTX induced POF in mice, which was mediated by the DDR pathway of ATM-P53-P21., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.)

Background: Inconsistencies remain regarding the effectiveness and safety of leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRAs) and selective H1-antihistamines (SAHs) for allergic rhinitis (AR). A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted to compare the medications., Methods: Relevant head-to-head comparative RCTs were retrieved by searching the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane's Library databases from inception to April 20, 2020. A random-effects model was applied to pool the results. Subgroup analyses were performed for seasonal and perennial AR., Results: Fourteen RCTs comprising 4458 patients were included. LTRAs were inferior to SAHs in terms of the daytime nasal symptoms score (mean difference [MD]: 0.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.02 to 0.08, p = 0.003, I 2  = 89%) and daytime eye symptoms score (MD: 0.05, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.08, p = 0.009, I 2  = 89%), but were superior in terms of the nighttime symptoms score (MD: - 0.04, 95% CI - 0.06 to - 0.02, p < 0.001, I 2  = 85%). The effects of the two treatments on the composite symptom score (MD: 0.02, 95% CI - 0.02 to 0.05, p = 0.30, I 2  = 91%) and rhinoconjunctivitis quality-of-life questionnaire (RQLQ) (MD: 0.01, 95% CI - 0.05 to 0.07, p = 0.71, I 2  = 99%) were similar. Incidences of adverse events were comparable (odds ratio [OR]: 0.97, 95% CI 0.75 to 1.25, p = 0.98, I 2  = 0%). These results were mainly obtained from studies on seasonal AR. No significant publication bias was detected., Conclusions: Although both treatments are safe and effective in improving the quality of life (QoL) in AR patients, LTRAs are more effective in improving nighttime symptoms but less effective in improving daytime nasal symptoms compared to SAHs.

Purpose: In this study, miR-542-3p appended SRF/ATRA-loaded solid lipid nanoparticle was successfully prepared and demonstrated for its therapeutic efficacy against gastric cancers., Methods: The particles were nanosized and typically spherical in shape. In vitro release study showed that release of ATRA was significantly slower compared to that of SRF from the NPs., Results: MTT assay showed that miR-542-3p have a strong inhibitory effect on the proliferation of MGC-803 cancer cells in a typical dose dependent manner. Nanocarrier encapsulation of SRF + ATRA induced a significantly higher cytotoxic effect compared to either individual drug or cocktail combinations indicating that the cellular uptake of different formulations was rate limiting factor in the therapeutic efficacy. Importantly, miR-542-3p-based miSRNP exhibited an extremely significant toxic effect compared to any other treated group. Importantly, miSRNP induced a significantly higher early (~55%) and late (~15%) apoptotic effect in gastric cancer cells. In vivo anticancer analysis results clearly suggest that nanoparticle encapsulation of combination of SRF and miRNA (with miRNA) will have greater antitumor efficacy in tumor mice., Conclusion: Overall, unique combination of miRNA coupled with SRF + ATRA in a lipid nanocarrier could be a promising therapeutic approach in gastric cancer treatment.

Metallothioneins (MTs) are a family of low molecular weight, cysteine-rich, metal-binding proteins that are able to make cells to uptake heavy metals from the environment. Molecular and functional characterization of this gene family improves understanding of the mechanisms underlying heavy metal tolerance in higher organisms. In this study, a cDNA clone, encoding 74-a.a. metallothionein type 1 protein (ZjMT), was isolated from the cDNA library of Ziziphus jujuba. At the N- and C-terminals of the deduced amino acid sequence of ZjMT, six cysteine residues were arranged in a CXCXXXCXCXXXCXC and CXCXXXCXCXXCXC structure, respectively, indicating that ZjMT is a type 1 MT. Quantitative PCR analysis of plants subjected to cadmium stress showed enhanced expression of ZjMT gene in Z. jujuba within 24 h upon Cd exposure. Escherichia coli cells expressing ZjMT exhibited enhanced metal tolerance and higher accumulation of metal ions compared with control cells. The results indicate that ZjMT contributes to the detoxification of metal ions and provides marked tolerance against metal stresses. Therefore, ZjMT may be a potential candidate for tolerance enhancement in vulnerable plants to heavy metal stress and E. coli cells containing the ZjMT gene may be applied to adsorb heavy metals in polluted wastewater.

Autophagy plays a protective role in colorectal carcinoma. Arginine ADP-ribosyltransferase 1 (ART1) is an important mono-ADP-ribose transferase, which has been shown to play a role in biological processes such as proliferation and invasion of cancer cells. Interestingly, the role of ART1 in the regulation of autophagy is still not clear. We examined effects of overexpression or knockdown of ART1 by lentiviral transfection on starvation-induced autophagy of colon carcinoma CT26 cell lines in vivo and in vitro. The formation of autophagosome was detected by electron microscopy, acridine orange staining and expression of LC3 B. The molecular contributions of ART1 in regulation of autophagy were detected by western blotting or by co-immunoprecipitation. Additionally, inhibitors were used to study further the signaling pathway of ART1 in the regulation of autophagy. CCK8 assay, plate cloning assay, soft agar assay, examination of subcutaneous transplanted carcinoma in BALB/c mice, flow cytometry and Hoechst33342 staining were used to assess survival and apoptotic ability when starvation-induced autophagy modulated by ART1 was inhibited by 3-MA. Overexpression of ART1 promoted starvation-induced autophagy, which related to increases in the expression of Rac1, NF-κB, PARP-1, LKB1 and p-AMPK and a decrease in the expression of p-P70S6K. Correspondingly, knockdown of ART1 caused the opposite effects. ART1 also interacted with integrin α7. Additionally, changes of protein expressions were further validated following inhibition of Rac1 and PARP-1 in the starvation-induced ART1-GFP CT26 cells. Inhibition of ART1-stimulated starvation-induced autophagy restrained the growth and promoted apoptosis. ART1 is thus relevant in starvation-induced autophagy in colorectal carcinoma and may play essential roles in therapeutic anticancer strategies.

We describe the phylogenetic analysis and expression pattern of the Xenopus radial spoke protein 3 (RSP3) gene during early development. The Xenopus RSP3 protein presents characteristic features of the RSP3 family. It contains a radial spoke domain, which is 75 and 72 % identical to the corresponding region of human and Chlamydomonas RSP3 proteins, respectively. Examination of the phylogenetic relationship between the Xenopus RSP3 protein and its known homologues from different deuterostomes indicates that the RSP3 proteins are highly conserved among deuterostomes. Whole-mount in situ hybridization analyses show that Xenopus RSP3 is a maternal mRNA enriched in the animal hemisphere during cleavage stages. The expression is detected in the dorsal region of the embryo during gastrulation, then in the presumptive neuroectoderm at the end of gastrulation. During neurulation and at the subsequent stages, the expression of RSP3 mRNA is detected in the entire multiciliated cells of epidermis. At tail-bud stages, it is progressively expressed in the otic vesicles and sequentially expressed in the nephrostomes. Expression could be also detected in the floor plate of the neural tube. This expression pattern persists until at least late tail-bud stages.

Chinese jujube (Ziziphus jujube Mill.) is important economically for its fruit and also bears attractive medical value. Its flower development concurs with the growth of current fruit bearing shoots (FBSs). However, events involved in current FBSs, including FBS differentiation, flower development, and reliable housekeeping gene are still unknown. In this study, the morphology of FBS development and floral formation were examined and expression profiles of several potential internal control genes was determined. These included genes encoding proteins involved in protein translation (translation elongation factor 1alpha, ZjEF1), protein folding (cyclophilin, ZjCyP) or degradation (ubiquitin extension protein, ZjUBQ), and proteins involved in the structure of the cytoskeleton (beta-actin, ZjACT) or nucleosome (histone3, ZjH3). Our results showed that the floral development in early growing FBSs (less than 20 mm in length) or shoot apices was not complete. Among ZjACT, ZjEF1, ZjCyP, ZjUBQ, and ZjH3, ZjH3 was the most suitable housekeeping gene to evaluate FBS development, based on their expression in early growing FBSs, shoot apices, and different organs. These results will be useful for further molecular mechanism study about FBS development in Chinese jujube.

A highly regioselective C-C bond cleavage of the cyclopropane rings occurs in substituted allenylcyclopropanes in the presence of cationic rhodium(I) complexes. Thus, ring expansion of readily accessible allenylcyclopropanes can be achieved to give 3-methylenecyclopentenes, which could have applications as multifunctional synthetic building blocks., (© 1998 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH, Weinheim, Fed. Rep. of Germany.)