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Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has gradually been considered to associate with cancer development and progression. This study aimed to explore the associations of serological indicators of HBV infection with mortality risk among cancer survivors and further validated using a gastric cancer (GC) cohort from China, where HBV infection is endemic. National Center for Health Statistics' National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data were used in this study. Individuals with positive results of hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) were considered to have current or past HBV infection. Serological indicators were positive only for hepatitis B surface antibodies (anti-HBs), indicating vaccine-induced immunity, whereas negativity for all serologic indicators was considered to indicate the absence of HBV infection and immunity to HBV. The GC cohort included patients from the First Hospital of Jilin University, China. The median follow-up time of the NHANES was 10 years; during the follow-up, 1505 deaths occurred. The results revealed that anti-HBs-positive cancer survivors had a 39% reduced risk of mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 0.61, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.44–0.85). Men and individuals aged <65 years old with past exposure to HBV had higher mortality risk (HR 1.52, 95% CI 1.09–2.13; HR 2.07, 95% CI 1.13–3.83). In this GC cohort, individuals who were only anti-HBs-positive showed a reduced risk of mortality (HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.62–0.95). Thus, anti-HBs positivity was a significant factor of decreased mortality among cancer survivors. More rigorous surveillance is necessary for cancer survivors with anti-HBc positivity, particularly men, and younger individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine whether the age‐Male‐ALBI‐Platelet (aMAP) score is applicable in community settings and how to maximise its role in risk stratification. A total of thousand five hundred and three participants had an aMAP score calculated at baseline and were followed up for about 10 years to obtain information on liver cancer incidence and death. After assessing the ability of aMAP to predict liver cancer incidence and death in terms of differentiation and calibration, the optimal risk stratification threshold of the aMAP score was explored, based on absolute and relative risks. The aMAP score achieved higher area under curves (AUCs) (almost all above 0.8) within 10 years and exhibited a better calibration within 5 years. Regarding absolute risk, the risk of incidence of and death from liver cancer showed a rapid increase after an aMAP score of 55. The cumulative incidence (5‐year: 8.3% vs. 1.3% and 10‐year: 20.9% vs. 3.6%) and mortality (5‐year: 6.7% vs. 1.1% and 10‐year: 17.5% vs. 3.1%) of liver cancer in individuals with an aMAP score of ≥55 were significantly higher than in those with a score of <55 (Grey's test p <.001). In terms of relative risk, the risk of death from liver cancer surpassed that from other causes after an aMAP score of ≥55 [HR = 1.38(1.02–1.87)]. Notably, the two types of death risk had opposite trends between the subpopulation with an aMAP score of ≥55 and < 55. To conclude, this study showed the value of the aMAP score in community settings and recommends using 55 as a new risk stratification threshold to guide subsequent liver cancer screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A class of Ru-Co single-atom alloy catalysts (marked as Ru x Co 1 SAA, x stands for Ru/Co molar ratio) were prepared. • The electronic structure of Ru x Co 1 SAA could be effectively tuned by regulating the Ru/Co molar ratio. • A moderate ratio of Ru/Co (1.7:1) favors superior NH 3 synthesis rate. • The excess Ru destroys the SAA structure, resulting in the diminution of SAA advantages. Rational design of efficient catalysts for ammonia (NH 3) synthesis at mild conditions is of paramount importance for the development of electrolysis driven Haber-Bosch (e HB) process. Ammonia synthesis is a structure sensitive reaction, and any small change of electronic structure could result in dramatic change of catalytic activity, especially for the Ru-based NH 3 synthesis catalysts. Electronic structure modulation of the Ru-based catalysts could provide desirable catalytic activity. Herein, we explore a class of Ru-Co single-atom alloy catalysts (marked as Ru x Co 1 SAA, x stands for Ru/Co molar ratio), in which Co single atoms are located on Ru nanoclusters to form Co-Ru coordination, and then electronic structure of Ru x Co 1 SAA could be effectively tuned by regulating the Ru/Co molar ratio. Our studies show that a moderate ratio of Ru/Co (1.7:1) favors superior NH 3 synthesis rate and low activation energy. Using a suite of elaborate characterizations, we have observed that the outstanding performance over Ru 1.7 Co 1 SAA can be attributed to the electron redistribution between Ru and Co atom, resulting in an upshift of d band center and lowering of work function. However, there is decrease of NH 3 synthesis rate when Ru/Co molar ratio is 2, due to the partial detachment of Ru entities from SAA structure, and the formed individual Ru nanoparticles (NPs) overlay the surface of catalyst. In such a case, N 2 activation behavior over Ru 2 Co 1 is alike that of Ru NPs catalysts. The present study demonstrates that the Ru/Co ratio in SAA structure can effectively regulate the electronic structure of catalyst for NH 3 synthesis rate enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • M single atom (M = Fe, Co, Ni) anchored on Ru nanoclusters were prepared to form M 1 Ru SAA. • Co 1 Ru SAA shows the highest NH 3 synthesis rate and TOF Ru value. • Compared with Co-Ru nanoparticle alloy, Co 1 Ru SAA exhibits lower work function and up-shift d band center. • SAA structure effectively tune N 2 activation pathway. The desire of green ammonia (NH 3) production requires efficient catalysts that could operate at mild conditions. However, the activity of catalysts is restricted by scaling relation that low activation energy of N 2 is in conjunction with the over-strong affinity of intermediates, which blocks adsorption sites of catalyst and hinders NH 3 production. Single atom alloy (SAA) is an efficient approach to circumvent this relation. In the present work, we offer a feasible strategy of preparing M 1 Ru (M = Fe, Co, Ni) SAA. Our studies show that Co 1 Ru SAA has the highest NH 3 synthesis rate and the largest TOF Ru value among M 1 Ru SAA. Compared with CoRu nanoparticle alloy (NPA), Co 1 Ru SAA has stronger electronic interaction between Co and Ru, which induces lower work function and up-shift d band center toward Fermi level for Co 1 Ru SAA, thus promoting N 2 activation. Meanwhile, the unique SAA structure could effectively tune N 2 activation pathway. Those findings make a contribution to the development of advanced catalysts for efficient NH 3 synthesis at mild conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has a high en bloc resection rate and is widely performed for large colorectal lesions. However, colorectal ESD is associated with a high frequency of adverse events (AEs), and the efficacy of prophylactic endoscopic closure after ESD for preventing AEs is still controversial. This meta‐analysis was conducted to assess the efficacy of closure on AEs following colorectal ESD. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library for eligible studies. The chi‐square‐based Q statistics and the I2 test were used to test for heterogeneity. Pooling was conducted using a fixed or random effects model. Results: We identified eight eligible studies that compared the effects of closure vs non‐closure with respect to delayed bleeding, delayed perforation, and post‐ESD coagulation syndrome. Compared with non‐closure (5.2%), closure was associated with a lower incidence (0.9%) of delayed bleeding (pooled odd ratios [ORs]:0.19, 95% CI: 0.08–0.49) following ESD. The pooled ORs showed no significant differences in incidence of delayed perforation (pooled OR: 0.22; 95% CI: 0.05–1.03) or post‐ESD coagulation syndrome (pooled OR:0.75; 95% CI: 0.26–2.18) between the closure and non‐closure groups. Conclusion: Prophylactic endoscopic closure may reduce the incidence of delayed bleeding following ESD of colorectal lesions. Future studies are needed to further illuminate risk factors and stratify high risk subjects for a cost‐effective preventive strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of α-fetoprotein (AFP) in the surveillance and diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been questioned in recent years due to its low sensitivity and specificity. In addition to AFP, several new serum biomarkers, such as lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction of AFP (AFP-L3) and des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin (DCP), have also been identified as useful HCC serological markers. However, the exact diagnostic value of the combinations of these biomarkers for detecting HCC in patients with liver disease remains unclear. Thus, we performed the current meta-analysis to assess performance of AFP+AFP-L3%+DCP for diagnosing HCC. Studies were systematically searched in PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, CNKI, and WanFang Data databases. After full-text evaluation, 13 studies from 11 articles focusing on the combination of the three serum biomarkers for HCC detection were enrolled. Random-effects models were used due to the presence of heterogeneity. The pooled sensitivity and specificity for AFP+AFP-L3%+DCP were 88% and 79%, respectively. The area under the summary receiver operating characteristic (sROC) curve was 0.91, and the diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) was 28.33 (95% CI 16.78-47.83). Subgroup analysis showed that the pooled sensitivity and specificity of AFP+AFP-L3%+DCP in the diagnosis of HCC versus cirrhosis patients were 0.81 and 0.82, respectively. In conclusion, the combination of AFP, AFP-L3%, and DCP may prove to be useful in the diagnosis and screening of HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM), an essential step in tumour invasion and metastasis, is mainly dependent on the activities of both matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). This study aimed to explore whether expression of MMP-7 and TIMP-1 alone and in combination can be used as a prognostic marker for gastric cancer (GC). Method. A total of 285 patients who had undergone tumourectomy for GC were included. Gastric tumour tissues were stained immunohistochemically to evaluate expression of MMP-7 and TIMP-1. Results. Expression of MMP-7 was associated with tumour N stage and neural invasion. Multivariate Cox regression analysis suggested that expression of MMP-7 or TIMP-1 alone cannot serve as an indicator of patient prognosis; however, coexpression of MMP-7 and TIMP-1 was found to be an independent predictive factor of overall survival in patients with GC (HR = 1.74 , 95% CI: 1.08-2.80). The results of stratified analysis also showed that the predictive value of MMP-7 and TIMP-1 coexpression was stronger in patients with N3 stage disease and not receiving chemotherapy. Conclusions. In conclusion, coexpression of MMP-7 and its inhibitor TIMP-1 in gastric tumour tissues is a potential prognostic marker for GC. Greater knowledge of protein expression will lead to new paradigms and possible improvements in therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hypertension is a significant global public health problem and an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. We aimed to determine treatment and control rates of hypertension and to explore related risk factors by urban and rural areas. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 14,956 participants (≥ 15 years) was conducted in Jilin Province, China from July 2014 to December 2015 using questionnaire forms and physical measurements. Results: Total rates of hypertension treatment, control, and controlled blood pressure among treated subjects were 31.7%, 8.8%, and 27.9% in the Jilin Province. Rates of hypertension treatment, control, and controlled blood pressure among treated subjects were 35.9%, 13.7%, and 38.3% in urban areas and 28.4%, 5.0%, and 17.5% in rural areas, respectively. Higher treatment of hypertension was associated with older age, female sex, other races (except Han), and higher body fat percentage in both areas. Among urban residents, higher education was additionally associated with higher treatment of hypertension; among rural residents, a family history of coronary artery disease and unemployment were associated with higher treatment of hypertension. Higher control of hypertension was associated with unemployment, married status, higher education, healthy body mass index, lower abdominal waist circumference, non-smoking status, and lower visceral adiposity index in urban residents; higher control of hypertension was associated with younger age in rural residents. Conclusion: Treatment and control rates of hypertension in urban and rural areas were lower than the national average; blood pressure control in patients taking antihypertensive drugs needs further improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The natural phenolic substance, 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid (GRA), has shown enormous potential in the chemoprevention of cancers with rich resources and biological safety, but the GRA-regulated genetic and epigenetic profiles are unclear. Deregulated mitochondrial cellular energetics supporting higher adenosine triphosphate provisions relative to the uncontrolled proliferation of cancer cells is a cancer hallmark. The Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) signaling pathway has emerged as a key molecular component in gastric cancer (GC) cell proliferation and epithelial homeostasis. However, whether TLR2 influenced GC cell energy metabolism and whether the inhibition effects of GRA on GC relied on TLR2 signaling were not illustrated. In the present study, TLR2 mRNA and protein expression levels were elevated in gastric tumors in the K19-Wnt1/C2mE (Gan) mice model, GC cell lines and human GCs, and the overexpression of TLR2 was correlated with the high histological grade and was a poor prognostic factor in GC patients. Further gain and loss of function showed that TLR2 activation induced GC cell proliferation and promoted reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, Ca2+ accumulation, oxidative phosphorylation and the electron transport chain, while blocking TLR2 inhibited mitochondrial function and energy metabolism. Furthermore, GRA pretreatment inhibited TLR2-activated GC cell proliferation, energy metabolism and carcinogenesis. In addition, expression of TLR2 was found to be downregulated by GRA through methylation regulation. Collectively, the results demonstrated that GRA inhibited gastric tumorigenesis through TLR2-accelerated energy metabolism, suggesting GRA as a promising therapeutic agency targeting TLR2 signaling in GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: A Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) was conducted in patients with head and neck cancers (HNCs) to estimate the efficacy and safety of treatment with conventional fractionation radiotherapy (CF), conventional fractionation chemoradiotherapy (CF_CRT), hyperfractionated radiotherapy (HF), hyperfractionated chemoradiotherapy (HF_CRT), accelerated fractionation radiotherapy, accelerated fractionation chemoradiotherapy, accelerated hyperfractionated radiotherapy (HART) or accelerated hyperfractionated chemoradiotherapy (HACRT) to identify superior treatments to aid in clinical decisions.Methods: PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) were searched for potentially eligible randomized controlled trials up to December 2016. Overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS) and locoregional control (LRC) were considered efficacy outcomes, whereas acute toxicity and late toxicity on skin and mucosa were considered safety outcomes. The surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) was calculated to rank each treatment in each index.Results: Data from 72 trials with 21,868 participants were included in the analysis. Concerning OS, all treatments were associated with a significant advantage compared to CF alone, with HR effect sizes ranging from 0.64 to 0.83, and HACRT was significantly more effective than all the other treatments. The network comparisons of both HACRT vs HART and HF_CRT vs HF demonstrated a higher OS benefit, with an HR of 0.78 (95% credible interval [CrI]: 0.64–0.95) and 0.78 (95% CrI: 0.61–0.99), respectively. The results of SUCRA indicated that HACRT had the best ranking for OS and LRC, HF_CRT for DFS, HART for acute and late skin toxicity, CF_CRT for acute mucosal toxicity and HF_CRT for late mucosal toxicity.Conclusion: The NMA results support the notion that HACRT is the preferable treatment modality for HNCs because it has better rankings in all three efficacy indexes, although it does present a high risk of acute mucosal toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hypertension is a significant global public health problem and recognized as an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. This study was designed to assess the current prevalence of hypertension and to explore risk factors associated with hypertension by urban and rural status to guide the prevention and control of hypertension in Jilin province. Methods: A multi-stage stratified random cluster sampling method was used to obtain data on hypertension, which was investigated by physical examination and face-to-face questionnaire in July 2014-December 2015. Sample data were analyzed by complex weighted statistical analysis to estimate blood pressure levels and prevalence of hypertension in the province. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors influencing hypertension rates. Results: The prevalence of hypertension was significantly higher in rural areas than urban areas (25.93% versus 22.73%, respectively). The rates of hypertension known (46.7% versus 38.1%, respectively), control (13.7% versus 5.0%, respectively), and controlled among treated subjects (38.3% versus 17.5%, respectively) were higher in urban areas than in rural areas (all p < 0.001), while the treatment rate was not statistically significantly different between urban and rural areas (35.9% versus 28.4%, respectively). After adjusting for demographic covariates, hypertension prevalence in rural areas was still significantly greater than in urban areas (adjusted OR = 1.22; 95%CI: 1.10, 1.36; p < 0.001). Common risk factors for hypertension among urban and rural residents included older age; male; married; employed; less education; overweight/obese; greater abdominal waist circumference; family history of hypertension, stroke, or coronary heart disease; current smoker; alcohol consumption; higher visceral adiposity index; and higher body fat percentage. Conclusions: This study identified an increased risk for hypertension in rural regions of Jilin province, suggesting that rural hypertension screening and treatment guidelines should receive greater attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanotubes have been the focus of vital efforts in the catalysis community because of their unique properties. However, owing to the limitations of synthetic methods, most multi-element oxides have rarely been fabricated. In this study, we design a gradient electrospinning method for the controllable synthesis of Mn–Fe/CeO2 nanocatalysts and their application in the combustion of propane and methane. The strategy is rational, and the nanostructure of Mn–Fe/CeO2 can be tuned by simply adjusting the weight ratio of polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP)/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) during the electrospinning process. Benefitting from its unique structural feature, propane and methane conversions in hollow tubular Mn–Fe/CeO2-P1 (mPVP : mPAN = 1 : 1) are more than 90% at 382 and 411 °C, respectively. The superior propane oxidation performance in Mn–Fe/CeO2-P1 is associated with its hollow tubular structure, high surface oxygen vacancies and excellent low-temperature reducibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a significant health care problem worldwide and is characterized by increased fasting glucose and obesity. Resistin is a protein hormone produced both by adipocytes and immunocompetent cells, including those residing in adipose tissue, and is believed to modulate glucose tolerance and insulin action. This study examined the association of resistin gene polymorphisms, rs1862513 and rs3745368, and related haplotypes with the development of metabolic syndrome in a Han Chinese population. This case-control study was performed on 3792 subjects, including 1771 MetS cases and 2021 healthy controls from the Jilin province of China. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the criteria of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the relationship between gene polymorphism and MetS. Our results showed that there were no significant associations between MetS and the genotype distributions in four kinds of inheritance models, allele frequencies, and related haplotypes of resistin gene polymorphisms rs1862513 and rs3745368 (all p values > 0.05). Based on our study findings, we concluded that mutations in resistin genes are not associated with the presence of MetS in a Han Chinese population from Jilin province in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variety of systemic chemotherapy regimens have been used for recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC). However, most guidelines have been derived from a single clinical trial, and no studies have comprehensively compared their efficacy and safety. We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases. Eligible studies reported overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), and ≥ 3 adverse events rate (AEs). Eighteen eligible trials involving 4930 patients and 15 treatment regimens were included. The results suggest that patients with R/M HNSCC exhibit better tumor response with the cetuximab/platinum/5-FU, pembrolizumab/platinum/5-FU or pembrolizumab alone, accompanied by a low AE rate. Nivolumab also showed better efficacy than other single agents. Immunotherapy has achieved better efficacy. [Display omitted] • Immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy showed better efficacy in R/M HNSCC. • Nivolumab and pembrolizumab are two immunotherapeutic agents with high efficacy and low AE. • Methotrexate is the least efficient method recommended and should be minimized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) with high quantum yield (about 23.6% at an excitation wavelength of 320 nm) and GQDs/TiO 2 nanotubes (GQDs/TiO 2 NTs) composites were achieved by a simple hydrothermal method at low temperature. Photoluminescence characterization showed that the GQDs exhibited the down-conversion PL features at excitation from 300 to 420 nm and up-conversion photoluminescence in the range of 600–800 nm. The photocatalytic activity of prepared GQDs/TiO 2 NTs composites on the degradation of methyl orange (MO) was significantly enhanced compared with that of pure TiO 2 nanotubes (TiO 2 NTs). For the composites coupling with 1.5%, 2.5% and 3.5% GQDs, the degradation of MO after 20 min irradiation under UV–vis light irradiation (λ = 380–780 nm) were 80.52%, 94.64% and 51.91%, respectively, which are much higher than that of pure TiO 2 NTs (35.41%). It was inferred from the results of characterization that the improved photocatalytic activity of the GQDs/TiO 2 NTs composites was attributed to the synergetic effect of up-conversion properties of the GQDs, enhanced visible light absorption and efficient separation of photogenerated electron-holes of the GQDs/TiO 2 composite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. At present, several inhibitors of bromodomain protein 4 have shown promising anti-tumor responses in clinical trials. Numerous studies have reported the value of bromodomain protein 4 expression in predicting the prognosis of patients with cancers, but their conclusions remain controversial. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to explore the association between bromodomain protein 4 and patient prognosis with the aim to provide new directions for the development of strategies for targeted cancer therapy. The meta-analysis was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/ ; Registration No. CRD42020184948) and followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement. PubMed Central, PubMed, Cochrane Library and Embase were thoroughly searched to identify eligible studies published through March 31, 2021. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated to demonstrate the relationship between bromodomain protein 4 expression and clinicopathological features. We computed pooled estimated hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals using Stata 12.0 software to clarify the relationship between bromodomain protein 4 expression and overall survival of various cancers. A quality assessment of the eligible articles was performed based on the Newcastle–Ottawa scale. A total of 974 patients from 10 studies were enrolled in the meta-analysis. Our results revealed that compared to low bromodomain protein 4 expression, high bromodomain protein 4 expression in cancer tissues was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis (Odds ratio = 3.59, 95% confidence interval: 2.62–4.91), distant metastasis (Odds ratio = 4.22, 95% confidence interval: 2.40–7.45), advanced TNM stage (III+IV vs. I+II: Odds ratio = 3.23, 95% confidence interval: 1.29–8.08), and poorly differentiated tumors (Odds ratio = 1.87, 95% confidence interval: 1.33–2.63). In addition, an elevated expression of bromodomain protein 4 tended to shorten survival time (Hazard ratio = 2.23, 95% confidence interval: 1.62–3.07). The subgroup analysis results showed that bromodomain protein 4 upregulation was related to poor prognosis in patients with digestive system cancers (Hazard ratio = 2.54, 95% confidence interval: 1.85–3.50). This meta-analysis indicated that bromodomain protein 4 may serve as a promising prognostic biomarker for cancers and a direct effective cancer treatment target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer, a disease that modern medicine has not fully understood and conquered, with its high incidence and mortality, deprives countless patients of health and even life. According to global cancer statistics, there were an estimated 19.3 million new cancer cases and nearly 10 million cancer deaths in 2020, with the age-standardized incidence and mortality rates of 201.0 and 100.7 per 100,000, respectively. Although remarkable advancements have been made in therapeutic strategies recently, the overall prognosis of cancer patients remains not optimistic. Consequently, there are still many severe challenges to be faced and difficult problems to be solved in cancer therapy today. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a natural polyphenol extracted from tea leaves, has received much attention for its antitumor effects. Accumulating investigations have confirmed that EGCG can inhibit tumorigenesis and progression by triggering apoptosis, suppressing proliferation, invasion, and migration, altering tumor epigenetic modification, and overcoming chemotherapy resistance. Nevertheless, its regulatory roles and biomolecular mechanisms in the immune microenvironment, metabolic microenvironment, and immunotherapy remain obscure. In this article, we summarized the most recent updates about the effects of EGCG on tumor microenvironment (TME), metabolic reprogramming, and anti-cancer immunotherapy. The results demonstrated EGCG can promote the anti-cancer immune response of cytotoxic lymphocytes and dendritic cells (DCs), attenuate the immunosuppression of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and regulatory T cells (Tregs), and inhibit the tumor-promoting functions of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs), and various stromal cells including cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), endothelial cells (ECs), stellate cells, and mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs). Additionally, EGCG can suppress multiple metabolic reprogramming pathways, including glucose uptake, aerobic glycolysis, glutamine metabolism, fatty acid anabolism, and nucleotide synthesis. Finally, EGCG, as an immunomodulator and immune checkpoint blockade, can enhance immunotherapeutic efficacy and may be a promising candidate for antitumor immunotherapy. In conclusion, EGCG plays versatile regulatory roles in TME and metabolic reprogramming, which provides novel insights and combined therapeutic strategies for cancer immunotherapy., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Li, Cao, Sun, Cui, Zhang, Jiang and Cao.)

The occurrence and progression of tumors are inseparable from glucose metabolism. With the development of tumors, the volume increases gradually and the nutritional supply of tumors cannot be fully guaranteed. The tumor microenvironment changes and glucose deficiency becomes the common stress environment of tumors. Here, we discuss the mutual influences between glucose deprivation and other features of the tumor microenvironment, such as hypoxia, immune escape, low pH, and oxidative stress. In the face of a series of stress responses brought by glucose deficiency, different types of tumors have different coping mechanisms. We summarize the tumor studies on glucose deficiency in the last decade and review the genes and pathways that determine the fate of tumors under harsh conditions. It turns out that most of these genes help tumor cells survive in glucose-deprivation conditions. The development of related inhibitors may bring new opportunities for the treatment of tumors., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Cui, Sun, Li, Zhang, Zhang, Cao and Cao.)

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) accounts for approximately 3% of new cancer cases and 3% of all deaths worldwide. Most HNSCC patients are locally advanced (LA) at diagnosis. The combination of radiotherapy (RT), chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy are the primary LA-HNSCC treatment options. Nevertheless, the choice of optimal LA-HNSCC treatment remains controversial. We systematically searched public databases for LA-HNSCC-related studies and assess treatment effectiveness and safety by assessing the objective response rate (ORR), ≥3 adverse events (AEs), overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), disease-free survival (DFS), local-region control (LRC), and disease-specific survival (DSS). 126 randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) were included in this study. We show that concurrent RT with nimotuzumab or conventional concurrent chemo-radiotherapy (CCRT) had significantly better efficacy and long-term survival without increasing AEs than RT alone. Accelerated fractionated radiotherapy (AFRT) showed better efficiency than conventional fractionated RT, although it had higher AEs. In addition, concurrent cetuximab combined with RT failed to show a significant advantage over RT alone. Trial registration: PROSPERO CRD42022352127., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wang, Zheng, Zhang, Bian, Bao, Xin and Jiang.)

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic brings great pressure to the public health systems. This meta-analysis aimed to compare the clinical outcomes among different virus variants, to clarify their impact on medical resources and to provide evidence for the formulation of epidemic prevention policies., Methods: A systematic literature search was performed in the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases using the key words "Omicron" and "Delta." The adjusted Risk ratios (RRs), Odds ratios (ORs) and Hazard ratios (HRs) were extracted, and RRs and Rate difference % (RD%) were used to interpret the risk estimates of the outcomes ultimately., Results: Forty-three studies were included, with 3,812,681 and 14,926,841 individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron variant, respectively. The relative risks of hospitalization, death, ICU admission, and mechanical ventilation use after infection with the Omicron variant were all significantly reduced compared those after infection with the Delta variant (RR hospitalization = 0.45, 95%CI: 0.40-0.52; RR death = 0.37, 95%CI: 0.30-0.45; RR ICU = 0.35, 95%CI: 0.29-0.42; RR mechanical ventilation = 0.33, 95%CI: 0.25-0.44). The change of both absolute and relative risks for hospitalization was more evident (RR = 0.47, 95%CI: 0.42-0.53；RD% =10.61, 95%CI: 8.64-12.59) and a significant increase was observed for the absolute differences in death in the elderly (RD% = 5.60, 95CI%: 4.65-6.55); the change of the absolute differences in the risk of hospitalization and death were most markedly observed in the patients with booster vaccination (RD% hospitalization = 8.60, 95CI%: 5.95-11.24; RD% death = 3.70, 95CI%: 0.34-7.06)., Conclusion: The ability of the Omicron variant to cause severe clinical events has decreased significantly, as compared with the Delta variant, but vulnerable populations still need to be vigilant. There was no interaction between the vaccination doses and different variants., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wu, Pan, Su, Zhang, Jia, Yi, Lv, Zhang, Xue, Cao and Jiang.)

Introduction: A higher risk for depression and mortality is associated with the inflammatory potential of diet measured through the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII). The roles of DII in the risk of depression and death in cancer survivors were unclear. We aimed to examine the association between energy-adjusted DII (E-DII) score and risk of depression, and mortality using data from the 2007-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), with a special focus on cancer survivors., Methods: The 24-h dietary recall interview was used as a basis to calculate the E-DII score and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to measure the depressive outcomes. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the association between quartiles of E-DII score and depression. Cox proportional hazard regression and competing risk analyses were used to estimate the risks of quartiles of E-DII score or depression on mortality., Results: A total of 27,447 participants were included; including 24,694 subjects without cancer and 2,753 cancer survivors. The E-DII score and depression were not distributed differently between the two groups. However, the E-DII scores were positively associated with within each group's depression (all P trend < 0.001) and participants with higher E-DII scores had a higher risk of depression (subjects without cancer: OR Q4 vs Q1 : 2.17, 95% CI: 1.75-2.70; cancer survivors: OR Q4 vsQ1 : 1.78, 95% CI: 1.09-2.92). The median follow-up time were 87 person-months, a total of 1,701 (4.8%) and 570 (15.2%) all-cause deaths in subjects without cancer and cancer survivors were identified by the end of 2019. The highest E-DII scores quartile was associated with the highest risk of all-cause (HR Q4 vsQ1 : 1.90, 95% CI: 1.54-2.35) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) cause death (HR Q4 vsQ1 : 2.50, 95% CI: 1.69-2.3.7) in the subjects without cancer. Moreover, participants with depressive symptoms had higher all-cause mortality (HR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.04-1.59). No significant correlation was found for E-DII scores or depression with all-cause, cancer-cause or CVD-cause mortality in cancer survivors., Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that E-DII score was positively associated with depression risk. A higher E-DII score or depressive symptom may increase the risks of all-cause and CVD-cause mortality only among general subjects., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Zhang, Wu, Zhang, Cao, He, Cao, Wang, Jia and Jiang.)

Catalytic combustion is a promising way to remove trace amounts of CH4 to alleviate serious environmental concerns. However, the reactivity of a catalyst at low temperature is usually limited because of the difficulty to activate the C-H bond of methane. Herein, we design a Pd(PdO)/Co3O4@SiO2 bimetallic oxide core-shell catalyst which shows much higher activity in the methane combustion reaction compared with Pd(PdO)/SiO2 and Co3O4@SiO2 catalysts without a core-shell structure. The T50% and T90% of Pd(PdO)/Co3O4@SiO2 are 357 °C and 445 °C, respectively, which decrease by 67 °C and 55 °C in comparison with those of Pd(PdO)/SiO2. Extensive characterization demonstrates that the bimetallic oxide core-shell structure can effectively enhance the metal interaction between Pd and Co, which can weaken the strength of the Co-O bond in Pd(PdO)/Co3O4@SiO2. The weakening of the Co-O bond could promote the release of more lattice oxygen species to participate in the C-H breaking, resulting in superior catalytic performance in methane combustion at low temperature.

Background: Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1) has recently been shown to be dependent on or independent of Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in its roles in tumorigenesis and progression. This appreciation has prompted various studies assessing the prognostic value of TIMP-1 in patients with gastrointestinal cancer, however, the conclusions were still inconsistent. The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of TIMP-1-immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining and pretreatment serum/plasma TIMP-1 level in gastrointestinal cancer survival as well as the association between TIMP-1 and clinicopathologic features., Methods: The meta-analysis was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; Registration NO. CRD42020185407) and followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement. A highly sensitive literature search was performed in electronic databases including PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library. Heterogeneity analysis was conducted using both chi-square-based Q statistics and the I 2 test. The pooled hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to assess the prognostic value of TIMP-1 using the fixed-effects model. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CIs were calculated to evaluate the associations between TIMP-1 and clinicopathological characteristics. The meta-analysis was conducted using STATA 12.0 software., Results: A total of 3,958 patients from twenty-two studies were included in the meta-analysis. Elevated TIMP-1 levels were significantly associated with poor survival in gastrointestinal cancer (TIMP-1-IHC staining: HR = 2.04, 95% CI [1.59-2.61], I 2  = 35.7%, P Q = 0.156; pretreatment serum/plasma TIMP-1 levels: HR = 2.02, 95% CI [1.80-2.28], I 2  = 0%, P Q = 0.630). Moreover, clinicopathological parameter data analysis showed that elevated TIMP-1 levels were significantly associated with lymph node metastasis (N1/N2/N3 vs N0: OR = 2.92, 95% CI [1.95-4.38]) and higher TNM stages (III/IV vs I/II: OR = 2.73, 95% CI [1.23-6.04])., Conclusion: Both TIMP-1-positive IHC staining and high serum/plasma TIMP-1 levels are poor prognostic factors for the survival of gastrointestinal cancer. In addition, TIMP-1 overexpression was correlated with more advanced clinicopathological features., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests., (©2021 Qin et al.)

Aim: To evaluate the predictive value of the BALAD and BALAD-2 scores on long-term survival after hepatectomy in Chinese hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients and to attempt to establish a more practical or effective model. Methods: A total of 251 HCC patients underwent hepatectomy were recruited. The BALAD and BALAD-2 scores were calculated with total bilirubin, albumin, alpha-fetoprotein, Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction of alpha-fetoprotein and des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin. The associations of the two scores and their components with the overall survival were analyzed. Finally, three prediction models were explored and constructed. Results: We observed that HCC patients had 5-year survival rates that worsened with increasement of BALAD and BALAD-2 scores. The BALAD and BALAD-2 scores demonstrated fine value in predicting overall survival with Harrell-C statistics of 0.665 (0.618-0.712) and 0.603 (0.554-0.636). After two variables, largest tumor size and BMI, were included in BALAD [0.720 (0.671-0.769)] or BALAD-2 [0.701 (0.649-0.751)] multivariate models, the Harrell-C statistic increased significantly than BALAD ( P =0.048) or BALAD-2 ( P <0.001) alone. Taking into account availability and expense, an equivalent BAA-BS model was established based on total bilirubin, albumin, AFP, BMI and largest tumor size. The Harrell-C statistic of BAA-BS model [0.723(0.674-0.772)] was similar to that of BALAD ( P =0.820) or BALAD-2 ( P =0.209) multivariate model. And, the continuous net reclassification index and integrated discriminatory improvement were not statistically different. Finally, a nomogram of the equivalent BAA-BS model was constructed to assist surgeons and patients in predicting 5-year survival rates. Conclusion: Both BALAD and BALAD-2 scores were highly suitable for predicting long-term survival after hepatectomy in Chinese HCC patients. A significant increase in predictive efficacy was observed after the addition of largest tumor size and BMI to BALAD or BALAD-2 score. Even if AFP-L3 and DCP are not detected, an equivalent BAA-BS model also obtained an excellent discriminatory performance., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists., (© The author(s).)

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) remains the third leading cause of cancer death in China. Although genome-wide association studies have identified the association between several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on 8q24 and the risk of GC, the role of these SNPs in the prognosis of GC in Chinese populations has not yet been fully evaluated. Therefore, this study was conducted to explore the association between long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) polymorphisms on 8q24 and the prognosis of GC., Methods: We genotyped 726 surgically resected GC patients to explore the association between eight SNPs in the lncRNAs CCAT1 (rs10087719, rs7816475), PCAT1 (rs1026411), PRNCR1 (rs12682421, rs13252298), and CASC8 (rs1562430, rs4871789, rs6983267) transcribed from the 8q24 locus and the prognosis of GC in a Chinese population., Results: We found that the patients carrying rs12682421 AA genotypes survived for a shorter time than those with the GG/GA genotype (HR = 1.39, 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.09-1.78]). Compared with the CC/CT genotype, the TT genotype of rs1562430 was associated with an increased risk of death (HR = 1.38, 95% CI [1.06-1.80]). Furthermore, the results also identified the rs1026411 SNP as an independent prognostic factor for poor survival in GC patients. Patients carrying AA/AG variant genotypes had a 36% increased risk of death compared to those carrying the GG genotype (HR = 1.36, 95% CI [1.06-1.74]). These findings suggested that the rs12682421, rs1026411 and rs1562430 SNPs may contribute to the survival of GC and be prognostic markers for GC., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2020 Zhang et al.)

The design of heterogeneous catalysts of high efficiency for complete oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is a challenge. In the present study, propane is adopted as a VOC representative, and core-shell structured ZnCo2O4@CeO2 catalysts with Ce decoration were synthesized and tested for propane combustion. Through SEM, STEM, and EDX analyses, the structure of the ZnCo2O4@CeO2 catalysts was characterized. The results of activity evaluation demonstrate that the presence of Ce can significantly promote catalytic performance, and the most suitable Ce content has been verified. Furthermore, the optimized ZnCo2O4@CeO2 catalyst exhibits excellent thermal stability and strong resistance toward water. The superior catalytic performance over the optimized ZnCo2O4@CeO2 catalyst is attributed to the high concentration of surface lattice oxygen (O2-) and the presence of strong interactions between Ce and Co.

Objective: The goal of this study is to investigate the associations of apolipoprotein A5 ( APOA5 ) polymorphisms with coronary artery disease (CAD) in a Chinese population., Method: This case-control study included 710 subjects (355 patients with CAD and 355 controls) who were recruited from a cross-sectional study. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs662799 (-1131T>C), rs651821 (-3A>G) and rs2075291 (G185C) in APOA5 were selected and genotyped using the matrix-assisted laser desorption ioniasation time of flight mass spectrometry technology. The χ 2 test and haplotype analysis were performed to analyse the associations between APOA5 SNPs and CAD using the SPSS V.22.0 software package and the online SNPStats program., Results: APOA5 SNPs rs662799 and rs651821 exhibited significant differences in genotype and allele distributions between patients with CAD and control subjects. The SNP rs662799 was significantly correlated with an increased risk of CAD when a dominant model was considered. The SNP rs651821 was significantly correlated with an increased risk of CAD when a codominant model was considered. Moreover, the variant C alleles of rs662799 and the variant G alleles of the rs651821 polymorphism were significantly correlated with increased plasma triglyceride (TG) levels in the CAD group (all p<0.05). Additionally, a mediating effect of TG on the associations between the APOA5 rs662799 and rs651821 polymorphisms and CAD was observed., Conclusion: Based on these data, variants of the APOA5 gene are associated with CAD susceptibility and may modulate plasma TG levels among a Chinese population., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.)