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Background: Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) play a vital role in cell-cell interactions, immune response modulation, and tumor cell migration. However, the unique role of CAMs in gastric cancer (GC) remains largely unexplored., Methods: This study characterized the genetic alterations and mRNA expression of CAMs. The role of CD34, a representative molecule, was validated in 375 GC tissues. The activity of the CAM pathway was further tested using single-cell and bulk characterization. Next, data from 839 patients with GC from three cohorts was analyzed using univariate Cox and random survival forest methods to develop and validate a CAM-related prognostic model., Results: Most CAM-related genes exhibited multi-omics alterations and were associated with clinical outcomes. There was a strong correlation between increased CD34 expression and advanced clinical staging (P = 0.026), extensive vascular infiltration (P = 0.003), and unfavorable prognosis (Log-rank P = 0.022). CD34 expression was also found to be associated with postoperative chemotherapy and tumor immunotherapy response. Furthermore, the CAM pathway was significantly activated and mediated poor prognosis. Additionally, eight prognostic signature genes (PSGs) were identified in the training cohort. There was a substantial upregulation of the expression of immune checkpoints and a pronounced infiltration of immune cells in GC tissues with high PSG score, which is consistent with the prediction of increased sensitivity to immunotherapy. Moreover, 9 compounds from the CTRPv2 database and 13 from the Profiling Relative Inhibition Simultaneously in Mixture (PRISM) database were identified as potential therapeutic drugs for patients with GC with high PSG score., Conclusion: Thorough understanding of CAM pathways regulation and the innovative PSG score model hold significant implications for medical diagnosis, potentially enhancing personalized treatment strategies and improving patient outcomes in GC management., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None declared., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Lake Nansi, primarily dominated by macrophytes, faces threats from heavy metals and antibiotics due to human activity. This study investigated sediment dissolved organic matter (SDOM) characteristics and complexation of lead (Pb) and tetracycline (TC) in barren zone (BZ) and submerged macrophytes zone (PZ). Additionally, a microbial degradation experiment was conducted to examine its impact on the regional variations in complexation. SDOM abundance and protein-like materials in PZ was significantly greater than in BZ, indicating a probable contribution from the metabolism and decomposition of submerged macrophytes. Both zones exhibited a higher affinity of SDOM for Pb compared to TC, with all four components participating in Pb complexation. Protein-like materials in PZ had a higher binding ability (LogK Pb =4.19 ± 1.07, LogK TC =3.89 ± 0.67) than in BZ (LogK Pb =3.98 ± 0.61, LogK TC =3.69 ± 0.13), suggesting a potential presence of organically bound Pb and TC due to the higher abundance of protein-like materials in PZ. Although microbial communities differed noticeably, the degradation patterns of SDOM were similar in both zones, affecting the binding ability of SDOM in each. Notably, the fulvic-like component C4 emerged as the dominant binding material for both Pb and TC in both zones. Degradation might increase the amount of organically bound TC due to the increase in the LogK TC ., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Digestive tract cancers are among the most common malignancies worldwide and have high incidence and mortality rates. Thus, the discovery of more effective diagnostic and therapeutic targets is urgently required. The development of technologies to accurately detect RNA modification has led to the identification of numerous RNA chemical modifications in humans (epitranscriptomics) that are involved in the occurrence and development of digestive tract cancers. RNA modifications can cooperatively regulate gene expression to facilitate normal physiological functions of the digestive system. However, the dysfunction of relevant RNA-modifying enzymes ("writers," "erasers," and "readers") can lead to the development of digestive tract cancers. Consequently, targeting dysregulated enzyme activity could represent a potent therapeutic strategy for the treatment of digestive tract cancers. In this review, we summarize the most widely studied roles and mechanisms of RNA modifications (m 6 A, m 1 A, m 5 C, m 7 G, A-to-I editing, pseudouridine [Ψ]) in relation to digestive tract cancers, highlight the crosstalk between RNA modifications, and discuss their roles in the interactions between the digestive system and microbiota during carcinogenesis. The clinical significance of novel therapeutic methods based on RNA-modifying enzymes is also discussed. This review will help guide future research into digestive tract cancers that are resistant to current therapeutics., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: The newly released Asian Working Group for Cachexia (AWGC) criteria share similar diagnostic items with the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria. This study aims to compare the AWGC cachexia and GLIM malnutrition in patients with gastric cancer and investigate whether one diagnosis continues to be a prognostic factor in individuals diagnosed with the other condition., Methods: Data of patients who underwent radical gastrectomy for gastric adenocarcinoma were prospectively collected from 2013 to 2019. The AWGC and GLIM criteria were applied to diagnosis cachexia and malnutrition, respectively. Univariate and multivariate logistic and Cox regression were used to verify the effect of relevant factors on postoperative complications and overall survival., Results: A total of 1420 patients were included, among whom 174 (12.3 %) were diagnosed with AWGC-cachexia alone, 85 (6.0 %) were diagnosed with GLIM-malnutrition alone, and 324 (22.8 %) had both AWGC-cachexia and GLIM-malnutrition. Both AWGC-cachexia and GLIM-malnutrition were independent risk factors for complications and overall survival. When they coexisted, the odds ratios (OR) and hazard ratios (HR) tended to be higher. In the AWGC-cachexia subset, GLIM-malnutrition remained an independent risk factor (HR = 1.544, 95 % CI = 1.098-2.171, P = 0.012) for overall survival after the adjustment of confounding factors. Similarly, in the GLIM-malnutrition subset, AWGC-cachexia remained an independent risk factor for overall survival (HR = 1.697, 95 % CI = 1.087-2.650, P = 0.020). Patients with both cachexia and malnutrition had the worst overall survival., Conclusion: AWGC-cachexia and GLIM-malnutrition criteria were two non-redundancy tools in reflecting mortality risk in preoperative nutritional assessment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.)

Background: Cachexia is prevalent in cancer patients. The conventional diagnostic criteria for cachexia are often based on Western evidence, lacking consensus for Asian populations. This study aims to compare Asian Working Group for Cachexia (AWGC) criteria with Fearon's criteria, assessing their differences in population characteristics and prognostic impact., Methods: The clinical data of patients who underwent radical gastrectomy between 2013 and 2019 were prospectively collected. Cachexia diagnosis involves the utilization of either AWGC criteria and the previous international consensus proposed by Fearon et al. A scoring model is established based on the optional criteria according to the AWGC criteria. Univariate and multivariate logistic and Cox regression analysis were conducted to determine the independent effect factors for postoperative complications and overall survival., Results: In a total of 1330 patients, 461 met AWGC cachexia criteria and 311 met Fearon's criteria. Excluding 262 overlapping cases, those diagnosed solely with AWGC-cachexia had higher age and lower BMI, albumin, hemoglobin, and handgrip strength compared to those by Fearon's criteria alone. AWGC-cachexia independently increased the risk of postoperative complications, whereas Fearon's criteria did not. Patients with AWGC-cachexia also exhibited shorter overall survival than Fearon's criteria. The AWGC-based cachexia grading system effectively stratifies the risks of postoperative complications and mortality., Conclusions: The AWGC criteria is more effective in diagnosing cancer cachexia in the Asian population and provide better prognostic indicators., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors have declared no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate whether sarcopenia could predict postoperative outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer with Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM)-defined malnutrition., Methods: Clinical data of patients who underwent radical resection for colorectal cancer were prospectively collected. Sarcopenia was diagnosed by the combination of low handgrip strength and low muscle quantity or quality as measured by abdominal computed tomography (CT) images. Logistic regression analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis were performed to identify independent predictors for postoperative complications and survival, respectively., Results: A total of 310 patients with colorectal cancer with GLIM-defined malnutrition were included, of which 145 (46.77%) were identified with sarcopenia. Malnutritional patients with sarcopenia had significantly higher incidences of total complications (34.5% versus 15.8%), severe complications (9.7% versus 1.8%), longer lengths of postoperative hospital stay (median, 14 days versus 12 days), and more costs (median, 56,257 RMB versus 49,024 RMB) than those without sarcopenia. Sarcopenia was an independent predictive factor for postoperative complications (OR 2.531, 95% CI 1.451-4.415), overall survival (HR 1.519, 95% CI 1.026-2.248), and disease-free survival (HR 1.847, 95% CI 1.324-2.576). Patients with severe sarcopenia had a higher incidence of severe complications but not total complications or survival than those with not-severe sarcopenia. Moreover, the predictive value of sarcopenia for postoperative complications was attributed to muscle strength and quality but not muscle quantity., Conclusion: Sarcopenia predicts postoperative complications and survival in patients with colorectal cancer with GLIM-defined malnutrition. Preoperative assessment of sarcopenia is still necessary when nutritional assessment has been well performed., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Gastric cancer is the fifth most frequently diagnosed malignant neoplasm and the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Nevertheless, the therapeutic efficacy of conventional surgical and chemotherapeutic interventions in clinical practice is often unsatisfactory. Curcumin (Cur) has shown promise as a therapeutic agent in prior studies. However, its progress in this context has been impeded by challenges including low solubility, instability in aqueous environments, and rapid metabolism. In this study, we develop methacrylate fish gelatin (FGMA) hydrogel microparticles (FGMPs@Cur) encapsulating Cur via microfluidic electrospray technology for postoperative comprehensive treatment of gastric cancer. Comprehensive characterizations and analyses were conducted to assess the cytotoxicity against gastric cancer cells and potential tissue reparative effects of FGMPs@Cur. In vitro experiments revealed that FGMPs@Cur exhibited a remarkable cytotoxic effect on nearly 80 % of gastric cancer cells while maintaining at least 95 % viability of normal cells in cell compatibility tests. In vivo results demonstrated that FGMPs@Cur significantly reduced tumor volume to 47 % of the control group, and notable tissue regeneration was observed at the surgical site. These properties indicated that such a hydrogel microparticle system is a promising candidate for postoperative gastric cancer treatment in practical application., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Humans are widely and concurrently exposed to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). However, few studies have reported the internal co-exposure levels of these chemicals in occupational and general populations. Specifically, the associations revealed between the urinary levels of metabolites of VOCs (mVOCs), hydroxylated PAHs (OH-PAHs), and oxidative stress biomarkers for humans remain limited. In this study, a method based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) and liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was developed for the simultaneous analysis of 22 mVOCs, 12 OH-PAHs, and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in human urine samples. The method was validated with all target analyte accuracies and precisions in the range of 76 %-120 % and 1 %-14 % at three levels of spiked urine samples, respectively. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of the target analytes were 0.01-0.34 ng/mL and 0.01-7.57 ng/mL, respectively. And the method was applied to measure urinary levels of target analytes from 38 petrochemical workers in Guangzhou, South China. Except for 3-hydroxy-benzo[a]pyrene, all target analytes were detected in the urine samples. The average levels were 0.05-12.6 ng/mL for individual OH-PAHs, 0.20-73620 ng/mL for individual mVOCs, and 1.00 ng/mL for 8-OHdG. Additionally, 3-hydroxy-phenanthrene, 1-hydroxy-pyrene, 6-hydroxy-chrysene, N-acetyl-S-(trichlorovinyl)-L-cysteine, 2-methylhippuric acid, thiodiacetic acid, trans, trans-Muconic acid, and N-acetyl-S-(3,4-dihydroxybutyl)-L-cysteine had statistically significant positive effects on 8-OHdG levels, while 1-hydroxy-naphthalene, 1,2-dihydroxybenzene, and hippuric acid showed a negative effect on 8-OHdG, indicating these metabolites could lead to synergistic or antagonistic oxidative DNA damage. This study provides a robust analytical method that permits a comprehensive assessment of co-exposure to PAHs and VOCs and their potential adverse health effects., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Microorganisms play a crucial role in the biogeochemical processes of Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM), and the properties of DOM also significantly influence changes in microbial community characteristics. This interdependent relationship is vital for the flow of matter and energy within aquatic ecosystems. The presence, growth state, and community characteristics of submerged macrophytes determine the susceptibility of lakes to eutrophication, and restoring a healthy submerged macrophyte community is an effective way to address this issue. However, the transition from eutrophic lakes dominated by planktic algae to medium or low trophic lakes dominated by submerged macrophytes involves significant changes. Changes in aquatic vegetation have greatly affected the source, composition, and bioavailability of DOM. The adsorption and fixation functions of submerged macrophytes determine the migration and storage of DOM and other substances from water to sediment. Submerged macrophytes regulate the characteristics and distribution of microbial communities by controlling the distribution of carbon sources and nutrients in the lake. They further affect the characteristics of the microbial community in the lake environment through their unique epiphytic microorganisms. The unique process of submerged macrophyte recession or restoration can alter the DOM-microbial interaction pattern in lakes through its dual effects on DOM and microbial commu-----nities, ultimately changing the stability of carbon and mineralization pathways in lakes, such as the release of methane and other greenhouse gases. This review provides a fresh perspective on the dynamic changes of DOM and the role of the microbiome in the future of lake ecosystems., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Gastric cancer (GC) ranks fifth among all malignant tumors globally, especially in East Asia, and has attracted extensive attention and research. MicroRNA (miRNA) modulation during genomic instability (GI) may be associated with the development and metastasis of malignant tumors. We aimed to identify GI-related miRNA signatures for the prediction of GC prognosis. We constructed a GI-related miRNA signature (GIMiSig) scheme based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) training set (n = 389), which was later verified based on the TCGA test set (n = 194). GI-related miRNAs were identified by analyzing somatic mutation profiles and miRNA expression. A GI-related miRNA-gene co-expression network was also constructed. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) were analyzed to reveal possible biological pathways associated with GI-related miRNAs. The correlation of the GIMiSig with clinical factors of the TCGA dataset was analyzed. MiRNA mimics and inhibitors were used to evaluate the biological functions of miR-100-5p and miR-145-3p in GC cell lines AGS and MKN-45. This study identified a GI-related 12-miRNA signature for the prediction of GC prognosis. GIMiSig scores, similar to tumor stages, showed significant correlations with overall survival (OS, p < 0.05). GIMiSig showed high accuracy in predicting GC prognosis. MiR-100-5p and miR-145-3p promoted cell growth, invasion, and migration but inhibited apoptosis in GC cells. We report a reliable GI-related 12-miRNA signature for predicting GC prognosis. Furthermore, miR-100-5p and miR-145-3p may promote GC cell growth, invasion, and migration., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Malnutrition is common in the patients with gastric cancer. Radical gastrectomy remained the primary strategy of curable treatment for gastric cancer. This study is performed to explore the effect of laparoscopic radical gastrectomy on clinical outcomes in gastric cancer patients with malnutrition., Methods: Gastric cancer patients with GLIM-defined malnutrition between 2014 and 2019 at our center were enrolled. The patients were divided into two groups according to the different type of surgery. Propensity score match analysis was used to balance the clinicopathologic characteristics of two groups. Postoperative outcomes and survival were compared. Multivariate analysis was used to independent risk factors of complication, overall survival (OS), and disease-free survival (DFS)., Results: Compared with patients underwent open radical gastrectomy, patients who underwent laparoscopic radical gastrectomy had lower rate of total, surgical and severe complications. They also had shorter postoperative hospital stay with better OS and DFS. Hypoalbuminemia (P = 0.003) was the independent risk factor of complications. Old age (≥75, P = 0.035) and TNM stage (III: P < 0.001, II: P = 0.015) were the independent risk factors of OS. Combined resection (P = 0.003) and TNM stage (III: P < 0.001, II: P = 0.001) posed independent risk factors of lacking DFS. Laparoscopic surgery proved to be the independent protective factor of complications (P = 0.014), OS (P < 0.001) and DFS (P < 0.001)., Conclusion: Laparoscopic radical gastrectomy was relative safe and showed favorable outcomes in malnourished gastric cancer patients., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.)

The traditional 2d culture has been proved inferior to reproduce the subtle interaction between cell-to-cell and cell-to-extracellular matrix (ECM) in tumor microenvironment (TME) and collagen in ECM contributes to various malignancies of tumors. Hence, the 3d model contained with collagen may overcome the shortcomings of 2d culture. In this study, the in vitro TME mimicking matrix was prepared by coupling porcine liver-derived collagen (COL) and the dialdehyde group of partially oxidized alginate (OA), namely OA-COL, and the 3d OA-COL droplets were polymerized by divalent calcium ions. In the 3d OA-COL droplets, cancer cells displayed vigorous proliferation, and the cells grew in clusters and formed a unique spindle like clone. Quantitative analysis proved that various gene transcription and protein expression were up-regulated for the cells in the 3d OA-COL droplets, including F-actin reassembling, focal adhesion, pseudopodia formation, and the proteins involved in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The 3d OA-COL droplets induced the cells with strengthened polarity, invasiveness, higher IC50, and manifested stronger tumorigenicity in vivo. The fabricated 3d OA-COL droplets reproduced a variety of TME parameters, constructed an in vitro model similar to the TME in vivo, and it may facilitate many investigations in cell biology and tumor biology., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has resulted in a global health emergency. In addition to common respiratory symptoms, some patients with COVID-19 infections may experience a range of extra-pulmonary manifestations, such as digestive system involvement. Patients with COVID-19 have been reported to suffer from acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) that is associated with disease-related severity and mortality. However, in the context of COVID-19, the exact cause of AMI has yet to be clearly defined. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the available data and elucidates the possible underlying mechanisms linking COVID-19 to AMI, in addition to highlighting therapeutic approaches for clinicians. Finally, given the severe global impact of COVID-19, we emphasize the importance of coordinated vaccination programs., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The authors sought to investigate associations between sacubitril/valsartan adherence and clinical outcomes after hospitalization for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF)., Background: Sacubitril/valsartan improves outcomes in HFrEF, though the extent to which medication adherence is associated with outcomes in routine care is less well characterized., Methods: The authors analyzed patients aged ≥65 years hospitalized for HFrEF within the Get With the Guidelines-Heart Failure registry linked with Medicare claims between October 2015 and September 2018 who were discharged with sacubitril/valsartan. Sacubitril/valsartan adherence was assessed using medication fills to calculate proportion of days covered (PDC) through 90 days postdischarge. Associations between postdischarge adherence (PDC < or ≥80%) and risk of readmission and death within 1 year were examined by comparing cumulative incidences and adjusted event rates., Results: Among 897 patients prescribed sacubitril/valsartan at discharge, 295 (32.9%) had PDC ≥80% and 602 (67.1%) had PDC <80%. Baseline characteristics were balanced between groups. Compared with patients with PDC <80%, patients with PDC ≥80% had a significantly lower adjusted hazard of all-cause rehospitalization (HR: 0.66 [95% CI: 0.48-0.89]) and death (HR: 0.42 [95% CI: 0.22-0.79]) at 90 days and at 1 year (HR: 0.69 [95% CI: 0.56-0.86] and HR: 0.53 [95% CI: 0.38-0.74], respectively). For every 5 percentage point increase in PDC, patients experienced a significant reduction in rehospitalization (HR: 0.98 [95% CI: 0.97-0.99]) and death (HR: 0.96 [95% CI: 0.94-0.97]) at 1 year., Conclusions: In patients hospitalized for HFrEF and discharged on sacubitril/valsartan, high adherence to sacubitril/valsartan within 90 days after discharge was associated with substantially lower rates of readmission and death. Additional efforts to improve adherence with sacubitril/valsartan and other guideline-directed medical therapies in HFrEF are warranted., Competing Interests: Funding Support and Author Disclosures This work was sponsored by Novartis Pharmaceuticals. The GWTG-HF (Get With the Guideline–Heart Failure) program is provided by the American Heart Association. The GWTG-HF registry is sponsored, in part, by Novartis, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly Diabetes Alliance, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, AstraZeneca, and Bayer. Dr Carnicelli has received research grant funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr Lippmann has received research grant funding from Novartis. Dr Greene has received a Heart Failure Society of America/Emergency Medicine Foundation Acute Heart Failure Young Investigator Award funded by Novartis; receives research support from the American Heart Association, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck, and Novartis; has served on advisory boards for Amgen and Cytokinetics; and serves as a consultant for Amgen and Merck. Dr Mentz has received research support and honoraria from Abbott, American Regent, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim/Eli Lilly, Boston Scientific, Cytokinetics, Fast BioMedical, Gilead, Innolife, Medtronic, Merck, Novartis, Relypsa, Respicardia, Roche, Sanofi, Vifor, and Windtree Therapeutics. Dr Shen is employed by and has received stock from Novartis. Dr Peterson has received grant funding from National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr Allen has received grant funding from the American Heart Association, NIH, and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute; and consulting fees from Abbott, ACI Clinical, Amgen, Boston Scientific, Cytokinetics, and Novartis. Dr Fonarow has received consulting fees from Abbott, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Edwards, Janssen, Medtronic, Merck, and Novartis. Dr O’Brien has received grant funding from Bristol Myers Squibb, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline, and Novo Nordisk., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic, idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease characterized by dysregulation of colon immune response. Curcumin (Cur) has strong anti-inflammatory activities, but the application is severely hindered by the extremely hydrophobicity and pitiful bioavailability. Alginate (Alg), a natural polysaccharide with ideal solubility and biosafety, was introduced to prepare the esterified alginate-curcumin conjugate (Alg-Cur) and constructed stable Alg-Cur micelle in physiological solutions. Compared with crystalline Cur, the target anti-inflammatory activities of Alg-Cur were systematically investigated. The results showed that Alg-Cur exerted effective anti-inflammatory effects in Raw 264.7 cells. After oral administration, 92.32 % of Alg-Cur reached colon, and the ester bonds were quickly sheared by abundant esterase produced by commensal anaerobic flora. The released Cur was quickly absorbed in-situ in monomolecular state, and effectively ameliorated the colonic inflammation and tissue damage by inhibiting the TLR4 expression in colonic epithelial cell, reducing the transcription and expression of the pro-inflammation cytokines downstream, as well as the infiltration of lymphocytes, macrophages and neutrophils. The Alg-Cur micelle effectively enhanced the hydrophilicity and bioavailability of Cur, and the commensal flora triggered Cur release showed great potential for UC treatment., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Bartter Syndrome (BS) is a group of rare inherited autosome-recessive disease, which can be caused by the gene mutations of sodium-potassium-chloride cotransporter gene (SLC12A1). Here, the urine cells (UCs) derived from a 4-year-old female BS patient with the homozygote SLC12A1 gene mutation p.A244D (c.731C>A) were reprogramming into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) named WMUi019-A using a commercial Sendai virus reprogramming kit. The pluripotent stem cell markers like OCT4 and SSEA4 can be positively expressed in this iPSC line, which can also be induced to differentiate into three germ layers in vitro and maintain a stable karyotype (46, XY)., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The mutations of polyglutamine binding protein 1 gene (PQBP1) can lead to the rare inherited X-linked Renpenning syndrome (X-RSY). Here, an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line WMUi017-A was generated through reprogramming the urine cells of a 5-year-old male X-RSY patient with the hemizygous PQBP1 gene mutation p.P609A (c.1825C>G) using the commercial Sendai virus reprogramming system. The established iPSCs can stably express pluripotent stem cell markers OCT4 and NANOG, and can be induced into three germ layers and maintain a normal karyotype (46, XY) in vitro., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) and skeletal muscle radiodensity (SMD) are important components of sarcopenia and malnutrition. However, their assessment requires additional resources in cancer patients, which is inconvenient for the early detection of sarcopenia and malnutrition., Objectives: This study aimed to develop and validate nomograms for the prediction of low muscle mass and muscle radiodensity and to examine the application value of the nomograms in the diagnoses of sarcopenia and malnutrition., Methods: A total of 1315 patients diagnosed with gastric cancer between July 2014 and May 2019 were included. Random resampling with an 80/20 split ratio was performed to obtain a training cohort (n = 1056) and a validation cohort (n = 259). Nomograms were separately constructed for low SMI (LSMI) and low SMD (LSMD) in the training cohort based on prospectively collected preoperative data. The performance of the nomograms was assessed using the AUC, calibration curve, and Hosmer-Lemeshow test. The application values of the nomograms in the diagnoses of sarcopenia and malnutrition were also evaluated., Results: Age, BMI, hemoglobin concentration, and gait speed were included in the nomogram for LSMI predictions. These variables, in addition to sex, were included in the nomogram for LSMD predictions. The diagnostic nomograms exhibited good discrimination, with AUCs of 0.818 (95% CI, 0.791-0.845) for the LSMI nomogram and 0.788 (95% CI, 0.761-0.815) for the LSMD diagnostic nomogram in the training cohort. Calibration was also excellent. The agreement ratios between the nomograms and actual observations in the total population were 92.3% and 95.6% for sarcopenia and malnutrition, respectively. Prognostic nomograms exhibited similar performance in the validation cohort., Conclusions: Diagnostic nomograms consisting of preoperative factors can successfully predict LSMI and LSMD. These models facilitate early identification and timely interventions for at-risk populations., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society for Nutrition.)

Mixed litter decomposition is a common phenomenon in nature and is very important for the circulation of material through an ecosystem. Different plant functional groups (PFGs) are likely to interact during decomposition. It is unclear how mixed decomposition influences the release of multiple metallic elements, and the biogeochemical circulation mechanism in the alpine ecosystem remains elusive. In this study, a two-year experiment on decomposition of mixed litter from six dominant PFGs was conducted at two elevations in an alpine timberline ecotone using the litterbag method. First, the results suggested that PFG identity had greater impacts on the release of all metallic elements than elevation. The release rates of potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and copper (Cu) in graminoid, deciduous shrub and forb litter were significantly higher than those in evergreen conifer, evergreen shrub and mixed litter. Second, the release of metallic elements showed non-additive effects during mixed litter decomposition. K, Ca, Mg, sodium (Na), Cu, and aluminium (Al) exhibited antagonistic effects, while Fe exhibited a synergistic effect. The antagonistic effects on Na, K, Ca and Cu release increased with increasing elevation, while the antagonistic effects on Mg, Al and Mn release decreased with increasing elevation. Third, Al and Fe showed high levels of accumulation. The K release rate decreased while Al and Fe accumulation increased with plant litter upward shift. In conclusion, mixtures of PFGs inhibits the release of multiple metallic elements during litter decomposition in the alpine timberline ecotone. We speculate that an upward shift in PFGs in response to climate warming will slow the release of K and accelerate the enrichment of Fe and Al in alpine timberline ecotones., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Sarcopenia and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are associated with the prognosis from malignant tumors. However, evidence of the relationship between sarcopenia and MetS among gastric cancer (GC) patients following radical gastrectomy is lacking. This study assessed the association between preoperative sarcopenia and MetS among GC patients and analyzed the prognosis of patients with different malnutrition statuses., Methods: We prospectively assessed the preoperative statuses of sarcopenia and MetS among patients who underwent radical gastrectomy from July 2014 to December 2017. We combined sarcopenia and MetS to generate four groups: MetS-related sarcopenia group (MSS), sarcopenia group (S), MetS group (MS), and normal group (N)., Results: A total of 749 patients with resectable GC were included in this study. Preoperative MetS was associated with sarcopenia (p < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression presented that MetS-related sarcopenia (OR = 2.445; p = 0.010) and sarcopenia alone (OR = 2.117; p = 0.001) were independent predictors of grade Ⅱ and above complications, while MetS alone was not (p = 0.342). Cox regression analysis revealed that MetS-related sarcopenia led to the worst prognosis in the four groups (MSS vs MS: HR = 3.555, p < 0.001; MSS vs N: HR = 2.020, p = 0.003; MSS vs S: HR = 1.763, p = 0.021). However, the MetS group had better prognosis than the normal group (MS vs N: HR = 0.568, p = 0.048)., Conclusion: Preoperative MetS was associated with sarcopenia among GC patients. MetS-related sarcopenia resulted in a significantly worse prognosis. The long-term prognoses of patients with sarcopenia were impaired by preoperative MetS, while patients without sarcopenia benefited. Thus, patients with both sarcopenia and MetS require more medical interventions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Lateral humeral condyle fracture is one of the most common fractures in children. However, the prediction of the stability of the fracture with a cutoff displacement of 2 mm remains controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability of the routine cutoff displacement of 2 mm in predicting the stability of paediatric lateral humeral condyle fractures., Methods: A cohort of 79 children with imaging results for lateral humeral condyle fractures from 2013 to 2019 was evaluated. The displacement on the radiographs was measured by three surgeons at different levels, and ultrasound images were obtained by two senior surgeons. The interobserver and intraobserver reliability was assessed by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). A binary logistic regression model and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the association between the measurement and the integrity of cartilage hinges., Results: The ICC for the interobserver reliability was 0.85, and the intraobserver reliability was 0.93. For each additional millimetre of displacement, the odds of cartilage hinge disruption increased by 70%. The ROC curve determined that the Youden index was only 0.07 (sensitivity, 97.8%; specificity, 8.8%) with a cutoff displacement of 2 mm., Conclusions: The routine cutoff displacement of 2 mm may not reliably reflect the stability of paediatric lateral humeral condyle fractures. The cutoff value is sensitive but not specific for predicting whether the cartilage hinge is intact., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Radiomics allows for mining of imaging data to examine tissue characteristics non-invasively, which can be used to predict the prognosis of a patient. This study explored the use of imaging techniques to evaluate splenic tissue characteristics to predict the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer., Materials and Methods: Computed tomography images from patients with gastric cancer were collected retrospectively. Splenic image characteristics, extracted with pyradiomics, of patients in the training group were randomly divided. Characteristics with a P value < 0.1 were selected for lasso regression to construct a survival risk model. Models for high-and low-risk groups were established. Patients were divided into the high- and low-risk groups for univariate and multivariate regression analysis of survival-related factors, and a visual prognostic prediction model was established., Results: The splenic characteristic prognostic model was consistent in the training and verification groups (p < 0.001 and p = 0.016, respectively). The two groups that displayed different splenic characteristics showed no statistical difference in other basic data except the tumour-node-metastasis (pTNM) stage (p = 0.007). Univariate and multivariate analysis of survival risk factors showed that splenic characteristics (p = 0.042), age (p < 0.001), tumor location (p = 0.002), and pTNM stage (p < 0.001) were independent risk factors for survival. The prognostic prediction model combined with splenic characteristics significantly improved the accuracy of prognosis, predicting one-and three-year survival rates., Conclusion: Splenic features extracted from imaging technology can accurately predict the long-term survival of patients with gastric cancer. Splenic characteristic grouping can effectively improve the accuracy of survival prediction and gastric cancer prognosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.)

Background: In 2010, the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) reached a consensus on sarcopenia (EWGSOP1). In 2018, the EWGSOP met again (EWGSOP2) to update original definition of sarcopenia. This study aimed to investigate the association of sarcopenia and survival and compare the prognostic effects of sarcopenia as defined by EWGSOP1 and EWGSOP2 after gastrectomy., Methods: We conducted a prospective study including patients who underwent curative gastrectomy for gastric cancer from August 2014 to February 2018. The sarcopenia elements, including skeletal muscle index, muscle attenuation, handgrip strength, and gait speed were measured before surgery. Patients were followed up after gastrectomy to gain the actual clinical outcomes., Results: The prevalence of sarcopenia was 17.0% and 18.9% according to the EWGSOP1 and EWGSOP2 respectively. Sarcopenia was independent risk factor for postoperative complications. Compared with EWGSOP1-sarcopenia, EWGSOP2-sarcopenia and had a higher odds ratio (OR) (2.453 vs. 1.550) in multivariate model. Area under the ROC curve of model including EWGSOP2-sarcopenia was larger than that of the model including EWGSOP1-sarcopenia (AUC 0.653 vs. 0.634, P = 0.021). For both of EWGSOP1 and EWGSOP2, sarcopenia was an independent risk factor for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS), but EWGSOP2-sarcopenia seemed to have a higher hazard ratio (OS, 1.667 vs. 1.449; DFS, 1.603 vs. 1.563). In addition, severe sarcopenia, as defined by either EWGSOP2 or EWGSOP1, had a strong predictive power (OR 4.909 vs. 3.827) for postoperative complications. Both versions of severe sarcopenia were significantly predictive of OS and DFS in Cox analysis., Conclusion: Sarcopenia at uniform diagnosis standard was an independent risk factor for survival in patients undergoing radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Sarcopenia defined by EWGSOP2 criteria better predicts clinical outcomes than that defined by EWGSOP1 criteria in patients with gastric cancer after gastrectomy., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.)

Laccase (LAC) belongs to the blue multi‑copper lignolytic oxidase enzymes, and has been regarded as an important tool to produce some important dimers in the application of biotechnology. In this study, sixteen coumarins 1-16 were screened to investigate the catalytic ability of LAC, and three coumarins 6, 7, and 16 could be catalyzed to produce three coumarin derivative coupling with acetone 6a, 7a, and 16a. The potential interaction mechanisms of three coumarins 6, 7, and 16 with LAC were analyzed by molecular docking. The kinetic analyses of catalytic reactions for coumarins 6, 7, and 16 with LAC were performed by using the transformed products 6a, 7a, and 16a as standard substances. Km values of coumarins 6, 7, and 16 were ranged from 0.87 ± 0.07 μM to 2.74 ± 0.29 μM, respectively. This finding suggested that LAC was a reliable method to catalyze oxidative coupling., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The association between sarcopenia and postoperative outcomes in patients who undergo laparoscopic-assisted gastrectomy is unclear. We aimed to determine the predictive value of sarcopenia for adverse postoperative outcomes after laparoscopic-assisted gastrectomy for gastric cancer., Materials and Methods: We prospectively collected the clinical data of patients who underwent elective radical laparoscopic-assisted gastrectomy for gastric cancer in two large centers from August 2014 to October 2017. The third lumbar vertebra skeletal muscle index, handgrip strength, and 6-m usual gait speed were measured to diagnose sarcopenia. Subsequently, we aimed to identify the risk factors for postoperative complications., Results: The study included 313 patients and 37 (11.8%) patients were classified as sarcopenic. Compared with non-sarcopenic patients, sarcopenic patients were significantly older (P < 0.001), had higher nutritional risk screening 2002 scores (P = 0.013), Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) scores (P = 0.033), and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (P = 0.004), and lower body mass index (P < 0.001), preoperative serum albumin (P < 0.001), and hemoglobin (P < 0.001). Sarcopenic patients had higher postoperative complication rate (P = 0.002), longer postoperative hospital stays (P = 0.020) and higher total cost of hospitalization (P = 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that CCI score ≥1 (odds ratio [OR]: 2.424, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.309-4.487; P = 0.005) and sarcopenia (OR: 2.752, 95% CI: 1.274-5.944; P = 0.010) were independent risk factors for short-term postoperative complications., Conclusion: Sarcopenia is an independent clinical predictor of short-term postoperative complications after laparoscopic-assisted gastrectomy., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.)

Concerns regarding the release of microplastics (MPs) into the environment led us to explore the relationship between the different environmental factors and physicochemical properties of MPs, as well as the change of interaction between MPs and organic pollutants. In this study, the effects of environmental factors (ageing conditions), such as pH, temperature, ionic strength, ageing time, and humic acid (HA) concentration, on the characteristics of MPs and their adsorption toward tetracycline (TC) were systematically investigated. The results showed that ageing factors such as pH, ionic strength, and temperature were found to have little impact on the adsorptive capacity of MPs for TC. However, MPs aged in HA solution exhibited a significant decreased adsorptive capacity for TC. HA, which has numerous functional groups, can cover the surface of MPs and change their hydrophobicity, thereby reducing the adsorption affinity to TC. The electrostatic repulsion between adsorbed HA and TC molecules may also decrease the adsorption of TC. In addition, the competing effect of HA for adsorption sites on the surface of MPs further reduces the adsorption of TC. The data presented in this work provide useful information for understanding the transfer of antibiotics by aged MPs, which is of fundamental importance to assess the environmental impact of MPs., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

C5a and its receptor, C5a receptor (C5aR), play critical roles in tumor progression. However, mechanisms of C5a-C5aR axis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell invasiveness are not fully elucidated. In this study, we found that C5aR expression was highly expressed in HCC cell lines and tumor tissues, and associated with capsular invasion, tumor stage and some epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related markers. Activation of C5aR by C5a promoted HCC cell invasion and migration, whereas depletion of C5aR expression significantly impaired C5a-stimulated invasion and migration. Furthermore, we found that C5aR induced EMT in HCC cells, through downregulation of E-cadherin and Claudin-1 expression, and upregulation of Snail expression. Finally, we demonstrated that C5aR stimulated activation of ERK1/2, and ERK1/2 pathway was involved in C5aR-mediated EMT, cell invasion and migration of HCC cells. Thus, our data suggest that C5aR stimulates cell invasion and migration via ERK1/2-mediated EMT in HCC cells, and implicate that blocking C5aR expression has therapeutic promise to inhibit HCC invasiveness., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Cigarette smoking is the most important risk factor for COPD in the United States. Host factors that influence the rapid rate of FEV1 decline in smokers and how decline rate influences risk for developing COPD are unknown. The aim of this study was to characterize the rate of FEV1 decline in ever smokers, compare the risk of incident COPD between those with rapid decline and others, and determine the effect of selected drugs on rapid decline., Methods: A total of 1,170 eligible ever smokers from the longitudinal Lovelace Smokers Cohort with repeat spirometry tests over a minimum follow-up period of 3 years (mean follow-up, 5.9 years) were examined, including 809 ever smokers without a spirometric abnormality at baseline. Longitudinal absolute decline in postbronchodilator FEV1 from the slope of the spirometric values over all examinations was annualized and classified as rapid (≥30 mL/y), normal (0-29.9 mL/y), or no (>0 mL/y) decline. Logistic regression and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used for the analysis., Results: Approximately 32% of ever smokers exhibited rapid decline. Among ever smokers without a baseline spirometric abnormality, rapid decline was associated with an increased risk for incident COPD (OR, 1.88; P=.003). The use of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors at baseline examination was protective against rapid decline, particularly among those with comorbid cardiovascular disease, hypertension, or diabetes (ORs 0.48, 0.48, and 0.12, respectively; P≤.02 for all analyses)., Conclusions: Ever smokers with a rapid decline in FEV1 are at higher risk for COPD. Use of ACE inhibitors by smokers may protect against this rapid decline and the progression to COPD.