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Background: Massive abdominal arterial bleeding is an uncommon yet life-threatening complication of radical gastrectomy. The exact incidence and standardized management of this lethal morbidity are not known.Methods: Between January 2003 and December 2013, data from 1875 patients undergoing radical gastrectomy with D2 or D2 plus lymphadenectomy were recorded in a prospectively designed database from a single institute. The clinical data and management of both early (within 24 h) and late (beyond 24 h) postoperative abdominal arterial hemorrhages were explored. For late bleeding patients, transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) and re-laparotomy were compared to determine the better initial treatment option.Results: The overall prevalence of postoperative abdominal arterial bleeding was 1.92 % (n = 36), and related mortality was 33.3 % (n = 12). Early and late postoperative bleedings were found in 6 and 30 patients, respectively. The onset of massive arterial bleeding occurred on average postoperative day 19. The common hepatic artery and its branches were the most common bleeding source (13/36; 36.1 %). All the early bleeding patients were treated with immediate re-laparotomy. For late bleeding, patients from the TAE group had a significantly lower mortality rate than that of the patients from the surgery group (7.69 vs. 56.25 %, respectively, P = 0.008) as well as a shorter procedure time for bleeding control (2.3 ± 1.1 vs. 4.8 ± 1.7 h, respectively, P < 0.001). Four rescue reoperations were performed for TAE failures; the salvage rate was 50 % (2/4). Ten patients developed massive re-bleeding after initial successful hemostasis by either TAE (5/13) or open surgery (5/16). Three out of the 10 re-bleeding patients died of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), while the other 7 recovered eventually by repeated TAE and/or surgery.Conclusion: Abdominal arterial bleeding following radical gastrectomy tends to occur during the later phase after surgery, with further complications such as abdominal infection and fistula(s). For late bleeding, TAE can be considered as the first-line treatment when possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this article, with adaptive and bounded rational dynamics, the dynamic bidding system models, including the cases of two and three power producers, are presented, respectively, based on Cournot game. The stability of Nash equilibriums are analyzed analytically, after which the stable regions, bifurcations, and chaotic stranger attractors are displayed by numerical simulations. In addition, chaos control of dynamic bidding systems are analyzed with state delayed feedback control method, and numerical simulations indicate that Nash equilibrium of oligopoly bidding dynamics is maintainable if suitable control variables and parameters are chosen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This article presents a dynamic bidding model of power markets involving transmission constraints and bounded constraints of bidding variables. On the basis of the Nash equilibrium theory of power markets and the nonlinear complementarity method in optimization computations, the dynamic bidding model is composed of a difference dynamic system and semismooth equations. As examples with three buses and fine buses, numerical simulations analyze that under the different parameters of the market, the system will appear different operation states of transmission (i.e., congestion and non-congestion) and different Nash equilibriums. Furthermore, the local stability of bidding model at Nash equilibriums is investigated. The effect of the adjusting parameter in bidding model to the equilibrium points and the stability is also studied. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The discrimination of surface and submerged targets has always been a key issue in passive sonar array processing. This paper proposes a Δ k - f domain distribution extraction technique based on horizontal arrays and realizes depth discrimination based on two features of the distribution. One is the energy distribution center characteristics, the other is energy distribution slope characteristics. The domain feature extraction algorithm is studied from horizontal line arrays and horizontal circular arrays. Perform wavenumber domain beamforming on signals based on each array manifolds to obtain Δ k - f domain energy distributions. Because the depth of the sound source is closely related to the Δ k - f distribution, the source depth can be differentiated according to the characteristics of the distribution. We applied simulation data to test the performance of the algorithm with different conditions. The results show that when the distance, SNR and waveguide conditions change, the discrimination performance is stable. The accuracy of azimuth pre-estimation has a great influence on the performance of the algorithm. Finally, we use the swell96 data and the seafloor circular array data to verify the validity of the discrimination algorithm proposed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Salvianolic acid B (Sal B), a water-soluble compound extracted from Salvia miltiorrhiza that has been widely used to treat cardiovascular diseases for hundreds of years in China, exerts cardiovascular protection by multiple mechanisms. miR-146a is involved in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) phenotypic modulation and proliferation. However, it has yet to be investigated whether the cardiovascular protective effect of Sal B is mediated by miR-146a.Purpose: To determine the relationship among the cardiovascular protective effect of Sal B, miR-146a expression, and VSMC proliferation.Methods: MTS assay and cell counting were performed to evaluate the effect of Ang II, Sal B and miR-146a on VSMC proliferation. The neointima hyperplasia was assessed by hematoxylin/eosin staining. qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of miR-146a, KLF5, cyclin D1 and PCNA. Western blot analysis was used to detect the expressions of KLF5, cyclin D1 and PCNA after miR-20b-5p was knocked down or overexpressed in VSMC.Results: Sal B suppressed intimal hyperplasia induced by carotid artery ligation and decreased Ang II-induced VSMC proliferation by down-regulating the positive cell-cycle regulators KLF5 and cyclin D1. Further experiments showed that VSMC proliferation and upregulation of KLF5 and cyclin D1 induced by Ang II were accompanied by elevated miR-146a level. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-146a promoted and knockdown of miR-146a reduced Ang II-induced VSMC proliferation and ameliorated intimal hyperplasia induced by carotid artery ligation. Sal B inhibited Ang II-induced VSMC proliferation by suppressing miR-146a expression.Conclusion: Sal B inhibited Ang II-induced VSMC proliferation in vitro and intimal hyperplasia in vivo by downregulating miR-146a expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vascular restenosis following angioplasty continues to pose a significant challenge. The heterocyclic trioxirane compound [1, 3, 5-tris((oxiran-2-yl)methyl)-1, 3, 5-triazinane-2, 4, 6-trione (TGIC)], known for its anticancer activity, was utilized as the parent ring to conjugate with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, resulting in the creation of the spliced conjugated compound BY1. We found that BY1 induced ferroptosis in VSMCs as well as in neointima hyperplasia. Furthermore, ferroptosis inducers amplified BY1-induced cell death, while inhibitors mitigated it, indicating the contribution of ferroptosis to BY1-induced cell death. Additionally, we established that ferritin heavy chain1 (FTH1) played a pivotal role in BY1-induced ferroptosis, as evidenced by the fact that FTH1 overexpression abrogated BY1-induced ferroptosis, while FTH1 knockdown exacerbated it. Further study found that BY1 induced ferroptosis by enhancing the NCOA4-FTH1 interaction and increasing the amount of intracellular ferrous. We compared the effectiveness of various administration routes for BY1, including BY1-coated balloons, hydrogel-based BY1 delivery, and nanoparticles targeting OPN loaded with BY1 (TOP@MPDA@BY1) for targeting proliferated VSMCs, for prevention and treatment of the restenosis. Our results indicated that TOP@MPDA@BY1 was the most effective among the three administration routes, positioning BY1 as a highly promising candidate for the development of drug-eluting stents or treatments for restenosis. [Display omitted] • This study evaluated the efficacy of BY1, a derivative of TGIC, for addressing restenosis after angioplasty. • BY1 was found to induce ferroptosis in vascular smooth muscle cells, leading to a significant increase in intracellular iron. • Ferritin heavy chain1 (FTH1) plays a critical role in BY1-induced ferroptosis, with its expression level altering VSMC death. • TOP@MPDA@BY1 was the most effective in three delivery methods, highlighting its potential as a novel anti-restenosis drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The syntheses of modified 5-bromonicotinic acid by (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane and the preparation of their corresponding organic–inorganic molecular-based hybrid material with the two components equipped with covalent bonds are described. The organic moiety is a derivative of 5-bromonicotinic acid which is applied to coordinate to RE3+ and further introduced into silica matrices by Si–O bonds after hydrolysis and polycondensation processes. Judd–Ofelt theory proves that covalency increases along with increasing reciprocal energy difference between the 4fN and 4fN-15d1configurations. Ultraviolet absorption, phosphorescence and luminescence spectra were utilized to characterize the photophysical properties of the obtained hybrid material and the above spectroscopic data reveal that the triplet energy of modified 5-bromonicotinic acid matches with the emissive energy level of RE3+. In this way, the intramolecular energy transfer process took place within these molecular-based hybrids and strong green, red or blue emissions of RE3+ have been acquired. Scanning electronic microscope presents no phase separation phenomenon appear and the different crystal structures of lanthanide complex precursor molecules have influence on the microstructure and micromorphology of corresponding molecular hybrids. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Aims To establish multiparametric radiomics of rectal tumor for the preoperative prediction of lymph node (LN) metastasis. Materials and methods This prospective study consisted of 115 consecutive patients with rectal carcinoma between April 2015 and April 2017. The multiparametric radiomics scores were extracted from the endorectal ultrasound (ERUS), computed tomography (CT) and shear-wave elastography (SWE) features of the rectal tumor, LN, and peripheral tissues. The three radiomics scores were generated. Further validation as an independent predictor was performed using multivariate logistic regression together with clinical data, and a nomogram was subsequently developed. The predictive performance of the multiparametric radiomics nomogram was compared with that of conventional radiomics. Key findings All three scores (ERUS, CT, and SWE) were significantly higher in patients with LN metastasis than in patients with negative LN metastasis (all P  < 0.05) in both training and validation set. Multivariate analysis indicated that CT and SWE scores were independent risk variables (odds ratio, OR = 6.764 and 5.482, respectively). In validation cohort, the multiparametric radiomics nomogram showed the highest predictive accuracy for LN metastasis, with a concordance index (C-index) of 0.857 compared with the conventional radiomics nomogram (C-index, 0.703, P  = 0.100), resulting in a significantly improved net reclassification index (NRI) ( P  < 0.05) and integrated discriminatory improvement (IDI) ( P  = 0.002). Decision curve analysis showed that the multiparametric radiomics nomogram had a higher overall net benefit. Significance Multiparametric radiomics of rectal cancer, which captures blood supply and stiffness phenotypes, is a useful tool for predicting LN metastasis preoperatively and has marked discrimination accuracy compared to conventional radiomics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atherogenesis is a chronic inflammatory process that involves complex interactions between endothelial dysfunction, lipid deposition and vascular smooth-muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation. However, the molecular mechanism is still unclear. We found that a pro-atherosclerotic factor (oxLDL) induced the expression of Krüppel-like factor 5 (KLF5), which in turn increased miR-29a expression levels. The increased miR-29a was retained within HASMCs and down-regulated Fbw7/CDC4 expression by targeting the 3´UTR of Fbw7/CDC4, subsequently increasing KLF5 stability by reducing the Fbw7/CDC4-dependent ubiquitination of KLF5, forming a positive feedback loop to enhance VSMC proliferation and promote atherogenesis. These results indicate a potentially important role for the oxLDL-activated feedback mechanism in VSMC proliferation and atherogenesis. Suppression of miR-29a may be an effective way to attenuate atherosclerosis. In conclusion, our data are the first to reveal that the regulatory crosstalk between KLF5, miR-29a, and Fbw7/CDC4 cooperatively promotes atherosclerotic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inducible NO synthase (iNOS) expression and peroxynitrite formation are significantly increased in diabetic vascular tissues. Transcription factor KLF5 activates iNOS gene transcription and is involved in vascular inflammatory injury and remodeling. However, mutual regulation between KLF5, iNOS and peroxynitrite in diabetic vascular inflammation, as well as the underlying mechanisms, remain largely unknown. In this study, we found a marked increase in KLF5 and iNOS expression in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) of diabetic patients. High glucose-induced expression of KLF5 and iNOS was also observed in cultured mouse VSMCs. Further investigation showed that high glucose induced KLF5 nitration by iNOS-mediated peroxynitrite generation, and nitrated KLF5 increased its interaction with NF-κB p50 and thus cooperatively activated the expression of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β. Furthermore, we showed that the VSMC-specific knockout of KLF5 dramatically reduced inflammatory cytokine expression in the vascular tissues of diabetic mice. Moreover, 17β-estradiol (E2) inhibited high glucose-mediated effects in VSMCs, and in the response to E2, estrogen receptor (ER) α competed with KLF5 for binding to NF-κB p50, which in turn leads to the suppression of inflammatory gene expression in VSMCs. Together, the present findings were the first to show that KLF5 expression and nitration by iNOS-mediated peroxynitrite are necessary for the induction of TNF-α and IL-1β expression in VSMCs of diabetic vascular tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been demonstrated that Agaricus bisporus (J.E. Kange) Imbach fruit body exerts enhanced postharvest quality retention when treated with 100 μmol L −1 exogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA) vapor. In this study, fruit bodies of A. bisporus were treated with 100 μmol L −1 MeJA vapor or the combination of 100 μmol L −1 MeJA and 20 μmol L −1 N ω -hydroxy-nor- l -arginine (nor-NOHA, an inhibitor of arginase), respectively, before they were stored for 21 d at 4 °C. Our data showed that treatment with MeJA alone indeed induced the increased transcription and activity of arginase whereas this effect was largely inhibited by pretreatment with nor-NOHA. In correspondence to this observation, nor-NOHA suppressed the ability of MeJA to decrease open caps and to down-regulate malondialdehyde (MDA) production and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and lipoxygenase (LOX) activities. Biochemical analysis further demonstrated that nor-NOHA counteracted the MeJA in stimulating antioxidant enzyme activities of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and accumulating total phenolics and flavonoids. In addition, the effect of MeJA in slowing the decline rate of soluble protein and total sugar contents was also partially impaired by nor-NOHA. Taken together, our findings firmly showed that arginase acts as an important regulatory factor in maintaining the MeJA-induced mushroom quality retention during postharvest storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the feasibility of using ultrasound colonography (USC) to visualize the healthy colon and rectum and detect colorectal polyps. Eight healthy volunteers underwent USC after standard bowel preparation. The feasibility and image quality of USC in different segments were evaluated. Then, USC was conducted on eight patients with known colonic neoplasms using colonoscopy as the reference standard. For volunteers, USC examinations were successfully performed on four (50.0%) ascending, three (37.5%) transverse and eight (100%) descending colons, as well as all sigmoid colons and rectums. One of four (25.0%) ascending, two of eight (25.0%) descending and all sigmoid colons and rectums were well visualized and free of artifacts. For patients, colonoscopy revealed that eight patients had 17 neoplasms in the distal sigmoid colon and rectum, which included 3 lesions ≤5 mm, 3 lesions 6-9 mm and 11 lesions ≥10 mm. USC visualized 12 of 17 (70.6%) neoplasms. Lesion detection by USC was 0% (0/3), 33.3% (1/3) and 100% (11/11) for neoplasms ≤5, 6-9 mm and ≥10 mm in size. USC can visualize the sigmoid colon and rectum well and detect distal sigmoid and rectal neoplasms ≥10 mm in diameter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to vascular injury, inflammation, oxidative stress, and cell proliferation often occur simultaneously in vascular tissues. We previously observed that microRNA-155 (miR-155), which is implicated in proliferation and inflammation is involved in neointimal hyperplasia; however, the molecular mechanisms by which it regulates these processes remain largely unknown. In this study, we observed that vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation and neointimal formation in wire-injured femoral arteries were reduced by the loss of miR-155 and increased by the gain of miR-155. The proliferative effect of miR-155 was also observed in cultured VSMCs. Notably, expression of the miR-155-target protein mammalian sterile 20-like kinase 2 (MST2) was increased in the injured arteries of miR-155 −/− mice. miR-155 directly repressed MST2 and thus activated the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway by promoting an interaction between RAF proto-oncogene serine/threonine-protein kinase (Raf-1) and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) and stimulating inflammatory and oxidative stress responses; together, these effects lead to VSMC proliferation and vascular remodeling. Our data reveal that MST2 mediates miR-155-promoted inflammatory and oxidative stress responses by altering the interaction of MEK with Raf-1 and MST2 in response to vascular injury. Therefore, suppression of endogenous miR-155 might be a novel therapeutic strategy for vascular injury and remodeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Fusing dendritic cells (DCs) with tumor cells is a powerful vaccine to increase tumor immunogenicity. To develop more effective and safer therapeutic vaccine, we fused rat bone marrow-derived DCs with ovarian tumor cell line NuTu-19 modified by suicide gene (HSV1-TK gene) to obtain live vaccine against ovarian cancer. Our data showed that immunization of rats with such live vaccine solicited stronger ovarian tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses and induced immunopreventive and immunotherapeutic effects against parental tumor cells in vivo. Live vaccine could be induced to death after ganciclovir administration in vitro and in vivo. Our researches suggest that live vaccine modified with suicide gene might be effective and controllable in the therapy of ovarian cancer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Physical mechanisms and regression of streamflow series were assessed. • Study combined ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) with artificial neural network. • Teleconnection analysis using EEMD yielded more physical information about hydrology. • Climate indices more closely correlated with decomposed series than original inflow. Streamflow is the result of complex climatic and hydrological interactions that are driven by atmosphere–ocean circulation. Teleconnection analysis of streamflow is significant for identifying the atmosphere- and climate-related indices of hydrology series. To mine the physical information of streamflow series more effectively, ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) was employed to decompose streamflow series into inherent stationary components with different periodic oscillations and a trend. In this study, important climate indices were identified based on the correlation coefficients, which were calculated using cross-correlation. According to the selected indicators, the decomposed and streamflow series were regressed using an artificial neural network (ANN) and support vector regression (SVR). In total, 130 climate phenomenon indices, pre-runoff, and 1–12-month time lags were considered as teleconnection variables. The results show that EEMD can be used to extract the period and trend of streamflow, and that the decomposed hydrology components have much stronger correlations than the original runoff with the climate phenomenon indices. The original streamflow was the most closely correlated with the series from the previous month, which is an autocorrelation. However, more physical information was obtained through the teleconnection of the sub-streamflow series. The periodic oscillations was explained by relatively diverse atmospheric circulation and sea surface temperature indices with different time lags. The low-frequency periodic series were better represented than the high-frequency series by the climate phenomenon indices. In addition, Nino 3.4, Nino 4, the Warm-pool ENSO Index, and the ENSO Modoki Index were representative of the high-frequency component; the mid-frequency signals were sensitive to the Solar Flux Index, Total Sunspot Number Index, Pacific Decadal Oscillation Index, and Southern Oscillation Index; the low-frequency series were influenced by the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation Index, North African Subtropical High Area Index, North Atlantic Triple Index, etc.; and the Indian Ocean Basin-Wide Index, Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation Index, Western Pacific Warm Pool Strength Index, and East Pacific 850 mb Trade Wind Index expressed well the long-term trend of monthly streamflow. Meanwhile, the regression results of the decomposed series obtained by the ANN and SVR exhibited better statistical performance than those of the original series, especially for the EEMD-SVR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]