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Abstract Background Readmission to the intensive care unit (ICU) remains a severe challenge, leading to higher rates of death and a greater financial burden. This study aimed to develop a nomogram-based prediction model for individuals with acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD). Methods A total of 846 ATAAD patients were retrospectively enrolled between May 2014 and October 2021. Logistic regression was employed to identify the independent risk factors. The prediction model was evaluated using the Hosmer–Lemeshow (H–L) test, the calibration curve, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to assess the clinical utility. Results 57 (6.7%) ATAAD patients were readmitted to ICU following their release from the ICU. ICU readmission was predicted with age ≥ 65 years old, body mass index (BMI) ≥ 28 kg/m2, tracheotomy, continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), and the length of initial ICU stay were predictors of ICU readmission. The AUC was 0.837 (95%CI: 0.789–0.884) and the model fit the data well (H–L test, P = 0.519). DCA also demonstrated good clinical practicability. Conclusions This prediction model may be helpful for clinicians to assess the risk of ICU readmission, and facilitate the early identification of ATAAD patients at high risk.

Abstract Malnutrition is linked to adverse outcomes in post-cardiac surgery patients. This study investigates the correlation between the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) and adverse hospital outcomes in patients following cardiac surgery. This retrospective study included elderly patients with heart disease who were admitted to the Department of Cardiology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital from January 2020 to December 2022. Patients were divided into two groups based on the cut-off value (98 g/dL). Data from 407 patients were assessed, with 278 (68.3%) classified as having nutritional risk and 129 (31.7%) as having no nutritional risk. Notable distinctions were observed in body weight, BMI, and left ventricular ejection fraction (P

Abstract Hypertension is a major public health issue worldwide. The imbalance of gut microbiota is thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis of hypertension. The authors conducted the systematic review and meta‐analysis to clarify the relationship between gut microbiota and hypertension through conducting an electronic search in six databases. Our meta‐analysis included 19 studies and the results showed that compared with healthy controls, Shannon significantly decreased in hypertension [SMD = −0.13, 95%CI (−0.22, −0.04), p = .007]; however, Simpson [SMD = −0.01, 95%CI (−0.14, 0.12), p = .87], ACE [SMD = 0.18, 95%CI (−0.06, 0.43), p = .14], and Chao1 [SMD = 0.11, 95%CI (−0.01, 0.23), p = .08] did not differ significantly between hypertension and healthy controls. The F/B ratio significantly increased in hypertension [SMD = 0.84, 95%CI (0.10, 1.58), p = .03]. In addition, Shannon index was negatively correlated with hypertension [r = −0.12, 95%CI (−0.19, −0.05)], but had no significant correlation with SBP [r = 0.10, 95%CI (−0.19, 0.37)] and DBP [r = −0.39, 95%CI (−0.73, 0.12)]. At the phylum level, the relative abundance of Firmicutes [SMD = −0.01, 95%CI (−0.37, 0.34), p = .94], Bacteroidetes [SMD = −0.15, 95%CI (−0.44, 0.14), p = .30], Proteobacteria [SMD = 0.25, 95%CI (−0.01, 0.51), p = .06], and Actinobacteria [SMD = 0.21, 95%CI (−0.11, 0.53), p = .21] did not differ significantly between hypertension and healthy controls. At the genus level, compared with healthy controls, the relative abundance of Faecalibacterium decreased significantly [SMD = −0.16, 95%CI (−0.28, −0.04), p = .01], while the Streptococcus [SMD = 0.20, 95%CI (0.08, 0.32), p = .001] and Enterococcus [SMD = 0.20, 95%CI (0.08, 0.33), p = .002] significantly increased in hypertension. Available evidence suggests that hypertensive patients may have an imbalance of gut microbiota. However, it still needs further validation by large sample size studies of high quality.

Abstract Objective Cancer antigen-125 (CA-125), a tumor marker, has received increasing attention in recent years for its role in the cardiovascular field. However, no study has reported the association of CA-125 with early postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) after heart valve surgery. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess whether there is a correlation between CA-125 and early postoperative POAF after heart valve surgery. Methods Patients who underwent valve surgery at Fujian Heart Medical Center from January 2020 to August 2022 were retrospectively analyzed and divided into postoperative atrial fibrillation group (POAF group) and postoperative non-atrial fibrillation group (NO-POAF), and the differences in clinical data between the two groups were compared, and the variables with statistical significance in the univariate analysis were included in the COX regression analysis, and finally the receivers’ operating characteristics (ROC) curves were drawn. Results From January 2020 to August 2022, a total of 1653 patients underwent valve surgery. A total of 344 patients were finally included, including 52 patients (15.1%) in the POAF group and 292 patients (84.9%) in the NO-POAF group. Univariate analysis showed higher CA-125 levels in patients in the POAF group than in those in the NO-POAF group [27.89 (13.64, 61.54), 14.48 (9.87, 24.08), P = 0.000]. Analysis of the incidence of POAF based on CA-125 quartiles showed an incidence of up to 29.2% in the highest quartile (> 27.88). Multivariate COX regression analysis showed that CA-125 [OR = 1.006, 95% CI (1.002, 1.010), P = 0.001] was an independent predictor of POAF. The final ROC curve plot showed that the area under the curve for CA-125 was 0.669, with an optimal cut-off value of 27.08 U/ml, and the difference in the area under the curve between the two groups was statistically significant (P = 0.000). Conclusion Elevated preoperative CA-125 levels can affect the incidence of POAF and have a predictive value for the occurrence of POAF in the early stage after valve surgery. However, due to the small sample size and single-center retrospective study, further validation of this result is needed.

BackgroundNumerous recent studies have found a strong correlation between intestinal flora and the occurrence of hypertension. However, it remains unclear whether fecal microbiota transfer might affect the blood pressure of the host. This study aimed to quantify both associations.MethodsAn electronic search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WanFang database, Weipu, Embase, and SinoMed to retrieve relevant studies. The final search was completed on August 22, 2022. Two authors independently applied the inclusion criteria, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias assessment. All data were analyzed using RevMan 5.4.ResultsA total of 5 articles were selected for final inclusion. All studies were assessed as having a high risk of bias according to the SYRCLE risk of bias tool. The meta-analysis results showed that transplantation of fecal bacteria from the hypertensive model can significantly improve the host's systolic pressure (MD = 18.37, 95%CI: 9.74~26.99, PConclusionThis meta-analysis suggests a relationship between gut microbiota dysbiosis and increased blood pressure, where transplantation of fecal bacteria from the hypertensive model can cause a significant increase in systolic pressure and diastolic pressure in animal models.

BackgroundPostoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is a common complication after cardiac surgery, which is associated with age and massive bleeding. However, whether thyroid hormone (TH) level can affect POAF remains controversial.AimTo investigate the occurrence and risk factors of POAF, in particular, the preoperative TH level of patients was introduced into this study as a variable for analysis, and a column graph prediction model of POAF was constructed.MethodsPatients who underwent valve surgery in Fujian Cardiac Medical Center from January 2019 to May 2022 were retrospectively analyzed and divided into POAF group and NO-POAF group. Baseline characteristics and relevant clinical data were collected from the two groups of patients. Independent risk factors for POAF were screened using univariate analysis and binary logistic regression analysis, and a column line graph prediction model was established based on the regression analysis results, and the diagnostic efficacy and calibration of the model were evaluated using the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (ROC) and calibration curve.ResultsA total of 2,340 patients underwent valve surgery, excluding 1,751 patients, a total of 589 patients were included, including 89 patients in POAF group and 500 patients in NO-POAF group. The total incidence of POAF was 15.1%. The results of the Logistics regression analysis showed that gender, age, leukocytes and TSH were risk factors of POAF. The area under the ROC curve of the nomogram prediction model for POAF was 0.747 (95% CI: 0.688–0.806, P 0.05, the calibration curve was well fitted.ConclusionThe results of this study show that gender, age, leukocyte and TSH are risk factors of POAF, and the nomogram prediction model has a good prediction effect. Due to the limited sample size and included population, more studies are needed to validate this result.

ObjectiveTo investigate the characteristic changes in the gut microbiota of patients with type A aortic dissection (AAD) and provide a theoretical basis for future microbiome-oriented interventional studies.MethodsHigh-throughput 16S rDNA sequencing was performed on the stool samples of patients with and without (healthy control subjects) AAD. Using alpha and beta diversity analysis, we compared the gut microbiota composition of 20 patients with AAD and 20 healthy controls matched for gender, age, BMI, and geographical region. The accuracy of AAD prediction by differential microbiome was calculated using the random forest machine learning model. Targeted measurement of the plasma concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which are the main metabolites of the gut microbiome, was performed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Spearman’s correlation analysis was conducted to determine the relationships of gut microbiome and SCFAs with the clinical characteristics of subjects.ResultsThe differences in gut microbiota alpha diversity between patients with AAD and the healthy controls were not statistically significant (Shannon index: p = 0.19; Chao1: p = 0.4); however, the microbiota composition (beta diversity) was significantly different between the two groups (Anosim, p = 0.001). Bacteroidota was enriched at the phylum level, and the SCFA-producing genera Prevotella, Porphyromonas, Lachnospiraceae, and Ruminococcus and inflammation-related genera Fenollaria and Sutterella were enriched at the genus level in the AAD group compared with those in the control group. The random forest model could predict AAD from gut microbiota composition with an accuracy of 87.5% and the area-under-curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.833. The SCFA content of patients with AAD was higher than that of the control group, with the difference being statistically significant (p

Résumé Contexte en tant que nouvelle méthode chirurgicale pour le traitement de l’insuffisance cardiaque chez les personnes âgées, la chirurgie par pince de la valve mitral aiguë nécessite la collaboration de médecins multidisciplinaires pour assurer un traitement et des soins appropriés. Objectifs étudier l’application du modèle de soins en équipe multidisciplinaire dans le traitement clinique et les soins aux patients atteints de la valve mitral par pince. Méthode sur 10 patients, 4 hommes (40%) et 6 femmes (60%) ont un âge moyen de 71.4 à 5.2 ans. L’équipe multidisciplinaire est. composée d’infirmiers spécialisés dans les maladies graves, la santé cardiaque, la réadaptation, la psychologie, la nutrition et la douleur. L’équipe a mené une discussion approfondie sur les problèmes spécifiques des patients soumis à une opération de la valve mitral transspiroptérale, a élaboré des mesures de soins personnalisées et a mis en œuvre des politiques précises. Résultats aucune complication postoperatoire grave n’a été observée chez les 10 patients de ce groupe, et les défaillances cardiaques ont été nettement améliorées chez tous les patients. Une double échographie en couleur a montré que le degré de regurgitation mitral était inférieur ou égal à 2+ dans 10 patients sortant de cette étude; Les scores sur l’échelle des activités de la vie quotidienne à la sortie de l’hôpital étaient nettement plus élevés dans 10 cas que dans le cas préopératoire (69.0 ± 4.6 contre 55.0 ± 5.8). En outre, les résultats d’un essai de marche de 6 min à la sortie de l’hôpital étaient nettement supérieurs à ceux observés avant l’opération (318.0 ± 21.7 m contre 295.2 ± 18.4 m). Conclusion le recours à des équipes multidisciplinaires permet aux infirmiers/infirmières spécialisés de fournir des soins plus complets et systématiques aux patients soumis à la chirurgie par compression de la valve mitral, ce qui facilite leur réadaptation.

BackgroundPostoperative delirium (POD) is an acute brain dysfunction that is frequently observed in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Increasing evidence indicates POD is related to higher mortality among cardiac surgical patients, but the results remain controversial. Moreover, a quantitative evaluation of the influence of POD on hospital days, intensive care unit (ICU) time, and mechanical ventilation (MV) time has not been performed.ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the correlation between POD and outcomes in patients undergoing cardiac surgery by a systematic review and meta-analysis.Materials and methodsA total of 7 electronic databases (Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL Complete, MEDLINE, Wan-fang database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure) were searched from January 1980 to July 20, 2021, with language restrictions to English and Chinese, to estimate the impact of the POD on outcome in patients who underwent cardiac surgery. The meta-analysis was registered with PROSPERO (Registration: CRD42021228767).ResultsForty-two eligible studies with 19785 patients were identified. 3368 (17.0%) patients were in the delirium group and 16417 (83%) were in the non-delirium group. The meta-analysis showed that compared to patients without POD, patients with POD had 2.77-fold higher mortality (OR = 2.77, 95% CI 1.86–4.11, P < 0.001), 5.70-fold higher MV (>24h) rate (OR = 5.70, 95% CI 2.93–11.09, P < 0.001); and longer MV time (SMD = 0.83, 95% CI 0.57–1.09, P < 0.001), ICU time (SMD = 0.91, 95% CI 0.60–1.22, P < 0.001), hospital days (SMD = 0.62, 95% CI 0.48–0.76, P < 0.001).ConclusionThe synthesized evidence suggests that POD is causally related to the increased risk of mortality, prolonged length of ICU and hospital stay, and a longer duration of MV time. Future research should focus on the interventions for POD, to reduce the incidence.Systematic review registration[www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO], identifier [CRD42021228767].

Abstract Background Abnormal body mass index (BMI) has been related to a higher risk of adverse outcomes in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. However, the effects of BMI in patients with acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD) on postoperative outcomes remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the relationships between BMI and in-hospital major adverse outcomes (MAO) in AAAD patients. Methods Patients who underwent AAAD surgery at Cardiac Medical Center of Fujian Province from June 2013 to March 2020 were retrospectively evaluated. They were divided into three groups on the basis of Chinese BMI classification established by the World Health Organization: normal weight group (BMI 18.5–23.9 kg/m2), overweight group (BMI 24–27.9 kg/m2), and obese group (BMI >28 kg/m2). Patients’ baseline characteristics, preoperative, operative, and postoperative data were collected. A multivariable logistic regression analysis model was performed to identify the association between BMI and MAO in AAAD patients. Results Of 777 cases, 31.9% were normal weight, 52.5% were overweight, and 15.6% were obese. A total of 160(20.6%) patients died in-hospital. There was a significant difference between the three groups for MAO (62.9% vs 72.1% vs 77.7%, respectively, P = 0.006). The incidence of postoperative complications did not differ among the three groups, except for postoperative bleeding, and prolonged mechanical ventilation, the proportion of which were higher in the overweight and obese groups. Besides, multivariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated that a higher risk of MAO in the overweight [odds ratios (ORs):1.475, 95%CI:1.006–2.162], and obese patients (ORs:2.147, 95%CI:1.219–3.782) with reference to the normal weight patients, and age, white blood cell, prior stroke and cardiopulmonary bypass time were also associated with in-hospital MAO (P

Abstract Background Neurological complications is a common complication following novel triple-branched stent graft implantation in patients with Stanford type A aortic dissection (AAD). But the incidence and risk factors of postoperative delirium (POD) are not completely clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence and risk factors of POD after novel triple-branched stent graft implantation. Methods An observational study of AAD patients who underwent novel triple-branched stent graft implantation between January 2017 and July 2019 were followed up after surgery. Patients’ delirium was screened by the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale and the Confusion Assessment Method for the intensive care unit from the first day after the operation, lasted 5 days. The risk factors of POD were analyzed by the Cox proportional hazard models. Results A total of 280 AAD patients were enrolled in this research, the incidence of POD was 37.86%. Adjusting for age, body mass index, and mechanical ventilation duration, multivariate Cox regression analysis model revealed that non-manual work (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] = .554; 95% CI: 0.335–0.915; P = .021), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE-II) scores > 20 (AHR = 3.359, 95% CI: 1.707–6.609, P 20, hypoxemia, and more types of analgesics and sedatives, and non-manual work was the protective factor. Trial registration This study was retrospectively registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (Registration number: ChiCTR1900022408 ; Date: 2019/4/10).

Background: Medication adherence is crucial for patients with mechanical heart valve replacement. Although families functioning is positively associated with medication adherence, little is known about the underlying mechanisms.Objective: To test whether family functioning affects medication adherence through illness perceptions and whether this mediating effect was moderated by medication literacy.Methods: 319 patients after mechanical heart valve replacement were included in this cross-sectional study from June 2021 to October 2021. Data regarding family functioning, illness perceptions, medication adherence, and medication literacy were collected through questionnaires. The moderated mediation model was examined by Hayes’s PROCESS macro, based on the bootstrapping method.Results: The results revealed illness perceptions partially mediated the association of family functioning on medication adherence [β = 0.08, 95% confidence intervals: (0.04, 0.12)], and this effect was stronger for patients with low medication literacy than those with high literacy [β = −0.36, 95% CI: (−0.50, −0.22)]. Furthermore, the relationship between family functioning and medication adherence was only significant in patients with low medication literacy [β= 0.36, 95% CI: (0.23, 0.50)].Conclusion: The mediating effect of illness perceptions between family functioning and medication adherence was moderated by medication literacy. Efforts to improve medication adherence by targeting at improving family functioning may be more effective when considering illness perceptions, especially for patients with limited medication literacy.

Perceived social support (PSS) has been shown to be positively related to self-reported quality of life (QoL) as well as to emotion regulation strategy. In the present study, we compared a QoL index between Chinese fishermen (N = 507) and local villagers (N = 192) and examined whether PSS moderates the relationship between emotion regulation and QoL in our sample of Chinese ocean-going fishermen. Fishermen’s QoL was found to be poorer than that of local villagers. Structural equation modeling (SEM) confirmed that cognitive reappraisal of emotion regulation had a positive predictive effect on QoL, while expression suppression of emotion regulation had a negative predictive effect on QoL. Using, latent moderated structural equations (LMS), we further confirmed that PSS moderates the relationship between emotion regulation and QoL. Simple slope analysis revealed that emotional regulation can predict QoL in a high-PSS context but not in a low-PSS context.

This study examined pathways of influence between work stress, depressive symptoms, nicotine dependence, expressive suppression, and cognitive reappraisal in fishermen with smoking habits in Qionghai, Hainan province, China (N = 1068). These fishermen responded to multiple assessments a week before leaving on a deep-sea fishing trip, including a Mental Stressor Investigation Questionnaire (MSIQ), the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), the Russell Reason for Smoking Questionnaire (RRSQ), and an Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ). Structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses of the collected data in Mplus 7 showed that work stress and nicotine dependence were independent predictors of depressive symptoms. The relationship between work stress and depressive symptoms was found to be partially mediated by nicotine dependence and be moderated by cognitive reappraisal. The evidence suggests it advantageous to examine the need of work stress, nicotine dependence, and cognitive reappraisal when attempting to understand depressive symptoms in fishermen with a smoking habit. These findings suggest that improving nicotine dependence through work stress management and training in cognitive reappraisal could be utilized as effective modalities for improving depressive symptoms.

Abstract The Indo-Pacific king mackerel, scientifically known as Scomberomorus guttatus, is a valued marine species that holds significant commercial importance in the Indo-Pacific region. However, the lack of genomic resources has hindered a comprehensive understanding of this species. In this study, we constructed a genome of Indo-Pacific king mackerel at the chromosome level using a combination of PacBio HiFi reads and a chromosome contact map (Hi-C). The resulting genome had high contig and scaffold N50 values of 8.84 Mb and 32.9 Mb, respectively. In the genome assembly, which is 797.66 Mb in size and consists of 24 chromosomes, we also identified 35.89% repetitive elements and predicted 25,886 protein-coding genes. Our study not only benefits to reveal the possible mechanism of adaptive evolution in this fish, but also offers insight for the future sustainable management of these valuable biological resources.

IntroductionCoastal marine ecosystems are among the most ecologically and socio-economically dynamic regions on Earth, and the study of eukaryotic planktonic communities is an important aspect of aquatic ecology. It is essential to monitor plankton biodiversity and identify influencing factors in order to measure human effects on coastal waters and help contribute to ecosystem preservation. Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding analysis is an advanced toolfor detecting the presence of aquatic organisms, which has revolutionary significance for biodiversity monitoring and real-time detection of wild environments.MethodsIn this study, eDNA metabarcoding was used to study seasonal changes in eukaryotic plankton communities in subtropical coastal waters of the northern South China Sea, to explore how various trophic groups affect the complexity and stability of the species network.ResultsThe results showed that the summer interaction network is looser and had has reduce biodiversitycompared to the spring interaction network. As an important part of the planktonic community, the abundance and diversity of algae reflect the interactions between different species and the influence of environmental factors on the dominant species, particularly temperature and nutrients. In addition, producer diversity set the basis for species network complexity and indirectly affected network stability, while consumer diversity and its flexible predation strategies may directly lead to differences in network stability across seasons. There were close correlations among species interaction, environmental factors and species diversity.DiscussionThis study can help us understand the ecosystem functions throughout the year and the complex interactions of planktonic communities from a multiple trophic level perspective, and provide effective methods for sustainable resource utilization and ecological environmental protection in the future.

Abstract Acquired resistance to chemotherapy is one of the major causes of mortality in advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, effective strategies are limited and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive. In this study, through transcriptomic profiling analysis of 23 tumor tissues, we found that NOTCH3 was aberrantly highly expressed in chemoresistance NPC patients, with NOTCH3 overexpression being positively associated with poor clinical outcome. Mechanistically, using an established NPC cellular model, we demonstrated that enhancer remodeling driven aberrant hyperactivation of NOTCH3 in chemoresistance NPC. We further showed that NOTCH3 upregulates SLUG to induce chemo-resistance of NPC cells and higher expression of SLUG have poorer prognosis. Genetic or pharmacological perturbation of NOTCH3 conferred chemosensitivity of NPC in vitro and overexpression of NOTCH3 enhanced chemoresistance of NPC in vivo. Together, these data indicated that genome-wide enhancer reprogramming activates NOTCH3 to confer chemoresistance of NPC, suggesting that targeting NOTCH3 may provide a potential therapeutic strategy to effectively treat advanced chemoresistant NPC.

Objective: To investigate whether pre-treatment and middle-treatment plasma Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) DNA loads are useful predictors of prognosis and indicators of therapy modification in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients undergoing radical concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). Methods: Plasma EBV DNA load was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction before treatment (pre-DNA) and during the second cycle of DDP (mid-DNA). The primary endpoint was 5-year progression-free survival (PFS). Results: A total of 775 NPC patients treated with CCRT were included. In total, 553 patients with pre-DNA 200 mg/m 2 cumulative cisplatin dose (CCD) but were associated with fewer all-grade late toxicities. However, in the high-risk group (pre-DNA ⩾4000 copies/mL or detectable mid-DNA), patients receiving >200 mg/m 2 CCD showed a higher 5-year PFS (73.1% versus 58.6%, p = 0.027) and locoregional relapse-free survival (88.5% versus 76.1%, p = 0.028) than those receiving ⩽200 mg/m 2 CCD. Conclusion: The combination of pre-DNA and mid-DNA could be particularly useful for guiding risk stratification and early treatment modification for NPC treated with CCRT. A total of 200 mg/m 2 cisplatin seemed to be the optimal dose for the low-risk patients, while >200 mg/m 2 cisplatin may be adequate to achieve satisfactory survival outcomes in the high-risk group.

Objective: Several studies have reported that the controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score is a prognostic predictor for survival among patients with different types of cancer. We assessed the prognostic value of changes in the CONUT score during treatment and the ΔCONUT-EBV DNA score in patients with advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 433 patients with advanced NPC having no evidence of metastasis from January 2007 to June 2011; the patients underwent radical concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center and were grouped based on their ΔCONUT and ΔCONUT-EBV DNA scores. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to compare the patient outcomes according to the cut-off ΔCONUT score and the ΔCONUT-EBV DNA scoring system. Results: Among all patients, overall survival (OS) was independently predicted by a high ΔCONUT score (P = 0.031) and high EBV DNA (P < 0.001). The ΔCONUT-EBV DNA score [OS area under the curve (AUC) = 0.621; progression free survival (PFS)-AUC = 0.612; distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS)-AUC = 0.622] was more predictive of OS, PFS, and DMFS in patients with advanced NPC than the ΔCONUT score (OS-AUC = 0.547; PFS-AUC = 0.533; DMFS-AUC = 0.522) and pretreatment plasma EBV DNA levels alone (OS-AUC = 0.600; PFS-AUC = 0.591, DMFS-AUC = 0.610). The ΔCONUT-EBV DNA score was significantly correlated with OS, PFS, and DMFS in patients with advanced NPC treated with CCRT. Conclusions: The ΔCONUT-EBV DNA score may be useful in clinical practice as a convenient biomarker for predicting the outcomes in patients with advanced NPC treated with CCRT.

IntroductionOverfishing and climate change have combined to cause fishery stocks to decline and fish community composition to change, further threatening the predation and nutritional health of marine mammals.MethodsIn this study, we collected potential prey fishes catched by fishermen in six habitats of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins and analyzed their proximate composition (moisture, water, fat and protein), the fatty acid composition and the amino acid composition to evaluate the possible health effect on humpback dolphins.ResultsThe results showed that the nutritional composition varied significantly with species and locations. Fishes in the families Sciaenidae and Engraulidae displayed richer fatty acid composition, while those in the family Clupeidae had the highest value of amino acid quality index. In Zhuhai, home to the largest Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin population, pelagic/neritic prey fishes possessed lower energy density, PUFA content, PUFA/SFA ratio, DHA content, and EAA content compared to demersal fish, suggesting nutritional stress when there is a dietary switch from demersal to pelagic/neritic fishes in Zhuhai population.DiscussionOur study provided a framework, with energy density and fatty acid composition as its most important indicator, for assessment of the marine top predators based on the nutritional composition of their prey fishes and revealed the potential threats. Data here is expected to facilitate the development of scientific programs for successful conservation of not only the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, but also other marine top predators, possibly through reconstructing their prey fish’s quantity and quality.

Abstract Background Radiotherapy is a conventional and effective local treatment for breast cancer. However, residual or recurrent tumors appears frequently because of radioresistance. Novel predictive marker and the potential therapeutic targets of breast cancer radioresistance needs to be investigated. Methods In this study, we screened all 10 asparagine-linked glycosylation (ALG) members in breast cancer patients’ samples by RT-PCR. Cell viability after irradiation (IR) was determined by CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry. The radiosensitivity of cell lines with different ALG3 expression was determined with the colony formation assay by fitting the multi-target single hit model to the surviving fractions. Cancer stem-like traits were assessed by RT-PCR, Western blot, and flow cytometry. The mechanisms of ALG3 influencing radiosensitivity was detected by Western blot and immunoprecipitation. And the effect of ALG3 on tumor growth after IR was verified in an orthotopic xenograft tumor models. The association of ALG3 with prognosis of breast cancer patients was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Results ALG3 was the most significantly overexpressing gene among ALG family in radioresistant breast cancer tissue. Overexpression of ALG3 predicted poor clinicopathological characteristics and overall survival (OS), and early local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) in breast cancer patients. Upregulating ALG3 enhanced radioresistance and cancer stemness in vitro and in vivo. Conversely, silencing ALG3 increased the radiosensitivity and repressed cancer stemness in vitro, and more importantly inhibition of ALG3 effectively increased the radiosensitivity of breast cancer cells in vivo. Mechanistically, our results further revealed ALG3 promoted radioresistance and cancer stemness by inducing glycosylation of TGF-β receptor II (TGFBR2). Importantly, both attenuation of glycosylation using tunicamycin and inhibition of TGFBR2 using LY2109761 differentially abrogated the stimulatory effect of ALG3 overexpression on cancer stemness and radioresistance. Finally, our findings showed that radiation played an important role in preventing early recurrence in breast cancer patients with low ALG3 levels, but it had limited efficacy in ALG3-overexpressing breast cancer patients. Conclusion Our results suggest that ALG3 may serve as a potential radiosensitive marker, and an effective target to decrease radioresistance by regulating glycosylation of TGFBR2 in breast cancer. For patients with low ALG3 levels, radiation remains an effective mainstay therapy to prevent early recurrence in breast cancer.

Objective: The main aim of this study was to establish a scoring model to predict risk of progression and survival in patients with regionally recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods: Three hundred and forty-eight patients subjected to neck dissection from 2003 to 2017 were included for study. Clinicopathologic information for each patient was analyzed. Independent prognostic factors were selected using the Cox proportional hazards model and incorporated into the scoring model. Concordance index (C-index) and calibration curves were used to verify discrimination and calibration, respectively and the results validated using bootstrap resampling. Results: Microscopic positive lymph node > 2 [hazard ratio (HR), 2.19; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.30–3.68; P = 0.003], extranodal extension (HR, 2.75; 95% CI, 1.69–4.47; P < 0.001), and lower neck involvement (HR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.04–3.04; P = 0.034) were identified from multivariate analysis as independent factors for overall survival (OS). A qualitative 4-point scale was generated to stratify patients into 4 risk groups for predicting OS and progression-free survival (PFS). The novel scoring model demonstrated enhanced discrimination (C-index = 0.69; 95% CI, 0.62–0.76) relative to the original recurrent tumor-node-metastasis (rTNM) staging system (C-index = 0.56; 95% CI, 0.50–0.62), and was internally validated with a bootstrap-adjusted C-index of 0.70. The calibration curve showed good agreement between predicted probabilities and actual observations. Conclusions: The scoring system established in this study based on a large regionally recurrent NPC cohort fills a gap regarding assessment of risk and prediction of survival outcomes after neck dissection in this population and could be further applied to identify high-risk patients who may benefit from more aggressive intervention.