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BackgroundEndometriosis, a prevalent gynecological disease, has an unclear pathogenesis. Micronutrients play a crucial role in disease development, which has led to an investigation of their association with endometriosis.MethodsIn this study, we analyzed the relationship between 15 micronutrients and endometriosis using both univariate and multivariate Mendelian randomization (MR) to assess the correlation. The results were validated using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).ResultsThe univariate MR analysis indicated that vitamin B6 (OR = 1.7060, 95% CI: 1.1796–2.4672, p = 0.0045) and calcium (OR = 1.4834, 95% CI: 1.0747–2.0475, p = 0.0165) are associated with an increased risk of endometriosis. Higher intakes of vitamin B6 and calcium are associated with a greater likelihood of developing endometriosis. The MR Egger regression’s intercept term demonstrated no evidence of pleiotropy (p > 0.05) or heterogeneity (p > 0.05) in the SNPs for calcium and vitamin B6. In multivariate MR analysis, vitamin B6 (OR = 2.397, 95% CI: 1.231–4.669, p = 0.01) was linked to an increased risk of endometriosis, independently of other exposure factors. No significant heterogeneity (p = 0.831) or pleiotropy (p = 0.369) was observed in the genetic variation of endometriosis, affirming the reliability of the multivariate MR analysis. HPLC confirmed a significant increase in serum levels of vitamin B6 and calcium, aligning with the MR analysis findings.ConclusionVitamin B6 and calcium may be associated with this disease, with vitamin B6 potentially acting as an independent risk factor. Further research is essential to elucidate the role of micronutrients in disease, offering novel insights for prevention and treatment strategies.

Wilms tumor 1 (WT1) is a multifaceted protein with dual functions, acting both as a tumor suppressor and as a transcriptional activator of oncogenes. WT1 is highly expressed in various types of solid tumors and leukemia, and its elevated expression is associated with a poor prognosis for patients. High WT1 expression also indicates a greater risk of refractory disease or relapse. Consequently, targeting WT1 is an effective strategy for disease prevention and relapse mitigation. Substantial information is available on the pathogenesis of WT1 in various diseases, and several WT1-targeted therapies, including chemical drugs, natural products, and targeted vaccines, are available. We provide a comprehensive review of the mechanisms by which WT1 influences malignancies and summarize the resulting therapeutic approaches thoroughly. This article provides information on the roles of WT1 in the pathogenesis of different cancers and provides insights into drugs and immunotherapies targeting WT1. The goal of this work is to provide a systematic understanding of the current research landscape and of future directions for WT1-related studies.

Water body extraction is an essential mission in the field of semantic segmentation of remote sensing images. It plays a significant role in natural disaster prevention, water resources utilization, hydrological monitoring, and other territories. In practice, the background of the majority of water remote sensing images is complicated. Owing to insufficient semantic mining and rough water body boundary extraction, traditional segmentation methods may be unable to adequately distinguish water bodies. We put forward a multiscale feature and global context fusion network (MSGFNet). In addition, multiscale feature extraction and fusion (MSEF) module based on UperNet and global context enhancement block (GCE Block) are designed. The MSEF module is capable of handling complex scenes by dynamically capturing multiscale semantic information and fusing different layers of features. The GCE Block can help the network to infer the location, shape and contextual information of the water bodies. The GF-1 dataset and Sentinel-2 dataset are used for model training simultaneously. The experimental results indicate that the extraction accuracy of the MSGFNet proposed are superior than other methods on GF-1 dataset and Sentinel-2 dataset, with overall accuracy of 98.60% and 98.22%, respectively. Compared to UperNet, the overall accuracy increases by 1.28% and 0.85%, respectively. In conclusion, the learning method build upon multiscale features and global context information can effectively prohibit noise, heighten the extraction accuracy of water bodies under intricate background, as well as ameliorate the matter of inaccurate water edge segmentation.

Abstract Background Cisplatin (CDDP) is the first-line chemotherapeutic strategy to treat patients with ovarian cancer (OC). The development of CDDP resistance remains an unsurmountable obstacle in OC treatment and frequently induces tumor recurrence. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are noncoding RNAs with important functions in cancer progression. Whether circRNAs function in CDDP resistance of OC is unclear. Methods Platinum-resistant circRNAs were screened via circRNA deep sequencing and examined using in situ hybridization (ISH) in OC. The role of circPLPP4 in CDDP resistance was assessed by clone formation and Annexin V assays in vitro, and by OC patient-derived xenografts and intraperitoneal tumor models in vivo. The mechanism underlying circPLPP4-mediated activation of miR-136/PIK3R1 signaling was examined by luciferase reporter assay, RNA pull-down, RIP, MeRIP and ISH. Results circPLPP4 was remarkably upregulated in platinum resistant OC. circPLPP4 overexpression significantly enhanced, whereas circPLPP4 silencing reduced, OC cell chemoresistance. Mechanistically, circPLPP4 acts as a microRNA sponge to sequester miR-136, thus competitively upregulating PIK3R1 expression and conferring CDDP resistance. The increased circPLPP4 level in CDDP-resistant cells was caused by increased RNA stability, mediated by increased N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification of circPLPP4. In vivo delivery of an antisense oligonucleotide targeting circPLPP4 significantly enhanced CDDP efficacy in a tumor model. Conclusions Our study reveals a plausible mechanism by which the m6A -induced circPLPP4/ miR-136/ PIK3R1 axis mediated CDDP resistance in OC, suggesting that circPLPP4 may serve as a promising therapeutic target against CDDP resistant OC. A circPLPP4-targeted drug in combination with CDDP might represent a rational regimen in OC.

More attention has been paid to immunotherapy for ovarian cancer and the development of tumor vaccines. We developed a trichostatin A (TSA)-modified tumor vaccine with potent immunomodulating activities that can inhibit the growth of ovarian cancer in rats and stimulate immune cell response in vivo. TSA-treated Nutu-19 cells inactivated by X-ray radiation were used as a tumor vaccine in rat ovarian cancer models. Prophylactic and therapeutic experiments were performed with TSA-modified tumor vaccine in rats. Flow cytometry and ELISpot assays were conducted to assess immune response. Immune cell expression in the spleen and thymus were detected by immunohistochemical staining. GM-CSF, IL-7, IL-17, LIF, LIX, KC, MCP-1, MIP-2, M-CSF, IP-10/CXCL10, MIG/CXCL9, RANTES, IL-4, IFN-γ, and VEGF expressions were detected with Milliplex Map Magnetic Bead Panel immunoassay. TSA vaccination in therapeutic and prophylactic models could effectively stimulate innate immunity and boost the adaptive humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to inhibit the growth and tumorigenesis of ovarian cancer. This vaccine stimulated the thymus into reactivating status and enhanced infiltrating lymphocytes in tumor-bearing rats. The expression of key immunoregulatory factors were upregulated in the vaccine group. The intensities of infiltrating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and NK cells were significantly increased in the vaccine group compared to the control group (P

Abstract Background The 70-gene signature (70-GS, MammaPrint) test has been recommended by the main guidelines to evaluate prognosis and chemotherapy benefit of hormonal receptor positive human epidermal receptor 2 negative (HR + /Her2−) early breast cancer (BC). However, this expensive assay is not always accessible and affordable worldwide. Based on our previous study, we established nomogram models to predict the binary and quartile categorized risk of 70-GS. Methods We retrospectively analyzed a consecutive cohort of 150 female patients with HR + /Her2− BC and eligible 70-GS test. Comparison of 40 parameters including the patients’ medical history risk factors, imaging features and clinicopathological characteristics was performed between patients with high risk (N = 62) and low risk (N = 88) of 70-GS test, whereas risk calculations from established models including Clinical Treatment Score Post-5 years (CTS5), Immunohistochemistry 3 (IHC3) and Nottingham Prognostic Index (NPI) were also compared between high vs low binary risk of 70-GS and among ultra-high (N = 12), high (N = 50), low (N = 65) and ultra-low (N = 23) quartile categorized risk of 70-GS. The data of 150 patients were randomly split by 4:1 ratio with training set of 120 patients and testing set 30 patients. Univariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression were performed to establish the two nomogram models to predict the the binary and quartile categorized risk of 70-GS. Results Compared to 70-GS low-risk patients, the high-risk patients had significantly less cardiovascular co-morbidity (p = 0.034), more grade 3 BC (p = 0.006), lower progesterone receptor (PR) positive percentage (p = 0.007), more Ki67 high BC (≥ 20%, p

Abstract Recently, there has been growing interest among researchers in exploring the effects of epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) or N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) modification regulators on tumor development. However, the synergistic efficiency of these regulators in relation to ovarian cancer development remains unclear. This study aims to explore the transcription patterns of main regulators, including 19 EMT and 22 m6A, in ovarian cancer samples from TCGA datasets and normal samples from GTEx datasets. After conducting a LASSO regression analysis, ten prognostic signatures were identified, namely KIAA1429, WTAP, SNAI1, AXL, IGF2BP1, ELAVL1, CBLL1, CDH2, NANOG and ALKBH5. These signatures were found to have a comprehensive effect on immune infiltrating signatures and the final prognostic outcome. Next, utilizing the ssGSEA algorithm and conducting overall survival analyses, we have identified the key prognosis-related immunological signatures in ovarian cancer to be ALKBH5, WTAP, ELAVL1, and CDH2 as the regulators. The characteristic immune response and related genetic expression have revealed a significant correlation between the alteration of m6A regulators and EMT regulators, indicating a synergistic effect between these two factors in the development of ovarian cancer. In summary, our research offers a novel perspective and strategy to enhance the occurrence, progression, and prognosis of ovarian cancer.

Summary: The main causes of death in patients with ovarian cancer (OC) are invasive lesions and the spread of metastasis. The present study aimed to explore the mechanisms that might promote OC metastasis. Here, we identified that VGLL1 expression was remarkably increased in metastatic OC samples. The role of VGLL1 in OC metastasis and tumor growth was examined by cell function assays and mouse models. Mechanistically level, METTL3-mediated N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification contributed to VGLL1 upregulation in an IGF2BP2 recognition-dependent manner. Furthermore, VGLL1 directly interacts with TEAD4 and co-transcriptionally activates HMGA1. HMGA1 further activates Wnt/β-catenin signaling to enhance OC metastasis by promoting the epithelial-mesenchyme transition traits. Rescue assays indicated that the upregulation of HMGA1 was essential for VGLL1-induced metastasis. Collectively, these findings showed that the m6A-induced VGLL1/HMGA1/β-catenin axis might play a vital role in OC metastasis and tumor growth. VGLL1 might serve as a prognostic marker and therapeutic target against the metastasis of OC.

Reference targets with stability, uniformity, and known reflectance on the Earth’s surface, such as deserts, can be used for the absolute radiometric calibration of satellite sensors. A wide-angle hyperspectral reflectance model at the top of atmosphere (TOA) over such a reference target will expand the applicability of on-orbit calibration to different spectral bands and angles. To achieve the long-term, continuous, and high-precision absolute radiometric calibration of remote sensors, a wide-angle hyperspectral TOA reflectance model of the Libyan Desert was constructed based on spectral reflectance data, satellite overpass parameters, and atmospheric parameters from the Terra/Aqua and Earth Observation-1 (EO-1) satellites between 2003 and 2012. By means of angle fitting, viewing angle grouping, and spectral extension, the model is applicable for absolute radiometric calibration of the visible to short-wave infrared (SWIR) bands for sensors within viewing zenith angles of 65 degrees. To validate the accuracy and precision of the model, a total of 3120 long-term validations of model accuracy and 949 cross-validations with the Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (NPP) Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) satellite sensors between 2013 and 2020 were conducted. The results show that the TOA reflectance calculated by the model had a standard deviation (SD) of relative differences below 1.9% and a root-mean-square error (RMSE) below 0.8% when compared with observations from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Landsat 8 OLI. The SD of the relative differences and the RMSE were within 2.7% when predicting VIIRS data.

Abstract Most of the current excellent models in speaker verification are ResNet-based deep models and attention-based models. These models have a general weakness, which is the large number of parameters and high hardware requirements. On the other hand, many deep structures only generate embedding features from the features extracted by the last frame-level layer, which causes shallow features and channel-related features to be ignored. To solve these problems, this paper proposed a shallow speaker verification model based on Lambda-vector, its main structure is composed of three Lambda-SE modules. The module extracts long-distance dependencies between frame-level features and channel-related interaction information to enhance representation of features. Meanwhile, so that adequately mine the information in deep and shallow features, the model introduces multi-layer feature aggregation to fuse the features of different frame-level layers together. It can increase the detailed information in the deep features and improve the model's ability to represent complex information. The experimental results on the public datasets Voxceleb1 and Voxceleb2 show that the model has more stable training speed, fewer model parameters, and better identification performances than baseline models.

Abstract There is an imperative choice to develop a secure feasible strategy to address evasion dynamics of refractory tumors and SARS‐CoV‐2‐variants, while stem cell‐based protocol may be more reliable as its unique ability for resetting multifunctional immunity to address progressive tumor and the constantly‐evolving virus. In this study, spheroid‐embryonoid stem cells from mature somatic cells were engineered as multifunctional biologics (3D‐E/BSC) and inoculated in senile rhesus to identify secure potential against immune‐evasion from viral‐variants. Meanwhile, a cohort of eligible patients with stage IV NSCLC were approved for phase I clinical trials. Subsequently, long‐lasting security and efficacy were validated by primate and clinical trials (p

In this paper, synchronization of fractional-order memristive recurrent neural networks via aperiodically intermittent control is investigated. Considering the special properties of memristor neural network, differential inclusion theory is introduced. Similar to the aperiodically strategy of integer order, aperiodically intermittent control strategy of fractional order is proposed. Under the framework of Fillipov's solution, based on the intermittent strategy of fractional order systems and the properties Mittag-Leffler, sufficient criteria of aperiodically intermittent strategy are obtained by constructing appropriate Lyapunov functional. Some comparisons are given to demonstrate the advantages of aperiodically strategy. A simulation example is given to illustrate the derived conclusions.

Background: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women. Clinical models such as Oncotype DX recurrence score (RS) and Clinical Treatment Score post–5 years (CTS5) model for survival prediction are crucial for clinical practice. However, it remains unclear whether CTS5 or RS would be a more powerful clinical model for recurrence risk evaluation. Therefore, we conducted the present study to compare the performance of CTS5 risk model and RS on different recurrence evaluation. And we further integrated the two models into a novel nomogram to improve the power for prognosis prediction. Methods: Female patients with invasive hormone receptor positive breast cancer in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) database with RS data available were included. The clinicopathological data were directly extracted from SEER database. Participants were divided into three subsets according to recurrence timing (60 months) for model evaluation. Survival receiver operating characteristic curve and C-index were calculated to evaluate discrimination. Calibration curve were used to visual inspection for calibration. Model comparison was assessed by net reclassification index (NRI) method. Nomogram prognostic model was developed with the combination of CTS5 score and RS and also included other critical clinicopathological parameters. Results: In total, 64044 breast cancer patients were enrolled for analysis. The number of patients with survival 60 months (late recurrence subset) were 64044, 36878 and 15926, respectively. For model discrimination, CTS5 model was superior to RS for overall survival (OS) prediction (likelihood ratio test P

Abstract Background This study was conducted to evaluate the prognostic significance of different molecular typing methods and immune status based on RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) in hormone receptor (HR)-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative (HR + /HER2-) early-stage breast cancer and develop a modified immunohistochemistry (IHC)-based surrogate for intrinsic subtype analysis. Methods The gene expression profiles of samples from 87 HR + /HER2- early-stage breast cancer patients were evaluated using the RNA-seq of Oncotype Dx recurrence score (RS), PAM50 risk of recurrence (ROR), and immune score. Intrinsic tumor subtypes were determined using both PAM50- and IHC-based detection of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, Ki-67, epidermal growth factor receptor, and cytokeratins 14 and 5/6. Prognostic variables were analyzed through Cox regression analysis of disease-free survival (DFS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS). Results Survival analysis showed that ROR better predicted recurrence and distant metastasis compared to RS (for DFS: ROR, P = 0.000; RS, P = 0.027; for DMFS, ROR, P = 0.047; RS, P = 0.621). Patients with HR + /HER2- early-stage breast cancer was classified into the luminal A, luminal B, HER2-enriched, and basal-like subtypes by PAM50. Basal-like subgroups showed the shortest DFS and DMFS. A modified IHC-based surrogate for intrinsic subtype analysis improved the concordance with PAM50 from 66.7% to 73.6%, particularly for basal-like subtype identification. High level of TILs and high expression of immune genes predicted poor prognosis. Multi-factor Cox analysis showed that IHC-based basal-like markers were the only independent factors affecting DMFS. Conclusions Prognosis is better evaluated by PAM50 ROR in early-stage HR + /HER2- breast cancer and significantly differs among intrinsic subtypes. The modified IHC-based subtype can improve the basal-like subtype identification of PAM50. High immunity status and IHC-based basal-like markers are negative prognostic factors.

Soil salinization is a crucial type in the degradation of coastal land, but its spatial distribution and drivers have not been sufficiently explored especially at the depth scale owing to its multidimensional nature. In this study, we proposed a multi-depth soil salinity prediction model (0–10 cm, 10–20 cm, 20–40 cm, and 40–60 cm) fully using the advantages of satellite image data and field sampling to rapidly estimate the multi-depth soil salinity in the Yellow River Delta, China. Firstly, a multi-depth soil salinity predictive factor system was developed through correlation analysis of soil sample electrical conductivity with a series of remote-sensing parameters containing heat, moisture, salinity, vegetation indices, spectral value, and spatial location. Then, three machine learning methods including back propagation neural network (BPNN), support vector machine (SVM), and random forest (RF) were adopted to construct a coastal soil salinity inversion model. By using the best inversion model, we obtain the spatial distribution of soil salinity in the Yellow River Delta. The results show the following: (1) Environmental variables in this study are all effective variables for soil salinity prediction. The most sensitive indicators to multi-depth soil salinity are GDVI, ENDVI, SI-T, NDWI, and LST. (2) The RF model was chosen as the optimal approach for predicting and mapping soil salinity based on performance at four soil depths. (3) The soil salinity profiles exhibited intricate coexistence of two distinct types: surface aggregated and homogeneous. The former was dominant in the east, where salinity was higher. The central and southwestern parts were mostly homogeneous, with lower soil salinity. (4) The soil salinity throughout the four depths examined was found to be most elevated in saltern and bare land and lowest in wetland vegetation and farmland, according to land-cover type. This study proposed a remote sensing prediction method for salinization in multiple soil layers in the coastal plain, which could provide decision support for spatial monitoring of land salinization and achieving land degradation neutrality targets.

Abstract Background The de-escalation treatment in patients with low-risk HER2-positive early breast cancer (eBC) is an attractive strategy to avoid unnecessary treatment and improve the quality of life of patients. Pyrotinib, a novel irreversible pan-HER2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), has shown efficacy in patients with advanced HER2-positive breast cancer. Meanwhile, nanoparticle albumin-bound (nab)-paclitaxel reveals survival benefit over solvent-based paclitaxel and eliminates the toxicities associated with the solvent. However, the efficacy and safety of pyrotinib in combination with nab-paclitaxel as adjuvant therapy for low-risk HER2 + eBC patients have not been evaluated. Methods This is a multicenter, open-label, single-arm phase II study. A sample size of 261 patients with tumor ≤ 3 cm, lymph node-negative (N0) or micrometastatic (N1mi), HER2 + breast cancer will be recruited. Eligible patients will receive nab-paclitaxel 260 mg/m2 once every 3 weeks for 12 weeks and pyrotinib 400 mg once daily for one year. The primary endpoint is invasive disease-free survival. A sub-study will be conducted to investigate different prophylactic strategies for diarrhea, which is the most common adverse event of pan-HER TKIs. One hundred and twenty patients from the main study will be randomly (1:1) allocated to receive loperamide either during the first cycle (4 mg tid on days 1–7, then 4 mg bid on days 8–21) or the first 2 cycles (4 mg tid on days 1–7, then 4 mg bid on days 8–42). The primary endpoint of the sub-study is the incidence of grade ≥ 3 diarrhea. Discussion This is the first prospective study of pyrotinib in combination with nab-paclitaxel as adjuvant therapy for patients with low-risk HER2-positive eBC. It would probably provide robust evidence for de-escalating strategy of HER2-positive eBC and appropriate management for pyrotinib-related diarrhea. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04659499 . Registered on December 9, 2020.

Thermo-reversible gel of myofibrillar protein (MP) can be made by tactics of elaborate deamidation using protein-glutaminase (PG), and this work aimed to disclose the link between thermally reversible gelation of MP and the coiled-coil (CC). Enzymatic deamidation fragmented myofibril filaments and triggered structural reassembly to create small-sized aggregates. The coiling and dissociation of CC structure in the myosin tails is the fundamental structural basis of the PG deamidated MP (DMP) in the dynamic evolution of reversible gelation. After specific inhibition of CC assembly by trifluoroethanol (TFE), the thermo-reversible gel ability of DMP was impaired, which confirmed that the dynamic assembly of CC with temperature response played a key role in the thermo-reversible gelation of DMP. The findings may broaden the molecular basis of natural CC reversible gelation and foster advances for the development of new muscle protein products.

Multi-granulation fuzzy probabilistic rough set (MFPRS) model over two universes has various applications in recent years. However, data are typically changing with time in real-life applications. When data changes, people have to spend a lot of unnecessary time to recalculate the approximations in MFPRS over two universes. To address this problem, we design incremental algorithms based on the object-first approach for updating approximations in MFPRS over two universes while the objects are added into or removed from the two universes. Firstly, considering a case where the equivalence class of the object with respect to the fuzzy relation could be empty, we introduce a model of type-empty MFPRS over two universes. Then, based on the matrix, a traditional algorithm is introduced to calculate approximations in MFPRS over two universes. In addition, by optimizing the traditional algorithm, we design the object-first algorithm which could calculate approximations more efficient in MFPRS over two universes. After that, based on the object-first algorithm, four object-first incremental algorithms are designed for updating approximations in MFPRS over two universes while the objects are added into or removed from two universes. Finally, experimental results show that the proposed object-first incremental algorithms for updating approximations in MFPRS over two universes are more efficient in comparison with the non-incremental algorithms and the traditional incremental algorithms.

Background Platinum resistance is a major challenge in the clinical treatment of advanced ovarian cancer (OC). Accumulating evidence shows that the tumor-promotive M2 macrophage is linked to the limiting chemotherapy efficacy of multiple malignancies including OC. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a novel class of non-coding RNAs which function as the critical regulator in biological process of cancer. However, their impact on macrophage polarization and chemoresistance of OC remain unclear.Methods Platinum-resistant circRNAs were screened using circRNA deep sequencing and validated using in situ hybridization in OC tissues with or without platinum resistance. The role of circITGB6 in inducing cisplatin (CDDP) resistance was evaluated by clone formation, immunofluorescence and annexin V assays in vitro, and by intraperitoneal tumor model in vivo. The mechanism underlying circITGB6-mediated tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) polarization into M2 phenotype was investigated using RNA pull-down, luciferase reporter, electrophoretic mobility shift, RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP), ELISA and immunofluorescence assays.Results We identified that a novel circRNA, circITGB6, robustly elevated in tumor tissues and serums from patients with OC with platinum resistance, was correlated with poor prognosis. circITGB6 overexpression promoted an M2 macrophage-dependent CDDP resistance in both vivo and vitro. Mechanistic research determined that circITGB6 directly interacted with IGF2BP2 and FGF9 mRNA to form a circITGB6/IGF2BP2/FGF9 RNA–protein ternary complex in the cytoplasm, thereby stabilizing FGF9 mRNA and inducing polarization of TAMs toward M2 phenotype. Importantly, blocking M2 macrophage polarization with an antisense oligonucleotide targeting circITGB6 markedly reversed the circITGB6-induced CDDP resistance of OC in vivo.Conclusions This study reveals a novel mechanism for platinum resistance in OC and demonstrates that circITGB6 may serve as a potential prognostic marker and a therapeutic target for patients with OC.

This study investigated the relationships between parental responsiveness, teaching responsiveness, and creativity, as well as the mechanism underlying these associations. We collected data from 584 Chinese college students via convenience sampling method and used self-report scales to measure their perceived parental responsiveness, teaching responsiveness, creative self-efficacy, and creativity. We employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the relationships among these variables and the mediation effect. The results revealed that both parental responsiveness and teaching responsiveness were positively related to student creativity. Moreover, creative self-efficacy mediated the relationships of parental responsiveness, teaching responsiveness, and creativity. The findings highlight the significance of responsiveness from parents and teachers on student creativity and verify the potential mediating role of creative self-efficacy. These findings suggest that teachers and parents can foster creativity by providing warm and supportive responses to students’ creative needs.

BackgroundAlthough the effect of pseudogene ANXA2P2 on some tumors has been reported in a few literatures, the therapeutic potential and prognostic value of ANXA2P2 in ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma (OV) have not been elucidated.MethodsThe correlation for ANXA2P2 expression patterns to prognostic characteristics, tumor immune microenvironment, immune cell infiltration level, tumor mutation burden (TMB), tumor microsatellite instability (MSI), drug sensitivity, and pathway function enrichment were investigated in pan-carcinoma via TCGA and GTEx databases. Subsequently, the role of ANXA2P2 expression levels in the pathway enrichments and prognosis prediction in OV were further explored using weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) analysis, gene mutation analysis, and risk-independent prognostic analysis.ResultsANXA2P2 was frequently overexpressed in a variety of tumors compared with normal tissues. The correlation analysis for prognostic characteristics, tumor immune microenvironment, immune cell infiltration level, TMB, MSI, drug sensitivity, and pathway function enrichment revealed that ANXA2P2 expression patterns might deal a significant impact on the pathogenesis, development, and prognosis of various tumors. Then, GSVA, GSEA, WGCNA, gene mutation, and independent prognostic analysis for OV have indicated that high expression in ANXA2P2 could be mostly enriched in TNF-α signaling-via-NF-κB, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, apical junction, IL-6-JAK STAT3 signaling, etc., which were also proved to act as crucial factors on tumorigenesis, development, invasion, and metastasis. The mutation of TP53 (94%), TTN (24%), and CSMD3 (9%) in the biological process of tumor had been confirmed by relevant studies. Finally, the independent prognostic analysis demonstrated that ANXA2P2 expression in OV contributes greatly to the dependability of 3- and 5-year survival prediction.ConclusionIn summary, our findings might provide a helpful foundation for prospective explorative researches, afford new strategies for the clinical treatment, deal prognosis prediction, and give new hope for OV patients.

In this study, a column experiment was employed to evaluate the nuclide migration behavior in the surrounding rock medium of a near-surface disposal site in China and to investigate the advection–dispersion behavior of tritium (H-3) and plutonium-238 (Pu-238) in highly weathered argillaceous shale. A reasonable numerical model was selected to fit the experimental breakthrough curves (BTCs) and to obtain the relevant migration parameters. The results show the following: (1) the internal structure of the highly weathered argillaceous shale exhibited heterogeneity, and the nuclide migration BTC showed characteristics of a “curve peak moving forward” and a “tail curve trailing”; (2) compared with other models, the stream tube mode could better fit the BTCs and obtain the average dispersion coefficient , average distribution coefficient , and other parameters; (3) compared to the results of the batch experiment, the distribution coefficient Kd obtained from the column experiment was smaller than that obtained from the batch experiment, which is speculated to be due to the influence of contact time and the contact area between the nuclide and the medium.

To provide carbon steel a long-term corrosion protection effect in NaCl solutions with different pH values, based on poly-acrylamide (PAM) and oleate imidazoline (OIM), a solid corrosion inhibitor with the properties of pH-controlled release was synthesized. SEM, FTIR and TGA results indicated that the OIM inhibitors were successfully loaded into PAM hydrogel with a high OIM encapsulation content (39.64 wt.%). The OIM release behavior from the hydrogel structure has two stages, quick release and sustained release. The pH of solutions could affect the initial release kinetics of OIM inhibitors and the diffusion path in the hydrogel structure. Weight loss measurement of L80 steel in different pH solutions with OIM@PAM proved the inhibitor responsive release mechanism and anticorrosion performance. The inhibition efficiency of OIM@PAM can maintain over 80% after long-term immersion in a harsh corrosive environment (pH 3), which is much higher than the inhibition efficiency of OIM@PAM in a moderate corrosive solution.

Abstract Background The primary obstacle to treat cervical cancer is its high prevalence of metastasis, which severely affects patients’ quality of life and survival time. Nucleolar and spindle associated protein 1 (NUSAP1) has been implicated in the development, progression, and metastasis in several types of cancer. However, its oncogenic role in cervical cancer remains unclear. Methods Western blot assay and immunohistochemistry were used to determine the expression of NUSAP1 in 21 clinical fresh Cervical cancer tissues and 233 clinicopathologically characterized cervical cancer specimens. The biological roles of NUSAP1 in the metastasis of cervical cancer were investigated both in vitro by EMT, Side population analysis and Transwell assays and so on, and in vivo using a mouse 4w model of hematogenous metastasis and lymph node metastasis. Bioinformatics analysis, luciferase reporter analysis, immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting of nuclear and cytoplasmic cellular fractions were applied to discern and examine the relationshipbetween NUSAP1 and its potential targets. Results The results demonstrated that NUSAP1 was upregulated in cervical cancer cells and tissues, correlated positively with metastasis and poor clinical outcome of patients. High expression of NUSAP1 promoted metastasis by enhancing cancer stem cell (CSC) traits and epithelial-mesenchyme transition (EMT) progression, while silencing of NUSAP1 reduced CSC traits and EMT progression. Mechanistically, upregulation of NUSAP1 induced SUMOylation of TCF4 via interacting with SUMO E3 ligase Ran-binding protein 2 (RanBP2) and hyperactivated Wnt/β-catenin signaling in cervical cancer cells. Additionally, NUSAP1-induced cervical cancer cells metastasis and the cancer stem cell phenotype were abrogated with the Wnt/β-catenin signaling inhibitor XAV-939 treatment. Importantly, co-therapy of conventional treatment and XAV-939 will provide a novel and effective treatment for NUSAP1-ovexpressed cervical cancer patients. Conclusions Our results demonstrate thatNUSAP1 upregulation contributes to metastasis of cervical cancer by promoting CSC properties and EMT via Wnt/β-catenin signaling and XAV-939 might serve as a potential tailored therapeutic option for patients with NUSAP1-ovexpressed cervical cancer.

The adsorption characteristics of corrosive anions (Cl−, HS−, S2−, HCO3− and CO32−) on TiO2 of TC4 titanium alloy in a NaCl solution containing H2S and CO2 were studied by density functional theory (DFT). The stable adsorption configuration of each corrosive species on the TiO2 (110) surface was obtained by geometric optimization, and the electronic structure and interface binding energy were calculated and analyzed. The results showed that the optimal adsorption positions of Cl−, HS−, S2−, HCO3− and CO32− on TiO2 (110) were all bridge positions. There was a strong charge interaction between the negatively charged Cl, S and O atoms in Cl−, HS−, S2−, HCO3− and CO32− and the positively charged Ti atoms of TiO2. The interface bonding was mainly caused by charge movement from around Ti atoms to around Cl, O, S atoms. The energy levels were mainly caused by the electron orbital hybridization of Cl-3p5, S-3p4, O-2p4 and Ti-3d2. All adsorption configurations were chemical adsorption. The order of influence of the five ions on the stability of TiO2 was S2− > CO32− > Cl− > HS− > HCO3−. Finally, a novel corrosion mechanism was proposed to illustrate the dynamic evolution processes of pits.

Abstract So far, thymus involution in adults is believed to be irreversible, and endogenous innovation for thymus‐related immunodeficiency remains to be an intractable puzzle. With the expectation of addressing this dilemma, human ovarian surface epithelium (OSE) has been reengineered as epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT)‐tridimensional‐spheroid biologics (ETSB) using a dynamic EMT‐3D‐floating system along with 160 Gy X‐ray‐amelioration, which inoculates subcutaneously into aging rhesus and athymic Balb/cnu/nu mice. Herein, it is bioinformatically validated that ETSB can reset Clock/Arntl‐Per3/Tim molecule rhythm dynamics to re‐prime thymus residual (parathyroid or fatty‐like invalid vesicles yet no thymic architecture) to evolutionary transcription with overall cortex‐medulla endogenized by TECs undergoing MET/EMT reversion. Rhythm dynamics immediately resettles the bHLH‐LTβR‐NFκB‐RelA/B loop as a cascade to provoke the core immune microenvironment for multifunctional innovation of dynamic TCR orchestration, with harmonious naïve T‐subsets and TRECs renewals (P < 0.005). Subsequently, peripheral biological burden and tumor metastasis dynamics are addressed by innovative TCR‐defense/attack dynamics quickly (P < 0.005 vs Control), yet without autoimmune indication to hosts. Moreover, a functional blockade of core‐rhythm dynamics deeply impedes the endogenous innovation of invalid thymus residual. Thus this study may help pioneer a prospective strategy to innovate panoramic central‐peripheral immune microenvironments and defense dynamics for immune‐deficient/aging victims.

A novel monomeric amine sodium montmorillonite swelling inhibitor: N 1 , N 2 -ditetradecy- N 1 , N 1 , N 2 , N 2 -tetrakis (2-hydroxyethyl) ethane-1,2-diaminium bromide was obtained from diethanolamine, 1-bromotetradecane, and 1, 2-dibromoethane. N 1 , N 2 -ditetradecy- N 1 , N 1 , N 2 , N 2 -tetrakis (2-hydroxyethyl) ethane-1,2-diaminium bromide was characterized by means of Fourier transform infrared, 1 H NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, linear swelling tests, particle size distribution tests, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric. Linear swelling tests showed that the swelling height of sodium montmorillonite in 1.0 wt% N 1 , N 2 -ditetradecy- N 1 , N 1 , N 2 , N 2 -tetrakis (2-hydroxyethyl) ethane-1,2-diaminium bromide solution was only 2.0 mm after 16 h (fresh water was 5.0 mm). Particle size distribution tests exhibited that the median diameter and mean particle size of sodium montmorillonite in 1.0 wt% N 1 , N 2 -ditetradecy- N 1 , N 1 , N 2 , N 2 -tetrakis (2-hydroxyethyl) ethane-1,2-diaminium bromide solution obviously increased to 16.1 and 85.4 µm, respectively (fresh water was 8.1 and 21.8 µm). In thermogravimetric tests, in comparison with pure sodium montmorillonite, the decrease of water content in sodium montmorillonite/ N 1 , N 2 -ditetradecy- N 1 , N 1 , N 2 , N 2 -tetrakis (2-hydroxyethyl) ethane-1,2-diaminium bromide indicated N 1 , N 2 -ditetradecy- N 1 , N 1 , N 2 , N 2 -tetrakis (2-hydroxyethyl) ethane-1,2-diaminium bromide expelled the water molecules out of the interlayer, which was beneficial to wellbore stability. Fourier transform infrared spectra of certain concentration N 1 , N 2 -ditetradecy- N 1 , N 1 , N 2 , N 2 -tetrakis (2-hydroxyethyl) ethane-1,2-diaminium bromide/sodium montmorillonite indicated the successful physical adsorption and interaction between N 1 , N 2 -ditetradecy- N 1 , N 1 , N 2 , N 2 -tetrakis (2-hydroxyethyl) ethane-1,2-diaminium bromide with sodium montmorillonite. In addition, the results of X-ray diffraction tests showed the obtained 1.0 wt% N 1 , N 2 -ditetradecy- N 1 , N 1 , N 2 , N 2 -tetrakis (2-hydroxyethyl) ethane-1,2-diaminium bromide solution could remarkably reduce the interlayer distance of wet sodium montmorillonite (from 1.94 to 1.37 nm).

Surfactant flooding is one of the main methods of tertiary oil recovery. At present, there are a lot of experimental researches on the problem of microscopic active water flooding mechanism at home and abroad. There are many kinds of research methods, but most of them use core flow experiment. This method can not visualize the effect of oil displacement and oil displacement. In this paper, the micro-model of flat glass can be used to observe the mechanism, and oil displacement in the process of oil displacement. In this experiment, the surface active agents were screened, and two kinds of surfactants were selected from several surfactants commonly used in oilfields such as temperature, salt tolerance. The selected surfactant and the use of appropriate instruments are the means of interfacial tension, emulsification capacity of the determination and evaluation, which helps to determine the optimal formula. Then, the mechanism of emulsification, polymerization and emulsification of oil droplets during active water flooding was studied by using micro plate model of glass. And then we study the effect, significance and influence of active water flooding on enhanced oil recovery. Experiments show that it is feasible to study the effect of active water flooding on the recovery of oil and gas in oil field. It is feasible to study the effect of active water flooding experiment on the oil displacement efficiency.

Polyacrylamide (PAM) is a linear water-soluble polymer, which is one of the most widely used varieties. Partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) is currently widely used in domestic oilfield tertiary oil recovery. Practice has proved that the use of HPAM as a polymer flooding to improve oil recovery (EOR) effect is obvious, and has become the oil and gas production in the middle of a crucial part. Theoretically, polyacrylamide can play a role in mediating the rheological properties of water injection, increasing the viscosity of the driving fluid, improving the efficiency of water flooding and so on. However, in practical applications, it is necessary to select polyacrylamide with different molecular morphology or molecular weight according to the difference of geological environment conditions such as dielectric porosity and various ionic components and contents in groundwater. Therefore, it is of great theoretical and practical significance to correctly evaluate the molecular chain morphology of polyacrylamide in different geological environments and to make more effective use of existing resources for rationally explaining the mechanism of polymer flooding. In this study, through the detailed study on the properties of partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide, it can be applied to oil and gas exploitation in oil field, which can provide reference for oil and gas recovery.

The kinesin family member 20a (KIF20A) protein has been implicated in the development and progression of many human cancers; however, its precise function and role in cervical cancer remain largely unclear. This study aimed to investigate the expression profile and prognostic value of KIF20A in patients with early-stage cervical squamous cell carcinoma.We examined the mRNA and protein levels of KIF20A in eight cervical cancer cell lines and eight paired cervical cancer samples, compared with normal cervical epithelial cells and adjacent normal cervical tissues, respectively. Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect the expression of KIF20A in paraffin-embedded specimens from 169 early-stage cervical squamous cell carcinoma patients. Statistical analyses were applied to analyze the association between KIF20A expression and clinical variables, as well with patient survival.The mRNA and protein expression levels of KIF20A were significantly elevated in cervical cancer cell lines and lesions compared with normal cells and corresponding normal tissues (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemistry analysis in 169 cervical cancer cases revealed that increased KIF20A expression was strongly associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection (P = 0.008), clinical stage (P = 0.001), tumor recurrence (P = 0.016), vital status (P < 0.001), the property of the surgical margin (P = 0.032), the lymphovascular space involvement (P = 0.014), and pelvic lymph node metastasis (P = 0.001). The overall survival and disease-free survival of patients with high levels of KIF20A expression were significantly poorer than those with low KIF20A expression. KIF20A was an independent survival prognostic factor, as evidenced by univariate and multivariate analysis.Our results illustrate that elevated KIF20A expression correlates with HPV infection, clinical stage, tumor recurrence, lymphovascular space involvement, pelvic lymph node metastasis, and poor outcome in early-stage cervical squamous cell carcinoma patients. KIF20A aberrant expression is a novel independent unfavorable prognostic factor and may present a potential therapeutic target for cervical cancer.

The contribution of ultrasound-assisted thoracic paravertebral block to postoperative analgesia remains unclear. We compared the effect of a combination of ultrasound assisted-thoracic paravertebral block and propofol general anesthesia with opioid and sevoflurane general anesthesia on volatile anesthetic, propofol and opioid consumption, and postoperative pain in patients having breast cancer surgery.Patients undergoing breast cancer surgery were randomly assigned to ultrasound-assisted paravertebral block with propofol general anesthesia (PPA group, n = 121) or fentanyl with sevoflurane general anesthesia (GA group, n = 126). Volatile anesthetic, propofol and opioid consumption, and postoperative pain intensity were compared between the groups using noninferiority and superiority tests.Patients in the PPA group required less sevoflurane than those in the GA group (median [interquartile range] of 0 [0, 0] vs. 0.4 [0.3, 0.6] minimum alveolar concentration [MAC]-hours), less intraoperative fentanyl requirements (100 [50, 100] vs. 250 [200, 300]μg,), less intense postoperative pain (median visual analog scale score 2 [1, 3.5] vs. 3 [2, 4.5]), but more propofol (median 529 [424, 672] vs. 100 [100, 130] mg). Noninferiority was detected for all four outcomes; one-tailed superiority tests for each outcome were highly significant at P

BACKGROUND:The β1,3-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase-3 gene (B3GNT3) encodes a member of the B3GNT family that functions as the backbone structure of dimeric sialyl-Lewis A and is involved in L-selectin ligand biosynthesis, lymphocyte homing and lymphocyte trafficking. B3GNT3 has been implicated as an important element in the development of certain cancers. However, the characteristics of B3GNT3 in the development and progression of cancer remain largely unknown. Thus, our study aimed to investigate the expression pattern and the prognostic value of B3GNT3 in patients with early-stage cervical cancer. METHODS:The mRNA and protein levels of B3GNT3 expression were examined in eight cervical cancer cell lines and ten paired cervical cancer tumors, using real-time PCR and western blotting, respectively. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to analyze B3GNT3 protein expression in paraffin-embedded tissues from 196 early-stage cervical cancer patients. Statistical analyses were applied to evaluate the association between B3GNT3 expression scores and clinical parameters, as well as patient survival. RESULTS:B3GNT3 expression was significantly upregulated in cervical cancer cell lines and lesions compared with normal cells and adjacent noncancerous cervical tissues. In the 196 cases of tested early-stage cervical cancer samples, the B3GNT3 protein level was positively correlated with high risk TYPES of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection (P = 0.026), FIGO stage (P < 0.001), tumor size (P = 0.025), tumor recurrence (P = 0.004), vital status (P < 0.001), concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy (P = 0.016), lymphovascular space involvement (P = 0.003) and most importantly, lymph node metastasis (P = 0.003). Patients with high B3GNT3 expression had a shorter overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) compared with those with low expression of this protein. Multivariate analysis suggested that B3GNT3 expression is an independent prognostic indicator for cervical cancer patients. CONCLUSIONS:Our study demonstrated that elevated B3GNT3 expression is associated with pelvic lymph node metastasis and poor outcome in early-stage cervical cancer patients. B3GNT3 may be a novel prognostic marker and therapeutic target for the treatment of cervical cancer.

Cancer-initiating/sustaining stem cell subsets (CSCs) have the potential to regenerate cancer cell populations and are resistant to routine therapeutic strategies, thus attracting much attention in anticancer research. In this study, an innovative framework of endogenous microenvironment-renewal for addressing such a dilemma has been just developed. CSCs in three-dimensional multipotent spheroid-engineered biologics were prepared with 150 Gy radiation and inoculated into 15-mo-old BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice bearing diverse advanced tumors covering Mammary 4T1, liver Hepa, lung LL/2, and colon C26 tumors and distant metastases. Subsequently, the systematic microenvironment of tumor-bearing hosts was rapidly remodeled to resettle thymic cortex and medulla rudiment as an endogenous foxn1-thymosin reprogramming TCR-repertoire for resetting MHC-unrestricted multifunction renewal. Postrenewal Vγ4γδT-subsets would bind and lead migrating CSCs into apoptosis. Moreover, TCR repertoire multifunction renewal could reverse tumor metastases from tumoricidal resistance into eventual regression as a blockade of cancer-sustaining Bmi-1/Nanog-Oct4-Sox2 renewal loop with sequent multivalent depletion of both migrating/in situ CSCs and non-stem terminal cancer cell subsets. This study represents a promising start to set up a generalizable strategy of three-dimensional biologics evoking an endogenous integral microenvironment into pluripotent renewal versus advanced cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stonin 2 (STON2), which functions in adjusting endocytotic complexes, is probably involved in the monitoring of the internalization of dopamine D2 receptors which have an inhibitory action of dopamine on tumor progression. However, its clinical significance in tumor progression and prognosis remains unclear. We explored the association between STON2 and the clinicopathological characteristics of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). The STON2 levels in ovarian cancer and normal cell lines and tissues were detected by real-time PCR and Western blot analyses. STON2 protein expression was also detected by an immunohistochemical analysis. The clinical significance of STON2 expression in ovarian cancer was statistically analyzed. STON2 significantly increased in the ovarian cancer cell lines and tissues compared to the normal ones. In the 89 EOC samples tested, STON2 expression was significantly correlated with intraperitoneal metastasis, intestinal metastasis, intraperitoneal recurrence, ascites containing tumor cells, and CA153 level. Moreover, patients with STON2 protein overexpression were more likely to exhibit platinum resistance and to have undergone neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Patients with high STON2 protein expression had a tendency to have a shorter overall survival and a poor prognosis. A multivariate analysis showed that STON2 was an independent prognostic predictor for EOC patients. In conclusion, STON2 plays an important role in the progression and prognosis of ovarian carcinoma, especially in platinum resistance, intraperitoneal metastasis, and recurrence. STON2 can be a novel antitumor drug target and biomarker which predicts an unfavorable prognosis for EOC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is an abnormal expression of nuclear receptor subfamily 2 group F member 6 (NR2F6) in human cancers such as breast cancer, colon cancer, and acute myelogenous leukemia. However, its clinical significance in cervical cancer has not been established. We explored NR2F6 expression and its clinicopathological significance in early-stage cervical cancer. Methods: NR2F6 expression in cervical cancer cell lines and cervical cancer tissues was determined by Western blotting, real-time PCR, and immunochemistry (IHC). NR2F6 expression in 189 human early-stage cervical cancer tissue samples was evaluated using IHC. The relevance between NR2F6 expression and early-stage cervical cancer prognosis and clinicopathological features was determined. Results: There was marked NR2F6 mRNA and protein overexpression in the cervical cancer cells and clinical tissues compared with an immortalized squamous cell line and adjacent noncancerous cervical tissues, respectively. In the 189 cervical cancer samples, NR2F6 expression was positively related to International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage (p = 0.006), squamous cell carcinoma antigen (p = 0.006), vital status (p < 0.001), tumor recurrence (p = 0.001), chemotherapy (p = 0.039), and lymph node metastasis (p < 0.001). Overall and disease-free survival was shorter in patients with early-stage cervical cancer and higher NR2F6 levels than in patients with lower levels of NR2F6. Univariate and multivariate analysis determined that NR2F6 was an independent prognostic factor of survival in early-stage cervical cancer. Conclusions: Taken together, our findings suggest that high NR2F6 expression predicts pelvic lymph node metastasis, tumor recurrence and poor prognosis in early-stage cervical cancer. NR2F6 might be a novel prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target of cervical cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to elucidate the value of putative cancer stem cell markers Musashi-1, ALDH1, Sox2, and CD49f in predicting the prognosis in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC).Methods: Real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry staining was performed to examine Musashi-1, ALDH1, Sox2, and CD49f expression in archived specimens of CSCC patients with postoperative chemotherapy. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards model were used to assess the prognostic impact of CSC markers for overall survival (OS) and recurrent-free survival (RFS).Results: The Real-time PCR data showed that the expression of all markers were increased in CSCC tissues compared with in paired normal cervical tissues (P < 0.05). The IHC result showed that high expression of Msi1, ALDH1, Sox2, and CD49f was found in 25.7%, 43.0%, 62.0% and 29.0% CSCC samples, respectively. Moreover, high expression of Msi1 (P = 0.033 and P = 0.003, respectively), ALDH1 (P = 0.015 and P = 0.002, respectively), and Sox2 (P = 0.005 and P = 0.003, respectively), and low expression of CD49f (P = 0.027 and P = 0.025, respectively) were correlated with poor OS and PFS in CSCC patients. Interestingly, tumors with Msi1(high)/CD49f(low) expression had the poorest prognosis according to Msi1/CD49f stratification. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, Sox2 expression (P = 0.047 and P = 0.018, respectively), ALDH1 expression (P = 0.013 and P = 0.003, respectively), and CD49f expression (P = 0.008 and P = 0.003, respectively) were independent prognostic markers for both OS and RFS.Conclusions: Our results suggest that cancer stem cell markers are linked with poor prognosis of CSCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: In the past 10 years, therapeutic advances have led to improved short-term efficacy for cervical carcinoma; however, the 5-year survival rate was not significantly enhanced. To investigate the effects of blood vessel invasion (BVI) and lymph vessel invasion (LVI) on the prognosis of early-stage cervical squamous carcinoma, we carried out immunohistochemical staining to distinguish blood and lymph vessels. Methods: Specimens from 111 IB-stage or IIA-stage cervical squamous carcinoma cases were examined for BVI and LVI by streptavidin-peroxidase immunohistochemistry using CD-34 and D2-40 monoclonal antibodies. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 13.0 (SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA) statistical software. The survival rate and survival curve were derived by using the life table method and the Kaplan-Meier method, respectively. Multivariate prognosis analysis was conducted with Cox regression model, and prognosis was evaluated by measuring overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Results: BVI/LVI double positivity was an independent prognostic factor for both OS and PFS, whereas lymph node metastasis and surgical margin positivity affected only PFS. Patients inflicted with either BVI or LVI displayed no significant difference in survival time. Lymph-vascular space invasion (LVSI), referring to blood and/or lymph vessel invasion correlated with lymph node metastasis, surgical margin positivity, depth of cervical interstitial invasion, squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SccAg) and age. LVSI was a risk factor for both recurrence ( P = 0.013, relative risk 3.060) and death ( P = 0.005, relative risk 4.512). Post-operation auxiliary external radiation did not improve survival for LVSI-positive cases. Conclusion: BVI/LVI double positivity constitutes an independent prognostic factor for early-stage cervical squamous carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]