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BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to assess the incidence, clinicopathologic characteristics, prognostic factors, and treatment outcomes in lung large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC). MATERIAL AND METHODS Patients diagnosed with lung LCNEC between 2000 and 2013 were identified using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results database. Kaplan-Meier methods and univariate and multivariate analyses were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS A total of 2097 patients were identified. The total age-adjusted incidence rate of lung LCNEC was 0.3/100 000, with a rise in incidence over the study period. The 5-year lung cancer-specific survival (LCSS) and overall survival (OS) were 20.7% and 16.7%, respectively. Multivariate analysis indicated that age ³65 years, male sex, advanced tumor stage, advanced nodal stage, not undergoing surgery. and not undergoing chemotherapy were independent adverse indicators for survival outcomes. After stratification by tumor stage, undergoing surgery was associated with more favorable LCSS and OS compared with those without surgery, regardless of tumor stage. CONCLUSIONS LCNEC is a rare lung cancer subtype with a dismal prognosis. Primary surgical treatment has significant survival benefits, even for stage IV patients. The optimal treatment strategies for lung LCNEC require further investigation.

Objectives This study aims to determine a role of interleukin‐17A (IL‐17) in salivary gland (SG) dysfunction and therapeutic effects of targeting IL‐17 in SG for treating autoimmune sialadenitis in primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS). Methods Salivary IL‐17 levels and IL‐17‐secreting cells in labial glands of pSS patients were examined. Kinetic changes of IL‐17‐producing cells in SG from mice with experimental Sjögren’s syndrome (ESS) were analysed. To determine a role of IL‐17 in salivary secretion, IL‐17‐deficient mice and constructed chimeric mice with IL‐17 receptor C (IL‐17RC) deficiency in non‐hematopoietic and hematopoietic cells were examined for saliva flow rates during ESS development. Both human and murine primary SG epithelial cells were treated with IL‐17 for measuring cholinergic activation‐induced calcium movement. Moreover, SG functions were assessed in ESS mice with salivary retrograde cannulation of IL‐17 neutralisation antibodies. Results Increased salivary IL‐17 levels were negatively correlated with saliva flow rates in pSS patients. Both IL‐17‐deficient mice and chimeric mice with non‐hematopoietic cell‐restricted IL‐17RC deficiency exhibited no obvious salivary reduction while chimeric mice with hematopoietic cell‐restricted IL‐17RC deficiency showed significantly decreased saliva secretion during ESS development. In SG epithelial cells, IL‐17 inhibited acetylcholine‐induced calcium movement and downregulated the expression of transient receptor potential canonical 1 via promoting Nfkbiz mRNA stabilisation. Moreover, local IL‐17 neutralisation in SG markedly attenuated hyposalivation and ameliorated tissue inflammation in ESS mice. Conclusion These findings identify a novel function of IL‐17 in driving salivary dysfunction during pSS development and may provide a new therapeutic strategy for targeting SG dysfunction in pSS patients., In this study, we found that increased salivary IL‐17 levels were negatively correlated with saliva flow rates in patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS). We further identified a novel function of IL‐17 in driving salivary dysfunction by impairing transient receptor potential canonical 1‐mediated calcium movement during pSS pathogenesis. This pre‐clinical study demonstrated that neutralization of IL‐17 in salivary glands attenuated hyposalivation and ameliorated tissue inflammation in mice with experimental SS, suggesting a therapeutic potential of local targeting IL‐17 for treating xerostomia and autoimmune sialadenitis in pSS patients.

Background. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) causes psychological distress and can have a negative impact on the general mental health and rehabilitation in affected patients under currently implemented isolation guidelines. Auricular point pressure (APP) as well-established technique in traditional Chinese medicine may help to relieve sleep disturbance and anxiety in COVID-19 patients. Methods. During the early phase of the epidemic/pandemic, patients were enrolled in this study (02/2020 until 03/2020 n = 84). They were strictly isolated on specific wards at the Hubei Provincial Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine in Hubei. The retrospective cohort study design included two groups. Group A patients were treated with an auricular point pressure (APP) in addition to standard intensive care medicine while Group B participants (No-APP) received routine nursing measures alone. Treatment outcome was measured using the St. Mary’s Hospital Sleep Questionnaire (SMH) Score and the 7-Item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7). Both scores were measured in each patient at baseline and on the discharge day. Results. The SMH score and sleep status changed in APP patients at the end of the treatment period when compared with No-APP patients ( P < 0.01 ). APP-treated patients demonstrated lower GAD-7 scores than No-APP controls ( P < 0.01 ). Further, no significant differences in safety or adverse events between the APP and No-APP groups were observed. Conclusion. The results from our snapshot study during the early phase of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic/pandemic suggest that auricular point pressure could be a simple and effective tool to relieve insomnia and situational anxiety in hospitalized patients suffering from COVID-19 and kept under disconcerting conditions of isolation.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) with high incidence and mortality is the main cause of chronic kidney disease. Previous studies have indicated that quercetin, an abundant flavonoid in plants, exhibited renoprotective role in AKI. However, the underlying mechanism is largely unknown. In this study, we try to explore whether quercetin protects against AKI by inhibiting macrophage inflammation via regulation of Mincle/Syk/NF-κB signaling. The results demonstrated that quercetin can significantly inhibit expression and secretion of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in LPS-induced bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) and reduce activity of Mincle/Syk/NF-κB signaling in vitro. We also found that quercetin can strongly reduce the concentration of serum creatinine, BUN, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in cisplatin-induced AKI model. Furthermore, quercetin down-regulated protein levels of Mincle, phosphorylated Syk and NF-κB in kidney macrophages of AKI, as well as inhibited M1, up-regulated M2 macrophage activity. Notably, the down-regulation of LPS-induced inflammation by quercetin was reversed after adding TDB (an agonist of Mincle) in BMDMs, suggesting that quercetin suppresses macrophage inflammation may mainly through inhibiting Mincle and its downstream signaling. In summary, these findings clarified a new mechanism of quercetin improving AKI-induced kidney inflammation and injury, which provides a new drug option for the clinical treatment of AKI.

Copper indium sulfide quantum dots (CuInS2 QDs) were incorporated into a nanocrystalline TiO2 film by using spin coating-assisted successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction process to fabricate CuInS2 QD-sensitized TiO2 photoelectrodes for the solid-state quantum dot-sensitized solar cell (QDSSC) applications. The result shows that the photovoltaic performance of solar cell is extremely dependent on the number of cycles, which has an appreciable impact on the coverage ratio of CuInS2 on the surface of TiO2 and the density of surface defect states. In the following high-temperature annealing process, it is found that annealing TiO2/CuInS2 photoelectrode at a suitable temperature would be beneficial for decreasing the charge recombination and accelerating the charge transport. After annealing at 400 °C, a significantly enhanced photovoltaic properties of solid-state CuInS2 QDSSCs are obtained, achieving the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 3.13%, along with an open-circuit voltage (VOC) of 0.68 V, a short-circuit photocurrent density (JSC) of 11.33 mA cm−2, and a fill factor (FF) of 0.41. The enhancement in the performance of solar cells is mainly ascribed to the suppression of charge recombination and the promotion of the electron transfer after annealing.

Constipation is a functional gastrointestinal disorder and one of the most prevalent conditions encountered in primary care settings. Rhubarb navel dressings have been used for more than 2,000 years in Chinese medicine to treat constipation. However, the effect of topical rhubarb administration has still not been well recognized and this strategy is not yet established as an evidence-based approach.In this study, we performed a prospective multicentric randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of rhubarb navel plasters for patients with chronic constipation.A total of 374 patients from six teaching hospitals were prospectively included between 09/2016 and 10/2017 in the study based on Rome III criteria. All participants were randomly assigned (1:1) into verum/placebo group and given either Rheum officinale rhubarb powder or a placebo flour stick on the navel for 6 h/day/8 days. Primary outcome measures were the Cleveland Constipation Score (CCS) for the feces condition and Bristol Stool Scale (BSS) for stool consistency and 24 h defecation frequency.The groups demonstrated no statistical differences in demographic data, clinical diagnoses and concomitant medication at baseline. In patients treated with the verum CCS was 5.61 (day 8, 95% CI 5.15-6.07) compared to 8.62 (95% CI 8.07-9.18) in placebo-treated controls (P 0.001). The mean change of CCS at the end of treatment (day 8 versus [vs] day 0) was 6.04 in verum-treated vs 2.73 in placebo-treated controls (P 0.001). Also 24 h defecation frequency (BSS) showed superior results (day 5: 0.84 vs 0.62, 95% CI 0.67-0.80, P 0.001; day 6: 0.82 vs 0.60, 95% CI 0.64-0.78, P 0.01 and day 8: 0.82 vs 0.60, 95% CI 0.64-0.78, P 0.01) and better BSS type classification during treatment than controls (P 0.05). No significant differences in adverse events between both groups became obvious.Rhubarb navel plaster administration over an 8-day-treatment period resulted in significantly improved bowel function as demonstrated by the CCS, 24 h defecating frequency and BSS. Our results suggest that rhubarb navel plasters represent a feasible, safe and efficient application route for the treatment of patients suffering from chronic constipation.

Fermented sauce, from rice dreg protein (RDP) instead of soybean, has unique advantages. In the present paper, the fermentation technology of RDP sauce was studied. Amino nitrogen, reducing sugar, soluble protein and colour indicators, as well as the quality of three kinds of RDP sauce fermented under different conditions, were analysed. The results suggest that an optimized fermentation technology is the addition of 2.4 times salty solution into koji, to obtain a 13% salt concentration in the sauce mash, and then fermentation at ~35°C. RDP sauce that had an addition of 0.01% Zygosaccharomyces rouxii in the fermentation stage gave a good quality RDP sauce. The RDP sauce content of amino nitrogen and reducing sugar, with 0.01% Z. rouxii, was 0.98 and 4.57 g/100 mL respectively, and the corresponding sensory quality was better than in the samples produced without Z. rouxii. It was concluded that RDP can be utilized to produce a high-quality sauce. Copyright © 2015 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling

In The Mummy, much of MPC's work involved augmenting the Ahmanet character with various CG elements. This includes, eye splitting, runes, rotten/torn skin, etc. See Figure 1 for an example.These elements needed to be added on top of a live performance, so tracking a 3D model to Ahamanet's face was necessary. Doing this sort of work isn't uncommon, but with the high volume of shots MPC did for this show, it was clear that some new tools would be necessary to help simplify this process.

Here we report an optimized hot-injection method and a phase transfer strategy for the synthesis of water-soluble CuInS2 QDs with desired properties. The structure and morphology studies demonstrate that the resulting QDs are CuInS2 tetragonal phase with well-defined facets. It is also found that the crystal size gradually increases with the increase of reaction temperature, while the surface of QDs with pre- and post-phase transfer is functionalized with hydrophobic and hydrophilic ligands, respectively. Spectroscopy measurements reveal the size-dependent optical properties of CuInS2 QDs, demonstrating the quantum confinement effect in this system.

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha), a subunit of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), furnishes tumor cells with the means of adapting to stress parameters, such as tumor hypoxia, and promotes critical steps in tumor progression and aggressiveness by inducing angiogenesis and regulating energy metabolism. In this study, we investigated the relationship between HIF-1alpha and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and clinicopathologic characteristics, and evaluated the role of HIF-1alpha expression in patients with rectal adenocarcinoma.The immunohistochemical expression of HIF-1alpha and VEGF was evaluated in 30 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded postoperative rectal adenocarcinoma tissue samples. Correlations with clinicopathologic characteristics were determined by cross-tabulations. The impact of the immunoreactivity of HIF-1alpha with regard to the overall survival and local control endpoints was determined by univariate analyses.Increased HIF-1alpha expression was strongly associated with VEGF positivity (P = 0.002), Dukes stage (P = 0.017), and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.001). No correlation was found between the level of HIF-1alpha expression and histologic grade (P = 0.63). The Kaplan-Meier curves showed a significantly shorter overall survival (P = 0.0087) and local control (P = 0.0438) for patients with high HIF-1alpha expression.These results show that HIF-1alpha might represent an important biologic marker evaluating the prognosis of patients with rectal adenocarcinoma.