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Compacted clay covers (CCCs) are effective in restricting the upward migration of volatile organic compound (VOC) and semi-volatile organic compound (SVOC) vapors released mainly from unsaturated contaminated soils and hence mitigate the risks to human health. Desiccation cracking of CCCs would result in numerous preferential channels. VOC or SVOC vapors can prefereially migrate through the cracks and emit into the atmosphere, exposing threats to human health and surrounding environmental acceptors. This study presented results of comprehensive field investigation of desiccation crack distribution in CCCs, where four herbaceous plants were covered at the industrial contaminated site in. The plants included Trefoil, Bermuda grass, Conyza Canadensis, and Paspalum, and the corresponding planting areas were labeled as S1, S2, S3, and S4, respectively. The quantity and geometry parameters of the cracks including crack width, depth, and length, were investigated. The results showed that the cracks of the CCCs were mainly distributed in the areas of S3 (Conyza Canadensis) and S4 (Paspalum), where more cracks were formed when the degree of compaction (DOC) of the CCCs was less than 87%. In addition, the results revealed that: (1) no cracks were found in the area S1 (Trefoil); (2) the quantity, average width, average depth, average length, and maximal length of the cracks in the investigated areas followed S4 (Paspalum) > S3 (Conyza Canadensis) > S2 (Bermuda grass); (3) the maximal crack length in the area S2 (Bermuda grass) was the shortest, which was approximately one-seventh and one-eighth of those in the areas S3 (Conyza Canadensis) and S4 (Paspalum), respectively; and (4) the maximal width and depth of the cracks followed S3 (Conyza Canadensis) > S4 (Paspalum) > S2 (Bermuda grass). Published version This study was financially supported by National Key Research and Development Program (Grant No. 2018YFC1803100), Jiangsu Province Key Research and Development Program of China (SBE2022740941), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41877248 and 42177133), Scientific Research Foundation of Graduate School of Southeast University (Grant No. YBJJ 1844), and Postgraduate Research & Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province (Grant No. KYCX17_0130).

AIM To evaluate the prognostic value of the number of retrieved lymph nodes (LNs) and other prognostic factors for patients with distal cholangiocarcinomas, and to determine the optimal retrieved LNs cut-off number. METHODS The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database was used to screen for patients with distal cholangiocarcinoma. Patients with different numbers of retrieved LNs were divided into three groups by the X-tile program. X-tile from Yale University is a useful tool for outcome-based cut-point optimization. The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis were utilized for survival analysis. RESULTS A total of 449 patients with distal cholangiocarcinoma met the inclusion criteria. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis for all patients and for N1 patients revealed no significant differences among patients with different retrieved LN counts in terms of overall and cancer-specific survival. In patients with node-negative distal cholangiocarcinoma, patients with four to nine retrieved LNs had a significantly better overall (P = 0.026) and cancer-specific survival (P = 0.039) than others. In the subsequent multivariate analysis, the number of retrieved LNs was evaluated to be independently associated with survival. Additionally, patients with four to nine retrieved LNs had a significantly lower overall mortality risk [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.39; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.20-0.74] and cancer cause-specific mortality risk (HR = 0.32; 95%CI: 0.15-0.66) than other patients. Additionally, stratified survival analyses showed persistently better overall and cancer-specific survival when retrieving four to nine LNs in patients with any T stage of tumor, a tumor between 20 and 50 mm in diameter, or a poorly differentiated or undifferentiated tumor, and in patients who were ≤ 70-years-old. CONCLUSION The number of retrieved LNs was an important independent prognostic factor for patients with node-negative distal cholangiocarcinoma. Additionally, patients with four to nine retrieved LNs had better overall and cancer-specific survival rates than others, but the reason and mechanism were unclear. This conclusion should be validated in future studies.

Background: The management of hepatolithiasis combined with intrahepatic cholangicarcinoma (IHHCC) remains a challenge due to poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to summarize our diagnosis and cure experience of IHHCC over the recent 10 years. Methods: From January 1996 to January 2006, 66 patients with IHHCC were reviewed retrospectively. Results: Of the 66 patients, 52 underwent surgical resection (radical resection in 38 and palliative in 14) and 8 patients abdominal exploration, while the other 6 cases received endoscopic retrograde biliary internal drainage and stent implantation. In this series, correct diagnosis of advanced stage was made during operation in 8 cases (8/60, 13.3%) and all of them (underwent unnecessary abdominal exploration, among them the positive rate of CA19-9 was 100%, and the positive rate of CEA was 87.6% (7/8), incidence rate of ascites was 100% and short-term significant weight loss was 100%, with median overall survival of only 4 months. Conclusion: Radical resection is mandatory for IHHCC patient to achieve long-term survival, the CT and MR imaging features of IHHCC being concentric enhancement. Patients with IHHCC have significant higher CA199 and significant higher CEA and short-term significant weight loss and ascites should be considered with advanced stage of IHHCC and unnecessary non-therapeutic laparotomies should be avoided.

Normal hepatocytes express connexin32 (Cx32), which forms gap junctions at cell‑cell contact areas. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether Cx32 mediates the cell death‑inducing effects of ultrasound microbubbles carrying the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV‑TK) suicide gene against hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo. HepG2 cells were exposed to different concentrations of trans‑retinoic acid (ATRA) in culture, to evaluate the intrinsic antitumor effect of ATRA. Detailed in‑vitro and in‑vivo investigations on the antitumor effects of ATRA via Cx32 mediation were performed, and the possible underlying mechanisms of action of the compound were then examined. The gene expression of HSV‑TK transfected by ultrasound wave irradiation in the HepG2 cells was quantified using reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis. The effects on cell death were assessed using an MTT assay. The protein expression levels of Cx32 in ATRA‑untreated or ATRA‑treated tissues were quantified by immunohistochemical analysis and Western blot assays. The HSV‑TK gene was successfully transfected into the HepG2 cell using ultrasound wave irradiation, and was stably expressed. Compared with the other groups, the HSV‑TK gene group treated with ATRA exhibited an increased number of apoptotic cells (P