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The intersecting cortical model (ICM), initially designed for image processing, is a special case of the biologically inspired pulse-coupled neural-network (PCNN) models. Although the ICM has been widely used, few studies concern the internal activities and firing conditions of the neuron, which may lead to an invalid model in the application. Furthermore, the lack of theoretical analysis has led to inappropriate parameter settings and consequent limitations on ICM applications. To address this deficiency, we first study the continuous firing condition of ICM neurons to determine the restrictions that exist between network parameters and the input signal. Second, we investigate the neuron pulse period to understand the neural firing mechanism. Third, we derive the relationship between the continuous firing condition and the neural pulse period, and the relationship can prove the validity of the continuous firing condition and the neural pulse period as well. A solid understanding of the neural firing mechanism is helpful in setting appropriate parameters and in providing a theoretical basis for widespread applications to use the ICM model effectively. Extensive experiments of numerical tests with a common image reveal the rationality of our theoretical results.

BackgroundTumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are closely related to unfavorable prognosis of patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). However, the important molecules in the interaction between ccRCC and TAMs are unclear.MethodsTCGA-KIRC gene expression data of tumor tissues and normal tissues adjacent to tumor were compared to identify differentially expressed genes in ccRCC. TAMs related genes were discovered by analyzing the correlation between these differentially expressed genes and common macrophage biomarkers. Gene set enrichment analysis was performed to predict functions of TAMs related gene. The findings were further validated using RNA sequencing data obtained from the CheckMate 025 study and immunohistochemical analysis of samples from 350 patients with ccRCC. Kaplan–Meier survival curve, Cox regression analysis and Harrell’s concordance index analysis were used to determine the prognostic significance.ResultsIn this study, we applied bioinformatic analysis to explore TAMs related differentially expressed genes in ccRCC and identified 5 genes strongly correlated with all selected macrophage biomarkers:STAC3,LGALS9,TREM2,FCER1G, andPILRA. Among them,FCER1Gwas abundantly expressed in tumor tissues and showed prognostic importance in patients with ccRCC who received treatment with Nivolumab; however, it did not exhibit prognostic value in those treated with Everolimus. We also discovered that high expression levels ofFCER1Gare related to T cell suppression. Moreover, combination ofFCER1Gand macrophage biomarkerCD68can improve the prognostic stratification of patients with ccRCC from TCGA-KIRC. Based on the immunohistochemical analysis of samples from patients with ccRCC, we further validated that FCER1G and CD68 are both highly expressed in tumor tissue and correlate with each other. Higher expression of CD68 or FCER1G in ccRCC tissue indicates shorter overall survival and progression-free survival; patients with high expression of both CD68 and FCER1G have the worst outcome. Combining CD68 and FCER1G facilitates the screening of patients with a worse prognosis from the same TNM stage group.ConclusionsHigh expression ofFCER1Gin ccRCC is closely related to TAMs infiltration and suppression of T cell activation and proliferation. Combining the expression levels of FCER1G and macrophage biomarker CD68 may be a promising postoperative prognostic index for patients with ccRCC.

To evaluate the quality of life and surgical outcomes in patients with congenital cervicovaginal malformation after cervicovaginal reconstruction.Thirty-eight patients diagnosed with congenital cervicovaginal aplasia and underwent cervicovaginal reconstruction using acellular porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS) grafts were included in the study from January 2012 to December 2019. Of these, twenty-one patients underwent conventional laparoscopy, nine underwent robotic surgery, and eight underwent laparoendoscopic single-site (LESS) surgery. Clinical characteristics, perioperative data, condition of the neovagina and neocevix, post-operation complications, body image, resumption of menstruation, sexual function, and quality of life were assessed.The average age of the patients was 16.4 ± 5.78 years. The operative procedure lasted 182.29 ± 70.85 min, with a hemoglobin decrease of 12.53 ± 7.55 g/dl. All surgery was completed successfully without complications. The total cost was highest in the robotic surgery group (P 0.001). The cosmetic scores were significantly higher in the LESS group (P 0.001). At a median follow-up of 49.79 ± 31.02 months, all patients resumed menstruation, except one patient who underwent hysterectomy due to vaginal obstruction. The average length of neovagina was 8.11 ± 0.75 cm, and the length of the cervix was 1.73 ± 1.00 cm. There were one patient with vaginal stenosis, two patients with cervical occlusion, two patients with cervical stenosis, and six patients with intrauterine device loss. Fourteen patients experienced sexual activity, with the total female sexual function index scores of 26.83 ± 3.49. Six patients had a desire of pregnancy, and one patient had pregnant via assisted-reproduction techniques. No differences in the mean physical component score (PCS) and mental component score (MCS) were identified among three different groups at baseline and all post-surgery time points (P 0.05), but with the extension of follow-up, both PCS and MCS increased significantly in all groups (P 0.001).Cervicovaginal reconstruction using an SIS graft is safe and efficient to the management of congenital cervicovaginal atresia whatever by the conventional laparoscopy, robotic surgery or LESS, with good surgical outcomes and high of quality of life.

We explore miR‐150‐5p in atherosclerosis (AS). The AS model was constructed using Apo E−/− mice with an injection of the miR-150-5p mimic or an inhibitor. Pathological characteristics were assessed using Oil red O staining and Masson staining. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot were used to analyze the expressions of microRNA-150-5p (miR-150-5p), STAT1, α-SMA (α-smooth muscle actin) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Targetscan and dual-luciferase reporter assay were used to analyze the interaction between miR-150-5p and STAT1. The viability, migration, cell cycle and α-SMA and PCNA expressions in oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-stimulated primary human aortic smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) were assessed using molecular experiments. miR-150-5p was reduced in both AS mice and ox-LDL-stimulated human aortic smooth muscle cells but STAT1 had the opposite effect. The miR‐150‐5p inhibitor alleviated the increase of lipid plaque and reduced collagen accumulation in the aortas during AS. Upregulation of α-SMA and PCNA was reversed by miR-150-5p upregulation. STAT1 was targeted by miR‐150‐5p, and overexpressed miR-150-5p weakened the ox-LDL-induced increase of viability and migration abilities and blocked cell cycle in ASMCs, but overexpressed STAT1 blocked the effect of the miR‐150‐5p mimic. This paper demonstrates that miR-150-5p has potential as a therapeutic target in AS, with plaque stabilization by regulating ASMC proliferation and migration via STAT1.

Derived from the most abundant natural polymer, cellulose nanocrystal materials have attracted attention in recent decades due to their chemical and mechanical properties. However, still unclear is the influence of different exposed facets of the cellulose nanocrystals on the physicochemical properties. Herein, we first design cellulose II nanocrystals with different exposed facets, the hydroxymethyl conformations distribution, hydrogen bond (HB) analysis, as well as the relative structural stability of these models (including crystal facets {A, B, O} and Type-A models vary in size) are theoretically investigated. The results reveal that the HB network of terminal anhydroglucose depends on the adjacent chain’s contact sites in nanocrystals exposed with different facets. Compared to nanocrystals exposed with inclined facet, these exposed with flat facet tend to be the most stable. Therefore, the strategy of tuning exposed crystal facets will guide the design of novel cellulose nanocrystals with various physicochemical properties.

Background The objective of this study was to evaluate the overall outcomes and complications of transvaginal mesh (TVM) placement for the management of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) with different meshes with a greater than 10-years of follow-up. Methods We performed a retrospective review of patients with POP who underwent prolapse repair surgery with placement of transvaginal mesh (Prolift kit or self-cut Gynemesh) between January 2005 and December 2010. Baseline of patient characteristics were collected from the patients’ medical records. During follow-up, the anatomical outcomes were evaluated using the POP Quantification system, and the Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I) was used to assess the response of a condition to therapy. Overall postoperative satisfaction was assessed by the following question: “What is your overall postoperative satisfaction, on a scale from 0 to 10?”. Relapse-free survival was analyzed using Kaplan–Meier curves. Results In total, 134 patients were included. With a median 12-year (range 10–15) follow-up, 52 patients (38.8%) underwent TVM surgery with Prolift, and Gynemesh was used 82 (61.2%). 91% patients felt that POP symptom improved based on the PGI-I scores, and most satisfied after operation. The recurrence rates of anterior, apical and posterior compartment prolapse were 5.2%, 5.2%, and 2.2%, respectively. No significant differences in POP recurrence, mesh-associated complications and urinary incontinence were noted between TVM surgery with Prolift versus Gynemesh. Conclusions Treatment of POP by TVM surgery exhibited long-term effectiveness with acceptable morbidity. The outcomes of the mesh kit were the same as those for self-cutmesh.

Introduction Cervical cancer has high mortality, high recurrence and poor prognosis. Although prognostic biomarkers such as clinicopathological features have been proposed, their accuracy and precision are far from satisfactory. Therefore, novel biomarkers are urgently needed for disease surveillance, prognosis prediction and treatment selection. Materials Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between cervical cancer and normal tissues from three microarray datasets extracted from the Gene Expression Omnibus platform were identified and screened. Based on these DEGs, a six‐gene prognostic signature was constructed using cervical squamous cell carcinoma and endocervical adenocarcinoma data from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Next, the molecular functions and related pathways of the six genes were investigated through gene set enrichment analysis and co‐expression analysis. Additionally, immunophenoscore analysis and the QuartataWeb Server were employed to explore the therapeutic value of the six‐gene signature. Results We discovered 178 overlapping DEGs in three microarray datasets and established a six‐gene (APOC1, GLTP, ISG20, SPP1, SLC24A3 and UPP1) prognostic signature with stable and excellent performance in predicting overall survival in different subgroups. Intriguingly, the six‐gene signature was closely associated with the immune response and tumour immune microenvironment. The six‐gene signature might be used for predicting response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and the six genes may serve as new drug targets for cervical cancer. Conclusion Our study established a novel six‐gene (APOC1, GLTP, ISG20, SPP1, SLC24A3 and UPP1) signature that was closely associated with the immune response and tumour immune microenvironment. The six‐gene signature was indicative of aggressive features of cervical cancer and therefore might serve as a promising biomarker for predicting not only overall survival but also ICI treatment effectiveness. Moreover, three genes (UPP1, ISG20 and GLTP) within the six‐gene signature have the potential to become novel drug targets., Our study established a novel six‐gene (APOC1, GLTP, ISG20, SPP1, SLC24A3 and UPP1) signature that was closely associated with the immune response and the tumour immune microenvironment. The six‐gene signature was indicative of aggressive features of cervical cancer and therefore might serve as a promising biomarker for predicting not only overall survival but also immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment effectiveness. Moreover, three genes (UPP1, ISG20 and GLTP) within the six‐gene signature have the potential to become novel drug targets.

Aim: To discuss miRNA-489-3p in sepsis-induced lung injury. Materials and methods: Using NR-8383 as research cell in our study, and using LPS stimulation to sepsis induced lung injury vitro model. Measuring cell proliferation by MTS assay; using Elisa assay to measure IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α concentration; apoptosis cell number and apoptosis rate were evaluated using TUNEL and flow cytometry; gene and protein were measured by RT-PCR and WB assay; measuring p-NF-κB(p65) nuclear volume by Immunofluorescence (IF); using Luciferase reporter assay to analysis miRNA-489-3p and TLR4 correlation. Results: Cell proliferation rate significantly down-regulated (P < 0.001), apoptosis cell number and apoptosis rate significantly increased (P < 0.001); IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α concentrations significantly up-regulated (P < 0.001); TLR4 and MyD88 gene and protein significantly increased (P < 0.001), NF-κB(p65) mRNA and p-NF-κB(p65) protein and nuclear volume significantly increased (P < 0.001). However, with miRNA-489-3p supplement, the cell proliferation rate, apoptosis cell number and apoptosis rate were significantly improved (P < 0.001, respectively) via TLR4, MyD88 and NF-κB(p65) mRNA and protein significantly depressing (P < 0.001, respectively). By LUC assay, miRNA-489-3p could target to TLR4 in NR-8383 cell. Conclusion: miRNA-489-3p overexpression had effect to improve sepsis induced lung injury via regulation TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB(p65).

Background Colposcopy currently plays a vital role in the diagnosis and treatment of lower genital diseases. Exposure and biopsy are two key steps in colposcopy. When the whole transformation zone or all lesions cannot be observed, we judge colposcopy as unsatisfactory. Unsatisfactory colposcopic examination may lead to the misdiagnosis of more severe diseases. The combination of colposcopy and vaginoscopy may contribute to accurate diagnosis and clinical decisions. Case summary Here, we introduce a case of posthysterectomy deep vaginal apex not fully exposed by colposcopy, and the biopsy result was a vaginal precancerous lesion. We adopted vaginoscopy to extend the observed area and expose the lesion thoroughly, and the biopsy result was vaginal squamous cancer. Conclusion The patient received a precise diagnosis and early surgery due to the combination of colposcopy and vaginoscopy.

To compare the efficacy between a bio-type femoral stem and a cemented femoral stem in hip arthroplasty for severe unstable osteoporotic intertrochanteric femur fractures (UOIFF) in elderly patients. The clinical data of 100 elderly patients with UOIFF who underwent hip arthroplasty were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into a biological group (n = 48, receiving a biological-type femoral stem) and a cemented group (n = 52, receiving a cemented femoral stem). The excellent postoperative hip function recovery, perioperative related parameters, and postoperative complication rates were compared between the two groups. The changes in the preoperative and postoperative visual analogue score (VAS), Harris hip function score, functional recovery scale score (FRS), ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL), thromboelastography parameters, bone density, and health survey short form (SF-36) scores were also observed. The excellent and good rate of joint function recovery in the cemented group (90.38%) was higher than that in the biological group (75.00%) (P

Aims/Introduction Emerging evidence suggests that expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) are more likely to associate with complex diseases. Transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M member 5 (TRPM5) is a ubiquitously expressed voltage‐gated cation channel that acts indispensably to trigger insulin secretion in pancreatic β‐cells. The present study evaluated the association between TRPM5 eQTL single‐nucleotide polymorphisms and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in a Chinese population. Materials and Methods A total of 380 unrelated Chinese pregnant women including 241 GDM patients and 139 controls were included in this study. The eQTL single‐nucleotide polymorphisms of TRPM5 were obtained from the GTEx eQTL Browser, and were subsequently genotyped using the Agena MassARRAY iPLEX platform. Results Logistic regression analysis and linear regression analysis showed that rs35197079 and rs74848824 were significantly associated with reduced GDM risk and lower fasting plasma glucose levels after adjusting confounder factors in dominant genetic models. Stratification analysis based on pre‐pregnancy body mass index validated a strong association between rs35197079 and GDM susceptibility in underweight and normal weight individuals. Luciferase and electrophoretic mobility shift assays carried out in rat pancreatic β‐cells showed that rs35197079 was functional. Conclusions The TRPM5 eQTL single‐nucleotide polymorphism rs35197079 was associated with decreased GDM susceptibility in a Chinese population, especially in underweight and normal weight pregnant women, and it was functional in modulating gene transcription., In the present study, for the first time, we systematically examined the relationship between transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M member 5 expression quantitative trait loci single‐nucleotide polymorphisms and gestational diabetes mellitus susceptibility. We identified that rs35197079 was significantly associated with decreased gestational diabetes mellitus risk in a Chinese population, and it could function to modulate gene transcription.

This study analyzed the potential diagnosis and therapeutic challenges of retroperitoneal schwannoma (RSs) in a specialized gynecology hospital.A retrospective review was performed in our hospital from 2000 to 2018. A literature search of RSs was conducted using PubMed database.45 patients were identified (22 from our hospital and 23 from the literature review). The majority of patients presented asymptomatic (22/45). Among them, 25 cases were misdiagnosed as adnexal cysts, 13 uterine fibroids, 1 ovarian malignancy and 6 pelvic masses. Intraoperative exploration revealed that the masses were located in the retroperitoneal space. The median diameter was 6.2 cm (range 3.0-9.8 cm) in our hospital compared with 9.3 cm (6-15 cm) in literature review. Complete resection was performed in 37 patients and subtotal resection in 8 patients. The pathological results confirmed the diagnosis of benign schwannoma and no recurrence was found in the follow-up data.The preoperative diagnosis of RSs is difficult to make because of its nonspecific characteristics. In a specialized gynecology hospital, it is more important to differentiate the benign and malignant of mass before surgery. Surgical complete resection of tumor is recommended and recurrence is unusual after complete resection.

Background To describe the short-term outcomes of transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (vNOTES) for uterosacral ligament suspension (USLS) in patients with severe prolapse. Methods This was a retrospective study of patients with severe prolapse (≥ stage 3) who underwent vNOTES for USLS between May 2019 and July 2020. The Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POP-Q) score, Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire short form (PISQ-12) and Pelvic Floor Inventory-20 (PFDI-20) were used to evaluate physical prolapse and quality of life before and after vNOTES for USLS. Results A total of 35 patients were included. The mean operative duration was 111.7 ± 39.4 min. The mean blood loss was 67.9 ± 35.8 ml. Statistically significant differences were observed between before and after vNOTES USLS in Aa (+ 0.6 ± 1.7 versus − 2.9 ± 0.2), Ba (+ 1.9 ± 2.2 versus − 2.9 ± 0.3), C (+ 1.5 ± 2.2 versus − 6.9 ± 0.9), Ap (− 1.4 ± 1.0 versus − 3.0 ± 0.1) and Bp (− 1.1 ± 1.4 versus − 2.9 ± 0.1) (P Conclusions vNOTES for USLS may be a feasible technique to manage severe prolapse, with promising short-term efficacy and safety. Larger studies with more patients and longer follow-up periods should be performed to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety profile of vNOTES for USLS.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the prognostic performance of the revised 2018 FIGO staging system for cervical cancer. METHODS This retrospective multicenter study enrolled cervical cancer patients with 2009 FIGO Stage IA1-IIA2 who underwent surgeries between January 2006 and December 2017 in four tertiary hospitals. Patients were restaged according to the 2018 FIGO staging system by reviewing their medical data. RESULTS Of 3238 cervical cancer patients included, 1841 (56.9%) patients were restaged: 641 (34.9%) due to tumor size, 544 (29.5%) due to lymph node metastasis, 614 (33.4%) due to the inconsistency between pre- and postoperative assessments, and 42 due to the cancellation of invasion width in Stage IA. After restaging, a clear tendency of decreased recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) with increasing stage was observed. Multivariate Cox analysis showed that 2018 FIGO stage, parametrial involvement, and histology were independent prognostic factors for both OS and RFS (P

A novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has spread worldwide and led to high disease burden around the world. This study aimed to explore the key parameters of SARS-CoV-2 infection and to assess the effectiveness of interventions to control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A susceptible—exposed—infectious—asymptomatic—recovered (SEIAR) model was developed for the assessment. The information of each confirmed case and asymptomatic infection was collected from Ningbo Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to calculate the key parameters of the model in Ningbo City, China. A total of 157 confirmed COVID-19 cases (including 51 imported cases and 106 secondary cases) and 30 asymptomatic infections were reported in Ningbo City. The proportion of asymptomatic infections had an increasing trend. The proportion of elder people in the asymptomatic infections was lower than younger people, and the difference was statistically significant (Fisher’s Exact Test, P = 0.034). There were 22 clusters associated with 167 SARS-CoV-2 infections, among which 29 cases were asymptomatic infections, accounting for 17.37%. We found that the secondary attack rate (SAR) of asymptomatic infections was almost the same as that of symptomatic cases, and no statistical significance was observed (χ2 = 0.052, P = 0.819) by Kruskal–Wallis test. The effective reproduction number (Reff) was 1.43, which revealed that the transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 was moderate. If the interventions had not been strengthened, the duration of the outbreak would have lasted about 16 months with a simulated attack rate of 44.15%. The total attack rate (TAR) and duration of the outbreak would increase along with the increasing delay of intervention. SARS-CoV-2 had moderate transmissibility in Ningbo City, China. The proportion of asymptomatic infections had an increase trend. Asymptomatic infections had the same transmissibility as symptomatic infections. The integrated interventions were implemented at different stages during the outbreak, which turned out to be exceedingly effective in China.

The PHF6 mutation c.1024C > T; p.R342X, is a recurrent cause of Börjeson–Forssman–Lehmann Syndrome (BFLS), a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by moderate–severe intellectual disability, truncal obesity, gynecomastia, hypogonadism, long tapering fingers and large ears (MIM#301900). Here, we generated transgenic mice with the identical substitution (R342X mice) using CRISPR technology. We show that the p.R342X mutation causes a reduction in PHF6 protein levels, in both human and mice, from nonsense-mediated decay and nonsense-associated alternative splicing, respectively. Magnetic resonance imaging studies indicated that R342X mice had a reduced brain volume on a mixed genetic background but developed hydrocephaly and a high incidence of postnatal death on a C57BL/6 background. Cortical development proceeded normally, while hippocampus and hypothalamus relative brain volumes were altered. A hypoplastic anterior pituitary was also observed that likely contributes to the small size of the R342X mice. Behavior testing demonstrated deficits in associative learning, spatial memory and an anxiolytic phenotype. Taken together, the R342X mice represent a good preclinical model of BFLS that will allow further dissection of PHF6 function and disease pathogenesis.

Objective: Cervical cancer (CC) ranks fourth most diagnosed cancer and cancer mortality in women. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) take important roles in CC development. This study aimed to identify more and novel competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) mechanisms of lncRNAs in CC. Materials and methods: The miRNA expression dataset GSE20592 and lncRNA/mRNA expression dataset GSE63514 were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs), differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs), and differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) between CC tumor and normal samples were identified with the criteria of adj.P.Value 2. Functional enrichment analysis was performed for DEGs. The interaction pairs among lncRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs were predicted and the ceRNA network was then constructed. Survival analysis was performed based on the TCGA dataset. Results: Totally, 42 DEmiRNAs, 25 DElncRNAs, and 518 DEGs were identified in CC tumor samples versus normal tissues. The DEGs were associated with ‘GO:0006260: DNA replication’, ‘GO:0051301: cell division’, and ‘hsa01100:Metabolic pathways’. The ceRNA network consisted of 878 lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA pairs. Of the miRNAs, lncRNAs, and genes with the top 10 interaction degrees in the ceRNA network, the upregulated cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor 2A gene (CDKN2A) was targeted by the downregulated DEmiRNAs including hsa-miR-125b-5p and hsa-miR-125a-5p, which were targeted by the upregulated DElncRNA BBOX1-AS1. The high expression level of CDKN2A contributed to the poor overall survival of patients with CC. Conclusions: The BBOX1-AS1-hsa-miR-125b-5p/hsa-miR-125a-5p-CDKN2A ceRNA network is of great value in CC development.

Autophagy is believed to be essential for the maintenance of axonal homeostasis in neurons. However, whether autophagy is causally related to the axon degeneration in organophosphorus-induced delayed neuropathy (OPIDN) still remains unclear. This research was designed to investigate the role of autophagy in axon degeneration following tri-ortho-cresyl phosphate (TOCP) in an in vitro model. Differentiated wild-type and Atg7−/− neuro-2a (N2a) cells were treated with TOCP for 24 h. Axonal degeneration in N2a cells was quantitatively analyzed; the key molecules responsible for axon degeneration and its upstream signaling pathway were determined by Western blotting and real-time PCR. The results found that Atg7−/− cells exhibited a higher resistance to TOCP insult than wild-type cells. Further study revealed that TOCP caused a significant decrease in pro-survival factors NMNATs and SCG10 and a significant increase in pro-degenerative factor SARM1 in both cells. Notably, Atg7−/− cells presented a higher level of pro-survival factors and a lower level of pro-degenerative factors than wild-type cells in the same setting of TOCP administration. Moreover, DLK-MAPK pathway was activated following TOCP. Altogether, our results suggest that autophagy is able to affect TOCP-induced axonal injury via regulating the balance between pro-survival and pro-degenerative factors, providing a promising avenue for the potential therapy for OPIDN patients.

This study aims to investigate the application value of O-arm navigation system in sacroiliac screw placement for the treatment of unstable pelvic ring injury. A total of 40 patients (mean age = 30.75 ± 14.99 years, 25 males, 15 females) were included. From January 2016 to July 2018, 40 patients with posterior pelvic ring injury treated in our hospital were included. Of them, 19 patients underwent O-arm navigation for screw placement (O-arm group) while the other 21 received C-arm fluoroscopy guidance (C-arm group) for sacroiliac screw placement. Intraoperative outcomes and the outcome of screw placement were compared between groups. The quality of radiological images was assessed by Matta’s radiological outcome grade. The outcome of complex pelvic fracture treatment was evaluated by Majeed Functional score. All demographic and clinical characteristics were comparable between the two groups. Compared with the C-arm groups, the O-arm group had a shorter surgery time (33.19 ± 3.14 vs. 48.35 ± 4.38 min, P

Menglei Zhang,1,2,* Fangyue Zhou,1,* Yuan He,3 Xiang Tao,4 Keqin Hua,1,2 Jingxin Ding1,2 1Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, People’s Republic of China; 2Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Shanghai, 200011, People’s Republic of China; 3Public Health School of Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Pathology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Jingxin DingDepartment of Gynecology, The Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, 128 Shen-Yang Road, Shanghai, 200011, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-13918206746Fax +86-21-63455090Email djxdd@sina.comPurpose: This study aimed to establish a predictive model for lymph node involvement (LNI) in patients with borderline ovarian tumor (BOT) using clinicopathological factors.Patients and Methods: We collected clinical data from consecutive patients who underwent lymphadenectomy for BOT between 2001 and 2018 and analyzed their clinicopathological features. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify all independent risk factors associated with LNI; these were then incorporated into the prediction model.Results: In total, we included 248 patients with BOT who were undergoing lymphadenectomy. These were divided into a training cohort (n=174) and a validation cohort (n=74). When considering histopathological data, 16 and 5 patients were identified to have LNI in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. Overall, 13.5% (21/156) patients with serous BOT had LNI while 0% (0/92) patients with non-serous BOT had LNI. We identified several predictors of LNI: the largest tumor being ≥ 12.2cm in diameter, the presence of lesions on the ovarian surface, and the presence of pelvic or abdominal lesions. We created a prediction model and nomogram that incorporated these three risk factors for serous BOT. The model achieved good discriminatory abilities of 0.951 and 0.848 when predicting LNI in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. The LNI-predicting nomogram had an area under curve (AUC) of 0.951 and generated well-fitted calibration curves.Conclusion: Non-serous BOT may not require lymphadenectomy as part of surgical staging. The individual risk of LNI in patients with serous BOT can be accurately estimated using our prediction model and nomogram. The use of LNI criteria provides a practical way to support the clinician in making an optimal decision relating to surgical scope for patients with BOT.Keywords: lymph node involvement, borderline ovarian tumor, lymphadenectomy, prediction model, nomogram

Objective: The research paid close attention to the function of lncRNA-related endogenous competitive RNAs (ceRNAs) network in endometrial cancer (EC). Methods: 45 primary endometrial cancer tissues (EC) and 45 normal endometrium (NE) were included in the research. The online software StarbaseV2.0 was made use of forecasting the lncRNA which most likely contained microRNA-200c-3p combining sites and could interact with microRNA-200c-3p. Subsequently, we chose lncRNAs which were consistent with the characteristics of polyadenylation of lncRNAs and lower expression in EC than that of NE. After that, lncRNAs, which were related with the microRNA-200c-3p-noxa network, were identified. Results: Rp11-379k17.4, a new gene related to endometrial cancer, was identified as noncoding RNA. It was a more effective ceRNA associated with the microRNA-200c-3p-noxa network. Conclusion: LncRNAs possess microRNA response elements (MREs) and give scope to significant roles in the post-transcriptional mechanism in EC.

Aim Optimizing perfusate for static cold storage is one of the key ways of reducing organ dysfunction and rejection in organ transplantation. Here, we tested the effectiveness of the three different solutions for hypothermic uterus preservation. Methods Twenty rats were divided into four groups, five in each group. Uterine grafts were retrieved and perfused in situ. The uteri were preserved at 4°C in normal saline as control group (group NS), hypertonic citrate adenine (group HCA), histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate (group HTK), or university of Wisconsin solutions (group UW) for 0, 12, 24, and 48 h, respectively. HE, electron microscopy, TUNEL staining, and Cleaved Caspase3 immunohistochemical staining were assessed at each time point. Results There was no significant difference in the uterine retrieval time, perfusion time, and the amount of perfusion solution in NS, HCA, HTK, and UW groups (p > 0.05). HCA and HTK can well preserve the pathological morphology of rat uterine tissues for up to 24 h, and the apoptosis rates of the two groups are 7.2% and 7.1%, respectively, with no statistical difference (p > 0.05). Still, the protective effect of HTK on the ultrastructure of cells was much better than HCA. There was a significant difference in the apoptosis rate of UW (6.5%), HTK (8.8%), and HCA (9.4%) at 48 h, with mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum structure well preserved only in UW. Conclusion At 4°C, normal saline is not suitable to preserve rat uterus for more than 12 h. The morphologic results would favor the use of HTK rather than HCA for short-term hypothermic uterus preservation (≤24 h). UW is better than HTK and HCA for 48 h hypothermic uterus preservation.

Background: Homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) is a common molecular characteristic of genomic instability, and has been proven to be a biomarker for target therapy. However, until now, no research has explored the changes in the transcriptomics landscape of HRD tumors. Methods: The HRD score was established from SNP array data of breast cancer patients from the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) database. The transcriptome data of patients with different HRD scores were analyzed to identify biomarkers associated with HRD. The candidate biomarkers were validated in the gene expression omnibus (GEO) database and immunotherapy cohorts. Results: Based on data from the gene expression profile and clinical characteristics from 1310 breast cancer patients, including TCGA database and GEO database, we found that downstream targets of the cGAS-STING pathway, such as CXCL10, were upregulated in HRD tumors and could be used as a predictor of survival outcome in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients. Further comprehensive analysis of the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) revealed that the expression of CXCL10 was positively correlated with neoantigen load and infiltrating immune cells. Finally, in vivo experimental data and clinical trial data confirmed that the expression of CXCL10 could be used as a biomarker for anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy. Conclusions: Together, our study not only revealed that CXCL10 is associated with HRD but also introduced a potential new perspective for identifying prognostic biomarkers of immunotherapy.

Objectives This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of laparoscopy for the prediction of optimal cytoreduction and prognosis of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) in a Chinese population. Study design This study enrolled 162 EOC patients in Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University from January 2015 to December 2016. All patients underwent preoperative CT scans and laparoscopic assessments. Each patient was scored according to the CT-based predictive model by Bristow and laparoscopy-based predictive model by Fagotti. The specificity, sensitivity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and area under the curve (AUC) of each model were calculated. The predictive scores and clinicopathologic factors were all analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and multivariate Cox analysis. A prognostic predictive nomogram was formulated in R software. Results The AUCs of the laparoscopy-based predictive model and CT-based predictive model was 0.955 and 0.755 respectively. At a laparoscopic score ≥ 10, the possibility of optimal cytoreduction was 0, and the risk of unnecessary explorative attempts was 6%. Additionally, laparoscopic score, independent of residual tumor size and FIGO stage, was an independent prognostic factor for both overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) in EOC. Notably, the predictive nomogram that we established further confirmed the prognostic value of laparoscopy for prognostic predictions in EOC. Conclusions Laparoscopy has a better discriminating performance than CT in the prediction of optimal cytoreduction in EOC. Moreover, the laparoscopic score is directly correlated with the survival of EOC patients. The laparoscopic score-based nomogram we established showed good potential to predict the prognosis of EOC patients.