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Objective: To study the postoperative trauma of the retroperitoneal laparoscopic intrasinusal pyelolithotomy (RLIP) and percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). Methods: A total of 118 patients who were diagnosed with single pelvis calculus in Shanghai Punan Hospital of Pudong New District between September 2013 and February 2017 were selected and randomly divided into RLIP group and PCNL group who received retroperitoneal laparoscopic intrasinusal pyelolithotomy and percutaneous nephrolithotomy respectively. The removal of the stones was observed 1 week and 4 weeks after surgery, and 3mL of cubital venous blood was collected 3 d and 7 d after operation to detect the renal function indicators, inflammatory markers and stress indicators. Results: The stone removal success rate of RLIP group 1 week and 4 weeks after operation were significantly higher than those of PCNL group, serum BUN, Scr and Cys-C contents as well as eGFR levels were not significantly different between RLIP group and PCNL group 3 d and 7 d after operation, and serum Cor, NE, HSP70, NO, IL-6, hs- CRP, TNF-α and PGE2 contents of RLIP group 3 d and 7 d after operation were significantly lower than those of PCNL group. Conclusion: RLIP is significantly better than PCNL in stone removal and causes significantly less postoperative trauma than PCNL.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) participate in multiple biological processes especially human diseases, of which, tumor seems to be one of the most significant. Angiogenesis has been deemed to have a pivotal role in a series of tumor biological behaviors in tumorigenesis, progression and prognosis. Emerging evidences suggested that lncRNAs are involved in tumor angiogenesis and lncRNAs have already been verified to be potential biomarkers and promising therapeutic targets. This review summarized emerging angiogenesis-related lncRNAs, discussed their mechanisms interacting with cytokines, cancer stem cells, miRNAs and tumor hypoxia microenvironment, and demonstrated if lncRNAs could be new candidate targets of antiangiogenesis therapy.

For many cancer types, cancer cells invade into surrounding tissues by collective movement of cell groups that remain connected via cell–cell junctions. This migration is completely distinguished from single-cell migration, in which cancer cells disrupt the tight intercellular junctions and gain a mesenchymal phenotype. Recently, emerging evidence has revealed that collective cell invasion depends on not only cell-intrinsic mechanisms but also on extracellular mechanisms by bidirectional interplay between the tumor cell and the tumor environment. Herein, in this review we discuss the role and underline mechanisms of tumor microenvironment in collective tumor cell invasion, particularly focusing on extracellular matrix remodeling and cross-talk between tumor and stromal cells.

// Xiangrui Ma 1, 2, * , Surui Sheng 1, * , Jingbiao Wu 1, * , Yaping Jiang 1, 3 , Xiaolei Gao 1 , Xiao Cen 1 , Jiashun Wu 1 , Shasha Wang 1 , Yajie Tang 4 , Yaling Tang 1, 5 and Xinhua Liang 1, 6 1 State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology (Sichuan University), Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China 2 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical College, Binzhou, Shandong 256600, China 3 Department of Implant, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266000, China 4 Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China 5 Department of Oral Pathology, West China Hospital of Stomatology (Sichuan University), Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China 6 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, West China Hospital of Stomatology (Sichuan University), Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Yaling Tang, email: tangyaling@scu.edu.cn Xinhua Liang, email: lxh88866@scu.edu.cn Keywords: head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC), human papillomavirus (HPV), the non-coding RNA (lncRNA), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) Received: November 08, 2016 Accepted: December 27, 2016 Published: February 01, 2017 ABSTRACT The emerging evidence showed that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in cell growth and apoptosis as well as cancer progression and metastasis of malignant tumor, however, limited data are available on the role of lncRNAs in human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). Here, we demonstrated that 23.98% of 196 HNSCC cases in Southwest China could be classified as HPV16 infection. The number of MDSCs in HPV-positive HNSCC was significantly higher than normal control, indicating that HPV infection may promote MDSCs aggregation. Then, we applied an array-based approach to monitor the lncRNA expression between HPV-positive HNSCC, HPV-negative HNSCC and normal oral mucous, and obtained 132 different lncRNAs in different HPV infected states of HNSCC. HOTAIR, PROM1, CCAT1, and MUC19 mRNA levels, determined by qRT-PCR were inversely correlated with MDSCs collection of HPV-associated HNSCC in 2 independent patient cohorts. The results may provide a rationale for the further evaluation of lncRNAs as a molecular target to elucidate the molecular mechanism of HPV promoting MDSCs collection of HNSCC.

Background Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) accounts up for approximately 30% of all lung cancers with a high mortality. The study was aimed at finding genes critical in the diagnosis and prognosis of LUSC. Materials and Methods The differentially expressed (DE) genes (DEGs) and DE lncRNAs (DELs) from 501 LUSC and 49 normal lung tissues, and DE miRNAs (DEMs) from 478 LUSC and 45 normal lung tissues were respectively obtained via the TCGA database. Gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway, and co-expression network analyses were performed. Survival analysis and receiver operating characteristic curve of hub mRNAs were also analyzed. Competitive endogenous RNA networks of lncRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs were constructed. Results A total of 5747 DEGs, 378 DEMs and 3141 DELs in LUSC were identified in LUSC. The DEGs including AUARK, CDK1, KIF11 and EXO1 were proven to be significant metastatic indicators in LUSC, and 2 DEGs were significantly associated with the survival in LUSC patients. Some genes might have connections with many other gene nodes through a co-expression network. Four lncRNAs, 2 mRNAs and 2 miRNAs were identified as the candidates for the competitive miRNA-mRNA-lncRNA network and might serve as prognostic markers in LUSC. Conclusions We identified the differentially expressed lncRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs in LUSC, providing further insights into the molecular mechanism of LUSC tumorigenesis and the potential prognostic biomarkers or therapeutic targets for LUSC.

Objectives Increasing evidences demonstrate a close correlation between epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) induction and cancer lipid metabolism. However, the molecular mechanisms have not been clarified. Materials and methods In our study, the relative expression level of PRRX1 was detected, its relationship with free fatty acid (FFA) and PPARG2 was analysed in 85 SACC tissues and 15 salivary glands from the benign salivary tumours. We also compared the FFAs composition and levels in these SACC cells. PPARG2 was detected in PRRX1‐induced FFAs treatment as well as Src and MMP‐9 were detected in FFAs treatment–induced invasion and migration of SACC cells, and ChIP test was performed to identify the target interactions. Results Our data showed that overexpression of PRRX1 induced EMT and facilitated the invasion and migration of SACC cells, and PRRX1 expression was closely associated with high FFAs level and poor prognosis of SACC patients. Furthermore, PRRX1 silence led to the increase of PPARG2 and the reduction of FFAs level and the migration and invasion of SACC cells. And inhibition of PPARG2 rescued FFAs level and migration and invasion capabilities of SACC cells. Free fatty acids treatment induced an increase of Stat5‐DNA binding activity via Src‐ and MMP‐9‐dependent pathway. Conclusions Collectively, our findings showed that the PRRX1/PPARG2/FFAs signalling in SACC was important for accelerating tumour metastasis through the induction of EMT and the metabolic reprogramming of FFAs.

Evidence has proven that the gut microbiota is an important environmental factor contributing to obesity by altering host energy harvest and storage. We performed a high-throughput 16S rDNA sequencing association study and serum metabolomics profiling in rats with a high-sugar diet. Our studies revealed that the high sugar diet reduced the diversity of cecal microorganisms, while the combination of theabrownin and the high sugar diet increased the diversity of cecal microorganisms and promoted reproduction of Alloprevotella, Coprostanoligenes_group, Bacteroides, Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group, Desulfovibrio, Intestinimonas, Alistipes, Bifidobacterium, Phascolarctobacterium, Ruminococcaceae_UCG-010 and Staphylococcus. The combination also inhibited the growth of Lactobacillus, Prevotellaceae_Ga6A1_group and Tyzzerella. The Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio can be significantly reduced after the intervention of theabrownin in high sugar diet rats, and the reproduction of Bacteroides acidifaciens (BA) and Staphylococcus saprophyticus subsp. saprophyticus can be promoted. We found that the obesity-associated gut microbial species were linked to the changes in circulating metabolites. Serum levels of deoxycholic acid, cholic acid, 1H-indole-3-acetic acid, 3-indole acrylic acid and melatonin were negatively correlated with BA and Staphylococcus saprophyticus subsp. saprophyticus, but positively correlated with Lactobacillus murinus, Leptum and Gut_metagenome. 2-Hydroxy-6-methylpyridin-3-carboxylic acid, l-homoserine, and 1,7-dimethylxanthine were positively correlated with BA and Staphylococcus saprophyticus subsp. saprophyticus, but negatively correlated with Lactobacillus murinus, Leptum, and Gut_metagenome. In a high sugar diet mode, theabrownin reduced the body weight and triglycerides and improved insulin resistance mainly by targeting the reproduction of intestinal microorganisms such as BA, Staphylococcus saprophyticus subsp. saprophyticus, Lactobacillus murinus, Leptum, Gut_metagenome and so on. A strong correlation between cecal microorganisms and serum metabolites, obesity and insulin resistance was observed. Theabrownin has high potential in reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as diabetes and obesity.

K-means clustering with random seeds results in arbitrarily poor clusters. Much work as been done to improve initial centroid selection, also known as seeding, however better seeding algorithms are not scalable to large or unloadable datasets. In this paper, we first show that running the D2 seeding used in k-means++ on a random sample then clustering the whole dataset results in faster runtime and comparable accuracy compared to the original algorithm. We then propose a new method that performs the D2 seeding and clustering on the random sample. This method essentially runs k-means++ on the sample, then extends cluster assignments to every other point using nearest centroid classification. This results in faster clustering and comparable clustering quality compared to the original algorithm. We demonstrate the performance of both algorithms on synthetic and real datasets.

This study aimed to explore the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) and selection of PHA-accumulating microorganisms in bioreactors fed with rice winery wastewater at various organic loading rates (OLRs). The substrate utilization, sludge properties, PHA synthesis and microbial community structure of three sequencing batch reactors were monitored. The results show the highest PHA yield (0.23 g/g) was achieved in one of the three reactors with an OLR of 2.4 g COD/L/d, in which Zoogloea was the most dominant PHA-accumulating microorganism. To quantify the PHA production and track the population changing profiles of the PHA-accumulating microorganisms in the long-term reactor operation, the Activated Sludge Model No. 3 was modified with two different heterotrophic microorganisms responding differently with the same substrate. The modeling results indicate that a moderate OLR (>2.4 gCOD/L/d) was beneficial for PHA production. The results are useful for understanding the PHA production from industrial wastewaters and selection of PHA-accumulating microorganisms.

Coresets are representative samples of data that can be used to train machine learning models with provable guarantees of approximating the accuracy of training on the full data set. They have been used for scalable clustering of large datasets and result in better cluster partitions compared to clustering a random sample. In this paper, we present a novel approach of constructing lightweight coresets on subsets of data that can fit in memory while performing a streaming variant of k-means clustering known as online k-means. Experimental results show that this approach generates cluster partitions of comparable accuracy to the regular online k-means algorithm in less time, or superior partitions in comparable time.

Iron homeostasis is vital to organismal health; it is maintained by the iron regulatory protein (IRP)-iron-responsive element (IRE) signaling pathway. In the Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis, EsFer-1 and EsFer-2 reportedly have a putative IRE, but an IRP has not yet been identified. In this study, we successfully amplified the full-length cDNA of EsIRP using gene cloning and rapid amplification of cDNA ends techniques. The length of this cDNA was 4474 bp, and it included a 2682-bp open reading frame encoding 893 amino acids. Using quantitative real-time PCR, mRNA transcripts of EsIRP were detected in various tissues. The highest and lowest expression level was detected in the muscle and gills, respectively. In response to Staphylococcus aureus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus challenge, the transcription level of EsIRP was downregulated and that of EsFer-1 and EsFer-2 was upregulated in hemocytes. EsIRP knockdown resulted in increased expression of both EsFer-1 and EsFer-2. After EsFer-1 and EsFer-2 knockdown, the bacterial clearance ability of E. sinensis against S. aureus and V. parahaemolyticus was impaired. In conclusion, our results suggest that the IRP-IRE signaling pathway plays an important role in the innate immune system response in E. sinensis.

Electrocoagulation (EC) dephosphorization kinetics plays an important role in design and amplification of EC reactors for phosphate removal. However, the existing EC dephosphorization kinetic models including both statistical model and adsorption model, fail to establish a direct law between the electric field characteristics and the dephosphorization process, which limit their efficient applications in practice. In this study, three classic adsorption isotherm models, i.e., Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich model, were compared to describe the phosphorus adsorption in EC reactor. The experimental data is better fitted with Langmuir model than the other two models, indicating that adsorbed molecules are monolayered dispersed. Afterwards, an advanced EC dephosphorization kinetic model is developed by combining Faraday's law with Langmuir model. Laundry wastewater is used to illustrate the effects of current densities, plate spacing and initial phosphorus concentrations on the model parameters. Finally, the relationships among current efficiency, current density, plate spacing, initial concentration are established by using response surface methodology. Our new EC kinetic model successfully describe the phosphorus removal process of laundry wastewater, which might pave the way for the optimal design of EC reactor.

Background: It is valuable to predict the time to the development of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) in patients with advanced prostate cancer (PCa). This study aimed to build and validate a nomogram incorporating the clinicopathologic characteristics and the parameters of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) to predict the time to CRPC after androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Methods: Patients with PCa were divided into the training (n = 183) and validation cohorts (n = 37) for nomogram construction and validation. The clinicopathologic characteristics and CEUS parameters were analyzed to determine the independent prognosis factors and serve as the basis of the nomogram to estimate the risk of 1-, 2-, and 3-year progress to CRPC. Results: T stage, distant metastasis, Gleason score, area under the curve (AUC), prostate-specific antigen (PSA) nadir, and time to PSA nadir were the independent predictors of CRPC (all P Conclusions: The established nomogram including regular prognostic indicators and CEUS obtained an improved accuracy for the prediction of the time to CRPC. It was also applicable for early prediction of CRPC when it excluded posttreatment PSA, which might be helpful for individualized diagnosis and treatment.

The roles of acyl-homoserine-lactone (AHL)-based quorum sensing in biofilm formation for biological wastewater treatment have been widely recognized. In previous studies about the role of AHLs in biofilm formation, the focus is always on AHL-producing bacteria, while attention to AHL-quenching bacteria is not paid. In this work, 600 microbial isolates were screened from aerobic granules, a special type of biofilm, based on their AHL-producing or -quenching ability. The isolates with quenching activity were mainly Rhodococcus sp.; others included Sphingopyxis sp. and Bacillus sp. This result indicates the outcompeting presence of AHL-quenching bacteria over AHL-producing bacteria and a high complexity of AHL-based communication in the aerobic granules and also implies the possible overlooking of the role of AHLs in biofilm formation in previous studies.

In this article, we report the design and synthesis of a fluorescent molecular switch based on perylenemonoimide–hexaarylbiimidazole dyad (PMI–N–HABI), which exhibits not only photoswitchable near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence but also photoswitchable electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) resulting from photo-induced twin radicals. The emission of PMI–N–HABI varies with different polarities of solvents due to the D–π–A molecular architecture, displaying strong NIR emission (715 nm) in methylene chloride with fluorescence quantum yield as high as 0.29. The photo-induced cleavage of the C–N bond between the two imidazole groups produces twin radicals efficiently upon UV irradiation and the colored species recovered to the initial state spontaneously by the collision of the two intramolecular TPIRs in a few seconds, with decay (or fluorescence recovery) half-life time (τ1/2) of 1.3 s in toluene at 297 K. The radical nature of the colored species is verified by EPR measurements. The emission of the perylenemonoimide could be reversibly quenched by the photo-induced radicals through the Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) mechanism. The fluorescence-switching dye is applied to the optical nanoimaging of polymer nanowires prepared using the typical electrospinning method. The average diameter of about 160 nm is in accordance with the scan electron microscopic (SEM) images. Compared with the traditional SEM technique, we provide a convenient alternative to SEM with practical imaging resolution for polymer nanostructures.

Transition metal oxides have recently been demonstrated as highly attractive anodes for high-capacity lithium ion batteries, whose electrochemical properties could be further improved through rational architecture design and incorporating reliable conductive network. Herein, mesoporous γ-Fe2O3 spheres/graphene aerogel composites were synthesized via a solvothermal pathway followed by suitable annealing. Experimental results reveal the uniform mesoporous structure and well-dispersed γ-Fe2O3 spheres with the size of 300-400 nm embedded in the mesopores of the graphene aerogel network. Compared with α-Fe2O3/graphene aerogel and pure γ-Fe2O3, the as-synthesized composite delivers, at the first cycle, a high discharging capacity of 1080 mAh g-1 at current density of 200 mA g-1. Even at much higher current density of 8000 mA g-1, satisfactory discharging capacities of 421.5 mAh g-1 can still be achieved. Upon 100 charging-discharging cycles, the specific capacity of as high as 890.5 mAh g-1 at 200 mA g-1 is maintained. The enhanced electrochemical properties could be attributed to their favorable three-dimensional graphene aerogel network, which accounts for the improved structural stability and electronic conductivity of γ-Fe2O3 during the lithiation/delithiation process.

Purpose The purpose of the present study was to compare the efficacy of intra-articular injections of different agents for temporomandibular osteoarthritis (TMJOA) using a network meta-analysis. Materials and Methods A comprehensive search strategy was performed in multiple English and Chinese language electronic databases. Randomized controlled trials comparing the effect of intra-articular injections of different agents to treat TMJOA were included in accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The bias of risk in each study was assessed, with data extraction performed independently by 2 reviewers. The primary outcomes included pain intensity and maximal mouth opening. Results A total of 11 trials were included in the present study, and 10 different agents (ie, hyaluronic acid, dexamethasone, prednisolone, betamethasone, betamethasone plus hyaluronic acid, morphine, tramadol, platelet-derived growth factor [PDGF], placebo, arthrocentesis alone) administered using intra-articular injections were assessed. The evidence from the direct comparisons showed that arthrocentesis plus sodium hyaluronate resulted in significantly better pain relief outcomes compared with arthrocentesis alone. Also, the visual analog scale score was further reduced to 1.27 by PDGF injection after arthrocentesis (arthrocentesis plus PDGF) compared with arthrocentesis alone. Morphine and tramadol had a high probability of being the best treatment for pain control, with PDGF ranked third. When considering pain relief, arthrocentesis plus sodium hyaluronate resulted in a better outcome than arthrocentesis alone, and arthrocentesis plus PDGF was better than arthrocentesis plus placebo. PDGF injections had the greatest probability of being the best treatment for improving joint opening, followed by sodium hyaluronate. Conclusions Tramadol, morphine, and PDGF injections after arthrocentesis were effective in the treatment of TMJOA with excellent effects in reducing pain and improving joint opening. Hyaluronic acid injections were effective for improving the maximal mouth opening of patients with TMJOA in the short-term. The combination of a corticosteroid and hyaluronic acid injection reduced the symptoms of TMJOA more than corticosteroid injections alone, but not of hyaluronic acid alone.

Studies have observed that restraint stress (RS) and the associated elevation in corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) impair oocyte competence by triggering apoptosis of ovarian cells but the underlying mechanisms are largely unclear. Although one study demonstrated that RS and CRH elevation triggered apoptosis in ovarian cells and oocytes via activating Fas/FasL signalling, other studies suggested that RS might damage cells by activating other pathways as well as Fas signalling. The objective of this study was to test whether RS and CRH elevation impairs oocytes by activating tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α) signalling. Our invivo experiments showed that RS applied during oocyte prematuration significantly increased expression of TNF-α and its receptor (TNFR1) while inducing apoptosis in both oocytes and mural granulosa cells (MGCs). Invitro treatment of MGCs with CRH significantly increased their apoptotic percentages and levels of TNF-α and TNFR1 expression. Invitro knockdown by interfering RNA, invivo knockout of the TNF-α gene or injection of TNF-α antagonist etanercept significantly relieved the adverse effects of RS and CRH on apoptosis of MGCs and/or the developmental potential and apoptosis of oocytes. The results suggest that RS and CRH elevation in females impair oocyte competence through activating TNF-α signalling and that a TNF-α antagonist might be adopted to ameliorate the adverse effects of psychological stress on oocytes.

We report two-photon interferences on a silica-on-silicon chip of Mach-Zehnder interferometer using telecommunication-band correlated photon pairs. The photon pairs were generated by spontaneous four-waving mixing process in a dispersion-shifted fiber. The integrated chip, which was fabricated by standard silica-on-silicon planar lightwave circuit technology, contained a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with a thermo-optic phase shifter. The insertion loss of the interferometer was less than 1 dB. We demonstrated two-photon interferences with both degenerate- and non-degenerate-frequency photon pairs on the Mach-Zehnder interferometer chip. A high fringe visibility was achieved in the interference with nondegenerate-frequency photons. Properties of quantum interference were demonstrated in the interference with degenerate-frequency photon pairs, which is an important way to manipulate the quantum state. These results show great potential of silica-on-silicon photonic chips in applications for the fiber-chip scheme in quantum networks.

Microbiota has been widely considered to play a critical role in human carcinogenesis. Human papilloma virus, hepatitis B and C virus, and Helicobacter pylori are implicated in the pathogenesis of cancer of uterine cervix, liver, and stomach, respectively. However, whether Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), a common Gram negative oral bacteria, is associated with oral carcinogenesis still remains unclear and its underlying mechanism needs to be addressed. Here, we established a combined experimental system of 4NQO-induced oral carcinoma model and chronic periodontitis model and investigated the effects of P. gingivalis infection on oral carcinogenesis and fatty acid metabolism during oral carcinogenesis. The data showed that in this animal model, P. gingivalis infection induced mice periodontitis, increased the tongue lesion size and multiplicity of each mouse and promoted oral cancer development. P. gingivalis treatment significantly increased the level of free fatty acids and altered the fatty acid profile in tongue tissues and the serum of mice. And P. gingivalis induced the formation of fatty liver of the mice. Besides, immunohistochemical analysis and qRT-PCR showed that the expression of fatty-acid synthase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 were increased in the tongue and liver tissues of 4NQO-treated mice infected with P. gingivalis. These results showed that P. gingivalis promoted oral carcinogenesis and aggravated disturbance of fatty acid metabolism, indicating a close association among P. gingivalis, lipid metabolic and oral carcinogenesis.

The industrial augmentation and unguided anthropogenic activities contaminate water sources in most parts of the world especially in developing countries like Pakistan. High concentration of pollutants in groundwater affects human, soil, and crop health badly. The present study was conducted to investigate groundwater quality for drinking and irrigation purposes in an industrial zone of Pakistan. A GIS tool was used to investigate the spatial distribution of different physico-chemical parameters. In this study, the average results exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) and National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) were found for pH 7.84, total dissolved solids (TDS) 1492 mg/L, phosphate 0.51 mg/L, dissolved oxygen (DO) 9.92% saturation, F-coli 6.48 colonies/100 mL, Na+ 366 mg/L, HCO3&minus, 771 mg/L, sulfate 251 mg/L, chlorides 427 mg/L, total hardness (as CaCO3) 292 mg/L, electrical conductivity (EC) 2408 &mu, S/cm, iron (Fe) 0.48 mg/L, chrome (Cr) 0.50 mg/L, arsenic (As) 0.04 mg/L, total phosphorus (TP) 0.17 mg/L, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) 9.76 (in meq/L), residual sodium carbonate (RSC) 9.28 meq/L, % ion balance 14.4 (in meq/L), percentage sodium ion (% Na+) concentration 58.9 meq/L, and water quality index (WQI) 69.0. The trend of cations and anions were (in meq/L) Na &gt, Mg &gt, Ca &gt, K and HCO3 &gt, Cl &gt, CO3 &gt, SO4 respectively. Although the results of the present study showed poor conditions of the groundwater for drinking as WQI but and irrigation purposes as SAR, it needs to improve some more conditions for the provision of safe drinking water and irrigation water quality.

To investigate the safety and effectiveness of radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) with adjuvant androgen deprivation or external radiotherapy in the treatment of prostate cancer (PCa) with pelvic lymph node metastasis (PLNM).Twenty PCa patients underwent bilateral pedal lymphangiography (PLG) preoperatively, and 11 of them received lymph node aspiration for examination of the mRNA expressions of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) in the lymph fluid by real-time RT-PCR. All the patients were treated by RRP with extended dissection of pelvic lymph nodes, and 3 of them by external radiotherapy in addition after recovery from urinary incontinence because of positive surgical margins, followed by adjuvant androgen deprivation therapy.Real-time RT-PCR showed positive mRNA expressions of PSA and PSMA in the lymph fluid of the 11 patients, all pathologically confirmed with PLNM. The median intraoperative blood loss was 575 ml, with blood transfusion for 5 cases. Positive surgical margin was found in 3 cases, lymphorrhagia in 2 and urinary leakage in another 2 each. There were no such severe complications as vascular injury and rectum perforation. The patients were followed up for 6－48 (mean 42) months, during which, biochemical recurrence was observed in 12 cases at a median of 12 months postoperatively and 2 patients died at 12 and 48 months respectively.Bilateral PLG and lymph node aspiration for examination of the mRNA expressions of PSA and PSMA in the lymph fluid help to confirm PLNM preoperatively. Radical retropubic prostatectomy with adjuvant androgen deprivation or external radiotherapy is safe and effective for the treatment of PCa with PLNM, but it should be chosen cautiously for those with Gleason 5+5.目的: 探讨耻骨后根治性前列腺切除结合辅助内分泌治疗或局部外放疗治疗20例前列腺癌伴盆腔淋巴结转移的安全性和疗效。 方法: 术前对20例前列腺癌患者均行双侧足背淋巴管造影，对其中11例盆腔可疑淋巴结穿刺抽吸淋巴液，进行实时定量PCR（RT- PCR）检测淋巴液PSA mRNA和前列腺特异膜抗原（PSMA）mRNA的表达。20例均行耻骨后根治性前列腺切除和扩大盆腔淋巴结清扫，对其中3例切端阳性者待尿失禁控制后给予外放疗。 结果: 11例经RT- PCR检测淋巴结液PSA mRNA和PSMA mRNA阳性表达中均经病理证实为前列腺癌淋巴结转移。术中失血量中位数 575 ml, 术中输血5例。手术切缘阳性3例，漏尿和淋巴漏各2例，无尿失禁、血管损伤和直肠损伤病例。经中位数42个月随访，术后6~48个月生化复发12例，复发时间中位数12个月。术后12个月和48个月分别死亡2例。 结论: 术前淋巴管造影后穿刺抽吸淋巴结液，用RT- PCR方法检测淋巴液PSA mRNA和PSMA mRNA表达有助于术前确定前列腺癌盆腔淋巴结转移。采用耻骨后根治性前列腺切除和扩大淋巴结清扫结合辅助内分泌治疗，对切端阳性者给予局部外放射治疗是治疗前列腺癌伴盆腔淋巴结转移患者安全、有效的方法。但对Gleason 10分的盆腔淋巴结转移前列腺癌采用根治性前列腺切除应慎重。.

It has previously been demonstrated that autophagy and inflammation act synergistically to promote carcinogenesis. However, the precise roles of autophagy in multistep oral carcinogenesis are still unclear, particularly regarding its association with tumor inflammation. The present study established a 4NQO-induced oral cancer mouse model and investigated autophagy status in the multistep process of oral carcinogenesis using immunohistochemistry, western blotting and immunofluorescence staining. Furthermore, the number of Gr-1+CD11b+ myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and CD4+ Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) during oral carcinogenesis and the association with autophagy status was also examined. The results revealed that the expression of autophagy biomarkers, including dihydrosphingosine 1-phosphate phosphatase LCB3 (LC3B), p62/SQSTM1 (p62) and Beclin 1 increased during 4NQO-induced carcinogenesis and in human oral cancer. The number of MDSCs and Tregs also increased during oral carcinogenesis. Furthermore, the expression of LC3B and p62 significantly correlated with the accumulation of MDSCs and the expression of Beclin 1 correlated with the increase of Tregs. These data indicated that autophagy may be activated by the tumor inflammation microenvironment during oral carcinogenesis.

The perineural invasion (PNI) of malignant tumors is a form of tumor progression in which cancer cells encroach along nerves. PNI hinders curative resection. Residual tumor cells in or around nerves can bring about local recurrence, infiltration and metastasis. This behavior is usually associated with a poor clinical prognosis. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate novel ligand-receptor crosstalk between nerves and tumor cells that promote the process of PNI. Chemokines are regarded as one of pivotal factors involved in the process of PNI. The present review collates information provided by previous studies with regard to the role of chemokines in PNI. The study presents a definition of PNI in cancer, generalizes the biological characteristics and the expression of chemokines and their receptors in cancer types associated with PNI, and discusses the underlying molecular mechanisms of chemokines, the reciprocal interactions between chemokines and other factors in PNI, and the interconnectivity of the microenvironment and chemokines. The aim of the review is to thoroughly illustrate the molecular cues of chemokines in cancer with PNI and to identify novel antitumor targets.

The synthesis, structure, and magnetic properties of a tetrairon(III) complex [Fe4(μ2-O)2Cl4(L)4]·0.5H2O (1, L = 2-methyl-8-hydroxyquinoline), which was prepared under solvothermal conditions and characterized by IR spectra, elemental analysis, TG, and single-crystal X-ray crystal diffraction, are presented. Each Fe center adopts a distorted trigonal bipyramid geometry and is coordinated with three oxygen atoms, one nitrogen atom, and one chlorine atom. Each 2-methyl-8-hydroxyquinoline is coordinated to two FeIII ions with μ2-η2:η1 coordination mode. The magnetic properties of the complex are dominated by antiferromagnetic exchange interactions.