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Yanyun Li,1,&ast; Ying-Xin Gong,1,&ast; Qing Wang,1 Shujun Gao,1 Hongwei Zhang,1 Feng Xie,1 Qing Cong,1 Limei Chen,1 Qi Zhou,1 Zubei Hong,2 Lihua Qiu,2 Fang Li,3 Yu Xie,1 Long Sui1 1Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Renji Hospital of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shanghai Dongfang Hospital of Tongji University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Long Sui; Yu XieObstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, 419 Fangxie Road, Shanghai, 200011, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-21-33189900Fax +86-21-63450900Email suilong@fudan.edu.cn; yuxie18@fudan.edu.cnPurpose: Early-stage cervical cancer is usually diagnosed by colposcopy-directed biopsy (CDB) and/or endocervical curettage (ECC), but some neglected lesions must be detected by conization because they are occult. This study aimed to explore the optimal method for detecting these “occult” cervical cancers.Patients and Methods: A total of 1299 patients who were high-risk for early-stage cervical cancer from five centres in China were prospectively included. We evaluated the diagnostic performance of cytology, HPV testing, colposcopy and CDB&ECC for detecting “occult” cervical cancer and discussed the diagnostic importance of transformation zone (TZ) type, conization length and the proportion of cervical cone excision.Results: The diagnostic agreement between colposcopy impression and conization was 64.5% and 72.4% between CDB&ECC and conization. Forty-two patients were finally diagnosed with pathologic cancer, and the sensitivities of cytology, colposcopy, CDB&ECC were 4.8%, 7.1%, and 47.4%, respectively. Twenty cases were neglected by CDB&ECC but further diagnosed as cancer by conization, considered to be occult cervical cancer, accounting for 1.6%. Cytologic high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL)+, positive HPV, biopsy HSIL+ and cervical TZ type 3 were considered risk factors for developing HSIL+, while colposcopy impression HSIL+ was not. There was a significant difference between cancerous and HSIL patients in the proportion of cervical cone excision (P< 0.001), which was recognized as a risk factor (P< 0.001) for detecting cancer, while the length of cervical cone excision was not. The average proportion was 0.62, and the minimal effective proportion was 0.56.Conclusion: Since the incidence of occult cervical cancer neglected by CDB&ECC, colposcopy and cytology was far beyond expectations, conization is necessary, especially in patients with TZ type 3, high-grade cytology and biopsy results. As the cervical length varies in patients, the proportion of cervical cone excision might be a better indicator for detecting occult cervical cancer.Keywords: cervical conization, colposcopy-directed biopsy, high-grade intraepithelial lesion, length proportion, occult cervical cancer, transformation zone

Pei-Wen Zhu,* Ying-Xin Gong,* You-Lan Min, Qi Lin, Biao Li, Wen-Qing Shi, Qing Yuan, Lei Ye, Yi ShaoDepartment of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Jiangxi Province Ocular Disease Clinical Research Center, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of China*These authors have contributed equally to this workPurpose: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common tumor of the digestive tract that tends to metastasize and leads to high mortality. Ocular metastases (OM) from colorectal cancer are being increasingly diagnosed, and they can lead to a poor prognosis. Serum lipids are a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and are also relevant to the occurrence of CRC. In this study, we examined the levels of serum lipids and tried to determine whether there were correlations with the occurrence of OM in patients with colorectal cancer, in order to determine whether serum lipid levels may be a risk factor for OM in this patient population.Patients and methods: Records from a total of 703 patients treated for colorectal cancer from August 2005 to August 2017 were involved in this study. Student’s t-tests, nonparametric rank sum tests, and Chi-square tests were applied to describe whether there were significant differences between the OM group and non-ocular metastases (NOM) group. We used binary logistic regression analysis to determine the risk factors and receiver operating curve (ROC) analyses to assess the diagnostic value for OM in CRC patients.Results: There were no significant differences in gender, age, histopathology type, or tumor classifications between the OM and NOM groups. The levels of serum TC, HDL, and LDL were significantly different between patients with and without lymph node metastases as well as male and female patients. The OM group had higher serum HDL levels compared to the NOM group. Binary logistic regression indicated that HDL was a risk factor for OM in colorectal cancer patients. The ROC curves showed that the AUC of HDL was 0.660. The cutoff value of HDL was 1.27 mmol/L, with a sensitivity of 0.619 and a specificity of 0.650. Conclusion: HDL levels are correlated with ocular metastases in colorectal cancer patients. Keywords: high-density lipoprotein, ocular metastases, colorectal cancer, independent risk factor

Addressing the practical challenges of difficult drilling for blasting-induced permeability enhancement in deep, soft, and high-gas coal seams, where fractures remain underdeveloped and prone to re-compaction, this study proposes blasting operations within the floor strata. This approach aims to enhance the permeability of soft coal seams, thereby extending the duration of effective gas extraction. A bidirectional loading gas-solid coupling blasting simulation system was established in the laboratory, enabling multi-faceted analysis of experimental models through macroscopic crack patterns, internal damage mechanisms, and strain data of coal and rock masses. Comparative experiments were conducted, contrasting various control hole spacings with conventional blasting techniques. The findings reveal that as the blasting stress wave traverses the control hole walls, tensile stress waves are reflected, facilitating crack propagation. The guiding effect of the control holes and the spatial compensation they provide significantly increase the extension distance of explosion-induced cracks, resulting in directional failure of the test specimens and heightened damage in the far field of the blast. After the blasting process, the arrangement of control holes can result in an increase of up to 133% in damage to the coal seam and a reduction of up to 167% in damage to the floorboard compared to the model without control holes. Notably, when the control holes are proximal to the coal-rock interface, the near-end coal body experiences the most pronounced effects, with peak damage and tensile strain in the d = 20 mm model being 1.93 and 1.79 times higher, respectively, than those in models without control holes. Conversely, for control holes located further from the interface, the distal coal body experiences the greatest influence, exhibiting 1.53 and 1.55 times higher peak damage and tensile strain, respectively, in the d = 80 mm model compared to uncontrolled counterparts. Field observations at the C13 coal seam of a mine within the Huainan mining area corroborate these findings, where the volume of gas extraction and its concentration experienced a rapid increase following blasting and penetration enhancement. Optimum permeability enhancement occurs when the blasting hole is situated 4 m from the extraction point, resulting in a 131% increase in gas extraction purity from 0.15 × 10 -3 m 3 /min to 1.97 × 10 -3 m 3 /min. Furthermore, gas concentration soars by 373%, from 5.86% to 21.86%. These research outcomes offer valuable insights and hold considerable reference significance for blasting-induced permeability enhancement in deep, soft, and high gas coal seams., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

There is no definitive approach for assessing mesenteric ischemia and determining the optimal timing for endovascular intervention in the management of spontaneous isolated dissection of the superior mesenteric artery (SISMAD). A 56-year-old male with acute abdominal pain was diagnosed with SISMAD. After evaluating mesenteric ischemia through mesenteric fractional flow reserve (FFR), FFR was 0.72, and the patient was recommended conservative treatment for SISMAD, which involves fasting, total parenteral nutrition, and anticoagulation. The patient's syndrome was relieved after conservative treatment for 14 days without stent implantation. Over the next 5 years, no recurrence of abdominal pain or worsening of SISMAD was observed in the patient. Assessing the severity of mesenteric ischemia can be done through mesenteric FFR. Upon confirmation of the exclusion of risks related to dilatation or rupture of SISMAD aneurysm, an approach in favor of conservative management for SISMAD may indeed be considered pragmatic when the FFR exceeds 0.72., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (© Indian Association of Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgeons 2024. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

In this paper, we introduced a novel phase-transfer strategy tailored for the efficient batch detection of ascorbic acid in vitamin C tablets. This method entailed the reaction between ascorbic acid and an excess of potassium permanganate. Subsequent reaction of the residual potassium permanganate with sodium oxalate in an acidic medium led to the generation of carbon dioxide. The quantification of the produced carbon dioxide was achieved using headspace GC, enabling the indirect measurement of ascorbic acid. The obtained findings revealed that the headspace method exhibited satisfied precision with a relative standard deviation of less than 2.11 % and high sensitivity with a limit of quantitation of 0.27 μmol. These results firmly establish the reliability of this innovative approach for determining ascorbic acid. In addition, the highly automated feature of headspace method significantly enhances the efficiency of batch sample detection and reduces the errors caused by human operation. Thus, the adoption of the transformed phase strategy has demonstrated its effectiveness in assessing ascorbic acid, especially for large-scale sample analysis in industrial applications, owing to its efficiency, precision, and sensitivity., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In this work, we proposed an indirect phase-conversion strategy to construct a new approach for accurately and efficiently determining the permanganate index in water samples via headspace GC measurement. After the reducible substances in water reacted with excess potassium permanganate, the remaining potassium permanganate underwent a reaction with sodium oxalate under acidic conditions. The carbon dioxide generated from the gas-evolving reaction was then analyzed by headspace GC. Our findings showed that this new approach boasts high precision (relative standard deviation ≤ 2.18%) and accuracy for permanganate index analysis, thus validating the effectiveness of this new method in analyzing permanganate index. The introduction of the indirect phase-conversion strategy in this study is expected to set a precedent for further advancements in methodologies designed to indirectly evaluate substances capable of undergoing gas-producing reactions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the anti- chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) activity of Nur77-specific agonist Csn-B combined with imatinib by promoting Nur77 expression, and explore the potential role of its signaling pathway., Methods: Firstly, CCK-8 and Transwell assay were used to detect the inhibitory effects of Csn-B, imatinib, and their combination on the proliferation and migration of K562 cells. Furthermore, the apoptosis rate of K562 cells treated with Csn-B, imatinib, and their combination was detected by flow cytometry. The expression levels of Nur77, Pim-1, Drp1, p-Drp1 S616, Bcl-2 and Bax in K562 cells were detected by Western blot. Finally, the expression levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in K562 cells treated with Csn-B, imatinib and their combination were detected by immunofluorescence assay., Results: The level of Nur77 in CML patients decreased significantly compared with normal population in dataset of GSE43754 ( P < 0.001). Csn-B combined with imatinib could significantly inhibit the proliferation and migration of K562 cells (both P < 0.001), and induce apoptosis ( P < 0.001). Csn-B promoted Nur77 expression in K562 cells, and synergistically enhanced imatinib sensitivity when combined with imatinib. Csn-B combined with imatinib could significantly enhanced ROS levels in K562 cells and mitochondria compared with single-drug treatment (both P < 0.001)., Conclusion: Csn-B combined with imatinib can enhance ROS expression and induce apoptosis of K562 cells through Nur77/Pim-1/Drp1 pathway.

In this research, for the first time, we introduce a vapor-monitoring headspace strategy to establish a new methodology for determining the water absorbability of cellulose-derived materials. The method involves detecting the water in the gas phase from various cellulose-derived materials after achieving the equilibrium state. By utilizing the headspace technique to monitor the change in water vapor pressure from bound water to free water, a change point indicating the water absorbability can be identified through fitting procedures. The study showed that the newly-established method possesses high precision (relative standard deviation ≤2.92%) and accuracy (relative differences ≤5.74%) for water absorbability analysis. The present method emerges as a facile and reliable tool for measuring water absorbability, and the introduction of the vapor-monitoring headspace strategy is anticipated to inspire the development of a new type of analytical method.

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological and molecular genetic characteristics of Crohn's disease (CD). Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 52 CD patients who underwent surgical resection at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between January 2014 and June 2023. Clinical presentations and histopathological features were assessed. Whole-genome sequencing was performed on 17 of the samples, followed by sequencing and pathway enrichment analyses. Immunohistochemistry was used to assess the expression of frequently mutated genes. Results: Among the 52 patients, 34 were males and 18 were females, male-to-female ratio was 1.9∶1.0, with a median age of 45 years at surgery and 35 years at diagnosis. According to the Montreal classification, A3 (51.9%,27/52), B2 (61.5%, 32/52), and L3 (50.0%,26/52) subtypes were the most predominant. Abdominal pain and diarrhea were the common symptoms. Histopathological features seen in all 52 patients included transmural inflammation, disruption of cryptal architecture, lymphoplasmacytic infiltration, varying degrees of submucosal fibrosis and thickening, increased enteric nerve fibers and neuronal proliferation. Mucosal defects, fissure ulcers, abscesses, pseudopolyps, and adenomatous proliferation were also observed in 51 (98.1%), 38 (73.1%), 28 (53.8%), 45 (86.5%), and 28 (53.8%) cases, respectively. Thirty-one (59.6%) cases had non-caseating granulomas, and 3 (5.8%) cases had intestinal mucosal glandular epithelial dysplasia. Molecular analysis showed that 12/17 CD patients exhibited mutations in at least one mucin family gene (MUC2, MUC3A, MUC4, MUC6, MUC12, MUC17), and MUC4 was the most frequently mutated in 7/17 of cases. Immunohistochemical stains showed reduced MUC4 expression in epithelial cells, with increased MUC4 expression in the epithelial surface, particularly around areas of inflammatory cell aggregation; and minimal expression in the lower half of the epithelium. Conclusions: CD exhibits diverse clinical and pathological features, necessitating a comprehensive multidimensional analysis for diagnosis. Mutations and expression alterations in mucin family genes, particularly MUC4, may play crucial roles in the pathogenesis of CD.

Thirteen new sativene sesquiterpenoids ( 1 and 3 - 14 ), one new natural product ( 2 ), and 16 known compounds ( 15 - 30 ) were isolated from the endophytic fungus Bipolaris victoriae S27. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis, NMR and ECD calculations, and X-ray crystal diffractions. Compound 1 represented the first example of sativene sesquiterpenoids with a 6/5/3/5-caged tetracyclic ring system. All obtained compounds were evaluated for their plant-growth regulatory activity. The results showed that 1 , 3 , 4 , 6 , 8 , 11 , 12 , 17 , 19 , 26 , and 27 could suppress the growth of Arabidopsis thaliana , while 2 , 5 , 13 , 15 , 18 , and 25 showed promoting effects. Among them, compound 3 showed the most potent plant-growth inhibitory activity, which is obviously superior to that of the marked herbicide glyphosate.

Abstract: Dapagliflozin (DAPA) is a novel oral hypoglycemic agent, and there is increasing evidence that DAPA has a protective effect against cardiovascular disease. The study aimed to investigate how DAPA inhibits cardiac hypertrophy and explore its potential mechanisms. By continuously infusing isoprenaline (ISO) for 2 weeks using a subcutaneous osmotic pump, a cardiac hypertrophic model was established in male C57BL/6 mice. On day 14 after surgery, echocardiography showed that left ventricle mass (LV mass), interventricular septum, left ventricle posterior wall diastole, and left ventricular posterior wall systole were significantly increased, and ejection fraction was decreased compared with control mice. Masson and Wheat Germ Agglutinin staining indicated enhanced myocardial fibrosis and cell morphology compared with control mice. Importantly, these effects were inhibited by DAPA treatment in ISO-induced mice. In H9c2 cells and neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, we found that mitochondrial fragmentation and mitochondrial oxidative stress were significantly augmented in the ISO-induced group. However, DAPA rescued the cardiac hypertrophy in ISO-induced H9c2 cells and neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. Mechanistically, we found that DAPA restored the PIM1 activity in ISO-induced H9c2 cells and subsequent increase in dynamin-associated protein 1 (Drp1) phosphorylation at S616 and decrease in Drp1 phosphorylation at S637 in ISO-induced cells. We found that DAPA mitigated ISO-induced cardiac hypertrophy by suppressing Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission in a PIM1-dependent fashion., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background: Bile leakage is a common and serious complication of open hepatectomy for the treatment of biliary tract cancer., Aim: To evaluate the incidence, risk factors, and management of bile leakage after open hepatectomy in patients with biliary tract cancer., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 120 patients who underwent open hepatectomy for biliary tract cancer from February 2018 to February 2023. Bile leak was defined as bile drainage from the surgical site or drain or the presence of a biloma on imaging. The incidence, severity, timing, location, and treatment of the bile leaks were recorded. The risk factors for bile leakage were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses., Results: The incidence of bile leak was 16.7% (20/120), and most cases were grade A (75%, 15/20) according to the International Study Group of Liver Surgery classification. The median time of onset was 5 d (range, 1-14 d), and the median duration was 7 d (range, 2-28 d). The most common location of bile leakage was the cut surface of the liver (70%, 14/20), followed by the anastomosis site (25%, 5/20) and the cystic duct stump (5%, 1/20). Most bile leaks were treated conservatively with drainage, antibiotics, and nutritional support (85%, 17/20), whereas some required endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with stenting (10%, 2/20) or percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography with drainage (5%, 1/20). Risk factors for bile leakage include male sex, hepatocellular carcinoma, major hepatectomy, blood loss, and blood transfusion., Conclusion: Bile leakage is a frequent complication of open hepatectomy for biliary tract cancer. However, most cases are mild and can be conservatively managed. Male sex, hepatocellular carcinoma, major hepatectomy, blood loss, and blood transfusion were associated with an increased risk of bile leak., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Glutathione (GSH) is a chief cellular antioxidant, affecting stem cell functions. The cellular GSH level is dynamically altered by the redox buffering system and transcription factors, including NRF2. Additionally, GSH is differentially regulated in each organelle. We previously reported a protocol for monitoring the real-time GSH levels in live stem cells using the reversible GSH sensor FreSHtracer. However, GSH-based stem cell analysis needs be comprehensive and organelle-specific. Hence, in this study, we demonstrate a detailed protocol to measure the GSH regeneration capacity (GRC) in living stem cells by measuring the intensities of the FreSHtracer and the mitochondrial GSH sensor MitoFreSHtracer using a high-content screening confocal microscope. This protocol typically analyses the GRC in approximately 4 h following the seeding of the cells onto plates. This protocol is simple and quantitative. With some minor modifications, it can be employed flexibly to measure the GRC for the whole-cell area or just the mitochondria in all adherent mammalian stem cells.

Purpose: The study aimed to establish a stable and effective animal model for the experimental study of intrauterine adhesion (IUA) by evaluating various mechanical injury methods., Methods: A total of 140 female rats were divided into four groups according to the extent and area of endometrial injury: group A (excision area: 2.0 × 0.5 cm 2 ), group B (excision area: 2.0 × 0.25 cm 2 ), group C (endometrial curettage) and group D (sham operation). On the 3rd, 7th, 15th and 30th day after the operation, the tissue samples of each group were collected, and the uterine cavity stenosis and histological changes were recorded by HE and Masson staining. Immunohistochemistry of CD31 was applied to visualize microvessel density (MVD). The pregnancy rate and the number of gestational sacs were used to evaluate the reproductive outcome., Results: The results showed that endometrium injured by small-area endometrial excision or simple curettage could be repaired. The ratio of fibrosis in groups A and B was higher than that in groups C and group D 30 days after modeling (P < 0.001). The number of endometrial glands and MVD in group A was significantly lower than those in groups B, C and D (P < 0.05). The pregnancy rate in group A was 20%, which was lower than that in groups B (33.3%), C (89%) and D (100%) (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Full-thickness endometrial excision has a high rate of success in constructing stable and effective IUA models in rats., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is an exceptionally deadly disease, whereas effective therapeutic drugs for CRC have declined over the past few decades. Natural products have become a reliable source of anticancer drugs. Previously we isolated an alkaloid named (-)- N -hydroxyapiosporamide (NHAP), which exerts potent antitumor effects, but its effect and mechanism in CRC remain unclear. This study aimed to reveal the antitumor target of NHAP and identify NHAP as a promising lead compound for CRC. Various biochemical methods and animal models were used to investigate the antitumor effect and molecular mechanism for NHAP. These results showed that NHAP exhibited potent cytotoxicity, induced both apoptosis and autophagic cell death of CRC cells, and inhibited the NF-κB signaling pathway by blocking the interaction of the TAK1-TRAF6 complex. NHAP also markedly inhibited CRC tumor growth in vivo without obvious toxicities and possessed good pharmacokinetic characteristics. These findings identify, for the first time, that NHAP is an NF-κB inhibitor with potent antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo . This study clarifies the antitumor target of NHAP against CRC, which will contribute to the future development of NHAP as a novel therapeutic lead compound for CRC.

This study aimed to observe the effect of terpinen-4-ol(T4O) on the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs) exposed to high glucose(HG) and reveal the mechanism via the Krüppel-like factor 4(KLF4)/nuclear factor kappaB(NF-κB) signaling pathway. The VSMCs were first incubated with T4O for 2 h and then cultured with HG for 48 h to establish the model of inflammatory injury. The proliferation, cell cycle, and migration rate of VSMCs were examined by MTT method, flow cytometry, and wound healing assay, respectively. The content of inflammatory cytokines including interleukin(IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α) in the supernatant of VSMCs was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA), Cyclin D1, KLF4, NF-κB p-p65/NF-κB p65, IL-1β, and IL-18. The KLF4 expression in VSMCs was silenced by the siRNA technology, and then the effects of T4O on the cell cycle and protein expression of the HG-induced VSMCs were observed. The results showed that different doses of T4O inhibited the HG-induced proliferation and migration of VSMCs, increased the percentage of cells in G&#95;1 phase, and decreased the percentage of cells in S phase, and down-regulated the protein levels of PCNA and Cyclin D1. In addition, T4O reduced the HG-induced secretion and release of the inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α and down-regulated the expression of KLF4, NF-κB p-p65/NF-κB p65, IL-1β, and IL-18. Compared with si-NC+HG, siKLF4+HG increased the percentage of cells in G&#95;1 phase, decreased the percentage of cells in S phase, down-regulated the expression of PCNA, Cyclin D1, and KLF4, and inhibited the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway. Notably, the combination of silencing KLF4 with T4O treatment further promoted the changes in the above indicators. The results indicate that T4O may inhibit the HG-induced proliferation and migration of VSMCs by down-regulating the level of KLF4 and inhibiting the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway.

Five undescribed α-pyrone derivatives, named neuropyrones A-E, were isolated from the endophytic fungus Neurospora dictyophora WZ-497 derived from the stems of Aster tataricus L. f. The structures of these α-pyrones with absolute configurations were determined by comprehensive spectroscopic analysis and computational calculations. All isolated compounds were tested for various bioactivities, including tyrosinase inhibitory activity. The results showed that neuropyrones A-C displayed potent inhibitory effects on tyrosinase with IC 50 values of 0.38 ± 0.07, 0.49 ± 0.06, and 0.12 ± 0.01 mM, respectively, which were comparable to that of the positive control, kojic acid (IC 50  = 0.14 ± 0.021 mM). A molecular docking study revealed the interaction between 3 and the His263, His85, Val283, Asn260, Phe264, and Val248 residues of tyrosinase., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The aim of the study was to assess changes in choroidal thickness (ChT) after administration of 1% atropine for 1 week in myopic, emmetropic, and hyperopic children., Methods: A total of 235 children aged 4-8 years, which included 46 myopia, 34 emmetropia, and 155 hyperopia patients, were recruited and divided into three groups according to the spherical equivalent with the use of 1% atropine twice a day for 1 week. The ChT was measured at baseline and 1 week., Results: In the myopia and emmetropia groups, following administration of 1% atropine gel, the ChT thickened significantly under the fovea (i.e., from 278.29 ± 53.01 μm to 308.24 ± 57.3 μm, p < 0.05; from 336.10 ± 78.60 μm to 353.46 ± 70.22 μm, p < 0.05, respectively), and at all intervals from the fovea, while in the hyperopia group, there was no significant difference in the ChT except the nasal side (p < 0.05)., Conclusion: Topical administration of 1% atropine gel for 1 week significantly increased the subfoveal and parafoveal ChT in children with myopia and emmetropia. Atropine did not increase the ChT in hyperopic children, except on the nasal side., (© 2022 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Introduction: Myopia is an increasingly serious health problem in China. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of myopia and the factors associated with it among students in Nantong, China, to show the current status of myopia prevention., Methods: This school-based, cross-sectional study examined students from all high schools in an urban area of Nantong, China. At least two classes were randomly selected from each grade of each school. A self-reported questionnaire was used to collect the required information. Univariate analyses were performed to identify associations between myopia and various parameters. Noncycloplegic autorefraction and visual acuity were assessed for each student. Factors that were statistically significant in univariate analyses were selected for multivariate analyses. Myopia was defined as a spherical equivalent refraction of ≤-0.5 diopters., Results: The completion percentage of students out of the whole high school was 6.5%. The overall prevalence of myopia was 94%. The response percentage of the number of validated questionnaires was 90.2%, of which 50.2% (n = 1,466) were from male participants, and 49.8% (n = 1,452) were from female participants. The mean (SD) of age was 15.22 ± 1.75 years, ranging from 12 to 18 years. Factors such as female sex, older age, parental myopia, sitting in the back of the classroom, increased homework time, and minimal outdoor activity were significantly associated with a higher risk of myopia (p < 0.05). In the myopic population, most students (67.9%) did not take measures to prevent further progression of myopia., Conclusion: The prevalence of myopia among high school students was 94%. Female sex, older age, parental myopia, sitting in the back of the classroom, increased homework time, and minimal outdoor activity were significantly associated with a higher risk of myopia. Most students with myopia (67.9%) did not take measures to prevent further progression of myopia., (© 2022 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Simultaneously achieving high electrochemical activity and high loading for solid-state batteries has been hindered by slow ion transport within solid electrodes, in particular with an increase in electrode thickness. Ion transport governed by 'point-to-point' diffusion inside a solid-state electrode is challenging, but still remains elusive. Herein, synchronized electrochemical analysis using X-ray tomography and ptychography reveals new insights into the nature of slow ion transport in solid-state electrodes. Thickness-dependent delithiation kinetics are spatially probed to identify that low-delithiation kinetics originate from the high tortuous and slow longitudinal transport pathways. By fabricating a tortuosity-gradient electrode to create an effective ion-percolation network, the tortuosity-gradient electrode architecture promotes fast charge transport, migrates the heterogeneous solid-state reaction, enhances electrochemical activity and extends cycle life in thick solid-state electrodes. These findings establish effective transport pathways as key design principles for realizing the promise of solid-state high-loading cathodes., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of China Science Publishing & Media Ltd.)

Oreocharispolyneura , a new species from southern Yunnan, China, is described and illustrated. It is morphologically similar to O.rhytidophylla by having more obvious lateral veins forming a crosslinked network on the adaxial surface of leaf blades, but can be distinguished by having more lateral veins (12-15 pairs vs. 7-9 pairs) of leaf blades, shorter corolla tubes (the length ratio of corolla tube to corolla lobes = 1.2-2.9 vs. 3.4-6) and shorter pistils (6-8 mm long vs. 27-30 mm long). In addition, a detailed morphological description, a photographic illustration, the distribution and phenology of the new species are presented., (Yan-Xiong Gong, Hong-Bo Ding, Xiang-Shuai Yan, Fang Wen, Yao-Hua Tian, Yun-Hong Tan.)

Objective: To investigate the expression of VISTA and PD-L1 in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and to explore its relationship with clinicopathologic features and prognosis. Methods: Ninety TNBC patients who underwent surgical resections between 2016 to 2018 in Jiangsu Province Hospital were selected. The expression of VISTA and PD-L1 in both tumor cells and immune cells was evaluated by immunohistochemistry, and the relationship with clinicopathologic parameters and prognosis was analyzed. Results: VISTA was expressed in 17.8% (16/90) of the tumors. The expression of VISTA in tumor cells was related to a higher Ki-67 proliferation index ( P =0.02) and higher number of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL, P <0.01). VISTA was expressed in 71.1% (64/90) of the immune cells and the expression correlated with smaller tumor size ( P =0.02), lower T stage ( P =0.04), higher number of TIL ( P <0.01), higher number of CD8 + T cells ( P =0.03) and higher Ki-67 proliferation index ( P =0.02). PD-L1 was expressed in 17.8% (16/90) of the immune cells and the expression correlated with higher histologic grade ( P =0.04), higher Ki-67 proliferation index ( P =0.02) and higher number of TIL ( P <0.01). VISTA expression was higher in immune cells within TNBC patients than PD-L1 ( P <0.01). Among 90 TNBC patients, complete follow-up was obtained in 85 patients, 8 of whom had recurrences or metastasis after surgery, and two patients cases died of recurrences or metastasis. Conclusions: The expression rate of VISTA is higher than that of PD-L1 in TNBC. The expression of VISTA in immune cells predicts a lower T stage. VISTA may act as an effective immunotherapy target.

Peroxiredoxin 5 (PRDX5) is the member of Prxs family, widely reported to be involved in various types of cell death. We previously found that PRDX5 knockdown increases the susceptibility of cell death upon oxidative stress treatment. Ethyl β-carboline-3-carboxylate (β-CCE), an alkaloid extracted from Picrasma quassioides , has been reported to play a role in neuronal disease, but its anti-cancer potential on liver cancers remains unknown. Here, we studied the effect of PRDX5 on ethyl β-carboline-3-carboxylate (β-CCE)-induced apoptosis of hepatomas. High expression level of PRDX5 was deeply related with the postoperative survival of patients with liver cancer, indicating that PRDX5 may be a biomarker of live cancer processing. Moreover, PRDX5 over-expression in HepG2 cells significantly inhibited β-CCE-induced cell apoptosis and cellular ROS levels as well as mitochondrial dysfunction. Signalling pathway analysis showed that β-CCE could significantly up-regulate the ROS-dependent MAPK signalling, which were in turn boosts the mitochondria-dependent cell apoptosis. Moreover, PRDX5 over-expression could reverse the anti-cancer effects induced by β-CCE in HepG2 cells. Our findings suggest that PRDX5 has a protective role on β-CCE-induced liver cancer cell death and provides new insights for using its anti-cancer properties for liver cancer treatment., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists., (© The author(s).)

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of C5V chemotherapy combined with transcatheter subcutaneous radiofrequency ablation in the treatment of children with advanced (stage III/IV) hepatoblastoma., Methods: Eighty children with advanced (Stage III/IV) hepatoblastoma were admitted in Hebei Children's Hospital from May 2019 to September 2021 randomly divided into two groups: control group and experimental group, with 40 cases in each group. Children in the control group received C5V chemotherapy, while those in the experimental group received C5V chemotherapy combined with transcatheter subcutaneous radiofrequency ablation. After treatment, the treatment effect, adverse drug reactions, AFP, ALT, AST, HBG and other indicators of the two groups were compared and analyzed. And the difference in survival rate and recurrence rate between the two groups was compared and analyzed., Results: The total efficacy of the experimental group was 67.5%, which was significantly better than 45% of the control group (p=0.04). The incidence of adverse drug reactions in the experimental group was 50%, while that in the control group was 35% (p=0.15). After treatment, AFP, ALT and AST in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group, while the HBG was slightly higher than that of the control group (p=0.03). Moreover, the overall survival rate of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group, and the recurrence rate was significantly lower than that of the control group., Conclusion: C5V chemotherapy combined with transcathetal subcutaneous radio fascial ablation is a safe and effective regimen for children with advanced (stage III/IV) hepatoblastoma, boasting definite efficacy and no increase in adverse reactions., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: None., (Copyright: © Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences.)

Abstract: Activation of adventitial fibroblasts (AFs) on vascular injury contributes to vascular remodeling. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a gaseous signal molecule, modulates various cardiovascular functions. The aim of this study was to explore whether exogenous H2S ameliorates transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)-induced activation of AFs and, if so, to determine the underlying molecular mechanisms. Immunofluorescent staining and western blot were used to determine the expression of collagen I and α-smooth muscle actin. The proliferation and migration of AFs were performed by using cell counting Kit-8 and transwell assay, respectively. The mitochondrial morphology was assessed by using MitoTracker Red staining. The activation of signaling pathway was evaluated by western blot. The mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial membrane potential were determined by MitoSOX and JC-1 (5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1,3,3'-tetraethylbenzimidazolyl carbocyanine iodide) staining. Our study demonstrated exogenous H2S treatment dramatically suppressed TGF-β1-induced AF proliferation, migration, and phenotypic transition by blockage of dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1)-mediated mitochondrial fission and regulated mitochondrial reactive oxygen species generation. Moreover, exogenous H2S reversed TGF-β1-induced mitochondrial fission and AF activation by modulating Rho-associated protein kinase 1-dependent phosphorylation of Drp1. In conclusion, our results suggested that exogenous H2S attenuates TGF-β1-induced AF activation through suppression of Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission in a Rho-associated protein kinase 1-dependent fashion., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Bovine serum albumin methacryloyl (BSAMA) is a newly emerging photocurable globular protein-based material whereas gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) is one of the most popular photocurable fibrous protein-based materials. So far, the influence of their different structural conformations as building blocks on hydrogel properties and mineral deposition has not been investigated. Here, we compared their differences in structures, gelation kinetics, hydrogel properties, mineralization, and cell behaviors. BSAMA maintained a stable globular structure while GelMA exhibited temperature-sensitive conformations (4 - 37 °C). BSAMA displayed slower gelation kinetics and much more retarded enzymatic degradation compared to GelMA. Photocurable BSAMA (6.41 - 390.95 kPa) and GelMA hydrogels (36.09 - 199.70 kPa) exhibited tunable mechanical properties depending on their concentrations (10 - 20%). Interestingly, BSAMA hydrogels mineralized needle-like apatite (Ca/P: 1.409) with higher crystallinity compared to GelMA hydrogels (Ca/P: 1.344). BSAMA and GelMA supported satisfactory cell (MC3T3-L1) viability of 99.43 ± 0.57% and 97.14 ± 0.69%, respectively. However, BSAMA gels were less favorable to cell proliferation and migration than GelMA gels. In serum-free environments, cells on GelMA displayed a higher amount of attachment, a more elongated shape, and a longer protrusion compared to those on BSAMA (p < 0.01) during the early adhesion., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: It is unclear whether G protein-coupled receptor 61 (GPR61) affecting body weight, plays a role in the association between birth weight and weather. This study aimed to assess the effects of prenatal weather and GPR61 on birth weight., Methods: A total of 567 mother-newborn pairs were recruited in Houzhai Center Hospital during 2011-2012. We detected the maternal and neonatal GPR61 promoter methylation levels, and obtained meteorological and air pollution data., Results: A positive association was observed between maternal and neonatal GPR61 methylation levels, and both of them were affected by precipitation, relative humidity (RH) and daily temperature range (DTR). Birth weight was associated negatively with RH and positively with DTR ( P < 0.05). A significant association was observed between birth weight and neonatal GPR61 methylation. We observed that maternal GPR61 methylation seemed to modify associations between weather and birth weight ( P interaction < 0.10), while neonatal GPR61 methylation mediated the effects of RH and DTR on birth weight ( P < 0.05)., Conclusions: Our findings revealed the significant associations among prenatal weather, GPR61 methylation and birth weight. Maternal GPR61 methylation may modify the susceptibility of birth weight to prenatal weather conditions, while neonatal GPR61 methylation may be a bridge of the effects of prenatal RH and DTR on birth weight., (Copyright © 2022 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.)

Picrasma quassioides (D. Don) Benn is an Asian shrub with a considerable history of traditional medicinal use. P. quassioides and its extracts exhibit good therapeutic properties against several diseases, including anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anticancer effects. However, the composition of compounds contained in P. quassioides is complex; although various studies have examined mixtures or individual compounds extracted from it, studies on the application of P. quassioides extracts remain limited. In the present review, the structures and functions of the compounds identified from P. quassioides and their utility in anti-inflammatory, anticancer and neuroprotectant therapies was discussed. The present review provided up-to-date information on pharmacological activities and clinical applications for P. quassioides extracts., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright: © Lee et al.)

Background/aim: Asian Traditional medicines are renowned for their antitumor properties and are efficacious in the clinical treatment of various cancer types. ERM210 is a Korean traditional medicine comprising nine types of medicinal plants. In the present study, we examined the pro-apoptotic effect and molecular mechanisms of the effects of ERM210 on HepG2 liver cancer cells., Materials and Methods: The cytotoxicity of ERM210 on HepG2 cells was investigated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and wound-healing assays, and apoptosis and signaling pathways by fluorescence microscopy flow cytometry and western blotting., Results: ERM210 significantly impaired HepG2 cell viability and enhanced mitochondria-dependent cellular apoptosis in a time- and dose-dependent manner by up-regulating the expression of caspases 3, 7 and 9, and of BCL2 apoptosis regulator (BCL2)-associated X, apoptosis regulator (BAX) proteins, whilst down-regulating that of BCL2 protein. Furthermore, ERM210 treatment increased accumulation of cellular and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) and significantly inhibited cell migration. Additionally, all these phenomena were reversed by treating with the ROS scavenger N-acetylcysteine. The analysis of signaling proteins revealed that ERM210 significantly up-regulated the phosphorylation of ROS-dependent mitogen-activated protein kinases (p38, extracellular-regulated kinase, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase in HepG2 liver cancer cells., Conclusion: ERM210 exerts anticancer effects in HepG2 liver cancer cells by up-regulating ROS/mitochondria-dependent apoptosis signaling, providing new insight into the possibility of employing this traditional medicine for the clinical treatment of liver cancer., (Copyright © 2021 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the relationship between clinicopathologic features and prognosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma located in the head of pancreas. Methods: A retrospective study was performed on 169 patients undergoing radical resection for pancreatic head cancer collected in the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University from January 2018 to April 2019. Univariate analysis and multivariate analysis were performed. Results: Patient's age, tumor differentiation, tumor maximum diameter, resection margin (several resection margins including portal vein groove resection margin, posterior resection margin, and uncinate resection margin), number of positive lymph nodes, number of regional lymph node dissected, and some preoperative and postoperative indicators were associated with prognosis ( P <0.05). Direct tumor invasion of organs and surrounding tissues, perineural and vascular invasion, pathologic variants etc. had no statistical significance for survival time. Patient's age, maximum tumor diameter, degree of differentiation, uncinate incision margin, number of regional lymph nodes dissected, and preoperative CA19-9 were independent factors affecting prognosis. Patients older than 74 years of age, with tumors larger than 3 cm in diameter, poorly differentiated, less than 7 regional lymph node dissected, positive uncinate margin, and preoperative CA19-9 higher than 1.5×10 5 U/L were independent risk factors in patients with pancreatic head cancer. Conclusions: Old age, tumor lager than 3 cm, poor differentiation, low examined lymph nodes, direct uncinate margin involvement and (or) with preoperative CA19-9 higher than 1.5×10 5 U/L are related to poor prognosis of head pancreatic cancer.

We report the generation of frequency-uncorrelated photon pairs from counter-propagating spontaneous parametric down-conversion in a periodically-poled KTP waveguide. The joint spectral intensity of photon pairs is characterized by measuring the corresponding stimulated process, namely, the difference frequency generation process. The experimental result shows a clear uncorrelated joint spectrum, where the backward-propagating photon has a narrow bandwidth of 7.46 GHz and the forward-propagating one has a bandwidth of 0.23 THz like the pump light. The heralded single-photon purity estimated through Schmidt decomposition is as high as 0.996, showing a perspective for ultra-purity and narrow-band single-photon generation. Such unique feature results from the backward-wave quasi-phase-matching condition and does not has a strict limitation on the material and working wavelength, thus fascinating its application in photonic quantum technologies.

Smoking is a major cause of lung cancer, and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is one of the most important carcinogens in cigarette smoke. NNK modulates the expression of peroxiredoxin (Prdx) I in lung cancer. Prdx1 is upregulated in lung squamous cell carcinoma and lung adenocarcinoma, and considered a potential biomarker for lung cancer. The current article reviewed the role and regulatory mechanisms of Prdx1 in NNK-induced lung cancer cells. Prdx1 protects erythrocytes and DNA from NNK-induced oxidative damage, prevents malignant transformation of cells and promotes cytotoxicity of natural killer cells, hence suppressing tumor formation. In addition, Prdx1 has the ability to prevent NNK-induced lung tumor metabolic activity and generation of large amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and ROS-induced apoptosis, thus promoting tumor cell survival. In contrast to this, Prdx1, together with NNK, can promote the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and migration of lung tumor cells. The signaling pathways associated with NNK and Prdx1 in lung cancer cells have been discussed in present review; however, numerous potential pathways are yet to be studied. To develop novel methods for treating NNK-induced lung cancer, and improve the survival rate of patients with lung cancer, further research is needed to understand the complete mechanism associated with NNK., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright: © Sun et al.)

In this work, a new quantitative analysis method of multi-components analysis via a single marker strategy coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis, was proposed to analyze nine nucleosides (cytidine, uridine, 2'-deoxyuridine, inosine, guanosine, 2'-deoxyguanosine, thymidine, adenosine, and 2'-deoxyadenosine) as quality control markers in Rhizoma Paridis. Guanosine was set as the internal reference substance, whose content in Rhizoma Paridis was determined using conventional external standard method. Then, relative correction factors between guanosine and the other eight nucleosides were measured respectively. The amounts of the other eight components were calculated according to the relative correction factors by the quantitative analysis of multi-components via a single marker method. Finally, the result of vector angle cosine analysis showed that there was no significant difference of the contents between the external standard method and the quantitative analysis of multi-components via a single marker method, indicating that the quantitative analysis of multi-components via a single marker method can be applied for the quality control of Rhizoma Paridis. As far as we know, this is also the first report to analyze nucleosides by the quantitative analysis of multi-components via a single marker method, providing an efficient and promising quality assessment method for other traditional Chinese medicine containing nucleosides., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Background/aim: Peroxiredoxin V (Prx V) plays crucial roles in cellular apoptosis and proliferation in various cancer cells by regulating the cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels., Materials and Methods: Here, we examined the possible regulatory effects of Prx V on doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cellular apoptosis and its mechanisms in the human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line (AGS cells)., Results: Our findings suggest that Prx V knockdown may significantly increase the DOX-induced apoptosis by aggravating intracellular ROS accumulation. We also found that DOX-induced mitochondrial ROS levels and membrane permeability were significantly higher in short hairpin Prx V cells than in mock cells, and these phenomena were dramatically reversed by ROS scavenger treatment. Prx V knockdown also significantly upregulated the cleaved caspase 9, 3, and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl2)-associated agonist of cell death/Bcl2 protein expression levels, suggesting that Prx V knockdown activates mitochondria-dependent apoptotic signaling pathways., Conclusion: Taken together, this study suggests that Prx V may be a strong molecular target for gastric cancer (GC) chemotherapy, and further elucidates the role of Prx V in oxidative stress-induced cell apoptosis., (Copyright © 2021 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Background : To investigate the perioperative peripheral blood levels of CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cells, programed cell death 1 (PD-1), and lymphocyte activation gene 3 (LAG-3) in patients with advanced Siewert type II adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction (AEG). Methods : Patients ( n  = 102) with advanced Siewert type II AEG underwent open total gastrectomy/proximal gastrectomy with a transhiatal resection of the distal esophagus and lymphadenectomy of the lower mediastinum and the abdominal D2 compartment. Flow cytometry was used to detect CD4 + CD25 + T cells, PD-1 and LAG-3 expression on both CD4 + and CD8 + T cells in the peripheral blood of the Siewert type II AEG patients prior to surgery and on postoperative day (POD) 1, 3, 7, and 9. Results : The proportion of CD4 + CD25 + T cells rapidly decreased on POD 1, then gradually increased and peaked at POD 7. The proportion of CD4 + PD-1 + T cells significantly increased after surgery, reaching a maximum on POD 1, and remained significantly elevated on POD 3 compared to the preoperative day. The proportion of CD8 + PD-1 + and CD4 + LAG-3 + T cells gradually increased after surgery and reached a peak at POD 7. The change in proportion of CD8 + LAG-3 + T cells in the peripheral venous blood lymphocytes after surgery was not statistically significant. Conclusion : The change in the CD4 + PD-1 + T lymphocyte ratio may likely reflect the cellular immunity status of the perioperative period.

Entanglement distribution has been accomplished using a flying drone, and this mobile platform can be generalized for multiple mobile nodes with optical relay among them. Here we develop the first optical relay to reshape the wave front of photons for their low diffraction loss in free-space transmission. Using two drones, where one distributes the entangled photons and the other serves as relay node, we achieve entanglement distribution with Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt S parameter of 2.59±0.11 at 1 km distance. Key components for entangled source, tracking, and relay are developed with high performance and are lightweight, constructing a scalable airborne system for multinode connectio and toward mobile quantum networks.

Background/aim: Curcumin is a polyphenol that exerts a variety of pharmacological activities and plays an anti-cancer role in many cancer cells. It was recently reported that gasdermin E (GSDME) is involved in the progression of pyroptosis., Materials and Methods: HepG2 cells were treated with various concentrations of curcumin and cell viability was examined using MTT assay, apoptosis was analysed using flow cytometry, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels using dihydroethidium, LDH release using an LDH cytotoxicity assay, and protein expression using western blot., Results: Curcumin increased the expression of the GSDME N-terminus and proteins involved in pyrolysis, promoted HspG2 cell pyrolysis and increased intracellular ROS levels. Moreover, inhibition of the production of intracellular ROS with n-acetylcysteine (NAC) improved the degree of apoptosis and pyrolysis induced by curcumin., Conclusion: Curcumin induces HspG2 cell death by increasing apoptosis and pyroptosis, and ROS play a key role in this process. This study improves our understanding of the potential anti-cancer properties of curcumin in liver cancer., (Copyright© 2021, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

We reported the first complete plastid genome of Aspidopterys (Malpighiaceae) in this study. The complete plastome of Aspidopterys obcordata is 160,453 bp in length with a base composition of A (31.4%), G (18.5%), C (18.2%), and T (32.0%). Structurally, the genome contains two short inverted repeats (26,905 bp for each), which are separated by a large single copy region (88,491 bp) and a small single copy region (18,152 bp). The plastome contained 113 unique genes, including 79 protein-coding genes, 30 transfer RNAs, and 4 ribosomal RNAs. Phylogenetic analyses showed that A. obcordata was sister to Bunchosia argentea in the monophyletic Malpighiaceae. This study provided a high-quality plastome sequence for future studies in Aspidopterys , as well as Malpighiaceae., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest and responsible for the content and writing of this article., (© 2020 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.)

Objective: To study the clinical pathological features of patients with relapsed diffuse large B-celllymphoma (DLBCL) and to provide evidence for early clinical screening of recurrent cases. Methods: The clinical and pathological data of the 20 patients, who had relapsed DLBCL (relapsed group) and were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2015 to December 2019, were included. Meanwhile, other 34 patients with DLBCL who had achieved complete response (CR) for 36 months or more (CR group) were used as controls.Statistical methods were used to retrospectively analyze the differences in general conditions, clinical characteristics, lab resultsand pathological features between the two groups. Results: Clinically, there were 6 males and 14 females with a median age of 55.5 (33-85) years in the relapsed group and 14 males and 20 females with a median age of 53 (15-89) years in the CR group. The relapsed and CR groups had significant difference in Ann Arbor stage ( P =0.001), International Prognostic Index score ( P =0.006), primary lesions ( P =0.003), extranodal involvement ( P =0.002), and hepatitis B viral infection ( P =0.046), β2-MG level ( P =0.029), LDH level ( P =0.005) and CRP level ( P =0.006), while the age ( P =0.732), gender ( P =0.416), ECOG score ( P =0.248), B symptoms ( P =0.511), the presence of hypoalbuminemia ( P =0.279), anemia ( P =0.983) and A/G( P =0.416) showed no statistical difference.Pathologically, compared with the CR group, the relapsed group was mostly non-GCB type (85% vs. 59%, P =0.048), with a higher CD5 positive rate (25% vs.3%, P =0.014) and a lower bcl-6　positive rate (60% vs. 88%, P =0.017), while the expression of Ki-67, CD10, bcl-2, MUM1, CD20 and PAX5 was not different between the two groups. Conclusion: Most of the patients with relapsed DLBCL are non-GCB type. The patients with CD5 positivity, stage III-IV, International Prognostic Index score 3-5, nodal origin, often involving>1 extranodal organ, abnormally elevated LDH, CRP and β2-MG level, and HBV infection are more likely to relapse.