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Yi Chen,1,* Xiangsheng Xiong,2,* Rui Qin,1 Lei Guo,1 Yongqiang Shi,1 Xinli Ni1 1Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Anesthesiology, the Fifth People’s Hospital of Huaian, Huaian, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Xinli Ni, Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, People’s Republic of China, Email xinlini6@nyfy.com.cnBackground: Fluid loading improves hemodynamic stability and reduces the incidence rate of post-spinal anesthesia hypotension when prophylactic vasopressors are administered. We investigated the impact of different crystalloid coload volumes on the 90% effective dose (ED) of prophylactic norepinephrine infusion for preventing post-spinal anesthesia hypotension in non-hypertensive patients undergoing cesarean section.Methods: Patients were randomly allocated to receive one of the different crystalloid coload volumes (0mL/kg [0mL/kg Group], 5mL kg [5mL/kg Group], and 10mL kg [10mL/kg Group]) in combination with prophylactic norepinephrine infusion immediately after the induction of spinal anesthesia. The prophylactic norepinephrine infusion doses were determined using the up-and-down sequential allocation methodology, with an initial dose of 0.025 μg/kg/min and a gradient of 0.005 μg/kg/min. The primary endpoint was the effective dose at which 90% (ED 90) of patients responded to prophylactic norepinephrine infusion for preventing post-spinal anesthesia hypotension.Results: The estimated effective dose of norepinephrine infusion, at which 90% (ED 90) of patients responded, was found to be 0.084 (95% CI, 0.070 to 0.86), 0.074 (95% CI, 0.059 to 0.077), and 0.063 (95% CI, 0.053 to 0.064) μg/kg/min in the three groups, respectively.Conclusion: A crystalloid coload of 5 mL/kg or 10 mL/kg, as opposed to the groups receiving 0 mL/kg crystalloid coloads, resulted in a reduction of approximately 11.9% and 25.0%, respectively, in the ED90 of prophylactic norepinephrine infusion for preventing post-spinal anesthesia hypotension during cesarean section.Keywords: crystalloid, coload, norepinephrine, postspinal anesthesia hypotension, cesarean section

Shengqi You,1 Tingyu Lv,1 Ruomeng Qin,2 Zheqi Hu,2 Zhihong Ke,2 Weina Yao,1 Hui Zhao,2 Feng Bai2,3 1Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210008, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210008, People’s Republic of China; 3Geriatric Medicine Center, Taikang Xianlin Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210008, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Feng Bai, Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-25-83105960, Email baifeng515@126.comStudy Objectives: By examining spontaneous activity changes of sleep-related networks in patients with the Alzheimer’s disease (AD) spectrum with or without insomnia disorder (ID) over time via neuro-navigated repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), we revealed the effect and mechanism of rTMS targeting the left-angular gyrus in improving the comorbidity symptoms of the AD spectrum with ID.Methods: A total of 34 AD spectrum patients were recruited in this study, including 18 patients with ID and the remaining 16 patients without ID. All of them were measured for cognitive function and sleep by using the cognitive and sleep subscales of the neuropsychiatric inventory. The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation changes in sleep-related networks was revealed before and after neuro-navigated rTMS treatment between these two groups, and the behavioral significance was further explored.Results: Affective auditory processing and sensory-motor collaborative sleep-related networks with hypo-spontaneous activity were observed at baseline in the AD spectrum with ID group, while substantial increases in activity were evident at follow-up in these subjects. In addition, longitudinal affective auditory processing, sensory-motor and default mode collaborative sleep-related networks with hyper-spontaneous activity were also revealed at follow-up in the AD spectrum with ID group. In particular, longitudinal changes in sleep-related networks were associated with improvements in sleep quality and episodic memory scores in AD spectrum with ID patients.Conclusion: We speculated that left angular gyrus-navigated rTMS therapy may enhance the memory function of AD spectrum patients by regulating the spontaneous activity of sleep-related networks, and it was associated with memory consolidation in the hippocampus-cortical circuit during sleep.Clinical Trial Registration: The study was registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, registration ID: ChiCTR2100050496, China.Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease, insomnia disorder, sleep-related functional connectivity network, neuro-navigated repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, spontaneous activity

Electrochemical conversion of small molecules such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) to high-value multi-carbon products (C2+) offers a chemical upgrade approach for fuels and chemical feedstock production using renewable energy, in the possible absence of the petrochemical industry under the new energy system such as hydrogen economy. Identifying robust and efficient electrocatalysts to selectively produce C2+ products remains a challenge. Herein, we report a synthetic strategy of atomically dispersing copper atoms on nitrogen-rich porous carbon (Cu–N–C) through pyrolysis of a supramolecular assembly. Benefitting from the unsaturated coordination structure, in KOH electrolyte, the Cu–N–C with a Cu content of 6.9 wt% exhibits a maximum acetate Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 30% with an acetate partial current density as high as 48 mA cm−2 in electrochemical CO reduction. Different from the C–C coupling mechanism on metallic copper, we propose a CO insertion mechanism for the acetate production on the single site copper catalyst.

Lei Guo,1,&ast; Xiangzhao Xu,2,&ast; Rui Qin,1 Yongqiang Shi,1 Wei Xue,3 Ling He,3 Shuqin Ma,3 Yi Chen1 1Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Anesthesiology, The People’s Hospital of Nanchuan, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Obstetrics, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yi Chen, Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, 804S Shengli Street, Yinchuan, Ningxia, 750004, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-951-6743252, Email czzyxgp@163.comBackground: Norepinephrine and phenylephrine are widely used for obstetric anesthesia. Our central objective was to determine the ED (effective dose) 90 and potency ratio of prophylactic norepinephrine and phenylephrine boluses for preventing postspinal anesthesia hypotension during cesarean section.Methods: Patients scheduled for elective cesarean section (n = 80) were randomly allocated to receive prophylactic norepinephrine (NE) or phenylephrine (PE) boluses immediately after induction of spinal anesthesia. An initial dose of NE (3 μg) and PE (37.5 μg) was given to the first patient, and an up-and-down sequential allocation method was used to determine the next dose level according to the responses (the effectiveness for preventing postspinal anesthesia hypotension [defined as SBP < 80% of baseline value]). Primary outcomes were ED90 and the potency ratio of prophylactic norepinephrine and phenylephrine boluses. Secondary outcomes were the incidence of postspinal anesthesia hypotension, severe postspinal anesthesia hypotension, nausea, vomiting, bradycardia, hypertension, umbilical artery blood gas values, and Apgar scores.Results: The ED90 values for prophylactic norepinephrine and phenylephrine boluses were 8.0 μg (95% CI 7.1– 11.0 μg) and 90.9 μg (95% CI 82.0– 123.9 μg), respectively. The estimated relative potency ratio was 11.4:1. The incidence of bradycardia was lower in the NE group (2.5% vs 20%, P = 0.034). Other outcomes were comparable between the two groups.Conclusion: An 8-μg prophylactic bolus of norepinephrine and a 90-μg prophylactic bolus of phenylephrine can effectively prevent postspinal anesthesia hypotension in patients during cesarean section.Keywords: cesarean section, norepinephrine, phenylephrine, postspinal anesthesia hypotension

Hui Guan,1 Ming Zhong,1 Kongyang Ma,2 Chun Tang,1 Xiaohua Wang,1 Muzi Ouyang,3 Rencai Qin,2 Jiasi Chen,1 Enyi Zhu,1 Ting Zhu,1 Yongping Lu,1 Yu Liu,1 Chengzi Tian,4 Zhihua Zheng1 1Department of Nephrology, Center of Kidney and Urology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China; 2Centre of Infection and Immunity Studies, School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China; 4Center of Reproductive Medical, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Zhihua Zheng, Email zhzhihua@mail.sysu.edu.cnBackground: HMGB1 is a highly conserved nuclear protein widely expressed in mammalian cells. This study aimed to comprehensively investigate the roles and mechanisms of HMGB1 in different tumors.Methods: Original data on HMGB1 expression, localization, potential interacting proteins, genetics were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas, Genotype-Tissue Expression, Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia, Human Protein Atlas, Compartmentalized Protein-Protein Interaction and cBioPortal databases. Then, correlation between HMGB1 expression levels and tumor stage, prognosis, potential pathways, tumor microenvironment, ESTIMATE score, immune-related genes, immune cell infiltration, microsatellite instability, tumor mutation burden, or anti-tumor drug resistance was investigated. The above results consistently indicated that high expression of HMGB1 protein may be related to clinical prognosis of HCC patients. Therefore, clinical tissues of HCC patients were selected to verify the differential expression of HMGB1 protein in HCC. The sensitivity of HMGB1-siRNA transfected HepG2 cells to sorafenib was assessed.Results: HMGB1 was found to be differentially expressed in many tumors and normal tissues. HMGB1 was mainly located in the nucleus and might interact with proteins such as TLR2 and TLR4. Furthermore, HMGB1 expression was closely related to tumor stage, prognosis, tumor microenvironment, immune-related genes, immune cell infiltration, microsatellite instability, tumor mutation burden, and anti-tumor drug resistance and might be involved in different pathways of various tumors. Immunohistochemistry results further verified the differential expression of HMGB1 in HCC and paracancerous tissues. HMGB1-siRNA transfected HepG2 cells had a tendency to be more insensitive to sorafenib treatment compared to the control group.Conclusions: HMGB1 was differentially expressed in most tumors and normal tissues, and was closely related to the clinical stage, prognosis, immune infiltration, tumor microenvironment, and drug resistance of tumors. Therefore, HMGB1 may serve as a novel biomarker for predicting tumor prognosis, efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors, and a potential target for anti-tumor therapy.Keywords: high mobility group box 1, pan-cancer analysis, tumor, bioinformatics, prognosis

Qu C, Dai C, Guo Y, Qin R, Liu J. Onco Targets Ther. 2019;12:101–111. We, the Editors and Publisher of OncoTargets and Therapy, have retracted the published article. Since publication, concerns have been raised about the integrity of the data in the article. This includes the duplication of images in Figure 3. Specifically, The images for Figure 3E, SKOV3, si-2 and si-4 have been duplicated. When approached for an explanation, the authors did not respond to our queries, nor did they provide original data for their study. As verifying the validity of the published work is core to the integrity of the scholarly record, we are therefore retracting the article and the authors were notified of this. We have been informed in our decision-making by our policy on publishing ethics and integrity and the COPE guidelines on retractions. The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as ‘Retracted’.

Qi Han,1 Feifan Meng,1 Ming Chen,1 Xiangjun Lu,1 Deyuan Zhao,1 Dongze Wu,1 Tingting Wang,2 Rujie Qin1 1Department of Orthopedics, The First People’s Hospital of Lianyungang Affiliated to Xuzhou Medical University, Lianyungang, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Dermatology, The First People’s Hospital of Lianyungang Affiliated to Xuzhou Medical University, Lianyungang, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Rujie Qin, Department of Orthopedics, The First People’s Hospital of Lianyungang Affiliated to Xuzhou Medical University, No. 6 East Zhenhua Road, Haizhou, Lianyungang, Jiangsu, 222061, People’s Republic of China, Email gkdrqlyg@sina.comObjective: To evaluate the early clinical effect of percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (PE-TLIF) and minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) surgery in the treatment of middle-aged and elderly patients with single-level lumbar disc herniation accompanied by lumbar instability.Methods: From January 2019 to June 2020, a total of 82 consecutive patients were categorised into PE-TLIF group and MIS-TLIF group based on different surgical methods. The visual analog scale (VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI), Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, perioperative objective serological index, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, time to back to work or normal life, and Modified MacNab score were used as the evaluation indexes. The differences between the two groups were analyzed and the clinical effects were compared.Results: The VAS back pain of PE-TLIF group was decreased compared to that of MIS-TLIF group in the postoperative 1 week and 1 month. The operative time in PE-TLIF group was obviously longer than that in MIS-TLIF group. The hospital stay was significantly shorter in PE-TLIF group than that in MIS-TLIF group. More intraoperative blood loss and postoperative drainage were recorded in MIS-TLIF group. Compared with MIS-TLIF, PE-TLIF surgery was associated with a shorter time to ambulation after surgery and a shorter time to back to work or normal life. Significant statistical differences were observed in IL-6, CRP, and CK on postoperative 3 days between the two groups.Conclusion: For middle-aged and elderly patients, PE-TLIF and MIS-TLIF surgery both have obvious clinical efficacy and safety. However, with less intraoperative blood loss, shorter recovery time and less injury to the patients, people undergoing PE-TLIF surgery can return to work or normal life faster. It is speculated that PE-TLIF has a higher incidence of complications and recurrence rate than that MIS-TLIF. PE-TLIF may be a better choice for middle-aged and elderly patients with single-level lumbar disc herniation.Keywords: lumbar disc herniation, minimally invasive surgery, percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion, minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion, middle-aged and elderly

Rui Qin,1– 6 Zhao Liu,1,3– 6 Xinmei Zhou,1,3– 6 Anqi Cheng,1,3– 6 Ziyang Cui,1,3– 7 Jinxuan Li,1,3– 6,8 Xiaowen Wei,1,3– 6,8 Dan Xiao,1,3– 6 Chen Wang1,3– 7 1Tobacco Medicine and Tobacco Cessation Centre, Center of Respiratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 2Peking University China-Japan Friendship School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 3National Center for Respiratory Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 4Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 5National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 6WHO Collaborating Centre for Tobacco Cessation and Respiratory Diseases Prevention, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 7Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 8Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Chen WangPeking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 9, Dongdan San Tiao, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, People’s Republic of ChinaTel + 010-65105565Email wangchen@pumc.edu.cnDan XiaoTobacco Medicine and Tobacco Cessation Centre, Center of Respiratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, No. 2 Yinghua East Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100029, People’s Republic of ChinaTel + 010-84205425Email danxiao@263.netBackground: Smoking cessation is a key intervention for all smokers with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Poor treatment adherence is a challenge in clinical practice that might contribute to the lower efficacy of medication (eg, oral drug). However, it is unclear what factors will influence adherence among smokers with COPD.Methods: This study was based on an open-label randomized controlled trial (RCT) of varenicline and bupropion for smoking cessation among patients with COPD in China. The medication was given for 12 weeks, and visits and assessments were conducted at weeks 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, and 24. We assessed whether the adherence to smoking cessation treatment affects the smoking cessation efficacy and evaluated predictors of adherence.Results: A total of 136 participants were recruited from February 2019 to June 2020, and analyzed using the intention-to-treat (ITT) method. In this study, 48.5% (66/136) of the total participants had good adherence to smoking cessation, and good adherence significantly improved the efficacy of smoking cessation (OR=9.60, 95% CI 4.02– 22.96, P < 0.001). After adjusting for age, gender, nationality, education, and marital status, we found older age, higher education level, having more previous quitting attempts, stronger self-efficacy and preparation in quitting smoking, recognizing hazards of smoking, longer duration of COPD, and higher St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) scores were relevant to good adherence (P < 0.05).Conclusion: To our best knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate adherence to smoking cessation treatment among patients with COPD in China. Our study found that good adherence to smoking cessation treatment significantly improved the smoking cessation efficacy, and predictors of adherence were evaluated. We call on the medical community to pay attention to the adherence to smoking cessation among patients with COPD.Keywords: COPD, smoking cessation, adherence, China

Tian-Hao Zhou, 1,* Jing-Zhi Su, 2,* Rui Qin, 3 Xi Chen, 4 Gao-Da Ju, 5 Sen Miao 3 1Shanghai First People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining 272000, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Internal Medicine, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250000, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Oncology, Beijing Cancer Hospital, Peking University, Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Sen MiaoDepartment of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining 272000, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail miaosen128@163.comGao-Da JuDepartment of Oncology, Beijing Cancer Hospital, Peking University, Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail jgd0412@163.comPurpose: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most devastating diseases worldwide. Limited performance of clinicopathologic parameters as prognostic factors underscores more accurate and effective biomarkers for high-confidence prognosis that guide decision-making for optimal treatment of HCC. The aim of the present study was to establish a novel panel to improve prognosis prediction of HCC patients, with a particular interest in transcription factors (TFs).Materials and Methods: A TF-related prognosis model of liver cancer with data from ICGC-LIRP-JI cohort successively were processed by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis. Then, for evaluating the prognostic prediction value of the model, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and survival analysis were performed both with internal data from the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) and external data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Furthermore, we verified the expression of three genes in HCC cell lines by Western blot and qPCR and protein expression level by IHC in liver cancer patients’ sample. Finally, we constructed a TF clinical characteristics nomogram to furtherly predict liver cancer patient survival probability with TCGA cohort.Results: By Cox regression analysis, a panel of 15 TFs (ZNF331, MYCN, AHRR, LEF1, ZNF780A, POU1F1, DLX5, ZNF775, PLSCR1, FOXK1, TAL2, ZNF558, SOX9, TCFL5, GSC) was identified to present with powerful predictive performance for overall survival of HCC patients based on internal ICGC cohort and external TCGA cohort. A nomogram that integrates these factors was established, allowing efficient prediction of survival probabilities and displaying higher clinical utility.Conclusion: The 15-TF panel is an independent prognostic factor for HCC, and 15 TF-based nomogram might provide implication an effective approach for HCC patient management and treatment.Keywords: hepatocellular carcinoma, prognosis, transcription factor, overall survival

Zhi-Yuan Qiu,1 Rong Qin,1 Guang-Yu Tian,1 Yan Wang,1 Ye-Qing Zhang2 1Department of Oncology, The Affiliated People’s Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212002, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Vascular Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215004, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Yan WangDepartment of Oncology, The Affiliated People’s Hospital of Jiangsu University, 8 Dianli Road, Zhenjiang 212002, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of ChinaTel/Fax +86-511-88915061Email 1694494571@qq.com Ye-Qing ZhangDepartment of Vascular Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215004, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail 595447734@qq.comAbstract: Large granular lymphocytic leukemia (LGLL) is a chronic clonal lymphoproliferative disease of mature T or NK cells, and produces a variety of hematological abnormalities. Pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) is a rare haematological disease and is one of the most common complications of LGLL. LGLL-associated PRCA may represent a relatively indolent type and may be more common than reported, but its natural history and clinical course have not been well described. The ethnic origin of the patients is an important consideration in determining the relationship between PRCA and LGLL. Guidelines and progresses for management of LGLL-associated PRCA rely on accumulation of empirical experiences, integrative analyses of several cases and clinical trials. The purpose of this review is to evaluate occurrence, possible mechanisms, diagnosis, clinical features, treatments and outcomes of LGLL-associated PRCA.Keywords: large granular lymphocytic leukemia, lymphocytosis, PRCA

Understanding wood combustion has become increasingly critical as fire safety engineering moves toward a performance‐based approach to building design. Although different kinetic models have been developed for wood burning, chemical kinetics remains a significant challenge for accurate prediction. This work has developed a novel multiscale model by implementing kinetic parameters calculated from molecular dynamics simulations using reactive forcefield into a kinetic model of wood burning. The calculated kinetic parameters of the main components in wood, namely, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, are first utilized to model microscale thermogravimetric experiments for validation. Subsequently, the mesoscale and full‐scale fire tests have been simulated by the multiscale model. Furthermore, the fire properties of various wood species at different heat fluxes have been predicted and compared with results from the cone calorimeter test. Our multiscale model outperforms existing kinetic models in predicting wood combustion and can effectively discern the influence of chemical components on fire properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yuan Li,1 Pan Huang,2 Hongju Peng,1 Hongcheng Yue,1 Min Wu,1 Shanshan Liu,1 Rongsheng Qin,1 Juan Fan,1 Yunwei Han11The Oncology Department, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Lu Zhou, Si Chuan 646000, People’s Republic of China; 2Neurology Department, Deyang People’s Hospital, Deyang, Sichuan 618000, People’s Republic of ChinaBackground: Endostatin therapy is known to efficiently inhibit angiogenesis and growth of endothelial cells. Nonetheless, the antitumor mechanisms of endostatin combined with chemotherapy remain to be elucidated.Methods: In our study, a Lewis lung carcinoma transplant mouse model was established and treated with the recombinant human [rh]-endostatin, Endostar, combined with gemcitabine at different sequences. 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging was performed to monitor tumor growth, and hypoxia was examined using an oxygen microelectrode. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) levels were detected via immunohistochemistry analysis and cell cycle distributions were analyzed by flow cytometry.Results: Endostar decreased VEGF expression, improved hypoxia, and influenced cell cycle distributions. Simultaneous treatment of Endostar and gemcitabine displayed significantly tumor inhibition, possessed the lowest uptake of FDG, improved oxygen partial pressure, decreased expression of VEGF, and increased pericyte coverage. Cell cycle analysis demonstrated that cells accumulated in the S phase following gemcitabine treatment and G0/G1 arrest occurred following Endostar treatment. An increase of cells in G0/G1 phase was observed following treatment with Endostar and gemcitabine.Conclusions: Our study suggests that the combination therapy of Endostar with gemcitabine simutaneously may optimally enhance their individual antitumor effects.Keywords: recombinant human endostatin, gemcitabine, antiangiogenic, combination therapy

Chong Qu,1,* Chunmei Dai,2,* Yahua Guo,3 Rui Qin,3 Junbao Liu3 1Department of Neurosurgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130033, Jilin, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of School Hospital, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun 130033, Jilin, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130033, Jilin, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Objective: This study aims to investigate the functional role of long noncoding RNA SNHG15 in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).Materials and methods: The expression of SNHG15 was measured in EOC cells and tissues using qRT-PCR. The correlation of SNHG15 expression and the clinicopathological characters was statistically analyzed. The prognosis of patients with different clinical features in the high/low SNHG15 expression groups were calculated. Moreover, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to identify the risk factors for poor overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). The effect of SNHG15 on the migration and invasion was evaluated using Transwell and Matrigel, respectively. The proliferation ability of EOC cells was tested using colony formation and MTT assay. The influence of SNHG15 on the cisplatin resistance was detected by measuring cell inhibition rate and cell viability.Results: SNHG15 was upegulated in EOC cells and tissues. High SNHG15 expression was correlated with EOC progression and predicted poor OS and PFS in different subgroups of EOC patients. Moreover, multivariate Cox regression analysis defined high SNHG15 expression as an independent risk factor for poor OS and PFS. Furthermore, functional assays showed that the overexpression of SNHG15 promoted migration and invasion, while the loss of SNHG15 suppressed migration and invasion. Furthermore, the proliferation of EOC cells was improved after the ectopic expression of SNHG15, which was suppressed with SNHG15 deficiency. In addition, cisplatin-resistant EOC cells were established for detecting the effect of SNHG15 on EOC chemoresistance. The results showed that cisplatin-resistant EOC cells exhibited much higher levels of SNHG15 expression than controls, and SNHG15 contributed to the chemoresistance of EOC cells.Conclusion: This study confirms that SNHG15 contributes to the migration, invasion, proliferation, and chemoresistance of EOC. SNHG15 may serve as a potential therapeutic target and prognostic biomarker of EOC patients. Keywords: noncoding RNA, ovarian cancer, proliferation, metastasis, chemoresistance

OBJECTIVE: The present study was performed to compare the efficacy of percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) vs. percutaneous cement-augmented screw fixation plus PKP in the management of unstable osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCF). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 197 patients with unstable OVCF treated in the Department of Spine Surgery, Lianyungang First People's Hospital from September 2019 to September 2021 were recruited and assigned via random number table method 1:1 to receive either PKP (group A, n=106) or PKP plus percutaneous cement-augmented screw fixation (group B, n=91). The outcome measures for the evaluation of different surgical methods included visual analogue scale (VAS), the height of the anterior-posterior border of the injured spine, Cobb angle of the posterior convexity, Oswestry disability index (ODI) scores, and Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores. RESULTS: PKP exhibited shorter operative time and length of hospital stay and less intraoperative blood loss vs. PKP plus percutaneous cement-augmented screw fixation (p<0.05). Patients with PKP plus percutaneous cement-augmented screw fixation experienced milder postoperative pain vs. those with PKP alone at 7 days postoperatively, as evidenced by the lower VAS scores (p<0.05). PKP plus percutaneous cement-augmented screw fixation provided more restoration of anterior margin height and posterior convexity Cobb angle vs. PKP alone (p<0.05). Patients with PKP only showed slightly higher Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores than those with combined surgery, while the postoperative clinical signs between the two arms were similar (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Single PKP features the benefits of minimal trauma, simple operation, and rapid postoperative recovery in the treatment of OVCF. PKP plus percutaneous cement-augmented screw fixation for severe OVCF provided distinctly better performance than PKP alone in terms of early pain relief, restoration of vertebral body height, correction of posterior convexity deformity, and firm spinal stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qu C, Dai C, Guo Y, Qin R, Liu J. Onco Targets Ther. 2019;12:101— 111. The Editor and Publisher of OncoTargets and Therapy wish to issue an Expression of Concern for the published article. Questions about the scientific integrity of the articles content were brought to the Editor and Publisher’s attention. Despite reaching out to the authors requesting information that would confirm the article’s integrity, the authors have not responded to our queries within the requested timeframe. Therefore, while we continue to work through the issues raised, we advise readers to interpret the information presented in this article with due caution. Read the original article

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MISTLIF) plus cement-augmented pedicle screw fixation in the treatment of degenerative lumbar spine disease with osteoporosis in the elderly. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From February 2020 to January 2021, 40 elderly patients with degenerative lumbar spine disease with osteoporosis admitted to our hospital were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either MIS-TLIF plus cement-augmented pedicle screw fixation (group A) or TLIF plus cement augmentation (group B), with 19 cases in group A and 21 cases in group B. Outcome measures included visual analogue scale (VAS), Oswestry Dysfunction Index (ODI) and Japanese Orthopedic Association Scores (JOA), operative duration, intraoperative bleeding, postoperative drainage volume, and the incidence of complications. Frontal and lateral radiographs of the lumbar spine and computed tomography (CT) were performed 3 days after surgery to observe the distribution of bone cement. At 12 months postoperatively, the fusion of the bone graft was evaluated according to the Bridwell intervertebral fusion criteria based on the lumbar frontal and lateral radiographs. RESULTS: All 40 cases completed the surgery successfully and were followed up for 12 months. The two groups did not differ significantly in terms of operative duration (p>0.05). MIS-TLIF plus cement-augmented pedicle screw fixation was associated with significantly less intraoperative bleeding volume (142.25±40.93 mL) and (76.25±17.54 mL) vs. TLIF plus cement augmentation (322.00±93.45 mL, 159.75±54.74 mL) (p<0.05). The difference in the VAS scores, ODI, and JOA scores between the two groups preoperatively and at the final follow-up showed no statistical significance (p>0.05). Patients receiving MIS-TLIF plus cement-augmented pedicle screw fixation had significantly lower VAS scores and ODI and higher JOA scores vs. TLIF plus cement augmentation (p<0.05). The lumbar frontal and lateral radiographs and CT of the two groups 3 days after surgery showed good cement distribution and no cement leakage. At the final follow-up, no complications were seen in group A, and there was one case of intervertebral cement leakage in group B. The intervertebral graft fusion was grade I in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: MIS-TLIF plus cement-augmented pedicle screw fixation shortens the operative time, alleviates postoperative pain, facilitates operative lumbar spine function restoration, and provides favorable intervertebral implant fusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, the geospatial domain has benefitted from technological advances in sensors, methodologies, and processing tools to expand capabilities in mapping applications. Airborne techniques (LiDAR and aerial photogrammetry) generally provide most of the data used for this purpose. However, despite the relevant accuracy of these technologies and the high spatial resolution of airborne data, updates are not sufficiently regular due to significant flight costs and logistics. New possibilities to fill this information gap have emerged with the advent of Very High Resolution (VHR) optical satellite images in the early 2000s. In addition to the high temporal resolution of the cost-effective datasets and their sub-meter geometric resolutions, the synoptic coverage is an unprecedented opportunity for mapping remote areas, multi-temporal analyses, updating datasets and disaster management. For all these reasons, VHR satellite imagery is clearly a relevant study for National Mapping and Cadastral Agencies (NMCAs). This work, supported by EuroSDR, summarises a series of experimental analyses carried out over diverse landscapes to explore the potential of VHR imagery for large-scale mapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

3D reconstruction from single and multi-view stereo images is still an open research topic, despite the high number of solutions proposed in the last decades. The surge of deep learning methods has then stimulated the development of new methods using monocular (MDE, Monocular Depth Estimation), stereoscopic and Multi-View Stereo (MVS) 3D reconstruction, showing promising results, often comparable to or even better than traditional methods. The more recent development of NeRF (Neural Radial Fields) has further triggered the interest for this kind of solution. Most of the proposed approaches, however, focus on terrestrial applications (e.g., autonomous driving or small artefacts 3D reconstructions), while airborne and UAV acquisitions are often overlooked. The recent introduction of new datasets, such as UseGeo has, therefore, given the opportunity to assess how state-of-the-art MDE, MVS and NeRF 3D reconstruction algorithms perform using airborne UAV images, allowing their comparison with LiDAR ground truth. This paper aims to present the results achieved by two MDE, two MVS and two NeRF approaches levering deep learning approaches, trained and tested using the UseGeo dataset. This work allows the comparison with a ground truth showing the current state of the art of these solutions and providing useful indications for their future development and improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]