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Yuan Xue,1,2,* Pei-Dong Li,1,2,* Xue-Mei Tang,3,* Zai-Hua Yan,1,2 Shu-Sen Xia,1 Hong-Peng Tian,1 Zuo-Liang Liu,1 Tong Zhou,1 Xue-Gui Tang,4 Guang-Jun Zhang1,2 1The Second Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China; 2Institute of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Intestinal Disease, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Ultrasound, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China; 4Anorectal Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Xue-Gui TangAnorectal Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, 63 Wenhua Road, Nanchong 637000, Sichuan, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 817 2262419Email txg668nc@sohu.comGuang-Jun ZhangThe Second Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, 63 Wenhua Road, Nanchong 637000, Sichuan, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 817 2262419Email zhanggj1977@126.comPurpose: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies in the world. The prognosis of advanced CRC is still poor. The purpose of this study was to identify a gene expression profile associated with CRC that may contribute to the early diagnosis of CRC and improve patient prognosis.Patients and Methods: Five pairs of CRC tissues and paracancerous tissues were used to identify causative genes using microarray assays. The prognostic value of Cytochrome C Oxidase Assembly Factor 1 Homolog (COA1) in CRC was assessed in 90 CRC patients. Loss-of-function assays, cell proliferation assays using Celigo and MTT, colony formation assays, a subcutaneous xenograft mouse model, and apoptosis assays were used to define the effects of downregulation of COA1 in CRC cells in vitro and in vivo. The underlying molecular mechanisms of COA1 in CRC were also investigated.Results: The causative gene COA1 was identified through microarray analysis. COA1 expression in CRC was notably associated with pathologic differentiation, tumor size, and tumor depth. COA1 expression may act as an independent prognostic factor for overall survival of CRC. Knockdown of COA1 inhibited the proliferation of CRC cells in vitro and the tumorigenicity of CRC cells in vivo. Decreased COA1 expression induced apoptosis of CRC cells. Based on the microarray assay results comparing HCT116 cells transfected with lentivirus encoding anti-COA1 shRNA or negative control shRNA, ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) revealed that the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was significantly enriched. Moreover, CCND1, mTOR, AKT1, and MDM2 were identified as the downstream genes of COA1.Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that COA1 promotes CRC cell proliferation and inhibits apoptosis by regulating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Our results implicate COA1 as a potential oncogene involved in tumor growth and progression of CRC.Keywords: colorectal cancer, COA1, proliferation, apoptosis, PI3K/AKT signaling

Xue-miao Tang,1,2,* Hao Chen,2,3,* Qing Li,1,2 Yiling Song,2,3 Shuping Zhang,2,3 Xiao-Shuan Xu,4 Yiwei Xu,5,6 Shulin Chen2,3 1Department of Ultrasound and Electrocardiogram, 2State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, 3Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 4School of Laboratory Medicine, Guangdong Medical University, 5Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, 6The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan Area, Shantou University Medical College, Guangdong, China *These authors contributed equally to this work Objective: The cardiac safety of cetuximab and panitumumab, particularly as single agents, has not been investigated extensively. This trial was designed to specifically evaluate the cardiac safety of cetuximab and panitumumab as single therapy in Chinese chemotherapy-refractory metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients.Patients and methods: Sixty-one patients received cetuximab at an initial dose of 400 mg/m2 intravenously over 120 minutes on day 1 (week 1), followed by a maintenance dose of 250 mg/m2 intravenously over 60 minutes on day 1 of each 7-day cycle. Forty-three patients received panitumumab at a dose of 6 mg/kg intravenously every 14 days. Routine laboratory tests and electrocardiogram (ECG) were performed at baseline, during therapy and after the treatment (4th and 10th months). The incidence of elevation of troponin I ultra (TNI Ultra), abnormal ECGs, cardiac events and noncardiac adverse events (AEs) were recorded and analyzed.Results: The incidence of elevation of TNI Ultra between the two groups had no significance (p=0.681), and TNI Ultra+ was observed more frequently in patients with metastases to more than three organs and they received fourth or above lines of chemotherapy. The most frequent abnormal ECG manifestations were nonspecific ST changes and QTc prolongation in the two groups. At 10 months after treatment, most of the abnormal ECG manifestations were reversed. The most common cardiac AEs of cetuximab and panitumumab included palpitations, dyspnea, chest pain and arrhythmias requiring treatment. Most of the events were mild and transient. The incidence of cardiac AEs had no significant difference between the two groups. Rash was still the most common noncardiac AE in both groups.Conclusion: Cetuximab and panitumumab showed favorable cardiac safety as single agents for Chinese chemotherapy-refractory mCRC patients. But monitoring for cardiac AEs is still necessary throughout the entire treatment process. Keywords: cetuximab, panitumumab, targeted therapy, colorectal cancer, toxicity, cardiac safety

Ligand engineering of aromatic heterocyclic cations in two-dimensional (2D) Dion-Jacobson (DJ) perovskites has been widely explored in recent years. In this study, how the positional isomers of aromatic heterocyclic cations tune the lattice of 2D perovskites, thereby influencing the transport and recombination dynamics of charge carriers, has been investigated through nonadiabatic molecular dynamics simulations. We demonstrate that the meta -substituted 3-(aminomethyl)pyridinium (3AMPY) cations greatly reduce the strength of electron-vibration coupling since the strong hydrogen-bonding network introduced by the changes in the arrangement of spacer cations significantly suppresses the structural thermal fluctuations. Compared to the para -substituted 4-(aminomethyl)pyridinium (4AMPY) cation, using the asymmetric 3AMPY as a spacer cation can achieve improved in-plane transport performance, enhanced thermal stability, and suppressed charge carrier recombination through weakening electron-vibration interactions. Our results explain the observed lifetime difference between the two types of DJ-phase perovskites in experiments and provide new guidance for optimizing the performance of perovskite devices.

As ethnic medicine, the whole grass of plants in Cirsium was used as antimicrobial. This review focuses on the antimicrobial activity of plants in Cirsium, including antimicrobial components, against different types of microbes and bacteriostatic mechanism. The results showed that the main antimicrobial activity components in Cirsium plants were flavonoids, triterpenoids and phenolic acids, and the antimicrobial ability varied according to the species and the content of chemicals. Among them, phenolic acids showed a strong antibacterial ability against Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterococcus faecium. The antibacterial mechanisms include: (1) damaging the cell membrane, cell walls, mitochondria and nucleus of bacteria; (2) inhibiting the synthesis of proteins and nucleic acids; (3) suppressing the synthesis of enzymes for tricarboxylic acid cycle pathways and glycolysis, and then killing the bacteria via inhibition of energy production. Totally, most research results on antimicrobial activity of Cirsium plants are reported based on in vitro assays. The evidence from clinical data and comprehensive evaluation are needed., (© 2024. The Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: To assess the diagnostic utility of clinical magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in distinguishing between histological grading and isocitrate dehydrogenase ( IDH ) classification in adult diffuse gliomas., Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 247 patients diagnosed with adult diffuse glioma. Experienced radiologists evaluated DWI and MRS images. The Kruskal-Wallis test examined differences in DWI and MRS-related parameters across histological grades, while the Mann-Whitney U test assessed molecular classification. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves evaluated parameter effectiveness. Survival curves, stratified by histological grade and IDH classification, were constructed using the Kaplan-Meier test., Results: The cohort comprised 141 males and 106 females, with ages ranging from 19 to 85 years. The Kruskal-Wallis test revealed significant differences in ADC mean, Cho/NAA, and Cho/Cr concerning glioma histological grade ( P  < .01). Subsequent application of Dunn's test showed significant differences in ADC mean among each histological grade ( P  < .01). Notably, Cho/NAA exhibited a marked distinction between grade 2 and grade 3/4 gliomas ( P  < .01). The Mann-Whitney U test indicated that only ADC mean showed statistical significance for IDH molecular classification ( P  < .01). ROC curves were constructed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the specified parameters. Survival curves were also delineated to portray survival outcomes categorized by histological grade and IDH classification. Conclusions: Clinical MRS demonstrates efficacy in glioma histological grading but faces challenges in IDH classification. Clinical DWI's ADC mean parameter shows significant distinctions in both histological grade and IDH classification., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Background: Pancreatic cancer, referred to as the "monarch of malignancies," is a neoplastic growth mostly arising from the epithelial cells of the pancreatic duct and acinar cells. This particular neoplasm has a highly unfavorable prognosis due to its marked malignancy, inconspicuous initial manifestation, challenging early detection, rapid advancement, and limited survival duration. Cellular immunotherapy is the ex vivo culture and expansion of immune effector cells, granting them the capacity to selectively target malignant cells using specialized techniques. Subsequently, these modified cells are reintroduced into the patient's organism with the purpose of eradicating tumor cells and providing therapeutic intervention for cancer., Present Situation: Presently, the primary cellular therapeutic modalities employed in the treatment of pancreatic cancer encompass CAR T-cell therapy, TCR T-cell therapy, NK-cell therapy, and CAR NK-cell therapy., Aim of Review: This review provides a concise overview of the mechanisms and primary targets associated with various cell therapies. Additionally, we will explore the prospective outlook of cell therapy in the context of treating pancreatic cancer., 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 © 2023. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.)

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) remains challenging to diagnose and treat clinically due to its difficult early diagnosis, low surgical resection rate, and high risk of postoperative recurrence and metastasis. SMAD4 is a classical mutated gene in pancreatic cancer and is lost in up to 60%-90 % of PAAD patients, and its mutation often predicts a poor prognosis and treatment resistance. In this study, based on the expression profile data in The Cancer Genome Atlas database, we identified a ceRNA network composed of 2 lncRNAs, 1 miRNA, and 4 mRNAs through differential expression analysis and survival prognosis analysis. Among them, high expression of KLK10/LIPH/PARD6B/SLC52A3 influenced the prognosis and overall survival of PAAD patients. We confirmed the high expression of these target genes in pancreatic tissue of pancreatic-specific SMAD4-deficient mice. In addition, immune infiltration analysis showed that the high expression of these target genes affects the tumor immune environment and contributes to the progression of PAAD. Abnormal overexpression of these target genes may be caused by hypermethylation. In conclusion, we found that KLK10/LIPH/PARD6B/SLC52A3 is a potential prognostic marker for PAAD based on a competing endogenous RNA-mediated mechanism and revealed the potential pathogenic mechanism by which deficient expression of SMAD4 promotes pancreatic cancer progression, which provides a new pathway and theoretical basis for targeted therapy or improved prognosis of pancreatic cancer. These data will help reveal potential therapeutic targets for pancreatic cancer and improve the prognosis of pancreatic cancer patients., Competing Interests: 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., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: Atrial esophageal fistula (AEF) is a lethal complication that can occur post atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. Esophageal injury (EI) is likely to be the initial lesion leading to AEF. Endoscopic examination is the gold standard for a diagnosis of EI but extensive endoscopic screening is invasive and costly. This study was conducted to determine whether fecal calprotectin (Fcal), a marker of inflammation throughout the intestinal tract, may be associated with the existence of esophageal injury., Methods: This diagnostic study was conducted in a cohort of 166 patients with symptomatic AF undergoing radiofrequency catheter ablation from May 2020 to June 2021. Fcal tests were performed 1-7 days after ablation. All patients underwent endoscopic ultrasonography 1 or 2 days after ablation., Results: The levels of Fcal were significantly different between the EI and non-EI groups (404.9 µg/g (IQR 129.6-723.6) vs. 40.4 µg/g (IQR 15.0-246.2), p < .001). Analysis of ROC curves revealed that a Fcal level of 125 µg/g might be the optimal cut-off value for a diagnosis of EI, giving a 78.8% sensitivity and a 65.4% specificity. The negative predictive value of Fcal was 100% for ulcerated EI., Conclusions: The level of Fcal is associated with EI post AF catheter ablation. 125 µg/g might be the optimal cut-off value for a diagnosis of EI. Negative Fcal could predict the absence of ulcerated EI, which could be considered a precursor to AEF., (© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Our previous study reported that the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs155979 GC in the promoter region of long-chain non-coding RNA (lncRNA) NONHSAT102891 affects depression susceptibility in a Chinese population., Aim: To explored associations of two SNPs and haplotypes in the lncRNA NONHSAT102891 promoter region with depression susceptibility in Chinese population., Methods: This this case-control association study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Chengdu Medical College (approval number: 201815). Patient diagnosis was based on DSM-IV criteria. We selected a total of 480 patients with depression and 329 healthy controls with no history of psychopathology, and performed genotyping of two SNPs by extracting peripheral venous blood samples from the subjects. The function of the two lncRNA NONHSAT102891 promoter G/C and A/T haplotypes was detected by dual-luciferase reporter assays of human embryonic kidney 293T transfected cells., Results: Stratified analysis of clinical and genotypic characteristics of our cohort showed that the degree of mild depressive episodes associated with the rs6230 TC/CC genotype increased by 1.59 times [TC/CC vs TT: odds ratio (OR) = 1.59, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08-2.35, P = 0.019]. The haploid analysis revealed linkage disequilibrium between rs3792747 and rs6230, and the double SNP CG haplotype was more common in the control group compared to case group, indicating that this haplotype significantly reduced the risk of depression (C/G vs T/A: OR = 0.42, 95%CI: 0.21-0.83, P = 0.01). There was no significant difference in the dual-luciferase reporter activity of the G/C and A/T haplotypes compared with the control group ( P > 0.05), indicating that the double SNP haplotype has no transcriptional activity., Conclusion: The rs3792747 and rs6230 CG haplotypes of the lncRNA NONHSA T102891 promoter may be related to a reduced risk of depression in the Han Chinese population., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: Dr. Liang reports grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, grants from the Chengdu Medical College Graduate Research Innovation Fund Project, grants from the National Undergraduate Training Program for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, during the conduct of the study., (©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics of children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) associated with SARS-CoV-2 in China, and to improve the understanding of MIS-C among pediatricians. Methods: Case series study.Collect the clinical characteristics, auxiliary examinations, treatment decisions, and prognosis of 64 patients with MIS-C from 9 hospitals in China from December 2022 to June 2023. Results: Among the 64 MIS-C patients, 36 were boys and 28 were girls, with an onset age being 2.8 (0.3, 14.0) years. All patients suffered from fever, elevated inflammatory indicators, and multiple system involvement. Forty-three patients (67%) were involved in more than 3 systems simultaneously, including skin mucosa 60 cases (94%), blood system 52 cases (89%), circulatory system 54 cases (84%), digestive system 48 cases (75%), and nervous system 24 cases (37%). Common mucocutaneous lesions included rash 54 cases (84%) and conjunctival congestion and (or) lip flushing 45 cases (70%). Hematological abnormalities consisted of coagulation dysfunction 48 cases (75%), thrombocytopenia 9 cases (14%), and lymphopenia 8 cases (13%). Cardiovascular lesions mainly affected cardiac function, of which 11 patients (17%) were accompanied by hypotension or shock, and 7 patients (12%) had coronary artery dilatation.Thirty-six patients (56%) had gastrointestinal symptoms, 23 patients (36%) had neurological symptoms. Forty-five patients (70%) received the initial treatment of intravenous immunoglobulin in combination with glucocorticoids, 5 patients (8%) received the methylprednisolone pulse therapy and 2 patients (3%) treated with biological agents, 7 patients with coronary artery dilation all returned to normal within 6 months. Conclusions: MIS-C patients are mainly characterized by fever, high inflammatory response, and multiple organ damage. The preferred initial treatment is intravenous immunoglobulin combined with glucocorticoids. All patients have a good prognosis.

Background: Aberrations in MYC underlie a large proportion of liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) cases; however, MYC is difficult to target because of its undruggable structure. We aimed to uncover MYC-associated molecular targets to provide new strategies for LIHC treatment., Methods: LIHC transcriptome datasets and clinical information were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas. A series of bioinformatics analyses were performed for 370 patients who were stratified based on the median MYC expression level (high-MYC group and low-MYC group). Correlation analysis was performed to determine relationships between the expression of key MYC-associated genes and prognosis, DNA promotor methylation, and immune cell infiltration. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes Pathway enrichment analyses were performed to elucidate the functions of these genes in LIHC. Their expression and functions in LIHC were further verified using transgenic mice overexpressing c-Myc under control of the hepatocyte-specific promoter (Alb-Cre)., Results: AURKB, CCNB2, and CDKN3 were overexpressed in LIHC patients with high MYC expression and were associated with poor prognosis. Upregulation of these 3 genes was significantly correlated with hypomethylated promoter status, advanced T stage, metastasis, and immune cell infiltration in LIHC patients. Functional enrichment analyses indicated that these genes participate in the "p53 signaling pathway" and "cell cycle". Furthermore, RT-PCR and IHC analysis revealed that their mRNA and protein expression levels were upregulated in an Alb-Cre;cMYC lsl/- mouse model. Drugs that target these 3 MYC-related genes were identified., Conclusion: Taken together, our results identify biomarkers of potential utility for managing liver cancer therapy owing to their significance in tumorigenesis, proliferation, and tumor immunity., 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 © 2023. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.)

Herein, we have employed a combination of the optimally tuned screened range-separated hybrid (OT-SRSH) functional, the polarizable continuum model (PCM), and nonadiabatic dynamics (NAMD) simulations to investigate the photoinduced dynamics of directly linked donor-acceptor dyads formed using zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) and perylenediimide (PDI), in which ZnPc is the donor while PDI is the acceptor. Our simulations aim to analyze the behavior of these dyads upon local excitation of the ZnPc moiety in the gas phase and in benzonitrile. Our findings indicate that the presence of a solvent can significantly influence the excited state dynamics of ZnPc-PDI dyads. Specifically, the polar solvent benzonitrile effectively lowers the vertical excitation energies of the charge transfer (CT) state from ZnPc to PDI. As a result, the energetic order of the locally excited (LE) states of ZnPc and the CT states is reversed compared to the gas phase. Consequently, the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) dynamics from ZnPc to PDI, which is absent in the gas phase, takes place in benzonitrile with a time constant of 10.4 ps. Importantly, our present work not only qualitatively agrees with experimental results but also provides in-depth insights into the underlying mechanisms responsible for the photoinduced dynamics of ZnPc-PDI. Moreover, this study emphasizes the importance of appropriately considering solvent effects in NAMD simulation of organic donor-acceptor systems, taking into account the distinct excited state dynamics observed in the gas phase and benzonitrile. Furthermore, the combination of the OT-SRSH functional, the PCM solvent model, and nonadiabatic dynamics simulations shows promise as a strategy for investigating the complex excited state dynamics of organic donor-acceptor systems in solvents. These findings will be valuable for the future design of novel organic donor-acceptor structures with improved performance.

Aim: To evaluate the diagnostic value and safety of ultrasound-guided core-needle biopsy for peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs)., Materials and Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library for relevant were searched for studies published up to June 2022. The diagnostic accuracy of US-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy (PTNB) for the diagnosis of PPLs was evaluated using pooled sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), positive and negative likelihood ratios (PLR and NLR), and the area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curves value (SROC)., Results: The search included 12 original studies (3,830 procedures). For US-guided PTNB, the pooled sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of PPLs were 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.91-0.94) and 0.99 (95% CI: 0.96-1.00), respectively. The pooled estimates of the PLR, NLR, and DOR were 134.88 (95% CI: 24.88-731.74), 0.07 (95% CI: 0.06-0.09), and 1,814.95 (95% CI: 333.62-9,873.76), respectively. The area under the SROC curve was 0.95 (95% CI: 0.93-0.97). The overall complication rate was 3.6% (136 of 3,830), including self-limited haemoptysis and asymptomatic pneumothorax, and only six cases of pneumothorax requiring chest tube drainage and one case of severe bleeding were reported., Conclusions: US-guided core-needle biopsy is an excellent diagnostic tool for PPLs, with high accuracy and excellent technical performance and safety., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

In the evolutionary model of dosage compensation, per-allele expression level of the X chromosome has been proposed to have twofold up-regulation to compensate its dose reduction in males (XY) compared to females (XX). However, the expression regulation of X-linked genes is still controversial, and comprehensive evaluations are still lacking. By integrating multi-omics datasets in mammals, we investigated the expression ratios including X to autosomes (X:AA ratio) and X to orthologs (X:XX ratio) at the transcriptome, translatome, and proteome levels. We revealed a dynamic spatial-temporal X:AA ratio during development in humans and mice. Meanwhile, by tracing the evolution of orthologous gene expression in chickens, platypuses, and opossums, we found a stable expression ratio of X-linked genes in humans to their autosomal orthologs in other species (X:XX ≈ 1) across tissues and developmental stages, demonstrating stable dosage compensation in mammals. We also found that different epigenetic regulations contributed to the high tissue specificity and stage specificity of X-linked gene expression, thus affecting X:AA ratios. It could be concluded that the dynamics of X:AA ratios were attributed to the different gene contents and expression preferences of the X chromosome, rather than the stable dosage compensation., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Global warming has aggravated the problem of lake eutrophication. As a typical large, eutrophic, shallow lake in China, the issue of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) was particularly prominent in Lake Taihu. We took Lake Taihu as the study area, using the meteorological (temperature, wind speed, rainfall, and sunshine hours), water quality (total nitrogen, total phosphorus, conductivity, pH, and chemical oxygen demand), and biological (chlorophyll-a in phytoplankton) monitoring data from 1992 to 2020. We built a simulation model of chlorophyll-a based on the Bayesian network model with continuous variables to study the chlorophyll-a level of Lake Taihu under different meteorological and water quality conditions. The 75th percentile of chlorophyll-a concentration was used as the threshold to judge the risk of cyanobacterial bloom. When the probability of chlorophyll-a concentration below this threshold was greater than 75%, it was regarded as "low risk" of cyanobacterial bloom outbreak. The results showed that the average level of "temperature wind ratio" (ratio of air temperature to wind speed) in spring was 6.67℃·s·m -1 , and the probability of high chlorophyll-a was less than 75% when the total phosphorus concentration was less than 0.130 mg·L -1 . The average "temperature wind ratio" level in summer was 10.52℃·s·m -1 , and the probability of high chlorophyll-a was less than 75% when the total phosphorus concentration was less than 0.257 mg·L -1 . The average level of total phosphorus concentration in autumn was 0.154 mg·L -1 , and the probability of high chlorophyll-a was less than 75% when the "temperature wind ratio" was less than 6.30℃·s·m -1 . Based on the above research, the chlorophyll-a model constructed by the Bayesian network model with continuous variables was further used to simulate the nutrient control objectives under different climate change backgrounds. In order to control chlorophyll-a in Lake Taihu at the:"low risk" level of cyanoHABs, the target concentration thresholds of total phosphorus needed to be controlled under the climate level background from 1992 to 2000, 2001 to 2010, and 2011 to 2020 were given. From 1992 to 2000, the threshold value of total phosphorus concentration was 0.135 mg·L -1 in spring, 0.174 mg·L -1 in summer, and 0.171 mg·L -1 in autumn. From 2001 to 2010, the threshold value of total phosphorus concentration was 0.115 mg·L -1 in spring, 0.164 mg·L -1 in summer, and 0.162 mg·L -1 in autumn. From 2011 to 2020, the threshold value of total phosphorus concentration was 0.059 mg·L -1 in spring, 0.145 mg·L -1 in summer, and 0.145 mg·L -1 in autumn. The results showed that the control of cyanoHABs in eutrophic lakes required more stringent nutrient control strategies with global warming. It provided a reference for preventing and controlling cyanoHABs and eutrophication in Lake Taihu. Previous studies have used multiple regression models, hydrodynamic numerical models, and other methods to predict chlorophyll-a concentrations or cyanobacterial blooms in lakes. However, there has been no study on the prediction of cyanoHABs in lakes based on the Bayesian network model with continuous variables and the "dynamic" evaluation of nutrient thresholds. Therefore, based on the seasonal meteorological, water quality, and biological monitoring data of Lake Taihu from 1992 to 2020, the chlorophyll-a model of Lake Taihu was constructed for the first time based on the Bayesian network model with continuous variables to simulate the chlorophyll-a concentration of Lake Taihu under different climate indicators and total phosphorus concentrations. The weight of its influencing factors was also analyzed, and the nutrient control objectives under different climate scenarios were "dynamically" evaluated.

Purpose: Deficiency of adenosine deaminase 2 (DADA2), an autosomal recessive autoinflammatory disorder caused by biallelic loss-of-function variants in adenosine deaminase 2 (ADA2), has not been systemically investigated in Chinese population yet. We aim to further characterize DADA2 cases in China., Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients with DADA2 identified through whole exome sequencing (WES) at seventeen rheumatology centers across China was conducted. Clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, genotype, and treatment response were analyzed., Results: Thirty patients with DADA2 were enrolled between January 2015 and December 2021. Adenosine deaminase 2 enzymatic activity was low in all tested cases to confirm pathogenicity. Median age of disease presentation was 4.3 years and the median age at diagnosis was 7.8 years. All but one patient presented during childhood and two subjects died from complications of their disease. The patients most commonly presented with systemic inflammation (92.9%), vasculitis (86.7%), and hypogammaglobinemia (73.3%) while one patient presented with bone marrow failure (BMF) with variable cytopenia. Twenty-three (76.7%) patients were treated with TNF inhibitors (TNFi), while two (6.7%) underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). They all achieved clinical remission. A total of thirty-nine ADA2 causative variants were identified, six of which were novel., Conclusion: To establish early diagnosis and improve clinical outcomes, genetic screening and/or testing of ADA2 enzymatic activity should be performed in patients with suspected clinical features. TNFi is considered as first line treatment for those with vascular phenotypes. HSCT may be beneficial for those with hematological disease or in those who are refractory to TNFi., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Organic aggregates (OA) are the important circulation hub of matter and energy in aquatic ecosystems. However, the comparison studies on OA in lakes with different nutrient levels are limited. In this study, spatio-temporal abundances of OA and OA-attached bacteria (OAB) in oligotrophic Lake Fuxian, mesotrophic Lake Tianmu, middle-eutrophic Lake Taihu, and hyper-eutrophic Lake Xingyun were investigated in different seasons during 2019-2021 using a scanning electron microscope, epi-fluorescence microscope, and flow cytometry. The results showed that:① the annual average abundances of OA in Lake Fuxian, Lake Tianmu, Lake Taihu, and Lake Xingyun were 1.4×10 4 , 7.0×10 4 , 27.7×10 4 , and 16.0×10 4 ind·mL -1 , whereas the annual average abundances of OAB in the four lakes were 0.3×10 6 , 1.9×10 6 , 4.9×10 6 , and 6.2×10 6 cells·mL -1 . The ratios of OAB:total bacteria (TB) in the four lakes were 30%, 31%, 50%, and 38%, respectively. ② OA abundance in summer was significantly higher than that in autumn and winter; however, the ratio of OAB:TB in summer was approximately 26%, which was significantly lower than that in the other three seasons. ③ Lake nutrient status was the most important environmental factor that affected the abundance variations of OA and OAB, accounting for 50% and 68% of the spatio-temporal variations in OA and OAB abundances. ④ Nutrient and organic matters were enriched in OA, especially in Lake Xingyun; the proportions of particle phosphorous, particle nitrogen, and organic matters in this lake were as high as 69%, 59%, and 79%, respectively. Under the circumstance of future climate change and the expansion of lake algal blooms, the effects of algal-originated OA in the degradation of organic matters and nutrient recycling would be increased.

Objectives: To study the expression of V-domain Ig suppressor of T cell activation (VISTA) in peripheral blood of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and its role in the pathogenesis of JIA., Methods: In this prospective study, peripheral blood was collected from 47 children with different subtypes of JIA and 10 healthy children. Flow cytometry was used to measure the expression levels of VISTA, interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) on CD14 + mononuclear cells, CD4 + T lymphocytes, and CD8 + T lymphocytes., Results: The children with JIA had a significantly lower expression level of VISTA than the healthy children ( P <0.05). There was a significant difference in the expression of VISTA between the children with different subtypes of JIA, with the lowest expression level in those with systemic JIA ( P <0.05). There was also a significant difference in the expression of VISTA between different immune cells, with a significantly higher expression level on the surface of monocytes ( P <0.05). Correlation analysis showed that VISTA was negatively correlated with the expression of IFN-γ and TNF-α on CD4 + T cells ( r =-0.436 and -0.382 respectively, P <0.05), CD8 + T cells ( r =-0.348 and -0.487 respectively, P <0.05), and CD14 + mononuclear cells ( r =-0.582 and -0.603 respectively, P <0.05)., Conclusions: The insufficient expression of VISTA may be associated with the pathogenesis of JIA, and enhancing the immunomodulatory effect of VISTA might be one option for the treatment of JIA in the future.

Background: We aimed to develop and validate a plasma extracellular vesicle circular RNA (circRNA)-based signature that can predict overall survival (OS) in first-line abiraterone therapy for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients., Methods: In total, 582 mCRPC patients undergoing first-line abiraterone therapy from four institutions were sorted by three phases. In the discovery phase, 30 plasma samples from 30 case-matched patients with or without early progression were obtained to generate circRNA expression profiles using RNA sequencing. In the training phase, differentially expressed circRNAs were examined using digital droplet PCR in a training cohort (n = 203). The circRNA signature was constructed using a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator Cox regression to predict OS. In the validation phase, the prognostic ability of this signature was prospectively validated in two external cohorts (Cohort I, n = 183; Cohort II, n = 166)., Results: We developed a five-circRNA signature, based on circCEP112, circFAM13A, circBRWD1, circVPS13C and circMACROD2, which successfully stratified patients into high-risk and low-risk groups. The prognostic ability of this signature was prospectively validated in two external cohorts (P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001). Patients with high-risk scores had shorter OS than patients with low-risk scores., Conclusion: This five-circRNA signature is a reliable predictor of OS for mCRPC patients undergoing abiraterone., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Objectives: To study the expression levels of CD4 + NKG2D + T cells and NKG2D soluble ligands, the soluble MHC class I chain-related molecules A and B (sMICA/sMICB) in the active stage and stable stage of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and their role in the disease activity of JIA., Methods: Nineteen children with systemic JIA and 20 children with articular JIA who were diagnosed in Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from November 2019 to December 2021 were enrolled in this prospective study. Six healthy children were enrolled as the control group. After peripheral blood samples were collected, ELISA was used to measure the levels of sMICA and sMICB, and flow cytometry was used to measure the percentage of CD4 + NKG2D + T cells. Systemic Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score-27 (sJADAS-27)/Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score-27 (JADAS-27) was used to evaluate the disease activity in children with JIA. The Pearson correlation analysis and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used to assess the role of CD4 + NKG2D + T cells, sMICA and sMICB in the disease activity of JIA., Results: The active systemic JIA and active articular JIA groups had a significant increase in the percentage of CD4 + NKG2D + T cells compared with the control group and their corresponding inactive JIA group ( P <0.05). The JIA groups had significantly higher levels of sMICA and sMICB than the control group ( P <0.05), and the active articular JIA group had a significantly higher level of sMICB than the stable articular JIA group ( P <0.05). In the children with JIA, the percentage of CD4 + NKG2D + T cells and the levels of sMICA and sMICB were positively correlated with sJADAS-27/JADAS-27 disease activity scores ( P <0.05). The ROC curve analysis showed that sMICB had an area under the curve of 0.755 in evaluating the disease activity of JIA, with a specificity of 0.90 and a sensitivity of 0.64., Conclusions: The percentage of CD4 + NKG2D + T cells and the levels of sMICA and sMICB increase in children with JIA compared with healthy children and are positively correlated with the disease activity of JIA, suggesting that CD4 + NKG2D + T cells and NKG2D ligands can be used as potential biomarkers for evaluating the disease activity of JIA.

Background: Improvements in screening and imaging technologies and treatment of liver disease have influenced the trend in diagnosis for stage I liver cancer. In this article, recent trends in age, incidence, tumour size, and survival of different stages of liver cancer are analysed., Methods: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and end results data from the National Cancer Institute were used to analyse trends in age-adjusted incidence rate, mean tumour size at diagnosis, age at diagnosis, and 5-year survival probability for stage I liver cancer., Results: Stage I cases of liver cancer increased most tremendously over the study period, with a greater increase from 2004 to 2012 following a smaller increase from 2012 to 2015. Moreover, the mean age of stage I liver cancer increased by 1.72 years from 2004 to 2015. The 5-year-overall survival for stage I liver cases worsened from 97.9% to 83.7% from 2004 to 2011, whereas the 10-year survival probability for stage I cases worsened from 97.3% in 2004 to 79.6% in 2006. Comparing with higher stage cases, stage I liver cancer were more likely to be females, be married, live in metro areas, receive chemotherapy, and carry medical insurance., Conclusions: The incidence of stage I liver cancer has increased over the study period, with an increase in age of diagnosis, decrease in tumour size, and generally stable overall survival rate with slight decrease. These trends emphasized the importance of early detection of liver cancer and regular screening and better treatment for high-risk populations.RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTSImprovements in screening and imaging technologies and treatment of liver disease have influenced the trend in diagnosis for liver cancer.Stage I cases of liver cancer increased most tremendously over the study period, with a greater increase from 2004 to 2012 following a smaller increase from 2012 to 2015.These trends emphasized the importance of early detection of liver cancer and regular screening and better treatment for high-risk populations.

Background: Parents of children with complicated congenital heart disease (CHD) have different needs after surgery. Little literature reports the impact factors for psychological needs of parents of children with complicated CHD., Aim: To investigate the status quo of the needs of parents of children after surgery for complex CHD, and analyze the influencing factors, in order to provide a theoretical basis for formulating corresponding nursing countermeasures., Methods: A modified Chinese version of the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory (M-CCFNI) was used to select 200 parents of children with complex CHD after surgery within 72 h after admission to the intensive care unit in our hospital to conduct an online questionnaire survey. The aim was to understand the needs of parents in relation to the following five aspects: The support from medical staff, comfort of the parents themselves, the acquisition of information, their closeness to the children, and assurance of the child's condition., Results: Parents of children with complex CHD had a higher degree of demand, especially in terms of condition assurance, acquisition of information, and closeness to the children. The age, education level, and residence of the parents were related to the five dimensions of the needs of parents of children with complex CHD who had undergone surgery., Conclusion: In practice, nurses should formulate corresponding nursing strategies based on the different cultural and social backgrounds of parents of children after complex CHD surgery to meet their different needs, and improve satisfaction. These findings provide a theoretical basis for constructing a family participatory nursing model for children in the intensive care unit in the future., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article., (©The Author(s) 2022. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: To investigate whether prone position can reduce the risk of patients with mild or moderate COVID-19 who progress to severe or critical illness., Methods: The prone position group was treated in prone position on the day of admission in addition to conventional treatment. Indicators such as saturation of pulse oximetry (SpO 2 ), heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and prone position-related adverse events were recorded before prone ventilation, 5 min after prone position and 30 min after prone position. Meanwhile, the cases of severe and critical patients, the percentage of transformation and the final clinical outcome of this group were analyzed. Conversion rates and mortality were calculated for patients with mild or moderate COVID-19 retrieved from the database who received only conventional care without combined prone positioning as control group., Results: (1) A total of 34 patients were included in prone position group. There were significant differences in SpO 2 between the first 4 days after admission and the day of discharge (F = 3.17, P < 0.001). (2) The main complications were back and neck muscle soreness (55.9%), followed by abdominal distension (8.9%). (3) In control group, a total of 4873 cases of mild and moderate patients were included from 19 literatures, with an average deterioration rate of 22.7% and mortality rate of 1.7%. (4) In prone position group, there were no severe or critical transformation cases and also no death cases. The prone position group had a significantly lower deterioration rate when compared with the control group (χ 2  = 9.962, P < 0.01)., Conclusion: Prone position improves SpO 2 in patients with mild or moderate COVID-19. It can also reduce the percentage of mild or moderate patients progressing to severe or critical patients. The application of prone position is a simple, feasible, safe and effective treatment method in such patients., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Colorectal cancer (CRC) includes colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) and rectal adenocarcinoma (READ). Competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) is crucial for cancer pathogenesis. Abnormal expression of MYC is generally associated with a poor colon adenocarcinoma prognosis. The present study aimed to identify a novel MYC-associated ceRNA regulatory network and identify potential prognostic markers associated with COAD. We obtained the transcriptome sequencing profiles of 462 COAD cases from the TCGA database and analyzed differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in MYC high expression (MYC high ) and MYC low expression (Myc low ) tumors. We identified an important lncRNA, LINC00114, which effectively predicts overall survival and plays a protective role in COAD. Moreover, the LINC00114/miR-216a-5p axis was identified as a clinical prognostic model. The predicted target genes of the LINC00114/miR-216a-5p axis include uromodulin Like 1 (UMODL1) and oncoprotein induced transcript 3 (OIT3), which are closely related to the survival and prognosis of COAD patients. In summary, we constructed a novel ceRNA regulatory network and identified potential biomarkers for the targeted therapy and prognosis of COAD., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Rui Xin et al.)

Abstract: With-No lysine Kinases (WNKs) have been newly implicated in alveolar fluid clearance (AFC). Epithelial sodium channels (ENaCs) serve a vital role in AFC. The potential protective effect of WNK4 in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), mediated by ENaC-associated AFC was investigated in the study. A model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ARDS was established in C57BL/6 mice. WNK4, Sterile 20-related proline-alanine-rich kinase (SPAK), small interfering RNA (siRNA)-WNK4 or siRNA-SPAK were transfected into mouse lung or primary alveolar epithelial type II (ATII) cells. AFC, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung histomorphology were determined. The expression of ENaC was determined to investigate the regulation of AFC by WNK4-SPAK signaling pathway. Activation of WNK4-SPAK signaling improved lung injury and survival rate, with enhanced AFC and reduced pulmonary edema via the upregulation of ENaC in ARDS. In primary rat ATII cells, gene-silencing by siRNA transfection reduced ENaC expression and the level of WNK4-associated SPAK phosphorylation. Immunoprecipitation revealed that the level of neural precursor cell-expressed developmentally downregulated gene 4 (Nedd4-2) binding to ENaC was decreased as a result of WNK4-SPAK signaling. The present study demonstrated that the WNK4/SPAK pathway improved AFC during LPS-induced ARDS, which is mainly dependent on the upregulation of ENaC with Nedd4-2-mediated ubiquitination., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the Shock Society.)

A tumor's heterogeneity has important implications in terms of its clonal origin, progression, stemness, and drug resistance. Therefore, because of its significance in treatment, it is important to understand the gene expression pattern of a single cell, track gene expression or mutation in heterogeneous cells, evaluate the clonal origin of cancer cells, and determine the selective evolution of different subpopulations of cancer cells. Researchers are able to trace a cell's mutation and identify different types of tumor cells by measuring the whole transcriptome with single-cell sequencing (scRNA-seq). This technology provides a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving tumor growth than that offered by traditional RNA sequencing methods. In addition, it has revealed changes in the mutations and functions of somatic cells as a tumor evolves; it has also clarified immune cell infiltration and activation. Research on scRNA-seq technology has recently advanced significantly, suggesting new strategies for the treatment of cancer. In short, cancer researchers have become increasingly dependent on scRNA-seq. This paper reviews the development, detection principles, and processes of scRNA-seq technology and their application in tumor research. It also considers potential clinical applications.

Aim: To establish a predictive nomogram for malignancy risk stratification of micro-calcifications (MCCs) detected on mammography., Materials and Methods: Consecutive mammograms from January 2017 to March 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Traditional clinical features were recorded and mammographic features were estimated according to the 5th BI-RADS. A nomogram was developed to graphically predict the malignancy risk based on multivariate logistic regression analysis. The discrimination and calibration performance of the prediction model was assessed., Results: There were 123 cases of suspicious MCCs with final pathological results identified with a malignancy rate of 55.2%. The malignancy rates of subgroups divided according to the morphology and distribution of MCCs, age, menopausal status and the maximum diameter of MCCs were significantly different. Multivariate logistic analysis showed that a menopause status of postmenopausal, maximum diameters of MCCs ≥2 cm, the morphology of MCCs as fine pleomorphic or fine linear or branching, and the distribution of MCCs as linear or segmental were predictive of a higher probability of malignancy. A prediction nomogram was developed based on four risk factors, including menopausal status as well as the maximum diameters, distribution and morphology of the MCCs. The AUC of that nomogram was 0.839 (95%CI:0.771-0.903)., Conclusion: In mammography, the morphology, distribution and maximum diameter of MCCs, and the menopausal status are independent predictors of malignant suspicious MCCs and are readily available in the clinical setting. The nomogram developed in this study for individualized malignancy risk stratification of suspicious MCCs shows a reliable discrimination performance., (Copyright © 2021 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Owing to their excellent characteristics, Pickering emulsions have been widely used in the development and the application of new carriers for embedding and for delivering active compounds. In this study, β-carotene was successfully encapsulated in a Pickering emulsion stabilized using Desmodium intortum protein isolate (DIPI). The results showed that the encapsulation efficiencies of β-carotene in the control group Tween 20 emulsion (TE) and the DIPI Pickering emulsion (DIPIPE) were 46.7 ± 2.5% and 97.3 ± 0.8%, respectively. After storage for 30 days at 25 °C and 37 °C in a dark environment, approximately 79.4% and 72.1% of β-carotene in DIPIPE were retained. Compared with TE, DIPIPE can improve the stability of β-carotene during storage. In vitro digestion experiments showed that the bioaccessibility rate of β-carotene in DIPIPE was less than that in TE. Cytotoxicity experiments showed that DIPI and β-carotene micelles within a specific concentration range exerted no toxic effects on 3T3 cells. These results indicate that DIPIPE can be used as a good food-grade carrier for embedding and transporting active substances to broaden the application of the protein-based Pickering emulsion system in the development of functional foods.

Background: This study aimed to explore the analgesic effect among adductor canal block (ACB) combined with infiltration between the popliteal artery and the capsule of the posterior knee (IPACK) block, ACB, and IPACK block following total knee arthroplasty (TKA)., Methods: One hundred twenty patients were randomly allocated into 3 groups including group A (ACB + IPACK block), group B (ACB), and group C (IPACK block). The primary outcome was postoperative pain score. The secondary outcome was opioid consumption. Other outcomes included functional evaluation and postoperative complications., Results: Group A showed the lowest pain scores within 8 hours at rest and with knee maximum flexion (P < .001). From 12 to 24 hours, group C showed the highest pain scores, while no significant difference was found between group A and group B. No significant difference was found among the 3 groups 24 hours postoperatively. Group C showed the most opioid consumption within the first 24 hours and during the hospitalization, while no significant difference was found between group A and group B. No significant difference was found among the 3 groups including function evaluation and postoperative complications., Conclusion: ACB + IPACK block can improve early analgesia when compared with ACB. However, the small statistical benefit to the addition of IPACK block to ACB may be unlikely to be clinically significant. Further studies may focus on patient selection and how to prolong the effect of IPACK block., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Primary lung cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in China. Approximately 60% of lung cancer patients have distant metastasis at the initial diagnosis, so it is necessary to find new tumor markers for early diagnosis and individualized treatment. Tumor markers contribute to the early diagnosis of lung cancer and play important roles in early detection and treatment, as well as in precision medicine, efficacy monitoring, and prognosis prediction. The pathological diagnosis of lung cancer in small biopsy specimens determines whether there are tumor cells in the biopsy and tumor type. Because biopsy is traumatic and the compliance of patients with multiple biopsies is poor, liquid biopsy has become a hot research direction. Liquid biopsies are advantageous because they are nontraumatic, easy to obtain, reflect the overall state of the tumor, and allow for real-time monitoring. At present, liquid biopsies mainly include circulating tumor cells, circulating tumor DNA, exosomes, microRNA, circulating RNA, tumor platelets, and tumor endothelial cells. This review introduces the research progress and clinical application prospect of liquid biopsy technology for lung cancer., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objective: To summarize the clinical characteristics and explore the risk factors of recurrent Kawasaki disease. Methods: In this retrospective study, reviewed 41 cases with recurrent Kawasaki disease in Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 2013 to January 2021. And another 123 children with Kawasaki disease who had no recurrence during at least 6 years of follow-up were assigned into control group. Furthermore, the risk factors of recurrence were derived by comparing the clinical characteristics of recurrent cases at their initial episodes with those of control cases by Chi-square test and the Mann-Whitney U test, followed by Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic analysis. Results: There were 29 males and 12 females in 41 children with recurrent Kawasaki disease, 33 children (80%) suffered a recurrence within 2 years after the first episode and 8 children (20%) developed a recurrence after 2 years. Compared with the first episode, the second episode had lower white blood cell count (15.2 (12.8-18.8)×10 9 vs . 18.0 (14.9-23.4)×10 9 /L, Z= -2.462, P= 0.014) and rate of edema in extremities (54% (22/41) vs . 76% (31/41), χ 2 =4.321, P= 0.038), shorter fever durations before intravenous immunoglobulin treatment (5.0 (5.0-6.0) vs . 6.0 (5.0-7.5) d, Z= -3.329, P= 0.001) and higher levels of hemoglobin ((116±8) vs. (107±12)g/L, t =-4.124, P< 0.05) and albumin((39±5) vs . (36±6) g/L, t= -3.009, P= 0.004). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that C-reaction protein>97.5 mg/L ( OR= 3.014, 95% CI 1.350-6.730, P= 0.007), platelet >276 × 10 9 /L ( OR= 4.099, 95% CI 1.309-12.838, P= 0.015), intravenous immunoglobulin resistance ( OR= 9.239, 95% CI 1.178-72.477, P= 0.034), Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection ( OR= 2.585, 95% CI 1.129-5.922, P= 0.025) were independent risk factors for recurrent Kawasaki disease recurrence.The predictive model then was generated using these four risk factors. The receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that the area under curve was 0.732 (95% CI 0.647-0.817). When the cut-off was 0.241, the sensitivity and specificity were 63.4% and 70.7%, respectively. Conclusions: Children with Kawasaki disease should be followed up for at least 2 years after the first episode and should pay more attention to C-reactive protein. Children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection, intravenous immunoglobulin resistance, higher C-reactive protein and platelet at the first onset have a higher risk of recurrent Kawasaki disease.

Chronic alcohol abuse increases the risk of mortality and poor outcomes in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. However, the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of chronic alcohol consumption on lung injury and clarify the signaling pathways involved in the inhibition of alveolar fluid clearance (AFC). In order to produce rodent models with chronic alcohol consumption, wild‑type C57BL/6 mice were treated with alcohol. A2a adenosine receptor (AR) small interfering (si)RNA or A2bAR siRNA were transfected into the lung tissue of mice and primary rat alveolar type II (ATII) cells. The rate of AFC in lung tissue was measured during exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) expression was determined to investigate the mechanisms underlying alcohol‑induced regulation of AFC. In the present study, exposure to alcohol reduced AFC, exacerbated pulmonary edema and worsened LPS‑induced lung injury. Alcohol caused a decrease in cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels and inhibited α‑ENaC, β‑ENaC and γ‑ENaC expression levels in the lung tissue of mice and ATII cells. Furthermore, alcohol decreased α‑ENaC, β‑ENaC and γ‑ENaC expression levels via the A2aAR or A2bAR‑cAMP signaling pathways in vitro . In conclusion, the results of the present study demonstrated that chronic alcohol consumption worsened lung injury by aggravating pulmonary edema and impairing AFC. An alcohol‑induced decrease of α‑ENaC, β‑ENaC and γ‑ENaC expression levels by the A2AR‑mediated cAMP pathway may be responsible for the exacerbated effects of chronic alcohol consumption in lung injury.

Objective: To investigate the causes,prevention and treatment of femoral artery puncture related complications caused by the application of resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) in the resection of pelvic and sacral tumors. Methods: Clinical data of 23 patients with femoral artery puncture related complications who received REBOA in the resection of pelvic and sacral tumors from August 2010 to August 2018 at the Musculoskeletal Tumor Center,Peking University People's Hospital were retrospectively analyzed.There were 8 males and 15 females,with the an age of (37.0±16.2) years (range:15 to 65 years).Arterial access via the Seldinger technique for REBOA was obtained in the right common femoral artery of 18 cases,and in the left of 6 cases.An arterial sheath with a diameter of 11 to 12 F(1 F≈0.33 mm) was used for the patient.The occurrence and treatment of postoperative complications were analyzed. Results: Acute femoral arterial thrombosis occurred in 18 patients,which was managed by open repair 48 hours postoperatively.Among the 349 patients admitted before 2015 who received hemostasis by compression after femoral artery sheath removal,12 patients (3.4%) developed acute femoral artery thrombosis.While the 476 patients admitted after 2015 who used a vascular stapler to close the femoral artery wound,6 patients (1.3%) developed acute femoral artery thrombosis.One case of retroperitoneal hematoma and 1 case of femoral pseudoaneurysm were found and surgically fixed.Postoperative follow-up was (40±18) months (range:13 to 108 months).Three cases with chronic lower extremity ischemia were confirmed by Doppler ultrasonography during 1 to 5 years follow-up.Two of them had minimal symptoms and denied further treatment,while the other one received femoral-femoral artery bypass surgery to restore distal flow for pain and numbness relief. Conclusions: Acute femoral arterial thrombosis was the most common femoral artery puncture.Technique refinement of REBOA,the use of percutaneous suture device and close follow-up can reduce the approach-specific complications,and help to detect and treat the complications timely,which may popularize the clinical application of REBOA.

Background: The operative mortality of pericardiectomy still is high. This retrospective study was conducted to determine the risk factors of early mortality and multiorgan failure., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients undergoing pericardiectomy from January 2009 to June 2020 at our hospital. Pericardiectomy was performed via sternotomy. Histopathologic studies of pericardium tissue from every patient were done. All survivors were monitored to the end date of the study., Results: Ninety-two consecutive patients undergoing pericardiectomy for constrictive pericarditis were included in the study. Postoperatively, central venous pressure significantly decreased, and left ventricular end diastolic dimension and left ventricular ejection fractions significantly improved. The overall mortality rate was 5.4%. The common postoperative complications include acute renal injury (27.2%), and multiorgan failure (8.7%). Analyses of risk factors showed that fluid balance of the second day following operation is associated with early mortality and multiorgan failure. In this series from Guangxi, China, characteristic histopathologic features of tuberculosis (60/92, 65.2%) of pericardium were the most common histopathologic findings, and 32 patients (32/92, 34.8%) had the histopathologic findings of chronic nonspecific inflammatory changes. The functional status of the patients improved after pericardiectomy; 6 months later postoperatively 85 survivors were in class I (85/87, 97.7%) and two were in class II (2/87, 2.3%)., Conclusions: Tuberculosis is the most common cause of constrictive pericarditis in Guangxi, China. Fluid balance of the second day following operation is associated with early mortality and multiorgan failure after pericardiectomy for constrictive pericarditis in our study.

Background: Acute kidney (renal) injury (AKI) is a severe and common complication that occurs in ~40% of patients undergoing cardiac surgery. AKI has been associated with increased mortality and worse prognosis. This prospective study was conducted to determine the risk factors for AKI after pericardiectomy and decrease the operative risk of mortality and morbidity., Methods: This was a prospective, observational cohort study of patients with constrictive pericarditis undergoing pericardiectomy. All patients underwent pericardiectomy via median sternotomy. Serum creatinine was used as the diagnostic standard of AKI according to Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes classification. All survivors were monitored to the end date of the study., Results: Consecutive patients (N = 92) undergoing pericardiectomy were divided into 2 groups: with AKI (n = 25) and without AKI (n = 67). The incidence of postoperative AKI was 27.2% (25/92). Hemodialysis was required for 10 patients (40%), and there were 5 operative deaths. Mortality, intubation time, time in intensive care unit, fresh-frozen plasma, and packed red cells of the group with AKI were significantly higher than those of the group without AKI. Both univariate and multivariate analyses showed that statistically significant independent predictors of AKI include intubation time, chest drainage, fresh-frozen plasma, and packed red cells. The latest follow-up data showed that 85 survivors were New York Heart Association class I (97.7%) and 2 were class II (2.3%)., Conclusions: AKI after pericardiectomy is a serious complication and contributes to significantly increased morbidity and mortality. Prevention of AKI development after cardiac surgery and optimization of pre-, peri-, and postoperative factors that can reduce AKI, therefore, contribute to a better postoperative outcome and leads to lower rates of AKI, morbidity, and mortality.

The precious rare edible fungus Morchella conica is popular worldwide for its rich nutrition, savory flavor, and varieties of bioactive components. Due to its high commercial, nutritional, and medicinal value, it has always been a hot spot. However, the molecular mechanism and endophytic bacterial communities in M. conica were poorly understood. In this study, we sequenced, assembled, and analyzed the genome of M. conica SH. Transcriptome analysis reveals significant differences between the mycelia and fruiting body. As shown in this study, 1,329 and 2,796 genes were specifically expressed in the mycelia and fruiting body, respectively. The Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment showed that RNA polymerase II transcription activity-related genes were enriched in the mycelium-specific gene cluster, and nucleotide binding-related genes were enriched in the fruiting body-specific gene cluster. Further analysis of differentially expressed genes in different development stages resulted in finding two groups with distinct expression patterns. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment displays that glycan degradation and ABC transporters were enriched in the group 1 with low expressed level in the mycelia, while taurine and hypotaurine metabolismand tyrosine metabolism-related genes were significantly enriched in the group 2 with high expressed level in mycelia. Moreover, a dynamic shift of bacterial communities in the developing fruiting body was detected by 16S rRNA sequencing, and co-expression analysis suggested that bacterial communities might play an important role in regulating gene expression. Taken together, our study provided a better understanding of the molecular biology of M. conica SH and direction for future research on artificial cultivation., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Lü, Wu, Sun, Zhang, Wu, Jiang, Li, Huang, Wang, Zhao, Liu, Song, Mo, Pan, Yang, Long, Cui, Zhang, Wang and Tang.)