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Abstract Immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of cancer. However, its efficacy remains to be optimized. There are at least two major challenges in effectively eradicating cancer cells by immunotherapy. Firstly, cancer cells evade immune cell killing by down-regulating cell surface immune sensors. Secondly, immune cell dysfunction impairs their ability to execute anti-cancer functions. Radiotherapy, one of the cornerstones of cancer treatment, has the potential to enhance the immunogenicity of cancer cells and trigger an anti-tumor immune response. Inspired by this, we fabricate biofunctionalized liposome-like nanovesicles (BLNs) by exposing irradiated-cancer cells to ethanol, of which ethanol serves as a surfactant, inducing cancer cells pyroptosis-like cell death and facilitating nanovesicles shedding from cancer cell membrane. These BLNs are meticulously designed to disrupt both of the aforementioned mechanisms. On one hand, BLNs up-regulate the expression of calreticulin, an “eat me” signal on the surface of cancer cells, thus promoting macrophage phagocytosis of cancer cells. Additionally, BLNs are able to reprogram M2-like macrophages into an anti-cancer M1-like phenotype. Using a mouse model of malignant pleural effusion (MPE), an advanced-stage and immunotherapy-resistant cancer model, we demonstrate that BLNs significantly increase T cell infiltration and exhibit an ablative effect against MPE. When combined with PD-1 inhibitor (α-PD-1), we achieve a remarkable 63.6% cure rate (7 out of 11) among mice with MPE, while also inducing immunological memory effects. This work therefore introduces a unique strategy for overcoming immunotherapy resistance.

Introduction: Previous studies indicated that Wuda Granule (WDG) has been applied in the treatment of gastrointestinal motility disorder (GMD), but the effect and underlying mechanisms is yet to be elucidated. This study aimed to explore the mechanism and pharmacological effect of WDG for GMD via network analysis, verification of animal experiments and clinical experiments.Methods: The chemical components of WDG were identified from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database (TCMSP, http://lsp.nwu.edu.cn/index.php), and the Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ETCM, http://www.tcmip.cn/ETCM/index.php/Home/Index/) according to oral bioavailability (OB) ≥ 20% and drug-likeness (DL) ≥ 0.10. The targets of WDG compounds were retrieved from the Swiss Target Prediction database (http://www.swisstargetprediction.ch/) and targets related to GMD were retrieved from GeneCards database (https://www.genecards.org/). Network analysis were performed to screen the key active compounds of WDG and its hub targets. Then the pharmacological effect of WDG were verified via vivo experiments in rats and clinical experiments.Results: The results showed that 117 effective active compounds of WDG were screened and 494 targets of WDG compounds targeting GMD were selected. These targets were involved in the biological process of inflammatory regulation and the regulation of gastrointestinal motility. The mechanism was mainly involved in the regulation of PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and Rap1 signaling pathway. In addition, molecular docking analysis suggested that eight key active compounds of WDG may be mainly responsible for the effect of WDG on GMD by targeting HARS, AKT, and PIK3CA, respectively. Animal experiments and clinical trials both suggested that WDG could exert therapeutical effect on GMD via inhibiting inflammation and promoting gastrointestinal motility, it could also improve digestive function of patients with laparoscopic colorectal cancer after surgery.Conclusion: This study was the first to demonstrate that WDG improved GMD mainly via inhibiting inflammatory level and promoting gastrointestinal motility, providing new insights for the understanding of WDG for GMD, inspiration for future research and reference for clinical strategy in terms of the treatment of GMD.

Background Primary lymphoma of the female genital tract (PLFGT) is a sporadic extranodal lymphoma. Its epidemiology and prognosis are not fully recognized. Our study aimed to construct and validate prognostic nomograms for predicting survival for patients with PLFGT.Methods Incidence rate from 1975 to 2017 and patients with PLFGT from 1975 to 2011 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database were retrospectively reviewed. The nomograms of overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) were established according to the multivariate Cox regression analyses. The concordance index (C-index) and calibration plots were used to demonstrate its robustness and accuracy.Results A total of 617 PLFGT patients were identified. The overall incidence of PLFGT is 0.437/1,000,000 (adjusted to the US standard population in 2000) from 1975 to 2017. Age, histological subtype, Ann Arbor Stage, and therapeutic strategy were identified as independent prognostic factors for OS and DSS by multivariate Cox regression (p

Abstract Background This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of the trans-oral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOETVA) with neuroprotection techniques for the surgical management of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Methods Patients with PTC who underwent TOETVA between December 2016 and July 2020 were included in this study, and their relevant clinical characteristics, operational details, and surgical outcomes were reviewed and extracted from their medical records for further analysis. Results A total of 75 patients successfully underwent TOETVA with zero conversions. Unilateral lobectomy with isthmectomy and total thyroidectomy were completed for 58 and 17 patients, respectively, all using our unique neuroprotective procedure and ipsilateral central neck dissection (CND). The mean number of retrieved lymph nodes versus positive lymph nodes was 6.8 ± 3.7 vs. 1.5 ± 2.3. Postoperative complications included three cases of transient superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) palsy (4.0%), five cases of transient recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy (6.7%), 14 cases of transient hypoparathyroidism (18.7%), two cases of numb chin (2.7%) and two cases of flap perforation (2.7%). The follow-up period for patients with PTC lasted for 15.6 ± 10.9 months, during which no other complications or tumor recurrence were observed. Conclusion TOETVA can be safely performed for patients with PTC with satisfactory results during the short-term follow-up period. Our neuroprotection techniques can be integrated into TOETVA, which is worth recommending for PTC patients who desire better cosmetic surgical outcomes.

Stem-like tumor cells (SLTCs) are thought to be the cellular entity responsible for clinical recurrence and subsequent metastasis. Inhibiting or killing SLTCs can effectively reduce recurrence and metastasis, yet little has been done to clear SLTCs because they are usually resistant to chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and even immunotherapy. In this study, we established SLTCs by low-serum culture and confirmed that the low-serum-cultured tumor cells were in a quiescent state and resistant to chemotherapy, showing features of SLTCs, consistent with the reported data. We demonstrated that SLTCs had high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Based on the finding that radiated tumor cell-derived microparticles (RT-MPs) contained ROS, we used RT-MPs to kill SLTCs. We found that RT-MPs could further increase ROS levels and kill SLTCs in vivo and in vitro partially by ROS carried by the RT-MPs themselves, providing a new method for eliminating SLTCs.

Objectives: The study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of thoracic radiotherapy in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)-treated patients with stage IV non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: Patients with non-oligometastatic NSCLC harboring EGFR mutations were recruited. All patients received the first-generation TKI treatment with or without radiotherapy. The irradiated sites included primary and/or metastatic lesions. Of all the patients who underwent thoracic radiotherapy, some received radiotherapy before EGFR-TKI resistance, others received radiotherapy after progressive disease. Results: No statistically significant difference was observed in progression-free survival (PFS) (median 14.7 versus 11.2 months, p = 0.075) or overall survival (OS) (median 29.6 versus 40.6 months, p = 0.116) between patients treated with EGFR-TKIs alone and those with additional radiotherapy to any sites. However, EGFR inhibitors with thoracic radiation significantly improved OS (median 47.0 versus 31.0 months, p

Abstract CAR T cell therapy has shown dramatic clinical success in relapsed or refractory B-ALL and other hematological malignancies. However, the loss of specific antigens, cell fratricide, T cell aplasia, and normal T cell separation are challenges in treating T cell leukemia/lymphoma with CAR T therapy. CD99 is a promising antigen to target T-ALL and AML as it is strongly expressed on the majority of T-ALL and AML. Here, we isolated a low-affinity CD99 (12E7) antibody, which specifically recognizes leukemia cells over normal blood cells. Moreover, T cells transduced with an anti-CD99-specific CAR that contained the 12E7 scFv expanded with minor fratricide and without normal blood cells toxicity. We observed that our anti-CD99 CAR T cells showed robust cytotoxicity specifically against CD99+ T-ALL cell lines and primary tumor cells in vitro and significantly prolonged cell line-derived xenografts (CDXs) or patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) models survival in vivo. Together, our results demonstrate that anti-CD99 CAR T cells could specifically recognize and efficiently eliminate CD99+ leukemia cells.

Lateral neck dissection (LND) is a necessary treatment for thyroid cancer with lateral lymph node metastasis. However, the defect created during open surgery leaves a visible scar on the neck. With advancements in surgical technology, many robotic and endoscopic surgical techniques have been reported as alternatives to open surgery. In this study, we present a case series demonstrating the successful application of a novel hybrid approach for endoscopic LND and a review of different surgical approaches for “scarless” (at the neck) LND. We performed endoscopic LND via a combined chest and transoral approach in 24 patients between January 2021 and March 2022. The surgery was completed successfully in all patients with an average operation time of 298.1 ± 72.9 min. The numbers of positive/retrieved lymph nodes at levels II, III-IV, and VI were 0.7 ± 0.9/8.4 ± 4.1, 3.6 ± 2.7/19.5 ± 6.8, and 4.9 ± 3.9/10.3 ± 4.5, respectively. Complications included transient hypoparathyroidism in 10 patients, transient recurrent laryngeal nerve injury in 1 patient, internal jugular vein (IJN) injury in 1 patient, IJN sacrifice due to cancer invasion in 1 patient, and chyle leak in 1 patient, and no cases of tumor recurrence were observed during follow-up. The present case series indicates that the combined chest and transoral approach is feasible and effective for performing LND. Our review of different approaches for “scarless” (at the neck) LND identified advantages and disadvantages for all techniques. Our novel approach has unique advantages, and thus, it can provide an ideal surgical procedure for specific papillary thyroid carcinoma patients.

Controversial views regarding the roles of B cells in tumor immunity have existed for several decades. However, more recent studies have focused on its positive properties in antitumor immunity. Many studies have demonstrated a close association of the higher density of intratumoral B cells with favorable outcomes in cancer patients. B cells can interact with T cells as well as follicular dendritic cells within tertiary lymphoid structures, where they undergo a series of biological events, including clonal expansion, somatic hypermutation, class switching, and tumor-specific antibody production, which may trigger antitumor humoral responses. After activation, B cells can function as effector cells via direct tumor-killing, antigen-presenting activity, and production of tumor-specific antibodies. At the other extreme, B cells can obtain inhibitory functions by relevant stimuli, converting to regulatory B cells, which serve as an immunosuppressive arm to tumor immunity. Here we summarize our current understanding of the bipolar properties of B cells within the tumor immune microenvironment and propose potential B cell-based immunotherapeutic strategies, which may help promote cancer immunotherapy.

Background: Studies on the epidemiology and prognosis of primary breast lymphoma (PBL) are lack for low incidence. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of PBL and develop nomograms to predict patient survival. Methods: Data of patients who were diagnosed with PBL from 1975 to 2011 and incidence rate of PBL from 1975 to 2017 were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Time-varying multivariable Cox regression analysis was performed to identify independent prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS). Nomograms were constructed based on the independent prognostic factors identified in multivariate Cox regression analysis. Results: A total of 1427 patients diagnosed with PBL were identified with the average age of 67.1 years. The overall incidence of PBL is 1.35/1,000,000 (adjusted to the United States standard population in 2000) from 1975 to 2017, with a significant upward trend by an annual percentage change (APC) of 2.91 (95%CI 2.29–3.94, P

Abstract Background Tumor-infiltrating B lymphocytes (TIL-Bs) is a heterogeneous population of lymphocytes. The prognostic value of TIL-Bs in patients with breast cancer remains controversial. Here we conducted this meta-analysis to clarify the association of TIL-Bs with outcomes of patients with breast cancer. Methods We searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science to identify relevant studies assessing the prognostic significance of TIL-Bs in patients with breast cancer. Fixed- or random-effects models were used to evaluate the pooled hazard ratios (HRs) for overall survival (OS), breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS), disease-free survival (DFS), and relapse-free survival (RFS) in breast cancer. Results A total of 8 studies including 2628 patients were included in our study. Pooled analyses revealed that high level of TIL-Bs was associated with longer OS (pooled HR = 0.42, 95% CI 0.24–0.60), BCSS (pooled HR = 0.66, 95% CI 0.47–0.85), and DFS/RFS (pooled HR = 0.41, 95% CI 0.27–0.55). Conclusions This meta-analysis suggests that TIL-Bs could be a promising prognostic marker for breast cancer. Novel therapeutic strategies for breast cancer treatment could be developed by enhancement of B cell-mediated antitumor immunity.

Abstract Background Patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) who are receiving radiotherapy commonly face detrimental complications, including oral issues. However, oral symptoms are not well understood given the lack of available specific assessment instruments. The Vanderbilt Head and Neck Symptom Survey version (VHNSS) 2.0 is an instrument specifically developed to identify oral symptoms in HNC patients receiving radiotherapy in the United States. Objective To perform the translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the original English version of VHNSS 2.0 into a Chinese version (Mainland China). Methods The translation and cultural adaptation process involved translation by independent translators, construction of a consensus version, back translation into the original English version, analysis by the expert committee and a pretest. The pretest was administered to 90 patients with HNC to assess the feasibility and practicality of the tool. Results The final Chinese version approved by the expert committee was well understood by all participants in the study. The instrument had satisfactory content validity, with indexes of 0.83 for semantic and idiomatic equivalence, 0.90 for cultural equivalence, and 0.91 for conceptual equivalence. Furthermore, this version had good internal consistency, with Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranging from 0.74 to 0.95. Conclusion The Chinese version of VHNSS 2.0 was translated and cross-culturally adapted for use in China. This translation is a feasible instrument to assess oral health-related quality of life in HNC patients undergoing radiotherapy and will be useful for symptom management by clinicians and researchers in China.

In this study, a series of resonant-column experiments were conducted on marine clays from Bohai Bay and Hangzhou Bay, China. The characteristics of the dynamic shear modulus (G) and damping ratio (D) of these marine clays were examined. It was found that G and D not only vary with shear strain (γ), but they also have a strong connection with soil depth (H) (reflected by the mean effective confining pressure (σm) in the laboratory test conditions). With increasing H (σm) and fixed γ, the value of G gradually increases; conversely, the value of D gradually decreases, and this is accompanied by the weakening of the decay or growth rate. An intelligent model based on a back-propagation neural network (BPNN) was developed for the calculation of these parameters. Compared with existing function models, the proposed intelligent model avoids the forward propagation of data errors and the need for human intervention regarding the fitting parameters. The model can accurately predict the G and D characteristics of marine clays at different H (σm) and the corresponding γ. The prediction accuracy is universal and does not strictly depend on the number of neurons in the hidden layer of the neural network.

The shear modulus is an essential parameter that reflects the mechanical properties of the soil. However, little is known about the shear modulus of coral sand, especially under complex consolidation conditions. In this paper, we present the results of a multi-stage strain-controlled undrained cyclic shear test on saturated coral sand. The influences of several consolidation state parameters: effective mean principal stress (p0′), consolidation ratio (kc), consolidation direction angle (α0), and coefficient of intermediate principal stress (b) on the maximum shear modulus (G0), the reference shear strain (γr) and the reduction of shear modulus (G) have been investigated. For a specified shear strain level, G will increase with increasing p0′ and kc, but decrease with increasing α0 and b. However, the difference between G for various α0 and b can be reduced by the increase of shear strain amplitude (γa). G0 shows an increasing trend with the increase of p0′ and kc; on the contrary, with the increase of α0 and b, G0 shows a decreasing trend. To quantify the effect of consolidation state parameters on G0, a new index (μG0) with four parameters (λ1, λ2, λ3, λ4) which is related to p0′, kc, α0, b is proposed to modify the prediction model of G0 in literature. Similarly, the values of γr under different consolidation conditions are also evaluated comprehensively by the four parameters, and the related index (μγr) is used to predict γr for various consolidation state parameters. A new finding is that there is an identical relationship between normalized shear modulus G/G0 and normalized shear strain γa/γr for various consolidation state parameters and the Davidenkov model can describe the G/G0–γa/γr curves. By using the prediction model proposed in this paper, an excellent prediction of G can be obtained and the deviation between measured and predicted G is all within ±10%.

Objective. The homing of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) to infarcted myocardium, which is important for improved cardiac function, has been investigated previously, but with poor efficiency. Substantial improvements in engraftments are required to optimize ASC treatment. Stromal derived factor-1α (SDF-1α) is upregulated early after MI, and its endogenous receptor, chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4), is pivotal in stem cell survival, migration, and engraftment. We examined whether CXCR4+ ASCs enhance their efficacy of migration and engraftment posttransplantation and improve heart function following myocardial infarction (MI). Methods and Results. CXCR4+ ASC subpopulations were sorted by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. CXCR4+ sorted ASCs exhibited the stronger cell viability, the faster proliferation rate, and the better migration capability in comparison with unfractionated ASCs. CXCR4+ sorted ASCs secreted a higher level of angiogenic growth factors including VEGF, HGF, and IGF-1 relative to unfractionated ASCs. Fewer apoptotic cells under oxygen-glucose deprivation were detected in CXCR4+ sorted ASCs than in unfractionated ASCs. Osteogenic and angiogenic differentiation were more pronounced in CXCR4+ sorted ASCs than in unfractionated ASCs. At 3 days after acute MI, rats were randomly allocated to receive intramyocardial injection of cell culture medium, CXCR4+ sorted ASCs, and unfractionated ASCs. Left ventricular function was assessed echocardiographically 4 weeks thereafter. Explanted hearts were then processed for the immunofluorescence detection of survived cells, quantification of angiogenesis, and cell engraftment. CXCR4+ sorted ASCs more obviously engrafted into infarcted myocardium, more markedly inhibited collagen remodeling, and more effectively improved heart function and promoted capillary formation than did unfractionated ASCs. Conclusion. CXCR4+ sorted ASCs are superior to unfractionated ASCs due to better viability, faster proliferation, more cytokine secretion, and stronger migration. CXCR4+ sorted ASCs provide better curative benefits on MI than do unfractionated ASCs and can be efficiently harvested and purified from adipose tissue, they may serve as a promising candidate for MI.

Abstract Background Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and cancer stem cells (CSCs) are two important cellular components in the tumor microenvironment, which may modify the cancer phenotype and affect patient survival. However, the crosstalk between MDSCs and multiple myeloma stem cells (MMSCs) are relatively poorly understood. Methods The frequencies of granulocytic-MDSCs (G-MDSCs) in MM patients were detected by flow cytometry and their association with the disease stage and patient survival were analyzed. RT-PCR, flow cytometry, western blot and sphere formation assays were performed to investigate the effects of G-MDSCs, piRNA-823 and DNA methylation on the maintenance of stemness in MM. Then a subcutaneous tumor mouse model was constructed to analyze tumor growth and angiogenesis after G-MDSCs induction and/or piRNA-823 knockdown in MM cells. Results Our clinical dataset validated the association between high G-MDSCs levels and poor overall survival in MM patients. In addition, for the first time we showed that G-MDSCs enhanced the side population, sphere formation and expression of CSCs core genes in MM cells. Moreover, the mechanism study showed that G-MDSCs triggered piRNA-823 expression, which then promoted DNA methylation and increased the tumorigenic potential of MM cells. Furthermore, silencing of piRNA-823 in MM cells reduced the stemness of MMSCs maintained by G-MDSCs, resulting in decreased tumor burden and angiogenesis in vivo. Conclusion Altogether, these data established a cellular, molecular, and clinical network among G-MDSCs, piRNA-823, DNA methylation and CSCs core genes, suggesting a new anti-cancer strategy targeting both G-MDSCs and CSCs in MM microenvironment.

Extracellular vesicles are small membrane particles derived from various cell types. EVs are broadly classified as ectosomes or small extracellular vesicles, depending on their biogenesis and cargoes. Numerous studies have shown that EVs regulate multiple physiological and pathophysiological processes. The roles of small extracellular vesicles in cancer growth and metastasis remain to be fully elucidated. As endogenous products, small extracellular vesicles are an ideal drug delivery platform for anticancer agents. However, several aspects of small extracellular vesicle biology remain unclear, hindering the clinical implementation of small extracellular vesicles as biomarkers or anticancer agents. In this review, we summarize the utility of cancer-related small extracellular vesicles as biomarkers to detect early-stage cancers and predict treatment outcomes. We also review findings from preclinical and clinical studies of small extracellular vesicle-based cancer therapies and summarize interventional clinical trials registered in the United States Food and Drug Administration and the Chinese Clinical Trials Registry. Finally, we discuss the main challenges limiting the clinical implementation of small extracellular vesicles and recommend possible approaches to address these challenges.

ABSTRACT: Objective To establish early detection and diagnosis for bladder cancer.Methods In the current study, a metabolomics strategy was used to profile bladder cancer urine metabolites in mice and to further characterize the disease status at different stages. In addition, some chemometrics algorithms were adopted to analyze the metabolites fingerprints, including baseline removal and retention time shift, to overcome variations in the experimental process. After processing, metabolites were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed in each sample at different stages. Finally, a random forest algorithm was used to discriminate the differences among different groups.Results Four potential biomarkers, including glyceric acid, (R*,R*)-2,3-Dihydroxybutanoic acid, N-(1-oxohexyl)-glycine and D-Turanose, were discovered by exploring the characteristics of different groups.Conclusion These results suggest that combining chemometrics with the metabolites profile is an effective approach to aid in clinical diagnosis. Keywords: Metabolic fingerprints, Chemometrics approaches, Data analysis, Bladder cancer

Abstract Background The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), a biomarker for systematic inflammation, has been recently identified as a prognostic factor for various types of both solid and hematologic malignancies. Here we conducted an updated dose–response meta-analysis to investigate whether NLR can be served as a prognostic biomarker in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Methods We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, ISI Web of Science and CNKI for relevant studies. Odds ratios or hazards ratios (HRs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled to estimate the association between NLR and clinicopathological parameters or survival of cancer patients. Results Eleven trials with 2515 DLBCL patients were included in the meta-analysis. The results revealed that elevated pretreatment NLR was significantly associated with elder age, advanced Ann Arbor stage, higher incidence rate of B symptoms and bone marrow involvement, and higher lactate dehydrogenase level, etc. Moreover, increased NLR also predicted poorer overall survival (HR 1.826, 95% CI 1.238–2.692) and progression-free survival/event-free survival (PFS/EFS) (HR 1.591, 95% CI 1.124–2.252). And two-stage dose–response meta-analysis revealed non-linear association between increased NLR and risk of mortality in DLBCL patients. Conclusion DLBCL patients with higher NLR are more likely to have poorer prognosis than those with lower NLR.

Polygonatum (Asparagaceae) is a medicinal and food plant that is naturally distributed in most of countries throughout the temperate Northern Hemisphere. Here we report on the complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequence of a rare species Polygonatum sp. without defoliation in late autumn or winter. The cp genome is 157,696 bp in size and includes two inverted repeat regions of 52,821bp, which is separated by a large single-copy region of 84,359 bp and a small single copy region of 20,516 bp. A total of 132 genes were predicted, including 38 tRNA, 8 rRNA, and 86 protein-coding genes. Phylogenetic analysis placed Polygonatum sp. under the subfamily Nolinoideae of the family Asparagaceae.

Lilium brownii F.E.Brown var. viridulum Baker is a medicinal and food plant that is widely distributed in northern and eastern Asia. Here, we report on the complete chloroplast genome sequence of L. brownii var. viridulum. The chloroplast genome is 152,665 bp in size and includes two inverted repeat regions of 53,052 bp, which is separated by a large single-copy region of 82,085 bp and a small single-copy region of 17,528 bp. A total of 131 genes were predicted, including 38 tRNA, 8 rRNA, and 85 protein-coding genes. Phylogenetic analysis placed L. brownii var. viridulum under the family Liliaceae.

Lilium pumilum DC. is a useful plant species not only for its showy flowers but also for its edible and medicinal values. Here we report on the complete chloroplast genome sequence of L. pumilum. The chloroplast genome is 152,573 bp in size and includes two inverted repeat regions of 52,984 bp, which is separated by a large single-copy region of 82,009 bp and a small single copy region of 17,580 bp. A total of 130 genes were predicted, including 38 tRNA, 8 rRNA, and 84 protein-coding genes. Phylogenetic analysis placed L. pumilum under the family Liliaceae.

As an edible sclerotia-forming fungus, Poria cocos is widely used as a food supplement and as a tonic in China. High-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-QTOF-MS/MS) was applied to identify triterpene acids in fermented mycelia of P. cocos, as well as the epidermis and inner part of natural sclerotia. A total of 19 triterpene acids were identified in fermented mycelia, whereas 31 were identified in the epidermis and 24 in the inner part. Nine triterpene acids were quantitatively determined, and the concentrations of two valuable triterpenes, dehydropachymic acid and pachymic acid, reached 1.07 mg/g and 0.61 mg/g in the fermented mycelia part, respectively, and were both significantly higher than the concentration in the two natural parts. The fermented mycelia could be a good choice for producing some target triterpene compounds and functional foods through fermentation thanks to the high concentration of some triterpene acids.

The sweet rhizomes of Polygonatum cyrtonema are widely used as a tonic and functional food. A sensitive and rapid analytical method was developed for simultaneous identification and dynamic analysis of saccharides during steam processing in P. cyrtonema using HPLC⁻QTOF⁻MS/MS. Fructose, sorbitol, glucose, galactose, sucrose, and 1-kestose were identified, as well as a large number of oligosaccharides constituted of fructose units through β-(2→1) or β-(2→6). Polysaccharides and oligosaccharides were decomposed to monosaccharides during a steaming process, since the contents of glucose, galactose, and fructose were increased, while those of sucrose, 1-kestose, and polysaccharides were decreased. The high content of fructose was revealed to be the main determinant for increasing the level of sweetness after steaming. The samples of different repeated steaming times were shown to be well grouped and gradually shift along the PC1 (72.4%) axis by principal component analysis. The small-molecule saccharides, especially fructose, could be considered as markers for the steaming process of rhizomes of P. cyrtonema.

Background: Patients with hemorrhagic stroke have high mortality and disability rates. Nevertheless, early rehabilitation interventions can improve their outcomes. We aimed to apply capsaicin atomization as early intervention to patients with hemorrhagic stroke and explore improvements in cough and swallowing functions. Method: Patients with hemorrhagic stroke were randomly divided into the control group, which received routine care, and the intervention group, which underwent the capsaicin solution nebulization scheme in addition to routine care. Differences in the presence/absence of cough reflex and number of coughs in response to capsaicin, the presence/absence of swallowing reflex in response to water, the presence/absence of postswallow residue, substance P (SP) concentration, and pulmonary inflammation between the two groups were determined before and after the intervention. Results: A total of 53 patients with hemorrhagic stroke were included. Results showed no statistically significant difference in cough reflex in both groups after the intervention (p > 0.05). The degree of cough in the intervention group was stronger than that in the control group (p = 0.046). No statistically significant difference was observed in the number of patients with swallowing reflex in response to water between the groups (p > 0.05). The presence/absence of postswallow residue of the intervention group was stronger than that of the control group (p = 0.032). No statistically significant difference was observed between the Glasgow Coma Scale scores of the groups after the intervention (p > 0.05). SP in the intervention group was significantly increased (p = 0.031). The Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score was significantly lower in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.028). Conclusions: Capsaicin nebulization can help enhance the number of coughs in response to capsaicin, reduce postswallow residue, and increase the level of SP in patients with hemorrhagic stroke and has a positive effect on pulmonary inflammation. This study provides intervention points for cough and swallowing rehabilitation after a hemorrhagic stroke.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was recently identified as a factor produced by multiple myeloma (MM) cells, which may contribute to bone resorption and disease progression in MM, though the molecular mechanism of this process is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to test the effect of BDNF on bone disease and growth of MM cells both in vitro and in vivo. Co- and triple-culture systems were implemented. The in vitro results demonstrate that BDNF augmented receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand (RANKL) expression in human bone marrow stromal cells, thus contributing to osteoclast formation. To further clarify the effect of BDNF on myeloma bone disease in vivo, ARH-77 cells were stably transfected with an antisense construct to BDNF (AS-ARH) or empty vector (EV-ARH) to test their capacity to induce MM bone disease in SCID-rab mice. Mice treated with AS-ARH cells were preserved, exhibited no radiologically identifiable lytic lesions and, unlike the controls treated with EV-ARH cells, lived longer and showed reduced tumor burden. Consistently, bones harboring AS-ARH cells showed marked reductions of RANKL expression and osteoclast density compared to the controls harboring EV-ARH cells. These results provide further support for the potential osteoclastogenic effects of BDNF, which may mediate stromal-MM cell interactions to upregulate RANKL secretion, in myeloma bone diseases.

This study focuses on the application of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) in conducting field surveys and data processing at the northern campus of Jilin Jianzhu University. The research site's geographical location and overall conditions are described. A detailed layout of the survey lines for 3D surveys is presented. The collected data undergo basic processing and interpretation, identifying multiple target bodies and their associated electromagnetic responses. Advanced analyses such as 3D imaging, common attribute analysis, and time-varying centroid frequency attribute analysis are employed to investigate underground features and potential pipe networks. The case study in this research demonstrates that the integration of 3D GPR surveys and time-varying centroid frequency analysis can effectively assess the attenuation characteristics of subsurface media and structures, thereby enhancing the overall prospecting and data interpretation capabilities of GPR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]