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Egypt and China were essential in the evolution of human totemic culture. This paper focuses on their imaginative usage of anthropomorphic metaphors. According to research on totemism, the Chinese have three totemic concepts: totem-kin, totem-ancestor, and totem-God. If the concept of "anthropomorphic metaphor" is based on a variant of philosophical or theological terminology to focus on the "bird-totemic system of artistic meaning," it can be determined that the creative function of the institutional totems is explicit and the creative function of the individual totems is implicit, and that this manifestation of the institutional totems leads to their superficiality, with the result that a series of negative effects must inevitably ensue. To dispel the misunderstanding of the artistic connotation of the human-bird-eagle totems, it is necessary to promote our subjective consciousness through the self-conscious and speculative ideas in the individual totems in order to further liberate the life energy of humans in the contemporary spiritual construction. On the basis of Roland Barth's theory of symbol transmission, we attempt to investigate the notion that the individual consciousness represented by ancient totemic culture is power, which can assist in forming an understanding of the functioning in ancient culture.

Melanoma is a malignant tumor with poor prognosis and increasing global incidence. Little is known about the burden of melanoma in eastern Chinese cities, as the results of previous studies are inconsistent or unclear.In this study, we collected incidence rate data from the Ningbo National Health Information Platform, diagnostic data from the Ningbo Clinicopathological Diagnosis Center, and other relevant data from the Ningbo Bureau of Statistics to evaluate temporal trends and geographic variation in melanoma incidence and to analyze the relationship between melanoma incidence and medical resource availability.The incidence of melanoma in Ningbo has increased significantly in the past 8 years. In 2018, melanoma incidence in Ningbo was 521.67% higher than that in 2011, which was higher than the increase in the national rate. This may be a result of our study including early melanoma, which has a faster increase rate than invasive melanoma. The incidence rate of melanoma in urban areas was significantly higher than that in rural districts. From 2011 to 2018, the incidence rate in rural districts increased by 794.15%, which was significantly higher than the incidence rate increase in urban areas (245.03%).All indicators relating to medical resources had a significant positive impact on melanoma incidence, indicating that the low incidence of melanoma is partly due to a lack of medical resources, which can lead to delayed treatment and increased disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Therefore, it is necessary to continue to strengthen investment in medical resources, especially in China's rural areas and western regions where medical resources are less available.

Philosophy extends from literature to the study of art, religion, history and archaeology, and attempts to focus on the philosophical interpretation of the ancient Mayan bird totems. This article highlights the interaction between literature narration and cultural relic image narration, bringing methodological enlightenment to philosophical "comparison". The subjects focused on the mythological themes of hummingbirds and maidens, macaws and gods, the two main nodes. The purpose of this paper is to explore the mind structure of bird totemism hidden in Maya culture by beginning with perception and then reinterpreting the bird totemism image. This paper not only emphasizes the "comparative" philosophy as an important evidence of theoretical interpretation, but also closes the gap between written text and artistic expression.

Despite numerous research findings related to medieval Chinese Buddhism, the witchcraft role of bird totems in Buddhist history has not received sufficient attention. In order to fill this gap, this paper analyzes how Buddhist monks in medieval China developed a close relationship with bird-totem worship. This relationship has been documented in Buddhist scriptures, rituals, oral traditions, biographies, and mural art. Although bird-totem worship was practiced in many regions of medieval China, this paper specifically examines the visual culture of bird totems in Tibetan and Chinese Buddhism. Furthermore, some details of this culture were recorded in Buddhist texts and images. According to these works, various bird-totem patterns and symbols are believed to be effective ritual arts used by Tibetan and Chinese Buddhist monks to influence nature and the supernatural through ritual and magic.

tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs) are a new category of regulatory noncoding RNAs with distinct biological functions in cancers and stress-induced diseases. Herein, we first summarize the classification and biogenesis of tRFs. tRFs are produced from pre-tRNAs or mature tRNAs. Based on the incision loci, tRFs are classified into several types: tRF-1, tRF-2, tRF-3, tRF-5, and i-tRF. Some tRFs participate in posttranscriptional regulation through microRNA-like actions or by displacing RNA binding proteins and regulating protein translation by promoting ribosome biogenesis or interfering with translation initiation. Other tRFs prevent cell apoptosis by binding to cytochrome c or promoting virus replication. More importantly, the dysregulation of tRFs has important clinical implications. They are potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of gastric cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. tRFs may become new therapeutic targets for the treatment of diseases such as hepatocellular carcinoma and respiratory syncytial virus infection. Finally, we point out the existing problems and future research directions associated with tRFs. In conclusion, the current progress in the research of tRFs reveals that they have important clinical implications and may constitute novel molecular therapeutic targets for modulating pathological processes.

Pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (PPG) has been accepted as a representative function-preserving procedure for early gastric cancer (EGC) in the middle stomach. Totally, intracorporeal laparoscopic gastrectomy can provide better aesthetics, be less invasive, and allow faster postoperative recovery. Here, we first describe the surgical procedure of totally laparoscopic pylorus-preserving gastrectomy with intracorporeal hand-sewn anastomosis (TLPPG-IHSA). After standard procedure of lymph node dissection and middle stomach resection, we used two double-needle barbed sutures to perform a layer-to-layer manual anastomosis of the anterior and posterior walls in the abdominal cavity. Twelve patients with preoperatively diagnosed clinical EGC located in the middle third of the stomach underwent TLPPG-IHSA between August 2019 and January 2021. A total of 12 patients with EGC successfully underwent TLPPG-IHSA. Only one patient (8.3%) suffered postoperative gastric stasis. No complications or recurrence occurred in other patients during half a year after surgery. TLPPG-IHSA is considered technically feasible to treat EGC located in the middle third of the stomach.

BACKGROUND Unsuspected gallbladder carcinoma (UGC) refers to cholecystectomy due to benign gallbladder disease, which is pathologically confirmed as gallbladder cancer during or after surgery. Port-site metastasis (PSM) of UGC following laparoscopic cholecystectomy is rare, especially after several years. CASE SUMMARY A 55-year-old man presenting with acute cholecystitis and gallstones was treated by laparoscopic cholecystectomy in July 2008. Histological analysis revealed unexpected papillary adenocarcinoma of the gallbladder with gallstones, which indicated that the tumor had spread to the muscular space (pT1b). Radical resection of gallbladder carcinoma was performed 10 d later. In January 2018, the patient was admitted to our hospital for a mass in the upper abdominal wall after surgery for gallbladder cancer 10 years ago. Laparoscopic exploration and complete resection of the abdominal wall tumor were successfully performed. Pathological diagnosis showed metastatic or invasive, moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma in fibrous tissue with massive ossification. Immuno-histochemistry and medical history were consistent with invasion or metastasis of gallbladder carcinoma. His general condition was well at follow-up of 31 mo. No recurrence was found by ultrasound and epigastric enhanced computed tomography. CONCLUSION PSM of gallbladder cancer is often accompanied by peritoneal metastasis, which indicates poor prognosis. Once PSM occurs after surgery, laparoscopic exploration is recommended to rule out abdominal metastasis to avoid unnecessary surgery.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death after cardiovascular disease. In 2015, >8.7 million people died worldwide due to cancer, and by 2030 this figure is expected to increase to ~13.1 million. Tumor chemotherapy drugs have specific toxicity and side effects, and patients can also develop secondary drug resistance. To prevent and treat cancer, scientists have developed novel drugs with improved antitumor effects and decreased toxicity. Ailanthone (AIL) is a quassinoid extract from the traditional Chinese medicine plant Ailanthus altissima, which is known to have anti-inflammatory and antimalarial effects. An increasing number of studies have focused on AIL due to its antitumor activity. AIL can inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis by up- or downregulating cancer-associated molecules, which ultimately leads to cancer cell death. Antitumor effects of AIL have been observed in melanoma, acute myeloid leukemia, bladder, lung, breast, gastric and prostate cancer and vestibular neurilemmoma. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first review to describe the antitumor mechanisms of AIL.

Perioperative chemotherapy is a potential treatment for locally advanced gastric cancer. However, the optimal chemotherapy regimen remains unknown.To investigate the safety and efficacy of S-1 plus oxaliplatin (SOX) vs fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) as a perioperative chemotherapy regimen for patients with locally advanced gastric cancer.In this phase 3, open-label, multicenter, randomized clinical trial, patients from 12 Chinese hospitals were enrolled between June 2011 and August 2016, with a last follow-up date of September 2019. The primary tumor was evaluated as either invading the serosa or the adjacent structures with or without metastatic lymph nodes, and with no evidence of distant metastases. Data were analyzed from December 2019 to June 2020.Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either 6 perioperative (2-4 preoperative and 2-4 postoperative) 3-week cycles of 130 mg/m2 oxaliplatin on day 1 and 80 to 120 mg/d S-1 orally daily for 2 weeks (SOX) or 130 mg/m2 oxaliplatin, 400 mg/m2 fluorouracil, 400 mg/m2 leucovorin, and 2400 mg/m2 fluorouracil as 46-hour infusion on day 1 (FOLFOX).The primary end point was 3-year overall survival (OS). An absolute noninferiority margin of -8% was chosen.A total of 583 patients were enrolled; 293 were randomized to the SOX group and 290 were randomized to the FOLFOX group. Twelve patients (2.1%) refused preoperative chemotherapy (5 patients in the SOX group and 7 patients in the FOLFOX group), leaving a total of 288 patients in the SOX group (median [range] age, 61 [24 to 78] years; 197 men [68.4%]) and 283 patients in the FOLFOX group (median [range] age, 62 [24 to 80] years; 209 men [73.9%]) who received preoperative chemotherapy. The 3-year OS rate was 75.2% (95% CI, 70.3% to 80.5%) in the SOX group and 67.8% (95% CI, 62.5% to 73.5%) in the FOLFOX group. The absolute difference of 3-year OS rate between the 2 groups was 7.4% (95% CI, -0.1% to 14.9%), which was greater than the prespecified noninferiority margin (-8%) and showed the noninferiority of perioperative chemotherapy with SOX compared with FOLFOX.In this randomized clinical trial, SOX was noninferior to FOLFOX as perioperative chemotherapy for patients with locally advanced gastric cancer and could be recommended as an alternative treatment for these patients in Asia.ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01364376.

386 Background: Although adjuvant chemotherapy improvs the survival rate of stage III gastric cancer after curative D2 gastrectomy, the overall benefit is unsatisfactory. Therefore, the study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of adjuvant nab-paclitaxel plus S-1 (AS) versus oxaliplatin plus capecitabine (CAPOX) in the treatment of stage III gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC) after curative D2 gastrectomy. Methods: This phase 3, open-label, randomized study was conducted in patients with stage III GAC after curative D2 gastrectomy. Patients were randomized (1:1) to receive adjuvant AS (100 mg/m2 nab-paclitaxel on days 1 and 8; 40-60 mg oral S-1 twice daily on days 1-14) or CAPOX (130 mg/m2 oxaliplatin on day 1; 1000 mg/m2 oral capecitabine twice daily on days 1-14), repeat every 3 weeks for 8 cycles. The primary endpoint was the 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate by intention-to-treat analysis. Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS) and safety. Results: Between March 2020 and August 2022, 280 patients were screened and 233 were randomly assigned to study treatment (AS, 115; CAPOX, 118). The median age was 62 years (range, 27-77) in AS and 63 years (range, 35-75) in CAPOX. The pathological stages were 42.61% stage IIIA, 34.78% stage IIIB, and 22.61% stage IIIC in AS, while those of CAPOX were 47.46% stage IIIA, 30.51% stage IIIB, and 22.03% stage IIIC. The 1-year DFS rate was 89.0% in AS versus 76.9% in CAPOX. The 1-year OS rate was higher in AS versus CAPOX (100% vs. 95.5%). Seven (6.09%) in AS and 11 (9.32%) in CAPOX experienced recurrence during follow-up; thereinto, one in CAPOX confirmed recurrence with tumor markers and clinical manifestations. Recurrence sites in AS and CAPOX involved the peritoneum (1 vs. 4), locoregional (1 vs. 2), and distant (5 vs. 6), of which, certain patients had 2 simultaneously. Among 6 deaths in CAPOX, 3 died from GAC, 1 died from other diseases and 2 died from unknown. The median relative dose intensity was 96.91% for nab-paclitaxel and 88.00% for S-1 in AS, 82.77% for oxaliplatin and 79.36% for capecitabine in CAPOX. Certain patients in AS (38.26%) and CAPOX (22.03%) experienced grade 3/4 adverse events (AEs). The most common AEs in AS and CAPOX included anemia (20.96% vs. 19.63%), neutropenia (30.70% vs. 21.02%), and thrombocytopenia (1.10% vs. 15.47%). Conclusions: In this study, AS showed longer trends in the DFS rate, OS rate, and manageable safety profile in patients with stage III GAC after curative D2 gastrectomy compared with CAPOX, suggesting a potential therapeutic option for this population. Clinical trial information: NCT04135781 .

Ailanthone (AIL) is a major quassinoid extracted from the Chinese medicinal herb, Ailanthus altissima, which has been reported to exert anti-proliferative effects on various cancer cells. The present study aimed to investigate the anti-tumor effects of AIL on HCT116 and SW620 colon cancer cells, and to analyze the underlying molecular mechanisms. CCK-8 assay was used to detect cell viability. Furthermore, colony formation and Transwell assays, and flow cytometry were used to examine the effects of AIL on cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration. Finally, the expression levels of cell cycle control proteins, and caspase and Bcl-2 family-related proteins involved in the regulation of apoptosis, as well as those of cell migration- and pathway-related proteins were examined using western blot analysis. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR was used to quantitatively analyze the changes in the JAK and STAT3 gene levels in each group. The in vitro cell function tests revealed that AIL inhibited the proliferation and migration, and induced the apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of HCT116 and SW620 cells. It was further found exerted these effects via the JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway, as well as through caspase and Bcl-2 family proteins. On the whole, the present study demonstrates that AIL suppresses the activity of colon cancer cells via the STAT3 pathway.

The precipitation kinetics of overlapping process from nucleation and growth to coarsening of the γ′(Ni3Al) phase in Ni–Al alloys are investigated quantitatively by using the interface diffusion-controlled phase field model. It is found that the time exponent of average particles radius of the γ′ phase is about 1/3 at the growth and coarsening stage, while the exponent is smaller than 1/3 at the later steady-state coarsening stage. The decrease rate of the number density of the γ′ phase is larger at the steady-state coarsening than that of the growth and coarsening stage. The particle size distribution (PSD) is widened at the nucleation and growth stage, then is narrowed at the growth and coarsening stage, and becomes wide again at the steady-state coarsening stage; the width of PSDs obtained by the quantitative calculation is greater than 0.215 proposed by the LSW theory. Moreover, the position of the PSDs peak moves from 1.0 of the normalized radius at the nucleation and growth stage to less than 1.0 of the growth and coarsening stage, and then moves back to 1.0 at steady-state coarsening stage. The non-monotonically variation of kinetics of the γ′ phase during the precipitation process are reasonable and theoretically significant for the kinetics evolution.

The separation of Cr-enriched α′ phase in Fe-(25–45) at.% Cr alloys is studied from the metastable region to the unstable region. The three-dimensional phase-field simulation shows a similar morphology with the transmission electron microscopy micrographs, and the quantitative simulation of particle size and particle number density have a good accordance with the present and the referred experimental results, with the microhardness of the alloy increasing simultaneously with the simulated volume fraction of the α′ phase. The mechanisms of phase separation were clarified by the interface composition evolution of the α/α′ phase, and a transitional characteristic from nucleation and growth to spinodal decomposition is shown in the 30 at.% Cr alloy aged at 750 K. The combination of quantitative simulation and experimental results demonstrates the ability of the phase-field model to perform high-throughput simulations for kinetics evolution in the alloys with phase separation.

In the present work, a novel Ti-Al-C-Nb composite was prepared using in situ selective laser forming (ISLF). The formation mechanism of the Ti-Al-C-Nb bulks, which were synthesized using elemental titanium, aluminum, and carbon (graphite) powders via ISLF techniques, was investigated. The results showed that the Ti3Al and TiC phases were the dominant synthesis products during the chemical reactions, and these occurred during the ISLF process. The size of the fine nanoscale crystal TiC grains could reach 157 nm at an energy level of 60 J/mm3. The porous structure of the ISLF specimens was disclosed, and an open porosity of 20–44% was determined via the scanning speed and the laser power. Both the high dynamic viscosity and the reactions of the raw powders led to the generation of a considerable number of pores, whereas the specimen processed using 45 W and 100 mm/s possessed the lowest degree of open porosity.

Transfer RNA (tRNA)-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) have been found to play important roles in the occurrence and development of cancers. However, the tsRNA profile in gastric cancer is unknown. In this study, we aimed to identify the global tsRNA profile in plasma from gastric cancer patients and elucidate the role of tRF-33-P4R8YP9LON4VDP in gastric cancer. Differentially expressed tsRNAs in the plasma of gastric cancer patients and healthy controls were investigated using RNA sequencing. The expression levels of tRF-33-P4R8YP9LON4VDP in the plasma of gastric cancer patients, healthy controls and gastric cancer cell lines were first detected by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The effects of tRF-33-P4R8YP9LON4VDP overexpression or downregulation in gastric cancer cells on proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and cell cycle were analyzed using the Cell Counting Kit‐8, scratch assay, Transwell assay, and flow cytometry, respectively. There were 21 upregulated and 46 downregulated tsRNAs found in plasma from gastric cancer patients. The significantly upregulated tsRNAs included tRF-18-S3M83004, tRF-31-PNR8YP9LON4VD, tRF-19-3L7L73JD, tRF-33-P4R8YP9LON4VDP, tRF-31-PER8YP9LON4VD, tRF-18-MBQ4NKDJ, and tRF-31-PIR8YP9LON4VD. The significantly downregulated tsRNAs included tRF-41-YDLBRY73W0K5KKOVD, tRF-18-07QSNHD2, tRF-28-86J8WPMN1E0J, tRF-29-86V8WPMN1EJ3, tRF-31-6978WPRLXN4VE, tRF-30-MIF91SS2P46I, tRF-26-MI7O3B1NR8E, tRF-30-RRJ89O9NF5W8, tRF-26-XIP2801MK8E, and tRF-35-V0J8O9YEKPRS93, In vitro studies showed that tRF-33-P4R8YP9LON4VDP inhibited proliferation of gastric cancer cells. In conclusion, tsRNAs such as tRF-33-P4R8YP9LON4VDP could serve as a novel diagnostic biomarker and target for gastric cancer therapeutics.

Background Surgery is the only treatment option for operable gastric cancer. The CLASSIC and ACTS-GC studies showed that the 5-year overall survival (OS) of patients with stage III gastric cancer undergoing D2 gastrectomy is still very low. Whether adjuvant nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-paclitaxel) combined chemotherapy is more effective than the XELOX standard adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with stage III gastric cancer has not been confirmed. Methods This is a multicenter, open-label, phase III clinical study. In this trial, 616 patients with locally advanced stage III gastric cancer that underwent curative D2 radical surgery and achieved R0 are planned to be included. Patients will be randomized 1:1 to nab-paclitaxel combined with S-1 (AS) vs. oxaliplatin combined with capecitabine (XELOX). XELOX group: Patients assigned to the XELOX group received eight 3-week cycles of oral capecitabine (1000 mg/m2) twice daily on days 1–14 of each cycle plus intravenous oxaliplatin 130 mg/m2 on day 1 of each cycle. AS group: AS group received eight 3-week cycles of oral S-1 (80–120 mg) (2, 40 mg; 1.25 to 2, 50 mg; and > 1.5 m2, 60 mg) twice daily on days 1–14 plus intravenous nab-paclitaxel 120 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8 of each cycle. The primary endpoint was the 3-year disease-free survival (3-year-DFS) defined as the time from randomisation to the time of recurrence of the original gastric cancer, development of a new gastric cancer, or death from any cause. The secondary endpoints were the overall survival, (defined as the time from the date of randomisation to date of death from any cause) and safety (any adverse event). Discussion Compared with previous studies, this study includes nab-paclitaxel based on S-1 adjuvant chemotherapy, which is expected to achieve better efficacy and lower toxicity than the standard treatment. This study is the first clinical study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of nab-paclitaxel combined with S-1 in patients with stage III gastric cancer after D2 radical resection. Trial registration This clinical trial has been registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, registration number: NCT04135781, on October 20th, 2019.

Background Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the global mortality diseases and has a poor prognosis due to the lack of ideal tumor biomarkers. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are an abundant kind of endogenous RNAs that recently are found play a crucial role in the cancer occurrence and development. Nevertheless, little is known with regard to the diagnostic values of these circRNAs for GC. In this article of research, we investigated the role of hsa_circ_0067582 in clinical diagnosis of GC. Materials and Methods We used divergent primers, and the expression levels of hsa_circ_0067582 in 93 fresh GC tissues and paired adjacent normal tissues from surgical patients were detected using quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR). Then, a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was established to assess the diagnostic significance of hsa_circ_0067582. The relationship between expression of hsa_circ_0067582 and clinicopathological factors of patients was made further explored. Results Hsa_circ_0067582 levels were significantly decreased in GC tissues contrasted with adjacent normal tissues (n = 93, P

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most commonly observed mesenchymal tumors of the digestive tract, and they originate from the interstitial cells of Cajal. GISTs can be divided into KIT/PDGFRA‑mutant GISTs and wild‑type GISTs based on the presence or absence of KIT/PDGFRA mutations. Wild‑type GISTs can be divided into succinate dehydrogenase complex (SDH)‑deficient GISTs and non‑SDH‑deficient GISTs. Downstream signaling pathways activated by these mutations serve a pivotal role in the development of GISTs and are associated with the biological behavior, including risk stratification, clinical prognosis and drug resistance. Accurate medical care requires accurate molecular diagnosis, which in turn prolongs the survival of patients with GISTs and makes GIST a chronic disease. At present, there is a lack of effective treatment for imatinib/sunitinib/regorafenib resistant patients and KIT/PDGFRA‑WT GISTs, which is undoubtedly a major challenge for future research. The present review summarizes the molecular pathogenesis of GISTs and the progress of related research.

Background. Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the global mortality diseases and has a poor prognosis due to the lack of ideal tumor biomarkers. Numerous studies have shown that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) can affect the occurrence and development of cancer through a variety of signaling pathways. The abnormal expression and specificity of lncRNAs in tumors make them potential biomarkers of cancers. Nevertheless, the diagnostic roles of lncRNAs in GC have been poorly understood. So this study focuses on the clinical diagnostic value of lncRNAs in GC. Materials and Methods. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to investigate the expression of the linc-ROR (long intergenic noncoding RNA, regulator of reprogramming) in 105 paired GC tissues and adjacent normal tissues. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and area under the curve (AUC) were established to assess the diagnostic value of linc-ROR. The relationship between expression of linc-ROR and clinicopathological factors of patients with GC was further explored. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to evaluate the prognostic value of linc-ROR expression. Results. The linc-ROR expression level was significantly decreased in GC tissues compared with its adjacent nontumor tissues ( n = 105 , P < 0.001 ). We also discovered that linc-ROR was evidently downregulated in 68.6% (72/105) of GC tissues. The AUC’s value of linc-ROR was up to 0.6495, with sensitivity and specificity of 0.7524 and 0.5143, respectively. Intriguingly, the linc-ROR expression levels were obviously associated with tumor differentiation ( P = 0.004 ). Notably, the overall survival rate of GC patients with high expression of linc-ROR was significantly higher than those with low expression. Conclusion. Our data revealed that linc-ROR has clinical potential as a biomarker for the diagnosis of GC and assessment of its prognosis.

The initial phase separation and coarsening of the Cr-enriched α′ phase in Fe–Cr alloys were studied by utilizing phase field model. The phase separations of the α′ phase via non-classical nucleation and growth, the transition state from nucleation and growth to spinodal decomposition, and the spinodal decomposition were investigated at 700 K for the alloys containing 25, 28 and 35 at.% Cr. The time exponent of the average radius of α′ phase decreases from the growth and coarsening stage to the steady-state coarsening stage for the nucleation growth mechanism, the slope of number density of α′ phase increases at the steady-state coarsening stage with the increased Cr concentration. The velocity of phase separation in 25 at.% Cr alloy with a nucleation growth mechanism are slower than that in high Cr alloys with a spinodal decomposition mechanism. The results indicate that a low concentration alloy is more stable at high temperature, and the phase separation is fast at the early stage, which supply a reference for the alloy composition selection, and for the analysis of the relationship of property and morphology.

A quantitative investigation of phase decomposition in Fe-35 at.% Cr alloy aged at 773 K was performed by using atom probe tomography (APT) and phase-field simulation. The kinetics of the α′ phase formation via spinodal decomposition was studied by the variation of volume fraction, average particle radius and particle size distribution of α′ phase at 700, 725 and 750 K. The simulated morphology and composition are in good agreement with the APT and transmission electron micrograph (TEM) results, demonstrating that the thermodynamic parameters used in the simulation were optimized. The growth and coarsening of the α′ phase were promoted by the increasing aging temperature. Also, the coarsening rate increases and induces a larger slope for the number density of particles at the steady-state coarsening stage. The time exponent of the average radius of the α′ phase shows a three-stages variation from about 0.31 to 0.20 and larger than 0.33 for the initial phase decomposition, growth and coarsening, and the steady-state coarsening stages, respectively. The particle size distribution of the α′ phase is similar with the Brailsford-Wynblatt's (BW) predication at early stage of phase decomposition, and becomes lower than BW's value at coarsening stage. The kinetics of nanoscale α′ phase from initial decomposition to coarsening is useful for the composition design and properties prediction of Fe–Cr alloys working at high temperature.

The precipitation kinetics of γ phase in the inverse Ni–20.4 at. % Al alloy are studied by utilizing phase-field method, combining with the volume fraction, particles number density, average particle radius, average aspect ratio and particle size distribution (PSD) of γ phase at different aging temperatures. It is found that the decrease rate of particles number density increases with the elevated aging temperature, and the decrease rate in the early coarsening stage are greater than that in the stable coarsening stage. The average particle radius shows a linear relationship with time through kt 1/3 in the stable coarsening stage of the inverse Ni–Al alloy, and the coarsening rate constant k increases with the elevated temperature. As the aging progresses, the peak value of PSD becomes smaller and the normalized radius r / r > moves from 1.1 to 1.0, while the peak value of PSD becomes larger and the corresponding r / r > value moves from 0.9 to 1.0 with the elevated temperature. The peak value of PSD is less than that predicted by Lifshitz-Slyozov-Wagner (LSW) theory at different aging temperatures.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death after cardiovascular disease. In 2015, >8.7 million people died worldwide due to cancer, and by 2030 this figure is expected to increase to ~13.1 million. Tumor chemotherapy drugs have specific toxicity and side effects, and patients can also develop secondary drug resistance. To prevent and treat cancer, scientists have developed novel drugs with improved antitumor effects and decreased toxicity. Ailanthone (AIL) is a quassinoid extract from the traditional Chinese medicine plant Ailanthus altissima, which is known to have anti-inflammatory and antimalarial effects. An increasing number of studies have focused on AIL due to its antitumor activity. AIL can inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis by up- or downregulating cancer-associated molecules, which ultimately leads to cancer cell death. Antitumor effects of AIL have been observed in melanoma, acute myeloid leukemia, bladder, lung, breast, gastric and prostate cancer and vestibular neurilemmoma. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first review to describe the antitumor mechanisms of AIL.

Background Neuroblastoma (NB) is a deadly solid tumor of children. Kruppel-like factor 9 (KLF9) has prodifferentiation and tumor suppression functions in several types of cancers. Here, we aimed to investigate the effects of KLF9 on NB differentiation and growth and to elucidate the underlying mechanism. Procedure Sixty-five NB paraffin samples were assessed for expression levels of KLF9 and sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling pathway proteins by immunohistochemistry. The associations between expression of KLF9 and the SHH pathway components and patients' clinicopathologic characteristics were estimated. The impacts of KLF9 on cell differentiation, proliferation, and invasion were investigated in two NB cell lines (SH-SY5Y and IMR32). Additionally, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and luciferase reporter assays were used to elucidate the mechanism by which KLF9 regulates SHH signaling. Results Differentiating NB specimens showed significantly higher KLF9 expression levels than undifferentiated/poorly differentiated ones. Moreover, increased KLF9 expression was associated with favorable prognoses in patients with NB. A negative correlation was found between KLF9 and SHH signaling expression levels in NB specimens. In vitro assays revealed that KLF9 promoted the differentiation of NB cells and inhibited their proliferation and invasion via suppression of the SHH pathway. Furthermore, KLF9 binding sites in the SHH promoter were identified by ChIP and luciferase reporter assays. Conclusions KLF9 exerts prodifferentiation and growth-inhibition effects on NB via suppression of the SHH pathway, suggesting a potential role of KLF9 in NB therapy.

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and late-onset sepsis (LOS) are two common premature birth complications with high morbidity and mortality. Recent studies in Europe and America have linked gut microbiota dysbiosis to their etiology. However, similar studies in Asian populations remain scant. In this pilot study, we profiled gut microbiota of 24 Chinese preterm infants from birth till death or discharge from NICU. Four of them developed NEC and three developed LOS. Unexpectedly, we detected highly-diversified microbiota with similar compositions in all patients shortly after birth. However, as patients aged, the microbial diversities in case groups differed significantly from that of the control group. These differences emerged after the third day of life and persisted throughout the course of both NEC and LOS. Using a Zero-Inflated Beta Regression Model with Random Effects (ZIBR), we detected higher Bacillus (p = 0.032) and Solibacillus (p = 0.047) before the onset of NEC and LOS. During NEC progression, Enterococcus, Streptococcus and Peptoclostridium were the dominant genera while during LOS progression; Klebsiella was the only dominant genus that was also detected by the diagnostic hemoculture. These results warrant further studies to identify causative microbial patterns and underlying mechanisms.

Background. Gastric cancer (GC) has a poor prognosis due to the lack of ideal tumor markers. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a novel type of noncoding RNA related to the occurrence of GC. Among our research, we investigated the role of hsa_circ_0005556 in GC. Materials and Methods. The expression of hsa_circ_0005556 of 100 paired GC tissues and adjacent normal tissues was detected using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was established to evaluate the diagnostic value of hsa_circ_0005556. The correlation between the expression of hsa_circ_0005556 and corresponding clinicopathological characteristic was explored. Results. hsa_circ_0005556 was significantly downregulated in GC tissues contrasted with adjacent normal tissues (n=100, p<0.001). The areas under the ROC curve (AUC) of hsa_circ_0005556 were up to 0.773, while 64% sensitivity and 82% specificity, respectively. Moreover, its expression levels were significantly associated with differentiation (p=0.001), TNM stage (p=0.013), and lymphatic metastasis (p=0.039). GC patients of high hsa_circ_0005556 levels had a longer overall survival (OS) than those of the low group (p=0.047). Conclusion. hsa_circ_0005556 is a potential biomarker for GC, which may guide judgment of the indication of endoscopic treatment for early gastric cancer (EGC).

Background The proto-oncogene KRAS performs an essential function in normal tissue signaling, and the mutation of KRAS gene is a key step in the development of many cancers. Somatic KRAS mutations are often detected in patients with solid and non-solid tumors, whereas germline KRAS mutations are implicated in patients with the Noonan syndrome, cardio-facio-cutaneous (CFC) syndrome and Costello syndrome. The deletion of chromosome 10q22.3-q23.2 is a rare cytogenetic abnormality, which often leads to distinct facial appearance and delays in speech and global development. Case presentation Herein, we report the case of a 4-year-old boy diagnosed with juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia. The boy also had syndromic features, such as speech and motor developmental delay, multiple congenital malformations, including distinct facial features, club feet, and cryptorchidism. Using whole-exome sequencing, we identified a pathogenic mutation in KRAS [c.34G > A, p.Gly12Ser] isolated from peripheral blood DNA. Sanger sequencing confirmed the wild-type sequence in the parents and patient’s salivary cell DNA indicating its somatic state. A 7311-kb deletion in 10q22.3-q23.2 was also revealed by chromosomal microarray analysis, which was later proved as a germline de novo variant. Conclusion Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia in the patient was attributed to a somatic KRAS mutation, whereas the syndromic features of the patient were considered a consequence of germline chromosome 10q22.3-q23.2 deletion. Genetic testing for patients with complicated phenotypes can be valuable in detecting multiple pathogenic variants.

The number of studies on non-coding RNAs has increased substantially in recent years owing to their importance in gene regulation. However, the biological functions of small RNAs from abundant species of housekeeping non-coding RNAs (rRNA, tRNA, etc.) remain a highly studied topic. tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) refer to the specific cleavage of tRNAs by specific nucleases [e.g., Dicer and angiogenin (ANG)] in particular cells or tissues or under certain conditions such as stress and hypoxia. tsRNAs are a type of non-coding small RNA that are widely found in the prokaryotic and eukaryotic transcriptomes and are generated from mature tRNAs or precursor tRNAs at different sites. There are two main types of tsRNAs, tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs) and tRNA halves. tRFs are 14–30 nucleotides (nt) long and mainly consist of three subclasses: tRF-5, tRF-3, and tRF-1. tRNA halves, which are 31–40 nt long, are generated by specific cleavage in the anticodon loops of mature tRNAs. There are two types of tRNA halves, 5′-tRNA halves and 3′-tRNA halves. tsRNAs have multiple biological functions including acting as signaling molecules in stress responses and as regulators of gene expression. Additionally, they have been considered to be involved in RNA processing, cell proliferation, translation suppression, the modulation of DNA damage response, and neurodegeneration. More importantly, they are closely related to the occurrence of many human diseases such as tumors, infectious diseases, metabolic diseases, and neurological diseases. Moreover, tsRNAs have the potential to become new biomarkers for disease diagnosis. Continuous investigations will help us to understand their generation and regulatory mechanisms as well as the possible roles of tRFs and tRNA halves.

Liver metastasis is a common event at the advanced stage of pancreatic malignancies. Identification of effective therapeutic targets is crucial for the management of pancreatic cancer patients with liver metastases. In this study, we show that (A) AUTS2 is overexpressed in liver metastases of pancreatic cancer and could be a biomarker for defining cancer subtypes. (B) AUTS2 expression is positively correlated with Docetaxel resistance, TGF-beta pathway activation, HEDGEHOG and WNT signaling pathway. (C) By building an AUTS2 centered protein-drug interaction network, we show that AUTS2 might promote chemotherapeutic resistance and metastasis by exerting its effect on epithelial-mesenchymal transition and WNT signaling pathway. (D) Five drugs that could down regulate the expression of AUTS2 were also suggested. These drugs might help in the treatment of pancreatic cancer patients at the stage of liver metastasis. In summary, our results indicate that AUTS2 is a candidate biomarker for defining liver metastasis of pancreatic cancer and directing personalized therapies.