Prognostic value of circulating tumor cells combined with neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND Circulating tumor cell(CTC)count and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR)are both closely associated with the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).AIM To investigate the prognostic value of combining these two indicators in HCC.METHODS Clinical data were collected from patients with advanced HCC who received im-mune therapy combined with targeted therapy at the Department of Oncology,the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University,Sichuan,China,from 2021 to 2023.The optimal cutoff values for CTC programmed death-ligand 1(PD-L1)(+)>1 or CTC PD-L1(+)≤1 and NLR>3.89 or NLR≤3.89 were evaluated using X-Tile software.Patients were categorized into three groups based on CTC PD-L1(+)counts and NLR:CTC-NLR(0),CTC-NLR(1),and CTC-NLR(2).The relationship between CTC-NLR and clinical variables as well as survival rates was assessed.RESULTS Patients with high CTC PD-L1(+)expression or NLR at baseline had shorter median progression-free survival(m-PFS)and median overall survival(mOS)than those with low levels of CTC PD-L1(+)or NLR(P<0.001).Mean-while,patients in the CTC-NLR(2)group showed a significant decrease in mPFS and mOS.Cox regression analysis revealed that alpha-fetoprotein(AFP),CTC PD-L1(+),and CTC-NLR were independent predictors of OS.The time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve showed that the area under the curve of CTC-NLR at 12 months(0.821)and 18 months(0.821)was superior to that of AFP and CTC PD-L1(+).CONCLUSION HCC patients with high CTC PD-L1(+)or NLR expression tend to exhibit poor prognosis,and a high baseline CTC-NLR score may indicate low survival.CTC-NLR may serve as an effective prognostic indicator for patients with advanced HCC receiving immunotherapy combined with targeted therapy.

Different types of fruit intake and colorectal cancer risk:A metaanalysis of observational studies

BACKGROUND Multiple studies investigating the relationship between intake of different types of fruit and colorectal cancer(CRC)risk have yielded inconsistent results.AIM To perform a meta-analysis of existing studies to assess the association between the intake of different kinds of fruit and the incidence of CRC.METHODS We searched online literature databases including PubMed,Embase,WOS,and Cochrane Library for relevant articles available up to August 2022.With data extracted from observational studies,odds ratios(ORs)with 95%confidence intervals(CIs)were assessed using random-effects models.A funnel plot and Egger’s test were used to determine publication bias.Furthermore,subgroup analysis and dose-response analysis were performed.All analyses were conducted using R(version 4.1.3).RESULTS Twenty-four eligible studies involving 1068158 participants were included in this review.The meta-analysis showed that compared to a low intake,a higher intake of citrus,apples,watermelon,and kiwi reduced the risk of CRC by 9%[OR(95%CI)=0.91(0.85-0.97)],25%[OR(95%CI)=0.75(0.66-0.85)],26%[OR(95%CI)=0.74(0.58-0.94)],13%[OR(95%CI)=0.87(0.78-0.96)],respectively.No significant association was observed between the intake of other types of fruit and the risk of CRC.In the dose-response analysis,a nonlinear association was found[R(95%CI)=-0.0031(-0.0047 to-0.0014)]between citrus intake and CRC risk(P<0.001),with the risk minimized around 120 g/d(OR=0.85),while no significant dose-response correlation was observed after continued increase in intake.CONCLUSION We found that a higher intake of citrus,apples,watermelon,and kiwi was negatively associated with the risk of CRC,while the intake of other types of fruits were not significantly associated with CRC.Citrus intake showed a non-linear dose-response relationship with the risk of CRC.This meta-analysis provides further evidence that a higher intake of specific types of fruit is effective in preventing the occurrence of CRC.

Mid-term outcomes of microfragmented adipose tissue plus arthroscopic surgery for knee osteoarthritis:A randomized,activecontrol,multicenter clinical trial

BACKGROUND Osteoarthritis(OA)is the most prevalent form of degenerative whole-joint disease.Before the final option of knee replacement,arthroscopic surgery was the most widely used joint-preserving surgical treatment.Emerging regenerative therapies,such as those involving platelet-rich plasma,mesenchymal stem cells,and microfragmented adipose tissue(MFAT),have been pushed to the forefront of treatment to prevent the progression of OA.Currently,MFAT has been successfully applied to treat different types of orthopedic diseases.AIM To assess the efficacy and safety of MFAT with arthroscopic surgery in patients with knee OA(KOA).METHODS A randomized,multicenter study was conducted between June 2017 and November 2022 in 10 hospitals in Zhejiang,China.Overall,302 patients diagnosed with KOA(Kellgren-Lawrence grades 2-3)were randomized to the MFAT group(n=151,were administered MFAT following arthroscopic surgery),or the control group(n=151,were administered hyaluronic acid following arthroscopic surgery).The study outcomes were changes in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index(WOMAC)score,the visual analog scale(VAS)score,the Lequesne index score,the Whole-Organ Magnetic Resonance Imaging Score(WORMS),and safety over a 24-mo period from baseline.RESULTS The changes in the WOMAC score(including the three subscale scores),VAS pain score,and Lequesne index score at the 24-mo mark were significantly different in the MFAT and control groups,as well as when comparing values at the posttreatment visit and those at baseline(P<0.001).The MFAT group consistently demonstrated significant decreases in the WOMAC pain scores and VAS scores at all follow-ups compared to the control group(P<0.05).Furthermore,the WOMAC stiffness score,WOMAC function score,and Lequesne index score differed significantly between the groups at 12 and 24 mo(P<0.05).However,no signicant between-group differences were observed in the WORMS at 24 mo(P=0.367).No serious adverse events occurred in both groups.CONCLUSION The MFAT injection combined with arthroscopic surgery treatment group showed better mid-term clinical outcomes compared to the control group,suggesting its efficacy as a therapeutic approach for patients with KOA.

Synthesis of SiC/graphene nanosheet composites by helicon wave plasma

We report an approach to the rapid, one-step, preparation of a variety of wide-bandgap silicon carbide/graphene nanosheet(Si C/GNSs) composites by using a high-density helicon wave plasma(HWP) source. The microstructure and morphology of the Si C/GNSs are characterized by using scanning electron microscopy(SEM), Raman spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction(XRD), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS), and fluorescence(PL). The nucleation mechanism and the growth model are discussed. The existence of Si C and graphene structure are confirmed by XRD and Raman spectra.The electron excitation temperature is calculated by the intensity ratio method of optical emission spectroscopy. The main peak in the PL test is observed at 420 nm, with a corresponding bandgap of 2.95 e V that indicates the potential for broad application in blue light emission and ultraviolet light emission, field electron emission, and display devices.

Aromaticity of Heterofullerenes C18BxNy （x＋y=2） and Their Molecular lons

The aromaticity of all possible substituted fullerene isomers of C18N2, C18B2, C18BN, and their molecular ions which originate from the C20 （Ih） cage were studied by the topological resonance energy （TRE） and the percentage topological resonance energy methods. The relationship between the aromaticity of C18BxNy isomers and the sites where the heteroatoms dope at the C20 （Ih） cage is discussed. Calculation results show that at the neutral and cationic states all the isomers are predicted to be antiaromatic with negative TREs, but their polyvalent anions are predicted to be aromatic with positive TREs. The most stable isomer is formed by heteroatom doping at the 1,11-sites in C18N2. C18B2, and C18BN. Heterofullerenes are more aromatic than C20. The stability order in the neutral states is C18N2〉C18BN〉C18B2〉C20. The stability order in closed-shell is C18B2^8- 〉C20^6- 〉C18BN^6- 〉C18N2^4-. This predicts theoretically that their polyvalent anions have high aromaticity.

A numerical method to calculate dwell time for electron in semiconductor nanostructure

To some extent,the operational quickness of semiconductor devices depends on the transmission time of an electron through semiconductor nanostructures.However,the calculation of transmission time is very difficult,thanks to both the contentious definition of the transmission time in quantum mechanics and the complicated effective potential functions experienced by electrons in semiconductor devices.Here,based on an improved transfer matrix method to numerically solve the Schr?dinger equation and H G Winful’s relationship to calculate the dwell time,we develop a numerical approach to evaluate the transmission time of an electron in semiconductor devices.Compared to the exactly resolvable case of the rectangular potential barrier,the established numerical approach possesses high precision and small error,which may be employed to explore the dynamic response and operating speed of semiconductor devices.This proposed numerical method is successfully applied to the calculation of dwell time for an electron in double rectangular potential barriers and the dependence of transmission time on the number of potential barriers is revealed.

Microstructure and wear behaviors of TiB/TiC reinforced Ti2Ni/α(Ti) matrix coating produced by laser cladding

A Ti2Ni/a(Ti)matrix composite coating reinforced by TiC and TiB was prepared on a Ti6A14V substrate by laser cladding.The microstructure of the coating was examined and discussed.The wear behavior of the coating at various sliding speeds was investigated from the perspective of energy dissipation,and the relationship between accumulated dissipated energy(ΣE)and accumulated wear volume(ΣV)was established.Results indicate a good linear relationship betweenΣE andΣV at low sliding speed(0.1 m·s-1);at higher sliding speed(0.2 m·s-1),the relationship between these parameters follows a quadratic function.The results may be explained from the perspective of energy transformation,wherein the friction heat and plastic deformation of the coating surface consume a substantial amount ofΣE at high sliding speed(0.2 m·s-1)and the remainder of the energy is used to produce worn coating debris.The wear mechanism of the coating involves a combination of microcutting and brittle debonding accompanied by oxidization of the worn surface and formation of Al2O3 adherents.