Prediction of pathological complete response and prognosis in locally advanced rectal cancer

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer is currently the third most common malignant tumor and the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide.Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy(nCRT)is standard for locally advanced rectal cancer(LARC).Except for pathological examination after resection,it is not known exactly whether LARC patients have achieved pathological complete response(pCR)before surgery.To date,there are no clear clinical indicators that can predict the efficacy of nCRT and patient outcomes.AIM To investigate the indicators that can predict pCR and long-term outcomes following nCRT in patients with LARC.METHODS Clinical data of 128 LARC patients admitted to our hospital between September 2013 and November 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.Patients were categorized into pCR and non-pCR groups.Univariate analysis(using the χ^(2) test or Fisher’s exact test)and logistic multivariate regression analysis were used to study clinical predictors affecting pCR.The 5-year disease-free survival(DFS)and overall survival(OS)rates were calculated using Kaplan-Meier analysis,and differences in survival curves were assessed with the log-rank test.RESULTS Univariate analysis showed that pretreatment carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA)level,lymphocyte-monocyte ratio(LMR),time interval between neoadjuvant therapy completion and total mesorectal excision,and tumor size were correlated with pCR.Multivariate results showed that CEA≤5 ng/mL(P=0.039),LMR>2.73(P=0.023),and time interval>10 wk(P=0.039)were independent predictors for pCR.Survival analysis demonstrated that patients in the pCR group had significantly higher 5-year DFS rates(94.7%vs 59.7%,P=0.002)and 5-year OS rates(95.8%vs 80.1%,P=0.019)compared to the non-pCR group.Tumor deposits(TDs)were significantly correlated with shorter DFS(P=0.002)and OS(P<0.001).CONCLUSION Pretreatment CEA,LMR,and time interval contribute to predicting nCRT efficacy in LARC patients.Achieving pCR demonstrates longer DFS and OS.TDs correlate with poor prognosis.

Application of psychological intervention in intensive care unit nursing for patients with severe acute pancreatitis

BACKGROUND Severe acute pancreatitis(SAP)is a familiar critical disease in the intensive care unit(ICU)patients.Nursing staff are important spiritual pillars during the treatment of patients,and in addition to routine nursing,more attention needs be paid to the patient’s psychological changes.AIM To investigate the effects of psychological intervention in ICU patients with SAP.METHODS One hundred ICU patients with SAP were hospitalized in the authors’hospital between 2020 and 2023 were selected,and divided into observation and control groups per the hospitalization order.The control and observation groups received routine nursing and psychological interventions,respectively.Two groups are being compared,using the Self-rating Anxiety Scale(SAS),Self-Determination Scale(SDS),Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation(APACHE)Ⅱ,and 36-item Short Form Health Survey(SF-36)scores;nursing satisfaction of patients;ICU care duration;length of stay;hospitalization expenses;and the incidence of complications.RESULTS After nursing,the SDS,SAS,and APACHEⅡ scores in the experimental group were significantly lower than in the control group(P<0.05).The SF-36 scores in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group(P<0.05).The nursing satisfaction of patients in the experimental group was 94.5%,considerably higher than that of 75.6% in the control group(P<0.05).The ICU care duration,length of stay,and hospitalization expenses in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group,and the incidence of complications was lower(P<0.05).CONCLUSION For patients with SAP,the implementation of standardized psychological intervention measures can effectively alleviate adverse psychological conditions.

Impact of extended nursing model after multi-disciplinary treatment on young patient with post-stroke

BACKGROUND Stroke has become one of the most serious life-threatening diseases due to its high morbidity,disability,recurrence and mortality rates.AIM To explore the intervention effect of multi-disciplinary treatment(MDT)extended nursing model on negative emotions and quality of life of young patients with post-stroke.METHODS A total of 60 young stroke patients who were hospitalized in the neurology department of our hospital from January 2020 to December 2021 were selected and randomly divided into a control group and an experimental group,with 30 patients in each group.The control group used the conventional care model and the experimental group used the MDT extended nursing model.After the inhospital and 3-mo post-discharge interventions,the differences in negative emotions and quality of life scores between the two groups were evaluated and analyzed at the time of admission,at the time of discharge and after discharge,respectively.RESULTS There are no statistically significant differences in the negative emotions scores between the two groups at admission,while there are statistically significant differences in the negative emotions scores within each group at admission and discharge,at discharge and post-discharge,and at discharge and post-discharge.In addition,the negative emotions scores were all statistically significant at discharge and after discharge when compared between the two groups.There was no statistically significant difference in quality of life scores at the time of admission between the two groups,and the difference between quality of life scores at the time of admission and discharge,at the time of discharge and post-discharge,and at the time of admission and post-discharge for each group of patients was statistically significant.CONCLUSION The MDT extended nursing mode can improve the negative emotion of patients and improve their quality of life.Therefore,it can be applied in future clinical practice and is worthy of promotion.

Integrated analysis of comorbidity, pregnant outcomes, and amniotic fluid cytogenetics of fetuses with persistent left superior vena cava

BACKGROUND Persistent left superior vena cava(PLSVC)is the most common venous system variant.The clinical characteristics and amniotic fluid cytogenetics of fetuses with PLSVC remain to be further explored.AIM To develop reliable prenatal diagnostic recommendations through integrated analysis of the clinical characteristics of fetuses with PLSVC.METHODS Cases of PLSVC diagnosed using prenatal ultrasonography between September 2019 and November 2022 were retrospectively studied.The clinical characteristics of the pregnant women,ultrasonic imaging information,gestational age at diagnosis,pregnancy outcomes,and amniocentesis results were summarized and analyzed using categorical statistics and the chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test.RESULTS Of the 97 cases diagnosed by prenatal ultrasound,49(50.5%)had isolated PLSVC and 48(49.5%)had other structural abnormalities.The differences in pregnancy outcomes and amniocentesis conditions between the two groups were statistically significant(P<0.05).No significant differences were identified between the two groups in terms of advanced maternal age and gestational age(P>0.05).According to the results of the classification statistics,the most common intrac-ardiac abnormality was a ventricular septal defect and the most common extrac-ardiac abnormality was a single umbilical artery.In the subgroup analysis,the concurrent combination of intra-and extracardiac structural abnormalities was a risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes(odds ratio>1,P<0.05).Additional-ly,all abnormal cytogenetic findings on amniocentesis were observed in the comorbidity group.One case was diagnosed with 21-trisomy and six cases was diagnosed with chromosome segment duplication.CONCLUSION Examination for other structural abnormalities is strongly recommended when PLSVC is diagnosed.Poorer pregnancy outcomes and increased amniocentesis were observed in PLSVC cases with other structural abnor-malities.Amniotic fluid cytogenetics of fetuses is recommended for PLSVC with other structural abnormalities.

Individual with concurrent chest wall tuberculosis and triplenegative essential thrombocythemia:A case report

BACKGROUND Chest wall tuberculosis(TB)and triple-negative essential thrombocythemia(TNET)are rare medical conditions,and their combination is extremely rare globally.Only one case of TB peritonitis with thrombocytosis has been reported,which was identified in 1974.CASE SUMMARY Herein,we report the case of a 23-year-old man with concurrent chest wall mass and TN-ET.The patient presented to a local hospital due to having a headache and low-grade fever for 2 d,with their bodily temperature fluctuating at around 36.8°C.Hematological analysis showed a high platelet count of 1503×109/L.Subsequently,the patient visited our hospital for further investigation.Computed tomography of the chest suggested a submural soft tissue density shadow in the left lower chest wall.After surgical resection,the pathological findings of the swelling were reported as TB with massive caseous necrosis.According to the World Health Organization diagnostic criteria,the patient was diagnosed with TN-ET,as they met the requirement of four main criteria or the first three main criteria and one secondary criterion.The patient was eventually diagnosed with chest wall TB with TN-ET,which is extremely rare.CONCLUSION Chest wall TB is rare.TN-ET diagnosis requires secondary factor exclusion and satisfaction of primary diagnostic criteria.miRNA,combined with the methylation process,could explain suppressor of cytokine signaling(SOCS)1 and SOCS3 downregulation in ET-JAK2V617F-negative patients.The miRNA could participate in JAK2 pathway activation.SOCS3 may be a novel MPN biomarker.

Effects of ultrasound monitoring of gastric residual volume on feeding complications,caloric intake and prognosis of patients with severe mechanical ventilation

BACKGROUND Monitoring of gastric residual is an important approach for assessing gastric emptying in patients with mechanical ventilation.By monitoring gastric contents,the enteral nutrition scheme can be adjusted in time to ensure feeding safety.AIM To investigate the effects of ultrasound monitoring on the incidence of feeding complications,daily caloric intake and prognosis of patients with severe mechanical ventilation.To analyze the clinical significance of ultrasound monitoring of gastric residual volume(GRV)up to 250 mL to provide a theoretical basis for clinical practice.METHODS Patients admitted to the department of emergency medicine of the Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University from January 2018 to June 2022 who received invasive mechanical ventilation and continuous enteral nutrition support within 24-48 h after admission were enrolled in this study.Medical records for patients within 7 d of hospitalization were retrospectively analyzed to compare the incidence of feeding complications,daily caloric intake and clinical prognosis between patients with gastric residual≥250 mL and<250 mL,as monitored by ultrasound on the third day.RESULTS A total of 513 patients were enrolled in this study.Incidences of abdominal distension,diarrhea,and vomiting in the<250 mL and≥250 mL groups were:18.4%vs 21.0%,23.9%vs 32.3%and 4.0%vs 6.5%,respectively;mortality rates were 20.8%vs 22.65%;mechanical ventilation durations were 18.30 d vs 17.56 d while lengths of stay in the intensive care units(ICU)were 19.87 d vs 19.19±5.19 d.Differences in the above factors between groups were not significant.Gastric residual≥250 mL was not an independent risk factor for death and prolonged ICU stay.However,target feeding time of patients in the≥250 mL group was longer than that of patients in the≥250 mL group,and caloric intake(22.0,23.6,24.8,25.3 kcal/kg/d)for patients in the≥250 mL group from the 4^(th) day to the 7^(th) day of hospitalization was lower than that of patients in the≥250 mL group(23.2,24.8,25.7,25.8 kcal/kg/d).On the 4^(th) day(Z=4.324,P=0.013),on the 5^(th) day(Z=3.376,P=0.033),while on the 6^(th) day(Z=3.098,P=0.04),the differences were statistically significant.CONCLUSION The use of ultrasound to monitor GRV and undertaking clinical interventions when the monitoring value is≥250 mL has no significant effects on incidences of feeding complications and clinical prognostic outcomes,however,it significantly prolongs the time to reach target feeding,reduces the daily intake of calories during ICU hospitalization,and increases the risk of insufficient nutrition of patients.The accuracy and necessity of monitoring gastric remnants and monitoring frequencies should be investigated further.

Antidiastole Value of Three-dimensional Ultrasonography and Power Doppler between Uterine Parenchyma Lumps and Endometrial Cancer:A Retrospective Study

Sometimes endometrial polyps,submucosal myomas,and endometrial cancer show similar findings under ultrasonography.The aim of this study was to assess the antidiastole value of blood flow parameters using three-dimensional(3D)power Doppler ultrasonography angiography(PDA)between endometrial cancer and uterine parenchyma lumps.The data of the blood flow indices in 3D-PDA including the vascularization index(VI),flow index(FI),and vascularization flow index(VFI)in 40 patients with endometrial cancer and 41 patients with uterine parenchyma lumps(endometrial polyps and submucosal myomas)were retrospectively analysed and compared utilizing Virtual Organ Computer-aided AnaLysis(VOCAL)software.The results showed that all the blood flow parameters(VI,FI,VFI)were significantly higher in women with endometrial cancer than in those with uterine parenchyma lumps(P<0.001).The area under the curve of ROC of VI,FI,and VFI was 0.98,0.84,and 0.97,respectively.Thus,the best predictor of endometrial carcinoma was VI with a sensitivity of 97.0% and a specificity of 91.0%.The optimal cutoff value of VI was 4.06%.Our data demonstrated that all of the blood flow signal parameters(including VI,FI,and VFI)in 3D power Doppler ultrasonography had significant antidiastole values between endometrial cancer and uterine parenchyma lumps to assist clinicians in properly diagnosing patients.

Characterization of residual stresses and microstructural features in an Inconel 718 forged compressor disc

Residual stress plays an important part in fabricating commercial aero engine Inconel 718 components for their fatigue properties, reliability and durability. Due to the limitation of Chinese neutron diffraction instrument and lack of test practice and specifications, there is little systematic research on the residual stress of forged compressor disc. X-ray diffraction and neutron diffraction methods were used to measure the residual stress of Inconel 718 forged discs at the surface and in the interior, respectively. Scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope were used to characterize the microstructural features. The residual stress state at the disc is in near-surface compression, balanced by tension within the disc core. However, the surface residual stress of disc depends more on the rough machining than on the forging process. Also, the dislocation densities increase with decreasing distance to the surfaces of disc, and the residual stress accelerates dislocation generation and dynamic recrystallization.

Synergistic anti-liver cancer effects of curcumin and total ginsenosides

BACKGROUND Liver cancer is the sixth most frequently occurring cancer in the world and the fourth most common cause of cancer mortality.The pathogenesis of liver cancer is closely associated with inflammation and immune response in the tumor microenvironment.New therapeutic agents for liver cancer,which can control inflammation and restore cellular immunity,are required.Curcumin(Cur)is a natural anti-inflammatory drug,and total ginsenosides(TG)are a commonly used immunoregulatory drug.Of note,both Cur and TG have been shown to exert anti-liver cancer effects.AIM To determine the synergistic immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects of Cur combined with TG in a mouse model of subcutaneous liver cancer.METHODS A subcutaneous liver cancer model was established in BALB/c mice by a subcutaneous injection of hepatoma cell line.Animals were treated with Cur(200 mg/kg per day),TG(104 mg/kg per day or 520 mg/kg per day),the combination of Cur(200 mg/kg per day)and TG(104 mg/kg per day or 520 mg/kg per day),or 5-fluorouracil combined with cisplatin as a positive control for 21 d.Tumor volume was measured and the protein expression of programmed cell death 1 and programmed cell death 1 ligand 1(PD-L1),inflammatory indicators Toll like receptor 4(TLR4)and nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB),and vascular growth-related factors nitric oxide synthases(iNOS)and matrix metalloproteinase 9 were analyzed by Western blot analysis.CD4+CD25+Foxp3+regulatory T cells(Tregs)were counted by flow cytometry.RESULTS The combination therapy of Cur and TG significantly inhibited the growth of liver cancer,as compared to vehicle-treated animals,and TG showed dose dependence.Cur combined with TG-520 markedly decreased the protein expression of PD-L1(P<0.0001),while CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Tregs regulated by the PD-L1 signaling pathway exhibited a positive correlation with PD-L1.Cur combined with TG-520 also inhibited the cascade action mediated by NF-κB(P<0.0001),thus inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB signalling pathway(P=0.0088,P<0.0001),which is associated with inflammation and acts on PD-L1.It also inhibited the NF-κB-MMP9 signalling pathway(P<0.0001),which is associated with tumor angiogenesis.CONCLUSION Cur combined with TG regulates immune escape through the PD-L1 pathway and inhibits liver cancer growth through NF-κB-mediated inflammation and angiogenesis.

Exosomes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural progenitor cells protect neuronal function under ischemic conditions

Compared with other stem cells,human induced pluripotent stem cells-derived neural progenitor cells(iPSC-NPCs)are more similar to cortical neurons in morphology and immunohistochemistry.Thus,they have greater potential for promoting the survival and growth of neurons and alleviating the proliferation of astrocytes.Transplantation of stem cell exosomes and stem cells themselves have both been shown to effectively repair nerve injury.However,there is no study on the protective effects of exosomes derived from iPSC-NPCs on oxygen and glucose deprived neurons.In this study,we established an oxygen-glucose deprivation model in embryonic cortical neurons of the rat by culturing the neurons in an atmosphere of 95%N2 and 5%CO2 for 1 hour and then treated them with iPSC-NPC-derived exosomes for 30 minutes.Our results showed that iPSC-NPC-derived exosomes increased the survival of oxygen-and glucose-deprived neurons and the level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the culture medium.Additionally,it attenuated oxygen and glucose deprivation-induced changes in the expression of the PTEN/AKT signaling pathway as well as synaptic plasticity-related proteins in the neurons.Further,it increased the length of the longest neurite in the oxygen-and glucose-deprived neurons.These findings validate the hypothesis that exosomes from iPSCNPCs exhibit a neuroprotective effect on oxygen-and glucose-deprived neurons by regulating the PTEN/AKT signaling pathway and neurite outgrowth.This study was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital,School of Medicine,Zhejiang University,China(approval No.SRRSH20191010)on October 10,2019.

A Participant-assigned Interventional Research of Precesarean Internal Iliac Artery Balloon Catheterization for Managing Intraoperative Hemorrhage of Placenta Previa and Placenta Accreta Spectrum Disorders After Cesarean Section

Placenta accreta spectrum disorder (PASD) and placenta previa (PP) are two of the mosthideous obstetric complications which are usually associated with a history of cesarean section(CS). Moreover, women with PASD, PP and/or a cesarean scarred uterus are more likely to haveadverse pregnancy outcomes, including blood transfusion, hysterectomy, pelvic organs damage,postpartum hemorhage, disseminated intravascular coagulation, multi-organ dysfunction syndromeand even maternal or fetal death. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of precesareaninternal iliac artery balloon catheterization (BC) for managing severe hemorhage caused by PASDand PP with a history of CS. This participant-assigned interventional study was conducted inTongji Hospital. We recruited 128 women with suspected PASD, PP and a history of CS. Womenin the BC group accepted precesarean BC of bilateral internal iliac arteries before the scheduledcesarean delivery. Women in the control group underwent a conventional cesarean delivery.Intraoperative hemorrhage, transfusion volume, radiation dose, exposure time, complicationsand neonatal outcomes were discussed. There were significant differences in calculated bloodloss (CBL) between BC group and control group (1015.0±144.9 vs. 1467.0±171.0 mL, P=0.04).Precesarean BC could reduce intraoperative red blood cell (RBC) transfusion as compared withcontrol group (799.5±136.1 vs. 1286.0±161.6 mL, P=0.02) and lessen the rate of using bloodproducts (57.1% vs. 76.4%, P=0.02). The incidence of hysterectomy was also lower in BC groupthan in control group. Postpartum outcomes showed no significant differences between the twogroups, except that postoperation hospitalization was longer in BC group than in control group(6.7±0.4 vs. 5.8±0.2 days, P=0.03). Precesarean BC of internal iliac artery is an effective methodfor managing severe hemorrhage caused by PASD and PP with a cesarean scarred uterus, as it couldreduce intraoperative blood loss, lessen intraoperative RBC transfusions and potentially decreasehysterectomies.

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells transplantation promotes the release of endogenous erythropoietin after ischemic stroke

This study investigated whether bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell（BMSC） transplantation protected ischemic cerebral injury by stimulating endogenous erythropoietin. The model of ischemic stroke was established in rats through transient middle cerebral artery occlusion. Twenty-four hours later, 1 × 106 human BMSCs（h BMSCs） were injected into the tail vein. Fourteen days later, we found that h BMSCs promoted the release of endogenous erythropoietin in the ischemic region of rats. Simultaneously, 3 μg/d soluble erythropoietin receptor（s EPOR） was injected into the lateral ventricle, and on the next 13 consecutive days. s EPOR blocked the release of endogenous erythropoietin. The neurogenesis in the subventricular zone was less in the h BMSCs ＋ s EPOR group than in the h BMSCs ＋ heat-denatured s EPOR group. The adhesive-removal test result and the modified Neurological Severity Scores（m NSS） were lower in the h BMSCs ＋ s EPOR group than in the heat-denatured s EPOR group. The adhesive-removal test result and m NSS were similar between the h BMSCs ＋ heat-denatured s EPOR group and the h BMSCs ＋ s EPOR group. These findings confirm that BMSCs contribute to neurogenesis and improve neurological function by promoting the release of endogenous erythropoietin following ischemic stroke.

Vertical MBE growth of Si fins on sub-10 nm patterned substrate for high-performance FinFET technology

A high quality epitaxial Si layer by molecular beam epitaxy(MBE)on Si(001)substrates was demonstrated to fabricate a channel with low density defects for high-performance Fin FET technology.In order to study the effects of fin width and crystallography orientation on the MBE behavior,a 30 nm thick Si layer was deposited on the top of an etched Si fin with different widths from 10 nm to 50 nm and orientations of 100 and 110.The result shows that a defect-free Si film was obtained on the fin by MBE,since the etching damage was confined in the bottom of the epitaxial layer.In addition,the vertical growth of the epitaxial Si layer was observed on sub-10 nm 100 Si fins,and this was explained by a kinetic mechanism.

Efficacy of intravitreal conbercept injection on short-and long-term macular edema in branch retinal vein occlusion

AIM: To observe the best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA) and central foveal thickness(CFT) repeatedly after the intravitreal injection of conbercept(IVC) for treating cystoid macular edema(CME) in branch retinal vein occlusion(BRVO) and explore the relationship between the duration of CME and visual outcome.METHODS: Subgroup analysis was performed to compare short-term(within 90 d of CME onset) and longterm(over 90 d of CME onset) macular edema in BRVO.After an initial IVC, a pro re nata(PRN) strategy was performed according to the recurrence of CFT or decrease of BCVA.Analysis of variance using repeated measurements, statistical analysis following indicators including BCVA and CFT collected at baseline and 1, 3, and 6 mo after IVC.RESULTS: Among the 60 cases included in this retrospective study, 36 were short-term CME, and 24 were long-term CME.There were statistical significances between and within groups of the BCVAs at different time points(P<0.001).The interaction was found between group and time(P=0.006), indicating the difference in the speed of BCVA improvement between groups.In particular, the improvement speed of BCVA in the short-term CME group was faster than that in the long-term CME group.There were significant differences between and with groups of the CFT at different time points(P<0.001).However, the interaction between group and time in relation to CFT had no significant differences(P=0.59).CONCLUSION: IVC treatment for CME following BRVO is effective and safe.The duration of CME before treatment is a significant predictor of the visual outcomes of patients with BRVO.The improvement of vision might be faster with early IVC treatment than with delayed treatment.

Correlation between ductus venosus spectrum and right ventricular diastolic function in isolated single-umbilical-artery foetus and normal foetus in third trimester

BACKGROUND Single umbilical artery(SUA)is the most common umbilical cord malformation in prenatal diagnosis.The presence of an SUA can cause blood circulation disorder in the foetus and functional changes of the foetal heart,affecting foetal circulation.The right ventricular diastolic functions in foetuses with isolated SUA and in normal foetuses in the third trimester were evaluated using the spectral Doppler of blood flow in the foetal ductus venosus(DV).AIM To evaluate the right ventricular diastolic functions in foetuses with isolated SUA and in normal foetuses in the third trimester.METHODS Colour Doppler was used to measure the spectrum of foetal DV and tricuspid orifice in 34 foetuses with isolated SUA aged 28-39 wk and in age-matched healthy controls.The DV flow velocities and velocity ratios were measured.The early passive/late active(E/A)ratio at the tricuspid orifice and tissue Doppler Tei index of the foetal right ventricular in the two groups were also measured.RESULTS During the third trimester,the isolated SUA group showed a lower‘a’-wave peak velocity in the DV than the control group(P<0.05).The correlations between the velocity ratios and E/A ratio at the tricuspid orifice in the two groups were analysed,and the correlation between the ventricular late diastolic velocity/ventricular diastolic peak flow velocity and E/A ratios was the best(R^2of the isolated SUA group:0.520;R2 of the control group:0.358).The correlations between the velocity ratios and tissue Doppler Tei index of foetal right ventricular in the two groups were analysed,and the correlation between the pulsatility index for veins(PIV)and tissue Doppler Tei index ratios was the best(R2 of the isolated SUA group:0.865;R2 of the control group:0.627).CONCLUSION In the isolated SUA group,the atrial systolic peak velocity‘a’decreased,and this finding might be related to the changes in foetal cardiac functions.The ratio of ventricular late diastolic velocity to ventricular diastolic peak flow velocity was closely related to the E/A ratio at the tricuspid valve and can be used to identify changes in the right ventricular diastolic functions of isolated SUA and healthy foetuses.PIV was closely related to the tissue Doppler Tei index of the foetal right ventricular and can be used to identify the right ventricular overall functions of isolated SUA and healthy foetuses.

Outcomes of patients with pelvic leiomyosarcoma treated by surgery and relevant auxiliary diagnosis

BACKGROUND Leiomyosarcoma is a subtype of soft tissue sarcoma with adverse outcomes.Leiomyosarcoma accounts for nearly 70%of all uterine sarcomas and is responsible for a considerable proportion of deaths because of uterine cancer.Clinical characteristics and relevant diagnosis of pelvic leiomyosarcoma should be further explored.AIM To identify the outcome and relevant perioperative evaluation of patients with pelvic leiomyosarcoma.METHODS The Kaplan-Meier method was used to determine progression-free survival and overall survival rates.Factors predictive of outcomes were identified using univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models.RESULTS Fifty-one patients with pelvic leiomyosarcoma were enrolled and divided into two groups including uterine leiomyosarcoma and non-uterine leiomyosarcoma.Overall,28.6%and 45.5%of uterine leiomyosarcoma and non-uterine leiomyosarcoma patients,respectively,had elevated carbohydrate antigen 125 levels,whereas 45.7%and 68.8%,respectively,underwent ultrasonography.Although 68.8%of uterine leiomyosarcoma patients were initially diagnosed with hysteromyoma,72.7%of non-uterine leiomyosarcoma patients had pelvic and abdominal masses.Moreover,93.3%of the recurrent lesions were detected using ultrasonography.Patients with International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics(FIGO)stages III–IV disease had poorer progression-free survival values than those with FIGO stages I–II(P=0.027)disease.FIGO stage was significantly associated with poor progression-free survival in the univariate(hazard ratio=2.64,P=0.03)and multivariate(hazard ratio=2.49,P=0.048)analyses.CONCLUSION Serum tumour biomarkers cannot be used for pelvic leiomyosarcoma diagnosis.FIGO stage is critical to predict the outcome of uterine leiomyosarcoma.Ultrasonography is more reliable for postoperative follow-up than preoperative diagnosis.

Effect of groove rolling on the microstructure and properties of Cu–Nb microcomposite wires

Cu–Nb microcomposite wire was successfully prepared by a groove rolling process.The effects of groove rolling on the diffraction peaks,microstructure,and properties of the Cu–Nb microcomposite were investigated and the microstructure evolutions and strengthening mechanism were discussed.The tensile strength of the Cu–Nb microcomposite wire with a diameter of 2.02 mm was greater than 1 GPa,and its conductivity reached 68%of the International Annealed Copper Standard,demonstrating the Cu–Nb microcomposite wire with high tensile strength and high conductivity after groove rolling.The results show that an appropriate groove rolling method can improve the performance of the Cu–Nb microcomposite wire.

Correlated insulating phases in the twisted bilayer graphene

We review analytical and numerical studies of correlated insulating states in twisted bilayer graphene, focusing on real-space lattice models constructions and their unbiased quantum many-body solutions. We show that by constructing localized Wannier states for the narrow bands, the projected Coulomb interactions can be approximated by interactions of cluster charges with assisted nearest neighbor hopping terms. With the interaction part only, the Hamiltonian is SU(4)symmetric considering both spin and valley degrees of freedom. In the strong coupling limit where the kinetic terms are neglected, the ground states are found to be in the SU(4) manifold with degeneracy. The kinetic terms, treated as perturbation, break this large SU(4) symmetry and propel the appearance of intervalley coherent state, quantum topological insulators, and other symmetry-breaking insulating states. We first present the theoretical analysis of moiré lattice model construction and then show how to solve the model with large-scale quantum Monte Carlo simulations in an unbiased manner. We further provide potential directions such that from the real-space model construction and its quantum many-body solutions how the perplexing yet exciting experimental discoveries in the correlation physics of twisted bilayer graphene can be gradually understood. This review will be helpful for the readers to grasp the fast growing field of the model study of twisted bilayer graphene.

Proteomic analysis of seed germination under salt stress in soybeans

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) is a salt-sensitive crop,and its production is severely affected by saline soils.Therefore,the response of soybean seeds to salt stress during germination was investigated at both physiological and proteomic levels.The salt-tolerant cultivar Lee68 and salt-sensitive cultivar N2899 were exposed to 100 mmol/L NaCl until radicle protrusion from the seed coat.In both cultivars,the final germination percentage was not affected by salt,but the mean germination times of Lee68 and N2899 were delayed by 0.3 and 1.0 d,respectively,compared with controls.In response to salt stress,the abscisic acid content increased,and gibberellic acid (GA1+3) and isopentenyladenosine decreased.Indole-3-acetic acid increased in Lee68,but remained unchanged in N2899.The proteins extracted from germinated seeds were separated using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE),followed by Coomassie brilliant blue G-250 staining.About 350 protein spots from 2-DE gels of pH range 3 to 10 and 650 spots from gels of pH range 4 to 7 were reproducibly resolved,of which 18 protein spots showed changes in abundance as a result of salt stress in both cultivars.After matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight-mass spectroscopy (MALDI-TOF-MS) analysis of the differentially expressed proteins,the peptide mass fingerprint was searched against the soybean UniGene database and nine proteins were successfully identified.Ferritin and 20S proteasome subunit β-6 were up-regulated in both cultivars.Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase,glutathione S-transferase (GST) 9,GST 10,and seed maturation protein PM36 were down-regulated in Lee68 by salt,but still remained at a certain level.However,these proteins were present in lower levels in control N2899 and were up-regulated under salt stress.The results indicate that these proteins might have important roles in defense mechanisms against salt stress during soybean seed germination.

An eukaryotic translation initiation factor, AteIF_5A-2,affects cadmium accumulation and sensitivity in Arabidopsis

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most toxic elements and can be accumulated in plants easily; meanwhile, eIF5A is a highly conserved protein in all eukaryotic organisms. The present work tried to investigate whether eIF5A is involved in Cd accumulation and sensitivity in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana L.) by comparing the wild-type Columbia-0 (Col-0) with a knockdown mutant of AteIF5A-2, fbr12-3 under Cd stress conditions. The results showed that the mutant fbr12-3 accumulated more Cd in roots and shoots and had significantly lower chlorophyll content, shorter root length, and smaller biomass, suggesting that downregulation of AteIF5A-2 makes the mutant more Cd sensitive. Real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed that the expressions of metal transporters involved in Cd uptake and translocation including IRT1, ZIP1, AtNramp3, and AtHMA4 were significantly increased but the expressions of PCS1 and PCS2 related to Cd detoxification were decreased notably in fbr12-3 compared with Col-0. As a result, an increase in MDA and H2O2 content but decrease in root trolox, glutathione and proline content under Cd stress was observed, indicating that a severer oxidative stress occurs in the mutant. All these results demonstrated for the first time that AteIF5A influences Cd sensitivity by affecting Cd uptake, accumulation, and detoxification in Arabidopsis.