Low CXCL11 expression is indicative of poor prognosis in rectal cancer patients undergoing preoperative chemoradiotherapy: a retrospective cohort study.

Introduction: Neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) is routinely used before surgery in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer to reduce tumor size and decrease the risk of local recurrence. However, the disease-specific survival has not improved in most cases due to distant metastases. In selected individuals exhibiting a clinical complete response, non-operative management may be allowed; however, those who presented no or little response tend to have an inferior prognosis.

The Efficacy of On-Site Integration Screening and Microelimination Programs for Chronic Hepatitis C in a Detection Center: A Comparison of the Treatment Outcomes and Characteristics of Incarcerated Patients and Outpatients.

We aimed to analyze the different patient characteristics and treatment outcomes (such as sustained viral response, SVR) between incarcerated patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and those with CHC from the outpatient department through an on-site integrated screening and microelimination program in a detection center. In this retrospective study, which ran from May 2021 to April 2022, we included 32 consenting male prisoners aged at least 20 years who were willing to participate in the study. Members of the control group (who received DAAs in an outpatient setting) were selected from the treated CHC patient databank of individuals who received DAA regimens at Chi Mei Hospital between January 2021 and December 2022.

Overexpression of MTFR1 promotes cancer progression and drug-resistance on cisplatin and is related to the immune microenvironment in lung adenocarcinoma.

Objective: The roles of MTFR1 in the drug resistance of lung adenocarcinoma (LAC) to cisplatin remain unexplored. In this study, the expression, clinical values and mechanisms of MTFR1 were explored, and the relationship between MTFR1 expression and immune microenvironment was investigated in LAC using bioinformatics analysis, cell experiments, and meta-analysis.

Methods: MTFR1 expression and clinical values, and the relationship between MTFR1 expression and immunity were explored, through bioinformatics analysis.

Finite element analysis of optimized novel additively manufactured non-articulating prostheses for cervical total disc replacement.

Ball-and-socket designs of cervical total disc replacement (TDR) have been popular in recent years despite the disadvantages of polyethylene wear, heterotrophic ossification, increased facet contact force, and implant subsidence. In this study, a non-articulating, additively manufactured hybrid TDR with an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene core and polycarbonate urethane (PCU) fiber jacket, was designed to mimic the motion of normal discs. A finite element (FE) study was conducted to optimize the lattice structure and assess the biomechanical performance of this new generation TDR with an intact disc and a commercial ball-and-socket BagueraC TDR (Spineart SA, Geneva, Switzerland) on an intact C5-6 cervical spinal model.

Dynamic Information-Hiding Method with High Capacity Based on Image Interpolating and Bit Flipping.

In this era of rapid information exchange in public networks, there is a risk to information security. Data hiding is an important technique for privacy protection. Image interpolation is an important data-hiding technique in image processing.

Pediatric sigmoid colonic perforation with Campylobacter enterocolitis: a case report and review of the literature.

Background: Campylobacter-related infectious gastroenteritis is common and usually self-limited. Intestinal perforation is a rare complication of the infectious colitis caused by Campylobacter, and only handful of cases have been reported. This is the first published case report of pediatric Campylobacter intestinal perforation located in the sigmoid colon.

Iatrogenic Kaposi sarcoma of the small bowel in Crohn's disease following short-term use of immunomodulators: a case report and review of the literature.

Background: Kaposi sarcoma is a vascular tumor highly related to human herpesvirus-8 and Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus. Kaposi sarcoma usually manifests as skin or mucosal lesions; involvement in visceral organs such as the gastrointestinal tract is rare. Kaposi sarcoma can occur in immunocompromised patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy, in which case it is known as iatrogenic Kaposi sarcoma or drug-induced Kaposi sarcoma.

Upregulated Ubiquitin D is a Favorable Prognostic Indicator for Rectal Cancer Patients Undergoing Preoperative Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy.

Purpose: For locally advanced rectal cancer, neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) allows tumor downstaging and makes curative radical proctectomy possible. However, we lack a genetic biomarker to predict cancer prognosis or treatment response. We investigated the association between ubiquitin D (UBD) expression and clinical outcomes in rectal cancer patients receiving CCRT.

Enhanced Piezocatalytic Activity in BiNaTiO for Water Splitting by Oxygen Vacancy Engineering.

Piezoelectric materials have demonstrated applicability in clean energy production and environmental wastewater remediation through their ability to initiate a number of catalytic reactions. In this study, we used a conventional sol-gel method to synthesize lead-free rhombohedral 3 bismuth sodium titanate (BNT) particles of various sizes. When used as a piezocatalyst to generate H through water splitting, the BNT samples provided high production rates (up to 506.

Associations between short-term ambient ozone exposure and cause-specific mortality in rural and urban areas of Jiangsu, China.

Most previous studies on the acute health effects of ozone are limited to urban areas, largely due to the paucity of air pollutant measurements in rural areas. We here estimated the county-specific daily maximum 8-h average ozone concentration in Jiangsu Province, China during 2015-2018, using a recently developed spatiotemporal machine learning model at a spatial resolution of 0.1° × 0.

Improved Mass-Transfer Enhances Photo-Driven Dye Degradation and H Evolution over a Few-Layer WS/ZnO Heterostructure.

In this study, we observed the enhanced photocatalytic activity of a few-layer WS/ZnO (WZ) heterostructure toward dye degradation and H production. The few-layer WS acted as a co-catalyst that separated photogenerated electron/hole pairs and provided active sites for reactions, leading to the rate of photocatalytic H production of WZ being 35% greater than that over the bare ZnO nanoparticles. Moreover, vortex-stirring accelerated the mass-transfer of the reactants, leading to the efficiency of dye photodegradation being 3 times higher than that obtained without high-speed stirring.

Evaluation of the roles and regulatory mechanisms of PD-1 target molecules in NSCLC progression.

Background: Targeted programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) therapy could effectively improve the long-term prognosis of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The role of PD-1 targets in the progression of NSCLC has not been fully revealed.

Methods: The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in patients' blood after NSCLC treatment with PD-1 blocker nivolumab in the GSE141479 dataset were analyzed by GEO2R and identified in the TCGA database.

Cryptanalysis and Improvement of a Chaotic Map-Based Image Encryption System Using Both Plaintext Related Permutation and Diffusion.

In theory, high key and high plaintext sensitivities are a must for a cryptosystem to resist the chosen/known plaintext and the differential attacks. High plaintext sensitivity can be achieved by ensuring that each encrypted result is plaintext-dependent. In this work, we make detailed cryptanalysis on a published chaotic map-based image encryption system, where the encryption process is plaintext Image dependent.

Short-term associations between ambient fine particulate matter pollution and hospital visits for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Yinzhou District, China.

Ambient particulate matter is one of the main risk factors of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in developing countries. However, the studies were scant in China concerning the health effects of the fine particulate matter (PM; particulate matter ≤ 2.5 μm in diameter) on hospital visits for COPD.

An injectable extracellular matrix for the reconstruction of epidural fat and the prevention of epidural fibrosis.

Extensive epidural fibrosis is a common complication following spinal surgery and can cause pain and limited mobility. In the present study, a novel biomimetic approach was developed to prevent postsurgical adhesion of the dura. We aimed to reconstruct epidural fat, which prevents scar-tissue adhesion, through the development of an injectable decellularized adipose matrix (DAM)-containing hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogel loaded with adipose stromal cells (ASCs).

Gender differences in the associations between perceived environment and walking for recreation in Taiwanese adults.

This study examined gender differences in the associations between perceived environmental factors and walking for recreation in Taiwanese adults. In 2014, a telephone-based, cross-sectional survey targeting Taiwanese adults (20-64 years) was conducted. Data on nine items about environmental perception, time spent in walking for recreation, and socio-demographic variables were obtained from 1,065 adults using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-long version and its environmental module.

Ibuprofen-conjugated hyaluronate/polygalacturonic acid hydrogel for the prevention of epidural fibrosis.

The formation of fibrous tissue is part of the natural healing response following a laminectomy. Severe scar tissue adhesion, known as epidural fibrosis, is a common cause of failed back surgery syndrome. In this study, by combining the advantages of drug treatment with a physical barrier, an ibuprofen-conjugated crosslinkable polygalacturonic acid and hyaluronic acid hydrogel was developed for epidural fibrosis prevention.

Low thrombospondin 2 expression is predictive of low tumor regression after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in rectal cancer.

Background: Neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) followed by surgery is the mainstay of treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer. Several heparin-binding associated proteins have been reported to play a critical role in cancer progression. However, the clinical relevancies of such proteins and their associations with CCRT response in rectal cancer have not yet to be fully elucidated.

In situ forming hydrogel composed of hyaluronate and polygalacturonic acid for prevention of peridural fibrosis.

Hyaluronic acid-based hydrogels can reduce postoperative adhesion. However, the long-term application of hyaluronic acid is limited by tissue mediated enzymatic degradation. To overcome this limitation, we developed a polygalacturonic acid and hyaluronate composite hydrogel by Schiff's base crosslinking reaction.

Transparent conductive oxide films embedded with plasmonic nanostructure for light-emitting diode applications.

In this study, a spin coating process in which the grating structure comprises an Ag nanoparticle layer coated on a p-GaN top layer of InGaN/GaN light-emitting diode (LED) was developed. Various sizes of plasmonic nanoparticles embedded in a transparent conductive layer were clearly observed after the deposition of indium tin oxide (ITO). The plasmonic nanostructure enhanced the light extraction efficiency of blue LED.

Real-time remote control of artificial cilia actuation using fingertip drawing for efficient micromixing.

Low-efficiency diffusion mechanism poses a significant barrier to the enhancement of micromixing efficiency in microfluidics. Actuating artificial cilia to increase the contact area of two flow streams during micromixing provides a promising alternative to enhance the mixing performance. Real-time adjustment of beating behavior in artificial cilia is necessary to accommodate various biological/chemical reagents with different hydrodynamic properties that are processed in a single microfluidic platform during micromixing.

Effects of ethyl pyruvate on cardiac function recovery and apoptosis reduction after global cold ischemia and reperfusion.

The present study used an model of cold cardioplegia in isolated working rat hearts to evaluate the possible role of ethyl pyruvate (EP) in promoting cardiac function and preventing apoptosis. Two groups of rats were evaluated; the EP (2 mM EP; n=8) and control (n=8) groups. Isolated rat hearts were perfused with Krebs-Henseleit buffer (KHB) for 30 min, arrested with cardioplegic solution and stored for 4 h in B21 solution at 4°C.