Microbial Community Structure and Diversity of Endophytic Bacteria and Fungi in the Healthy and Diseased Roots of , and Identification of Pathogens Causing Root Rot.

(Oliv.) Diels is an important traditional Chinese herbal medicine, and its main medicinal part is the root. In recent years, root rot has become one of the bottlenecks hindering the healthy and green development of cultivation due to the inappropriate application of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, plant growth regulators, and continuous cropping.

Inhibitory activity and mechanisms of chitosan against Fusarium avenaceum, a pathogen causing Angelica root rot disease.

The polysaccharide chitosan possesses broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties and has proven effective in controlling various postharvest diseases in fruits. Nevertheless, the fundamental mechanisms underlying its action remain unclear. In this study, the antifungal effects of chitosan with different molecular weights against Fusarium avenaceum, a pathogen causing root rot in Angelica sinensis, were evaluated.

Effect of rmEGF combined with ELF-EMF on promoting wound healing in rats.

Background: The process of wound healing is complex, and expediting it remains a challenge. The advantages of extremely low frequency electric and magnetic fields (ELF-EMF) are its non-invasive treatment, promotes healing and promotes myogenesis of C2C12 cells. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is known to play a vital role in promoting wound healing, so a combination of ELF-EMF and EGF can have far-reaching significance.

Are immune checkpoint inhibitors ineffective in treating patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma aged 75 years or Older? A Meta-Analysis.

Objectives: The efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is unclear in patients aged ≥ 75 years with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials that compared ICIs with standard-of-care (SOC) therapy for recurrent/metastatic HNSCC.

Materials And Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.

PPAR-δ as a prognostic biomarker and its association with immune infiltrates in breast cancer PPAR-δ as a prognostic biomarker and its association with immune infiltrates in breast cancer.

While peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor δ (PPAR-δ) and its associated signaling pathways have been shown to play an important regulatory role in various malignant tumors, in breast cancer, its potential influence on immune infiltration and its ability to serve as a prognostic marker remains unclear. BRCA patient samples with matched paracancerous samples were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). PPAR-δ expression, its potential effect on immune cell infiltration and its association to clinicopathological features were examined.

Current state of NK cell-mediated immunotherapy in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has become one of the most common hematological diseases in western countries, with an annual incidence of 42/100,000. Conventional chemotherapy and targeted therapeutic drugs showed limitations in prognosis or in efficiency in high-risk patients. Immunotherapy represented is one of the most effective therapeutic approaches with the potential of better effect and prognosis.

Cellular immunotherapy combined with platinum-based chemotherapy prolongs survival for non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Platinum-based chemotherapy is the primary treatment option for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients without a driver gene mutation, but its efficacy is still modest. Through a potential synergistic effect, autologous cellular immunotherapy (CIT) composed of cytokine-induced killer (CIK), natural killer (NK), and T cells might enhance it. NK cells exhibited in vitro cytotoxicity toward lung cancer cells (A549 cells) following platinum therapy.

Efficacy of cetuximab plus PD-1 inhibitor differs by HPV status in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The addition of cetuximab significantly increased the antitumor effect of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitors in recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, preliminary analyses suggested that human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive disease benefited less than HPV-negative disease. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to assess whether the efficacy of the combination therapy varied according to HPV status in HNSCC.

Corrigendum to "Dual Effects of Cellular Immunotherapy in Inhibition of Virus Replication and Prolongation of Survival in HCV-Positive Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2016/6837241.].

Regulation of skeletal myogenesis in C2C12 cells through modulation of Pax7, MyoD, and myogenin via different low-frequency electromagnetic field energies.

Background: A low-frequency electromagnetic field (LF-EMF) exerts important biological effects on the human body.

Objective: We previously studied the immunity and atrophy of gastrocnemius muscles in rats with spinal cord injuries and found that LF-EMF with a magnetic flux density of 1.5 mT exerted excellent therapeutic and preventive effects on reducing myotubes and increasing spatium intermusculare.

Trends of Ten Leading Causes of Death in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Objective: An understanding of the leading causes of death in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) would be helpful to inform doctors, patients, and healthcare providers on disease management. This study aimed to comprehensively study the leading causes of death in these survivors.

Methods: We investigated the trends of risk factors for major causes of death in patients with HNSCC.

Correlation of circulating tumor DNA EGFR mutation levels with clinical outcomes in patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma.

Background: Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is a promising biomarker for non-invasive epidermal growth factor receptor mutations (EGFRm) detection in lung cancer patients, but existing methods have limitations in sensitivity and availability. In this study, we used the ΔCt value (mutant cycle threshold [Ct] value-internal control Ct value) generated during the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay to convert super-amplification-refractory mutation system (superARMS) from a qualitative method to a semi-quantitative method named reformed-superARMS (R-superARMS), and evaluated its performance in detecting EGFRm in plasma ctDNA in patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma.

Methods: A total of 41 pairs of tissues and plasma samples were obtained from lung adenocarcinoma patients who had known EGFRm in tumor tissue and were previously untreated.

Three-dimensional gait characteristics of patients after unilateral total knee arthroplasty.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the gait characteristics of bilateral limbs after unilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA) using three-dimensional (3D) dynamic capture technology.Forty-two patients who underwent TKA were selected from the Orthopedic Medical Center of The Second Hospital of Jilin University from November 2018 to May 2019. We used a 3D dynamic capture system to measure the gait characteristics of patients at 3 months after TKA.

Correlation of Peripheral Blood Parameters and Immune-Related Adverse Events with the Efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors.

Objective: We aimed to retrospectively analyze the predictors of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs)-efficacy in patients with advanced pancancer who were treated with various ICIs in the real world and focused on the correlation between ICIs-efficacy and immune-related adverse events (irAEs).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 103 patients with advanced pancancer treated receiving various ICIs in the First Hospital of Jilin University from January 1, 2016 to August 1, 2020. Survival probabilities of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests and the multivariate Cox proportional hazards model.

Analysis of characteristics and predictive factors of immune checkpoint inhibitor-related adverse events.

Objective: We aimed to retrospectively analyze the toxicity profiles and predictors of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) as well as the correlation between irAEs and the clinical efficacy of multi-type immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in patients with advanced pan-cancer in a real-world setting.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 105 patients with advanced pan-cancer treated with multi-type ICIs at the First Hospital of Jilin University between January 1, 2016 and August 1, 2020. We used logistic regression analyses to investigate the associations of irAEs with clinical baseline characteristics, blood count parameters, and biochemical indicators during treatment.

The primary site of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma predicts survival benefits of EGFR inhibitors: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background And Purpose: To assess the survival benefits associated with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) according to the primary site.

Materials And Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted for randomized phase III trials comparing treatment with or without EGFR inhibitors in locoregionally advanced, recurrent, or metastatic HNSCC. The primary and secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), respectively.

Difference in tumor mutation burden between squamous cell carcinoma in the oral cavity and larynx.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the difference in tumor mutation burden (TMB) between oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) and larynx squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC).

Materials And Methods: Patients with OCSCC or LSCC were identified from datasets within The Cancer Genome Atlas. Somatic mutations and clinical information were included in the analysis.

Association between NF-B Activation in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells and Late Skin and Subcutaneous Fibrosis following Radiotherapy.

Background: This study aimed at evaluating the association between the speed of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-B) activation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and late skin and subcutaneous fibrosis in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) after radiotherapy.

Methods: The speed of NF-B activation was represented by the nuclear p65 expression ratio before and after irradiation. The optimal time point to measure the ratio was determined by Western blot in the PBMCs from healthy outpatients ranging from 0 to 12 hours after ex vivo irradiation.

Cost-effectiveness of icotinib versus whole-brain irradiation with or without chemotherapy in EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients with brain metastases.

Purpose: Nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with brain metastases (BM) have a poor prognosis. Despite the traditional methods including radiotherapy and chemotherapy, epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) might benefit patients on survival and quality of life. We investigated the cost-effectiveness of icotinib compared with whole-brain irradiation (WBI) with or without chemotherapy for NSCLC patients with BM.

Rickettsia japonica and Novel Rickettsia Species in Ticks, China.

PCR amplification indicated the minimum infection rate of Rickettsia spp. was 0.66% in Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks collected from Shandong Province, China.

Multiple roles of KLF15 in the heart: Underlying mechanisms and therapeutic implications.

Although there is an increasing understanding of the signaling pathways that promote cardiac hypertrophy, negative regulatory factors of this process have received less attention. Increasing evidence indicates that Krüppel-like factor 15 (KLF15) plays an important role in maintaining cardiac function by controlling the transcriptional pathways that regulating cardiac metabolism. Recent studies have also revealed a vital role for KLF15 as an inhibitor of pathological cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis via its effects on factors such as myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2), GATA-binding protein 4 (GATA4), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and myocardin.

Impact of age on the overall survival benefits of anti-EGFR-containing regimens in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: We conducted a meta-analysis to examine the associations of age, human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, and performance status with the overall survival (OS) benefits of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) after treatment with versus without epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors.

Methods: We systematically searched literature for randomized controlled trials comparing chemotherapy or radiotherapy with versus without EGFR inhibitors in locoregionally advanced, recurrent, or metastatic HNSCCs. Hazard ratios (HRs) for OS were calculated using random-effects models for patient groups according to age (younger vs.

Anaplasma species detected in Haemaphysalis longicornis tick from China.

Anaplasma are tick-borne obligatory intracellular bacteria, which infect humans and other animals. The Anaplasma species carried by ticks in China are not well studied. We collected 3145 questing Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks including 120 larvae, 2460 nymphs and 565 adults from vegetation in Jiaonan County, Shandong Province, China from 2013 to 2015.

p16(INK4a) status and survival benefit of EGFR inhibitors in head and neck squamous cell cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the impact of p16(INK4a) status on survival benefits in head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) after anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) based treatments.

Methods: We identified studies assessing anti-EGFR based versus non-anti-EGFR based regimens in patients with unresectable locoregionally advanced, recurrent or metastatic HNSCC. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS).