Analysis of tumor microenvironment alterations in partially responsive rectal cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

Purpose: Achieving a pathologic complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) remains a challenge for most patients with rectal cancer. Exploring the potential of combining NCRT with immunotherapy or targeted therapy for those achieving a partial response (PR) offers a promising avenue to enhance treatment efficacy. This study investigated the impact of NCRT on the tumor microenvironment in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients who exhibited a PR.

Interfacial Engineering of MoS@CoS Heterostructure Electrocatalysts for Effective pH-Universal Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

The practical utilization of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) necessitates the creation of electrocatalysts that are both efficient and abundant in earth elements, capable of operating effectively within a wide pH range. However, this objective continues to present itself as an arduous obstacle. In this research, we propose the incorporation of sulfur vacancies in a novel heterojunction formed by MoS@CoS, designed to exhibit remarkable catalytic performances.

Genetically modified pigs: Emerging animal models for hereditary hearing loss.

Hereditary hearing loss (HHL), a genetic disorder that impairs auditory function, significantly affects quality of life and incurs substantial economic losses for society. To investigate the underlying causes of HHL and evaluate therapeutic outcomes, appropriate animal models are necessary. Pigs have been extensively used as valuable large animal models in biomedical research.

Comparative analysis of primate and pig cells reveals primate-specific PINK1 expression and phosphorylation.

PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1), a mitochondrial kinase that phosphorylates Parkin and other proteins, plays a crucial role in mitophagy and protection against neurodegeneration. Mutations in and can lead to loss of function and early onset Parkinson's disease. However, there is a lack of strong evidence in rodent models to support the theory that loss of PINK1 affects mitophagy and induces neurodegeneration.

Analysis of the efficacy and factors influencing survival of adjuvant radiotherapy for stage II-III biliary tract carcinoma.

Background: To determine the efficacy of adjuvant radiotherapy for stage II-III biliary tract carcinoma.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 37 patients who underwent radical resection of biliary tract carcinomas at the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University between 2016 and 2020. We analyzed survival differences between patients who did (n = 17) and did not (n = 20) receive postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy by using Kaplan-Meier analysis.

The usefulness and utilization of Gold-finger retractor for endoscopic thyroid surgery.

Aims: In endoscopic surgery, the visual field is frequently obstructed by muscles, blood, and even smoke. To overcome this problem, we have developed a new detachable Gold-finger retractor for narrow-space surgery.

Methods: Gold-finger retractor was used in 30 patients to facilitate surgical field exposure and smoke discharge, while in 27 patients, percutaneous silk thread suspension was employed for the same purpose.

Clinical significance of the detection of serum IgG4 and IgG4/IgG ratio in patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy.

To evaluate the clinical significance of detecting serum IgG4 and the IgG4/IgG ratio in patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) and to explore whether high serum IgG4 levels and the IgG4/IgG ratio are associated with the severity and activity of TAO, we retrospectively assessed the records of 78 TAO patients and 32 controls collected in our hospital from July 2020 to July 2022. The TAO patients were divided into TAO inactive and TAO active phase groups according to the clinical activity score (CAS), and we evaluated the association between the serum IgG4 levels, the IgG4/IgG ratio, and the clinical data of the participants. The levels of IgG4 significantly increased in the TAO active group compared to those in the inactive and control groups ( < 0.

Advances and applications of genetically modified pig models in biomedical and agricultural field.

Compared with rodents, pigs are closer to humans in terms of anatomy, metabolism and physiology, so they are ideal animal models of human diseases and xenotransplantation donors. In addition, as one of the most important livestock in China, pigs are closely related to our lives in terms of breeding improvement, disease prevention and animal welfare. In this review, we mainly summarize the research progress and future application of genetically modified pig models in the fields of xenotransplantation, molecular breeding and human disease models.

Adult sacrococcygeal teratoma: A review.

Sacrococcygeal teratomas (SCT) in adults are extremely rare, and most SCTs are located either mainly outside the pelvis, with a small number of intrapelvic components, or mostly in the pelvis (types III and IV). The etiology of teratomas remains unknown. Most teratomas are benign, and approximately 1 to 2% of teratomas undergo malignant transformation, including squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, sarcoma, and other malignancies.

Clinical Efficacy of Potato Extract for Alleviating Chemoradiotherapy-Related Leukopenia: a Randomized, Single-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Background: Leukopenia is the most common adverse event in chemotherapy, which natural products can prevent and treat. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical efficacy of potato extract for alleviating chemoradiotherapy-induced leukopenia in cancer patients.

Methods: This was a single-blinded randomized placebo-controlled trial that enrolled 184 cancer patients.

Management of Patients with Cervicofacial Edema and Paresthesia during Perioperative Period of Transoral Endoscopic Thyroidectomy.

Objective: To analyze the clinical intervention effect of transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy on the neck and face during perioperative period.

Method: From January 2019 to January 2020, 60 patients included in this study were randomly divided into observation group and control group according to the ratio of 1 : 1, with 30 cases in each group. Both groups underwent rapid surgical intervention during the perioperative period.

Design of a Novel Series of Hetero-Binuclear Superhalogen Anions MM'X (M = Li, Na; M' = Be, Mg, Ca; X = Cl, Br).

A series of hetero-binuclear superatom motifs involving chloride/bromide ligands, that is, MM'X (M = Li, Na; M' = Be, Mg, Ca; X = Cl, Br) anions, have been characterized by using many-body perturbation theory calculations. Large vertical electron detachment energies (VDEs, 5.470-6.

Axillary channel-assisted TOETVA: An effective way to prevent mental nerve from iatrogenic injury?

Aim: To evaluate the protective effect of axillary channel-assisted (ACA) transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach on mental nerve.

Materials And Methods: From August 2018 to December 2020, 126 cases of thyroid micro-carcinoma patients who underwent endoscopic thyroidectomy were recruited retrospectively. Of those, 74 cases were performed with ACA trans-oral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach (ACA_TOETVA) (V and A group), 52 cases received standard TOETVA (V group).

Identification of Theileria spp. and investigation of hematological profiles of their infections in goats in Hainan Island, China.

Theileria spp. are a group of parasites primarily transmitted by ticks and can pose a significant threat to domestic and wild animals globally. The main objective of this study was to understand the epidemiology of Theileria spp.

Amarogentin secoiridoid inhibits in vivo cancer cell growth in xenograft mice model and induces apoptosis in human gastric cancer cells (SNU-16) through the mediation of G2/M cell cycle arrest and PI3K/Akt signalling pathway.

The Editors of JBUON issue an Expression of Concern to 'Amarogentin secoiridoid inhibits in vivo cancer cell growth in xenograft mice model and induces apoptosis in human gastric cancer cells (SNU-16) through G2/M cell cycle arrest and PI3K/Akt signalling pathway', by Jian-Guo Zhao, Ling Zhang, Xiao-Jun Xiang, Feng Yu, Wan-li Ye, Dong-Ping Wu, Jian-Fang Wang, Jian-Ping Xiong, JBUON 2016;21(3):609-617; PMID:27569081. Following the publication of the above article, readers drew to our attention that part of the data was possibly unreliable. We sent emails to the authors with a request to provide the raw data to prove the originality, but received no reply.

β-Selective Cu(II)-Catalyzed Dehydrogenative Enamination of Alkylbenzenes.

A Cu(II)-catalyzed dehydrogenative enamination that couples alkyl-substituted electron-rich arenes and -fluorobenzenesulfonimide to forge enamine products is reported. This C-N bond-forming procedure occurs selectively at the β-position of the alkyl group. Both aniline and anisole derivatives are tolerated under these conditions, to afford styryl amines.

HHIP overexpression inhibits the proliferation, migration and invasion of non-small cell lung cancer.

Objective: The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of hedgehog-interacting protein (HHIP) overexpression on the proliferation, migration and invasion of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: Firstly, HHIP gene expression data of NSCLC tissues and normal tissues were obtained from GSE18842/GSE19804/GSE43458 databases of the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and then validated by TCGA NSCLC database in a cohort of 1027 cases of NSCLC patients and 108 cases of normal people. A chi-square test was used to analyze the relationship between HHIP expression and clinicopathological characteristics of NSCLC.

Glucagonoma syndrome with severe erythematous rash: A rare case report.

Rationale: Glucagonoma is a rare neuroendocrine tumor of the pancreas. Glucagonoma syndrome is often misdiagnosed as other skin lesions by clinicians due to a typical clinical sign of necrolytic migratory erythema (NME) with severe erythematous rash.

Patient Concerns: A 48-year-old female patient was admitted to our department because she presented with unclear recurrent severe erythematous rash.

Canalostomy is an ideal surgery route for inner ear gene delivery in big animal model.

Inner gene therapy offers great promises as a potential treatment for hearing loss. One of the critical determinants of the success of inner ear gene therapy is to find a delivery method which results in consistent transduction efficiency of targeted cell types while minimizing hearing loss. Surgery was performed only in the right ear of each Bama miniature pig, and the left ear served as a control.

Self-assembled nanoparticles of reduction-sensitive poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid)-conjugated chondroitin sulfate A for doxorubicin delivery: preparation, characterization and evaluation.

In this study, reduction-sensitive self-assembled polymer nanoparticles based on poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and chondroitin sulfate A (CSA) were developed and characterized. PLGA was conjugated with CSA via a disulfide linkage (PLGA-ss-CSA). The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of PLGA-ss-CSA conjugate is 3.

Genome editing technologies drive the development of pig genetic improvement.

Nuclease-mediated genome editing technologies contribute to the rapid advances in life sciences via the ability to edit the genomes within living cells, and present a new era for porcine genetic improvement. In this review, we introduce the development of various genomic editing technologies, particularly CRISPR/Cas9 strategies and characteristics of various naturally occurring and artificially engineered CRISPR enzymes. Also, we summarize progress in pig genetic improvement mediated by genome editing, especially those associated with meat quality traits and anti-virus resistance.

Investigation of a real-time location system of corneal astigmatic axis.

Background: To construct a real-time computerized location system (RCLS) to analyze and display the axis of corneal astigmatism and to compare its accuracy with the Scheimpflug method.

Methods: Fifty-seven eyes of 39 volunteers with corneal astigmatism more than 1.00 diopter (D) were recruited.

Graphene-Based Nanomaterials: Potential Tools for Neurorepair.

Graphene, with its outstanding electrical properties, large surface area, and excellent mechanical properties, is found in a wide variety of applications in biomimetic substrates and biomedicine, with the result that there is growing interest in the effect of graphene-based nanomaterials on neural cells. This review sums up current research on the effectiveness of graphene and its derivatives on neural cells. We emphasize the biocompatibility of graphene and its derivatives, and how they affect the behavior of neural cells, including adhesion, proliferation, neurite outgrowth and differentiation.

Multi-parametric MRI in cervical cancer: early prediction of response to concurrent chemoradiotherapy in combination with clinical prognostic factors.

Objective: To investigate the prediction of response to concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) through a combination of pretreatment multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with clinical prognostic factors (CPF) in cervical cancer patients.

Methods: Sixty-five patients underwent conventional MRI, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) before CCRT. The patients were divided into non- and residual tumour groups according to post-treatment MRI.