Liver transplantation using an otherwise-wasted partial liver resection graft.

Liver transplantation represents a complex surgical procedure and serves as a curative treatment for patients presenting an acute or chronic end-stage liver disease, or carefully selected liver malignancy. A significant gap still exists between the number of available donor organs and potential recipients. The use of an otherwise-wasted resected liver lobe from patients with benign liver tumors is a new, albeit small, option to alleviate the allograft shortage.

Neutrophil extracellular traps in central nervous system (CNS) diseases.

Excessive induction of inflammatory and immune responses is widely considered as one of vital factors contributing to the pathogenesis and progression of central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Neutrophils are well-studied members of inflammatory and immune cell family, contributing to the innate and adaptive immunity. Neutrophil-released neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) play an important role in the regulation of various kinds of diseases, including CNS diseases.

Serial circulating tumor DNA profiling predicts tumor recurrence after liver transplantation for liver cancer.

Background: Minimal residual disease (MRD) is proposed to be responsible for tumor recurrence. The role of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) to detect MRD, monitor recurrence, and predict prognosis in liver cancer patients undergoing liver transplantation (LT) remains unrevealed.

Methods: Serial blood samples were collected to profile ctDNA mutational changes.

Testing and Analysis of Ultra-High Toughness Cementitious Composite-Confined Recycled Aggregate Concrete under Axial Compression Loading.

In order to analyze the axial compressive properties of ultra-high-toughness cementitious composite (UHTCC)-confined recycled aggregate concrete (RAC), a batch of UHTCC-confined RAC components was designed and manufactured according to the requirements of GB/T50081-2002 specifications. After analyzing the surface failure phenomenon, load-displacement curves, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and parameter analysis of the specimen, the result shows that UHTCC-confined RAC is an effective confinement method, which can effectively improve the mechanical properties and control the degree of surface failure of RAC structures. Compared with the unconfined specimen, the maximum peak load of the UHTCC confinement layer with a thickness of 10 mm and 20 mm increased by 44.

Efficacy and safety of lenvatinib for preventing tumor recurrence after liver transplantation in hepatocellular carcinoma beyond the Milan criteria.

Background: Lenvatinib is one of the first-line treatments for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, data are lacking on lenvatinib in the postoperative setting.

Methods: This retrospective analysis enrolled 242 patients with HCC who underwent liver transplantation (LTx).

Perioperative and oncologic outcomes of laparoscopic versus open liver resection for combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma: a propensity score matching analysis.

Background: Laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) has now been established as a safe and minimally invasive technique that is deemed feasible for treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). However, the role of LLR in treating combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC-CC) patients has been rarely reported. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of LLR when compared with open liver resection (OLR) procedure for patients with cHCC-CC.

Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing Versus Traditional Laboratory Methods for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Infection in Liver Transplantation.

Background: Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) has emerged as an effective method for the noninvasive and precise detection of infectious pathogens. However, data are lacking on whether mNGS analyses could be used for the diagnosis and treatment of infection during the perioperative period in patients undergoing liver transplantation (LT).

Methods: From February 2018 to October 2018, we conducted an exploratory study using mNGS and traditional laboratory methods (TMs), including culture, serologic assays, and nucleic acid testing, for pathogen detection in 42 pairs of cadaveric liver donors and their corresponding recipients.

Enhanced production of short-chain fatty acids from sludge by thermal hydrolysis and acidogenic fermentation for organic resource recovery.

Acidogenic fermentation (FM treatment) converts organics in waste sludge to valuable short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). To maintain a favorable condition for the production of SCFAs, an alkali is often added continuously to maintain an alkaline pH in the fermenter. However, this chemical adjustment is costly and biotic hydrolysis is slow.

CircRPN2 Inhibits Aerobic Glycolysis and Metastasis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Unlabelled: Although circular RNAs (circRNA) are known to modulate tumor initiation and progression, their role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metastasis remains poorly understood. Here, three metastasis-associated circRNAs identified in a previous circRNA-sequencing study were screened and validated in two HCC cohorts. CircRPN2 was downregulated in highly metastatic HCC cell lines and HCC tissues with metastasis.

The spatial distribution of immune cell subpopulations in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Infiltrating immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) influence tumor progression and patient prognosis, making them attractive therapeutic targets for immunotherapy research. A deeper understanding of immune cell distributions in the TME in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is needed to identify interactions among different immune cell types that might impact the effectiveness of potential immunotherapies. We performed multiplex immunohistochemistry using a tissue microarray of samples from 302 patients with HCC to elucidate the spatial distributions of immune cell subpopulations (CD3 , CD4 , CD8 , CD66b , and CD68 ) in HCC and normal liver tissues.

Plasma MicroRNA Panel Predicts Early Tumor Recurrence in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma after Liver Transplantation.

This study aimed to evaluate the role of plasma microRNA panel (miR-122, miR-192, miR-21, miR-223, miR-26a, miR-27a and miR-801) for prediction and surveillance of early tumor recurrence in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients who had undergone liver transplantation (LT). The expression of plasma microRNA panel was assayed in 193 HCC patients (training cohort, n =151; validation cohort, n = 42). Sensitivity and specificity for detecting post-transplant HCC recurrence, and the relationship of microRNA panel expression with clinical characteristics were analyzed accordingly.

Using anammox biofilms for rapid start-up of partial nitritation-anammox in integrated fixed-film activated sludge for autotrophic nitrogen removal.

Integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) reactors are suitable for partial nitritation-anammox (PNA) for autotrophic nitrogen removal; however, its start-up and biofilm formation are slow and difficult. In this study, a new sludge seeding strategy was developed for the start-up of PNA-IFAS by using the pre-cultivated anammox biofilms. Two bioreactors were used in the experimental study, including a reactor that was started conventionally with the pre-acclimated suspended PNA sludge and bare biocarriers (PA-S) and a reactor that used the new seeding method with anammox biofilms pre-acclimated on biocarriers and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) sludge in the suspension (PA-B).

Identification of competing endogenous RNA network in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate key long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) involved in competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network associated with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC).

Materials And Methods: Three mRNA datasets, two miRNA datasets, and one lncRNA dataset of LSCC were downloaded from GEO database. Following the identification of differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs), (microRNAs) miRNAs (DEmiRNAs), and lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) in LSCC compared with adjacent tissues, functional enrichment of DEmRNAs was performed.

Patient-Derived Xenograft Models for Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma and Their Application in Guiding Personalized Medicine.

Background: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) remains one of the most intractable malignancies. The development of effective drug treatments for ICC is seriously hampered by the lack of reliable tumor models. At present, patient derived xenograft (PDX) models prove to accurately reflect the genetic and biological diversity required to decipher tumor biology and therapeutic vulnerabilities.

TM2D1 contributes the epithelial-mesenchymal transition of hepatocellular carcinoma via modulating AKT/β-catenin axis.

Various epidemiology studies showed the correlation between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and low incidence of cancer. However, the etiology underlying etiology of AD-related carcinogenesis remains largely elusive. Our study focused on characterizing the role of TM2D1 (TM2 domain containing 1) in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Arsenic trioxide induces differentiation of cancer stem cells in hepatocellular carcinoma through inhibition of LIF/JAK1/STAT3 and NF-kB signaling pathways synergistically.

Objective: Differentiation-inducing therapy for tumors is a strategy that aims to induce the differentiation and maturation of cancer stem cells (CSCs). The differentiation-inducing capacity of arsenic trioxide (ATO) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the underlying mechanism were previously unknown.

Methods: In the present study, we explored the ATO-induced differentiation of CSCs in HCC by detecting the expression of CSC-related markers and tumorigenicity variation in vivo and in vitro.

Adjuvant apatinib treatment after resection of hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein tumor thrombosis: a phase II trial.

Background: Survival after resection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) still remains poor. Apatinib, a vascular endothelial cell growth factor receptor 2 inhibitor, has been shown to be safe and effective in patients with advanced HCC, so in the present study its efficacy and safety in the adjuvant setting was explored.

Methods: In this single-center, open-label phase II trial, the patients received apatinib (500 mg/day) until they experienced disease recurrence or intolerable toxicity.

Detection of circulating tumour cells enables early recurrence prediction in hepatocellular carcinoma patients undergoing liver transplantation.

Background & Aims: Liver transplantation (LTx) is one of the most effective treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, tumour recurrence after LTx often leads to poor outcomes. This study investigated the value of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) as a predictor of recurrence following LTx in patients with HCC.

Methods: This analysis included 193 patients with HCC who underwent LTx at our institute and accepted pre- and post-operative CTC detection; 38 were selected for serial CTC monitoring.

A rapid and convenient derivatization method for quantitation of short-chain fatty acids in human feces by ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.

Rationale: Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are associated with intestinal microbiota and diseases in humans. SCFAs have a low response in mass spectrometry, and in order to increase sensitivity, reduce sample consumption, shorten analysis time, and simplify sample preparation steps, a derivatization method was developed.

Methods: We converted seven SCFAs into amide derivatives with 4-aminomethylquinoline.

Circular RNA Sequencing Identifies CircASAP1 as a Key Regulator in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Metastasis.

Background And Aims: There is growing evidence that single-stranded, circular RNA (circRNA) plays a key role in the development of certain cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It is less clear, however, what role circRNA plays in HCC metastasis.

Approach And Results: In this study, through circRNA sequencing, we identified a circRNA: circASAP1 (a circRNA derived from exons 2 and 3 of the ASAP1 gene, hsa_circ_0085616), which is associated with pulmonary metastasis after curative resection in patients with HCC.