Epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma of the nasopharynx: A case report and review of the literature.

Background: Epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma (EMCa) is a rare low-grade malignant tumor that most commonly occurs in the salivary glands, with approximately 320 cases having been reported worldwide. Here, we report the third case of EMCa occurring in the nasopharynx. Rare cases in the breast, pituitary gland, lacrimal gland, nose, paranasal sinus, nasal cavity, trachea and bronchus, lung, and even the pleura mediastinalis have also been reported.

Bone Metastases of Glioblastoma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary intracranial tumor and originates from the small pool of adult neural stem and progenitor cells (NSPCs). According to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of brain tumors, gliomas are classified into grades I-IV, and GBM is defined as the highest grade (IV). GBM can be disseminated by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), but extracranial metastasis is rare.

Importance of monitoring arsenic methylation metabolism in acute promyelocytic leukemia patients receiving the treatment of arsenic trioxide.

Background: Arsenic trioxide [ATO, inorganic arsenite (iAs) in solution] plays an important role in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). However, the long-term adverse effects (AEs) and the retention of arsenic among APL patients are rarely reported. In this study, we focused on arsenic methylation metabolism and its relationship with chronic hepatic toxicity, as we previously reported, among APL patients who had finished the treatment of ATO.

Erratum to correlation among gene promoter methylation, protein overexpression, and clinical pathology in early gastric cancer.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.21037/tcr.2020.

A Potential Predictive Biomarker for Miller/Payne Grading: PD-L1 Expression before Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer.

Background And Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the value of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression as a predictive biomarker for Miller/Payne grading before neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in breast cancer.

Patients And Methods: The expression of PD-L1 in pretreatment biopsies of breast cancer was assessed by immunohistochemistry in tissue microarrays. The results were analyzed using SPSS 22.

The Prognostic Value of Deficient Mismatch Repair in Stage II-IVa Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma in the Era of IMRT.

In the era of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), it is important to analyse the prognostic value of deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). In this study, in pretreatment biopsies of 69 patients with stage II-IVa NPC, the expression levels of MMR proteins, including MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2, were assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The median follow-up time was 37.

Correlation among gene promoter methylation, protein overexpression, and clinical pathology in early gastric cancer.

Background: The occurrence and development of gastric cancer is a multi-factor, multi-stage, multi-gene abnormal accumulation process. Both genetic and epigenetic mechanisms play an important role in the molecular mechanism of gastric cancer. DNA methylation is one of the most studied epigenetic expression mechanisms.

Identification of a t(X;17)(q28;q21) generating a KANSL1-MTCP1 gene fusion leading to dysregulated expression of MTCP1 in acute myeloid leukemia.

Chromosomal translocations and generating fusion genes are closely associated with disease initiation and progression in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In this study, we identified a novel t(X;17)(q28;q21) chromosomal rearrangement in a patient with acute monocytic leukemia. Using RNA-sequencing, we identified a KANSL1-MTCP1 and a KANSL1-CMC4 fusion gene.

DL-CNV: A deep learning method for identifying copy number variations based on next generation target sequencing.

Copy number variations (CNVs) play an important role in many types of cancer. With the rapid development of next generation sequencing (NGS) techniques, many methods for detecting CNVs of a single sample have emerged: (i) require genome-wide data of both case and control samples, (ii) depend on sequencing depth and GC content correction algorithm, (iii) rely on statistical models built on CNV positive and negative sample datasets. These make them costly in the data analysis and ineffective in the targeted sequencing data.

Identifying leukemia-associated immunophenotype-based individualized minimal residual disease in acute myeloid leukemia and its prognostic significance.

Based on the leukemia-associated immunophenotypes (LAIPs), minimal residual disease (MRD) related to the outcome can be detected by multiparameter flow cytometry in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. Although 0.1% was commonly used as a cutoff value, measurable MRD or MRD level below 0.

Correlation Between C-MYC, BCL-2, and BCL-6 Protein Expression and Gene Translocation as Biomarkers in Diagnosis and Prognosis of Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma.

This study investigates the protein expression of C-MYC, BCL-2, and BCL-6 in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and their relationship with genetic abnormalities. A retrospective study of 42 cases on paraffin-embedded tissue specimens diagnosed with DLBCL was performed using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence hybridization (FISH). The expression of C-MYC, BCL-2, BCL-6 protein, and gene abnormalities in these tissue samples was analyzed.

Homoharringtonine deregulates transcriptional expression by directly binding NF-κB repressing factor.

Homoharringtonine (HHT), a known protein synthesis inhibitor, has an anti-myeloid leukemia effect and potentiates the therapeutic efficacy of anthracycline/cytarabine induction regimens for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) with favorable and intermediate prognoses, especially in the t(8;21) subtype. Here we provide evidence showing that HHT inhibits the activity of leukemia-initiating cells (Lin/Sca-1/c-kit; LICs) in a t(8;21) murine leukemia model and exerts a down-regulating effect on MYC pathway genes in human t(8;21) leukemia cells (Kasumi-1). We discovered that NF-κB repressing factor (NKRF) is bound directly by HHT via the second double-strand RNA-binding motif (DSRM2) domain, which is the nuclear localization signal of NKRF.

Cyclosporine A/porous quaternized chitosan microspheres as a novel pulmonary drug delivery system.

N-[(2-Hydroxyl)-propyl-3-trimethyl ammonium] chitosan chloride (HTCC), a hydrosoluble chitosan derivative, has been extensively investigated as a class of drug delivery vehicles because of its unique features. However the studies on HTCC for pulmonary delivery systems have been rarely conducted. This study aimed to design porous microspheres (MS) containing cyclosporine A (CsA) using HTCC as the carrier.

Demonstration of ultra-high recyclable energy densities in domain-engineered ferroelectric films.

Dielectric capacitors have the highest charge/discharge speed among all electrical energy devices, but lag behind in energy density. Here we report dielectric ultracapacitors based on ferroelectric films of Ba(Zr,Ti)O which display high-energy densities (up to 166 J cm) and efficiencies (up to 96%). Different from a typical ferroelectric whose electric polarization is easily saturated, these Ba(Zr,Ti)O films display a much delayed saturation of the electric polarization, which increases continuously from nearly zero at remnant in a multipolar state, to a large value under the maximum electric field, leading to drastically improved recyclable energy densities.

Inhibitory Effect of Propolis on Platelet Aggregation In Vitro.

Platelet hyperactivity plays an important role in arterial thrombosis and atherosclerosis. The present study was aimed to investigate the effects of different extracts of propolis and components of flavonoids on platelet aggregation. Platelet-rich plasma was prepared and incubated in vitro with different concentrations of the tested extracts and components of flavonoids.

Clinical significance of day 5 peripheral blast clearance rate in the evaluation of early treatment response and prognosis of patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

Background: Minimal residual disease detection in the bone marrow is usually performed in patients with acute myeloid leukemia undergoing one course of induction chemotherapy. To optimize the chemotherapy strategies, more practical and sensitive markers are needed to monitor the early treatment response during induction. For instance, peripheral blood (PB) blast clearance rate may be considered as such a monitoring marker.

[Efficacy observation on knee osteoarthritis treated with electroacupuncture and its influence on articular cartilage with T2 mapping].

Objective: To observe therapeutic efficacy of osteoarthritis treated by electroacupuncture, and explore its function of promoting cartilage restoration.

Methods: According to random digital table, sixty cases of knee osteoarthritis (60 knees) were randomly divided into an electroacupuncture group and a physiotherapy group, 15 cases (30 knees) in each one. The electroacupuncture was applied at Neixiyan (EX-LE 4), Dubi (ST 35), Heding (EX-LE 2) and Xuehai (SP 10) in the electroacupuncture group, once every other day.

Effects of electroacupuncture on depression and the production of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor compared with fluoxetine: a randomized controlled pilot study.

Background And Objective: Postmortem studies indicate that the number and density of glial cells are reduced in different brain regions of patients with depression. Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of depressive disorder (DD) and might be a biomarker for damage to nerve cells. In this study, we compared the therapeutic effects of electroacupuncture (EA) and fluoxetine, a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, on DD patients, focusing on the serum level of GDNF.

Bio-filler from waste shellfish shell: preparation, characterization, and its effect on the mechanical properties on polypropylene composites.

Waste shellfish shell stacking with a significant odor and toxicity which are hazardous to human constitutes a serious environmental hazard. For utilization of waste shellfish shell resource, granule of shellfish shell (SS) was prepared from waste shellfish shell by removing cuticle, crushing, grinding and shearing emulsification and was introduced as a filler to reinforce polypropylene (PP). The mechanical behavior of PP/SS composite shows a higher yield strain, yield strength, tensile strength and elongation at break than traditional commercial calcium carbonate (CC) filled PP.

[Influence of acupuncture on IL-1beta and TNF-alpha expression in the cartilage of rats with knee osteoarthritis].

Objective: To explore the influence of acupuncture treatment on proinflammatory cytokines of osteoarthritic (OA) cartilage.

Methods: Forty female SD rats were randomly and averagely divided into four groups: the normal, model, acupuncture and control group. The method of heel tendon resection for unilateral hind limb was used to establish OA animal models-that was to cut off the rat's heel tendon of left hind limb.

[Effect of acupuncture on expression of matrix metalloproteinase and tissue inhibitor in cartilage of rats with knee osteoarthritis].

Objective: To explore the curative mechanism of acupuncture treatment on osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: Forty cases of female SD rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, an acupuncture group and a medication group, 10 cases in each group. OA animal model was established by using the method of heel tendon resection for unilateral hind limb.

[Effect of acupuncture at Baihui (GV 20) and Zusanli (ST 36) on the level of serum inflammatory cytokines in patients with depression].

Objective: To investigate the immunologic mechanism of acupuncture at Baihui (GV 20) and Zusanli (ST 36) for treatment of depression.

Methods: Eighty-four cases of depression patients were randomly divided into an electroacupuncture observation group (group A), an electroacupuncture control group (group B) and a medication control group (group C), 28 cases in each group. Baihui (GV 20) and Zusanli (ST 36) were used in the group A; Taichong (LR 3), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Neiguan (PC 6) and Shenmen (HT 7) were used in the group B; and the group C was treated with oral administration of Fluoxetine.

A fast sweeping method for computing geodesics on triangular manifolds.

A wide range of applications in computer intelligence and computer graphics require computing geodesics accurately and efficiently. The fast marching method (FMM) is widely used to solve this problem, of which the complexity is O(N\log N), where N is the total number of nodes on the manifold. A fast sweeping method (FSM) is proposed and applied on arbitrary triangular manifolds of which the complexity is reduced to O(N).