Identification of D842V mutation in gastrointestinal stromal tumors based on CT radiomics: a multi-center study.

Background: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. Recent advent of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has significantly improved the prognosis of GIST patients. However, responses to TKI therapy can vary depending on the specific gene mutation.

Functional Segregation-Integration Preference Configures the Cognitive Decline Against Cerebral Small Vessel Disease: An MRI Study.

Introduction: Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is highly prevalent in elder individuals, and its variable cognitive outcomes indicate some cognitive reserve mechanisms. Contribution from functional network features is still unclear. Here we explore how functional segregation-integration preference influences the cognitive changes against CSVD.

Patterns of trace elements deposition in Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis) teeth reflect early life history: A pilot study.

Understanding early life history events within a population is imperative for developing effective conservation and management practices, particularly for vulnerable species in degraded environments with high environmental variability. Here, we first investigated the lifetime record of trace element (TE) accumulation in the teeth of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins from the Pearl River Estuary, China, using in-situ laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry microanalysis, and further explored the suitability of teeth TEs as bioindicators of critical life stages. A total of 26 TEs were detected in the teeth of eight dolphins, with concentrations ranging from 0.

Establishment of the first dermal fibroblast cell line derived from the Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) and its response to pollutant exposure.

The Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus), classified as a new species since 1998, is underexplored in ecotoxicology owing to ethical constraints and the lack of specific in vitro models. Herein, we established the first skin fibroblast cell line (TaSF) from an Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin stranded along the Pearl River Estuary, China. TaSF cells exhibited strong proliferation in early passages but ceased mitosis at passage 19, likely owing to reaching the Hayflick limit.

Biomagnification potential and health risks of organophosphate esters in prey to humpback dolphins based on dietary correction.

Information on the biomagnification of organophosphate esters (OPEs) is limited, and the results are inconclusive, mainly because precise predatorprey relationships have not been determined. Herein, we first evaluated the biomagnification potential and dietary exposure risk of 15 OPEs in 14 prey species (n = 234) to Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins from the northern South China Sea using quantitative fatty acid signature analysis (QFASA). QFASA identified Chinese gizzard shad as the primary prey of dolphins.

Bioaccumulation and Potential Endocrine Disruption Risk of Legacy and Emerging Organophosphate Esters in Cetaceans from the Northern South China Sea.

Despite the increasing health risks shown by the continuous detection of organophosphate esters (OPEs) in biota in recent years, information on the occurrence and potential risks of OPEs in marine mammals remains limited. This study conducted the first investigation into the body burdens and potential risks of 10 traditional OPEs (tOPEs) and five emerging OPEs (eOPEs) in 10 cetacean species ( = 84) from the northern South China Sea (NSCS) during 2005-2021. All OPEs, except for 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate (EHDPHP), were detected in these cetaceans, indicating their widespread occurrence in the NSCS.

Liver resection versus microwave ablation for solitary and small (≤ 3 cm) HCC with early recurrence in different stages of liver cirrhosis: A propensity score matching study.

Background: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of liver resection (LR) and microwave ablation (MWA) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with early recurrence and varying stages of cirrhosis.

Method: This study analyzed patients with HCC who underwent hepatectomy and experienced early tumor recurrence (≤3 cm) between December 2002 and December 2020 at the Tongji Hospital. Treatment effectiveness was assessed using a propensity score matching (PSM) analysis.

Organohalogen contaminants threaten the survival of indo-pacific humpback dolphin calves in their largest habitat.

As long-lived apex predators, marine mammal adults often accumulate alarmingly levels of environmental contaminants. Nevertheless, the accumulation and risks of these contaminants in the critical calf stage of marine mammals remain largely unknown. Here, we investigated the exposure status and health risks of 74 organohalogen contaminants (OHCs) in Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin calves (Sousa chinensis) collected from the Pearl River Estuary (PRE), China, during 2005-2019.

First determination of elevated levels of plastic additives in finless porpoises from the South China Sea.

Plastic additives, such as organophosphate esters (OPEs) and phthalate esters (PAEs), are raising public concerns due to their widespread presence and potential health risks. Nonetheless, the occurrences and potential health risks of these additives in marine mammals remain limited. Here, we first investigated the accumulation patterns and potential risks of OPEs and metabolites of PAEs (mPAEs) in Indo-Pacific finless porpoises inhabiting the northern South China Sea (NSCS) during 2007-2020.

Bile acids regulate SF-1 to alter cholesterol balance in adrenocortical cells via S1PR2.

Glucocorticoid synthesis typically occurs in adrenal cortex and is influenced by cholesterol balance, since cholesterol is the sole precursor of steroids. Bile acids as the signaling molecules, have been shown to promote steroidogenesis in steroidogenic cells. However, whether bile acids directly regulate cholesterol balance remains elusive.

Personalized radiomics signature to screen for KIT-11 mutation genotypes among patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors: a retrospective multicenter study.

Objectives: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) carrying different KIT exon 11 (KIT-11) mutations exhibit varying prognoses and responses to Imatinib. Herein, we aimed to determine whether computed tomography (CT) radiomics can accurately stratify KIT-11 mutation genotypes to benefit Imatinib therapy and GISTs monitoring.

Methods: Overall, 1143 GISTs from 3 independent centers were separated into a training cohort (TC) or validation cohort (VC).

Prediction of high Ki-67 proliferation index of gastrointestinal stromal tumors based on CT at non-contrast-enhanced and different contrast-enhanced phases.

Objectives: To evaluate and analyze radiomics models based on non-contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) and different phases of contrast-enhanced CT in predicting Ki-67 proliferation index (PI) among patients with pathologically confirmed gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs).

Methods: A total of 383 patients with pathologically proven GIST were divided into a training set (n = 218, vendor 1) and 2 validation sets (n = 96, vendor 2; n = 69, vendors 3-5). Radiomics features extracted from the most recent non-contrast-enhanced and three contrast-enhanced CT scan prior to pathological examination.

Organotins in fish, shrimp, and cephalopods from the Pearl River Estuary, China: Dietary exposure risk to Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin and human.

Food has regularly been proven to be a key source of exposure to environmental pollutants, drawing attention to the dietary exposure risks of contaminants to mammals with significant daily food intake. Here, the levels of six organotin compounds (OTs) in 18 fish (n = 310), three cephalopods (n = 50), and one shrimp (n = 34) from the Lingdingyang (LDY) and west four region (WFR) of the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) and their dietary exposure risks to Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins and humans were first investigated. Total OT levels ranged from 3.

Fatty acids as bioindicators of organohalogen exposure in marine fish from a highly polluted estuary: First insight into small-scale regional differences.

Increasing evidence has revealed the lipid-disrupting effects of organic contaminants on aquatic organisms, raising attention about the efficacy of fatty acids (FAs) as bioindicator of contaminant exposure on marine organisms. Here, we investigated the concentrations of 55 organohalogen contaminants (OHCs), 35 FAs, and their correlations in 15 marine fish species (n = 274) from the estuary outlets of the west four region (WFR) and Lingdingyang (LDY) waters in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE), respectively. Despite the similar OHC profiles, significantly higher concentrations of ∑OHCs were detected in fish from the LDY than those in the WFR.

Risk assessment of phthalate metabolites accumulated in fish to the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins from their largest habitat.

Food has consistently been shown to be an important source of exposure to environmental pollutants, drawing attention to the health risks of pollutants in marine mammals with high daily food intake. Here, the dietary exposure risks posed to the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins from the Pearl River Estuary (PRE), China, by fourteen phthalate metabolites (mPAEs) were evaluated for the first time. On the basis of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis, the levels of ∑mPAEs in ten main species of prey fish (n = 120) of dolphins ranged from 103.

Occurrences and potential lipid-disrupting effects of phthalate metabolites in humpback dolphins from the South China Sea.

Phthalate esters (PAEs) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants, arising growing public concern. Nevertheless, information on the exposure and risks of PAEs in wildlife remains limited. Here, we conducted the first investigation of the occurrences, spatiotemporal trends, and potential risks of twelve metabolites of PAEs (mPAEs) in 74 humpback dolphins from the northern South China Sea during 2005-2020.

MiR-221-3p targets HIPK2 to promote diabetic wound healing.

Diabetic foot ulcer is a severe complication of diabetes and is prone to being a chronic non-healing wound. We previously demonstrated that endothelial progenitor cell-derived exosomes, which contain miR-221-3p, alleviate diabetic ulcers. Here, to explore the mechanisms underlying this wound healing, we investigated the potential angiogenic effects of miR-221-3p in vitro using cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and in vivo using a streptozotocin-induced mouse model of diabetes.

Microplastics in the endangered Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) from the Pearl River Estuary, China.

Microplastic pollution is a growing concern worldwide. Despite numerous studies showing the occurrence of microplastics in low-trophic level aquatic organisms, microplastic ingestion and contamination in cetaceans, especially those from Asian waters, has been rarely recorded. Here, we investigated stomach microplastic pollution in twelve Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins stranded along the Pearl River Estuary (PRE), China.

Enhancement and mechanism of vermiculite thermal expansion modified by sodium ions.

Aimed at improving vermiculite's thermal expansibility, a novel method of Na modification has been proposed. The modification effects were characterized X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis. The result indicated that sodium ions entered vermiculite interlayers through the exchange of interlamellar calcium ions.

Study of the interactions of a novel monoclonal antibody, mAb059c, with the hPD-1 receptor.

Programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) monoclonal antibodies have been approved by regulatory agencies for the treatment of various types of cancer, and the mechanism involves the restoration of T cell functions. We report herein the X-ray crystal structure of a fully human monoclonal antibody mAb059c fragment antigen-binding (Fab) in complex with the PD-1 extracellular domain (ECD) at a resolution of 1.70 Å.

Forkhead box N4 (Foxn4) activates Dll4-Notch signaling to suppress photoreceptor cell fates of early retinal progenitors.

The generation of diverse neuronal types and subtypes from multipotent progenitors during development is crucial for assembling functional neural circuits in the adult central nervous system. During mouse retinogenesis, early retinal progenitors give rise to several cell types, including ganglion, amacrine, horizontal, cone, and rod cells. It is unknown at present how each of these fates is selected from the multiple neuronal fates available to the early progenitor.

Inhibition of multiple gene expression and virus replication of HBV by stable RNA interference in 2.2.15 cells.

Background/aims: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a world-wide health problem. Recent studies have demonstrated the efficacy of RNA interference (RNAi) against HBV replication at cell culture and animal levels using transient transfection. The present study was to determine whether the stable transfection of short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-producing vector could achieve potent and sustained inhibition of the HBV replication in 2.