Development of a novel difficulty scoring system for laparoscopic liver resection procedure in patients with intrahepatic duct stones.

Background: For intrahepatic duct (IHD) stones, laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) is currently a reliable treatment. However, the current LLR difficulty scoring system (DSS) is only available for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aim: To explore the development of a DSS for IHD stone patients with LLR and the validation of its reliability.

Mercury isotope evidence for the importance of recycled fluids in collisional ore systems.

The sources of fluids and metals in porphyry systems of continental-collision settings are poorly constrained. Mercury isotopes display unique mass-independent fractionation (expressed as ΔHg) and may provide important constraints on metal and volatile sources given that Hg is a highly volatile metal. Here, we report Hg isotope data on ore-forming porphyries, barren magmatic rocks, and mantle-derived mafic magmas from southern Tibet.

Minocycline and Pyrrolidine Dithiocarbamate Attenuate Hypertension via Suppressing Activation of Microglia in the Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus.

Proinflammatory cytokines, reactive oxygen species and imbalance of neurotransmitters are involved in the pathophysiology of angiotensin II-induced hypertension. The hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) plays a vital role in hypertension. Evidences show that microglia are activated and release proinflammatory cytokines in angiocardiopathy.

EcR/USP-1-mediated ecdysteroid signaling regulates wolf spider () development and reproduction.

Lycosidae females demonstrate meticulous maternal care of offspring by carrying egg sacs and juvenile spiderlings during the reproductive stage. Nuclear receptors (NRs), especially the ecdysone receptor (EcR) and ultraspiracle (USP), have attracted considerable attention in the regulation of arthropod development and reproduction due to their pivotal roles in ecdysteroid signaling cascades. In the present study, 23 , including one and two , were identified in the genome of the predatory wolf spider .

[Epidemiological and clinicopathological characteristics of prostate cancer in Hunan].

Objective: To investigate the epidemiological and clinicopathological characteristics of PCa and provide some strategies for the clinical prevention and treatment of the malignancy.

Methods: This study included 1 594 cases of pathologically diagnosed PCa after radical prostatectomy in Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2020. We collected the basic information about the patients, their main complaints and clinicopathological results, and analyzed the epidemiological and clinicopathological data.

[Quercetin for the treatment of prostate cancer: Progress in studies].

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a common urinary malignancy, and advanced PCa has a poor prognosis and a high mortality. Drug therapies currently available for this malignancy often cause serious adverse reactions, and therefore new drugs with fewer adverse effects or the potential to reduce the adverse effects of traditional chemotherapeutic drugs are badly needed for the management of PCa. Quercetin, as a natural flavonoid, has been extensively studied in recent years for its anti-cancer effects, as in cell signal transduction, apoptosis promotion, anti-proliferation and -oxidation, and growth inhibition.

Genomic Identification and Functional Analysis of JHAMTs in the Pond Wolf Spider, .

Juvenile hormone (JH) plays a critical role in many physiological activities of Arthropoda. Juvenile hormone acid methyltransferase (JHAMT) is involved in the last steps of JH biosynthesis as an important rate-limiting enzyme. In recent studies, an increasing number of JHAMTs were identified in arthropods, but no JHAMT was reported in spiders.

Galangin attenuates oxidative stress-mediated apoptosis in high glucose-induced renal tubular epithelial cells through modulating renin-angiotensin system and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.

This study was to evaluate the regulatory network among Galangin (Gal), oxidative stress, and renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in diabetic nephropathy (DN) . A cell model of DN was set up by exposing HK-2 cells to high glucose (HG, 30 mM) for 48 h and Gal was applied at 10 μM when needed. mRNA expression was analyzed by qPCR and protein level was detected by western blot.

Prognostic importance of numbers of retrieved lymph nodes and positive lymph nodes for ampulla of vater cancer (AVC) in 2347 patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.

Introduction: The numbers of retrieved lymph nodes (RLNs) and positive lymph nodes (PLNs) had a significant impact on the survival of patients with ampulla of vater cancer (AVC), but the optimal numbers of the both were controversial.

Objective: The cohort study aimed to explore the prognostic value and the optimal point of RLNs and PLNs for AVC.

Methods: A total of 2347 AVC patients with M0 disease who underwent surgical resection and lymph node dissection from January 2004 to December 2013 were acquired from a prospective database.

Diallyl Trisulfide Suppresses Angiotensin II-Induced Vascular Remodeling Via Inhibition of Mitochondrial Fission.

Objective: We have shown previously that diallyl trisulfide (DATS) ameliorates mitochondrial fission and oxidative stress in a hyperglycemia-induced endothelial apoptosis and diabetic mouse model. The aim of this study was to investigate whether DATS mitigates Ang II-induced vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) phenotypic switching and vascular remodeling, and if so, to determine the underlying molecular events.

Methods: Male C57BL/6 mice were used to establish a vascular remodeling model by continuous 2-week Ang II infusion using a subcutaneous osmotic pump.

Proposal of the optimal numbers of examined and positive lymph nodes to the 8th edition of American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging for 758 patients with distal cholangiocarcinoma.

Introduction: The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) recommended retrieval of at least 12 lymph nodes and firstly classified N category by the number of positive lymph nodes (PLNs) for Distal Cholangiocarcinoma (DCC).

Objective: The end of this cohort study was to explore the optimal cut-off values of the number of examined lymph nodes (ELNs) and PLNs to better stratify patients by utilizing a population-based database.

Methods: A number of 758 patients with DCC from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were enrolled in the study and comparing by the survival analysis.

miR-155 facilitates calcium oxalate crystal-induced HK-2 cell injury via targeting PI3K associated autophagy.

Nephrolithiasis is one of the most common and highly recurrent diseases worldwide. Accumulating evidence revealed the elevated miR-155 levels both in serum and urine of nephrolithiasis patients. The aim of our research was to explore the role of miR-155 in CaOx-induced apoptosis in HK-2 cells.

Evaluation and Recommendation of the 8th Edition of American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) Staging System for Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) in 820 Patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Database.

Background: The AJCC made four changes to T category in the 8th AJCC stage for ICC, but this is a topic of debate.

Methods: Data from 820 patients with ICC were extracted from the SEER database. Survival analysis of the 8th AJCC stage was examined.

Efficacy and safety of stem cell therapy in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy: a systematic appraisal and meta-analysis.

Background: The clinical significance of stem cell therapy in the treatment of dilated cardiomyopathy remains unclear. This systemic appraisal and meta-analysis aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of stem cell therapy in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. After searching the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane library databases until November 2017, we conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of stem cell therapy in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Inhibition of miR-155 Ameliorates Acute Kidney Injury by Apoptosis Involving the Regulation on TCF4/Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a complex clinical disorder with sudden decay in renal function. Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) has been regarded as the main etiology for the occurrence of AKI. MicroRNAs have been consistently shown to be involved AKI.

Acanthopanax senticosus Protects Structure and Function of Mesencephalic Mitochondria in A Mouse Model of Parkinson's Disease.

Objective: To investigate the neuro-protective effects of Acanthopanax senticosus Harms (EAS) on mesencephalic mitochondria and the mechanism of action, using a mouse model of Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods: The chemical fingerprint analysis of the extract of Acanthopanax senticosus Harms (EAS) was performed using the ultra performance liquid chromatograph and time of flight mass spectrometry. Thirty mice were randomly divided into the control group, the MPTP model group, and the EAS treated group with MPTP (MPTP+EAS group, 10 in each group).

Angiotensin-(1-7) attenuates hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy modulation of nitric oxide and neurotransmitter levels in the paraventricular nucleus in salt-sensitive hypertensive rats.

Angiotensin-(1-7) [Ang-(1-7)] is a multifunctional bioactive angiotensin peptide which exerts a cardiovascular protective function mainly by opposing the effects of angiotensin II. We aimed to determine whether brain Ang-(1-7) regulates nitric oxide (NO) and neurotransmitter levels in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), and influences sympathetic activity, blood pressure and cardiac hypertrophy in salt-sensitive hypertension. Dahl salt-sensitive rats receiving a high-salt (HS, 8% NaCl) or a normal-salt (NS, 0.

Antibiotic prophylaxis for infections in patients with acute stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Objective: Infections are frequent after stroke and lead to increased mortality and neurological disability. Antibiotic prophylaxis has potential of decreasing the risk of infections and mortality and improving poor functional outcome. Several studies evaluated antibiotic prophylaxis for infections in acute stroke patients have generated conflicting results.

Impacts of Grazing Intensity and Plant Community Composition on Soil Bacterial Community Diversity in a Steppe Grassland.

Soil bacteria play a key role in the ecological and evolutionary responses of agricultural ecosystems. Domestic herbivore grazing is known to influence soil bacterial community. However, the effects of grazing and its major driving factors on soil bacterial community remain unknown for different plant community compositions under increasing grazing intensity.

Cordblood-Based High-Throughput Screening for Deafness Gene of 646 Newborns in Jinan Area of China.

Objectives: Infants with slight/mild or late-onset hearing impairment might be missed in universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS). We identified the mutation hot spot of common deaf gene in the newborns in Jinan area population by screening the mutation spot with neonate cord blood, in order to make clear whether the neonate cord blood for screening is feasible.

Methods: Six hundred and forty-six newborns were subjected to both UNHS and genetic screening for deafness by using neonate cord blood.

LOX‑1 is implicated in oxidized low‑density lipoprotein‑induced oxidative stress of macrophages in atherosclerosis.

Induction of oxidative stress has a causal role in atherosclerosis. The aim of the present study was to examine the role of lectin‑like oxidized low‑density lipoprotein receptor‑1 (LOX‑1) in oxidized low‑density lipoprotein (OxLDL)‑induced oxidative stress in atherosclerosis. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) technology was employed to decrease the expression of LOX‑1 in mouse RAW264.

Angiotensin-(1-7) stimulates cholesterol efflux from angiotensin II-treated cholesterol-loaded THP-1 macrophages through the suppression of p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase signaling.

Angiotensin II (Ang II) and Ang-(1-7) are key effector peptides of the renin-angiotensin system. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of Ang-(1-7) on Ang II-stimulated cholesterol efflux and the associated molecular mechanisms. Differentiated THP-1 macrophages were treated with Ang II (1 µM) and/or Ang-(1-7) (10 and 100 nM) for 24 h and the cholesterol efflux and gene expression levels were assessed.

Angiogenesis effect of therapeutic ultrasound on ischemic hind limb in mice.

Although significant progress in bypass surgery and catheter intervention against peripheral artery disease, the number of severe critical limb ischemia (CLI) patients is increasing. Thus, it is crucial to develop new, non-invasive therapeutic strategies. The purpose of this study was to determine the mechanism of therapeutic ultrasound (TUS) on ischemic angiogenesis using mouse model of hindlimb ischemia and the cellular/molecular mechanisms underlying TUS-related neovascularization.