Long non-coding RNA NORAD/miR-224-3p/MTDH axis contributes to CDDP resistance of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by promoting nuclear accumulation of β-catenin.

Background: Cis-diamminedichloro-platinum (CDDP)-based chemotherapy regimens are the most predominant treatment strategies for patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Dysregulated long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) contribute to CDDP resistance, which results in treatment failure in ESCC patients. However, the majority of lncRNAs involved in CDDP resistance in ESCC remain to be elucidated.

Current status of total neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced rectal cancer.

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) plus total mesorectal excision (TME) has been the standard regimen for treatment of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), because it significantly reduces the rate of local recurrence and enables sphincter preservation. However, distant metastasis remains the major reason for treatment failure, and the value of postoperative chemotherapy is still controversial. Recent studies have examined the use of total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT), defined as induction and/or consolidation chemotherapy (CONCT) with radiotherapy (RT) or nCRT prior to surgery.

Meta-analysis of the efficacy of Da Vinci robotic or laparoscopic distal subtotal gastrectomy in patients with gastric cancer.

Background: Robotic-assisted gastrectomy has been used for treating gastric cancer since 2002. This meta-analysis was conducted to systematically evaluate the efficacy of Da Vinci robotic distal subtotal gastrectomy (RDG) or laparoscopic distal subtotal gastrectomy (LDG) in patients with gastric cancer.

Methods: We conducted searches in domestic and foreign databases, and collected literature in Chinese and English on the efficacy of RDG and LDG for gastric cancer that have been published since the inception of the database.

The prognosis and risk factors for acute kidney injury in high-risk patients after surgery for type A aortic dissection in the ICU.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a major complication of cardiac surgery, with high rates of morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for the incidence and prognosis of AKI in high-risk patients before and after surgery for acute type A aortic dissection (TAAD) in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study from April 2018 to April 2019.

Lung ultrasound score based on the BLUE-plus protocol is associated with the outcomes and oxygenation indices of intensive care unit patients.

Purpose: The primary objective was to demonstrate the relationship between lung ultrasound (LUS) manifestations and the outcomes of intensive care unit (ICU) patients. The secondary objective was to determine the characteristics of LUS manifestations in different subgroups of ICU patients.

Methods: This prospective multi-center cohort study was conducted in 17 ICUs.

Value of Ultrasound-Guided Biopsy in Evaluating Internal Mammary Lymph Node Metastases in Breast Cancer.

Objectives: This retrospective study aimed to assess the value of a real-time, ultrasound-guided biopsy in evaluating internal mammary lymph nodes (IMLNs) in breast cancer.

Methods: Patients who were diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent real-time, ultrasound-guided core-needle biopsy (CNB) or fine-needle aspiration (FNA) in suspected IMLN metastasis were retrospectively analyzed. Patient information and ultrasonographic images were reviewed and correlated with pathology results.

Establishment and Verification of a Predictive Model for Node Pathological Complete Response After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Initial Node Positive Early Breast Cancer.

Objective: Axillary node status after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) in early breast cancer patients influences the axillary surgical staging procedure. This study was conducted for the identification of the likelihood of patients being node pathological complete response (pCR) post NCT. We aimed to recognize patients most likely to benefit from sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) following NCT and to reduce the risk of missed detection of positive lymph nodes through the construction and validation of a clinical preoperative scoring prediction model.

Combined predictive performance of age and neutrophilic percentage on admission for severe novel coronavirus disease 2019.

Background: Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) poses a huge threat to the global public health. This study aimed to identify predictive indicators of severe COVID-19.

Methods: We retrospectively collected clinical data on hospital admission of all patients with severe COVID-19 and a control cohort (1:1) of gender- and hospital-matched patients with mild disease from 13 designated hospitals in the Hebei Province between 22 January and 15 April 2020.

The application analysis of 8F ultrafine chest drainage tube for thoracoscopic lobectomy of lung cancer.

Background: Currently, thoracoscopic lobectomy is widely used in clinical practice, and postoperative placement of ultrafine drainage tube has advantages of reducing postoperative pain and accelerating postoperative recovery in patients. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility and safety of placement of 8F ultrafine chest drainage tube after thoracoscopic lobectomy and its superiority over traditional 24F chest drainage tube.

Methods: A retrospective data analysis was conducted in 169 patients who underwent placement of 8F ultrafine chest drainage tube or 24F chest drainage tube with thoracoscopic lobectomy for lung cancer from January 2018 to December 2019.

Long non-coding RNA SPRY4-IT1 as a promising indicator for three field lymph-node dissection of thoracic esophageal carcinoma.

Background: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC) is one of the most common tumors worldwide. Esophagectomy with three-field lymph node dissection(3FLND) is the radical surgical procedure for esophageal cancer. However, 3FLND is not widely used due to it's higher mortality rate and higher incidence of postoperative complications.

Whole-exome sequencing reveals potential germline and somatic mutations in 60 malignant ovarian germ cell tumors†.

Malignant ovarian germ cell tumors (MOGCTs) are rare and heterogeneous ovary tumors. We aimed to identify potential germline mutations and somatic mutations in MOGCTs by whole-exome sequencing. The peripheral blood and tumor samples from these patients were used to identify germline mutations and somatic mutations, respectively.

Transcriptional dysregulation of TRIM29 promotes colorectal cancer carcinogenesis via pyruvate kinase-mediated glucose metabolism.

Targeted molecular therapy is the most effective treatment for cancer. An effective therapeutic target for colorectal cancer (CRC) is urgently needed. However, the mechanisms of CRC remain poorly understood, which has hampered research and development of CRC-targeted therapy.

A phase III, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial of carboxyamidotriazole plus chemotherapy for the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Carboxyamidotriazole (CAI), a calcium channel blocker, inhibits tumor cell proliferation, metastasis, and angiogenesis. This trial aimed to determine whether CAI combined with conventional chemotherapy could prolong progression-free survival (PFS) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.

Methods: Patients were assigned into groups (3:1 ratio) to receive either chemotherapy + CAI or chemotherapy alone.

Efficacy of chemotherapy for lymph node-positive luminal A subtype breast cancer patients: an updated meta-analysis.

Objective: To assess the association between chemotherapy and prognosis of patients with breast cancer of luminal A subtype and lymph node-positive, luminal A subtype breast cancer METHODS: Articles published between January 1, 2010, and May 1, 2020, were collected from PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases. On the basis of a test for heterogeneity, we selected the random effects model or fixed effects model for meta-analysis. Article quality was evaluated by sensitivity analysis, and Begg's and Egger's tests were used to measure publication bias.

Selected updates in molecular and genomic pathology of esophageal cancer.

Recent years have seen rapid advances in the field of molecular and genomic pathology that have not only improved understanding of esophageal carcinogenesis and tumor immune environment in general but also have reshaped pathology practice and clinical management. In this article, we provide updates on three topics (1) human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, the first and most important biomarker in targeted therapy of esophageal cancer; (2) programmed death 1/programmed death ligand 1, recent biomarkers that have shown promise in treating both esophageal adenocarcinoma and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma; and (3) human papillomavirus involvement in esophageal carcinogenesis, one of the most debated topics in the field, discussed here with a renewed understanding from recent genomic and molecular data.

A clinical study on the ability of the integrative weaning index to predict weaning from mechanical ventilation.

Background: Evaluate the accuracy of IWI predicting weaning in patients with mechanical ventilation greater than 72 hours.

Methods: All patients were divided into two groups, according to FiO2 in the intensive care unit (ICU) with mechanically ventilated for more than 72 hours. Recorded Integrative weaning index (IWI) related indicators in all patients.

Protein anabolism is key to long-term survival in high-grade serous ovarian cancer.

This study aimed to identify the biological processes associated with long-term survival in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). HGSOC cases obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas Ovarian Cancer (TCGA-OV) database were divided into long-term survivors (LTS) and normal-term survivors (NTS) based on survival cutoffs defined by the HGSOC cohort in the SEER database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened using the generalized linear modeling (GLM) method.

Association of higher axillary pathologic complete response rate with breast pathologic complete response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Background: To investigate the association of axillary pathologic complete response (pCR) rate among breast cancer patients with pCR after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT).

Methods: The retrospective clinical data of 1,903 patients who were treated with NCT between March, 2010 and December, 2018, were collected from one Chinese database and analyzed. The correlations between clinicopathological characteristics and breast pCR with axillary pCR were calculated by χ test.

Prevalence and occult rates of uterine leiomyosarcoma.

This study aimed to assess the prevalence and occult rates of uterine leiomyosarcoma (ULMS) in women with smooth-muscle tumors undergoing gynecological surgery. A retrospective study was performed at an academic cancer center from 2008 to 2015. Patients undergoing either hysterectomy or myomectomy via laparoscopic, abdominal, vaginal, and hysteroscopic approaches were identified with the validated pathology diagnosis of either ULMS or leiomyomas.

Real-time ultrasound-guided internal jugular vein cannulation by oblique-axis in-plane: Practice at the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate oblique-axis in-plane (OA-IP) techniques for real-time ultrasound-guided internal jugular vein (IJV) cannulation.

Methods: We retrospectively analysed 1065 patients who underwent ultrasound (US)-guided IJV cannulation. We recorded demographic characteristics of patients, success rate, access time, cannulation time, number of attempts and the incidence of acute complications.

Clinical characteristics and treatment of critically ill patients with COVID-19 in Hebei.

Background: In December, 2019, a novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged in Wuhan, China. We aimed to clarify the epidemiology, laboratory examinations, imaging findings, and treatment of critically ill patients with COVID-19 in Hebei province, China.

Methods: In this retrospective study, the demographic, laboratory and imaging, and treatment data of patients with severe COVID-19 treated in 13 designated hospitals in Hebei were collected and analyzed.

Ossification timeline of sesamoid bones at metatarsophalangeal joints.

Ossification timeline is a critical issue in studies regarding sesamoid bones at metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joints, but actual knowledge is still incomplete. The present study determines the cutoff age of sesamoids ossification at MTP joints. We conducted a retrospective review of radiographs of the feet from 5553 males and 3225 females between November 2005 and September 2012 to identify presence of sesamoids at 5 MTP joints and 3 variations of hallucal sesamoids.

Analysis of influencing factors of no/low response to preoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer.

The aim of this study is to investigate the influencing factors associated with no/low response to preoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients. A total of 79 patients were included in this prospective study. Fifteen factors that might affect the resistance to CCRT were included in this logistic regression analysis, these factors include the general clinical data of patients, the expression status of tumor stem cell marker CD44v6 and the volumetric imaging parameters of primary tumor lesions.

Five-year change of prevalence and risk factors for infection and mortality of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae bloodstream infection in a tertiary hospital in North China.

Background: There are few studies focused on carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) bloodstream infection (BSI). The aim of this study is to identify the prevalence and risk factors for infection and mortality of CRKP BSI.

Methods: Susceptibility of Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP) isolated from blood samples and the proportion of CRKP were recorded annually.