Development and Validation of a Simple-to-Use Nomogram to Predict Early Death in Metastatic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma.

Background: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PCa) is a highly aggressive malignancy with high risk of early death (survival time ≤3 months). The present study aimed to identify associated risk factors and develop a simple-to-use nomogram to predict early death in metastatic PCa patients.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with metastatic PCa between 2010 and 2015 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were collected for model construction and internal validation.

Pharmacological Disruption of Phosphorylated Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-2α/Activating Transcription Factor 4/Indian Hedgehog Protects Intervertebral Disc Degeneration via Reducing the Reactive Oxygen Species and Apoptosis of Nucleus Pulposus Cells.

Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptosis in nucleus pulposus (NP) cells accelerate the process of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). Here, we integrated pathological samples and and framework to investigate the impact of phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor-2α (eIF2α)/activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4)/Indian hedgehog (Ihh) signaling in the IDD. From the specimen analysis of the IDD patients, we found phosphorylated eIF2α (p-eIF2α), ATF4 and Ihh protein levels were positively related while the NP tissue went degenerative.

Understanding Patterns of Brain Metastasis in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer and Exploring Potential Therapeutic Targets.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly malignant subtype of breast cancer. High invasiveness and heterogeneity, as well as a lack of drug targets, are the main factors leading to poor prognosis. Brain metastasis (BM) is a serious event threatening the life of breast cancer patients, especially those with TNBC.

miR-766-3p Targeting BCL9L Suppressed Tumorigenesis, Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition, and Metastasis Through the β-Catenin Signaling Pathway in Osteosarcoma Cells.

Accumulating evidence has indicated that abnormal microRNAs (miRNAs) serve critical roles in carcinogenesis and development of osteosarcoma (OS). The purpose of the present study was to elucidate the relationship between miR-766-3p and development of osteosarcoma and explore the potential mechanism. In this study, we found that miR-766-3p was the most downregulated miRNA by analyzing GSE65071 from the GEO database.

Clinical Outcomes and Prognosis Factors of Nivolumab Plus Chemotherapy or Multitarget Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor in Multi-Line Therapy for Recurrent Hepatitis B Virus-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Retrospective Analysis.

This study investigates the potential predictors of nivolumab plus chemotherapy or multitarget tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment response in patients with recurrent hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Patients with recurrent hepatitis B virus-related HCC who underwent nivolumab plus chemotherapy or TKI treatment between July 2017 and June 2019 at Jinling Hospital in China were retrospectively evaluated and included in this study. These patients also had both complete medical charts and follow-up data available.

Therapeutic application of adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction in diabetic foot.

Diabetic foot is one of the severest complications of diabetes. In severe cases, this disease may be lead to amputation or even death due to secondary infection and ischemic necrosis. Since the ineffectiveness of traditional therapy, autologous stem cell transplantation has been used to treat diabetic foot.

Rapid detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis based on antigen 85B via real-time recombinase polymerase amplification.

Tuberculosis (TB), as a common infectious disease, still remains a severe challenge to public health. Due to the unsatisfied clinical needs of currently available diagnostic vehicles, it is desired to establish a new approach for universally detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Herein, we designed a real-time recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) technology for identifying M.

Lack of Evidence for an Association between IL-17F Rs763780 Polymorphism and Pulmonary Tuberculosis.

The relationship between the interleukin-17F (IL-17F) rs763780 polymorphism and tuberculosis (TB) has been a source of debate. The potential association between the IL-17F rs763780 polymorphism and TB was investigated using a meta-analysis of case-control studies, which were obtained using the EMBASE, PubMed, CNKI, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Heterogeneity across studies was evaluated, and summary odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were computed to estimate a summary effect size using either a fixed-effects or random-effects model.

High Plasma Resistin Levels Portend the Insulin Resistance-Associated Susceptibility to Early Cognitive Decline in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Background: Metabolic disorders, including insulin resistance, obesity, and hyperlipidemia occur frequently prior to hyperglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cause mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Objective: We investigated the involvement of resistin in these metabolic abnormalities contributes to MCI in patients with T2DM.

Methods: A total of 138 hospitalized patients with T2DM were enrolled and categorized into MCI and non-MCI groups according to the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score.

Effect of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease on the Risk of Synchronous Liver Metastasis: Analysis of 451 Consecutive Patients of Newly Diagnosed Colorectal Cancer.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) on the risk of synchronous colorectal liver metastasis (synCRLM). A retrospective analysis was performed on 451 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed colorectal cancer (CRC) from January 2014 to January 2019. According to the presence of NAFLD, the CRC patients were divided into two groups, NAFLD group (60 cases) and the control group (391 cases).

Small-world properties of the whole-brain functional networks in patients with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome.

Objective: To explore the small-world properties of brain functional networks in patients with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) to aid diagnosis.

Methods: A total of 29 OSAHS patients and 26 matched healthy volunteers were scanned with blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI) separately, and the whole brain was divided into 90 districts via automated anatomical labeling. The matrix Z was then built through a Fisher Z transformation.

[Advances in Lymph Node Metastasis and Lymph Node Dissection in Early Non-small Cell Lung Cancer].

Lung cancer is the malignant tumor with the highest morbidity and mortality in China. Non-small cell lung cancer is the main pathological type. Lymph node metastasis is the most common and primary metastatic pathway in non-small cell lung cancer.

INPP4B exerts a dual function in the stemness of colorectal cancer stem-like cells through regulating Sox2 and Nanog expression.

Inositol polyphosphate 4-phosphatase type II (INPP4B), a lipid phosphatase, was identified as a negative regulator of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling in several cancers. The expression and biological function of INPP4B in human colorectal cancer (CRC) are controversial, while the role and molecular mechanism of INPP4B in colorectal cancer stem-like cells (CR-CSLCs) remains unclear. Here, we observed that INPP4B expression was markedly decreased in primary non-metastatic CR-CSLCs and increased in highly metastatic CR-CSLCs compared with corresponding control non-CSLCs.

Higher Plasma Level of Nampt Presaging Memory Dysfunction in Chinese Type 2 Diabetes Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Background: In addition to glucose metabolism, adipocytokine Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (Nampt) has been proposed as a multifunctional protein involved in insulin resistance. Insulin resistance always occurs before the onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and damages the cognition of T2DM patients very early.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the role and potential clinical value of Nampt in early cognitive decline of T2DM.

The PEAK1-PPP1R12B axis inhibits tumor growth and metastasis by regulating Grb2/PI3K/Akt signalling in colorectal cancer.

Pseudopodium enriched atypical kinase 1 (PEAK1), a novel non-receptor tyrosine kinase, was recently implicated in cancer pathogenesis. However, its functional role in colorectal cancer (CRC) is not well known. Herein, we demonstrated that PEAK1 was frequently downregulated in CRC and significantly associated with tumor size, differentiation status, metastasis, and clinical stage.

Significances of spirometry and impulse oscillometry for detecting small airway disorders assessed with endobronchial optical coherence tomography in COPD.

Background: Spirometry confers limited value for identifying small-airway disorders (SADs) in early-stage COPD, which can be detected with impulse oscillometry (IOS) and endobronchial optical coherence tomography (EB-OCT). Whether IOS is useful for reflecting small-airway morphological abnormalities in COPD remains unclear.

Objectives: To compare the diagnostic value of spirometry and IOS for identifying SADs in heavy-smokers and COPD based on the objective assessment with EB-OCT.

Decoration of Cisplatin on 2D Metal-Organic Frameworks for Enhanced Anticancer Effects through Highly Increased Reactive Oxygen Species Generation.

Herein, a biocompatible 2D metal-organic frameworks (Cu-TCPP(Fe)) based on TCPP(M) (TCPP = tetrakis (4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin, M = Fe) and copper ion were synthesized as a novel drug carrier. Sequentially, the cisplatin was loaded on the merge of carboxyl-rich Cu-TCPP(Fe) through forming favorable carboxyl-drug interactions. The prepared Pt/Cu-TCPP(Fe) showed highly enhanced cytotoxicity than that of free cisplatin in human pulmonary carcinoma A549 cells, whereas inverse inhibitory effects were observed in human normal BEAS-2B cells.

Iron Oxide Nanocarrier-Mediated Combination Therapy of Cisplatin and Artemisinin for Combating Drug Resistance through Highly Increased Toxic Reactive Oxygen Species Generation.

Combination therapy with multiple drugs through a multi-pronged assault as a strategy to combat cisplatin resistance shows great potential in biochemical therapy for cancer. However, inherent issues such as low drug loading and the poor synergistic effects of multiple drugs partially limit the further application of combination therapy. Here, we synthesized a new compound, ART-Chol, by coupling artemisinin and cholesterol as a base material combined with cyclic (Arg-Gly-Asp-d-Phe-Lys)]-poly(ethylene glycol) distearoylphosphatidylcholine (cRGD-PEG-DSPE) and phospholipids to form a magnetic liposome cRGD-AFePt@NPs encapsulating superparamagnetic ferric oxide nanoparticles and cisplatin for achieving high drug loading and a better synergistic effect.

Low Plasma Leptin and High Soluble Leptin Receptor Levels Are Associated With Mild Cognitive Impairment in Type 2 Diabetic Patients.

Metabolic disturbances, such as hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and obesity, are thought to be risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. This study aimed to investigate whether adipokine leptin and soluble leptin receptor (sOBR) levels are correlated with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and metabolic status of the patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Total of 169 T2DM patients were recruited and divided according to the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score.

Association between Plasma Levels of PAI-1, tPA/PAI-1 Molar Ratio, and Mild Cognitive Impairment in Chinese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Background: Plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) and tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) are involved in the complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and early pathology of Alzheimer's disease.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the association between plasma PAI-1, tPA/PAI-1 molar ratio, and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in Chinese T2DM patients.

Methods: A total of 162 Chinese T2DM patients were recruited and divided into two groups according to the Montreal Cognitive Assessment score.

MiR-135a Promotes Inflammatory Responses of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells From db/db Mice via Downregulation of FOXO1.

It has been shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) greatly affect the functions of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC), but the effects of mRNAs under diabetic conditions remain unclear.Using a model of diabetic db/db mice, we studied the functions of microRNA-135a (miR-135a) during VSMC dysfunction.Compared to control WT mice, miR-135a expression in VSMC was significantly increased while the level of forkhead box O1 (FOXO1) protein decreased significantly.

Lipoprotein-associated Phospholipase A2 Is Associated with Risk of Mild Cognitive Impairment in Chinese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a low-grade chronic inflammatory diseases, which have been implicated in the pathogenesis of cognitive decline. We aim to evaluate associations between inflammatory markers and the risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in T2DM. This study of 140 diabetic patients involved 71 with MCI and 69 controls.

Long Noncoding RNA FAL1 Promotes Cell Proliferation, Invasion and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Through the PTEN/AKT Signaling Axis in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Background/aims: Recently, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been found to have many biological effects in different cancer stages. Several studies have revealed that focally amplified lncRNA on chromosome 1 (FAL1) regulates cancer progression via p21. However, the expression and mechanism of FAL1 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) still remain unclear.

The association of p53 expression levels with clinicopathological features and prognosis of patients with colon cancer following surgery.

The present study aimed to examine the association of p53 expression levels with clinicopathological features and prognosis of patients with colon cancer following surgery. The present study included 484 patients with colon cancer that underwent colon resection between December 2003 and December 2011. All follow-ups were censored in December 2013 with a median follow-up time of 43 months.

NADPH oxidase p22phox C242T polymorphism is associated with macroalbuminuria in diabetic patients: A meta-analysis.

Aims: Previous studies suggested an association between C242T polymorphism in NADPH Oxidase p22phox and diabetic nephropathy (DN) risk, but the results were inconsistent. To obtain a more precise estimation, we carried out a meta-analysis to analyze the effect of C242T polymorphism in NADPH Oxidase p22phox on DN risk.

Methods: We searched PubMed, ISI Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure for all eligible case-control studies through May 2016.