Objective To explore the impact of number of positive regional lymph nodes (nPRLN) in N1 stage on the prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Methods Patients with TxN1M0 stage NSCLC who underwent lobectomy and mediastinal lymph node dissection from 2010 to 2015 were screened from SEER database (17 Regs, 2022nov sub). The optimal cutoff value of nPRLN was determined using X-tile software, and patients were divided into 2 groups according to the cutoff value: a nPRLN≤optimal cutoff group and a nPRLN>optimal cutoff group. The influence of confounding factors was minimized by propensity score matching (PSM) at a ratio of 1 : 1. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate overall survival (OS) and lung cancer-specific survival (LCSS) of patients. Results A total of 1316 patients with TxN1M0 stage NSCLC were included, including 662 males and 654 females, with a median age of 67 (60, 73) years. The optimal cutoff value of nPRLN was 3, with 1165 patients in the nPRLN≤3 group and 151 patients in the nPRLN>3 group. After PSM, there were 138 patients in each group. Regardless of before or after PSM, OS and LCSS of patients in the nPRLN≤3 group were superior to those in the nPRLN>3 group (P<0.001). N1 stage nPRLN>3 was an independent prognostic risk factor for OS [HR=1.52, 95%CI (1.22, 1.89), P<0.001] and LCSS [HR=1.72, 95%CI (1.36, 2.18), P<0.001]. Conclusion N1 stage nPRLN>3 is an independent prognostic risk factor for NSCLC patients in TxN1M0 stage, which may provide new evidence for future revision of TNM staging N1 stage subclassification.

BACKGROUND:Parkinson's disease is a multifactorial neurological disorder characterized by progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons,and dimethyl fumarate(DMF)has potent neuroprotective and immunomodulatory effects in neurodegenerative diseases. OBJECTIVE:To explore the neuroprotective mechanism of DMF in a mouse model of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine(MPTP)-induced Parkinson's disease. METHODS:Twenty-four C57BL/6 mice were selected and randomly divided into control group,model group,low-dose DMF,and high-dose DMF groups.An animal model of Parkinson's disease was established in the latter three groups by intraperitoneal injection of 30 mg/kg MPTP,once a day for 5 consecutive days.Intragastric administration was given 30 minutes after each injection of MPTP.Mice in the low-dose DMF group(30 mg/kg)and high-dose DMF group(50 mg/kg)were intragastrically administered once a day for 7 consecutive days.The control and model groups were initially administered the same dose of normal saline.Behavioral testing,western blot,oxidative stress marker detection,and immunohistochemical staining were used to analyze the regulatory effects of DMF on oxidative stress and Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway in MPTP-induced Parkinson's disease mice,as well as the protective mechanism of DMF on degeneration of dopamine neurons. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the model group,mice in the low-dose DMF group exhibited significant improvements in motor retardation and postural imbalance(P<0.01),with even more remarkable improvements observed in the high-dose DMF group(P<0.01).Compared with the control group,the model group showed a significant increase in the oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde and a decrease in superoxide dismutase expression(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the low-dose DMF group reduced malondialdehyde production and increased superoxide dismutase expression(P<0.01),and similar improvements were observed in the high-dose DMF group(P<0.01).Immunohistochemical and western blot assays demonstrated a significant decrease in the number of dopaminergic neurons and tyrosine hydroxylase protein expression in the substantia nigra of mice in the model group compared with the control group(P<0.01).However,in the low-dose DMF group,there was an increase in the number of dopaminergic neurons and tyrosine hydroxylase protein expression in the substantia nigra(P<0.01),with even more significant improvements in the high-dose DMF group(P<0.01).Western blot results revealed that the model group exhibited elevated Keap1 protein expression and decreased Nrf2 protein expression.In contrast,the DMF groups showed reduced Keap1 protein expression and increased Nrf2 protein expression compared to the model group(P<0.01).To conclude,DMF regulates the Keap1/Nrf2 pathway in the substantia nigra of mice with Parkinson's disease,and this regulatory effect is positively correlated with the dose of DMF(P<0.01).Therefore,we infer that DMF exerts neuroprotective effects through the Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway.

Objective To establish an individualized nomogram model and evaluate its efficacy to provide a possible evaluation basis for the prognosis of lower third and abdominal part of oesophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Methods Lower third and abdominal part of EAC patients from 2010 to 2015 were chosen from the SEER Research Plus Database (17 Regs, 2022nov sub). The patients were randomly allocated to the training cohort and the internal validation cohort with a ratio of 7∶3 using bootstrap resampling. The Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to determine significant contributors to overall survival (OS) in EAC patients, which would be elected to construct the nomogram prediction model. C-index, calibration curve and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were performed to evaluate its efficacy. Finally, the efficacy to evaluate the OS of EAC patients was compared between the nomogram prediction model and TNM staging system. Results In total, 3945 patients with lower third and abdominal part of EAC were enrolled, including 3475 males and 470 females with a median age of 65 (57-72) years. The 2761 patients were allocated to the training cohort and the remaining 1184 patients to the internal validation cohort. In the training and the internal validation cohorts, the C-index of the nomogram model was 0.705 and 0.713, respectively. Meanwhile, the calibration curve also suggested that the nomogram model had a strong capability of predicting 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates of EAC patients. The nomogram also had a higher efficacy than the TNM staging system in predicting 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates of EAC patients. Conclusion This nomogram prediction model has a high efficiency for predicting OS in the patients with lower third and abdominal part of EAC, which is higher than that of the current TNM staging system.

OBJECTIVE: Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs) have pharmacological functions and clinical use. BIAs are mainly distributed in plant species across the order Ranunculales and the genus Phellodendron from Sapindales. The BIA biosynthesis has been intensively investigated in Ranunculales species. However, the accumulation mechanism of BIAs in Phellodendron is largely unknown. The aim of this study is to unravel the biosynthetic pathways of BIAs in Phellodendron amurens. METHODS: The transcriptome and metabolome data from 18 different tissues of P. amurense were meticulously sequenced and subsequently subjected to a thorough analysis. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), a powerful systems biology approach that facilitates the construction and subsequent analysis of co-expression networks, was utilized to identify candidate genes involved in BIAs biosynthesis. Following this, recombinant plasmids containing candidate genes were expressed in Escherichia coli, a widely used prokaryotic expression system. The purpose of this genetic engineering endeavor was to express the candidate genes within the bacteria, thereby enabling the assessment of the resultant enzyme activity. RESULTS: The synonymous substitutions per synonymous site for paralogs indicated that at least one whole genome duplication event has occurred. The potential BIA biosynthetic pathway of P. amurense was proposed, and two PR10/Bet v1 members, 14 CYP450s, and 33 methyltransferases were selected as related to BIA biosynthesis. One PR10/Bet v1 was identified as norcoclaurine synthase, which could catalyze dopamine and 4-hydroxyphenylacetaldehyde into (S)-norcoclaurine. CONCLUSION Our studies provide important insights into the biosynthesis and evolution of BIAs in non-Ranunculales species.

Objective To explore the economic toxicity perceptions and experiences of caregivers of colorectal cancer patients from the perspective of social ecological systems theory.Methods Using purposive sampling,18 caregivers of colorectal cancer patients hospitalized in the gastrointestinal sur-gery and oncology departments of a tertiary grade A hospital in Yangzhou were selected for semi-struc-tured interviews.The Colaizzi 7-step analysis method was employed to organize and analyze the data.Results Three main themes and nine sub-themes were extracted regarding the economic toxicity expe-riences and needs of caregivers of colorectal cancer patients.Microsystem included multiple negative experiences,impacted individual health,and difficulties in surrogate decision-making;mesosystem in-cluded heavy family financial burden,altered family lifestyle,and tense family atmosphere;macrosys-tem included needs for the scope and intensity of medical insurance reimbursement,needs for medical resources and services,and a desire for social support.Conclusion The ecological system of caregiv-ers of colorectal cancer patients is not optimistic,and is generally affected by economic toxicity.Inter-vention strategies can be sought from multiple aspects,including alleviating the negative experiences of caregivers,strengthening social support,and paying attention to the needs of caregivers,aiming to re-duce the level of economic toxicity among caregivers of colorectal cancer patients.

Objective:To investigate the association between congenital hypothyroidism (CH) and the adverse outcomes during hospitalization in very low birth weight infants (VLBWI).Methods:This prospective, multicenter observational cohort study was conducted based on the data from the Sino-northern Neonatal Network (SNN). Data of 5 818 VLBWI with birth weight <1 500 g and gestational age between 24-<37 weeks that were admitted to the 37 neonatal intensive care units from January 1 st, 2019 to December 31 st, 2022 were collected and analyzed. Thyroid function was first screened at 7 to 10 days after birth, followed by weekly tests within the first 4 weeks, and retested at 36 weeks of corrected gestational age or before discharge. The VLBWI were assigned to the CH group or non-CH group. Chi-square test, Fisher exact probability method, Wilcoxon rank sum test, univariate and multivariate Logistic regression were used to analyze the relationship between CH and poor prognosis during hospitalization in VLBWI. Results:A total of 5 818 eligible VLBWI were enrolled, with 2 982 (51.3%) males and the gestational age of 30 (29, 31) weeks. The incidence of CH was 5.5% (319 VLBWI). Among the CH group, only 121 VLBWI (37.9%) were diagnosed at the first screening. Univariate Logistic regression analysis showed that CH was associated with increased incidence of extrauterine growth retardation (EUGR) ( OR=1.31(1.04-1.64), P<0.05) and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) of stage Ⅲ and above ( OR=1.74(1.11-2.75), P<0.05). However, multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed no significant correlation between CH and EUGR, moderate to severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia, grade Ⅲ to Ⅳ intraventricular hemorrhage, neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis in stage Ⅱ or above, and ROP in stage Ⅲ or above ( OR=1.04 (0.81-1.33), 0.79 (0.54-1.15), 1.15 (0.58-2.26), 1.43 (0.81-2.53), 1.12 (0.70-1.80), all P>0.05). Conclusion:There is no significant correlation between CH and in-hospital adverse outcomes, possibly due to timely diagnosis and active replacement therapy.

Objective:To explore the expression of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) RP13-349O20.2 in cervical cancer tissues and its impact on the migration, invasion abilities and chemotherapy sensitivity of cervical cancer cells in vitro and the possible mechanisms.Methods:The GEPIA.CANCER website (the data was updated in June 2023) was used to analyze the relationship between the expression level of RP13-349O20.2 and the overall survival of 253 cervical cancer patients. From January 2020 to August 2022, cancer tissues and paracancerous tissues (>2 cm from the tumor edge) from 40 cervical cancer patients in the Affiliated Tengzhou Central People's Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University were retrospectively collected. Human normal cervical epithelial cells H8 and human cervical cancer cell lines HCC94, C33A, Hela, HCC1106 and SiHa were used for cell experiments in vitro. Real-time fluorescence polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the relative expression of RP13-349O20.2 in cervical cancer tissues, paracancerous tissues and each cell line. The C33A cells with the highest relative expression level of RP13-349O20.2 were transfected with small interfering RNA (siRNA) of RP13-349O20.2 and siRNA of its negative control sequence, and they were si-RP13-349O20.2 group and si-Con group, respectively. The scratch healing assay was used to detect the migration ability of C33A cells in the two groups, the Transwell assay was used to detect the invasion ability of C33A cells, and the CCK-8 method was used to detect the sensitivity of C33A cells to 5-fluorouracil. The absorbance value indicated the cell proliferation ability, the lower the absorbance value, the weaker the proliferation ability, the more sensitive to the drug. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was used to verify the targeting relationship between RP13-349O20.2 and miRNA-493-5p (miR-493-5p), miR-493-5p and Nectin-4. qRT-PCR was used to detect the relative expression of miR-493-5p and Nectin-4 mRNA in two groups of C33A cells, and Western blotting was used to detect the expressions of Nectin-4 protein and PI3K-AKT signaling pathway proteins in two groups of cells.Results:Analysis based on data from GEPIA.CANCER website shows that patients with low expression of RP13-349O20.2 had better overall survival than patients with high expression ( P < 0.01). The relative expression levels of RP13-349O20.2 in cervical cancer tissues and paracancerous tissues of 40 patients were 4.04±0.32 and 1.18±0.14, and the difference was statistically significant ( t = 8.29, P < 0.01). Compared with H8 cells, the expressions of RP13-349O20.2 in human cervical cancer cell lines HCC94, C33A, Hela, HCC1106 and SiHa were higher (all P < 0.01). The relative expression levels of RP13-349O20.2 in C33A cells in the si-Con group and si-RP13-349O20.2 group were 7.30±0.30 and 1.01±0.27, and the difference was statistically significant ( t = 15.62, P < 0.01). The scratch healing rates of C33A cells in the si-Con group and si-RP13-349O20.2 group were (32±9)% and (75±6)% ( t = 3.97, P < 0.01), and the numbers of invasive cells were (106±12) cells and (36±8) cells ( t = 4.79, P < 0.01). After the action of 5, 10, 20, 40 and 80 μmol/L 5-fluorouracil for 24 h, the absorbance value of C33A cells in the si-RP13-349O20.2 group was lower than that in the si-Con group. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay confirmed that there was a targeting relationship between P13-349O20.2 and miR-493-5p ( P < 0.01), and there was a targeting relationship between miR-493-5p and Nectin-4 ( P < 0.01) . The relative expression levels of miR-493-5p in C33A cells in the si-Con group and si-RP13-349O20.2 group was 1.02±0.13 and 5.48±0.85 ( t = 5.21, P < 0.01). The relative expression levels of Nectin-4 mRNA were 5.65±0.33 and 0.99±0.34 ( t = 9.87, P < 0.01). The expression of Nectin-4 protein in C33A cells in the si-RP13-349O20.2 group was lower than that in the si-Con group ( t = 9.21, P = 0.001), and the expressions of PI3K-AKT signaling pathway proteins p-STAT3, p-PI3K, p-AKT and p-mTOR were lower than those in the si-Con group (all P < 0.01). Conclusions:The level of RP13-349O20.2 in cervical cancer tissues is high, and its high expression may indicate the poor prognosis of patients. Interfering with the expression of RP13-349O20.2 in vitro can inhibit the migration and invasion abilities of cervical cancer cells and promote the sensitivity of cervical cancer cells to 5-fluorouracil. The mechanism may be related to the miR-493-5p/Nectin-4 signaling pathway and the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway.

Objective:To investigate the clinical diagnosis, treatment, and genetic variations of neonates with congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI).Methods:The clinical data of CHI newborns admitted to the Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University from September 2018 to April 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.Results:Four cases of CHI were included, three of whom were full-term infants and all were macrosomic, while one was a premature infant. One infant was born to a mother with gestational diabetes mellitus, and 1 had a family history of hypoglycemia. All the 4 patients presented with weak response, 3 with drowsiness, 1 with hypotonia and 1 with convulsions. Cranial MRI indicated abnormal signals in the occipital lobe cortex in 1 case. Gene sequencing revealed homozygous variation c.799C>G in KCNJ11 gene for 1 case, and heterozygous variations c.4477C>T, c.3540C>G, c.683G>A and c.4536C>A in ABCC8 gene for 3 cases respectively and all these variations were identified as pathogenic mutations. Notably, the c.799C>G variant in KCNJ11 gene as well as the c.3540C>G and c.4536C>A variants in ABCC8 gene were reported for the first time. Among infants with ABCC8 gene variations, two showed no response to diazoxide treatment while one patient with KCNJ11 gene variation responded effectively. The parents of the patient with hypoglycemic brain injury gave up treatment. Three other cases were discharged from hospital after improvement and followed up to 1 year old. 2 patients had stable blood glucose after ceasing medication, and 1 patient still required intermittent oral glucose to maintain normal blood glucose level.Conclusions:CHI can lead to hypoglycemic brain injury. Clinically, infants large for gestational age or with a family history of diabetes and hypoglycemia should be monitored for blood glucose early after birth, to identify CHI as early as possible and actively treat it. Different gene variants have different therapeutic responses.

Objective:To investigate the computed tomography (CT)-based integrated deep learning model for qualitative and quantitative classification of hepatic portal vein.Methods:The retrospective study was conducted. The CT imaging data of 291 patients undergoing upper-abdomen enhanced CT examination in the Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital of Tsinghua University from October 2017 to January 2019 were collected. There were 195 males and 96 females, aged (51±12)years. The hepatic portal vein was reconstructed using the three-dimensional reconstruction system. Three-dimensional point cloud was input to the encoder model to obtain the three-dimen-sional reconstructed vectorized representation, which was used for qualitative classification and quantitative representation classification. Measurement data with normal distribution were repre-sented as Mean± SD, and comparison between groups was conducted using the paired t test. Count data were repre-sented as percentages or absolute numbers, and comparison between groups was analyzed using the paired chi-square test. Results:(1) Three-dimensional reconstruction of portal vein and anatomical classification. Three-dimensional structure was reconstructed in the 291 patients. Classification of main hepatic portal vein showed 211 cases of Akgul type A, 29 cases of Akgul type B, 16 cases of Akgul type C, 10 cases of Akgul type D, and 25 cases of unclassifiable. (2) Prediction of qualitative classification of main hepatic portal vein. Of the 291 patient samples, 25 unclassifiable or poor quality samples were excluded, 266 samples were used for automated qualitative classification of the main portal vein by machine model. There were 211 cases of Akgul type A, 29 cases of Akgul type B, 26 cases of Akgul type C&D. The Macro-F1 of 266 patients was 61.93%±40.50% and the accuracy was 84.99%, versus 32.38%±19.81% and 61.65% of Random classifier, showing significant differ-ences between them ( t=7.85, χ2=62.89, P<0.05). (3) Quantitative representation of portal vein classification. The probabilities of quantitative classification for Akgul qualitative classification of similar samples included P@1 as 73%±45%, P@3 as 70%±37%, P@5 as 69%±35%, P@10 as 67%± 32%, mean reciprocal rank(MRR) as 80%±34%, versus 57%±50%, 58%±35%, 58%±32%, 58%± 30%, 70%±37% of the baseline model, showing significant differences between the two analytical methods ( t=5.22, 5.11, 5.00, 4.99, 3.47, P<0.05). Conclusion:The automated classification model for the hepatic portal vein structure was constructed using CT-based three-dimensional reconstruc-tion and deep learning technology, which can achieve automatic qualitative classification and quanti-tatively describe the hepatic portal vein structure.

Objective:To investigate the combination of internal fixation for periprosthetic fractures of the proximal femur (PFFF) after hip arthroplasty.Methods:The data of 58 patients with periprosthetic fractures after hip arthroplasty from May 2008 to March 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, including 31 males and 27 females. The average age was 75.5±18.2 years (range, 35-95 years). There were 39 total hip arthroplasty and 19 hemiarthroplasty; 37 biological prosthesis and 21 cemented prosthesis. Intraoperative periprosthetic fractures occurred in 6 cases and 52 cases postoperatively. Unified classification system (UCS): UCS IV.3A1 type 2 cases, 3A2 type 1 case, 3B1.1 type 19 cases, 3B2.1 type 25 cases, 3B3 type 2 cases, 3C type 9 cases. Fracture site: 3 cases in zone A (greater trochanter), 46 cases in zone B (around the femoral stem), and 9 cases in zone C (distal to the tip of the femoral stem. Internal fixation is composed of primary and secondary fixation, the main fixation method was the cerclage of steel wire or titanium cable, locking compression plate, and locking attachment plate fixation. The secondary fixation method was the cerclage of titanium cable, which was required to cover three zones A, B and C to form an overall balanced fixation. The modified Harris hip scores (mHHS), plate length, working length and screw number of different internal fixation combinations were compared.Results:The follow-up time was 54.2±21.6 months (range, 11-86 months). All patients showed signs of fracture healing at 10.2±1.5 weeks (range, 7-13 weeks) after operation, and bony union was observed at 19.6±1.3 weeks (range, 17-22 weeks) after operation. No delayed union or nonunion was observed. After operation, one case had a stress fracture and was revised with double-plate internal fixation; one case had a failed internal fixation and was revised with double-plate internal fixation and a large allograft bone graft. The mHHS score of UCSIV.3B2.1 group (80.3±4.6) was the lowest at 6 months after operation, and the difference between the groups of different types was statistically significant ( F=256.72, P<0.001). The score of simple internal fixation group (91.6±4.2) was higher than that of revision combined with internal fixation group (81.9±4.1), and the difference was statistically significant ( t=8.32, P<0.001). The plate length and working length were 24.9±2.5 cm and 12.6±1.7 cm for UCS IV.3B1.1, 25.4±2.6 cm and 13.6±1.8 cm for 3B2.1 and 28.1±2.5 cm and 4.9±1.9 cm for 3C, respectively ( F=5.33, P=0.005; F=6.78, P<0.001). The number of screws in zone A was significant difference among different UCS types ( F=52.67, P<0.001); UCS IV.3B1.1 (6.5±2.3) and 3B2.1 (6.7±2.2) were more than 3B3 (3.5±1.5) and 3C (3.7±1.6). The number of screws in zone B was significant difference among different UCS types ( F=42.15, P<0.001); The number of UCS IV.3B1.1 (2.3±1.6) and 3B2.1 (2.8±1.9) were significantly more than that of 3B3 (1.0±0.5) and 3C (1.2±0.6). The number of screws in zone C was significant differences among different UCS types ( F=39.62, P<0.001); The number of UCS IV.3B1.1 (3.8±1.9) and 3B2.1 (3.9±1.7) were more than that of 3B3 (2.0±0.5), the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). Conclusion:The function of hip after simple internal fixation of proximal femoral periprosthetic fractures was better than that of those who underwent revision at the same time; the number of screws of UCSIV.B1 and B2 is more than that of B3.