OBJECTIVE: To investigate the differential efficacy and safety profiles of oral mucosa (OM) grafts compared with acellular dermal matrix (ADM) grafts in the surgical management of long-segment urethral strictures. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted involving 27 patients who underwent graft urethroplasty for long-segment urethral strictures in Peking University First Hospital, spanning from May 2010 to September 2023. The patient cohort comprised 14 individuals who received OM grafts and 13 who underwent ADM grafts. The participants were stratified into two groups based on the type of grafts material utilized during surgery. The demographic and clinical baseline characteristics included an average age of (43.3±14.0) years in the OM group and (54.2±15.9) years in the ADM group. The mean body mass index (BMI) for the respective groups were (24.7±4.3) kg/m² for OM and (25.4±4.8) kg/m² for ADM. Etiological differences were noted, with idiopathic causes predominantly in the OM cohort and lichen sclerosus in the ADM cohort. RESULTS: The surgical interventions were successfully executed for all the patients. The median stricture length was 4.5 (2.5, 9.0) cm for the OM group and 5.0 (2.0, 14.0) cm for the ADM group (P=0.555). The median operative duration was 160 (71, 221) min for the OM group and 134 (112, 274) min for the ADM group (P=0.065). The catheterization durations was 1.5 (1.0, 6.0) months for the OM group and 3.0 (1.0, 3.0) months for the ADM group. The median postoperative follow-up duration was 12.5 (1.0, 170.0) months for the OM group and 59.0 (3.0, 142.0) months for the ADM group. The surgical success rates were 50.00% in the OM group and 53.85% in the ADM group. No statistically significant differences were observed in postoperative quality of life (QoL) or international prostate symptom score (IPSS) at the final follow-up. The stricture-free survival rates did not differ significantly (HR=0.875, 95%CI: 0.507-1.511, P=0.6). In terms of safety, three patients in the OM group experienced sexual dysfunction, and two had oral complications, whereas the ADM group had one case of postoperative infection. CONCLUSION The findings suggest that ADM grafts are comparable to OM grafts in terms of efficacy and safety for the treatment of long-segment urethral strictures, including complex cases attributed to lichen sclerosus. However, given the small sample size of this study, the above conclusions may have certain limitations. Larger cohort studies will be needed in the future to further validate these findings.
Humans ; Urethral Stricture/surgery* ; Acellular Dermis ; Mouth Mucosa/transplantation* ; Retrospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Adult ; Treatment Outcome ; Skin Transplantation/methods* ; Aged

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a highly aggressive hematologic malignancy with a poor prognosis, despite advancements in treatment. Many patients struggle with relapse or refractory disease. Investigating the role of the super-enhancer (SE) regulated gene ubiquitin-specific protease 20 (USP20) in T-ALL could enhance targeted therapies and improve clinical outcomes. Analysis of histone H3 lysine 27 acetylation (H3K27ac) chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) data from six T-ALL cell lines and seven pediatric samples identified USP20 as an SE-regulated driver gene. Utilizing the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) and BloodSpot databases, it was found that USP20 is specifically highly expressed in T-ALL. Knocking down USP20 with short hairpin RNA (shRNA) increased apoptosis and inhibited proliferation in T-ALL cells. In vivo studies showed that USP20 knockdown reduced tumor growth and improved survival. The USP20 inhibitor GSK2643943A demonstrated similar anti-tumor effects. Mass spectrometry, RNA-Seq, and immunoprecipitation revealed that USP20 interacted with hypoxia-inducible factor 1 subunit alpha (HIF1A) and stabilized it by deubiquitination. Cleavage under targets and tagmentation (CUT&Tag) results indicated that USP20 co-localized with HIF1A, jointly modulating target genes in T-ALL. This study identifies USP20 as a therapeutic target in T-ALL and suggests GSK2643943A as a potential treatment strategy.

The incidence of delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting is relatively high among pediatric cancer patients. Nausea and vomiting symptoms can exacerbate physical and psychological burdens, potentially leading to aversion and reduced treatment adherence. This paper analyzes and summarizes delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in pediatric cancer patients, covering overview, influencing factors, assessment tools, and non-pharmacological interventions, aiming to provide insights for clinical prevention and intervention strategies targeting delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in pediatric patients.

Objective:To identify the relevant factors for the first-course remission of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and to develop a predictive model as well as assess its predictive capability.Methods:Clinical data of 749 patients newly diagnosed with AML admitted to the Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, School of Medicine from January 1, 2019, to April 30, 2023, were collected and randomly divided into training and validation sets. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine variables associated with complete remission in the first course of induction therapy, and a predictive model was established based on these variables. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the predictive model was plotted, and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated.Results:The indicators predicting the first remission course included peripheral blood white blood cell count during onset, CBF::MYH11 fusion gene, CEBPA bZIP region mutation, myelodysplastic syndrome-related gene mutation, and induction chemotherapy regimen selection as independent factors for the first remission course. The model’s area under the training and validation curves was 0.738 (95% CI: 0.696-0.780) and 0.726 (95% CI: 0.650-0.801), respectively. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test results yielded P-values of 0.993 and 0.335, respectively. Conclusion:In this study, the developed model demonstrates a strong predictive capability for the efficacy of the first course of patients with AML, providing valuable guidance to clinicians in assessing patient prognosis and selecting appropriate treatment strategies.

ObjectiveThis study aims to develop and validate a novel multimodal predictive model， termed criss-cross network（CCNet）-directed graph neural network（DGNN）（CGN）， for accurate assessment of pulmonary nodule progression in high-risk individuals for lung cancer， by integrating longitudinal chest computed tomography（CT） imaging with both traditional Chinese and western clinical evaluation data. MethodsA cohort of 4 432 patients with pulmonary nodules was retrospectively analyzed. A twin CCNet was employed to extract spatiotemporal representations from paired sequential CT scans. Structured clinical assessment and imaging-derived features were encoded via a multilayer perceptron， and a similarity-based alignment strategy was adopted to harmonize multimodal imaging features across temporal dimensions. Subsequently， a DGNN was constructed to integrate heterogeneous features， where nodes represented modality-specific embeddings and edges denoted inter-modal information flow. Finally， model optimization was performed using a joint loss function combining cross-entropy and cosine similarity loss， facilitating robust classification of nodule progression status. ResultsThe proposed CGN model demonstrated superior predictive performance on the held-out test set， achieving an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve（AUC） of 0.830， accuracy of 0.843， sensitivity of 0.657， specificity of 0.712， Cohen's Kappa of 0.417， and F₁ score of 0.544. Compared with unimodal baselines， the CGN model yielded a 36%-48% relative improvement in AUC. Ablation studies revealed a 2%-22% increase in AUC when compared to simplified architectures lacking key components， substantiating the efficacy of the proposed multimodal fusion strategy and modular design. Incorporation of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）-specific symptomatology led to an additional 5% improvement in AUC， underscoring the complementary value of integrating TCM and western clinical data. Through gradient-weighted activation mapping visualization analysis， it was found that the model's attention predominantly focused on nodule regions and effectively captured dynamic associations between clinical data and imaging-derived features. ConclusionThe CGN model， by synergistically combining cross-attention encoding with directed graph-based feature integration， enables effective alignment and fusion of heterogeneous multimodal data. The incorporation of both TCM and western clinical information facilitates complementary feature enrichment， thereby enhancing predictive accuracy for pulmonary nodule progression. This approach holds significant potential for supporting intelligent risk stratification and personalized surveillance strategies in lung cancer prevention.

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Objective:To evaluate the role of YTH domain family protein 2 (YTHDF2) in myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) in diabetic rats and the relationship with the nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (NRF2)-ferritinophagy.Methods:This experiment was performed in 2 parts. Part Ⅰ Animal experiment SPF healthy male rats, aged 6-8 weeks, weighing 200-220 g, were used. A type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) model was established by intraperitoneal injection of 1% streptozotocin at a dose of 65 mg/kg. Thirty-six diabetic rats were divided into 3 groups ( n=12 each) using a random number table method: DM sham operation group (DS group), DM myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion group (DIR group), and YTHDF2 knockdown + DM myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion group (AAV-Y+ DIR group). Another 36 non-diabetic rats were selected and divided into 4 groups using the random number table method: sham operation group (NS group, n=12), myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion group (NIR group, n=12), adeno-associated virus control group (AAV-N group, n=6), and YTHDF2 knockdown group (AAV-Y group, n=6). The MIRI model was established by ligating the left anterior descending branch of the coronary artery for 30 min, followed by reperfusion for 2 h. Adeno-associated virus was employed to knock down YTHDF2. At the end of reperfusion, serum concentrations of creatine kinase isoenzyme MB(CK-MB) and cardiac troponin Ⅰ(cTnI) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The animals were sacrificed, myocardial tissues were harvested, and the pathological changes were observed with a light microscope to assess the myocardial infarct size. The expression of YTHDF2, NRF2, and nuclear receptor coactivator 4 (NCOA4) was detected by Western blot. Part Ⅱ Cell experiment H9c2 cells were divided into 9 groups ( n=24 each) using the random number table method: control group (NC group), high-glucose group (HG group), hypoxia-reoxygenation group (HR group), high-glucose hypoxia-reoxygenation group (HHR group), transfection control group (siN group), YTHDF2 knockdown group (siY group), YTHDF2 knockdown + high-glucose hypoxia-reoxygenation group (siY + HHR group), NRF2 inhibitor ML385 + high-glucose hypoxia-reoxygenation group (M + HHR group), and YTHDF2 knockdown + NRF2 inhibitor ML385 + high-glucose hypoxia-reoxygenation group (siY + M + HHR group). The cells were transfected with siRNA to knock down YTHDF2, and a high-glucose, hypoxia and reoxygenation injury model was established by subjecting cells to 48 h of high glucose, followed by 4 h of hypoxia and 2 h of reoxygenation. The cell viability and lactic dehydrogenase(LDH) activity were determined, autophagic vesicles were counted, and the expression of YTHDF2, NRF2 and NCOA4 was detected by Western blot. Results:Part Ⅰ Animal experiment At the end of myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion, serum levels of CK-MB and cTnI and the percentage of myocardial infarct size were significantly increased, the expression of YTHDF2 and NCOA4 in myocardial tissues was up-regulated, and the expression of NRF2 was down-regulated in both diabetic and non-diabetic groups ( P<0.05). Compared with NIR group, serum levels of CK-MB and cTnI and the percentage of myocardial infarct size were significantly increased, the expression of YTHDF2 and NCOA4 in myocardial tissues was up-regulated, and the expression of NRF2 was down-regulated in DIR group ( P<0.05). Compared with DIR group, serum levels of CK-MB and cTnI and the percentage of myocardial infarct size were significantly decreased, the expression of YTHDF2 and NCOA4 in myocardial tissues was down-regulated, and the expression of NRF2 was up-regulated ( P<0.05), and the pathological damage was reduced in AAV-Y + DIR group. Part Ⅱ Cell experiment Compared with HG and HR groups, the cell viability was significantly decreased, the activity of LDH was increased, the counts of autophagic vesicle were increased, the expression of YTHDF2 and NCOA4 was up-regulated, and the expression of NRF2 was down-regulated in HHR group ( P<0.05). Compared with HHR group, the cell viability was significantly decreased, the activity of LDH was increased, the counts of autophagic vesicle were increased, the expression of YTHDF2 and NCOA4 was up-regulated, and the expression of NRF2 was down-regulated in M + HHR group, and the cell viability was significantly increased, the activity of LDH was decreased, the counts of autophagic vesicle were decreased, the expression of YTHDF2 and NCOA4 was down-regulated, and the expression of NRF2 was up-regulated in siY + HHR group ( P<0.05), and no statistically significant changes were found in the above indicators in siY + M + HHR group ( P>0.05) Conclusions:YTHDF2 can down-regulate the expression of NRF2, enhance the level of ferritinophagy, and participate in the process of MIRI in diabetic rats.

Objective:This study aims to explore the risk factors of Multi-center Investigator-Initiated Clinical Trials (MIITs), and provide a basis for developing study management strategies.Methods:The original draft of MIIT risk evaluation factors was determined through literature analysis and internal discussions of the research group. Thirty five experts were consulted using the Delphi method, and then the MIIT risk evaluation elements were finally determined. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to calculate the weights of each index.Results:The recovery rates of both rounds of expert consultation were 100%, and the degree of expert authority was 0.856. The study ultimately formed an MIIT risk evaluation framework consisting of three first-class indexes, twelve second-class indexes, and thirty-eight third-class indexes. The weight values of the first-class indexes (start-up period, implementation period, and summary period) were 0.209 8, 0.710 6, and 0.079 6, respectively. Meanwhile, the weight values of the second-class indexes and third-class indexes were determined.Conclusions:Exploring the risk evaluation factors of MIIT provides valuable insights into identifying critical risk points, which, in turn, contributes to enhancing MIIT management efficiency, research progress, and quality.

Objective:This study aims to construct an evaluation index system suitable for the core competency of Clinical Research Coordinators (CRCs) in Investigator-Initiated Trials (IITs) in China.Methods:This study developed a system framework through the Onion Model, literature research, and expert interviews, utilized the Delphi method to build the index system. and analyzed the weight of each indicator through the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP).Results:Four first-level indicators were basic knowledge (0.143), job skills (0.300 8), professional quality (0.483 9), and personality traits (0.072 3). Besides, 18 second-level indicators and 49 third-level indicators were developed through the Delphi method. According to the third round expert′s consultation, the average scores of all indexes were >3.50, the authoritative coefficient was 0.86, the coefficient of variation of each index was <0.30, and Kendall coefficients of concordance were 0.183~0.366 ( P<0.001). The consistency ratios of single-sort were<0.1, and the overall sort of all indexes was 0.043 7, which showed good logical reliability. Conclusions:This evaluation index system for Clinical Research Coordinators is of great scientific sense. It provides IIT-conducting investigators in institutions with a proficient assessment tool to help them find qualified and reliable CRCs.

The incidence of delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting is relatively high among pediatric cancer patients. Nausea and vomiting symptoms can exacerbate physical and psychological burdens, potentially leading to aversion and reduced treatment adherence. This paper analyzes and summarizes delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in pediatric cancer patients, covering overview, influencing factors, assessment tools, and non-pharmacological interventions, aiming to provide insights for clinical prevention and intervention strategies targeting delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in pediatric patients.