Predictive value of ADC histogram analysis in 2 cm peritumoral edema zone for spatial pattern of recurrence in glioblastoma

Objective To evaluate the predictive value of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) histogram in preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the 2 cm peritumoral edema zone for spatial pattern of recurrence in IDH wild-type glioblastoma (GB). Methods A case-control study was performed on 50 patients with IDH wild-type GB treated with standard protocol, diagnosed by pathology as tumor recurrence and accepted regular follow-up MRI in Department of Neurosurgery of Army Medical Center of PLA from January 2012 to December 2021. The postoperative spatial recurrence patterns were divided into the local recurrence group (n=28) and the non-local recurrence group (n=22) according to whether the distance between the recurrence foci and the operative cavity was more than 2 cm or not. According to the maximum level of tumor enhancement in axial planes of enhanced MRI, the corresponding level of ADC images were selected. Mazda software was used to outline the region of interest (ROI) along the edge of the 2 cm range of peritumoral edema for histogram analysis. The histogram parameters of the 2 groups with different spatial patterns of recurrence were statistically analyzed, and the area under the curve (AUC) was obtained by receiver operating characteristic curve to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy. Results Among the 50 patients with recurrent GB, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in the local recurrence group were longer than those in the non-local recurrence group (median PFS: 6.6 vs 4.6 months; median OS: 15.4 vs 12.4 months), and the differences were statistically significant(PFS: log-rank Chi-square=4.325, P=0.038; OS: log-rank Chi-square=4.022, P=0.045). Variance, kurtosis and Perc.90% of the 9 features extracted from ADC histogram were statistically significant differences between the 2 groups (P < 0.05). Variance had the best diagnostic efficiency (AUC: 0.804, sensitivity: 75.00%, specificity: 81.82%). Among the 4 multivariate logistic regression models constructed based on the variance, kurtosis and Perc.90%, the model constructed by the combination of variance, kurtosis and Perc.90% had the best diagnostic efficiency (AUC: 0.878, sensitivity: 78.57%, specificity: 86.36%). Conclusion The characteristic parameters of the preoperative ADC histogram in peritumoral edema zone can be used as an imaging marker to predict the different spatial patterns of postoperative recurrence in patients with IDH wild-type GB

eDNA Metabarcoding Analysis of the Composition and Spatial Patterns of Fish Communities in the Sanbanxi Reservoir, China

The construction of a reservoir dam alters the environment within its basin, including composition of the fish community, fish biodiversity, and the river ecosystem itself. This study was conducted in the Sanbanxi Reservoir and used eDNA metabarcoding technology comprising eDNA capture and extraction, PCR amplification, sequencing and database comparison analysis, and other environmental DNA metabarcoding standardized analysis processes to characterize the composition and diversity of fish communities and assess their current status. A total of 48 species of fish were detected. Previously, 68 species of fish were screened and identified in this reservoir based on the reports of Dai and Gu. The results for fish community composition showed that species of the order Cypriniformes are still the most dominant in the Reservoir with 38 species of cyprinids, accounting for 90.81% of all OTUs. Carp were no longer the dominant species, and Spinibarbus denticulatus, Homalopteridae, Cobitidae, and Sisoridae were not detected, with the exception of Misgurnus anguillicaudatus (Cobitidae). These families have the common characteristic of being adapted to survive in fast-water, sandstone substrate habitats. The results also show that two of the sampling sites, sbx03 and sbx10, significantly differed from other sampling sites due to their geographical environment. The impact of the construction of reservoirs on freshwater fish communities is extreme, since the transformation from a lotic to a lentic habitat contributes to habitat destruction and constrains fish in movement. The change in the aquatic environment before and after the storage of water in the Sanbanxi Reservoir has reduced the number of fish species found in the reservoir, and species characteristically found in fast moving, rapids habitats are virtually absent. The profound change in the aquatic environment from that of a lotic to a lentic habitat leads to changes in the composition of fish populations in the reservoir and to a certain extent a reduction in the ecological stability and species diversity within the reservoir. Therefore, the protection of fish diversity in the reservoir is of great significance to the stability of the ecosystem

Butaselen prevents hepatocarcinogenesis and progression through inhibiting thioredoxin reductase activity

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for most of primary liver cancer, of which five-year survival rate remains low and chemoprevention has become a strategy to reduce disease burden of HCC. We aim to explore the in vivo chemopreventive effect of an organoselenium-containing compound butaselen (BS) against hepatocarcinogenesis and its underlying mechanisms. Pre- and sustained BS treatment (9, 18 and 36 mg/Kg BS) could dose-dependently inhibit chronic hepatic inflammation, fibrosis, cirrhosis and HCC on murine models with 24 weeks treatment scheme. The thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), NF-κB pathway and pro-inflammatory factors were activated during hepatocarcinogenesis, while their expression were decreased by BS treatment. BS treatment could also significantly reduce tumor volume in H22-bearing models and remarkably slow tumor growth. HCC cell lines HepG2, Bel7402 and Huh7 were time- and dose-dependently inhibited by BS treatment. G2/M arrest and apoptosis were observed in HepG2 cells after BS treatment, which were mediated by TrxR/Ref-1 and NF-κB pathways inhibition. BS generated reactive oxygen species (ROS), which could be reduced by antioxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) and NADPH oxidase inhibitor DPI. NAC could markedly increase HepG2 cells viability. TrxR activity of HepG2 cells treated with BS were significantly decreased in parallel with proliferative inhibition. The TrxR1-knockdown HepG2 cells also exhibited low TrxR1 activity, high ROS level, relatively low proliferation rate and increased resistance to BS treatment. In conclusion, BS can prevent hepatocarcinogenesis through inhibiting chronic inflammation, cirrhosis and tumor progression. The underlying mechanisms may include TrxR activity inhibition, leading to ROS elevation, G2/M arrest and apoptosis. Keywords: Chemoprevention, Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), Thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), NF-κB, Reactive oxygen species (ROS

Hydroxysafflor yellow a attenuates the apoptosis of peripheral blood CD4+ T lymphocytes in a murine model of sepsis

Sepsis is generally considered as a severe condition of inflammation that leads to lymphocyte apoptosis and multiple organ dysfunction. Hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) exerts anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects in infectious diseases. However, the therapeutic effect of HSYA on polymicrobial sepsis remains unknown. This study was undertaken to investigate the therapeutic effects and the mechanisms of action of HSYA on immunosuppression in a murine model of sepsis induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). NIH mice were randomly divided into four groups: control group, sham group, CLP group, and CLP+HSYA group. HSYA (120 mg/kg) was intravenously injected into experimental mice at 12 h before CLP, concurrent with CLP and 12 h after CLP. The levels of circulating inflammatory cytokines, the apoptosis of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes, and protein expression of cytochrome C (Cytc), Bax, Bcl-2, cleaved caspase-9, and cleaved caspase-3 were examined. Plasma levels of IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-alpha as well as the apoptosis of CD4+ T lymphocytes were increased compared with sham group. These changes were accompanied by increases of pro-apoptotic proteins including Cytc, Bax, cleaved caspase-9, and cleaved caspase-3 and decreases of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 in CD4+ T lymphocytes from mice undergoing CLP. In contrast, we fail to observe significant effect of HSYA on the apoptosis of CD8+ T lymphocytes in CLP-treated group. Of note, HSYA treatment reversed all above changes observed in CD4+ T lymphocytes, and significantly increased the ratio of CD4+:CD8+ T lymphocytes in CLP-treated mice. In conclusion, HSYA was an effective therapeutic agent in ameliorating sepsis-induced apoptosis of CD4+ T lymphocytes probably through its anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects

Inflammatory Mechanism of <i>Brucella</i> Infection in Placental Trophoblast Cells

Brucellosis is a severe zoonotic infectious disease caused by the infection of the Brucella, which is widespread and causes considerable economic losses in underdeveloped areas. Brucella is a facultative intracellular bacteria whose main target cells for infection are macrophages, placental trophoblast cells and dendritic cells. The main clinical signs of Brucella infection in livestock are reproductive disorders and abortion. At present, the pathogenesis of placentitis or abortion caused by Brucella in livestock is not fully understood, and further research on the effect of Brucella on placental development is still necessary. This review will mainly introduce the research progress of Brucella infection of placental trophoblast cells as well as the inflammatory response caused by it, explaining the molecular regulation mechanism of Brucella leading to reproductive system disorders and abortion, and also to provide the scientific basis for revealing the pathogenesis and infection mechanism of Brucella

High Power Ytterbium-Doped Fiber Lasers Employing Longitudinal Vary Core Diameter Active Fibers

Thanks to the advantage of balancing nonlinear effects and transverse mode instability, vary core diameter active fiber (VCAF) has been widely used in high power ytterbium-doped fiber lasers in recent years. Up to now, VCAF has developed from the basic form of the original tapered fiber to the spindle-shaped and saddle-shaped fiber with different characteristics and has been applied in conventional fiber lasers, oscillating–amplifying integrated fiber lasers, and quasi-continuous wave fiber lasers and successfully improved the performance of these lasers. In the present study, a 6110 W fiber laser amplifier is realized based on a tapered fiber. The maximum output power of a fiber laser amplifier based on spindle-shaped fibers is 6020 W with a beam quality of M2~1.86. In this paper, we first introduce the basic concept of VCAF and summarize its main fabrication methods and advantages in high-power fiber laser applications. Then, we will present the recent research results of high-power fiber laser employing VCAF in our group and clarify the outstanding advantages of VCAF compared with the constant core diameter active fiber (CCAF)

High Power Ytterbium-Doped Fiber Lasers Employing Longitudinal Vary Core Diameter Active Fibers

Thanks to the advantage of balancing nonlinear effects and transverse mode instability, vary core diameter active fiber (VCAF) has been widely used in high power ytterbium-doped fiber lasers in recent years. Up to now, VCAF has developed from the basic form of the original tapered fiber to the spindle-shaped and saddle-shaped fiber with different characteristics and has been applied in conventional fiber lasers, oscillating&ndash;amplifying integrated fiber lasers, and quasi-continuous wave fiber lasers and successfully improved the performance of these lasers. In the present study, a 6110 W fiber laser amplifier is realized based on a tapered fiber. The maximum output power of a fiber laser amplifier based on spindle-shaped fibers is 6020 W with a beam quality of M2~1.86. In this paper, we first introduce the basic concept of VCAF and summarize its main fabrication methods and advantages in high-power fiber laser applications. Then, we will present the recent research results of high-power fiber laser employing VCAF in our group and clarify the outstanding advantages of VCAF compared with the constant core diameter active fiber (CCAF)