Endoscopic therapy for early colorectal cancer：a retrospective study

Appropriate treatment options for early colorectal cancer (ECRC) smaller than 20 mm remains controversial. Here, we studied the efficacy and safety of endoscopic therapy for ECRC smaller than 20 mm. About 191 patients with colorectal lesions entered into our study from January 2017 to December 2019. Lesions were divided into two groups according to sizes: smaller than 10 mm group and 10-20 mm group. Most cases of ECRC were found in the left colon (70.15%), and the male to female ratio was 1.81:1. A very smaller proportion of colorectal lesions smaller than 10 mm in size were submucosal carcinoma (0.077%), whereas 3.85% of colorectal lesions between 10 mm and 20 mm in size were submucosal carcinoma (P=0.049). Cold snare polypectomy (CSP) was found to be a safe and efficient for lesions smaller than 10 mm. For the lesions smaller than 10 mm, the rate of en bloc resection reached 100%, whereas only 81.82% of the lesions of 10-20 mm in size could be resected en bloc and for these cases, endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) were better therapeutic options. Endoscopic CSP is an appropriate therapeutic approach for ECRC of less than 10 mm in size, whereas for lesions smaller than 10 mm in size but with submucosal infiltration, EMR should be considered. For submucosal carcinoma (SM-carcinoma), endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) or surgery should be considered as better options

Endoscopic therapy for early colorectal cancer：a retrospective study

745-750Appropriate treatment options for early colorectal cancer (ECRC) smaller than 20 mm remains controversial. Here, we studied the efficacy and safety of endoscopic therapy for ECRC smaller than 20 mm. About 191 patients with colorectal lesions entered into our study from January 2017 to December 2019. Lesions were divided into two groups according to sizes: smaller than 10 mm group and 10-20 mm group. Most cases of ECRC were found in the left colon (70.15%), and the male to female ratio was 1.81:1. A very smaller proportion of colorectal lesions smaller than 10 mm in size were submucosal carcinoma (0.077%), whereas 3.85% of colorectal lesions between 10 mm and 20 mm in size were submucosal carcinoma (P=0.049). Cold snare polypectomy (CSP) was found to be a safe and efficient for lesions smaller than 10 mm. For the lesions smaller than 10 mm, the rate of en bloc resection reached 100%, whereas only 81.82% of the lesions of 10-20 mm in size could be resected en bloc and for these cases, endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) were better therapeutic options. Endoscopic CSP is an appropriate therapeutic approach for ECRC of less than 10 mm in size, whereas for lesions smaller than 10 mm in size but with submucosal infiltration, EMR should be considered. For submucosal carcinoma (SM-carcinoma), endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) or surgery should be considered as better options

A Combined Approach of High-Throughput Sequencing and Degradome Analysis Reveals Tissue Specific Expression of MicroRNAs and Their Targets in Cucumber

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small RNAs playing an important regulatory function in plant development and stress responses. Among them, some are evolutionally conserved in plant and others are only expressed in certain species, tissue or developmental stages. Cucumber is among the most important greenhouse species in the world, but only a limited number of miRNAs from cucumber have been identified and the experimental validation of the related miRNA targets is still lacking. In this study, two independent small RNA libraries from cucumber leaves and roots were constructed, respectively, and sequenced with the high-throughput Illumina Solexa system. Based on sequence similarity and hairpin structure prediction, a total of 29 known miRNA families and 2 novel miRNA families containing a total of 64 miRNA were identified. QRT-PCR analysis revealed that some of the cucumber miRNAs were preferentially expressed in certain tissues. With the recently developed ‘high throughput degradome sequencing’ approach, 21 target mRNAs of known miRNAs were identified for the first time in cucumber. These targets were associated with development, reactive oxygen species scavenging, signaling transduction and transcriptional regulation. Our study provides an overview of miRNA expression profile and interaction between miRNA and target, which will help further understanding of the important roles of miRNAs in cucumber plants

Stability of the phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity of five fruit (apple, orange, grape, pomelo and kiwi) juices during \u3ci\u3ein vitro\u3c/i\u3e-simulated gastrointestinal digestion

The in vitro digestive stability of phenolic compounds and the antioxidant capacity of five kinds of commonly consumed fruit juices in the daily diet, including apple juice (AJ), orange juice (OJ), grape juice (GJ), pomelo juice (PJ) and kiwifruit juice (KJ), were studied. Following in vitro digestion, the total phenolic (TP) content of fruit juices decreased to different extents by 35%, 25.3%, 23.5%, 22.2% and 7.8% for KJ, OJ, PJ, GJ and AJ, respectively. The individual phenolic content showed similar changes to the TP content, showing reductions of naringenin-trisaccharide in OJ and PJ, epicatechin in GJ, and chlorogenic acid in AJ by 43.74%, 27.59%, 47.11% and 33.28%, respectively. Conversely, the antioxidant capacity of fruit juices during digestion measured by ABTS assay increased from 4.79% to 35.53%, except in KJ, which decreased by 19.34%. These results show the health benefits of fruit juices after processing and contribute towards establishing suitable dietary recommendations

Stability of the phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity of five fruit (apple, orange, grape, pomelo and kiwi) juices during \u3ci\u3ein vitro\u3c/i\u3e-simulated gastrointestinal digestion

The in vitro digestive stability of phenolic compounds and the antioxidant capacity of five kinds of commonly consumed fruit juices in the daily diet, including apple juice (AJ), orange juice (OJ), grape juice (GJ), pomelo juice (PJ) and kiwifruit juice (KJ), were studied. Following in vitro digestion, the total phenolic (TP) content of fruit juices decreased to different extents by 35%, 25.3%, 23.5%, 22.2% and 7.8% for KJ, OJ, PJ, GJ and AJ, respectively. The individual phenolic content showed similar changes to the TP content, showing reductions of naringenin-trisaccharide in OJ and PJ, epicatechin in GJ, and chlorogenic acid in AJ by 43.74%, 27.59%, 47.11% and 33.28%, respectively. Conversely, the antioxidant capacity of fruit juices during digestion measured by ABTS assay increased from 4.79% to 35.53%, except in KJ, which decreased by 19.34%. These results show the health benefits of fruit juices after processing and contribute towards establishing suitable dietary recommendations

Occurrence and Distribution of Uranium in a Hydrological Cycle around a Uranium Mill Tailings Pond, Southern China

Uranium (U) mining activities, which lead to contamination in soils and waters (i.e., leachate from U mill tailings), cause serious environmental problems. However, limited research works have been conducted on U pollution associated with a whole soil-water system. In this study, a total of 110 samples including 96 solid and 14 water samples were collected to investigate the characteristics of U distribution in a natural soil-water system near a U mining tailings pond. Results showed that U concentrations ranged from 0.09 ± 0.02 mg/kg to 2.56 × 104± 23 mg/kg in solid samples, and varied greatly in different locations. For tailings sand samples, the highest U concentration (2.56× 104 ± 23 mg/kg) occurred at the depth of 80 cm underground, whereas, for paddy soil samples, the highest U concentration (5.22 ± 0.04 mg/kg) was found at surface layers. Geo-accumulation index and potential ecological hazard index were calculated to assess the hazard of U in the soils. The calculation results showed that half of the soil sampling sites were moderately polluted. For groundwater samples, U concentrations ranged from 0.55 ± 0.04 mg/L to 3.36 ± 0.02 mg/L with a mean value of 2.36 ± 0.36 mg/L, which was significantly lower than that of percolating waters (ranging from 4.56 ± 0.02 mg/L to 12.05 ± 0.04 mg/L, mean 7.91 ± 0.98 mg/L). The results of this study suggest that the distribution of U concentrations in a soil-water system was closely associated with hydrological cycles and U concentrations decreased with circulation path

The neuroprotective and neural circuit mechanisms of acupoint stimulation for cognitive impairment

Abstract Cognitive impairment is a prevalent neurological disorder that burdens families and the healthcare system. Current conventional therapies for cognitive impairment, such as cholinesterase inhibitors and N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonists, are unable to completely stop or reverse the progression of the disease. Also, these medicines may cause serious problems with the digestive system, cardiovascular system, and sleep. Clinically, stimulation of acupoints has the potential to ameliorate the common symptoms of a variety of cognitive disorders, such as memory deficit, language dysfunction, executive dysfunction, reduced ability to live independently, etc. There are common acupoint stimulation mechanisms for treating various types of cognitive impairment, but few systematic analyses of the underlying mechanisms in this domain have been performed. This study comprehensively reviewed the basic research from the last 20 years and found that acupoint stimulation can effectively improve the spatial learning and memory of animals. The common mechanism may be that acupoint stimulation protects hippocampal neurons by preventing apoptosis and scavenging toxic proteins. Additionally, acupoint stimulation has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, promoting neural regeneration, regulating synaptic plasticity, and normalizing neural circuits by restoring brain functional activity and connectivity. Acupoint stimulation also inhibits the production of amyloid β-peptide and the phosphorylation of Tau protein, suggesting that it may protect neurons by promoting correct protein folding and regulating the degradation of toxic proteins via the autophagy-lysosomal pathway. However, the benefits of acupoint stimulation still need to be further explored in more high-quality studies in the future

Effects and Mechanisms of Acupuncture Combined with Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation on Neural Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury: Progress and Prospects

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a structural event with devastating consequences worldwide. Due to the limited intrinsic regenerative capacity of the spinal cord in adults, the neural restoration after SCI is difficult. Acupuncture is effective for SCI-induced neurologic deficits, and the potential mechanisms responsible for its effects involve neural protection by the inhibition of inflammation, oxidation, and apoptosis. Moreover, acupuncture promotes neural regeneration and axon sprouting by activating multiple cellular signal transduction pathways, such as the Wnt, Notch, and Rho/Rho kinase (ROCK) pathways. Several studies have demonstrated that the efficacy of combining acupuncture with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transplantation is superior to either procedure alone. The advantage of the combined treatment is dependent on the ability of acupuncture to enhance the survival of MSCs, promote their differentiation into neurons, and facilitate targeted migration of MSCs to the spinal cord. Additionally, the differentiation of MSCs into neurons overcomes the problem of the shortage of endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs) in the acupuncture-treated SCI patients. Therefore, the combination of acupuncture and MSCs transplantation could become a novel and effective strategy for the treatment of SCI. Such a possibility needs to be verified by basic and clinical research