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DNA methyltransferase 2 (DNMT2) is reported as an RNA modifier regulating the expression of oncogenes in cancers. This work explored the regulatory potential of DNMT2 in gastric cancer (GC) cell proliferation and migration.

GC cells were induced with Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β1) for constructing DNMT2 overexpression model. GC cell proliferation was subject to Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. GC cell migration was observed through wound scratch together with transwell migration assays.

The outcomes showed that the DNMT2 overexpression model was successfully built. Relative to the control, the levels of DNMT2 and SMC3 were apparently decreased by TGF-β1 stimulation, whereas E-cadherin, Smad2 as well as Vimentin expression was elevated by TGF-β1, and GC cell proliferation along with migration were significantly elevated. However, in comparison with the NC group, the DNMT2 overexpression group exhibited higher levels of DNMT2 and SMC3, significantly suppressed E-cadherin, Vimentin along with Smad2 expression, and significantly suppressed GC cell proliferation along with migration.

Overexpression of DNMT2 inhibits GC cell proliferation along with migration. The level of SMC3 was also elevated by DNMT2 overexpression in GC cells. The findings of our study might provide the theoretical basis for the development of GC.

The To measure regulatory T cells (Tregs) expression in driver-gene-negative advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as well as its effect on the therapeutic efficacy and prognosis of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).

Fifty patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer without driving genes who were receiving treatment with a monoclonal antibody targeting the programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) made up the study group. 30 healthy subjects in the same period were chosen into the control group. Flow cytometry was used to identify CD4highCD25+Foxp3+Treg cells in peripheral blood of all participants. Relation between CD4highCD25+Foxp3+Treg cells and tumor markers were explored, and efficacy and prognosis in patients before and after therapy was analyzed.

The fraction of CD4highCD25+Foxp3+Treg cells in the study group was higher (P<0.05). Following three rounds of PD-1 monoclonal antibody treatment, patients' CD4highCD25+Foxp3+Treg cells proportion was lower than before treatment (P<0.01), and showed a positive correlation with tumor markers (P<0.05). The fraction of CD4highCD25+Foxp3+Treg cells in the CR+PR group decreased in both the second and third cycles after treatment compared to the SD+PD group (P<0.01), but no change was found before or during the first cycle (P>0.05). CD4highCD25+Foxp3+Treg cells proportion in the death group presented higher relative to the survival group (P<0.05). CD4highCD25+Foxp3+Treg cells predicted the area under the ROC curve was 0.8134, with significant difference (P<0.05).

CD4highCD25+Foxp3+Treg cells proportion in peripheral blood of NSCLC patients shows increased, and has predictive value for therapeutic efficacy of ICIs and prognosis of driver-gene-negative advanced NSCLC patients.

Venturi bubble generators have been extensively studied because of having a simple structure and high foaming efficiency, while producing a uniform bubble size. The effect of a noncondensable gas on hydraulic cavitation was considered to improve the Zwart-Gerber-Belamri cavitation model. This improved model and a population balance model were used to study the effect of cavitation on bubble fragmentation. The CFD-PBM results were compared with experimental results, and the accuracy of the improved calculation method was verified in terms of the distributions for the cavitation cavity, gas phase, and bubble size. The calculation results showed that increasing the noncondensable gas content over a certain range promoted the development of hydraulic cavitation, and the cavitation intensity could be indirectly controlled by adjusting the noncondensable gas content. With increasing cavitation intensity, the average bubble size decreased, and the bubble size distribution became narrower. Therefore, a high-pressure pulse generated by cavitation could effectively break bubbles. The development process of microbubbles was studied. The main controlling factors for bubble formation were determined to be the turbulent shear force of the fluid and the collapse impact force of the cavitation group, which provides a theoretical basis for optimizing the design of bubble generators.

The aim of this study was to make a comparison of plan quality between MLC-based EDGE and the cone-based CyberKnife systems in SBRT of localized prostate cancer.

Ten patients with target volumes from 34.65 to 82.16 cc were included. Treatment plans were created for both systems using the same constraints. Dosimetric indices including target coverage, conformity index (CI), homogeneity index (HI), gradient index (GI) were applied for target, while the sparing of critical organs was evaluated with special dose-volume metrics and integral dose. Meanwhile, the delivery time and monitor units (MUs) were also estimated. The radiobiological indices such as equivalent uniform dose (EUD), tumor control probability (TCP) and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) were also analyzed.

Both plans produced similar target coverage, HI and GI. For EDGE, more conformal dose distribution as well as reduced exposure of critical organs were obtained together with reduction of 91% delivery time and 72% MUs. EDGE plans also got lower EUD for bladder, rectum, urethra and penile bulk, which associated with reduction of NTCPs. However, higher values of EUD and TCP for tumor were obtained with CK plans.  

It indicated that both systems were capable of producing almost equivalent plan quality and can meet clinical requirements. CyberKnife has higher target dose while EDGE system has more advantages in normal tissue sparing and delivery efficiency.

Artemisia argyi and Houttuynia cordata Thunb are common herbs in most regions of China. In order to test their composite effect as additives on fish, the effects of their extracts mixture on growth performance, antioxidant activity, serum and hepatic lipid levels, and gut bacteria in juvenile grass carp were evaluated. 180 fish were divided into 9 tanks with 3 replicate tanks per treatment, and fed with a control diet (A0) or one of two treatment diets containing 500 (A1) or 1000 mg/kg (A2) mixture of extracts, with equal mass of A. argyi and H. cordata, for 8 weeks. Water flow rate was 8.0 L/min, and water quality parameters were in normal range. At the end of feeding trial, fish weight gain, feed conversion ratio, and survival rate showed no difference among all groups. Significantly higher catalase (CAT) activity and lower malondialdehyde (MDA) content were observed in A1 and A2 groups. Serum triglyceride content was much lower in the A1 group and total cholesterol was lower in experimental groups compared with the control group. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the hepatic lipid droplets were smaller in the experimental groups. High-throughput sequencing identified 10 predominant phyla from gut samples, and Fusobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria were the most dominant groups. Compared with the control group, in A1 group operational taxonomic unit (OTU) number, species richness (Chao1, and ACE), and α diversity (Shannon index) were higher, and gut bacteria composition was altered in A1 and A2 groups at phylum and genus levels. These results indicated that the extracts mixture of A. argyi and H. cordata can increase antioxidant activity, lower serum and hepatic lipid levels, and improve gut bacteria composition, which can be used as a green additive for grass carp.

To explore the efficiency of transvaginal ultrasonography in determining muscular infiltration of phase I endometrial cancer prognosis for radiotherapy.

A total of 96 phase I endometrial cancer patients who were admitted between March 2018 and March 2020 were enrolled and transvaginal ultrasonography was applied for the diagnosis of muscular infiltration. Demographic variables and radiotherapy outcomes were recorded. We hypnotized that only patients with unfavorable profile of sonography receive pelvic radiotherapy.

Patients with muscular infiltration > 1/2 had much thicker endometrium than those with muscular infiltration ≤ 1/2. the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of transvaginal ultrasonography in diagnosis of muscular infiltration of phase I endometrial cancer versus surgery results were 84.9%, 88.9%, 87.5%, 80.0% and 91.8%, while the consistency and Kappa value between the transvaginal ultrasonography and pathological test was 72.2% and 0.580. Positive Likelihood ratio of muscular infiltration more than 1/2 was 2.10 (CI95%: 1.22 to 3.61), meaning that approximately 10 patients of 17 patients with muscular infiltration more than ½ would experience radiotherapy later. Negative Likelihood ratio was 0.63 (CI95%: 0.44 to 0.91), meaning that approximately 10 patients of 15 patients with muscular infiltration less or equal than ½ would not experience radiotherapy later.

Muscular infiltration of endometrial cancer in transvaginal ultrasonography could be a reliable, simple, convenient and low-cost method predicting the need for the external beam pelvic radiotherapy as an unfavorable progression in endometrial cancer.