The CXCR4/SDF-1 axis is involved in the lymph node metastasis of gastric cancer. CXCR4 is considered as a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of gastric cancer.

Background:The effectiveness of restoring the sinus rhythm by catheter ablation relative to that of medical rate control for persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) patients with heart failure (HF) remains to be defined.Methods:We systematically searched Embase, Pubmed, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov for articles that compared the outcomes of interest between catheter ablation and medical rate control therapy in persistent AF patients with HF and left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD). The primary endpoint was the change in the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) following catheter ablation or medical rate control therapy relative to baseline. Other endpoints included changes in cardiac function and exercise capacity, including the New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, the brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) level, the peak oxygen consumption (peak VO2), the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) results, and quality of life (QOL).Results:Three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 143 patients were included. At the overall term follow-up, catheter ablation significantly improved the LVEF (mean difference [MD]: 6.22%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.7–11.74, P = 0.03) and peak VO2 (MD: 2.81 mL/kg/min; 95% CI: 0.78–4.85, P = 0.007) and reduced the NYHA class (MD: 0.9; 95% CI: 0.59–1.21, P < 0.001) and the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaires (MLHFQ) scores (MD: −11.05; 95% CI: −19.45 — −2.66, P = 0.01) compared with the medical rate control for persistent AF patients with HF. Alterations in parameters, such as the BNP level, 6MWT, and Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire scores also revealed trends that favored catheter ablation therapy, although these differences were not significant.Conclusion:Catheter ablation resulted in improved LVEF, cardiac function, exercise capacity, and QOL for persistent AF patients with HF compared with the medical rate control strategy.

The development of new responsive smart materials has been highly desirable in the recent decade due to growing demand in our daily life, and extended viologen-based coordination polymers are regarded as proper and promising candidates for stimuli-responsive study. A tri(pyridinyl)pyridine viologen-based Kagome dual (kgd) topological coordination polymer, [Mn 3 Cl 4 (tpptb) 2 ]•Cl 2 •(H 2 O) 2 , (tpptb = N,N′,N″-tri(3-carboxybenzyl)-2,4,6-tri(pyridinium-4-yl)pyridine; 1) has been solvothermally synthesized, which can selectively respond to soft X-ray Al−Kα (λ = 8.357 Å) irradiation but not to UV light and hard X-rays of λ < 1.5418 Å at room temperature. Appealingly, 1 is very sensitive and convenient for the visual detection of various volatile amine vapors, especially ethylamine vapors at a low concentration of 100 ppm, and the vapochromic sample can be recovered after exposure in the air at room temperature. The sequence of amines in vapochromism could be rationalized by combined consideration of vapor pressure, the molecular size, and electron-donor ability of various amine molecules as well as the void spaces of 1. In addition, 1 exhibits an obvious hydrochromic transformation upon heating in the air and an anhydrous atmosphere. Combined XPS and EPR confirmed that these physical and chemical stimuli can cause electron transfer from electron-rich groups to quaternary nitrogen atoms of the ligand to generate chargeseparated radicals, leading to soft X-ray-induced photochromic and selective vapochromic behavior of 1. Such behavior indicates that it will become a convenient, recyclable, and practical multifunctional material for chemical and environmental sensing. These results provide an effective avenue for the rational design and synthesis of multifunctional chromic materials for potential use in sensing devices.

Prophylactic irradiation to the upper neck does not influence regional failure or long-term survival in the patients with stage-N0 NPC. Radiotherapy to the upper neck (levels II, III, VA) is recommended for the patients with stage-N0 NPC. Involvement of the parapharyngeal space, T stage, and the rates of local failure do not influence regional failure in these patients. Sex and T stage were independent prognosis factors of stage-N0 NPC patients.

Vascular endothelial growth factor 2 (VEGFR2) was initially identified as a receptor of VEGF on endothelial cells with a role in regulating angiogenesis during organism development and tumorigenesis. Previously, in cancer tissue, VEGFR2 has been reported to be expressed in endothelial cells. In our research, we found that VEGFR2 was expressed not only in endothelial cells but also cancer cells in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs). Knockdown of VEGFR2 in Hep2 cells could arrest the cell cycle in G0/G1, leading to a decrease in proliferation. We also present evidence that MAPK/ERK signal pathways and expression of CDK1 downstream of VEGFR2 might regulate proliferation and cell cycle arrest. Furthermore, we discovered that down-regulate VEGRF2 in Hep2 cells could significantly affect the invasion ability. Taken together, our data suggest that VEGFR2 might regulate proliferation and invasion in HNSCC cancer cells in vivo.