No abstract

Oral-gut pathogens are closely associated with pancreatic cancer, such as Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium difficile, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Helicobacter pylori, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Vibrio cholera, but the related mechanisms remain not well understood. Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN, a widely known tumor suppressor) play a key role in the anti-cancer immune system. Pancreatic cancer cells with PTEN loss are often in the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment regulated by myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), regulatory T cells (Tregs), and M2 macrophages, which are regarded as the mechanism in the immune escape of cancers. The miR-21, as an oncogene in human cancers, plays an important role in pancreatic cancer progression, downregulates the levels of PTEN, and may promote cancer to evade host immune surveillance. Some oral-gut pathogens have been found to promote miR-21 expression and reduce PTEN expression. On the other hand, most gut pathogens infection is thought to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) or activate inflammatory cytokines, which may also induce ROS-mediated miR-21 expression. These pathogens' infection is involved with the cell density of MDSCs, Tregs, and M2 macrophages. Therefore, it is quite reasonable to propose that oral-gut pathogens possibly promote pancreatic cancer escaping from host immune surveillance by activating the miR-21/PTEN axis and immune-suppressive cells. The present exploration suggests that an increased understanding of the pattern of the effects of gut pathogens on the miR-21/PTEN axis will lead to better insights into the specific mechanisms associated with the immune escape of pancreatic cancer caused by oral-gut microbiota.

This paper presents an integrated study on nine natural Chinese bronze patinas without causing any damage to the bronze substrates, employing five modern analytical techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and Raman spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Two artificial Chinese bronze patinas were also investigated by the same techniques for comparative purposes. As a result, XRD determined the chemical compositions of all selected samples and showed that the primary compound was malachite in natural soil environment under the general situation. Meanwhile, some interesting corrosion products such as gerhardtite and free copper were also observed. Three groups were classified according to the XRD results in order to provide a deeper insight into their spectroscopic characterization. Spectroscopic data of these patinas from FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy are shown and interpreted in detail. ICP-AES and ICP-MS analyses provided valuable quantitative information, and made the study of the patinas more profound. Furthermore, all analytical results indicated that bronze patinas are extremely complex by virtue of the storage environment and their substrate alloys. The natural samples were rather heterogeneous and the artificial samples, especially the sample formed in the laboratory, were rather homogeneous of which the chemical constituents could be well defined.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognosis of patients with non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) using myocardial work combined with a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET). The association between myocardial work and CPET parameters and left ventricular wall thickness was investigated. To achieve the study aim, 55 patients with non-obstructive HCM and 55 healthy control participants were enrolled. Echocardiographic data were collected and compared, and a CPET was performed separately for patients with HCM and controls. Differences in CPET and myocardial work parameters and changes in myocardial work parameters from before to after the CPET were compared between the two groups. Results: Global longitudinal strain, global work index, global constructive work (GCW), and global work efficiency parameters were significantly reduced and longitudinal strain peak time dispersion (PSD) was prolonged in patients with HCM compared to controls (P < 0.001). No difference in global wasted work was observed between the two groups (P > 0.05). Regarding CPET parameters, peak oxygen uptake, anaerobic threshold, oxygen pulse, and metabolic equivalents were significantly lower in the HCM group compared with the control group (P < 0.05). The slope of carbon dioxide ventilation equivalent was higher in patients with HCM, but the between-group difference was not significant (P > 0.05). After the CPET, there was a significant increase in PSD, but not GCW, in the HCM group, while there was a significant increase in GCW, but not PSD, in the control group. Maximal wall thickness showed a significant positive correlation with PSD (r =0.84, P <0.001), a significant negative correlation with GCW (r =-0.84, P <0.001), and a weak negative correlation with peak oxygen uptake (r =-0.45, P <0.001). Conclusion: Myocardial work combined with a CPET can provide a valid assessment of the prognosis of patients with HCM. The effective myocardial work and CPET parameters are negatively correlated with left ventricular wall thickness.

Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognosis of patients with non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) using myocardial work combined with a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET). The association between myocardial work and CPET parameters and left ventricular wall thickness was investigated. To achieve the study aim, 55 patients with non-obstructive HCM and 55 healthy control participants were enrolled. Echocardiographic data were collected and compared, and a CPET was performed separately for patients with HCM and controls. Differences in CPET and myocardial work parameters and changes in myocardial work parameters from before to after the CPET were compared between the two groups. Results Global longitudinal strain, global work index, global constructive work (GCW), and global work efficiency parameters were significantly reduced and longitudinal strain peak time dispersion (PSD) was prolonged in patients with HCM compared to controls (P < 0.001). No difference in global wasted work was observed between the two groups (P > 0.05). Regarding CPET parameters, peak oxygen uptake, anaerobic threshold, oxygen pulse, and metabolic equivalents were significantly lower in the HCM group compared with the control group (P < 0.05). The slope of carbon dioxide ventilation equivalent was higher in patients with HCM, but the between-group difference was not significant (P > 0.05). After the CPET, there was a significant increase in PSD, but not GCW, in the HCM group, while there was a significant increase in GCW, but not PSD, in the control group. Maximal wall thickness showed a significant positive correlation with PSD (r = 0.84, P < 0.001), a significant negative correlation with GCW (r =-0.84, P < 0.001), and a weak negative correlation with peak oxygen uptake (r =-0.45, P < 0.001). Conclusion Myocardial work combined with a CPET can provide a valid assessment of the prognosis of patients with HCM. The effective myocardial work and CPET parameters are negatively correlated with left ventricular wall thickness.