Serum HBV DNA level is not correlated to histological grade or stage of liver disease in CHB patients with HBV DNA more than 10(5) copies/mL. Compared to HBeAg positive patients, HBeAg negative patients are older and have a lower HBV DNA level and a longer HBV infection history. There is no significant difference in sex ratio, ALT and AST levels and liver histology between the two groups.

Abstract. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated in regulating diverse cellular pathways. Although there is emerging evidence that various miRNAs function as oncogenes or tumor suppressors in colorectal cancer (CRC), the role of miRNAs in mediating liver metastasis remains unexplored. The expression profile of miRNAs in liver metastasis and primary CRC tissues was analyzed by miRNA microarrays and verified by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In 62 CRC patients, the expression levels of miR-320a were determined by real-time PCR, and the effects on migration and invasion of miR-320a were determined using a transwell assay. miR-320a target genes were confirmed by luciferase assay, real-time PCR and Western blot analysis. A set of miRNAs was found to be dysregulated in the liver metastasis tissues compared to matched primary CRC tissues, and the expression levels of miR-320a were significantly decreased in the liver metastasis tissues examined. miR-320a was correlated with tumor progression in CRC. miR-320a was downregulated in liver metastatic colon cancer cells and inhibited liver metastatic colon cancer cell migration and invasion. miR-320a directly binds to the 3'UTR of neuropilin 1 (NRP-1), a protein that functions as a co-receptor of vascular epithelial growth factor. miR-320a downregulated the expression of NRP-1 at both the mRNA and protein levels. These data demonstrated that miR-320a may be useful for identifying CRC patients that are at an elevated risk for developing liver metastasis. Our findings suggest that miR-320a may be a novel therapeutic candidate for the treatment of colorectal cancer.

The purpose of this research is to study the effect of genistein on cytokines or growth factor-induced proliferation and transformation phenotype of rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes (RA-FLS). RA-FLS were primarily cultured. With respective stimulation of IL-1β, TNF-α, and EGF, genistein was applied to elucidate its effect on synoviocytes' growth number, cell proliferation assay, cell cycle using cell counts, (3)H-TdR incorporation and flow cytometry, the colony numbers under anchorage-independent condition, and the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in synovial fibroblasts. EGF, IL-1β, and TNF-α increased (3)H incorporation in RA-FLS, respectively. EGF augmented clone numbers of RA-FLS under anchorage-independent condition and not IL-1β and TNF-α. Genistein had an inhibitory role on cell number and (3)H-TdR incorporation of RA-FLS stimulated with IL-1β, TNF-α and EGF; genistein arrested the cell cycle at G(1) restriction point; genistein decreased colony numbers under anchorage-independent condition stimulated by EGF in serum condition. IL-1β or TNF-α increased expression of MMP-9 and MMP-2 in rheumatoid synoviocytes; EGF stimulated expression of MMP-9 but not of MMP-2; genistein suppressed production of MMP-9 more than MMP-2 induced by IL-1β or TNF-α; rMMP-9, rMMP-2, or their inhibitors had no effect on the (3)H-TdR incorporation of synovial cells. Erk1/2 inhibitor (PD098 059) had obvious inhibitory effect on the (3)H incorporation induced by TNF-α or IL-1β; inhibitors of JNK (SP600 125) had no significant effect on the (3)H incorporation. While pretreatment with PD098059 had no marked inhibitory effect on MMP-9 expression induced by TNF-α or IL-1β, SP600125 decreased significantly the MMP-9 expression induced by TNF-α or IL-1β. Neither PD098059 nor SP600 125 could inhibit the MMP-2 expression induced by TNF-α or IL-1β. Genistein inhibited IL-1β, TNF-α or EGF-induced proliferation and MMP-9 expression in fibroblast-like synoviocytes of rheumatoid arthritis; the proliferation of RA-FLS was mediated by Erk1/2 but not JNK activation, while JNK activation was involved in the signal transduction pathway leading to MMP-9 expression in rheumatoid synoviocytes.

Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) has been reported to have diverse roles in various biological processes through deacetylation of histone and nonhistone proteins. However, the correlations between SIRT1 protein expression, clinicopathological parameters, and survival of colorectal cancer patients remain unclear. SIRT1 protein expression in a paraffin-embedded tissue microarray, including 13 benign adenomas, nine liver metastasis tissues, and 120 paired colorectal cancer and normal mucosa tissues, was measured by immunohistochemistry. SIRT1 mRNA and protein expression in colon cancer cell lines with different metastatic potential and normal colon cells were detected by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting. The correlations between SIRT1 protein expression, clinicopathological features, and prognosis were analyzed. All samples (100 %) were positive for SIRT1, with variable staining in the cytoplasm rather than the nucleus. There was significant difference in SIRT1 overexpression between adenocarcinomas and normal mucosal tissues (P < 0.01, χ(2) test). SIRT1 overexpression was more frequently observed in advanced-stage tumors and lymph node or liver metastases (P = 0.046, 0.002, and 0.004, respectively, χ(2) test). SIRT1 expression was also significantly elevated in the more aggressive colon cancer cell line SW620. SIRT1 overexpression was significantly correlated with poor overall survival (P = 0.013, log-rank test) and disease-free survival (P = 0.012, log-rank test). SIRT1 overexpression was correlated with advanced-stage and poor prognosis. SIRT1 may play an important role in the progression of colorectal cancer.

China's first Mars rover, Zhurong, successfully landed in southern Utopia Planitia on the Martian surface (Figure 1) on 15 May 2021. Zhurong was onboard the Tianwen-1 probe, which was successfully launched on 23 July 2020; the probe entered the Martian orbit on 10 February 2021 and released the Zhurong rover for landing about 3 hr before its touchdown (Li et al., 2021;Wan et al., 2020;Wu et al., 2021). The Zhurong rover landing represents the tenth in situ investigation of the Martian surface and the first in the lowland area of southern Utopia Planitia. Using the scientific payloads onboard the Zhurong rover (Li et al., 2021), including the Navigation and Terrain Camera (NaTeCam), Multispectral Camera (MSCam), Mars Surface Composition Detector (MarSCoDe), Mars Rover Penetrating Radar (RoPeR), Mars Rover Magnetometer, and Mars Climate Station, the Zhurong rover will investigate the topography, soil structure and geology of the roving area and the physical characteristics of the atmosphere. The rover will also analyze elements, minerals and rock types and search for signatures of water or ice in the roving area (Li et al., 2021;Zou et al., 2021).The landing site selection process for Zhurong included several stages. In the first stage, a global search process was conducted on the Martian surface to identify suitable regions that met the engineering constraints, including adequate solar illumination for generating power and warmth, lower elevation for a thicker atmosphere and longer deceleration time, and a flat terrain surface for safer landing (Dong et al., 2019;Wu et al., 2021). Three

This paper presents our efforts to characterize the candidate landing region (109°–133°E, 23°–30°N) for Tianwen‐1, China's first mission to Mars, in terms of engineering safety and scientific significance. Topographic analysis reveals that the region has a low elevation around −4,230 m, and 98% of the region have slopes smaller than 8°. The geomorphological mapping and analysis show that the region has an average crater density of about 28 craters (≥200 m in diameter) per 100 square kilometers, with several clusters of high crater densities distributed around the center of the region. There are also pitted cones distributed mainly in the southern part of the region, with a density of approximately 6.6 cones per 100 square kilometers in specific local areas. The region has rock abundances ranging from 1% to 23%, with local clusters of low and high rock abundances. The region comprises four main geological units, including a lowland unit formed in the Late Hesperian and a volcanic unit formed in the Amazonian and Hesperian period. Their specific surface ages are estimated through the analysis of crater size‐frequency distribution. Combining the engineering constraints on surface slopes, crater density, cone density, and rock abundance, a hazard map of the candidate landing region is generated for landing site evaluation and safety assessment. Based on the results, we further discuss the potential scientific outcomes from the exploration in this region. The findings will be helpful for the mission planning and maximization of the scientific return from Tianwen‐1, and complement existing Martian scientific research.

Abelson interactor protein-1 (ABI1) is a promising candidate tumor suppressor, and plays critical roles both in the pathogenesis of BCR-Abl-induced leukemia and in the spread of several solid tumors. The expression of ABI1 and its role in cancer progression and prognosis are largely unknown in the majority of solid tumors, including gastric cancer. In this study, we analyzed the correlation between ABI1 expression and the clinicopathological characteristics, tumor progression, and prognosis of patients with gastric carcinoma. Tissue specimens were from 103 gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy in our hospital between January 2000 and December 2007. Among them 59 tumor tissue samples were matched with normal tissue samples. The expression of ABI1 protein was measured using immunohistochemical staining of paraffin-embedded tissue specimens. Meanwhile, quantitative real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting were used to identify the expression of ABI1 in human gastric normal mucosal cell line (GES-1) and gastric cancer cell lines (N87, AGS). We performed a statistical analysis of the potential correlation between ABI1 expression and the patients' clinicopathological characteristics, 5-year survival, and median survival time. The immunohistochemical staining results of 59 patients showed that ABI1 was expressed in 28.8% (17/59) of gastric cancer tissues, compared to 91.5% (54/59) of normal samples. ABI1 expression in 103 patients was strongly correlated with tumor differentiation, clinical stage, and lymph node status (P < 0.01). The 5-year survival rate was 15.3% in the ABI1-negative group and 63.7% in the ABI1-positive group. Median survival time in the ABI1-negative and ABI1-positive groups was 25.0 months (95% CI: 19.7-30.3) and 74.0 months (95% CI: 54.6-93.3), respectively. There was a significant difference between the two groups (chi(2) = 10.888, P = 0.001). Furthermore, we found that ABI1 expressed lowly in poor differentiated AGS, whereas highly in GES-1 and well-differentiated N87. Downregulation of ABI1 expression in human gastric carcinoma may play a critical role in tumor progression and in determining patient prognosis. ABI1 may be a useful diagnostic or prognostic molecular biomarker, and might be a potential target for therapeutic intervention.

Mesopancreas is a controversial structure. This study aimed to explore the anatomical characteristics of the mesopancreas, define the range of the total mesopancreas excision (TMpE), and evaluate the feasibility, safety and effectivity of TMpE in the treatment of pancreatic head cancer. The clinical and pathological data of 58 consecutive patients undergoing TMpE for pancreatic head carcinoma from January 2013 to December 2015 were analyzed prospectively. The perioperative morbidity, mortality and clinical outcomes of patients undergoing TMpE were compared with the patients undergoing conventional pancreaticoduodenectomy. The mesopancreas was located in the retropancreatic area, extending from the head, neck, and uncinated process of pancreas to the aorto-caval groove, in which there were loose areolar tissue, adipose tissue, nerve plexus, lymphatic and capillaries. We observed significantly higher R0 rate (94.8% vs. 81.4%, P=0.035), more lymph nodes (16.2 vs. 11.4, P=0.000), lower total and local recurrence rate (half-year local recurrence rate 7.8% vs. 23.7%, P=0.036, one-year 18.2% vs. 39.5%, P=0.018) and longer disease-free survival (16.9 vs. 13.4 months, P=0.044) in TMpE group than in control group. In conclusion, mesopancreas is different from mesorectum because there is no fascial envelop or anatomical boundary in this area. TMpE could be safely and feasibly performed for the treatment of pancreatic head cancer to increase the R0 resection rate and improve the clinical outcomes.