Analysis of Distribution of Intracranial and Extracranial Atherosclerotic Lesions and Risk Factors for Recurrence in First-Ever and Recurrent Ischemic Stroke Patients in Northeast China.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to analyze the distribution characteristics of atherosclerotic lesions and the risk factors of recurrence in patients with ischemic stroke. Methods: A total of 505 patients diagnosed with ischemic stroke from October 2016 to October 2022 were included. Divide 505 patients with ischemic stroke into old stroke group and new stroke group. Patients without old cerebral infarction were included in the first ischemic stroke group (first group), while patients with old cerebral infarction were included in the recurrent ischemic stroke group (recurrence group).Carotid artery color Doppler ultrasonography and transcranial Doppler ultrasonography were performed on all patients. Results: We compared the distribution and risk factors of atherosclerotic lesions between the first and recurrent groups (378 cases) (127 cases). Mild, moderate, and severe stenosis of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) and occlusion of the intracranial vertebral artery (VA) were the most common in both groups. Intracranial artery stenosis is significantly higher than extracranial artery stenosis, and the anterior circulation artery is more affected than the posterior circulation artery. In the initial and recurrent groups, the proportion of patients with intracranial artery stenosis was significantly higher than that of patients with extracranial artery stenosis (43.4% vs. 22.5% and 53.4% vs. 22.5%), and the number of patients with anterior circulation stenosis was higher than that of other groups. Compared with the first group, the recurrence group had a higher incidence of hypertension, dyslipidemia, and insufficient physical exercise. There is a significant difference in the levels of triglycerides (TG) and platelets (PLT) between the two groups in biochemical indicators. In the first group, infarction was most common in 284 cases (75.1%) of the frontal lobe, followed by 232 cases (61.4%) of the basal ganglia, and 147 cases (38.9%) of the parietal lobe. In the recurrence group, the proportion of frontal lobe infarction [284 (74.0%)], basal ganglia infarction [232 (70.1%)], and parietal lobe infarction [147 (37.0%)] was the highest. It can be observed that the recurrence group had a higher incidence of basal ganglia infarction (70.1% vs. 61.4%), but a lower incidence of occipital lobe infarction (0.8% vs. 4.2%). Conclusions: Our study found no significant difference in the distribution of intracranial and extracranial atherosclerotic lesions between first-ever and recurrent ischemic stroke patients in China. Notably, hypertension, years of dyslipidemia, insufficient physical exercise, elevated triglyceride (TG) levels, and increased platelet (PLT) counts were identified as significant risk factors for stroke recurrence. These findings may have implications for the management and prevention of recurrent ischemic strokes in clinical practice.

A New Design for Forearm Skin Flaps for Areas that Do not Require Additional Grafting.

Forearm skin flaps are widely used to reconstruct oral cancer due to their advantages, such as vascular stability, simple preparation, and a high success rate. However, traditional forearm skin flaps have shortcomings: the donor site requires grafting, which increases surgical trauma by creating a second surgical area, and the scarring at the donor site significantly affects the esthetics of the forearm. Therefore, we have designed a new ^-shaped radial forearm skin flap, in which the flap is designed as 2 semi-elliptical subunits. After the flap is harvested, these 2 subunits are joined, and the reserved skin at the donor site is directly sutured to the outer part of the donor site. The area of the ^-shaped radial forearm skin flap can be as large as that prepared with traditional forearm skin flaps, and there is no need for grafting at the donor site. This avoids additional trauma to the donor site after surgery, significantly reduces related complications, and enhances the esthetic outcome. This paper reports a case of a cheek cancer (carcinoma of the buccal mucosa) patient (T3N0M0), where the flap survived postoperatively, and both the surgical site and donor site healed in the first phase. The patient has no sensory or functional impairments; swallowing and speech functions are satisfactory.

A TiN-based nanophotosensitizer for enhanced photothermal therapy with the aid of ultrasound.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Targeting and uptake are the most important strategies for enhancing the efficacy of cancer photothermal therapy (PTT) and reducing damage to surrounding normal tissues. In this study, a kind of nanophotosensitizer based on nanobubbles and TiN was prepared for synergetic therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS: The photothermal agent titanium nitride (TiN) was wrapped in nanobubbles by membrane hydration method and verified in cells and animals. CCK-8, cell death staining, and JC-1 were used to verify the pernicious effect of photothermal combined with Ultrasound Targeted Nanobubble Destruction (UTND) and then injected into animals through the tail vein to observe its photothermal effect and in vivo inhibitory effect. A hemolysis test and body weight change verified its safety. RESULTS: The average diameter of the novel nanophotosensitizer was 300.3 ± 12.7 nm, with a consistent nanospheres morphology. The UTND technology was utilized to improve the penetration of TiN into tumor cells through the physical energy of ultrasound irradiation. The therapeutic effects of the synergistic therapy of UTND and PTT were verified in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSION: The research has established NBs@C3F8-TiN as a suitable ultrasound photothermal agent due to its appropriate size and efficient photothermal efficacy for visual photothermal therapy for HCC.

Impact of Pharmacist-Led PDCA Cycle in Reducing Prescription Abandonment: An Action Research from China.

Purpose: Taking medicine as prescribed in time plays an important role in the treatment of diseases. However, some prescriptions have not picked up in time for various reasons. To analyze the influencing factors in patients with prescription abandonment and the role of pharmacists in Plan-Do--Check-Act (PDCA) cycle, we conducted a study in our hospital of Hangzhou, China. Methods: Based on the prescription abandonment from October 1, 2021 to March 31 2022, we collected and analyzed the possible causes. According to the PDCA management method, we conducted improvement measures and supervised the implementation of measures from April 1, 2022 to September 30, 2022. The number, the proportion and the amount of prescription abandonment before and after establishment of the PDCA cycle were analyzed. Results: Three measures were proposed and applied to improve the prescription abandonment:(I) Enhancing the education and training to the staff. (II) Improving the medical environment for patients, especially the environment for taking medicine. (III) Updating the computer information software. After the implementation of PDCA, the number of prescription abandonment decreased from 2030 to 775, there was significant reduction in the proportion of prescription abandonment (4.75‰ vs 1.77‰, P<0.05), and the amount of prescription abandonment decreased from $36,161.11 to $17,041.59. The target compliance rate was 108.36%. Conclusion: The implementation of pharmacist-led PDCA can effectively reduce the number, the proportion and the amount of prescription abandonment, Moreover, Pharmacists play an important role in improving the management quality of outpatient pharmacy, and PDCA is a feasible and effective management tool for reducing prescription abandonment.

Extracellular Matrix-Mimetic Peptide Scaffolds Prolonged the Hypothermic Preservation of Stem Cells for Storage and Transportation.

Encouraging advances in both regenerative medicine and tissue engineering with stem cells require a short-term preservation protocol to provide enough time for quality control or the transportation of cell products from manufacturing facilities to clinical destinations. The hypothermic preservation of stem cells under refrigerated conditions (2-8 °C) in their specific culture medium provides an alternative and low-cost method for cryopreservation or commercial preservation fluid for short-term storage. However, most stem cells are vulnerable to hypothermia, which might result in cell damage from the cooling process and the lack of extracellular matrix (ECM). Herein, we report a peptide scaffold cell-culture-medium additive for mimicking in vivo ECM to enhance the storage efficiency of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) under hypothermic preservation. Peptide scaffolds exhibit protective effects against hypothermic injury by maintaining the viability, proliferation, migration, and differentiation capabilities of cells. The mechanistic study showed that the peptide scaffold was conducive to maintain mitochondrial function by retaining mitochondrial respiration, mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), and mass to alleviate intracellular and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Moreover, the peptide scaffold also prolonged the survival and retained the multipotency of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) under hypothermic conditions. In conclusion, these results demonstrate a feasible and convenient preservation system for stem cells that has the potential to promote the clinical application of hematopoietic stem cell therapy.

Prediction of pathological complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer using a combination of contrast-enhanced ultrasound and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.

This study aimed to evaluate the value of dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) combined with dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in predicting pathological complete response (pCR) in patients with breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Fifty-seven female patients with breast cancer (mean age, 50.46 years; range, 32-66 years) scheduled for NAC were recruited. CEUS and DCE-MRI were performed before and after NAC. Imaging features and their changes were compared with postoperative pathological results. After the clinical differences were balanced using propensity score matching, univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to derive the characteristics independently associated with pCR. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to assess diagnostic performance. After six to eight cycles of NAC, 24 (42.1%) patients achieved pCR, while 33 (57.9%) did not. Multivariate analysis showed that enhancement order on CEUS and DCE-MRI before NAC, reduction in diameter and enhancement shape on CEUS, maximum diameter on DCE-MRI, and the type of progressive dynamic contrast enhancement after NAC were independently associated with pCR after NAC. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for CEUS+DCE-MRI was 0.911 (95% confidence interval, 0.826-0.997), and the specificity and positive predictive values were 87.0% and 87.5%. CEUS and DCE-MRI have the potential for assessing the pathological response to NAC in patients with breast cancer; their combination showed the best diagnostic performance. CEUS+DCE-MRI has proved beneficial for comprehensive assessment and personalizing treatment strategies for patients with breast cancer.

Alisma Shugan Decoction attenuates hepatic fibrosis and endoplasmic reticulum stress in mice with carbon tetrachloride-induced fibrosis.

Background: Over the years, Alisma Shugan Decoction (ASD), because of its potent anti-inflammation activity, has been used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for treatment of many inflammation-associated disorders including those of the heart, blood vessel and brain. Methods: Herein, we examined the probable therapeutic effect of ASD in carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver injury and fibrosis mice models. Results: Our results demonstrate that ASD dose-dependently reduced the fibrosis-related increased collagen deposition secondary to liver tissue exposure to CCl4. Data from our biochemical analyses showed significantly less liver damage biomarkers including ALT, AST and hydroxyproline in the ASD-treated samples, suggesting hepato-protective effect of ASD. Furthermore, we demonstrated that treatment with ASD significantly reversed CCl4-induced elevation of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1ß and MP-1. Interestingly, NF-κB signalling, a principal regulator of inflammation was markedly suppressed by ASD treatment. In addition, treatment with ASD deregulated stress signalling pathways by suppressing the expression of markers of unfolded protein response, such as ATF6, IRE and GRP78. Conclusion: In conclusion, the present study provides preclinical evidence for the use of ASD as an efficacious therapeutic option in cases of chemical-induced liver damage and/or fibrosis. Further large-cohort validation of these findings is warranted.

UGT1A1 variants in Chinese Uighur and Han newborns and its correlation with neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.

To explore the correlation between UGT1A1 variant and neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in Chinese Uighur and Han populations. We conducted this study in Urumqi, China. Umbilical cord blood specimens and clinical information of term infants born in the studied center were collected. Variation status of UGT1A1 was determined by direct sequencing or capillary electrophoresis analysis. 102 Uighur and 99 Han normal term neonates, together with 19 hospitalized term newborns (10 Uighur and 9 Han) due to significant hyperbilirubinemia were enrolled into the final analysis. The incidence of neonates with high-risk transcutaneous bilirubin level (TCB) were much higher in Han newborns than in Uighur newborns(P = 0.01). Also, there was statistically significant difference in (TA) 7 promoter mutation of UGT1A1 between Han and Uighur group(χ2 = 4.675, P = 0.03). Furthermore, exon mutation (c.211 and /or c.1091) in UGT1A1 gene was significantly associated with increased TCB level (ORadj = 1.41, 95%CI: 0.25-2.51, P = 0.002) and higher risk of hyperbilirubinemia in both Han and Uighur infants after adjusted for covariates (ORadj = 2.21, 95%CI: 1.09-4.49, P = 0.03). In conclusion, UGT1A1 promoter polymorphism seem to be an important genetic modulator of plasma bilirubin level and neonatal hyperbilirubinemia risk within ethnic groups. Genetic assessment of UGT1A1 coding variants may be useful for clinical diagnosis of neonatal jaundice.

The Influence Mechanism of Political Skill on Safety Voice Behavior in High-Risk Industries: The Mediating Role of Voice Efficacy.

As an important indicator to measure the adaptability and development potential of individuals in an organization, political skill is rarely considered as an antecedent variable in the field of safety voice. This study is based on impression management theory and social cognitive theory. From the perspective of employee self-service-oriented safety voice motivation, we took political skill as a predictor of safety voice behavior and introduced voice efficacy as an intermediary variable to construct a theoretical model of the relationship between political skill, voice efficacy, and safety voice behavior. We used the method of questionnaire to collect data from employees in high-risk industries. SPSS and AMOS software were used as analysis tools to examine the relationship between political skill, voice efficacy, and safety voice behavior. The study results show that: (1) political skill has a significant positive impact on safety voice behavior; and (2) voice efficacy plays a mediating role in the relationship between political skill and safety voice behavior. In this study, a new predictor of safety voice behavior and its mediation mechanism were obtained. Political skill can not only reflect the psychological cognitive ability of individuals in dangerous work environments, but it is also an important manifestation of the social exchanges between employees and organizations. In the special organizational context where China generally values "guanxi", political skill has a stronger ability to predict and explain safety voice behavior. This research can help organizations obtain safety-related suggestions from employees in a timely manner and realize the sustainable development of safety management.

How Safety Climate Impacts Safety Voice-Investigating the Mediating Role of Psychological Safety from a Social Cognitive Perspective.

Safety voice has become a popular research topic in the organizational safety field because it helps to prevent accidents. A good safety climate and psychological safety can motivate employees to actively express their ideas about safety, but the specific mechanisms of safety climate and psychological safety, on safety voice, are not yet clear. Based on the "environment-subject cognition-behavior" triadic interaction model of social cognitive theory, this paper explores the relationship between safety climate and safety voice, and the mediating role of psychological safety. We collected questionnaires and conducted data analysis of the valid questionnaires using analytical methods such as hierarchical regression, stepwise regression, and the bootstrap sampling method. We found that safety climate significantly and positively influenced safety voice, and psychological safety played a mediating role between safety climate and safety voice, which strengthened the positive relationship between them. From the research results, it was clear that to stimulate employees to express safety voice behavior, organizations should strive to create a good safety climate and pay attention to building employees' psychological safety. The findings of this paper provide useful insights for the management of employee safety voice behavior in enterprises.

Design, synthesis and evaluation of novel small molecules acting as Keap1-Nrf2 protein-protein interaction inhibitors.

Direct interference with Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1)-Nrf2 protein-protein interaction (PPI) has recently been introduced as an attractive approach to control life-threatening diseases like myocarditis. The present study aimed to investigate the potential application in myocarditis of a series of novel non-naphthalene derivatives as potential Keap1-Nrf2 PPI inhibitors. Our results indicated that the optimal compound K22 displayed the highest metabolic stability and showed notable Keap1-Nrf2 PPI inhibitory activities in vitro. K22 effectively triggered Nrf2 activation and increased the protein and mRNA expression of Nrf2-regulated genes in H9c2 cells. Moreover, pre-treatment with K22 was shown to mitigate LPS-induced damage to H9c2 cells, causing a marked decrease in the levels of inflammatory factors as well as reactive oxygen species (ROS). Furthermore, K22 was also shown to be non-mutagenic in the Ames test. Overall, our findings suggest that K22 may be a promising drug lead as a Keap1-Nrf2 PPI inhibitor for myocarditis treatment.

TPGS-based and S-thanatin functionalized nanorods for overcoming drug resistance in Klebsiella pneumonia.

Tigecycline is regarded as the last line of defense to combat multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae. However, increasing utilization has led to rising drug resistance and treatment failure. Here, we design a D-alpha tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate-modified and S-thanatin peptide-functionalized nanorods based on calcium phosphate nanoparticles for tigecycline delivery and pneumonia therapy caused by tigecycline-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae. After incubation with bacteria, the fabricated nanorods can enhance tigecycline accumulation in bacteria via the inhibitory effect on efflux pumps exerted by D-alpha tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate and the targeting capacity of S-thanatin to bacteria. The synergistic antibacterial capacity between S-thanatin and tigecycline further enhances the antibacterial activity of nanorods, thus overcoming the tigecycline resistance of Klebsiella pneumoniae. After intravenous injection, nanorods significantly reduces the counts of white blood cells and neutrophils, decreases bacterial colonies, and ameliorates neutrophil infiltration events, thereby largely increasing the survival rate of mice with pneumonia. These findings may provide a therapeutic strategy for infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria.

Voice Endorsement and Employee Safety Voice Behavior in Construction Projects: The Mediating Role of Leader-Member Exchange.

Employee safety voice refers to publishing opinions and suggestions related to workplace safety issues. In recent years, it has gradually become a hot topic in the field of organizational safety management research. Voice endorsement is the leader's positive feedback to employees, and it is a necessary condition and key link for employees to achieve the purpose of voicing. Although there are many types of research on employee safety voice behavior and voice endorsement, few studies have explored the relationship between the two. Therefore, through a paired questionnaire survey of 214 leaders and 344 employees in construction projects, drawing on social exchange theory, using leader-member exchange (LMX) as a mediating variable, we discuss the mechanism of voice endorsement on employee safety voice behavior. The results show that in construction projects, voice endorsement negatively affects employee safety voice behavior and LMX, and LMX positively affects employee safety voice behavior. LMX has a mediating role in the relationship between voice endorsement and employee safety voice behavior. The results of this study can provide useful guidance for improving employee safety voice behavior management.

Histogram peritumoral enhanced features on MRI arterial phase with extracellular contrast agent can improve prediction of microvascular invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative microvascular invasion (MVI) prediction plays an important role in therapeutic decision-making of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to investigate the value of histogram based on the arterial phase (AP) of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with extracellular contrast agent compared with radiological features for predicting MVI of solitary HCC. METHODS: In total, 113 patients with pathologically proven solitary HCC were retrospectively enrolled who received surgical resection and underwent preoperative abdominal MRI. The patients were divided into the ≤3 cm [small HCC (sHCC)] cohort and the >3 cm cohort. Based on pathological analysis of surgical specimens, the patients were classified into MVI negative (MVI-) and MVI positive (MVI+) groups. Peritumoral and intratumoral histogram features [mean, median, standard deviation (Std), coefficient of variation (CV), skewness, kurtosis] were acquired on AP subtraction images and radiological features [size, capsule, corona enhancement, corona enhancement thickness (CET), CET group]. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed to assess predictive capability. Subgroup analysis of patients with a visible corona enhancement based on the CET cut-off value was performed. RESULTS: None of the features extracted from the intratumor area were significantly different between the MVI+ and MVI- groups in both cohorts. Histogram defined peritumoral (peri-) mean, median, kurtosis, and radiological features including CET and CET group were associated with MVI in sHCCs. Peri-mean, median, Std and radiological features including incomplete capsule, CET, and CET group were associated with MVI in HCC >3 cm. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, the CET group and peri-mean were independent predictors for HCC >3 cm with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.741. Peri-mean was an independent predictor for sHCC (AUC =0.798). Subgroup analysis of the corona enhancement using 8 mm as a cut-off value showed 100% sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV). CONCLUSIONS: Peritumoral AP enhanced degree on MRI showed an encouraging predictive performance for preoperative prediction of MVI, especially in sHCCs. CET ≤8 mm could be used as a negative predictive marker for MVI.

Clinical application of double eyelid incision in internal fixation of zygomatic-frontal fracture.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the clinical application effect of double eyelid incision in the internal fixation of suturae zygomatico-frontalis fracture. METHODS: A total of 12 patients with zygomatic complex fracture and evident fracture segment displacement, accompanied by facial collapse or mouth opening limitation and other functional disorders, were selected for open reduction and internal fixation. The suturae zygomatico-frontalis fracture was fixed using a double eyelid approach. Postoperative evaluation was performed on fracture reduction and fixation to evaluate the improvement of function and deformity, postoperative scar, and other conditions. RESULTS: All fractures had convenient reduction and fixation, and all patients had satisfactory facial appearance, evident functional improvement, and hidden postoperative scar. CONCLUSIONS: As a surgical approach to reduce and internally fix zygomatic complex fracture, double eyelid incision can reduce not only the fracture, but also the trauma, thereby indicating its certain clinical value.

Aerobic exercise inhibits inflammatory response in atherosclerosis via Sestrin1 protein.

Aerobic exercise plays an important role in prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis. Inflammatory response is the main pathological process during occurrence and development stage of atherosclerosis. SESNs are considered as anti-inflammation protein in atherosclerosis. In current study, a high expression level of SESN1 is identified under the condition of aerobic exercise, further investigation shows levels of IL-1ß/IL-6/TNF-α are significantly suppressed compared to those atherosclerosis mice with no aerobic training. Besides, we find that the activation of NF-κB signaling is impeded. Combine with our previous study, SESN1 is considered as the downstream factor of aerobic exercise which tend to inhibit the activation of inflammatory signaling and results in suppressing the expression level of inflammatory factors. Another exciting finding is that MMP9/13 are also suppressed，but the potential mechanism is unclear. Overall, present study sheds light on the significance of aerobic exercise for inflammation and stability of plaque through SESN1 may help developing new clinical treatments of atherosclerosis.

Development of Fe3O4@Au nanoparticles coupled to Au@Ag core-shell nanoparticles for the sensitive detection of zearalenone.

Agricultural products are frequently contaminated by mycotoxins; thus, the accurate detection of mycotoxins is important to food safety. Zearalenone (ZEN), a mycotoxin produced by certain Fusarium and Gibberella species, is a group III carcinogen. We developed a universal surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) aptasensor for the detection of ZEN. The SERS biosensor consists of two functional nanomaterials: sulfhydryl (SH)-ZEN aptamer complementary DNA-modified Fe3O4@Au was used as a capture probe and SH-ZEN aptamer-modified Au@Ag core-shell nanoparticles served as reporter probes. In the absence of ZEN, the highest Raman signal was obtained owing to the SERS effects of Fe3O4@Au and Au@Ag core-shell nanoparticles. Conversely, the addition of ZEN triggered the release of Au@Ag core-shell nanoparticles from Fe3O4@Au, leading to a decrease in SERS intensity after magnetic separation. Hybridization of the ZEN aptamer and its complementary strand generated a strong SERS signal from the reporter probe. Moreover, preferential binding of the ZEN aptamer to ZEN was observed. The signal intensity in SERS decreased linearly when the capture probes released the reporter. For ZEN detection, a linear range from 0.005 to 500 ng mL-1, with an R2 of 0.9981, was obtained. The detection limit was 0.001 ng mL-1. The SERS aptasensor showed excellent performance for analytical applications with real-world samples (beer and wine). This study presents a new model for the detection of mycotoxins based on simple changes in aptamers.

Platelet 3D Preservation Using a Novel Biomimetic Nanofiber Peptide for Reduced Apoptosis and Easy Storage.

Human platelets (PLTs) are vulnerable to unfavorable conditions, and their adequate supply is limited by strict transportation conditions. We report here that PLTs preserved under three-dimensional (3D) conditions using novel biomimetic nanofiber peptides showed reduced apoptosis compared with classical PLTs stored at 22 °C and facilitated the storage and transportation of PLTs. The mechanism of PLT 3D preservation involves the formation of cross-links and a 3D nanofibrous network by a self-assembled peptide scaffold material at physiological conditions after initiation by triggers in plasma. PLTs adhere to the surface of the nanofibrous network to facilitate the 3D distribution of PLTs. The 3D microstructure, rheological properties, and effect on the inflammatory response and hemolysis were evaluated. Compared to traditional PLTs stored at 22 °C, PLTs subjected to 3D preservation showed similar morphology, number, aggregation activity, and reduced apoptosis. The detection of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels demonstrated that both reduced intracellular and mitochondrial ROS levels were correlated with reduced apoptosis. This study reveals a new 3D preservation method for PLTs based on the use of novel biomimetic nanofiber peptides that presents an attractive opportunity for various biomedical applications.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy aptasensor for simultaneous determination of ochratoxin A and zearalenone using Au@Ag core-shell nanoparticles and gold nanorods.

The design and fabrication of a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) aptasensor for simultaneous detection of zearalenone (ZEN) and ochratoxin A (OTA) in wheat and corn samples is described. The capture and reporter probes were SH-cDNA-modified gold nanorods and SH-Apt-modified Au@Ag core-shell nanoparticles, respectively. After recognizing OTA and ZEN aptamers and complementary strands (SH-cDNA), the reporter probe generated a strong SERS signal. The preferred binding of OTA and ZEN aptamers to OTA and ZEN, respectively, caused reporter probes to release the capture probes, resulting in a linear decrease in SERS intensity. The detection of OTA showed good linearity with an R2 value of 0.986, which could be maintained across a wide concentration range (0.01 to 100 ng/mL), with the limit of detection of 0.018 ng/mL. For detection of ZEN, good linearity with an R2 value of 0.987 could be maintained across a wide concentration range (0.05 to 500 ng/mL), with 0.054 ng/mL as the limit of detection. Good accuracy (relative standard deviation < 4.2%) during mycotoxin determination as well as excellent quantitative recoveries (96.0-110.7%) during the analysis of spiked real samples was achieved. The proposed SERS aptasensor exhibited excellent performance in the detection of OTA and ZEN in real food samples. Hence, by simply changing the aptamer, this new model can be applied to the detection of multiple mycotoxins in the food industry.

Computer-Aided Diagnosis Evaluation of the Correlation Between Magnetic Resonance Imaging With Molecular Subtypes in Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: There is a demand for additional alternative methods that can allow the differentiation of the breast tumor into molecular subtypes precisely and conveniently. PURPOSE: The present study aimed to determine suitable optimal classifiers and investigate the general applicability of computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) to associate between the breast cancer molecular subtype and the extracted MR imaging features. METHODS: We analyzed a total of 264 patients (mean age: 47.9 ± 9.7 years; range: 19-81 years) with 264 masses (mean size: 28.6 ± 15.86 mm; range: 5-91 mm) using a Unet model and Gradient Tree Boosting for segmentation and classification. RESULTS: The tumors were segmented clearly by the Unet model automatically. All the extracted features which including the shape features,the texture features of the tumors and the clinical features were input into the classifiers for classification, and the results showed that the GTB classifier is superior to other classifiers, which achieved F1-Score 0.72, AUC 0.81 and score 0.71. Analyzed the different features combinations, we founded that the texture features associated with the clinical features are the optimal features to different the breast cancer subtypes. CONCLUSION: CAD is feasible to differentiate the breast cancer subtypes, automatical segmentation were feasible by Unet model and the extracted texture features from breast MR imaging with the clinical features can be used to help differentiating the molecular subtype. Moreover, in the clinical features, BPE and age characteristics have the best potential for subtype.