Water adsorption on ferroelectric PbTiO3 (0 0 1) surface: A density functional theory study.

In this work, combining the density functional theory (DFT) calculations and the ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations, the water adsorption behavior, including the molecular and the dissociative adsorption on the negatively polarized (0 0 1) surface of ferroelectric PbTiO3 was comprehensively studied. Our theoretical results show that the dissociative adsorption of water is more energetically favorable than the molecular adsorption on the pristine PbTiO3 (0 0 1) surface. It has been also found that introducing surface oxygen vacancies (OV) can enhance the thermodynamic stability of dissociative adsorption of water molecule. The AIMD simulations demonstrate that water molecule can spontaneously dissociate into hydrogen atoms (H) and hydroxyl groups (OH) on the pristine PbTiO3 (0 0 1) surface at room temperature. Moreover, the surface OV can effectively facilitate the dissociative adsorption of water molecules, leading to a high surface coverage of OH group, thus giving rise to a high reactivity for water splitting on defective PbTiO3 (0 0 1) surface with OV. Our results not only comprehensively understand the reason for the photocatalytic water oxidation activity of single domain PbTiO3, but also shed light on the development of high performance ferroelectric photocatalysts for water splitting.

F. Nucleatum enhances oral squamous cell carcinoma proliferation via E-cadherin/ß-Catenin pathway.

BACKGROUND: Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum) is a microbial risk factor whose presence increases the risk of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) progression. However, whether it can promote the proliferation of OSCC cells remains unknown. METHODS: In this study, we investigated F. nucleatum effect on OSCC cell proliferation using in vitro and in vivo experiments. RESULTS: Our results showed that F. nucleatum promoted OSCC cell proliferation, doubling the cell count after 72 h (CCK-8 assay). Cell cycle analysis revealed G2/M phase arrest. F. nucleatum interaction with CDH1 triggered phosphorylation, upregulating downstream protein ß-catenin and activating cyclinD1 and Myc. Notably, F. nucleatum did not affect noncancerous cells, unrelated to CDH1 expression levels in CAL27 cells. Overexpression of phosphorylated CDH1 in 293T cells did not upregulate ß-catenin and cycle-related genes. In vivo BALB/c nude experiments showed increased tumor volume and Ki-67 proliferation index after F. nucleatum intervention. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that F. nucleatum promotes OSCC cell proliferation through the CDH1/ß-catenin pathway, advancing our understanding of its role in OSCC progression and highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target.

A Mendelian Randomisation Analysis Reveals No Relationship Between Periodontitis and Coronary Atherosclerosis.

OBJECTIVES: Growing evidence appears to intimate a profound connection between periodontitis and coronary atherosclerosis (CA), yet the existence of a causal relationship remains unclear. Through the implementation of Mendelian randomization analysis, we further evaluated the potential causal link between chronic/acute periodontitis (CP/AP) and CA. METHODS: Utilizing genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics, we incorporated periodontitis data derived from European samples (n1 = 198,441; n2 = 195,762) and CA data from 61,194 cases. We conducted a 2 sample, bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis using the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method as the main analytical approach. Supplementary analyses were executed through MR Egger, Weighted median (WM), IVW, Simple mode, and Weighted mode approaches. RESULTS: The IVW analysis revealed no significant causal relationship between CA and periodontitis (CA-CP: OR = 2.110, 95% CI = 0.208-21.317, P = .527; CA-AP: OR = 0.414, 95% CI = 0.051-3.384, P = .644). Similarly, the bidirectional analysis did not identify impact of periodontitis on CA (OR = 1.000, 95% CI = 0.999-1.001, P = .953). The supplementary analyses corroborated these findings. CONCLUSIONS: While studies highlighting a correlation between periodontitis and CA, our comprehensive analysis does not corroborate a causal association between periodontitis and CA. Further research is needed to elucidate other potential shared mechanisms and causal evidence between periodontitis and CA.

Ferro/Nonferroelectric Vertical Heterostructure Superlattice as a Visible-Light-Responsive Photocatalyst: A DFT Prediction.

Developing narrow-band-gap ferroelectric semiconducting photocatalysts is a promising strategy for efficient photocatalytic water splitting with high energy conversion efficiency. Within this context, six ferro/nonferroelectric vertical heterostructure superlattices (VHSs) are constructed in this work by stacking ferroelectric SiS or GeS with nonferroelectric layered organic photocatalysts (C2N, g-C3N4, and melon), layer by layer. The geometry and electronic structures of these six VHSs are systematically investigated by density functional theory calculations. Consequently, four VHSs (SiS/g-C3N4, GeS/C2N, GeS/g-C3N4, and GeS/melon) are predicted to simultaneously possess several important and highly desirable features for photocatalytic water splitting, namely excellent visible-light adsorption, remarkable spontaneous polarization (0.49-0.70 C/m2), spatial charge separation, as well as suitable band-edge positions, thus serving as potential candidates for photocatalytic water splitting to produce hydrogen. This work not only provides a new strategy to use narrow-band-gap ferroelectric semiconductors for photocatalytic water splitting but also offers inspiration for developing photocatalysts with high energy conversion efficiency.

Application of Methionine Increases the Germination Rate of Maize Seeds by Triggering Multiple Phenylpropanoid Biosynthetic Genes at Transcript Levels.

Methionine is an essential amino acid that initiates protein synthesis and serves as a substrate for various chemical reactions. Methionine metabolism plays an important role in Arabidopsis seed germination, but how methionine works in seed germination of maize has not been elucidated. We compared the changes in germination rate, the contents of methionine and folates, and transcriptional levels using transcriptome analysis under water or exogenous methionine treatment. The results indicate that the application of methionine increases seed germination rate (95% versus 70%), leading to significant differences in the content of methionine at 36 h, which brought the rapid increase forward by 12 h in the embryo and endosperm. Transcriptome analysis shows that methionine mainly affects the proliferation and differentiation of cells in the embryo, and the degradation of storage substances and signal transduction in the endosperm. In particular, multiple phenylpropanoid biosynthetic genes were triggered upon methionine treatment during germination. These results provide a theoretical foundation for promoting maize seed germination and serve as a valuable theoretical resource for seed priming strategies.

Halitosis: etiology, prevention, and the role of microbiota.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to review halitosis research, discuss its various causes, and propose effective interventions based on the underlying etiologies and mechanisms. The main research question is to identify the primary factors contributing to halitosis and appropriate strategies to address them. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A comprehensive literature review was conducted on halitosis and its associated causes, including oral pathological factors, oral microbial influences, microbial metabolic pathways, gastrointestinal diseases, and gut microbiota dysbiosis. RESULTS: Unhealthy eating habits and an imbalance of microorganisms in the oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract were identified as primary causes of halitosis. Dental caries, periodontal disease, xerostomia, and digestive disorders like gastritis and irritable bowel syndrome were also found to be related to the development of halitosis. Due to poor oral hygiene or antibiotic use, disruption of microbial communities can result in dysbiosis, inflammation, and halitosis. CONCLUSIONS: Halitosis is a multifactorial condition with various underlying causes, including oral and systemic diseases. Effective interventions should be tailored based on the specific etiologies and mechanisms involved. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Understanding the factors contributing to halitosis is crucial for developing appropriate treatment strategies. Enhancing oral hygiene habits, using antimicrobial drugs, or administering probiotics may help regulate oral or intestinal flora, thereby improving halitosis and overall oral health.

Selective Exposure of Robust Perovskite Layer of Aurivillius-Type Compounds for Stable Photocatalytic Overall Water Splitting.

Aurivillius-type compounds ((Bi2 O2 )2+ (An -1 Bn O3 n +1 )2- ) with alternately stacked layers of bismuth oxide (Bi2 O2 )2+ and perovskite (An -1 Bn O3 n +1 )2- are promising photocatalysts for overall water splitting due to their suitable band structures and adjustable layered characteristics. However, the self-reduction of Bi3+ at the top (Bi2 O2 )2+ layers induced by photogenerated electrons during photocatalytic processes causes inactivation of the compounds as photocatalysts. Here, using Bi3 TiNbO9 as a model photocatalyst, its surface termination is modulated by acid etching, which well suppresses the self-corrosion phenomenon. A combination of comprehensive experimental investigations together with theoretical calculations reveals the transition of the material surface from the self-reduction-sensitive (Bi2 O2 )2+ layer to the robust (BiTiNbO7 )2- perovskite layer, enabling effective electron transfer through surface trapping and effective hole transfer through surface electric field, and also efficient transfer of the electrons to the cocatalyst for greatly enhanced photocatalytic overall water splitting. Moreover, this facile modification strategy can be readily extended to other Aurivillius compounds (e.g., SrBi2 Nb2 O9 , Bi4 Ti3 O12 , and SrBi4 Ti4 O15 ) and therefore justify its usefulness in rationally tailoring surface structures of layered photocatalysts for high photocatalytic overall water-splitting activity and stability.

New Genes Identified as Modulating Salt Tolerance in Maize Seedlings Using the Combination of Transcriptome Analysis and BSA.

(1) Background: Salt stress is an abiotic factor that limits maize yield and quality. A highly salt-tolerance inbred AS5 and a salt-sensitive inbred NX420 collected from Ningxia Province, China, were used to identify new genes for modulating salt resistance in maize. (2) Methods: To understand the different molecular bases of salt tolerance in AS5 and NX420, we performed BSA-seq using an F2 population for two extreme bulks derived from the cross between AS5 and NX420. Transcriptomic analysis was also conducted for AS5 and NX420 at the seedling stage after treatment with 150 mM of NaCl for 14 days. (3) Results: AS5 had a higher biomass and lower Na+ content than NX420 in the seedling stage after treatment with 150 mM NaCl for 14 days. One hundred and six candidate regions for salt tolerance were mapped on all of the chromosomes through BSA-seq using F2 in an extreme population. Based on the polymorphisms identified between both parents, we detected 77 genes. A large number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at the seedling stage under salt stress between these two inbred lines were detected using transcriptome sequencing. GO analysis indicated that 925 and 686 genes were significantly enriched in the integral component of the membrane of AS5 and NX420, respectively. Among these results, two and four DEGs were identified as overlapping in these two inbred lines using BSA-seq and transcriptomic analysis, respectively. Two genes (Zm00001d053925 and Zm00001d037181) were detected in both AS5 and NX420; the transcription level of Zm00001d053925 was induced to be significantly higher in AS5 than in NX420 (41.99 times versus 6.06 times after 150 mM of NaCl treatment for 48 h), while the expression of Zm00001d037181 showed no significant difference upon salt treatment in both lines. The functional annotation of the new candidate genes showed that it was an unknown function protein. (4) Conclusions: Zm00001d053925 is a new functional gene responding to salt stress in the seedling stage, which provides an important genetic resource for salt-tolerant maize breeding.

Non-destructive preservation state estimation of waterlogged archaeological wooden artifacts.

Non-destructive preservation state estimation is an essential prerequisite for the preservation and conservation of waterlogged archaeological wooden artifacts. Herein, Near Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy coupled with orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were applied to assess sixty-four waterlogged archaeological woods collected from seven excavation sites in the period range of 2900 BCE-1912 CE, aiming at developing a non-destructive, accurate and rapid preservation state estimation methodology. The role of non-decayed recent wood of relevant species on preservation state estimation was studied in prior, showing the use of non-decayed recent wood could not improve the predictive ability. Besides, the high variability in terms of chemical structure between archaeological softwoods and archaeological hardwoods did affect the preservation state estimation. Thus, a simple OPLS-DA model of non-destructively distinguishing archaeological hardwoods from softwoods, R2Xcum of 0.659, R2Ycum of 0.836 and Q2cum of 0.763, was established to avoid and overcome destructive approach for wood identification. Then, the well-defined three grouped separations of slightly-decayed, moderately-decayed and severely-decayed waterlogged archaeological woods were revealed in OPLS-DA models, providing R2Xcum of 0.793, R2Ycum of 0.738, Q2cum of 0.680, and R2Xcum of 0.780, R2Ycum of 0.901, Q2cum of 0.870, for waterlogged archaeological hardwoods and waterlogged archaeological softwoods respectively. Potential predictive wood spectral bands were screened and tentatively identified as hydroxyls of crystalline cellulose, acetyl groups of hemicelluloses, C-H bands of lignin, which guaranteed the elimination of non-structural compounds, such as water and inorganic components interference. Furthermore, the developed NIR methodology was validated by an extensively used destructive method consisting of anatomical characteristics, maximum water content and basic density analyses. The results indicated that NIR coupled to chemometrics could non-destructively and accurately predict the preservation states of waterlogged archaeological wooden artifacts and avoid the interference of water and inorganic deposits.

Enhanced Conductivity and Antibacterial Behavior of Cotton via the Electroless Deposition of Silver.

In this study, the surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) technique and electroless deposition of silver (Ag) were used to prepare a novel multi-functional cotton (Cotton-Ag), possessing both conductive and antibacterial behaviors. It was found that the optimal electroless deposition time was 20 min for a weight gain of 40.4%. The physical and chemical properties of Cotton-Ag were investigated. It was found that Cotton-Ag was conductive and showed much lower electrical resistance, compared to the pristine cotton. The antibacterial properties of Cotton-Ag were also explored, and high antibacterial activity against both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was observed.

Evaluation of the Deterioration State of Archaeological Wooden Artifacts: A Nondestructive Protocol based on Direct Analysis in Real Time - Mass Spectrometry (DART-MS) Coupled to Chemometrics.

Evaluating the deterioration state of archeological wood is obligatory before the preservation of archeological wooden artifacts. Herein, a nondestructive, accurate, and rapid methodology is first developed via direct analysis in real time-mass spectrometry (DART-MS) with chemometrics to classify archeological wood and recent wood into 3 groups according to their deterioration states. As water in wooden artifacts probably affected the ion fragmentation process during DART-MS, ions responsible for evaluating the deterioration state were separately screened toward waterlogged archeological wood and dried archeological wood by partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). The well-defined separation of severely decayed archeological wood, moderately decayed archeological wood and recent wood was revealed in PLS-DA models. Twenty and 27 wood fragment ions were further screened as key variables to evaluate the deterioration state of waterlogged archeological wood and dried archeological wood, respectively. They were tentatively identified as ions of lignin monomeric compositions, lignin dimers, lignin trimers, and oligosaccharides. Results strongly suggested that differences in the structure and relative abundances of wood cell wall components accounts for the evaluation of deterioration state by DART-MS coupled to chemometrics. PLS-DA models provided R2Y = 0.836, Q2 = 0.817, and R2Y = 0.754, Q2 = 0.682 were then established separately using mass spectral fingerprints of respective potential predictive wood fragment ions. Furthermore, archeological woods, consisting of Castanopsis, Quercus, Idesia, Populus, and Cunninghamia species and with an average MWC range of 103-465%, were used as an external validation set and evaluated with the methodology developed herein and the MWC criteria. Results showed that DART-MS coupled to chemometrics could accurately predict the inhomogeneous deterioration states of archeological wooden artifacts and avoid the interference of inorganic deposits, in comparison with the MWC criteria.

Boosting the Loading of Metal Single Atoms via a Bioconcentration Strategy.

Increasing the mass loading of transition metal single atoms coordinated with nitrogen in carbon-based materials (M-N-C) is still challenging. Herein, inspired by the bioconcentration effect in the living body, a biochemistry strategy for the synthesis of Fe-N-C single atoms is demonstrated. Through introducing ferrous glycinate into the growth of fungus, the Fe atoms are bioconcentrated in hyphae. The highly dispersed Fe-N-C single atoms in hyphae-derived carbon fibers (labeled as Fe-N-C SA/HCF) are prepared by the pyrolysis of Fe-riched hyphae. In the bioconcentration process, the uptake of Fe ions by hyphae promotes the secretion of glutathione and ferritin, which provides additional coordination sites for Fe ions. Accordingly, the mass content of Fe in bioconcentrated Fe-N-C SA/HCF reaches 4.8%, which is 5.3 times larger than that of the sample prepared by the conventional pyrolysis process. The present bioconcentration strategy is further extended to the preparation of Co, Ni, and Mn single atoms. Owing to the high content of Fe-N-C single atoms, Fe-N-C SA/HCF shows the onset potential (Eonset ) of 0.931 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) and half-wave potential (E1/2 ) of 0.802 V versus RHE in oxygen reduction reaction measurements, which is comparable to the commercial Pt/C catalysts.

Discovery of Cisplatin Binding to Thymine and Cytosine on a Single-Stranded Oligodeoxynucleotide by High Resolution FT-ICR Mass Spectrometry.

The clinically widely-used anticancer drug, cisplatin, binds strongly to DNA as a DNA-damaging agent. Herein, we investigated the interaction of cisplatin with a 15-mer single-stranded C,T-rich oligodeoxynucleotide, 5'-CCTT4CTT7G8C9T10TCTCC-3' (ODN15), using ultra-high resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) in conjunction with tandem mass spectrometry (top-down MS). Top-down MS analysis with collision-induced dissociation (CID) fragmentation of the mono-platinated and di-platinated ODN15 provided abundant and informative Pt-containing or Pt-free a/[a - B], w and internal fragments, allowing the unambiguous identification of T4, T7, C9, and T10 as the platination sites on the cisplatin-ODN15 adducts. These results revealed that, in addition to the well-established guanine site, the unexpected thermodynamic binding of cisplatin to cytosine and thymine bases was also evident at the oligonucleotide level. Furthermore, the binding models of cisplatin with cytosine and thymine bases were built as the Pt coordinated to cytosine-N(3) and thymine-N(3) with displacement of the proton or tautomerization of thymine. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the mechanism of action of cisplatin and its preference for gene loci when the drug binds to cellular DNA, and also demonstrate the great potential and superiority of FT-ICR MS in studying the interactions of metallodrugs with large biomolecules.

Silver nanoparticles as matrix for MALDI FTICR MS profiling and imaging of diverse lipids in brain.

Owing to the diversity of lipids, profiling and imaging multiple classes of lipids in one analysis by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI MSI) is a great challenge. In this work, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) capped silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was used as the matrix for MALDI MSI for the first time to simultaneously analyze 10 classes of lipids from the brain. This analysis included fatty acids and their derivatives, sterols, CPAs, LPA and PAs, LPE and PEs, LPC and PCs, PS, Cers, SMs, and MAGs and DAGs, and other small metabolites. Owing to the abundant silver ions on the surface of PVP-capped AgNPs, compounds with poor ionization efficiency such as FAs and sterols can be detected. The PVP-capped AgNPs based MALDI MSI analysis of mouse brain showed that lipid distributions in the substructures of the mouse brain can be connected with their biological functions. The brain lipids in rats with middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) were also investigated. Most unsaturated FAs, prostaglandins, CPAs, vitamin A, neuraminic acid, 5-OH-tryptophan and the K+ adducts of most phospholipids (PAs, LPE, PEs, PCs, PS) and SMs were extremely down regulated in the ischemic region and saturated FA, Cers, hexanoylcarnitine, stearaldehyde, the Na+ adduct of phospholipids (LPA, PAs, LPE, PEs, LPC, PCs) and SMs were highly expressed in the damaged section. These novel findings could be very significant for elucidating the disease mechanism. MALDI MSI using PVP-capped AgNPs as a matrix can be a powerful tool in histopathology and pathology studies.

Preparation of the porphyrin-functionalized cotton fiber for the chromogenic detection and efficient adsorption of Cd2+ ions.

In this study, a porphyrin functionalized cotton fiber was prepared and investigated for the visual detection and efficient adsorption of cadmium (Cd2+) ions in aqueous solutions. The pristine cotton fiber was first grafted with poly (3-sulfopropyl methacrylate potassium salt) (PSMP) via the surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP), and subsequently immobilized with 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(1-methy-4-pyridinio)porphyrin tetra(p-toluenesulfonate) (TMPyP), to form the CPT (Cotton-PSMP-TMPyP) material. The CPT was characterized by SEM, FTIR, XPS and elemental analysis, and examined for the detection and adsorption of cadmium ions. The influencing factors such as pH and the initial cadmium ion concentrations on the adsorption performances were investigated. Results showed that the cadmium ion adsorption isotherm was best fitted with the Langmuir isotherm model, with the derived maximum adsorption capacity of 0.8638mmol/g. The thermodynamic study showed the endothermic nature of the adsorption process. In addition, the adsorption kinetics was fast with over 90% of the total cadmium ions adsorbed within 2min. Furthermore, the distinctive color response of the CPT to the cadmium ions in aqueous solutions was clearly displayed. A linear relationship between the light absorbance of CPT-Cd (CPT adsorbed with cadmium ions) and the initial concentrations of cadmium ions was successfully established, which could be used for the fast determination of the cadmium ion concentrations in aqueous solutions.

Background-based Delineation of Internal Tumor Volume in Static Positron Emission Tomography in a Phantom Study.

OBJECTIVES: Considering the fact that the standardized uptake value (SUV) of a normal lung tissue is expressed as x±SD, x+3×SD could be considered as the threshold value to outline the internal tumor volume (ITV) of a lung neoplasm. METHODS: Three hollow models were filled with 55.0 kBq/mL fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) to represent tumors. The models were fixed to a barrel filled with 5.9 kBq/mL 18F-FDG to characterize normal lung tissues as a phantom. The PET/CT images of the phantom were acquired at rest. Then, the barrel was moved periodically to simulate breathing while acquiring PET/CT data. Volume recovery coefficient (VRC) was applied to evaluate the accuracy of ITVs. For statistical analysis, paired t-test and analysis of variance were applied. RESULTS: The VRCs ranged from 0.74 to 0.98 and significantly varied among gross tumor volumes for delineating ITV (P<0.01). In two-dimensional PET scans, the motion distance did not affect VRC (P>0.05), whereas VRC decreased with increasing distance in three-dimensional PET scans (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The threshold value (x+3×SD) had the potential to delineate the ITV of cancerous tissues, surrounded by lung tissues, particularly in two-dimensional PET images.

Electrospray deposition device used to precisely control the matrix crystal to improve the performance of MALDI MSI.

MALDI MSI has been recently applied as an innovative tool for detection of molecular distribution within a specific tissue. MALDI MSI requires deposition of an organic compound, known as matrix, on the tissue of interest to assist analyte desorption and ionization, in which the matrix crystal homogeneity and size greatly influence the imaging reproducibility and spatial resolution in MALDI MSI. In this work, a homemade electrospray deposition device was developed for deposition of matrix in MALDI MSI. The device could be used to achieve 1 µm homogeneous matrix crystals in MALDI MSI analysis. Moreover, it was found, for the first time, that the electrospray deposition device could be used to precisely control the matrix crystal size, and the imaging spatial resolution was increased greatly as the matrix crystals size becoming smaller. In addition, the easily-built electrospray deposition device was durable for acid, base or organic solvent, and even could be used for deposition of nanoparticles matrix, which made it unparalleled for MALDI MSI analysis. The feasibility of the electrospray deposition device was investigated by combination with MALDI FTICR MSI to analyze the distributions of lipids in mouse brain and liver cancer tissue section.

Combination of ESI and MALDI mass spectrometry for qualitative, semi-quantitative and in situ analysis of gangliosides in brain.

Gangliosides are a family of complex lipids that are abundant in the brain. There is no doubt the investigations about the distribution of gangliosides in brian and the relationship between gangliosides and Alzheimer's disease is profound. However, these investigations are full of challenges due to the structural complexity of gangliosides. In this work, the method for efficient extraction and enrichment of gangliosides from brain was established. Moreover, the distribution of gangliosides in brain was obtained by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry imaging (MSI). It was found that 3-aminoquinoline (3-AQ) as matrix was well-suited for MALDI MS analysis of gangliosides in negative ion mode. In addition, the pretreatment by ethanol (EtOH) cleaning brain section and the addition of ammonium formate greatly improved the MS signal of gangliosides in the brain section when MALDI MSI analysis was employed. The distribution of ganliosides in cerebral cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum was respectively acquired by electrospray ionization (ESI) MS and MALDI MSI, and the data were compared for reliability evaluation of MALDI MSI. Further, applying MALDI MSI technology, the distribution of gangliosides in amyloid precursor protein transgenic mouse brain was obtained, which may provide a new insight for bioresearch of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Modified Ilioinguinal Approach to Treat Pelvic or Acetabular Fractures: A Retrospective Study.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential advantages and clinical results of a modified minimally invasive ilioinguinal approach for the treatment of acetabular or pelvic fractures to the results obtained using a standard ilioinguinal approach. Forty-six patients who were diagnosed as having anterior column acetabular fractures or anterior pelvic ring fractures underwent open reduction and internal fixation through 2 different surgical approaches between June 2008 to June 2012 in our trauma center was studied. The modified ilioinguinal group included 20 patients and the other 26 patients were in the standard ilioinguinal approach group. The clinical and radiographic results were recorded and compared between the 2 groups. There were no significant differences between 2 groups in the mean age, sex, fractures type, and causes of acetabular or pelvic fractures. The mean blood loss in the modified group was 560.0 ±â€Š57.3 mL versus 850.0 ±â€Š59.0 mL in the standard ilioinguinal group. The operative time was significantly reduced with modified ilioinguinal approach (86.0 ±â€Š4.56 min vs. 101.9 ±â€Š5.38 min). The mean hospital stay was 16.8 ±â€Š0.58 days and 18.7 ±â€Š0.52 days in the modified and standard ilioinguinal groups, respectively. According to the Matta score, the quality of reduction between the 2 groups was not significantly different. The complication rate was low in the modified group but not significantly different between the 2 groups. Forty-two patients were followed up with clinical examination and radiographs at a mean of 15.2 months. Solid union was observed in 42 cases at a mean time of 14.8 weeks. The mean Harris Hip Score and the Majeed scores at the time of evaluation were not significantly different between the 2 groups. On comparing the 2 surgical ilioinguinal approaches, it was found that using modified ilioinguinal approach decreased operative time and blood loss, and did not affect the quality of fracture reduction and fracture healing. This study demonstrates that the modified ilioinguinal approach is a simple and minimally invasive approach for anterior column acetabular fractures and pubic rami fractures comparing with the standard ilioinguinal approach.