Self-assembled PtNi layered metallene nanobowls for pH-universal electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

Compared with layered materials such as graphite and transition metal disulfide compounds with highly anisotropic in-plane covalent bonds, it is inherently more challenging to obtain independent metallic two-dimensional films with atomic thickness. In this study, PtNi layered metallene nanobowls (LMBs) with multilayer atomic-scale nanosheets and bowl-like structures have been synthesized in one step using structural and electronic effects. The material has the advantage of catalyzing pH-universal hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Compared with Pt/C, PtNi LMBs exhibited excellent HER activity and stability under all pH conditions. The overpotentials of 10 mA cm-2 at 0.5 M H2SO4, 1.0 M phosphate buffer and 1.0 M KOH were 14.8, 20.3, and 34.0 mV, respectively. Under acidic, neutral and alkaline conditions, the HER Faraday efficiencies reach 98.97%, 98.85%, and 99.04%, respectively. This study provides an example for the preparation of unique multilayer nanobowls, and also provides a basic research platform for the development of special HER materials.

Distinctive p-d Orbital Hybridization in CuSb Porous Nanonetworks for Enhanced Nitrite Electroreduction to Ammonia.

Electrochemical nitrite reduction reaction ( NO 2 - RR ${\mathrm{NO}}_{\mathrm{2}}^{\mathrm{ - }}{\mathrm{RR}}$ ), as a green and sustainable ammonia synthesis technology, has broad application prospects and environmental friendliness. Herein, an unconventional p-d orbital hybridization strategy is reported to realize the fabrication of defect-rich CuSb porous nanonetwork (CuSb PNs) electrocatalyst for NO 2 - RR ${\mathrm{NO}}_{\mathrm{2}}^ - {\mathrm{RR}}$ . The crystalline/amorphous heterophase structure is cleverly introduced into the porous nanonetworks, and this defect-rich structure exposes more atoms and activated boundaries. CuSb PNs exhibit a large NH3 yield ( r N H 3 ${{r}_{{\mathrm{N}}{{{\mathrm{H}}}_{\mathrm{3}}}}}$ ) of 946.1 µg h-1 m cat - 1 ${\mathrm{m}}_{{\mathrm{cat}}}^{ - {\mathrm{1}}}$ and a high faradaic efficiency (FE) of 90.7%. Experimental and theoretical studies indicate that the excellent performance of CuSb PNs results from the defect-rich porous nanonetworks structure and the p-d hybridization of Cu and Sb elements. This work describes a powerful pathway for the fabrication of p-d orbital hybrid defect-rich porous nanonetworks catalysts, and provides hope for solving the problem of nitrogen oxide pollution in the field of environment and energy.

Construction of hydroxyl-functionalized hyper-crosslinked networks from polyimide for highly efficient iodine adsorption.

The rapid development of nuclear energy posed a great threat to the environment and human health. Herein, two hydroxyl-functionalized hyper-crosslinked polymers (PIHCP-1 and PIHCP-2) containing different electron active sites have been synthesized via Friedel-Crafts alkylation reaction of the polyimides. The resulting polymers showed a micro/mesoporous morphology and good thermal and chemical stability. Rely on the high porosity and multi-active sites, the PIHCPs show an ultrahigh iodine uptake capacity reached 6.73 g g-1 and the iodine removal efficiency from aqueous solution also reaches 99.7%. Kinetic analysis demonstrates that the iodine adsorption on PIHCPs was happened on the heterogeneous surfaces in the form of multilayer chemisorption. Electrostatic potential (ESP) calculation proves the great contribution of hydroxyl groups on the iodine capture performance. In addition, the iodine capture efficiency of both adsorbents can be maintained over 91% after four cyclic experiments which ensures their good recyclability for further practical applications.

Analysis of Age-Related Changes in Lower Facial Fat Compartments and of the Course of Blood Vessels Using Computed Tomography.

BACKGROUND: According to the volume restoration theory, lower facial fat compartments tend to selectively atrophy or hypertrophy with age. The aim of this study was to demonstrate age-related changes in lower facial fat compartments using computed tomography, with strict control of the body mass index and underlying diseases. METHODS: This study included 60 adult women in three age-based categories. The thicknesses of the jowl, labiomandibular, and chin fat compartments were measured using computed tomographic images. The distribution and arrangement of facial blood vessels were further analyzed to provide evidence of the safety of rejuvenation strategies based on the facial volumetric theory. RESULTS: The inferior part of the superficial jowl fat compartment and deep jowl fat compartment thickened with age. The deep layer of the labiomandibular fat compartment thinned with age, and the superficial layer thickened with age. The deep and superficial layers of the chin compartments thickened with age. The facial vein passes through the lower mandibular border at the anterior edge of the masseter muscle and moves upward, perpendicular to the lower mandibular border. The high-risk area of the facial artery had an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the lower mandibular border. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that with age, selective thickening or thinning occurs in different lower facial fat compartments. The mandible and masseter muscle were used as reference markers to analyze the courses of the facial artery and facial vein, which can help clinicians to reduce vascular injury.

Multi-omics analysis of adamantinomatous craniopharyngiomas reveals distinct molecular subgroups with prognostic and treatment response significance.

BACKGROUND: Adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma (ACP) is the commonest pediatric sellar tumor. No effective drug is available and interpatient heterogeneity is prominent. This study aimed to identify distinct molecular subgroups of ACP based on the multi-omics profiles, imaging findings, and histological features, in order to predict the response to anti-inflammatory treatment and immunotherapies. METHODS: Totally 142 Chinese cases diagnosed with craniopharyngiomas were profiled, including 119 ACPs and 23 papillary craniopharyngiomas. Whole-exome sequencing (151 tumors, including recurrent ones), RNA sequencing (84 tumors), and DNA methylome profiling (95 tumors) were performed. Consensus clustering and non-negative matrix factorization were used for subgrouping, and Cox regression were utilized for prognostic evaluation, respectively. RESULTS: Three distinct molecular subgroups were identified: WNT, ImA, and ImB. The WNT subgroup showed higher Wnt/ß-catenin pathway activity, with a greater number of epithelial cells and more predominantly solid tumors. The ImA and ImB subgroups had activated inflammatory and interferon response pathways, with enhanced immune cell infiltration and more predominantly cystic tumors. Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MEK/MAPK) signaling was activated only in ImA samples, while IL-6 and epithelial-mesenchymal transition biomarkers were highly expressed in the ImB group, mostly consisting of children. The degree of astrogliosis was significantly elevated in the ImA group, with severe finger-like protrusions at the invasive front of the tumor. The molecular subgrouping was an independent prognostic factor, with the WNT group having longer event-free survival than ImB (Cox, P = 0.04). ImA/ImB cases were more likely to respond to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy than the WNT group ( P <0.01). In the preliminary screening of subtyping markers, CD38 was significantly downregulated in WNT compared with ImA and ImB ( P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: ACP comprises three molecular subtypes with distinct imaging and histological features. The prognosis of the WNT type is better than that of the ImB group, which is more likely to benefit from the ICB treatment.

Effects of pressure on hydrogen diffusion behaviors in MgO.

Hydrogen, as the smallest atom and a key component of water, can penetrate into materials in various forms (e.g., atoms, molecules), which has significant effects on their properties; hence, the diffusion behavior of hydrogen has aroused widespread attention. One of the major compositions in the Earth's interior is MgO. Thus, the diffusion behavior of hydrogen in MgO under high pressure is vital for understanding the water cycle in the Earth's interior. However, the hydrogen diffusion behavior in MgO under high pressure is still poorly understood. Herein, the hydrogen diffusion behaviors in MgO with increasing pressure are systematically investigated in the framework of first-principles methods. Our results show that separated H atoms tend to converge to form H2 molecules, and H2 molecules tend to gather together. The energy barriers of both H and H2 diffusion in MgO increase with pressure. Notably, our results illustrate that hydrogen prefers to diffuse in solid MgO in its molecular state even under high pressure. Furthermore, the attempt frequency of hydrogen in MgO increases with temperature, while it decreases with pressure. This study will deepen our understanding of hydrogen diffusion behavior in MgO under high pressure and provide guidance for studies on particle diffusion in solid materials under extreme conditions.

Molecular biological features of cyst wall of adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma.

The molecular biological differences between cyst walls and those in solid bodies are the foundation of the outcomes. In this study, the CTNNB1 mutations were confirmed by DNAsequencing; CTNNB1 expression levels were detected by PCR; the differences between solid bodies and cyst walls in proliferative capacity and tumor stem cell niches were assessed by immunohistochemistry; the effect of the residual cyst wall on recurrence was assessed by follow-up. Mutations in the CTNNB1 in the cyst wall and the solid body were identical in each case. No differences were found in the transcriptional level of CTNNB1 between the cyst walls and the solid bodies (P = 0.7619). The cyst wall showed a pathological structure similar to the solid body. Proliferative capacity of cyst walls was stronger than that of solid body (P = 0.0021), and ß-catenin nuclear positive cells (cell clusters) in cyst walls were more than that in solid tumor (P = 0.0002). The retrospective 45 ACPs showed residual cyst wall was significantly associated with tumor recurrence or regrowth (P = 0.0176). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed there was a significant difference in the prognosis between GTR and STR (P < 0.0001).The cyst wall of ACP contained more tumor stem cell niches which could lead to the recurrence. According to the above-mentioned, a special attention to the management of the cyst wall should be paid.

A comparative study of quantitative metrics in chemical exchange saturation transfer imaging for grading gliomas in adults.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the performance of different chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) metrics for grading gliomas with semiautomatically defined regions of interest (ROIs). METHODS: Thirty-eight adult subjects were included, including 23 high-grade gliomas and 15 low-grade gliomas confirmed by histopathology. The B0-corrected CEST z-spectra were first calculated with magnetization transfer ratio asymmetry (MTRasym) analysis at frequency offsets of 3.5, 3, 2.5, 2, 1.5, and 1 ppm to obtain the fit-free metrics and subsequently fitted with three Lorentzian functions denoting direct water saturation (DS), amide proton transfer (APT), and combined semisolid magnetization transfer and nuclear Overhauser enhancement (MT & NOE) effects to derive the fit-based metrics. Wilcoxon rank-sum test was performed to determine if a statistically significant difference was present in the CEST metrics between low- and high-grade gliomas. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the differentiation of CEST metrics between low- and high-grade gliomas. Pearson correlation coefficients were employed to evaluate the correlations of CEST metrics. RESULTS: For the fit-free metrics, the highest areas under the curve (AUCs) of 0.85, 0.88, and 0.88, corresponding to MTRasym, MTRnormref (normalization by the reference scan), and MTRRex (subtraction of inverse z-spectra), respectively, were obtained at 3 ppm across various frequency offsets. In addition, the AUCs generated from the fit-based metrics (0.88-0.90) were higher than those generated from the fit-free metrics at 3 ppm. CONCLUSION: The results of this preliminary study indicate that fit-free CEST metrics at 3 ppm are superior to the other frequency offsets for grading human brain gliomas. The fit-based metrics manifested improved differentiation between low- and high-grade gliomas compared to the fit-free CEST metrics.

Comparison of Survival Outcomes and Risk Factors Between Ductal Carcinoma of the Prostate and Acinar Adenocarcinoma of the Prostate: A Population-based Propensity Score-matching Study.

Background: Ductal carcinoma of the prostate (DCP) is a rare type of prostate cancer (PCa) with a higher degree of infiltration and worse prognosis than acinar adenocarcinoma of the prostate (ACP). Previous reports comparing DCP and ACP have not been very reliable and involved small sample sizes. Objective: To assess differences in mortality between ACP and DCP in a large-scale study. Design setting and participants: Data were downloaded from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database in June 2022. Data for 823 939 patients diagnosed with PCa from 2004 to 2019 were examined, excluding cases with survival data missing or pathological types other than DCP and ACP. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis: Prognostic and risk factors for DCP were analyzed by generating a propensity score-matched cohort of DCP and ACP cases (1:5). Adjusted Cox models were constructed to determine hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for cancer-specific mortality (CSM) and overall mortality (OM). Results and limitations: A total of 822 607 cases (99.8%) has ACP and 1332 (0.2%) had DCP. In comparison to ACP, age at diagnosis was significantly lower for DCP (≤66 yr: 38.0% vs 50.7%; p < 0.001) and a higher proportion of DCP patients distant metastases (13.7% vs 5.1%; p < 0.001). In comparison to the ACP group, significantly higher proportions of the DCP group underwent surgery (66.1% vs 38.1%; p < 0.001), radiotherapy (13.7% vs 3.1%; p < 0.001), or systemic therapy (18.2% vs 3.3%; p < 0.001). However, the median overall survival time was significantly shorter for DCP patients (44.0 vs 73.0 mo; p < 0.001). DCP patients also had higher risk of CSM (HR 2.07, 95% CI 1.68-2.56; p < 0.001) and OM (HR 2.73 95% CI 2.42-3.08; p < 0.001) after propensity score matching to adjust for the influence of baseline variables. Subgroup analysis showed that DCP patients who had surgical treatment had better CSM than those without surgery, while DCP patients with regional and lower stage had better OM than those with distant stage (both p < 0.05 for interaction). Conclusions: The risk of CSM and OM is significantly higher for DCP than for ACP. Earlier detection (lower stage) and surgical treatment are beneficial factors for DCP prognosis. Patient summary: We studied survival rates for two different types of prostate cancer. We found that survival is worse for the rarer ductal carcinoma of the prostate (DCP) than for the more common acinar adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Both early diagnosis when the cancer is at a lower stage and surgical treatment are beneficial for survival in patients with DCP.

Ultralow Melting Temperature of High-Pressure Face-Centered Cubic Superionic Ice.

Superionic ice with oxygen in a face-centered cubic (fcc) sublattice is ascribed to the origin of magnetic fields of Uranus and Neptune, since the melting temperature (Tm) of fcc-superionic ice is believed to be higher than the isentropes of ice giants. However, precisely measuring the fcc-superionic phase experimentally remains a difficult task. The majority of the systematic investigations of its Tm were performed using perfect oxygen fcc-sublattice computations, which could result in superheating and overestimation of Tm. On the basis of the ab initio molecular dynamics method and the model with H2O vacancy, we avoid superheating and obtain a much lower Tm than previous reports, indicating that fcc-superionic ice cannot exist in the interiors of Uranus and Neptune. Further simulations with the two-phase method justify the conclusion. The results suggest that superheating should be seriously treated when simulating the phase diagram of other hydrogen-related superionic states, which are widely used to understand the properties of ice giants, Earth, and Venus.

The magnetic properties of pressurized CsV3Sb5 calculated by using a hybrid functional.

Based on the hybrid functional, we find that at 0 GPa, pristine CsV3Sb5 has a magnetic moment of 0.28 µB per vanadium atom, which is suppressed at a pressure of 2.5 GPa resulting in a spin-crossover. Since the ground state of CsV3Sb5 with charge density wave (CDW) distortion is a non-magnetic state, the magnetic moment of V atoms in pristine CsV3Sb5 will be suppressed by the temperature-induced CDW transition at 94 K. The schematic evolution of magnetic moments as functions of pressure and temperature is presented. At low temperature, CsV3Sb5 is a rare example of materials hosting a pressure-induced magnetic moment, and we suggest that the effects of magnetic moments of V atoms should be considered for understanding its properties.

Diagnosis and Management of Pediatric Papillary Craniopharyngiomas.

OBJECTIVE: Papillary craniopharyngioma (PCP) was previously believed to occur only in adults. Sporadic pediatric PCP (PPCP) confirmed by detection of BRAF V600E mutation has been reported since 2018, but is often misdiagnosed before being diagnosed definitively. We aimed to evaluate PPCP characteristics and propose diagnostic criteria for prompt diagnosis, seeking to reduce patient morbidity and mortality and reduce costs linked to misdiagnosis. METHODS: This study included 5 patients with PPCPs whose data were retrieved retrospectively from among 1032 patients with craniopharyngiomas admitted to Sanbo Brain Hospital Management Group from March 2017 to May 2021. Patients' demographics, clinical presentation, tumor imaging characteristics, histopathologic results, surgical approaches, and postoperative outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: PPCP was misdiagnosed intraoperatively as sellar abscess (n = 4) or Rathke cleft cyst (n = 1). Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging showed that all tumors were under the saddle diaphragm, and the cyst wall was enhanced (n = 5). Computed tomography scans showed scattered high-density signs (n = 4). No recurrence was noted after complete resection. Postoperative hypothalamic dysfunction was mild. BRAF V600E mutation was confirmed in all cases by sequencing and immunohistochemistry. Immunohistochemistry showed granulation and inflammation and MPO, CD3, CD20, CD38, CD68, and CD163 were positively expressed. CONCLUSIONS: Misdiagnosis of PPCP is responsible for failed surgical treatment. We propose that prompt diagnosis of PPCP can be achieved if preoperative magnetic resonance images show the tumor under saddle diaphragm with tumor wall enhancement and computed tomography scans show high-density signs scattered in the tumor, which leads to safe, effective tumor resection. Our proposed diagnosis and treatment strategy for PPCP reduces morbidity and mortality.

A Qualitative Signature to Identify TERT Promoter Mutant High-Risk Tumors in Low-Grade Gliomas.

Background: Telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter (TERT-p) mutation has been frequently found, but associated with contrary prognosis, in both low-grade gliomas and glioblastomas. For the low-grade gliomas (Grades II-III), TERT-p mutant patients have a better prognosis than the wildtype patients, whereas for the GBMs (Grade IV), TERT-p mutation is related to a poor prognosis. We hypothesize that there exist high-risk patients in LGGs who share GBM-like molecular features, including TERT-p mutation, and need more intensive treatment than other LGGs. A molecular signature is needed to identify these high-risk patients for an accurate and timely treatment. Methods: Using the within-sample relative expression orderings of gene pairs, we identified the gene pairs with significantly stable REOs, respectively, in both the TERT-p mutant LGGs and GBMs but with opposite directions in the two groups. These reversely stable gene pairs were used as the molecular signature to stratify the LGGs into high-risk and low-risk groups. Results: A signature consisting of 21 gene pairs was developed, which can classify LGGs into two groups with significantly different overall survival. The high-risk group has a similar genetic mutation profile and a similar survival profile as GBMs, and these high-risk tumors may progress to a more malignant state. Conclusion: The 21 gene-pair signature based on REOs is capable of identifying high-risk patients in LGGs and guiding the clinical choice for appropriate and timely intervention.

Application of individualized differential expression analysis in human cancer proteome.

Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based quantitative proteomics can measure the expression of thousands of proteins from biological samples and has been increasingly applied in cancer research. Identifying differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) between tumors and normal controls is commonly used to investigate carcinogenesis mechanisms. While differential expression analysis (DEA) at an individual level is desired to identify patient-specific molecular defects for better patient stratification, most statistical DEP analysis methods only identify deregulated proteins at the population level. To date, robust individualized DEA algorithms have been proposed for ribonucleic acid data, but their performance on proteomics data is underexplored. Herein, we performed a systematic evaluation on five individualized DEA algorithms for proteins on cancer proteomic datasets from seven cancer types. Results show that the within-sample relative expression orderings (REOs) of protein pairs in normal tissues were highly stable, providing the basis for individualized DEA for proteins using REOs. Moreover, individualized DEA algorithms achieve higher precision in detecting sample-specific deregulated proteins than population-level methods. To facilitate the utilization of individualized DEA algorithms in proteomics for prognostic biomarker discovery and personalized medicine, we provide Individualized DEP Analysis IDEPAXMBD (XMBD: Xiamen Big Data, a biomedical open software initiative in the National Institute for Data Science in Health and Medicine, Xiamen University, China.) (https://github.com/xmuyulab/IDEPA-XMBD), which is a user-friendly and open-source Python toolkit that integrates individualized DEA algorithms for DEP-associated deregulation pattern recognition.

ICSI outcomes for infertile men with severe or complete asthenozoospermia.

BACKGROUND: Severe or complete asthenozoospermia is a rare entity that can lead to male infertility. In this study, we explored whether different extents of severe or complete asthenozoospermia could affect intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcomes and compared the ICSI outcomes using testicular spermatozoa with those using ejaculated spermatozoa in couples with complete asthenozoospermia. RESULTS: Ninety-seven couples with severe or complete asthenozoospermia who underwent ICSI between January 2014 and December 2018 were included. According to the sperm category used in ICSI, patients were categorized into four groups: ejaculated progressive motile sperm group (Ep-group), ejaculated non-progressive motile sperm group (En-group), ejaculated immotile sperm group (Ei-group), and testicular sperm group (TESE-group). We compared the baseline characteristics, hormone profile, semen parameters, normal fertilization, good-quality embryos on day 3, transferred embryos, and ICSI outcomes in the four groups. The clinical pregnancy rate was significantly increased in the Ep-group (65.4%, P = 0.019) and TESE-group (63.6%, P = 0.035) compared with that in the Ei-group (23.1%). The ongoing pregnancy rate in the Ei-group was significantly lower than that in the Ep-group (23.1% vs. 61.5%, P = 0.041). Moreover, the biochemical pregnancy rate, ongoing pregnancy rate, and live birth rate were much lower in the Ei-group than in the TESE-group (30.8% vs. 63.6%, 23.1% vs. 40.4% and 23.1% vs. 40.4%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In couples with complete asthenozoospermia, testicular spermatozoa should be preferred to ejaculated spermatozoa for obtaining a better ICSI outcome. With the appropriate selection of testicular spermatozoa, the extent of severe or complete asthenozoospermia may not affect the ICSI outcomes. Future studies with a larger sample size are warranted to validate these findings.

RéSUMé: CONTEXTE: L'asthénozoospermiesévère ou complète est une entité rare qui peut conduire à l'infertilité masculine. Dans cette étude, nous avons exploré si les différentes étendues de l'asthénozoospermie sévère ou complète pouvaient affecter les résultats de l'injection intracytoplasmique de spermatozoïdes (ICSI), et nous avons comparé les résultats de l'ICSI obtenus avec des spermatozoïdes testiculaires à ceux obtenus avec des spermatozoïdes éjaculés chez les couples atteints d'asthénozoospermie complète. RéSULTATS: Quatre-vingt-dix-sept couples atteints d'asthénozoospermie sévère ou complète qui ont eu une ICSI entre janvier 2014 et décembre 2018 ont été inclus. Selon la catégorie de spermatozoïdes utilisée dans l'ICSI, les patients ont été classés en quatre groupes : groupe de spermatozoïdes mobiles progressifs éjaculés (groupe Ep), groupe de spermatozoïdes mobiles non progressifs éjaculés (groupe En), groupe de spermatozoïdes immobiles éjaculés (groupe Ei) et groupe de spermatozoïdestesticulaires (groupe TESE). Nous avons comparé les caractéristiques de base, le profil hormonal, les paramètres du sperme, la fécondation normale, les embryons de bonne qualité au jour 3, les embryons transférés, et les résultats de l'ICSI dans les quatre groupes. Le taux de grossesse clinique était significativement augmenté dans le groupe Ep (65,4%, P = 0,019) et le groupe TESE (63,6%, P = 0,035) par rapport à celui du groupe Ei (23,1%). Le taux de grossesse en cours dans le groupe Ei était significativement inférieur à celui du groupe Ep (23,1% contre 61,5%, P = 0,041). De plus, le taux de grossesse biochimique, le taux de grossesse en cours et le taux de naissances vivantes étaient beaucoup plus faibles dans le groupe Ei que dans le groupe TESE (30,8 % vs 63,6%,23,1 % vs 40,4 % et 23,1 % vs 40,4 %, respectivement). CONCLUSIONS: Chez les couples atteints d'asthénozoospermie complète, les spermatozoïdes testiculaires devraient être préférés aux spermatozoïdes éjaculés pour obtenir un meilleur résultat en ICSI. Avec une sélection appropriée des spermatozoïdes testiculaires, l'étendue de l'asthénozoospermie sévère ou complète pourrait ne pas affecter les résultats de l'ICSI. De futures études avec des échantillons de plus grande taille sont donc justifiées pour valider ces résultats. MOTS-CLéS: Asthénozoospermie; spermatozoïdes éjaculés ; injection intracytoplasmique de spermatozoïdes (ICSI) ; infertilité masculine ; spermatozoïdes testiculaires.

Colossal and reversible barocaloric effect in liquid-solid-transition materials n-alkanes.

Emerging caloric cooling technology provides a green alternative to conventional vapor-compression technology which brings about serious environmental problems. However, the reported caloric materials are much inferior to their traditional counterparts in cooling capability. Here we report the barocaloric (BC) effect associated with the liquid-solid-transition (L-S-T) in n-alkanes. A low-pressure of ~50 MPa reversibly triggers an entropy change of ~700 J kg-1 K-1, comparable to those of the commercial refrigerants in vapor-based compression systems. The Raman study and theoretical calculations reveal that applying pressure to the liquid state suppresses the twisting and random thermal motions of molecular chains, resulting in a lower configurational entropy. When the pressure is strong enough to drive the L-S-T, the configurational entropy will be fully suppressed and induce the colossal BC effect. This work could open a new avenue for exploring the colossal BC effect by evoking L-S-T materials.

Investigations of Structural, Electronic and Magnetic Properties of MnSe under High Pressure.

Properties of pressurized MnSe were investigated based on the first-principles methods using exchange-correlation functionals of the local density approximation (generalized gradient approximation) with and without the Hubbard U correction. Our results show that the Hubbard U (U = 4 eV) correction is necessary to correctly describe the phase transition behaviors of MnSe. We found that at the static condition, phase transitions from the low-temperature phase with a NiAs-type structure (P63/mmc) to the P4/nmm phase at 50.5 GPa and further to the Pnma phase at 81 GPa are observed. However, if the transition starts from the room-temperature phase with a NaCl-type structure (Fm-3m), the transition-sequences and -pressures will be different, indicating that temperature can strongly affect the phase transition behaviors of MnSe. Furthermore, we found that pressure-induced negative charge transfer will promote spin crossover. The calculated superconducting properties of the Pnma phase indicate that it may be an unconventional superconductor.

Perfusion measurement in brain gliomas using velocity-selective arterial spin labeling: comparison with pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling and dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the performance of velocity-selective (VS) ASL among patients with untreated gliomas by comparing with both pseudo-continuous (PC) ASL and dynamic susceptibility contrast-enhanced perfusion-weighted imaging (DSC-PWI). METHODS: Forty-four consecutive patients with newly diagnosed glioma who underwent preoperative perfusion MRI including VSASL, PCASL, and DSC-PWI between 2017 and 2019 were retrospectively evaluated. Visual inspection was performed to evaluate the tumor signal intensity relative to gray matter based on 1-5 score criteria and weighted kappa was used to evaluate the pair-wise concordance between VSASL or PCASL and DSC-PWI. The relative tumor blood flow (rTBF) was measured from sampling intra-tumoral areas of hot-spot on the blood flow map and normalized against the contralateral normal gray matter blood flow. Linear regression and Bland-Altman analyses were performed to evaluate the correlation and agreement of rTBF measurements between ASL methods and DSC-PWI. The ROC analysis was constructed to determine the diagnostic performance of three perfusion methods for grading gliomas. RESULTS: TBF maps derived from VSASL were more comparable with DSC-PWI than PCASL on visual inspection (weighted kappa of 0.90 vs 0.68). In quantitative analysis, VSASL-rTBF yielded higher correlation with the values from DSC-PWI than PCASL-rTBF (R2 = 80% vs 47%, p < 0.001 for both). Both ASL and DSC-derived rTBF showed good distinction between low-grade and high-grade gliomas (p < 0.001). Compared to PCASL, VSASL yielded superior diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy in glioma grading. CONCLUSIONS: VSASL showed great promise for accurate quantification of TBF and could potentially improve the diagnostic performance of ASL in preoperative grading of gliomas. KEY POINTS: • VSASL demonstrated a greater agreement with DSC-PWI than with PCASL on visual inspection and perfusion quantification. • VSASL showed a higher diagnostic sensitivity, negative predictive value, and accuracy than PCASL for glioma grading. • With the advantages of insensitivity to transit delay and no need of prescribing a labeling plane, VSASL could potentially improve the diagnostic performance of ASL for a more accurate, noninvasive quantification of TBF in patients with glioma.

Multi-time scale transcriptomic analysis on the dynamic process of tamoxifen resistance development in breast cancer cell lines.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 30% of breast cancer patients develop endocrine resistance after tamoxifen therapy. There still lacks a comprehensive understanding on the mechanism of tamoxifen resistance. This study aims to explore the dynamic process of ER + breast cancer resistance to tamoxifen through the time course transcriptomic analysis. METHODS: The transcriptome profiles of human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 treated with tamoxifen at different time scales were collected from LINCS, SRA and GEO databases. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the short-term tamoxifen treatment and tamoxifen-resistant cell lines. The time course analysis was used to explore the dynamic development of tamoxifen resistance using the transcriptome profiles of tamoxifen-cultured MCF-7 for 1-12 weeks. RESULTS: After the short-term treatment of MCF-7 with tamoxifen for 6 h or 24 h, the expression level of gene PRSS23 was significantly reduced. However, its expression recovered in the resistant cell lines. The time course analysis identified 9 clusters of the DEGs based on the temporal trend of their expression levels. Gene PRSS23 belongs to cluster 2 in which the expression levels were significantly down-regulated in the first 4 weeks but gradually recovered afterwards. Functional enrichment analysis of the DEGs in cluster 2 showed that they are significantly enriched in DNA replication, mismatch repair and cell cycle pathways. Their specific role in the resistance development needs to be further explored. The protein-protein interaction network analysis indicates that gene PRSS23 participates in the drug resistance by regulating multiple tamoxifen drug targets. CONCLUSIONS: The acquired drug resistance in ER + breast cancer is a complex and dynamic biological process. PRSS23 plays an important role in the development of resistance and is a potential target for overcoming resistance.