Peripheral blood eosinophils: an important reference for radiologists to distinguish between pulmonary paragonimiasis and tuberculous pleurisy in children.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we examined the value of chest CT signs combined with peripheral blood eosinophil percentage in differentiating between pulmonary paragonimiasis and tuberculous pleurisy in children. METHODS: Patients with pulmonary paragonimiasis and tuberculous pleurisy were retrospectively enrolled from January 2019 to April 2023 at the Kunming Third People's Hospital and Lincang People's Hospital. There were 69 patients with pulmonary paragonimiasis (paragonimiasis group) and 89 patients with tuberculous pleurisy (tuberculosis group). Clinical symptoms, chest CT imaging findings, and laboratory test results were analyzed. Using binary logistic regression, an imaging model of CT signs and a combined model of CT signs and eosinophils were developed to calculate and compare the differential diagnostic performance of the two models. RESULTS: CT signs were used to establish the imaging model, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted. The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.856 (95% CI: 0.799-0.913), the sensitivity was 66.7%, and the specificity was 88.9%. The combined model was established using the CT signs and eosinophil percentage, and the ROC was plotted. The AUC curve was 0.950 (95% CI: 0.919-0.980), the sensitivity was 89.9%, and the specificity was 90.1%. The differential diagnostic efficiency of the combined model was higher than that of the imaging model, and the difference in AUC was statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The combined model has a higher differential diagnosis efficiency than the imaging model in the differentiation of pulmonary paragonimiasis and tuberculous pleurisy in children. The presence of a tunnel sign on chest CT, the absence of pulmonary nodules, and an elevated percentage of peripheral blood eosinophils are indicative of pulmonary paragonimiasis in children.

Insight into the status of plasma renin and aldosterone measurement: findings from 526 clinical laboratories in China.

OBJECTIVES: Accurate measurements of renin and aldosterone levels play an important role in primary aldosteronism screening, which is of great importance in the management and categorization of hypertension. The objective of this study is to investigate the current status of plasma renin and aldosterone measurements in China, which is achieved by analyzing the results of 526 clinical laboratories nationwide for three pooled fresh plasma samples derived from more than 2,000 patients. METHODS: Renin and aldosterone in three pooled plasma samples were measured four times in 526 laboratories employing various measurement systems. The inter- and intra-laboratory %CV were calculated and compared. To determine the source of the substantial inter-laboratory %CV, laboratories were categorized according to the measurement systems they are using, and both the inter- and intra-measurement-system %CV were calculated and compared. RESULTS: Regarding renin, the majority of laboratories use four primary commercial immunoassays. However, for aldosterone, in addition to commercial immunoassays, laboratory-developed liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS) methods are also used by laboratories. The median values of intra-laboratory %CVs, intra-measurement-system %CVs, inter-laboratory %CVs, and inter-measurement systems %CVs varied between 1.6 and 2.6 %, 4.6 and 14.9 %, 8.3 and 25.7 %, and 10.0 and 34.4 % for renin, respectively. For aldosterone, these values ranged from 1.4 to 2.2 %, 2.5-14.7 %, 9.9-31.0 %, and 10.0-35.5 %, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The precision within laboratories and measurement systems for plasma renin and aldosterone measurements is satisfactory. However, the comparability between laboratories using different measurement systems remains lacking, indicating the long way to achieve standardization and harmonization for these two analytes.

Monitoring the response of a model protocell to dye and surfactant molecules through second harmonic generation and fluorescence imaging.

Probing the interaction between molecules and protocells is crucial for understanding the passive transport of functional molecules in and out of artificial and real cells. Second-harmonic generation (SHG) has been proven to be a powerful method for analyzing the adsorption and cross-membrane transport of molecules on lipid bilayers. In this study, we used SHG and two-photon fluorescence (TPF) imaging to study the interaction of charged dye molecules (D289) with a lipid vesicle. Unexpectedly, it was observed that the transport of D289 at a relatively high concentration is not as efficient as that at a lower dye concentration. Periodic shrinking of the model protocell and discharging of D289 out from the vesicle were revealed by combined analyses of SHG and TPF images. The response of the vesicle to a surfactant was also analyzed with D289 as a probe. This work demonstrates that the combined SHG and TPF imaging method is a unique approach that can provide detailed information on the interaction of molecules and lipids (both morphology and molecular kinetics). Determining these subtle interfacial kinetics in molecules is important for understanding the mechanism of many biophysical processes occurring on lipids.

Probing the structural evolution on the surface of cardiolipin vesicles with an amphiphilic second harmonic generation and fluorescence probe.

Investigating the influence of the ambient chemical environment on molecular behaviors in liposomes is crucial for understanding and manipulating cellular vitality as well as the capabilities of lipid drug carriers in various environments. Here, we designed and synthesized a second harmonic generation (SHG) and fluorescence probe molecule called Pyr-Py+-N+ (PPN), which possesses membrane-targeting capability. We employed PPN to investigate the response of lipid vesicles composed of cardiolipin to the presence of exogenous salt. The kinetic behaviors, including the adsorption and embedding of PPN on the surface of small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs) composed of cardiolipin, were analyzed. The response of the SUVs to the addition of NaCl was also monitored. A rapid decrease in vesicle size can be evidenced through the rapid drop in SHG emission originating from PPN located on the vesicle surface.

Case-controlled study of tuberculosis in in-vitro fertilisation-embryo transfer and natural pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: To improve the understanding of the clinical features and imaging characteristics of pregnant women with and without in-vitro fertilisation-embryo transfer combined with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted involving 50 patients with pregnancy who had pulmonary TB and were admitted to the Third People's Hospital of Kunming (China) between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2021. These patients were divided into an in-vitro fertilisation and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) conception group and a natural conception group according to the conception method. The clinical and imaging data were then collected and compared. RESULTS: The mean age of the IVF-ET group (n = 13, 31.85 ± 5.84 years) was higher than in the natural conception group (n = 37, 27.05 ± 5.5 years). The proportions of fever, haematogenous TB and extrapulmonary TB in the IVF-ET group (92.31%, 84.62% and 76.92%, respectively) were higher than those in the natural conception group (40.54%,16.22%,27.03%,respectively). The percentage of patients with pregnancy who had intracranial TB (76.9%) in the IVF-ET group was higher than in the natural conception group (10.8%). The percentage of pregnancy terminations in the IVF-ET conception group (84.62%) was higher than in the natural conception group (48.65%). All the above results had statistically significant differences (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Overall, IVF-ET conception combined with extensive pulmonary TB lesions lead to heavy systemic toxic symptoms, severe disease and poor pregnancy outcomes. Therefore, screening for TB prior to performing IVF-ET is recommended.

The Efficacy of Acupuncture and Acupoint Massage in Enhancing Lumbar Mobility and Alleviating Pain in Individuals with Lumbar Disc Herniation.

Background: Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is a prevalent condition in spinal surgery, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) acupuncture has gained clinical attention as a potential treatment for LDH in recent years. Objective: This study aimed to assess the therapeutic efficacy of acupuncture combined with acupoint massage in LDH patients. Methods: We enrolled a total of 135 LDH patients treated at our hospital from May 2021 to February 2023. Among them, 63 patients received acupuncture treatment (control group), while the remaining 72 received acupuncture combined with acupoint massage (observation group). We compared treatment efficacy and the time it took for lumbar stiffness, lower back and leg pain, bending and flexing difficulties, and other symptoms to disappear between the two groups. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Japanese Orthopedic Association Scoring System (JOA) were used to evaluate patients' pain levels and lumbar vertebral function before and after treatment. Additionally, we assessed patients using the Generic Quality of Life Inventory-74 (GQOL-74) and recorded their treatment satisfaction. Results: The observation group exhibited a slightly higher total effective rate compared to the control group, with a shorter time for the resolution of lumbar stiffness, lower back pain, leg pain, and other symptoms (P < .05). Furthermore, the observation group had lower VAS scores and higher JOA scores (P < .05). They also achieved higher GQOL-74 scores and reported greater treatment satisfaction (P < .05). Conclusions: Acupuncture combined with acupoint massage effectively alleviated clinical symptoms and pain in LDH patients, demonstrating significant clinical utility.

Emerging biosensor probes for glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) detection.

Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), originating from the non-enzymatic glycosylation of ßVal1 residues in hemoglobin (Hb), is an essential biomarker indicating average blood glucose levels over a period of 2 to 3 months without external environmental disturbances, thereby serving as the gold standard in the management of diabetes instead of blood glucose testing. The emergence of HbA1c biosensors presents affordable, readily available options for glycemic monitoring, offering significant benefits to small-scale laboratories and clinics. Utilizing nanomaterials coupled with high-specificity probes as integral components for recognition, labeling, and signal transduction, these sensors demonstrate exceptional sensitivity and selectivity in HbA1c detection. This review mainly focuses on the emerging probes and strategies integral to HbA1c sensor development. We discussed the advantages and limitations of various probes in sensor construction as well as recent advances in diverse sensing strategies for HbA1c measurement and their potential clinical applications, highlighting the critical gaps in current technologies and future needs in this evolving field.

MAIT cells confer resistance to Lenvatinib plus anti-PD1 antibodies in hepatocellular carcinoma through TNF-TNFRSF1B pathway.

The combination of antiangiogenic agents and immune checkpoint inhibitors is more efficient than monotherapy in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Lenvatinib plus anti-PD1 antibodies have become the mainstay in HCC treatment. However, more than half the patients with HCC are non-responsive, and the mechanisms underlying drug resistance are unknown. To address this issue, we performed single-cell sequencing on samples from six HCC patients, aiming to explore cellular signals and molecular pathways related to the effect of lenvatinib plus anti-PD1 antibody treatment. GSVA analysis revealed that treatment with lenvatinib plus anti-PD1 antibody led to an increase in the TNF-NFKB pathway across all immune cell types, as compared to the non-treatment group. Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells were found to secrete TNF, which activates TNFRSF1B on regulatory T cells, thereby promoting immunosuppression. Additionally, TNFSF9 was highly expressed in anticancer immune cells, including CD8+ effector T cells, MAIT, and γδ T cells in the treatment group. We also detected CD3+ macrophages in both HCC and pan-cancer tissues. Overall, our findings shed light on the potential mechanisms behind the effectiveness of lenvatinib plus anti-PD1 antibody treatment in HCC patients. By understanding these mechanisms better, we may be able to develop more effective treatment strategies for patients who do not respond to current therapies.

Traceless encryption approach for physical layer security in coherent optical communications system.

We proposed and numerically studied a traceless encryption approach for physical layer security in coherent optical communications system, the most attractive advantage of which is that it is hard for eavesdroppers to be aware that the transmission signal has been encrypted because the modulation formats of encrypted signal are still the regular ones, i.e. traceless encryption. In the proposed approach, the phase only or the combination of phase and amplitude dimensions can be used for encryption and decryption. Three simple encryption rules are designed and used to investigate the encryption security performance of the scheme, in which the QPSK signal can be encrypted to be as 8PSK, QPSK and 8QAM. The results show that three simple encryption rules can cause 37.5%, 25%, 62.5% of user signal binary codes to be misinterpreted by the eavesdroppers, respectively. When the modulation formats of encrypted signal and user signal are identical, the scheme can not only cover up the real information, but also have a potential application at misleading eavesdroppers. The impacts of the control light peak power at the receiver on the decryption performance are also analysed, the results indicate that the decryption performance of the scheme has a good tolerance to the peak power fluctuation of control light at the receiver.

The ERBB2 Exonic Variant Pro1170Ala Modulates Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Signaling Cascades and Associates with Allergic Asthma.

INTRODUCTION: Previous studies have indicated the ERBB2 genetic variants in the 17q12 locus might be associated with asthma; however, the functional effects of these variants on asthma risk remain inconclusive. This study aimed to characterize the functional roles of asthma-associated ERBB2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in asthma pathogenesis by performing genetic association and functional analysis studies. METHODS: This study belongs to a part of an ongoing Singapore/Malaysia cross-sectional genetics and epidemiological study (SMCSGES). Genotype-phenotype associations were assessed by performing a genotyping assay on n = 4,348 ethnic Chinese individuals from the SMCSGES cohort. The phosphorylation levels of receptors and signaling proteins in the MAPK signaling cascades, including ErbB2, EGFR, and ERK1/2, were compared across the genotypes of asthma-associated SNPs through in vitro and ex vivo approaches. RESULTS: The ERBB2 tag-SNP rs1058808 was significantly associated with allergic asthma, with the allele "G" identified as protective against the disease (adjusted logistic p = 6.56 × 10-9, OR = 0.625, 95% CI: 0.544-0.718). The allele "G" of rs1058808 resulted in a Pro1170Ala mutation that results in lower phosphorylation levels of ErbB2 in HaCat cells (p < 0.001), whereas the overall ERBB2 mRNA expression and the phosphorylation levels of EGFR remained unaffected. In the SMCSGES cohort, individuals carrying the genotype "GG" of rs1058808 had lower phosphorylated ERK1/2 proteins in the MAPK signaling cascade. A lower phosphorylation level of ERK1/2 was also associated with reduced asthma risk. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings highlighted the involvement of a functional exonic variant of ERBB2 in asthma development via modulating the MAPK signaling cascade.

Recent Advances in Adenosine-to-Inosine RNA Editing in Cancer.

RNA epigenetics, or epitranscriptome, is a growing group of RNA modifications historically classified into two categories: RNA editing and RNA modification. RNA editing is usually understood as post-transcriptional RNA processing (except capping, splicing and polyadenylation) that changes the RNA nucleotide sequence encoded by the genome. This processing can be achieved through the insertion or deletion of nucleotides or deamination of nucleobases, generating either standard nucleotides such as uridine (U) or the rare nucleotide inosine (I). Adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) RNA editing is the most prevalent type of RNA modification in mammals and is catalyzed by adenosine deaminase acting on the RNA (ADAR) family of enzymes that recognize double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs). Inosine mimics guanosine (G) in base pairing with cytidine (C), thereby A-to-I RNA editing alters dsRNA secondary structure. Inosine is also recognized as guanosine by the splicing and translation machineries, resulting in mRNA alternative splicing and protein recoding. Therefore, A-to-I RNA editing is an important mechanism that causes and regulates "RNA mutations" in both normal physiology and diseases including cancer. In this chapter, we reviewed current paradigms and developments in the field of A-to-I RNA editing in the context of cancer.

Van der Waals heterostructure gas sensors based on narrow-wide bandgap semiconductors for superior sensitivity.

Achieving high sensitivity in gas sensors is crucial for the precise detection of toxic agents. However, this can be challenging as it requires gas sensors to possess both a high response signal and low electrical noise simultaneously, which seems controversial as it necessitates adopting semiconductors with different bandgaps. Herein, we demonstrate the superior sensitivity of 2D molybdenum disulfide (MoS2)/tellurium (Te) van der Waals heterostructure (vdWH) gas sensors fabricated by combining narrow-bandgap (Te) and wide-bandgap (MoS2) semiconductors. The as-fabricated MoS2/Te vdWH gas sensors exhibit excellent sensitivity that is unavailable for sensors based on its individual counterparts. The response toward 50 ppm NH3is improved by two and six times compared to the individual MoS2and Te gas sensors, respectively. In addition, a high signal-to-noise ratio of ∼350 and an ultralow limit of detection of ∼2 ppb are achieved. These results outperform most previously reported gas sensors due to the efficient modulation of the barrier height of the MoS2/Te p-n junction as well as the synergistic effect benefiting from the low electric noise of the narrow-bandgap Te and high response signal of the wide-bandgap MoS2. Our work provides an insight into utilizing vdWHs based on narrow-wide bandgap semiconductors for developing highly sensitive gas sensors.

Satellite cell-derived exosome-mediated delivery of microRNA-23a/27a/26a cluster ameliorates the renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis in mouse diabetic nephropathy.

Renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis (TIF) is considered as the final convergent pathway of diabetic nephropathy (DN) without effective therapies currently. MiRNAs play a key role in fibrotic diseases and become promising therapeutic targets for kidney diseases, while miRNA clusters, formed by the cluster arrangement of miRNAs on chromosomes, can regulate diverse biological functions alone or synergistically. In this study, we developed clustered miR-23a/27a/26a-loaded skeletal muscle satellite cells-derived exosomes (Exos) engineered with RVG peptide, and investigated their therapeutic efficacy in a murine model of DN. Firstly, we showed that miR-23a-3p, miR-26a-5p and miR-27a-3p were markedly decreased in serum samples of DN patients using miRNA sequencing. Meanwhile, we confirmed that miR-23a-3p, miR-26a-5p and miR-27a-3p were primarily located in proximal renal tubules and highly negatively correlated with TIF in db/db mice at 20 weeks of age. We then engineered RVG-miR-23a/27a/26a cluster loaded Exos derived from muscle satellite cells, which not only enhanced the stability of miR-23a/27a/26a cluster, but also efficiently delivered more miR-23a/27a/26a cluster homing to the injured kidney. More importantly, administration of RVG-miR-23a/27a/26a-Exos (100 µg, i.v., once a week for 8 weeks) significantly ameliorated tubular injury and TIF in db/db mice at 20 weeks of age. We revealed that miR-23a/27a/26a-Exos enhanced antifibrotic effects by repressing miRNA cluster-targeting Lpp simultaneously, as well as miR-27a-3p-targeting Zbtb20 and miR-26a-5p-targeting Klhl42, respectively. Knockdown of Lpp by injection of AAV-Lpp-RNAi effectively ameliorated the progression of TIF in DN mice. Taken together, we established a novel kidney-targeting Exo-based delivery system by manipulating the miRNA-23a/27a/26a cluster to ameliorate TIF in DN, thus providing a promising therapeutic strategy for DN.

Integrative analyses identify CD73 as a prognostic biomarker and immunotherapeutic target in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: CD73 promotes progression in several malignancies and is considered as a novel immune checkpoint. However, the function of CD73 in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) remains uncertain. In this study, we aim to investigate the role of CD73 in ICC. METHODS: Multi-omics data of 262 ICC patients from the FU-iCCA cohort were analyzed. Two single-cell datasets were downloaded to examine the expression of CD73 at baseline and in response to immunotherapy. Functional experiments were performed to explore the biological functions of CD73 in ICC. The expression of CD73 and HHLA2 and infiltrations of CD8 + , Foxp3 + , CD68 + , and CD163 + immune cells were evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 259 resected ICC samples from Zhongshan Hospital. The prognostic value of CD73 was assessed by Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: CD73 correlated with poor prognosis in two ICC cohorts. Single-cell atlas of ICC indicated high expression of CD73 on malignant cells. TP53 and KRAS gene mutations were more frequent in patients with high CD73 expression. CD73 promoted ICC proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. High CD73 expression was associated with a higher ratio of Foxp3 + /CD8 + tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and CD163 + /CD68 + tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). A positive correlation between CD73 and CD44 was observed, and patients with high CD73 expression showed elevated expression of HHLA2. CD73 expression in malignant cells was significantly upregulated in response to immunotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: High expression of CD73 is associated with poor prognosis and a suppressive tumor immune microenvironment in ICC. CD73 could potentially be a novel biomarker for prognosis and immunotherapy in ICC.

The Transport of Charged Molecules across Three Lipid Membranes Investigated with Second Harmonic Generation.

Subtle variations in the structure and composition of lipid membranes can have a profound impact on their transport of functional molecules and relevant cell functions. Here, we present a comparison of the permeability of bilayers composed of three lipids: cardiolipin, DOPG (1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(1'-rac-glycerol), and POPG (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(1'-rac-glycerol)). The adsorption and cross-membrane transport of a charged molecule, D289 (4-(4-diethylaminostyry)-1-methyl-pyridinium iodide), on vesicles composed of the three lipids were monitored by second harmonic generation (SHG) scattering from the vesicle surface. It is revealed that structural mismatching between the saturated and unsaturated alkane chains in POPG leads to relatively loose packing structure in the lipid bilayers, thus providing better permeability compared to unsaturated lipid bilayers (DOPG). This mismatching also weakens the efficiency of cholesterol in rigidifying the lipid bilayers. It is also revealed that the bilayer structure is somewhat disturbed by the surface curvature in small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs) composed of POPG and the conical structured cardiolipin. Such subtle information on the relationship between the lipid structure and the molecular transport capability of the bilayers may provide clues for drug development and other medical and biological studies.

[Expression of SCD1 in TFE3-rRCC and its effect on proliferation and migration].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of SCD1 in TFE3-rRCC and its effect on the proliferation and migration of TFE3-rRCC cells. METHODS: GEPIA database was used to analyze the expression level of SCD1 in different tumors and its effect on the prognosis of patients. The expression levels of SCD1 in TFE3-rRCC patients and cell lines UOK109 and UOK120 were detected by QPCR and Western blot. Liposomal shRNA was used to knock down SCD1 expression in cell lines. The changes of cell proliferation and migration ability before and after SCD1 knockdown were detected by CCK-8 and Transwell experiments. RESULTS: SCD1 expression levels were higher in all three common renal cancers, and patients with high SCD1 expression had shorter survival and worse prognosis (Logrank P<0.001). The mRNA and protein levels of SCD1 were also significantly increased in renal cancer tissues of patients with high expression of TFE3 and in TFE3-rRCC cell lines UOK109 and UOK120. After SCD1 knockdown, the proliferation and migration ability of UOK109 and UOK120 cells decreased significantly. CONCLUSION: SCD1 is highly expressed in TFE3-rRCC and can promote the proliferation and migration of TFE3-rRCC cell lines, which may be a key molecule in promoting the development of TFE3-rRCC.

Ultrarapid Nanomanufacturing of High-Quality Bimetallic Anode Library toward Stable Potassium-Ion Storage.

Bimetallic alloy nanomaterials are promising anode materials for potassium-ion batteries (KIBs) due to their high electrochemical performance. The most well-adopted fabrication method for bimetallic alloy nanomaterials is tube furnace annealing (TFA) synthesis, which can hardly satisfy the trade-off among granularity, dispersity and grain coarsening due to mutual constraints. Herein, we report a facile, scalable and ultrafast high-temperature radiation (HTR) method for the fabrication of a library of ultrafine bimetallic alloys with narrow size distribution (≈10-20 nm), uniform dispersion and high loading. The metal-anchor containing heteroatoms (i.e., O and N), ultrarapid heating/cooling rate (≈103  K s-1 ) and super-short heating duration (several seconds) synergistically contribute to the successful synthesis of small-sized alloy anodes. As a proof-of-concept demonstration, the as-prepared BiSb-HTR anode shows ultrahigh stability indicated by negligible degradation after 800 cycles. The in situ X-ray diffraction reveals the K+ storage mechanism of BiSb-HTR. This study can shed light on the new, rapid and scalable nanomanufacturing of high-quality bimetallic alloys toward extended applications of energy storage, energy conversion and electrocatalysis.

Efficacy and Safety of Coronary Intervention via Distal Transradial Access (dTRA) in Patients with Low Body Mass Index.

The study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of coronary intervention via distal transradial access (dTRA) in patients with low body mass index (BMI). A total of 67 patients with low BMI who underwent coronary intervention, comprising 29 patients via dTRA and 38 patients via conventional transradial access (cTRA), were retrospectively included. There was no significant difference in the puncture success rate between the two groups (dTRA 96.6%, cTRA 97.4%, P=0.846). Compared with the cTRA group, the success rate of one-needle puncture in the dTRA group was lower (51.7% vs. 81.6%, P=0.020). The compression haemostasis time in the dTRA group was shorter than that in the cTRA group (P < 0.001). However, the incidence of radial artery occlusion was lower in the dTRA group than in the cTRA group (4.0% vs. 33.3%, P=0.007). In conclusion, coronary intervention via dTRA was safe and effective in patients with low BMI.

Understanding the different cross-membrane transport kinetics of two charged molecules on the DOPG lipid surface with second harmonic generation and MD simulation.

A clear physical picture of the dynamic behavior of molecules on the surface of the lipid membrane is highly desired and has attracted great attention from researchers. In this study, a step forward in this direction based on previous studies was presented with second harmonic generation (SHG) and molecular dynamic (MD) simulation. Specifically, details on the orientation flipping and cross-membrane transport of two charged molecules, 4-(4-diethylaminostyry)-1-methyl-pyridinium iodide (D289) and malachite green (MG), on the surface of 2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-rac-(1-glycerol) sodium salt (DOPG) lipids were presented. Firstly, the orientation flipping of the two molecules on the surface of lipids before their cross-membrane transport was confirmed by the MD simulation. Then, the concentration dependent rate of the cross membrane transport for MG/D289 was analyzed. It was found that a simplified model could satisfactorily interpret the faster cross-membrane transport of MG under higher bulk concentrations. A different concentration dependent dynamics was observed with D289 and the reason behind it was also discussed. With this investigation, the surface structures and dynamics of D289 and MG on the DOPG lipid surface were clearly presented.

Revealing the mechanisms of vesicle formation with multiple spectral methods.

The investigation of the self-assembly of amphiphilic molecules and the formation of micelles/vesicles has attracted significant attention. However, in situ and real-time methods for such studies are rare. Here, a surface-sensitive second harmonic generation (SHG) technique was applied to study the formation of vesicles in solutions of an anti-cancer drug, doxorubicin (DOX), and a generally used surfactant (sodium bis (2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate, AOT). With the aid of two-photon fluorescence (TPF), Rayleigh scattering and TEM, we revealed the structural evolution of the aggregated micelles/vesicles. It was found that AOT and DOX molecules rapidly aggregated and formed micelles in the solution. The residual DOX then acted as a "glue" that induced the aggregating/growing of the micelles and the transformation from aggregates to vesicles. The existence of lipid films, which was considered as the necessary intermediate state for vesicle formation, was excluded via the SHG observations, indicating that hollow shells may be directly transformed from solid aggregated micelles in the self-assembly formation of complex vesicles. The combined spectroscopic methods were also used to investigate the formation of vesicles from a commonly used lipid (i.e., 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-rac-(1-glycerol) sodium salt, DOPG) from its stacked bilayers. The swelling, curving and sealing of the DOPG bilayers for vesicle formation was monitored and clear dynamics were revealed. This work shows that the vesicle formation mechanism varies with the initial state of the surfactant/lipid molecules. It not only demonstrates the capability of the combined spectroscopic methods in investigating the aggregated systems but also provides new insight for understanding the formation of vesicles.