Fluorescent Nanoassemblies in Water Exhibiting Tunable LCST Behavior and Responsive Light Harvesting Ability.

Responsive fluorescent nanomaterials have been received considerable attention in recent years. In this work, a bola-type amphiphilic molecule, CSO, was synthesized which contains a hydrophobic cyanostilbene core and hydrophilic oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG) coils at both sides. The cyanostilbene group is aggregation-induced emission (AIE) active, while the OEG coils are thermo-responsive. As a result, the CSO molecules can self-assemble into blue-fluorescent nanoassemblies with lower critical solution temperature (LCST) behavior in aqueous media. It is noteworthy that the LCST behavior can be reversibly regulated with changes in concentration and the introduction of K+ . Intriguingly, fluorescence of CSO assembly shows a blue-shift upon heating. Finally, by employing CSO as a light capturing antenna and energy donor, an artificial light harvesting system with tunable emission and thermo-responsive characteristics was fabricated. This study not only demonstrates an integrated approach to create responsive fluorescent nanomaterials, but also shows great potential for producing luminescent materials and mimicking photosynthesis in nature.

Dynamic Metal Nanoclusters: A Review on Accurate Crystal Structures.

Dynamic metal nanoclusters have garnered widespread attention due to their unique properties and potential applications in various fields. Researchers have been dedicated to developing new synthesis methods and strategies to control the morphologies, compositions, and structures of metal nanoclusters. Through optimized synthesis methods, it is possible to prepare clusters with precise sizes and shapes, providing a solid foundation for subsequent research. Accurate determination of their crystal structures is crucial for understanding their behavior and designing custom functional materials. Dynamic metal nanoclusters also demonstrate potential applications in catalysis and optoelectronics. By manipulating the sizes, compositions, and surface structures of the clusters, efficient catalysts and optoelectronic materials can be designed and synthesized for various chemical reactions and energy conversion processes. This review summarizes the research progress in the synthesis methods, crystal structure characterization, and potential applications of dynamic metal nanoclusters. Various nanoclusters composed of different metal elements are introduced, and their potential applications in catalysis, optics, electronics, and energy storage are discussed. Additionally, the important role of dynamic metal nanoclusters in materials science and nanotechnology is explored, along with an overview of the future directions and challenges in this field.

Hydrogen evolution reaction of Ben + H2O (n = 5-9) based on density functional theory.

The structural evolution of Ben clusters with n = 5-9, the adsorption energy created by the Ben@H2O (n = 5-9) complex, and the mechanism of the hydrogen evolution reaction of Ben + H2O (n = 5-9) were all studied using DFT calculations based on the PBE0-D3/Def2TZVP level. Excluding the Be7 cluster, the global minimum structures of beryllium clusters with n = 5-9 showed a higher point group pair formation. Be7 clusters' high point group symmetry is unstable. Be9@H2O released the greatest energy during the complex's creation (-1.45 eV). Exothermic hydrogen evolution occurs in Ben + H2O (n = 5-9), and all transition states, intermediate stages, and products have energies lower than the equilibrium constant (EC). More energy is released when an O-H bond in the Ben@H2O (n = 5-9) complex is broken, and the energy release results in a change in the cluster structure, which is more pronounced in the Be7 + H2O reaction. Interestingly, there are eight transition states in the Be6 + H2O hydrogen evolution reaction, with the second O-H bond break requiring more energy than the first. There are only three transition states in the Be8 + H2O hydrogen evolution reaction, and the reaction energy is the greatest (-4.13 eV).

A randomized controlled clinical trial of prolonged balloon inflation during stent deployment strategy in primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) is the standard procedure for reperfusion for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), but the occurrence of the no-reflow phenomenon remains common and is associated with adverse outcomes. AIMS: This study aimed to evaluate whether prolonged balloon inflation in stent deployment would lessen the occurrence of the no-reflow phenomenon in PPCI compared with conventional rapid inflation/deflation strategy. METHODS: Patients were randomly assigned to either the prolonged balloon inflation in stent deployment group (PBSG) or conventional deployment strategy group (CDSG) in a 1:1 ratio. A subset of patients was included in the cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) assessment. RESULTS: Thrombolysis in MI (TIMI) flow grade 3 was found in 96.7% and 63.3% of the patients of the PBSG and CDSG, respectively (P = 0.005). The results of the PBSG and CDSG are respectively shown as follows: 0% versus 30% no-reflow or slow flow (P = 0.002); 90% versus 66.7% ST-segment resolution ≥ 50% (P = 0.028); 35.6 ± 14.5 frames versus 49.18 ± 25.2 frames on corrected TIMI frame count (P = 0.014); and 60% versus 20% myocardial blush grade 3 (P = 0.001). At 1 month, the major cardiovascular adverse event (cardiovascular mortality) rate was 3.3% in both groups; at 1 year, the rate was 3.3% and 6.7% for the PBSG and CDSG, respectively (P = 1.00). In the CMR subset of cases, the presence of microvascular obstruction (MVO) was detected in 6.7% and 50% of the patients in the PBSG and CDSG, respectively (P = 0.023). CONCLUSION: In our pilot trial, prolonged balloon inflation during stent deployment strategy in PPCI reduces the occurrence of the no-reflow phenomenon in patients with STEMI and improved the myocardial microcirculation perfusion (ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT03199014; registered: 26/June/2017).

[Feasibility of Single-Breath-Hold Compressed Sensing Real-Time Cine Imaging for Assessment of Ventricular Function and Left Ventricular Strain in Cardiac Magnetic Resonance].

Objective: To explore the feasibility of single-breath-hold compressed sensing real-time cine imaging (CS-cine) in the assessment of ventricular function and left ventricular (LV) strain. Methods: A total of 70 subjects were enrolled prospectively, and all subjects underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cardiac MRI) using both the standard steady-state free procession cine (sta-cine) acquisition and a prototype CS-cine sequence. For both CS-cine and sta-cine imaging, continuous short-axis cine images were acquired from the base to the apex to cover the entire left ventricle, and long-axis cine images including two-, three-, and four-chamber views were also acquired. The scanning range, number of slices, slice thickness and intervals were kept identical for the two cine images of the same participant. Subjective evaluation of the image quality was performed on all cine images. For both sequences, the conventional function parameters of the left and the right ventricles and LV strain values were assessed with post-processing software analysis. The cine image quality, conventional ventricular function parameters, and LV strain values were compared between the two cine groups and the differences were examined. Inter- and intraobserver agreements for CS-cine images were measured using intraclass correlation coefficient ( ICC). Bland-Altman analysis was performed to assess reproducibility between the two cine methods. Results: The median scanning time of CS-cine was 21 s versus 272 s for sta-cine ( P<0.001). The median image quality scores of two groups were significantly different, 4 points for sta-cine and 2 points for CS-cine ( P<0.001). Bi-ventricular end-diastolic volumes (EDV), stroke volume (SV) and ejection fraction (EF) were significantly smaller in CS-cine ( P<0.001). Nevertheless, no significant differences between the two groups in bi-ventricular ESV or LV mass were observed ( P>0.05). LV strain parameters, including the peak radial strain, peak circumferential strain and peak longitudinal strain derived from LV mid-ventricular slice, were significantly different in the two sequences ( P<0.001). Moreover, CS-cine-derived functional parameters and strain measurements have a good correlation with those of sta-cine (for RV function parameters, and left ventricular PLS, PCS values, more than 95% points fell within the limits of agreement [ LoA]; meanwhile, more than 91% points fell within the LoA for other parameters) and inter- and intraobserver agreements were strong ( ICC=0.88 to 0.99) for CS-cine. Conclusion: CS-cine can well realize the rapid acquisition of cine images for quantitative analysis of cardiac function, and the conventional ventricular function parameters and LV globalized strain values obtained from CS-cine imaging have good reproducibility.

Comparison of clinical profiles between takotsubo syndrome and acute coronary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to analyse the differences in clinical profiles between takotsubo syndrome (TTS) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients and to consolidate the evidence regarding the mortality predictors in TTS patients. Literature search of PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register was made, and 55 studies with a total of 66,653 TTS patients were included. Compared with ACS subjects, TTS subjects had significantly lower left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) values on admission; however, cardiovascular risks were fewer and the recovery LVEF was notably higher at both discharge and follow-up in TTS patients than in ACS patients (all P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed either in-hospital mortality or long-term mortality between the two groups (both P > 0.05). Acute renal failure and malignancies were independent predictors of all-cause in-hospital mortality in TTS patients (both P < 0.05). Male sex (HR = 0.565, 95% CI 0.253-0.876, P < 0.001, I2 = 0.00%), advanced age (HR = 0.054, 95% CI 0.041 to 0.067, P < 0.001, I2 = 0.00%), shock (HR = 1.382. 95% CI 1.050 to 1.714, P < 0.001, I2 = 0.00%) and initial LVEF < 35% (HR = 0.962, 95% CI 0.948 to 0.977, P < 0.001, I2 = 16.8%) were associated with an increased risk of long-time mortality in TTS patients. In conclusion, TTS has significantly different clinical characteristics than ACS. However, the in-hospital and long-term overall mortality rates are not trivial for TTS patients, and some presenting features (underlying diseases, male sex, advanced age, low LVEF and shock) were significantly associated with all-cause mortality.

Cold stress promotes IL-33 expression in intestinal epithelial cells to facilitate food allergy development.

BACKGROUND: The causative factors and pathogenesis of food allergy (FA) is not fully understood yet. Cold stress (CS) occurs frequently in human life that influences physiological activities in the body. In this study, we aimed to investigate the chronic CS (CS) effects on promoting the expression of IL-33 in intestinal epithelial cells. METHODS: CS was carried out by placing mice at 4 °C for 1 h daily for 7 consecutive days. We developed a mouse model used to test the effects of CS on the FA development. RESULTS: We found that, similar to conventional FA mouse model, CS induced the core body temperature to drop markedly in mice, increased intestinal epithelial barrier permeability and facilitated FA development. CS promoted interleukin (IL)-33 expression in intestinal epithelial cells through the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)/cortisol axis and via inducing the Il33 promoter methylation. CS facilitated the FA development in mice, that could be blocked by depletion of IL-33 expression in intestinal epithelial cells. CONCLUSIONS: CS induces IL-33 expression in intestinal epithelial cells to promote Th2 polarization in the intestinal tissues and facilitates FA development.

Prognostic value of dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) angiography characteristics in anomalous coronary artery from the opposite sinus (ACAOS) patients: a large-scale retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Most reported cases of right anomalous coronary artery from the opposite sinus (R-ACAOS) have benign clinical outcomes. However, patients with left ACAOS (L-ACAOS) and some of the patients with R-ACAOS are more at risk for arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death, which remains a major concern. Here we report the prevalence and anatomical features of ACAOS patients. Moreover, we explore the high-risk morphological signs and evaluate their mid-term prognostic value in R-ACAOS patients without surgical intervention. METHODS: Data from coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) of 30,593 patients, pertaining to a single center over 5 consecutive years, were retrospectively analyzed. The image analysis included stenosis severity ranking and high-risk anatomy evaluation, based on the commercially available image post-processing software OsirX. Patients with R-ACAOS and without evidence of coronary atherosclerosis (CAD) were followed-up, with recording of the cardiovascular clinical events. Cox regression analysis was performed to identify the potential anatomical risk factors of cardiovascular clinical events for non-CAD R-ACAOS patients, using R project. RESULTS: The prevalence of ACAOS in the study population was 0.69% (211/30593). Significant differences were found between patients with mild (< 50%) and severe (> 50%) stenosis, in terms of height-to-weight ratio (HW ratio), take-off angle, and proximal stenosis length. A total of 54 cardiovascular clinical events were observed among 108 non-CAD R-ACAOS patients and an average follow-up of 27.8 ± 18.7 months. Among those patients' anatomical features, stenosis severity was the main risk factor for cardiovascular clinical events during the mid-term follow-up, with a risk ratio of 4.14 (95% CI: 1.78 to 9.63, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients referred to coronary CTA, the overall incidence of ACAOS was 0.69%. For patients with R-ACAOS, severe stenosis was the independent risk factor of adverse clinical events in the mid-term follow-up, and positive clinical intervention might be needed to help them avoid the malignant clinical events.

Protective role of beta-blockers in chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity-a systematic review and meta-analysis of carvedilol.

Some randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have tested the efficacy of beta-blockers as prophylactic agents on cancer therapy-induced cardiotoxicity; however, the quality of this evidence remains undetermined. This systematic review and meta-analysis study aims to evaluate the prophylactic effects of beta-blockers, especially carvedilol, on chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity. RCTs were identified by searching the MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase (OvidSP), Cochrane CENTRAL (OvidSP), etc., until December 2017. Inclusion criteria were randomized clinical trial and adult cancer patients started beta-blockers before chemotherapy. We evaluated the mean differences (MD) by fixed- or random-effects model and the odds ratio by Peto's method. Primary outcome was the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of patients after chemotherapy, and secondary outcomes were all-cause mortality, clinically overt cardiotoxicity, and other echocardiographic measurements. In total, we included six RCTs that used carvedilol as a prophylactic agent in patients receiving chemotherapy. The LVEF was not significantly distinct between those using carvedilol and placebo after chemotherapy (MD, 1.74; 95% confidence interval (CI), - 0.18 to 3.66; P = 0.08). The incidence of clinically overt cardiotoxicity was lower in the carvedilol group compared with the control group (Peto OR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.20-0.89; P = 0.02). Furthermore, after chemotherapy, the LV end-diastolic diameter did not increase in the carvedilol group compared with the placebo group (MD, - 1.41; 95% CI, - 2.32 to - 0.50; P = 0.002). The prophylactic use of carvedilol exerted no impact on the early asymptomatic LVEF decrease but seemed to attenuate the frequency of clinically overt cardiotoxicity and prevent ventricular remodeling.

Serial coronary computed tomography angiography-verified coronary plaque progression: comparison of stented patients with or without diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Patients with Diabetes mellitus (DM) are susceptible to coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the impact of DM on plaque progression in the non-stented segments of stent-implanted patients has been rarely reported. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of DM on the prevalence, characteristics and severity of coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) verified plaque progression in stented patients. A comparison between diabetic and non-diabetic patients was performed. METHODS: A total of 98 patients who underwent clinically indicated serial CCTAs arranged within 1 month before and at least 6 months after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were consecutively included. All the subjects were categorized into diabetic group (n = 36) and non-diabetic groups (n = 62). Coronary stenosis extent scores, segment involvement scores (SIS), segment stenosis scores (SSS) at baseline and follow-up CCTA were quantitatively assessed. The prevalence, characteristics and severity of plaque progression was evaluated blindly to the clinical data and compared between the groups. RESULTS: During the median 1.5 year follow up, a larger number of patients (72.2% vs 40.3%, P = 0.002), more non-stented vessels (55.7% vs 23.2%, P < 0.001) and non-stented segments (10.3% vs 4.4%, P < 0.001) showed plaque progression in DM group, compared to non-DM controls. More progressive lesions in DM patients were found to be non-calcified plaques (31.1% vs 12.8%, P = 0.014) or non-stenotic segments (6.6% vs 3.0%, p = 0.005) and were more widely distributed on left main artery (24.2% vs 5.2%, p = 0.007), the right coronary artery (50% vs 21.1%, P = 0.028) and the proximal left anterior artery (33.3% vs 5.1%, P = 0.009) compared to non-DM patients. In addition, DM patients possessed higher numbers of progressive segments per patient, ΔSIS and ΔSSS compared with non-DM individuals (P < 0.001, P = 0.029 and P < 0.001 respectively). A larger number of patients with at least two progressive lesions were found in the DM group (P = 0.006). Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that DM (OR: 4.81; 95% CI 1.64-14.07, P = 0.004) was independently associated with plaque progression. CONCLUSIONS: DM is closely associated with the prevalence and severity of CCTA verified CAD progression. These findings suggest that physicians should pay attention to non-stent segments and the management of non-stent segment plaque progression, particularly to DM patients.

[The Application Value of One-stop CT Myocardial Perfusion Imaging in the Evaluation of Patients with Severe Coronary Artery Stenosis].

ObstractPurpose "One-stop" CT myocardial perfusion imaging (CT-MPI) was compared with cardiac magnetic resonance(CMR) to investigate its application value in evaluating patients with severe coronary artery stenosis.MethodsFifty patients with coronary artery stenosis≥90% of at least one major coronary arteries comfirmed by coronary angiography (CAG) in the department of cardiology in our hospital, who referred for coronary artery stent implantation were prospectively enrolled. All the patients underwent "One-stop" CT-MPI within a week before surgery, among which 22 patients underwent CMR examination simultaneously. The postprocessing software Ziostation2 was used to obatin and compare the perfusion parameters of patients with normal and perfusion defect myocardium, including blood flow (BF), blood volume (BV), peak time (TTP), and mean transit time (MTT). Pearson correlation analysis was used to compare the correlation of relative perfusion parameters (defect/normal myocardium) between CT and CMR. Bland-Altman analysis was used to analyze the consistency between CT and CMR in left ventricular (LV) function parameters measurements.ResultsCompared with normal myocardium, BV and BF of perfusion defect myocardium were significantly decreased, while MTT and TTP were significantly prolonged (all P < 0.05). The rBV, rBF, rMTT and rTTP were medium to high positive correlated between CT and CMR (r=0.685, 0.641, 0.871, 0.733, respectively, all P < 0.05). Bland-Altman analysis showed that 95% (21/22) points were within the 95% limits of agreement (LoA), suggesting the LV function parameters measurements between two methods were highly consistent.Conclusion"One-stop" CT-MPI can simultaneously obtain the information about coronary anatomy, myocardial perfusion and LV function. It is of great value in the evaluation of patients with severe coronary artery stenosis, with shorter scan time and less contraindications compared with CMR.

Left ventricular subclinical myocardial dysfunction in uncomplicated type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with impaired myocardial perfusion: a contrast-enhanced cardiovascular magnetic resonance study.

BACKGROUND: Early detection of subclinical myocardial dysfunction in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) is essential for recommending therapeutic interventions that can prevent or reverse heart failure, thereby improving the prognosis in such patients. This study aims to quantitatively evaluate left ventricular (LV) myocardial deformation and perfusion using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and to investigate the association between LV subclinical myocardial dysfunction and coronary microvascular perfusion. METHODS: We recruited 71 T2DM patients and 30 healthy individuals as controls who underwent CMR examination. The T2DM patients were subdivided into two groups, namely the newly diagnosed DM group (n = 31, patients with diabetes for ≤ 5 years) and longer-term DM group (n = 40, patients with diabetes > 5 years). LV deformation parameters, including global peak strain (PS), peak systolic strain rate, and peak diastolic strain rate (PSDR), and myocardial perfusion parameters such as upslope, time to maximum signal intensity (TTM), and max signal intensity (Max SI, were measured and compared among the three groups. Pearson's correlation was used to evaluate the correlation between LV deformation and perfusion parameters. RESULTS: Pooled data from T2DM patients showed a decrease in global longitudinal, circumferential, and radial PDSR compared to healthy individuals, apart from lower upslope. In addition, increased TTM and reduced Max SI were found in the longer-term diabetics compared to the normal subjects (p < 0.017 for all). Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that T2DM was independently associated with statistically significant CMR parameters, except for TTM (ß = 0.137, p = 0.195). Further, longitudinal PDSR was significantly associated with upslope (r = - 0.346, p = 0.003) and TTM (r = 0.515, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our results imply that a contrast-enhanced 3.0T CMR can detect subclinical myocardial dysfunction and impaired myocardial microvascular perfusion in the early stages of T2DM, and that the myocardial dysfunction is associated with impaired coronary microvascular perfusion.

Predictors of aortic dilation in patients with coarctation of the aorta: evaluation with dual-source computed tomography.

BACKGROUND: Coarctation of aorta (CoA) may progressively develop aortic dilation at other site of the aorta and can lead to fatal aortic diseases. We aimed to evaluate the occurrence of aortic dilation and related predictors in patients with CoA using dual-source computed tomography (DSCT). METHODS: Fifty-three patients with CoA identified by DSCT were retrospectively reviewed. Aortic diameters were measured at six different levels and standardized as z-scores based on the square root of body surface area. Coarctation site-diaphragm ratio (CDR) was used to describe the degree of narrowing. A total of 26 patients were included in mild group (CDR > 50%) and 27 in severe group (CDR < 50%) according to the severity of coarctation. Student's t-test and Spearman correlation coefficients, univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to assess the risk factors including age, degree of narrowing and other malformations for aortic dilation. RESULTS: Severe group had significantly larger z-scores of ascending aorta (2.41 ± 0.39 vs. 2.10 ± 0.57, p < 0.05) and post-coarctation aorta (2.17 ± 0.48 vs. 1.68 ± 0.43, p < 0.001) compared with mild group. Degree of coarctation was associated with the z-scores of the ascending aorta (r = - 0.356, p < 0.05) and post-coarctation aorta (r = - 0.414, p < 0.05). Collateral circulation was related to the z-scores of ascending aorta (r = 0.375, p < 0.05). Increased severity of coarctation was independent predictor of ascending (odds ratio 7.46; 95% CI 1.19-46.76; p < 0.05) and post-coarctation aortic dilation(odds ratio 8.42; 95% CI 1.84-38.56; p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Ascending and post-coarctation aortic diameters or dilations were both associated with the degree of coarctation. By comprehensively evaluating the aortic diameters and associated malformations including collateral circulation, DSCT can aid in stratification of risk for aortic dilation in patients with CoA.

Assessment of tetralogy of Fallot-associated congenital extracardiac vascular anomalies in pediatric patients using low-dose dual-source computed tomography.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the diagnostic value of dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) in the evaluation of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF)-associated extracardiac vascular abnormalities in pediatric patients compared with transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). METHODS: One hundred and twenty-three pediatric patients diagnosed with TOF were included in this retrospective study. All patients underwent DSCT and TTE preoperatively. All associated extracardiac vascular abnormalities and their percentages were recorded. The diagnostic performances of DSCT and TTE were compared based on the surgical results. The image quality of DSCT was rated, and the effective radiation dose (ED) was calculated. RESULTS: A total of 159 associated extracardiac vascular deformities were confirmed by surgery. Patent ductus arteriosus (36, 22.64%), right-sided aortic arch (29, 18.24%), and pulmonary valve stenosis (23, 14.47%) were the most common associated extracardiac vascular abnormalities. DSCT was superior to TTE in demonstrating associated extracardiac anomalies (diagnostic accuracy: 99.13% vs. 97.39%; sensitivity: 92.45% vs. 77.07%; specificity: 99.81% vs. 99.42%). The agreement on grading the image quality of DSCT was excellent (κ = 0.80), and the mean score of the image quality was 3.39 ± 0.50. The mean ED of DSCT was 0.86 ± 0.47 mSv. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to TTE, low-dose DSCT has high diagnostic accuracy in the depiction of associated extracardiac vascular anomalies in pediatric patients with TOF, and could provide more morphological details for surgeons.

Histologic validation of myocardial fibrosis measured by T1 mapping: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial fibrosis is being increasingly recognised as a common final pathway of a wide range of diseases. Thus, the development of an accurate and convenient method to evaluate myocardial fibrosis is of major importance. Although T1 mapping is a potential alternative for myocardial biopsy, validation studies are limited to small numbers and vary regarding technical facets, and include only a restricted number of disease. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to objectively and comprehensively evaluate the performance of T1 mapping on the quantification of myocardial fibrosis using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library databases were searched for studies applying T1 mapping to measure myocardial fibrosis and that validated the results via histological analysis. A pooled correlation coefficient between the CMR and histology measurements was used to evaluate the performance of the T1 mapping. RESULTS: A total of 15 studies, including 308 patients who had CMR and myocardial biopsy were included and the pooled correlation coefficient between ECV measured by T1 mapping and biopsy for the selected studies was 0.884 (95% CI: 0.854, 0.914) and was not notably heterogeneous chi-squared = 7.44; P = 0.489 for the Q test and I^2 = 0.00%). CONCLUSIONS: The quantitative measurement of myocardial fibrosis via T1 mapping is associated with a favourable overall correlation with the myocardial biopsy measurements. Further studies are required to determine the calibration of the T1 mapping results for the biopsy findings of different cardiomyopathies.

Inter-examiner and intra-examiner reliability of optical coherence tomography angiography in vascular density measurement of retinal and choriocapillaris plexuses in healthy children aged 6-15 years.

Objective: This study aimed to test the inter-examiner and intra-examiner reliability of macular vascular density (VD) measurement of retinal and choriocapillaris plexuses in healthy children using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Materials and methods: Ninety-two school children were prospectively recruited. Macular OCTA images (6 × 6 mm2) were obtained thrice by two examiners using the RTVue-XR Avanti OCT system. The coefficient of variation (COV), intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and Bland-Altman plots were used to evaluate the repeatability and reproducibility. Results: Ninety participants aged 6-15 years were enrolled; two participants were excluded because of low-quality images. In the retina, the reproducibility and repeatability of VD became poorer from superficial to deep retinal capillary plexus (superficial: COV = 4.61-11.11%; intermediate: COV = 7.73-14.15%; deep: COV = 14.60-32.28%). For both reproducibility and repeatability, the ICC ranged from moderate to high (superficial plexus: ICC = 0.570-0.976; intermediate plexus: ICC = 0.720-0.968; deep plexus: ICC = 0.628-0.954). In the choroid, the inter-examiner reproducibility and intra-examiner repeatability of the VD measurement of choriocapillaris were excellent in the macula, fovea, parafovea, and perifovea (COV = 1.00-6.10%; ICC = 0.856-0.950). The parameters of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) also showed significant reproducibility and repeatability (COV = 0.01-0.21%; ICC = 0.743-0.994). Conclusion: The VD measurements of the choriocapillaris and FAZ parameters using OCTA showed excellent inter-examiner and intra-examiner reliability in school children. The reproducibility and repeatability of the VD of three retinal capillary plexuses depended on the depth of the retinal capillary plexus.

A covalently crosslinked polysaccharide hydrogel for potential applications in drug delivery and tissue engineering.

The development of non-cytotoxic hydrogels that can allow for the controlled release of molecules has important clinical and therapeutic applications. In this paper, we developed a series of in situ hydrogels by combining N,O-carboxymethyl chitosan and oxidized alginate without additional crosslinking agents. The rheological properties of these hydrogels as well as their gelling time, swelling ratio, and in vitro degradation behavior were investigated. We observed that although gelation was rapid at physiological temperature, it was even faster in the presence of higher oxidization degree of alginate. In vitro cytotoxicity study showed that the developed hydrogels were not cytotoxic after 24 h of culturing with NIH-3T3 cells. Additionally, bovine serum albumin was released from the hydrogels initially by diffusion at early stages followed by a degradation-dependent mechanism at later stages. In conclusion, the developed hydrogel might have potential application in the drug delivery system and tissue engineering.

A 3-D metal-organic framework constructed with manganese(ΙΙ), 4,4'-oxybis(benzoic acid) and 2,2'-biphenyl: synthesis, crystal structure and photoelectric property characterization.

Assembly of 4,4'-oxybis(benzoic acid) (H(2)L) with manganese chloride in the presence of 2,2'-biphenyl (2,2'-bpy) affords a new coordination polymer [Mn(3)L(3)(2,2'-bpy)(2)](n) (1), in which the [MnL(2)]n layers are extended by L bridges resulting in a three-dimensional (3-D) coordination framework. The network structure of 1 has unusual (2,6)-connectivity and represents a new type of (8(12) · 12(3))(8)(3) topology. These identical and complementary networks are entangled to generate a self-penetrating supramolecular lattice. Moreover, the fluorescence spectrum of 1 exhibits fluorescent emission in the solution of methanol at room temperature. Electrochemical investigation illustrates the electrochemical properties of the title compound. The structure (C(62)H(40)Mn(3)N(4)O(15))(n) is monoclinic with a = 14.2304(18), b = 17.019(2), c = 25.805(3) Å, α = γ = 90, ß = 92.932(2)° and space group C2/c.

Bis{µ-2-[3-carboxyl-atometh-yl-4-(phenyl-sulfan-yl)phen-yl]propano-ato-κ(4)O,O':O'',O'''}bis-[(2,2'-bipyridine-κ(2)N,N')cadmium].

In the title complex, [Cd(2)(C(17)H(14)O(4)S)(2)(C(10)H(8)N(2))(2)], which was hydro-thermally synthesized, the Cd(II) cation is hexa-coordinated in a distorted octa-hedral geometry by two N atoms from a 2,2'-bipyridine ligand and by four O atoms from two different 2-[3-carboxyl-atometh-yl-4-(phenyl-sulfan-yl)phen-yl]propano-ate ligands, forming a cyclic dimetallic complex.