Safety and efficacy of thoracic endovascular aortic repair for acute Stanford type B aortic dissection with retrograde type A intramural hematoma.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate safety and efficacy of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for acute Stanford type B aortic dissection (TBAD) with retrograde type A intramural hematoma (TAIMH). METHODS: Patients with acute TBAD with retrograde TAIMH treated with TEVAR between January 1, 2014, to March 31, 2022, were retrospectively reviewed. Aortic diameter and distance were measured using the 3D Slicer image computing platform. Patients' characteristics, procedural, in-hospital and follow-up data, and aortic remodeling were analyzed. RESULTS: Fifty-two patients (average age, 52.6 years; 42 males [80.8%]) were included. The median interval from symptom onset to TEVAR was 11 days (interquartile range, 7.0-16.8 days). The maximal diameter of the ascending aorta (AA) was <50 mm, and the hematoma thickness in the AA was ≤10 mm in all patients. Both the in-hospital and 30-day mortality rates were 0%. The 30-day complication rate was 11.5%. The overall cumulative survival rates were 100% at 1 year, 97.1% at 3 years, and 92.6% at 5 years. Four of 52 patients (7.7%) developed retrograde type A aortic dissection at 10 days to 4 months postoperatively, and one of 52 patients (1.9%) developed an isolated AA dissection 4 months postoperatively; these five patients were treated and alive at late follow-up in March 2022. The rates of cumulative freedom from thoracic aortic re-intervention were 93.7% at 1 year and 90.7% at 5 years. Positive AA remodeling was observed in 92.3% (48/52) of patients during follow-up. The maximal diameter of AA (mean ± standard error of mean) at admission was 42.7 ± 0.8 mm, which decreased to 39.5 ± 0.9 mm at last follow-up. The maximal AA hematoma thickness at admission was 7.6 ± 0.3 mm, which reduced to 2.2 ± 0.9 mm at last follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: For selected patients of acute Stanford TBAD with retrograde TAIMH, endovascular repair may be a safe, effective, and durable alternative treatment, if the maximum diameter of the AA is <50 mm and the intramural hematoma thickness in the AA is ≤10 mm.

Nationwide Occurrence and Unexpected Severe Pollution of Fluorescent Brighteners in the Sludge of China: An Emerging Anthropogenic Marker.

Fluorescent brighteners (FBs) are a group of mass-produced dyestuff chemicals that have been extensively used for decades. However, knowledge of their occurrence in municipal wastewater treatment plants on a large geographical scale remains unknown. Herein, we implemented the first nationwide survey for wastewater-derived FBs in sludge across major cities in China. All 25 target FBs were detected in the nationwide sludge. Ionic FBs exhibited much higher concentrations than nonionic FBs. The total sludge concentrations of 25 FBs (∑25FBs) ranged from 7300 to 1,520,000 ng/g, with a median of 35,300 ng/g. A clear geographical distribution of significantly higher concentrations of FBs was found in East and Central China than in West China (p < 0.05). The sludge concentrations of ∑25FBs were correlated well with the gross domestic product (GDP) and population size at the provincial level in China (p < 0.05), demonstrating the significance of anthropogenic impacts on FB levels in urban sludge. The nationwide annual emission of total FBs into sludge in China is estimated to be 835 tons/year, of which 134 tons/year is directly released into sludge-applied soils. Our work highlights another new class of chemicals that significantly contribute to the chemical mixtures in urban sludge and thus require immediate attention.

Identification and verification of ferroptosis-related genes in diabetic foot using bioinformatics analysis.

Ferroptosis is a novel form of cell death that plays a key role in several diseases, including inflammation and tumours; however, the role of ferroptosis-related genes in diabetic foot remains unclear. Herein, diabetic foot-related genes were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus and the ferroptosis database (FerrDb). The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression algorithm was used to construct a related risk model, and differentially expressed genes were analysed through immune infiltration. Finally, we identified relevant core genes through a protein-protein interaction network, subsequently verified using immunohistochemistry. Comprehensive analysis showed 198 genes that were differentially expressed during ferroptosis. Based on functional enrichment analysis, these genes were primarily involved in cell response, chemical stimulation, and autophagy. Using the CIBERSORT algorithm, we calculated the immune infiltration of 22 different types of immune cells in diabetic foot and normal tissues. The protein-protein interaction network identified the hub gene TP53, and according to immunohistochemistry, the expression of TP53 was high in diabetic foot tissues but low in normal tissues. Accordingly, we identified the ferroptosis-related gene TP53 in the diabetic foot, which may play a key role in the pathogenesis of diabetic foot and could be used as a potential biomarker.

Progress in the application of patch materials in cardiovascular surgery. / 补片材料在心血管手术中的应用进展.

The cardiovascular patch, served as artificial graft materials to replace heart or vascular tissue defect, is still playing a key role in cardiovascular surgeries. The defects of traditional cardiovascular patch materials may determine its unsatisfactory long-term effect or fatal complications after surgery. Recent studies on many new materials (such as tissue engineered materials, three-dimensional printed materials, etc) are being developed. Patch materials have been widely used in clinical procedures of cardiovascular surgeries such as angioplasty, cardiac atrioventricular wall or atrioventricular septum repair, and valve replacement. The clinical demand for better cardiovascular patch materials is still urgent. However, the cardiovascular patch materials need to adapt to normal coagulation mechanism and durability, promote short-term endothelialization after surgery, and inhibit long-term postoperative intimal hyperplasia, its research and development process is relatively complicated. Understanding the characteristics of various cardiovascular patch materials and their application in cardiovascular surgeries is important for the selection of new clinical surgical materials and the development of cardiovascular patch materials.

Endovascular repair combined with adjunctive procedures in the treatment of tuberculous infected native aortic aneurysms.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to analyze the experience of a single center and assess the efficacy and durability of endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) in patients with tuberculous infected native aortic aneurysms (INAAs). METHODS: All patients who underwent EVAR for INAAs between September 2014 and August 2021 were reviewed retrospectively. The primary end points were 30-day and overall mortality rates; the secondary outcomes included major complications, endoleak, recurrence, reintervention rate, and thrombosis of the pseudoaneurysmal sac. RESULTS: A total of 18 patients (average age, 61.3 years; 10 female [55.6%]) were identified. Fifteen patients (83.3%) had adjunctive procedures. Both the in-hospital and 30-day mortality rates were 0%. The overall cumulative survival rates estimated by Kaplan-Meier were 100% at 1 and 6 months, and 92.3% at 12 and 24 months, and 80.8% at 36 and 48 months. Type Ib and II endoleaks each occurred in 1 patient (5.6%) and resolved without treatment after 1 month. No graft infections, strokes, paraplegia, ischemic abdominal complications, or other major complications occurred. The overall rates of cumulative freedom from recurrence of aneurysm and reintervention were 83.9% and 81.8%, respectively, during the median follow-up period of 28.5 months (range, 1-72 months). The median time of administering antituberculosis drugs was 10.5 months (range, 2-44 months). CONCLUSIONS: EVAR combined with oral antituberculosis medication is effective and may be an appealing treatment option for patients with high-risk INAAs. Adjunctive procedures, including targeted drug delivery to the site of infection, could be a solution to further controlling the infection, but still needs further evaluation.

RE(OH)2NO3 (RE = Tb, Dy, Ho, and Er): Synthesis and Nonlinear Optical Properties of Water-Resistant Lanthanide Hydroxide Nitrates.

A series of lanthanide-containing water-resistant nitrates, namely RE(OH)2NO3 (RE = Tb(1), Dy(2), Ho(3), and Er(4)), was obtained through the hydrothermal process. As possible nonlinear optical materials, they feature a layered isomorph composed of an [REO3(OH)6] polyhedron and an [NO3] triangle, and the synergistic arrangement of the [REO3(OH)6] and [NO3] groups in their structures leads to their obvious second-order nonlinear optical effect. Nevertheless, the unique optical absorption caused by the electronic transitions on 4f-4f orbitals of lanthanides results in their second harmonic generation responses of different strengths, with 1 exhibiting 5.07 times that of KDP, but 2-4 showing less than half of KDP. In addition, 1 possesses an outstanding water-resistant capacity and a transparent cut-off edge around 300 nm, foreshadowing its potential value as a nonlinear optical crystal. Moreover, 1 is found to emit characteristic green fluorescence due to the typical 5D4 → 7F5 transitions of the excited Tb3+ ions.

Identification of Triazine UV Filters as an Emerging Class of Abundant, Ubiquitous Pollutants in Indoor Dust and Air from South China: Call for More Concerns on Their Occurrence and Human Exposure.

Triazine UV filters are an important class of UV filters, but knowledge on their environmental occurrence and human exposure remains largely unknown. In this study, we performed a targeted analysis of 17 emerging triazine UV filters in indoor dust and indoor air from South China based on a newly developed LC-MS/MS method. A total of 12 of the 17 emerging triazine UV filters were first positively detected in the dust and air samples. Ethylhexyl triazone (EHT) and bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine (BEMT) were identified as the most abundant compounds. The median total concentrations of triazine UV filters reached 3860 ng/g in indoor dust and 1590 pg/m3 in indoor air. Gas-particle partitioning analysis showed that triazine UV filters were predominant in the particle phase in ambient air. Significant concentration correlations were observed among most triazine UV filters. The estimated daily intake of triazine UV filters through dust ingestion and air inhalation for toddlers under high-end exposure scenarios was up to 839 ng/kg bw/day, but a lack of toxic thresholds hampers accurate risk assessment. Our work highlights another emerging class of UV filters that significantly contribute to indoor chemical mixtures and expresses concerns over their occurrence and human exposure.

NIR Photothermal-Responsive Shape Memory Polyurethane with Protein-Inspired Aggregated Chymotrypsin-Sensitive Degradable Domains.

Biodegradable shape memory polymers are promising biomaterials for stents used in minimally invasive surgical procedures such as intestinal stents. Herein, a series of biodegradable shape memory polyurethanes (SMPUs) containing a novel phenylalanine-derived chain extender (PHP) are synthesized. Inspired by the fact that the function of biomacromolecules such as proteins is rich and varied because of the multiple combinations of the amino acid in highly evolved biosystems, this study finds that the sequence distribution of PHP in SMPU will also have a great influence on the phase structure and degradation behavior, especially the difference of surface morphology caused by degradation. Considering that the transition temperature (Ttrans ) of SMPU obtained is higher than physiological temperature, oxidized carbon black (OCB) with the ability of photothermal conversion is introduced into SMPU, which can not only endow SMPU with near-infrared response shape recovery characteristics, but also enhance phase separation degree and mechanical properties of them. SMPU/OCB composites show excellent shape memory effect and rapid photothermal response, and they can be degraded by chymotrypsin with an adjustable degradation rate. These SMPU/OCB composites show broad potential for application as intestinal stents.

Identification of a novel tumour microenvironment-based prognostic biomarker in skin cutaneous melanoma.

Skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) is one of the most destructive skin malignancies and has attracted worldwide attention. However, there is a lack of prognostic biomarkers, especially tumour microenvironment (TME)-based prognostic biomarkers. Therefore, there is an urgent need to investigate the TME in SKCM, as well as to identify efficient biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of SKCM patients. A comprehensive analysis was performed using SKCM samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas and normal samples from Genotype-Tissue Expression. TME scores were calculated using the ESTIMATE algorithm, and differential TME scores and differentially expressed prognostic genes were successively identified. We further identified more reliable prognostic genes via least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analysis and constructed a prognostic prediction model to predict overall survival. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy, and Cox regression analysis was applied to explore the relationship with clinicopathological characteristics. Finally, we identified a novel prognostic biomarker and conducted a functional enrichment analysis. After considering ESTIMATEScore and tumour purity as differential TME scores, we identified 34 differentially expressed prognostic genes. Using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression, we identified seven potential prognostic biomarkers (SLC13A5, RBM24, IGHV3OR16-15, PRSS35, SLC7A10, IGHV1-69D and IGHV2-26). Combined with receiver operating characteristic and regression analyses, we determined PRSS35 as a novel TME-based prognostic biomarker in SKCM, and functional analysis enriched immune-related cells, functions and signalling pathways. Our study indicated that PRSS35 could act as a potential prognostic biomarker in SKCM by investigating the TME, so as to provide new ideas and insights for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of SKCM.

Supra-Aortic Branch Occlusion from Takayasu Arteritis with Systemic Collateral Vessels.

Online supplemental material is available for this article.

UTRN inhibits melanoma growth by suppressing p38 and JNK/c-Jun signaling pathways.

BACKGROUND: Utrophin (UTRN), as a tumor suppressor gene, is involved in various cancer progression. The function of UTRN in the melanoma process and the related molecular mechanisms are still unclear. Herein, we studied the function of UTRN in melanoma growth and the relevant molecular mechanisms. METHODS: Using the GEO database and UCSC Xena project, we compared the expression of UTRN in non-cancerous and melanoma tissues. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining, qRT-PCR and Western Blot (WB) were performed to evaluate UTRN expression in clinical samples. A total of 447 cases with UTRN expression data, patient characteristics and survival data were extracted from TCGA database and analyzed. After stable transduction and single cell cloning, the proliferation ability of A375 human melanoma cells was analyzed by Cell Counting Kit­8 (CCK) and 5­ethynyl­2'­deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation assays. GSEA was performed to predict the mechanism by which UTRN regulated melanoma growth. Then WB analysis was used to assess the protein expression levels of pathway signaling in overexpression (EXP) melanoma cells. Epac activator 8-pCPT-2'-O-Me-cAMP was then used to evaluate the proliferation ability by activation of p38 and JNK/c-Jun signaling pathways. RESULTS: Data from GEO and UCSC Xena project indicated that UTRN expression was decreased in melanoma. Experiment on clinical samples further confirmed our finding. TCGA results showed that a reduced expression of UTRN in 447 melanoma samples was associated with advanced clinical characteristics (T stage, Clark level, ulceration), shorter survival time and poorer prognosis. In addition, up-regulated UTRN expression inhibited melanoma cell proliferation when compared to control group. MAPK signaling pathway was presented in both KEGG and BioCarta databases by using GSEA tool. WB results confirmed the down-regulated expression of p38, JNK1 and c-Jun in EXP group when compared to control group. Epac activator 8-pCPT-2'-O-Me-cAMP treatment could partially rescue proliferation of tumor cells. CONCLUSION: We have demonstrated that reduced UTRN predicted poorer prognosis and UTRN inhibited melanoma growth via p38 and JNK1/c-Jun pathways. Therefore, UTRN could serve as a tumor suppressor and novel prognostic biomarker for melanoma patients.

Midterm Results of Retrograde In Situ Needle Fenestration During Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair of Aortic Arch Pathologies.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and feasibility of the in situ needle fenestration (ISNF) technique for reconstruction of the left subclavian artery (LSA) during thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) of complicated aortic arch pathologies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted from January 2014 to December 2019 of 50 patients (mean age 60.2±11.1; 45 men) who underwent ISNF to revascularize the LSA during TEVAR. Twenty-one of the patients also required revascularization of the left common carotid artery (LCCA; n=19) and innominate artery (IA; n=2) using physician-modified in vitro fenestration. Overall, 73 supra-aortic branches were targeted for revascularization. RESULTS: ISNF was successful in 48 patients (96%); one LSA could not be stented and a tortuous LSA prevented the needle from fenestrating the graft. No perioperative major adverse event occurred. There were no type I and 4 type III endoleaks (8%), 3 of which occurred among the first 20 cases. Types II and IV endoleaks were found in 3 (6%) and 6 (12%) cases, respectively; all disappeared during a median follow-up of 15 months (range 3-66). One death (2%) occurred within 12 months due to cerebral hemorrhage. Two patients (4%) required open reinterventions at 6 and 62 months. CONCLUSION: ISNF for revascularization of the LSA during TEVAR seems to be feasible with acceptable midterm outcomes. The learning curve and evolving patient selection criteria affected technical success, complications, and the need for reinterventions. Long-term durability requires further evaluation.

Morphological Features of Aortic Arch Predicting the Risk for Acute Type B Aortic Dissection.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study is to elucidate the changes in aortic morphological parameters and identify the specific geometric risk factors associated with aTBAD. METHODS: A total of 167 patients in aTBAD group and 196 subjects in control group were enrolled in the study. The aortic morphological data were retrospectively analyzed by 3mensio Vascular software. The aortic morphological parameters include diameter, length, angulation, tortuosity and the type of aortic arch. Multivariable logistic regression models were developed to identify the significant predictors associated with the angulation, tortuosity and aortic arch type. The predictive capacity of the models was evaluated through the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: The diameters in the ascending aorta and aortic arch and the lengths in the ascending aorta and total aorta were significantly greater in aTBAD group. Besides, the angulation of the ascending aorta and aortic arch in aTBAD group increased significantly. The tortuosity of aortic arch and total aorta was significantly higher in aTBAD group. The prevalence of type III arch in aTBAD group was significantly higher than that in the controls. Multivariable models demonstrated that aortic arch angulation, tortuosity and type III arch were independent geometric predictors of aTBAD occurrence. Based on the ROC analysis, AUC of the risk prediction models was 0.977, 0.958 and 0.945, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Besides the enlargement of the ascending aorta and aortic arch, incremental aortic arch angulation, tortuosity and type III arch configuration are valuable geometric risk factors that could enhance aTBAD incidence.

Enhanced Hydrolytic Resistance of Fluorinated Silicon-Containing Polyether Urethanes.

The hydrolysis of a newly synthesized polyether urethane (PEU) that uses polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as a second macrodiol and fluorinated diol (FDO) as another chain extender has been studied via immersion in buffer solutions at 70 °C. The hydrolysis process was monitored using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and tensile testing. After aging for 32 weeks, no surface defect was observed on the fluorinated silicon-containing PEUs (FSPEU). Meanwhile, the addition of FDO did not alter the other issues of bulk hydrolysis, such as the changes in molecular weight and mechanical strength. Moreover, microphase separation of FSPEU was suppressed during temperature-accelerated hydrolysis, whereas aging induced a more noticeable phase of morphological change in silicon-modified PEUs (SPEU) due to the hindrance effect of the fluorinated side chains. The formation of hydrolysis-prone allophanate is also reduced in the presence of FDO. FSPEU with enhanced antihydrolysis performance can potentially be applied to biostable medical devices.

Using ultrasound features and radiomics analysis to predict lymph node metastasis in patients with thyroid cancer.

BACKGROUND: Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is an important factor for thyroid cancer patients' treatment and prognosis. The aim of this study was to explore the clinical value of ultrasound features and radiomics analysis in predicting LNM in thyroid cancer patients before surgery. METHODS: The characteristics of ultrasound images of 150 thyroid nodules were retrospectively analysed. All nodules were confirmed as thyroid cancer. Among the assessed patients, only one hundred and twenty-six patients underwent lymph node dissection. All patients underwent an ultrasound examination before surgery. In the radiomic analysis, the area of interest was identified from selected ultrasound images by using ITK-SNAP software. The radiomic features were extracted by using Ultrosomics software. Then, the data were classified into a training set and a validation set. Hypothetical tests and bagging were used to build the model. The diagnostic performance of different ultrasound features was assessed, a radiomic analysis was conducted, and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to explore the diagnostic accuracy. RESULTS: Regarding the prediction of LNM, the ROC curves showed that the area under the curve (AUC) values of an irregular shape and microcalcification were 0.591 (P = 0.059) and 0.629 (P = 0.007), respectively. In the radiomics analysis, in the training set, the AUC value of LNM was 0.759, with a sensitivity of 0.90 and a specificity of 0.860. In the verification set, the AUC was 0.803, with a sensitivity of 0.727 and a specificity of 0.800. CONCLUSIONS: Microcalcification and an irregular shape are predictors of LNM in thyroid carcinoma patients. In addition, radiomics analysis has promising value in screening meaningful ultrasound features in thyroid cancer patients with LNM. Therefore, the prediction of LNM based on ultrasound features and radiomic features is useful for making appropriate decisions regarding surgery and interventions before thyroid carcinoma surgery.

The association of metabolic syndrome components and chronic kidney disease in patients with hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a highly prevalent disease and the leading cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Metabolic syndrome could also be the risk factor for CKD. We sought to study the association between metabolic syndrome components and the prevalence of CKD in patients with hypertension. METHODS: We carried out a multi-center cross-sectional study from Apr. 2017- Apr. 2018 in 15 cities in China. RESULTS: A total of 2484 patients with hypertension were enrolled. Among them, 56% were male and the average age was 65.12 ± 12.71 years. The systolic BP/diastolic BP was 142 ± 18/83 ± 12 mmHg. Metabolic syndrome components turned out to be highly prevalent in patients with hypertension, ranging from 40 to 58%. The prevalence of chronic kidney disease reached 22.0%. Multi-variate logistic analysis revealed that elevated triglyceride (TG) (OR = 1.81, 95% CI 1.28-2.57, p < 0.01), elevated fasting blood glucose (FBG) (OR = 1.43, 95% CI 1.00-2.07, p = 0.05) and hypertension grades (OR = 1.20, 95% CI 1.00-1.44, p = 0.05) were associated with the prevalence of CKD. In sub-group analysis, elevated TG remained strongly associated with CKD in both diabetes (OR = 2.10, 95%CI 1.22-3.61, p < 0.01) and non-diabetes (OR = 1.53, 95% CI 1.09-2.16, p = 0.01). In sub-group analysis of hypertension grades, there was also a graded trend between elevated TG and CKD from controlled blood pressure (BP) to hypertension grade 2 (OR = 1.81, 95%CI 1.06-3.11, p = 0.03; OR = 1.85, 95%CI 1.00-3.43, p = 0.05; OR = 2.81, 95% CI 1.09-7.28, p = 0.03, respectively). CONCLUSION: Elevated TG, elevated FBG and hypertension grades were significantly associated with the prevalence of CKD in patients with hypertension. Particularly, elevated TG was strongly associated with CKD, independent of diabetes and hypertension grades.

Chloroquine improves the response to ischemic muscle injury and increases HMGB1 after arterial ligation.

OBJECTIVE: We have previously shown that exogenous administration of the nuclear protein high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) improves angiogenesis after tissue ischemia. Antagonizing HMGB1 prolongs muscle necrosis and deters regeneration. In this study, we evaluated HMGB1 expression in peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and the mechanisms that promote its release in a murine model of hindlimb ischemia. Specifically, we investigated how chloroquine (CQ), a commonly employed disease-modifying antirheumatic drug, promotes HMGB1 release from muscle. We hypothesized that CQ could increase HMGB1 locally and systemically, allowing it to mediate recovery from ischemic injury. METHODS: Muscle biopsies were performed on patients undergoing lower extremity surgery for non-PAD-related disease as well as for claudication and critical limb ischemia. Clinical symptoms and ankle-brachial indices were recorded for each patient. HMGB1 was detected in muscle sections using immunohistochemical staining. Unilateral femoral artery ligation was performed on both wild-type and inducible HMGB1 knockout mice. Wild-type mice were administered intraperitoneal CQ 2 weeks before and after femoral artery ligation. Laser Doppler perfusion imaging was used to determine perfusion recovery. Serum and tissue levels of HMGB1 were measured at designated time points. In vitro, cultured C2C12 myoblasts were treated with increasing doses of CQ. HMGB1, autophagosome formation, p62/SQSTM1 accumulation, caspase-1 expression and activity, and lactate dehydrogenase levels were measured in supernatants and cell lysates. RESULTS: Nuclear expression of HMGB1 was prominent in patients with claudication and critical limb ischemia (P < .05) compared with controls. CQ-treated mice had elevated serum HMGB1 and diffuse HMGB1 staining in muscle (P < .01). In wild-type mice, CQ treatment resulted in higher laser Doppler perfusion imaging ratios in the ischemic limb at 7 days (P < .03) and less fat replacement after 2 weeks (P < .03). In cultured myoblasts, CQ induced autophagosome accumulation, inhibited p62/SQSTM-1 degradation, and activated caspase-1. CONCLUSIONS: HMGB1 is prominently expressed in PAD muscle but mostly confined to the nucleus. Our in vivo data suggest that HMGB1 mobilization into the sarcoplasm and serum can be increased with CQ, possibly through caspase-1-mediated pathways. Whereas HMGB1 can be released by many cell types, these studies suggest that the muscle may be an important additional source that is relevant in PAD.

Antibacterial and Biocompatible Cross-Linked Waterborne Polyurethanes Containing Gemini Quaternary Ammonium Salts.

A cross-linked waterborne polyurethane (CPTMGPU) with long-term stability was developed from poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), polyoxytetramethylene glycol (PTMG), isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), l-lysine, and its derivative diamine consisting of gemini quaternary ammonium salt (GQAS), using ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether (EGDE) as a cross-linker. Weight loss test, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements, and attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) were performed to prove the surface structure and stability of these CPTMGPU films. Furthermore, the GQAS-bearing CPTMGPUs show repeatable contact-active antibacterial efficacy against both Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria and do not show any inhibition effect against fibroblasts in vitro. After subcutaneous implantation in rats, the CPTMGPU films manifest good biocompatibility in vivo, despite the presence of a typical foreign body reaction toward surrounding tissues and mild systematic inflammation reaction that could be eliminated after a short implantation period, as demonstrated by histology and immunohistochemistry combined with interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-α analysis though enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Therefore, these cross-linked waterborne polyurethanes hold great promise for antibacterial applications in vivo.

Simultaneous Improvement of Oxidative and Hydrolytic Resistance of Polycarbonate Urethanes Based on Polydimethylsiloxane/Poly(hexamethylene carbonate) Mixed Macrodiols.

The degradation behaviors including oxidation and hydrolysis of silicone modified polycarbonate urethanes were thoroughly investigated. These polyurethanes were based on polyhexamethylene carbonate (PHMC)/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) mixed macrodiols with molar ratio of PDMS ranging from 5% to 30%. It was proved that PDMS tended to migrate toward surface and even a small amount of PDMS could form a silicone-like surface. Macrophages-mediated oxidation process indicated that the PDMS surface layer was desirable to protect the fragile soft PHMC from the attack of degradative species. Hydrolysis process was probed in detail after immersing in boiling buffered water using combined analytical tools. Hydrolytically stable PDMS could act as protective shields for the bulk to hinder the chain scission of polycarbonate carbonyls whereas the hydrolysis of urethane linkages was less affected. Although the promoted phase separation at higher PDMS fractions lead to possible physical defects and mechanical compromise after degradation, simultaneously enhanced oxidation and hydrolysis resistance could be achieved for the polyurethanes with proper PDMS incorporation.