Risk factor analysis and establishment of a nomogram model to predict blood loss during total knee arthroplasty.

PURPOSE: The risk factors for excessive blood loss and transfusion during total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remain unclear. The present study aimed to determine the risk factors for excessive blood loss and establish a predictive model for postoperative blood transfusion. METHODS: This retrospective study included 329 patients received TKA, who were randomly assigned to a training set (n = 229) or a test set (n = 100). Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were used to determine risk factors for excessive blood loss. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to determine risk factors for blood transfusion. R software was used to establish the prediction model. The accuracy and stability of the models were evaluated using calibration curves, consistency indices, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: Risk factors for excessive blood loss included timing of using a tourniquet, the use of drainage, preoperative ESR, fibrinogen, HCT, ALB, and free fatty acid levels. Predictors in the nomogram included timing of using a tourniquet, the use of drainage, the use of TXA, preoperative ESR, HCT, and albumin levels. The area under the ROC curve was 0.855 (95% CI, 0.800 to 0.910) for the training set and 0.824 (95% CI, 0.740 to 0.909) for the test set. The consistency index values for the training and test sets were 0.855 and 0.824, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Risk factors for excessive blood loss during and after TKA were determined, and a satisfactory and reliable nomogram model was designed to predict the risk for postoperative blood transfusion.

Coupling Electrochemical Sulfion Oxidation with CO2 Reduction over Highly Dispersed p-Bi Nanosheets and CO2 -Assisted Sulfur Extraction.

We report herein an electrocatalytic CO2 reduction-coupled sulfion oxidation system for the co-productions of valuable formate and sulfur at much enhanced atom utilization. Specifically, an organic ligand-assisted two-step reconstruction approach has been developed to fabricate the highly dispersed p-Bi nanosheets (p-Bi NSs) for cathodic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2 RR), and meanwhile porous Co-S nanosheets (Co-S NSs) was applied for anodic sulfion oxidation reaction (SOR). Significantly high Faradaic Efficiencies of about 90 % for formate production by CO2 RR in a wide potential range from -0.6 V to -1.1 V, and excellent SOR performances including an ultra-low onset potential of about 0.2 V and recycle capacity of S2- in the 0.1 M and 0.5 M S2- solutions, have been simultaneously achieved. In the meantime, both the structure transformation of the catalysts and the reaction pathways are explored and discussed in detail. A two-electrode CO2 RR||SOR electrolyzer equipped with above electrocatalysts has been established, which features as low as about 1.5 V to run the electrolyzer at 100 mA cm-2 , manifesting extremely lowered electricity consumption in comparison to conventional CO2 RR system. Moreover, a sulfur separation approach has been proposed by using CO2 , which is efficient, environmentally friendly and cost effective with value-added NaHCO3 be obtained as the byproduct.

H* Species Regulation by Mn-Co(OH)2 for Efficient Nitrate Electro-reduction in Neutral Solution.

During the electrocatalytic NO3 - reduction reaction (NO3 - RR) under neutral condition, the activation of H2 O to generate H* and the inhibition of inter-H* species binding, are critically important but remain challenging for suppressing the non-desirable hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Here, a Mn-doped Co(OH)2 (named as Mn-Co(OH)2 ) has been synthesized by in situ reconstruction in the electrolyte, which is able to dissociate H2 O molecules but inhibits the binding of H* species between each other owing to the increased interatomic spacing by the Mn-doping. The Mn-Co(OH)2 electrocatalyst offers a faradaic efficiency (FE) of as high as 98.9±1.7% at -0.6 V vs. the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) and an energy efficiency (EE) of 49.90±1.03% for NH3 production by NO3 - RR, which are among the highest of the recently reported state-of-the-art catalysts in neutral electrolyte. Moreover, negligible degradation at -200 mA cm-2 has been found for at least 500 h, which is the longest catalytic durations ever reported. This work paves a novel approach for the design and synthesis of efficient NO3 - RR electrocatalysts.

Development of novel salicylic acid-donepezil-rivastigmine hybrids as multifunctional agents for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic, progressive brain degenerative disease that is common in the elderly. So far, there is no effective treatment. The multi-target-directed ligands (MTDLs) strategy has been recognised as the most promising approach due to the complexity of the pathogenesis of AD. Herein, novel salicylic acid-donepezil-rivastigmine hybrids were designed and synthesised. The bioactivity results exhibited that 5a was a reversible and selective eqBChE inhibitor (IC50 = 0.53 µM), and the docking provided the possible mechanism. Compound 5a also displayed potential anti-inflammatory effects and significant neuroprotective effect. Moreover, 5a exhibited favourable stabilities in artificial gastrointestinal solution and plasma. Finally, 5a demonstrated potential cognitive improvement in scopolamine-induced cognitive dysfunction. Hence, 5a was a potential multifunctional lead compound against AD.

A comparison of panitumumab and cetuximab in the treatment of KRAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM: Cetuximab and panitumumab are common antibodies against epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) that can be used in combination with chemotherapy for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Although these two drugs are considered to be very similar, differences in the efficacy and safety of cetuximab and panitumumab are still unclear. We conducted this meta-analysis to explore the effects and adverse reactions of cetuximab and panitumumab in the treatment of mCRC. METHODS: We searched PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, China national knowledge infrastructure (CNKI) and WanFang databases to identify records related to the efficacy and safety of cetuximab and panitumumab in the treatment of mCRC. The search terms were "cetuximab," "panitumumab," and "colorectal cancer." The deadline of searching was April 2022. Review manager 5.4 software was used to perform the statistical analysis for this meta-analysis. Pooled hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to evaluate the overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) of cetuximab and panitumumab in the treatment of mCRC. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in OS, PFS, and response rate (RR) between cetuximab arm and panitumumab arm (OS: HR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.81-1.03, p = .14; PFS: HR = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.83-1.02, p = .11; RR: OR = 1.22, 95% CI = 0.96-1.61, p = .14). We also did not observe any statistical difference between both arms in incidence of acneiform rash, severe acneiform rash, diarrhea, and severe diarrhea (acneiform rash: OR = 1.09, 95% CI = 0.84-1.42, p = .51; severe acneiform rash: OR = 1.50, 95% CI = 0.80-2.81, p = .21; diarrhea: OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 0.82-1.42, p = .58; severe diarrhea: OR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.44-1.84, p = .77). The incidence of paronychia was decreased in the panitumumab arm, but that of hypomagnesemia and severe hypomagnesemia were decreased in the cetuximab arm. (paronychia: OR = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.55-1.00, p = .05; hypomagnesemia: OR = 1.85, 95% CI =1.41-2.41, p < .00001; severe hypomagnesemia: OR = 2.66, 95% CI = 1.52-4.67, p = .0006). CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference in OS, PFS and RR between the cetuximab arm and panitumumab arm in the treatment of mCRC. For adverse reactions, the incidence of paronychia was decreased in the panitumumab arm, and the incidence of hypomagnesemia was deceased in the cetuximab arm.

The role of emodin on cisplatin resistance reversal of lung adenocarcinoma A549/DDP cell.

Exploring drugs that reverse drug resistance and increase the sensitivity of chemotherapy drugs could significantly improve treatment effect of cancer. Our study explored the reversal effect and possible molecular mechanisms of emodin on cisplatin resistance in A549/DDP cells. The IC50 and resistance index of cells were determined by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. The ability of cell proliferation was evaluated by wound healing assay. Transwell assay was used to detect cell invasion and migration. Apoptosis induction rate was determined by flow cytometry assay and 4',6- diamidino- 2-phenylindole staining. Intracellular concentration was determined by HPLC. Western blot analysis was applied to determine expressions of nuclear factor kappa beta (NF-κB) and its downstream proteins. In this study, we found that the growth inhibitory effect of cisplatin was significantly enhanced by emodin in A549/DDP cells. The combined use of emodin with DDP can effectively promote lung cancer cells apoptosis and inhibit cell migration and invasion. Further investigation indicated that reinforcement effect of emodin and DDP may be associated with inhibition of NF-κB pathway and drug efflux-related proteins such as P-glycoprotein (P-gp), multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP) and Glutathione S-transferase (GST). The key role of NF-κB was further confirmed by the application of NF-κB inhibitor Ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate. The intervention of both can significantly increase A549/DDP cell apoptosis and inhibit DDP-induced upregulation of P-gp, MRP and GST. Emodin reverses the cisplatin resistance of tumor cells by down-regulating expression of P-gp, MRP and GST, increasing the intracellular accumulation in A549/DDP cells, and the effect may be associated with the NF-κB pathways.

Characterization of lncRNAs and mRNAs Involved in Powdery Mildew Resistance in Cucumber.

Powdery mildew (PM) is a severe fungal disease of cucumber worldwide. Identification of genetic factors resistant to PM is of great importance for marker-assisted breeding to ensure cucumber production. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to play important roles in plant development and immunity; however, whether they have a role in PM response in cucurbit crops remains unknown. We performed strand-specific RNA sequencing and miRNA sequencing using RNA from cucumber leaves of two near-isogenic lines (NILs), S1003 and NIL (Pm5.1) infected with PM, and systematically characterized the profiles of cucumber lncRNAs and messenger RNA (mRNAs) responsive to PM. In total, we identified 12,903 lncRNAs and 25,598 mRNAs responsive to PM. Differential expression (DE) analysis showed that 119 lncRNAs and 136 mRNAs correlated with PM resistance. Functional analysis of these DE lncRNAs and DE mRNAs revealed that they are significantly associated with phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, phenylalanine metabolism, ubiquinone and other terpenoid-quinone biosynthesis, and endocytosis. Particularly, two lncRNAs, LNC_006805 and LNC_012667, might play important roles in PM resistance. In addition, we also predicted mature miRNAs and competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks of lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA involved in PM resistance. A total of 49 DE lncRNAs could potentially act as target mimics for 106 miRNAs. Taken together, our results provide an abundant resource for further exploration of cucumber lncRNAs, mRNAs, miRNAs, and ceRNAs in PM resistance, and will facilitate the molecular breeding for PM-resistant varieties to control this severe disease in cucumber.

Associations between medication use and phthalate metabolites in urine and follicular fluid among women undergoing in vitro fertilization.

BACKGROUND: Phthalates, which are used as excipients of drugs, have been related to adverse reproductive outcomes. However, the relationships between medication use and phthalate exposure among women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) have not been studied. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the associations between the medication intake and phthalate metabolites in urine and follicular fluid (FF). METHOD: Eight phthalate metabolites were measured in urine and FF samples from 274 women undergoing IVF using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Information on recent medication intake was obtained via interview by trained staff. We constructed generalized linear regression models to examine the associations of medication intake with phthalate metabolite concentrations and dose-response relationships between the number of medicines used and metabolite concentrations in two matrices. RESULTS: Four of 10 drugs were used by more than 10% of the participants, including vitamins (23.0%), traditional Chinese medicine (TCM, 22.3%), antioxidants (12.4%) and amoxicillin (10.2%). Participants who had used TCM had 26.0% (95% CI: 0.0, 58.8%), 32.6% (95% CI: 4.2, 68.8%) and 32.3% (95% CI: 2.6, 70.6%) higher urinary mono-n-butyl phthalate (MBP), mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP) and mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP) concentrations, respectively, than those who had not. Antioxidant intake was associated with a 30.6% (95% CI: -48.5, -6.6%) decrease in the urinary MBP concentration. Compared with non-users, women who reported the use of medicines had 53.2% (95% CI: 2.7, 128.5%) higher concentrations of MMP and a 37.7% (95% CI: -60.7, -1.5%) lower level of MBP in FF, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that the intake of some medications may increase phthalate exposure among women undergoing IVF.

Predictors of phthalate metabolites in urine and follicular fluid and correlations between urine and follicular fluid phthalate metabolite concentrations among women undergoing in vitro fertilization.

BACKGROUND: Phthalate metabolites in follicular fluid (FF) may negatively affect normal folliculogenesis; however, the predictors of phthalate metabolite concentrations in urine and FF and relationships between urine and FF phthalate metabolite concentrations among women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) are poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: To investigate predictors of phthalate metabolites in urine and FF and correlations between urine and FF phthalate metabolite concentrations among women undergoing IVF. METHOD: We recruited 305 women seeking infertility treatment at a reproductive center in Wuhan, China, from October to November 2016. Information regarding demographic characteristics, personal care product use and plastic material contact was obtained through direct interviews. Concentrations of 8 phthalate metabolites in urine and FF samples were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. Associations regarding metabolite concentrations in urine and FF samples were analysed by Spearman's correlation and linear regression. Generalized linear regression was used to examine potential predictors of phthalate metabolite concentrations in urine and FF. RESULTS: Weak to moderate associations between urine and FF samples were found for monoethyl phthalate (MEP) and mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP) (correlation coefficient: MEP, 0.350; MEOHP, 0.377); no associations were observed for other metabolites. The predictive powers of urinary metabolite concentrations in determining FF metabolite concentrations were uniformly low, with R2 ≤ 0.113. Body mass index (BMI) and educational level were inversely associated with the urinary concentrations of certain metabolites. Higher household income, intake of bottled drinks within 48 h, and use of shower gel and soap were frequently associated with higher urinary metabolite concentrations. BMI, higher household income and use of disposable plastic cups within 48 h were associated with higher metabolite concentrations in FF. CONCLUSION: Phthalate metabolite concentrations in urine and FF vary according to sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle factors. Phthalate metabolite concentrations in urine may not be appropriate for estimating ovary phthalate exposure.

NLRP3 Inflammasome Is Involved in Q-VD-OPH Induced Necroptosis Following Cerebral Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

Necroptosis is a manner of caspase-independent cell death,which accounts for delayed ischemic cerebral injury, and can be used as a novel tool to expand the treatment time window in ischemic cerebral injury. Q-VD-OPH, a novel pan caspase inhibitor, has been identified as an inducer of necroptosis. In this study, we determined the optimal dose of Q-VD-OPH, which induces necroptosis in rats by the middle cerebral artery occlusion, followed by reperfusion. Furthermore, we report that the NLRP3 inflammasome is involved in necroptosis, with levels of NLRP3 inflammasome proteins as well as inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1ß, being elevated. We also demonstrated that NLRP3 was not only expressed in microglia and vascular endothelial cell, but also in neurons when necroptosis is induced with Q-VD-OPH. Inhibition of NLRP3 by glyburide strongly suppressed the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome proteins and IL-1ß, and markedly reduced brain tissue damage. Our findings provide evidence that pretreatment with Q-VD-OPH suppresses apoptosis and induces necroptosis in the cerebral ischemia-reperfusion model. We also identified that the NLRP3 inflammasome plays an important role in neuronal necroptosis, and that NLRP3 inflammasome deficiency reduces brain tissue damage after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

Urinary phthalate metabolites in relation to serum anti-Müllerian hormone and inhibin B levels among women from a fertility center: a retrospective analysis.

BACKGROUND: Phthalates, a class of endocrine disruptors, have been demonstrated to accelerate loss of ovarian follicle pool via disrupting folliculogenesis, and lead to diminished ovarian reserve. However, human data are limited. Here, we aimed to examine whether urinary phthalate metabolites are correlated with markers of ovarian reserve among women attending a fertility clinic. METHODS: We measured eight phthalate metabolites in urine samples collected from 415 women seeking infertility treatment at the Reproductive Medicine Center of Tongji Hospital, Wuhan, China. Data on measures of ovarian reserve, as indicated by serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and inhibin B (INHB) levels, were retrieved retrospectively through electronic medical charts. Multivariate linear models were performed to estimate the associations of urinary phthalate metabolites and serum AMH and INHB. We further explored the potential nonlinearity of the relationships with restricted cubic spline analysis. RESULTS: Overall, we found largely null associations between urinary phthalate metabolites and serum AMH. The multivariable adjusted differences in serum INHB levels comparing the highest quartile of urinary MEHP to the lowest were - 18.29% (95% CI: - 31.89%, - 1.98%; P-trend = 0.04). Women in the second to fourth quartiles of MEOHP had a significant decrease of - 23.74% (95% CI: -35.85%, - 9.24%), - 19.91% (95% CI: -33.30%, - 3.82%) and - 20.23% (95% CI: -34.43%, - 2.96%), respectively, in INHB levels compared to the first quartile. In the spline analysis, we identified a nonlinear relationship between MEOHP exposure and serum INHB. CONCLUSIONS: We provided evidence for a negative association between urinary concentrations of certain phthalate metabolites and serum INHB levels, suggesting an adverse effect of phthalates exposure on growing antral follicles. Whether phthalates exposure at environmentally level will pose a risk for ovarian reserve needs further investigation.

Pd/NiMoO4/NF electrocatalysts for the efficient and ultra-stable synthesis and electrolyte-assisted extraction of glycolate.

Electrocatalytic conversion of organic small molecules is a promising technique for value-added chemical productions but suffers from high precious metal consumption, poor stability of electrocatalysts and tedious product separation. Here, a Pd/NiMoO4/NF electrocatalyst with much lowered Pd loading amount (3.5 wt.%) has been developed for efficient, economic, and ultra-stable glycolate synthesis, which shows high Faradaic efficiency (98.9%), yield (98.8%), and ultrahigh stability (1500 h) towards electrocatalytic ethylene glycol oxidation. Moreover, the obtained glycolic acid has been converted to value-added sodium glycolate by in-situ acid-base reaction in the NaOH electrolyte, which is atomic efficient and needs no additional acid addition for product separation. Moreover, the weak adsorption of sodium glycolate on the catalyst surface plays a significant role in avoiding excessive oxidation and achieving high selectivity. This work may provide instructions for the electrocatalyst design as well as product separation for the electrocatalytic conversions of alcohols.

Electrocatalytic functional group conversion-based carbon resource upgrading.

The conversions of carbon resources, such as alcohols, aldehydes/ketones, and ethers, have been being one of the hottest topics most recently for the goal of carbon neutralization. The emerging electrocatalytic upgrading has been regarded as a promising strategy aiming to convert carbon resources into value-added chemicals. Although exciting progress has been made and reviewed recently in this area by mostly focusing on the explorations of valuable anodic oxidation or cathodic reduction reactions individually, however, the reaction rules of these reactions are still missing, and how to purposely find or rationally design novel but efficient reactions in batches is still challenging. The properties and transformations of key functional groups in substrate molecules play critically important roles in carbon resources conversion reactions, which have been paid more attention to and may offer hidden keys to achieve the above goal. In this review, the properties of functional groups are addressed and discussed in detail, and the reported electrocatalytic upgrading reactions are summarized in four categories based on the types of functional groups of carbon resources. Possible reaction pathways closely related to functional groups will be summarized from the aspects of activation, cleavage and formation of chemical bonds. The current challenges and future opportunities of electrocatalytic upgrading of carbon resources are discussed at the end of this review.

Electrocatalytic ORR-coupled ammoximation for efficient oxime synthesis.

State-of-the-art technology for cyclohexanone oxime production typically demands elevated temperature and pressure, along with the utilization of expensive hydroxylamine sulfate or oxidants. Here, we propose an electrochemistry-assisted cascade strategy for the efficient cyclohexanone ammoximation under ambient conditions by using in situ cathode-generated green oxidants of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as OOH* and H2O2. This electrochemical reaction can take place at the cathode, achieving over 95% yield, 99% selectivity of cyclohexanone oxime, and an electron-to-oxime (ETO) efficiency of 96%. Mechanistic analysis reveals that, in addition to the direct ammoximation by in situ-generated OOH* by electrocatalytic ORR, Ti-MOR also play a major role in capturing OOH* directly and converting the in situ-generated H2O2 to OOH*, thus accelerating the ORR-coupled cascade production of cyclohexanone oxime. This work paves a mild, economical, and sustainable energy-efficient electrocatalytic route for the oxime production using oxygen, ammonium bicarbonate, and cyclohexanone.

Going beyond summed stress scores: Correlating global and territorial coronary flow reserve by single photon emission tomography with routine myocardial perfusion imaging.

a Background: Technological advancement in the recent years has enabled the application of single photon emission tomography (SPECT) to evaluate myocardial blood flow (MBF). This method offers increased sensitivity in the assessment of coronary health, quantifiable through non-invasive imaging beyond the more conventional methods such as with myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). b Aims: To correlate MBF, derived by dynamic SPECT, both global and by coronary territories to the summed stress scores (SSS) on conventional MPI. c Methods: Images obtained from dipyridamole-gated SPECT MPI stress and rest studies performed on recruited subjects were examined. We calculated the global and regional coronary flow reserve (CFR) via a standard software package, taken as the ratio of stress MBF to rest MBF, using CFR<2.5 as the cut off. d Results: Amongst the 90 recruited subjects (mean age 67 ± 8 years; of which 76% were males), 49% had MPI within normal limits (summed stress score (SSS) 0-3; Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) > 50%). We observed a progressive reduction in global and regional CFR across the normal SSS category to that of severely abnormal (SSS >13). Reduced global CFR with correspondent lower CFR across the regional arteries were detected in scans within normal limits of MPI scans in subjects who were older (69 ± 7 vs. 62 ± 9 years, p = 0.034). Decreasing CFR was significantly associated with increasing age across the regional arteries. e Conclusion: In our study we depict the global and regional MBF values obtained via SPECT MPI in correlation to the respective SSS categories. Our data proposes that dynamic SPECT has a part in refining cardiac risk stratification, particularly in the older adult population, who are at greater risk.

Large T-antigen up-regulates Kv4.3 K⁺ channels through Sp1, and Kv4.3 K⁺ channels contribute to cell apoptosis and necrosis through activation of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II.

Down-regulation of Kv4.3 K⁺ channels commonly occurs in multiple diseases, but the understanding of the regulation of Kv4.3 K⁺ channels and the role of Kv4.3 K⁺ channels in pathological conditions are limited. HEK (human embryonic kidney)-293T cells are derived from HEK-293 cells which are transformed by expression of the large T-antigen. In the present study, by comparing HEK-293 and HEK-293T cells, we find that HEK-293T cells express more Kv4.3 K⁺ channels and more transcription factor Sp1 (specificity protein 1) than HEK-293 cells. Inhibition of Sp1 with Sp1 decoy oligonucleotide reduces Kv4.3 K⁺ channel expression in HEK-293T cells. Transfection of pN3-Sp1FL vector increases Sp1 protein expression and results in increased Kv4.3 K⁺ expression in HEK-293 cells. Since the ultimate determinant of the phenotype difference between HEK-293 and HEK-293T cells is the large T-antigen, we conclude that the large T-antigen up-regulates Kv4.3 K⁺ channel expression through an increase in Sp1. In both HEK-293 and HEK-293T cells, inhibition of Kv4.3 K⁺ channels with 4-AP (4-aminopyridine) or Kv4.3 small interfering RNA induces cell apoptosis and necrosis, which are completely rescued by the specific CaMKII (calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II) inhibitor KN-93, suggesting that Kv4.3 K⁺ channels contribute to cell apoptosis and necrosis through CaMKII activation. In summary, we establish: (i) the HEK-293 and HEK-293T cell model for Kv4.3 K⁺ channel study; (ii) that large T-antigen up-regulates Kv4.3 K⁺ channels through increasing Sp1 levels; and (iii) that Kv4.3 K⁺ channels contribute to cell apoptosis and necrosis through activating CaMKII. The present study provides deep insights into the mechanism of the regulation of Kv4.3 K⁺ channels and the role of Kv4.3 K⁺ channels in cell death.

Effect of comprehensive nursing intervention on the outcomes of in vitro fertilization in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome: A randomized controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of comprehensive nursing intervention on in vitro fertilization (IVF) and pregnancy outcomes in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). METHOD: A total of 130 patients with PCOS admitted to our hospital from April 2021 to March 2023 were selected as the research subjects. They were evenly divided according to a random number table method. The control group received routine care for the patients, while the study group received comprehensive care for the patients. The IVF, pregnancy outcomes, negative emotional changes, serum and follicular fluid (FF) amyloid-related protein and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels of the 2 groups of patients were compared. RESULT: The data on IVF rate and pregnancy rate in the study group were significantly better than those in the control group (P < .05). The SAS and SDS scores of the study group patients after intervention were significantly lower than those of the control group (P < .05). After intervention, the levels of serum and FF amyloid associated protein and CRP in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < .05). CONCLUSION: Patients with PCOS who receive comprehensive care can increase their probability of IVF, improve their pregnancy outcomes, and have a positive significance in reducing negative emotions.

Multicenter Evaluation of the Feasibility of Clinical Implementation of SPECT Myocardial Blood Flow Measurement: Intersite Variability and Imaging Time.

BACKGROUND: Single-center studies have shown that single photon emission computed tomography myocardial blood flow (MBF) measurement is accurate compared with MBF measured with microspheres in a porcine model, positron emission tomography, and angiography. Clinical implementation requires consistency across multiple sites. The study goal is to determine the intersite processing repeatability of single photon emission computed tomography MBF and the additional camera time required. METHODS: Five sites (Canada, Italy, Japan, Germany, and Singapore) each acquired 25 to 35 MBF studies at rest and with pharmacological stress using technetium-99m-tetrofosmin on a pinhole-collimated cadmium-zinc-telluride-based cardiac single photon emission computed tomography camera with standardized list-mode imaging and processing protocols. Patients had intermediate to high pretest probability of coronary artery disease. MBF was measured locally and at a core laboratory using commercially available software. The time a room was occupied for an MBF study was compared with that for a standard rest/stress myocardial perfusion study. RESULTS: With motion correction, the overall correlation in MBF between core laboratory and local site was 0.93 (range, 0.87-0.97) at rest, 0.90 (range, 0.84-0.96) at stress, and 0.84 (range, 0.70-0.92) for myocardial flow reserve. The local-to-core difference in global MBF (bias-MBF) was 5.4% (-3.8% to 14.8%; median [interquartile range]) at rest and 5.4% (-6.2% to 19.4%) at stress. Between the 5 sites, bias-MBF ranged from -1.6% to 11.0% at rest and from -1.9% to 16.3% at stress; the interquartile range in bias-MBF was between 9.3% (4.8%-14.0%) and 22.3% (-10.3% to 12.0%) at rest and between 17.0% (-11.3% to 5.6%) and 33.3% (-10.4% to 22.9%) at stress and was not significantly different between most sites. Both bias and interquartile range were like previously reported interobserver variability and less than the SD of the test-retest difference of 30%. The overall difference in myocardial flow reserve was 1.52% (-10.6% to 11.3%). There were no significant differences between with and without motion correction. The average additional acquisition time varied between sites from 44 to 79 minutes. CONCLUSIONS: The average bias-MBF and bias-MFR values were small with standard deviations substantially less than the test-retest variability. This demonstrates that MBF can be measured consistently across multiple sites and further supports that this technique can be reliably implemented. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov; Unique identifier: NCT03427749.

Lanthanide-doped Na(x)ScF(3+x) nanocrystals: crystal structure evolution and multicolor tuning.

Rare-earth-based nanomaterials have recently drawn considerable attention because of their unique energy upconversion (UC) capabilities. However, studies of Sc(3+)-based nanomaterials are still absent. Herein we report the synthesis and fine control of Na(x)ScF(3+x) nanocrystals by tuning of the ratio of oleic acid (OA, polar surfactant) to 1-octadecene (OD, nonpolar solvent). When the OA:OD ratio was increased from low (3:17) to high (3:7), the nanocrystals changed from pure monoclinic phase (Na(3)ScF(6)) to pure hexagonal phase (NaScF(4)) via a transition stage at an intermediate OA:OD ratio (3:9) where a mixture of nanocrystals in monoclinic and hexagonal phases was obtained and the coexistence of the two phases inside individual nanocrystals was also observed. More significantly, because of the small radius of Sc(3+), Na(x)ScF(3+x):Yb/Er nanocrystals show different UC emission from that of NaYF(4):Yb/Er nanocrystals, which broadens the applications of rare-earth-based nanomaterials ranging from optical communications to disease diagnosis.

Nanocomposites of graphene oxide and upconversion rare-earth nanocrystals with superior optical limiting performance.

Upconversion rare-earth nanomaterials (URENs) possess highly efficient near-infrared (NIR), e.g., 980 nm, laser absorption and unique energy upconversion capabilities. On the other hand, graphene and its derivatives, such as graphene oxide (GO), show excellent performance in optical limiting (OL); however, the wavelengths of currently used lasers for OL studies mainly focus on either 532 or 1064 nm. To design new-generation OL materials working at other optical regions, such as the NIR, a novel nanocomposites, GO-URENs, which combines the advantages of both its components, is synthesized by a one-step chemical reaction. Transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, and fluorescence studies prove that the α-phase URENs uniformly attach on the GO surface via covalent chemical bonding, which assures highly efficient energy transfer between URENs and GO, and also accounts for the significantly improved OL performance compared to either GO or URENs. The superior OL effect is also observed in the proof-of-concept thin-film product, suggesting immediate applications in making high-performance laser-protecting products and optoelectronic devices.