The impact of PET/CT and brain MRI for metastasis detection among patients with clinical T1-category lung cancer: Findings from a large-scale cohort study.

PURPOSE: [18F]-FDG PET/CT and brain MRI are common approaches to detect metastasis in patients of lung cancer. Current guidelines for the use of PET/CT and MRI in clinical T1-category lung cancer lack risk-based stratification and require optimization. This study stratified patients based on metastatic risk in terms of the lesions' size and morphological characteristics. METHODS: The detection rate of metastasis was measured in different sizes and morphological characteristics (solid and sub-solid) of tumors. To confirm the cut-off value for discriminating metastasis and overall survival (OS) prediction, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed based on PET/CT metabolic parameters (SUVmax/SUVmean/SULpeak/MTV/TLG), followed by Kaplan-Meier analysis for survival in post-operation patients with and without PET/CT plus MRI. RESULTS: 2,298 patients were included. No metastasis was observed in patients with solid nodules < 8.0 mm and sub-solid nodules < 10.0 mm. The cut-off of PET/CT metabolic parameters on discriminating metastasis were 1.09 (SUVmax), 0.26 (SUVmean), 0.31 (SULpeak), 0.55 (MTV), and 0.81 (TLG), respectively. Patients undergoing PET/CT plus MRI exhibited longer OS compared to those who did not receive it in solid nodules ≥ 8.0 mm & sub-solid nodules ≥ 10.0 mm (HR, 0.44; p < 0.001); in solid nodules ≥ 8.0 mm (HR, 0.12; p<0.001) and in sub-solid nodules ≥ 10.0 mm (HR; 0.61; p=0.075), respectively. Compared to patients with metabolic parameters lower than cut-off values, patients with higher metabolic parameters displayed shorter OS: SUVmax (HR, 12.94; p < 0.001), SUVmean (HR, 11.33; p <0.001), SULpeak (HR, 9.65; p < 0.001), MTV (HR, 9.16; p = 0.031), and TLG (HR, 12.06; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The necessity of PET/CT and MRI should be cautiously evaluated in patients with solid nodules < 8.0 mm and sub-solid nodules < 10.0 mm, however, these examinations remained essential and beneficial for patients with solid nodules ≥ 8.0 mm and sub-solid nodules ≥ 10.0 mm.

A self-calibrating flexible SERS substrate incorporating PB@Au assemblies for reliable and reproducible detection.

The precise quantitative analysis using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) in an uncontrollable environment still faces a significant obstacle due to the poor reproducibility of Raman signals. Herein, we propose a facile method to fabricate a self-calibrating substrate based on a flexible polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film comprising assemblies of Prussian blue (PB) and Au NPs (PB@Au) for reliable detection. PB cores were coated with an Au shell through simple electrostatic interaction, forming core-shell nanostructure PB@Au assemblies within the PVA film. The outer Au layer provided identical trends in enhancement for both the PB core and neighboring targets while PB cores served as an internal standard (IS) to correct signal fluctuations. The prevention of competitive adsorption on the metal surface between targets and ISs was achieved. The proposed PVA/PB@Au film exhibited enhanced stability of Raman signals after IS correction, resulting in improved spot-to-spot and batch-to-batch reproducibility with significantly reduced standard deviation (RSD) values from 11.42% and 25.02% to 4.43% and 9.39%, respectively. Simultaneously, a higher accuracy in the quantitative analysis of 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA) and malachite green (MG) was achieved with fitting coefficient (R2) values improving from 0.9675 and 0.9418 to 0.9974 and 0.9832, respectively. Moreover, the PVA/PB@Au film was successfully applied to detect residual MG in real fish samples. This work opens up an avenue to improve the reproducibility of Raman signals for flexible SERS substrates in the detection of residues under various complex conditions.

Poly(ionic liquid)s-Based Thermal-Responsive Microgel for Use as SERS Substrates with "ON-OFF" Switchable Effect.

A temperature-responsive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate with "ON-OFF" switching based on poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs) block copolymer microgels have been designed and synthesized. The PIL units act as a joint component to anchor the gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and analytes onto poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm). This anchor allows the analytes to be fixed at the formed hot spots under temperature stimulus. Owing to the regulation of the PNIPAm segment, the SERS substrates exhibit excellent thermally responsive SERS activity with a reversible "ON-OFF" effect. Additionally, because of the anion exchange of PILs, microgels can introduce new analytes, which offers more flexibility for the system. The substrate shows excellent reversibility, controllability, and flexibility of SERS activity, which is expected to have a broad application in the field of practical SERS sensors.

New Diterpenes and Diterpene Glycosides with Antibacterial Activity from Soft Coral Lemnalia bournei.

Five new biflorane-type diterpenoids, biofloranates E-I (1-5), and two new bicyclic diterpene glycosides, lemnaboursides H-I (6-7), along with the known lemnabourside, were isolated from the South China Sea soft coral Lemnalia bournei. Their chemical structures and stereochemistry were determined based on extensive spectroscopic methods, including time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) ECD calculations, as well as a comparison of them with the reported values. The antibacterial activities of the isolated compounds were evaluated against five pathogenic bacteria, and all of these diterpenes and diterpene glycosides showed antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis, with MICs ranging from 4 to 64 µg/mL. In addition, these compounds did not exhibit noticeable cytotoxicities on A549, Hela, and HepG2 cancer cell lines, at 20 µM.

Sleep quality assessment of adults in care settings using non-wearable sleep trackers: Scoping review.

AIMS: This review aimed to explore and map the literature on sleep quality assessments of adults in care settings using non-wearable sleep trackers. BACKGROUND: Sleep-monitoring technology is advancing, and sleep quality assessments using non-wearable sleep trackers can provide objective evidence for quality care. DESIGN: This was a scoping review. DATA SOURCES: Four electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL, PsycInfo and Embase) were searched on 23 September 2022. REVIEW METHODS: This review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute's methodology and used the PRISMA-ScR checklist. RESULTS: Thirty studies met our inclusion criteria. Sleep quality was assessed at home and in acute, non-acute and long-term care facilities. Physiological (heart rate and respiratory rate) and sleep parameters were assessed alone or in combination during patient care using non-wearable sleep trackers. Sleep parameters representing sleep quality varied across studies. Real-time monitoring with non-wearable sleep-tracking devices effectively shortened the length of hospital stay. However, studies investigating caregivers and nursing outcomes are lacking in the literature. CONCLUSION: Sleep quality assessments using non-wearable sleep trackers may facilitate the provision of quality care in home-based and clinical care settings. Future studies should focus on caregivers and care outcomes that could contribute to evidence-based nursing practice for sleep care in adults.

Exosomal hsa_circ_000200 as a potential biomarker and metastasis enhancer of gastric cancer via miR-4659a/b-3p/HBEGF axis.

BACKGROUND: Exosome, a component of liquid biopsy, loaded protein, DNA, RNA and lipid gradually emerges as biomarker in tumors. However, exosomal circRNAs as biomarker and function mechanism in gastric cancer (GC) are not well understood. METHODS: Differentially expressed circRNAs in GC and healthy people were screened by database. The identification of hsa_circ_000200 was verified by RNase R and sequencing, and the expression of hsa_circ_000200 was evaluated using qRT-PCR. The biological function of hsa_circ_000200 in GC was verified in vitro. Western blot, RIP, RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization, and double luciferase assay were utilized to explore the potential mechanism of hsa_circ_000200. RESULTS: Hsa_circ_000200 up-regulated in GC tissue, serum and serum exosomes. Hsa_circ_000200 in serum exosomes showed better diagnostic ability than that of tissues and serum. Combined with clinicopathological parameters, its level was related to invasion depth, TNM staging, and distal metastasis. Functionally, knockdown of hsa_circ_000200 inhibited GC cells proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro, while its overexpression played the opposite role. Importantly, exosomes with up-regulated hsa_circ_000200 promoted the proliferation and migration of co-cultured GC cells. Mechanistically, hsa_circ_000200 acted as a "ceRNA" for miR-4659a/b-3p to increase HBEGF and TGF-ß/Smad expression, then promoted the development of GC. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that hsa_circ_000200 promotes the progression of GC through hsa_circ_000200/miR-4659a/b-3p/HBEGF axis and affecting the expression of TGF-ß/Smad. Serum exosomal hsa_circ_000200 may serve as a potential biomarker for GC.

Exploring elderly patients' experiences and concerns about early mobilization implemented in postoperative care following lumbar spinal surgery: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Given its apparent benefits, early mobilization is becoming increasingly important in spinal surgery. However, the time point at which patients first get out of bed for mobilization after spinal surgery varies widely. Beginning in January 2022, we conducted a study of early mobilization (mobilization within 4 h postoperatively) following multi-segment lumbar decompression and fusion surgery in elderly patients. The study goal was to better understand elderly patients' perceptions of early mobilization and ultimately contribute to the improvement of elderly patients' perioperative experiences and quality of life. METHODS: We employed a qualitative descriptive study design involving face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Forty-five consecutive patients were invited, among whom 24 were enrolled and completed the qualitative investigation from February to June 2022. Of these 24 patients, 10 underwent early mobilization (mobilization within 4 h postoperatively) and 14 underwent mobilization at ≥ 24 h postoperatively. Three researchers conducted a 15-question interview the day before each patient's discharge. The interviews were audio-recorded, and content analysis was used to assess the data. RESULTS: Six themes regarding the patients' experiences and concerns about early mobilization were identified: worries, benefits, daily routines, pain, education, and support. The study results revealed the obstacles in early mobilization practice and highlighted the importance of perioperative education on early mobilization. CONCLUSIONS: Clear and explicit guidance on early mobilization and a multidisciplinary mobilization protocol that incorporates a comprehensive pain management plan are essential for effective patient education. These measures may have positive effects on reducing patients' stress and anxiety regarding postoperative early mobilization.

Highly stable acetylcholinesterase electrochemical biosensor based on polymerized ionic liquids microgel for pesticides detection.

A highly stable electrochemical biosensor for pesticide detection was developed. For the first time polymeric ionic liquids (PILs) were introduced to construct an acetylcholinesterase (AChE) biosensor . AChE was entrapped in PILs microspheres through an emulsion polymerization reaction, where negatively charged Au nanoparticles (Au NPs) can be immobilized by the positively charged PILs, leading to improved catalytic performance. The results suggest that the positively charged PILs not only provide a biocompatible microenvironment around the enzyme molecule, stabilizing its biological activity and preventing its leakage, but also act as a modifiable interface allowing other components with electron transport properties to be loaded onto the polymer substrate, thus providing an efficient electron transport channel for the entrapped enzyme. More notably, when AChE was immobilized in a positively charged environment, the active site is closer to the electrode, promoting faster electron transfer. The detection limits of the constructed electrochemical biosensor AChE@PILs@Au NPs/GCE toward carbaryl and dichlorvos (DDVP) were 5.0 × 10-2 ng ml-1 and 3.9 × 10-2 ng ml-1, in a wide linear range of 6.3 × 10-2-8.8 × 102 ng ml-1 and 1.3 × 10-1-1.4 × 103 ng ml-1, respectively. More importantly, the biosensor has high thermal and storage stability, which facilitates rapid field analysis of fruits and vegetables in a variety of climates. In addition, the biosensor reported has good repeatability and selectivity and has high accuracy in the analysis of peaches, tap water, and other types of samples.

Maternal oxidized soybean oil exposure in rats during lactation damages offspring kidneys via Nrf2/HO-1 and NF-κB signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Cooking oil is an indispensable component of the human diet. However, oils usually undergo thermal oxidation. Oxidized soybean oil (OSO) has been shown to have detrimental effects on humans and has emerged as a root cause of many chronic diseases. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of puerpera exposure to OSO on kidney damage in the mother and offspring using lactating rats as an experimental model. RESULTS: Pathological sections and ultrastructure showed that OSO exposure resulted in various levels of damage to lactating rats and their offspring. OSO induced oxidative stress in the kidneys of lactating rats, as evidenced by increased levels of hydrogen peroxide, interleukin (IL)-1ß, and IL-8. OSO increased the activities of glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase. OSO upregulated the expression of apoptosis-related genes, nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and nuclear factor κB-related inflammatory factor genes. In the offspring of the OSO-exposed mothers, hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha contents were increased. Furthermore, OSO enhanced the levels of Nrf2, NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1, heme oxygenase 1, and p65 and decreased B-cell lymphoma 2. CONCLUSION: These findings indicated that the kidneys of two generations of rats were compromised by oxidative damage when fed OSO during lactation. This study provides evidence for increasing the genes expression of the Nrf2/heme oxygenase 1 pathway to alleviate the kidney damage caused by OSO in the mother and offspring. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

The implications of catheter ablation for solitary atrial flutter in preventing stroke risk: a nationwide population-based cohort study.

AIMS: The implications of ablation for atrial fibrillation in preventing stroke are controversial, and no studies have investigated whether ablation prevents ischaemic stroke (IS) in atrial flutter (AFL). METHODS AND RESULTS: This study analysed data contained in the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database for 16 765 patients with a first diagnosis of solitary AFL during 2001-2013. Eligible patients were divided into two groups according to whether or not they had received ablation. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to mitigate the effects of potential confounding factors. The primary outcome was occurrence of IS during follow-up. After 1:2 PSM, the analysis included 1037 patients in the ablation group and 2074 patients in the non-ablation group. The incidence of IS was lower in the ablation group compared to the non-ablation group [subdistribution hazard ratio (SHR) 0.61, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.41-0.90] during the 2-year follow-up period but not thereafter (SHR 1.03, 95% CI 0.72-1.48). When grouping by stroke history, it revealed that ablation affected the incidence of stroke in patients without history of stroke (SHR 0.59, 95% CI 0.38-0.91) but not in patients with history of stroke. When each group was stratified by CHA2DS2-VASc score, ablation lowered the incidence of stroke in patients with CHA2DS2-VASc ≤3 (SHR 0.31, 95% CI 0.16-0.60) but not in patients with CHA2DS2-VASc ≥4 in the initial 2-year follow-up. CONCLUSION: The different incidence of IS in patients with/without ablation indicates that ablation reduces the risk of IS in AFL patients.

[Research progresses on PGC-1α, a key energy metabolic regulator].

Disturbance of the energy balance, when the energy intake exceeds its expenditure, is a major risk factor for the development of metabolic syndrome (MS). The peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ (PPARγ) coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) functions as a key regulator of energy metabolism and has become a hotspot in current researches. PGC-1α sensitively responds to the environmental stimuli and nutrient signals, and further selectively binds to different transcription factors to regulate various physiological processes, including glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism, and circadian clock. In this review, we described the gene and protein structure of PGC-1α, and reviewed its tissue-specific function in the regulation of energy homeostasis in various mammalian metabolic organs, including liver, skeletal muscle and heart, etc. At the meanwhile, we summarized the application of potential small molecule compounds targeting PGC-1α in the treatment of metabolic diseases. This review will provide theoretical basis and potential drug targets for the treatment of metabolic diseases.

Improved skeletal muscle energy metabolism relates to the recovery of ß cell function by intensive insulin therapy in drug naïve type 2 diabetes.

AIMS: Diminished energy turnover of skeletal muscle is involved in the development of type 2 diabetes. Intensive insulin therapy has been reported to maintain glycaemic control in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes, while the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Herein, we aimed to characterize the contribution of muscular mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) activity to insulin-induced glycaemic control. MATERIALS AND METHODS: There were 21 drug naïve patients with type 2 diabetes receiving continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion for 7 days. Nine nondiabetics matched for age, body mass index, and physical activity were recruited as controls. We applied 31 P magnetic resonance spectroscopy to record in vivo muscular phosphocreatine (PCr) flux in controls and diabetics before and after insulin therapy. The mitochondrial OxPhos rate was calculated as ΔPCr / Δtime during the first 50 seconds after cessation of exercise. RESULTS: In drug naïve type 2 diabetes, muscular mitochondrial OxPhos rate was restored after insulin therapy. Notably, this alteration was positively associated with the improvements of 1,5-anhydroglucitol, a serum marker for glucose control over the last 1 week, as well as homeostasis model assessment of ß cell function and C-peptide/glucose ratio t0 , two indices for basal insulin secretion. Furthermore, patients with diabetes family history and more severe glucotoxicity tend to achieve greater improvement in mitochondrial function by insulin. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that intensive insulin therapy facilitates muscular energy metabolism in drug naïve type 2 diabetes. It correlates to the recovery of ß cell function, contributing to insulin-induced glucose control.

Temperature-Responsive Electrocatalysis Based on Poly(N-Isopropylacrylamide)-Modified Graphene Oxide (PNIPAm-GO).

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-modified graphene oxide (PNIPAm-GO), which is a type of thermally responsive GO, was designed and synthesized through a covalent "grafting-from" strategy. The as-prepared modified nanosheets integrated the individual advantages of two components, such as the thermal sensitivity of the PNIPAm terminal as well as the conductivity and the open 2D structure of the GO substrate. PNIPAm-GO was able to perform the reversible regulation of hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity in aqueous solution upon variations in the temperature. Such a unique property might also lead to the utilization of PNIPAm-GO as an intelligent electrode material to achieve a switchable electrochemical response toward a [Fe(CN)6 ]3-/4- probe. The PNIPAm-GO modified glassy carbon electrode (PNIPAm-GO/GC electrode) was able to exhibit better electrochemical performance in an ON/OFF switching effect than the PNIPAm-modified glassy carbon electrode (PNIPAm/GC electrode) without GO owing to the intrinsic properties and large surface area of the introduced GO. Moreover, it was found that the PNIPAm-GO/GC electrode also displayed excellent thermally responsive electrocatalysis toward the detection of 1,4-dihydro-ß-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and dopamine (DA), which resulted in two different catalytic statuses on the same electrode. This kind of switchable catalytic performance of the PNIPAm-GO/GC electrode might greatly enhance the flexibility of its application, and thus it is expected to have wide potential for applications in the fields of biosensors and biocatalysis.

Clinical outcomes of solitary atrial flutter patients using anticoagulation therapy: a national cohort study.

AIMS: Anticoagulation therapy is indicated to prevent stroke in atrial flutter (AFL) and atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. However, the outcomes of solitary AFL patients may differ from those with AFL who develop AF during follow-up. This study aimed to investigate the differences in clinical outcomes: (i) among patients with solitary AFL, AF, and AFL developing AF thereafter and (ii) between solitary AFL patients with vs. without anticoagulation therapy. METHODS AND RESULTS: This nationwide cohort study enrolled patients with solitary AFL, solitary AF, and AFL developing AF from a 12 years National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. There were 230 367 patients without anticoagulation therapy in the solitary AF cohort, 8064 in the solitary AFL cohort, and 4495 in the AFL with AF cohort. The AFL with AF and solitary AF cohorts had higher incidences of ischaemic stroke and major bleeding than the solitary AFL cohort. Solitary AFL patients with anticoagulation therapy had a lower ischaemic stroke rate than those without (P < 0.05) at the level of a CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥3. Solitary AFL patients with anticoagulation therapy had a higher intracranial haemorrhage rate than those without (P < 0.05) at the level of a CHA2DS2-VASc score ≤3. Net clinical outcomes including ischaemic stroke, systemic embolization, and major bleeding favoured anticoagulation use in solitary AFL patients with a CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥4. CONCLUSION: Solitary AFL patients without anticoagulation therapy had better clinical outcomes than AFL patients developing AF in this study. Anticoagulation therapy may offer the best net clinical outcome for solitary AFL patients with a CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥4.

Cigarette smoke triggers inflammation mediated by autophagy in BEAS-2B cells.

Cigarette smoking, as an individual consumption habit, is associated with a variety of related diseases. Exposure of cigarette smoke was reported to induce autophagy and inflammation in experimental animals and humans. However, the toxicity mechanism of cigarette smoke in organisms has not been entirely investigated. In this present study, we studied the role of autophagy played in the inflammation caused by cigarette smoke in human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B), as well as the role of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways underlying autophagy and inflammation. We found that cigarette smoke induced autophagy and inflammation in BEAS-2B, and the blockage of autophagy significantly reduced the release levels of IL-1ß, IL-6 and IL-8 in BEAS-2B exposed to cigarette smoke for 24 h. Cigarette smoke downregulated the activity of PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway and elevated the activity of MAPK pathways. Pretreatment of autophagic inhibitor could inhibit autophagy and the activity of JNK and p38 pathways. These results suggested that cigarette smoke-induced autophagy triggered inflammation through the activation of JNK and p38 pathways, which might contribute to understanding the adverse outcome pathways induced by cigarette smoke exposure and provide the information about the risk assessment of tobacco products.

Sesquiterpenoids from Artemisia vestita and Their Antifeedant and Antifungal Activities.

Four new sesquiterpenoids, named artemivestinolide D-G (1-4) and three known sesquiterpenoids (5-7), were isolated from Artemisia vestita. The structures of these new compounds were determined based on extensive spectroscopic data analyses. Furthermore, the electronic circular dichroism data determined the absolute configurations of the new compounds. The antifeedant and antifungal activities of the isolates were evaluated against third-instar larvae of Plutella xylostella and three plant pathogenic fungi. Compounds 1-7 showed moderate antifeedant activities and compounds 1-4 and 6-7 exhibited antifungal activities.

Analysis of methyl DNA adducts and metabolites in BEAS-2B cells induced by 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone.

The tobacco-specific nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is classified as a Group 1 human carcinogen. It is metabolically activated by P450 enzymes to intermediate methylate and pyridyloxobutylate DNA, resulting in the formation of DNA adduct that is critical for the carcinogenicity of NNK. To directly and objectively examine the DNA adduct formation profiles without the complexity of factors in vivo, in the present study, five kinds of methyl DNA adducts were first identified in the incubation model of NNK established with human lung epithelial cells (BEAS-2B). The level of methyl DNA adducts and metabolites of NNK were quantitatively analyzed, respectively. With the increase of exposure time and dose, the level of methyl DNA adducts and metabolites increased. Furthermore, with the changes of the activity of P450 enzymes, which is the main enzyme regulating the α-hydroxylation of NNK, we found the levels of both methyl adducts and metabolites formed via α-hydroxylation in experimental groups showed the same trend compared with those in control group, while the metabolites formed via other pathways changed in the opposite trend. The result proves that the methyl adducts induced by NNK generate via α-hydroxylation pathway in BEAS-2B cells.

Acute Inferior Wall ST Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Caused Atrial Lead Dysfunction Reversed by Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

The mechanism of atrial lead dysfunction varies in patients receiving pacemaker implantation and this needs to be investigated, especially when the causes are reversible. We report and discuss a 76-year-old female who had atrial lead dysfunction caused by acute myocardial infarction and who was recovered after primary percutaneous coronary intervention. The sequential electrocardiographic changes were demonstrated and the possible mechanisms were discussed.

A Switchable Molecular Dielectric with Two Sequential Reversible Phase Transitions: [(CH3)4P]4[Mn(SCN)6].

A new organic-inorganic hybrid switchable and tunable dielectric compound, [(CH3)4P]4[Mn(SCN)6] (1), exhibits three distinct dielectric states above room temperature and undergoes two reversible solid-state phase transitions, including a structural phase transition at 330 K and a ferroelastic phase transition with the Aizu notation of mmmF2/m at 352 K. The variable-temperature structural analyses disclose that the origin of the phase transitions and dielectric anomalies can be ascribed to the reorientation or motion of both the [(CH3)4P](+) cations and [Mn(SCN)6](4-) anions in solid-state crystals.

[Application of multi-voxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in different hippocampal regions of normal cognitive people].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the reproducible metabolic test and gender difference and investigate the distribution rules of metabolite concentration in different hippocampal regions (head, body and tail) of normal cognitive people for elucidating the pathological metabolic changes. METHODS: The hippocampal multi-voxel proton spectroscopy of 24 normal cognitive young volunteers scanned by a 3.0 T magnetic resonance (MR). Every volunteer was scanned thrice. The data was processed by MR post-processing workstation. The hippocampus was divided into three parts (head, body and tail) and the ratios of N-acetylaspartate (NAA)/creatine (Cr), myoinositol (MI)/Cr, MI/NAA and choline (Cho)/Cr were calculated separately. We compared the metabolic ratios of each region of bilateral hippocampi between male and female groups and three different tests, also analyzed the distribution rule of each metabolite along the long axis of hippocampus. RESULTS: The metabolic ratio (NAA/Cr, MI/Cr, MI/NAA and Cho/Cr) of each region of bilateral hippocampi between male and female groups and among three tests showed no statistical differences. NAA/Cr gradually rose (P < 0.05) while MI/NAA and Cho/Cr gradually declining from bilateral hippocampal head to tail (P < 0.05). MI/Cr gradually declined from bilateral hippocampal head to tail, but there was statistical difference only between right hippocampal head and tail (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The hippocampal multi-voxel proton spectroscopy is technically stable. There is no gender difference. And distribution differences and metabolite concentration trends exist along hippocampal head, body and tail.