A Melt-Quenched Luminescent Glass of an Organic-Inorganic Manganese Halide as a Large-Area Scintillator for Radiation Detection.

Glass is a group of materials with appealing qualities, including simplicity in fabrication, durability, and high transparency, and they play a crucial role in the optics field. In this paper, a new organic-inorganic metal halide luminescent glass exhibiting >78 % transmittance at 506-800 nm range together with a high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 28.5 % is reported through a low-temperature melt-quenching approach of pre-synthesized (HTPP)2 MnBr4 (HTPP=hexyltriphenylphosphonium) single crystal. Temperature-dependent X-ray diffraction, polarizing microscopy, and molecular dynamics simulations were combined to investigate the glass-crystal interconversion process, revealing the disordered nature of the glassy state. Benefiting from the transparent nature, (HTPP)2 MnBr4 glass yields an outstanding spatial resolution of 10 lp mm-1 for X-ray imaging. The superb optical properties and facility of large-scale fabrication distinguish the organic-inorganic metal halide glass as a highly promising class of materials for optical devices.

Real-time augmented reality application in presurgical planning and lesion scalp localization by a smartphone.

OBJECTIVE: A smartphone augmented reality (AR) application (app) was explored for clinical use in presurgical planning and lesion scalp localization. METHODS: We programmed an AR App on a smartphone. The accuracy of the AR app was tested on a 3D-printed head model, using the Euclidean distance of displacement of virtual objects. For clinical validation, 14 patients with brain tumors were included in the study. Preoperative MRI images were used to generate 3D models for AR contents. The 3D models were then transferred to the smartphone AR app. Tumor scalp localization was marked, and a surgical corridor was planned on the patient's head by viewing AR images on the smartphone screen. Standard neuronavigation was applied to evaluate the accuracy of the smartphone. Max-margin distance (MMD) and area overlap ratio (AOR) were measured to quantitatively validate the clinical accuracy of the smartphone AR technique. RESULTS: In model validation, the total mean Euclidean distance of virtual object displacement using the smartphone AR app was 4.7 ± 2.3 mm. In clinical validation, the mean duration of AR app usage was 168.5 ± 73.9 s. The total mean MMD was 6.7 ± 3.7 mm, and total mean AOR was 79%. CONCLUSIONS: The smartphone AR app provides a new way of experience to observe intracranial anatomy in situ, and it makes surgical planning more intuitive and efficient. Localization accuracy is satisfactory with lesions larger than 15 mm.

The Associations Between Preoperative Conventional MRI Features and Genetic Biomarkers Status in Newly Diagnosed GBMs: A Clinical Summary and Prognostic Analysis.

AIM: To analyze certain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features as well as six major genetic biomarkers, investigated their associations, and evaluated their prognostic roles in glioblastomas (GBMs). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Strict criteria included newly diagnosed GBM with optimal treatments. Simple manual imaging characteristics (tumor side, location, enhancement, diameter, depth, radiographic necrosis, and edema) were obtained from preoperative conventional MRI. Furthermore, all the status of the MGMT promoter, Chromosome 1p and 19q, IDH, TERT, and BRAF in tumor tissues were detected. RESULTS: Among 126 inpatients, 60 cases were selected and enrolled in the study. The status of the MGMT promoter was significantly associated with the grade of radiographic necrosis (p=0.033). The rate of 19q deletion was significantly higher in tumors with the ring-shaped peritumoral edema (PTE) (p=0.035) and in tumors with the ring-enhanced trait (p=0.023). Univariate analysis showed that a low PTE index and MGMT promoter methylation were both unfavorable prognostic factors. While the PTE index statistically dropped out, the status of the MGMT promoter and the depth of the tumor were observed to be independent prognostic factors in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Based on simple neuroimaging metrics, novel connections between features of preoperative conventional MRI and status of major genetic biomarkers were observed, especially for the MGMT promoter and 19q.

Effect of Radical Surgery for Advanced Adenocarcinoma of Esophagogastric Junction on Perioperative Cellular Cell Immunity.

Background: To investigate the perioperative peripheral blood levels of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells, programed cell death 1 (PD-1), and lymphocyte activation gene 3 (LAG-3) in patients with advanced Siewert type II adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction (AEG). Methods: Patients (n = 102) with advanced Siewert type II AEG underwent open total gastrectomy/proximal gastrectomy with a transhiatal resection of the distal esophagus and lymphadenectomy of the lower mediastinum and the abdominal D2 compartment. Flow cytometry was used to detect CD4+CD25+ T cells, PD-1 and LAG-3 expression on both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the peripheral blood of the Siewert type II AEG patients prior to surgery and on postoperative day (POD) 1, 3, 7, and 9. Results: The proportion of CD4+CD25+ T cells rapidly decreased on POD 1, then gradually increased and peaked at POD 7. The proportion of CD4+PD-1+ T cells significantly increased after surgery, reaching a maximum on POD 1, and remained significantly elevated on POD 3 compared to the preoperative day. The proportion of CD8+ PD-1+ and CD4+LAG-3+ T cells gradually increased after surgery and reached a peak at POD 7. The change in proportion of CD8+LAG-3+ T cells in the peripheral venous blood lymphocytes after surgery was not statistically significant. Conclusion: The change in the CD4+PD-1+ T lymphocyte ratio may likely reflect the cellular immunity status of the perioperative period.

Repair of knee deep burn wound with descending genicular artery-saphenous artery perforator flaps in elderly patients (a STROBE-compliant article).

It is difficult to repair knee deep burn wounds in elderly patients. In this study, we observed the therapeutic effects of descending genicular artery-saphenous artery perforator flaps on knee deep burn wounds in elderly patients.Between December 2013 and February 2018, we repaired knee third-degree burn wounds using descending genicular artery-saphenous artery perforator flaps of 20 × 12 cm to 23 × 13 cm in 56 elderly patients. For the patella and patellar ligament with complete necrosis, the patella and patellar ligament were completely removed, whereas for the patella and patellar ligament with partial necrosis, necrotic parts were removed first. The donor area was repaired using intermediate thickness free skin graft. The 56 patients were 76- to 85 years' old and all had unilateral knee burn.All flaps survived in the 56 patients. After the follow-up of 2 to 36 months, the flaps were excellent in texture and appearance, and exhibited sensory recovery. In the 8 patients with completely necrotic patella and patellar ligament as well as open knee joint, the weight-bearing function of knee joint was retained, which met patients' requirements of limb salvage and weight-bearing function. In the other 48 patients with partially necrotic patella and patellar ligament as well as open joint capsule, the postoperative flexion and extension of the knee joint were good.In elderly patients, it is an effective method to repair knee deep burn wounds using the descending genicular artery-saphenous artery perforator flaps.

Systematic review of high-dose and standard-dose chemotherapies in the treatment of primary well-differentiated osteosarcoma.

The objective of this study is to evaluate whether high-dose chemotherapy is more efficacious than standard-dose chemotherapy in the treatment of primary well-differentiated osteosarcoma. The Cochrane systematic evaluation method was adopted. A database search was conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, OVID, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials database and the Chinese Biomedical Literature CD-ROM Database. The quality of the included studies was jointly evaluated by two reviewers, and homogeneous studies were included for meta-analysis. A total of five studies were included in this meta-analysis, with 1,415 subjects with primary, nonmetastatic, well-differentiated osteosarcoma in the limbs. No statistically significant differences were found between the high-dose chemotherapy group and the low-dose group in 5-year event-free survival [RR 1.04, 95 %CI (0.95, 1.13)], 5-year overall survival [RR 1.02, 95 %CI (0.95, 1.10)], local recurrence rate [RR 0.90, 95 %CI (0.59, 1.39)], proportion of subjects with good histological response [RR 0.93, 95 %CI (0.81, 1.07)], or limb salvage rate [RR 0.97, 95 %CI (0.92, 1.02)]. A statistically significant difference was observed in the 5-year event-free survival between the subjects with good histological response to preoperative chemotherapy and the subjects with poor histological response [RR 1.55, 95 %CI (1.19, 2.00), P < 0.001]. High-dose chemotherapy did not show superior efficacy to low-dose chemotherapy in the treatment of primary well-differentiated osteosarcoma. Further high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to provide additional reliable evidence for our observation.

Genetic variations in the SMAD4 gene and gastric cancer susceptibility.

AIM: To explore the association between mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 4 (SMAD4) gene polymorphisms and gastric cancer risk. METHODS: Five tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (tSNPs) in the SMAD4 gene were selected and genotyped in 322 gastric cancer cases and 351 cancer-free controls in a Chinese population by using the polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Immunohistochemistry was used to examine SMAD4 protein expression in 10 normal gastric tissues adjacent to tumors. RESULTS: In the single-locus analysis, two significantly decreased risk polymorphisms for gastric cancer were observed: the SNP3 rs17663887 TC genotype (adjusted odds ratio = 0.38, 95% confidence interval: 0.21-0.71), compared with the wild-type TT genotype and the SNP5 rs12456284 GG genotype (0.31, 0.16-0.60), and with the wild-type AA genotype. In the combined analyses of these two tSNPs, the combined genotypes with 2-3 protective alleles (SNP3 C and SNP5 G allele) had a significantly decreased risk of gastric cancer (0.28, 0.16-0.49) than those with 0-1 protective allele. Furthermore, individuals with 0-1 protective allele had significantly decreased SMAD4 protein expression levels in the normal tissues adjacent to tumors than those with 2-3 protective alleles (P = 0.025). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that genetic variants in the SMAD4 gene play a protective role in gastric cancer in a Chinese population.

Association between polymorphisms of TP53 and MDM2 and prostate cancer risk in southern Chinese.

Alterations in the TP53 and MDM2 genes appear to be important in the development of many human tumors, but evidence is conflicting on associations between polymorphisms in these genes and risk of prostate cancer (PCa). The influence of TP53 codon 72, MDM2 SNP309, and MDM2 C1797G polymorphisms in southern Chinese PCa patients was investigated. In the comparison of genotype distributions of TP53 codon 72 between cases and controls, the adjusted odds ratios for PCa associated with the Pro/Pro, Arg/Pro, and Arg/Arg genotypes were 1.00, 1.89 (95% CI = 1.20-2.97), and 2.01 (95% CI = 1.11-3.64), respectively; however, MDM2 SNP309 and C1797G did not show any significant difference between cases and controls. When TP53 and MDM2 polymorphisms were combined based on the numbers of variant risk alleles (i.e., G-allele of TP53 codon 72, G-allele of MDM2 SNP309, and G-allele of MDM2 C1797G), individuals with 3-5 variants had a 1.56-fold greater risk of PCa than those with 0-2 variants (95% CI = 1.07-2.26). Moreover, subjects with 0-2 variants had 33.3% positive p53 expression, whereas subjects with 3-5 variants had 23.3% p53 expression (P = 0.39). These findings suggest that TP53 and MDM2 polymorphisms play a role in PCa susceptibility in southern Chinese Han population.

Associations of blood pressure and arterial compliance with occupational noise exposure in female workers of textile mill.

BACKGROUND: There are few studies on the arterial compliance of noise exposure. The purpose of this study was to understand the relationship between hearing loss, blood pressure and arterial compliance of female workers who exposed to occupational noise in a textile mill. METHODS: The noise levels in the workplace were measured with a HS6288 sound level meter. Cumulated noise exposure (CNE) was calculated according to the noise intensity and the exposure period. Hearing ability and arterial compliance were measured in 618 noise exposed workers. The database was set up with EpiData and the statistical analysis was performed with SAS software 9.1.3. RESULTS: The noise levels were 80.1dB (A) to 113.5dB (A), of which the levels at 92.5% of the noise monitoring sites were over the national standard. The incidence of high frequency hearing loss (HFHL) was 24.43% and language frequency hearing impairment (LFHI) was 0.81%. The incidence of hypertension was 7.93%. Both systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in the high frequency hearing loss group were significantly higher than those in the normal hearing group (P < 0.05), while C(1) (large artery compliance) and C(2) (small artery compliance) were significantly lower (P < 0.05). The high frequency hearing threshold (HFHT) of the hypertension group was significantly higher than in the normal blood pressure group (P < 0.05), while C(1) and C(2) were significantly lower (P < 0.05). C(1) and C(2) had a negative correlation with HFHT, SBP, DBP, mean of arterial pressure (MAP), pulse pressure (PP) and pulse rate (PR) (P < 0.05). The multiple regression analyses showed that blood pressure and PR were the main influencing factors on C(1) and C(2). LFHT was an influence on C(2) and HFHT on C(1). CONCLUSIONS: Textile mill noise pollution is very serious and has an obvious influence on worker's auditory function. The female workers with low artery compliance or with high blood pressure might be suffering from hearing loss; those with noise induced hearing loss might be suffering from hypertension if she is constantly exposed to loud industrial noise.