[Effectiveness of vertical compression of locking plate combined with hollow screws in treatment of Sanders type â ¡ and â ¢ calcaneal fractures].

Objective: To probe into the effectiveness of vertical compression of locking plate combined with hollow screws in the treatment of Sanders type Ⅱ and Ⅲ calcaneal fractures. Methods: The clinical data of 128 patients with Sanders type Ⅱ and Ⅲ calcaneal fractures who were admitted between March 2019 and April 2022 and met the selection criteria were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 65 patients were treated with locking plate combined with hollow screw vertical compression (study group), and 63 patients were treated with simple locking plate (control group). There was no significant difference in baseline data between the two groups ( P>0.05), such as gender, age, fracture side and Sanders classification, cause of injury, time from injury to operation. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, hospital stay, and fracture healing time were recorded and compared between the two groups. Before operation and at 12 months after operation, the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Association (AOFAS) score (including total score, pain score, functional score, and alignment score) was used to evaluate the recovery of foot function, and imaging indicators such as calcaneal width, calcaneal height, calcaneal length, Böhler angle, and Gissane angle were measured on X-ray films. Results: All patients were followed up 12 months after operation. There was no significant difference in operation time, intraoperative blood loss, hospital stay, and fracture healing time between the two groups ( P>0.05). Poor wound healing occurred in 1 case in the study group and 2 cases in the control group. At 12 months after operation, there was no significant difference between the two groups in the pre- and post-operative difference of calcaneal length, calcaneal height, Gissane angle, and Böhler angle ( P>0.05). However, the pre- and post-operative difference in calcaneal width in the study group was significantly higher than that in the control group ( P<0.05). The pre- and post-operative difference of AOFAS total score in the study group was significantly higher than that in the control group ( P<0.05), and further analysis showed that the pre- and post-operative difference of pain and function scores in the study group were significantly higher than those in the control group ( P<0.05), while there was no significant difference in the pre- and post-operative difference of force score between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusion: Compared with simple locking plate treatment, the treatment of Sanders type Ⅱ and Ⅲ calcaneal fractures with vertical compression of locking plate combined with hollow screws can more effectively improve the width of the subtalar calcaneal articular surface, avoid peroneal longus and brevis impingement, reduce pain, and increase the range of motion of the subtalar joint, and the effectiveness is better.

Astragaloside IV Alleviates Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity by Inhibiting Cardiomyocyte Pyroptosis through the SIRT1/NLRP3 Pathway.

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a powerful anthracycline antineoplastic drug used to treat a wide spectrum of tumors. However, its clinical application is limited due to cardiotoxic side effects. Astragaloside IV (AS IV), one of the major compounds present in aqueous extracts of Astragalus membranaceus, possesses potent cardiovascular protective properties, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of AS IV on DOX-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC). Our findings revealed that DOX induced pyroptosis through the caspase-1/gasdermin D (GSDMD) and caspase-3/gasdermin E (GSDME) pathways. AS IV treatment significantly improved the cardiac function and alleviated myocardial injury in DOX-exposed mice by regulating intestinal flora and inhibiting pyroptosis; markedly suppressed the levels of cleaved caspase-1, N-GSDMD, cleaved caspase-3, and N-GSDME; and reversed DOX-induced downregulation of silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) and activation of the NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome in mice. The SIRT1 inhibitor EX527 significantly blocked the protective effects of AS IV. Collectively, our results suggest that AS IV protects against DIC by inhibiting pyroptosis through the SIRT1/NLRP3 pathway.

Modular intercalary prosthetic reconstruction for malignant and metastatic tumours of the proximal femur.

To illustrate the surgical technique and explore clinical outcomes of the reconstruction for the malignant and metastatic bone tumour of proximal femur with metallic modular intercalary prosthesis. Sixteen patients who underwent modular intercalary prosthetic reconstruction after tumour resection were included from April 2012 and October 2020. Prosthesis and screws parameters, resected bone length and residual bone length, clinical outcomes and survivorship were analyzed. All patients were followed up for an average of 19 months (range 1-74). In our series, 12 patients died of the progression of the primary disease at the final follow-up. The cumulative survivorship since the treatment of proximal femoral metastasis was 78.6% (11 patients) at 6 months and 38.5% (5 patients) at 1 year. The mean MSTS score was 22.25 ± 4.55 among all patients. There were no cases of loosening or breakage of the prostheses, plates or screws, despite the various measurements of prostheses and residual bones. Modular intercalary prosthetic reconstruction was an effective method for malignant tumour of the proximal femur, including the advantages of providing early pain relief, quickly restoring postoperative function, required a short operation time, and preserving the adjacent joints.

Early clinical efficacy analysis of enhanced recovery following surgery combined with interscalene brachial plexus block for arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

To explore the early clinical value of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) with interscalene brachial plexus block (ISB) for arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR). We enrolled 240 patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 80 each). Groups A, B, and C underwent only surgery, surgery + ERAS, and ISB + surgery + ERAS, respectively. We analyzed the clinical data and postoperative indicators for the 3 patient groups. Group comparisons of clinical data and postoperative indicators revealed no significant differences in clinical characteristics (P > .05). Group C showed superior Visual Analog Scale scores at 0-6 and 6-24 hours postoperatively (P < .05), and the shortest length of hospital stay (LOS) (P < .05). At 6 weeks and 3 months postoperatively, Constant-Murley shoulder score and University of California-Los Angeles scores were better in Groups B and C than in Group A (P < .05). Joint swelling was more common in Group A than in Groups B and C (P < .05) but with no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative stiffness (P > .05). ERAS can relieve postoperative pain, shorten LOS, and help restore shoulder joint mobility, thereby reducing postoperative swelling. ISB + ERAS optimized pain control and allowed a shorter LOS, but had similar effects on early functional recovery and complications.

[Comparison of the effectiveness of two kinds of surgeries for treatment of flexible flatfoot combined with painful accessory navicular bone in children].

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of subtalar arthroereisis (STA) combined with modified Kidner procedure versus STA alone in the treatment of flexible flatfoot combined with painful accessory navicular bone in children. Methods: The clinical data of 33 children with flexible flatfoot combined with painful accessory navicular bone who were admitted between August 2018 and August 2021 and met the selection criteria were retrospectively analyzed. They were divided into a combination group (17 cases, treated by STA combined with modified Kidner procedure) and a control group (16 cases, treated by STA alone) according to the surgical methods. There was no significant difference in baseline data between the two groups ( P>0.05), such as gender, age, affected side of the foot, disease duration, and preoperative visual analogue scale (VAS) score, American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score, talus-first metatarsal angle (T1MT), talus-second metatarsal angle (T2MT), talonavicular coverage angle (TCA), talus first plantar angle (Meary angle), calcaneal inclination angle (Pitch angle), and heel valgus angle (HV). The operation time, incision length, intraoperative blood loss, number of intraoperative fluoroscopies, and perioperative complications were recorded in both groups. The anteroposterior, lateral, and calcaneal axial X-ray films for the affected feet were taken regularly, and T1MT, T2MT, TCA, Meary angle, Pitch angle, and HV were measured. The VAS score, AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score were used to evaluate pain and functional recovery before and after operation. Results: Surgeries in both groups were successfully performed without surgical complication such as vascular, nerve, or tendon injuries. Less operation time, shorter incision length, less intraoperative blood loss, and fewer intraoperative fluoroscopies were found in the control group than in the combination group ( P<0.05). One case in the combination group had partial necrosis of the skin at the edge of the incision, which healed after the dressing change and infrared light therapy, and the rest of the incisions healed by first intention. All children were followed up 12-36 months, with a mean of 19.6 months. At last follow-up, VAS score and AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score significantly improved in both groups when compared with preoperative ones ( P<0.05), and the differences of these scores between before and after operation improved more significantly in the combination group than in the control group ( P<0.05). Imaging results showed that the T1MT, T2MT, TCA, Meary angle, and HV significantly improved in both groups at last follow-up when compared with preoperative ones ( P<0.05), and the Pitch angle had no significant difference when compared with preoperative one ( P>0.05). But there was no significant difference in the difference of these indicators between before and after operation between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusion: Both procedures are effective in the treatment of flexible flatfoot children with painful accessory navicular bone. STA has the advantage of minimally invasive, while STA combined with modified Kidner procedure has better effectiveness.

[Content of bone morphogenetic protein 2 in demineralized bone matrix prepared from different long bones and study of the osteogenic properties in vitro].

Objective: To measure the concentration of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) in demineralized bone matrix (DBM) prepared from different long bones and to evaluate the osteoinductivity of different DBM on MC3T3-E1 cells. Methods: Different bones from the same cadaver donor were used as the initial materials for making DBM, which were divided into ulna group (uDBM), humerus group (hDBM), tibia group (tDBM), and femur group (fDBM) according to the origins, and boiled DBM (cDBM) was taken as the control group. The proteins of DBM were extracted by guanidine hydrochloride, and the concentrations of BMP-2 were determined by ELISA assay. Then the DBM were co-cultured with MC3T3-E1 cells, the proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells was observed by cell counting kit 8 (CCK-8) assay. The osteogenic differentiation ability of MC3T3-E1 cells was qualitatively observed by alizarin red, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and Van Gieson staining, and the osteogenic differentiation ability of MC3T3-E1 cells was quantitatively analyzed by ALP content. Linear regression was used to analyze the effect of BMP-2 concentration in DBM on ALP synthesis. Results: There were significant differences in the concentration of BMP-2 among the DBM groups (P<0.05). The concentrations of BMP-2 in the lower limb long bone were higher than those in the upper limb long bone, and the concentration of BMP-2 in the fDBM group was about 35.5 times that in the uDBM group. CCK-8 assay showed that the cells in each group continued to proliferate within 5 days of co-culture, and the absorbance (A) values at different time points were in the order of cDBM group

[TightRope elastic fixation combined with functional total repair of inferior tibiofibular ligament in treatment of distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury].

Objective: To study the effectiveness of TightRope elastic fixation combined with functional total repair of the inferior tibiofibular ligament in the treatment of distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury. Methods: The clinical data of 34 patients with distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury who met the selection criteria between January 2020 and January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, and they were divided into improved group (TightRope elastic fixation combined with functional total repair of inferior tibiofibular ligament) and control group (distal tibiofibular screw fixation) according to the surgical methods, with 17 cases in each group. There was no significant difference in age, gender, body mass index, fracture type, and other baseline data between the two groups (P>0.05). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and complications were recorded in the two groups. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score, ankle metatarsal flexion and dorsal extension range of motion were used to evaluate the ankle function. The patient satisfaction survey was conducted at last follow-up. Results: All 34 patients were followed up 8-20 months, with a median of 13 months. The operation time and intraoperative blood loss in the improved group were significantly longer than that in the control group (P<0.05). In the improved group, no infection or poor reduction occurred, and only 1 patient had TightRope knot reaction at 6 months after operation. In the control group, there were 2 cases of poor reduction, 1 case of lower tibiofibular screw rupture, and 1 case of subcutaneous infection (cured after anti-infection treatment). There was no significant difference in the incidence of complications between the two groups (P>0.05). At last follow-up, the AOFAS score and ankle metatarsal flexion and dorsal extension range of motion of the improved group were significantly better than those of the control group (P<0.05). The satisfaction rates of patients in the improved group and the control group were 94.1% and 82.4%, respectively, showing significant difference (P<0.05). Conclusion: TightRope elastic fixation combined with functional total repair of inferior tibiofibular ligament in the treatment of distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury has sufficient fixation strength, and can achieve better effectiveness and joint function compared with traditional screw fixation.

Effects of demineralization mode and particle size of allogeneic bone powder on its physical and chemical properties.

At present, the commonly used allogeneic bone powder in the clinic can be divided into nondemineralized bone matrix and demineralized bone matrix (DBM). Commonly used demineralizers include acids and ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA). There may be some diversities between them. Also, the size of the bone particle can affects its cell compatibility and osteogenic ability. We produced different particle sizes i.e., < 75, 75-100, 100-315, 315-450, 450-650, and 650-1000 µm, and treated in three ways (nondemineralized, demineralized by EDTA, and demineralized by HCl). Scanning electron microscopy showed that the surface of the samples in each group was relatively smooth without obvious differences. The results of specific surface area and porosity analysis showed that they were significantly higher in demineralized bone powder than in nondemineralized bone powder, however, there was no significant difference between the two decalcification methods. The content of hydroxyproline in nondemineralized bone powder and EDTA-demineralized bone powder had no statistical difference, while HCl-demineralization had statistical significance compared with the former two, and the content increased with the decrease of particle size. The protein and BMP-2 extracted from HCl demineralized bone powder were significantly higher than that from nondemineralized bone powder and EDTA demineralized bone powder, and there were differences among different particle sizes. These results suggested the importance of demineralization mode and particle size of the allogenic bone powder and provided guidance for the choice of the most appropriate particle size and demineralization mode to be used in tissue bioengineering.

Coupling Dual-phased nickel selenides with N-doped carbon enables efficient urea electrocatalytic oxidation.

Electrochemical urea oxidation reaction (UOR) is urgently in demand for diverse energy conversion and storage device coupled with pollution treatment because of its favorable thermodynamic potential (0.37 V vs RHE) and wide distribution nature of urea, but simultaneously gravely limited by the sluggish reaction dynamics and poisoning of catalyst. Herein, dual-phased Ni0.85Se/NiSe2 coupling with N doped carbon (Ni0.85Se/NiSe2@NC-2) in situ is prepared by a solvothermal-selenization pathway. Benefiting from the collective promotion of the dual-phased composition and the NC support, Ni0.85Se/NiSe2@NC provides abundant active sites, enhanced electrical conductivity. It delivers a current density of 252 mA cm-2 at 1.6 V vs RHE with a small Tafel slop of 64.4 mV dec-1 and gets a lower reaction barrier. Moreover, it requires a cell voltage of 1.46 V to approach 50 mA cm-2, about 250 mV less than that of water electrolysis, confirming the less energy consumption. Notably, the N doped carbon protects Ni0.85Se/NiSe2 nanocrystals from aggregation leading to a faster CO2 desorption from Ni sites, which endow the Ni0.85Se/NiSe2@NC-2 a much better working stability. The direct urea hydrogen peroxide fuel cell (DUHPFC) achieves a maximum power density of 9.09 mW cm-2 at 20 °C. This work extends highly efficient dual-phased structure loading in NC catalysts system for urea-assisted energy conversion.

Sulforaphane kills Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra and Mycobacterium smegmatis mc2155 through a reactive oxygen species dependent mechanism.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) is a highly pathogenic intracellular pathogen that causes tuberculosis (TB), the leading cause of mortality from single infections. Redox homeostasis plays a very important role in the resistance of M. tuberculosis to antibiotic damage and various environmental stresses. The antioxidant sulforaphane (SFN) has been reported to exhibit anticancer activity and inhibit the growth of a variety of bacteria and fungi. Nonetheless, it remains unclear whether SFN exhibits anti-mycobacterial activity. Our results showed that the SFN against M. tuberculosis H37Ra exhibited bactericidal activity in a time and dose-dependent manner. The anti-tubercular activity of SFN was significantly correlated with bacterial reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. In addition, SFN promoted the bactericidal effect of macrophages on intracellular bacteria in a dose-dependent manner, mediated by increasing intracellular mitochondrial ROS levels and decreasing cytoplasmic ROS levels. Taken together, our data revealed the previously unrecognized antimicrobial functions of SFN. Future studies focusing on the mechanism of SFN in macrophages against M. tuberculosis are essential for developing new host-directed therapeutic approaches against TB.

Heparin purification by expanded bed anion exchange in a countercurrent chromatography column.

In this study, an expanded bed anion exchange in a countercurrent chromatography column (EB-CCC) technique for separation and purification of heparin, an anticoagulant and antithrombotic glycosaminoglycan, is reported for the first time. A comparative evaluation of the EB-CCC technique with the conventional fixed bed column chromatography (FBCC) revealed its effectiveness in improving adsorption at high flow rates and reducing separation time. A significantly higher maximum adsorption (91.66%) was exhibited by EB-CCC in comparison with FBCC (45.16%) at the eluent flow rate of 1 mL·min-1. Similarly, the experimental adsorption capacity of heparin was enhanced by 1.69, 2.06 and 2.58 times in the case of EB-CCC at the flow rates of 1, 2 and 5 mL·min-1, respectively. Moreover, the directly proportional amplification of double loaded resin and double column volume was demonstrated at an EB-CCC rotational speed of 300 rpm and a flow rate of 2 mL·min-1, and the experimental adsorption capacity was observed to increase from 66.42 to 136.48 mg·g-1 after amplification. Heparin purified by EB-CCC displayed higher potency (216.09 ± 11.89 IU·mg-1) as compared to FBCC (205.51 ± 7.90 IU·mg-1) and the initial crude heparin 134.17 ± 4.12 IU·mg-1. Furthermore, comparing to the purified heparin by FBCC, heparin purified by EB-CCC had low molecular weight, high FXa/FIIa, superior anticoagulation effect and enhanced suitability as an exogenous anticoagulant.

Identification of Novel Imatinib-Resistant Genes in Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are common ICC precursor sarcomas, which are considered to be a potential malignant mesenchymal tumor driven by specific KIT or PDGFRA signals in the gastrointestinal tract. The standard treatment for GIST without metastasis is surgical resection. GIST with metastasis is usually treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) only but cannot be cured. The TKI imatinib is the main drug of GIST drug therapy. In adjuvant therapy, the duration of imatinib adjuvant therapy is 3 years. It has been proved that imatinib can improve the overall survival time (OS). However, many GIST patients develop drug resistance due to the long-term use of imatinib. We were forced to look for new strategies to treat GIST. The purpose of the current academic work is to study the drug-resistant genes of imatinib and their potential mechanisms. A total of 897 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found between imatinib-sensitive cell line GIST882 and imatinib-resistant cell line GIST430 by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). After analyzing the DEGs, 10 top genes were selected (NDN, FABP4, COL4A1, COLEC11, MEG3, EPHA3, EDN3, LMO3, RGS4, and CRISP2). These genes were analyzed by RT-PCR, and it was confirmed that the expression trend of FABP4, COL4A1, and RGS4 in different imatinib-resistant cell lines was in accord with the GEO database. It is suggested that these genes may play a potential role in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of imatinib resistance in GIST.

The role of neoantigens in tumor immunotherapy.

Tumor neoantigens are aberrant polypeptides produced by tumor cells as a result of genomic mutations. They are also tumor-specific antigens (TSA). Neoantigens are more immunogenic than tumor-related antigens and do not induce autoimmunity. Based on the rapid development of bioinformatics and the continuous update of sequencing technology, cancer immunotherapy with tumor neoantigens has made promising breakthroughs and progress. In this review, the generation, prediction, and identification of novel antigens, as well as the individualized treatments of neoantigens, were first introduced. Secondly, the mechanism of Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Immunotherapy (CAR-T) therapy and immune checkpoint blockade therapy in the treatment of tumors were outlined, and the three treatment methods were compared. Thirdly, the application of neoantigens in CAR-T therapy and PD-1/PD-L1 blockade therapy was briefly described. The benefits of the neoantigen vaccines over common vaccines were summarized as well. Finally, the prospect of neoantigen therapy was presented.

F-decoration-induced partially amorphization of nickel iron layered double hydroxides for high efficiency urea oxidation reaction.

The urea oxidation reaction (UOR) has been well-acknowledged as one of the promising alternatives for hydrogen production through electrochemical water splitting system because of the more favorable thermodynamic potential. But the shortage of cost-effective electrocatalysts with high catalytic activity and durability restricts its practical development. Herein, the partially amorphous fluorine-decorated nickel iron layered double hydroxides (NiFe-F) is constructed via a low-temperature fluoridation method. Our study found that HF acid etching of NiFe LDH precursor resulted in the partially amorphous feature and abundant oxygen vacancies, providing rich reaction sites. Simultaneously, the formation of ionic metal-F bond makes it easier to form high-valence metal oxygen hydroxide active sites. Specifically, the as-prepared NiFe-F-4 electrode demonstrates a superb mass activity of 1290 mA mg-1 at 1.6 V vs. RHE. Further experiments found that amorphous structure and F decorating decreased the activation energy of UOR from 30.71 kJ mol-1 (crystalline NiFe-F-4) to 20.17 kJ mol-1 (amorphous NiFe-F-4), leading to a rapid dynamic with a small Tafel slope of 31 mV dec-1. Moreover, NiFe-F-4 casts remarkable long-term durability for 40 h without performance decay. This work holds great promise to develop advanced electrocatalysts for pollution treatment of urea-rich wastewater and energy-saving H2 production.

Transanal decompression tube is superior to self-expandable metallic colonic stent for malignant colorectal obstruction: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The surgical management of left-sided malignant large bowel obstruction (MLBO) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Recently, self-expandable metallic colonic stent (SEMS) and transanal decompression tube (TDT) used as a 'bridge to surgery' (BTS) have been widely used. This study aims to compare the clinical outcomes and oncological safety of SEMS and TDT as BTS to transform MLBO into elective surgery. METHODS: Between February 2013 and March 2019, 62 patients with MLBO received SEMS (n = 32) or TDT (n = 30), and elective one-stage surgery later. We evaluated decompression efficiency and oncological safety in selective operation in TDT and SEMS groups, including preoperative preparation time, surgical approach, number of lymphatic dissection and vascular invasion, ulcer formation and histopathological findings of resected specimens. RESULTS: The preoperative preparation time in the SEMS group was shorter than that of the TDT group (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the groups in postoperative length of hospital stay (P > 0.05). The number of vascular invasions in the TDT group was less than that in the SEMS group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the risk of wound abscess and ulcer formation in the TDT group was significantly lower than that in the SEMS group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that SEMS is associated with a relatively poor oncological outcome and the placement of TDT as BTS in MLBO patients may be a better alternation.

Simultaneous determination of ZL-01, a novel nucleotide prodrug, and its metabolites in rat plasma by LC-MS/MS: Application to pharmacokinetic study.

ZL-01 is a novel dual-prodrug which shows promise to be an antiviral candidate for hepatitis C virus. Here we have established a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for simultaneous determination of ZL-01 and its four metabolites (M1, M7, M8, and M9) in rat plasma with special consideration of ex vivo ZL-01, M1, and M7 stability. Several factors affecting the stability were investigated. EDTA and citric acid solution (1 M) were added to plasma to maintain the stability of analytes. The protein-precipitation method was selected with acetonitrile containing sofosbuvir as internal standard (IS). Adequate separation of ZL-01 and its metabolites was achieved on XSelect HSS T3 (3.5 µm, 4.6 × 150 mm) column by a gradient-elution with a mobile phase consisting of 0.1% formic acid and acetonitrile at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. The detection was performed on a triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer by multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode to monitor the precursor-to-product ion transitions of m/z 599.2→418.5 for ZL-01, m/z 529.7→398.2 for M1, m/z 330.5→182.0 for M7, m/z 260.3→112.1 for M8, m/z 261.3→113.2 for M9 and m/z 530.4→243.4 for IS. The calibration curves exhibited good linearity (r＞0.997) for all components. The lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) was in the range of 1-2 ng/mL. The intra-day and inter-day precisions (RSD) at three different levels were both less than 10.2% and the accuracies (RE) ranged from -3.7-7.6%. The matrix effect and extraction recovery of them ranged from 84% to 110.3% and 88.3-106.3%. This LC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous quantitation of ZL-01 and its metabolites was developed successfully and applied in the pharmacokinetic studies of these in rats. Pharmacokinetic results indicated ZL-01 would be metabolized rapidly and M8 might be the main metabolites after oral absorption.

Superhydrophilic nickel cyclotetraphosphate for the hydrogen evolution reaction in acidic solution.

Nickel cyclotetraphosphate grown on carbon cloth (Ni2P4O12/CC) is synthesized via an anion exchange reaction method and it shows excellent hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity and strong working stability in acid due to the merits of its unique polymer-like structure, mesoporous characteristics, and superhydrophilic surface.

Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta for Blood Control in Lumbar Spine Tumor Resection Surgery: A Technical Note.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the technique of the aorta balloon occlusion, and evaluate the blood loss in lumbar spine tumor surgery assisted by aortic balloon occlusion, and to observe the balloon-related complications. METHODS: Six patients with lumbar spine tumor underwent resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta prior to tumor resections in our institution between May 2018 to January 2021. Medical records including demographic, diagnosis, tumor location, surgical approach, intraoperative blood loss, surgical duration, and perioperative balloon-related complication were evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS: This series included four males and two females, with a median age of 50 years (range 22 to 69). Of these, three primary tumors were plasmacytoma, giant cell tumor of bone, and osteosarcoma, while recurrence of undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS), recurrence of giant cell tumor of bone (GCT), and metastatic thyroid cancer were diagnosed in cases 1, 6, and 2, respectively. L2 was involved in cases 1 and 5. L3 was involved in case 6. L4 was involved in case 2, 3, and 6. L5 was involved in case 4. One-stage total en bloc resection surgery (TES) was accomplished in all patients; of this series, signal anterior approach was conducted in case 1, signal posterior approach was utilized in cases 2, 3, and 6, while combined anterior and posterior approach was performed in cases 4 and 5. The median intraoperative blood loss was 1683 mL and ranged from 400 to 3200 mL with a median surgical duration of 442 min and a range from 210 to 810 min. During the perioperative period, no serious balloon-related complications occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta successfully controls intraoperative exsanguination, contributing to a more radical tumor resection and a low rate of tumor cell contamination in lumbar tumor surgery.

The association of Metabolic Syndrome and its Components with the Incidence and Survival of Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: This meta-analysis was aimed to quantitatively assess the associations of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components with colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science databases were systematically searched for eligible studies. A total of 18 studies for CRC incidence and 12 studies for CRC mortality were identified. Results: MetS was associated with an increased risk of CRC incidence and mortality in male (RR: 1.28, 95 % CI 1.16-1.39, and 1.24, 1.18-1.31, respectively) and correlated with an increased risk of CRC incidence in female (RR: 1.21, 1.13-1.30), but not with CRC mortality in female. MetS increased the risk of cancer-specific mortality (RR: 1.72, 1.03-2.42), but not overall mortality. The risk estimates of CRC incidence changed little depending on age, sex, cancer site, the type of studies, ethnicity, publication year, or definition of MetS. As for CRC mortality, further stratified analyses indicated statistical significance in studies with assessing cancer-specific survival outcome, in male, a cohort design, ethnicity of non-Chinese or with definition of MetS as ≥ 3 metabolic abnormalities. Obesity and hyperglycemia are risk factors of CRC incidence in both male and female. Only dysglycemia is the risk factor for CRC mortality. Conclusions: MetS is associated with an increased risk of CRC incidence and cancer-specific mortality, but not overall mortality. In addition, MetS may increase the CRC mortality in male rather than in female. However, since most of the studies on CRC mortality were conducted in Chinese, further studies are needed to clarify this connection.