Dynamically Reconfigurable on-Chip Polarimeters Based on Nanoantenna Enabled Polarization Dependent Optoelectronic Computing.

On-chip polarization detectors have attracted extensive research interest due to their filterless and ultracompact architecture. However, their polarization-dependent photoresponses cannot be dynamically adjusted, hindering the development toward intelligence. Here, we propose dynamically reconfigurable polarimetry based on in-sensor differentiation of two self-powered photoresponses with orthogonal polarization dependences and tunable responsivities. Such a device can be electrostatically configured in an ultrahigh polarization extinction ratio (PER) mode, where the PER tends to infinity, a Stokes parameter direct sensing mode, where the photoresponse is proportional to S1 or S2 with high accuracy (RMSES1 = 1.5%, RMSES2 = 2.0%), or a background suppressing mode, where the target-background polarization contrast is singularly enhanced. Moreover, the device achieves a polarization angle sensitivity of 0.51 mA·W-1·degree-1 and a specific polarization angle detectivity of 2.8 × 105 cm·Hz1/2·W·degree-1. This scheme is demonstrated throughout the near-to-long-wavelength infrared range, and it will bring a leap for next-generation on-chip polarimeters.

Bradykinin-(1-9) mitigates autophagy through upregulating PI3K/Akt in rats with myocardial infarction.

The cardioprotective mechanisms of bradykinin-(1-9) in myocardial infarction were unclear. We investigated the effect of bradykinin-(1-9) on cardiac function, fibrosis, and autophagy induced by myocardial infarction and identified the mechanisms involved. To investigate the cardioprotective effect of bradykinin-(1-9), various doses of bradykinin-(1-9), its B2 receptor blocker HOE140, or their combination were administered to rats via subcutaneous osmotic minipump implantation before myocardial infarction. After 2 days, myocardial infarction was induced by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. After 2 weeks, echocardiographic measurements and euthanasia were performed. Bradykinin-(1-9) treatment attenuated left ventricular dysfunction, fibrosis, and autophagy in rats with myocardial infarction, which was partially reversed by HOE140 administration. Moreover, the downregulatory effect of bradykinin-(1-9) on autophagy was partially reversed by combination with the PI3K inhibitor LY294002. Thus, bradykinin-(1-9) inhibits myocardial infarction-induced cardiomyocyte autophagy by upregulating the PI3K/Akt pathway.

Deep Learning-based Prediction of Percutaneous Recanalization in Chronic Total Occlusion Using Coronary CT Angiography.

Background CT is helpful in guiding the revascularization of chronic total occlusion (CTO), but manual prediction scores of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) success have challenges. Deep learning (DL) is expected to predict success of PCI for CTO lesions more efficiently. Purpose To develop a DL model to predict guidewire crossing and PCI outcomes for CTO using coronary CT angiography (CCTA) and evaluate its performance compared with manual prediction scores. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Participants with CTO lesions were prospectively identified from one tertiary hospital between January 2018 and December 2021 as the training set to develop the DL prediction model for PCI of CTO, with fivefold cross validation. The algorithm was tested using an external test set prospectively enrolled from three tertiary hospitals between January 2021 and June 2022 with the same eligibility criteria. All participants underwent preprocedural CCTA within 1 month before PCI. The end points were guidewire crossing within 30 minutes and PCI success of CTO.Results A total of 534 participants (mean age, 57.7 years ± 10.8 [SD]; 417 [78.1%] men) with 565 CTO lesions were included. In the external test set (186 participants with 189 CTOs), the DL model saved 85.0% of the reconstruction and analysis time of manual scores (mean, 73.7 seconds vs 418.2-466.9 seconds) and had higher accuracy than manual scores in predicting guidewire crossing within 30 minutes (DL, 91.0%; CT Registry of Chronic Total Occlusion Revascularization, 61.9%; Korean Multicenter CTO CT Registry [KCCT], 68.3%; CCTA-derived Multicenter CTO Registry of Japan (J-CTO), 68.8%; P < .05) and PCI success (DL, 93.7%; KCCT, 74.6%; J-CTO, 75.1%; P < .05). For DL, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.97 (95% CI: 0.89, 0.99) for the training test set and 0.96 (95% CI: 0.90, 0.98) for the external test set. Conclusion The DL prediction model accurately predicted the percutaneous recanalization outcomes of CTO lesions and increased the efficiency of noninvasively grading the difficulty of PCI. © RSNA, 2023 Supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Pundziute-do Prado in this issue.

Densification Induced Decoupling of Electrical and Thermal Properties in Free-Standing MWCNT Films for Ultrahigh p- and n-Type Power Factors and Enhanced ZT.

Generating sufficient power from waste heat is one of the most important things for thermoelectric (TE) techniques in numerous practical applications. The output power density of an organic thermoelectric generator (OTEG) is proportional to the power factors (PFs) and the electrical conductivities of organic materials. However, it is still challenging to have high PFs over 1 mW m-1  K-2 in free-standing films together with high electrical conductivities over 1000 S cm-1 . Herein, densifying multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) films would increase their electrical conductivity dramatically up to over 10 000 S cm-1 with maintained high Seebeck coefficients >60 µV K-1 , thus leading to ultrahigh PFs of 7.25 and 4.34 mW m-1  K-2 for p- and n-type MWCNT films, respectively. In addition, it is interesting to notice that the electrical properties increase faster than the thermal conductivities, resulting in enhanced ZT of 3.6 times in MWCNT films. An OTEG made of compressed MWCNT films is fabricated to demonstrate the heat-to-electricity conversion ability, which exhibits a high areal output power of ∼12 times higher than that made of pristine MWCNT films. This work demonstrates an effective way to high-performance nanowire/nanoparticle-based TE materials such as printable TE materials comprised of nanowires/nanoparticles.

CT-derived fractional flow reserve for prediction of major adverse cardiovascular events in diabetic patients.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prognostic value of computed tomography fractional flow reserve (CT-FFR) in patients with diabetes and to establish a risk stratification model for major adverse cardiac event (MACE). METHODS: Diabetic patients with intermediate pre-test probability of coronary artery disease were prospectively enrolled. All patients were referred for coronary computed tomography angiography and followed up for at least 2 years. In the training cohort comprising of 957 patients, two models were developed: model1 with the inclusion of clinical and conventional imaging parameters, model2 incorporating the above parameters + CT-FFR. An internal validation cohort comprising 411 patients and an independent external test cohort of 429 patients were used to validate the proposed models. RESULTS: 1797 patients (mean age: 61.0 ± 7.0 years, 1031 males) were finally included in the present study. MACE occurred in 7.18% (129/1797) of the current cohort during follow- up. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that CT-FFR ≤ 0.80 (hazard ratio [HR] = 4.534, p < 0.001), HbA1c (HR = 1.142, p = 0.015) and low attenuation plaque (LAP) (HR = 3.973, p = 0.041) were the independent predictors for MACE. In the training cohort, the Log-likelihood test showed statistical significance between model1 and model2 (p < 0.001). The C-index of model2 was significantly larger than that of model1 (C-index = 0.82 [0.77-0.87] vs. 0.80 [0.75-0.85], p = 0.021). Similar findings were found in internal validation and external test cohorts. CONCLUSION: CT-FFR was a strong independent predictor for MACE in diabetic cohort. The model incorporating CT-FFR, LAP and HbA1c yielded excellent performance in predicting MACE.

Serial Cardiac MRI for Quantification of the Dynamics of Anthracycline-Induced Subclinical Myocardial Injury.

BACKGROUND: Anthracyclines are known to be associated with chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity. Limited data focus on dynamic myocardial injury during the course of chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer. PURPOSE: To investigate the variation of tissue characterization and myocardial deformation derived by cardiac MRI during anthracycline chemotherapy. STUDY TYPE: Prospective. POPULATION: Fifty-eight female breast cancer patients (mean age: 52.82 ± 2.61 years) were enrolled. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: A 3.0-T, cardiac MRI including cine balanced steady-state free precession, a modified Looker-Locker inversion recovery (MOLLI), and a fast spin echo (FSE) T2-weighted sequences were performed. ASSESSMENT: Cardiac MRI was performed baseline and after two, four, and six cycles of chemotherapy. Assessment of global longitudinal strain (GLS), global circumstance strain (GCS), global radial strain (GRS), and strain rate (GLS-s, GCS-s, GRS-s) and T1, T2 and T2* were accomplished by CVI42. The anthracycline dose and risk factors were also collected before each cardiac MRI. STATISTICAL TESTS: Analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measures was used to compare the changes in LVEF cardiac function, strain and T1/T2/T2* parameters over time. Pearson correlation analyses were performed to estimate the potential associations between differences in myocardial characteristics (∆) and the chemotherapy cycle. A P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: LVEF was not significantly different from pretreatment MRI regarding each cycle of chemotherapy (P = 0.54). Compared with baseline, patients had significantly lower GLS (-15.85% ± 0.83%, -14.50% ± 0.88%, -12.34% ± 1.01% vs. -18.82% ± 0.92%) and GLS-s (-0.71% ± 0.07%, -0.65% ± 0.05%, -0.64% ± 0.04% vs. -0.95 ± 0.06%) and increased T2 values (57.21 ± 4.27 msec, 58.60 ± 3.93 msec, 58.10 ± 3.17 msec vs. 43.88 ± 3.28 msec) at two, four and six cycles of chemotherapy treatment. ∆GLS and ∆GLS-s were significantly associated with the chemotherapy cycle (correlation coefficients for GLS = 0.75, GLS-s = 0.75). DATA CONCLUSION: Cardiac MRI can precisely detect the dynamic changes of anthracycline-induced subclinical myocardial injury that is represented as a gradually decrease in GLS and GLS-s. These parameters may provide new insight for monitoring risk and therapy in patients with breast cancer. EVIDENCE LEVEL: 2. TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 1.

Financial and clinical outcomes of CT myocardial perfusion imaging and coronary CT angiography-guided versus coronary CT angiography-guided strategy.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the financial and clinical outcomes of CT myocardial perfusion imaging (CT-MPI) + coronary CT angiography (CCTA)-guided versus CCTA-guided strategy in patients suspected of chronic coronary syndrome (CCS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study retrospectively included consecutive patients suspected of CCS and referred for CT-MPI+CCTA-guided and CCTA-guided treatment. The details of medical costs within 3 months after index imaging, including downstream invasive procedures, hospitalization, and medications, were recorded. All patients were followed up for major adverse cardiac events (MACE) at a median time of 22 months. RESULTS: A total of 1335 patients (559 in the CT-MPI+CCTA group and 776 in the CCTA group) were finally included. In the CT-MPI+CCTA group, 129 patients (23.1%) underwent ICA and 95 patients (17.0%) received revascularization. In the CCTA group, 325 patients (41.9%) underwent ICA whereas 194 patients (25.0%) received revascularization. An addition of CT-MPI in the evaluation strategy remarkably reduced the healthcare expenditure, compared with CCTA-guided strategy (USD 1441.36 vs. USD 232.91, p < 0.001). After adjustment for potential cofounders after inverse probability weighting, the CT-MPI+CCTA strategy was significantly associated with lower medical expenditure [adjusted cost ratio (95% CI) for total costs: 0.77 (0.65-0.91), p < 0.001]. In addition, there was no significant difference regarding the clinical outcome between the two groups (adjusted HR= 0.97; p = 0.878). CONCLUSIONS: CT-MPI+CCTA considerably reduced medical expenditures in patients suspected of CCS, compared to the CCTA strategy alone. Moreover, CT-MPI+CCTA led to a lower rate of invasive procedures with a similar long-term prognosis. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: CT myocardial perfusion imaging + coronary CT angiography-guided strategy reduced medical expenditure and invasive procedure rate. KEY POINTS: • CT-MPI+CCTA strategy yielded significantly lower medical expenditure than did the CCTA strategy alone in patients with suspected CCS. • After adjustment for potential confounders, the CT-MPI+CCTA strategy was significantly associated with lower medical expenditure. • No significant difference was observed regarding the long-term clinical outcome between the two groups.

Flat latitudinal diversity gradient caused by the Permian-Triassic mass extinction.

The latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG) is recognized as one of the most pervasive, global patterns of present-day biodiversity. However, the controlling mechanisms have proved difficult to identify because many potential drivers covary in space. The geological record presents a unique opportunity for understanding the mechanisms which drive the LDG by providing a direct window to deep-time biogeographic dynamics. Here we used a comprehensive database containing 52,318 occurrences of marine fossils to show that the shape of the LDG changed greatly during the Permian-Triassic mass extinction from showing a significant tropical peak to a flattened LDG. The flat LDG lasted for the entire Early Triassic (∼5 My) before reverting to a modern-like shape in the Middle Triassic. The environmental extremes that prevailed globally, especially the dramatic warming, likely induced selective extinction in low latitudes and accumulation of diversity in high latitudes through origination and poleward migration, which combined together account for the flat LDG of the Early Triassic.

Detection band expansion by independently tunable double resonances in a long-wavelength dual-color QWIP.

Multi-resonance light coupling management is a promising way to expand the operating spectral ranges of optoelectronic devices. The classical strategies are either lack of independent tunability for each resonance or involved with complex fabrication. Here, we propose a new scheme for expanding the operating spectral range of an optoelectronic device through a dual-color active material integrated with a simple resonant waveguide structure. The TM waveguide mode and the SPP mode of the resonant waveguide structure are regulated to match the two active regions of the dual-color material both spectrally and spatially. Applying this scheme to a long-wavelength infrared quantum well photodetector, the absorption efficiencies at the two peak detection wavelengths of the dual-color quantum wells are both enhanced by more than 10 times compared with the case of a standard 45° edge facet coupled device with the same detection material. The simple light coupling structure is easy to accomplish and compatible with focal plane arrays. For thermal radiation detection, the absorption efficiency of the 300 K blackbody radiation by our dual-color detector is 83.8% higher than that by a single-color detector with the optimized structural parameters. Moreover, either polarization sensitive or polarization insensitive detection could be achieved in this dual-color infrared quantum well photodetector by using anisotropic or isotropic gratings.

Corrosion Resistance of the GO/ZIF-8 Hybrid Loading Benzotriazole as a Multifunctional Composite Filler-Modified MgAlY Layered Double Hydroxide Coating.

A composite coating with good load-carrying and controlled release capabilities for the corrosion inhibitor benzotriazole (BTA) was prepared while providing active and passive corrosion protection for magnesium alloy systems. In this paper, the organic corrosion inhibitor BTA was loaded into the ZIF-8/GO hybrid (GZB), and then, the GZB composite was coated with hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS). Then, the GZB composites carried by HDTMS were made to adhere a ternary MgAlY layered double hydroxide (LDH) coating based on microarc oxidation (MAO) coating by electrophoresis (Si-MgAlY LDH coating). The successful loading of BTA by GZB composites was verified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Meanwhile, the Si-MgAlY LDH coating was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The potentiodynamic polarization curves show that the corrosion current density of the Si-MgAlY LDH coating reaches (2.08 ± 0.49) × 10-9 A/cm2, which means that the Si-MgAlY LDH coating greatly improves the corrosion resistance of magnesium alloy AZ31. The Si-MgAlY LDH coating can also achieve self-healing function in harsh environments, which is attributed to the synergistic effect of passive and active protection. The composite coating is of great significance to expand the potential applications of magnesium alloys.

High-Discrimination Circular Polarization Detection Based on Dielectric-Metal-Hybrid Chiral Metamirror Integrated Quantum Well Infrared Photodetectors.

Circular polarization detection enables a wide range of applications. With the miniaturization of optoelectronic systems, integrated circular polarization detectors with native sensitivity to the spin state of light have become highly sought after. The key issues with this type of device are its low circular polarization extinction ratios (CPERs) and reduced responsivities. Metallic two-dimensional chiral metamaterials have been integrated with detection materials for filterless circular polarization detection. However, the CPERs of such devices are typically below five, and the light absorption in the detection materials is hardly enhanced and is even sometimes reduced. Here, we propose to sandwich multiple quantum wells between a dielectric two-dimensional chiral metamaterial and a metal grating to obtain both a high CPER and a photoresponse enhancement. The dielectric-metal-hybrid chiral metamirror integrated quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP) exhibits a CPER as high as 100 in the long wave infrared range, exceeding all reported CPERs for integrated circular polarization detectors. The absorption efficiency of this device reaches 54%, which is 17 times higher than that of a standard 45° edge facet coupled device. The circular polarization discrimination is attributed to the interference between the principle-polarization radiation and the cross-polarization radiation of the chiral structure during multiple reflections and the structure-material double polarization selection. The enhanced absorption efficiency is due to the excitation of a surface plasmon polariton wave. The dielectric-metal-hybrid chiral mirror structure is compatible with QWIP focal plane arrays.

Diagnostic performance of quantitative, semi-quantitative, and visual analysis of dynamic CT myocardial perfusion imaging: a validation study with invasive fractional flow reserve.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the diagnostic performance of absolute myocardial blood flow (MBF), MBFratio, and visual analysis of dynamic CT myocardial perfusion imaging (CT-MPI) for the detection of hemodynamically significant coronary stenosis. METHODS: Consecutive patients with chest pain and intermediate-to-high pre-test probability of obstructive coronary artery disease were prospectively enrolled. All patients were referred for dynamic CT-MPI and fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurements within 4 weeks. Absolute MBF, MBFratio (mean MBF of stenosis-subtended territories versus that of reference territories), and visually identified perfusion defect were tested for the diagnostic performance with reference to FFR. RESULTS: Sixty-two patients with 95 target vessels were included for final analysis. The mean radiation dose for dynamic CT-MPI was 3.0 (2.2-4.0) mSv. The mean lesion-based absolute MBF value was significantly lower in ischemic segments than that in non-ischemic segments (78.0 (65.0-86.0) mL/min/100 mL vs. 133.0 (117.5-163.8) mL/min/100 mL, p < 0.001). Similarly, the lesion-based MBFratio was also markedly lower in territories with positive FFR results (0.52 (0.44-0.64) vs. 0.93 (0.91-0.97), p < 0.001). According to per-lesion ROC curve analysis, MBF and MBFratio had a similar area under the curve (AUC) for detecting hemodynamically significant lesions (AUC = 0.942 vs. 0.956, p = 0.413), which were larger than that of visual analysis (AUC = 0.802, both p < 0.01). The vessel-based sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy were 84.3%, 97.7%, and 90.5% for MBF and 96.1%, 93.2%, and 94.7% for MBFratio. CONCLUSIONS: Absolute MBF and MBFratio had similarly excellent diagnostic performance with reference to FFR. In addition, these two parameters outperformed visual analysis for the detection of myocardial ischemia. KEY POINTS: • The mean MBF and MBFratio were significantly lower in ischemic segments than those in non-ischemic segments. • Absolute MBF and MBFratio had similar AUCs for the detection of hemodynamically significant lesions (AUC = 0.942 vs. 0.956, p = 0.413), which were larger than that of visual analysis (AUC = 0.802, both p < 0.01). • The vessel-based sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy were 84.3%, 97.7%, and 90.5% for absolute MBF and 96.1%, 93.2%, and 94.7% for MBFratio.

[PM2.5 exposure-caused damage to male reproductive function: Progress in research].

Particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) is considered to be a major harmful constitutent of air pollution. Animal experiments and epidemiological studies at home and abroad have shown that exposure to PM2.5 causes damage to male reproductive function in addition to direct impacts on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. This review summarizes the results of animal experiments at home and abroad and population epidemiological investigations relating PM2.5-induced damage to male reproductive function as well as the mechanisms of PM2.5 causing the damage.

MicroRNA-16 is involved in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia via regulation of Notch2.

In recent years, the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in pre-eclampsia (PE) has been demonstrated, while the relevant mechanisms of miR-16 in PE await to be unearthed. Thus, the aim of this study is to explore whether miR-16 exerts its function in PE, and we assumed that miR-16 may be implicated in the occurrence of PE by adjusting the biological functions of trophoblast cells via modulating Notch2. Placental tissues of pregnant women with normal pregnancy and PE were collected to detect the expression of miR-16, Notch2, and Notch3. The effects of miR-16 and Notch2 on the biological functions of BeWo and JEG-3 cells were further determined. Expression of miR-16 and Notch2 in trophoblast cells was detected by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot assay. Downregulated Notch2 and upregulated miR-16 and Notch3 were found in placental tissues of PE. There was a negative correlation between Notch2 and miR-16 expression (r = -0.769), and a positive correlation between Notch3 and miR-16 expression (r = 0.676; p < .05). Overexpression of miR-16 inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion, and facilitated the apoptosis of BeWo and JEG-3 cells, but overexpression of Notch2 reversed this trend. Overexpression of miR-16 inhibited Notch2 expression in BeWo and JEG-3 cells, and Notch2 was the target gene of miR-16. Our study highlights that overexpression of miR-16 is involved in PE by regulating the biological functions of trophoblast cells via inhibition of Notch2. This paper provides a new idea for further study of the pathogenesis of PE.

Absorption enhancement in all-semiconductor plasmonic cavity integrated THz quantum well infrared photodetectors.

The light coupling properties of all-semiconductor plasmonic cavity integrated THz quantum well infrared photodetectors were studied for absorption enhancement of the quantum wells. The all-semiconductor plasmonic cavity is constructed by heavily doped GaAs with a plasmonic behavior in the THz regime. The plasmonic behavior of GaAs was thoroughly studied by taking into account the carrier density dependent effective mass of electrons. An optimal doping level for GaAs to be the most metallic is selected since the plasma frequency of the doped GaAs varies nonmonotonically with the carrier density. By tuning the absorption competition between the quantum wells and the doped GaAs meanwhile keeping the system at a critical coupling status, the absorptance of the quantum wells is prominently enhanced by 13.2 times compared to that in a standard device. The all-semiconductor plasmonic cavity integrated quantum well photodetectors can be polarization sensitive (polarization extinction ratio > 900) when the plasmonic cavity is shaped into an anisotropic form. The good tolerance of the incident angle is favored for wide-field infrared detection. The GaAs plasmonic cavities are demonstrated to be effective when integrated at a pixel level, indicating a good compatibility with focal plane arrays.

Diagnostic performance of perivascular fat attenuation index to predict hemodynamic significance of coronary stenosis: a preliminary coronary computed tomography angiography study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the association between perivascular fat attenuation index (FAI) and hemodynamic significance of coronary lesions. METHODS: Patients with stable angina who underwent coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography and invasive fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurement within 2 weeks were retrospectively included. Lesion-based perivascular FAI, high-risk plaque features, total plaque volume (TPV), machine learning-based FFRCT, and other parameters were recorded. Lesions with invasive FFR ≤ 0.8 were considered functionally significant. RESULTS: This study included 167 patients with 219 lesions. Diameter stenosis (DS), lesion length, TPV, and perivascular FAI were significantly larger or longer in the group of hemodynamically significant lesions (FFR ≤ 0.8). In addition, smaller FFRCT value was associated with functionally significant lesions (0.720 ± 0.11 vs 0.846 ± 0.10, p < 0.001). No significant difference was found between the hemodynamically significant and insignificant subgroups with respect to CT-derived high-risk plaque features. According to multivariate analysis, DS, TPV, and perivascular FAI were significant predictors of lesion-specific ischemia. When integrating DS, TPV, and perivascular FAI, the area under the curve (AUC) of this combined method was 0.821, which was similar to that of FFRCT (AUC, 0.821 vs 0.850; p = 0.426). The diagnostic accuracy of FFRCT was higher than that of the combined approach, but the difference was statistically insignificant (79.0% vs 74.0%, p = 0.093). CONCLUSIONS: Perivascular FAI was significantly higher for flow-limiting lesions than for non-flow-limiting lesions. The combined use of FAI, TPV, and DS could predict ischemic coronary stenosis with high diagnostic accuracy. KEY POINTS: • Perivascular FAI was significantly higher for flow-limiting lesions than for non-flow-limiting lesions. • Combined use of FAI, plaque volume, and DS provided diagnostic performance comparable to that of machine learning-based FFR CTfor predicting ischemic coronary stenosis. • No significant difference was found between the hemodynamically significant and insignificant subgroups with respect to CT-derived high-risk plaque features.

The rs6427384 and rs6692977 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms of the Fc Receptor-Like 5 (FCRL5) Gene and the Risk of Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Case Control Study in a Single Center in China.

BACKGROUND The study aimed to explore the genetic association of Fc receptor-like 5 (FCRL5) gene variants (rs6427384 and rs6692977) with ankylosing spondylitis risk in Chinese Han population. MATERIAL AND METHODS Genotyping for FCRL5 gene variations rs6427384 and rs6692977 was implemented among 130 ankylosing spondylitis cases and 135 healthy persons, through polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. Frequency dissimilarity for 2 polymorphisms was compared between 2 groups using chi-square test. The association strength of FCRL5 gene polymorphism with ankylosing spondylitis risk was estimated by odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS The frequencies of rs6427384 CC genotype and C allele were significantly lower in the case group than that in the control group (P<0.05), which suggested that C allele of rs6427384 polymorphism might offer protection against ankylosing spondylitis onset. Whereas only 2 genotypes of rs6692977 were detected in the control group, and no significant association was found with ankylosing spondylitis susceptibility. CONCLUSIONS FCRL5 gene polymorphism rs6427384 was correlated to ankylosing spondylitis occurrence among Chinese Han population, while rs6692977 was not.

Antioxidant protein peroxiredoxin 6 suppresses the vascular inflammation, oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction in angiotensin II-induced endotheliocyte.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) states are associated with endothelial dysfunction (ED) and increased production of ROS in endothelial cells. The present study aimed to explore the protective effects of antioxidant protein peroxiredoxin 6 (PRDX6) on angiotensin II (AngII)­induced human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) dysfunction. To investigate cell viability, levels of inflammatory molecules and proteins were assayed using the CCK-8 assay and evaluated by ELISA and Western blot. NO and ROS levels were determined by Griess assay and the fluorescent probe DCFH-DA. Cell migration capacity was assessed by Transwell assay. AngII decreased cell viability and PRDX6, upregulated the expression levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1ß, LDH and MDA, stimulated ROS production, and reduced NO synthase, the expressions of eNOS, MnSOD, ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and activated the MAPK family of signaling proteins. However, the stimulatory effects of AngII on HUVECs were remarkably suppressed by PRDX6. Furthermore, mercaptosuccinate (MS; PRDX6 inhibitor) had similar effects as AngII in aggravating HUVECs damage. Conversely, these adverse events caused by AngII and MS were obviously reversed by ML3404 and SP600125. The present study indicated that PRDX6 overexpression inactivated p38 MAPK and JNK pathway through decrease AngII-induced inflammation, oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction leading to attenuation of endothelial cell damage.

[Impacts of Bisphenol A exposure on spermatogenesis in men: Advances in studies].

Bisphenol A (BPA), a common endocrine disrupting chemical, is becoming a focus of studies and receiving increasing attention. Because of its wide use in food packaging materials, receipt paper, dental sealant and other products, people contact it through the skin, respiratory tract, digestive system and other routes. A large number of studies at home and abroad have shown that BPA exposure can adversely affect male reproductive function, including semen quality, spermatogenesis, sperm epigenetic inheritance, etc. Its action mechanisms, however, remain unclear and require more studies. This review focuses on the impacts of BPA exposure on spermatogenesis in males.

Comparative study of laparoscopic-assisted and open total gastrectomy for Siewert Types II and III adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction.

BACKGROUND: The potential advantages of laparoscopic-assisted total gastrectomy (LATG) compared with open total gastrectomy (OTG) for Siewert Types II and III adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEJ) are not very clear. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the surgical outcomes and potential advantages of LATG for Siewert Types II and III AEJ. METHODS: The clinical data of 75 patients (32 for LATG and 43 for OTG) with Siewert II or III AEJ from August 2009 to February 2014 were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were followed up by telephone or out-patient examination till August 2015. RESULTS: Two groups of patients were successfully performed with no perioperative death. The mean operation time was 3.23 ± 0.35 hr in LATG group, longer than the OTG group 2.83 ± 0.51 hr. The mean intraoperative bleeding was 122.7 ± 50.6 ml, less than the OTG group 219.2 ± 85.2 ml. The analgesics use was 3.00 ± 0.67 times in the LATG group, less than the OTG group 3.43 ± 1.03 times. The gastrointestinal function recovery time was 2.69 ± 0.46 days in the LATG group, shorter than the OTG group 3.42 ± 0.86 days. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 12.94 + 2.76 days in the LATG group, less than the OTG group 14.57 + 2.35 days (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: LATG and OTG had no significant difference for Siewert II and III AEJ in terms of radical resection and tumor recurrence, but LATG is worthy to be promoted with less bleeding, less postoperative pain, faster recovery of gastrointestinal function, and shorter hospital stay.