The role of prostatic urethral angle and intravesical prostatic protrusion on surgical capsule calculi formation in the prostate: A retrospective study.

PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between prostatic urethral angle (PUA) and the development of surgical capsule calculi (SCC) within the prostate, and to examine the presence and impact of intravesical prostatic protrusion (IPP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 90 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy, with preoperative assessments using both transrectal ultrasound of the prostate (TRUS) and magnetic resonance imaging. Patients were divided into groups with and without SCC and further categorized into type 1 and type 2 stones based on the location and severity of the calculi. Statistical analysis included chi-square and independent sample t-tests, with p<0.05 considered significant. RESULTS: Of the patients, 82.2% were diagnosed with SCC. No significant difference in PUA was found between patients with and without SCC. However, a notable disparity in IPP presence was observed, suggesting an inverse correlation with SCC development. Additionally, no significant differences were identified when comparing the two types of SCC based on PUA and IPP measurements. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of IPP exhibited an inverse relationship with SCC, suggesting diminished urine flow pressure over the prostatic urethra may reduce the likelihood of SCC formation. However, no direct association between PUA and the presence or severity of SCC was identified. These findings highlight the complexity of factors contributing to prostatic calculi development and the potential role of IPP in this context.

Spokewise Total Syntheses of Four Erythrina Alkaloids and Telescoped Syntheses of Six Additional Alkaloids.

Based on rich sulfur-involving chemical transformations, a novel spokewise synthetic strategy, a subclass of the collective strategies, has been developed to concisely synthesize four erythrina alkaloids through a single-step transformation from a common synthetic precursor. Moreover, six additional erythrina alkaloids have also been synthesized by subsequent 1-2 steps chemical transformations. The current synthetic approaches provide a valuable platform for collective total syntheses of erythrina alkaloids and pseudo-natural erythrina alkaloids.

Renal protective and immunoregulatory effects of Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota in nephropathy-prone mice.

Introduction: The incidence of severe acute kidney injury (AKI) is considerably high worldwide. A previous study showed that gut microbial dysbiosis was a hallmark of AKI in mice. Whether the probiotic Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota (LcS) plays a role in kidney disease, particularly AKI, remains unclear. Methods: To investigate the effects of LcS on kidney injury, tubule-specific conditional von Hippel-Lindau gene-knockout C57BL/6 mice (Vhlhdel/del mice) were supplemented without (Ctrl) or with probiotics (LcS) in Experiment 1, and their lifespan was monitored. Additionally, the Vhlhdel/+ mice were supplemented without (Ctrl and AA) or with probiotics (LcS and LcS + AA) in Experiment 2. Probiotic LcS (1 × 109 colony-forming units) was supplemented once daily. After 4 weeks of LcS supplementation, AA and LcS + AA mice were administered aristolochic acid (AA; 4 mg/kg body weight/day)-containing purified diet for 2 weeks to induce AA nephropathy before sacrifice. Results: Supplementation of LcS significantly prolonged the lifespan of Vhlhdel/del mice, suggesting a potential renal protective effect. AA induced-nephropathy increased not only the indicators of renal dysfunction and injury, including urinary protein and kidney injury molecule (KIM)-1, serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine, but also serum interleukin (IL)-6 levels, renal macrophage infiltrations, and pathological lesions in Vhlhdel/+ mice. LcS supplementation significantly reduced urinary protein and KIM-1 levels, serum BUN and IL-6 levels, and renal M1 macrophages, tissue lesions, and injury scores. We also found that LcS maintained gut integrity under AA induction and increased intestinal lamina propria dendritic cells. Furthermore, LcS significantly reduced pro-inflammatory IL-17A and upregulated anti-inflammatory IL-10 production by immune cells from intestinal Peyer's patches (PP) or mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN), and significantly increased IL-10 and reduced IL-6 production by splenocytes. Conclusion: Prior supplementation with probiotic LcS significantly alleviated the severity of renal injury. This renal protective effect was partially associated with the enhancements of intestinal and systemic anti-inflammatory immune responses, suggesting that LcS-induced immunoregulation might contribute to its renal protective effects.

Comparison of oXiris and Conventional Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy in Managing Severe Abdominal Infections: Impact on Septic Shock Mortality.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to assess and compare the efficacy of oXiris with conventional continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) in managing severe abdominal infections. METHODS: A retrospective analysis encompassing cases from 2017 to 2023 was conducted at the Department of Critical Care Medicine within the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University. Parameters including heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), oxygenation index (OI), lactate (Lac), platelet count (PLT), neutrophil ratio (N%), procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), norepinephrine (NE) dosage, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II), and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) were recorded prior to treatment initiation, at 24 hours, and 72 hours post-treatment for both the oXiris and conventional CRRT groups. Additionally, the duration of respiratory support, CRRT treatment, length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU), total hospitalization period, as well as mortality rates at 14 and 28 days for both groups were recorded. RESULTS: 1) Within the conventional CRRT group, notable enhancement was observed solely in Lac levels at 24 hours post-treatment compared to pre-treatment levels. Also, at 72 hours post-treatment, improvements were evident in HR, Lac, CRP, and IL-6 levels. 2) Conversely, the oXiris group exhibited improvements in HR, MAP, Lac, OI, N%, and IL-6 at 24 hours post-treatment when compared to baseline values. Additionally, reductions were observed in APACHE II and SOFA scores. At 72 hours post-treatment, all parameters demonstrated enhancement except for PLT. 3) Analysis of the changes in the indexes (Δ) between the two groups at 24 hours post-treatment revealed variances in HR, MAP, Lac, NE dosage, CRP levels, IL-6 levels, APACHE II scores, and SOFA scores. 4) The Δ indexes at 72 hours post-treatment indicated more significant improvements following oXiris treatment for both groups, except for PCT. 5) The 14-day mortality rate (24.4%) exhibited a significant reduction in the oXiris group when compared to the conventional group (43.6%). However, no significant difference was observed in the 28-day mortality rate between the two groups. 6) Subsequent to multifactorial logistic regression analysis, the results indicated that oXiris treatment correlated with a noteworthy decrease in the 14-day and 28-day mortality rates associated with severe abdominal infections, by 71.3% and 67.6%, respectively. CONCLUSION: oXiris demonstrates clear advantages over conventional CRRT in the management of severe abdominal infections. Notably, it reduces the fatality rates, thereby establishing itself as a promising and potent therapeutic option.

Engineering of Aromatic Naphthalene and Solvent Molecules to Optimize Chemical Prelithiation for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

A cost-effective chemical prelithiation solution, which consists of Li+, polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), and solvent, is developed for a model hard carbon (HC) electrode. Naphthalene and methyl-substituted naphthalene PAHs, namely 2-methylnaphthalene and 1-methylnaphthalene, are first compared. Grafting an electron-donating methyl group onto the benzene ring can decrease electron affinity and thus reduce the redox potential, which is validated by density functional theory calculations. Ethylene glycol dimethyl ether (G1), diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, and triethylene glycol dimethyl ether solvents are then compared. The G1 solution has the highest conductivity and least steric hindrance, and thus the 1-methylnaphthalene/G1 solution shows superior prelithiation capability. In addition, the effects of the interaction time between Li+ and 1-methylnaphthalene in G1 solvent on the electrochemical properties of a prelithiated HC electrode are investigated. Nuclear magnetic resonance data confirm that 10-h aging is needed to achieve a stable solution coordination state and thus optimal prelithiation efficacy. It is also found that appropriate prelithiation creates a more Li+-conducing and robust solid-electrolyte interphase, improving the rate capability and cycling stability of the HC electrode.

Open-Nanogap-Induced Strong Electromagnetic Enhancement in Au/AgAu Monolayer as a Stable and Uniform SERS Substrate for Ultrasensitive Detection.

Nanogap-based plasmonic metal nanocrystals have been applied in surface-enhanced Raman scattering detection, while the closed and insufficient electromagnetic fields as well as the nonreproducible Raman signal of the substrate greatly restrict the actual application. Herein, a highly uniform Au/AgAu monolayer with abundant nanogaps and huge electromagnetic enhancement is prepared, which shows ultrasensitive and reproducible SERS detection. Au/AgAu with an inner nanogap is first prepared based on Au nanotriangles, and the nanogap is opened from the three tips via a subsequent etching process. The open-gap Au/AgAu displays much higher SERS efficiency than Au and Au/AgAu with an inner nanogap on detecting crystal violet due to the open-gap induced electromagnetic enhancement and improved molecular absorption. Furthermore, the open-gap Au/AgAu monolayer is prepared via interfacial self-assembly, which shows further improved SERS due to the dense and strong hotspots in the nanocavities induced by the electromagnetic coupling between adjacent open gaps. The monolayer possesses excellent signal stability, uniformity, and reproducibility. The analytic enhancement factor and relative standard deviation reach to 2.12 × 108 and 4.65% on detecting crystal violet, respectively. Moreover, the monolayer achieves efficient detection of thiram in apple juice, biphenyl-4-thiol, 4-mercaptobenzoic, melamine, and a mixed solution of four different molecules, showing great promise in practical detection.

TiN/anatase/rutile phase junction obtained by in-situ thermal transformation for efficient photothermal-assisted photocatalytic hydrogen generation.

Phase junctions exhibit great potential in photocatalytic energy conversion, yet the narrow light response region and inefficient charge transfer limit their photocatalytic performance. Herein, an anatase/rutile phase junction modified by plasmonic TiN and oxygen vacancies (TiN/(A-R-TiO2-Ov)) is prepared through an in-situ thermal transformation from TiN for efficient photothermal-assisted photocatalytic hydrogen production for the first time. The content of TiN, oxygen vacancies, and phase components in TiN/(A-R-TiO2-Ov) hybrids can be well-adjusted by tuning the heating time. The as-prepared photocatalysts display a large specific area and wide light absorption due to the synergistic effect of plasmonic excitation, oxygen vacancies, and bandgap excitations. Meanwhile, the multi-interfaces between TiN, anatase, and rutile provide built-in electric fields for efficient separation of photoinduced carriers and hot electron injection via ohmic contact and type-Ⅱ band arrangement. As a result, the TiN/(A-R-TiO2-Ov) photocatalyst shows an excellent photocatalytic hydrogen generation rate of 15.07 mmol/g/h, which is 20.6 times higher than that of titanium dioxide P25. Moreover, temperature-dependent photocatalytic tests reveal that the excellent photothermal conversion caused by plasmonic heating and crystal lattice vibrations in TiN/(A-R-TiO2-Ov) has about 25 % enhancement in photocatalysis (18.84 mmol/g/h). This work provides new inspiration for developing high-performance photocatalysts by optimizing charge transfer and photothermal conversion.

Uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic segmentectomy for fetal adenocarcinoma lung cancer with severe pulmonary emphysema: a case report.

Background: Fetal adenocarcinoma is a very rare subtype of lung adenocarcinoma. Its incidence ranges from 0.1 to 0.87% among all primary lung neoplasms. Low-grade types tend to appear in the younger generation, and the age ranges from 20 to 50 years with a mean age of around 35 years. Surgical resection is currently the best way to treat fetal adenocarcinoma lung cancer without distant metastasis. Case report: This is a 56-year-old female who underwent low-dose computer tomography (LDCT) screening during the health examination. She used to be a heavy smoker for more than 30 years, and the CT images revealed severe bronchiectasis and emphysema. There is a solitary nodule with a diameter of 18.9 x 17.8mm in the central area of the left upper lobe. We decided to conduct left upper lobe S1~S3 segmentectomy under uniportal VATS. The surgery was successful, and the patient was discharged within one week and recovered well. The final diagnosis was fetal adenocarcinoma, low-grade (pT1cN0Mx, stage IA3). Conclusion: The first case reported as fetal adenocarcinoma lung cancer who underwent uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic segmentectomy. We believe it is a safe and feasible procedure for low-grade types fetal adenocarcinoma patient with poor pulmonary function.

Timing of male urethral injury treatment in patients with polytrauma: A retrospective study.

INTRODUCTION: Male urethral injuries are uncommon, and the ideal timing of the definitive treatment remains controversial. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of early and delayed interventions (1 month or more after the injury) for male urethral injuries. PATIENT AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of the medical records of 67 male patients with urethral injuries treated at our institution between 2011 and 2020. We examined patient age, injury severity score (ISS), abbreviated injury scale, mechanism, location and severity of injury, presence of pelvic fractures, surgical interventions, timing of treatment, and complications. We analysed factors associated with urinary complications based on the location of urethral injury. Additionally, we performed a subset analysis of patients with severe injuries (ISS≥16) to assess the impact of delayed surgery. RESULTS: Overall, 47 %, 37 %, and 27 % of patients in the delayed treatment group (N = 30) had urethral stricture (US), erectile dysfunction (ED), and/or urinary incontinence (UI). These rates were greater than the 22 % US, 3 % ED, and 11 % UI rates in the early treatment group (N = 37). The subgroup analysis revealed that patients with anterior urethral injury (AUI) who underwent delayed treatment (N = 18) tended to be more severely injured (ISS, 19 vs 9, p = 0.003) and exhibited higher rates of US (44% vs 21 %, p = 0.193) and ED (39% vs 0 %, p = 0.002) than those who received early treatment (N = 24). In the case of posterior urethral injury (PUI), the delayed treatment group (N = 13) had higher rates of US (50% vs 23 %, p = 0.326), ED (33% vs 8 %, p = 0.272), and UI (42% vs 0 %, p = 0.030) than the early treatment group. Regarding study limitations, more than 45 % of the enrolled patients were severely injured (ISS≥16), which may have potentially influenced the timing of urethral injury repair. CONCLUSIONS: The treatment of male urethral injuries may be delayed due to concurrent polytrauma and other associated injuries. However, delayed treatment is associated with higher rates of urinary complications. Early treatment of urethral injuries may be beneficial to male patients with urethral trauma, even in cases of severe injury.

Overcoming low initial coulombic efficiencies of Si anodes through prelithiation in all-solid-state batteries.

All-solid-state batteries using Si as the anode have shown promising performance without continual solid-electrolyte interface (SEI) growth. However, the first cycle irreversible capacity loss yields low initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) of Si, limiting the energy density. To address this, we adopt a prelithiation strategy to increase ICE and conductivity of all-solid-state Si cells. A significant increase in ICE is observed for Li1Si anode paired with a lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) cathode. Additionally, a comparison with lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NCM) reveals that performance improvements with Si prelithiation is only applicable for full cells dominated by high anode irreversibility. With this prelithiation strategy, 15% improvement in capacity retention is achieved after 1000 cycles compared to a pure Si. With Li1Si, a high areal capacity of up to 10 mAh cm-2 is attained using a dry-processed LCO cathode film, suggesting that the prelithiation method may be suitable for high-loading next-generation all-solid-state batteries.

Efficacy of borneol-gypsum in skin regeneration and pain control in toxic epidermal necrolysis: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is a life-threatening dermatological emergency mainly induced by drug hypersensitivity reactions. Standard management includes discontinuation of culprit drug and application of immunomodulatory therapy. However, mortality remains high due to complications like septic shock and multiorgan failures. Innovative approaches for skin care are crucial. This report introduces borneol-gypsum, a traditional Chinese drug but a novel dressing serving as an adjuvant of TEN therapy, might significantly improve skin conditions and patient outcomes in TEN. CASE SUMMARY: A 38-year-old woman diagnosed with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis experienced gangrenous complications and motor nerve involvement. After initial treatment of high-dose corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide, symptom of foot drop improved, absolute eosinophil counts decreased, while limb pain sustained. Duloxetine was added to alleviate her symptom. Subsequently, TEN developed. Additional topical application of borneol-gypsum dressing not only protected the skin lesions from infection but also significantly eased localized pain. This approach demonstrated its merit in TEN management by promoting skin healing and potentially reducing infection risks. CONCLUSION: Borneol-gypsum dressing is a promising adjuvant that could significantly improve TEN management, skin regeneration, and patient comfort.

Effects of bradycardia, hypoxemia and early intubation on bronchopulmonary dysplasia in very preterm infants: An observational study.

BACKGROUND: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is the most common pulmonary complication in preterm infants. OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to explore the effects of bradycardia, hypoxemia, and early intubation on BPD in very preterm infants. METHODS: This is a prospective observational cohort study. Preterm infants with a mean gestational age of 28.67 weeks were recruited from two level III neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in Taiwan. Continuous electrocardiography was used to monitor heart rates and oxygen saturation (SpO2). Infants were monitored for heart rates of <100 beats per minute and SpO2 levels of <90 % lasting for 30 s. Generalized estimating equations were used to analyze the effects of bradycardia, hypoxemia, and early intubation on BPD in very preterm infants. Model fit was visually assessed using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. RESULTS: Bradycardia, hypoxemia, and early intubation significantly increased the odds of BPD among the preterm infants (N = 39) during NICU stay; the odds ratios for bradycardia, hypoxemia, and early intubation for BPD versus non-BPD were 1.058, 1.013, and 29.631, respectively (all p < 0.05). A model combining bradycardia, hypoxemia, and early intubation accurately predicted BPD development (area under the curve = 0.919). CONCLUSIONS: Bradycardia, hypoxemia, and early intubation significantly increased the odds of BPD among very preterm infants during NICU stay. The model combining bradycardia, hypoxemia, and early intubation accurately predicted BPD development.

Auricular Acupressure Improve Constipation of Patients With Schizophrenia: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Study.

Background. Constipation is a common distressing problem in patients with schizophrenia that can cause complications and impair quality of life. Objective. The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of applying auricular acupressure (AA) treatment in improving constipation in patients with schizophrenia. Methods. A crossover randomized controlled trial design was performed from April 2022 to December 2023 at four psychiatric rehabilitation care centers. A total of 23 patients with schizophrenia received an AA intervention or usual care according to the designated treatment sequences. Measurements comprised subjective assessment of constipation by the Patient Assessment of Constipation-Symptoms (PAC-SYM) questionnaire, an objective assessment of the stool pattern rated by a Bristol stool form scale, and heart rate variability. A generalized estimating equation model was used for data analyses. Results. After completing an 8-week AA intervention stimulating the Shenmen, San Jiao, Large intestine and Rectum, the AA group exhibited lower scores in the PAC-SYM total score (difference = -12.66, ,0.001), and the subscales: abdominal (difference = -3.36, p < .001), rectal (difference = -3.51, p < .001), and stool (difference = -5.79, p < .001), compared to those receiving usual care. The cases of constipation indicated by type 1 and type 2 of the BSF scale significantly decreased after the 8-week AA intervention. Moreover, the AA group displayed more parasympathetic dominance compared to the usual care group, with a low frequency to high frequency ratio of -1.15. Conclusion. AA is an effective non-pharmacological method for improving subjective constipation symptoms and objective stool pattern in patients with schizophrenia.

Tunable defect engineering of Mo/TiON electrode in angstrom-laminated HfO2/ZrO2ferroelectric capacitors towards long endurance and high temperature retention.

A novel defect control approach based on laminated HfO2/ZrO2with multifunctional TiN/Mo/TiOxNyelectrode is proposed to significantly improve the endurance and data retention in HZO-based ferroelectric capacitor. The O-rich interface reduces leakage current and prolong the endurance up to 1011cycles while retaining a 2Pr value of 34 (µC cm-2) at 3.4 MV cm-1. Using first-principles calculations and experiments, we demonstrate that the enhancement of endurance is ascribed to the higher migration barrier of oxygen vacancies within the laminated HZO film and higher work function of MoOx/TiOxNybetween top electrode and the insulating oxide. This 2.5 nm thick TiOxNybarrier further increase the grain size of HZO, lowering the activation field and thus improving polarization reversal speed. This interfacial layer further decreases the overall capacitance, increases the depolarization field, thereby enhancing the data retention. By fitting the data using the Arrhenius equation, we demonstrate a 10 years data retention is achieved at 109.6 °C, surpassing traditional SS-HZO of 78.2 °C with a 450 °C rapid thermal annealing (required by backend-of-the-line). This work elucidates that interfacial engineering serves as a crucial technology capable of resolving the endurance, storage capability, and high-temperature data retention issues for ferroelectric memory.