Metal-Organic Framework with Space-Partition Pores by Fluorinated Anions for Benchmark C2H2/CO2 Separation.

The efficient separation of C2H2 from C2H2/CO2 or C2H2/CO2/CH4 mixtures is crucial for achieving high-purity C2H2 (>99%), essential in producing contemporary commodity chemicals. In this report, we present ZNU-12, a metal-organic framework with space-partitioned pores formed by inorganic fluorinated anions, for highly efficient C2H2/CO2 and C2H2/CO2/CH4 separation. The framework, partitioned by fluorinated SiF62- anions into three distinct cages, enables both a high C2H2 capacity (176.5 cm3/g at 298 K and 1.0 bar) and outstanding C2H2 selectivity over CO2 (13.4) and CH4 (233.5) simultaneously. Notably, we achieve a record-high C2H2 productivity (132.7, 105.9, 98.8, and 80.0 L/kg with 99.5% purity) from C2H2/CO2 (v/v = 50/50) and C2H2/CO2/CH4 (v/v = 1/1/1, 1/1/2, or 1/1/8) mixtures through a cycle of adsorption-desorption breakthrough experiments with high recovery rates. Theoretical calculations suggest the presence of potent "2 + 2" collaborative hydrogen bonds between C2H2 and two hexafluorosilicate (SiF62-) anions in the confined cavities.

Is Adjuvant Therapy a Better Option for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients Treated With Esophagectomy? A Prognosis Prediction Model Based on Multicenter Real-World Data.

OBJECTIVE: To construct a prediction model for more precise evaluation of prognosis which will allow personalized treatment recommendations for adjuvant therapy in patients following resection of ESCC. BACKGROUND: Marked heterogeneity of patient prognosis and limited evidence regarding survival benefit of various adjuvant therapy regimens pose challenges in the clinical treatment of ESCC. METHODS: Based on comprehensive clinical data obtained from 4129 consecutive patients with resected ESCC in a high-risk region in China, we identified predictors for overall survival through a 2-phase selection based on Cox proportional hazard regression and minimization of Akaike information criterion. The model was internally validated using bootstrapping and externally validated in 1815 patients from a non-high-risk region in China. RESULTS: The final model incorporates 9 variables: age, sex, primary site, T stage, N stage, number of lymph nodes harvested, tumor size, adjuvant treatment, and hemoglobin level. A significant interaction was also observed between N stage and adjuvant treatment. N1+ stage patients were likely to benefit from addition of adjuvant therapy as opposed to surgery alone, but adjuvant therapy did not improve overall survival for N0 stage patients. The C -index of the model was 0.729 in the training cohort, 0.723 after bootstrapping, and 0.695 in the external validation cohort. This model outperformed the seventh edition American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system in prognostic prediction and risk stratification. CONCLUSIONS: The prediction model constructed in this study may facilitate precise prediction of survival and inform decision-making about adjuvant therapy according to N stage.

Minimally Invasive or Open Esophagectomy for Treatment of Resectable Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma? Answer From a Real-world Multicenter Study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the long-term and short-term outcomes of MIE compared with OE in localized ESCC patients in real-world settings. BACKGROUND: MIE is an alternative to OE, despite the limited evidence regarding its effect on long-term survival. METHODS: We recruited 5822 consecutive patients with resectable ESCC in 2 typical high-volume centers in southern and northern China, 1453 of whom underwent MIE. Propensity score-based overlap weighted regression adjusted for multifaceted confounding factors was used to compare outcomes in the MIE and OE groups. RESULTS: Five-year OS was 62.7% in the MIE group and 57.7% in the OE group. The overlap weighted Cox regression showed slightly better OS in the MIE group (hazard ratio 0.93, 95% confidence interval: 0.82-1.06). Although duration of surgery was longer and treatment cost higher in the MIE group than in the OE group, the number of lymph nodes harvested was larger, the proportion of intraoperative blood transfusions lower, and postoperative complications less in the MIE group. 30-day (risk ratio [RR] 0.77, 0.381.55) and 90-day (RR 0.79, 0.46-1.35) mortality were lower in the MIE group versus the OE group, although not statistically significant. These findings were consistent across different analytic approaches and subgroups, notably in the subset of ESCC patients with large tumors. CONCLUSIONS: MIE can be performed safely with OS comparable to OE for patients with localized ESCC, indicating MIE may be recommended as the primary surgical approach for resectable ESCC in health facilities with requisite technical capacity.

Combined Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin, Fibrinogen, and Albumin (MF-A) Is a Novel Prognostic Marker in Patients with Resectable Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to systematically select blood markers routinely tested in clinical settings, which are independently associated with overall survival (OS) and are able to stratify prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients undergoing esophagectomy. METHODS: We selected optimal blood markers for prognostic stratification from 60 candidates in a clinical cohort of 1819 consecutive patients with resectable ESCC in China. Selection was carried out using two-step multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression adjusted for multifaceted confounders. A composite index was developed by multiplying risk factors and dividing them by protective factors. RESULTS: With a median follow-up of 48.07 months, 641 deaths occurred in the 1819 patients and the 5-year OS was 56.30%. Two risk factors (mean corpuscular hemoglobin, fibrinogen) and a protective factor (albumin), all dichotomized and assigned values 1 and 2, were used to construct the composite index marker "MF-A". Three risk groups were created based on the MF-A score including low- (0.5), moderate- (1), and high-risk groups (2 and 4). Compared with patients in the low-risk group (1184/1778, 66.59%), those in the moderate- (488, 27.45%), and high-risk (106, 5.96%) groups were at elevated risk of death (adjusted HR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.11-1.57; adjusted HR: 2.08, 95% CI: 1.56-2.75; Ptrend < 10-7). Within each TNM stage grouping, OS also trended to be significantly worse as the MF-A score increased. CONCLUSIONS: "MF-A" is a novel independent predictor which may be used to estimate and stratify prognosis for ESCC patients undergoing esophagectomy.

Hypermethylation of WNT3A gene and non-syndromic cleft lip and/or palate in association with in utero exposure to lead: A mediation analysis.

OBJECTIVES: We aim to investigate association between WNT3A methylation and risk of non-syndromic cleft lip and/or palate (NSCL/P), and examine mediating effect of WNT3A methylation on the association of NSCL/P and lead (Pb) exposure in fetuses. METHODS: DNA methylation of WNT3A in umbilical cord blood was determined among 59 NSCL/P cases and 118 non-malformed controls. Mediation analysis was performed to evaluate the potential mediating effect of WNT3A methylation on association between concentrations of Pb in umbilical cord and risk for NSCL/P. Additionally, an animal experiment in which cleft palates were induced by lead acetate was conducted. RESULTS: The overall average methylation level of WNT3A was significant higher in NSCL/P cases as compared to controls. The risk for NSCL/P was increased by 1.90-fold with hypermethylation of WNT3A. Significant correlation was observed between concentrations of Pb in umbilical cord and methylation level of WNT3A. The hypermethylation of WNT3A had a mediating effect by 9.32% of total effect of Pb on NSCL/P risk. Gender-specific association between WNT3A methylation and NSCL/P was observed in male fetuses, and the percentage of the mediating effect increased to 14.28%. Animal experiment of mice showed that maternal oral exposure to lead acetate may result in cleft palate in offspring. CONCLUSION: Hypermethylation of WNT3A was associated with the risk for NSCL/P and may be partly explain the association between exposure to Pb and risk for NSCL/P. The teratogenic and fetotoxic effects of Pb were found in mice.

All fiber compact bending sensor with high sensitivity based on a multimode fiber embedded chirped long-period grating.

We investigated and prepared a chirped long-period grating for high sensitivity bending measurement. The novel fiber structure is composed of the multimode fiber (MMF) with fixed length and gradually longer single-mode fiber using the continuous splicing method. The powerful ability of refractive index modulation in the MMF renders the miniaturization of the sensor. The total length of the sensor is 3.45 mm. Chirped period arrangement is adopted to improve the bending sensitivity. Through numerical calculation, the chirp coefficient is determined, and the clear resonance peaks are obtained using the wavelength scanning. The experimental results of several samples show that the maximum bending sensitivity is 53.68nm/m-1 at 0-1.803m-1. With the advantages of small size and high sensitivity, the sensor is especially suitable for bending sensing with a micro-structure.

Few-mode fiber-embedded long-period fiber grating for simultaneous measurement of refractive index and temperature.

A few-mode fiber (FMF)-embedded long-period fiber grating is proposed as a sensor for simultaneous measurement of refractive index and temperature. Periodically embedding the FMFs induces the local refractive index modulation to achieve a compact sensor size and obtains a low insertion loss. The simulated results show that the two resonance dips have opposite waveguide dispersion coefficients. Therefore, they show different refractive indices and temperature sensitivities in the experiment. At the same time, the spectral characteristics of double-resonance dips provides a condition for simultaneous measurement of two parameters. By monitoring wavelength shift of the two dips, the simultaneous measurement of refractive index and temperature is easily realized.

Multimode-interference-effect-based all-fiber displacement sensing system for an orthopedic Ilizarov apparatus device.

The paper describes a multimode-interference-effect-based single-mode-multimode-single-mode (SMS) fiber optic sensing system for wide-range displacement monitoring on an Ilizarov orthopedic external fixation device. Displacement measurement is implemented as the uniform extension of a spring, which is connected to an SMS optical fiber displacement sensor, allowing full displacement characterization. SMS fiber structures are used together with a macrobending-fiber-based interrogation system to measure temperature perturbation and hence eliminate its effect on the displacement measurement. Transmission spectra are measured, achieving a displacement measurement range of 110 mm with maximum sensitivity of -53 pm/mm and a resolution of 500 µm. The all-fiber sensing system has facilitated a clinical device with a wide displacement range operating in real-time when attached to the Ilizarov apparatus.

High Sensitivity Refractometer Based on a Tapered-Single Mode-No Core-Single Mode Fiber Structure.

We have proposed a novel tapered-single mode-no core-single mode (TSNS) fiber refractometer based on multimode interference. The TSNS structure exhibits a high contrast ratio (＞15 dB) and a uniform interference fringe. The influence of different lengths and diameters of the TSNS on the refractive index unit (RIU) sensitivity was investigated. The experimental investigations indicated a maximum sensitivity of 1517.28 nm/RIU for a refractive index of 1.417 and low-temperature sensitivity (＜10 pm/ºC). The experimental and simulation results are also in good agreement.

In-fiber whispering-gallery mode microsphere resonator-based integrated device.

A novel in-fiber whispering-gallery mode (WGM) microsphere resonator-based integrated device is reported. It is fabricated by placing a silica microsphere into an embedded dual-core hollow fiber (EDCHF). Using a fiber tapering method, a silica microsphere can be placed and fixed in the transition section of the hollow core of the EDCHF. The transmitted light from the tapered-input single-mode fiber is coupled into the embedded silica microsphere via the two suspended fiber cores, and hence effectively excites the WGMs. A Q-factor of 5.54×103 is achieved over the wavelength range of 1100-1300 nm. The polarization and temperature dependence of the in-fiber WGM microsphere resonator device is also investigated experimentally. This integrated photonics device provides greatly improved mechanical stability, compared with the traditional tapered fiber-coupled WGM microresonator devices. Additional advantages include ease of fabrication, compact structure, and low cost. This novel in-fiber WGM resonator integrated device is ideally positioned to access a wide range of potential applications in optical sensing and microcavity lasing.

Umbilical Cord Concentrations of Selected Heavy Metals and Risk for Orofacial Clefts.

Although arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and nickel (Ni) have the ability to induce orofacial clefts (OFCs) in rodents, evidence is absent from human epidemiological investigations with markers of in utero exposure. We investigated the associations between concentrations of As, Cd, Pb, and Ni in umbilical cord tissues and risk of OFCs, and the interactions between each pair of metals on OFC risk in a case-control study. Umbilical cord concentrations of metals were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in 92 OFC cases and 200 nonmalformed controls. Concentrations above the median of all subjects was associated with an elevated OFC risk of 8.36-fold for As, 7.22-fold for Cd, 15.32-fold for Pb, and 6.79-fold for Ni. Concentrations of As, Cd, Pb, and Ni were also associated with risks for OFC subtypes. When metal concentrations were divided into tertiles by levels of metal concentrations of all subjects, dose-response relationships of risks for total OFCs and subtypes with As, Cd, Pb, and Ni concentrations were demonstrated. Significant synergistic interaction between As and Ni on the risk of OFCs was also observed. Therefore, elevated in utero exposure to As, Cd, Pb, and Ni may increase the risks of OFCs in newborns.

Quantitative study of the correlation between cerebellar retraction factors and hearing loss following microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm.

BACKGROUND: This prospective study quantitatively measured the cerebellar retraction factors, including retraction distance, depth and duration, and evaluated their potential relationship to the development of hearing loss after microvascular decompression (MVD) for hemifacial spasm (HFS). METHODS: One hundred ten patients with primary HFS who underwent MVD in our department were included into this study. The cerebellar retraction factors were quantitatively measured on preoperative MR and timed during MVD. Associations of cerebellar retraction and other factors to postoperative hearing loss were analyzed. RESULTS: Eleven (10%) patients developed hearing loss after MVD. Compared with the group without hearing loss, the cerebellar retraction distance, depth and duration of the group with hearing loss were significantly greater (p < 0.05). Multivariate regression analysis showed that greater cerebellar retraction depth and longer retraction duration were significantly associated with a higher incidence of postoperative hearing impairment (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study strongly suggested a correlation between the cerebellar retraction factors, especially retraction depth and duration, and possibility of hearing loss following MVD for HFS.

Strain sensor based on gourd-shaped single-mode-multimode-single-mode hybrid optical fibre structure.

A fibre-optic strain sensor based on a gourd-shaped joint multimode fibre (MMF) sandwiched between two single-mode fibres (SMFs) is described both theoretically and experimentally. The cladding layers of the two MMFs are reshaped to form a hemisphere using an electrical arc method and spliced together, yielding the required gourd shape. The gourd-shaped section forms a Fabry-Perot cavity between the ends of two adjacent but non-contacting multimode fibres' core. The effectiveness of the multimode interference based on the Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) formed within the multimode inter-fibre section is greatly improved resulting in an experimentally determined strain sensitivity of -2.60 pm/µÎµ over the range 0-1000 µÎµ. The sensing characteristics for temperature and humidity of this optical fibre strain sensor are also investigated.

Passive photonic integrated ratiometric wavelength monitor with resolution better than 15 pm.

This paper presents a compact and low-loss photonic integrated device consisting of a Y-branch and a pair of multimode interferometers (MMI) for a ratiometric wavelength monitoring around 1550 nm on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technique. Two MMIs are designed in terms of width and length to achieve overlapping but opposite slope spectral responses used as two edge filters over a wavelength measurement range from 1500 nm to 1600 nm. The developed integrated photonic ratiometric structure demonstrates a suitable discrimination range for a high-speed passive wavelength measurement, with a high resolution better than 15 pm over a 100 nm wavelength range.

Cordycepin confers neuroprotection in mice models of intracerebral hemorrhage via suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

Neuroinflammation has been recognized as a major contributor to brain injury caused by intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome acts as an important mediator of inflammatory response in various inflammation-related diseases including hemorrhagic insults. Cordycepin has recently been shown to possess anti-inflammatory effect; however, its role and the possible underlying mechanisms in ICH remain unclear. This study was designed to investigate the neuroprotective effect of cordycepin in mice models of ICH and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. ICH was induced in male ICR mice by injecting autologous blood infusion stereotactically. Cordycepin was then given intraperitoneally (i.p.) at 30 min after ICH induction. The results demonstrated that NLRP3 inflammasome was activated and exacerbated the inflammatory progression after ICH. Cordycepin treatment significantly alleviated neurological deficits, brain edema, and perihematomal tissue damage following ICH. These changes were accompanied by downregulated NLRP3 inflammasome components expression and a reduction of production and release of inflammasome substrates interleukin-1beta (IL-1ß) and interleukin-18 (IL-18). Furthermore, cordycepin ameliorated neuronal death in the perihematomal regions, accompanied by a large reduction in the expression of high-mobility group protein B 1 (HMGB1) post-ICH. In conclusion, this study provides in vivo evidence that cordycepin confers neuroprotective effect in the models of ICH, possibly through the suppression of NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

Hemifacial spasm associated with type 1 Chiari malformation: a retrospective study of 13 cases.

Hemifacial spasm (HFS) associated with type 1 Chiari malformation is particularly uncommon and is limited to isolated case report. The aims of this study were to report the clinical correlates of patients who had simultaneously HFS and type 1 Chiari malformation and to present the outcome of these patients treated with microvascular decompression (MVD) surgery. We retrospectively evaluated 13 patients who had simultaneously HFS and type 1 Chiari malformation among 675 HFS patients. Clinical features and radiological findings were collected from each patient and analyzed. All these 13 patients were surgically treated with MVD through retro-mastoid microsurgical approach, and postoperative outcomes were evaluated. A review of literature about this association was also provided. In this study, the frequency of type 1 Chiari malformation in HFS patients was 1.9 %. The clinical profile of this series of patients did not differ from typical form of primary HFS. MVD achieved satisfactory results in 11 patients (85 %) in short- and long-term follow-up. There was no mortality or severe complication occurred postoperatively. Although rare, clinician should be aware of the association of HFS and type 1 Chiari malformation and consider MVD as an effective surgical management.

Clinical features and long-term surgical outcomes in 39 patients withtumor-related trigeminal neuralgia compared with 360 patients with idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare clinical features, long-term surgical outcomes between patients with idiopathic and tumor-related trigeminal neuralgia (TN), and to identify factors associated with the maintenance of permanent pain-free state. METHODS: Between January 2003 and December 2013, 360 patients with idiopathic TN and 39 patients with tumor-related TN who had undergone microsurgery were retrospectively studied. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were generated and compared by Log-rank test, and the possible prognostic factors were analyzed by the Cox proportional-hazards regression. RESULTS: Patients with tumor-related TN exhibited a younger age of pain onset (46.28 ± 18.18y vs. 53.03 ± 11.90y, p = .006), a briefer symptom duration (3.20 ± 4.38y vs. 7.01 ± 6.04y, p = .000), and much more preoperative neuropathic deficits (61.54%% vs. 24.17%%, p = .000), as compared with patients with idiopathic TN. Using Kaplan-Meier analysis, we found microsurgery was effective in 72.3% of patients with idiopathic TN, and in 86.4% of cases with tumor-related TN at six years follow-up postoperatively. Prognostic analysis suggested that a clear-cut neurovascular compression in patients with idiopathic TN (HR = 3.098, 95%CI: 1.800-5.311; p = .000) and total tumor removal in patients with tumor secondary TN (HR = 7.662, 95%CI: 0.098-36.574; p = .044) were positively correlated with excellent long-term outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The occurrences of TN at younger age, a shorter duration and preponderance of preclinical neuropathic symptoms are the characteristics of TN patients secondary to intracranial tumor, in contrast to patients with TN caused by a compressed vessel. Microsurgery is an effective and safe treatment modality for TN regardless of the disease etiology, the involvement of a clear-cut vascular offender and total tumor resection are the most important predictors of excellent outcome for microsurgery in idiopathic and tumor-related TN patients, respectively.

Ghrelin Attenuates Intestinal Barrier Dysfunction Following Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Mice.

Intestinal barrier dysfunction remains a critical problem in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and is associated with poor prognosis. Ghrelin, a brain-gut peptide, has been shown to exert protection in animal models of gastrointestinal injury. However, the effect of ghrelin on intestinal barrier dysfunction post-ICH and its possible underlying mechanisms are still unknown. This study was designed to investigate whether ghrelin administration attenuates intestinal barrier dysfunction in experimental ICH using an intrastriatal autologous blood infusion mouse model. Our data showed that treatment with ghrelin markedly attenuated intestinal mucosal injury at both histomorphometric and ultrastructural levels post-ICH. Ghrelin reduced ICH-induced intestinal permeability according to fluorescein isothiocyanate conjugated-dextran (FITC-D) and Evans blue extravasation assays. Concomitantly, the intestinal tight junction-related protein markers, Zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and claudin-5 were upregulated by ghrelin post-ICH. Additionally, ghrelin reduced intestinal intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression at the mRNA and protein levels following ICH. Furthermore, ghrelin suppressed the translocation of intestinal endotoxin post-ICH. These changes were accompanied by improved survival rates and an attenuation of body weight loss post-ICH. In conclusion, our results suggest that ghrelin reduced intestinal barrier dysfunction, thereby reducing mortality and weight loss, indicating that ghrelin is a potential therapeutic agent in ICH-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction therapy.

Optical coherence tomography angiography reveals macular microvascular changes in myopic adolescents following orthokeratology lens wear.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the 6-month effects of wearing orthokeratology (OK) lenses on the retina vessel density (VD), vessel diameter index (VDI), and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) of myopia children using optical coherence tomography angiography, and to further investigate the underlying mechanisms of Orthokeratology in myopia control. METHODS: Sixty-two eyes form 62 subjects were included in the study. Baseline and 6-month measurements of axial length (AL), anterior chamber depth (ACD), FAZ area, FAZ perimeter, FAZ circularity, vessel density (VD) and VDI from both the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DCP) were obtained. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 11.02 years (range: 8 years to 15 years), with 41.9% males and 58.1% females. Six months after orthokeratology, ACD decreased significantly, and AL remain unchanged. SCP-VD and DCP-VD significantly increased after treatment without obvious change of VDI, and FAZ parameters remained unchanged. During follow-up period, SCP-VD increased in all subgroups especially in mild myopia group, and DCP-VD increased significantly in all subgroups except for the group 8-10 years. CONCLUSION: After the 6-month treatment of orthokeratology in myopia children, the macular microvasculature changed significantly. We observed a significant increase of vessel densities in both SCP and DCP without obvious effect on vascular morphology. The changes of DCP-VD tended to be more sensitive in the elder subgroup, and the efficacy of orthokeratology might be greater in mild myopia group. OCT-A may provide additional information on myopia progression and the mechanisms of controlling myopia with OK lens treatment.