Polarization-insensitive multimode interference coupler on an x-cut thin-film lithium niobate platform.

Thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) is a promising integrated photonics platform but currently lacks a polarization-insensitive multimode interference (MMI) coupler, a crucial component for polarization-related optical communication applications such as polarization management, polarization-division multiplexing, and polarization-insensitive modulation systems. This paper presents a novel, to the best of our knowledge, approach by rotating the MMI structure on an anisotropic x-cut TFLN at specific angles to compensate for the difference in the beat length between the two polarizations. A polarization-insensitive 1 × 2 MMI coupler is experimentally achieved with measured transmittances of -2.5 to -4 dB for both output ports and polarization modes in the wavelength range of 1520-1580 nm.

Delay the progression of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis: Fraxin targets ferroptosis via the Nrf2/GPX4 pathway.

Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP) commonly accelerates bone loss, increasing the risk of fractures and osteonecrosis more significantly than traditional menopausal osteoporosis. The extracellular environment influenced by glucocorticoids heightens fracture and osteonecrosis risks. Fraxin (Fra), a key component of the traditional Chinese herbal remedy Cortex Fraxini, is known for its wide-ranging pharmacological effects, but its impact on GIOP remains unexplored. This investigation aims to delineate the effects and underlying mechanisms of Fra in combating dexamethasone (Dex)-induced ferroptosis and GIOP. We established a mouse model of GIOP via intraperitoneal injections of Dex and cultured osteoblasts with Dex treatment for in vitro analysis. We evaluated the impact of Fra on Dex-treated osteoblasts through assays such as C11-BODIPY and FerroOrange staining, mitochondrial functionality tests, and protein expression analyses via Western blot and immunofluorescence. The influence of Fra on bone microarchitecture of GIOP in mice was assessed using microcomputerized tomography, hematoxylin and eosin staining, double-labeling with Calcein-Alizarin Red S, and immunohistochemistry at imaging and histological levels. Based on our data, Fra prevented Dex-induced ferroptosis and bone loss. In vitro, glutathione levels increased and malondialdehyde, lipid peroxidation, and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species decreased. Fra treatment also increases nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), and COL1A1 expression and promotes bone formation. To delve deeper into the mechanism, the findings revealed that Fra triggered the activation of Nrf2/GPX4 signaling. Moreover, the use of siRNA-Nrf2 blocked the beneficial effect of Fra in osteoblasts cultivated with Dex. Fra effectively combats GIOP by activating the Nrf2/GPX4 signaling pathway to inhibit ferroptosis.

Successful intracytoplasmic sperm injection in a macrozoospermia case with novel compound heterozygous aurora kinase C (AURKC) mutations.

PURPOSE: To explore the application possibility of macrocephalic sperm from a patient with 100% macrocephalic sperm and AURKC gene variations. METHODS: We diagnosed a case of macrozoospermia with 100% macrocephalic sperm and 39.5% multi-tailed spermatozoa by morphological analysis. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was used for the patient and his wife. Sanger sequencing technique was used to verify the AURKC mutations in the patient's parents and his offspring. Sperm's ploidy was tested by flow cytometry. The couple asked for intra-couple ART therapy. RESULTS: The patient presented novel compound heterozygous AURKC mutations (c.434C > T, c.497A > T) by WES. Sanger sequencing validation showed that variant of c.434C > T was observed in his father and c.497A > T was observed in his mother. Flow cytometry revealed that there existed a certain proportion of haploid sperm. Macrocephalic spermatozoa whose heads were smaller than the diameter of injection needle were selected for microinjection. A singleton pregnancy was achieved after embryo transfer. Prenatal diagnosis revealed that the fetus had normal chromosomal karyotype. Sanger sequencing technique showed that the fetus carried a c.434C > T mutation in one AURKC allele. A 3730 g healthy male fetus was delivered at term. CONCLUSION: Our study reported a successful live birth from a patient with definite AURKC gene variants and may provide insights for such patients to choose donor sperm or their own sperm.

A Higher Performance Data Backup Scheme Based on Multi-Factor Authentication.

Remote data backup technology avoids the risk of data loss and tampering, and has higher security compared to local data backup solutions. However, the data transmission channel for remote data backup is not secure, and the backup server cannot be fully trusted, so users usually encrypt the data before uploading it to the remote server. As a result, how to protect this encryption key is crucial. We design a User-Centric Design (UCD) data backup scheme based on multi-factor authentication to protect this encryption key. Our scheme utilizes a secret sharing scheme to divide the encryption key into three parts, which are stored in the laptop, the smart card, and the server. The encryption key can be easily reconstructed from any two parts with user's private information password, identity and biometrics. As long as the biometrics has enough entropy, our scheme can resist replay attacks, impersonation user attacks, impersonation server attacks, malicious servers and offline password guessing attacks.

Endovascular treatment over 24 hours after ischemic stroke onset: a single-center retrospective study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of endovascular treatment (EVT) for acute ischemic stroke caused by large-vessel obstruction or stenosis (AIS-LVO/S) over 24 h after first AIS symptom recognition (FAISSR). METHODS: A total of 33 AIS-LVO/S cases with EVT over 24 h after FAISSR during the period from January 2019 to February 2022 in our hospital were divided into the 90d mRS ≤ 2 group [favorable outcome (FO) group] and 90d mRS > 2 group [unfavorable outcome (UFO) group] and retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: The reperfusion was successfully established with EVT in 97% (32/33) of cases, and most (63.6%, 21/33) had 90d mRS ≤ 2 and only 36.4% (12/33) had 90d mRS > 2. Preoperative DWI-ASPECT and ASITN/SIR scores were significantly higher and NIHSS scores were significantly lower in the FO group than those in the UFO group (P < 0.05). In addition, the FAISSR to exacerbation time, FAISSR to groin puncture time, and FAISSR to reperfusion time were significantly longer, and the groin puncture to reperfusion time was significantly shorter in the FO group than those in the UFO group (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in the stroke exacerbation to groin puncture time (P > 0.05). The patients with cerebral infarction due to artery dissection had more favorable EVT outcomes, but the patients with posterior cerebral circulation infarction had very poor EVT outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The FAISSR to groin puncture time over 24 h may not be a taboo for EVT and it may be safe and effective for AIS-LVO/S in anterior cerebral circulation, especially with lower preoperative NIHSS scores.

Rheumatoid meningitis without a history of rheumatoid arthritis: a case report and literature review.

Rheumatoid meningitis (RM) is a rare extra-articular manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis, usually with non-specific symptoms. In most cases, head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) shows lamellar enhancements in leptomeninges and pachymeninges, but definitive diagnosis relies on meningeal biopsies. Here, we reported a 43-year-old RM patient without a previous history of rheumatoid arthritis. He came to seek medical assistance because of fever and headache. The head MRI showed bilateral enhancements in leptomeninges and pachymeninges, and blood tests showed that serum IgM rheumatoid factor (RF) (1010.0 IU/ml) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibody (654.24 RU/ml) became positive with a further increase with the progression of the disease. After treatment with steroids, clinical symptoms were relieved. We also reviewed previous history, symptoms, and serum, cerebrospinal fluid and imaging findings in 15 RM cases without a history of rheumatoid arthritis published since 2010. Consistent with previous reported cases, the current case suggests importance of meningeal biopsies and increases in serum RF and anti-CCP antibody in diagnosis of RM. In addition, previous joint symptoms and chronic headaches, and leptomeningeal and pachymeningeal lesions on head MRI are also of great significance for the diagnosis.

Wound infection in robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy compared with retropubic radical prostate surgery: A meta-analysis.

A meta-analysis investigation was executed to measure the wound infection (WI) in robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RRP) compared with retropubic radical prostate surgery (RRPS). A comprehensive literature investigation till February 2023 was applied, and 1197 interrelated investigations were reviewed. The 19 chosen investigations enclosed 107 153 individuals with prostate cancer (PC) at the starting point. 72 008 of them were utilising RRP, and 35 145 were utilising RRPS. Odds ratio (OR) in addition to 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was utilised to compute the value of the WI in RRP compared with RRPS by the dichotomous approaches and a fixed or random model. RRP had significantly lower surgical site wound infection (SSWI) (OR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.21-0.52, P < .001) and infected lymphoceles (ILs) (OR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.22-0.92, P = .03) compared with RRPS in individuals with PC. RRP had significantly lower SSWI and ILs compared with RRPS in individuals with PC. However, care must be exercised when dealing with its values because of the low sample size of some of the nominated investigations for the meta-analysis.

Association between kidney stones and risk of developing stroke: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Many studies have described the relationship between kidney stones and stroke, but the results are controversial, so we conducted this meta-analysis to estimate the relationship between kidney stones and the risk of developing stroke. METHODS: Studies were marked with a comprehensive search of PubMed, EMBASE, Google, and ISI Web of Science databases through 25 March 2020. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were extracted, and a random-effects model or fix-effects model was used to compute the pooled combined risk estimate. Heterogeneity was reported as I2. We performed subgroup and sensitivity analysis to assess potential sources of heterogeneity. RESULTS: Eight studies of seven articles involving 3,526,808 participants were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, kidney stones were associated with a moderate risk of stroke incidence (HR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.11-1.40; I2=79.6%; p=0.000). We conducted a sensitivity analysis by removing the studies that had a high risk of bias. Heterogeneity subsequently decreased significantly, while an increased risk of stroke in patient with kidney stones was again demonstrated (HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.11-1.23; I2=28.7%; p=0.000). Stratifying analysis showed that the results were more pronounced for ischemic stroke (HR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.08-1.22; I2=15.6%; p=0.00) and the follow-up duration ≥10 years (HR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.10-1.27; I2=31.6%; p=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Our meta-analysis suggests that patients with kidney stones may have a modestly increased risk of developing stroke, especially in ischemic stroke. More large-scaled and clinical trials should be done to identify the relative impact of kidney stones on stroke outcomes in the future.

IC-2 Suppresses Proliferation and Induces Apoptosis of Bladder Cancer Cells via the Wnt/ß-Catenin Pathway.

BACKGROUND The Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway participates in many important tumorigeneses processes, including bladder cancer. The inhibition of abnormal activation of Wnt pathways might provide a new approach to tumor treatment. In the present study, we investigated the role of IC-2, a novel Wnt pathways small molecular inhibitor, in bladder cancer tumorigenesis. MATERIAL AND METHODS Bladder cancer cells were treated with various concentrations of IC-2 (0-5 µM) in vitro. The proliferation ability was measured using colony formation assay and apoptosis was measured using flow cytometry analysis. The protein expression was detected using Western blot analysis. Xenograft in vivo assay was performed to assess tumor growth. RESULTS IC-2 suppressed the proliferation and aggravated the apoptosis of bladder cancer cells in dose-dependent and time-dependent manners in vitro. Moreover, high concentrations of IC-2 inhibited the Wnt pathway-related protein expression levels, including ß-catenin, Cyclin D1, and TCF4. In vivo, administration of IC-2 in xenograft mice decreased the ß-catenin expression and reduced the tumor volume. CONCLUSIONS Our results validate the tumor-inhibition effect of IC-2 on bladder cancer in vivo and in vitro, providing a novel therapeutic strategy for bladder cancer.

[Analysis of a infertile female with ring 21 chromosome using combined techniques].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate clinical phenotype and genetic characteristics of a 30-year-old infertile female carrying a mosaic ring 21 chromosome. METHODS: A combination of techniques including G-banding, C-banding, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and SNP array were performed to investigate the breaking point of the r(21). RESULTS: The karyotype of the patient was mos 46,XX,r(21)[166]/46, XX,der(21)[60]/45, XX, -21[20]/46, XX,dic r(21)[4].ish del(21)(q22.2?)(21qter-, AML1+, D21S259/D21S341/D21S342+). arr 21q22.3(43 457 934-48 093 361) × 1, 21q22.2q22.3(40 218 429-43 457 934)× 1-2. The karyotypes of her parents were both normal. CONCLUSION: Clinical phenotypes of patients carrying a ring 21 mainly depends on the percentage of abnormal cells and the deleted chromosomal fragment. The small uterus and oligomenorrhea in our patient may be attributed to the mosaic ring 21 chromosome.

Effectiveness of acute aerobic exercise in regulating emotions in individuals with test anxiety.

High levels of test anxiety can cause negative emotional interference and have adverse effects in multiple aspects. It is currently unclear whether acute aerobic exercise can effectively reduce a series of negative emotions triggered by test anxiety. This study investigates the impact of 30 min of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on the subjective emotional responses and frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) in individuals with high test anxiety. Forty-four college students with high test anxiety were randomly assigned to an aerobic exercise group and a control group. Each group underwent two tests, involving subjective scale measurements and resting-state EEG recordings, with a seven-day interval between tests. Results showed that after 30 min of moderate-intensity acute aerobic exercise, the intervention group had significantly reduced scores in subjective negative emotional experiences, and FAA indicators significantly increased. The study suggests that acute aerobic exercise can enhance the emotional regulation ability of college students with high test anxiety and reduce their negative emotions.

CMR-net: A cross modality reconstruction network for multi-modality remote sensing classification.

In recent years, the classification and identification of surface materials on earth have emerged as fundamental yet challenging research topics in the fields of geoscience and remote sensing (RS). The classification of multi-modality RS data still poses certain challenges, despite the notable advancements achieved by deep learning technology in RS image classification. In this work, a deep learning architecture based on convolutional neural network (CNN) is proposed for the classification of multimodal RS image data. The network structure introduces a cross modality reconstruction (CMR) module in the multi-modality feature fusion stage, called CMR-Net. In other words, CMR-Net is based on CNN network structure. In the feature fusion stage, a plug-and-play module for cross-modal fusion reconstruction is designed to compactly integrate features extracted from multiple modalities of remote sensing data, enabling effective information exchange and feature integration. In addition, to validate the proposed scheme, extensive experiments were conducted on two multi-modality RS datasets, namely the Houston2013 dataset consisting of hyperspectral (HS) and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data, as well as the Berlin dataset comprising HS and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data. The results demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of our proposed CMR-Net compared to several state-of-the-art methods for multi-modality RS data classification.

Concomitant rapidly growing aneurysm of intracavernous carotid artery and cavernous sinus thrombosis: Case report and review of the literature.

RATIONALE: Intracavernous infectious aneurysm (ICIA), represents a rare entity that is always described in the form of case reports in the literature. The coexistence of ICIA and cavernous sinus thrombosis (CST) is extremely rare and poorly understood. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 53-year-old female patient presented to our hospital with headache, nausea and fatigue for 3 weeks. She complained of blurry vision and drooping eyelids before admission. Neurological examination revealed bilateral decreased visual acuity, limitation of extraocular movements and decreased sensation of forehead. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed mixed signal intensities in both cavernous sinuses and expansion of right superior ophthalmic vein, suggesting the formation of CST. One month later, computed tomography angiography (CTA) confirmed a large aneurysm was attached to the left intracavernous carotid artery (ICCA). DIAGNOESE: This patient was diagnosed with ICIA and CST. INTERVENTIONS: She was administered with intravenous meropenem and vancomycin and subcutaneous injection of low molecular heparin for 4 weeks. OUTCOMES: One month later, her extraocular movement had significantly improved, without ptosis and conjunctival congestion. At 1-year follow-up, her ophthalmoplegia fully recovered. Fortunately, such large aneurysm did not rupture in spite of slight broadening. LESSONS: The coexistence of ICIA and CST is extremely rare. Contiguous infection from adjacent tissues is the foremost cause of ICIA. A repeated angiographic examination is recommended under enough anti-infective treatment due to the characteristics of rapid emergence and fast growth of infectious aneurysms.

Dietary selenium intake and sarcopenia in American adults.

Background: The relationship between dietary selenium intake and sarcopenia remains poorly understood. Therefore, this study investigates the associations between dietary selenium intake and sarcopenia among American adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from 19,696 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for the periods 1999-2006 and 2011-2018. Appendicular muscle mass, assessed using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and adjusted for body mass index, was used as a marker for sarcopenia. Dietary selenium intake was evaluated using the 24-h dietary recall system, and the study accounted for the complex sampling methodology and incorporated dietary sample weights in the analysis. Results: Among the 19,696 participants, the prevalence of sarcopenia was found to be 8.46%. When compared to the lowest quintile of dietary selenium intake (Q1, < 80.10 µg/day), the odds ratios for sarcopenia in the second quintile (Q2, 80.10-124.61 µg/day) and the third quintile (Q3, >124.61 µg/day) were 0.80 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.70-0.92, p = 0.002] and 0.61 (95% CI: 0.51-0.73, p < 0.001), respectively. A negative relationship was observed between dietary selenium intake and sarcopenia (non-linear: p = 0.285). Furthermore, sensitivity analyses revealed a robust association between selenium intake and the prevalence of sarcopenia after further adjusting for blood selenium levels. Conclusion: The results suggest an inverse association between dietary selenium intake and the prevalence of sarcopenia among American adults.

Causality between ankylosing spondylitis and urolithiasis in European Populations: A Mendelian randomization analysis.

BACKGROUND: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an inflammatory condition affecting the spine. Observational studies have suggested a heightened risk of urolithiasis in AS patients. However, due to the inherent limitations of observational research, the causal relationship between the two remains to be determined. OBJECTIVE: Utilizing the Mendelian randomization analysis approach, this study sought to explore the causal link between AS and urolithiasis. METHODS: Data from genome-wide association studies were employed for analysis. Mendelian randomization analyses were conducted using the IVW, MR-Egger, Weighted Median, and Weighted Mode methods. Heterogeneity tests, sensitivity analyses, and pleiotropy analyses were also performed. RESULTS: The causality between AS and urolithiasis was supported by the IVW (P=.02), Weighted Median (P=.006), and Weighted Mode (P=.01) methods. The MR-Egger method (P=.07) did not support this causal relationship, yet its directionality was consistent with the other three methods. None of the four analysis methods supported a reverse causal relationship between AS and urolithiasis. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates a causal relationship between AS and urolithiasis, with no evidence of reverse causality. Given the increased risk of urolithiasis in AS patients, it is crucial to implement preventive strategies and early detection. Stone composition analysis should also be incorporated into clinical practice for these patients, as it can provide essential insights into the metabolic and genetic factors contributing to stone formation, thus improving diagnostic accuracy and treatment outcomes. Future studies are needed to further validate these findings and explore the detailed mechanisms involved.

Comparison of morbidity and mortality after radical cystectomy between individuals older and younger than 80 years: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To compare outcomes related to survival and post-operative complications in individuals older and younger than 80 years with bladder cancer undergoing radical cystectomy (RC). METHODS: We conducted a systematic search using three large databases: PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus. We included observational studies comparing outcomes between individuals older than 80 years and younger patients undergoing RC. The outcomes of interest included overall survival, disease-specific survival, progression-free survival, and risk of post-operative complications. We applied a random effects model for the analysis and reported pooled effect sizes as odds ratios (ORs) or hazards ratios (HRs) along with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: We analyzed 21 studies. Our results show that individuals older than 80 years had higher risks of mortality at 30 days (OR 2.82; 95% CI 1.97, 4.04), 90 days (OR 3.34; 95% CI 2.61, 4.27), 12 months (HR 3.03; 95% CI 2.64, 3.49), and 24 months (HR 3.54; 95% CI 2.27, 5.50) of the post-operative follow-up than younger individuals. In addition, individuals older than 80 years also had poor 5-year survivals (HR 2.17; 95% CI 1.64, 2.88), an increased risk of 5-year cancer-specific mortality (HR 1.58; 95% CI 1.24, 2.03), poor 5-year recurrence free survivals (HR 1.49; 95% CI 1.07, 2.08), and high complications risks (OR 1.20; 95% CI 1.02, 1.42) when compared to younger patients. CONCLUSION: Individuals older than 80 years undergoing RC are likely to have poor survival-related outcomes and increased complications risks. Pre-planned comprehensive geriatric assessments (CGAs) may be needed to offer better peri- and post-operative care to improve the outcomes in this patient population.

RC48-Antibody-Drug Conjugate in Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma: A Multicenter Real-World Study in China.

OBJECTIVES: RC48 is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) that targets HER2. In China, RC48 is approved for patients with HER-2-positive metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) who have failed at least platinum-based chemotherapy. This study aimed to evaluate RC48 for mUC in a cohort of real-world patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively collected data from 103 mUC patients from 12 centers between July 2021 and August 2023 in China. RC48 alone or with immunotherapy was administered until disease progression, intolerable toxicity, death, or other reasons. The objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and incidence of treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were evaluated. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 68 years, and 68.0% were men. Twenty-nine (28.2%) patients received RC48 alone; 73 (70.9%) received RC48 combination therapy. The response rates were as follows: complete response in 2 (1.9%) patients, partial response in 50 (48.5%) patients, stable disease in 30 (29.1%) patients. The ORR was 50.5%. In patients with ≥80 years, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status ≥2 and creatinine clearance rate (CCr) <30 mL/min, the ORR was 75%, 48.6%, and 40.0%, respectively. The median PFS was 6 (3.9-8.1) months, and the median OS was not reached. The most reported TRAEs were peripheral sensory neuropathy (53.4%), alopecia (42.7%), asthenia (38.8%), decreased appetite (35.9%) and weight loss (35.9%) and TRAE did not increase in patients with poor condition or impaired renal function. CONCLUSION: Administration of RC48 for real-world patients is both effective and safe. mUC patients can benefit from RC48-based therapy, regardless of their poor condition or impaired renal function.

A novel cuproptosis-related lncRNAs signature predicts prognosis in bladder cancer.

This study constructed a novel cuproptosis-related lncRNAs signature to predict the prognosis of BLCA patients. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was used to retrieve the RNA-seq data together with the relevant clinical information. The cuproptosis-related genes were first discovered. The cuproptosis-related lncRNAs were then acquired by univariate, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and multivariate Cox regression analysis to create a predictive signature. An eight cuproptosis-related lncRNAs (AC005261.1, AC008074.2, AC021321.1, AL024508.2, AL354919.2, ARHGAP5-AS1, LINC01106, LINC02446) predictive signature was created. Compared with the low-risk group, the prognosis was poorer for the high-risk group. The signature served as an independent overall survival (OS) predictor. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve indicated that the signature demonstrated superior predictive ability, as evidenced by the area under the curve (AUC) of 0.782 than the clinicopathological variables. When we performed a subgroup analysis of the different variables, the high-risk group's OS for BLCA patients was lower than that of the low-risk group's patients. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) showed that high-risk groups were clearly enriched in many immune-related biological processes and tumor-related signaling pathways. Single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) revealed that the immune infiltration level was different between the two groups. Finally, quantitative RT-PCR showed that AC005261.1, AC021321.1, AL024508.2, LINC02446 and LINC01106 were lowly expressed in tumor cells, while ARHGAP5-AS1 showed the opposite trend. In summary, the predictive signature can independently predict the prognosis and provide clinical treatment guidance for BLCA patients.

A 2,2'-bipyridyl calcium complex: synthesis, structure and reactivity studies.

A 2,2'-bipyridyl calcium complex based on a tridentate ligand [CH3C(N-2,6-iPr2C6H3)CHC(CH3)NCH2CH2N(CH3)2]Ca(bipy)(THF) (1) was prepared by the reduction of {[CH3C(N-2,6-iPr2C6H3)CHC(CH3)NCH2CH2N(CH3)2]CaI(THF)}2 with potassium graphite in the presence of 2,2'-bipyridine (bipy). Complex 1 is a good Ca(I)synthon, as shown by its reactivity with I2, PhCH2SSCH2Ph, PhCH2SeSeCH2Ph and 9-fluorenone, yielding the calcium iodide complex [CH3C(N-2,6-iPr2C6H3)CHC(CH3)NCH2CH2N(CH3)2]CaI(bipy) (2), calcium thiolate [CH3C(N-2,6-iPr2C6H3)CHC(CH3)NCH2CH2N(CH3)2]Ca(SCH2Ph)(bipy) (3), calcium selenolate [CH3C(N-2,6-iPr2C6H3)CHC(CH3)NCH2CH2N(CH3)2]Ca(SeCH2Ph)(bipy) (4), and calcium ketyl complex [CH3C(N-2,6-iPr2C6H3)CHC(CH3)NCH2CH2N(CH3)2]Ca[O-(9-C13H8˙)](bipy)·2THF (5·2THF), respectively. In addition, reactions of complex 5 with CS2, CH2CHCH2Br and PhCH2Br give the corresponding dimeric bis(thiolate) complex {[S2CC(CMe(NAr))C(Me)NCH2CH2NMe2]Ca(DME)}2 (6), dimeric calcium bromide complex {[(9-CH2CHCH2-C13H8-9)-O]CaBr(THF)(bipy)}2 (7) and {[(9-C6H5CH2-C13H8-9)-O]CaBr[O-(9-C13H8)](bipy)}2 (8). These results demonstrated that the calcium ketyl complex 5 can also be employed as a single-electron transfer reagent. All the new compounds were characterized by various spectroscopic methods, and their solid-state structures were further confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses.