Activation of the cGMP/PKG/ERK signaling pathway associated with PDE5Is inhibits fibroblast activation by downregulating autophagy in early progressive benign prostatic hyperplasia.

PURPOSE: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is one of the most prevalent diseases affecting aging males. However, approximately, 8% of the BPH patients under 50-year-old experience remarkably early progression, for reasons that remain elusive. Among the various factors implicated in promoting BPH advancement, the activation of fibroblasts and autophagy hold particular importance. Our research endeavors to explore the mechanisms behind the accelerated progression in these patients. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence were performed to detect the expression levels of LC3, p62, PDE5, and α-SMA in diverse BPH tissues and prostate stromal cells. The autophagy activator rapamycin, the autophagy suppressor chloroquine, and siRNA transfection were used to identify the impact of autophagy on fibroblast activation. RESULTS: Prostatic stromal fibroblasts in early progressive BPH tissues displayed activation of autophagy with an upregulation of LC3 and a concurrent downregulation of p62. After starvation or rapamycin treatment to a heightened level of autophagy, fibroblasts exhibited activation. Conversely, chloroquine treatment and ATG-7-knockdown effectively suppressed the level of autophagy and fibroblast activation. High expression of PDE5 was found in early progressive BPH stromal cells. The administration of PDE5 inhibitors (PDE5Is) hindered fibroblast activation through suppressing autophagy by inhibiting the ERK signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that autophagy plays a pivotal role in promoting BPH progression through fibroblast activation, while PDE5Is effectively suppress autophagy and fibroblast activation via the ERK signaling pathway. Nevertheless, further investigations are warranted to comprehensively elucidate the role of autophagy in BPH progression.

Needle-perc-assisted endoscopic surgery versus retrograde intrarenal surgery for the treatment of 1- to 2-cm lower-pole renal stones in patients with unfavorable infundibulopelvic anatomy: a matched-pair analysis.

PURPOSE: To compare the safety and efficacy of needle-perc-assisted endoscopic surgery (NAES) and retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) for the treatment of 1- to 2-cm lower-pole stones (LPS) in patients with complex infundibulopelvic anatomy. METHODS: Between June 2020 and July 2022, 32 patients with 1- to 2-cm LPS and unfavorable lower-pole anatomy for flexible ureteroscopy were treated with NAES. The outcomes of these patients were compared with patients who underwent RIRS using matched-pair analysis (1:1 scenario). The matching parameters such as age, gender, body mass index, stone size, hardness, and pelvicalyceal anatomy characteristics including infundibular pelvic angle, infundibular length, and width were recorded. Data were analyzed using the Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: The two groups had similar baseline characteristics and lower-pole anatomy. The stone burden was comparable between both groups. NASE achieved a significantly better initial stone-free rate (SFR) than RIRS (87.5% vs 62.5%, p = 0.04). The auxiliary rates for the NAES and RIRS groups were 12.5% and 31.3%, respectively (p = 0.13). Finally, the SFR after 1 month follow-up period was still higher for the NAES group than RIRS group (93.8% versus 81.3%), but the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.26). Concerning the operation duration, overall complication rates, and postoperative hospital stay, there were no differences between two groups. CONCLUSION: Compared to RIRS for treating 1- to 2-cm LPS in patients with unfavorable infundibulopelvic anatomy for flexible ureteroscopy, NAES was safe and effective with higher SFR and similar complication rate.

International Alliance of Urolithiasis (IAU) guideline on staghorn calculi management.

BACKGROUND: The stone burden based management strategy reported in the guidelines published by different associations is well known for a long time. Staghorn calculi, representing the largest burden and most complex stones, is one of the most challenging cases to practicing urologists in clinical practice. The International Alliance of Urolithiasis (IAU) has released a series of guidelines on the management of urolithiasis. PURPOSE: To develop a series of recommendations for the contemporary management management of staghorn calculi and to provide a clinical framework for urologists treating patients with these complex stones. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search for articles published in English between 01/01/1976 and 31/12/2022 in the PubMed, OVID, Embase and Medline database is performed. A series of recommendations are developed and individually graded following the review of literature and panel discussion. RESULTS: The definition, pathogenesis, pathophysiology, preoperative evaluation, intraoperative treatment strategies and procedural advice, early postoperative management, follow up and prevention of stone recurrence are summarized in the present document. CONCLUSION: A series of recommendations regarding the management of staghorn calculi, along with related commentary and supporting documentation offered in the present guideline is intended to provide a clinical framework for the practicing urologists in the management of staghorn calculi.

Generation of Ultrabrilliant Polarized Attosecond Electron Bunches via Dual-Wake Injection.

Laser wakefield acceleration is paving the way for the next generation of electron accelerators, for their own sake and as radiation sources. A controllable dual-wake injection scheme is put forward here to generate an ultrashort triplet electron bunch with high brightness and high polarization, employing a radially polarized laser as a driver. We find that the dual wakes can be driven by both transverse and longitudinal components of the laser field in the quasiblowout regime, sustaining the laser-modulated wakefield which facilitates the subcycle and transversely split injection of the triplet bunch. Polarization of the triplet bunch can be highly preserved due to the laser-assisted collective spin precession and the noncanceled transverse spins. In our three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, the triplet electron bunch, with duration about 500 as, six-dimensional brightness exceeding 10^{14} A/m^{2}/0.1% and polarization over 80%, can be generated using a few-terawatt laser. Such an electron bunch could play an essential role in many applications, such as ultrafast imaging, nuclear structure and high-energy physics studies, and the operation of coherent radiation sources.

High and selective cytotoxicity of ex vivo expanded allogeneic human natural killer cells from peripheral blood against bladder cancer: implications for natural killer cell instillation after transurethral resection of bladder tumor.

BACKGROUND: Non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is treated with transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) followed by intravesical instillation of chemotherapy or Bacillus Calmette-Guérin therapy. However, these treatments have a high recurrence rate and side effects, emphasizing the need for alternative instillations. Previously, we revealed that expanded allogeneic human natural killer (NK) cells from peripheral blood are a promising cellular therapy for prostate cancer. However, whether NK cells exhibit a similar killing effect in bladder cancer (BCa) remains unknown. METHODS: Expansion, activation, and cryopreservation of allogeneic human NK cells obtained from peripheral blood were performed as we previously described. In vitro cytotoxicity was evaluated using the cell counting kit-8. The levels of perforin, granzyme B, interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor-α, and chemokines (C-C-motif ligand [CCL]1, CCL2, CCL20, CCL3L1, and CCL4; C-X-C-motif ligand [CXCL]1, CXCL16, CXCL2, CXCL3, and CXCL8; and X-motif ligand 1 and 2) were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expression of CD107a, major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I), MHC-I polypeptide-related sequences A and B (MICA/B), cytomegalovirus UL16-binding protein-2/5/6 (ULBP-2/5/6), B7-H6, CD56, CD69, CD25, killer cell Ig-like receptors (KIR)2DL1, KIRD3DL1, NKG2D, NKp30, NKp46, and CD16 of NK cells or BCa and normal urothelial cells were detected using flow cytometry. Cytotoxicity was evaluated using lactate dehydrogenase assay in patient-derived organoid models. BCa growth was monitored in vivo using calipers in male NOD-scid IL2rg-/- mice subcutaneously injected with 5637 and NK cells. Differential gene expressions were investigated using RNA sequence analysis. The chemotaxis of T cells was evaluated using transwell migration assays. RESULTS: We revealed that the NK cells possess higher cytotoxicity against BCa lines with more production of cytokines than normal urothelial cells counterparts in vitro, demonstrated by upregulation of degranulation marker CD107a and increased interferon-γ secretion, by MICA/B/NKG2D and B7H6/NKp30-mediated activation. Furthermore, NK cells demonstrated antitumor effects against BCa in patient-derived organoids and BCa xenograft mouse models. NK cells secreted chemokines, including CCL1/2/20, to induce T-cell chemotaxis when encountering BCa cells. CONCLUSIONS: The expanded NK cells exhibit potent cytotoxicity against BCa cells, with few toxic side effects on normal urothelial cells. In addition, NK cells recruit T cells by secreting a panel of chemokines, which supports the translational application of NK cell intravesical instillation after TURBT from bench to bedside for NMIBC treatment.

Laparoscopy-assisted ultrasound-guiding percutaneous nephrolithotomy for the treatment of stones in pelvic ectopic kidney: A case report.

Background: Pelvic ectopic kidney is a kind of congenital malformations of urinary system due to the failure of ascent from the pelvis to the abdomen during development. Case presentation: A 39-year-old man was referred to the urology department of our hospital for abdominal pain for half a month. Radiographic studies revealed stones in pelvic ectopic left kidney. Laparoscopy-assisted ultrasound-guiding percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) was performed. Postoperative plain film revealed that the patient achieved a stone-free status. Conclusions: Laparoscopy-assisted ultrasound-guiding PCNL is a safe alternative for the treatment of stones in pelvic ectopic kidney with a high stone-free clearance.

Manipulation of Giant Multipole Resonances via Vortex γ Photons.

Traditional photonuclear reactions primarily excite giant dipole resonances, making the measurement of isovector giant resonances with higher multipolarities a great challenge. In this Letter, the manipulation of collective excitations of different multipole transitions in even-even nuclei via vortex γ photons is investigated. We develop the calculation method for photonuclear cross sections induced by the vortex γ photon beam using the fully self-consistent random-phase approximation plus particle-vibration coupling (RPA+PVC) model based on Skyrme density functional. We find that the electromagnetic transitions with multipolarity J<|m_{γ}| are forbidden for vortex γ photons due to the angular momentum conservation, with m_{γ} being the projection of total angular momentum of γ photon on its propagation direction. For instance, this allows for probing the isovector giant quadrupole resonance without interference from dipole transitions using vortex γ photons with m_{γ}=2. Furthermore, the electromagnetic transition with J=|m_{γ}|+1 vanishes at a specific polar angle. Therefore, the giant resonances with specific multipolarity can be extracted via vortex γ photons. Moreover, the vortex properties of γ photons can be meticulously diagnosed by measuring the nuclear photon-absorption cross section. Our method opens new avenues for photonuclear excitations, generation of coherent γ photon laser and precise detection of vortex particles, and consequently, has significant impact on nuclear physics, nuclear astrophysics and strong laser physics.

Metabolism of Two Mogroside Isomers, Mogroside III and Mogroside IIIE, in Normal and Drug-Metabolizing Enzyme-Induced Rats.

Mogrosides III (1) and IIIE (2) are two important bioactive cucurbitane-type triterpenoid triglycosides in the edible fruits of Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle), which are isomers and have only a minor difference in their structures. To clarify the effects of structural difference and drug-metabolizing-enzyme induction on their metabolism in vivo, their metabolites in normal rats and drug-metabolizing-enzyme-induced rats were tentatively identified and semiquantified by using the HPLC-DAD-ESI-IT-TOF-MSn technique. Totally, 76, 78, 96, and 121 metabolites of mogrosides were identified in the NIII (normal rats orally administered with mogroside III), NIIIE (normal rats orally administered with mogroside IIIE), EIII (drug-metabolizing-enzyme-induced rats orally administered with mogroside III), and EIIIE (drug-metabolizing-enzyme-induced rats orally administered with mogroside IIIE) groups, respectively. The metabolite differences among these groups indicated that their minor structural differences are responsible for the significant differences in their metabolites, and the induction of drug-metabolizing enzymes significantly increased the number of their metabolites. These findings would improve our understanding of the in vivo processes of mogrosides III and IIIE as well as their interactions with other food bioactive components or drugs.

Generation of High-Density High-Polarization Positrons via Single-Shot Strong Laser-Foil Interaction.

We put forward a novel method for producing ultrarelativistic high-density high-polarization positrons through a single-shot interaction of a strong laser with a tilted solid foil. In our method, the driving laser ionizes the target, and the emitted electrons are accelerated and subsequently generate abundant γ photons via the nonlinear Compton scattering, dominated by the laser. These γ photons then generate polarized positrons via the nonlinear Breit-Wheeler process, dominated by a strong self-generated quasistatic magnetic field B^{S}. We find that placing the foil at an appropriate angle can result in a directional orientation of B^{S}, thereby polarizing positrons. Manipulating the laser polarization direction can control the angle between the γ photon polarization and B^{S}, significantly enhancing the positron polarization degree. Our spin-resolved quantum electrodynamics particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate that employing a laser with a peak intensity of about 10^{23} W/cm^{2} can obtain dense (≳10^{18} cm^{-3}) polarized positrons with an average polarization degree of about 70% and a yield of above 0.1 nC per shot. Moreover, our method is feasible using currently available or upcoming laser facilities and robust with respect to the laser and target parameters. Such high-density high-polarization positrons hold great significance in laboratory astrophysics, high-energy physics, and new physics beyond the standard model.

Analysis of risk factors for positive surgical margin after laparoscopic radical prostatectomy with and without neoadjuvant hormonal therapy.

Background: Positive surgical margins (PSM) is not only an independent risk factor for recurrence, metastasis, and prognosis, but also an important indicator of adjuvant therapy for prostate cancer (PCa) patients treated with radical prostatectomy (RP). At present, there are few reports analyzing risk factors of PSM in laparoscopic RP (LRP), especially for those PCa cases who accepted neoadjuvant hormonal therapy (NHT). Hence, the aim of the current study was to explore risk factors for PSM after LRP in PCa patients with and without NHT. Methods: The clinicopathological data of patients who underwent LRP from January 2012 to July 2020 was retrospectively analyzed. Risk factors for PSM after LRP in NHT and non-NHT groups were respectively explored. Results: The overall PSM rate was 33.3% (90/270), PSM rate was 39.3% (64/163) in patients without NHT and 24.3% (26/107) in those with NHT. The apex was the most common location of PSM in non-NHT group (68.8%, 44/64), while the fundus was the most common location of PSM in NHT group (57.7%, 15/26). Multiple logistic regression revealed that body mass index (BMI), PSA, ISUP grade after LRP, pathological stage T (pT) and pathological lymph node status (pN) were independent factors affecting the PSM for patients without NHT (OR=1.160, 95%CI:1.034-1.301, p=0.011; OR=3.385, 95%CI:1.386-8.268, p=0.007; OR=3.541, 95%CI:1.008-12.444, p=0.049; OR=4.577, 95%CI:2.163-9.686, p<0.001; OR=3.572, 95%CI:1.124-11.347, p=0.031), while pT, pN, and lymphovascular invasion (LVI) were independent risk factors affecting PSM for patients with NHT (OR=18.434, 95%CI:4.976-68.297, p<0.001; OR=7.181, 95%CI:2.089-24.689, p=0.002; OR=3.545, 95%CI:1.109-11.327, p=0.033). Conclusions: The apex was the most common location in NHT group, and BMI, PSA, ISUP after LRP, pT and pN were independent risk factors affecting PSM for NHT patients; while the fundus was the most common location in non-NHT group, and pT, pN, and LVI were independent risk factors affecting PSM for non-NHT patients.

Evaluating the Performance of Different Large Language Models on Health Consultation and Patient Education in Urolithiasis.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of four large language models (LLMs) (Claude, Bard, ChatGPT4, and New Bing) that have large user bases and significant social attention, in the context of medical consultation and patient education in urolithiasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, we developed a questionnaire consisting of 21 questions and 2 clinical scenarios related to urolithiasis. Subsequently, clinical consultations were simulated for each of the four models to assess their responses to the questions. Urolithiasis experts then evaluated the model responses in terms of accuracy, comprehensiveness, ease of understanding, human care, and clinical case analysis ability based on a predesigned 5-point Likert scale. Visualization and statistical analyses were then employed to compare the four models and evaluate their performance. RESULTS: All models yielded satisfying performance, except for Bard, who failed to provide a valid response to Question 13. Claude consistently scored the highest in all dimensions compared with the other three models. ChatGPT4 ranked second in accuracy, with a relatively stable output across multiple tests, but shortcomings were observed in empathy and human caring. Bard exhibited the lowest accuracy and overall performance. Claude and ChatGPT4 both had a high capacity to analyze clinical cases of urolithiasis. Overall, Claude emerged as the best performer in urolithiasis consultations and education. CONCLUSION: Claude demonstrated superior performance compared with the other three in urolithiasis consultation and education. This study highlights the remarkable potential of LLMs in medical health consultations and patient education, although professional review, further evaluation, and modifications are still required.

Needle-Perc-Assisted Endoscopic Surgery in Treatment with Renal Staghorn Stones: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study from a Large-Volume Stone Center.

INTRODUCTION: The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of needle-perc-assisted endoscopic surgery (NAES) in the treatment of staghorn renal stones via a single-center prospective randomized controlled study. METHODS: A total of 219 patients with partial or complete staghorn renal stones were prospectively randomized into two groups between January 2020 and April 2022. In group A (n = 112), patients were treated with traditional standard access, multiple if necessary, and in group B (n = 107), only one standard access was made, and needle-perc was assisted to remove the residual stones in the same stage. All procedures were guided under ultrasound totally. Stone size, operating time, blood loss, pain score, complications, and other related characteristics were monitored and analyzed. RESULTS: Procedures were successful in all patients. The baseline characters were similar between the groups. The mean stone size was comparable (4.5 ± 1.4 vs. 4.7 ± 1.7, p = 0.35). The 1-month stone-free status was achieved in 85 patients (75.9%) in group A and 80 (74.8%) patients in group B (p = 0.72). The operation time was shorter in group A than B (75.1 ± 28.1 min vs. 97.2 ± 20.4 min, p = 0.02). A less blood loss (p = 0.01), shorter hospital stay (p = 0.04), lower pain score (p = 0.04), and lower severe complication rates (p = 0.03) were observed in group B. CONCLUSION: NAES reveals better postoperative recurrence compared with traditional multiple tracts method for treating staghorn renal stones. The stone-free rate was comparable between the two groups.

The Triterpenoids from Munronia pinnata and Their Anti-Proliferative Effects.

Six new tirucallane-type triterpenoids, named munropenes A-F (1-6), were extracted from the whole plants of Munronia pinnata using a water extraction method. Their chemical structures were determined based on detailed spectroscopic data. The relative configurations of the acyclic structures at C-17 of munropenes A-F (1-6) were established using carbon-proton spin-coupling constants (2,3JC,H) and inter-proton spin-coupling constants (3JH,H). Furthermore, the absolute configurations of munropenes A-F (1-6) were determined through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) analyses. The antiproliferative effects of munropenes A-F were evaluated in five tumor cell lines: HCT116, A549, HepG2, MCF7, and MDAMB. Munropenes A, B, D, and F (1, 2, 4, and 6) inhibited proliferation in the HCT116 cell line with IC50 values of 40.90, 19.13, 17.66, and 32.62 µM, respectively.

Needle-perc-assisted endoscopic surgery (NAES) for patients with complicated solitary kidney stones: a prospective randomized study from a single center.

PURPOSE: The goal of this study is to compare traditional percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) and needle-perc-assisted endoscopic surgery (NAES) in the treatment of complicated solitary kidney stones via a single-center randomized controlled prospective study. METHODS: A total of patients with complex (Guy's score II-IV) solitary kidney stones between July 2019 to June 2022 were enrolled in the study. Participants were stratified into two groups: needle-perc-assisted endoscopic surgery group (group A) and traditional PCNL group (group B). All procedures were finished by X-ray free technique. The clinical characteristics and outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 90 (44 in Group A and 46 in Group B) patients were finally included in our study. There were no statistically differences in terms of gender, age, body mass index (BMI), stone burden between two groups. The mean operative duration of Group A was significant higher than group B (95.1 ± 21.4 min vs 72.5 ± 29.5 min, p=0.02). The 1-month stone-free rate (SFR) was significant higher in Group A than B (90.9% vs 73.9%, p=0.03). A less hemoglobin drop (p=0.01), shorter postoperative in-hospital day (p=0.04), and lower severe complication (Clavien-Dindo III and above) rates (p=0.03) were observed in Group A. CONCLUSION: For patients with solitary kidney stones, NAES technique provides a higher one-session SFR, a better renal function recovery and compared with traditional PCNL.

Jackstone in the renal calyx: A rare case report.

BACKGROUND: Jackstone is a rare entity of calculi in urinary tracts and has the characteristic appearance resembling toy jacks. They are nearly always reported to occur in the urinary bladder, we first report a rare case of jackstone located in the obstructed renal calyx. CASE SUMMARY: We report a 46-year-old man presenting with intermittent, painless gross hematuria and left flank pain. Urinary computed tomography revealed staghorn stones and secondary hydronephrosis. A jackstone with radiating branches was found in one of the dilated renal calyx. Percutaneous nephrolithotomy was performed and endoscopic images were recorded during the operation. Postoperative stone composition analysis revealed it as calcium oxalate monohydrate stones. CONCLUSION: Jackstones can occur in the renal collecting system besides the bladder. The unique appearance and imaging manifestations are the most important factors in the diagnosis of jackstones, and further exploration of the formation mechanism is required.

Radiotherapy plus immune checkpoint inhibitor in prostate cancer.

The immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) is a promising strategy for treating cancer. However, the efficiency of ICI monotherapy is limited, which could be mainly attributed to the tumor microenvironment of the "cold" tumor. Prostate cancer, a type of "cold" cancer, is the most common cancer affecting men's health. Radiotherapy is regarded as one of the most effective prostate cancer treatments. In the era of immune therapy, the enhanced antigen presentation and immune cell infiltration caused by radiotherapy might boost the therapeutic efficacy of ICI. Here, the rationale of radiotherapy combined with ICI was reviewed. Also, the scheme of radiotherapy combined with immune checkpoint blockades was suggested as a potential option to improve the outcome of patients with prostate cancer.

TIGIT immune checkpoint blockade enhances immunity of human peripheral blood NK cells against castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients have a 14-month median survival, emphasizing the need for alternative treatments. Previously, we demonstrated that expanded high-dose natural killer (NK) cells derived from human peripheral blood exhibit therapeutic efficacy against CRPC. However, which immune checkpoint blockade promotes NK cell antitumor immunity against CRPC remains unknown. Here, we explored immune checkpoint molecule expression in NK and CRPC cells during their interactions, and identified that the T cell immunoreceptor with immunoglobulin and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibition motif domain (TIGIT) monoclonal antibody (mAb), vibostolimab, significantly enhanced NK cell cytotoxicity against CRPC cells and cytokine production in vitro, demonstrated by upregulation of degranulation marker CD107a and Fas-ligand (Fas-L) and increased interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha secretion. TIGIT blockade increased Fas-L expression and IFN-γ production via the NF-κB signaling pathway and restored degranulation via the mitogen-activated protein kinase ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase) kinase/ERK pathway in activated NK cells. Vibostolimab significantly enhanced NK cell antitumor effects against CRPC in two xenograft mouse models. Vibostolimab also increased T cell chemotaxis induced by activated NK cells in vitro and in vivo. Overall, blocking TIGIT/CD155 signaling enhances the antitumor effect of expanded NK cells against CRPC; this finding supports the translational application of TIGIT mAb and NK cell combination strategies from bench to bedside for CRPC treatment.

Triple Silicon, Phosphorous, and Nitrogen-Grafted Lignin-Based Flame Retardant and Its Vulcanization Promotion for Styrene Butadiene Rubber.

In this study, we present an innovative environmental silicon-, phosphorus-, and nitrogen-triple lignin-based flame retardant (Lig-K-DOPO). Lig-K-DOPO was successfully prepared by condensation of lignin with flame retardant intermediate DOPO-KH550 synthesized via Atherton-Todd reaction between 9, 10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO) and γ-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (KH550A). The presence of silicon, phosphate, and nitrogen groups was characterized by FTIR, XPS, and 31P NMR spectroscopy. Lig-K-DOPO exhibited advanced thermal stability compared with pristine lignin supported by TGA analysis. The curing characteristic measurement showed that addition of Lig-K-DOPO promoted the curing rate and crosslink density to styrene butadiene rubber (SBR). Moreover, the cone calorimetry results indicated Lig-K-DOPO conferred impressive flame retardancy and smoke suppression. The addition of 20 phr Lig-K-DOPO reduced SBR blends 19.1% peak heat release rate (PHRR), 13.2% total heat release (THR), 53.2% smoke production rate (SPR), and 45.7% peak smoke production rate (PSPR). This strategy provides insights into multifunctional additives and greatly extends the comprehensive utilization of industrial lignin.

A modified triangular Double-J stent for retrograde intrarenal surgery improvement of free-stone rate, and quality of life: a randomized controlled, multiple centers, perspective trial.

PURPOSE: The goal of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of modified triangular double-J (DJ) stent in 1-2 cm renal or ureter calculi after retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) via a randomized, controlled clinical study. METHODS: A total of 196 patients with 1-2 cm renal or ureter calculi who were performed RIRS and received 7Fr modified triangular DJ stents (100 cases) or 6Fr normal DJ stents (96 cases). All operations were performed by experienced surgeons. The clinical characteristics and outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between two groups in terms of age, gender, BMI, location, hydronephrosis, urea WBC, urea RBC, BUN, Cr, laser emission time, operation time, Hb loss, postoperative BUN, postoperative Cr. Patients who received modified triangular DJ stents were shown to have higher stone-free rate (p = 0.038), but lower general health (p = 0.004). CONCLUSION: The modified triangular 7Fr DJ stents were more efficient for patients underwent RIRS than 6Fr normal DJ stents.

Target Density Effects on Charge Transfer of Laser-Accelerated Carbon Ions in Dense Plasma.

We report on charge state measurements of laser-accelerated carbon ions in the energy range of several MeV penetrating a dense partially ionized plasma. The plasma was generated by irradiation of a foam target with laser-induced hohlraum radiation in the soft x-ray regime. We use the tricellulose acetate (C_{9}H_{16}O_{8}) foam of 2 mg/cm^{3} density and 1 mm interaction length as target material. This kind of plasma is advantageous for high-precision measurements, due to good uniformity and long lifetime compared to the ion pulse length and the interaction duration. We diagnose the plasma parameters to be T_{e}=17 eV and n_{e}=4×10^{20} cm^{-3}. We observe the average charge states passing through the plasma to be higher than those predicted by the commonly used semiempirical formula. Through solving the rate equations, we attribute the enhancement to the target density effects, which will increase the ionization rates on one hand and reduce the electron capture rates on the other hand. The underlying physics is actually the balancing of the lifetime of excited states versus the collisional frequency. In previous measurement with partially ionized plasma from gas discharge and z pinch to laser direct irradiation, no target density effects were ever demonstrated. For the first time, we are able to experimentally prove that target density effects start to play a significant role in plasma near the critical density of Nd-glass laser radiation. The finding is important for heavy ion beam driven high-energy-density physics and fast ignitions. The method provides a new approach to precisely address the beam-plasma interaction issues with high-intensity short-pulse lasers in dense plasma regimes.