Tetraborated Intrinsically Axial Chiral Multi-resonance Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Materials.

Chiral multi-resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence (CP-MR-TADF) materials hold promise for circularly polarized organic light-emitting diode (CP-OLED) and 3D display. Herein, we present two pairs of tetraborated intrinsically axial CP-MR-TADF materials, R/S-BDBF-BOH and R/S-BDBT-BOH, with conjugation-extended bidibenzo[b,d]furan and bidibenzo[b,d]thiophene as chiral sources, which effectively participate in the distribution of frontier molecular orbitals. Due to the heavy-atom effect, sulfur atoms are introduced to accelerate the reverse intersystem crossing process and increase efficiency of molecules. R/S-BDBF-BOH and R/S-BDBT-BOH manifest ultra-pure blue emission peaking at 458/459 nm with full width at half maximum of 27 nm (0.16 eV), photoluminescence quantum yields of 90%/91% and dissymmetry factors (|gPL|) of 6.8 × 10-4/8.5 × 10-4, respectively. Correspondingly, the CP-OLEDs exhibit good performances with external quantum efficiency of 30.1% and |gEL| factors of 1.2 × 10-3.

Distinction and quantification of Panax polysaccharide extracts via attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with first-order derivative processing.

Derivative spectroscopy is used to separate the small absorption peaks superimposed on the main absorption band, which is widely adopted in modern spectral analysis to increase both the valid spectral information and the identification accuracy. In this study, a method based on attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) with first-order derivative (FD) processing combined with chemometrics is proposed for rapid qualitative and quantitative analysis of Panax ginseng polysaccharides (PGP), Panax notoginseng polysaccharides (PNP), and Panax quinquefolius polysaccharides (PQP). First, ATR-FTIR with FD processing was used to establish the discriminant model combined with principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). After that, two-dimensional ATR-FTIR based on single-characteristic temperature as external interference (2D-sATR-FTIR) was established using ATR-FTIR with FD processing. Then, ATR-FTIR with FD processing was combined with PLS to establish and optimize the quantitative regression model. Finally, the established discriminant model and 2D-sATR-FTIR successfully distinguished PGP, PNP and PQP, and the optimal PLS regression model had a good prediction ability for the Panax polysaccharide extracts content. This strategy provides an efficient, economical and nondestructive method for the distinction and quantification of PGP, PNP and PQP in a short detection time.

Transarterial Chemoembolization with Epirubicin-Loaded Microspheres for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Prospective, Single-Arm, Multicenter, Phase 2 Study (STOPPER Trial).

PURPOSE: While the role of drug-eluting beads transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is established, questions regarding appropriate bead size for use in patients remain. This trial evaluated the effectiveness and safety of DEB-TACE using small-size (≤ 100 µm) microspheres loaded with epirubicin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective, single-arm, multicenter study enrolled patients diagnosed with HCC who underwent DEB-TACE using 40 (range, 30-50), 75 (range, 60-90), or 100 (range, 75-125) µm epirubicin-loaded microspheres (TANDEM microspheres, Varian Medical). Bead size was at the discretion of treating physicians and based on tumor size and/or vascular structure. The primary outcome measure was 6-month objective response rate (ORR). Secondary outcome measures were 30-day and 3-month ORR, time to tumor progression and extrahepatic spread, proportion of progression-free survival and overall survival (OS) at one year, and incidence of treatment-associated adverse events. RESULTS: Data from 108 patients from ten centers was analyzed. Six-month ORR was 73.3 and 71.3% based on European association for the study of the liver (EASL) and modified response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (mRECIST) criteria, respectively. Thirty-day ORR was 79.6% for both EASL and mRECIST criteria with 3-month ORR being 80.0 and 81.0%, respectively, for each criteria. One-year PPF and OS rate were 60.3 and 94.3%. There was a total of 30 SAEs reported to be likely to definitely associated with microsphere (n = 9), epirubicin (n = 9), or procedure (n = 12) with none resulting in death. CONCLUSION: DEB-TACE using epirubicin-loaded small-sized (≤ 100 µm) microspheres demonstrates promising local tumor control and acceptable safety in patients with HCC. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03113955; registered April 14, 2017. Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03113955; registered April 14, 2017. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2, Prospective, Non-randomized, Single-arm, study.

Arterial chemotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma in China: consensus recommendations.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally. Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) treatment is widely accepted as one of the alternative therapeutic modalities for HCC owing to its local control effect and low systemic toxicity. Nevertheless, although accumulating high-quality evidence has displayed the superior survival advantages of HAIC of oxaliplatin, fluorouracil, and leucovorin (HAIC-FOLFOX) compared with standard first-line treatment in different scenarios, the lack of standardization for HAIC procedure and remained controversy limited the proper and safe performance of HAIC treatment in HCC. Therefore, an expert consensus conference was held on March 2023 in Guangzhou, China to review current practices regarding HAIC treatment in patients with HCC and develop widely accepted statements and recommendations. In this article, the latest evidence of HAIC was systematically summarized and the final 22 expert recommendations were proposed, which incorporate the assessment of candidates for HAIC treatment, procedural technique details, therapeutic outcomes, the HAIC-related complications and corresponding treatments, and therapeutic scheme management.

[Therapeutic effect of recombinant human growth hormone on children with growth hormone deficiency and different pituitary developmental conditions: a prospective study]. / é‡ç»„äººç”Ÿé•¿æ¿€ç´ æ²»ç–—ä¸åŒåž‚ä½“å‘è‚²çŠ¶å†µç”Ÿé•¿æ¿€ç´ ç¼ºä¹ç—‡æ‚£å„¿ç–—æ•ˆçš„å‰çž»æ€§ç ”ç©¶.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the therapeutic effect of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) on children with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) and different pituitary developmental conditions. METHODS: A prospective study was performed on 90 children with GHD who were admitted to Xuchang Maternity and Child Health Hospital from June 2020 to December 2021. According to pituitary height on the median sagittal plane, they were divided into three groups: pituitary dysplasia group (n=45), normal pituitary group (n=31), and enlarged pituitary growth group (n=14). The changes in body height, growth velocity, height standard deviation score and serum levels of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) were examined after treatment in the above three groups, and the differences of the above indices before and after treatment were compared among the three groups. RESULTS: After treatment, all three groups had significant increases in body height, growth velocity, height standard deviation score, and the serum levels of IGFBP-3 and IGF-1 (P<0.05). Compared with the normal pituitary group, the pituitary dysplasia group and the enlarged pituitary growth group had significantly higher values in terms of the differences in body height, growth velocity, height standard deviation score, IGF-1, and IGFBP-3 before and after treatment (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence rate of adverse reactions among the three groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In GHD children with different pituitary developmental conditions, rhGH can promote bone growth and increase body height, especially in children with pituitary dysplasia and pituitary hyperplasia, with good safety.

Charged multivesicular body protein 2B ameliorates biliary injury in the liver from donation after cardiac death rats via autophagy with air-oxygenated normothermic machine perfusion.

Normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) could provide a curative treatment to reduce biliary injury in donation after cardiac death (DCD) donor livers; however, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. In a rat model, our study compared air-oxygenated NMP to hyperoxygenated NMP and found that air-oxygenated NMP improved DCD functional recovery. Here, we found that the charged multivesicular body protein 2B (CHMP2B) expression was substantially elevated in the intrahepatic biliary duct endothelium of the cold-preserved rat DCD liver after air-oxygenated NMP or in biliary endothelial cells under hypoxia/physoxia. CHMP2B knockout (CHMP2B-/-) rat livers showed increased biliary injury after air-oxygenated NMP, indicated by decreased bile production and bilirubin level, elevated biliary levels of lactate dehydrogenase and gamma-glutamyl transferase. Mechanically, we demonstrated that CHMP2B was transcriptionally regulated by Kruppel-like transcription factor 6 (KLF6) and alleviated biliary injury through decreasing autophagy. Collectively, our results suggested that air-oxygenated NMP regulates CHMP2B expression through the KLF6, which reduces biliary injury by inhibiting autophagy. Targeting the KLF6-CHMP2B autophagy axis may provide a solution to reducing biliary injury in DCD livers undergoing NMP.

A Chiral Dual-Core Organoboron Structure Realizes Dual-Channel Enhanced Ultrapure Blue Emission and Highly Efficient Circularly Polarized Electroluminescence.

The realization of luminescent materials with narrowband and circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) is of great significance for the development of future optical and photonic devices. Herein, through a steric-hindrance-assisted dual-core strategy, two pairs of chiral dual-core multiple resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence (MR-TADF) materials (R/S-DOBN and R/S-DOBNT) are directly constructed by the bonding of two organoboron MR-TADF monocores (SOBN and SOBNT) with carbazole/3,6-di-tert-butyl-9H-carbazole and phenol derivative as donors, realizing obvious CPL and narrowband emissions. Furthermore, the dual-core effect in the prepared R/S-DOBN and R/S-DOBNT increases the transition oscillator strength two times more than that of a monocore structure, while maintaining the ultrapure blue emissions peaking at 453 and 459 nm with a narrower full-width at half-maximum of 21 nm through reorganization energy reduction. The circularly polarized organic light-emitting diodes based on the enantiomers exhibit ultrapure blue emission with Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of (0.14, 0.10) and (0.13, 0.12), high maximum external quantum efficiencies of 23.9% and 25.6%, and obvious circularly polarized electroluminescence with dissymmetry factors (|gEL |) ≈ 10-3 .

Interaction analysis of FADS2 gene variants with chronic hepatitis B infection in Chinese patients.

The risk of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection is often affected by polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) metabolism which is strongly influenced by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the PUFA metabolic pathway. Given this, we designed this study to determine the relationship between specific polymorphisms within fatty acid desaturase 2 (FADS2), a key enzyme in PUFA metabolism, and CHB infection. We completed this evaluation using a case-control study comprising 230 CHB patients and 234 unrelated healthy controls in which the genetic relationships between three previously identified SNPs, isolated via mass spectrometry, and CHB infection. Our data revealed that none of these three SNPs (rs174568, rs174601, and rs2727270) were significantly associated with susceptibility to CHB infection when compared to healthy controls. However, when we stratified our cohort by sex, male subjects with the TC genotype for FADS2 exhibited a decreased risk for CHB infection (OR = 0.62, 95%CI = 0.39-0.96; OR = 0.64, 95%CI = 0.41-1.00; OR = 0.57, 95%CI = 0.36-0.90). Furthermore, age stratification revealed that both the T allele and the TC genotypes for each of the three target SNPs were less common in Chinese CHB cases in people younger than 50 years old. Correlation analysis also revealed that there was no statistically significant relationship between these three SNPs and HBV-DNA replication or hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) levels. Thus, our data suggests that rs174568, rs174601, and rs2727270 may affect the CHB outcomes in various age or sex subgroups, suggesting that they may be useful predictive or diagnostic biomarkers of CHB infection in some populations.

Combined iodine-125 seed strand, portal vein stent, transarterial chemoembolization, lenvatinib and anti-PD-1 antibodies therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma and Vp4 portal vein tumor thrombus: A propensity-score analysis.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of interventional therapy (iodine-125[125I] seed strand and portal vein stent [PVS] implantation plus transarterial chemoembolization [TACE]) combined with systemic therapy (lenvatinib plus anti-PD-1 antibody) as first-line treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with Vp4 portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT). Patients and methods: From December 2018 to October 2021, 87 HCC patients with Vp4 PVTT were included in this single-center retrospective study. Forty-seven patients underwent interventional therapy combined with lenvatinib and anti-PD-1 antibody (group A), while 40 cases underwent interventional therapy combined with lenvatinib only (group B). Overall response rate (ORR), stent occlusion rates (SOR), median overall survival (OS), median progression-free survival (PFS) and median stent patency time (SPT) were compared between the 2 groups. Results: The mean intended dose (r = 10 mm; z = 0; 240 days) was 64.9 ± 1.0 Gy and 64.5 ± 1.1 Gy in group A and B, respectively (p = 0.133). ORR and SOR were significantly different between group A and B (ORR, 55.3% vs 17.5%, p < 0.001; SOR, 12.8% vs 35.0%, p = 0.014). In the propensity-score matching (PSM) cohort, the median OS, median PFS and median SPT were significantly longer in group A compared with group B (32 PSM pairs; OS, 17.7 ± 1.7 vs 12.0 ± 0.8 months, p = 0.010; PFS, 17.0 ± 4.3 vs 8.0 ± 0.7 months, p < 0.001; SPT, not-reached vs 12.5 ± 1.1 months, p = 0.028). Conclusion: This interventional therapy combined with lenvatinib and anti-PD-1 antibody is safe and effective for HCC patients with Vp4 PVTT.

Regulator of G-protein signaling 14 protects the liver from ischemia-reperfusion injury by suppressing TGF-ß-activated kinase 1 activation.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is a common complication of hepatectomy and liver transplantation. However, the mechanisms underlying hepatic IRI have not been fully elucidated. Regulator of G-protein signaling 14 (RGS14) is a multifunctional scaffolding protein that integrates the G-protein and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways. However, the role of RGS14 in hepatic IRI remains unclear. APPROACH AND RESULTS: We found that RGS14 expression increased in mice subjected to hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (IR) surgery and during hypoxia reoxygenation in hepatocytes. We constructed global RGS14 knockout (RGS14-KO) and hepatocyte-specific RGS14 transgenic (RGS14-TG) mice to establish 70% hepatic IRI models. Histological hematoxylin and eosin staining, levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, expression of inflammatory factors, and apoptosis were used to assess liver damage and function in these models. We found that RGS14 deficiency significantly aggravated IR-induced liver injury and activated hepatic inflammatory responses and apoptosis in vivo and in vitro. Conversely, RGS14 overexpression exerted the opposite effect of the RGS14-deficient models. Phosphorylation of TGF-ß-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) and its downstream effectors c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 increased in the liver tissues of RGS14-KO mice but was repressed in those of RGS14-TG mice. Furthermore, inhibition of TAK1 phosphorylation rescued the effect of RGS14 deficiency on JNK and p38 activation, thus blocking the inflammatory responses and apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: RGS14 plays a protective role in hepatic IR by inhibiting activation of the TAK1-JNK/p38 signaling pathway. This may be a potential therapeutic strategy for reducing incidences of hepatic IRI in the future.

Chiral Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Emitters-Based Efficient Circularly Polarized Organic Light-Emitting Diodes Featuring Low Efficiency Roll-Off.

Direct emission of circularly polarized light from organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) is a research hotspot as it could increase the efficiency and significantly simplify device architecture of OLED-based 3D displays. In this study, R/S-OBS-Cz and R/S-OBS-TCz with axial chirality were efficiently prepared by using a stable chiral octahydro-binaphthol unit, carbazole/3,6-ditert-butylcarbazole donors, and a 5,5,10,10-tetraoxide acceptor. The chiral unit-acceptor-donor structure provides them not only thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) characteristics with minor singlet-triplet energy gaps of 0.04 and 0.05 eV but also obvious circularly polarized photoluminescence (CPPL) phenomenon with dissymmetry factors of 8.7 × 10-4 and 6.4 × 10-4 in codoped films. Meanwhile, the CP-OLEDs prepared by enantiomers exhibit good device performances with the maximum external quantum efficiency reaching 20.3% and ideal efficiency roll-off as well as obvious CPEL properties with a |gEL| factor up to 1.0 × 10-3.

Organic Long Persistent Luminescence Through In Situ Generation of Cuprous(I) Ion Pairs in Ionic Solids.

Recent development of most organic long persistent luminescence (OLPL) systems employed binary or tertiary doping. However, the design strategies towards OLPL materials with hour-long afterglow duration are still quite limited. Here, we propose a novel OLPL system through melt-casting method with 0.1 mol % of CuI complexes: 2,2'-bis(diphenylphosphino)-1,1'-binaphthyl BINAP-CuX (X=Cl, Br and I) doped into the triphenylphosphine (TPP) host. The charge separation was initiated prior to excitation through host coordination with CuI complexes, resulting in semi-free halogen ions and in situ generated CuI cations, which forms TPP + BINAP-CuX ionic pairs and subsequently ionic solids. The OLPL lifetime can be readily modulated by different halogen atoms and the afterglow can last up to more than 3 hours perceivable to human eyes. This is a rare example of OLPL initiated through host-guest coordination that could potentially expand the definition of OLPL systems and design strategies.

Corrigendum: Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte and Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratios as Predictors of Outcomes in Patients With Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma Undergoing Transarterial Chemoembolization Plus Sorafenib.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.624366.].

Random Survival Forests to Predict Disease Control for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated With Transarterial Chemoembolization Combined With Sorafenib.

Objectives: To use baseline variables to predict one-year disease control for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with sorafenib as initial treatment by applying a machine learning approach based on the random survival forest (RF) model. Materials and Methods: The multicenter retrospective study included 496 patients with HCC treated with TACE combined with sorafenib between January 2014 and December 2018. The independent risk factors associated with one-year disease control (complete response, partial response, stable disease) were identified using the RF model, and their predictive importance was determined using the Gini index. Tumor response was assessed according to modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. Results: The median overall survival was 15.5 months. A total of 186 (37.5%) patients achieved positive one-year disease control. The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage (Gini index: 20.0), tumor size (≤7 cm, >7 cm; Gini index: 9.0), number of lobes involved (unilobar, bilobar; Gini index: 6.4), alpha-fetoprotein level (≤200 ng/dl, >200 ng/dl; Gini index: 6.1), albumin-bilirubin grade (Gini index: 5.7), and number of lesions (1, >1; Gini index: 5.3) were identified as independent risk factors, with the BCLC stage as the most important variable. The RF model achieved a higher concordance index of 0.724 compared to that for the logistic regression model (0.709). Conclusions: The RF model is a simple and accurate approach for prediction of one-year disease control for patients with HCC treated with TACE combined with sorafenib.

Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte and Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratios as Predictors of Outcomes in Patients With Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma Undergoing Transarterial Chemoembolization Plus Sorafenib.

Objectives: To investigate the predictive value of inflammatory biomarkers in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) for outcomes following the combination treatment of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) plus sorafenib. Materials and Methods: A total of 314 (270 male and 44 female) treatment-naïve patients with unresectable HCC treated by TACE plus sorafenib between January 2011 and December 2018 were enrolled in the retrospective study. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). The secondary outcome was progression-free survival (PFS). Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were obtained within 3-7 days before the initial TACE and the median value of the NLR and PLR was considered as the cut-off value. Results: The median value of NLR and PLR was 2.42 and 100, respectively. The median OS and PFS of the entire cohort were 18.7 months (95% CI: 16.8-20.6) and 9.1 months (95% CI: 8.5-9.8), respectively. The low NLR and PLR group showed improved OS and PFS compared with the high NLR and PLR group [21.8 months (95% CI: 15.2-28.5) vs. 15.4 months (95% CI: 12.4-18.3), p < 0.0001; 21.6 months (95% CI: 15.8-27.5) vs. 14.9 months (95% CI: 11.9-17.8), p = 0.00027, respectively]. In addition, the low NLR and PLR group also provided a longer PFS than the high NLR and PLR group [10.4 months (95% CI: 8.9-12.0) vs. 8.1 months (95% CI: 7.1-9.2), p = 0.00022; 10.3 months (95% CI: 8.6-11.9) vs. 8.2 months (95% CI: 7.2-9.2), p < 0.0001, respectively]. High NLR and PLR at baseline were predictive factors of poor OS (p = 0.02 and p = 0.004) and PFS (p = 0.045 and p = 0.005). Conclusion: This study showed the prognostic value of quantitative inflammatory biomarkers in correlation with OS and PFS in unresectable HCC patients undergoing TACE plus sorafenib treatment.

Embolization of the Transhepatic Tract after Percutaneous Portal Vein Interventions: Single-Centre Retrospective Study Comparing n-butyl Cyanoacrylate Versus Coils.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare the safety and efficacy of transhepatic puncture tract embolization with n-butyl cyanoacrylate (n-BCA) versus coils after percutaneous transhepatic portal vein interventions in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It was also the aim of the study to evaluate the extent of artifacts in CT exams during FU. METHODS: Single-center retrospective study from 2017-2019 in 190 patients who underwent percutaneous transhepatic portal vein interventions. The transhepatic puncture tracts were embolized with n-BCA in 88 patients (Group A) and with coils in 102 patients (Group B). Procedure-related complications and image noise around coils and n-BCA were compared between the groups. No significant differences were noted at baseline between both groups (platelets, coagulation, liver disease, types of procedures, liver function, liver tumors). RESULTS: All patients underwent transhepatic puncture tract embolization. Procedure-related complications were only observed in patients from Group B: subcapsular hemorrhage (n = 2; 1.96%), hepatic artery hemorrhage (n = 1; 0.98%), and pseudoaneurysms combined with hemobilia occurred (n = 1; 0.98%). In Group A, the distal part of the punctured portal vein branch was embolized with n-BCA in 1 patient (1.14%). Four major complications in Group B Vs 0 in Group A were observed, respectively (p < 0.0001). The image noise around n-BCA was significantly lower than that around coils (10.7 ± 1.7 HU vs. 54.3 ± 15.0 HU, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: n-BCA tract embolization is more effective than using coils, with fewer bleeding events, at the cost of a higher potential for unintended embolization of portal vein branches.

Prognosis Nomogram for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients with Portal Vein Invasion Undergoing Transarterial Chemoembolization Plus Sorafenib Treatment: A Retrospective Multicentre Study.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the outcomes of combined transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) with sorafenib in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with portal vein tumour thrombus (PVTT) and to establish a prognostic prediction nomogram to differentiate target patients and stratify risk. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This multicentre, retrospective study consisted of 185 consecutive treatment-naïve patients with HCC and PVTT treated with TACE plus sorafenib from three institutions between January 1st, 2012 and December 31st, 2017. The primary outcome measurement of the study was overall survival (OS). The type of PVTT was classified by the Liver Cancer Study Group of Japan. The prognostic nomogram was established based on the predictors and was performed with interval validation. RESULTS: The median OS of the Vp1-3 and Vp4 groups was 12.4 months (11.7-18.9) and 8.5 months (7.6-11.2) (P = 0.00098), respectively, and there was a significant difference in the median OS between the Vp1-2 and Vp3 subgroups (16.4 months (12.2-27.9) vs. 10.9 months (8.4-18.1), P = 0.041). The multivariate Cox regression analysis suggested that tumour size, albumin-bilirubin grade, and PVTT type were independent prognostic factors. The C-index value of the nomogram based on these predictors in the entire cohort was 0.731 (0.628-0.833). CONCLUSIONS: After the combined therapy of TACE and sorafenib, advanced HCC patients with segmental or subsegmental PVTT showed better survival than those with main PVTT. The nomogram can be applied to identify advanced HCC patients with PVTT who may benefit most from the combination treatment and be helpful for making decision in clinical practice.

Deep Learning Predicts Overall Survival of Patients With Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated by Transarterial Chemoembolization Plus Sorafenib.

OBJECTIVES: To develop and validate a deep learning-based overall survival (OS) prediction model in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) plus sorafenib. METHODS: This retrospective multicenter study consisted of 201 patients with treatment-naïve, unresectable HCC who were treated with TACE plus sorafenib. Data from 120 patients were used as the training set for model development. A deep learning signature was constructed using the deep image features from preoperative contrast-enhanced computed tomography images. An integrated nomogram was built using Cox regression by combining the deep learning signature and clinical features. The deep learning signature and nomograms were also externally validated in an independent validation set of 81 patients. C-index was used to evaluate the performance of OS prediction. RESULTS: The median OS of the entire set was 19.2 months and no significant difference was found between the training and validation cohort (18.6 months vs. 19.5 months, P = 0.45). The deep learning signature achieved good prediction performance with a C-index of 0.717 in the training set and 0.714 in the validation set. The integrated nomogram showed significantly better prediction performance than the clinical nomogram in the training set (0.739 vs. 0.664, P = 0.002) and validation set (0.730 vs. 0.679, P = 0.023). CONCLUSION: The deep learning signature provided significant added value to clinical features in the development of an integrated nomogram which may act as a potential tool for individual prognosis prediction and identifying HCC patients who may benefit from the combination therapy of TACE plus sorafenib.

Stepwise Achievement of Circularly Polarized Luminescence on Atomically Precise Silver Clusters.

The weakly coordinated anionic nitrate ligands in a centrosymmetric Ag20 cluster are replaced in a stepwise manner by chiral amino acids and two achiral luminescent sulfonic-group-containing ligands while nearly maintaining the original silver(I) cage structure. This surface engineering enables the atomically precise Ag20 clusters to exhibit the high-efficiency synergetic effects of chirality and fluorescence, producing rare circularly polarized luminescence among the metal clusters with a large dissymmetry factor of (|glum|) ≈ 5 × 10-3. This rational approach using joint functional ligands further opens a new avenue to diverse multifunctional metal clusters for promising applications.

Axially Chiral Biphenyl Compound-Based Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescent Materials for High-Performance Circularly Polarized Organic Light-Emitting Diodes.

To boost intrinsic circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) properties of chiral emitters, an axially chiral biphenyl unit is inlaid in thermally activated delayed fluorescent (TADF) skeleton, urging the participation of chiral source in frontier molecular orbital distributions. A pair of enantiomers, (R)-BPPOACZ and (S)-BPPOACZ, containing the cyano as electron-withdrawing moieties and carbazole and phenoxazine as electron-donating units are synthesized and separated. The circularly polarized TADF enantiomers exhibit both high photoluminescence quantum yield of 86.10% and excellent CPL activities with maximum dissymmetry factor |g PL| values of almost 10-2 in solution and 1.8 × 10-2 in doped film, which are among the best values of previously reported small chiral organic materials. Moreover, the circularly polarized organic light-emitting diodes based on the TADF enantiomers achieve the maximum external quantum efficiency of 16.6% with extremely low efficiency roll-off. Obvious circularly polarized electroluminescence signals with |g EL| values of 4 × 10-3 are also recorded.