Nonlinear Association of Glycosylated Hemoglobin With Single Intracranial Aneurysm Rupture in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: The published literature linking diabetes mellitus (DM) to intracranial aneurysm (IA) ruptured has been controversial and limited by methodology. Thus, this study was performed to examine whether hyperglycemia control status is independently associated with single IA rupture in patients with DM. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study on two Chinese hospitals between January 2010 and November 2017. Medical records of 223 patients with single IA and DM were reviewed and analyzed. We used glycosylated hemoglobin (GHB) as the independent variable of interest, and the outcome variable was ruptured status of IA. Covariates included data on demographics, morphological parameters, lifestyle habits, clinical features, and comorbidities. Results: Multivariable adjusted binary logistic regression and sensitivity analyses indicated that GHB was not associated with IA rupture (odds ratio OR, = 1.07, 95% CI 0.84-1.35). A nonlinear association between GHB and IA rupture was observed, whose inflection points were 5.5 and 8.9. The OR values (95% confidence intervals) were 0.38 (0.16-0.9) at the range of 1.88-5.5% of GHB, 1.6 (1.03, 2.5) at the range of 5.5-8.9%, and 0.56 (0.06-5.34) at the range of 8.9-10.1, respectively. Conclusion: The independent correlation between GHB and risk of IA rupture presented is nonlinear. The good glycemic control in single IA patients with DM can reduce the risk of IA rupture, and vice versa.

Elucidating the Synergistic Effect of Multiple Chinese Herbal Prescriptions in the Treatment of Post-stroke Neurological Damage.

Background: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely used in the treatment of human diseases. However, the synergistic effects of multiple TCM prescriptions in the treatment of stroke have not been thoroughly studied. Objective of the study: This study aimed to reveal the mechanisms underlying the synergistic effects of these TCM prescriptions in stroke treatment and identify the active compounds. Methods: Herbs and compounds in the Di-Tan Decoction (DTD), Xue-Fu Zhu-Yu Decoction (XFZYD), and Xiao-Xu-Ming Decoction (XXMD) were acquired from the TCMSP database. SEA, HitPick, and TargetNet web servers were used for target prediction. The compound-target (C-T) networks of three prescriptions were constructed and then filtered using the collaborative filtering algorithm. We combined KEGG enrichment analysis, molecular docking, and network analysis approaches to identify active compounds, followed by verification of these compounds with an oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD/R) model. Results: The filtered DTD network contained 39 compounds and 534 targets, the filtered XFZYD network contained 40 compounds and 508 targets, and the filtered XXMD network contained 55 compounds and 599 targets. The filtered C-T networks retained approximately 80% of the biological functions of the original networks. Based on the enriched pathways, molecular docking, and network analysis results, we constructed a complex network containing 3 prescriptions, 14 botanical drugs, 26 compounds, 13 targets, and 5 pathways. By calculating the synergy score, we identified the top 5 candidate compounds. The experimental results showed that quercetin, baicalin, and ginsenoside Rg1 independently and synergistically increased cell viability. Conclusion: By integrating pharmacological and chemoinformatic approaches, our study provides a new method for identifying the effective synergistic compounds of TCM prescriptions. The filtered compounds and their synergistic effects on stroke require further research.

Simultaneous imaging of hypochlorous acid and nitric oxide in live cells based on a dual-channel fluorescent probe.

Both reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) are inevitably produced during normal human metabolism. Various ROS and RNS together form tangled networks that play important roles in many physiological and pathological processes. Here we used 1,8-naphthalene diamine as a reactive group to develop a fluorescent probe, N-[2-(6-phenylethynyl)quinolinylmethyl]-1,8-diamino naphthalene (QBN), for HOCl and NO. QBN showed a "turn-on" fluorescent response at 464 nm to HOCl in the range of 0-75 µM with rapid responding time (10 s) and detection limit (0.11 ± 0.03 µM). Furthermore, a "turn-on" fluorescent responses at 512 nm to NO in the range of 0-40 µM with responding time (20 s) and detection limit (25.7 ± 3.4 nM) was found. The response mechanisms of QBN to HOCl and NO were discussed based on mass analysis of the different products. The dual-channel probe was then successfully applied for simultaneous imaging of both exogenous and endogenous HOCl and NO in live cells.

The role of wall shear stress in the parent artery as an independent variable in the formation status of anterior communicating artery aneurysms.

OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to determine which hemodynamic parameters independently characterize anterior communicating artery (AcomA) aneurysm formation and explore the threshold of wall shear stress (WSS) of the parent artery to better illustrate the correlation between the magnitude of WSS and AcomA aneurysm formation. METHODS: Eighty-one patients with AcomA aneurysms and 118 patients without intracranial aneurysms (control population), as confirmed by digital subtraction angiography (DSA) from January 2014 to May 2017, were included in this cross-sectional study. Three-dimensional-DSA was performed to evaluate the morphologic characteristics of AcomA aneurysms. Local hemodynamic parameters were obtained using transcranial color-coded duplex (TCCD). Multivariate logistic regression and a two-piecewise linear regression model were used to determine which hemodynamic parameters are independent predictors of AcomA aneurysm formation and identify the threshold effect of WSS of the parent artery with respect to AcomA aneurysm formation. RESULTS: Univariate analyses showed that the WSS (p < 0.0001), angle between the A1 and A2 segments of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) (p < 0.001), hypertension (grade II) (p = 0.007), fasting blood glucose (FBG; > 6.0 mmol/L) (p = 0.005), and dominant A1 (p < 0.001) were the significant parameters. Multivariate analyses showed a significant association between WSS of the parent artery and AcomA aneurysm formation (p = 0.0001). WSS of the parent artery (7.8-12.3 dyne/cm2) had a significant association between WSS and aneurysm formation (HR 2.0, 95% CI 1.3-2.8, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: WSS ranging between 7.8 and 12.3 dyne/cm2 independently characterizes AcomA aneurysm formation. With each additional unit of WSS, there was a one-fold increase in the risk of AcomA aneurysm formation. KEY POINTS: • Multivariate analyses and a two-piecewise linear regression model were used to evaluate the risk factors for AcomA aneurysm formation and the threshold effect of WSS on AcomA aneurysm formation. • WSS ranging between 7.8 and 12.3 dyne/cm 2 was shown to be a reliable hemodynamic parameter in the formation of AcomA aneurysms. The probability of AcomA aneurysm formation increased one-fold for each additional unit of WSS. • An ultrasound-based TCCD technique is a simple and accessible noninvasive method for detecting WSS in vivo; thus, it can be applied as a screening tool for evaluating the probability of aneurysm formation in primary care facilities and community hospitals because of the relatively low resource intensity.

Highly efficient green TADF organic light-emitting diodes by simultaneously manipulating hole and electron transport.

This work demonstrates effective performance improvement by simultaneous manipulating of the hole injection and electron transport layers for (4s,6s)-2,4,5,6-tetra(9H-carbazol-9-yl)isophthalonitrile (4CzIPN) based green thermally activated delayed fluorescent (TADF) organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). A 3 wt% sorbitol doped PEDOT:PSS layer results in the highest maximum current efficiency (CEmax) of 28.28 cd A-1 and external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 17.04%. Single carrier devices denote that hole mobility gradually rises with the sorbitol ratio. The electroluminescence mainly originates from the emission of 4CzIPN. Atomic force microscopy images imply that 3 wt% sorbitol doped PEDOT:PSS film includes the largest PEDOT aggregate, which contributes to a higher electric conductivity thus the better performance of 3 wt% sorbitol doped device. Also the 4CzIPN ratio in the emissive layer was optimized, and 4 wt%-4CzIPN in CBP achieves the highest EQE of 20.99% and CEmax of 34.99 cd A-1. The EL spectrum is independent of the luminous angle at a low 4CzIPN ratio but becomes more sensitive to the luminous angle at a high 4CzIPN ratio. Finally, we find out that the TADF OLED performance is very sensitive to TPBi thickness ranging from 20 nm to 65 nm, and 40 nm of TPBi achieves a CEmax up to 64.10 cd A-1 and an excellent EQE of 25.14%, ascribing from its more balanced carrier transport.

Survival Mechanisms and Influence Factors of Circulating Tumor Cells.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are cancer cells shed from either the primary tumor or its metastases that circulate in the peripheral blood. The CTCs are regarded as the source of tumor recurrence and metastasis and speculated as the indicators of residual tumors, thereby indicating a poor prognosis. Although CTCs play a vital role in tumor metastasis and recurrence, little is known about the underlying survival mechanisms in the blood circulation. The accumulating evidence has revealed that CTCs might survive in the peripheral blood by overcoming the mechanical damage due to shear stress, resistance to anoikis, evasion of immune destruction, and resistance to chemotherapy. The present review addresses the putative survival mechanisms underlying the formation and migration of CTCs according to their biological characteristics and blood microenvironment. In addition, the relationship between CTCs and microenvironment is illustrated, and the influencing factors related to the interactions of CTCs with various components in the peripheral blood are reviewed with respect to the platelets, immune cells, cytokines, and circulating tumor microemboli (CTM). Furthermore, the recent advances in the new treatment strategies targeting the survival mechanisms of CTCs are also discussed.

High wall shear stress beyond a certain range in the parent artery could predict the risk of anterior communicating artery aneurysm rupture at follow-up.

OBJECTIVE: Among clinical and morphological criteria, hemodynamics is the main predictor of aneurysm growth and rupture. This study aimed to identify which hemodynamic parameter in the parent artery could independently predict the rupture of anterior communicating artery (ACoA) aneurysms by using multivariate logistic regression and two-piecewise linear regression models. An additional objective was to look for a more simplified and convenient alternative to the widely used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques to detect wall shear stress (WSS) as a screening tool for predicting the risk of aneurysm rupture during the follow-up of patients who did not undergo embolization or surgery. METHODS: One hundred sixty-two patients harboring ACoA aneurysms (130 ruptured and 32 unruptured) confirmed by 3D digital subtraction angiography at three centers were selected for this study. Morphological and hemodynamic parameters were evaluated for significance with respect to aneurysm rupture. Local hemodynamic parameters were obtained by MR angiography and transcranial color-coded duplex sonography to calculate WSS magnitude. Multivariate logistic regression and a two-piecewise linear regression analysis were performed to identify which hemodynamic parameter independently characterizes the rupture status of ACoA aneurysms. RESULTS: Univariate analysis showed that WSS (p < 0.001), circumferential wall tension (p = 0.005), age (p < 0.001), the angle between the A1 and A2 segments of the anterior cerebral artery (p < 0.001), size ratio (p = 0.023), aneurysm angle (p < 0.001), irregular shape (p = 0.005), and hypertension (grade II) (p = 0.006) were significant parameters. Multivariate analyses showed significant association between WSS in the parent artery and ACoA aneurysm rupture (p = 0.0001). WSS magnitude, evaluated by a two-piecewise linear regression model, was significantly correlated with the rupture of the ACoA aneurysm when the magnitude was higher than 12.3 dyne/cm2 (HR 7.2, 95% CI 1.5-33.6, p = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS: WSS in the parent artery may be one of the reliable hemodynamic parameters characterizing the rupture status of ACoA aneurysms when the WSS magnitude is higher than 12.3 dyne/cm2. Analysis showed that with each additional unit of WSS (even with a 1-unit increase of WSS), there was a 6.2-fold increase in the risk of rupture for ACoA aneurysms.

Leucodin attenuates inflammatory response in macrophages and lipid accumulation in steatotic hepatocytes via P2x7 receptor pathway: A potential role in alcoholic liver disease.

The current study was aimed to reveal that leucodin, a sesquiterpene lactone from Artemisia capillaris could inhibit the inflammatory response in macrophages and the lipid accumulation in hepatocytes via P2x7R-NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Several types of macrophages including mouse peritoneal macrophages, mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages and human macrophages THP-1 cells were pretreated with different concentrations of leucodin for 1 h and then stimulated with LPS and ATP. LPS plus ATP initiated IL-1ß cleavage and release in mouse peritoneal macrophages and peaked at 4 h. Leucodin did not show significant toxicity within 200 µM and effectively inhibited pro-IL-1ß cleavage and release of mature-IL-1ß in macrophages. Also, P2x7R antagonist and caspase-1 inhibitor also decreased IL-1ß release and cleavage. Additionally, leucodin suppressed P2x7R, TLR4 and NLRP3 expression in LPS/ATP-stimulated macrophages. HepG2 cells were pretreated with different concentrations of leucodin for 1 h and then exposed to ethanol for 24 h. Leucodin suppressed lipid accumulation and enhanced phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) in HepG2 cells exposed to ethanol. In addition, leucodin inhibited the expression of sterol regulatory element binding protein-1 (SREBP1) and ACC in ethanol-treated HepG2 cells. Leucodin possessed the capacity for inhibiting inflammatory response in macrophages and suppressing lipid accumulation in hepatocytes, suggesting a promising therapeutic potential targeting inflammation and lipid metabolism in alcoholic liver disease.

A novel small-molecule activator of Sirtuin-1 induces autophagic cell death/mitophagy as a potential therapeutic strategy in glioblastoma.

Sirtuin-1 (SIRT1), the mammalian ortholog of yeast Sir2p, is well known to be a highly conserved NAD+-dependent protein deacetylase that has been emerging as a key cancer target. Autophagy, an evolutionarily conserved, multi-step lysosomal degradation process, has been implicated in cancer. Accumulating evidence has recently revealed that SIRT1 may act as a tumor suppressor in several types of cancer, and thus activating SIRT1 would represent a possible therapeutic strategy. Thus, in our study, we identified that SIRT1 was a key prognostic factor in brain cancer based upon The Cancer Genome Atlas and tissue microarray analyses. Subsequently, we screened a series of potential small-molecule activators of SIRT1 from Drugbank, and found the best candidate compound F0911-7667 (hereafter, named Comp 5), which showed a good deacetylase activity for SIRT1 rather than other Sirtuins. In addition, we demonstrated that Comp 5-induced autophagic cell death via the AMPK-mTOR-ULK complex in U87MG and T98G cells. Interestingly, Comp 5-induced mitophagy by the SIRT1-PINK1-Parkin pathway. Further iTRAQ-based proteomics analyses revealed that Comp 5 could induce autophagy/mitophagy by downregulating 14-3-3γ, catalase, profilin-1, and HSP90α. Moreover, we showed that Comp 5 had a therapeutic potential on glioblastoma (GBM) and induced autophagy/mitophagy by activating SIRT1 in vivo. Together, these results demonstrate a novel small-molecule activator of SIRT1 that induces autophagic cell death/mitophagy in GBM cells, which would be utilized to exploit this compound as a leading drug for future cancer therapy.

Cerebral Microbleeds Could Be Independently Associated with Intracranial Aneurysm Rupture: A Cross-Sectional Population-Based Study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the presence of cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) is independently associated with intracranial aneurysm rupture and to identify the time interval of CMB-related intracranial aneurysm rupture. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 1847 patients with unruptured and ruptured intracranial aneurysms from January 2010 to November 2017. Clinical records and imaging, including T2-weighted gradient-recalled echo sequence magnetic resonance imaging that identified the presence of CMBs preoperatively, were evaluated. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression were done to determine which parameters were independent factors for aneurysm rupture. The time interval of CMB-related intracranial aneurysm rupture was also evaluated. RESULTS: CMBs confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging were present in 142 patients (142/1847; 7.7%). Of 142 patients with CMBs, 56 patients (including 17 ruptured aneurysms) who received endovascular treatment and another 86 consecutive patients who did not receive embolization or surgery for various reasons were followed for 3-49 months. The incidence of CMB-related intracranial aneurysm rupture was 27.9% (24/86) during the follow-up period. The time interval of CMB-related intracranial aneurysm rupture was 3-27 months (median 9.5 months). Multivariate analyses showed CMBs were significantly correlated with intracranial aneurysm rupture (odds ratio = 1.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-2.4; P = 0.010). CONCLUSIONS: CMBs were independently associated with intracranial aneurysm rupture. Patients with CMBs have a 60% increased risk of aneurysm rupture compared with patients without CMBs.

Improvement of the long-term stability of ZnSnO thin film transistors by tungsten incorporation using a solution-process method.

In this paper, W-doped ZnSnO (WZTO) thin films and TFT devices are successfully fabricated by a wet-solution technique. The impact of W doping on the film structure, surface morphology, optical properties and chemical compositions of ZTO thin films is analyzed by atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, UV-visible spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results show that the WZTO thin films have a smooth surface, amorphous structure and fewer oxygen vacancies with increasing W levels. The oxygen vacancy concentration of WZTO thin films is reduced from 40% to 27% with W incorporation. Compared with films free of W doping, for example ZnSnO TFTs, the positive bias stress stability of WZTO TFTs and long-term stability in air are improved obviously and the shift of the threshold voltage (V T) is restrained about six times. The critical reason for the improvement of the ZTO TFT properties is attributed to W-doping, wherein the suppression of oxygen vacancies by W ions plays a dominant role in changing the performance of ZTO thin films and the stability of TFTs.

Posterior fossa brain arteriovenous malformations : Clinical features and outcomes of endovascular embolization, adjuvant microsurgery and radiosurgery.

BACKGROUND: Posterior fossa brain arteriovenous malformations (PFbAVM) are relatively rare brain disorders but have a high risk of hemorrhage. Endovascular embolization to reduce the lesion size before treatment may improve the outcome of PFbAVM. The purposes of this study were to identify risk factors associated with hemorrhage in PFbAVM and to assess clinical outcomes in patients receiving initial endovascular embolization. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From 1999 to 2013 a total of 63 patients with PFbAVMs were treated (31 males and 32 females, 14.1 % of all AVM cases). A retrospective examination of patient demographics, clinical presentation, angiographic features, treatment modalities, complications and outcomes was carried out. The re-hemorrhage rate, obliteration rate and modified Rankin scale (MRS) were used as measures of outcome. RESULTS: Of the 63 PFbAVM patients 54 (85.7 %) exhibited hemorrhage and 15 had confirmed aneurysms. The cerebellar location (P = 0.007) and deep venous drainage (P = 0.012) were independent predictors of hemorrhage in multivariate analyses. The mean estimated devascularization was 46.9 % (range 10-100 %) in the 20 patients (31.7 %) treated by endovascular embolization. The 16 patients with residual niduses were further treated by radiosurgery, microsurgery or embolization. Complete obliteration was attained in 12 patients (67 %) while 2 (5.7 %) were left with persisting neurological deficits and 1 had a re-hemorrhage 3 years later (annual rate of 4.6 %). Favorable outcome (MRS ≤ 2) was obtained in the 20 patients receiving initial endovascular embolization (P = 0.039 versus preoperative MRS). CONCLUSION: Cerebellar location and deep venous drainage are predictors of hemorrhage in PFbAVM. Adjuvant endovascular embolization is useful and safe for PFbAVM prior to microsurgery or radiosurgery.

Multidisciplinary Care of Unruptured Brain Arteriovenous Malformations to Improve Symptomatic Headache and the Onset, Progression, and Outcomes of Unruptured Brain Arteriovenous Malformations.

BACKGROUND: Symptomatic headaches attributed to unruptured brain arteriovenous malformations (ubAVMs) are very common and affect patients' quality life, but multidisciplinary care of ubAVMs to improve symptomatic headache remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: The objective is to identify the features of symptomatic headaches, and to obtain headache outcomes following multidisciplinary care of ubAVMs, as well as provide background on the natural history of ubAVMs. STUDY DESIGN: The features of symptomatic headaches and headache outcomes were analyzed in a large cohort of cases after multidisciplinary care of ubAVMs. We have also provided information on the natural history of ubAVMs. SETTING: This study was conducted at the Department of Neurosurgery of Zhujiang Hospital where 336 patients from 1998 to 2014 were reviewed by a multidiscipline team. Only 124 patients were eligible. METHODS: The demographics, clinical features, imaging features, and headache details of eligible patients were reviewed. An 11-point pain scale score was used to assess symptomatic headaches before, during, and after treatment. The headache outcomes, death or stroke, and adverse functional outcomes (modified Rankin Scale score = 2, mRS = 2) were assessed following multidisciplinary care of ubAVMs. RESULTS: Twenty-three (56.1%) of 41 patients had migraine-like headaches located in occipital lobe (P < 0.001), while forty (63.5%) of 63 patients had tension-type-like headaches located in frontotemporal lobe (P < 0.001). For patients with tension-type-like or all types of headache, headache improvement differed between the multidisciplinary group and medical group (87.8% vs. 31.8%, P < 0.001; 85.7% vs. 40.7%, P < 0.001). The risk of death or stroke did not differ between multidisciplinary group and medical group (P = 0.393), whereas the risk of adverse functional outcome (mRS = 2) differed significantly by long-time follow-up (23.0% vs.10.0%, P = 0.022). LIMITATIONS: This study provides the initial experience to support multidisciplinary care for ubAVMs to improve symptomatic headaches and patients' quality life, but based on the retrospective study with inherent limitations, larger samples and multi-center trials are needed on this interesting issue. CONCLUSIONS: Occipital ubAVM is more likely to present with migraine-like headache, while frontotemporal ubAVM tends to present with tension-type-like headache. The effectiveness of multidisciplinary care for ubAVM to improve headache has been shown, but the natural history of ubAVM patients with headache remains unclear.Key Words: Unruptured brain arteriovenous malformations, headache, headache improvement, natural history.

Randomized Controlled Trial of Hepatic Portal Reocclusion as a New Option for Detecting Bile Leakage during Hepatic Resection.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To explore the possibility and feasibility of hepatic portal reocclusion for detecting bile leakage during hepatectomy. METHODS: Data were prospectively collected from 200 patients who underwent hepatectomy alone for removal of various benign or malignant tumors between March 2014 and November 2014. The surgical procedure used a conventional method for all patients, and one additional step (hepatic portal reocclusion) was included in group B. The postoperative outcomes of the patients in group A (subjected to the traditional procedure) and group B (subjected to hepatic portal reocclusion) were compared during the same period, and the incidence rates of postoperative bile leakage and other complications in the 2 groups were also analyzed. RESULTS: The incidence of postoperative bile leakage in group B was significantly lower than that in group A (1.0 vs. 9.2%, p = 0.009), although no significant differences in postoperative indicators of liver dysfunction and other complications were observed between the 2 groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Hepatic portal reocclusion effectively reduced the incidence of bile leakage compared to the traditional procedure, without significantly affecting liver function. Therefore, this method might be an alternative to other tests for bile leakage.

[Catalytic Combustion of Soot Particulates over Rare Earth Pyrochlore Oxides Doped with Transition Metals].

Catalytic combustion is an efficient way to remove soot particulates from automobile exhausts. A series of rare earth pyrochlore oxides La2Sn1.8TM0.2O7 (TM=Sn, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu) were prepared with CTAB-assisted sol-gel method. The products were characterized by XRD,N2 Adsorption-Desorption, SEM, FT-IR, H2-TPR and PL techniques. Their catalytic activity for soot oxidation was investigated by TPO under tight conditions in both O2 and NO+O2 atmospheres. After calcination at 900℃, the as-synthesized oxides with pure pyrochlore phase displayed nanospheres with diameter of 30-60 nm and relatively large surface areas. The partial substitution of Sn with transition metals largely influenced the reduction behavior of pyrochlores especially on the low temperature range in H2-TPR profiles, which was due to the interactions between Sn and transition metals. The improved oxygen mobility might be derived from the structure defects induced by transition metals doping, which could be helpful in oxidation reactions. In comparison with uncatalyzed reactions, the La2Sn2O7 catalyst exhibited modest catalytic activity for soot combustion, while transition metals incorporation further enhanced the activity and selectivity. The improved activity of transition metals doped samples was likely to be associated with the improved reducibility and increased surface oxygen vacancies on the pyrochlore oxides. The presence of NO in the gas phase significantly enhanced the soot oxidation activity, which was due to the promotion effect of NO2. Especially, the densities of active oxygen sites and turnover frequency (TOF) values of the catalysts, quantified by isothermal anaerobic titration with soot as a probe molecule, were used to explain the different soot combustion behaviors. Among the pyrochlore oxides, the Co-doped pyrochlore sample displayed the highest ignition activity and the largest intrinsic activity with TOF of 3.20×10-3 s-1.

Intrahepatic splenosis mimics hepatocellular carcinoma in a patient with chronic hepatitis B: A case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Splenosis is a benign and relatively uncommon condition caused by trauma or splenectomy or other procedures involving splenic tissue. It is usually asymptomatic, and often diagnosed accidentally, especially misdiagnosed as malignant tumor. METHODS: A 54-year-old man with prior history of chronic hepatitis B virus infection and underwent splenectomy for traumatic splenic rupture following a traffic accident 23 years previously was admitted to our hospital and found a hepatic mass in the right upper quadrant during an imaging examination. The diagnosis of his was not clear and finally he agreed to receive a surgical treatment. RESULTS: During the operation, we found a mass in the right posterior lobe of the liver and a hard nodule on the right side of the diaphragm, both were completely resected, and postoperative histopathologic examination revealed that all excised tissues were proved to have histological structure typical for the spleen. CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of intrahepatic splenosis is rare with only few cases previously reported in the literature. It is a benign disease and sometimes difficult to distinguish from diseases of the liver. The need for positive surgical resection of splenosis is still controversial.

Treatment of giant/large internal carotid aneurysms: parent artery occlusion or stent-assisted coiling.

PURPOSE: Treatment of giant/large internal carotid aneurysm is a challenge for neurologists. Previously, parent artery occlusion was the classic therapy; now the stent-assisted coil embolization has become available in recent years, but the optimal therapy is under debate. The goal of the present study was to compare two endovascular treatment modalities in terms of safety, efficacy and short-term outcomes. METHODS: All the patients were divided into two groups: Group A: patients who underwent parent artery occlusion, and Group B: patients who underwent stent-assisted coil embolization. Follow-up outcomes were evaluated using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). RESULTS: After 12 months of follow-up, the favorable outcome (mRS: 0-2) had no statistical significance in both groups (p = 1.00). Patients in group A had greater ischemia compared with patients in group B, but the difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.421). In group B, patients had a higher rate of partial occlusion (p = 0.255) and recurrence (10% vs. 0%; p = 0.586). CONCLUSIONS: Stent-assisted coiling may not be superior to parent artery occlusion in selected patients after short-term follow-up. Parent artery occlusion is a simple, safe and effective treatment for large/giant internal carotid aneurysms.

Treatment of unruptured vertebral dissecting aneurysms: internal trapping or stent-assisted coiling.

PURPOSE: Endovascular treatment is an attractive approach for the treatment of unruptured vertebral dissecting aneurysms, and includes internal trapping and stent-assisted coil embolization. However, the optimal therapy remains debatable. We reviewed our experience with both endovascular treatment modalities and compared the safety, efficacy, and short-term outcomes for each approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 65 consecutive patients with unruptured vertebral dissecting aneurysms who underwent endovascular treatment between January 2003 and January 2014. 24 patients underwent endovascular internal trapping (group A) while 41 patients underwent stent-assisted coiling (group B). Thirteen patients underwent single stent with coiling while 28 patients underwent double or three stent-assisted coiling. Short-term outcomes were evaluated using the modified Rankin Scale. RESULTS: A favorable clinical outcome was achieved in 58 of 65 patients. Procedure-related complications included ischemic symptoms (n = 6) and recurrence (n = 4). There was no statistical difference in modified Rankin Scale scoring between groups. Group A patients had more ischemia symptoms compared with group B patients (p = 0.043), Group B patients had higher recurrence rates compared with group A patients, but the difference had no statistical significance (p = 1.00). However, recurrence only occurred in patients who underwent stent-assisted coiling alone (p = 0.046). CONCLUSION: Stent-assisted coiling for unruptured vertebral dissecting aneurysms may maintain artery patency. Multilayer disposition of stents with coils may decrease complications and facilitate aneurysm occlusion. Larger, prospective studies are necessary to determine the long-term outcomes of reconstructive therapy.

Fistula and Infratentorial Location, Characteristics That Contribute to Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformations, Lead to the Formation of Associated Aneurysms in Patients.

OBJECTIVE: Because the formation of associated aneurysms (AAs) related to the characteristics of cerebral artriovenous malformations (cAVMs) is poorly recognized, the purpose of this study was to identify the responsible characteristics of cAVMs related to the formation of AAs and to identify patients with responsible characteristics related to the formation of AAs through the analysis of the outcomes of these patients after treatment. METHODS: This study was performed to analyze the baseline characteristics of patients with cAVMs and AAs. The recurrent AA and residual size of cAVMs were used to evaluate the outcomes of patients after treatment. At the same time, the ROC curve was measured to gauge the relationship between the residual size of cAVMs and recurrent AAs in eligible patients. RESULTS: Fifty (15.0%) patients with cAVMs and AA were confirmed; these patients had twice the hazard of hemorrhage as patients with only isolated cAVMs. An infratentorial location (P < 0.001) and fistula (P = 0.002) were independent predictors of the formation of AAs. After a mean 22.7 months follow-up, 2 patients developed recurrent AAs, and the annual recurrence rate for patients with responsible characteristics was 17.6%, but for all patients was 7.2%. The ROC curve showed that patients, specifically patients with responsible characteristics, the residual size of the cAVM was closely related to recurrent AA (area = 0.89, 95% confidence interval 0.81-0.97, P = 0.023, cut-off value = 82.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with cAVMs and AA who harbor a fistula or an infratentorial location tend to form AAs. To prevent recurrent AAs and decrease the subsequent risk of hemorrhage, complete obliteration of cAVMs or retrograding over 80% size of cAVMs is recommended.

Comparative efficacy of Glubran and polyvinyl-alcohol particles in the embolization of meningiomas.

PURPOSE: Preoperative embolization of meningiomas decreases intraoperative bleeding and shortens operation time. However, in meningiomas predominantly vascularized by the internal carotid artery (ICA) or vertebral artery (VA) branches, embolization of external carotid artery feeder branches may lead to a hemodynamic increase in blood supply from the ICA or VA, whereas embolization of ICA or VA feeder branches with particle embolic agents may be associated with complications. This study investigated the safety and efficacy of Glubran, a liquid embolic agent, for the embolization of this type of meningioma compared with polyvinyl-alcohol (PVA) particles. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2006 to June 2015, 157 consecutive patients (98 females; mean age = 48.3 years) who suffered from meningiomas and were preoperatively referred for embolization were retrospectively analyzed. Glubran (n = 40) and PVA (n = 55) were used to devascularize tumors. Sixty-two patients were not embolized because of dangerous anastomosis or other tumor characteristics. Intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative time, degree of angiographic devascularization and embolization-related complications were analyzed. RESULTS: The intraoperative blood loss and operative time were significantly lower in the Glubran-embolized versus non-embolized group. Furthermore, Glubran embolization significantly reduced intraoperative blood loss and operative time for meningiomas that received their primary blood supply from the ICA and/or VA compared with PVA embolization. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative meningioma embolization with Glubran decreases intraoperative blood loss and operative time. Furthermore, embolization with Glubran produces more effective devascularization compared with PVA for meningiomas supplied by the ICA and/or VA. Thus, Glubran may represent a better embolic agent for this meningioma subtype.