Association of systemic inflammatory markers with postoperative arrhythmias in esophageal cancer: a propensity score matching.

BACKGROUND: The severity and prognosis of an array of inflammatory diseases have been predicted using systemic inflammatory indices, such as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (dNLR), and systemic immune inflammation index (SII). The purpose of this study was to examine the association between systemic inflammatory markers and postoperative arrhythmias (PA) in esophageal cancer patients. METHODS: In the study, laboratory-related parameters were gathered and examined in 278 patients (non-PA = 221, PA = 57). Fit separate propensity score matching (PSM) within subgroup strata (surgery approaches); match within strata, and aggregate for main analysis. Finally, we established a 1:1(57:57) model. The ability of inflammatory makers on the first post-esophagectomy day to distinguish PA from postoperative non-arrhythmia (non-PA) by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. RESULTS: On the first post-esophagectomy day, there was a greater difference between PA and non-PA in terms of white blood cell (WBC) and neutrophil (NE), Neutrophil percentage (NE%), NLR, dNLR, LMR, and SII. After PSM, the following variables were substantially different between non-PA and PA: NE%, NLR, dNLR, and SII. It was found that WBC, NE, NE%, NLR, dNLR, LMR, and SII had the area under the curve (AUC) that was higher than 0.500 in ROC analysis, with NLR and SII having the highest AUC (AUC = 0.661). The indicators were subjected to binary logistic regression analysis, which increased the indicators' predictive ability (AUC = 0.707, sensitivity = 0.877). CONCLUSION: On the first post-esophagectomy day, systemic inflammatory indicators were significantly correlated with both PA and non-PA, and high SII and NLR are reliable markers of PA.

A silver and manganese dioxide composite with oxygen vacancies as a high-performance cathode material for aqueous zinc-ion batteries.

Aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs) are regarded as a promising alternative for energy storage due to their safety, cost-effectiveness and environmental friendliness. Manganese dioxide is considered a promising cathode material for energy storage because of its abundant reserves and high energy density. However, its inherent low electronic conductivity and limited cycling performance due to structural instability hinder its further development. Herein, a silver and manganese dioxide composite (Ag@MnO2) enriched with oxygen vacancies was prepared by a simple liquid-phase reduction method. The introduction of silver particles facilitates the improvement of electrical conductivity, and the incorporation of oxygen vacancies helps change the surface properties of manganese dioxide, providing additional active sites for ion transport, enhancing the overall electrochemical kinetics, and further improving the battery performance. As a result, the Ag@MnO2 cathode exhibits an astonishingly high capacity of 353 mAh g-1 at a current density of 0.1 A g-1 and a capacity retention of 78% after 1500 cycles. Additionally, electrochemical and structural analyses have revealed that the Ag@MnO2 cathode undergoes a reversible and stable process of H+ and Zn2+ insertion/extraction.

Right upper lobectomy after immunotherapy for primary malignant melanoma of the lung: a case report and literature review.

Background: Malignant melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes. All body organs can be invaded by it; however, the skin is the most common site of invasion. Melanomas involving the lungs are almost always metastatic and it is extremely rare to find a true primary malignant melanoma of the lung (PMML). Compared to cutaneous melanoma, mucosal melanoma has a different biology and clinical appearance. Since there are no standards for the diagnosis and treatment of PMML, it is treated differently. We reported a patient with PMML underwent surgery after programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) immunotherapy. Case Description: A 62-year-old female patient presented with an occupying lesion in the right upper lung lobe found on physical examination. A computed tomography (CT) scan was done, and the results showed a lobulated soft tissue mass shadow of roughly 54 mm × 50 mm in the upper lobe of the right lung. The histological results of a CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy were consistent with malignant melanoma. She was identified as having primary melanoma of the lung after undergoing a full physical examination to rule out occult primary tumor metastases. The patient received a total of 33 cycles of immunotherapy (PD-1). We did a right upper lung lobectomy after shrinking the melanoma in the right lung's upper lobe to a size of 16 mm × 10 mm. After the operation, the patient was monitored for 6 months and made a full recovery without recurrence. Conclusions: The preoperative immune system in combination with a surgical procedure may boost patients' chances of survival. These findings need to be confirmed in more clinical research.

Nickel Phosphonate MOF Derived N-Doped Carbon-Coated Phosphorus-Vacancies-Rich Ni2 P Particles as Efficient Bifunctional Oxygen Electrocatalyst.

The design of non-noble metal bifunctional electrocatalysts with outstanding performance and remarkable stability for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is one of the most essential issues to the realization of rechargeable zinc-air battery, and transition metal phosphides (TMPs) have emerged as robust candidates for oxygen electrocatalysts. Herein, N-doped carbon-coated phosphorus-vacancies-rich Ni2 P particles (Vp -Ni2 P@NC) is proposed via simple carbonization and following Ar plasma treatment from a single nickel phosphonate metal-organic framework (MOF) without extra phosphine and nitrogen sources. The facile and rapid plasma treatment can achieve phosphorus vacancies which could modulate the electronic structure to enhance the inherent active and electrical conductivity. Meanwhile, the pyridine-N and graphitized-N produced during calcination also could provide more active sites and increase the electrical conductivity. The resultant Vp -Ni2 P@NC catalyst shows excellent bifunctional electrocatalytic activity (OER/ORR) based on synergistic effect of introducing P vacancies into Ni2 P and N-doped carbon. Vp -Ni2 P@NC catalyst shows more advantageous ΔE value (0.70 V) compared to Pt/C+RuO2 (0.73 V) and most reported catalysts. Additionally, the zinc-air bbatterie (ZAB) employing Vp -Ni2 P@NC as air cathode shows excellent performance. The maximum power density of 203.48 mW cm-2 , the cycling stability of more than 150 h at 10 mA cm-2 .

Effect of Nursing Intervention on Promoting Healing of RW in Patients with Diabetic Foot: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: To systematically assess the effect of nursing intervention on promoting the healing of refractory wounds (RW) in patients with diabetic foot (DF). Methods: A computer search of PubMed, EMBASE, ScienceDirect, CochraneLibrary, China knowledge Network Database (CNKI), China VIP Database, Wanfang Database, and China Biomedical Literature Database (CBM) online database was conducted in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of traditional Chinese and western medicine nursing intervention on patients with RW of DF. Retrieval time was limited to the period from the date the database was established to present. Separately, two researchers gathered the data. RevMan5.3 statistical software was used to analyze the collected data by meta-analysis according to Cochrane Handbook 5.3. Results: Finally, 8 articles were included with a total sample size of 772 cases. The meta-analysis of the wound healing time after intervention indicated that the wound healing time of the study group was notably shorter, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Qualitative, fixed-effect model analysis indicated that the nursing effective rate after treatment in the study group was notably higher, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Fasting blood glucose level in the study group after treatment was notably lower, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The life quality in the study group was notably higher, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Further subgroup analysis indicated that the score of physical function (PF), emotional function (RE), social function (SF), physical pain (BP), general health (GH), vitality (VT), and mental health (MH) in the study group were higher, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). A publication bias analysis was conducted using the inverted funnel chart as the outcome indicator for this study. The results indicated that most of the funnel maps were symmetrical and a few were asymmetrical, suggesting that there exhibited a certain publication bias in the included literature. Conclusion: The application of traditional Chinese and western medicine nursing intervention when treating DF patients clinically can effectively promote the healing of foot ulcer wounds. Traditional Chinese and western medicine nursing can help patients heal wounds faster and enhance their life quality compared to simplistic western medicine nursing. According to the original literature, the conclusion deserves to be popularized in clinic.

Effect of Virtual Reality Combined with Intelligent Exercise Rehabilitation Machine on the Nursing Recovery of Lower Limb Motor Function of Patients with Hypertensive Stroke.

The lower limbs of the human body are stable and flexible weight-bearing joints. They usually perform a variety of complex and subtle jobs whose functions directly affect people's daily lives. The most common type of stroke patients is limb movement dysfunction. 50% to 70% of survivors still have hemiplegic lower limb dysfunction within 2 to 4 years after stroke, which seriously affects their daily life, social participation, functional role, and independence of leisure activities and increases the heavy burden on family and society In order to understand the pathological conditions of ischemic stroke and the role of intelligent sports rehabilitation machines in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with hypertensive stroke, this article collects relevant information through case investigations of patients and interviews with professionals. Using a controlled experiment, the patients were treated in groups, and different treatment plans were used to compare the recovery of the patients' lower extremity movement ability, so as to provide some reference for the subsequent researchers. The results of the study found that stroke patients are more common in the elderly, the incidence rate of the elderly is 6 times that of young adults, and the recurrence rate of hypertensive stroke patients is 10%, which is extremely harmful. The intelligent exercise rehabilitation machine can play a great role in the treatment of patients. It can greatly improve the motor function of the patient's lower limbs. The effect is about 30% higher than that of general treatment methods, and it can also play a certain role in the prognosis of rehabilitation and effectively prevent related postoperative complications. This shows that the intelligent sports rehabilitation machine should raise people's attention in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with hypertensive stroke and increase research and development efforts and promotion efforts, and it can play a greater role in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with hypertensive stroke.

Rapid Quantitative Detection of Voriconazole in Human Plasma Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering.

There is an increasing demand for rapid detection techniques for monitoring the therapeutic concentration of voriconazole (VRC) in human biological fluids. Herein, a rapid and selective surface-enhanced Raman scatting method for point-of-care determination of VRC in human plasma was developed via a portable Raman spectrometer. This approach has enabled the quantification of the VRC spiked into human plasma at clinical relevant concentrations. A gold nanoparticle solution (Au sol) was used as the SERS substrate, and the agglomerating conditions on its sensitivity were optimized. The method involves the formation of hot spots, and the signal of VRC molecules adsorbed on the surface of the SERS hot spot was amplified by 105. The calibration curve was linear in the range of 0.02-10 ppm, with satisfactory repeatability. The limit of detection was as low as 12.3 ppb. The variation in VRC spectra over time on different substrates demonstrated good reproducibility. Notably, the salting-out extraction method developed in this study was rapid and suitable for the quantitation of drugs in biological samples. Compared with traditional methods, this approach allows for the point-of-care quantification of VRC directly in a complex matrix, which may open up new exciting opportunities for future use of the SERS technique in clinical applications.

Efficient oxygen evolution reaction on RuO2nanoparticles decorated onion-like carbon (OLC).

Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is an important half-cell reaction of the electrical water splitting, for its high overpotential associated with sluggish OER kinetics. Therefore, it is critical to develop highly active and durable electrocatalysts to reduce the overpotential. Herein, ultra-small RuO2nanoparticles (NPs) supported on onion-like carbon (OLC) and carbon nanotube (CNT) are successfully synthesized by means of wet impregnation combined with annealing treatment, respectively. The microstructure characterization results showed OLC perfect graphitic carbon layer structure, and the RuO2NPs supported on the OLC possess larger particle size compared with the RuO2NPs supported on the CNT. Moreover, the electronic structure of Ru in RuO2/OLC was also optimized by the OLC support to be beneficial for the OER. The OER performance of the catalysts were investigated in 1 M KOH solution. The results show RuO2/OLC has a comparable OER activity to the commercial RuO2, but a significantly higher mass activity than the commercial RuO2. When compared with the RuO2/CNT, RuO2/OLC not only exhibits lower overpotential and Tafel slop, but also owns more active sites and higher TOF value, indicating the OLC support improved the OER activity of RuO2/OLC. Moreover, RuO2/OLC showed a superior stability compared with RuO2/CNT, which can be attributed to the excellent electrochemical oxidation-resistance of the OLC.

Bottom-Up Fabrication of a Sandwich-Like Carbon/Graphene Heterostructure with Built-In FeNC Dopants as Non-Noble Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

High-performance non-noble electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are the prerequisite for large-scale utilization of fuel cells. Herein, a type of sandwiched-like non-noble electrocatalyst with highly dispersed FeNx active sites embedded in a hierarchically porous carbon/graphene heterostructure was fabricated using a bottom-up strategy. The in situ ion substitution of Fe3+ in a nitrogen-containing MOF (ZIF-8) allows the Fe-heteroatoms to be uniformly distributed in the MOF precursor, and the assembly of Fe-doped ZIF-8 nano-crystals with graphene-oxide and in situ reduction of graphene-oxide afford a sandwiched-like Fe-doped ZIF-8/graphene heterostructure. This type of heterostructure enables simultaneous optimization of FeNx active sites, architecture and interface properties for obtaining an electron-catalyst after a one-step carbonization. The synergistic effect of these factors render the resulting catalysts with excellent ORR activities. The half-wave potential of 0.88 V vs. RHE outperforms most of the none-noble metal catalyst and is comparable with the commercial Pt/C (20 wt %) catalyst. Apart from the high activity, this catalyst exhibits excellent durability and good methanol-tolerance. Detailed investigations demonstrate that a moderate content of Fe dopants can effectively increase the intrinsic activities, and the hybridization of graphene can enhance the reaction kinetics of ORR. The strategy proposed in this work gives an inspiration towards developing efficient noble-metal-free electrocatalysts for ORR.

A terbium(III)-functionalized zinc(II)-organic framework for fluorometric determination of phosphate.

A terbium(III)-functionalized zinc(II)-organic framework (Tb-MOF-Zn) is shown to be a viable fluorescent probe for phosphate. The organic ligands 4,4',4″-[((2,4,6-trimethylbenzene-1,3,5-triyl)tris(methylene))tris(oxy)]tribenzoic acid (H3L3) contains multiple carboxyl groups that can react with zinc(II) to yield tubular MOF-Zn. The MOF-Zn was further functionalized with Tb(III) to produce a lanthanide composite of type Tb-MOF-Zn which displays strong fluorescence with excitation/emission maxima at 285/544 nm. Fluorescence is quenched by phosphate because of the specific interaction with Tb(III) in Tb-MOF-Zn. The concentration of Tb-MOF-Zn, reaction time and pH value of the solution were optimized. Fluorescence drops linearly in the 0.01 to 200.0 µM phosphate concentration range, and the detection limit is 4.0 nM. The fluorescent probe was also used to prepare a microdot array on a glass slide for visual detection of phosphate under illumination with UV light. Graphical abstractA terbium(III) functionalized zinc(II)-organic framework was synthesized and used as fluorescent probe for determination of phosphate ions.

Synthesis of Ni3Si4O10(OH)2 Porous Microspheres as Support of Pd Catalyst for Hydrogenation Reaction.

Nickel phyllosilicates have attracted much attention owing to their potential applications in various fields. Herein, Ni3Si4O10(OH)2 porous microspheres (NiSi-PMs) with a diameter of 1.2 to 3.2 µm were successfully fabricated via a urea-assisted hydrothermal method, and subsequently used to prepare supported Pd catalyst. Characterizations of the NiSi-PMs and the obtained catalyst, combined with the catalytic performance for the hydrogenation reaction, are presented and discussed. The BET surface area and pore volume of the NiSi-PMs were 196.2 m2 g-1 and 0.70 cm3 g-1, respectively. The Pd/NiSi-PMs catalyst exhibited remarkable catalytic activity for the hydrogenation of styrene under mild conditions, with a turnover frequency of 5234 h-1, and the catalyst was recovered and recycled for six consecutive cycles without any discernible loss of activity. H2-TPR and H2-TPD revealed that the activity of the catalysts was closely related to the adsorption property for hydrogen. The present Ni3Si4O10(OH)2 supported Pd catalyst afforded a promising and competitive candidate for heterogeneous catalysis.

Advanced glycation end products and adipocytokines and oxidative stress in placental tissues of pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus.

Correlation between expression levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and adipocytokines and oxidative stress index malondialdehyde (MDA) in placental tissues of pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) was investigated. Seventy-two cases of GDM pregnant women who received routine prenatal examination and gave birth in the Department of Obstetrics, Binzhou City Center Hospital from March 2016 to May 2017 were collected as the observation group. Another 80 cases of normal pregnant women who gave birth at the same time were selected as the control group. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the expression levels of AGEs, visfatin, APN and IL-6 in the lysate of placental tissues. MDA levels were measured by thiobarbituric acid method. Correlation of expression levels of AGEs, visfatin, APN, IL-6 and MDA were analyzed. The expression level of MDA in placental tissues of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group (t=16.44, P<0.001). The correlation of expression levels between AGEs, adipocytokines and MDA in placental tissues of the two groups was analyzed, and it was found that the expression levels of AGEs, visfatin and IL-6 in the two groups were positively correlated with MDA. There was a significantly negative correlation between APN and MDA in the two groups. The incidence of cesarean section, neonatal hypoglycemia, fetal distress and macrosomia in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of membrane rupture and premature birth between the two groups (P>0.05). In conclusion, the expression levels of AGEs, visfatin and IL-6 in placental tissues of GDM pregnant women are positively correlated with MDA. There is a significant negative correlation between APN and MDA, and they play an important role in the pathogenesis of GDM.

Emissions of terbium metal-organic frameworks modulated by dispersive/agglomerated gold nanoparticles for the construction of prostate-specific antigen biosensor.

Herein, a universal and multifunctional fluorescence sensor platform is designed by the interaction of aggregation/dispersion gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with Tb-metal-organic frameworks (Tb-MOFs). It is found that the dispersed AuNPs rather than the aggregated ones can quench effectively the fluorescence of Tb-MOFs, and the quenching process presumably involves the mechanism of inner filter effect (IFE), dynamic quenching effect (DQE), and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). The different affinities of aptamer and aptamer-target complex toward AuNPs are employed to modulate the fluorescence signal change of Tb-MOFs. As the proof of concept, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), an efficient tumor indicator for prostate cancer, is selected as the target. At first, the PSA aptamer can protect AuNPs against salt-induced aggregation, leading to the fluorescence of Tb-MOFs quenching. Subsequently, upon PSA introduction, the rigid aptamer-PSA complex is formed and cannot stabilize AuNPs in high salt conditions, so the AuNPs aggregate significantly and the fluorescence of Tb-MOFs is restored. The linear range of PSA is achieved from 1 to 100 ng/mL with a detection limit of 0.36 ng/mL. Finally, this method has been validated to be sensitive and specific for PSA in human urine samples. Graphical abstract.

Q-graphene-scaffolded covalent organic frameworks as fluorescent probes and sorbents for the fluorimetry and removal of copper ions.

Metal-free fluorescent covalent organic frameworks (COFs) were synthesized initially with Q-Graphene (QG) scaffolds by the one-step covalent reactions of melamine-aldehyde and phenol-aldehyde poly-condensations using paraformaldehyde. It was discovered that onion-like hollow QG, which consists of multi-layer graphene and different carbon allotropes having a high proportion of folded edges and surface defects, could endow the scaffolded COFs with enhanced green fluorescence and environmental stability. Unexpectedly, they could exhibit the powerful absorption for Cu2+ ions resulting in the specific quenching of fluorescence. A fluorimetric strategy with QG-scaffolded COFs was thereby developed to probe Cu2+ ions separately in blood and wastewater with the linear concentration ranges of 0.0010-10.0 µM (limit of detection of 0.50 nM) and 0.0032-32.0 µM (limit of detection of 2.4 nM), respectively, promising the potential applications for the field-applicable monitoring of Cu2+ ions in the clinical and environmental analysis fields. In addition, the prepared COFs sorbents were employed to absorb Cu2+ ions in wastewater showing high removal efficiency. More importantly, such an one-pot fabrication route with hollow QG scaffolds may be tailorable extensively for the preparation of a variety of metal-free multifunctional COFs with enhanced fluorescence, water solubility, environmental stability, and metal removal capability.

Highly selective and reproducible electroanalysis for histidine in blood with turn-on responses at a potential approaching zero using tetrahedral copper metal organic frameworks.

A highly selective and reproducible electroanalysis strategy was developed for probing histidine using tetrahedral copper metal organic frameworks. It can facilitate His detection through the stable "turn-on" signal output of solid-state CuCl electrochemistry at a potential approaching zero, with the level down to about 25 nM in blood.

An electroanalysis strategy for glutathione in cells based on the displacement reaction route using melamine-copper nanocomposites synthesized by the controlled supermolecular self-assembly.

An electroanalysis strategy has been developed for probing glutathione (GSH) separately in hela and yeast cells based on the displacement reaction route using melamine-copper (MA-Cu) nanocomposites. Herein, MA-Cu nanocomposites were initially synthesized by the controlled supermolecular self-assembly process showing various morphological structures depending on the MA-to-Cu ratios used. It was discovered that the electrodes modified with rod-like MA-Cu nanocomposites could achieve the stable electrochemical output of solid-state CuCl at a low potential, which might circumvent the possible interference from co-existing electroactive substances in complicated backgrounds like cells. More importantly, the yielded CuCl signals would decrease selectively induced by GSH through the specific Cu-GSH interaction that would trigger the displacement of CuCl into non-electroactive complex. The MA-Cu nanorods-modified electrodes can allow for the detection of GSH with the concentrations linearly ranging from 0.010 to 300.0 µM. Subsequently, the feasibility of the developed electroanalysis strategy was demonstrated for the evaluation of GSH separately in the extractions of hela and yeast cells, promising the wide applications in the clinical and food analysis fields.

Q-Graphene-loaded metal organic framework nanocomposites with water-triggered fluorescence turn-on: fluorimetric test strips for directly sensing trace water in organic solvents.

A solid-state fluorimetric strategy has been developed using test strips coated with Q-graphene-loaded metal-organic framework nanocomposites featuring water-triggered fluorescence turn-on. It can facilitate the real-time evaluation of trace water in organic solvents, with the level down to about 0.015% in alcohol.

Diradical Anion of Potassium Aggregate: Reduction of Dimer Boroxide Complex.

Crystalline aggregates containing metal cation clusters "wrapped" by reduced hydrocarbon anions have been presented. Initially, a dimeric complex (2) possessing a bimetallic K2O2 core was synthesized from the reaction between an anthracene substituted boronic acid (2-(anthracen-9-yl)phenyl)(hydroxy)(mesityl)borane (1-H) and KN(SiMe3)2 in THF solution. The B-O bond length (1.281(4) Å) in complex 2 is comparable to those observed in oxoboranes, indicating this may be a double bond, which is supported by its Wiberg bond order (1.9) predicted by density functional theory calculations. Subsequently, potassium aggregate complexes, diradical 3 and dihydro anion 4, were obtained through the reduction reactions of dimeric complex 2 and 1-H, respectively. They exhibit similar K3O2B2 aggregate structures, but differ significantly in the geometry of the anthracene units. Complex 3 features a triplet diradical character with planar anthracene units that carry the unpaired electrons, while the anthracene groups in complex 4 display a puckered structure due to the addition of hydrogen atoms.