In situ injectable hydrogel encapsulating Mn/NO-based immune nano-activator for prevention of postoperative tumor recurrence.

Postoperative tumor recurrence remains a predominant cause of treatment failure. In this study, we developed an in situ injectable hydrogel, termed MPB-NO@DOX + ATRA gel, which was locally formed within the tumor resection cavity. The MPB-NO@DOX + ATRA gel was fabricated by mixing a thrombin solution, a fibrinogen solution containing all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), and a Mn/NO-based immune nano-activator termed MPB-NO@DOX. ATRA promoted the differentiation of cancer stem cells, inhibited cancer cell migration, and affected the polarization of tumor-associated macrophages. The outer MnO2 shell disintegrated due to its reaction with glutathione and hydrogen peroxide in the cytoplasm to release Mn2+ and produce O2, resulting in the release of doxorubicin (DOX). The released DOX entered the nucleus and destroyed DNA, and the fragmented DNA cooperated with Mn2+ to activate the cGAS-STING pathway and stimulate an anti-tumor immune response. In addition, when MPB-NO@DOX was exposed to 808 nm laser irradiation, the Fe-NO bond was broken to release NO, which downregulated the expression of PD-L1 on the surface of tumor cells and reversed the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. In conclusion, the MPB-NO@DOX + ATRA gel exhibited excellent anti-tumor efficacy. The results of this study demonstrated the great potential of in situ injectable hydrogels in preventing postoperative tumor recurrence.

Ultrasound radiomics-based artificial intelligence model to assist in the differential diagnosis of ovarian endometrioma and ovarian dermoid cyst.

Background: Accurately differentiating between ovarian endometrioma and ovarian dermoid cyst is of clinical significance. However, the ultrasound appearance of these two diseases is variable, occasionally causing confusion and overlap with each other. This study aimed to develop a diagnostic classification model based on ultrasound radiomics to intelligently distinguish and diagnose the two diseases. Methods: We collected ovarian ultrasound images from participants diagnosed as patients with ovarian endometrioma or ovarian dermoid cyst. Feature extraction and selection were performed using the Mann-Whitney U-test, Spearman correlation analysis, and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression. We then input the final features into the machine learning classifiers for model construction. A nomogram was established by combining the radiomic signature and clinical signature. Results: A total of 407 participants with 407 lesions were included and categorized into the ovarian endometriomas group (n = 200) and the dermoid cyst group (n = 207). In the test cohort, Logistic Regression (LR) achieved the highest area under curve (AUC) value (0.981, 95% CI: 0.963-1.000), the highest accuracy (94.8%), and the highest sensitivity (95.5%), while LightGBM achieved the highest specificity (97.1%). A nomogram incorporating both clinical features and radiomic features achieved the highest level of performance (AUC: 0.987, 95% CI: 0.967-1.000, accuracy: 95.1%, sensitivity: 88.0%, specificity: 100.0%, PPV: 100.0%, NPV: 88.0%, precision: 93.6%). No statistical difference in diagnostic performance was observed between the radiomic model and the nomogram (P > 0.05). The diagnostic indexes of radiomic model were comparable to that of senior radiologists and superior to that of junior radiologist. The diagnostic performance of junior radiologists significantly improved with the assistance of the model. Conclusion: This ultrasound radiomics-based model demonstrated superior diagnostic performance compared to those of junior radiologists and comparable diagnostic performance to those of senior radiologists, and it has the potential to enhance the diagnostic performance of junior radiologists.

Multifunctional cardiac microphysiological system based on transparent ITO electrodes for simultaneous optical measurement and electrical signal monitoring.

Drug-induced cardiotoxicity is a significant contributor to drug recalls, primarily attributed to limitations in existing drug screening platforms. Traditional heart-on-a-chip platforms often employ metallic electrodes to record cardiomyocyte electrical signals. However, this approach hinders direct cardiomyocyte morphology observation and typically yields limited functionality. Consequently, this limitation may lead to an incomplete understanding of cardiomyocyte characteristics. To address these challenges, we introduce a multifunctional cardiac microphysiological system featuring transparent indium tin oxide electrodes. This innovative design aims to overcome the limitations of conventional heart-on-a-chip systems where metal electrodes interfere with the observation of cells and increase the difficulty of subsequent image processing of cell images. In addition to facilitating optical measurement combined with image processing capabilities, this system integrates a range of electrodes with diverse functionalities. These electrodes can realize cellular electrical stimulation, field potential monitoring, and impedance change tracking, enabling a comprehensive investigation of various cardiomyocyte traits. To demonstrate its versatility, we investigate the effects of four cardiac drugs with distinct pharmacological profiles on cardiomyocytes using this system. This platform provides a means for quantitatively and predictively assessing cardiac toxicity, which could be applied to conduct a comprehensive evaluation during the drug discovery process.

Multi-level magnetic microrobot delivery strategy within a hierarchical vascularized organ-on-a-chip.

Targeted microrobotic delivery within the circulatory system holds significant potential for medical theranostic applications. Existing delivery strategies of microrobots encounter challenges such as slow speed, limited navigation control, and dispersal under dynamic flow conditions. Furthermore, within the realm of microrobots, in vitro testing platforms often lack essential biological microenvironments, while in vivo studies conducted on animal models are constrained by limited detection resolution. In this study, we propose a multi-level magnetic delivery strategy that integrates a tethered microrobotic guidewire and untethered swimming microrobots. The amalgamation compensates for their inherent constraints, ensuring a robust and highly efficient delivery of microrobots under complex physiological conditions over extensive distances. Concurrently, a hierarchical vascular network encompassing engineered arteries/veins and capillary networks was constructed by integrating vasculogenesis and endothelial cell (EC) lining strategies, thereby providing an in vivo-like testing platform for microrobots. Experimental evidence demonstrates that the flexible microrobotic guidewire can be precisely directed to any entrance of the second-tier branches, with its inner lumen providing an "express lane" for rapid passage of microrobots through complex fluidic environments without direct contact. After release, dynamically assembled swarms could effectively locomote on the micro-topography of the EC-lined channel surface without becoming trapped and congregate within specified regions inside capillary lumens when guided collectively by a biologically safe magnetic field. Additionally, the superparamagnetic capabilities of microrobotic swarms ensure their dissolution into monodispersed entities upon withdrawal of the magnetic field, mitigating the risk of intravascular thrombosis. The hierarchical vascularized organ-on-a-chip platform establishes a comprehensive testing platform that integrates imaging, control, and a functional 3D microvascular environment, thereby enhancing its suitability for microrobotic applications encompassing targeted drug delivery, thrombus ablation, sensing and diagnosis, etc.

Organoid-on-a-chip: Current challenges, trends, and future scope toward medicine.

In vitro organoid models, typically defined as 3D multicellular aggregates, have been extensively used as a promising tool in drug screening, disease progression research, and precision medicine. Combined with advanced microfluidics technique, organoid-on-a-chip can flexibly replicate in vivo organs within the biomimetic physiological microenvironment by accurately regulating different parameters, such as fluid conditions and concentration gradients of biochemical factors. Since engineered organ reconstruction has opened a new paradigm in biomedicine, innovative approaches are increasingly required in micro-nano fabrication, tissue construction, and development of pharmaceutical products. In this Perspective review, the advantages and characteristics of organoid-on-a-chip are first introduced. Challenges in current organoid culture, extracellular matrix building, and device manufacturing techniques are subsequently demonstrated, followed by potential alternative approaches, respectively. The future directions and emerging application scenarios of organoid-on-a-chip are finally prospected to further satisfy the clinical demands.

Degradation of tetracycline by peroxymonosulfate activated with Mn0.85Fe2.15O4-CNTs: Key role of singlet oxygen.

Tetracycline (TC) is a kind of electron-rich organic, and singlet oxygen (1O2) oxidative pathway-based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have represented outstanding selective degradation to such pollutants. In this paper, an excellent prepared strategy for 1O2 dominated catalyst was adopted. A catalyst composed of non-stoichiometric doping Mn-Fe bimetallic oxide supported on CNTs (0.3-Mn0.85Fe2.15O4-CNTs) was synthesized and optimized by regulating the non-stoichiometric doping ratio of Mn & Fe and the loading amount of CNTs. Through optimization and control experiments, the optimized catalyst represented 94.9% of TC removal efficiency within 60 min in neutral condition under relatively low concentrations of Mn0.85Fe2.15O4-CNTs (0.4 g/L) and PMS (0.8 mM). Through SEM and XRD characterization, Mn0.85Fe2.15O4-CNTs was a hybrid of cubic Mn0.85Fe2.15O4 uniformly dispersing on CNTs. By the characterization of XPS and FT-IR, more CO bonds and low-valent Mn (II) & Fe (II) appeared in Mn0.85Fe2.15O4-CNTs. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) was determined by radical quenching experiments and electron spin resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, and 1O2 was verified to be the dominated ROS. The mechanism for PMS' activation was speculated, and more low-valent Mn (II) and Fe (II) contributed to the production of free-radical (•OH & SO4•-), while the reaction between PMS and the enhanced CO bond on Mn0.85Fe2.15O4-CNTs played a crucial part in the generation of 1O2. In addition, through the comparative degradation of four different organics with distinct charge densities, the excellent selectivity of 1O2-based oxidative pathway to electron-rich pollutants was found. This paper supplied a good strategy to prepare catalyst for PMS activation to form a 1O2-dominated oxidative pathway.

Single atom solutions for carbon dioxide capture.

New solvents are considered to be one of the effective methods to facilitate the reaction rate and lower the reaction energy barrier. However, the common method to develop a new solvent has come to a dead end. Thus, a single atom in solvent to produce a single atom solution is designed to create the breakthrough. Eight kinds of single atom solutions are prepared as new absorbents. Experiments prove the single atom in the solutions and their charge-producing effects. A density functional theory model is developed to analyze the microscale characteristics. Meanwhile, it has been applied in carbon dioxide capture. The CO2 desorption rate is intensified in the single atom solution system due to the controlled reaction energy barrier. The results show that single atom solutions produce a maximum voltage of 2.12 V and, thus, contribute to near zero energy consumption by effectively harvesting the substantial waste heat below 373 K.

Evidence construction of baicalin for treating myocardial ischemia diseases: A preclinical meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Baicalin, a flavonoid glycoside isolated from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, has shown potential pharmacological effects on myocardial ischemia diseases. Nevertheless, systematic preclinical studies on baicalin in the treatment of ischemic diseases are scarce. PURPOSE: To assess the efficacy and potential mechanisms of baicalin in myocardial ischemia (RI), myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury and myocardial infarction (MI) animal models for future clinical research. METHODS: Preclinical studies published prior to August 27th, 2022 were retrieved from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library. CAMARADES list was used to evaluate the quality of included researches. Meta-analyses of cardiac pathology and function parameters, myocardial injury markers and other indicators were performed by STATA 15.0 software. Potential mechanisms are categorized and summarized. Dose-response interval analyses were used to analyze the dose-response relationship between baicalin and myocardial ischemia disease. RESULTS: Fourteen studies and 222 animals were included in the analysis. The results showed that compared with the control group, baicalin could reduce myocardial infarction size associated with cardiac pathological condition and the corresponding cardiac pathological index containing CK-MB, CK and cTnT. Additionally, heart function indicators including LVSP, LVFS, LVEF, -dp/dt max, dp/dt max were increased by baicalin. As for subgroup analyses, baicalin also demonstrated certain effect on CK-MB and LVSP by administration method or stage. Furthermore, it displayed obvious effect on myocardial ischemia diseases when the dose is maintained at 100-150 mg/kg based on dosage analyses. CONCLUSION: Based on the relevant literature retrieved, this is the first meta-analysis on baicalin in treating myocardial ischemia diseases. Notably, we linked the dynamic development of the disease and discussed it pertinently, from RI, IR injury to MI. Baicalin exhibits positive effects on myocardial ischemia diseases (especially when the dose is 100-150 mg/kg), which is achieved by regulating key pathological indicators and various signaling pathways.

Improving Network Representation Learning via Dynamic Random Walk, Self-Attention and Vertex Attributes-Driven Laplacian Space Optimization.

Network data analysis is a crucial method for mining complicated object interactions. In recent years, random walk and neural-language-model-based network representation learning (NRL) approaches have been widely used for network data analysis. However, these NRL approaches suffer from the following deficiencies: firstly, because the random walk procedure is based on symmetric node similarity and fixed probability distribution, the sampled vertices' sequences may lose local community structure information; secondly, because the feature extraction capacity of the shallow neural language model is limited, they can only extract the local structural features of networks; and thirdly, these approaches require specially designed mechanisms for different downstream tasks to integrate vertex attributes of various types. We conducted an in-depth investigation to address the aforementioned issues and propose a novel general NRL framework called dynamic structure and vertex attribute fusion network embedding, which firstly defines an asymmetric similarity and h-hop dynamic random walk strategy to guide the random walk process to preserve the network's local community structure in walked vertex sequences. Next, we train a self-attention-based sequence prediction model on the walked vertex sequences to simultaneously learn the vertices' local and global structural features. Finally, we introduce an attributes-driven Laplacian space optimization to converge the process of structural feature extraction and attribute feature extraction. The proposed approach is exhaustively evaluated by means of node visualization and classification on multiple benchmark datasets, and achieves superior results compared to baseline approaches.

Superhydrophilic nanocomposite adsorbents modified via nitrogen-rich phosphonate-functionalized ionic liquid linkers: enhanced phosphopeptide enrichment and phosphoproteome analysis of tau phosphorylation in the hippocampal lysate of Alzheimer's transgenic mice.

In this study, new graphene-based IMAC nanocomposites for phosphopeptide enrichment were prepared according to the guideline of our new design strategy. Superhydrophilic polyethyleneimine (PEI) was introduced, to which a phosphonate-functionalized ionic liquid (PFIL) was covalently bound, to form superhydrophilic and cationic surface layers with high densities of nitrogen atoms, phosphonate functional groups, and high-loading metal ions. Due to the combined features of superhydrophilicity, flexibility, highly dense metal binding sites, large surface area and excellent size-exclusion effect, the fabricated nanocomposite G@mSiO2@PEI-PFIL-Ti4+ exhibits superior detection sensitivity to enrich phosphopeptides (tryptic ß-casein digest, 0.1 fmol), and extraordinary enrichment specificity to enrich phosphopeptides from a digest mixture of ß-casein and bovine serum albumin (BSA) (molar ratio, 1 : 12 000). The excellent size-exclusion effect was also observed, and 27 endogenous phosphopeptides were identified in human saliva. All these results could be attributed to the unique superhydrophilic nanocomposite structure with a high density of a cationic linker modified with phosphonate functionality. Moreover, G@mSiO2@PEI-PFIL-Ti4+ adsorbents were used to extract phosphopeptides from the tryptic digests of hippocampal lysates for quantitative phosphoproteome analysis. The preliminary results indicate that 1649 phosphoproteins, 3286 phosphopeptides and 4075 phosphorylation sites were identified. A total of 13 Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related phosphopeptides within tau proteins were detected with a wide coverage from p-Thr111 to p-Ser404, in which the amounts of some phoshopeptides at certain sites in AD transgenic mice were found statistically higher than those in wild type littermates. Besides, phosphorylated neurofilament heavy chains, a potential biomarker for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and traumatic brain injury, were also identified. Finally, the adsorbent was applied to human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood samples. 5 unique phosphopeptides of neuroendocrine specific VGF were identified in the CSF, while many phosphopeptides originated from the nervous system were found in the blood sample. All these results suggest that our new IMAC materials exhibit unbiased enrichment ability with superior detection sensitivity and specificity, allowing the global phosphoproteome analysis of complicated biological samples more convincible and indicating the potential use in disease diagnosis.

A unified approach for calculating free energies of liquid and defective crystals based on thermodynamic integration.

Free energy calculation is fundamentally important in the research of physics, chemistry, and materials. Thermodynamic integration is the most common way to estimate free energies. In the research, we proposed a unified approach using atomic simulations to calculate the free energies of liquid and defective crystals. The new approach is based on thermodynamic integration using two alchemical pathways. Softcore potentials are developed for three-body interatomic potentials to realize the alchemical pathways. Employing the new approach, the free energy of the liquid can be calculated without requiring another reference system. The free energy of the defective crystal can be calculated directly at high temperatures. It avoids the singularity at the integration endpoint caused by the defect diffusion, which is a serious problem in the widely used Einstein crystal method. In addition, the new approach can capture the whole free energy of the defective crystal including the contribution of anharmonic and configurational entropy, which are particularly important at high temperatures. The new method is simple yet effective and can be extended to different materials and more complex liquid and defective crystal systems.

Thermodynamic Formation Properties of Point Defects in Germanium Crystal.

Point defects are crucial in determining the quality of germanium crystals. A quantitative understanding of the thermodynamic formation properties of the point defects is necessary for the subsequent control of the defect formation during crystal growth. Here, molecular dynamics simulations were employed to investigate the formation energies, total formation free energies and formation entropies of the point defects in a germanium crystal. As far as we know, this is the first time that the total formation free energies of point defects in a germanium crystal have been reported in the literature. We found that the formation energies increased slightly with temperature. The formation free energies decreased significantly with an increase in temperature due to the increase in entropy. The estimated total formation free energies at the melting temperature are ~1.3 eV for self-interstitial and ~0.75 eV for vacancy, corresponding to a formation entropy of ~15 kB for both types of point defects.

Enhancing signals of microfluidic impedance cytometry through optimization of microelectrode array.

Microfluidic impedance cytometry shows a great value in biomedical diagnosis. However, the crosstalk between neighboring microelectrodes strongly weakens the impedance signal. Hereby, we demonstrate a novel microfluidic impedance cytometer consisted of sensing electrodes and ground electrodes (GNDs). The simulation reveals a signal enhancement by more than five times with GNDs compared to that without ones. We also found that the linear correlation between the impedance at a high frequency and that at a low frequency varies as microparticle size changes, which can be used for microparticle classification. The study can help with microelectrode optimization and signal processing for microfluidic impedance analysis.

Augmentation characteristics and microbial community dynamics of low temperature resistant composite strains LTF-27.

Biogas production in the cold regions of China is hindered by low temperatures, which led to slow lignocellulose biotransformation. Cold-adapted lignocellulose degrading microbial complex community LTF-27 was used to investigate the influence of hydrolysis on biogas production. After 5 days of hydrolysis at 15 ± 1 °C, the hydrolysis conversion rate of the corn straw went up to 22.64%, and the concentration of acetic acid increased to 2596.56 mg/L. The methane production rates of total solids (TS) inoculated by LTF-27 reached 204.72 mL/g, which was higher than the biogas (161.34 mL/g), and the control group (CK) inoculated with cultural solution (121.19 mL/g), the methane production rate of volatile solids (VS) increased by 26.88% and 68.92%, respectively. Parabacteroides, Lysinibacillus, and Citrobacter were the main organisms that were responsible for hydrolysis. While numerous other bacteria genera in the gas-producing phase, Macellibacteroides were the most commonly occurring one. Methanosarcina and Methanobacteriaceae contributed 86.25% and 11.80% of the total Archaea abundance during this phase. This study proves the psychrotrophic LTF-27's applicability in hydrolysis and biomass gas production in low temperatures.

Effect of Sensory Deprivation of Nasal Respiratory on Behavior of C57BL/6J Mice.

Nasal breathing is a dynamic cortical organizer involved in various behaviors and states, such as locomotion, exploration, memory, emotion, introspection. However, the effect of sensory deprivation of nasal respiratory breath (NRD) on behavior remain poorly understood. Herein, general locomotor activity, emotion, learning and memory, social interaction, and mechanical pain were evaluated using a zinc sulfate nasal irrigation induced nasal respiratory sensory deprivation animal model (ZnSO4-induced mouse model). In the open field test, the elevated O-maze test, and forced swim test, NRD mice exhibited depressive and anxiety-like behaviors. In memory-associated tests, NRD mice showed cognitive impairments in the hippocampal-dependent memory (Y maze, object recognition task, and contextual fear conditioning (CFC)) and amygdala-dependent memory (the tone-cued fear conditioning test (TFC)). Surprisingly, NRD mice did not display deficits in the acquisition of conditional fear in both CFC and TFC tests. Still, they showed significant memory retrieval impairment in TFC and enhanced memory retrieval in CFC. At the same time, in the social novelty test using a three-chamber setting, NRD mice showed impaired social and social novelty behavior. Lastly, in the von Frey filaments test, we found that the pain sensitivity of NRD mice was reduced. In conclusion, this NRD mouse model showed a variety of behavioral phenotypic changes, which could offer an important insight into the behavioral impacts of patients with anosmia or those with an impaired olfactory bulb (OB) (e.g., in COVID-19, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, etc.).

Autophagy-Related Gene Pairs Signature for the Prognosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been recognized as the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. There is increasing evidence that the abnormal expression of autophagy-related genes plays an important role in the occurrence and development of HCC. Therefore, the study of autophagy-related genes can further elucidate the genetic drivers of cancer and provide valuable therapeutic targets for clinical treatment. In this study, we used 232 autophagy-related genes extracted from the Human Autophagy Database (HADb) and Molecular Signatures Database (MSigDB) to construct 1884 autophagy-related gene pairs. On this basis, we developed a prognostic model based on autophagy-related gene pairs using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression to evaluate the prognosis of patients after liver cancer resection. We then used 845 liver cancer samples from three different databases to test the reliability of the risk signature through survival analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, univariate and multivariate analysis. To further explore the underlying biological mechanisms, we conducted an enrichment analysis of autophagy-related genes. Finally, we combined the signature with independent prognostic factors to construct a nomogram. Based on the autophagy-related gene pair (ARGP) signature, we can divide patients into high- or low-risk groups. Survival analysis and ROC curve analysis verified the validity of the signature (AUC: 0.786-0.828). Multivariate Cox regression showed that the risk score can be used as an independent predictor of the clinical outcomes of liver cancer patients. Notably, this model has a more accurate predictive effect than most prognostic models for hepatocellular carcinoma. Moreover, our model is a powerful supplement to the HCC staging indicator, and a nomogram comprising both indicators can provide a better prognostic effect. Based on pairs of multiple autophagy-related genes, we proposed a prognostic model for predicting the overall survival rate of HCC patients after surgery, which is a promising prognostic indicator. This study confirms the importance of autophagy in the occurrence and development of HCC, and also provides potential biomarkers for targeted treatments.

Splenectomy before hepatectomy for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and hypersplenism: A retrospective study.

ABSTRACT: The spleen plays an important role in tumor progression and the curative effects of splenectomy before hepatectomy for hypersplenism and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are not clear. We investigated whether splenectomy before hepatectomy increases survival rate among patients with HCC and hypersplenism compared with that of patients who underwent synchronous hepatectomy and splenectomy or hepatectomy alone.Between January 2011 and December 2016, 266 patients who underwent hepatectomy as a result of HCC and portal hypertension secondary to hepatitis were retrospectively analyzed. Their perioperative complications and survival outcome were evaluated.Patients underwent synchronous hepatectomy and splenectomy (H-S group) and underwent splenectomy before hepatectomy (H-preS group) exhibited significantly higher disease-free survival (DFS) rates than those of patients underwent hepatectomy alone (H-O group). The DFS rates for patients in the H-S group, H-preS group, and H-O group were 74.6%, 48.4%, 39.8%, and 80.1%, 54.2%, 40.1%, and 60.5%, 30.3%, 13.3%, at 1, 3, and 5 years after surgery, respectively. Tumor size, tumors number, and levels of alpha fetoprotein (AFP) were independent risk factors for DFS. Gender and tumor size were independent prognostic factor for overall survival (OS). The preoperative white blood cell (WBC) and platelet (PLT) counts were significantly higher in the H-preS group than in those of the H-S group and the H-O group. After operation, the WBC and PLT counts in the H-S group and H-preS groups were significantly higher compared to those of the H-O group.No matter splenectomy before hepatectomy or synchronous hepatectomy and splenectomy, hepatectomy with splenectomy may improve DFS rates in patients with HCC and hypersplenism, and splenectomy before hepatectomy alleviates hypersplenism without an increased surgical risk.

Excitons competition regulation via organic cation-site and halogen-site co-halogenation of (X-p-PEA)2Pb(Cl/Br)4 perovskites.

In this work, we report a family of co-halogenated two-dimensional hybrid perovskites (2DHPs) based on phenethylammonium lead halogen ((PEA)2Pb(Cl/Br)4) in which the organic cation-site (PEA) is substituted with halogen at the para-site, namely the formation of 4-halophenethylamine (X-p-PEA) (X = Cl, Br; p: para-site). The organic cations are regulated by introducing halogen ions at the para-site of the benzene ring to promote the structural distortion of the lead halide octahedral inorganic layer. Furthermore, (X-p-PEA) causes a shift in the energy band distribution of 2DHPs. In this case, the photoluminescence competition of free excitons (FEs) and self-trapped excitons (STEs) changes the microscopic relaxation process of excitons. In addition, we found that (Br-p-PEA) can increase the photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY). At the same time, we regulate the halogen-site of perovskites from lead-chloride perovskites (LCPs) to lead bromine perovskites (LBPs), achieving emission from white light to blue light. Therefore, the co-halogenation regulation strategy of organic cation-site and halogen-site can effectively regulate the photoluminescence wavelength and improve the PLQY. This is of great significance for the development of perovskite materials with specific optoelectronic applications.

Integrated Aortic-Valve-And-Ascending-Aortic Replacement vs. Partial Replacement in Bicuspid Aortic Valve-Related Aortopathy.

Objective: We sought to evaluate the outcomes of integrated aortic-valve and ascending-aortic replacement (IR) vs. partial replacement (PR) in patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV)-related aortopathy. Methods: We compared long-term mortality, reoperation incidence, and the cumulative incidence of stroke, bleeding, significant native valve or prosthetic valve dysfunction, and the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classes II-IV between inverse probability-weighted cohorts of patients who underwent IR or PR for BAV-related aortopathy in a single center from 2002 to 2019. Patients were stratified into different aortic diameter groups ("valve type" vs. "aorta type"). Results: Among patients with "valve type," aortic valve replacement in patients with an aortic diameter > 40 mm was associated with significantly higher 10-year mortality than IR compared with diameter 35-40 mm [17.49 vs. 5.28% at 10 years; hazard ratio (HR), 3.22; 95% CI, 1.52 to 6.85; p = 0.002]. Among patients with "aorta type," ascending aortic replacement in patients with an aortic diameter 52-60 mm was associated with significantly higher 10-year mortality than IR compared with diameter 45-52 mm (14.49 vs. 1.85% at 10 years; HR, 0.04; 95% CI, 1.06 to 85.24; p = 0.03). Conclusion: The long-term mortality and reoperation benefit that were associated with IR, as compared with PR, minimizing to 40 mm of the aortic diameter among patients with "valve type" and minimizing to 52 mm of the aortic diameter among patients with "aorta type." Trial Registration: Treatment to Bicuspid Aortic Valve Related Aortopathy (BAVAo Registry): ChiCTR.org.cn no: ChiCTR2000039867.

Anatomic resection improved the long-term outcome of hepatocellular carcinoma patients with microvascular invasion: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The long-term effect of anatomic resection (AR) is better than that of non-anatomic resection (NAR). At present, there is no study on microvascular invasion (MVI) and liver resection types. AIM: To explore whether AR improves long-term survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by removing the peritumoral MVI. METHODS: A total of 217 patients diagnosed with HCC were enrolled in the study. The surgical margin was routinely measured. According to the stratification of different tumor diameters, patients were divided into the following groups: ≤ 2 cm group, 2-5 cm group, and > 5 cm group. RESULTS: In the 2-5 cm diameter group, the overall survival (OS) of MVI positive patients was significantly better than that of MVI negative patients (P = 0.031). For the MVI positive patients, there was a statistically significant difference between AR and NAR (P = 0.027). AR leads to a wider surgical margin than NAR (2.0 ± 2.3 cm vs 0.7 ± 0.5 cm, P < 0.001). In the groups with tumor diameters < 2 cm, both AR and NAR can obtain a wide surgical margin, and the surgical margins of AR are wider than that of NAR (3.5 ± 5.8 cm vs 1.6 ± 0.5 cm, P = 0.048). In the groups with tumor diameters > 5 cm, both AR and NAR fail to obtain wide surgical margin (0.6 ± 1.0 cm vs 0.7 ± 0.4 cm, P = 0.491). CONCLUSION: For patients with a tumor diameter of 2-5 cm, AR can achieve the removal of peritumoral MVI by obtaining a wide incision margin, reduce postoperative recurrence, and improve prognosis.