Construction of cellulose-based highly sensitive extended-gate field effect chiral sensor.

Chiral recognition is an emerging field of modern chemical analysis, and the development of health-related fields depends on the production of enantiomers. Cellulose is a kind of natural polymer material with certain chiral recognition ability. Limited by the chiral recognition ability of natural cellulose itself, more cellulose derivatives have been gradually developed for chiral recognition and separation. Based on the difference in action between cellulose derivatives and enantiomers, this work synthesized cellulose-tris(4-methylphenylcarbamate) (CMPC) chiral recognition mediators and a CMPC-functionalized extended-gate organic field effect transistor (EG-OFET) was constructed for the first time. Three chiral molecules were selected as model analytes to evaluate the enantiomeric recognition ability of the platform, including threonine (Thr), 2-chloromandelic acid (CA), and 1,2-diphenylethylenediamine (DPEA). The detection limit for 1,2-diphenylethylenediamine (DPEA) is down to 10-13 M. Through the amplification effect of the EG-OFET platform, the difference in the interaction between CMPC and three chiral molecules with different structures is converted into a current signal output. At the same time, the enantiomer discrimination mechanism of CMPC was further studied by means of spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance.

Transradial versus Transfemoral Access for Patients with Liver Cancer Undergoing Hepatic Arterial Infusion Chemotherapy: Patient Experience and Procedural Complications.

PURPOSE: To determine whether transradial access (TRA) is a more favorable and safe method for hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) than transfemoral access (TFA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective and prospective cohorts of patients with liver cancer were included. Sixty-seven patients in the retrospective cohort were divided into 2 groups: (a) TRA-HAIC (n = 24) and (b) TFA-HAIC (n = 43). Another 33 patients were prospectively enrolled to receive both TRA and TFA for HAIC in a crossover design. Prolonged arterial access was required for up to 48 hours. The primary endpoint was quality of life (QOL) using the visual analog scale. The secondary endpoints mainly included procedural success, adverse events, and operation time. RESULTS: Patient QOL measures revealed significantly lower scores of indices in the TRA-HAIC group than in the TFA-HAIC group in the retrospective cohort (all P < .001). The significant improvement of the QOL indices by TRA-HAIC, such as overall discomfort (P = .019) and pain at the access site (P = .018), was validated in the prospective cohort. The satisfaction scores were significantly higher in the TRA-HAIC group than in the TFA-HAIC group, and patients preferred TRA-HAIC (P < .001). Radial artery occlusion (RAO) as an access-related adverse event occurred more frequently in both the retrospective and prospective cohorts (38% and 33%, P < .001 and P = .001, respectively). Notably, the multivariate analysis of RAO-associated factors showed that enoxaparin use was significantly correlated with a reduced risk of postprocedural RAO (P = .036). CONCLUSIONS: TRA was superior to TFA in patient experience. However, because of the high incidence of access-related adverse events, especially for RAO with a total incidence of 35%, strategies should be optimized for patients to benefit from TRA in future procedures.

microRNA-375 inhibits the malignant behaviors of hepatic carcinoma cells by targeting NCAPG2.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Emerging evidence has revealed the vital functions of microRNAs (miRNAs) in cancer malignant progressions. miR-375 has been verified to serve as an antioncogene in tumorigenesis and a potential therapeutic target in various types of cancer. In this study, we aimed to determine the role of miR-375 in the regulation of chemoresistance and metastasis of HCC. Differentially expressed miR-375 and NCAPG2 were externally validated using expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to detect the expression levels of miR-375 in HCC tissues and cell lines. miR-375 mimics and NCAPG2-overexpression were transfected into HepG2 and Huh7 cells to establish miR-375 overexpression models. Cell Counting Kit-8, Transwell, and flow cytometry experiments were conducted to monitor cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis. The targeting relationship between miR-375 and non-SMC condensin II complex subunit G 2 (NCAPG2) was determined by qRT-PCR, western blot, and luciferase reporter gene assay. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were conducted using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). The pathway enrichment analysis was used to predict the potential pathways for further study. miR-375 was significantly downregulated in HCC tissues and cells compared to adjacent tissue and normal hepatocyte cell line respectively while NCAPG2 was upregulated. The targeting relationship was verified by luciferase reporting assay, and miR-375 could target the 3'UTR of NCAPG2 mRNA and effectively suppress NCAPG2 protein expression. Replenishing of miR-375 significantly repressed HCC cell proliferation and migration, and induced cell apoptosis. Overexpression of NCAPG2 recovered those biological abilities in miR-375 overexpressed cells. Collective data suggested that miR-375 served as a tumor suppressor via regulating NCAPG2. Replenishing of miR-375 or knockout of NCAPG2 could be therapeutically exploited for HCC.

Prognostic value of splenic volume in hepatocellular carcinoma patients receiving transarterial chemoembolization.

BACKGROUND: Liver function is a key determinant for the survival of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients receiving transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). However, establishing robust prognostic indicators for liver insufficiencies and patient survival remains an unmet demand. This retrospective study evaluated the prognostic value of splenic volume (SV) in HCC patients undergoing TACE. METHODS: A total of 67 HCC patients who underwent at least two consecutive TACE procedures were retrospectively included in this study. Comprehensive clinical information and follow-up data were collected, and the SV was measured based on dynamic contrast enhanced images. Risk factors of SV enlargement were assessed. The prognostic value of SV on survival was analyzed and compared with Child-Pugh (CP) classification and albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) grade. RESULTS: The baseline SV was 299.74±143.63 cm3, and showed a moderate and statistically significant correlation with CP classification (R=0.31, P<0.05). The SV increased remarkably after the first and second TACE procedures (330.16±155.38 cm3, P<0.01, and 355.63±164.26 cm3, P<0.01, respectively). In survival analysis, the optimal cut-off value of SV was determined as 373 cm3 using X-tile software, and the patients were divided into the small SV group and the large SV groups accordingly. Based on the pre-TACE SV, the median overall survival (mOS) for patients in the small SV group and the large SV group was 458 days and 249 days, respectively (P<0.05). After the first and second TACE, the mOS in the small SV group and the large SV group were 454 vs. 266 days (P<0.05) and 526 vs. 266 days (P<0.05), respectively. No prognostic value of CP classification and ALBI grade was identified for these patients. Furthermore, there were no significant differences between the small and large SV groups in age, tumor stage, and ALBI grade, except for CP classification (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: SV was correlated with CP classification and was a robust predictor for HCC patients undergoing TACE treatment.

[High-Throughput Sequencing Analysis of Microbial Communities in Summertime Atmospheric Particulate Matter in Hefei City].

The composition, physical and chemical properties, sources, and temporal and spatial changes in airborne particulate matter have been extensively investigated in previous studies. However, less is known about bioaerosols, which are mainly composed of bacteria and fungi and constitute up to 25% of the total airborne particulate matter. In this study, we used inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and ion chromatography to determine the concentrations of trace elements and water-soluble ions in atmospheric particulates, respectively. These analyses were combined with high-throughput sequencing methods and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction to analyze the microbial compositions in PM1.0, PM2.5, and PM10 samples, which were collected from July to September in Hefei City. The results showed that there were no significant differences in the bacterial community diversity across the three size fractions (analysis of variance (ANOVA), P>0.05). The bacterial and fungal community diversities on sunny days were lower than those on rainy days, and the bacterial community diversity in all samples was significantly higher than the fungal community diversity (ANOVA, P<0.01). The predominant bacterial phyla were Proteobacteria (46.19%), Firmicutes (33.42%), Bacteroidetes (10.99%), Cyanobacteria (3.33%), and Actinobacteria (2.11%). Ascomycota (73.23%), Basidiomycota (5.78%), Mortierellomycota (3.41%), and Mucoromycota (0.10%) were the dominant fungal phyla. Our results indicated that soils, plant leaves, and animal feces were the dominant sources of airborne bacterial communities in Hefei City, and the main sources of the fungal communities were plant leaves and soils. The bacterial community was mainly affected by K, Pb, Al, Fe, Mg, Ca, Na+, NO2-, and wind speed, and the main influencing factors of the fungal community were V, Mn, Sr, NO2-, NO3-, Na+, Cl-, the air quality index, and PM10. In addition, nine specific bacteria and fungi that are linked to human health risks were identified, including Acinetobacter, Streptococcus, Enterobacter, Pseudomonas, Delftia, Serratia, Trichoderma, Alternaria, and Aspergillus, which can lead to a wide range of diseases in humans and other organisms. The research results are helpful for revealing the various characteristics of airborne microbial communities, their influencing factors, and their impacts on human health, and are an important reference for subsequent research and the formulation of government policies.

Comparative analysis of the clinical effect and safety of Laparoscopic Radical Cystectomy + Orthotopic Ileal Neobladder and Open Surgery.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the clinical effect and safety of laparoscopic radical cystectomy + orthotopic ileal neobladder and open surgery. METHODS: The study was conducted at Jingzhou First People's Hospital from January 2017 to July 2018. In this study 87 patients undergoing radical cystectomy + orthotopic ileal neobladder were chosen and classified into an observation group (48 cases) and a control group (39 cases) according to the surgical methods. The observation group underwent laparoscopic surgery, while the control group underwent open surgery. Perioperative period and prognostic conditions were compared in both groups. RESULTS: The intraoperative bleeding amount obviously decreased. The recovery time of gastroenteric function and postoperative hospitalization time were significantly shortened. Postoperative pain was significantly alleviated. Compared with the control group, the observation group showed significant differences (P<0.05). The time, amount and difference in pelvic lymph node dissection in both groups were not significantly different (P>0.05). The differences in both groups in terms of the daytime/nighttime urinary continence rate, maximum urinary flow rate, internal bladder pressure, maximum bladder pressure during urination, internal urethral pressure, bladder capacity, and residual urine volume six months after the operation were not statistically significant (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in postoperative complications, including urinary fistula, bleeding, urinary tract infection, pulmonary infection, dysuria, lymphatic leakage, ureterostenosis, or relapse (P>0.05). The ileus incidence rate in the observation group was obviously lower than that in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic radical cystectomy + orthotopic ileal neobladder has the characteristics of limited trauma, a minimal amount of bleeding and a fast recovery. The functions of orthotopic neobladders are good, and the occurrence rate of postoperative complications is low. In addition, body immunity is protected. Hence, this procedure deserves to be promoted clinically.

Effects of Sea Animal Activities on Tundra Soil Denitrification and nirS- and nirK-Encoding Denitrifier Community in Maritime Antarctica.

In maritime Antarctica, sea animals, such as penguins or seals, provide a large amount of external nitrogen input into tundra soils, which greatly impact nitrogen cycle in tundra ecosystems. Denitrification, which is closely related with the denitrifiers, is a key step in nitrogen cycle. However, effects of sea animal activities on tundra soil denitrification and denitrifier community structures still have received little attention. Here, the abundance, activity, and diversity of nirS- and nirK-encoding denitrifiers were investigated in penguin and seal colonies, and animal-lacking tundra in maritime Antarctica. Sea animal activities increased the abundances of nirS and nirK genes, and the abundances of nirS genes were significantly higher than those of nirK genes (p < 0.05) in all tundra soils. Soil denitrification rates were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in animal colonies than in animal-lacking tundra, and they were significantly positively correlated (p < 0.05) with nirS gene abundances instead of nirK gene abundances, indicating that nirS-encoding denitrifiers dominated the denitrification in tundra soils. The diversity of nirS-encoding denitrifiers was higher in animal colonies than in animal-lacking tundra, but the diversity of nirK-encoding denitrifiers was lower. Both the compositions of nirS- and nirK-encoding denitrifiers were similar in penguin or seal colony soils. Canonical correspondence analysis indicated that the community structures of nirS- and nirK-encoding denitrifiers were closely related to tundra soil biogeochemical processes associated with penguin or seal activities: the supply of nitrate and ammonium from penguin guano or seal excreta, and low C:N ratios. In addition, the animal activity-induced vegetation presence or absence had an important effect on tundra soil denitrifier activities and nirK-encoding denitrifier diversities. This study significantly enhanced our understanding of the compositions and dynamics of denitrifier community in tundra ecosystems of maritime Antarctica.

Comparative study on the curative effect of laparoscopic nephron sparing surgery and renal functions under selective segmental renal artery clamping and main renal artery clamping.

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the clinical effect and safety evaluation of laparoscopic nephron sparing surgery (LNSS) under selective segmental renal artery clamping (SSRAC) and main renal artery clamping (MRAC). METHODS: Eighty-four patients with T1 localized renal tumors who were admitted and treated from October 2017 to October 2018 were retrospectively analyzed, and they were classified into the S group (42 patients) and M group (42 patients). The patients in the S group received LNSS under SSRAC, while the patients in the M group received LNSS under MRAC. The duration of the operation, amount of intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative warm ischemia time, duration of postoperative hospital stay and positive rate of incisal edge; the serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen values before and after the operation; and the occurrence rates of intraoperative and postoperative complications were compared. RESULTS: All operations were completed smoothly. No patients had a positive incisal edge, and no patients were converted to MRAC during the operation. The duration of the operation and the amount of intraoperative blood loss increased in the S group compared with the M group. The differences were statistically significant (P <0.05). The differences in the intraoperative warm ischemia time, postoperative drainage and duration of postoperative hospital stay in both groups had no statistical significance (P >0.05). The differences in serum creatinine (SCr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in both groups before the operation had no statistical significance (P >0.05). The SCr and BUN levels significantly increased 1 d and 1 m after the operation. The SCr and BUN levels 1 d and 1 m after the operation were significantly lower in the S group than in the M group, and the differences were statistically significant (P <0.05). The differences in the occurrence rates of intraoperative and postoperative complications in both groups had no statistical significance (P >0.05). CONCLUSION: SSRAC is a new renal artery clamping technology, and its curative effect on LNSS patients is significant. In addition, SSRAC has high safety and little influence on renal functions.

Multiband enhancement of magnetic dipole emission with tapered hollow hyperbolic metamaterials.

Based on a single resonance, nanostructures often provide narrowband enhancement for magnetic dipole emissions. Here, tapered hollow hyperbolic metamaterial is designed in order to produce a multiband emission enhancement. Specifically, a series of coaxial magnetic hot spots is excited inside the structure in five discrete bands. Meanwhile, we demonstrate that the emission enhancement can be achieved at both multiple wavelengths and multiple spatial positions in one single device. An enhancement factor of radiative decay rate up to 694 is obtained. Results of this paper might open new possibilities for nanostructures to achieve multiband light emission enhancement in the magneto-optical domain.

The earlier, the better: the effects of different administration timepoints of sorafenib in suppressing the carcinogenesis of VEGF in rats.

PURPOSE: To investigate the optimal starting time point of sorafenib therapy in suppressing the tumor-promoting effects of VEGF up-regulation, which is frequently found after local therapy in clinical practice. METHODS: VEGF was intravenously injected to imitate the evaluated expression after local tumor therapy, such as TACE. A total of 40 SD rats bearing hepatic tumors were randomly divided into four groups and sorafenib was administered at different timepoints: (A) control group: VEGF injection only; (B) initiating sorafenib 72 h prior to VEGF injection; (C) initiating sorafenib simultaneously with VEGF injection; (D) initiating sorafenib 72 h post-VEGF injection. The rate of tumor growth, median survival time, expression of VEGF, and microvessel density (MVD), as determined by immunohistochemical (IHC) examination, were compared. RESULTS: The results revealed that the tumor size and median survival time were significantly different between the three sorafenib groups compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Median survival times were 19.6 ± 1.78, 31.2 ± 6.99, 27.4 ± 4.9, and 26.5 ± 4.6 days in group A, B, C, and D, respectively. Furthermore, there was a difference in statistical significance between the two sorafenib groups B and D (p = 0.04). Tumors were collected for HE staining and IHC examination. The expression levels of VEGF in B, C, and D were 42.8 ± 7.96, 71.9 ± 15.73, and 73.6 ± 13.73, and all of them were significantly lower than that in the control group (88.3 ± 13.61). Furthermore, the level of MVD was 109.2 ± 8.98 in the control group, which was significantly higher than in the three sorafenib groups (45.7 ± 16.92, 77.1 ± 16.29, and 93.6 ± 12.87, all p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: According to our results, the most suitable regimen for the administration of sorafenib is before the increased expression of VEGF, which showed a potential advantage for controlling the tumor growth and prolonging the survival time of test animal via inhibiting VEGF-receptor expression through the bifunction of VEGF, and the reduction of tumor angiogenesis.

Protective role of adiponectin in a rat model of intestinal ischemia reperfusion injury.

AIM: To determine the potential protective role of adiponectin in intestinal ischemia reperfusion (I/R) injury. METHODS: A rat model of intestinal I/R injury was established. The serum level of adiponectin in rats with intestinal I/R injury was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The serum levels of interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were also measured by ELISA. Apoptosis of intestinal cells was detected using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay. The production of malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and villous injury scores were also measured. RESULTS: Adiponectin was downregulated in the serum of rats with intestinal I/R injury compared with sham rats. No significant changes in the expression of adiponectin receptor 1 and adiponectin receptor 2 were found between sham and I/R rats. Pre-treatment with recombinant adiponectin attenuated intestinal I/R injury. The production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6, IL-1ß, and TNF-α, in rats with intestinal I/R injury was reduced by adiponectin pre-treatment. The production of MDA was inhibited, and the release of SOD was restored by adiponectin pre-treatment in rats with intestinal I/R injury. Adiponectin pre-treatment also inhibited cell apoptosis in these rats. Treatment with the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway inhibitor, compound C, or the heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) inhibitor, Snpp, attenuated the protective effects of adiponectin against intestinal I/R injury. CONCLUSION: Adiponectin exhibits protective effects against intestinal I/R injury, which may involve the AMPK/HO-1 pathway.

Optical properties of ultrafine line and space polymeric nanogratings coated with metal and metal-dielectric-metal thin films.

Noble metal and metal-dielectric-metal ultrathin films were deposited on the surfaces of ultrafine polymeric nanogratings, which were fabricated using nanoimprint lithography. Experimental results showed dramatic differences of the surface morphologies for single metal and triple metal-dielectric-metal films deposited on flat and corrugated polymeric surfaces. The effect of the surface morphology on the optical properties was hence investigated and analyzed under linearly polarized light. The surface plasmon resonances of single metal and triple metal-dielectric-metal films deposited on polymeric nanograting surfaces were also characterized based on the Kretschmann prism-coupling method. The single metal and triple metal-dielectric-metal films deposited on polymeric nanograting surfaces are important for the study of photon-plasmon interactions (i.e. couplings and conversions) at the interfaces between a nanograting and metal films.

Polarization-dependent circular Dammann grating made of azo-dye-doped liquid crystals.

A polarization-dependent circular Dammann grating (CDG) was generated from an azo-dye-doped liquid crystal (LC) cell. A simple multiexposure photo-alignment process was used to fabricate a binary phase LC CDG zone plane, which was composed of an odd zone with a twisted nematic LC structure and an even zone with a homogenous LC structure. A two-order CDG with equal-intensity rings was produced through a Fourier transform. The maximum zeroth and first diffraction orders of obtained CDG can be separately achieved by rotating the analyzer's polarization direction. The CDG using an azo-dye-doped LC cell can be used to generate diffractions by lasers in a broad wavelength range, hence expanding possible device applications.

Electrically switchable phase-type fractal zone plates and fractal photon sieves.

Electrically switchable phase-type fractal zone plates and fractal photon sieves were fabricated using polymer-dispersed liquid crystal material based on a photomask. While both exhibited similar first-order diffraction behavior, the fractal photon sieves showed greatly suppressed diffraction at higher orders. Compared with current amplitude-type photomasks, our switchable, phase-type devices demonstrated higher diffraction efficiency, an important factor in the future development of adaptive optics.