Cordyceps: Alleviating Ischemic Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Injury - A Comprehensive Review.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Cordyceps has a long medicinal history as a nourishing herb in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Ischemic cardio-cerebrovascular diseases (CCVDs), including cerebral ischemic/reperfusion injury (CI/RI) and myocardial ischemic/reperfusion injury (MI/RI), are major contributors to mortality and disability in humans. Numerous studies have indicated that Cordyceps or its artificial substitutes have significant bioactivity on ischemic CCVDs, however, there is a lack of relevant reviews. AIM OF THE STUDY: This review aimed to investigate the chemical elements of Cordyceps and their pharmacological effects on ischemic CCVDs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A comprehensive search was conducted on the Web of Science, PubMed, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang databases using the keywords "Cordyceps", "Cerebral ischemic/reperfusion injury", and "Myocardial ischemic/reperfusion injury" or their synonyms. The retrieved literature was then categorized and summarized. RESULTS: The study findings indicated that Cordyceps and its bioactive components, including adenosine, cordycepin, mannitol, polysaccharide, and protein, have the potential to protect against CI/RI and MI/RI by improving blood perfusion, mitigating damage from reactive oxygen species, suppressing inflammation, preventing cellular apoptosis, and promoting tissue regeneration. Individually, Cordyceps could reduce neuronal excitatory toxicity and blood-brain barrier damage caused by cerebral ischemia. Additionally, it can significantly improve cardiac energy metabolism disorders and inhibit calcium overload caused by myocardial ischemia. Moreover, Cordyceps exerts a significant preventive and curative influence on the factors responsible for heart/brain ischemia, including hypertension, thrombosis, atherosclerosis, and arrhythmia. CONCLUSION: This review reveals the underlying effectiveness of Cordyceps on CI/RI and MI/RI, providing novel insights for managing these ischemic CCVDs.

Embedding Te4+ into Sn4+-Based Metal Halide To Passivate Structure Defects for High-Performance Light-Emitting Application.

Low-dimensional lead-halide hybrids are an emerging class of optical functional material but suffer the problems of toxicity and poor air stability. Among lead-free metal halides, tin(IV)-based metal halides are promising optoelectronic materials due to their robust structure and environmental friendliness. However, their photoluminescence (PL) properties are poor, and the underlying mechanisms are still elusive. Herein, a stable Sn4+-based halide hybrid, (C4H7N2)2SnCl6, was developed, which however exhibits poor PL properties at room temperature (RT) due to the lattice defects and the robust crystal structure. To enhance its PL efficiency, the Te4+ ion with a stereoactive 5s2 lone pair has been introduced into the lattice. As a result, Te4+-doped (C4H7N2)2SnCl6 displays broadband orange emission (∼640 nm) with a PL efficiency of ∼46% at RT. Interestingly, Te4+-doped (C4H7N2)2SnCl6 shows triple emission bands at 80 K, which could be due to the synergistic effect of the organic cations and the self-trapped state induced by Te4+. Additionally, high-performance white light-emitting diodes were prepared using Te4+-doped (C4H7N2)2SnCl6, revealing the potential of this material for lighting applications. This study provides new insight into the PL mechanism of Sn4+-based metal-halide hybrids and thus facilitates the design and development of eco-friendly light-emitting metal halides.

Bottom-Up Construction of Mesoporous Cerium-Doped Titania with Stably Dispersed Pt Nanocluster for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution.

Hydrogen generation is one of the crucial technologies to realize sustainable energy development, and the design of advanced catalysts with efficient interfacial sites and fast mass transfer is significant for hydrogen evolution. Herein, an in situ coassembly strategy was proposed to engineer a cerium-doped ordered mesoporous titanium oxide (mpCe/TiO2), of which the abundant oxygen vacancies (Ov) and highly exposed active pore walls contribute to good stability of ultrasmall Pt nanoclusters (NCs, ∼ 1.0 nm in diameter) anchored in the uniform mesopores (ca. 20 nm). Consequently, the tailored mpCe/TiO2 with 0.5 mol % Ce-doping-supported Pt NCs (Pt-mpCe/TiO2-0.5) exhibits superior H2 evolution performance toward the water-gas shift reaction with a 0.73 molH2·s-1·molPt-1 H2 evolution rate at 200 °C, which is almost 6-fold higher than the Pt-mpTiO2 (0.13 molH2·s-1·molPt-1 H2). Density functional theory calculations confirm that the structure of Ce-doped TiO2 with Ce coordinated to six O atoms by substituting Ti atoms is thermodynamically favorable without the deformation of Ti-O bonds. The Ov generated by the six O atom-coordinated Ce doping is highly active for H2O dissociation with an energy barrier of 2.18 eV, which is obviously lower than the 2.37 eV for the control TiO2. In comparison with TiO2, the resultant Ce/TiO2 support acts as a superior electron acceptor for Pt NCs and causes electron deficiency at the Pt/support interface with a 0.17 eV downshift of the Pt d-band center, showing extremely obvious electronic metal-support interaction (EMSI). As a result, abundant and hyperactive Ti3+-Ov(-Ce3+)-Ptδ+ interfacial sites are formed to significantly promote the generation of CO2 and H2 evolution. In addition, the stronger EMSI between Pt NCs and mpCe/TiO2-0.5 than that between Pt and mpTiO2 contributes to the superior self-enhanced catalytic performance during the cyclic test, where the CO conversion at 200 °C increases from 72% for the fresh catalyst to 99% for the used one. These findings reveal the subtle relationship between the mesoporous metal oxide-metal composite catalysts with unique chemical microenvironments and their catalytic performance, which is expected to inspire the design of efficient heterogeneous catalysts.

Quercetin-crosslinked chitosan nanoparticles: a potential treatment for allergic rhinitis.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) remains a major health problem worldwide. Compared with traditional oral drugs, nasal administration avoids first-pass metabolism and achieve faster and more effective efficacy. In this study, we used the ion crosslinking method to prepare quercetin-chitosan nasal adaptive nanomedicine (QCS) delivery system and evaluated in the treatment of allergic rhinitis mice models. The obtained positively charged nanoparticles with a particle size of 229.2 ± 0.2 nm have excellent characteristics in encapsulation efficiency (79.604%), drug loading rate (14.068%), drug release (673.068 µg) and stability(> 7 days). Excitingly, QCS treatment significantly reduced the number of sneezing and nasal rubbing events in AR mice, while reducing the levels of inflammatory factors such as immunoglobulin E (IgE), interleukin (IL)-17, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and (IL)-6 to alleviate AR symptoms. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining also showed the damaged nasal mucosa was improved. These experimental results suggest that QCS can effectively suppress allergic inflammation in a mouse model and hold promise as a therapeutic option for allergic rhinitis.

Micellar Nanoreactors Enabled Site-Selective Decoration of Pt Nanoparticles Functionalized Mesoporous SiO2 /WO3-x Composites for Improved CO Sensing.

Site-selective and partial decoration of supported metal nanoparticles (NPs) with transition metal oxides (e.g., FeOx ) can remarkably improve its catalytic performance and maintain the functions of the carrier. However, it is challenging to selectively deposit transition metal oxides on the metal NPs embedded in the mesopores of supporting matrix through conventional deposition method. Herein, a restricted in situ site-selective modification strategy utilizing poly(ethylene oxide)-block-polystyrene (PEO-b-PS) micellar nanoreactors is proposed to overcome such an obstacle. The PEO shell of PEO-b-PS micelles interacts with the hydrolyzed tungsten salts and silica precursors, while the hydrophobic organoplatinum complex and ferrocene are confined in the hydrophobic PS core. The thermal treatment leads to mesoporous SiO2 /WO3-x framework, and meanwhile FeOx nanolayers are in situ partially deposited on the supported Pt NPs due to the strong metal-support interaction between FeOx and Pt. The selective modification of Pt NPs with FeOx makes the Pt NPs present an electron-deficient state, which promotes the mobility of CO and activates the oxidation of CO. Therefore, mesoporous SiO2 /WO3-x -FeOx /Pt based gas sensors show a high sensitivity (31 ± 2 in 50 ppm of CO), excellent selectivity, and fast response time (3.6 s to 25 ppm) to CO gas at low operating temperature (66 °C, 74% relative humidity).

Polymerization-Induced Aggregation Approach toward Uniform Pd Nanoparticle-Decorated Mesoporous SiO2/WO3 Microspheres for Hydrogen Sensing.

Hydrogen as an important clean energy source with a high energy density has attracted extensive attention in fuel cell vehicles and industrial production. However, considering its flammable and explosive property, gas sensors are desperately desired to efficiently monitor H2 concentration in practical applications. Herein, a facile polymerization-induced aggregation strategy was proposed to synthesize uniform Si-doped mesoporous WO3 (Si-mWO3) microspheres with tunable sizes. The polymerization of the melamine-formaldehyde resin prepolymer (MF prepolymer) in the presence of silicotungstic acid hydrate (abbreviated as H4SiW) leads to uniform MF/H4SiW hybrid microspheres, which can be converted into Si-mWO3 microspheres through a simple thermal decomposition treatment process. In addition, benefiting from the pore confinement effect, monodispersed Pd-decorated Si-mWO3 microspheres (Pd/Si-mWO3) were subsequently synthesized and applied as sensitive materials for the sensing and detection of hydrogen. Owing to the oxygen spillover effect of Pd nanoparticles, Pd/Si-mWO3 enables adsorption of more oxygen anions than pure mWO3. These Pd nanoparticles dispersed on the surface of Si-mWO3 accelerated the dissociation of hydrogen and promoted charge transfer between Pd nanoparticles and WO3 crystal particles, which enhanced the sensing sensitivity toward H2. As a result, the gas sensor based on Pd/Si-mWO3 microspheres exhibited excellent selectivity and sensitivity (Rair/Rgas = 33.5) to 50 ppm H2 at a relatively low operating temperature (210 °C), which was 30 times higher than that of the pure Si-mWO3 sensor. To develop intelligent sensors, a portable sensor module based on Pd/Si-mWO3 in combination with wireless Bluetooth connection was designed, which achieved real-time monitoring of H2 concentration, opening up the possibility for use as intelligent H2 sensors.

Enhancement of Charge Separation and NIR Light Harvesting through Construction of 2D-2D Bi4 O5 I2 /BiOBr:Yb3+ , Er3+ Z-Scheme Heterojunctions for Improved Full-Spectrum Photocatalytic Performance.

Developing full-spectrum photocatalysts with simultaneous broadband light absorption, excellent charge separation, and high redox capabilities is becoming increasingly significant. Herein, inspired by the similarities in crystalline structures and compositions, a unique 2D-2D Bi4 O5 I2 /BiOBr:Yb3+ ,Er3+ (BI-BYE) Z-scheme heterojunction with upconversion (UC) functionality is successfully designed and fabricated. The co-doped Yb3+ and Er3+ harvest near-infrared (NIR) light and then convert it into visible light via the UC function, expanding the optical response range of the photocatalytic system. The intimate 2D-2D interface contact provides more charge migration channels and enhances the Förster resonant energy transfer of BI-BYE, leading to significantly improved NIR light utilization efficiency. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experimental results confirm that the Z-scheme heterojunction is formed and that this heterojunction endows the BI-BYE heterostructure with high charge separation and strong redox capability. Benefit from these synergies, the optimized 75BI-25BYE heterostructure exhibits the highest photocatalytic performance for Bisphenol A (BPA) degradation under full-spectrum and NIR light irradiation, outperforming BYE by 6.0 and 5.3 times, respectively. This work paves an effective approach for designing highly efficient full-spectrum responsive Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts with UC function.

Cholelithiasis increased prostate cancer risk: evidence from a case-control study and a meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Cholelithiasis represents a known risk factor for digestive system neoplasm. Few studies reported the association between cholelithiasis and the risk of prostate cancer (PCa), and the results were controversial. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University Hospital to perform a retrospective matched case-control study, which included newly diagnosed 221 PCa patients and 219 matched controls. Logistic regression was applied to compare cholelithiasis exposure and adjusted for confounding factors. Additionally, we conducted a meta-analysis pooling this and published studies further to evaluate the association between cholelithiasis and PCa risk. Related ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were used to assess the strength of associations. RESULTS: Our case-control study showed that cholelithiasis was associated with a higher incidence of PCa (OR = 1.87, 95% CI: 1.06-3.31) after multivariable adjustment for covariates. The incidence of PCa was increased in patients with gallstones but not cholecystectomy. 7 studies involving 80,403 individuals were included in the meta-analysis. Similarly, the results demonstrated that cholelithiasis was associated with an increased risk of PCa (RR = 1.35, 95%CI: 1.17-1.56) with moderate-quality evidence. Cholelithiasis patients with low BMI increased the PCa incidence. Moreover, Subgroup analysis based on region showed that cholelithiasis was associated with PCa in Europe (RR = 1.24, 95%CI 1.03-1.51) and Asia (RR = 1.32, 95%CI 1.24-1.41). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested an association between cholelithiasis and the risk of PCa. There was no significant relationship between cholecystectomy therapy and PCa risk. Further cohort studies should be conducted to demonstrate the results better.

Modeling Interfacial Interaction between Gas Molecules and Semiconductor Metal Oxides: A New View Angle on Gas Sensing.

With the development of internet of things and artificial intelligence electronics, metal oxide semiconductor (MOS)-based sensing materials have attracted increasing attention from both fundamental research and practical applications. MOS materials possess intrinsic physicochemical properties, tunable compositions, and electronic structure, and are particularly suitable for integration and miniaturization in developing chemiresistive gas sensors. During sensing processes, the dynamic gas-solid interface interactions play crucial roles in improving sensors' performance, and most studies emphasize the gas-MOS chemical reactions. Herein, from a new view angle focusing more on physical gas-solid interactions during gas sensing, basic theory overview and latest progress for the dynamic process of gas molecules including adsorption, desorption, and diffusion, are systematically summarized and elucidated. The unique electronic sensing mechanisms are also discussed from various aspects including molecular interaction models, gas diffusion mechanism, and interfacial reaction behaviors, where structure-activity relationship and diffusion behavior are overviewed in detail. Especially, the surface adsorption-desorption dynamics are discussed and evaluated, and their potential effects on sensing performance are elucidated from the gas-solid interfacial regulation perspective. Finally, the prospect for further research directions in improving gas dynamic processes in MOS gas sensors is discussed, aiming to supplement the approaches for the development of high-performance MOS gas sensors.

Comprehensive analysis of autophagy related long non-coding RNAs in prognosis, immunity, and treatment of muscular invasive bladder cancer.

To predict disease outcome in muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), we constructed a prognostic autophagy-related (PAR) lncRNA signature. Comprehensive bioinformatics analyses were performed using data from TCGA and GTEx databases. Univariate Cox, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analyses were also performed, based on differentially expressed genes, to identify PAR-related lncRNAs to establish the signature. Furthermore, the Kaplan-Meier OS curve and receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were performed and a nomogram was constructed, all of which together confirmed the strong predictive ability of the constructed signature. Patients with MIBC were then divided into high- and low-risk groups. Gene enrichment and immune infiltration analyses revealed the potential mechanisms in MIBC. We also further evaluated the signature of molecules related to immune checkpoints and the sensitivity toward chemotherapeutic agents and antitumor-targeted drugs to find better treatment prescriptions. We identified a number of PAR-related lncRNA signatures, including HCP5, AC024060.1, NEAT1, AC105942.1, XIST, MAFG-DT, and NR2F1-AS1, which could be valuable prognostic tools to develop more efficient, individualized drug therapies for MIBC patients.

Association between male infertility and the risk of hypertension: A meta-analysis and literature review.

To explore the association between male infertility and hypertension risk, a meta-analysis and systematic review was conducted. Observational studies were sought in Medline, PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure up to April 30, 2021. Two independent reviewers selected available studies and extracted the data. The association between male infertility and hypertension risk was estimated by calculating the relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) using Stata12.0 statistical software. A total of seven studies were included in this meta-analysis, including 102,152 patients and 636,645 healthy individuals. The results demonstrated that male infertility was significantly associated with increased hypertension incidence (RR = 1.08; 95% CI 1.02-1.14; p = 0.004), with moderate-quality evidence. A subgroup analysis based on region showed that a positive association was observed in Europe but not the United States or Asia. This positive association was further confirmed in a cohort study, but not in a case-control study. After adjusting for potential confounders, male infertility was still significantly associated with hypertension risk (RR = 1.06, 95% CI 1.03-1.09). In conclusion, our findings suggest that male infertility increases the risk of hypertension incidence. However, further studies are needed to provide more conclusive evidence.

Biochemical and Molecular Characteristics of a Novel Hyaluronic Acid Lyase from Citrobacter freundii.

The Gram-negative strain of Citrobacter freundii, YNLX, has the ability to degrade hyaluronic acid. In this study, we expressed a C. freundii hyaluronic acid lyase, from polysaccharide lyase family 8, in Escherichia coli. The purified recombinant enzyme (rHynACF8) showed a substantially higher cleavage activity of hyaluronic acid than chondroitin sulfate. We found that its optimal pH and temperature are 5.5 and 35 °C, respectively. In addition, the enzyme activity was not notably affected by most metal ions. Km and kcat of rHynACF8 towards HA were 1.5 ± 0.01 mg/mL and 30.9 ± 0.5 /s, respectively. rHynACF8 is an endo-acting enzyme. Its cleavage products had dramatically increased antioxidant activity than hyaluronic acid in vitro (p < 0.001). As the molecular weight of hyaluronic acid decreased, the intramolecular interactions among antioxidant functional groups were removed; in the process of the cracking reaction, new double bonds formed and conjugated with the carbonyl group. We presumed that the structural change is the critical factor influencing antioxidant capacity. Overall, we found that rHynACF8 from Gram-negative bacteria with metal ion resistance, indicated the relationship between the function and structure of its antioxidant cleavage product.

Self-assembly of graphene oxide flakes for smart and multifunctional coating with reversible formation of wrinkling patterns.

One of the main purposes of smart and multifunctional coatings is to have the versatility to be applied in a wide range of applications. However, the functions of smart materials are often highly limited. In particular, the stimuli-responsive lateral expansion of coatings based on 2D materials has not been reported before. This manuscript describes small two-dimensional graphene oxide (GO) flakes (e.g., thin sheets with a thickness of a few nanometers and much larger lateral dimensions) that act as elementary agents for the formation of smart and multifunctional coatings. The coating can be self-assembled from the GO flakes and disassembled flexibly when required. The coating is stimuli-responsive: upon localized contact with water, it expands and forms wrinkling patterns throughout its whole surface. Evaporating the water allows the wrinkles to disappear; hence, the process is reversible. This stimuli-responsiveness can be controlled to be reduced or completely switched off by temperature or pressure. These features are fundamentally due to the reversible intermolecular interactions among the flakes and favorable packing structure of the coating. The smart coating is shown to be useful for patterned fluidic systems of the desired shapes and the development of channels between fluidic reservoirs via the shortest path. Importantly, these results showed that a simple collection of uniquely 2D elementary agents with small nanoscale thickness can self-assemble into macroscopic materials that perform interactive and multifunctional operations.

Ordered Mesopore Confined Pt Nanoclusters Enable Unusual Self-Enhancing Catalysis.

As an important kind of emerging heterogeneous catalyst for sustainable chemical processes, supported metal cluster (SMC) catalysts have received great attention for their outstanding activity; however, the easy aggregation of metal clusters due to their migration along the substrate's surface usually deteriorates their activity and even causes catalyst failure during cycling. Herein, stable Pt nanoclusters (NCs, ∼1.06 nm) are homogeneously confined in the uniform spherical mesopores of mesoporous titania (mpTiO2) by the interaction between Pt NCs and metal oxide pore walls made of polycrystalline anatase TiO2. The obtained Pt-mpTiO2 exhibits excellent stability with well-retained CO conversion (∼95.0%) and Pt NCs (∼1.20 nm) in the long term water-gas shift (WGS) reaction. More importantly, the Pt-mpTiO2 displays an unusual increasing activity during the cyclic catalyzing WGS reaction, which was found to stem from the in situ generation of interfacial active sites (Ti3+-Ov-Ptδ+) by the reduction effect of spillover hydrogen generated at the stably supported Pt NCs. The Pt-mpTiO2 catalysts also show superior performance toward the selective hydrogenation of furfural to 2-methylfuran. This work discloses an efficient and robust Pt-mpTiO2 catalyst and systematically elucidates the mechanism underlying its unique catalytic activity, which helps to design stable SMC catalysts with self-enhancing interfacial activity in sustainable heterogeneous catalysis.

Noble Metal Nanoparticles Decorated Metal Oxide Semiconducting Nanowire Arrays Interwoven into 3D Mesoporous Superstructures for Low-Temperature Gas Sensing.

Mesoporous materials have been extensively studied for various applications due to their high specific surface areas and well-interconnected uniform nanopores. Great attention has been paid to synthesizing stable functional mesoporous metal oxides for catalysis, energy storage and conversion, chemical sensing, and so forth. Heteroatom doping and surface modification of metal oxides are typical routes to improve their performance. However, it still remains challenging to directly and conveniently synthesize mesoporous metal oxides with both a specific functionalized surface and heteroatom-doped framework. Here, we report a one-step multicomponent coassembly to synthesize Pt nanoparticle-decorated Si-doped WO3 nanowires interwoven into 3D mesoporous superstructures (Pt/Si-WO3 NWIMSs) by using amphiphilic poly(ethylene oxide)-block-polystyrene (PEO-b-PS), Keggin polyoxometalates (H4SiW12O40) and hydrophobic (1,5-cyclooctadiene)dimethylplatinum(II) as the as structure-directing agent, tungsten precursor and platinum source, respectively. The Pt/Si-WO3 NWIMSs exhibit a unique mesoporous structure consisting of 3D interwoven Si-doped WO3 nanowires with surfaces homogeneously decorated by Pt nanoparticles. Because of the highly porous structure, excellent transport of carriers in nanowires, and rich WO3/Pt active interfaces, the semiconductor gas sensors based on Pt/Si-WO3 NWIMSs show excellent sensing properties toward ethanol at low temperature (100 °C) with high sensitivity (S = 93 vs 50 ppm), low detection limit (0.5 ppm), fast response-recovery speed (17-7 s), excellent selectivity, and long-term stability.

Use of 99mTc-sestamibi SPECT/CT imaging in predicting the degree of pathological hyperplasia of the parathyroid gland: semi-quantitative analysis.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have demonstrated that 99mTc-sestamibi (99mTc-MIBI) Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography/ Computed Tomography (SPECT/CT) imaging is an effective isotopic technique for locating the parathyroid in secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT). This study aimed to explore further the correlation between 99mTc-MIBI SPECT/CT imaging and SHPT to demonstrate the value of 99mTc-MIBI SPECT/CT in evaluating the degree of pathological hyperplasia of the parathyroid gland (PG). METHODS: The demographics, surgical records, and follow-up information of 91 patients were recorded and analyzed. A total of 216 paraffin-embedded PGs of 54 patients were obtained and analyzed. RESULTS: Patients with 99mTc-MIBI negative PG(s) had significantly lower preoperative serum phosphorus and higher serum calcium levels at 6 months postoperatively compared to those with 99mTc-MIBI positive PG(s) (P<0.05). We also found a higher total uptake ratio of the region of interest (URRI) and higher URRI max in the hypocalcemia group than in the non-hypocalcemia group. Both URRI total (P=0.003) and URRI max (P=0.028) were independent risk factors for hypocalcemia 6 months postoperatively. The URRI values of the PGs were significantly positively correlated with glandular weight (R2=0.343, P<0.001), glandular volume (R2=0.240, P<0.001), and degree of pathological hyperplasia (P<0.001). However, the URRI value of the PGs exhibited a notably weak correlation with proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) (R2=0.035, P=0.006). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve showed a URRI evaluative value of 0.771 for diffuse and nodular types in 216 PGs (P<0.001). We further evaluated 167 nodular-type PGs, distinguishing between nodular hyperplasia and a single nodule; the URRI evaluative value reached 0.819, which was higher than the volume or weight (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The 99mTc-MIBI SPECT/CT scintigraphy results were related to serum calcium levels at 6 months after total parathyroidectomy with autotransplantation (TPTX+AT), suggesting the occurrence of hypocalcemia (6 months after TPTX+AT). More importantly, this technique effectively evaluated the pathological hyperplasia of PGs preoperatively, and therefore, could assist surgeons in selecting the PGs with the lowest degree of hyperplasia intraoperatively.

Coexistence of papillary thyroid carcinoma in secondary hyperparathyroidism.

BACKGROUND: The coexistence of primary hyperparathyroidism and papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is common and may be associative with more aggressive PTC, with higher rates of extrathyroidal extension and multicentricity. However, it is unclear whether secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) is associated with more invasive PTC in terms of morbidity, tumor pathological characteristics, and prognosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the rate and tumor characteristics of PTC in patients with SHPT. METHODS: A total of 531 patients diagnosed with SHPT who underwent surgery from August 2013 to December 2018 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University were evaluated retrospectively. Patient demographics, surgical records, and follow-up information were recorded and analyzed. Control subjects were matched to the enrolled patients in a 1:4 ratio in terms of age, sex and pathological subtype. RESULTS: Among the 531 patients with SHPT who underwent surgery, 34 had coexisting PTC and PTC + SHPT (6.4%). The mean tumor diameter in the PTC + SHPT group was smaller than that in the PTC group (5.57 mm vs 9.00 mm, p < 0.001). The proportion of papillary thyroid micro-carcinoma in the PTC + SHPT group was significantly higher than that in the PTC group (29 [85.29%] vs. 86[63.24%], p = 0.014). There were no statistically significant differences between groups in terms of tumor multicentricity (15 [44.12%] vs 39 [28.68%], p = 0.066), tumor bilaterality (9 [26.47%] vs. 29 [21.32%], p = 0.499), tumor extrathyroidal extension (2 [5.88%] vs. 19 [13.97%], p = 0.255), or lymph node (LN) metastasis rate (12 [35.29%] vs. 49 [36.03%], p = 1.000). However, the PTC + SHPT and PTC groups were significantly different in terms of contralateral thyroidectomy (10 [29.41%] vs. 70 [51.47%], p = 0.023) and lymph node dissection (22 [64.71%] vs. 125 [91.91%], p < 0.001).There was no significant difference between the PTC + SHPT and PTC groups in terms of prognostic staging (33 [97.06%] vs. 122 [89.71%], p = 0.309) or recurrence (mean follow-up time: 36 months vs. 39 months, p = 0.33). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of PTC is high in patients with SHPT; compared with PTC in the general population, most papillary thyroid carcinomas with SHPT are occult thyroid carcinomas and present no significant difference in terms of tumor pathological features and prognostic staging. It is necessary for surgeons to perform more adequate preoperative examination and be more careful during surgery to avoid missing the coexistence of PTC in patients with SHPT.

Self-Hybrid Transition Metal Oxide Nanosheets Synthesized by a Facile Programmable and Scalable Carbonate-Template Method.

2D transition metal oxides (TMO) nanosheets have attracted considerable attention in both fundamental research and practical applications. Herein, a convenient programmable and scalable carbonate crystals templating synthesis is developed to produce high-quality self-hybrid TMO nanosheets (Si-WO3- x , Tax Oy , Mnx Oy ) and their respective polymetallic oxide hybrid nanosheets with tunable composition, low-cost and high-yield. Taking tungsten oxide nanosheets as example, silicotungstic acid precursor is in situ converted into tungsten oxide nanosheets like scales on the surface of calcium carbonate crystals through the simple soaking-drying-calcination process, and after selectively dissolving calcium carbonate by etching, the dispersive tungsten oxide nanosheets with unique self-hybrid Si-doped h-WO3 /ε-WO3 /WO2 compositions are obtained, which show excellent acetone gas-sensing performances at low temperatures. This carbonate-template method opens up the possibility to economically produce various functional TMO nanosheets with specific compositions for diverse applications.

General and Efficient Synthesis of Two-Dimensional Monolayer Mesoporous Materials with Diverse Framework Compositions.

Two-dimensional (2D) mesoporous materials have received substantial research interest due to their highly exposed active sites and unusual nanoconfinement effect. However, controllable and efficient synthesis of 2D mesoporous materials and investigation of their intrinsic properties have remained quite rare. Herein, a general and effective surface-limited cooperative assembly (SLCA) method enabled by leveling precursor solutions on KCl crystals via centrifugation is employed to conveniently synthesize two-dimensional (2D) monolayer mesoporous materials with different compositions. This novel strategy is performed in a manner similar to spin coating, not only enabling generation of ultrathin mesostructured composite film on KCl particles and recycling excessive precursor solution but also providing favorable solvent annealing environment for the film to form ordered mesostructures. Taking monolayer mesoporous Ce0.8Zr0.2O2 solid solutions as a sample, they display ultrathin nanosheet morphology with a thickness of ∼20 nm, highly open porous structure, and easily accessible active sites of surface superoxide species. Upon decoration of 2D mesoporous Ce0.8Zr0.2O2 nanosheets with Pt nanoparticles, the obtained catalyst exhibits superior catalytic activity and stability toward CO oxidation with a low onset temperature of 30 °C and a 100% conversion temperature of 95 °C, which are 35-70 °C lower than those for their counterpart materials, namely, three-dimensional (3D) mesoporous Pt/Ce0.8Zr0.2O2. Moreover, their TOFPt value is ∼11.3 times higher than that of 3D mesoporous Pt/Ce0.8Zr0.2O2. Characterizations based on various techniques indicate that such an outstanding catalytic performance is due to the ultrashort distance (20 nm) of mass diffusion, highly exposed active sites, rich surface-chemisorbed oxygen, and the synergistic effect between the Ce0.8Zr0.2O2 matrix and Pt species.

Au Nanoparticles Decorated Mesoporous SiO2 -WO3 Hybrid Materials with Improved Pore Connectivity for Ultratrace Ethanol Detection at Low Operating Temperature.

Semiconducting metal oxides-based gas sensors with the capability to detect trace gases at low operating temperatures are highly desired in applications such as wearable devices, trace pollutant detection, and exhaled breath analysis, but it still remains a great challenge to realize this goal. Herein, a multi-component co-assembly method in combination with pore engineering strategy is proposed. By using bi-functional (3-mercaptopropyl) trimethoxysilane (MPTMS) that can co-hydrolyze with transition metal salt and meanwhile coordinate with gold precursor during their co-assembly with PEO-b-PS copolymers, ordered mesoporous SiO2 -WO3 composites with highly dispersed Au nanoparticles of 5 nm (mesoporous SiO2 -WO3 /Au) are straightforward synthesized. This multi-component co-assembly process avoids the aggregation of Au nanoparticles and pore blocking in conventional post-loading method. Furthermore, through controlled etching treatment, a small portion of silica can be removed from the pore wall, resulting in mesoporous SiO2 -WO3 /Au with increased specific surface area (129 m2  g-1 ), significantly improved pore connectivity, and enlarged pore window (>4.3 nm). Thanks to the presence of well-confined Au nanoparticles and ε-WO3 , the mesoporous SiO2 -WO3 /Au based gas sensors exhibit excellent sensing performance toward ethanol with high sensitivity (Ra /Rg = 2-14 to 50-250 ppb) at low operating temperature (150 °C).