Molecular characteristics and multivariate survival analysis of 43 patients with locally advanced or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Esophageal cancer (EC) is an aggressive malignant tumor with poor prognosis and high incidence. It is the sixth leading cause of cancer-related death in the world, and the 5-year overall survival (OS) rate is only 12-20%. The rapid development of next-generation sequencing (NGS) has provided powerful help for the treatment and management of EC patients. Methods: Tumor tissue and blood samples of 43 Chinese patients with nonsurgical esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) were sequenced using a 425 gene-panel. Genomic profiling was explored and and the Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze the correlations between gene or signaling pathway alterations and prognosis. Results: In this study, the most common mutated genes were TP53 (90.5%), CCND1 (45.2%), FGF19 (38.1%), NOTCH1 (26.2%), PI3KCA (21.4%) and CDKN2A (19%). Among these mutations, PI3KCA and NOTCH1 showed mutual exclusion to some extent. In the univariate model, mutations in NOTCH1, CBLB and TSC2 genes and tumor mutation burden (TMB) ≥7 were independent biomarkers of OS. NOTCH1 (P=0.007, HR =2.87), CBLB (P=0.011, HR =4.68) and TSC2 (P=0.024, HR =3.7) were significantly associated with poorer OS, and patients with TMB ≥7 had longer OS (P=0.151, HR =0.31). In addition, patients who carried alteration in NOTCH signaling pathway had reduced OS (P=0.014, HR =2.54). Conclusions: NOTCH1, CBLB and TSC2 alterations were found to be potential indicators of poor prognosis in patients with ESCC. TMB was also positively correlated with the OS of ESCC patients, providing valuable insights for their treatment strategies.

The causal relationship of female infertility and psychiatric disorders in the European population: a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Infertility affects many couples globally, causing physical, emotional, and financial burdens. While observational studies suggest a link between psychiatric disorders and female infertility, causal relationships remain uncertain. Mendelian randomization analysis, using genome-wide association studies data, minimizes confounding factors and reverse causation, providing valuable insights into causal associations. METHODS: We conducted Mendelian randomization analysis to explore the potential causal relationship between female infertility and psychiatric disorders. Genome-wide association studies summary data for female infertility (112,105 individuals of European ancestry, comprising 11,442 cases and 100,663 controls), depression (807,553 individuals of European ancestry, comprising 246,363 cases and 561,190 controls), anxiety (21,763 individuals of European ancestry, comprising 7,016 cases and 14,745 controls), bipolar disorder (51,710 individuals of European ancestry, comprising 20,352 cases and 31,358 controls), and eating disorders (72,517 individuals of European ancestry, comprising 16,992 cases and 55,525 controls) were utilized. Instrumental variables were selected based on significant single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with each phenotype. We assessed instrumental variable strength, examined confounding factors, and employed inverse variance weighting, weighted median, and MR-Egger approaches for analysis. RESULTS: Our analysis included 85 single nucleotide polymorphisms for female infertility and 62 single nucleotide polymorphisms for psychiatric disorders. Results suggest a potential causal relationship between depression and female infertility, with both inverse variance weighting and weighted median methods showing increased infertility risk in depressed patients. Evidence is weak regarding bipolar disorder not increasing female infertility risk. We found no evidence supporting causal links between anxiety, eating disorders, and female infertility. Similarly, no causal relationship was found between female infertility and psychiatric disorders in the opposite direction. Sensitivity analyses and tests for heterogeneity and polymorphism supported result robustness. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis provides evidence for a potential causal relationship between depression and female infertility. Addressing depression in infertile women may improve fertility outcomes. Further research is needed to explore underlying mechanisms and potential interventions for improving fertility outcomes in women with psychiatric disorders.

Therapeutic targets for endometriosis: Genome-wide Mendelian randomization and colocalization analyses.

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis (EM) greatly affects women's reproductive health, identifying new drug targets for EM is urgently needed. This study utilizes comprehensive genome-wide Mendelian randomization (MR) and colocalization analyses, using genomic data, to identify potential therapeutic approaches for EM. METHODS: Genome-wide cis-expression quantitative trait loci (cis-eQTL) data were obtained from GTEx V8, which included 838 participants across 49 tissues or cells, and the eQTLGen consortium, which included 31,684 participants. Genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) data for EM were sourced from the FinnGen study, which consisted of 8,288 cases and 68,969 controls, as well as the UK Biobank study, which included 1,496 cases and 359,698 controls. This study utilized MR analysis to assess the correlation between genes and the risk of EM. Subsequently, colocalization analysis was conducted to investigate potential shared causal variants between the identified genes and EM. RESULTS: After conducting MR and colocalization analyses, we identified a total of 13 genes that showed significant evidence of colocalization. These genes are considered promising therapeutic candidates for treating EM. Among them, inner membrane mitochondrial protein (IMMT), src kinase associated phosphoprotein 1 (SKAP1), lysine methyltransferase 5A (KMT5A), KLF transcription factor 12 (KLF12), GRB10 interacting GYF protein 1 (GIGYF1), Wnt family member 7A (WNT7A), Sad1 and UNC84 domain containing 1 (SUN1), and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase family member 3 (PARP3) were found to have positive associations with the risk of EM. On the other hand, progestin and adipoQ receptor family member 8 (PAQR8), adaptor related protein complex 3 subunit mu 1 (AP3M1), surfeit 6 (SURF6), TUB bipartite transcription factor (TUB), and DNA polymerase delta interacting protein 2 (POLDIP2) were found to have inverse relationships with the risk of EM. CONCLUSIONS: Through genome-wide MR studies, a comprehensive set of genes associated with EM has been identified. Among them, IMMT, PAQR8, SKAP1, KMT5A, AP3M1, SURF6, KLF12, GIGYF1, TUB, WNT7A, SUN1, POLDIP2, and PARP3 show potential as therapeutic targets for EM treatment. Nonetheless, it is crucial to conduct further rigorous investigations to validate these prospects.

Novel Ag-modified vanadate nanosheets for determination of small organic molecules with laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry.

Laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS) aroused intensive concerns for the merits of label-free and high-throughput analysis. Here, we designed a silver nanoparticles (AgNP)-modified indium vanadate nanosheets with doping samarium (AgNP@InVO4:Sm) nanosheets. The developed AgNP@InVO4:Sm nanosheets (AIVON) were synthesized based on the microemulsion-mediated solvothermal method and ultraviolet-assisted in situ formation of AgNP, then for the first time applied as a matrix in LDI-MS analysis. With the advantages including enhanced MS signal, little matrix-related background, high reproducibility, and good salt tolerance, AIVON exhibited much better prospect than non-modified indium vanadate nanosheets with doping samarium (IVON) and traditional organic matrix, thus allowing sensitive MS detection for a wide range of low-molecular-weight (LMW) molecules. Moreover, by coupling with headspace sampling thin-film microextraction (TFME), a kind of representative pollutant chlorophenols were identified and quantified via AIVON-assisted LDI-MS in environmental and biological samples. Volatile LMW pollutants could be preconcentrated after TFME, hence a sensitive and rapid assay with negligible sample matrix effect was realized by using AIVON-assisted LDI-MS. It is anticipated that this novel nano-matrix AIVON and the proposed TFME coupling detection strategy were of competitive merits for LDI-MS analysis in the fields of environment, biomedicine, and agriculture.

Temporally and spatially resolved molecular profiling in fingerprint analysis using indium vanadate nanosheets-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry.

This study presents the first-ever synthesis of samarium-doped indium vanadate nanosheets (IVONSs:Sm) via microemulsion-mediated solvothermal method. The nanosheets were subsequently utilized as a nano-matrix in laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS). It was discovered that the as-synthesized IVONSs:Sm possessed the following advantages: improved mass spectrometry signal, minimal matrix-related background, and exceptional stability in negative-ion mode. These qualities overcame the limitations of conventional matrices and enabled the sensitive detection of small biomolecules such as fatty acids. The negative-ion LDI mechanism of IVONSs:Sm was examined through the implementation of density functional theory simulation. Using IVONSs:Sm-assisted LDI-MS, fingerprint recognitions based on morphology and chemical profiles of endogenous/exogenous compounds were also achieved. Notably, crucial characteristics such as the age of an individual's fingerprints and their physical state could be assessed through the longitudinal monitoring of particular biomolecules (e.g., ascorbic acid, fatty acid) or the specific biomarker bilirubin glucuronide. Critical information pertinent to the identification of an individual would thus be facilitated by the analysis of the compounds underlying the fingerprint patterns.

Bushen Huoxue formula for the treatment of diminished ovarian reserve: A combined metabolomics and integrated network pharmacology analysis.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the mechanism of the Bushen Huoxue Formula (BHF) in treating diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) through the use of metabolomics and integrated network pharmacology. Methods: The study involved 24 non-pregnant female Sprague-Dawley rats, divided into four groups of six rats each: control, model, BHF, and DHEA (n = 6 per group). The model group was induced with DOR by administering Tripterygium glycosides orally [50 mg (kg·d)-1] for 14 days. Subsequently, BHF and Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) treatments were given to the respective groups. Ovarian reserve function was assessed by measuring anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), estradiol (E2), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels and conducting hematoxylin-eosin staining. In addition, UHPLC-QTOF-MS analysis was performed to identify differential metabolites and pathways in DOR rats treated with BHF. In this study, LC-MS was utilized to identify the active ingredients of BHF, while network pharmacology was employed to investigate the correlations between BHF-related genes and DOR-related genes. An integrated analysis of metabonomics and network pharmacology was conducted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the efficacy of BHF in treating DOR. Results: The model group exhibited a poor general condition and a significant decrease in the number of primordial, primary, and secondary follicles (P < 0.05) when compared to the control group. However, BHF intervention resulted in an increase in the number of primordial, primary, and secondary follicles (P < 0.05), along with elevated levels of AMH and E2 (P < 0.05), and a decrease in FSH levels (P < 0.05) in DOR rats. The modeling process identified eleven classes of metabolites, including cholesterol esters (CE), diacylglycerols (DAG), hexosylceramides (HCER), lysophosphatidylcholines (LPC), phosphatidylcholines (PC), phosphatidylethanolamines (PE), sphingomyelins (SM), ceramides (CER), free fatty acids (FFA), triacylglycerols (TAG), and lysophosphatidylethanolamines (LPE). The study found that PC, CE, DAG, and TAG are important metabolites in the treatment of DOR with BHF. LC-MS analysis showed that there were 183 active ingredients in ESI(+) mode and 51 in ESI(-) mode. Network pharmacology analysis identified 285 potential genes associated with BHF treatment for DOR in ESI(+) mode and 177 in ESI(-) mode. The combined analysis indicated that linoleic acid metabolism is the primary pathway in treating DOR with BHF. Conclusion: BHF was found to improve ovarian function in rats with DOR induced by Tripterygium glycosides. The study identified key metabolites such as phosphatidylcholine (PC), cholesteryl ester (CE), diacylglycerol (DAG), triacylglycerol (TAG), and the linoleic acid metabolism pathway, which were crucial in improving ovarian function in DOR rats treated with BHF.

Recent advances in nanostructured substrates for surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy.

Surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectroscopy is an emerging research field that has received much attention from the research community. Unlike conventional infrared absorption spectroscopy, SEIRA spectroscopy is a surface sensitive technique that exploits the electromagnetic properties of nanostructured substrates to amplify the vibrational signals of adsorbed molecules. Unique advantages like high sensitivity, wide adaptability, and convenient operation allow SEIRA spectroscopy to be applied in qualitative and quantitative analyses for traces of gases, biomolecules, polymers, and so on. In this review, we summarize recent advances in nanostructured substrates for SEIRA spectroscopy, including the developing history and widely accepted SEIRA mechanisms of SEIRA spectroscopy. Most importantly, characteristics and preparation methods of representative SEIRA-active substrates are introduced. In addition, current deficiencies and prospects in the field of SEIRA spectroscopy are discussed.

Double Signal Amplification Strategy for Dual-Analyte Fluorescent Aptasensors for Visualizing Cancer Biomarker Proteins.

The simultaneous analysis of diversified biomarkers with high sensitivity and in a point-of-care (POC) manner is of great significance for facile and early cancer diagnosis. Herein, we develop a target amplification-assisted ratiometric fluorescence assay (TARFA) platform integrating the dual-amplification strategy and colorimetric readout technology for sensitive and specific detection of two malignancy-associated biomarkers. Meanwhile, the NIR-excited alkaline-earth sulfide nanodots (ASNDs) with an ultrasmall (<10 nm) diameter and tunable emission wavelength are employed to replace commonly UV/visible light-excited fluorescent labels to minimize background interference from the sample matrix. Unique advantages of the ASNDs, together with superiority of consecutive signal amplification of enzymatic target recycling (ETR) and hybridization chain reaction (HCR), realize the pg/mL-range detection limit in specifically recognizing the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and soluble interleukin-6 receptors (sIL-6R). The combination detection of the dual analyte exhibits an improved sensitivity for cancer diagnosis. The addition of the target biomarkers leads to an increasingly ratiometric RGB signal, and quantification based on the ratio-dependent signal is more reliable rather than measuring the absolute RGB signals. Moreover, perceptible color transformation makes the TARFA platform competent for visual analysis of the target analytes as convenient as reading the pH indicator strip, and hue-based image analysis also improves the method with fine precision by quantitatively identifying the visual color. This work provides a new kind of NIR-excited aptasensing platform with a low detection limit, high throughput, and great portability, which also highlights the potential of the ASNDs in biomolecular fluorescent labeling.

Effect of Zhuyun I Recipe Capsule Enema on the Immune Microenvironment of the Endometrium during Implantation Window in Rats.

Background: Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal death, and there are no effective clinical means for the prevention and treatment of spontaneous preterm birth, mainly because the mechanism for labor initiation has not been fully elucidated. Objective: The effect of enucleation with Zhuyun I Recipe Capsule enema (ZRC) on the maternal-fetal interface microenvironment in SD rats with kidney deficiency and blood stasis. Methods: In this study, poor endometrial tolerance was induced by hydroxyurea and epinephrine in SD rats with kidney deficiency and blood stasis type of endometrium, and gavage with norethindrone (estradiol) or Bamboo Rhythm No.1 formula. HOXA10 mRNA levels were measured by qPCR. In addition, the expression of IL-6, VEGF, TGF-ß, and IGFBP-1 in the uterus was detected by IHC and ELISA. Results: Hydroxyurea- and epinephrine-induced PER was associated with low levels of HOXA10 in the endometrium and reduced levels of IL-6, TGF-ß, VEGF, and IGFBP-1 in the endometrium. These were abolished by ZRC and Progynova treatment compared to PER rats, resulting in a dramatic increase in the levels of HOXA10 mRNA, IL-6, TGF-ß, VEGF, and IGFBP-1 proteins. Conclusions: ZRC improves metaplasticization of endometrial stromal cells and promotes angiogenesis in rats with kidney deficiency and blood stasis. The moderate dose of kidney tonic to promote blood circulation method is superior in promoting angiogenesis, facilitating the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy, limiting trophoblast invasion of metaplasia, reducing miscarriage, and improving pregnancy rate.

Efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of threatened abortion: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Threatened abortion (TA) is the commonest complication that occurs in early pregnancy, especially in 8-12 gestational weeks when the secretion of estrogen and progesterone shifts from corpus luteum to placental. Conventional therapies are little evidence of their value. In China, traditional Chinese herbal medicine has been widely used for the treatment of TA for a long time. The lack of strong scientific evidences make this a priority area for research. We aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of TA, provide medical staffs with more useful information, and provide patients with better advises. METHODS: We will search 8 databases and additional sources, including the Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, CBM, Wanfang, VIP, CNKI, and WHO ICTRP, ChiCTR, Clinical Trials, Grey Literature Database, for potentially eligible studies. Literature search, screening and retrieval are performed independently by two researchers. In the event of a dispute, a third party will be consulted to support the judgment. We will use RevmanV.5.3 to perform a fixed-effect meta-analysis for clinical homogeneity study data, and the level of evidence will be assessed using the GRADE method. RESULTS: This systematic review and meta-analysis will put a high-quality synthesis of the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of TA. CONCLUSION: The conclusion of this systematic review will provide evidence to assess traditional Chinese herbal medicine therapy whether is an efficacy and safe intervention to treat TA. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Since this article does not contain patient personal information, ethical approval is not required. The contract is distributed by a peer-reviewed journal or conference report. REGISTRATION NUMBER: 10.17605/OSF.IO/DG3T8.

Combination of serum gamma-glutamyltransferase and alkaline phosphatase in predicting the diagnosis of asymptomatic choledocholithiasis secondary to cholecystolithiasis.

BACKGROUND: Gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) is one of the most important laboratory tests for the evaluation of liver damage. Through a long-term clinical observation of patients with secondary asymptomatic choledocholithiasis, we found that most patients had abnormal GGT serum levels. AIM: To investigate the combination of serum GGT and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in predicting the diagnosis of asymptomatic choledocholithiasis secondary to cholecystolithiasis. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, the clinical data of 829 patients with cholecystolithiasis admitted to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical College from August 2014 to August 2017 were collected. Among these patients, 151 patients had secondary asymptomatic choledocholithiasis and served as the observation group, and the remaining 678 cholecystolithiasis patients served as the control group. Serum liver function indexes were detected in both groups, and the receiver operating characteristic (commonly known as ROC) curves were constructed for markers showing statistical significances. The cutoff value, sensitivity, and specificity of each marker were calculated according to the ROC curves. RESULTS: The overall incidence of asymptomatic choledocholithiasis secondary to cholecystolithiasis was 18.2%. The results of liver function indexes including serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, direct bilirubin and total bilirubin levels showed no significant differences between the two groups (P > 0.05). However, the serum GGT and ALP levels were significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve was 0.881 (95%CI: 0.830-0.932), 0.647 (95%CI: 0.583-0.711) and 0.923 (95%CI: 0.892-0.953) for GGT, ALP, and GGT + ALP, respectively. The corresponding cut-off values of GGT and ALP were 95.5 U/L and 151.5 U/L, sensitivity were 90.8% and 65.1%, and specificity were 83.6% and 59.8%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of GGT + ALP were 93.5% and 85.1%, respectively. CONCLUSION: An abnormally elevated serum GGT level has an important value in the diagnosis of asymptomatic choledocholithiasis secondary to cholecystolithiasis. The combination of serum GGT and ALP has better diagnostic performance. As a convenient, rapid and inexpensive test, it should be applied in secondary asymptomatic choledocholithiasis routine screening.

Diagnostic value of elevated serum carbohydrate antigen 199 level in acute cholangitis secondary to choledocholithiasis.

AIM: To investigate the diagnostic value of abnormal serum carbohydrate antigen 199 (CA199) level in acute cholangitis secondary to choledocholithiasis. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, the clinical data of 727 patients with choledocholithiasis admitted to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical College from June 2011 to June 2017 were collected. Among these patients, 258 patients had secondary acute cholangitis and served as observation group, and the remaining 569 choledocholithiasis patients served as the control group. Serum liver function indexes and tumor markers were detected in both groups, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed for markers showing statistical significances. The cutoff value, sensitivity, and specificity of each marker were calculated according to the ROC curves. RESULTS: The results of liver function tests showed no significant differences between the two groups (P > 0.05). Tumor markers including serum CA125, CA153, carcinoembryonic antigen, and alpha fetoprotein levels were also not significantly different (P > 0.05); however, the serum CA199 level was significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve was 0.885 (95%CI: 0.841-0.929) for CA199, and the cutoff value of 52.5 kU/L had the highest diagnostic accuracy, with a sensitivity of 86.8% and a specificity of 81.6%. CONCLUSION: Abnormally elevated serum CA199 level has an important value in the diagnosis of acute cholangitis secondary to choledocholithiasis. It may be a specific inflammatory marker for acute cholangitis.

Peripheral kynurenine/tryptophan ratio is not a reliable marker of systemic indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase: A lesson drawn from patients on hemodialysis.

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) has emerged as a pivotal enzyme for mediating immune tolerance. Because IDO metabolizes tryptophan into kynurenine, the plasma kynurenine/tryptophan (Kyn/Trp) ratio has been widely used as a marker of systemic IDO. Here, we evaluated the clinical value of using the plasma Kyn/Trp ratio to estimate cell-mediated immune responses to tuberculin skin testing and risk of new bacterial infection. We also compared the Kyn/Trp ratio to a novel IDO marker, the IDO median fluorescence index (MFI) of peripheral blood mononuclear cells, which was determined by flow cytometry. In 228 patients from two hemodialysis centers, the two IDO markers were higher in patients than in healthy controls but were not correlated with each other. In vitro experiments demonstrated that peripheral blood mononuclear cells could not metabolize tryptophan into kynurenine, indicating that the increased Kyn/Trp ratio was IDO-independent. Skin induration diameters of tuberculin skin testing were correlated with the IDO MFI (negatively), but not the Kyn/Trp ratio. Further, in a 24-month prospective cohort, the Kyn/Trp ratio was not correlated with clinical infection. Alternatively, patients with a higher IDO MFI had a lower accumulative infection-free survival rate. Using a Cox proportional hazard model, it was also revealed that a higher IDO MFI was significantly associated with new bacterial infection. Taken together, these results indicate that the Kyn/Trp ratio is not a reliable circulating IDO marker in hemodialysis patients. However, the IDO MFI reflects an immunocompromised state and thus might be a potential clinical marker of bacterial infection.

Risk factors and countermeasures for ERCP related duodenal papilla hemorrhage / 中国内镜杂志

Objective To investigate the risk factors and countermeasures for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) related duodenal papilla hemorrhage. Methods Retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 890 patients who underwent ERCP. According to whether the patients with ERCP related duodenal papilla hemorrhage, they were divided into the hemorrhage group and the non hemorrhage group. And the risk factors of duodenal papilla hemorrhage and their countermeasures were investigated. Results 51 patients had ERCP related duodenal papilla hemorrhage, and the overall incidence rate was 5.7%. Compared with the non hemorrhage group, the patients proportion of common bile duct stones was lower, but the cholangiocarcinoma and pancreatic head cancer were higher in the hemorrhage group (P < 0.05). The incidence of hypertension and duodenal diverticulum in the hemorrhage group were significantly higher than that in the non hemorrhage group (P < 0.05). Subgroup analysis showed that patients with stone diameter >2 cm, stone incarceration and the duodenal papilla into diverticulum in the hemorrhage group were significantly higher than that in the non hemorrhage group (P < 0.05). Conclusion Common bile duct stone diameter >2 cm, stone incarceration, malignant biliary and pancreatic cancer, hypertension and duodenal papilla into diverticulum were objective risk factors of ERCP related duodenal papilla hemorrhage, focus on prevention of bleeding. Endoscopic hemostasis was safe and effective.

Risk factors and countermeasures for ERCP related duodenal papilla hemorrhage / 中国内镜杂志

Objective To investigate the risk factors and countermeasures for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) related duodenal papilla hemorrhage. Methods Retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 890 patients who underwent ERCP. According to whether the patients with ERCP related duodenal papilla hemorrhage, they were divided into the hemorrhage group and the non hemorrhage group. And the risk factors of duodenal papilla hemorrhage and their countermeasures were investigated. Results 51 patients had ERCP related duodenal papilla hemorrhage, and the overall incidence rate was 5.7%. Compared with the non hemorrhage group, the patients proportion of common bile duct stones was lower, but the cholangiocarcinoma and pancreatic head cancer were higher in the hemorrhage group (P < 0.05). The incidence of hypertension and duodenal diverticulum in the hemorrhage group were significantly higher than that in the non hemorrhage group (P < 0.05). Subgroup analysis showed that patients with stone diameter >2 cm, stone incarceration and the duodenal papilla into diverticulum in the hemorrhage group were significantly higher than that in the non hemorrhage group (P < 0.05). Conclusion Common bile duct stone diameter >2 cm, stone incarceration, malignant biliary and pancreatic cancer, hypertension and duodenal papilla into diverticulum were objective risk factors of ERCP related duodenal papilla hemorrhage, focus on prevention of bleeding. Endoscopic hemostasis was safe and effective.

Enhanced diffraction properties of photoinduced gratings in nematic liquid crystals doped with Disperse Red 1.

Diffraction properties of photoinduced gratings recorded by overlapping two coherent beams at 532 nm in nematic liquid crystals doped with Disperse Red 1 were investigated with a probe beam at 632.8 nm. The grating was formed due to the alignment of dye molecules that leaded to the reorientation of the liquid crystal phase. The diffraction efficiency of the photoinduced grating was found to increase rapidly when the sample temperature was close to the clearing point in the nematic phase and a nearly 30-fold enhancement of the first-order diffraction efficiency was obtained. The pretransitional enhancement of the diffraction efficiency was discussed in terms of the reorientation of liquid crystals, optical nonlinearity effects and the onset of critical opalescence near the nematic-isotropic phase transition. Moreover, a peak shift of diffraction efficiency towards the lower temperature was observed with the increase of recording light intensity, which was attributed to laser induced photochemical disordering.

Polarization modulation of two-photon excited fluorescence in a V-shaped dipicolinate-triphenylamine compound.

Polarization modulation of two-photon excited fluorescence in a V-shaped dipicolinate-triphenylamine compound was investigated with 100 fs 800 nm laser pulses. The peak fluorescence intensity versus the input irradiance was measured to meet a square dependence, which offered evidence for two-photon excited fluorescence. The variations of the two-photon excited fluorescence intensity showed strong response to the different polarized incident lights and were tightly dependent on the linearly polarized component of the incident light. Furthermore, the polarization modulation efficiency of the two-photon excited fluorescence had an obvious concentration dependence when the concentration of solution was under 2.5×10(-4) mol/L. The enhancement of modulation efficiency was attributed to the concentration dependence of the two-photon absorption cross section.

Polarization-controlled images based on double-exposure polarization holography in an azobenzene liquid-crystalline polymer.

Polarization-controlled optical image operations were demonstrated based on the double-exposure polarization holographic method. Two images were stored in the same volume of an azobenzene liquid-crystalline polymer by recording superimposed holograms, a pair of polarization gratings with one spatial frequency, using two orthogonal circularly polarized 532 nm beams and were reconstructed with a 650 nm laser. The recorded polarization holographic gratings were investigated to show distinctive polarization selectivity, high diffraction efficiency, and good stability. The brightness and the polarization of the diffracted images were found to be dependent on the polarization of the readout beam, and two images could be reconstructed individually or simultaneously.

New Oxidovanadium Complexes Incorporating Thiosemicarbazones and 1, 10-Phenanthroline Derivatives as DNA Cleavage, Potential Anticancer Agents, and Hydroxyl Radical Scavenger.

Four novel oxidovanadium(IV) complexes, [VO(hntdtsc)(PHIP)] (1) (hntdtsc = 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde thiosemicarbazone, PHIP= 2-phenyl-imidazo[4,5-f]1,10-phenanthroline), [VO(hntdtsc)(DPPZ)](2)(DPPZ= dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine), [VO(satsc)(PHIP)](3) (satsc=salicylaldehyde thiosemicarbazone), and [VO(satsc)(DPPZ)](4), have been prepared and characterized. The chemical nuclease activities and photocleavage reactions of the complexes were tested. All four complexes can efficiently cleave pBR322 DNA, and complex 1 has the best cleaving ability. The antitumor properties of these complexes were examined with three different tumor cell lines using MTT assay. Their antitumor mechanism has been analyzed using cell cycle analysis, fluorescence microscopy of apoptosis, and Annexin V-FITC/PI assay. The results showed that the growth of human neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y, SK-N-SH) and human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cells were inhibited significantly with very low IC50 values. Complex 1 was found to be the most potent antitumor agent among the four complexes. It can cause G0/G1 phase arrest of the cell cycle and exhibited significant induced apoptosis in SK-N-SH cells and displayed typical morphological apoptotic characteristics. In addition, they all displayed reasonable abilities to scavenge hydroxyl radical, and complex 1 was the best inhibitor.