One-Step Pyrolysis Construction of Bimetallic Atom-Cluster Sites for Boosting Bifunctional Catalytic Activity in Zn-Air Batteries.

Due to their unique advantages, single atoms and clusters of transition metals are expected to achieve a breakthrough in catalytic activity, but large-scale production of active materials remains a challenge. In this work, a simple solvent-free one-step annealing method is developed and applied to construct diatomic and cluster active sites in activated carbon by utilizing the strong anchoring ability of phenanthroline to metal ions, which can be scaled for mass productions. Benefiting from the synergy between the different metals, the obtained sub-nano-bimetallic atom-cluster catalysts (FeNiAC -NC) exhibit high oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) activity (E1/2 = 0.936 V vs. RHE) and a small ORR/oxygen evolution reaction (OER) potential gap of only 0.594 V. An in-house pouch Zn-air battery is assembled using an FeNiAC -NC catalyst, which demonstrates a stability of 1000 h, outperforming previous reports. The existence of clusters and their effects on catalytic activity is analyzed by density functional theory calculations to reveal the chemistry of nano-bimetallic atom-cluster catalysts.

Gas-Solid Reaction Synthesis and Electrocatalytic Oxygen Reduction of Pt-Skin L10-PtFe/C.

Compared to Pt/C, the atomic ordered Pt-based intermetallic compounds can deliver higher efficiency and reliable stability, and they are considered one of the ideal cathode catalysts for the next generation of fuel cells. This work proposed a simple ferrocene atmosphere annealing method to improve commercial Pt/C and convert Pt to L10-PtFe. After further acid etching treatment, the obtained carbon-supported Pt-skin L10-PtFe (Pt-skin L10-PtFe/C) with superfine particle size (∼3.3 nm) not only was highly dispersed on the carbon but possesses a thin Pt skin, like the armor of L10-PtFe. As excepted, the ORR activity of Pt-skin L10-PtFe/C (0.375 A mg-1; 0.921 mA cm-2) is far better than that of commercial Pt/C (0.121 A mg-1; 0.260 mA cm-2), and its stability is also greatly improved. Our proposed gas-solid reaction is straightforward and has great potential in producing Pt-based intermetallic catalysts on a large scale.

Genetically predicted immune cells mediate the association between gut microbiota and neuropathy pain.

BACKGROUND: Previous observational studies have indicated a complex association between gut microbiota (GM) and neuropathic pain (NP). Nonetheless, the precise biological mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. Therefore, we adopted a Mendelian randomization (MR) approach to investigate the causal relationship between GM and neuropathic pain including post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (PDPN), and trigeminal neuralgia (TN), as well as to explore the potential mediation effects of immune cells. METHODS: We performed a two-step, two-sample Mendelian randomization study with an inverse variance-weighted (IVW) approach to investigate the causal role of GM on three major kinds of NP and the mediation effect of immune cells between the association of GM and NP. In addition, we determine the strongest causal associations using Bayesian weighted Mendelian randomization (BWMR) analysis. Furthermore, we will investigate the mediating role of immune cells through a two-step Mendelian randomization design. RESULTS: We identified 53 taxonomies and pathways of gut microbiota that had significant causal associations with NP. In addition, we also discovered 120 immune cells that exhibited significant causal associations with NP. According to the BWMR and two-step Mendelian randomization analysis, we identified the following results CD4 on CM CD4 + (maturation stages of T cell) mediated 6.7% of the risk reduction for PHN through the pathway of fucose degradation (FUCCAT.PWY). CD28 + DN (CD4-CD8-) AC (Treg) mediated 12.5% of the risk reduction for PHN through the influence on Roseburia inulinivorans. CD45 on lymphocyte (Myeloid cell) mediated 11.9% of the risk increase for TN through the superpathway of acetyl-CoA biosynthesis (PWY.5173). HLA DR + CD8br %T cell (TBNK) mediated 3.2% of the risk reduction for TN through the superpathway of GDP-mannose-derived O-antigen building blocks biosynthesis (PWY.7323). IgD-CD38-AC (B cell) mediated 7.5% of the risk reduction for DPN through the pathway of thiazole biosynthesis I in E. coli (PWY.6892). DISCUSSION: These findings provided evidence supporting the causal effect of GM with NP, with immune cells playing a mediating role. These findings may inform prevention strategies and interventions directed toward NP. Future studies should explore other plausible biological mechanisms.

Large Scale Synthesis of a Stable Prefunctionalized Silver Nanocluster.

Due to the stability issue, It is difficult to prepare a silver nanocluster bearing functional sites, especially at a large scale. We report the synthesis and structure of a stable silver nanocluster bearing multiple surface aldehyde groups [Ag21(Ph2PO2)10(p-CHOPhC≡C)6]SbF6, which allows for postsynthesis modification such as surface functionalization through aldimine condensation to give homochiral clusters. Remarkably, the preparation of this cluster can be done in ~90% high yield at gram scale, which facilitates further studies and potential applications. Through DFT calculations and geometric structure analysis, the high stability of this cluster is attributed to the geometric closure and electronic structure. This is the first time that an effective one-pot method has been developed to synthesize functional silver nanoclusters in high yield. The title cluster will be useful in the development of a variety of cluster-based materials.

Comparison of initial percutaneous balloon compression versus radiofrequency thermocoagulation followed by percutaneous balloon compression in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia. / 首次经皮球囊压迫术与射频热凝术后再行经皮球囊压迫术治疗三叉神经痛的比较.

OBJECTIVES: There are a variety of minimally invasive interventional treatments for trigeminal neuralgia, and the efficacy evaluation is different. The preferred treatment scheme is still controversial. This study aims to investigate the differences in treatment effects between patients with primary trigeminal neuralgia (PTN) treated with percutaneous balloon compression (PBC) for the first intervention and patients with pain recurrence after radiofrequency thermocoagulation (RT) who then received PBC for PTN, and to offer clinicians and patients more scientifically grounded and precise treatment alternatives. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 103 patients with PTN admitted to the Department of Pain Management of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from January 2020 to December 2021, including 49 patients who received PBC for the first time (PBC group) and 54 patients who received PBC for pain recurrence after RT (RT+PBC group). General information, preoperative pain score, intraoperative oval foramen morphology, oval foramen area, balloon volume, duration of compression, and postoperative pain scores and pain recurrence at each time point on day 1 (T1), day 7 (T2), day 14 (T3), 1 month (T4), 3 months (T5), and 1 year (T6) were collected and recorded for both groups. The differences in treatment effect, complications and recurrence between the 2 groups were compared, and the related influencing factors were analyzed. RESULTS: The differences of general information, preoperative pain scores, foramen ovale morphology, foramen ovale area, T1 to T3 pain scores between the 2 groups were not statistically different (all P>0.05). The balloon filling volume in the PBC group was smaller than that in the RT+PBC group, the pain scores at T4 to T6 and pain recurrence were better than those in the RT+PBC group (all P<0.05). Pain recurrence was positively correlated with pain scores of T2 to T6 (r=0.306, 0.482, 0.831, 0.876, 0.887, respectively; all P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The choice of PBC for the first intervention in PTN patients is superior to the choice of PBC after pain recurrence after RT treatment in terms of treatment outcome and pain recurrence.

Integration of Metal Catalysis and Organocatalysis in a Metal Nanocluster with Anchored Proline.

Chiral metal nanoclusters have recently been attracting great attention. It is challenging to realize asymmetric catalysis via atomically precise metal nanoclusters. Herein, we report the synthesis and total structure determination of chiral clusters [Au7Ag8(dppf)3(l-/d-proline)6](BF4)2 (l-/d-Au7Ag8). Superatomic clusters l-/d-Au7Ag8 display intense and mirror-image Cotton effects in their CD spectra. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were carried out to understand the correlation between electronic structures and the optical activity of the enantiomeric pair. Surprisingly, the incorporation of proline in a metal nanocluster can significantly promote the catalytic efficiency in asymmetric Aldol reactions. The increase of catalytic activity of Au7Ag8 in comparison with organocatalysis by proline is attributed to the cooperative effect of the metal core and prolines, showing the advantages of the integration of metal catalysis and organocatalysis in a metal nanocluster.

Activating α7nAChR helps post-myocardial infarction healing by regulating macrophage polarization via the STAT3 signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Monocytes/macrophages play critical roles in inflammation and cardiac remodeling following myocardial infarction (MI). The cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway (CAP) modulates local and systemic inflammatory responses by activating α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7nAChR) in monocytes/macrophages. We investigated the effect of α7nAChR on MI-induced monocyte/macrophage recruitment and polarization and its contribution to cardiac remodeling and dysfunction. METHODS: Adult male Sprague Dawley rats underwent coronary ligation and were intraperitoneally injected with the α7nAChR-selective agonist PNU282987 or the antagonist methyllycaconitine (MLA). RAW264.7 cells were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) + interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and treated with PNU282987, MLA, and S3I-201 (a STAT3 inhibitor). Cardiac function was evaluated by echocardiography. Masson's trichrome and immunofluorescence were used to detect cardiac fibrosis, myocardial capillary density, and M1/M2 macrophages. Western blotting was used to detect protein expression, and the proportion of monocytes was measured using flow cytometry. RESULTS: Activating the CAP with PNU282987 significantly improved cardiac function and reduced cardiac fibrosis and 28-day mortality after MI. On days 3 and 7 post-MI, PNU282987 reduced the percentage of peripheral CD172a + CD43low monocytes and the infiltration of M1 macrophages in the infarcted hearts, whereas it increased the recruitment of peripheral CD172a + CD43high monocytes and M2 macrophages. Conversely, MLA exerted the opposite effects. In vitro, PNU282987 inhibited M1 macrophage polarization and promoted M2 macrophage polarization in LPS + IFN-γ-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. These PNU282987-induced changes in LPS + IFN-γ-stimulated RAW264.7 cells were reversed by administering S3I-201. CONCLUSION: Activating α7nAChR inhibits the early recruitment of pro-inflammatory monocytes/macrophages during MI and improves cardiac function and remodeling. Our findings suggest a promising therapeutic target for regulating monocyte/macrophage phenotypes and promoting healing after MI.

Disc-Like Silver Nanocluster Ag93 Built with Bicapped Hexagonal Prismatic Ag15 and Ino Decahedral Ag13 Units.

The reduction of alkynyl-silver and phosphine-silver precursors with a weak reducing reagent Ph2 SiH2 led to the formation of a novel silver nanocluster [Ag93 (PPh3 )6 (C≡CR)50 ]3+ (R=4-CH3 OC6 H4 ), which is the largest structurally characterized cluster of clusters. This disc-shaped cluster has a Ag69 kernel consisting of a bicapped hexagonal prismatic Ag15 unit wrapped by six Ino decahedra through edge-sharing. This is the first time that Ino decahedra are used as a building block to assemble a cluster of clusters. Moreover, the central silver atom has a coordination number of 14, which is the highest in metal nanoclusters. This work provides a diverse metal packing pattern in metal nanoclusters, which is helpful for understanding metal cluster assembling mechanisms.

Face-Centered Cubic Silver Nanoclusters Consolidated with Tetradentate Formamidinate Ligands.

Growing attention has been paid to nanoclusters with face-centered cubic (fcc) metal kernels, due to its structural similarity to bulk metals. We demonstrate that the use of tetradentate formamidinate ligands facilitate the construction of two fcc silver nanoclusters: [Ag52(5-F-dpf)16Cl4](SbF6)2 (Ag52, 5-F-Hdpf = N,N'-di(5-fluoro-2-pyridinyl)formamidine) and [Ag53(5-Me-dpf)18](NO3)5 (Ag53, 5-Me-Hdpf = N,N'-di(5-methyl-2-pyridinyl)formamidine). Single-crystal X-ray structural analysis revealed that the silver atoms in both clusters are in a layer-by-layer arrangement, which can be viewed as a portion of the fcc packing of silver. The nitrogen donors of amidinate ligands selectively passivate the {111} facets. All silver atoms are involved in the fcc packing, that is, no staple motifs are observed due to the linear arrangement of the four N donors of the dpf ligands. The characteristic optical absorption bands of Ag52 and Ag53 have been studied with a time-dependent density functional theory. This work provides a facile access to assembling atomically precise fcc-type nanoclusters and shows the prospect of amidinates as protecting ligands in synthesizing metal nanoclusters.

Observation on the effect of platelet-rich plasma combined with drugs in the treatment of herpes zoster neuralgia.

PURPOSE: To observe the effect of ultrasound-guided platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection in the treatment of herpes zoster neuralgia (HZN). METHODS: Eighty patients with HZN were randomly divided into observation group and control group, with 40 cases in each group. The observation group was treated with ultrasound-guided PRP injection of target nerves combined with drugs. The control group was treated with drugs alone. The pain scores of before treatment (T0), and 1 week (T1), 1 month (T2), 3 months (T3) and 6 months (T4) after treatment were recorded with Numerical Rating Scale (NRS). The sleep quality of patients was assessed with the Athens Insomnia Scale, and the dosage used at each time point, skin lesions, adverse reactions, and the occurrence of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) were recorded. RESULTS: The NRS score of the two groups after treatment showed a downward trend. Compared with T0 at each time point, the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). And the NRS score of the observation group was lower than control group (p < 0.05). The sleep quality of the observation group was better. The dosage of the observation group was less, and the time of herpes dry-up, scab crusting and shedding in the observation group was significantly shorter (p < 0.05). The incidence of dizziness, lethargy, ataxia and PHN in the observation group was significantly reduced (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Compared with traditional drug treatment alone, the ultrasound-guided PRP injection has the advantages of better analgesia and fewer side effects, which provides a new idea for the treatment of HZN.

Ligand Engineering toward the Trade-Off between Stability and Activity in Cluster Catalysis.

We report the structures, stability and catalysis properties of two Ag21 nanoclusters, namely [Ag21 (H2 BTCA)3 (O2 PPh2 )6 ]SbF6 (1) and [Ag21 (C≡CC6 H3 -3,5-R2 )6 (O2 PPh2 )10 ]SbF6 (2) (H4 BTCA=p-tert-butylthiacalix[4]arene, R=OMe). Both Ag21 structures possess an identical icosahedral kernel that is surrounded by eight peripheral Ag atoms. Single-crystal structural analysis and ESI-MS revealed that 1 is an 8-electron cluster and 2 has four free electrons. Theoretical results show that the P-symmetry orbitals are found as HOMO-1 and HOMO states in 1, and the frontier unoccupied molecular orbitals (LUMO, LUMO+1 and LUMO+2) show D-character, indicating 1 is a superatomic cluster with an electronically closed shell 1S2 1P6 , while 2 has an incomplete shell configuration 1S2 1P2 . These two Ag21 clusters show superior stability under ambient conditions, and 1 is robust even at 90 °C in toluene and under oxidative conditions (30 % H2 O2 ). Significantly, 2 exhibits much higher activity than 1 as catalyst in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol. This work demonstrates that ligands can influence the electronic structures of silver clusters, and further affect their stability and catalytic performance.

Highly Efficient Spin-Filtering Transport in Chiral Hybrid Copper Halides.

Chiral Pb(Sn)-I hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites exhibit outstanding chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) performance, but the nontoxic lead-free hybrid materials with high stability are still greatly desired for spin filtering in spintronic applications. We synthesize chiral hybrid copper halides (R/S-MBA)2 CuX4 (MBA=methylbenzylammonium; X=Cl, Br) with characteristic 0D CuX4 tetrahedral structural motifs, combining the low toxicity of Cu2+ and air stability of halide ions (Cl- and Br- ). Despite similar structural and electronic features, (R/S-MBA)2 CuBr4 shows much smaller chiroptical activity than the chloride counterpart. Magnetically conductive atomic force microscopy measurements display a typical spin-polarized charge-transport property with high efficiency up to 90 % for both copper halides. Our work expands the CISS effect into eco-friendly and stable metal-organic halides, which is promising for applications in spintronics based on transition-metal hybrid systems.

Robust Gold Nanocluster Protected with Amidinates for Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction.

The first all-amidinate-protected gold nanocluster [Au28 (Ph-form)12 ](OTf)2 (Ph-form=N,N'-diphenylformamidinate) (Au28 ) has been synthesized and structurally resolved. Single crystal X-ray diffraction reveals that Au28 has a compact Au4 @Au24 tetrahedral core-shell structure of T symmetry, which is fully protected by 12 bridging formamidinate ligands. This cluster is quite robust as indicated by the fact that it can stay intact in solution at 80 °C for 6 d. It exhibits excellent catalytic performance for the electroreduction of CO2 with 96.5 % Faradaic efficiency (FE) at -0.57 V and a maximum TOF of 1731 h-1 at -0.87 V. Its superior stability is also manifested in the fact that the supported catalyst Au28 /CNTs maintains stable potentials at ca. -0.69 V for 40 h with FE(CO)s>91 %. A superatomic electron configuration of 1S2 1P6 2S2 1D4 has been clarified by DFT computations, and the strong gold-ligand binding and geometric shell closure account for the superior stability of Au28 .

Total Structure Determination of the Largest Alkynyl-Protected fcc Gold Nanocluster Au110 and the Study on Its Ultrafast Excited-State Dynamics.

Great attention has been paid to nanoclusters having face-centered-cubic (fcc) metal kernels, because of the similarity of metal packing to that of bulk gold. So far, there is no precedent example of an all-alkynyl-protected fcc gold nanocluster with more than 100 gold atoms. We report the synthesis and total structure determination of an alkynyl-protected gold nanocluster [NEt3H]2[Au110(p-CF3C6H4C≡C)48] (Au110). It has an fcc Au86 kernel with 24 peripheral Au(C≡CR)2 staples. The Au86 kernel consists of six close packing layers in the pattern of Au6:Au16:Au21:Au21:Au16:Au6. Electronic absorption spectroscopy shows Au110 has a molecular-like discrete electronic structure, and transient absorption experiments reveal its nonmetallic nature.

Near-unity NIR phosphorescent quantum yield from a room-temperature solvated metal nanocluster.

Metal nanoclusters have emerged as promising near-infrared (NIR)-emissive materials, but their room-temperature photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY), especially in solution, is often low (<10%). We studied the photophysics of Au22(tBuPhC≡C)18 (Au22) and its alloy counterpart Au16Cu6(tBuPhC≡C)18 (Au16Cu6) (where tBu is tert-butyl and Ph is phenyl) and found that copper (Cu) doping suppressed the nonradiative decay (~60-fold less) and promoted intersystem crossing rate (~300-fold higher). The Au16Cu6 nanocluster exhibited >99% PLQY in deaerated solution at room temperature with an emission maximum at 720 nanometers tailing to 950 nanometers and 61% PLQY in the oxygen-saturated solution. The approach to achieve near-unity PLQY could enable the development of highly emissive metal cluster materials.

CAISHI: A benchmark histopathological H&E image dataset for cervical adenocarcinoma in situ identification, retrieval and few-shot learning evaluation.

A benchmark histopathological Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) image dataset for Cervical Adenocarcinoma in Situ (CAISHI), containing 2240 histopathological images of Cervical Adenocarcinoma in Situ (AIS), is established to fill the current data gap, of which 1010 are images of normal cervical glands and another 1230 are images of cervical AIS. The sampling method is endoscope biopsy. Pathological sections are obtained by H&E staining from Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University. These images have a magnification of 100 and are captured by the Axio Scope. A1 microscope. The size of the image is 3840 × 2160 pixels, and the format is ".png". The collection of CAISHI is subject to an ethical review by China Medical University with approval number 2022PS841K. These images are analyzed at multiple levels, including classification tasks and image retrieval tasks. A variety of computer vision and machine learning methods are used to evaluate the performance of the data. For classification tasks, a variety of classical machine learning classifiers such as k-means, support vector machines (SVM), and random forests (RF), as well as convolutional neural network classifiers such as Residual Network 50 (ResNet50), Vision Transformer (ViT), Inception version 3 (Inception-V3), and Visual Geometry Group Network 16 (VGG-16), are used. In addition, the Siamese network is used to evaluate few-shot learning tasks. In terms of image retrieval functions, color features, texture features, and deep learning features are extracted, and their performances are tested. CAISHI can help with the early diagnosis and screening of cervical cancer. Researchers can use this dataset to develop new computer-aided diagnostic tools that could improve the accuracy and efficiency of cervical cancer screening and advance the development of automated diagnostic algorithms.

Interleukin-1ß polarization in M1 macrophage mediates myocardial fibrosis in diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes is a global health problem whose common complication is diabetic cardiomyopathy, characterized by chronic inflammation of the heart muscle. Macrophages are the main white blood cells found in the resting heart. Therefore, we investigated the underling mechanism of macrophage on myocardial fibrosis in diabetes. METHODS: Here, echocardiography was utilized to evaluate cardiac function, and the degree of myocardial fibrosis was assessed using Masson's trichrome staining, followed by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to analyze the phenotype, function, developmental trajectory, and interactions between immune cells, endothelial cells (ECs), and fibroblasts (FBs) in the hearts of db/db mice at different stages of diabetes. Macrophages and cardiac fibroblasts were also co-cultured in order to study the signaling between macrophages and fibroblasts. RESULTS: We found that with the development of diabetes mellitus, myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis occurred that was accompanied by cardiac dysfunction. A significant proportion of immune cells, endothelial cells, and fibroblasts were identified by RNA sequencing. The most significant changes observed were in macrophages, which undergo M1 polarization and are critical for oxidative stress and extracellular matrix (ECM) formation. We further found that M1 macrophages secreted interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), which interacted with the receptor on the surface of fibroblasts, to cause myocardial fibrosis. In addition, crosstalk between M1 macrophages and endothelial cells also plays a key role in fibrosis and immune response regulation through IL-1ß and corresponding receptors. CONCLUSIONS: M1 macrophages mediate diabetic myocardial fibrosis through interleukin-1ß interaction with fibroblasts.

Optimizing predictions: improved performance of preoperative gadobenate-enhanced MRI hepatobiliary phase features in predicting vessels encapsulating tumor clusters in hepatocellular carcinoma-a multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Vessels Encapsulating Tumor Clusters (VETC) are now recognized as independent indicators of recurrence and overall survival in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. However, there has been limited investigation into predicting the VETC pattern using hepatobiliary phase (HBP) features from preoperative gadobenate-enhanced MRI. METHODS: This study involved 252 HCC patients with confirmed VETC status from three different hospitals (Hospital 1: training set with 142 patients; Hospital 2: test set with 64 patients; Hospital 3: validation set with 46 patients). Independent predictive factors for VETC status were determined through univariate and multivariate logistic analyses. Subsequently, these factors were used to construct two distinct VETC prediction models. Model 1 included all independent predictive factors, while Model 2 excluded HBP features. The performance of both models was assessed using the Area Under the Curve (AUC), Decision Curve Analysis, and Calibration Curve. Prediction accuracy between the two models was compared using Net Reclassification Improvement (NRI) and Integrated Discriminant Improvement (IDI). RESULTS: CA199, IBIL, shape, peritumoral hyperintensity on HBP, and arterial peritumoral enhancement were independent predictors of VETC. Model 1 showed robust predictive performance, with AUCs of 0.836 (training), 0.811 (test), and 0.802 (validation). Model 2 exhibited moderate performance, with AUCs of 0.813, 0.773, and 0.783 in the respective sets. Calibration and decision curves for both models indicated consistent predictions between predicted and actual VETC, benefiting HCC patients. NRI showed Model 1 increased by 0.326, 0.389, and 0.478 in the training, test, and validation sets compared to Model 2. IDI indicated Model 1 increased by 0.036, 0.028, and 0.025 in the training, test, and validation sets compared to Model 2. CONCLUSION: HBP features from preoperative gadobenate-enhanced MRI can enhance the predictive performance of VETC in HCC.

Nomogram prediction of vessels encapsulating tumor clusters in small hepatocellular carcinoma ≤ 3 cm based on enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.

BACKGROUND: Vessels encapsulating tumor clusters (VETC) represent a recently discovered vascular pattern associated with novel metastasis mechanisms in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, it seems that no one have focused on predicting VETC status in small HCC (sHCC). This study aimed to develop a new nomogram for predicting VETC positivity using preoperative clinical data and image features in sHCC (≤ 3 cm) patients. AIM: To construct a nomogram that combines preoperative clinical parameters and image features to predict patterns of VETC and evaluate the prognosis of sHCC patients. METHODS: A total of 309 patients with sHCC, who underwent segmental resection and had their VETC status confirmed, were included in the study. These patients were recruited from three different hospitals: Hospital 1 contributed 177 patients for the training set, Hospital 2 provided 78 patients for the test set, and Hospital 3 provided 54 patients for the validation set. Independent predictors of VETC were identified through univariate and multivariate logistic analyses. These independent predictors were then used to construct a VETC prediction model for sHCC. The model's performance was evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC), calibration curve, and clinical decision curve. Additionally, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to confirm whether the predicted VETC status by the model is associated with early recurrence, just as it is with the actual VETC status and early recurrence. RESULTS: Alpha-fetoprotein_lg10, carbohydrate antigen 199, irregular shape, non-smooth margin, and arterial peritumoral enhancement were identified as independent predictors of VETC. The model incorporating these predictors demonstrated strong predictive performance. The AUC was 0.811 for the training set, 0.800 for the test set, and 0.791 for the validation set. The calibration curve indicated that the predicted probability was consistent with the actual VETC status in all three sets. Furthermore, the decision curve analysis demonstrated the clinical benefits of our model for patients with sHCC. Finally, early recurrence was more likely to occur in the VETC-positive group compared to the VETC-negative group, regardless of whether considering the actual or predicted VETC status. CONCLUSION: Our novel prediction model demonstrates strong performance in predicting VETC positivity in sHCC (≤ 3 cm) patients, and it holds potential for predicting early recurrence. This model equips clinicians with valuable information to make informed clinical treatment decisions.

Characterisation of strength and deformation characteristics of alkali-activated rice husk ash filler-assemblage perimeter rock.

In this study, the strength characteristics, deformation characteristics and damage characteristics of three kinds of specimens, namely, surrounding rock, cemented paste backfill (CPB) and a surrounding rock-CPB combination, were studied by uniaxial compression testing using rice husk ash and slag as cementing materials, and the mechanical properties of the combination specimens with different height ratios were also analyzed. The results showed that the surrounding rock specimens were the strongest, followed by the composite body, and the CPB was the weakest. The relationship between different height ratios of the assemblage and the cut line modulus was found according to the fitted curves. The CPB specimens and the surrounding rock specimens showed ductile damage, while the assemblage specimens showed brittle damage.