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PURPOSE: Currently, there are no accurate markers for predicting potentially lethal prostate cancer (PC) before biopsy. This study aimed to develop urine tests to predict clinically significant PC (sPC) in men at risk. METHODS: Urine samples from 928 men, namely, 660 PC patients and 268 benign subjects, were analyzed by gas chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrophotometry (GC/Q-TOF MS) metabolomic profiling to construct four predictive models. Model I discriminated between PC and benign cases. Models II, III, and GS, respectively, predicted sPC in those classified as having favorable intermediate risk or higher, unfavorable intermediate risk or higher (according to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network risk groupings), and a Gleason sum (GS) of ≥ 7. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC). RESULTS: In Models I, II, III, and GS, the best AUCs (0.94, 0.85, 0.82, and 0.80, respectively; training cohort, N = 603) involved 26, 24, 26, and 22 metabolites, respectively. The addition of five clinical risk factors (serum prostate-specific antigen, patient age, previous negative biopsy, digital rectal examination, and family history) significantly improved the AUCs of the models (0.95, 0.92, 0.92, and 0.87, respectively). At 90% sensitivity, 48%, 47%, 50%, and 36% of unnecessary biopsies could be avoided. These models were successfully validated against an independent validation cohort (N = 325). Decision curve analysis showed a significant clinical net benefit with each combined model at low threshold probabilities. Models II and III were more robust and clinically relevant than Model GS. CONCLUSION: This urine test, which combines urine metabolic markers and clinical factors, may be used to predict sPC and thereby inform the necessity of biopsy in men with an elevated PC risk.
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Metaboloma , Neoplasias da Próstata , Humanos , Masculino , Biópsia , Gradação de Tumores , Antígeno Prostático Específico , Neoplasias da Próstata/diagnóstico , Neoplasias da Próstata/metabolismo , Neoplasias da Próstata/patologia , Neoplasias da Próstata/urina , Fatores de Risco , Detecção Precoce de Câncer/métodos , Urinálise/métodos , Urina/químicaRESUMO
Background and Objectives: Adequate pain management during early rehabilitation is mandatory for improving the outcomes of patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Conventional pain management, mainly comprising opioids and epidural analgesia, may result in certain adverse effects such as dizziness, nausea, and motor blockade. We proposed a multimodal analgesic (MA) strategy involving the use of peripheral nerve block (NB), periarticular injection (PAI), and intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IVPCA). This study compared the clinical efficacy and adverse effects of the proposed MA strategy and patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA). Materials and Methods: We enrolled 118 patients who underwent TKA under spinal anesthesia. The patients followed either the MA protocol or received PCEA after surgery. The analgesic effect was examined using a numerical rating scale (NRS). The adverse effects experienced by the patients were recorded. Results: A lower proportion of patients in the MA group experienced motor blockade (6.45% vs. 22.98%) compared to those in the PCEA group on the first postoperative day. Furthermore, a lower proportion of patients in the MA group experienced numbness (18.52% vs. 43.33%) than those in the PCEA group on the first postoperative day. Conclusions: The MA strategy can be recommended for reducing the occurrence of motor blockade and numbness in patients following TKA. Therefore, the MA strategy ensures early rehabilitation while maintaining adequate pain relief.
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Analgesia Epidural , Artroplastia do Joelho , Humanos , Manejo da Dor , Analgesia Controlada pelo Paciente/efeitos adversos , Analgesia Controlada pelo Paciente/métodos , Artroplastia do Joelho/efeitos adversos , Analgesia Epidural/métodos , Estudos Retrospectivos , Dor Pós-Operatória/tratamento farmacológico , Dor Pós-Operatória/etiologia , Hipestesia/etiologia , Resultado do Tratamento , Analgésicos/uso terapêuticoRESUMO
Catechol estrogens (CEs) are metabolic electrophiles that actively undergo covalent interaction with cellular proteins, influencing molecular function. There is no feasible method to identify their binders in a living system. Herein, we developed a click chemistry-based approach using ethinylestradiol (EE2) as the precursor probe coupled with quantitative proteomics to identify protein targets of CEs and classify their binding strengths. Using in situ metabolic conversion and click reaction in liver microsomes, CEs-protein complex was captured by the probe, digested by trypsin, stable isotope labeled via reductive amination, and analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). A total of 334 liver proteins were repeatedly identified ( n ≥ 2); 274 identified proteins were classified as strong binders based on precursor mass mapping. The binding strength was further scaled by D/H ratio (activity probe/solvent): 259 strong binders had D/H > 5.25; 46 weak binders had 5.25 > D/H > 1; 5 nonspecific binders (keratins) had D/H < 1. These results were confirmed using spiked covalent control (strong binder) and noncovalent control (weak binder), as well as in vitro testing of cytochrome c (D/H = 5.9), which showed covalent conjugation with CEs. Many identified strong binders, such as glutathione transferase, catechol-O-methyl transferase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and cytochrome c, are involved in cellular redox processes or detoxification activities. CE conjugation was shown to suppress the superoxide oxidase activity of cytochrome c, suggesting that CEs modification may alter the redox action of cellular proteins. Due to structural similarity and inert alkyne group, EE2 probe is very likely to capture protein targets of CEs in general. Thus, this strategy can be adopted to explore the biological impact of CEs modification in living systems.
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Estrogênios de Catecol/antagonistas & inibidores , Proteínas/farmacologia , Proteômica/métodos , Animais , Cromatografia Líquida , Química Click/métodos , Etinilestradiol/química , Espectrometria de Massas , Microssomos Hepáticos/química , Sondas Moleculares , Ligação Proteica , RatosRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) and corticosteroid injection (CSI) are treatment options for plantar fasciitis. Their clinical outcome comparison remains a debate. Also, the thickness changes of the plantar fascia on objective evaluation under the medium energy ESWT and CSI therapy are elusive. METHODS: A total of 97 patients with chronic plantar fasciitis were enrolled in the randomized prospective trial. Forty-seven patients received extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT), and fifty patients received corticosteroid injection (CSI). The thickness of the plantar fascia was evaluated respectively before ESWT and CSI, and at the 4th and 12th week after ESWT and CSI by ultrasonography. Pain level and clinical outcomes were recorded using visual analogue scale (VAS) and 100-points scoring systems. Correlation analysis was performed between the thickness change and clinical outcome. RESULTS: Under ultrasonography, we observed more increase of plantar fascia thickness of ESWT group than CSI group at 4th week (p=0.048). VAS of plantar fasciitis patients receiving ESWT was lower than those who received corticosteroid injection (0.001 and p⟨0.001, at 4th and 12th week). On the assessment of 100-points scoring systems, the pain level of patients with ESWT was lower than those with CSI at the 12th week (p⟨0.001). On the other hand, the increase of plantar fascia thickness at 4th week was positively correlated with the decrease of VAS score at 12th week follow-up (R=0.302, P=0.039). CONCLUSIONS: At 4th week after treatment, the thickness of plantar fascia increased. Then it decreased gradually, but not to the baseline at 12th week. On the pain level outcome at 12th week, extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) was more efficient than corticosteroid injection (CSI) on chronic plantar fasciitis. The more change of plantar fascia after ESWT, the more efficient on clinical outcome.
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Corticosteroides/uso terapêutico , Fáscia/diagnóstico por imagem , Fasciíte Plantar/diagnóstico por imagem , Fasciíte Plantar/terapia , Tratamento por Ondas de Choque Extracorpóreas , Fasciíte Plantar/tratamento farmacológico , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Resultado do Tratamento , UltrassonografiaRESUMO
Instability of the knee joint after total knee replacement (TKR) is one of the most important reasons for revision TKR. Inadequate release or tightening of the collateral ligaments in the knee joint may cause instability and early failure. This study presents a case series study of a new technique for ligament balancing wherein the collateral ligament is detached from its origin and rotated (twisted) around its longitudinal axis to tighten the ligament before the origin is reattached to its original position. The surgical technique for collateral ligament tightening during TKR was performed on 6 patients with a deformed knee caused by osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The range of motion, knee society score, and laxity of the patients' knee joint, after 7 months to 13 years of follow-up, were evaluated. The technique was successful, achieving good range of motion and satisfactory stability of the joint. Further evaluation in a larger number of cases and a comparative analysis with different techniques would further support the usefulness of this rotational ligamentoplasty technique.
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BACKGROUND: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is one of the most important perioperative complications of total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Although risk-stratification tools exist for the prediction of cardiac complications including AMI after noncardiac surgery, such stratification does not differentiate the patients with a coronary stent alone, AMI without a stent, or AMI with a stent. The risk of postoperative AMI in these patient groups may vary. Several studies have recommended suitable times for noncardiac surgery in patients with a coronary stent; however, they do not differentiate between the patients with AMI and no AMI. The suitable time of noncardiac surgery for patients with AMI and stent may vary from those with a stent alone. Moreover, a study to evaluate the risk of AMI within 1 year in an Asian population with a history of AMI or coronary stent who underwent TKA has not been reported. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: (1) What are the risks of AMI within 1 year of TKA in patients who have had a stent alone, AMI without a stent, or AMI with a stent as compared with patients without an AMI/stent? (2) For patients with AMI/stent placement, when can TKA be performed where the risk of subsequent AMI normalizes? (3) What comorbidities are associated with post-TKA AMI? (4) Is the risk of AMI within 1 year after surgery in patients undergoing TKA without a history of AMI/stent higher than that in patients with no surgery? METHODS: This study is a retrospective study of the medical claim records of 128,216 patients who underwent TKA between 1997 and 2010 in Taiwan. The records were retrieved from the research database of the Bureau of National Health Insurance in Taiwan, which maintains the records of 99.68% of the Taiwan population. The patients who had a history of AMI or coronary stent placement within the year before TKA were compared with the patients who had not experienced AMI or stent placement before TKA. The control subjects were matched according to sex, age, Charlson score, and year of surgery. There were 2413 patients in each group. The patients with a history of AMI or stent placement and the timing of TKA after coronary event were further stratified as with a coronary stent alone, AMI without a stent, and AMI with a stent. The effects of the comorbidities of renal failure, diabetes, liver failure, and hypertension were also analyzed individually. The risk of AMI within 1 year after TKA was investigated using bivariate analysis and the Cox proportional hazard model. To compare the risk of AMI within 1 year of surgery in the patients with a history of TKA and no AMI/stent with the population without a history of surgery, a similar bivariate analysis and the Cox proportional hazard model were applied to their matched case and control groups, each containing 110,980 patients. RESULTS: In the adjusted model, using no AMI/stent before TKA as a reference, patients having undergone AMI + stent had the highest risk (hazard ratio [HR], 5.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.81-15.14; p = 0.002), AMI alone without a stent had less risk (HR, 4.88; 95% CI, 1.49-16.01; p = 0.009), and stent alone with AMI had the lowest risk (HR, 3.16; 95% CI, 1.29-7.71; p = 0.012). In all patients, risk of AMI after TKA was not different than reference values after 1 year of initial AMI or stent (stent: HR, 1.67; 95% CI, 0.71-3.94; p = 0.239; AMI: HR, 1.88; 95% CI, 0.42-8.49; p = 0.412; AMI + stent: HR, 1.91; 95% CI, 0.53-6.89; p = 0.321). The risk of post-TKA AMI was elevated within 1 year of the previous episode of AMI/stent (0-180 days: HR, 8.42; 95% CI, 3.03-23.41; p < 0.001; 181-365 days: HR, 7.52; 95% CI, 2.47-22.88; p < 0.001). Only chronic renal failure under hemodialysis was associated with increased risk of AMI within 1 year of TKA (adjusted HR, 4.34; 95% CI, 1.22-15.43; p = 0.023). Patients undergoing TKA with no history of AMI/stent had a lower risk of AMI within 1 year of TKA compared with the patients with no history of surgery (adjusted HR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.86-0.99; p = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS: This study found the risk of post-TKA AMI remains high within 1 year in patients with a history of AMI/stent. It is recommended that an elective TKA should be performed at least 1 year after an episode of AMI or stent placement. Stents do not provide protection against post-TKA AMI within 6 months of the AMI and patients with AMI + stent have a higher risk of AMI than those with only AMI. Patients of AMI/stent on hemodialysis have a very high risk of post-TKA AMI. However, the risk of AMI is lower in post-TKA patients compared with those with no TKA. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, prognostic study.
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Artroplastia de Quadril/efeitos adversos , Doença da Artéria Coronariana/terapia , Articulação do Quadril/cirurgia , Infarto do Miocárdio/terapia , Intervenção Coronária Percutânea/instrumentação , Stents , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Distribuição de Qui-Quadrado , Comorbidade , Doença da Artéria Coronariana/diagnóstico , Bases de Dados Factuais , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Prontuários Médicos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Análise Multivariada , Infarto do Miocárdio/diagnóstico , Infarto do Miocárdio/etiologia , Intervenção Coronária Percutânea/efeitos adversos , Pontuação de Propensão , Modelos de Riscos Proporcionais , Recidiva , Estudos Retrospectivos , Medição de Risco , Fatores de Risco , Taiwan , Fatores de Tempo , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
The purpose of this study is to investigate the changing spectrum and clinicopathologic correlation of biopsy-proven renal diseases in central China. We retrospectively analyzed data of 4931 patients who underwent renal biopsy in ten hospitals between September 1994 and December 2014. Among them, 81.55% were primary glomerular diseases (GD), and 13.02% were secondary GD. IgA nephropathy (IgAN) was the most common primary GD (43.45%), followed by focal glomerulonephritis (16.79%), mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (MsPGN, 14.35%), and membranous nephropathy (MN, 13.28%). IgAN was leading primary GD in patients under 60 years old, while MN was the leading one over 60 years old. The most frequent secondary GD was lupus nephritis (LN) (47.35%). The prevalence of IgAN, MN and minimal change disease was found to increase significantly (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, and p < 0.01, respectively), while that of MsPGN, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis and LN decreased significantly (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, and p < 0.05, respectively). The main indication for renal biopsy was proteinuria and hematuria (49.03%), followed by nephrotic syndrome (NS, 20.36%). IgAN was the most common cause in patients with proteinuria and hematuria, chronic-progressive kidney injury, hematuria and acute kidney injury; and MN was the leading cause of NS. Primary GD remained the predominant renal disease in central China. IgAN and LN were the most prevalent histopathologic lesions of primary and secondary GD, respectively. The spectrum of biopsy-proven renal disease had a great change in the past two decades. Proteinuria and hematuria was the main indication for renal biopsy.
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Glomerulonefrite/epidemiologia , Glomerulonefrite/patologia , Rim/patologia , Injúria Renal Aguda/epidemiologia , Injúria Renal Aguda/patologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Biópsia , Criança , China/epidemiologia , Feminino , Hematúria/epidemiologia , Hematúria/patologia , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Síndrome Nefrótica/epidemiologia , Síndrome Nefrótica/patologia , Prevalência , Proteinúria/epidemiologia , Proteinúria/patologia , Estudos Retrospectivos , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Histories of eighteenth-century chemistry often assert that the works of the German chemist Georg Ernst Stahl (1659-1734), especially his ideas about phlogiston, were largely unknown to French chemists until the 1740s. A careful analysis of Stahl's writings and the publications of the Royal Academy of Sciences in Paris shows that academy chemists were well informed about, and even integrated, Stahl's chemical theories, experiments, and methods beginning in the 1710s, and that Stahl kept abreast of the work by his colleagues at the Paris Academy. It also reveals the frequency and significance of the communication between French and German chemical communities in the first half of the eighteenth century.
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Academias e Institutos , Química/história , Disseminação de Informação , França , Alemanha , História do Século XVIII , ParisRESUMO
Epilepsy is a globally distributed chronic neurological disorder that may pose a threat to life without warning. Therefore, the use of wearable devices for real-time detection and treatment of epilepsy is crucial. Additionally, personalizing disease detection algorithms for individual users is also a challenge in clinical applications. Some studies have proposed seizure detection algorithms with convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and programmable hardware architectures for speeding up the process of CNN inference. However, personalizing seizure detection algorithms could still not be performed on these hardware architectures. Consequently, this study proposes three key contributions to address the challenges: a real-time seizure detection and personalization algorithm, a programmable reduced instruction set computer-V (RISC-V) deep learning accelerator (DLA) hardware architecture (RVDLAHA), and a dedicated RISC-V DLA (RVDLA) compiler. In animal experiments with lab rats, the proposed CNN-based seizure detection algorithm obtains an accuracy of 99.5% for a 32-bit floating point and an accuracy of 99.3% for a 16-bit fixed point. Additionally, the proposed personalization algorithm increases the testing accuracy across different databases from 85.0% to 92.9%. The RVDLAHA is implemented on Xilinx PYNQ-Z2, with a power consumption of only 0.107 W at an operating frequency of 1 MHz. Each step, including raw data input, preprocessing, detection, and personalization, requires only 17.8, 1.0, 1.1, and 1.3 ms, respectively. With the hardware architecture, the seizure detection and personalization algorithm can provide on-device real-time monitoring.
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This work proposes a classification system for arrhythmias, aiming to enhance the efficiency of the diagnostic process for cardiologists. The proposed algorithm includes a naive preprocessing procedure for electrocardiography (ECG) data applicable to various ECG databases. Additionally, this work proposes an ultralightweight model for arrhythmia classification based on a convolutional neural network and incorporating R-peak interval features to represent long-term rhythm information, thereby improving the model's classification performance. The proposed model is trained and tested by using the MIT-BIH and NCKU-CBIC databases in accordance with the classification standards of the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), achieving high accuracies of 98.32% and 97.1%. This work applies the arrhythmia classification algorithm to a web-based system, thus providing a graphical interface. The cloud-based execution of automated artificial intelligence (AI) classification allows cardiologists and patients to view ECG wave conditions instantly, thereby remarkably enhancing the quality of medical examination. This work also designs a customized integrated circuit for the hardware implementation of an AI accelerator. The accelerator utilizes a parallelized processing element array architecture to perform convolution and fully connected layer operations. It introduces proposed hybrid stationary techniques, combining input and weight stationary modes to increase data reuse drastically and reduce hardware execution cycles and power consumption, ultimately achieving high-performance computing. This accelerator is implemented in the form of a chip by using the TSMC 180 nm CMOS process. It exhibits a power consumption of 122 µW, a classification latency of 6.8 ms, and an energy efficiency of 0.83 µJ/classification.
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BACKGROUND/AIM: Lenvatinib, an oral multikinase inhibitor, has demonstrated promising activity in patients with osteosarcoma (OS). Therefore, it is worth exploring the inhibitory efficacy and mechanism of action of lenvatinib in osteosarcoma. The primary goal of this study was to examine the inhibitory effectiveness and mechanism of lenvatinib on the growth and invasion of OS cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The effects of lenvatinib on cell viability, apoptosis, protein kinase B (AKT) activation, its downstream effector proteins involved in tumor progression, and invasion capability were assessed using MTT assay, flow cytometry, western blotting, and invasion/migration assay on U-2 OS and MG63 cells. RESULTS: Lenvatinib effectively induced cytotoxicity, apoptosis, as well as extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic signaling in OS cells. Lenvatinib also significantly decreased the invasion/migration capability, AKT activation, and downstream effector proteins. CONCLUSION: The anti-OS effect of lenvatinib may be associated with the induction of apoptosis and the inactivation of AKT.
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Neoplasias Ósseas , Osteossarcoma , Humanos , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas c-akt/metabolismo , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Proliferação de Células , Movimento Celular , Apoptose , Osteossarcoma/patologia , Neoplasias Ósseas/patologiaAssuntos
Colangite/etiologia , Coledocolitíase/complicações , Ducto Cístico/anormalidades , Vesícula Biliar/anormalidades , Cálculos Biliares/complicações , Doença Aguda , Colangite/diagnóstico por imagem , Colangite/cirurgia , Coledocolitíase/diagnóstico por imagem , Coledocolitíase/cirurgia , Ducto Cístico/diagnóstico por imagem , Ducto Cístico/cirurgia , Feminino , Vesícula Biliar/diagnóstico por imagem , Vesícula Biliar/cirurgia , Cálculos Biliares/diagnóstico por imagem , Cálculos Biliares/cirurgia , Humanos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Tomografia Computadorizada por Raios X , UltrassonografiaRESUMO
Glucocorticoids are generally contraindicated for use in central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) because their use is considered to be an independent risk factor for CSC. There are rare reports regarding the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) combined with CSC. This current case report describes a rare case of a 24-year-old female patient with severely active SLE combined with CSC, whose vision was significantly restored after she was administered 120 mg methylprednisolone intravenously once a day for 3 days. This case report presents the clinical characteristics for the first time in terms of distinguishing between typical CSC and lupus chorioretinopathy. It also provides a review of the relevant literature. In patients with clinically severe active lupus nephritis combined with bilateral lupus chorioretinopathy, timely systemic application of appropriate doses of glucocorticoids is the preferred method to control the primary disease and serious ocular complications.
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Coriorretinopatia Serosa Central , Lúpus Eritematoso Sistêmico , Feminino , Humanos , Adulto Jovem , Adulto , Glucocorticoides/uso terapêutico , Coriorretinopatia Serosa Central/complicações , Coriorretinopatia Serosa Central/diagnóstico , Coriorretinopatia Serosa Central/tratamento farmacológico , Lúpus Eritematoso Sistêmico/complicações , Lúpus Eritematoso Sistêmico/tratamento farmacológico , Metilprednisolona/uso terapêutico , OlhoRESUMO
Our aim is to develop nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) for loading the apomorphine diester prodrugs, diacetyl apomorphine (DAA) and diisobutyryl apomorphine (DIA), into the brain. NLCs were prepared using sesame oil/cetyl palmitate as the lipid matrices. Experiments were performed with the objective of evaluating the physicochemical characteristics, drug release, safety and brain-targeting efficacy of the NLCs. The size of regular NLCs (N-NLCs) was 214 nm. The addition of Forestall (FE) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) to the NLCs (P-NLCs) increased the particle diameter to 250 nm. The zeta potentials of N-NLCs and P-NLCs were respectively shown to be - 21 and 48 mV. Diester prodrugs were more lipophilic and more chemically stable than the parent apomorphine. The hydrolysis study indicated that the prodrugs underwent bioconversion in plasma and brain extract, with DAA exhibiting faster degradation than DIA. Sustained release was achieved through the synergistic effect of integrating strategies of prodrugs and NLCs, with the longer carbon chain showing the slower release (DIA < DAA). None of the NLCs tested here exhibited a toxicity problem according to the examination of neutrophil lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and hemolysis. Results of a bioimaging study in mice showed that P-NLCs largely accumulated in the brain. The distribution duration of the fluorescent dye in the brain region was also prolonged by the nanocarriers.
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Apomorfina/administração & dosagem , Apomorfina/farmacocinética , Encéfalo/metabolismo , Lipossomos/química , Nanocápsulas/química , Palmitatos/química , Óleo de Gergelim/química , Animais , Apomorfina/química , Agonistas de Dopamina/administração & dosagem , Agonistas de Dopamina/química , Agonistas de Dopamina/farmacocinética , Taxa de Depuração Metabólica , Camundongos , Camundongos Nus , Nanocápsulas/administração & dosagem , Distribuição TecidualRESUMO
Powder metallurgy (PM) has been widely used to produce various steels in industry, mainly due to its capabilities for manufacturing nearly net-shaped products and mass production. To improve the performances of PM stainless steels, the roles of 0.6 wt% B additive in the microstructures, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistances of PM 304L austenitic, 410L ferritic, and 410 martensitic stainless steels were investigated. The results showed that adding 0.6 wt% B significantly improved the sintered densities of the three kinds of stainless steels due to the liquid phase sintering (LPS) phenomenon. The borides in 304L + 0.6B, 410L + 0.6B, and 410 + 0.6B were rich in B and Cr atoms but deficient in Fe, Ni, or C atoms, as analyzed by electron probe micro-analysis. Furthermore, the B additive contributed to the improved apparent hardness and corrosion resistance of PM stainless steels. In the 410L stainless steel, the 0.6 wt% B addition increased the corrosion voltage from -0.43 VSCE to -0.24 VSCE and reduced the corrosion current density from 2.27 × 10-6 A/cm2 to 1.93 × 10-7 A/cm2. The effects of several factors, namely: porosity; the generation of boride; the matrix/boride interfacial areas; Cr depletion; and the microstructure on the corrosion performances are discussed. The findings clearly indicate that porosity plays a predominant role in the corrosion resistances of PM austenitic, ferritic, and martensitic stainless steels.
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BACKGROUND/AIM: Osteosarcoma is an aggressive primary malignant bone tumor that occurs in childhood. Although the diagnostic and treatment options have been improved, osteosarcoma confers poor prognosis. Magnolol, an active component of Magnoliae officinalis cortex, has been widely applied in herb medicine and has been shown to have multiple pharmacological activities. However, whether magnolol possesses anti-osteosarcoma capacity remains unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We examined magnolol is cytotoxicity, and whether it regulates apoptosis and oncogene expression using MTT, flow cytometry and Western blotting assays in osteosarcoma cells. RESULTS: Magnolol exerted toxicity towards U-2 OS cells by inducing intrinsic/extrinsic apoptosis pathways. Additionally, treatment of U-2 OS cells with magnolol inhibited MAPK1 mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (ERK)/Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-B) signaling involved in tumor progression and reduced the expression of anti-apoptotic and metastasis-associated genes. CONCLUSION: Magnolol may induce apoptosis and inactivate ERK/NF-B signal transduction in osteosarcoma cells.
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Neoplasias Ósseas , Lignanas , Osteossarcoma , Apoptose , Compostos de Bifenilo/farmacologia , Neoplasias Ósseas/tratamento farmacológico , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , MAP Quinases Reguladas por Sinal Extracelular/metabolismo , Humanos , Lignanas/farmacologia , NF-kappa B/metabolismo , Osteossarcoma/tratamento farmacológico , Osteossarcoma/genética , Transdução de SinaisRESUMO
Georg Ernst Stahl, an influential chymical-medical author of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, first believed in alchemical transmutation and reversed his position over the course of his career. This essay begins by placing Stahl's early teaching in alchemy in a larger background in which German princes and academics shared intense interest in gold-making. Then, tracing Stahl's intellectual development, it shows that he developed an increasing reservation about alchemy, though he remained open to the possibility of transmutation during his tenure at Halle. Finally, this essay shows that Stahl's service to King Friedrich Wilhelm I was an important context for his later public denunciation of alchemy. An analysis of Stahl's career shift from a university professor to a royal physician at court thus sheds light on the reversal of his positions.
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OBJECTIVE: Untreated obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) increases the risk of cardiovascular, dementia, and motor vehicle accident events. However, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) which is the gold standard treatment is not acceptable for many patients with OSAS. Development of devices for the patients of nonadherence to CPAP is necessary. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated the effect of the smart antisnore pillow (SAP) in patients with OSAS in a prospective, noncontrolled, nonrandomized, pilot study. According to the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), they were divided into two groups: mild-to-moderate OSAS group and severe OSAS group. Single-night polysomnography (PSG) with application of a SAP was performed. Thirty patients, 15 males and 15 females, 33-82 years old (mean age, 59.3 ± 12.9 years), completed the smart antisnore pillow therapy test. Among them, 23 patients had mild-to-moderate OSAS. RESULTS: The SAP significantly improved the snore number (p = 0.018), snore index (p = 0.013), oxygen denaturation index (p = 0.001), total AHI (p = 0.002), and supine AHI (p = 0.002) in the mild-to-moderate OSAS group, but there was no significant improvement in the severe OSAS group. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that the SAP is an effective positional therapy device for patients with OSAS of mild-to-moderate severity.