Accuracy of an autonomous dental implant robotic system in placing tilted implants for edentulous arches.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Accurate placement of tilted implants is essential as they are typically close to important anatomic structures. Inaccurate implant position may damage those structures and affect outcomes. PURPOSE: The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare the accuracy and efficiency of an autonomous dental implant robotic (ADIR) system and a static computer-assisted implant surgery (sCAIS) system in placing tilted implants in edentulous patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ten 3-dimensionally (3D) printed edentulous mandibular casts were assigned to 1 of 2 groups (ADIR and sCAIS). The coronal, apical, and angular deviations of the placement of tilted implants, preoperative preparation time, and surgical time were compared between the 2 groups. The paired samples t test and the independent samples t test were used to compare the groups (α=.05). RESULTS: The mean ±standard deviation of coronal, apical, and angular deviation in the ADIR group and sCAIS group were 0.47 ±0.06 mm versus 1.09 ±0.11 mm, 0.47 ±0.05 mm versus 1.53 ±0.14 mm, and 0.91 ±0.82 degrees versus 2.83 ±0.55 degrees, respectively. The deviations of the tilted implant positions in the ADIR were relatively small and significantly different from those of sCAIS (P<.05). The preoperative preparation time of the ADIR group was significantly longer than that of the sCAIS group (P<.001), and the surgical time for the 2 groups was statistically similar (P=.259). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the sCAIS system, the deviation of tilted implants in the ADIR group was smaller, but the preoperative preparation time was longer. The results indicated that using the ADIR for tilted implantation can lead to more accurate implantation positions and reduce the occurrence of complications. However, it is time consuming, and the workflow should be simplified to improve efficiency.

Embedded growth of colorful CsPbX3(X = Cl, Br, I) nanocrystals in metal-organic frameworks at Room Temperature.

Herein, we develop a novel strategy for preparing all-inorganic cesium lead halide (CsPbX3, X = Cl, Br, I) perovskite nanocrystals (NCs)@Zn-based metal-organic framework (MOF) composites through interfacial synthesis. The successful embedding of fluorescent perovskite NCs in Zn-MOFs is due to thein situconfined growth, which is attributed to the re-nucleation of water-triggered phase transformation from Cs4PbBr6to CsPbBr3. The controllable synthesis of mixed-halide based composites with various emission wavelength can be achieved by adding the desired amount of halide (Cl or I) salts in the re-nucleation process. More importantly, the anion exchange reaction is inhibited among various composites with different halogen atoms by being trapped in MOFs. Besides, a white light-emitting diode (WLED) is produced using a blue LED chip with the green-emitting and red-emitting composites, which has a color coordinate of (0.3291, 0.3272) and a wide color gamut. This work provides a novel route to achieving perovskite NCs growth in MOFs, which also can be extended to the other NCs embedded in frames as well.

[Intervention effect of Jingfang Mixture on urticaria mice based on NF-κB/NLRP3/IL-1ß signaling pathway].

This study explored the curative effect of Jingfang Mixture on urticaria mice induced by aluminum hydroxide/ovalbumin, and discussed its mechanism. Sixty male Kunming mice were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, three Jingfang Mixture(low-dose, medium-dose, and high-dose) groups, and a positive drug(cetirizine hydrochloride) group. The urticarial model in mice was induced by the intraperitoneal injection of the mixed solution of ovalbumin and aluminum hydroxide. The degrees of pruritus were observed after the second immunization. Pathological changes were detected by hematoxylin and eosin(HE) staining. Levels of interleukin 1ß(IL-1ß) and tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α) in the serum were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). Expressions of NOD-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3) and IL-1ß were detected by immunohistochemistry(IHC). Expressions of nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB p65), NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD(ASC), cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteases 1(caspase-1), and IL-1ß proteins were detected by Western blot. The results showed that, except for the normal group, the mice in all groups had different degrees of pruritus. Compared with the model group, the Jingfang Mixture groups and the positive drug group prolonged the scratching latency of mice(P<0.05), and significantly reduced the number of scratching(P<0.05). In addition, the Jingfang Mixture groups and the positive drug group improved the pathological morphology of skin tissue. The expression levels of IL-1ß and TNF-α in serum were significantly reduced(P<0.05), and the number of NLRP3 and IL-1ß positive cells was decreased(P<0.01). The expressions of p-NF-κB p65, NLRP3, ASC, cleaved caspase-1, and IL-1ß protein were significantly down-regulated(P<0.05). The results of the above study indicate that Jingfang Mixture inhibit the inflammatory response in urticaria mice, and the mechanism may be related to the inhibition of activating NF-κB/NLRP3/IL-1ß signaling pathway.

[Jingfang Mixture regulates balance of spleen T lymphocyte subsets in urticaria mice by inhibiting JAK2-STAT3 signaling pathway].

Urticaria is an immune-mediated allergic disease. This study explored the effect of Jingfang Mixture on spleen T lymphocyte subsets of urticaria mice. A total of 50 Kunming mice were randomized into normal group(C), model group(V), and low-(JF-L, 0.5 g·kg~(-1)), medium-(JF-M, 1 g·kg~(-1)) and high-dose(JF-H, 2 g·kg~(-1)) Jingfang Mixture groups, with 10 mice in each group. The mixture of ovalbumin and aluminum hydroxide(0.1 mg + 0.1 mL) was used(intraperitoneal injection) to induce urticaria in mice. The administration began 6 days after the first immunization, and the second immunization was carried out 10 days after the first immunization. The pruritus index was detected within 30 min after the second immunization. The administration lasted 21 days. After 21 days, the serum was taken to detect the total IgE level. Based on hematoxylin and eosin(HE) staining, the pathological changes of skin tissue were observed, and Western blot was used to detect the levels of p-Janus kinase 2(JAK2)/JAK2 and p-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3)/STAT3 in skin tissue. The spleen was taken to detect the spleen index, and flow cytometry was employed to determine the expression of lymphocyte subsets. The results showed that group V had obvious pathological changes in skin tissue compared with group C. Moreover, group V showed more scratches, higher spleen index, and higher level of total serum IgE than group C. In addition, higher levels of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3, lower proportions of CD4~+T, Th1, and Treg, higher proportions of CD8~+T, Th2, and Th17, and lower ratios of CD4~+/CD8~+, Th1/Th2, and Terg/Th17 were observed in group V than in group C. Compared with group V, each administration group showed alleviation of the pathological morphology of skin tissue, obvious epidermal thickening, relatively intact collagen fiber structure of dermal reticular layer, alleviated edema, and relief of vasodilation and peripheral inflammatory cell infiltration. Moreover, less scratching, lower spleen index, lower p-JAK2/JAK2 and p-STAT3/STAT3 were observed in the administration groups than in group V. JF-M group and JF-H group demonstrated lower levels of total IgE, larger proportions of CD4~+T, Th1, and Treg, smaller proportions of CD8~+ T, Th2, and Th17, and higher ratios of CD4~+/CD8~+, Th1/Th2, and Terg/Th17. In conclusion, Jingfang Mixture may improve the symptoms of urticaria mice by regulating the balance of spleen T lymphocyte subsets through JAK2-STAT3 signaling pathway.

Catechins reduce inflammation in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated dental pulp cells by inhibiting activation of the NF-κB pathway.

AIM: To ascertain the anti-inflammation mechanism of catechins in lipopolysaccharide-treated human dental pulp cells (HDPCs). METHODS: Expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1ß, and IL-6 was measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The anti-inflammatory mechanism was explored by examining activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling using qPCR, Western blotting, and immunofluorescence staining. RESULTS: Human dental pulp cells proliferation was not affected by treatment with epigallocatechin (ECG) or epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG). mRNA expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 was decreased significantly in ECG- and EGCG-treated HDPCs. Subsequently, the effects of ECG and EGCG upon activation of NF-κB signaling were evaluated by Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining. Expression of p-p65 protein in HDPCs treated with ECG, EGCG, or an NF-κB inhibitor (Bay 11-7082) was lower than that in HDPCs treated with lipopolysaccharide, data that were consistent with the location of p65 protein according to immunofluorescence staining. CONCLUSIONS: Catechin could reduce lipopolysaccharide-stimulated inflammation in HDPCs by inhibiting activation of the NF-κB pathway.

Comparing about three types of endoscopic therapy methods for upper gastrointestinal submucosal tumors originating from the muscularis propria layer.

Background: Endoscopic submucosal excavation (ESE), endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFTR) and submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection (STER) have been widely applied to upper gastrointestinal submucosal tumors (SMTs) originating from the muscularis propria (MP) layer in recent years. But until now, there are few studies that comparing the efficacy and safety of three endoscopic therapy methods.Method: From January 2013 to August 2018, a total of 218 patients with SMTs who underwent ESE, EFTR or STER were enrolled in this retrospective study. Clinicopathological characteristics, endoscopic features, complication and follow-up data were analyzed.Result: There were 114 patients underwent ESE, 61 underwent EFTR and 43 underwent STER, respectively. The en bloc and complete resection rates in STER group (83.7% and 90.0%) were significantly lower and postoperative complication rate (62.8%) was significantly higher than those of the other 2 methods. Furthermore, for lesions <40 mm, no significant differences were found in the en bloc rate, complete rate and postoperative complication rate among 3 methods. The perforation rate decreased in the order of EFTR (100%), ESE (23.7%), STER (7.0%). The median number of clips, fasting time and hospital stay were lowest in ESE group (5, 2 days, and 7 days). And the cost was highest in EFTR group ($4993.1). There were no differences in the bleeding and recurrence rates among three groups.Conclusion: For SMTs <40 mm, the efficacy among 3 ER methods are comparative. The choice of ER methods mainly based on the comprehensive consideration of lesion size, location, growth pattern and clinical experience of endoscopists. For benign SMTs ≥40 mm in stomach, ESE and EFTR becomes alternative choices.

circRNA CDR1as Regulated the Proliferation of Human Periodontal Ligament Stem Cells under a Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammatory Condition.

circRNA CDR1as (CDR1as) has been demonstrated to play important roles in a variety of inflammation-related diseases by acting as miRNA sponges. The present study is aimed at investigating the potential roles of CDR1as in the proliferation of human periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) under an inflammatory condition induced by Porphyromonas gingivalis-derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Human periodontal ligament cells (PDLCs) were isolated from periodontal ligament tissue, and PDLSCs were sorted from PDLCs based on the STRO-1 expression through fluorescence-activated cell sorting. We further found that CDR1as was significantly downregulated in LPS-treated PDLSCs compared to untreated cells, as well as in normal periodontal ligament tissues compared to periodontitis tissues. Knockdown of CDR1as promoted LPS-induced proliferative inhibition of PDLSCs, whereas overexpression of CDR1as alleviated the LPS-induced proliferative ability of PDLSCs. Mechanistically, CDR1as functioned as an miR-7 sponge to activate the ERK signal pathway to mediate the inhibition effect of LPS on cell proliferation. Taken together, our findings revealed the effects of the interacting pair of CDR1as/miR-7 on the proliferation ability of PDLSCs within their surrounding inflammatory microenvironment of periodontitis.

Knockdown of lncRNA H19 inhibits abnormal differentiation of small intestinal epithelial cells in diabetic mice.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) comprises a group of metabolic diseases characterized by insulin deficiency or resistance and hyperglycemia. We previously reported the presence of abnormal differentiation of small intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) in diabetic mice, but the exact mechanism of this phenomenon has not been thoroughly elucidated to date. In this study, we found that H19 was markedly upregulated in IECs of DM mice. H19 knockdown significantly inhibited abnormal differentiation of IECs in DM mice. Bioinformatics analysis identified miR-141-3p as a candidate for H19. Based on luciferase reporter assays, we found that miR-141-3p directly targeted H19. Luciferase reporter assays also showed that miR-141-3p could directly target ß-catenin. Furthermore, H19 might act as an endogenous "sponge" by competing for miR-141-3p binding to regulate miRNA targets in vitro and in vivo. In summary, our findings provide the first evidence supporting the role of H19 in IECs of DM mice, and miR-141-3p targets not only protein-coding genes but also the lncRNA H19.

Long noncoding RNA lung cancer associated transcript 1 promotes proliferation and invasion of clear cell renal cell carcinoma cells by negatively regulating miR-495-3p.

Recently, long noncoding RNAs have emerged as new gene regulators and prognostic markers in several cancers, including renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Here, we focused on the long noncoding RNA lung cancer associated transcript 1 (LUCAT1) based on clear cell RCC (ccRCC) the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) data. However, whether aberrant expression of LUCAT1 in ccRCC is correlated with malignancy, metastasis or prognosis has not been elucidated. In the current study, we found that the expression of LUCAT1 was upregulated in ccRCC tissues and cancer cell lines. Upregulated LUCAT1 was positively correlated with larger tumor size, advanced tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, higher smoking frequency, nodal metastasis and shorter overall survival in patients with ccRCC. Inhibition of LUCAT1 by small interfering RNA reduced cell proliferation and invasion of ccRCC cells in vitro. In vivo assay showed that the tumor volume and weight were lower in the group of LUCAT1 inhibition than that in the control group. We then found that LUCAT1 directly bound and inhibited the expression of micoRNA-495-3p (miR-495-3p), which subsequently regulated the expression of special adenine-thymine (AT)-rich DNA-binding protein 1 (SATB1). Collectively, LUCAT1 was critical for proliferation and invasion of ccRCC cells by regulating miR-495-3p and SATB1. Our findings indicated that LUCAT1 and miR-495-3p may offer potential novel therapeutic targets of treatment of ccRCC.

Cost-Effective Fabrication of Inner-Porous Micro/Nano Carbon Structures.

This paper reports the fabrication of a new micro/nano carbon architecture array which owns the characteristics of inner-porous, desired conductivity and large effective surface area. The micro/nano inner-porous carbon structures were fabricated for the first time, with ordinary and cost-effective processes, including photolithography, oxygen plasma etching and pyrolysis. Firstly, micro/nano hierarchical photoresist structures array was generated through photolithography and oxygen plasma etching processes. By introducing a critical thin-film spin-coating step, and followed with carefully pyrolyzing process, the micro/nano photoresist structures were converted into innerporous carbon architectures with good electric connection which connected the carbon structures array together. Probably the inner-porous property can be attributed to the shrinkage difference between positive thin film and negative photoresist structures during pyrolyzing process. It is demonstrated that the simple method is effective to fabricate inner-porous carbon structures with good electric connection and the carbon structures can be used as electrochemical electrodes directly and without the addition of other pyrolysis or film coating processes. The electrochemical property of the carbon structures has been explored by cyclic voltammetric measurement. Compared with solid carbon microstructures array, the cyclic voltammetry curve of inner-porous carbon structures shows greatly enhanced current and improved charge-storage capability, indicating great potential in micro energy storage devices and bio-devices.

[Safety and efficacy of China-made sildenafil citrate in the treatment of erectile dysfunction].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety, efficacy and tolerability of China-made sildenafil citrate (Jinge) in the treatment of ED. METHODS: We conducted a multi-center, randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled clinical trial among 222 ED patients in five urological or andrological clinics of China. The patients were randomly assigned to receive sildenafil citrate (SC, n = 111) or placebo (n = 111) for 8 weeks. We obtained and analyzed the demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients, the scores of International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), the success rate of sexual intercourse, and the incidence of adverse events. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were found between the patients of the SC and those of the placebo group in the mean age (ï¼»47.2±11.32ï¼½ yr vs ï¼»46.67±13.08ï¼½ yr, P>0.05), psychological etiology (27.93% vs 23.42%, P>0.05), organic etiology (21.62% vs 29.73%, P>0.05) or mixed etiology (50.45% vs 46.85%, P>0.05), nor in height, weight, nationality, or history of smoking, drinking or allergy. Compared with the placebo controls, the SC-treated patients showed significant increases in the excellence rate of effectiveness (29.91% vs 78.90%, P<0.01), success rate of sexual intercourse (29.16% vs 63.87%, P<0.01), and total effectiveness rate (34.58% vs 77.98%, P<0.01). The effectiveness rates on organic, psychogenic and mixed types ED were remarkably higher in the SC group (64.52%, 83.33%, and 82.14%) than in the placebo control (46.15%, 21.21%, and 25.00%) (P<0.01). Mild or temporary adverse events were observed in 32 cases in the SC group as compared with 13 in the placebo control. CONCLUSIONS: China-made sildenafil citrate is an effective, safe and well-tolerated drug for ED of different etiologies in the Chinese population.

Visceral fat accumulation is associated with different pathological subtypes of renal cell carcinoma (RCC): a multicentre study in China.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether visceral obesity is associated with certain histological subtypes of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) ina multicentre Chinese cohort. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A kidney tumour database was created using three tertiary centres in China; 487 patients were enrolled presenting with localised RCC and complete computer tomography(CT)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) information. A single-slice CT image was used to measure the area of visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissues in each patient. Statistical methods were used to analyse clear-cell RCC (ccRCC) and non-clear-cell RCC (non-ccRCC) as they relate to visceral fat area (VFA) and other risk factors, such as age, gender, tumour size, diabetes, hypertension, total fat area (TFA) and body mass index (BMI). RESULTS: In all, 418 patients had a ccRCC subtype and 69 had a non-ccRCC subtype. For all the patients with RCC, the mean VFA was 102 cm2, while mean BMI was 24 kg/m2. The mean VFA was greater in ccRCC than non-ccRCC patients by 25 cm2. There were significant differences in the mean VFA and TFA between patients with ccRCC and those with non-ccRCC.Multivariate analysis showed that the presence ofVFA was more important than the effects of BMI and Type 2 diabetes on pathology prediction. In patients with a normal BMI, those with a higher quartile of VFA were more likely to develop ccRCC than those with a low VFA. CONCLUSIONS: Increased visceral fat was found to be associated with ccRCC and the significance of VFA outweighed the effects of BMI and Type 2 diabetes for the prediction of RCC pathology in multivariate analyses. As a result, VFA could constitute a primary explanation for the link between obesity and ccRCC.

Superhydrophobic Highly Flexible Triple-Network Polyorganosiloxane-Based Aerogels for Thermal Insulation, Oil-Water Separation, and Strain/Pressure Sensing.

Polyvinylpolymethylsiloxane (PVPMS)/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) copolymer aerogels were synthesized via consecutive radical polymerization and cohydrolytic polycondensation of vinylmethyldimethoxysilane and dimethyldimethoxysilane, followed by supercritical drying or ambient pressure drying. The resultant PVPMS/PDMS copolymer aerogels exhibit a highly porous, tunable triple-network structure consisting of interlinked hydrocarbon polymers, PVPMS and PDMS. These aerogels display superhydrophobicity (151°), low density (109 mg cm-3), low thermal conductivity (29.8 mW m-1 K-1), and adjustable pore structure. The combination of good machinability, low thermal conductivity, excellent compressive elasticity and bending flexibility, and efficient organic solvent adsorption gives these aerogels broad application prospects in thermal insulation and oil-water separation. In addition, PVPMS/PDMS/carbon nanotube (CNT) composite aerogels were obtained by incorporating the conductive CNTs, followed by vacuum drying. The resultant PVPMS/PDMS/CNT composite aerogel exhibits high sensitivity with a broad pressure sensing range in strain and pressure sensing applications.

Preoperative Evidence-Based Practice for Prevention of Early Postoperative Infections in Patients Receiving a Liver Transplant.

BACKGROUND This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of implementing evidence-based preoperative nursing interventions in reducing postoperative infections and intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay among liver transplant recipients. MATERIAL AND METHODS A controlled study was conducted, comparing postoperative outcomes between an intervention group receiving standardized, evidence-based preoperative care and a control group receiving routine preoperative care. Patients undergoing elective liver transplantation from September 2020 to March 2021 were included and assigned to either the intervention or control group. The intervention group received preoperative interventions based on best available evidence, while the control group received standard preoperative care. The primary outcomes measured were postoperative infection rates and length of ICU stay. RESULTS In the control group the overall Intensive Care Unit (ICU) length of stay was 3 days and the infection rate was 33.30%, while in the intervention group it was 3 days and 13.80% (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the length of ICU stay between the control and the intervention groups (P>0.05). There was a significant improvement in the awareness, acceptance, and compliance of doctors and nurses. CONCLUSIONS Using the best evidence-based intervention for preoperative nursing of liver transplantation patients can standardize preoperative nursing behavior. Although we did not find significant differences in outcomes before and after the intervention, it is necessary to prevent postoperative infection and improve nursing compliance.

[Efficacies of sorafenib plus interferon in advanced renal cell carcinoma: a report of 57 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the efficacies and adverse events of sorafenib in the treatment of advanced metastatic renal cell carcinoma. METHODS: A total of 57 patients with advanced kidney cancer were recruited from our hospital from April 2007 to October 2011. They were divided into sorafenib group (A, n = 24) and sorafenib + IFN group (B, n = 33). The primary endpoints included objective response rate and progression-free survival (PFS). And the secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and incidence of adverse events. RESULTS: The mean medication time of group A was 15 (7-56) months. The outcomes were partial response (PR, n = 1), stable disease (SD, n = 8), progressive disease (PD, n = 1) and death (n = 14). The rates of objective response and disease control were 4.2% (1/24) and 37.5% (9/24) respectively. For group B, the mean medication time was 15 (4-30) months. The outcomes were PR (n = 2), and include 2 patients of PR, 21 examples of SD, 1 patient of PD and death. The rates of objective response and disease control were 6.1% (2/33) and 69.7% (23/33) respectively. Two groups had no significant difference in incidence or severity of adverse events (both P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: As a safe and effective agent for advanced kidney cancer, sorafenib is well-tolerated in patients. The combined use of interferon may improve the therapeutic efficacies without an occurrence of adverse events.

[Effects of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on the prognostic mortality risk of invasive transitional bladder cancer: a meta-analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To systematically assess the effects of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on the prognostic risk of invasive transitional bladder cancer. METHODS: All known randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment of invasive transitional bladder cancer, published from the date of database building to September 2012, were retrieved from such databanks as Pubmed, CBMdisc, Embase and Cochrane. The data on 5-year survival rate of included studies were extracted for further heterogeneity exploration, subgroup analysis and statistical pooling with the RevMan 5.10 software. RESULTS: Fourteen subjects involving 2072 cases and 2086 controls were published from 1991 to 2012. The overall odds ratio of survival suggested a 21% relative reduction in mortality risk for neoadjuvant chemotherapy compared to that on control (OR = 0.79, 95%CI:0.70-0.90). In subgroup analysis according to different neoadjuvant chemotherapies, MCV (methotrexate, cisplatin and vinblastine) and MVAC (methotrexate, vinblastine, adriamycin and cisplatin) chemotherapies showed significant benefit to overall survival with 28% and 25% reduction in risk of death respectively (OR = 0.72,95%CI:0.60-0.86, OR = 0.75,95%CI:0.59-0.96) . However, no significant difference existed in effects between C (cisplatin) chemotherapy, CM (cisplatin and methotrexate) chemotherapy and CD (cisplatin and docetaxel) chemotherapy and controls. In subgroup analysis according to local treatment of cystectomy or radiotherapy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the patients with cystectomy showed significant benefits in overall survival with 25% reduction in risk of death (OR = 0.75, 95%CI:0.65-0.87). However, the patients with radiotherapy or radiotherapy plus cystectomy showed no significant benefits in overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: MCV and MVAC neoadjuvant chemotherapies improve survival among patients with bladder cancer. And neoadjuvant chemotherapy has better long-term survival after cystectomy.

[Clinical research on the correlations between type 2 diabetes mellitus and renal clear cell carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between renal clear cell carcinoma and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). METHODS: Two hundreds and sixty-four patients with renal clear cell carcinoma and four hundred controls who suffered from non-urinary system, non-neoplastic or non-hormone-related disorders, were enrolled from January 2008 to December 2012. The incidence of diabetes between the 2 groups and the relationship between renal clear cell carcinoma and duration of diabetes were compared, moreover, renal clear cell carcinoma patients with DM were compared with patients without DM for their clinical features, laboratory examinations and histological characteristics. RESULTS: The comparison of renal clear cell carcinoma group and control group: the incidence of DM in the two groups were 19.7% and 12.8% respectively, and the difference was significant (χ(2) = 5.86, P < 0.05, OR = 1.68). In the renal clear cell carcinoma group, the proportion of patients with DM diagnosed within 2-4 years was 4.92%, which were significant higher than those in the control group 1.70% (χ(2) = 5.49, P < 0.05, OR = 2.91). And men with diabetes had high occurrence risk 86% of renal clear cell carcinoma (OR = 1.86, 95%CI: 1.09-3.15). The comparison of diabetes patients subgroup and non-diabetic patients subgroup in renal clear cell carcinoma group: in respect of clinical features, greatest tumor diameter in the two subgroups were (4.9 ± 2.3) cm and (4.2 ± 2.1) cm respectively, and the difference was significant (t = 1.96, P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in terms of age, gender and cancer location between the two subgroups (P > 0.05). In respect of laboratory examinations, serum creatinine in the two subgroups were (72 ± 20) µmol/L and (65 ± 17) µmol/L, and the difference was significant (t = 2.34, P < 0.05); serum urea nitrogen in the 2 subgroups were (7.1 ± 2.1) mmol/L and (6.0 ± 1.5) mmol/L respectively, and the difference was significant too (t = 1.47, P < 0.05). In respect of histological characteristics, the proportion of well differentiated clear cell carcinoma were 80.8% and 81.1% respectively, and the difference was significant (χ(2) = 4.23, P < 0.05). The proportion of stage II were 25.0% and 27.8% respectively and the difference was significant (χ(2) = 4.08, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: DM is closely related with renal clear cell carcinoma and DM may be a possible risk factor for the tumor. And for elderly patients with diabetes who appear waist discomfort or hematuria, a careful examination of kidney is important to make early diagnosis, give timely treatment and improve survival prognosis.

Degradation of Sodium Acetate by Catalytic Ozonation Coupled with a Mn-Functionalized Fly Ash: Reaction Parameters and Mechanism.

Supported ozone catalysts usually take alumina, activated carbon, mesoporous molecular sieve, graphene, etc. as the carrier for loading metal oxide via the impregnation method, sol-gel method and precipitation method. In this work, a Mn-modified fly ash catalyst was synthesized to reduce the consumption and high unit price of traditional catalyst carriers like alumina. As a solid waste discharged from coal-fired power plants fueled by coal, fly ash also has porous spherical fine particles with constant surface area and activity, abd is expected to be applied as the main component in the synthesis of ozone catalyst. After the pretreatment process and modification with MnOx, the obtained Mn-modified fly ash exhibited stronger specific surface area and porosity combined with considerable ozone catalytic performance. We used sodium acetate as the contaminant probe, which is difficult to directly decompose with ozone as the end product of ozone oxidation, to evaluate the performance of this Mn-modified fly. It was found that ozone molecules can be transformed to generate ·OH, ·O2- and 1O2 for the further oxidation of sodium acetate. The oxygen vacancy produced via Mn modification plays a crucial role in the adsorption and excitation of ozone. This work demonstrates that fly ash, as an industrial waste, can be synthesized as a potential industrial catalyst with stable physical and chemical properties, a simple preparation method and low costs.

Chemical and microbiological characterization of pig manures and digestates.

Livestock and poultry breeding modes, feed compositions and manure collection systems have regional characteristics, which can directly affect the composition of livestock and poultry breeding manure, energy production by anaerobic digestion and resource utilization of products. The chemical, heavy metal contents and microbiological characteristics of pig manures and digestates were characterized in five pig farms and biogas plants in Quzhou (Zhejiang Province) in this study. The results showed that hemicellulose and cellulose of pig manures could be partly degraded in anaerobic digestion, but lignin was difficultly degraded and accumulated in digestates. The content of Zn was highest in the pig manure and digestate samples, followed by Cu, Cr, As, Ni, Pb, Cd, T1 and Hg. The As content was 16.09-31.22 mg kg-1 in the pig manure and digestate samples, which exceeded the standard limitation requirements in fertilizers in China (≤15 mg kg-1). Bacteroidota, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Spirochaetota dominated in the pig manure and digestate samples, with a relative abundance of 73.6%-99.4%. The microbial community structure in the pig manure samples was quite different among the five farms. The pH, contents of lignin, T1 and As had a significant effect on the microbial community structure in the pig manure samples, while the contents of total phosphorus, NO3--N, cellulose and Pb could significantly influence the microbial community structure in the digestate samples. These findings can provide a theoretical basis for recycling manure and improving biogas engineering in large-scale pig farms.

High Strength Die-Attach Joint Formation by Pressureless Sintering of Organic Amine Modified Ag Nanoparticle Paste.

Sintered silver (Ag) die-attach has attracted much attention in power systems with high power density and high operating temperature. In this paper, we proposed a novel surface modification method for Ag nanoparticles with organic amines as a coating agent for enhancing the pressureless sintering performance. This work systematically introduced the Ag nanoparticle modification process, Ag paste preparation, and sintering process and compared the changes in the sintering performance of Ag nanoparticles after modification with four different alkyl chain lengths of amines. The study showed that the sintered films of Ag nanoparticle pastes modified with n-octylamine (NOA) can achieve the lowest resistivity of the sintered film and the highest shear strength of the bonded joints. The resistivity of the sintered Ag film is affected by the grain size and microscopic morphology, and the strength of the bonded joints is also related to the sintering density and the amount of organic residues. The thermal behavior of the Ag particles coated with different amines is measured by thermal analysis. Finally, the mechanism of NOA-modified Ag nanoparticles to improve the sintering performance is proposed. This study can provide effective data and theoretical support for the further promotion and application of nano-Ag pressureless sintering.