The HSD17B13 rs72613567 variant is associated with lower levels of albuminuria in patients with biopsy-proven nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Several susceptibility gene variants predisposing to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have been identified in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Evidence supports that 17-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 13 (HSD17B13) rs72613567 plays a role in NAFLD development by affecting lipid homeostasis. Since lipid droplets may accumulate in the kidneys and contribute to renal injury, we investigated the association between the HSD17B13 rs72613567 variant and markers of renal function/injury in NAFLD. METHODS AND RESULTS: We measured estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), urinary/serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (u-ACR) in individuals with biopsy-proven NAFLD. Multivariable regression analyses were undertaken to examine the associations between the HSD17B13 rs72613567 variant and markers of renal function/injury. Individuals were stratified by HSD17B13 rs72613567 genotypes into -/-, A/- and A/A groups. HSD17B13 rs72613567 genotypes were not significantly associated with eGFR and urinary/serum NGAL levels. Conversely, the prevalence of abnormal albuminuria in the A/- + A/A group was lower than in the -/- group (4.92% vs. 19.35%, p = 0.001). Additionally, the mean u-ACR levels were lower among carriers of the A/- or A/A genotypes with coexisting hypertension or diabetes, than among those with the -/- genotype. The risk of abnormal albuminuria (adjusted-odds ratio 0.16, p = 0.001) remained significantly lower in the A/- + A/A group after adjustment for established renal risk factors and histologic severity of NAFLD. CONCLUSION: HSD17B13 rs72613567: A allele is associated with a lower risk of having abnormal albuminuria, but not with lower eGFR or urinary/serum NGAL levels, in patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD.

Sectioning protocol determines accuracy of intraoperative pathological examination of sentinel lymph node in cervical cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the diagnostic performance and optimal protocol of frozen section examination (FSE) in SLNB for cervical cancer. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Wanfang Data and China National Knowledge Infrastructure were searched from inception to July 30, 2019, for studies concerning SLNB with FSE in cervical cancer. Sensitivity of FSE in detecting SLN metastasis was the primary diagnostic indicator for evaluation. RESULTS: The pooled sensitivity of FSE among 31 eligible studies (1887 patients) was 0.77 (95% CI 0.66-0.85) with high heterogeneity (I2 = 69.73%). Two representative sectioning protocols for FSE were identified from 26 studies, described as equatorial (E-protocol, SLN was bisected) and latitudinal (L-protocol, SLN was cut at intervals). Meta-regression showed that FSE protocol was the only source of heterogeneity (p < 0.001). The pooled sensitivity was 0.86 (95% CI 0.79-0.91, I2 = 0%) and 0.59 (0.46-0.72, I2 = 58.47%) for FSE using L- (13 studies, 650 patients) and E- (13 studies, 1047 patients) protocol, respectively. Among the available data, marcometastases (>2 mm) were missed in 4 and 20 patients; small-volume metastases (≤2 mm) were detected in 13 and 2 patients, respectively, under L- and E-protocol. The pooled sensitivity of FSE using L-protocol would reach 0.97 (95% CI 0.89-0.99) if only marcometastases were considered. These findings were robust to sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION: The sectioning protocol determines the accuracy of FSE in SLNB. With L-protocol, FSE can provide precise intraoperative pathology for SLNB, which enables immediate decision-making for individualized managements.

PNPLA3 rs738409 is associated with renal glomerular and tubular injury in NAFLD patients with persistently normal ALT levels.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 (PNPLA3) rs738409 polymorphism is associated with NAFLD severity and the PNPLA3 gene is expressed in the kidneys, but whether PNPLA3 rs738409 polymorphism is also associated with renal tubular injury (RTI) is uncertain. We assessed the effect of PNPLA3 genotypes on biomarkers of RTI and glomerular function in subjects with NAFLD who had either normal (nALT) or abnormal (abnALT) alanine aminotransaminase levels. METHODS: Two hundred and seventeen patients with histologically proven NAFLD of which 75 had persistently nALT (below upper limit of normal for 3 months) were included. Multivariable regression analyses were undertaken to test associations between PNPLA3 genotype and biomarkers of kidney dysfunction. RESULTS: The nALT patient group had higher urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin levels (u-NGAL, a biomarker of RTI) (P < .001), higher albuminuria (P = .039) and greater prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD; P = .046) than the abnALT group. The association between PNPLA3 GG genotype and risk of CKD and abnormal albuminuria remained significant after adjustment for kidney risk factors and severity of NAFLD histology, mostly in the nALT group. Similarly, PNPLA3 GG genotype was associated with higher u-NGAL levels in the nALT group, even after adjustment for the aforementioned risk factors and glomerular filtration-based markers (ß-coefficient: 22.29, 95% CI: 0.99-43.60, P = .041). CONCLUSION: Patients with NAFLD and persistently nALT, who carry the PNPLA3 rs738409 G allele, are at higher risk of early glomerular and tubular damage. We suggest PNPLA3 genotyping may help identify patients with NAFLD at higher risk of RTI.

Alkyl-Substituted Cucurbit[6]uril Bridged ß-Cyclodextrin Dimer Mediated Intramolecular FRET Behavior.

A novel triazolyl bridged cucurbituril (CB)-cyclodextrin (CD) dimer was synthesized via click reaction of monopropargyl modified octamethylcucurbit[6]uril and mono-6-azido-ß-cyclodextrin. Moreover, it could form stable supramolecular inclusion complexes possessing efficient fluorescence resonance energy transfer, which benefited from the fact that CD and CB can bind amantadine- and pyridinium-containing fluorophores simultaneously. The supramolecular inclusion complex behaviors were investigated by NMR spectroscopy, UV-vis absorption, and fluorescence spectroscopy.

Guest-induced supramolecular chirality transfer in [2]pseudorotaxanes: experimental and computational study.

To reveal the factors governing the chirality transfer from a chiral unimolecule to a supramolecular assembly, we constructed a series of [2]pseudorotaxanes through the intermolecular noncovalent interaction of a pair of chiral binaphthalene crown ethers with achiral secondary ammonium salts with different chromophores, and found that the binaphthalene groups can induce new circular dichroism (CD) signals only in the [2]pseudorotaxane structures between the host crown ethers and the guest molecule with the anthryl group. Density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations show that the generation of the new CD signal is mainly due to the intermolecular chiral induction between the anthryl group in the guest and the naphthalene groups in the host.

Association between NAFLD and risk of prevalent chronic kidney disease: why there is a difference between east and west?

BACKGROUNDS: There is a discrepancy between west and east on the relationship between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study aimed to find out the possible reason for this and to clarify the association between NAFLD and CKD by analyzing two population-based datasets from the US and China. METHODS: Two health examination datasets from China and the US were used. CKD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 ml/min/1.73m2 or and/or abnormal albuminuria and/or overt proteinuria. Binary logistic regression was used to examine the association between NAFLD and CKD. RESULTS: A total of 60,965 participants were analyzed, including 11,844 from the US and 51,229 from China. The prevalence of NAFLD was 27.12% in the Chinese population and 36.08% in the US population (p < 0.001). The proportions of CKD and late stage CKD (stages 3-5) were higher in the US population than the Chinese one. NAFLD was independently associated with an increased risk of CKD in Chinese population, whereas in the US population, the NAFLD was not an independent risk factor of CKD. In subgroup analyses which excluded late stages CKD (stages 3-5), the risks of mild renal function decline became consistent: NAFLD was associated with early stages of CKD but not the late stages of CKD in both populations. CONCLUSION: NAFLD increased the risk of early stages of CKD in both Chinese and the US population. The conflicting results reported by previous studies might result from the different proportion of late stages of CKD.

[Imaging study on thoracic and lumbar physiological curvature in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the alteration of thoracic and lumbar physiological curvature in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis(AIS) and the difference of physiological curvature between different types of scoliosis. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 305 adolescent patients taken full spine X-ray in our hospital from January 2017 to December 2021. The patients were divided into normal group and scoliosis group. The normal group was composed of 179 patients, 79 males and 100 females, aged 10 to 18 years old with an average of (12.84±2.10) years old, with cobb agle less than 10 degrees. The scoliosis group was composed of 126 patients, 33 males and 93 females, aged 10 to 18 years old with an average of (13.92±2.20) years old. The gender, age, Risser sign, thoracic kyphosis(TK) and lumbar lordosis(LL) in 2 groups were compared, and the TK and LL were also compared between different genders, different degrees of scoliosis and different segments of scoliosis. RESULTS: The female ratio(P=0.001) and age (P<0.001) in scoliosis group were higher than them in normal group; the ratio of low-grade ossification was higher in normal group than in scoliosis group(P=0.038). TK was significantly smaller in scoliosis group than in normal group(P<0.001), but there was no significant difference in LL between the 2 groups(P=0.147). There were no significant difference in TK and LL between male and female. The TK was significantly bigger in mild AIS patients than in moderate AIS patients(P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in LL between mild and moderate patients(P>0.05). The TK and LL in different segments scoliosis were not found significant difference. CONCLUSION: The physiological curvature of thoracic and lumbar spine is independent of gender. The thoracic physiological curvature becomes smaller in AIS patients, but lumbar curvature remains unchanged. The thoracic physiological curvature in mild AIS patients is greater than that in moderate AIS patients, but the lumbar curvature is almost unchanged between mild and moderate scoliosis and is similar with that in normal adolescent. The alteration of thoracic and lumbar physiological curvature in AIS patients may be related to relative anterior spinal overgrowth, and the specific detailed mechanism needs to be further studied.

[Correlation analysis of Cobb angle and linear spinous process angle in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the correlation between Cobb angle and spinous process angle (SPA) on X-ray film and body surface in patients with mild to moderate adolescent idiopathic scoliosis(AIS). To explore the possibility of linear SPA to assess scoliosis. METHODS: Retrospective study for correlation of Cobb angle and linear SPA on X-ray film. AIS patients treated and taken full spine anteroposterior X-ray from January 2019 to December 2021 were analyzed correlation of Cobb angle and linear SPA on X-ray film. Prospective study for correlation of Cobb angle and body linear SPA. AIS patients treated and taken full spine anteroposterior X-ray from December 1 to December 9 this year were analyzed correlation of Cobb angle and body linear SPA. RESULTS: A total of 113 AIS patients with age an average of (14.02±2.16) years old(ranged from 10 to 18 years old) were recruited in retrospective study, involving 26 males and 87 females;there were 71 patients with mild AIS and 42 patients with moderate AIS. Cobb angle in AIS patients was significantly inversely associated with SPA(r=-0.564, P<0.001), the linear regression equation was:Cobb angle=169.444-0.878×SPA. Cobb angles in patients with mild scoliosis were significantly and inversely associated with SPA(r=-0.269, P=0.012), the linear regression equation was:Cobb angle=46.832-0.185×SPA. Cobb angles in patients with moderate scoliosis were also clearly correlated with SPA(r=-0.417, P=0.003), the linear regression equation was:Cobb angle=113.889-0.516×SPA. Thirty-eight patients were recruited in prospective study. The mean Cobb angle and body linear SPA were(18.70±6.98)°, ranged from 11.3° to 36.0° and (170.34±4.57)°, ranged from 162.1° to 177.7° respectively. There was significantly negative correlation(r=-0.651, P<0.001), the linear regression equation is:Cobb angle=187.91-0.99×SPA. CONCLUSION: Linear SPA on X-ray film or on the body was significantly negatively correlated with Cobb angles, but the regression equation fits poorly, so it's not suitable for diagnosis of scoliosis;however, linear SPA is appropriate for self-controlled assessment of scoliotic therapy or for dynamic assessment of spinal flexibility.

[Current status, challenges and countermeasures of acupuncture data mining literature researches].

Data mining is an analytical method for revealing the implicit internal relations among the data elements, and is also widely used in the field of acupuncture and moxibustion of traditional Chinese medicine. However, there exist some significant deficits in the rationality of design and implementation, preciseness, repeatability, comprehensiveness, objectivity and depth of insights in some current acupuncture data mining researches. In the present paper, we summarized the literature on acupuncture data mining published in the past five years, and analyzed their common shortcomings in the design, implementation and reporting process, including too broad research scope, fuzzy and limited descriptions about the inclusion criteria, not definite retrieval scope and strategy, rarely seen original researches about the assessment of the report quality, lack of detailed descriptions about the literature screening and data processing procedure, incomplete narration about the research outcomes and their clinical significance, and lack of comprehensiveness and subjectiveness and available coping strategies in the discussion of the research papers, etc., in order to promote the improvement of literature methodology and quality of acupuncture data mining research, and then improve the reliability and clinical reference value of such research results.

Effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the most common respiratory disease in clinic. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) lung rehabilitation has gradually been valued in the field of prevention and treatment of COPD. Acupuncture, as an important part of TCM lung rehabilitation, is carried out in clinical extensively and application. It has the advantage of improving the symptoms and quality of life of COPD cases, but the evidence-based proof is limited. METHODS: Eight databases will be systematically retrieved from their inceptions to December 2021. This study will include randomized controlled trials of acupuncture in the treatment of COPD with stable stage. The main outcome will include clinical effective rate, TCM symptom score, quality of life, dyspnea, exercise capacity, lung function, frequency of acute exacerbation, adverse events. Literature screening, quality evaluation and information extraction will be completed by two independent researchers. Revman 5.3 software will be used to perform meta-analysis. Assessment of multiple systematic reviews-2 tool will be used for evaluating the methodological quality of systematic review (SR), grading of recommendations assessment will for rating the quality of evidence, and consolidated standards of reporting trials and Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture tool will for assessing the reporting quality of randomized controlled trials. RESULTS: The findings of this SR will be presented at relevant conferences and submitted for peer-review publication. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this SR will provide up-to-date summary proof for evaluating the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for COPD.

Improved Melt Processabilities of Thermosetting Polyimide Matrix Resins for High Temperature Carbon Fiber Composite Applications.

With the goal of improving processability of imide oligomers and achieving of high temperature carbon fiber composite, a series of Thermosetting Matrix Resin solutions (TMR) were prepared by polycondensation of aromatic diamine (3,4'-oxybisbenzenamine, 3,4-ODA) and diester of biphenylene diacid (BPDE) using monoester of 4-phenylethynylphthalic acid (PEPE) as end-capping agent in ethyl alcohol as solvent to afford phenylethynyl-endcapped poly(amic ester) resins with calculated molecular weight (Calc'd Mw) of 1500-10,000. Meanwhile, a series of reactive diluent solutions (RDm) with Calc'd Mw of 600-2100 were also prepared derived from aromatic diamine (4,4'-oxybisbenzenamine, 4,4-ODA), diester of asymmetrical biphenylene diacid (α-BPDE) and monoester of 4-phenylethynylphthalic acid (PEPE) in ethyl alcohol. Then, the TMR solution was mixed with the RDm solution at different weight ratios to afford a series of A-staged thermosetting blend resin (TMR/RDm) solutions for carbon fiber composites. Experimental results demonstrated that the thermosetting blend resins exhibited improved melt processability and excellent thermal stability. After being thermally treated at 200 °C/1 h, the B-staged TMR/RDm showed very low melt viscosities and wider processing window. The minimum melt viscosities of ≤50 Pa·s was measured at ≤368 °C and the temperature scale at melt viscosities of ≤100 Pa·s were detected at 310-390 °C, respectively. The thermally cured neat resins at 380 °C/2 h showed a great combination of mechanical and thermal properties, including tensile strength of 84.0 MPa, elongation at breakage of 4.1%, and glass transition temperature (Tg) of 423 °C, successively. The carbon fiber reinforced polyimide composite processed by autoclave technique exhibited excellent mechanical properties both at room temperature and 370 °C. This study paved the way for the development of high-temperature resistant carbon fiber resin composites for use in complicated aeronautical structures.

Effectiveness and safety of acupoint application for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A protocol for updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Acute exacerbation is a primary cause of repeated hospitalization and death in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. Therefore, how to control the symptoms of COPD at stable stage and reduce the number of acute exacerbation is a hot spot of medical research. Acupoint application (AA) is a significant part of external treatment of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Previous researches have reported that AA can be applied to the treatment of COPD. Nevertheless, its effectiveness is still inconclusive. This systematic review (SR) and meta-analysis is designed to appraise its effectiveness and safety for the treatment of patients with COPD. METHODS: Eight databases will be systematically retrieved from their inceptions to February 2021. Inclusion criteria are randomized control trials of AA combined with routine western medicine interventions in the treatment of COPD at stable stage. The primary outcomes we focus on comprise clinical effective rate, TCM symptom score, quality of life, dyspnea, exercise capacity, lung function, frequency of acute exacerbation, adverse events. The research screening, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment will be conducted by 2 individuals independently, and divergence will be adjudicated by a third senior investigator. The Stata 13.1 software will be used for meta-analysis. The confidence of evidence will be classified adopting grading of recommendations assessment, development and evaluation (GRADE) algorithm and methodological quality of this SR will be assessed using assessment of multiple systematic reviews-2 (AMSTAR-2) tool. RESULTS: This SR will provide evidence-based medical proof for the treatment of COPD at stable stage by AA combined with conventional western medicine interventions. The findings of this SR will be presented at relevant conferences and submitted for peer-review publication. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this SR will provide up-todated summary proof for evaluating the effectiveness and safety of AA for COPD. REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY 202140080.

MAFLD and risk of CKD.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Whereas nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a multisystem disease, the association between metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and extra-hepatic diseases is not known. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to compare the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with either MAFLD or NAFLD, and then to examine the association between the presence and severity of MAFLD and CKD and abnormal albuminuria. METHODS: A total of 12,571 individuals with complete biochemical and liver ultrasonography data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-1994) were included in the analysis. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to test the independence of associations between MAFLD or MAFLD severity as the key exposures and CKD (defined as either CKD stage ≥1 or stage ≥3) or abnormal albuminuria (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio ≥ 3 mg/mmol) as the outcomes. RESULTS: The prevalence of MAFLD and NAFLD was 30.2% (n = 3794) and 36.2% (n = 4552), respectively. MAFLD individuals had a lower eGFR (74.96 ±â€¯18.21 vs. 76.46 ±â€¯18.24 ml/min/1.73 m2, P < 0.001) and a greater prevalence of CKD (29.60% vs. 26.56%, P < 0.05) than NAFLD individuals. Similarly, there was a higher prevalence CKD in MAFLD than in non-metabolic dysfunction-associated NAFLD (P < 0.05). Notably, after adjustment for sex, age, ethnicity, alcohol intake and diabetes, the severity of MAFLD (i.e. NAFLD fibrosis score ≥ 0.676) was associated with 1.34-fold higher risk of prevalent CKD (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: MAFLD identifies patients with CKD better than NAFLD. MAFLD and MAFLD with increased liver fibrosis score are strongly and independently associated with CKD and abnormal albuminuria.

Multiple Traditional Chinese Medicine interventions for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis of overview.

BACKGROUND: The therapeutic strategies of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) tend to be comprehensive. Improving the major symptoms and quality of life (QoL) is as important as postponing the process of fibrosis. However, only pirfenidone and nintedanib conditionally recommended by guidelines and no definite proof indicate that they can significantly ameliorate the main symptoms and QoL of IPF sufferers. At present, multiple types of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) interventions alone or in combination with conventional western medicine managements are widespreadly applied in IPF treatment, which seemingly have a promising clinical effect, especially in ameliorating the main symptoms and improving QoL. Subsequently, the number of relevant studies in systematic reviews(SRs) and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials(RCTs) increased significantly. Hence, we plan to implement an overview to collect, evaluate, and summarize the results of these SRs. METHODS: An all-round literature retrieval will be conducted in 9 electronic databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Epistemonikos, CNKI, CBM, Wanfang, and VIP. We will focus on the systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs for multiple TCM interventions alone or in combination with routine western medicine measures in IPF treatment. The main outcomes we follow with interest include the improvement of major symptoms (cough, dyspnea) and QoL. Secondary outcomes will consist of minor symptoms improvement, clinical total effective rate, lung function, blood gas analysis, 6-minute walk text, adverse events, acute exacerbation, all-cause mortality, and IPF-related mortality. Two reviewers will independently select the SRs satisfactory with the enrolling criteria, extract key characteristics, and datas on predefined form, evaluate methodological quality by AMSTAR-2, ROBIS and PRISMA tools, and the quality of evidences adopting GRADE method. In case of any divergence will be reached an agreement by discussion or adjudicated by a third senior reviewer. We will perform a narrative synthesis of the proofs from SRs included. RESULTS: The findings of this overvew will be presented at relevant conferences and submitted for peer-review publication. CONCLUSIONS: We expect to obtain comprehensive and reliable evidence of IPF treated by diversified TCM interventions from the potential standard SRs, which may provide suggestions for future RCTs and SRs. REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY 202080110.

Purely organic light-harvesting phosphorescence energy transfer by ß-cyclodextrin pseudorotaxane for mitochondria targeted imaging.

A new type of purely organic light-harvesting phosphorescence energy transfer (PET) supramolecular assembly is constructed from 4-(4-bromophenyl)-pyridine modified ß-cyclodextrin (CD-PY) as a donor, cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) as a mediator, rhodamine B (RhB) as an acceptor, and adamantane modified hyaluronic acid (HA-ADA) as a cancer cell targeting agent. Interestingly, the complexation of free CD-PY, which has no RTP emission in aqueous solution, with CB[8] results in the formation of CD-PY@CB[8] pseudorotaxane with an RTP emission at 510 nm. Then the addition of RhB leads to an efficient light-harvesting PET process with highly efficient energy transfer and an ultrahigh antenna effect (36.42) between CD-PY@CB[8] pseudorotaxane and RhB. Importantly, CD-PY@CB[8]@RhB assembles with HA-ADA into nanoparticles with further enhanced delayed emission at 590 nm. The nanoparticles could be successfully used for mitochondria targeted imaging in A549 cancer cells. This aqueous-state PET based on a supramolecular assembly strategy has potential application in delayed fluorescence cell imaging.

Bioresorbable magnesium-reinforced PLA membrane for guided bone/tissue regeneration.

Considering the inferior mechanical properties of the current bioresorbable polymers, a novel bioresorbable magnesium-reinforced polylactide (PLA) membrane was designed for the application in critical defect sites in guided bone/tissue regeneration. The PLA-FAZ91 membrane was fabricated by combining two PLA membranes with a fluoride-coated AZ91 (9 wt% Al, 1 wt% Zn) (FAZ91) magnesium alloy core by hot pressing. A combined double-layered PLA membrane was used as the control group. A three-point bending test was performed to compare their maximum load and stiffness. Samples were immersed in the HBSS for 20 weeks, and their weight loss percentages were recorded, and a three-point bending test was performed after immersion. An ion release test was performed by immersing samples in the HBSS for 4 weeks and determining the pH and ion concentrations of the HBSS. Cell viability was tested by culturing pre-osteoblast cells with sample extracts in the culture medium obtained from degraded samples. As a result, PLA-FAZ91 showed a significantly higher maximum load and stiffness than those of the non-reinforced PLA membrane. The weight loss of PLA-FAZ91 was much faster, as FAZ91 showed major degradation and was completely degraded after 16-20 weeks of immersion. The degradation of the PLA wrap was accelerated by FAZ91. The mechanical superiority of PLA-FAZ91 over PLA endured for at least 3 weeks during immersion. The pH, magnesium- and fluoride-ion concentration in the PLA-FAZ91 group increased at an appropriate rate. The cell viability was not adversely affected by the addition of FAZ91 to PLA. Therefore, the bioresorbable magnesium-reinforced PLA membrane has the potential to be used as a good alternative to pure PLA membrane in guided bone/tissue regeneration.

Cucurbit[8]uril-Mediated Polypseudorotaxane for Enhanced Lanthanide Luminescence Behavior in Water.

A novel supramolecular polypseudorotaxane was successfully constructed with pseudo[3]rotaxanes between pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid imidazolium (G1) and cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) and the subsequent coordination with lanthanide ions. Significantly, compared with the pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid imidazolium complex G1@Tb3+, CB[8]-mediated polypseudorotaxane CB[8]@G12@Tb3+ not only displayed enhanced lanthanide luminescence behavior with a 29.1-fold time enhancement (from 45.76 µs to 1.33 ms) of the excited-state lifetime (τ) and a 8.7-fold increase (from 0.89% to 7.81%) in the quantum yield (Φ) but also exhibited a specific fluorescence response to antibiotics in an aqueous solution and a solid film.

Photo-controlled chirality transfer and FRET effects based on pseudo[3]rotaxane.

The use of light to regulate the chirality of supramolecular assemblies in a non-invasive manner remains a challenge. Herein, we report a novel photochromic pseudo[3]rotaxane based on a (R/S)-2,2'-binaphthyl secondary ammonium salt guest (2) and anthracene-bridged bis(dibenzo-24-crown-8) (1), which features a chirality transfer and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from 2 to 1. Benefiting from the photo-oxidation of anthracene, the induced circular dichroism (ICD) signals of (R/S)-2@1 can be switched off/on by irradiation with 365 nm UV light and heating. This noncovalent supramolecular assembly strategy provides us with unique opportunities to design and construct further smart photo-responsive chiral molecular switches.

Comparing Properties of Variable Pore-Sized 3D-Printed PLA Membrane with Conventional PLA Membrane for Guided Bone/Tissue Regeneration.

The aim of this study was to fabricate bioresorbable polylactide (PLA) membranes by 3D printing and compare their properties to those of the membranes fabricated by the conventional method and compare the effect of different pore sizes on the properties of the 3D-printed membranes. PLA membranes with three different pore sizes (large pore-479 µm, small pore-273 µm, and no pore) were 3D printed, and membranes fabricated using the conventional solvent casting method were used as the control group. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and micro-computed tomography (µ-CT) were taken to observe the morphology and obtain the porosity of the four groups. A tensile test was performed to compare the tensile strength, elastic modulus, and elongation at break of the membranes. Preosteoblast cells were cultured on the membranes for 1, 3 and 7 days, followed by a WST assay and SEM, to examine the cell proliferation on different groups. As a result, the 3D-printed membranes showed superior mechanical properties to those of the solvent cast membranes, and the 3D-printed membranes exhibited different advantageous mechanical properties depending on the different pore sizes. The various fabrication methods and pore sizes did not have significantly different effects on cell growth. It is proven that 3D printing is a promising method for the fabrication of customized barrier membranes used in GBR/GTR.

Efficacy and safety of autologous stem cell transplantation for decompensated liver cirrhosis: A retrospective cohort study.

AIM: To evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of autologous stem cell transplantation (SCT) for decompensated liver cirrhosis. METHODS: Consecutive patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis were included and assigned into the SCT group and non-transplantation (non-SCT) group according to whether they received SCT treatment. Patients were followed up for ten years. The long-term survival rate and incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were compared between groups. RESULTS: A total of 159 patients were enrolled, including 27 cases in the SCT group and 132 cases in the non-SCT group. The baseline characteristics were significantly different between the two groups. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to match SCT and non-SCT patients. After PSM, 92 subjects were enrolled in the final analysis, including 23 cases in the SCT group and 69 cases in the non-SCT group. The overall mortality was 73.9% and 55.1%, and the median survival period was 48 and 64 mo, respectively. However, no significant difference was found in the long-term survival rate between the two groups (P > 0.05). In addition, the incidence of HCC was higher in the SCT group than in the non-SCT group (47.8% vs 21.7%, P < 0.05). After adjusting for other covariates, SCT (OR = 3.065, 95%CI: 1.378-6.814) and age (OR = 1.061, 95%CI: 1.021-1.102) were independently correlated with the development of HCC in this decompensated liver cirrhosis cohort. CONCLUSION: Autologous SCT may fail to improve the long-term efficacy and increase the incidence of HCC for decompensated liver cirrhosis. Close monitoring of HCC is strongly recommended in patients undergoing autologous SCT.