Personalised follow-up and management schema for patients with screen-detected pulmonary nodules: A dynamic modelling study

BACKGROUND

Selecting the time target for follow-up testing in lung cancer screening is challenging. We aim to devise dynamic, personalized lung cancer screening schema for patients with pulmonary nodules detected through low-dose computed tomography.

METHODS

We developed and validated dynamic models using data of pulmonary nodule patients (aged 55-74 years) from the National Lung Screening Trial. We predicted patient-specific risk profiles at baseline (R0) and updated the risk evaluation results in repeated screening rounds (R1 and R2). We used risk cutoffs to optimize time-dependent sensitivity at an early decision point (3 months) and time-dependent specificity at a late decision point (1 year).

RESULTS

In validation, area under receiver operating characteristic curve for predicting 12-month lung cancer onset was 0.867 (95 % confidence interval: 0.827-0.894) and 0.807 (0.765-0.948) at R0 and R1-R2, respectively. The personalized schema, compared with National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guideline and Lung-RADS, yielded lower rates of delayed diagnosis (1.7% vs. 1.7% vs. 6.9 %) and over-testing (4.9% vs. 5.6% vs. 5.6 %) at R0, and lower rates of delayed diagnosis (0.0% vs. 18.2% vs. 18.2 %) and over-testing (2.6% vs. 8.3% vs. 7.3 %) at R2. Earlier test recommendation among cancer patients was more frequent using the personalized schema (vs. NCCN: 29.8% vs. 20.9 %, p = 0.0065; vs. Lung-RADS: 33.2% vs. 22.8 %, p = 0.0025), especially for women, patients aged ≥65 years, and part-solid or non-solid nodules.

CONCLUSIONS

The personalized schema is easy-to-implement and more accurate compared with rule-based protocols. The results highlight value of personalized approaches in realizing efficient nodule management.

The influence of respiratory movement on preoperative CT-guided localization of lung nodules

AIM

To evaluate the motion amplitude of lung nodules in different locations during preoperative computed tomography (CT)-guided localization, and the influence of respiratory movement on CT-guided percutaneous lung puncture.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A consecutive cohort of 398 patients (123 men and 275 women with a mean age of 53.9 ± 10.7 years) who underwent preoperative CT-guided lung nodule localization from May 2021 to Apr 2022 were included in this retrospective study. The respiratory movement-related nodule amplitude in the cranial-caudal direction during the CT scan, characteristics of patients, lesions, and procedures were statistically analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the influence of these factors on CT-guided localization.

RESULTS

The nodule motion distribution showed a statistically significant correlation within the upper/middle (lingular) and lower lobes (p<0.001). Motion amplitude was an independent risk factor for CT scan times (p=0.011) and procedure duration (p=0.016), but not for the technical failure rates or the incidence of complications. Puncture depth was an independent risk factor for the CT scan times, procedure duration, technical failure rates, and complications (p<0.01). Female, prone, and supine (as opposed to lateral) positions were significant protective factors for pneumothorax, while the supine position was an independent risk factor for parenchymal hemorrhage (p=0.025).

CONCLUSION

Respiratory-induced motion amplitude of nodules was greater in the lower lobes, resulting in more CT scan times/radiation dose and longer localization duration, but showed no statistically significant influence on the technical success rates or the incidence of complications during preoperative CT-guided localization.

Quantum-sized topological insulators/semimetals enable ultrahigh and broadband saturable absorption

Two-dimensional topological insulators/semimetals have recently attracted much attention. However, quantum-sized topological insulators/semimetals with intrinsic characteristics have never been reported before. Herein, we report the high-yield production of topological insulator (i.e., Bi2Se3 and Sb2Te3) and semimetal (i.e., TiS2) quantum sheets (QSs) with monolayer structures and sub-4 nm lateral sizes. Both linear and nonlinear optical performances of the QSs are investigated. The QS dispersions present remarkable photoluminescence with excitation wavelength-, concentration-, and solvent-dependence. The solution-processed QSs-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) hybrid thin films demonstrate exceptional nonlinear saturation absorption (NSA). Particularly, Bi2Se3 QSs-PMMA enables record-high NSA performance with a broadband feature. Specifically, the (absolute) modulation depths up to 71.6 and 72.4% and saturation intensities down to 1.52 and 0.49 MW cm-2 are achieved at 532 and 800 nm, respectively. Such a phenomenal NSA performance would greatly facilitate their applications in mode-locked lasers and related fields.

Giant Enhancement and Directional Second Harmonic Emission from Monolayer WS2 on Silicon Substrate via Fabry-Pérot Micro-Cavity

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) possess large second-order optical nonlinearity, making them ideal candidates for miniaturized on-chip frequency conversion devices, all-optical interconnection, and optoelectronic integration components. However, limited by subnanometer thickness, the monolayer TMD exhibits low second harmonic generation (SHG) conversion efficiency (<0.1%) and poor directionality, which hinders their practical applications. Herein, we proposed a Fabry-Pérot (F-P) cavity formed by coupling an atomically thin WS₂ film with a silicon hole matrix to enhance the SH emission. A maximum enhancement (∼1580 times) is achieved by tuning the excitation wavelength to be resonant with the microcavity modes. The giant enhancement is attributed to the strong electric field enhancement in the F-P cavity and the oscillator strength enhancement of excitons from suspended WS₂. Moreover, directional SH emission (divergence angle ∼5°) is obtained benefiting from the resonance of the F-P microcavity. Our research results can provide a practical sketch to develop both high-efficiency and directional nonlinear optical devices for silicon-based on-chip integration optics.

Prediction of acute toxicity to Daphnia magna and interspecific correlation: a global QSAR model and a Daphnia-minnow QTTR model

Acute toxicity is an important basis for the assessment of hazardous chemicals, but currently there is a huge data gap in chemical toxicity information. The in silico Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship (QSAR) models can use the existing experimental data information to predict the missing chemical toxicity information data and thus reduce animal testing. In the present study, a global QSAR model for the prediction of acute Daphnia magna toxicity has been developed based on the five principles proposed by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Moreover, a Daphnia-minnow (referring specifically to the fathead minnow) Quantitative Toxicity-Toxicity Relationship (QTTR) prediction model has been developed based on the present study and our previous work on fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas). Both the QSAR and QTTR prediction models have good goodness-of-fit, robustness, and predictive ability. Finally, the acute toxicity mode of action (MOA) for fathead minnow and Daphnia magna was compared by toxicity ratio based on interspecies toxicity data. By comparison, Daphnia magna was found more sensitive to anilines and phosphorothioates than fathead minnow. The present models can fill the acute toxicity data gap and contribute to the chemicals risk assessment and priority setting.

Ultrafast Internal Exciton Dissociation through Edge States in MoS2 Nanosheets with Diffusion Blocking

Edge states of two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are crucial to quantum circuits and optoelectronics. However, their dynamics are pivotal but remain unclear due to the edge states being obscured by their bulk counterparts. Herein, we study the state-resolved transient absorption spectra of ball-milling-produced MoS₂ nanosheets with 10 nm lateral size with highly exposed free edges. Electron energy loss spectroscopy and first-principles calculations confirm that the edge states are located in the range from 1.23 to 1.78 eV. Upon above bandgap excitations, excitons populate and diffuse toward the boundary, where the potential gradient blocks excitons and the edge states are formed through interband transitions within 400 fs. With below bandgap excitations, edge states are slowed down to 1.1 ps due to the weakened valence orbital coupling. These results shed light on the fundamental exciton dissociation processes on the boundary of functionalized TMDCs, enabling the ground work for applications in optoelectronics and light-harvesting.

High ambipolar mobility in cubic boron arsenide revealed by transient reflectivity microscopy

Semiconducting cubic boron arsenide (c-BAs) has been predicted to have carrier mobility of 1400 square centimeters per volt-second for electrons and 2100 square centimeters per volt-second for holes at room temperature. Using pump-probe transient reflectivity microscopy, we monitored the diffusion of photoexcited carriers in single-crystal c-BAs to obtain their mobility. With near-bandgap 600-nanometer pump pulses, we found a high ambipolar mobility of 1550 ± 120 square centimeters per volt-second, in good agreement with theoretical prediction. Additional experiments with 400-nanometer pumps on the same spot revealed a mobility of >3000 square centimeters per volt-second, which we attribute to hot electrons. The observation of high carrier mobility, in conjunction with high thermal conductivity, enables an enormous number of device applications for c-BAs in high-performance electronics and optoelectronics.

All Optical Switching through Anistropic Gain of CsPbBr3 Single Crystal Microplatelet

Perovskite micro/nanostructures have recently emerged as a highly attractive gain material for nanolasers. To explore their applications and further improve performance, it is essential to understand the optical gain and the anisotropic properties. Herein, we obtained high quality CsPbBr₃ microplatelets (MP) with anisotropic orthorhombic phase. Optical gain of CsPbBr₃ single crystal MP was investigated via microscale variable stripe-length measurement. A polarization-dependent optical gain was observed, and the gain along [002] was larger than that of [1-10]. The behavior was attributed to the lowest energy transition dipole moment of [002] induced by the smaller deviation of Br-Pb-Br bond from the perfect lattice. Along the [002] direction, we obtained the optical gain value up to 5077 cm^-1, which is the record value ever reported. Moreover, all optical switching of lasing is realized by periodical polarized excitation. Our results provide new perceptions in the design of novel functional anisotropic devices based on perovskite micro/nanostructures.

Ti3AlC2 MAX and Ti3C2 MXene Quantum Sheets for Record-High Optical Nonlinearity

Two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal carbides (MXenes) have attracted great interest owing to their unique structures and superior properties compared to those of traditional 2D materials. The transformation of 2D MXenes into sub-5-nm quantum sheets (QSs) is urgently required but rarely reported. Herein, the Ti₃AlC₂ MAX and Ti₃C₂ MXene QSs with monolayer structures and sub-5-nm lateral sizes are demonstrated. Exceptionally high yields (>15 wt %) are obtained through an all-physical top-down method. The QS dispersions present unique photoluminescence, and the QSs-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) hybrid thin films demonstrate remarkable nonlinear saturation absorption (NSA). Absolute modulation depths of 30.6 and 49.9% and saturation intensities of 1.16 and 1.25 MW cm^-2 (i.e., 116 and 125 nJ cm^-2) are achieved for Ti₃AlC₂ QSs and Ti₃C₂ QSs, respectively. Such record-high NSA performances of MXene QSs would boost the application of MAX/MXene materials in nonlinear optics.

A new antisarcoma strategy: multisubtype heat shock protein/peptide immunotherapy combined with PD-L1 immunological checkpoint inhibitors

Osteosarcoma, a common malignant tumor in orthopedics, often has a very poor prognosis after lung metastasis. Immunotherapy has not achieved much progress in the treatment because of the characteristics of solid tumors and immune environment of osteosarcoma. The tumor environment is rather essential for sarcoma treatment. Our previous study demonstrated that heat shock proteins could be used as antitumor vaccines by carrying tumor antigen peptides, and we hypothesize that an anti-osteosarcoma effect may be increased with an immune check point inhibitor (PD-L1 inhibitor) as a combination treatment strategy. The present study prepared a multisubtype mixed heat shock protein osteosarcoma vaccine (mHSP/peptide vaccine) and concluded that the mHSP/peptide vaccine was more effective than a single subtype heat shock protein, like Grp94. Therefore, we used the mHSP/peptide vaccine in combination with a PD-L1 inhibitor to treat osteosarcoma, and the deterioration of osteosarcoma was effectively hampered. The mechanism of combined therapy was investigated, and AKT expression participates with sarcoma lung metastasis. This study proposed an antisarcoma strategy via stimulation of the immune system as a further alternative approach for sarcoma treatment and elucidated the mechanism of combined therapy.

Zone-Folded Longitudinal Acoustic Phonons Driving Self-Trapped State Emission in Colloidal CdSe Nanoplatelet Superlattices

Colloidal CdSe nanoplatelets (NPLs) have substantial potential in light-emitting applications because of their quantum-well-like characteristics. The self-trapped state (STS), originating from strong electron-phonon coupling (EPC), is promising in white light luminance because of its broadband emission. However, achieving STS in CdSe NPLs is extremely challenging because of their intrinsic weak EPC nature. Herein, we developed a strong STS emission in the spectral range of 450-600 nm by building superlattice (SL) structures with colloidal CdSe NPLs. We demonstrated that STS is generated via strong coupling of excitons and zone-folded longitudinal acoustic phonons with formation time of ∼450 fs and localization length of ∼0.56 nm. The Huang-Rhys factor, describing the EPC strength in SL structure, is estimated to be ∼19.9, which is much larger than that (∼0.1) of monodispersed CdSe NPLs. Our results provide an in-depth understanding of STS and a platform for generating and manipulating STS by designing SL structures.

A general strategy for semiconductor quantum dot production

Mass production of semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) from bulk materials is highly desired but far from being satisfactory. Herein, we report a general strategy to mechanically tailor semiconductor bulk materials into QDs. Semiconductor bulk materials are routinely available via simple chemical precipitation. From their bulk materials, a variety of semiconductor (e.g., lead sulfide (PbS), cadmium sulfide (CdS), copper sulfide (CuS), ferrous sulfide (FeS), and zinc sulfide (ZnS)) QDs are successfully produced in high yields (>15 wt%). This is achieved by a combination of silica-assisted ball-milling and sonication-assisted solvent treatment. The as-produced QDs show intrinsic characteristics and outstanding water solubility (up to 5 mg mL^-1), facilitating their practical applications. The QD dispersions present remarkable photoluminescence (PL) with exciton-dependence and nanosecond (ns)-scale lifetimes. The QDs-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) hybrid thin films demonstrate exciting solid-state fluorescence and exceptional nonlinear saturation absorption (NSA). Absolute modulation depths of up to 58% and saturation intensities down to 0.40 MW cm^-2 were obtained. Our strategy could be applied to any semiconductor bulk materials and therefore paves the way for the construction of the complete library of semiconductor QDs.

Role of the active cycle of breathing technique combined with phonophoresis for the treatment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): study protocol for a preliminary randomized controlled trial

Background

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic inflammatory lung disease characterized by coughing, the production of excess sputum, and dyspnea. Patients with excessively thick sputum may have frequent attacks or develop more serious disease. The guidelines recommend airway clearance for patients with excessive sputum who are hospitalized with COPD. The active cycle of breathing technique is the most common non-pharmacological airway clearance technique used by physiotherapists. However, the effectiveness of the technique is not always guaranteed. Active cycle of breathing techniques require the initial dilution of the sputum, usually by inhalation drugs, which may have limited effects. Recent studies have found that phonophoresis decreases inflammation, suggesting the potential of the combined usage of active cycle of breathing techniques and phonophoresis. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore the effectiveness and safety of combining active cycle of breathing technique and phonophoresis in treating COPD patients.

Methods and analysis

We propose a single-blind randomized controlled trial using 75 hospitalized patients diagnosed with COPD with excessive sputum production. The patients will be divided into three groups. The intervention group will receive active cycle of breathing techniques combined with phonophoresis. The two comparison groups will be treated with active cycle of breathing techniques and phonophoresis, respectively. The program will be implemented daily for 1 week. The primary outcomes will be changes in sputum viscosity and production, lung function, and pulse oximetry. Secondary outcomes include the assessment of COPD and anxiety, measured by the COPD Assessment Test scale and the Anxiety Inventory for Respiratory Disease, respectively; self-satisfaction; the degree of cooperation; and the length of hospital stay. All outcome measures, with the exception of sputum production and additional secondary outcomes, will be assessed at the commencement of the study and after 1 week’s intervention. Analysis of variance will be used to investigate differences between the groups, and a p-value of less than 0.05 (two-tailed) will be considered statistically significant.

Discussion

This study introduces a combination of active cycle of breathing techniques and phonophoresis to explore the impact of these interventions on patients hospitalized with COPD. If this combined intervention is shown to be effective, it may prove to be a better treatment for patients with COPD.

Trial registration

The trial was registered prospectively on the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry on 24 December 2019.ClinicalTrials.gov ChiCTR1900028506. Registered on December 2019.

The gene NtMYC2a acts as a 'master switch' in the regulation of JA-induced nicotine accumulation in tobacco

The biosynthesis and transport of nicotine has been shown to be coordinately upregulated by jasmonate (JA). MYC2, a member of basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor family, is well-documented as the core player in the JA signalling pathway to regulate diverse plant development processes. Four MYC2 genes were found in the tobacco genome, NtMYC2a/2b and 1a/1b. In this study, we tested whether one of them, NtMYC2a, acts as a 'master switch' in the regulation of nicotine biosynthesis and transport in tobacco. We generated NtMYC2a knockout tobacco plants using the CRISPR-Cas9 technique and analysed the effect of NtMYC2a knockout on expression of the nicotine biosynthesis genes (NtAO, NtQS, NtPMT1a, NtQPT2, NtODC2, NtMPO1, NtA622 and NtBBLa) and transport genes (NtMATE2 and NtJAT1), as well as leaf accumulation of nicotine in the NtMYC2a knockout plants. We found that all the nicotine biosynthesis and transport genes tested in this study were significantly downregulated (>50% reduction compared with wild-type control) in the NtMYC2a knockout plants. Moreover, the leaf nicotine content in knockout plants was dramatically reduced by ca 80% compared with the wild-type control. These results clearly show that NtMYC2a acts as a 'master switch' to coordinate JA-induced nicotine accumulation in tobacco and suggests that NtMYC2a might play an important role in tobacco nicotine-mediated defence against herbivory.

Inch-Scale Ball-in-Bowl Plasmonic Nanostructure Arrays for Polarization-Independent Second-Harmonic Generation

Second-harmonic generation (SHG) in plasmonic nanostructures has been investigated for decades due to their wide applications in photonic circuit, quantum optics and biosensing. Development of large-scale, uniform, and efficient plasmonic nanostructure system with tunable modes is desirable for their feasible utilizations. Herein, we design an efficient inch-scale SHG source by a solution-processed method instead of traditional high-cost processes. By assembling the gold nanoparticles with the porous anodic alumina templates, multiresonance in both visible and near-infrared regions can be achieved in hexagonal plasmonic nanostructure arrays, which provide strong electric field enhancement at the gap region. Polarization-independence SHG radiation has been realized owing to the in-plane isotropic characteristic of assembled unit. The tilt-angle dependent and angle-resolved measurement showed that wide-angle nonlinear response is achieved in our device because of the gap geometry of ball-in-bowl nanostructure with nonlinear emission electric dipoles distributed on the concave surface, which makes it competitive in practical applications. Our progress not only makes it possible to produce uniform inch-scale nonlinear arrays through low-cost solution process; and also advances the understanding of the SHG radiation in plasmonic nanostructures.

Electrocatalytic oxidation of PCP-Na by a novel nano-PbO2 anode: degradation mechanism and toxicity assessment

This study aims at investigating the electrocatalytic oxidation of sodium pentachlorophenate (PCP-Na) using a novel nano-PbO₂ powder anode. The nano-PbO₂ powder (marked as HL-PbO₂) was prepared by a simple hydrolysis process, and hydrothermal treatment was followed to improve the activity of HL-PbO₂. The HL-PbO₂ treated for 24 h by hydrothermal process (HL/HT-PbO₂-24) was confirmed to possess higher crystallinity, higher oxygen evolution potential, and more active sites, resulting in stronger OH radical generation capacity and higher electrochemical activity. Compared with conventional electrodeposited PbO₂ (ED-PbO₂) anode, the HL/HT-PbO₂-24 anode showed higher PCP-Na degradation rate. Under the same operating conditions, the mineralization current efficiency at HL/HT-PbO₂-24 was 2.7 times than that at ED-PbO₂. Five intermediates were detected in PCP-Na degradation solution and possible degradation mechanism of PCP-Na was discussed. In addition, the acute toxicity of PCP-Na degradation solution to zebrafish embryos and the oxidative stress induced in zebrafish embryos/larvae were studied to evaluate the ecological security of electrocatalytic oxidation of PCP-Na.

Electrocatalytic degradation of perfluoroocatane sulfonate (PFOS) on a 3D graphene-lead dioxide (3DG-PbO2) composite anode: Electrode characterization, degradation mechanism and toxicity

In this work, a three-dimension grapnene-PbO₂ (3DG-PbO₂) composite anode was prepared using coelectrodeposition technology for electrocatalytic oxidation of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). The effect of 3DG on the surface morphology, structure and electrocatalytic activity of PbO₂ electrode was investigated. The results indicated that the 3DG-PbO₂-0.08 anode (3DG concentration in electrodeposition solution was 0.08 g L^-1) possessed the best electrocatalytic activity due to its stronger ·OH radicals generation capacity, more active sites and smaller charge-transfer resistance. The degradation rate constant of PFOS on 3DG-PbO₂-0.08 anode was 2.33 times than that of pure PbO₂ anode. Additionally, the by-products formed in electrocatalytic degradation of PFOS were identified and a PFOS degradation pathway was proposed accordingly, which was dominated by the dissociation of -CF₂- groups via the attack of ·OH radicals. Finally, the toxicity evolution of degradation solution was examined to evaluate the ecological risk of electrocatalytic oxidation of PFOS by acute toxicity assays to zebrafish embryos.

Large-Scale Thin CsPbBr3 Single-Crystal Film Grown on Sapphire via Chemical Vapor Deposition: Toward Laser Array Application

Single-crystal perovskites with excellent photophysical properties are considered to be ideal materials for optoelectronic devices, such as lasers, light-emitting diodes and photodetectors. However, the growth of large-scale perovskite single-crystal films (SCFs) with high optical gain by vapor-phase epitaxy remains challenging. Herein, we demonstrated a facile method to fabricate large-scale thin CsPbBr₃ SCFs (∼300 nm) on the c-plane sapphire substrate. High temperature is found to be the key parameter to control low reactant concentration and sufficient surface diffusion length for the growth of continuous CsPbBr₃ SCFs. Through the comprehensive study of the carrier dynamics, we clarify that the trapped-related exciton recombination has the main effect under low carrier density, while the recombination of excitons and free carriers coexist until free carriers plays the dominate role with increasing carrier density. Furthermore, an extremely low-threshold (∼8 μJ cm^-2) amplified spontaneous emission was achieved at room temperature due to the high optical gain up to 1255 cm^-1 at a pump power of 20 times threshold (∼20 P_th). A microdisk array was prepared using a focused ion beam etching method, and a single-mode laser was achieved on a 3 μm diameter disk with the threshold of 1.6 μJ cm^-2. Our experimental results not only present a versatile method to fabricate large-scale SCFs of CsPbBr₃ but also supply an arena to boost the optoelectronic applications of CsPbBr₃ with high performance.

Tailoring Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes into Graphene Quantum Sheets

Transformation of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into sub-10 nm pieces is highly required but remains a great challenge. Herein, we report a robust strategy capable of mechanically tailoring pristine multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into graphene quantum sheets (M-GQSs) with an extremely high yield of up to 44.6 wt %. The method combines silica-assisted ball-milling and sonication-assisted solvent exfoliation and therefore enables reproducible high-yield production of M-GQSs directly from MWCNTs. Remarkable solvent diversity and extraordinary solvability (up to 7 mg/mL) are demonstrated facilitating the solution processing of the M-GQSs. The M-GQSs are essentially monolayers with intrinsic curvature, which could be determinative to their outstanding performances in both dispersions and thin films. Besides the excitation wavelength-, concentration-, and solvent-dependent photoluminescence in dispersions, the solid-state fluorescence and exceptional nonlinear saturation absorption (NSA) in thin films are demonstrated. Particularly, NSA with relative modulation depth up to 46% and saturation intensity down to 1.53 MW/cm² are achieved in M-GQS/poly(methyl methacrylate) hybrid thin films with a loading content of merely 0.2 wt %. Our method opens up a new avenue toward conversion and utilization of CNTs.

CT and MRI features of giant cell tumours with prominent aneurysmal bone cysts in the extremities: a comparison with primary aneurysmal bone cysts

AIM

To test the hypothesis that computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could help distinguish between giant cell tumours with prominent aneurysmal bone cysts (GABCs) and primary aneurysmal bone cysts (PABCs) of the extremities.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

CT and MRI features of 13 patients with GABCs and 13 patients with PABCs in the extremities were analysed retrospectively. The ages and sex of the patients were also recorded. Independent-samples t-tests were used for continuous variables and Fisher's exact tests were used for categorical variables to compare the differences between the two groups. Diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and interobserver agreement were calculated.

RESULTS

The average age of patients with GABCs (38.2±15.8 years) was higher than that of patients with PABCs (19.3±12.7 years; p=0.003). The transverse/longitudinal diameter ratio was different between GABCs (0.8±0.3) and PABCs (0.6±0.2; p=0.007). Subchondral bone involvement (92.3% versus 30.8%, p=0.004) and deep lobulation (38.5% versus 0%, p=0.039) were more likely to be noted in patients with GABCs. Surrounding blood vessels were identified in six cases of PABCs (6/13), but not in GABCs (p=0.015). The following characteristics were suggestive of GABCs, older patient age, higher transverse/longitudinal diameter ratio, subchondral bone involvement, and deep lobulation indicated a sensitivity of 84.6%, 76.9%, 75%, and 100%, and a specificity of 84.6%, 69.2%, 90%, and 61.9%, respectively. Conversely, surrounding blood vessels were suggestive of PABCs, with a sensitivity of 46.2% and specificity of 100%. The concordance between the two readers was moderate to nearly perfect.

CONCLUSION

Age, subchondral bone involvement, lobulation, transverse/longitudinal diameter ratio, and surrounding blood vessels can be used to distinguish GABCs from PABCs.

MiR-9 accelerates epithelial-mesenchymal transition of ovarian cancer cells via inhibiting e-cadherin

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the influence of micro-ribonucleic acid (miR)-9 on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of ovarian cancer cells by targeted inhibition on E-cadherin (CDH1).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The human ovarian cancer cells were cultured and miR-9 was repressed by inhibitors and overexpressed by miRNA mimics. The expression of EMT-related proteins was measured via Western blotting (WB). The action target of miR-9 was determined through the dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. The changes in protein levels were detected using WB.

RESULTS

The expression of miR-9 was markedly up-regulated in ovarian cancer tissues, that is, the expression level of serum miR-9 in ovarian cancer patients was higher than that in control group. After the inhibition of miR-9, the expression level of epithelial indicator CDH1 was increased, while that of interstitial indicator Vimentin was decreased. MiR-9 contained a complementary site in the 3'-untranslated region (UTR) of CDH1 messenger RNA (mRNA) and the mRNA and protein expressions of CDH1 in the cells were down-regulated obviously by miR-9 overexpression.

CONCLUSIONS

MiR-9 promotes the EMT of ovarian cancer cells through the targeted inhibition on CDH1.

Sodium butyrate relieves cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in mice by inhibiting JNK/STAT pathway

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate whether sodium butyrate (NaB) attenuated cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) in mice by inhibiting JNK/STAT pathway, thereby exerting a neuroprotective role.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

ICR mice were randomly assigned into five groups, including the sham group, the model group, the 1 mg/kg NaB group, the 5 mg/kg NaB group and the 10 mg/kg NaB group, respectively. IRI model was established in mice using the bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO) method. Open-field test was performed to evaluate degree of IRI damage by recording central travel distance and central active time. The morphology of hippocampal neurons was observed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. TUNEL staining was conducted to detect apoptotic neurons in the brain of mice. Meanwhile, activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in brain tissues of mice were determined by relative commercial kits. The expression levels of inflammatory factors in brain tissues of mice were accessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In addition, the protein expressions of Jak2 and STAT3 in brain tissues of mice were detected by Western blot.

RESULTS

10 mg/kg NaB treatment remarkably alleviated impaired neurological defect and hippocampal neurons, as well as significantly improved neuronal survival. Mice in the 10 mg/kg NaB group showed significantly lower central travel distance and shorter central active time than those in the sham group. In addition, 10 mg/kg NaB treatment markedly increased SOD activity, whereas significantly decreased MDA activity in IRI mice. Mice in the NaB treatment group showed significantly lower levels of IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-8. Meanwhile, TUNEL-positive neurons in mice of the NaB treatment group were remarkably fewer. In addition, the protein expression levels of Jak2 and STAT3 were obviously upregulated in IRI mice, which were significantly downregulated after 10 mg/kg NaB treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Sodium butyrate exerts neuroprotective effects on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury by preventing oxidative stress, inflammatory response and neuronal apoptosis through inhibiting JNK/STAT pathway.

Aggregation-Dependent Photoreactive Hemicyanine Assembly as a Photobactericide

Organic materials that show substantial reactivity under visible light have received considerable attention due to their wide applications in chemical and biological systems. Hemicyanine pigments possess a strong intramolecular donor-acceptor structure and thereby display intense absorption in the visible spectral region. However, most excitons are consumed via the twisted intramolecular charge-transfer (TICT) process, making hemicyanines generally inert to light. Herein, we describe the development of an amphiphilic hemicyanine dye whose aggregation could be easily regulated using salt or counterions. More importantly, its intrinsic photoreactivity was successfully induced by steric restriction and cofacial arrangement within the H-aggregate, thus creating an effective photobactericide. This strategy could be extended to the development of photocatalysts for photosynthesis and a photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy.

Charge-Transfer-Induced Photoluminescence Properties of WSe2 Monolayer-Bilayer Homojunction

The charge-transfer process in transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) lateral homojunction affects the electron-hole recombination process of in optoelectronic devices. However, the optical properties of the homojunction reflecting the charge-transfer process has not been observed and studied. In this work, we investigated the charge-transfer-induced emission properties based on monolayer (1L)-bilayer (2L) WSe₂ lateral homojunction with dozens of nanometer monolayer region. On the one hand, the photoluminescence (PL) emission of bilayer WSe₂ from the homojunction area blue shifts ∼23 and ∼31 meV for direct and indirect bandgap emission, respectively, compared with the bare WSe₂ bilayer region. The blue shift of the emission spectrum in the bilayer WSe₂ is ascribed to the decrease in binding energy induced by charge transfer from monolayer to bilayer. On the other hand, the energy shift shows a tendency to increase as the temperature decreases. The energy blue shift is ∼57 meV for direct bandgap emission at 80 K, which is larger than that (∼23 meV) at room temperature. The larger-energy blue shift at low temperature is derived from the larger driving force under larger band offset. Our observations of the unique optical properties induced by efficient charge transfer are very helpful for exploring novel TMDC-based optoelectronic devices.

The relationship between plasma homocysteine levels and MTHFR gene variation, age, and sex in Northeast China

Background

Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) is the risk factor for cardiovascular disease and stroke. However, the impacts on the genetic variation of methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) on plasma homocysteine levels in the Northeast Chinese population have not been studied. Therefore, this study was carried out to determine the relationship between HHcy and MTHFR gene variation, and whether it was influenced by age and sex of the population in Northeast China.

Materials and Methods

A total of 466 subjects were randomly enrolled in this study. According to the homocysteine levels (Hcy ≥ 15 μmol/L) of the subjects, they were divided into hyperhomocysteine (HHcy = 206) and normal homocysteine (Hcy = 260). Polymerase chain reaction/high-resolution dissolution curve and homocysteine determination kit methods were used for genotype testing and homocysteine detection, respectively.

Results

High plasma homocysteine levels are associated with MTHFR 677T and 1298A [P < 0.00, odds ratio (confidence interval) = 1.842 (1.418-2.394) >1], which is related to increasing age (P_range = 0.0005-0.0161), with the homocysteine levels of males higher than females (P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

High plasma homocysteine levels were linked to the MTHFR gene mutation. In addition, plasma homocysteine levels increased significantly with age with male's homocysteine levels higher than that of females.

Inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway on endothelial cell function and angiogenesis in mice with acute cerebral infarction

This study was aimed to investigate whether interferon (IFN)-induced protein 35 (IFI35) affects the signaling pathway of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and to observe the effect of different expressions of IFI35 on the proliferation of endothelial cells and angiogenesis in rats with acute cerebral infarction. A suture method was adopted to prepare a mouse model of permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (PMCAO). After the treatment of cerebral artery occlusion in 200 healthy male mice (weighting 20g-40g), 47 mice were selected and the double luciferase assay was used to identify different structural domains of IFI35; for the remaining 153 mice, RT-PCR and immunohistochemical assays were used to detect the mRNA expression of glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 (Gli1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and CD105 (endoglin). The results showed that IFI35 could reduce the level of p65 protein (REL-A) in the nucleus while affecting the production of p-p65 in the cytoplasm. At the same time, IFI35 could be used in combination with a NID1 protein domain + Nmi protein to inhibit the signaling pathway of NF-κB. Expressions of Gli1, VEGF, bFGF, and CD105 in the IFI35 treatment group were all significantly reduced (P less than0.05). In conclusion, IFI35 could suppress the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway, reduce the proliferating potential of vascular endothelial cells, and lower the expression of vascular growth factors, thereby inhibiting angiogenesis in mice with acute cerebral infarction.

Clinical utility of quantitative dual-energy CT iodine maps and CT morphological features in distinguishing small-cell from non-small-cell lung cancer

AIM

To evaluate the clinical usefulness of quantitative dual-energy (DE) computed tomography (CT) iodine enhancement metrics combined with morphological CT features in distinguishing small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) from non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

One hundred and six untreated lung cancer patients who underwent DECT before biopsy or surgery were prospectively enrolled. Twenty-seven routine CT descriptors, including tumour location, size, shape, margin, enhancement heterogeneity, and internal and surrounding structures, and associated findings were assessed and DECT parameters were measured in all patients. Multiple logistic regression analyses were applied to identify independent predictors of SCLC. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was compared between CT features combined with DECT metrics and CT features alone for distinguishing SCLC from NSCLC.

RESULTS

Histology revealed NSCLC in 80 and SCLC in 26 patients. In univariate analysis, 12 morphological CT features and two DECT metrics differed significantly between NSCLC and SCLC. When DECT parameters were combined with CT features for multivariate analysis, the independent predictors of SCLC were large tumour size, central location, confluent mediastinal lymphadenopathy, homogeneous enhancement, absence of coarse spiculation, and lower iodine density and iodine ratio (all p<0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was improved from 0.908 to 0.981 after adding DECT metrics compared with CT features alone (p=0.007).

CONCLUSION

The combination of DECT measures and CT morphological features can be used to distinguish SCLC from NSCLC, with higher diagnostic performance compared with CT morphological features alone.

Individuals with obesity but no other metabolic risk factors are not at significantly elevated all-cause mortality risk in men and women

Studies have examined mortality risk for metabolically healthy obesity, defined as zero or one metabolic risk factors but not as zero risk factors. Thus, we sought to determine the independent mortality risk associated with obesity or elevated glucose, blood pressure or lipids in isolation or clustered together. The sample included 54 089 men and women from five cohort studies (follow-up = 12.8 ± 7.2 years and 4864 [9.0%] deaths). Individuals were categorized as having obesity or elevated glucose, blood pressure or lipids alone or clustered with obesity or another metabolic factor. In our study sample, 6% of individuals presented with obesity but no other metabolic abnormalities. General obesity (hazard ratios [HR], 95% CI = 1.10, 0.8-1.6) and abdominal obesity (HR = 1.24, 0.9-1.7) in the absence of metabolic risk factors were not associated with mortality risk compared to lean individuals. Conversely, diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidaemia in isolation were significantly associated with mortality risk (HR range = 1.17-1.94, P < 0.05). However, when using traditional approaches, obesity (HR = 1.12, 1.02-1.23) is independently associated with mortality risk after statistical adjustment for the other metabolic risk factors. Similarly, metabolically healthy obesity, when defined as zero or one risk factor, is also associated with increased mortality risk (HR = 1.15, 1.01-1.32) as compared to lean healthy individuals. Obesity in the absence of metabolic abnormalities may not be associated with higher risk for all-cause mortality compared to lean healthy individuals. Conversely, elevation of even a single metabolic risk factor is associated with increased mortality risk.

Ultrafast Charge Transfer in Perovskite Nanowire/2D Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Heterostructures

Mixed-dimensional van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures between one-dimensional (1D) perovskite nanowires and two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) hold great potential for novel optoelectronics and light-harvesting applications. However, the ultrafast carrier dynamics between the 1D perovskite nanowires and 2D TMDCs are currently not well understood, which is critical for related optoelectronic applications. Here we demonstrate vdW heterostructures of CsPbBr₃ nanowire/monolayer MoS₂ and CsPbBr₃ nanowire/monolayer WSe₂ and further present systematic investigations on their charge transfer dynamics. We show that CsPbBr₃/MoS₂ and CsPbBr₃/WSe₂ are type-I and type-II heterostructures, respectively. Both electrons and holes transfer from CsPbBr₃ to MoS₂ with an efficiency of 71%. As a contrast, holes transfer from CsPbBr₃ to WSe₂ with a carrier transfer efficiency of 70% and electrons transfer inversely within 7 ps. The ultrafast and efficient charge transfer in the 1D/2D perovskite-TMDC heterostructures suggest great promise in light emission, photodetector, and photovoltaic devices.

3R MoS2 with Broken Inversion Symmetry: A Promising Ultrathin Nonlinear Optical Device

Nonlinear 2D layered crystals provide ideal platforms for applications and fundamental studies in ultrathin nonlinear optical (NLO) devices. However, the NLO frequency conversion efficiency constrained by lattice symmetry is still limited by layer numbers of 2D crystals. In this work, 3R MoS₂ with broken inversion symmetry structure are grown and proved to be excellent NLO 2D crystals from monolayer (0.65 nm) toward bulk-like (300 nm) dimension. Thickness and wavelength-dependent second harmonic generation spectra offer the selection rules of appropriate working conditions. A model comprising of bulk nonlinear contribution and interface interaction is proposed to interpret the observed nonlinear behavior. Polarization enhancement with two petals along staggered stacking direction appears in 3R MoS₂ is first observed and the robust polarization of 3R MoS₂ crystal is caused by the retained broken inversion symmetry. The results provide a new arena for realizing ultrathin NLO devices for 2D layered materials.

MiR-18a upregulation decreases Dicer expression and confers paclitaxel resistance in triple negative breast cancer

OBJECTIVE

MiR-18a is a miRNA that is aberrantly overexpressed in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, its biophysical function in TNBC is still not clear. In this study, we investigated the association among miR-18a dysregulation, Dicer dysregulation and paclitaxel (PTX) resistance in TNBC cells.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

20 TNBC patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy before surgery were recruited. MiR-18a expression was quantified using QRT-PCR. The effects of miR-18a overexpression or knockdown on cell viability and apoptosis of PTX sensitive MDA-MB-231 cells and PTX resistant MDA-MB-231 cells after PTX treatment were studied. The influence of miR-18a overexpression on Dicer expression was measured by qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis.

RESULTS

Tissues from patients with stable disease (SD, n = 5) and progressive disease (PD, n = 2) to paclitaxel (PTX) containing neoadjuvant chemotherapy had significantly higher miR-18a expression than that from patients with partial response (PR, n = 13). MDA-MB-231/PTX cells had higher miR-18a expression than MDA-MB-231 cells. MiR-18a overexpression directly led to Dicer repression at mRNA and protein level. MiR-18a overexpression significantly increased PTX IC50 and reduced PTX induced cell apoptosis, while miR-18a suppression substantially decreased PTX IC50 and increased PTX induced cell apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found that miR-18a is an important miRNA that suppresses Dicer expression and increases PTX resistance in TNBC cells.

Mating system patterns of natural populations of Pinus koraiensis along its post-glacial colonization route in northeastern China

To understand the genetic mechanisms underlying the endangerment of Pinus koraiensis, we studied the mating system of 49 families of this species in 3 natural populations along its post-glacial colonization route across ~1500 km in northeastern China using the chloroplast simple sequence repeat technique. We analyzed 11 polymorphic loci with clear and repeating bands, and we calculated the multi-locus outcrossing rate (tm), single-locus outcrossing rate, inbreeding index, and fixation index (F). Intra-population variation was not observed, but a large inter-population variation was observed in the outcrossing rate, and the tm increased from 0.767 (the south population) to 0.962 (the north population) along the post-glacial colonization route. The tm values within a population did not change with time over 2 consecutive years. The F values for the 3 populations were <0, which indicates an excess of heterozygotes. The mean effective number of alleles, Shannon diversity index, and Nei's genetic diversity index did not show a south-north pattern. The north population had the highest outcrossing rate but the lowest genetic diversity. The average genetic differentiation of P. koraiensis populations was 0.1251, which was within the average range of woody plants with outcrossing and wind pollination. This study suggests that the current endangerment of P. koraiensis is not related to its genetic structure; perhaps it is mainly caused by man-made and natural disturbances such as deforestation and fire. Therefore, reducing disturbances and enhancing habitats, rather than the genetic aspects, play more important roles in the long-term protection of P. koraiensis.

Body adiposity index and incident hypertension: the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study

BACKGROUND AND AIM

The body adiposity index (BAI) has been recently proposed as a new method to estimate the percentage of body fat. The association between BAI and hypertension risk has not been investigated yet. The aim of our study was to evaluate the ability of BAI to predict hypertension in males and females compared with traditional body adiposity measures.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The present follow-up analysis comprised 10,309 individuals (2259 females) free of hypertension from the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study, who completed a baseline examination between 1988 and 2003. Body adiposity measures included BAI, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, hip circumference, percentage of body fat and waist to hip ratio (WHR). Incident hypertension was ascertained from responses to mail-back surveys between 1990 and 2004. During an average of 9.1 years of follow-up, 872 subjects (107 females) became hypertensive. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) showed that males in the highest categories of all body adiposity measures showed a higher incident risk of hypertension (HRs ranged from 1.37 to 2.09). Females showed a higher incident risk of hypertension only in the highest categories of BAI, BMI and WHR (HRs ranged from 1.84 to 3.36).

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that in order to predict incident hypertension BAI could be considered as an alternative to traditional body adiposity measures.

Autophagy and chemotherapy resistance: a promising therapeutic target for cancer treatment

Induction of cell death and inhibition of cell survival are the main principles of cancer therapy. Resistance to chemotherapeutic agents is a major problem in oncology, which limits the effectiveness of anticancer drugs. A variety of factors contribute to drug resistance, including host factors, specific genetic or epigenetic alterations in the cancer cells and so on. Although various mechanisms by which cancer cells become resistant to anticancer drugs in the microenvironment have been well elucidated, how to circumvent this resistance to improve anticancer efficacy remains to be defined. Autophagy, an important homeostatic cellular recycling mechanism, is now emerging as a crucial player in response to metabolic and therapeutic stresses, which attempts to maintain/restore metabolic homeostasis through the catabolic lysis of excessive or unnecessary proteins and injured or aged organelles. Recently, several studies have shown that autophagy constitutes a potential target for cancer therapy and the induction of autophagy in response to therapeutics can be viewed as having a prodeath or a prosurvival role, which contributes to the anticancer efficacy of these drugs as well as drug resistance. Thus, understanding the novel function of autophagy may allow us to develop a promising therapeutic strategy to enhance the effects of chemotherapy and improve clinical outcomes in the treatment of cancer patients.

Synthesis and studies on the anticonvulsant activity of 5-alkoxy-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyridine derivatives

In this study, a series of new 5-alkoxy-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyridine derivatives was synthesized and their anticonvulsant activity and neurotoxicity was evaluated with the maximal electroshock and rotarod tests, respectively. The most promising compounds, 3p (5-(4-chlorophenoxy)-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyridine) and 3r (5-(4-bromophenoxy)-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyridine), showed a median effective dose of 13.2 and 15.8 mg/kg and had a protective index value of 4.8 and 6.9, respectively. For exploring the putative mechanism of action, compounds 3n, 3p and 3r were tested in chemically induced models.