Nomogram model for predicting early recurrence for resectable pancreatic cancer: A multicenter study.

Pancreatic cancer is a highly aggressive malignancy that is characterized by early metastasis, high recurrence, and therapy resistance. Early recurrence after surgery is one of the important reasons affecting the prognosis of pancreatic cancer. This study aimed to establish an accurate preoperative nomogram model for predicting early recurrence (ER) for resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma. We retrospectively analyzed patients who underwent pancreatectomy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma between January 2011 and December 2020. The training set consisted of 604 patients, while the validation set included 222 patients. Survival was estimated using Kaplan-Meier curves. The factors influencing early recurrence of resectable pancreatic cancer after surgery were investigated, then the predictive model for early recurrence was established, and subsequently the predictive model was validated based on the data of the validation group. The preoperative risk factors for ER included a Charlson age-comorbidity index ≥ 4 (odds ratio [OR]: 0.628), tumor size > 3.0 cm on computed tomography (OR: 0.628), presence of clinical symptoms (OR: 0.515), carbohydrate antigen 19-9 > 181.3 U/mL (OR 0.396), and carcinoembryonic antigen > 6.01 (OR: 0.440). The area under the curve (AUC) of the predictive model in the training group was 0.711 (95% confidence interval: 0.669-0.752), while it reached 0.730 (95% CI: 0.663-0.797) in the validation group. The predictive model may enable the prediction of the risk of postoperative ER in patients with resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, thereby optimizing preoperative decision-making for effective treatment.

EPS15-AS1 Inhibits AKR1B1 Expression to Enhance Ferroptosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells.

Epidermal growth factor receptor substrate 15 (EPS15) is part of the EGFR pathway and has been implicated in various tumorigenesis. Increasing evidence suggests that long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) plays an essential role in liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) by regulating the expression of proteins and genes. Through analysis of the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) database, we found that EPS15 is highly expressed in LIHC tissue, and lncRNA EPS15-antisense1 (EPS15-AS1) decreased in LIHC cell lines. However, the function of EPS15-AS1 in LIHC is still unknown. When EPS15-AS1 was overexpressed in HepG2 cell lines, the expression of EPS15 was reduced and cell activity and invasiveness were inhibited. In addition, we observed an increase in Fe2+ ion and lipid peroxidation after overexpression of EPS15-AS1, and further analysis showed that the susceptibility to ferroptosis increased. Aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B 1 (AKR1B1) belongs to the aldo/keto reductase superfamily and is involved in maintaining the cellular redox balance. Survival analysis revealed that patients with a higher level of AKR1B1 have a lower survival rate in the TCGA database. We also found that EPS15 enhanced the AKR1B1 expression in LIHC, and AKR1B1 had the ability to promote cell invasiveness. Moreover, overexpression of AKR1B1 alleviated the promoting effect of EPS15-AS1 on ferroptosis. Therefore, EPS15-AS1 can induce ferroptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells by inhibiting the expression of EPS15 and AKR1B1 and disrupting the redox balance. EPS15 and AKR1B1 may serve as biomarkers for diagnosis and lncRNA EPS15-AS1 potential drug for LIHC.

Novel Local-Chiral Metamaterial: Effective Modulation of Amplitude & Phase for Wideband Polarization-Insensitive Absorption.

Metamaterial has received widespread research in the fields of electromagnetic stealth due to its characteristics of strong resonance and flexible designability. However, a lack of a comprehensive understanding of the internal physical mechanism still imposes certain limitations on broadband absorption designs. Hence, this work proposes a new strategy for the broadening of the working frequency band of metamaterial absorbers by constructing local-chiral features to regulate the amplitude and phase information. The absorber consists of staggered cut-wire metal patterns with lumped resistors placed at the center position determined by characteristic mode analysis. Combining the modal significance, equivalent circuit, surface current, electric field distribution, and symmetry model theory, the working mechanism for wideband absorption performance has been analyzed in detail. The experimental results are in good agreement with the simulation results; the absorption rate exceeds 82% in the frequency range of 4.5-11.7 GHz and surpasses about 90% in the frequency range of 4.7-10.8 GHz under transverse electric (TE) or transverse-magnetic (TM) polarizations. Compared to the case without chiral features, the proposed design can achieve a 28% increase in operating bandwidth. The proposed design method is applicable for the optimization of various typical dipole-type metamaterial absorbers and provides a novel strategy for future wideband metamaterial absorption.

Educational efficacy of medical humanities in empathy of medical students and healthcare professionals: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Medical humanities education is an important part of medical education. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of medical humanities in improving empathy among medical students and healthcare professionals. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, EBSCO-ERIC, Web of Science were searched systematically for studies in the English language. The last retrieval date is May 1, 2023. Best Evidence Medical Education (BEME) Global Rating Scale and Kirkpatrick-based results were used to evaluate the quality of literature. In this study, a meta-analysis of continuous data was conducted. RESULTS: The pooled results by single-arm test meta-analysis showed a benefit with medical humanities programs in empathy (SMD 1.33; 95% CI 0.69-1.96). For single-arm trials of medical humanities program interventions of less than 4 months, 4 months to 12 months, and more than one year, the standardized mean differences(SMD) between post-test and pre-test were 1.74 (P < 0.05), 1.26 (P < 0.05), and 0.13 (P = 0.46), respectively. The results showed a significant difference in the effect of medical humanities programs on male and female empathy (SMD - 1.10; 95% CI -2.08 - -0.13). The SMDs for the study of course, the course combined reflective writing, and the course combined reflective writing and practice as intervention modalities for medical humanities programs were 1.15 (P < 0.05), 1.64 (P < 0.05), and 1.50 (P < 0.05), respectively. CONCLUSION: Medical humanities programs as a whole can improve the empathy of medical students and health professionals. However, different intervention durations and different intervention methods produce different intervention effects.

Machine learning-based automated sponge cytology for screening of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the oesophagogastric junction: a nationwide, multicohort, prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the oesophagogastric junction have a dismal prognosis, and early detection is key to reduce mortality. However, early detection depends on upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, which is not feasible to implement at a population level. We aimed to develop and validate a fully automated machine learning-based prediction tool integrating a minimally invasive sponge cytology test and epidemiological risk factors for screening of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the oesophagogastric junction before endoscopy. METHODS: For this multicohort prospective study, we enrolled participants aged 40-75 years undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy screening at 39 tertiary or secondary hospitals in China for model training and testing, and included community-based screening participants for further validation. All participants underwent questionnaire surveys, sponge cytology testing, and endoscopy in a sequential manner. We trained machine learning models to predict a composite outcome of high-grade lesions, defined as histology-confirmed high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia and carcinoma of the oesophagus and oesophagogastric junction. The predictive features included 105 cytological and 15 epidemiological features. Model performance was primarily measured with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and average precision. The performance measures for cytologists with AI assistance was also assessed. FINDINGS: Between Jan 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022, 17 498 eligible participants were involved in model training and validation. In the testing set, the AUROC of the final model was 0·960 (95% CI 0·937 to 0·977) and the average precision was 0·482 (0·470 to 0·494). The model achieved similar performance to consensus of cytologists with AI assistance (AUROC 0·955 [95% CI 0·933 to 0·975]; p=0·749; difference 0·005, 95% CI, -0·011 to 0·020). If the model-defined moderate-risk and high-risk groups were referred for endoscopy, the sensitivity was 94·5% (95% CI 88·8 to 97·5), specificity was 91·9% (91·2 to 92·5), and the predictive positive value was 18·4% (15·6 to 21·6), and 90·3% of endoscopies could be avoided. Further validation in community-based screening showed that the AUROC of the model was 0·964 (95% CI 0·920 to 0·990), and 92·8% of endoscopies could be avoided after risk stratification. INTERPRETATION: We developed a prediction tool with favourable performance for screening of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the oesophagogastric junction. This approach could prevent the need for endoscopy screening in many low-risk individuals and ensure resource optimisation by prioritising high-risk individuals. FUNDING: Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality.

Bioinspired multiple-degrees-of-freedom responsive metasurface by high-entropy-alloy ribbons with hierarchical nanostructures for electromagnetic wave absorption.

The compound eyes of the dragonfly, Pantala flavescens Fabricius, are covered by micro-scaled ocelli capable of sensing polarized light, an attractive property for radar stealth and counterreconnaissance. In this work, we fabricated biomimetic electromagnetic wave absorption materials (EAMs) by analyzing the covert information identifications of biological systems and focusing on the design of metastructures and microstructures. Several bionic metasurfaces with anisotropic double-V meta atoms made up of (FeCoNiSi8.9Al8.9)C0.2 high-entropy-alloy (HEA) ribbons for multiple-degrees-of-freedom recognition and broadband absorption are presented. The covert phase, amplitude, and angular momentum of electromagnetic waves were controlled and recognized as information by manipulating the rotation angle θ of meta atoms. A vortex wave with a topological charge of 1 was generated to recognize linearly polarization and left- and right-handed circular polarization. In addition, the polarization conversion enhanced absorption. The hierarchical nanostructures of HEA ribbons give rise to suitable electromagnetic loss and a superior impedance match. Finally, inspired by the structure of compound eyes, the designed multilayer metamaterials realized effective absorption (reflection loss (RL) ≤  - 10 dB) within the 4.5-18 GHz regime under 2.8 mm thickness. These materials provide evidence for a new way for integrated EAMs and metamaterials.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided gallbladder endoscopic mucosal resection: a pilot porcine study.

INTRODUCTION: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided natural orifice transluminal gallbladder polypectomy provides a minimally invasive alternative to cholecystectomy. The study aimed to investigate the feasibility and safety of protocol for gallbladder endoscopic mucosal resection (gEMR) under EUS guidance using a porcine model. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifteen Bama mini pigs were randomly divided into the control (CG, n = 3) and experimental (EG, n = 12) groups. EUS-guided fine needle aspiration was performed in the CG and used to establish a gallbladder pathway for polyp resection under EUS guidance in the EG. Procedural safety was evaluated using routine blood and biochemical tests, microbial bile cultures, histopathological tests, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for inflammatory adhesion factors. RESULTS: EUS-guided metal stents were successfully deployed in all 12 pigs. Two cases of stent displacement occurred postoperatively, and one pig died of infectious peritonitis on the first day after stent implantation. In 11 surviving experimental animals, mature gallbladder paths were formed at 7-14 days after gastro-cholecystostomy, through which gEMR of gallbladder polyps was successfully performed. There were no significant changes in levels of inflammatory and adhesion factors during the postoperative process. CONCLUSIONS: EUS-gEMR may be a safe and effective minimally invasive treatment approach for gallbladder polyps.

Two-Dimensional Basalt/Ni Microflakes with Uniform and Compact Nanolayers for Optimized Microwave Absorption Performance.

It has been accepted that the uniform distribution of magnetic metal particles is beneficial to microwave absorption, while why the homogeneous magnetic particles on the dielectric substrate improve the electromagnetic loss is still unclear. Herein, metal Ni nanoparticles, two-dimensional (2D) basalt/scattered Ni, and basalt/uniform Ni microflakes are obtained through a pretreatment and electroless deposition process. In comparison to Ni nanoparticles and basalt/scattered Ni, the basalt/Ni microflakes with largely uniform and compact Ni nanolayers on basalt, breaking the percolation limit, are favorable for enhanced electromagnetic attenuation. The Ni nanolayers are convenient for construction of a microscale conductive net and migration of an electron. The 2D heterostructures constructed by basalt substrates and decorated Ni layers boost multiple scattering absorption and promote interfacial polarization. Meanwhile, exposed Ni does not inhibit magnetic resonance, enabling strong magnetic coupling. Consequently, the basalt/Ni microflakes with uniform Ni nanolayers demonstrate better microwave absorption with a minimum reflection loss of -30 dB and an effective absorption bandwidth of 3 GHz at 1 mm. This work shows that the uniform and compact magnetic metal nanolayers are effective in improving the dielectric loss and magnetic loss simultaneously to achieve the high-performance microwave absorption.

Microstructure Design of High-Entropy Alloys Through a Multistage Mechanical Alloying Strategy for Temperature-Stable Megahertz Electromagnetic Absorption.

Developing megahertz (MHz) electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption materials with broadband absorption, multi-temperature adaptability, and facile preparation method remains a challenge. Herein, nanocrystalline FeCoNiCr0.4Cu0.2 high-entropy alloy powders (HEAs) with both large aspect ratios and thin intergranular amorphous layers are constructed by a multistage mechanical alloying strategy, aiming to achieve excellent and temperature-stable permeability and EMW absorption. A single-phase face-centered cubic structure with good ductility and high crystallinity is obtained as wet milling precursors, via precisely controlling dry milling time. Then, HEAs are flattened to improve aspect ratios by synergistically regulating wet milling time. FeCoNiCr0.4Cu0.2 HEAs with dry milling 20 h and wet milling 5 h (D20) exhibit higher and more stable permeability because of larger aspect ratios and thinner intergranular amorphous layers. The maximum reflection loss (RL) of D20/SiO2 composites is greater than - 7 dB with 5 mm thickness, and EMW absorption bandwidth (RL < - 7 dB) can maintain between 523 and 600 MHz from - 50 to 150 °C. Furthermore, relying on the "cocktail effect" of HEAs, D20 sample also exhibits excellent corrosion resistance and high Curie temperature. This work provides a facile and tunable strategy to design MHz electromagnetic absorbers with temperature stability, broadband, and resistance to harsh environments.

Identification of DDX31 as a Potential Oncogene of Invasive Metastasis and Proliferation in PDAC.

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the deadliest malignant tumors worldwide and has poor prognosis. DEAD box proteins31 (DDX31) participate in cellular processes involving RNA secondary structure changes. However, the functions of DDX31 in PDAC remain to be elucidated. Methods: The key gene DDX31 was identified using a combination of a risk model and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) with R software. The biological functions of DDX31 in PDAC were investigated through bioinformatics analysis and in vitro experiments. Results: Combining with WGCNA and risk model, DDX31 was identified as a potential factor of the invasive metastasis properties of PDAC, and its expression was closely related to the malignant differentiation of PDAC. The results of gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) showed that DDX31 was correlated with cell invasive metastasis and proliferation by activating MAPK signaling pathway. The inhibition of DDX31 inhibited the invasion and migration of PDAC cells. Survival analysis showed that DDX31 expression was negatively associated with the poor prognosis in patients with PDAC. Interpretation: DDX31 may be a potential factor for PDAC. The inhibition of DDX31 may be a potential way to treat PDAC.

FeCoNiCr0.4CuX High-Entropy Alloys with Strong Intergranular Magnetic Coupling for Stable Megahertz Electromagnetic Absorption in a Wide Temperature Spectrum.

Electromagnetic (EM) absorbers serving in the megahertz (MHz) band and a wide temperature range (from -50 to 150 °C) require high and temperature-stable permeability for outstanding EM absorption performance. Herein, FeCoNiCr0.4CuX high-entropy alloy (HEA) powders with a unique nanocrystalline structure separated by a thin amorphous layer (NTA) are designed to improve permeability and enhance intergranular coupling. Simultaneously, the long-range anisotropy is introduced via devising the preparation process and tuning the chemical composition, such that the intergranular exchange interaction is further strengthened for stable permeability and EM wave absorption in a wide temperature range. FeCoNiCr0.4Cu0.2 HEAs exhibit a near-zero permeability temperature coefficient (5.7 × 10-7 °C-1) a in wide temperature range. The maximum reflection loss (RL) of FeCoNiCr0.4Cu0.2 HEAs is higher than -7 dB with 5 mm thickness at -50-150 °C, and the absorption bandwidth (RL < -7 dB) can almost cover 400-1000 MHz. Furthermore, FeCoNiCr0.4Cu0.2 HEAs also have a high Curie temperature (770 °C) and distinguished oxidation resistance. The permeability temperature dependence of FeCoNiCr0.4CuX HEAs is investigated in-depth in light of the microstructural change induced by tuning the chemical composition, and a new inspiration is provided for the design of magnetic applications serving in wide temperature, such as transformers, sensors, and EM absorbers.

Bio-Inspired Microwave Modulator for High-Temperature Electromagnetic Protection, Infrared Stealth and Operating Temperature Monitoring.

High-temperature electromagnetic (EM) protection materials integrated of multiple EM protection mechanisms and functions are regarded as desirable candidates for solving EM interference over a wide temperature range. In this work, a novel microwave modulator is fabricated by introducing carbonyl iron particles (CIP)/resin into channels of carbonized wood (C-wood). Innovatively, the spaced arrangement of two microwave absorbents not only achieves a synergistic enhancement of magnetic and dielectric losses, but also breaks the translational invariance of EM characteristics in the horizontal direction to obtain multiple phase discontinuities in the frequency range of 8.2-18.0 GHz achieving modulation of reflected wave radiation direction. Accordingly, CIP/C-wood microwave modulator demonstrates the maximum effective bandwidth of 5.2 GHz and the maximum EM protection efficiency over 97% with a thickness of only 1.5 mm in the temperature range 298-673 K. Besides, CIP/C-wood microwave modulator shows stable and low thermal conductivities, as well as monotonic electrical conductivity-temperature characteristics, therefore it can also achieve thermal infrared stealth and working temperature monitoring in wide temperature ranges. This work provides an inspiration for the design of high-temperature EM protection materials with multiple EM protection mechanisms and functions.

Genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation and risk of cardiovascular disease in a Chinese population.

BACKGROUND: Systemic studies of association of genome-wide DNA methylated sites with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in prospective cohorts are lacking. Our aim was to identify DNA methylation sites associated with the risk of CVD and further investigate their potential predictive value in CVD development for high-risk subjects. METHODS: We performed an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) to identify CpGs related to CVD development in a Chinese population.We adopted a nested case-control design based on data from China PEACE Million Persons Project. A total of 83 cases who developed CVD events during follow-up and 83 controls who were matched with cases by age, sex, BMI, ethnicity, medications treatment and behavior risk factors were included in the discovery stage. Genome-wide DNA methylation from whole blood was detected using Infinium Human Methylation EPIC Beadchip (850 K). For significant CpGs [FDR(false discovery rate) < 0.005], we further validated in an independent cohort including 38 cases and 38 controls. RESULTS: In discovery set, we identified 8 significant CpGs (FDR < 0.005) associated with the risk of CVD after adjustment for cell components, demographic and cardiac risk factors and the first 5 principal components. Two of these identified CpGs (cg06901278 and cg09306458 in UACA) were replicated in another independent set (p < 0.05). Enrichment analysis in 787 individual genes from 1036 CpGs in discovery set revealed a significant enrichment for anatomical structure homeostasis as well as regulation of vesicle-mediated transport. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that the model combined 8 CVD-related CpGs with baseline characteristics showed much better predictive effect for CVD occurrence compared with the model with baseline characteristics only [AUC (area under the curve) = 0.967, 95% CI (0.942 - 0.991); AUC = 0.621, 95% CI (0.536 - 0.706); p = 9.716E-15]. CONCLUSIONS: Our study identified the novel CpGs associated with CVD development and revealed their additional predictive power in the risk of CVD for high-risk subjects.

Microwave Absorption of Crystalline Fe/MnO@C Nanocapsules Embedded in Amorphous Carbon.

Crystalline Fe/MnO@C core-shell nanocapsules inlaid in porous amorphous carbon matrix (FMCA) was synthesized successfully with a novel confinement strategy. The heterogeneous Fe/MnO nanocrystals are with approximate single-domain size which gives rise to natural resonance in 2-18 GHz. The addition of MnO2 confines degree of graphitization catalyzed by iron and contributes to the formation of amorphous carbon. The heterogeneous materials composed of crystalline-amorphous structures disperse evenly and its density is significantly reduced on account of porous properties. Meanwhile, adjustable dielectric loss is achieved by interrupting Fe core aggregation and stacking graphene conductive network. The dielectric loss synergistically with magnetic loss endows the FMCA enhanced absorption. The optimal reflection loss (RL) is up to - 45 dB, and the effective bandwidth (RL < - 10 dB) is 5.0 GHz with 2.0 mm thickness. The proposed confinement strategy not only lays the foundation for designing high-performance microwave absorber, but also offers a general duty synthesis method for heterogeneous crystalline-amorphous composites with tunable composition in other fields.

[Separation of Chlorophyll Fluorescence from Scattering Light of Algal Water Based on the Polarization Technique].

Once chlorophyll molecules within the planktonic algae cells absorb light energy, they will release energy in the form of chlorophyll fluorescence emission. The elastic scattering light of particles in water is partially polarized, while chlorophyll fluorescence is unpolarized, so we can use the properties to separate the fluorescence signal from total scattering spectra for further retrieval the concentration of chlorophyll. But for coastal waters, the approach feasibility is still unclear. Based on this, we conducted the experiment in laboratory to analyze the influence of different concentrations of inorganic particles (IOP) and chlorophyll on the fluorescence extraction using polarization discrimination technique. The results indicate that, for algae water with different concentrations of IOP, the fluorescence peak will decrease while the concentration increase, but the retrieval result is still reliable when the concentration up to 300 mg·L(-1). For algae water with different concentrations of chlorophyll, the concentration of chlorophyll more higher, the efficiency of extracted fluorescence using polarization method is better, for common water, this approach can still work. The study proves that the polarization method is also applicable for complex water; it is of great importance for further detecting the concentration of chlorophyll in coastal waters using remote sensing.

[Cytotoxicity in Vitro of a Noval Ni-free ZrCuFeAlAg Bulk Metallic Glass].

This paper is to evaluate the biocompatibility and cytotoxicity of a new Ni-free Zr-based bulk metallic glass (BMG), Zr60.14 Cu22.31 Fe4.85 Al9.7 Ag3, by comparing it with conventional Ti6Al4V alloy. According to ISO 10993-5: 1999 and GB/T 16886.5-1997 standards, Zr60.14 Cu22.31 Fe4.85 Al9.7 Ag3, pure Zr and Ti6Al4V materials were extracted with surface area of sample/volume of medium ratio being 1 cm2/mL and 0.5 cm2/mL, respectively. The viabilities of MG-63 cells (Human osteosarcoma cell line) cultured in the BMG medium extracts for 1, 3 and 5 days were determined by CCK-8 assay. The cellular morphology of MG-63 cells cultured on the surface of samples for 3 days was tested through laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The relative growth rate (RGR) of MG-63 cells cultured in Zr60.14 Cu22.31 Fe4.85 Al9.7 Ag3 and pure Zr were both more than 85%, indicating that the cytotoxicity of BMG was relatively low and met the national biomedical material eligibility standard. There was insignificant difference in the morphology of MG-63 cells cultured in the BMG medium extracts and the control group through LSCM and SEM, which showed the BMG had excellent biological compatibility. The Zr-based bulk metallic glass Zr60.14 Cu22.31 Fe4.85 Al9.7 Ag3 and the conventional Ti6Al4V alloy both had no obvious cytotoxicity to MG-63 cells. These results provided evidence that the new Zr-based bulk metallic glass could be potential replacement material for the orthopedic surgical implant.

[Effect of Qiluxiaobai decoction on glomerular sclerosis in adriamycin-induced nephropathic rats].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the eff ect of Qiluxiaobai (QLXB) decoction on rats with adriamycin (ADR)- induced focal segmental glomerular sclerosis (FSGS) nephropathy (ADN). METHODS: Adriamycin was injected into tail vein at total dose of 7.5 mg/kg for twice per week. According to random number table, rats were divided into 4 groups: the control group, the ADN group, the Losartan group [intragastric, 5.19 mg/(kg.d)], and the QLXB group [intragastric,134.40 mg/(kg.d)]. Eight weeks later, serum creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum cholesterol (CHO), serum triglycerides (TG) and albuminuria (ALB) were measured by routine biochemical methods. Pathological changes in the rat kidneys were observed under light microscopes. Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and fibronectin (FN) mRNA and protein expression levels were measured by real-time PCR and Western blot, respectively. RESULTS: In the ADN group, SCr, BUN, CHO, TG was increased (P<0.05) while ALB was decreased (P<0.05), ALB was decreased (P<0.05) compared to the control group. In the QLXB and Losartan group, SCr, BUN, CHO, TG and ALB was improved compared to the ADN group (P<0.05). CTGF, FN, α-SMA mRNA and protein expression was decreased in QLXB group compared to ADN group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: QLXB could partly improve glomerular sclerosis in adriamycin-induced nephropathy, which was related to inhibition of CTGF, FN and α-SMA expression.

A Ni-free ZrCuFeAlAg bulk metallic glass with potential for biomedical applications.

The mechanical properties and biocompatibility of an Ni-free Zr-based bulk metallic glass (BMG) Zr60.14Cu22.31Fe4.85Al9.7Ag3 were investigated in detail to evaluate its potential as a biomaterial. The BMG was found to have a low Young's modulus of 82±1.9GPa, a high strength of 1720±28MPa and a high fracture toughness of 94±19MPam(1/2), as well as good fatigue strength over 400MPa. The corrosion behavior of the alloy was investigated in simulated body fluid (SBF) by electrochemical measurements, which indicates that the Zr-based BMG has a better corrosion resistance than pure Zr and Ti6Al4V. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis revealed that the passive film formed on the BMG surface is enriched in Al- and Zr-oxides, which could account for the good corrosion resistance of the BMG. On the other hand, metal ion release of the BMG in SBF was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry after the BMG was immersed in SBF at 37°C for 30days, showing a ppb (ngml(-1)) level of metal ion release. The in vitro test via cell culture indicates that the BMG exhibits a cytotoxicity of Grade 0-1, which is as good as Ti6Al4V alloy. Cell adhesion morphological analysis shows that the cells were flattened and well spread out on the surfaces of the BMG, showing that the BMG had good biocompatibility. The combination of good mechanical properties and biocompatibility demonstrates that the Ni-free Zr-based BMG studied in this work is a good candidate for a new type of load-bearing biomedical material.

Evaluation of a new method for placing nasojejunal feeding tubes.

AIM: To compare fluoroscopic, endoscopic and guide wire assistance with ultraslim gastroscopy for placement of nasojejunal feeding tubes. METHODS: The information regarding nasojejunal tube placement procedures was retrieved using the gastrointestinal tract database at Tongji Hospital affiliated to Tongji Medical College. Records from 81 patients who underwent nasojejunal tubes placement by different techniques between 2004 and 2011 were reviewed for procedure success and tube-related outcomes. RESULTS: Nasojejunal feeding tubes were successfully placed in 78 (96.3%) of 81 patients. The success rate by fluoroscopy was 92% (23 of 25), by endoscopic technique 96.3% (26 of 27), and by guide wire assistance (whether via transnasal or transoral insertion) 100% (23/23, 6/6). The average time for successful placement was 14.9 ± 2.9 min for fluoroscopic placement, 14.8 ± 4.9 min for endoscopic placement, 11.1 ± 2.2 min for guide wire assistance with transnasal gastroscopic placement, and 14.7 ± 1.2 min for transoral gastroscopic placement. Statistically, the duration for the third method was significantly different (P < 0.05) compared with the other three methods. Transnasal placement over a guidewire was significantly faster (P < 0.05) than any of the other approaches. CONCLUSION: Guide wire assistance with transnasal insertion of nasojejunal feeding tubes represents a safe, quick and effective method for providing enteral nutrition.