Single-nucleus transcriptome unveils the role of ferroptosis in ischemic stroke.

Multiple cell death pathways are involved in neuronal death in ischemic stroke (IS). However, the role of different cell death pathways in different cell types has not been elucidated. By analyzing three single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) data of IS, we first found that a variety of programmed cell death (PCD) -related genes were significantly changed in different cell types. Based on machine learning and virtual gene knockout, we found that ferroptosis related genes, ferritin heavy chain 1 (Fth1) and ferritin light chain (Ftl1), play a key role in IS. Ftl1 and Fth1 can promote microglia activation, as well as the production of inflammatory factors and chemokines. Cell communication analysis showed that activated microglia could enhance chemotactic peripheral leukocyte infiltration, such as macrophages and neutrophils, through Spp1-Cd44 and App-Cd74 signaling, thereby aggravating brain tissue damage. Furthermore, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) showed that P2ry12 and Mef2c were significantly decreased in oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) group, while Ftl1, Fth1, Apoe, Ctsb, Cd44 and Cd74 were significantly increased in OGD group. Collectively, our findings suggested targeted therapy against microglia Ftl1 and Fth1 might improve the state of microglia, reduce the infiltration of peripheral immune cells and tissue inflammation, and then improve the ischemic brain injury in mouse.

Therapeutic effects of Lingguizhugan decoction in a rat model of high-fat diet-induced insulin resistance.

BACKGROUND: Lingguizhugan (LGZG) decoction is a widely used classic Chinese medicine formula that was recently shown to improve high-fat diet (HFD)-induced insulin resistance (IR) in animal studies. AIM: To assess the therapeutic effect of LGZG decoction on HFD-induced IR and explore the potential underlying mechanism. METHODS: To establish an IR rat model, a 12-wk HFD was administered, followed by a 4-wk treatment with LGZG. The determination of IR status was achieved through the use of biochemical tests and oral glucose tolerance tests. Using a targeted meta-bolomics platform to analyze changes in serum metabolites, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to assess the gene expression of the ribosomal protein S6 kinase beta 1 (S6K1). RESULTS: In IR rats, LGZG decreased body weight and indices of hepatic steatosis. It effectively controlled blood glucose and food intake while protecting islet cells. Metabolite analysis revealed significant differences between the HFD and HFD-LGZG groups. LGZG intervention reduced branched-chain amino acid levels. Levels of IR-related metabolites such as tryptophan, alanine, taurine, and asparagine decreased significantly. IR may be linked to amino acids due to the contemporaneous increase in S6K1 expression, as shown by qRT-PCR. CONCLUSIONS: Our study strongly suggests that LGZG decoction reduces HFD-induced IR. LGZG may activate S6K1 via metabolic pathways. These findings lay the groundwork for the potential of LGZG as an IR treatment.

A Randomized Trial of the Efficacy of Three Weight Loss Diet Interventions in Overweight/Obese with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a highly prevalent, complex, heterogeneous, polygenic endocrine disorder characterized by metabolic and reproductive dysfunction that affects 8-13% of women of reproductive age worldwide. The pathogenesis of PCOS has not been fully clarified and includes genetics, obesity, and insulin resistance (IR). Oxidative stress (OS) of PCOS is independent of obesity. It can induce IR through post-insulin receptor defects, impair glucose uptake in muscle and adipose tissue, and exacerbate IR by reducing insulin secretion from pancreatic ß-cells. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Calorie Restricted Diet (CRD), High Protein Diet (HPD), and High Protein and High Dietary Fiber Diet (HPD+HDF) on body composition, insulin resistance, and oxidative stress in overweight/obese PCOS patients. METHODS: A total of 90 overweight/obese patients with PCOS were selected to receive an 8- week medical nutrition weight loss intervention at our First Hospital of Peking University, and we randomly divided them into the CRD group (group A), the HPD group (group B), and the HPD+HDF group (group C), with 30 patients in each group. We measured their body composition, HOMA-IR index, and oxidative stress indicators. The t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Kruskal-Wallis H test were used to compare the efficacy of the three methods. RESULTS: After eight weeks, the body weights of the three groups decreased by 6.32%, 5.70% and 7.24%, respectively, and the Visceral Fat Area (VFA) values decreased by 6.8 cm2, 13.4 cm2 and 23.45 cm2, respectively, especially in group C (p >0.05). The lean body mass (LBM), also known as the Fat-Free Mass (FFM) values of group B and group C after weight loss, were higher than that of group A (p >0.05). After weight loss, the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index and malondialdehyde (MDA) were decreased. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) was increased in all three groups (p >0.05), and the changes in SOD and MDA in group B and group C were more significant (p >0.05). HOMA-IR index positively correlated with body mass index (BMI) (r=0.195; p >0.05); MDA positively correlated with percent of body fat (PBF) (r=0.186; p >0.05) and HOMA-IR index (r=0.422; p >0.01); SOD positively correlated with LMI/FFMI (r=0.195; p >0.05), negatively correlated with HOMA-IR index (r=-0.433; p >0.01). CONCLUSION: All three diets were effective in reducing the body weight of overweight/obese patients with PCOS by more than 5% within 8 weeks and could improve both insulin resistance and oxidative stress damage. Compared with CRD, HPD and HPD+HDF diets could better retain lean body mass and significantly improve oxidative stress damage. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: ChiCTR2100054961.

Scientific Discovery Framework Accelerating Advanced Polymeric Materials Design.

Organic polymer materials, as the most abundantly produced materials, possess a flammable nature, making them potential hazards to human casualties and property losses. Target polymer design is still hindered due to the lack of a scientific foundation. Herein, we present a robust, generalizable, yet intelligent polymer discovery framework, which synergizes diverse capabilities, including the in situ burning analyzer, virtual reaction generator, and material genomic model, to achieve results that surpass the sum of individual parts. Notably, the high-throughput analyzer created for the first time, grounded in multiple spectroscopic principles, enables in situ capturing of massive combustion intermediates; then, the created realistic apparatus transforming to the virtual reaction generator acquires exponentially more intermediate information; further, the proposed feature engineering tool, which embedded both polymer hierarchical structures and massive intermediate data, develops the generalizable genomic model with excellent universality (adapting over 20 kinds of polymers) and high accuracy (88.8%), succeeding discovering series of novel polymers. This emerging approach addresses the target polymer design for flame-retardant application and underscores a pivotal role in accelerating polymeric materials discovery.

Quercetin protects against hypertensive renal injury by attenuating apoptosis: an integrated approach using network pharmacology and RNA-Seq.

Quercetin is kown for its antihypertensive effects. However, its role on hypertensive renal injury has not been fully eucidated. In this study, hematoxylin and eosin staining, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining, and Annexin V staining were used to assess the pathological changes and cells apoptosis in the renal tissues of Ang II-infused mice and Ang II- stimulated renal tubular epithelial cell line (NRK-52E). A variety of technologies, including network pharmacology, RNA-sequencing, immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting were performed to investigate its underlying mechanisms. Network pharmacology analysis identified multiple potential candidate targets (including TP53, Bcl-2 and Bax) and enriched signaling pathways (including apoptosis and p53 signaling pathway). Quercetin treatment significantly alleviated the pathological changes in renal tissues of Ang II-infused mice and reversed 464 differentially expressed transcripts (DETs), as well as enriched several signaling pathways, including those related apoptosis and p53 pathway. Furthermore, quercetin treatment significantly inhibited the cell apoptosis in renal tissues of Ang II-infused mice and Ang II-stimulated NRK-52E cells. Additionally, quercetin treatment inhibited the upregulation of p53, Bax, cleaved-caspase-9, and cleaved-caspase-3 protein expression and the downregulation of Bcl-2 protein expression in both renal tissue of Ang II-infused mice and Ang II-stimulated NRK-52E cells. Moreover, the molecular docking results indicated a potential binding interaction between quercetin and TP53. Quercetin treatment significantly attenuated hypertensive renal injury and cell apoptosis in renal tissues of Ang II-infused mice and Ang II-stimulated NRK-52E cells, and by targeting p53 may be one of the potential underlying mechanisms.

Metabolism and distribution of two major constituents of 'Xing-Nao-Jing Injection'-germacrone and curdione in rats.

Germacrone and curdione are germacrane-type sesquiterpenoids that are widely distributed and have extensive pharmacological activities; they are the main constituents of 'Xing-Nao-Jing Injection' (XNJ). Studies on the metabolic features of germacrane-type sesquiterpenoids are limited. In this study, the metabolites of germacrone and curdione were characterized by UHPLC-Q-Exactive Oribitrap mass spectrometry after they were orally administered to rats. In total, 60 and 76 metabolites were found and preliminarily identified in rats administered germacrone and curdione, respectively, among which at least 123 potential new compounds were included. New metabolic reactions of germacrane-type sesquiterpenoids were identified, which included oxidation (+4 O and +5 O), ethylation, methyl-sulfinylation, vitamin C conjugation, and cysteine conjugation reactions. Among the 136 metabolites (including 113 oxidation metabolites, two glucuronidation, two methylation, nine methyl-sulfinylation, three ethylation, six cysteine conjugation, and one Vitamin C conjugation metabolites), 32 metabolites were detected in nine organs, and the stomach, intestine, liver, kidneys, and small intestine were the main organs for the distribution of these metabolites. All 136 metabolites were detected in urine and 64 of them were found in feces. The results of this study not only contribute to research on in vivo processes related to germacrane-type sesquiterpenoids but also provide a strong foundation for a better understanding of in vivo processes and the effective forms of germacrone, curdione, and XNJ.

A novel nomogram model for lung adenocarcinoma subtypes based on RNA-modification regulatory genes.

Background: In non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common subtype. RNA modification has become the frontier and hotspot of current tumor research. Results: In this study, 109 genes that regulate RNA modifications were identified according to The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). A differential gene expression analysis identified 46 differentially expressed RNA modification regulatory genes (DERRGs). LUAD samples were stratified into two distinct clusters based on the expression of these DERRGs. A significant correlation was observed between these clusters and patient survival rates, as well as clinical features. Furthermore, a four-DERRG signature (EIF3B, HNRNPC, IGF2BP1, and METTL3) developed using LASSO regression. According to the calculated risk scores from this signature, LUAD patients were categorized into high-risk and low-risk groups. Patients in the low-risk group exhibited a more favorable prognosis. A prognostic nomogram was crafted, integrating the four-DERRGs signature with clinical parameters. The nomogram was revealed that OS, age, clinical stage, immune cell infiltration, and immune checkpoint molecule expression were significantly linked to the OS of LUAD. GSEA analysis found that the DERRGs were primarily regulated immune pathways. Conclusions: This study developed four DERRGs signatures and formulated a nomogram model for precise prognosis estimation in LUAD patients. The study's insights are instrumental for advancing diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic strategies for LUAD.

Merging Quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones Excitation with Cobaloxime Catalysis: C3 Alkylation of Quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones with Unactivated Alkyl Iodides and Carboxylic Acids under Light.

Reported herein is a practical, economical, and efficient construction of 3-alkylated quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones with alkyl carboxylic acids and alkyl iodides by quinoxalin-2(1H)-one excitation and cobaloxime catalysis. Primary, secondary, and tertiary alkyl iodides and carboxylic acids all could be efficiently transferred into target products with excellent functional group tolerance. Mechanism studies reveal that the quinoxalin-2(1H)-one derivatives could be directly excited and yield alkyl carbon radicals from alkyl carboxylic acids and alkyl iodides with the aid of the cobaloxime complex.

Systematic proteomics analysis revealed different expression of laminin interaction proteins in breast cancer: lower in luminal subtype and higher in claudin-low subtype.

Background: Breast cancer is a major public health concern. Proteomics enables identification of proteins with aberrant properties. Here, we identified proteins with abnormal expression levels in breast cancer tissues and systematically analyzed and validated the data to locate potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Methods: Protein expression level in breast cancer tissues and para-carcinoma tissues were detected by Isobaric Tags for Relative and Absolute Quantification (iTRAQ) technology and further screened through Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) database. Cellular components, protein domain and Reactome pathway analysis were performed to screen functional targets. Abnormal expression levels of functional targets were validated by Oncomine database, quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and proteomics detection. Protein correlation analysis was performed to explain the abnormal expression levels of potential targets in breast cancer. Results: Overall, 207 and 207 proteins were up- and down-regulated, respectively, in breast cancer tissues, and approximately 50% were also detected in the GEPIA database. The overlapping proteins were mainly extracellular proteins containing epidermal growth factor-like domain in leukocyte adhesion molecule (EGF-Lam) domain and enriched in laminin interaction pathway. Moreover, the downregulated laminin interaction proteins could be functional targets, which were also validated through Oncomine-Richardson and Oncomine-Curtis database. However, the lower expression level of laminin interaction proteins only fit for luminal breast cancer cells with no or low metastasis ability because the proteins achieved higher expression level in more invasive claudin-low breast cancer cells. In addition, when compared with corresponding in situ carcinoma tissues, above-mentioned proteins also showed higher expression levels in invasive carcinoma tissues. Finally, we have revealed the negative correlation between the laminin interaction proteins and the claudins. Conclusions: The laminin interaction protein, especially for laminins with ß1 and γ1 subunits and their integrin receptors with α1 and α6 subunits, showed lower expression levels in luminal breast cancer with no or lower metastatic ability, but showed higher expression levels in claudin-low breast cancer with higher metastatic ability; and their higher expression could be related to the low claudin expression.

Zinc hexacyanoferrate/g-C3N4 nanocomposites with enhanced photothermal and photodynamic properties for rapid sterilization and wound healing.

Photoactivated therapy has gradually emerged as a promising and rapid method for combating bacteria, aimed at overcoming the emergence of drug-resistant strains resulting from the inappropriate use of antibiotics and the subsequent health risks. In this work, we report the facile fabrication of Zn3[Fe(CN)6]/g-C3N4 nanocomposites (denoted as ZHF/g-C3N4) through the in-situ loading of zinc hexacyanoferrate nanospheres onto two-dimensional g-C3N4 sheets using a simple metal-organic frameworks construction method. The ZHF/g-C3N4 nanocomposite exhibits enhanced antibacterial activity through the synergistic combination of the excellent photothermal properties of ZHF and the photodynamic capabilities of g-C3N4. Under dual-light irradiation (420 nm + 808 nm NIR), the nanocomposites achieve remarkable bactericidal efficacy, eliminating 99.98% of Escherichia coli and 99.87% of Staphylococcus aureus within 10 minutes. Furthermore, in vivo animal experiments have demonstrated the outstanding capacity of the composite in promoting infected wound healing, achieving a remarkable wound closure rate of 99.22% after a 10-day treatment period. This study emphasizes the potential of the ZHF/g-C3N4 nanocomposite in effective antimicrobial applications, expanding the scope of synergistic photothermal/photodynamic therapy strategies.

Bismuth-Containing Quadruple Therapy for Helicobacter pylori Eradication: A Randomized Clinical Trial of 10 and 14 Days.

BACKGROUND: Bismuth-containing quadruple therapy is the first-line treatment for eradicating Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). The optimal duration for H. pylori eradication using bismuth-containing quadruple therapy remains controversial. Therefore, we aimed to compare the clinical effects of the 10- and 14-day bismuth-containing quadruple treatment regimen to eradicate H. pylori. METHODS: Treatment-naïve patients with H. pylori infection (n = 1300) were enrolled in this multicenter randomized controlled study across five hospitals in China. They were randomized into 10- or 14-day treatment groups to receive bismuth-containing quadruple therapy as follows: vonoprazan 20 mg twice daily; bismuth 220 mg twice daily; amoxicillin 1000 mg twice daily; and either clarithromycin 500 mg twice daily or tetracycline 500 mg four times daily. At least 6 weeks after treatment, we performed a 13C-urea breath test to evaluate H. pylori eradication. RESULTS: The per-protocol eradication rates were 93.22% (564/605) and 93.74% (569/607) (p < 0.001) and the intention-to-treat eradication rates were 88.62% (576/650) and 89.38% (581/650) (p = 0.007) for the 10- and 14-day regimens, respectively. Incidence of adverse effects was lower in patients who received 10- vs. 14 days of treatment (22.59% vs. 28.50%, p = 0.016). We observed no significant differences in the compliance to treatment or the discontinuation of therapy because of severe adverse effects between the groups. CONCLUSION: Compared with the 14-day bismuth-containing quadruple regimens, the 10-day regimen demonstrated a non-inferior efficacy and lower incidence of adverse effects. Therefore, the 10-day regimen is safe and tolerated and could be recommended for H. pylori eradication (NCT05049902).

Optical enhancement mode 2 improves the detection rate of gastric neoplastic lesion in high-risk populations: A multicenter randomized controlled clinical study.

OBJECTIVES: Detection of early neoplastic lesions is crucial for improving the survival rates of patients with gastric cancer. Optical enhancement mode 2 is a new image-enhanced endoscopic technique that offers bright images and can improve the visibility of neoplastic lesions. This study aimed to compare the detection of neoplastic lesions with optical enhancement mode 2 and white-light imaging (WLI) in a high-risk population. METHODS: In this prospective multicenter randomized controlled trial, patients were randomly assigned to optical enhancement mode 2 or WLI groups. Detection of suspicious neoplastic lesions during the examinations was recorded, and pathological diagnoses served as the gold standard. RESULTS: A total of 1211 and 1219 individuals were included in the optical enhancement mode 2 and WLI groups, respectively. The detection rate of neoplastic lesions was significantly higher in the optical enhancement mode 2 group (5.1% vs. 1.9%; risk ratio, 2.656 [95% confidence interval, 1.630-4.330]; p < 0.001). The detection rate of neoplastic lesions with an atrophic gastritis background was significantly higher in the optical enhancement mode 2 group (8.6% vs. 2.6%, p < 0.001). The optical enhancement mode 2 group also had a higher detection rate among endoscopists with different experiences. CONCLUSIONS: Optical enhancement mode 2 was more effective than WLI for detecting neoplastic lesions in the stomach, and can serve as a new method for screening early gastric cancer in clinical practice. CLINICAL REGISTRY: United States National Library of Medicine (https://www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov), ID: NCT040720521.

Prevotella copri promotes vascular calcification via lipopolysaccharide through activation of NF-κB signaling pathway.

Emerging evidence indicates that alteration of gut microbiota plays an important role in chronic kidney disease (CKD)-related vascular calcification (VC). We aimed to investigate the specific gut microbiota and the underlying mechanism involved in CKD-VC. We identified an increased abundance of Prevotella copri (P. copri) in the feces of CKD rats (induced by using 5/6 nephrectomy followed by a high calcium and phosphate diet) with aortic calcification via amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA genes. In patients with CKD, we further confirmed a positive correlation between abundance of P. copri and aortic calcification scores. Moreover, oral administration of live P. copri aggravated CKD-related VC and osteogenic differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells in vivo, accompanied by intestinal destruction, enhanced expression of Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4), and elevated lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels. In vitro and ex vivo experiments consistently demonstrated that P. copri-derived LPS (Pc-LPS) accelerated high phosphate-induced VC and VSMC osteogenic differentiation. Mechanistically, Pc-LPS bound to TLR4, then activated the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich-containing family, pyrin domain-containing-3 (NLRP3) inflammasome signals during VC. Inhibition of NF-κB reduced NLRP3 inflammasome and attenuated Pc-LPS-induced VSMC calcification. Our study clarifies a novel role of P. copri in CKD-related VC, by the mechanisms involving increased inflammation-regulating metabolites including Pc-LPS, and activation of the NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway. These findings highlight P. copri and its-derived LPS as potential therapeutic targets for VC in CKD.

Triterpenoids with α-glucosidase inhibitory and cytotoxic activities from the fruits of Schisandra chinensis.

An intensive phytochemical investigation into the fruits of Schisandra chinensis afforded 28 triterpenoids incorporating diverse backbones with methyl-migration, ring-expansion and ring-opening features. Among them, ten compounds (1-10) including three likely extracting artefacts (8-10) were described for the first time. Their structures were fully characterized by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses, with the absolute configurations established via electronic circular dichroism and Mosher's NMR techniques. Preliminary biological evaluations revealed that nine isolates showed inhibitory activity against the hyperglycemic target α-glycosidase and 12 compounds exerted cytotoxicity toward three female tumor cell lines (Hela (cervical), MDA-MB231 and MCF-7 (breast)). Compound 6 exhibited the most promising potency on all the three tested cancer cells, and further assessment demonstrated that it could induce significant cell apoptosis and cycle arrest, as well as suppress cell migration, by regulating relevant proteins in MDA-MB231 cells.

MCT1-mediated transport of valeric acid promotes porcine preimplantation embryo development by improving mitochondrial function and inhibiting the autophagic AMPK-ULK1 pathway.

Oocytes and embryos are highly sensitive to environmental stress in vivo and in vitro. During in vitro culture, many stressful conditions can affect embryo quality and viability, leading to adverse clinical outcomes such as abortion and congenital abnormalities. In this study, we found that valeric acid (VA) increased the mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP content, decreased the level of reactive oxygen species that the mitochondria generate, and thus improved mitochondrial function during early embryonic development in pigs. VA decreased expression of the autophagy-related factors LC3B and BECLIN1. Interestingly, VA inhibited expression of autophagy-associated phosphorylation-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (p-AMPK), phosphorylation-UNC-51-like autophagy-activated kinase 1 (p-ULK1, Ser555), and ATG13, which reduced apoptosis. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) can signal through G-protein-coupled receptors on the cell membrane or enter the cell directly through transporters. We further show that the monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1) was necessary for the effects of VA on embryo quality, which provides a new molecular perspective of the pathway by which SCFAs affect embryos. Importantly, VA significantly inhibited the AMPK-ULK1 autophagic signaling pathway through MCT1, decreased apoptosis, increased expression of embryonic pluripotency genes, and improved embryo quality.

Comparing Sonazoid contrast-enhanced ultrasound to contrast-enhanced CT and MRI for differentially diagnosing renal lesions: a prospective multicenter study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of contrast-enhanced (CE) ultrasound using Sonazoid (SNZ-CEUS) by comparing with contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CE-CT) and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CE-MRI) for differentiating benign and malignant renal masses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 306 consecutive patients (from 7 centers) with renal masses (40 benign tumors, 266 malignant tumors) diagnosed by both SNZ-CEUS, CE-CT or CE-MRI were enrolled between September 2020 and February 2021. The examinations were performed within 7 days, but the sequence was not fixed. Histologic results were available for 301 of 306 (98.37%) lesions and 5 lesions were considered benign after at least 2 year follow-up without change in size and image characteristics. The diagnostic performances were evaluated by sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and compared by McNemar's test. RESULTS: In the head-to-head comparison, SNZ-CEUS and CE-MRI had comparable sensitivity (95.60 vs. 94.51%, P = 0.997), specificity (65.22 vs. 73.91%, P = 0.752), positive predictive value (91.58 vs. 93.48%) and negative predictive value (78.95 vs. 77.27%); SNZ-CEUS and CE-CT showed similar sensitivity (97.31 vs. 96.24%, P = 0.724); however, SNZ-CEUS had relatively lower than specificity than CE-CT (59.09 vs. 68.18%, P = 0.683). For nodules > 4 cm, CE-MRI demonstrated higher specificity than SNZ-CEUS (90.91 vs. 72.73%, P = 0.617) without compromise the sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: SNZ-CEUS, CE-CT, and CE-MRI demonstrate desirable and comparable sensitivity for the differentiation of renal mass. However, the specificity of all three imaging modalities is not satisfactory. SNZ-CEUS may be a suitable alternative modality for patients with renal dysfunction and those allergic to gadolinium or iodine-based agents.

A Study on the Effect of Lidocaine-Assisted Non-Coring Needle Placement Using Painless Encircling Puncture in Children with Totally Implantable Venous Access Device.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the maintenance effect of two puncture methods using non-coring needles in children with totally implantable venous access device (TIVAD). Methods: The 110 children who received TIVAD implantation for short bowel syndrome and solid tumors in our department from 2021.12 to 2022.12 were selected as the study subjects. Blinded method was used and divided into experimental group and control group according to random number table The experimental group underwent painless surround puncture method to place the needles and compound lidocaine ointment for topical anesthesia, while the control group underwent traditional puncture method to complete this operation. The effects of the two puncture methods on pain, catheter seal fluid volume, and catheter occlusion rate were evaluated using the Facial Pain Scale Revised, Behavioral Assessment Scale, and in vitro digital subtraction angiography test. Results: In the control group, the degree of puncture pain was mild in 5 patients, moderate in 19 patients, and severe in 28 patients; the amount of catheter sealing solution was 9.32 ± 1.32 mL, and the catheter occlusion rate was 25.00%. In the experimental group, the degree of puncture pain was mild in 16 patients, moderate in 22 patients, and severe in 16 patients; the amount of sealing solution was 7.66 ± 1.08 mL, and the blocking rate was 9.26%. The total pain score in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group (5.23±6.17 VS 7.89±2.38). The difference between the two groups had statistical significance (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The use of the painless surround puncture method can effectively reduce the pain experienced by children during puncture, decrease the volume of catheter sealing fluid, reduce the rate of catheter blockage, provide a valuable basis for enhancing the maintenance effect of TIVAD in clinical practice for children.

Two {CuI[P4Mo6]2}-Based Coordination Polymers Incorporating In Situ Converted Tetrapyridyl Ligands for Trace Analysis of Nitrofuran Antibiotics.

Nitrofurans are important synthetic broad-spectrum antibacterial drugs with the basic structure of 5-nitrofuran. Due to their toxicity, it is essential to develop a sensitive sensor with strong anti-interference capabilities for their detection. In this work, two {P4Mo6O31}12--based compounds, [H4(HPTTP)]2{CuI[Mo12O24(OH)6(PO4)3(HPO4)(H2PO4)4]}·xH2O (x = 13 for (1), 7 for (2); HPTTP = 4,4',4″,4‴-(1H-pyrrole-2,3,4,5-tetrayl)tetrapyridine), exhibiting similar coordination but distinct stacking modes. Both compounds were synthesized and used for the electrochemical detection of nitrofuran antibiotics. The tetrapyridine-based ligand was generated in situ during assembly, and its potential mechanism was discussed. Composite electrode materials, formed by mixing graphite powder with compounds 1-2 and physically grinding them, proved to be highly effective in the electrochemical trace detection of furazolidone (FZD) and furaltadone hydrochloride (FTD·HCl) under optimal conditions. Besides, the possible electrochemical detection mechanisms of two nitro-antibiotics were studied.