Oxygen Switchable Photo-Hydrovoltaic Effect along the Silicon-Water Interface.

Moving boundaries of electrical double layers have shown promising capability in driving directional electron flows in solids, leading to a range of hydrovoltaic effects. The recent discovery of a photohydrovoltaic phenomenon utilizes a moving illumination zone to generate moving boundaries with different properties at the solid-water interface, referred to as the kinetic photovoltaic effect. Here, oxygen was found to act as a chemical switch to turn on and off the kinetic photovoltaic effect. Introducing oxygen would rapidly diminish the kinetic photovoltage in p-Si. On the contrary, degassing oxygen leads to a gradual recovery, whose rate can be facilely speeded up by more than one order through electrostatic gating. Mechanistic investigations of the oxygen switch behavior uncovered a dependence of surface band bending intensity of silicon on oxygen adsorption, which highlights the role of gas molecules, often overlooked, in applications based on semiconductor-liquid interfaces, such as photoelectrochemistry.

[Diagnosis and treatment of prostatic abscess: Report of 11 cases and review of the literature].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical features, imaging characteristics, treatment options and prognosis of prostatic abscess (PA), and provide some new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. METHODS: This retrospective study included 11 cases of confirmed PA treated in the Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital. We analyzed the clinical data obtained from the electronic medical records, including basic demographic statistics, risk factors, clinical symptoms, laboratory results, imaging findings, treatment methods, treatment-related complications and outcomes. RESULTS: The 11 patients diagnosed with PA between May 2016 and August 2022 were aged (64.18 ± 7.19) years and all had at least 1 comorbidity, including 5 cases of diabetes mellitus (45.5%) and 8 cases of dysuria (72.8%). PA was confirmed in 3 cases by CT and in 8 cases by MRI, 6 (54.5%) multifocal and 10 (90.9%) >2 cm in diameter, with a median size of 3.84 cm. After admission, positive urine culture was found in 3 cases, positive blood culture in 1, Klebsiella pneumoniae in 2 and Enterococcus Faecalis in 1. Three of the patients were treated by intravenous administration of antibiotics alone, and the other 8 by transurethral PA unroofing in addition. Antibiotics medication lasted for a median of (12.9 ± 3.88) d and hospital stay averaged (19.18 ± 8.20) d. The patients were followed up for 3 months, which revealed the presence of PA in 2 of the cases treated with antibiotics alone, but not in any of the cases treated by surgery. CONCLUSION: PA is relatively rare and has no specific symptoms clinically. Imaging examination is very important for accurate diagnosis, and transurethral PA unroofing plus antibiotics administration could be considered as an optimal management of the disease.

Clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of male yolk sac tumor: a Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program study.

INTRODUCTION: Yolk sac tumor (YST) is a rare malignant germ cell tumor, which usually affects young males. Because of the low incidence, few studies on YST have been published. In our study, we aim to investigate the clinical characteristics, survival and risk factors of male YST patients based on the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program. METHODS: We identified 569 male YST patients from the SEER-18 database with additional treatment fields. Clinical characteristics, survival and prognostic factors were described in the study. Chi-square tests were applied to analyze categorical and continuous variables between different groups. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard model were performed to assess the relative impacts of risk factors on cancer-specific survival (CSS) in YST patients. Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test were used to analyze differences in survival that were significant. RESULTS: The major primary sites of YST were testis (74.69%), mediastinum (15.47%), retroperitoneum (2.64%) and central nervous system (1.24%). The 3-year and 5-year CSS was 70.0%, 56.5% vs. 97.2%, 96.0% for the mediastinal and testicular YST patients, respectively (p < 0.001). Primary site of mediastinum, distant SEER Summary stage were independent factors of poor prognosis (hazard ratio (HR) = 2.010 (1.094-3.695), p = 0.025; HR = 6.501 (2.294-18.424), p < 0.001, respectively). Receiving surgery was a good prognosis factor for all patients (HR = 0.495 (0.260-0.940), p = 0.032) and for the mediastinal group (p = 0.0019). Being treated with chemotherapy indicated poor outcome in all patients (HR = 3.624 (1.050-12.507), p = 0.042) and in the localized testicular YST patients (p = 0.0077). CONCLUSION: For the first time, our study revealed the primary site distribution of male YST, and summarized the clinical characteristics, survival and prognostic factors based on the SEER database, which provided important epidemiological evidence for clinical practice.

Utilization of public health care by people with private health insurance: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this systematic review was to explore the association between private health insurance and health care utilization. METHODS: We searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) electronic databases for relevant articles since 2010. Studies were eligible if they described original empirical research on the utilization of public health care by individuals with private health insurance, compared with individuals without private insurance. A pooled measure of association between insurance status with health care utilization was assessed through meta-analysis. RESULTS: Twenty-six articles were included in the final analysis. We found that patients with private insurance did not use more public health care than people without private insurance (P < 0.05). According to the subgroup analysis, people with private insurance were more likely to be hospitalized than people with no insurance (OR 1.67; 95% CI, 1.18 to 2.36). CONCLUSIONS: People with private insurance did not increase their use of health care (outpatient services), compared to those without private insurance. Private health insurance coverage may ease the financial burden on patients and on the public health insurance system.

First-Trimester Serum Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 4 and Subsequent Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether plasma fatty acid-binding protein 4 concentrations, measured in the first trimester, are associated with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). METHODS: This prospective, multicenter cohort study was conducted at three maternity centers in two cities (Harbin and Beijing) in China from July 2015 to June 2016. Data for fasting plasma glucose and fatty acid-binding protein 4 concentrations in the first trimester and one-step GDM screening with a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test performed between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: Plasma from women in the first trimester was available for 1,150 women, of whom 135 (11.7%) developed GDM. The GDM distribution across the fatty acid-binding protein 4 quartiles ranged from 3.8% (first quartile) to 21.6% (fourth quartile). In multivariate models comparing the second (quartile 2), third, and fourth quartiles against the first quartile of fatty acid-binding protein 4, concentrations of fatty acid-binding protein 4 in quartile 2, quartile 3, and quartile 4 were associated with the development of GDM with respective associated adjusted odds ratios (95% CIs) of 1.76 (1.21-2.58), 2.36 (1.55-4.29), and 3.57 (1.99-6.11). A significant difference in the area under receiver operating characteristic curve between established risk factors alone and the addition of fatty acid-binding protein 4 concentrations was observed (difference 0.042 [95% CI 0.028-0.055]; P=.03). CONCLUSIONS: Higher fatty acid-binding protein 4 concentrations in the first trimester visit were associated with increased risk of GDM and might be useful in identifying women at risk for GDM for early prevention strategies.

[Treatment and prognosis of malignant ovarian neoplasms complicating pregnancy].

OBJECTIVE: To summarize the clinicopathological features and prognosis of malignant ovarian neoplasms complicating pregnancy and explore the rational treatment. METHODS: The clinical data of 38 patients with malignant ovarian neoplasms complicating pregnancy were retrospectively analyzed,and the intra-surgical pathological sections were reviewed. International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system (1988) was applied. RESULTS: Of these 38 patients,the malignancies included epithelial ovarian cancer (n=9, 23.7%), epithelial borderline ovarian tumor (n=13, 34.2%),ovarian malignant germ cell tumors (n=11, 28.9%), sex cord stromal tumors (n=3, 7.9%), and metastatic tumor from gastrointestinal tracts (n=2, 5.3%). Twenty-seven patients (71.1%) were at stage I. The pregnancy outcomes included termination in the first trimester (n=8), full-term vaginal delivery (n=6), full-term Cesarean section (n=15), and therapeutical Cesarean section for premature birth (n=9). One newborn died,and the remaining 29 survived in a healthy status. All patients underwent surgical treatment,among whom two patients received surgeries during pregnancy. Patients were followed up for (40.5±38.5) months,during which one patient was lost to follow-up, 7 died, 1 survived with tumor, and 29 (76.3%) survived free of tumors. CONCLUSIONS: The management of ovarian malignancies complicating pregnancy should be individualized. Both surgical treatment and chemotherapy are relatively safe in the second and third trimesters. Satisfactory prognosis can be expected after appropriate treatment.

[Recytoreductive surgery for recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of recytoreductive surgery (RCRS) in recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer. METHODS: Fifty-five patients who underwent recytoreductive surgery at Peking Union Medical College Hospital between Nov. 1998 and Apr. 2002 were retrospectively reviewed. They were divided into four groups firstly by the identity of recurrent lesion: group A, single lesion; B, disseminated lesion; C, intestinal obstruction; D, palliative surgery. Then they were divided into 3 groups according to the sensitivity to chemotherapy. Group A, diseases relapsed more than 6 months after chemotherapy; group B, relapsed less than 6 months; group C, relapsed during chemotherapy. We review the cases with regard to its macroscopic residual disease, complications of operation, cases with complete remission and partial remission, postoperation survival time and disease-free interval. RESULTS: Recytoreductive surgery for patients with isolated recurrent tumor were optimal. For those diagnosed as local lesion preoperatively, 61% of these cases were found to have disseminated diseases postioeratively. Sixty-five percents of these cases received optimal RCRS, but their prognosis were not as well as those with real isolated leasion (response rate: 36% vs 67%). Cases with different sensitivity to chemotherapy had different prognosis (response rate: A, 50%; B, 26%; C, 28%). CONCLUSION: Recytoreductive surgery should be considered in patients with isolated recurrent ovarian cancer and patient with recurrence more than 6 months after chemotherapy.

Serum soluble E-cadherin level in patients with endometriosis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the serum sE-cadherin level in patients with endometriosis and the alterations of that level in healthy control during the menstrual cycle. METHODS: Thirty-two patients with endometriosis and 30 healthy women were tested for serum sE-cadherin levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: The serum sE-cadherin levels in healthy control did not vary throughout the menstrual cycle, which were lower than those in patients with endometriosis. CONCLUSIONS: E-cadherin might be involved in endometrial shedding during menstruation in endometriosis patients. The serum sE-cadherin assay might be helpful as a serum marker for the diagnosis and management of endometriosis.