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Upper urinary tract stones are a common urological disease that can be treated by flexible ureteroscopy (FURS) through the natural urinary tract, in addition to extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy and percutaneous nephrolithotomy. The advantages of FURS are less trauma, faster recovery, and fewer complications, while its disadvantages include poor results of lithotripsy and stone extraction when dealing with larger stones, and prolonged operation time. Over the last two decades, the emergence of new technologies such as FURS combined with negative pressure suction, robot-assisted FURS, and artificially intelligent FURS, coupled with improvements in laser technology (the use of thulium fiber lasers and the invention of single-use flexible ureteroscopes (su-fURS) suitable for primary level application, have significantly increased the global adoption of FURS. This surge in usage holds a promising future in clinical application, benefiting a growing number of patients with renal calculi. Accompanied by changes in technical concepts and therapeutic modalities, the scope of indications for FURS is broadening, positioning it as a potential primary choice for urolithiasis treatment in the future. This review outlines the progress in employing FURS for the treatment of renal calculi in order to generate insights for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) is the most commonly performed gynaecological surgery. However, the difficulty of the operation varies depending on the patient and surgeon. Subsequently, patient's outcomes and surgical efficiency are affected. The authors aimed to develop and validate a preoperative nomogram to predict the operative difficulty in patients undergoing TLH. Methods: This retrospective study included 663 patients with TLH from Southwest Hospital and 102 patients from 958th Hospital in Chongqing, China. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent predictors of operative difficulty, and a nomogram was constructed. The performance of the nomogram was validated internally and externally. Results: The uterine weight, history of pelvic surgery, presence of adenomyosis, surgeon's years of practice, and annual hysterectomy volume were identified as significant independent predictors of operative difficulty. The nomogram demonstrated good discrimination in the training dataset [area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), 0.827 (95% CI, 0.783-0.872], internal validation dataset [AUC, 0.793(95%CI, 0.714-0.872)], and external validation dataset [AUC, 0.756 [95% CI, 0.658-0.854)]. The calibration curves showed good agreement between the predictions and observations for both internal and external validations. Conclusion: The developed nomogram accurately predicted the operative difficulty of TLH, facilitated preoperative planning and patient counselling, and optimized surgical training. Further prospective multicenter clinical studies are required to optimize and validate this model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiments using in vitro embryo germination and culture have been designed to investigate the effects of cobalt levels of 0, 100, 200, 400 and 800 μM on some growth parameters and chemical changes in Jatropha curcas seedlings. The results showed that excess cobalt levels in MS media produced visual symptoms of toxicity in J. curcas seedlings after 7 d with increasing levels of cobalt ion. The fresh weights of cotyledons and radicles were significantly affected except for hypocotyls at the cobalt concentration of 100 μM. The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) significantly increased in the radicles when compared to the control, but decreases in the activity of the hypocotyls were found at the tested cobalt levels. Increase of guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) activity in the cotyledons and hypocotyls was observed at the tested cobalt levels, but a decrease of the activity in the radicles except for at cobalt concentration of 100 μM. Increase in the activity of catalase (CAT) of radicles with increasing cobalt concentrations, and a significant decrease in activity in the hypocotyls was also observed. Increase in phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity of cotyledons and radicles with increasing cobalt concentrations in the range 100-800 μM, but a decline in the activity of hypocotyls was also observed when hypocotyls at the cobalt concentrations of 400 and 800 μM. The present results indicated that SOD, GPX, CAT, and PAL may play an important role in the defensive mechanisms of Jatropha curcas seedlings exposed to excessive cobalt. These findings will help to provide useful bioassays to help in assessment of cobalt contamination in agricultural environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Telomeres inhibit DNA damage response at the ends of the chromosome to suppress cell cycle arrest as well as ensure genome stability. Dyskeratosis congenita (DC), a telomere-related disease, includes the classical triad involving oral leukoplakia, dysplastic nails, and lacy reticular pigment in the neck and/or upper chest. Hoyeraal-Hreidarrson syndrome (HHS), a severe manifestation of DC, frequently occurs during childhood, and patients with HHS often show short-term survival and thus do not exhibit all mucocutaneous manifestations or syndromic features. Case. We report here a patient with HHS characterized by the proband's clinical attributes, such as growth delay, bone marrow failure, microcephaly, defects in body development, and the absence of cerebellar hypoplasia combined with Blake's pouch cyst. By using exome sequencing, novel compound heterozygous mutations (c.1451C>T and c.1266+3del78bp) were detected in the RTEL1 (regulator of telomere elongation helicase 1) gene. Conclusions. The DNA helicase RTEL1 plays a role in genome stability, DNA replication, telomere maintenance, and genome repair. Terminal restriction fragment length analysis revealed a significantly shorter telomere length of the proband. Our findings provided evidence that compound heterozygous RTEL1 mutations cause HHS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmentally friendly packaging design has been emphasized and studied by increased designers and enterprises in the packaging industry, from the study of additional functions of packaging to the study of environmentally friendly packaging materials, and the "zero-pollution" packaging advocated today, which has changed the traditional form and mode of packaging. In this paper, the basic concept of zero-pollution packaging design is presented through a study of the current situation at home and abroad, and the demand of consumers and the social acceptance of zero-pollution food packaging design is analyzed to summarize the characteristics and requirements of zero-pollution food packaging, including the environmental safety of materials, as well as the convenience and economy of consumers' lives, which can pay attention to and solve the details of life. Leading consumers to healthy consumption concept, zero pollution food packaging advocates simple design, remove all useless decoration, and advocate the design principle of form following function. Moreover, the aesthetic factors and socio-economic values contained in zero-pollution food packaging design are also important reasons why zeropollution food packaging design is worthy of indepth exploration and research. Zero-pollution food packaging is a great attempt to achieve green packaging and an important exploration to solve packaging waste, and the last chapter of this paper also explores and researches zero-pollution food packaging by re-researching design and innovation for the current emergency food food food packaging problem to change the existing packaging problem so that the packaging can bring more convenience to people. Combining the packaging function with the use function, incorporating design elements that are easy to manipulate and store, allowing a better interaction between the user and the product. Manipulable packaging design can also significantly increase the user's freedom of action during use and improve the emotional experience of the user in the current packaging situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug resistance is a major obstacle in the development of effective colorectal cancer (CRC) therapy. Our study aimed to explore the reversal abilities of Jiedu Sangen decoction (JSD) on the 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) resistance and its underlying molecular mechanisms. Expression changes in HIF-1 of CRC tissues were firstly revealed by bioinformatics analysis. Afterwards, cell viabilities of JSD and 5-FU treatments on 5-FU resistant human colon cancer cells (HCT-8/5-FU) were determined. Expressions of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (AKT)/p-AKT, hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1 α), as well as glycolysis related proteins such as L-lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), Glucose transporter type 1 (Glut1), Hexokinase 2 (HKII), and cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase (Caspase) family members in HCT-8/5-FU cells, HIF-1 α silenced HCT-8/5-FU cells and tumor tissues were detected by western blotting. HIF-1 α was found over expressed in CRC tissues according to public available datasets in Oncomine. Growth inhibition rates of HCT-8/5-FU cells were increased along with the increase of JSD concentrations. JSD caused down-regulated HIF-1 α , PI3K, AKT/p-AKT, HKII and Glut1, as well as up-regulated Caspase3 and Caspase9 in HCT-8/5-FU cells and tumor tissues. In HIF-1 α silenced HCT-8/5-FU cells, synergistic group showed significantly reduced expression levels of PI3K, AKT, p-AKT. Additionally, up-regulated expressions of Caspase6 and Caspase7 were observed. JSD combined with 5-FU also exhibited obvious inhibitory efficiency on tumor growth in vivo. JSD may reverse 5-FU resistance by suppressing glycolysis via PI3K/AKT/HIF-1 α signaling pathway, thereby inhibiting glycolysis and induce apoptosis to enhance anti-tumor activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The treatment of acidic wastewater of copper sulfide produces a huge amount of sediment, which can be processed into the planting matrix for ecological restoration of mines. This paper attempts to screen out the plants suitable for the acidic wastewater sediment, laying the basis for ecological restoration of mines. Therefore, 14 plant species were selected for preliminary tests on survival rate and growth tests in sediment pond. The survival rates and growth conditions of each plant species in the sediment (planting matrix) were observed and recorded, and subjected to comparative analysis of planting data of test plots. The results about 14 plant growth data show that Dracocephalum moldavica, Lolium perenne L., Photinia fraseri Dress, Ligustrum compactum (Wall. ex G. Don) Hook. F, Robinia pseudoacacia and Populus tomentosa boast high survival rate, fast growth and good greening effect. These species can be used as the pioneer plants adaptable to acidic wastewater sediment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the effect of sandblasting on the surface roughness of zirconia and the shear bond strength of the veneering porcelain. Pre-sintered zirconia plates were prepared and divided into four groups. Group A were not treated at all; group B were first sandblasted under 0.2 MPa pressure and then densely sintered; group C and D were sintered first, and then sandblasted under 0.2 MPa and 0.4 MPa pressures respectively. Surface roughness was measured and 3D roughness was reconstructed for the specimens, which were also analyzed with X-ray diffractometry. Finally after veneering porcelain sintering, shear bond tests were conducted. Sandblasting zirconia before sintering significantly increased surface roughness and the shear bond strength between zirconia and veneering porcelain (p<0.05). Sandblasting zirconia before sintering is a useful method to increase surface roughness and could successfully improve the bonding strength of veneering porcelain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, polyamide 6(PA6)/organoclay masterbatch were prepared by melt mixing, and then acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene(ABS)/polyamide 6(PA6)(70/30,w/w) nanocomposites were prepared by the melt mixing of PA6, ABS and organoclay. The effect of organoclay platelets on morphology and mechanical properties of ABS/PA6/organoclay ternary nanocomposites had been investigated by wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and mechanical properties testing. Morphology analysis revealed that organoclay platelets were selectively dispersed and exfoliated in PA6 phase, but some were located in interface of PA6 and ABS phase. The droplet size of PA6 dispersed phase were gradually reduced less than 4 phr organoclay, then the dispersed domain size became unchanged with the addition of various organoclay. It suggested the organoclay can compatibilize the ABS/PA6 blend nanocomposite. Moreover, the flexural strength and modulus increase with increasing organoclay content, but the tensile strength became maximal at 3 phr organoclay. The organoclay has no effect on impact strength of ABS/PA6 blend nanocomposite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A feed-forward artificial neural network (ANN) with an improved group contribution method has been developed to predict the aquatic toxicity (IGC50) of organic compounds to Tetrahymena pyriformis. In addition to the chemical groups, several molecular descriptors were applied to the ANN model to improve the predictive capability. The parameters of ANN models were divided into two parts (groups and properties) as the descriptors. A data set of 660 out of 824 organic compounds was used to train the ANN, while another data set of 82 organic compounds was used as a test set to validate the ANN model. The remaining 82 chemicals were used as the predicting set to prove that the ANN model can effectively predict the value of the toxicity. The network based on chemical groups had an accuracy of R²=0.912 and MSE=0.090 while the improved group contribution method had an accuracy of R²=0.948 and MSE=0.059. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stepwise multi-linear regression (Stepwise-MLR) and partial least squares (PLS) analyses were applied to develop the quantitative structure-permeability relationship (QSPR) models for skin permeability coefficients of 84 diverse organic compounds by using electronic, spatial, thermodynamic and topological descriptors based on stepwise MLR and PLS chemometric tools. K-means clustering technique was introduced to divide the original 84 compounds into a training set of 76 compounds and an external test set of 8 compounds, which is helpful for statistically robust QSPR model developments. The PLS model using the combination of electronic, physicochemical, quantum and topological descriptors predicted the skin permeability coefficient (kp) with the cross validation Q2 of 0.878 and the square of predictive correlation coefficient R2pred of 0.892. The result models showed that dipole moment (Dipole), melting point (Mp), Xu index (Xu), Harary index (Har) and logKOW had great influence on the skin permeation of organic chemicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]