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Objective To investigate the safety and efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for malignant obstruction of the biliary tract. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients with malignant biliary obstruction treated by PDT in our medical center. On the basis of different treatment plans, the patients were categorized into the photodynamic only group and the combined treatment group, in which additional interventional operations, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy were arranged. The alterations in liver function, duration of biliary patency, and postoperative complications that occurred within one month were closely monitored in both groups. Results A total number of 19 patients were enrolled in this study. The technical success rate of PDT was 100%. The deterioration of liver function was not observed in any patients within one month after PDT. Within a maximum of 17.7 months follow-up, the patency rates of the biliary tract were 100.0%, 89.5%, 72%, and 64% at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the procedure, respectively. The mean biliary patency time was 6.9±0.8 months (95%CI: 5.2-8.7 months). Specifically, the biliary patency times for Bismuth type Ⅲ and Ⅳ were 7.5±1.1 and 6.1±1.3 months, respectively. The biliary patency time was around 3.3±0.7 months in the photodynamic only group and 7.9±0.9 months in the combined treatment group (P=0.017). Conclusion PDT for Bismuth Ⅲ-Ⅳ malignant biliary obstruction is safe and effective. Moreover, the period of biliary patency is greatly extended when PDT is combined with systemic therapy.

PURPOSE Computed tomography (CT)-based body composition parameters and the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) are key characteristics in patients with liver cirrhosis. The present study aims to explore the correlation between CT-based body composition parameters and HVPG, as well as the difference in HVPG between patients with and patients without sarcopenia. METHODS A literature search for studies reporting the correlation between HVPG and CT-based body composition parameters published in English up to August 2023 in four databases, Embase, MEDLINE (via PubMed), Web of Science, and Cochrane Library, was conducted. The correlation coefficient between HVPG and CT-based body composition parameters was the primary outcome, and the difference in the HVPG value between the sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia groups was the secondary outcome. A meta-analysis was conducted using a random-effects models. The methodologic quality was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Studies instrument. RESULTS A total of 652 articles were identified, of which nine studies (n = 1,569) met the eligibility criteria. Among them, seven studies reported the primary outcome via the muscle index, five via the skeletal muscle index (SMI), two via the psoas-muscle-related index (PRI), and three via two adipose tissue indexes. A total of five studies reported the secondary outcome: four via SMI and one via PRI. No evidence of a significant correlation was determined between the various body composition parameters and the HVPG value, either in the muscle index or the adipose tissue index. Higher HVPG values were observed in patients with sarcopenia than in patients without sarcopenia [pooled standardized mean difference (SMD): 0.628 (-0.350, 1.606), P < 0.001; I² = 92.8%; P < 0.001] when an Asian sarcopenia definition was adopted. In contrast, when a Western cut-off value was applied, the HVPG value was higher in patients without sarcopenia than in patients with sarcopenia [pooled SMD: -0.201 (-0.366, -0.037), P = 0.016; I² = 0.00%; P = 0.785]. CONCLUSION No sufficient evidence regarding a correlation between the CT-based body composition and HVPG value was discovered. The difference in the HVPG value between the sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia groups was likely dependent on the sarcopenic cut-off value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pulsar system PSR J1023+0038 is a very interesting binary with radio millisecond pulsar and low-mass X-ray binary transitions, which depend on the stellar accretion process. We have used Kepler light curves with 1 minute cadence and TESS light curves with 2 minute cadence to study the flare properties of PSR J1023+0038. We detected 516 flare events in the K2 data and 84 flare events in the TESS survey data. We determined the flare rise and delay times, the flare durations and amplitudes, and flare energies. We obtained a value of the power-law index of 0.359 ± 0.023 between the flare energies and decay times, which is similar to the theoretically predicted value of 1/3. This in turn indicates that PSR J1023+0038 might be exhibiting physical mechanisms described by magnetic reconnection theory. Using the maximum likelihood estimation method, we also calculated the power-law index of the cumulative flare frequency distribution, finding 1.87 ± 0.27 for the Kepler data and 1.74 ± 0.29 for the TESS data. Meanwhile, we reduced six FAST observations of PSR J1023+0038 from 2019–2021 using a standard pulsar search procedure. We report that we detected a prompt signal with a period compatible with that found in previous observations of PSR J1023+0038. However, there are several reasons (statistical, excess DM, pulse shape, etc.) as to why the association is not likely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanozymes with multienzyme-like activity have sparked significant interest in anti-tumor therapy via responding to the tumor microenvironment (TME). However, the consequent induction of protective autophagy substantially compromises the therapeutic efficacy. Here, a targeted nanozyme system (Fe-Arg-CDs@ZIF-8/HAD, FZH) is shown, which enhances synergistic anti-tumor ferroptosis/apoptosis therapy by leveraging machine learning (ML). A novel ML model, termed the sequential backward Tree-Classifier for Gaussian Process Regression (TCGPR), is proposed to improve data pattern recognition following the divide-and-conquer principle. Based on this, a Bayesian optimization algorithm is employed to select candidates from the extensive search space. Leveraging this fresh material discovery framework, a novel strategy for enhancing nanozyme-based tumor therapy, has been developed. The results reveal that FZH effectively exerts anti-tumor effects by sequentially responding to the TME, having a cascade reaction to induce ferroptosis. Moreover, the endogenous elevation of high concentration nitric oxide (NO) serves as a direct mechanism for killing tumor cells while concurrently suppressing the protective autophagy induced by oxidative stress (OS), enhancing synergistic ferroptosis/apoptosis therapy. Overall, a novel strategy for improving nanozyme-based tumor therapy has been proposed, underlying the integration of ML, experiments, and biological applications., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Rationale and Objectives: This retrospective casecontrol study evaluated the efficacy and safety of CT-guided preoperative localization via adjacent microcoil implantation for reducing the operative time of laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) in patients with endophytic renal masses., Methods: Data from patients who underwent LPN for completely endophytic treatment (three points for the ''E'' domain of the R.E.N.A.L. score) renal masses were collected from Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, between January 2020 and May 2023. Microcoils were placed adjacent to the renal masses under CT guidance prior to LPN. The head of the microcoil was pinpointed adjacent to the target endophytic renal mass, and its end tail remained outside the renal surface. Baseline characteristics and clinical, surgical, and postoperative outcomes were compared., Results: Forty patients (microcoil localization, N = 8; standard LPN, N = 32) were included in the analysis. The median clinical tumor size was 15 mm (IQR: 10-22). In all patients in the microcoil localization group, the microcoil was successfully visualized laparoscopically by the surgeons. The microcoil localization technique demonstrated a significantly shorter operative time under general anesthesia (150 vs. 195 min, P = 0.012) and a nonsignificant trend towards a shorter hospital stay (8.6 vs. 11.7 days, P = 0.079). The microcoil localization technique showed a nonsignificant trend toward a reduced total operative time (189 vs. 195 min, P = 0.012). No significant differences were observed in histopathological findings, surgical approach, postoperative eGFR levels, eGFRs, or complication rates were observed between the groups., Conclusion: This study suggested the use of a local microcoil on the surface of the kidney to locate the tumor accurately, which offers a more patient-centered surgical approach and can serve as a standard approach for treating totally endophytic renal masses that require localization., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. The authors have nothing to disclose with regard to commercial support., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Spectroscopic data, particularly diffraction data, are essential for materials characterization due to their comprehensive crystallographic information. The current crystallographic phase identification, however, is very time consuming. To address this challenge, we have developed a real-time crystallographic phase identifier based on a convolutional self-attention neural network (CPICANN). Trained on 692 190 simulated powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns from 23 073 distinct inorganic crystallographic information files, CPICANN demonstrates superior phase-identification power. Single-phase identification on simulated XRD patterns yields 98.5 and 87.5% accuracies with and without elemental information, respectively, outperforming JADE software (68.2 and 38.7%, respectively). Bi-phase identification on simulated XRD patterns achieves 84.2 and 51.5% accuracies, respectively. In experimental settings, CPICANN achieves an 80% identification accuracy, surpassing JADE software (61%). Integration of CPICANN into XRD refinement software will significantly advance the cutting-edge technology in XRD materials characterization., (open access.)

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal oxide monolayers are currently attracting great interest in materials research due to their versatility and tunable electronic and magnetic properties. In this study, we report the prediction of magnetic phase changes in H x CrO 2 (0 ⩽ x ⩽ 2) monolayer on the basis of first-principles calculations. As the H adsorption concentration x increases from 0 to 0.75, H x CrO 2 monolayer transforms from a ferromagnetic (FM) half-metal to a small-gap FM insulator. When x = 1.00 and 1.25, it behaves as a bipolar antiferromagnetic (AFM) insulator, and eventually becomes an AFM insulator as x increases further up to 2.00. The results suggest that the magnetic properties of CrO 2 monolayer can be effectively controlled by hydrogenation, and that H x CrO 2 monolayers have the potential for realizing tunable 2D magnetic materials. Our results provide a comprehensive understanding of the hydrogenated 2D transition metal CrO 2 and provide a research method that can be used as a reference for the hydrogenation of other similar 2D materials., (© 2023 IOP Publishing Ltd.)