Search

Pharmacological studies have shown that Cedrol (CE) exhibits extensive biological activities, including anti-inflammatory and analgesic. Moreover, it can inhibit the NF-κB pathway and the expression of various associated proteins. This study aimed to investigate the role of CE in postmenopausal osteoporosis. The results showed that intragastric administration of CE (10 and 20 mg/kg) significantly improved the bone microstructure damage and increased bone mineral density, trabecular bone volume, and bone trabecular thickness in ovariectomized (OVX) rats (p < 0.05). CE treatment additionally made a well-organized arrangement of bone trabeculae and improved its thickness and density. Compared with the OVX group, the levels of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase from 5b and C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen were significantly reduced by 42.75% and 49.27% in the OVX + CE rats (p < 0.05). TRAP staining visually showed that the number of osteoclasts in the femur tissue of CE-treated rats was less than that of the OVX group. The expressions of nuclear factor of activated T-cells, cytoplasmic 1, acid phosphatase 5, and cathepsin K in OVX + CE rats were significantly decreased by 51.61%, 46.07%, and 50.34% compared to the OVX group (p < 0.01). In addition, CE intervention effectively reduced the phosphorylation levels of P65 and IκBα and inhibited the NF-κB signaling pathway. Meanwhile, CE diminished the number of multinucleated osteoclasts induced by receptor activator for nuclear factor-κB ligand and hindered cell fusion as well as nuclear translocation of osteoclast precursor cells P65. In conclusion, CE inhibits osteoclastogenesis by suppressing the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway, thereby alleviating postmenopausal osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer is still one of the greatest threats to human health. Marine fungi are abundant in constituents that can cause various bioactivities for many purposes. Compounds are the basis of drug development, leading to more studies on exploring these bioactive items. In this study, 9 compounds were isolated from Penicillium terrigenum. Four compounds isolated from the Trichocomaceae family, two compounds isolated from the Penicillium genus, as well as the other compounds, were all isolated from this strain for the first time. Compounds PTL-1 - PTL-6 were initially screened for antiproliferative activity on liver and lung cancer cells using the MTT assay in vitro. The results showed that the 6 compounds exhibited different antiproliferative activities. From the results, PTL-2, 7-ethylcamptothecin significantly inhibited the proliferation of cancer cells, highlighting it as a potential drug or lead compound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the hierarchical transmission and interaction response characteristics of visual information in retina, we propose a single image dehazing enhancement computational model that simulates the multiple level physiological mechanisms of retina. Firstly, according to the characteristics of gap junction between horizontal cells followed by the dynamic changing properties of light intensity, an adaptive adjustment model of receptive fields based on the luminance information is constructed to protect the detail information at the edge of hazy images. Secondly, simulating the crossover inhibition mechanism of ON and OFF pathways, the AII amacrine cell network model is constructed to inhibit the OFF pathway through the ON pathway, thus expanding the dynamic range of the hazy images. Finally, according to the dynamic correlation between the receptive field characteristics of ganglion cell and local contrast, a single-opponent receptive field (SORF) dynamic adjustment model based on local contrast information is constructed to enhance the contrast of hazy images. Natural image dataset and the composite image dataset RESIDE-OTS are used as the experimental subjects. In the natural image dataset, Fog Aware Density Evaluator (FADE) ranked 3rd in the average score and 1st in the Natural Image Quality Evaluator (NIQE) average score; Compared with the highest index in other methods, the peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and structural similarity index (SSIM) in the synthetic image dataset increased by 7.20% and 4.16%, respectively. Experiments demonstrate that our method enhances the details and contrast while retaining the original color characteristics of the image, and improves the problems of color distortion and halation, which provides a new idea for the internal mechanism and application of brain vision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes an adaptive model-free deadbeat predictive current control (MF-DPCC) algorithm for achieving high-performance current control of non-contact integrated permanent magnet vernier motors (NIPMVMs). To address the issue that traditional extended state observer-based deadbeat predictive control (ESO-DPCC) still relies on motor models and parameters, an ultralocal model is introduced to design a model-free current controller. Furthermore, to address the issue that initial gain of the controller depends on the inductance parameter, a gain-adaption algorithm based on the deadbeat characteristic is proposed. In addition, considering the effect of dead-time, a dual-amplitude signal with extremely low duty and amplitude levels has been adopted to improve the adaptive precision of the gain and to achieve deadbeat control of NIPMVMs. The validity of the proposed MF-DPCC is confirmed through experiments conducted on an NIPMVM platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing renewable energy (RE) is the inevitable choice for China to achieve its climate goals. However, financing RE investments remains challenging. Meanwhile, China's digital finance (DF) is profoundly influencing the trajectory of the energy transition. This study empirically investigates the role of DF on the growth of RE, what aspects of DF matter, and its geographical attenuation process, taking both spatial and temporal dimensions into consideration. The empirical results show that DF and its coverage breadth and usage depth can facilitate RE development in both local and neighboring regions, with a comparatively limited effect of digitalization level. The impact of DF on the growth of RE is heterogeneous and has been declining over time. Specifically, this effect is observable only in the eastern regions. The spillover effects of DF on RE development vary in different spatial thresholds, which has clear boundary effects and geographical decay characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geodynamic mechanism responsible for the generation of Silurian granitoids and the tectonic evolution of the Qilian orogenic belt remains controversial. In this study, we report the results of zircon U–Pb age, and systematic whole-rock geochemical data for the Haoquangou and Liujiaxia granitoids within the North Qilian orogenic belt and the Qilian Block, respectively, to constrain their petrogenesis, and the Silurian tectonic evolution of the Qilian orogenic belt. Zircon U–Pb ages indicate that the Haoquangou and Liujiaxia intrusions were emplaced at 423 ± 3 Ma and 432 ± 4 Ma, respectively. The Haoquangou granodiorites are calc-alkaline, while the Liujiaxia granites belong to the high-K calc-alkaline series. Both are peraluminous in composition and have relatively depleted Nd isotopic [εNd(t) = (− 3.9 – + 0.6)] characteristics compared with regional basement rocks, implying their derivation from a juvenile lower crust. They show adakitic geochemical characteristics and were generated by partial melting of thickened lower continental crust. Post-collisional extensional regime related to lithospheric delamination was the most likely geodynamic mechanism for the generation of the Haoquangou granodiorite, while the Liujiaxia granites were generated in a compressive setting during continental collision between the Qaidam and Qilian blocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater resources are vital to ecosystems and livelihoods. Excessive groundwater withdrawals can cause groundwater levels to decline1–10, resulting in seawater intrusion11, land subsidence12,13, streamflow depletion14–16 and wells running dry17. However, the global pace and prevalence of local groundwater declines are poorly constrained, because in situ groundwater levels have not been synthesized at the global scale. Here we analyse in situ groundwater-level trends for 170,000 monitoring wells and 1,693 aquifer systems in countries that encompass approximately 75% of global groundwater withdrawals18. We show that rapid groundwater-level declines (>0.5 m year−1) are widespread in the twenty-first century, especially in dry regions with extensive croplands. Critically, we also show that groundwater-level declines have accelerated over the past four decades in 30% of the world’s regional aquifers. This widespread acceleration in groundwater-level deepening highlights an urgent need for more effective measures to address groundwater depletion. Our analysis also reveals specific cases in which depletion trends have reversed following policy changes, managed aquifer recharge and surface-water diversions, demonstrating the potential for depleted aquifer systems to recover.Analysis of about 170,000 monitoring wells and 1,693 aquifer systems worldwide shows that extensive and often accelerating groundwater declines are widespread in the twenty-first century, but that groundwater levels are recovering in some cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, by a simple hydrothermal method vertically aligned ZnO nanorod arrays were grown on the carbon fiber paper (CFP) and then through a facile chemical bath deposition method CuO nanosheets were loaded on ZnO nanorod arrays, following by thermal spraying method, carboxylated carbon nanotubes (CCNTs) were successfully integrated with CuO/ZnO@CFP to form a binder-free CuO/ZnO-CCNT@CFP sensor. The sensor shows enhanced sensing activity for baicalein and luteolin determination due to the improved structural integration and synergism of different electrode material components. Remarkably, the CuO/ZnO-CCNT@CFP sensor showed good linear relationships over wide concentration ranges of 0.03–0.70 µM and 0.70–20 µM for baicalein and 0.03–0.45 µM and 0.45–8.5 µM for luteolin detection, with the detection limits of 1.7 nM for baicalein and 0.5 nM for luteolin, respectively. More importantly, the CuO/ZnO-CCNT@CFP sensor was utilized in the simultaneous determination of baicalein and luteolin, delivering linear ranges of 0.4–14 µM (baicalein) and 0.2–6 µM (luteolin) with the limit of detection of 0.05 µM and 0.03 µM, respectively. In addition, the developed CuO/ZnO-CCNT@CFP electrode was further investigated to detect baicalein and luteolin in traditional herbal medicine samples, showing satisfied results in comparison with analytic results from high performance liquid chromatography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To develop radiomics signatures from multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to detect epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations and predict the response to EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with brain metastasis (BM). Methods: We included 230 NSCLC patients with BM treated at our hospital between January 2017 and December 2021 and 80 patients treated at another hospital between July 2014 and October 2021 to form the primary and external validation cohorts, respectively. All patients underwent contrast-enhanced T1-weighted (T1C) and T2-weighted (T2W) MRI, and radiomics features were extracted from both the tumor active area (TAA) and peritumoral edema area (POA) for each patient. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was used to identify the most predictive features. Radiomics signatures (RSs) were constructed using logistic regression analysis. Results: For predicting the EGFR mutation status, the created RS-EGFR-TAA and RS-EGFR- POA showed similar performance. By combination of TAA and POA, the multi-region combined RS (RS-EGFR-Com) achieved the highest prediction performance, with AUCs of 0.896, 0.856, and 0.889 in the primary training, internal validation, and external validation cohort, respectively. For predicting response to EGFR-TKI, the multi-region combined RS (RS-TKI-Com) generated the highest AUCs in the primary training (AUC = 0.817), internal validation (AUC = 0.788), and external validation (AUC = 0.808) cohort, respectively. Conclusions: Our findings suggested values of multiregional radiomics of BM for predicting EGFR mutations and response to EGFR-TKI. Clinical relevance statement: The application of radiomic analysis of multiparametric brain MRI has proven to be a promising tool to stratify which patients can benefit from EGFR-TKI therapy and to facilitate the precise therapeutics of NSCLC patients with brain metastases. Key Points: • Multiregional radiomics can improve efficacy in predicting therapeutic response to EGFR-TKI therapy in NSCLC patients with brain metastasis. • The tumor active area (TAA) and peritumoral edema area (POA) may hold complementary information related to the therapeutic response to EGFR-TKI. • The developed multi-region combined radiomics signature achieved the best predictive performance and may be considered as a potential tool for predicting response to EGFR-TKI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The three-dimensional electronic structure and the nature of Ce 4f electrons of the Kondo insulator CeRu4Sn6 are investigated by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, utilizing tunable photon energies. Our results reveal (i) the three-dimensional k-space nature of the Fermi surface, (ii) the localized-to-itinerant transition of f electrons occurs at a much high temperature than the hybridization gap opening temperature, and (iii) the "relocalization" of itinerant f-electrons below 25 K, which could be the precursor to the establishment of magnetic order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The newly discovered ternary chalcogenide superconductor Bi2Rh3Se2 has attracted growing attention, which provides an opportunity to explore the interplay between charge density wave (CDW) order and superconductivity. However, whether the phase transition around 240 K can be attributed to the formation of CDW remains controversial. To help resolve the debate, we study the electronic structure of Bi2Rh3Se2 by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, focusing on the nature of its high-temperature phase transition around 240 K. Our measurements demonstrate that the phase transition at 240 K is a second-order CDW phase transition. Our results reveal (i) a 2 × 2 CDW order in Bi2Rh3Se2, accompanied by the reconstruction of electronic structure, such as band folding, band splitting, and opening of CDW gaps at and away from the Fermi level; (ii) the existence of electron-boson coupling, which is manifested as an apparent kink and peak-dip-hump structure in dispersion. Our observations thus enable us to shed light on the nature of CDW order and superconductivity in Bi2Rh3Se2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we examine price dynamics, cycles and lead-lag relationships between private and public commercial real estate markets. We utilize wavelet technology to capture both the frequency and the time variations of a time series. We find that the long-run trend of prices in public commercial real estate markets is steeper than that of private commercial real estate markets. In addition, both short-term and long-term cycles are longer in the public market than the private market. We also find that the private market led the public market up until the recession of early 1990s and the public market has led the private market since then. Finally, we offer the first evidence of contagion between the two markets. We find that there is an increase in excess (high frequency) contagion between the two markets during periods of crisis, but not beyond the crises periods. An understanding of co-movements of real estate prices across these two markets is of crucial importance policy makers and for maximizing portfolio diversification benefits and managing risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Mesenchymal–epithelial transition (MET) amplification is one of the mechanisms accounting for the resistance of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in lung cancer patients, as well as the poor prognosis. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is the most widely used method for MET amplification detection. However, it is inapplicable when tissue samples were unavailable. Herein, we assessed the value of droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) in MET copy number gain (CNG) detection in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with EGFR-TKIs. Materials and methods: A total of 103 cancer tissues and the paired peripheral blood samples from NSCLC patients were collected for MET CNG detection using ddPCR. In parallel, MET amplification in tissue samples was verified by FISH. Also, the relationships between MET CNG and EGFR T790M, as well as the EGFR-TKI resistance were also evaluated using Chi-square or Fisher's exact tests. Result: The concordance rate of ddPCR and FISH in detecting MET CNG in tissue samples was 100% (102/102), and it was 94.17% (97/103) for ddPCR method in detecting the MET CNG among peripheral blood and tissue samples. No statistical difference was observed between MET amplification and EGFR T790M (p = 0.65), while MET amplification rate was significantly increased in patients with resistance to third generations of EGFR-TKIs as compared with patients with resistance to first/second EGFR-TKIs (p < 0.05). Conclusions: ddPCR is an alternative method to detect MET CNG in both tissues and peripheral blood samples, which is of worthy in clinical promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryptosporidium parvum is an important apicomplexan parasite causing severe diarrhea in both humans and animals. Calmodulin (CaM), a multifunctional and universal calcium-binding protein, contributes to the growth and development of apicomplexan parasites, but the role of CaM in C. parvum remains unknown. In this study, the CaM of C. parvum encoded by the cgd2_810 gene was expressed in Escherichia coli, and the biological functions of CpCaM were preliminarily investigated. The transcriptional level of the cgd2_810 gene peaked at 36 h post infection (pi), and the CpCaM protein was mainly located around the nucleus of the whole oocysts, in the middle of sporozoites and around the nucleus of merozoites. Anti-CpCaM antibody reduced the invasion of C. parvum sporozoites by 30.69%. The present study indicates that CpCaM is potentially involved in the growth of C. parvum. Results of the study expand our knowledge on the interaction between host and Cryptosporidium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the short- and long-term outcomes of laparoscopic surgery (LS) and open surgery (OP) for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (PHC) using a large real-world dataset in China. Methods: Data of patients with PHC who underwent LS and OP from January 2013 to October 2018, across 10 centers in China, were extracted from medical records. A comparative analysis was performed before and after propensity score matching (PSM) in the LS and OP groups and within the study subgroups. The Cox proportional hazards mixed-effects model was applied to estimate the risk factors for mortality, with center and year of operation as random effects. Results: A total of 467 patients with PHC were included, of whom 161 underwent LS and 306 underwent OP. Postoperative morbidity, such as hemorrhage, biliary fistula, abdominal abscess, and hepatic insufficiency, was similar between the LS and OP groups. The median overall survival (OS) was longer in the LS group than in the OP group (NA vs. 22 months; hazard ratio [HR] 1.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02–1.39, p = 0.024). Among the matched datasets, OS was comparable between the LS and OP groups (NA vs. 35 months; HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.77–1.26, p = 0.915). The mixed-effect model identified that the surgical method was not associated with long-term outcomes and that LS and OP provided similar oncological outcomes. Conclusions: Considering the comparable long-term prognosis and short-term outcomes of LS and OP, LS could be a technically feasible surgical method for PHC patients with all Bismuth–Corlett types of PHC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2011 to 2020, this paper empirically examines the direct effect, spatial spillover effect, and total effect of green finance on carbon emission intensity through the spatial econometric model, considering both spatial and temporal patterns. The results show the following: (1) The carbon emission intensity of each province in China shows a noticeable spatial spillover effect and a positive spatial correlation distribution of "high-high" and "low-low" agglomeration. (2) The development of green finance in China is interrelated but uneven in space, which presents a gradient strengthening trend from the west to the east. (3) Green finance development will curb the intensity of carbon emissions, and this effect has gradually been increasing over time and differs by region. Specifically, green finance will increase the carbon emission intensity of adjacent areas in the short term but will significantly reduce the local province's carbon emission intensity to a larger extent. Finally, it puts forward policy recommendations to promote the coordinated development of green finance and a low-carbon economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conjugated polymers such as polyaniline (PANI), polypyrrole, and polythiophene have attracted much attention owing to their good electrical conductivity, stability, ease of preparation, and high application potential. Among these conjugated polymers, PANI has attracted much attention in the field of photocatalysis owing to its ability to absorb visible light and rapidly separate the photoexcited electron–hole pairs. Recently, a large number of studies have shown that PANI can substantially increase the photocatalytic activity under both UV light and natural sunlight irradiation. Considering this most unique performance of PANI-based photocatalysis, the applications of PANI in the preparation of composite photocatalysts for the photocatalytic degradation of dyes, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides are summarized. In this review, the preparation methods, morphology, and photocatalytic properties of various composites are systematically studied. Synergistic effects between PANI and semiconductor nanomaterials or other carbon materials were found in many composite photocatalysts. Moreover, the mechanism of photocatalytic activity enhancement can be explained by analyzing the band structure of composite photocatalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the potential of subregional radiomics as a novel tumor marker in predicting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status and response to EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy in NSCLC patients with brain metastasis (BM). Materials and methods: We included 230 patients from center 1, and 80 patients were included from center 2 to form a primary and external validation cohort, respectively. Patients underwent contrast-enhanced T1-weighted and T2-weighted MRI scans before treatment. The individual- and population-level clustering was used to partition the peritumoral edema area (POA) into phenotypically consistent subregions. Radiomics features were calculated and selected from the tumor active area (TAA), POA and subregions, and used to develop models. Prediction values of each region were investigated and compared with receiver operating characteristic curves and Delong test. Results: For predicting EGFR mutations, a multi-region combined model (EGFR-Fusion) was developed based on joint of the partitioned metastasis/brain parenchyma (M/BP)-interface and TAA, and generated the highest prediction performance in the training (AUC = 0.945, SEN = 0.878, SPE = 0.937), internal validation (AUC = 0.880, SEN = 0.733, SPE = 0.969), and external validation (AUC = 0.895, SEN = 0.875, SPE = 0.800) cohorts. For predicting response to EGFR-TKI, the developed multi-region combined model (TKI-Fusion) yielded predictive AUCs of 0.869 (SEN = 0.717, SPE = 0.884), 0.786 (SEN = 0.708, SPE = 0.818), and 0.802 (SEN = 0.750, SPE = 0.800) in the training, internal validation and external validation cohort, respectively. Conclusion: Our study revealed that complementary information regarding the EGFR status and response to EGFR-TKI can be provided by subregional radiomics. The proposed radiomics models may be new markers to guide treatment plans for NSCLC patients with BM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aims to explore values of multi-parametric MRI–based radiomics for detecting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation and resistance (T790M) mutation in lung adenocarcinoma (LA) patients with spinal metastasis. Methods: This study enrolled a group of 160 LA patients from our hospital (between Jan. 2017 and Feb. 2021) to build a primary cohort. An external cohort was developed with 32 patients from another hospital (between Jan. 2017 and Jan. 2021). All patients underwent spinal MRI (including T1-weighted (T1W) and T2-weighted fat-suppressed (T2FS)) scans. Radiomics features were extracted from the metastasis for each patient and selected to develop radiomics signatures (RSs) for detecting the EGFR and T790M mutations. The clinical-radiomics nomogram models were constructed with RSs and important clinical parameters. The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predication capabilities of each model. Calibration and decision curve analyses (DCA) were constructed to verify the performance of the models. Results: For detecting the EGFR and T790M mutation, the developed RSs comprised 9 and 4 most important features, respectively. The constructed nomogram models incorporating RSs and smoking status showed favorite prediction efficacy, with AUCs of 0.849 (Sen = 0.685, Spe = 0.885), 0.828 (Sen = 0.964, Spe = 0.692), and 0.778 (Sen = 0.611, Spe = 0.929) in the training, internal validation, and external validation sets for detecting the EGFR mutation, respectively, and with AUCs of 0.0.842 (Sen = 0.750, Spe = 0.867), 0.823 (Sen = 0.667, Spe = 0.938), and 0.800 (Sen = 0.875, Spe = 0.800) in the training, internal validation, and external validation sets for detecting the T790M mutation, respectively. Conclusions: Radiomics features from the spinal metastasis were predictive on both EGFR and T790M mutations. The constructed nomogram models can be potentially considered as new markers to guild treatment management in LA patients with spinal metastasis. Key Points: • To our knowledge, this study was the first approach to detect the EGFR T790M mutation based on spinal metastasis in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. • We identified 13 MRI features that were strongly associated with the EGFR T790M mutation. • The proposed nomogram models can be considered as potential new markers for detecting EGFR and T790M mutations based on spinal metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of laparoscopic and open reoperation for intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile duct stones patients with previous biliary tract surgical procedures. The clinical data were retrospectively analyzed of intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile duct stones patients with previous biliary tract surgical procedures who underwent reoperation in the Second General Surgery Department of China Medical University from January 2012 to February 2018. 44 eligible cases were selected. In accordance with the surgical procedures, they were divided into a laparoscopy group (n = 23) and an open surgery group (n = 21). No statistically significant differences were found in the preoperative general clinical data between the two group. Two patients in the laparoscopy group were converted to open surgery. Comparisons between the two groups showed that the intraoperative blood loss [90.87 ± 62.95 (ml) vs. 152.38 ± 118.82 (ml)], the proportion of postoperative analgesia [10/23 (43.5%) vs. 16/21 (76.2%)], and the length of stay [7.19 ± 5.32 (d) vs. 11.00 ± 4.66 (d)] in the laparoscopy group were significantly lower than those in the open surgery group (P < 0.05). Laparoscopic biliary reoperation for intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile duct stones was feasible. Compared with open surgery, laparoscopic surgery has the advantages of less bleeding, a shorter postoperative length of stay, and a lower rate of additional postoperative analgesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complexation between cucurbit[8]uril, Q[8], and isonicotinic acid has been studied using 1H NMR spectroscopy, UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The results revealed that the 2:1 inclusion complex (4-PA)2@Q[8]·25H2O is formed, with two guests simultaneously encapsulated in the hydrophobic cavity; the mean planes of the guests are 3.535 Å apart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Topoisomerase II alpha (TOP2A) has been identified as a proliferation marker, of which the most common method for detection is immunohistochemistry (IHC). However, the optimal cut-off of TOP2A expression regarding prognostic value remains controversial. This study was to identify the optimal cut-off value of TOP2A expression and its correlation with clinicopathological variables and prognosis in early stage breast cancer in China. Methods: Between January 2013 and January 2015, a total of 1084 early breast cancer patients were enrolled. The optimal cut-off of TOP2A expression was assessed using the minimum P value approach. Correlations between TOP2A expression and clinicopathological characteristics were explored by the Spearman's correlation analysis, while the impact of TOP2A expression on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) was evaluated by the Kaplan–Meier methods. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were executed to identify statistically significant prognostic factors. Results: The optimal cut-off value of TOP2A was recommended as 15%. Overall, 603 (55.6%) patients were TOP2A over-expression and 481 (44.4%) patients were TOP2A low expression. TOP2A over-expression was in positive associations with a higher Ki67 index (r = 0.83, P < 0.001), HER2 positive (r = 0.26, P < 0.001), a larger tumor size (r = 0.14, P < 0.001), and a higher histologic grade (r = 0.59, P < 0.001), and in a significantly negative correlation with hormone receptor (HR) positive expression (r = − 0.40, P < 0.001) in early breast cancer. TOP2A over-expression significantly associated with worse DFS (P = 0.001) and OS (P < 0.001) and was an independent prognostic factor for both DFS (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.04; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.30–3.18, P = 0.0018) and OS (HR = 3.54; 95%CI 1.53–8.23, P = 0.003) in stage I-II breast cancer patients. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first study to recommend the optimal cut-off value of TOP2A expression in breast cancer. The TOP2A expression is significantly correlated with HER2 status, Ki67 index, tumor size, histologic grade and HR status, and could be a surrogate indicator for poor prognosis of early breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunization of social networks has attracted increasing attention over the last decade. Various algorithms have been proposed based on the topological structure of networks, such as the degree and betweenness of nodes. However, most of these studies have only observed the basic topological structure at the level of individual nodes, ignoring higher-order structures captured by network motifs, which may lead to insufficient performance. Besides, immunization based on the connectivity pattern of nodes such as the degree in a social network may cause integrity problems and also interfere in other users' regular activities because the absence of the hub nodes can greatly impair the connectivity of the network. Thus, we introduce the edge-betweenness as a metric of social network immunization that is much more effective than other traditional measures and reflects the significant role that edges play in reducing the damage and cost of the immunizing process. In this paper, a new network immunization algorithm is proposed by combining higher-order structures and edge-betweenness to select an edge set to be immunized. We conduct extensive experiments on real-world networks to show that the new algorithm can significantly improve the effectiveness of the immunization and reduce the impact of the structure of the network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper mainly studies an inorganic coating based on geopolymer technology. Metakaolin is used as raw material, and water glass solution is used as alkali activator to prepare geopolymer. The surface properties including crack resistance and scrub resistance of the obtained coating were improved by adding certain amount of resin and fillers such as silicone acrylic emulsion, mica powder, and MgO powder. The results show that when the contents of silicone acrylic emulsion, mica powder, and MgO powder are 19.00%, 3.20%, and 2.16–2.86%, respectively, the surface properties of the coating are optimal. Especially noteworthy is that adding MgO can enhance the surface properties of the prepared coating, the mechanism of which can be rationalized by the inhibited shrinkage of the coating via microcrack deformation, the enhanced compactness and the filled pores of the coating upon adding MgO. In addition, the flame retardancy of the samples was explored through thermal analysis and cone calorimeter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adding a small amount of surfactant to gas-liquid two-phase flow can markedly change bubble behavior, which has crucial application value in nuclear energy, petrochemical, chemical, and environmental engineering. In this paper, the dynamic behavior of a single ellipsoidal bubble (Re∼800) contaminated by surfactant rising near a vertical wall in stagnant liquid is studied using the shadow method. The effects of different concentrations of sodium dodecyl sulfate solution (100 ppm, 400 ppm, 800 ppm) and initial dimensionless distances on bubble dynamics were compared. The dynamic parameters, shape oscillation, force, and energy of the bubble were analyzed. The results show that the critical initial dimensionless distance at which the collision occurs is decreased due to a dimensionless distance change from 3.3 to 0.23, accelerating the transition from zigzag to spiral movement. Transverse movement of the contaminated bubble is restrained. Because of the Marangoni effect caused by the surfactant, the boundary condition changes from zero shear to non-zero shear, resulting in a decrease in velocity and an increase in the drag coefficient. As the surfactant concentration increases, the lift coefficient does not significantly change with concentration variations. The influences of the wall effect on velocity and drag gradually weaken. Comparing free-rising and collision conditions, the aspect ratio of the contaminated bubble is distinct from the regularity of a clean bubble. The surfactant also changes the wall-normal velocity frequency and symmetrical shape frequency and inhibits energy conversion during collision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use ultrafast optical spectroscopy to study the nonequilibrium quasiparticle relaxation dynamics of the iron-based superconductor KCa2Fe4As4F2 with Tc = 33.5 K. Our results reveal a possible pseudogap (ΔPG = (2.4 ± 0.1) meV) below T* ≈ 50 K but prior to the opening of a superconducting gap (ΔSC(0) ≈ (4.3 ± 0.1) meV). Measurements under high pump fluence reveal two distinct, coherent phonon oscillations with 1.95 and 5.51 THz frequencies, respectively. The high-frequency A1g(2) mode corresponds to the c-axis polarized vibrations of FeAs planes with a nominal electron-phonon coupling constant λ A 1 g (2) = 0.194 ± 0.02 . Our findings suggest that the pseudogap is likely a precursor of superconductivity, and the electron-phonon coupling may play an essential role in the superconducting pairing in KCa2Fe4As4F2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ratings in many user-object online rating systems can reflect whether users like or dislike the objects, and in some online rating systems, users can directly choose whether to like an object. So these systems can be represented by signed bipartite networks, but the original unsigned node evaluation algorithm cannot be directly used on the signed networks. This paper proposes the Signed PageRank algorithm for signed bipartite networks to evaluate the object and user nodes at the same time. Based on the global information, the nodes can be sorted by the Signed PageRank values in descending order, and the result is SR Ranking. The authors analyze the characteristics of top and bottom nodes of the real networks and find out that for objects, the SR Ranking can provide a more reasonable ranking which combines the degree and rating of node, and the algorithm also can help us to identify users with specific rating patterns. By discussing the location of negative edges and the sensitivity of object SR Ranking to negative edges, the authors also explore that the negative edges play an important role in the algorithm and explain that why the bad reviews are more important in real networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new flux control strategy for consequent-pole brushless hybrid excitation (CPBHE) machines to achieve a high efficiency and a fast convergence. Based on an analysis of the mathematical model of a CPBHE machine, a loss model of the CPBHE machine is derived, which demonstrates the feasibility of adopting d-axis flux to search for the optimal efficiency point. Furthermore, to improve the convergence speed of the online search algorithm and to make it suitable for the frequently varying operating conditions of electric vehicles (EVs), an adaptive step search algorithm based on the margin of the voltage limit combined with the offline table lookup method is proposed. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can optimize the efficiency of a motor system in the flux-weakening region and that it features a fast optimization process that makes it suitable for EV drives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Paclitaxel/docetaxel after doxorubicin plus cyclophosphamide (ECT) is considered as an adjuvant chemotherapy and improves the survival of early triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients. We aim to assess whether carboplatin plus taxanes (TP) is non-inferior to ECT in prolonging the survival time. Methods: TNBC patients were randomized (1:1) to receive ECT (90 mg/m2 epirubicin + 600 mg/m2 cyclophosphamide followed by 75 mg/m2 docetaxel or 175 mg/m2 paclitaxel every 3 weeks, n = 154) or TP (75 mg/m2 docetaxel or 175 mg/m2 paclitaxel + carboplatin AUC 5 every 3 weeks, n = 154). These expression of SPARC, PD-L1, and BRCA were studied. Patients were followed up for disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and safety. Results: We recruited 308 TNBC patients (median follow-up of 97.6 months). The median DFS and OS were not reached; the 8-year DFS rate of ECT and TP arms was 78.4% and 81.7%, respectively, while the 8-year OS rate were 87.2% and 89.1%, respectively. In the SPARC (> 50%) subgroup analysis, the TP arm had longer DFS (P = 0.049) and a tendency with better OS (P = 0.06) than ECT arm. No significant differences were observed in the DFS and OS between the ECT arm and TP arm in TNBC with SPARC (≤ 50%), PD-L1 (−) PD-L1 (+), and BRCA mutation or BRCA wild (all P values > 0.05). Conclusion: TP showed non-inferiority for DFS and OS compared with ECT in early TNBC. TP may be an effective alternative chemotherapy for TNBC patients whom the standard ECT regimen is not being used. Trail Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01150513 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate effects of Bacillus licheniformis supplementation on growth, intestine digestive, antioxidant and metabolic capacity, intestine short-chain fatty acids content, and intestine microbiota composition of the Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. In total 2700 shrimp (initial weight 2.5 ± 0.1 g/shrimp) were randomly distributed into six tanks (450 shrimp/500-L tank) and fed at 28 ± 0.5 ℃ for 35 days (four times/day) with control diet and experimental diet supplemented with 108 CFU/g B. licheniformis, followed by an acute nitrite stress for 10 days. At the end of the feeding trial, shrimp dietary B. licheniformis showed improved weight gain, specific growth rate, survival rate after nitrite stress, and decreased feed conversion rate compared to control group. And acetic acid and butyric acid content in the intestine of shrimp dietary B. licheniformis increased significantly except for propionic acid content. In addition, activities of amylase, lipase, and trypsin and activities of glutamine synthetase, hexokinase, and malate dehydrogenase increased significantly compared to control group. After shrimp were exposed to nitrite stress for 10 days, glutathione peroxidase, peroxidase, total antioxidant capacity, and superoxide dismutase levels were still higher in dietary B. licheniformis-shrimp, which showed that B. licheniformis enhanced the resistance to environmental stressor such as nitrite from the level of immune. The 16S rRNA sequencing showed that B. licheniformis increased diversity and abundance of some bacteria. In particular, the abundance of Proteobacteria and Planctomycetes decreased, and the abundance of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes increased. These results revealed that B. licheniformis could improve the growth performance, increased intestine short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) content, change intestine digestive and metabolic enzyme activity, and regulated microbiota composition, so enhance the intestine antioxidant ability of shrimp subjected to nitrite stress, which is beneficial for shrimp aquaculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are major pollutants in urban areas, and thus present a high risk to the resident health. However, studies on local PAH emissions and associated health risks related to urbanization are scarce. Here, the concentrations of PAHs were determined in 57 surface soil samples obtained from two rural districts in 2018 in Tianjin, China. The sources, risks, and the linkage between urbanization and PAH contamination of soils in 2018 were compared with PAH data in 2001 from a previous study to investigate the changes induced by urbanization. Results show an increase in PAH concentrations from 2001 to 2018, with in particular the predominance of anthracene and dibenz[a,h]anthracene. The major sources of soil PAHs changed from coal combustion 32.9%, petroleum sources 32.1%, and traffic sources 22.1% in 2001, to traffic sources 63.7%, and petroleum and biomass combustion 18.7% in 2018. The carcinogenic risk of soil PAHs to residents also increased from safe level to low level, and dermal contact was the prevailing pathway of PAH exposure. The increase in cancer risk is mainly due to the changes in PAH sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientists may shift research interests and span multiple research areas in their careers, reflecting the research diversification of scientists. Quantifying the scientists' research diversity can help to understand the research patterns of scientists. In this paper, we study the research diversification of scientists in Physics based on the Physics and Astronomy Classification Scheme (PACS) which can well reflect the research topics of physics papers. For each scientist, we first build a PACS codes co-occurrence network and reveal the research diversity by analyzing the connectivity and community structure of this network. Then we use diversity indicators to measure the research diversification of scientists and analyze the distribution of each indicator. Finally, we investigate the relationship between scientists' diversity indicators and their scientific impact using multiple regression analysis. The results show that the numbers of connected components of most PACS codes co-occurrence networks are less than 5, and some networks have significant community structures. The diversity indicators show the heterogeneity of the research diversity of physicists. We also find that some diversity indicators are weakly correlated with scientific impact indicators. Based on our findings, we suggest that physicists should focus on their main research fields and span multiple research fields over their entire careers which could promote their scientific impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetation modulates Earth’s water, energy and carbon cycles. How its functions might change in the future largely depends on how it copes with droughts1–4. There is evidence that, in places and times of drought, vegetation shifts water uptake to deeper soil5–7 and rock8,9 moisture as well as groundwater10–12. Here we differentiate and assess plant use of four types of water sources: precipitation in the current month (source 1), past precipitation stored in deeper unsaturated soils and/or rocks (source 2), past precipitation stored in groundwater (source 3, locally recharged) and groundwater from precipitation fallen on uplands via river–groundwater convergence toward lowlands (source 4, remotely recharged). We examine global and seasonal patterns and drivers in plant uptake of the four sources using inverse modelling and isotope-based estimates. We find that (1), globally and annually, 70% of plant transpiration relies on source 1, 18% relies on source 2, only 1% relies on source 3 and 10% relies on source 4; (2) regionally and seasonally, source 1 is only 19% in semi-arid, 32% in Mediterranean and 17% in winter-dry tropics in the driest months; and (3) at landscape scales, source 2, taken up by deep roots in the deep vadose zone, is critical in uplands in dry months, but source 4 is up to 47% in valleys where riparian forests and desert oases are found. Because the four sources originate from different places and times, move at different spatiotemporal scales and respond with different sensitivity to climate and anthropogenic forces, understanding the space and time origins of plant water sources can inform ecosystem management and Earth system models on the critical hydrological pathways linking precipitation to vegetation.Global inverse modelling of plant water acquisition depth and isotope-based plant water use estimates demonstrate globally prevalent use of precipitation from distant sources, and that water-stressed ecosystems are well suited to using past and remote precipitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterozygous gain-of-kinase function variants in LRRK2 (leucine-rich repeat kinase 2) cause 1–2% of all cases of Parkinson's disease (PD) albeit with incomplete and age-dependent penetrance. All pathogenic LRRK2 mutations reside within the two catalytic domains of LRRK2—either in its kinase domain (e.g. G2019S) with modest effect or its ROC-COR GTPase domain (e.g. R1441G/H) with large effect on LRRK2 kinase activity. We have previously reported assays to interrogate LRRK2 kinase pathway activity in human bio-samples measuring phosphorylation of its endogenous substrate Rab10, that mirrors LRRK2 kinase activation status. Here, we isolated neutrophils from fresh peripheral blood from 101 participants including 42 LRRK2 mutation carriers (21 with the G2019S and 21 with the R1441G mutations), 27 patients with idiopathic PD, and 32 controls. Using a dual approach, LRRK2 dependent Rab10 phosphorylation at Threonine 73 (pRab10Thr73) was measured by quantitative multiplexed immunoblotting for pRab10Thr73/total Rab10 as well as targeted mass-spectrometry for absolute pRab10Thr73 occupancy. We found a significant over fourfold increase in pRab10Thr73 phosphorylation in carriers of the LRRK2 R1441G mutation irrespective of clinical disease status. The effect of the LRRK2 G2019S mutation did not reach statistical significance. Furthermore, we show that LRRK2 phosphorylation at Serine 935 is not a marker for LRRK2 kinase activity in human neutrophils. When analysing pRab10Thr73 phosphorylation in post-mortem brain samples, we observed overall high variability irrespective of clinical and LRRK2 mutation status and attributed this mainly to the adverse effect of the peri- and post-mortem period on the stability of posttranslational modifications such as protein phosphorylation. Overall, in vivo LRRK2 dependent pRab10Thr73 phosphorylation in human peripheral blood neutrophils is a specific, robust and promising biomarker for significant LRRK2 kinase hyperactivation, as with the LRRK2 R1441G mutation. Additional readouts and/or assays may be needed to increase sensitivity to detect modest LRRK2 kinase activation, as with the LRRK2 G2019S mutation. Our assays could be useful for patient stratification and target engagement studies for LRRK2 kinase inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We conducted a single-arm prospective phase II trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral metronomic vinorelbine combined with trastuzumab (mNH) in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2-positive) metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients. Methods: HER2-positive MBC patients received oral vinorelbine 40 mg thrice a week and trastuzumab (loading dose of 8 mg/kg, followed by 6 mg/kg every 3 weeks) until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or consent withdrawal. The primary endpoints were objective response rate (ORR), clinical benefit rate (CBR; CR + PR + SD for ≥ 24 weeks). The secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), tolerability, and overall survival (OS). Results: Twenty patients with HER2-positive MBC were enrolled, with a median of 1 prior chemotherapy regimens for MBC. Median age was 61.5 years (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 48.6–63.1). Visceral involvements presented in 14 patients (70.0%). ORR was 20.0%, and CBR was 75% with 4 PR (20.0%) and 11 SD (55.0%). The median PFS (mPFS) and median OS (mOS) were 7.4 months (95% CI 3.2–11.5) and 45.8 months (95%CI: not reached), respectively. The mPFS was 17.7 months (95%CI not reached) and 5.8 months (95%CI 5.6–5.9) in mNH as first-line and ≥ second-line therapy (log rank p = 0.03), respectively. The most common grade 1 adverse events (AEs) included nausea (15%), leukopenia (15%), ALT/AST elevation (15%), diarrhea (10%), and peripheral neuropathy (10%). Grade 2 adverse events included leukopenia (5%) and neutropenia (10%). No grade 3/4 AEs were observed. Conclusions: Oral metronomic vinorelbine combined with trastuzumab is a well-tolerated and effective anti-tumor regimen for HER2-positive MBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate morphological differences between two types of Bruch's membrane (BM) defects—patchy atrophy (PA) and CNV-related macular atrophy (CNV-MA) Methods: Eyes presenting with PA or CNV-MA were included. Scleral thickness (ST), choroidal thickness (CT), and scleral morphological characteristics were obtained by swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT). Fundus photographs were performed to measure the size of PA and CNV-MA lesions. Results: Among a total of 167 eyes evaluated, 106 eyes had PA and 61 eyes had CNV-MA. In addition, dome-shaped macula (DSM) was identified in 20 (18.87%) and 10 (16.39%) eyes among PA and CNV-MA, respectively. The eyes of CNV-MA without DSM showed a thicker subfoveal ST (278.61 ± 56.17 vs 231.58 ± 66.09 mm, P < 0.001), a thinner subfoveal CT, and a higher rate of scleral perforating vessels (70.6% vs 50.0%, P = 0.021) when compared with those of PA without DSM. The size of PA/CNV-MA lesions was associated with CT in eyes without DSM. However, it was only associated with bulge height in eyes with DSM (r = 0.5, P = 0.013). Conclusions: The eyes with CNV-MA had a thicker sclera than those with PA, which add another evidence to indicate the absence of the progressive relationship between two types of BM defects. The enlargement of lesions in BM defects between eyes with and without DSM may be caused by different mechanical forces. SS-OCT, which focuses on scleral and choroid morphology, may be necessary for more accurate classification of pathologic myopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most rivers exchange water with surrounding aquifers1,2. Where groundwater levels lie below nearby streams, streamwater can infiltrate through the streambed, reducing streamflow and recharging the aquifer3. These ‘losing’ streams have important implications for water availability, riparian ecosystems and environmental flows4–10, but the prevalence of losing streams remains poorly constrained by continent-wide in situ observations. Here we analyse water levels in 4.2 million wells across the contiguous USA and show that nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of them lie below nearby stream surfaces, implying that these streamwaters will seep into the subsurface if it is sufficiently permeable. A lack of adequate permeability data prevents us from quantifying the magnitudes of these subsurface flows, but our analysis nonetheless demonstrates widespread potential for streamwater losses into underlying aquifers. These potentially losing rivers are more common in drier climates, flatter landscapes and regions with extensive groundwater pumping. Our results thus imply that climatic factors, geological conditions and historic groundwater pumping jointly contribute to the widespread risk of streams losing flow into surrounding aquifers instead of gaining flow from them. Recent modelling studies10 have suggested that losing streams could become common in future decades, but our direct observations show that many rivers across the USA are already potentially losing flow, highlighting the importance of coordinating groundwater and surface water policy.Direct observations of 4.2 million wells across the USA indicate that many streams are potentially losing water to underlying aquifers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measuring the dissimilarities between networks is a basic problem and wildly used in many fields. Based on method of the D-measure which is suggested for unweighted networks, we propose a quantitative dissimilarity metric of weighted network (WD-metric). Crucially, we construct a distance probability matrix of weighted network, which can capture the comprehensive information of weighted network. Moreover, we define the complementary graph and alpha centrality of weighted network. Correspondingly, several synthetic and real-world networks are used to verify the effectiveness of the WD-metric. Experimental results show that WD-metric can effectively capture the influence of weight on the network structure and quantitatively measure the dissimilarity of weighted networks. It can also be used as a criterion for backbone extraction algorithms of complex network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of public opinion on the network is a hot issue in the field of complex network research, and some classical dynamic models are used to solve this problem. The signed network is a particular form of the complex network, which can adequately describe the amicable and hostile relationships in complex real-world systems. However, the methods for studying the dynamic process of public opinion propagation on signed networks still require to be further discussed. In this paper, the authors pay attention to the influence of negative edges in order to design a two-state public opinion propagation mechanism suitable for signed networks. The authors first set the interaction rules between nodes and the transition rules of node states and then apply the model to synthetic and real-world signed networks. The simulation results show that there is a critical value of the negative edge ratio. When the negative edge ratio exceeds this critical value, the evolutionary result of public opinion will change from a consistent state to a split state. This conclusion is also consistent with the distribution result of opinions within communities in the signed network. Besides, the research on the network structural balance shows that the model makes the network evolve in a more balanced direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the value of artificial intelligence (AI) assisted quantification on initial chest CT for prediction of disease progression and clinical outcome in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection and initially of non-severe type were retrospectively included. The initial CT scan on admission was used for imaging analysis. The presence of ground glass opacity (GGO), consolidation and other findings were visually evaluated. CT severity score was calculated according to the extent of lesion involvement. In addition, AI based quantification of GGO and consolidation volume were also performed. 123 patients (mean age: 64.43 ± 14.02; 62 males) were included. GGO + consolidation was more frequently revealed in progress-to-severe group whereas pure GGO was more likely to be found in non-severe group. Compared to non-severe group, patients in progress-to-severe group had larger GGO volume (167.33 ± 167.88 cm3 versus 101.12 ± 127 cm3, p = 0.013) as well as consolidation volume (40.85 ± 60.4 cm3 versus 6.63 ± 14.91 cm3, p < 0.001). Among imaging parameters, consolidation volume had the largest area under curve (AUC) in discriminating non-severe from progress-to-severe group (AUC = 0.796, p < 0.001) and patients with or without critical events (AUC = 0.754, p < 0.001). According to multivariate regression, consolidation volume and age were two strongest predictors for disease progression (hazard ratio: 1.053 and 1.071, p: 0.006 and 0.008) whereas age and diabetes were predictors for unfavorable outcome. Consolidation volume quantified on initial chest CT was the strongest predictor for disease severity progression and larger consolidation volume was associated with unfavorable clinical outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Laparoscopic approaches for the management of Mirizzi syndrome (MS) are controversial and challenging procedures for high conversion rate. This review aims at evaluating their safety and feasibility. Methods: We reviewed studies related to the laparoscopic approaches for the management of MS with detailed data of articles from January 2009 to December 2019 found in PubMed. Results: From 63 articles, we reviewed 17 articles detailing laparoscopic approaches for MS. There were 857 patients with MS; 432 of which were identified from 73,842 patients underwent cholecystectomy. Laparoscopic approaches were attempted in 440 patients and were successful in 290. The conversion rate was 34.09%. Various methods including laparoscopic cholecystectomy, laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy, laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LCBDE) and (LTCBDE) were performed. The preoperative diagnosis of MS was made in 338 of 500 patients (67.60%). The mean operating time ranged from 49.7 ± 27.5 min to 270.5 ± 65.5 min, and the mean intraoperative bleeding varied from 21.1 ± 15.9 ml to 162.81 ± 40.83 ml. The mean hospital stay varied from 4.5 ± 3.7 to 7.21 ± 1.61 days. Postoperative complications occurred in 27 patients. Conclusions: Various laparoscopic approaches are safe and feasible for the treatment of MS in the hands of experienced laparoscopic surgeons, especially for type I and II of Csendes classification. Definitive preoperative diagnosis and earlier management are essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Central South University is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)