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This study was undertaken to determine if coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) can help to assess patent foramen ovale (PFO) with high accuracy and reproducibility when compared to transesophageal echocardiography (TEE).In total, 75 suspected PFO cases (31 men, 44 women; mean age, 45 ± 9 years) were evaluated by coronary CTA and TEE. PFO tunnel length (TL) and the opening diameter of the left atrial entrance (ODLAE) and right atrial entrance (ODRAE), as well as contrast shunt (if present due to PFO), were measured by both modalities.PFO was detected in 68 patients with TEE. The sensitivity for the detection of PFO with CCTA was 85.3%; specificity, 71.4%; positive predictive value, 96.7%; and negative predictive value, 33.3%. Both modalities demonstrated good agreement in measuring TL and ODLAE of PFO. However, the ODRAE of TEE was different from that of CCTA (1.14 ± 0.4 mm and 1.45 ± 0.5 mm, respectively, p = 0.04). The intra-observer and inter-observer variability and agreement for TL, ODRAE, and ODLAE of PFO were excellent between the two measurements.CCTA provided a method for detection of PFO with high accuracy and reproducibility compared with TEE. Therefore, CCTA is a practical and efficient alternative to TEE for PFO diagnosis.

An increasing number of studies have shown that exposure to particulate matter with a diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5) could affect the onset and development of cardiovascular diseases. To explore the underlying mechanisms, the studies conducted in vitro investigations using different cell lines. In this review, we examined recently published reports cited by PubMed or Web of Science on the topic of cardiovascular toxicity induced by PM2.5 that carried the term in vitro. Here, we summarized the suggested mechanisms of PM2.5 leading to adverse effects and cardiovascular toxicity including oxidative stress; the increase of vascular endothelial permeability; the injury of vasomotor function and vascular reparative capacity in vascular endothelial cell lines; macrophage polarization and apoptosis in macrophage cell lines; and hypermethylation and apoptosis in the AC16 cell line and the related signaling pathways, which provided a new research direction of cardiovascular toxicity of PM2.5.

Background A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin-like motifs (ADAMTS) is involved in inflammation and fertility in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This study aims to assess the role of ADAMTS level in the outcomes of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) in women with PCOS, using a meta-analytic approach. Methods We systematically searched Web of Science, PubMed, EmBase, and the Cochrane library to identify potentially eligible studies from inception until December 2021. Study assess the role of ADAMTS levels in patients with PCOS was eligible in this study. The pooled effect estimates for the association between ADAMTS level and IVF-ET outcomes were calculated using the random-effects model. Results Five studies involving a total of 181 patients, were selected for final analysis. We noted that ADAMTS-1 levels were positively correlated to oocyte maturity (r = 0.67; P = 0.004), oocyte recovery (r = 0.74; P = 0.006), and fertilization (r = 0.46; P = 0.041) rates. Moreover, ADAMTS-4 levels were positively correlated to oocyte recovery (r = 0.91; P = 0.001), and fertilization (r = 0.85; P = 0.017) rates. Furthermore, downregulation of ADAMTS-1, ADAMTS-4, ADAMTS-5, and ADAMTS-9 was associated with elevated follicle puncture (ADAMTS-1: weighted mean difference [WMD], 7.24, P P P P P P = 0.004; ADAMTS-5: WMD, 3.63, P = 0.004; ADAMTS-9: WMD, 3.20, P = 0.006), and Germinal vesicle oocytes levels (ADAMTS-1: WMD, 2.89, P P P P P > 0.05). Conclusions This study found that the outcomes of IVF-EF in patients with PCOS could be affected by ADAMTS-1 and ADAMTS-4; further large-scale prospective studies should be performed to verify these results.

Appropriate scaffolds for tissue-engineered bone not only require mechanical strength, but also conditions that promote new bone growth. Bone tissue engineering scaffolds should establish the internal pore structure of the scaffolds and promote new bone growth. Additive manufacturing technology is widely used in the field of bone tissue engineering because it can directly and accurately construct the pore structure in 3D space, ensure internal connectivity of the scaffolds, and directly use biological materials. This paper reviews the development of additive manufacturing technology for bone tissue engineering. The differences between various additive manufacturing technologies are reviewed, with emphasis on the application of new technologies and materials. This paper also reviews the modeling processes used in bone tissue engineering, with emphasis on the optimization of the architectural design to achieve gradient structure and improved porosity and mechanical properties. Finally, this paper summarizes the 3D bioprinting technology that has fluid containing nutrients, matrix, and cells as constituent materials. Current problems and directions for the future development of additive manufacturing technology in the field of bone tissue engineering are also discussed.

In recent years, immunotherapy has produced many unexpected breakthroughs in oncological therapy; however, it still has many deficiencies. For example, the number of patients who are unresponsive to anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), anti-cytotoxic T-like antigen-4 (CTLA4), and anti-programmed death-1 (PD1) therapies cannot be ignored, and the search for an undiscovered immunosuppressive pathway is imminent. Five decades ago, researchers found that activation of the adenosinergic pathway was negatively correlated with prognosis in many cancers. This review describes the entire process of the adenosinergic pathway in the tumor microenvironment and the mechanism of immunosuppression, which promotes tumor metastasis and drug resistance. Additionally, the review explores factors that regulate this pathway, including signaling factors secreted by the tumor microenvironment and certain anti-tumor drugs. Additionally, the combination of adenosinergic pathway inhibitors with chemotherapy, checkpoint blockade therapy, and immune cell-based therapy is summarized. Finally, certain issues regarding treatment via inhibition of this pathway and the use of targeted nanoparticles to reduce adverse reactions in patients are put forward in this review. Graphical Abstract The inhibitors of adenosinergic pathway loaded nanoparticles enter tumor tissue through EPR effect, and inhibit adenosinergic pathway to enhance or restore the effect of immune checkpoint blockade therapy, chemotherapies and immune cell-based therapy. Note: EPR means enhanced penetration and retention, × means blockade.

Skeletal biomechanics focuses on both transient and long-term effects of bone stress, using the basic theory and method of material mechanics, elasto-plasticity theory, and fracture mechanics,is considered to be one of the most important branches in biomechanics. In order to achieve complete and comprehensive evaluation of skeletal biomechanics, researchers developed a variety of levels of skeletal biomechanical evaluation methods, including mechanical testing, theoretical research, microstructure research and finite element analyses. At present, most of the mechanical evaluation methods were performed by a combination of mechanical tests and finite element (FE) simulation studies for the evaluation of mechanical properties. This study summerized the research in multi-level mechanical test methods, different research methods of microstructure, and the reconstruction of various FE skeletal models to study bone mechanics. The mentioned methods and techniques can be served as the basis for systematic studies of the biomechanical properties of bones.

A simple, rapid and sensitive reverse phase liquid chromatography-diode array detector method has been developed and validated for the determination of isoliquiritigenin in rat plasma using acetanilide as an internal standard. The plasma was deproteinized with acetonitrile and separated from the aqueous layer by adding sodium chloride. The mobile phase was acetonitrile, 0.05 M potassium dihydrogen phosphate and triethylamine (50:50:0.5, v/v/v) (pH 2.00). Detection wavelength was set at 242 nm during 0–5 min and 362 nm during 5–9 min. The limit of quantification was 0.019 μg mL−1. The mean accuracy was 96.851–98.140%. Extract recoveries at concentration of 0.038, 0.625, 1.250, 5.000 and 20.000 μg mL−1 were 82.740, 80.814, 80.920, 80.978 and 81.103%, respectively. The validated method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of ISL in rat plasma after intravenous administration.

A reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography coupled with photo-diode array (RP-HPLC-PDA) detection method was proposed for simultaneous determination of tetrahydropalmatine, magnolol, emodin and chrysophanol in a Chinese herbal preparation (Dan’an mixture). The separation was performed on a Diamonsil™ C18 column (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) with methanol and 0.1% phosphoric acid (88:12, v/v) as the mobile phase at the flow-rate of 0.8 mL min−1. Two detection wavelengths were utilized for the quantitative analysis (209 nm for tetrahydropalmatine and magnolol, and 220 nm for emodin and chrysophanol, respectively). A good linear regression relationship (r ≥ 0.9996) between peak-areas and concentrations was obtained over the range of 0.25–50 μg mL−1 for all the analytes. The spike recoveries, measured at three concentration levels, varied from 90.13 to 102.11%. The method was successfully applied to determine the contents of the four compounds in Dan’an mixture.