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Objective To investigate the relationship between platelet/hemoglobin ratio (PHR) and the severity of diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) and its predictive value for DFU progression. Methods A retrospective study was performed in 345 DFU patients treated in Department of Endocrinology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University from March 2018 to March 2023. Their general demographic information was obtained, and the results of laboratory tests, including hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), biochemical and related blood routine indicators were collected. According to Wanger grading, the patients were assigned into mild (n=145) and severe ulcer groups (n=200). The demographic data and clinical parameters were compared between the 2 groups. Multivariate logistic regression model was applied to identify the independent predictors for severe ulcer in DFU, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to evaluate the predictive performance of PHR for DFU progression. Results The severe ulcer group presented remarkable increases in male proportion, HbA1c and FPG levels, platelet (PLT)count and PHR when compared with the mild ulcer group (P

Urban trees possess different capacities to mitigate ozone (O3) pollution through stomatal uptake. Stomatal closure protects trees from oxidative damage but limits their growth. To date, it is unclear how plant hydraulic function affect stomatal behaviour and determine O3 resistance. We assessed gas exchange and hydraulic traits in three subtropical urban tree species, Celtis sinensis, Quercus acutissima, and Q. nuttallii, under nonfiltered ambient air (NF) and elevated O3 (NF60). NF60 decreased photosynthetic rate (An) and stomatal conductance (gs) only in Q. acutissima and Q. nuttallii. Maintained An in C. sinensis suggested high O3 resistance and was attributed to higher leaf capacitance at the full turgor. However, this species exhibited a reduced stomatal sensitivity to vapour pressure deficit and an increased minimal gs under NF60. Such stomatal dysfunction did not decrease intrinsic water use efficiency (WUE) due to a tight coupling of An and gs. Conversely, Q. acutissima and Q. nuttallii showed maintained stomatal sensitivity and increased WUE, primarily correlated with gs and leaf water relations, including relative water content and osmotic potential at turgor loss point. Our findings highlight a trade‐off between O3 resistance and stomatal functionality, with efficient stomatal control reducing the risk of hydraulic failure under combined stresses. Summary statement: A trades‐off between O3 resistance and stomatal functionality existed in subtropical urban greening trees, where species with high O3 resistance exhibited stomatal dysfunction. Tight stomatal control in O3‐stressed trees increased water use efficiency under the regulation of leaf water relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study explored the prognostic significance of the pontine-white matter (PW) score in primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma patients with post-treatment 18F-FDG PET/CT and PET/MR imaging. Eligible patients were enrolled from January 2014 to December 2022. The PW score, derived from FDG uptake of the pons and white matter, was used to evaluate the metabolic activity of the treated lesion and its prognostic implications. A total of 90 patients across PET/CT and PET/MR modalities were assessed. The PW score demonstrated a robust discriminative ability in identifying patients with worse outcomes. It was also found to be a significant and independent indicator for worse prognosis in both PET/CT and PET/MR groups. The study demonstrated that this novel internal standardization indicator was an effective tool for risk stratification in primary CNS lymphoma post-treatment scenarios. Background: Limited data exist on the significance of PET imaging and quantitative PET parameters in primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma due to its relative rarity. This study was conducted to investigate the prognostic value of a novel internal standardization indicator, the pontine-white matter (PW) score, in primary CNS lymphoma patients undergoing post-treatment 18F-FDG PET/CT and PET/MR imaging. Methods: From January 2014 to December 2022, eligible patients with primary CNS lymphoma who underwent post-treatment PET imaging were enrolled. Using the FDG uptake of the pons and white matter as an internal reference, the PW score was graded based on the metabolism of the post-therapeutic lesion for each patient, and its associations with patients' prognosis were investigated. Results: In total, 41 patients with post-treatment PET/CT and 49 patients with post-treatment PET/MR imaging were enrolled. ROC curve analysis indicated that the PW score possessed robust discriminative ability in distinguishing patients with worse outcomes. Furthermore, a higher PW score was significantly correlated with and identified as an independent prognostic indicator for, worse prognosis in both the PET/CT and PET/MR cohorts. Conclusion: The study demonstrated that the PW score was an effective prognostic indicator for identifying post-treatment primary CNS lymphoma patients with worse outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionic polymers functionalized with hydroxyl, carboxyl, and amino groups can enhance the catalytic activity of catalysts. However, the straightforward preparation of bifunctional ionic polymers containing abundant ionic active sites and hydrogen bond donors remains challenging. In this study, a series of porous ionic polymers (BZIs) containing different hydrogen bond donors (-NH2, -OH, -COOH) were prepared through a simple one-pot Friedel–Crafts alkylation using benzimidazole derivatives and benzyl bromide. The structures and properties of BZIs were characterized by various techniques such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, and scanning electron microscopy. Among the prepared catalysts (BZI-NH2, BZI-OH, and BZI-COOH), BZI-NH2 exhibited the highest catalytic activity and recyclability, achieving a yield of 97% in the CO2 cycloaddition. The synergistic effect of Br−, hydrogen bond donors (-NH-, -NH2), and N+ in BZI-NH2 was found to contribute to its superior catalytic performance. DFT calculations were employed to study the effect of hydrogen bonds, Br−, and N+ in BZI-NH2 and BZI-OH on the CO2 cycloaddition. Using BZI-NH2 as an example, a mechanism was proposed for the synergistic effect between amino groups and bromide ions in catalyzing the CO2 cycloaddition reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]