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A unique example of zinc bromide complexes bearing a macrocyclic [OSSO]-type thioetherphenolate ligand has been successfully explored toward ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone in the presence of epoxides and onium salts.

Hearing loss is often caused by death of sensory hair cells (HCs) in the inner ear. HCs are vulnerable to some ototoxic drugs, such as aminoglycosides(AGs) and the cisplatin.The most predominant form of drug-induced cell death is apoptosis. Many efforts have been made to protect HCs from cell death after ototoxic drug exposure. These mechanisms and potential targets of HCs protection will be discussed in this review.And we also propose further investigation in the field of HCs necrosis and regeneration, as well as future clinical utilization.

Obesity is an epidemic all around the world. Weight loss interventions that are effective differ from each other with regard to various lipidomic responses. Here, we aimed to find lipidomic biomarkers that are related to beneficial changes in weight loss. We adopted an untargeted liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method to measure 953 lipid species for Exercise (exercise intervention cohort, N = 25), 1388 lipid species for LSG (laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy cohort, N = 36), and 886 lipid species for Cushing (surgical removal of the ACTH-secreting pituitary adenomas cohort, N = 25). Overall, the total diacylglycerol (DG), triacylglycerol (TG), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylserine (PS), and sphingomyelin (SM) levels were associated with changes in BMI, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), triglyceride, and total cholesterol according to weight loss interventions. We found that 73 lipid species changed among the three weight loss interventions. We screened 13 lipid species with better predictive accuracy in diagnosing weight loss situations in either Exercise, LSG, or Cushing cohorts (AUROC > 0.7). More importantly, we identified three phosphatidylcholine (PC) lipid species, PC (14:0_18:3), PC (31:1), and PC (32:2) that were significantly associated with weight change in three studies. Our results highlight potential lipidomic biomarkers that, in the future, could be used in personalized approaches involving weight loss interventions.

There are many reports on the role of the malleus handle in ossicular chain reconstruction (OCR). However, the effect of the presence of the malleus handle is not clear.To compare the hearing outcomes of using a partial ossicular replacement prosthesis (PORP) to reconstruct the ossicular chain under otoendoscopy with and without a malleus handle.Records of 57 patients requiring OCR were retrospectively analyzed. They were divided into the malleus handle-present group (group 1) and the malleus handle-absent group (group 2). The audiometric results were analyzed pre- and postoperatively. A postoperative air-bone gap (ABG)≤20 dB was considered successful.The mean improvement in air conduction hearing thresholds was 19.80 dB in group 1 and 16.70 dB in group 2. The mean ABG improvement was 18.09 ± 12.79 dB for group 1 and 17.20 ± 16.44 dB for group 2. The malleus handle-present group achieved higher success (65.63%) than the malleus handle-absent group (52%;Improvements in hearing outcomes were similar for the two groups. However, the malleus handle-present group showed a better reconstruction success rate. Our results suggest that if there is no lesion in the malleus handle, it is recommended to be retained.

A novel binuclear chromium complex of dianionic [OSSO]-type ligand has been synthesized and employed toward the ring-opening copolymerization of renewable eugenyl glycidyl ether (EGE) and cyclic anhydrides (CAs) (succinic anhydride (SA), phthalic anhydride (PA), maleic anhydride (MA), itaconic anhydride (IA), endo-norbornene anhydride (NA), and tetrahydrophthalic anhydride (THPA)), showing high activity in conjunction with bis(triphenylphosphine)iminium chloride (PPNCl). Most of the resultant polyesters show perfect alternating microstructures except polyesters derived from IA/EGE and MA/EGE copolymerimerization, where 14% and 11% of ether units are observed, respectively. Among the CAs tested, renewable SA shows the highest reactivity as a highly regioselective model, providing a facile route to prepare the fully biomass-based polyester bearing a dominant head-to-tail structure. The results of ESI-MS indicate that the maximum coordination number of PPNCl in the dinuclear [OSSO]CrCl complex is only one. The pendant allyl groups onto the resultant polyesters backbone provide an additional versatility for further functionalizations.

In this retrospective study, we evaluated the preoperative and intraoperative findings and functional results of revision surgery after canal wall down mastoidectomy. We reviewed 34 patients (14 men, 20 women; age, 17–68 years) who underwent revision canal wall down mastoidectomy from March 2006 to March 2017 in the Department of Otology of the First Affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, China. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, China (approval No. 2008-05-02A11) on May 2, 2008. The possible reasons for previous surgical failures were confirmed by the operative findings and included a narrow auditory meatus orifice (100%), recurrent or residual cholesteatoma (82%), high facial ridge (94%), residual air cells (47%), and labyrinthine fistula (12%). The mean time until achievement of dry ear after surgery was 5.8 ± 2.4 weeks. After a mean 6-month follow-up, the mean postoperative air–bone gap decreased from 33.8 ± 4.8 to 17.1 ± 5.1 dB in 30 patients who underwent mastoidectomy with simultaneous tympanoplasty. However, no significant postoperative hearing change had occurred in the other 4 patients with eustachian tube occlusion. All patients were followed up for >24 months with a disease-free dry ear and stable hearing results. The main reasons for lack of dry ears after mastoidectomy were a narrow auditory meatus orifice, recurrent or residual cholesteatoma, high facial ridge, and residual air cells. Early dry ear and hearing promotion are obtainable in most patients using revision canal wall down mastoidectomy. Key words: canal wall down mastoidectomy; cholesteatoma; dry ear; hearing results; mastoid obliteration; otitis media; revision surgery; tympanoplasty

Cisplatin is an anti-cancer drug that causes oxotoxic side effects such as impairment of inner ear function and hearing loss. We aimed to investigate the effects of allicin against cisplatin-induced stria vascularis damage in mice, and to clarify the mechanism underlying the protective effects of allicin against ototoxicity. Stria vascularis injury was induced in mice by intraperitoneal injection of cisplatin, which was significantly prevented by pretreatment with allicin. Allicin not only reduced cisplatin-activated expression of cleaved caspase-3 in marginal cells, PVM/Ms (perivascular resident macrophage-like melanocytes), and basal cells of the stria vascularis, but also decreased the expression of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) nuclear translocation in the stria vascularis cells. Our results demonstrate that allicin plays an effective role in protecting stria vascularis injury induced by cisplatin by inhibiting caspase-dependent, as well as caspase-independent PARP-1-AIF-mediated apoptotic pathways. Therefore, allicin may be useful in preventing cisplatin-induced ototoxicity.

Objectives: Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) induced tympanic membrane perforation (TMP) can be accompanied by anterior mallear ligament (AML) calcification. So far, comparative evaluations of TMP with and without AML calcification have rarely been reported. The aim of the current study is to compare the hearing outcomes of TMP with and without calcification of AML under transcanal endoscopic type I tympanoplasty. Methods: Records of 67 patients diagnosed with CSOM and receiving transcanal endoscopic type I tympanoplasty were divided into the AML calcification group (Cal group, n = 31) and the non-AML calcification group (non-Cal group, n = 36). The 31 patients in the Cal group were divided into subgroup A and B according to the severity of calcification. The operation time, closure rate, and pre- and postoperative audiometric results were retrospectively collected and analyzed. Results: Preoperatively, the Cal group had higher mean air–bone gap (ABG; P = .022), and ABGs at 250 Hz ( P = .017) and 500 Hz ( P = .008) compared with the non-Cal groups. The Cal group showed higher improvements of ABGs at 250 Hz ( P = .039) and 500 Hz ( P = .021) compared with the non-Cal groups postoperatively. Conclusions: The TMP with AML calcification leads to higher ABGs at low frequencies. The hearing outcomes are similar for TMP both with and without AML calcification after surgery. Our results suggest that transcanal endoscopic type I tympanoplasty is an appropriate surgical method for TMP with AML calcification, if the lesion can be detected and completely eliminated.

The microchannel-plate-based x-ray optics is a spherical crown containing millions of square microchannels, reflecting the small incident angle light at a certain angle through the inner wall of the channels. Structure defects may exist in the square microchannel array. In this paper, the effects of structure defects on the imaging performance were studied through simulation and MPO preparation experiment. The structure defects involved in the paper include two types, chamfered channels and tilting channels. The experimental results are consistent with the simulation images, proving that the simulations are correct. The results show that the imaging of MPO with standard square channels array is a symmetrical cross. The presence of chamfers in corner of the channels results in a weak secondary small cross in the 45° direction of the obvious cross. For the case that the channels are tilted slightly, the center of the cross deviates from the imaging center, and the cross becomes an asymmetric cross. This study provides a theoretical guidance for precise control of array structures in the preparation of MPO.

Isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 (IDH2) is a key enzyme in the regulation of cell metabolism. Its mutated type can lead to the accumulation of 2-hydroxyglutarate, which is often related to malignancies such as acute myeloid leukemia. Therefore, it is necessary to find new inhibitors targeting mutant IDH2. Discriminatory analysis-based molecular docking was employed to screen the ChemDiv compound library, which resulted in the identification of three new IDH2

Dark matter and dark energy are recognized as “Two dark clouds shrouded in the clear sky of physics in the twenty-first century.” Experimental and theoretical exploration of dark matter and dark energy will greatly deepen people’s understanding of the microcosm and the macrocosm and is likely to bring about a revolutionary breakthrough in the basic theory of physics. X-ray dark matter detection has attracted more and more attention in the field of dark matter searching area. This paper focuses on the detection of sterile neutrino dark matter particles in the keV band and designs the detection scheme for dark matter particles. Based on the X-ray total reflection theory, the imaging principles of lobster-eye optics are discussed, and the influence of the structure factor on the focusing performance is also investigated. The models of the lobster-eye optics that are designed for different detection modes have been setup by a simulation tool, and the imaging simulations are carried out. The results show that the focusing performance of the lobster-eye optics improves prominently when the optics structure is designed for different energy spectrum distribution. Under the condition of existing processing technology, a lobster-eye optics experimental sample has been made, and the result of the experiment based on this device shows a clear cross pattern and peak intensity, and this verifies the focusing properties of lobster-eye optics.

BACKGROUND Staphylococcus aureus is the most commonly isolated bacterium from patients with surgically recalcitrant chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Understanding the immune responses to S aureus biofilms will provide insights into how the host response may be manipulated by therapeutic agents to improve the chances of successfully preventing and treating these infections. In this study, we investigated the inflammatory immune response in a rabbit model of S aureus biofilm-related sinusitis by analyzing the levels of some major inflammatory cytokines. METHODS Eighteen New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into 3 groups: a blank-control group; a negative-control group; and a model group. Four weeks after the biofilm-associated sinusitis models were established, the sinus mucosa was harvested and examined using hematoxylin-eosin (HE mRNA levels were increased by 1600%, 230%, and 130%, respectively, and the protein levels were increased by 180%, 100%, and 100%, respectively. In contrast, IL-4 and IL-5 mRNA levels were reduced by 44% and 70%, respectively, compared with the blank-control group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION S aureus biofilms in the rabbit maxillary sinus mucosa were associated with increased IL-1β, IL-8, and TNF-α expression, and decreased IL-4 and IL-5 expression.

Purpose To compare the anatomical and audiological outcomes of endoscopic type I tympanoplasty using cartilage-perichondrium, with or without a customized 3D-printed guiding template. Materials and methods A total of 60 patients with tympanic membrane perforation receiving endoscopic type I tympanoplasty were divided into the non-template group (group 1, n = 30) and template group (group 2, n = 30). Closure rate, hearing outcomes and operating time were compared between the two groups. Results Group1 had a significant higher operation time compared with group2 (77.73 ± 10.63 min vs. 66.23 ± 14.92 min, p = 0.001). The overall closure rate of group1 was lower than that of group2 (83.33% vs. 100%, p = 0.052). The postoperative air-bone gaps (ABGs) were significantly lower than preoperative ones in each group (p Conclusions Improvements in hearing outcomes were comparable for the two groups. The applying of customized 3D-printed guiding template resulted in a higher closure rate and a shorter operation time. Our results suggest that the customized 3D-printed guiding template can be recommended as a useful aid for endoscopic type I tympanoplasty.

Background: Acellular dermal allograft (AlloDerm) and cartilage perichondrium are two common materials used for repair of tympanic membrane perforations (TMPs). To date, comparative evaluations of ...

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effectiveness of proximal femoral nail antirotation (PFNA) assisted by mesh locator in treatment of intertrochanteric fracture in the elderly. METHODS: Ninety-four elderly patients with intertrochanteric fractures admitted between August 2014 and July 2017 were selected as the study subjects. They were randomly divided into trial group (48 cases) and control group (46 cases). In trial group, PFNA was implanted assisted by mesh locator after closed reduction; while in control group, PFNA was implanted by conventional method. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of gender, age, cause of injury, time from injury to admission, fracture side and classification, and medical complications (P>0.05). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, fluoroscopy times, hospital stay, incision length, and complications were recorded. Visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the degree of pain at 3 days after operation, and Harris score was used to evaluate hip function before operation and at 3, 6, and 9 months after operation. RESULTS: Compared with control group, the operation time and incision length of trial group shortened, the blood loss and fluoroscopy times reduced, the pain after operation alleviated obviously; the differences between the two groups were significant (P0.05). The patients in both groups were followed up 9-12 months, with an average of 10.6 months. X-ray films showed that the fractures healed in both groups, and the healing time in control group was (11.2±3.2) weeks, while that in trial group was (11.6±2.9) weeks, showing no significant difference between the two groups (t=1.262, P=0.120). There was no significant difference in Harris score between the two groups before operation and at 3, 6, and 9 months after operation (P>0.05). There was 1 case of incision infection, 2 cases of coxa vara, and 1 case of pressure ulcer in trial group, and the incidence of complications was 8.3%. There was 1 case of coxa vara, 2 cases of pressure ulcer, and 1 case of internal fixation loss in control group, and the incidence of complications was 8.7%. There was no significant difference in the incidence of complications between the two groups(χ(2)=0.783, P=0.112). CONCLUSION: It is feasible to implant PFNA assisted by mesh locator in treatment of intertrochanteric fracture in the elderly. Compared with the traditional operation, it can shorten the operation time, shorten the incision, and relieve the pain after operation.

The highly regioselective ring-opening copolymerizations of 5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboxylic anhydride (NA) and epoxide monomers have been successfully achieved using CrIII catalyst bearing tetradentate imine-thioether-bridged bis(phenolate) ligand in combination with bis(triphenylphosphine)iminium chloride. The cis/trans regioselectivity of resulting polyesters can be tailored simply by controlling the feed ratio and the structure of monomer. Specifically, the polyesters produced by the copolymerization of NA and epichlorohydrin offer a robust platform for the post-modification. Thus, the ring-strained C C double bonds in the norbornene units promote the azide-alkene 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition to functionalize the resulting polyesters depending on targets.

NF-κB inducing kinase (NIK) is a key regulator in the noncanonical nuclear factor κB cells (NF-κB) signaling pathway. Dysregulation of NIK is often related with autoimmune disorders and malignancies. However, the number of reported NIK inhibitors is scarce. Discriminatory analysis-based molecular docking was used to examine the accuracy of the binding conformation and to estimate the binding affinity, leading to the identification of several new NIK inhibitors with moderate IC50 (ranging from 48.9 to 103.4 μM). Among them, compound 5, the most potent one (IC50 48.9 ± 6.9 μM), also showed moderate antiproliferation activity against cancer SW1990 cells, with an IC50 value of 20.1 ± 6.0 μM. Further dynamic simulations were performed to provide more in-depth details on the binding conformation of compound 5 and the NIK protein, providing some structural clues for further optimization of compound 5 as a novel NIK inhibitor.

Background Staphylococcus aureus is the most commonly isolated bacterium from patients with surgically recalcitrant chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Understanding the immune responses to S aureus biofilms will provide insights into how the host response may be manipulated by therapeutic agents to improve the chances of successfully preventing and treating these infections. In this study, we investigated the inflammatory immune response in a rabbit model of S aureus biofilm–related sinusitis by analyzing the levels of some major inflammatory cytokines. Methods Eighteen New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into 3 groups: a blank‐control group; a negative‐control group; and a model group. Four weeks after the biofilm‐associated sinusitis models were established, the sinus mucosa was harvested and examined using hematoxylin‐eosin (H&E) staining, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR), and western blotting. The expression levels of inflammatory cytokines were analyzed statistically. Results Interleukin (IL)‐1β, IL‐8, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α expression levels were significantly higher in the model group than in the blank‐control group (p < 0.05); mRNA levels were increased by 1600%, 230%, and 130%, respectively, and the protein levels were increased by 180%, 100%, and 100%, respectively. In contrast, IL‐4 and IL‐5 mRNA levels were reduced by 44% and 70%, respectively, compared with the blank‐control group (p < 0.05). Conclusion S aureus biofilms in the rabbit maxillary sinus mucosa were associated with increased IL‐1β, IL‐8, and TNF‐α expression, and decreased IL‐4 and IL‐5 expression.

The CONSTANS target gene from Brassica napus was cloned, and the full length amplified primer of it was designed and amplified on the sequence released on NCBI. The target gene fragments were sequenced and the restriction loci were analyzed. The enzyme primers (BamHⅠ, SacⅠ) were designed, and the target gene fragments were connected to the eukaryotic expression vector pBI121 through BamHⅠ and SacⅠ double enzyme digestion. PCR identification result indicated that PBI121+CONSTANS overexpression vector was successfully constructed. The overexpression vector was transformed into the competent EHA105 cell, and the seeds of T0 were infected by Arabidopsis thaliana . The positive plants were screened by MS solid medium containing Cara (50 mg/L). PCR identification showed that PBI121+CONSTANS overexpression vector was successfully introduced into Arabidopsis thaliana and 12 transgenic positive seedlings were obtained, which did the preparation for the gene function analysis.

In order to acquire the data of the energy consumption and operation efficiency of progressive cavity pump wells, a new test system for node efficiency of progressive cavity pump based on wireless communication technology has been developed. The system is comprised of input device, wireless signal transmission device and output device. And it can test the node efficiency of progressive cavity pump very conveniently and accurately. The system has been tested in oilfield, and the results of tests were accurate and reliable. It can be widely promoted in testing for node efficiency of progressive cavity pump in the oilfields in future.

Cisplatin is an anticancer drug that causes the impairment of inner ear function as side effects, including hearing loss and balance dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of allicin against cisplatin-induced vestibular dysfunction in mice and to make clear the mechanism underlying the protective effects of allicin on oto-vestibulotoxicity. Mice intraperitoneally injected with cisplatin exhibited vestibular dysfunction in swimming test, which agreed with impairment in vestibule. However, these impairments were significantly prevented by pre-treatment with allicin. Allicin markedly reduced cisplatin-activated expression of cleaved-caspase-3 in hair cells and vascular layer cells of utricule, saccule and ampulla, but also decreased AIF nuclear translocation of hair cells in utricule, saccule and ampulla. These results showed that allicin played an effective role in protecting vestibular dysfunction induced by cisplatin via inhibiting caspase-dependent and caspase-independent apoptotic pathways. Therefore, allicin may be useful in preventing oto-vestibulotoxicity mediated by cisplatin.

Cisplatin is a broad-spectrum anticancer drug that is commonly used in the clinic. Ototoxicity is one of the major side effects of this drug, which caused irreversible sensorineural hearing loss. Allicin, the main biologically active compound derived from garlic, has been shown to exert various anti-apoptotic and anti-oxidative activities in vitro and in vivo studies. We took advantage of C57 mice intraperitoneally injected with cisplatin alone or with cisplatin and allicin combined, to investigate whether allicin plays a protective role in vivo against cisplatin ototoxicity. The result showed that C57 mice in cisplatin group exhibited increased shift in auditory brainstem response, whereas the auditory fuction of mice in allicin + cisplatin group was protected in most frequencies, which was accordance with observed damages of outer hair cells (OHCs) and spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) in the cochlea. Allicin markedly protected SGN mitochondria from damage and releasing cytochrome c, and significantly reduced pro-apoptosis factor expressions activated by cisplatin, including Bax, cleaved-caspase-9, cleaved-caspase-3and p53. Furthermore, allicin reduced the level of Malondialdehyde (MDA), but increased the level of superoxide dismutase (SOD). All data suggested that allicin could prevent hearing loss induced by cisplatin effectively, of which allicin protected SGNs from apoptosis via mitochondrial pathway while protected OHCs and supporting cells (SCs) from apoptosis through p53 pathway.