Search

Zhenzhen Yin, Youyou Wang, Yuemei Wu, Ximei Zhang, Fengming Wang, Peiguo Wang, Zhen Tao, Zhiyong Yuan Department of Radiation Oncology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China Objective: The objective of the study was to describe the age distribution and to evaluate the role of prognostic value of age on survival in patients diagnosed with olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB). A population-based retrospective analysis was conducted.Materials and methods: The population-based study of patients in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) tumor registry, who were diagnosed with ONB from 1973 to 2014, were retrospectively analyzed.Results: The cohort included 876 patients with a median age of 54 years. There was a unimodal distribution of age and ONBs most frequently occurred in the fifth to sixth decades of life. Kaplan–Meier analysis demonstrated overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) rates of 69% and 78% at 5 years. Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that age, SEER stage, and surgery were independent prognostic factors for CSS. The risk of overall death and cancer-specific death increased 3.1% and 1.6% per year, respectively. Patients aged >60 years presented significantly poor OS and CSS compared with patients aged ≤60 years, even in patients with loco-regional disease or in those treated with surgery.Conclusion: This study highlights the growing evidence that there is a unimodal age distribution of ONB and that age is an important adverse prognostic factor. Keywords: olfactory neuroblastoma, esthesioneuroblastoma, age distribution, prognosis

Chiral analysis with simple devices is of great importance for analytical chemistry. Based on the photothermal (PT) effect, a simple chiral sensor with a portable laser device as the light source and a thermometer as the detection tool was developed for the chiral recognition of tryptophan (Trp) isomers and the sensitive sensing of one isomer (L-Trp). Gold nanorods (GNRs), which have outstanding photo-thermal conversion ability due to their localized surface plasma resonance (LSPR) effect, are used as PT reagents, and biomacromolecules bovine serum albumin (BSA) are used as natural chiral sources, and thus, GNRs@BSA was obtained through Au-S bonds. The resultant GNRs@BSA displays higher affinity toward L-Trp than D-Trp owing to the inherent chirality of BSA. Under the irradiation of near-infrared (NIR) light, the temperature of GNRs@BSA//L-Trp is greatly lower than that of GNRs@BSA//D-Trp due to its greatly decreased thermal conductivity, and thus chiral discrimination of Trp isomers can be achieved. In addition, the developed PT effect-based chiral sensor can be used for sensitive detection of L-Trp, and the linear range and limit of detection (LOD) are 1 μM-10 mM and 0.43 μM, respectively., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Minimally invasive surgery is the optimal treatment for insulinoma. The present study aimed to compare short- and long-term outcomes of laparoscopic and robotic surgery for sporadic benign insulinoma., Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients who underwent laparoscopic or robotic surgery for insulinoma at our center between September 2007 and December 2019 was conducted. The demographic, perioperative and postoperative follow-up results were compared between the laparoscopic and robotic groups., Results: A total of 85 patients were enrolled, including 36 with laparoscopic approach and 49 with robotic approach. Enucleation was the preferred surgical procedure. Fifty-nine patients (69.4%) underwent enucleation; among them, 26 and 33 patients underwent laparoscopic and robotic surgery, respectively. Robotic enucleation had a lower conversion rate to laparotomy (0 vs. 19.2%, P = 0.013), shorter operative time (102.0 vs. 145.5 min, P = 0.008) and shorter postoperative hospital stay (6.0 vs. 8.5 d, P = 0.002) than laparoscopic enucleation. There were no differences between the groups in terms of intraoperative blood loss, the rates of postoperative pancreatic fistula and complications. After a median follow-up of 65 months, two patients in the laparoscopic group developed a functional recurrence and none of the patients in the robotic group had a recurrence., Conclusions: Robotic enucleation can reduce the conversion rate to laparotomy and shorten operative time, which might lead to a reduction in postoperative hospital stay., (Copyright © 2023 First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine in China. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

An electrochemical microsensor for mesothelin (MSLN) based on an acupuncture needle (AN) was constructed in this work. To prepare the microsensor, MSLN was self-assembled on 4-mercaptophenylboronic acid (4-MPBA) by an interaction force between the external cis -diol and phenylboronic acid. This was followed by the gradual electropolymerization of thionine (TH) and eriochrome black T (EBT) around the anchored protein. The thickness of the surface imprinted layers influenced the sensing performance and needed to be smaller than the height of the anchored protein. The polymerized EBT was not electrically active, but the polymerized TH provided a significant electrochemical signal. Therefore, electron transfer smoothly proceeded through the eluted nanocavities. The imprinted nanocavities were highly selective toward MSLN, and the rebinding of insulating proteins reduced the electrochemical signal of the embedded pTH. The functionalized interface was characterized by SEM and electrochemical methods, and the preparation conditions were studied. After optimization, the sensor showed a linear response in the range of 0.1 to 1000 ng mL -1 with a detection limit of 10 pg mL -1 , indicating good performance compared with other reported methods. This microsensor also showed high sensitivity and stability, which can be attributed to the fine complementation of the imprinted organic nanocavities. The sensitivity of this sensor was related to the nanocavities used for electron transport around the AuNPs. In the future, microsensors that can directly provide electrochemical signals are expected to play important roles especially on AN matrices.

Efficient discrimination of amino acids (AAs) isomers is of significant importance for life science and analytical chemistry. Here, a dual-mode chiral discrimination strategy is proposed for visual and electrochemical chiral discrimination of tryptophan (Trp) isomers. Shikimic acid chiral ionic liquids (SCIL) is coordinated with copper ions (Cu 2+ ), and the obtained SCIL-Cu 2+ can form ternary complexes with the Trp isomers. Owing to the inherent chirality of SCIL and the reverse homochirality of L-Trp and D-Trp, the ternary complex of SCIL-Cu-D-Trp has higher stability than SCIL-Cu-L-Trp, as revealed by the calculated stability constants (K) and changes in Gibbs free energy (ΔG). The difference in the stability can be utilized for the chiral discrimination of L-Trp and D-Trp, resulting in discernible differences in colors and the electrochemical signals of the Trp isomers. Besides Trp, the isomers of phenylalanine (Phe) can also be discriminated by the proposed dual-mode chiral discrimination strategy with the SCIL-Cu 2+ complex., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A natural polysaccharide-based vehicle is facilely prepared for enantioselective loading of S-naproxen (S-NPX) and its programmed release. Cyclodextrin metal-organic frameworks (CD-MOF) are synthesized through the coordination of K + with γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD). Compared with R-NPX, the CD-MOF preferably combines with S-NPX, which can be confirmed by the thermodynamic calculations. The S-NPX loaded CD-MOF (CD-MOF-S-NPX) is grafted with disulfide bond (-S-S-) to improve its hydrophobicity, and the loaded S-NPX is further encapsulated in the chiral cavity of γ-CD by carboxymethyl potato starch (CPS) hydrogels. The intermolecular hydrogen bonding of the CPS hydrogels is prone to be destroyed in mildly basic media (∼pH 8.0), resulting in the swelling of the hydrogels; the -S-S- linkage in the vehicle can be cleaved in the presence of glutathione (GSH), leading to the collapse of the CD-MOF. Therefore, the programmed release of S-NPX can be achieved. Also in this work, the release kinetics is investigated, and the results indicate that the release of S-NPX is controlled by the Higuchi model., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Creating a tunnel between the pancreas and splenic vessels followed by pancreatic parenchyma transection ("tunnel-first" strategy) has long been used in spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy (SPDP) with splenic vessel preservation (Kimura's procedure). However, the operation space is limited in the tunnel, leading to the risks of bleeding and difficulties in suturing. We adopted the pancreatic "parenchyma transection-first" strategy to optimize Kimura's procedure., Methods: The clinical data of consecutive patients who underwent robotic SPDP with Kimura's procedure between January 2017 and September 2022 at our center were retrieved. The cohort was classified into a "parenchyma transection-first" strategy (P-F) group and a "tunnel-first" strategy (T-F) group and analyzed., Results: A total of 91 patients were enrolled in this cohort, with 49 in the T-F group and 42 in the P-F group. Compared with the T-F group, the P-F group had significantly shorter operative time (146.1 ± 39.2 min vs. 174.9 ± 46.6 min, P < 0.01) and lower estimated blood loss [40.0 (20.0-55.0) mL vs. 50.0 (20.0-100.0) mL, P = 0.03]. Failure of splenic vessel preservation occurred in 10.2% patients in the T-F group and 2.4% in the P-F group (P = 0.14). The grade 3/4 complications were similar between the two groups (P = 0.57). No differences in postoperative pancreatic fistula, abdominal infection or hemorrhage were observed between the two groups., Conclusions: The pancreatic "parenchyma transection-first" strategy is safe and feasible compared with traditional "tunnel-first strategy" in SPDP with Kimura's procedure., (Copyright © 2023 First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine in China. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

CoSe 2 /CoP with rich Se- and P-vacancies and heterogeneous interfaces (v-CoSe 2 /CoP) is grown on the surface of nickel foam via a two-step strategy: electrodeposition and NaBH 4 reduction, which can be used as the cathode material in asymmetric supercapacitors. The SEM characterization reveals the honeycomb-like structure of the v-CoSe 2 /CoP, and the results of EPR, XPS and HRTEM reveal the existence of anionic vacancies and heterogeneous interfaces in the v-CoSe 2 /CoP. The as-fabricated v-CoSe 2 /CoP exhibits high specific capacitance (3206 mF cm -2 at 1.0 mA cm -2 ) and cyclic stability (91 % capacitance retention after 2000 cycles). An asymmetric supercapacitor is assembled by using the v-CoSe 2 /CoP and activated carbon (AC) as cathode and anode materials, respectively, which displays a high energy density of 40.6 Wh kg -1 at the power density of 211.5 W kg -1 . The outstanding electrochemical performances of the v-CoSe 2 /CoP might be ascribed to the synergistic effects of Se- and P-vacancies and the heterogeneous interfaces in the v-CoSe 2 /CoP., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Promethazine (PMZ) is an effective antihistamine that is used as a nerve tranquilizer to treat mental disorders. However, drug abuse causes harm to the human body and also pollutes the environment to a certain extent. Therefore, it is crucial to develop a highly selective and sensitive biosensor for PMZ determination. An acupuncture needle (AN) was used as an electrode in 2015, and further research on the electrode's essence in electrochemistry is needed. In this work, a sensor based on a surface imprinted film coordinated Au/Sn biometal was first fabricated on AN via electrochemistry. The obtained cavities showed complementary and suitable sites for "N atom" electron transfer through the phenyl ring structure in promethazine, which is rigorous for the configuration near the interface. Under the optimal conditions, MIP/Au/Sn/ANE exhibits a good linear relationship in the range of 0.5 μM-500 μM, and the detection limit (LOD) is 0.14 μM (S/N = 3). The sensor exhibits good repeatability, stability, and selectivity and can be successfully used to analyze and detect PMZ in human serum and environmental water. The findings are scientifically significant for AN electrochemistry and the sensors have potential for in vivo medicamentosus monitoring in the future., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Sensitive detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein (S protein) is of significant clinical importance in the diagnosis of COVID-19 pandemic. In this work, a surface molecularly imprinted (SMI) electrochemical biosensor is fabricated for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 S protein. Cu 7 S 4 -Au is used as the built-in probe and modified on the surface of a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE). 4-Mercaptophenylboric acid (4-MPBA) is anchored to the surface of the Cu 7 S 4 -Au through Au-SH bonds, which can be used for the immobilization of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein template through boronate ester bonds. After that, 3-aminophenylboronic acid (3-APBA) is electropolymerized on the electrode surface and used as the molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). The SMI electrochemical biosensor is obtained after the elution of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein template with an acidic solution by the dissociation of the boronate ester bonds, which can be utilized for sensitive detection of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein. The developed SMI electrochemical biosensor displays high specificity, reproducibility and stability, which might be a potential and promising candidate for the clinical diagnosis of COVID-19., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Accurate detection of SARS-CoV-2 spike (SARS-CoV-2-S) protein is of clinical significance for early diagnosis and timely treatment of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Herein, a surface molecularly imprinted miniature biosensor was fabricated. Au nanoparticles (AuNPs), reduced graphene oxide (rGO), poly(methylene blue)/poly(ionic liquids) and poly(ionic liquids) were successively electrodeposited onto the pinpoint of an acupuncture needle (AN). The molecularly imprinted miniature biosensor was obtained after the template of SARS-CoV-2-S protein was removed, which could be used for sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2-S protein. The linear range and limit of detection (LOD) were 0.1 ∼ 1000 ng mL -1 and 38 pg mL -1 , respectively, which were superior to other molecularly imprinted biosensors previously reported. The developed miniature biosensor also exhibited high specificity and stability. The reliability of the biosensor was evaluated by the detection of SARS-CoV-2-S protein in clinical serum samples., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Chlorpromazine (CPZ) is a medicine for nervous system disorders. Measuring CPZ in vivo can assist doctors in evaluating patients' blood drug concentration and monitoring drug metabolism. Therefore, an accurate in vivo detection of CPZ is crucial. In recent years, the acupuncture needle, traditionally used in Chinese medicine, has emerged as a potential electrode in the field of electrochemistry, with promising applications for in vivo detection. In this study, Au/Cu nanoparticles were electrodeposited onto an acupuncture needle electrode (ANE) to improve electrical conductivity and provide an electro-catalytic surface. Subsequently, 3-aminophenylboronic acid and CPZ were attracted to each other through intermolecular forces; at the same time, the interaction force of Au-S between CPZ and the AuNPs made the polymer layer grow around the CPZ molecules on the modified electrode surface. The imprinted nanocavities showed highly selective and sensitive detection performance for CPZ after elution. Inside the recognizable site and microenvironment of the cavities, the captured CPZ molecule provided a suitable configuration for the fluent electron transfer of the electroactive group within a short range from the Au/Cu bimetal. Under ideal conditions, the MIP/Au/Cu/ANE exhibited two good linear ranges of 0.1-100 μM and 100-1000 μM with a detection limit of 0.07 μM. Moreover, the sensors showed great selectivity, good stability and excellent repeatability, making them suitable for CPZ detection in human serum. This provides a novel idea for real-time and in vivo CPZ detection.

A sequential delivery system based on MoS 2 nanoflower (MoS 2 NF) doped chitosan (CS)/oxidized dextran (OD) hydrogels is developed for the treatment of colon cancer. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is combined with polyethylenimine (PEI) decorated MoS 2 NF via electrostatic attraction and hydrogen bonding, and the obtained 5-FU/PEI/MoS 2 is encapsulated by 1-tetradecanol (TD), a commonly used phase transition material. The resultant TD/5-FU/PEI/MoS 2 (TFPM) is then co-encapsulated with methotrexate (MTX) in the CS/OD hydrogels generated via Schiff base reaction and electrostatic attraction. Because the electrostatic attraction between CS and OD is pH-sensitive, MTX and TD/5-FU/PEI/MoS 2 can be easily released from the hydrogels at pH 7.4. MoS 2 is an outstanding photothermal agent, and the generated hyperthermia under near infrared (NIR) irradiation can lead to the melting of TD and the consequent release of 5-FU encapsulated. More importantly, the generated hyperthermia under NIR irradiation can realize the chemo-photothermal synergistic tumor therapy. Finally, the practicability of the developed sequential delivery system is demonstrated by cytotoxicity test., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common pregnancy complication strongly associated with poor maternal-fetal outcomes. Its incidence and prevalence have been increasing in recent years. Women with GDM typically give birth through either vaginal delivery or cesarean section, and the maternal-fetal outcomes are related to several factors such as cervical level, fetal lung maturity, the level of glycemic control still present, and the mode of treatment for the condition. We categorized women with GDM based on the latter two factors. GDM that is managed without medication when it is responsive to nutrition- and exercise-based therapy is considered diet- and exercise-controlled GDM, or class A1 GDM, and GDM managed with medication to achieve adequate glycemic control is considered class A2 GDM. The remaining cases in which neither medical nor nutritional treatment can control glucose levels or patients who do not control their blood sugar are categorized as class A3 GDM. We investigated the optimal time of delivery for women with GDM according to the classification of the condition. This review aimed to address the benefits and harms of giving birth at different weeks of gestation for women with different classes of GDM and attempted to provide an analytical framework and clearer advice on the optimal time for labor., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article., (©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

An electrochemical chiral sensing platform based on a multi-substituted ferrocene-cuprous ion (Cu + ) complex is constructed for the discrimination of electroactive amino acid (AA) isomers. Due to the opposite configurations of the AA isomers, the developed multi-substituted ferrocene-Cu + can preferably combine with a right-handed AA (D-AA) isomer to form the ternary complex of multi-substituted ferrocene-Cu + -D-AA through π-π interactions, resulting in higher peak currents of D-AA. Therefore, the isomers of electroactive AA can be successfully discriminated. Among the tested electroactive AA isomers, the chiral sensing platform exhibits higher discrimination capability toward the isomers of tryptophan (Trp) than that of tyrosine (Tyr) and cysteine (Cys), which might be ascribed to the stronger π-π interactions between the benzene ring of the multi-substituted ferrocene and the indole ring of the Trp isomers.

A simple and smart drug controlled delivery system is developed in this work. Biodegradable mesoporous silica nanoparticles (BMSN) were first synthesized by introducing disulfide during the synthesis of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN), which were used for the loading of methotrexate (MTX), an anti-cancer drug. The MTX loaded BMSN (BMSN-MTX) was then encapsulated in the hydrogels of carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS)/oxidized pullulan (OPL) generated through Schiff base reaction. The acylhydrazone bonds (-N=CH-) between CMCS and OPL are prone to be hydrolyzed in acidic medium while the disulfide linkage (-S-S-) in the BMSN can be cleaved in the presence of glutathione (GSH), and thus the delivery of MTX from the BMSN-MTX-gel can be triggered by both pH and GSH. The results of release kinetics reveal that the delivery of MTX from the biodegradable hydrogels is controlled by Higuchi model. Finally, good biocompatibility and pronounced cytotoxicity of the developed BMSN-MTX-gel are confirmed by cytotoxicity test., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Detection of immunoglobulins (Igs) is of clinical significance for early diagnosis and timely treatment of diseases. Herein, a dual-template molecularly imprinted (DTMI) electrochemical biosensor was developed for IgG-IgM combined assay. In this DTMI electrochemical biosensor, Prussian blue (PB) and thionine (TH) decorated on graphene oxide (GO) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), respectively, were utilized as the dual-signal probes, and Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) were used for Igs anchoring and signal amplification. Polypyrrole (PPy) was electrodeposited on the biosensor surface and acted as the molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). After the removal of the IgG and IgM templates, the resultant DTMI electrochemical biosensor was used for IgG-IgM combined assay, and the concentrations of IgG and IgM could be indicated by the changes in the peak currents of PB (ΔI PB ) and TH (ΔI TH ), respectively. The DTMI electrochemical biosensor displayed a wide linear range and a low limit of detection (LOD) for both IgG (28.80 pg mL -1 ) and IgM (0.58 pg mL -1 ). Finally, the developed DTMI biosensor was used for IgG-IgM combined assay in clinical serum samples, and the results were comparable to those obtained by conventional immunoturbidimetry, implying its great potential in clinical diagnosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A novel electrochemical chiral sensor has been designed based on the principle of competitive host-guest interaction and utilized for the discrimination of electroinactive proline (Pro) isomers. Electroactive methylene blue (MB) was used as the signal probe, which was combined with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)-decorated β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), via host-guest interaction, where the oxidation peak currents of MB decreased after isomers of Pro were combined with the MWCNTs-β-CD via a competitive host-guest interaction. Due to the steric configuration of L-Pro matching the cavity of β-CD, more L-Pro than D-Pro was combined with MWCNTs-β-CD, resulting in a more pronounced decrease of MB peak currents. Therefore, the isomers of Pro could be discriminated. Besides Pro, the isomers of electroinactive histidine (His) could also be discriminated with the chiral sensor. In addition, the contents of L-Pro in non-racemic mixtures could be detected with the developed chiral sensor.

β-Thalassemia (β-thal) is one of the most common monogenic recessive inherited diseases worldwide. The mutation spectrum of β-thal has been increasingly broadened by various genetic testing methods. The discovery and identification of novel and rare pathogenic thalassemia variants enable better disease prevention, especially in high prevalence regions. In this study, a Chinese thalassemia family with an unclear etiology was recruited to the Thalassemia Screening Program. Blood samples collected from them were primarily screened by hematology analysis and clinical routine genetic screening. Subsequently, targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) and Sanger sequencing were performed to find and identify a novel deletion variant. The deletion, discovered by targeted NGS, was validated through real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). First, a large novel β-thal deletion (3488 bp) related to a high Hb F level, NC&#95;000011.9: g.5245533&#95;5249020del (Chongqing deletion) (GRCh37/hg19), was found and identified in the proband and her mother. The deletion removed the entire β-globin gene and led to absent β-globin (β 0 ). We then validated this large novel deletion in the proband and her mother by qPCR. We first discovered and identified a large novel β-thal deletion related to elevated Hb F level, it helps broaden the spectrum of pathogenic mutants that may cause β-thal intermedia (β-TI) or β-thal major (β-TM), paving the way for effective thalassemia screening. Next-generation sequencing has the potential of finding rare and novel thalassemia mutants.

To introduce abundant carboxyl (COOH) groups to the surface of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) while maintaining the pristine structure of MWCNTs, 3,4,9,10-perylene tetracarboxylic acid (PTCA) was non-covalently grafted to the sidewalls of MWCNTs. The obtained PTCA functionalized MWCNTs (MWCNTs-PTCA) functioned as a scaffold for the further introduction of chitosan (CS) via electrostatic attractions and hydrogen-bonds. The resultant CS/MWCNTs-PTCA could be used for electrochemical chiral sensing of tryptophan (Trp) enantiomers due to the intrinsic chirality of CS and the high electrocatalytic activity of MWCNTs. Under optimized conditions, the Trp enantiomers could be effectively discriminated at the CS/MWCNTs-PTCA modified electrode by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), demonstrating that the developed CS/MWCNTs-PTCA might be a potential candidate for the construction of electrochemical chiral sensors., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this study, UPLC was used to establish the characteristic chromatograms of Curcumae Radix from different origins(LSYJ, WYJ, HSYJ, and GYJ) and the content determination method of 11 chemical components. The evaluation of characteristic chromatogram similarity, cluster analysis(CA), principal component analysis(PCA), and orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) were combined to evaluate the quality of Curcumae Radix from four origins. LSYJ, WYJ, HSYJ, and GYJ showed 15, 17, 15, and 10 characteristic peaks, respectively, and 8 of the peaks were identified. The characteristic chromatograms of Curcumae Radix samples(except for GYJ07) from the same origin showed the similarity greater than 0.854. The 11 chemical components had different content among the samples from four origins. Curcumenol, furanodienone, and isocurcumenol were rich in LSYJ; hydroxyisogermafurenolide, curdione, and furanodiene had high content in WYJ; gemacrone, β-elemene, bisdemethoxycurcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and curcumin were rich in HSYJ; all the components had low content in GYJ. The chemometric analysis showed that CA, PCA, and OPLS-DA could accurately classify the four origins of Curcumae Radix into four categories, and five different quality markers, namely furanodienone, curcumenol, curdione, hydroxyisogermafurenolide, and furanodiene, were screened out by OPLS-DA. UPLC in combination with multicomponent content determination is simple, rapid, reproducible, and specific, which can provide reference for the quality control and identification of Curcumae Radix from four origins.

A surface protein-imprinted biosensor was constructed on a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) for the detection of anti-human immunoglobulin G (anti-IgG). The SPCE was successively decorated with aminated graphene (NH 2 -G) and gold nanobipyramids (AuNBs) for signal amplification. Then 4-mercaptophenylboric acid (4-MPBA) was covalently anchored to the surface of AuNBs for capturing anti-IgG template through boronate affinity binding. The decorated SPCE was then deposited with an imprinting layer generated by the electropolymerization of pyrrole. After removal of the anti-IgG template by the dissociation of the boronate ester in an acidic solution, three-dimensional (3D) cavities complementary to the anti-IgG template were formed in the imprinting layer of polypyrrole (PPy). The molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP)-based biosensor was used for the detection of anti-IgG, exhibiting a wide linear range from 0.05 to 100 ng mL -1 and a low limit of detection of 0.017 ng mL -1 (S/N = 3). In addition, the MIP-based anti-IgG biosensor also shows high selectivity, reproducibility and stability. Finally, the practicability of the fabricated anti-IgG biosensor was demonstrated by accurate determination of anti-IgG in serum sample., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.)

Au-Ag nanoparticles (Au-Ag NPs) with a core-shell structure are prepared and used for ultrasensitive electrochemical impedance (EI) discrimination of the isomers of tryptophan (Trp). As revealed by circular dichroism, rotary polarization caused by the Au-Ag NPs is consistent with D-Trp but opposite to L-Trp, and thus, the Au-Ag NPs can selectively combine with D-Trp through preferential interactions. Compared with Au-Ag NPs, the composites of D-Trp and Au-Ag NPs (Au-Ag NPs/D-Trp) display significantly increased charge transfer resistance ( R ct ); differently, the R ct of Au-Ag NPs/L-Trp remains almost unchanged because the Au-Ag NPs exhibit poor affinity toward L-Trp. Therefore, ultrasensitive EI enantiodiscrimination of the isomers of Trp is realized even at an extremely low concentration of the Trp isomers (0.1 nM). In addition, it is successfully applied in the ultrasensitive determination of D-Trp at a low concentration level (0.1 nM∼10 μM).

Well-dispersed chiral Ag 2 S quantum dots (Ag 2 S QDs) were facilely synthesized by using N -acetyl-L-cysteine (NALC) as the chiral ligand and loaded onto nanosheets of two-dimensional (2D) few-layer carbon nitride (C 3 N 4 ). The resultant nanocomposite (Ag 2 S QDs/few-layer C 3 N 4 ) shows enhanced electrochemiluminescence (ECL) while maintaining the chirality of Ag 2 S QDs, which can be used for the chiral discrimination of the enantiomers of tyrosine (Tyr). Due to the higher affinity of chiral Ag 2 S QDs toward L-Tyr than toward its enantiomer, the ECL intensity of Ag 2 S QDs/few-layer C 3 N 4 is significantly decreased after its incubation with L-Tyr, and thus the Tyr enantiomers can be discriminated. The developed ECL chiral sensor exhibits high stability and reproducibility. The universality of the ECL chiral sensor for the discrimination of other chiral amino acids is also studied, and the results indicate that it can work only in the case of chiral aromatic amino acids.

To improve the efficacy of chemotherapy and relieve the pain associated with colorectal cancer, a dual-drug delivery system (DDDS) is proposed. In this system, methotrexate (MTX) loaded CaCO 3 (CaCO 3 /MTX) and aspirin (Asp) are co-entrapped in the hydrogels of alginate (Alg) and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) crosslinked with Ca 2+ . The hydrogels can protect the anti-cancer drug of MTX from being absorbed in stomach and small intestine and ensure their efficacy at the target site of colorectum. More importantly, dual pH-responsive drug delivery can be achieved by the DDDS. Because the pH varies at small intestine and colorectum of human body, dual pH-responsive delivery of Asp and MTX can be achieved at the two organs, respectively, in response to ambient pH. These finding are of significant importance for medical science and pharmaceutics., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

As an important indicator of sexual maturity of hens, age at first egg (AFE) is significantly associated with reproduction performance. In this study, 400 hens were divided into 6 groups based on AFE to analyze the difference of reproduction performance, reproduction hormone levels and the characterization of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis in chickens. The results showed that the egg production of the hens in the late-maturing groups was significantly lower than that of the ones in other groups and the precocious hens had a lower egg production rate. The hens in late-maturing group had a lower fertility rate, LH levels and shorter duration of peak of egg production (PEP), the precocious hens had lower PRL levels. In addition, the characterization of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis showed that the individuals with normal AFE had higher GNRH, GNRHR, ESR1, KITLG, and CYP11A1 expression levels than late-maturing and precocious individuals, which indicated that the chickens with normal AFE advantages on reproduction regulation system., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A fluorescent chiral sensor is proposed based on the inner filter effect (IFE) of chiral Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) on MoS2 quantum dots (MoS2 QDs), which can be used for the discrimination of the isomers of tyrosine (Tyr). l-Tyrosine (l-Tyr) can induce obvious agglomeration of the chiral AuNPs, leading to an attenuated IFE of the chiral AuNPs and greatly restored fluorescence of the MoS2 QDs, and thus the enantioselective recognition of the Tyr isomers can be achieved. Also, l-Tyr but not d-Tyr induced agglomeration of the chiral AuNPs is confirmed by the larger association constant between l-Tyr and the chiral sensor.

1. H-FABP (heart-type fatty acid-binding protein) is an important fatty acid-binding protein that participates in the metabolism and intracellular transportation of lipids. This study was designed to study the H-FABP gene expression and genetic association with meat quality traits in domestic pigeons.2. The spatio-temporal expression patterns showed that H-FABP was widely expressed in all eleven tissues in birds from hatching to 4 weeks of age, and the expression level in the liver was the highest, and spleen and subcutaneous fat showed relatively high levels at all time points, and increased markedly as squabs became older.3. Nine novel SNPs were found; three of them (g.42 C > T and g.123 C > T in exon 1 and g.3128 C > T in exon 2) were synonymous mutations, and six of them (g.3304 T > C, g.3305 G > A, g.3313A>G, g.3343 C > T, g.3372A>C, g.3410 T > C in exon 3) were located in the 3' untranslated region (UTR). In addition, four haplotypes and six diplotypes were formed and showed weak linkage disequilibrium. Association analysis showed that in the SNP of g.3305 G > A, the AB genotype showed higher (P < 0.05) inosinic acid concentrations in breast muscle than the BB genotype. In the SNP of g.3313A>G, the AA and AB genotypes showed significantly higher (P < 0.01) inosinic acid concentrations than the BB genotype, AA showed the highest intramuscular fat content, and the relative mRNA expression level of the AA genotype was the highest (P < 0.05).4. Association analysis of diplotypes showed no correlation with meat quality traits. Moreover, correlation analysis indicated that the H-FABP mRNA expression level was tightly related to intramuscular fat content (P < 0.01).5. This study suggested that the H-FABP gene may be a candidate gene in marker-assisted selection of pigeons for high-quality meat.

Background: Nitrite is naturally present in vegetables and added to processed meats to enhance their color and prolong their shelf life. It is of concern because it reacts to form nitrosamines, which have been linked to cancer., Objective: To develop a quick, reliable, and inexpensive method for quantifying nitrite in foods., Method: A copper-based metal organic framework (Cu-MOF)/gold-platinum alloy nanoparticle(Au@Pt)-modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was developed via a simple wet chemical synthesis followed by electrochemical deposition of gold-platinum alloy nanoparticles onto the surface of a GCE. Morphological characterization and component analysis of the prepared nanomaterials were carried out by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were used to study the electrochemical behavior of the fabricated electrodes., Results: The quantitative and specific detection of nitrite was obtained by the amperometric i-t method. At a pH of 7, temperature of 25°C, and ionic strength of 0.4 M, the electrode exhibited a linear range of 0.001-12.2 mM nitrite with a low detection limit of 72 nM (S/N = 3)., Conclusions: The Cu-MOF/Au@Pt/GCE exhibited good repeatability, reproducibility, stability, and selectivity to provide a capable analysis method for food samples., Highlights: A Cu-MOF with a large surface area and high porosity was developed to provide an electrode with many active sites. The Au@Pt alloy nanoparticle improved the electrocatalytic activity toward nitrite. The synergistic action between the Cu-MOF and Au@Pt alloy nanoparticle enhanced the electrochemical performance of the sensor., (© AOAC INTERNATIONAL 2020. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: The associating liver partitioning and portal vein occlusion for staged hepatectomy (ALPPS) procedure is gaining interest because it brings hope to patients who cannot undergo radical surgical resection due to insufficient remnant liver volume. However, the indications and technical aspects of this procedure are still under debate. This report demonstrates the technical aspects of the first two-stage robotic ALPPS for HCC., Case Presentation: A 55-year-old man with type II portal vein variation was diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma. Preoperative 3D reconstruction of the liver based on CT showed a future liver remnant/standard liver volume (FLR/SLV) of 24.45%. The ALPPS procedure was performed using the da Vinci Si system. At the first stage of the operation, we removed the gallbladder and ligated the right anterior branch of the portal vein and the right posterior branch. Following blocking of the hepatic hilum, the liver parenchyma was removed 1 cm away from the right side of the falciform ligament in an incision manner from the top to the bottom and from shallow to deep. The second-stage operation was performed on the 12th postoperative day with a FLR/SLV of 45.13%. During this step, the right hemiliver plus left medial section was separated and removed. Postoperative pathology showed a negative margin. The operative times were 195 and 217 min, respectively. Estimated blood loss was 250 and 500 ml, respectively. There was no need for transfusion or hospitalization in intensive care. The patient was discharged on the 6th postoperative day. Recovery was uneventful after both stages, and the patient did not present any sign of liver failure. Elevation of liver enzymes was minimal. The patient had no evidence of the disease 14 months after the procedure., Conclusions: The two-stage robotic ALPPS procedure is a safe and feasible technique for select patients with HCC.

RFamide-related peptides (RFRP) are synthesized by the hypothalamus and have a regulatory role in gonad development. The goal of this study was to investigate the association between SNP of the RFRP gene and the reproductive traits and hormone levels of Zhenning yellow chickens. The mRNA expression levels were detected based on different tissues, ages, and genotypes. Eleven mutation sites were detected in the RFRP gene, 4 of which were significantly related to reproductive traits and hormone levels. Association analysis revealed that A276G was associated with egg production at 300 d of age (EP300) and amount of prehierarchical follicles (P < 0.05). G1396A was associated with egg weight at 300 d of age and luteinizing hormone (LH) and prolactin levels (P < 0.05). G1694A showed significant associations with fertilization rate and LH levels (P < 0.05), and A2659G was associated with EP300 (P < 0.05). The results of expression analysis showed that the RFRP mRNA expression levels in the hypothalamus were higher than those in other tissues (P < 0.01). The expression in immature individuals was higher than that in mature ones (P < 0.01). There were also differences in mRNA expression levels between different genotypes (P < 0.05). In summary, the results of this study might provide potential markers and a theoretical basis for the improvement of chicken reproductive traits., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: To demonstrate the surgical procedures and techniques of the robotic anatomical isolated complete caudate lobectomy., Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on the demographic, operative, postoperative outcomes of seven patients who underwent robotic anatomical isolated complete caudate lobectomy at our department from January 2018 to November 2019. Mobilization of the left lateral and Spiegel lobe, dissection of the short hepatic veins and liver parenchyma transection from the dorsal plane of middle and right hepatic vein were crucial procedures for the robotic left-side approach. Anatomic complete caudate lobectomy was defined as total removal of the caudate lobe, in which the dorsal middle and right hepatic vein, the inferior vena cava and its right side were fully exposed on the raw surface., Results: All patients successfully underwent the robotic anatomical isolated caudate lobectomy with a left-side approach without conversion to laparotomy, and without Clavien-Dindo Grade III or higher complications. The average tumor diameter was 65.00 ± 10.61 mm, the average operation time was 212.00 ± 74.53 min, the median bleeding loss was 100 mL, and the average postoperative hospital stay was 8.71 ± 4.89 d, respectively. There were four patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma, one with tumor recurrence five months after surgery and three patients were free of recurrence. All patients survived at the last follow-up., Conclusion: Robotic anatomical isolated complete caudate lobectomy with a left-sided approach is safe and feasible for selected patients., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Taiwan LLC.)

Poly(melamine) (PMel) was synthesized via the electropolymerization of melamine monomer, which was then characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The possible polymerization mechanisms of melamine were also revealed by FT-IR spectroscopy and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Next, the PMel modified GCE (PMel/GCE) was used for the simultaneous determination of nitrite (NO 2 - ) and tartrazine, and the parameters were optimized. The kinetic study showed that the electrochemical oxidation of nitrite and tartrazine at the surface of PMel/GCE is a typical surface-controlled electrode process. Under the optimun conditions, the developed sensor outperformed those previously reported, and it also exhibited high selectivity and reproducibility. Finally, the PMel/GCE was used for the simultaneous determination of nitrite and tartrazine in foodstuffs, and the results indicated that the proposed sensor could be a promising candidate for accurate determination of nitrite and tartrazine in real food samples., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the clinical application of multimodality navigation for liver resection in the treatment of complicated alveolar echinococcosis (AE). Methods: From October 2019 to February 2020, the clinical data and perioperative results of patients with AE treated by surgery in our department were retrospectively studied. Hepatic parenchyma disconnection plane and liver resection were navigated and performed with three-dimensional reconstruction and HITACHI real-time multi-image fusion interventional navigation system (RVS). Results: All of six patients were successful performed radical liver resection without mortality. The operation time was (301±106)min and the median blood loss was 200 ml. Two patients needed blood transfusion intraoperative (33.33%). The postoperative hospital stay was (10.8±2.8) day, and the cost of hospitalization was (82 584±995.61) yuan. Clavien-Dindo grade Ⅲ complication occurred in one patient. Conclusions: Multimodality navigation might provide precise intraoperative navigation of the surgical plane and effectively assist liver resection for the treatment of complicated AE.

Background: Current reports on robotic hepatic caudate lobectomy are limited to Spiegel lobectomy. This study aimed to compare the safety and feasibility of robotic isolated partial and complete hepatic caudate lobectomy., Methods: Clinical data of 32 patients who underwent robotic resection of the hepatic caudate lobe in our department from May 2016 to January 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into three groups according to the lobectomy location: left dorsal segment lobectomy (Spiegel lobectomy), right dorsal segment lobectomy (caudate process or paracaval portion lobectomy), and complete caudate lobectomy. General information and perioperative results of the three groups were compared and analyzed., Results: Among the 32 patients, none had conversion to laparotomy, three received intraoperative blood transfusion (9.38%), and none had complications of Clavien-Dindo grade III or higher or died in the perioperative period. Among them, 17 patients (53.13%) underwent Spiegel lobectomy, 7 (21.88%) underwent caudate process or paracaval portion lobectomy, and 8 (25.00%) underwent complete caudate lobectomy. The operative time and blood loss in the left dorsal segment lobectomy group were significantly better than those in the right dorsal segment lobectomy and complete caudate lobectomy groups (operative time: P = 0.010 and P = 0.005; blood loss: P = 0.005 and P = 0.017, respectively). The postoperative hospital stay in the left dorsal segment lobectomy group was significantly shorter than that in the complete caudate lobectomy group (P = 0.003); however, there was no difference in the postoperative hospital stay between the left dorsal segment lobectomy group and right dorsal segment lobectomy group (P = 0.240)., Conclusions: Robotic isolated partial and complete caudate lobectomy is safe and feasible. Spiegel lobectomy is relatively straightforward and suitable for beginners., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Lung cancer is a type of malignant tumor with high morbidity and mortality. Due to its complicated etiology and clinical manifestations, no significant therapeutic advance has been made. Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is the most common type of lung cancer. To combat this disease, novel therapeutic targets are badly requirement. ASPM (Abnormal spindle-like microcephaly-associated protein) is involved in multiple cellular or developmental processes, such as neurogenesis and brain growth. ASPM is also reported widely expressed in multiple tumor tissues and involved in the development and progression of several cancers including lung cancer. However, the potential role on ASPM on LSCC is still unclear. In this study, we reported that ASPM was related to the poor prognosis of patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma. Our results further showed that ASPM depletion dramatically inhibited the proliferation of LSCC cells, consistent with the obviously decreased of cyclin D1(CCND1) and cyclin dependent kinases 4 (CDK4) expression. In vivo assays further confirmed ASPM ablation markedly blocked tumor growth in vivo compared with control. In addition, a co-expression was found between ASPM and CDK4 in human tumor tissues. Taken together, our data provides strong evidence that ASPM promotes lung squamous cell carcinoma proliferation in vitro and in vivo , and indicates its potential role as a LSCC therapeutic target., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists., (© The author(s).)

Background: Nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine (AG) has resulted in higher tumor response and survival rates for metastatic or advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) compared with gemcitabine (GEM) alone., Aim: To examine the feasibility and safety of AG adjuvant chemotherapy of resectable PDAC., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients with resected PDAC who received AG or GEM as postoperative adjuvant treatment between January 2013 and December 2016 at the Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China. The patients adopted combined nab-paclitaxel (125 mg/m 2 ) and GEM (1 g/m 2 ) or GEM (1 g/m 2 ) alone treatment, on days 1 and 8 every 3 wk for six cycles, unless intolerable adverse events or disease progression occurred. The disease-free survival, overall survival (OS) and adverse events of the two groups were statistically analyzed., Results: Compared with GEM, median disease-free survival (12.2 mo vs 15.8 mo, P = 0.039) and OS (20.6 mo vs 28.3 mo, P = 0.028) were significantly improved in the AG group. The 2-year OS rates were 63.3% and 43.3% in the AG and GEM groups, respectively. However, the incidence of sensory neuropathy was increased significantly in the AG than the GEM group (53.3% vs 23.3%, P < 0.001)., Conclusion: In our initial experience, AG significantly improved disease-free survival and OS of patients with resected PDAC. AG may be a potential option for postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy of resectable PDAC., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest related to this study., (©The Author(s) 2020. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Mucinous cystic neoplasm (MCN) of the pancreas is characterized by mucin-producing columnar epithelium and dense ovarian-type stroma and at risk for malignant transformation. Early diagnosis and treatment of MCN are particularly important., Aim: To investigate the clinical characteristics of and management strategies for pancreatic mucinous cystadenoma (MCA) and mucinous cystadenocarcinoma (MCC)., Methods: The clinical and pathological data of 82 patients with pancreatic MCA and MCC who underwent surgical resection at our department between April 2015 and March 2019 were retrospectively analyzed., Results: Of the 82 patients included in this study, 70 had MCA and 12 had MCC. Tumor size of MCC was larger than that of MCA ( P = 0.049). Age and serum levels of tumor markers carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9, and CA12-5 were significantly higher in MCC than in MCA patients ( P = 0.005, 0.026, and 0.037, respectively). MCA tumor size was positively correlated with serum CA19-9 levels ( r = 0.389, P = 0.001). Compared with MCC, MCA had a higher minimally invasive surgery rate ( P = 0.014). In the MCA group, the rate of major complications was 5.7% and that of clinically relevant pancreatic fistula was 8.6%; the corresponding rates in the MCC group were 16.7% and 16.7%, respectively., Conclusion: Tumor size, age, and serum CEA, CA19-9, and CA12-5 levels may contribute to management of patients with MCN. Surgical resection is the primary treatment modality for MCC and MCA., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (©The Author(s) 2020. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Radical resection is an important treatment method for hepatic echinococcosis. The posterosuperior segments of the liver remain the most challenging region for laparoscopic or robotic hepatectomy., Aim: To demonstrate the safety and preliminary experience of robotic radical resection of cystic and alveolar echinococcosis in posterosuperior liver segments., Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 5 patients with a median age of 37 years (21-56 years) with cystic and alveolar echinococcosis in difficult liver lesions admitted to two centers from September to December 2019. The surgical methods included total pericystectomy, segmental hepatectomy, or hemihepatectomy., Results: Among the 5 patients, 4 presented with cystic echinococcosis and 1 presented with alveolar echinococcosis, all of whom underwent robotic radical operation successfully without conversion to laparotomy. Total caudate lobectomy was performed in 2 cases, hepatectomy of segment VII in 1 case, total pericystectomy of segment VIII in 1 case, and right hemihepatectomy in 1 case. Operation time was 225 min (175-300 min); blood loss was 100 mL (50-600 mL); and postoperative hospital stay duration was 10 d (5-19 d). The Clavien-Dindo complication grade was I in 4 cases and II in 1 case. No recurrence of echinococcosis was found in any patient at the 3 mo of follow-up., Conclusion: Robotic radical surgery for cystic and selected alveolar echinococcosis in posterosuperior liver segments is safe and feasible., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (©The Author(s) 2020. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Reproduction trait is one of the most important economic traits in poultry industry. This study was aimed to investigate the mRNA expression levels, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of POMC gene, and the association with reproduction traits in chickens. Five SNP (g.958 G > A, g.1374 G > C, g.1393 G > A, g.1817 C > T, and g.1918G > A) were detected in introns of POMC gene in 317 Zhenning yellow chickens. Association analysis revealed that g.958 G > A and g.1817 C > T showed significantly associations with fertilization rate, hatching rate of hatching eggs, and hatching rate of fertilized eggs in chickens. Simultaneously, g.1374 G > C and g.1918G > A were both associated with egg weight at 300 D of age (P < 0.05). The SNP of g.958 G > A, g.1393 G > A, and g.1817 C > T were all associated with E2 hormone levels (P < 0.05). The result of mRNA expression levels in different tissues showed that POMC mRNA expression level in the pituitary was higher than those in the other tissues and varied in different genotypes. In conclusion, the results in this study provided new evidences that polymorphisms of the POMC gene have potential effects on reproduction traits in chickens. The 5 SNP detected in this study could be potential markers for improving reproduction traits in chickens., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The biocorrosion of magnesium in the external physiological environment is still difficult to accurately evaluate the degradation behavior in vivo, particularly, in the microenvironment of the patients with hyperglycemia or diabetes. Thus, we explored the synergistic effects of glucose and protein on the biodegradation of pure magnesium, so as to have a deeper understanding the mechanism of the degradation in vivo. The surface morphology and corrosion product composition of pure magnesium were investigated using SEM, EDS, FTIR, XRD and XPS. The effect of glucose and albumin on the degradation rate of pure magnesium was investigated via electrochemical and immersion tests. The adsorption of glucose and albumin on the sample surface was observed using fluorescence microscopy. The results showed that the presence of 2 g/L glucose changed the micromorphology of corrosion products on the magnesium surface by reacting with metal cations, thus inhibiting the corrosion of pure magnesium. Protein formed a barrier layer to protect the magnesium at early stage of immersion. The chelation reaction between protein and magnesium surface might accelerate the degradation at later stage. There may be a critical glucose (albumin) content. Biodegradation of pure magnesium was inhibited at low concentrations and promoted at high concentrations. The synergistic effect of glucose and protein restrained the adsorption of aggressive chloride ions to a certain extent, and thus inhibited the degradation of pure magnesium considerably. Moreover, XPS results indicated that glucose promoted the adsorption of protein on the sample surface., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2020 Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.)

Hydrophilic poly (acrylic acid) (PAA) and hydrophobic α-tocopherol succinate (TOS) were integrated via a two-step amidation with cystamine (Cys) as the linkage, and then the self-assembly of amphiphilic PAA-cys-TOS occurred in the aqueous solution of methotrexate (MTX), an anti-cancer drug, resulting a vesicle structured drug carrier. Since the disulfide (-S-S-) bridge of Cys is sensitive to glutathione (GSH) and the amide bonds in PAA-cys-TOS are sensitive to pH, disulfide-cleavage- and pH-triggered drug delivery was achieved with the amphiphilic self-assembly. Of particular interest was that the topography of the self-assembly varied remarkably during the triggered delivery, which was indicated by TEM results., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

π-Conjugated porphyrins have aroused particular attention for nanofabrication and biomimics; however, little attention has been paid to porphyrins-based chiral analysis owing to the achiral feature of porphyrins. Here, we demonstrated a chiral self-assembly of achiral porphyrin induced by l- and d-lysine (l- and d-Lys), and the resultant porphyrin self-assembly exhibited alterable morphologies depending on the inducer used (l- or d-Lys). The supramolecular chirality of the self-assembly was characterized by circular dichroism (CD) spectra, confirming successful transfer of molecular chirality from l- and d-Lys to the self-assembly. The enantioselective property of the chiral self-assembly was also investigated by using tryptophan (Trp) isomers as the model, and the results indicated that the developed chiral self-assembly showed significantly higher affinity toward l-Trp than d-Trp. Also in this work, the l-/d-Lys-induced chiral self-assembly of porphyrin and the supramolecular interaction between the self-assembly and l-/d-Trp were also studied by density functional theory (DFT).

Green and efficient non-precious metal electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are prepared to meet the increasing demand for clean, secure and sustainable energy. Herein, we report a novel and environmentally friendly strategy for synthesis of graphene-wrapped iron carbide (Fe 7 C 3 ) nanoparticles supported on hierarchical fibrous N-doped graphene with open-mesoporous structures (Fe 7 C 3 /NG) by simply annealing the mixture of melamine, iron (II) phthalocyanine (FePc) and Fe 2 O 3 . The effects of the pyrolysis temperature and the molar ratio of FePc to melamine were critically examined in the controls. Remarkably, the Fe 7 C 3 /NG obtained at 800 °C (i.e. Fe 7 C 3 /NG-800) manifested the forward shifts in the onset potential (0.98 V) and half-wave potential (0.85 V) with respective to commercial Pt/C (50 wt%) in 0.1 M KOH, coupled with the great enhancement in the durability (still remained 92.11% of its initial current density even after 40,000 s) and strong methanol tolerance. This research presents a promising strategy for developing Pt-free non-precious efficient ORR electrocatalysts in fuel cells., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Myostatin (MSTN) is a negative regulator of skeletal muscle growth and plays an important role in muscle development. In this research, we constructed a tissue expression profile of the pigeon MSTN gene in eight tissues and a spatio-temporal expression profile in the pectoral muscle using qRT-PCR method. And the pectoralis muscle fiber traits during pigeon post-hatching stages at 1, 7, 14, 21, and 28 D were analyzed through the paraffin sections. Then the correlations between the muscle fiber diameter, cross-sectional area, density, and the expression of MSTN in the pectoral muscle were analyzed. Results showed that MSTN mRNA was mainly expressed in breast muscle, heart, spleen, and kidney and it was almost unexpressed in the liver and lungs. Moreover, the MSTN mRNA expression level in breast muscle was significantly higher than that in other tissues (P < 0.05), and showed an interesting trend that it decreased in the first week and then increased with age. Meanwhile, decrease of myostatin transcripts was accompanied by the down-regulation of Myf5 and the up-regulation of MyoG during the first week post-hatching. In addition, the paraffin sections analysis results revealed that the diameter and cross-sectional area of pectoralis muscle fiber significantly increased with age (P < 0.05), and a significant positive correlation was shown between the MSTN gene expression level and muscle fiber diameter (P < 0.05). These fundamental researches might contribute to further understanding of the roles MSTN played in the post-hatching muscle fiber development in pigeon., (© 2019 Poultry Science Association Inc.)

Advanced Pt-based ternary nanocatalysts display dramatically enhanced utilization efficiency of Pt alternative to mono- and bi-counterparts, owing to the synergistic effects of the tri-metals. Herein, multicomponent uniform 3D PtCoRh highly branched nanoassemblies (HBNAs) were prepared by glycine-assisted one-pot solvothermal method in oleylamine (OAm). The effects of the precursor types, reaction time and amount of glycine were critically investigated in this synthesis. The as-prepared PtCoRh HBNAs displayed outstanding electrocatalytic activity and improved stability towards ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) and methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) in 1 M KOH electrolyte, whose mass/specific activities were 1.75 A mg -1 /4.03 mA cm -2 and 0.98 A mg -1 /2.34 mA cm -2 , respectively, which were remarkably higher than commercial Pt/C (0.85 A mg -1 /4.03 mA cm -2 and 0.47 A mg -1 /0.89 mA cm -2 ). This study provides some novel guidelines to fabricate advanced multimetallic electrocatalysts for practical applications in direct alcohol fuel cells (DAFCs)., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Suturing the proximal pancreatic stump and performing pancreaticoenterostomy for the distal pancreatic stump following central pancreatectomy is a conventional procedure. This reconstruction after resection of the pathological pancreatic lesion brings changes in anatomy and physiology. In this study, an innovative one-stage robotic end-to-end pancreatic anastomosis was reported to replace the conventional pancreaticoenterostomy following central pancreatectomy., Materials and Methods: The clinical data of 11 consecutive patients who underwent robotic central pancreatectomy with end-to-end pancreatic anastomosis between August 2017 and December 2017 were analyzed retrospectively., Results: All operations were completed successfully without any conversion to open surgery. Nine patients had benign tumors, one had a mass-forming chronic pancreatitis, and one had an isolated pancreatic metastasis from a renal cancer. The mean gap left after central pancreatectomy was 4.3 ± 1.0 cm. The median operative time was 121 (range, 105 to 199) min. The median blood loss was 50 (range, 20 to 100) ml. Seven (63.6%) patients developed complications which included Clavien-Dindo Grade I complications in five patients, a Grade II complication in one patient, and a Grade IIIa complication in one patient. Seven patients developed a Grade B postoperative pancreatic fistula, and two patients a biochemical leak. There was no Grade C or worse pancreatic fistula. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography at postoperative 6 months showed no stricture in any of the main pancreatic ducts. Three patients had an asymptomatic and small pancreatic pseudocyst., Conclusion: Robotic central pancreatectomy with end-to-end pancreatic anastomosis was safe and feasible. It restores the normal anatomy of the pancreas. With its good short-and long-term outcomes, it could be an alternative reconstructive method to pancreaticoenterostomy following central pancreatectomy.

1. Adenylosuccinate lyase (ADSL) plays an important role in the synthesis of inosine monophosphate (IMP). In this trial, a total of 200 pigeons were sampled and slaughtered. Seven meat quality traits and 11 carcass traits were measured. DNA sequencing was used to detect nucleotide mutations, and associations between ADSL gene polymorphisms and meat quality and carcass traits were analysed. 2. Sequencing results showed that 9 nucleotide mutations were found in the exons of the ADSL gene. All the mutations were synonymous except C13065G, which caused a change in amino acids (Ser to Arg). In addition, two of the detected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) had significant associations with meat quality and carcass traits. 3. For the C13065G SNP located in exon11, the IMP content of breast muscle in AA and AB genotype was higher than in the BB genotype (P < 0.01). The SNP G10696A located in exon10 was significantly associated with carcass rate, in which AA and AB genotype were higher than the BB genotype (P < 0.01). 4. The results indicated that the ADSL gene has a close association with meat quality and carcass traits in domestic pigeons, and G10696A and C13065G SNPs could be applied as genetic markers in molecular marker-assisted breeding of pigeons.

Previous study in our lab showed that indigenous Xianju chickens from free-range system (FRS) under summer conditions had lower egg production than those from conventional cage rearing system (CRS). The objective of this study was to preliminarily determine the FRS-dependent mechanism of depressing laying performance according to determining the effect of rearing systems on reproductive hormones secretion and their receptors mRNA expression in Xianju chickens reared under summer conditions. A total of 360 indigenous Xianju chickens were randomly allocated to CRS and FRS groups, each of which included 5 replicates of 36 hens. The experiment lasted between 21 and 29 wk of age. We found that the ovarian weight, numbers of small yellow follicles, and large white follicles in the FRS group were lower than those in the CRS group (P < 0.05). Changing from CRS to FRS increased serum concentrations of prolactin and decreased serum-luteinizing hormone and progesterone levels (P < 0.05). Gene expressions in the preovulatory follicles from FRS hens were upregulated for prolactin receptor and downregulated for luteinizing hormone receptor and progesterone receptor, compared to those from CRS hens (P < 0.05). It can be concluded that changing from CRS to FRS in the current experimental conditions depressed egg production traits in Xianju chickens by inducing a synergistic activity of reproductive hormones and the gene expressions of their receptors.