Search

Objectives: Treatment methods of local residual or recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after thermal ablation are limited. Therefore, our study aimed to explore the efficacy and prognostic factors of 125I brachytherapy for local residual or recurrent lesion after thermal ablation. Methods: A total of 114 patients with 212 local residual or recurrent HCC tumors after thermal ablation underwent 125I brachytherapy. Local progression-free survival (LPFS) and prognostic factors were analyzed by Kaplan–Meier curves and the Cox model. Results: After a 6-month follow-up, the percentage of patients who achieved complete response (CR), partial response (PR), and stable disease (SD) was 57%, 13.2%, and 5.2%, respectively. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year LPFS rates were 58.7%, 50.0%, and 41.2%, respectively. Portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) (p = 0.03), the number of intrahepatic tumors (p = 0.01), and AFP level (p = 0.02) were independent risk factors for local tumor progression (LTP). The median LPFS in patients without PVTT (22 months) was much longer compared to those with PVTT (10 months). The median LPFS in patients with less than three intrahepatic lesions improved from 17 to 24 months. The median LPFS was only 5 months in the high AFP group, but was prolonged with a decrease in AFP level (24 months). No severe complications were recorded. All complications were controllable and treatable. Conclusions: CT-guided 125I brachytherapy was a safe and effective treatment for patients with local residual or recurrent HCC after thermal ablation to improve local control rate. Key points: 125I brachytherapy is a treatment for locally recurrent HCC after ablation. 125I brachytherapy combined with ablation may improve tumor control. Vascular invasion, multiple lesions, and AFP are prognostic risk factors. 125I brachytherapy is a safe method with a curative effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effects of tributyrin supplementation in soybean oil (SO)-based diet, three equal-protein (50%) and equal-lipid (12%) experimental diets were formulated: the fish oil (FO) diet, the SO diet, and the tributyrin (TB) diet with 0.20% tributyrin supplemented in the SO-based diet. Each diet was randomly fed to triplicate tanks with 20 fish (initial weight, 9.00 ± 0.02 g) per tank (300 L). Fish were fed to apparent satiation twice daily for 56 days. The whole body, muscle, and intestine tissue samples were collected for analysis. The results indicated that tributyrin partly reversed the final body weight (TB [39.92 ± 0.33 g] versus SO [35.12 ± 0.55 g]) and feed efficiency rate (TB [0.99 ± 0.01] versus SO [0.92 ± 0.01]) decrease and the whole body crude lipid content increase, caused by the replacement of dietary FO by SO. A significant increase in the polyunsaturated fatty acid proportion was observed in the muscle tissue of fish fed the tributyrin diet. The improvement of growth performance mediated by tributyrin supplementation may be attributed to the significant improvement of the intestinal morphology, as indicated by the morphology structure section and molecular parameters. Dietary tributyrin may decrease the SO-induced pro-inflammatory response, characterized by significantly decreased expression of a pro-inflammatory gene (IL-6) and significantly increased expression of an anti-inflammatory gene (IL-10) (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary 0.20% tributyrin supplementation in the SO-based diet improved growth performance, affected muscle fatty acid composition, and improved intestinal histology structure in the juvenile yellow drum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of yttria content on structural and thermal stability of zirconia in yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) polycrystalline ceramics was systematically investigated by Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Taking advantage of an experimentally retrieved linear dependence of Raman bandwidth on yttria content, Raman imaging was applied as an effective tool in examining the local yttrium distribution in YSZ ceramics and its relationship with environmentally driven polymorphic transformation. A significant variation of monoclinic fraction with yttria content and temperature was found and interpreted according to a newly proposed model, which takes into account the change in lattice hydroxyl and oxygen vacancies and the possible formation of stable defect complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to document novel Raman spectroscopic findings in femoral heads affected by osteonecrosis and to identify molecular structure differences based on aetiology.Methods: We obtained 13 femoral heads with osteonecrosis from 13 different patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty. Comparisons were made between the viable zones of each femoral head examined. The samples were scanned with X-ray micro-CT for structural mapping and a central coronal section slab was prepared for Raman spectroscopy and histological analyses. Raman spectra were collected at different locations, including the viable and necrotic zones of the femoral head, using a highly spectrally resolved Raman microprobe.Results: Significant alterations in the spectral morphology in the high wavenumber region were found, with a pronounced inhibition of peculiar lipid signals in the frequency interval 2851 ~ 2890 cm-1 and at ~ 1750 cm-1. The necrotic zone in steroid-associated osteonecrosis showed an increase in the ratio of lipid-related bands to protein-related bands, while alcohol-associated osteonecrosis exhibited a decrease in this ratio.Conclusions: We systematically found a decrease in Raman intensity for sphingomyelin and phenylalanine fingerprint bands in the necrotic zones, and these differences may be related to the etiology of osteonecrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Raman spectroscopic method has quantitatively been applied to the analysis of local crystallographic orientation in both single-crystal hydroxyapatite and human teeth. Raman selection rules for all the vibrational modes of the hexagonal structure were expanded into explicit functions of Euler angles in space and six Raman tensor elements (RTE). A theoretical treatment has also been put forward according to the orientation distribution function (ODF) formalism, which allows one to resolve the statistical orientation patterns of the nm-sized hydroxyapatite crystallite comprised in the Raman microprobe. Close-form solutions could be obtained for the Euler angles and their statistical distributions resolved with respect to the direction of the average texture axis. Polarized Raman spectra from single-crystalline hydroxyapatite and textured polycrystalline (teeth enamel) samples were compared, and a validation of the proposed Raman method could be obtained through confirming the agreement between RTE values obtained from different samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The single crystals of the topological material candidate EuZnBi 2 have been grown using flux method, and the magnetic properties have been systematically investigated. Crystal structure analysis confirms that EuZnBi 2 crystallizes in a layered tetragonal structure at room temperature, consisting of alternating ZnBi 4 tetrahedral and Bi planar layers, separated by Eu atoms. The direct current (DC) magnetic susceptibility, alternating current (AC) magnetic susceptibility, and specific heat measurements indicate that a long-range antiferromagnetic order of Eu 2 + develops at T N = 20 K and the magnetic easy axis exists in the layers. It is interesting to note that EuZnBi 2 exhibits a magnetic anomaly below T N , which might be associated with the tilting of Eu moments and spin reorientation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent increase of the number of unidentified cadavers has become a serious problem throughout the world. As a simple and objective method for age estimation, we attempted to utilize Raman spectrometry for forensic identification. Raman spectroscopy is an optical-based vibrational spectroscopic technique that provides detailed information regarding a sample's molecular composition and structures. Building upon our previous proof-of-concept study, we measured the Raman spectra of abdominal skin samples from 132 autopsy cases and the protein-folding intensity ratio, RPF, defined as the ratio between the Raman signals from a random coil an α-helix. There was a strong negative correlation between age and RPF with a Pearson correlation coefficient of r = 0.878. Four models, based on linear (RPF), squared (RPF2), sex, and RPF by sex interaction terms, were examined. The results of cross validation suggested that the second model including linear and squared terms was the best model with the lowest root mean squared error (11.3 years of age) and the highest coefficient of determination (0.743). Our results indicate that the there was a high correlation between the age and RPF and the Raman biological clock of protein folding can be used as a simple and objective forensic age estimation method for unidentified cadavers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The original publication of this paper contain an error for the first name and last name of the second author have been mixed up as "Wenliang, Z.". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yttria stabilized zirconia, one of the most common ceramics in the field of dentistry and in particular dental implantology, for decades has been wrongly considered to be completely bio-inert. In this work, we investigate the role of yttria on the bioactivity of yttria stabilized zirconia formulations, proving that the composite ceramic is actually bioactive, do not affect the cell adhesion and can stimulate cell proliferation, in vitro. To reduce to minimum the number of variables, yttria stabilized zirconia particles with different contents of yttria but similar average size and morphology have been used to reinforce an electrospun poly-l-lactide (PLLA) fibers. Characterization of both the ceramic particulates and the scaffolds confirmed the morphological and structural similarities between the samples, which were then tested in vitro using a human fetal osteoblasts model. The results showed that cell proliferation is enhanced by the presence of the composite ceramic additive, with higher contents of yttria being overall more effective. These results confirm that yttria plays a key role in the biocompatibility and bioactivity of ceramics and can be used to improve the chances for a positive outcome in the osteo-integration of dental implants and/or biomedical scaffolds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have prepared high-quality nearly stoichiometric single crystal of Dirac semimetal SrMnSb 2 and systematically investigated the physical properties by measurements of magnetic susceptibility, heat capacity, electronic transport, and Hall effect. Magnetic and heat capacity measurements show that nearly stoichiometric SrMnSb 2 only undergoes an antiferromagnetic transition at T N = 295 K and does not have any ferromagnetic component. The analysis of de Haas-van Alphen (dHvA) effect, Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) effect, and Hall effect reveals that nearly stoichiometric SrMnSb 2 is a semimetal with multiple Fermi surfaces and linear dispersion. Furthermore, the nonsaturating linear magnetoresistance of SrMnSb 2 can be explained by the classical disorder theoretical model very well. Thus, the nonsaturating linear magnetoresistance of SrMnSb 2 is likely caused by both of linear dispersion and the classical disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flavonoid extracts are widely used for preventing and treating ischemic heart disease. However, because many flavonoid extracts have been verified to inhibit CYP2D6 the main metabolic enzyme for the majority of antiarrhythmics and beta-blockers, co-administration of flavonoid extracts with these drugs may cause adverse herb-drug interaction in clinic. Here, we evaluated 43 common flavonoids on CYP2D6 inhibition in sillico and four commercial flavonoid extracts in vivo on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of metoprolol in rats. Surprisingly, we found that the core skeletons of flavonoids instead of their substituents determine the extent of inhibiting CYP2D6 by a flavonoid extract. Isoflavones are less likely to inhibit CYP2D6, compared with other categories of flavonoids. Consistently, co-administration of soy extract that mainly contains isoflavones did not significantly increase plasma concentration of metoprolol and alter the systolic blood pressure of rats. Our results have implication in rationally selecting flavonoid extracts for therapeutic application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this work is a precise experimental assessment of the local stress fields developed at the notch-root in a ruby crystal, selected as a paradigm brittle material, by means of photo- and electron-stimulated luminescence techniques. Our approach takes advantage of the piezo-spectroscopic (PS) effect, which consists of a spectral shift of the luminescence emitted by the material due to lattice strain. Highly spatially resolved stress maps were extensively collected at the notch-root and spectral shifts monitored for the chromophoric ( R-lines) fluorescence observed in a single-crystalline ruby sample. Experimental data were analyzed and compared to the theoretical solutions of notch-root stress fields given by Filippi and by Creager-Paris. Due to its inherent simplifications, the Creager–Paris solution was found leading to underestimation of the maximum stress value piled up in the material, while the Filippi’s solution represented a more suitable approximation for the stress field developed at the notch-root. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of Nd3+ doping with different concentration on the luminescence properties of PbWO4 single crystals were investigated by means of the thermo-luminescence, X-ray excited luminescence and photoluminescence spectra. Nd3+ doping has almost the same doping effects as that of La3+ doping in PbWO4. The doping mechanism of Nd3+ was briefly discussed. Dielectric loss spectroscopy and conductibility were measured when the PbWO4:Nd3+ single crystals were sequentially annealed in air atmosphere from 100 °C to 1000 °C. The heavily Nd3+-doped PbWO4 present a larger conductivity at the high temperature with low activation energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface inactivation of human microbial pathogens has a long history. The Smith Papyrus (2600 ~ 2200 B.C.) described the use of copper surfaces to sterilize chest wounds and drinking water. Brass and bronze on doorknobs can discourage microbial spread in hospitals, and metal-base surface coatings are used in hygiene-sensitive environments, both as inactivators and modulators of cellular immunity. A limitation of these approaches is that the reactive oxygen radicals (ROS) generated at metal surfaces also damage human cells by oxidizing their proteins and lipids. Silicon nitride (Si3N4) is a non-oxide ceramic compound with known surface bacterial resistance. We show here that off-stoichiometric reactions at Si3N4 surfaces are also capable of inactivating different types of single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) viruses independent of whether their structure presents an envelop or not. The antiviral property of Si3N4 derives from a hydrolysis reaction at its surface and the subsequent formation of reactive nitrogen species (RNS) in doses that could be metabolized by mammalian cells but are lethal to pathogens. Real-time reverse transcription (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests of viral RNA and in situ Raman spectroscopy suggested that the products of Si3N4 hydrolysis directly react with viral proteins and RNA. Si3N4 may have a role in controlling human epidemics related to ssRNA mutant viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic investigation, based on highly spectrally resolved Raman spectroscopy, was undertaken to research the efficacy of vibrational assessments in locating chemical and crystallographic fingerprints for the characterization of dental caries and the early detection of non-cavitated carious lesions. Raman results published by other authors have indicated possible approaches for this method. However, they conspicuously lacked physical insight at the molecular scale and, thus, the rigor necessary to prove the efficacy of this spectroscopy method. After solving basic physical challenges in a companion paper, we apply them here in the form of newly developed Raman algorithms for practical dental research. Relevant differences in mineral crystallite (average) orientation and texture distribution were revealed for diseased enamel at different stages compared with healthy mineralized enamel. Clear spectroscopy features could be directly translated in terms of a rigorous and quantitative classification of crystallography and chemical characteristics of diseased enamel structures. The Raman procedure enabled us to trace back otherwise invisible characteristics in early caries, in the translucent zone (i.e., the advancing front of the disease) and in the body of lesion of cavitated caries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the reciprocity between bioceramics and living cells is complex, it is principally governed by the implant's surface chemistry. Consequently, a deeper understanding of the chemical interactions of bioceramics with living tissue could ultimately lead to new therapeutic strategies. However, the physical and chemical principles that govern these interactions remain unclear. The intricacies of this biological synergy are explored within this paper by examining the peculiar surface chemistry of a relatively new bioceramic, silicon nitride (Si3N4). Building upon prior research, this paper aims at obtaining new insights into the biological interactions between Si3N4 and living cells, as a consequence of the off-stoichiometric chemical nature of its surface at the nanometer scale. We show here yet unveiled details of surface chemistry and, based on these new data, formulate a model on how, ultimately, Si3N4 influences cellular signal transduction functions and differentiation mechanisms. In other words, we interpret its reciprocity with living cells in chemical terms. These new findings suggest that Si3N4 might provide unique new medicinal therapies and effective remedies for various bone or joint maladies and diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]