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Osteosarcoma is the commonest malignant bone tumor of children and adolescents and is characterized by a high risk of recurrence despite multimodal therapy, especially in metastatic disease. This suggests the presence of clinically undetected cancer cells that persist, leading to cancer recurrence. We sought to evaluate the utility of peripheral blood exosomes as a more sensitive yet minimally invasive blood test that could aid in evaluating treatment response and surveillance for potential disease recurrence. We extracted exosomes from the blood of pediatric osteosarcoma patients at diagnosis (n=7) and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (n=5 subset), as well as from age-matched cancer-free controls (n=3). We also obtained matched tumor biopsy samples (n=7) from the cases. Exosome isolation was verified by CD9 immunoblot and characterized on electron microscopy. Profiles of 780 cancer-related transcripts were analysed in mRNA from exosomes of osteosarcoma patients at diagnosis and control patients, matched post-chemotherapy samples, and matched primary tumor samples. Peripheral blood exosomes of osteosarcoma patients at diagnosis were significantly smaller than those of controls and overexpressed extracellular matrix protein gene THBS1 and B cell markers MS4A1 and TCL1A. Immunohistochemical staining of corresponding tumor samples verified the expression of THBS1 on tumor cells and osteoid matrix, and its persistence in a treatment-refractory patient, as well as the B cell origin of the latter. These hold potential as liquid biopsy biomarkers of disease burden and host immune response in osteosarcoma. Our findings suggest that exosomes may provide novel and clinically-important insights into the pathophysiology of cancers such as osteosarcoma.

Since silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and polystyrene microplastics (PS-MP) share common environmental niches, their interactions can modulate their hazard impacts. Herein, we assessed the developmental toxicity of 1 mg/L PS-MP, 0.5 mg/L AgNPs and the mixtures of AgNPs and PS-MP on embryo-larval zebrafish. We found that AgNPs co-exposure with PS-MP remarkably decreased mortality rates, malformation rates, heart rates and yolk sac area, while it increased hatching rates and eye size compared to the AgNPs group. These phenomena revealed that the cell cycle, oxidative stress, apoptosis, lipid metabolism, ferroptosis and p53 signalling pathway were obviously affected by single AgNPs exposure at 96 hpf (hours post fertilization). Interestingly, all these effects were effectively ameliorated by co-exposure with PS-MP. The combination of transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses showed that the imbalance of DEGs (differentially expressed genes) and DEMs (differentially expressed metabolites) (PI, phosphatidylinositol and TAG-FA, triacylglycerol-fatty acid) disturbed both the cell cycle and lipid metabolism following single AgNPs exposure and co-exposure with PS-MP. These findings suggest that PS-MP attenuates the developmental toxicity of AgNPs on embryo-larval zebrafish. Overall, this study provides important insight into understanding the transcriptional responses and mechanisms of AgNPs alone or in combination with PS-MPs on embryo-larval zebrafish, providing a reference for ecological risk assessment of combined exposure to PS-MP and metal nanoparticles., 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.)

Objective: The aim of this study is to identify risk factors contributing to central nervous system (CNS) invasion and to validate the suitability of the Central Nervous System International Prognostic Index (CNS-IPI) for individuals afflicted with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL)., Methods: Based on the presence or absence of CNS invasion, 365 patients were stratified into two groups: the CNS group and the non-CNS group. The clinical data of the patients were retrospectively analyzed using univariate and multivariate analysis, and the differences in survival curves were compared. The dependent variable in this study was the presence or absence of CNS invasion, while the independent variables included age, stage, extranodal involvement, renal/adrenal involvement, and others. Statistical methods included the chi-squared test and Fisher's exact test for intergroup comparison and binary logistic regression for multi-factor analysis. The related risk factors were modeled using the Cox proportional hazards model. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to generate survival curves, and the log-rank test was used to compare the differences between survival curves. The optimal cutoff value of beta-2 (β2)-microglobulin was determined through the utilization of a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. All P values were bidirectional, and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Both SPSS 23.0 (IBM Inc., Armonk, NY, USA) and RStudio (R software version 4.0.2, R Project for Statistical Computing) software were used for data processing RESULTS: The five factors of the CNS-IPI were related to the prognosis of patients with CNS invasion. Bone involvement, albumin < 40 g/L, and P53 protein (+) were the risk factors for CNS invasion in patients with DLBCL. However, prognostic factors such as double strike, testicular involvement, breast involvement, uterine involvement, and bone marrow involvement did not apply to these patients. It was also discovered that elderly patients with DLBCL with reduced albumin levels were more susceptible to CNS invasion. Furthermore, extranodal involvement at multiple sites and elevated beta-2 (β2) microglobulin were independent prognostic factors CONCLUSION: Patients older than 60 years with DLBCL and decreased albumin are at increased risk for CNS invasion. In addition to the five factors in the CNS-IPI, bone involvement, albumin levels < 40 g/L, and P53 protein expression are risk factors affecting the prognosis of CNS invasion in patients with DLBCL., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Herein, a magnetic cationic Schiff base polymeric material (Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 -Schiff-TAPB-DA) was fabricated simply and rapidly, which was explored as a magnetic adsorbent for magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) for enriching seven avermectins insecticides in surface water and milk matrices combined with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Under the optimized pretreatment and instrumental parameters, the analytes showed good linearity in the range of 0.5-200.0 ng·mL -1 with a correlation coefficient (R 2 ) greater than 0.9990 and high precision. The limits of detection for the analytes were 0.004-0.047 μg·L -1 for surface water sample and 0.008-0.250 μg·kg -1 for milk samples. Satisfactory recoveries of spiked target compounds were in the range of 82.25- 100.87 % for surface water sample and 72.73- 119.62 % for milk samples. The results indicated powerfully Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 -Schiff-TAPB-DA was of significant potential as an MSPE adsorbent for the detection of avermectin insecticides in surface water and milk, which provides a quick and efficient idea for enriching avermectins insecticides in complicated matrices., 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.)

The increasing incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) poses a significant public health concern, prompting heightened attention to its treatment. Incretins, including glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, are intestinal peptides released after nutrient intake, known for their hypoglycemic effects in diabetes management. Recent advancements highlight the promising outcomes of GLP-1 receptor agonists in reducing CKD risk factors and improving renal outcomes. The multifaceted functions of GLP-1, such as its anti-obesity, anti-hypertensive, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-lipid, anti-inflammatory, and endothelial function protective properties, contribute to its potential as a therapeutic agent for CKD. Although experiments suggest the potential benefits of incretin in CKD, a comprehensive understanding of its specific mechanisms is still lacking. This review aims to provide a detailed examination of current evidence and potential future directions, emphasizing the promising yet evolving landscape of incretin agonists in the context of CKD., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Purpose: Malunited distal radius fractures frequently occur in the older population, posing a dilemma in selecting ideal management for symptomatic patients. Radial corrective osteotomy (RCO) and the Sauvé-Kapandji procedure (SK) have been used to treat this challenging condition. However, it remains unknown which approach is better for the older population. The objective of this study was to compare the outcomes of RCO with those of SK for the treatment of symptomatic distal radius malunion in older adults., Methods: Thirty-three patients aged ≥60 years, with malunited distal radius fractures, were randomized to be treated with either RCO or SK and followed for a minimum of 2 years. The primary evaluation parameter was grip strength, and secondary outcome parameters were surgical time, range of motion of the wrist, exercise-related wrist pain assessment using visual analog scale scores, radiographic results, patient-reported outcomes evaluated using the Disability of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH), and Patient-Related Wrist Evaluation (PRWE) scores., Results: The average follow-up duration was 36.7 ± 10.2 months. The grip strength was significantly higher in the RCO group. The surgical time was shorter in the SK group than in the RCO group. The postoperative wrist range of motion and visual analog scale scores for exercise-related pain alleviation were similar in both groups. The ulnar variance decreased in both groups and was similar when compared with the postoperative images. The DASH and PRWE scores were similar between the RCO and SK groups., Conclusions: Radial corrective osteotomy and SK surgeries have similar clinical and functional outcomes in patients aged ≥60 years. Grip strength is higher in the RCO group than in the SK group. However, the operating time to accomplish SK is shorter than RCO., Type of Study/level of Evidence: Therapeutic II., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest No benefits in any form have been received or will be received related directly to this article., (Copyright © 2024 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is a chronic, insidious, progressive mucosal disease that may be affected by mutations in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) is a powerful anti-fibrosis agent; however, its effect and mechanism in treating OSF remain unclear. This study investigated the effect and mechanism of PNS treatment for OSF., Study Design: Arecoline was used to induce OSF models in vivo and in vitro, which were then treated with PNS. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and Masson trichrome staining were used to observe histopathology changes; E-cadherin and β-catenin were detected by Immunohistochemical assay, and type Ⅰ collagen (CollA1) and β-catenin were detected by immunofluorescent staining. The Wnt/β-catenin pathway and fibrosis signs were assessed using Western Blot and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR)., Results: The expression of CollA1, Wnt1, and β-catenin were increased, and E-cadherin, GSK-3β, and β-catenin expression were decreased in OSF models. PNS and inhibitor intervention increased E-cadherin, Wnt1, and β-catenin and decreased CollA1 and GSK-3β in a dose-dependent manner., Conclusion: PNS can improve OSF by inhibiting the Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway and thus may be used as a potential medicine for the treatment of OSF., Competing Interests: Declaration of interest None., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To analyze the effects of the angle between dynamic hip screw (DHS) and anti-rotation screw (AS) on vertically oriented femoral neck fractures (VOFNFs) and investigate the clinical results of them., Methods: Eighteen synthetic femurs were simulated and divided into 3 groups. The angle between DHS and AS in anteroposterior-view was marked as α, and in lateral-view was marked as β, thus the total angle (TA) was defined as the summation of α and β. The groups were categorized as group A (TA ≤ 5°), B (5° < TA ≤ 10°), and C (TA > 10°), respectively. All samples were tested under incremental, cyclical loading, and loading to failure. In clinic, 80 consecutive VOFNFs in 78 patients were treated with DHS plus AS. The patients were divided into 2 groups, including 48 fractures in parallel group (TA ≤10°) and 32 in angular group (TA >10°)., Results: Group A and B survived during incremental and cyclical loading and endured longer than group C. Axial stiffness and failure loads were not different between group A and B, and greater than group C. Fracture gaps compressive stress was highest in group A, followed by group B and C. Forty-one fractures in parallel group and 23 in angular group healed at final follow-up. Nonunion and osteonecrosis occurred in 3 and 4 of parallel group, and 4 and 5 of angular group., Conclusion: The construction with TA ≤10° between DHS and AS showed superior biomechanical performance and clinical results than those with TA >10°., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Heart diseases are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying these diseases is essential for the development of effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. The FHL family consists of five members: FHL1, FHL2, FHL3, FHL4, and FHL5/Act. These members exhibit different expression patterns in various tissues including the heart. FHL family proteins are implicated in cardiac remodeling, regulation of metabolic enzymes, and cardiac biomechanical stress perception. A large number of studies have explored the link between FHL family proteins and cardiac disease, skeletal muscle disease, and ovarian metabolism, but a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the specific molecular mechanisms targeting FHL on cardiac disease is lacking. The aim of this review is to explore the structure and function of FHL family members, to comprehensively elucidate the mechanisms by which they regulate the heart, and to explore in depth the changes in FHL family members observed in different cardiac disorders, as well as the effects of mutations in FHL proteins on heart health., 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 Inc. All rights reserved.)

Microbiomes play a key role in marine ecosystem functioning and sustainability. Their organization and stability in coastal areas, particularly in anthropogenic-influenced regions, however, remains unclear compared with an understanding of how microbial community shifts respond to marine environmental gradients. Here, the assembly and community associations across vertical and horizontal gradients in the East China Sea are systematically researched. The seawater microbial communities possessed higher robustness and lower fragmentation and vulnerability compared to the sediment microbiomes. Spatial gradients act as a deterministic filtering factor for microbiome organization. Microbial communities had lower phylogenetic distance and higher niche breadth in the nearshore and offshore areas compared to intermediate areas. The phylogenetic distance of microbiomes decreased from the surface to the bottom but the niche breadth was enhanced in surface and bottom environments. Vertical gradients destabilized microbial associations, while the community diversity was enhanced. Multivariate regression tree analysis and canonical correspondence analysis indicated that depth, distance from shore, nutrient availability, temperature, salinity, and chlorophyll a, affected the distribution and co-occurrence of microbial groups. Our results highlight the crucial roles of environmental gradients in determining microbiome association and stability. These results improve our understanding of the survival strategies/adaptive mechanisms of microbial communities in response to environmental variation and provide new insights for protecting the ecosystems and maintaining the sustainability of ecological functions., 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 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Ionic liquids (ILs) have been developed as alternatives to traditional solvents, and their toxicity may be affected by alkyl chain length. Currently, there is limited evidence for whether parental exposure to different alkyl chain length ILs will induce intergenerational toxicity in zebrafish offspring. To address this knowledge gap, the parental zebrafish (F0) were exposed to 25 mg/L [C n mim]BF 4 (n = 4, 6, 8) for 7 days. Following this, fertilized F1 embryos from the exposed parents were reared in clean water for 120 h. Increased mortality, higher deformity rate, increased pericardial edema rate, and a shorter swimming distance and average speed were detected in the unexposed F1 embryonic larvae from the exposed F0 compared to the F1 generation from the unexposed F0. Parental exposure to [C n mim]BF 4 (n = 4, 6, 8) resulted in cardiac malformations and dysfunction in F1 larvae, including increased pericardial areas, increased yolk sac areas and decreased heart rate. Moreover, the intergenerational toxicity of [C n mim]BF 4 (n = 4, 6, 8) in F1 offspring appeared to be alkyl chain length-dependent. Parental [C n mim]BF 4 (n = 4, 6, 8) exposure led to global transcriptomic changes involved in developmental processes, nervous system process, cardiomyopathy, cardiac muscle contraction, and metabolic signalling pathways such as PI3K-Akt, PPAR and cAMP pathways in unexposed F1 offspring. Overall, the present study provides evidence that the neurotoxicity and cardiotoxicity of ILs in zebrafish can be markedly transmitted to offspring, and the intergenerational developmental toxicity is probably linked to transcriptomic alterations, highlighting the necessity of assessing ILs' environmental safety and human health risks., 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. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Triclosan (TCS), a newly identified environmental endocrine disruptor (EED) in household products, has been reported to have toxic effects on animals and humans. The effects of TCS exposure on individual social behaviors and the potential underlying mechanisms are still unknown. This study investigated the behavioral effects of 42-day exposure to TCS (0, 50, 100 mg/kg) in drinking water using the open field test (OFT), social dominance test (SDT), social interaction test (SIT), and novel object recognition task (NOR). Using 16S rRNA sequencing analysis and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we observed the effects of TCS exposure on the gut microbiota and ultrastructure of hippocampal neurons and synapses. Behavioral results showed that chronic TCS exposure reduced the social dominance of male and female mice. TCS exposure also reduced social interaction in male mice and impaired memory formation in female mice. Analysis of the gut microbiota showed that TCS exposure increased the relative abundance of the Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria phyla in female mice. Ultrastructural analysis revealed that TCS exposure induced ultrastructural damage to hippocampal neurons and synapses. These findings suggest that TCS exposure may affect social behaviors, which may be caused by altered gut microbiota and impaired plasticity of hippocampal neurons and synapses., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Glyphosate (GLY) is the most widely used broad-spectrum, non-selective herbicide in the world, whose main degradation product is aminomethyl phosphonic acid (AMPA). Because of long-term and large-scale use, residual GLY and AMPA in the environment pose great environmental and human health threats. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects and mechanism of residual low-concentrations of GLY and AMPA in the environment on the development of zebrafish embryos. Zebrafish embryos were exposed to 0, 1, 10, 100, and 700 ng·mL -1 GLY and AMPA for 72 h (from 2 to 74 h post-fertilization). With increasing exposure dose, heart rates of both embryos and larvae showed a rising trend and obvious arrhythmia appeared. Defects in cardiac development and function of zebrafish juveniles may be related to altered transcription levels of cardiac development genes (TBX5, NKX2.5, BMP4) and apoptosis genes (Bcl-2, Bax). In addition, pericardial edema and bone deformation of zebrafish embryos may be caused by inhibition of Na + /K + -ATPase and Ca 2+ -ATPase after exposure to GLY and AMPA. The present results demonstrated that at typical environmental residual concentrations of GLY and AMPA had similar developmental toxicity in zebrafish embryos., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Although river restoration has been increasingly implemented to restore water quality in ecosystems, its effect on the removal of emerging pollutant antibiotics, and their resultant influence on microbial community structure and functions in river water is still unclear. This study investigated the changes of antibiotics, antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs), microbial communities, and their spatial distributions in a megacity river before and after river restoration. Results indicated that although the restoration activities including riverbed dredging, riverbank hardening, sewage and storm water separation and re-pipelining improved water quality such as by decreasing total phosphorus (TP) content from 4.60 ± 6.38 mg/L in 2018 to 0.98 ± 0.44 mg/L in 2020, the antibiotic concentrations in river water increased. Total antibiotic concentrations in the water samples were higher in 2020 (506.89-6952.50 ng/L) than those in 2018 (137.93-1751.51 ng/L), likely caused by increased usage of antibiotics in 2020 for COVID-19 treatment. The spatial distributions of antibiotics were less varied likely as a result of less retardation and fast mixing during antibiotic transport. The result also found that the abundance of Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria, and their correlations with ARGs increased. The spatial distributions of ARGs and microbial communities became less varied in the river water, consistent with the antibiotic variations before and after river restoration. Physicochemical changes such as decreased TP and dissolved organic carbon content may also be a factor. The results indicated that the current river restoration efforts were not effective in removing antibiotics, and implied that further studies are needed to investigate their subsequent transformation and transport, and to assess their risks to the health of ecosystems., 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 © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Microbial communities in hyporheic zones (HZ) provide vital biogeochemical functions such as contaminant degradation for river ecosystems. Antibiotics are contaminants that have been increasingly detected in HZ sediments. In this study, sediments from different HZ locations in a contaminated river, Maozhou river, China were sampled and analyzed using qPCR and high-throughput sequencing to investigate the effect of antibiotic contamination on microbial community structures and functions in HZ sediments. Results indicated that types and concentrations of antibiotics in HZ sediments were heterogeneously distributed that were largely consistent with the distribution of antibiotic sources. Sediments near animal farm and hospital contained higher antibiotic concentrations compared with those from mainstream. The distribution of ARGs was well correlated with antibiotics. Bacterial indicator genera indicating differences between mainstream area and other sampling areas were positively correlated with antibiotics, suggesting the influences of antibiotics on reshaping microbial community structures. PICRUSt revealed positive relationships between antibiotics and predicted functional genes involved in defense, signal transduction, and recombination and repair. This imply the defensive response of microbial communities on antibiotic attack. These results indicated that antibiotic contamination in the watershed posed a potential risk on HZ microbial community structures and functions, which may further threaten river ecosystem functions., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) have received increased interest worldwide since they were added to the list of controlled POPs in Annex A of the Stockholm Convention in 2017. Although many toxicological studies have already shown that SCCPs are hepatotoxic, nephrotoxic, and thyrotoxic to rodents, there have been few studies to date that have characterized changes in the metabolic pathways targeted by SCCPs. In this study, a UPLC-Q-TOF-MS based plasma metabolomics approach was used to investigate the toxicity of SCCPs in rats. Liver and kidney injury occurred rapidly after high-dose SCCP exposure, and the most relevant pathways affected were energy metabolism, amino acid metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, and vitamin B metabolism. Exposure to SCCPs inhibited the tricarboxylic acid cycle and accelerated degradation. Fluctuating levels of phospholipids and nucleotides may have contributed to the neurotoxicity of SCCPs. In addition, the down regulation of folic acid induced by SCCPs may have led to malformations during the early development of laboratory animals. These results suggested that high exposure levels of SCCPs may have serious health risks and more research is needed to assess the health status of relevant occupational groups., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A high throughput method was developed and validated for the quantitation of gamithromycin residues in eggs, milk and animal tissues (leg muscle, kidney, liver and fat) of different species and genera. This was undertaken using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The samples were extracted with acetonitrile and purified using an Oasis MCX solid phase extraction cartridge. Subsequently, a C18 column was used for chromatographic separation using acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid as the mobile phase. LC-MS/MS in positive ESI and multiple reaction monitoring mode with gamithromycin-D4 as the internal standard was used for detection and quantification of gamithromycin. The method was successfully calibrated in the range of 1.0-200 µg/kg. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) for gamithromycin was 0.30-0.40 µg/kg and 0.80 - 1.0 µg/kg, respectively. The average recoveries of the analyte fortified at three levels ranged from 84.2% to 115.9%, with a relative standard deviation <10%. The proposed method has been successfully used to monitor real samples, and shown to be sensitive, rapid, and convenient. Hence, this method could be used for regulatory purposes to screen for the presence of gamithromycin residues in eggs, milk and target tissues., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

An untargeted and pseudotargeted metabolomic combination approach was developed to identify reliable and stable differential markers which can distinguish between pork meat from live pigs conventionally butchered and pork meat from dead pigs butchered immediately after death from diseases or other abnormalities. In this study, 24 differential metabolites of interest were screened by the UHPLC-Triple-TOF-MS-based untargeted metabolomic method, and 14 differential markers were detected by the UHPLC-QTRAP-MS-based pseudotargeted metabolomic method after performing statistical analysis to remove false-positive differential metabolites. Among the possible differential markers identified using the Metlin database and references were carnosine, l-carnitine, l-histidine, N-acetylhistidine, acetylcholine, l-acetylcarnitine and two phosphatidylcholines. The results of the principal component analysis (PCA) and the hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) indicate that 14 differential markers could be potentially used to distinguish live and dead pork meat. This reliable and stable approach not only could detect the unknown differential markers, but also accurately quantify them., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

A sensitive and selective method was developed for simultaneous determination of four antidepressants (ATDs) in plasma and urine samples by gas chromatography- mass spectrometry (GC-MS) based on an N-nitrosation reaction. In this study, fluoxetine (Flu), nortriptyline (Nor), maprotiline (Map), and paroxetine (Paro) were first derivatized with sodium nitrite to appropriate N-nitrosamines under acidic condition, then the derivatives were easier to detect by GC-MS. The derivatization conditions including the amount of hydrochloric acid, the amount of sodium nitrite, reaction temperature, reaction time and the extraction reagents were optimized. Under the optimal conditions, the limit of detections (LODs) and limit of quantitations (LOQs) were in the range of 0.04-1.38 μg L -1 and 0.14-4.62 μg L -1 , respectively. Low, medium, and high concentrations of antidepressants were added in plasma and urine samples, spiked recovery ranged from 85.88%-110.34% for plasma and 80.64%-113.07% for urine, respectively. The derivatization reaction was very quickly, only 5 min was needed for the reaction process, in addition, the proposed method exhibited superior sensitivity and selectivity, it showed sufficient advantages for determination of Flu, Nor, Map, and Paro in plasma and urine of patients., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

As a globally popular herbicide, glyphosate (GLY) and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) pose potential hazards to the ecological environment. In this study, a sensitive and reliable method for detecting GLY and AMPA was utilized to facilitate exposure risk assessment of the analytes in environmental systems such as water and soil. GLY and AMPA were extracted from the sample using a solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedure, derivatized by heptafluorobutyric anhydride and heptafluorobutanol, and detected by gas chromatography-flame photometric detection (GC-FPD). The linearities of GLY and AMPA in the range of 10-1000 ng/mL were good (r=0.9998, r=0.9991), and the limits of quantitation (LOQ) for GLY and AMPA were 0.37 and 0.81 ng/mL, respectively. The method has been successfully applied for detecting GLY and AMPA in water, soil and monitoring the degradation of GLY under different environmental conditions. Simulated migration characteristics of GLY and AMPA in soil were investigated for evaluating the potential hazards of GLY and AMPA to the ecological environment., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Management of Pauwels type-3 vertical femoral neck fractures has been a challenging clinical problem as they experience high shear forces and thus a greater risk of treatment failure. There is no apparent consensus on the optimal implant type for these injuries. We developed a modified dynamic hip screw (DHS), which was designed to a cage in the lag screw, loaded with autologous bone graft for the treatment of Pauwels type-3 vertical femoral neck fractures., Methods: Between February 2010 and January 2012, 17 consecutive patients with Pauwels type-3 vertical femoral neck fractures were treated with the modified DHS loaded with autologous bone graft. All patients were followed up for a minimum of 24 months (range, 24-36 months). Surgical details, operative and postoperative complications, the rates of nonunion and osteonecrosis and the Harris hip score were evaluated., Results: There were thirteen men and four women with a mean age of 37.2 years (range, 27-52 years). There were no intraoperative complications related to this technology. All fractures healed within 14.1 weeks (range, 12 to 20 weeks). One patient required total hip replacement because of avascular necrosis of the femoral head at 27 months after surgery. According to the Harris hip score, eleven patients (64.7%) had excellent results, four (23.5%) had good results, one (5.9%) had moderate and one (5.9%) had poor result., Conclusions: The modified DHS loaded with autologous bone graft appears to be a reliable implant for the treatment of Pauwels type-3 vertical femoral neck fractures with fewer complications., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Diabetic mellitus (DM) portends poor prognosis concerning pressure overloaded heart disease. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), elements of essential amino acids, have been found altered in its catabolism in diabetes decades ago. However, the relationship between BCAAs and DM induced deterioration of pressure overloaded heart disease remains controversial. This study is aimed to investigate the particular effect of BCKA, a metabolite of BCAA, on myocardial injury induced by pressure overloaded. Primary cardiomyocytes were incubated with or without BCKA and followed by treatment with isoproterenol (ISO); then cell viability was detected by CCK8 and apoptosis was examined by TUNNEL stain and caspase-3 activity analysis. Compared to non-BCKA incubated group, BCKA incubation decreased cell survival and increased apoptosis concentration dependently. Furthermore, Western blot assay showed that mTORC2-Akt pathway was significantly inactivated by BCKA incubation. Moreover, overexpression of rictor, a vital component of mTORC2, significantly abolished the adverse effects of BCKA on apoptosis susceptibility of cardiomyocytes. These results indicate that BCKA contribute to vulnerability of cardiomyocytes in stimulated stress via inactivation of mTORC2-Akt pathway., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The treatment of tibial plateau fractures involving the lateral and posterolateral column is a demanding and fine surgical challenge. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and clinical efficacy of combined approach for the treatment of lateral and posterolateral tibial plateau fractures., Methods: A prospective study was performed in 17 patients with lateral and posterolateral tibial plateau fractures between January 2009 and December 2012. There were 12 males and 5 females with a mean age of 40 years. All of them received dual-plate fixation through the combined approach, with the patients in a floating position. The combined approaches included a conventional anterolateral approach and an inverted L-shaped posterolateral approach. Operation time, intraoperative blood loss, fracture healing time, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) knee score, knee flexion and extension range of motion, and complications were recorded to evaluate treatment effects., Results: There were no intraoperative complications related to this technology. Mean operation time was 144min with a mean intraoperative blood loss volume of 233mL. The mean follow-up was 23 months. All 17 patients had good postoperative fracture healing. Mean union time was 12 weeks. At the final follow-up, the average HSS score was 92.5, with the average knee flexion of 125° and an average knee extension of 2°. Two patients had complications in postoperative incisions with aseptic fat liquefaction. After thorough debridement, second-stage wounds healing were achieved. No neurovascular injury occurred. No collapse of reduced articular surface was detected., Conclusions: The combined approach with dual-plate offers direct and complete surgical exposure and provide an effective method for the treatment of lateral and posterolateral tibial plateau fractures., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A highly sensitive electrochemical sensor of hydrazine has been fabricated by Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) coating of carbon nanotubes-electrochemical reduced graphene oxide composite film (CNTs-ErGO) on glassy carbon electrode (GCE). Cyclic voltammetry and potential amperometry have been used to investigate the electrochemical properties of the fabricated sensors for hydrazine detection. The performances of the sensors were optimized by varying the CNTs to ErGO ratio and the quantity of Au nanoparticles. The results show that under optimal conditions, a sensitivity of 9.73μAμM(-1)cm(-2), a short response time of 3s, and a low detection limit of 0.065μM could be achieved with a linear concentration response range from 0.3μM to 319μM. The enhanced electrochemical performances could be attributed to the synergistic effect between AuNPs and CNTs-ErGO film and the outstanding catalytic effect of the Au nanoparticles. Finally, the sensor was successfully used to analyse the tap water, showing high potential for practical applications., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Laser processing of shape memory alloys (SMAs) promises to enable the multifunctional capabilities needed for medical device applications. Prior to clinical implementation, the surface characterisation of laser processed SMA is essential in order to understand any adverse biological interaction that may occur. The current study systematically investigated two Ni-49.8 at.% Ti SMA laser processed surface finishes, including as-processed and polished, while comparing them to a chemically etched parent material. Spectrographic characterisation of the surface included; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and Raman spectroscopy. Corrosion performance and Ni ion release were also assessed using potentiodynamic cyclic polarization testing and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), respectively. Results showed that surface defects, including increased roughness, crystallinity and presence of volatile oxide species, overshadowed any possible performance improvements from an increased Ti/Ni ratio or inclusion dissolution imparted by laser processing. However, post-laser process mechanical polishing was shown to remove these defects and restore the performance, making it comparable to chemically etched NiTi material., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Determining the level of urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), an oxidative DNA damage biomarker, is vital to the study of clinical pathogenesis and drug toxicity. The principal limitation of capillary electrophoresis (CE) with UV detection is its low sensitivity. To overcome this shortcoming, we developed a micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEKC) with solid-phase extraction (SPE) for urinary 8-OHdG analysis. The sensitivity of MEKC-UV was improved using a reasonable UV system, injection mode, and SPE. The parameters affecting MEKC and SPE were also optimized. The calibration curve was linear within the range from 1 to 500 μg L(-1). The limits of detection and quantification were 0.27 μg L(-1) and 0.82 μg L(-1), respectively. Interday and intraday precision were both <5.6%. The recovery of 8-OHdG in urine ranged from 94.5% to 103.2%. This method was used to measure urinary 8-OHdG from eight normal children, eight newly diagnosed leukemic children, and eight leukemic children undergoing chemotherapy. The results show that the proposed method can be used to assess oxidative stress in patients and the side effects of chemotherapeutic drugs by measuring urinary 8-OHdG., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A new method was developed for determination of ketamine (KT) in urine and plasma samples by derivatization and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In this article, KT was first derivatized with sodium nitrite to volatile N-nitrosamines under acidic condition. Then the derivative had been identified by the mass spectra. The derivatization conditions including the amount of hydrochloric acid, the amount of sodium nitrite, reaction temperature, reaction time and the extraction reagents were optimized. Calibration curves were linear in the range of 0.04-20 μg mL(-1) for KT, and the limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) were 0.01 μg mL(-1) and 0.04 μg mL(-1), respectively. The results of recovery indicated that the method had good precision and reproducibility. Compared with existing derivatization methods, this method provided a rapid, convenient, effective and low-cost way for gas chromatography method of KT quantification., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy often experience anxiety and a sense of loss of control immediately after completion of their active treatment. This study aims to evaluate, using a cross-sectional survey, the effects of a post-radiation education pamphlet on the self-efficacy of cancer patients in terms of seeking/understanding medical information, seeking support, and coping with radiation side effects. Forty-eight patients from various age groups with a variety of cancer diagnoses were recruited from the Radiation Medicine Program at Princess Margaret Hospital. Descriptive analysis of 35 survey responses suggests that the pamphlet improved patient self-efficacy in terms of seeking and understanding medical information, seeking support, and coping with radiation side effects. The benefits of the pamphlet were also found to be independent of patients' education level. Despite the small sample size, this study demonstrates the effectiveness of the education pamphlet in improving patient self-efficacy and gives support to the pamphlet's utility in improving the transition care of cancer patients finishing radiotherapy. In parallel, 40 Princess Margaret Hospital Radiation Medicine Program staff members were also asked, via online surveys, about their awareness of the pamphlet, and its usefulness in terms of content, format, and timing of the information provided. More than 90% of the staff indicated that the pamphlet was an effective tool. Only 57% of oncologists were aware of the pamphlet's existence., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Although mini-cardiopulmonary bypass systems reduce inflammation, hemodilution, and transfusion requirements, the problem of air entrainment and embolization into the system has limited its use. Newer systems incorporate an air purge to address this problem. We compared the benefits and possible risks in using the newer mini-cardiopulmonary bypass system with those for conventional cardiopulmonary bypass., Methods: Data of 60 patients who underwent cardiac surgery with a newer mini-cardiopulmonary bypass system incorporating an air purge from August 2005 to July 2006 (group A) were retrospectively collected and compared with that of 60 matched patients who underwent cardiac surgery with conventional cardiopulmonary bypass during the same period (group B). Matching criteria were prebypass hematocrit, body surface area, age, and surgical procedure., Results: Demographic and background data were similar for both groups. There were no detectable episodes of air embolism. Patients in group A had higher initial and nadir hematocrits during cardiopulmonary bypass and received fewer transfusions. However, postoperative blood loss and transfusion requirements were similar in both groups. Episodes of low indexed flows during cardiopulmonary bypass commonly occurred in group A, and this was associated with a greater than 50% decrease in urine output and lower mixed venous oxygen saturations (58% +/- 6% versus 68% +/- 5%) as compared with group B. There were no differences in clinical outcomes., Conclusions: The newer mini-cardiopulmonary bypass system addressed the problem of air embolization. It preserved hematocrit and reduced transfusion during cardiopulmonary bypass, but did not improve outcomes postoperatively. It is unclear whether these benefits outweigh the potential risk of hypoperfusion associated with its use.

Background: Neurocognitive dysfunction (NCD) after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is a common problem. Atherosclerotic disease of the aorta is a known risk factor for stroke after cardiac surgery, but its relationship to NCD is unclear. This study investigates the relationship between aortic atherosclerotic disease and NCD after CABG., Patients and Methods: Patients undergoing primary elective CABG were enrolled in an ongoing investigation of NCD after CABG. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) of the thoracic aorta was performed and analyzed off-line to quantify atheroma burden. Neurocognitive evaluation was performed, both preoperatively and at 6 weeks after surgery. Multivariable linear regression (controlling for age, years of education, and base line cognitive index) was used to determine the relationship between NCD and atheroma burden in the ascending, arch, and descending aorta., Results: One hundred sixty-two patients who had a complete neurocognitive evaluation and adequate TEE images were studied. No significant relationship was found between NCD and atheroma burden in the ascending (p = 0.22), arch (p = 0.89) or descending aorta (p = 0.64)., Conclusions: Although the etiology of NCD is likely multifactorial, our results suggest that aortic atherosclerosis may not be the primary factor in the pathogenesis of post-CABG cognitive changes.

Background: Renal dysfunction is a serious complication of cardiac surgery that is highly associated with short- and long-term adverse outcome. While the apolipoprotein E (APOE) epsilon4 allele has been linked to the occurrence of both postcardiac surgery acute renal injury (epsilon4 favorable) and ascending aortic arteriosclerosis (epsilon4 unfavorable), the role of epsilon4 in the relationship between these two conditions is unknown. We hypothesized that patients with and without the epsilon4 allele (E4/non-E4) would have different associations between atheroma burden and postoperative renal dysfunction., Methods: Ascending, arch, and descending aorta atheromatous burden and APOE status were evaluated for 130 coronary bypass patients. Multivariable analyses were performed for aortic regions to assess the relationship of atheroma burden and APOE epsilon4 status with peak in-hospital postoperative serum creatinine. All p < 0.05 were considered significant., Results: We found an interaction between E4 status (E4/non-E4; 24/106) and atheroma burden, with a much greater predicted peak in-hospital postoperative serum creatinine for increases in ascending aorta atheroma load for non-E4 patients versus E4 patients (beta coefficient -0.13; p = 0.002). We also confirmed the association between ascending aorta atheroma and peak creatinine (beta coefficient 0.11; p = 0.0008), after controlling for E4 status, preoperative creatinine, and the E4-atheroma interaction., Conclusions: Equivalent ascending aortic atheroma burden is associated with a greater susceptibility to postoperative renal injury among patients undergoing cardiac operation who lack the APOE epsilon4 allele. Findings may be attributable to APOE-related differences in inflammation, susceptibility to atheroma detachment (eg, during operative aortic manipulation), or renal vulnerability to embolic injury.