Differentiation between similarly reactive sites in molecules represents an ongoing challenge of organic synthesis. Herein we described one kind of versatile reagents, N-thiohydroxy succinimide ...esters (NTSEs), serving as both acyl and acylthio surrogates for the diverse synthesis of ketones, thioesters, amides, and acyl disulfides by selective cleavage of similarly reactive C–S and N–S bonds.
Persons with dementia are at high risk for loss of decision-making ability due to increased cognitive decline as the disease progresses. Participation in advance care planning (ACP) discussions in ...the early stages of dementia is crucial for end-of-life (EoL) decision-making to ensure quality of EoL care. A lack of discussions about ACP and EoL care between persons with dementia and family caregivers (FCGs), can lead to decisional conflicts when persons with dementia are in the later stages of the disease. This study explored the effects of a family-centered ACP information intervention among persons with dementia and FCGs. The study was conducted in outpatient clinics in Taiwan. Participants were dyads (n = 40) consisting of persons diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia and their FCGs. A one-group, pretest-posttest, pre-experimental design was employed. The intervention was provided by an ACP-trained senior registered nurse and was guided by ACP manuals and family-centered strategies. Outcome data were collected with four structured questionnaires regarding knowledge of end-stage dementia treatment, knowledge of ACP, attitude towards ACP, and EoL decisional conflict about acceptance or refusal of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, ventilators, and tracheostomy. Paired t tests compared differences between pre-intervention data and 4-weeks' post-intervention data. The intervention resulted in significant improvements among persons with dementia and FCGs for knowledge of end-stage dementia treatment (p = .008 and p < .001, respectively), knowledge of ACP (both p < .001), and significant reductions in decisional conflicts (both p < .001). Scores for positive and negative attitude toward ACP did not change for persons with dementia; however, there was a reduction in negative attitude for FCGs (p = .001). Clinical care for persons with dementia should incorporate ACP interventions that provide knowledge about EoL dementia care using family-centered care strategies that facilitate regular and continuous communication between FCGs, persons with dementia, and medical personnel to reduce decisional conflicts for EoL care.
Autophagy is required for the maintenance of cardiomyocyte homeostasis. However, excessive autophagy plays a maladaptive role in pressure overload-induced heart failure. To identify mechanisms by ...which Stachydrine inhibits pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy, we determined inhibitory activities against activation of NADPH oxidase, reactive oxygen species(ROS) production and excessive activation of autophagy.
Stachydrine was administered intragastrically to Wistar rats after Transverse aortic constriction(TAC) and H9c2 cells were treated with Stachydrine after Angiotension II stimulation. The activation of NADPH oxidase2 required the membrane translocation of p47phox and p67phox. Cell membrane fraction was isolated by ultracentrifuge in sucrose. The expression of p67phox, p47phox, gp91phox subunit in the cell membrane were determined by western blot. The combination of p67phox and gp91 phox subunit was detected by immunofluorescence staining. The expression of phosphorylated p47phox subunit was determined by western blot. The intracellular ROS were measured with DCF-DA fluoresence. The autophagic flux was measured by recording the fluorescence emission of the fusion protein mRFP-GFP-LC3 by dynamic live-cell imaging. Reuslts: We report here that stachydrine, a major constituent of Leonurus heterophyllus Sweet, inhibited AngII-induced excessive autophagy within H9c2 cells. Stachydrine blocked the over phosphorylation of the p47phox subunit, decreased the translocation of p47phox and p67phox to the membrane, inhibited the activity of NOX2, and reduced the generation of ROS. We also demonstrated that stachydrine ameliorated TAC-induced cardiac hypertrophy, dysfunction and excessive autophagy in vivo.
Our study highlights the importance of regulating NOX2 when autophagy is obviously activated. By inhibiting NOX2, Stachydrine inhibits ROS production, thus exerting a remarkable activity of inhibiting hypertrophy, which could have considerable effect on clinical practice.
Conventional planar organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) suffer from poor light extraction due to the total internal reflection at the waveguided interfaces. Therefore, the development of efficient ...light extraction structures is of great necessity and significance to realize practical applications in large area and cost‐effective light sources. In this paper, a high‐performance internal light outcoupling system for white OLEDs with spontaneously formed metal oxide nanostructures is developed. The fabrication process of the outcoupling system is simple and can be scaled to large area manufacturing. The enhancement of external quantum efficiency in white OLEDs comprising the outcoupling system reaches a factor of 1.7, and it is further increased to 2.9 when a hemispherical lens is employed. Together with the improvement of light extraction, excellent color stability over broad viewing angles is achieved.
Conventional planar OLEDs suffer from poor light extraction due to the total internal reflection at internal interfaces. In this paper, a high‐performance internal light outcoupling system for white OLEDs with spontaneously formed metal oxide nanostructures is developed. In addition to the huge improvement of light extraction, the novel nanostructures lead to excellent color stability over broad viewing angles.
Background
Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) for colorectal cancer peritoneal carcinomatosis has been shown to prolong survival with acceptable morbidity rates. Total pelvic peritonectomy (TPP), or ...complete removal of all pelvic peritoneum, constitutes an important and technically challenging component of CRS. Here we report our experience and describe our technique of laparoscopic total pelvic peritonectomy (LTPP), using a photographic/videographic step-by-step guide.
Methods
All patients who underwent LTPP for pelvic carcinomatosis from a colorectal origin were included in the study. Only patients with peritoneal cancer index (PCI) score of ≤ 10 were selected for CRS with LTPP. Patients who had extra-abdominopelvic cavity metastases were excluded. The final decision to proceed with CRS was made following laparoscopic assessment.
Results
From January 2017 to December 2020, 15 consecutive patients underwent LTPP for colorectal cancer pelvic carcinomatosis. Median patient age and PCI score was 53 years (range 33–78) and 8 (range 3–10), respectively. Complete cytoreduction was achieved in all patients. Thirteen patients (87%) underwent concomitant hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). The median operative duration was 748 min (interquartile range IQR 681–850). Median intra-operative blood loss and length of hospital stay was 100 ml (IQR 50–300) and 10 days (IQR 8–12), respectively. Five patients (33%) experienced 30-day post-operative morbidity, with one (6.7%) experiencing a higher grade (Clavien–Dindo IIIa) complication. Median follow-up duration was 13 months (IQR 3–19), during which four (27%) had systemic recurrence and one (6.7%) died after 15 months following peritoneal and systemic recurrences.
Conclusion
LTPP is a feasible option for low-volume pelvic carcinomatosis from colorectal cancer, offering the benefits of a minimally invasive approach. Strict patient selection is essential, and the procedure should be converted if the PCI score cannot be assessed or complete cytoreduction cannot be achieved. Proficiency at laparoscopic pelvic surgery is mandatory for performing LTPP.
Many studies have been conducted on ecosystem services and double counting is a frequent problem that causes uncertainty and poor reliability of estimating the value of ecosystem services. By ...referring to previous studies of ecosystem service valuation, our research has identified the basic causes of double counting. These include ambiguous definitions and inconsistent classifications of ecosystem services, poor understanding of ecosystem complexity, inadequate recognition of exclusiveness and complementarities of individual ecosystem services, spatio-temporal scale dependence of ecosystem services, and overlap and lack of cross-referencing between ecosystem service valuation methods. Measures for reducing double counting in ecosystem service valuation are proposed as follow: (1) identifying the spatio-temporal scales of ecosystem services; (2) valuing the final benefits obtained from ecosystem services; (3) establishing consistent classification systems for ecosystem services; and (4) selecting valuation methods appropriate for the study context.
Metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) is able to degrade collagen IV, an important component of blood–brain barrier (BBB). Expression of MMPs, especially MMP-9, correlates with BBB disruption during central ...nervous system inflammation. Propofol has been reported to have anti-inflammation effects. In this study, we investigated the effects of propofol on TNF-α-induced MMP-9 expression in human cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (hCMEC/D3 cells) and explored the underlying mechanisms. The hCMEC/D3 cells were treated with propofol (25 μM), followed by TNF-α (25 ng/mL). We showed that TNF-α treatment markedly increased MMP-9 expression and decreased collagen IV expression in hCMEC/D3 cells, which was blocked by pretreatment with propofol. TNF-α-induced downregulation of collagen IV was also reversed by MMP-9 knockdown with siRNA. We revealed that TNF-α upregulated MMP-9 expression in hCMEC/D3 cells through activation of Ca2+/CAMK II/ERK/NF-κB signaling pathway; co-treatment with inhibitors of CaMK II (KN93), ERK (LY3214996), NF-κB (PDTC) or Ca2+chelator (BAPTA-AM) abrogated the effect of TNF-α on MMP-9 expression. We further established an in vitro BBB model by co-culturing of hCMEC/D3 cells and human astrocytes for 6 days and measuring trans-endothelial electrical resistance (TEER) to reflect the BBB permeability. TNF-α treatment markedly decreased TEER value, which was attenuated by pretreatment with propofol (25 μM) or MMP-9 knockdown with siRNA. In conclusion, propofol inhibits TNF-α-induced MMP-9 expression in hCMEC/D3 cells via repressing the Ca2+/CAMKII/ERK/NF-κB signaling pathway. TNF-α-impaired BBB integrity could be reversed by propofol, and propofol attenuates the inhibitory effect of TNF-α on collagen IV.
Novel sulfur reagents N-vinylthio phthalimides (N-VTPs) have been employed as modular reagents for vinylthiolation, enabling the construction of aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-active ...tetraaryldivinyl sulfides (TADVSs) and diarylvinyl sulfides (DAVSs). Notably, TADVSs with sulfur insertion to ethene stators are reported as AIE luminogens (AIEgens) for the first time, and the corresponding photophysical properties and aggregated confirmation have been detailed for the demonstration of the AIE effect. A water-soluble TADVS with a quinolinium salt was prepared for cell imaging.
A low-phase-noise local oscillator (LO) is a crucial component in communication systems. However, the design challenge of the LO significantly increases as the operating frequency rises. This paper ...focuses on the design and analysis of a <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">V </tex-math></inline-formula>-band CMOS sextuple sub-harmonically injection-locked voltage-controlled oscillator (SILVCO) with a frequency-tracking loop (FTL). To further enhance the locking range and efficiently generate high-order harmonic components, a cascade-series coupling injector is proposed for employment in the SILVCO. The design methodology of the proposed circuit is thoroughly presented, accompanied by analysis and calculated results. The SILVCO with FTL is implemented using a 90-nm CMOS process. With a sub-harmonic number of 6 and a dc power consumption of 23 mW, the measured output frequency ranges from 50.8 to 53.4 GHz, achieving a differential output power close to 0 dBm. The measured phase noise at a 1 MHz offset and the rms jitter integrated from 1 kHz to 10 MHz are both lower than −109.4 dBc/Hz and 43 fs, respectively.
Arsenic (As) in the aquatic environment is a considerable environmental issue, previous studies have reported the toxic effects of low concentrations (≤ 150 μg/L) of As on fish. However, limited ...information is available regarding the impact of low levels of As on apoptosis. To evaluate this, zebrafish embryos were exposed to different concentrations (0, 25, 50, 75, and 150 μg/L) of As (arsenite AsIII and arsenate AsV) for 120 h. Our results indicated that low concentrations of AsIII exposure significantly inhibited the survival of zebrafish larvae, and significantly increased the transcription of Caspase-9 and Caspase-3, the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 transcription, and protein levels of Caspase-3. In contrast, AsV decreased the ratios of Bax/Bcl-2 transcription and protein levels, as well as protein levels of Caspase-3. Our data demonstrated that AsIII and AsV exert different toxic effects, AsIII induced apoptosis via the mitochondrial pathway and the extrinsic pathway, while AsV induced apoptosis only via the mitochondrial pathway.
•Our study focused on the impact of low concentrations of arsenic on the apoptotic toxicity and manner of zebrafish larvae.•Low concentration of arsenite decreased the survival rate of zebrafish larvae, while low concentration arsenate had no effect on it.•Low concentration of arsenite can induce apoptosis of zebrafish larvae stage via the mitochondrial pathway and the extrinsic pathway.•Low concentration of arsenate can induce apoptosis of zebrafish larvae stage via the mitochondrial pathway.
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