Application experience of artificial perfusion combined with interception basket in ureteral calculi lithotripsy

Objective To evaluate clinical efficacy of artificial perfusion combined with interception basket in ureteral calculi lithotripsy. Methods Clinical data of 151 patients with ureteral calculi who underwent surgical treatment were retrospectively analyzed. They were divided into the observation group（artificial perfusion combined with interception basket）and control group（conventional perfusion pump）. The operation time，intraoperative blood loss，proportion of stone escape，stone re-intervention and complications were observed in two groups. Results There were no significant differences in operation time，intraoperative blood loss and incidence of complications between two groups（all P > 0.05）. The proportion of stone escape and stone re-intervention in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group，and the differences were statistically significant（both P < 0.05）. Conclusion Artificial low-pressure perfusion combined with interception basket in ureteral stone lithotripsy can reduce the proportion of stone escape and residual stone re-intervention and improve the stone clearance efficiency

The Stimulative Effect of Yangjing Capsule on Testosterone Synthesis through Nur77 Pathway in Leydig Cells

Yangjing Capsule (YC), an innovative Chinese medicine based on traditional prescription, promotes testosterone synthesis by upregulating the expression of steroidogenic enzymes. Nur77 as a nuclear receptor is known to regulate the expression of many steroid synthetases. This study aimed to explore the potential mechanisms by which YC regulates testosterone synthesis in Leydig cells. Real-time PCR and Western blot analysis were employed to assess the expressions of steroidogenic enzymes and Nur77 after treating MLTC-1 cells with YC. The luciferase reporter gene assay was performed to detect the activity of Nur77 gene promoter. Also, the expressions of steroid synthases were detected after Nur77 gene was knocked down. YC significantly stimulated Nur77 production and upregulated StAR and HSD3B expression, and this agrees with the activity of Nur77 gene promoter that was significantly enhanced by YC. Interestingly, knockdown of Nur77 blocked the above YC’s effects and consequently inhibited testosterone synthesis in MLTC-1 cells. YC promotes StAR and HSD3B expression and upregulates testosterone synthesis in Leydig cells, which is mediated by Nur77 pathway

CLEC7A regulates M2 macrophages to suppress the immune microenvironment and implies poorer prognosis of glioma

BackgroundGliomas constitute a category of malignant tumors originating from brain tissue, representing the majority of intracranial malignancies. Previous research has demonstrated the pivotal role of CLEC7A in the progression of various cancers, yet its specific implications within gliomas remain elusive. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the prognostic significance and immune therapeutic potential of CLEC7A in gliomas through the integration of bioinformatics and clinical pathological analyses.MethodsThis investigation involved examining and validating the relationship between CLEC7A and glioma using samples from Hospital, along with data from TCGA, GEO, GTEx, and CGGA datasets. Subsequently, we explored its prognostic value, biological functions, expression location, and impact on immune cells within gliomas. Finally, we investigated its potential impact on the chemotaxis and polarization of macrophages.ResultsThe expression of CLEC7A is upregulated in gliomas, and its levels escalate with the malignancy of tumors, establishing it as an independent prognostic factor. Functional enrichment analysis revealed a significant correlation between CLEC7A and immune function. Subsequent examination of immune cell differential expression demonstrated a robust association between CLEC7A and M2 macrophages. This conclusion was further substantiated through single-cell analysis, immunofluorescence, and correlation studies. Finally, the knockout of CLEC7A in M2 macrophages resulted in a noteworthy reduction in macrophage chemotaxis and polarization factors.ConclusionCLEC7A expression is intricately linked to the pathology and molecular characteristics of gliomas, establishing its role as an independent prognostic factor for gliomas and influencing macrophage function. It could be a promising target for immunotherapy in gliomas

Versatile single-layer sodium phosphidostannate(II): Strain-tunable electronic structure, excellent mechanical flexibility, and an ideal gap for photovoltaics

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to study the structural, mechanical, electrical, optical properties, and strain effects in single-layer sodium phosphidostannate(II) (NaSnP). We find the exfoliation of single-layer NaSnP from bulk form is highly feasible because the cleavage energy is comparable to graphite and MoS2. In addition, the breaking strain of the NaSnP monolayer is comparable to other widely studied 2D materials, indicating excellent mechanical flexibility of 2D NaSnP. Using the hybrid functional method, the calculated band gap of single-layer NaSnP is close to the ideal band gap of solar cell materials (1.5 eV), demonstrating great potential in future photovoltaic application. Furthermore, strain effect study shows that a moderate compression (2%) can trigger indirect-to-direct gap transition, which would enhance the ability of light absorption for the NaSnP monolayer. With sufficient compression (8%), the single-layer NaSnP can be tuned from semiconductor to metal, suggesting great applications in nanoelectronic devices based on strain engineering techniques

Robust Huber-Based Iterated Divided Difference Filtering with Application to Cooperative Localization of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

A new algorithm called Huber-based iterated divided difference filtering (HIDDF) is derived and applied to cooperative localization of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) supported by a single surface leader. The position states are estimated using acoustic range measurements relative to the leader, in which some disadvantages such as weak observability, large initial error and contaminated measurements with outliers are inherent. By integrating both merits of iterated divided difference filtering (IDDF) and Huber’s M-estimation methodology, the new filtering method could not only achieve more accurate estimation and faster convergence contrast to standard divided difference filtering (DDF) in conditions of weak observability and large initial error, but also exhibit robustness with respect to outlier measurements, for which the standard IDDF would exhibit severe degradation in estimation accuracy. The correctness as well as validity of the algorithm is demonstrated through experiment results

Graphene-covered perovskites: an effective strategy to enhance light absorption and resist moisture degradation

The long-term stability of methylammonium lead triiodide (MAPbI3) perovskite in moist environments is a paramount challenge to realise the commercialization of perovskite solar cells. In an attempt to address this concern, we have carried out systematic first-principles studies on the MAPbI3 perovskite with a hydrophobic graphene layer interfaced as a water barrier. We find there is a charge transfer at the graphene/MAPbI3 interface and electrons can be excited from graphene into the perovskite surface, leading to well separated electron–hole pairs, i.e. reduced recombination. By studying the optical properties, we find the hybrid graphene/MAPbI3 nanocomposite displays enhanced light absorption compared with the pristine MAPbI3. Furthermore, from an ab initio molecular dynamics simulation, the graphene/MAPbI3 nanocomposite is confirmed to be able to resist the reaction with water molecules, highlighting a great advantage of this nanocomposite in promoting long-term photovoltaic performance

Single layer bismuth iodide: Computational exploration of structural, electrical, mechanical and optical properties

Layered graphitic materials exhibit new intriguing electronic structure and the search for new types of two-dimensional (2D) monolayer is of importance for the fabrication of next generation miniature electronic and optoelectronic devices. By means of density functional theory (DFT) computations, we investigated in detail the structural, electronic, mechanical and optical properties of the single-layer bismuth iodide (BiI3) nanosheet. Monolayer BiI3 is dynamically stable as confirmed by the computed phonon spectrum. The cleavage energy (Ecl) and interlayer coupling strength of bulk BiI3 are comparable to the experimental values of graphite, which indicates that the exfoliation of BiI3 is highly feasible. The obtained stress-strain curve shows that the BiI3 nanosheet is a brittle material with a breaking strain of 13%. The BiI3 monolayer has an indirect band gap of 1.57 eV with spin orbit coupling (SOC), indicating its potential application for solar cells. Furthermore, the band gap of BiI3 monolayer can be modulated by biaxial strain. Most interestingly, interfacing electrically active graphene with monolayer BiI3 nanosheet leads to enhanced light absorption compared to that in pure monolayer BiI3 nanosheet, highlighting its great potential applications in photonics and photovoltaic solar cells

Two-dimensional Mo decorated borophenes: high critical temperature, large magnetic anisotropy, and stacking-dependent magnetism

Two-dimensional magnetic materials with high critical temperature, large magnetic anisotropy energy and intrinsic magnetism hold great promise for advancements in spintronics. However, synergizing these attributes within a single material remains challenging. Through the application of swarm-intelligence-based structure searching along with first-principles calculations, we identify two Mo decorated borophene variants, denoted as MoB _4 and MoB _6 , are such candidates with high thermal and dynamical stabilities. MoB _4 and MoB _6 are characterized as either ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic metals. Notably, both MoB _4 and MoB _6 display sizable magnetic anisotropy energy—924 and 932 μ eV per Mo atom, respectively—surpassing that of the widely studied CrI _3 monolayer, which measures 685 μ eV per Cr atom. Monte Carlo simulation suggests the Curie temperature of MoB _4 sheet is 390 K, which is above room temperature. Our examination uncovers that bilayer Mo _x B _y formations exhibit layer-specific van der Waals interactions, contrasting with bilayer borophenes produced experimentally, which display robust interlayer chemical bonding. We determine that the stacking order profoundly influence both the magnetic anisotropy energy and critical temperatures of the material. Specifically, the magnetic anisotropy energy for both structures doubles in their bilayer configurations, with AB-stacked MoB _4 and AC-stacked MoB _6 demonstrating critical temperatures of 550 K and 320 K, respectively. The exceptional electronic and magnetic characteristics of the Mo _x B _y monolayers position them as favorable candidates for future spintronic devices

Nonreciprocal single-photon state conversion between microwave and optical modes in a hybrid magnonic system

Coherent quantum transduction between microwave and optical signals is of great importance for long-distance quantum communication. Here we propose a novel scheme for the implementation of nonreciprocal single-photon state conversion between microwave and optical modes based on a hybrid magnonic system. A yttrium–iron–garnet (YIG) sphere with both the optomechanical and the optomagnetic properties is exploited to couple with a three-dimensional superconducting microwave resonator. The magnetostatic mode of the YIG sphere is treated as an intermediate to interact with the microwave and optical modes simultaneously. By manipulating the amplitudes and phase differences between the couplings via external driving fields, we show that the nonreciprocal microwave-light single-photon state conversion can be realized via the quantum interference effect