Ferromagnetic and insulating behavior in both half magnetic levitation and non-levitation LK-99 like samples

Finding materials exhibiting superconductivity at room temperature has long been one of the ultimate goals in physics and material science. Recently, room-temperature superconducting properties have been claimed in a copper substituted lead phosphate apatite (Pb$_{10-x}$Cu$_x$(PO$_4$)$_6$O, or called LK-99) [1-3]. Using a similar approach, we have prepared LK-99 like samples and confirmed the half-levitation behaviors in some small specimens under the influence of a magnet at room temperature. To examine the magnetic properties of our samples, we have performed systematic magnetization measurements on the as-grown LK-99-like samples, including the half-levitated and non-levitated samples. The magnetization measurements show the coexistence of soft-ferromagnetic and diamagnetic signals in both half-levitated and non-levitated samples. The electrical transport measurements on the as-grown LK-99-like samples including both half-levitated and non-levitated samples show an insulating behavior characterized by the increasing resistivity with the decreasing temperature

Postoperative C-reactive protein/albumin ratio as a novel predictor for short-term complications following gastrectomy of gastric cancer

Abstract Background Postoperative complications following gastric cancer resection remain a clinical problem. Early detection of postoperative complications is needed before critical illness develops. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of C-reactive protein/albumin ratio in patients with gastric cancer. Methods A total of 322 patients undergoing curative (R0) gastrectomy between 2015 and 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify clinical factors predicting postoperative complications. The cutoff values and diagnostic accuracy of C-reactive protein/albumin ratio and C-reactive protein were determined by receiver-operating characteristic curves. Results Among all of the patients, 85 (26.4%) developed postoperative complications. The optimal cutoff of C-reactive protein/albumin ratio was set at 3.04 based on the ROC analysis. Multivariate analysis identified C-reactive protein/albumin ratio was an independent risk factors for complications after gastrectomy (OR 3.037; 95% CI 1.248–7.392; P = 0.014). Additionally, C-reactive protein/albumin ratio showed a higher diagnostic accuracy than C-reactive protein on postoperative day 3 (AUC: 0.685 vs 0.660; sensitivity: 0.624 vs 0.471; specificity: 0.722 vs 0.835). Conclusions Elevated C-reactive protein/albumin ratio was an independent predictor for postoperative complications following gastrectomy of gastric cancer, and the diagnostic accuracy was higher than C-reactive protein alone. Overall, postoperative C-reactive protein/albumin ratio may help to identify patients with high probability of postoperative complications

Tracers in Gastric Cancer Surgery

The treatment of gastric cancer mainly depends on radical gastrectomy. Determination of appropriate surgical margins and adequate lymph node (LN) resection are two major surgical steps that directly correlate with prognosis in gastric cancer. Due to the expanding use of minimally invasive procedures, it is no longer possible to locate tumors and LNs through touch. As an alternative, tracers have begun to enter the field due to their capacities for intraoperative visualization. Herein, we summarize the application of contemporary tracers in gastric cancer surgery, including isosulfan blue, methylene blue, patent blue, indocyanine green, carbon particles, and radioactive tracers. Their mechanisms, administration methods, detection efficiency, and challenges, as well as perspectives on them, are also outlined

Oxygen tank for synergistic hypoxia relief to enhance mitochondria-targeted photodynamic therapy

Abstract Background Mitochondria play an essential role in cellular redox homeostasis maintenance and meanwhile serve as an important target for organelle targeted therapy. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising strategy for organelle targeted therapy with noninvasive nature and highly spatiotemporal selectivity. However, the efficacy of PDT is not fully achieved due to tumor hypoxia. Moreover, aerobic respiration constantly consumes oxygen and leads to a lower oxygen concentration in mitochondria, which continuously limited the therapeutic effects of PDT. The lack of organelle specific oxygen delivery method remains a main challenge. Methods Herein, an Oxygen Tank is developed to achieve the organelle targeted synergistic hypoxia reversal strategy, which not only act as an oxygen storage tank to open sources and reduce expenditure, but also coated with red blood cell membrane like the tank with stealth coating. Within the oxygen tank, a mitochondrion targeted photosensitizer (IR780) and a mitochondria respiration inhibitor (atovaquone, ATO) are co-loaded in the RBC membrane (RBCm) coated perfluorocarbon (PFC) liposome core. Results Inside these bio-mimic nanoparticles, ATO effectively inhibits mitochondrial respiration and economized endogenous oxygen consumption, while PFC supplied high-capacity exogenous oxygen. These Oxygen modulators reverse the hypoxia status in vitro and in vivo, and exhibited a superior anti-tumor activity by mitochondria targeted PDT via IR780. Ultimately, the anti-tumor effects towards gastric cancer and colon cancer are elicited in vivo. Conclusions This oxygen tank both increases exogeneous oxygen supply and decreases endogenous oxygen consumption, may offer a novel solution for organelle targeted therapies

Additional file 1 of Oxygen tank for synergistic hypoxia relief to enhance mitochondria-targeted photodynamic therapy

Additional file 1: Fig. S1. Characterization of Oxygen Tank. a) Hydrodynamic diameters of Oxygen Tank NPs. Inset shows photographs and TEM images of these NPs. b) In vitro safety analysis of Oxygen Tank. c) Standard curves of Oxygen Tank NPs. d) Stability of Oxygen Tank and AIP within 96 h. Data are demonstrated as mean ± SD (n = 3). Fig. S2 Chromatogram of ATO. Before analysis, ATO was dissolved in methanol (final concentration 50 μg/mL). For HPLC conditions see Experimental Section. The figures beside the peaks are retention times in minutes and responses in mAU. Fig. S3 Chromatogram of Oxygen Tank. Before analysis, emulsion breaking was performed using methanol. Ultimately the Oxygen Tank was diluted for 10 folds. For HPLC conditions see Experimental Section. The figures beside the peaks are retention times in minutes and responses in mAU. Fig. S4 Identification of PFC in Oxygen Tank. a) before centrifugation. b) after centrifugation. Fig. S5. Quantitative result of confocal fluorescence images of Hif-1α staining of AGS cells after different treatments (PBS in hypoxia condition, IP NPs in hypoxia condition, AIP NPs in hypoxia condition, Oxygen Tank in hypoxia condition, and PBS in normoxia condition). Data are showed as mean ± SD (n = 3). Fig. S6. The cellular uptake in AGS and CT26 cells. The flow cytometry of AGS (a) and CT26 cells treated with AIP and Oxygen Tank (IR780, 4 μg/mL) for 0, 1, 2, and 4 h. Data are demonstrated as mean ± SD (n = 3). c) The fluorescence images of CT26 tumor bearing mice at different times. Oxygen Tank exhibited an enhanced accumulation in tumor (200 μL, 100 μg/mL IR780). Fig. S7. Proportion of green cells in total cells from CLSM images of AGS cells determined by CAM/PI double stain kit (n = 3). Data are showed as mean ± SD. *p < 0.05. Fig. S8. Biodistribution of Oxygen Tank (200uL, 100μg/mL IR780, tail vein injection). a) The in vivo fluorescence images of AGS bearing mice at different time points (n = 6). b) Ex vivo NIR images of major organs and tumors at 24 h post intravenous injection (n = 4). c) Quantification of the in vivo fluorescence signal intensity of tumor area after injection of Oxygen Tank (n = 6, S8a). d) Quantification of the in vivo fluorescence signal intensity of Oxygen Tank in different organs at 24 h post intravenous injection (n = 4, S8b). Data are demonstrated as mean ± SD (n = 4). Fig. S8. Biodistribution of Oxygen Tank (200uL, 100μg/mL IR780, tail vein injection). a) The in vivo fluorescence images of AGS bearing mice at different time points (n = 6). b) Ex vivo NIR images of major organs and tumors at 24 h post intravenous injection (n = 4). c) Quantification of the in vivo fluorescence signal intensity of tumor area after injection of Oxygen Tank (n = 6, S8a). d) Quantification of the in vivo fluorescence signal intensity of Oxygen Tank in different organs at 24 h post intravenous injection (n = 4, S8b). Data are demonstrated as mean ± SD (n = 4). Fig. S9. a) Photograph of tumors of in vivo anti-tumor evaluation (n = 5). b) Hif-1α staining tumor sections. The scale bar is 50 μm. Fig. S10. Quantitative result of Hif-1α staining tumor sections after different treatments (PBS, IP NPs, AIP NPs, and Oxygen Tank). Data are showed as mean ± SD (n = 3). Fig. S11. The dissolved oxygen curves in tumor site after different treatments (PBS or Oxygen Tank, 200uL, 100μg/mL IR780, tail vein injection). Start recording once the oxygen probe was inserted into the tumor in vivo. AGS bearing mice were anesthetized during the experiment. Fig. S12. In vivo anti-tumor effect of Oxygen Tank in CT26 bearing mice (200 μL, 100 μg/mL, tail vein injection, n = 6). a) The body weight curves. b) The tumor volume curves. c) Weight of tumors. d) H&E staining tumor sections. The scale bar is 200um. Data are showed as mean ± SD. *p < 0.05, while N.S. means Not Significant. Fig. S13. Potential long-term in vivo biosafety analysis of Oxygen Tank (200 μL, 100 μg/mL IR780, tail vein injection). a-c) Hematology assay (NEU: neutrophils; HGB: hemoglobin; PLT: platelets). d-e) Serum biochemical assay (ALT: alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase). Data are demonstrated as mean ± SD and analyzed by one-way ANOVA method (n = 3). N.S. means Not Significant. Table S1. Peak table of high-performance liquid chromatography result of ATO. Table S2. Peak table of high-performance liquid chromatography results of Oxygen Tank

Method for Real-Time Tissue Quantification of Indocyanine Green Revealing Optimal Conditions for Near Infrared Fluorescence Guided Surgery

Near infrared fluorescence guided surgery (NIRFGS) offers better distinction between cancerous and normal tissues compared to surgeries relying on a surgeon’s senses of sight and touch. Because of the greater accuracy in determining tumor tissue margins, NIRFGS within clinics continues to grow. However, NIRFGS lacks standardization of the indocyanine green (ICG) dose and the preoperative period allowed after ICG administration. In an aim to find optimal doses and preoperative periods for NIRFGS standardization, we developed a method that quantitatively determines ICG levels within tissues in real-time. We find that not only do the dose and the preoperative periods influence tumor-to-background ratios (TBRs), but both also heavily influence subject-to-subject variances of these ratios. Optimal detection conditions are observed when larger than typical ICG doses are administered and longer than typical preoperative periods are allowed. Larger doses lead to increased TBRs, but longer preoperative periods are necessary to reduce TBR variances to those observed when using smaller doses. Our results suggest that a clinical investigation into maximum tolerable ICG doses and prolonging preoperative periods in NIRFGS is warranted