Hypoparathyroidism is a frequent and serious complication of thyroid surgery. Identification and preservation of the parathyroid glands are key factors in managing hypoparathyroidism. The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of rapid intraoperative parathyroid hormone (rIO-PTH) assay levels through fine needle aspiration (FNA) in identifying parathyroids as a parameter in thyroid surgery. rIO-PTH assay through FNA and frozen section examination were performed on 194 suspected parathyroids anatomical structures from 50 consecutive patients undergoing thyroidectomy (rIO-PTH group). The association between the rIO-PTH values and histological results were analyzed. Clinical effects were compared between the rIO-PTH and control groups from 50 patients undergoing a similar standard surgery. rIO-PTH levels from 93/194 aspirated anatomical structures certified as parathyroid tissues by histological analysis were demonstrated to have a mean of 3,369 pg/ml (range, 145.2-5,000 pg/ml). These values were significantly increased compared with the mean value of 25.7 pg/ml from non-parathyroids tissues significantly (P<0.001). The mean number of 3.76 on the recognized parathyroids was obtained by naked eye measurements combined with rIO-PTH assay through FNA, was significantly higher than compared with only naked eye measurements (P<0.05). Postoperative permanent or transient hypoparathyroidism was not detected in the rIO-PTH groups. The difference between the postoperative serum calcium level and blood PTH values of rIO-PTH and control groups was not statistically significant (P>0.05). The value of rIO-PTH assay through FNA demonstrated that it is a good parameter for differentiating parathyroids and non-parathyroids tissues. The technique is a highly reliable, quick, simple and non-invasive method with a short learning curve in thyroid surgery, which is particularly valuable for inexperienced surgeons. This method may replace frozen section examination, which relies on a surgeon's personal experience on the basis of topographic or morphologic criteria for recognizing parathyroids.

We measured noble gas concentrations and isotopic ratios (He, Ne, and Ar isotopes) in six recent ordinary chondrite falls: Mangui (L6), Viñales (L6), Ozerki (L6), Tamdakht (H5), Kheneg Ljouâd (LL5/6), and Katol (L6). Among them, the three L6 chondrites Mangui, Viñales, and Ozerki fell in only a few months' interval; their apparent similar petrographic and mineralogic characteristics might indicate source crater pairing. To test this hypothesis, we have investigated those meteorites for their cosmic ray exposure (CRE) histories, using the cosmogenic noble gases 3He, 21Ne, and 38Ar. We systematically (re)calculated the CRE ages as well as the gas retention ages of these meteorites. The CRE age of the Mangui is, based on noble gases, <1 Ma, which is unusually short for an L chondrite. Indeed, the range of exposure ages for L chondrites is generally distributed between ˜1 and ˜60 Ma, with major peaks occurring around ˜5, ˜30, and ˜40 Ma. In addition, the cosmogenic 3Hecos data of two Mangui duplicates are consistent with a remarkably high loss of helium by diffusion due to heating by solar radiation. Such a short parent body‐Earth transfer time (<1 Ma) can be explained by a delivery from an Earth‐crossing object. Regarding the other L6 chondrites, Viñales has a nominal CRE age of ˜9.4 Ma, whereas the Ozerki meteorite has a nominal CRE age of ˜1.2 Ma, which is consistent with Korochantseva et al. (2019). Based on their CRE ages as well as on their gas retention ages, it appears that none of these three recent L6 chondrite falls are source crater paired, and therefore, all three originate from different meteoroids. The nominal exposure ages of Tamdakht, Kheneg Ljouâd, and Katol are ˜3.2, ˜11, and ˜30 Ma, respectively, and are consistent with identified age peaks on the exposure age histogram of H, LL, and L chondrites, respectively. The nominal CRE age of Tamdakht is consistent with previous observations for H chondrites and implies that they are dominated by small impact events occurring in several parent bodies.

Several hundred meteorites with a total mass of over 100 kg were collected as the Alatage Mountain (AM) strewn field located in the Kumtag desert, Xinjiang Province, China. Twelve AM meteorites were studied in this work. Petrography, mineralogy, bulk chemistry, bulk oxygen isotopic compositions, and light noble gas concentrations and isotopic compositions were determined for all or for a selection of the meteorites. The studied meteorites are L-chondrites that suffered a very strong impact; impact melt veins and melt pockets are widely distributed. More than 50% of the troilite exists in the form of blebs and veins in olivine and pyroxene. Some of these meteorites are impact melt recrystallized rocks (e.g., AM 037). The strong impact caused the decomposition of troilite, which led in AM 034 to the sulfidization reaction of olivine. The metal in most meteorites is almost completely altered, and the troilite has been significantly oxidized. Weathering resulted in the depletion of Mg, Fe, Co, and Ni, and the enrichment of Sr, Ba, Pb, and U in these meteorites. The cosmic ray exposure (CRE) ages measured for these specimens range between 6.2 AE 1.9 Ma and 9.0 AE 2.7 Ma, depending on the cosmogenic nuclide used. The average CRE age is 7.6 AE 1.3 Ma. Both 4 He and 40 Ar gas retention ages indicate that the strong impact which caused the shock effects occurred about 320 Ma ago.

Two novel 2D coordination polymers, namely, {[Cu2(L)2][Cu(H2O)3]}n (1) and {Pb3(O2N‐btb)2}n (2) (O2N‐H3btb = 5‐nitro‐benzene‐1, 2, 3‐tricarboxylic acid, L = 5‐nitro‐2‐oxidoisophthalate), were synthesized under hydrothermal conditions and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis. Compound 1 is an infinite 2D layer exhibiting an extended 3D supramolecular network structure. O–H···O hydrogen bonding interactions play a key role in forming the final 3D supramolecular framework. It is noted that 5‐nitro‐benzene‐1, 2, 3‐tricarboxylic acid (O2N‐H3btb) was in situ transformed to 5‐nitro‐2‐oxidoisophthalate in 1. Compound 2 is a 2D microporous lead‐containing metal‐organic framework made up of interconnected Pb‐carboxylate chains, involving three independent lead atoms with three different coordination arrangements. Furthermore, the solid‐state photoluminescence and lifetime characteristics of 2 reveal intense blue luminescence.

Angiogenesis is necessary for successful implantation and decidualization. This study was to investigate the differential expression of angiopoietin-3 (Ang-3) in mouse uterus during early pregnancy and its regulation by steroid hormones using in situ hybridization and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). There was no detectable Ang-3 mRNA signal on days 1-5 of pregnancy by in situ hybridization. On day 6 of pregnancy, a low level of Ang-3 mRNA signal was seen in the primary decidua. Ang-3 mRNA expression gradually increased on days 7 and 8 of pregnancy along with the development of decidua, and its expression scope was also expanded. The RT-PCR result indicated that Ang-3 mRNA expression was low on days 1-4 of pregnancy. On day 5, as embryo implanted, Ang-3 mRNA was highly expressed in mouse uterus, and the expression gradually increased on days 6-8 of pregnancy, with peak level on day 8 of pregnancy. Similarly, Ang-3 mRNA was also strongly expressed in decidualized cells under artificial decidualization. Compared with the delayed uterus, a high level of Ang-3 mRNA expression was detected in activated implantation uterus by RT-PCR. In the ovariectomized mouse uterus, Ang-3 mRNA expression increased and reached the highest level at 12 hr after injection of estrogen, progesterone, and estrogen plus progesterone, respectively. These results suggest that Ang-3 may play an important role during the process of mouse decidualization. Both estrogen and progesterone can induce the expression of Ang-3 in ovariectomized mouse uterus.

Absorption and High CO Conversion Activity. -Nanosized powders of the title compound are synthesized hydrothermally starting with ZrO(NO3)2, Ce(NO3)3, and urea (autoclave, 140 or 160°C, 24 h, 97% yield). The samples are characterized by powder XRD, TEM, IR and Raman spectroscopy, and XPS. UV/VIS spectroscopy reveals that the band gap energy of the as-prepared nanocrystals is blue-shifted compared with the bulk value.The samples synthesized at 160°C show higher thermal stability and higher catalytic activity for CO conversion than that synthesized at 140°C. -(SI, R.; ZHANG*, Y.-W.; XIAO, C.-X.; LI, S.-J.; LIN, B.-X.; KOU, Y.; YAN, C.-H.; Phys.

The Kumtag meteorite strewn field was found in the Kumtag desert, 132 kilometers south of Hami city in the Xinjiang province, China. It is an ellipse of 2.5×7.9 km, with a long axis extending along the northeast-southwest direction. The largest individual meteorite of the strewn field weights about 10 kg; the smallest individual has as mass of only 27 g. In total more than 100 individuals with a total mass of more than 180 kg were collected. The Kumtag meteoroid entered the atmosphere in the direction Northeast-Southwest. All meteorites collected in this strewn field are samples from the same unique meteorite shower. The Kumtag meteorite is an H5 ordinary chondrite with a shock stage S2, and a weathering grade W2. The cosmic ray exposure age of Kumtag is 6.7± 0.8 Ma, which is rather typical for H chondrites and which indicates that Kumtag was derived from the massive impact event on its parent body ~7 Ma ago. A significant He amount has been released during certain unknown processe(s) before the Kumtag meteorite was ejected from its parent body.

Shidian is a recent meteorite which fell in Yunnan province, China, on November 27, 2017, and has been classified as a CM2 chondrite. Petrography, mineralogy, oxygen and chromium isotopic composition, reflectance spectrum, and density studies of Shidian are reported in this study. Clasts with different aqueous alteration degree, two type 1 clasts with nontypical CM petrography, and one metamorphic clast are observed in Shidian. Mineralogically, Shidian main body consists of phyllosilicates (∼70 vol%), forsterite (∼13 vol%), fayalitic olivine, carbonates, sulfide, high‐Ca pyroxene, magnetite framboids, and Fe‐Ni metal. The average electron microprobe analysis (EMPA) analytical totals of phyllosilicates are 84.07 ± 1.75 wt%, with average FeO/SiO2 of tochilinite–cronstedtite intergrowths (TCIs) in different clasts ranging from 1.18 to 3.29. The bulk geochemical composition is characterized by flat rare earth element pattern, and by depletion of highly volatile elements. The whole rock oxygen isotopic composition is −0.51 ± 0.73‰, 5.44 ± 1.01‰, and −3.38 ± 0.20‰ for δ17O, δ18O, and Δ17O, respectively, with bulk chromium isotopic composition as ε54Cr = 1.00 ± 0.11. The grain density, bulk density, and porosity are 2.758 ± 0.008 g cm−3, 2.500 ± 0.004 g cm−3, and 9.37 ± 0.59%, respectively. The reflectance spectrum shows “blue” (negative) continuum slope across the visible and near‐infrared range, with characteristic absorption features (such as 0.765, 0.923, and 1.160 μm for phyllosilicates). These characteristics indicate that Shidian is an unheated, brecciated CM chondrite and may be an analog of asteroid Bennu.