Photodynamic hemostatic silk fibroin film with photo-controllable modulation of macrophages for bacteria-infected wound healing.

Massive hemorrhage and chronic wounds caused by bacterial infections after trauma are significant challenges in clinical practice. An ideal hemostatic wound dressing should simultaneously manage bleeding and prevent bacterial infections and also hold excellent biocompatibility and bioactivities to successfully modulate immune microenvironments to promote wound healing. In this study, a silk fibroin-based light-responsive film was demonstrated to possess effective capacity of light-induced non-compressible hemostasis on liver hemorrhage and tail bleeding in vivo by binding with blood platelets to promote the clotting cascade. The blood loss of the rats was significantly less after C-MASiF films were applied, which were 1223.33 ± 347.9 mg (liver trauma) and 363.33 ± 60.28 mg (tail trimming). Importantly, the films exhibited photo-controllable modulation activity on macrophages through repeated near-infrared irradiation to regulate the immune microenvironment to enhance photodynamic antibacterial therapy. Moreover, the light-responsive silk fibroin film effectively promoted Staphylococcus aureus infected burn wound healing in vivo. The quantity of residual bacteria in the wound sites of mice in the C-MASiF films group (0.05 ± 0.0047 × 108 CFU mL-1) was considerably less than that in the control group (3.18 ± 0.75 × 108 CFU mL-1), and the wound area in the C-MASiF group (78.03% ± 4.12%) was considerably smaller than that in the control group (60.33% ± 8.81%) after 14 days. Overall, this light-responsive silk fibroin film can provide a powerful strategy for wound healing of burns.

An investigation of PM2.5 concentration changes in Mid-Eastern China before and after COVID-19 outbreak.

With the Chinese government revising ambient air quality standards and strengthening the monitoring and management of pollutants such as PM2.5, the concentrations of air pollutants in China have gradually decreased in recent years. Meanwhile, the strong control measures taken by the Chinese government in the face of COVID-19 in 2020 have an extremely profound impact on the reduction of pollutants in China. Therefore, investigations of pollutant concentration changes in China before and after COVID-19 outbreak are very necessary and concerning, but the number of monitoring stations is very limited, making it difficult to conduct a high spatial density investigation. In this study, we construct a modern deep learning model based on multi-source data, which includes remotely sensed AOD data products, other reanalysis element data, and ground monitoring station data. Combining satellite remote sensing techniques, we finally realize a high spital density PM2.5 concentration change investigation method, and analyze the seasonal and annual, the spatial and temporal characteristics of PM2.5 concentrations in Mid-Eastern China from 2016 to 2021 and the impact of epidemic closure and control measures on regional and provincial PM2.5 concentrations. We find that PM2.5 concentrations in Mid-Eastern China during these years is mainly characterized by "north-south superiority and central inferiority", seasonal differences are evident, with the highest in winter, the second highest in autumn and the lowest in summer, and a gradual decrease in overall concentration during the year. According to our experimental results, the annual average PM2.5 concentration decreases by 3.07 % in 2020, and decreases by 24.53 % during the shutdown period, which is probably caused by China's epidemic control measures. At the same time, some provinces with a large share of secondary industry see PM2.5 concentrations drop by more than 30 %. By 2021, PM2.5 concentrations rebound slightly, rising by 10 % in most provinces.

Proteomic analysis of CD4+ T-lymphocytes in patients with asthma between typical therapy (controlled) and no typical therapy (uncontrolled) level.

UNLABELLED: T-lymphocyte (T-LC)-derived cytokines have been implicated in asthmatic pathogenesis. Proteomic technology is now widely accepted as a complementary technology to genetic profiling. We investigated the changes of proteins in T-LC of asthmatic patients from the no typical therapy (uncontrolled) to typical therapy (controlled) level by using standard proteome technology. METHODS: The proteins of CD4+ T-LC were isolated from the whole blood of six asthmatic patients from uncontrolled to controlled levels over 3 months. Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was performed and coomassie blue stained protein spots were comparatively analyzed by using an image analyzer. Some differentially expressed spots were identified by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and database search. Our results showed that 13 proteins showed different expression. Six protein spots in the CD4+ T-LC of the uncontrolled asthmatic patients were increased and 7 spots were decreased compared to those of the controlled subjects. In conclusion, the proteomic examination of the CD4+ T-LC revealed some differentially expressed proteins in the uncontrolled and controlled asthmatic patients. The possibility of using the differentially expressed proteins as important biomarkers and therapeutic targets warrants further study.

Serum and pleural fluid procalcitonin in predicting bacterial infection in patients with parapneumonic effusion.

This study evaluated the value of procalcitonin (PCT) levels in pleural effusion to differentiate the etiology of parapneumonic effusion (PPE). Forty-one consecutive PPE patients were enrolled and were divided into bacterial and non-bacterial PPE. Blood and pleural effusion samples were collected for PCT measurement on admission and analyzed for diagnostic evaluation. PCT of pleural fluid was significantly increased in the bacterial PPE group (0.24 ng/mL) compared to the non-bacterial PPE group (0.09 ng/mL), but there was no significant difference for serum PCT. A PCT concentration of pleural fluid >0.174 ng/mL (best cut-off value) was considered positive for a diagnosis of bacterial PPE (sensitivity, 80%; specificity, 76%; AUC, 0.84). Pleural effusion PCT in the bacterial PPE is significantly different from those of the non-bacterial PPE and control groups, so the diagnostic use of PCT still warrants further investigation.