Amorphous hollow manganese silicate nanosphere oxidase mimic for ultrasensitive and high-reliable colorimetric detection of biothiols.

Metal-based nanozymes with exceptional physicochemical property and intrinsic enzymatic properties have been widely used in industrial, medical, and diagnostic fields. However, low substrate affinity results in unsatisfying catalytic kinetic and instability in complicated conditions, which significantly decreases their sensitivity and reliability. Herein, an amorphous hollow manganese silicate nanosphere (defined as AHMS) has been successfully synthesized via a facile one-step hydrothermal method and utilized in the archetype for colorimetric detection of biothiols with high sensitivity and high reliability. The experimental data demonstrates that ultrafast affinity of the substrate contributes to enhanced sensitivity with outstanding catalytic kinetic features (Km = 27.1 µM) and low limit of detection (LODGSH = 20 nM). The designed sensor demonstrates a reliable applicability for analysis of biological liquids (fetal calf serum and Staphylococcus aureus) and design of visual logic gates. Therefore, AHMS provides a promising strategy for ultrasensitive and high-reliable biosensing.

Molecular Dynamics Simulation of the Three-Phase Equilibrium Line of CO2 Hydrate with OPC Water Model.

The three-phase coexistence line of the CO2 hydrate was determined using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. By using the classical and modified Lorentz-Berthelot (LB) parameters, the simulations were carried out at 10 different pressures from 3 to 500 MPa. For the OPC water model, simulations with the classic and the modified LB parameters both showed negative deviations from the experimental values. For the TIP4P/Ice water model, good agreement with experimental equilibrium data can be achieved when the LB parameter is adjusted based on the solubility of CO2 in water. Our results also show that the influence of the water model on the equilibrium prediction is much larger than the CO2 model. Current simulations indicated that the H2O-H2O and H2O-CO2 cross-interactions' parameters might contribute equally to the accurate prediction of T3. According to our simulations, the prediction of T3 values showed relatively higher accuracy while using the combination of TIP4P/Ice water and EPM2 CO2 with modified LB parameter. Furthermore, varied χ values are recommended for accurate T3 estimation over a wide pressure range. The knowledge obtained in this study will be helpful for further accurate MD simulation of the process of CO2/CH4 replacement.

Altered subgroups of regulatory T cells in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) is a systemic autoimmune inflammatory disease. Up to now, the role of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and their subgroups in pSS is still in controversial. In this study we tried to elucidate the roles of Tregs and its subgroups in pSS. Total 43 pSS patients and 23 health persons as control were enrolled in this study. We grouped the pSS patients according to the anti-SSa/SSb and the EULAR Sjögren's syndrome disease activity index (ESSDAI). Among the 43 pSS patients, 14 patients were followed after treatment. The percentage of rTregs (resting Treg cells) among Tregs was increased in the pSS group, and decreased after treatment. In the high disease activity subpopulation (ESSDAI ≥ 5), the percentage of rTregs among Tregs decreased after treatment. On the contrary, the percentage of aTregs (activated Treg cells) increased after treatment. It was in an inverse correlation between the percentage of aTreg and rTreg in pSS patients. The Tregs are co-cultured with responder T cells. Tregs from pSS patients showed poorer proliferation inhibitory function. Our results show that the percentages of Tregs and their subgroups altered in pSS patients. The percentage of aTreg and the percentage of rTreg have an inverse correlation in pSS patients. Compared to the control group, the percentage of rTregs among Tregs was increased in the pSS patients and decreased after the treatment. Our study also showed that The Tregs from pSS patients may have poorer inhibitory functions.

Association of residual feed intake with intestinal microbiome and metabolome in laying period of ducks.

Introduction: Residual feed intake (RFI) is a indicator to evaluate animal feed. This experiment was explored to study the relationship between intestinal microbiome and metabolome of ducks with different residual feed intake during laying period. Methods: A total of 300 Shaoxing ducks aged 42 weeks were randomly selected and fed a diet of 60 d. At the end of the trial, 20 samples were selected according to the phenotype of RFI and divided into two groups (HRFI and LRFI). The cecal microbiota composition was explored by 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing and rectal metabolomics uses liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to identify the composition of metabolites in a non-targeted manner. Results: Results show feed intake and feed conversion ratio in the group HRFI were significantly higher than those in the group LRFI (p < 0.05). Chao1 indices were higher in the group LRFI than in the HRFI (p < 0.05), Shannon and Simpson indices were higher in the group LRFI than in the HRFI (p < 0.01). After linear discriminant analysis effect size (p < 0.05, LDA score > 3), Rikenellaceae, Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, Lactobacillales and Ruminococcus_2, etc. were significantly enriched in the group LRFI at the genus level, while Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group and Bacteria were significantly enriched in the group HRFI. After LC-MS analysis we found 338 metabolic difference products and 10 metabolic pathways, including the ABC transporter system, cysteine and methionine metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, and vitamin B6 metabolism, were identified to be associated with the significantly differentially expressed between the groups LRFI and HRFI (p < 0.05). We hypothesize that the difference between ducks with different RFIs is mainly due to the fact that ducks with LRFI have more SCFAs-producing bacteria in their gut microorganisms, which regulate the RFI of animals. This process we found that Phascolarctobaterium and Anaerobiospirillum may provide energy for ABC transporter system by producing SCFAs, and regulate RFI to improve feed utilization efficiency. Discussion: These results revealed the relationship between microbiome and metabonomics in laying ducks with different RFI, and provided theoretical basis for further study on the relationship between them.

Chicken Hypothalamic and Ovarian DNA Methylome Alteration in Response to Forced Molting.

Epigenetic modifications play an important role in regulating animal adaptation to external stress. To explore how DNA methylation regulates the expression levels of related genes during forced molting (FM) of laying hens, the hypothalamus and ovary tissues were analyzed at five periods using Whole-Genome Bisulfite Sequencing. The results show that methylation levels fluctuated differently in the exon, intron, 5'UTR, 3'UTR, promoter, and intergenic regions of the genome during FM. In addition, 16 differentially methylated genes (DMGs) regulating cell aging, immunity, and development were identified in the two reversible processes of starvation and redevelopment during FM. Comparing DMGs with differentially expressed genes (DEGs) obtained in the same periods, five hypermethylated DMGs (DSTYK, NKTR, SMOC1, SCAMP3, and ATOH8) that inhibited the expression of DEGs were found. Therefore, DMGs epigenetically modify the DEGs during the FM process of chickens, leading to the rapid closure and restart of their reproductive function and a re-increase in the egg-laying rate. Therefore, this study further confirmed that epigenetic modifications could regulate gene expression during FM and provides theoretical support for the subsequent optimization of FM technology.

Dietary supplementation of coated sodium butyrate improves growth performance of laying ducks by regulating intestinal health and immunological performance.

Introduction: This study was conducted to assess the effects of dietary supplementation of coated sodium butyrate (CSB) on the growth performance, serum antioxidant, immune performance, and intestinal microbiota of laying ducks. Methods: A total of 120 48-week-old laying ducks were randomly divided into 2 treatment groups: the control group (group C fed a basal diet) and the CSB-treated group (group CSB fed the basal diet + 250 g/t of CSB). Each treatment consisted of 6 replicates, with 10 ducks per replicate, and the trial was conducted for 60 days. Results: Compared with the group C, the group CSB showed a significant increase in the laying rate (p<0.05) of the 53-56 week-old ducks. Additionally, the serum total antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase activity and immunoglobulin G level were significantly higher (p<0.05), while the serum malondialdehyde content and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a level were significantly lower (p<0.05) in the serum of the group CSB compared to the group C. Moreover, the expression of IL-1b and TNF-a in the spleen of the group CSB was significantly lower (p<0.05) compared to that of the group C. In addition, compared with the group C, the expression of Occludin in the ileum and the villus height in the jejunum were significantly higher in the group CSB (p<0.05). Furthermore, Chao1, Shannon, and Pielou-e indices were higher in the group CSB compared to the group C (p<0.05). The abundance of Bacteroidetes in the group CSB was lower than that in the group C (p<0.05), while the abundances of Firmicutes and Actinobacteria were higher in the group CSB compared to the group C (p<0.05). Conclusions: Our results suggest that the dietary supplementation of CSB can alleviate egg-laying stress in laying ducks by enhancing immunity and maintaining the intestinal health of the ducks.

Clinical Application of CAD/CAM-Guided Modified Dautrey's Procedure in Recurrent Temporomandibular Joint Luxation.

This study aimed to introduce the clinical application of the CAD/CAM-guided modified Dautrey's procedure in recurrent anterior temporomandibular joint luxation and evaluate its clinical effects. Four selected patients were treated by the CAD/CAM-guided modified Dautrey's procedure and were followed-up to access their curative effect. Joint pain and sound, recurrence rate, mandibular function, maximum mouth opening (MMO), symptoms of facial nerve injury, and changes in zygomatic facial appearance were observed in postoperative follow-up. The followed-up period ranged from 3 months to 1 year with an average time of 7.5 months. There was no recurrence in all 4 patients, and no symptoms of facial nerve injury and zygomaticofacial appearance changes were found. All patients showed improvement in MMO, with a mean preoperative and postoperative MMO of 4.74 and 3.74 cm, respectively. All of them showed relief of joint pain or sound 3 months or more after the operation and could exercise mandibular normally. This results showed that the CAD/CAM-guided modified Dautrey's procedure was effective in the treatment of recurrent temporomandibular joint luxation and could be used as a good alternative treatment for it.

Multi-Objective Optimization of Sugarcane Milling System Operations Based on a Deep Data-Driven Model.

The extraction of sugarcane juice is the first step of sugar production. The optimal values of process indicators and the set values of operating parameters in this process are still determined by workers' experience, preventing adaptive adjustment of the production process. To address this issue, a multi-objective optimization framework based on a deep data-driven model is proposed to optimize the operation of sugarcane milling systems. First, the sugarcane milling process is abstracted as the interaction of material flow, energy flow, and information flow (MF-EF-IF) by introducing synergetic theory, and each flow's order parameters and state parameters are obtained. Subsequently, the state parameters of the subsystems are taken as inputs, and the order parameters-including the grinding capacity, electric consumption per ton of sugarcane, and sucrose extraction-are produced as outputs. A collaborative optimization model of the MF-EF-IF of the milling system is established by using a deep kernel extreme learning machine (DK-ELM). The established milling system model is applied for an improved multi-objective chicken swarm optimization (IMOCSO) algorithm to obtain the optimal values of the order parameters. Finally, the milling process is described as a Markov decision process (MDP) with the optimal values of the order parameters as the control objectives, and an improved deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) algorithm is employed to achieve the adaptive optimization of the operating parameters under different working conditions of the milling system. Computational experiments indicate that enhanced performance is achieved, with an increase of 3.2 t per hour in grinding capacity, a reduction of 660 W per ton in sugarcane electric consumption, and an increase of 0.03% in the sucrose extraction.

Experimental apparatus for resistivity measurement of gas hydrate-bearing sediment combined with x-ray computed tomography.

Natural gas hydrate has sparked worldwide interest due to its enormous energy potential. Geophysical surveys are commonly used in gas hydrate exploration, and resistivity logging plays an important role in this field. Nevertheless, the electrical response mechanism as a result of the gas hydrate growth in sediment is not well understood. This study develops an apparatus for the in situ resistivity testing of gas hydrate-bearing sediment combined with x-ray computed tomography scanning. Using this equipment, the gas hydrate samples can be synthesized under high-pressure and low-temperature conditions. The sample resistivities of three different layers can also be measured in situ during the gas hydrate formation. Moreover, x-ray computed tomography scanned gray images are acquired, which can be used to calculate the saturation and analyze the microscopic distribution of gas hydrate. A series of experiments are performed to validate the feasibility of the apparatus. The results show that the sample resistivity shows three distinct stages of variation as the gas hydrate grows. The most sensitive saturation range to the electrical response is ∼10.50%-22.34%. Very few gas hydrate particles will not significantly change the pore connectivity. By contrast, too many gas hydrate particles will hinder the pore network blocking. Both situations will not result in a significant change in resistivity.

Dietary Acid Load Was Positively Associated with the Risk of Hip Fracture in Elderly Adults.

Previous studies have shown that dietary acid load (DAL) harms bone health, but the evidence is inconsistent and insufficient. This study examined the relationships between DAL and the risk of hip fracture. This case−control study contained 1070 pairs of 1:1 age-, city-, and gender-matched incident cases and controls (mean age, 71 years) recruited in Guangdong, China. Dietary information was collected using a validated 79-item food frequency questionnaire through face-to-face interviews. DAL was estimated based on established algorithms for the potential renal acid load (PRAL) and net endogenous acid production (NEAP). Higher PRAL and NEAP were dose-dependently associated with a higher risk of hip fracture in both the conditional logistic regression model and restricted cubic spline analysis after adjusting for potential covariates. The multivariate-adjusted odds ratios and 95% CI of hip fracture for tertiles 2 and 3 (vs. 1) of DAL were 1.63 (1.18, 2.25) and 1.92 (1.36, 2.71) for PRAL and 1.81 (1.30, 2.53) and 2.55 (1.76, 3.71) for NEAP in all participants (all p-trends < 0.001), respectively. Subgroup analyses showed more pronounced associations in participants with a lower body mass index. Our findings suggested positive associations between the estimated DAL and the risk of hip fractures in the elderly Chinese population.

The performance of OPC water model in prediction of the phase equilibria of methane hydrate.

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to determine the three-phase coexistence line of sI methane hydrates. The MD simulations were carried out at four different pressures (4, 10, 40, and 100 MPa) by using the direct phase coexistence method. In current simulations, water was described by either TIP4P/Ice or "optimal" point charge (OPC) models and methane was described as a simple Lennard-Jones interaction site. Lorentz-Berthelot (LB) combining rules were used to calculate the parameters of the cross interactions. For the OPC model, positive deviations from the energetic LB rule were also considered based on the solubility of methane in water. For the TIP4P/Ice water model, the obtained three phase coexistence temperatures showed good agreement with experiment data at higher pressures, which is consistent with previous predictions. For the OPC water model, simulations using the classic and the modified LB parameters both showed negative deviations to the experimental values. Our results also indicated that the deviation of the T3 prediction by the OPC model was not closely correlated with the predicted melting point of ice. At 4 MPa, the modified OPC model showed a better prediction of hydrate equilibrium temperature, even better than the prediction by TIP4P/Ice. Considering the relatively higher accuracy in biomolecular MD of the OPC model, it is suggested that this model may have a better performance in hydrate MD simulations of biomolecule-based additives.

Bioeffects of static magnetic fields on the growth and metabolites of C. pyrenoidosa and T. obliquus.

Microalgae is one of the most potential materials for biofuels and dietary supplements. However, the high cost of cultivation has always restrained its commercial application. Static magnetic fields (SMF), with the advantages of low operational cost and non-toxic secondary pollution, exhibits great potential in the promotion to the microalgal growth and metabolism. In this study, the dynamic patterns on the biomass and metabolites including pigment, protein, carbohydrate, lipid and fatty acids of C. pyrenoidosa and T. obliquus under 30 mT SMF for 15 days at 24 h·d-1 were explored. Results demonstrated that SMF triggered the growth of C. pyrenoidosa and T. obliquus by 32.8% and 31.5%, respectively. SMF significantly stimulated protein synthesis by 44.3%, whereas decreased carbohydrate by 19.7% and lipid by 23.4% in C. pyrenoidosa (p < 0.05), indicating that SMF was a promising approach for inducing intracellular carbon partition to the protein synthetic pathway. The carbohydrate content exhibited a significant lower by 43.7% in T. obliquus under SMF than that of the control (p < 0.05), while no significant changes were observed in either the protein or the lipid. SMF applied for the two microalgae had negative effects on the fatty acids (MUFAs, PUFAs, and TFAs). The results indicated that SMF could not only significantly accelerate the growth of the two microalgae, but also influence their metabolites.

Genome-Wide Association Studies and Haplotype-Sharing Analysis Targeting the Egg Production Traits in Shaoxing Duck.

Age at first egg (AFE) and egg number (EN) are economically important traits related to egg production, as they directly influence the benefits of the poultry industry, but the molecular genetic research that affects those traits in laying ducks is still sparse. Our objective was to identify the genomic regions and candidate genes associated with AFE, egg production at 43 weeks (EP43w), and egg production at 66 weeks (EP66w) in a Shaoxing duck population using genome-wide association studies (GWASs) and haplotype-sharing analysis. Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based genetic parameter estimates showed that the heritability was 0.15, 0.20, and 0.22 for AFE, EP43w, and EP66w, respectively. Subsequently, three univariate GWASs for AFE, EP43w, and EP66w were carried out independently. Twenty-four SNPs located on chromosome 25 within a 0.01-Mb region that spans from 4.511 to 4.521 Mb were associated with AFE. There are two CIs that affect EP43w, i.e., twenty-five SNPs were in strong linkage disequilibrium region spanning from 3.186 to 3.247 Mb on chromosome 25, a region spanning from 4.442 to 4.446 Mb on chromosome 25, and two interesting genes, ACAD8 and THYN1, that may affect EP43w in laying ducks. There are also two CIs that affect EP66w, i.e., a 2.412-Mb region that spans from 127.497 to 129.910 Mb on chromosome 2 and a 0.355-Mb region that spans from 4.481 to 4.837 Mb on chromosome 29, and CA2 and GAMT may be the putative candidate genes. Our study also found some haplotypes significantly associated with these three traits based on haplotype-sharing analysis. Overall, this study was the first publication of GWAS on egg production in laying ducks, and our findings will be helpful to provide some candidate genes and haplotypes to improve egg production performance based on breeding in laying duck. Additionally, we learned from a method called bootstrap test to verify the reliability of a GWAS with small experimental samples that users can access at https://github.com/xuwenwu24/Bootstrap-test.

Increased photoluminescence and photodynamic therapy efficiency of hydroxyapatite-ß-cyclodextrin-methylene blue@carbon powders with the favor of hydrogen bonding effect.

To meet the requirements of theranostics with diagnosis and treatment, photodynamic-based therapy is simultaneously enabled with the incorporation of methylene blue (MB) as imaging agent and photosensitizer in core-shell structured drug vehicles. Citrate-modified hydroxyapatite (HAp) powders are first grafted with ß-cyclodextrin (CD), then combined with MB molecules through electrostatic interactions, and finally encapsulated with carbon shells through hydro-thermal carbonization of glucose to prepare HAp-CD-MB@C powders. Processing parameters of carbonization temperature, glucose addition, reaction time and CD addition are varied to prepare drug carriers with modulated crystallite degrees and photo-physical properties. Increased crystallite sizes of HAp are accompanied with the formation of C=O, C=C and C-OH groups in carbon shell, endowing sustainable release behaviors of MB through carbonous structures. High photoluminescence intensities are fairly related with red-shifted vibration peaks of groups in tightly combined MB molecules through hydrogen bonds. This hydrogen bonding effect is significantly increased for HAp-CD-MB@C140 with the splitting of CH3-involved vibration peaks in infrared spectra, which causes increase in photoluminescence intensity and four-fold increase in generation ratio of singlet oxygen. The present studies shed light on preparation of core-shell structured drug carriers, modulation of aggregate states of MB molecules, enhancement of photo-physical properties and improvement of generation ratio of singlet oxygen during photodynamic-based therapy.

A testing assembly for combination measurements on gas hydrate-bearing sediments using x-ray computed tomography and low-field nuclear magnetic resonance.

Studying the pore-scale characteristics of gas hydrate-bearing sediments (GHBS) is very important for a deep understanding of (i) how fluid flows therein and (ii) the corresponding gas production. Micro X-ray computed tomography (X-CT) and low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) are often used independently to characterize the pore structure of GHBS. Here, we present a new testing assembly that combines X-CT scans and low-field NMR tests to determine the pore-scale characteristics of GHBS in situ. The main parts of the testing assembly are a removable core holder made of polyether ether ketone, an X-CT system, and a low-field NMR system. The core holder allows for independent pressure control for the formation/dissociation of gas hydrates, which is xenon hydrate here. X-CT scans and low-field NMR tests are conducted successively to obtain not only the hydrate pore-scale behavior but also the transverse relaxation time distributions of GHBS. Correlation analysis between the pore size distributions and the transverse relaxation time curves gives the transverse surface relaxivity of xenon hydrate-bearing sediments during hydrate dissociation. The results show that the hydrate pore occurs as a mixture of grain-coating, cementing, pore-filling, and patchy clusters in a gas-dissolved solution. The peak pore size at the maximum frequency ratio increases with decreasing hydrate saturation. In addition, the transverse surface relaxivity dependence on hydrate pore occurrences is in the range of 67.1-129.3 µm/s when the hydrate saturation is lower than 0.4. The combination measurements for GHBS have a promising potential in understanding the structure evaluation of pore space during gas recovery.

Ultrasensitive Chemodynamic Therapy: Bimetallic Peroxide Triggers High pH-Activated, Synergistic Effect/H2 O2 Self-Supply-Mediated Cascade Fenton Chemistry.

Recently, nanoparticle-triggered in situ catalytic Fenton/Fenton-like reaction is widely explored for tumor-specific chemodynamic therapy (CDT). However, despite the great potential of CDT in tumor treatment, insensitive response to the relatively high pH of the tumor sites and the insufficient intratumoral H2 O2 level leads to limited efficiency of most Fenton/Fenton-like reactions, which greatly imped its clinical conversion. This paper reports the fabrication of Fenton-type bimetallic peroxides for ultrasensitive chemodynamic therapy with high pH-activated, synergistic effect/H2 O2 self-supply-mediated cascade Fenton chemistry for the first time. The observations reveal that these bimetallic peroxides exhibit an ultrasensitive acid-activated decomposition-mediated Fenton-like reaction at the relatively high pH of 6.5-7.0, accompanied with highly increased •OH generation efficiency (especially, 40-60-fold increase at pH 7.0) by the metal-mediated synergistic effect-enhanced Fenton chemistry as well as in situ self-generated H2 O2 supplement. Moreover, the bimetallic peroxides exhibit high tumor accumulation which along with a high-efficiency tumor catalytic-therapeutic with negligible side effects in vivo. Developing these novel bimetallic peroxides, together with the already demonstrated capacity of the key metals (Fe, Mn, Cu, etc.) for magnetic resonance imaging or photodynamic/immune-enhanced therapy, will propel interest in development of smart high-efficiency nanoplatform for cancer theranostics.

Facile in situ synthesis of silver nanocomposites based on cellulosic paper for photocatalytic applications.

In this work, various photocatalysts were synthesized with an impregnation-precipitation process to in situ decorate Ag-based nanoparticles (NPs, including Ag3PO4, AgCl, Ag2O, and Ag2CO3) on the cellulosic paper. The structure and properties of the Ag-based composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmitting electron microscopy, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra, and photocatalysis testing. The results showed that cellulosic paper is an efficient carrier which is feasible to grasp NPs due to the cellulosic nanofiber-network microstructure. Among the obtained samples, Ag2CO3 and AgCl NPs on cellulosic paper displayed high photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methyl orange under ultraviolet and visible light. However, photo lability of Ag2CO3 limits its recyclable. AgCl showed a better reutilization with the assistance of a surface plasmon resonance effect by Ag NPs that were grown in situ on the AgCl NPs, which formed Ag@AgCl nanocomposite structure. The photocatalytic activity of the AgCl/cellulosic paper decreased only slightly after three runs of photodegradation of methyl orange. The possible mechanism for photocatalysis was proposed. This work may provide a new method for the design of silver-based NPs/cellulosic paper nanocomposite photoreactors with favorable photocatalytic activities for industrial applications.

Study on Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviours About AIDS Among Undergraduates of China.

BACKGROUND: The prevention of AIDS among undergraduates in Wuhan is a public health priority. An important strategy for students to prevent AIDS is to establish correct moral concepts and cultivate a healthy lifestyle. INTRODUCTION: Through the investigation of MSM and non-MSM population in college students, this study seeks for possible influencing factors and solutions for AIDS prevention in colleges and universities. METHODS: This study was carried out in 15 universities in Wuhan. We recruited 127 MSM students through peer promotion, and 510 non-MSM students were selected by random cluster sampling. The two groups were investigated by anonymous questionnaire, and the questionnaire information was statistically analyzed. RESULTS: The awareness rate of AIDS-related knowledge among MSM students was 90.8%, while that among non-MSM students, it was 64.6%; neither meets the national requirements. The self- -recognition of MSM undergraduates was 95.0%. Among the 497 non-MSM undergraduates, 65.4% were willing to make friends with the MSM undergraduates. There were statistical differences in the social discrimination attitudes of those who knew AIDS-related knowledge (P<0.01), and the attitudes of those with knowledge of AIDS were more positive. CONCLUSION: The MSM students reported a high incidence of high-risk sexual behaviors and a gap between knowledge and behaviors. This study focuses on the comparison of the characteristics of knowledge, attitude, and behavior on AIDS between the two groups of people. AIDS prevention in colleges and universities requires a new way of thinking.

Acetic acid, vinegar, and citric acid as washing materials for cuticle removal to improve hatching performance of quail eggs.

The cuticle is the outmost layer of the eggshell and may affect the hatchability by modulating eggshell conductance. Three different solutions using acetic acid (AA), vinegar (V), and citric acid (CA) for cuticle removal by egg washing were developed, and the effects of cuticle removal on hatching performance of quail hatching eggs were evaluated. A total of 5,238 fresh quail hatching eggs were randomly divided into 9 treatments as follows: unwashed control, nondipped (CND); washed control, water dipped (CWD); standard control, 0.13% sodium hyperchlorite (CSH); 2% AA (AA2); 4% AA (AA4); 44.4% V (V2); 88.8% V (V4); 2% CA (CA2); and 4% CA (CA4). Overall, AA4, V4, and CA4 treatments significantly improved the hatchability of fertile eggs (95.42%, 94.16% and 95.66%, respectively) (P < 0.05) and the hatchability of CND, CWD, CSH, AA2, V2 and CA2 treatments were 90.98%, 93.00%, 92.27%, 79.44%, 90.37%, and 90.59%, respectively. The eggshell thickness and cuticle quality results showed that all AA, V, and CA solutions can effectively remove the quail eggshell cuticle, and AA4, V4 and CA4 significantly decreased eggshell thickness (P < 0.05). Microbial activity on the eggshell surface in all acid treatments was reduced significantly at day 0 of incubation (P < 0.05) and that significantly decreased than controlled treatments over the incubation period except AA2 treatment. Egg weight loss was lower for all acid treatments than that of the CND treatment (P < 0.05). There was no clear effect of treatments on chick quality. Hatch time in AA4, V4, and CA4 treatments slightly improved compared with controlled treatments (P > 0.05). There were no significant differences between treatments for chick livability and live weight at the first 21 D of life. Results of the present study indicate that cuticle removal with AA4, V4, or CA4 could effectively decrease the microbial activity on the eggshell surface during the incubation period and improve hatchability of quail hatching eggs without negative effects on hatch time and performance of quail chicks.

In Situ 3D-to-2D Transformation of Manganese-Based Layered Silicates for Tumor-Specific T1-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging with High Signal-to-Noise and Excretability.

Recently, Mn(II)-based T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents (CAs) have been explored widely for cancer diagnosis. However, the "always-on" properties and poor excretability of the conventional Mn(II)-based CAs leads to high background signals and unsatisfactory clearance from the body. Here, we report an "in situ three-dimensional to two-dimensional (3D-to-2D) transformation" method to prepare novel excretable 2D manganese-based layered silicates (Mn-LSNs) with extremely high signal-to-noise for tumor-specific MR imaging for the first time. Our observations combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that 3D metal (Mn, Fe, Co) oxide nanoparticles are initially formed from the molecular precursor solution and then in situ transform into 2D metal (Mn, Fe, Co)-based layered silicates triggered by the addition of tetraethyl orthosilicate, which provides a time-saving and versatile way to prepare novel 2D silicate nanomaterials. The unique ion-exchangeable capacity and high host layer charge density endow Mn-LSNs with an "ON/OFF" pH/GSH stimuli-activatable T1 relaxivity with superb high signal-to-noise (640-, 1200-fold for slightly acidic and reductive changes, respectively). Further in vivo MR imaging reveals that Mn-LSNs exhibit a continuously rapid T1-MRI signal enhancement in tumor tissue and no visible signal enhancement in normal tissue, indicating an excellent tumor-specific imaging. In addition, Mn-LSNs exhibit a rapid excretion from the mouse body in 24 h and invisible organ toxicity, which could help to solve the critical intractable degradation issue of conventional inorganic CAs. Moreover, the tumor microenvironment (pH/GSH/H2O2) specific degradability of Mn-LSNs could help to improve the penetration depth of particles into the tumor parenchyma. Developing this novel Mn-LSNs contrast agent, together with the already demonstrated capacity of layered silicates for drug and gene delivery, provides opportunities for future cancer theranostics.