Paper-based material with hydrophobic and antimicrobial properties: Advanced packaging materials for food applications.

The environmental challenges posed by plastic pollution have prompted the exploration of eco-friendly alternatives to disposable plastic packaging and utensils. Paper-based materials, derived from renewable resources such as wood pulp, non-wood pulp (bamboo pulp, straw pulp, reed pulp, etc.), and recycled paper fibers, are distinguished by their recyclability and biodegradability, making them promising substitutes in the field of plastic food packaging. Despite their merits, challenges like porosity, hydrophilicity, limited barrier properties, and a lack of functionality have restricted their packaging potential. To address these constraints, researchers have introduced antimicrobial agents, hydrophobic substances, and other functional components to improve both physical and functional properties. This enhancement has resulted in notable improvements in food preservation outcomes in real-world scenarios. This paper offers a comprehensive review of recent progress in hydrophobic antimicrobial paper-based materials. In addition to outlining the characteristics and functions of commonly used antimicrobial substances in food packaging, it consolidates the current research landscape and preparation techniques for hydrophobic paper. Furthermore, the paper explores the practical applications of hydrophobic antimicrobial paper-based materials in agricultural produce, meat, and seafood, as well as ready-to-eat food packaging. Finally, challenges in production, application, and recycling processes are outlined to ensure safety and efficacy, and prospects for the future development of antimicrobial hydrophobic paper-based materials are discussed. Overall, the emergence of hydrophobic antimicrobial paper-based materials stands out as a robust alternative to plastic food packaging, offering a compelling solution with superior food preservation capabilities. In the future, paper-based materials with antimicrobial and hydrophobic functionalities are expected to further enhance food safety as promising packaging materials.

Study on the Clinical Effects of Liposuction and Small Incision Gland Resection for the Treatment of Gynecomastia.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of liposuction combined with small incision gland resection for treating gynecomastia. Methods: This study included 78 male patients with gynecomastia who received treatment at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, between August 2009 and June 2020. The patients were divided into two groups: the combined group (n = 39) underwent liposuction combined with small incision gland resection, while the open group (n = 39) underwent open surgical resection alone. The two groups were compared in terms of incision length, postoperative complications, postoperative scarring, and patient satisfaction. Results: Both groups showed significant improvements in appearance. However, the combined group had fewer postoperative complications, significantly better incision length, and patient satisfaction than the open group (P < .05). Conclusions: Liposuction combined with small incision gland resection is a precise, less invasive, and less complicated surgical treatment option for gynecomastia, with hidden scars and high patient satisfaction. This approach should be promoted as a preferred treatment method.

An integration of hybrid MCDA framework to the statistical analysis of computer-based health monitoring applications.

The surge in computer-based health surveillance applications, leveraging technologies like big data analytics, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things, aims to provide personalized and streamlined medical services. These applications encompass diverse functionalities, from portable health trackers to remote patient monitoring systems, covering aspects such as heart rate tracking, task monitoring, glucose level checking, medication reminders, and sleep pattern assessment. Despite the anticipated benefits, concerns about performance, security, and alignment with healthcare professionals' needs arise with their widespread deployment. This study introduces a Hybrid Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) paradigm, combining the strengths of Additive Ratio Assessment (ARAS) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), to address the intricate nature of decision-making processes. The method involves selecting and structuring criteria hierarchically, providing a detailed evaluation of application efficacy. Professional stakeholders quantify the relative importance of each criterion through pairwise comparisons, generating criteria weights using AHP. The ARAS methodology then ranks applications based on their performance concerning the weighted criteria. This approach delivers a comprehensive assessment, considering factors like real-time capabilities, surgical services, and other crucial aspects. The research results provide valuable insights for healthcare practitioners, legislators, and technologists, aiding in deciding the adoption and integration of computer-based health monitoring applications, ultimately enhancing medical services and healthcare outcomes.

International students' university choice to study abroad in higher education and influencing factors analysis.

With the development of China's higher education, China has become increasingly popular as an education destination for international students. To explore the rationale and the influencing factors for them to attend Chinese universities, this research adopted a questionnaire survey and interviews with international students from a top university in China. The data were analyzed from four aspects: home countries' push factors, China's pull factors, university attractiveness factors and personal choice factors. The findings show that university attractiveness factors are more significant than the China's pull factors and the home countries push factors; China's pull factors have significant influence on the university attractiveness factors; For students from different regions, the factors of China's pull, home country's push and university attractiveness play significantly different role in affecting their choice of university, with Asian students much more affected than those from other parts of the world. Besides, individual subjective norms and individual value choices also affect students' choices to study abroad.

The actuality and influences of undergraduates' participation in high impact educational practices in Chinese universities.

High Impact Educational Practices (HIPs) are effectively educational practices that have an important impact on student learning and development. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of different types of high-impact educational activities on students' learning outcomes. The data comes from the 2019 "tracking research survey on learning and development of Chinese college students," in which undergraduates from 39 Chinese colleges and universities participated. This study first clarified the concept and classification of high-impact educational activities, and then used multiple linear regression analysis to analyze the impact of three types of high-impact educational activities, including extended learning activities, research-related activities, and social practice activities, on students' learning gains. It's found that most Chinese college students do not perform well on HIPs, while the "Double First-Class" university students engage more than other colleges. Participating in HIPs has a significant impact on students' knowledge, ability and values, especially on the latter two. This study provides valuable enlightenment for universities on how to promote students' participation in high impact educational activities and improve the quality of higher education.

Preparation and characterization of scutellarin loaded on ultradeformable nano-liposomes scutellarin EDTMP (S-UNL-E) and in vitro study of its osteogenesis.

The present research aimed to elucidate a convenient, safe and economic approach to induce the growth of endogenous bone tissue and bone regeneration. S-UNL-E was prepared using reverse-phase evaporation, and scutellarin encapsulation was subsequently compared. Meanwhile, the optimal preparation scheme was developed using an orthogonal method, and the particle size was determined using laser light scattering. In osteoblasts cultured in vitro, methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining and alizarin red staining were used to detect the osteogenic effects of S-UNL-E. The results indicated that the optimal process conditions for S-UNL-E included mass ratios of phospholipid-cholesterol, phospholipid-breviscapine, phospholipid-sodium cholate, and phospholipid-stearamide were 2:1, 15:1, 7:1 and 7:1, respectively, and the mass of ethylenediamine tetramethylphosphonic acid (EDTMP) was 30 mg. The average particle size of S-UNL-E was 156.67 ± 1.76 nm, and Zeta potential was -28.77 ± 0.66 mv. S-UNL-E substantially increased the expression of ALP osteoblasts, elevated the content of osteocalcin protein and promoted the formation of mineralized nodules. Cells in the S-UNL-E group were densely distributed with integrated cell structure, and the actin filaments were clear and obvious. The findings demonstrated that S-UNL-E greatly promoted the differentiation and maturation of osteoblasts, and S-UNL-E (2.5 × 108) produced the most favorable effect in differentiation promotion. In conclusion, the present study successfully constructed an S-UNL-E material characterized by high encapsulation and high stability, which could effectively promote osteogenic differentiation and bone formation.

Pig lung fibrosis is active in the subacute CdCl2 exposure model and exerts cumulative toxicity through the M1/M2 imbalance.

Environmental pollutant cadmium (Cd) can cause macrophage dysfunction, and the imbalance of M1/M2 is involved in the process of tissue fibrosis. In order to explore the effect of subacute CdCl2 exposure on pig lung tissue fibers and its mechanism, based on the establishment of this model, ICP-MS, H&E staining, Masson staining, Immunofluorescence, RT-PCR, and Western Blot methods were used to detect related indicators. The results found that lung tissue fibrosis, Cd content significantly increased, lung tissue ion disturbance, miR-20a-3p down-regulation, M1/M2 imbalance, LXA4/FPR2 content decreased, MDA content increased, NF-κB/NLRP3, TGFß pathway, PPARγ/Wnt pathway activated, and the expression of fibrosis-related factors increased. The above results indicate that subacute CdCl2 exposure increase Cd content in the pig lungs, which leads to M1/M2 imbalance and down-regulates the content of LXA4/FPR2, further activates the oxidative stress/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway, thereby activating the TGFß and PPARγ/Wnt pathways to induce fibrosis. This study aims to reveal the toxic effects of CdCl2 and will provide new insights into the toxicology of Cd.

Radiogenomics of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma: Associations Between mRNA-Based Subtyping and CT Imaging Features.

PURPOSE: To investigate associations between clear-cell renal cell carcinoma mRNA-based subtyping and CT features. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The CT data from 177 patients generated with The Cancer Imaging Archive were reviewed. The correlation was analyzed using chi-square test and univariate regression analysis. RESULTS: Identified were 124 (53.2%) m1, 67 (28.8%) m2, 17 (7.3%) m3, and 14 (8.7%) m4 subtypes. m1-subtype rates were significantly higher in well-defined margin lesions (p = 0.041). m3-subtype rates were significantly higher in ill-defined margin lesions (p = 0.012), in collecting system invasion lesions (p = 0.028) and collecting system invasion lesions (p = 0.026).On univariate logistic regression analysis, tumor margin (well-defined margin vs ill-defined margin, OR: 2.104; p = 0.041; 95% CI: 1.024-4.322) was associated with m1-subtype. Tumor margin (well-defined margin vs ill-defined margin, OR: 2.104; p = 0.012; 95% CI: 0.212-0.834) and collecting system invasion (yes vs no, OR: 0.421; p = 0.028; 95% CI: 0.212-0.834) and renal vein invasion (yes vs no, OR: 2.164; p = 0.026; 95% CI: 1.090-4.294) were associated with m3-subtype. There was no significant difference between mRNA-based subtyping (m2 vs other; m4 vs other) and the CT features. CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary radiogenomics analysis of clear-cell renal cell carcinoma revealed associations between CT features and mRNA-based subtyping which warrant further investigation and validation.

[Horn shaped perforator flap pedicled with the angular artery: anatomy basis and clinical application].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the anatomic basis and clinical application of the horn shaped perforator flap pedicled with the angular artery for the reconstruction of midface defect. METHODS: (1) 10 fresh cadavers were perfused with a modified guiding oxide gelatin mixture for three-dimensional visualization reconstruction using a 16-slice spiral computed tomography scanner and specialized software (Materiaise' s interactive medical image control system, MIMICS). The origin and distribution of the angular artery perforator were observed. (2) Between July 2012 and July 2014, twenty-one patients underwent operations for the reconstruction of midface defect. Ten patients had squamous cell carcinoma, nine patients had basal cell carcinoma and two patients had nevus. The flaps' size ranged from 1.5 cm x 3.5 cm to 2.5 cm x 5.0 cm. RESULTS: The facial artery branches the lateral nasal artery 1 cm from the outside corner of the mouth, subsequently strenches to inner canthus continuing as the angular artery. The angular artery anastomoses extensively with the dorsal nasal artery and the infraorbital artery. All the flaps survived. The patients were satisfied with the final aesthetic and functional results. CONCLUSIONS: The flap can be designed flexibly and simply with reliable blood supply. The donor sites could be closed directly without skin graft, it is a simple and fast method for the reconstruction of midface defect.