Flexible, Reliable, and Lightweight Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube/Polytetrafluoroethylene Membranes with Dual-Nanofibrous Structure for Outstanding EMI Shielding and Multifunctional Applications.

In this study, lightweight, flexible, and environmentally robust dual-nanofibrous membranes made of carbon nanotube (CNT) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) are fabricated using a novel shear-induced in situ fibrillation method for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. The unique spiderweb-like network, constructed from fine CNTs and PTFE fibrils, integrates the inherent characteristics of these two materials to achieve high conductivity, superhydrophobicity, and extraordinary chemical resistance. The dual-nanofibrous membranes demonstrate a high EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) of 25.7-42.2 dB at a thickness range of 100-520 µm and the normalized surface-specific SE can reach up to 9931.1 dB·cm2·g-1, while maintaining reliability even under extremely harsh conditions. In addition, distinct electrothermal and photothermal conversion properties can be achieved easily. Under the stimulation of a modest electrical voltage (5 V) and light power density (400 mW·cm-2), the surface temperatures of the CNT/PTFE membranes can reach up to 135.1 and 147.8 °C, respectively. Moreover, the CNT/PTFE membranes exhibit swift, stable, and highly efficient thermal conversion capabilities, endowing them with self-heating and de-icing performance. These versatile, flexible, and breathable membranes, coupled with their efficient and facile fabrication process, showcase tremendous application potential in aerospace, the Internet of Things, and the fabrication of wearable electronic equipment for extreme environments.

High-performance electrosorption of lanthanum ion by Mn3O4-loaded phosphorus-doped porous carbon electrodes via capacitive deionization.

Transition-metal-oxide@heteroatom doped porous carbon composites have attracted considerable research interest because of their large theoretical adsorption capacity, excellent electrical conductivity and well-developed pore structure. Herein, Mn3O4-loaded phosphorus-doped porous carbon composites (Mn3O4@PC-900) were designed and fabricated for the electrosorption of La3+ in aqueous solutions. Due to the synergistic effect between Mn3O4 and PC-900, and the active sites provided by Mn-O-Mn, C/PO, C-P-O and Mn-OH, Mn3O4@PC-900 exhibits high electrosorption performance. The electrosorption value of Mn3O4@PC-900 was 45.34% higher than that of PC-900, reaching 93.02 mg g-1. Moreover, the adsorption selectivity reached 87.93% and 89.27% in La3+/Ca2+ and La3+/Na+ coexistence system, respectively. After 15 adsorption-desorption cycles, its adsorption capacity and retention rate were 50.34 mg g-1 and 54.12%, respectively. The electrosorption process is that La3+ first accesses the pores of Mn3O4@PC-900 to generate an electric double layer (EDL), and then undergoes further Faradaic reaction with Mn3O4 and phosphorus-containing functional groups through intercalation, surface adsorption and complexation. This work is hoped to offer a new idea for exploring transition-metal-oxide @ heteroatom doped porous carbon composites for separation and recovery of rare earth elements (REEs) by capacitive deionization.

Promoting CO2 Dynamic Activation via Micro-Engineering Technology for Enhancing Electrochemical CO2 Reduction.

Optimizing the coordination structure and microscopic reaction environment of isolated metal sites is promising for boosting catalytic activity for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2 RR) but is still challenging to achieve. Herein, a newly electrostatic induced self-assembly strategy for encapsulating isolated Ni-C3 N1 moiety into hollow nano-reactor as I-Ni SA/NHCRs is developed, which achieves FECO  of 94.91% at -0.80 V, the CO partial current density of ≈-15.35 mA cm-2 , superior to that with outer Ni-C2 N2 moiety (94.47%, ≈-12.06 mA cm-2 ), or without hollow structure (92.30%, ≈-5.39 mA cm-2 ), and high FECO of ≈98.41% at 100 mA cm-2 in flow cell. COMSOL multiphysics finite-element method and density functional theory (DFT) calculation illustrate that the excellent activity for I-Ni SA/NHCRs should be attributed to the structure-enhanced kinetics process caused by its hollow nano-reactor structure and unique Ni-C3 N1 moiety, which can enrich electron on Ni sites and positively shift d-band center to the Fermi level to accelerate the adsorption and activation of CO2 molecule and *COOH formation. Meanwhile, this strategy also successfully steers the design of encapsulating isolated iron and cobalt sites into nano-reactor, while I-Ni SA/NHCRs-based zinc-CO2 battery assembled with a peak power density of 2.54 mW cm--2 is achieved.

Prolonged duration of repolarization and decreased conduction velocity in the atrial myocardium after hypothermic ischemia-reperfusion may be related to expressions of inward rectifier potassium channel 2.1 protein and connexin 40.

OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to determine the role of inward rectifier potassium channel 2.1 protein and connexin 40 expressions in regulating the duration of repolarization and conduction velocity of right atrial myocardium in rats following hypothermic ischemia-reperfusion. METHODS: The Langendorff isolated rat cardiac perfusion models were divided into control (C) and hypothermic ischemia-reperfusion groups, with 8 models in group C and 16 models in group ischemia-reperfusion. Depending on the incidence of atrial arrhythmia after reperfusion, the models in group ischemia-reperfusion were further divided into reperfusion non-atrial arrhythmia or reperfusion atrial arrhythmia subgroup. Right atrial monophasic action potential duration at 50% and 90% of repolarization after 30 minutes of continuous perfusion in group C and group ischemia-reperfusion (T0), 105 minutes of continuous perfusion in group C or after 15 minutes of reperfusion in group ischemia-reperfusion (T1) and 120 minutes of continuous perfusion in group C or 30 minutes of reperfusion in group ischemia-reperfusion (T2) were recorded. Right atrial conduction velocity and effective refractory period were recorded at T2. Then, the expressions of inward rectifier potassium channel 2.1 protein and connexin 40 in the right atrial myocardium were detected. RESULTS: Monophasic action potential duration at 50% and 90% were higher at T1 and T2 than those at T0 in subgroup reperfusion atrial arrhythmia (p < 0.05); monophasic action potential duration at 50% in subgroup reperfusion atrial arrhythmia were larger than group C and subgroup reperfusion non-atrial arrhythmia at T1 and T2 (p < 0.05); monophasic action potential duration at 90% in subgroup reperfusion atrial arrhythmia were larger than group C and subgroup reperfusion non-atrial arrhythmia at T1 and T2 (p < 0.05); effective refractory period in subgroup reperfusion atrial arrhythmia was greater than that in group C and subgroup reperfusion non-atrial arrhythmia, and the conduction velocity and the expressions of inward rectifier potassium channel 2.1 protein and connexin 40 were significantly lower than group C and subgroup reperfusion non-atrial arrhythmia (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The prolonged duration of repolarization and a decrease in conduction velocity of the atrial myocardium occur in rats after hypothermic ischemia-reperfusion. These observed effects may be related to the downregulated expressions of connexin 40 and inward rectifier potassium channel 2.1.

Effects of different concentrations of desflurane on the index of cardiac electrophysiological balance in gynecologic surgery patients.

The objectives were to observe the effects of different concentrations of desflurane on QT, QTc, Tp-e, Tp-e/QT, and the index of cardiac electrophysiological balance (iCEB). Sixty patients were randomly divided into group D1, group D2, and group D3 by using a random number table, 20 in each group. After entering the operating room, patients received 10 mL/kg hydroxyethyl starch, 0.1 mg/kg midazolam, 0.1 mg/kg vecuronium, 3 µg/kg fentanyl, and 0.3 mg/kg etomidate intravenously and then accepted intubation and mechanical ventilation. The desflurane evaporator was opened. The concentrations of desflurane in the D1, D2, and D3 groups were maintained at 0.6, 1.3, and 2.0 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC), respectively. Twelve-lead ECGs were recorded at time before induction (T1) and at 20 min after desflurane reached the required concentration (T2). HR and MAP were recorded measure and the QT interval, QTc interval, Tp-e interval, Tp-e/QT ratio, and iCEB were calculated. Compared with before inhalation (T1), the QTc interval was prolonged in the D1, D2, and D3 groups after inhalation of different concentrations of desflurane for 20 min (T2) (P < 0.05) and the Tp-e/QT ratio decreased in the D1 and D2 groups at T2 (P < 0.05). Compared with the D1 and D2 groups, the Tp-e/QT ratio of the D3 group increased at T2 (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in Tp-e interval and iCEB at any time (P > 0.05). The study suggested that inhalation of desflurane at a normal concentration cannot cause arrhythmogenic characteristics and affect the cardiac electrophysiological stability.

Evaluation of Effects of TGF-ß1 Inhibition on Gastric Cancer in Nude Mice by Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging and In-Line X-ray Phase Contrast Imaging With Sequential Histology.

BACKGROUND: Accurate and complete response evaluation after treatment is important to implement individualized therapy for gastric cancer. PURPOSE: To investigate the effectiveness of diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) and in-line X-ray phase contrast imaging (ILXPCI) in the assessment of the therapeutic efficacy by transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-ß1) inhibition. STUDY TYPE: Prospective animal study. ANIMAL MODEL: Thirty nude mice subcutaneous xenotransplantation tumor model of gastric cancer for DKI and 10 peritoneal metastasis nude mice model for ILXPCI. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: Examinations before and serially at 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after TGF-ß1 inhibition treatment were performed at 3T MRI including T2 -weighted imaging (T2 WI) and DKI with five b values of 0, 500, 1000, 1500, 2000 s/mm2 ; ILXPCI examinations were performed at 14 days after treatment. ASSESSMENT: DKI parameters (apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC], diffusivity [D] and kurtosis [K]) were calculated by two experienced radiologists after postprocessing. STATISTICAL TESTS: For the differences in all the parameters between the baseline and each timepoint for both the treated and the control mice, the Mann-Whitney test was used. The Spearman correlation test was used to evaluate correlations among the DKI parameters and corresponding pathologic necrosis fraction (NF). RESULTS: ADC, D, and K values were significantly different between the two groups after treatment (P < 0.05). Serial measurements in the treated group showed that the ADC, D, and K values were significantly different at 7, 14, 21, and 28 days compared with baseline (P < 0.05). There were significant correlations between DKI parameters and NF (ADC, r = 0.865, P < 0.001; D, r = 0.802, P < 0.001; K, r = -0.944, P < 0.001). The ILXPCI results in the treated group showed a stronger absorption area than the control group. DATA CONCLUSION: DKI may be used to evaluate the complete course therapeutic effects of gastric cancer induced by TGF-ß1 inhibition, and the ILXPCI technique will improve the tumor microstructure resolution. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 1 Technical Efficacy: Stage 4 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;49:1553-1564.

Investigation of the influence of pressurized CO2 on the crystal growth of poly(l-lactic acid) by using an in situ high-pressure optical system.

Since CO2 is a kind of nontoxic, non-flammable and biocompatible fluid, introducing CO2 in the PLLA formation process has been regarded as a green way to the manufacture of biological products or medical supplies. However, it is still a challenge to understand the influence of CO2 on the crystal growth behavior of PLLA. Here, we developed an in situ high-pressure observation system, composed of optics, polarization optics and a small angle laser scattering system, to record the growth process of PLLA crystals in a pressurized CO2 environment. It is found that, at a low temperature (near Tg), low pressure CO2 (0.5 MPa in this work) can still induce the formation of numerous micron-sized spherulites of PLLA. Therefore, the introduction of CO2 can significantly enhance the crystallization ability of PLLA and decrease the crystallization temperature, which is helpful in improving the mechanical properties of PLLA products. We also found that a snowflake-shaped crystal was assembled by rhombic lamellae under pressurized CO2. There is a melt accumulation zone surrounding the growth front of the snowflake-shaped crystal, indicating that the growth front nucleation is limited by the pressurized CO2. This melt accumulation zone is quite different from the melt depletion zone existing ahead of the reported dendritic crystal front. Interestingly, in a high-pressure CO2 environment, a kind of bamboo-like branch is formed in a rhythmic growth mode. The repeating unit of the bamboo-like branch is constructed by an asymmetric terrace crystal originated from screw dislocation in the melt accumulation zone. These results demonstrated that CO2 has a remarkable tunability on the polymer crystal morphology.

Aromatic amino acid mutagenesis at the substrate binding pocket of Yarrowia lipolytica lipase Lip2 affects its activity and thermostability.

The lipase2 from Yarrowia lipolytica (YLLip2) is a yeast lipase exhibiting high homologous to filamentous fungal lipase family. Though its crystal structure has been resolved, its structure-function relationship has rarely been reported. By contrast, there are two amino acid residues (V94 and I100) with significant difference in the substrate binding pocket of YLLip2; they were subjected to site-directed mutagenesis (SDM) to introduce aromatic amino acid mutations. Two mutants (V94W and I100F) were created. The enzymatic properties of the mutant lipases were detected and compared with the wild-type. The activities of mutant enzymes dropped to some extent towards p-nitrophenyl palmitate (pNPC16) and their optimum temperature was 35°C, which was 5°C lower than that of the wild-type. However, the thermostability of I100F increased 22.44% after incubation for 1 h at 40°C and its optimum substrate shifted from p-nitrophenyl laurate (pNPC12) to p-nitrophenyl caprate (pNPC10). The above results demonstrated that the two substituted amino acid residuals have close relationship with such enzymatic properties as thermostability and substrate selectivity.

SOCS modulates JAK-STAT pathway as a novel target to mediate the occurrence of neuroinflammation: Molecular details and treatment options.

SOCS (Suppressor of Cytokine Signalling) proteins are intracellular negative regulators that primarily modulate and inhibit cytokine-mediated signal transduction, playing a crucial role in immune homeostasis and related inflammatory diseases. SOCS act as inhibitors by regulating the Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) signaling pathway, thereby intervening in the pathogenesis of inflammation and autoimmune diseases. Recent studies have also demonstrated their involvement in central immunity and neuroinflammation, showing a dual functionality. However, the specific mechanisms of SOCS in the central nervous system remain unclear. This review thoroughly elucidates the specific mechanisms linking the SOCS-JAK-STAT pathway with the inflammatory manifestations of neurodegenerative diseases. Based on this, it proposes the theory that SOCS proteins can regulate the JAK-STAT pathway and inhibit the occurrence of neuroinflammation. Additionally, this review explores in detail the current therapeutic landscape and potential of targeting SOCS in the brain via the JAK-STAT pathway for neuroinflammation, offering insights into potential targets for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

[Clinical and genetic analysis of a Chinese family affected with X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical manifestations and identify causative mutations for a Chinese family affected with X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. METHODS: Clinical, electrophysiological and pathological features of the family were carefully analyzed by neurologists. Blood samples were obtained from the proband and other family members. Genomic DNA was extracted. Mutation analysis of GJB1 gene was analyzed with PCR and direct sequencing. RESULTS: The family has fit with X-linked inheritance, and the affected individuals have typical clinical manifestations. A c.614A>G (p.Asn205Ser) mutation was detected in the GJB1 gene in all affected individuals in the family. CONCLUSION: A c.614A>G (p.Asn205Ser) mutation of GJB1 gene is co-segregated with the disease phenotype in this family and probably underlies the disease.

High performance plant-derived thermoplastic polyester elastomer foams achieved by manipulating charging order of mixed blowing agents.

Plant-derived thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE) is an environment friendly polymer known for its exceptional tear strength and mechanical properties, whose monomers are generated from crops. To prepare high-performance TPEE foams is still challenging due to the intrinsic shrinkage behavior. Herein, two microcellular foaming routes with different charging orders of mixed blowing agents, namely "CO2 firstly charging process (CO2-F-process)" and "N2 firstly charging process (N2-F-process)", were developed to elucidate the effects of mixed blowing agents on foaming behavior. Compared with the case in N2-F-process, more carbon dioxide and less nitrogen were adsorbed in CO2-F-process. Thus, TPEE foams prepared by N2-F-process show less shrinkage and higher creep recovery ratio than those prepared by CO2-F-process. Thanks to better structural stability and smaller shrinkage, TPEE foams prepared by N2-F-process exhibited enhanced strength and resilience. For the foams with similar density, compression strength can be increased by 52 %, and energy loss coefficient can be reduced to 50 %, by using N2-F-process. Thus, not only biomass TPEE foams with enhanced mechanical performance shows promising prospects in those areas that needs lightweight, insulation and high resilience, but also novel microcellular foaming technique with mixed blowing agents opens a new way for developing high-performance polymeric foams.

Ni-Carbon Microtube/Polytetrafluoroethylene as Flexible Electrothermal Microwave Absorbers.

Flexible microwave absorbers with Joule heating performance are urgently desired to meet the demands of extreme service environments. Herein, a type of flexible composite film is constructed by homogeneously dispersing a hierarchical Ni-carbon microtube (Ni/CMT) into a processable polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) matrix. The Ni/CMT are interconnected into a 3D conductive network, in which the huge interior cavity of the carbon microtube (CMT) improves impedance matching and provides additional hyper channels for electromagnetic (EM) waves dissipation, and the hierarchical magnetic Ni nanoparticles enhance the synergistic interactions between confined heterogeneous interfaces. Such an ingenious structure endows the composites with excellent electrothermal performance and improves their serviceability for application under extreme environments. Moreover, under a low fill loading of 3 wt.%, the Ni/CMT/PTFE (NCP) can achieve excellent low-frequency microwave absorption (MA) property with a minimum reflection loss of -59.12 dB at 5.92 GHz, which covers almost the entire C-band. Relying on their brilliant MA property, an EM sensor is designed and achieved by the resonance coupling of the patterned NCP. This work opens up a new way for the design of next-generation microwave absorbers that meet the requirements of EM packaging, proofing water and removing ice, fire safety, and health monitoring.

[Preparation of Bamboo-based N, P Co-doped Activated Carbon and Its Lanthanum Ion Adsorption Performance].

Using diammonium hydrogen phosphate as an activator and N and P source and and bamboo chips as the carbon source, N, P co-doped activated carbon was prepared by one-step pyrolysis and used to efficiently remove La3+ in aqueous solutions. The effects of activation temperature and pH value on the adsorption performance of La3+ were analyzed, and the activation and adsorption mechanisms were explored using TG-IR, SEM-EDX, pore structure, XPS, and hydrophilicity. The results showed that diammonium hydrogen phosphate easily decomposed at a high temperature to produce ammonia and phosphoric acid, which activated the material and promoted the increase in the specific surface area and pore volume of the activated carbon. As an N and P source, the addition of diammonium hydrogen phosphate successfully achieved the N, P co-doping of activated carbon, and the introduction of N- and P-containing functional groups was the key to enhance the adsorption of La3+. Among them, graphitic nitrogen could provide interactions between La3+-π bonds, and C-P=O and C/P-O-P could provide active sites for the adsorption of La3+ through complexation and electrostatic interaction. The adsorption of La3+ on N, P co-doped activated carbons was endothermic and spontaneous, and the adsorption process conformed to the Langmuir isotherm and secondary kinetic model. Under the process conditions of an activation temperature of 900℃ and pH=6, the adsorption capacity of the N, P co-doped activated carbon was as high as 55.18 mg·g-1, which was 2.53 times higher than that of the undoped sample, and its adsorption selectivity for La3+ in the La3+/Na+and La3+/Ca2+ coexistence systems reached 93.49% and 82.49%, respectively. Additionally, the removal efficiency remained above 54% after five successive adsorption-desorption cycle experiments.

Current status and training needs of trainee anesthesiologists in lung transplantation anesthesia in China: A single-center survey.

Background: Perioperative management involving anesthesiologists plays an important role in prognosis of recipients after lung transplantation. Since the development of lung transplantation, the demand for specialized anesthesiologists continues to increase. As the largest lung transplant center in China, the Wuxi People's Hospital was tasked with trainee anesthesiologists throughout the country in lung transplantation anesthesia. This study aimed to evaluate the current status and training needs of anesthesiologists for the anesthetic management of lung transplantation in Wuxi People's Hospital between 2015 to 2020. Methods: Overall, 53 trainee anesthesiologists for lung transplantation from 35 hospitals were investigated anonymously in our survey. The questionnaire included the anesthesiologists' demographic information, level of satisfaction, training needs and current status in their hospitals. We divided the doctors into two groups depending on the trainee anesthesiologists' seniority and professional title: intermediate and senior. Survey data were compared between the groups. Results: Significantly more doctors in senior-level positions had clinical research experience than did doctors in intermediate-level positions (P = 0.041). All doctors were highly or very highly satisfied with the training received. Doctors in intermediate-level positions preferred training periods of 4-6 months, while those in senior-level positions preferred 1-3 months of training (P = 0.044). Most doctors considered theoretical courses to be lacking (69.0%), followed by a lack of scenario simulation teaching (54.8%). The most desirable programs were transesophageal echocardiography (TEE, 71.4%) and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO, 64.3%). ECMO technology was available in the hospitals of 95.2% of respondents; however, only 2.4% of doctors said the anesthesiology department took charge of perioperative ECMO. Significantly more senior-level doctors chose calibrated pulse contour analysis (P = 0.018) and significantly more intermediate-level ones chose TEE (P = 0.049). Disappointingly, 21.4% doctors reported a lack of certification evaluation for trainee anesthesiologists at their hospitals. Conclusions: Different training programs should be set up according to the trainee anesthesiologists' level of seniority and training needs. Theoretical courses and scenario simulation training must be added to improve the training program. Moreover, the training of TEE and ECMO requires greater attention. Finally, a standardized completion assessment is required for trainee anesthesiologists.

Microcellular injection molded lightweight and tough poly (L-lactic acid)/in-situ polytetrafluoroethylene nanocomposite foams with enhanced surface quality and thermally-insulating performance.

High-performance microcellular polymer foams have been widely used all over the world, while the excessive usage of petroleum-based polymers caused serious environmental problems. As the eco-friendly awareness is increasing significantly, poly (L-lactic acid) (PLLA), as a typical biomass polymer, has gradually attracted widespread attention. However, the slow crystallization and poor melt strength of PLLA lead to low foaming ability and thus limiting its industrial applications. Herein, a novel and scalable strategy by coupling in-situ fibrillation and mold-opening microcellular injection molding (MOMIM) was developed to fabricate lightweight and tough PLLA/polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) foams. Thanks to the reticulated in-situ PTFE nanofibrils with a diameter of 100-200 nm, the crystallization and viscoelasticity of PLLA were dramatically promoted, and further contributing to its foaming ability. The expansion ratio of the MOMIM PLLA/PTFE foam was increased by 86 % compared with the regular microcellular injection molded (RMIM) PLLA foam. Moreover, the lower foam density and the toughening effect of PTFE nanofibrils resulted in the outstanding ductility of the PLLA/PTFE foams, whose tensile elongation, flexural strength, and impact strength were maximally increased by 52 %, 28 %, and 48 %, compared with PLLA foams. More importantly, the thermally-insulating performance and surface quality of PLLA/PTFE foams were also greatly improved.

Hydrogel-Derived Co3ZnC/Co Nanoparticles with Heterojunctions Supported on N-Doped Porous Carbon and Carbon Nanotubes for the Highly Efficient Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Zn-Air Batteries.

It is crucial for metal-air batteries and fuel cells to design non-precious-metal catalysts instead of platinum-based materials to boost the sluggish oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Herein, Co3ZnC/Co nanoparticles with heterojunctions supported on N-doped porous carbon and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are fabricated by pyrolyzing the hydrogel prepared from melamine and citric acid chelated with Co2+/Zn2+ ions. This hybrid shows strong ORR catalytic activity as its half-wave potential reaches 0.88 V (vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE)) in 0.1 M KOH and Zn-air batteries with the catalyst have higher discharge plateaus and capacity than those employing Pt/C. The hybrid mixed with RuO2 can also be used as an efficient bifunctional catalyst for rechargeable Zn-air batteries. The excellent performance is primarily derived from the Co3ZnC/Co heterojunctions, the electron transfer of which boosts the ORR catalysis. Moreover, the suitable ratio of Co/Zn in precursors results in the epitaxial growth of hollow CNTs and abundant mesopores, hence promoting the adsorption of oxygen and the transport of ORR-related species.

Effects of Hypothermic Hypoxia/Reoxygenation Fibroblast Culture Medium Containing Sevoflurane on Cardiomyocytes.

We established a model of hypothermic hypoxia/reoxygenation injury of fibroblasts, simulated the process of ischemia/reperfusion injury during cardiopulmonary bypass, and studied the effects of cardiac fibroblasts on cardiomyocyte activity, connexin 43 (Cx43), and calmodulin kinase II (CaMKII) expression. Furthermore, the effects of sevoflurane-treated fibroblast culture medium on cardiac activity, Cx43 protein, and CaMKII expression were observed. The results showed that the fibroblast culture medium damaged by hypothermic hypoxia/reoxygenation could reduce the beating frequency of cardiomyocytes, increase the mortality of cardiomyocytes, decrease the relative expression of Cx43, and increase the relative expression of CaMKII. However, sevoflurane containing hypothermic hypoxia/reoxygenation injury fibroblast culture medium can increase the beating frequency of cardiomyocytes, reduce the mortality of cardiomyocytes, increase the relative expression of Cx43 protein, and decrease the relative expression of CaMKII. The results suggest that the antiarrhythmic effects of sevoflurane on the expression of Cx43 and CaMKII are related to fibroblasts.

Low-dose naloxone for prophylaxis of sufentanil-induced choking and postoperative nausea and vomiting.

Sufentanil, a potent opioid, serves as the first option for perioperative analgesia owing to its analgesic effect, long duration and stable hemodynamics, whereas its side effects frequently blunt its application. The intravenous (IV) injection of sufentanil during anesthesia induction has high incidence of choking or bucking reaction, which is defined as sufentanil-induced cough (SIC). Moreover, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a common and stressful complication, which is also related to the usage of opioid. High incidence of PONV is reported in the patients with SIC. Hence, we sought to determine whether naloxone, an opioid antagonist, at low dose would decrease the incidences of SIC and PONV. 216 female patients undergoing gynecological laparoscopic operation (<2 h) under general anesthesia were recruited in this study, and randomly assigned into two groups: Group N (patients receiving naloxone and Group C (patients receiving vehicle). Sufentanil (0.5 µg/kg within 5 s) was given in anesthesia induction, and low-dose naloxone (1.25 µg/kg) or identical vehicle was initially injected 5 min prior to induction, with the incidence and severity of SIC estimated. Subsequently, naloxone or vehicle was continuously infused at the rate of 0.5 µg/kg/h in the initiation of operation until the end of the operation, and the transverse abdominal fascia block (TAP) was performed for postoperative analgesia. The PONV profiles such as incidence and the severity, grading, and the frequencies of antiemetic usage within 24 h were evaluated, with VAS scores and remedial measures for analgesia during the first 24 h postoperatively were recorded. Our results revealed that one bolus of low-dose naloxone prior to the induction significantly mitigated the incidence of SIC, and intraoperative continuous infusion of low-dose naloxone reduced the incidence and the severity of PONV, so that the postoperative VAS scores and further remedial analgesia were not altered. These results not only provide clinical solutions for prophylaxis of SIC and PONV, but also suggests that opioids may act as a key role in both SIC and PONV, whereas opioid antagonist may hit two tasks with one stone. Moreover, further investigations are required to address the underlying mechanism of SIC and PONV. Clinical Trial Registration: [www.chictr.org.cn], identifier [ChiCTR2200064865].

Fabrication of super-hydrophilic and highly open-porous poly (lactic acid) scaffolds using supercritical carbon dioxide foaming.

Porous poly (lactic acid) (PLA)-based scaffolds have been widely used as a promising product in tissue engineering. However, it is still a challenge to prepare the PLA-based scaffolds with high expansion ratio, good hydrophilicity, and excellent cytocompatibility by a green and cost-effective fabrication approach. Herein, we prepared porous PLA-based scaffolds using carbon dioxide (CO2) as the physical foaming agent. To improve the hydrophilicity and foaming behavior of PLA, poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) was selected as a good additive to blend with PLA. It revealed that the introduction of PEG could improve the foaming behavior of PLA and promote the formation of opening cells via reducing the matrix strength of PLA. The obtained 3D PLA/PEG scaffolds exhibited high expansion ratio (9.1), high open-cell content (95.2%), and super-hydrophilicity (water contact angle 0°). Additionally, the mouse fibroblast NIH/3T3 cells with live/dead cell fluorescence staining assay was utilized to examine the biocompatibility of PLA/PEG scaffolds. The result demonstrated that the proliferation ratio of NIH/3 T3 cells on the surface of PLA/PEG scaffolds was higher than that of PLA scaffolds, indicating that the highly interconnected cell structure was conducive to cell adhesion and attachment. Consequently, such hydrophilic open-cell structure obtained by adding PEG into PLA possesses great potential for use in tissue engineering.