Effect of Specific Surface Area and Hydrophobicity of Electrospun Nanofibers on the Sustained Release Performance of Diclofenac Sodium.

Nanofibers produced by electrospinning are suitable options for slow-release materials. Diclofenac sodium (DS) is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication with a brief half-life that can serve as an effective sustained-release agent. This paper presents a novel method for producing DS-sustained release nanofibers by electrostatic spinning processes. During the preparation, the slow-release capabilities of biodegradable materials poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) are investigated. A composite drug-carrying scaffold is prepared to enhance the sustained-release performance. The sustained release ability is affected by the specific surface area of the nanofibers and the hydrophobicity of the polymer. The findings indicate that the composite nanofiber with a PLA/PCL ratio of 1:1 demonstrates the most effective sustained-release performance. The release rate is mostly influenced by the hydrophobicity of the polymer at this point. Sustained-release kinetic simulations were performed and revealed that the release of nanofibers follows a first-order release paradigm. This work presents a straightforward approach for creating a sustained-release formulation of DS.

Role of biologics in refractory recurrent aphthous stomatitis.

Refractory recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RRAS) manifests as severe ulcerative lesions of the oral mucosa with poor healing and a poor response to conventional therapy, with or without systemic diseases. Its treatment remains a clinical challenge owing to the lack of effective therapies. Recently, biologics have emerged as promising targeted therapies for RRAS. The biologics targeting specific inflammatory pathways involved in the pathogenesis of RRAS, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors and interleukin inhibitors, offer a more precise and promising therapeutic approach for RRAS. These targeted therapies have been shown to promote healing and decrease recurrence frequency in, and improve the quality of life of patients with RRAS. Herein, the types and mechanisms of biologics currently used to treat RRAS have been reviewed; furthermore, the dose, duration, therapeutic efficacy, and adverse effects of RRAS with or without certain associated systemic diseases, and the current problems and future directions have been discussed.

Prevalence of oral lichen planus in patients with diabetes mellitus: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: Oral lichen planus, a chronic inflammatory immune disease, occurs in the oral mucosa. We aimed to assess the prevalence and possible influencing factors of oral lichen planus in patients with diabetes mellitus. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved 525 patients with diabetes mellitus and 525 controls. We collected information on blood glucose level, duration of diabetes, diabetic complications, treatment methods, other systemic diseases and medication history. RESULTS: Oral lichen planus was significantly more prevalent in the diabetes mellitus/type 2 diabetes mellitus group than in the controls (2.3%/2.2% vs. 0.6%, p = 0.019/0.022). There was no significant association between patients with diabetes mellitus with and those without oral lichen planus in age (p = 0.195), sex (p = 0.390), blood glucose level (p = 1), duration of diabetes (p = 0.638), diabetic complications (p = 1), treatment methods (p = 0.962), other systemic diseases (p = 0.891) and medication history (p = 0.848). CONCLUSIONS: Diabetes mellitus was associated with oral lichen planus; there was a higher prevalence of oral lichen planus in patients with diabetes mellitus/type 2 diabetes mellitus than in those without diabetes. Oral lichen planus development in patients with diabetes mellitus was not significantly associated with age, sex, blood glucose level, duration of diabetes, diabetic complications, treatment methods, other systemic diseases and medication history.

Efficacy of topical administration for oral lichen planus: A network meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the comparative efficacy and safety of topical administration for oral lichen planus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An electronic database search (1st January 1946 to 1st May 2020) for randomised controlled trials identified 34 studies involving eight interventions (clobetasol, betamethasone, triamcinolone, dexamethasone, fluocinolone, tacrolimus, pimecrolimus, and cyclosporine); these studies were subjected to network meta-analysis using direct and indirect comparisons [efficacy indicators: clinical response rate, symptom-reducing effect (visual analogue scale score), sign-reducing effect (Thongprasom-scale score) and relapse; safety indicator: adverse event occurrence]. RESULTS: Compared with placebo, tacrolimus had the best clinical response rate (odds ratio (OR), 57.78 [95% CI 3.15-1060.52]; P-score, 0.8654) and cyclosporine had the worst (OR, 3.61[95% CI 0.20-66.62]; P-score, 0.2236); tacrolimus had the best symptom-reducing effect (standardised mean difference (SMD), 1.06 [95% CI 0.41-1.71]; P-score, 0.9323) and fluocinolone had the worst (SMD, -0.54 [95% CI -1.44-0.36]; P-score, 0.0157); dexamethasone had the best sign-reducing effect (SMD, 3.60 [95% CI 1.74-5.45]; P-score, 0.8306) and clobetasol had the worst (SMD, 2.63 [95% CI 1.66-3.61]; P-score, 0.2581); and pimecrolimus performed best (OR, 0.04 [95% CI 0.00-0.64]; P-score, 0.9227) and clobetasol performed the worst [OR, 0.60; 95% CI 0.15-2.45; P-score, 0.2545] in reducing relapse. Regarding safety, dexamethasone was the safest compared with placebo [OR, 0.37; 95% CI 0.05-2.57; P-score, 0.9337), whereas fluocinolone ranked low for safety [OR, 9.48; 95% CI 1.50- 60.03; P-score, 0.1189]. CONCLUSIONS: The relative ranking of topical administration varies according to the different indicators. Based on the joint consideration of clinical response rate and adverse event occurrence, dexamethasone, triamcinolone and betamethasone are recommended for better efficacy and safety. The optimal treatment for oral lichen patients varies under different conditions.

PA28γ induces dendritic cell maturation and activates T-cell immune responses in oral lichen planus.

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a common chronic inflammatory disease of the oral mucosa, the mechanism of its inflammatory progression has not yet been fully elucidated. PA28γ plays a significant role in a variety of immune-related diseases. However, the exact role of PA28γ in the pathogenesis of OLP remains unclear. Here, we demonstrated that PA28γ is overexpressed in epithelial cells and inflammatory cells of OLP tissues but has no significant relationship with OLP subtypes. Functionally, keratinocytes with high PA28γ expression could induce dendritic cell (DC) maturation and promote the T-cell differentiation into Th1 cells in response to the immune response. In addition, we found that a high level of PA28γ expression is associated with high numbers of infiltrating mature DCs and activated T-cells in OLP tissues. Mechanistically, keratinocytes with high PA28γ expression could promote the secretion of C-C motif chemokine (CCL)5, blocking CCL5 or/and its receptor CD44 could inhibit the induction of T-cell differentiation by keratinocytes with high PA28γ expression. In conclusion, we reveal that keratinocytes with high expression of PA28γ in OLP can induce DC maturation and promote T-cell differentiation through the CCL5-CD44 pathway, providing previously unidentified mechanistic insights into the mechanism of inflammatory progression in OLP.

Insights into the biosynthesis of palladium nanoparticles for oxygen reduction reaction by genetically engineered bacteria of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1.

Owing to the increasing need for green synthesis and environmental protection, the utilization of biological organism-derived carbons as supports for noble-metal electrocatalysts has garnered public interest. Nevertheless, the mechanism by which microorganisms generate nanometals has not been fully understood yet. In the present study, we used genetically engineered bacteria of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 (∆SO4317, ∆SO4320, ∆SO0618 and ∆SO3745) to explore the effect of surface substances including biofilm-associated protein (bpfA), protein secreted by type I secretion systems (TISS) and type II secretion systems (T2SS), and lipopolysaccharide in microbial synthesis of metal nanoparticles. Results showed Pd/∆SO4317 (the catalyst prepared with the mutant ∆SO4317) shows better performance than other biocatalysts and commercial Pd/C, where the mass activity (MA) and specific activity (SA) of Pd/∆SO4317 are 3.1 and 2.1 times higher than those of commercial Pd/C, reaching 257.49 A g-1 and 6.85 A m-2 respectively. It has been found that the exceptional performance is attributed to the smallest particle size and the presence of abundant functional groups. Additionally, the absence of biofilms has been identified as a crucial factor in the formation of high-quality bio-Pd. Because the absence of biofilm can minimize metal agglomeration, resulting in uniform particle size dispersion. These findings provide valuable mechanical insights into the generation of biogenic metal nanoparticles and show potential industrial and environmental applications, especially in accelerating oxygen reduction reactions.

The construction of a three-dimensional donor/acceptor interface based on a bilayered titanium dioxide nanorod array-flower for perovskite solar cells.

Recently, organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells have been considered as the new generation of photovoltaic devices due to their excellent performance. However, their finite interfacial stability limits their further commercialization. How to improve their stability is one of the important issues in current scientific research. Herein, a bilayered titanium dioxide nanorod array-flower (B-TiO2-NAF) was prepared as an electron transport material for hybrid perovskite solar cells in order to overcome this difficulty. A device based on B-TiO2-NAF exhibits an excellent power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 21.8% due to its low electron trap density (ntrap), low carrier recombination resistance (Rs), facilitated electron injection, and reduced nonradiative recombination rate. The application of B-TiO2-NAF provides a stable three-dimensional (3-D) D/A interface and shortens the internal photoexciton diffusion distance. As a result, the device shows excellent long-term stability, which is maintained at over 83% of the initial efficiency after 30 days. Our work should be beneficial for the preparation of 3-D semiconductor materials and provides new insights into highly stable perovskite solar cells.

Effect of cognitive behavioral group therapy on rehabilitation of community patients with schizophrenia: A short-term randomized control trial.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of cognitive behavioral group therapy (CBGT) for cognitive dys-function and negative symptoms of schizophrenia is established, but more evidence is required. AIM: To assess the effectiveness of CBGT combined with mental health education as a treatment for schizophrenia compared with mental health education alone. METHODS: In all, 120 schizophrenia out-patients were randomized into CBGT combined with mental health education or single mental health education. The primary outcomes were positive and negative symptoms, cognitive function, excitatory factor, anxiety and depression symptom improvements on the positive and negative syndrome scale score. Secondary outcome measures included social function and drug compliance. RESULTS: There were significant differences between CBGT combined with mental health education and single mental health education on measures of positive and negative symptoms, cognitive functions, excitatory factor, anxiety and depression symptoms, and social functions. No other significant difference in outcomes was observed. CONCLUSION: CBGT combined with mental health education may be relevant beneficial treatment method in reducing symptoms, cognitive and social functions of patients with schizophrenia.

Effect of calcium ion concentration on the ORR performance of Pd/C catalysts.

Noble metal electrocatalysts prepared by microbial methods have attracted extensive attention because of their environmental protection and easy preparation. However, the preparation of electrocatalysts by microbial methods has problems such as large nanoparticles size and low loading rate. In this study, the porous gel co-embedded with Shewanella and alginate is prepared as the adsorption matrix to further enhance its mass transfer and adsorption efficiency. The effect of calcium ion concentration on catalyst performance is explored by optimizing the CaCl2 concentration to expose more adsorption sites. The results show that when the Ca2+ concentration is 0.025 mmol L-1, the prepared catalyst has the smallest size and the highest Pd loading, and exhibits the best electrochemical activity and stability. This provides a new idea for the preparation of electrocatalysts by microbial methods.

Effects of Reduction Methods on the Performance of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 Palladium/Carbon Catalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

The influence of the reduction method on the morphology and performance of the catalyst still controversial. In this study, hydrogen, Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 (MR-1), MR-1 and hydrogen coreduction are used to reduce the palladium ions adsorbed by MR-1 to obtain Pd/CH2, Pd/CM, and Pd/CH2+M catalyst, respectively. It is found that the palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs) in Pd/CH2+M are the largest, while the Pd NPs in Pd/CM are the smallest. This is due to the reduction of Pd NPs in Pd/CH2+M under anaerobic conditions to form smaller Pd NPs that will further aggregate and grow in H2. In addition, Pd/CM exhibited the best catalytic performance with a mass activity of 0.31 A mg-1, better than that of Pd/CH2 (0.06 A mg-1) and Pd/CH2+M (0.13 A mg-1). This study provides a meaningful reference for the selection of reduction methods in metal catalysts.

Updates on immunological mechanistic insights and targeting of the oral lichen planus microenvironment.

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic immune inflammatory disease that is an oral potentially malignant disorder (OPMD), occurs in the oral mucosa and affects approximately 0.5% to 4% of the general population. There are usually five types of OLP: reticular/papular, plaque-like, atrophic/erythematous, erosive/ulcerative, and bullous. Furthermore, the chance of causing oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is 1.4%. Although the etiology of OLP is still unknown, accumulating evidence supports that immune dysregulation may play a vital role in the pathogenesis of OLP, especially the massive production of various inflammatory cells and inflammatory mediators. In this review, we focus on the relationship between OLP and its immune microenvironment. We summarize current developments in the immunology of OLP, summarizing functional cell types and crucial cytokines in the OLP immune microenvironment and the underlying mechanisms of key signaling pathways in the OLP immune microenvironment. We highlight the application potential of targeted immune microenvironment therapy for OLP.

Preparation and Performance of a Cu@PtCu/CNF Oxygen Reduction Catalyst Membrane by Electrospinning.

A flexible carbon nanofiber film with high conductivity was prepared by electrospinning, and then Cu was uniformly deposited on the fiber film by pulse electrodeposition to prepare Cu nanocrystal/carbon nanofiber film. Cu@PtCu/carbon nanofiber (Cu@PtCu/CNF) catalytic films were synthesized by in-situ substitution reduction. The Cu@PtCu/CNF catalytic film solves the problem of uneven activity of the catalytic layer and can be directly used as the catalytic layer. The morphology and structure were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Electrochemical test results show that the Cu@PtCu/CNF catalytic films obtained at the chloroplatinic acid concentration of 0.5 mg·mL-1 (N2) exhibited 2.5 times specific activity when compared with commercial Pt/C catalysts. After 5000 cycles of stability test, the electrochemical surface areas (ECSAs) were still maintained at 80%, and the half-wave potential decreased by 11 mV, which was better than those of commercial Pt/C catalysts.

Comparison of topical antifungal agents for oral candidiasis treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of topical antifungal drugs for oral candidiasis in adults and children. STUDY DESIGN: Databases were searched from their inception to December 2020. The inclusion criterion was randomized controlled trials comparing topical antifungal agents. The primary outcomes were clinical response and mycological cure rates. The secondary outcomes were adverse reaction incidence and relapse rate. RESULTS: In adults with oral candidiasis, fluconazole showed a better clinical response rate than clotrimazole (P = 0.001; risk ratio [RR], 1.14), but a similar mycological cure rate (P = 0.57; RR, 1.03). There was no significant difference in clinical response and mycological cure rates with either fluconazole and amphotericin B (clinical: P = 0.47, RR, 0.96; mycological: P = 0.99, RR, 1.00) or with either itraconazole and clotrimazole (clinical: P = 0.51, RR, 1.06; mycological: P = 0.45, RR, 1.32). For immunocompetent patients, fluconazole was superior to clotrimazole in terms of clinical response rate. For immunosuppressed patients, clotrimazole and itraconazole presented similar clinical response and mycological cure rates, but the relapse rate with itraconazole was lower than that with clotrimazole. In infants, miconazole and nystatin showed similar clinical response rates (P = 0.36; RR, 1.23), whereas miconazole presented a superior mycological cure rate (P = 0.03; RR, 4.03). CONCLUSIONS: Fluconazole and amphotericin B are recommended as topical antifungal agents for adults with oral candidiasis. Existing studies tend to recommend fluconazole for immunocompetent patients and itraconazole for immunosuppressed patients, whereas miconazole is recommended for infants.

Association of Hashimoto's thyroiditis and anti-thyroid antibodies with oral lichen planus: A cross-sectional study.

Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) and its autoantibodies may be associated with oral lichen planus (OLP). In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to assess the relationship among HT, auto-anti-thyroid antibodies, and OLP in a Chinese population of 247 patients with oral lichen planus. Clinical manifestations of OLP were evaluated using the Thongprasom scoring system and clinical type. The diagnosis of HT was based on thyroid function, anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody (anti-TPOAb) and anti-thyroglobulin antibody (anti-TgAb) detection, and ultrasonography. The prevalence of HT in all patients with OLP was 39.68% (98/247); the prevalence in females with OLP was 46.24% (86/186), which was higher than that in males with OLP 19.67% (12/61) (P < 0.01). The titers of the two HT autoantibodies in females with OLP were higher than those in males (P < 0.01). The clinical manifestations of OLP, regardless of being evaluated using the Thongprasom system or clinical type, were not significantly associated with HT development or TPOAb (P = 0.864) or TgAb titers (P = 0.745). In this population-based southern Chinese cohort, the prevalence of HT in patients with OLP, particularly in female patients with OLP, was significantly higher than that in the general population. Female patients had higher HT autoantibody titers than male patients. However, the clinical manifestations of OLP were not significantly correlated with either HT development or auto-anti-thyroid antibody levels. The findings could help further elucidate the factors involved in the relationship between oral lichen planus and Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

Preparation of Low Grain Boundary Perovskite Crystals with Excellent Performance: The Inhibition of Ammonium Iodide.

For the study, we prepared a low grain boundary three-dimensional CH3NH3PbI3 crystal (3D-MAPbI3) on TiO2 nanoarrays by inhibition of ammonium iodide and discussed the formation mechanism of the crystal. Based on the 3D-MAPbI3 crystal, solar cells showed modified performance with a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of up to 19.3%, which increases by 36.8% in contrast to the counterparts. We studied the internal photocurrent conversion process. The highest external quantum efficiency is up to 92%, and the electron injection efficiency is remarkably facilitated where the injection time decreases by 37.8% compared to the control group. In addition, based on 3D-MAPbI3, solar cells showed excellent air stability, which possesses 78.3% of the initial PCE, even though they were exposed to air for 30 days. Our results demonstrate a promising approach for the fabrication of perovskite solar cells with high efficiency and stability.

(B,N)-Doped 3D porous graphene-CNTs synthesized by chemical vapor deposition as a bi-functional catalyst for ORR and HER.

Novel (B,N)-doped three-dimensional (3D) porous graphene-carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can be used as an excellent alkaline and acid tolerant electrocatalyst for both the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Based on density functional theory, the H and O atoms' pre-and post-adsorption energy can effectively reduce the reaction energy barrier.

A cross-sectional study of the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in Shenzhen, China.

OBJECTIVES: An understanding of the awareness, treatment and control of hypertension is helpful to guide decision-making regarding interventions to reduce the risk for diseases with hypertension as a key risk factor. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in Shenzhen, China. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted. We employed multistage cluster random sampling methods to select participants. A survey involving face-to-face interviews was conducted to collect the data. A total of 1676 participants finished the survey and formed the final analysis. RESULTS: We found that the prevalence of hypertension was 17.6%. The rates of hypertension awareness, treatment and control were 48.8%, 51.4% and 43.2% respectively. Only 6.8% hypertensives were found to be managed by community health centres. Compared with the female participants, the males were found to have higher rates of prevalence (19.7% vs 15.7%; OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.97) and awareness (42.9% vs 38.1%; OR 2.35, 95% CI 1.28 to 4.33), but lower rates of medication treatments (20.5% vs 30.2%; OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.92) and control (12.8% vs 23.0%; OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.96). Migrants were more likely to be aware of hypertension (32.5% vs 44.3%; OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.30 to 0.90), reduce their salt intake (8.8% vs 18.1%; OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.15 to 0.94), and undertake regular monitoring of hypertension (1.3% vs 11.0%; OR 0.14, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.92) when compared with the locals. CONCLUSIONS: Our study finds that hypertension is an important public health burden in Shenzhen. It implies that strategies need to be developed to improve effective primary care management of hypertension. It also suggests a need to develop gender and household register tailored strategies for the prevention, detection, treatment and control of hypertension.

Diabetes in Shenzhen, China: epidemiological investigation and health care challenges.

BACKGROUND: Understanding epidemiological characteristics of diabetes in a specific population will potentially benefit prevention and control of diabetes and policy-making. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and awareness of diabetes, as well as its pharmacological, non-pharmacological and primary care management in Shenzhen, China. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted. We employed multistage cluster random sampling methods to select the participants. Face-to-face interview surveys were conducted to collect data. A total of 1676 participants completed the survey. RESULTS: We found that the prevalence of diabetes was 4.8%. The prevalence of impaired fasting blood glucose was 6.0%. The prevalence rates of both diabetes and impaired fasting blood glucose increased with age (P < 0.001), whereas hypertension was strongly associated with diabetes only (odds ratio (OR) = 1.93, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.15-3.22). The awareness of diabetes was poor (51.9%) and 54.3% of diabetic patients were not being treated pharmacologically. Less than one-third of diabetic patients were undergoing non-pharmacological treatments. Primary care management of diabetes was recorded for only 11.1% of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: Although diabetes prevalence in Shenzhen is about a half that of the Chinese average, high prevalence of impaired fasting blood glucose imposes a public health threat and burden to the health care system. Approximately half of the subjects with diabetes are undiagnosed. Our findings highlight the need of public health efforts for primary and secondary prevention, as well as early detection of diabetes. Primary care may be crucial an improved access to medical services and better management of diabetes.