CdSe/TiO2NTs Heterojunction-Based Nonenzymatic Photoelectrochemical Sensor for Glucose Detection.

Compared with a single semiconductor, the heterojunction formed by two different semiconductors usually has higher light utilization and better photoelectric performance. By using stable TiO2 nanotubes as the main subject, CdSe/TiO2NTs heterojunctions were synthesized by a hydrothermal method. XRD, TEM, SEM, PL, UV-vis, and EIS were used to characterize the fabricated CdSe/TiO2NTs. Under visible light irradiation, CdSe/TiO2NTs heterojunctions exhibited a higher absorption intensity and lower degree of photogenerated carrier recombination than TiO2. The electrons and holes were proven to be effectively separated in this heterojunction via theoretical calculation. Under CdSe/TiO2NTs' optimal conditions, the glucose concentrations (10-90 µM) had a linear relationship with the photocurrent value, and the detection limit was 3.1 µM. Moreover, the CdSe/TiO2NTs sensor exhibited good selectivity and stability. Based on the experimental data and theoretical calculations, its PEC sensing mechanism was also illuminated.

Cognitive and Brain Gray Matter Changes in Children with Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Voxel-Based Morphological Study.

BACKGROUND: To explore the neural difference between children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and healthy controls, together with the relation between this difference and clinical severity indicator of children with OSA. METHODS: Twenty-seven children with OSA (7.6 ± 2.5 years, apnea hypopnea index [AHI]: 9.7 ± 5.3 events/h) and 30 healthy controls (7.8 ± 2.6 years, AHI: 1.7 ± 1.2 events/h) were recruited and matched with age, gender, and handedness. All children underwent 3.0 T magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and cognitive testing evaluating. Volumetric segmentation of cortical and subcortical structures and voxel-based morphometry were performed. Pearson's correlation analysis was performed between these features of gray matter volume (GMV) and obstructive apnea index (OAI) among children with OSA. RESULTS: In the comparison of children's Wechsler test scores of full-scale intelligence quotient and verbal intelligence quotient, the OSA group was significantly lower than the control group (p < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the GMV of many brain regions in the OSA group was significantly decreased (p < 0.05). In the correlation analysis of GMV and OAI in OSA group, right inferior frontal gyrus volume was significantly negatively correlated with OAI (r = - 0.49, p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Children with OSA presented abnormal neural activities in some brain regions and impaired cognitive functions. This finding suggests an association between the OSA and decreased GMV in children.

Visibility enhancement of underwater images based on polarization common-mode rejection of a highly polarized target signal.

Underwater active polarization imaging is promising due to its effect of significantly descattering. Polarization-difference is commonly used to filter out backscattered noise. However, the polarization common-mode rejection of target signal has rarely been utilized. In this paper, via taking full advantage of this feature of Stokes vectors S2 which ably avoids interference from target light, the spatial variation of the degree of polarization of backscattered light is accurately estimated, and the whole scene intensity distribution of background is reconstructed by Gaussian surface fitting based on least square. Meanwhile, the underwater image quality measure is applied as optimization feedback, through iterative computations, not only sufficiently suppresses backscattered noise but also better highlights the details of the target. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method for highly polarized target in strongly scattering water.

Error analysis of a ruled grating and mechanism optimization of a grating ruling machine.

To improve the quality and success rate of grating ruling, we theoretically analyze the factors that affect the grating performance according to the Fraunhofer far-field diffraction method. The analysis shows that the yaw angle error of the grating line has a greater impact on the performance index. Based on this result, we simulate and analyze the angle error by the principle of mechanical simulation. Then we determine the thickness of the spring sheet, the number of connecting steel sheets, and the initial closing force of the tension spring. We use the optimized workbench structure of the grating ruling machine to rule three gratings. The diffracted wavefronts are all better than λ/3, and the success rate is 100%, which means that the experiments verify the effectiveness of the modified workbench structure.

Incidence and Risk Factors for Silent Brain Infarction After On-Pump Cardiac Surgery: A Meta-analysis and Meta-regression of 29 Prospective Cohort Studies.

BACKGROUND: Silent brain infarction (SBI) happens at a considerable rate after on-pump cardiac surgery. Though termed silent, SBI is related to unfavorable clinical outcomes including higher incidence of future stroke and neurocognitive impairment in the general population. The risk factors of SBI have not been fully identified in both individual studies and several meta-analyses addressing the topic. In this meta-analysis, we aimed to conduct meta-regression analysis for the first time to explore risk factors for SBI after on-pump cardiac surgery. METHODS: This meta-analysis was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Medline, Embase, Central, Web of Science, and Wiley databases were searched for relevant studies. Preoperative patient baseline characteristics and intraoperative surgical parameters were extracted from included studies. For meta-regression, a P value of less than 0.1 was considered statistically significant in both univariable and multivariable analyses. RESULTS: Twenty-nine studies with 1478 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The summarized SBI rate after on-pump cardiac surgery was 37% (95% CI 0.27-0.47, P < 0.0001). Heterogeneity between studies was significant (I2 = 94.9%, P < 0.0001). In multivariable meta-regression, we found that age (coefficient 0.014, 95% CI 0.001-0.029, P = 0.043), diabetes (coefficient 0.006, 95% CI - 0.001 to 0.013, P = 0.075), and proportion of CABG (coefficient - 0.001, 95% CI - 0.003 to 0.0003, P = 0.096) were significantly associated with SBI incidence. CONCLUSION: From the meta-regression, we concluded that advanced age and diabetes were related to increased SBI incidence after on-pump cardiac surgery, while CABG procedure alone was associated with less SBI onset. Studies with more accurate diagnoses of SBI are required to add more conclusive evidence to the field.

Jumonji domain containing-3 (JMJD3) inhibition attenuates IL-1ß-induced chondrocytes damage in vitro and protects osteoarthritis cartilage in vivo.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the effects and relative mechanism of JMJD3 on knee osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS: In this study, we first analyzed the expression of JMJD3 in OA cartilage using western blot and immunohistochemistry. In an in vitro study, the effects of GSK-J4, JMJD3 inhibitor, on ATDC-5 chondrocytes were evaluated by CCK-8 assay. Real-time PCR and western blot were used to examine the inhibitory effect of GSK-J4 on the inflammation and ECM degradation of chondrocytes. NF-κB p65 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation were measured by western blot and immunofluorescence. In the animal study, twenty mice were randomized into four experimental groups: sham group, DMM-induced OA + DMSO group, OA + low-dose GSK-J4 group, and OA + high-dose GSK-J4 group. After the treatment, hematoxylin-eosin and safranin O/fast green staining were used to evaluate cartilage degradation of knee joint, with OARSI scores for quantitative assessment of cartilage damage. RESULTS: Our results revealed that JMJD3 was overexpressed in OA cartilage and GSK-J4 could suppress the IL-1ß-induced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and catabolic enzymes, including IL-6, IL-8, MMP-9 and ADAMTS-5. Consistent with these findings, GSK-J4 could inhibit IL-1ß-induced degradation of collagen II and aggrecan. Mechanistically, GSK-J4 dramatically suppressed IL-1ß-stimulated NF-κB signal pathway activation. In vivo, GSK-J4 prevented cartilage damage in mouse DMM-induced OA model. CONCLUSIONS: This study elucidates the important role of JMJD3 in cartilage degeneration in OA, and our results indicate that JDJM3 may become a novel therapeutic target in OA therapy.

[Effect of different concentrations of Gegen Qinlian decoction on expression of P-glycoprotein and multi-drug resistance protein transporter in Caco-2 cells].

To investigate the effects of Gegen Qinlian decoction on the expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and multi-drug resistance protein (MRP) in epithelial cells of human colon adenocarcinoma Caco-2 cells．The effects of different concentrations of Gegen Qinlian decoction on the expression levels of p-gp and MRP1-6 mRNA in Caco-2 cells were detected by real time quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR).12 h after drug treatment (5.00 g·L⁻¹), the expression levels of MDR1 and MRP1-6 were significantly down-regulated at concentration of 5.00 g·L⁻¹; the mRNA expression levels of MDR1，MRP1，MRP2，MRP4，MRP5 and MRP6 were significantly down-regulated at concentration of 2.50 g·L⁻¹; only the expression levels of MRP2 and MRP5 were significantly affected at concentration of 1.00 g·L⁻¹. The results showed that the expression levels of MDR1 and MRP1-6 mRNA in Caco-2 cells could be down-regulated in a dose-dependent manner. Gegen Qinlian decoction may reduce drug efflux by down-regulating the mRNA expression of cell transporters in Caco-2 cell, and increase the time of drug action, thereby enhancing the bioavailability of chemotherapeutic drugs.

[Validation of in situ single pass perfusion model based on P-gp].

To validate in situ rats intestinal single pass perfusion model based on P-glycoprotein (P-gp). Firstly, phenol red perfusion was carried out to verify the close connection structure of intestinal epithelial cells, and the integrity of the intestinal epithelium, with a gravimetric method for correcting water flux. The level of phenol red was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) both before and after perfusion. Secondly, the positive drug digoxin specified by FDA was used to validate the model. After different mass concentrations of verapamil were given in the rats, the absorption parameters of digoxin in ileum of rats were observed and compared. The results showed that the phenol red was absorbed in rats ileum segment, with an effective permeability coefficient of (1.09±0.62)×10 ⁻6 cm•s ⁻¹. The experiment results indicated that the close connection structure of intestinal epithelial cells was normal, and the integrity of the intestinal epithelium was maintained well. In digoxin perfusion experiment, in case no verapamil was given, digoxin showed certain degree of absorption in rat ileum, with an effective permeability coefficient (Peff) of (1.07±0.59)×10 ⁻5 cm•s ⁻¹; after mass concentrations of 0.01,0.1 mmol•L ⁻¹ verapamil were given, the absorption of digoxin was on the rise in rat ileum, with an effective permeability coefficient Peff of (1.58±0.69)×10 ⁻5, (3.28±0.95)×10 ⁻5 cm•s ⁻¹ respectively (P<0.05). Digoxin perfusion experiment verified that P-gp expression in small intestine epithelium was intact and can be used in the research of P-gp efflux transporter.

[Biopharmaceutics classification system of Chinese materia medica of berberine in Gegen Qinlian decoction].

One of the top-level researches of biopharmaceutics classification system of Chinese materia medica (CMMBCS) is the study on single component in compound Chinese medicine. The medicines shall be classified according to its solubility and intestinal permeability, as well as the ascending degree in multicomponent environment. Based on above, we chose berberine as the main object to explore the change rules of its solubility and intestinal permeability in Gegen Qinlian decoction. Shaking flask-HPLC was used to detect the solubility changes of berberine in compounds. The qualitative investigation of berberine in intestinal absorption was measured by everted gut sac, and the quantitative research of berberine in intestinal absorption was measured by single-pass intestinal perfusion experiment, while the qualitative and quantitative research of berberine absorption into blood was measured by in intestinal perfusion with venous sampling experiment.

[Study on property of biopharmaceutics classification system of berberine in Huanglian decoction].

The study of single component in the multicomponent environment is one of the basic researches for biopharmaceutics classification system of Chinese materia medica (CMMBCS). That is to say, the classification research shall be based on the respective lift of solubility and permeability in the multicomponent environment, besides solubility and intestinal permeability of the single component. We chose berberine as the main research object to investigate the changes of its solubility and intestinal permeability in Huanglian decoction. Shake-flask and HPLC were used to detect the solubility of berberine in different pH buffer solutions and different concentrations of Huanglian decoction. In situ single-pass intestinal perfusion (SPIP) and intestinal perfusion with venous sampling (IPVS) were carried out to study berberine's intestinal absorption and absorption into blood, respectively.

[Overall intestinal permeability of multiple components in lotus leaves].

In the study of biopharmaceutics classification system of Chinese materia medica (CMMBCS), the interactions of multiple components in the absorption should be taken into consideration in simultaneous multi-component determination. To investigate the absorption of multiple components, the in vitro everted gut sac model was used in this study, wtih lotus leaves as the research object. Aquantitative analysis was also carried out for the known components in this study. Totally 19 components in lotus extracts were absorbed by the intestinal tract, the Papp levels of the known components were nuciferine (1×10⁻5-1×10⁻6 cm•s⁻¹), rutin (1×10⁻6-1×10⁻7 cm•s⁻¹), hyperoside (1×10⁻6 cm•s⁻¹), isoquercitrin (1×10⁻6-1×10⁻7 cm•s⁻¹) and astragalin (1×10⁻6-1×10⁻7 cm•s⁻¹), respectively. These components showed a low permeability under a multi-component environment. This study was carried out to lay a foundation for further relevant target studies for different categories of components.

Patient safety culture in private hospitals in China: a cross-sectional study using the revised Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture.

Background: This study aimed to translate the revised Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPSC 2.0) to Mandarin, evaluate its psychometric properties, and apply it to a group of private hospitals in China to identify the determinants associated with patient safety culture. Methods: A two-phase study was conducted to translate and evaluate the HSOPSC 2.0. A cross-cultural adaptation of the HSOPSC 2.0 was performed in Mandarin and applied in a cross-sectional study in China. This study was conducted among 3,062 respondents from nine private hospitals and 11 clinics across six cities in China. The HSOPSC 2.0 was used to assess patient safety culture. Primary outcomes were measured by the overall patient safety grade and patient safety events reported. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis results and internal consistency reliability were acceptable for the translated HOSPSC 2.0. The dimension with the highest positive response was "Organizational learning - Continuous improvement" (89%), and the lowest was "Reporting patient safety event" (51%). Nurses and long working time in the hospital were associated with lower assessments of overall patient safety grades. Respondents who had direct contact with patients, had long working times in the hospital, and had long working hours per week reported more patient safety events. A higher level of patient safety culture implies an increased probability of a high overall patient safety grade and the number of patient safety events reported. Conclusion: The Chinese version of HSOPSC 2.0 is a reliable instrument for measuring patient safety culture in private hospitals in China. Organizational culture is the foundation of patient safety and can promote the development of a positive safety culture in private hospitals in China.

A high figure of merit of phonon-polariton waveguide modes with hbn/SiO2/graphene /hBN ribs waveguide in mid-infrared range.

Natural hyperbolic materials can confine electromagnetic waves at the nanoscale. In this study, we propose a waveguide design that combines a high quality factor (FOM) with low loss, utilizing hexagonal boron nitride and graphene and gold substrate. The waveguide consists of a dielectric rib with a graphene layer sandwiched between two hBN ribs. Numerical simulations demonstrate the existence of two guided modes in the proposed waveguide within the second reststrahlen band (1360.0 cm-1<ω < 1609.8 cm-1) of hBN. These modes are formed by coupling the hyperbolic phonon polariton (HPhP) of two hBN rib in the middle dielectric rib and are subsequently modulated by a graphene layer. Interestingly, we observe variations in four transmission parameters, namely effective length, figure of merit, device length, and propagation loss of the guided modes, with respect to the operation frequency and gate voltage. By optimizing the waveguide's geometry parameters and dielectric permittivity, the modal properties were analyzed. Simulation results indicate that optimizing the waveguide size parameters enables us to achieve a high FOM of 4.0 × 107. The proposed waveguide design offers a promising approach for designing tunable mid infrared range waveguides on photonic chips, and this concept can be extended to other 2D materials and hyperbolic materials.

Association between brachial artery peak systolic velocity and ipsilateral radio-cephalic arteriovenous fistula maturation.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between brachial artery blood velocity by color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) and primary maturation of radio-cephalic autologous arteriovenous fistula (RC-AVF). METHODS: Clinical data from patients who underwent end-to-side cephalic-radial anastomosis were collected from December 2015 to December 2020. The anastomosis diameter (mm), blood velocity (cm/s), and brachial artery diameters (mm) 7 cm proximal to the elbow pre- and postoperation were measured by GE LOGIC-E9 ultrasound. The AVF was mature if it could be cannulated successfully and the blood flow was >200 ml/min during dialysis. RESULTS: A total of 197 patients were included in our statistical analysis. A total of 163 patients had mature AVFs, and 34 patients had poor maturity (assisted and failed maturation). There were no significant differences in the clinical characteristics, peak systolic velocity (PSV) of the brachial artery, diameter of the radial artery or cephalic vein measured by CDFI preoperatively. The diameter of the brachial artery (5.41 ± 0.77 vs 4.89 ± 0.90, p = 0.00) and the fistula anastomosis (2.79 ± 0.78 vs 2.45 ± 0.85, p = 0.02) and PSV of the brachial artery (123.58 ± 37.11 vs 89.63 ± 28.31, p = 0.00) in the mature group were higher than those in the immature group. CONCLUSION: Brachial artery PSV and increased brachial artery PSV could be used to detect RC-AVF maturation in the early stage.

Jianpi Qutan Fang induces anti-atherosclerosis and ameliorates endothelial cell injury in high-fat diet ratsan anti-inflammatory and inhibiting Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To investiage the possible mechanism underlying the effect of the Jianpi Qutan Fang (, JPQT) on Atherosclerosis (AS) which is the main pathological process of most cardiovascular diseases that affect millions of adults worldwide. METHODS: In the present study, rats were fed with a high-fat-diet (HFD) with vitamin D3 for 16 weeks and were orally administered atorvastatin treatment and different doses of JPQT. Histopathological changes and ultrastructural changes in the aorta were evaluated through hematoxylin-eosin staining and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. Suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1)/Janus kinase 1 (JAK1)/ signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) signaling pathways were detected through Western blotting. RESULTS: JPQT treatment decreased the lipid levels of triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein, and cholesterol, the inflammatory cytokine levels of interleukin 1 beta (IL-1ß), IL-6 and IL-8 in rat serum, but increased high-density lipoprotein and IL-10 serum levels. JPQT treatment ameliorated pathological changes in the aorta of AS model rats. Moreover, JPQT upregulated SOCS1 protein expression and down-regulated phosphorylated protein expression levels of p-JAK1 and p-STAT1. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that JPQT induces anti-atherosclerosis effects through anti-inflammatory and inhibiting JAK/STAT signaling pathways in HFD fed rats.

Genetic Diversity and Breeding Signatures for Regional Indica Rice Improvement in Guangdong of Southern China.

As the pioneer of the Green Revolution in China, Guangdong province witnessed the improvement and spread of semi-dwarf Xian/Indica rice cultivars and possessed diverse rice germplasm of landrace and cultivars. A total of 517 accessions containing a core germplasm of 479 newly sequenced landraces and modern cultivars were used to reveal breeding signatures and key variations for regional genetic improvement of indica rice from Guangdong. Four subpopulations were identified in the collection, which including Ind IV as a novel subpopulation that not covered by previously released accessions. Modern cultivars of subpopulation Ind II were inferred to have less deleterious variations, especially in yield related genes. About 15 Mb genomic segments were identified as potential breeding signatures by cross-population likelihood method (XP-CLR) of modern cultivars and landraces. The selected regions spanning multiple yield related QTLs (quantitative trait locus) which identified by GWAS (genome-wide association studies) of the same population, and specific variations that fixed in modern cultivars of Ind II were characterized. This study highlights genetic differences between traditional landraces and modern cultivars, which revealed the potential molecular basis of regional genetic improvement for Guangdong indica rice from southern China.

Effect of pH dynamic control on ethanol-lactic type fermentation (ELTF) performance of glucose.

This study proposed a new ethanol-lactic type fermentation (ELTF) and explored the optimal control strategy. Using batch experiments, the effects of pH, temperature and organic loading (OL) on ELTF were investigated. The sum of ethanol and lactic acid yield was highest at whole-control pH value of 4.0, 35°C temperature and OL of 33 gCOD/L. To improve ELTF, the dynamic pH control in the long-term CSTR was adjusted at 4.0 (1-28 days), 5.0 (29-44 days) and 4.0 (46-62 days) successively. The high concentration of ethanol and lactic acid was 8190.5 mg/L at 16th day of pH 4.0. At pH of 5.0, the average acidogenesis rate and total concentration of fermentation products increased 111.0% and 128.0%, respectively. Organisms of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium were the predominant bacteria in reactor. It can achieve the directional regulation of ELTF and provides parameter support for the application of two-phase anaerobic digestion.

Human Encephalitis Complicated With Ocular Symptoms Associated With Pseudorabies Virus Infection: A Case Report.

Pseudorabies virus (PRV) is an alpha herpesvirus found in many wild and domestic animals, and causes neurological diseases in humans. Several cases of PRV-induced human encephalitis accompanied with severe visual impairment have been reported. There is currently no effective treatment for severe visual impairment caused by PRV. We report a case of PRV encephalitis with severe visual impairment. The diagnosis and treatment experience of this patient is summarized to improve the awareness of clinicians. We present a 42-year-old man with PRV infection who was admitted due to intermittent fever for 5 days and unconsciousness for 1 day. He subsequently developed severe visual impairment during hospital stay. Empirical antiviral treatment with ganciclovir and sodium foscarnet was started on the day of admission and continued for > 50 days, which had significant treatment effect. Eye complications caused by PRV infection have been frequently reported in patients with PRV encephalitis. In this patient, based on the patient's condition, antiviral therapy was initiated on admission day, and according to the results of the next-generation sequencing of the cerebrospinal fluid, the duration of antiviral therapy was prolonged, which improved treatment efficacy and alleviated neurological symptoms and eye vision damage. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report that describes partial restoration of acute vision loss associated with PRV infection after aggressive treatment. Our experience suggests that although prompt treatment cannot prevent the acute vision loss associated with PRV infection, timely anti-viral and anti-inflammatory treatment can alleviate ocular complications.

The novel pickering emulsion gels stabilized by zein hydrolysate-chitin nanocrystals coacervates: Improvement on stability and bioaccessibility for curcumin.

The aim of this paper was to explore the synergistic mechanism of the novel Pickering emulsion gels stabilized by zein hydrolysate (ZH, low DH of 5%)-chitin nanocrystals (CNCs) coacervates, and investigate their improvement on the stability and bioaccessibility of curcumin. Interestingly, the ZH with low DH of 5% exhibited aggregated precipitation at pH 5.0. The ZH was absorbed on the surface of CNCs to form ZH-CNCs coacervates by hydrogen bonding and electrostatic neutralization. Moreover, the novel Pickering emulsion gels stabilized by the appropriate ZH-CNCs coacervates showed better rheologicalproperties, emulsion stability and oxidation resistance. As new carriers for curcumin, they could effectively improve the stability and antioxidantactivity (over 90%). Further, the free fatty acid (FFA) release ratewas reduced to below 3.89% and the corresponding bioaccessibility increased to over 80% in vitro digestion. The novel delivery system was potentially designed in foods and pharmaceuticals for the purposes of enhanced stability, delayed lipolysis, or sustained nutrient release.