Simultaneous integrated boost intensity-modulated radiotherapy post breast-conserving surgery: clinical efficacy, adverse effects, and cosmetic outcomes in breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Simultaneous integrated boost intensity-modulated radiotherapy (SIB-IMRT) is an innovative technique delivering a higher dose to the tumor bed while irradiating the entire breast. This study aims to assess the clinical outcomes, adverse effects, and cosmetic results of SIB-IMRT following breast-conserving surgery in breast cancer patients. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 308 patients with stage 0-III breast cancer who underwent breast-conserving surgery and SIB-IMRT from January 2016 to December 2020. The prescribed doses included 1.85 Gy/27 fractions to the whole breast and 2.22 Gy/27 fractions or 2.20 Gy/27 fractions to the tumor bed. Primary endpoints included overall survival (OS), local-regional control (LRC), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), acute and late toxicities, and cosmetic outcomes. RESULTS: The median follow-up time was 36 months. The 3-year OS, LRC, and DMFS rates were 100%, 99.6%, and 99.2%, respectively. Five patients (1.8%) experienced local recurrence or distant metastasis, and one patient succumbed to distant metastasis. The most common acute toxicity was grade 1-2 skin reactions (91.6%). The most common late toxicity was grade 0-1 skin and subcutaneous tissue reactions (96.7%). Five patients (1.8%) developed grade 1-2 upper limb lymphedema, and three patients (1.1%) had grade 1 radiation pneumonitis. Among the 262 patients evaluated for cosmetic outcomes at least 2 years post-radiotherapy, 96.9% achieved excellent or good results, while 3.1% had fair or poor outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: SIB-IMRT after breast-conserving surgery in breast cancer patients demonstrated excellent clinical efficacy, mild acute and late toxicities, and satisfactory cosmetic outcomes in our study. SIB-IMRT appears to be a feasible and effective option for breast cancer patients suitable for breast-conserving surgery.

Occurrence, Source Apportionment, and Ecological Risk of Typical Pharmaceuticals in Surface Waters of Beijing, China.

Various studies have shown that the heavy use of pharmaceuticals poses serious ecological risks, especially in metropolitan areas with intensive human activities. In this study, the spatial distribution, sources, and ecological risks of 29 pharmaceuticals in 82 surface waters collected from the North Canal Basin in Beijing were studied. The results showed that the pharmaceutical concentrations ranged from not detected to 193 ng/L, with ampicillin being undetected while ofloxacin had a 100% detection frequency, which indicates the widespread occurrence of pharmaceutical pollution in the North Canal Basin. In comparison with other freshwater study areas, concentrations of pharmaceuticals in the North Canal Basin were generally at moderate levels. It was found that pharmaceutical concentrations were always higher in rivers that directly received wastewater effluents. Source analysis was conducted using the positive matrix factorization model. Combining the spatial pollution patterns of pharmaceuticals, it has been found that wastewater effluents contributed the most to the loads of pharmaceuticals in the studied basin, while in suburban areas, a possible contribution of untreated wastewater was demonstrated. Risk assessment indicated that approximately 55% of the pharmaceuticals posed low-to-high ecological risks, and combining the results of risk analyses, it is advised that controlling WWTP effluent is probably the most cost-effective measure in treating pharmaceutical pollution.

[Traceability Analysis and Environmental Quality Assessment of Soil Heavy Metal Pollution in West Hunan Province].

In order to explore the status of soil heavy metal pollution and environmental quality in west Hunan, relevant areas of Phoenix County were selected as the study area. Using data from 440 soil samples collected in the study area from June to August 2022, the pH value of the soil and contents of eight heavy metal elements, namely, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn, were analyzed. The PMF model was used for traceability analysis and geochemical evaluation of soil environmental quality. The results showed that the average values of soil heavy metals ω(Zn), ω(Cr), ω(Pb), ω(Ni), ω(Cu), ω(As), ω(Cd), and ω(Hg) were 81.02, 64.67, 31.63, 29.27, 25.52, 9.93, 0.28, and 0.13 mg·kg-1, respectively. The soil in the study area was mainly weakly acidic, and the contents of the Cd and Hg elements were relatively high compared to the national soil background values and were highly variable. The contents of the Hg and Cd elements in forest land were higher than that in other land uses. The PMF model results showed that the contribution rates of heavy metal pollution sources in the study area were mining sources (37.4%), atmospheric sedimentation sources (7.7%), natural sources (41.1%), and agricultural activity sources (13.8%) and provided suggestions on pollution control measures according to the spatial distribution of the four types of pollution sources. Through the comprehensive assessment of soil environmental geochemistry, the study area was divided into three types of plots, namely, non-risk areas (94.27 km2), accounting for 76.38%; risk-controllable areas (27.45 km2), accounting for 22.24%; and high-risk areas (1.7 km2), accounting for 1.38%. This study provided data support for the prevention and control measures of land pollution in the research area, as well as the delineation of the prevention and control scope.

MiR-3074-5p Regulates Trophoblasts Function via EIF2S1/GDF15 Pathway in Recurrent Miscarriage.

Dysfunction of extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs) might cause early pregnancy failure by interfering with embryo implantation and/or placentation. We previously reported that the villus miR-3074-5p expression level was increased, whereas the peripheral level of GDF15, a predict target gene of miR-3074-5p, was decreased in recurrent miscarriages (RM) patients, and miR-3074-5p could enhance apoptosis but reduce invasion of human extravillous trophoblast cells (EVTs). The aim of this study was to further explore roles of miR-3074-5p/GDF15 pathway in regulation of EVTs function. It was validated that GDF15 was not the direct target of miR-3074-5p, whereas EIF2S1, an upstream regulator of GDF15 maturation and secretion, was the direct target of miR-3074-5p. The villus expression levels of GDF15 and EIF2S1 were significantly decreased in RM patients. Knockdown of GDF15 expression presented inhibitory effects on proliferation, migration, and invasion of HTR8/SVneo cells. Up-regulated miR-3074-5p expression led to the significant decreased GDF15 expression in HTR8/SVneo cells, and this effect could be efficiently reversed by the overexpression of EIF2S1. Meanwhile, the suppressive effects of miR-3074-5p on proliferation, migration, and invasion of HTR8/SVneo cells could be intercepted by the treatment of recombinant human GDF15 protein. Collectively, these data suggested that miR-3074-5p could reduce GDF15 production via targeting inhibition of EIF2S1 expression, and the deficiency in GDF15 function might lead to the early pregnancy loss by attenuating proliferation and invasion of EVTs.

Platinum and Frustrated Lewis Pairs on Ceria as Dual-Active Sites for Efficient Reverse Water-Gas Shift Reaction at Low Temperatures.

The low-temperature reverse water-gas shift (RWGS) reaction faces the following obstacles: low activity and unsatisfactory selectivity. Herein, the dual-active sites of platinum (Pt) clusters and frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) on porous CeO2 nanorods (Ptcluster /PN-CeO2 ) provide an interface-independent pathway to boost high performance RWGS reaction at low temperatures. Mechanistic investigations illustrate that Pt clusters can effectively activate and dissociate H2 . The FLP sites, instead of the metal and support interfaces, not only enhance the strong adsorption and activation of CO2 , but also significantly weaken CO adsorption on FLP to facilitate CO release and suppress the CH4 formation. With the help of hydrogen spillover from Pt to PN-CeO2 , the Ptcluster /PN-CeO2 catalysts achieved a CO yield of 29.6 %, which is very close to the thermodynamic equilibrium yield of CO (29.8 %) at 350 °C. Meanwhile, the Ptcluster /PN-CeO2 catalysts delivered a large turnover frequency of 8720 h-1 . Moreover, Ptcluster /PN-CeO2 operated stably and continuously for at least 840 h. This finding provides a promising path toward optimizing the RWGS reaction.

Remarkable Thermal Performance Enhancement of Micro Heat Pipes with Graphene-Nanoplatelet Nano-Wicks.

The ultrafast water permeation property of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) synergically enhances the evaporation and water circulation processes in a micro heat pipe (MHP). An MHP is a promising phase-change heat-transfer device capable of transferring large amounts of heat energy efficiently. The hydrophobic, atomically smooth carbon walls of GNPs nanostructures provide a network of nanocapillaries that allows water molecules to intercalate frictionlessly among the graphene layers. Together with the attraction force of the oxygenated functional groups, a series of hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces are formed that significantly improve the water circulation rate. The intercalation of water molecules encourages the formation of water-thin film for film-wise evaporation. The effect of nano-wick thickness on the thermal performance of the MHP is investigated. A thinner GNP nano-wick is more favorable to film-wise evaporation while a thicker nano-wick promotes a higher water circulation rate from the condenser to the evaporator, leading to the existence of an optimal thickness. By benchmarking with the uncoated MHP, the thermal conductance of an MHP with a 46.9-µm GNP nano-wick manifests a maximum enhancement of 128%. This study provides insights on the feasible implementation of GNP nano-wicks into a highly efficient micro-scale electronics cooling device for environmental sustainability.

Polydopamine Coating Doped with Graphene Oxide Enhances Enantioseparation of Capillary Column.

How to improve the enantiomer separation efficiency of drugs is a hot topic. In this paper, polydopamine (PDA) coating doped with graphene oxide (GO) by physical adsorption was used to modify the capillary column to enhance the enantioseparation efficiency of the drugs. In the capillary electrochromatography (CEC) system, the novel capillary column with carboxymethyl-ß-cyclodextrin (CM-ß-CD) as a chiral selector has completed the enantioseparation of four basic drugs (propranolol, metoprolol, amlodipine and chlorpheniramine). The optimum separation conditions were obtained by optimizing the pH of the buffer, the concentration of organic modifier, the concentration of the chiral selector and the voltage, and the resolution and peak shape were significantly improved compared with uncoated bare-fused column. The stability and reproducibility of the new capillary column were satisfactory and the relative standard deviation of intra-day and inter-day was <3.2%, and of column-to-column was <4.8%. The rich functional groups of GO are key factors to improve the enantioseparation efficiency, which also indicates that nanomaterials with easy modification of functional groups and large specific surface area are excellent resources for capillary modification applications.

BMI1 induces ubiquitination and protein degradation of Nod-like receptor family CARD domain containing 5 and suppresses human leukocyte antigen class I expression to induce immune escape in non-small cell lung cancer.

The Nod-like receptor (NLR) family CARD domain containing 5 (NLRC5) has been reported as an activator of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I that is responsible for immune activity in cancer treatment. This work focuses on the role of BMI1 proto-oncogene (BMI1) in the NLRC5-HLA class I axis and in immune escape in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). First, immunoblot analysis and/or reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction were performed, which identified decreased NLRC5 and HLA class I levels in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. NSCLCs were co-cultured with activated CD8+ T cells. Overexpression of NLRC5 in NSCLC cells elevated the expression of HLA class I and increased the activity of T cells and IL-2 production, and it reduced the PD-1/PD-L1 levels. The ubiquitination and immunoprecipitation assays confirmed that BMI1 bound to NLRC5 to induce is ubiquitination and protein degradation. Downregulation of BMI1 in NSCLC cells elevated NLRC5 and HLA class I levels, and consequently promoted T cell activation and decreased PD-1/PD-L1 levels in the co-culture system. However, overexpression of BMI1 in cells led to inverse trends. In summary, this study demonstrates that BMI1 induces ubiquitination and protein degradation of NLRC5 and suppresses HLA class I expression, which potentially helps immune escape in NSCLC.

Exogenous melatonin improved photosynthetic efficiency of photosystem II by reversible phosphorylation of thylakoid proteins in wheat under osmotic stress.

It has been well demonstrated that melatonin plays an important protective role in photosynthesis of plants under various environmental stresses, while the detailed mechanisms by which melatonin protects photosystem II (PSII) under environmental stress are still unclear. In the study, the effects of melatonin on photosynthetic efficiency, energy dissipation, PSII protein composition, and reversible phosphorylation of thylakoid proteins were investigated in wheat plants under osmotic stress. The results showed that osmotic stress significantly reduced pigment content, photochemical efficiency of PSII, oxygen-evolving activity, and dissipation of excess excitation energy, while 25 µM melatonin applications greatly alleviated their decline under osmotic stress. Western blot data of PSII proteins revealed that melatonin upregulated the levels of D1, Lhcb5, Lhcb6, PsbQ, and PsbS proteins in wheat exposed to osmotic stress. In addition, thylakoid membrane proteins were strongly phosphorylated in wheat under osmotic stress with or without melatonin. Furthermore, the results from PSII protein dephosphorylation showed that exogenous melatonin promoted the dephosphorylation of LCHII, CP43, and D1 under osmotic stress. Therefore, our findings suggest that melatonin can provide an effective protection for the photosynthetic apparatus by the regulation of PSII proteins and the reversible phosphorylation of thylakoid proteins under drought stress.

Carboxymethyl-ß-cyclodextrin and histidine-zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 used for enantioseparation of three basic drugs in open-tubular capillary electrochromatography.

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have drawn broad attention as a novel stationary phase due to their highly porous structure, modifiable pores, large specific surface areas, and satisfactory stability. In this paper, histidine-zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (His-ZIF-8) synthesized at room temperature was physically coated to the internal surface of the capillary column and the carboxymethyl-ß-cyclodextrin (CM-ß-CD) as the chiral selector was chemically bonded to the His-ZIF-8@capillary column. The prepared CM-ß-CD@His-ZIF-8@capillary column was used for the enantioseparation of amlodipine, propranolol, and atenolol in capillary electrochromatography. In contrast to the CM-ß-CD@capillary column without His-ZIF-8, the CM-ß-CD@His-ZIF-8@capillary column reveals significantly improved enantiodiscrimination performance for amlodipine (Rs : 0 → 2.29), propranolol (Rs : 0 → 1.69), and atenolol (Rs : 0 → 0.79). His-ZIF-8 concentration, buffer pH, buffer concentration, and the proportion of organic modifier were evaluated in detail with enantiomerically separating chiral molecules. The repeatability of intraday, day-to-day, and column-to-column have been discussed; the result was preferable, and the relative standard deviation (RSD) of separation parameters was <6.7%.

Metal organic framework- modified monolithic column immobilized with pepsin for enantioseparation in capillary electrochromatography.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), defined as a class of microporous hybrid materials, are established by coordination of metal cations with functional organic ligands. In addition to outstanding porosity and large surface area, the structures and functions of MOFs can be designed and adjusted based on different destinations, which would be employed as stationary phases in various chromatographic modes. Pepsin, a class of protein, has been investigated as chiral selector owing to their unique interactions with analytes based on chiral or affinity selectivity. In this work, MOF-5 was exploited to grow on the support of poly (glycidyl methacrylate)-co-(ethylene dimethacrylate) [poly(GMA-co-EDMA)] monoliths by layer-by-layer self-assembly method. Pepsin was subsequently bonded with the carboxyl group of MOF-5 through amidation reaction. The ultimate pepsin@MOF-5@poly(GMA-co-EDMA) column was applied for enantioseparation of six basic chiral drugs by capillary electrochromatography with good resolution and repeatability. Compared with the pepsin modified monolithic column, the newly prepared column with MOF-5 shows significantly enhanced enantiomeric resolution, which reveals that MOFs-modified capillary monolithic columns lead a promising road to separation of racemates by chromatography.

Interfacial-confined coordination to single-atom nanotherapeutics.

Pursuing and developing effective methodologies to construct highly active catalytic sites to maximize the atomic and energy efficiency by material engineering are attractive. Relative to the tremendous researches of carbon-based single atom systems, the construction of bio-applicable single atom materials is still in its infancy. Herein, we propose a facile and general interfacial-confined coordination strategy to construct high-quality single-atom nanotherapeutic agent with Fe single atoms being anchored on defective carbon dots confined in a biocompatible mesoporous silica nanoreactor. Furthermore, the efficient energy conversion capability of silica-based Fe single atoms system has been demonstrated on the basis of the exogenous physical photo irradiation and endogenous biochemical reactive oxygen species stimulus in the confined mesoporous network. More importantly, the highest photothermal conversion efficiency with the mechanism of increased electron density and narrow bandgap of this single atom structure in defective carbon was proposed by the theoretical DFT calculations. The present methodology provides a scientific paradigm to design and develop versatile single atom nanotherapeutics with adjustable metal components and tune the corresponding reactions for safe and efficient tumor therapeutic strategy.

CaO recovered from eggshell waste as a potential adsorbent for greenhouse gas CO2.

The growing number of industrial carbon emissions have resulted in a significant increase in the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2), which, in turn, will have a major impact on climate change. Therefore, the reduction, storage, and reuse of CO2 is an important concern in modern society. Calcium oxide (CaO) is known to be an excellent adsorbent of CO2 in a high-temperature environment. However, since deterioration of the adsorbent is likely to occur after repeated cycles of adsorption under high temperature conditions, it would be desirable to mitigate this phenomenon, in order to maintain the stability of CaO. In the present study, common eggshell waste was used as the starting material. The main component of eggshell waste is calcium carbonate (CaCO3), which was purified to produce CaO. Different surfactants and amino-containing polymers were added to synthesize CaO-based adsorbents with different configurations and pore sizes. The amount of CO2 adsorbed was determined using a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). The results showed that the CO2 adsorption capacity of the synthetic CaO recovered from purified eggshell waste could reach 0.6 g-CO2/g-sorbent, indicating a good adsorption capacity. CaO modified with a dopamine-containing polymer was shown to have an adsorption capacity of 0.62 g-CO2/g-sorbent. Moreover, it showed an excellent adsorption capacity of 0.40 g-CO2/g-sorbent, even after 10 cycles of CO2 adsorption. The present study suggests that using eggshell waste to synthesize CaO-based adsorbents for effective CO2 adsorption can not only reduce environmental waste, but also have the potential to capture greenhouse gas CO2 emissions, which conforms to the principles of green chemistry.

Research Status and Prospect of Additive Manufactured Nickel-Titanium Shape Memory Alloys.

Nickel-titanium alloys have been widely used in biomedical, aerospace and other fields due to their shape memory effect, superelastic effect, as well as biocompatible and elasto-thermal properties. Additive manufacturing (AM) technology can form complex and fine structures, which greatly expands the application range of Ni-Ti alloy. In this study, the development trend of additive manufactured Ni-Ti alloy was analyzed. Subsequently, the most widely used selective laser melting (SLM) process for forming Ni-Ti alloy was summarized. Especially, the relationship between Ni-Ti alloy materials, SLM processing parameters, microstructure and properties of Ni-Ti alloy formed by SLM was revealed. The research status of Ni-Ti alloy formed by wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM), electron beam melting (EBM), directional energy dedication (DED), selective laser sintering (SLS) and other AM processes was briefly described, and its mechanical properties were emphatically expounded. Finally, several suggestions concerning Ni-Ti alloy material preparation, structure design, forming technology and forming equipment in the future were put forward in order to accelerate the engineering application process of additive manufactured Ni-Ti alloy. This study provides a useful reference for scientific research and engineering application of additive manufactured Ni-Ti alloys.

A deep semantic segmentation correction network for multi-model tiny lesion areas detection.

BACKGROUND: Semantic segmentation of white matter hyperintensities related to focal cerebral ischemia (FCI) and lacunar infarction (LACI) is of significant importance for the automatic screening of tiny cerebral lesions and early prevention of LACI. However, existing studies on brain magnetic resonance imaging lesion segmentation focus on large lesions with obvious features, such as glioma and acute cerebral infarction. Owing to the multi-model tiny lesion areas of FCI and LACI, reliable and precise segmentation and/or detection of these lesion areas is still a significant challenge task. METHODS: We propose a novel segmentation correction algorithm for estimating the lesion areas via segmentation and correction processes, in which we design two sub-models simultaneously: a segmentation network and a correction network. The segmentation network was first used to extract and segment diseased areas on T2 fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images. Consequently, the correction network was used to classify these areas at the corresponding locations on T1 FLAIR images to distinguish between FCI and LACI. Finally, the results of the correction network were used to correct the segmentation results and achieve segmentation and recognition of the lesion areas. RESULTS: In our experiment on magnetic resonance images of 113 clinical patients, our method achieved a precision of 91.76% for detection and 92.89% for classification, indicating a powerful method to distinguish between small lesions, such as FCI and LACI. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, we developed a complete method for segmentation and detection of WMHs related to FCI and LACI. The experimental results show that it has potential clinical application potential. In the future, we will collect more clinical data and test more types of tiny lesions at the same time.

Immobilization of cellulase on monolith supported with Zr(IV)-based metal-organic framework as chiral stationary phase for enantioseparation of five basic drugs in capillary electrochromatography.

Metal-organic framework (UiO-66-NH2)-incorporated organic polymer monolith was prepared by thermal polymerization. By virtue of the superior physical and chemical properties, the UiO-66-NH2-modified organic monolith was then functionalized by chiral selector cellulase via the condensation reaction between the primary amino groups and aldehyde groups. The synthesized materials were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectrometry, thermogravimetric analysis, and nitrogen sorption isotherm. The cellulase@poly(glycidyl methacrylate-UiO-66-NH2-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) (cellulase@poly(GMA-UiO-66-NH2-EDMA)) monolith was applied to enantiomerically separate the basic racemic forms of metoprolol, atenolol, esmolol, bisoprolol, and propranolol. In contrast to the cellulase@poly(GMA-co-EDMA) monolith without UiO-66-NH2, the cellulase@poly(GMA-UiO-66-NH2-EDMA) monolith reveals significantly improved enantiodiscrimination performance for metoprolol (Rs: 0 → 1.67), atenolol (Rs: 0 → 1.50), esmolol (Rs: 0 → 1.52), bisoprolol (Rs: 0 → 0.36), and propranolol (Rs: 0 → 0.44). The immobilization pH of cellulase, buffer pH, UiO-66-NH2 concentration, and the proportion of organic modifier were evaluated in detail with enantiomerically separating chiral molecules. The intra-day, inter-day, column-to-column, and inter-batch precision have been discussed, the result was preferable, and the relative standard deviation (RSD) of separation parameters was <4.3%. Schematic representation of the preparation of a UiO-66-NH2-modified organic polymer monolith for enantioseparating five racemic ß-blockers. UiO-66-NH2 was synthesized and converted into a monolith as the stationary phase. Then, the modified monolith containing cellulase as the chiral selector was applied in a capillary electrochromatography system for enantioseparating chiral drugs.

Twin-twin transfusion syndrome is associated with alterations in the metabolic profile of maternal plasma in early gestation: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: Twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) causes perinatal mortality and morbidity in monochorionic twins. The early recognition of and interventional therapy for TTTS is associated with a more favorable overall prognosis. However, the prediction by the use of ultrasound in the first trimester has relatively poor sensitivity and specificity. This study aimed to identify metabolic biomarkers to aid in ultrasound screening of TTTS. METHODS: Maternal plasma was prospectively collected between 11 and 15 weeks of gestation in apparently uncomplicated monochorionic-diamniotic twin pregnancies. This cohort was divided into: (i) patients who were subsequently diagnosed with TTTS by using ultrasound; (ii) uncomplicated matched controls. Metabolome was profiled by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. RESULTS: The levels of fatty acids, organic acids, oxaloacetic acid, and beta-alanine were significantly lower in the TTTS maternal plasma at 11-15 weeks of gestation, and methionine and glycine were also higher (p < 0.05, FDR<0.12). Generally, in TTTS pregnancies, the metabolisms of amino acid, carbohydrate, cofactors, vitamins, and purine were "down-regulated"; whereas bile secretion and pyrimidine metabolism were "upregulated." CONCLUSIONS: The metabolomics scanning of early gestation maternal plasma may identify those pregnancies that subsequently develop TTTS; in particular, downregulated fatty acid levels may be biologically plausible to be implicated in the pathogenesis of TTTS.

Brain activation during verbal fluency task in type II bipolar disorder patients: a near-infrared spectroscopy study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that BD patients exhibited impairment when performing a verbal fluency task (VFT) and abnormal prefrontal cortex activation during this task. However, no study has specifically examined whether patients with type II BD demonstrate difficulty in performing VFT and impairments in relevant neural correlates or whether these are related to psychotic symptoms, the present study aimed to examine these issues. METHODS: Forty-nine patients with type II BD (21 patients with psychotic symptoms [BDIIp] and 28 patients without psychotic symptoms [BDIIn]) and 45 matched healthy controls (HCs) participated the study and completed the VFTs, while their brain activity was recorded with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). RESULTS: Both BDIIp and BDIIn patients showed poorer performance on VFTs than HCs. In addition, BDII patients showed lower brain activation than HCs in bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and right frontal pole, these results were mainly driven by BDIIn patients. Moreover, subjective psychotic symptoms were positively significantly correlated with left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activation in BDII patients. CONCLUSIONS: Type II BD patients showed significant impairment when performing VFTs and reduced activation in the prefrontal cortex, and subjective psychotic symptoms were associated with brain activation in left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in BDII patients.

A porous layer open-tubular capillary column supported with pepsin and zeolitic imidazolate framework for enantioseparation of four basic drugs in capillary electrochromatography.

New material zeolitic imidazolate framework-4, 5-imidazoledicarboxylic acid (ZIF-IMD) located on the pore surface of porous layer open-tubular (PLOT) column previously functionalized with N-(3-aminopropyl)-imidazole have been prepared via a layer-by-layer self-assembly strategy. This new ZIF-IMD coating hybrids are used as solid-phase carriers for chiral selector pepsin immobilization. The ZIF-IMD material was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, transmission electron microscope and X-ray diffraction. The synthesized pepsin@ZIF-IMD@POLT column achieved the baseline separation of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), chloroquine (CHQ) and hydroxyzine (HXY) (the resolution of HCQ: 2.19; CHQ: 1.84; HXY: 1.53). Compared with the pepsin@PLOT column (without ZIF-IMD material), the chiral separation capability of the pepsin@ZIF-IMD@POLT column can be remarkably improved. Several key parameters including concentration of chiral selector, buffer pH, applied voltage and buffer concentration were systematically evaluated to provide the optimal enantioseparation condition. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) of intra-day, inter-day, column-to-column and inter-batch of migration time and Rs of the HCQ were evaluated in detail, respectively (RSD < 7.21%). Additionally, the potential mechanism of increased resolution was discussed in the article.