Assessing nicotine pharmacokinetics of new generation tobacco products and conventional cigarettes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: New generation tobacco products (NGPs) hold promises as modified-risk alternatives to conventional cigarettes (CCs), given their comparable characteristics. This study investigated the nicotine pharmacokinetics (PK) of NGPs, encompassing closed pod systems, refillable e-cigarettes (ECs), and heated tobacco products (HTPs), in comparison to CCs through systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: A comprehensive search was conducted on PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science for articles published between January 2013 and July 2023. Maximum nicotine concentration (Cmax), time to the peak concentration (Tmax), and total nicotine exposure (area under the concentration-time curve, AUC) were extracted to evaluate nicotine delivery PK. Random effects meta-analyses were performed to determine pooled standardized mean differences (SMD), facilitating a comparison of PK profiles between NGPs and CCs. Subgroup analyses exploring flavors and nicotine concentrations across NGPs, and CCs were also conducted. RESULTS: The meta-analysis incorporated 30 articles with 2728 participants. Cmax and AUC were significantly lower for NGPs, while Tmax demonstrated statistical similarity compared to CCs. Among three NGPs, Cmax and AUC were lower for closed pod systems and refillable ECs. In HTPs, Cmax was statistically similar while AUC was lower compared to CCs. Tmax was statistically similar in closed pod systems and HTPs compared to that of CCs. No significant difference was observed in the comparisons of PK between each type of NGPs versus CCs. CONCLUSIONS: NGPs delivered less nicotine than CCs but reached Cmax over a similar timeframe, indicating that NGPs may serve as modified-risk alternatives with lower nicotine delivery to CCs for craving relief and smoking cessation. IMPLICATION: This study suggested that NGPs, such as the closed pod systems, the refillable ECs, and the HTPs, delivered either lower or comparable nicotine levels and achieved peak nicotine concentration at a similar rate as CCs. Our findings carry implications that NGPs can serve as modified-risk nicotine alternative to CCs in helping smokers to manage cravings and potentially quit smoking, thereby highlighting their value in the field of tobacco harm reduction.

Centrifugated lateral flow assay strips based on dual-emission carbon dots modified with europium ions for ratiometric determination and on-site discrimination of tetracyclines in environment.

Due to the serious detrimental impact on human health, antibiotic pollution particularly tetracyclines residues has become a serious problem. Herein, a multiple response fluorescent probe consisted of dual-emission carbon dots and Eu3+ (D-CDs@Eu3+) is designed for the determination and discrimination of tetracyclines (TCs). Specifically, the carboxyl and amidogen group of dual-emission carbon dots (D-CDs) can coordinate with Eu3+ to form the D-CDs@Eu3+. Upon adding TCs, the fluorescence intensities of D-CDs at 405 nm and 495 nm are quenched due to inner filter effect (IFE) and the localization of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (L-FRET) between the D-CDs@Eu3+ and TC. Simultaneously, the D-CDs@Eu3+ may chelate with TCs to enhance the occurrence of antenna effect, while the characteristic peaks of Eu3+ at 590 nm and 615 nm are enhanced. On these bases, the TCs detection is achieved with low detection limits from 46.7 to 72.0 nM. Additionally, through the distinct efficiencies of L-FRET, the discrimination of TCs is achieved. Moreover, a novel centrifugated lateral flow assay strips (CLFASs) device is developed by integrating the D-CDs@Eu3+, lateral flow assay strips and smartphone using RGB variations for TCs detection, achieving remarkable recoveries (98.6-103.7 %) in real samples. Therefore, this CLFASs device provides a reliable approach for the TCs detection, demonstrating potential applications.

Role and mechanism of specialized pro-resolving mediators in obesity-associated insulin resistance.

With the changing times, obesity has become a characteristic epidemic in the context of the current era. Insulin resistance (IR) is most commonly caused by obesity, and IR is a common basis of the pathogenesis of many diseases such as cardiovascular disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and type 2 diabetes, which seriously threaten human life, as well as health. A major pathogenetic mechanism of obesity-associated IR has been found to be chronic low-grade inflammation in adipose tissue. Specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) are novel lipid mediators that both function as "stop signals" for inflammatory reaction and promote inflammation to subside. In this article, we summarize the pathogenesis of obesity-associated IR and its treatments and outline the classification and biosynthesis of SPMs and their mechanisms and roles in the treatment of obesity-associated IR in order to explore the potential of SPMs for treating metabolic diseases linked with obesity-associated IR.

A Solid Electrolyte RHE for Electrode Diagnosis of Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzers.

Reference electrode is the foundation of electrochemical study; thus, most electrode materials are tested in a three-electrode mode to acquire potential-dependent kinetics. However, it is difficult to directly use conventional reference electrodes to detect potential information in solid electrolyte devices due to their compact assembly structure. Therefore, the kinetic study of an electrochemical device faces challenges in precise identification of specific problems originating from the anode or cathode. Here, focusing on proton exchange membrane water electrolysis, we design a solid electrolyte reversible hydrogen electrode (SE-RHE), which can be used for electrode diagnosis under various operating conditions. Compared to the reference electrodes reported in the literature, which are mainly based on liquid electrolyte, the SE-RHE is highly sensitive and compatible, as well as easy to assemble. The potential deviation is less than ±0.5 mV, and the cell voltage derived from the electrode potential well reproduces the value that was directly measured with a deviation less than 0.2%. The reference electrode developed in this work enables the kinetic study of a specific electrode rather than the entire cell. For instance, an interesting observation is that the cathode shows distinct stability under stable and fluctuating operations. Differing from the high stability under stable operation, the cathode degrades significantly under fluctuating operations.

Association of Visceral Adiposity Index and Handgrip Strength with Cardiometabolic Multimorbidity among Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Findings from Charls 2011-2020.

The visceral adiposity index (VAI) and handgrip strength (HGS) are identified as important objectives for the prevention of illness. Nevertheless, there is limited understanding regarding the impact of the VAI and HGS on cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CMM). We aimed to ascertain the impact of the VAI and HGS on CMM among middle-aged and older people. Data spanning from 2011 to 2020 were derived from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). In total, 7909 individuals aged 45 years and older were included. Cox proportional hazard regression was utilized to examine the correlation among the VAI, HGS, and CMM. Throughout the 10-year follow-up, we determined that both the VAI (HR = 1.330; 95%CI = 1.179-1.500) and HGS (HR = 0.745, 95%CI = 0.645-0.861) exhibited significant associations with CMM risk. Individuals exposed to both a high VAI and low HGS were found to have higher hazards of CMM (HR = 1.377, 95%CI = 1.120-1.694) in contrast to participants exposed to one or none of these conditions. The older (HR = 1.414; 95%CI = 1.053-1.899) and male (HR = 1.586; 95%CI = 1.114-2.256) groups are more likely to experience CMM risk. Our findings suggest that both the VAI and HGS have significant effects on CMM risk. Appropriate interventions focused on vulnerable groups are recommended to prevent the incidence of CMM.

Welding Seam Tracking and Inspection Robot Based on Improved YOLOv8s-Seg Model.

A weld is the main connection form of special equipment, and a weld is also the most vulnerable part of special equipment. Therefore, an effective detection of a weld is of great significance to improve the safety of special equipment. The traditional inspection method is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but also expensive. The welding seam tracking and inspection robot can greatly improve the inspection efficiency and save on inspection costs. Therefore, this paper proposes a welding seam tracking and inspection robot based on YOLOv8s-seg. Firstly, the MobileNetV3 lightweight backbone network is used to replace the backbone part of YOLOv8s-seg to reduce the model parameters. Secondly, we reconstruct C2f and prune the number of output channels of the new building module C2fGhost. Finally, in order to make up for the precision loss caused by the lightweight model, we add an EMA attention mechanism after each detection layer in the neck part of the model. The experimental results show that the accuracy of weld recognition reaches 97.8%, and the model size is only 4.88 MB. The improved model is embedded in Jetson nano, a robot control system for seam tracking and detection, and TensorRT is used to accelerate the reasoning of the model. The total reasoning time from image segmentation to path fitting is only 54 ms, which meets the real-time requirements of the robot for seam tracking and detection, and realizes the path planning of the robot for inspecting the seam efficiently and accurately.

Bibliometric analysis of the top 100 most cited articles on Th17/Treg balance and rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease. The role of Th17/Treg balance in RA pathogenesis has been increasingly emphasized. In this study, bibliometric and visualization analyses of the top 100 most cited articles on Th17/Treg balance in the field of RA were conducted. Methods: By searching the Web of Science Core Collection database, the top 100 most cited articles of related studies were included, and the authors, countries, institutions, journals, keywords and other information were extracted for analysis using VOSviewer software. Results: The top 100 most cited papers had a total of 7185 citations, with an average citation frequency of 72 (range 21-730). All of them were published between 2011 and 2022. The most influential paper, with 730 citations, was written by "Komatsu, Noriko" in 2014 and published in NATURE MEDICINE. The author with the highest output was "Cho, Mi-La" (n = 24). China was the country with the highest number of publications (n = 42). Catholic University of Korea was the institution with the highest number of publications (n = 24). ARTHRITIS AND RHEUMATISM (n = 7), ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATOLOGY (n = 7) and INTERNATIONAL IMMUNOPHARMACOLOGY (n = 7) were the journals that published the most literature. "Expression" (cytokines and transcription factors, etc) and "differentiation" (T cells, Treg cells, and Th17 cells) were the themes of the research. "Mechanisms", "gut microbiota", "STAT3", "interleukin-6", "synovial fibroblasts" were the hot spots of research in recent years. Conclusions: For the first time, the top 100 most cited articles were analyzed using bibliometric methods. We aimed to grasp the current development and research trends of RA and Th17/Treg-related studies. It is hoped that this study will provide direction and support for future research.

Reactive P and S co-doped porous hollow nanotube arrays for high performance chloride ion storage.

Developing stable, high-performance chloride-ion storage electrodes is essential for energy storage and water purification application. Herein, a P, S co-doped porous hollow nanotube array, with a free ion diffusion pathway and highly active adsorption sites, on carbon felt electrodes (CoNiPS@CF) is reported. Due to the porous hollow nanotube structure and synergistic effect of P, S co-doped, the CoNiPS@CF based capacitive deionization (CDI) system exhibits high desalination capacity (76.1 mgCl- g-1), fast desalination rate (6.33 mgCl- g-1 min-1) and good cycling stability (capacity retention rate of > 90%), which compares favorably to the state-of-the-art electrodes. The porous hollow nanotube structure enables fast ion diffusion kinetics due to the swift ion transport inside the electrode and the presence of a large number of reactive sites. The introduction of S element also reduces the passivation layer on the surface of CoNiP and lowers the adsorption energy for Cl- capture, thereby improving the electrode conductivity and surface electrochemical activity, and further accelerating the adsorption kinetics. Our results offer a powerful strategy to improve the reactivity and stability of transition metal phosphides for chloride capture, and to improve the efficiency of electrochemical dechlorination technologies.

Association between anti-SSA autoantibodies and conduction disturbances in heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Conduction disturbances play an important role in the occurrence and development of heart failure (HF). Studies suggest autoantibodies may attack the conduction system. However, whether autoantibodies are associated with conduction disturbances in patients with HF is unclear. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess whether anti-SSA, anti-Ro/Sjögren syndrome-related antigen A antibodies known for congenital atrioventricular block (AVB), is associated with conduction disturbances in patients with HF. METHODS: This retrospective observational study used data from patients with HF who were admitted to Beijing Anzhen Hospital between January 2018 and June 2022. Patients who were tested for anti-SSA and had undergone electrocardiographic examination during hospitalization were included. Conduction disturbances, including AVB, bundle branch block (BBB), and intraventricular conduction delay, were confirmed by a cardiologist blinded to anti-SSA status. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the association between anti-SSA and conduction disturbances. RESULTS: A total of 766 patients were included in this study, of whom 70 (9.1%) were anti-SSA positive. Subjects who were anti-SSA positive showed a higher prevalence of AVB (20% vs 10.6%) and BBB (27.3 % vs 10.9 %), including both left BBB and right BBB (all P <.05). After adjusting for known risk factors, anti-SSA was independently associated with AVB (odds ratio [OR] 2.42; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.18-5.43; P = .03) and BBB (OR 3.15; 95% CI 1.68-5.89; P <.001). CONCLUSION: Anti-SSA is independently associated with AVB and BBB in patients with HF. Further study of the role of autoantibodies in the development of conduction abnormalities in patients with HF to generate possible targeted treatments is required.

Metagenomic next-generation sequencing-assisted diagnosis of a rare case of primary cutaneous acanthamoebiasis in an HIV patient: a case report.

Pathogenic and free-living Acanthamoeba are widely distributed in the environment and have been reported to cause keratitis and universally fatal encephalitis. Primary cutaneous acanthamoebiasis caused by Acanthamoeba is exceedingly rare and presents as isolated necrotic cutaneous lesions without involvement of the cornea or central nervous system. Cutaneous acanthamoebiasis often occurs in immunocompromised patients and is likely overlooked or even misdiagnosed only by cutaneous biopsy tissue histopathological analysis. Here, we report a HIV-infected 63-year-old female with oral leukoplakia for 4 months and scattered large skin ulcers all over the body for 2 months. The cause of the cutaneous lesions was unclear through cutaneous specimens histopathological analysis, and subsequently Acanthamoeba were detected by metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS), which may be the cause of cutaneous lesions. Based on the mNGS results, a pathologist subsequently reviewed the previous pathological slides and found trophozoites of Acanthamoeba so that the cause was identified, and the skin ulcers improved significantly after treatment with multi-drug combination therapy. Acanthamoeba is also a host of pathogenic microorganisms. The presence of endosymbionts enhances the pathogenicity of Acanthamoeba, and no other pathogens were reported in this case. mNGS is helpful for rapidly diagnosing the etiology of rare skin diseases and can indicate the presence or absence of commensal microorganisms.

A transparent p-coumaric acid-grafted-chitosan coating with antimicrobial, antioxidant and antifogging properties for fruit packaging applications.

The study aimed to develop a novel, transparent and non-toxic coating with antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antifogging properties. The p-coumaric acid-grafted chitosan (CS-PCA) was synthesized via a carbodiimide coupling reaction and then characterized. The CS-PCA coatings were further prepared using the casting method. The CS-PCA coatings obtained exhibited excellent transparency, UV-light barrier ability, and antifogging properties, as confirmed by spectroscopy and antifogging tests. The CS-PCA coatings showed stronger antioxidant capacity and antimicrobial properties against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Botrytis cinerea compared to CS. The multifunctional coatings were further coated on the polyethylene cling film and their effectiveness was confirmed through a strawberry preservation test. The decay of the strawberries was reduced by CS-PCA coated film at room temperature.

Pyrazine-based iron metal organic frameworks (Fe-MOFs) with modulated O-Fe-N coordination for enhanced hydroxyl radical generation in Fenton-like process.

Rational design of coordination environment of Fe-based metal-organic frameworks (Fe-MOFs) is still a challenge in achieving enhanced catalytic activity for Fenten-like advanced oxidation process. Here in, novel porous Fe-MOFs with modulated O-Fe-N coordination was developed by configurating amino terephthalic acid (H2ATA) and pyrazine-dicarboxylic acid (PzDC) (Fe-ATA/PzDC-7:3). PzDC ligands introduce pyridine-N sites to form O-Fe-N coordination with lower binding energy, which affect the local electronic environment of Fe-clusters in Fe-ATA, thus decreased its interfacial H2O2 activation barrier. O-Fe-N coordination also accelerate Fe(II)/Fe(III) cycling of Fe-clusters by triggering the reactive oxidant species mediated Fe(III) reduction. As such, Fe-ATA/PzDC-7:3/H2O2 system exhibited excellent degradation performance for typical antibiotic sulfamethoxazole (SMX), in which the steady-state concentration of hydroxyl radical (OH) was 1.6 times higher than that of unregulated Fe-ATA. Overall, this study highlights the role of O-Fe-N coordination and the electronic environment of Fe-clusters on regulating Fenton-like catalytic performance, and provides a platform for precise engineering of Fe-MOFs.

Electroacupuncture improves gastrointestinal motility through a central-cholinergic pathway-mediated GDNF releasing from intestinal glial cells to protect intestinal neurons in Parkinson's disease rats.

Constipation symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) seriously reduce the quality of life of patients and aggravate the development of the disease, but current treatment options still cannot alleviate the progress of constipation. Electroacupuncture (EA) is a new method for the treatment of constipation, which can effectively treat the symptoms of constipation in PD patients. However, the specific regulatory mechanisms of EA in the treatment of constipation symptoms in PD remain unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the therapeutic effect of EA on PD constipation rats and its regulatory mechanism. A rotenone (ROT)-induced gastrointestinal motility disorder model was used to simulate the pathological process of constipation in PD. The results showed that EA could effectively promote gastrointestinal peristalsis, reduce α-synuclein accumulation in substantia nigra and colon and colonic injury in rats after ROT administration. Mechanistically, EA activation of the central-cholinergic pathway increases acetylcholine release in the colon. At the same time, EA up-regulated the co-expression of enteric glial cells (EGCs) and α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR). EA increased the expression of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the colon of PD rats. Further mechanistic studies showed that EA increased the expression of glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), GFRa1 and p-AKT in colon tissues. The present study confirmed that EA upregulates α7nAChR through a central-cholinergic mechanism to promote GDNF release from EGCs, thereby protecting intestinal neurons and thereby improving gastrointestinal motility.

Hydrogen Attenuates Cognitive Impairment in Rat Models of Vascular Dementia by Inhibiting Oxidative Stress and NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation.

Vascular dementia (VaD) is the second most common form of dementia worldwide. Oxidative stress and neuroinflammation are important factors contributing to cognitive dysfunction in patients with VaD. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of hydrogen are increasingly being utilized in neurological disorders, but conventional hydrogen delivery has the disadvantage of inefficiency. Therefore, magnesium silicide nanosheets (MSNs) are used to release hydrogen in vivo in larger quantities and for longer periods of time to explore the appropriate dosage and regimen. In this study, it is observed that hydrogen improved learning and working memory in VaD rats in the Morris water maze and Y-maze, which elicits improved cognitive function. Nissl staining of neurons shows that hydrogen treatment significantly improves edema in neuronal cells. The expression and activation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP), NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), caspase-1, and IL-1ß in the hippocampus are measured via ELISA, Western blotting, real-time qPCR, and immunofluorescence. The results show that oxidative stress indicators and inflammasome-related factors are significantly decreased after 7dMSN treatment. Therefore, it is concluded that hydrogen can ameliorate neurological damage and cognitive dysfunction in VaD rats by inhibiting ROS/NLRP3/IL-1ß-related oxidative stress and inflammation.

Venetoclax acts as an immunometabolic modulator to potentiate adoptive NK cell immunotherapy against leukemia.

Natural killer (NK) cell-based immunotherapy holds promise for cancer treatment; however, its efficacy remains limited, necessitating the development of alternative strategies. Here, we report that venetoclax, an FDA-approved BCL-2 inhibitor, directly activates NK cells, enhancing their cytotoxicity against acute myeloid leukemia (AML) both in vitro and in vivo, likely independent of BCL-2 inhibition. Through comprehensive approaches, including bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing, avidity measurement, and functional assays, we demonstrate that venetoclax increases the avidity of NK cells to AML cells and promotes lytic granule polarization during immunological synapse (IS) formation. Notably, we identify a distinct CD161lowCD218b+ NK cell subpopulation that exhibits remarkable sensitivity to venetoclax treatment. Furthermore, venetoclax promotes mitochondrial respiration and ATP synthesis via the NF-κB pathway, thereby facilitating IS formation in NK cells. Collectively, our findings establish venetoclax as a multifaceted immunometabolic modulator of NK cell function and provide a promising strategy for augmenting NK cell-based cancer immunotherapy.

Association between blood pressure variability and risk of kidney function decline in hypertensive patients without chronic kidney disease: a post hoc analysis of Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial study.

BACKGROUND: Blood pressure variability (BPV) is a risk factor for poor kidney function independent of blood pressure (BP) in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Little is known about the association between kidney function decline and BPV in hypertensive patients without CKD. METHODS: A post-hoc analysis of the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) was performed. BPV was measured as standard deviation (SD) and average real variability (ARV). Cox proportional hazard models were employed to explore the relationship between BPV and incident CKD and albuminuria. RESULTS: A total of 5700 patients were included, with a mean age of 66.4 years old. During a median of 3.29 years follow-up, 150 (2.6%) patients developed CKD and 222 (7.2%) patients developed albuminuria. Patients were divided into four groups according to the quartiles of BPV. Compared with SBPV Q1, the incidence of CKD was higher in SBPV Q2-Q4; hazard ratios and 95% confidence interval were 1.81 (1.07-3.04), 1.85 (1.10-3.12) and 1.90 (1.13-3.19), respectively. The association between incident CKD and albuminuria with DBPV was less significant than SBPV. Similar results were found when measuring BPV as ARV and SD. No interaction was detected in BP-lowering strategy and SBPV on incident CKD and albuminuria ( P  > 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study found that BPV was a risk factor for incident CKD and albuminuria in patients without CKD, especially SBPV. Although intensive BP control increased the risk of CKD, the association between SBPV and kidney function decline did not differ between the two treatment groups. REGISTRATION: URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ , Unique identifier: NCT01206062.

Innovative wearable solutions: Semi-releasing ion-conductive lignin hydrogel sensors for enhanced practicability.

The severe negative effects of impurities adhering to the external surface of wearable devices can significantly influence the signal transmission, performance, and lifespan of hydrogel sensors. Herein, we developed an ion-conducting hydrogel sensor with a strong adhesive side and a non-adhesive side, similar to a "semi-releasing material." This hydrogel, formulated using deep eutectic solvents obtained from choline chloride and acrylic acid, contained lignin. This versatile material, exhibiting properties similar to semi-releasing materials, was treated with an AlCl3 solution on one side. Additionally, the hydrogel was successfully used as a highly adhesive strain sensor for real-time monitoring of various human activity signals. Moreover, the hydrogel demonstrated excellent environmental tolerance and conductivity. Lignin extracted from wood flour endowed the hydrogel sensor with excellent adhesion energy (up to 427.1 J/m2) and UV resistance. Treatment of hydrogels with AlCl3 completely eliminated their adhesiveness, thereby enhancing fracture elongation and tensile strength. This improvement can be attributed to the absence of carboxyl groups and the formation of a metal-phenolic network. The implementation of this convenient and efficient strategy provides a more feasible approach to address challenges related to impurity adhesion and signal transmission in flexible wearable devices.

Engineering Large-Scale Self-Mineralizing Bone Organoids with Bone Matrix-Inspired Hydroxyapatite Hybrid Bioinks.

Addressing large bone defects remains a significant challenge owing to the inherent limitations in self-healing capabilities, resulting in prolonged recovery and suboptimal regeneration. Although current clinical solutions are available, they have notable shortcomings, necessitating more efficacious approaches to bone regeneration. Organoids derived from stem cells show great potential in this field; however, the development of bone organoids has been hindered by specific demands, including the need for robust mechanical support provided by scaffolds and hybrid extracellular matrices (ECM). In this context, bioprinting technologies have emerged as powerful means of replicating the complex architecture of bone tissue. The research focused on the fabrication of a highly intricate bone ECM analog using a novel bioink composed of gelatin methacrylate/alginate methacrylate/hydroxyapatite (GelMA/AlgMA/HAP). Bioprinted scaffolds facilitate the long-term cultivation and progressive maturation of extensive bioprinted bone organoids, foster multicellular differentiation, and offer valuable insights into the initial stages of bone formation. The intrinsic self-mineralizing quality of the bioink closely emulates the properties of natural bone, empowering organoids with enhanced bone repair for both in vitro and in vivo applications. This trailblazing investigation propels the field of bone tissue engineering and holds significant promise for its translation into practical applications.

A Thermostable Cas12b-Powered Bioassay Coupled with Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification in a Customized "One-Pot" Vessel for Visual, Rapid, Sensitive, and On-Site Detection of Genetically Modified Crops.

Genetically modified crops (GMCs) have been discussed due to unknown safety, and thus, it is imperative to develop an effective detection technology. CRISPR/Cas is deemed a burgeoning technology for nucleic acid detection. Herein, we developed a novel detection method for the first time, which combined thermostable Cas12b with loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), to detect genetically modified (GM) soybeans in a customized one-pot vessel. In our method, LAMP-specific primers were used to amplify the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter (CaMV35S) of the GM soybean samples. The corresponding amplicons activated the trans-cleavage activity of Cas12b, which resulted in the change of fluorescence intensity. The proposed bioassay was capable of detecting synthetic plasmid DNA samples down to 10 copies/µL, and as few as 0.05% transgenic contents could be detected in less than 40 min. This work presented an original detection method for GMCs, which performed rapid, on-site, and deployable detection.

Developing and validating the nurse-patient relationship scale (NPRS) in China.

BACKGROUND: Poor nurse-patient relationship poses an obstacle to care delivery, jeopardizing patient experience and patient care outcomes. Measuring nurse-patient relationship is challenging given its multi-dimensional nature and a lack of well-established scales. PURPOSE: This study aimed to develop a multi-dimensional scale measuring nurse-patient relationship in China. METHODS: A preliminary scale was constructed based on the existing literature and Delphi consultations with 12 nursing experts. The face validity of the scale was tested through a survey of 45 clinical nurses. This was followed by a validation study on 620 clinical nurses. Cronbach's α, content validity and known-group validity of the scale were assessed. The study sample was further divided into two for Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), respectively, to assess the construct validity of the scale. RESULTS: The Nurse-Patient Relationship Scale (NPRS) containing 23 items was developed and validated, measuring five dimensions: nursing behavior, nurse understanding and respect for patient, patient misunderstanding and mistrust in nurse, communication with patient, and interaction with patient. The Cronbach's α of the NPRS ranged from 0.725 to 0.932, indicating high internal consistency. The CFA showed excellent fitness of data into the five-factor structure: χ2/df = 2.431, GFI = 0.933, TLI = 0.923, CFI = 0.939, IFI = 0.923, RMSEA = 0.070. Good content and construct validity are demonstrated through expert consensus and psychometric tests. CONCLUSION: The NPRS is a valid tool measuring nurse-patient relationship in China.