Roles of Sleep Quality, Self-Efficacy, and Coping Style in the Frailty of Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVES: Although the association between sleep disorders and frailty has been well established, little is known about the cognitive appraisal mechanisms underlying this association. Building on the transactional theory of stress and coping, this study explores the role of self-efficacy and coping style in the association between sleep quality and frailty among community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 585 community-dwelling older adults were investigated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Tilburg Frailty Indicator, General Self-Efficacy Scale, and Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and hierarchical regression were performed. A moderated mediation model was established using the PROCESS macro. RESULTS: Poor sleep quality affects frailty directly (B = 0.193, p < .01) and indirectly via self-efficacy (B = 0.063, p < .01). The negative impact of poor sleep on frailty through self-efficacy was moderated by both positive and negative coping style (index = -0.007). The moderating effect was stronger when participants' negative coping tendencies increased. CONCLUSIONS: Poor sleep quality indirectly influences frailty by modifying self-efficacy. Effective coping strategies can help attenuate this association. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Timely sleep assessment and tailored strategies such as psychoeducational programs and targeted coping skills training may be beneficial for preventing frailty in older adults.

Sanguinarine, similar to the MICs of spectinomycin, exhibits good anti-Neisseria gonorrhoeae activity in vitro.

The increasing antibiotic resistance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) is an urgent need to explore new and effective drugs. The antibacterial activities of spectinomycin and sanguinarine against 117 clinical NG isolates and time-kill curve of sanguinarine were evaluated. Almost all isolates were resistant to penicillin (91.5%) and ciprofloxacin (96.5%), 8.5% showed resistance to azithromycin, 10.3% and 10.3% had decreased susceptibility/resistance to ceftriaxone and cefixime, respectively, whereas 100% were susceptible to spectinomycin. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranges, MIC50, MIC90 and MICmean values of sanguinarine were 2-64 µg/ml, 16 µg/ml, 32 µg/ml and 16.9 µg/ml, respectively, and time-kill curve showed killing of bacteria in a dose-dependent manner during the assay time of 6h, very similar to spectinomycin. Sanguinarine has great potential as an effective and novel anti-NG agent.

Circ_0061140 Contributes to Ovarian Cancer Progression by Targeting miR-761/LETM1 Signaling.

Previous studies have suggested that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play important regulatory roles in cancer progression. Previous evidence exhibited the aberrant upregulation of circ_0061140 in ovarian cancer. However, the detailed role of circ_0061140 in ovarian cancer progression and its associated mechanism remain largely unknown and need further exploration. The expression of circ_0061140, microRNA-761 (miR-761) and leucine zipper and EF-hand containing transmembrane protein 1 (LETM1) was checked by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) or western blot. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8), colony formation, 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU), flow cytometry, wound healing, transwell, and tube formation assays were conducted to assess cell functions. Dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay were performed to confirm the interaction between miR-761 and circ_0061140 or LETM1. Xenograft tumor model was established to analyze the role of circ_0061140 in tumor growth in vivo. Circ_0061140 expression was notably up-regulated in ovarian cancer tissues and cell lines. Circ_0061140 knockdown suppressed the proliferation, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis and triggered the apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells. Circ_0061140 directly interacted with miR-761, and circ_0061140 silencing-mediated anti-tumor effects were partly abolished by miR-761 knockdown in ovarian cancer cells. LETM1 was a direct target of miR-761, and LETM1 overexpression partly counteracted miR-761-induced anti-tumor effects. Circ_0061140 could up-regulate LETM1 expression by sponging miR-761. Circ_0061140 knockdown significantly suppressed xenograft tumor growth in vivo. Circ_0061140 aggravated ovarian cancer progression through miR-761-dependent regulation of LETM1.

New insights into the degradation mechanism and risk assessment of HFPO-DA by advanced oxidation processes based on activated persulfate in aqueous solutions.

Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA) is widely used as a substitute for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). HFPO-DA exhibits high water solubility and low adsorption potential, conferring significant fluidity in aquatic environments. Given that the toxicity of HFPO-DA is similar to PFOA, it is necessary to control its content in aquatic environments. Electrochemical and thermally-activated persulfates have been successfully used to degrade HFPO-DA, but UV-activated persulfates cannot degrade the compound. Given that research on degradation mechanisms is still incomplete and lacks kinetic research, the mechanism and kinetic calculations of oxidative degradation were studied in detail using DFT calculations. And the toxicity of HFPO-DA degradation intermediates and products was evaluated to reveal the feasibility of using advanced oxidation process (AOP) technology based on persulfate to degrade HFPO-DA in wastewater. The results showed that the committed step of HFPO-DA degradation was initiated by the electron transfer reaction of SO4•- radicals. This reaction is not spontaneous at room temperature and requires sufficient electrical or thermal energy to be absorbed from the external environment. The perfluoroalcohol produced during this reaction can subsequently undergo four possible reactions: H atom abstraction from alcohol groups by an OH radical; H atom abstraction by SO4•-; direct HF removal; and HF removal with water as the catalyst. The final degradation products of HFPO-DA mainly include CO2, CF3CF2COOH, CF3COOH, FCOOH and HF, which has been identified through previous experimental analysis. Ecotoxicity assessment indicates that degradation does not produce highly toxic intermediates, and that the final products are non-toxic, supporting the feasibility of persulfate-based AOP technologies.

Assessing plant uptake of organic contaminants by food crops tomato, wheat, and corn through sap concentration factor.

This study investigated uptake of two organic compounds including hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) and exogenous caffeine by tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), corn (Zea mays L.), and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The plants were grown in a growth chamber under recommended conditions and then were exposed to these compounds for 19 days. The uptake of the compounds was measured by sap concentration factor. The plant samples (stem transpiration stream) and solution in the exposure media were taken and analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The plant stem samples were analyzed after a freeze-thaw centrifugation process. The average sap concentration factor for the RDX by tomato, wheat, and corn was 0.71, 0.67, and 0.65. The average sap concentration factor for the exogenous caffeine by tomato, wheat, and corn was 0.72, 0.50, and 0.34. These relatively high sap concentration factor values were expected as available predictive models offer high sap concentration factor values for moderately hydrophobic and hydrophilic compounds. The generated sap concentration factor values for the RDX and exogenous caffeine are important for improving the accuracy of previously developed machine learning models predicting the uptake and translocation of emerging contaminants.

The uptake of two organic compounds (RDX and exogenous caffeine) was examined in three crop plants (corn, wheat, and tomato). There have not been any uptake studies on exogenous caffeine and also we do not have good data for the uptake of RDX by these three crop plants. The estimated sap concentration factor from these experiments fills the gap in the data for developing predictive models for uptake of emerging contaminants. A novel rapid freeze­thaw/centrifugation extraction method followed by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) was used to analyze the samples.

Examining Metal Contents in Primary and Secondhand Aerosols Released by Electronic Cigarettes.

The usage of electronic cigarettes (ECs) has surged since their invention two decades ago. However, to date, the health effects of EC aerosol exposure are still not well understood because of insufficient data on the chemical composition of EC aerosols and the corresponding evidence of health risks upon exposure. Herein, we quantified the metals in primary and secondhand aerosols generated by three brands of ECs. By combining aerosol filter sampling and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), we assessed the mass of metals as a function of EC flavoring, nicotine concentration, device power, puff duration, and aging of the devices. The masses of Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Cu, and Zn were consistently high across all brands in the primary and secondhand aerosols, some of which were above the regulated maximum daily intake amount, especially for Cr and Ni with mass (nanograms per 10 puffs) emitted at 117 ± 54 and 50 ± 24 (JUUL), 125 ± 77 and 219 ± 203 (VOOPOO), and 33 ± 10 and 27 ± 2 (Vapor4Life). Our analysis indicates that the metals are predominantly released from the EC liquid, potentially through mechanisms such as bubble bursting or the vaporization of metal-organic compounds. High metal contents were also observed in simulated secondhand aerosols, generally 80-90% of those in primary aerosols. Our findings provide a more detailed understanding of the metal emission characteristics of EC for assessing its health effects and policymaking.

Quantification of silver nanoparticle interactions with yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae studied using single-cell ICP-MS.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been used in many fields due to their anticancer, antimicrobial, and antiviral potential. Single-cell ICP-MS (SC-ICP-MS) is an emerging technology that allows for the rapid characterization and quantification of a metal analyte across a cell population in a single analysis. In this study, a new rapid and sensitive SC-ICP-MS method was developed to quantitatively study the interactions of AgNPs with yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The method can quantify the cell concentration, silver concentration per cell, and profile the nanoparticle distribution in a yeast cell population. AgNP dosing time, concentration, and AgNP size were quantitatively evaluated for their effects on AgNP-yeast cell interactions. The results showed that the initial uptake of AgNPs was rapid and primarily driven by the mass of Ag per cell. The optimal dosing particle concentrations for highest uptake were approximately 1820, 1000, and 300 AgNPs/cell for 10, 20, and 40 nm AgNPs, respectively. Furthermore, this study also validated a washing method for the application to a microorganism for the first time and was used to quantitatively determine the amount of cell surface-adsorbed AgNPs and intracellular AgNPs. These results indicated that the mass (Ag in ag/cell) ratios of intracelluar vs cell surface-adsorbed AgNPs were similar for different AgNP sizes. This high throughput and ultrasensitive SC-ICP-MS method is expected to have many potential applications, such as optimization of methods for green synthesis of AgNPs, nanotoxicity studies, and drug delivery. This is the first quantification study on the interactions of AgNPs and S. cerevisiae using SC-ICP-MS.

Role of experimental periodontitis in inducing pulmonary inflammation in mice.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to explore the potential role of experimental periodontitis in pulmonary inflammation in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mice were divided into control, ligature-induced periodontitis (L) and ligature plus Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis)-induced periodontitis (LPG) groups. Alveolar bone resorption, pulmonary function, lung tissue histology and cytokine expression were examined at 2, 4 and 8 weeks. Then cytokines and neutrophils in the peripheral blood and lung tissue were further assessed at 8 weeks to determine the role of cytokines induced by LPG periodontitis, and the effect of P. gingivalis was evaluated using P. gingivalis-IgG and P. gingivalis gingipain. RESULTS: Alveolar bone resorption was more severe in the L and LPG groups. However, pulmonary inflammation was observed only in the LPG group at 8 weeks when cytokines and neutrophils in the peripheral blood and lung tissue were the most significant elevation, along with higher levels of P. gingivalis-IgG and P. gingivalis gingipain. Cytokine levels were also increased in the gingival tissue, peripheral blood and lung tissue in the L group, accompanied by elevated peripheral blood neutrophils, but not as significantly as that in the LPG group. CONCLUSIONS: LPG periodontitis can trigger pulmonary inflammation over the long term, in which cytokines and P. gingivalis play an important role.

Effectiveness of horticultural therapy on physical functioning and psychological health outcomes for older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To systematically determine the effectiveness of horticultural therapy (HT) on the physical functioning and psychological health of older people. BACKGROUND: With advancing age and increased chronic diseases, older adults are vulnerable to physical deterioration and psychological problems. There is evidence that horticultural therapy (HT) has positive effect among older adults. However, less attention has been devoted to systematically evaluating the physical functioning and psychological health effects of HT in older adults. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted based on the checklist for PRISMA. METHODS: The searches were conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane, China Network Knowledge Infrastructure, Wan Fang, and China Science and Technology Journal Database, from their inception until June 2021. Randomised controlled trials published in either English or Chinese were reviewed. The Review Manager 5.4 software was used for meta-analyses. The quality of included studies was evaluated using the Cochrane risk of bias tool by two independent researchers. RESULTS: Ten studies involving 884 participants were included. Compared with the control group, HT can significantly improve upper body flexibility and aerobic endurance in older adults with cancer. Besides, HT was found to be more effective for promoting emotional functioning and well-being, subjective social functioning, and quality of life among the elderly. The attendance rate for HT was 66%-100%, and no negative events were found. CONCLUSION: Horticultural therapy has potentially positive effects on the physical functioning and psychological health of older adults. However, more rigorous randomised controlled trials with larger populations are required to confirm the findings. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: As a safe and promising nonpharmacological intervention, healthcare professionals may consider the HT intervention when caring for older adults with cancer, dementia and frailty.

Difference in oral microbial composition between chronic periodontitis patients with and without diabetic nephropathy.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the difference in the structural composition of salivary flora between chronic periodontitis patients with and without diabetic nephropathy (DN). METHODS: Thirty salivary samples of 15 chronic periodontitis patients with DN (DN group) and 15 chronic periodontitis patients with diabetes but without DN (DM group) were subjected to pyrosequencing of polymerase chain reaction-amplified 16 s ribosomal RNA genes. After diversity testing, the differential flora were analyzed. The sequencing results were compared with GenBank database to determine the type of differential flora using species composition analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis, principal co-ordinate analysis, and species difference analysis. RESULTS: There were significant between-group differences with respect to Gemella, Selenomonas spp, Lactobacillales_unclassified, Bacteria-unclassified and Abiotrophia (p < 0.05). Compared with DM group, the relative abundance of Selenomonas spp. in DN group was significantly higher; the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of Selenomonas spp. was 0.713 (P < 0.05). Multi-level biological identification and feature maps indicated that Selenomonas spp. might be used as a potential biomarker for DN patients. On binary logistic regression analysis, increase of Selenomonas spp. was related with DN. CONCLUSIONS: We found significant between-group differences in the structural composition of oral flora. The increase in the relative abundance of Selenomonas spp. may be associated with DN in patients with chronic periodontitis.

Normothermic machine perfusion attenuates hepatic ischaemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting CIRP-mediated oxidative stress and mitochondrial fission.

Extracellular cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (CIRP) is a proinflammatory mediator that aggravates ischaemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). Normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) could effectively alleviate the IRI of the liver, but the underlying mechanism remains to be explored. We show that human DCD livers secreted a large amount of CIRP during static cold storage (CS), which is released into the circulation after reperfusion. The expression of CIRP was related to postoperative IL-6 levels and liver function. In a rat model, the CIRP expression was upregulated during warm ischaemia and cold storage. Then, rat DCD livers were preserved using CS, hypothermic oxygenated machine perfusion (HOPE) and NMP. C23, a CIRP inhibitor, was administrated in the HOPE group. Compared with CS, NMP significantly inhibited CIRP expression and decreased oxidative stress by downregulating NADPH oxidase and upregulating UCP2. NMP markedly inhibited the mitochondrial fission-related proteins Drp-1 and Fis-1. Further, NMP increased the mitochondrial biogenesis-related protein, TFAM. NMP significantly reduced inflammatory reactions and apoptosis after reperfusion, and NMP-preserved liver tissue had higher bile secretion and ICG metabolism compared to the CS group. Moreover, C23 administration attenuated IRI in the HOPE group. Additionally, HL-7702 cells were stimulated with rhCIRP and C23. High rhCIRP levels increased oxidative stress and apoptosis. In summary, NMP attenuates the IRI of DCD liver by inhibiting CIRP-mediated oxidative stress and mitochondrial fission.

The effect of aging on VEGF/VEGFR2 signal pathway genes expression in rat liver sinusoidal endothelial cell.

Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) play a key role in the initiation and neoangiogenesis of liver regeneration. We presume that the abnormity of the VEGF/VEGFR2 and its pathway gene Id1, Wnt2 and HGF expression in aged LSECs may be an important mechanism to affect liver regeneration of the elderly. LSECs from two different groups (adult and old) were isolated in a rodent model, and observed by SEM and TEM. The adult and old rats were underwent 70% partial hepatectomy. The proliferation of hepatocytes and LSECs were analyzed by Immunofluorescence staining. The expression of VEGF/VEGFR2 and its pathway gene in isolated LSECs and liver tissue after hepatectomy were detected by qRT-PCR and Western blot. There is a decreased number of endothelial fenestrae in the LSECs of the old group, compared to the adult group. The old group had a lower expression of VEGF/VEGFR2 and its pathway gene than the adult groups (p < 0.01). The results of western blot were consistent with those of qRT-PCR. The hepatocytes had a high proliferation rate at first 4 days after hepatectomy, and a significantly higher proliferation rate in the adult group. The LSECs began to proliferate after 4 days of hepatectomy, and showed a quantity advantage in the adult group. The adult group had a significantly higher expression of VEGF/VEGFR2 and its pathway gene after hepatectomy than the old group (p < 0.01). LSCEs turn to be defenestration in structure and have a low expression of VEGF/VEGFR2 and its pathway gene with aging.

CIRP Secretion during Cardiopulmonary Bypass Is Associated with Increased Risk of Postoperative Acute Kidney Injury.

BACKGROUND: Systemic inflammation contributes to cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (AKI). Cardiomyocytes and other organs experience hypothermia and hypoxia during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), which induces the secretion of cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (CIRP). Extracellular CIRP may induce a proinflammatory response. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The serum CIRP levels in 76 patients before and after cardiac surgery were determined to analyze the correlation between CIRP levels and CPB time. The risk factors for AKI after cardiac surgery and the in-hospital outcomes were also analyzed. RESULTS: The difference in the levels of CIRP (ΔCIRP) after and before surgery in patients who experienced cardioplegic arrest (CA) was 26-fold higher than those who did not, and 2.7-fold of those who experienced CPB without CA. The ΔCIRP levels were positively correlated with CPB time (r = 0.574, p < 0.001) and cross-clamp time (r = 0.54, p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis indicated that ΔCIRP (odds ratio: 1.003; 95% confidence interval: 1.000-1.006; p = 0.027) was an independent risk factor for postoperative AKI. Patients who underwent aortic dissection surgery had higher levels of CIRP and higher incidence of AKI than other patients. The incidence of AKI and duration of mechanical ventilation in patients whose serum CIRP levels more than 405 pg/mL were significantly higher than those less than 405 pg/mL (65.8 vs. 42.1%, p = 0.038; 23.1 ± 18.2 vs. 13.8 ± 9.2 hours, p = 0.007). CONCLUSION: A large amount of CIRP was released during cardiac surgery. The secreted CIRP was associated with the increased risk of AKI after cardiac surgery.

[Development of Liver Normothermic Machine Perfusion Repair and Assessment System].

This paper introduced a liver normothermic machine perfusion repair and assessment system. This system consists of a liver normothermic machine perfusion device, a fluorescence imaging system and a tissue oxygen detector. The normothermic machine perfusion device can continuously perfuse the donor liver and monitor and control the perfusion parameters in real time. The fluorescence imaging system can detect the indocyanine green metabolized by the liver to evaluate the microcirculation and the metabolism function of hepatocytes. The tissue oxygen detector can monitor the change of oxygen partial pressure of liver tissue in real time to evaluate the state of cell oxygen consumption.

2H-Azirine-Based Reagents for Chemoselective Bioconjugation at Carboxyl Residues Inside Live Cells.

Protein modification by chemical reagents has played an essential role in the treatment of human diseases. However, the reagents currently used are limited to the covalent modification of cysteine and lysine residues. It is thus desirable to develop novel methods that can covalently modify other residues. Despite the fact that the carboxyl residues are crucial for maintaining the protein function, few selective labeling reactions are currently available. Here, we describe a novel reactive probe, 3-phenyl-2H-azirine, that enables chemoselective modification of carboxyl groups in proteins under both in vitro and in situ conditions with excellent efficiency. Furthermore, proteome-wide profiling of reactive carboxyl residues was performed with a quantitative chemoproteomic platform.

Label-Free and Ultrasensitive Electrochemical DNA Biosensor Based on Urchinlike Carbon Nanotube-Gold Nanoparticle Nanoclusters.

Nanomaterials have been extensively utilized in biosensing systems for highly sensitive and selective detection of a variety of biotargets. In this work, a facile, label-free, and ultrasensitive electrochemical DNA biosensor has been developed, based on "urchinlike" carbon nanotube-gold nanoparticle (CNT-AuNP) nanoclusters, for signal amplification. Specifically, electrochemical polymerization of dopamine (DA) was employed to modify a gold electrode for immobilization of DNA probes through the Schiff base reaction. Upon sensing the target nucleic acid, the dual-DNA (reporter and linker) functionalized AuNPs were introduced into the sensing system via DNA hybridization. Afterward, the end-modified single-wall carbon nanotubes with DNA (SWCNT-DNA) were attached to the surface of the AuNPs through linker-DNA hybridization that formed 3D radial nanoclusters, which generated a remarkable electrochemical response. Because of the larger contact surface area and super electronic conductivity of CNT-AuNP clusters, this novel designed 3D radial nanostructure exhibits an ultrasensitive detection of DNA, with a detection limit of 5.2 fM (a linear range of from 0.1 pM to 10 nM), as well as a high selectivity that discriminates single-mismatched DNA from fully matched target DNA under optimal conditions. This biosensor, which combines the synergistic properties of both CNTs and AuNPs, represents a promising signal amplification strategy for achieving a sensitive biosensor for DNA detection and diagnostic applications.

Risk of intracerebral haemorrhage in Chinese patients with atrial fibrillation on warfarin with cerebral microbleeds: the IPAAC-Warfarin study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), which predict future intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH), may guide anticoagulant decisions for atrial fibrillation (AF). We aimed to evaluate the risk of warfarin-associated ICH in Chinese patients with AF with CMBs. METHODS: In this prospective, observational, multicentre study, we recruited Chinese patients with AF who were on or intended to start anticoagulation with warfarin from six hospitals in Hong Kong. CMBs were evaluated with 3T MRI brain at baseline. Primary outcome was clinical ICH at 2-year follow-up. Secondary outcomes were ischaemic stroke, systemic embolism, mortality of all causes and modified Rankin Scale ≥3. Outcome events were compared between patients with and without CMBs. RESULTS: A total of 290 patients were recruited; 53 patients were excluded by predefined criteria. Among the 237 patients included in the final analysis, CMBs were observed in 84 (35.4%) patients, and 11 had ≥5 CMBs. The mean follow-up period was 22.4±10.3 months. Compared with patients without CMBs, patients with CMBs had numerically higher rate of ICH (3.6% vs 0.7%, p=0.129). The rate of ICH was lower than ischaemic stroke for patients with 0 to 4 CMBs, but higher for those with ≥5 CMBs. CMB count (C-index 0.82) was more sensitive than HAS-BLED (C-index 0.55) and CHA2DS2-VASc (C-index 0.63) scores in predicting ICH. CONCLUSIONS: In Chinese patients with AF on warfarin, presence of multiple CMBs may be associated with higher rate of ICH than ischaemic stroke. Larger studies through international collaboration are needed to determine the risk:benefit ratio of oral anticoagulants in patients with AF of different ethnic origins.

Biomechanical and Performance Evaluation of Magnetic Elliptical-Ring Compressive Anastomoses.

BACKGROUND: After magnetic compressive anastomosis, anastomat passage through the narrow channels of the digestive tract is difficult owing to the device's large volume. Such passage can lead to mechanical damage to the digestive tract or anastomat's unstable excretion time. This article presents a new magnetic compressive anastomotic approach. METHODS: A magnetic elliptical-ring compressive anastomat was designed and evaluated for placement and passage in vitro. Nine young adult dogs underwent laparotomy with intestinal tissue side-to-side anastomosis. Four different groups of magnetic compressive anastomats of two different magnetic force levels (20 N or 30 N) and shapes (round or elliptical) were implanted into each dog simultaneously. Three dogs were euthanized on each of postoperative day 1, day 4, and day 7. Anastomoses were then compared with respect to histology and tensile fracture force. RESULTS: The magnetic elliptical-ring compressive anastomat was functional but produced less obstruction compared to its round counterpart during passage through the esophagus and intestine. Nine dogs underwent successful surgery and harvesting of 30 total anastomoses. Histology of anastomotic tissue showed that, along the newly formed tunnel connecting the two sides of anastomotic tissues, compressed tissues became thinner and fell off, and initial anastomoses formed on the seventh postoperative day. There were large differences in tensile fracture force among the anastomoses formed by magnets with different magnetic forces of the same structure. However, the magnetic compressive anastomat structure did not affect anastomotic repair during magnetic compression anastomosis. CONCLUSIONS: The magnetic elliptical-ring compressive anastomat is an efficient anastomotic device that can be used easily and with good passage. The device has good biomechanical properties and can be used with endoscopy to reduce operative time.

The application of small organic π-conjugated discotic derivatives in photoacoustic imaging and photothermal conversion.

Near-infrared absorbing dyes are catching people's attention as they are committed to find materials with greater photoacoustic (PA) and photothermal (PT) effect. In this study, a new series of organic π-conjugated discotic derivatives synthesized via [2 + 2] click chemistry were introduced. The PA intensity and PT conversion effect of the derivatives were monitored. It was found that the π-conjugated discotic derivatives had a proper absorption peak and PA intensity by introducing the click regents. Furthermore, the PA intensity remained relatively high, while B12 molecules were embedded in hydrophobic phospholipid bilayer of liposomes (B12⊂L). The application in biological therapy for tumors become possible as the toxicity of B12⊂L was low. What's more, when B12 molecules embedded in poly (N-isopropylacrylamide)-block-poly (2-nitrobenzyl methacrylate) (PNIPAM-b-PNBM) thermosensitive micelles were irradiated by laser, the molecules could take the place of direct temperature stimulus. This work affords us a way to solve the problem in which direct temperature stimulus is inapplicable.

Prediction of myopia development among Chinese school-aged children using refraction data from electronic medical records: A retrospective, multicentre machine learning study.

BACKGROUND: Electronic medical records provide large-scale real-world clinical data for use in developing clinical decision systems. However, sophisticated methodology and analytical skills are required to handle the large-scale datasets necessary for the optimisation of prediction accuracy. Myopia is a common cause of vision loss. Current approaches to control myopia progression are effective but have significant side effects. Therefore, identifying those at greatest risk who should undergo targeted therapy is of great clinical importance. The objective of this study was to apply big data and machine learning technology to develop an algorithm that can predict the onset of high myopia, at specific future time points, among Chinese school-aged children. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Real-world clinical refraction data were derived from electronic medical record systems in 8 ophthalmic centres from January 1, 2005, to December 30, 2015. The variables of age, spherical equivalent (SE), and annual progression rate were used to develop an algorithm to predict SE and onset of high myopia (SE ≤ -6.0 dioptres) up to 10 years in the future. Random forest machine learning was used for algorithm training and validation. Electronic medical records from the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Centre (a major tertiary ophthalmic centre in China) were used as the training set. Ten-fold cross-validation and out-of-bag (OOB) methods were applied for internal validation. The remaining 7 independent datasets were used for external validation. Two population-based datasets, which had no participant overlap with the ophthalmic-centre-based datasets, were used for multi-resource validation testing. The main outcomes and measures were the area under the curve (AUC) values for predicting the onset of high myopia over 10 years and the presence of high myopia at 18 years of age. In total, 687,063 multiple visit records (≥3 records) of 129,242 individuals in the ophthalmic-centre-based electronic medical record databases and 17,113 follow-up records of 3,215 participants in population-based cohorts were included in the analysis. Our algorithm accurately predicted the presence of high myopia in internal validation (the AUC ranged from 0.903 to 0.986 for 3 years, 0.875 to 0.901 for 5 years, and 0.852 to 0.888 for 8 years), external validation (the AUC ranged from 0.874 to 0.976 for 3 years, 0.847 to 0.921 for 5 years, and 0.802 to 0.886 for 8 years), and multi-resource testing (the AUC ranged from 0.752 to 0.869 for 4 years). With respect to the prediction of high myopia development by 18 years of age, as a surrogate of high myopia in adulthood, the algorithm provided clinically acceptable accuracy over 3 years (the AUC ranged from 0.940 to 0.985), 5 years (the AUC ranged from 0.856 to 0.901), and even 8 years (the AUC ranged from 0.801 to 0.837). Meanwhile, our algorithm achieved clinically acceptable prediction of the actual refraction values at future time points, which is supported by the regressive performance and calibration curves. Although the algorithm achieved balanced and robust performance, concerns about the compromised quality of real-world clinical data and over-fitting issues should be cautiously considered. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this study, for the first time, used large-scale data collected from electronic health records to demonstrate the contribution of big data and machine learning approaches to improved prediction of myopia prognosis in Chinese school-aged children. This work provides evidence for transforming clinical practice, health policy-making, and precise individualised interventions regarding the practical control of school-aged myopia.