A novel biomarker for pleural effusion diagnosis: Interleukin-36γ in pleural fluid.

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have described the critical importance of interleukin (IL) -36γ in host defense against lung infections, but it is unknown whether it plays a role in infectious pleural effusion (IPE). This study aimed to examine the levels of IL-36γ in pleural effusions of different etiologies and evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of IL-36γ in the differential diagnosis of IPE. METHODS: A total of 112 individuals was enrolled in this research. IL-36γ levels in pleural fluids of all 112 patients were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We also characterized these markers' diagnostic values across various groups. RESULTS: Patients with tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE) and parapneumonic effusion (PPE) had exhibited markedly higher IL-36γ levels in their pleural fluid than the malignant pleural effusion (MPE) and transudative effusion patients. Furthermore, the IL-36γ concentrations in TPE patients were evidently higher than in uncomplicated parapneumonic effusion (UPPE) patients but significantly lower than in complicated parapneumonic effusion (CPPE)/empyema patients. Pleural fluid IL-36γ is a useful marker to differentiate TPE from UPPE, at a cut-off value for 657.5 pg/ml (area under the curve = 0.904, p < 0.0001) with 70.0% sensitivity and 95.7% specificity. CONCLUSIONS: The elevated IL-36γ in pleural effusion may be used as a novel biomarker for infectious pleural effusion diagnosis, particularly in patients with CPPE/empyema, and is a potentially promising biomarker to differentiate between TPE and UPPE.

Facile Synthesis of 3-Substituted Thiazolo[2,3-α]tetrahydroisoquinolines.

It was found that 4-hydroxy-2-butenoic ester (11) could not react with 3,4-dihydro-isoquinoline (4a). Individual addition reactions of γ-mercapto-α,ß-unsaturated esters (18) and -unsaturated amide (19) with 3,4-dihydroisoquinolines (4) were carried out under appropriate conditions to provide the corresponding thiazolo[2,3-α]isoquinoline derivatives with good yields (up to 87%) and significant diastereomeric selectivity. The mechanism of the crucial reaction was discussed.

Epidemiology and HBGA-susceptibility investigation of a G9P[8] rotavirus outbreak in a school in Lechang, China.

Rotaviruses cause severe gastroenteritis in infants, in which the viruses interact with human histo-blood group antigens (HBGAs) as attachment and host susceptibility factors. While gastroenteritis outbreaks caused by rotaviruses are uncommon in adolescents, we reported here one that occurred in a middle school in China. Rectal swabs and saliva samples were collected from symptomatic and asymptomatic students, and samples were also collected from the environment. Using PCR, followed by DNA sequencing, a single G9P[8] rotavirus strain was identified as the causative agent. The attack rate of the outbreak was 13.5% for boarders, which was significantly higher than that of day students (1.8%). Person-to-person transmission was the most plausible transmission mode. The HBGA phenotypes of the individuals in the study were determined by enzyme immunoassay, using saliva samples, while recombinant VP8* protein of the causative rotavirus strain was produced for HBGA binding assays to evaluate the host susceptibility. Our data showed that secretor individuals had a significantly higher risk of infection than nonsecretors. Accordingly, the VP8* protein bound nearly all secretor saliva samples, but not those of nonsecretors, explaining the observed infection of secretor individuals only. This is the first single-outbreak-based investigation showing that P[8] rotavirus infected only secretors. Our investigation also suggests that health education of school students is an important countermeasure against an outbreak of communicable disease.

New Templated Ostwald Ripening Process of Mesostructured FeOOH for Third-Harmonic Generation Bioimaging.

Emerging advances in iron oxide nanoparticles exploit their high magnetization for various applications, such as bioseparation, hyperthermia, and magnetic resonance imaging. In contrast to their excellent magnetic performance, the harmonic generation and luminescence properties of iron oxide nanoparticles have not been thoroughly explored, thus limiting their development as a tool in photomedicine. In this work, a seed/growth-inspired synthesis is developed combined with primary mineralization and a ligand-assisted secondary growth strategy to prepare mesostructured α-FeOOH nanorods (NRs). The sub-wavelength heterogeneity of the refractive index leads to enhanced third-harmonic generation (THG) signals under near-infrared excited wavelengths at 1230 nm. The as-prepared NRs exhibit an 11-fold stronger THG intensity compared to bare α-FeOOH NRs. Using these unique nonlinear optical properties, it is demonstrated that mesostructured α-FeOOH NRs can serve as biocompatible and nonbleaching contrast agents in THG microscopy for long-term labeling of cells as well as in angiography in vivo by modifying lectin to enhance the binding efficiency to the glycocalyx layers on the wall of blood vessels. These results provide a new insight into Fe-based nanoplatforms capable of emitting coherent light as molecular probes in optical microscopy, thus establishing a complementary microscopic imaging method for macroscopic magnetic imaging systems.

Development and Characterization of Ultrafiltration TiO2 Magnéli Phase Reactive Electrochemical Membranes.

This research focused on the synthesis, characterization, and performance testing of a novel Magnéli phase (TinO2n-1), n = 4 to 6, reactive electrochemical membrane (REM) for water treatment. The REMs were synthesized from tubular asymmetric TiO2 ultrafiltration membranes, and optimal reactivity was achieved for REMs composed of high purity Ti4O7. Probe molecules were used to assess outer-sphere charge transfer (Fe(CN)6(4-)) and organic compound oxidation through both direct oxidation (oxalic acid) and formation of OH(•) (coumarin, terephthalic acid). High membrane fluxes (3208 L m(-2) h(-1) bar(-1) (LMH bar(-1))) were achieved and resulted in a convection-enhanced rate constant for Fe(CN)6(4-) oxidation of 1.4 × 10(-4) m s(-1), which is the highest reported in an electrochemical flow-through reactor and approached the kinetic limit. The optimal removal rate for oxalic acid was 401.5 ± 18.1 mmol h(-1) m(-2) at 793 LMH, with approximately 84% current efficiency. Experiments indicate OH(•) were produced only on the Ti4O7 REM and not on less reduced phases (e.g., Ti6O11). REMs were also tested for oxyanion separation. Approximately 67% removal of a 1 mM NO3(-) solution was achieved at 58 LMH, with energy consumption of 0.22 kWh m(-3). These results demonstrate the extreme promise of REMs for water treatment applications.

[Research on Breeding of Dioscorea opposita cv. Tiegun].

OBJECTIVE: To breeding the new varieties Dioscorea opposita cv. Tiegun with the best comprehensive properties. METHODS: Seven new Dioscorea opposita. cv. Tiegun cultivars were screened by space mutation breeding of Dioscorea opposita cv. Tiegun bulbils. Yield,allantoin content,water soluble extractive and the resistance of these seven cultivars were compared with the main cultivar Dioscorea opposita cv. Tiegun( CK). Meanwhile, the nutrition quality of new cultivars No. 6 and No. 10 were compared with the main cultivar. RESULTS: (1) The fresh weight per plant ranked in the order as follows: No. 6 > No. 10 > No. 4 > No. 9 > No. 1 > CK > No. 2 > No. 8. The drying rate ranked in the order as follows: No. 2 > No. 10 > No. 9 > No. 6 > No. 8 > CK > No. 1 > No. 4. Dry weight per plant ranked in the order as follows: No. 10 > No. 9 > No. 6 > No. 2 > No. 1 > CK > No. 4 > No. 8. The fresh weight per plant, drying rate and dry weight per plant of No. 6 and No. 10 were higher than the main cultivar. (2) The allantoin content ranked in the order as follows: No. 6 > No. 4 > No. 10 > CK > No. 9 > No. 8 > No. 2 > No. 1. (3) The water soluble extractive contents ranked in the order as follows: No. 6 > No. 2 > No. 4 > No. 10 > No. 1 > CK > No. 9 > No. 8. The water soluble extractive content of No. 6 was higher than No. 10 and the main cultivar. (4) No. 10 had the best taste of dry, soft, sweet and fragrant, No. 6 had the taste of dry, floury and hard, and No. 9 had the taste of dry and crisp. (5) No. 6 had the strongest resistance to Gloeosporium pestis and Cykindrosporium dioscoreae; No. 10 had a middle resistance to Gloeosporium pestis and a strong resistance to Cykindrosporium dioscoreae; and the main cultivar had a middle degree of being prone to Gloeosporium pestis and a middle resistance to Cykindrosporium dioscoreae. (6) The content of starch, reducing sugar, protein and ash in No. 6 and No. 10 were higher than that of the main cultivar,while the content of water in No. 6 and No. 10 were lower,which indicated that the nutrition quality of No. 6 and No. 10 is better than the main cultivar. CONCLUSION: The new cultivar No. 10 is suitable for popularizing as a new variety of edible Dioscorea opposita cv. Tiegun. The new cultivar No. 6 is suitable for popularizing as a new variety of medicinal Dioscorea opposita cv. Tiegun.

[Index components contents in honeysuckle change trend at different time in a day and different stubbles in a year].

The index components contents of different time and different stubbles in honeysuckle were measured by HPLC, and were analysis by using the method of SPSS. Results showed that the content of index ingredients of different time had differences, and firstly decreased, then increased with time. The content of index ingredients of different stubbles had significantly differences, and firstly decreased, then increased with time. The chlorogenic acid contents were 2.059%-3.593%. The luteolosid contents were 0.110%-0.171%. Results indicated that the best picking buds time is before seven o'clock in the morning and evening at before and after seven o'clock, the index component content is higher. Picking buds in spring and at autumn index component content is higher; Picking buds in summer index component content is low. The experiment provides theoretical support for quality control in the whole process of the honeysuckle harvested and comprehensive utilization of honeysuckle.

Clinical diagnostic value of serum soluble IL-2 receptor for stage I sarcoidosis in benign isolated mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathy.

BACKGROUND: Serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) is recognized as a marker of T-cell activation and is abnormally elevated in sarcoidosis. However, its value for stage I sarcoidosis in benign granulomatous diseases is unclear. METHODS: We enrolled 33 stage I sarcoidosis patients, 17 lymph node tuberculosis patients, 15 reactive lymphadenopathy patients, and 11 healthy controls. Serum biomarkers concentrations were collected and collated. RESULTS: Serum sIL-2R concentrations were the highest in stage I sarcoidosis. The AUC of serum sIL-2R for stage I sarcoidosis was 0.7452 in all subjects and 0.6861 in granulomatous diseases. The AUCs of two combined diagnostic forms, sIL-2R with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and sIL-2R with ACE, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were 0.7994 and 0.891 in all subjects, respectively. In granulomatous disease groups for ROC analysis, the best cut-off value of sIL-2R was 745.00 U/ml with 48.50% sensitivity and 84.40% specificity. The combination of four parameters increased the diagnostic accuracy for stage I sarcoidosis in granulomatous diseases (74.10% sensitivity and 100% specificity). Serum sIL-2R concentrations were positively correlated with serum ACE (r = 0.4652, P = 0.0126). CONCLUSION: Serum sIL-2R appeared to be valuable in identifying stage I sarcoidosis in a group of benign granulomatous disorders.

The diagnostic value of interleukin-36 cytokines in pleural effusions of varying etiologies.

BACKGROUND: The clinical management of pleural effusion (PE) poses challenges due to its diverse etiologies. The objective of this research was to investigate the concentrations of interleukin-36 (IL-36) cytokines in pleural fluid (PF) from different etiologies and assess their diagnostic efficacy in distinguishing the causes of PE. METHODS: This study enrolled 89 patients with confirmed PE, comprising 11 cases classified as transudate, 24 cases as malignant pleural effusion (MPE), 24 cases as tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE), and 30 cases as parapneumonic pleural effusion (PPE). The PPE group was further subdivided into 20 cases of uncomplicated parapneumonic effusion (UPPE) and 10 cases of complicated parapneumonic effusion (CPPE)/empyema. The concentrations of IL-36 cytokines in the PF of all 89 patients were quantified by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: IL-36α exhibited excellent diagnostic accuracy in TPE, achieving a sensitivity of 91.7 % and specificity of 83.1 %, along with a cut-off value of 435.3 pg/ml. IL-36Ra also demonstrated relatively favorable diagnostic performance in PPE, with a sensitivity of 80.0 % and specificity of 76.3 %, along with a cut-off value of 390.8 pg/ml. Multivariable logistic regression models were successfully developed for both TPE and PPE, confirming their diagnostic utility. Furthermore, the levels of IL-36Ra were notably elevated in CPPE/empyema in comparison to UPPE. Moreover, in PF, IL-36γ exhibited positive associations with both IL-36α and IL-36Ra. CONCLUSION: IL-36α and IL-36Ra may serve as novel biomarkers for diagnosing TPE and PPE, respectively. The multivariate models established significantly enhance the diagnostic efficacy of both TPE and PPE. Furthermore, IL-36Ra can function as an indicator for assessing the extent of pleural inflammation. Additionally, the interaction among IL-36 cytokines in PF may contribute to their expression modulation.

Label-free optical metabolic imaging of adipose tissues for prediabetes diagnosis.

Rationale: Prediabetes can be reversed through lifestyle intervention, but its main pathologic hallmark, insulin resistance (IR), cannot be detected as conveniently as blood glucose testing. In consequence, the diagnosis of prediabetes is often delayed until patients have hyperglycemia. Therefore, developing a less invasive diagnostic method for rapid IR evaluation will contribute to the prognosis of prediabetes. Adipose tissue is an endocrine organ that plays a crucial role in the development and progression of prediabetes. Label-free visualizing the prediabetic microenvironment of adipose tissues provides a less invasive alternative for the characterization of IR and inflammatory pathology. Methods: Here, we successfully identified the differentiable features of prediabetic adipose tissues by employing the metabolic imaging of three endogenous fluorophores NAD(P)H, FAD, and lipofuscin-like pigments. Results: We discovered that 1040-nm excited lipofuscin-like autofluorescence could mark the location of macrophages. This unique feature helps separate the metabolic fluorescence signals of macrophages from those of adipocytes. In prediabetes fat tissues with IR, we found only adipocytes exhibited a low redox ratio of metabolic fluorescence and high free NAD(P)H fraction a1. This differential signature disappears for mice who quit the high-fat diet or high-fat-high-sucrose diet and recover from IR. When mice have diabetic hyperglycemia and inflamed fat tissues, both adipocytes and macrophages possess this kind of metabolic change. As confirmed with RNA-seq analysis and histopathology evidence, the change in adipocyte's metabolic fluorescence could be an indicator or risk factor of prediabetic IR. Conclusion: Our study provides an innovative approach to diagnosing prediabetes, which sheds light on the strategy for diabetes prevention.

Plasma riboflavin fluorescence as a diagnostic marker of mesenteric ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

Due to the delayed and vague symptoms, it is difficult to early diagnose mesenteric ischemia injuries in the dynamics of acute illness, leading to a 60-80 % mortality rate. Here, we found plasma fluorescence spectra can rapidly assess the severity of mesenteric ischemia injury in animal models. Ischemia-reperfusion damage of the intestine leads to multiple times increase in NADH, flavins, and porphyrin auto-fluorescence of blood. The fluorescence intensity ratio between blue-fluorophores and flavins can reflect the occurrence of shock. Using liquid chromatography and mass spectroscopy, we confirm that riboflavin is primarily responsible for the increased flavin fluorescence. Since humans absorb riboflavin from the intestine, its increase in plasma may indicate intestinal mucosa injury. Our work suggests a self-calibrated and reagent-free approach to identifying the emergence of fatal mesenteric ischemia in emergency departments or intensive care units.

Serum MMP-9, SP-D, and VEGF levels reflect the severity of connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung diseases.

BACKGROUND: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a common pulmonary complication of connective tissue disease (CTD). This study aims to evaluate the clinical diagnostic value of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), surfactant protein-D (SP-D), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as potential biomarkers for CTD-ILD. METHODS: This research included 33 CTD-ILD patients, 31 CTD patients without ILD, and 24 healthy control subjects. Then, the value of biomarkers for the diagnosis and evaluation of CTD-ILD was assessed through high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) findings and pulmonary function test (PFT) parameters. RESULTS: The serum MMP-9, SP-D, and VEGF levels in the CTD-ILD group were higher than those in the CTD-NILD group and healthy group. The ROC curve indicates that VEGF has good to excellent diagnostic performance in diagnosing CTD-ILD, the cut-off that best optimizes sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing CTD-ILD is 277.60 pg/ml (sensitivity, 87.9%; specificity, 83.6%), with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.905 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.842-0.968); The ROC curve for MMP-9 suggests this biomarker is fair for diagnosis of CTD-ILD(sensitivity, 81.8%; specificity, 81.8%), with an AUC of 0.867 (95% CI 0.784-0.950), but SP-D only provided lower specificity with higher sensitivity in diagnosing CTD-ILD(sensitivity, 90.9%; specificity, 40.0%). The different serum biomarkers are more specific and sensitive when combined to diagnose ILD. The semiquantitative score for the degree of ILD severity on HRCT was positively correlated with SP-D and VEGF levels (r = 0.461, P = 0.007; r = 0.362, P = 0.039), and serum MMP-9 levels were elevated in the UIP subgroup compared to the non-UIP subgroup. The percentage of diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLco) (% predicted) had a negative correlation with the SP-D level (r = - 0.407, P = 0.044) and a statistically negative correlation between MMP-9 and the forced vital capacity (FVC) (r = - 0.451, P = 0.024). CONCLUSIONS: Serum MMP-9, SP-D, and VEGF levels may have clinical value in screening and evaluating the severity of CTD-ILD.

Serum IL-36 cytokines levels in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung diseases.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-36 (IL-36) family is associated with several fibrosis-related disorders and connective tissue diseases. However, their expression in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and connective tissue disease-interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD) is unknown. METHODS: We included 19 CTD-ILD patients, 16 IPF patients, and 27 healthy control subjects. Determination of serum concentrations of IL-36α, IL-36γ and IL-36 receptor antagonist (IL-36Ra) was performed by ELISA. The value of biomarkers for the diagnosis and assessment of ILD was assessed by lung function tests and high-resolution computed tomography. RESULTS: Serum concentrations of IL-36α and IL-36γ in patients with CTD-ILD and IPF were significantly higher than that in healthy controls, whereas serum IL-36Ra concentrations were not significantly different between the 3 groups. Increased IL-36 levels correlated with disease severity in IPF patients. ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC was 0.9931 for IL-36α and 0.8194 for IL-36γ in IPF group. In CTD-ILD group, the AUC was 0.9825 for IL-36α and 0.7973 for IL-36γ. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated an imbalance in the agonist and antagonist profiles of IL-36 cytokines in ILD. IL-36 cytokines may be a new diagnostic or therapeutic target in ILD, especially in IPF.

Boundary-Preserved Deep Denoising of Stochastic Resonance Enhanced Multiphoton Images.

OBJECTIVE: With the rapid growth of high-speed deep-tissue imaging in biomedical research, there is an urgent need to develop a robust and effective denoising method to retain morphological features for further texture analysis and segmentation. Conventional denoising filters and models can easily suppress the perturbative noise in high-contrast images; however, for low photon budget multiphoton images, a high detector gain will not only boost the signals but also bring significant background noise. In such a stochastic resonance imaging regime, subthreshold signals may be detectable with the help of noise, meaning that a denoising filter capable of removing noise without sacrificing important cellular features, such as cell boundaries, is desirable. METHOD: We propose a convolutional neural network-based denoising autoencoder method - a fully convolutional deep denoising autoencoder (DDAE) - to improve the quality of three-photon fluorescence (3PF) and third-harmonic generation (THG) microscopy images. RESULTS: The average of 200 acquired images of a given location served as the low-noise answer for the DDAE training. Compared with other conventional denoising methods, our DDAE model shows a better signal-to-noise ratio (28.86 and 21.66 for 3PF and THG, respectively), structural similarity (0.89 and 0.70 for 3PF and THG, respectively), and preservation of the nuclear or cellular boundaries (F1-score of 0.662 and 0.736 for 3PF and THG, respectively). It shows that DDAE is a better trade-off approach between structural similarity and preserving signal regions. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study validate the effectiveness of the DDAE system in boundary-preserved image denoising. CLINICAL IMPACT: The proposed deep denoising system can enhance the quality of microscopic images and effectively support clinical evaluation and assessment.

Noninvasive assessment of liver function reserve with fluorescent dosimetry of indocyanine green.

Using in vivo multiphoton fluorescent dosimetry, we demonstrate that the clearance dynamics of Indocyanine Green (ICG) in the blood can quickly reveal liver function reserve. In normal rats, the ICG retention rate was below 10% at the 15-minute post-administration; While in the rat with severe hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the 15-minute retention rate is over 40% due to poor liver metabolism. With a 785 nm CW laser, the fluorescence dosimeter can evaluate the liver function reserve at a 1/10 clinical dosage of ICG without any blood sampling. In the future, this low-dosage ICG 15-minute retention dosimetry can be applied for the preoperative assessment of hepatectomy or timely perioperative examination.

Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase as a biomarker for the diagnosis of infectious pleural effusions.

Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) has been reported to be involved in infectious diseases, but it is unknown whether it plays a role in infectious pleural effusions (IPEs). We observed the levels of NAMPT in pleural effusions of different etiologies and investigated the clinical value of NAMPT in the differential diagnosis of infectious pleural effusions. A total of 111 patients with pleural effusion were enrolled in the study, including 25 parapneumonic effusions (PPEs) (17 uncomplicated PPEs, 3 complicated PPEs, and 5 empyemas), 30 tuberculous pleural effusions (TPEs), 36 malignant pleural effusions (MPEs), and 20 transudative effusions. Pleural fluid NAMPT levels were highest in the patients with empyemas [575.4 (457.7, 649.3) ng/ml], followed by those with complicated PPEs [113.5 (103.5, 155.29) ng/ml], uncomplicated PPEs [24.9 (20.2, 46.7) ng/ml] and TPEs [88 (19.4, 182.6) ng/ml], and lower in patients with MPEs [11.5 (6.5, 18.4) ng/ml] and transudative effusions [4.3 (2.6, 5.1) ng/ml]. Pleural fluid NAMPT levels were significantly higher in PPEs (P < 0.001) or TPEs (P < 0.001) than in MPEs. Moreover, Pleural fluid NAMPT levels were positively correlated with the neutrophil percentage and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels and inversely correlated with glucose levels in both PPEs and TPEs, indicating that NAMPT was implicated in the neutrophil-associated inflammatory response in infectious pleural effusion. Further, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed pleural fluid NAMPT was a significant predictor distinguishing PPEs from MPEs [odds ratio (OR) 1.180, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.052-1.324, P = 0.005]. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis demonstrated that NAMPT was a promising diagnostic factor for the diagnosis of infectious effusions, with the areas under the curve for pleural fluid NAMPT distinguishing PPEs from MPEs, TPEs from MPEs, and IPEs (PPEs and TPEs) from NIPEs were 0.92, 0.85, and 0.88, respectively. In conclusion, pleural fluid NAMPT could be used as a biomarker for the diagnosis of infectious pleural effusions.

(E)-N'-(4-Nitro-benzyl-idene)-4-(8-quinol-yloxy)butano-hydrazide.

In the title compound, C(20)H(18)N(4)O(4), conformation along the bond sequence linking the benzene and quinoline rings, which have a mean inter-planar dihedral angle of 2.7 (5)°, is trans-(+)gauche-trans-trans-(-)gauche-trans-trans. In the crystal structure, a pair of inter-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds links the mol-ecules into centrosymmetric cyclic R(2) (2)(8) dimers, which are aggregated via π-π inter-actions into parallel sheets [quinoline-benzene ring centroid separation = 3.6173 (16)-3.6511 (16) Å]. The sheets are further connected through weak C-H⋯O inter-actions, giving a supra-molecular two-dimensional network.

(E)-N'-(5-Chloro-2-hydroxy-benzyl-idene)-4-(8-quinol-yloxy)butanohydrazide monohydrate.

The crystal of the title Schiff base compound, C(20)H(18)ClN(3)O(3)·H(2)O, was twinned by a twofold rotation about (100). The asymmetric unit contains two crystallographically independent mol-ecules with similar conformations, and two water mol-ecules. The C=N-N angles of 115.7 (6) and 116.2 (6)° are significantly smaller than the ideal value of 120° expected for sp(2)-hybridized N atoms and the dihedral angles between the benzene ring and quinoline ring system in the two mol-ecules are 52.5 (7) and 53.9 (7)°. The mol-ecules aggregate via C-Cl⋯π and π-π inter-actions [centroid-centroid distances = 3.696 (5)-3.892 (5) Å] and weak C-H⋯O inter-actions as parallel sheets, which are further linked by water mol-ecules through N-H⋯O and O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds into a supra-molecular two-dimensional network.

[Measurement study of disease differentiation treatment based on standard syndrome differentiation].

The basic premise of syndrome essence discussion is the standardization of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome type. However, there still exists confusion regarding the standardization of TCM syndrome differentiation treatment, and the guidelines for TCM syndrome differentiation could not really be used for guiding clinical treatment. This is mainly due to the inappropriate use of research ideas and methods. The fundamental research of TCM syndrome based on the differentiation and classification of diseases is the main method for studying the standardization of TCM syndrome type. The accuracy quantification of symptoms is the powerful guarantee for authenticity and reliability of the results from standardization study of syndrome type. The correct choice for statistical methods gives powerful technical support to determine the differentiation threshold. The unified scales, expert discussions and complex scientific theories are the best methods for current research on standardization of syndrome type. The correlation study of syndrome type and physicochemical indexes cannot reflect the syndrome type completely. It is supposed to establish the treatment principles according to the main pathological changes of diseases on the basis of the standardization of TCM syndrome differentiation.

High-SPL Air-Coupled Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers Based on 36% ScAlN Thin-Film.

In this paper, air-coupled piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers (PMUTs) using 36% scandium-doped aluminum nitride (ScAlN) thin-film are presented. ScAlN is known to exhibit higher piezoelectric properties compared to pure AlN leading to significant performance improvements in various piezoelectric micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) applications including PMUTs. Here, the concentration of Sc in the actual sputtered 1- [Formula: see text]-thick ScAlN film was 36%, which is slightly below the maximum at the phase boundary. The ScAlN PMUTs were fabricated from an SOI wafer, where the dry etching of ScAlN film was optimized. The frequency response and displacement sensitivity of the PMUTs were characterized in the air using laser Doppler vibrometry confirming 2× higher transverse piezoelectric coefficient than AlN. The acoustic transmission and reception of the PMUTs were evaluated from a high-sensitivity microphone and pulse-echo measurements. The PMUTs were designed to operate below 100 kHz in order to mitigate the absorption loss, which resulted in a high transmit pressure of 105-dB sound pressure level (SPL) at 10 cm and only 30-dB attenuation at the 2-m range. Through implementing 36% ScAlN film, the presented PMUTs exhibited a large displacement and consequently, a high SPL compared to the state-of-the-art PMUTs and the bulk transducer considering the size and the excitation voltage.