Improving Chinese electronic medical record retrieval by field weight assignment, negation detection, and re-ranking.

The technique of information retrieval has been widely used in electronic medical record (EMR) systems. It's a pity that most existing methods have not considered the structures and language features of Chinese EMRs, which affects the performance of retrieval. To improve accuracy and comprehensiveness, we propose an improved algorithm of Chinese EMR retrieval. First, the weights of fields in Chinese EMRs are assigned based on the corresponding importance in clinical applications. Second, negative relations in EMRs are detected, and the retrieval scores of negative terms are adjusted accordingly. Third, the retrieval results are re-ranked by expansion terms and time information to enhance the recall without decreasing precision. Experiment results show that the improved algorithm increases the precision and recall significantly, which shows that the algorithm takes a full account of the characteristics of Chinese EMRs and fits the needs for clinical applications.

Open and Closed Layered Nanostructures with Sub-10 nm Periodicity Self-Assembled from Hydrophilic [60]Fullerene-Based Giant Surfactants.

Giant surfactants have been identified as good candidates to produce sub-10 nm elaborate nanostructures, which could potentially realize complex functions in nanofabrication fields. Our theoretical simulation demonstrates the formation of open layered (pupa-like micelles) and closed layered (onion-like micelles) nanostructures, self-assembled from giant surfactants with comparably sized hydrophilic heads tethered by oligomers in solution. Directed by these simulation results, we synthesized giant surfactants consisting of hydrophilic [60]fullerene heads and oligostyrene (OS7) tails and produced the predicted nanostructures with periods of 9.5, 8.3, and 7.5 nm, experimentally. Adjusting the polarity of the solvent and corresponding concentration changed the nanostructures from onion-like micelles with closed layers to pupa-like micelles with open layers. The different morphologies and periods were caused by solvent inclusion and the overlap of OS chains. The above layered nanostructures remained stable after annealing at 120 °C. This work provides insights that computer simulation can play an important role in assisting the design and construction of complicated nanostructures in giant surfactant systems.

Water-triggered shape memory cellulose / sodium alginate / montmorillonite composite sponges for rapid hemostasis.

Uncontrollable bleeding caused by severe trauma is life-threatening. Therefore, it is of great significance to develop hemostatic materials that meet the rapid hemostasis of wounds. In this study, a water-triggered shape memory carboxylated cellulose nanofiber/sodium alginate/montmorillonite (CNSAMMTCa) composite hemostatic sponge was prepared, which can promote coagulation by concentrating the blood and activating intrinsic pathway. The anisotropic three-dimensional porous structure formed by directional freeze-drying technology improved the performance of composite sponges which showed good prospects in rapid hemostasis. The results showed that CNSAMMTCa composite sponge had good porous structure, water absorption ability, cytocompatibility and blood cell aggregation capacity. Simultaneously, we confirmed that CNSA3MMT2Ca has best coagulation performance in the mouse censored bleeding model and liver rupture bleeding model. Therefore, CNSAMMTCa composite hemostatic sponge is a safe and efficient rapid hemostatic material which is expected to become an alternative material for clinical hemostatic materials.

High biocompatible polyacrylamide hydrogels fabricated by surface mineralization for subchondral bone tissue engineering.

The subchondral bone is an important part of cartilage which contains a large amount of hydroxyapatite. The mineral components of subchondral bone is the key factor which determines the biomechanical strength, and then affects the biological function of articular cartilage. Here, a mineralized polyacrylamide (PAM-Mineralized) hydrogel with good ALP activity, cell adhesion and biocompatibility was fabricated for subchondral bone tissue engineering. The micromorphology, composition and mechanical properties of PAM and PAM-Mineralized hydrogels were studied. The PAM hydrogels showed a porous structure, while the PAM-Mineralized hydrogels had well-distributed layers of hydroxyapatite mineralization on the surface. The XRD results show that the characteristic peak of hydroxyapatite (HA) was measured in PAM-Mineralized, indicating that the main component of the mineralized structure formed on the surface of the hydrogel after mineralization is HA. The formation of HA ectively decreased the rate of equilibrium swelling of the PAM hydrogel, with PAM-M reaching swelling equilibrium at 6 h. Meanwhile, compressive strength of PAM-Mineralized hydrogel (moisture state) reached 290 ± 30 kPa, compressive modulus reached 130 ± 4 kPa. PAM-Mineralized hydrogels did not affect the growth and proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells. Surface mineralization of PAM hydrogel could significantly improve osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells. These results showed that PAM-Mineralized hydrogel could possess potential application in the field of subchondral bone tissue engineering.

Multilayer functional bionic fabricated polycaprolactone based fibrous membranes for osteochondral integrated repair.

Osteochondral defect repair is one of the challenging problems in orthopedics. In this study, a multilayer polycaprolactone (PCL) based fibrous membrane for osteochondral defect repair was biomimetically fabricated by combining self-induced crystallization, biomimetic mineralization and layer-by-layer electrospinning techniques. The multilayer functional bionic fibrous membrane consisted of cartilage repair layer, intermediate transition repair layer and subchondral bone repair layer. Glucosamine hydrochloride (GAH) encapsulated in core-shell structured PCL fibrous membrane (MGPCL) was suitable for cartilage repair. Shish-kebab (SK) structured PCL fibrous membrane with calcium phosphate coating (MSKPCL) was designed for subchondral bone repair. SK structured MGPCL fibrous membrane (SKMGPCL) was used as intermediate transition repair. The tensile modulus of MG/SKMG/MSKPCL fibrous membrane was 34.24 ± 2.39 MPa which met the requirements of cartilage and subchondral bone repair scaffolds, and in vitro culture results showed that MG/SKMG/MSKPCL fibrous membrane had good biological activity and osteogenic ability. These results showed that MG/SKMG/MSKPCL fibrous membrane provides a promising material basis for osteochondral integrated repair scaffold.

Cellulose based composite sponges with oriented porous structure and superabsorptive capacity for quick hemostasis.

Excessive bleeding is the leading cause of death in accidents and operations. Ca2+ crosslinked carboxyl nanocellulose (CN)/montmorillonite (MMT) composite (CaCNMMT) sponges were prepared by uniform mixing and directional freeze-drying methods which was inspired by the coordination mechanism of blood clot formation and coagulation cascade activation in natural hemostasis process. Carboxyl nanocellulose (CaCN) sponge has instantaneous water absorption capacity, and CaCNMMT sponges could further activate clotting factors. Therefore, CaCNMMT sponges achieved quick hemostasis by efficient concentrating blood, inducing hemocyte aggregation and stimulating coagulation cascade activation based on the synergistic effects of CN and MMT. Blood clotting index of CaCNMMT (15.90 ± 0.52 %) was significantly lower than CaCN (59.3 ± 1.43 %), and APTT time (22 ± 2 s) was almost equivalent to MMT (20 ± 2 s). CaCNMMT sponge showed good quick hemostatic effect on massive hemorrhage in both tail-breaking and liver injury model which provided a new strategy for the application of MMT in hemostatic and trauma treatment fields.

Gelatin-glucosamine hydrochloride/crosslinked-cyclodextrin metal-organic frameworks@IBU composite hydrogel long-term sustained drug delivery system for osteoarthritis treatment.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disease of articular cartilage degradation and inflammation of the joint capsule. Combining anti-inflammatory therapy with nutritional supplement is an effective means for the treatment of OA. In this study, we prepared gelatin (Gel)-glucosamine hydrochloride (GH) mixed crosslinked-cyclodextrin metal-organic framework (G-GH/CL-CD-MOF) composite hydrogel. Polyethylene glycol diglycidyl ether was the crosslinking agent of GH and Gel to solve the problem of poor mechanical properties and water solubility at 37 °C. CL-CD-MOF was fabricated through a simple one-step chemical reaction to crosslink the hydrophilic hydroxyl groups in CD-MOF with diphenyl carbonate. Electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction analysis of CL-CD-MOF showed perfect porous morphology with a chaotic internal structure. CL-CD-MOF@IBU was prepared by immersing CL-CD-MOF in high-concentration ibuprofen (IBU) solution. CL-CD-MOF@IBU was uniformly dispersed in Gel and GH mixed solution to prepare G-GH/CL-CD-MOF@IBU composite hydrogel long-term sustained drug delivery system. The compression curve of G-GH/CL-CD-MOF composite hydrogel showed a non-linear elastic behavior. The cyclic loading-unloading compression showed that the shape of the G-GH/CL-CD-MOF composite hydrogel can be kept intact under 50% strain. On the day 14, the G-GH/CL-CD-MOF@IBU composite hydrogel was degraded by 87.1%, 61% of IBU was released. G-GH/CL-CD-MOF@IBU exhibited good biocompatibility during co-culture with MC3T3-E1 cells. Briefly, the certain mechanical properties, sustained drug release behavior, and good biocompatibility of G-GH/CL-CD-MOF@IBU composite hydrogel showed that it has potential application in OA treatment of long-term sustained nutritional supplement and anti-inflammatory synchronously.

A Printable and Conductive Yield-Stress Fluid as an Ultrastretchable Transparent Conductor.

In contrast to ionically conductive liquids and gels, a new type of yield-stress fluid featuring reversible transitions between solid and liquid states is introduced in this study as a printable, ultrastretchable, and transparent conductor. The fluid is formulated by dispersing silica nanoparticles into the concentrated aqueous electrolyte. The as-printed features show solid-state appearances to allow facile encapsulation with elastomers. The transition into liquid-like behavior upon tensile deformations is the enabler for ultrahigh stretchability up to the fracture strain of the elastomer. Successful integrations of yield-stress fluid electrodes in highly stretchable strain sensors and light-emitting devices illustrate the practical suitability. The yield-stress fluid represents an attractive building block for stretchable electronic devices and systems in terms of giant deformability, high ionic conductivity, excellent optical transmittance, and compatibility with various elastomers.

Construction and evaluation of rats' tolerogenic dendritic cells (DC) induced by NF-κB Decoy method.

AIMS: To construct and evaluate rats' tolerogenic dendritic cells (DC) through induction by NF-κB Decoy method. METHODS: GM-CSF and IL-4 were used to transform rats's monocytes into DC, and DC were stimulated with LPS, NF-κB Decoy ODN, and loaded with Bovine Type II Collagen. The following methods were employed to phenotype DC: 1) Observation of cell morphology; 2) Evaluation of cell viability using trypan blue staining; 3) Purity determination of DC through detection of specific markers OX-62; 4) Evaluation of mature state of DC via the determination of the expression of CD80 and CD86; 5) Determination of stimulation capability towards the proliferation of lymphocyte and the secretion of INF-r and IL-10. RESULTS: The activity of DC was more than 92%, and the expression of OX-62 was more than 70%. Most of DC exhibited the phenotype of CD80(+)/CD86(-). Compared with control group and LPS-stimulation group, the less mature adhered cells and hairlike DC were observed in NF-κB decoy group. Significant reduction (p < 0.05) was observed for the positive expression and extension of CD80 and CD86 in cell surface. After loaded with calf type II collagen, the low expression of CD80 and CD86 remains to be existed. The stimulation capability of DC towards lymphocyte in NF-κB decoy group was lower than that in control group (p<0.05) and LPS stimulation group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: NF-κB Decoy ODN method can be successfully applied for construct rats' tolerogenic dendritic cells (DC) with stable morphology and phenotype. The tolerogenic DC exhibited immature immune phenotype, and low capability to stimulate lymphocytes.