Characterization of the aroma-active compounds in Xiaokeng green tea by three pretreatment methods combined with gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O).

Chinese Xiaokeng green tea (XKGT) possesses elegant and fascinating aroma characteristics, but its key odorants are still unknown. In this study, 124 volatile compounds in the XKGT infusion were identified by headspace-solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME), stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE), and solvent extraction-solid phase extraction (SE-SPE) combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Comparing these three pretreatments, we found HS-SPME was more efficient for headspace compounds while SE-SPE was more efficient for volatiles with higher boiling points. Furthermore, SBSE showed more sensitive to capture ketones then was effective to the application of pretreatment of aroma analysis in green tea. The aroma intensities (AIs) were further identified by gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O). According to the AI and relative odor activity value (rOAV), 27 compounds were identified as aroma-active compounds. Quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) showed that the characteristic aroma attributes of XKGT were chestnut-like, corn-like, fresh, and so on. The results of network analysis showed that (E, Z)-2,6-nonadienal, nonanal, octanal and nerolidol were responsible for the fresh aroma. Similarly, dimethyl sulfide, (E, E)-2,4-heptadienal, (E)-2-octenal and ß-cyclocitral contributed to the corn-like aroma. Furthermore, indole was responsible for the chestnut-like and soybean-like aroma. This study contributes to a better understanding of the molecular mechanism of the aroma characteristics of XKGT.

Application of near-infrared fluorescence imaging with indocyanine green in mediastinal surgery.

Intraoperative near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging has emerged in recent years and is now used in many surgical procedures. Intraoperative fluorescence imaging can guide surgeons in identifying and localizing specific structures and boundaries, which can facilitate the optimization of surgical procedures. The components of the mediastinum are complex and functionally important, making identifying and locating different structures intraoperatively challenging, and NIR fluorescence imaging has potential clinical value in mediastinal surgery. Here we review the applications of NIR fluorescence imaging technology in mediastinal surgery in recent years.

Melanin-Based Immunoregulatory Nanohybrids Enhance Antitumor Immune Responses in Breast Cancer Mouse Model.

Natural melanin nanoparticles (MNPs) have demonstrated a potential for eliciting antitumor immune responses through inducing immunogenic cell death (ICD); however, the tumor microenvironment (TME) has been shown to inhibit T cell-mediated antitumor immunity. To address this challenge, we designed TME-responsive biodegradable melanin/MnOx nanohybrids via a biomineralization process. Under near-infrared (NIR) light irradiation, the photothermal property of melanin/MnOx nanohybrids triggers ICD and release of tumor-associated antigens (TAAs), while Mn2+ and TAAs induce dendritic cell (DC) maturation to provoke immune responses. Furthermore, the immunoregulatory properties of the nanohybrids themselves are exploited to reshape immunosuppressive TME and downregulate PD-L1 through alleviation of the hypoxic and acidic TME. Although MNPs demonstrate higher photothermal killing efficiency than the nanohybrids in vitro due to their superior photothermal effect, the melanin/MnOx nanohybrids exhibit significantly enhanced antitumor and antimetastatic effects in vivo, benefiting from their ability to reverse immunosuppression and induce DC maturation. Transcriptomics analysis confirmed the successful activation of immune responses. This work presents a promising approach for immunomodulation-enhanced cancer therapy through the intrinsic properties of melanin/MnOx nanohybrids.

The Effect of Manual Lymph Drainage and Compression Bandaging for Stage 2 Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Aim: To explore the effect of manual lymph drainage (MLD), compression bandaging (CB), or combined decongestive therapy (CDT), including MLD and CB, on stage 2 breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). Methods: Sixty women with stage 2 BCRL were enrolled. They were randomly divided into the MLD group, the CB group or the CDT group. Each group, respectively, received MLD alone, CB alone, or CDT composed of MLD and CB, for 2 weeks. The volume and the local tissue water (LTW) of affected arms were measured before and after treatment. Arm circumferences were measured at 4 cm interval starting from the wrist to the shoulder with a tape measure. LTW was detected using the (tissue dielectric constant, TDC) method and was expressed as TDC value in two sites on the ventral midpoint of upper arm and forearm. Results: The volume of affected arms in each group after 2-weeks' treatment was lower than their baseline and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). But there was no significant difference in volume change among three groups. The TDC value of the upper arm and forearm in the group CB and the group CDT decreased distinctly compared with baseline (p < 0.05). But the TDC value of the upper arm and forearm after MLD did not change (p > 0.05). Compared with the group MLD and the group CDT, the reduction of the TDC value in the group CB was more significant (p < 0.05). Conclusions: MLD or CB alone could effectively reduce the volume of affected arms for patients with stage 2 BCRL, and CB also could reduce the LTW more significantly. CDT did not seem to show an extra advantage. Therefore, CB may be the first choice for stage 2 BCRL. But for patients who are unwilling or intolerant to CB, MLD can be selected.

Rough Nanovaccines Boost Antitumor Immunity Through the Enhancement of Vaccination Cascade and Immunogenic Cell Death Induction.

Nanovaccines have attracted intense interests for efficient antigen delivery and tumor-specific immunity. It is challenging to develop a more efficient and personalized nanovaccine to maximize all steps of the vaccination cascade by exploiting the intrinsic properties of nanoparticles. Here, biodegradable nanohybrids (MP) composed of manganese oxide nanoparticles and cationic polymers are synthesized to load a model antigen ovalbumin to form MPO nanovaccines. More interestingly, MPO could serve as autologous nanovaccines for personalized tumor treatment taking advantage of in situ released tumor-associated antigens induced by immunogenic cell death (ICD). The intrinsic properties of MP nanohybrids including morphology, size, surface charge, chemical, and immunoregulatory functions are fully exploited to enhance of all steps of the cascade and induce ICD. MP nanohybrids are designed to efficiently encapsulate antigens by cationic polymers, drain to lymph nodes by appropriate size, be internalized by dendritic cells (DCs) by rough morphology, induce DC maturation through cGAS-STING pathway, and enhance lysosomal escape and antigen cross-presentation through the "proton sponge effect". The MPO nanovaccines are found to efficiently accumulate in lymph nodes and elicit robust specific T-cell immune responses to inhibit the occurrence of ovalbumin-expressing B16-OVA melanoma. Furthermore, MPO demonstrate great potential to serve as personalized cancer vaccines through the generation of autologous antigen depot through ICD induction, activation of potent antitumor immunity, and reversal of immunosuppression. This work provides a facile strategy for the construction of personalized nanovaccines by exploiting the intrinsic properties of nanohybrids.

Higher Pelvic Incidence Was Associated with a Higher Risk of Sagittal Malposition of Femoral Component and Poor Outcomes of Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis.

Spine-pelvis-lower extremity sagittal alignment is regarded as a global sagittal balance. Currently, there are few studies evaluating the pelvic and femoral sagittal alignment during total knee arthroplasty (TKA). This retrospective study aims to elucidate how pelvic and femoral sagittal alignment affect clinical outcomes of primary TKA for osteoarthritis (OA) and determine the proper range of femoral sagittal alignment. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), including the Knee Society Score (KSS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC), and patient satisfaction scores, and clinician-reported outcomes (CROs), including range of motion (ROM) and pelvic and femoral sagittal parameters, of 67 cases were evaluated (89 knees) before and 1 year after TKA. The angle between the distal femur anterior cortex line and flange of the femoral component (FC) was defined as the α angle. Correlations between the α angle and PROM and CRO were investigated using multivariate and secondary regression analyses. Patients were further divided into four cohorts (A, B, C, and D) according to the α angle, and comparisons of their postoperative PROM and ROM scores were performed. Postoperative PROM and ROM scores improved significantly compared with the preoperative scores (p < 0.01). Only the α angle was significantly associated with postoperative knee extension among all PROM and CRO indexes (p = 0.001). Secondary regression demonstrated a convex upward function, and the scores were the highest at α angles of 0.57, 0.96, and -1.42 degrees for postoperative KSS, satisfaction, and range of knee extension, respectively (p < 0.01). However, the concave upward degree was the lowest at an α angle of 0.33 degrees for pelvic incidence (p < 0.001). Bonferroni's paired comparisons indicated that postoperative KSS and satisfaction of the cohort B (0 degrees ≤ α angle ≤ 3 degrees) were better than those of other cohorts (p < 0.0125). The results indicate that surgeons should pay more attention to the sagittal alignment of FC in patients with increased pelvic incidence, the distal femoral anterior cortex is recommended as an anatomic landmark, and 0 to 3 degrees might be "safe zones" of the sagittal flexion of FC in TKA. This study reflects the level of evidence III.

Tumor microenvironment-responsive delivery nanosystems reverse immunosuppression for enhanced CO gas/immunotherapy.

Carbon monoxide (CO) gas therapy demonstrates great potential to induce cancer cell apoptosis and antitumor immune responses, which exhibits tremendous potential in cancer treatment. However, the therapeutic efficacy of CO therapy is inhibited by the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Herein, a facile strategy is proposed to construct hollow-structured rough nanoplatforms to boost antitumor immunity and simultaneously reverse immunosuppression by exploring intrinsic immunomodulatory properties and morphological optimization of nanomaterials. The TME-responsive delivery nanosystems (M-RMH) are developed by encapsulating the CO prodrug within hollow rough MnO2 nanoparticles and the subsequent surface functionalization with hyaluronic acid (HA). Rough surfaces are designed to facilitate the intrinsic properties of HA-functionalized MnO2 nanoparticles (RMH) to induce dendritic cell maturation and M1 macrophage polarization by STING pathway activation and hypoxia alleviation through enhanced cellular uptake. After TME-responsive degradation of RMH, controlled release of CO is triggered at the tumor site for CO therapy to activate antitumor immunity. More importantly, RMH could modulate immunosuppressive TME by hypoxia alleviation. After the combination with aPD-L1-mediated checkpoint blockade therapy, robust antitumor immune responses are found to inhibit both primary and distant tumors. This work provides a facile strategy to construct superior delivery nanosystems for enhanced CO/immunotherapy through efficient activation of antitumor immune responses and reversal of immunosuppression.

An Integrated Study on the Differential Expression of the FOX Gene Family in Cancer and Their Response to Chemotherapy Drugs.

The Forkhead-box (FOX) transcription factors, as one of the largest gene families in humans, play key roles in cancer. Although studies have suggested that several FOX transcription factors have a significant impact on cancer, the functions of most of the FOX genes in cancer remain elusive. In the study, the expression of 43 FOX genes in 63 kinds of cancer diseases (including many subtypes of same cancer) and in response to 60 chemical substances was obtained from the Gene Expression Atlas database of the European Bioinformatics Institute. Based on the high degree of overlap in FOXO family members differentially expressed in various cancers and their particular responses to chemotherapeutic drugs, our data disclosed the FOX genes that played an important role in the development and progression of cancer. More importantly, we predicted the role of one or several combinatorial FOX genes in the diagnosis and prognostic assessment of a specific cancer and evaluated the potential of a certain anticancer drug therapy for this type of cancer by integrating patterns of FOX genes expression with anticancer drugs sensitivity.

Outcome of near-infrared fluorescence-navigated pulmonary metastasectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: Pulmonary metastasectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is suitable in highly selected patients. However, complete resection is challenging in HCC patients with multiple lung metastases. We aimed to describe the clinical utility and survival outcome of indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence-navigated resection of HCC lung metastases. METHODS: From October 2015 to March 2021, 15 HCC patients with pulmonary metastasis underwent near-infra-red (NIR) fluorescence imaging thoracoscopic surgery. ICG was administered through peripheral veins preoperatively. All suspected lesions detected by palpation, white-light thoracoscopy or NIR imaging were resected. After metastasectomy, all patients were followed up at regular intervals of 6-12 months. RESULTS: A total of 90 metastatic HCC nodules were resected in 15 patients. All patients received sublobar resections, during which 89 lesions were removed by wedge resection and 1 lesion was managed via segmentectomy. Under NIR fluorescence imaging, 81 nodules successfully demonstrated fluorescence during the surgery, while 9 metastatic nodules were undetected. The median signal-to-background ratio of the nodules was 3.34. Five patients died and 7 patients relapsed by the end of observation. The median overall survival and disease-free survival were 47.1 and 17.3 months, respectively. The 1-year overall survival and disease-free survival rates were 71.1% and 57.8%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: ICG fluorescence imaging technology is useful for visualization of the peripheral tumours to assist in pulmonary metastasectomy for HCC. In addition, this technology has the potential to detect the small tumour that is missed in preoperative examinations, which might be beneficial for HCC patients with multiple lung metastases.

Orchestrated Yolk-Shell Nanohybrids Regulate Macrophage Polarization and Dendritic Cell Maturation for Oncotherapy with Augmented Antitumor Immunity.

The protumoral and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments greatly limit the antitumor immune responses of nanoparticles for cancer immunotherapy. Here, the intrinsic immunomodulatory effects of orchestrated nanoparticles and their ability to simultaneously trigger tumor antigen release, thereby reversing immunosuppression and achieving potent antitumor immunity and augmented cancer therapy, are explored. By optimizing both the composition and morphology, a facile strategy is proposed to construct yolk-shell nanohybrids (Fe3 O4 @C/MnO2 -PGEA, FCMP). The intrinsic immunomodulatory effects of FCMP are utilized to reprogram macrophages to M1 phenotype and induce the maturation of dendritic cells. In addition, the chemical, magnetic, and optical properties of FCMP contribute to amplified immunogenic cell death induced by multiaugmented chemodynamic therapy (CDT) and synergistic tumor treatment. Taking advantage of the unique yolk-shell structure, accurate T1 -T2 dual-mode magnetic resonance imaging can be realized and CDT can be maximized through sufficient exposure of both the Fe3 O4 core and MnO2 shell. Potent antitumor effects are found to substantially inhibit the growth of both primary and distant tumors. Furthermore, the strategy can be extended to the synthesis of other yolk-shell nanohybrids with tailored properties. This work establishes a novel strategy for the fabrication of multifunctional nanoplatforms with yolk-shell structure for effective cancer therapy with immunomodulation-enhanced antitumor immunity.

Hyaluronan size alters chondrogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells cultured on tricalcium phosphate-collagen-hyaluronan scaffolds.

Hyaluronan (HA) provides a favorable environment for chondrogenesis of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). A previous report from our group indicated that addition of HA increases the chondro-inductive capacity of scaffolds. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether the Mw of the HA could affect chondrogenesis of BMSCs seeded on TCP-COL-HA scaffolds. Human BMSCs (hBMSCs) and rabbit BMSCs (rBMSCs) were isolated and expanded. TCP-COL scaffolds and TCP-COL-HA scaffolds with two different HA Mws were assessed for their capacity to induce cartilage regeneration from hBMSCs in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that about 96.96% of hBMSCs expressed CD44. Moreover, Hyal-1 and chondrogenic marker genes expressions were increased in hMSCs seeded on TCP-COL-HA scaffolds, and blocking the HA-CD44 interaction with an anti-CD44 antibody reduced the expression levels of Hyal-1 and chondrogenic marker genes. Additionally, TCP-COL-HA scaffolds with 2000 kDa Mw showed greater induction of BMSC chondrogenesis induction compared with those with 80 kDa Mw. Similar results were observed in an ectopic implantation nude mouse model. In a rabbit osteochondral defect repair model, rBMSCs seeded on TCP-COL-HA scaffolds with 2000 kDa Mw showed greater cartilage regeneration than those seeded with 80 kDa Mw. In addition, hBMSC-seeded TCP-COL-HA scaffolds with 2000 kDa Mw showed a significantly higher mechanical strength than those with 80 kDa Mw. Collectively, these results indicate that the Mw of HA could affect chondrogenesis of BMSCs seeded on TCP-COL-HA scaffolds. The TCP-COL-HA scaffolds might be used as allogenic off the shelf products in cartilage tissue engineering in future.

A cross-sectional study of psychological burden in Chinese patients with pulmonary nodules: Prevalence and impact on the management of nodules.

BACKGROUND: Uncertainty after the detection of pulmonary nodules (PNs) can cause psychological burden. We designed this study to quantitatively evaluate the prevalence, severity and possible impact of this burden on the preference of patients for management of nodules. METHODS: The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to evaluate psychological burden in patients. An independent t-test and a Mann-Whitney U test were used to determine the significance of differences between groups in continuous variables. A chi-square test was used to determine the significance of difference between groups in categorical variables. RESULTS: A total of 334 inpatients diagnosed with PNs were included in the study. A total of 17.96% of the participates screened positive for anxiety and 14.67% for depression. Female patients had significantly higher positive rates of both anxiety and depression screenings than male patients (21.57% vs. 12.31%, p = 0.032 and 18.05% vs. 9.30%, p = 0.028, respectively). Among patients screened positive for anxiety, the proportion of those who chose more aggressive management was significantly higher (34/60 vs. 113/274, p = 0.029). The rate of benign or precursor disease resected was significantly higher in patients with more aggressive management (46.94% vs. 9.63%, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Anxiety and depression are common in Chinese patients with PNs. Patients with positive HADS anxiety screening results are more likely to adopt more aggressive management that leads to a higher rate of benign or precursor disease resected/biopsied. This study alerts clinicians to the need to assess and possibly treat emotional responses.

Natural Melanin/Alginate Hydrogels Achieve Cardiac Repair through ROS Scavenging and Macrophage Polarization.

The efficacy of cardiac regenerative strategies for myocardial infarction (MI) treatment is greatly limited by the cardiac microenvironment. The combination of reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging to suppress the oxidative stress damage and macrophage polarization to regenerative M2 phenotype in the MI microenvironment can be desirable for MI treatment. Herein, melanin nanoparticles (MNPs)/alginate (Alg) hydrogels composed of two marine-derived natural biomaterials, MNPs obtained from cuttlefish ink and alginate extracted from ocean algae, are proposed. Taking advantage of the antioxidant property of MNPs and mechanical support from injectable alginate hydrogels, the MNPs/Alg hydrogel is explored for cardiac repair by regulating the MI microenvironment. The MNPs/Alg hydrogel is found to eliminate ROS against oxidative stress injury of cardiomyocytes. More interestingly, the macrophage polarization to regenerative M2 macrophages can be greatly promoted in the presence of MNPs/Alg hydrogel. An MI rat model is utilized to evaluate the feasibility of the as-prepared MNPs/Alg hydrogel for cardiac repair in vivo. The antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and proangiogenesis effects of the hydrogel are investigated in detail. The present study opens up a new way to utilize natural biomaterials for MI treatment and allows to rerecognize the great value of natural biomaterials in cardiac repair.

Effects of whitening toothpaste and bleaching treatment on resin composite discoloration caused by cigarette smoke and electronic vapor aerosol.

PURPOSE: To compare the effects of whitening toothpaste and bleaching with 6% hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on discoloration of dental resin composite caused by cigarette smoke (CS) and electronic vapor product (EVP) aerosol. METHODS: 40 resin composite discs were divided into three groups: 15 each for CS and EVP aerosol exposure and 10 for air exposure (control). Exposures were performed for 15 days, with daily brushing with regular toothpaste. Two whitening sessions, including 21 days of brushing with whitening toothpaste and 3 days of treatments with take-home bleaching (6% H2O2), were performed after the exposure. Color and gloss were assessed before exposure, at every 5 days of exposure, and after each whitening session. RESULTS: After 15 days of exposure, marked discoloration of resin composite was observed in the CS group (ΔE = 23.66 ± 2.31), minimal color change in the EVP group ((ΔE = 2.77 ± 0.75), and no color change in the control group. Resin composites exposed to CS did not recover their original color after treatment with whitening toothpaste ((ΔE = 20.17 ± 2.68) or take-home bleaching ((ΔE = 19.32 ± 2.53), but those exposed to EVP aerosol reverted to baseline after treatment with whitening toothpaste ((ΔE = 0.98 ± 0.37), and no further change in color was observed following take-home bleaching. The gloss of resin composites exposed to CS, EVP aerosol, and air decreased equally with exposure time. Brushing with whitening toothpaste recovered the gloss similarly in all groups, but no further change was observed following take-home bleaching. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Aerosol from electronic vapor products induced minimal discoloration of resin composites that can be completely reverted by brushing with whitening toothpaste alone. Bleaching with 6% H2O2 did not revert discoloration caused by cigarette smoke. Whitening toothpaste could help revert the decreased gloss of resin composites.

Neural Epidermal Growth Factor-Like 1 Protein-Positive Membranous Nephropathy in Chinese Patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The neural EGF-like 1 (NELL-1) protein is a novel antigen in primary membranous nephropathy. The prevalence and clinical characteristics of NELL-1-positive membranous nephropathy in Chinese individuals with primary membranous nephropathy are unclear. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: A total of 832 consecutive patients with biopsy-proven primary membranous nephropathy were enrolled. The glomerular expression of phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) and thrombospondin type 1 domain-containing 7A (THSD7A) was screened. Glomerular immunohistochemistry staining for NELL-1 was performed in 43 patients with PLA2R- and THSD7A-negative membranous nephropathy, 31 patients with PLA2R-positive membranous nephropathy, and two patients with PLA2R and THSD7A double positivity. The NELL-1 antibody was also detected in the sera of patients with NELL-1-positive membranous nephropathy by western blot. Clinical and pathologic features were comparable between patients with isolated NELL-1-positive, isolated PLA2R/THSD7A-positive, and triple antigen-negative membranous nephropathy. RESULTS: Among the 832 patients with primary membranous nephropathy, 11 of 54 (20%) patients with PLA2R-negative membranous nephropathy had THSD7A-positive membranous nephropathy. NELL-1-positive membranous nephropathy accounted for 35% (15 of 43) of all patients with PLA2R- and THSD7A-negative membranous nephropathy. One patient was double positive for NELL-1 and PLA2R in glomerular deposits and positive for only the PLA2R antibody in the serum. Most patients with NELL-1-positive membranous nephropathy were women. No tumors were found. There were significant differences in the prevalence of IgG subtypes between patients with different antigen positivity. Among patients with isolated NELL-1-positive membranous nephropathy, although 80% (12 of 15) were IgG4 staining positive, the proportion of IgG4 dominance was only 67% (ten of 15). CONCLUSIONS: About one third of patients who were PLA2R and THSD7A negative were NELL-1 positive in Chinese patients with primary membranous nephropathy. NELL-1-positive membranous nephropathy was more common than THSD7A-positive membranous nephropathy in PLA2R-negative membranous nephropathy.

Rough Carbon-Iron Oxide Nanohybrids for Near-Infrared-II Light-Responsive Synergistic Antibacterial Therapy.

Infections caused by multidrug resistant bacteria are still a serious threat to human health. It is of great significance to explore effective alternative antibacterial strategies. Herein, carbon-iron oxide nanohybrids with rough surfaces (RCF) are developed for NIR-II light-responsive synergistic antibacterial therapy. RCF with excellent photothermal property and peroxidase-like activity could realize synergistic photothermal therapy (PTT)/chemodynamic therapy (CDT) in the NIR-II biowindow with improved penetration depth and low power density. More importantly, RCF with rough surfaces shows increased bacterial adhesion, thereby benefiting both CDT and PTT through effective interaction between RCF and bacteria. In vitro antibacterial experiments demonstrate a broad-spectrum synergistic antibacterial effect of RCF against Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli), Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). In addition, satisfactory biocompatibility makes RCF a promising antibacterial agent. Notably, the synergistic antibacterial performances in vivo could be achieved employing the rat wound model with MRSA infection. The current study proposes a facile strategy to construct antibacterial agents for practical antibacterial applications by the rational design of both composition and morphology. RCF with low power density NIR-II light responsive synergistic activity holds great potential in the effective treatment of drug-resistant bacterial infections.

Effect of Polyoxymethylene (POM-H Delrin) offgassing within Pandora head sensor on direct sun and multi-axis formaldehyde column measurements in 2016 - 2019.

Analysis of formaldehyde measurements by the Pandora spectrometer systems between 2016 and 2019 suggested that there was a temperature dependent process inside Pandora head sensor that emitted formaldehyde. Some parts in the head sensor were manufactured from thermal plastic polyoxymethylene homopolimer (E.I. Du Pont de Nemour & Co., USA: POM-H Delrin®) and were responsible for formaldehyde production. Laboratory analysis of the four Pandora head sensors showed that internal formaldehyde production had exponential temperature dependence with a damping coefficient of 0.0911±0.0024 °C-1 and the exponential function amplitude ranging from 0.0041 DU to 0.049 DU. No apparent dependency on the head sensor age and heating/cooling rates was detected. The total amount of formaldehyde internally generated by the POM-H Delrin components and contributing to the direct sun measurements were estimated based on the head sensor temperature and solar zenith angle of the measurements. Measurements in winter, during colder (<10°C) days in general and at high solar zenith angles (> 75 °) were minimally impacted. Measurements during hot days (>28°C) and small solar zenith angles had up to 1 DU (2.69×1016 molecules/cm2) contribution from POM-H Delrin parts. Multi-axis differential slant column densities were minimally impacted (< 0.01 DU) due to the reference spectrum collected within a short time period with a small difference in head sensor temperature. Three new POM-H Delrin free Pandora head sensors (manufactured in summer 2019) were evaluated for temperature dependent attenuation across the entire spectral range (300 to 530 nm). No formaldehyde or any other absorption above the instrumental noise was observed across the entire spectral range.

Controlled Synthesis and Surface Engineering of Janus Chitosan-Gold Nanoparticles for Photoacoustic Imaging-Guided Synergistic Gene/Photothermal Therapy.

The unsymmetrical morphology and unique properties of Janus nanoparticles (JNPs) provide superior performances for biomedical applications. In this work, a general and facile strategy is developed to construct a series of symmetrical and unsymmetrical chitosan/gold nanoparticles. Taking advantage of the active motion derived from Janus structure, selective surface functionalization of polysaccharide domain, and photothermal effect of gold nanorods, Janus chitosan/gold nanoparticles (J-Au-CS) are selected as a model system to construct Janus-structured chitosan/gold nanohybrids (J-ACP). Near-infrared (NIR)-responsive J-ACP composed of polycationic chitosan nanospheres and PEGylated gold nanorods hold great potential to realize photoacoustic (PA) imaging-guided complementary photothermal therapy (PTT)/gene therapy for breast cancer. The morphology effect of chitosan/gold nanostructures on enhanced PTT, cellular uptake, and gene transfection is investigated. The feasibility of PA imaging to track the accumulation of J-ACP and guide PTT is also explored. Notably, synergistic therapy is achieved based on PTT-enhanced gene therapy. In addition, the loading function of chitosan/gold nanoparticles for fluorescence imaging is demonstrated. The current work extends the application of JNPs for imaging-guided synergistic cancer therapy and provides flexible candidates with distinct structures for diverse biomedical applications.

Analysis of chemical deposits on tooth enamel exposed to total particulate matter from cigarette smoke and tobacco heating system 2.2 aerosol by novel GC-MS deconvolution procedures.

Tobacco smoking contributes to tooth discoloration. Pigmented compounds in the smoke generated by combustion of tobacco can cause discoloration of dental hard tissues. However, aerosols from heated tobacco products cause less discoloration than cigarette smoke (CS) in vitro. The objective of the present study was to optimize a method for extracting the colored chemical compounds deposited on tooth enamel following exposure to total particulate matter (TPM) from CS or a heated tobacco product (Tobacco Heating System [THS] 2.2), analyze the extracts by gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and identify the key chemicals associated with tooth discoloration. Sixty bovine enamel blocks were exposed for 2 weeks to TPM from CS or THS 2.2 aerosol or to artificial saliva as a control. Brushing without toothpaste and color measurements were performed each week. Noticeable discoloration of enamel was observed following exposure to CS TPM. The discoloration following exposure to THS 2.2 aerosol TPM or artificial saliva was not distinguishable to the eye (ΔE < 3.3). Carbon disulfide was used to extract surface-deposited chemicals. Untargeted analyses were followed by partial least squares correlation against discoloration scores (R2 = 0.96). Eleven compounds had variable importance in projection scores greater than 2. Discriminant autocorrelation matrix calculation of their mass spectral information identified eight of the eleven compounds as terpenoids. None of the compounds were related to nicotine. Several of these compounds were also detected in THS 2.2 aerosol TPM-exposed enamel, but at lower levels, in line with our findings showing less discoloration. Compared with CS TPM exposure, THS 2.2 aerosol TPM exposure resulted in lower deposition of color-related compounds on enamel surface, consistent with minimal discoloration of dental enamel.

Comparative study on preoperative localization techniques using microcoil and hookwire by propensity score matching.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of two preoperative pulmonary nodule localization techniques using microcoil and hookwire. METHODS: A total of 307 patients with 324 pulmonary nodules were included in the study from March 2012 to October 2016 in two medical centers. Baseline data, positioning operation data, success rate, complications, surgery and pathological results were statistically analyzed. Complications were used as the dependent variables, whereas others were used as covariates for the propensity score matching of the two groups. Statistical analyses were performed to compare the success rate and complication rate of the matched groups. RESULTS: There were 218 lesions in the microcoil group and 106 nodules in the hookwire group. There were no significant differences in gender, age and the location of nodules between the two groups. The diameters of the nodules were smaller (8.2 ± 3.5 mm vs. 10.7 ± 4.3 mm) and solid nodules were fewer (11.5% vs. 26.4%) in the microcoil group. The complication rate of the two groups was not statistically significant. After propensity score matching, 71 patients in each group were successfully matched. We found that the success rate was higher (97.2% vs. 94.4%) and the incidence of complications was lower (31% vs. 15.5%) in the microcoil group. CONCLUSIONS: Both techniques have been shown to be effective in preoperative localization of tiny pulmonary nodules. The method of microcoil localization has more advantages in clinical application. KEY POINTS: Comparison of the efficacy and safety of two methods in preoperative pulmonary nodule localization in order to determine the optimal method.