Clinical nutrition service capacity of 445 secondary or above hospitals in Sichuan, China: the 2021 annual survey.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate the capacity of clinical nutrition services in secondary and tertiary hospitals in the Sichuan Province, China. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: Convenience sampling was used. E-questionnaires were distributed to all eligible medical institutions in Sichuan through the official network of provincial and municipal clinical nutrition quality control centers. The data obtained were sorted in Microsoft Excel and analyzed by SPSS. RESULTS: A total of 519 questionnaires were returned, of which 455 were valid. Only 228 hospitals were accessible to clinical nutrition services, of which 127 hospitals had independently set up clinical nutrition departments (CNDs). The ratio of clinical nutritionists to beds was 1:214. During the last decade, the rate of constructing new CNDs was maintained at approximately 5 units/year. A total of 72.4% of hospitals managed their clinical nutrition units as part of their medical technology departments. The specialist number ratio of senior, associate, intermediate and junior is approximately 1:4:8:10. There were 5 common charges for clinical nutrition. CONCLUSIONS: The sample representation was limited, and the capacity of clinical nutrition services may have been overestimated. Secondary and tertiary hospitals in Sichuan are currently in the second high tide of department establishment, with a positive trend of departmental affiliation standardization and a basic formation of a talent echelon.

Influence of probe geometry on the characteristics of optical fiber gas-liquid two-phase flow measurement signals.

A conical tip-shaped plastic optical fiber sensor for gas-liquid flow measurement is described. Experimental results show that a distinctive spike signal occurs before the output signal when using a conventional conical fiber probe, whereas this spike signal was greatly suppressed when a cleaved probe is used. A full simulation is implemented based on a three-dimensional ray-tracing method providing a means of comparison with theoretical analysis. The results show that an appropriately cleaved tip provides a promising method of enhancing the bubble measurement signal-to-noise ratio.

Influence of Topography on the Site Selection of a Moon-Based Earth Observation Station.

The Moon provides a long-term, stable, and unique location for Earth observation. Several space agencies, such as NASA, ESA, and CNSA, have conducted lunar explorations. To build a Moon-based observation station, site selection is the first step. The time coverage of Earth observation, e.g., the whole Earth disc observation or Earth-related plasmasphere and magnetosphere, the duration of sunlight coverage, and topography (i.e., slope) are the three major factors influencing site selection, especially in the Moon's south pole region. In this study, we used the Chang'E digital elevation model (DEM) together with Earth, Moon, and Sun positions deduced from JPL ephemeris for site selection. Two craters, Faustini and Shoemaker, were chosen for the fuzzy evaluation of these three factors based on a multiple-input single-output (MISO) model during a 19-year period. The results show that the edge regions of craters and small hills, potholes, or uplifts inside craters are unsuitable for a Moon-based observation station. The south pole area, including these two craters, has relatively low time coverage of sunlight and some unevenly distributed, permanent shadow areas. This indicates a low thermal environment for radiation protection, whereas the relatively flat topography and the ability to cover a field of view several times the Earth's radius enable observations of the plasmasphere and magnetosphere.

In Situ Raman Investigation of TiO2 Nanotube Array-Based Ultraviolet Photodetectors: Effects of Nanotube Length.

TiO2 nanotube arrays (TNAs) with tube lengths of 4, 6, and 7 µm were prepared via two-step anodization. Thereafter, ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors (PDs) with Au/TiO2/Au structures were prepared using these TNAs with different tube lengths. The effects of TNA length and device area on the performance of the device were investigated using in situ Raman spectroscopy. The maximum laser/dark current ratio was achieved by using a TNA with a size of 1 × 1 cm2 and a length of 7 µm, under a 532 nm laser. In addition, when the device was irradiated with a higher energy laser (325 nm), the UV Raman spectrum was found to be more sensitive than the visible Raman spectrum. At 325 nm, the laser/dark current ratio was nearly 24 times higher than that under a 532 nm laser. Six phonon modes of anatase TNAs were observed, at 144, 199, 395, 514, and 635 cm-1, which were assigned to the Eg(1), Eg(2), B1g(1), A1g/B1g(2), and Eg(3) modes, respectively. The strong low-frequency band at 144 cm-1 was caused by the O-Ti-O bending vibration and is a characteristic band of anatase. The results show that the performance of TNA-based PDs is length-dependent. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering signals of 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA) molecules were also observed on the TNA surface. This result indicates that the length-dependent performance may be derived from an increase in the specific surface area of the TNA. In addition, the strong absorption of UV light by the TNAs caused a blueshift of the Eg(1) mode.

Quantitative Detection of NADH Using a Novel Enzyme-Assisted Method Based on Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering.

An enzymatic method for quantitative detection of the reduced form of nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide (NADH) using surface-enhanced Raman scattering was developed. Under the action of NADH oxidase and horseradish peroxidase, NADH can generate hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in a 1:1 molar ratio, and the H2O2 can oxidize a chromogen into pigment with a 1:1 molar ratio. Therefore, the concentration of NADH can be determined by detecting the generated pigment. In our experiments, eight chromogens were studied, and o-tolidine (OT) was selected because of the unique Raman peaks displayed by its corresponding pigment. The optimal OT concentration was 2 × 10-3 M, and this gave the best linear relationship and the widest linear range between the logarithmic H2O2 concentration and the logarithmic integrated SERS intensity of the peak centered at 1448 cm-1. Under this condition, the limit of detection for NADH was as low as 4 × 10-7 M. Two NADH samples with concentrations of 2 × 10-4 and 2 × 10-5 M were used to validate the linear relationship, and the logarithmic deviations were less than 3%.

LncRNA KCNQ1OT1 regulates the invasion and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma by acting on S1PR1 through miR-149.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of lncRNA KCNQ1OT1 on HCC and to explore the possible underlying mechanisms. The expression levels of KCNQ1OT1, miR-149 and S1PR1 were detected by qRT-PCR assay. A dual luciferase reporter assay was used to detect the interaction between KCNQ1OT1 and miR-149, as well as miR-149 and S1PR1. The interaction between KCNQ1OT1 and miR-149 was further investigated by RNA pull-down assay. Wound healing assays and Transwell assays were carried out to determine cell migration and invasion. A xenograft tumour assay was used to validate the role of KCNQ1OT1 in vivo. KCNQ1OT1 and S1PR1 were significantly increased, but miR-149 was decreased in HCC cells. Luciferase reporter assays and RNA pull-down assays revealed that KCNQ1OT1 directly targeted miR-149. In addition, miR-149 bound to the 3'-UTR of S1PR1. Knockdown of KCNQ1OT1 or overexpression of miR-149 inhibited the invasion and migration of HCC cells. However, suppression of miR-149 could abrogate the effect of KCNQ1OT1 knockdown on the invasion and migration abilities of HCC cells. In vivo assays showed that KCNQ1OT1 knockdown suppressed tumour growth. This work suggests that lncRNA KCNQ1OT1 might act as a potential therapeutic target in HCC.

Planar monolithic porous polymer layers functionalized with gold nanoparticles as large-area substrates for sensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering sensing of bacteria.

For the first time, large-area surface-enhanced Raman scattering sensing active substrates using porous polymer monolithic layers have been successfully prepared. Our approach includes a simple photoinitiated polymerization process using glycidyl methacrylate and ethylene dimethacrylate in a glass mold, followed by a chemical reaction of the epoxy functionalities leading to thiols, and the attachment of preformed gold nanoparticles. We demonstrated that this very simple process produced uniform and reproducible large area surfaces that significantly enhance sensitivity of Raman spectroscopy. Experiments were also carried out that confirmed preferential adsorption of living bacteria Escherichia coli from a very dilute solution on the surface of the monolithic layer, and immediate detection of the captured microorganisms using the SERS spectrum.