Methodological approaches to studying phase separation and HIV-1 replication: Current and future perspectives.

This article reviews tried-and-tested methodologies that have been employed in the first studies on phase separating properties of structural, RNA-binding and catalytic proteins of HIV-1. These are described here to stimulate interest for any who may want to initiate similar studies on virus-mediated liquid-liquid phase separation. Such studies serve to better understand the life cycle and pathogenesis of viruses and open the door to new therapeutics.

Efficacy comparison between acupuncture and other modalities in the treatment of rotator cuff diseases: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze the efficacy of acupuncture alone or combined with physical therapy compared to other treatment interventions for relieving pain and improving function in rotator cuff diseases. METHODS: Our study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. After PROSPERO (CRD42023396740) registration, all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from the inception of the databases to October 10, 2023, evaluating the efficacy of acupuncture either alone or in combination with physical therapy for treating rotator cuff diseases, were extracted from seven databases, including PubMed, Embase, the Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), the VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals (VIP), and the Wanfang Date. Two independent researchers assessed the quality of the included studies and extracted relevant data. Furthermore, a meta-analysis was conducted using Stata 14 software. RESULTS: We included 13 RCTs - 12 published in English and 1 in Chinese - that enrolled 1,371 patients. The meta-analysis results demonstrated that acupuncture alone or in combination with physical therapy was superior to other interventions for short-term shoulder joint function improvement (standardized mean difference [SMD] = -0.82, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: -1.28 to -0.35, P = 0.001), medium-term shoulder joint function improvement (SMD = -1.00, 95% CI: -1.62 to -0.38, P = 0.002), short-term pain relief (weighted mean difference [WMD] = -1.37, 95% CI: -2.39 to -0.38, P = 0.006), medium-term pain relief (WMD = -1.66, 95% CI: -2.70 to -0.63, P = 0.002), and post-treatment shoulder joint abduction improvements (SMD = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.20 to 1.16, P = 0.005), external rotation (SMD = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.13 to 1.11, P = 0.012), and forward flexion (SMD = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.44 to 0.97, P < 0.001), with significant differences (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Based on the current clinical data, meta-analysis showed that acupuncture alone or combined with physical therapy is efficacious for short- and medium-term (< 3 months) pain relief and functional improvements. However, compared to other interventions, the efficacy of the long-term (3 to 12 months) period did not significantly differ. After treatment, these modalities displayed advantages such as improved shoulder joint abduction, external rotation, and forward flexion movements. However, no significant difference was noted in internal rotation movement. Thus, future studies might further investigate whether different acupuncture methods affect the efficacy of treating rotator cuff diseases and improving long-term outcome.

[Study on the Effect and Mechanism of Tetrandrine on Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Mediated Drug Resistance in Leukemia].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the role of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC)，an essential element of the bone marrow microenvironment, in multidrug resistance(MDR) of K562 cells, as well as the reversal effect of tetrandrine (TET) on BMSC-mediated MDR and its potential mechanism. METHODS: A mixed co-culture system and a transwell co-culture system for BMSC and K562 cells were established, and the cells were divided into different groups and treated with daunorubicin (DNR) alone or combined with TET and DNR. The CCK-8 assay was used to detect the proliferation of K562 cells in each group, and the cell inhibition rate was calculated. Cytometric bead array (CBA) was used to detect the expression levels of IFN, IL-2, IL-6 and IL-10 in the supernatant of different groups. RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to detected the expression of STAT3 at mRNA and protein levels, respectively. RESULTS: Compared with K562+DNR group, the inhibition rate of DNR on K562 cell proliferation in K562+BMSC+DNR group was significantly decreased (P < 0.05), while the levels of IL-6 in the culture supernatant and phosphorylated STAT3 in K562 cells were significantly increased (P < 0.05). Compared with K562+BMSC+DNR group, the inhibition rate of DNR on K562 cell proliferation in K562+BMSC+DNR+TET group was significantly increased (P < 0.05), while the level of IL-6 and phosphorylated STAT3 was significantly decreased (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: BMSC can promote the drug resistance of leukemia cells, and TET may reverse the BMSC-mediated drug resistance via inhibiting IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Continuous-wave cavity ringdown for high-sensitivity polarimetry and magnetometry measurements.

We report the development of a novel variant of cavity ringdown polarimetry using a continuous-wave laser operating at 532 nm for highly precise chiroptical activity and magnetometry measurements. The key methodology of the apparatus relies upon the external modulation of the laser frequency at the frequency splitting between non-degenerate left- and right-circularly polarized cavity modes. The method is demonstrated by the evaluation of the Verdet constants of crystalline CeF3 and fused silica, in addition to the observation of gas- and solution-phase optical rotations of selected chiral molecules. Specifically, optical rotations of (i) vapors of α-pinene and R-(+)-limonene, (ii) mutarotating D-glucose in water, and (iii) acidified L-histidine solutions are determined. The detection sensitivities for the gas- and solution-phase chiral activity measurements are ∼30 and ∼120µdeg over a 30 s detection period per cavity round trip pass, respectively. Furthermore, the measured optical rotations for R-(+)-limonene are compared with computations performed using the TURBOMOLE quantum chemistry package. The experimentally observed optically rotatory dispersion of this cyclic monoterpene was thus rationalized via a consideration of its room temperature conformer distribution as determined by the aforementioned single-point energy calculations.

Anion-Counterion Strategy toward Organic Cocrystal Engineering for Near-Infrared Photothermal Conversion and Solar-Driven Water Evaporation.

An anion-counterion strategy is proposed to construct organic mono-radical charge-transfer cocrystals for near-infrared photothermal conversion and solar-driven water evaporation. Ionic compounds with halogen anions as the counterions serve as electron donors, providing the necessary electrons for efficient charge transfer with unchanged skeleton atoms and structures as well as the broad red-shifted absorption (200-2000 nm) and unprecedented photothermal conversion efficiency (~90.5 %@808 nm) for the cocrystals. Based on these cocrystals, an excellent solar-driven interfacial water evaporation rate up to 6.1±1.1 kg ⋅ m-2 ⋅ h-1 under 1 sun is recorded due to the comprehensive evaporation effect from the cocrystal loading in polyurethane foams and chimney addition, such performance is superior to the reported results on charge-transfer cocrystals or other materials for solar-driven interfacial evaporation. This prototype exhibits the great potential of cocrystals prepared by the one-step mechanochemistry method in practical large-scale seawater desalination applications.

Insights into the epidemiology and clinical aspects of post-COVID-19 conditions in adult.

OBJECTIVES: While most individuals infected with COVID-19 recover completely within a few weeks, some continue to experience lingering symptoms. This study was conducted to identify and describe the clinical and subclinical manifestations of adult patients from the long-term effects of COVID-19. METHODS: The study analyzed 205 medical records of inpatients (age ≥ 16 years, ≥ 4 weeks post-COVID-19 recovery, and a negative SARS-CoV-2 status at enrollment) at Thong Nhat Hospital, Vietnam, from 6 September 2021 to 26 August 2022, using R language software. RESULTS: The majority of patients hospitalized with long COVID-19 symptoms (92.68%) had normal consciousness. The most common symptoms on admission were fatigue (59.02%), dyspnea (52.68%), and cough (42.93%). In total, 80% of patients observed respiratory symptoms, primarily dyspnea, while 42.44% reported neurological symptoms, with sleep disturbance being the most common. Noticeably, 42.93% of patients experienced respiratory failure in the post-COVID-19 period, resembling acute respiratory distress syndrome. DISCUSSION: These findings provide crucial insights into the epidemiology, clinical, and subclinical aspects of post-COVID-19 conditions, shedding light on the prevalence of common symptoms and the demographic distribution of affected patients. Understanding these manifestations is vital for patient well-being, improved clinical practice, and targeted healthcare planning, potentially leading to better patient care, management, and future interventions.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Long COVID-19 Hospitalized Children in Vietnam.

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 205 pediatric patients, including 150 post-COVID-19 patients and 55 noninfected patients. The study identified 10 common respiratory symptoms in post-COVID-19 patients, with significant differences in clinical symptoms between the 2 groups. Post-COVID-19 pediatric patients had a lower lymphocyte count and a higher rate of pneumonia diagnosis, which can persist for up to 16 weeks after discharge. The study's findings can help monitor and manage the clinical burden of post-COVID-19 symptoms in the pediatric population.

Unlocking the Potential of Octocoral-Derived Secondary Metabolites against Neutrophilic Inflammatory Response.

Inflammation is a critical defense mechanism that is utilized by the body to protect itself against pathogens and other noxious invaders. However, if the inflammatory response becomes exaggerated or uncontrollable, its original protective role is not only demolished but it also becomes detrimental to the affected tissues or even to the entire body. Thus, regulating the inflammatory process is crucial to ensure that it is resolved promptly to prevent any subsequent damage. The role of neutrophils in inflammation has been highlighted in recent decades by a plethora of studies focusing on neutrophilic inflammatory diseases as well as the mechanisms to regulate the activity of neutrophils during the overwhelmed inflammatory process. As natural products have demonstrated promising effects in a wide range of pharmacological activities, they have been investigated for the discovery of new anti-inflammatory therapeutics to overcome the drawbacks of current synthetic agents. Octocorals have attracted scientists as a plentiful source of novel and intriguing marine scaffolds that exhibit many pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory effects. In this review, we aim to provide a summary of the neutrophilic anti-inflammatory properties of these marine organisms that were demonstrated in 46 studies from 1995 to the present (April 2023). We hope the present work offers a comprehensive overview of the anti-inflammatory potential of octocorals and encourages researchers to identify promising leads among numerous compounds isolated from octocorals over the past few decades to be further developed into anti-inflammatory therapeutic agents.

[Basic Research on Therapy of Leukemia with Nanoparticles Drug Delivery System Modified by Transferrin Receptor Monoclonal Antibody].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic effect of targeted drug-loaded nanoparticles modified by transferrin receptor monoclonal antibody (TfR mAb) on acute leukemia and its potential anti-tumor mechanism. METHODS: Nanoparticles drug delivery system, which was composed of poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid), poly-l-lysine, polyethylene glycol, TfR mAb (TfR mAb-PLGA-PLL-PEG)-daunorubicin (DNR), was first synthesized. After drug intervention, the intracellular accumulation in leukemia HL60 cells was observed under a fluorescent microscope and concentration of DNR was determined by flow cytometry (FCM). Meanwhile, cell apoptosis rate was measured by FCM and the expression levels of apoptosis related protein Cleaved-caspase 3 was determined by Western blot. RESULTS: Under an inverted fluorescent microscope, intracellular accumulation of DNR autofluorescence in HL60 cells was observed in both TfR mAb-PLGA-PLL-PEG-DNR group and DNR group. FCM analysis showed that the intracellular concentration of DNR in TfR mAb-PLGA-PLL-PEG-DNR group was higher than that in DNR group（P<0.05）. The apoptotic rate of HL60 cells in TfR mAb-PLGA-PLL-PEG-DNR group was higher than that of DNR group（P<0.05）. Moreover, the expression levels of apoptosis-related protein Cleaved-caspase 3 in TfR mAb-PLGA-PLL-PEG-DNR group was significantly higher than that in DNR group（P<0.05）. CONCLUSION: TfR mAb-PLGA-PLL-PEG nanoparticle drug delivery system can target chemotherapy drugs to leukemia cells and enhance anticancer ability through apoptotic pathway.

The CSN5/HSF/SPI1/PU.1 Axis Regulates Cell Proliferation in Hypocellular Myelodysplastic Syndrome Patients.

OBJECTIVE: This study explored the relationship between the activation of the jak/stat3 signaling pathway and the CSN5 gene transcript and protein expression levels in the hematopoietic stem cells of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs). This study also aimed to investigate the correlation between the expression level of CSN5 and the deubiquitination of HSF1, as well as the transcript level of the spi1/pu.1 genes to explore the pathogenesis of MDS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We isolated cells from normal individuals and MDS patients, and the mRNA and protein expression levels of spi1/pu.1 in cd34+ cells (hematopoietic stem cells) were measured by PCR and western blotting, respectively. A ChIP assay was used to detect the binding of HSF1 to the spi1/pu.1 promoter in cd34+ cells. The ubiquitination of HSF1 in cd34+ cells was detected by CO-IP. The binding of HSF1 and Fbxw7α was detected in in cd34+ cells by CO-IP. The binding of HSF1 and CSN5 was evaluated. A luciferase reporter assay was used to detect the effect of STAT3 on CSN5 promoter activation in cd34+ cells. Western blotting was used to detect the phosphorylation of STAT3 in cd34+ cells of MDS patients. The binding of STAT3 and C/EBP beta in cd34+ cells was detected by CO-IP. RESULTS: Inhibition of SPI1/PU.1 expression was observed in MDS samples with low proliferation ability. Further experiments proved that phosphorylation of STAT3 affected CSN5 function and mediated the ubiquitination of HSF, the upstream regulator of SPI1/PU.1 transcription, which led to the inhibition of SPI1/PU.1 expression. Restoration of CSN5 rescued the inhibition of HSF1 ubiquitination, causing SPI1/PU.1 transcription to resume and increasing SPI1/PU.1 expression, promoting the recovery of cell proliferation in hypocellular MDS. CONCLUSIONS: Our research revealed the regulatory role of the CSN5/HSF/SPI1/PU.1 axis in hypocellular MDS, providing a probable target for clinical intervention.

Thermal imaging: The digital eye facilitates high-throughput phenotyping traits of plant growth and stress responses.

Plant phenotyping is important for plants to cope with environmental changes and ensure plant health. Imaging techniques are perceived as the most critical and reliable tools for studying plant phenotypes. Thermal imaging has opened up new opportunities for nondestructive imaging of plant phenotyping. However, a comprehensive summary of thermal imaging in plant phenotyping is still lacking. Here we discuss the progress and future prospects of thermal imaging for assessing plant growth and stress responses. First, we classify thermal imaging into ground-based and aerial platforms based on their adaptability to different experimental environments (including laboratory, greenhouse, and field). It is convenient to collect phenotypic information of different dimensions. Second, in order to enhance the efficiency of thermal image processing, automatic algorithms based on deep learning are employed instead of traditional manual methods, greatly reducing the time cost of experiments. Considering its ease of implementation, handling and instant response, thermal imaging has been widely used in research on environmental stress, crop yield, and seed vigor. We have found that thermal imaging can detect thermal energy dissipation caused by living organisms (e.g., pests, viruses, bacteria, fungi, and oomycetes), enabling early disease diagnosis. It also recognizes changes leaf surface temperatures resulting from reduced transpiration rates caused by nutrient deficiency, drought, salinity, or freezing. Furthermore, thermal imaging predicts crop yield under different water states and forecasts the viability of dormant seeds after water absorption by monitoring temperature changes in the seeds. This work will assist biologists and agronomists in studying plant phenotypes and serve a guide for breeders to develop high-yielding, stress-tolerant, and superior crops.

High-Performance Broadband Bistatic Piezoelectric Composite Array for Application in Ship Wake Detection.

In the far-field wake of a ship, the intensity of the scattering of bubbles is relatively weak. In addition, the wake is relatively thin, and the hole phenomenon is prominent. Thus, it is difficult to detect the wake at a long distance. On this basis, this paper studies a broadband 1-3 high-performance composite transceiver sub-array for the improved detection of a ship's far wake flow field. The content includes frequency characteristics, transmission performance, power tolerance, the beam width of the transmitting array, and the frequency characteristics, reception performance, and beam width of the receiving array. The frequency bandwidth of the transmission array developed in this paper can reach a value of 180 kHz (the center frequency is 390 kHz). The maximum sound source level can reach a value of 228 dB. In the same frequency band, the sensitivity of the receiving array can reach a value of 184 dB, and the fluctuation is less than 5 dB. Compared with the narrowband 1-3 composite array of the same size, the acoustic performance of this sub-array has obvious advantages. Finally, to improve the effective sound path (before the first interface reflection of the sound wave) of the emitted sound wave in the ship's far-field wake, combined with the speed of the moving carrier and the wide-band detection method of the ship's wake, the configuration method of the detection array for the width and direction of the ship's far-field wake is proposed. The results of this research have an important reference value for the research on broadband 1-3 high-performance composite arrays and their application in the far-field wake detection of ships.

Bioinformatics toolbox for exploring target mutation-induced drug resistance.

Drug resistance is increasingly among the main issues affecting human health and threatening agriculture and food security. In particular, developing approaches to overcome target mutation-induced drug resistance has long been an essential part of biological research. During the past decade, many bioinformatics tools have been developed to explore this type of drug resistance, and they have become popular for elucidating drug resistance mechanisms in a low cost, fast and effective way. However, these resources are scattered and underutilized, and their strengths and limitations have not been systematically analyzed and compared. Here, we systematically surveyed 59 freely available bioinformatics tools for exploring target mutation-induced drug resistance. We analyzed and summarized these resources based on their functionality, data volume, data source, operating principle, performance, etc. And we concisely discussed the strengths, limitations and application examples of these tools. Specifically, we tested some predictive tools and offered some thoughts from the clinician's perspective. Hopefully, this work will provide a useful toolbox for researchers working in the biomedical, pesticide, bioinformatics and pharmaceutical engineering fields, and a good platform for non-specialists to quickly understand drug resistance prediction.

Web tools support predicting protein-nucleic acid complexes stability with affinity changes.

Numerous biological processes, such as transcription, replication, and translation, rely on protein-nucleic acid interactions (PNIs). Demonstrating the binding stability of protein-nucleic acid complexes is vital to deciphering the code for PNIs. Numerous web-based tools have been developed to attach importance to protein-nucleic acid stability, facilitating the prediction of PNIs characteristics rapidly. However, the data and tools are dispersed and lack comprehensive integration to understand the stability of PNIs better. In this review, we first summarize existing databases for evaluating the stability of protein-nucleic acid binding. Then, we compare and evaluate the pros and cons of web tools for forecasting the interaction energies of protein-nucleic acid complexes. Finally, we discuss the application of combining models and capabilities of PNIs. We may hope these web-based tools will facilitate the discovery of recognition mechanisms for protein-nucleic acid binding stability. This article is categorized under: RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein-RNA Recognition RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > RNA-Protein Complexes RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein-RNA Interactions: Functional Implications.

Liquid-liquid phase separation of nucleocapsid proteins during SARS-CoV-2 and HIV-1 replication.

The leap of retroviruses and coronaviruses from animal hosts to humans has led to two ongoing pandemics and tens of millions of deaths worldwide. Retrovirus and coronavirus nucleocapsid proteins have been studied extensively as potential drug targets due to their central roles in virus replication, among which is their capacity to bind their respective genomic RNAs for packaging into nascent virions. This review focuses on fundamental studies of these nucleocapsid proteins and how their intrinsic abilities to condense through liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) contribute to viral replication. Therapeutic targeting of these condensates and methodological advances are also described to address future questions on how phase separation contributes to viral replication.

MS/MS Molecular Networking Unveils the Chemical Diversity of Biscembranoid Derivatives, Neutrophilic Inflammatory Mediators from the Cultured Soft Coral Sarcophyton trocheliophorum.

Biscembranoids are the distinctive tetraterpenoids owing a 14/6/14 membered tricyclic scaffold that have been mainly discovered in the soft corals, especially the genera Sarcophyton, Lobophytum and Sinularia. Recent findings have demonstrated the great anti-inflammatory potential of biscembranoid analogues in human neutrophils, motivating more chemical and biological explorations targeting these marine-derived natural products. In the current study, the chemical diversity of biscembranoids derived from the cultured-type Sarcophyton trocheliophorum von Marenzeller was illustrated through MS/MS molecular networking (MN) profiling approach. Based on the MN patterns, the prioritization of unknown biscembranoid derivatives was putatively analyzed. As a result, the biscembrane targeting isolation afforded two new metabolites, sarcotrochelides A (1) and B (2), along with six known analogues (3-8). Their structures and relative configurations were determined by spectroscopic methods. In vitro neutrophil inflammatory inhibition was further investigated for all isolates based on reduced superoxide anion (O2•-) generation detections. Compounds 5-8 showed significant dose-dependently inhibitory effects, suggesting the cruciality of 6,7-dihydrooxepin-2(5H)-one moiety and saturated γ-lactone ring in their reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent anti-inflammatory properties.

[Developing biomass estimation models of young trees in typical plantation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China.] / é’è—é«˜åŽŸå ¸åž‹äººå·¥æž—å¹¼æ ‘ç”Ÿç‰©é‡æ¨¡åž‹æž„å»º.

Calculation of forest biomass is the basis for global carbon stock estimation, which has been included in national forest inventory projects. The volume-derived biomass method is generally used for trees with diameter at breast height (DBH) larger than 5 cm in most forest carbon sink measurement, which omits young trees (diameter at breast height <6 cm, height >0.3 m) and thus may underestimate ecosystem carbon sink capacity. Based on the biomass data of 137 young trees in five typical plantations on the Tibetan Plateau, independent biomass models were developed using the weighted generalized least squares method, with basic diameter as the predictor instead of DBH. Additive biomass models of controlling directly by proportion functions and controlling by the sum of equations were selected. Additive biomass models for the whole plant and each component were developed by applying weighted nonlinear seemingly uncorrelated regression. The results showed that the binary additive biomass model (R2 reached 0.90-0.99) performed better than the monadic biomass models and independent biomass models for the estimation of total biomass. For different tree species, two forms of the additive models had their own advantages, with neglectable difference in accuracy. From the perspective of forestry production, models of controlling directly by proportion functions were more practical. From the perspective of predictors extraction by remote sensing technology, suitable young tree biomass models were developed for remote sensing estimation. In this study, the additive model had high overall fitting accuracy and could accurately estimate the whole plant and component biomass of young trees in similar climatic environments.

Efficacy and safety of remimazolam besylate in bronchoscopy for adults: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, positive-controlled clinical study.

Background: With the development of fiberoptic bronchoscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of various pulmonary diseases, the anesthesia/sedation requirements are becoming more demanding, posing great challenges for patient safety while ensuring a smooth examination/surgery process. Remimazolam, a brand-new ultra-short-acting anesthetic, may compensate for the shortcomings of current anesthetic/sedation strategies in bronchoscopy. Methods: This study was a prospective, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel positive controlled phase 3 clinical trial. Subjects were randomized to receive 0.2 mg/kg remimazolam besylate or 2 mg/kg propofol during bronchoscopy to evaluate the efficacy and safety of remimazolam. Results: A total of 154 subjects were successfully sedated in both the remimazolam group and the propofol group, with a success rate of 99.4% (95%CI of the adjusted difference -6.7 × 10%-6% to -5.1 × 10%-6%). The sedative effect of remimazolam was noninferior to that of propofol based on the prespecified noninferiority margin of -5%. Compared with the propofol group, the time of loss of consciousness in the remimazolam group (median 61 vs. 48s, p < 0.001), the time from the end of study drug administration to complete awakening (median 17.60 vs. 12.80 min, p < 0.001), the time from the end of bronchoscopy to complete awakening (median 11.00 vs. 7.00 min, p < 0.001), the time from the end of study drug administration to removal of monitoring (median 19.50 vs. 14.50 min, p < 0.001), and the time from the end of bronchoscopy to removal of monitoring (median 12.70 vs. 8.60 min, p < 0.001) were slightly longer. The incidence of Adverse Events in the remimazolam group and the propofol group (74.8% vs. 77.4%, p = 0.59) was not statistically significant, and none of them had Serious Adverse Events. The incidence of hypotension (13.5% vs. 29.7%, p < 0.001), hypotension requiring treatment (1.9% vs. 7.7%, p = 0.017), and injection pain (0.6% vs. 16.8%, p < 0.001) were significantly lower in the remimazolam group than in the propofol group. Conclusion: Moderate sedation with 0.2 mg/kg remimazolam besylate is effective and safe during bronchoscopy. The incidence of hypotension and injection pain was less than with propofol, but the time to loss of consciousness and recovery were slightly longer. Clinical Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov, ChiCTR2000039753.

Highly sensitive and selective colorimetric detection of Pb(ii) ions using Michelia tonkinensis seed extract capped gold nanoparticles.

In this study, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were synthesized via a green and environmentally-friendly approach and applied as a colorimetric probe for detecting Pb2+ ions in aqueous solution. Instead of toxic chemicals, Michelia tonkinensis (MT) seed extract was used for reducing Au3+ and stabilizing the formed AuNPs. The synthesis conditions, including temperature, reaction time, and Au3+ ion concentration, were optimized at 90 °C, 40 min, and 1.25 mM, respectively. The physicochemical properties of the produced MT-AuNPs were assessed by means of transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The characterization results revealed that the MT-AuNPs exhibited a spherical shape with a size of about 15 nm capped by an organic layer. The colorimetric assay based on MT-AuNPs showed excellent sensitivity and selectivity toward Pb2+ ions with the limit of detection value of 0.03 µM and the limit of quantification of 0.09 µM in the linear range of 50-500 µM. The recoveries of inter-day and intra-day tests were 97.84-102.08% and 98.78-102.34%, respectively. The MT-AuNPs probe also demonstrated good and reproducible recoveries (98.71-101.01%) in analyzing Pb2+ in drinking water samples, indicating satisfactory practicability and operability of the proposed method.