High-performance and low-power source-gated transistors enabled by a solution-processed metal oxide homojunction.

Cost-effective fabrication of mechanically flexible low-power electronics is important for emerging applications including wearable electronics, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things. Here, solution-processed source-gated transistors (SGTs) with an unprecedented intrinsic gain of ~2,000, low saturation voltage of +0.8 ± 0.1 V, and a ~25.6 µW power consumption are realized using an indium oxide In2O3/In2O3:polyethylenimine (PEI) blend homojunction with Au contacts on Si/SiO2. Kelvin probe force microscopy confirms source-controlled operation of the SGT and reveals that PEI doping leads to more effective depletion of the reverse-biased Schottky contact source region. Furthermore, using a fluoride-doped AlOx gate dielectric, rigid (on a Si substrate) and flexible (on a polyimide substrate) SGTs were fabricated. These devices exhibit a low driving voltage of +2 V and power consumption of ~11.5 µW, yielding inverters with an outstanding voltage gain of >5,000. Furthermore, electrooculographic (EOG) signal monitoring can now be demonstrated using an SGT inverter, where a ~1.0 mV EOG signal is amplified to over 300 mV, indicating significant potential for applications in wearable medical sensing and human-computer interfacing.

Inhalable Polymeric Microparticles for Phage and Photothermal Synergistic Therapy of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Pneumonia.

Acute methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) pneumonia is a common and serious lung infection with high morbidity and mortality rates. Due to the increasing antibiotic resistance, toxicity, and pathogenicity of MRSA, there is an urgent need to explore effective antibacterial strategies. In this study, we developed a dry powder inhalable formulation which is composed of porous microspheres prepared from poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), internally loaded with indocyanine green (ICG)-modified, heat-resistant phages that we screened for their high efficacy against MRSA. This formulation can deliver therapeutic doses of ICG-modified active phages to the deep lung tissue infection sites, avoiding rapid clearance by alveolar macrophages. Combined with the synergistic treatment of phage therapy and photothermal therapy, the formulation demonstrates potent bactericidal effects in acute MRSA pneumonia. With its long-term stability at room temperature and inhalable characteristics, this formulation has the potential to be a promising drug for the clinical treatment of MRSA pneumonia.

Immune cell receptor-specific nanoparticles as a potent adjuvant for nasal split influenza vaccine delivery.

Mucosal delivery systems have gained much attention as effective way for antigen delivery that induces both systemic and mucosal immunity. However, mucosal vaccination faces the challenges of mucus barrier and effective antigen uptake and presentation. In particular, split, subunit and recombinant protein vaccines that do not have an intact pathogen structure lack the efficiency to stimulate mucosal immunity. In this study, poly (lactic acid-co-glycolic acid-polyethylene glycol) (PLGA-PEG) block copolymers were modified by mannose to form a PLGA-PEG-Man conjugate (mannose modified PLGA-PEG), which were characterized. The novel nanoparticles (NPs) prepared with this material had a particle size of about 150 nm and a zeta potential of -15 mV, and possessed ideal mucus permeability, immune cell targeting, stability and low toxicity. Finally, PLGA-PEG-Man nanoparticles (PLGA-PEG-Man NPs) were successfully applied for intranasal delivery of split influenza vaccine in rat for the first time, which triggered strong systemic and mucosal immune responses. These studies suggest that PLGA-PEG-Man NPs could function as competitive potential nano-adjuvants to address the challenge of inefficient mucosal delivery of non-allopathogenic antigens.

Polyamide Membranes with Tunable Surface Charge Induced by Dipole-Dipole Interaction for Selective Ion Separation.

Nanofiltration (NF) has the potential to achieve precise ion-ion separation at the subnanometer scale, which is necessary for resource recovery and a circular water economy. Fabricating NF membranes for selective ion separation is highly desirable but represents a substantial technical challenge. Dipole-dipole interaction is a mechanism of intermolecular attractions between polar molecules with a dipole moment due to uneven charge distribution, but such an interaction has not been leveraged to tune membrane structure and selectivity. Herein, we propose a novel strategy to achieve tunable surface charge of polyamide membrane by introducing polar solvent with a large dipole moment during interfacial polymerization, in which the dipole-dipole interaction with acyl chloride groups of trimesoyl chloride (TMC) can successfully intervene in the amidation reaction to alter the density of surface carboxyl groups in the polyamide selective layer. As a result, the prepared positively charged (PEI-TMC)-NH2 and negatively charged (PEI-TMC)-COOH composite membranes, which show similarly high water permeance, demonstrate highly selective separations of cations and anions in engineering applications, respectively. Our findings, for the first time, confirm that solvent-induced dipole-dipole interactions are able to alter the charge type and density of polyamide membranes and achieve tunable surface charge for selective and efficient ion separation.

Construction of a Synthetic Microbial Community for Enzymatic Pretreatment of Wheat Straw for Biogas Production via Anaerobic Digestion.

Biological pretreatment is a viable method for enhancing biogas production from straw crops, with the improvement in lignocellulose degradation efficiency being a crucial factor in this process. Herein, a metagenomic approach was used to screen core microorganisms (Bacillus subtilis, Acinetobacter johnsonii, Trichoderma viride, and Aspergillus niger) possessing lignocellulose-degrading abilities among samples from three environments: pile retting wheat straw (WS), WS returned to soil, and forest soil. Subsequently, synthetic microbial communities were constructed for fermentation-enzyme production. The crude enzyme solution obtained was used to pretreat WS and was compared with two commercial enzymes. The synthetic microbial community enzyme-producing pretreatment (SMCEP) yielded the highest enzymatic digestion efficacy for WS, yielding cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin degradation rates of 39.85, 36.99, and 19.21%, respectively. Furthermore, pretreatment of WS with an enzyme solution, followed by anaerobic digestion achieved satisfactory results. SMCEP displayed the highest cumulative biogas production at 801.16 mL/g TS, which was 38.79% higher than that observed for WS, 22.15% higher than that of solid-state commercial enzyme pretreatment and 25.41% higher than that of liquid commercial enzyme pretreatment. These results indicate that enzyme-pretreated WS can significantly enhance biogas production. This study represents a solution to the environmental burden and energy use of crop residues.

Phytochemistry of Genus Buxus and Pharmacology of Cyclovirobuxine D.

BACKGROUND: Genus Buxus plants, commonly known as "boxwood", are widely distributed in China. The stems, branches, and leaves of the plant are traditionally used for rheumatism, toothache, chest pain, abdominal gas, and other diseases. However, an overview of the genus Buxus remains to be provided. PURPOSE: To provide a scientific basis for the appropriate use and further research the recent advancements in the traditional usage, phytochemistry, and, pharmacology of Buxus. STUDY DESIGN: Chemical composition and pharmacological correlation studies through a literature review. METHODS: Between 1970 and 2023, the available data concerning Buxus was compiled from online scientific sources, such as Sci-Finder, PubMed, CNKI, Google Scholar, and the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Plant names were verified from "The Plant List" (http://www.theplantlist.org/). RESULTS: To date, 266 structurally diverse chemicals have been extracted and identified from the genus Buxus. Alkaloids constitute one of its primary bioactive phytochemicals. A summary of the channels of action of Cyclovirobuxine D on the cytotoxicity of a variety of cancers has been provided. CONCLUSION: Numerous findings from contemporary phytochemical and pharmacological studies support the traditional use, facilitating its application. Further research is necessary to address various shortcomings, including the identification of the active ingredients and quality control of the genus Buxus.

The Integration of Transcriptome and Metabolome Analyses Provides Insights into the Determinants of the Wood Properties in Toona ciliata.

Toona ciliata, also known as Chinese mahogany, is a high-quality and fast-growing wood species with a high economic value. The wood properties of T. ciliata of different provenances vary significantly. In this study, we conducted comprehensive transcriptome and metabolome analyses of red and non-red T. ciliata wood cores of different provenances to compare their wood properties and explore the differential metabolites and genes that govern the variation in their wood properties. Through combined analyses, three differential genes and two metabolites were identified that are possibly related to lignin synthesis. The lignin content in wood cores from T. ciliata of different provenances shows significant variation following systematic measurement and comparisons. The gene Tci09G002190, one of the three differential genes, was identified as a member of the CAD (Cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase) gene family of T. ciliata, which is associated with lignin synthesis. Our data provide insights into the determinants of the wood properties in T. ciliata, providing a solid foundation for research into the subsequent mechanisms of the formation of T. ciliata wood.

Influence of facial width on the perception of lip protrusion and its differences between profile and 3-dimensional video clip.

INTRODUCTION: This study evaluated the influence of facial width on the perception of lip protrusion and investigated the concordance between 2-dimensional (2D) profile images and 3-dimensional (3D) video clips in assessing lip protrusion. METHODS: An Asian female standard head model was created using 3D modeling software. Eight head models were constructed by modifying the standard head model in terms of facial width (broad, neutral, and slim) and lip protrusion (retrusive, straight, and protrusive). Overall, 97 Asian raters rated the lip protrusion from the 2D profiles and 3D rotation video clips of the 9 models. RESULTS: No significant differences were found in the perception of lip protrusion in terms of sex, age, or occupation. Compared with the 2D profiles, the 3D video clips were rated as more protrusive in 8 of the 9 head models, with the retrusive broad, retrusive neutral, straight broad, and straight slim faces showing statistical significance (P <0.01). The rating is significantly higher in slim faces than in broad faces across the 3 groups of 2D profiles (P <0.01). For 3D video clips, the rating was higher in slim faces than in broad faces in all 3 groups, whereas differences were significant in the straight and protrusive groups only (P <0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, 3D video clips were more sensitive to the perception of lip protrusion than were 2D profiles to some extent. The lips were rated relatively more protrusive in a slim face than in a broad face. Therefore, the relationship between facial width and lip protrusion should be considered in orthodontic treatment goals and treatment plans.

Application of deep learning in isolated tooth identification.

BACKGROUND: Teeth identification has a pivotal role in the dental curriculum and provides one of the important foundations of clinical practice. Accurately identifying teeth is a vital aspect of dental education and clinical practice, but can be challenging due to the anatomical similarities between categories. In this study, we aim to explore the possibility of using a deep learning model to classify isolated tooth by a set of photographs. METHODS: A collection of 5,100 photographs from 850 isolated human tooth specimens were assembled to serve as the dataset for this study. Each tooth was carefully labeled during the data collection phase through direct observation. We developed a deep learning model that incorporates the state-of-the-art feature extractor and attention mechanism to classify each tooth based on a set of 6 photographs captured from multiple angles. To increase the validity of model evaluation, a voting-based strategy was applied to refine the test set to generate a more reliable label, and the model was evaluated under different types of classification granularities. RESULTS: This deep learning model achieved top-3 accuracies of over 90% in all classification types, with an average AUC of 0.95. The Cohen's Kappa demonstrated good agreement between model prediction and the test set. CONCLUSIONS: This deep learning model can achieve performance comparable to that of human experts and has the potential to become a valuable tool for dental education and various applications in accurately identifying isolated tooth.

Exploring the bi-directional relationship between periodontitis and dyslipidemia: a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM: As periodontitis and dyslipidemia are diseases that occur with high incidence, the relationship between them has attracted much attention. Previous studies on these diseases have tended to focus on lipid parameters and periodontitis, we aimed to investigate the relationship between dyslipidemia and periodontitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A comprehensive search to identify the studies investigating the relationship between dyslipidemia and periodontitis was performed on PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Library before the date of August, 2023. Studies were considered eligible if they contained data on abnormal blood lipid parameters and periodontitis. Studies that reported mean differences and 95% confidence intervals or odds ratios were used. RESULTS: A total of 73 publications were included in the meta-analysis. Hyper total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TGs), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels are risk factors for periodontitis. Periodontal disease is a risk factor for high TG and low HDL levels. Three months after periodontal treatment, the levels of TC, TG and HDL were significantly improved, and statin treatment only improved gingival index (GI) levels compared to that of the dietary control. CONCLUSIONS: The findings reported here suggest that the mutual promotion of periodontitis and dyslipidemia can be confirmed. Non-surgical periodontal therapy may improve lipid abnormalities. It can't be demonstrated whether systematic application of statins have a better effect on the improvement in periodontal status in patients with dyslipidemia compared to that of the control.

Artificial Cells for Cellular Behavior Mimicry Induced by Sphingomyelin Degradation.

Sphingomyelinase (SMase), a hydrolase of sphingomyelin (SM) enriched in the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane of mammalian cells, is closely associated with the onset and development of many diseases, but the specific mechanisms of SMase on the cell structure, function, and behavior are not yet fully understood due to the complexity of the cell structure. Artificial cells are minimal biological systems constructed from various molecular components designed to mimic cellular processes, behaviors, and structures, which are excellent models for studying biochemical reactions and dynamic changes in cell membranes. In this work, we presented an artificial cell model that mimics the lipid composition and content of the outer leaflet of mammalian plasma membranes for studying the effect of SMase on cell behavior. The results confirmed that the artificial cells can respond to SM degradation by producing ceramides that enrich and alter the membrane charge and permeability, thus inducing the budding and fission of the artificial cells. Thus, the artificial cells developed here provide a powerful tool to study the mechanism of action of cell membrane lipids on cell biological behavior, paving the way for further molecular mechanism studies.

The interaction of CD300lf and ceramide reduces the development of periodontitis by inhibiting osteoclast differentiation.

AIM: The regulation of osteoclasts (OCs) by inhibitory immunoreceptors maintains bone homeostasis and is considered an important determinant of the extent of periodontal pathology. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the inhibitory immunoreceptor CD300lf and its ligand ceramide in osteoclastogenesis in periodontitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The expression of CD300lf was measured in vitro and in a ligature-induced periodontitis model. The effect of CD300lf ablation on osteoclastogenesis was examined in ligature-retained and ligature removal periodontitis models. The effect of ceramide, the ligand of CD300lf, was examined in osteoclastogenesis in vitro and in vivo by smearing 20 µg of ceramide dissolved in carboxymethylcellulose on teeth and gingiva every other day in an experimental periodontitis model and ligature removal model. RESULTS: CD300lf expression was downregulated during osteoclastogenesis. Ablation of CD300lf in the ligature-induced periodontitis model increased the number of OCs and exacerbated bone damage. Bone resorption caused by CD300lf ablation was reversible following ligature removal. CD300lf-ceramide binding suppressed osteoclastogenesis in vitro and inhibited alveolar bone loss in a mouse periodontitis model. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reveal that CD300lf-ceramide binding plays a critical negative role in alveolar bone loss in periodontitis by inhibiting OCs differentiation.

Polyethylene glycol crosslinked decellularized single liver lobe scaffolds with vascular endothelial growth factor promotes angiogenesis in vivo.

BACKGROUND: Improving the mechanical properties and angiogenesis of acellular scaffolds before transplantation is an important challenge facing the development of acellular liver grafts. The present study aimed to evaluate the cytotoxicity and angiogenesis of polyethylene glycol (PEG) crosslinked decellularized single liver lobe scaffolds (DLSs), and establish its suitability as a graft for long-term liver tissue engineering. METHODS: Using mercaptoacrylate produced by the Michael addition reaction, DLSs were first modified using N-succinimidyl S-acetylthioacetate (SATA), followed by cross-linking with PEG as well as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The optimal concentration of agents and time of the individual steps were identified in this procedure through biomechanical testing and morphological analysis. Subsequently, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were seeded on the PEG crosslinked scaffolds to detect the proliferation and viability of cells. The scaffolds were then transplanted into the subcutaneous tissue of Sprague-Dawley rats to evaluate angiogenesis. In addition, the average number of blood vessels was evaluated in the grafts with or without PEG at days 7, 14, and 21 after implantation. RESULTS: The PEG crosslinked DLS maintained their three-dimensional structure and were more translucent after decellularization than native DLS, which presented a denser and more porous network structure. The results for Young's modulus proved that the mechanical properties of 0.5 PEG crosslinked DLS were the best and close to that of native livers. The PEG-VEGF-DLS could better promote cell proliferation and differentiation of HUVECs compared with the groups without PEG cross-linking. Importantly, the average density of blood vessels was higher in the PEG-VEGF-DLS than that in other groups at days 7, 14, and 21 after implantation in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: The PEG crosslinked DLS with VEGF could improve the biomechanical properties of native DLS, and most importantly, their lack of cytotoxicity provides a new route to promote the proliferation of cells in vitro and angiogenesis in vivo in liver tissue engineering.

Progress in research on the safety of silicone rubber products in food processing.

Silicone rubber (SR) is widely used in the food processing industry due to its excellent physical and chemical properties. However, due to the differences in SR product production formulas and processes, the quality of commercially available SR products varies greatly, with chemical and biological hazard potentials. Residual chemicals in SR, such as siloxane oligomers and 2,4-dichlorobenzoic acid, are non-intentionally added substances, which may migrate into food during processing so the safe use of SR must be guaranteed. Simultaneously, SR in contact with food is susceptible to pathogenic bacteria growing and biofilm formation, like Cronobacter sakazakii, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enteritidis, and Listeria monocytogenes, posing a food safety risk. Under severe usage scenarios such as high-temperature, high-pressure, microwave, and freezing environments with long-term use, SR products are more prone to aging, and their degradation products may pose potential food safety hazards. Based on the goal of ensuring food quality and safety to the greatest extent possible, this review suggests that enterprises need to prepare high-quality food-contact SR products by optimizing the manufacturing formula and production process, and developing products with antibacterial and antiaging properties. The government departments should establish quality standards for food-contact SR products and conduct effective supervision. Besides, the reusable SR products should be cleaned by consumers immediately after use, and the deteriorated products should be replaced as soon as possible.

[Two new phenylpropanoids from wine-processed Corni Fructus].

Six compounds were isolated from aqueous extract of wine-processed Corni Fructus through silica gel, ODS column chromatography, Sephadex LH-20 gel column chromatography, reverse phase preparative HPLC and other chromatographic separation technologies. Their structures were identified with multiple spectroscopical methods including HR-ESI-MS, UV, IR, NMR and ECD and so on. Their structures were established as pinoresinoside B(1), cornusgallicacid A(2),(+)-isolariciresinol-9'-O-ß-glucopyranoside(3),(-)-isolariciresinol 3α-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside(4),(7R,8S)-dihydrodehydrodiconiferyl alcohol 9-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside(5), and(-)-seco isolariciresinol-9'-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside(6). Among them, compounds 1 and 2 were two new compounds. The biological activity evaluation results showed that compounds 2 and 6 had strong DPPH free radical scavenging ability, with EC_(50) values of(4.18±1.96) and(21.45±1.19) µmol·L~(-1), respectively. Compounds 1 and 2 had protective effects on H_2O_2-induced oxidative damage in NRK-52E cells in a dose-dependent manner, and the cell survival rate of compound 2 at 100 µmol·L~(-1) was 96.09%±1.77%.

C1orf194 deficiency leads to incomplete early embryonic lethality and dominant intermediate Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease in a knockout mouse model.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease is the most common inherited peripheral neuropathy and shows clinical and genetic heterogeneity. Mutations in C1orf194 encoding a Ca2+ regulator in neurons and Schwann cells have been reported previously by us to cause CMT disease. In here, we further investigated the function and pathogenic mechanism of C1or194 by generating C1orf194 knockout (KO) mice. Homozygous mutants of C1orf194 mice exhibited incomplete embryonic lethality, characterized by differentiation abnormalities and stillbirth on embryonic days 7.5-15.5. Heterozygous and surviving homozygous C1orf194 KO mice developed motor and sensory defects at the age of 4 months. Electrophysiologic recordings showed decreased compound muscle action potential and motor nerve conduction velocity in the sciatic nerve of C1orf194-deficient mice as a pathologic feature of dominant intermediate-type CMT. Transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed demyelination and axonal atrophy in the sciatic nerve as well as swelling and loss of mitochondrial matrix and other abnormalities in axons and Schwann cells. A histopathologic examination showed a loss of motor neurons in the anterior horn of the spinal cord and muscle atrophy. Shorter internodal length between nodes of Ranvier and Schmidt-Lanterman incisures was detected in the sciatic nerve of affected animals. These results indicate that C1orf194 KO mice can serve as an animal model of CMT with a severe dominant intermediate CMT phenotype that can be used to investigate the molecular mechanisms of the disease and evaluate the efficacy of therapeutic strategies.

B16F10 Cell Membrane-Based Nanovesicles for Melanoma Therapy Are Superior to Hyaluronic Acid-Modified Nanocarriers.

Some cancer cell membrane (CCM)-derived nanovesicles show strong homing effects and are used for targeted cancer therapy. By co-constructing the B16F10 cell membrane with a PEGylated phospholipid membrane, a new nanocarrier with a composite nanocrown structure was developed, which can evade immune recognition and actively target homologous melanoma. The nanocrowns have an encapsulation efficiency of more than 90% for paclitaxel and showed no significant difference (p > 0.05) from the PEGylated phospholipid membrane vesicles. Compared with the hyaluronic acid-modified PEGylated phospholipid membrane vesicles, the biomimetic nanocrowns enhanced the escape of nanovesicles from reticuloendothelial cells in vitro and extended the circulation time in vivo; moreover, the nanocrowns showed superior melanoma-targeted drug delivery capability and improved anticancer effects of paclitaxel as demonstrated by the inhibition of B16F10 cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis by interfering with microtubule formation. In contrast, the modification of hyaluronic acid did not increase the targeting capacity or antitumor effects of the nanocrowns, confirming that the superior targeting capacity was mediated by the exposed homologous CCMs rather than by hyaluronic acid. Our results demonstrate the potential of using biomimetic nanocrowns for active melanoma-targeted therapy.

The Relation between Morphology of Maxillary Sinus after Augmentation in Three Classification Methods and Residual Bone Height: A Retrospective Study.

Maxillary sinus augmentation is critical to oral implantology, particularly in some cases. The morphology of the sinus floor reflects the lifting effect to a certain extent; however, there has been limited research on the morphology after sinus augmentation. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between residual bone height (RBH) and the morphology of the sinus floor and determine whether a correlation exists between the different evaluation classifications. Maxillary sinus floor augmentation procedures were performed in 56 patients and 68 teeth using the sinus crest approach (SCA). Imaging results obtained after one year of sinus augmentation were analyzed and simultaneously classified along the coronal plane, the sagittal plane, and the biplane (coronal-sagittal). The higher the RBH, the closer the result tends to be to A, A', or type 1 (more satisfactory). There was a significant correlation between the three different evaluation classifications (p < 0.05). The morphology of perforation cases was involved in types C, D, C', and D'. A more satisfactory post-lifting morphology (tent type and flat type) is probably related to an optimal preoperative bone height, and an unsatisfactory post-lifting morphology is related to a low preoperative sinus floor height. The sagittal plane evaluation correlates with the coronal plane and biplane evaluation and is thus more recommended.

Intraoral and extraoral approach for surgical treatment of Eagle's syndrome: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Eagle's syndrome is not uncommon in clinical work. Because of its atypical symptoms, it is easy to be misdiagnosed as other diseases, further leading to misdiagnosis and mistreatment. At present, there is no expert consensus or treatment guidelines for the disease. We evaluated the clinical characteristics and postoperative efficacy of 103 patients with Eagle's syndrome based on their clinical symptoms, radiological studies, and physical examination. Through the multicenter clinical study of Tongji Medical College and Dalian Medical University, we found some characteristics of Eagle's syndrome in operation and imaging. METHODS: In total, 103 patients with Eagle's syndrome (treated from January 2010 to January 2020) were retrospectively enrolled. The postoperative curative effect was analyzed by three surgical methods: styloid process resection through the external cervical approach (styloid process could not be touched through the mouth or could be touched under the jaw or when the CT scan showed that the inclination angle was not large), tonsillectomy + styloidectomy, and preservation of the tonsil for styloidectomy (the styloid process bone could be touched directly during intraoral palpation or in whom the distal part of the styloid process could not be directly touched, but the CT scan showed that the bone inclined toward the oropharynx and its distal part was relatively close to the oropharynx cavity; whether tonsillectomy was performed depended on whether the patient's tonsil was too large to affect the surgical incision). According to the Quality of Well-Being Scale (QWB), we calculated the W value of the scale before operation and 30 days, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months after operation, and compared the W value of each group. RESULTS: The average length of the styloid process was 33 mm (range 25-61 mm). The patients were followed up for 12-36 months (average 15 months). Of the 103 patients, 21 underwent styloid process resection through the external cervical approach, 49 underwent tonsillectomy and styloidectomy, and 33 underwent styloidectomy with preservation of the tonsil. The treatment cured 48 (46%) cases, was effective in 35 (34%) and was ineffective in 20 (20%). The R language 3.6.3 software was used to perform the nonparametric rank sum test, differences in characteristics between groups were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test with Dunn post hoc tests ( R package FSA) for categorical variables, and there was no significant difference between the three types of operations (H = 0.491, P = 0.782). QWB showed that the quality of life after operation was improved compared with that before operation. CONCLUSIONS: Operation is an effective method for treating Eagle's syndrome. There were no significant differences between the effects of the intraoral and external cervical approaches. Imaging examination-especially CT scanning and 3D reconstruction of the styloid process-is very helpful for diagnosis, but not an absolute criterion for the selection of surgery protocol.

A Novel Electrochemical Sensor Modified with a Computer-Simulative Magnetic Ion-Imprinted Membrane for Identification of Uranyl Ion.

In this paper, a novel ion-imprinted electrochemical sensor modified with magnetic nanomaterial Fe3O4@SiO2 was established for the high sensitivity and selectivity determination of UO22+ in the environment. Density functional theory (DFT) was employed to investigate the interaction between templates and binding ligands to screen out suitable functional binding ligand for the reasonable design of the ion imprinted sensors. The MIIP/MCPE (magnetic ion imprinted membrane/magnetic carbon paste electrode) modified with Fe3O4@SiO2 exhibited a strong response current and high sensitivity toward uranyl ion comparison with the bare carbon paste electrodes. Meanwhile, the MCPE was fabricated simultaneously under the action of strong magnetic adsorption, and the ion imprinted membrane can be adsorbed stably on the electrode surface, handling the problem that the imprinted membrane was easy to fall off during the process of experimental determination and elution. Based on the uranyl ion imprinting network, differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was adopted for the detection technology to realize the electrochemical reduction of uranyl ions, which improved the selectivity of the sensor. Thereafter, uranyl ions were detected in the linear concentration range of 1.0 × 10-9 mol L-1 to 2.0 × 10-7 mol L-1, with the detection and quantification limit of 1.08 × 10-9 and 3.23 × 10-10 mol L-1, respectively. In addition, the sensor was successfully demonstrated for the determination of uranyl ions in uranium tailings soil samples and water samples with a recovery of 95% to 104%.