Water-Triggered Segment Orientation of Long-Lasting Anti-Biofouling Polyurethane Coatings on Biomedical Catheters via Solvent Exchange Strategy.

The formation of biofilm and thrombus on medical catheters poses a significant life-threatening concern. Hydrophilic anti-biofouling coatings upon catheter surfaces with complex shapes and narrow lumens are demonstrated to have the potential in reducing complications. However, their effectiveness is constrained by poor mechanical stability and weak substrate adhesion. Herein, a novel zwitterionic polyurethane (SUPU) with strong mechanical stability and long-term anti-biofouling is developed by controlling the ratio of sulfobetaine-diol and ureido-pyrimidinone. Once immersed in water, as-synthesized zwitterionic coating (SUPU3 SE) would undergo a water-driven segment reorientation to obtain much higher durability than its direct drying one, even under various extreme treatments, including acidic solution, abrasion, ultrasonication, flushing, and shearing, in PBS at 37 °C for 14 days. Moreover, SUPU3 SE coating could achieve a 97.1% of exceptional reducing protein fouling, complete prevention of cell adhesion, and long-lasting anti-biofilm performance even after 30 days. Finally, the good anti-thrombogenic formations of SUPU3 SE coating with bacterial treatment are validated in blood circulation through an ex vivo rabbit arteriovenous shunt model. This work provides a facile approach to fabricating stable hydrophilic coating through a simple solvent exchange to reduce thrombosis and infection of biomedical catheters.

Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of severe hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) among children: a 6-year population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) is considered to be self-limited, however, severe HFMD is a deadly threat for children worldwide, therefore, it is essential to define the clinical and epidemiologic characteristics of children with severe HFMD and identify the risk factors of death. METHODS: Between 2013 and 2018, children who diagnosed with severe HFMD from Chongqing, China were enrolled in this population-based study. A total of 459 severe HFMD children cases were identified during the study period, including 415 survivors and 44 fatal cases. Demographic, geographical, epidemiological and clinical data of the cases were acquired and analyzed. RESULTS: Risk factors of the death because of severe HFMD children included female, aged 1 ~ 3 years, enterovirus 71 infection, falling ill in winter, more than one children in home, being taken care of by grandparents, the caregivers' education not more than 9 years, having fever more than 3 days, consciousness disorders, general weakness, vomiting, general weakness, abnormal pupillary light reflex, repeated cough, tachypnea, moist rales, white frothy sputum, pink frothy sputum, and cyanosis on lips or the whole body, tachycardia, arrhythmia, cold limbs, pale complexion, weakened pulse. (all p < 0.05). Spatial-temporal analysis detected high-value clusters, the most likely cluster located at rural countries in the northern parts of Chongqing, from January, 2015 to July, 2017. (p < 0.01). Besides, some urban districts were also found high incidence of severe HFMD cases according to the incidence maps. CONCLUSIONS: The detection of clinical risk factors and the temporal, spatial and socio-demographic distribution epidemiological characteristics of severe HFMD contribute to the timely diagnosis and intervention, the results of this study can be the reference of further clinical and public health practice.

Cytomegalovirus Shedding in Healthy Seropositive Female College Students: A 6-Month Longitudinal Study.

Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) establishes a lifelong latent infection after primary infection and may reactivate periodically, with the shedding of infectious virus in body fluids. To better understand the prevalence and shedding model of CMV in immunocompetent seropositive women of childbearing age, a 6-month longitudinal study was conducted in healthy female college students. Methods: A total of 102 nonpregnant female college students aged 18-30 years were enrolled and followed up every 2 weeks for 6 months. Saliva and urine samples were collected at each visit. Serum samples were collected at the first and last visits. Results: All participants were positive for anti-CMV immunoglobulin G (IgG) at entry. During the 6-month period, 29.4% of participants (30 of 102) shed CMV intermittently in saliva or urine. At each visit, the CMV shedding prevalence varied from 2.0% to 10.4% and presented only in 1 bodily fluid. The viral load was low and did not induce marked antibody increases. The baseline anti-CMV IgG level was not found to be associated with viral shedding. Conclusions: CMV shedding in saliva and urine is common and intermittent and does not stimulate an anamnestic antibody response in seropositive immunocompetent women of childbearing age with a low risk of exposure to exogenous infectious sources.

Structures of a glucose-tolerant ß-glucosidase provide insights into its mechanism.

Cellulose can be converted to ethanol via the fermentation of glucose, which is considered as a promising green alternative for transportation fuels. The conversion of cellulose to glucose needs three enzymes, in which ß-glucosidase (BGL) plays an essential role. However, BGL is inhibited by its own product glucose, greatly limiting its applications in industry. We previously obtained a novel BGL named Bgl6 with a high glucose tolerance. Further engineering through random mutagenesis produced a triple mutant M3 with improved thermostability. This enzyme shows promising properties for wide applications but the structural basis of the unusual properties of Bgl6 is not clear. In this study, we determined the crystal structures of Bgl6 and variants at high resolution, which provide insights into its glucose-tolerant mechanism and thermostability. Particularly, Bgl6 forms an extra channel that could be used as a secondary binding site for glucose, which may contribute to glucose tolerance. Additionally, the triple mutations could strengthen the hydrophobic interactions within the enzyme and may be responsible for the enhanced thermostability exhibited by M3, which was further confirmed by dynamic light scattering data. Lastly, structural comparison to other orthologs allows us to formulate new strategies on how to improve the catalytic efficiency of Bgl6.

Novel cationic polyamidine: Synthesis, characterization, and sludge dewatering performance.

In this study, a new and facile route was employed for synthesis of polyamidine with abundant cations and attractive five-membered ringlike structural unit. N-vinylformamide and acrylonitrile copolymerized firstly to form intermediates, and the intermediates were processed with hydrochloric acid to produce polyamidine. A series of polymerization conditions (e.g. polymerization time, temperature and dosage of initiator) were optimized through productivity, viscosity and cationic degree as evaluation. SEM analysis illustrated that the amidinization process could reduce the size of spaces between molecular and created compact structure, which would contribute to good flocculation performance and high viscosity. FT-IR, XPS and NMR spectra presented a rather clear structure of polyamidine. 34.3% of sludge was sedimentated through the flocculation of polyamidine in the early stages. In contrast, only 6.8% of sludge was sedimentated by polyacrylamide. The moisture content in dehydrated floc could be reduced to 77.7% when 60mg/L polyamidine was added. These results demonstrated that the polyamidine showed a great potential in the practical application of sludge dewatering.

Minimally invasive selective neck dissection: a prospective study of endoscopically assisted dissection via a small submandibular approach in cT(1-2_N(0) oral squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Selective neck dissection (SND) in clinical N0 (cN0) cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) has been performed by surgeons using a retroauricular or modified facelift approach with robotic or endoscopic assistance. However, these procedures provide cosmetic satisfaction at the cost of possible maximal invasiveness. In this prospective study, we introduced and evaluated the feasibility as well as surgical invasiveness and cosmetic outcome of endoscopically-assisted SND via a small submandibular approach. METHODS: Forty-four patients with cT1-2N0 oral SCC (OSCC) were randomly divided into two groups of endoscopically-assisted SND and conventional SND. Perioperative and postoperative outcomes of patients were evaluated, including the length of the incision, operating time for neck dissection, estimated blood loss during the operation, amount and duration of drainage, total hospitalization period, total number of lymph nodes retrieved, satisfaction scores based on the cosmetic results, perioperative local complications, shoulder syndrome, and follow-up information. RESULTS: The mean operation time in the endoscopically-assisted group (126.04 ± 12.67 min) was longer than that in the conventional group (75.67 ± 16.67 min). However, the mean length of the incision was 4.33 ± 0.76 cm in the endoscopically-assisted SND group, and the amount and duration of drainage, total hospital stay, postoperative shoulder pain score, and cosmetic outcomes were superior in the endoscopically-assisted SND group. Additionally, the retrieved lymph nodes and complications were comparable. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopically-assisted SND via a small submandibular approach had a longer operation time than the conventional approach. However, endoscopically-assisted SND was feasible and reliable while providing minimal invasiveness and satisfactory appearance.

Identification of the body fluid donor in mixtures through target mRNA cSNP sequencing.

In forensic practice, mixture stains containing various body fluids are common, presenting challenges for interpretation, particularly in multi-contributor mixtures. Traditional STR profiles face difficulties in such scenarios. Over recent years, RNA has emerged as a promising biomarker for body fluid identification, and mRNA polymorphism has shown excellent performance in identifying body fluid donors in previous studies. In this study, a massively parallel sequencing assay was developed, encompassing 202 coding region SNPs (cSNPs) from 45 body fluid/tissue-specific genes to identify both body fluid/tissue origin and the respective donors, including blood, saliva, semen, vaginal secretion, menstrual blood, and skin. The specificity was evaluated by examining the single-source body fluids/tissue and revealed that the same body fluid exhibited similar expression profiles and the tissue origin could be identified. For laboratory-generated mixtures containing 2-6 different components and mock case mixtures, the donor of each component could be successfully identified, except for the skin donor. The discriminatory power for all body fluids ranged from 0.997176329 (menstrual blood) to 0.99999999827 (blood). The concordance of DNA typing and mRNA typing for the cSNPs in this system was also validated. This cSNP typing system exhibits excellent performance in mixture deconvolution.

Multibarrier-penetrating drug delivery systems for deep tumor therapy based on synergistic penetration strategy.

Nanotherapies, valued for their high efficacy and low toxicity, frequently serve as antitumor treatments, but do not readily penetrate deep into tumor tissues and cells. Here we developed an improved tumor-penetrating peptide (TPP)-based drug delivery system. Briefly, the established TPP iNGR was modified to generate a linear NGR peptide capable of transporting nanotherapeutic drugs into tumors through a CendR pathway-dependent, neuropilin-1 receptor-mediated process. Although TPPs have been reported to reach intended tumor targets, they often fail to penetrate cell membranes to deliver tumoricidal drugs to intracellular targets. We addressed this issue by harnessing cell penetrating peptide technology to develop a liposome-based multibarrier-penetrating delivery system (mbPDS) with improved synergistic drug penetration into deep tumor tissues and cells. The system incorporated doxorubicin-loaded liposomes coated with nona-arginine (R9) CPP and cyclic iNGR (CRNGRGPDC) molecules, yielding Lip-mbPDS. Lip-mbPDS tumor-targeting, tumor cell/tissue-penetrating and antitumor capabilities were assessed using CD13-positive human fibrosarcoma-derived cell (HT1080)-based in vitro and in vivo tumor models. Lip-mbPDS evaluation included three-dimensional layer-by-layer confocal laser scanning microscopy, cell internalization/toxicity assays, three-dimensional tumor spheroid-based penetration assays and antitumor efficacy assays conducted in an animal model. Lip-mbPDS provided enhanced synergistic drug penetration of multiple biointerfaces for potentially deep tumor therapeutic outcomes.

Construction and characterization of an infectious cDNA clone of enterovirus type 71 subgenotype C4.

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is the major causative agent of hand, foot, and mouth disease and induces fatal neurological complications. In recent years, this virus has become a major threat to public health in the Asia-Pacific region, while no effective antiviral therapies and vaccines are currently available. In this study, we constructed and characterized for the first time an infectious full-length EV71 cDNA clone derived from the SHZH98 strain, which was the first subgenotype C4 strain isolated in China. Our data demonstrate that the rescued EV71 viruses exhibited growth kinetics in vitro and morphologies similar to those of the BrCr-TR strain and reached a maximum titer of 10(7.5) TCID50/ml. Although the rescued viruses were able to infect suckling mice, no typical symptoms of EV71 infection were observed for up to 18 days post-inoculation. Taken together our research provides an important tool to study the epidemic strains of EV71 in the Asia-Pacific region and promote the development of vaccines.

The antiviral effect of 7-hydroxyisoflavone against Enterovirus 71 in vitro.

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is the major causative agent of hand foot and mouth disease. And EV71 causes epidemics worldwide, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. Unfortunately, currently there is no approved vaccine or antiviral drug for EV71-induced disease prevention and therapy. In screening for anti-EV71 candidates, we found that 7-hydroxyisoflavone was active against EV71. 7-Hydroxyisoflavone exhibited strong antiviral activity against three different EV71 strains. The 50% inhibitory concentration range was between 3.25 and 4.92 µM by cytopathic effect assay. 7-Hydroxyisoflavone could reduce EV71 viral RNA and protein synthesis in a dose-dependent manner. Time course study showed that treatment of Vero cells with 7-hydroxyisoflavone at indicated times after EV71 inoculation (0-6 h) resulted in significant antiviral activity. Results showed that 7-hydroxyisoflavone acted at an early step of EV71 replication. 7-Hydroxyisoflavone also exhibited strong antiviral activity against coxsackievirus B2, B3, and B6. In short, 7-hydroxyisoflavone may be used as a lead compound for anti-EV71 drug development.

Regulable Polyelectrolyte-Surfactant Complex for Antibacterial Biomedical Catheter Coating via a Readily Scalable Route.

Constructing multifunctional surfaces is one of the practical approaches to address catheter-related multiple complications but is generally time-consuming and substrate-dependent. Herein, a novel anti-adhesion, antibacterial, low friction, and robustness coating on medical catheters are developed via a universal and readily scalable method based on a regulable polyelectrolyte surfactant complex. The complex is rapidly assembled in one step by electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions between organosilicon quaternary ammonium surfactant (N+ Si ) and adjustable polyelectrolyte with cross-linkable, anti-adhesive, and anionic groups. The alcohol-soluble feature of the complex is conducive to the rapid formation of coatings on any medical device with arbitrary shapes via dip coating. Different from the conventional polyelectrolyte-surfactant complex coating, the regulated complex coating with nonleaching mode could be stable in harsh conditions (high concentration salt solution, organic reagents, etc.) because of the cross-linked structure while improving the biocompatibility and reducing the adhesion of various bacteria, proteins, and blood cells. The coated catheter exhibits good antibacterial infection in vitro and in vivo, owing to the synergistic effect of N+ Si and zwitterionic groups. Therefore, the rationally designed complex supplies a facile coating approach for the potential development in combating multiple complications of the medical catheter.

Inhibition of acid sensing ion channels by eugenol in rat trigeminal ganglion neurons.

Eugenol is widely used as an analgesic in the dental treatment. The underlying mechanisms may involve its modulation of various ion channels. Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are pH sensors and expressed in trigeminal ganglion (TG) neurons. In the present study, we found that eugenol concentration-dependently inhibited ASIC currents in TG neurons with an IC50 of 98.8 ± 7.4 µM. Eugenol decreased the maximum response to acidic pH and did not alter pH0.5 in the concentration-response curve of acidic pH, suggesting a noncompetitive inhibition of ASICs by eugenol. G-proteins were not involved in eugenol-induced inhibition, since pre-application of eugenol also decreased ASIC currents in the presence of the G-protein blocker GDP-ß-S. In addition, eugenol also partly inhibited ASIC3 currents in Chinese hamster ovary cells transfected with ASIC3. In conclusion, eugenol partly inhibited ASIC currents in TG neurons in a concentration-dependent, non-competitive and G-protein independent manner. These results suggested that the ASICs could be a molecular target for eugenol in TG neurons, which contributed to its analgesic effect.

Engineering extracellular polymer substrates biosynthesis and carbon felt-carbon nanotube hybrid electrode to promote biofilm electroactivity and bioelectricity production.

Organic-rich thin stillage is a significant by-product of the liquor brewing industry, and its direct release into the environment can cause severe water pollution. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) offer the possibility for converting organic matters in thin stillage into clean electricity. However, limited biofilm formation and conductivity are crucial bottlenecks in restricting the power harvest of MFCs. Here, to efficiently harvest electricity power from thin stillage of liquor industry, we adopted a modular engineering strategy to increase biofilm formation and conductivity of Shewanella oneidensis via enhancing the component biosynthesis of extracellular polymer substrates (EPS) matrix, regulating intracellular c-di-GMP level, and constructing of artificial hybrid system. The results showed that the constructed CNTs@CF-EnBF2 hybrid system with low charge-transfer resistance enabled a maximum output power density of 576.77 mW/m2 in lactate-fed MFCs. Also, to evaluate the capability of harvesting electricity from actual wastewater, the CNTs@CF-EnBF2 system was employed to treat actual thin stillage, obtaining a maximum output power density of 495.86 mW/m2, 3.3-fold higher than the wild-type strain. Our research suggested that engineering and regulating EPS biosynthesis effectively promoted bioelectricity harvest, providing a green and sustainable treatment strategy for thin stillage.

[Research Progress on Distribution Characteristics and Formation Mechanisms of Microplastics in the Environment].

The extensive application of plastic products leads to the increasingly significant harm of plastic wastes to the ecological environment, which is also a focus of global environmental issues. Due to the lack of a sound plastic waste management system, most plastic waste is still treated by the traditional mode or remains in the environment, with low recycling efficiency, and the plastic life cycle has not yet formed. Plastics in the environment will age and degrade under the actions of physical (wear, waves), chemical (ultraviolet radiation, hydrolysis), and biological (fungi, bacteria) factors for a long time and generate micro (nano) plastics. Due to their small particle size, large specific surface area, and charged characteristics, in addition to their own toxicity, they can also be used as carriers or covert carriers of pollutants (heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, bacteria, etc.) to migrate in the environment through runoff, sewage discharge, and hydrometeorology, causing ecological environmental pollution. MPs pollution has been listed as the second largest scientific problem in the field of environmental and ecological science by the United Nations Environment Programme. MPs are widely distributed, and there are different degrees of MPs pollution in the global water (freshwater, ocean), soil, and atmospheric environment. Traces of MPs have also been found in human placentas, human breastmilk, living lungs, and blood in recent years. Therefore, the formation mechanisms of MPs under the actions of physics, chemistry, and microorganisms, as well as their abundance levels and migration characteristics in water, soil, and atmosphere environment were comprehensively reviewed, with the hope of providing reference for monitoring the pollution levels of MPs in the environment, exploring their transport laws in the environment, proposing the management strategy of MPs pollution, and revealing the degradation mechanisms of MPs under different effects.

Wiedemann-Steiner Syndrome: Case Report and Review of Literature.

Wiedemann-Steiner syndrome (WDSTS) is an autosomal dominant disorder with a broad and variable phenotypic spectrum characterized by intellectual disability, prenatal and postnatal growth retardation, hypertrichosis, characteristic facial features, behavioral problems, and congenital anomalies involving different systems. Here, we report a five-year-old boy who was diagnosed with WDSTS based on the results of Trio-based whole-exome sequencing and an assessment of his clinical features. He had intellectual disability, short stature, hirsutism, and atypical facial features, including a low hairline, down-slanting palpebral fissures, hypertelorism, long eyelashes, broad and arching eyebrows, synophrys, a bulbous nose, a broad nasal tip, and dental/oral anomalies. However, not all individuals with WDSTS exhibit the classic phenotype, so the spectrum of the disorder can vary widely from relatively atypical facial features to multiple systemic symptoms. Here, we summarize the clinical and molecular spectrum, diagnosis and differential diagnosis, long-term management, and care planning of WDSTS to improve the awareness of both pediatricians and clinical geneticists and to promote the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

Molecular signaling in temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis.

Objective: Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) osteoarthritis (OA) is a type of TMJ disorders with clinical symptoms of pain, movement limitation, cartilage degeneration and joint dysfunction. This review article is aiming to summarize recent findings on signaling pathways involved in TMJ OA development and progression. Methods: Most recent findings in TMJ OA studies have been reviewed and cited. Results: TMJ OA is caused by inflammation, abnormal mechanical loading and genetic abnormalities. The molecular mechanisms related to TMJ OA have been determined using different genetic mouse models. Recent studies demonstrated that several signaling pathways are involved in TMJ OA pathology, including Wnt/ß-catenin, TGF-ß and BMP, Indian Hedgehog, FGF, NF-κB, and Notch pathways, which are summarized in this review article. Alterations of these signaling pathways lead to the pathological changes in TMJ tissues, affecting cartilage matrix degradation, catabolic metabolism and chondrocyte apoptosis. Conclusion: Multiple signaling pathways were involved in the pathological process of TMJ OA. New therapeutic strategies, such as stem cell application, gene editing and other techniques may be utilized for TMJ OA treatment. The translational potential of this article: TMJ OA is a most important subtype of TMJ disorders and may lead to substantial joint pain, dysfunction, dental malocclusion, and reduced health-related quality of life. This review article summarized current findings of signaling pathways involved in TMJ OA, including Wnt/ß-catenin, TGF-ß and BMP, Indian Hedgehog, FGF, NF-κB, and Notch pathways, to better understand the pathological mechanisms of TMJ OA and define the molecular targets for TMJ OA treatment.

A Label-Free Electrochemical Impedimetric Immunosensor with Biotinylated-Antibody for SARS-CoV-2 Nucleoprotein Detection in Saliva.

The timely detecting of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus antigens for infection validation is an urgent request for COVID-19 pandemic control. This study constructed label-free electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)-based immunosensors based on gold nanostructured screen-printed carbon electrodes (AuNS/SPCEs) to detect the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein (N-protein) in saliva. Using short-chain 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) as a linker to covalently bond streptavidin (SA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) for controlling the oriented immobilization of the biotinylated anti-N-protein antibody (BioAb) can offer a greater sensitivity, a lower limit of detection (LOD), and better reproducibility of immunosensors (defined as BioAb/SA-BSA/MPA/AuNS/SPCEs) than the antibody randomly immobilized immunosensors and the long-chain 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA)-modified immunosensors (BioAb/SA-BSA/MUA/AuNS/SPCEs). The BioAb/SA-BSA/MPA/AuNS/SPCE-based immunosensors presented good linearity from 0.01 ng/mL to 100 ng/mL and a low LOD of 6 pg/mL in a phosphate buffer solution (PBS) and PBS-diluted saliva. Moreover, the immunosensor exhibited little cross-activity with other viral antigens such as MERS-CoV N-protein, influenza A N-protein, influenza B N-protein, and SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, indicating the high specificity of the immunosensors. The disposable label-free EIS-based immunosensors have promising potential in facilitating the rapid and sensitive tests of saliva-based COVID-19 diagnostics.

Repellence or attraction: secondary metabolites in pepper mediate attraction and defense against Spodoptera litura.

BACKGROUND: Resistance to insect pests is an important self-defense characteristic of pepper plants. However, the resistance of different pepper cultivars to Spodoptera litura larvae, one of the main insect pest species on pepper, is not well understood. RESULTS: Among seven pepper cultivars evaluated, cayenne pepper 'FXBX' showed the highest repellency to third instar S. litura larvae, Chao tian chili pepper 'BLTY2' showed the lowest repellency. Plant volatiles (1-hexene, hexanal, ß-ionone, (E,E)-2,6-nonadienal, and methyl salicylate) affected host selection by S. litura. Among these, 1-hexene, hexanal, and ß-ionone at concentrations naturally-released by pepper leaves were found to repel S. litura. Interestingly, S. litura larvae fed on the larva-attracting pepper cultivar, (BLTY2) had an extended developmental period, which was about 13 days longer than larvae fed on FXBX. Besides, the survival rate of larvae fed on BLTY2 was 22.5 ± 0.0%, indicating that the leaves of BLTY2 can kill S. litura larvae. Correlation analysis showed that larval survival rate, emergence rate, female adult longevity, and pupal weight were positively correlated with the vitamin C, amino acids, protein, cellulose, and soluble sugar contents, but were negatively correlated with wax and flavonoids contents. CONCLUSION: We identified two different modes of direct defense exhibited by pepper cultivars against S. litura. One involves the release of repellent volatiles to avoid been fed on (FXBX cultivar). The other involves the inhibition of the growth and development or the direct killing of S. litura larvae which feeds on it (BLTY2 cultivar). © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Panacis Quinquefolii Radix: A Review of the Botany, Phytochemistry, Quality Control, Pharmacology, Toxicology and Industrial Applications Research Progress.

On January 2, 2020, The National Health Commission and the State Administration for Market Regulation listed Panacis Quinquefolii Radix (PQR) as a medicinal and food homologous product. PQR is the dry root of Panax quinquefolium L., which has the functions of replenishing qi and nourishing Yin, clearing heat and producing body fluid. It is often used for qi deficiency and Yin deficiency, heat exhaustion, asthma and phlegm, dry mouth and pharynx. PQR is sweet, slightly bitter and cool in nature, and enter the heart, lung and kidney meridian exerts the remedial and hygienical effect. At present, active components such as saponins, flavonoids, fatty acids, polyalkynes, volatile oils and other nutrients such as amino acids, carbohydrates, vitamins and trace elements have been isolated from PQR. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that PQR has the effects of hypoglycemic, antihypertensive, anti fatigue, anti-oxidation, anti-tumor, immunomodulatory, neuroprotective and so on. In addition, PQR is recognized as a health care product to strengthen the body and dispel diseases. It is not only the raw material of Traditional Chinese medicine preparations, but also the treasure of dietary therapy and herbal cuisine. This study not only reviewed the botany, phytochemistry and pharmacology of PQR, but also summarized its quality control, toxicity and industrial applications for the first time. This paper not only summarizes the development status of PQR, but also analyzes the shortcomings of the current research on PQR, and puts forward the corresponding solutions, in order to provide reference for future scholars to study PQR.

Multifunctional Antibacterial Materials Comprising Water Dispersible Random Copolymers Containing a Fluorinated Block and Their Application in Catheters.

Inhibiting the attachment of bacteria and the formation of biofilms on surfaces of materials and devices is the key to ensure public safety and is also the focus of attention and research. Here we report on the synthesis of multifunctional antibacterial materials based on water dispersible random copolymers containing a fluorinated block, poly(acrylic acid-co-1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorododecyl acrylate) (PAA-co-PFDA), and poly(hexamethylene biguanide) hydrochloride (PHMB). PAA-co-PFDA copolymers were synthesized through a simple free radical polymerization. After lightly cross-linking of PAA-co-PFDA and complexation with PHMB, multifunctional antibacterial PAA-co-PFDA/PHMB complex nanoparticles were generated, which can form transparent coatings on various substrates. The resultant coating has aggregation-induced emission character which can be used to observe the uniformity of the coating on a catheter and has a potential application as a fluorescence probe. It has been demonstrated that the PAA-co-PFDA/PHMB complex nanoparticle coatings can resist bacterial adhesion in physiological environment and exhibit excellent antibacterial activity in infection environment. In vitro and in vivo experiments indicated that the PAA-co-PFDA/PHMB complex nanoparticle coated catheters exhibited excellent antibacterial activity and possessed good biocompatibility. This method is simple and scalable, which is important for future commercialization. The attractive multifunctional properties of the PAA-co-PFDA/PHMB complex nanoparticles, such as antifouling, antimicrobial, emission, and pH-responsive release character, have great potential application in a wide range of biomedical fields.