New Perylene-Based Chemiluminescent Polymer Nanoparticles for Highly Selective Detection of the Superoxide Anion In Vivo.

The superoxide anion (O2•-) is one of the primary reactive oxygen species in biological systems. Developing a determination system for O2•- in vivo has attracted much attention thanks to its complex biological function. Herein, we proposed a new perylene-based chemiluminescence (CL) probe, the SH-PDI polymer, which was capable of generating strong CL signals with O2•- in comparison with other ROS. The CL mechanism involved was proposed to be a kind of oxidation reaction induced by the breakage of the S-S and S-H bonds into sulfoxide bonds by O2•-. Subsequently, a nanoprecipitation method was introduced, using cumene-terminated poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride) as the amphiphilic agent, to obtain water-soluble nanoparticles, SPPS NPs, which exhibited not only stronger CL intensity but also higher selectivity toward O2•- than the SH-PDI polymer. Moreover, the CL wavelength of the SPPS-O2•- system was found to be located at 580 and 710 nm, which was conducive to CL imaging. By virtue of these advantages, SPPS NPs were utilized to evaluate the O2•- level in vitro in the range of 0.25-60 µM at pH 7.0, with a detection limit of 8.2 × 10-8 M (S/N = 3). Moreover, SPPS NPs were also capable of imaging O2•- in an LPS-induced acute inflammation mice model and drug-induced acute kidney injury (AKI).

Cataluminescence System Coupled with Vacuum Desorption-Sampling Methodology for Real-Time Ozone Sensing during the Self-Decomposition Process on Functional Boron Nitride.

The treatment and detection of ozone have been widely studied in recent decades with respect to toxicity and contamination, while the measurement method of ozone is relatively toneless. Fortunately, a new concept of the cataluminescence (CTL) sensor provides a scheme of real-time ozone sensing in a tiny system. Here, a novel CTL sensor system was specially developed with silica-hydroxyl functional boron nitride as the sensing material for rapid and sensitive ozone detection. Coupled with the construction of a pulse vacuum static sampling system, ozone on the surface of sensing material can be desorbed rapidly and can step into the next detection circulation in a few seconds. Based on the strong emission initiated by the transient of reactive oxygen species (ROS) including singlet oxygen, a trioxide group, and an oxygen radical, the detection limit of ozone could be optimized to be as low as 51.2 ppb. Besides, the sensor system exhibited remarkable anti-interference performance in which humidity changes and common VOCs do not disturb or weakly disturb ozone sensing, and the CTL mechanism of the multistep degradation process was further discussed on the basis of multiple pieces of experimental evidence and a DFT transient calculation. A real-time degradation-sensing module was further attached to the system to realize the functions of ozone decomposition and real-time monitoring.

Effects of allogenous periosteal-derived cells transfected with adenovirus-mediated BMP-2 on repairing defects of the mandible in rabbits.

PURPOSE: This report describes the effect of periosteal-derived cells transfected with adenovirus-mediated bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) on the repair of mandibular defects in rabbits. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Periosteal-derived cells were transfected with a replication-defective adenoviral vector encoding BMP-2, and the expression of BMP-2 was examined in transfected cells using in situ hybridization and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In addition, the proliferation ability and activity of alkaline phosphatase of transfected cells were examined using the 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-Yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide method and enzymology, respectively. In vitro critical-size defects (about 10 × 6 mm) were made bilaterally in each rabbit mandible, and individual sites were implanted with tissue-engineered bone modified with an adenovirus construct encoding the recombinant human BMP-2 gene (Ad-BMP-2), tissue-engineered bone without modification, single bioactive glass ceramic, or no implants (control). New bone formation was evaluated by histochemical stain. RESULTS: BMP-2 expression in the supernate of infected cells was detected from the first day after Ad-BMP-2 transfection and remained at a high level for at least 2 weeks. Alkaline phosphatase expression in transfected cells was significantly greater than in uninfected cells. The group of Ad-BMP-2-modified periosteal-derived cells formed more new bone than the other group at any time point. CONCLUSION: Gene-modified tissue-engineered bone grafts have greater osteogenic potential than single tissue-engineered bone and single bioactive glass ceramic graft. Ex vivo Ad-BMP-2 transfer to periosteal-derived cells can increase bone formation in critical-size bone defects. Further studies are needed to determine if modified engineered cells can be developed for safe and effective clinical applications.

[Preparation and application of graphene oxide functionalized melamine-formaldehyde aerogel coated solid-phase microextraction tube].

Many solid-phase microextraction (SPME) sorbents have been developed from aerogels because of their low densities, large surface areas, and high porosities. Melamine-formaldehyde (MF) aerogel, made from melamine and formaldehyde by a sol-gel reaction, is one of the typical organic aerogels. MF aerogel has better mechanical strength, chemical stability and extraction performance than inorganic aerogels. The performance of the aerogel is limited in some fields, while composite aerogels can meet different requirements such as good mechanical strength and strong adsorption performance. Graphene oxide (GO) is a two-dimensional nanomaterial composed of a single layer of carbon atoms and provides π-π interaction by a large π-electron. In addition, the oxygen-containing groups at the edge of the lamellar structure improve the hydrophilicity of the material and can interact with various compounds. To improve the extraction performance of MF aerogel for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), GO/MF aerogels were prepared by functionalizing MF aerogel with GO. In this study, 1.2612 g of melamine and 80 mg of sodium carbonate were dissolved in 30 mL of water, and the mixture was heated to 80 ℃ under stirring. Then, 2.8 mL formaldehyde solution (37%) was slowly added, and a clear solution was obtained gradually. Next, 50 mg of GO powder was ultrasonically dispersed in 10.0 mL of water and evenly mixed with the above solution. After adjusting the pH to 1.5, the sol-gel process was performed for 48 h, then the gel was aged at room temperature for 24 h. The gel was then soaked in ethanol, acetone, and cyclohexane in turn to replace the solvent. Finally, the GO/MF aerogel was obtained by freeze-drying for 24 h. The GO/MF aerogel was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectric spectroscopy (XPS), confirming that GO was successfully introduced into MF aerogel, while retaining its three-dimensional network and porous structure. GO/MF aerogel was coated onto the surface of a stainless steel wire to be used as sorbent. Four such wires were placed into a polyetheretherketone (PEEK) tube (0.75 mm i. d., 30 cm length) for in-tube (IT) SPME. The tube was combined with a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) unit to construct an IT-SPME-HPLC online system. When the six-way valve was in the Load state, sample solution achieved online enrichment with analytes while it flowed through the extraction tube. After extraction, the valve was turned to the Inject state, and the analytes were eluted into the chromatographic column by the mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min for separation and detection with the detector. Under the same extraction conditions (sampling volume=30 mL, sampling rate=1.00 mL/min, and concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs, viz. naphthalene (Nap), acenaphthylene (Acy), acenaphthene (Ace), fluorine (Flu), phenanthrene (Phe), anthracene (Ant), fluoranthene (Fla) and pyrene (Pyr))=5.00 µg/L), GO/MF aerogel-based tube was compared with that of MF aerogel-based tube. GO enhanced the enrichment efficiency of MF aerogel towards PAHs from 1.1 to 2.5 times, due to the increased number of adsorption sites and enhanced π-π interaction with PAHs. IT-SPME was affected by the sampling volume, sampling rate, concentration of organic solvent in sample, desorption solvent, desorption rate, and desorption time. To obtain accurate results, the main extraction and desorption conditions (sampling volume, sampling rate, organic solvent concentration, desorption time) were investigated carefully. As the sampling volume in the extraction tube was increased, the extraction efficiency was found to increase gradually until saturation. In this study, the extraction efficiency was investigated for sampling volumes ranging from 30 to 80 mL, and 70 mL was selected as a suitable sampling volume to achieve satisfactory extraction efficiency. The sampling rate affects not only the extraction efficiency, but also the extraction time. When the sample flows through the extraction tube at a low rate, it requires a long test time. Although the increase in sampling rate reduces the extraction time, it often decreases extraction efficiency. In addition, large sampling rate leads to high pressure in the tube, which in turn reduces the service life of the tube. Therefore, the effect of sampling rate (1.25-2.50 mL/min) on extraction efficiency was investigated, and good extraction efficiency and short test time were achieved when the sampling rate was 2 mL/min. High hydrophobic PAHs have poor solubility in water. An appropriate amount of organic solvent in the sample solution can improve the solubility of PAHs to obtain accurate analytical results. However, the extraction efficiency was affected by the added organic solvent. Thus, the effect of volume fraction of methanol (0, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 3%, and 5%, v/v) on the extraction efficiency was investigated. The sample solution without methanol afforded better extraction efficiency and satisfactory repeatability. After online extraction, the desorption directly affects the desorption efficiency. The peak areas of the eight PAHs were investigated with different desorption times (0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0, and 2.0 min), and a desorption time of 2.0 min was required to fully desorb all analytes and reduce their residuals. The IT-SPME-HPLC-DAD method was established under the optimized conditions, and the limits of detection (LODs), linear equations, linear ranges, and correlation coefficients were obtained. The LODs of the eight PAHs were in the range of 0.001-0.005 µg/L, the quantitative ranges of the analytes were 0.003-15.0 µg/L for Fla and Pyr, 0.010-20.0 µg/L for Phe and Ant, and 0.017-20.0 µg/L for Nap, Acy, Ace and Flu, the enrichment factors were in the range of 2029-2875, and the analytical precision was satisfactory (intra-day RSD%≤4.8%, and inter-day RSD≤8.6%). Compared with some reported methods, the method reported herein provided higher sensitivity, wider linear range, and shorter test time. This method was applied to the detection of PAHs in common drinking water, including bottled mineral water and water from drinking fountain. The satisfactory recovery (76.3%-132.8%) obtained proves that the method is suitable for the determination of trace PAHs in real water samples, with high sensitivity, rapid testing, online detection, and good accuracy. The extraction tube also exhibited satisfactory durability and chemical stability.

Polyaniline/titanium dioxide nanorods functionalized carbon fibers for in-tube solid-phase microextraction of phthalate esters prior to high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection.

To improve extraction performance of carbon fibers (CFs) towards phthalate esters (PAEs), titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanorods array was in-situ grown on the surface of CFs, then polyaniline (PANI) was used to modify it. PANI/TiO2 nanorods-CFs were placed into a polyetheretherketone tube for solid-phase microextraction (SPME). Combining the tube to high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), it was evaluated and displayed good extraction performance for several PAEs. Compared with bare CFs, TiO2 nanorods and PANI, PANI/TiO2 nanorods presented best performance, attributed to the unique advantages between high surface area of TiO2 nanorods and multiple adsorption interactions (like π-π stacking, hydrogen bond) of PANI. After the optimization of the important factors (sampling volume, sampling rate, sample pH, concentrations of organic solvent and salt in sample, and desorption time), the online in-tube SPME-HPLC method was established. It provided low limits of detection (0.01-0.05 µg L-1) and wide linear ranges (0.03-30, 0.10-30, 0.17-30 µg L-1) with correlation coefficients larger than 0.9991. The relative standard deviations (n=6) between intra-day and inter-day tests were in the ranges of 3.5-10.3% and 4.7-13.9%, respectively. The method was successfully used to determine seven PAEs in real water samples. Besides of satisfactory durability, the material also exhibited superior extraction performance than some materials.

Effect of oral plaque control on postoperative pneumonia following lung cancer surgery.

BACKGROUND: There have been few studies on the relationship between oral status and postoperative pneumonia (POP) in patients with lung cancer, and whether improving their oral condition assists with a lower incidence of POP before lung cancer surgery remains controversial. This retrospective study was conducted by a stomatologist to assess the effect of controlling oral pathogenic bacteria of patients with lung cancer to prevent POP. METHODS: A total of 235 patients with lung cancer who underwent lobectomy by open thoracotomy between July 2015 and December 2018 were selected and given the choice of being in the experimental or control group. A total of 122 participants in the experimental group received professional oral plaque control, and 113 participants in the control group did not receive plaque control. All clinical data of participants in both groups were retrospectively studied to determine the incidence of POP at the thirtieth day of discharge from hospital. RESULTS: Eight in the experimental group and six in the control group were excluded from the study. It was found that four of 114 patients suffered from POP in the experimental group (incidence = 3.51%). A total of 17 of 107 patients in the control group had pulmonary infection (incidence = 15.89%). Odds ratio was 0.19. The incidence of POP in the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Professional oral plaque control is associated with a lower incidence of POP following lung cancer surgery and is therefore a favorable factor for preventing POP, and should be carried out before the surgical treatment of lung cancer. KEY POINTS: Professional oral plaque control was associated with a lower incidence of POP following lung cancer surgery, and it is recommended this should be carried out before the surgical treatment of lung cancer.

Posterior lamellar eyelid reconstruction with acellular dermis allograft in severe cicatricial entropion.

Severe cicatricial entropion is a serious condition, which may threaten the vision of the affected patient. To date, surgical repair of this condition has been difficult and associated with a high degree of failure. From February 2005 to February 2006, a prospective cohort study was conducted in which 14 patients with severe cicatricial entropion were recruited. Lengthening of the posterior lamella of the eyelid with acellular dermis allograft (ReDerm, Jieya company, Beijing, PR China) was performed followed by use of therapeutic contact lenses at the end of surgery. The patients were followed up regularly and were assessed for structural integrity, upper marginal reflex distance (U-MRD), vertical palpebral aperture, and lagophthalmos. The mean follow-up time was 18 months. Acellular dermis was effective in reducing the palpebral aperture (P = 0.002), lagophthalmos (P = 0.016), and lengthening the upper eyelid height by reducing U-MRD (P = 0.008). However, there were 2 cases of recurrence because of the shrinkage of graft (70%) and 3 cases of conjunctival granulomas postoperatively. Final outcome was good in 14 of 16 eyelids. We have found that acellular dermis grafting with insertion of therapeutic contact lenses is an effective and simple measure for rectifying severe cicatricial entropion both structurally and functionally.

Insect Analogue to the Lotus Leaf: A Planthopper Wing Membrane Incorporating a Low-Adhesion, Nonwetting, Superhydrophobic, Bactericidal, and Biocompatible Surface.

Nature has produced many intriguing and spectacular surfaces at the micro- and nanoscales. These small surface decorations act for a singular or, in most cases, a range of functions. The minute landscape found on the lotus leaf is one such example, displaying antiwetting behavior and low adhesion with foreign particulate matter. Indeed the lotus leaf has often been considered the "benchmark" for such properties. One could expect that there are animal counterparts of this self-drying and self-cleaning surface system. In this study, we show that the planthopper insect wing (Desudaba danae) exhibits a remarkable architectural similarity to the lotus leaf surface. Not only does the wing demonstrate a topographical likeness, but some surface properties are also expressed, such as nonwetting behavior and low adhering forces with contaminants. In addition, the insect-wing cuticle exhibits an antibacterial property in which Gram-negative bacteria (Porphyromonas gingivalis) are killed over many consecutive waves of attacks over 7 days. In contrast, eukaryote cell associations, upon contact with the insect membrane, lead to a formation of integrated cell sheets (e.g., among human stem cells (SHED-MSC) and human dermal fibroblasts (HDF)). The multifunctional features of the insect membrane provide a potential natural template for man-made applications in which specific control of liquid, solid, and biological contacts is desired and required. Moreover, the planthopper wing cuticle provides a "new" natural surface with which numerous interfacial properties can be explored for a range of comparative studies with both natural and man-made materials.