A Flexible and Stretchable MXene/Waterborne Polyurethane Composite-Coated Fiber Strain Sensor for Wearable Motion and Healthcare Monitoring.

Fiber-based flexible sensors have promising application potential in human motion and healthcare monitoring, owing to their merits of being lightweight, flexible, and easy to process. Now, high-performance elastic fiber-based strain sensors with high sensitivity, a large working range, and excellent durability are in great demand. Herein, we have easily and quickly prepared a highly sensitive and durable fiber-based strain sensor by dip coating a highly stretchable polyurethane (PU) elastic fiber in an MXene/waterborne polyurethane (WPU) dispersion solution. Benefiting from the electrostatic repulsion force between the negatively charged WPU and MXene sheets in the mixed solution, very homogeneous and stable MXene/WPU dispersion was successfully obtained, and the interconnected conducting networks were correspondingly formed in a coated MXene/WPU shell layer, which makes the as-prepared strain sensor exhibit a gauge factor of over 960, a large sensing range of over 90%, and a detection limit as low as 0.5% strain. As elastic fiber and mixed solution have the same polymer constitute, and tight bonding of the MXene/WPU conductive composite on PU fibers was achieved, enabling the as-prepared strain sensor to endure over 2500 stretching-releasing cycles and thus show good durability. Full-scale human motion detection was also performed by the strain sensor, and a body posture monitoring, analysis, and correction prototype system were developed via embedding the fiber-based strain sensors into sweaters, strongly indicating great application prospects in exercise, sports, and healthcare.

Atropisomeric 9,10-dihydrophenanthrene/bibenzyl trimers with anti-inflammatory and PTP1B inhibitory activities from Bletilla striata.

Two pairs of novel trimeric dihydrophenanthrene-bibenzyl-dihydrophenanthrene enantiomers (1 and2), the first examples of a dihydrophenanthrene dimer linked to a bibenzyl or dihydrophenanthrene through a C-O-C bond (3 and4), and a pair of rare polymers with a bibenzyl connected to C-8' of the dihydrophenanthro[b]furan moiety via a methylene (5), together with four known compounds (6-9) were isolated from the tubers of Bletilla striata. Their structures including the absolute configurations were determined using spectroscopic data analysis and ECD and NMR calculations, combined with the exciton chirality method or the reversed helicity rule. The atropisomerism of dihydrophenanthrenes and related polymers was considered based on their chiral optical properties, and QM torsion profile calculations, which revealed the racemic mixture form of the polymers. Compounds 4, 5b, 6a and 7b significantly inhibited the production of NO in LPS-induced BV-2 cells, with IC50 values ranging from 0.78 to 5.52 µM. Further mechanistic study revealed that 7b suppressed the expression of iNOS, and suppressed the phosphorylation of the p65 subunit to regulate the NF-κB signaling pathway. Furthermore, compounds 2b, 5a, 5b, 7a and 7b displayed significant protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) inhibitory activities with IC50 values of 3.43-12.30 µM.

Prediction of heterogeneous Fenton process in treatment of melanoidin-containing wastewater using data-based models.

Predictive capability of response surface methodology (RSM) and ant colony optimization combined with support vector regression (ACO-SVR) models are applied for determining optimal parameters in the process of heterogeneous Fenton oxidation of melanoidin, a high molecular weight polymer widely produced during fermentation processes generating large quantities of wastewater with intense brown color and extremely high chemical oxygen demand (COD). Prediction of the performance of nano zero-valent iron supported on activated carbon cloth-chitosan (ACC-CH-nZVI) catalysts was carried out using Box-Behnken design (BBD) and analysis of variance to evaluate the interaction of independent variables involved in heterogeneous Fenton reaction. The optimized condition with minimal consumption of H2O2 (173 mM) resulted in 77.1% decolorization of melanoidin-contaminated water corresponding to 74.4% COD removal at pH 3 (600 mg/l Fe dosage) for 90 min reaction time. The corresponding weight ratio of H2O2 to COD was 0.98, much lower than the stoichiometric value 2.125, indicating the effectiveness of ACC-CH-nZVI as a heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst. In comparison to previously published experimental results, ACO-SVR model shows higher coefficient of determination (R2; 0.9983) but lower root mean squared error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) than those of RSM model, indicating relative superiority in prediction capability. Besides, ACO algorithm appears to be a promising tool for improving forecasting accuracy of SVR model. This work demonstrates the applicability of ACO-SVR model in predicting the performance of wastewater treatment using Fenton process with limited number of experiment and exhibits satisfactory prediction results.

What are the Effects of Age and Presence of Third Molars on the Occurrence of Unfavorable Splits During Sagittal Split Osteotomy?

PURPOSE: Several studies have investigated risk factors of unfavorable splits associated with sagittal split osteotomies but yielded conflicting information. The purpose of this study is to estimate the frequency of and identify factors associated with unfavorable splits during sagittal split osteotomies (SSOs). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on patients who underwent orthognathic surgery, including SSOs at our institution from January 2010 to October 2016. The independent variables were mandibular third molar (M3) status, age, gender, and preoperative dentofacial diagnosis. The outcome variable was the effectiveness of the sagittal split resulting in either favorable or an unfavorable split. Data analyses were performed using logistic regression models except in the case of small sample sizes of preoperative dentofacial diagnoses for which the Fisher's exact test was used. RESULTS: A total of 888 patients with an average age of 24.97 ± 5.09 years underwent 1,776 SSOs. Sixteen (0.90%) unilateral unfavorable splits occurred. Unfavorable splits were less common in patients with an M3 present than in patients with the M3 absent. Having an M3 present reduced the chance of an unfavorable split by 69%, adjusted for age and gender; OR (95% CI) = 0.308 (0.103, 0.919); P = .035. The odds of having an unfavorable split were increased by 8.8% for every year of age increase; adjusted OR (95% CI) = 1.088 (1.004, 1.178); P = .038. Based on this estimation, a 45-year-old is 2.3 times more likely to have an unfavorable split compared to a 35-year-old (95% CI:1.041, 5.146), and is 5.4 times more likely to have an unfavorable split compared to a 25-year-old (95% CI:1.083, 26.48). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of a mandibular third molar (M3) was associated with a decreased risk of an unfavorable split, independent of age and gender. There was a significant association between increased age and the incidence of an unfavorable split.

Chitosan Nanocomposite Coatings Containing Chemically Resistant ZnO-SnOx Core-shell Nanoparticles for Photocatalytic Antifouling.

Functional nanocomposites with biopolymers and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles is an emerging application of photocatalysis in antifouling coatings. The reduced chemical stability of ZnO in the acidic media in which chitosan is soluble affects the performance of chitosan nanocomposites in antifouling applications. In this study, a thin shell of amorphous tin dioxide (SnOx) was grown on the surface of ZnO to form ZnO-SnOx core-shell nanoparticles that improved the chemical stability of the photocatalyst nanoparticles, as examined at pH 3 and 6. The photocatalytic activity of ZnO-SnOx in the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye under visible light showed a higher efficiency than that of ZnO nanoparticles due to the passivation of electronic defects. Chitosan-based antifouling coatings with varying percentages of ZnO or ZnO-SnOx nanoparticles, with or without the glutaraldehyde (GA) crosslinking of chitosan, were developed and studied. The incorporation of photocatalysts into the chitosan matrix enhanced the thermal stability of the coatings. Through a mesocosm study using running natural seawater, it was found that chitosan/ZnO-SnOx/GA coatings enabled better inhibition of bacterial growth compared to chitosan coatings alone. This study demonstrates the antifouling potential of chitosan nanocomposite coatings containing core-shell nanoparticles as an effective solution for the prevention of biofouling.

Processive Degradation of Crystalline Cellulose by a Multimodular Endoglucanase via a Wirewalking Mode.

Processive hydrolysis of crystalline cellulose by cellulases is a critical step for lignocellulose deconstruction. The classic Trichoderma reesei exoglucanase TrCel7A, which has a closed active-site tunnel, starts each processive run by threading the tunnel with a cellulose chain. Loop regions are necessary for tunnel conformation, resulting in weak thermostability of fungal exoglucanases. However, endoglucanase CcCel9A, from the thermophilic bacterium Clostridium cellulosi, comprises a glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 9 module with an open cleft and five carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs) and hydrolyzes crystalline cellulose processively. How CcCel9A and other similar GH9 enzymes bind to the smooth surface of crystalline cellulose to achieve processivity is still unknown. Our results demonstrate that the C-terminal CBM3b and three CBMX2s enhance productive adsorption to cellulose, while the CBM3c adjacent to the GH9 is tightly bound to 11 glucosyl units, thereby extending the catalytic cleft to 17 subsites, which facilitates decrystallization by forming a supramodular binding surface. In the open cleft, the strong interaction forces between substrate-binding subsites and glucosyl rings enable cleavage of the hydrogen bonds and extraction of a single cellulose chain. In addition, subsite -4 is capable of drawing the chain to its favored location. Cellotetraose is released from the open cleft as the initial product to achieve high processivity, which is further hydrolyzed to cellotriose, cellobiose and glucose by the catalytic cleft of the endoglucanase. On this basis, we propose a wirewalking mode for processive degradation of crystalline cellulose by an endoglucanase, which provides insights for rational design of industrial cellulases.

Biodistribution of biodegradable polymeric nano-carriers loaded with busulphan and designed for multimodal imaging.

BACKGROUND: Multifunctional nanocarriers for controlled drug delivery, imaging of disease development and follow-up of treatment efficacy are promising novel tools for disease diagnosis and treatment. In the current investigation, we present a multifunctional theranostic nanocarrier system for anticancer drug delivery and molecular imaging. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) as an MRI contrast agent and busulphan as a model for lipophilic antineoplastic drugs were encapsulated into poly (ethylene glycol)-co-poly (caprolactone) (PEG-PCL) micelles via the emulsion-evaporation method, and PEG-PCL was labelled with VivoTag 680XL fluorochrome for in vivo fluorescence imaging. RESULTS: Busulphan entrapment efficiency was 83% while the drug release showed a sustained pattern over 10 h. SPION loaded-PEG-PCL micelles showed contrast enhancement in T 2 *-weighted MRI with high r 2* relaxivity. In vitro cellular uptake of PEG-PCL micelles labeled with fluorescein in J774A cells was found to be time-dependent. The maximum uptake was observed after 24 h of incubation. The biodistribution of PEG-PCL micelles functionalized with VivoTag 680XL was investigated in Balb/c mice over 48 h using in vivo fluorescence imaging. The results of real-time live imaging were then confirmed by ex vivo organ imaging and histological examination. Generally, PEG-PCL micelles were highly distributed into the lungs during the first 4 h post intravenous administration, then redistributed and accumulated in liver and spleen until 48 h post administration. No pathological impairment was found in the major organs studied. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, with loaded contrast agent and conjugated fluorochrome, PEG-PCL micelles as biodegradable and biocompatible nanocarriers are efficient multimodal imaging agents, offering high drug loading capacity, and sustained drug release. These might offer high treatment efficacy and real-time tracking of the drug delivery system in vivo, which is crucial for designing of an efficient drug delivery system.

The bifunctional liposomes constructed by poly(2-ethyl-oxazoline)-cholesteryl methyl carbonate: an effectual approach to enhance liposomal circulation time, pH-sensitivity and endosomal escape.

PURPOSE: A novel bifunctional liposome with long-circulating and pH-sensitive properties was constructed using poly(2-ethyl-oxazoline)-cholesteryl methyl carbonate (PEtOz-CHMC) in this study. METHODS: PEtOz-CHMC was synthesized and characterized by TLC, IR and (1)H-NMR. The obtained PEtOz lipid was inserted into liposomes by the post-insertion method. Through a series of experiments, such as drug release, tumor cell uptake, cytotoxicity, calcium-induced aggregation, pharmacokinetic experiments, etc., the pH-sensitive and long-circulating properties of PEtOzylated liposomes was identified. RESULTS: PEtOz-CHMC modified liposomes (PEtOz-L) showed increased calcein release at low pH. Flow cytometric analysis results showed that the fusion and cellular uptake of PEtOz-L could be promoted significantly at pH 6.4 compared with those at pH 7.4. Confocal laser scanning microscope observations revealed that PEtOz-L could respond to low endosomal pH and directly released the fluorescent tracer into the cytoplasm. MTT assays in HeLa cells demonstrated that doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) loaded PEtOz-L exhibited stronger anti-tumor activity in a medium at pH 6.4 than in a medium pH 7.4. PEtOz-L remained stable when these liposomes were incubated in calcium chloride solution. The cumulative calcein release rate of PEtOz-L was significantly lower than that of CL when the liposomes were dialysed in PBS. The pharmacokinetic experiments of liposomes in rats showed that t 1/2 and AUC of PEtOz-L were 4.13 times and 4.71 times higher than those of CL. CONCLUSIONS: PEtOzylated liposomes exhibits excellent long-circulating and pH-sensitive properties. Our results suggest that PEtOz is a promising biomaterial for the modification of liposome in drug delivery.

Magnetic conjugated microporous polymer for rapid extraction and sensitive analysis of environmental endocrine disruptors in environmental waters and dairy products.

BACKGROUND: Environmental endocrine disruptors (EEDs) are a class of new pollutants that are diffusely used in the medical industry and animal husbandry. In view of toxicity concerns, elevated levels of EEDs in the environment and food, which cause potential harm to human beings and ecosystems, must be monitored. Determination of EEDs contaminants to ensure environment and food safety has became a major concern worldwide, it is also a challenging task because of their trace level and probable matrices interference. Thus, developing rapid adsorption and efficient analysis methods for EEDs is apparently necessary. RESULTS: A magnetic conjugated micro-porous polymer (Fe3O4@TbDt) was designed and synthesized, which was endowed with large specific surface area, rich functional groups and magnetic responsiveness. The material showed high extraction efficiency for EEDs via magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE). The quantum chemistry calculations showed the adsorption mechanism of Fe3O4@TbDt on EEDs mainly included electrostatic interactions, van der waals forces (N-H … π interaction, C-H … π interaction), and multiple hydrogen bonds. Finally, a trace analysis method for nine EEDs was established combined with HPLC-MS/MS under optimized MSPE conditions. The method showed a good linearity (R2 ≥ 0.996), low limits of detection (0.25-5.1 ng L-1), high precision (RSD of 1.1-8.2 %, n = 6). The applicability of this method was investigated by analyzing four water samples and two dairy products, and satisfactory recovery rates (82.1-100.7 %) were obtained. The proposed method showed the potential for the analysis of EEDs residues in food and environmental samples. SIGNIFICANCE: The developed MSPE method based on conjugated micro-porous polymers (CMPs) is simple, green, and efficient compared to existing techniques. The application of CMPs provides a new idea for preparing versatile sample pre-treatment materials. What's more, this work has certain reference value for addressing of EEDs residues in the environment and food.

Intravascular Ultrasound vs Angiography-Guided Drug-Coated Balloon Angioplasty: The ULTIMATE â ¢ Trial.

BACKGROUND: Drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty seems a safe and effective option for specific de novo coronary lesions. However, the beneficial effect of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided DCB angioplasty in de novo lesions remains uncertain. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the benefits of IVUS guidance over angiography guidance during DCB angioplasty in de novo coronary lesions. METHODS: A total of 260 patients with high bleeding risk who had a de novo coronary lesion (reference vessel diameter 2.0-4.0 mm, and lesion length ≤15 mm) were randomly assigned to either an IVUS-guided or an angioplasty-guided DCB angioplasty group. The primary endpoint was in-segment late lumen loss (LLL) at 7 months after procedure. The secondary endpoint was target vessel failure at 6 months. RESULTS: A total of 2 patients in the angiography-guided group and 7 patients in the IVUS-guided group underwent bailout stent implantation (P = 0.172). The primary endpoint of 7-month LLL was 0.03 ± 0.52 mm with angiography guidance vs -0.10 ± 0.34 mm with IVUS guidance (mean difference 0.14 mm; 95% CI: 0.02-0.26; P = 0.025). IVUS guidance was also associated with a larger 7-month minimal lumen diameter (2.06 ± 0.62 mm vs 1.75 ± 0.63 mm; P < 0.001) and a smaller diameter stenosis (28.15% ± 13.88% vs 35.83% ± 17.69%; P = 0.001) compared with angiography guidance. Five target vessel failures occurred at 6 months, with 4 (3.1%) in the angiography-guided group and 1 (0.8%) in the IVUS-guided group (P = 0.370). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that IVUS-guided DCB angioplasty is associated with a lower LLL in patients with a de novo coronary lesion compared with angiography guidance. (Intravascular Ultrasound Versus Angiography Guided Drug-Coated Balloon [ULTIMATE-III]; NCT04255043).

Room-temperature synthesis of nitrogen-rich conjugated microporous polymers for solid-phase extraction of trace synthetic musks.

This study synthesized a conjugated microporous polymer (CMP) at room temperature, which has high surface area, large conjugate system, and nitrogen-rich features. The material was explored as a solid-phase extraction (SPE) column, and it showed a higher extraction efficiency for nitro-musks compared to most commercial columns. Under optimal SPE conditions, a sensitive and efficient method for determining five nitro-musks was established based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The method showed excellent linearity (R2 ≥ 0.996), low limits of detection (0.13-0.57 ng·L-1), good repeatability (1.1-4.0 %, n = 6) and was applied to the detection of trace nitro-musks in water and milk samples. The mechanism was further discussed combined with a simulation calculation. The advantages of the proposed method were mainly reflected in the extraction efficiency and sensitivity, which also indicated the potential of CMPs as a sample pretreatment material.

Copper-catalyzed Huisgen and oxidative Huisgen coupling reactions controlled by polysiloxane-supported amines (AFPs) for the divergent synthesis of triazoles and bistriazoles.

An interesting example of a divergent catalysis with a copper(I) and amine-functional macromolecular polysiloxanes system was successfully presented in click chemistry. In this manuscript, we demonstrate the remarkable ability of the secondary amine-functional polysiloxane to induce oxidative coupling in the copper-mediated Huisgen reactions of azides and alkynes, thereby achieving good yields and selectivities. The click reactions mediated by a polysiloxane-supported secondary amine allow the preparation of novel heterocyclic compounds, that is, bistriazoles. Comparably, it is also surprising that the use of a diamine-functional polysiloxane as ligand led to a classic Huisgen [3+2] cycloaddition in excellent yields. From the results of the present amine-functional polysiloxanes-controlled Huisgen reaction or oxidative Huisgen coupling reaction to divergent products and the proposed mechanism, we suggested that the mononuclear bistriazole-copper complex stabilized and dispersed by the secondary amine-functional polysiloxane was beneficial to prevalent the way to oxidative coupling.

Angioscopy study from a large patient population comparing sirolimus-eluting stent with biodegradable versus durable polymer.

AIMS: This study aimed to compare the neointimal coverage (NIC), subclinical thrombus, color of plaque underneath the stent at 9-month after implantation of sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) either with durable or with biodegradable polymer (BDPM). METHODS: A total of 175 patients were assigned as Cypher (n = 81, 97 stents with durable polymer) and Excel (n = 94, 112 stents with BDPM) stent at 9-month after indexed procedure. NIC was classified from grade 0-3. Color of plaque was divided into white, light-yellow, yellow, and dark yellow. Thrombus was diagnosed as white or red material with cotton-like or ragged appearance. Incomplete NIC (grade 0/1) circled by a blush was termed by "inflaming." RESULTS: There were significant differences in unstable angina (90.5 vs. 52.4%, P = 0.015), previous myocardial infarction (33.3 vs. 4.0%, P = 0.045) and left ventricular eject fraction (55.2 ± 7.8 vs. 62.6 ± 6.3%, P = 0.021) between the Excel and Cypher groups. The minimal- and maximal-NIC grades in the Cypher group were 0.67 ± 0.58 and 2.29 ± 0.46, respectively, when compared with 1.45 ± 0.67 (P < 0.001) and 2.64 ± 0.49 (P = 0.023) in the Excel group. The percentage of yellow plaque, thrombus, "inflaming" and NIC grade of 0 in the Excel and Cypher groups, respectively, were as follows: 8.0 vs. 26.8% (P = 0.031), 9.8 vs. 32.9% (P = 0.024), 8.0 vs. 38.1% (P = 0.017), and 38.1 vs. 0% (P < 0.001). Of the stents with "inflaming," 63.6% had thrombus when compared with 20.1% of the non-erosion stents (P < 0.001). Overlapping segments had the lowest NIC grades and more "inflaming" demonstrating a significant difference between Cypher vs. Excel stents. NIC grade was positively correlated with thrombus. CONCLUSIONS: SES with BDPM has improved NIC resulting in less yellow plaque, thrombus, and "inflaming." Overlapping segments had the lowest NIC grade and more "inflaming."

Berberine coated biocomposite hemostatic film based alginate as absorbable biomaterial for wound healing.

In wound treatment, severe bleeding and infection are always primary challenges. Therefore, it is highly desired to develop novel dressing with both hemostatic and antibacterial capability. Herein, a series of biocomposite hemostatic films (BHFs) based alginate/chitosan/collagen-berberine have been prepared and well characterized for further biofunctional study. We have demonstrated that the hemostatic and antibacterial activities were significantly enhanced by calcium/berberine dual-crosslinking system in the film. Through the synergistic effects, BHF-6B exhibited a shorter in vivo clotting and wound healing time than that of commercial dressing in rat tail amputation and full-thickness skin defect models. Additionally, BHF-6B showed excellent bacteriostatic activity with long-term effects. Moreover, hemolysis and cytotoxicity tests in vitro illustrated the prominent biocompatibility of the composite films. Notably, BHF-6B could be degraded quickly and completely in vivo. Overall, the present work indicated that the functionalized BHF-6B has great potential as an absorbable biomaterial for wound treatment.

Polyvinylamine with moderate binding affinity as a highly effective vehicle for RNA delivery.

Polymeric carriers for RNA therapy offer potential advantages in terms of low immunogenicity, promoting modifiability and accelerating intracellular transport. However, balancing high transfection efficacy with low toxicity remains challenging with polymer-based vehicles; indeed, polyethyleneimine (PEI) remains the "gold standard" polymer for this purpose despite its significant toxicity limitations. Herein, we demonstrate the potential of polyvinylamine (PVAm), a commodity high-charge cationic polymer used in the papermaking industry and has similar structure with PEI, as an alternative carrier for RNA delivery. High levels of transfection of normal, tumor, and stem cells with a variety of RNA cargoes including small interfering RNA (siRNA), microRNA (miRNA), and recombinant RNA can be achieved in vitro under the proper complex conditions. While, both the anti-tumor effect achieved in a xenograft osteosarcoma model and lipid-lowering activity observed in a hyperlipidemia mice indicate the potential for highly effective in vivo activity. Of note, both the transfection efficiency and the cytotoxicity of PVAm compare more favorably with those of PEI, with PVAm offering the additional advantages of simpler purification and significantly lower cost. In addition, the mechanism for the difference in transfection efficiency between PVAm and PEI is explored by molecular docking as well as analyzing the process of association and dissociation between polymers (PVAm and PEI) and nucleic acids. Our research provides a novel, non-toxic, and cost-effective carrier candidate for next generation RNA therapy, and elucidates the potential mechanism of PVAm for its efficient delivery of RNA.

[Diagnosis and treatment of 12 patients with deep neck infection and inferior mediastinal infection].

Objective:To summarize the clinical manifestations and treatment of patients with deep neck infection with descending mediastinal infection. Methods:The clinical data of 12 patients with deep neck infection with descending mediastinal infection were reviewed. The clinical manifestations, infection origin, bacterial culture results, related systemic diseases, surgical drainage methods and treatment results were analyzed. Results:The typical clinical features of descending mediastinal infection were chest pain and subcutaneous crackling, diagnosis can confirmed by CT scan detected gas and abscess in the neck and mediastinal space. The main origin of infection was pharyngeal infection, followed by odontogenic infection. Systemic diseases were mainly diabetes mellitus. The positive rate of purulent secretion culture was 58.3%（7/12）, streptococcus account for the highest proportion. Surgical treatment included 9 patients undergoing neck surgery alone and 3 patients undergoing combined neck and chest surgery. Chest drainage was performed by thoracic surgery through mediastinoscopy or thoracoscopic surgery or B-ultrasound guided puncture, and no patient underwent open surgery. Ten patients were cured and two died, with a mortality rate of 16.7%. Conclusion:The deep neck infection with descending mediastinal infection has no specificity in the early stage. Timely abscess drainage, effective airway protection, antimicrobial therapy, and management of potentially life-threatening complications such as sepsis, mediastinitis, and pneumonia are the key to successful treatment.

Clinical therapeutic effects of probiotics in combination with antibiotics on periodontitis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Dental pain can have a detrimental effect on quality of life. Symptomatic apical periodontitis is the most common cause of dental pain and arise from an inflamed or necrotic dental pulp. There is growing evidence to support the effectiveness of probiotics in combination with antibiotics on periodontitis. We therefor will conduct this study to evaluate the clinical therapeutic effects of probiotics in combination with antibiotics on periodontitis. METHODS: We will systematically search the following databases: PubMed, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese BioMedical Literature Database (CBM), and WanFang database. A grey literature search will be conducted using ZETOC Conference Proceedings and Open Grey. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) related to research on probiotics in combination with antibiotics to treatment patients with periodontitis will be included. All sources have to be searched from their inception to October 2020. Two authors will independently select studies, extract study data, and evaluate the quality of the included studies. We will use Review Manager Software (RevMan 5.3) to analyze data. RESULTS: This study will systematically evaluate the clinical therapeutic effects of probiotics in combination with antibiotics on periodontitis. CONCLUSIONS: This study will generate evidence for a better clinical decision of patients with periodontitis. REGISTRATION NUMBER: DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/QZ6SB (https://osf.io/qz6sb/).

Nano zero-valent iron on activated carbon cloth support as Fenton-like catalyst for efficient color and COD removal from melanoidin wastewater.

To reduce undesired iron leaching in Fenton reaction and to realize reusability of catalyst, chitosan-coated activated carbon cloth support loaded with nano zero-valent iron (ACC-CH-nZVI) was applied as a heterogeneous Fenton catalyst to treat melanoidin wastewater. Chitosan coating on ACC by chemical crosslinking results in 6% chitosan on ACC subsequently loading 3.5% iron. At optimum conditions, ACC-CH-nZVI leads to 88.4% and 76.2% of color and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal, respectively, upon treating synthetic melanoidin wastewater of 8000 mg/l COD. The corresponding weight ratio of consumed H2O2 to COD is 1.02, far below the stoichiometric ratio 2.125, indicating the economic value of this catalyst. Reusability of ACC-CH-nZVI is demonstrated for five cycles of treatment with minimal iron leaching (<2%). The high removal efficiency and very low levels of iron leaching suggests that ACC-CH-nZVI is a highly efficient and cost-effective catalyst for Fenton-like oxidation of non-biodegradable organic wastes in water.

Electrospun Polymer-Free Nanofibers Incorporating Hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin/Difenoconazole via Supramolecular Assembly for Antifungal Activity.

In this study, flexible and self-standing hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin/difenoconazole inclusion complex (HPßCD/DZ-IC) nanofibers were prepared by polymer-free electrospinning, which exhibited potential to be a new fast-dissolving pesticide formulation. Scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy were applied to evaluate the morphology of nanofibers, which showed that the resulting HPßCD/DZ-IC nanofibers were bead-free and uniform. In addition, the proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectrum suggested a stoichiometric ratio of 1:0.9 (HPßCD/DZ). Other characterization methods, such as UV-vis absorption, fluorescence spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), were applied in this study. On the one hand, UV-vis absorption, fluorescence spectroscopy, FT-IR, XRD, and TGA provided useful information for the successful formation of an inclusion complex; on the other hand, the results of TGA indicated the thermal stability of DZ was enhanced after the formation of inclusion complexes. Besides, the phase solubility test could explain the increased water solubility of the nanofibers of inclusion complexes formed by DZ and HPßCD. The results of molecular docking studies demonstrated the most favorable binding interactions when HPßCD combined with DZ. The dissolution test and the antifungal performance test exhibited the characteristics of fast dissolution and the excellent antifungal performance of HPßCD/DZ-IC nanofibers, respectively.

A single mutation in the cis-acting replication element identified within the EV-A71 2C-coding region causes defects in virus production in cell culture.

ABSTRACTEnterovirus A71 (EV-A71) can cause hand, foot and mouth disease with neurological and systemic complications, most frequently affecting children and infants. We describe a cis-acting replication element (cre) with a conserved stem-loop structure within the EV-A71 2C-coding region. By site-directed mutagenesis and reverse genetics using the EV-A71 full-length genome and the EV-A71 replicon containing the firefly luciferase reporter gene in place of the P1 region, the stem-loop structure and the AAACA in the loop of the cre were confirmed to be required for the EV-A71 replication phenotype. EV-A71 genomes containing a mutation at the first or third A residue of AAACA could not be recovered. Insertion of a wild-type cre from EV-A71 or poliovirus in the 5'UTR led to successful recovery of the replication of nonviable mutants. Furthermore, the cre mutants showed lower binding capacity with the host cellular factor IGF2BP2, knockdown of which resulted in a significant decrease in EV-A71 production. All the available evidence shows the location independence but functional importance of the interaction of the cre with the cellular host for efficient production of EV-A71, contributing to the growing body of knowledge regarding picornavirus cres.