Identification of a novel LFNG variant in a Chinese fetus with spondylocostal dysostosis and a systematic review.

Spondylocostal dysostosis (SCDO) encompasses a group of skeletal disorders characterized by multiple segmentation defects in the vertebrae and ribs. SCDO has a complex genetic etiology. This study aimed to analyze and identify pathogenic variants in a fetus with SCDO. Copy number variant sequencing and whole exome sequencing were performed on a Chinese fetus with SCDO, followed by bioinformatics analyses, in vitro functional assays and a systematic review on the reported SCDO cases with LFNG pathogenic variants. Ultrasound examinations in utero exhibited that the fetus had vertebral malformation, scoliosis and tethered cord, but rib malformation was not evident. We found a novel homozygous variant (c.1078 C > T, p.R360C) within the last exon of LFNG. The variant was predicted to cause loss of function of LFNG by in silico prediction tools, which was confirmed by an in vitro assay of LFNG enzyme activity. The systematic review listed a total of 20 variants of LFNG in SCDO. The mutational spectrum spans across all exons of LFNG except the last one. This study reported the first Chinese case of LFNG-related SCDO, revealing the prenatal phenotypes and expanding the mutational spectrum of the disorder.

Ebselen improves lipid metabolism by activating PI3K/Akt and inhibiting TLR4/JNK signaling pathway to alleviate nonalcoholic fatty liver.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a metabolic disease associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Due to its complex pathogenesis, there are still limitations in the knowledge of the disease. To date, no drug has been approved to treat NAFLD. This study aims to explore the role and mechanism of Ebselen (EbSe) in NAFLD. A high-fat diet-induced mouse model of NAFLD was employed to investigate EbSe function in NAFLD mice by EbSe gavage and to regularly monitor the mouse body weight. HE and oil red O staining were performed, respectively, to detect the pathological damage and lipid accumulation in mouse liver tissues. The biochemical and ELISA kits were employed to measure the levels of ALT, AST, TG, TC, LDL-C, HDL-C and pro-inflammatory cytokines within mouse serum or liver tissue. The expression of key proteins of PPARα, fatty acid ß oxidation-related protein, PI3K/Akt and TLR4/JNK signaling pathway was detected by western blot. EbSe significantly downregulated body weight, liver weight and liver lipid accumulation in NAFLD mice and downregulated ALT, AST, TG, TC, LDL-C and increased HDL-C serum levels. EbSe upregulated the expression levels of PPARα and fatty acid ß oxidation-associated proteins CPT1α, ACOX1, UCP2 and PGC1α. EbSe promoted Akt and PI3K phosphorylation, and inhibited TLR4 expression and JNK phosphorylation. EbSe can upregulate PPARα to promote fatty acid ß-oxidation and improve hepatic lipid metabolism. Meanwhile, EbSe also activated PI3K/Akt and inhibited TLR4/JNK signaling pathway. EbSe is predicted to be an effective therapeutic drug for treating NAFLD.

Porous carbon-based robust, durable, and flexible electrochemical device for K+ detection in sweat.

Ion sensors are attracting attention for real-time ion monitoring in biological fluids, which requires the development of sensitive, stable, flexible, robust and durable ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) and reference electrodes (REs). In this paper, a highly robust and durable ion sensor was prepared by coating polymer membranes on porous carbon electrodes. A high sensitivity of 58.6 mV per decade with a rapid response time of 0.8 s, and a negligible potential drift less than 1.4 mV h-1 were obtained simultaneously. In addition, after six washing cycles, the K+ ion sensors still have an average sensitivity of 53.2 mV per decade. Importantly, the polymer membrane permeated and packed the porous structure tightly, and thus the ion sensors presented outstanding robustness and durability. The Nernst slope of the K+ ion response fluctuated from 60.2 to 57.9 mV per decade between 0° and 60° bending angles. Repeated bending for 8000 cycles did not result in the delamination of the sensing and reference membranes or reduction of the sensitivity (57.4 mV per decade). Furthermore, five kinds of flexible reference electrodes (LEC, bare Ag, bare Ag/AgCl, PVB + NaCl on Ag/AgCl, PVC/agarose + NaCl on Ag/AgCl) were fabricated and evaluated in terms of the sensitivity for Cl- and long-term stability. Finally, the flexible K+ ion sensor was integrated with microfluidic channels and connected to a portable electrochemical workstation to realize the real-time analysis of human sweat.

Is HFPO-DA (GenX) a suitable substitute for PFOA? A comprehensive degradation comparison of PFOA and GenX via electrooxidation.

Due to the potential hazard of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA, GenX) has become a typical alternative since 2009. However, GenX has recently been reported to have equal or even greater toxicity and bioaccumulation than PFOA. Considering the suitability of alternatives, it is quite essential to study and compare the degradation degree between PFOA and GenX in water. Therefore, in the present study, a comprehensive degradation comparison between them via electrooxidation with a titanium suboxide membrane anode was conducted. The degradation rate decreased throughout for PFOA, while it first increased and then decreased for GenX when the permeate flux increased from 17.3 L to 100.3 L m-2·h-1. The different responses of PFOA and GenX to flux might be attributed to their different solubilities. In addition, the higher kobs of PFOA demonstrated that it had a better degradability than GenX by 2.4-fold in a mixed solution. The fluorinated byproduct perfluoropropanoic acid (PFPrA) was detected as a GenX intermediate, suggesting that ether bridge splitting was needed for GenX electrooxidation. This study provides a reference for assessing the degradability of GenX and PFOA and indicates that it is worth reconsidering whether GenX is a suitable alternative for PFOA from the point of view of environmental protection.

CDC48B facilitates the intercellular trafficking of SHORT-ROOT during radial patterning in roots.

CELL DIVISION CONTROL PROTEIN48 (CDC48) is essential for membrane fusion, protein degradation, and other cellular processes. Here, we revealed the crucial role of CDC48B in regulating periclinal cell division in roots by analyzing the recessive gen1 mutant. We identified the GEN1 gene through map-based cloning and verified that GEN1 encodes CDC48B. gen1 showed severely inhibited root growth, increased periclinal cell division in the endodermis, defective middle cortex (MC) formation, and altered ground tissue patterning in roots. Consistent with these phenotypes, CYCLIND 6;1(CYCD6;1), a periclinal cell division marker, was upregulated in gen1 compared to Col-0. The ratio of SHRpro :SHR-GFP fluorescence in pre-dividing nuclei versus the adjacent stele decreased by 33% in gen1, indicating that the trafficking of SHORT-ROOT (SHR) decreased in gen1 when endodermal cells started to divide. These findings suggest that the loss of function of CDC48B inhibits the intercellular trafficking of SHR from the stele to the endodermis, thereby decreasing SHR accumulation in the endodermis. These findings shed light on the crucial role of CDC48B in regulating periclinal cell division in roots.

High-Throughput and Real-Time Monitoring of Single-Cell Extracellular pH Based on Polyaniline Microarrays.

Real-time monitoring of extracellular pH (pHe) at the single-cell level is critical for elucidating the mechanisms of disease development and investigating drug effects, with particular importance in cancer cells. However, there are still some challenges for analyzing and measuring pHe due to the strong heterogeneity of cancer cells. Thus, it is necessary to develop a reliable method with good selectivity, reproducibility, and stability for achieving the pHe heterogeneity of cancer cells. In this paper, we report a high-throughput, real-time measuring technique based on polyaniline (PANI) microelectrode arrays for monitoring single-cell pHe. The PANI microelectrode array not only has a high sensitivity (57.22 mV/pH) ranging from pH 6.0 to 7.6 but also exhibits a high reliability (after washing, the PANI film was still smooth, dense, and with a sensitivity of 55.9 mV/pH). Our results demonstrated that the pHe of the cancer cell region is lower than that of the surrounding blank region, and pHe changes of different cancer cells exhibit significant cellular heterogeneity during cellular respiration and drug stimulation processes.

Defect Engineering on a Ti4O7 Electrode by Ce3+ Doping for the Efficient Electrooxidation of Perfluorooctanesulfonate.

Defect engineering in an electrocatalyst, such as doping, has the potential to significantly enhance its catalytic activity and stability. Herein, we report the use of a defect engineering strategy to enhance the electrochemical reactivity of Ti4O7 through Ce3+ doping (1-3 at. %), resulting in the significantly accelerated interfacial charge transfer and yielding a 37-129% increase in the anodic production of the hydroxyl radical (OH•). The Ce3+-doped Ti4O7 electrodes, [(Ti1-xCex)4O7], also exhibited a more stable electrocatalytic activity than the pristine Ti4O7 electrode so as to facilitate the long-term operation. Furthermore, (Ti1-xCex)4O7 electrodes were also shown to effectively mineralize perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) in electrooxidation processes in both a trace-concentration river water sample and a simulated preconcentration waste stream sample. A 3 at. % dopant amount of Ce3+ resulted in a PFOS oxidation rate 2.4× greater than that of the pristine Ti4O7 electrode. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results suggest that Ce3+ doping created surficial oxygen vacancies that may be responsible for the enhanced electrochemical reactivity and stability of the (Ti1-xCex)4O7 electrodes. Results of this study provide insights into the defect engineering strategy for boosting the electrochemical performance of the Ti4O7 electrode with a robust reactivity and stability.

LncRNA ANRIL promotes multiple myeloma progression and bortezomib resistance by EZH2-mediated epigenetically silencing of PTEN.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell malignancy of bone marrow. In the present study, we aimed to study the function and potential mechanism of the antisense non-coding RNA in the INK4 Locus (ANRIL) in MM. The expression levels of ANRIL in MM patients and healthy donors were evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The effects and mechanisms of ANRIL in MM were evaluated by cell viability assay, BrdU incorporation assay, tumor xenograft model, flow cytometry, western blot, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), transcriptome RNA sequencing, and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). We found that ANRIL was upregulated in MM patients and cell lines, and associated with advanced international staging system (ISS) stage and poor overall survival. Enforced ANRIL expression promoted proliferation and tumor xenograft growth of MM cells, while knockdown of ANRIL exhibited opposite effects. Moreover, ANRIL overexpression increased the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of bortezomib and reduced bortezomib-induced apoptosis in MM cells. ANRIL was found to accumulate in the nuclei of MM cells, and interact with EZH2 by RIP assay. Transcriptome RNA sequencing identified PTEN as a target of ANRIL in MM cells. In the ChIP assay, knockdown of ANRIL reduced EZH2 occupancy and H3K27me3 binding to the promoter region of PTEN. Furthermore, EZH2 knockout or PTEN restoration abrogated the effects caused by ANRIL overexpression in MM cells. Our results indicated that ANRIL exerted oncogenic functions and conferred chemoresistance of MM cells by EZH2-mediated epigenetically silencing of PTEN.

A negative association between urinary iodine concentration and the prevalence of hyperuricemia and gout: a cross-sectional and population-based study in Mainland China.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Iodine is one of the most important trace elements in the human body. It is not only the main component of thyroid hormones but also has extrathyroid biological functions. To date, there have been no large-scale epidemiological studies on the relationship between hyperuricemia and iodine intake, although both are closely related to health. A population-based epidemiological survey in China offers such an opportunity. METHODS: This population-based cross-sectional study recruited 75,653 adults aged ≥ 18 years from 2015 to 2017 with a randomized, multistage, stratified sampling strategy. Serum uric acid levels and urinary iodine concentrations (UICs) were measured. RESULTS: Stratified by UIC, the prevalence of hyperuricemia was 17.8%, 18.8%, 16.0% and 13.7% in the UIC < 100, 100-199, 200-299, and ≥ 300 µg/L groups, respectively; the prevalence of gout was 4.0%, 3.4%, 2.4% and 1.7%, respectively. The prevalence of gout decreased significantly as the UIC increased. The prevalence of hyperuricemia and gout were markedly higher in postmenopausal females than in the premenopausal population (hyperuricemia: 15.9% vs. 8.3%, X2 = 520.072, p < 0.001; gout: 3.6% vs. 1.3%, X2 = 219.889, p < 0.001), and the prevalence decreased as the UIC increased. Subjects in the more than adequate and excessive iodine groups had lower likelihoods of having hyperuricemia [aOR = 0.81 (95% CI 0.77-0.85), aOR = 0.68 (95% CI 0.64-0.72)] and lower odds of having gout than subjects in the adequate iodine (AI) group [aOR = 0.77 (95% CI 0.68-0.86), aOR = 0.59 (95% CI 0.51-0.68)]. CONCLUSIONS: UIC was inversely associated with the occurrence of hyperuricemia and gout. More in-depth research and prospective studies are needed to explore the molecular mechanisms and confirm the observed association.

Perylene pigment wastewater treatment by fenton-enhanced biological process.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are regarded as priority pollutants owing to their toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic characteristics. Perylene is a kind of 5-ring PAH with biological toxicity, and classified as a class III carcinogen by the World Health Organization (WHO). Nowadays, some of its derivatives are often used as industrial pigments. Hence, urgent attention is highly needed to develop new and improved techniques for PAHs and their derivatives removal from the environment. In this study, Fenton oxidation process was hybridized with the biological (anaerobic and aerobic) treatments for the removal of perylene pigment from wastewater. The experiments were carried out by setting Fenton treatment system before and between the biological treatments. The biological results showed that COD removal efficiency reached 60% during 24 h HRT with an effluent COD concentration of 1567.78 mg/L. After the HRT increased to 48 h, the COD removal efficiency was slightly increased (67.9%). However, after combining Fenton treatment with biological treatment (Anaerobic-Fenton-Aerobic), the results revealed over 85% COD removal efficiency and the effluent concentration less than 600 mg/L which was selected as the better treatment configuration for the biological and chemical combined system. The microbial community analysis of activated sludge was carried out with high-throughput Illumina sequencing platform and results showed that Pseudomonas, Citrobacter and Methylocapsa were found to be the dominant genera detected in aerobic and anaerobic reactors. These dominant bacteria depicted that the community composition of the reactors for treating perylene pigments wastewater were similar to that of the soil contaminated by PAHs and the activated sludge from treating PAHs wastewater. Economic analysis results revealed that the reagent cost was relatively cheap, amounting to 10.64 yuan per kilogram COD. This study vividly demonstrated that combining Fenton treatment with biological treatment was efficient and cost-effective.

The Correlation Between Metabolic Disorders And Tpoab/Tgab: A Cross-Sectional Population-Based Study.

OBJECTIVE: Studies have shown that metabolic abnormalities influence the immune system. Because the prevalence of metabolic and autoimmune thyroid diseases has increased synchronously, the correlation between them was worth exploring. The study objective was to investigate the relationship between metabolic disorders and thyroid auto-antibodies in euthyroid subjects. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Thyroid Diseases and Diabetes Mellitus project survey of 55,891 subjects from 31 provinces in China. The body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), blood pressure, thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAbs), thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAbs), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), urinary iodine concentration, blood glucose, lipid profile, and uric acid levels were evaluated. Free thyroxine and free triiodothyronine levels were measured in patients with abnormal serum TSH levels. RESULTS: In males, the BMI, WC, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and 2-hour post-glucose oral glucose tolerance test results of the TPOAb-/TgAb-positive group were significantly higher than those of the TPOAb-/TgAb-negative group. In females, the BMI, WC, SBP, DBP, total cholesterol, and low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in the TPOAb-/TgAb-positive group were significantly increased compared to the TPOAb-/TgAb-negative group. Multivariate analysis showed that in males, the odds ratio (OR) of positive TgAbs in the abdominal obesity group was 1.175 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.016 to 1.359; P = .03), and the OR of positive TPOAbs in the hyperuricemia group was 1.195 (95% CI, 1.041 to 1.372; P = .011). In females, the OR of positive TgAbs was 1.19 (95% CI, 1.068 to 1.326; P = .002) in the high LDL-C group. CONCLUSION: Obesity, high LDL-C, and hyperuricemia were positively correlated with the prevalence of positive thyroid autoantibodies in euthyroid subjects in a gender-dependent manner. This cross-sectional survey showed that metabolic disorders are associated with increased positive thyroid autoantibody levels in euthyroid subjects in a gender-dependent manner. ABBREVIATIONS: AIT = autoimmune thyroiditis; BMI = body mass index; CI = confidence interval; DBP = diastolic blood pressure; FPG = fasting plasma glucose; FT3 = free triiodothyronine; FT4 = free thyroxine; HbA1c = glycated hemoglobin; HDL-C = high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol; LDL-C = low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol; OGTT2hPG = oral glucose tolerance test 2-hours post-glucose; OR = odds ratio; SBP = systolic blood pressure; TC = total cholesterol; TG = triglycerides; TgAb = thyroglobulin antibody; TPOAb = thyroid peroxidase antibody; TSH = thyroid-stimulating hormone; UA = uric acid; WC = waist circumference.

Cell Cycle Regulation by Berberine in Human Melanoma A375 Cells.

We studied the effects of berberine on the proliferation, apoptosis, and migration of skin melanoma A375 cells, as well as cell cycle-related miRNAs and their target genes, CDK1, CDK2, and cyclins D1 and A. The inhibitory effect of berberine on the growth of A375 cells was evaluated by MTT assay. Cell apoptosis was detected by trypan blue staining. Cell migration was assessed by the scratch test. Cell cycle phases were determined by flow cytometry. The levels of miRNA-582-5p and miRNA-188-5, and mRNA of their target genes encoding CDK1, CDK2, and cyclins D1 and A were measured by qRT-PCR. The expression of cell cycle-related proteins (CDK1, CDK2, and cyclins D1 and A) was determined by Western blotting. Berberine inhibited the proliferation of A375 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner and significantly and dose-dependently enhanced cell apoptosis. Scratch assay showed an inhibitory effect of berberine on migration of A375 cells. Berberine in low concentrations (20 and 40 µM) caused cell cycle arrest in the S and G2/M phases, while treatment with high concentrations of berberine (60 and 80 µM) arrested cell-cycle in the G2/M phase. The increase in berberine concentration led to an increase in miRNA-582-5p and miRNA-188-5p expression and a decrease in the expression of mRNA for the corresponding target genes encoding CDK1, CDK2, and cyclins D1 and A. Western blotting also revealed reduced expression of CDK1, CDK2, and cyclins D1 and A. Thus, berberine suppressed the growth and migration of human melanoma cells and promoted their apoptosis. Berberine can increase the expression of cell cycle-related miRNAs and cause degradation of the corresponding target genes, thereby blocking the cell cycle progression and inhibiting the melanoma A375 cells.

Protective effects and mechanism of curcumin on myocardial injury induced by coronary microembolization.

OBJECTIVE: Coronary microembolization (CME) is a common complication during the percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). CME-induced local myocardial inflammation and myocardial apoptosis are the primary causes of progressive cardiac dysfunction. Curcumin exerts a protective role in various cardiovascular diseases; however, its effects in CME are yet to be clarified. Therefore, the current study investigated the effects of curcumin on myocardial inflammatory responses, myocardial apoptosis, and cardiac dysfunctions induced by CME in rats. METHODS: A total of 40 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the following groups: Sham operation (sham group), CME group, curcumin, and control with 10 rats in each group. The ascending aortas were clamped, and the CME-model group was established by injecting microspheres into the apex of the left ventricle. An equivalent amount of normal saline was injected to establish the sham group. The cardiac functions, serum c-troponin I level, and apoptotic index was examined. Also, the levels of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MYD88), nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) p65, BCL2-associated X protein (Bax), B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), cleaved caspase-3, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) were detected. RESULTS: Myocardial dysfunction enhanced serum c-troponin I, and apoptotic index were induced following CME. Moreover, CME elevated the expression of TLR4, MyD88, NF-κB p65, cleaved caspase-3, TNF-α, and IL-1ß, while the Bcl-2/Bax ratio decreased. Curcumin reversed these effects by CME, while the gastric lavage control did not exert any effect. CONCLUSION: Curcumin was responsible for the anti-CME-induced myocardial injury. The effector mechanism might be related to the reduction of cardiomyocyte apoptosis and inhibition of myocardial inflammatory responses mediated by TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

NO Removal with Efficient Recovery of N2O by Using Recyclable Fe3O4@EDTA@Fe(II) Complex: A Novel Approach toward Resource Recovery from Flue Gas.

Traditional technologies for handling nitrogen oxides (NO x) from flue gas commonly entail the formation of harmless nitrogen gas (N2), while less effort has been made to recover the N-containing chemicals produced. In this work, we developed a novel nanomagnetic adsorbent, Fe3O4@EDTA@Fe(II) (MEFe(II)), for NO removal. The NO adsorbed by MEFe(II) was then selectively converted to N2O, a valuable compound in many industries, by using sulfite (a product from desulfurization in flue gas treatment) as the reductant for the regeneration of MEFe(II). Because of the magnetic and solid properties of MEFe(II), the processes of NO adsorption and N2O recovery can be readily carried out under their optimal pH conditions in separate systems. In addition, the produced N2O is easily handled without unwanted release to the atmosphere. At the optimal pH (7.5 and 8.0 for NO adsorption and N2O recovery, respectively), the maximum NO adsorption capacity of MEFe(II) was measured as 0.303 ± 0.037 mmol·g-1, over 90% of which was converted to N2O during the recovery process. Moreover, MEFe(II) exhibited good five consecutive cycles. All of above reactions were performed at room temperature. These findings indicate MEFe(II) may hold great potential for application to NO removal from flue gas with the benefits of resource recovery, decreased chemical use, and low energy consumption.

Coupled Sulfur and Iron(II) Carbonate-Driven Autotrophic Denitrification for Significantly Enhanced Nitrate Removal.

Sulfur-based denitrification process has attracted increasing attentions because it does not rely on the external addition of organics and avoids the risk of COD exceeding the limit. Traditionally, limestone is commonly employed to maintain a neutral condition (SLAD process), but it may reduce the efficiency as the occupied zone by limestone cannot directly contribute to the denitrification. In this study, we propose a novel sulfur-based denitrification process by coupling with iron(II) carbonate ore (SICAD system). The ore was demonstrated to play roles as the buffer agent and additional electron donor. Moreover, the acid produced through sulfur driven denitrification was found to promote the Fe(II) leaching from the ore and likely extend the reaction zone from the surface to the liquid. As a result, more biomass was accumulated in the SICAD system compared with the controls (sulfur, iron(II) carbonate ore and SLAD systems). Owing to these synergistic effects of sulfur and iron(II) carbonate on denitrification, SICAD system showed much higher denitrification rate (up to 720.35 g·N/m3·d) and less accumulation of intermediates (NO2- and N2O) than the controls. Additionally, sulfate production in SICAD system was reduced. These findings offer great potential of SICAD system for practical use as a highly efficient postdenitrification process.

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BACKGROUND: The gap between the expectation and the development of role competency is a dilemma that nurse practitioners (NPs) face in clinical settings. PURPOSE: This study was designed to explore the perceived importance and actual practice of the role competencies of NPs and to compare the differences between the ideal and practical domains as well as related factors. METHODS: This cross-sectional design study used Q-sort to collect data. A 56-item "Nurse Practitioner Role Capacity Questionnaire" was used as the research tool. Two questionnaires: Perceptions of Important Role Competencies and Actual Execution of Role Competencies were distributed to NPs twice, at times that were 2 weeks apart. A total of 40 participants were recruited, including 21(52.5%) internal medicine NPs and 19 (47.5%) surgical medicine NPs. RESULTS: The significant differences that were identified in this study between the perceived importance and actual practice of role competencies were, by domain: medical assistance (t = -5.62, p < .001), clinical research (t = 4.14, p < .001), professional consultation (t = 2.29, p = .027), and direct care (t = 2.21, p = .033). The correlative factors for these differences were: education level (t = -2.17, p = .036) and membership in the Nurse Practitioner Association (t = -2.36, p = .017). NPs with higher levels of education and with membership in the Nurse Practitioner Association earned higher scores for self-expectation in important clinical competency. CONCLUSIONS: NPs face discrepancies in their role expectations, in important part due to their role as providers of medical assistance in clinical practical settings. NPs need to learn and demonstrate the roles and functions of advanced nursing practice to enhance nursing professionalism profoundly.

A 3-dimensional C/CeO2 hollow nanostructure framework as a peroxidase mimetic, and its application to the colorimetric determination of hydrogen peroxide.

Various 3-dimensional C/CeO2 hollow nanostructure frameworks (3D C/CeO2 HNFs) were synthesized by using a polymer blowing process that is accelerated by adding a certain amount of cerium nitrate. Polyvinylpyrrolidone was used as the polymer. The resulting HNFs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The HNFs possess a large specific surface area, and the CeO2 nanocrystals consist of a single phase. The HNFs display intrinsic peroxidase-like activity and can catalyze the oxidation of the peroxidase substrate 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine in the presence of H2O2 to produce a blue product. The method was applied to the quantification of H2O2 with a 5.2 nM detection limit. The analytical range is from 10 nM to 1 µM. Graphical abstract Schematic of the preparation of a 3-dimensional C/CeO2 hollow nanostructure framework by a polyvinylpyrrolidone-blowing process accelerated by Ce(NO3)3. They were applied to H2O2 detection by catalyzing the oxidation of peroxidase substrate 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) to the oxidized 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (oxTMB) to produce blue-color reaction.

[Using Time Management and Quality Improvements to Decrease the Incidence of Unexpected Skin Defects in Post-Mastectomy Breast Cancer Patients].

BACKGROUND & PROBLEMS: When patients with breast cancer undergo radical mastectomy, seromas are often caused due to the large area of excised breast tissue and the resulting cavity that fills with blood and water. Therefore, strong adhesive elastic tape and large amounts of gauze are needed to compress the wound. Our clinical experience shows that repeatedly removing dressings during dressing changes significantly increases the risk of unexpected skin defects. However, the increased duration of hospital stays required for these patients with skin defects exposes them to high risk environments, which may result in nosocomial infections and even longer hospitalization durations. PURPOSE: This project aimed to decrease the incidence of unexpected skin defects in patients after mastectomy to below 15%. RESOLUTION: After a review of the literature, we implemented this project to: (1) build up a standard operating procedure for post-mastectomy wound compression; (2) use narrow girdles instead of strong adhesive elastic tape; (3) use soft elastic bandages to replace the single layer of gauze for wound compression; (4) use a skin examination form as a continuous monitoring tool. We expected that these measurements would effectively decrease the incidence of unexpected skin defects in post-mastectomy patients. RESULTS: After implementing this project, the incidence of unexpected skin defects in post-mastectomy patients decreased from 100% to 13% and the time required by clinical nursing staff to perform wound dressing care decreased from 25 mins to 15 mins per care instance. CONCLUSIONS: We hope that this project helps effectively improve postoperative wound care quality in post-mastectomy patients and decreases the time spent by clinical nursing staff on wound dressing care.

Stiffness of the locking compression plate as an external fixator for treating distal tibial fractures: a biomechanics study.

BACKGROUND: Locking compress plate, as external fixator, is an attractive technique for distal tibial fracture treatment. But it still remains unclear whether the external LCP has sufficient stiffness. Thus, the present study aims to make a comprehensive evaluation of the stiffness of external locking compress plate when it is used as an external fixator in distal tibial fractures treatment. METHODS: Composite tibia was used to simulate distal tibia fracture (Orthopedic Trauma Association type 43 A3 fracture). The fractures were stabilized with medial distal tibial locking compress plates (LCP group), medial distal tibial locking compress plates with 30-mm plate-bone distances (EF-tibia group), and medial distal femur locking compress plates with 30-mm plate-bone distances (EF-femur group). Stiffness of each configuration was measured under axial compression loading and in axial torsion loading directions. Compression stiffness and torsional rigidity were compared across different groups. RESULTS: Compared with LCP group, (1) EF-tibia group showed significantly lower (p < 0.001) compression stiffness and torsional rigidity; (2) EF-femur group showed significantly lower (p < 0.001) compression stiffness, but significantly higher (p < 0.001) torsional rigidity. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that locking compress plate as an external fixator was flexible, and the distal femur locking compress plate was preferred over the distal tibial locking compress plate to be an external fixator in distal tibia fracture treatment.

The role of exogenous electron donors for accelerating 2,4,6-trichlorophenol biotransformation and mineralization.

2,4,6-Trichlorophenol (TCP) is a biologically recalcitrant compound, but its biodegradation via reductive dechlorination can be accelerated by adding an exogenous electron donor. In this work, acetate and formate were evaluated for their ability to accelerate TCP reductive dechlorination, as well to accelerate mono-oxygenation of TCP's reduction product, phenol. Acetate and formate accelerated TCP reductive dechlorination, and the impact was proportional to the number of electron equivalents released by oxidation of the donor: 8 e(-) equivalents per mol for acetate, compared to 2 e(-) eq per mol for formate. The acceleration phenomenon was similar for phenol mono-oxygenation, and this increased the rate of TCP mineralization. Compared to endogenous electron equivalents generated by phenol mineralization, the impact of exogenous electron donor was stronger on a per-equivalent basis.