Lower Reoperation Rate and Superior Patient-reported Outcome Following Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair with Concomitant Acromioplasty: An Updated Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.

PURPOSE: This study aims to systematically assess the postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repairs with or without concomitant acromioplasty through a rigorous systematic review of randomized controlled trial s (RCTs). METHODS: This systematic review, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, aimed to identify RCTs comparing clinical outcomes of patients with full thickness rotator cuff tears undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair with acromioplasty versus those without at a minimum of 12 months follow-up. Databases searched included PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. The risk of bias in the included studies was assessed using the revised Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 (RoB2). Meta-analysis was conducted for outcomes with at least three studies reporting, with pooled effect estimates calculated using either fixed-effect or random-effects models based on heterogeneity levels. Results were presented as the weighted mean difference (WMD) or odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). For outcomes with fewer than three studies reporting, a Fisher exact test was conducted, with continuity correction applied if necessary. Primary outcomes include rates of retear and reoperation, while secondary outcomes included improvement in American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, range of motion (ROM), and complication rate. RESULTS: Five high-quality RCTs, with low bias risk, involving 409 patients, revealed demographics of 58.4% males, mean age 58.4 years, and acromion types: 12.2% type I, 70.7% type II, and 17.1% type III. Mean follow-up was 52.2 months. Retear (12.5% versus 16.1%, P = 0.536) and complication rates (OR, 3.11; 95% CI, 0.31-30.73; P=0.33) were comparable between the two groups. However, reoperation rate (5.3% versus 15.9%, P < 0.001) and improvement in ASES score (WMD, 3.99; 95% CI, 1.00-6.99; P=0.009) favored the acromioplasty group. Both groups showed significant improvements in ROM, but insufficient data prevented a comparison. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to arthroscopic rotator cuff repair alone, arthroscopic rotator cuff repair with acromioplasty demonstrated similar rates of retear and complications, but a significantly lower reoperation rate and superior improvement in ASES score. The available data were insufficient to draw a definitive conclusion regarding ROM. This conclusion is fragile due to a limited sample size.

Out-of-plane Emission Dipole of Second Harmonic Generation in Odd- and Even-layered vdWs Janus Nb3SeI7.

Integration of atomically thin nonlinear optical (NLO) devices demands an out-of-plane (OP) emission dipole of second harmonic generation (SHG) to enhance the spontaneous emission for nanophotonics. However, the research on van der Waals (vdWs) materials with an OP emission dipole of SHG is still in its infancy. Here, by coupling back focal plane (BFP) imaging with numerical simulations and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we demonstrate that vdWs Janus Nb3SeI7, ranging from bulk to the monolayer limit, exhibits a dominant OP emission dipole of SHG owing to the breaking of the OP symmetry. Explicitly, even-layered Nb3SeI7 with C6v symmetry is predicted to exhibit a pure OP emission dipole attributed to the only second-order susceptibility coefficient χzxx. Meanwhile, although odd-layered Nb3SeI7 with C3v symmetry has both OP and IP dipole components (χzxx and χyyy), the value of χzxx is 1 order of magnitude greater than that of χyyy, leading to an approximate OP emission dipole of SHG. Moreover, the crystal symmetry and OP emission dipole can be preserved under hydrostatic pressure, accompanied by the enhanced χzxx and the resulting 3-fold increase in SHG intensity. The reported stable OP dipole in 2D vdWs Nb3SeI7 can facilitate the rapid development of chip-integrated NLO devices.

Prognostic factors for recurrent instability in recreational athletes following arthroscopic Bankart repair: a retrospective study with an average 4.1-year follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Extensive research has been conducted to investigate the short-term and long-term outcomes of arthroscopic Bankart repair, yielding varying results across different populations. However, there remains a dearth of studies specifically focused on evaluating outcomes in recreational athletes. METHODS: A retrospective case series study was conducted on recreational athletes who underwent isolated arthroscopic Bankart repair between 2013 and 2021. The primary outcome assessed was recurrent instability, defined as dislocation or subluxation. Secondary outcomes included patient satisfaction, rates of returning to the same sports (RTS) and RTS at preinjury level, and patient-reported outcomes. Evaluation of the Rowe score, Constant score, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, and VAS pain score were performed. Prognostic factors for recurrent instability, including demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) appearance of the labrum were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 191 patients met the selection criteria, with 150 (78.5%) available for the final follow-up. Recurrent instability occurred in 10.7% of patients, with a mean follow-up duration of 4.1 years. Younger age at surgery and more critical glenoid bone loss were significantly associated with recurrent instability (p = .038 and p = .011, respectively). The satisfaction rate regarding surgery was 90.0%. Rates of return to the same sports (RTS) and RTS at preinjury level were 82.0% and 49.3%, respectively. Clinical outcomes measured at the final follow-up were as follows: Rowe score - 92.8; Constant score - 98.0; ASES score - 98.3; VAS pain score - 0.2. Patients with recurrent instability had significantly inferior outcomes in terms of satisfaction rate, RTS at preinjury level rate, Rowe score, and Constant score (p = .000, p = .039, p = .000, and p = .015, respectively). A total of thirty-seven patients underwent MRI examination six months after surgery in our institution. The T2-weighted anterior labrum morphology was found to be poorer in patients with recurrent instability. No significant difference was observed between patients with or without recurrent instability in terms of anterior Slope, anterior labral glenoid height index (LGHI), inferior Slope, inferior LGHI, and T2-weighted inferior labrum morphology. CONCLUSION: Arthroscopic Bankart repair can yield satisfactory medium-term outcomes for recreational athletes. Younger age at surgery, more critical glenoid bone loss, and poorer T2-weighted anterior labrum morphology assessed six months postoperatively were significantly associated with recurrent instability.

The efficacy and safety of trastuzumab and albumin-bound paclitaxel with or without pyrotinib as neoadjuvant therapy for HER2-positive breast cancer: a prospective observational cohort study.

Background: In the past few years, the combination of trastuzumab and paclitaxel has become an important option for human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer. Small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) can bring clinical benefit to HER2-positive breast cancer patients. However, the efficacy and safety of these two regimens have not been compared. This study explored the efficacy and safety of pyrotinib combined with trastuzumab and albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-paclitaxel). Methods: Patients with newly diagnosed HER2-positive early or locally advanced breast cancer treated at The Tumor Hospital of Mudanjiang City from November 2020 to June 2022 were included. The control group received pertuzumab in combination with nab-paclitaxel, whereas the pyrotinib group received pyrotinib in combination with pertuzumab and nab-paclitaxel as treatment, in a 3-week cycle for 4 cycles. The primary endpoints of this study were total pathological complete response (tpCR) rate, breast pathological complete response (bpCR) rate, and the secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), and the occurrence of adverse events (AEs). Results: A total of 72 patients were enrolled in the study and completed the study treatment. Baseline characteristics were well balanced between these two arms. In the control group, the tPCR rate was 23.68%, and the bpCR rate was 47.36%. In the pyrotinib group, the tPCR rate was 47.06%, and the bpCR rate was 64.71%. The tPCR rate in the pyrotinib group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P=0.049). The ORR in the pyrotinib group (67.65%) was significantly higher than that in the control group (42.11%, P=0.04 ). The median PFS (mPFS) for the control group was 9.24 months, with a mean PFS of 10.01±0.44 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 9.14-10.88 months]. In the pyrotinib group, mPFS was 9.74 months, with a mean PFS of 11.25±0.29 months (95% CI: 10.67-11.82 months). The PFS in the pyrotinib group was significantly longer than that in the control group (P=0.045). Safety results showed that the overall incidence of AEs in the control group was 68.42%, with a 3-grade adverse reaction rate of 21.05%. In the pyrotinib group, the overall incidence of AEs was 79.41%, with a 3-grade adverse reaction rate of 29.41%. The difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (P>0.05). Conclusions: Pyrotinib group in neoadjuvant treatment for HER2 positive breast cancer has obvious short-term efficacy advantages over control group. This treatment regimen can prolong PFS for 1 year, and the safety during medication is controllable. This study still has some limitations, with the relatively small sample size and relatively short follow-up period, and a further large-scale, multicenter, randomized controlled trial is necessary to verify the clinical value of this dual-target treatment regimen.

Stacking Faults Enabled Second Harmonic Generation in Centrosymmetric van der Waals RhI3.

Second harmonic generation (SHG) in van der Waals (vdW) materials has garnered significant attention due to its potential for integrated nonlinear optical and optoelectronic applications. Stacking faults in vdW materials are a typical kind of planar defect that introduces a degree of freedom to modulate the crystal symmetry and resultant SHG response. However, the physical origin and tunability of stacking-fault-governed SHG in vdW materials remain unclear. Here, taking the intrinsically centrosymmetric vdW RhI3 as an example, we theoretically reveal the origin of stacking-fault-governed SHG response, where the SHG response comes from the energetically favorable AC̅ stacking fault of which the electrical transitions along the high-symmetry paths Γ-M and Γ-K in the Brillion zone play the dominant role at 810 nm. Such a stacking-fault-governed SHG response is further confirmed via structural characterizations and SHG measurements. Furthermore, by applying hydrostatic pressure on RhI3, the correlation between structural evolution and SHG response is revealed with SHG enhancement up to 6.9 times, where the decreased electronic transition energies and higher momentum matrix elements due to the stronger interlayer interactions upon compression magnify the SHG susceptibility. This study develops a promising foundation for nonlinear nano-optics applications through the strategic design of stacking faults.

Multiple strategies to improve extracellular secretion and activity of feruloyl esterase.

Feruloyl esterase has a wide range of applications, but there are still problems with low enzyme yield and activity, and complex purification steps. Our previous research found Lactobacillus amylovorus feruloyl esterase could be secreted extracellular in Escherichia coli. In this study, multiple strategies were implemented to maximize the extracellular production of feruloyl esterase with improved activity in E. coli. Firstly, codon-optimized feruloyl esterase was obtained based on the preference of E. coli, resulting in 41.97 % increase in extracellular secretion. Furthermore, by cascading T7 promoters, replacing the 5' UTR, randomly mutating the N-terminal sequence, and co-expressing secretory cofactors, the extracellular secretion was increased by 36.46 %, 31.25 %, 20.66 % and 25.75 %, respectively. Moreover, the feruloyl esterase were mutated to improve the substrate affinity and activity. The catalytic efficiency of Fae-Q134T and Fae-Q198A increased by 4.62-fold and 5.42-fold. Combining above strategies, extracellular feruloyl esterase activity was increased from 2013.70 U/L to 10,349.04 U/L. These results indicated that the activity and yield of feruloyl esterase secreted by E. coli were significantly increased, which laid a foundation for its industrial application.

Preparation of Fe3O4@CA/BNNS/AgNP Magnetic Microspheres and Photocatalysis of Dyes.

In this work, sea urchin-like magnetic Fe3O4@CA/BNNS/AgNP composite microspheres were successfully prepared. The photocatalytic performance of composite microspheres for the organic dye rhodamine B (RhB) was systematically investigated under different conditions, and the catalytic degradation rate of RhB was as high as 95% within 60 min; after three cycles of recycling, the degradation rate of RhB was reduced by only 8%. The main active agents in the reaction are e- and •O2-. Fe3O4@CA/BNNS/AgNP microspheres prepared in this study exhibit photocatalytic and electrochemical properties, making them easy to separate. This work is not limited to the development of Fe3O4-based catalysts but also is expected to provide ideas for the research and progress of photocatalytic composite catalysts with electrochemical properties.

Quartz-enhanced multiheterodyne resonant photoacoustic spectroscopy.

The extension of dual-comb spectroscopy (DCS) to all wavelengths of light along with its ability to provide ultra-large dynamic range and ultra-high spectral resolution, renders it extremely useful for a diverse array of applications in physics, chemistry, atmospheric science, space science, as well as medical applications. In this work, we report on an innovative technique of quartz-enhanced multiheterodyne resonant photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEMR-PAS), in which the beat frequency response from a dual comb is frequency down-converted into the audio frequency domain. In this way, gas molecules act as an optical-acoustic converter through the photoacoustic effect, generating heterodyne sound waves. Unlike conventional DCS, where the light wave is detected by a wavelength-dependent photoreceiver, QEMR-PAS employs a quartz tuning fork (QTF) as a high-Q sound transducer and works in conjunction with a phase-sensitive detector to extract the resonant sound component from the multiple heterodyne acoustic tones, resulting in a straightforward and low-cost hardware configuration. This novel QEMR-PAS technique enables wavelength-independent DCS detection for gas sensing, providing an unprecedented dynamic range of 63 dB, a remarkable spectral resolution of 43 MHz (or ~0.3 pm), and a prominent noise equivalent absorption of 5.99 × 10-6 cm-1·Hz-1/2.

Mussel-inspired electroactive, antibacterial and antioxidative composite membranes with incorporation of gold nanoparticles and antibacterial peptides for enhancing skin wound healing.

Large skin wounds are one of the most important health problems in the world. Skin wound repair and tissue regeneration are complex processes involving many physiological signals, and effective wound healing remains an enormous clinical challenge. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a strategy to rapidly kill bacteria, promote cell proliferation and accelerate wound healing. At present, electrical stimulation (ES) is often used in the clinical treatment of skin wounds and can simulate the endogenous biological current of the body and accelerate the repair process of skin wounds. However, a single ES strategy has difficulty covering the entire wound area, which may lead to unsatisfactory therapeutic effects. To overcome this deficiency, it is essential to develop a collaborative treatment strategy that combines ES with other treatments. In this study, gold nanoparticles and antibacterial peptides (Os) were loaded on the surface of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) material through the reducibility and adhesion of polydopamine (PDA) and improved the electrical activity, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and biocompatibility properties of the polymer material. At the same time, this composite membrane material (Os/Au-PDA@PLGA) combined with ES was used in wound therapy to improve the wound healing rate. The results show that the new wound repair material has good biocompatibility and can effectively promote cell proliferation and migration. Through the combined application of gold nanoparticles and antibacterial peptides Os, the polymer materials have more efficient bactericidal and antioxidant effects. The antibacterial experiment results showed that gold nanoparticles could further enhance the antibacterial activity of antibacterial peptides. Furthermore, the Os/Au-PDA@PLGA composite membrane has good hydrophilicity and electrical activity, which can provide a more favorable cell microenvironment for wound healing. In vivo studies using a full-thickness skin defect model in rats showed that the Os/Au-PDA@PLGA composite membrane had a better therapeutic effect than the pure PLGA material. More importantly, the combination of the Os/Au-PDA@PLGA composite with ES significantly accelerated the rate of vascularization and collagen deposition and promoted wound healing compared with non-ES controls. Therefore, the combination of the Au/Os-PDA@PLGA composite membrane with ES may provide a new strategy for the effective treatment of skin wounds.

Low-temperature oxidative removal of benzene from the air using titanium carbide (MXene)-Supported platinum catalysts.

MXenes are an emerging class of two-dimensional (2D) inorganic materials with great potential for versatile applications such as adsorption and catalysis. Here, we describe the synthesis of a platinized titanium carbide MXene (Pt@Ti3C2) catalyst with varying amounts of platinum (0.1%-2 wt.%) for the low-temperature oxidation of benzene, an aromatic volatile organic compound often found in industrial flue gas. A 1% formulation of Pt@Ti3C2-R allowed near-complete (97%) oxidation of benzene to CO2 at 225 °C with a steady-state reaction rate (r) of 0.119 mol g-1·h-1. This low-temperature catalytic oxidation reaction was promoted by an increase in the lattice oxygen (O*)/Pt2+ species (active sites) of 1%Pt@Ti3C2-R from 45.3/34.6% to 71.0/61.1% through pre-thermal reduction under H2 flow, as revealed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, temperature-programmed reduction, and in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy analyses. The cataltyic activity of 1% Pt@Ti3C2-R against benzene was assessed under the control of the key process variables (e.g., catalyst mass, flow rate, benzene concentration, relative humidity, and time-on-stream) to help optimize the oxidation reaction process. The results provide new insights into the use of platinum-based 2D MXene catalysts for low-temperature oxidative removal of benzene from the air.

Efficient secretion of an enzyme cocktail in Escherichia coli for hemicellulose degradation.

The use of host to secrete several hemicellulase is a cost-effective way for hemicellulose degradation. In this study, the xylose utilization gene xylAB of Escherichia coli BL21 was knocked out, and the xylanase (N20Xyl), ß-xylosidase (Xys), and feruloyl esterase (FaeLam) were co-expressed in this strain. By measuring the content of reducing sugars generated by enzymatic hydrolysis of wheat bran in the fermentation supernatant, the order of the three enzymes was screened to obtain the optimal recombinant strain of E. coli BL21/∆xylAB/pDIII-2. Subsequently, fermentation conditions including culture medium, inducer concentration, induction timing, metal ions, and glycine concentration were optimized. Then, different concentrations of wheat bran and xylan were added to the fermentation medium for degradation. The results showed that the extracellular reducing sugars content reached the highest value of 33.70 ± 0.46 g/L when 50 g/L xylan was added. Besides, the scavenging rates of hydroxyl radical by the fermentation supernatant was 81.0 ± 1.41 %, and the total antioxidant capacity reached 2.289 ± 0.55. Furthermore, it showed the growth promotion effect on different lactic acid bacteria. These results provided a basis for constructing E. coli strain to efficiently degrade hemicellulose, and the strain obtained has great potential application to transform hemicellulose into fermentable carbon source.

SIRT6 Reduces Rheumatoid Arthritis Injury by Inhibiting MyD88-ERK Signaling Pathway.

BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by destruction of synovial joints, abnormal immune responses and chronic inflammatory manifestations, which seriously affects patients' well-being. We explored this study to ascertain the effect and mechanism of silent information regulator 6 (SIRT6) on RA. METHODS: Genes of RA patients and normal volunteers were analyzed using Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), Kyoto-Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Disconet databases. Serum samples of RA patients and normal subjects were collected before detection of myeloid differentiation factor-88 (MyD88)-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway proteins expression with Western blot. In vitro RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) cell model (RA-FLS) was established by treating RSC-364 with recombinant rat IL-1ß (10 ng/mL) after which SIRT6 and MyD88 adenoviruses treatment was carried out. The enzyme linked immunoassay (ELISA), real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot were respectively used to measure inflammatory factors, related messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein expressions. Also, we constructed RA rat model with bovine type II collagen (BIIC) and complete Freund's adjuvant, before treatment with SIRT6 and MyD88 adenoviruses. RESULTS: Low expression of SIRT6 gene were detected in RA patients. Also, levels of MyD88, ERK and phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (p-ERK) protein expressions in RA patients were increased, whilst that of SIRT6 protein decreased. Compared to FLS cells in Control group, inflammatory factors levels of rats in Model batch increased significantly. SIRT6 adenovirus treatment potentially and significantly inhibited inflammation including suppression of increased inflammatory factors induced by MyD88. In comparison with FLS cells in Control group, Model batch cells' MyD88, interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-21, IL-22, IL-6, IL-17, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and monocyte chemo-attractant protein-1 (MCP-1) mRNA expressions increased but SIRT6 gene treatment could reduce mRNA expression of the aforesaid factors, even after MyD88 adenovirus treatment. Besides, overpressed SIRT6 negatively regulated levels of MyD88, ERK and p-ERK proteins expressions. SIRT6 demonstrated anti-RA effect by regulating MyD88-ERK pathway and inhibiting inflammatory response in RA rats. CONCLUSIONS: SIRT6 could potentially inhibit the inflammatory response of RA via a regulatory mechanism mainly relating to MyD88-ERK signal pathway. Thus, SIRT6 and its agonists may serve as new targets for developing drugs that can potentially treat RA.

Efficient sensitization of CdTe QDs towards PTCDA for sensitive photoelectrochemical Hg2+ assay.

Herein, a sensitive photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensor was designed for the detection of mercury ions (Hg2+) on the basis of the efficient sensitization of cadmium telluride quantum dots (CdTe QDs) towards 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA) and the significant quenching ability of a thymine-Hg2+-thymine (T-Hg2+-T) structure. The proposed CdTe QD/PTCDA sensitized structure was successfully constructed via continuous incubation of PTCDA and CdTe QDs on the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) interface, which embraced strong light absorption capacity and high carrier separation efficiency, giving rise to a remarkably improved initial photocurrent response. Notably, the PEC signal generated from the CdTe QD/PTCDA sensitized structure was almost fivefold higher than that of PTCDA owing to the efficient sensitization of CdTe QDs towards PTCDA. Once target Hg2+ ions were added, a T-rich S1 strand modified on the surface of 1-hexanethiol (HT)/S1/gold nanoparticles (Au NPs)/CdTe QDs/PTCDA/GCE immediately reacted with Hg2+ to produce multiple stable T-Hg2+-T structures. Therefore, the initial PEC signal would be considerably quenched by a high steric hindrance effect derived from the T-Hg2+-T structures. As a result, a quenched PEC response could achieve the detection of Hg2+ in concentrations ranging from 100 fM to 1000 nM. More importantly, the combination of the CdTe QDs/PTCDA sensitization structure and the T-Hg2+-T structure paves a promising pathway to developing a novel PEC biosensing platform for Hg2+ detection and also provides a favorable strategy for monitoring environmental pollution related to Hg2+.

7-Methoxy-13-dehydroxypaxilline: New indole diterpenoid from an endophytic fungus Penicillium sp. Nb 19.

ABSTACTA chemical investigation of the endophyte Penicillium sp. Nb 19, isolated from leaves of the traditionally medical plant Baphicacanthus cusia (Nees) Bremek., yielded one new indole diterpenoid, 7-methoxy-13-dehydroxypaxilline (1) together with seven known metabolites (2-8). The obtained structure of compound 1 was elucidated by its spectroscopic data. In addition, the absolute configuration of compound 6 was confirmed by ECD for the first time. Compounds 1-6 were evaluated for antitumor activity against MCF-7, HepG2, and HCCC-9810 cell lines.

Construction of chrysophanol loaded nanoparticles with N-octyl-O-sulfate chitosan for enhanced nephroprotective effect.

Natural occurring anthraquinone like chrysophanol has been studied because of its anti-diabetic, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective and neuroprotective properties. Nonetheless, its poor water solubility and unstable nature are big concerns in achieving efficient delivery and associated pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic effects. Herein, this study sought to solve the above-mentioned problem through development of chrysophanol-loaded nanoparticles to enhance the bioavailability of chrysophanol and to evaluate its anti-renal fibrosis effect in rats. After synthesis of a safe N-octyl-O-sulfate chitosan, we used it to prepare chrysophanol-loaded nanoparticles through dialysis technique before we performed and physical characterization. Also, we tested the stability of the nanoparticles for 21 days at 4 °C and room temperature (25 °C) and evaluated their pharmacokinetics and anti-renal fibrosis effect in rat model of chronic kidney disease (CKD). In terms of results, the nano-preparation demonstrated an acceptable narrow size distribution, wherein the encapsulation rate, size, polydispersed index (PDI) and electrokinetic potential at room temperature were respectively 83.41±0.89 %, 364.88±13.62 nm, 0.192±0.015 and 23.78±1.39 mV. During 21 days of storage, we observed that size of particles and electrokinetic potential altered slightly but the difference was statistically insignificant (p > 0.05). Also, in vitro release studies showed that the formulation reached 84.74 % at 24 h. Chrysophanol nanoparticles showed a 2.57-fold increase in bioavailability compared to unformulated chrysophanol. More importantly, chrysophanol nanoparticles demonstrated certain renal internalization properties and anti-renal fibrosis effects, which could ultimately result in reduced blood-urea nitrogen (BUN), kidney-injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) and serum creatinine (SCr) levels in model rats. In conclusion, the prepared chrysophanol-loaded nanoparticles potentially increased bioavailability and enhanced nephroprotective effects of chrysophanol.

Numerical Reconstruction of Cyclist Impact Accidents: Can Helmets Protect the Head-Neck of Cyclists?

Cyclists are vulnerable road users and often suffer head-neck injuries in car-cyclist accidents. Wearing a helmet is currently the most prevalent protection method against such injuries. Today, there is an ongoing debate about the ability of helmets to protect the cyclists' head-neck from injury. In the current study, we numerically reconstructed five real-world car-cyclist impact accidents, incorporating previously developed finite element models of four cyclist helmets to evaluate their protective performances. We made comparative head-neck injury predictions for unhelmeted and helmeted cyclists. The results show that helmets could clearly lower the risk of severe (AIS 4+) brain injury and skull fracture, as assessed by the predicted head injury criterion (HIC), while a relatively limited decrease in AIS 4+ brain injury risk can be achieved in terms of the analysis of CSDM0.25. Assessment using the maximum principal strain (MPS0.98) and head impact power (HIP) criteria suggests that helmets could lower the risk of diffuse axonal injury and subdural hematoma of the cyclist. The helmet efficacy in neck protection depends on the impact scenario. Therefore, wearing a helmet does not seem to cause a significant neck injury risk level increase to the cyclist. Our work presents important insights into the helmet's efficacy in protecting the head-neck of cyclists and motivates further optimization of protective equipment.

Fabrication of Robust Superhydrophobic Polyester Fabrics with Photothermal Conversion and Oil-Water Separation Performance through Deposition of Natural Polyphenols.

Superhydrophobic polyester (PET) fabrics were created by increasing fabric surface roughness and decreasing surface energy through interactions between natural polyphenols, ferrous sulfate heptahydrate, and hexadecyltrimethoxysilane. The superhydrophobic fabric can be obtained with different natural polyphenols, including tannic acid, ferulic acid, gallic acid, guaiacol, and caffeic acid. Durability tests were carried out on the superhydrophobic PET fabric, investigating resistance to washing, rubbing, UV aging, acids, alkalis, and organic reagents. The results demonstrate the stability and versatility of modified PET in complex environments. The modified superhydrophobic PET fabric exhibited exceptional oil-water separation and self-cleaning properties, exhibiting a water contact angle of 161.3° and a sliding angle of 4°. In addition, the modified fabric demonstrated a remarkable photothermal conversion efficiency, with the surface temperature increasing from 29.1 to 72 °C in 300 s, and it maintained a degree of photothermal conversion capability even upon completion of four cycles. This study offers novel perspectives on extending the utilization of natural polyphenols for constructing durable, robust, and multifunctional superhydrophobic fabrics.

Diabetes Mellitus Increases the Risk of Apical Periodontitis in Endodontically-Treated Teeth: A Meta-Analysis from 15 Studies.

INTRODUCTION: At present, the incidence of diabetes mellitus (DM) is gradually increasing globally. In clinical practice, many patients with diabetes with apical periodontitis (AP) have poor and slow healing of periapical lesions. However, the potential relationship between the 2 is still unclear and controversial. The consensus is that DM can be deemed a risk factor for AP in endodontically-treated teeth. Therefore, we pooled existing studies and carried out a meta-analysis to explore the potential association between the 2. METHODS: Studies that met the inclusion criteria were selected from the database, and relevant data were extracted. Stata SE 17.0 software was used to analyze the relevant data, and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess the literature's quality. The pooled odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to determine the strength of the association between DM and the prevalence of AP after root canal treatment (RCT). RESULTS: After searching, 262 relevant studies were retrieved, fifteen of which met the inclusion criteria. A total of 1087 patients with 2226 teeth were included in this meta-analysis. According to the findings, diabetics showed a higher prevalence of AP after RCT than controls at the tooth level (OR = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.22-1.87, P < .01). At the patient level, DM increased the probability of developing AP in RCT teeth more than 3 times (OR = 3.38, 95% CI = 1.65-6.93, P < .01). Additionally, subgroup analysis was performed by blood glucose status, preoperative AP, and study design. Except for the status of blood glucose, the results were significant in the other 2 groups (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Available scientific evidence suggests that DM may increase the risk of AP in endodontically-treated teeth. In teeth with preoperative AP, DM might promote the development of AP.

Application of Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopy in the Studies of Colloidal Quantum Qots.

Colloidal quantum dots display remarkable optical and electrical characteristics with the potential for extensive applications in contemporary nanotechnology. As an ideal instrument for examining surface topography and local density of states (LDOS) at an atomic scale, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) has become indispensable approaches to gain better understanding of their physical properties. This article presents a comprehensive review of the research advancements in measuring the electronic orbits and corresponding energy levels of colloidal quantum dots in various systems using STM and STS. The first three sections introduce the basic principles of colloidal quantum dots synthesis and the fundamental methodology of STM research on quantum dots. The fourth section explores the latest progress in the application of STM for colloidal quantum dot studies. Finally, a summary and prospective is presented.

Analysis of retinal arteriolar and venular parameters in primary open angle glaucoma.

AIM: To measure the retinal vessels of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) patients on spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) with a full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) algorithm to better explore their structural changes in the pathogenesis of POAG. METHODS: In this retrospective case-control study, the right eyes of 32 patients with POAG and 30 healthy individuals were routinely selected. Images of the supratemporal and infratemporal retinal vessels in the B zones were obtained by SD-OCT, and the edges of the vessels were identified by the FWHM method. The internal and external diameters, wall thickness (WT), wall cross-sectional area (WCSA) and wall-to-lumen ratio (WLR) of the blood vessels were studied. RESULTS: Compared with the healthy control group, the POAG group showed a significantly reduced retinal arteriolar outer diameter (RAOD), retinal arteriolar lumen diameter (RALD) and WSCA in the supratemporal (124.22±12.42 vs 138.32±10.73 µm, 96.09±11.09 vs 108.53±9.89 µm, and 4762.02±913.51 vs 5785.75±1148.28 µm2, respectively, all P<0.05) and infratemporal regions (125.01±15.55 vs 141.57±10.77 µm, 96.27±13.29 vs 110.83±10.99 µm, and 4925.56±1302.88 vs 6087.78±1061.55 µm2, all P<0.05). The arteriolar WT and WLR were not significantly different between the POAG and control groups, nor were the retinal venular outer diameter (RVOD), retinal venular lumen diameter (RVLD) or venular WT in the supratemporal or infratemporal region. There was a positive correlation between the arteriolar parameters and visual function. CONCLUSION: In POAG, narrowing of the supratemporal and infratemporal arterioles and a significant reduction in the WSCA is observed, while the arteriolar WT and WLR do not change. Among the venular parameters, the external diameter, internal diameter, WT, WLR, and WSCA of the venules are not affected.