Asymmetric Cyclodextrin-Dimer-Involved Nanoassemblies by Selective Host-Guest Interactions: Concentration-Dependent Morphology Evolution and Light-Regulated Biomedical Applications.

Supramolecular assembly has attracted significant attention and has been applied to various applications. Herein, a ß-γ-CD dimer was synthesized to complex different guest molecules, including single-strand polyethylene glycol (PEG)-modified C60 (PEG-C60), photothermal conversion reagent (IR780), and dexamethasone (Dexa), according to the complexation constant-dependent specific selectivity. Spherical or cylindrical nanoparticles, monolayer or bilayer vesicles, and bilayer fusion vesicles were discovered in succession if the concentration of PEG-C60 was varied. Moreover, if near-infrared light was employed to irradiate these nanoassemblies, the thermo-induced morphological evolution, subsequent cargo release, photothermal effect, and singlet oxygen (1O2) generation were successfully achieved. The in vitro cell experiments confirmed that these nanoparticles possessed excellent biocompatibility in a normal environment and achieved superior cytotoxicity by light regulation. Such proposed strategies for the construction of multilevel structures with different morphologies can open a new window to obtain various host-guest functional materials and achieve further use for disease treatment.

Study on the behavior of clusters in the physical recovery of GaAs scrap.

Gallium arsenide (GaAs) is the most widely used second-generation semiconductor material. However, a large amount of GaAs scrap is generated at various stages of the GaAs wafer production process. Volatile GaAs clusters are inevitably generated during the process of GaAs vacuum thermal decomposition, resulting in lower purity of the recovered arsenic and the loss of gallium. In this study, thermodynamic analysis and dynamics simulation were combined to discuss the possibility of separating GaAs clusters and arsenic from a microscopic perspective. A vacuum thermal decomposition-directional condensation recovery process for GaAs scrap was proposed. By properly adjusting the separation parameters such as heating temperature, holding time and raw material size, high purity of gallium (99.99%) and arsenic (99.5%) were directly recovered under a system pressure of 1 Pa, heating temperature of 1323 K, holding time of 3 h, and GaAs scrap size of 2.5 cm. GaAs clusters were also recovered in powder form. The problem of difficult separation of GaAs clusters from arsenic was effectively solved by this method, and the purity of recovered arsenic was greatly improved. No additives are required and no waste liquid or gas emission in the whole process. The complexity of subsequent arsenic purification operations and the threat of arsenic containing waste to the environment were reduced as well.

Relationship between medication burden and medication experience in stable patients with schizophrenia: the mediating effect of medication belief.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with schizophrenia require prolonged antipsychotic medication treatment. But more than 50% of individuals with schizophrenia experience adverse medication experiences during their antipsychotic treatments. Such individuals often adjust or discontinue medication, leading to disease relapse and impaired social functioning. Psychiatric nurses should pay close attention to the medication experiences of individuals with schizophrenia. This research explore the relationship between medication burden and medication experience, as well as the mediating effect of medication belief in stable patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: A convenience sample of hospitalized stable patients with schizophrenia were selected from Daqing Third Hospital and Baiyupao Hospital from September 2023 to December 2023. A survey was conducted with them using a questionnaire consisting of general information questionnaire, The Subjective Well-being Under Neuroleptic Treatment Scale(SWN), The Living with Medicines Questionnaire(LMQ), Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire-Specific (BMQ-Specific). Pearson correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation between LMQ, BMQ-Specific and SWN scores, and multiple linear regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors of medication experience in patients with schizophrenia. AMOS 24.0 was used to construct the structural equation modeling(SEM), and the mediation effect of the SEM was tested using Bootstrap method. RESULTS: According to the sample size calculation requirements of structural equation model, a total of 300 samples were required in this study, and 400 effective questionnaires were actually collected in this study, which met the sample size requirements for constructing structural equation models. Bootstrap test showed that the mediation effect was significant. The total effect of medication burden on medication experience was significant (Z=-12.146, 95%CI (-0.577, -0.417), P < 0.001). The indirect effect of medication burden on medication experience, that is, the mediating effect of medication belief was significant (Z=-4.839, 95%CI (-0.217, -0.096), P < 0.001). The direct effect of medication burden on medication experience was significant (Z=-7.565, 95%CI (-0.437, -0.257), P < 0.001). This model belongs to partial mediation model. CONCLUSIONS: Psychiatric nurses can enhance the patients' medication experience by reducing medication burden and strengthening medication beliefs. Therefore, the results also provide theoretical references and decision-making foundations for psychiatric nursing professionals to develop appropriate management strategies for individuals with schizophrenia.

Construction and verification of aggressive behavior risk prediction model in stable patients with schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Among all types of mental disorders, individuals with schizophrenia exhibit the highest frequency of aggressive behavior. This disrupts the healthcare environment and poses threats to family life and social harmony. Present approaches fail to identify individuals with schizophrenia who are predisposed to aggressive behavior. In this study, we aimed to construct a risk prediction model for aggressive behavior in stable patients with schizophrenia, which may facilitate early identification of patients who are predisposed to aggression by assessing relevant factors, enabling the management of high-risk groups to mitigate and prevent aggressive behavior. METHODS: A convenience sample of stable inpatients with schizophrenia were selected from Daqing Municipal Third Hospital and Chifeng Municipal Anding Hospital from March 2021 to July 2023. A total of 429 patients with stable schizophrenia who met the inclusion criteria were included. A survey was conducted with them using a questionnaire consisting of general information questionnaire, Positive and Negative Symptom Scale, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and Self-esteem Scale. Patients enrolled in this study were divided into aggressive and non-aggressive groups based on whether there was at least one obvious and recorded personal attack episode (including obvious wounding and self-injurious behavior) following diagnosis. Binary Logistic regression was used to determine the influencing factors, and R software was used to establish a nomogram model for predicting the risk of aggressive behavior. Bootstrap method was used for internal validation of the model, and the validation group was used for external validation. C statistic and calibration curve were used to evaluate the prediction performance of the model. RESULTS: The model variables included Age, Duration of disease, Positive symptom, Childhood Trauma, Self-esteem and Resilience. The AUROC of the model was 0.790 (95% CI:0.729-0.851), the best cutoff value was 0.308; the sensitivity was 70.0%; the specificity was 81.4%; The C statistics of internal and external validation were 0.759 (95%CI:0.725-0.814) and 0.819 (95%CI:0.733-0.904), respectively; calibration curve and Brier score showed good fit. CONCLUSIONS: The prediction model has a good degree of discrimination and calibration, which can intuitively and easily screen the high risk of aggressive behavior in stable patients with schizophrenia, and provide references for early screening and intervention.

Efficacy and safety of blonanserin versus risperidone in the treatment of schizophrenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of blonanserin and risperidone for the treatment of schizophrenia and to provide reliable pharmacotherapeutic evidence for in the clinical treatment of schizophrenia. METHODS: We systematically searched the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases for head-to-head randomized controlled trials that compared blonanserin with risperidone for the treatment of schizophrenia. We extracted the following data: author, year, country, diagnostic criteria, sample size, course of treatment, dosage and outcomes. Our main endpoint was the changes in the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total scores. Meta-analysis of the included data was conducted by RevMan 5.3 software. We used the GRADE criteria to evaluate the certainty of the evidence. RESULTS: A total of 411 studies were initially; 8 trials were eligible and were included in our analysis (N = 1386 participants). Regarding efficacy, there was no difference in changes in the PANSS total scores between the two groups (P > 0.05). In terms of safety, compared to risperidone, the incidence of serum prolactin increases and weight gain in the blonanserin group was lower (P<0.05), but the incidence of extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) was higher (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The efficacy of blonanserin is similar to that of risperidone, but it is unclear whether blonanserin is more effective than risperidone at improving cognitive and social function. More high-quality studies are needed to verify the efficacy and safety of blonanserin in the future.

The experimental approach for the interleaved joint modulation of PHIP and NMR.

Nuclear spin hyperpolarization derived from parahydrogen is a technique for enhancing nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) sensitivity. The key to hyperpolarization experiments is to achieve rapid transfer and detection to minimize relaxation losses, while also avoiding bubbles or turbulence to guarantee high spectral resolution. In this article, we describe an experimental approach for the interleaved joint modulation of parahydrogen-induced polarization and NMR. We provide schematic diagrams of parahydrogen-based polarizer with in situ high-pressure detection capability and low-field polarization transfer. This approach can help to control the experimental process and acquire experimental information, one example of which is the attainment of the highest hyperpolarization signal intensity at 3.6 s after closing the valve. The polarizer demonstrates in situ detection capability, allowing sample to be restabilized within 0.3 ± 0.1 s and high-resolution NMR sampling under a pressure of 3 bars. Moreover, it can transfer polarized samples from the polarization transfer field to the detection region of NMR within 1 ± 0.3 s for completing signal amplification by reversible exchange experiments.

Efficacy and safety of liraglutide in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and severe obstructive sleep apnea.

OBJECTIVES: To observe the efficacy and side effects of liraglutide in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). METHODS: The study conducted in an outpatient setting was a two-center, prospective randomized controlled study. T2DM patients with severe OSA were randomized to the control group (continuous positive airway pressure [CPAP] and drug treatment without liraglutide) or the liraglutide group (CPAP and drug treatment including liraglutide). Demographic and clinical characteristics, sleep-disordered breathing indices, cardiac function indices, and side effects were evaluated and compared between the two groups before and after 3 months. RESULTS: Of 90 patients, 45 were randomized to the intervention arm (with liraglutide) and 45 to the control arm (without liraglutide). One patient in the liraglutide group dropped out of the study on day 8 after enrollment due to obvious gastrointestinal symptoms. No significant differences were found between the two groups in baseline demographics, clinical characteristics, cardiac function indicators, or sleep disorder respiratory indices (P > 0.05). After 3 months, the body mass index (BMI), apnea hypopnea index (AHI), and mean systolic blood pressure in the liraglutide treatment group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The minimum oxygen saturation was significantly higher in the liraglutide group compared with that in the control group after 3 months of follow-up (P < 0.05). No difference was found between the two groups in the summary of side effects (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Liraglutide combined with CPAP can effectively reduce BMI, lower mean systolic blood pressure, and improve AHI scores and hypoxia in T2DM patients with severe OSA. Liraglutide did not increase side effects.

Exercise activates autophagy and regulates endoplasmic reticulum stress in muscle of high-fat diet mice to alleviate insulin resistance.

Exercise training has been demonstrated as an effective therapy for insulin resistance (IR) to relieve skeletal muscle metabolic disorders. Physiologic protective autophagy was found blocked by IR induced severe endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, which may lead to progression of IR. However, the mechanisms are not fully understood. Therefore, this study sought to investigate that how exercise training act on IR through an exploration into the mechanism of ER stress and high-fat diet (HFD)-blocked autophagy. A rodent model was adopted in mice via a HFD and an 8-week swim exercise training intervention. The mouse IR model was successfully established through HFD treatment: body mass, adipose weight, HOMA-IR index increased, as well as IRS1, inhibited in the muscle of HFD mice. Moreover, the AMPK/PGC1α pathway was depressed and IRE1, PERK, ATF6-related ER stress signaling was activated in the muscle of HFD mice. While autophagy factors, including BNIP3, LC3II/LC3I, and PINK1, decreased. However, additional 8-week exercise training during HFD was found to reverse all these changes and alleviate IR. Thus, exercise training could facilitate HFD-blocked protective autophagy via the activation of the AMPK/PGC1α pathway to relieve insulin resistance in mice. Our study provides experimental data for the prevention of T2DM and insulin resistance.

The transcription factor interferon regulatory factor-1 is an endogenous mediator of myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury.

Myocardial ischemia reperfusion (MIR) injury negatively affects the prognosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), while effective suppression of MIR injury remains a largely unmet clinical need. Interferon regulatory factors (IRF) are key players in chronic cardiac disorders such as cardiac remodeling. However, their roles in acute MIR injury remain largely unknown. In the current study, microarray data indicated that IRF1 expression was consistently changed in the human ischemic heart and ischemic reperfused mouse heart. Western blot analysis confirmed the expression alterations of IRF1 in ischemic reperfused mouse heart. Cardiac-specific IRF1 knockdown significantly decreased infarct size, improved cardiac function, and suppressed myocardial apoptosis after MIR injury. Conversely, cardiac-specific IRF1 overexpression significantly promoted MIR injury. Further investigation revealed that IRF1 transcriptionally regulated the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and augmented oxidative stress. Taken together, we presented the first direct evidence that IRF1 served as a mediator of MIR injury, and IRF1 may represent a potential therapeutic target for alleviating MIR injury.

Use of the RBANS to Evaluate Cognition in Patients with Schizophrenia and Metabolic Syndrome: a Meta-Analysis of Case-Control Studies.

Schizophrenia is associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS), which is an important risk factor for developing cognitive impairment in the general population. A few case-control studies have explored the relationship between MetS and cognitive deficits in individuals with schizophrenia but with inconsistent findings. This meta-analysis of case-control studies was carried out to explore the association between MetS and cognitive performance in patients with schizophrenia. Only case-control studies assessing the association of cognitive function and MetS in patients with schizophrenia were identified. Cognitive function was assessed using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) scale. Six case-control studies (n = 992) comparing cognition between patients with schizophrenia with MetS (n = 426) and those without MetS (n = 566) using the RBANS were identified. Compared to patients with schizophrenia without MetS, patients with schizophrenia and MetS had significantly more impairments in RBANS total scores [standardized mean difference (SMD) = -0.26, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.51 to -0.02; I2 = 72%; p = 0.03], immediate memory (SMD = -0.32, 95% CI: -0.54 to -0.10; I2 = 66%; p = 0.005), attention (SMD = -0.29, 95% CI: -0.56 to -0.02; I2 = 77%; p = 0.03), and delayed memory (SMD = -0.24, 95% CI: -0.46 to -0.03; I2 = 64%; p = 0.03). No group difference was found regarding visuospatial skills and language (p > 0.05). This meta-analysis found that schizophrenia patients with MetS had worse performance on certain cognitive tasks than non-MetS patients.

Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 Correlates with the Prognosis of Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to evaluate whether serum fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) levels can be used to predict the prognosis of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). METHODS: 241 patients with DCM and 80 control subjects were recruited and followed up for an average of 16.12 months. A 2-dimensional (2-D) echocardiography technique was performed to calculate the left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) percentages. The levels of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and creatinine were measured in routine clinical laboratory tests. Serum FGF21 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: The levels of serum FGF21 were significantly higher in the DCM groups than in the control groups (225.85 ± 32.57 vs. 145.36 ± 30.57, p < 0.001). Serum FGF21 levels were positively correlated with the NYHA functional classification of heart failure (HF) (r = 0.610, p < 0.001) and NT-proBNP levels (r = 0.741, p < 0.001). Moreover, a negative correlation was observed between the serum FGF21 levels and the LVEF (r = -0.402, p < 0.001). FGF21, NT-proBNP, the LVEF and a history of atrial fibrillation (AF) correlated significantly with NYHA class IV (p < 0.05). The AUC of NT-proBNP for predicting NYHA class IV in DCM patients was greater than that of FGF21 (0.830 vs. 0.772, p < 0.001). Overall, 133 patients with DCM were recorded at the end point. Kaplan-Meier analysis results showed that the survival probability of those individuals with high levels of FGF21 and NT-proBNP was significantly lower than of those with low levels of these factors (p < 0.001). In the multivariate Cox analysis, FGF21 (HR 2.561; 95% CI 1.705-3.849) and NT-proBNP (HR 4.458; 95% CI 2.645-7.513) were independent predictors of a poor prognosis in DCM patients. CONCLUSIONS: Serum FGF21 levels were associated with the risk factors, severity, and prognosis of DCM. Therefore, FGF21 may serve as a novel biomarker for the prognosis of DCM.

Adsorption and dissociation of COCl2 on the rutile TiO2(110) surfaces: a systematic first-principles study.

The adsorption and dissociation of phosgene (COCl2) molecules on three kinds of rutile TiO2(110) surfaces (stoichiometric: TiO2-Sto; oxygen defective: TiO2-Ov; and substoichiometric: TiO1.875) were investigated based on density functional theory calculations. The nature of interactions between the COCl2 molecule and rutile TiO2(110) surfaces with different degrees of reduction was researched by the analysis of geometries, electron density difference, adsorption energies and density of states (DOS). Computational results show that COCl2 indicates instability and will dissociate directly without the presence of transition states on a substoichiometric TiO1.875(110) surface. The adsorption and dissociation behavior of COCl2 on the rutile surface is not only helpful in providing theoretical support for the clean and efficient degradation of COCl2, but also helpful in elucidating the role of COCl2 as an intermediate product in the carbochlorination of titanium ore.

Determining the enantioselectivity of asymmetric hydrogenation through parahydrogen-induced hyperpolarization.

Asymmetric hydrogenation plays an essential role for both academic research and industry to produce enantiomeric pure chiral molecules. Although nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is powerful in determining the yields of hydrogenation, it is still challenging to use NMR for chirality-related analysis. Herein, we applied parahydrogen-induced hyperpolarization (PHIP) NMR to determine the enantioselectivity of asymmetric hydrogenation and the absolute chirality of products. We hyperpolarized two types of unsaturated amino acid precursors, i.e., methyl-α-acetoamido cinnamate and (E)-ethyl 3-acetamidobut-2-enoate. Hydrogenation of prochiral substrates with parahydrogen gave temporary hyperpolarized diastereoisomers, which exhibit different PHIP patterns distinguishable in 1H NMR. After assigning the NMR peaks by density functional theory calculations, we simulated the PHIP patterns of all the possible temporary hyperpolarized diastereoisomers and unambiguously assigned the chirality of the products and the enantioselectivity of asymmetric hydrogenation. Our work demonstrates the application and potential of PHIP in revealing the mechanism of asymmetric hydrogenation.

Recent Advances in Synthesis of Chiral Thioethers.

Chiral thioethers is an important class of organosulfur molecules with extensive applications, especially in the field of medicine and organic synthesis. This review discusses the recent progress of synthesis of enantioenriched chiral thioethers and hopes to be helpful for related research in the future. It is summarized from organosulfur compounds-participating organic reaction types, including nucleophilic substitution, cross coupling, sulfa-Michael addition, sulfenylation, asymmetric allylic reaction, asymmetric Doyle-Kirmse reaction, Pummerer-type rearrangement, Smiles rearrangement,[2,3] Stevens and Sommelet-Hauser rearrangement.

Ethanol Extract of Chinese Hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida) Fruit Reduces Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Rats with Doxorubicin-Induced Chronic Heart Failure.

BACKGROUND Chinese hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida) fruit is a traditional Chinese medicine for treatment of digestive system and cardiovascular diseases. The fruit contains polyphenol compounds, such as epicatechin, that have anti-inflammatory activity. This study aimed to investigate the effects of an alcohol extract of hawthorn fruit (HAE) on inflammation and oxidative stress in rats with doxorubicin-induced chronic heart failure (CHF). MATERIAL AND METHODS Rats were intraperitoneally injected with doxorubicin to induce CHF and subsequently treated with HAE intragastrically once daily for 6 weeks. At the end of the experiment, echocardiographic and hemodynamic parameters were assessed, and enzyme-linked immunoassays were used to detect the levels of cardiac injury markers (brain natriuretic peptide, creatine kinase-MB, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, copeptin, and adrenomedullin), oxidative stress markers (glutathione peroxidase and malondialdehyde), and inflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL]-6, IL-8, IL-1ß, and tumor necrosis factor-a). The IL-1ß, IL-6, glutathione peroxidase-1, and catalase mRNA levels were also measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS Our findings indicated that HAE exerts a cardioprotective effect, as shown by improved echocardiographic and hemodynamic parameters, decreased activity of serum myocardial enzymes, reduced serum levels of CHF markers, and inhibited inflammatory response in cardiac tissue. In addition, HAE treatment downregulated the mRNA expression of IL-1ß and tumor necrosis factor-alpha and upregulated the mRNA expression of glutathione peroxidase-1 and catalase compared with untreated doxorubicin-induced CHF rats. CONCLUSIONS HAE shows promise for the prevention and treatment of CHF. The cardioprotective effect of HAE appears to be related to inhibition of both the inflammatory response and oxidative stress in vivo.

Versatile, Robust, and Facile Approach for in Situ Monitoring Electrocatalytic Processes through Liquid Electrochemical NMR Spectroscopy.

With the strength of liquid nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to noninvasively and specifically realize the structural elucidation and quantitative analysis of small organic molecules, in principle, liquid in situ electrochemical-NMR (EC-NMR) possesses great advantages for detecting dissolved species during the electrochemical process. However, the intrinsic incompatibilities between the coupling techniques as well as the sophisticated setups modification still limit the applications toward a wide range. To overcome these bottlenecks, herein we propose an easy-to-construct design with good compatibility and presenting improved electrochemical and NMR performances. As proof of concept, model experiments of alcohol electrooxidation were performed to confirm the capacity of this device for liquid in situ EC-NMR study. The temporal evolution of both the product and the current distributions can be reliably recorded to aid mechanistic and kinetic understanding of electrocatalysis. The depiction of the selective electrooxidation reveals the surface structure-catalytic functionality. This work demonstrates the universality and effectivity of the proposed platform to develop the liquid in situ EC-NMR technique as a useful tool for the dynamic analysis of electrochemical processes at a molecular level.

A label-free and ultrasensitive DNA impedimetric sensor with enzymatic and electrical dual-amplification.

In this work, we report a facile, sensitive, selective, and reproducible DNA impedimetric sensor device. We demonstrate that, combined with exonuclease III, the easily prepared electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (rGO) could be a desirable platform to amplify signals in electrochemical impedance spectroscopy for ultrasensitive DNA detection. Guided by enzyme assisted target recycling, efficient interfacial tuning can be obtained, from the situation with high impedance caused by single-stranded DNA probes directly adsorbed onto rGO to the one with low impedance due to the continuous desorption of target-probe DNA hybrids and the consequent digestion of DNA probes. Just a few DNA targets can specifically trigger the enzymatic digestion of a large number of DNA probes. It is the excellent electrical conductivity of rGO that further enlarges the changes of electron transfer resistance after the removal of DNA probes. As a result of synergistically combining both enzymatic and electrical amplification, the enlarged changes of impedimetric signals can be measured to sensitively report DNA targets. The specificity has been guaranteed by the intrinsic recognition of hybrids through both rGO and exonuclease III. A limit of detection as low as 10 aM target DNA in the matrix of cell culture medium, as well as a wide linear range and good discrimination of mismatched sequences even at the one-base level, suggests its great application prospect in biosensing and biomedical analysis. It also has other advantages including easy operation, low cost, and convenient regeneration, with more competitive performance in developing impedimetric biosensors.

A Study on the Structure and the Photoelectrical Properties of the Al-Doped ZnO Thin Films by Atomic Layer Deposition in Low Temperatures.

The AZO transparent conductive films are prepared by the atomic layer deposition (ALD) at a low temperature of 150 °C. The different Al-Zn doping ratios were designed during the deposition. The phase structure of the films was characterized by XRD, the electrical properties of thin films were analyzed by the Holzer test, and the optical properties of thin films were analyzed by the UV-3600 (UV-VIS-NIR) spectrophotometer. The results showed that all the films preferred the orientation of the C axis during the growth process, the AZO films have a very low resistivity of 6.955×10-4 Ω·cm with the Al doping ratio by 2%, the deposition temperature is 150 °C and the thickness of the film is 200 nm. The transmission of AZO films with the different doping ratios in the visible region is 85%. The proper doping ratio can be selected to get the excellent photoelectric properties of AZO thin films. Such low resistivity AZO transparent conductive film is expected to replace the ITO as the transparent electrode for the organic light-emitting devices and the other new generation of the optoelectronic devices.

Chronic infectious unilateral giant thyroid cyst related to diabetes mellitus: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Patients rarely develop complicated infections in thyroid cysts. Here, we describe a patient with chronic infected unilateral giant thyroid cyst related to diabetes mellitus (DM). CASE SUMMARY: A 66-year-old male was admitted due to an evident neck lump for 5 d after approximately 40 years of gradually progressive neck mass and 7 years of DM. Doppler ultrasound and computed tomography scan showed a giant lump in the left thyroid gland lobe. He was diagnosed with a large thyroid nodule complicated by tracheal dislocation and had surgical indications. Surgical exploration revealed evident inflammatory edema and exudation between the left anterior neck muscles, the nodule and glandular tissue. Fortunately, inflammatory lesions did not affect major neck vessels. Finally, a left partial thyroidectomy was performed. Macroscopic observation showed that the cystic thyroid mass consisted of extensive cystic wall calcification and was rich in massive rough sand-like calculi content and purulent matter. Postoperative pathology confirmed benign thyroid cyst with chronic infection. CONCLUSION: The progression of this chronic infectious unilateral giant thyroid cyst may have been related to DM, and identifying blood vessels involvement can prevent serious complications during operation.