Atypical characteristic changes of surface morphology and structural covariance network in developmental dyslexia.

BACKGROUND: Developmental dyslexia (DD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by difficulties with all aspects of information acquisition in the written word, including slow and inaccurate word recognition. The neural basis behind DD has not been fully elucidated. METHOD: The study included 22 typically developing (TD) children, 16 children with isolated spelling disorder (SpD), and 20 children with DD. The cortical thickness, folding index, and mean curvature of Broca's area, including the triangular part of the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFGtriang) and the opercular part of the left inferior frontal gyrus, were assessed to explore the differences of surface morphology among the TD, SpD, and DD groups. Furthermore, the structural covariance network (SCN) of the triangular part of the left inferior frontal gyrus was analyzed to explore the changes of structural connectivity in the SpD and DD groups. RESULTS: The DD group showed higher curvature and cortical folding of the left IFGtriang than the TD group and SpD group. In addition, compared with the TD group and the SpD group, the structural connectivity between the left IFGtriang and the left middle-frontal gyrus and the right mid-orbital frontal gyrus was increased in the DD group, and the structural connectivity between the left IFGtriang and the right precuneus and anterior cingulate was decreased in the DD group. CONCLUSION: DD had atypical structural connectivity in brain regions related to visual attention, memory and which might impact the information input and integration needed for reading and spelling.

Combined Impact of Heart Rate Sensor Placements with Respiratory Rate and Minute Ventilation on Oxygen Uptake Prediction.

Oxygen uptake (V˙O2) is an essential metric for evaluating cardiopulmonary health and athletic performance, which can barely be directly measured. Heart rate (HR) is a prominent physiological indicator correlated with V˙O2 and is often used for indirect V˙O2 prediction. This study investigates the impact of HR placement on V˙O2 prediction accuracy by analyzing HR data combined with the respiratory rate (RESP) and minute ventilation (V˙E) from three anatomical locations: the chest; arm; and wrist. Twenty-eight healthy adults participated in incremental and constant workload cycling tests at various intensities. Data on V˙O2, RESP, V˙E, and HR were collected and used to develop a neural network model for V˙O2 prediction. The influence of HR position on prediction accuracy was assessed via Bland-Altman plots, and model performance was evaluated by mean absolute error (MAE), coefficient of determination (R2), and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). Our findings indicate that HR combined with RESP and V˙E (V˙O2HR+RESP+V˙E) produces the most accurate V˙O2 predictions (MAE: 165 mL/min, R2: 0.87, MAPE: 15.91%). Notably, as exercise intensity increases, the accuracy of V˙O2 prediction decreases, particularly within high-intensity exercise. The substitution of HR with different anatomical sites significantly impacts V˙O2 prediction accuracy, with wrist placement showing a more profound effect compared to arm placement. In conclusion, this study underscores the importance of considering HR placement in V˙O2 prediction models, with RESP and V˙E serving as effective compensatory factors. These findings contribute to refining indirect V˙O2 estimation methods, enhancing their predictive capabilities across different exercise intensities and anatomical placements.

Polydatin alleviates bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis and alters the gut microbiota in a mouse model.

To investigate the effect and mechanism of polydatin on bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis in a mouse model. The lung fibrosis model was induced by BLM. The contents of TNF-α, LPS, IL-6 and IL-1ß in lung tissue, intestine and serum were detected by ELISA. Gut microbiota diversity was detected by 16S rDNA sequencing; R language was used to analyse species composition, α-diversity, ß-diversity, species differences and marker species. Mice were fed drinking water mixed with four antibiotics (ampicillin, neomycin, metronidazole, vancomycin; antibiotics, ABx) to build a mouse model of ABx-induced bacterial depletion; and faecal microbiota from different groups were transplanted into BLM-treated or untreated ABx mice. The histopathological changes and collagen I and α-SMA expression were determined. Polydatin effectively reduced the degree of fibrosis in a BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis mouse model; BLM and/or polydatin affected the abundance of the dominant gut microbiota in mice. Moreover, faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from polydatin-treated BLM mice effectively alleviated lung fibrosis in BLM-treated ABx mice compared with FMT from BLM mice. Polydatin can reduce fibrosis and inflammation in a BLM-induced mouse pulmonary fibrosis model. The alteration of gut microbiota by polydatin may be involved in the therapeutic effect.

Emodin inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition in pulmonary fibrosis through the c-MYC/miR-182-5p/ZEB2 axis.

Emodin is a natural anthraquinone compound, which is the main component found in the traditional Chinese herb Polygonum cuspidatum. The anti-fibrosis effects of Emodin have been reported. This study aimed to explore the specific mechanism of Emodin in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of pulmonary fibrosis. The pulmonary fibrosis mice models were constructed with bleomycin, the EMT models of alveolar epithelial cells were stimulated by TGF-ß1, and Emodin was used for intervention. c-MYC and miR-182-5p were overexpressed or silenced by cell transfection. Our results demonstrated that Emodin attenuated pulmonary fibrosis induced by bleomycin in mice, and inhibited EMT, meanwhile downregulated c-MYC, upregulated miR-182-5p, and downregulated ZEB2 in vitro and vivo. Next, overexpression of c-MYC promoted EMT, while silencing c-MYC and overexpressing miR-182-5p inhibited EMT. Then, c-MYC negatively regulated the expression of miR-182-5p with a direct binding relationship. And miR-182-5p inhibited ZEB2 expression in a targeted manner. Finally, Emodin inhibited EMT that had been promoted by overexpression of c-MYC. In conclusion, Emodin could attenuate pulmonary fibrosis and EMT by regulating the c-MYC/miR-182-5p/ZEB2 axis, which might provide evidence for the application of Emodin in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis.

Emodin inhibiting neutrophil elastase-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition through Notch1 signalling in alveolar epithelial cells.

The transition of alveolar type II epithelial cells into fibroblasts has been reported to cause and/or aggravate pulmonary fibrosis (PF), which is characterized by fibroblast proliferation, an enhanced production and accumulation of ECM (extracellular matrix), alveolar wall damage and functional capillary unit loss. Traditional Chinese medicine Emodin has been reported to inhibit TGF-ß-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in alveolar epithelial cells through Notch signalling. In the present study, neutrophil elastase (NE, also known as ELA2) treatment promoted EMT, Notch1 cleavage (NICD/Notch1 ratio increase) and NICD nuclear translocation in RLE-6TN cells and A549 cells. The promotive roles of NE treatment in these events were significantly reversed by Notch1 knockdown. Traditional Chinese medicine Emodin treatment remarkably inhibited the enzyme activity of NE, suppressed EMT, Notch1 cleavage and NICD nuclear translocation within RLE-6TN and A549 cells, while NE treatment significantly reversed the effects of Emodin. Moreover, in RLE-6TN, the effects of NE on EMT, Notch1 cleavage and NICD nuclear translocation were remarkably attenuated by Emodin treatment and more attenuated by the combination of Emodin and neutrophil elastase inhibitor Sivelestat or notch signal pathway inhibitor DAPT. In conclusion, we revealed the involvement of NE-induced Notch1 cleavage in the functions of Emodin suppressing NE-caused EMT in RLE-6TN cells and A549 cells. This novel mechanism of Emodin inhibiting EMT might extend the application of Emodin in PF treatment.

Descending necrotizing mediastinitis caused by Streptococcus constellatus in an immunocompetent patient: case report and review of the literature.

Descending necrotizing mediastinitis is a severe infection of the mediastinum. This syndrome manifests as fever and chest pain following cough and sputum production. A 49-year-old woman presented with fever and a 14-day history of pneumonia. CT showed mediastinal abscesses with a giant calcified mediastinal lymph node (21 × 18 mm) and pneumonia. Bronchoscopy by EBUS-TBNA under general anesthesia was performed. The pathogen found in the puncture culture was Streptococcus constellatus, and antibiotics (mezlocillin/sulbactam 3.375 IVGTT q8h) was administered. A proximal right main bronchial neoplasm, suspected lung cancer, was found and conformed to inflammatory granuloma. A total of 22 months post-discharge the patient was clinically stable. We also conducted a review of the literature for all Streptococcus constellatus descending necrotizing mediastinitis infections between 2011 and 2017.

Content-Sensing Based Resource Allocation forDelay-Sensitive VR Video Uploading in 5G H-CRAN.

Virtual reality (VR) is emerging as one of key applications in future fifth-generation (5G)networks. Uploading VR video in 5G network is expected to boom in near future, as generalconsumers could generate high-quality VR videos with portable 360-degree cameras and arewilling to share with others. Heterogeneous networks integrating with 5G cloud-radio accessnetworks (H-CRAN) provides high transmission rate for VR video uploading. To address themotion characteristic of UE (User Equipments) and small cell feature of 5G H-CRAN, in this paperwe proposed a content-sensing based resource allocation scheme for delay-sensitive VR videouploading in 5G H-CRAN, in which the source coding rate of uploading VR video is determinedby the centralized RA scheduling. This scheme jointly optimizes g-NB group resource allocation,RHH/g-NB association, sub-channel assignment, power allocation, and tile encoding rate assignmentas formulated in a mixed-integer nonlinear problem (MINLP). To solve the problem, a three stagealgorithm is proposed. Dynamic g-NB group resource allocation is first performed according to theUE density of each group. Then, joint RRH/g-NB association, sub-channel allocation and powerallocation is performed by an iterative process. Finally, encoding tile rate is assigned to optimizethe target objective by adopting convex optimization toolbox. The simulation results show that ourproposed algorithm ensures the total utility of system under the constraint of maximum transmissiondelay and power, which also with low complexity and faster convergence.

Highly time-resolved aerosol characteristics during springtime in Weizhou Island.

A single particle aerosol mass spectrometer was deployed to measure the changes of single particle species and sizes during March 2015 in Weizhou Island of the Beibu Gulf, Guangxi province, South China. In this campaign, a total of 3,100,597 particles were sized, and 25.8% particles with both positive and negative mass spectrum were collected and 24.8% characterized in combination with the ART-2a neural network algorithm. The distribution of sized particles was mainly in from 520 to 600nm, and the diameters ranging from 340 to 1000nm accounted for above 90%. Eight types of particles were classified: Elemental Carbon containing (EC), Organic Carbon containing (OC), EC and OC combined containing particles, Na containing particles, K containing particles (K), Levoglucosan containing particles, mineral containing particles, and Heavy Metal containing particles (HM). EC, OC and K were the major containing particles, which accounted for 84.3% in the eight types particles. The relative ratio and size distribution of the three types were EC (48.1%, 620nm), OC (12.7%, 440nm), and K (23.5%, 600nm), respectively. The three types of particles were a bit increasing ratios compared with those in clean periods during haze pollution periods. Combined with the back-trajectory results from the Hysplit-4 model and local pollution sources revealed that the ambient air quality on the Weizhou Island may be influenced by biomass burning in the Indochina Peninsula (biomass burning in the Indochina Peninsula) from the transportation on higher level atmospheric layer and by mainland of south China located northeast of Weizhou Island on the ground.

Emodin suppresses TGF-ß1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in alveolar epithelial cells through Notch signaling pathway.

Pulmonary fibrosis is characterized by the destruction of lung tissue architecture and the formation of fibrous foci, currently has no satisfactory treatment. Emodin is a component of Chinese herb that has been reported to be medicament on pancreatic fibrosis and liver fibrosis. However, its role in pulmonary fibrosis has not been established yet. In the present study, we investigated the hypothesis that Emodin plays an inhibitory role in TGF-ß1 induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of alveolar epithelial cell, and Emodin exerts its effect through the Notch signaling pathway. Emodin inhibits the proliferation of Rat alveolar type II epithelial cells RLE-6TN in a concentration-dependent manner; reduces the expression of Collagen I, α-SMA and Vimentin, promotes the expression of E-cadherin. Moreover, Emodin could regulate the expression patterns of the Notch signaling pathway-related factors and reduce the Notch-1 nucleus translocation. Knockdown of Notch-1 enhances the inhibitory effect of Emodin on TGF-ß1-induced EMT in RLE-6TN cells. In conclusion, the data of the present study suggests that Emodin suppresses TGF-ß1-induced EMT in alveolar epithelial cells through Notch signaling pathway and shows the potential to be effective in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis.

Self-made microextraction by packed sorbent device for the cleanup of polychlorinated biphenyls from bovine serum.

Microextraction by packed sorbent, a miniaturized form of the solid-phase extraction, is a new sample pretreatment technology mainly used for bioanalysis. In this work, self-made device was fabricated by packing C18 sorbent into a microinjection needle (50 µL) and then applied for the analysis of polychlorinated biphenyls in bovine serum followed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry determination. Compared with conventional solid-phase extraction, the developed method bears many intriguing properties such as low consumption of the sample and organic solvent, time-saving and easy operation, which are of great interest and desire for bioanalysis applications. A series of parameters that affect the analytical performance, such as the type of elution, the aspirating/dispensing cycles of sample loading and elution, washing solution, and matrix effects, was investigated in detail. Under the optimized conditions, the proposed method presented a good linearity (R ≥ 0.986) and satisfactory sensitivity and limits of detection (0.06-0.53 ng/mL) and quantification (0.20-1.77 ng/mL), respectively. In addition, satisfactory recoveries (60.0-91.4%) and accuracy (RSD ≤ 5.72%) were achieved after optimizing the conditions when applying the developed method to real sample analysis. The screening of polychlorinated biphenyls residues in bovine serum samples by the developed method demonstrated that the assay is ideally suited as a monitoring method for polychlorinated biphenyls residues in bioanalysis.

[Effect of Polydatin on Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition of Human Alveolar Epithelium A549 Cells Induced by TGF-ß1].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of polydatin on the growth of TGF-ß1induced humanalveolar epithelium A549 cells and the mechanism of polydatin for inhibiting the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). METHODS: A549 cells in vitro cultured were randomly divided into five groups, i.e., the blank group, the control group, the low dose polydatin group, the middle dose polydatin group, the high dose polydatin group. Common culture fluid was added in A549 cells of the blank group. Five ng/mLTGF-ß1contained culture fluid was added in A549 cells of the control group. 50, 100, and 150 µmol/mL of polydatin plus 5 ng/mL TGF-ß1contained culture fluid was added in A549 cells of low, middle, and high dosepolydatin groups, respectively. Morphological changes were observed and recorded at different time points. The optimal concentration of polydatin was determined by MTT method. Protein and mRNA expressions of E-cad epithelial cell marker) and Vimentin (mesenchymal cell marker) were detected by Western blot and Real-time PCR. RESULTS: Under inverted phase contrast microscope, A549 cells turned from previous pebble shape to fusiform shape after intervened by polydatin and TGF-ß1. The intercellular space was enlargedand the intercellular connection became loose. These phenomena were more obviously seen in the control group. A549 cells were more satiated in low, middle, and high dose polydatin groups than in the control group. The EMT inhibition was most obviously seen in the middle dose polydatin group at 48 h. Protein and mRNA expressions of E-cad showed an overall descending tendency after intervened by polydatin and TGF-ß1 (P < 0.05). But compared with the control group, protein and mRNA expressions of E-cad were down-regulated in a lesser amplitude in each intervened group. Besides, the tendency was more obviously seen at 48 h than at 24 h. Protein and mRNA expressions of Vimentin showed an overall up-regulating tendency. But compared with the control group, protein and mRNA expressions of Vimentin were down-regulated in a lesser amplitude in each intervened group. Besides, the tendency was more obviously seen at 48 h than at 24 h (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Polydatin could inhibit TGF-ß1 induced EMT process of A549 cells time- and dose-dependently. It also played roles in inhibiting pulmonary fibrosis.

[Effect of Flos Daturae Alkaloids on TGF-beta1-induced Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition of Human Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma A549 Cells].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of Flos Daturae alkaloids (FDA) on TGF-beta1-1uuuu;U epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of human pulmonary adenocarcinoma A549 cells. METHODS: A549 cells in vitro cultured were randomly divided into 5 groups, i.e., the blank control group, the TGF-beta1 group, the low dose FDA group, the medium dose FDA group, and the high dose FDA group. The morphologies of A549 cells were observed. Expressions of cytokeratin (CK)-19 and alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) were detected by Western blot and real-time PCR at 24, 48, and 72 h, respectively. RESULTS: A549 cells in the TGF-beta1, group turned from cobblestone to spindle shape gradually. Those in low, medium and high dose FDA groups showed similar shapes to those of the TGF-beta1 group. There was no statistical difference in the morphology of A549 cells among the 3 dose FDA groups (P > 0.05). Western blot showed that, when compared with the blank control group, the expression of CK-19 was down-regulated, but the expression of alpha-SMA was up-regulated in the TGF-beta1 group (P < 0.01). Compared with the TGF-beta1, group, the expression of CK-19 was up-regulated, but the expression of alpha-SMA was suppressed in low, medium and high dose FDA groups (P < 0.01). The CK-19 expression obviously increased, but the alpha-SMA expression was suppressed in high dose FDA group at 72 h (P < 0.01). Real-time PCR results showed, as compared with the TGF-beta1 group, the mRNA expression of CK-19 was increased, but the mRNA expression of alpha-SMA was reduced in low, medium and high dose FDA groups (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: FDA had no effect on EMT morphological changes of TGF-beta1 induced A549 cells. FDA could reverse characteristic markers of A549 cells during EMT to some extent, such as expressions of CK-19 and alpha-SMA. The expression of CK-19 (as the epithelium marker) increased and the expression of alpha-SMA (as the mesenchymal marker) was reduced. Besides, they were most obviously seen in the high dose FDA group at 72 h in a dose- and time-dependent manner.

[Effect of qidong huoxue decoction on inflammatory factors and TLR4 mRNA Expression in acute lung injury rats].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of qidong huoxue decoction (QHD) on inflammatory factors and Toll-like receptor (TLR4) mRNA expressions in acute lung injury (ALI) rats. METHODS: Totally 50 healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into the blank control group, the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) model group, low, middle, high dose QHD groups according to body weight, 10 rats in each group. Rats in low, middle, high dose QHD groups were intragastrically administered with QHD at 4, 8, and 16 mL/kg 24, 12 h before modeling and 12 h after modeling, respectively. Normal saline was intragastrically administered to rats in the blank control group and the LPS model group. An ALI rat model was established using intratracheal instillation of LPS. Rats were killed after 24-h modeling. Then the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was prepared. Contents of TNF-α, IL-1ß, and L-10 were detected using ELISA. TLR4 mRNA expressions were determined byreal time PCR. RESULTS: Compared with the blank control group, contents of TNF-α, IL-1ß , and IL-10 increased (P <0. 01), TLR4 mRNA expressions also increased in the LPS model group (all P <0. 01). Compared with the LPS model group, contents of TNF-α and IL-1ß decreased (P <0. 05, P <0. 01), IL-10 levels increased (P <0. 01) , TLR4 mRNA expressions were also reduced (P <0. 01), in high and middle dose QHD groups. Compared with the high dose QHD group, con- tents of TNF-α and IL-1ß increased in middle and low dose QHD groups (P <0. 05); IL-10 levels decreased (P <0. 05) in the low dose QHD group(P <0. 05), TLR4 mRNA expressions also increased in the low dose QHD group (P <0. 05). Compared with the middle dose QHD group, IL-10 levels was reduced, but TLR4 mRNA expressions increased in the low dose QHD group (P <0. 05). CONCLUSIONS: QHD had the protective effect on LPS induced ALI rats. Its mechanism might be associated with inhibiting TLR4 mRNA expressions, leading to decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-ß, elevated anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, and thereby, correcting unbalanced inflammation.

Portable solid phase micro-extraction coupled with ion mobility spectrometry system for on-site analysis of chemical warfare agents and simulants in water samples.

On-site analysis is an efficient approach to facilitate analysis at the location of the system under investigation as it can result in more accurate, more precise and quickly available analytical data. In our work, a novel self-made thermal desorption based interface was fabricated to couple solid-phase microextraction with ion mobility spectrometry for on-site water analysis. The portable interface can be connected with the front-end of an ion mobility spectrometer directly without other modifications. The analytical performance was evaluated via the extraction of chemical warfare agents and simulants in water samples. Several parameters including ionic strength and extraction time have been investigated in detail. The application of the developed method afforded satisfactory recoveries ranging from 72.9% to 114.4% when applied to the analysis of real water samples.

The Properties of High-Performance Concrete with Manganese Slag under Salt Action.

Manganese slag (MS) containing a certain amount of active hydration substances may be used as a kind of cementitious material. In the present study, we measured the mass, the relative dynamic modulus of elasticity (RDME), and the flexural and compressive strengths of MS high-performance concrete (MS-HPC) with added basalt fibers exposed to NaCl freeze-thaw cycles (N-FCs), NaCl dry-wet alternations (N-DAs), and Na2SO4 dry-wet alternations (NS-DAs). Scanning electron microscope energy-dispersive spectrometer (SEM-EDS) spectra, thermogravimetric analysis (TG) curves, and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD) curves were obtained. The mass ratio of MS ranged from 0% to 40%. The volume ratio of basalt fibers varied from 0% to 2%. We found that, as a result of salt action, the mass loss rate (MLR) exhibited linear functions which were inversely correlated with the mass ratio of MS and the volume ratio of basalt fibers. After salt action, MLR increased by rates of 0~56.3%, but this increase was attenuated by the addition of MS and basalt fibers. Corresponding increases in RDME exhibited a linear function which was positively correlated with MS mass ratios in a range of 0~55.1%. The addition of MS and basalt fibers also led to decreased attenuation of mechanical strength, while the addition of MS led to increased levels of flocculent hydration products and the elements Mn, Mg, and Fe. CaClOH and CaSO4 crystals were observed in XRD curves after N-DA and NS-DA actions, respectively. Finally, the addition of MS resulted in increased variation in TG values. However, the opposite result was obtained when dry-wet actions were exerted.

Synthesis and Application of Polymer SXFA in the Detection of Organophosphine Agents with a SAW Sensor.

The effective detection of isopropyl methylfluorophosphonate (GB, sarin), a type of organophosphine poisoning agent, is an urgent issue to address to maintain public safety. In this research, a gas-sensitive film material, poly (4-hydroxy-4,4-bis trifluoromethyl)-butyl-1-enyl)-siloxane (SXFA), with a structure of hexafluoroisopropyl (HFIP) functional group was synthesized by using methyl vinylpropyl dichlorosilane and hexafluoroacetone trihydrate as initial materials. The synthesis process products were characterized using FTIR. SXFA was prepared on a 200 MHz shear surface wave delay line using the spin-coating method for GB detection. A detection limit of <0.1 mg/m3 was achieved through conditional experiments. Meanwhile, we also obtained a maximum response of 2.168 mV at a 0.1 mg/m3 concentration, indicating the much lower detection limit of the SAW-SXFA sensor. Additionally, a maximum response standard deviation of 0.11 mV with a coefficient of variation of 0.01 and a maximum recovery standard deviation of 0.22 mV with a coefficient of variation of 0.02 were also obtained through five repeated experiments. The results show that the SAW-SXFA sensor has strong selectivity and reproducibility, good selectivity, positive detection ability, high sensitivity, and fast alarm performance for sarin detection.

Microextraction techniques with deep eutectic solvents for gas chromatographic analysis: a minireview.

Sample pretreatment is one of the key steps in sample analysis. The design and development of new materials promote advancements in sample pretreatment technology. Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are a novel material that have been developed in recent years. They possess characteristics such as low toxicity, good thermal stability, simple preparation methods, and low cost. DESs have the potential to replace traditional organic extraction solvents. DESs are formed from a hydrogen bond donor (HBD) and acceptor (HBA). Changing the type of HBA and HBD or their ratio leads to variations in the structure and properties of the resulting DESs. Gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) are the primary analytical techniques used in laboratories. This paper analyzes the selection relationship between DESs and analytes, as well as the steps of sample pretreatment, based on the characteristics of GC instruments, and utilizing DES extractants and extraction materials for sample pretreatment. This paper summarizes the progress of DES-based microextraction methods for GC. It introduces the different classifications of liquid and solid-phase microextraction and the application of DESs in them. The theoretical mechanism and extraction/separation mechanism of DESs are analyzed, and potential application of DESs in extraction/separation technology is discussed.

Photonic crystal gas sensors based on metal-organic frameworks and polymers.

A photonic crystal (PC) is an optical microstructure with an adjustable dielectric constant. The PC sensor was deemed a powerful tool for gas molecule detection due to its excellent sensitivity, stability, online use and tailorable optical performance. The detection signals are generated by monitoring the changes of the photonic band gap when the sensing behavior occurs. Recently, many efforts have been devoted to improving the PC sensor's detection performance and reducing technical costs by selecting and refining functional materials. In this case, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with a large specific surface, tunable structural properties and polymers with unique swelling properties have attracted increasingly attention. In this review, a systematic review of PC gas sensors based on MOFs and polymers was carried out for the first time. Firstly, the optical properties and gas sensing mechanism of PCs were briefly summarized. Secondly, a detailed discussion of the structural properties and rapid preparation methods of distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs), opals and inverse opals (IOPCs) was presented. Thirdly, the recent advances in MOF, polymer and MOF/polymer-based PC sensors over the past few years were summarized. It should be noted that the sensitivity and selectivity enhancement strategy by appropriate material species selection, organic ligand functionalization, metal-ion doping, diverse functional material arrays, and multi-component compounding were analyzed in detail. Finally, prospects on PC gas sensors are given in terms of preparation methods, material functionalization and future applications.

A passive wireless surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor system for detecting warfare agents based on fluoroalcohol polysiloxane film.

Long-term monitoring of environmental warfare agengts is a challenge for chemical gas sensors. To address this issue, we developed a 433 MHz passive wireless surface acoustic wave (WSAW) gas sensor for dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) detection. This WSAW gas sensor includes a YZ lithium niobate (LiNbO3) substrate with metallic interdigital transducers (IDTs) etched on it, and an antenna was placed near the IDT. A DMMP-sensitive viscoelastic polymer fluoroalcoholpolysiloxane (SXFA) film was prepared on a LiNbO3 substrate, and mode modeling coupling was used to optimize the design parameters. The sensor can function properly in an environments between -30 °C and 100 °C with humidity less than 60% RH. When the wireless transmission distance was within the range of 0-90 cm, the sensor noise increased with distance, and the stability was less than 32°/h. While optimizing the film thickness of SXFA, a relationship was observed between sensor sensitivity and film thickness. When the film thickness of SXFA reached 450 nm, the optimal value was reached. At a distance of 20 cm between the transmitting and receiving antennas, DMMP was detected at different concentrations with the developed WSAW gas sensor. The lower detection limit of DMMP was 0.48 mg/m3, the sensitivity of the sensor was 4.63°/(mg/m3), and repeatable performance of the sensor was confirmed.

Brain network hierarchy reorganization in subthreshold depression.

BACKGROUND: Hierarchy is the organizing principle of human brain network. How network hierarchy changes in subthreshold depression (StD) is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the altered brain network hierarchy and its clinical significance in patients with StD. METHODS: A total of 43 patients with StD and 43 healthy controls matched for age, gender and years of education participated in this study. Alterations in the hierarchy of StD brain networks were depicted by connectome gradient analysis. We assessed changes in network hierarchy by comparing gradient scores in each network in patients with StD and healthy controls. The study compared different brain subdivisions if there was a different network. Finally, we analysed the relationship between the altered gradient scores and clinical characteristics. RESULTS: Patients with StD had contracted network hierarchy and suppressed cortical range gradients. In the principal gradient, the gradient scores of default mode network were significantly reduced in patients with StD compared to controls. In the default network, the subdivisions of reduced gradient scores were mainly located in the precuneus, superior temporal gyrus, and anterior and posterior cingulate gyrus. Reduced gradient scores in the default mode network, the anterior and posterior cingulate gyrus were correlated with severity of depression. CONCLUSIONS: The network hierarchy of the StD changed and was significantly correlated with depressive symptoms and severity. These results provided new insights into further understanding of the neural mechanisms of StD.