5-Aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy versus minocycline for moderate-to-severe rosacea: A single-center, randomized, evaluator-blind controlled study.

BACKGROUND: 5-Aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) showed potential to treat rosacea according to recent studies; however, a lack of clinical evidence and unclear adverse effects limit its use. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of ALA-PDT vs minocycline on rosacea. METHODS: In this single-center, randomized, evaluator-blind, controlled study, patients with moderate-to-severe rosacea were allocated to receive 3 to 5 sessions of ALA-PDT or 8 weeks of 100 mg daily minocycline treatment, followed by a 24-week follow-up. RESULTS: Of all the 44 randomized patients, 41 received complete treatment (ALA-PDT: 20 and minocycline: 21 patients). At the end of treatment, ALA-PDT showed noninferior improvement of papulopustular lesions and Rosacea-specific Quality of Life compared with minocycline (median reduction of lesion count: 19 vs 22, median change of Rosacea-specific Quality of Life score: 0.48 vs 0.53). The Clinician's Erythema Assessment success of ALA-PDT was lower than that of minocycline's (35% vs 67%). Demodex density and relapse rate were comparable in both groups. Erythema, mild pain, and exudation were the most common adverse reactions of ALA-PDT. LIMITATIONS: Limited sample size restricted us from drawing further conclusions. CONCLUSION: As minocycline does, ALA-PDT can improve rosacea mainly in papulopustular lesions and patients' quality of life, indicating a new option for rosacea.

Modified red light 5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy versus low-dose isotretinoin therapy for moderate to severe acne vulgaris: A prospective, randomized, multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Modified 5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy (M-PDT) and isotretinoin (ISO) are effective treatments for moderate to severe acne vulgaris. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and adverse effects of M-PDT and ISO for moderate to severe acne vulgaris. METHODS: A multicenter, randomized clinical trial was conducted with participants randomly assigned to the M-PDT group (up to 5 weekly sessions following manual comedone extraction) or the ISO group (oral ISO, 0.5 mg/kg/d for 6 months) and followed up to 6-months after therapy. RESULTS: A total of 152 patients were allocated. The overall effective rates in the M-PDT group were significantly higher than the ISO group at 1 month (67.74% vs 10.26%), whereas the opposite was the case 1 month after treatment (75.81% vs 97.44%). Time to achieve 50% lesion improvement in the M-PDT group was significantly less than the ISO group (1 vs 8 weeks). Overall, 70.67% of the ISO group patients experienced systemic side effects such as hepatotoxicity, whereas side effects were skin-limited in the M-PDT group. LIMITATIONS: Limitations of this study included relatively low numbers of participants and high withdrawal rate. CONCLUSION: M-PDT offers a more rapid onset of improvement, comparable overall efficacy, good tolerability, and comparable durability of response compared with ISO.

The impact of COVID-19 prevention and control policy adjustment on anxiety, depression and coping behavior in China: a cross-sectional online survey, 21-28 December, 2022.

BACKGROUND: Following external situation reports, individuals perceive risks, experience different emotional reactions, and further change their behaviors. Therefor people's psychology will also be affected by adjustment of COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control policy, but it remains unknown what kind of coping behaviors will be produced due to psychology. This study defines coping behavior as "medical behavior and irrational consumption behavior after the adjustment of COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control policy in China", assesses the prevalence of negative emotions in the Chinese population after policy adjustments, and explores how negative emotions affect people's coping behaviors, conducts baseline research, provides references and suggestions for policy formulation. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted during 21-28 December 2022, included sociodemographic characteristics, COVID-19 infection and irrational purchase behavior, psychological assessment, and opinion polling. Depression and anxiety status are assessed by PHQ-9 and GAD-7. The relationship between anxiety, depression and coping behavior was analyzed by Pearson χ2 test, Fisher's exact test and logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 3995 infected participants were included in this study, of which 2363(59.1%) and 1194(29.9%) had depression and anxiety. There was a significant difference in clinical treatment and irrational purchase behavior between different level of depression and anxiety. Depression was a risk factor for self- medication (OR = 1.254), seeking professional treatment (OR = 1.215), using online services of medical institutions (OR = 1.320), large-scale purchases of medicines (OR = 1.154) and masks (OR = 1.096). Anxiety was a risk factor for seeking professional treatment (OR = 1.285) and large-scale purchases of masks (OR = 1.168). CONCLUSION: After the adjustment of COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control policy, patient risk perception can increase depression and anxiety. We found that associated with depression, COVID-19 patients are more likely to have medical behaviors such as self- medication, seeking professional treatment, using online services of medical institutions, and storage behaviors of medicines and masks; and anxiety associated with the coping behavior of patients to seek professional treatment and store masks in large quantities. We should improve people's mental health, and on the other hand, we should give people effective psychological education during the epidemic. Therefore, we should set up psychological outpatient clinics in community health institutions, expanding mental health screening and guidance; relying on the psychological outpatient clinic, establish groups of people with depression or anxiety to carry out COVID-19 health education and peer education, to reduce adverse drug reactions, avoid panic seeking professional treatment and irrational purchase behavior, and protect public mental health. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study has been approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Capital Medical University (2023SY086), and informed consent was obtained from the study subjects before the investigation.

Evolution Mechanism of Sputtered Film Uniformity with the Erosion Groove Size: Integrated Simulation and Experiment.

In this work, Cu thin films were experimentally fabricated at different target-substrate distances by 2-inch and 4-inch circular planar magnetron targets. Meanwhile, the sputtering deposition of Cu thin films was investigated via an integrated multiscale simulation, where the magnetron sputtering discharge was modeled using the Monte Carlo (MC) method, and the sputtered particle transport was simulated using a coupled Monte Carlo (MC) and molecular dynamics (MD) method. Experimental results indicated that, as the target-substrate distance increased from 30 to 120 mm, the film thickness distribution of the 2-inch target sputtering changed from a bell-shaped curve to a line-shaped curve, while that of the 4-inch target sputtering varied from a saddle-shaped curve to a line-shaped curve. The simulation results were accordant with the experimental results. The simulation results revealed that, at a target-substrate distance of 30 mm, the sputtering particle flow from the 2-inch target overlapped strongly near the substrate center, leading to a bell-shaped film thickness distribution, while the increased diameter of the erosion groove on the 4-inch target reduced the superposition effect of the sputtering particle flow near the substrate center, resulting in a saddle-shaped film thickness distribution. In addition, when the target-substrate distance ranged from 30 to 120 mm, the film thickness uniformity of 4-inch target sputtering was superior to that of 2-inch target sputtering, and the underlying mechanism was discussed in detail.

Characterization of a novel Vibrio parahaemolyticus host-phage pair and antibacterial effect against the host.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a widely recognized pathogen that has caused numerous outbreaks and is prevalent in the marine environment. In this study, we investigated the characteristics of the novel V. parahaemolyticus strain BTXS2 and its associated phage, VB_VpP_BT-1011, isolated from the Bohai Coast (Tianjin, China). Strain BTXS2 is a short coryneform bacterium with a terminal flagellum and is able to utilize and metabolize a wide variety of organic matter because of its unique carbon source utilization and enzyme activity. It grows well in medium between pH 5.0 and 9.0 and salinities of simulated freshwater, estuary water, and seawater (NaCl 0.5%-3%). Multiple antibiotic resistance genes and virulence genes that endanger human health were found in the BTXS2 genome. Phage VB_VpP_BT-1011, which infects BTXS2, is a 40,065-bp double-stranded DNA virus of the family Myoviridae with a latent time of 30 min and burst size of 24 PFU/cell. Like its host, the phage tolerates a broad range of environmental conditions (salinity, 0-3% NaCl; pH 5.0-9.0; temperature, 4-37°C). A host range test showed that the phage only infected and inhibited isolate BTXS2. In summary, we investigated a novel V. parahaemolyticus host-phage pair and the antibacterial effect of the phage on V. parahaemolyticus, providing insights into marine microbial ecology and risks.

Bisphenols Promote the Pheromone-Responsive Plasmid-Mediated Conjugative Transfer of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Enterococcus faecalis.

The enrichment and spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) induced by environmental chemical pollution further exacerbated the threat to human health and ecological safety. Several compounds are known to induce R plasmid-mediated conjugation through inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS), increasing cell membrane permeability, enhancing regulatory genes expression, and so forth. Up to now, there has been no substantial breakthrough in the studies of models and related mechanisms. Here, we established a new conjugation model using pheromone-responsive plasmid pCF10 and confirmed that five kinds of bisphenols (BPs) at environmentally relevant concentrations could significantly promote the conjugation of ARGs mediated by plasmid pCF10 in E. faecalis by up to 4.5-fold compared with untreated cells. Using qPCR, gene knockout and UHPLC, we explored the mechanisms behind this phenomenon using bisphenol A (BPA) as a model of BPs and demonstrated that BPA could upregulate the expression of pheromone, promote bacterial aggregation, and even directly activate conjugation as a pheromone instead of producing ROS and enhancing cell membrane permeability. Interestingly, the result of mathematical analysis showed that the pheromone effect of most BPs is more potent than that of synthetic pheromone cCF10. These findings provide new insight into the environmental behavior and biological effect of BPs and provided new method and theory to study on enrichment and spread of ARGs induced by environmental chemical pollution.

The outcome of intravenous and inhalation anesthesia after pancreatic cancer resection: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Different types of anesthesia may affect cancer patient's outcomes, we compared the overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of patients with pancreatic cancer under total intravenous and inhalation anesthesia. METHODS: The authors collected the electronic medical records of patients who had accepted at a pancreatectomy from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2016. Patients respectively received total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) or inhalational anesthesia (INHA). Stabilized inverse probability of treatment weighting (SIPTW)was used to minimize differences. Kaplan-Meier survival was established to analyze the influence of sort of anesthesia on disease-free and overall survival. We compare the effects of each sort of anesthesia on cancer recurrence or metastasis and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: A total of 463 patients who had undergone pancreatic cancer resection were collected in this study, of which 421 patients were available (TIVA group, n = 114 INHA group, n = 307). After SIPTW there were no significant differences between the two groups in disease-free survival (hazard ratio, 1.01, 95%CI, 0.78 to 1.29, P = 0.959) or overall survival (hazard ratio, 1.11, 95%CI, 0.87 to 1.42, P = 0.405). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the present study showed no significant difference in overall survival and disease-free survival between total intravenous anesthesia and volatile anesthesia.

Design and Implementation of a Modular UUV Simulation Platform.

The complex and time-varying marine environment puts forward demanding requirements for the structural design and algorithm development of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). It is inevitable to repeatedly evaluate the feasibility of autonomy schemes to enhance the intelligence and security of the UUV before putting it into use. Considering the high cost of the UUV hardware platform and the high risk of underwater experiments, this study aims to evaluate and optimize autonomy schemes in the manner of software-in-loop (SIL) simulation efficiently. Therefore, a self-feedback development framework is proposed and a multi-interface, programmable modular simulation platform for UUV based on a robotic operating system (ROS) is designed. The platform integrates the 3D marine environment, UUV models, sensor plugins, motion control plugins in a modular manner, and reserves programming interfaces for users to test various algorithms. Subsequently, we demonstrate the simulation details with cases, such as single UUV path planning, task scheduling, and multi-UUV formation control, and construct underwater experiments to confirm the feasibility of the simulation platform. Finally, the extensibility of the simulation platform and the related performance analysis are discussed.

A Nanofibrillated Cellulose-Based Electrothermal Aerogel Constructed with Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene.

Nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) as an environmentally friendly substrate material has superiority for flexible electrothermal composite, while there is currently no research on porous NFC based electrothermal aerogel. Therefore, this work used NFC as a skeleton, combined with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and graphene (GP), to prepare NFC/MWCNTs/GP aerogel (CCGA) via a simple and economic freeze-drying method. The electrothermal CCGA was finally assembled after connecting CCGA with electrodes. The results show that when the concentration of the NFC/MWCNTs/GP suspension was 5 mg mL-1 and NFC amount was 80 wt.%, the maximum steady-state temperature rise of electrothermal CCGA at 3000 W m-2 and 2000 W m-2 was of about 62.0 °C and 40.4 °C, respectively. The resistance change rate of the CCGA was nearly 15% at the concentration of 7 mg mL-1 under the power density of 2000 W m-2. The formed three-dimensional porous structure is conducive to the heat exchange. Consequently, the electrothermal CCGA can be used as a potential lightweight substrate for efficient electrothermal devices.

Connexin 43-serine 282 modulates serine 279 phosphorylation in cardiomyocytes.

Connexin 43 (Cx43) phosphorylation plays a pivotal role in cardiac electrical and contractile performance. In a previous study we have found that Cx43 phosphorylation at serine 282 (pS282) regulates cardiomyocyte survival. Considering that both sites are altered simultaneously in many studies, we designed this study to identify the status of S279 phosphorylation upon pS282 manipulation. In heterozygous mice with S282 gene substituted with alanine (S282A), we found ventricular arrhythmias with inhibition of Cx43 phosphorylation at both S282 and S279 in the hearts. In cultured neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs), transfection of virus carrying S282A mutant also blocked Cx43 phosphorylation at both S279/282 and gap junction coupling, while expression of wild-type Cx43 or S279A did not. Further, NRVMs transfected with S282 phospho-mimicking mutant substituted with aspartate or treated with ATP exhibited promotions of Cx43 phosphorylation at S279/282 and intercellular communication. Therefore, this study demonstrated a regulatory role of Cx43-S282 on S279 phosphorylation in cardiomyocytes, and suggested an involvement of S279 in the Cx43-S282 mediated cardiomyocyte homeostasis.

Connexin 43 dephosphorylation contributes to arrhythmias and cardiomyocyte apoptosis in ischemia/reperfusion hearts.

Connexin 43 (Cx43)-associated gap junctions form electrical and mechanical conduits between adjacent ventricular cardiomyocytes, ensuring coordinate electrical excitation and synchronic contraction for each heartbeat. Cx43 dephosphorylation is a characteristic of ischemia, arrhythmia, and a failing and aging myocardium, but the exact phosphosite(s) triggering myocardial apoptosis and electrical disturbance and its underlying mechanisms are unclear. We previously found that Cx43-serine 282 phosphorylation (pS282) can regulate cardiomyocyte survival and electrical stability. Here, we investigated the hypothesis that S282 dephosphorylation occurs in and contributes to ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced cardiac injury. We found enhanced Cx43-pS262 and Cx43-pS368 but decreased Cx43-pS282 in rat hearts subjected to I/R (30 min/2 h). I/R rats had ventricular arrhythmias and myocardial apoptosis with activation of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38)/factor-associated suicide (Fas)/Fas-associating protein with a novel death domain (FADD) pathway. Similarly, S282 dephosphorylation, abnormal Ca2+ transients, cell apoptosis and p38/Fas/FADD activation also occurred in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes exposed to anoxia/reoxygenation (12/6 h). To confirm the causative role of S282 dephosphorylation in cardiac injury, rat hearts were intramyocardially injected with a virus carrying the S282 mutant substituted with alanine (S282A), thus causing arrhythmias and reducing cardiac output and myocardial apoptosis with p38/Fas/FADD pathway activation. Moreover, Cx43-S282A+/- mice displayed arrhythmias and impaired cardiac output with global myocardial apoptosis. Our findings revealed that Cx43 dephosphorylation at S282 triggers arrhythmias and, at least partly, contributes to cardiomyocyte death upon I/R by activating the p38/Fas/FADD pathway, providing a novel molecular mechanism and potential target for protecting against cardiac I/R injury.

Preventive effect of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells on skin aging in rats.

The irreversibility of aging makes anti-aging become an important research direction in the field of medical research. As the most direct manifestation of human aging, skin aging has been paid more and more attention. Stem cells have been used as a basis for anti-aging studies in skin, of which adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells are more commonly used. In this study, human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were used, and human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were intervened while making a skin aging model, which was planned to reduce the process of preventing skin aging in the study method. At the end of the experiment, rat skin and serum were taken for relevant data detection. The results showed that the contents of EGF and VEGF in serum and skin tissue of rats increased and the content of MDA decreased after the application of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells. At the same time, hUCMSC intervention increased skin thickness, increased dermal vessels, increased type I collagen type III collagen mRNA expression, and decreased MMP-1 content in rats. The results showed that hUCMSC could prevent skin aging in rats.

Home-Based Medical Care Service Motivation Among Medical Staff in Beijing, China: the Role of Institutional Support.

Background: Home-based medical care services (HMCS) play a crucial role in China's response to an aging population. Given the scarcity of quantitative research on motivating medical staff in relevant institutions, this study aimed to explore the impact of institutional support on motivating the provision of HMCS. Methods: The medical staff involved in this study originated from seven community health service centers in Beijing. We utilized a self-designed questionnaire to conduct the survey, gathering socioeconomic information, institutional support for service delivery, as well as the frequency and types of services the respondents provided. Statistical analysis involved the one-way tests and multivariate regressions, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to enhance the results obtained from the regression analysis. Results: A total of 673 valid questionnaires were considered, with 66.12% of respondents indicating their involvement in offering HMCS services and 51.86% reporting the provision of home-based treatment and care services. Upon adjusting for all covariates, multiple regression results highlighted that the establishment of a clear service pathway significantly influenced the motivation to provide services. Furthermore, the results obtained from SEM validated the findings derived from the regression analysis. Conclusion: Standardized institutional support is an essential means of bolstering the motivation of medical staff to provide HMCS and deserves heightened attention from health administrators.

The structure of anthocyanins and the copigmentation by common micromolecular copigments: A review.

Under natural physiological conditions, anthocyanins can keep bright and stable color for a long time due to the relatively stable acid-base environment of plant vacuoles and the copigmentation from various copigment substances, such as polyphenols, nucleotides, metallic ions and other substances. Therefore, the copigmentation caused by copigments is considered an effective way to stabilize anthocyanins against adverse environmental conditions. This is attributed to the covalent and noncovalent interactions between colored forms of anthocyanins (flavylium ions and quinoidal bases) and colorless or pale yellow organic molecules (copigments). These interactions are usually manifested in both hyperchromic effect and bathochromic shifts. In addition to making anthocyanins more stable, the copigmentation also could make an important contribution to the diversification of their tone. Based on the molecular structure of anthocyanins, this review focuses on the interaction mode of auxochrome groups or copigments with anthocyanins and their effects on the chemical and color stability of anthocyanins.

Rapid fabricated in-situ polymerized lignin hydrogel sensor with highly adjustable mechanical properties.

Conductive hydrogels have been widely used as sensors owing to their tissue-like properties. However, the synthesis of conductive hydrogels with highly adjustable mechanical properties and multiple functions remains difficult to achieve yet highly needed. In this study, lignin hydrogel characterized by frost resistance, UV resistance, high conductivity, and highly adjustable mechanical properties without forming by-products was prepared through a rapid in-situ polymerization of acrylic acid/zinc chloride (AA/ZnCl2) aqueous solution containing lignin extract induced by the reversible quinone-catechol redox of the ZnCl2-lignin system at room temperature. Results revealed that the PAA/ZnCl2/lignin hydrogel exhibited mechanical properties with tensile stress (ranging from 0.08 to 3.28 MPa), adhesion to multiple surfaces (up to 62.05 J m-2), excellent frost resistance (-70-20 °C), UV resistance, and conductivity (0.967 S m-1), which further endow the hydrogel as potential strain and temperature sensor with wide monitor range (0-300 %), fatigue resistance, and quick response (70 ms for 150 % strain). This study proposed and developed a green, simple, economical, and efficient processing method for a hydrogel sensor in flexible wearable devices and man-machine interaction fields.

Multifunctional On-Demand Removability Hydrogel Dressing Based on in Situ Formed AgNPs, Silk Microfibers and Hydrazide Hyaluronic Acid for Burn Wound Healing.

Elevated temperatures can deactivate tissues in the burn wound area, allowing pathogenic bacteria to multiply on the wound surface, ultimately leading to local or systemic infection. An ideal burn dressing should provide antibacterial properties and facilitate painless dressing changes. Silk microfibers coated with poly (2, 3, 4-trihydroxybenzaldehyde) (referred to as mSF@PTHB) to in situ reduce AgNO3 to silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in a hydrazide hyaluronic acid-based hydrogel are utilized. The findings indicate a more homogeneous distribution of the silver elements compared to directly doped AgNPs, which also conferred antioxidant and antibacterial properties to the hydrogel. Moreover, hydrogels containing pH-responsive dynamic acylhydrazone bonds can undergo a gel-sol transition in a weak acid environment, leading to the painless removal of adhesive hydrogel dressings. Notably, the on-demand replaceable self-healing antioxidant hydrogel dressing exhibits antibacterial effects and cytocompatibility in vitro, and the wound-healing performance of the hydrogel is validated by treating a burn mouse model with full-thickness skin defects. It is demonstrated that hydrogel dressings offer a viable therapeutic approach to prevent infection and facilitate the healing of burn wounds.

Innovative wearable solutions: Semi-releasing ion-conductive lignin hydrogel sensors for enhanced practicability.

The severe negative effects of impurities adhering to the external surface of wearable devices can significantly influence the signal transmission, performance, and lifespan of hydrogel sensors. Herein, we developed an ion-conducting hydrogel sensor with a strong adhesive side and a non-adhesive side, similar to a "semi-releasing material." This hydrogel, formulated using deep eutectic solvents obtained from choline chloride and acrylic acid, contained lignin. This versatile material, exhibiting properties similar to semi-releasing materials, was treated with an AlCl3 solution on one side. Additionally, the hydrogel was successfully used as a highly adhesive strain sensor for real-time monitoring of various human activity signals. Moreover, the hydrogel demonstrated excellent environmental tolerance and conductivity. Lignin extracted from wood flour endowed the hydrogel sensor with excellent adhesion energy (up to 427.1 J/m2) and UV resistance. Treatment of hydrogels with AlCl3 completely eliminated their adhesiveness, thereby enhancing fracture elongation and tensile strength. This improvement can be attributed to the absence of carboxyl groups and the formation of a metal-phenolic network. The implementation of this convenient and efficient strategy provides a more feasible approach to address challenges related to impurity adhesion and signal transmission in flexible wearable devices.

IPL-PDT as an effective treatment for mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris: A prospective, single-center, self-controlled study.

BACKGROUND: High recurrence rate of mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris following traditional therapy poses a significant challenge. 5-Aminolaevulinic acid photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) with intense pulsed light (IPL) has emerged as a promising intervention. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of IPL-PDT for the treatment of mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris. METHODS: In this prospective, self-controlled study, eligible patients aged from 18 to 45 years old with Pillsbury grade Ⅰ-III facial acne were included. Patients were treated with three sessions of IPL-PDT at three-week interval, with follow-ups at 3 weeks and 2 months after the final treatment. RESULTS: A total of 31 patients were enrolled. At 3 weeks post-treatment, the mean count of acne lesions decreased significantly (P < 0.001), with 87.1 % of patients achieving treatment success (defined as ≥ 75 % clearance rate of acne lesions). Recurrence rate at 2-month follow-up was 9.68 %. No severe adverse reactions were observed. LIMITATIONS: This study is a single-center, self-controlled study. Multi-center study designed as randomize controlled trials involving a larger patient cohort is necessary. CONCLUSIONS: IPL-PDT is a promising therapy for mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris, exhibiting high efficacy, minimal adverse effects, and a low recurrence rate.