Fructo-oligofructose ameliorates 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene-induced atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions and psychiatric comorbidities in mice.

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder characterized by pruritus and eczema lesions and psychiatric comorbidities. The gut-brain-skin axis plays a pivotal role during AD development, which might suggest a novel therapeutic strategy for AD. The present study aims to uncover the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of fructo-oligofructose (FOS), a type of prebiotic, on AD-like skin manifestations and comorbid anxiety and depression in AD mice. RESULTS: Female Kunming mice were treated topically with 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) to induce AD-like symptoms and FOS was administered daily for 14 days. The results showed that FOS could alleviate AD-like skin lesions markedly as evidenced by dramatic decreases in severity score, scratching bouts, the levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE) and T helper 1(Th1)/Th2-related cytokines, and the infiltration of inflammatory cells and mast cells to the dermal tissues. The comorbid anxiety and depressive-like behaviors, estimated by the forced swimming test (FST), the tail-suspension test (TST), the open-field test (OFT), and the zero maze test (ZMT) in AD mice, were significantly attenuated by FOS. Fructo-oligofructose significantly upregulated brain neurotransmitters levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and dopamine (DA). Furthermore, FOS treatment increased the relative abundance of gut microbiota, such as Prevotella and Lactobacillus and the concentrations of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), especially acetate and iso-butyrate in the feces of AD mice. The correlation analysis indicated that the reshaped gut microbiome composition and enhanced SCFAs formation are associated with skin inflammation and behavioral alteration. CONCLUSION: Collectively, these data identify FOS as a promising microbiota-targeted treatment for AD-like skin inflammation and comorbid anxiety and depressive-like behaviors. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

TRPV1 mediates itch-associated scratching and skin barrier dysfunction in DNFB-induced atopic dermatitis mice.

In chronic pruritic diseases such as atopic dermatitis (AD), pruritus and skin lesions are exacerbated by scratching in clinical and experimental settings. TRPV1 is known to mediate itch and neurogenic inflammation, but the role of TRPV1 in itch-associated scratching in AD is poorly understood. In this study, we examined the efficacy of cutting off nails and TRPV1 antagonist, ruthenium red (RR) in a murine model of AD induced by DNFB and further investigated the underlying mechanism. Nail clipping or RR could markedly ameliorate the general AD-like symptoms as manifested by the reduced clinical severity of dermatitis, IgE and Th2-related cytokine levels, and mast cell degranulation. Moreover, scratching behaviour, the levels of pruritogenic mediators, including HIS, TSLP, IL-31 and SP, and skin pH and TEWL were all significantly decreased in nail clipping or RR-treated mice, suggesting a reduction in itch-associated scratching and skin barrier defects. Immunofluorescence staining and Western blot results revealed that antipruritic effect of nail clipping or RR in AD may be explained, at least in part, by the suppression of TRPV1 activation. In summary, these data show that TRPV1 mediates itch-associated scratching and subsequent skin barrier defects, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target in AD.

Effects of Interaction Between Gestational Hypertension and History of Preterm Birth on the Risk of Preterm Birth: An Analysis Based on the National Vital Statistics System Database.

BACKGROUND Premature birth is an unsolved social and public problem. We aimed to explore the independent association and interaction effect between gestational hypertension (GH) and the history of preterm birth (HPB) on the risk of preterm birth. MATERIAL AND METHODS A case-control study involving participants with complete birth data was conducted using the United States National Vital Statistics System in 2019. Logistic regression analysis of 3 models were performed with odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Relative excess risk of interaction (RERI), attributable proportion of interaction (AP), and synergy index (S) were used to evaluate the interaction between GH and HPB on the risk of preterm birth. RESULTS A total of 2 822 624 participants were examined, with 10.83% in the known preterm birth group and 89.17% in the control group. Following adjustments for covariates, the association between GH and HPB and preterm birth was significant with ORs of 2.604 (95% CI: 2.573-2.635) and 3.047 (95% CI: 2.997-3.097), respectively. Moreover, there was a significant interaction between GH and HPB on preterm birth risk, with an OR of 6.095 (95% CI: 5.847-6.352), RERI of 1.222 (95% CI: 0.965-1.479), AP of 0.201 (95% CI: 0.167-0.235), and S of 1.317 (95% CI: 1.250-1.387), especially in participants with maternal age 20 to 29, 30 to 34, ≥35 years, and single birth. CONCLUSIONS GH and HPB might be positively associated with preterm birth, and there was an additive interaction between GH and HPB on preterm birth, indicating that obstetricians should pay more attention to prevention in this population.

Selection of high-risk individuals for esophageal cancer screening: A prediction model of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma based on a multicenter screening cohort in rural China.

The mortality benefit of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) screening has been reported in several studies; however, the results of ESCC screening programs in China are suboptimal. Our study aimed to develop an ESCC risk prediction model to identify high-risk individuals for population-based esophageal cancer screening. In total, 86 745 participants enrolled in a population-based esophageal cancer screening program in rural China between 2007 and 2012 were included in the present study and followed up until December 31, 2015. Models for identifying individuals at risk of ESCC within 3 years were created using logistic regressions. The area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) was determined to estimate the model's overall performance. A total of 298 individuals were diagnosed with ESCC within 3 years after baseline. The model of ESCC included the predictors of age, sex, family history of upper gastrointestinal cancer, smoking status, alarming symptoms of retrosternal pain, back pain or neck pain, consumption of salted food and fresh fruits and disease history of peptic ulcer or esophagitis (AUC of 0.81; 95% confidence interval: 0.78-0.83). Compared to the current prescreening strategy in our program, the cut-off value of 10 in the score-based model could result in 3.11% fewer individuals subjected to endoscopies and present higher sensitivity, slightly higher specificity and lower number needed to screen. This score-based risk prediction model of ESCC based on eight epidemiological risk factors could increase the efficiency of the esophageal cancer screening program in rural China.

Topical application with conjugated linoleic acid ameliorates 2, 4-dinitrofluorobenzene-induced atopic dermatitis-like lesions in BALB/c mice.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a multifactorial chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by skin barrier dysfunction, eczematous lesions, pruritus, and abnormal immune responses. In this study, we assessed the therapeutic effect of topical applied conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on a murine AD model that was developed by repetitive applications of 2, 4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB). 2% or 5% CLA could markedly ameliorate AD-like skin lesions, scratching behaviour and skin inflammation as evidenced by the reduced inflammatory blood cells, IgE and Th2-related cytokine levels, and the infiltration of mast cells and inflammatory cells to the dermal tissues. Moreover, topical application with CLA modulated skin barrier repair including maintaining a balanced skin pH and increasing skin hydration, partially mediated by upregulating skin barrier-related protein, filaggrin (FLG). In addition, topical CLA significantly dose-dependently inhibited pro-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1ß, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α and pro-inflammatory enzyme expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in inflamed mice skin. Its anti-inflammatory effect was associated with the inhibition of DNFB-stimulated IκBα and NF-κB p65 phosphorylation in mouse skin. Taken together, our results suggest that locally applied CLA exerts potentially protective effects against AD lesional skin at least in part, due to regulation of skin barrier function and inflammatory response.

An initial screening strategy based on epidemiologic information in esophageal cancer screening: a prospective evaluation in a community-based cancer screening cohort in rural China.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In China, regional organized esophageal cancer screening programs have been implemented since 2005. However, the implementation of these screening programs is still facing some urgent challenges, especially concerning identifying high-risk individuals. This study aimed to evaluate the risk stratification potential of the current initial assessment strategy used in a mass esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) screening program in China. METHODS: A total of 43,875 participants without a previous cancer history enrolled in a mass ESCC screening program in China from 2007 to 2010 who had initial assessment results were included in this study and were followed until December 31, 2015. Eight potential risk factors for ESCC were evaluated in the initial assessment strategy. A comprehensive evaluation of the association of the initial assessment results with ESCC risk was performed by propensity score matching and Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 5.5 years, 272 individuals developed ESCC. The high-risk population assessed at baseline had a higher risk of ESCC than the non-high-risk population, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 3.11 (95% confidence interval (CI), 2.33-4.14) after adjustment for sex, age, education level, income level, and body mass index. In addition, the initial assessment results of the high-risk population were significantly associated with the risk of all esophageal cancers (HR, 3.30; 95% CI, 2.51-4.33) and upper gastrointestinal cancers (HR, 3.03; 95% CI, 2.43-3.76). CONCLUSIONS: The initial screening tool in a mass ESCC screening program in China, consisting of 8 accessible variables in epidemiologic surveys, could be helpful for the selection of asymptomatic individuals for priority ESCC screening.

Association of cancer awareness levels with the risk of cancer in rural China: A population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Evidence of the effects of cancer prevention knowledge on the risk of developing cancer remains scarce. The objective of this study was to prospectively examine the association of cancer prevention awareness levels with cancer risk in a population-based cancer screening cohort in China. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 164,341 participants aged 40 to 69 years with no history of cancer and with available information on cancer prevention core knowledge in the Esophageal, Stomach, and Liver Cancer Screening Program. Participants were recruited from 18 rural regions across 4 provinces in China from 2007 to 2014 and were followed until December 31, 2015. The core knowledge of cancer prevention content included 9 items, with a total score ranging from 0 to 100. Cox proportional hazards regression models and restricted cubic spline analysis were used to estimate hazard ratios and 95% CIs. RESULTS: High cancer prevention knowledge scores were inversely associated with the overall risk of cancer (group 4 vs group 1: hazard ratio, 0.669; 95% CI, 0.576-0.776). Subgroup analysis showed that this inverse association could be observed in women, participants with lower educational or income levels, and those without a family history of cancer. Restricted cubic spline analysis exhibited a nonlinear (L-shaped) relation between cancer knowledge scores and cancer risk (overall P < .0001; nonlinear P = .0141). CONCLUSIONS: The main finding of this prospective study was that higher levels of cancer prevention awareness could be associated with a relative reduction in the risk of developing cancer.

Knowledge, Awareness, and Attitudes Relating to the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Different Populations in Central China: Cross-Sectional Survey.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has threatened the health systems of many countries worldwide. Several studies have suggested that the pandemic affects not only physical health but also all aspects of society. A lot of information has been reported about the disease since the beginning of the outbreak. For that reason, it is essential to investigate the attitudes and level of knowledge and awareness that different populations had regarding COVID-19 during the critical period of the outbreak. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the knowledge and awareness of and attitudes toward the COVID-19 pandemic among different populations in Central China during the critical period of the outbreak. METHODS: A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted in Central China from February to March 2020. The study participants included three different populations: medical workers, students, and those with other occupations. In this study, a questionnaire was designed to collect information on the following four aspects: sociodemographic information, knowledge related to COVID-19, awareness of COVID-19, and attitude toward COVID-19. The chi-square test and Fisher test were used for comparison among groups. The level of significance was set at P<.05. RESULTS: This study enrolled a total of 508 participants. Among them, there were 380 students (74.8%), 39 medical workers (7.7%), and 89 people with other occupations (17.5%). Most of the participants were female (n=272, 53.5%), lived in rural areas (n=258, 50.8%), and were single (n=423, 86.9%). The majority of the respondents had attended college (n=454, 89.4%). Most of the participants said they had heard about COVID-19 by January, and most of them looked for information on social media (Sina Weibo, 84.7%), and WeChat and QQ groups (74.2%). The participants showed an adequate level of knowledge about COVID-19 with no significant differences among the groups. However, medical workers demonstrated a slightly advanced knowledge in their responses to professional questions such as the potential susceptible population, possible host, treatment of COVID-19, and disease category. A higher proportion of medical workers (71.8%) and those in the other occupations group (52.8%) were highly concerned about the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 43% of the participants stated that the lockdown of their village/city had a significant impact on their lives. Nevertheless, the majority of respondents had an overall optimistic attitude toward the control of the disease (92.1% of students [n=350], 94.9% of medical workers [n=37], and 92.3% of those in other occupations [n=83]). CONCLUSIONS: All three groups reported an adequate background knowledge about COVID-19 but medical workers showed a slightly advanced knowledge in their responses to professional questions. Most of the participants were highly concerned about COVID-19 during the critical period of the outbreak. The majority of respondents declared that the village/city lockdown policy had a significant impact on their daily life but most of them held an optimistic attitude toward the control of COVID-19.

The improved cure fraction for esophageal cancer in Linzhou city.

BACKGROUND: Survival of esophageal cancer in Linzhou was seen to increase over the past few decades and is higher than the average level of China due to the implementation of comprehensive prevention and control measures. In population-based studies, relative survival is a common index to approximate disease-specific survival. However, the cure fraction maybe great interest to patients and physicians. This study aimed to investigate the cure fraction of esophageal cancer in Linzou city during 2003-2012 with a cure model. METHODS: We carried out a population-based study of 8067 esophageal cancer patients in the Linzhou city during 2003-2012. Flexible parametric cure models were used to estimate cure proportions and median survival times of uncured by year of diagnosed and age. In each model, an interaction between calendar year and age were included. All variables in the model were included both as constant and time-varying effects. RESULTS: The 5-year relative survival rate was increased in every age group from 2003 to 2012. The huge increase in the cure proportion was observed in each age group. At the year of 2011-2012, 79.8%, 58.0%, 123.4% and 162.7% improvements of cure proportion were seen in age group 19-49, 50-59, 60-69 and 70-99 years compared with year of 2003-2004. Meanwhile, survival of 'uncured' patients changed little in all age group. CONCLUSIONS: The improvement of survival in Linzhou city during 2003-2012 was mainly due to an increasing cure proportion. Huge improvement of cure fraction within short period is likely due to the organized screening of esophageal cancer in Linzhou city.

Incidence and mortality of lung cancer in China, 2008-2012.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the incidence and mortality rates of lung cancer in China from 2008 to 2012. METHODS: Incident and death cases of lung cancer were retrieved from the National Central Cancer Registry (NCCR) database collecting from 135 cancer registries in China during 2008-2012. The crude incidence and mortality rates of lung cancer were calculated by area (urban/rural), region (eastern, middle, western), gender and age group (0, 1-4, 5-9, …, 85+). China census in 2000 and Segi's world population were applied for age-standardized rates. JoinPoint (Version 4.5.0.1) model was used for time trend analysis. RESULTS: The crude incidence rate of lung cancer was 54.66/100,000 which ranked the first in overall cancers. The age-standardized incidence rates by China population (ASIRC) and by World population (ASIRW) were 35.13/100,000 and 34.86/100,000, respectively. The crude mortality of lung cancer in China was 45.60/100,000 and it was the first cause of cancer-related death in overall cancers. The age-standardized mortality rates by Chinese standard population (ASMRC) and by world standard population (ASMRW) were 28.57/100,000 and 28.22/100,000, respectively. Incidence and mortality rates of lung cancer were higher in males than in females and higher in urban areas than in rural areas. Eastern areas had the highest incidence and mortality rates followed by middle and western areas. Incidence and mortality rates of lung cancer retained low level in age groups before 40 years old but increased greatly after and peaked in age group of 80-84. During 2003-2012, the temporal trend of the incidence rate of lung cancer in both sexes in China was general stable (P<0.05). The lung cancer incidence rate increased by 0.71% per year in females (P<0.05) and 2.26% per year in rural areas (P<0.05). The mortality rate of lung cancer decreased slightly annually during 2003-2012 in China (P>0.05). In urban areas, it declined by 0.76% per year (P<0.05), but rose by 2.09% per year (P<0.05) in rural areas. CONCLUSIONS: Appropriate targeted prevention, early detection and treatment programs should be carried out to control the local burden of lung cancer.

Copper-Nitride Nanowires Array: An Efficient Dual-Functional Catalyst Electrode for Sensitive and Selective Non-Enzymatic Glucose and Hydrogen Peroxide Sensing.

It is highly attractive to develop non-noble-metal nanoarray architecture as a 3D-catalyst electrode for molecular detection due to its large specific surface area and easy accessibility to target molecules. Here, we report the development of a copper-nitride nanowires array on copper foam (Cu3 N NA/CF) as a dual-functional catalyst electrode for efficient glucose oxidation in alkaline solutions and hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) reduction in neutral solutions. Electrochemical tests indicate that such Cu3 N NA/CF possesses superior non-enzymatic sensing ability toward rapid glucose and H2 O2 detection with high selectivity. At 0.40 V, this sensor offers a high sensitivity of 14 180 µA mm cm-2 for glucose detection, with a wide linear range from 1 µm to 2 mm, a low detection limit of 13 nm (S/N=3), and satisfactory stability and reproducibility. Its application in determining glucose in human blood serum is also demonstrated. Amperometric H2 O2 sensing can also been realized with a sensitivity of 7600 µA mm cm-2 , a linear range from 0.1 µm to 10 mm, and a detection limit of 8.9 nm (S/N=3). This 3D-nanoarray architecture holds great promise as an attractive sensing platform toward electrochemical small molecules detection.

Fe3 N-Co2 N Nanowires Array: A Non-Noble-Metal Bifunctional Catalyst Electrode for High-Performance Glucose Oxidation and H2 O2 Reduction toward Non-Enzymatic Sensing Applications.

Among reported electrode materials, a nanoarray is an attractive architecture for molecular detection because of its large specific surface area and easy accessibility for target molecules. Here, a new Fe3 N-Co2 N nanowires array grown on carbon cloth (Fe3 N-Co2 N/CC) is reported as a non-noble-metal bifunctional catalyst electrode for high-performance glucose oxidation and H2 O2 reduction. As an electrochemical non-enzymatic sensor for glucose detection, Fe3 N-Co2 N/CC shows a fast response time of 8 s, a low detection limit (LOD) of 77 nm (signal/noise=3), and a high sensitivity of 4333.7 µA mm-1 cm-2 . As an H2 O2 sensor, it shows a LOD of 59 nm (signal/noise=3) and a sensitivity of 2273.8 µA mm-1 cm-2 with a response time of 2 s. In addition, the proposed sensor is stable with high selectivity, specificity, and reproducibility, and its application for real sample analysis has been successfully demonstrated.

Fe2Ni2N nanosheet array: an efficient non-noble-metal electrocatalyst for non-enzymatic glucose sensing.

It is very important to develop enhanced electrochemical sensing platforms for molecular detection and non-noble-metal nanoarray architecture, as electrochemical catalyst electrodes have attracted great attention due to their large specific surface area and easy accessibility to target molecules. In this paper, we demonstrate that an Fe2Ni2N nanosheet array grown on Ti mesh (Fe2Ni2N NS/TM) shows high electrocatalytic activity toward glucose electrooxidation in alkaline medium. As an electrochemical glucose sensor, such an Fe2Ni2N NS/TM catalyst electrode demonstrates superior sensing performance with a short response time of less than 5 s, a wide linear range of 0.05 µM-1.5 mM, a low detection limit of 0.038 µM (S/N = 3), a high sensitivity of 6250 µA mM-1 cm-2, as well as high selectivity and long-term stability.

Dietary Galacto-oligosaccharides Ameliorate Atopic Dermatitis-like Skin Inflammation and Behavioral Deficits by Modulating Gut Microbiota-Brain-Skin Axis.

Atopic dermatitis (AD), a chronic, highly pruritic, and inflammatory skin disorder, often coexists with psychiatric comorbidities including anxiety and depression, posing considerable challenges for treatment. The current research aims at evaluating the efficacy and potential therapeutic mechanism of galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) on AD-like skin lesions and comorbid anxiety/depressive disorders. Macroscopical and histopathological examination showed that GOS could markedly relieve skin inflammation by decreasing the production of IgE, IL-4, IL-13, IFN-γ, and TNF-α and regulating the PPAR-γ/NF-κB signaling in DNFB-induced AD mice. Moreover, GOS significantly improved the anxiety- and depressive-like symptoms as mirrored by the behavior tests including FST, TST, OFT, and EZM through normalizing the neurotransmitter levels of 5-HT, DA, NE, and CORT in the brain. Mechanistically, by virtue of the high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing and GC-MS techniques, GOS restructured the gut microbiota and specifically induced the proliferation of Lactobacillus and Alloprevotella, leading to an increase in the total content of fecal SCFAs, in particular acetate and butyrate. Pearson correlation analysis found a marked correlation among the altered gut microbiota/SCFAs, AD-associated skin manifestations, and comorbid behavioral phenotypes. Collectively, this work highlights that GOS is a promising strategy against both AD and associated depressive symptoms by modulating the gut microbiota-brain-skin axis.

Protective effect of amifostine on high-dose methotrexate-induced small intestinal mucositis in mice.

BACKGROUND: Amifostine has been shown to be capable of minimizing radiotherapy-induced oral mucositis, but whether it protects small intestinal mucosae from high-dose methotrexate-induced damage is presently unknown. AIM: We aimed to evaluate the protective effect of amifostine against high-dose methotrexate-induced small intestinal mucositis and its mechanism. METHODS: Ninety Kunming mice were randomly divided into five experimental groups: saline control; high-dose methotrexate (HDMTX) group: treated with a single high dose of methotrexate; calcium folinate (CF) group: treated with high-dose methotrexate followed with CF; Amifostine group: treated with amifostine, followed with high-dose methotrexate; and amifostine-CF group: treated with amifostine pre-high-dose methotrexate and followed by CF post-high-dose methotrexate. Mouse weight, villus height and crypt depth, stool consistency, white blood cell count, death and survival were recorded. Bax and Bcl-2 mRNA expression were quantified by semi-quantitative PCR. RESULTS: Compared to the mice treated with HDMTX, CF, and amifostine, mice treated with Amifostine-CF group were heavier and had greater villus height, crypt depth, and normal white blood cell count and lower diarrhea rate and mortality than the HDMTX, CF and amifostine groups. There was a significant decrease in enterocyte apoptosis in amifostine-CF mice compared with the HDMTX and CF groups. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of amifostine plus CF was greater than amifostine or CF alone in preventing high-dose methotrexate-induced intestinal mucositis and improving intestinal recovery in mice.

A clinical study of the effect of 3D reconstruction on exophthalmos after an operation on an old orbital wall fracture.

BACKGROUND: Orbital blowout fracture is common in ocular trauma. Accurate measurement of orbital volume after fracture is key in improving intraocular correction. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the impact of 3D reconstruction technology in restoring normal exophthalmos in patients with old orbital wall fractures. METHODS: A total of 31 patients were randomly divided into an experimental group (n= 15) and a control group (n= 16). For orbital wall repair and reconstruction, the conventional group used the conventional surgical scheme, and the 3D group used 3D printing technology. RESULTS: There was no statistical difference between the preoperative mean extraocular muscle volume of the healthy eye and the affected eye. However, the mean orbital volume (24.76 vs 27.11, P= 0.005) and mean retrobulbar fat volume (17.53 vs 16.42, P= 0.006) were significantly different between the healthy eye and the affected eye. After an average follow-up of 16 weeks, the differences in pre- and post-surgery exophthalmos in the two groups were 0.42 ± 0.08 mm and 1.63 ± 0.51 mm, respectively. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (t= 4.42, P= 0.003). The complications were not statistically different. CONCLUSION: Using 3D reconstruction technology preoperatively can significantly improve exophthalmos in patients with old orbital wall fractures.

Analysis of Treatment Efficacy of Intense Pulsed Light (M22) for Meibomian Gland Dysfunction with Demodex Mites.

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of intense pulsed light (M22) in treating patients with meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) caused by demodex mites. Methods: A total of 100 patients (100 eyes) diagnosed with demodex mites through microscopic examination at Shanxi Bethune Eye Clinic between June 2021 and May 2023 were selected using convenience sampling. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: an experimental group (n=50) and a control group (n=50). The control group received comprehensive treatment consisting of artificial tears, warm compress, anti-inflammatory eye ointment, hypochlorous acid cleansing, okra cotton pad, and meibomian gland massage. In addition to the comprehensive treatment, the experimental group received intense pulsed light (M22) therapy. After 8 weeks of treatment, the mite clearance rate and cure rate of dry eye were measured for both groups. The recurrence rate of dry eye was also observed 4 weeks after discontinuing M22 treatment. Results: The experimental group achieved a mite clearance rate of 88.0%, while the control group had a rate of 58.0%, with a statistically significant difference (χ2 = 5.43, P = 0.017). Regarding the cure rate of dry eye, the experimental group showed a rate of 92.0%, while the control group had a rate of 82.0%, with a statistically significant difference (χ2 = 3.61, P = 0.021). In terms of the recurrence rate of dry eye, the experimental group exhibited a rate of 13.04%, while the control group had a rate of 26.83%, with a statistically significant difference (χ2 = 4.18, P = 0.016). Conclusion: Intense pulsed light (M22) demonstrated superior efficacy in eradicating demodex mites, treating dry eye, and maintaining the treatment's effectiveness compared to comprehensive treatment with medication in patients suffering from meibomian gland dysfunction with demodex mites.

Selective recognition of Hg2+ ions in aqueous solution by a CdII-based metal-organic framework with good stability and vacant coordination sites.

A novel water-stable CdII-based metal-organic framework, namely {[Cd(BIBT)(TDC)]·2H2O}n (JXUST-28, BIBT = 4,7-bi(1H-imidazol-1-yl)benzo-[2,1,3]thiadiazole and H2TDC = 2,5-thiophenedicarboxylic acid), was synthesized using a mixed-ligand strategy. Structural analysis demonstrates that JXUST-28 exhibits a two-dimensional layer structure with 4-connected sql topology. Intriguingly, JXUST-28 presents good stability in boiling water (at least 5 days), common organic solvents and aqueous solutions with different pH values of 2-12 (more than 24 hours). Furthermore, fluorescence experiments revealed that JXUST-28 could sense Hg2+ ions in aqueous solution via a quenching effect with a detection limit of 0.097 µM. Meanwhile, JXUST-28 can also be regenerated at least 5 times to detect Hg2+ ions. In addition, light-emitting diode lamps, luminescent films, and test papers of JXUST-28 have been successfully developed for practical applications.

Dual-response fluorescence sensing of H2PO4- and CO32- using AJP filter paper based on a pH-stable CdII-based luminescent metal-organic framework.

A new CdII-based luminescent metal-organic framework (LMOF) with the formula {[Cd(BIBT)(NDC)]·solvents}n (JXUST-32, BIBT = 4,7-bi(1H-imidazol-1-yl)benzo-[2,1,3]thiadiazole and H2NDC = 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid) was successfully synthesized by a solvothermal method. JXUST-32 shows a two-dimensional (4,4)-connected network and exhibits significant fluorescence red shift and slight enhancement for H2PO4- and CO32- sensing with detection limits of 0.11 and 0.12 µM, respectively. In addition, JXUST-32 has good thermal stability, chemical stability and recyclability. Significantly, JXUST-32 represents a fluorescence red-shift dual response MOF sensor for H2PO4- and CO32- detection and the analytes can be identified by the naked eye, aerosol jet printing filter paper, light-emitting diode beads and luminescent films.

Supramolecular self-assembly of robust, ultra-stable, and high-temperature-resistant viscoelastic worm-like micelles.

HYPOTHESIS: Worm-like micelles are susceptible to heating owing to the fast dynamic exchange of molecules between micelles. Inhibition of such exchange could afford robust worm-like micelles, which is expected to largely improve rheology properties at high temperatures. EXPERIMENTS: A cationic surfactant docosyl(trimethyl)azanium chloride (DCTAC) and a strongly hydrophobic organic counterion 3-hydroxy naphthalene-2-carboxylate (SHNC) were used for the worm-like micelles fabrication. The microstructure was characterized using cryogenic transmission electron microscopy and small-angle neutron scattering, and the interactions between DCTAC and SHNC were characterized using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Rheometer was employed to measure the rheological properties of the solution. FINDINGS: SHNC/DCTAC at the molar ration of 1:2 forms ultra-stable worm-like micelles, whose viscosity remain stable at temperature up to 130 °C. SHNC is found to strongly adsorbs on DCTAC micelle with the orientation on the surface of micelle, keeping the naphthalene backbone entire penetration into the palisade layer while both carboxylic and hydroxyl groups protrude out of the micelle. With temperature increasing, this adsorption further strengthens, resulting in the growth contour length and accompanying the enhancement of rheological properties. One SHNC molecule and two DCTAC molecules are speculated to form a stable complex via multiple interactions including hydrophobic, cationic-π, and π-π interactions, which decreases the dynamic exchange of them between micelles. These findings are helpful to understand surfactant aggregates stability and assist the development of novel stable supramolecular nanostructures. Additionally, the excellent thermal stability of this worm-like micellar fluid makes it a potential high-temperature resistant clean fracturing fluid for deep oil reservoirs.