Covalently cross-linked ultrastrong SiO2-loaded polyvinyl alcohol fibers via microfluidic spinning.

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber materials have gained immense recognition due to their good biocompatibility and wide applications. However, methods allowing the synergistic enhancement of mechanical strength and toughness of PVA fibers still remain a key challenge. To this end, we developed covalently cross-linked ultrastrong SiO2-loaded polyvinyl alcohol fibers via a microfluidic spinning chemistry strategy. The thermal stretching and annealing processes not only promote the ordered arrangement of molecules, but also facilitate the ring opening reaction and increase crystallinity. Thus, the resulting fiber has a high tensile strength of 866 MPa, a specific toughness of 288 J g-1 and a tensile strain of 80%. This work provides a covalent cross-linking reinforcement method to prepare ultrastrong composite fibers assisted by microfluidic spinning chemistry and thermal stretching, which would lead to the fabrication of mechanically strong fiber materials through a simple pathway.

Intraoperative intensive blood pressure management strategy and the outcome of patients who had an acute ischaemic stroke undergoing endovascular treatment under general anaesthesia: study protocol for a prospective randomised controlled trial.

BackgroundEndovascular thrombectomy is the recommended treatment for acute ischaemic stroke, but the optimal blood pressure management strategy during the procedure under general anaesthesia remains controversial. In this study protocol, we propose an intraoperative intensive blood pressure range (110-140 mm Hg systolic blood pressure) based on a retrospective analysis and extensive literature review. By comparing the outcomes of patients who had an acute ischaemic stroke undergoing mechanical thrombectomy under general anaesthesia with standard blood pressure management (140-180 mm Hg systolic blood pressure) versus intensive blood pressure management, we aim to determine the impact of intraoperative intensive blood pressure management strategy on patient prognosis. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The study is a double-blinded, randomised, controlled study, with patients randomised into either the standard blood pressure management group or the intensive blood pressure management group. The primary endpoint of the study will be the sequential analysis of modified Rankin Scale scores at 90 days after mechanical thrombectomy. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study has been approved by the ethics committee of Shanghai Changhai Hospital with an approval number CHEC2023-015. The results of the study will be published in peer-reviewed international journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR2300070764.

Intramedullary nail fixation assisted by locking plate for complex subtrochanteric femur fractures: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to compare therapeutic effects of two methods in complicated subtrochanteric femur fractures surgery: intramedullary nail fixation assisted with lateral monocortical locking plate versus intramedullary nail fixation assisted with supplementary cables. METHODS: From June 2015 to June 2020, seventy-seven patients with complex subtrochanteric fractures (i.e., Seinsheimer's classification type IV or V) were included in this study. Thirty-six patients (plate group) were operated using the intramedullary nail fixation assisted by lateral monocortical locking plate, and forty-one patients (cable group) were using the intramedullary nail fixation assisted by cables. The clinical information and demographic results were collected and compared. RESULTS: Operation time of plate group was shorter than cable group and the Incisions length of plate group was longer. The fluoroscopy times were 22.8 ± 8.2 in plate group and 33.0 ± 9.0 in cable group (p < 0.01). Compared with the cable group, patients in plate group used less cerclage cables (p < 0.01). Patients in the plate group has less medial cortex displacement compared with the cable group. (p = 0.038). As for the angular difference of neck shaft angle between operated hip and uninjured hip, plate group has less difference compared with the cable group. Time to union was 14.2 ± 3.1 weeks in plate group which is shorter than the cable group (17.9 ± 4.8 weeks). In terms of follow up period, number of malunion, Harris hip score, walking ability and traumatic hip rating scale, no significant differences were detected. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that using lateral monocortical plate as an auxiliary way may have a longer surgical incision and more intraoperative blood loss, however, the operation time is shorter, the fluoroscopy times is less, and the time to union is shorter. Intramedullary nail fixation assisted by lateral monocortical locking plate may be a new option for patients with complex subtrochanteric femur fractures.

Comparison of femoral nerve block and acupuncture analgesia for acute preoperative pain in elderly patients with femoral neck fracture: a retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: This study was to compare the efficacy of femoral nerve block (FNB) and acupuncture for acute preoperative pain in patients with femoral neck fracture (FNF). METHODS: From June 2017 to June 2019, 130 patients with FNF were included in this study. Sixty-six patients received FNB treatment (FNB group) and sixty-four patients received acupuncture treatment (Acupuncture group). The clinical information, visual analog scale (VAS) scores, nursing quality scores, sleep quality scores, delirium numbers, and perioperative complications were collected and compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: The resting VAS score and the exercise VAS score decreased after FNB or acupuncture in both groups. Thirty minutes after analgesia, the resting VAS scores in the FNB group and the acupuncture group were 27.3±8.0 and 27.9±7.8, respectively (P=0.67); while exercise VAS scores were 60.2±10.4 and 59.5±9.8, respectively (P=0.73). In addition, there was no statistical difference in the VAS score between the two groups on day 1 and day 2 after admission. There was no statistical difference in nursing quality, sleep rhythm disorder, sleep quality, or times of mental disorder between the two groups. CONCLUSION: FNB analgesia and acupuncture analgesia are safe and effective for the control of acute preoperative pain in senile patients with femoral neck fracture. Both methods have good analgesic effects, which can improve nursing and sleep quality, and reduce the incidence of delirium. As a traditional Chinese medicine method, acupuncture analgesia can effectively manage the acute preoperative pain in senile femoral neck fracture patients.

Using RSM for Optimum of Optimum Production of Peptides from Edible Bird's Nest By-Product and Characterization of Its Antioxidant's Properties.

In this research, the neutrase hydrolysis conditions of edible bird's nest (EBN) by-products were optimized by response surface methodology (RSM). Antioxidant peptides were then isolated from the EBN by-products by ultrafiltration and chromatography taking the DPPH radical scavenging ability as an indicator. The antioxidant activity of the purified peptides was estimated by radical scavenging ability and sodium nitroprusside (SNP)-induced damage model in PC12 cells. When the enzyme concentration was10 kU/g-hydrolysis temperature was 45 °C, and hydrolysis time was 10.30 h, the degree of hydrolysis (DH) of EBN by-product hydrolysate (EBNH) was the highest. The purified peptide exerted strong scavenging ability with EC50 values of 0.51, 1.31, and 0.65 mg/mL for DDPH, ABTS, and O2- radicals, respectively. In addition, the purified peptides could significantly reduce the SNP-induced oxidative damage of PC12 cells, and twelve peptides that were rich in leucine (Leu), valine (Val), and lysine (Lys) were identified by LC-MS/MS. These results suggested that EBN by-products have potential as new materials for natural antioxidant peptides.

An anion exchange pretreatment method for the determination of low-level uranium in the environmental water samples.

Uranium in environmental water is usually at trace or ultra-trace levels with high concentrations of background ions so that the detection of uranium often couples with pretreatment processes to lower the detection limit, and improve the selectivity and accuracy of instruments. A simple, green, effective and efficient anion exchange pretreatment method was proposed to favor the determination of low-level uranium in natural environmental water samples. To determine the applicability and obtain the optimum operating parameters, the effects of coprecipitation, pH, contact time, uranium concentration, background ions, eluent and the flow speed on the uranium recovery were investigated. The experimental results showed that the proper addition of saturated Na2CO3 solution for pH adjustment did not lead to uranium loss in natural water samples, and the optimum pH value for adsorption was determined from 6 to 8. The adsorption speed was improved a lot with the employment of a novel silica-supported anion exchange resin, which also showed good linear dependence in the concentration range from <0.5 µg/L to 1000 µg/L with high tolerance limits towards common background ions. The optimum eluent was determined as 1 M HNO3, and the optimum flow speeds for adsorption and desorption were about 4.0 and 1.0 mL/min, respectively. Based on these results, a pretreatment process was finally established, which realized the quantitative recovery of uranium from six different natural water samples with the chemical yields exceeding 95% and the enrichment factors about 100 times.