Achieving Highly Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution through the Construction of g-C3N4@PdS@Pt Nanocomposites.

Selective supported catalysts have emerged as a promising approach to enhance carrier separation, particularly in the realm of photocatalytic hydrogen production. Herein, a pioneering exploration involves the loading of PdS and Pt catalyst onto g-C3N4 nanosheets to construct g-C3N4@PdS@Pt nanocomposites. The photocatalytic activity of nanocomposites was evaluated under visible light and full spectrum irradiation. The results show that g-C3N4@PdS@Pt nanocomposites exhibit excellent properties. Under visible light irradiation, these nanocomposites exhibit a remarkable production rate of 1289 µmol·g-1·h-1, marking a staggering 60-fold increase compared to g-C3N4@Pt (20.9 µmol·g-1·h-1). Furthermore, when subjected to full spectrum irradiation, the hydrogen production efficiency of g-C3N4@PdS@Pt-3 nanocomposites reaches an impressive 11,438 µmol·g-1·h-1, representing an eightfold enhancement compared to g-C3N4@Pt (1452 µmol·g-1·h-1) under identical conditions. Detailed investigations into the microstructure and optical properties of g-C3N4@PdS catalysts were conducted, shedding light on the mechanisms governing photocatalytic hydrogen production. This study offers valuable insights into the potential of these nanocomposites and their pivotal role in advancing photocatalysis.

Magnetic resonance imaging radiomics-based prediction of clinically significant prostate cancer in equivocal PI-RADS 3 lesions in the transitional zone.

Purpose: This bi-institutional study aimed to establish a robust model for predicting clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) (pathological grade group ≥ 2) in PI-RADS 3 lesions in the transition zone by comparing the performance of combination models. Materials and methods: This study included 243 consecutive men who underwent 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound-guided transrectal biopsy from January 2020 and April 2022 which is divided into a training cohort of 170 patients and a separate testing cohort of 73 patients. T2WI and DWI images were manually segmented for PI-RADS 3 lesions for the mean ADC and radiomic analysis. Predictive clinical factors were identified using both univariate and multivariate logistic models. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression models were deployed for feature selection and for constructing radiomic signatures. We developed nine models utilizing clinical factors, radiological features, and radiomics, leveraging logistic and XGboost methods. The performances of these models was subsequently compared using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis and the Delong test. Results: Out of the 243 participants with a median age of 70 years, 30 were diagnosed with csPCa, leaving 213 without a csPCa diagnosis. Prostate-specific antigen density (PSAD) stood out as the only significant clinical factor (odds ratio [OR], 1.068; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.029-1.115), discovered through the univariate and multivariate logistic models. Seven radiomic features correlated with csPCa prediction. Notably, the XGboost model outperformed eight other models (AUC of the training cohort: 0.949, and validation cohort: 0.913). However, it did not surpass the PSAD+MADC model (P > 0.05) in the training and testing cohorts (AUC, 0.949 vs. 0.888 and 0.913 vs. 0.854, respectively). Conclusion: The machine learning XGboost model presented the best performance in predicting csPCa in PI-RADS 3 lesions within the transitional zone. However, the addition of radiomic classifiers did not display any significant enhancement over the compound model of clinical and radiological findings. The most exemplary and generalized option for quantitative prostate evaluation was Mean ADC+PSAD.

Facile Fabrication of Highly Active CeO2@ZnO Nanoheterojunction Photocatalysts.

Photocatalyst performance is often limited by the poor separation and rapid recombination of photoinduced charge carriers. A nanoheterojunction structure can facilitate the separation of charge carrier, increase their lifetime, and induce photocatalytic activity. In this study, CeO2@ZnO nanocomposites were produced by pyrolyzing Ce@Zn metal-organic frameworks prepared from cerium and zinc nitrate precursors. The effects of the Zn:Ce ratio on the microstructure, morphology, and optical properties of the nanocomposites were studied. In addition, the photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposites under light irradiation was assessed using rhodamine B as a model pollutant, and a mechanism for photodegradation was proposed. With the increase in the Zn:Ce ratio, the particle size decreased, and surface area increased. Furthermore, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses revealed the formation of a heterojunction interface, which enhanced photocarrier separation. The prepared photocatalysts show a higher photocatalytic activity than CeO2@ZnO nanocomposites previously reported in the literature. The proposed synthetic method is simple and may produce highly active photocatalysts for environmental remediation.

Differential requirement for DICER1 activity during the development of mitral and tricuspid valves.

Mitral and tricuspid valves are essential for unidirectional blood flow in the heart. They are derived from similar cell sources, and yet congenital dysplasia affecting both valves is clinically rare, suggesting the presence of differential regulatory mechanisms underlying their development. Here, we specifically inactivated Dicer1 in the endocardium during cardiogenesis and found that Dicer1 deletion caused congenital mitral valve stenosis and regurgitation, whereas it had no impact on other valves. We showed that hyperplastic mitral valves were caused by abnormal condensation and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling. Our single-cell RNA sequencing analysis revealed impaired maturation of mesenchymal cells and abnormal expression of ECM genes in mutant mitral valves. Furthermore, expression of a set of miRNAs that target ECM genes was significantly lower in tricuspid valves compared to mitral valves, consistent with the idea that the miRNAs are differentially required for mitral and tricuspid valve development. We thus reveal miRNA-mediated gene regulation as a novel molecular mechanism that differentially regulates mitral and tricuspid valve development, thereby enhancing our understanding of the non-association of inborn mitral and tricuspid dysplasia observed clinically.

Recent advances in functional conservation and divergence of recombinase RAD51 and DMC1.

Meiosis is a specialized cell division that occurs in reproductive cells during sexual reproduction. It contains once DNA replication following nucleus division twice, thus producing haploid gametes. Fusion of male and female gametes restores genome to the diploid level, which not only ensures the genome stability between generations during sexual reproduction, but also leads to genetic diversity among offspring. Meiosis homologous recombination (HR) is one of the crucial events during meiotic prophase I, and it not only ensures the subsequently faithful segregation of homologous chromosomes (homologs), but also exchanges genetic information between homologs with greatly increasing the genetic diversity of progeny. RAD51 (RADiation sensitive 51) and DMC1 (disruption Meiotic cDNA 1) are essential recombinases for the HR process, and have certain commonalities and differences. In this review, we summarize and compare the conserved and differentiated features of RAD51 and DMC1 in terms of origin, evolution, structure, and function, we also provide an outlook on future research directions to further understand and study the molecular mechanisms in regulation of meiotic recombination.

Morphologically Controllable Hierarchical ZnO Microspheres Catalyst and Its Photocatalytic Activity.

The degradation of pollutants in wastewater using abundant resources and renewable energy sources, such as light, is attractive from an environmental perspective. ZnO is a well-known photocatalytic material. Therefore, in this study, a hierarchical ZnO microsphere precursor was prepared using a hydrothermal method. The precursor was subsequently annealed at different temperatures, which enabled the production of a ZnO catalyst having a controllable morphology. Specifically, as the annealing temperature increased, the precursor crystallized into hexagonal wurtzite and the crystallinity also increased. The catalysts were tested for their photocatalytic activity for the degradation of dye molecules (methylene blue and rhodamine B), and the catalyst sample annealed at 400 °C showed the best photocatalytic activity. The origin of this activity was studied using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and transient photocurrent measurements, and the structure of the optimal catalyst was invested using electron microscopy measurements, which revealed that it was formed of two-dimensional nanosheets having smooth surfaces, forming a 2D cellular network. Thus, we have presented a promising photocatalyst for the mineralization of organic contaminants in wastewater.

Obesity influences composition of salivary and fecal microbiota and impacts the interactions between bacterial taxa.

Obesity is an increasing global health concern and is associated with a broad range of morbidities. The gut microbiota are increasingly recognized as important contributors to obesity and cardiometabolic health. This study aimed to characterize oral and gut microbial communities, and evaluate host: microbiota interactions between clinical obesity classifications. We performed 16S rRNA sequencing on fecal and salivary samples, global metabolomics profiling on plasma and stool samples, and dietary profiling in 135 healthy individuals. We grouped individuals by obesity status, based on body mass index (BMI), including lean (BMI 18-124.9), overweight (BMI 25-29.9), or obese (BMI ≥30). We analyzed differences in microbiome composition, community inter-relationships, and predicted microbial function by obesity status. We found that salivary bacterial communities of lean and obese individuals were compositionally and phylogenetically distinct. An increase in obesity status was positively associated with strong correlations between bacterial taxa, particularly with bacterial groups implicated in metabolic disorders including Fretibacterium, and Tannerella. Consumption of sweeteners, especially xylitol, significantly influenced compositional and phylogenetic diversities of salivary and fecal bacterial communities. In addition, obesity groups exhibited differences in predicted bacterial metabolic activity, which was correlated with host's metabolite concentrations. Overall, obesity was associated with distinct changes in bacterial community dynamics, particularly in saliva. Consideration of microbiome community structure and inclusion of salivary samples may improve our ability to understand pathways linking microbiota to obesity and cardiometabolic disease.

Drp1 regulates transcription of ribosomal protein genes in embryonic hearts.

Mitochondrial dysfunction causes severe congenital cardiac abnormalities and prenatal/neonatal lethality. The lack of sufficient knowledge regarding how mitochondrial abnormalities affect cardiogenesis poses a major barrier for the development of clinical applications that target mitochondrial deficiency-induced inborn cardiomyopathies. Mitochondrial morphology, which is regulated by fission and fusion, plays a key role in determining mitochondrial activity. Dnm1l encodes a dynamin-related GTPase, Drp1, which is required for mitochondrial fission. To investigate the role of Drp1 in cardiogenesis during the embryonic metabolic shift period, we specifically inactivated Dnm1l in second heart field-derived structures. Mutant cardiomyocytes in the right ventricle (RV) displayed severe defects in mitochondrial morphology, ultrastructure and activity. These defects caused increased cell death, decreased cell survival, disorganized cardiomyocytes and embryonic lethality. By characterizing this model, we reveal an AMPK-SIRT7-GABPB axis that relays the reduced cellular energy level to decrease transcription of ribosomal protein genes in cardiomyocytes. We therefore provide the first genetic evidence in mouse that Drp1 is essential for RV development. Our research provides further mechanistic insight into how mitochondrial dysfunction causes pathological molecular and cellular alterations during cardiogenesis.

The apoptosis of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) muscle during postmortem condition regulated by the cytokines via TOR and NF-κB signaling pathways.

Postmortem alteration by apoptosis has significant effects on flesh quality. Currently, the information necessary to understand the apoptotic behavior and the molecular mechanisms during postmortem alteration in fish muscle is still lacking. Activation of apoptosis and the cytokines involved in regulating apoptosis in fish muscle were evaluated during postmortem condition at 4 °C for 5 days in terms of apoptotic morphology changes, nucleus DNA fragmentation, caspases activation and related gene expressions. The triggering apoptotic mechanisms associated with multiple cytokines transcriptional levels showed that the up-regulated pro-apoptotic mediators [IFN-γ2, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1ß, IL-17D, IL-12p35 and IL-10 (except IL-15)] and the down-regulated anti-apoptotic mediators of [IL-8 and IL-11 (except TGF-ß and IL-4)] both regulated apoptosis at early stage, which were regulated by NF-κB and TOR, respectively. Results suggested that transcriptional regulation of multiple cytokines produce a positive outcome on triggering apoptosis.

Toxoplasmosis Encephalitis: A Cross-Sectional Analysis at a U.S. Safety-Net Hospital in the Late cART Era.

Despite decreasing incidence of toxoplasmosis encephalitis(TE) among people living with HIV(PLWH) in the late antiretroviral era, U.S. safety-net hospitals still see significant numbers of admissions for TE. Little is known about this population, their healthcare utilization and long-term outcomes. We conducted an 8-year retrospective review of PLWH with TE at a safety-net hospital. Demographics, clinical characteristics, treatments, readmissions, and outcomes were collected. We used chi-squared test to evaluate 6-month all-cause readmission and demographic/clinical characteristics. Of 38 patients identified, 79% and 40% had a new diagnosis of TE and HIV respectively. 59% had 6-month all-cause readmission. Social factors were associated with readmission (uninsured (p = 0.036), Spanish as primary language (p = 0.017), non-adherence (p = 0.030)) and not markers of clinical severity (ICU admission, steroid-use, concomitant infections, therapeutic adverse events). Despite high readmission rates, at follow-up, 60% had a complete response, 30% had a partial response. Improving TE outcomes requires focus on culturally competent, coordinated care.

Epigenetic Regulation of Cardiac Neural Crest Cells.

The cardiac neural crest cells (cNCCs) is a transient, migratory cell population that contribute to the formation of major arteries and the septa and valves of the heart. Abnormal development of cNCCs leads to a spectrum of congenital heart defects that mainly affect the outflow region of the hearts. Signaling molecules and transcription factors are the best studied regulatory events controlling cNCC development. In recent years, however, accumulated evidence supports that epigenetic regulation also plays an important role in cNCC development. Here, we summarize the functions of epigenetic regulators during cNCC development as well as cNCC related cardiovascular defects. These factors include ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling factors, histone modifiers and DNA methylation modulators. In many cases, mutations in the genes encoding these factors are known to cause inborn heart diseases. A better understanding of epigenetic regulators, their activities and their roles during heart development will ultimately contribute to the development of new clinical applications for patients with congenital heart disease.

Comparison of analgesic effects and postoperative cognitive function following total knee arthroplasty: continuous intravenous infusion of fentanyl vs. ultrasound-guided continuous femoral nerve block with ropivacaine.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of continuous intravenous infusions (CII) of fentanyl by pumping and ultrasound-guided continuous femoral nerve block (CFNB) with ropivacaine in terms of analgesic effects and postoperative cognitive function following total knee arthroplasty. METHODS: The clinical data of 103 patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty were collected retrospectively and divided into group A (n = 51) receiving CII of fentanyl by pumping and group B (n = 52) receiving CFNB with ropivacaine. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores, Visual analog scale (VAS) scores, knee joint flexion angle (KJFA), muscle strength, postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD), patient satisfaction, and adverse reactions of the two groups were compared. RESULTS: The muscle strength scores in group B gradually improved at 6-48 h as compared with at 4 hours after operation (P < 0.05). Compared with group A, patients in group B had greater active motion of KJFA at 4, 6, and 12 h after operation (P < 0.05). In contrast to group A, patients in group B had lower VAS scores at rest or active and passive motion at 4-48 h after operation (P < 0.05). The MMSE scores of group B were higher than those of group A at 1, 4, and 7 d after operation (P < 0.05). The incidence of POCD at 4 d after operation was 1.92% in group B, lower than that of 15.69% in group A (P < 0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions was 5.77% in group B, lower than that of 29.41% in group A (P < 0.05). The satisfaction scores of group B were higher than those of group A (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Compared with CII of fentanyl by pumping, ultrasound-guided CFNB showed superior analgesic effects following total knee arthroplasty, which should reduce the incidence of POCD and adverse reactions.

CHD7 regulates cardiovascular development through ATP-dependent and -independent activities.

CHD7 encodes an ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling factor. Mutation of this gene causes multiple developmental disorders, including CHARGE (Coloboma of the eye, Heart defects, Atresia of the choanae, Retardation of growth/development, Genital abnormalities, and Ear anomalies) syndrome, in which conotruncal anomalies are the most prevalent form of heart defects. How CHD7 regulates conotruncal development remains unclear. In this study, we establish that deletion of Chd7 in neural crest cells (NCCs) causes severe conotruncal defects and perinatal lethality, thus providing mouse genetic evidence demonstrating that CHD7 cell-autonomously regulates cardiac NCC development, thereby clarifying a long-standing controversy in the literature. Using transcriptomic analyses, we show that CHD7 fine-tunes the expression of a gene network that is critical for cardiac NCC development. To gain further molecular insights into gene regulation by CHD7, we performed a protein-protein interaction screen by incubating recombinant CHD7 on a protein array. We find that CHD7 directly interacts with several developmental disorder-mutated proteins including WDR5, a core component of H3K4 methyltransferase complexes. This direct interaction suggested that CHD7 may recruit histone-modifying enzymes to target loci independently of its remodeling functions. We therefore generated a mouse model that harbors an ATPase-deficient allele and demonstrates that mutant CHD7 retains the ability to recruit H3K4 methyltransferase activity to its targets. Thus, our data uncover that CHD7 regulates cardiovascular development through ATP-dependent and -independent activities, shedding light on the etiology of CHD7-related congenital disorders. Importantly, our data also imply that patients carrying a premature stop codon versus missense mutations will likely display different molecular alterations; these patients might therefore require personalized therapeutic interventions.

[Post-marketing pharmaco-economics evaluation of Jinye Baidu Granules].

To evaluate the economy and applicability of Jinye Baidu Granules in the treatment of acute upper respiratory tract infection, a randomized, double-blind, positive drug parallel control clinical trial was conducted in this study. Stratified block random, double-blind and double simulation test was used. The experimental group took Jinye Baidu Granules, 10 g/time, three times a day, and Compound Shuanghua Granules placebo, 6 g/time, four times a day. The control group took Compound Shuanghua Granules, 6 g/time, 4 times a day, and Jinye Baidu Granules placebo, 10 g/time, 3 times a day. The course of treatment was 5 days. The total cost of this study included direct medical cost and indirect medical cost. The incremental cost-effect analysis method was used for evaluation. Treeage Pro software was used to build a pharmaco-economics model and make statistical analysis. Patients from 10 hospitals were divided into experimental group(304 cases) and control group(302 cases). The baseline values of age, sex ratio, clinical symptoms and signs scores, and important physical examination indexes of the two groups were compared. After 5 days of treatment, the cost per capita of the experimental group was(388.06±94.17) Yuan, and that of the control group was(378.47±95.46) Yuan. The cost of direct medical treatment per capita was(271.24±54.11) Yuan for the experimental group and(264.88±112.71) Yuan for the control group. The average cost of indirect medical treatment was(116.82±82.75) Yuan in the experimental group and(113.59±87.77) Yuan in the control group, with no significant difference in the cost of medical treatment per capita, the cost of direct medical treatment per capita and the cost of indirect medical treatment per capita between both groups. The results of incremental cost-effect analysis based on the total score difference in symptoms and signs after 5 days of treatment showed that ICER=23.39 Yuan/score, which was less than the willingness to pay 100 Yuan/score determined through expert interviews. The experimental group had economic advantages over the experimental group, with the economic probability of 53%. Sensitivity analysis supported the robustness of the results. The results of incremental cost-effect analysis based on the total recovery rate of symptoms and signs showed that compared with the experimental group, the control group had lower cost, better effect and absolute economic advantage, with a corresponding probability of 55%. Based on the above results, it is concluded that there is no significant difference in economic outcome between Jinye Baidu Gra-nules and Compound Shuanghua Granules in the treatment of acute upper respiratory tract infection.

Developed Chitosan/Oregano Essential Oil Biocomposite Packaging Film Enhanced by Cellulose Nanofibril.

The use of advanced and eco-friendly materials has become a trend in the field of food packaging. Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) were prepared from bleached bagasse pulp board by a mechanical grinding method and were used to enhance the properties of a chitosan/oregano essential oil (OEO) biocomposite packaging film. The growth inhibition rate of the developed films with 2% (w/w) OEO against E. coli and L. monocytogenes reached 99%. With the increased levels of added CNFs, the fibrous network structure of the films became more obvious, as was determined by SEM and the formation of strong hydrogen bonds between CNFs and chitosan was observed in FTIR spectra, while the XRD pattern suggested that the strength of diffraction peaks and crystallinity of the films slightly increased. The addition of 20% CNFs contributed to an oxygen-transmission rate reduction of 5.96 cc/m2·day and water vapor transmission rate reduction of 741.49 g/m2·day. However, the increase in CNFs contents did not significantly improve the barrier properties of the film. The addition of 60% CNFs significantly improved the barrier properties of the film to light and exhibited the lowest light transmittance (28.53%) at 600 nm. Addition of CNFs to the chitosan/OEO film significantly improved tensile strength and the addition of 60% CNFs contributed to an increase of 16.80 MPa in tensile strength. The developed chitosan/oregano essential oil/CNFs biocomposite film with favorable properties and antibacterial activity can be used as a green, functional material in the food-packaging field. It has the potential to improve food quality and extend food shelf life.

ß-amyloid redirects norepinephrine signaling to activate the pathogenic GSK3ß/tau cascade.

The brain noradrenergic system is critical for normal cognition and is affected at early stages in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we reveal a previously unappreciated direct role of norepinephrine signaling in connecting ß-amyloid (Aß) and tau, two key pathological components of AD pathogenesis. Our results show that Aß oligomers bind to an allosteric site on α2A adrenergic receptor (α2AAR) to redirect norepinephrine-elicited signaling to glycogen synthase kinase 3ß (GSK3ß) activation and tau hyperphosphorylation. This norepinephrine-dependent mechanism sensitizes pathological GSK3ß/tau activation in response to nanomolar accumulations of extracellular Aß, which is 50- to 100-fold lower than the amount required to activate GSK3ß by Aß alone. The significance of our findings is supported by in vivo evidence in two mouse models, human tissue sample analysis, and longitudinal clinical data. Our study provides translational insights into mechanisms underlying Aß proteotoxicity, which might have strong implications for the interpretation of Aß clearance trial results and future drug design and for understanding the selective vulnerability of noradrenergic neurons in AD.

Development of pH indicator and antimicrobial cellulose nanofibre packaging film based on purple sweet potato anthocyanin and oregano essential oil.

A pH indicator and antimicrobial cellulose nanofibre packaging film was developed based on cellulose nanofibres as film matrix, anthocyanins from purple sweet potato as a natural dye and oregano essential oil as an antimicrobial agent. The colour of the anthocyanin solution was noticeably different from pH 2 to pH 12. The developed film sensitively responded to a change of pH and showed an obvious colour change from red to yellow, with pH ranging from 2 to 12, which indicated that the film had a superior colorimetric performance to pH change. Moreover, the film showed excellent antimicrobial activity and the inhibition rate against Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes reached 99.99%. Bio-compatibility between anthocyanins and cellulose nanofibre matrix was confirmed by the analysis of cross-section morphology of the film. The XRD pattern revealed that the crystallinity index of the film decreased with the addition of anthocyanins and oregano essential oil. The film had a good barrier performance to ultraviolet and visible light; its tensile strength, elongation at break, and elastic modulus was 9.28 MPa, 9.87%, and 0.15 GPa, respectively. The developed pH indicator and antimicrobial film could intuitively indicate the change of food quality during storage and effectively prolong food shelf life.

Post-marketing pharmaco-economics evaluation of Jinye Baidu Granules / 中国中药杂志

To evaluate the economy and applicability of Jinye Baidu Granules in the treatment of acute upper respiratory tract infection, a randomized, double-blind, positive drug parallel control clinical trial was conducted in this study. Stratified block random, double-blind and double simulation test was used. The experimental group took Jinye Baidu Granules, 10 g/time, three times a day, and Compound Shuanghua Granules placebo, 6 g/time, four times a day. The control group took Compound Shuanghua Granules, 6 g/time, 4 times a day, and Jinye Baidu Granules placebo, 10 g/time, 3 times a day. The course of treatment was 5 days. The total cost of this study included direct medical cost and indirect medical cost. The incremental cost-effect analysis method was used for evaluation. Treeage Pro software was used to build a pharmaco-economics model and make statistical analysis. Patients from 10 hospitals were divided into experimental group(304 cases) and control group(302 cases). The baseline values of age, sex ratio, clinical symptoms and signs scores, and important physical examination indexes of the two groups were compared. After 5 days of treatment, the cost per capita of the experimental group was(388.06±94.17) Yuan, and that of the control group was(378.47±95.46) Yuan. The cost of direct medical treatment per capita was(271.24±54.11) Yuan for the experimental group and(264.88±112.71) Yuan for the control group. The average cost of indirect medical treatment was(116.82±82.75) Yuan in the experimental group and(113.59±87.77) Yuan in the control group, with no significant difference in the cost of medical treatment per capita, the cost of direct medical treatment per capita and the cost of indirect medical treatment per capita between both groups. The results of incremental cost-effect analysis based on the total score difference in symptoms and signs after 5 days of treatment showed that ICER=23.39 Yuan/score, which was less than the willingness to pay 100 Yuan/score determined through expert interviews. The experimental group had economic advantages over the experimental group, with the economic probability of 53%. Sensitivity analysis supported the robustness of the results. The results of incremental cost-effect analysis based on the total recovery rate of symptoms and signs showed that compared with the experimental group, the control group had lower cost, better effect and absolute economic advantage, with a corresponding probability of 55%. Based on the above results, it is concluded that there is no significant difference in economic outcome between Jinye Baidu Gra-nules and Compound Shuanghua Granules in the treatment of acute upper respiratory tract infection.

Preparation of High-Quality Fermented Fish Product.

This protocol provides a method for preparation of industrialized fermented fish product with sturgeon (Aquilaria sinensis) meat product. The procedures were: (1) pretreatment of farmed sturgeon including decapitation, evisceration, skinning-off, cleaning and cutting; (2) marinating fish cubes in 6-12% (w/v) salt solution (1:1, fish cube mass to solution volume); (3) drying fish cubes to a water content of 50-60% by hot air (40-60 °C) or by vacuum; (4) fermentation involving inoculating fish cubes with 0.4-1.6% (w/w) S. cerevisiae in flavor solution to fish cubes and fermenting at 25-35 °C for 6-10 h; (5) sealing fish cubes in vacuum packages with marinating and fermenting solutions; (6) sterilizing at 115-121 °C for 10-20 min. The sturgeon meat product prepared by this method has delicious taste which is mellow and thick, has various types and large amounts of volatile flavor compounds such as alcohols and esters which could mask musty and unpleasant odor from fish, has moderate salt content but good texture properties such as high springiness, gumminess and chewiness, and has bright russet color and attractive appearance. This new technique could also be applied in the processing of other fish to provide convenient fish snack foods which could be stored at room temperature. It is appropriate for both marine and freshwater fish.