Nano-sensitizer with self-amplified drug release and hypoxia normalization properties potentiates efficient chemoradiotherapy of pancreatic cancer.

The hypoxic nature of pancreatic cancer, one of the most lethal malignancies worldwide, significantly impedes the effectiveness of chemoradiotherapy. Although the development of oxygen carriers and hypoxic sensitizers has shown promise in overcoming tumor hypoxia. The heterogeneity of hypoxia-primarily caused by limited oxygen penetration-has posed challenges. In this study, we designed a hypoxia-responsive nano-sensitizer by co-loading tirapazamine (TPZ), KP372-1, and MK-2206 in a metronidazole-modified polymeric vesicle. This nano-sensitizer relies on efficient endogenous NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1-mediated redox cycling induced by KP372-1, continuously consuming periphery oxygen and achieving evenly distributed hypoxia. Consequently, the normalized tumor microenvironment facilitates the self-amplified release and activation of TPZ without requiring deep penetration. The activated TPZ and metronidazole further sensitize radiotherapy, significantly reducing the radiation dose needed for extensive cell damage. Additionally, the coloaded MK-2206 complements inhibition of therapeutic resistance caused by Akt activation, synergistically enhancing the hypoxic chemoradiotherapy. This successful hypoxia normalization strategy not only overcomes hypoxia resistance in pancreatic cancer but also provides a potential universal approach to sensitize hypoxic tumor chemoradiotherapy by reshaping the hypoxic distribution.

Biodegradable MXene Quantum Dots with High Near-Infrared Photothermal Performance for Cancer Treatment.

Photothermal therapy (PTT) offers significant potential in cancer treatment due to its short, simple, and less harmful nature. However, obtaining a photothermal agent (PTA) with good photothermal performance and biocompatibility remains a challenge. MXenes, which are PTAs, have shown promising results in cancer treatment. This study presents the preparation of Ti3C2 MXene quantum dots (MXene QDs) using a simple hydrothermal and ultrasonic method and their use as a PTA for cancer treatment. Compared to conventional MXene QDs synthesized using only the hydrothermal method, the ultrasonic process increased the degree of oxidation on the surface of the MXene QDs. This resulted in the presence of more hydrophilic groups such as hydroxyl groups on the MXene QD surfaces, leading to excellent dispersion in the aqueous system and biocompatibility of the prepared MXene QDs without the need for surface modification. The MXene QDs showed great photothermal performance with a photothermal conversion efficiency of 62.5%, resulting in the highest photothermal conversion efficiency among similar materials reported thus far. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments have proved the potent tumor inhibitory effect of the MXene QD-mediated PTT, with minimal harm to mice. Therefore, these MXene QDs hold a significant promise for clinical applications.

Undergoing Lung Surgery (PSA-Lung) was appropriate for symptom assessment after discharge.

PURPOSE: To examine whether a 7-day or 24-h recall period of Perioperative Symptom Assessment for Patients Undergoing Lung Surgery (PSA-Lung) was appropriate for symptom assessment after discharge. METHODS: A total of 377 patients were recruited in a cohort study of patients who underwent lung surgery. We measured patient symptoms daily and weekly using the two recall period versions of the PSA-Lung scale, respectively. The psychometric properties of both versions were calculated. Spearman rank correlation coefficients and kappa (k) coefficients were used to measure the association between items score measured by the two version scales each week. Cohen's d effect size and mixed linear model were used to measure responsiveness to change over time. RESULTS: Spearman rank correlation coefficients between the symptom scores generated by the 7-day and 24-h versions (range 0.48-0.77; all P < 0.05). The correlations increased in patients in stable condition (weekly symptom change < 2). Cronbach's α coefficients for both ratings were > 0.87 and both had good test-retest reliability. The longitudinal analysis and Cohen's d effect sizes showed that both ratings had good ability to detect changes in all items. CONCLUSION: The 7-day retrospective scale was as effective as the 24-h retrospective scale in terms of psychometric performance. In the stage where the patient's symptoms change rapidly, it is recommended to use the 24-h retrospective scale for symptom monitoring. On the contrary, in a stable state, it can be considered to use the 7-day retrospective scale for monitoring to reduce the patient's burden.

STING Membrane Prevents Post-Surgery Tissue Adhesion and Tumor Recurrence of Colorectal Cancer.

Surgery is the standard treatment regimen for resectable colorectal cancer (CRC). However, it is very hard to completely remove all cancer cells in clinical practice, leading to the high recurrence rates of the disease. Moreover, the post-surgery tissue adhesion greatly prevents the possibility of reoperation, significantly limiting the long-term surviving of CRC patients. To overcome CRC recurrence and avoid the post-surgery tissue adhesion, this work develops a novel stimulator of interferon genes "STING" membrane based on the coaxial electrospinning technology and hyaluronic acid modification. A reactive oxygen species responsive prodrug of gambogic acid (GB) and a potent STING agonist (CDN) are coloaded in the core-shell structure of the membrane, which endows the loaded drug with sustained and sequential release patterns. The localized delivery of GB and CDN can selectively induce efficient immunogenic cell death of cancer cells and then evoke the systemic anticancer immunity by activating the Cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP) synthase/STING pathway. As-designed "STING" membrane not only safely prevents tumor recurrence through the synergistic chemoimmunotherapy but also efficiently avoids the post-surgery tissue adhesion, facilitating the clinical intervention of CRC.

Photodynamic Therapy Derived Personalized Whole Cell Tumor Vaccine Prevents Postsurgery Tumor Recurrence and Metastasis.

In order to avoid the time-consuming and laborious identification of tumor-specific antigens (TSAs) during the traditional vaccine fabrication process, a versatile photodynamic therapy (PDT)-based method is developed to construct a whole-tumor antigen tumor vaccine (TV) from surgically resected tumor tissues for personalized immunotherapy. Mucoadhesive nanoparticles containing small-molecular photosensitizer are fabricated and directly co-incubated with suspended tumor cells obtained after cytoreduction surgery. After irradiation with a 405 nm laser, potent immunogenic cell death of cancer cells could be induced. Along with the release of TSAs, the as-prepared TV could activate safe and robust tumor-specific immune responses, leading to efficient suppression of postsurgery tumor recurrence and metastasis. The as-prepared TV cannot only be applied alone through various administration routes but also synergize with immunoadjuvant, chemotherapeutics, and immune checkpoint blockers to exert more potent immune responses. This work provides an alternative way to promote the clinical translation of PDT, which is generally restricted by the limited penetration of light. Moreover, the versatile strategy of vaccine fabrication also facilitates the clinical application of personalized whole-cell tumor vaccines.

Longitudinal patterns of patient-reported sleep disturbances after surgery for lung cancer.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify longitudinal heterogeneous trajectories of sleep status, adjusted for the effect of pain over time, among patients who had surgery for lung cancer and to quantify how disturbed sleep in the hospital affects functional recovery after discharge. METHODS: We included patients from a surgical cohort (CN-PRO-Lung 1). All patients reported symptoms using the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory-Lung Cancer (MDASI-LC) daily during postoperative hospitalization. Group-based dual trajectory modeling was used to investigate trajectories of disturbed sleep and pain during the first 7 days of postoperative hospitalization. Cox regression was used to compare the recovery of walking ability between the different sleep trajectories. RESULTS: Among 421 patients, disturbed sleep trajectories comprised low (31%), moderate (52%), and high (17%) groups. The surgical approach and number of chest tubes were associated with pain, and the number of chest tubes was also associated with sleep disturbances (OR = 1.99; 95% CI: 1.08-3.67). Recovery of walking ability after discharge was significantly slower in the high (median days = 16; 95% CI: 5-NA) and moderate disturbed sleep trajectory groups (median days = 5; 95%CI: 4-6) than in the low group (median days = 3; 95% CI: 3-4). CONCLUSION: Changes in disturbed sleep among patients with lung cancer followed three distinct trajectories over the first 7 days of hospitalization after surgery. Dual trajectory analyses highlighted the high concordance between specific trajectories of disturbed sleep and pain. Patients at high sleep disturbance and high levels of pain may benefit from appropriate interventions for both symptoms in combination with the patient's surgical approach and the number of chest tubes.

A novel approach to expedite wound healing with plasma brush of cold flame.

Excessive or persistent infection is a major contributing factor in impeding chronic wound healing. Wound bed preparations using antiseptics do not necessarily target the entire bacterial spectrum, and the highly proliferating granulation tissue may be sensitive to the cytotoxic effects, impairing tissue repair. Non-thermal gas atmospheric pressure plasmas are partially ionized gases that contain highly reactive particles while the gas phase remains near room temperature, thus having the capability of accessing small irregular cavities and fissures and killing bacteria because of the diffusive nature of gas phase plasma species that are chemically reactive, providing an ideal approach to topical wound disinfection. A non-thermal plasma brush device of novel design has been developed that is suitable for clinical application in the disinfection of oral and wound bacteria. In vivo studies have indicated that the plasma brush treatment rendered no harmful effect on healthy skin or tissues, while it could improve wound healing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm infected wounds exposed to an optimized treatment with argon plus 1% nitrogen (Ar + N2) plasma.

Discrete dynamics of light in an anti-parity-time symmetric photonic lattice in atomic vapors.

We demonstrate the realization of an anti-parity-time (PT)-symmetric photonic lattice in a coherent three-level Λ-type 85Rb atomic system both experimentally and theoretically. Such an instantaneously reconfigurable anti-PT-symmetric photonic lattice is "written" by two one-dimensional coupling fields, which are arranged alternately along the x direction and can modulate the refractive index of the atomic vapor in a spatially periodical manner via controllable atomic coherence. By properly adjusting the relevant atomic parameters, the phase shift between two adjacent lattice channels occurs in the constructed non-Hermitian photonic system. Such a readily reconfigurable anti-PT-symmetric photonic lattice may open the door for demonstrating the discrete characteristics of the optical waves in periodic anti-PT-symmetric photonic systems.

Argon Plasma Treatment Effects on the Micro-Shear Bond Strength of Lithium Disilicate with Dental Resin Cements.

The low bond strength of lithium disilicate (LD) ceramics to dental resin cements remains a critical issue for dental applications because it leads to frequent replacement and causes tooth tissue destruction and consumption. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of atmospheric non-thermal argon plasma (NTP) treatment on LD to improve its micro-shear bond strength (µSBS) with dental resin cements because LD mostly experiences shear stress for its commonly used dental applications as crowns or veneers. Argon plasma treatment was performed on hydrofluoric (HF) acid-etched LD surfaces, and then commercial resin cements were subsequently applied to the treated LD surfaces. The plasma treatment significantly reduced the water contact angle of the LD surface to less than 10° without changing the surface morphology. The µSBS test was performed with cement-bonded LD samples after 24 h and 30 days, as well as after 1000 cycles of thermal cycling. The test results show that, as compared with the untreated controls, 300 s of plasma treatment significantly improved the LD-resin cement bond strength by 59.1%. After 30 days of storage in DI water and 1000 cycles of thermal cycling, the plasma-treated LD samples show 84.2% and 44.8% higher bond strengths as compared to the control samples, respectively. The plasma treatment effect on LD surfaces diminished rapidly as the bond strength decreased to 25.5 MPa after aging in the air for 1 day prior to primer and cement application, suggesting that primers should be applied to the LD surfaces immediately after the plasma treatment. These results demonstrate that, when applied with caution, plasma treatment can activate LD surfaces and significantly improve the SBS of LD with dental resin cements in both short-term and long-term periods.

In vitro biological responses of plasma nanocoatings for coronary stent applications.

In-stent restenosis and thrombosis remain to be long-term challenges in coronary stenting procedures. The objective of this study was to evaluate the in vitro biological responses of trimethylsilane (TMS) plasma nanocoatings modified with NH3 /O2 (2:1 molar ratio) plasma post-treatment (TMS + NH3 /O2 nanocoatings) on cobalt chromium (CoCr) alloy L605 coupons, L605 stents, and 316L stainless steel (SS) stents. Surface properties of the plasma nanocoatings with up to 2-year aging time were characterized by wettability assessment and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that TMS + NH3 /O2 nanocoatings had a surface composition of 41.21 ± 1.06 at% oxygen, 31.90 ± 1.08 at% silicon, and 24.12 ± 1.7 at% carbon, and very small but essential amount of 2.77 ± 0.18 at% nitrogen. Surface chemical stability of the plasma coatings was noted with persistent O/Si atomic ratio of 1.292-1.413 and N/Si atomic ratio of ~0.087 through 2 years. The in vitro biological responses of plasma nanocoatings were studied by evaluating the cell proliferation and migration of porcine coronary artery endothelial cells (PCAECs) and smooth muscle cells (PCASMCs). 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium (MTT) assay results revealed that, after 7-day incubation, TMS + NH3 /O2 nanocoatings maintained a similar level of PCAEC proliferation while showing a decrease in the viability of PCASMCs by 73 ± 19% as compared with uncoated L605 surfaces. Cell co-culture of PCAECs and PCASMCs results showed that, the cell ratio of PCAEC/PCASMC on TMS + NH3 /O2 nanocoating surfaces was 1.5-fold higher than that on uncoated L605 surfaces, indicating enhanced selectivity for promoting PCAEC growth. Migration test showed comparable PCAEC migration distance for uncoated L605 and TMS + NH3 /O2 nanocoatings. In contrast, PCASMC migration distance was reduced nearly 8.5-fold on TMS + NH3 /O2 nanocoating surfaces as compared to the uncoated L605 surfaces. Platelet adhesion test using porcine whole blood showed lower adhered platelets distribution (by 70 ± 16%), reduced clotting attachment (by 54 ± 12%), and less platelet activation on TMS + NH3 /O2 nanocoating surfaces as compared with the uncoated L605 controls. It was further found that, under shear stress conditions of simulated blood flow, TMS + NH3 /O2 nanocoating significantly inhibited platelet adhesion compared to the uncoated 316L SS stents and TMS nanocoated 316L SS stents. These results indicate that TMS + NH3 /O2 nanocoatings are very promising in preventing both restenosis and thrombosis for coronary stent applications.

Short shaft ratio: A novel predictor for dural ossification in patients with ossification of the ligamentum flavum.

Background: Dural ossification (DO) is strongly correlated with an increased incidence of complications during the surgery for the patients with thoracic ossification of the ligamentum flavum (OLF). Some methods for predicting DO have emerged, but the accuracy remains to be improved. We aimed to find a more accurate way to predict the appearance of DO. Methods: Retrospective study was adopted in this study. According to the intraoperative findings, ninety-one patients with thoracic OLF were ultimately included and divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of DO. Patient characteristics and radiographic data were recorded. The residual area ratio (RAR, residual area/cross-section area of normal spinal canal × 100%) and the short shaft ratio (SSR, the length of short shaft of the ellipse-like shape/the length of the spinal canal × 100%) were measured and calculated by 2 independent observers, followed by statistical analysis. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the accuracy of the SSR and RAR in predicting DO. Results: No significant differences were found in sex, age and BMI between the DO group and the non-DO group. The mean RAR (and standard deviation) in the Non-DO group (62.6% ± 10.2%) was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than that in the DO group (46.1% ± 10.5%). The mean SSR (and standard deviation) in the Non-DO group (61.6% ± 6.0%) was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than that in the DO group (43.6% ± 9.2%). The receiver operating characteristic curve indicated that the SSR and RAR can be used as the efficient indicators to identify DO, and the SSR has a higher accuracy in indicating the presence of DO, with a cutoff value of ＜48.71% (sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 85.0%). Conclusion: The SSR can be used as a supplement parameter to traditional methods to predict DO, and it could be a better predictor. And, compared with bilateral and bridged type, unilateral type of OLF was more likely to develop DO with a larger SSR.

Trends in research on dietary behavior and cardiovascular disease from 2002 to 2022: a bibliometric analysis.

Background: Dietary behaviors and cardiovascular disease are two major health issues that have attracted a lot of attention from researchers worldwide. In this study, we aimed to provide a comprehensive analysis of the publication trends, authorship patterns, institutional affiliations, country/region contributions, journal outlets, highly cited documents, and keyword clusters in the field of dietary behaviors and cardiovascular disease research over the past two decades. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed articles published from 2002 to 2022 in the Web of Science Core Collection database. We extracted and analyzed data on the annual publication volume, authorship patterns, institutional affiliations, country/region contributions, journal outlets, highly cited documents, and keyword clusters using bibliometric methods and visualization tools. Results: Our study analyzed 3,904 articles, including 702 reviews and 3,202 research articles. The results revealed a continuous increase in the number of publications in this field over the past two decades. The top 10 authors, institutions, and countries/regions with the highest publication output were identified, indicating the leading contributors to this field. Moreover, the most frequently cited documents and highly clustered keywords were identified, providing insights into the research themes and topics in this field. Conclusion: Our study provides a comprehensive analysis of the publication trends, authorship patterns, institutional affiliations, country/region contributions, journal outlets, highly cited documents, and keyword clusters in the field of dietary behaviors and cardiovascular disease research over the past two decades. The findings provide valuable information for researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders to understand the research landscape, identify research gaps, and develop future research directions in this field.

Effect of the preoperative assessment of the anteroposterior diameters of the spinal canal and dural area on the efficacy of oblique lumbar interbody fusion in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to quantify the degree of lumbar spinal stenosis by assessing the anterior and posterior vertebral canal diameter and dural area, determine the sensitivity of the anterior and posterior spinal canal diameter, dural area and dural occupying rate in predicting the postoperative efficacy of oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF) for patients with single-stage lumbar spinal stenosis, and identify the corresponding indicators suggesting that OLIF surgery should not be performed. METHODS: In a retrospective analysis of patients who had previously undergone OLIF surgery in our hospital, we included a total of 104 patients with lumbar spinal stenosis who had previously undergone single-stage surgery in our hospital. Three independent observers were employed to measure the anterior and posterior diameter of the spinal canal (AD, mm), dural area (CSA, mm2), the spinal canal area (SCA, mm2), and the ratio of the dural area to the spinal canal area (DM, %) at the disc level with the most severe stenosis on MRI. According to the values of AD and CSA in preoperative MRI, patients were divided into three groups: A, B, and C (Group A: AD > 12 and 100 < CSA ≤ 130, group B: Except A and C, group C: AD ≤ 10 and CSA ≤ 75). Preoperative and postoperative clinical outcome scores (Japanese Orthopaedic Association [JOA] score, VAS score, modified Macnab standard) of 104 patients were statistically. RESULTS: There were significant differences in the preoperative and postoperative clinical correlation scores among the mild, moderate and severe lumbar spinal stenosis groups. The improvement rate of the post treatment JOA score, the difference between the preoperative and postoperative VAS score, and the modified Macnab standard were compared pairwise. There was no statistical significance in the improvement rate of the post treatment JOA score, the difference between the preoperative and postoperative VAS score, and the modified Macnab standard between Group A and Group B (P = 0.125, P = 0.620, P = 0.803). There were statistically significant differences between Group A and Group C and between Group B and Group C in the improvement rate of the JOA score, the difference in the pre- and postoperative VAS score, and the modified Macnab standard. The anterior and posterior vertebral canal diameter and dural area are sensitive predictors of the postoperative efficacy of OLIF surgery for single-stage lumbar spinal stenosis. Moreover, when the anterior and posterior vertebral canal diameter was less than 6.545 mm and the dural area was less than 34.43 mm2, the postoperative effect of OLIF surgery was poor. CONCLUSIONS: All the patients with mild, moderate, and severe lumbar spinal stenosis achieved curative effects after OLIF surgery. Patients with mild and moderate lumbar spinal stenosis had better curative effects, and there was no significant difference between them, while patients with severe lumbar spinal stenosis had poor curative effects. Both the anteroposterior diameter of the spinal canal and the dural area of the spinal canal were sensitive in predicting the curative effect of OLIF surgery for single-stage lumbar spinal stenosis. When the anterior and posterior vertebral canal diameter was less than 6.545 mm and the dural area was less than 34.43 mm2, the postoperative effect of OLIF surgery was poor.

Dynamic Deformation Behaviors of the Levitation Electromagnets of High-Speed Maglev Vehicle Negotiating a Sharp Horizontal Curve.

The elastic deformation of the levitation electromagnet (LM) of the high-speed maglev vehicle brings uneven levitation gaps and displacement differences between measured gap signals and the real gap in the middle of the LM, and then reduces dynamic performances of the electromagnetic levitation unit. However, most of the published literature has paid little attention to the dynamic deformation of the LM under complex line conditions. In this paper, considering the flexibility of the LM and the levitation bogie, a rigid-flexible coupled dynamic model is established to simulate deformation behaviors of the LMs of the maglev vehicle passing through the 650 m radius horizontal curve. Simulated results indicate that the deflection deformation direction of the same LM on the front transition curve is always opposite to that on the rear transition curve. Similarly, the deflection deformation direction of a left LM on the transition curve is opposite to that of the corresponding right LM. Furthermore, deflection deformation amplitudes of the LMs in the middle of the vehicle are always very small (less than 0.2 mm). However, the deflection deformation of the LMs at both ends of the vehicle is considerably large, and the maximum deflection deformation is about 0.86 mm when the vehicle passes at the balance speed. This forms a considerable displacement disturbance for the nominal levitation gap of 10 mm. It is necessary to optimize the supporting structure of the LM at the end of the maglev train in the future.

Prodrug Nanosensitizer Overcomes the Radiation Resistance of Hypoxic Tumor.

Clinical radiation therapy (RT) is often hindered by the low radiation energy absorption coefficient and the hypoxic features of tumor tissues. Among the tremendous efforts devoted to overcoming the barriers to efficient RT, the application of hypoxic radiosensitizers and cell-cycle-specific chemotherapeutics has shown great potential. However, their effectiveness is often compromised by their limited bioavailability, especially in the hypoxic region, which plays a major role in radioresistance. Herein, to simultaneously improve the delivery efficacy of both hypoxic radiosensitizer and cell-cycle-specific drug, a gambogic acid (GA) metronidazole (MN) prodrug (GM) was designed and synthesized based on GA, a naturally occurring chemotherapeutic and multiple pathway inhibitor, and MN, a typical hypoxic radiosensitizer. In combination with MN-containing block copolymers, the prodrug nanosensitizer (NS) of GM was obtained. Owing to the bioreduction of MN, the as-designed prodrug could be efficiently delivered to hypoxic cells and act on mitochondria to cause the accumulation of reactive oxygen species. The strong G2/M phase arrest caused by the prodrug NS could further sensitize treated cells to external radiation under hypoxic conditions by increasing DNA damage and delaying DNA repair. After coadministration of the NS with a well-established tissue-penetrating peptide, efficient tumor accumulation, deep tumor penetration, and highly potent chemoradiotherapy could be achieved.

Plasma treatment effects on destruction and recovery of Porphyromonas gingivalis biofilms.

The objective of this study was to investigate the treatment effects of non-thermal atmospheric gas plasmas (NTAP) on destruction and the recovery (or re-colonization) of Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) in biofilms. P. gingivalis is a well-known keystone periodontal pathogen strongly associated with periodontal diseases, especially periodontitis. P. gingivalis biofilms were formed on stainless steel coupons and treated for 1, 2, and 5 minutes by NTAP of pure argon gas and argon+oxygen gas mixture. MTT assay, colony forming unit (CFU) counting assay and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) were used to assess the destruction efficiency. In addition, the plasma treated biofilms were re-cultured in the medium supplemented with antibiotics and oxidative stress sources to determine the synergy of the NTAP with other antimicrobial agents. The results showed the plasma treatment could result in 2.7 log unit reduction in bacterial load. The recovered biofilm CFU with NTAP treatment combined with sub minimal inhibition concentration of amoxicillin was 0.33 log units less than the biofilm treated with amoxicillin alone. The recovered biofilm CFU in NTAP groups was about 2.0 log units less than that in the untreated controls under H2O2 treatment. There was approximately 1.0 log unit reduction of biofilm CFU in plasma treated biofilm compared with untreated control under paraquat treatment. The plasma treated biofilms exhibited less resistance to amoxicillin and greater susceptibility to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and paraquat, suggesting that NTAP may enhance biofilm susceptibility to host defense. These in vitro findings suggested that NTAP could be a novel and effective treatment method of oral biofilms that cause periodontal diseases.

A Biocompatibility Study of Plasma Nanocoatings onto Cobalt Chromium L605 Alloy for Cardiovascular Stent Applications.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the biocompatibility of trimethylsilane (TMS) plasma nanocoatings modified with NH3/O2 (2:1 molar ratio) plasma post-treatment onto cobalt chromium (CoCr) L605 alloy coupons and stents for cardiovascular stent applications. Biocompatibility of plasma nanocoatings was evaluated by coating adhesion, corrosion behavior, ion releasing, cytotoxicity, and cell proliferation. Surface chemistry and wettability were studied to understand effects of surface properties on biocompatibility. Results show that NH3/O2 post-treated TMS plasma nanocoatings are hydrophilic with water contact angle of 48.5° and have a typical surface composition of O (39.39 at.%), Si (31.92 at.%), C (24.12 at.%), and N (2.77 at.%). The plasma nanocoatings were conformal to substrate surface topography and had excellent adhesion to the alloy substrates, as assessed by tape test (ASTM D3359), and showed no cracking or peeling off L605 stent surfaces after dilation. The plasma nanocoatings also improve the corrosion resistance of CoCr L605 alloy by increasing corrosion potential and decreasing corrosion rates with no pitting corrosion and no mineral adsorption layer. Ion releasing test revealed that Co, Cr, and Ni ion concentrations were reduced by 64-79%, 67-69%, and 57-72%, respectively, in the plasma-nanocoated L605 samples as compared to uncoated L605 control samples. The plasma nanocoatings showed no sign of cytotoxicity from the test results according to ISO 10993-05 and 10993-12. Seven-day cell culture demonstrated that, in comparison with the uncoated L605 control surfaces, the plasma nanocoating surfaces showed 62 ± 7.3% decrease in porcine coronary artery smooth muscle cells (PCASMCs) density and had comparable density of porcine coronary artery endothelial cells (PCAECs). These results suggest that TMS plasma nanocoatings with NH3/O2 plasma post-treatment possess the desired biocompatibility for stent applications and support the hypothesis that nanocoated stents could be very effective for in-stent restenosis prevention.

Optically-Induced Symmetry Switching in a Reconfigurable Kagome Photonic Lattice: From Flatband to Type-III Dirac Cones.

We demonstrate the transition of band structure from flatband to type-III Dirac cones in an electromagnetically induced Kagome photonic lattice generated in a three-level Λ-type 85Rb atomic configuration both experimentally and theoretically. Such instantaneously reconfigurable Kagome photonic lattice with flatband is "written" by a strong coupling field possessing a Kagome intensity distribution, which can modulate the refractive index of atomic vapors in a spatially periodical manner under electromagnetically induced transparency. By introducing an additional one-dimensional periodic coupling field to cover any one set of the three inequivalent sublattices of the induced Kagome photonic lattice, the dispersion-less energy band can evolve into type-III Dirac cones with linear dispersion by easily manipulating the intensity of the one-dimensional field. Our results may pave a new route to engineer in situ reconfigurable photonic structures with type-III Dirac cones, which can act as promising platforms to explore the underlying physics and beam dynamics.

Protocol of an iterative qualitative study to develop a molecular testing decision aid for shared decision-making in patients with lung cancer after surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Although molecular testing is crucial for many patients with lung cancer, the decision to carry out molecular testing is not easy to make in actual clinical scenarios. Using a specific decision aid (DA) to conduct shared decision-making (SDM) may help ameliorate this problem. However, no DA currently exists for lung cancer molecular testing (DA_LCMT). We aim to develop an evidence-based, iteratively refined DA, which may facilitate SDM and improve the quality of SDM. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: After considering the Ottawa Decision Support Framework, International Patient Decision Aid Standards and Food and Drug Administration guidance about methods to identify what is important to patients, semistructured interviews with qualitative research methods will be used to generate the decision-making needs of patients with lung cancer diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma by intraoperative frozen pathological sections. Input will be provided by patients and other stakeholders, including thoracic surgeons, nurses, hospital administrators, molecular testing company staff and insurance company staff. Then, a modified Delphi method will be used to develop the DA_LCMT V.1.0 (DA_LCMT 1.0). Structured interviews with qualitative research methods will be used in the cognitive debriefing (alpha tests) and field testing (beta tests) to revise and improve the DA_LCMT from version 1.0 to the final version, version 3.0. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarise the baseline characteristics of the patients and other stakeholders. Qualitative data will be analysed using the three steps of grounded theory: generate a codebook, update the codebook and create a comprehensive list of related items. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics Committee for Medical Research and New Medical Technology of Sichuan Cancer Hospital approved this study. This protocol is based on the latest version 1.0, dated 31 October 2021. The study was also approved by the Ethics Committees of The Third People's Hospital of Chengdu, Zigong First People's Hospital and Jiangyou People's Hospital. The results of this study will be presented at medical conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05191485.