Rational design of copper(I)-doped metal-organic frameworks as dual-functional nanocarriers for combined chemo-chemodynamic therapy.

Combination therapies are an increasingly important part of the antitumor medicine armamentarium. However, developing desirable nanomaterials for combination therapies is still a great challenge. Herein, a biocompatible Cu(I)-doped metal-organic framework (MOF) (denoted as CuZn-ZIF) is designed as a novel dual-functional nanocarrier. Doxorubicin molecules are covalently bound to the surface of the CuZn-ZIF and released by the cleavage of chemical bonds in an acidic environment, demonstrating the capacity of controlled drug release. More importantly, CuZn-ZIF nanocarriers can simultaneously play the role of nanocatalysts, capable of catalyzing H2O2 into a highly reactive intracellular toxic hydroxyl radical (˙OH). An in vivo study reveals that nanoparticles exhibit high antitumor efficacy through the combined performance of DOX and Cu(I), proving the great potential of this copper(I)-based MOF for combined chemo-chemotherapy to improve therapeutic efficacy.

Anammox biofilter with denitrification sludge as seed in treating low nitrogen strength wastewater.

Deficient seed sludge, low substrate concentrations are recognized as the major barriers for the application of anaerobic ammonia oxidation (Anammox) to treat mainstream wastewater. In this work, anammox biofilter (A-BF) was started up by inoculating denitrification sludge at low nitrogen strength at 25 °C. The total nitrogen removal efficiency (TNRE) and nitrogen removal rate (NRR) reached 74.8 ± 3.4% and 0.81 kg-N m-3 d-1 under nitrogen loading rate (NLR) of 1.20 kg-N m-3 d-1 with 7.00 mg-NH4+-N L-1 and 10.00 mg-NO2--N L-1 as influent. 1.00-2.00 mg-DO L-1 negatively impacted effluent, but the total nitrogen of effluent (TNeff) was 10.65 ± 2.76 mg L-1, in limit of the standard of Class 1A for municipal WWTP discharge (GB18918-2002). The abundance of Planctomycetes increased from 0.6% to 1.4-2.6%, in which, Candidatus_Brocadia was the dominant genera. The results establish the application feasibility of A-BFs as advanced nitrogen removal technique in treating mainstream wastewater.

Classification of Artistic Styles of Chinese Art Paintings Based on the CNN Model.

People's appreciation needs of Chinese paintings have gradually increased. The research on automatic classification and recognition of Chinese painting artistic style and its authors have great practical value. This study presents a Chinese painting classification algorithm with higher classification accuracy and better robustness. Using a convolutional neural network (CNN) to extract the features of Chinese painting, the image features of Chinese painting are extracted by fine-tuning the pretrained VGG-F model. The mutual information theory is introduced into embedded machine learning, so that the embedded principle is affected by feature selection and feature importance. An embedded classification algorithm based on mutual information is proposed, and Chinese painting is classified.

Upregulation of miR-499a-5p Decreases Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury by Targeting PDCD4.

MiR-499a-5p was significantly downregulated in degenerative tissues and correlated with apoptosis. Nonetheless, the biological function of miR-499a-5p in acute ischemic stroke has been still unclear. In this study, we found that the plasma levels of miR-499a-5p were significantly downregulated in 64 ischemic stroke patients and negatively correlated with the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score. Then, we constructed cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats after middle cerebral artery occlusion and subsequent reperfusion and oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD/R)-treated SH-SY5Y cell model. Transfection with miR-499a-5p mimic was accomplished by intracerebroventricular injection in the in vivo I/R injury model. We further found that miR-499a-5p overexpression decreased infarct volumes and cell apoptosis in the in vivo I/R stroke model using TTC and TUNEL staining. PDCD4 was a direct target of miR-499a-5p by luciferase report assay and Western blotting. Knockdown of PDCD4 reduced the infarct damage and cortical neuron apoptosis caused by I/R injury. MiR-499a-5p exerted neuroprotective roles mainly through inhibiting PDCD4-mediated apoptosis by CCK-8 assay, LDH release assay, and flow cytometry analysis. These findings suggest that miR-499a-5p might represent a novel target that regulates brain injury by inhibiting PDCD4-mediating apoptosis.

Stabilization of Markovian Jump Boolean Control Networks via Sampled-Data Control.

In this article, we study the finite-time stabilization and the asymptotic stabilization with probability one of Markovian jump Boolean control networks (MJBCNs) by sampled-data state feedback controls (SDSFCs). Based on the semi-tensor product (STP), we introduce an augmented variable multiplied by the vector form of the switching signal and the state of MJBCN. We find that under SDSFC, the sequence of the states of the augmented variable at sampling instants satisfies the Markov property. Based on the convergences of the switching signal and the augmented variable, we obtain the sufficient and necessary criteria for the finite-time stabilization and the asymptotic stabilization of MJBCNs by SDSFCs, respectively. Moreover, for the two kinds of stabilization, the feedback matrices of SDSFCs are constructed, respectively. Finally, the obtained results are applied to an apoptosis network and a model of the lactose operon in the Escherichia Coli.

Safety and efficacy of a novel three-dimensional printed microporous titanium prosthesis for total wrist arthroplasty in the treatment of end-stage wrist arthritis.

Background: Total wrist arthroplasty is an effective treatment for end-stage wrist arthritis from all causes. However, wrist prostheses are still prone to complications such as prosthesis loosening and periprosthetic fractures after total wrist arthroplasty. This may be due to the wrist prosthesis imprecise matching with patient's bone. In this study, we designed and developed a personalized three-dimensional printed microporous titanium artificial wrist prosthesis (3DMT-Wrist) for the treatment of end-stage wrist joint, and investigated its safety and effectiveness. Methods: Total wrist arthroplasty was performed using 3DMT-Wrist in 14 cases of arthritis between February 2019 and December 2021. Preoperative and postoperative visual analog scale scores, QuickDASH scores, wrist range of motion, and wrist grip strength were evaluated. Data were statistically analyzed using the paired samples t-test. Results: After 19.7 ± 10.7 months of follow-up, visual analog scale decreased from 66.3 ± 8.9 to 6.7 ± 4.4, QuickDASH scores decreased from 47.4 ± 7.3 to 28.2 ± 7.6, grip strength increased from 5.6 ± 1.4 to 17.0 ± 3.3 kg. The range of motion improved significantly in palmar flexion (30.1° ± 4.9° to 44.9° ± 6.5°), dorsal extension (15.7° ± 3.9° to 25.8° ± 3.3°), ulnar deviation (12.2° ± 3.9° to 20.2° ± 4.3°) and radial deviation (8.2° ± 2.3° to 16.2 ± 3.1). No dislocation or loosening of the prosthetic wrist joint was observed. Conclusion: Total wrist arthroplasty using 3DMT-Wrist is a safe and effective new treatment for various types of end-stage wrist arthritis; it offers excellent pain relief and maintains the range of motion.

Determining Surface Shape of Translucent Objects with the Combination of Laser-Beam-Based Structured Light and Polarization Technique.

In this study, we focus on the 3D surface measurement and reconstruction of translucent objects. The proposed approach of surface-shape determination of translucent objects is based on the combination of the projected laser-beam-based sinusoidal structured light and the polarization technique. The theoretical analyses are rigorously completed in this work, including the formation, propagation, and physical features of the generated sinusoidal signal by the designed optical system, the reflection and transmission of the projected monochromatic fringe pattern on the surface of the translucent object, and the formation and the separation of the direct-reflection and the global components of the surface radiance of the observed object. The results of experimental investigation designed in accordance with our theoretical analyses have confirmed that accurate reconstructions can be obtained using the one-shot measurement based on the proposed approach of this study and Fourier transform profilometry, while the monochromaticity and the linearly-polarized characteristic of the projected sinusoidal signal can be utilized by using a polarizer and an optical filter simultaneously for removing the global component, i.e., the noised signal contributed by multiply-scattered photons and the background illuminance in the frame of our approach. Moreover, this study has also revealed that the developed method is capable of getting accurate measurements and reconstructions of translucent objects when the background illumination exists, which has been considered as a challenging issue for 3D surface measurement and reconstruction of translucent objects.

Clinical efficacy of percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic TESSYS technique in the treatment of senile lumbar spinal stenosis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic TESSYS technique in the treatment of senile lumbar spinal stenosis. METHODS: 157 senile with lumbar spinal stenosis were prospectively recruited at this study. The subjects in the experimental group received TESSYS operation, and the control group received traditional open surgery for posterior lumbar interbody fusion. The clinical pain relief, indexes of perioperative period, dysfunction of the lumbar spine and clinical effect of the two groups were measured. RESULTS: The operation time of experimental group was (53.32±10.27) min, average blood loss in operation was (50.01±5.74) ml, and length of hospitalization was (6.73±3.21) d, which were all better than the control group (97.46±13.47) min, (172.23±8.61) ml, (13.94±2.15) d, with statistical significance (P < 0.05). The VAS scores at one day, one week, 1 month and 3 months were significantly lower than those before operation (P < 0.05). The VAS scores of the two groups were significantly lower than those of the open surgery group (P < 0.05). ODI scores of patients were significantly lower than those before operation (P < 0.05). The MACNAB scores of the two groups were significantly lower than those of the open surgery group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Percutaneous transforaminal TESSYS technique is a safe and minimally invasive technique for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis in the elderly. Compared with traditional open surgery for posterior lumbar interbody fusion, percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic TESSYS technique has less trauma and does not damage the stability of the spine. It can significantly shorten the hospitalization and operation time, reduce intraoperative fluoroscopy and blood loss, reduce the degree of pain and postoperative complications, and quickly restore daily life function. and thus an effective and more advantageous scheme for the treatment of elderly lumbar spinal stenosis.

Fourier-Transform-Based Surface Measurement and Reconstruction of Human Face Using the Projection of Monochromatic Structured Light.

This work presents a new approach of surface measurement of human face via the combination of the projection of monochromatic structured light, the optical filtering technique, the polarization technique and the Fourier-transform-based image-processing algorithm. The theoretical analyses and experimental results carried out in this study showed that the monochromatic feature of projected fringe pattern generated using our designed laser-beam-based optical system ensures the use of optical filtering technique for removing the effect of background illumination; the linearly-polarized characteristic makes it possible to employ a polarizer for eliminating the noised signal contributed by multiply-scattered photons; and the high-contrast sinusoidal fringes of the projected structured light provide the condition for accurate reconstruction using one-shot measurement based on Fourier transform profilometry. The proposed method with the portable and stable optical setup may have potential applications of indoor medical scan of human face and outdoor facial recognition without strict requirements of a dark environment and a stable object being observed.

Focused Ultrasound-Augmented Cancer Phototheranostics Using Albumin-Indocyanine Green Nanoparticles.

The purpose of this study was to develop a nanoparticle (NP) drug-loading system that enhances the efficiency of indocyanine green (ICG) entry into the tissue under focused ultrasound optimization and, in turn, enables more efficient identification and photothermal therapy (PTT) of the tumor. The new NPs were prepared by assembling intermolecular disulfide bonds to form human serum albumin (HSA) NPs and then conjugating those with ICG dye. The NP material was used to test the sensitivity of near-infrared fluorescence imaging and photoacoustic tumor imaging in vitro and in vivo. In addition, the combination of HSA-ICG NPs, focused ultrasound, and microbubbles was used to test PTT on the tumor. HSA-ICG NPs had good biocompatibility and were only a little toxic to cells and mice. In addition, they obviously enhanced tumor near-infrared fluorescence and photoacoustic bimodal imaging. Combined with HSA-ICG NPs, the depth of photoacoustic imaging was increased. Moreover, ICG that was absorbed in the HSA NPs promoted optical absorption in the near-infrared region, which greatly enhanced the PTT treatment's efficiency. This new bimodal tumor-imaging agent enhances the therapeutic effect of PTT and improves the detection of tumors in vivo, thus presenting great potential for use in clinical studies.

The Effects of Bispectral Index-Guided Anesthesia on Postoperative Delirium in Elderly Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Postoperative delirium (POD) is a form of delirium that affects patients who have undergone surgical procedures and anesthesia, usually peaking between 1 and 3 days after their operation. The aim of this meta-analysis was to determine whether monitoring of depth of anesthesia may influence the incidence of POD. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted on studies that reported POD in elderly patients (>60 years old) who underwent surgery. This meta-analysis was carried out using random-effects model. RESULTS: Compared with control group, intraoperative bispectral index (BIS) monitoring reduced POD (odds ratio 1.32, 95% confidence interval 1.11-1.57, P = 0.001, I2 = 51%). In the mixed-surgery group, compared with the control group, BIS monitoring decreased the incidence of POD (odds ratio 1.24, 95% confidence interval 1.07-1.44, P = 0.004, I2 = 61%). There was also no significant difference in the incidence of POD among patients who underwent cardiac, colon, and orthopedic surgeries. CONCLUSIONS: BIS monitoring during surgery can reduce the incidence of POD in elderly patients. Whether BIS monitoring may reduce the incidence of POD in a single type of surgery needs further study.

National survey on delta checks in clinical laboratories in China.

Background This study aimed to understand the status quo of delta checks in Chinese clinical laboratories through a nationwide online survey. Methods The survey was divided into two parts. The first part was a general situation survey in which clinical laboratories had to provide information about the laboratories, including delta checks used. In the second part, clinical laboratories were asked to record the delta check alerts generated in their laboratories from June 1st, 2019 to June 30th, 2019. Results The most frequently used analytes in delta checks were potassium (K), glucose (Glu), creatinine (Cre) for clinical chemistry and hemoglobin (Hgb), platelet (PLT) count and white blood cell (WBC) count for clinical hematology. The median maximum time interval between specimens for all analytes was 5 days. The most commonly used delta check calculation modes in Chinese clinical laboratories were percentage change and absolute change. K and Hgb were the analytes most involved in clinical chemistry and clinical hematology delta check alerts. The most common causes of delta check alerts were that the patients had received treatment, which was followed by the change in the patient's physiological state and interference from hemolysis, lipemia and icterus. The two most common outcomes of delta check alerts were 'no problems found, standard report issued' and 'no problems found, report issued with comment'. Conclusions This study was the first nationwide survey of delta checks in China, the results of which help us to understand the current situation of delta checks in Chinese clinical laboratories.

Effect of intravenous transplantation of hUCB-MSCs on M1/M2 subtype conversion in monocyte/macrophages of AMI mice.

BACKGROUND: The transplantation of stem cells is effective in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). But the mechanisms of stem cell transplantation for the treatment of AMI have not been clearly confirmed. This article is to compare cardiac function, myocardial fibrosis, inflammatory cell infiltration, apoptotic index, and M1 macrophage to M2 macrophage ratios 4 weeks after hUCB-MSCs transplantation in Mice with AMI. METHODS: Mice model of AMI was divided into two groups randomly. Human umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cells (hUCB-MSCs) were transplanted to the intervention group via mice tail vein, and saline solution was used for the control group. Masson staining calculated the proportion of the remaining myocardium and collagen volume fraction (CVF) in the infarct area, flow cytometry and immunofluorescence staining to analyze M1 / M2 subtype and its ratio were performed. Serum IL-6 and galectin-3 levels were determined using ELISA. RESULTS: The results showed that heart function of the intervention group was significantly better than that of the control group, and the degree of fibrosis and inflammation in the intervention group were lower than those in the control group. The ratio of monocyte M1/M2 in peripheral blood, spleen and myocardial tissue in hUCB-MSCs transplantation was significantly lower than that of the control group. But there is no significant difference in the apoptotic index between two groups. The ELISA results showed that serum IL-6 (97.98 ± 5.94 pg/ml) and galectin-3 levels (69.94 ± 5.11 ng/ml) were lower in the intervention group than in the control group (IL-6: 118.2 ± 5.03 pg/ml; galectin-3: 83.14 ± 2.76 ng / ml). However, compared with the control group, only IL-6 showed a significant decrease in the intervention group (p = 0.032). CONCLUSION: Intravenous transplantation of hUCB-MSCs can reduce inflammatory response by stimulating the conversion of intracardiac and extracardiac macrophage subtype M1 / M2, decrease the serum IL-6 and galectin-3 levels, improve cardiac function and protect the infarcted myocardium.

Analysis and evaluation of the external quality assessment results of quality indicators in laboratory medicine all over China from 2015 to 2018.

Background This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate laboratory quality in China and explore factors affecting laboratory errors through analyzing the external quality assessment (EQA) results of quality indicators (QIs). Methods According to model 3 (interpretive) of the proficiency testing scheme, the National Center for Clinical Laboratories of China (CNCCL) developed a questionnaire for 15 QIs. Clinical laboratories from different provinces of China participated in the EQA program of QIs annually and submitted data via an online reporting system named Clinet-EQA. The results of QIs were expressed in percentage and sigma value or minute. Three levels of quality specifications (QSs) were defined based on percentile values. Furthermore, the QIs were analyzed by disciplines, hospital scales and information construction levels of participant laboratories. Results A total of 3450 laboratories nationwide continuously attended the EQA program and submitted complete data from 2015 to 2018. The performance of most QIs has improved year by year. QIs in post-analytical gained the best performance with sigma values that varied from 5.3σ to 6.0σ. The comparison of results among different disciplines showed significant differences for five QIs. More than half of QIs had statistical differences among different hospital scales measured by hospital grades and number of hospital beds. The performance of nine QIs were influenced by information construction levels of participant laboratories. Conclusions The overall laboratory quality in China has improved since the initiation of EQA program for QIs, but the performance of some QIs was still unsatisfactory. Therefore, laboratories should make efforts for continuous quality improvement based on information provided by QSs.

Haematology specimen acceptability: a national survey in Chinese laboratories.

INTRODUCTION: Specimen adequacy is a crucial preanalytical factor affecting accuracy and usefulness of test result. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and reasons for rejected haematology specimens, preanalytical variables which may affect specimen quality, and consequences of rejection, and provide suggestions on monitoring quality indicators as to obtain a quality improvement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted and a questionnaire was sent to 1586 laboratories. Participants were asked to provide general information about institution and practices on specimen management and record rejections and reasons for rejection from 1st to 31st July. RESULTS: A total survey response rate was 56% (890/1586). Of 10,181,036 tubes received during the data collection period, 11,447 (0.11%) were rejected, and the sigma (σ) was 4.6. The main reason for unacceptable specimens was clotted specimen (57%). Rejected specimens were related to source department, container type, container material type, transportation method and phlebotomy personnel. The recollection of 84% of the rejected specimens was required. The median specimen processing delay in inpatient, outpatient and emergency department were 81.0 minutes, 57.0 minutes and 43.3 minutes, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, rejection rate was a slightly lower than previously published data. In order to achieve a better quality in the preanalytical phase, haematology laboratories in China should pay more attention on training for phlebotomy and sample transportation, identify main reasons for clotted specimen and take effective measures. The platform in the study will be helpful for long-term monitoring, but simplification and modification should be introduced in the following investigation.

National survey on turnaround time of clinical biochemistry tests in 738 laboratories in China.

BACKGROUND: This survey was initiated to estimate the current status of turnaround time (TAT) monitoring of clinical biochemistry in China, provide baseline data for establishment of quality specifications and analyze the impact factors of TAT. METHODS: 738 laboratories were included. Questionnaires involved general information and data of related indicators of TAT during 1 week were provided to participating laboratories. Nine quality indicators were covered, which were medians, 90th and outlier rates of pre-examination, examination, and post-examination TAT. The 25th percentile, median, and 75th percentile of TATs were calculated as optimum, desirable, and minimum quality specifications. Percentages and sigma values were used to describe the outlier rates. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to identify the potential impacts of TAT. RESULTS: Response rate of this survey was 46.44%. More than 50% of the laboratories indicated they had set up target TATs in three time intervals and monitored TATs generally. The post-examination TAT of most laboratories was 0min, while the pre-examination and examination TAT varied. Sigma values of outlier rates for 45%~60% of laboratories were above 4, while 15%~20% of labs whose sigma values were below 3. Group comparisons suggested nurse or mechanical pipeline transportation, link laboratory information system with hospital information system, and using computer reporting instead of printing report were related to shorter TATs. CONCLUSIONS: Despite of the remarkable progresses of TATs in China, there was also room to improve. Laboratories should strengthen the construction of information systems, identify reasons for TAT delay to improve the service quality continuously.

[Advances on relationship between insulin receptor substrate-1 and insulin resistance in liver cirrhosis].

Liver cirrhosis (LC) and insulin resistance (IR) are closely correlated, clinically presenting hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinism, hyperlipidemia and high cytokines levels, however, the underlying mechanism is not completely clear. Recent reports show that insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) is associated with IR in LC. IRS-1 plays a pivotal role on insulin signal transduction; it changes insulin signaling by up-or down-regulating of protein presentation, post-translational modification and subcellular localization of proteins, particularly in phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of post-translational modification. Furthermore, LC with different etiology may have different mechanism of IRS-1 effect on IR.

Effects of GLUT4 expression on insulin resistance in patients with advanced liver cirrhosis.

Decreased glucose tolerance and diabetes are frequently observed in advanced liver cirrhosis patients and may be related to insulin resistance. Glucose transporter-4 (GLUT4), one of the most important glucose transporters, plays a key role in the development of type 2 diabetes. In order to study the mechanism of insulin resistance in liver cirrhosis patients, we measured the insulin sensitivity index and determined the GLUT4 protein and mRNA contents of skeletal muscle by Western blotting and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), respectively, in normal people and liver cirrhosis patients. The results showed that the levels of glucose, insulin, and C-peptide in two liver cirrhosis groups were higher and the insulin sensitivity index lower than those of the normal control group. The sensitivity of insulin may decrease with the decline of liver function. However, the contents of GLUT4 protein and mRNA in patients with advanced liver cirrhosis were similar to those of normal controls. In conclusion, insulin resistance is observed in patients with advanced liver cirrhosis but may not be correlated with the skeletal contents of GLUT4 protein and mRNA.

Role of oceanic air bubbles in atmospheric correction of ocean color imagery.

Ocean color is the radiance that emanates from the ocean because of scattering by chlorophyll pigments and particles of organic and inorganic origin. Air bubbles in the ocean also scatter light and thus contribute to the water-leaving radiance. This additional water-leaving radiance that is due to oceanic air bubbles could violate the black pixel assumption at near-infrared wavelengths and be attributed to chlorophyll in the visible. Hence, the accuracy of the atmospheric correction required for the retrieval of ocean color from satellite measurements is impaired. A comprehensive radiative transfer code for the coupled atmosphere--ocean system is employed to assess the effect of oceanic air bubbles on atmospheric correction of ocean color imagery. This effect is found to depend on the wavelength-dependent optical properties of oceanic air bubbles as well as atmospheric aerosols.

Piffalls in atmospheric correction of ocean color imagery: how should aerosol optical properties be computed?

Current methods for the atmospheric correction of ocean-color imagery rely on the computation of optical properties of a mixture of chemically different aerosol particles through combination of the mixture with it into an effective, single-particle component that has an average refractive index. However, a multi-component approach in which each particle type independently grows and changes its refractive index with increasing humidity is more realistic. Computations based on Mie theory and radiative transfer are used to show that the two approaches result in top-of-the-atmosphere radiances that differ more than the water-leaving radiance. Thus, proper atmospheric correction requires a multicomponent approach for the computation of realistic aerosol optical properties.