Biomimetic-Mineralization-Assisted Self-Activation Creates a Delicate Porous Structure in Carbon Material for High-Rate Sodium Storage.

Porous carbons have shown their potential in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), but the undesirable initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) and rate capability hinder their practical application. Herein, learning from nature, we report an efficient method for fabricating a carbon framework (CK) with delicate porous structural regulation by biomimetic mineralization-assisted self-activation. The abundant pores and defects of the CK anode can improve the ICE and rate performance of SIBs in ether-based electrolytes, whereas they are confined in carbonate ester-based electrolytes. Notably, ether-based electrolytes enable CK anode to possess excellent ICE (82.9%) and high-rate capability (111.2 mAh g-1 at 50 A g-1). Even after 5500 cycles at a large current density of 10 A g-1, the capacity retention can still be maintained at 73.1%. More importantly, the full cell consisting of the CK anode and Na3V2(PO4)3 cathode delivers a high energy density of 204.4 Wh kg-1, with a power density of 2828.2 W kg-1. Such outstanding performance of the CK anode is attributed to (1) hierarchical pores, oxygen doping, and defects that pave the way for the transportation and storage of Na+, further enhancing ICE; (2) a high-proportion NaF-based solid-electrolyte-interphase (SEI) layer that facilitates Na+ storage kinetics in ether-based electrolytes; and (3) ether-based electrolytes that determine Na+ storage kinetics further to dominate the performance of SIBs. These results provide compelling evidence for the promising potential of our synthetic strategy in the development of carbon-based materials and ether-based electrolytes for electrochemical energy storage.

Sonochemical Synthesis of Natural Polyphenolic Nanoparticles for Modulating Oxidative Stress.

Natural polyphenolic compounds play a vital role in nature and are widely utilized as building blocks in the fabrication of emerging functional nanomaterials. Although diverse fabrication methodologies are developed in recent years, the challenges of purification, uncontrollable reaction processes and additional additives persist. Herein, a modular and facile methodology is reported toward the fabrication of natural polyphenolic nanoparticles. By utilizing low frequency ultrasound (40 kHz), the assembly of various natural polyphenolic building blocks is successfully induced, allowing for precise control over the particle formation process. The resulting natural polyphenolic nanoparticles possessed excellent in vitro antioxidative abilities and in vivo therapeutic effects in typical oxidative stress models including wound healing and acute kidney injury. This study opens new avenues for the fabrication of functional materials from naturally occurring building blocks, offering promising prospects for future advancements in this field.

Efficient Proton-exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Performance of Atomic Fe Sites via p-d Hybridization with Al Dopants.

Orbital hybridization to regulate the electronic structures and surface chemisorption properties of transition metals is of great importance for boosting the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Herein, we developed a core-shell rambutan-like nanocarbon catalyst (FeAl-RNC) with atomically dispersed Fe-Al atom pairs from metal-organic framework (MOF) material. Experimental and theoretical results demonstrate that the strong p-d orbital hybridization between Al and Fe results in an asymmetric electron distribution with moderate adsorption strength of oxygen intermediates, rendering enhanced intrinsic ORR activity. Additionally, the core-shell rambutan-like structure of FeAl-RNC with abundant micropores and macropores can enhance the density of active sites, stability, and transport pathways in PEMFC. The FeAl-RNC-based PEMFC achieves excellent activity (68.4 mA cm-2 at 0.9 V), high peak power (1.05 W cm-2), and good stability with only 7% current loss after 100 h at 0.7 V under H2-O2 condition.

Dual Activation for Tuning N, S Co-Doping in Porous Carbon Sheets Toward Superior Sodium Ion Storage.

Porous carbon has been widely focused to solve the problems of low coulombic efficiency (ICE) and low multiplication capacity of Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) anodes. The superior energy storage properties of two-dimensional(2D) carbon nanosheets can be realized by modulating the structure, but be limited by the carbon sources, making it challenging to obtain 2D structures with large surface area. In this work, a new method for forming carbon materials with high N/S doping content based on combustion activation using the dual activation effect of K2 SO4 /KNO3 is proposed. The synthesized carbon material as an anode for SIBs has a high reversible capacity of 344.44 mAh g-1 at 0.05 A g-1 . Even at the current density of 5 Ag-1 , the capacity remained at 143.08 mAh g-1 . And the ICE of sodium-ion in ether electrolytes is ≈2.5 times higher than that in ester electrolytes. The sodium storage mechanism of ether/ester-based electrolytes is further explored through ex-situ characterizations. The disparity in electrochemical performance can be ascribed to the discrepancy in kinetics, wherein ether-based electrolytes exhibit a higher rate of Na+ storage and shedding compared to ester-based electrolytes. This work suggests an effective way to develop doubly doped carbon anode materials for SIBs.

Association between Lactate Dehydrogenase to Albumin Ratio and 28-Day Mortality in Patients with Sepsis: a Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to evaluate the lactate dehydrogenase to albumin ratio and mortality at 28 days in patients with sepsis. METHODS: Data from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) database were used for this retrospective cohort analysis. The level of the lactate dehydrogenase to albumin ratio was recovered at admission and the outcome index was mortality at 28 days. Multivariate Cox regression, survival curve analysis, and subgroup analysis were used to study the relationship between lactate dehydrogenase to albumin ratio and 28-day mortality in sepsis patients. RESULTS: This study included a total of 4,265 patients with sepsis, with a 28-day mortality rate of 51.9%. After conducting multivariable COX regression analysis and adjusting for all potential confounding factors, we observed that compared to the LDH/ALB (Q1) group, the Q2 group had a 1.34-fold higher risk of 28-day mortality (HR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.20 - 1.49, p < 0.001), while the Q3 group had a 1.90-fold higher risk (HR = 1.90, 95% CI: 1.69 - 2.14, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the survival analysis curve indicated a gradual increase in the 28-day mortality rate of septic patients as LDH/ALB levels increased. In addition, the ROC curve demonstrated that the area under the curve for LDH/ALB was 0.6507 (95% CI: 63.4991% - 66.6368%), which was higher than that of LDH (AUC = 0.6434), ALB (AUC = 0.55), and SOFA SCORE (AUC = 0.5564). Finally, subgroup analysis revealed no significant interaction between LDH/ALB and the various subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: The LDH/ALB ratio is significantly correlated with mortality at 28 days in patients with sepsis, which is of significant clinical importance and deserves further study.

Effect of the Sr-Fe layered double hydroxide coating based on the microenvironment response on implant osseointegration in osteoporotic rats.

Osteoporosis is a disease that manifests itself as an abnormality of bone metabolism and is characterized by low bone mass and destruction of the bone microstructure. Since bone resorption occurs more rapidly than new bone formation, osteoporosis leads to reduced orthopedic implant stability. From a microenvironmental point of view, the rationale for this outcome is that osteoclasts are overactive in the bone tissue of patients with osteoporosis, and the large amount of H+ they produce leads to local chronic acidosis, which promotes bone mineral loss. Therefore, we designed a weakly alkaline layered double hydroxide (LDH) coating to modulate the pathologically acidic microenvironment and the osteogenic-osteoclastic coupling by releasing Sr2+. We prepared Sr-Fe LDH coatings on pure titanium implants using a hydrothermal method in this study and characterized the material using SEM, AFM, XRD, XPS, EDS, ICP, pH acidimeter, etc. We found that the coatings had good nanomorphology and were able to efficiently neutralize H+ as well as steadily release Sr2+ for up to 21 days. In vitro, the coating not only significantly promoted the adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation of osteoblasts, but also inhibited the differentiation of osteoclasts at the same time. In addition, in animal experiments, the coating significantly improved the mechanical stability of the implant in osteoporotic rats, increasing Sr-Fe LDH@Ti maximal push-out force by 72.2% compared to Ti. At the same time, the coating was effective in reversing the osteoporotic state, resulting in a 58.5% increase in BV/TV (%), and a 12.4% increase in Tb. N (1 mm-1), a 31.6% increase in Tb. Th (µm), and a 30.9% increase in BA (%). Our results suggest that this Sr-Fe LDH nanocoating material with acid-neutralizing, as well as long-term Sr2+-releasing capabilities, is a novel and effective orthopedic implant coating material under osteoporotic conditions.

Gas-assisted microfluidic step-emulsification for generating micron- and submicron-sized droplets.

Micron- and submicron-sized droplets have extensive applications in biomedical diagnosis and drug delivery. Moreover, accurate high-throughput analysis requires a uniform droplet size distribution and high production rates. Although the previously reported microfluidic coflow step-emulsification method can be used to generate highly monodispersed droplets, the droplet diameter (d) is constrained by the microchannel height (b), d≳3b, while the production rate is limited by the maximum capillary number of the step-emulsification regime, impeding emulsification of highly viscous liquids. In this paper, we report a novel, gas-assisted coflow step-emulsification method, where air serves as the innermost phase of a precursor hollow-core air/oil/water emulsion. Air gradually diffuses out, producing oil droplets. The size of the hollow-core droplets and the ultrathin oil layer thickness both follow the scaling laws of triphasic step-emulsification. The minimal droplet size attains d≈1.7b, inaccessible in standard all-liquid biphasic step-emulsification. The production rate per single channel is an order-of-magnitude higher than that in the standard all-liquid biphasic step-emulsification and is also superior to alternative emulsification methods. Due to low gas viscosity, the method can also be used to generate micron- and submicron-sized droplets of high-viscosity fluids, while the inert nature of the auxiliary gas offers high versatility.

Association between Lactate Dehydrogenase and 30-Day Mortality in Patients with Sepsis: a Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Sepsis is one of the major causes of death in intensive care unit patients, so it is urgent to explore indicators for rapid and effective screening of sepsis mortality risk. The purpose of this study is to explore the association of LDH level with 30-day mortality in sepsis patients to improve patient survival outcomes. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, a total of 5,275 patients with sepsis from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV). LDH level at admission was obtained, and the outcome indicator was the 30-day mortality. Multivariate Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis were used to assess the relationship between LDH level and 30-day mortality in patients with sepsis. RESULTS: A total of 5,275 patients with sepsis were screened, the 30-day mortality was 51.5%. In multivariate regression models, hazard ratio [HR] and 95% confidence interval [CI] for Log2 and LDH ≥ 250 UI/L were 1.33 (1.29 - 1.37) and 1.69 (1.54 - 1.85), respectively. Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis suggested that LDH level is associated with prognosis in patients with sepsis. CONCLUSIONS: LDH level was associated with 30-day mortality, which can be used as an important predictor of clinical outcomes for patients.

Association of CDSS score and 60-day mortality in Chinese patients with non-APL acute myeloid leukemia: a retrospective cohort study.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous hematological malignancy, and is one of the triggers of DIC, the latter is an essential factor in the early death of patients with AML. However, the timely identification of DIC remains a challenge. The Chinese DIC Scoring System (CDSS) is a common consensus widely used in China; but, there are few reports on its application in patients with AML. We undertake this retrospective cohort study to investigate the association between CDSS score and 60-day mortality. CDSS scores were evaluated after admission. The outcome was all-cause 60-day mortality. Multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to calculate the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) and the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). Survival curves were plotted by Kaplan-Meier and log-rank analyses. Subgroup analyses were stratified by relevant effect covariates. A total of 570 consecutive patients with primary AML were included. We found an association between a 39% increase in 60-day mortality and a 1 point increase in CDSS score (HR = 1.39, 95% CI 1.25-1.54), which was associated with a 189% increase in 60-day mortality in CDSS scores ≥ 6 compared with that in the CDSS scores < 6 (HR = 2.89, 95% CI 1.91-4.38). After adjusting for all potential con-founders, a 27% and a 198% increase were observed (HR = 1.27, 95% CI 1.01-1.61; HR = 2.98, 95% CI 1.24-7.19), respectively. There is association between 60-day mortality and CDSS score in patients with AML. These findings may help hematologists in making informed treatment decisions.

Liquid Template Assisted Activation for "Egg Puff"-Like Hard Carbon toward High Sodium Storage Performance.

The slow solid diffusion dynamics of sodium ions and the side-reaction of sodium metal plating at low potential in the hard carbon anode of sodium ion batteries (SIBs) pose significant challenges to the safety manipulation of high-rate batteries. Herein, a simple yet powerful fabricating method is reported on for "egg puff"-like hard carbon with few N doping using rosin as a precursor via liquid salt template-assisted and potassium hydroxide dual activation. The as-synthesized hard carbon delivers promising electrochemical properties in the ether-based electrolyte especially at high rates, based on the absorption mechanism of fast charge transfer. The optimized hard carbon exhibits a high specific capacity of 367 mAh g-1 at 0.05 A g-1 and 92.9% initial coulombic efficiency (ICE), 183 mAh g-1 at 10 A g-1 , and ultra-long cycle stability of reversible discharge capacity of 151 mAh g-1 after 12,000 cycles at 5 A g-1 with the average coulombic efficiency of ≈99% and the decay of 0.0026% per cycle. These studies will undoubtedly provide an effective and practical strategy for advanced hard carbon anode of SIBs based on adsorption mechanism.

Preparation of Tough, Binder-Free, and Self-Supporting LiFePO4 Cathode by Using Mono-Dispersed Ultra-Long Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes for High-Rate Performance Li-Ion Battery.

Low-contents/absence of non-electrochemical activity binders, conductive additives, and current collectors are a concern for improving lithium-ion batteries' fast charging/discharging performance and developing free-standing electrodes in the aspects of flexible/wearable electronic devices. Herein, a simple yet powerful fabricating method for the massive production of mono-dispersed ultra-long single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone solution, benefiting from the electrostatic dipole interaction and steric hindrance of dispersant molecules, is reported. These SWCNTs form a highly efficient conductive network to firmly fix LiFePO4  (LFP) particles in the electrode at low contents of 0.5 wt% as conductive additives. The binder-free LFP/SWCNT cathode delivers a superior rate capacity of 161.5 mAh g-1 at 0.5 C and 130.2 mAh g-1 at 5 C, with a high-rate capacity retention of 87.4% after 200 cycles at 2 C. The self-supporting LFP/SWCNT cathode shows excellent mechanical properties, which can withstand at least 7.2 MPa stress and 5% strain, allowing the fabrication of high mass loading electrodes with thicknesses up to 39.1 mg cm-2 . Such self-supporting electrodes display conductivities up to 1197 S m-1 and low charge-transfer resistance of 40.53 Ω, allowing fast charge delivery and enabling near-theoretical specific capacities.

Defect-Modified nano-BaTiO3 as a Sonosensitizer for Rapid and High-Efficiency Sonodynamic Sterilization.

Multidrug-resistant bacteria caused by the unlimited overuse of antibiotics pose a great challenge to global health. An antibacterial method based on reactive oxygen species (ROS) is one of the effective strategies without inducing bacterial resistance. Owing to the ability of generating ROS, piezocatalytic material-mediated sonodynamic therapy (SDT) has drawn much attention. However, its major challenge is the low ROS generation efficiency in the piezocatalytic process due to the poor charge carrier concentration of piezoelectric materials. Vacancy engineering can regulate the charge density and largely promote ROS generation under ultrasound (US) irradiation. Herein, a US-responsive self-doped barium titanate with controlled oxygen vacancy (Vo) concentrations was successfully synthesized through a facile thermal reduction treatment at different temperatures (i.e., 350, 400, and 450 °C), and the corresponding samples were named as BTO-350, BTO-400, and BTO-450, respectively. Then, the effect of Vo concentrations on ROS generation efficiency during the piezocatalytic process was systematically studied. And BTO-400 was found to possess the highest piezocatalytic activity and excellent sonodynamic antibacterial performance against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, its antibacterial mechanism was confirmed that the ROS generated under US could damage bacterial cell membrane and cause considerable leakage of cytoplasmic components and irreversible death of bacteria. Notably, the in vivo results illustrated that the BTO-400 could serve as an effective antibacterial agent and accelerate skin healing via SDT therapy. In all, the Vo defect-modified nano-BaTiO3 has a noticeable potential to induce a rapid and efficient sterilization as well as skin tissue repair by SDT.

The grading quality markers identification of Panax notoginseng under the guidance of traditional experience using untargeted metabolomics and anti-myocardial ischemia evaluation of zebrafish.

BACKGROUND: Panax notoginseng (PN) was an edible Chinese herbal medicine. PN's current quality control standard cannot precisely match the traditional grading experience. PURPOSE: In this study, under the guidance of the traditional grading experience, the combined metabolomics and biological effect evaluation were used to reveal the distinct chemical quality of PN. METHODS: The quality of PN was evaluated by traditional experience and characterized by the electronic tongue. A zebrafish myocardial ischemia model was developed to verify the grading experience. The untargeted metabolomics method was used to identify and validate the grading markers of PN. RESULTS: The taste was the critical indicator for classifying the quality. Based on the experience sensory scores (ranged from 47.0 to 87.8), PNs could be divided into two grades. The experience scores were significantly associated with umami and richness of the electronic tongue(p<0.01). Besides, superior PN showed substantially stronger anti-myocardial ischemia activity(p<0.001). Thirty-nine differential components were found using UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS, of which 22 were identified. A new kind of grading quality markers alkynols in PN-associated efficacy was identified, which revealed stronger anti-myocardial ischemia activities than saponin. CONCLUSION: This study evaluated PN through untargeted metabolomics and anti-myocardial ischemia evaluation of zebrafish and proposed the critical role of alkynols in PN's quality classification.

Safety and feasibility assessment of extending the flushing interval in totally implantable venous access port flushing during the non-treatment stage for patients with breast cancer.

Aim: To investigate the safety and feasibility of extending the flushing interval for the totally implantable venous access port (TIVAP) during the non-treatment stage in patients with breast cancer (BC) by retrospectively analyzing the patients' clinical data, including the incidence of TIVAP-related complications. Methods: This single-center retrospective study included patients with BC who underwent TIVAP implantation at our hospital between January 2018 and March 2021 during their non-treatment phase and visited the hospital regularly for TIVAP flushing. Among the 1013 patients with BC who received TIVAP implantation, 617 patients were finally included on the basis of the inclusion and exclusion criteria and divided into three groups according to the length of the flushing interval: group 1 (≤30 days, n = 79), group 2 (31-90 days, n = 66), and group 3 (91-120 days, n = 472). The basic characteristics of patients in each group and the incidence of TIVAP-related complications (catheter obstruction, infection, and thrombosis) were analyzed. Results: No significant intergroup differences were observed in age, body mass index (BMI), tumor stage, pathological staging, implantation approach, chemotherapy regimen, duration of treatment, and TIVAP-related blood return rate (P > 0.05). Among patients from all three groups, 11 cases of catheter pump-back without blood and eight cases of TIVAP-related complications such as infection, thrombosis, and catheter obstruction were recorded. However, no significant differences in TIVAP-related complications were observed among the three groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Extending the TIVAP flushing interval beyond three months during the non-treatment stage in BC patients is safe and feasible and did not increase the incidence of TIVAP-related complications.

Association between serum albumin and 60-day mortality in Chinese Hakka patients with non-APL acute myeloid leukemia: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the main type of adult leukemia, and 60-day mortality is a vital clinical problem that doctors have to face at the begin with treatment. Studies on the association between serum albumin and 60-day mortality from AML (non-APL) are limited. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, ALB was measured after admission in all patients diagnosed with primary AML from Affiliated Ganzhou Hospital of Nanchang University between January 2013 and May 2021. The outcome was all-cause, 60-day mortality. Multivariable Cox regression analyses were performed to calculate the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) and its corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: This study included 394 primary AML patients. The overall 60-day mortality was 28.9% (114/394); it was 43.1% (56/130), 27.5% (36/131), and 16.5% (22/133) for ALB quantile1 (Q, < 34.5 g/L), quantile 2 (Q2, 34.5-38.5 g/L), and quantile 3 (Q3, ≥ 38.6 g/L), respectively (P = 0.001). After adjusting for potential confounders, we found an association between a 6% decrease in 60-day mortality rate and a 1 g/L increase in ALB level (HR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.89-0.99, P = 0.015), which was associated with 38 and 70% decreases in 60-day mortality rates in Q2 (HR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.30-0.86, P = 0.012) and Q3 (HR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.2 5-0.90, P = 0.022), respectively, compared with that in Q1. Similar results were obtained after subgrouping based on an ALB level of 35 g/L (HR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.34-0.88, P = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS: Serum albumin was significantly associated with 60-day mortality of primary AML, which has important clinical significance. Further investigation is warranted.

Megaloblastic Anemia Masked by an Unrecognized Hemoglobinopathy.

BACKGROUND: Deficiency of vitamin B(12) or folate causes megaloblastic anemia (MA). The disease presents with pancytopenia due to the excessive cellular apoptosis of hematopoietic progenitor. MA is characterized by the presence of high mean corpuscular volume in the blood routine test and hyperlobulation nuclei of the granulocytes in the peripheral blood smears, and megaloblasts in the bone marrow. METHODS: We report a rare case, in which megaloblastic anemia was masked by an unrecognized hemoglobinopathy and presented with normocytic anemia and atypical morphological features of bone marrow. RESULTS: The patient was finally diagnosed with coexistence of MA and a-thalassemia minor due to determination of folate deficiency and genetic mutation for a-thalassemia. CONCLUSIONS: The case focuses on the contribution of the peripheral circulating blood smear examination in the diagnosis of anemia.

Antioxidative myricetin-enriched nanoparticles towards acute liver injury.

Acute liver injury (ALI) could severely destroy the liver function and cause inevitable damage to human health. Studies have demonstrated that excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) and accompanying inflammatory factors play vital roles in the ALI disease. Herein, we fabricated a kind of nature-inspired myricetin-enriched nanomaterial via Michael addition and Schiff base reaction, which possessed uniform morphology, tunable component ratios, great stabilities, promising free radical scavenging abilities, biocompatibility and protective effects towards cells under oxidative stress. Additionally, the therapeutic effects were demonstrated using an ALI model by down-regulating ROS and inflammatory levels and restoring the liver function. This study could provide a strategy to construct robust and antioxidative nanomaterials using naturally occurring molecules against intractable diseases.

A Universal Mechanochemistry Allows On-Demand Synthesis of Stable and Processable Liquid Metal Composites.

Gallium-based liquid metal (LM) is regarded as one of the most promising candidates for the new-generation jigsaw of stretchable electronics. Nonetheless, the obstacle for the LM application lies in its high surface tension and easy fluidity which leads to great difficulty in handling and processing. Herein, a cross-mechanochemistry between liquid metal and inorganic solid, mediated via the coordination binding between the empty electronic orbits of the former and the lone electron pair of the latter is reported. The mechanism is validated via density functional theory calculation and electron energy loss spectroscopy, and experimentally proven to be universally applicable for various liquid metals and inorganic solids. With the unique mechanochemistry, simple ball milling allows on-demand transformation of the liquid metal into a low-surface-tension liquid, semi-solid paste, or even solid powder. The overcoming of the intrinsic high surface tension of the liquid metal with this approach unleashes the freedom to easily process the liquid metal composites into polymer composites or as direct molding processable paste and printable electronic ink.

Antisense vicR-Loaded Dendritic Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Regulate the Biofilm Organization and Cariogenicity of Streptococcus mutans.

Purpose: VicR is the essential response regulator related to the synthesis of exopolysaccharide (EPS) - one of the main cariogenic factors of S. mutans. An antisense vicR RNA (ASvicR) could bind to vicR mRNA, hindering the transcription and translation of the vicR gene. We had constructed a recombinant plasmid containing the ASvicR sequence (plasmid-ASvicR) and proved that it could reduce EPS synthesis, biofilm formation, and cariogenicity. However, the recombinant plasmids are supposed to be protected from enzymatic degradation and possess higher transformation efficiency. The principal objective of the present research was to construct an appropriate vector that can carry and protect the plasmid-ASvicR and investigate the effects of the carried plasmids on the cariogenicity of the S. mutans. Methods: Aminated dendritic mesoporous silica nanoparticles (DMSNs-NH2) were synthesized and characterized. The ability of DMSNs-NH2 to carry and preserve the plasmid-ASvicR (DMSNs-NH2-ASvicR) was proved by the loading curve, agarose electrophoresis, DNase I digestion assays, and energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS) mapping. Transformation assays demonstrated whether the plasmid could enter S. mutans. The effect of DMSNs-NH2-ASvicR on the 12-hour and 24-hour biofilms of S. mutans was evaluated by biofilm formation experiments and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The cytotoxicity of DMSNs-NH2-ASvicR was assessed by CCK-8 and live/dead staining assays. The regulation of DMSNs-NH2-ASvicR on the cariogenicity of S. mutans was also evaluated in vivo. Results: DMSNs-NH2 could load approximately 92% of plasmid-ASvicR at a mass ratio of 80 and protect most of plasmid-ASvicR from degradation by DNase I. The plasmid-ASvicR loaded on DMSNs-NH2 could be transformed into S. mutans, which down-regulated the expression of the vicR gene, reducing EPS synthesis and biofilm organization of S. mutans. DMSNs-NH2-ASvicR exhibited favorable biocompatibility, laying a foundation for its subsequent biomedical application. In addition, DMSNs-NH2-ASvicR led to decreased caries in vivo. Conclusion: DMSNs-NH2 is a suitable vector of plasmid-ASvicR, and DMSNs-NH2-ASvicR can inhibit biofilm formation, reducing the cariogenicity of S. mutans. These findings reveal that DMSNs-NH2-ASvicR is a promising agent for preventing and treating dental caries.

Association between serum lactate dehydrogenase and 60-day mortality in Chinese Hakka patients with acute myeloid leukemia: A cohort study.

BACKGROUND: There is evidence that a high level of serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is associated with poorer overall survival in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but its link to 60-day mortality of AML remains unclear. METHODS: All patients newly diagnosed with AML were included in this cohort study. LDH was measured for the first time after admission. Multivariable logistic regression was used to explore the association between serum LDH and 60-day mortality. Interaction and stratified analyses were conducted including age, sex, albumin, glucose, myoglobin, and standard chemotherapy. RESULTS: Three hundred and seventy-one patients ≥15 years of age, who were newly diagnosed with AML, were consecutively selected. The total prevalence of 60-day mortality was 27.2% (101/371), while it was 32.1% (42/131) and higher than in the LDH ≥570U/L compared with the LDH<570U/L, with the prevalence of 24.6% (59/240); however, the difference was not statistically significant. In multivariate regression models, odd ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for Log2 and twice limit of normal (ULN) of LDH were 1.46 (1.0, 2.14) and 2.76 (1.24, 6.16), respectively. Interaction analysis revealed no interactive role in the association between LDH concentration and 60-day mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Serum LDH level was associated with 60-day mortality, especially for the patients with LDH ≥570U/L.