Engineering robust and transparent dual-crosslinked hydrogels for multimodal sensing without conductive additives.

Conductive hydrogels are pivotal for the advancement of flexible sensors, electronic skin, and healthcare monitoring systems, facilitating transformative innovations. However, issues such as inadequate intrinsic compatibility, mismatched mechanical properties, and limited stability curtail their potential, resulting in compromised device efficacy and performance degradation. In this research, we engineered functional hydrogels featuring a dual-crosslinked network composed of (PA/PVA)-P(AM-AA) to address these challenges. This design eliminates the need for conductive additives, thereby enhancing intrinsic compatibility. Notably, the hydrogels exhibit exceptional mechanical properties, with high tensile strength (∼700 %), Young's modulus (∼5.33 MPa), increased strength (∼2.46 MPa) and toughness (∼6.59 MJ m-3). They also achieve a compressive strength of âˆ¼7.33 MPa at 80 % maximal compressive strain and maintain about 89 % transparency. Moreover, flexible sensors derived from these hydrogels demonstrate enhanced multimodal sensing capabilities, including temperature, strain, and pressure detection, enabling precise monitoring of human movements. The integration of multiple hydrogels into a three-dimensional sensor array facilitates detailed spatial pressure distribution mapping. By strategically applying dual-crosslinked network engineering and eliminating conductive additives, we have streamlined the design and manufacturing of hydrogels to meet the rising demand for high-performance wearable sensors.

Noncombustible gel polymer electrolyte inspired by bio-radicalchemistry for high voltage and high safety Ni-rich lithium batteries.

For high energy density lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) with nickel-rich ternary cathodes, the chemical degradation of electrolytes caused by free radical reactions and the hazards of thermal runaway have always been significant challenges. Inspired by the free radical scavenging of living organisms and multiphase synergistic flame retardant mechanism, we innovatively designed and prepared a multifunctional flame retardant HCCP-TMP that combines flame retardancy and free radical scavenging by combining hindered amine and cyclophosphazene. Only 1 wt% HCCP-TMP can make the polyacrylate-based gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) incombustible. Moreover, the equipped NCM811//Graphite pouch cells don't exhibit combustion behavior after thermal runaway and can resist mechanical abuse. Based on the above noncombustible GPE, the NCM811//Li battery exhibits capacity retention rate of 82.2 % after 100 cycles at a current density of 2 C and in the voltage range of 3.0-4.7 V, exhibiting excellent cyclability under high voltage. This simple molecular design simultaneously improves the fire safety and high voltage stability, demonstrating enormous application potential in the field of advanced LIBs with high safety and high energy density.

Prediction model for hepatitis B e antigen seroconversion in chronic hepatitis B with peginterferon-alfa treated based on a response-guided therapy strategy.

BACKGROUND: Models for predicting hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion in patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) after nucleos(t)ide analog treatment are rare. AIM: To establish a simple scoring model based on a response-guided therapy (RGT) strategy for predicting HBeAg seroconversion and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) clearance. METHODS: In this study, 75 previously treated patients with HBeAg-positive CHB underwent a 52-week peginterferon-alfa (PEG-IFNα) treatment and a 24-wk follow-up. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess parameters at baseline, week 12, and week 24 to predict HBeAg seroconversion at 24 wk post-treatment. The two best predictors at each time point were used to establish a prediction model for PEG-IFNα therapy efficacy. Parameters at each time point that met the corresponding optimal cutoff thresholds were scored as 1 or 0. RESULTS: The two most meaningful predictors were HBsAg ≤ 1000 IU/mL and HBeAg ≤ 3 S/CO at baseline, HBsAg ≤ 600 IU/mL and HBeAg ≤ 3 S/CO at week 12, and HBsAg ≤ 300 IU/mL and HBeAg ≤ 2 S/CO at week 24. With a total score of 0 vs 2 at baseline, week 12, and week 24, the response rates were 23.8%, 15.2%, and 11.1% vs 81.8%, 80.0%, and 82.4%, respectively, and the HBsAg clearance rates were 2.4%, 3.0%, and 0.0%, vs 54.5%, 40.0%, and 41.2%, respectively. CONCLUSION: We successfully established a predictive model and diagnosis-treatment process using the RGT strategy to predict HBeAg and HBsAg seroconversion in patients with HBeAg-positive CHB undergoing PEG-IFNα therapy.

Mechanism of Qizhenziyin mixture in the treatment of hypogonadism based on network pharmacology analysis and molecular docking / 药学实践与服务

Objective To investigate the mechanism of Qizhenziyin mixture in the treatment of hypogonadism by using the network pharmacology approach. Methods The active components of Qizhenziyin mixture were obtained by searching TCMSP ，TCMID and HIT databases.The related targets of candidate compounds were obtained by searching STITCH databases. The potential targets of Qizhenziyin mixture in the treatment of hypogonadism were obtained by mapping the disease genes of hypogonadism with Genecards and DisGeNet databases. The protein interaction platform database (STRING) was used to construct the interaction relationship between action targets. The target protein interaction （PPI） network was constructed by introducing Cytoscape software. The mechanism of Qizhenziyin mixture in the treatment of hypogonadism was explained through the enrichment analysis of GO, KEGG and molecular docking technology. Results A total of 148 drug-disease chemical compounds, 96 drug-disease intersection targets, 1085 disease targets were obtained；the components for treating diseases are: quercetin，kaempferol, luteolin, etc; enrichment analysis of GO revealed 1792 biological processes （BP）, 31 cellular components (CC) and 79 molecular functions (MF)；the results of KEGG pathway enrichment analysis indicated such as FOXO signaling pathway, prostate cancer, AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, HIF-1 signaling pathway, etc.The results of molecular docking showed that kaempferol and LEP had the best and stable binding energy. Conclusion The active components of Qizhenziyin mixture may play a role of the treatment of hypogonadism by improving insulin resistance and the expression of testosterone synthetase of Leydig cells.

CaMKII and CaV3.2 T-type calcium channel mediate Connexin-43-dependent inflammation by activating astrocytes in vincristine-induced neuropathic pain.

Vincristine (VCR), an alkaloid isolated from vinca, is a commonly used chemotherapeutic drug. However, VCR therapy can lead to dose-dependent peripheral neurotoxicity, mainly manifesting as neuropathic pain, which is one of the dominant reasons for limiting its utility. Experimentally, we discovered that VCR-induced neuropathic pain (VINP) was accompanied by astrocyte activation; the upregulation of phospho-CaMKII (p-CaMKII), CaV3.2, and Connexin-43 (Cx43) expression; and the production and release of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in the spinal cord. Similar situations were also observed in astrocyte cultures. Interestingly, these alterations were all reversed by intrathecal injection of KN-93 (a CaMKII inhibitor) or L-Ascorbic acid (a CaV3.2 inhibitor). In addition, KN-93 and L-Ascorbic acid inhibited the increase in [Ca2+]i associated with astrocyte activation. We also verified that knocking down or inhibiting Cx43 level via intrathecal injection of Cx43 siRNA or Gap27 (a Cx43 mimetic peptide) relieved pain hypersensitivity and reduced the release of inflammatory factors; however, they did not affect astrocyte activation or p-CaMKII and CaV3.2 expression. Besides, the overexpression of Cx43 through the transfection of the Cx43 plasmid did not affect p-CaMKII and CaV3.2 expressions in vitro. Therefore, CaMKII and CaV3.2 may activate astrocytes by increasing [Ca2+]i, thereby mediating Cx43-dependent inflammation in VINP. Moreover, we demonstrated that the CaMKII signalling pathway was involved in VCR-induced inflammation, apoptosis, and mitochondrial damage. Collectively, our findings show a novel mechanism by which CaMKII and CaV3.2 mediate Cx43-dependent inflammation by activating astrocytes in neuropathic pain induced by VCR.

Dioscin induces osteosarcoma cell apoptosis by upregulating ROS-mediated P38 MAPK signaling.

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant bone tumor in children and adolescents. Many patients with osteosarcoma readily develop resistance to chemotherapy and have an extremely dismal prognosis. Dioscin, a saponin, is known to exhibit potent anticancer activities and induce cellular death of a variety of cancer types. However, the inhibitory effect of dioscin on osteosarcoma cells and its underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. We investigated the responses of human U2-OS and MG63 osteosarcoma cells to dioscin with regard to proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion, and studied the effect of dioscin on MAPK-related proteins by western blot analysis assays. Dioscin inhibited osteosarcoma cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Moreover, it induced osteosarcoma cell apoptosis via reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent apoptotic signaling. N-acetylcysteine, a reactive oxygen species inhibitor, suppressed dioscin-induced apoptosis, indicating that ROS play an essential role in dioscin-induced apoptosis. Western blot analysis assays showed that p38 MAPK was upregulated after dioscin treatment, and that dioscin induced apoptosis by upregulating ROS-mediated p38 MAPK signaling. Our study suggests that dioscin possesses antitumor activities against human osteosarcoma cells, inhibits osteosarcoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and induces osteosarcoma cell apoptosis through upregulating ROS-mediated p38 MAPK signaling. This study may provide a new therapeutic strategy and potential clinical applications for the treatment of osteosarcoma.

Astragaloside IV inhibits Ang H-induced cell proliferation and collagen expression in cardiac fibroblasts by activating short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase / 中国药理学通报

Aim To explore the effect of astragaloside IV (AS-IV) on cell proliferation and collagen expression in cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) of rats induced with angiotensin II (Ang II) and its mechanism. Methods CFs were pretreated with short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (SCAD) siRNA1186 for 12 h and then co-treated with Ang TJ and AS-IV for 36 h. The expressions of SCAD, α-SMA, collagen I and collagen III in CFs were detected by Western blot. mRNA expression levels of SCAD, a-SMA, collagen I and collagen III in CFs were detected by quantitative real-time PCR. The SCAD enzymatic activity, the content of ATP, hydroxyproline and free fatty acid were measured by detection kits. Results The expression of α-SMA, collagen I and collagen III were up-regulated (all P < 0. 01) in CFs induced by Ang II compared with the control cells, and the expression and enzymatic activity of SCAD significantly decreased (P < 0. 01, P< 0. 05). The content of ATP decreased (P < 0.01), and the content of hydroxyproline and free fatty acids increased (all P < 0.01). Compared with Ang II group, SCAD expression and enzymatic activity, and ATP content were significantly increased (all P < 0.01) in Ang II + AS-TV group, but the content of hydroxyproline and free fatty acids, and the expression of α-SMA, collagen I and collagen III significantly decreased (all P < 0.01). However, compared with the Ang II + NC group, there was no significant difference in all indices in the Ang II + SiRNA1186 + AS-TV group. The protective effect of AS-TV on Ang II -induced cell proliferation and collagen expression in CFs was eliminated by the interference of SCAD SiRNA1186. Conclusions AS-IV may inhibit Ang II-induced cell proliferation and collagen expression in CFs by activating SCAD.

A rational design of functionalized black phosphorus cooperates with piperazine pyrophosphate to significantly suppress the fire hazards of polypropylene.

The flammability of polypropylene (PP) not only has negative effects on human health but also causes environmental pollution. Herein, from the molecular polarity point of view, rationally designed hyperbranched charring foaming agents (HCFA) modified black phosphorus nanosheets by in situ polymerization to solve the fire hazards of PP. Based on the UL-94 test V-0 rating, the conventional flame retardant of piperazine pyrophosphate (PAPP) is substituted partly by the BP@PPC. Surprisingly, compared with 27 wt% of PAPP/PP, composites consisting of only 2 wt% of BP@PPC and 20 wt% PAPP/PP also passes the V-0 rating. The results of the cone calorimeter test confirmed that adding BP@PPC decreases the total heat release (THR) and peak heat release (PHRR) by a large amount, which are decreased by 23.4%, 85.8% respectively compared with PP. Moreover, it is uncommon for the fire growth index of BP@PPC composites to be 66.7% lower than that of PAPP/PP composites. In addition, the incorporation of BP@PPC has almost no impact on the mechanical characteristics of PP composites. This study offers a reference for combining established flame retardants with novel compounds to modify the burning behaviors of PP.

Revealing and modeling of fire products in gas-phase for epoxy/black phosphorus-based nanocomposites.

This work aims at revealing and optimizing the mechanism, to promote the design of phosphorus-based flame retardants (PFRs) for controlling the spread of fire risk caused by the continuous spread of polymers. Herein, we synthesized about 10 nm TiO2 grown in situ on the surface of BP through a simple hydrothermal procedure to introduce it into epoxy (EP/BP-TiO2). In the first place, EP/BP-TiO22.0 nanocomposite achieves a reduction of 58.96% and 50.35% in PHRR and THR, respectively. Secondly, the pyrolysis of BP from Pn to P4, P3 and P2 is revealed. As a guide, P4 is established as a characteristic product of the analytical model for evaluating the effects in the gas phase for BP-based hybrids. Finally, this work clarifies the enhancement path for BP-TiO2 is optimized for the capturing of OH· and H· radicals by P4(POx). Crucially, this study reveals and controls the mechanism of the BP-based hybrids at the molecular level, which is expected to provide a promising analytical model for broad market PFRs design to address the risks and challenges of casualties and ecology caused by composites fire.

Anti-pseudo-allergic components in licorice extract inhibit mast cell degranulation and calcium influx.

Pseudo-allergic reactions (PARs) widely occur upon application of drugs or functional foods. Anti-pseudo-allergic ingredients from natural products have attracted much attention. This study aimed to investigate anti-pseudo-allergic compounds in licorice. The anti-pseudo-allergic effect of licorice extract was evaluated in rat basophilic leukemia 2H3 (RBL-2H3) cells. Anti-pseudo-allergic compounds were screened by using RBL-2H3 cell extraction and the effects of target components were verified further in RBL-2H3 cells, mouse peritoneal mast cells (MPMCs) and mice. Molecular docking and human MRGPRX2-expressing HEK293T cells (MRGPRX2-HEK293T cells) extraction were performed to determine the potential ligands of MAS-related G protein-coupled receptor-X2 (MRGPRX2), a pivotal target for PARs. Glycyrrhizic acid (GA) and licorice chalcone A (LA) were screened and shown to inhibit Compound48/80-induced degranulation and calcium influx in RBL-2H3 cells. GA and LA also inhibited degranulation in MPMCs and increase of histamine and TNF-α in mice. LA could bind to MRGPRX2, as determined by molecular docking and MRGPRX2-HEK293T cell extraction. Our study provides a strong rationale for using GA and LA as novel treatment options for PARs. LA is a potential ligand of MRGPRX2.

The Clinical Significance of Detecting Blood Supply to the Inferior Parathyroid Gland Based on the "Layer of Thymus-Blood Vessel-Inferior Parathyroid Gland" Concept.

Objective: How to preserve the inferior parathyroid gland (IPTG) in situ during central neck dissection (CND) is the major concern of thyroid surgeons. The "layer of thymus-blood vessel-IPTG" (TBP layer) concept showed to be effective in preserving IPTG. The objective of this study was to identify the origin and course of blood supply to IPTG (IPBS) within the TBP layer and to take key points of operation during CND. Design: This is a retrospective control study. Participants. Patients who underwent thyroidectomy plus CND using the TBP layer concept and conventional technique between 2017 and 2019 were enrolled. Measurements. The origin and course of IPBS in relation to recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) and thymus and prevalence of hypoparathyroidism were detected. Results: A total of 71.3% of IPTGs (251 of 352) were supplied by ITA branches, defined as type A. Type A was further divided into Types A1 (branches of ITA, coursing laterally to the RLN (53.1%, 187 of 352)) and A2 (branches of ITA, traversing medially to the RLN (18.2%, 64 of 352)). Type A2 was more common on the right side than on the left side (P < 0.001). Fifty-five (15.6%) IPTG feeding vessels originated from the thymus or mediastinum. Nineteen (5.4%) IPTGs were supplied by branches of the superior thyroid artery. The incidence of transient hypoparathyroidism decreased from 45.7% to 3.6% (P < 0.001), in the TBP layer group compared with the conventional technique group. Conclusion: The origin and course of IPBS follow a definite pattern. This mapping and precautions help surgeons optimize intraoperative manipulations for better preservation of IPBS during CND.

Severe Vincristine-Induced Neuropathic Pain: A Case Report with Pharmacogenetic Analysis and Literature Review.

Vincristine-induced peripheral neuropathy (VIPN) is a common adverse effect of vincristine (VCR) for which there is no preventative or curative treatment. Here, we report a case of a patient suffering from severe VCR-related neurotoxicity. To explore the possible causes of severe VIPN in this patient, a set of genes involved in VCR metabolism, transport or are related to the cytoskeleton, microtubules, and inherited neurological diseases gene polymorphisms were examined via pharmacogenetic analyses. The genotyping results revealed the presence of a complex pattern of polymorphisms in CYP3A5, ABCC2, SYNE2, BAHD1, NPSR1, MTNR1B, CEP72, miR-4481 and miR-3117. A comprehensive understanding of all the pharmacogenetic risk factors for VIPN may explain the occurrence of severe neurotoxicity in our patient. This case brings to light the potential importance of pharmacogenetic testing in clinical practice. It also exemplifies the importance of developing early-detection strategies to optimize treatment regimens through prior risk stratification while reducing adverse drug reactions and personalizing therapy.

Anti-pseudo-allergic components in licorice extract inhibit mast cell degranulation and calcium influx / 中国天然药物

Pseudo-allergic reactions (PARs) widely occur upon application of drugs or functional foods. Anti-pseudo-allergic ingredients from natural products have attracted much attention. This study aimed to investigate anti-pseudo-allergic compounds in licorice. The anti-pseudo-allergic effect of licorice extract was evaluated in rat basophilic leukemia 2H3 (RBL-2H3) cells. Anti-pseudo-allergic compounds were screened by using RBL-2H3 cell extraction and the effects of target components were verified further in RBL-2H3 cells, mouse peritoneal mast cells (MPMCs) and mice. Molecular docking and human MRGPRX2-expressing HEK293T cells (MRGPRX2-HEK293T cells) extraction were performed to determine the potential ligands of MAS-related G protein-coupled receptor-X2 (MRGPRX2), a pivotal target for PARs. Glycyrrhizic acid (GA) and licorice chalcone A (LA) were screened and shown to inhibit Compound48/80-induced degranulation and calcium influx in RBL-2H3 cells. GA and LA also inhibited degranulation in MPMCs and increase of histamine and TNF-α in mice. LA could bind to MRGPRX2, as determined by molecular docking and MRGPRX2-HEK293T cell extraction. Our study provides a strong rationale for using GA and LA as novel treatment options for PARs. LA is a potential ligand of MRGPRX2.

Riboflavin inhibits heart failure in mice by activating SCAD / 中国药理学通报

Aim To explore the effeet of riboflavin on the establishment of pressure overload-induced heart failure model in mice by thoracic aortie constrietion (TAC ) and its preventive mechanism.Methods Eight-week-old SPF C57BL/6J mice were seleeted and divided into four groups; Sham group.Sham + ribofla¬vin group, TAC group and TAC + riboflavin group.A mouse heart failure model was constructed in the TAC group.The miee in the TAC + riboflavin group were given riboflavin by gavage one week before and eight weeks after the operation.The cardiac ultrasound inde¬xes, the changes of cardiac morphology and mitochon¬drial function indexes, the expression of apoptosis pro¬teins, ATP content, SCAD mRNA and protein expres¬sion, enzyme activity and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) content in myocardial tissues were detected.Hie free fatty acid content in serum and myocardial tis¬sues were also detected.Results Compared with the sham group, the cardiac function indexes of the mice in the TAC group decreased, anrl typical heart failure occurred.Moreover, the expression of SCAD, enzyme activity, ATP and FAD content in the myocardium sig-nificantly decreased, and the free fatty acid content in myocardium and serum significantly increased.Com¬pared with the TAC group, after riboflavin treatment, the cardiac function of mice in TAC + Riboflavin group was significantly improved.In addition, ATP content, SCAD expression, enzyme activity and FAD content in myocardium all significantly increased, and free fatty acid content in myocardium and serum markedly de¬creased.Conclusions Riboflavin may improve myo-cardial energy metabolism by increasing FAD content and activating SCAD, thereby inhibiting pressure over¬load-induced heart failure in mice.

Flame-retardant activity of ternary integrated modified boron nitride nanosheets to epoxy resin.

In order to improve the fire safety of epoxy resin, ZIF-8 nanoparticle in-situ decorated boron nitride nanosheet (BN-OH/ZIF-8) is fabricated via self-assembly method and then ternary integrated BN-OH/ZIF-8/PA hybrids are prepared through the chemical etching effect of phytic acid. FTIR, XRD, XPS, TEM and TGA measurements are used to characterize the structure and morphology of the nanohybrids. The researches show that BN-OH/ZIF-8/PA not only uniformly distributed in EP matrix, but also improve the thermal stability of EP. The peak heat release rate, peak smoke production rate, total smoke production values, the fire growth index and peak CO production rate obtained from cone test are significantly decreased, demonstrating the reduction of the fire hazards of EP composites containing BN-OH/ZIF-8/PA. The nano barrier effect and catalytic activity of BN-OH/ZIF-8/PA may be conducive to suppress the release of combustible volatile products and heat, facilitate the formation of graphitized carbon layer, and protect matrix from flame damage. The ternary integrated method developed in this study explores a new way to improve the flame retardant properties of EP, thereby promoting its application range.

Population Pharmacokinetics Modeling of Vancomycin Among Chinese Infants With Normal and Augmented Renal Function.

There have been good amounts of population pharmacokinetics (PPK) models of vancomycin for Chinese pediatric patients, but none of them had a special focus on modeling infant population with different levels of renal function. Since renal function variability is prominent among infant population and the clearance (CL) of vancomycin is heavily related to renal excretion, it is important to establish precise PPK models based on individual renal function levels. We employed a PPK approach to develop three models of vancomycin in parallel for Chinese pediatric patients with normal renal function [estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) between 30 and 86 ml/min/1.73 m2, Model 1], with augmented renal function (eGFR ≥ 86 ml/min/1.73 m2, Model 2), or with all levels of renal function (Model 3). Three one-compartment models with first-order elimination kinetics were established. The predictive ability of Model 1 and Model 2 among each certain population is comparable with that of Model 3 with no statistical difference. Our study revealed that among the infant population with augmented renal function, only body weight was included as a covariate, which indicated that for an infant whose eGFR ≥ 86 ml/min/1.73 m2, taking blood sample is not compulsory for predicting vancomycin blood concentration, which avoids unnecessary injury to vulnerable infants.

Novel tetrahydrobenzo[b]thiophen-2-yl)urea derivatives as novel α-glucosidase inhibitors: Synthesis, kinetics study, molecular docking, and in vivo anti-hyperglycemic evaluation.

α-Glucosidase inhibitors, which can inhibit the digestion of carbohydrates into glucose, are one of important groups of anti-type 2 diabetic drugs. In the present study, we report our effort on the discovery and optimization of α-glucosidase inhibitors with tetrahydrobenzo[b]thiophen-2-yl)urea core. Screening of an in-house library revealed a moderated α-glucosidase inhibitors, 5a, and then the following structural optimization was performed to obtain more efficient derivatives. Most of these derivatives showed increased inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase than the parental compound 5a (IC50 of 26.71 ± 1.80 µM) and the positive control acarbose (IC50 of 258.53 ± 1.27 µM). Among them, compounds 8r (IC50 = 0.59 ± 0.02 µM) and 8s (IC50 = 0.65 ± 0.03 µM) were the most potent inhibitors, and showed selectivity over α-amylase. The direct binding of both compounds with α-glucosidase was confirmed by fluorescence quenching experiments. Kinetics study revealed that these compounds were non-competitive inhibitors, which was consistent with the molecular docking results that compounds 8r and 8s showed high preference to bind to the allosteric site instead of the active site of α-glucosidase. In addition, compounds 8r and 8s were not toxic (IC50 > 100 µM) towards LO2 and HepG2 cells. Finally, the in vivo anti-hyperglycaemic activity assay results indicated that compounds 8r could significantly decrease the level of plasma glucose and improve glucose tolerance in SD rats treated with sucrose. The present study provided the tetrahydrobenzo[b]thiophen-2-yl)urea chemotype for developing novel α-glucosidase inhibitors against type 2 diabetes.

Self-floating black phosphorous nanosheets as a carry-on solar vapor generator.

Efficient solar vapor generation has provided a feasible way to solve the water shortage in undeveloped and arid areas. However, some photo-thermal materials need additional large-volume support materials being harmful to carry around to obtain float capacity, while suppressing the solar steam generation. Herein, the decrease approach of surface tension was presented for solving the moist-environment degradation behavior of black phosphorus (BP) nanosheets and obtaining the self-floating capacity, thus applying BP nanosheets in solar vapor generation field. With the in situ cross-linking polymerization, trichloro(1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyl) silane successfully modified BP nanosheets (F-BP). Due to the significantly decreased surface tension, F-BP nanosheets are capable of self-floating easily on water surface and spreading out spontaneously. With assistance of desirable photo-thermal conversion capacity, self-floating BP nanosheets convert the incident photon into local heat, showing excellent vapor generation performance. With simulated sun illumination (1 kW/m2), 238.7 g/m2 BP nanosheets present the evaporation rate of ~0.9437 kg/(m2·h) and efficiency of ~64.63 ± 2.3%. Meanwhile, the super-hydrophobicity successfully imparts BP nanosheets with resistance to the deterioration caused by salt precipitation. The carriable F-BP nanosheets are an ideal photo-thermal convertor to produce drinking water, successfully providing a feasible way to solve water shortage in limited condition.

Dopamine-modified poly(styrene) nanospheres as new high-speed adsorbents for copper-ions having enhanced smoke-toxicity-suppression and flame-retardancy.

Polydopamine-coated polystyrene (PS@PDA) nanospheres which are prepared by self-polymerizing of dopamine on the surfaces of polystyrene (PS) nanospheres show excellent Cu2+ adsorption capacity. The Cu2+ adsorption capacity of PS@PDA can even reach 178 mg/g in about 6 min, which is superior to the other adsorption materials reported in literatures. Through linear fitting, it can be seen that Cu2+ is chemisorption covered by multilayers on the surface of PS@PDA, with less affect by temperature. The PS@PDA nanosphere with good adsorption capacity is first applied as the Cu2+ adsorbent and then recycled to preparation of PS nanocomposite with enhanced flame retardancy, great smoke and toxic gases suppression properties. To overcome the drawbacks of evaluation methods reported before, a new evaluation system of analytic hierarchy process is first applied to comprehensively analyze fire safety of samples. The average value of smoke production rate of PS@PDA absorbed 5 mg/L Cu2+ (PS 2) reduces by about 10%, and the average and total yield of carbon monoxide of PS 2 decrease by 15.7% and 18.1% compared with that of neat PS, respectively. PS 2 with the highest score of 86.75 has the best comprehensive fire safety performance among all samples. This work provides a guideline for green flame-retardant chemistry.

Value of high resolution magnetic resonance imaging for preoperative evaluation of Denonvilliers fascia in patients with rectal cancer / 中华胃肠外科杂志

Objective: Total mesorectal excision (TME) is the gold standard for surgical treatment of mid-low rectal cancer, but the postoperative incidence of urination and sexual dysfunction is relatively high. Preserving the Denonvilliers fascia (DF) during TME can reduce the postoperative incidence of urination and sexual dysfunction. In this study, high resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to observe the imaging performance and display of DF, so as to determine the value of this technique in preoperative evaluation of the preservation of DF. Methods: A descriptive cohort study was carried out. Clinical data of patients with rectal cancer who underwent TME and received preoperative high-resolution MRI at department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from August 2015 to June 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. The characteristics of DF were examined, and the shortest distance (d) between the anterior edge of tumor and DF was measured on high-resolution MRI. The distance d was compared between patients with stage T1-T2 and those with stage T3. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to determine the predictive value of d for stage T1-T2 disease. Results: Thirty-two patients were enrolled in the study, including 27 males and 5 females with mean age of (62.9±8.9) years. DF was visualized in 96.9% (31/32) of cases on the T2WI sequence. The mean distance d in patients with stage T1-T2 disease (n=23) was (6.73±2.65) mm, and in those with stage T3 disease (n=9) was (1.30±1.15) mm (t=5.893, P<0.001). A cutoff of d >3 mm yielded specificity and positive predictive value for diagnosing stage T1-T2 disease of both 100%, sensitivity of 95.7% and negative predictive value of 90%. The optimum threshold of d was >3.05 mm, and Youden index was 0.957. Conclusions: High-resolution MRI can show the DF and accurately evaluate the relationship of DF with tumor in rectal cancer patients. Analysis on d value can provide an objective basis for the safe preservation of DF.