Repeatability of epithelium thickness measured by an AS-OCT in different grades keratoconus and compared to AS-OCT/Placido topography.

PURPOSE: To compare agreement of corneal epithelium thickness (ET) between AS-OCT system (RTVue, Optovue, Fremont, USA) and AS-OCT/Placido topographer (MS-39, CSO, Florence, Italy) in different stages keratoconus (KC) eyes, and to assess the repeatability of RTVue AS-OCT. DESIGN: Prospective reliability analysis. METHODS: KC eyes were classified into forme fruste KC (FFKC), mild, moderate and severe KC. Agreement was evaluated with Bland-Altman plots and 95% limits of agreement (LoA). The repeatability of RTVue was assessed via within-subject standard deviation (Sw), test-retest variability (TRT), coefficient of variation (CoV), and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). RESULTS: Totally, 119 KC eyes were enrolled, with 21 FFKC, 26 mild, 39 moderate, and 34 severe. The 95% LoA ranged between -5.9 and 4.8 µm for center epithelium thickness (CET), between -5.7 and 8.2 µm for thinnest epithelium thickness (TET). At 1mm measuring points, the 95% LoA of superior, inferior, nasal and temporal were -4.2 to 4.7 µm, -5.2 to 6.0 µm, -7.9 to 10.2 µm, -11.2 to 6.0 µm. At 3mm measuring points, the corresponding values were -2.8 to 9.3 µm, -2.0 to 13.0 µm, -4.6 to 9.6 µm, -6.3 to 9.7 µm, indicating the two instruments weren't interchangeable without adjustment. Despite the repeatability of RTVue in KC patients were acceptable, repeatability decreased gradually with the peripheralization of the measurement points. CONCLUSIONS: The two OCT-based devices, RTVue and MS-39, don't provide interchangeable measurements of ET in KC patients. Repeatability decreases in severer KC, emphasizing the importance of grading before clinical examination to avoid diagnostic errors.

Evaluation of the Agreement Between a New Pyramid Wavefront Sensor Aberrometer and Scheiner-Smirnov Aberrometers.

PURPOSE: To assess agreement between a new aberrometer (Osiris-T; CSO) employing pyramid wavefront sensor technique and Scheiner-Smirnov aberrometer (OPD-Scan III; Nidek) on measuring ocular, corneal, and internal aberrations in healthy participants. METHODS: The measurements were conducted three times consecutively by an experienced examiner. The total root mean square (RMS) aberrations, higher order aberration RMS, coma Z3±1, trefoil Z3±3, spherical aberration Z40, and astigmatism II Z4±2 up to 7th order were exported in both 4-and 6-mm pupil zones. The parameters between the two devices were statistically compared using the paired t-test, and the differences assessed with Bland-Altman plots and 95% limits of agreement. RESULTS: This prospective study included 70 right eyes of 70 healthy participants with an average age of 25.94 ± 6.59 years (range: 18 to 47 years). The mean difference in the two devices ranged from 0.01 µm for astigmatism II Z4±2 to 0.63 µm for total RMS in 4 mm and from 0.01 to 1.41 µm in 6-mm pupil size. The Bland-Altman analysis of ocular, corneal, and internal aberrations indicated high agreement between the two devices and the maximum absolute values for 95% limits of agreement ranged from 0.03 to 1.06 µm for 4-mm pupil diameters and 0.12 to 1.13 µm for 6-mm pupil diameters. CONCLUSIONS: The newly developed pyramid wavefront sensor technique aberrometer demonstrated a high agreement with a Scheiner-Smirnov aberrometer when measuring ocular, corneal, and internal aberrations in healthy participants. Thus, the two aberrometers may be considered interchangeable for clinical applications. [J Refract Surg. 2024;40(4):e218-e228.].

Evaluation of a new dynamic real-time visualization 25 kHz swept-source optical coherence tomography based biometer.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the intraobserver repeatability and interobserver reproducibility of a newly developed dynamic real-time visualization 25 kHz swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) based biometer (ZW-30, TowardPi Medical Technology Ltd, China) and compare its agreement with another SS-OCT based biometer (IOLMaster 700, Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, Jena, Germany). METHODS: Eighty-two healthy right eyes were enrolled in this prospective observational study. Measurements were repeated for three times using the ZW-30 and IOLMaster 700 in a random order. Obtained parameters included axial length (AL), central corneal thickness (CCT), aqueous depth (AQD), anterior chamber depth (ACD), lens thickness (LT), mean keratometry (Km), astigmatism magnitude (AST), vector J0, vector J45, and corneal diameter (CD). The within-subject standard deviation (Sw), test-retest (TRT) variability, coefficient of variation (CoV), and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were adopted to assess the intraobserver repeatability and interobserver reproducibility. The double-angle plot was also used to display the distribution of AST. To estimate agreement, Bland-Altman plots were used. RESULTS: For the intraobserver repeatability and interobserver reproducibility, the Sw, TRT and CoV for all parameters were low. Meanwhile, the ICC values were all close to 1.000, except for the J45 (ICC = 0.887 for the intraobserver repeatability). The double-angle plot showed that the distribution of AST measured by these two devices was similar. For agreement, the Bland-Altman plots showed narrow 95% limits of agreements (LoAs) for AL, CCT, AQD, ACD, LT, Km AST, J0, J45, and CD (- 0.02 mm to 0.02 mm, - 7.49 µm to 8.08 µm, - 0.07 mm to 0.04 mm, - 0.07 mm to 0.04 mm, - 0.07 mm to 0.08 mm, - 0.16 D to 0.30 D, - 0.30 D to 0.29 D, - 0.16 D to 0.16 D, - 0.23 D to 0.13 D, and - 0.39 mm to 0.10 mm, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The newly dynamic real-time visualization biometer exhibited excellent intraobserver repeatability and interobserver reproducibility. The two devices both based on the SS-OCT principle had similar ocular parameters measurement values and can be interchanged in clinical practice.

Diastereoselective Synthesis of Dihydrobenzofuran Spirooxindoles and Their Transformation into Benzofuroquinolinones by Ring Expansion of Oxindole Core.

A mild and efficient approach for the diastereoselective synthesis of dihydrobenzofuran spirooxindoles using 3-chlorooxindoles and imines is presented. This process involves a formal [4 + 1] annulation, yielding the product with excellent diastereoselectivity. Furthermore, a novel method for constructing benzofuroquinolinone scaffolds through the ring expansion of oxindoles has been established. This method involves a lactam ring expansion to the quinolinone skeleton. Besides, a one-pot procedure for creating benzofuroquinolinone scaffolds from 3-chlorooxindoles and imines is also provided.

Assessing progression limits in different grades of keratoconus from a novel perspective: precision of measurements of the corneal epithelium.

BACKGROUND: To assess repeatability and reproducibility of corneal epithelium thickness (ET) measured by a spectral-domain optical coherence tomographer (SD-OCT)/Placido topographer (MS-39, CSO, Florence, Italy) in keratoconus (KC) population at different stages, as well as to determine the progression limits for evaluating KC progression. METHODS: A total of 149 eyes were enrolled in this study, with 29 eyes in the forme fruste keratoconus (FFKC) group, 34 eyes in the mild KC group, 40 eyes in the moderate KC group, and 46 eyes in the severe KC group. Employing the within-subject standard deviation (Sw), test-retest variability (TRT), coefficient of variation (CoV), and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) to evaluate intraoperator repeatability and interoperator reproducibility. RESULTS: The repeatability and reproducibility of MS-39 in patients with KC were acceptable, according to ICC values ranging from 0.732 to 0.954. However, patients with more severe KC and progressive peripheralization of the measurement points had higher TRTs but a thinning trend. The current study tended to set the cut-off values of mild KC, moderate KC, and severe KC to 4.9 µm, 5.2 µm, and 7.4 µm for thinnest epithelium thickness (TET). When differences between follow-ups are higher than those values, progression of the disease is possible. As for center epithelium thickness (CET), cut-off values for mild KC, moderate KC, and severe KC should be 2.8 µm, 4.4 µm, and 5.3 µm. This might be useful in the follow-up and diagnosis of keratoconus. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that the precision of MS-39 was reduced in measuring more severe KC patients and more peripheral corneal points. In determining disease progression, values should be differentiated between disease-related real changes and measurement inaccuracies. Due to the large difference in ET measured by MS-39 between various stages of disease progression, it is necessary to accurately grade KC patients to avoid errors in KC clinical decision-making.

Repeatability and Interobserver Reproducibility of a Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography for Measurements of Anterior, Posterior, and Total Corneal Power.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this work is to evaluate the intraobserver repeatability and interobserver reproducibility of corneal power measurements obtained with a swept-source optical coherence tomographer (CASIA 2, Tomey, Japan) in healthy subjects. METHODS: A total of 67 right eyes from 67 healthy subjects were enrolled. Two experienced observers measured each eye three times consecutively with the CASIA 2. Corneal power values were recorded as simulated keratometry, anterior, posterior, and total corneal power. Parameters were flattest keratometry (Kf), steepest keratometry (Ks), mean keratometry (Km), astigmatism magnitude, astigmatism power vectors J0 and J45. Intraobserver repeatability and interobserver reproducibility of the CASIA 2 were assessed by the within-subject standard deviation (Sw), test-retest repeatability (TRT), coefficients of variation (CoV), and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Double-angle plots were used for astigmatism vector analysis. RESULTS: The CASIA 2 had high repeatability for all corneal power values, with Sw values ≤ 0.17 diopters (D), TRT ≤ 0.46 D, and ICCs ranging from 0.866 to 0.998. Interobserver reproducibility was also high, showing all Sw values ≤ 0.10 D, TRT ≤ 0.27 D, and ICCs ≥ 0.944. The reproducibility of the average of three consecutive measurements (Sw 0.01-0.10 D, TRT 0.03-0.27 D, ICC 0.944-0.998) was higher than the reproducibility of single measurements (Sw 0.01-0.17 D, TRT 0.03-0.47 D, ICC 0.867-0.996). CONCLUSIONS: The CASIA 2 showed high intraobserver repeatability and interobserver reproducibility for anterior, posterior, and total corneal power measurements in 6.0-mm diameter area. In addition, we suggest that using the average of three consecutive measurements can improve reproducibility between observers, compared to single measurements only.

Exfoliated Magnesium Diboride (MgB2) Nanosheets as Solid Fuels.

Magnesium diboride (MgB2) has been explored as an alternative fuel to boron (B) due to its high energy density and the additive effect of magnesium (Mg) to promote B combustion. However, the primary oxidation of MgB2 does not occur unless it decomposes at a high temperature (830 °C), which makes ignition difficult and the reaction slow. Recently, two-dimensional (2D) exfoliated MgB2 nanosheets have attracted increasing attention due to their unique properties and potential applications in various fields. In this study, we investigate the potential of 2D exfoliated MgB2 nanosheets as solid fuels for overcoming the challenges of MgB2 combustion. We analyzed their oxidation behavior and energetic performance through material characterization and combustion tests under slow- and fast-heating conditions and compared their performance with those of bulk MgB2, B nanoparticles, and a B/Mg nanoparticle mixture. This study highlights the potential of MgB2 nanosheets as promising solid fuels with superior energetic properties.

Pharmacokinetic Variables of Dapagliflozin/Metformin Extended-release Fixed-dose Combination in Healthy Chinese Volunteers and Regional Comparison.

PURPOSE: A fixed-dose combination (FDC) product combining dapagliflozin and metformin may increase medication adherence in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by minimizing pill burden associated with co-administration of individual component (IC) formulations and, consequently, improve cost-efficiency and compliance. This study evaluated the bioequivalence of the dapagliflozin/metformin FDC product versus IC administration in healthy volunteers from a Chinese population and assessed the safety profile of the FDC product. In addition, pharmacokinetic (PK) and safety comparisons of dapagliflozin and metformin across different regions were conducted to evaluate regional differences. METHODS: This single-center, open-label, parallel-cohort, randomized, 2-period, crossover study enrolled Chinese adults (aged 18-55 years). Volunteers in cohort 1 received either a single FDC tablet of dapagliflozin/metformin extended release (XR) (5/500 mg) or IC tablets (dapagliflozin [5 mg] and metformin XR [500 mg]). Volunteers in cohort 2 received a higher dosage in a similar manner (dapagliflozin [10 mg] and metformin XR [1000 mg]). Volunteers in each cohort were subsequently crossed over to receive the alternate cohort treatment. Plasma concentrations of dapagliflozin and metformin were determined, and bioequivalence analyses were performed under standard fed conditions. FINDINGS: Eighty healthy Chinese volunteers (89.9% male; mean age, 28.7 years) were randomized into cohort 1 (n = 40) and cohort 2 (n = 39; 1 volunteer withdrew before receiving study treatment). The mean plasma concentration-time profiles of the dapagliflozin and metformin FDC and IC formulations for both doses were found to be nearly superimposable. Dapagliflozin and metformin XR FDC were bioequivalent to the IC tablets, with 90% CIs for each pairwise comparison contained within the 80% to 125% bioequivalence limits. Both the FDC and IC formulations were well tolerated, with no serious adverse events/death. PK parameters for dapagliflozin in the Chinese volunteers were slightly to moderately higher than those from studies conducted in Brazil, Russia, and the United States, and the safety profile of the dapagliflozin/metformin FDC product was consistent with that of other studies. The difference in PK parameters among the 4 regions was not clinically meaningful. IMPLICATIONS: The bioequivalence of the dapagliflozin/metformin FDC and IC formulations in healthy Chinese adults was established without any new safety concerns. Notably, the observed bioequivalence may be extrapolated to patients with T2DM as the PK parameters of dapagliflozin and metformin in healthy adults are similar to those reported in patients with T2DM. CLINICALTRIALS: gov identifier: NCT04856007.

Enhanced H2O2 Upcycling into Hydroxyl Radicals with GO/Ni:FeOOH-Coated Silicon Nanowire Photocatalysts for Wastewater Treatment.

There remains continued interest in improving the advanced water oxidation process [e.g., ultraviolet (UV)/hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)] for more efficient and environmentally friendly wastewater treatment. Here, we report the design, fabrication, and performance of graphene oxide (GO, on top)/nickel-doped iron oxyhydroxide (Ni:FeOOH, shell)/silicon nanowires (SiNWs, core) as a new multifunctional photocatalyst for the degradation of common pollutants like polystyrene and methylene blue through enhancing the hydroxyl radical (•OH) production rate of the UV/H2O2 system. The photocatalyst combines the advantages of a large surface area and light absorption characteristics of SiNWs with heterogeneous photo-Fenton active Ni:FeOOH and photocatalytically active/charge separator GO. In addition, the built-in electric field of GO/Ni:FeOOH/SiNWs facilitates the charge separation of electrons to GO and holes to Ni:FeOOH, thus boosting the photocatalytic performance. Our photocatalyst increases the •OH yield by 5.7 times compared with that of a blank H2O2 solution sample and also extends the light absorption spectrum to include visible light irradiation.

Association between ultrasound BI-RADS signs and molecular typing of invasive breast cancer.

Objective: To explore the correlation between ultrasound images and molecular typing of invasive breast cancer, so as to analyze the predictive value of preoperative ultrasound for invasive breast cancer. Methods: 302 invasive breast cancer patients were enrolled in Heping Hospital affiliated to Changzhi Medical College in Shanxi, China during 2020 to 2022. All patients accepted ultrasonic and pathological examination, and all pathological tissues received molecular typing with immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. The relevance between different molecular typings and ultrasonic image, pathology were evaluated. Results: Univariate analysis: among the four molecular typings, there were significant differences in tumor size, shape, margin, lymph node and histological grade (P<0.05). 1. Size: Luminal A tumor was smaller (69.4%), Basal -like type tumors are mostly larger (60.9%); 2. Shape: Basal-like type is more likely to show regular shape (45.7%); 3. Margin: Luminal A and Luminal B mostly are not circumscribed (79.6%, 74.8%), Basal -like type shows circumscribed(52.2%); 4. Lymph nodes: Luminal A type tends to be normal (87.8%), Luminal B type,Her-2+ type and Basal-like type tend to be abnormal (35.6%,36.4% and 39.1%). There was no significant difference in mass orientation, echo pattern, rear echo and calcification (P>0.05). Multivariate analysis: Basal-like breast cancer mostly showed regular shape, circumscribed margin and abnormal lymph nodes (P<0.05). Conclusion: There are differences in the ultrasound manifestations of different molecular typings of breast cancer, and ultrasound features can be used as a potential imaging index to provide important information for the precise diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.

Precision of Corneal Aberrations Measured by a New SD-OCT/Placido Topographer and Its Agreement With a Scheimpflug/Placido Topographer.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the precision of corneal aberrations measured by a new SD-OCT/Placido topographer, the MS-39 (CSO), and to compare them with those provided by a Scheimpflug/Placido device, the Sirius (CSO), in normal eyes. METHODS: This study enrolled 90 normal eyes of 90 patients. Total root mean square (RMS), higher order RMS, coma, trefoil, spherical aberration, and astigmatism II were analyzed. The within-subject standard deviation (Sw), test-retest repeatability, and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were calculated to assess the precision. Bland-Altman plots and 95% limits of agreement (LoAs) were calculated to assess the agreement. RESULTS: For intraobserver repeatability of anterior and total corneal aberrations, most of the ICCs were greater than 0.869, except for trefoil and astigmatism II. Regarding the posterior corneal surface, the ICCs of total RMS, coma, and spherical aberration were higher than 0.878, whereas the ICCs of higher order RMS, trefoil, and astigmatism II were lower than 0.626. All test-retest repeatability values were 0.17 µm or less. In terms of interobserver reproducibility, the Sw values were 0.04 µm or less, Test-retest repeatability values were less than 0.11 µm, and all ICCs ranged from 0.532 to 0.996. Regarding agreement, 95% LoAs were small for all Zernike coefficients, and the mean difference was close to zero. CONCLUSIONS: The new SD-OCT/Placido device exhibited excellent repeatability and reproducibility for anterior and total surface, whereas total RMS, coma, and spherical aberrations showed high precision on the posterior surface. High agreement was confirmed between the SD-OCT/Placido and Scheimpflug/Placido devices. [J Refract Surg. 2023;39(6):405-412.].

Neuromorphic sensorimotor loop embodied by monolithically integrated, low-voltage, soft e-skin.

Artificial skin that simultaneously mimics sensory feedback and mechanical properties of natural skin holds substantial promise for next-generation robotic and medical devices. However, achieving such a biomimetic system that can seamlessly integrate with the human body remains a challenge. Through rational design and engineering of material properties, device structures, and system architectures, we realized a monolithic soft prosthetic electronic skin (e-skin). It is capable of multimodal perception, neuromorphic pulse-train signal generation, and closed-loop actuation. With a trilayer, high-permittivity elastomeric dielectric, we achieved a low subthreshold swing comparable to that of polycrystalline silicon transistors, a low operation voltage, low power consumption, and medium-scale circuit integration complexity for stretchable organic devices. Our e-skin mimics the biological sensorimotor loop, whereby a solid-state synaptic transistor elicits stronger actuation when a stimulus of increasing pressure is applied.

Repeatability and reproducibility of a new fully automatic measurement optical low coherence reflectometry biometer and agreement with swept-source optical coherence tomography-based biometer.

AIMS: To assess the repeatability and reproducibility of the ocular measurements obtained with the Suoer SW-9000 µm Plus, a new fully automatic biometer based on optical low coherence reflectometry (OLCR) biometer, and to compare them to those obtained by a swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT)-based biometer. METHODS: This prospective study consisted of 115 eyes of 115 healthy subjects. The measurements were taken by the two optical biometers in random order. The measured parameters were axial length (AL), central corneal thickness (CCT), aqueous depth (AQD), anterior chamber depth (ACD), mean keratometry (Km), lens thickness (LT) and corneal diameter (CD). To evaluate the intraobserver repeatability and interobserver reproducibility, the within-subject SD, test-retest variability, coefficient of variation (CoV) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were adopted. The Bland-Altman plot was drawn to assess the agreement. RESULTS: The repeatability and reproducibility of all parameters for the new device were excellent (ICC>0.960 and CoV<0.71%). The Bland-Altman plots showed high agreement between the OLCR-based and SS-OCT-based devices for AL, CCT, AQD, ACD, Km and LT, with narrow 95% limit of agreements (LoAs) (-0.08 mm to 0.06 mm, -15.91 µm to -1.01 µm, -0.09 mm to 0.09 mm, -0.09 mm to 0.08 mm, -0.47 D to 0.35 D, -0.05 mm to 0.16 mm, respectively) and moderate agreement for CD (95% LoA: -0.67 mm to -0.01 mm). CONCLUSIONS: The new Suoer SW-9000 µm Plus biometer showed excellent repeatability and reproducibility. All the parameters obtained by this biometer were similar to those measured by SS-OCT-based biometer.

[Influencing Factors of Cadmium Content in Wheat Grain: A Meta-analysis and Decision Tree Analysis].

Rapid urbanization, industrialization, and agricultural intensification have resulted in serious soil problems, such as soil acidification and cadmium pollution, affecting food security and human health. Wheat is the second largest food crop in China and has a strong accumulation capacity for cadmium. Understanding the influencing factors of cadmium content in wheat grain is crucial to realize the safe production of wheat. However, a comprehensive and quantitative analysis of how soil physicochemical properties and cultivars affect wheat cadmium accumulation is lacking. The Meta-analysis and decision tree analysis of 56 related studies published in the past 10 years showed that the proportion of cadmium content in soil and wheat grain exceeding the national standard was 52.6% and 64.1%, respectively. Among soil physical and chemical properties, pH, organic matter, available phosphorus, and total soil cadmium content were the important factors affecting the cadmium content in wheat grains. When soil pH ≤ 5.5 and 5.5

Corneal Higher-Order Aberrations Measurements: Precision of SD-OCT/Placido Topography and Comparison with a Scheimpflug/Placido Topography in Eyes After Small-Incision Lenticule Extraction.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to evaluate the measurements of corneal higher-order aberrations (HOAs) obtained by a new anterior segment optical coherence tomography (OCT) technique combined with a Placido topographer (the MS-39 device) in eyes with prior small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) and compare them to the measurements obtained by a Scheimpflug camera combined with a Placido topographer (the Sirius device). METHODS: A total of 56 eyes (56 patients) were included in this prospective study. Corneal aberrations were analyzed for the anterior, posterior, and total cornea surfaces. Within-subject standard deviation (Sw), test-retest repeatability (TRT), and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were used to assess the intraobserver repeatability and interobserver reproducibility. The differences were evaluated by paired t-test. Bland-Altman plots and 95% limits of agreement (95% LoA) were used to evaluate the agreement. RESULTS: High repeatability was observed for anterior and total corneal parameters, with Sw value < 0.07, TRT ≤ 0.16, and ICCs > 0.893, but not trefoil. For the posterior corneal parameters, ICCs varied from 0.088 to 0.966. Regarding interobserver reproducibility, all Sw values were ≤ 0.04 and TRT ≤ 0.11. ICCs ranged from 0.846 to 0.989, from 0.432 to 0.972, and from 0.798 to 0.985 for the anterior, total, and posterior corneal aberrations parameters, respectively. The mean difference in all aberrations was ≤ 0.05 µm. All parameters showed a narrow 95% LoA. CONCLUSION: The MS-39 device achieved high precision in both anterior and total corneal measurements; the precision of posterior corneal higher-order RMS, astigmatism II, coma, and trefoil was lower. The two technologies used by the MS-39 and Sirius devices can be used interchangeably for measuring corneal HOAs after SMILE.

Docosahexaenoic acid administration improves diabetes-induced cardiac fibrosis through enhancing fatty acid oxidation in cardiac fibroblast.

Diabetes mellitus can lead to various complications, including organ fibrosis. Metabolic remodeling often occurs during the development of organ fibrosis. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an essential ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, shows great benefits in improving cardiovascular disease and organ fibrosis, including regulating cellular metabolism. In this study, we investigated whether DHA can inhibit diabetes-induced cardiac fibrosis by regulating the metabolism of cardiac fibroblasts. Type I diabetic mice were induced by streptozotocin and after supplementation with DHA for 16 weeks, clinical indicators of serum and heart were evaluated. DHA administration significantly improved serum lipid levels, cardiac function and cardiac interstitial fibrosis, but not blood glucose levels. Subsequently, immunofluorescences, western blot and label-free quantitative proteomics methods were used to study the mechanism. The results showed that the anti-fibrotic function of DHA was achieved through regulating extracellular matrix homeostasis including ECM synthesis and degradation. Our research demonstrated DHA regulated the energy metabolism of cardiac fibroblasts, especially fatty acid oxidation, and then affected the balance of ECM synthesis and degradation. It suggested that DHA supplementation could be considered an effective adjuvant therapy for cardiac fibrosis caused by hyperglycemia.

Microbiological Advances in Orthodontics: An Overview and Detailed Analysis of Temporary Anchorage Devices.

Dental biofilm is the initiating factor of oral diseases, such as periodontitis and caries. Orthodontic treatment could alter the microbiome structure balance, and increase the risk of such diseases. Furthermore, fixed appliances can induce temporary changes in the microbiome community, and the changes that clear aligners bring are smaller by comparison. Temporary anchorage devices (TADs) are skeletal anchorages that are widely used in orthodontic treatment. Microorganisms affect the occurrence and development of inflammation surrounding TADs. At present, existing researches have verified the existence of plaque biofilm on the surface of TADs, but the formation of plaque biofilm and plaque composition under different stable conditions have not been fully understood. The development of high-throughput sequencing, molecular biology experiments, and metabonomics have provided new research ideas to solve this problem. They can become an effective means to explore the microbiome surrounding TADs.

Discovery of LaAlO3 as an efficient catalyst for two-electron water electrolysis towards hydrogen peroxide.

Electrochemical two-electron water oxidation reaction (2e-WOR) has drawn significant attention as a promising process to achieve the continuous on-site production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). However, compared to the cathodic H2O2 generation, the anodic 2e-WOR is more challenging to establish catalysts due to the severe oxidizing environment. In this study, we combine density functional theory (DFT) calculations with experiments to discover a stable and efficient perovskite catalyst for the anodic 2e-WOR. Our theoretical screening efforts identify LaAlO3 perovskite as a stable, active, and selective candidate for catalyzing 2e-WOR. Our experimental results verify that LaAlO3 achieves an overpotential of 510 mV at 10 mA cm-2 in 4 M K2CO3/KHCO3, lower than those of many reported metal oxide catalysts. In addition, LaAlO3 maintains a stable H2O2 Faradaic efficiency with only a 3% decrease after 3 h at 2.7 V vs. RHE. This computation-experiment synergistic approach introduces another effective direction to discover promising catalysts for the harsh anodic 2e-WOR towards H2O2.

Insertion of carbon skeleton in Ni/MoO2 heterojunction with porous hollow sphere for efficient alkaline electrochemical hydrogen production.

The catalyst morphology has a strong impact on the activity of electrocatalytic hydrogen production. Considering the effect, we design and fabricate hollow spherical Ni/MoO2 heterojunction. In addition, an amorphous carbon skeleton is inserted into the hollow sphere, which makes the structure more stable and porous. Compared with other morphological Ni/MoO2, the porous hollow spherical Ni/MoO2 (H-Ni/MoO2) with an internal carbon skeleton shows better hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity with a small overpotential of 58 mV to reach 10 mA cm-2 and a tafel value of 44.8 mV dec-1 in alkaline media. The developed HER performance of H-Ni/MoO2 can be attributed to the larger active surface area of porous hollow spherical structure and the faster electron transfer and better stability of carbon skeleton. Undoubtedly, the urea plays a crucial role to construct the hollow spherical morphology and being decomposed to form holes and amorphous carbon in the synthesized steps. The soft-template strategy using urea as the addition for forming the porous hollow structure with carbon skeleton can be extended to explore superior non-noble metal for hydrogen production.