[Effects of tramadol hydrochloride preemptive analgesia in kyphoplasty of thoracolumbar osteoporotic fractures under local anesthesia].

OBJECTIVE: To explore preemptive analgesic effect of preoperative intramural tramadol injection in percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) of vertebrae following local anesthesia. METHODS: From August 2019 to June 2021, 118 patients with thoraco lumbar osteoporotic fractures were treated and divided into observation group and control group, with 59 patients in each gruop. In observation group, there were 26 males and 33 females, aged from 57 to 80 years old with an average of (67.69±4.75)years old;14 patients on T11, 12 patients on T12, 18 patients on L1, 15 patients on L2;tramadol with 100 mg was injected intramuscularly half an hour before surgery in observation group. In control group, there were 24 males and 35 females, aged from 55 to 77 years old with an average of (68.00±4.43) years old;19 patients on T11, 11 patients on T12, 17patients on L1, 12 patients on L2;the same amount of normal saline was injected intramuscularly in control group. Observation indicators included operation time, intraoperative bleeding, visual analogue scale (VAS) evaluation and recording of preoperative (T0), intraoperative puncture(T1), and working cannula placement (T2) between two groups of patients, at the time of balloon dilation (T3), when the bone cement was injected into the vertebral body (T4), 2 hours after the operation (T5), and the pain degree at the time of discharge(T6);adverse reactions such as dizziness, nausea and vomiting were observed and recorded;the record the patient's acceptance of repeat PKP surgery. RESULTS: All patients were successfully completed PKP via bilateral pedicle approach, and no intravenous sedative and analgesic drugs were used during the operation. There was no significant difference in preoperative general data and VAS(T0) between two groups (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in operation time and intraoperative blood loss between the two groups (P>0.05). VAS of T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 in observation group were all lower than those in control group(P<0.05), and there was no significant difference in T6 VAS (P>0.05). T6 VAS between two groups were significantly lower than those of T0, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in incidence of total adverse reactions between two groups (P>0.05). There was a statistically significant difference in the acceptance of repeat PKP surgery (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Half an hour before operation, intramuscular injection of tramadol has a clear preemptive analgesic effect for PKP of single-segment thoracolumbar osteoporotic fracture vertebral body under local anesthesia, which could increase the comfort of patients during operation and 2 hours after operation, and improve patients satisfaction with surgery.

A novel polycyclic quinazoline and three quinolines alkaloids from marine-derived fungus trichoderma longibrachiatum QD01 with anti-bacterial and anti-quorum sensing activities.

A novel polycyclic quinazoline alkaloid (1) along with one new natural quinoline alkaloid (2) and two known quinoline alkaloids (3,4) were isolated from the marine-derived fungus Trichoderma longibrachiatum QD01. Structural determinations of those isolates were established by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses and literature comparison. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of novel compound verified its structure and stereochemistry, representing the first characterised crystal structure of a trimeric-type of tetrahydroquinazoline. Compound 4 exhibited potential antibacterial and anti-quorum sensing activity against C. violaceum and C. violaceum CV026. The sub-MIC of 4 observably decreased the violacein production in C. violaceum CV026 by 55% on 15 µg/mL. Furthermore, molecular docking results revealed that 4 has stronger binding interactions with CviR receptor than ligand C6-HSL with lower binding energy of -8.68 kcal/mol. Hydrogen bond and π-π interactions formed by Trp84, Tyr88, Trp111, and Phe126 were predicted to play an important role in the inhibition against C. violaceum CV026.

BioisoIdentifier: an online free tool to investigate local structural replacements from PDB.

Within the realm of contemporary medicinal chemistry, bioisosteres are empirically used to enhance potency and selectivity, improve adsorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity profiles of drug candidates. It is believed that bioisosteric know-how may help bypass granted patents or generate novel intellectual property for commercialization. Beside the synthetic expertise, the drug discovery process also depends on efficient in silico tools. We hereby present BioisoIdentifier (BII), a web server aiming to uncover bioisosteric information for specific fragment. Using the Protein Data Bank as source, and specific substructures that the user attempt to surrogate as input, BII tries to find suitable fragments that fit well within the local protein active site. BII is a powerful computational tool that offers the ligand design ideas for bioisosteric replacing. For the validation of BII, catechol is conceived as model fragment attempted to be replaced, and many ideas are successfully offered. These outputs are hierarchically grouped according to structural similarity, and clustered based on unsupervised machine learning algorithms. In summary, we constructed a user-friendly interface to enable the viewing of top-ranking molecules for further experimental exploration. This makes BII a highly valuable tool for drug discovery. The BII web server is freely available to researchers and can be accessed at http://www.aifordrugs.cn/index/ . Scientific Contribution: By designing a more optimal computational process for mining bioisosteric replacements from the publicly accessible PDB database, then deployed on a web server for throughly free access for researchers. Additionally, machine learning methods are applied to cluster the bioisosteric replacements searched by the platform, making a scientific contribution to facilitate chemists' selection of appropriate bioisosteric replacements. The number of bioisosteric replacements obtained using BII is significantly larger than the currently available platforms, which expanding the search space for effective local structural replacements.

Nanosized Prussian blue and its analogs for bioimaging and cancer theranostics.

Prussian blue (PB) nanoparticles (NPs) and Prussian blue analogs (PBAs) can form metal-organic frameworks through the programmable coordination of ferrous ions with cyanide. PB and PBAs represent a burgeoning class of hybrid functional nano-systems with a wide-ranging application spectrum encompassing biomedicine, cancer diagnosis, and therapy. A comprehensive overview of recent advancements is crucial for gaining insights for future research. In this context, we reviewed the synthesis techniques and surface modification strategies employed to tailor the dimensions, morphology, and attributes of PB NPs. Subsequently, we explored advanced biomedical utilities of PB NPs, encompassing photoacoustic imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound (US) imaging, and multimodal imaging. In particular, the application of PB NPs-mediated photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy, and chemodynamic therapy to cancer treatment was reviewed. Based on the literature, we envision an evolving trajectory wherein the future of Prussian blue-driven biological applications converge into an integrated theranostic platform, seamlessly amalgamating bioimaging and cancer therapy. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Prussian blue, an FDA-approved coordinative pigment with a centuries-long legacy, has paved the way for Prussian blue nanoparticles (PB NPs), renowned for their remarkable biocompatibility and biosafety. These PB NPs have found their niche in biomedicine, playing crucial roles in both diagnostics and therapeutic applications. The comprehensive review goes beyond PB NP-based cancer therapy. Alongside in-depth coverage of PB NP synthesis and surface modifications, the review delves into their cutting-edge applications in the realm of biomedical imaging, encompassing techniques such as photoacoustic imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound imaging, and multimodal imaging.

Bioaerosols in the coastal region of Qingdao: Community diversity, impact factors and synergistic effect.

Atmospheric bioaerosols are influenced by multiple factors, including physical, chemical, and biotic interactions, and pose a significant threat to the public health and the environment. The nonnegligible truth however is that the primary driver of the changes in bioaerosol community diversity remains unknown. In this study, putative biological association (PBA) was obtained by constructing an ecological network. The relationship between meteorological conditions, atmospheric pollutants, water-soluble inorganic ions, PBA and bioaerosol community diversity was analyzed using random forest regression (RFR)-An ensemble learning algorithm based on a decision tree that performs regression tasks by constructing multiple decision trees and integrating the predicted results, and the contribution of different rich species to PBA was predicted. The species richness, evenness and diversity varied significantly in different seasons, with the highest in summer, followed by autumn and spring, and was lowest in winter. The RFR suggested that the explanation rate of alpha diversity increased significantly from 73.74 % to 85.21 % after accounting for the response of the PBA to diversity. The PBA, temperature, air pollution, and marine source air masses were the most crucial factors driving community diversity. PBA, particularly putative positive association (PPA), had the highest significance in diversity. We found that under changing external conditions, abundant taxa tend to cooperate to resist external pressure, thereby promoting PPA. In contrast, rare taxa were more responsive to the putative negative association because of their sensitivity to environmental changes. The results of this research provided scientific advance in the understanding of the dynamic and temporal changes in bioaerosols, as well as support for the prevention and control of microbial contamination of the atmosphere.

Increased GPC4 and clusterin associated with insulin resistance in patients with PCOS.

The aim of the study was to investigate the changes in serum glypican 4 (GPC4) and clusterin (CLU) levels in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) as well as their correlation with sex hormones and metabolic parameters. A total of 40 PCOS patients and 40 age-matched healthy women were selected. Serum GPC4 and CLU levels were compared between the PCOS and control groups, and binary logistic regression was used to analyze the relative risk of PCOS at different tertiles of serum GPC4 and CLU concentrations. Stepwise linear regression was used to identify the factors influencing serum GPC4 and CLU levels in PCOS patients. Serum GPC4 (1.82 ± 0.49 vs 1.30 ± 0.61 ng/mL, P < 0.001) and CLU (468.79 ± 92.85 vs 228.59 ± 82.42 µg/mL, P < 0.001) were significantly higher in PCOS patients than in healthy women after adjustment for body mass index (BMI). In the PCOS group, serum GPC4 was positively correlated with follicle-stimulating hormone, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), fasting insulin (FINS), homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), triglyceride, and CLU (P < 0.05), whereas serum CLU was positively correlated with BMI, FPG, FINS, and HOMA-IR (P < 0.05). Multiple stepwise linear regression analysis showed that HOMA-IR was independently associated with serum GPC4, and BMI and HOMA-IR were independently associated with CLU (P < 0.05). Serum GPC4 and CLU levels were significantly higher in PCOS patients than in healthy women, suggesting that GPC4 and CLU may be markers associated with insulin resistance in women with PCOS.

Effect of UV/peroxymonosulfate pretreatment on disinfection byproduct (DBP) formation during post-chlorination of humic acid.

UV/peroxymonosulfate (UV/PMS) is a promising advanced oxidation technology in water treatment. This study aimed to investigate the impact of UV/PMS on humic acid (HA) and the influence of PMS dosage, pretreatment time, pH pretreatment, nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, and bicarbonate influencing factors on disinfection byproduct (DBP) formation during post-chlorination. With increased PMS dosage or pretreatment time, the UV/PMS treatment significantly reduced ultraviolet absorbance and increased mineralization. It altered the fractional constituent as humic substances were gradually transformed into building blocks and low-molecular-weight acids. However, most DBP formation increased initially and then decreased after subsequent chlorination. Rising nitrate or nitrite concentrations markedly promoted halonitromethane (HNM) formation. The presence of ammonia had a more significant impact on dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN) formation. Bicarbonate in UV/PMS pretreatment increased carbonated disinfection byproduct (C-DBP) formation, whereas it had a negligible impact on nitrogenous disinfection byproduct (N-DBP) formation. The present study revealed the impact of a series of influencing factors on DBP formation in UV/PMS reaction systems, providing comprehensive insights on applying UV/PMS in actual practice.

Preventive effect of aspirin on peripherally inserted central catheter-related vein thrombosis in patients with malignant tumors.

The majority of patients receiving chemotherapy undergo PICC catheterization. However, PICCs are significantly associated with catheter related complications, including deep vein thrombosis, blood infection, fibrin sheath, catheter prolapse, catheter displacement and blockage. Of all the risks, PICC-related VT was the most prevailing clinic symptom and resulted in a high risk of death. AIM: The study aimed to investigate the preventive efficacy and safety of aspirin for patients with malignant tumors receiving venous thrombosis (VT) related with peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC) treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was conducted. Participants with malignant tumors receiving chemotherapy who accepted PICC insertion operation were randomly allocated to the aspirin treatment group (n = 235) or the control group (n = 246). The patients in the aspirin group were administrated aspirin (100mg) for 30 days, whereas the patients in control group were administrated a placebo drug. The incidence of PICC-related VT in both groups and the aspirin related adverse effects were evaluated. RESULTS: The incidence of PICC-related VT was 0.4% in the aspirin group, compared with 3.3% in the control group (P = 0.038). In addition, aspirin related bleeding was not observed. CONCLUSION: PICC-related VT could be effectively prevented by aspirin in patients with malignant tumors.

Porcine IKKε is involved in the STING-induced type I IFN antiviral response of the cytosolic DNA signaling pathway.

The cyclic GMP-AMP synthase and stimulator of interferon (IFN) genes (cGAS-STING) pathway serves as a crucial component of innate immune defense and exerts immense antiviral activity by inducing the expression of type I IFNs. Currently, STING-activated production of type I IFNs has been thought to be mediated only by TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1). Here, we identified that porcine IKKε (pIKKε) is also directly involved in STING-induced type I IFN expression and antiviral response by using IKKε-/- porcine macrophages. Similar to pTBK1, pIKKε interacts directly with pSTING on the C-terminal tail. Furthermore, the TBK1-binding motif of pSTING C-terminal tail is essential for its interaction with pIKKε, and within the TBK1-binding motif, the leucine (L) 373 is also critical for the interaction. On the other hand, both kinase domain and scaffold dimerization domain of pIKKε participate in the interactions with pSTING. Consistently, the reconstitution of pIKKε and its mutants in IKKε-/- porcine macrophages corroborated that IKKε and its kinase domain and scaffold dimerization domain are all involved in the STING signaling and antiviral function. Thus, our findings deepen the understanding of porcine cGAS-STING pathway, which lays a foundation for effective antiviral therapeutics against porcine viral diseases.

Multiple Porcine Innate Immune Signaling Pathways Are Involved in the Anti-PEDV Response.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) has caused great damage to the global pig industry. Innate immunity plays a significant role in resisting viral infection; however, the exact role of innate immunity in the anti-PEDV response has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we observed that various porcine innate immune signaling adaptors are involved in anti-PEDV (AJ1102-like strain) activity in transfected Vero cells. Among these, TRIF and MAVS showed the strongest anti-PEDV activity. The endogenous TRIF, MAVS, and STING were selected for further examination of anti-PEDV activity. Agonist stimulation experiments showed that TRIF, MAVS, and STING signaling all have obvious anti-PEDV activity. The siRNA knockdown assay showed that TRIF, MAVS, and STING are also all involved in anti-PEDV response, and their remarkable effects on PEDV replication were confirmed in TRIF-/-, MAVS-/- and STING-/- Vero cells via the CRISPR approach. For further verification, the anti-PEDV activity of TRIF, MAVS, and STING could be reproduced in porcine IPEC-DQ cells treated with siRNAs. In summary, this study reveals that multiple pattern-recognition receptor (PRR) signaling pathways of porcine innate immunity play an important role in the anti-PEDV infection, providing new and useful antiviral knowledge for prevention and control of PEDV spreading.

Functional mechanism of miR-92b-3p in osteogenic differentiation of fibroblasts in patients with ankylosing spondylitis via the TOB1/BMP/Smad pathway.

BACKGROUND: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory arthritis. Upregulation of microRNA (miR)-92b-3p is associated with enhanced osteoblastic differentiation. The current study sought to investigate the functional mechanism of miR-92b-3p in osteogenic differentiation of AS fibroblasts. METHODS: First, fibroblasts were isolated from AS and non-AS patients and cultured. Next, cell morphology was observed, cell proliferation was assessed and the vimentin expression pattern was determined. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and levels of osteogenic markers RUNX2, OPN, OSX, and COL I were additionally measured, followed by determination of miR-92b-3p and TOB1 levels. The binding site of miR-92b-3p and TOB1 was predicted, and their target relationship was validated. Lastly, miR-92b-3p inhibitor, si-TOB1, and the BMP/Smad signaling pathway inhibitor LDN193189 were delivered into AS fibroblasts to evaluate the osteogenic differentiation of AS fibroblasts and the activation of the BMP/Smad pathway. RESULTS: miR-92b-3p was highly expressed in AS fibroblasts. AS fibroblasts showed enhanced osteogenic differentiation and proliferation, while inhibition of miR-92b-3p suppressed osteogenic differentiation and proliferation of AS fibroblasts. miR-92b-3p targeted TOB1, and TOB1 was poorly expressed in AS fibroblasts. The concurrent downregulation of TOB1 and inhibition of miR-92b-3p elevated the levels of RUNX2, OPN, OSX, and COL I and ALP activity and further enhanced the proliferation of AS fibroblasts. The BMP/Smad pathway was activated in AS fibroblasts. Silencing miR-92b-3p could inhibit the activation of the BMP/Smad pathway by upregulating TOB1. Inhibition of the BMP/Smad pathway reduced the number of calcified nodules and hindered the osteogenic differentiation and proliferation of AS fibroblasts. CONCLUSION: Our findings highlighted that silencing miR-92b-3p inhibited the osteogenic differentiation and proliferation of AS fibroblasts by upregulation of TOB1 and inhibition of the BMP/Smad pathway.

Single particle ICP-MS combined with filtration membrane for accurate determination of silver nanoparticles in the real aqueous environment.

This work presents the role of commercial microfiltration membranes combined with single particle inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (SP-ICP-MS) in removing environmental matrix interference for model silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) determination. The filters with different pore sizes (0.22 µm, 0.45 µm, 0.8 µm) and materials (mixed cellulose ester, polyether sulfone, and nylon) were investigated to acquire the recovery of particle concentration and size of AgNPs spiked into different real aqueous solutions, including ultrapure water, tap water, surface water, and sewage effluent. The maximum recovery of nanoparticle concentration was 70.2% through the 0.8 µm polyether sulfone membrane. The heated filters were able to improve the recovery of AgNPs particle concentration in the real aqueous environment. Hence, the pretreatment method by SP-ICP-MS combined with filtration membrane was simple, fast, and low-cost to quantify AgNPs in natural water environments.

Manganese Mediates Its Antiviral Functions in a cGAS-STING Pathway Independent Manner.

The innate immune system is the first line of host defense sensing viral infection. Manganese (Mn) has recently been found to be involved in the activation of the innate immune DNA-sensing cGAS-STING pathway and subsequent anti-DNA virus function. However, it is still unclear whether Mn2+ mediates host defense against RNA viruses. In this study, we demonstrate that Mn2+ exhibited antiviral effects against various animal and human viruses, including RNA viruses such as PRRSVs and VSV, as well as DNA viruses such as HSV1, in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, cGAS and STING were both investigated in the Mn2+ mediated antiviral roles using the knockout cells made by the CRISPR-Cas9 approach. Unexpectedly, the results revealed that neither cGAS knockout nor STING knockout had any effect on Mn2+-mediated antiviral functions. Nevertheless, we verified that Mn2+ promoted the activation of the cGAS-STING signaling pathway. These findings suggest that Mn2+ has broad-spectrum antiviral activities in a cGAS-STING pathway independent manner. This study also provides significant insights into redundant mechanisms participating in the Mn2+ antiviral functions, and also indicates a new target for Mn2+ antiviral therapeutics.

Occurrence and treatment effect assessment of organophosphorus flame retardants in source and drinking water, Jinan, China.

The occurrence and removal efficiencies of organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) by traditional treatment processes (pre-flocculation, sand filtration, and post-chlorination processes) and advanced treatment processes (i.e., ozone and granular activated carbon (GAC), ultraviolet/hydrogen peroxide (UV/H2O2), GAC alone, ultrafiltration membrane, nanofiltration membrane) were examined in two municipal plants and a pilot plant in Jinan, China. The concentrations of six OPFRs in raw waters were at levels of 16.8-100.0 ng/L, and three OPFRs were below the detection limits. The traditional treatment processes could not effectively remove the OPFRs (the removal efficiency was - 12.0-15.4%). The advanced oxidation with ozone and GAC (the removal efficiency was 35.6-60.3%) or UV/H2O2 and GAC processes (the removal efficiency was 68.0-86.7%) were more effective than the traditional water treatment processes. The removal efficiencies of ultrafiltration process for the OPFRs was 11.2-69.8% which were positively correlated with the logKow values of OPFRs. The nanofiltration membrane process with ultrafiltration membrane process as the pretreatment was the most effective process (the removal efficiencies were almost to 100%). These results imply that the combination of ultrafiltration membrane and nanofiltration membrane is an effective measure in the treatment of OPFRs in municipal drinking water plants.

Task-Similarity-Based VNF Aggregation for Air-Ground Integrated Networks.

In a harsh environment, function aggregation of air-ground integrated network service function chaining (SFC) deployment can easily cause network load imbalance, which affects the network security and reliability. In this study, a task-similarity-based virtual network function (VNF) aggregation scheme was proposed. It considered air-ground network resource consumption and load balance before SFC mapping. A model for selecting VNFs to be aggregated based on task similarity was built. The tasks were classified based on their similarity. Furthermore, the VNFs to be aggregated were selected within the class under the constraints of the underlying physical resources. Load balancing was achieved by adjusting the similarity threshold. Moreover, an SFC mapping selection scheme based on network resource awareness was used to obtain the most suitable physical nodes for single-chain and multi-chain mapping according to various attributes of physical network nodes. The simulation results indicated that the proposed scheme with a better load balance design outperformed existing works on VNF aggregation. We also demonstrated that the task-similarity-based scheme was resource-consumption efficient and effective.

Comparison of UV-based advanced oxidation processes for the removal of different fractions of NOM from drinking water.

This study examined the effectiveness for degradation of hydrophobic (HPO), transphilic (TPI) and hydrophilic (HPI) fractions of natural organic matter (NOM) during UV/H2O2, UV/TiO2 and UV/K2S2O8 (UV/PS) advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). The changing characteristics of NOM were evaluated by dissolved organic carbon (DOC), the specific UV absorbance (SUVA), trihalomethanes formation potential (THMFP), organic halogen adsorbable on activated carbon formation potential (AOXFP) and parallel factor analysis of excitation-emission matrices (PARAFAC-EEMs). In the three UV-based AOPs, HPI fraction with low molecular weight and aromaticity was more likely to degradate than HPO and TPI, and the removal efficiency of SUVA for HPO was much higher than TPI and HPI fraction. In terms of the specific THMFP of HPO, TPI and HPI, a reduction was achieved in the UV/H2O2 process, and the higest removal rate even reached to 83%. UV/TiO2 and UV/PS processes can only decrease the specific THMFP of HPI. The specific AOXFP of HPO, TPI and HPI fractions were all able to be degraded by the three UV-based AOPs, and HPO content is more susceptible to decompose than TPI and HPI content. UV/H2O2 was found to be the most effective treatment for the removal of THMFP and AOXFP under given conditions. C1 (microbial or marine derived humic-like substances), C2 (terrestrially derived humic-like substances) and C3 (tryptophan-like proteins) fluorescent components of HPO fraction were fairly labile across the UV-based AOPs treatment. C3 of each fraction of NOM was the most resistant to degrade upon the UV-based AOPs. Results from this study may provide the prediction about the consequence of UV-based AOPs for the degradation of different fractions of NOM with varied characteristics.

Experimental and theoretical investigation on degradation of dimethyl trisulfide by ultraviolet/peroxymonosulfate: Reaction mechanism and influencing factors.

With a large amount of domestic sewage and industrial wastewater discharged into the water bodies, sulfur-containing organic matter in wastewater produced volatile organic sulfide, such as dimethyl trisulfide (DMTS) through microorganisms, caused the potential danger of drinking water safety and human health. At present, there is still a lack of technology on the removal of DMTS. In this study, the ultraviolet/peroxymonosulfate (UV/PMS) advanced oxidation processes was used to explore the degradation of DMTS. More than 90% of DMTS (30 µg/L) was removed under the conditions of the concentration ratio of DMTS to PMS was 3:40, the temperature (T) was 25 ± 2℃, and 10 min of irradiation by a 200 W mercury lamp (365 nm). The kinetics rate constant k of DMTS reacting with hydroxyl radical (HO·) was determined to be 0.2477 min-1. Mn2+, Cu2+ and NO3- promoted the degradation of DMTS, whereas humic acid and Cl- in high concentrations inhibited the degradation process. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to analyze the degradation products and the degradation intermediates were dimethyl disulfide and methanethiol. Density functional theory was used to predict the possible degradation mechanism according to the frontier orbital theory and the bond breaking mechanism of organic compounds. The results showed that the SS, CS and CH bonds in DMTS molecular structure were prone to fracture in the presence of free radicals, resulting in the formation of alkyl radicals and sulfur-containing radicals, which randomly combined to generate a variety of degradation products.

Effect of Mobile Phone App-Based Interventions on Quality of Life and Psychological Symptoms Among Adult Cancer Survivors: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

BACKGROUND: Most patients with cancer experience psychological or physical distress, which can adversely affect their quality of life (QOL). Smartphone app interventions are increasingly being used to improve QOL and psychological outcomes in patients with cancer. However, there is insufficient evidence regarding the effect of this type of intervention, with conflicting results in the literature. OBJECTIVE: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we investigated the effectiveness of mobile phone app interventions on QOL and psychological outcomes in adult patients with cancer, with a special focus on intervention duration, type of cancer, intervention theory, treatment strategy, and intervention delivery format. METHODS: We conducted a literature search of PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Embase, Scopus, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and WanFang to identify studies involving apps that focused on cancer survivors and QOL or psychological symptoms published from inception to October 30, 2022. We selected only randomized controlled trials that met the inclusion criteria and performed systematic review and meta-analysis. The standardized mean difference (SMD) with a 95% CI was pooled when needed. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses were also conducted. RESULTS: In total, 30 randomized controlled trials with a total of 5353 participants were included in this meta-analysis. Compared with routine care, app interventions might improve QOL (SMD=0.39, 95% CI 0.27-0.51; P<.001); enhance self-efficacy (SMD=0.15, 95% CI 0.02-0.29; P=.03); and alleviate anxiety (SMD=-0.64, 95% CI -0.73 to -0.56; P<.001), depression (SMD=-0.33, 95% CI -0.58 to -0.08; P=.009), and distress (SMD=-0.34, 95% CI -0.61 to -0.08; P=.01). Short-term (duration of ≤3 months), physician-patient interaction (2-way communication using a smartphone app), and cognitive behavioral therapy interventions might be the most effective for improving QOL and alleviating adverse psychological effects. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that interventions using mobile health apps might improve QOL and self-efficacy as well as alleviate anxiety, depression, and distress in adult cancer survivors. However, these results should be interpreted with caution because of the heterogeneity of the interventions and the study design. More rigorous trials are warranted to confirm the suitable duration and validate the different intervention theories as well as address methodological flaws in previous studies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42022370599; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=370599.

Characterization of femtosecond laser-induced grating scattering of a continuous-wave laser light in air.

Nanosecond laser-induced grating scattering/spectroscopy (LIGS) technique has been widely applied for measuring thermodynamic parameters such as temperature and pressure in gaseous and liquid media. Recently, femtosecond (fs) laser was demonstrated to induce the grating and develop the fs-LIGS technique for gas thermometry. In this work, we systematically investigated the fs-LIGS signal generation using 35 fs, 800 nm laser pulses at 1 kHz repetition rate in ambient air by varying the pump laser energies, the probe laser powers and the temporal delays between two pump laser pulses. The stability of single-shot fs-LIGS signal was studied, from which we observed that the signal intensity exhibits a significant fluctuation while the oscillation frequency shows a much better stability. A 4.5% precision of the oscillation frequency was achieved over 100 single-shot signals. By using a previously-developed empirical model, the fs-LIGS signals were fitted using nonlinear least-squares fitting method, by which crucial time constants characterizing the signal decay process were extracted and their dependences on the pump laser energy were studied. From the measured results and theoretical analysis, we found that the appropriate range of the overall pump laser energy for reliable fs-LIGS measurements is approximately located within 80 ∼ 300 µJ. The limitations on the accuracy and precision of the fs-LIGS measurements, the origin of destructive influence of plasma generation on the signal generation as well as the electrostriction contribution were also discussed. Our investigations could contribute to a better understanding of the fs-LIGS process and further applications of the technique in single-shot gas thermometry and pressure measurements in various harsh conditions.