Engineering in situ growth of Au nanoclusters on hydrophilic paper fibres for fluorescence calligraphy-based chemical logic gates and information encryption.

Gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) are a type of rising-star fluorescence nanomaterials, but their properties and applications are hindered by the multi-step synthesis and purification routes, as well as the lack of desired supporting substrates. To enhance optical performance and working efficiency, the synthesis and applications of AuNCs are suggested to be merged with emerging substrates. Herein, glutathione-modified hydrophilic rice papers are incubated in chloroauric acid aqueous solutions, and the oxidation-reduction reaction between glutathione and Au ions enables the in situ formation of fluorescent AuNCs on the solid fibres of rice papers. The in situ growth of fluorescent AuNCs on rice papers resulted in eye-catching fluorescence tracks, similar to traditional Chinese conventional calligraphy; thus, this fluoresence calligraphy is defined in this work. The entire process, including synthesis and signal responses, is extremely simple, rapid, and repeatable. Moreover, the diversity of additive chemical reagents in the studied rice papers resulted in responsive fluorescence calligraphy, and the as-synthesized AuNC materials exhibited high reliability and optical stability. Significantly, with the integration of synchronous formation and application of Au nanoclusters on hydrophilic paper substrates, high-performance logical gates and information encryption systems were constructed, remarkably facilitating the progress of molecular sensing and important information transmission.

Cysteine-Induced Chirality Evolution of Molybdenum Disulfide Nanodots from a Bottom-Up Strategy.

The transfer of chirality from molecules to synthesized nanomaterials has recently attracted significant attention. Although most studies have focused on graphene and plasmonic metal nanostructures, layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), particularly MoS2, have recently garnered considerable attention due to their semiconducting and electrocatalytic characteristics. Herein, we report a new approach for the synthesis of chiral molybdenum sulfide nanomaterials based on a bottom-up synthesis method in the presence of chiral cysteine enantiomers. In the synthesis process, molybdenum trioxide and sodium hydrosulfide serve as molybdenum and sulfur sources, respectively. In addition, ascorbic acid acts as a reducing agent, resulting in the formation of zero-dimensional MoS2 nanodots. Moreover, the addition of cysteine enantiomers to the growth solutions contributes to the chirality evolution of the MoS2 nanostructures. The chirality is attributed to the cysteine enantiomer-induced preferential folding of the MoS2 planes. The growth mechanism and chiral structure of the nanomaterials are confirmed through a series of characterization techniques. This work combines chirality with the bottom-up synthesis of MoS2 nanodots, thereby expanding the synthetic methods for chiral nanomaterials. This simple synthesis approach provides new insights for the construction of other chiral TMD nanomaterials with emerging structures and properties. More significantly, the as-formed MoS2 nanodots exhibited highly defect-rich structures and chiroptical performance, thereby inspiring a high potential for emerging optical and electronic applications.

Electrophoretic Microplate Protein Identification Based on Gold Staining of Molybdenum Disulfide Hydrogels.

Numerous high-performance nanotechnologies have been developed, but their practical applications are largely restricted by the nanomaterials' low stabilities and high operation complexity in aqueous substrates. Herein, we develop a simple and high-reliability hydrogel-based nanotechnology based on the in situ formation of Au nanoparticles in molybdenum disulfide (MoS2)-doped agarose (MoS2/AG) hydrogels for electrophoresis-integrated microplate protein recognition. After the incubation of MoS2/AG hydrogels in HAuCl4 solutions, MoS2 nanosheets spontaneously reduce Au ions, and the hydrogels are remarkably stained with the color of as-synthetic plasmonic Au hybrid nanomaterials (Au staining). Proteins can precisely mediate the morphologies and optical properties of Au/MoS2 heterostructures in the hydrogels. Consequently, Au staining-based protein recognition is exhibited, and hydrogels ensure the comparable stabilities and sensitivities of protein analysis. In comparison to the fluorescence imaging and dye staining, enhanced sensitivity and recognition performances of proteins are implemented by Au staining. In Au staining, exfoliated MoS2 semiconductors directly guide the oriented growth of plasmonic Au nanostructures in the presence of formaldehyde, showing environment-friendly features. The Au-stained hydrogels merge the synthesis and recognition applications of plasmonic Au nanomaterials. Significantly, the one-step incubation of the electrophoretic hydrogels leads to high simplicity of operation, largely challenging those multiple-step Ag staining routes which were performed with high complexity and formaldehyde toxicity. Due to its toxic-free, simple, and sensitive merits, the Au staining integrated with electrophoresis-based separation and microplate-based high-throughput measurements exhibits highly promising and improved practicality of those developing nanotechnologies and largely facilitates in-depth understanding of biological information.

Mullerian adenosarcoma of the uterus with MASO: a case report of cervical adenosarcoma in a young female that never had sexual behavior.

BACKGROUND: Cervical mullerian adenosarcoma is a rare uterine sarcoma, especially in young women. Its pathological features are low-grade malignant tumors with bidirectional differentiation, and the degree of malignancy is similar to that of low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma. This paper reports the case of a young asexual patient who has been closely followed up after tumor resection and has not had any recurrences. CASE PRESENTATION: A 20-year-old, young asexual woman was diagnosed with cervical mullerian adenosarcoma with sarcomatous overgrowth (MASO). Cervical tumor resection was performed after admission, and the resection margin was negative. After the operation, she refused to undergo secondary surgery due to fertility requirements and did not receive adjuvant treatment. The patient was closely followed up after the operation and has not yet relapsed. CONCLUSION: A young woman with cervical MASO did not receive adjuvant treatment after cervical tumor resection. For women with fertility requirements, close follow-ups should be conducted after the operation to guard against tumor recurrence and radical tumor resection should be performed as early as possible after the patient no longer requires their fertility.

Efficacy and safety of dienogest in the treatment of deep infiltrating endometriosis: A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review and conduct a meta-analysis to assess the effectiveness of dienogest (DNG) in the prolonged conservative drug management of deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE). The findings from this study are intended to serve as a valuable reference for clinical decision-making regarding medication in the context of DIE. METHODS: Following the PRISMA Statement, we searched EMBASE, PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Medline databases for relevant literature published in the public domain from the date of establishment of the database until October 2023. Subsequently, all English publications on clinical studies using DNG for the treatment of DIE were included. Studies involving surgical intervention or drug therapy for postoperative recurrence were excluded. All literature included in the review underwent risk assessment of bias. Two evaluators independently screened the publications, conducted a quality assessment of each article and extracted data. We used Revman 5.4 for the meta-analysis of the included literature. RESULTS: Our final analysis consisted of five clinical studies, involving a total of 256 patients. We found that there were significant improvements in the following indicators post-medication as compared to levels before taking the medication: dysmenorrhea (MD = 4.24, 95 % CI: 2.92-5.56, P < 0.00001), non-menstrual pelvic pain (MD = 3.11, 95 % CI: 2.34-3.88, P < 0.00001), dyspareunia (MD = 1.93, 95 % CI: 1.50-2.37, P < 0.00001), dyschezia (MD = 2.48, 95 % CI: 1.83-3.12, P < 0.00001), and rectosigmoid nodule size (MD = 0.32, 95 % CI: 0.18-0.46, P < 0.00001). Compared with pre-medication levels, the following indicators were significantly worse: headache (RR = 0.03, 95 % CI: 0.00-0.23, P = 0.0006), decreased libido (RR = 0.08, 95 % CI: 0.01-0.62, P = 0.02); and there was no significant improvement in dysuria (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: DNG showed efficacy in relieving pain-related symptoms and significantly reducing the size of the lesions when used in the drug conservative treatment of DIE.

Prognostic Nutritional Index Enhances the Discriminatory Ability of Procalcitonin for Predicting Pediatric Sepsis.

Objective. Improving diagnostic ability of pediatric sepsis is of great significance for reducing the mortality of sepsis. This study explored the discriminatory capacity of nutritional index (PNI) in pediatric sepsis. Methods. We retrospectively enrolled 134 children with suspected sepsis and collected their clinical and laboratory data. Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC), decision curve analysis (DCA) and net reclassification improvement (NRI) were performed to compare the predictive significance of the PNI, procalcitonin (PCT) and their combination. Results. Among 134 patients, 65 children were diagnosed with sepsis and 69 children with non-sepsis. PCT and PNI were independently associated with pediatric sepsis. PCT was superior to PNI to predict pediatric sepsis. The model based on PCT + PNI improved the predictive capacity than them alone, as demonstrated by ROC, DCA and NRI, respectively. Conclusion. PNI was independently associated with pediatric sepsis, and addition of PNI could improve the capacity of PCT to predict pediatric sepsis.

The Dual Role of the NFATc2/galectin-9 Axis in Modulating Tumor-Initiating Cell Phenotypes and Immune Suppression in Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Tumor-initiating cells (TICs) resilience and an immunosuppressive microenvironment are aggressive oncogenic phenotypes that contribute to unsatisfactory long-term outcomes in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients. The molecular mechanisms mediating the interaction between TICs and immune tolerance have not been elucidated. The role of Galectin-9 in oncogenesis and immunosuppressive microenvironment is still unknown. This study explored the potential role of galectin-9 in TIC regulation and immune modulation in LUAD. The results show that galectin-9 supports TIC properties in LUAD. Co-culture of patient-derived organoids and matched peripheral blood mononuclear cells showed that tumor-secreted galectin-9 suppressed T cell cytotoxicity and induced regulatory T cells (Tregs). Clinically, galectin-9 is upregulated in human LUAD. High expression of galectin-9 predicted poor recurrence-free survival and correlated with high levels of Treg infiltration. LGALS9, the gene encoding galectin-9, is found to be transcriptionally regulated by the nuclear factor of activated T cells 2 (NFATc2), a previously reported TIC regulator, via in silico prediction and luciferase reporter assays. Overall, the results suggest that the NFATc2/galectin-9 axis plays a dual role in TIC regulation and immune suppression.

Comparison of laparoscopic hepatectomy and percutaneous radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of small hepatocellular carcinoma: a meta-analysis.

AIM: The purpose of this study was to compare the long-term outcomes of laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) and percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (PRFA) for the treatment of small hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Medline from January 2000 to May 2022 for literature comparing the efficacy of LH and PRFA in the treatment of small hepatocellular carcinoma (largest tumour diameter ≤ 3 cm, number of intrahepatic tumours ≤3, or diameter of a single intrahepatic lesion ≤5 cm. ). We assessed overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), local recurrence and complication rates. RESULTS: A total of 1886 patients with small HCC were included in the 8 studies included in this study, of which 839 underwent LH and 1047 underwent PRAF. The results of the meta-analysis showed that the two groups had the same 3-year (HR: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.67 to 1.47) and 5-year (HR: 1.30, 95% CI: 0.90 to 1.87) OS rates, and the LH group had better 3-year (HR: 0.58, 95% CI: 0.49 to 0.68) and 5-year (HR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.37 to 0.85) RFS rates. The LH group had a lower local recurrence rate (OR: 0.19, 95% CI: 0.12 to 0.32), but the PRFA group had a lower complication rate (OR: 2.49, 95% CI: 1.76 to 3.54). CONCLUSION: There was no difference in OS between LH and PRFA in the treatment of small HCC. LH had a higher RFS rate and a lower local recurrence rate, but PRFA had a lower complication rate. In general, the long-term efficacy of LH in the treatment of small HCC is better than that of PRFA. Considering the advantages of less trauma and a low complication rate of PRFA, a large number of RCT studies are needed for further verification in the future.

An artificial biocatalytic cascade for efficient synthesis of norepinephrine by combination of engineered L-threonine transaldolase with multi-enzyme expression fine-tuning.

Norepinephrine, a kind of ß-adrenergic receptor agonist, is commonly used for treating shocks and hypotension caused by a variety of symptoms. The development of a straightforward, efficient and environmentally friendly biocatalytic route for manufacturing norepinephrine remains a challenge. Here, we designed and realized an artificial biocatalytic cascade to access norepinephrine starting from 3, 4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde and L-threonine mediated by a tailored-made L-threonine transaldolase PsLTTA-Mu1 and a newly screened tyrosine decarboxylase ErTDC. To overcome the imbalance of multi-enzymes in a single cell, engineering of PsLTTA for improved activity and fine-tuning expression mode of multi-enzymes in single E.coli cells were combined, leading to a robust whole cell biocatalyst ES07 that could produce 100 mM norepinephrine with 99% conversion, delivering a highest time-space yield (3.38 g/L/h) ever reported. To summarized, the current study proposed an effective biocatalytic approach for the synthesis of norepinephrine from low-cost substrates, paving the way for industrial applications of enzymatic norepinephrine production.

Anti-inflammatory Polyketides from an Endophytic Fungus Chaetomium sp. UJN-EF006 of Vaccinium bracteatum.

Seven new polyketides including three chromone derivatives (1-3) and four linear ones incorporating a tetrahydrofuran ring (4-7), along with three known compounds (8-10), were obtained from the fermentation of an endophytic fungus (Chaetomium sp. UJN-EF006) isolated from the leaves of Vaccinium bracteatum. The structures of these fungal metabolites have been elucidated by spectroscopic means including MS, NMR and electronic circular dichroism. A preliminary anti-inflammatory screening with the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced RAW264.7 cell model revealed moderate NO production inhibitory activity for compounds 1 and 4. In addition, the expression of three LPS-induced inflammatory factors IL-6, iNOS and COX-2 was also blocked by 1 and 4.

Bioactive neolignan, iridoid and flavonoid glycosides from the leaves of Vaccinium bracteatum.

Two neolignan glycosides including a new one (1), along with seven iridoid glycosides (3 - 9) and nine flavonoid glycosides (10 - 18), were isolated from the leaves of Vaccinium bracteatum. Their structures were established mainly on the basis of 1D/2D NMR and ESIMS analyses, as well as comparison to known compounds in the literature. The structure of 1 with absolute stereochemistry was also confirmed by chemical degradation and ECD calculation. Selective compounds showed antiradical activity against ABTS and/or DPPH. Moreover, several isolates also suppressed the production of ROS in RAW264.7 cells and exerted neuroprotective effect toward PC12 cells.

Research progress on the regulation of intestinal flora and effect on intestinal absorption and transport by TCM components / 药学实践与服务

The domestic and international research progress on the regulation of gut microbiota by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) ingredients and their impact on intestinal absorption and transportation were summarized, which provided assistance for subsequent clinical rational drug use targeting gut microbiota. Literature on the relationship between gut microbiota and intestinal absorption and transportation in recent years were reviewed and analyzed, and the mechanism of TCM ingredients regulating gut microbiota on drug absorption and transportation was elucidated. Research has found that TCM ingredients alter gut microbiota, thereby affecting intestinal barrier function and absorption of transport proteins, which is of great significance for rational clinical medication.

Hereditary pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma and associated syndromes:a clinical and genetic study / 陆军军医大学学报

Objective To summarize and analyze the clinical phenotypes,hereditary features and treatment and follow-up strategies of different hereditary pheochromocytoma/paragangliomas(PCC/PGL)and related syndromes.Methods Forty-four clinically diagnosed PCC/PGL patients admitted in our hospital from January 2000 to August 2022 were enrolled,and the clinical data of them and their family members were collected.Second-generation sequencing was performed on 43 patients for genetic detection,and Sanger sequencing was applied to verify the mutation of the probands and family members.Results There were 15 patients diagnosed with hereditary PCC/PGL,including 7 cases of von Hippel-Lindau(VHL)syndrome,3 cases of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2(MEN2),and 5 cases of familial paraganglioma syndrome.Seven VHL syndrome families were diagnosed as VHL2A(c.500G＞A),VHL2B(c.239G＞T and c.444_457del),and VHL2C(c.293A＞G)according to their clinical manifestations.All probands received surgical treatment,and 2 cases of recurrent PCC and the patients with multiple renal cancer also received targeted therapy with sunitinib.Three MEN2 families carried c.1901G＞C,c.1832G＞A,and c.1901G＞A missense mutations,respectively,and were diagnosed with MEN2A clinically.All of them underwent adrenalectomy and thyroidectomy,including one for preventive thyroidectomy.Among the 5 familial paraganglioma syndrome families,4 patients carried SDHB mutations(SDHB:c.343C＞T,c.541-2A＞G,c.575G＞A,c.268C＞T)and 1 patient carried an SDHD mutation(SDHD:c.337_340del).Sporadic retroperitoneal PGL were most common.Conclusion More than 1/3 of PCC/PGL patients carry germline gene mutations,showing obvious genotype-phenotype correlation.Genetic diagnosis technology plays an important guidance role for clinical precision treatment and follow-up,and genetic counseling.

Analysis of factors related to sleep disorders in patients with chronic kidney disease / 安徽医科大学学报

Objective @#To evaluate the sleep quality of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and to explore the related factors of sleep disorder in patients with CKD .@*Methods @#The basic data of hospitalization patients with CKD without renal replacement therapy were prospectively collected , and the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) scale was used to evaluate the sleep quality of patients . Patients with a PSQI score of ≤5 were divided into the nor mal sleep group , and patients with a PSQI score of > 5 were divided into the sleep disorder group . Logistic regres sion analysis was used to explore the related factors of sleep disorder in patients with CKD .@*Results@#A total of 189 patients with CKD who did not receive renal replacement therapy were included , including 114 males (60.3% ) and 75 females (39.7% ) , aged 56.5 ±15.23 years . The PSQI score was 7.00 (5.00 , 8.00) , there were 58 ca ses in the normal sleep group and 131 cases in the sleep disorder group , and the prevalence of sleep disorder was as high as 69 3% . As the CKD stage progresses , the prevalence of sleep disorders gradually increases . There were differences between the sleep disorder group and the normal sleep group in subjective sleep quality , sleep latency , sleep duration , habitual sleep efficiency , sleep disorder superposition problems , and daytime dysfunction ( P < 0.05) , while there was no statistically significant difference in the scores of sleep medication use . Retirement or unemployed (OR = 6.509 , 95% CI:1.844 - 22.976) and women (OR = 4.561 , 95% CI: 1.241 - 16.767) were independent risk factors for sleep disorders , while e GFR (OR = 0.960 , 95% CI: 0.931 - 0.991) was a protective factor for sleep disorders , P < 0.05 . @*Conclusion @#The prevalence of sleep disorders in patients with chronic kidney disease without renal replacement therapy gradually increases with the decrease of e GFR and the increase of CKD stage , but they do not receive timely intervention with sleep improvement drugs . Clinicians need to focus on assess ing sleep quality in women versus unemployed or retired patients with CKD .

Expert consensus on the clinical diagnosis and treatment of scrub typhus / 中国人兽共患病学报

Scrub typhus is a type of natural focal disease caused by a bacteria called Orientia tsutsugamushi and mainly en-demic in East and Southeast Asia.The most common clinical symptoms of scrub typhus include fever,eschar,ulcer,lymph node enlargement and rash,which are not typical on early stage and could easily lead to misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis.By reviewing relevant guidelines and references at home and abroad,combining clinical diagnosis and treatment experiences in Chi-na,the experts from Biodiagnostic Technology Branch of China Medical Biotechnology Association and Chinese Society of Mi-crobiology Committee on Zoonotic Pathogens formed this consensus on the clinical diagnosis and treatment of scrub typhus.

Mercury-Mediated Epitaxial Accumulation of Au Atoms for Stained Hydrogel-Improved On-Site Mercury Monitoring.

Trivalent Au ions are easily reduced to be zerovalent atoms by coexisting reductant reagents, resulting in the subsequent accumulation of Au atoms and formation of plasmonic nanostructures. In the absence of stabilizers or presence of weak stabilizers, aggregative growth of Au nanoparticles (NPs) always occurs, and unregular multidimensional Au materials are consequently constructed. Herein, the addition of nanomole-level mercury ions can efficiently prevent the epitaxial accumulation of Au atoms, and separated Au NPs with mediated morphologies and superior plasmonic characteristics are obtained. Experimental results and theoretical simulation demonstrate the Hg-concentration-reliant formation of plasmonic nanostructures with their mediated sizes and shapes in the presence of weak reductants. Moreover, the sensitive plasmonic responses of reaction systems exhibit selectivity comparable to that of Hg species. As a concept of proof, polymeric carbon dots (CDs) were used as the initial reductant, and the reactions between trivalent Au and CDs were studies. Significantly, Hg atoms prevent the epitaxial accumulation of Au atoms, and plasmonic NPs with decreased sizes were in situ synthesized, corresponding to varied surface plasmonic resonance absorption performance of the CD-induced hybrids. Moreover, with the integration of sensing substrates of CD-doped hydrogels, superior response stabilities, analysis selectivity, and sensitivity of Hg2+ ions were achieved on the basis of the mercury-mediated in situ chemical reactions between trivalent Au ions and reductant CDs. Consequently, a high-performance sensing strategy with the use of Au NP-staining hydrogels (nanostaining hydrogels) was exhibited. In addition to Hg sensing, the nanostaining hydrogels facilitated by doping of emerging materials and advanced chem/biostrategies can be developed as high-performance on-site monitoring routes to various pollutant species.

Full-thickness dermal wound regeneration using hypoxia preconditioned blood-derived growth factors: A case series.

Hard-to-heal wounds can be detrimental to patients' quality of life. Currently, there is scarcity of therapeutic alternatives to mainstay surgical treatment, which uses the principles of tissue debridement, temporary wound coverage, and subsequent tissue reconstruction. Here, a new approach is proposed that harnesses the regenerative power of autologous peripheral blood, through a process termed hypoxia-adjusted in vitro preconditioning. The effectiveness of this method is demonstrated with six cases of surgical wounds, including two cases of large full-thickness dermal wounds that developed as a result of skin necrosis following abdominoplasty and buttock-lift procedures in heavy smokers, as well as a case of extensive inflammatory tissue damage that occurred following breast surgery. While these wounds differed in size (4-160 cm2), geometry and location, all of them could be managed conservatively with topical application of growth factor-enriched hypoxia preconditioned serum derived from the patient's own peripheral blood. This treatment led to complete wound closure by latest 135 days. The finding of complete skin regeneration even in large (>10 cm2), full-thickness wounds, where initially no dermal tissue was available in the wound bed, strongly suggests that the treatment targeted key cellular regenerative mechanisms, including differentiation, angiogenesis, granulation tissue induction, contraction and epithelialization. The method is readily clinically applicable, cost effective, and overcomes limitations of the classic reconstructive approach.