Dialdehyde cellulose films covalently crosslinked with porphyrin-based covalent organic polymers for photodynamic sterilization.

Foodborne pathogens result in a great harm to human, which is an urgent problem to be addressed. Herein, a novel cellulose-based packaging films with excellent anti-bacterial properties under visible light were prepared. A porphyrin-based covalent organic polymer (Por-COPs) was constructed, then covalently grafted onto dialdehyde cellulose (DAC). The addition of Por-COPs enhanced the mechanical, hydrophobicity, and water resistance of the DAC-based composite films. DAC/Por-COP-2.5 film exhibited outstanding properties for the photodynamic inactivation of bacteria under visible light irradiation, delivering inactivation efficiencies of 99.90 % and 99.45 % towards Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli within 20 min. The DAC/Por-COPs films efficiently generated •O2- and 1O2 under visible light, thereby causing oxidative stress to cell membranes for bacterial inactivation. The prepared composite film forms a protective barrier against bacterial contamination. Results guide the development of high performance and more sustainable packaging films for the food sector.

Patient-reported outcome measures for advanced cancer in China: A systematic review of cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric properties.

BACKGROUND: The number of patients with advanced cancer in China is rapidly increasing. As services and policy evolve, it is essential to improve the quality of care by measuring outcomes of importance to patients and families by identifying patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for use with advanced cancer patients in China, and critically appraising their cross-cultural adaptation process and measurement properties. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement INstruments (COSMIN), with quality assessment using the Guidelines for the Process of Cross-Cultural Adaptation of Self-Report Measures and COSMIN quality criteria for measurement properties. MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, CNKI and WanFang were systematically searched from inception to May 2019, updated to August 2022. Supplemental searches were conducted in grey literature databases, Google scholar and hand-searching of reference lists. RESULTS: From 10793 articles, 437 were selected for full-text review based on titles and abstracts. A total of 46 studies reporting 39 PROMs were retained. No articles were rated as "good quality" in more than four of the six stages of cross-cultural adaptation. At least half of the required information on psychometric properties was missing for each measure. Based on COSMIN, none identified PROMs were valid across all properties nor appropriate to use. CONCLUSION: There is currently no contextually appropriate and psychometrically sound PROMs for advanced cancer patients in China. The psychometric literature suggest that adaptation of existing measures is the potential solution. POLICY SUMMARY: Developing outcome measures for advanced cancer patients in China is invaluable to improve audit, clinical services and assess the quality of care, for research purposes and secure funding. Future research in measures' development, refinement and cross-cultural adaptation in this field is urgently needed.

Exploration of Aging-Care Parameters to Predict Mortality of Patients Aged 80-Years and Above with Community-Acquired Pneumonia.

Purpose: The study explores a clinical model based on aging-care parameters to predict the mortality of hospitalized patients aged 80-year and above with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Patients and methods: In this study, four hundred and thirty-five CAP patients aged 80-years and above were enrolled in the Central Hospital of Minhang District, Shanghai during 01,01,2018-31,12,2021. The clinical data were collected, including aging-care relevant factors (ALB, FRAIL, Barthel Index and age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index) and other commonly used factors. The prognostic factors were screened by multivariable logistic regression analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to predict the mortality risk. Results: Univariate analysis demonstrated that several factors, including gender, platelet distribution width, NLR, ALB, CRP, pct, pre-albumin, CURB-65, low-density, lipoprotein, Barthel Index, FRAIL, leucocyte count, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count and aCCI, were associated with the prognosis of CAP. Multivariate model analyses further identified that CURB-65 (p < 0.0001, OR = 5.44, 95% CI = 3.021-10.700), FRAIL (p < 0.0001, OR = 5.441, 95% CI = 2.611-12.25) and aCCI (p = 0.003, OR = 1.551, 95% CI = 1.165-2.099) were independent risk factors, whereas ALB (p = 0.005, OR = 0.871, 95% CI = 0.788-0.957) and Barthel Index (p = 0.0007, OR = 0.958, 95% CI = 0.933-0.981) were independent protective factors. ROC curves were plotted to further predict the in-hospital mortality and revealed that combination of three parameters (Barthel Index+ FRAI +CURB-65) showed the best performance. Conclusion: This study showed that CURB-65, frailty and aCCI were independent risk factors influencing prognosis. In addition, ALB and Barthel Index were protective factors for in CAP patients over 80-years old. AUC was calculated and revealed that combination of three parameters (Barthel Index+ FRAI +CURB-65) showed the best performance.

Care Needs and Symptoms Burden of Breast Cancer Patients in Jordan: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in Jordan. Rigorous needs assessment for breast cancer patients can prioritize both cancer care and palliative care to propose the appropriate services effectively. We conducted a cross-sectional study of breast cancer patients in a cancer center in Jordan. We assessed symptom burden, comorbidities, and performance using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS), the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and the Australia-modified Karnofsky performance scale (AKPS). Descriptive analysis and regression models to predict the highest symptom burden were used. A total of 233 participants were enrolled: curative vs. palliative intent groups (147 (63%) vs. 86 (37%) patients), respectively. Tiredness was the most reported symptom in 189 patients (81%), while nausea was the least in 61 patients (26.2%). A relationship between the AKPS score and total ESAS was seen (correlation coefficient of -0.487; p < 0.0001). The prevalence of anxiety (p = 0.014), lack of appetite (p = 0.002), poor well-being (p < 0.001), and sleep disorder (p = 0.035) was higher in the palliative care intent group than in the curative one. We identified unmet needs in breast cancer patients. Both groups showed a prevalence of distressing symptoms suggesting that even those with non-palliative intent have high needs and should receive integrated palliative care.

Experiences of redeployed healthcare workers in the fight against COVID-19 in China: A qualitative study.

INTRODUCTION: Public health responses were triggered while COVID-19 was spreading. China redeployed healthcare workers to serve the most vulnerable populations and communities in the initial epicentre-Wuhan. However, it is not known how redeployment processes impacted on healthcare workers in a pandemic crisis. AIMS: To explore the experiences and needs of frontline healthcare workers who were redeployed to care for COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, China, and understand the long-term impacts of the redeployment experience on their work and life. METHODS: A qualitative study was conducted with redeployed healthcare workers using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis. This study is reported in accordance with the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) guidelines. FINDINGS: A total of 20 redeployed healthcare workers (13 nurses and seven physicians) participated, and four themes were generated: (1) Initial feelings and emotions of redeployment-Participants experienced worries and concerns, a sense of isolation and loneliness on their arrival to the epicentre. (2) 'It is like a war zone'-Healthcare workers faced a range of risks and challenges of caring for COVID-19 patients in Wuhan in the context of resource strain. (3) Uncertainty and coping strategies in patient care-Despite the hardships experienced, participants continued to deliver high-quality patient care including psychological care and palliative care, good communication and building mutual trusting relationships. (4) Reflection and far-reaching impacts of caring for COVID-19 patients-Participants felt motivated and encouraged as efforts were recognised by the government and wider society. CONCLUSIONS: Redeployed healthcare workers shared their unique needs and experiences of coping with redeployment and challenges they faced in the context of resource strain, which has significant implications for policy and future practice. The reality of a pandemic may reduce healthcare workers' willingness to work due to various reasons including inadequate preparedness of facilities and workplace safety. It is important to support frontline healthcare workers in order to maintain an adequate healthcare workforce in pandemic crises. Continuously evolving pandemic circumstances and uncertainty highlight the importance of an organized national pandemic response plan for subsequent waves of COVID-19 and future pandemics.

Colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent dual-mode sensitive detection of Hg2+ based on UiO-66-NH2@Au composite.

A colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent dual-mode assay is constructed for sensitive and specific Hg2+ sensing based on UiO-66-NH2 and Au composite (UiO-66-NH2@Au). The addition of Hg2+ stimulates the peroxidase-like activity of UiO-66-NH2@Au by the formation of Au-Hg amalgam, promoting the oxidizing of chromogenic substrate OPD to DAP with the aid of H2O2, which lead to the change of colorimetric and fluorescent signals. The absorbance of the sensing system at 450 nm is linear positive correlation with Hg2+ concentration of 30-1400 nM and the color of the solution under visible light shaded from light yellow to dark yellow. With the increase of Hg2+ concentration, the fluorescence signal at 570 nm (DAP) increased whereas that at 455 nm (intrinsic fluorescence of UiO-66-NH2) decreased due to inner filter effect (IFE), the fluorescence intensity ratio (F455/F570) decreasing linearly with Log [Hg2+] over the range 60-1700 nM; the fluorescence emission of sensing system under UV excitation changed from blue to yellow, which can easily be discerned visually. This assay was successfully applied to the determination of Hg2+ in tap water and river water. The results indicate that the colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent dual-mode assay based on UiO-66-NH2@Au realized visual determination of Hg2+ rapidly and reliably, revealed application prospect in Hg2+ monitoring.

Regenerable magnetic aminated lignin/Fe3O4/La(OH)3 adsorbents for the effective removal of phosphate and glyphosate.

Phosphates and organophosphorus cause environmental pollution, and excessive phosphate leads to water eutrophication. Glyphosate, an organophosphorus herbicide, harms the environment and human health. In this study, regenerable magnetic AL/Fe3O4/La(OH)3 adsorbents were developed by modifying Fe3O4 and La(OH)3 on aminated lignin (AL) for phosphate and glyphosate removal. The adsorption capacity for phosphate and glyphosate reached 60.36 mg g-1 and 83.87 mg g-1 when the initial concentrations were 150 mg L-1 and 250 mg L-1, respectively. The thermodynamic data showed that adsorption is a spontaneous and endothermic process. Adsorption can be applied at pH values ranging from 3 to 11 and is more suitable under acidic conditions. Fe3O4 and La(OH)3 both enhanced the adsorption capacities of phosphate and glyphosate. Phosphate and glyphosate compete slightly when coexisting in the adsorption process at low concentrations. Due to the magnetic properties of Fe3O4, the adsorbents can be separated rapidly and effectively with an external magnetic field. 89% adsorption capacity remained after four adsorption-desorption recycles. Thus, AL/Fe3O4/La(OH)3 shows potential for phosphate and glyphosate removal as an effective and reusable adsorbent.

Establishment and evaluation of a PRRSV-sensitive porcine endometrial epithelial cell line by transfecting SV40 large T antigen.

BACKGROUND: PRRSV is an infectious illness causing lung injury and abortion in sows. Cells apoptosis in the interface between the endometrium and fetal placenta is a crucial factor causing abortion. Previous study confirmed PRRSV could cause apoptosis of macrophages but rarely produced an obvious change in porcine endometrial epithelial cells (PECs). Recently, PRRSV-induced abortion was attributed to fetal placental and endometrium epithelial cells (Sn+ and CD163+) apoptosis. However, the mechanism of abortion is still unrevealed because of the limit of porcine endometrium epithelial cells (PEC). The aim of this study was to establish a stable immortalized PECs lines and use it to reveal the abortion mechanism. RESULTS: In this study, highly purified primary PECs were harvested through differential digestion, and their characteristics were confirmed by CK18, ERɑ and PR staining. Cells were then immortalized by transfecting a lentiviral vector that expressed SV40 large T antigen. PECs lines were obtained after puromycin screening. Proliferation of cell line was evaluated by cell growth curve and cell cycle assays. Cell lines exhibited faster proliferation capacity than primary cells. Biological characteristics of cell line were assessed by Western blot, karyotype analysis and staining, which confirmed that the cell line retained the endometrium characteristics. Finally, PRRSV sensitivity was assessed; expression of Sn and CD163 indicated that primary PECs and cell lines were all potentially sensitive to PRRSV. PRRSV infection tests showed an obvious increase in apoptotic rate in the infected PEC cell line, which suggested its susceptibility. CONCLUSION: The newly constructed cell line is a useful tool for studying the mechanism of abortion caused by PRRSV.

Solid-to-Hollow Conversion of Silver Nanocrystals by Surface-Protected Etching.

Although hollow silver nanocrystals possess unique plasmonic properties, there is a lack of robust strategies to synthesize such nanocrystals with high efficiency and controllability. To solve this problem, a new surface-protected etching strategy to convert solid Ag nanocrystals, which are widely available from conventional syntheses, into their hollow counterparts, producing a family of hollow Ag nanocrystals is reported. Hollow Ag nanospheres and nanotubes were prepared conveniently in this way. The key was the surface modification of Ag nanocrystals by a minor amount of Pt prior to a controllable etching process, which accounts for enhanced stability of the Ag surface and subsequent etching of Ag from the inner part of the nanocrystals while retaining the overall crystal morphology. These hollow Ag nanocrystals showed distinctive optical properties, as demonstrated by the enhanced optical transmittance of flexible electrodes fabricated with Ag nanotubes, compared to nanowires. These hollow Ag nanocrystals hold promise in different plasmonic and electronic applications.

Synthesis of polyaniline-coated carbon nanotubes and study on their pH-sensitive conductivity.

We report the synthesis of polyaniline-coated-carbon nanotubes (PANI-c-CNTs) composites by using water-soluble CNTs with phenyl sulfonate groups as templates. A series of characterizations including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and UV-vis spectroscopy were conducted to investigate the formation of PANI coating on the surfaces of the CNTs. The thickness of PANI coating in the PANI-c-CNTs composites was controlled by adjusting concentrations of aniline and CNTs. The conductivities of PANI-c-CNTs composites were measured by using conductive atomic force microscopy (c-AFM). It was found that the conductivities of PANI-c-CNTs composites were remarkably affected after doping and dedoping process of PANI coating by different pH solution. Therefore, our preliminary result indicates that as-prepared PANI-c-CNTs composites may be used as gas sensor such as HCl and NH3 vapor.

Synthesis of monodisperse, quasi-spherical silver nanoparticles with sizes defined by the nature of silver precursors.

Monodisperse, quasi-spherical silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) with controlled sizes have been produced directly in water via adding the aqueous solutions of the mixtures of AgNO3 and sodium citrate to boiling aqueous solutions of ascorbic acid (AA). Different compounds, including NaCl, NaBr, KI, Na2SO4, Na2CO3, Na2S, and Na3PO4, are added to the AgNO3/citrate mixture solutions to form new silver compounds with fairly low solubility in water, which are used as precursors instead of soluble Ag(+) ions to synthesize Ag NPs via AA/citrate reduction. This enables us not only to produce monodisperse, quasi-spherical Ag NPs but also to tune the sizes of the resulting NPs from 16 to 30 nm according to the potential of new silver precursors as well as the concentrations of anions.

Preparation of porous hollow polyaniline microspheres and study on their in vitro release behavior.

We report the synthesis of porous hollow polyaniline (PANI) microspheres loaded with Acid Red 8 dye (200-600 nm diameters under different reaction conditions) by using spherically mesoporous aggregates of Fe3O4 particles as soft templates and ammonium persulfate (APS) as the oxidant at 2.5 degrees C. Since the as-prepared spherical aggregates of Fe3O4 particles are readily dissolved in acidic aqueous solution, these spherical aggregates can be treated as soft template for the fabrication of hollow spheres. This process is therefore more convenient than other reported methods which require the post-treatment to remove the templates under strict conditions. The influence of the synthetic conditions on the formation and size of PANI microspheres was investigated. The morphology was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The chemical and electronic structures of the PANI microspheres were also studied by FTIR and UV-Vis spectrometry, respectively. The experimental in vitro release showed that these porous hollow PANI microspheres provided a controlled release of the entrapped dye, which was regulated by pH. Furthermore, the releasing behavior was qualitatively explained based on effective dissociation constant as a function of the pH.

Simple synthesis of monodisperse, quasi-spherical, citrate-stabilized silver nanocrystals in water.

Monodisperse, quasi-spherical silver nanocrystals (Ag NCs) have been produced directly in water via adding the aqueous solution of a mixture of AgNO3, sodium citrate, and KI into the boiling aqueous solutions of ascorbic acid (AA). The AA is used to significantly accelerate reduction of AgNO3 in order to promote a very fast nucleation, and the KI is used to tailor the growth of the Ag NCs into a quasi-spherical shape via its preferential adsorption on the NC {111} facets. The major role of citrate is to stabilize the newly formed NCs, whereas it has a minor contribution to reduction of AgNO3. The synergy of the effects of AA, citrate, and KI can significantly narrow the size distributions of the Ag NCs obtained so and transform the NC shapes to be truly quasi-spherical.