Ficolin 3 promotes ferroptosis in HCC by downregulating IR/SREBP axis-mediated MUFA synthesis.

BACKGROUND: Targeting ferroptosis has been identified as a promising approach for the development of cancer therapies. Monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) is a type of lipid that plays a crucial role in inhibiting ferroptosis. Ficolin 3 (FCN3) is a component of the complement system, serving as a recognition molecule against pathogens in the lectin pathway. Recent studies have reported that FCN3 demonstrates inhibitory effects on the progression of certain tumors. However, whether FCN3 can modulate lipid metabolism and ferroptosis remains largely unknown. METHODS: Cell viability, BODIPY-C11 staining, and MDA assay were carried out to detect ferroptosis. Primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and xenograft models were utilized to investigate the effect of FCN3 on the development of HCC in vivo. A metabonomic analysis was conducted to assess alterations in intracellular and HCC intrahepatic lipid levels. RESULTS: Our study elucidates a substantial decrease in the expression of FCN3, a component of the complement system, leads to MUFA accumulation in human HCC specimens and thereby significantly promotes ferroptosis resistance. Overexpression of FCN3 efficiently sensitizes HCC cells to ferroptosis, resulting in the inhibition of the oncogenesis and progression of both primary HCC and subcutaneous HCC xenograft. Mechanistically, FCN3 directly binds to the insulin receptor ß (IR-ß) and its pro-form (pro-IR), inhibiting pro-IR cleavage and IR-ß phosphorylation, ultimately resulting in IR-ß inactivation. This inactivation of IR-ß suppresses the expression of sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c (SREBP1c), which subsequently suppresses the transcription of genes related to de novo lipogenesis (DNL) and lipid desaturation, and consequently downregulates intracellular MUFA levels. CONCLUSIONS: These findings uncover a novel regulatory mechanism by which FCN3 enhances the sensitivity of HCC cells to ferroptosis, indicating that targeting FCN3-induced ferroptosis is a promising strategy for HCC treatment.

Risk factors for positive resection margins after endoscopic resection for gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, the incidence of gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors (GI-NETs) has remarkably increased due to the widespread use of screening gastrointestinal endoscopy. Currently, the most common treatments are surgery and endoscopic resection. Compared to surgery, endoscopic resection possesses a higher risk of resection margin residues for the treatment of GI-NETs. METHODS: A total of 315 patients who underwent surgery or endoscopic resection for GI-NETs were included. We analyzed their resection modality (surgery, ESD, EMR), margin status, Preoperative marking and Prognosis. RESULTS: Among 315 patients included, 175 cases underwent endoscopic resection and 140 cases underwent surgical treatment. A total of 43 (43/175, 24.57%) and 10 (10/140, 7.14%) patients exhibited positive resection margins after endoscopic resection and surgery, respectively. Multivariate regression analysis suggested that no preoperative marking and endoscopic treatment methods were risk factors for resection margin residues. Among the patients with positive margin residues after endoscopic resection, 5 patients underwent the radical surgical resection and 1 patient underwent additional ESD resection. The remaining 37 patients had no recurrence during a median follow-up of 36 months. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with surgery, endoscopic therapy has a higher margin residual rate. During endoscopic resection, preoperative marking may reduce the rate of lateral margin residues, and endoscopic submucosal dissection may be preferred than endoscopic mucosal resection. Periodical follow-up may be an alternative method for patients with positive margin residues after endoscopic resection.

Study on the Low-Velocity Impact Response and Damage Mechanisms of Thermoplastic Composites.

A comparative experimental and numerical study of the impact behaviour of carbon-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic (TP) and thermoset (TS) composites has been carried out. On the one hand, low velocity impact (LVI) tests were performed on TP and TS composites with different lay-up sequences at different energy levels, and the damage modes and microscopic damage mechanisms after impact were investigated using macroscale inspection, C-scan inspection, and X-ray-computed tomography. The comparative results show that the initial damage valve force under LVI depends not only on the material, but also on the layup sequence. The initial valve force of the P2 soft layer with lower stiffness is about 11% lower than that of the P1 quasi-isotropic layer under the same material, while the initial valve force of thermoplastic composites is about 28% lower than that of thermoset composites under the same stacking order. Under the same stacking order and impact energy level, the damage area and depth of TP composites are smaller than those of TS composites; while under the same material and impact energy level, the indentation depth of P2 plies is greater than that of P1 plies, and the damage area of P2 plies is smaller than that of P1 plies, but the change of thermoplastic composites is not as obvious as that of thermoset composites. This indicates that TP composites have a higher initial damage threshold energy and impact resistance at the same lay-up order, while increasing the lay-up ratio of the same material by 45° improves the impact resistance of the structure. In addition, a damage model based on continuum damage mechanics (CDM) was developed to predict different damage modes of thermoplastic composites during low velocity impact, and the analytical results were compared with the experimental results. At an impact energy of 4.45 J/mm, the error of the initial damage valve force is 5.26% and the error of the maximum impact force is 4.36%. The simulated impact energy and impact velocity curves agree with the experimental results, indicating that the finite element model has good reliability.

Nanosheet-structured ZnCo-LDH microsphere as active material for rechargeable zinc batteries.

We report zinc cobalt-layered double hydroxides (ZnCo-LDH) as the active cathode materials for the development of high-performance Zn-ZnCo batteries. Electrochemical investigations show the battery's capacity increases linearly with increasing the ZnCo-LDH loading (up to 60 mg cm-2). The resulting Zn-ZnCo battery exhibits excellent rate performance and cycle stability, retaining 86% of its capacity even after 5000 cycles of testing. By incorporating ZnCo-LDH with a Pt/C-coated gas diffusion layer to form an integrated multifunctional air-cathode, we demonstrate a hybrid Zn battery, which combines the merits of Zn-ZnCo and Zn-air batteries to show a characteristic two-stage charge-discharge voltage profile. The current work demonstrates the linear relationship between the battery capacity and the active material loading. The results also highlight that a greater battery capacity requires further increasing of loading though very challenging.

A Comparative Study on the Mechanical Properties of Open-Hole Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Thermoplastic and Thermosetting Composite Materials.

In this paper, the damage initiation/propagation mechanisms and failure modes of open-hole carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites and thermosetting composites with tension, compression, and bearing loads are investigated, respectively, by experiments and finite element simulations. The experimental evaluations are performed on the specimens using the Combined Loading Compression (CLC) test method, the tensile test method, and the single-shear test method. The differences in macroscopic damage initiation, evolution mode, and damage characteristics between thermoplastic composite materials and thermosetting composite material open-hole structures are obtained and analyzed under compressive load. Based on scanning electron microscope SEM images, a comparative analysis is conducted on the micro-failure modes of fibers, matrices, and fiber/matrix interfaces in the open-hole structures of thermoplastic and thermosetting composites under compressive load. The differences between thermoplastic and thermosetting composites were analyzed from the micro-failure mechanism. Finally, based on continuum damage mechanics (CDM), a damage model is also developed for predicting the initiation and propagation of damage in thermoplastic composites. The model, which can capture fiber breakage and matrix crack, as well as the nonlinear response, is used to conduct virtual compression tests, tensile test, and single-shear test, respectively. Numerical simulation results are compared with the extracted experimental results. The displacement-load curve and failure modes match the experimental result, which indicates that the finite element model has good reliability.

The relationship between longer leukocyte telomeres and dNCR in non-cardiac surgery patients: a retrospective analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive decline following surgery is a common concern among elderly individuals. Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) can be assessed as a biological clock connected to an individual lifespan. However, the mechanisms causing this inference are still not fully understood. As a result of this, LTL has the potential to be useful as an aging-related biomarker for assessing delayed neurocognitive recovery (dNCR) and related diseases. METHODS: For this study, 196 individuals over 60 who were scheduled due to major non-cardiac surgical operations attended neuropsychological testing before surgery, followed by additional testing one week later. The finding of dNCR was based on a measured Z-score ≤ -1.96 on two or more separate tests. The frequency of dNCR was presented as the primary outcome of the study. Secondly, we evaluated the association between dNCR and preoperative LTL. RESULTS: Overall, 20.4% [40/196; 95% confidence interval (CI), 14.7-26.1%] of patients exhibited dNCR 1-week post-surgery. Longer LTL was identified as a predictor for the onset of early cognitive impairment resulting in postoperative cognitive decline [odds ratio (OR), 14.82; 95% CI, 4.01-54.84; P < 0.001], following adjustment of age (OR, 12.33; 95% CI, 3.29-46.24; P < 0.001). The dNCR incidence based on LTL values of these patients, the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.79 (95% CI, 0.722-0.859; P < 0.001). At an optimal cut-off value of 0.959, LTL values offered respective specificity and sensitivity values of 64.7% and 87.5%. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, the current study revealed that the incidence of dNCR was strongly associated with prolonged LTL. Furthermore, this biomarker could help identify high-risk patients and offer insight into the pathophysiology of dNCR.

Pharmacotherapies of NAFLD: updated opportunities based on metabolic intervention.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic liver disease that is becoming increasingly prevalent, and it ranges from simple steatosis to cirrhosis. However, there is still a lack of pharmacotherapeutic strategies approved by the Food and Drug Administration, which results in a higher risk of death related to carcinoma and cardiovascular complications. Of note, it is well established that the pathogenesis of NAFLD is tightly associated with whole metabolic dysfunction. Thus, targeting interconnected metabolic conditions could present promising benefits to NAFLD, according to a number of clinical studies. Here, we summarize the metabolic characteristics of the development of NAFLD, including glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism and intestinal metabolism, and provide insight into pharmacological targets. In addition, we present updates on the progresses in the development of pharmacotherapeutic strategies based on metabolic intervention globally, which could lead to new opportunities for NAFLD drug development.

Novel ginsenoside monomer RT4 promotes colitis repair in mice by regulating miR-144-3p/SLC7A11 signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Ginsenoside RT4 (RT4) is a new biologically active compound extracted from ginseng that possesses numerous medicinal and pharmacological properties. However, its potential therapeutic effect of ginsenoside RT4 on ulcerative colitis remains unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of ginsenoside RT4 and its underlying molecular mechanism in the treatment of ulcerative colitis mice induced with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). Our results demonstrate that ginsenoside RT4 effectively reduced weight, shortening of colonic tract length, colonic bowel damage, and disease activity index (DAI) scores in DSS-induced colitis mice. Additionally, ginsenoside RT4 regulates miR-144-3p expression in DSS-induced colitis mice, and we further confirmed that the solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) was the target gene of miR-144-3p by database analysis. Finally, ginsenoside RT4 inhibits the activation of the miR-144-3p/SLC7A11 signaling pathway, which alleviates colitis. Ginsenoside RT4 significantly decreased the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1ß and increased the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that ginsenoside RT4 may have therapeutic potential for treating ulcerative colitis by downregulating levels of miR-144-3p/SLC7A11 signaling pathway, which are expected to be useful in treating clinical ulcerative colitis.

The effect of ginsenosides on liver injury in preclinical studies: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Liver injury is a severe liver lesion caused by various etiologies and is one of the main areas of medical research. Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer has traditionally been used as medicine to treat diseases and regulate body functions. Ginsenosides are the main active components of ginseng, and their effects on liver injury have been extensively reported. Methods: Preclinical studies meeting the inclusion criteria were retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wan Fang Data Knowledge Service Platforms. The Stata 17.0 was used to perform the meta-analysis, meta-regression, and subgroup analysis. Results: This meta-analysis included ginsenosides Rb1, Rg1, Rg3, and compound K (CK), in 43 articles. The overall results showed that multiple ginsenosides significantly reduced alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), affected oxidative stress-related indicators, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and catalase (CAT), and reduced levels of inflammatory factor, such as factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), interleukin-6 (IL-6). Additionally, there was a large amount of heterogeneity in the meta-analysis results. Our predefined subgroup analysis shows that the animal species, the type of liver injury model, the duration of treatment, and the administration route may be the sources of some of the heterogeneity. Conclusion: In a word, ginsenosides have good efficacy against liver injury, and their potential mechanisms of action target antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and apoptotic-related pathways. However, the overall methodological quality of our current included studies was low, and more high-quality studies are needed to confirm their effects and mechanisms further.

Characterisation of kapok fibre's biochar for arsenate adsorption removal from aqueous solution.

Al-KBC was produced through the simple pyrolysis of Al-modified kapok fibres at high temperatures. Using the N2 adsorption Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET) process, Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), the sorbent changes and characteristics were analysed. As a result of Al's addition to the fibre's surface, Al-KBC exhibited superior As(V) adsorption performance compared to KBC due to better pore structures. Experiments on the kinetics of As(V) adsorption revealed that the adsorption followed the pseudo-second-order model and that intradiffusion was not the only factor governing the adsorption. Experiments with isotherms indicated that the adsorption mechanism corresponded to the Langmuir model, and the adsorption capacity Qm of Al-KBC at 25 °C was 483 µg/g. The thermodynamic experiments suggested that the adsorption reactions were spontaneous endothermic with a random approach at the adsorption interface. 25 mg/L of coexisting ions such as sulphate and phosphate reduced the sorbent As(V) removal ability to 65% and 39%. After seven cycles of adsorption/desorption, Al-KBC demonstrated satisfactory performance in terms of reusability, adsorbing 53% of 100 µg/L As(V) from the water. This novel BC can probably be used as a filter to purify groundwater with high As(V) concentration in the rural zone.

Seasonal variations, source apportionment and dry deposition of chemical species of total suspended particulate in Pengjia Yu Island, East China Sea.

Total of 172 total suspended particulate (TSP) samples and its chemical compositions were collected and analyzed from January to December 2010 in Pengjia Yu Island, an open region in East China Sea (ECS). Despite the predominance of sea-salt major ions (Na+, Cl-), the presence of non-sea-salt SO42- (nss-SO42-) and NO3- as well as combustion-derived trace metals clearly establishes the impact of anthropogenic sources over ECS. The annual contributions of coal, heavy-fuel oil and traffic to the measured chemical species were 21.0 %, 15.0 % and 15.5 %, respectively. Especially in spring, the contributions of crustal minerals to measured chemical species during dust period (33.6 %) were higher than that (13.2 %) during non-dust period. The calculated annual average dry deposition fluxes for trace metals and total inorganic nitrogen were 246.1 ± 345.8 µg/m2/d and 2950.4 ± 2245.0 µg/m2/d, suggesting that atmospheric deposition is an important source of nutrient elements for the south of ECS.

Analysis of rainwater storage and use recommendations: From the perspective of DBPs generation and their risks.

As a vital freshwater resource, rainwater is usually stored in water cellars in arid regions to solve the daily drinking water problems of the population. However, the status of disinfection by-products (DBPs) generation in cellar water under intermittent disinfection conditions is unclear. Therefore, we investigated the formation and distribution characteristics of DBPs in cellar water under intermittent disinfection conditions for the first time. The results demonstrated that six categories of DBPs were selected for detection after chlorination, including trihalomethanes (THMs), haloacetic acids (HAAs), haloketones (HKs), haloacetonitriles (HANs), halonitromethanes (HNMs), and nitrosamines (NAs), among which HAAs, HKs, and HANs were the major DBPs. Only bromoacetic acid (MBAA), dichloroacetic acid (DCAA), and trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) showed an increasing trend of accumulation as the number of disinfections increased. Meanwhile, the precursor composition was gradually transformed from humic substances to amino acids, and both organic substances were the main precursors of HAAs. The health risk assessment showed that the main carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of cellar water were contributed by NAs and HAAs, respectively, and children are more susceptible to the risks than adults. The best time to drink cellar water is after approximately 12 days of storage, when the total carcinogenic risk is the minimum.

Appraising the quality of guidelines for peripheral arterial catheters care: A systematic review of reviews.

INTRODUCTION: Catheter-related bloodstream infections are among the most critical adverse events in critical patients with peripheral arterial catheters (ACs). Adherence to evidence-based guidelines can prevent and reduce arterial bloodstream infections. OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study were to assess clinical practice guidelines for AC care and analyse methodological factors related to their development for effective dissemination and implementation in clinical practice. REVIEW METHOD USED: This was a systematic review of guidelines. DATA SOURCES: We searched PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, CNKI, and WANFANG databases from inception until September 2021 and evaluated websites of organisations that complied or produced guidelines. REVIEW METHODS: A comprehensive list of guidelines for ACs care was included. We excluded incomplete guidelines, guidelines translated in other languages, duplicate publications, and summaries of multiple guidelines. Two reviewers independently extracted and collected the data, and three authors conducted quality assessments independently using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation, Second Edition (AGREE II) tool. The intraclass correlation coefficient (two-way random) with a 95% confidence interval was used to evaluate the concordance between reviewers. RESULTS: Of the 738 total publications screened, seven were selected for evaluation. The concordance between observers was substantial (intraclass correlation coefficient >0.9, P < 0.001). Most guidelines (4/6) were developed in the United States and the United Kingdom. The median scores for the six domains were 89.0%, 65.5%, 58.0%, 86.0%, 65.0%, and 86.0%. The domains of stakeholder involvement, rigour of development, and applicability had the lowest scores. Guidelines by the United Kingdom's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence showed the highest quality. CONCLUSIONS: The guidelines we included scored poorly on crucial domains (rigour of development, applicability, and stakeholder involvement). Most of the current recommendations on ACs were included in the guidelines for vascular catheter-related bloodstream infections. Therefore, targeted guidelines created specifically for ACs are warranted to reduce the incidence of catheter-related complications and ensure patient safety.

Evaluative index system in physical training of basketball players / Sistema de índice avaliativo no treinamento físico dos jogadores de basquetebol / Sistema de índice de evaluación en la preparación física de los jugadores de baloncesto

ABSTRACT Introduction: The training should be performed according to the characteristics of basketball by establishing a scientific evaluation index system to fully exploit the potential of its players. Objective: Evaluate the index system for measuring physical training specific to basketball players. Methods: The physical training evaluation indexes of athletes were studied by checking the scientific literature and mathematical statistics, and an evaluation index for the physical training of young basketball players was designed and experimented. Results: The highest proportion of the special fitness score in athletic average was 46.25%; the proportion of the players' general fitness score represented 15% above and 13.75% below. The specific fitness level of basketball players is mainly at the average level. Conclusion: The effects of training can be effectively evaluated by the experienced index system, and it is useful for athletes to find deficiencies, make full use of their potential, improve skills and adapt basketball tactics. It may also provide more reserve talent for professional basketball. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment outcomes.

RESUMO Introdução: O treinamento deve ser realizado de acordo com as características do basquetebol estabelecendo um sistema de índice de avaliação científica para explorar plenamente o potencial de seus jogadores. Objetivo: Avaliar o sistema de índices de medição do treinamento físico específico para os jogadores de basquetebol. Métodos: Os índices de avaliação do treinamento físico dos atletas foram estudados verificando a literatura científica e estatísticas matemáticas, um índice de avaliação para o treinamento físico de jovens jogadores de basquetebol foi projetado e experimentado. Resultados: A maior proporção da pontuação da aptidão física especial na média atlética foi de 46,25%; a proporção da pontuação da aptidão física geral dos jogadores representou 15% acima e 13,75% abaixo, o nível de aptidão física específica dos jogadores de basquetebol está principalmente no nível mediano. Conclusão: Os efeitos do treinamento podem ser efetivamente avaliados pelo sistema de índice experimentado, sendo útil para que os atletas possam encontrar deficiências, aproveitar plenamente seu próprio potencial, melhorar as habilidades e adaptar as táticas do basquetebol. Também poderá fornecer mais talentos de reserva para o basquetebol profissional. Nível de evidência II; Estudos terapêuticos - investigação dos resultados do tratamento.

RESUMEN Introducción: El entrenamiento debe realizarse de acuerdo con las características del baloncesto estableciendo un sistema de índices de evaluación científica para explotar plenamente el potencial de sus jugadores. Objetivo: Evaluar el sistema de índices de medición del entrenamiento físico específico para jugadores de baloncesto. Métodos: Se estudiaron los índices de evaluación del entrenamiento físico de los deportistas mediante la comprobación de la literatura científica y la estadística matemática, y se diseñó y experimentó un índice de evaluación del entrenamiento físico de los jóvenes jugadores de baloncesto. Resultados: La proporción más alta de la puntuación de la aptitud física especial en la media atlética fue del 46,25%; la proporción de la puntuación de la aptitud física general de los jugadores representó un 15% por encima y un 13,75% por debajo, el nivel de aptitud física específica de los jugadores de baloncesto está principalmente en el nivel medio. Conclusión: Los efectos del entrenamiento pueden evaluarse eficazmente mediante el sistema de índice de experiencia, y es útil para que los deportistas encuentren las deficiencias, aprovechen al máximo su propio potencial, mejoren las habilidades y adapten las tácticas de baloncesto. También puede proporcionar más talentos de reserva para el baloncesto profesional. Nivel de evidencia II; Estudios terapéuticos - investigación de los resultados del tratamiento.

The effect of rs 12145833 polymorphism of SDCCAG 8 gene on intervention of childhood obesity / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To study the role of rs 12145833 polymorphism of SDCCAG 8 gene in the intervention of childhood obesity, so as to provide scientific basis for formulating personalized intervention measures based on genetic background in children with obesity.@*Methods@#From September 2018 to June 2019, a total of 393 children aged 8-10 years in Beijing were enrolled in a cluster randomized controlled trial. Eight schools were randomly allocated into intervention group and control group at a ratio of 1∶1. Saliva DNA samples were collected to detect rs 12145833 polymorphism of SDCCAG 8 gene. The intervention group received a comprehensive intervention, while the control group received usual practice. Intervention measures included diet improvement, sports, school amd family sport. The obesity related indicators were measured at baseline and after the end of intervention 1 academic year. Multiple linear regression and Logistic regression were used to analyze the interaction between genes and intervention on obesity indicators.@*Results@#In the intervention group, children with TT genotype of rs 12145833 of the SDCCAG 8 gene had less increase in systolic( β=4.56, 95%CI=1.84-7.28, P <0.01) and diastolic blood pressure( β=2.59, 95%CI=0.45-4.73, P <0.05) than those with GT and GG genotypes. In the control group, the systolic blood pressure of children with TT genotype increased more than those with GT and GG genotype( β=-2.86, 95%CI=-5.63--0.83, P <0.05). There was an interaction between rs 12145833 polymorphism of SDCCAG 8 gene and intervention on systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and body fat percentage in children( P <0.05).@*Conclusion@#Children with TT genotype of rs 12145833 in the SDCCAG 8 gene are more sensitive to obesity intervention than those with GG and GT genotypes, especially in the improvement of systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and body fat percentage. Further trials to study the role of rs 12145833 polymorphism of SDCCAG 8 gene in the intervention of childhood obesity among different ethnic populations are needed.

Preparation, physicochemical characterization and cytocompatibility study of self-assembled silk fibroin nanoparticles / 药学学报

This study aimed to prepare silk fibroin nanoparticles (SF-NPs) and assess the physicochemical properties and biocompatibility of the formulation. An optimized and simplified solvent displacement method was employed to obtain SF-NPs. Single-factor prescription screening, such as silk fibroin (SF) solution concentration, the ratio of SF solution to organic solvent, ultrasonication power and time, and different types of organic phases, was used to optimize the formulation. The characterization of the optimal formulation included particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, morphology, and stability. The in vitro cell compatibility of the nanoparticles was evaluated using CCK-8 and Calcein-AM/PI cell viability staining. The results showed that when SF concentration was 20 mg·mL-1, volume ratio of aqueous phase to acetone was 1∶6, ultrasonic power was 80 W and ultrasonic time was 3 min, the best SF-NPs was obtained. The nanoparticles prepared in this study exhibit a near-spherical shape, with a uniform size distribution, having an average size of 144.8 nm, a PDI of 0.174, and a zeta potential of -27.35 mV. Results from in vitro cell experiments demonstrate excellent cell compatibility of SF-NPs, showing the ability to promote cell proliferation. The SF-NPs which were successfully prepared in this study exhibit uniform particle size and excellent biocompatibility.

A study on the suitability of HD-V2 film in ultra-high dose-rate electron beam dosimetry / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the usability of Gafchromic HD-V2 film for dose dosimetry in the ultra-high dose-rate (UD) electron beam from a modified medical linac, and to investigate the response between the energy and dose-rate dependence to the film.Methods:The HD-V2 film was utilized to measure the average dose-rate of the UD electron beam. The measured result was compared with those by advanced Markus chamber and alanine pellets. And characteristics of the UD electron beam were also measured by HD-V2 film. Energy dependence of HD-V2 film at three beam energies (6 MV X-ray, 9 MeV and 16 MeV electron beam) was investigated by obtaining and comparing the calibration curves based on the clinical linear accelerator in the dose range of 10-300 Gy. The dose-rate dependence of HD-V2 film was also studied by varying the dose rate among 0.03 Gy/s, 0.06 Gy/s and 0.1 Gy/s, and range of 100-200 Gy/s.Results:The measured average maximum dose-rate of 9 MeV UD electron beam at source skin distance (SSD) 100 cm was approximately 121 Gy/s using HD-V2 film, consistent with the results by advanced Markus chamber and alanine pellets. The measured percentage depth dose (PDD) curve parameters of the UD electron beam were similar to the conventional 9 MeV beam. The off-axis dose distribution of the UD electron beam showed the highest central axis, and the dose was gradually decreased with the increase of off-axis distance. The energy dependence of HD-V2 film had no dependency of 6 MV and 9, 16 MeV while measuring the dose in the range from 20 to 300 Gy. The HD-V2 film had no significant dose-rate dependency at the dose rate of 0.03 Gy/s, 0.06 Gy/s and 0.1 Gy/s for the clinical linear accelerator. Likewise, there was also no dose-rate dependence in the range 100-200 Gy/s in the modified machine.Conclusion:HD-V2 film is suitable for measuring ultra-high dose rate electron beam, independent of energy and dose rate.

Medication rules of famous Beijing TCM doctor Wang Pei in the treatment of colon cancer based on data mining / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective:To explore the medication rules of Professor Wang Pei in the treatment of colon cancer.Methods:The medical records of Professor Wang Pei's outpatient treatment for colon cancer were collected, entered into the Traditional Chinese Medicine Inheritance Computing Platform V3.0, and the laws of the prescription's nature, flavor, meridian, drug frequency, drug combination, association rules, and cluster analysis were explored.Results:A total of 65 prescriptions were collected, including 150 Chinese materia medica. The medicinal properties of these Chinese materia medica are mainly warm, cold and flat, the tastes were mainly sweet, bitter and pungent, and the meridians were mainly liver, spleen and kidney meridians. Dampness category and blood circulation promoting and blood stasis category were mainly used, and the most frequently used drugs include Poria, Polyporus, Scutellariae Barbatae Herba, Astragali Radix, Curcumae Rhizoma, and the pairs of Polyporus- Poria, Astragali Radix- Astragali Radix Praeparata cum Melle, Scutellariae Barbatae Herba- Curcumae Rhizoma. Twenty nine high-related drug pairs were obtained from association rules, including Polyporus- Astragali Radix Praeparata cum Melle- Astragali Radix, Poria- Scutellariae Barbatae Herba- Polyporus, Scutellariae Barbatae Herba- Curcumae Rhizoma- Polyporus. The cluster analysis showed the combination of 6 types of medicines mainly focuses on strengthening the spleen and removing dampness, nourishing qi and promoting blood, clearing heat and detoxifying, and astringing the intestines to stop bleeding. Conclusion:Professor Wang Pei mostly discusses the treatment of colon cancer from "spleen dampness, rectification deficiency, heat toxin, blood stasis, bleeding", and the treatment is "invigorating the spleen and removing dampness, invigorating Qi and strengthening the body, clearing away heat and detoxifying, promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, and astringent intestines to stop bleeding", which is in line with the thought of Traditional Chinese Medicine treatment of tumors, strengthening the righteousness and eliminating pathogenic factors, and and can be used for clinical reference.

Biomechanical Characteristics of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis / 医用生物力学

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a common chronic interstitial fibrotic disease. During the fibrosis process, myofibroblasts are abnormally activated, collagen is deposited in large quantities and the biomechanical characteristics of lung tissue are significantly altered. In this paper, a systematic review about the changes in lung tissues, cellular biomechanical properties and biomechanical signals during the process of IPF was presented, and the in vitro reproduction of biomechanical features and therapeutic strategies for targeting biomechanics wassummarized, so as to provide references for clinical prevention and treatment of IPF.