Oxygen vacancies induced by lanthanum-doped indium oxide nanofibers for promoted temperature-dependent triethylamine and formaldehyde sensing.

A novel TEA and HCHO dual-function temperature-dependent sensing material (3La-In2O3) with ultra-high sensitivity was developed via a facile electrospinning process. Though rare earth doped in In2O3-based sensors have been widely reported, the low sensitivity, poor selectivity and high operating temperature remain restrict their application. Herein, the In2O3 nanofibers with different contents of La3+ ions are firstly obtained by a facile electrospinning process. The sensing performance investigation confirms that the 3% La/In molar ratio of La3+ doped in In2O3 nanofibers are more appropriate as the sensing material for TEA and HCHO detection. The 3La-In2O3 exhibits greatest response value of 3721.60-10 ppm TEA and 1469.65-10 ppm HCHO at their best working temperature (100 â„ƒ and 160 â„ƒ), approximately 23.85-fold and 10.85-fold higher than that of pristine In2O3 nanofibers. In addition, the excellent selectivity, repeatability, and long-term stability ensure the further application of the 3La-In2O3-based sensor in actual environment. The promoted sensing performance is mainly ascribed to the more oxygen vacancies, the increasing specific surface area, the smaller grain size of In2O3 nanofibers induced by La3+ doping. The DFT results demonstrate the beneficial effect of La and oxygen vacancies on the improved target gas adsorption energy.

Zanubrutinib Ameliorates Cardiac Fibrosis and Inflammation Induced by Chronic Sympathetic Activation.

(1) Background: Heart failure (HF) is the final stage of multiple cardiac diseases, which have now become a severe public health problem worldwide. ß-Adrenergic receptor (ß-AR) overactivation is a major pathological factor associated with multiple cardiac diseases and mediates cardiac fibrosis and inflammation. Previous research has demonstrated that Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) mediated cardiac fibrosis by TGF-ß related signal pathways, indicating that BTK was a potential drug target for cardiac fibrosis. Zanubrutinib, a second-generation BTK inhibitor, has shown anti-fibrosis effects in previous research. However, it is unclear whether Zanubrutinib can alleviate cardiac fibrosis induced by ß-AR overactivation; (2) Methods: In vivo: Male C57BL/6J mice were treated with or without the ß-AR agonist isoproterenol (ISO) to establish a cardiac fibrosis animal model; (3) Results: In vivo: Results showed that the BTK inhibitor Zanubrutinib (ZB) had a great effect on cardiac fibrosis and inflammation induced by ß-AR. In vitro: Results showed that ZB alleviated ß-AR-induced cardiac fibroblast activation and macrophage pro-inflammatory cytokine production. Further mechanism studies demonstrated that ZB inhibited ß-AR-induced cardiac fibrosis and inflammation by the BTK, STAT3, NF-κB, and PI3K/Akt signal pathways both in vivo and in vitro; (4) Conclusions: our research provides evidence that ZB ameliorates ß-AR-induced cardiac fibrosis and inflammation.

The Pink Zone Pattern (PP) sign: A novel simple marker for early gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: We previously found a pink-colored change in early gastric cancer (EGC) lesions under magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging (ME-NBI) and named it the "Pink Zoon Pattern" (PP) sign, which appeared independent of microvascular and microstructural changes. The aim of this study was to further investigate the characteristics of the PP sign in EGC. METHODS: The consecutive patients with suspicious gastric lesions detected by ME-NBI and confirmed by pathology at Zhejiang Cancer Hospital between November 2020 and December 2021 were enrolled in the study. The suspicious lesions were observed and assessed by the "VS" system and the PP sign respectively. RESULTS: We found that in the PP-positive group, 238 lesions (96.0%) were diagnosed as malignant. The overall accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were 84.7%, 85.3%, and 81.8%. Among 164 EGC lesions diagnosed with low confidence (Grades 2, 3, and 4) using the VS system, the overall accuracy of PP to discriminate tumor from normal was 82.3%. The sensitivity and specificity were 82.7% and 81.5% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The PP sign could be a new simple sign for the diagnosis of EGC and as an effective supplement to VS system when using ME-NBI.

Atomically Strained Metal Sites for Highly Efficient and Selective Photooxidation.

Strain engineering is an attractive strategy for improving the intrinsic catalytic performance of heterogeneous catalysts. Manipulating strain on the short-range atomic scale to the local structure of the catalytic sites is still challenging. Herein, we successfully achieved atomic strain modulation on ultrathin layered vanadium oxide nanoribbons by an ingenious intercalation chemistry method. When trace sodium cations were introduced between the V2O5 layers (Na+-V2O5), the V-O bonds were stretched by the atomically strained vanadium sites, redistributing the local charges. The Na+-V2O5 demonstrated excellent photooxidation performance, which was approximately 12 and 14 times higher than that of pristine V2O5 and VO2, respectively. Complementary spectroscopy analysis and theoretical calculations confirmed that the atomically strained Na+-V2O5 had a high surficial charge density, improving the activation of oxygen molecules and contributing to the excellent photocatalytic property. This work provides a new approach for the rational design of strain-equipped catalysts for selective photooxidation reactions.

Atomically Surficial Modulation in Two-Dimensional Semiconductor Nanocrystals for Selective Photocatalytic Reactions.

Photocatalysis, directly converting solar energy into chemical energy, is identified as an ideal strategy to reduce the increasing consumption of fossil fuels and facilitate carbon neutralization. In the past few years, a great number of endeavors have been devoted to developing photocatalysts with a high conversion efficiency and selectivity. Atomically surficial modulation strategies, including surface vacancies, single-atom modification, and dual-site components, exhibited positive impacts on tuning key steps of photocatalytic reactions. In this mini-review, we focus on the latest progress of the atomically surficial modulations on two-dimensional semiconductor photocatalysts and their role in enhancing selectively photocatalytic performance. We hope that this mini-review could provide new insights for researchers on nanosynthesis and photocatalysis.

The Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection Surgery in the Whole-Course Antegrade Endoscopic Approach: A More Effective Treatment Strategy for the Siewert II/III Type Mucosal Lesions of Esophagogastric Junction.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for treating cardiac mucosal lesions. Methods: A total of 86 patients with cardiac mucosal lesions were treated with ESD in retrograde endoscopic approach or antegrade endoscopic approach. The relationship between the two methods was analyzed according to the size, location, depth of pathological infiltration, classification, and examination results. The main evaluation indexes of intraoperative complications were operation time, bleeding, perforation, and complete resection (R0 resection). Results: Total R0 excision was performed in 85 patients and curative excision in 77 patients. When the diameter of lesion was 2-4 cm or >4 cm, the median treatment time in the antegrade endoscopic approach group was shorter than that in the retrograde group (P < .001, respectively). When the lesion was confined to the mucosa, the median treatment time in the antegrade endoscopic approach group was shorter than that in the retrograde group (P < .001). When the lesion was located in the posterior wall of the cardia, the average treatment time in the antegrade endoscopic approach group was shorter than that in the retrograde group (P < .05). When the lesion was located in the lesser curvature of the cardia, the average treatment time in the antegrade endoscopic approach group was shorter than that in the retrograde group (P < .001). Conclusion: The ESD surgery in the antegrade endoscopic approach is effective and safe for the treatment of cardiac mucosal lesions.

Low fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols diet compared with traditional dietary advice for diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome: a parallel-group, randomized controlled trial with analysis of clinical and microbiological factors associated with patient outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy and factors associated with patient outcomes for a diet low in fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (LFD) compared with traditional dietary advice (TDA) based on modified National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines for irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D) in regions consuming a non-Western diet are unclear. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine the efficacy of an LFD compared with TDA for the treatment of IBS-D in Chinese patients and to investigate the factors associated with favorable outcomes. METHODS: One hundred and eight Chinese IBS-D patients (Rome III criteria) were randomly assigned to an LFD or TDA. The primary endpoint was a ≥50-point reduction in the IBS Severity Scoring System at 3 wk. Fecal samples collected before and after the dietary intervention were assessed for changes in SCFAs and microbiota profiles. A logistic regression model was used to identify predictors of outcomes. RESULTS: Among the 100 patients who completed the study, the primary endpoint was met in a similar number of LFD (30 of 51, 59%) and TDA (26 of 49, 53%) patients (∆6%; 95% CI: -13%, 24%). Patients in the LFD group achieved earlier symptomatic improvement in stool frequency and excessive wind than those following TDA. LFD reduced carbohydrate-fermenting bacteria such as Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides, and decreased saccharolytic fermentation activity. This was associated with symptomatic improvement in the responders. High saccharolytic fermentation activity at baseline was associated with a higher symptom burden (P = 0.01) and a favorable therapeutic response to the LFD (log OR: 4.9; 95% CI: -0.1, 9.9; P = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: An LFD and TDA each reduced symptoms in Chinese IBS-D patients; however, the LFD achieved earlier symptomatic improvements in stool frequency and excessive wind. The therapeutic effect of the LFD was associated with changes in the fecal microbiota and the fecal fermentation index. At baseline, the presence of severe symptoms and microbial metabolic dysbiosis characterized by high saccharolytic capability predicted favorable outcomes to LFD intervention.This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03304041.

Intelligent detection endoscopic assistant: An artificial intelligence-based system for monitoring blind spots during esophagogastroduodenoscopy in real-time.

BACKGROUND: Observation of the entire stomach during esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is important; however, there is a lack of effective evaluation tools. AIMS: To develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted EGD system able to automatically monitor blind spots in real-time. METHODS: An AI-based system, called the Intelligent Detection Endoscopic Assistant (IDEA), was developed using a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) and long short-term memory (LSTM). The performance of IDEA for recognition of gastric sites in images and videos was evaluated. Primary outcomes included diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. RESULTS: A total of 170,297 images and 5779 endoscopic videos were collected to develop the system. As the test group, 3100 EGD images were acquired to evaluate the performance of DCNN in recognition of gastric sites in images. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of DCNN were determined as 97.18%,99.91%, and 99.83%, respectively. To assess the performance of IDEA in recognition of gastric sites in EGD videos, 129 videos were used as the test group. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of IDEA were 96.29%,93.32%, and 95.30%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: IDEA achieved high accuracy for recognition of gastric sites in real-time. The system can be applied as a powerful assistant tool for monitoring blind spots during EGD.

High-Sensitivity Determination of K, Ca, Na, and Mg in Salt Mines Samples by Atomic Emission Spectrometry with a Miniaturized Liquid Cathode Glow Discharge.

An atomic emission spectrometer (AES) based on a novel atmospheric pressure liquid cathode glow discharge (LCGD) as one of the most promising miniaturized excitation sources has been developed, in which the glow discharge is produced between a needle-like Pt anode and the electrolyte (as cathode) overflowing from a quartz capillary. Lower energy consumption (<50 W) and higher excitation efficiency can be realized by point discharge of the needle-like Pt. The miniaturized LCGD seems particularly well suited to rapid and high-sensitivity determination of K, Ca, Na, and Mg in salt mines samples. The optimized analytical conditions of LCGD-AES were pH = 1 with HNO3 as electrolyte, 650 V discharge voltage, and 3 mL min-1 solution flow rate. The limits of detections (LODs) of K, Ca, Na, and Mg were 0.390, 0.054, 0.048, and 0.032 mg L-1, respectively. Measurement results of the LCGD-AES are in good agreement with the comparison value obtained by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) and ion chromatography (IC). All results suggested that the developed portable analytical instrument can be used for on-site and real-time monitoring of metal elements in field with further improvement.

Marital status is associated with superior survival in patients with esophageal cancer: a Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results study.

The impact of marital status on survival among patients with esophageal cancer has not been evaluated in the U.S. population in depth. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of marital status on survival among patients diagnosed with esophageal cancer. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was utilized to identify patients diagnosed with esophageal cancer between 1973 and 2013. Cox regression analysis was performed to evaluate for association between marital status on both cancer-specific and overall survival. Of the 69,139 patients with esophageal cancer, 35,863 (52%) had adenocarcinoma and 21,573 (31%) had distant SEER stage. At the time of diagnosis, 39,805 (57%) patients were married, 10,116 (15%) were single, 8,417 (12%) were divorced or separated, and 10,801 (16%) were widowed. Married patients had superior cancer-specific and overall survival compared to unmarried patients. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that single (adjusted hazard ratio (HR)=1.14, 95%CI 1.11-1.17; P<0.001), divorced or separated (HR=1.16, 95%CI 1.13-1.19; P<0.001), and widowed (HR=1.22, 95%CI 1.19-1.26; P<0.001) compared to married patients had higher risk of death from all causes. In conclusion, marital status was associated with superior survival among U.S. patients with esophageal cancer in a large population-based study.

Reduced interstitial cells of Cajal and increased intraepithelial lymphocytes are associated with development of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in post-infectious IBS mouse model.

OBJECTIVE: Intestinal dysmotility and immune activation are likely involved in the pathogenesis of small intestinal bacteria overgrowth (SIBO) in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). We aimed at investigating the role of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) and intestinal inflammation in the development of SIBO using a post-infectious IBS (PI-IBS) mouse model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: NIH mice were randomly infected with Trichinella spiralis. Visceral sensitivity and stool pattern were assessed at 8-weeks post-infection (PI). Intestinal bacteria counts from jejunum and ileum were measured by quantitative real-time PCR to evaluate the presence of SIBO. ICC density, intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) counts, and intestinal cytokine levels (IL1-ß, IL-6, toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4), IL-10) in the ileum were examined. RESULTS: PI-IBS mice demonstrated increased visceral sensitivity compared with the control group. One-third of the PI-IBS mice developed SIBO (SIBO+/PI-IBS) and was more likely to have abnormal stool form compared with SIBO negative PI-IBS (SIBO-/PI-IBS) mice but without difference in visceral sensitivity. SIBO+/PI-IBS mice had decreased ICC density and increased IELs counts in the ileum compared with SIBO-/PI-IBS mice. No difference in inflammatory cytokine expression levels were detected among the groups except for increased TLR-4 in PI-IBS mice compared with the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Development of SIBO in PI-IBS mice was associated with reduced ICC density and increased IELs counts in the ileum. Our findings support the role of intestinal dysmotility and inflammation in the pathogenesis of SIBO in IBS and may provide potential therapeutic targets.

Prevention of Esophageal Stricture After Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is rapidly becoming a favored method for removing early esophageal cancer, but the residual defects can be complicated with strictures that require repeated endoscopic balloon dilatation. Measures for preventing the post-ESD strictures have been sought. We conducted a systematic review of recent studies to evaluate these methods. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, and Google Scholar until November 30, 2014. Included studies were prospective and retrospective one- and two-arm studies. All studies had to include at least on preventive method for post-ESD stricture. Thirteen studies were included in the review. RESULTS: Among the studies that used corticosteroids to prevent post-ESD stricture, we found that (1) injection of triamcinolone acetonide into the esophageal lesion resulted in a substantial reduction in the rate of stricture, and (2) the use of oral prednisolone was associated with a significantly reduced rate of dilatation sessions and stricture. Studies of other preventative measures included more recently developed scaffold-based and cell-based tissue-engineering approaches which seem very promising but require additional rigorously controlled studies to test their effectiveness. CONCLUSIONS: Until a safer and more effective method is developed, our review supports the use of corticosteroids, either through injection or oral route, together with endoscopic dilatation in prevention of post-ESD strictures.

Pre-protective effect of lipoic acid on injury induced by H2O2 in IPEC-J2 cells.

Alpha-lipoic acid (LA) is considered to be a universal antioxidant. The intestine is very sensitive to a wide range of stressors for it exposed in a complex microenvironment that usually contained excess free radicals. The objective of this study was to evaluate the pre-protective effect of LA on intestinal epithelial cell injury induced by H2O2. In this research, IPEC-J2 cells were divided into three groups: the control group, the H2O2-treated group, and the LA pre-protective group. Cell viability, intracellular ROS, DNA damage integrity, and antioxidant enzyme activity of all groups were measured. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR was used to determine the influence of oxidative stress and LA on the GH/IGF-1 axis in IPEC-J2 cells. The research selected 1 mM H2O2 and 10 µg/ml as modeling concentration. The data indicated that H2O2 can significantly increase the intracellular free radicals, leading to serious DNA damage and significantly reduce superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and lipase activity. LA-protected IPEC-J2 cells against H2O2-induced injury by scavenging hydroxyl radical. In the current study, LA pre-protective group share a lower intracellular ROS and lower DNA damage compare to H2O2-treated group (P < 0.01); and also, a higher lipase activity were detected in LA pre-protective group compare to H2O2-treated group (P < 0.05). But the mechanism between oxidative stress, LA effect, and GH/IGF-1 axis is still unknown. The model used in the current study is also suitable for other feed additive screening.