Right ventricular function indices and platelet parameters for early prediction value of bronchopulmonary dysplasia: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: To examine the value of early echocardiographic indices for the right ventricular function combined with platelet(PLT) parameters for predicting bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants. METHODS: This retrospective study included infants with gestational age (GA) below 32 weeks, who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit(NICU). The detection rate of tricuspid regurgitation jet velocity (TRVJ), ventricular septal flattening, pulmonary artery widening, right ventricular dilation, and right atrial enlargement on the 7th day of life (DOL 7) were compared between BPD and non-BPD infants. Echocardiographic indices of the right ventricular function including tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and right ventricular index of myocardial performance (RIMP) were measured on 1 day of life (DOL 1)、on DOL 7 and on 14 day of life (DOL 14) respectively. The PLT parameters including the PLT count, mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet hematocrit (PCT) level, and platelet distribution width (PDW) were measured on the DOL 1,DOL 7, and DOL 14. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between these parameters and BPD. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to assess the predictive value of the right ventricular function indices and PLT parameters for BPD. RESULTS: A total of 220 preterm infants were included in this study, and of these, 85 infants developed BPD among them. The RIMP of the BPD group on DOL 14 was higher than that of the non-BPD group (P < 0.05). The TAPSE of the BPD group on DOL 14 was lower than that of the non-BPD group (P < 0.05). The PLT count of the BPD group on DOL 1 was lower than that of the non-BPD group (P < 0.05), and the MPV of the BPD group on DOL 1 was higher than that of the non-BPD group (P < 0.05). Using multivariate logistic regression, GA、invasive mechanical ventilation duration ≥ 7 days、 PLT、 MPV、 TAPSE and RIMP were found to be independent risk factors for BPD. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.846 (95CI: 0.794∼0.899), which improved when using right ventricular function indices combined with platelet parameters. CONCLUSION: TAPSE and RIMP combined with PLT count and MPV can help identify preterm infants at an increased risk of developing BPD.

[Tillage Depth Regulation and the Effect of Straw Return on Soil Respiration in Farmland].

Straw return and tillage depth treatments are one of the most important agricultural management measures that affect farmland soil respiration, but the mechanism of their interaction affecting farmland soil respiration remains unclear. Therefore, 116 published research articles were used through Meta-analysis technology for dryland farmland ecosystems in China to explore the effects of straw return and tillage depth treatments and their interaction on farmland soil respiration and its regulatory factors, which will provide important data support and a theoretical basis for achieving "carbon neutrality" in farmland ecosystems. The results showed that no tillage reduced soil respiration by 8.3%, and the effects of shallow and deep tillage treatments on soil respiration were not significant, but the increase in soil respiration still showed a trend of deep tillage>shallow tillage>no tillage. However, both shallow and deep tillage had relatively small effects on soil respiration and soil organic carbon (SOC), whereas no tillage reduced soil respiration by 8.3% and increased SOC by 7.05%. Therefore, implementing no tillage measures is of great significance for soil carbon sequestration and emission reduction in farmland ecosystems. In addition, tillage depth significantly regulated the impact of straw return on soil respiration, and the increase in soil respiration showed a trend of deep tillage straw return>shallow tillage straw return>no tillage straw return, with an overall average increase of 14.51%. The increase in soil respiration under different tillage depth treatments after straw return was closely related to the change in soil bulk density, crop yield, SOC, soil temperature, and moisture, and the contribution to the increase in soil respiration showed a trend of soil bulk density>crop yield>soil organic carbon>soil moisture>soil temperature. However, SOC increased by 29.32%, 10.12%, and 23.94%, respectively, in the deep tillage straw return, shallow tillage straw return, and no tillage straw return treatments, whereas soil respiration increased by 29.32% and 18.92%, respectively, in the deep tillage straw return and shallow tillage straw return treatments, and it only increased by 1.2% in the no tillage straw return treatment. Therefore, no tillage straw return was also beneficial to soil carbon sequestration and emission reduction in farmland ecosystems. Thus, in the dryland farmland ecosystem of China, tillage depth treatments regulated the impact of straw return on soil respiration, which was mainly related to soil physical and chemical properties, especially being closely related to soil bulk density. Moreover, no tillage and no tillage straw return are important agricultural management measures that are conducive to soil carbon sequestration and emission reduction.

The association between metacognition, coping style and fear of cancer recurrence among postmastectomy patients: A cross sectional study.

PURPOSE: To investigate the incidence of fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) in Chinese postmastectomy patients and explore the relationships between metacognition, coping style, and FCR on the basis of the self-regulating executive function model. METHODS: A total of 480 postmastectomy patients from two tertiary comprehensive hospitals in Xi'an were enrolled from March 2021 to November 2021. The participants completed demographic information, the Metacognitions Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30), Positive Metacognitions and Positive Meta-Emotions Questionnaire (PMCEQ), Simplified Copying Style Questionnaire (SCSQ), and Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory Short Form (FCRI-SF). RESULTS: 34.2% of the respondents had scores indicating a clinical level of FCR (FCRI-SF≥13). FCR had a positive correlation with maladaptive metacognition and negative coping style (P < 0.01), while adaptive metacognition and positive coping style were negatively correlated (P < 0.01). Besides, maladaptive metacognition had both direct and indirect effects on FCR, with the indirect effect primarily mediated by negative coping style (total effect, 0.430). Adaptive metacognition had both direct and indirect effects on FCR, with the indirect effect primarily mediated by positive coping style (total effect,ï¹£0.302). CONCLUSION: FCR was a common phenomenon in postmastectomy patients and moderate in most patients. In addition, both metacognition and coping style had a direct and indirect association with the occurrence and development of FCR. Moreover, adaptive metacognition and maladaptive metacognition had different mechanisms on FCR in patients with breast cancer.

USP7- and PRMT5-dependent G3BP2 stabilization drives de novo lipogenesis and tumorigenesis of HNSC.

GTPase-activating protein-binding protein 2 (G3BP2) is a key stress granule-associated RNA-binding protein responsible for the formation of stress granules (SGs). Hyperactivation of G3BP2 is associated with various pathological conditions, especially cancers. Emerging evidence indicates that post-translational modifications (PTMs) play critical roles in gene transcription, integrate metabolism and immune surveillance. However, how PTMs directly regulate G3BP2 activity is lacking. Here, our analyses identify a novel mechanism that PRMT5-mediated G3BP2-R468me2 enhances the binding to deubiquitinase USP7, which ensures the deubiquitination and stabilization of G3BP2. Mechanistically, USP7- and PRMT5-dependent G3BP2 stabilization consequently guarantee robust ACLY activation, which thereby stimulating de novo lipogenesis and tumorigenesis. More importantly, USP7-induced G3BP2 deubiquitination is attenuated by PRMT5 depletion or inhibition. PRMT5-activity dependent methylation of G3BP2 is required for its deubiquitination and stabilization by USP7. Consistently, G3BP2, PRMT5 and G3BP2 R468me2 protein levels were found positively correlated in clinical patients and associated with poor prognosis. Altogether, these data suggest that PRMT5-USP7-G3BP2 regulatory axis serves as a lipid metabolism reprogramming mechanism in tumorigenesis, and unveil a promising therapeutic target in the metabolic treatment of head and neck squamous carcinoma.

Universal Mirror-Stacking Approach for Constructing Topological Bound States in the Continuum.

Bound states in the continuum (BICs) are counterintuitive localized states with eigenvalues embedded in the continuum of extended states. Recently, nontrivial band topology is exploited to enrich the BIC physics, resulting in topological BICs (TBICs) with extraordinary robustness against perturbations or disorders. Here, we propose a simple but universal mirror-stacking approach to turn nontrivial bound states of any topological monolayer model into TBICs. Physically, the mirror-stacked bilayer Hamiltonian can be decoupled into two independent subspaces of opposite mirror parities, each of which directly inherits the energy spectrum information and band topology of the original monolayer. By tuning the interlayer couplings, the topological bound state of one subspace can move into and out of the continuum of the other subspace continuously without hybridization. As representative examples, we construct one-dimensional first-order and two-dimensional higher-order TBICs, and demonstrate them unambiguously by acoustic experiments. Our findings will expand the research implications of both topological materials and BICs.

Temporal and spatial trends in suicide-related visits before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the US, 2018-2021.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 disproportionately impacted mental health in disadvantaged populations and areas. However, disparities in long-term changes in suicide-related visits across the US are unclear. This retrospective study aims to characterize temporal and spatial changes in suicide-related visits in healthcare settings from 2018 to 2021 in the U.S. METHODS: We use electronic health records for 21,860,370 patients from Healthjump through the COVID-19 Research Database Consortium. Healthjump harmonizes EHR data from over 55 national databases across the US. Suicide ideation and suicide attempts between January 1, 2018 and December 12, 2021 were identified by the diagnosis codes in 6 periods in 2021 compared with the same periods in 2018-2020. RESULTS: There was 30,019 suicidal ideation, and 7392 suicide attempt visits from January 2018 to November 2021. 15-20-year-olds were the most represented age group at 6302 suicide ideation visits (21.0 % of suicide ideation visits) and 1326 suicide attempt visits (17.9 % of suicide attempt visits), followed by suicide-related visits among 60+ years old. Compared with pre-pandemic periods, youth aged 15-20, females, White, non-Hispanic, and English speakers had increased suicide-related visits, especially suicidal ideation (P < 0.05). Suicide attempts with non-medical substances increased to 28.0 % in the first 6 months of the pandemic in 2020, compared with the prior year (21.5 %). COVID-19 patients had increased suicidal ideation in 2020. LIMITATIONS: The EHR data is not nationally representative. CONCLUSIONS: This study found significant and disproportionate increases in suicide related visits over the COVID-19 stages. To prevent the next storms of suicides, future interventions shall accommodate needs among vulnerable groups during and after periods of crisis.

COVID-19 Stay-At-Home Orders and Older Adults' Cognitive Health - United States, June 2018-February 2022.

What is already known about this topic?: Lack of social activities is known to negatively impact cognitive functioning and increase risk of cognitive impairment, including dementia, among older adults. What is added by this report?: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) stay-at-home orders implemented in the U.S. early during the pandemic were not found to negatively affect cognitive functioning of older adults. What are the implications for public health practice?: There may have been no severe, unintended consequences of the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders in terms of their impact on cognitive functioning and risk of dementia among older adults, lending further support to use of such orders.

How Does City Size Affect the Cost of Household Travel? Evidence from an Urban Household Survey in China.

Travel costs are critical to the sustainable development of cities. This paper used Urban Household Survey (UHS) data from 2002 to 2014 and constructed a comprehensive city-size index from the perspectives of population and urban space to empirically test the impact of city size on the cost of household travel. The main results are as follows: (1) There is a significant positive correlation between city size and the cost of household travel. The internal mechanism is that city size affects the cost of household travel by increasing spatial distance and traffic congestion. (2) Increasing public transportation and per capita road area can restrain the positive impact of city size on the cost of household travel; moreover, the restraining effect of public transportation is stronger than that of per capita road area. (3) The impact of city size on the cost of household travel for sub-provincial cities is smaller than that for ordinary prefecture-level cities; in addition, there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between city size and the cost of household travel. This paper deepens the understanding of the impact of city size on travel costs, providing research support for the healthy development of cities in China.

Acoustic Realization of Surface-Obstructed Topological Insulators.

Recently, higher-order topological insulators have been attracting extensive interest. Unlike the conventional topological insulators that demand bulk gap closings at transition points, the higher-order band topology can be changed without bulk closure and exhibits as an obstruction of higher-dimensional boundary states. Here, we report the first experimental realization of three-dimensional surface-obstructed topological insulators with using acoustic crystals. Our acoustic measurements demonstrate unambiguously the emergence of one-dimensional topological hinge states in the middle of the bulk and surface band gaps, as a direct manifestation of the higher-order band topology. Together with comparative measurements for the trivial and phase-transition-point insulators, our experimental data conclusively evidence the unique bulk-boundary physics for the surface-obstructed band topology. That is, the topological phase transition is determined by the closure of the surface gap, rather than by closing the bulk gap. Our study might spur on new activities to deepen the understanding of such elusive topological phases.

Acoustic Möbius Insulators from Projective Symmetry.

In the presence of gauge symmetry, common but not limited to artificial crystals, the algebraic structure of crystalline symmetries needs to be projectively represented, giving rise to unprecedented topological physics. Here, we demonstrate this novel idea by exploiting a projective translation symmetry and constructing a variety of Möbius-twisted topological phases. Experimentally, we realize two Möbius insulators in acoustic crystals for the first time: a two-dimensional one of first-order band topology and a three-dimensional one of higher-order band topology. We observe unambiguously the peculiar Möbius edge and hinge states via real-space visualization of their localiztions, momentum-space spectroscopy of their 4π periodicity, and phase-space winding of their projective translation eigenvalues. Not only does our work open a new avenue for artificial systems under the interplay between gauge and crystalline symmetries, but it also initializes a new framework for topological physics from projective symmetry.

Epidemiological investigation and ultrasonic diagnosis of developmental dysplasia of the hip in Chinese infants: A large multi-center cohort study.

ABSTRACT: Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is common among Chinese infants, but a lack of large-scale, multi-center epidemiological studies has made it difficult to characterize the risk factors associated with this disease.This multi-center cohort study included 19,833 Chinese infants aged 14 days to 6 months. A multi-center ultrasound protocol was used to diagnose hip abnormalities, and epidemiological data of the infants were collected through questionnaires. Categorical variables were expressed as percentages and compared using χ2 test. Multivariate analysis was performed through logistic regression.Of 19,833 infants, 345 had DDH (1.7%). DDH incidence was higher in female infants (n = 279) than in male infants (n = 66) (χ2 = 95.89, P < .05), and there were more left hip cases (n = 149) than right hip cases (n = 79) (χ2 = 12.49, P < .05). DDH incidence was statistically different amongst different age groups in months (χ2 = 451.71, P < .05), and it gradually decreased with age (P < .05). The prevalence of a positive DDH family history, breech presentation, oligohydramnios, swaddling style, and other musculoskeletal deformities was higher in the positive group than in the negative group (all P < .05). No significant differences were found in terms of delivery by cesarean section, multiple births, or premature birth between both groups.Family history, breech presentation, oligohydramnios, musculoskeletal deformities, and female sex are high-risk factors for DDH in Chinese infants. The incidence of DDH gradually decreases with age. The results of this study provide evidence for the epidemiology of infant DDH in China.

Topological dislocation modes in three-dimensional acoustic topological insulators.

Dislocations are ubiquitous in three-dimensional solid-state materials. The interplay of such real space topology with the emergent band topology defined in reciprocal space gives rise to gapless helical modes bound to the line defects. This is known as bulk-dislocation correspondence, in contrast to the conventional bulk-boundary correspondence featuring topological states at boundaries. However, to date rare compelling experimental evidences have been presented for this intriguing topological observable in solid-state systems, owing to the huge challenges in creating controllable dislocations and conclusively identifying topological signals. Here, using a three-dimensional acoustic weak topological insulator with precisely controllable dislocations, we report an unambiguous experimental evidence for the long-desired bulk-dislocation correspondence, through directly measuring the gapless dispersion of the one-dimensional topological dislocation modes. Remarkably, as revealed in our further experiments, the pseudospin-locked dislocation modes can be unidirectionally guided in an arbitrarily-shaped dislocation path. The peculiar topological dislocation transport, expected in a variety of classical wave systems, can provide unprecedented control over wave propagations.

Barriers and facilitators to exercise in haemodialysis patients: A systematic review of qualitative studies.

AIMS: The purpose of this systematic review is to synthesize the results of qualitative research and to identify the barriers and facilitators to exercise in haemodialysis patients from the perspectives of haemodialysis patients, caregivers and dialysis staff members. DESIGN: Systematic review of qualitative studies. DATA SOURCES: Qualitative studies were extracted from MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PubMed, CBM, CNKI and WanFang Database from inception of each database until July 2020. Qualitative research and mixed method research including barriers and/or facilitators to exercise in haemodialysis patients were included. REVIEW METHODS: The systematic search method SPIDER (sample, phenomenon of interest, design, evaluation, research type) was used. Thematic synthesis of qualitative data was used. RESULTS: 284 studies were screened and 10 studies published between 2007 and 2020 were finally included in this review. The review included 180 patients, 70 dialysis staff members and seven caregivers. Five analytical themes were identified: disease distress, perception of exercise, environmental restrictions, spirit strength and hospital management. Barriers include disease distress, perception of exercise (security issue), environmental restrictions and hospital management. Facilitators include perception of exercise (exercise being considered beneficial, preference for exercise) and spirit strength (from religious beliefs). It is the spiritual strength (from family and friends, from dialysis staff members) that is both the barrier and the facilitator. CONCLUSION: There are many barriers in popularizing exercise among haemodialysis patients. Future intervention measures and health policies should strengthen the facilitators and reduce the barriers, so as to promote the clinical practice of exercise for haemodialysis patients. IMPACT: This review summarizes the barriers and facilitators to exercise in haemodialysis patients. The results of this study have an impact on research, practice and health policy setting. The exercise level of haemodialysis patients can be improved by using the facilitators and solving the barriers.

Inhibitory Effect of Paeonol on Apoptosis, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammatory Response in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells Induced by High Glucose and Palmitic Acid Induced Through Regulating SIRT1/FOXO3a/NF-κB Pathway.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by high glucose and high fat of diabetes mellitus (DM) finally caused the occurrence and progression of atherosclerosis and other macrovascular complications. Paeonol (Pae) exhibits anti-inflammation, antioxidation, and antiatherosclerosis activities. However, the role of Pae in diabetic cardiopathy has not been fully understood. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the role of Pae in diabetic cardiovascular diseases. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were exposed to high glucose and palmitic acid (HG/HP), a model DM environment and different doses of Pae. The viability and apoptotic rate of HUVECs were assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and flow cytometry assay, respectively. Oxidative indicators (ROS, malondiadehyde [MDA], superoxide dismutase [SOD]), and inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1ß, and interleukin-6) were detected by 2,7-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate, colorimetry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The protein levels of Sirtuin type 1 (SIRT1), Bcl-2, Bax, Cleaved caspase-3, p-p65, and p-65 were detected by Western blot. The mRNA levels of Bcl-2 and Bax were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The acetylation and protein levels of forkhead box O3a (FOXO3a) were detected by immunoprecipitation assay. SIRT1 silencing was used to confirm the role of Pae in the resistance to apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammatory response. Pae increased SIRT1 expression, cell viability, and SOD activity and suppressed apoptosis, the levels of p-p65/p-65, ROS, MDA, and inflammatory cytokines, and the expression of acetylated-FOXO3a induced by HG/HP in HUVECs. SIRT1 silencing abrogated the effect of Pae on HG/HP-mediated HUVECs. Inhibitory effect of Pae on apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammatory response in HUVECs induced by HG/HP induced through regulating SIRT1/FOXO3a/NF-κB pathway.

Experiences of healthcare providers during the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on them: protocol for a mixed-methods systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Frontline healthcare providers are redeployed to areas outside their clinical expertise and assigned high-loading workload to address the surge of patients with each coronavirus outbreak. Their importance in crisis is not in doubt. However, they experienced considerable physical distress and psychological stressors, even leading to psychological illness and infection in this environment. There is an urgent need to accurately, comprehensively and objectively understand their experiences, perceptions and current situation of burnout, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, insomnia and coronavirus infection. Therefore, this protocol is to conduct a mixed-methods systematic review to summarise the evidence on the experiences of healthcare providers and impacts of the coronavirus on their psychological status and infection during the pandemics. METHODS: Published studies on experience, perspective, impact, burnout, PTSD, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and infection of healthcare providers with SARS, Middle East respiratory syndrome and COVID-19, and written in English and Chinese will be accepted. Databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, Web of Science, PubMed, Psychology Information, WanFang and SinoMed) from inception until 30 July 2020 will be searched. Two reviewers will select, screen, extract data and assess the risk of bias independently. Risk of bias of results will be using the Mixed-Methods Appraisal Tool. Using a convergent integrated approach on qualitative/quantitative studies, we will synthesise qualitative and quantitative data separately. The incidence and number of cases about burnout, PTSD, anxiety, depression, insomnia and coronavirus infection among medical staff will be extracted. Then we will transform quantitative data to synthesise narrative findings. This protocol will be reported per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols guidelines. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical assessment is not required due to the nature of the proposed systematic review. Findings of our research will be disseminated at conferences related to this field and through publication in peer-reviewed journals. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020198506.

Barriers and facilitators to exercise in hemodialysis patients: A protocol for systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Exercise training has a lot of potential benefits for hemodialysis patients. And some guidelines emphasize the importance of exercise for maintenance hemodialysis. However, there are many barriers to encourage hemodialysis patients to increase their level of physical activity. A broader understanding of the specific barriers is needed. METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PubMed, CBM, CNKI, and WangFang will be searched electronically. The Reference lists of included studies will be retrieved manually. If the study is designed with qualitative or mixed methods and directly explores the factors related to the exercise of dialysis patients, the study will be selected. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Qualitative Checklist will be applied for the study appraisal. The study search, selection and evaluation of the study will be conducted by 2 independent reviewers. Thematic synthesis will be used for synthesizing the findings of the primary studies. RESULTS: This study will provide a high-quality synthesis to examine the barriers and facilitators affecting exercise in hemodialysis patients from the perspective of patients, caregivers, and health care providers. CONCLUSION: This systematic review will contribute to the in-depth understanding of barriers and facilitators affecting exercise in hemodialysis patients, and improve the prognosis of this population. ETHIC AND DISSEMINATION: The content of this article does not involve moral approval or ethical review because no individual data will be collected. PROSPERO REGISTRATION: CRD42020200278. (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/#recordDetails).

MnO2 switch-bridged DNA walker for ultrasensitive sensing of cholinesterase activity and organophosphorus pesticides.

Cholinesterases (ChEs) are important indicators of neurological disease, hepatocellular carcinoma, and organophosphate poisoning. In this work, a MnO2 switch-bridged DNA walker was developed for ultrasensitive sensing of ChEs activity. The fuel strands loaded MnO2 switch was designed to bridge the hydrolysis activity of ChEs and the running of the DNA walker. Under the action of ChE, the substrate butyrylcholine is first catalytically hydrolyzed to thiocholine, which then mediates MnO2 nanosheet reduction to Mn2+, releasing the fuel strands into solution. The fuel strands as substitute targets then trigger the continuous operation of DNA walker with the aid of Mn2+, generating detectable fluorescence responses. The detection of ChE activity is converted to DNA detection in this method. Benefited from the robust operation and amplification effect of DNA walker, a wide linear range between the BChE activity and fluorescence intensity of nearly six orders of magnitude (1000-0.005 U/mL) and a limit of detection as low as 0.0008 U/mL are achieved. This allows the direct determination of BChE activity in clinical serum samples without any pretreatments. Moreover, the proposed method has remarkable capabilities for inhibitor (organophosphorus pesticide) screening and quantification, and organophosphorus pesticide detection in real samples is also achieved. Therefore, the MnO2 switch-bridged DNA walker represents a powerful tool for ultrasensitive sensing of ChEs and organophosphorus pesticides, and has great application potential in clinical diagnosis, therapeutics, and drug screening.

Ultrasensitive detection of butyrylcholinesterase activity based on the inner filter effect of MnO2 nanosheets on sulfur nanodots.

Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activity is an important index for a variety of diseases. In this work, a "turn-on" assay is proposed based on controlling the inner filter effect (IFE) of MnO2 nanosheets (NSs) on sulfur nanodots (S-dots). The fluorescence of S-dots is effectively quenched by the MnO2 NSs, due to the wide overlap of the emission spectrum of S-dots and absorption spectrum of MnO2 NSs, together with the superior light absorption capability of MnO2 NSs. BChE can catalyze acetylthiocholine and produce thiocholine, which effectively decomposes the MnO2 NSs into Mn2+, resulting in the disappearance of the IFE and recovery of fluorescence of S-dots. Two-stage linear relationships between the ratio of fluorescence intensity and concentration of BChE are observed from 0.05 to 10 and from 10 to 500 U L-1. A limit of detection of 0.035 U L-1 is achieved, which is the best performance so far. The as-proposed assay is robust enough for practical detection in human serum, and it can avoid interference from its sister enzyme (acetylcholinesterase) and glutathione at the micromolar level. The presented results provide a clue for the functionalization of S-dots, and offer a powerful tool as an analytic technique for nanomedicine and environmental science.

The effect of intradialytic combined exercise on hemodialysis efficiency in end-stage renal disease patients: a randomized-controlled trial.

PURPOSE: Insufficient dialysis is a difficult problem for patients undergoing hemodialysis, and causes cardiovascular complications and increases mortality. Increasing aerobic exercise and resistance exercise have been shown to be beneficial to physical fitness of patients undergoing hemodialysis, but a few studies have focused on combined exercise (combination of aerobic and resistance exercise training) and the interaction effect of combined exercise and intervention duration on hemodialysis efficiency. This study aimed to investigate the effects of 24-week combined exercise on hemodialysis efficiency, blood pressure, exercise capacity, and quality of life in patients undergoing hemodialysis. METHODS: In total, 47 eligible subjects were randomly allocated to exercise group and control group. The intervention group performed a 24-week, three times weekly, and moderate-intensity intradialytic combined exercise. Patients in the control group received usual care. The primary outcome was hemodialysis efficiency, which recorded every 4 weeks. Secondary outcomes included blood pressure, exercise capacity, and quality of life, measured at baseline and after 24 weeks of intervention. RESULTS: In intervention group, sp Kt/V significantly improved by 13.2%, and systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure significantly decreased by 8.5 mmHg and 6.5 mmHg, respectively. The 6-min walking distance increased significantly by 43 m (9.8%), but there was no significant change in quality of life. CONCLUSION: Combined exercise and intervention duration had an interaction effect on hemodialysis efficiency. Combined exercise improved blood pressure and physical fitness for patients undergoing hemodialysis, but did not affect quality of life. The extensive benefits of combined exercise provide evidence for the exercise development for patients undergoing hemodialysis.

A MXene of type Ti3C2Tx functionalized with copper nanoclusters for the fluorometric determination of glutathione.

Luminescent copper nanoclusters (Cu NCs) are chosen to functionalize Ti3C2Tx MXene flakes to form a new kind of nanohybrid. It was applied to the determination of glutathione (GSH) via photoluminescence (PL). The Cu NCs and MXene flakes are in close contact, and the blue PL of the Cu NCs (with excitation/emission peaks at 380/425 nm) is quenched. The addition of GSH triggers the separation of the nanohybrid. This results in the recovery of PL. GSH also promotes the PL of Cu NCs via host-guest interactions. Thus, target recognition, corresponding signal output and further magnification are accomplished in a single step. Under optimum conditions, the nanohybrid can detect GSH in the 5.0 to 100 µM concentration range and with a 3.0 µM detection limit. The assay is very specific and shows high selectivity towards metal ions, small biomolecules, amino acids, and thiol containing molecules. Graphical abstractLuminescent copper nanoclusters are used to functionalize Ti3C2Tx MXene flakes, forming a nanohybrid, which is applied to detect glutathione. Target recognition, signal output and magnification are accomplished in a single step, resulting in high selectivity.