Cyclododecane-based high-intactness and clean transfer method for fabricating suspended two-dimensional materials.

The high-intactness and ultraclean fabrication of suspended 2D materials has always been a challenge due to their atomically thin nature. Here, we present a universal polymer-free transfer approach for fabricating suspended 2D materials by using volatile micro-molecule cyclododecane as the transfer medium, thus ensuring the ultraclean and intact surface of suspended 2D materials. For the fabricated monolayer suspended graphene, the intactness reaches 99% for size below 10 µm and suspended size reaches 36 µm. Owing to the advantages of ultra-cleanness and large size, the thermal conductivity reaches 4914 W m - 1 K - 1 at 338 K. Moreover, this strategy can also realize efficient batch transfer of suspended graphene and is applicable for fabricating other 2D suspended materials such as MoS2. Our research not only establishes foundation for potential applications and investigations of intrinsic properties of large-area suspended 2D materials, but also accelerates the wide applications of suspended graphene grid in ultrahigh-resolution TEM characterization.

Observation of Chirality Transfer in Twisted Few-Layer Graphene.

Chiral materials are the focus of research in a variety of fields such as chiroptical sensing, biosensing, catalysis, and spintronics. Twisted two-dimensional (2D) materials are rapidly developing into a class of atomically thin chiral materials that can be effectively modulated through interlayer twist. However, chirality transfer in chiral 2D materials has not been reported. Here, we show that the chirality from the twist interface of graphene can directly transfer to achiral few-layer graphene and lead to a strong chiroptical response probed with circularly polarized Raman spectroscopy. Distinct Raman optical activity (ROA) for the interlayer shear modes in achiral few-layer graphene is observed, with the degree of polarization reaching as high as 0.5. These findings demonstrate the programmability of chiroptical response through stacking and twist engineering in 2D materials and offer insights into the transfer of chirality in atomically thin chiral materials for optical and electronic applications.

A Resonance-Sensitive Ultralow-Frequency Raman Mode in Twisted Bilayer Graphene.

Twisted bilayer graphene (tBLG) possesses intriguing physical properties including unconventional superconductivity, enhanced light-matter interaction due to the formation of van Hove singularities (vHS), and a divergence of density of states in the electronic band structures. The vHS energy band gap provides optical resonant transition channels that can be tuned by the twist angle and interlayer coupling. Raman spectroscopy provides rich information on the vHS structure of tBLG. Here, we report the discovery of an ultralow-frequency Raman mode at ∼49 cm-1 in tBLG. This mode is assigned to the combination of ZA (an out-of-plane acoustic phonon) and TA (a transverse acoustic phonon) phonons, and the Raman scattering is proposed to occur at the so-called mini-valley. This mode is found to be particularly sensitive to the change in vHS in tBLG. Our findings may deepen the understanding of Raman scattering in tBLG and help to reveal vHS-related electron-phonon interactions in tBLG.

Chiral Stacking Identification of Two-Dimensional Triclinic Crystals Enabled by Machine Learning.

Chiral materials possess broken inversion and mirror symmetry and show great potential in the application of next-generation optic, electronic, and spintronic devices. Two-dimensional (2D) chiral crystals have planar chirality, which is nonsuperimposable on their 2D enantiomers by any rotation about the axis perpendicular to the substrate. The degree of freedom to construct vertical stacking of 2D monolayer enantiomers offers the possibility of chiral manipulation for designed properties by creating multilayers with either a racemic or enantiomerically pure stacking order. However, the rapid recognition of the relative proportion of two enantiomers becomes demanding due to the complexity of stacking orders of 2D chiral crystals. Here, we report the unambiguous identification of racemic and enantiomerically pure stackings for layered ReSe2 and ReS2 using circular polarized Raman spectroscopy. The chiral Raman response is successfully manipulated by the enantiomer proportion, and the stacking orders of multilayer ReSe2 and ReS2 can be completely clarified with the help of second harmonic generation and scanning transmission electron microscopy measurements. Finally, we trained an artificial intelligent Spectra Classification Assistant to predict the chirality and the complete crystallographic structures of multilayer ReSe2 from a single circular polarized Raman spectrum with the accuracy reaching 0.9417 ± 0.0059.

Fabricating Ultrastrong Carbon Nanotube Fibers via a Microwave Welding Interface.

Liquid crystal wet-spun carbon nanotube fibers (CNTFs) offer notable advantages, such as precise alignment and scalability. However, these CNTFs usually suffer premature failure through intertube slippage due to the weak interfacial interactions between adjacent shells and bundles. Herein, we present a microwave (MW) welding strategy to enhance intertube interactions by partially carbonizing interstitial heterocyclic aramid polymers. The resulting CNTFs exhibit ultrahigh static tensile strength (6.74 ± 0.34 GPa) and dynamic tensile strength (9.52 ± 1.31 GPa), outperforming other traditional high-performance fibers. This work provides a straightforward yet effective approach to strengthening CNTFs for advanced engineering applications.

Paraffin-Enabled Superlattice Customization for a Photostimulated Gradient-Responsive Artificial Reflex Arc.

The development of photostimulated-motion artificial reflex arcs - a neural circuit inspired by light-driven motion reflexes - holds significant promises for advancements in robotic perception, navigation, and motion control. However, the fabrication of such systems, especially those that accommodate multiple actions and exhibit gradient responses, remains challenging. Here, a gradient-responsive photostimulated-motion artificial reflex arc is developed by integrating a programmable and tunable photoreceptor based on folded MoS2 at different twist angles. The twisted folded bilayer MoS2 used as photoreceptors can be customized via the transfer technique using patternable paraffin, where the twist angle and fold-line could be controlled. The photoluminescence (PL) intensity is 3.7 times higher at a twist angle of 29° compared to that at 0°, showing a monotonically decreasing indirect bandgap. Through tunable interlayer carrier transport, photoreceptors fabricated using folded bilayer MoS2 at different twist angles demonstrate gradient response time, enabling the photostimulated-motion artificial reflex arc for multiaction responses. They are transformed to digital command flow and studied via machine learning to control the gestures of a robotic hand, showing a prototype of photostimulated gradient-responsive artificial reflex arcs for the first time. This work provides a unique idea for developing intelligent soft robots and next-generation human-computer interfaces.

Serum thyroid function, hs-CRP expression, and coagulation function in syphilis patients / 公共卫生与预防医学

Objective To investigate the serum levels of thyroid function and hs-CRP expression in patients with syphilis and their relationship with coagulation function. Methods A total of 80 syphilis patients admitted to Bazhong Central Hospital from January 2020 to January 2022 were selected as the study subjects and set as the observation group. In addition, 80 healthy individuals were selected as the control group, and 80 psoriasis patients were selected as the disease control group. Thyroid function, hs-CRP and coagulation function among different groups were compared. The correlation between thyroid function, hs-CRP, and coagulation function in patients with syphilis was analyzed, and the effectiveness of these parameters in predicting syphilis was analyzed. Results The values of FT3, FT4, TSH and hs-CRP in the observation group were higher than those in the control group and the disease control group (P<0.05). The abnormal rates of thyroid function and hs-CRP level in the observation group were higher than those in the control group and the disease control group (P<0.05). PT, APTT, and TT of the observation group were higher than those of the control group and the disease control group (P<0.05). The abnormal rate of coagulation function in the observation group was higher than that in the control group and the disease control group (P<0.05). The levels of FT3, FT4, TSH, hs-CRP, PT, APTT, and TT in the first stage were lower than those in the second and third stages, while these parameters in the secondary stage were lower than those in the third stage (P<0.05). The severity of syphilis was positively correlated with FT3, FT4, hs-CRP, APTT, and TT (P<0.05). Among these indicators, TT was more effective in the diagnosis of syphilis. Conclusion Syphilis patients have hyperthyroidism, accompanied by coagulation dysfunction and abnormal increase in hs-CRP, which are all related to the condition of syphilis patients. The combined prediction of syphilis patients has high effectiveness.

Comparison of clinically relevant factors in bipolar disorder patients with different age of onset / 中国心理卫生杂志

Objective:To compare clinical characteristics,treatment patterns and physiological indicators in bipolar disorder(BD)patients with different age of onset.Methods:Totally 380 patients with DSM-5 BD were se-lected in this study.Psychiatrists diagnosed the patients using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview.The clinical information questionnaire and the Global Assessment of Functioning scale were utilized to collected clinical characteristics,treatment status,and physiological indicators.The onset age of BD was divided into 21 and 35 years as cut-off points.Multivariate logistic regression and linear regression were used to analyze related factors.Results:Among the 380 patients with BD,199 cases were early-onset group(52.4％),121 cases were middle-onset group(31.8％),and 60 cases were late-onset group(15.8％).There were 26.6％of patients in the early-onset group in-itially diagnosed as depression,23.1％in the middle-onset group,and 11.7％in the late-onset group.Multivariate analysis revealed that compared to the early-onset group of BD,the middle-onset(OR=2.22)and late-onset(OR=4.99)groups had more risk to experience depressive episodes,and the late-onset group(OR=6.74)had 6.74 times of risk to suffer from bipolar Ⅱ disorder.Additionally,patients in the middle-onset(β=-1.52)and late-on-set(β=-4.29)groups had shorter durations of delayed treatment,and those in the middle-onset(β=-1.62)and late-onset(β=-3.14)groups had fewer hospitalizations.Uric acid levels were lower in both the middle-onset(β=-28.39)and late-onset(β=-31.47)groups,and total cholesterol level was lower in the middle-onset group(β=-0.23).Conclusion:Patients with BD in different age of onset show significant differences in clinical charac-teristics,treatment conditions and physiological indicators.

Esophageal cancer cell-derived small extracellular vesicles decrease circulating Tfh/Tfr via sEV-PDL1 to promote immunosuppression.

Esophageal cancer (EC) is a deadly malignancy. Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) with programmed death ligand 1 (sEV-PDL1) induce immune escape to promote tumor progression. Furthermore, the imbalance between circulating follicular helper T (Tfh) and circulating follicular regulatory T (Tfr) cells is related to the progression of many malignant tumors. However, the role of the EC-derived sEV-PDL1 in circulating Tfh/Tfr is unknown. Circulating Tfh and Tfr cells were detected by flow cytometry. sEVs were isolated through differential centrifugation and cultured for cell expansion assays. Naïve CD4+ T cells were isolated, stimulated, and cultured with sEVs to evaluate the frequencies, phenotypes, and functions of Tfh and Tfr cells. The proportion of circulating Tfh in patients with EC was lower than that in healthy donors (HDs), whereas that of circulating Tfr was higher. The EC group showed significantly lower circulating Tfh/Tfr and a higher level of sEV-PDL1 than HDs. Notably, sEV-PDL1 was negatively correlated with circulating Tfh/Tfr in the EC group. In vitro assays, sEV-PDL1 inhibited Tfh expansion, enhanced the cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4+ (CTLA4+) Tfh cell percentage, decreased the levels of interleukin (IL)-21 and interferon-γ, and increased IL-10. sEV-PDL1 promoted the expansion and immunosuppressive functions of circulating Tfr; the increased percentages of CTLA4+ Tfr and inducible T cell co-stimulator+ Tfr were accompanied with high IL-10. However, applying an anti-PDL1 antibody significantly reversed this. Our results suggest a novel mechanism of sEV-PDL1-mediated immunosuppression in EC. Inhibiting sEV-PDL1 to restore circulating Tfh/Tfr balance provides a novel therapeutic approach for EC.

Enhanced Layer-Breathing Modes in van der Waals Heterostructures Based on Twisted Bilayer Graphene.

The characterization of interlayer coupling in two-dimensional van der Waals heterostructures (vdWHs) is essential to understand their quantum behaviors and structural functionalities. Interlayer shear and layer-breathing (LB) phonons carry rich information on interlayer interaction, but they are usually too weak to be detected via standard Raman spectroscopy due to the weak electron-phonon coupling (EPC). Here, we report a universal strategy to enhance LB modes of vdWHs based on twisted bilayer graphene (tBLG). In both tBLG/hBN and tBLG/MoS2 vdWHs, the resonantly excited electrons in tBLG can strongly couple to LB phonons extended over the entire layers in the vdWHs, whose resonance condition is tunable by the twist angle of tBLG. In vdWHs containing twisted graphene layers with multiple twisted interfaces, the EPC of LB phonons coming from the collective LB vibrations of entire heterostructure layers can be tuned by resonant excitation of programmable van Hove singularities according to each twisted interface. The universality and tunability of enhanced LB phonons by tBLG make it a promising method to investigate EPC and interlayer interaction in related vdWHs.

TGF-ß3 in differentiation and function of Tph-like cells and its relevance to disease activity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVES: T peripheral helper (Tph) cells have major roles in pathological processes in SLE. We sought to clarify the mechanisms of Tph cell differentiation and their relevance to clinical features in patients with SLE. METHOD: Phenotypes and functions of Tph cell-related markers in human CD4+ T cells purified from volunteers or patients were analysed using flow cytometry and quantitative PCR. Renal biopsy specimens from patients with LN were probed by multicolour immunofluorescence staining. RESULTS: Among multiple cytokines, transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß3 characteristically induced programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)hi musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma (MAF)+, IL-21+IL-10+ Tph-like cells with a marked upregulation of related genes including PDCD-1, MAF, SOX4 and CXCL13. The induction of Tph-like cells by TGF-ß3 was suppressed by the neutralization of TGF-ß type II receptor (TGF-ßR2). TGF-ß3-induced Tph-like cells efficiently promoted the differentiation of class-switch memory B cells into plasmocytes, resulting in enhanced antibody production. The proportion of Tph cells in the peripheral blood was significantly increased in patients with SLE than in healthy volunteers in concordance with disease activity and severity of organ manifestations such as LN. TGF-ß3 was strongly expressed on macrophages, which was associated with the accumulation of CD4+ C-X-C chemokine receptor (CXCR5)-PD-1+ Tph cells, in the renal tissue of patients with active LN. CONCLUSION: The induction of Tph-like cells by TGF-ß3 mainly produced from tissue macrophages plays a pivotal role in the pathological processes of active LN by enhancing B-cell differentiation in patients with SLE.

The association between rotavirus diarrhea in children and atmospheric pressure in Guangzhou City from 2012 to 2020 / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To explore the relative risks of rotavirus diarrhea after exposure to different levels of atmospheric pressure in children in Guangzhou City, so as to provide reference for improving public awareness of high atmospheric pressure exposure.@*Methods@#The study used the China Notifiable Communicable Diseases Network System and China Meteorological Science Data Sharing Service Network to collect meteorological data and data relating to daily cases of rotavirus diarrhea in children at Guangzhou Women and Children s Medical Center from 2012 to 2020. The association between rotavirus diarrhea and atmospheric pressure was analyzed using distributed lag non linear models (DLNM). The relative risks of different sex and age sub groups exposed to different atmospheric pressures were also evaluated.@*Results@#A total of 18 587 cases of rotavirus diarrhea were reported from 2012 to 2020, among which 11 662 cases (62.7%) were boys, and 12 582 cases (67.7%) were children aged 6 to 24 months old, which represented the highest proportion. The results of the DLNM showed that the relative risk of rotavirus diarrhea was the highest on the day of exposure to extreme high atmospheric pressure ( RR =1.50, 95% CI =1.24-1.82, P <0.05) and the effect could last for 28 days. Risk of rotavirus diarrhea was low for exposure to low pressure within 2 weeks ( P <0.05). During extremely high atmospheric pressure weather, RR was higher in girls ( RR =3.31, 95% CI =1.46-7.49， P <0.05) than that in boys ( RR =1.98, 95% CI =0.96-4.07， P >0.05). Among different age sub groups, RR was the highest in children aged 24 to 60 months after exposure to the highest level of atmospheric pressure exposure ( RR =3.36, 95% CI =1.27-8.89, P <0.05).@*Conclusion@#In Guangzhou, exposure to high pressure increases the risk of rotavirus diarrhea in children. In the future, public awareness should be raised regarding the risk after exposure to high atmospheric pressure.

Visual analysis on minimally invasive treatment of liver cancer based on Cite Space biblio-metric study / 中华消化外科杂志

Primary liver cancer is a malignant tumor with high morbidity and mortality in the world, and it is also a common malignant tumor of digestive tract in China. With the development of medical technology and the deepening of minimally invasive concept, minimally invasive therapy has gradually become the main treatment of liver cancer. Through the visual analysis of Cite Space bibliometrics study, the authors visually show the basic knowledge structure and evolution in the field of minimally invasive treatment of liver cancer, and explore the frontier hotspots and future development trends, so as to provide reference for scientific research and application in this field.

Therapeutic effect of endovascular embolization for perimedullary arteriovenous fistula / 中国介入影像与治疗学

Objective To observe the therapeutic effect of endovascular embolization for perimedullary arteriovenous fistula(PMAVF).Methods Data of 8 PMAVF patients who underwent endovascular embolization were retrospectively analyzed.Findings of digital subtraction angiography(DSA)immediately and 6 months after treatment were reviewed,and the modified Aminoff-Logue score(mALS)was compared before and 6 months after treatment.Results Among 8 cases of PMAVF,there were 2 cases of type Ⅰ,5 cases of type Ⅱand 1 case of type Ⅲ,among them 3 were treated with Onyx glue while 5 with Glubrane glue.The immediate DSA results after treatment showed complete embolization of the fistula in all 8 cases,while those 6 months after treatment showed no recurrence.One case recovered and the other 7 cases improved,and mALS(2.25±2.12)6 months after treatment was lower than that(5.50±2.39)before treatment(P＜0.05).Conclusion Endovascular embolization could safely and effectively treat PMAVF.

Neonatal 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels after birth and 2 to 4 weeks after vitamin D supplementation and their impacts on complications / 中华围产医学杂志

Objective:To investigate the change in 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25-OHD) levels in hospitalized newborns in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) between baseline and vitamin D supplementation, and to explore the effect of different levels of vitamin D on the complications.Method:A prospective study was conducted on the newborns admitted to NICU at Jingzhou Hospital Affiliated to Yangtze University within 72 h after birth from January 2021 to January 2022. Vitamin D supplementation was initiated after the detection of basal 25-OHD levels within 72 h after birth. Serum 25-OHD levels were measured after 2, 4, and 6 weeks of supplementation. Newborns were categorized into four groups according to the basal 25-OHD level: sufficient, insufficient, deficient, and severely deficient groups. The analysis of variants, independent sample t-test, paired sample t-test, Chi-square test, or Fisher's exact probability method were employed to evaluate the differences in basal 25-OHD levels among newborns with different clinical conditions and gestational ages, as well as the variation in 25-OHD levels before and after supplementation among the four groups. Furthermore, differences in the morbidity and mortality among different basal status groups were analyzed. Result:(1) During the study period, 626 cases met the inclusion criteria, and after excluding seven cases, 619 infants were ultimately included in the study with serum 25-OHD level within 72 h being (21.8±10.1) ng/ml. There were 134 cases (21.6%) in the sufficient group, 208 cases (33.6%) in the insufficient group, 186 cases (30.0%) in the deficient group, and 91 cases (14.7%) in the severe deficient group. (2) No statistically significant differences were observed in the basal 25-OHD levels regardless of the genders, gestational age, birth month, number of fetuses or small for gestational age (all P>0.05). (3) Among all infants, 158 cases continued to supplement vitamin D for two weeks, 64 cases continued for four weeks, and 13 cases continued for six weeks, with all of them discharged within eight weeks. Compared with the basal 25-OHD levels, there were no statistically significant differences in the serum 25-OHD levels among the sufficient, insufficient, deficient, and severely deficient groups after two weeks of supplementation [(37.1±9.3) vs. (36.8±4.9) ng/ml, (24.7±7.2) vs. (24.7±2.9) ng/ml, (16.0±7.6) vs. (15.4±2.9) ng/ml, (8.1±5.6) vs. (7.6±1.4) ng/ml; t=0.18, 0.04, 0.65 and 0.48, respectively; all P>0.05]. After four weeks of supplementation, however, the serum 25-OHD levels in the four groups were higher than those before supplementation [(40.0±5.2) vs. (35.8±3.9) ng/ml, (29.7±6.4) vs. (24.5±2.9) ng/ml, (20.3±7.1) vs. (15.6±3.0) ng/ml, (14.9±7.3) vs. (6.5±2.3) ng/ml; t=2.13, 2.66, 5.08 and 7.64, respectively; all P<0.05]. (4) The incidence of hypocalcemia [23.1% (21/91) vs. 9.7% (18/186)] and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome [15.4% (14/91) vs. 3.2% (6/186)] were higher in the severely deficient group than those in the deficient group ( χ2=9.07 and 13.49, both P<0.008). No statistically significant differences were observed in the incidence of neonatal sepsis, neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, retinopathy of prematurity, and mortality among the four groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions:The insufficiency of 25-OHD levels and vitamin D deficiency were prevalent in NICU neonates. Vitamin D status did not significantly differ among newborns with varying gestational ages. A prolonged period of sustained vitamin D supplementation may be required to elevate the serum 25-OHD level. The incidence of hypocalcemia and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome are higher in newborns with severe vitamin D deficiency.

Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 3 commits human mesenchymal stem cells to differentiate into chondrocytes via endoplasmic reticulum stress sensor.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) can differentiate into chondrocytes. Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 3 (EBI3) is differentially expressed during chondrogenic differentiation and can be produced by MSC. EBI3 is also a subunit of interleukin (IL)-27 and IL-35, and it accumulates in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) when its partners, such as IL-27 p28 and IL-35 p35, are insufficient. ER stress induced by protein accumulation is responsible for chondrogenic differentiation. However, the role of EBI3 and its relevance to the ER stress in chondrogenic differentiation of MSC have never been addressed. Here, we demonstrate that EBI3 protein is expressed in the early stage of chondrogenic differentiation of MSC. Additionally, knockdown, overexpression, or induction of EBI3 through IL-1ß inhibits chondrogenesis. We show that EBI3 localizes and accumulates in the ER of MSC after overexpression or induction by IL-1ß and TNF-α, whereas ER stress inhibitor 4-phenylbutyric acid decreases its accumulation in MSC. Moreover, EBI3 modulates ER stress sensor inositol-requiring enzyme 1 α (IRE1α) after induced by IL-1ß, and MSC-like cells coexpress EBI3 and IRE1α in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synovial tissue. Altogether, these data demonstrate that intracellular EBI3 commits to chondrogenic differentiation by regulating ER stress sensor IRE1α.

Analysis of Ecological Environment Problems and Countermeasures in Ideological and Political Education in Colleges and Universities.

At present, there are many problems in the mode and method of ideological and emotional education of college students. The state attaches great importance to this aspect and continues to increase investment, but the effect is not satisfactory. As an important field for cultivating high-level socialist talents, colleges and universities have played a huge role in promoting the ideological development and emotional education of college students. The emergence of this contradiction shows that traditional educational methods have their own shortcomings and need to expand their thinking and explore new research areas. Since the new era, the ideological education venues and teaching activities of colleges and universities have been greatly improved, but they are also facing many problems and challenges, which seriously affect the moral quality of college students and destroy the ideological education ecosystem of colleges and universities. From the perspective of the ecological crisis of education, this paper awakens and pays attention to the ecological problems of education, making it an inevitable trend of current education development and paving the way for future research. On this basis, the current situation of the ecology of political education of college students is analyzed, and the necessity of research is proposed. Analyzing the ideological and emotional education of college students from the perspective of ecology is essentially to regard the ideological education of college students as an ecosystem and deeply analyze the distribution of various components and elements of college students' ideological and political education. The ecology of college students' ideological education is the process, law, and overall ecological balance of various factors in the ideological education system of college students, as well as the methodological thinking and value orientation of the interaction between various factors and the environment. The changes of the ecological environment have a significant impact on people's state of mind. As college students growing up in the new environment, their thoughts, emotions, and values are all affected by the development of the ecological environment. Therefore, changes in the ecological environment, air quality, and water environment have increasingly obvious impacts on the living environment.

mTOR activation in CD8+ cells contributes to disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis and increases therapeutic response to TNF inhibitors.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to understand the role of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in CD8+ cells in the pathogenicity of RA and the changes after treatment with biologic drugs. METHODS: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from 17 healthy controls and 86 patients with RA. Phosphorylation of mTOR (p-mTOR) and its clinical relevance were evaluated. The role of mTOR in CD8+ cells was also examined in vitro. RESULTS: Patients with RA who had a moderate or high disease activity, were biologic-naïve, and were refractory to MTX were enrolled in this study. The p-mTOR levels in CD8+ cells were higher in patients with RA than in healthy controls, and they positively correlated with the disease activity in such patients. However, after one year of treatment with TNF inhibitors, the p-mTOR levels in CD8+ cells were suppressed and showed a positive correlation with the treatment response, which was not observed in the abatacept-treatment group. In vitro stimulation of CD8+ cells with anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 antibodies induced mTOR phosphorylation and increased the production of granzyme B, granulysin, TNF-α and IFN-γ but decreased the production of granzyme K. However, on treatment with TNF inhibitors, p-mTOR levels in CD8+ cells and granzyme B production decreased, while granzyme K production increased. The production of granulysin and IFN-γ was not affected by the TNF inhibitors. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that mTOR activation in CD8+ cells may be a novel evaluation marker for RA disease activity and a predictive marker of therapeutic response to TNF inhibitors.

Microencapsulated phage composites with increased gastrointestinal stability for the oral treatment of Salmonella colonization in chicken.

Salmonella infection, one of the common epidemics in the livestock and poultry breeding industry, causes great economic losses worldwide. At present, antibiotics are the most commonly used treatment for Salmonella infection, but the widespread use of antibiotics has increased drug resistance to Salmonella. Phage therapy has gradually become an alternative method to control Salmonella infection. However, phage, a specific virus that can infect bacteria, has poor stability and is prone to inactivation during treatment. Microencapsulated phage microspheres can effectively solve this problem. Accordingly, in this study, Salmonella phages were microencapsulated, using the xanthan gum/sodium alginate/CaCl2/chitooligosaccharides method, to improve their gastrointestinal stability. Furthermore, microencapsulated phages were evaluated for in vitro temperature and storage stability and in vivo therapeutic effect. Phage microspheres prepared with 1 g/100 mL xanthan gum, 2 g/100 mL sodium alginate, 2 g/100 mL CaCl2, and 0.6 g/100 mL chitooligosaccharides were regular in shape and stable in the temperature range of 10-30°C. Also, microencapsulated phages showed significantly improved stability in the simulated gastric juice environment than the free phages (p < 0.05). In the simulated intestinal fluid, microencapsulated phages were completely released after 4 h. Moreover, microencapsulated phages showed good storage stability at 4°C. In the in vivo experiments detecting Salmonella colonization in the intestinal tract of chicks, microencapsulated phages showed a better therapeutic effect than the free phages. In conclusion, microencapsulated phages exhibited significantly improved stability, gastric acid resistance, and thereby efficacy than the free phages. Microencapsulated phages can be potentially used as biological control agents against bacterial infections.

Clinical Effect of Xijiao Dihuangtang Combined with Acupuncture on Treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus with Syndrome of Intense Heat Toxin / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical effect of Xijiao Dihuangtang combined with acupuncture on the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus （SLE） with syndrome of intense heat toxin. MethodA total of 102 cases of SLE with syndrome of intense heat toxin （admitted from January 2020 to December 2021） were divided into a control group and an observation group by random number table method， with 51 cases in each group. Patients in the control group received conventional western medicine treatment （hydroxychloroquine sulfate + poonisone acetate tablets）. Patients in the observation group were given Xijiao Dihuangtang combined with acupuncture based on the treatment of the control group. Clinical efficacy， onset time， symptom improvement time， skin lesion regression time， and hospital stays were recorded. Blood routine index change， 24 h urine protein levels， double-stranded DNA （ds-DNA） antibodies resistance index changes， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome integral changes， and changes in serum cytokine indexes， blood rheology indexes， and T lymphocyte subsets indexes were observed. SLE changes in disease activity index （SLEDAI-2000）， quality of life （SF-36） scores， and adverse reactions were explored. ResultThe total effective rate was 96.08% （49/51） in the observation group， higher than 84.31% （43/51） in the control group （χ2=3.991， P<0.05）. The onset time， symptom improvement time， skin lesion regression time， and hospital stays in the observation group were shorter than those in the control group （P<0.05，P<0.01）. Before treatment， erythrocyte sedimentation rate （ESR）， platelet count （PLT）， hemoglobin （HGB）， white blood cell count （WBC）， and other blood routine indexes， 24h urinary protein levels， anti-ds-DNA， TCM syndrome integral core， serum cytokine indexes including interleukin-4 （IL-4）， IL-6， soluble interleukin-2 receptor （sIL-2R）， blood rheology indexes （fibrinogen， plasma viscosity， and whole blood viscosity），T lymphocyte subsets indexes （CD4+， CD8+， and CD4+/CD8+）， SLEDAI-2000， and SF-36 score comparison in both groups had no statistical significance. After treatment， the above indicators were improved in each group （P<0.05）， and the indicators in the observation group was better than that in the control group （P<0.05）. In terms of the adverse reactions， there was 1 case of digestive tract reaction， 1 case of elevated aminotransferase， and 1 case of insomnia in the observation group. There were 2 cases of digestive tract reaction，1 case of infection， and 1 case of elevated transaminase in the control group. The difference of the adverse reactions between the two groups had no statistical significance. ConclusionXijiao Dihuangtang combined with acupuncture has good clinical effect on the treatment of SLE with syndrome of intense heat toxin， and the method is safe， reliable， and worthy of application.