Multi-Functional Electrospun AgNO3/PVB and Its Ag NP/PVB Nanofiber Membrane.

This study focuses on the fabrication of fiber membranes containing different concentrations of AgNO3 via the electrospinning technique. The AgNO3 present in the fibers is subsequently reduced to silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) through UV irradiation. The resulting nanofiber film is characterized using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and evaluations of its anti-UV and anti-electromagnetic radiation properties. Experimental results demonstrate that increasing the AgNO3 content initially decreases and then increases the fiber diameter and fiber diameter deviation. Under UV light, the nanofibers fuse and bond, leading to an increase in the fiber diameter. AgNO3 is effectively reduced to Ag NPs after UV irradiation for more than 60 min, as confirmed by the characteristic diffraction peaks of Ag NPs in the XRD spectrum of the irradiated AgNO3/PVB fibers. The nanofiber film containing AgNO3 exhibits superior anti-UV performance compared to the film containing AgNO3-derived Ag NPs. The anti-electromagnetic radiation performances of the nanofiber films containing AgNO3 and AgNO3-derived Ag NPs are similar, but the nanofiber film containing AgNO3-derived Ag NPs exhibits higher performance at approximately 2.5 GHZ frequency. Additionally, at an AgNO3 concentration of less than 0.5 wt%, the anti-electromagnetic radiation performance is poor, and the shielding effect of the nanofiber film on medium- and low-frequency electromagnetic waves surpasses that on high-frequency waves. This study provides guidance for the preparation of polyvinyl butyral nanofibers, Ag NPs, and functional materials with anti-ultraviolet and anti-electromagnetic radiation properties.

Artificial intelligence technique in detection of early esophageal cancer.

Due to the rapid progression and poor prognosis of esophageal cancer (EC), the early detection and diagnosis of early EC are of great value for the prognosis improvement of patients. However, the endoscopic detection of early EC, especially Barrett's dysplasia or squamous epithelial dysplasia, is difficult. Therefore, the requirement for more efficient methods of detection and characterization of early EC has led to intensive research in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). Deep learning (DL) has brought about breakthroughs in processing images, videos, and other aspects, whereas convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have shone lights on detection of endoscopic images and videos. Many studies on CNNs in endoscopic analysis of early EC demonstrate excellent performance including sensitivity and specificity and progress gradually from in vitro image analysis for classification to real-time detection of early esophageal neoplasia. When AI technique comes to the pathological diagnosis, borderline lesions that are difficult to determine may become easier than before. In gene diagnosis, due to the lack of tissue specificity of gene diagnostic markers, they can only be used as supplementary measures at present. In predicting the risk of cancer, there is still a lack of prospective clinical research to confirm the accuracy of the risk stratification model.

Betaine attenuates chronic alcohol­induced fatty liver by broadly regulating hepatic lipid metabolism.

Betaine has previously been demonstrated to protect the liver against alcohol­induced fat accumulation. However, the mechanism through which betaine affects alcohol­induced hepatic lipid metabolic disorders has not been extensively studied. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of betaine on alcoholic simple fatty liver and hepatic lipid metabolism disorders. A total of 36 rats were randomly divided into control, ethanol and ethanol + betaine groups. Liver function, morphological alterations, lipid content and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)­α levels were determined. Hepatic expression levels of diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) 1, DGAT2, sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP)­1c, SREBP­2, fatty acid synthase (FAS), 3­hydroxy­3­methyl­glutaryl (HMG)­CoA reductase, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor λ coactivator (PGC)­1α, adiponectin receptor (AdipoR) 1 and AdipoR2 were quantified. Serum and adipose tissue adiponectin levels were assessed using an enzyme­linked immunoassay. The results demonstrated that alcohol­induced ultramicrostructural alterations in hepatocytes, including the presence of lipid droplets and swollen mitochondria, were attenuated by betaine. Hepatic triglyceride, free fatty acid, total cholesterol and cholesterol ester contents and the expression of DGAT1, DGAT2, SREBP­1c, SREBP­2, FAS and HMG­CoA reductase were increased following ethanol consumption, however were maintained at control levels following betaine supplementation. Alcohol­induced decreases in hepatic PGC­1α mRNA levels and serum and adipose tissue adiponectin concentrations were prevented by betaine. The downregulation of hepatic AdipoR1 which resulted from alcohol exposure was partially attenuated by betaine. No significant differences in liver function, TNF­α, phospholipid and AdipoR2 levels were observed among the control, ethanol and ethanol + betaine groups. Overall, these results indicated that betaine attenuated the alcoholic simple fatty liver by improving hepatic lipid metabolism via suppression of DGAT1, DGAT2, SREBP­1c, FAS, SREBP­2 and HMG­CoA reductase and upregulation of PGC­1α.

Betaine Attenuates Alcohol-Induced Pancreatic Steatosis.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the effect of betaine on alcoholic pancreatic steatosis and its mechanism. METHODS: Rats were randomly assigned to control, ethanol, or ethanol + betaine groups. Changes in pancreatic morphology; serum lipid levels; and pancreatic lipid, amylase and lipase levels were determined. The serum and adipose tissue adiponectin level was measured by an enzyme-linked immunoassay. Adiponectin receptor-1 (AdipoR1), AdipoR2, sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c), SREBP-2, and fatty acid synthetase expression levels were quantified. The SREBP-1c expression in SW1990 cells treated with various concentrations of ethanol or ethanol plus betaine and/or adiponectin was assessed. RESULTS: Alcohol-induced changes in pancreatic morphology were attenuated by betaine. Pancreatic triglyceride, free fatty acid and expression levels of SREBP-1c and fatty acid synthetase were elevated after ethanol feeding but remained at control levels after betaine supplementation. Alcohol-induced decreases in serum and adipose tissue adiponectin, pancreatic AdipoR1, amylase, and lipase were attenuated by betaine. Serum triglyceride and free fatty acid levels were elevated after alcohol consumption and remained higher after betaine supplementation compared with controls. Betaine and/or adiponectin suppressed alcohol-induced SREBP-1c upregulation in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: Betaine attenuated alcoholic-induced pancreatic steatosis most likely by suppressing pancreatic SREBP-1c both directly and through the restoration of adiponectin signaling.

Immunomodulatory therapies for acute pancreatitis.

It is currently difficult for conventional treatments of acute pancreatitis (AP), which primarily consist of anti-inflammatory therapies, to prevent the progression of AP or to improve its outcome. This may be because the occurrence and progression of AP, which involves various inflammatory cells and cytokines, includes a series of complex immune events. Considering the complex immune system alterations during the course of AP, it is necessary to monitor the indicators related to immune cells and inflammatory mediators and to develop more individualized interventions for AP patients using immunomodulatory therapy. This review discusses the recent advances in immunomodulatory therapies. It has been suggested that overactive inflammatory responses should be inhibited and excessive immunosuppression should be avoided in the early stages of AP. The optimal duration of anti-inflammatory therapy may be shorter than previously expected (< 24 h), and appropriate immunostimulatory therapies should be administered during the period from the 3(rd) d to the 14(th) d in the course of AP. A combination therapy of anti-inflammatory and immune-stimulating drugs would hopefully constitute an alternative to anti-inflammatory drug monotherapy. Additionally, the detection of the genotypes of critical inflammatory mediators may be useful for screening populations of AP patients at high risk of severe infections to enable the administration of early interventions to improve their prognosis.

[Studies and reports of questionnaire on Chinese cut crude drug's dosage].

We had applied methods of stratified sampling and simple random sampling and collected 1704 questionnaires in 21 various hospitals, 18 provinces, then analyzed them. The conclusion showed that 78.4 percent experts presumed that the dosage rang of some traditional Chinese medicine should be revised. The dosages in the pharmacopoeia are not coincided with the practical dosages, and demand to revise. This paper will offer the consummate data for formulating the new dosage standard.

[Study on medicinal plant allelopathy and soil sickness based on ecological niche].

Based on the conception and theory of ecological niche, authors analyzed the cause of the allelopathy and soil sickness of medicinal plants and the relationship between them. Methods to resolve problems in the cultivating medicinal plant was found, that is to construct the ecological niche based on allelopathy theory and avoid the soil sickness.