Chiral Pearlescent Cellulose Nanocrystals Films with Broad-Range Tunable Optical Properties for Anti-Counterfeiting Applications.

Pearlescent materials are of technological importance in a diverse array of industries from cosmetics to premium paints; however, chiral pearlescent materials remain unexplored. Here, chiral pearlescent films with on-demand iridescence and metallic appearance are simply organized by leveraging vertical pressure to direct the self-assembly of cellulose nanocrystals. The films are formed with a bilayer planar anchored left-handed chiral nematic architecture, in which the bottom layer is featured with a vertical gradient pitch, and the top layer is featured with a uniform pitch. Simultaneous reflection of the rainbow colors and an on-demand color of left-handed polarized light with angle-dependent wavelength and polarization state accounts for the unique optical phenomenon based on experimental observation and theoretical analysis. Such chiroptical property can be readily tuned with architectural design, enabling reproducible optical appearance with high fidelity. Bringing the pearlescence, iridescence, and specular reflection together endows cellulose nanocrystal films with rich and tunable chiroptical properties that can be used for anti-counterfeiting applications. The current work marks the beginning of chiral pearlescent materials from renewable resources, while the pressure-directed self-assembly provides a step toward scalable production.

Umbrella-frame silicon nanorod arrays decorated with Au nanoparticles as recyclable SERS substrates.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a powerful technique for detection and identification of trace amounts of molecules with high specificity. A variety of two- and three-dimensional (3D) SERS substrates have been developed. Among these SERS substrates, to further develop new morphology of 3D SERS-active substrate with robust SERS functionality is still desired and necessary. In this paper, what we believe to be a novel and effective SERS-active substrate based on large-scale 3D Si hierarchical nanoarrays in conjunction with homogeneous Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) was proposed. Its building block shaped like the umbrella-frame structure was fabricated by a simple and cost-effective top-down nanofabrication method. Such umbrella-frame structure achieved excellent SERS performance with high sensitivity and spatial uniformity. For R6G molecules, the detection limit can be as low as 10-14 M, with an enhancement factor of up to 107. The relative standard deviation can reach about 11% above 30 positions across an area of 100×100 µm2. This is mainly attributed to much more active-sites provided by the umbrella-frame structure for adsorption of target molecules and AuNPs, and sufficient 3D hotspots generated by the coupling between the SiNRs guided mode and AuNPs localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), as well as that between AuNPs LSPR. Especially by introducing the umbrella-ribs SiNRs and AuNPs, the light field can be greatly confined to the structure surface, creating strongly enhanced and even zero-gap fields in 3D space. Moreover, the proposed SERS-active substrate can be erased and reused multiple times by plasma cleaning and exhibits typically excellent recyclability and stability for robust SERS activity. The experimental results demonstrate the proposed substrate may serve as a promising SERS platform for trace detection of chemical and biological molecules.

A comparative study of virus nucleic acid re-positive and non-re-positive patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant strain in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

Objective: This study aimed to provide a basis for epidemic prevention and control measures as well as the management of re-positive personnel by analyzing and summarizing the characteristics of re-positive patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Delta variant infections discharged from a hospital in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in 2021. Methods: This case-control study included a total of 45 patients with Delta variant infections diagnosed in the Fourth People's Hospital of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region between October 17 and November 28, 2021. Based on the nucleic acid test results post-discharge, the patients were dichotomized into re-positive and non-re-positive groups. Based on the time of the first re-positive test, the re-positive group was further divided into <7 and ≥7 days groups to compare their clinical characteristics and explore the possible influencing factors of this re-positivity. Results: Of the 45 total patients, 16 were re-positive (re-positivity rate: 35.6%), including four patients who were re-positive after 2 weeks (re-positivity rate: 8.8%). The median time of the first re-positive after discharge was 7 days (IQR: 14-3). The re-positive group was younger than the non-re-positive group (35 vs. 53, P < 0.05), had a higher proportion of patients who were not receiving antiviral therapy (56.2 vs. 17.2%, P < 0.05). The median CT value of nucleic acid in the re-positive group was considerably greater than that at admission (36.7 vs. 22.6 P < 0.05). The findings demonstrated that neutralizing antibody treatment significantly raised the average IgG antibody level in patients, particularly in those who had not received COVID-19 vaccine (P < 0.05). The median lowest nucleic acid CT value of the ≥7 days group during the re-positive period and the immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody level at discharge were lower than those in the <7 days group (P < 0.05). When compared to the non-positive group, patients in the ≥7 days group had a higher median virus nucleic acid CT value (27.1 vs. 19.2, P < 0.05) and absolute number of lymphocytes at admission (1,360 vs. 952, P < 0.05), and a lower IgG antibody level at discharge (P < 0.05). Conclusions: In conclusion, this study found that: (1) The re-positivity rate of SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant infection in this group was 35.6%, while the re-positivity rate was the same as that of the original strain 2 weeks after discharge (8.0%). (2) Young people, patients who did not use antiviral therapy or had low IgG antibody levels at discharge were more likely to have re-positive. And the CT value of nucleic acid at the time of initial infection was higher in re-positive group. We speculated that the higher the CT value of nucleic acid at the time of initial infection, the longer the intermittent shedding time of the virus. (3) Re-positive patients were asymptomatic. The median CT value of nucleic acid was > 35 at the re-positive time, and the close contacts were not detected as positive. The overall transmission risk of re-positive patients is low.

Site-Selective Assembly of Centimeter-Scale Arrays of Precisely Oriented Magnetic Nanoellipsoids.

The precise organization and orientation of anisotropic nanoparticles (NPs) on substrates over a large area is key to the application of NP assemblies in functional optical, electronic, and magnetic devices, but achieving such high-precision NP assembly still remains challenging. Here, we demonstrate the site-selective assembly of magnetic nanoellipsoids into large-area precisely positioned, orientationally controlled arrays via a combination of chemical patterning and magnetic manipulation. Magnetic ellipsoidal NPs are selectively positioned on predetermined chemical patterns with high fidelity through electrostatic interactions and aligned uniformly in line with an applied magnetic field. The position, orientation, and interparticle spacing of the ellipsoids can be precisely tuned by controlling the chemical patterns and magnetic field. This approach is simple to implement and can generate centimeter-scale arrays in high yield (up to 99%). The arrays exhibit collective magnetic responses that are dependent on the orientation of the ellipsoids. This work offers a tool for the fabrication of precisely engineered arrays of anisotropic NPs for applications such as metasurface and artificial spin ice.

UPLC-MS/MS method for the determination of voriconazole plasma concentration from pediatric patients with hematologic tumors: An application toward personalized therapy.

Untreated invasive fungal infection is one of the important risk factors affecting the prognosis of pediatric patients with hematologic tumors. Voriconazole (VOR) is the first-line antifungal drug for the treatment of Aspergillus infections. In order to reduce the risk of adverse drug reactions while producing an ideal antifungal effect, therapeutic drug monitoring was performed to maintain the VOR plasma concentration in a range of 1,000-5,500 ng/ml. In the present study, a reliable, accurate, sensitive and quick ultra-high performance liquid chromatograph-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was developed for the determination of the VOR level. Protein precipitation was performed using acetonitrile, and then the chromatographic separation was carried out by UPLC using a C18 column with the gradient mobile phases comprising 0.1% methanoic acid in acetonitrile (A) and 0.1% methanoic acid in water (B). In the selective reaction monitor mode, the mass spectrometric detection was carried out using an TSQ Endura triple quadruple mass spectrometer. The performance of this UPLC-MS/MS method was validated as per the National Medical Products Administration for Bioanalytical Method Validation. Additionally, the plasma concentrations of VOR in pediatric patients with hematologic tumors were detected using this method, and the analyzed results were used for personalized therapy.

Synthesis and bioevaluation of diaryl urea derivatives as potential antitumor agents for the treatment of human colorectal cancer.

The development of inhibitors targeting the PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway has been greatly hindered by the on-target AEs, such as hyperglycemia and hepatotoxicities. In this study, a series of diaryl urea derivatives has been designed and synthesized based on clinical candidate gedatolisib (6aa), and most of the newly synthesized derivatives showed kinase inhibitory and antiproliferative activities within nanomolar and submicromolar level, respectively. The terminal l-prolineamide substituted derivative 6 ab showed 8.6-fold more potent PI3Kα inhibitory activity (0.7 nM) and 4.6-fold more potent antiproliferative effect against HCT116 cell lines (0.11 µM) compared with control 6aa. The potential antitumor mechanism and efficacy of 6 ab in HCT116 xenograft models have also been evaluated, and found 6 ab showed comparable in vivo antitumor activity with 6aa. The safety investigations revealed that compound 6 ab exhibited more safer profiles in the selectivity of liver cells (selectivity index: >6.6 vs 1.85) and blood glucose regulation than 6aa. In addition, the in vitro stability assays also indicated our developed compound 6 ab possessed good metabolic stabilities.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of cajanonic acid A derivatives as potential PPARγ antagonists.

Four series of cajanonic acid A (CAA) derivatives have been designed and synthesized. The newly prepared compounds have been screened for glucose consumption activity in HepG2 cell lines and PPARγ antagonistic activity in HEK293 cell lines. Compound 26g bearing a tetrahydroisoquinolinone scaffold showed the most potent PPARγ antagonistic and hypoglycemic activities. An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed and the results further confirmed that 26g was a potent hypoglycemic agent. In addition, the possible binding modes for compound 26g in the PPARγ protein have been investigated in this study.

Effects of a nutrition plus exercise programme on physical function in sarcopenic obese elderly people: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: With a rapidly ageing population, sarcopenic obesity, defined as decreased muscle mass and function combined with increased body fat, is a complex health problem. Although sarcopenic obesity contributes to a decline in physical function and exacerbates frailty in older adults, evidence from clinical trials about the effect of exercise and nutrition on this complex syndrome in Chinese older adults is lacking. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We devised a study protocol for a single-blind randomised controlled trial. Sarcopenia is described as age-related decline in muscle mass plus low muscle strength and/or low physical performance. Obesity is defined as a percentage of body fat above the 60th centile. Ninety-two eligible participants will be randomly assigned to a control group, nutrition group, exercise group and nutrition plus exercise group to receive an 8-week intervention and 12-week follow-up. The primary outcomes will be the change in short physical performance battery scores, grip strength and 6 m usual gait speed. The secondary outcomes will include basic activities of daily living scores, instrumental activity daily living scores, body composition and body anthropometric indexes. For all main analyses, the principle of intention-to-treat will be used. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study was approved by the medical ethics committee of Zhejiang Hospital on 25 November 2015. The study will present data targeting the clinical effects of nutrition and exercise on physical function and body composition in a Chinese older population with sarcopenic obesity. The results will help to provide important clinical evidence of the role of complex non-pharmaceutical interventions for sarcopenic obese older people. The findings of this study will be submitted to peer-reviewed medical journals for publication and presented at relevant academic conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR-IOR-15007501; Pre-results.

Relationship of serum vitamin D level on geriatric syndromes and physical performance impairment in elderly hypertensive patients.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship among serum vitamin D levels, physical performance impairment, and geriatric syndromes in elders with hypertension. METHODS: According to the concentration of vitamin D levels, a total of 143 elderly patients with hypertension were classified into vitamin D deficient group (vitamin D ≤ 20 ng/mL, n = 94) and vitamin D appropriate group (vitamin D > 20 ng/mL, n = 49). Geriatric syndromes and physical performance were assessed by using comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA). Correlation among vitamin D levels, geriatric syndromes and physical performance was analyzed. RESULTS: No statistical differences were found in various aspects of geriatric syndromes between the two groups (P > 0.05). While correlation analysis indicated that vitamin D levels had a positive association with ADL score (r = 0.235, P < 0.01) and a negative association with Morse fall scale score (r = -0.238, P < 0.01). Patients with deficient vitamin D level had longer time both in the Five Time Sit to Stand Test (5tSTS), (15.765 ± 5.593) and the four-meter walk test [7.440 (5.620, 9.200)], a weaker hand-grip in the grip strength test (28.049 ± 9.522), and a lower Tinetti performance-oriented mobility assessment (Tinetti POMA) [26 (22, 27)] and Balance subscale of the Tinetti performance-oriented mobility assessment (B-POMA) score [14 (12, 16)], compared with appropriate vitamin D level [(13.275 ± 3.692); 5.810 (4.728, 7.325)]; (31.989 ± 10.217); [26.5 (25, 28)]; [15 (14, 16), respectively, all P < 0.05]. Furthermore, results of logistic regression indicated that vitamin D was significantly associated with 5tSTS (OR = 1.2, 95% CI = 1.050-1.331, P < 0.01), Tinetti POMA (OR = 3.7, 95% CI:1.284-10.830, P < 0.05) and B-POMA (OR = 0.8, 95% CI:0.643-0.973, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In elderly hypertensive patients, serum vitamin D deficient level is associated with physical performance impairment. However, no statistical significance was found between vitamin D and geriatric syndromes. Further study is required to investigate possible mechanisms for the association between vitamin D and physical performance.

A poor performance in comprehensive geriatric assessment is associated with increased fall risk in elders with hypertension: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Fall and serious fall injuries have become a major health concern for elders. Many factors including blood pressure and anti-hypertensive medication application were reported as hazards of fall. The purpose of this study was to determine if age related systemic functional decline related with increased fall risks in elderly patients with hypertension. METHODS: A total of 342 elderly hypertension patients (age 79.5 ± 6.7 years, male 63.8%) were recruited to the study. Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA), including measurements about activity of daily living (ADL), nutrition, cognition, depression, numbers of prescription medication and number of clinical diagnosis, was conducted to evaluate the physical and mental status of each participants. Fall risk was evaluated by Morse fall scale, Tinetti performance oriented mobility assessment (POMA) and history of fall in the recent year. Participants were grouped into tertiles according to CGA score. Correlation between CGA and fall risk was analyzed through SPSS 18.0. RESULTS: Participants with higher CGA score were likely to be older, had a lower body mass index (BMI), and a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cerebrovascular disease and osteoarthropathia. Participants in higher tertile of CGA score got increased prevalence of fall risk than those in lower tertile (P < 0.01 T3 vs. T1, P < 0.01 T3 vs. T2). Correlation analysis and regression analysis showed significant association between CGA and Morse fall scale (P < 0.001), as well as CGA and POMA (P < 0.001). Meanwhile, CGA components also showed co-relationships with increase fall risks. After adjusting age, BMI, benzodiazepine use, cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, COPD and osteoarthropathia, both history of fall in the recent year and rising Morse fall scale were significantly associated with ADL impairment (OR: 2.748, 95%CI: 1.598-4.725), (OR: 3.310, 95%CI: 1.893-5.788). Decreased Tinetti POMA score was associated with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) (OR: 4.035, 95%CI: 2.100-7.751), ADL (OR: 2.380, 95%CI: 1.357-4.175) and shortened MNA form (MNA-SF) impairment (OR: 2.692, 95%CI: 1.147-6.319). CONCLUSIONS: In elderly adults with hypertension, impaired physical and mental function is associated with increased fall risk. Further study is required to investigate possible mediators for the association and effective interventions.