Impact of pupil and defocus ring intersection area on retinal defocus.

PURPOSE: With the rising prevalence of myopia, especially among the young, orthokeratology (Ortho-K) stands out as a promising approach, not only to reduce myopia but also to control the progression of axial length (AL). This study examined how the intersection area between the pupil and defocus ring influenced retinal defocus and axial growth after Ortho-K. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted with 100 participants (100 eyes). Both AL and the refraction difference value (RDV), that is, the peripheral refractive error measured with respect to the central value after wearing Ortho-K lenses, were determined. Subjects were categorised into two groups based on the size of the intersection area after 3 months of lens wear: Group A (<4.58 mm2 ) and Group B (≥4.58 mm2 ). RESULTS: Group B demonstrated significantly lower changes in AL and RDV at 30-40° and 40-53° compared with Group A after 3 months of lens wear (all p < 0.05). After 6 months of lens wear, Group B showed significantly lower changes in AL and RDV in the 40-53° region compared with Group A (all p < 0.05). Correlation analysis revealed that as the intersection area increased, the changes in AL and RDV at 0-53°, 30-40° and 40-53° eccentricity decreased after both 3 and 6 months of lens wear (all p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: A larger intersection area between the pupil and defocus ring within a certain time period can cause a greater amount of myopic defocus at 30-53° from the fovea. The results suggest that a larger intersection area might lead to more effective control of axial growth.

Deep neural network with self-attention based automated determination system for treatment zone and peripheral steepened zone in Orthokeratology for adolescent myopia.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to develop an automatic model based on deep learning techniques for determining the Treatment Zone (TZ) and Peripheral Steepened Zone (PSZ) following Orthokeratology (OK) treatment. METHODS: A total of 1346 corneal topography maps were included in the study. A deep neural network based on the Segformer architecture was constructed to automatically detect TZ and PSZ. The model was optimized and trained multiple times, and the areas of TZ, PSZ, and TZ decentration were calculated based on the segmentation results. RESULTS: The mean Intersection over Union (mIoU) of the overall segmentation results of the model reached over 97% after multiple training with different optimization methods, and the IoU for the TZ and PSZ segmentation tasks were 98.08% and 94.54% in test set, respectively. Moreover, the model demonstrated high consistency with the expert annotation for the TZ segmentation, while a significant difference was found in the PSZ segmentation and expert annotation due to several interference factors. CONCLUSION: This study presents an efficient and repeatable system for clinical research, based on a deep neural network that accurately determines TZ and PSZ after OK treatment using the Segformer architecture. However, further deployment validation may be necessary.

Observation of peripheral refraction in myopic anisometropia in young adults.

AIM: To investigate the differences in retinal refraction difference values (RDVs) of adult patients with myopic anisometropia compared with those without myopic anisometropia, and to investigate the relationship between ocular biometric measurements and relative peripheral refraction. METHODS: This clinical observation study included 130 patients with myopia (-0.25 to -10.00 D) between October 2022 and January 2023 aged between 18 and 40y. The patients were divided into anisometropia (n=63; difference in binocular anisometropia ≥1.00 D) and non-anisometropia (n=67; difference in binocular anisometropia <1.00 D) groups accordingly. Ocular biometric measurements were performed by optical biometrics and corneal topography to assess the steep keratometry (Ks), flap keratometry (Kf), axial length (AL), corneal astigmatism (CYL; Ks-Kf), surface regularity index (SRI), surface asymmetry index (SAI), and central corneal thickness (CCT). The RDV was measured at five retinal areas from the fovea to 53 degrees (RDV-0-10, RDV-10-20, RDV-20-30, RDV-30-40, and RDV-40-53), the total RDV (TRDV) of 53 degrees, and four regions, including RDV-superior, RDV-inferior, RDV-temporal, and RDV-nasal. An analysis of Spearman correlation was carried out to examine the correlation between RDV and the spherical equivalent (SE) and ocular biological parameters. RESULTS: Within RDV-20-53, both groups showed relative hyperopic defocus, and the increase in RDV corresponds to the increase in eccentricity. In the myopic anisometropia group, the TRDV, RDV-20-53, RDV-superior, and more myopic eyes had significantly higher RDV-temporal values than less myopic eyes. (P<0.05). In the non-anisometropia group, there was no significant difference in the RDV between the more and less myopic eyes at different eccentricities (P>0.05). There was a negative correlation between SE and TRDV (r=-0.205, P=0.001), RDV-20-53 (r=-0.281, -0.183, -0.176, P<0.05), RDV-superior (r=-0.251, P<0.001), and RDV-temporal (r=-0.230, P<0.001), a negative correlation between CYL and RDV-10-30 (r=-0.147, -0.180, P<0.05), and a negative correlation between SRI and RDV-0-20 (r=-0.190, -0.170, P<0.05). AL had a positive correlation with RDV-20-30 (r=0.164, P=0.008) and RDV-temporal (r=0.160, P=0.010). CONCLUSION: More myopic eyes in patients with myopic anisometropia show more peripheral hyperopic defocus. Diopter and corneal morphology may affect peripheral retinal defocus.

Influence of Pasteurization on Maillard Reaction in Lactose-Free Milk.

In order to improve the safety and quality of lactose-free milk (LFM) Maillard reaction products (MRPs), this study used raw cow's milk as raw material and lactase hydrolysis to prepare LFM, which was heat-treated using pasteurization and then placed in storage temperatures of 4 °C, 25 °C and 37 °C to investigate the changes in the Maillard reaction (MR). The results of the orthogonal test showed that the optimal conditions for the hydrolysis of LFM are as follows: the hydrolysis temperature was 38 °C, the addition of lactase was 0.03%, and the hydrolysis time was 2.5 h. Under these conditions, the lactose hydrolysis rate reached 97.08%, and the lactose residue was only 0.15 g/100 g as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), complying with the standard of LFM in GB 28050-2011. The contents of furoamic acid and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography, the color difference was determined by CR-400 color difference meter, and the internal fluorescence spectrum was determined by F-320 fluorescence spectrophotometer. The test results showed that the variation range of furosine in lactose-free milk after pasteurization was 44.56~136.45 mg/100g protein, the range of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) was 12.51~16.83 mg/kg, the color difference ranges from 88.11 to 102.53 in L*, from -0.83 to -0.10 in a*, and from 1.88 to 5.47 in b*. The furosine content of LFM during storage at 4, 25, and 37 °C ranged from 44.56 to 167.85, 44.56 to 287.13, and 44.56 to 283.72 mg/100 g protein, respectively. The average daily increase in protein content was 1.18-3.93, 6.46-18.73, and 15.7-37.66 mg/100 g, respectively. The variation range of HMF was 12.51~17.61, 12.51~23.38, and 12.51~21.1 mg/kg, and the average daily increase content was 0.03~0.07, 0.47~0.68, and 0.51~0.97 mg/kg, respectively. During storage at 4 °C, the color difference of LFM ranged from 86.82 to 103.82, a* ranged from -1.17 to -0.04, and b* ranged from 1.47 to 5.70. At 25 °C, color difference L* ranges from 72.09 to 102.35, a* ranges from -1.60 to -0.03, b* ranges from 1.27 to 6.13, and at 37 °C, color difference L* ranges from 58.84 to 102.35, a* ranges from -2.65 to 1.66, and b* ranges from 0.54 to 5.99. The maximum fluorescence intensity (FI) of LFM varies from 131.13 to 173.97, 59.46 to 173.97, and 29.83 to 173.97 at 4, 25, and 37 °C. In order to reduce the effect of the Maillard reaction on LFM, it is recommended to pasteurize it at 70 °C-15 s and drink it as soon as possible during the shelf life within 4 °C.

Prognostic factor analysis and clinical significance of HER­2­positive breast cancers with negative lymph nodes and a tumor diameter ≤1 cm.

The 2021 National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines recommend that adjuvant chemotherapy combined with trastuzumab be considered for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2)-positive breast cancer patients with small tumors (tumor diameter ≤1 cm) and negative lymph nodes. Additionally, the prognostic factors and clinical significance of HER-2-positive breast cancer with negative lymph nodes and a tumor diameter ≤1 cm remain unclear. In the present study, the clinical data and prognostic factors of 87 patients with HER-2-positive breast cancer with negative lymph nodes and a tumor diameter ≤1 cm admitted to Guangdong Women and Children Hospital from January 2013 to December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The median follow-up time was 70 months, the disease-free survival (DFS) of all patients was 94.3% and the overall survival (OS) was 100%. Univariate analysis of prognosis demonstrated that patients aged ≤40 years had significantly lower DFS than those aged >40 (80.8 vs. 100.0%, P<0.001). DFS was significantly improved in patients who were hormone-receptor-positive and patients who received endocrine therapy compared with patients who were estrogen receptor negative and patients who did not receive endocrine therapy (100.0 vs. 89.6%, P=0.039; 100.0 vs. 90.0%, P=0.049). Prognostic univariate analysis demonstrated that patient age, hormone receptor status and use of endocrine therapy were significantly related to the DFS (P<0.05), while none of these were independent factors related to the DFS in the prognostic multivariate analysis (P=0.240, P=0.976 and P=0.925). The proportion of patients with a tumor diameter 0.5-1 cm receiving adjuvant anti-HER-2 treatment was significantly greater compared with patients with tumors with a diameter ≤0.5 cm (46.4 vs. 18.6%, P<0.05). There was no significance difference in the DFS of patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy with or without anti-HER-2 therapy with tumor diameters ≤0.5 cm (P>0.05), but there was a significant difference in the DFS of patients with a tumor diameter 0.5-1 cm (P<0.05). These results suggested that adjuvant chemotherapy, with or without anti-HER-2 therapy, may affect the prognosis of HER-2-positive breast cancer patients with negative lymph nodes and a tumor diameter of 0.5-1 cm. Therefore, it could be recommended that such patients receive adjuvant chemotherapy and anti-HER-2 therapy in the future.

Changes in relative peripheral refraction and optical quality in Chinese myopic patients after small incision lenticule extraction surgery.

PURPOSE: To observe changes in retinal refraction difference values (RDV) and aberrations after small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) surgery and evaluate their correlations. METHODS: This study recruited 112 patients (112 eyes) who underwent SMILE for myopia. Participants were classified into the Low and Moderate Myopia group (LM, -0.50 to -6.0 D) and High Myopia group (HM, >-6.0 D) according to the central spherical equivalent (SE). RDVs in the five retinal eccentricities from 0° to 10°, 10° to 20°, 20° to 30°, 30° to 40°, and 40° to 53° are recorded as RDV-(0-10), RDV-(10-20), RDV-(20-30), RDV-(30-40), and RDV-(40-53), respectively; additionally, RDVs have four sectors, i.e., RDV-Superior (RDV-S), RDV-Inferior (RDV-I), RDV-Temporal (RDV-T), and RDV-Nasal (RDV-N). With a 3-month follow-up, changes in RDV (ΔRDV) and changes in aberrations [Δtrefoil, Δcoma, Δspherical aberration (SA), and Δtotal higher-order aberrations (HOA)] after surgery were recorded. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed in total RDV (TRDV), RDV-(0-53), RDV-S, RDV-I, RDV-N, trefoil, coma, and SA between the two groups before SMILE surgery. However, after SMILE, hyperopic defocus values [TRDV, RDV-(20-53), RDV-S, RDV-T, and RDV-N] in the LM group and hyperopic defocus values [TRDV, RDV-(20-53), RDV-S, and RDV-N] in the HM group were significantly lower at 3 months postoperatively than preoperatively, and the RDV-(40-53), RDV-S, and RDV-N were lower in the HM group than in the LM group. Aberrations [trefoil (vertical), coma, and HOA] in the LM group and aberrations (trefoil, coma, SA, and HOA) in the HM group were significantly higher at 3 months postoperatively than preoperatively, and the coma, trefoil(horizontal), SA, and HOA were higher in the HM group than in the LM group. In the multivariate analysis, ΔRDV-(40-53) was significantly correlated with ΔSA, and ΔRDV-T and ΔRDV-N were significantly correlated with Δcoma (horizontal). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that SMILE reduces retinal peripheral hyperopic defocus but introduces some higher-order aberrations, especially in people with high myopia refractive errors.

Fluorinated Polyimide/Allomelanin Nanocomposites for UV-Shielding Applications.

A series of highly fluorinated polyimide/allomelanin nanoparticles (FPI/AMNPs) films were prepared with FPI as the matrix and AMNPs as the filler. Due to the formation of hydrogen bonds, significantly reinforced mechanical and UV-shielding properties are acquired. Stress-strain curves demonstrated a maximum tensile strength of 150.59 MPa and a fracture elongation of 1.40% (0.7 wt.% AMNPs), respectively, 1.78 and 1.56× that of pure FPI. The measurements of the UV-vis spectrum, photodegradation of curcumin and repeated running tests confirmed the splendid UV-shielding capabilities of FPI/AMNPs films. The enhancement mechanisms, such as synergistic UV absorption of the charge transfer complexes in FPI and AMNPs and photothermal conversion, were the reasons for its exceptional UV shielding. The excellent comprehensive properties above enable FPI/AMNPs nanocomposites to be potential candidates in the field of UV shielding.

Effect of Steam Flash-Explosion on Physicochemical Properties and Structure of High-Temperature Denatured Defatted Rice Bran Protein Isolate.

The effects of Steam Flash-Explosion (SFE) on the physicochemical properties and molecular structure of high-temperature denatured defatted rice bran protein isolate (RBPI) were investigated. The mechanism of SFE treatment on high-temperature denatured defatted RBPI was revealed. The analysis of the physical and chemical properties of RBPI showed that the surface hydrophobicity, characteristic viscosity, and thermal stability of rice bran protein isolate were significantly affected by the pressure of saturated steam and pressure holding time. Under the conditions of 2.1 MPa and 210 s, the surface hydrophobicity index decreased significantly from 137.5 to 17.5, and the characteristic viscosity increased significantly. The peak temperature of denaturation decreases from 114.2 to 106.7 °C, and the enthalpy of denaturation decreases from 356.3 to 231.4 J/g. The higher structure (circular dichroic spectrum and endogenous fluorescence spectrum) of rice bran protein isolate was analyzed by volume rejection chromatography (SEC). The results showed that steam flash treatment could depolymerize and aggregate RBPI, and the relative molecular weight distribution changed greatly. The decrease in small molecules with poor solubility was accompanied by the increase in macromolecules (>550 kDa) soluble aggregates, which were the products of a Maillard reaction. The contents of free sulfhydryl and disulfide bonds in high-temperature rice bran meal protein isolate were significantly increased, which resulted in the increase in soluble aggregates containing disulfide bonds. Circular dichroism (CD) analysis showed that the α-helix content of the isolated protein was significantly decreased, the random curl content was increased, and the secondary structure of the isolated protein changed from order to disorder. The results of endogenous fluorescence spectroscopy showed that the high-temperature rice bran meal protein isolate was more extended, tryptophan was in a more hydrophilic microenvironment, the fluorescence intensity was reduced, and the tertiary structure was changed. In addition, the mean particle size and net surface charge of protein isolate increased in the aqueous solution, which was conducive to the development of the functional properties of the protein.

INSM1 Expression in Mesenchymal Tumors and Its Clinicopathological Significance.

Background: Insulinoma-associated protein 1 (INSM1) has been identified as a nuclear marker of neuroendocrine tumors. Although INSM1 appears to be a subtle and specific biomarker for neuroendocrine tumor, its expression and clinicopathological significance in mesenchymal tumors remain unclear. Methods: We analyzed INSM1 mRNA level in GEO database and conducted immunohistological staining to detect the expression of INSM1 on 576 mesenchymal tumors from pathology department of Tongji Hospital. Results: At transcription level, INSM1 expression in AITL (angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma) was higher than their adjacent normal tissues as well as Hodgkin's lymphoma. Moreover, INSM1 expression in well-differentiated liposarcoma (WDLPS) was significantly higher than normal fat (P = 0.014) and dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS) (P = 0.0248). At protein level, the positive rate of INSM1 in AITL was 18/48 (47.4%), while in DDLPS was 9/20 (45%). INSM1 expression in AITL was significantly higher than Hodgkin's lymphoma (P = 0.008). And INSM1 expression in WDLPS was significantly lower than DDLPS (P = 0.015). Conclusion: The combination of GEO data and immunohistochemistry data indicated that the expression level of INSM1 was higher in AITL compared with normal control, suggesting that INSM1 may be involved in pathogenesis of AITL. The abnormal expression of INSM1 was found in WDLPS, and the positive rate of INSM1 was higher in DDLPS than in WDLPS. INSM1 may be involved in the regulation of liposarcoma development. There were significant differences in the expression of INSM1 between AITL and Hodgkin's lymphoma and WDLPS and DDLPS. These findings may assist in the differential diagnosis of these tumors when common markers are difficult to identify, enriching the diagnostic index system of mesenchymal tumors.

The Application of Nurse Stratified Management in Nursing Management.

Objective: To explore the application value of nurse stratified management in nursing management. Methods: One hundred nurses who worked in our hospital from June 2019 to September 2021 were recruited and assigned via the random number table method to an observation group (n = 50) and the control group (n = 50). The control group received routine nursing management, and the experimental group received stratified nursing management. The nursing quality, practice happiness, error rate, patient complaint, and patient satisfaction were compared between the two groups. Results: The experimental group showed a significantly higher nursing quality than the control group (P < 0.05). The experimental group had significantly higher practice happiness among nurses than the control group (P < 0.05). Stratified nursing management mode resulted in a significantly lower error rate and patient complaint versus routine nursing management mode (P < 0.05). Patients were more satisfied with stratified nursing management than with the routine nursing management (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The nurse stratified management method effectively improves the nursing quality and practice happiness of nurses, reduces the error rate of nursing and patient complaint, and increases nursing satisfaction.

Analysis of the Influencing Factors of Sentinel Lymph Node Metastasis in Breast Cancer.

Objective: To analyze and discuss the influencing factors of sentinel lymph node metastasis in breast cancer. Methods: A total of 469 breast cancer patients admitted in the Department of Pathology of Guangdong Women and Children Hospital from October 2016 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The general information, immunohistochemical expression, tumor molecular subtype, tumor size, histological grade, pathological type, and tumor location were collected and the relationship with sentinel lymph node metastasis was analyzed. Results: For patients with different age, Ki-67 and Human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2) immunohistochemical expression level (invasive cancer), molecular subtype (invasive cancer), tumor size, histological grade (invasive cancer) and pathological type. The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the age was less than or equal to 40 years; the molecular subtype was Luminal B and HER-2 overexpression (invasive cancer); tumor was larger; the histological grade (invasive cancer) was higher; the pathological type was invasive carcinoma, there were independent risk factors for sentinel lymph node metastasis in breast cancer. The sentinel lymph node metastasis rates of invasive lobular carcinoma, invasive micropapillary carcinoma, and metaplastic carcinoma (all met the criteria for squamous cell carcinoma and histological grade III) were higher than 50% in special invasive carcinomas. Conclusion: Age, expression level of Ki 67 and HER-2, molecular typing, tumor volume and histological grade are all high-risk factors related to sentinel lymph node metastasis of breast cancer. When one or more of the above factors are involved in an examination, pathologists should be more cautious in making a sentinel lymph node frozen diagnosis. By standardizing the sampling and increasing the number of frozen sections (slicing more frozen tissue layers), the section quality can be improved. This may be conducive to reducing the false negative rate and reducing the pain and risk of secondary surgery.

Clinical Effects of Primary Nursing on Diabetic Nephropathy Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis and Its Impact on the Inflammatory Responses.

Objective: To assess the clinical effects of primary nursing on diabetic nephropathy patients undergoing hemodialysis and its impact on inflammatory responses. Methods: Between July 2019 and April 2021, 80 patients with diabetic nephropathy who underwent hemodialysis in our institution were recruited and assigned at a ratio of 1 : 1 to receive either routine nursing (routine group) or primary nursing (primary group). The outcome measures included nursing outcomes, inflammatory factor levels, and psychological status. Results: Primary nursing resulted in lower levels of blood creatinine, fasting glucose, urea nitrogen, and proteinuria versus routine nursing (P < 0.05). Patients receiving primary nursing showed significantly lower levels of interleukin (IL)-6, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) versus those given routine nursing (P < 0.05). The patients in the primary group had significantly lower scores on the self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and self-rating depression scale (SDS) versus those in the routine group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Primary nursing improves the renal function of diabetic nephropathy patients undergoing hemodialysis, reduces the inflammatory response, and eliminates their negative emotions, which shows great potential for clinical application.

NMR-based metabolomics reveals tissue metabolic responses to tetramethoxy gossypol in cottonseed oil.

BACKGROUND: Cottonseed oil is one of the most widely consumed cooking oils because of its high nutritional benefits and relatively low price. The present study evaluated the effects of tetramethoxy gossypol (TMG), a rarely reported degradation product of free gossypol produced in crudely extracted cottonseed oil, on the metabolic responses of liver, heart, spleen, kidney and lung tissues in rats using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1 H NMR) spectroscopy combined with chemometric and bioinformatics techniques. RESULTS: Endogenous low-molecular-weight metabolites in rat liver, heart, spleen, kidney and lung tissues were profiled by 1 H NMR spectroscopy. The unsupervised principal components analysis and the supervised orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis revealed that the metabolic profiles in liver samples were greatly changed after TMG administration. Twenty significantly changed liver metabolites were screened out and further evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, which were closely related to amino acid, glutathione, energy and lipid metabolism. CONCLUSION: Concerning the potential chronic exposure to TMG in cottonseed oil and other cottonseed products, the cumulative effects of dietary TMG on tissues, especially the liver, should be noted when improving the quality control standard of cottonseed oil. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Preparation, characterization and in vitro-in vivo evaluation of bortezomib supermolecular aggregation nanovehicles.

BACKGROUNDS: Intolerable toxicity and unsatisfactory therapeutic effects are still big problems retarding the use of chemotherapy against cancer. Nano-drug delivery system promised a lot in increasing the patients' compliance and therapeutic efficacy. As a unique nano-carrier, supermolecular aggregation nanovehicle has attracted increasing interests due to the following advantages: announcing drug loading efficacy, pronouncing in vivo performance and simplified production process. METHODS: In this study, the supermolecular aggregation nanovehicle of bortezomib (BTZ) was prepared to treat breast cancer. RESULTS: Although many supermolecular nanovehicles are inclined to disintegrate due to the weak intermolecular interactions among the components, the BTZ supermolecules are satisfying stable. To shed light on the reasons behind this, the forces driving the formation of the nanovehicles were detailed investigated. In other words, the interactions among BTZ and other two components were studied to characterize the nanovehicles and ensure its stability. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the promising tumor targeting ability of the BTZ nanovehicles, the supermolecule displayed promising tumor curing effects and negligible systemic toxicity.

Fluorinated Linear Copolyimide Physically Crosslinked with Novel Fluorinated Hyperbranched Polyimide Containing Large Space Volumes for Enhanced Mechanical Properties and UV-Shielding Application.

Fluorinated hyperbranched polyimide (FHBPI), a spherical polymer with large space volumes, was developed to enhance fluorinated linear copolyimide (FPI) in terms of mechanical, UV-shielding, and hydrophobic properties via simple blend and thermal imidization methods. FPI possessed superior compatibility with FHBPI, and no obvious phase separation was found. The incorporation of FHBPI led to the formation of physical crosslinked network between FPI and FHBPI, which markedly improved the mechanical properties of the FPI, resulting in maximum enhancement of 83% in tensile strength from 71.7 Mpa of the pure FPI to 131.4 Mpa of the FPI/FHBPI composite film containing 15 wt % of FHBPI. The introduction of FHBPI also changed the surface properties of composites from hydrophilicity to hydrophobicity, which endowed them with outstanding dielectric stability. Meanwhile, the thin FPI/FHBPI composites kept the high transparency in the visible spectrum, simultaneously showing enhanced UV-shielding properties and lifetimes under intense UV ray. This was attributed to the newly formed charge transfer complex (CTC) between FHBPI and FPI. Moreover, the FPI/FHBPI composites possessed preeminent thermal properties. The properties, mentioned above, gave the composites enormous potential for use as UV-shielding coatings in an environment filled with high temperatures and strong ultraviolet rays.

N-doped Carbon Coated CoO Nanowire Arrays Derived from Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-67 as Binder-free Anodes for High-performance Lithium Storage.

To realize large lithium storage capacity and excellent rate capability lithium ion batteries, highly electrochemically active materials and rational design of structure are desirable. Here, we successfully synthesized CoO@N-doped carbon nanowire arrays derived from zeolitic imidazolate frameworks-67 (ZIF-67) on Ni foam (denoted as CoO@N-C/NF). Each CoO@N-C nanowire was built up of numerous ordered in-situ nitrogen-doped carbon coated CoO nanoparticles (around 20 nm) after annealing treatment. Benefited from the unique structural features, when served as anode for lithium ion batteries, the CoO@N-C/NF exhibit superior initial Coulombic efficiency of 78.04%, and excellent electrochemical cyclability (1884.1 mAh g-1 at 1 A g-1 after 100 cycles) and good rate capability (1169.2 mAh g-1 at the rate of 5000 mA g-1). To our knowledge, this is the highest capacity with similar electric current density that has been reported for CoO-based materials. Our results indicate that the CoO@N-C/NF electrode without any auxiliary materials are expected to open up new opportunities for CoO-based material to power electronic devices.

Salidroside Ameliorates Renal Interstitial Fibrosis by Inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB and MAPK Signaling Pathways.

Salidroside (Sal) is an active ingredient that is isolated from Rhodiola rosea, which has been reported to have anti-inflammatory activities and a renal protective effect. However, the role of Sal on renal fibrosis has not yet been elucidated. Here, the purpose of the current study is to test the protective effects of Sal against renal interstitial fibrosis (RIF), and to explore the underlying mechanisms using both in vivo and in vitro models. In this study, we establish the unilateral ureteric obstruction (UUO) or folic acid (FA)-induced mice renal interstitial fibrosis in vivo and the transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß1-stimulated human proximal tubular epithelial cell (HK-2) model in vitro. The levels of kidney functional parameters and inflammatory cytokines in serum are examined. The degree of renal damage and fibrosis is determined by histological assessment. Immunohistochemistry and western blotting are used to determine the mechanisms of Sal against RIF. Our results show that treatment with Sal can ameliorate tubular injury and deposition of the extracellular matrix (ECM) components (including collagen Ш and collagen I). Furthermore, Sal administration significantly suppresses epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), as evidenced by a decreased expression of α-SMA, vimentin, TGF-ß1, snail, slug, and a largely restored expression of E-cadherin. Additionally, Sal also reduces the levels of serum biochemical markers (serum creatinine, Scr; blood urea nitrogen, BUN; and uric acid, UA) and decreases the release of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α). Further study revealed that the effect of Sal on renal interstitial fibrosis is associated with the lower expression of TLR4, p-IκBα, p-NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK), both in vivo and in vitro. In conclusion, Sal treatment improves kidney function, ameliorates the deposition of the ECM components and relieves the protein levels of EMT markers in mouse kidneys and HK-2 cells. Furthermore, Sal treatment significantly decreases the release of inflammatory cytokines and inhibits the TLR4/NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. Collectively, these results suggest that the administration of Sal could be a novel therapeutic strategy in treating renal fibrosis.

Synaptic Ultrastructure Might Be Involved in HCN1-Related BDNF mRNA in Withdrawal-Anxiety After Ethanol Dependence.

Withdrawal from ethanol dependence has been associated with heightened anxiety and reduced expression of Brain-derived neurotropic factor which promotes the synaptic transmission and plasticity of synapses. Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channel 1 regulates expression; however, whether Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channel 1-related Brain-derived neurotropic factor is involved in the synaptic ultrastructure that generates withdrawal-anxiety has been poorly perceived. Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with ethanol 3-9% (v/v) for a period of 21 days. Conditioned place preference and body weight were investigated during ethanol administration. Rats were subjected to behavioral testing and biochemical assessments after ethanol withdrawal, which was induced by abrupt discontinuation of the treatment. The results showed that the ethanol administration induced severe ethanol dependence behaviors, with higher body weight and more time in the ethanol-paired compartment. After withdrawal, rats had a higher total ethanol withdrawal score and explored less. Additionally, increased Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channel 1 protein and gene expression and decreased Brain-derived neurotropic factor protein and gene expression were detected in the Ethanol group. Eventually, there was a negative correlation between the level of Brain-derived neurotropic factor mRNA and Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channel 1 protein. Importantly, the synaptic ultrastructure changed in the Ethanol group, including increased synaptic cleft width and reduction in postsynaptic density thickness or synaptic curvature. The synthesis of the Brain-derived neurotropic factor mRNA could be down-regulated by higher Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channel 1 protein expression. Changes in synaptic ultrastructure may be induced by lower Brain-derived neurotropic factor protein, which could be associated with the withdrawal-anxiety that is experiences after ethanol dependence.

One-pot synthesis of 2,3-difunctionalized indoles via Rh(iii)-catalyzed carbenoid insertion C-H activation/cyclization.

Reported herein is the first Rh(iii)-catalyzed carbenoid insertion C-H activation/cyclization of N-arylureas and α-diazo ß-keto esters. The redox-neutral reaction has the following features: good to excellent yields, broad substrate/functional group tolerance, exclusive regioselectivity, and no need for additional oxidants or additives, which render this methodology as a more efficient and versatile alternative to the existing methods for the synthesis of 2,3-difunctionalized indoles.

Flexible Slippery Surface to Manipulate Droplet Coalescence and Sliding, and Its Practicability in Wind-Resistant Water Collection.

A flexible slippery membrane (FSM) with tunable morphology and high elastic deformability has been developed by infusing perfluoropolyether (PFPE) into a fluorinated-copolymer-modified thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) nanofiberous membrane. To immobilize PFPE in TPU matrix, we synthesized a fluorinated-copolymer poly(DFMA-co-IBOA-co-LMA) with low surface energy, high chemical affinity to PFPE, adequate flexibility, and strong physical adhesion on TPU. Upon external tensile stress, the as-prepared FSM can realize a real-time manipulation of water sliding and coalescence on it. Furthermore, it exhibits the ability to preserve the captured water from being blown away by strong wind, which ensures the water collection efficiency in windy regions.