Influence of Mode of Delivery on Children's Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Childhood Intelligence.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether differences exist in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and intelligence between children born by cesarean delivery and those born by vaginal delivery. METHODS: This retrospective study included singleton children that were born between January 2013 and December 2014. The Chinese version of the Conners' Parent Rating Scale-Revised (CPRS-48) was required on the probability of psychological and behavioral problems. The China-Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (C-WIRS) was used for evaluation of crystallized intelligence and Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices for evaluation of fluid intelligence. RESULTS: A total of 10,568 valid questionnaires were obtained. CPRS-48 ADHD index and detection rate were higher in cesarean delivery group than those in vaginal delivery group. Cesarean delivery groups had a lower performance intelligence quotient score according to C-WISC. CONCLUSION: Children born by cesarean delivery were more likely to have a risk of ADHD and a lower performance intelligence quotient compared with those born by vaginal delivery.

Effectiveness of synchronous teleconsultation for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The popularity of teleconsultation during the COVID-19 pandemic enabled increased accessibility for individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, previous studies did not distinguish between synchronous and asynchronous teleconsultation. We evaluated the effectiveness of synchronous teleconsultation for patients with T2DM. We searched Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Library and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform databases from inception to July 2021. All included studies were randomized controlled trials of synchronous teleconsultation for adults with T2DM compared with usual care. Reviewers independently extracted data and used the Cochrane tool to evaluate risk of bias. Meta-analyses were conducted using random-effects models. A pooled mean difference for both HbA1c (%) and body mass index (BMI) (kg/m2), systolic blood pressure (SBP) (mm Hg), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (mm Hg), and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol) (mg/dL) were calculated. Patient-reported outcomes, such as depression, medication adherence, and quality of life, were also assessed. A total of 9807 abstracts were identified and 27 trials were included. Synchronous teleconsultation significantly resulted in greater decrease in HbA1c compared with usual care group (n=8746, 0.35, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.49, I2=73%, p<0.001). No significant effects on BMI (n=699, 0.08 kg/m2, 95% CI -0.54 to 0.69), SBP (n=5512, 1.32 mm Hg, 95% CI -0.09 to 2.73), DBP (n=2898, 0.17 mm Hg, 95% CI -1.18 to 1.52), or LDL-cholesterol (n=5276, 3.21 mg/dL, 95% CI -1.75 to 8.17) were found. The effect of teleconsultation in improving patient-reported outcomes was uncertain. Thus, synchronous teleconsultation could be an alternative to usual care. Systematic review registration is PROSPERO CRD42021267019.

Cucurbit[n]uril-based fluorescent indicator-displacement assays for sensing organic compounds.

The widespread conversion of synthetic receptors into luminescent sensors has been achieved via the use of fluorescent-indicator displacement assays (F-IDAs). Due to their rigid structures and efficient binding affinities, cucurbit[n]urils, combined with a variety of fluorescent guests, have gained extensive utilization in fluorescent-indicator displacement assays for sensing non-fluorescent or weakly fluorescent organic compounds (analytes) in a selective and specific manner. This mini-review summarizes recent advances in the design of cucurbit[n]uril-based fluorescent-indicator displacement assays and discusses the current challenges and future prospects in this area.

Preparation of fluorescein-modified polymer dots and their application in chiral discrimination of lysine enantiomers.

Fluorescein-functionalized fluorescent polymer dots (F-PDs) were prepared by a facile one-pot method by magnetic stirring under mild conditions based on carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and fluorescein as the precursors. The obtained F-PDs exhibited a nanoscale size of 3.2 ± 1.1 nm, excellent water solubility, and bright yellow fluorescence emission with a fluorescence quantum yield of 12.0%. The fluorescent probe displays rapid and sensitive chiral discrimination for lysine focused on different complexation abilities between lysine enantiomers and Cu2+. The concentration of L-lysine in the range 4 to 14 mM (R2 = 0.997) was measured by the fluorescence intensity ratio (I513/I429); the exitation wavelength was set to λex = 365 nm. The detection limit was 0.28 mM (3σ/slope). Importantly, this sensor accurately predicted the enantiomeric excess (ee) of lysine enantiomers at the designed concentration (lysine: 20 mM; Cu2+: 10 mM) ranges. The proposed sensor was successfully applied to determine L-lys (recovery: 95.8-101%; RSD: 0.465-3.34%) and ee values (recovery: 98.5-102%; RSD: 2.61-3.21%) in human urine samples using the standard addition method.

Using a mixed method to identify communication skills training priorities for Chinese general practitioners in diabetes care.

BACKGROUND: In China diabetes care is gradually shifting from secondary to primary care with great infrastructure investment and GP training. However, most GPs in China lack communication skills training, which is a huge obstacle in communication with their patients in primary care. In this study we seek to identify training priorities that is evidence-based, appropriate for the context of primary care in China, and that meet the real needs of both GPs and people with diabetes. METHODS: A mixed method approach was used. A conceptual framework was designed based on the MRC framework, action research and adult learning theories. Through a systematic review of the literature and qualitative research with GPs and patients with diabetes, a list of communication skills training components was developed by the research team. A modified nominal group technique (NGT) with GPs was used to evaluate these contents. Purposive sampling was used to recruit a variation of participants (age, work area, practice years and education background) from general practices in Guangzhou city, China. Eight structured nominal groups were facilitated to elicit the views of group members, and participants rated the 9-point Likert scale of importance and feasibility of the training items independently, before and after focus groups. The ranking of each item was calculated, based on the mean Likert score ratings from all participants. Video recordings of four NGT group discussions were thematically analysed using the Framework Method to explore reasons for any differences in rating items. RESULTS: 29 males and 29 female GPs from 28 general practices participated in NGT group discussions, with a mean age of 38.5 years and mean 12.3 years of practice experience. Based on the mean scores of importance and feasibility rating scores, the top 3 ranked priorities for communication training were 'health education' (importance 8.39, feasibility 7.67), 'discussing and explaining blood glucose monitoring' (8.31, 7.46), and 'diabetes complications and cardiovascular disease risk communication' (8.36, 7.12). Five main themes were identified from focus group discussions through qualitative analysis: 'impact on diabetes patients', 'GP attitudes towards communication skills', 'patient-related factors influencing the application of communication skills by GPs, 'local contextual factors', and 'training implementation'. CONCLUSIONS: Priorities for communication skills training for Chinese GPs in diabetes care were identified. These are set in the context of GPs' current experience of communication with patients in China who have diabetes, which is often unsatisfactory. This study describes the baseline from which better primary care for diabetes in China needs to be developed. Based on suggestions from GPs themselves, it identifies an agenda for improvement in communication as a key component of diabetes care in China.

Identification of SF-1 and FOXL2 and Their Effect on Activating P450 Aromatase Transcription via Specific Binding to the Promoter Motifs in Sex Reversing Cheilinus undulatus.

The giant wrasse Cheilinus undulatus is a protogynous socially hermaphroditic fish. However, the physiological basis of its sex reversal remains largely unknown. cyp19 is a key gender-related gene encoding P450 aromatase, which converts androgens to estrogens. cyp19 transcription regulation is currently unknown in socially sexually reversible fish. We identified NR5A1 by encoding SF-1, and FOXL2 from giant wrasse cDNA and cyp19a1a and cyp19a1b promoter regions were cloned from genomic DNA to determine the function of both genes in cyp19a1 regulation. Structural analysis showed that SF-1 contained a conserved DNA-binding domain (DBD) and a C-terminal ligand-binding domain (LBD). FOXL2 was comprised of an evolutionarily conserved Forkhead domain. In vitro transfection assays showed that SF-1 could upregulate cyp19a1 promoter activities, but FOXL2 could only enhance cyp19a1b promoter transcriptional activity in the HEK293T cell line. Furthermore, HEK293T and COS-7 cell lines showed that co-transfecting the two transcription factors significantly increased cyp19a1 promoter activity. The -120 to -112 bp (5'-CAAGGGCAC-3') and -890 to -872 bp (5'-AGAGGAGAACAAGGGGAG-3') regions of the cyp19a1a promoter were the core regulatory elements for SF-1 and FOXL2, respectively, to regulate cyp19a1b promoter transcriptional activity. Collectively, these results suggest that both FOXL2 and SF-1 are involved in giant wrasse sex reversal.

Characterization and functional study of Galectin3 from Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus).

Galectins belong to the ß-galactoside binding protein family and participate in both innate and acquired immunity. In this study, we described the molecular characteristics of Galectin3 gene from Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus), designed as PoGalectin3. Its open reading frame was 1128 bp, encoding a protein composed of 375 amino acids. PoGalectin3 belongs to chimeric galactose agglutinin, which contains a C-terminal carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD) (L250-P372), and its N-terminal is rich in proline (P) and glycine (G). Multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic tree showed that PoGalectin3 was conservative in different aquatic animals. Tissue distribution confirmed that PoGalectin3 showed significantly highest expression in brain, moderate expression in liver, intestine and muscle. PoGalectin3 was significantly increased post infection with Edwardsiella tarda from intestine tissue of P. olivaceus. In order to investigate the binding ability of PoGalectin3 to pathogen-associated molecular patterns, the recombinant PoGalectin3 protein (rPoGalectin3) was successfully expressed and purified, and an Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) experiment was performed. ELISA refers to the qualitative and quantitative detection method of immune response by combining soluble antigen or antibody with solid-phase carrier. It was confirmed that rPoGalectin3 exhibited high affinity to lipopolysaccharide and peptidoglycan. The rPoGalectin3 also exhibited a concentration dependent binding capacity with Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus) and Gram-negative bacteria (Aeromonas salmonicida, E. tarda, Vibrio vulnificus). In addition, the results of microbial agglutination experiment showed that rPoGalectin3 could agglutinate Gram-positive bacteria (B. pumilus, B. subtilis) and Gram-negative bacteria (A. salmonicida, E. tarda) in the presence of Ca2+. In conclusion, this research laid an important foundation for the specific function analysis of PoGalectin3, which provide theoretical basis for the prevention and control of aquatic diseases.

Three-dimensional ordered macroporous ZIF-8 nanoparticle-derived nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous carbons for high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have attracted considerable attention due to their ultra-high specific capacity and energy density. However, there are still problems to be resolved such as poor conductivity of sulfur cathodes and dissolution of polysulfides in organic electrolytes. Herein, a novel ZIF-8-derived nitrogen-doped connected ordered macro-microporous carbon (COM-MPC) was developed by a dual solvent-assisted in situ crystallization method within a face-centered cubic stacking sphere template, which acts as an advanced sulfur host for enhanced Li-S battery performance. Compared with the conventional predominant microporous C-ZIF-8, the unique hierarchical macro-microporous structure with nitrogen doping not only renders polysulfide intermediates enhanced entrapment by confining the effect of micropores and chemisorption of doping N atoms, but also facilitates electrolyte accessibility and efficient ion transport owing to the ordered macroporous structure. Benefitting from this, the COM-MPC@S cathode delivers a high initial specific capacity of 1498.5 mA h g-1 and a reversible specific capacity of 1118.9 mA h g-1. Moreover, the COM-MPC@S cathode exhibits 82.3% of capacity retention within 10th to 50th cycle at 0.5C and a large capacity of 608.5 mA h g-1 after 50 cycles at a higher rate of 1C, and this enhanced cycling stability and rate capability demonstrate great practical application potential in Li-S battery systems.

TNFα inhibitor C87 sensitizes EGFRvIII transfected glioblastoma cells to gefitinib by a concurrent blockade of TNFα signaling.

OBJECTIVE: More than half of human glioblastomas show EGFR gene amplification and mutation, but EGFR inhibitors have not been effective in treating EGFR-positive glioblastoma patients. The mechanism behind this type of primary resistance is not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate gefitinib resistance in glioblastoma, and explore ways to circumvent this significant clinical problem. METHODS: MTT method was used to test the cell viability after EGFR-positive glioblastoma cells were treated with indicated drugs; real-time quantitative PCR method was included to detect the TNFα mRNA levels in glioma tissues and cell lines. ELISA was introduced to measure the TNFα protein levels in cell culture supernatant of glioblastoma cells treated with gefitinib. Western blot was used to detect the activity change of intracellular kinases in drug-treated glioblastoma cells. Two mouse xenograft tumor models were carried out to evaluate the in vivo effects of a combination of EGFR and TNFα inhibitors. RESULTS: We found that glioblastoma resistance to gefitinib may be mediated by an adaptive pro-survival TNFα-JNK-Axl signaling axis, and that high TNFα levels in the glioblastoma microenvironment may further intensify primary resistance. A combination of the TNFα-specific small-molecule inhibitor C87 and gefitinib significantly enhanced the sensitivity of glioblastoma cells to gefitinib in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide a possible explanation for the primary resistance of glioblastoma to EGFR inhibitors and suggest that dual blockade of TNFα and EGFR may be a viable therapeutic strategy for the treatment of patients with chemotherapy-refractory advanced glioblastoma.

Late-Stage Functionalization of Platensimycin Leading to Multiple Analogues with Improved Antibacterial Activity in Vitro and in Vivo.

Bacterial fatty acid synthases are promising antibacterial targets against multidrug-resistant pathogens. Platensimycin (PTM) is a potent FabB/FabF inhibitor, while its poor pharmacokinetics hampers the clinical development. In this study, a focused library of PTM derivatives was prepared through thiolysis of PTM oxirane (1), followed by various C-C cross-coupling reactions in high yields. Antibacterial screening of these compounds in vitro yielded multiple hits with improved anti-Staphylococcus activities over PTM. Among them, compounds A1, A3, A17, and A28 exhibited improved antibacterial activities over PTM against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in a mouse peritonitis model. Compound A28 was further shown to be effective against MRSA infection in a mouse wound model, in comparison to mupirocin. Therefore, the facile preparation and screening of these PTM derivatives, together with their potent antibacterial activities in vivo, suggest a promising strategy to improve the antibacterial activity and pharmacokinetic properties of PTM.

A self-assembled graphene/polyurethane sponge for excellent electromagnetic interference shielding performance.

With the rapid development of personal computers and portable electronics, people have to get rid of a lot of unwanted electromagnetic pollution. The development of high performance electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials is of critical importance to address ever-increasing military and civilian demand. Owing to its high electrical conductivity and flexible 3D structure, graphene sponge has great potential for excellent EMI shielding performance. However, its EMI shielding performance suffers from the material's poor elasticity and durability. In this paper, we demonstrate the potential of a self-assembled graphene/polyurethane sponge composite, synthesized via a two-step hydrothermal method, for EMI shielding. This kind of material exhibits a high specific EMI shielding effectiveness of 969-1578 dB cm2 g-1 which is comparable or even superior to traditional graphene/polymer sponges. The excellent EMI shielding performance originates from the superconductivity of graphene and the highly porous structure of the graphene/polyurethane sponge. It is found that the polyurethane sponge works as a robust scaffold for graphene to shape its 3D structure. This work introduces a facile yet efficient two-step hydrothermal approach to prepare a graphene/polyurethane sponge with excellent EMI shielding performance and good durability.

Research on correction method of palatal rugae morphology in forensic digital identification system / Investigación sobre el método de corrección de la morfología de las rugas palatinas en sistema digital de identificación forense

SUMMARY: Palatal rugae is an irregular soft tissue, which is located in the front third of the hard palate, and is asymmetrically distributed from the middle suture to the sides. The difference, stability and extensive characteristics of palatal rugae morphology have gradually make it a characteristic indicator of forensic identification. However, a mature digital palatal rugae identification system has not yet been established at present. Feature extraction is the premise of palatal rugae image recognition. In order to obtain palatal rugae feature information in all directions and improve the reliability of forensic identification, it is necessary to collect palatal rugae images from a plurality of different angles. When the collected images are sent to the recognition system, the diversity of angles will often cause problems such as error recognition. If the tilted images are not rotated properly, it will make the forensic identification face many difficulties. To solve the problem of image skew caused by the diversity of acquisition angle, an algorithm based on orientation vector to correct the tilted palatal rugae images was proposed in this paper. Firstly, the criteria for standard palatal rugae image and the selection rules for feature points were set; Secondly, characterizing feature points according to the rules, and fitting two lines and find their direction vector; Finally, to obtain the corrected images, the tilted images were rotated by the angle determined by the two direction vectors. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can correct the tilted palatal rugae images collected from different angles and has strong robustness.

RESUMEN: Las rugas palatinas son tejidos blandos irregulares, que se ubican en el tercio frontal del paladar duro y se distribuyen asimétricamente desde la sutura mediana hacia los lados. La diferencia, la estabilidad y las características extensivas de la morfología de las rugas palatinas la han convertido gradualmente en un indicador característico de la identificación forense. Sin embargo, un sistema de identificación de rugas palatinas digitales maduras todavía no se ha establecido en la actualidad. La extracción de características es la premisa del reconocimiento de imágenes de las rugas palatinas. Para obtener información sobre las características de las rugas palatinas en todas las direcciones, y mejorar la confiabilidad de la identificación forense, es necesario recopilar imágenes de las rugas palatinas desde una pluralidad de ángulos diferentes. Cuando las imágenes recogidas se envían al sistema de reconocimiento, la diversidad de ángulos a menudo causará problemas como el reconocimiento de errores. Si las imágenes inclinadas no se giran correctamente, la identificación forense se enfrentará a muchas dificultades. Para resolver el problema del sesgo de la imagen causado por la diversidad del ángulo de adquisición, en este documento se propuso un algoritmo basado en el vector de orientación para corregir las imágenes de las arrugas palatinas inclinadas. En primer lugar, se establecieron los criterios para la imagen de las rugas palatinas estándar, y las reglas de selección para los puntos de características. En segundo lugar, se determinaron puntos de características según las reglas, y se ajustaron dos líneas y encontrar la dirección del vector. Finalmente, para obtener las imágenes corregidas, las imágenes inclinadas se giraron según el ángulo determinado por la dirección de dos vectores. Los resultados de la simulación muestran que el algoritmo propuesto puede corregir las imágenes de rugas palatinas inclinadas recopiladas desde diferentes ángulos y tiene una gran robustez.

Genome-wide survey of heat shock factors and heat shock protein 70s and their regulatory network under abiotic stresses in Brachypodium distachyon.

The heat shock protein 70s (Hsp70s) and heat shock factors (Hsfs) play key roles in protecting plant cells or tissues from various abiotic stresses. Brachypodium distachyon, recently developed an excellent model organism for functional genomics research, is related to the major cereal grain species. Although B. distachyon genome has been fully sequenced, the information of Hsf and Hsp70 genes and especially the regulatory network between Hsfs and Hsp70s remains incomplete. Here, a total of 24 BdHsfs and 29 BdHsp70s were identified in the genome by bioinformatics analysis and the regulatory network between Hsfs and Hsp70s were performed in this study. Based on highly conserved domain and motif analysis, BdHsfs were grouped into three classes, and BdHsp70s divided into six groups, respectively. Most of Hsf proteins contain five conserved domains: DBD, HR-A/B region, NLS and NES motifs and AHA domain, while Hsp70 proteins have three conserved domains: N-terminal nucleotide binding domain, peptide binding domain and a variable C-terminal lid region. Expression data revealed a large number of BdHsfs and BdHsp70s were induced by HS challenge, and a previous heat acclimation could induce the acquired thermotolerance to help seedling suffer the severe HS challenge, suggesting that the BdHsfs and BdHsp70s played a role in alleviating the damage by HS. The comparison revealed that, most BdHsfs and BdHsp70s genes responded to multiple abiotic stresses in an overlapping relationship, while some of them were stress specific response genes. Moreover, co-expression relationships and predicted protein-protein interaction network implied that class A and B Hsfs played as activator and repressors, respectively, suggesting that BdHsp70s might be regulated by both the activation and the repression mechanisms under stress condition. Our genomics analysis of BdHsfs and BdHsp70s provides important evolutionary and functional characterization for further investigation of the accurate regulatory mechanisms among Hsfs and Hsp70s in herbaceous plants.

High-throughput analytical techniques for determination of residues of 653 multiclass pesticides and chemical pollutants in tea, Part II: comparative study of extraction efficiencies of three sample preparation techniques.

This paper reports a study of the extraction efficiency for the multiresidue pesticides and chemical pollutants in tea with three methods over three stages. Method 1 adopts the Pang et al. approach: the targets were extracted with 1% acetic acid in acetonitrile and cleaned up with a Cleanert TPT SPE cartridge; Method 2 adopts the QuEChERS approach: the targets were cleaned up dispersively with graphitized carbon and primary-secondary amine (PSA) sorbent; Method 3 adopts the relatively commonly used approach of hydration for solid samples, with tea hydrated before being extracted through salting out with acetonitrile and the cleanup procedures identical to those of Method 1. The three stages comprised two phases of comparative tests on spike recoveries of 201 pesticides and chemical pollutants from different teas and a third phase on determination of the content of the 201 pesticides and chemical pollutants from aged tea samples. In stages I and II, test results of the spike recoveries of 201 pesticides and chemical pollutants demonstrated that 91.4% of the pesticide and chemical pollutant recoveries fell within the range of 70-110%, and 93.2% of the pesticides and chemical pollutants had RSD < 15%, with no marked difference obtained by Method 1 and Method 2 regardless of whether it was green tea or woolong tea, or GC/MS or GC/MS/MS was used for analysis. For pigment removal, Method 1 was superior to Method 2; in terms of easy operation, Method 2 outweighed Method 1. However, Method 3 obtained relatively low recoveries, with 94% of pesticide and chemical pollutant recoveries less than 70%, which proved that Method 3 was not applicable to the determination of multiresidue pesticides and chemical pollutants in tea. Stage III made a comparison of Method 1 and Method 2 for the extraction efficiency of pesticides and chemical pollutants in 165-day-aged samples of green and woolong tea. Test results showed that 94% of the pesticide and chemical pollutant content in the aged tea samples was recovered with Method 1, more than 10% higher than with Method 2 (30-50% higher on average). For green tea, 193 (GC/MS/MS) and 197 (GC/MS) pesticides and chemical pollutants accounted for 96.5% (GC/MS/MS) and 98.0% (GC/MS) with Method 1 higher than with Method 2. For woolong tea, 191 (GC/MS/MS) and 194 (GC/MS) pesticides and chemical pollutants accounted for 95% (GC/MS/MS) and 96% (GC/MS/MS) with Method 1, higher than with Method 2, respectively. In other words, there were definite differences in the test results for aged tea samples between Method 1 and Method 2, which suggests that Method 1 was capable of extracting more residual pesticides and chemical pollutants from the precipitated 165-day-aged tea samples. The reason can be traced to the possibility that Method 1 (high-speed homogenizing) has better extraction efficiency than Method 2 (vortex and oscillation). Therefore, Method 1 was chosen as the sample preparation technique for multiresidue pesticide and chemical pollutant analysis in tea.