Comparison of ZnO, Al2O3, AlZnO, and Al2O3-Doped ZnO Sensing Membrane Applied in Electrolyte-Insulator-Semiconductor Structures.

In this study, ZnO, AlZnO, Al2O3, and Al2O3-doped ZnO-sensing membranes were fabricated in electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor (EIS) structures. Multiple material analyses indicate that annealing at an appropriate temperature of 500 °C could enhance crystallizations, passivate defects, and facilitate grainizations. Owing to their material properties, both the pH-sensing capability and overall reliability were optimized for these four types of membranes. The results also revealed that higher Al amounts increased the surface roughness values and enhanced larger crystals and grains. Higher Al compositions resulted in higher sensitivity, linearity, and stability in the membrane.

Incorporation of Au Nanoparticles on ZnO/ZnS Core Shell Nanostructures for UV Light/Hydrogen Gas Dual Sensing Enhancement.

ZnO/ZnS nanocomposite-based nanostructures exhibit dual light and gas sensing capabilities. To further boost the light/dual sensing properties, gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) were incorporated into the core-shell structures. Multiple material characterizations revealed that Au NPs were successfully well spread and decorated on ZnO/ZnS nanostructures. Furthermore, our findings show that the addition of Au NPs could enhance both 365 nm UV light sensing and hydrogen gas sensing in terms of light/gas sensitivity and light/gas response time. We postulate that the optimization of gas/light dual sensing capability may result from the induced electric field and inhabitation of electron-hole recombination. Owing to their compact size, simple fabrication, and stable response, ZnO/ZnS/Au NPs-based light/gas dual sensors are promising for future extreme environmental monitoring.

Extracellular Vesicles of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Promote the Healing of Traumatized Achilles Tendons.

Healing of ruptured tendons remains a clinical challenge because of its slow progress and relatively weak mechanical force at an early stage. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have therapeutic potential for tissue regeneration. In this study, we isolated EVs from adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) and evaluated their ability to promote tendon regeneration. Our results indicated that ADSC-EVs significantly enhanced the proliferation and migration of tenocytes in vitro. To further study the roles of ADSC-EVs in tendon regeneration, ADSC-EVs were used in Achilles tendon repair in rabbits. The mechanical strength, histology, and protein expression in the injured tendon tissues significantly improved 4 weeks after ADSC-EV treatment. Decorin and biglycan were significantly upregulated in comparison to the untreated controls. In summary, ADSC-EVs stimulated the proliferation and migration of tenocytes and improved the mechanical strength of repaired tendons, suggesting that ADSC-EV treatment is a potential highly potent therapeutic strategy for tendon injuries.

An Association Rule Analysis of the Acupressure Effect on Sleep Quality.

BACKGROUND: Sleep is recognized as an all-important physiological process, which also contributes to maintaining several bodily functions and systems. According to the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), also known as the most widely used tool in the field of subjective assessment of self-perceived sleep quality, a combination of acupoints could be more effective than single acupoint treatment in improving sleep quality. METHODS: The present study was based on the extracted eligible studies rooted in a previous meta-analysis that worked on the basis of association rule mining and examined the potential kernel acupoint combinations for improving sleep quality. RESULTS: Depending on the Apriori algorithm, we summarized 26 acupoints as binary data from the 32 eligible studies based on a previous meta-analysis and analyzed them. The top 10 most frequently selected acupoints were HT7, SP6, PC6, KI1, GV20, EM5, EX-HN3, EX-HN16, KI3, and MA-TF1. Furthermore, as deduced from 21 association rules, the primary relevant rules in the combination of acupoints are (EX-HN3, EX-HN16)=>(GV20) and (HT7, KI1)=>(PC6). CONCLUSIONS: In order to use acupuncture to improve sleep quality, integrating (EX-HN3, EX-HN16, GV20) with (HT7, KI1, PC6) acupoints could be deemed as the kernel acupoint combination.

An Association Rule Analysis of Combined Acupoints for the Treatment of Patients with Dry Eye Disease.

BACKGROUND: Dry eye disease (DED) has a higher incidence in old age and is seen predominantly in females worldwide. Neurosensory abnormalities, ocular surface inflammation and damage, film instability, and hyperosmolarity are major and proven pathologies responsible for a poor quality of life. Tear breakup time and Schirmer's I test are predominantly used for the evaluation of primary outcomes in patients undergoing conventional treatment. A previous meta-analysis of some relevant studies proved that combination of acupoints could be more effective than single acupoint treatment. OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to undertake association rule mining and examined the potential kernel acupoint combination in DED treatment constructed from the extracted randomized controlled trials (RCTs) based on a previous meta-analysis. METHODS: We summarized 32 acupoints as binary data from the 12 eligible RCTs and analyzed them based on the Apriori algorithm. RESULTS: TE23, BL2, ST2, ST1, EX-HN5, BL1, LI4, ST36, SP6, and KI3 were the 10 most frequently selected acupoints. The major associated rules in combination of acupoints were {TE23, LI4} ≥ {ST1} and {TE23, ST1} ≥ {LI4}, as inferred from 23 association rules. CONCLUSIONS: For acupuncture treatment of DED, combined TE23, LI4, and ST1 acupoints could be settled as the kernel of acupoint combination.

Role of Chrysophanol in Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Oral Cancer Cell Lines via a Wnt-3-Dependent Pathway.

Oral cancer belongs to the group of head and neck cancers. If not diagnosed or treated early, it can be life threatening. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays an important role in tumor formation and progression. An increase in the presence of the EMT phenotype causes tumor cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and poor prognosis. Therefore, attenuating carcinogenesis via EMT inhibition is a good strategy. Herein, we will determine the pharmacological effects of chrysophanol on the EMT in FaDu cells. To analyze EMT, we detected the expression EMT markers, including α-SMA, ß-catenin, vimentin, N-cadherin, E-cadherin, phospho-GSK-3ß, and nuclear translocations of p65 and ß-catenin by western blotting. Additionally, accumulating evidence indicates that reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediate EMT. Our results showed that the level of ROS was significantly increased after chrysophanol treatment. We further speculated that chrysophanol-mediated EMT and metastasis are involved in the Wnt-3-dependent signaling pathway. The inhibition of the EMT phenotype and metastasis and accumulation of ROS caused by chrysophanol was reversed by treatment with the Wnt-3 agonist Bml 284. Therefore, our findings indicated that chrysophanol altered EMT formation, ROS accumulation, and metastasis via the Wnt-3-dependent signaling pathway.

In Situ Analysis of Growth Behaviors of Cu2O Nanocubes in Liquid Cell Transmission Electron Microscopy.

Metal oxides have attracted substantial attention over the years and are commonly used in the semiconductor industry because of their excellent physical and chemical properties. Among the various metal oxides, cuprous oxide (Cu2O) is regarded as a promising material. It is inexpensive, earth-abundant, and nontoxic; therefore, it can be used in catalysis, sensors, solar cells, and p-type semiconductors. However, the redox reaction of Cu2O is still uncertain. The size, morphology, and structure of Cu2O strongly influence its properties. In this work, we developed a new synthesis method of Cu2O that involves reducing the precursor by an electron beam without reducing agent. The growth process of Cu2O nanocubes was observed via in situ liquid cell transmission electron microscopy (in situ LCTEM). The nucleation kinetics, oscillating growth behavior, and redox reaction of the Cu2O nanocubes in the liquid phase were systematically studied. Cu2O exhibited a round shape at the beginning and transformed into a cubic shape afterward. Interestingly, the Cu2O nanocubes grew clearly under long-term observation; however, their diameters increased and fluctuated during the short-term observation. The electron beam not only stimulated the solution to reduce the nanocubes but also caused electron radiation effect to the nanocubes. During the Cu2O growth and dissolution, the cubic shape evolved with specific planes in the {100} family. Our direct observation sheds light on the preparation of Cu2O by a reduction method, extending the study of reaction kinetics and providing a new way to synthesize metal oxides.

In situ TEM observation of Au-Cu2O core-shell growth in liquids.

Heterogeneous nanoparticles are widely used in catalysis, sensors and biology due to their versatile functions. Among the various heterogeneous nanoparticles, Au-Cu2O core-shell nanoparticles show high stability and short response times for use as sensors and catalysts and have thus attracted much attention. Previous studies show that the properties of Au-Cu2O are mainly related to the shape and size of the Au-Cu2O nanoparticles. However, the forming behavior of heterostructures and the mechanism have not been fully explored. In this work, liquid cell transmission electron microscopy (LCTEM) was used to investigate the formation of these interesting Au-Cu2O nanoparticles and their process of aggregation. The electron beam and dispersion of gold nanoparticles are both important parameters for the reduction reaction in in situ LCTEM. The Au-Cu2O core-shell nanoparticles can be synthesized to have two morphologies, multifaceted and cubic. The nanoparticles grew into these different morphologies due to the amount of remaining citrate ligands on the surface of the gold nanoparticles. For the multifaceted nanoparticles, the epitaxy of the two components is confirmed from high-resolution TEM images and electron diffraction patterns with an epitaxial relationship of Au (020)//Cu2O (020) and Au [101]//Cu2O [101]. The growth rate is approximately 210 nm2 s-1. On the other hand, the cubic nanoparticles nucleate and grow independently. The growth kinetics and elemental distributions have been systematically studied. In addition, the nanoclusters would float, rotate, and finally aggregate with the surrounding clusters. This in situ experiment sheds light on the growth mechanisms of nanostructures and will improve the applicability and controllability of heterostructure synthesis.

Atopic dermatitis and risk of ischemic stroke: a nationwide population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies have shown a strong association between systemic inflammatory diseases, particularly allergic diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. However, the relationship between atopic dermatitis (AD) and ischemic stroke remains unclear. METHOD: The study identified 20,323 AD patients and 20,323 comorbidity-matched subjects between 2005 and 2008. The two cohorts were followed until 31 December 2009. Ischemic stroke and other cardiovascular events were determined. RESULTS: During the follow-up period, 301 (1.48%) patients in the AD cohort and 228 (1.12%) matched subjects experienced ischemic stroke. After multivariate adjustment, patients with AD had a 1.33-fold (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.12-1.59; P = 0.001) increased incidence of ischemic stroke. Adjusted hazard ratios for the risk of ischemic stroke in patients with mild, moderate, and severe AD were 1.20 (95% CI, 1.00-1.45; P = 0.052), 1.64 (95% CI, 1.23-2.19; P = 0.001), and 1.71 (95% CI, 1.15-2.56; P = 0.008), respectively. The log-rank test showed a higher cumulative incidence of ischemic stroke in the severe AD group than in the moderate and mild AD groups during the follow-up period (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: AD may be an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke, and risk of ischemic stroke increases with AD severity.

Single-virus tracking approach to reveal the interaction of Dengue virus with autophagy during the early stage of infection.

Dengue virus (DENV) is one of the major infectious pathogens worldwide. DENV infection is a highly dynamic process. Currently, no antiviral drug is available for treating DENV-induced diseases since little is known regarding how the virus interacts with host cells during infection. Advanced molecular imaging technologies are powerful tools to understand the dynamics of intracellular interactions and molecular trafficking. This study exploited a single-virus particle tracking technology to address whether DENV interacts with autophagy machinery during the early stage of infection. Using confocal microscopy and three-dimensional image analysis, we showed that DENV triggered the formation of green fluorescence protein-fused microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3 (GFP-LC3) puncta, and DENV-induced autophagosomes engulfed DENV particles within 15-min postinfection. Moreover, single-virus particle tracking revealed that both DENV particles and autophagosomes traveled together during the viral infection. Finally, in the presence of autophagy suppressor 3-methyladenine, the replication of DENV was inhibited and the location of DENV particles spread in cytoplasma. In contrast, the numbers of newly synthesized DENV were elevated and the co-localization of DENV particles and autophagosomes was detected while the cells were treated with autophagy inducer rapamycin. Taken together, we propose that DENV particles interact with autophagosomes at the early stage of viral infection, which promotes the replication of DENV.

Developing a safety and health training model for petrochemical workers.

The production processes of the petrochemical industry expose workers to high potential hazards. Our previous study showed that hazard recognition was closely related to worker safety and health training activities. The purpose of this study was to establish and validate a safety and health training model. It is expected that the training model will help workers to recognize hazards, thereby lowering their operating risks. The training model, which included a complete training course and follow-up scoring using a questionnaire, was applied to three groups of subjects for comparison. Group A had joined our study previously and took the training course again at this time. Group B had also joined our previous study but did not take this training course. Group C was new to our study and took this training course for the first time. Groups A and C (who took the training course) had higher cognition and attitude scores than group B (who did not take the training course). The training course was a significant factor that positively influenced both cognition and attitude scores among managers and workers. The training course was more significant for managers while the duration of education was more significant for workers.