High-Sensitivity Differential Helmholtz Photoacoustic System Combined with the Herriott Multipass Cell and Its Application in Seed Respiration.

A highly sensitive photoacoustic detection system using a differential Helmholtz resonator (DHR) combined with a Herriott multipass cell is presented, and its implementation to sub-ppm level carbon dioxide (CO2) detection is demonstrated. Through the utilization of erbium-doped optical fiber amplifier (EDFA), the laser power was amplified to 150 mW. Within the multipass cell, a total of 22 reflections occurred, contributing to an impressive 33.6 times improvement in the system sensitivity. The normalized noise equivalent absorption coefficient (NNEA) was 8.64 × 10-11 cm-1·W·Hz-1/2 [signal-to-noise ratio, (SNR) = 1] and according to the Allan variance analysis, a minimum detection limit of 500 ppb could be achieved for CO2 at 1204 s, which demonstrates the long-term stability of the system. The system was applied to detect the respiration of rice and upland rice seeds. It is demonstrated that the system can monitor and distinguish the respiration intensity and respiration rate of different seeds in real time.

Thin Copper Plate Defect Detection Based on Lamb Wave Generated by Pulsed Laser in Combination with Laser Heterodyne Interference Technique.

Thin copper plate is widely used in architecture, transportation, heavy equipment, and integrated circuit substrates due to its unique properties. However, it is challenging to identify surface defects in copper strips arising from various manufacturing stages without direct contact. A laser ultrasonic inspection system was developed based on the Lamb wave (LW) produced by a laser pulse. An all-fiber laser heterodyne interferometer is applied for measuring the ultrasonic signal in combination with an automatic scanning system, which makes the system flexible and compact. A 3-D model simulation of an H62 brass specimen was carried out to determine the LW spatial-temporal wavefield by using the COMSOL Multiphysics software. The characteristics of the ultrasonic wavefield were extracted through continuous wavelet transform analysis. This demonstrates that the A0 mode could be used in defect detection due to its slow speed and vibrational direction. Furthermore, an ultrasonic wave at the center frequency of 370 kHz with maximum energy is suitable for defect detection. In the experiment, the size and location of the defect are determined by the time difference of the transmitted wave and reflected wave, respectively. The relative error of the defect position is 0.14% by averaging six different receiving spots. The width of the defect is linear to the time difference of the transmitted wave. The goodness of fit can reach 0.989, and it is in good agreement with the simulated one. The experimental error is less than 0.395 mm for a 5 mm width of defect. Therefore, this validates that the technique can be potentially utilized in the remote defect detection of thin copper plates.

A Coin-Sized Oxygen Laser Sensor Based on Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy Combining a Toroidal Absorption Cell.

Laser gas sensors with small volume and light weight are in high demand in the aerospace industry. To address this, a coin-sized oxygen (O2) sensor has been successfully developed based on a small toroidal absorption cell design. The absorption cell integrates a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) and photodetector into a compact unit, measuring 90 × 40 × 20 mm and weighing 75.16 g. Tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) is used to obtain the O2 spectral line at 763 nm. For further improving the sensitivity and robustness of the sensor, wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS) is utilized for the measurement. The obtained linear correlation coefficient is 0.9994. Based on Allen variance analysis, the sensor achieves an impressive minimum detection limit of 0.06% for oxygen concentration at an integration time of 318 s. The pressure-dependent relationship has been validated by accounting for the pressure factor in data processing. To affirm its efficacy, the laser spectrometer underwent continuous atmospheric O2 measurement for 24 h, showcasing its stability and robustness. This development introduces a continuous online laser spectral sensor with potential applications in manned spaceflight scenarios.

[Status Quo and Prospects of Research on Precision Nursing of Life-Cycle Health and Disease].

With the changing lifestyle and spectrum of diseases among Chinese people, the life-cycle approach to health has been given national strategic importance. Over the past decade, global nursing researchers have gradually started to pay more attention to the research related to precision nursing at different stages of the life cycle. Researchers have applied multi-omics to explore the pathogenesis and novel biomarkers of relevant symptoms in tumor patients or patients with chronic diseases in order to manage symptoms with better precision. However, systematic theories of precision nursing of life-cycle health and disease have not yet been developed, and the research field and its implications still need to be continuously expanded and innovated. In the nursing discipline, the advantages of interdisciplinary integration should be given full play and the precise and effective resolution of life-cycle health problems should be taken as its goal. Through accurately defining key quantitative objective indicators of nursing care, the nursing discipline will be able to achieve early identification of life-cycle health problems, clarify the occurrence and patterns of change in life-cycle health problems, and gain a better understanding of the regulatory mechanisms. Precise and effective nursing-related technologies and products of non-medication and non-surgery nature should be developed to achieve better precision in nursing interventions, thereby effectively promoting recovery from diseases and improving the overall health of the people.

[Construction and Exploration of Model for Training Excellent Nursing Professionals].

The cultivation of excellent nursing professionals is an important guarantee of competent human resources essential to the implementation of the national strategy of Healthy China initiative. In the face of the health needs of the whole life cycle and the nursing development driven by emerging technologies, the training of excellence nursing professionals is confronted with new requirements and challenges. In order to cope with the new demands at home and abroad for the training of high-quality nursing staffs, meet the needs for health services that are based on precision, the whole population, the whole life cycle, and individualized care in the new era, and cultivate outstanding nursing staffs with clinical critical thinking skills, nursing decision-making skills, innovative research and practice ability, whole life cycle nursing knowledge and skills, and the ability to keep pace with the times, we wrote this paper to help clarify the needs and challenges of training excellent nursing staffs in China. Herein, taking "precision nursing of health and disease in the whole life cycle" as the core and utilizing the personnel training principle of emphasizing foundation, strengthening ability, improving quality, and promoting personality, we elaborated on the construction of the training model of excellent nursing staffs and suggested that efforts should be made in the following areas, setting up training objectives with a scientific orientation, setting up in a targeted way the knowledge system and the curriculum system, organizing the teaching mode reform into different types and implement them accordingly, making innovations in instructional methodology, and building up high-level teaching faculties. We explored for a path for training excellent nursing talents, a path that has Chinese characteristics and that can be further developed in a sustainable way, which will lay the foundation for attaining the strategic goal of Healthy China initiative.

[First-Class Nursing Discipline Construction Spearheads the Cultivation of First-Class Talents].

Cultivating first-class talents is a key task of the Double First-Class Initiative, a national plan to build a number of world-class universities and disciplines in China by the end of 2050. On the basis of reviewing the history of the development of the nursing discipline, we analyzed, herein, opportunities and challenges of nursing professional training under the strategic guidance of the Double First-Class Initiative. We proposed suggestions on the cultivation of first-class nursing professionals of the future by considering the following aspects, constructing a theoretical system of ideological and political education for nursing education with Chinese characteristics, exploring for ways to develop a nursing knowledge system and personnel training model around the axis of a life-course approach to health, building "nursing plus" interdisciplinary clusters to cultivate innovative talents with interdisciplinary integrated abilities, enhancing efforts to recruit and cultivate scientific and technological talents, optimizing in an all-round way the composition of qualified nursing personnel, gaining the support of first-class research platforms, and creating incubation centers for innovative and outstanding nursing professionals.

Oral mycobiota and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Early detection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is essential for survival. Preliminary research demonstrated significant associations between structural alternation of mycobiota and PDAC. In this study, we investigated the associations between oral mycobiota and PDAC. We further explored mycobiota biomarkers for PDAC detection. We enrolled 34 PDAC patients and 35 matched healthy controls from West China hospital in Southwest China. Demographic data, clinical information, and salivary samples were collected. Mycobiota characteristics were defined using Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) ribosomal RNA sequencing. We found that the PDAC patients had significant increase in fungal abundance (P < 0.001) and significant decrease in fungal diversity (P < 0.001) in comparison to the healthy controls. A higher abundance of Basidiomycota and Unclassifed_p_Ascomycota was associated with an increased risk of PDAC. With each increase of abundance of g__unclassified_k__Fungi and g__unclassified_p__Ascomycota in PDAC patients, the risk of pancreatic cancer increased by 1.359 odds and 1.260 odds, respectively. Aspergillus (AUC = 0.983, 95% CI 0.951-1.000) and Cladosporium (AUC = 0.969, 95% CI 0.921-1.000) achieved high classification powers to distinguish PDAC patients from the healthy controls. The rapid, inexpensive tests of ITS1 sequencing of mycobiota and PCR detection of potential fungal biomarkers make it promising for the clinical practice to use oral microbes for PDAC early detection and prevention. Results of our study provide evidence that salivary mycobiota may provide insights into cancer risk, prevention, and detection.

The diagnostic accuracy of inferior vena cava respiratory variation in predicting volume responsiveness in patients under different breathing status following abdominal surgery.

BACKGROUND: The validation of inferior vena cava (IVC) respiratory variation for predicting volume responsiveness is still under debate, especially in spontaneously breathing patients. The present study aims to verify the effectiveness and accuracy of IVC variability for volume assessment in the patients after abdominal surgery under artificially or spontaneously breathing. METHODS: A total of fifty-six patients after abdominal surgeries in the anesthesia intensive care unit ward were included. All patients received ultrasonographic examination before and after the fluid challenge of 5 ml/kg crystalloid within 15 min. The same measurements were performed when the patients were extubated. The IVC diameter, blood flow velocity-time integral of the left ventricular outflow tract, and cardiac output (CO) were recorded. Responders were defined as an increment in CO of 15% or more from baseline. RESULTS: There were 33 (58.9%) mechanically ventilated patients and 22 (39.3%) spontaneously breathing patients responding to fluid resuscitation, respectively. The area under the curve was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.68-0.90) for the IVC dimeter variation (cIVC1) in mechanically ventilated patients, 0.87 (95% CI: 0.75-0.94) for the collapsibility of IVC (cIVC2), and 0.85 (95% CI: 0.73-0.93) for the minimum IVC diameter (IVCmin) in spontaneously breathing patients. The optimal cutoff value was 15.32% for cIVC1, 30.25% for cIVC2, and 1.14 cm for IVCmin. Furthermore, the gray zone for cIVC2 was 30.72 to 38.32% and included 23.2% of spontaneously breathing patients, while 17.01 to 25.93% for cIVC1 comprising 44.6% of mechanically ventilated patients. Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that cIVC was an independent predictor of volume assessment for patients after surgery irrespective of breathing modes. CONCLUSION: IVC respiratory variation is validated in predicting patients' volume responsiveness after abdominal surgery irrespective of the respiratory modes. However, cIVC or IVCmin in spontaneously breathing patients was superior to cIVC in mechanically ventilated patients in terms of clinical utility, with few subjects in the gray zone for the volume responsiveness appraisal. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR-INR-17013093 . Initial registration date was 24/10/2017.

Relationship of Earthquake Exposure, Locus of Control, Coping Strategy, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Adolescent Survivors.

A cross-sectional study was performed to examine the incidence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among adolescent survivors 2 years after the 2017 Jiuzhaigou earthquake, and to identify risk factors and their interaction effects. A total of 4,131 adolescents were recruited. PTSD was assessed using the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version, and locus of control (LOC) and coping strategy were assessed using the Internality, Powerful Others and Chance Scale and Coping Styles Scale, respectively. The prevalence of PTSD was 5% and the relationship between external LOC and PTSD and negative coping and PTSD seemed moderated by environmental factors. These factors should be considered along with external LOC, especially among adolescents with high levels of earthquake exposure. Positive coping strategies may help adolescents manage stress after a severe earthquake. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 60(11), 41-47.].

Knowledge, attitude and practice of residents in the prevention and control of COVID-19: An online questionnaire survey.

AIMS: To explore the status quo and the influencing factors of residents' knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) in the prevention and control of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and the difficulties or challenges perceived by residents in their preventive practice. DESIGN: An online questionnaire survey. METHODS: The self-designed questionnaire was distributed among residents online in February 2020. Descriptive statistics, two independent samples t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation analysis, multivariate linear regression and content analysis were performed. RESULTS: A total of 919 valid questionnaires were collected. The scoring rates of residents' KAP were 85.2%, 92.9% and 84.4% respectively. Main factors influencing residents' knowledge included gender and occupation; while those influencing attitude were occupation, family economic level and knowledge; and those influencing practice included place of residence, occupation, with or without chronic disease, knowledge and attitude. Mass media was the primary approach for people to learn the knowledge and information of COVID-19. Difficulties or challenges faced were mainly lack of protective equipments, concerns about the risk of prevention and control, impact on daily life, work and study, lack of knowledge and consensus, psychological problems and information problems. CONCLUSION: The attitude of residents towards COVID-19 prevention and control is generally positive. The knowledge and practice have been popularized to a certain extent, but there are still deviations or deficiencies in residents' understanding of certain important knowledge and the adoption of relevant preventive measures. Evidence-based tailored public education initiatives are indicated. IMPACT: Findings of this study add important knowledge about residents' understanding, attitude, practice and the influencing factors on COVID-19 prevention and control, which serves as a scientific foundation for optimizing the pandemic public education and decision-making.

A pH-Responsive Zwitterionic Polyurethane Prodrug as Drug Delivery System for Enhanced Cancer Therapy.

Numerous nanocarriers with excellent biocompatibilities have been used to improve cancer therapy. However, nonspecific protein adsorption of nanocarriers may block the modified nanoparticles in tumor cells, which would lead to inefficient cellular internalization. To address this issue, pH-responsive polyurethane prodrug micelles with a zwitterionic segment were designed and prepared. The micelle consisted of a zwitterionic segment as the hydrophilic shell and the drug Adriamycin (DOX) as the hydrophobic inner core. As a pH-responsive antitumor drug delivery system, the prodrug micelles showed high stability in a physiological environment and continuously released the drug under acidic conditions. In addition, the pure polyurethane carrier was demonstrated to be virtually non-cytotoxic by cytotoxicity studies, while the prodrug micelles were more efficient in killing tumor cells compared to PEG-PLGA@DOX. Furthermore, the DOX cellular uptake efficiency of prodrug micelles was proved to be obviously higher than the control group by both flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. This is mainly due to the modification of a zwitterionic segment with PU. The simple design of zwitterionic prodrug micelles provides a new strategy for designing novel antitumor drug delivery systems with enhanced cellular uptake rates.

Retrospective study of quadratus lumborum block for postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing percutaneous nephrolithotomy.

BACKGROUND: The postoperative analgesic effect of transmuscular quadratus lumborum block (QLB-TM) in patients following lower abdominal surgeries has been identified; however, the efficacy of QLB using the lateral approach (QLB-L) is still in debate. Therefore, this retrospective study was conducted to investigate the effect of a single-shot block with QLB-L on postoperative analgesia for patients undergoing percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). METHODS: The medical information of the patients undergoing PCNL was retrieved from the electronic charter system (Medisystem, Suzhou, China) in our Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital during the period of Jan/2019 to Jun/2019. Among the total of 57 patients, there are 17, 18, and 22 patients subjected to QLB-L, QLB-TM, or routine treatment, respectively. The primary observational parameter was to assess postoperative pain with visual analog scales (VAS) at rest 30 min after extubation, 24 h, and 48 h after surgery, respectively. The secondary observatory endpoints, including the consumption of intraoperative opioids, the cumulative dose of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and the incidence of adverse events related to postoperative analgesia, were evaluated as well. RESULTS: The static VAS score at 24 h after surgery and the intraoperative consumption of sufentanil were significantly lower in patients receiving either intervention of QLB-L or QLB-TM as compared with those receiving routine treatment. However, one shot of QLB had no impact on VAS scores at 30 min post-extubation, 48 h after PCNL procedure compared with the patients receiving routine treatment. The percentage of non-ambulatory patients within 24 h post-PCNL was significantly higher in the QLB-TM group compared with the routine treatment group (P = 0.04). There were no significant differences in the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomit (PONV), itches, respiratory depression, the time for the first defecation, and the length of hospital stay (LOS) among the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: QLB-L procedure may exert as equivalent as QLB-TM in terms of abrogating postoperative pain within 24 h post-surgery and decreasing intraoperative sufentanil consumption in patients undergoing PCNL procedure as well. The caution should be taken to avoid lower extremities weakness in the patients after QLB-TM within the first 24 h post-PCNL procedure.

Triply Magic Conditions for Microwave Transition of Optically Trapped Alkali-Metal Atoms.

We report the finding of "triply magic" conditions (the doubly magic frequency-intensity conditions of an optical dipole trap plus the magic magnetic field) for the microwave transitions of optically trapped alkali-metal atoms. The differential light shift (DLS) induced by a degenerate two-photon process is adopted to compensate a DLS associated with the one-photon process. Thus, doubly magic conditions for the intensity and frequency of the optical trap beam can be found. Moreover, the DLS decouples from the magnetic field in a linearly polarized optical dipole trap, so that the magic condition of the magnetic field can be applied independently. Therefore, the triply magic conditions can be realized simultaneously. We also experimentally demonstrate the doubly magic frequency-intensity conditions as well as the independence of the magnetic field. When the triply magic conditions are fulfilled, the inhomogeneous and homogeneous decoherences for the optically trapped atom will be dramatically suppressed, and the coherence time can be extended significantly.

Difference of efficacy between Laparoscopic Modified Soave operation and Open Radical Resection in the treatment of Hirschsprung's disease.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze and compare the efficacy of laparoscopic modified Soave operation and open radical resection in the treatment of Hirschsprung's disease. METHODS: Two hundred and sixteen children who suffered from Hirschsprung's disease and were admitted into the hospital from June 2015 to December 2016 were selected as research subjects. They were grouped into an observation group in which patients were treated by laparoscopic modified Soave operation and open radical resection and a control group in which patients were treated by open radical resection. The clinical efficacy and complications of the two groups were observed, and the defecation function was also evaluated. RESULTS: Operation indicators such as the operation time, time to recovery of intestine peristalsis, intraoperative blood loss and pain score of the observation group were superior to those of the control group, and the difference had statistical significance (P<0.05). The mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) of the observation group were lower than those of the control group at all time points after operation, and the difference suggested statistical significance (P<0.05). The postoperative complications of the observation group were less than those of the control group. The follow-up results demonstrated that the excellent and good rate of Kelly score of the observation group was 81.5%, higher than 61.1% in the control group. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic modified Soave operation has definite efficacy in the treatment of Hirschsprung's disease, and the treatment is featured by high safety and few complications, which is beneficial to the recovery of defecation function; hence laparoscopic modified Soave operation is worth clinical promotion.

Metformin Use Is Associated With Better Survival of Breast Cancer Patients With Diabetes: A Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic patients with breast cancer receiving metformin and neoadjuvant chemotherapy have a higher pathologic complete response rate than do diabetic patients not receiving metformin, but findings on salvage treatment have been inconsistent. We performed a meta-analysis to assess the effect of adding metformin to standard therapy on the prognosis of breast cancer patients with diabetes. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science (Thomson Scientific), China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database, VIP journal integration platform, and Chinese BioMedical Literature Database from inception to January 10, 2015, without language restrictions, including references related to metformin, breast cancer, and prognosis. We performed the meta-analysis using a random-effects model, with hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) as effect measures. RESULTS: A total of 11 studies consisting of 5,464 breast cancer patients with diabetes were included, comprising 2,760 patients who had received metformin and 2,704 patients who had not. The meta-analysis showed that metformin was associated with better overall survival times (HR: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.39-0.71) and cancer-specific survival times (HR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.79-1.00). Subgroup analysis revealed that metformin improved the overall survival by 65% after adjusting for hormone receptor expression (HR: 0.35; 95% CI: 0.15-0.84). Taking metformin after the diagnosis of breast cancer was still associated with prolonged overall survival. CONCLUSION: The use of metformin in standard cancer therapy might improve both overall and cancer-specific survivals of diabetic patients with breast cancer. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Diabetic patients with breast cancer receiving metformin and neoadjuvant chemotherapy have a higher pathologic complete response rate than diabetic patients not receiving metformin, but findings on salvage treatment have been inconsistent. The meta-analysis showed that metformin was associated with better overall survival times and cancer-specific survival times. Subgroup analysis revealed that metformin improved the overall survival by 65% after adjusting for hormone receptor expression. Taking metformin after the diagnosis of breast cancer was still associated with prolonged overall survival. The findings of this study highlight the potential usage of metformin in diabetic patients with breast cancer.

Posttraumatic stress disorder and its risk factors among adolescent survivors three years after an 8.0 magnitude earthquake in China.

BACKGROUND: Serious and long-lasting psychiatric consequences can be found in children and adolescents following earthquake, including the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although researchers have been focused on PTSD recently, its prevalence and risk factors after a huge natural disaster are still unclear because of limited sample size. The purpose of this study is to explore the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adolescent survivors three years after the Wenchuan earthquake, describe PTSD symptoms, and to find out risk factors of PTSD. METHODS: A total of 4,604 adolescents from three middle schools which located in earthquake-stricken areas were recruited in this study. Instruments included the demographic questionnaire, questionnaire about earthquake exposure, the Social Support Appraisal Scale (SSA), the Posttraumatic stress disorder Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C), and the structured clinical interview for DSM-IV Disorders (SCID). RESULTS: The prevalence rate of PTSD was 5.7% (frequency: n = 261), and the most commonly occurring symptoms of PTSD were distress at reminders (64.5%), difficulty concentration (59.1%), and being easily startled (58.6%). Loss of houses and property, being injured, deaths of family members, and witness of death are positive risk factors of PTSD, and physical exercise and social support are negative risk factors of PTSD. CONCLUSIONS: Professional and effective interventions are needed to reduce the development of PTSD among adolescents after the Wenchuan earthquake, especially for these who lost their houses or property and lost their family members, witnessed death, and lacked of social support in the earthquake. Moreover, injured adolescents and adolescents who lacked of physical exercise also need intervention due to high risk.

Optimizing the connection of CRRT and ECMO lines with additional pressure regulator on the therapeutic effect, filter life, and incidence of complications.

BACKGROUND: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is used for severe cardiopulmonary failure, with veno-arterial ECMO for cardiogenic shock and veno-venous ECMO for acute respiratory failure. ECMO's application has expanded to ICUs, emergency departments, and operating rooms. ECMO patients are at high risk for complications, including acute kidney injury (AKI), often requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT), posing significant management challenges. METHODS: From August 2015 to June 2022, 120 patients were cured with veno-venous ECMO (n = 60) or veno-arterial ECMO (VA-ECMO, n = 60) combined with CRRT in our hospital. In the control group (n = 60), the input end (arterial end) of CRRT was connected to the ECMO oxygenator. The reinfusion end (venous end) of CRRT was connected to the oxygenator of ECMO for CRRT + ECMO treatment. In the experimental group (n = 60), the input end (arterial end) of CRRT was connected to the oxygenator of ECMO, and an additional pressure regulating device was installed on the connection of the 2 lines. The observation indexes including clinical therapeutic effect, clinical therapeutic effect, the incidence of complications, and the incidence of complications were compared. RESULTS: There was a notable decrease in serum creatinine, and the differences in blood urea nitrogen, procalcitonin, and C-reactive protein after operation were statistically significant (P < .05). The filter use time in the study group was notably longer (P < .01). There exhibited no remarkable difference in the incidences of bleeding, thrombosis, numbness of hands and feet, metabolic alkalosis, disseminated intravascular coagulation, organ dysfunction syndrome, hyperbilirubinemia, and infection. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that additional pressure regulation devices are installed at the line connection between the CRRT input end and the CRRT return end to ensure that the flow rate of ECMO does not affect the CRRT treatment. ECMO and CRRT provide a safe pressure range so that the ECMO line can be safely connected to the CRRT machine at physiological pressure, reducing the occurrence of complications related to CRRT machine interruption and improving the efficiency of CRRT without affecting the efficiency of ECMO, ensuring patient safety.

Postoperative Dexmedetomidine Infusion and Chronic Postsurgical Pain in Thoracoscopic Pulmonary Nodule Surgery: A Retrospective Study with Propensity-Score-Matched Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Patients frequently suffer from debilitating chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) subsequent to thoracoscopic surgery. The impact of postoperative dexmedetomidine infusion on CPSP remains elusive. This study aimed to scrutinize the effect of dexmedetomidine on both 1-year incidence of CPSP and the quality of recovery after thoracoscopic pulmonary nodule surgery. METHODS: This retrospective analysis encompassed clinical and follow-up data from 1148 patients undergoing thoracoscopic pulmonary nodule surgery at our institution between September 2021 and August 2022. Depending on whether dexmedetomidine was infused intravenously or not on the first night after surgery, patients were stratified into the dexmedetomidine group or the control group, with propensity score matching applied to harmonize baseline characteristics. Comparative analysis sought to delineate distinctions of CPSP and recovery quality 1 year after surgery. RESULTS: Following propensity score matching, a cohort of 258 patients in each group underwent analysis. Comparisons after matching revealed no statistically significant disparities in 1-year CPSP incidence [76/258 (29.5%) versus 78/258 (30.2%), P = 0.847], moderate-to-severe pain occurrence [17/76 (22.4%) versus 22/78 (28.2%), P = 0.405], neuropathic pain occurrence [11/76 (14.5%) versus 11/78 (14.1%), P = 0.948], and postoperative recovery quality assessed by 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) score (113.1 [107.2, 116.0] versus 113.0 [107.4, 116.0], P = 0.328). Multivariate logistic regression analysis encompassing the entire cohort identified being female [odds ratio (OR) 2.10, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.59-2.79, P < 0.001) and postoperative rescue analgesia (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.09-1.96, P = 0.010) as risk factors for CPSP, while intraoperative fentanyl dosage (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.87-0.98, P = 0.006) emerged as a protective factor. CONCLUSION: The prolonged administration of dexmedetomidine did not yield discernible amelioration in either 1-year CPSP or the recovery quality after thoracoscopic surgery. Noteworthy risk factors for CPSP encompassed female sex, postoperative rescue analgesia, and diminished fentanyl dosage intraoperatively.

Effect of marine heatwaves on juvenile greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili).

Marine heatwaves (MHWs) have increased in frequency, intensity, and duration in recent years causing significant impacts on marine organisms and fisheries. This study explores the physiological changes of juvenile greater amberjacks (Seriola dumerili) that cope with MHWs. Results showed that physiological parameters were significantly affected by the intensity, duration of MHWs or interaction of two factors (P < 0.05). Repeated MHWs in which water temperatures were increased (24 °C to 28 °C and 32 °C) resulted in changes in enzyme activity levels (catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione (GSH)), as well as the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) for antioxidant defense, immune function (acid phosphatase (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and lysozyme (LYZ)), and energy metabolism (including triglycerides (TG), glucose (GLU), aspartate aminotransferase (GOT), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH)). The activities of enzymes, including those associated with antioxidant defense, immune function, and energy metabolism, changed significantly in relation to short-term MHWs, indicating a thermal stress response. When S. dumerili were exposed to repeated-MHWs, thermal stress responses increased at 28 °C (T28) and decreased at 32 °C (T32). These results exhibited the inability of S. dumerili to acclimate to severe thermal stress from MHWs. This study examined S. dumerili responses to MHWs and assessed the physiological adaptation of juvenile greater amberjacks to MHWs.

A novel antimicrobial peptide with broad-spectrum and exceptional stability derived from the natural peptide Brevicidine.

The global issue of antibiotic resistance is increasingly severe, highlighting the urgent necessity for the development of new antibiotics. Brevicidine, a natural cyclic lipopeptide, exhibits remarkable antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative bacteria. In this study, a comprehensive structure-activity relationship of Brevicidine was investigated through 20 newly synthesized cyclic lipopeptide analogs, resulting in the identification of an optimal linear analog 22. The sequence of analog 22 consisted of five d-amino acids and four non-natural amino acid 2,5-diaminovaleric acid (Orn) and conjugated with decanoic acid at N-terminal. Compared to Brevicidine, analog 22 was easier to synthesize, and exerted broad spectrum antimicrobial activity and excellent stability (t1/2 = 40.98 h). Additionally, analog 22 demonstrated a rapid bactericidal effect by permeating non-specifically through the bacterial membranes, thereby minimizing the likelihood of inducing resistance. Moreover, it exhibited remarkable efficacy in combating bacterial biofilms and reversing bacterial resistance to conventional antibiotics. Furthermore, it effectively suppressed the growth of bacteria in vital organs of mice infected with S. aureus ATCC 25923. In conclusion, analog 22 may represent a potential antimicrobial peptide for further optimization.