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Biodegradable sponges are currently attracting significant attention; however, the development of safe materials with high levels of antimicrobial activity remains a major challenge. Doping with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) can effectively solve this problem. In this study, pectin sponges (PE-S) and nano-silver pectin sponges (PE-S/Ag) were synthesized in situ by using the freeze-drying method. The prepared sponge samples were then characterized with various tools. UV‒Vis spectroscopy was used to investigate the in situ synthesis of the AgNPs, FT-IR spectroscopy and XPS were used to investigate changes in the functional groups of the sponge samples, and SEM images were used to confirm the homogeneous distribution of AgNPs in the PE-S/Ag sponge. Our results suggested that the physical and chemical properties of the PE-S/Ag sponges were better than those of the PE-S sponges. The water absorption levels of the PE-S/Ag and PE-S sponges were three times and twice as high as that of gauze, respectively. Antibacterial tests showed that the minimum inhibitory concentrations of the PE-S/Ag sponge were 42 and 83 µg/mL against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. Cytotoxicity and coagulation assays showed that the two sponge samples were nontoxic to cells and had good coagulation effects. The silver ion (Ag+) release assay was used to analyse the pattern of Ag+ release from the PE-S/Ag sponges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the clinical characteristics and outcomes on the success of bronchial arterial embolization (BAE) in patients with and without systemic artery-to-pulmonary vessel fistula (SA-PF) and to evaluate the feasibility of CTA in the assessment of SA-PF. Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 420 consecutive patients that underwent BAE for hemoptysis control in our hospital from September 2011 to May 2019. The clinical characteristics, preprocedural CTA findings, BAE procedural findings, and follow-up outcomes were collected. Patients were divided into two groups according to DSA findings: patients with SA-PF and those without. Results: A total of 184 (43.7%) patients presented with SA-PF. Pneumonia was less likely to be the concomitant condition in patients with SA-PF (p < 0.001). The mean number of culprit arteries per patient was significantly higher in patients with SA-PF compared to that in patients without SA-PF (p = 0.017). The SA-PF patients saw a greater probability of recurrence (HR: 2.782, 95% CI: 1.617–4.784, p < 0.001). SA-pulmonary venous fistula (SA-PVF) favored lower hemoptysis recurrence rate (HR: 0.199, 95%CI: 0.052–0.765, p = 0.019). SA-pulmonary artery fistula (SA-PAF) can be detected by optimized CTA protocol with a detection rate of 65.3% (49/75). Conclusions: The presence of SA-PF is an independent risk factor predicting early recurrence of hemoptysis after BAE. SA-PVF seems to be a protective factor for longer hemoptysis control compared to SA-PAF. Optimized preprocedural CTA is a reliable examination to identify SA-PAF. Key Points: • The appearance of SA-PF is associated with a greater probability of early recurrent hemoptysis after bronchial artery embolization. • The presence of SA-PVF seems to be a protective factor for longer hemoptysis control after BAE compared to SA-PAF. • Optimized CTA protocol seems to be a promising auxiliary examination to detect SA-PAF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we reported a green biosynthesis method of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) at microwave irradiation condition by using pectin as a stabilizer and ascorbic acid as a reducing agent. Under the optimum conditions, CuNPs1 and 2 were synthesized under microwave times 0 and 3 min, respectively. Transmission electron microscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM) tests showed that CuNPs1 and 2 had irregular polygon particles with average diameters of 61.9 ± 19.4 and 40.9 ± 13.6 nm, respectively. Zeta potentials of CuNPs1 and 2 were −45.2 and −48.7 mV, respectively. X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques were used to characterize the properties of CuNPs. Furthermore, inhibition zone tests showed that CuNPs2 exhibited higher antimicrobial activities against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Aspergillus japonicus than CuNPs1. The antibacterial activities were also studied by the bacterial growth kinetics in broth media, and CuNPs2 exhibited lower minimum bactericidal concentrations than CuNPs1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gallium oxide (Ga2O3) thin films were prepared on Si substrate by magnetron sputtering. The obtained samples were comprehensively characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Ti, Pt, Ni and AZO were deposited on the Ga2O3 thin films as electrodes. This paper mainly studies the metal-semiconductor contact formed by these four materials on the films and the influence of annealing at 500 °C on the metal-semiconductor contact. The I-V characteristics show a good linear relationship, which indicates ohmic contact between Ga2O3 and other electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to quantify the effect of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on glycemic control and cardiorespiratory fitness compared with moderate-intensity training (MICT) and no training at all in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods: Relevant articles were sourced from PubMed, Embase, the Web of Science, EBSCO, and the Cochrane Library. Randomized-controlled trials were included based upon the following criteria: participants were clinically diagnosed with T2D, outcomes that included glycemic control (e.g., hemoglobin A1c); body composition (e.g., body weight); cardiorespiratory fitness (e.g., VO2peak) are measured at baseline and post-intervention and compared with either a MICT or control group. Results: Thirteen trials involving 345 patients were finally identified. HIIT elicited a significant reduction in BMI, body fat, HbA1c, fasting insulin, and VO2peak in patients with type 2 diabetes. Regarding changes in the body composition of patients, HIIT showed a great improvement in body weight (mean difference: − 1.22 kg, 95% confidence interval [CI] − 2.23 to − 0.18, P = 0.02) and body mass index (mean difference: − 0.40 kg/m2, 95% CI − 0.78 to − 0.02, P = 0.04) than MICT did. Similar results were also found with respect to HbA1c (mean difference: − 0.37, 95% CI − 0.55 to − 0.19, P < 0.0001); relative VO2peak (mean difference: 3.37 ml/kg/min, 95% CI 1.88 to 4.87, P < 0.0001); absolute VO2peak (mean difference: 0.37 L/min, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.45, P < 0.00001). Conclusions: HIIT may induce more positive effects in cardiopulmonary fitness than MICT in T2D patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To compare the average number of culprit arteries per patient, clinical success rate, and hemoptysis-free survival rate between hemoptysis patients with multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) angiography prior to bronchial artery embolization (BAE) and those without preprocedural MDCT angiography METHODS: This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board with waiver of patient informed consent. From September 2012 to March 2017, 157 consecutive hemoptysis patients had been undergoing BAE. Among them, 106 patients received preprocedural MDCT angiography (MDCT group), while 51 patients did not receive preprocedural MDCT angiography (control group). The average number of culprit arteries per patient, clinical success rate, and hemoptysis-free survival rate were compared between the two groups.Results: The average number of culprit ectopic bronchial arteries and that of non-bronchial systemic arteries originating from the subclavian and internal mammary arteries per patient in the MDCT group were both significantly higher than those in the control group (0.15 ± 0.51 vs 0.04 ± 0.20, p = 0.022, and 0.17 ± 0.56 vs 0.08 ± 0.39, p = 0.040, respectively). The clinical success rate of BAE with preprocedural MDCT angiography tended to be higher than that without MDCT angiography (97.2 vs 88.2%, p = 0.057). Importantly, patients in the MDCT group had a significantly higher hemoptysis-free early survival rate compared to those in the control group (96.1 vs 86.7%, p = 0.031).Conclusions: Preprocedural MDCT angiography helps detect culprit ectopic bronchial arteries and non-bronchial systemic arteries originating from subclavian and internal mammary arteries during BAE, and can improve the hemoptysis-free early survival rate, which could be recommended as a regular examination prior to BAE in patients with hemoptysis.Key Points: • Preprocedural MDCT angiography helps detect culprit ectopic bronchial arteries and NBSAs originating from subclavian and internal mammary arteries during BAE. • Conducting MDCT angiography prior to BAE can improve hemoptysis-free early survival rate in hemoptysis patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this network meta-analysis was to evaluate the comparative efficacy and safety of dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, interrupted vitamin K antagonist (I-VKA), and continuous VKA (C-VKA) in patients undergoing radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) of atrial fibrillation (AF).Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched to identify clinical trials comparing dabigatran, rivaroxaban, or apixaban with I-VKA or C-VKA, or against each other, in AF patients undergoing RFCA. A network meta-analysis was conducted to directly and indirectly compare the efficacy and safety of competitive anticoagulation regimens with a Bayesian random-effects model.Results: A total of 39 studies enrolling 27,766 patients were included. C-VKA demonstrated significant superiority over I-VKA in reducing thromboembolic events (risk difference [RD] -0.0068, 95 % confidence interval [CI] -0.0106 to -0.0032) and major bleeding complications (RD -0.0044, 95 % CI -0.0098 to -0.0006). Rivaroxaban compared with I-VKA was associated with a lower risk of thromboembolism (RD -0.0073, 95 % CI -0.0134 to -0.0012), being at the best ranking position among all of the compared anticoagulation regimens in terms of both the efficacy and safety. None of the remaining comparisons reached statistically significant difference in the rate of thromboembolism or major bleeding.Conclusions: The present study suggests that C-VKA is superior to I-VKA for AF patients undergoing RFCA. Rivaroxaban is the highest probability to be the optimal alternative to C-VKA among the three non-VKA oral anticoagulants in AF ablation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the saccharification of orange peel wastes with crude enzymes from Aspergillus japonicus PJ01. Pretreated orange peel powder was hydrolyzed by submerged fermentation (SmF) and solid-state fermentation (SSF) crude enzymes, the results showed that 4 % (w/v) of solid loading, undiluted crude enzymes, and 45 °C were suitable saccharification conditions. The hydrolysis kinetics showed that the apparent Michaelis-Menten constant $$K_{{\text{m}_{app} }}$$ and maximal reaction rate $$V_{{\max_{app} }}$$ were 73.32 g/L and 0.118 g/(L min) for SmF enzyme, and 41.45 g/L and 0.116 g/(L min) for SSF enzyme, respectively. After 48 h of hydrolysis, the saccharification yields were 58.5 and 78.7 %, the reducing sugar concentrations were 14.9 and 20.1 mg/mL by SmF and SSF enzymes. Material balance showed that the SmF enzymatic hydrolysate was enriched galacturonic acid > arabinose > galactose > xylose, and the SSF enzymatic hydrolysate was enriched galacturonic acid > xylose > galactose > arabinose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Submerged fermentation (SmF) and solid-state fermentation (SSF) of Aspergillus japonicus PJ01 for multi-enzyme complexes (MEC) production were comparatively studied. The results showed that orange peel and wheat bran were the best substrates for MEC production in SmF and SSF, respectively. After 72 h of cultivation under SmF, the maximal pectinase, CMCase, and xylanase activities reached 2610, 85, and 335 U/gds (units/gram dry substrate), respectively; while after 72 h of cultivation under SSF, these three enzymes' activities reached 966, 58, and 1004 U/gds, respectively. Effects of ultrasound on extraction of crude enzymes from SSF medium were determined, the maximal activities of pectinase, CMCase, and xylanase increased to 1.20, 1.48, and 1.30-fold, respectively. Apparent different mycelia growths of SSF and SmF were observed by scanning electron microscopy; and different isoforms of the crude enzyme extracts from SSF and SmF were presented by zymogram analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of surfactants and microwave pretreatment of orange peel powder (OPP) on the production of pectinase, cellulase, and xylanase by Aspergillus japonicus PJ01 in submerged fermentation were investigated. The results showed that when OPP was pretreated only by microwave (630 W, 9 min, and liquid/solid ratio 5), the activities of exo-pectinase, carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase), xylanase, and filter paper cellulase (FPase) were increased by 11.8, 20.6, 16.2, and 24.0 %, respectively, and when OPP was pretreated by microwave at the same conditions cited above plus PEG 4000 at the concentration of 3 g/L, the activities of the above four enzymes were enhanced by 40.2, 30.3, 40.4, and 40.0 % after 84-h cultivation, respectively. It is suggested a synergistic effect between microwave and surfactant treatment in enhancing the multiextracellular enzymes production by OPP fermentation of A. japonicus PJ01. Chemical composition and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis displayed that the microwave pretreatment of OPP led to the decrease of hemicellulose and essential oil contents. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that OPP surface after microwave pretreatment became porous and more susceptible to be invaded by A. japonicus. The results demonstrated that pretreatment of OPP by surfactant PEG 4000 and microwave irradiation as environment-friendly way was cost-effective in enhancing the multienzyme production from agricultural waste orange peel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel strain Penicillium oxalicum PJ02 was isolated for the production of exo-pectinase, endo-pectinase, carboxymethylcellulase (CMCase) and xylanase. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize orange peel submerged fermentation for pectinase production. Plackett-Burman factorial design was used to select significant parameters. Temperature and NHCl concentration had significant influence on exo-pectinase production. The central composite design was used to generate a total of 22 fermentation experiments. The statistical results indicated that the optimum temperature for exo-pectinase and endo-pectinase production was 36.5 °C, and optimal NHCl concentration was 1.12 g/L. Under this condition, the yield of exo-pectinase was 36.88 U/mL, endo-pectinase was 0.62 U/mL, which are in close agreement with the values predicted by the model. The CMCase and xylanase yield in the same medium were 0.38 and 0.57 U/mL, respectively. RSM was also used to analyse the effect of independent variables on CMCase and xylanase production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of high-pressure processing (HPP) (0-400 MPa for 10 min) on the cooking loss (CL), gel strength, and thermal gelling mechanism of chicken breast actomyosin solution containing 0.5 % ( w/ v) sodium alginate (AS-SA) were investigated. The results showed that HPP could significantly increase ( P < 0.05) the reactive sulfhydryl contents, surface hydrophobicity, and turbidity of the pressurized sample under 200-400 MPa and gradually decrease its thermal gelling ability with an elevating pressure from 100 to 400 MPa. The HPP under 300 MPa for 10 min could enhance the thermal stability of AS-SA and promote the formation of AS-SA gel structure with large pores and thick strands. Those resulted in the increased gel strength and the increased CL of pressurized AS-SA, which were relative to hydrophobic interaction and disulfide bonding. The information could offer certain theoretical foundation to apply HPP technology for developing meat-SA gels with various properties via combinational use of different HPP levels and SA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the edible species, jellyfish Rhopilema esculentum, is one of the most abundant and important fishery species in China. The jellyfish fishery is characterized by considerable fluctuations in catch and a very short fishing season. In this article, we first review the research results on the biology of R. esculentum, which previously were published in Chinese, as related to the jellyfish enhancement and fishery. Next, we review results from enhancement experiments conducted from 1984 to 2004, with the aims of stabilizing and increasing catch. During 2005 and 2006, stock enhancement of R. esculentum was carried out on a large scale for the first time in Liaodong Bay, China, where 414 million juvenile jellyfish (umbrella diameter > 1 cm) were released. We present results of these enhancements, including the survey methods, catch prediction, enhancement assessment, and fishery management. In 2005 and 2006, the recapture rate of released jellyfish was 3.0 and 3.2%, respectively. The fishermen earned ¥ 159 million during the 2 years. The ratio of the input (cost of culturing juvenile jellyfish) to the output (value of the sales) was about 1:18. The high commercial value of R. esculentum enhancement in Liaodong Bay makes this a very successful enterprise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]