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BackgroundThe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was discovered in China in December 2019. It has developed into a threatening international public health emergency. With the exception of China, the number of cases continues to increase worldwide. A number of studies about disease diagnosis and treatment have been carried out, and many clinically proven effective results have been achieved. Although information technology can improve the transferring of such knowledge to clinical practice rapidly, data interoperability is still a challenge due to the heterogeneous nature of hospital information systems. This issue becomes even more serious if the knowledge for diagnosis and treatment is updated rapidly as is the case for COVID-19. An open, semantic-sharing, and collaborative-information modeling framework is needed to rapidly develop a shared data model for exchanging data among systems. openEHR is such a framework and is supported by many open software packages that help to promote information sharing and interoperability. ObjectiveThis study aims to develop a shared data model based on the openEHR modeling approach to improve the interoperability among systems for the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19. MethodsThe latest Guideline of COVID-19 Diagnosis and Treatment in China was selected as the knowledge source for modeling. First, the guideline was analyzed and the data items used for diagnosis and treatment, and management were extracted. Second, the data items were classified and further organized into domain concepts with a mind map. Third, searching was executed in the international openEHR Clinical Knowledge Manager (CKM) to find the existing archetypes that could represent the concepts. New archetypes were developed for those concepts that could not be found. Fourth, these archetypes were further organized into a template using Ocean Template Editor. Fifth, a test case of data exchanging between the clinical data repository and clinical decision support system based on the template was conducted to verify the feasibility of the study. ResultsA total of 203 data items were extracted from the guideline in China, and 16 domain concepts (16 leaf nodes in the mind map) were organized. There were 22 archetypes used to develop the template for all data items extracted from the guideline. All of them could be found in the CKM and reused directly. The archetypes and templates were reviewed and finally released in a public project within the CKM. The test case showed that the template can facilitate the data exchange and meet the requirements of decision support. ConclusionsThis study has developed the openEHR template for COVID-19 based on the latest guideline from China using openEHR modeling methodology. It represented the capability of the methodology for rapidly modeling and sharing knowledge through reusing the existing archetypes, which is especially useful in a new and fast-changing area such as with COVID-19.

Molecular dynamics simulations and first principles calculations were performed to study the tribological behavior of graphene/h-BN (G/h-BN) heterostructures with vacancy and Stone-Wales (SW) defect under uniform normal load, revealing the mechanism of the effect of defect types on friction, and discussing the coupling effect of temperature and interfacial defects on the tribological behavior of G/h-BN heterostructures. Under the normal force of 0.2 nN/atom, the friction force of the four systems is 0.0057, 0.0096, 0.0077, and 0.26 nN, respectively. The friction force of SW defect heterostructure is 45 times that of perfect interface heterostructure. The influence of defect type on friction force is SW > SV > DV. By observing the dynamic change of the Z -direction coordinate position of the sliding layer atoms, the slip potential energy curves and the evolution law of the moiré pattern, the relationship between the structural morphology and the energy change of different defective heterostructures and the frictional behavior was investigated comprehensively and intuitively for the first time. From the perspective of atomic strain, the deformation of heterostructures at the atomic level was quantified. The results showed that at 300 K and 0 K, the maximum strain of atoms in the sliding layer was 11.25% and 9.85%, respectively. The thermal perturbation mainly occurs in the out-of-plane direction, which in turn affects the friction. Through density functional theory, it is found that under uniform load, it is difficult to form bonds between the graphene sliding layer and the substrate layer when the defects are in the h-BN substrate layer, which has less influence on the friction of the system, thus making the defective heterostructures also remainsuperlubricity state. These results provide a new understanding of the interfacial friction of G/h-BN defective heterostructure., (© 2024 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) combined with contrast agents is believed to be useful for stem cell tracking in vivo, and the aim of this research was to investigate the biosafety and neural induction of SD rat-originated adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) using cationic superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticle which was synthesized by the improved polyol method, in order to allow visualization using in vitro MRI. The scan protocols were performed with T2-mapping sequence; meanwhile, the ultrastructure of labeled cells was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) while the iron content was measured by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). After neural induction, nestin and NSE (neural markers) were obviously expressed. In vitro MRI showed that the cationic PEG/PEI-modified SPIO nanoparticles could achieve great relaxation performance and favourable longevity. And the ICP-AES quantified the lowest iron content that could be detected by MRI as 1.56~1.8 pg/cell. This study showed that the cationic SPIO could be directly used to label ADSCs, which could then inductively differentiate into nerve and be imaged by in vitro MRI, which would exhibit important guiding significance for the further in vivo MRI towards animal models with neurodegenerative disorders.

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) co-modified superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) (PEG/PVP-SPIONs), and PEG and poly(ethylene imine) (PEI) co-modified SPIONs (PEG/PEI-SPIONs) synthesized by thermal decomposition have been used as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents to label adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs). Efficient cell labeling was achieved after incubation with PEG/PVP-SPIONs and PEG/PEI-SPIONs for 12h, and the MRI of labeled cells was evaluated. The cell viability tests showed the low cytotoxicity of PEG/PVP-SPIONs and PEG/PEI-SPIONs. The cellular iron content incubated with PEG/PVP-SPIONs at a concentration of 25 μg/ml was 6.96 pg/cell, the cellular iron contents incubated with PEG/PEI-SPIONs at concentrations of 12 and 25 μg/ml were 20.16, 35.4 pg/cell, respectively. The SPIONs were located predominantly in the intracellular vesicles. The cellular iron oxide uptake was significantly high after incubation with PEG/PEI-SPIONs as compared with the commercial iron oxide agents (Feridex, Feridex@PLL, Resovist and Resovist@PLL) reported. This work demonstrates that PEG/PEI-SPIONs are the competent agents for the labeling of ADSCs., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Adolescent violence is now regarded as a major public health concern. Despite growing interest in psychographic risk factors for violent behavior, few studies have explored the role of strategies to regulate cognitive emotion in adolescents. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of adolescent violence behaviors and to identify the relationship between specific strategies to regulate cognitive emotion and forms of violent behavior.Adolescent violence is now regarded as a major public health concern. Despite growing interest in psychographic risk factors for violent behavior, few studies have explored the role of strategies to regulate cognitive emotion in adolescents. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of adolescent violence behaviors and to identify the relationship between specific strategies to regulate cognitive emotion and forms of violent behavior., Methods: We cross-sectionally surveyed 3315 students in grades 7 to 10 using anonymous, self-reporting questionnaires to examine strategies to regulate cognitive emotion and violence-related behaviors in young adolescents. A logistic regression model was used to identify the relationship between specific violent behaviors and strategies to regulate cognitive emotion., Results: The most commonly reported type of violent behavior was verbal attack (48.6%), while 7.1% of students were involved in fights and 2.4% had been injured in fights. Boys were involved in all forms of violent behavior studied, and did so significantly more often than girls (P<0.05). Logistic regression revealed that six cognitive emotion strategies (self-blame, rumination, planning, reappraisal, catastrophisizing, and blaming others) were associated with violent behaviors, of which catastrophisizing was the most significant factor of all violent behaviors examined that were influenced by this strategy., Conclusions: Violence-related behaviors, especially verbal attacks, were common among adolescents. Several cognitive emotion regulation strategies were positively associated with specific violent behaviors, but catastrophisizing was strongly related to all forms of violent behavior. Thus, programs targeting adolescent violence must address this and other maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies.

Objectives: To investigate the synergistic activity of infliximab to the therapeutic effectiveness of octreotide in a rat model of acute necrotizing pancreatitis (ANP)., Methods: Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham-operated group (SO), ANP group (ANP), octreotide group (OG), infliximab group (IG), and combination group (CG) (n = 8 in each group). The ANP model was induced by biliopancreatic duct injection with 4.5% of sodium taurocholate solution. Rats of the OG, IG, and CG were given a tail vein injection of octreotide (10 μg/kg), infliximab (8 mg/kg), and infliximab (8 mg/kg), respectively, combined with octreotide (10 μg/kg) at 6 hours after modeling. All rats in each group were killed at 24 hours after modeling. Serum biochemical indicator and partial pressure of arterial oxygen/fraction of inspired oxygen (PaO2/FiO2) of rats were determined. Pathological severity score of organs were evaluated., Results: The serum biochemical indicator and organs' pathology score of OG , IG, and CG were obviously lower than those in the ANP group, and those in the CG were the lowest (P < 0.05). The PaO2/FiO2 levels in the OG, IG, and CG were significantly higher than that in the ANP group (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Infliximab could significantly lower the serum biochemical indicator, improve organs' function, and enhance the therapeutic effectiveness of octreotide on ANP.

Aim: To investigate the effect of mirtazapine on tumor growth, food intake, body weight, and nutritional status in gemcitabine-induced mild cachexia., Methods: Fourteen mice with subcutaneous xenografts of a pancreatic cancer cell line (SW1990) were randomly divided into mirtazapine and control groups. Either mirtazapine (10 mg/kg) or saline solution was orally fed to the mice every day after tumor implantation. A model of mild cachexia was then established in both groups by intraperitoneal injection of gemcitabine (50 mg/kg) 10 d, 13 d, and 16 d after tumor implantation. Tumor size, food intake, body weight, and nutritional status were measured during the experiment. All mice were sacrificed at day 28., Results: (1) After 7 d of gemcitabine administration, body-weight losses of 5%-7% which suggested mild cachexia were measured; (2) No significant difference in tumor size was detected between the mirtazapine and control groups (P > 0.05); and (3) During the entire experimental period, food intake and body weight were slightly greater for the mirtazapine group compared with controls (although these differences were not statistically significant). After 21 d, mice in the mirtazapine group consumed significantly more food than control mice (3.95 ± 0.14 g vs 3.54 ± 0.10 g, P = 0.004). After 25 d, mice in the mirtazapine group were also significantly heavier than control mice (17.24 ± 0.53 g vs 18.05 ± 0.68 g, P = 0.014)., Conclusion: Mild cachexia model was successfully established by gemcitabine in pancreatic tumor-bearing mice. Mirtazapine can improve gemcitabine-induced mild cachexia in pancreatic tumor-bearing mice. It was believed to provide a potential therapeutic perspective for further studies on cachexia.

Exogenous wild-type p53 (wt-p53) tumor suppression increases the sensitivity of tumor cells to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. An iodized oil emulsion was used as a p53 vector for intra-arterial gene delivery to treat hepatic tumors. Whether the chemotherapeutic agent or the iodized oil affects exogenous wt-p53 activity remains poorly understood. In the present study, the early therapeutic response of rAd/p53, combined with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) or with iodized oil, was observed in a human colon cancer model. Allograft models in 82 nude mice with human colon carcinoma SW480 were divided randomly into four groups and administered with physiologic saline, rAd/p53, rAd/p53+5-FU, and rAd/p53+iodized oil by intratumoral injection. At 24, 48, 72, 120, and 168 h after treatment, p53 expression, the Ki-67 index (KI), and the degree of tumor necrosis were assessed. The p53 expression and tumor necrosis in the therapeutic groups were higher than those in the control group. p53 expression reached its peak at 120 h in the rAd/p53 group, at 72 h in the rAd/p53+5-FU group, and at 48 h in the rAd/p53+iodized oil group. The p53 expression in the rAd/P53+5-FU group and the iodized oil group was significantly higher than those in the rAd/P53 group at 24 and 48 h. The results revealed that tumor necrosis is positively correlated with p53 expression. The KI of the rAd/p53+5-FU group increased significantly at 24 h. 5-FU and iodized oil increase the anticancer effect of rAd/p53, and 5-FU combined with rAd/p53 has a synergistic anticancer effect., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility and safety of high intensity focused ultrasound's (HIFU) in pancreatic diseases. Twelve pigs were divided into three groups. The pancreases of pigs in Group A were ablated directly with HIFU, but those in Group B and C ablated by extracorporeal HIFU. The pigs in Group C were sacrificed at day 7 after HIFU. Serological parameters were determined pre-operation and post-operation. The entire pancreas was removed for histological examination. Each animal tolerate the HIFU ablation well. The complete necrosis was observed in targeted regions. The margins of the necrotic regions were clearly delineated from the surrounding normal tissues. Infiltration of inflammatory cells and phorocytosis on the boundary were found in group C. Blood and urine amylase levels were relatively steady after HIFU. No acute pancreatitis or severe complications occurred. In conclusion, HIFU ablation on the pancreas was safe and effective in experimental pigs.