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A phosphoric acid additive with an optimal concentration of 0.1 M can vastly promote the diffusion kinetics of the redox reaction between V(IV) and V(V) without a significant decline in energy efficiency for 300 cycles, and maintain the high-temperature stability (55 °C) of an electrolyte at a high state of charge (SOC) of 70% over the course of 30 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive radio networks (CRNs) and millimeter wave (mmWave) communications are two major technologies to enhance the spectrum efficiency (SE). Considering that the SE improvement in the CRNs is limited due to the interference temperature imposed on the primary user (PU), and the severe path loss and high directivity in mmWave communications make it vulnerable to blockage events, we introduce an intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) into mmWave CRNs. Due to the estimation mismatch and the passivity of Eavesdroppers (Eves), perfect channel state information (CSI) of wiretap links is challenging to obtain, which promotes our research on robust secure beamforming (BF) design in the IRS-assisted mmWave CRNs. This paper considers the collaborate scenario of Eves, which allows us to investigate the BF design in the harsh eavesdropping environment. Specifically, by using a uniform linear array (ULA) at the cognitive base station (CBS) and a uniform planar array (UPA) at the IRS, and supposing that imperfect CSIs of angle-of-departures for wiretap links are known, we formulate a constrained problem to maximize the worst-case achievable secrecy rate (ASR) of the secondary user (SU) by jointly designing the transmit BF at the CBS and reflect BF at the IRS. To solve the non-convex problem with coupled variables, an efficient alternating optimization algorithm is proposed. As for the transmit BF at the CBS, we propose a heuristic robust transmit BF algorithm to attain the BF vectors analytically. As for the reflect BF at the IRS, by means of an auxiliary variable, we transform the non-convex problem into a semi-definite programming problem with rank-1 constraint, which is handled with the help of an iterative penalty function, and then obtain the optimal reflect BF through CVX. Finally, simulation results indicate that the ASR performance of our proposed algorithm has a small gap with that of the optimal solution with perfect CSI compared with the other benchmarks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study an inverse spectral problem for Jacobi matrices from a principal submatrix together with a subset of pairs of the eigenvalues and first components of normalized eigenvectors. Necessary and sufficient conditions are presented under which this problem is solvable. The corresponding algorithm and two examples are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Fluorophotometry has great advantages in sensing low concentration of ferric ions. • Visual detection platform is achieved via a portable colorimeter or smartphone. • The optical and visual multi-mode Fe3+ probes perform well in real water samples. Abnormal iron ions levels may lead to some diseases and serious environmental pollution. Herein, optical and visual detection strategies of Fe3+ in water based on co-doped carbon dots (CDs) were established in the present study. Firstly, a one-pot synthetic strategy for the preparation of the N, S, B co-doped CDs with a home microwave oven was developed. Secondly, the optical properties, chemical structures, and morphology of CDs were further characterized by fluorescence spectroscopy, Uv–vis absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscope. Finally, the results indicated that the fluorescence of the co-doped CDs was quenched by ferric ions via the static mechanism and the aggregation of CDs, accompanied by the increased red color. The multi-mode sensing strategies of Fe3+ with fluorescence photometer, UV–visible spectrophotometer, portable colorimeter and smartphone had the advantages of good selectivity, excellent stability and high sensitivity. Fluorophotometry based on co-doped CDs was a powerful probe platform for measuring lower concentrations of Fe3+ due to its higher sensitivity, better linear relationship, lower limit of detection (0.27 μM) and limit of quantitation (0.91 μM). In addition, the visual detection methods with a portable colorimeter and smartphone had been proven to be very suitable for rapid and simple sensing of higher concentrations of Fe3+. Moreover, the co-doped CDs utilized for Fe3+ probes in tap water and boiler water obtained satisfactory results. Consequently, the efficient, versatile optical and visual multi-mode sensing platform could be extended to apply such a visual analysis of ferric ions in the biological, chemical and other fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An algorithm for the reconstruction of a symmetric matrix from the eigenvalues of finite dimensional perturbations is given. The sufficient condition of determining the finite symmetric matrices is derived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we reported a rapid and simple approach to synthesize molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) materials for sensing of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) residues in environmental water and mixed juice. Initially, MIPs materials were prepared via visible light-initiated reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) emulsion polymerization at ambient temperature using 2,4-D and its analogs as template molecules, in which 4-vinyl pyridine (4-VP), ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA), (2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl) diphenylphosphine oxide (TPO), 2-(((dodecylthio)carbonothioyl)thio)-2-methylpropanoic acid (DDMAT) were functional monomer, cross-linker, visible light initiator and RAFT agent, respectively. Then, the morphologies of the MIPs materials were characterized by FT-IR, SEM and DLS. The results showed that the MIPs materials were well-distributed spherical particles with sizes ranging from 1 to 2 μm. Furthermore, a four-channel MIPs sensor array included four polymer microspheres with a fluorescent dye displacement procedure was developed to distinguish the templates and their chemical analogs at the ppm concentration level. With the support of principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis, the four-channel MIPs sensor array proves to be a simple and effective method to recognize and distinguish the templates and nontemplates in aqueous solution with 100% accuracy. Finally, the four-channel MIPs sensor array was also found to have satisfactory accuracy in monitoring 2,4-D contaminated environmental water and mixed juice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Connexin26 (Cx26) and Cx30 are the predominant connexin subtypes found in the cochlea. They play an essential role in the cochlear functions. However, most studies use mice and the data on the cochlear expression profiles of the two Cxs in higher animals (e.g., humans) are scarce. Studies using the cochleae from non-human primate other than mice may provide information needed to narrow this gap. Here we studied cellular distributions of Cx26 and Cx30 in the adult monkey and guinea pig cochleae by immunofluorescent labeling and confocal microscopy observations. We detected Cx26 and Cx30 expressions in the type I, II& V fibrocytes in the spiral ligament, fibrocytes of the spiral limbus, in the supporting cells of organ of Corti, inner and outer sulcus cells, and in the basal cells of the stria vascularis. Both Cx26 and Cx30 were not detected in hair cells, in mesenchymal cells under the basilar membrane and cells lining the scala vestibule. Cells of the Reissner's membrane and spiral ganglion neurons are also negative. These findings demonstrate that cochlear expressions of Cx26 and Cx30 in the adult mouse, guinea pig and non-human primate have a common cellular pattern. • Spiral ligament and spiral limbus regions show the highest labeling intensity of Cx26 and Cx30 in the cochlea of monkey. • Cx26 and Cx30 are not expressed in cochlear hair cells of adult monkey. • Cochlear expressions of Cx26 and Cx30 have a common cellular pattern in adult monkey, mice and guinea pig. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Steaming via nitric acid vapor treated graphite felts for VRFB application. • It is a low cost, low energy consumption process, allowing large scalability and precise control method. • A sequence reaction mechanism is proposed for the nitric acid vapor treated graphite felt reactions occurring at 200°C. • The m-GF-0.45 electrode displays excellent electrocatalysis toward the VO2+/VO 2 + and V2+/V3+ redox couples in VRFBs. A new method of preparing nitric acid vapor treated graphite felt for vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) is developed. This method outperforms traditional impregnation methods in convenience, efficacy and controllability of fabrication process. A sequence reaction mechanism is proposed for nitric acid vapor treated graphite felt reactions occurring at 200 °C. The modified-graphite felt (m-GF) with excellent electrocatalytic redox reversibility toward VO2+/VO 2 + and V2+/V3+ redox couples is prepared in the conditions of V HNO3 /m pGF =0.45 mL g−1 at 200 °C in 300 min (m-GF-0.45). The nitric acid vapor reaction with graphite felts occurs preferentially on the surface of amorphous carbon and at defect sites in the graphitic structure, yields N 2 and carbon-oxygen surface complexes, resulting in a higher double layer capacity (DLC) from 146 μF mg−1 (p-GF) to 1514 μF mg−1 (m-GF-0.45). Thus, the energy efficiency and discharge capacity of m-GF-0.45 electrode increases significantly by 8.7% and 100% at 150 mA cm−2, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conclusions: Intratympanic steroid (ITS) treatment groups exhibited better outcomes in PTA improvement and recovery rate than systemic steroid therapy (SST) groups. Whether initial hearing loss severity would influence the PTA improvement and recovery rate still requires further research. Objective: This article was aimed at evaluating whether intratympanic steroid (ITS) treatment would provide benefits over systemic steroid therapy (SST) as initial therapy in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL). A meta-analysis was carried out based on published RCTs that included the hearing outcomes of ITS treatment and SST in ISSHL as initial therapy. Both PTA differences and recovery rate were analyzed. Methods: The literature search was based on the online database including Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane trails, which completed in July 2016. This study extracted the relevant data following the selection criteria. Mean difference (MD) of PTA differences and Odds ratio (OR) of recovery rate were calculated within 95% confidence intervals. Results: Six eligible articles were reviewed. The pooled MDs of PTA differences was 3.42 (95% CI = 0.17–6.67, p =.04) and the pooled ORs of recovery rate was 2.05 (95% CI = 1.38–3.03, p =.0003), which indicated that ITS treatment yielded better PTA improvement than SST. Sub-group analyses based on the initial hearing loss were also conducted; however, the difference was insignificant according to our analysis results (p =.82 for PTA improvement and p =.26 for recovery rate). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conclusions:Surgical decompression performed within 2 weeks yields the best clinical prognosis for patients with TFP. This study also demonstrated that surgical exploration performed within 2 months results in acceptable outcomes. Objectives:The ideal timing for surgical intervention of traumatic facial paralysis (TFP) is still controversial. A systematic review was performed to appropriately determine the timing of surgical decompression. Methods:Related studies were identified by searching Pubmed, EMBASE, and Cochrane and reviewing the relevant reference lists until 1 March 2016. Surgical timing was classified into four sub-groups: <2 weeks, 2 weeks–1 month, 1–2 months, and >2 months. Results:Six studies including 119 patients (119 cases) fulfilled the study requirements. The number of patients who achieved perfect recovery of House-Brackmanm (H-B) grade 1 was 40 of 119 patients (33.6%). Good results were demonstrated in 94.4% (17/18) of patients managed with surgical decompression within 2 weeks vs 63.4% (64/101) of patients undergoing surgical intervention at >2 weeks (p = 0.009). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Conclusions:Tympanoplasty using cartilage grafts has a better graft take rate than that using temporalis fascia grafts. There are no significant differences between cartilage grafts and temporalis fascia grafts for hearing outcomes. Contrary to the sliced cartilage sub-group, full-thickness cartilage grafts generate better hearing outcomes than temporalis fascia grafts. Objective:Tympanic membrane perforation can cause middle ear relapsing infection and lead to hearing damage. Various techniques have been applied in order to reconstruct the tympanic membrane. Recently, cartilage grafts and temporalis fascia grafts have been widely used for tympanic membrane closure. A systemic review and meta-analysis was carried out based on published retrospective trials that investigated the efficacy of cartilage grafts and temporalis fascia grafts in type 1 tympanoplasty. Both graft take rates and mean AIR-BONE-GAP gains were analyzed. Methods:Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Embase were systematically searched. After a scientific investigation, we extracted the relevant data following our selection criteria. Odds ratio (OR) of graft take rates and mean difference (MD) of AIR-BONE-GAP gains were calculated within 95% confidence intervals. Results:Eight eligible articles with 915 patients were reviewed. The pooled OR for graft take rate was 3.11 (95% CI =1.94–5.00;p= 0.43) and the difference between the two groups was significant, which means that the cartilage grafts group got a better graft take rate than the temporalis fascia grafts group. The pooled MD for mean AIR-BONE-GAP gain was 1.92 (95% CI = −0.12–3.95;p < 0.000 01) and the difference was not significant. However, in the full thickness cartilage grafts sub-group, the pooled MD for mean AIR-BONE-GAP gains was 2.56 (95% CI =1.02–4.10;p = 0.14) and the difference was significant, which means that the full thickness cartilage grafts sub-group got a better hearing outcome than the temporalis fascia grafts group. On the contrary, the pooled MD of sliced cartilage grafts sub-group was 0.12 (95% CI = −0.44–0.69;p = 0.61) and there was no significant difference between the sliced cartilage grafts and temporalis fascia group. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

ConclusionsEndoscopic surgery is safe and effective for children with congenital basal meningoencephaloceles (CBMs); it provides an acceptable operative outcome with a short recovery time and fewer complications and may be considered as a primary approach.ObjectivesTo explore the safety and effectiveness of using transnasal or transoral endoscopic surgery on children with CBMs.MethodsThe clinical data of eight CBMs children who underwent transnasal or transoral endoscopic surgery in a hospital from January 2011 to January 2015 were collected. The presenting symptoms, lesion locations, surgical outcomes, and complications were examined retrospectively.ResultsOf the eight children, five (62.5%) patients were male, and their ages ranged from 1 year and 6 months to 14 years (median of 9 years). Six patients presented with the transethmoidal sub-type, and two presented with the transsphenoidal sub-type. The average hospital stay of all patients was 8.6 ± 2.6 days. There were neither intra-operative nor post-operative complications observed in any of the cases during the follow-ups that occurred between 6–54 months (mean of 15.5 months). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the present study, a graphene-based magnetic nanocomposite (CoFe 2 O 4 –graphene, CoFe 2 O 4 –G) was synthesized and used successfully as an adsorbent for the magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) of sulfonamides for the first time. The surface morphologies and structures of the CoFe 2 O 4 –G nanocomposite were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), FT-IR, UV–vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and vibration sample magnetometer (VSM). Five sulfonamides, including sulfamerazine, sulfamethizole, sulfadoxine, sulfamethoxazole and sulfisoxazole were used as model analytes to evaluate the enrichment properties of the prepared adsorbent in MSPE. After preconcentration, the adsorbent could be conveniently separated from the aqueous samples by an external magnet, and the analytes desorbed from adsorbent were determined by high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV). Extraction parameters including sample pH, amount of sorbent, extraction time and desorption conditions were optimized in detail. Under the optimal conditions, good linear relationships between the peak areas and the concentrations of the analytes were obtained. The linear ranges were 0.02–50.00 mg L −1 with correlation coefficients (r)≧0.9982. The limits of detection were less than 1.59 μg L −1 . Good reproducibility was obtained. The relative standard deviations of intra- and inter-day analysis were less than 4.3% and 6.5%, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied for the analysis of sulfonamides in milk samples. The average recoveries determined for two milk samples spiked at levels from 5 to 20 μg L −1 were 62.0–104.3% with relative standard deviations less than 14.0%. In addition, the CoFe 2 O 4 –G could be reused after cleaning with acetone and ultrapure water successively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim of the study Tetrastigma hemsleyanum (Sanyeqing) is traditionally used as a folk medicine for the treatment of cancer. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible mechanisms by which petroleum ether fraction (PEF) of Sanyeqing has anti-tumor activity on HeLa cells. Methods The chemical components of PEF were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The cytotoxicity of PEF on HeLa cells was measured by MTT assay. Apoptosis was evaluated by phosphatidylserine translocation, mitochondrial membrane potential (Δ ψ m ) changes and the activation of caspase-3, caspase-8 and caspase-9. The levels in T-SOD, CAT, GSH-PX and MDA were measured. Results PEF of Sanyeqing inhibited the growth and induced apoptosis of HeLa cells in dose- and time-dependent manner. PEF triggered intrinsic apoptotic pathway indicated by the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and the activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3. In addition, PEF activated extrinsic apoptotic pathway indicated by the activation of caspase-8. Furthermore, PEF decreased T-SOD, CAT, GSH-PX activities and increased MDA level. Chemical analysis revealed the presence of fatty acids and phytosterol in PEF. Conclusions PEF of Tetrastigma hemsleyanum Diels et. Gilg (Sanyeqing) exhibits cytotoxic effects, triggers both extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways, and augments oxidative stress in cervical carcinoma HeLa cells. Sanyeqing has strong potential to be developed as an agent for the treatment of cervical cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An understanding of the multifractal and long-range dependence of impervious surfaces (IS) spatiotemporal patterns is helpful for regional environmental assessment and urban planning. Linear spectral-mixture analysis has been applied to compute IS in the coastal city of Xiamen, China, based on Landsat TM/OLI/TIRS images, and then the long-term trends and multifractal characteristics of IS patterns have been investigated using two-dimensional multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis. The IS spatial distribution displayed similar positive long-range correlations in study areas during the 1994–2015 period. IS have a long-memory characteristic within a certain spatial range, with an increase in the value of a pixel likely to cause an increment in the value of its neighbors. The multifractality of the IS distribution increased in Xiamen City during 1994–2015, but was lower than those in Xiamen Island. The multifractal spectra in Xiamen City vary in shape between years, capturing its evolution from right truncation with a long left tail to left truncations and long right tails and then a symmetrical shape. The fractal structure for Xiamen Island exhibits similar patterns of long right tails and left truncations. Economic and political considerations coupled with natural geographic conditions dominate the long-range trends in the IS spatial patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (nHAT) are known to have excellent biocompatibility, and have attracted increasing attention as new candidates of non-viral vectors for gene therapy. In our previous studies, nHAT carrying a therapeutic gene and a reporter gene were successfully transfected into the spiral ganglion neurons in the inner ear of guinea pigs in vivo as well as in the cultured cell lines, although the transfection efficiencies were never higher than 30%. In this study, the surface modification of nHAT with polyethylenimine (PEI) was made (PEI-nHAT, diameter = 73.09 ± 27.32 nm) and a recombinant plasmid carrying enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) gene was constructed as pEGFPC2-NT3. The PEI modified nHAT and the recombinant plasmid was then connected to form the nHAT-based vector-gene complex (PEI-nHAT-pEGFPC2-NT3). This complex was then placed onto the intact round window membranes of the chinchillas for inner ear transfection. Auditory brainstem response (ABR) was tested to evaluate auditory function. Green fluorescence of EGFP was observed using confocal microscopy 48 h after administering vector-gene complexes. There was no significant threshold shift in tone burst-evoked ABR at any tested frequency. Abundant, condensed green fluorescence was found in dark cells on both sides of the crista and around the macula of the utricle. Scattered EGFP signals were also detected in vestibular hair cells, some Schwann cells in the cochlear spiral ganglion region, some outer pillar cells in the organ of Corti, and a few cells in the stria vascularis. The density of green fluorescence-marked cells was obviously higher in the vestibular dark cell area than in other areas of the inner ear, suggesting that vestibular dark cells may have the ability to actively engulf the nHAT-based vector-gene complexes. Considering the high transfection efficiency in the vestibular system, PEI-nHAT may be a potential vector for gene therapy of inner ear diseases, especially vestibular disorders, and deserves further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The vanadium(IV) ion is found to form the [VO(SO4)(H2O)4]·H2O complex, as well as the dimer, [VO(H2O)3]2(μ-SO4)2, in concentrated H2SO4 media. Their formation mechanisms were investigated by UV–Visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). UV–Vis spectroscopy study showed that [VO(SO4)(H2O)4]·H2O concentration in H2SO4 solution was proportional to concentrations of VO2+ and SO4 2−. The increased deviation from the near centrosymmetry of the octahedral complexes is due to the replacement of an equatorial water oxygen in [VO(H2O)5]SO4 by a sulfate oxygen in [VO(SO4)(H2O)4]·H2O. The dimer shows symmetrical structure, which correlates very well with non-activity in UV–Vis spectroscopic analysis. Structural information on both vanadium(IV) species can be confirmed by Raman and XRD measurements of crystals from the supersaturated solution of VOSO4 in 1M, 6M and 12M sulfuric acid. A solution of vanadium(IV) (0.05M) in 12M H2SO4, in which the vanadium(IV) species is [VO(H2O)3]2(μ-SO4)2, exhibits a reversible redox behavior near 1.14V (vs. SCE) on the carbon paper electrode. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Among all the possible occurring reactivity effects of a fast reactor, the situations whereby the control rod was inserted, or the coolant was voided could lead to strong anisotropy of neutron flux distribution, therefore the angular dependence on neutron flux should be considered during the few-group cross-sections generation. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to compare the influence whether the angular dependence on neutron flux is considered in the calculation of few-group cross sections for the reactivity effect calculation. In the study, the 1-D SN finite difference neutron transport equation solver was implemented in the TULIP of SARAX code system so that the high-order neutron flux could be obtained. Meanwhile, the improved Tone's method was also applied. The numerical results were obtained based on three experimental FR cores, the JOYO MK-I core, ZPPR-9 core, and ZPPR-10B core. Both control rod worth and sodium void reactivity were calculated and compared with the measurement data. By summarizing and comparing the results of 46 cases, significant differences were found between different consideration of the neutronic analysis. The consideration of angular dependence on neutron flux distribution in the few-group cross-sections generation was beneficial to the neutronic design analysis of FR, especially for the reactivity effect calculation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 3.5 tonne forklift containing proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) and lithium-ion batteries was manufactured and tested in a real factory. The work efficiency and economic applicability of the PEMFC forklift were compared with that of a lithium-ion battery-powered forklift. The results showed that the back-pressure of air was closely related to the power density of the stack, whose stability could be improved by a reasonable control strategy and membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) with high consistency. The PEMFC powered forklift displayed 40.6% higher work efficiency than the lithium-ion battery-powered forklift. Its lower use-cost compared to internal engine-powered forklifts, is beneficial to the commercialization of this product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser-scribed graphene (LSG), a classic three-dimensional porous carbon nanomaterial, is directly fabricated by laser irradiation of substrate materials. Benefiting from its excellent electrical and mechanical properties, along with flexible and simple preparation process, LSG has played a significant role in the field of flexible sensors. This review provides an overview of the critical factors in fabrication, and methods for enhancing the functionality of LSG. It also highlights progress and trends in LSG-based sensors for monitoring physiological indicators, with an emphasis on device fabrication, signal transduction, and sensing characteristics. Finally, we offer insights into the current challenges and future prospects of LSG-based sensors for health monitoring and disease diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with the inverse eigenvalue problem for a nonlocal Sturm-Liouville operator generated by its rank one perturbations. We give a necessary and sufficient condition that a sequence of real numbers is the spectrum of a nonlocal Sturm-Liouville operator, provided that the potential is known a priori. An explicit algorithm for constructing all such operators is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nod-like receptor pyrin domain-containing protein 6 (NLRP6) plays a key role in innate immunity, host defense and tumorigenesis. Our previous study has demonstrated the tumor suppressor role of NLRP6 in gastric cancer. In the present study, we explored the interaction protein of NLRP6 by Flag-tagged immunoprecipitation assay and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry-based proteomics analysis. The 78 kDa glucose-regulated protein (GRP78), a heat shock protein, was identified as an interaction protein of NLRP6. The binding of NLRP6 to GRP78 was through the Pyrin domain, and the substrate binding domain (SBD) domain of GRP78 was responsible for the interaction with NLRP6. NLRP6 overexpression enhanced the polyubiquitination of GRP78 in gastric cancer cells. Overexpression of GRP78 abolished the effects of NLRP6 overexpression in gastric cancer cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, cell apoptosis, migration and Cyclin D1 expression. GRP78 knockdown reversed the effects of NLRP6 knockdown on cell proliferation and cell cycle progression. NLRP6 expression was negatively correlated with GRP78 expression in human gastric tissues. Tumorigenicity assay indicated that GRP78 mediated the functions of NLRP6 on gastric cancer cell growth in vivo. ON-013100, which could inhibit Cyclin D1 expression, was less effective in treating xenografts of gastric cancer cells with higher level of NLRP6 than in those with lower level of NLRP6. In conclusion, our study suggested that NLRP6 exerted inhibitory effects on gastric cancer cell growth by promoting the ubiquitination of GRP78. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Congenital hearing loss (HL) affects about 1 in every 500 infants. Among those affected more than half are caused by genetic mutations. According to the cellular sites affected by mutations in the cochlea, deafness genes could be classified into three major groups: those affecting the function of hair cells and synapses, cochlear supporting cells, and cells in the stria vascularis (SV) as well as in the lateral wall. The second and third groups account for more than half of all sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) cases caused by genetic mutations. Current major treatment options for SNHL patients are hearing aids and cochlear implants (CIs). Hearing aids can only help patients with moderate to severe HL. Resolution of CIs is still improving and these devices are quite expensive especially when lifetime rehabilitation and maintenance costs are included. Tremendous efforts have been made to find novel treatments that are expected to restore hearing with higher-resolution and more natural quality, and to have a significantly lower cost over the lifetime of uses. Gene therapy studies have made impressive progresses in preclinical trials. This review focuses on deafness genes that affect supporting cells and cells in the SV of the cochlea. We will discuss recent progresses and remaining challenges for gene therapies targeting mutations in deafness genes belonging to this category. • Deafness mutations could be classified into those affecting function of hair cells, supporting cells and cells in the SV. • The second and third groups account for more than half of sensorineural hearing loss cases caused by genetic mutations. • Progresses and remaining challenges for gene therapies targeting mutations in these two groups are reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Metabolic reprogramming is currently considered a hallmark of tumor and immune development. It is obviously of interest to identify metabolic enzymes that are associated with clinical prognosis in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). Methods: Candidate genes were screened to construct folate metabolism scores by Cox regression analysis. Functional enrichment between high- and low-folate metabolism groups was explored by GO, KEGG, GSVA, and ssGSEA. EPIC, MCPcounter, and xCell were utilized to explore immune cell infiltration between high- and low-folate metabolism groups. Relevant metabolic scores were calculated and visually analyzed by the “IOBR” software package. Results: To investigate the mechanism behind metabolic reprogramming of HNSCC, 2886 human genes associated with 86 metabolic pathways were selected. Folate metabolism is significantly enriched in HNSCC, and that the six-gene (MTHFD1L, MTHFD2, SHMT2, ATIC, MTFMT, and MTHFS) folate score accurately predicts and differentiates folate metabolism levels. Reprogramming of folate metabolism affects CD8T cell infiltration and induces immune escape through the MIF signaling pathway. Further research found that SHMT2, an enzyme involved in folate metabolism, inhibits CD8T cell infiltration and induces immune escape by regulating the MIF/CD44 signaling axis, which in turn promotes HNSCC progression. Conclusions: Our study identified a novel and robust folate metabolic signature. A folate metabolic signature comprising six genes was effective in assessing the prognosis and reflecting the immune status of HNSCC patients. The target molecule of folate metabolic reprogramming, SHMT2, probably plays a very important role in HNSCC development and immune escape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigate the outage probability (OP) of a multiuser dual-hop satellite relaying system with decode-and-forward (DF) protocol, where both uplink and downlink experience Shadowed Rician (SR) fading. Specifically,by taking the effects of antenna pattern and path loss into account, we first establish a practical satellite channel model and obtain the end-to-end signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) expression for the considered system, where the uplink employs opportunistic scheduling (OS) scheme while the downlink adopts selection combining (SC) or maximal ratio combining (MRC) approaches. Then, we derive the closed-form OP expressions for the dual-hop satellite relaying with OS/SC and OS/MRC schemes, respectively. Furthermore, the asymptotic OP formulas at high SNR are also developed to gain further insights conveniently. Finally, numerical results confirm the validity of the theoretical formulas and reveal the representative parameters on the system performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• TRPV1 is highly expressed in immature spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs). • AMG-517 can protect against aminoglycoside-induced immature SGN damage. • Aminoglycoside can directly enter and damage SGNs via the TRPV1 channel. Aminoglycoside antibiotics are among the most common agents that can cause sensorineural hearing loss. From clinical experience, premature babies, whose inner ear is still developing, are more susceptible to aminoglycoside-induced ototoxicity, which is echoed by our previous study carried out in organotypic cultures. This study aimed to investigate whether a nonselective cation channel, TRPV1, contributes to the susceptibility of immature spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) to the damage caused by aminoglycosides. Through western blotting and immunofluorescence, we found that the TRPV1 expression levels were much higher in immature SGNs than in their mature counterparts. In postnatal day 7 cochlear organotypic cultures, AMG-517 reduced reactive oxygen species generation and inhibited SGN apoptosis under aminoglycoside challenge. However, in adult mice, AMG-517 did not ameliorate the ABR threshold increase at high frequencies (16 kHz and 32 kHz) after aminoglycoside administration, and the SGNs within the cochleae had no morphological changes. By further regulating the function of TRPV1 in primary cultured SGNs with its inhibitor AMG-517 and agonist capsaicin, we demonstrated that TRPV1 is a major channel for aminoglycoside uptake: AMG-517 can significantly reduce, while capsaicin can significantly increase, the uptake of GTTR. In addition, TRPV1 knockdown in SGNs can also significantly reduce the uptake of GTTR. Taken together, our results demonstrated that aminoglycosides can directly enter immature SGNs through the TRPV1 channel. High expression of TRPV1 contributes to the susceptibility of immature SGNs to aminoglycoside-induced damage. The TRPV1 inhibitor AMG-517 has the potential to be a therapeutic agent for preventing aminoglycoside-induced ototoxicity in immature SGNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The La0.5Sr0.5CoO3/C was synthesized by sol-microwave process, which has globular particle with size range of 15-25 nm and distributed evenly. The electrode prepared with this catalyst has a current density of 141 mA·cm−2 at 0.7 V (vs. Hg/HgO) in an alkaline medium (6 mol·L−1 KOH). La0.5Sr0.5CoO3/C has excellent catalytic performance for oxygen evolution, which is superior to RuO2/C catalyst and can replace noble metal catalytic materials.Graphical Abstract: The polarization curves of oxygen evolution for La0.5Sr0.5CoO3/C electrode and RuO2 (20%)/C electrode are shown. At 0.7 V (vs. Hg/HgO), the oxygen evolution current density is 141 and 135 mA·cm−2, respectively. The results show that perovskite-type oxide La0.5Sr0.5CoO3/C prepared by sol-microwave method has better catalytic performance than RuO2(20%)/C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The perovskite-type oxide La 0.2 Sr 0.8 CoO 3 was prepared by sol-gel process, which particle was irregular cube with particle size between 50 and 60 nm. A novel air electrode for oxygen evolution reaction prepared by using La 0.2 Sr 0.8 CoO 3 as a catalyst has a current density of 152 mA cm−2 when the potential is 0.7 V (vs. Hg/HgO) in an alkaline medium (6 mol L−1 KOH) under the air atmosphere. The research results show that n (C 6 H 8 O 7): n (M) = 1:1, pH = 9, calcination temperature 800 °C, 5 h calcination time is the best preparation process conditions. Highlights • The perovskite-type oxide La 0.2 Sr 0.8 CoO 3 was prepared by sol-gel process. • The La 0.2 Sr 0.8 CoO 3 was irregular cube with particle size between 50 and 60 nm. • A novel air electrode for OER contains La 0.2 Sr 0.8 CoO 3 and XC-72. • The La 0.2 Sr 0.8 CoO 3 had excellent activity for oxygen evolution reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The Pd ZnO/C catalytic material for ethanol oxidation reaction is prepared by microwave heating-glycol reduction method. Pd ZnO is well polymerized and dispersed on XC72. The results demonstrate that Pd ZnO/C has better electro catalytic activity and stability for ethanol oxidation reaction than Pd/C at room temperature. ZnO/C shows no catalysis for ethanol oxidation. The oxidation peak potential of Pd ZnO/C electrode is shifted negatively to 0.21 V. The current density of Pd ZnO/C electrode is 145 mA cm−2, while that of the Pd/C electrode is 60 mA cm−2. Moreover, single cell discharge test shows that discharge voltage of the Pd ZnO/C electrode reaches to 0.41 V at 30 mA cm−2. In summary, ZnO as a co-catalyst significantly improves the activity of Pd ZnO/C catalyst for ethanol oxidation reaction. Highlights • The Pd ZnO/C catalyst for EOR was prepared by microwave heating-glycol method. • The particle size of Pd is about 7 nm and the particles have good dispersion. • Zinc oxide could increase the reaction kinetics of Pd/C as a co-catalyst for EOR. • The EOR performance of the Pd ZnO/C electrode decreases slowly. • The discharge voltage of the Pd ZnO/C cell reaches 0.41 V at 30 mA cm−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this paper, a water soluble hydantion epoxy resin (ER) was employed to prepare zirconia green bodies with high mechanical strength via epoxy gel-casting (EGC) for dental applications. The rheological properties and gelation behaviors of the suspensions, and the microstructure and mechanical strength of zirconia were systematically studied. The results revealed that solid loadings of up to 52.0 vol% could be achieved with the addition of 0.8 wt% dispersant. When the concentration of ER in the 52.0 vol% suspensions increased from 10.0 to 25.0 wt%, the mechanical strength of the resulting green bodies was enhanced from 40.96 ± 5.20 to 51.22 ± 12.01 MPa. A rough sketch of a pre-sintered zirconia crown was soft-machined from the green body consolidated from a 52.0 vol% suspension containing 10.0 wt% ER. The sintered body had a high mechanical strength of 942.77 ± 95.61 MPa. Highlights • The hydantion epoxy resin was employed to prepare zirconia green body with high mechanical strength for dental application. • The mechanical strength of zirconia green body was reach to 51.22 ± 12.01 MPa. • Pre-sintered zirconia crown was soft-machined and the sintered body had a high mechanical strength of 942.77 ± 95.61 MPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waardenburg syndrome type 1 (WS1) is a hereditary disease mainly characterized by sensorineural hearing loss, dystopia canthorum, and pigmentary defects. To elucidate molecular mechanisms underlying PAX3 -associated hearing loss, we developed inner ear organoids model using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from WS1 patient and healthy individual. Our results revealed a significant reduction in the size of inner ear organoids, accompanied by an increased level of apoptosis in organoids derived from WS1 patient-iPSCs carrying PAX3 c.214A > G. Transcriptome profiling analysis by RNA-seq indicated that inner ear organoids from WS1 patients were associated with suppression of inner ear development and WNT signaling pathway. Furthermore, the upregulation of the WNT1/β-catenin pathway which was achieved through the correction of PAX3 isogenic mutant iPSCs using CRISPR/Cas9, contributed to an increased size of inner ear organoids and a reduction in apoptosis. Together, our results provide insight into the underlying mechanisms of hearing loss in WS. Schematic diagram of PAX3 regulate inner ear organoids by WNT1/β-catenin pathway from patient and control individual. In healthy individual, WNT1 proteins (left panel) bind to the Frizzled/LRP receptor complex at the cell surface. In PAX3 mutation, inner ear organoids not exposed to a WNT signal (right panel), β-catenin is degraded through interactions with Axin, APC, and the protein kinase GSK-3. These receptors transduce a signal to Dishevelled (Dsh) and to Axin, which may directly interact (dashed lines). As a consequence, the degradation of β-catenin is inhibited, and this protein cumulates in the cytoplasm and nucleus. β-Catenin then interacts with TCF to control transcription. [Display omitted] • We developed human inner ear organoids model using iPSCs-derived from WS1 patient. • PAX3 mutation reduces volume of inner ear organoids and otic progenitors. • PAX3 mutation led to increased apoptosis of otic progenitors in patient-organoids. • RNA-seq showed dysregulation of key genes WNT1 in patient-organoids. • PAX3 may affect cell proliferation and apoptosis of otic progenitors by WNT1/β-catenin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The elucidation of the precise structure of fucan sulfate is essential for understanding the structure-activity relationship and promoting potential biomedical applications. In this work, the structure of a distinct fucan sulfate fraction V (PmFS in Ref 15 and FSV in Ref 16 → PFV) from Pattalus mollis was investigated using an oligosaccharide mapping approach. Six size-homogeneous fractions were purified from the mild acid hydrolyzed PFV and identified as fucitols, disaccharides and trisaccharides by 1D/2D NMR and MS analysis. Significantly, the sulfation pattern, glycosidic linkages, and sequences of all the oligosaccharides were unambiguously identified. The common 2-desulfation of the reducing end residue of the oligosaccharides was observed. Overall, the backbone of PFV was composed of L-Fuc 2S (major) and L-Fuc 3S (minor) linked by α1,4 glycosidic bonds. Importantly, the branches contain both monosaccharide and disaccharide linked to the backbone by α1,3 glycosidic linkages. Thus, the tentative structure of natural PFV was shown to be {-(R -α1,3)-L-Fuc 2S -α1,4-(L-Fuc 2S/3S -α1,4) x -} n , where R is L-Fuc (2S)4S -α1,3/4-L-Fuc 4S(0S) - or L-Fuc (2S)4S -. Our results provide insight into the heterogeneous structure of the fucan sulfate found in sea cucumbers. Additionally, PFV and its fractions showed strong anticoagulant and anti-iXase activities, which may be related to the distinct structure of PFV. [Display omitted] • A distinct fucan sulfate was investigated using an oligosaccharide mapping approach. • The structures of oligosaccharides were unambiguously identified. • The structure of the mainchain and the branches of PFV has been revised. • PFV displayed strong anticoagulant and anti-iXase activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the photosensitive polymer micelles whose structural stability and acid sensitivity can be widely tuned simply via one-batch UV irradiation. To this end, the well-defined poly(5-ethyl-5-methacryloyloxy-methyl-2-styryl-[1,3]dioxane)- block-poly[poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate] (PEMSD- b-PPEGMA) copolymers were synthesized via RAFT polymerization under mild visible light radiation at 30 °C. The results demonstrated that the irradiation of the homogeneous acetone solution with UV light only induced Z-isomerization of their cinnamyl groups, while irradiating PEMSD chains in the bulky micellar cores only induced dimerization. Moreover, the micelles of previously Z-isomerized copolymer could be effectively stabilized without changing their acid sensitivity on irradiating for shortly 3 min, while UV irradiation for 30 min could remarkably improve the acid stability of these micelles. These novel properties are of potential applications in controlled drug delivery. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the use of selective excitation in nuclear magnetic resonance. How the goal of selective excitation can be fulfilled; Benefits of the finite impulse response filtration method.

Craniofacial skeletal muscle is composed of approximately 60 muscles, which have critical functions including food uptake, eye movements and facial expressions. Although craniofacial muscles have significantly different embryonic origin, most current skeletal muscle differentiation protocols using human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are based on somite-derived limb and trunk muscle developmental pathways. Since the lack of a protocol for craniofacial muscles is a significant gap in the iPSC-derived muscle field, we have developed an optimized protocol to generate craniofacial myogenic precursor cells (cMPCs) from human iPSCs by mimicking key signaling pathways during craniofacial embryonic myogenesis. At each different stage, human iPSC-derived cMPCs mirror the transcription factor expression profiles seen in their counterparts during embryo development. After the bi-potential cranial pharyngeal mesoderm is established, cells are committed to cranial skeletal muscle lineages with inhibition of cardiac lineages and are purified by flow cytometry. Furthermore, identities of iPSC-derived cMPCs are verified with human primary myoblasts from craniofacial muscles using RNA sequencing. These data suggest that our new method could provide not only in vitro research tools to study muscle specificity of muscular dystrophy but also abundant and reliable cellular resources for tissue engineering to support craniofacial reconstruction surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To overcome the acquired resistance and the significant side-effects of the reported drugs, four new ruthenium(II) complexes with alkynyl (Ru1, Ru2, Ru3, Ru4) were designed and synthesized. Ru1, Ru2, Ru3 and Ru4 were characterized by ESI-MS, 1H NMR, 1H–1H COSY NMR and elemental analysis. Compared with Ru2, Ru3, Ru4 and cisplatin, the anti-tumor experiments in vitro and vivo confirmed that Ru1 could most effectively inhibit tumor growth. In the experiments of safety evaluation in vivo, Ru1 could avoid any detectable side-effects compared with cisplatin. DNA binding experiments and cell cycle experiments showed that Ru1 exhibited the strongest DNA binding ability and interfered with the cell cycle by inserting DNA to inhibit tumor growth. The study demonstrated that Ru1 had the potential to be an exciting new drug candidate for glioblastoma treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mutations in the voltage‐gated sodium channel gene SCN8A cause a broad range of human diseases, including epilepsy, intellectual disability, and ataxia. Here we describe three mouse lines on the C57BL/6J background with novel, overlapping mutations in the Scn8a DIIS4 voltage sensor: an in‐frame 9 bp deletion (Δ9), an in‐frame 3 bp insertion (∇3) and a 35 bp deletion that results in a frameshift and the generation of a null allele (Δ35). Scn8aΔ9/+ and Scn8a∇3/+ heterozygous mutants display subtle motor deficits, reduced acoustic startle response, and are resistant to induced seizures, suggesting that these mutations reduce activity of the Scn8a channel protein, Nav1.6. Heterozygous Scn8aΔ35/+ mutants show no alterations in motor function or acoustic startle response, but are resistant to induced seizures. Homozygous mutants from each line exhibit premature lethality and severe motor impairments, ranging from uncoordinated gait with tremor (Δ9 and ∇3) to loss of hindlimb control (Δ35). Scn8aΔ9/Δ9 and Scn8a∇3/∇3 homozygous mutants also exhibit impaired nerve conduction velocity, while normal nerve conduction was observed in Scn8aΔ35/Δ35 homozygous mice. Our results suggest that hypomorphic mutations that reduce Nav1.6 activity will likely result in different clinical phenotypes compared to null alleles. These three mouse lines represent a valuable opportunity to examine the phenotypic impacts of hypomorphic and null Scn8a mutations without the confound of strain‐specific differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite drug delivery nanoplatforms receiving extensive attention, development of a simple, effective, and multifunctional theranostics nanoplatform still remains a challenge. Herein, a versatile nanoplatform based on a zirconium framework (UiO‐66‐N3) was synthesized, which demonstrated a combined photodynamic therapy (PDT), photothermal therapy (PTT), and chemotherapy (CT) for cancer treatment. A RuII polypyridyl alkyne complex (Ra) as a photosensitizer was modified into a nanoplatform by click reactions for the first time. When exposed to suitable light irradiation, the as‐prepared multifunctional nanoplatform (UiO‐Ra‐DOX‐CuS) not only demonstrated efficient 1O2 generation, but also exhibited excellent photothermal conversion ability. In particular, the nanotherapeutic agent presented a dual‐stimuli response; either acidic environment or NIR laser irradiation would trigger the drug release. The synergetic efficacy of UiO‐Ra‐DOX‐CuS combined PDT, PTT, and CT, which was evaluated by cell experiments. Moreover, the design could promote the development of RuII polypyridyl alkyne complexes based multifunctional nanoparticles and multimodal cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Impervious surfaces (IS) constitute a quantifiable metric for urbanization and ecological environmental assessment. This study estimated the IS in the subtropical coastal area of Xiamen, southeastern China, from TM/OLI images obtained in 1994, 2000, 2004, 2010, and 2015. Two-dimension box-counting and two-dimension multifractal box-counting method were employed to quantitatively characterize the fractal and multifractal features of the spatial patterns of the IS. Results suggest that the spatial patterns observed during the study period are typical fractal structures with scale invariance, and the fractal dimension reveals the spatio-temporal complexity. Increasing the pixel binarization threshold decreases the spatial complexity of the IS pattern. The increasing dimension values over time show that the IS patterns become more complex and the spatial distribution becomes more clustered from 1994 to 2015. The two-dimension multifractal approach can transform an irregular IS pattern into a compact form and amplify small differences between different data series. The results revealed multifractality in the five study years, which varied throughout the study period, but the probability distribution shows a slightly decreasing trend. The probability of a given pixel having a high IS-fraction is consistently high in the study area, as indicated by the positive ratio between the regions where the probability measure appears most concentrated and most sparse. Highlights • Two-dimensional fractal nature is found in impervious surface spatial patterns. • The box-counting dimensions describe how the fraction values fill in the study area. • Two-dimensional multifractality is found in impervious surface spatial patterns. • Multifractal parameters show how heterogeneity of impervious surface patterns vary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead exposure causes or aggravates hearing damage to human or animal, but the detailed effects of lead exposure on auditory system including injury sites of the cochlea in mammal remain controversy. To investigate the effect of chronic lead exposure on auditory system, 40 adult guinea pigs with normal hearing were randomly divided into five groups. They were fed 2 mmol/L lead acetate in drinking water for 0, 15, 30, 60, and 90 days (n = 8), respectively. Lead concentrations in blood, cochlea, and brainstem were measured. Auditory function was measured by auditory brainstem response (ABR) and distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE). The morphology of cochlea and brainstem was observed, and expression of autophagy-related protein in brainstem was also assessed. The blood lead concentration reached a high level at the 15th day and kept stable, but the lead level in brainstem and cochlear tissue increased obviously at the 60th day and 90th day of lead exposure, respectively. There was no significant difference in the morphology of hair cells and stria vascularis (SV) among these five groups, but the number of spiral ganglion neuron (SGN) gradually decreased after 60 days. The differences of ABR thresholds and DPOAE amplitudes were not statistically significant among each group, but I wave latency, III latency, and I-III wave interval of ABR were delayed with the prolonging of time of lead exposure. The expressions of autophagy-related protein ATG5, ATG6, and LC3B in brainstem were increased after 30 days. These results suggest that the key target of lead toxicity was the auditory nerve conduction pathway including SGNs and brainstem, rather than cochlear hair cells and SV. Autophagy may play a very important role in lead toxicity to auditory nervous system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to evaluate possible prognostic factors of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) treated with adjuvant hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) using univariate and multivariate analyses. From January 2008 to October 2016, records of 178 ISSNHL patients treated with auxiliary hyperbaric oxygen therapy were reviewed to assess hearing recovery and evaluate associated prognostic factors (gender, age, localization, initial hearing threshold, presence of tinnitus, vertigo, ear fullness, hypertension, diabetes, onset of HBOT, number of HBOT, and audiogram), by using univariate and multivariate analyses. The overall recovery rate was 37.1%, including complete recovery (19.7%) and partial recovery (17.4%). According to multivariate analysis, later onset of HBOT and higher initial hearing threshold were associated with a poor prognosis in ISSNHL patients treated with HBOT. HBOT is a safe and beneficial adjuvant therapy for ISSNHL patients. 20 sessions of HBOT is possibly enough to show its therapeutic effect. Earlier HBOT onset and lower initial hearing threshold is associated with favorable hearing recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP) is a group of multifactorial and heterogeneous disorders with a significant economic strain on society, likely made up of different endotypes, each with a unique pathomechanism. In addition to the traditional clinical measures, there is a recognized need for reliable biomarkers to provide predictive information regarding diagnosis, endotypes, treatment responses, and future risk of recurrence. Fueled by the advances in basic research, various biomarkers have been explored in recent years. Biomarkers of CRSwNP can originate from a variety of sources, including nasal secretions, nasal biopsies, exhaled breath, and peripheral blood. In this review, we aim to summarize the existing and emerging biomarkers available for the evaluation and management of CRSwNP. Currently, eosinophil count in nasal mucosa has proved particularly valuable for endotyping, assessing disease severity, and predicting steroid responsiveness and surgical outcomes. Blood eosinophilia may be used as a surrogate for tissue eosinophilic inflammation, whereas its utility remains limited. Type 2 cytokines, such as IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13, and IgE have been identified as potential therapeutic targets. Moreover, matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-9 is linked to healing quality after sinus surgery. Nasal nitric oxide (nNO) appears to fill the niche as a noninvasive measure for sinus ostial patency. In addition, recent data have shown some promising biomarkers involved in corticosteroid resistance and olfactory dysfunction. However, rigorous validation using large cohort studies is necessary before these biomarkers can be mainstreamed into clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mild environment where most proteins and antibodies in living systems are prepared has inspired fascination among chemists. Herein, a new, rapid, low-cost, and environment-friendly method is proposed to synthesize molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) via visible light activated reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization in aqueous media at room temperature for highly selective electrochemical assay of glucose. The MIPs with microsphere morphology, the better hydraulic distribution, large surface area, uniform large pore sizes, and high pore volume exhibit a significant adsorption efficiency compared with nonimprinted polymers for glucose. In addition, the MIP sensor recognizing the glucose significantly exceeds that of the other saccharide analogs, possesses regenerative ability, and presents high sensitivity by applying for the detection of glucose in human urine samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) were prepared via aqueous RAFT precipitation polymerization, with aristolochic acid I (AAI) as the template molecule, AA as the functional monomer, EGDMA as the cross-linker, AIBN as the chain initiator, CTP as the chain transfer agent and 80% (g/g) DMF-aqueous solution as the porogen. The differential UV–vis spectra revealed that a cooperative hydrogen-bonding complex between AAI and AA might be formed at the molar ratio of 1:3 in prepolymerized system. The synthesized MIPs were characterized by FTIR spectra, solid UV–visible absorption spectra, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms and scanning electron microscope, which proved that the MIPs and NIPs have the similar chemical structures and the adding of AAI could affect the size and morphology of the microspheres. UV–visible absorption spectra and High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to investigate the adsorption and recognition properties of the MIPs. The Scatchard isotherm model described that the binding sites independently acted. The Langmuir isotherm model suggested an excellent imprinting effect owing to the presence of a large number of specific binding sites on the MIP. The Freundlich model indicated that the AAI could be readily absorbed by MIP. Selective absorption of the template molecule was demonstrated in presence of its analogous compounds, benzoic acid and nitrobenzene. The recycling experiments implied that the MIP could be reused to further selective recognition and separation to AAI for six times at least. MIP was developed for removal of AAI from the Aristolochia manshuriensis extraction. The results indicated that 25 mg of MIP could remove the AAI below the HPLC detection limits (6.47 ng mL -1 ) from 5.0 mL of the extraction (CAAI=0.0018 mg mL -1 ) with the recovery of AAI to 91.50% (n=3, SD=4.24%). Therefore, it is clearly revealed that the MIP can be a useful tool to remove toxic compounds from natural products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on specific aptamer binding properties, a strategy for adenosine, dopamine and 17β-estradiol detection was realised by employing Ru complex and quantum dots (QDs) as fluorescence probes. Ru complex, which could quench the fluorescence of QDs, preferred to bind with aptamer DNA and resulted in the fluorescence rise of QDs. When the aptamer DNA was incubated with the target first, it could not bind with Ru complex and the fluorescence of QDs was quenched. Under the optimal condition, the fluorescence intensity was linearly proportional to the concentration of adenosine, dopamine and 17β-estradiol with a limit of detection (LOD) of 101 nM, 19 nM and 37 nM, respectively. The experiments in fetal bovine serum were also carried out with good results. This universal method was rapid, label-free, low-cost, easy-operating and highly repeatable for the detection of adenosine, dopamine and 17β-estradiol. Qualitative detection by naked eyes was also available without complex instruments. It could also be extended to detect various analytes, such as metal ions, proteins and small molecules by using appropriate aptamers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A automatic diagnosis schema for middle ear diseases. • A criterion for choosing 5 CT feature maps to represent the middle ear. • Based on the "one vote veto", our study is biased towards the purpose. • Data augmentation based on the similarity of the left and right middle ears. • The proposed approach achieves the state-of-the-art results. The main purpose of this paper was to develop a deep-learning method for the diagnosis of different chronic middle ear diseases, including middle ear cholesteatoma and chronic suppurative otitis media, based on computed tomography (CT) images of the middle ear. The origin of the dataset was the CT scans of 499 patients, which included both ears and selected by specialized otologists. The final dataset was constructed from 973 ears, which labeled by a professional otolaryngologist and classified into 3 conditions: MEC, CSOM and normal. The diagnostic framework, called the "Middle Ear Structure Identification Classifier"(MESIC), was consisted of two deep-learning networks with dissimilar functions: a "region of interest" area search network for extracting the special image of the middle ear structure and a classification network for finishing the diagnosis. The area under the curve (AUC), which means receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), reflects the robustness of the algorithm by comparing its sorting effectiveness. According to simulation experiments, we chose Visual Geometry Group 16 (VGG-16) as the model's backbone. In our framework, the ROI search part exhibited an AUC of 0.99 on the right and 0.98 on the left. The classification part exhibited an average AUC of 0.96 for both sides based on VGG-16. The average precision (90.1%), recall (85.4%) and F1-score (87.2%) show the effectiveness of framework. This paper presents a deep-learning framework to automatically diagnose cholesteatoma and CSOM. The results show that MESIC can effectively and quickly classify these two common diseases through CT images, which can ameliorate the pressure of professional doctors and the practical problems of the lack of professional doctors in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd), a widely used industrial metal, is extremely nephrotoxic and neurotoxic; however, its effects on the peripheral auditory system are poorly understood. To evaluate the ototoxicity of Cd, we treated cochlear organotypic cultures from postnatal day 3 rats with Cd concentrations from 10 to 500 μM for 24 or 48 h. Afterward, we evaluated the degree of damage to hair cells, auditory nerve fibers, and spiral ganglion neurons. Damage to the hair cells, auditory nerve fibers, and spiral ganglion neurons systematically increased in a dose and time-dependent manner. Exposure to Cd concentrations of 10 μM for 24 and 48 h resulted in minor inner and outer hair cell loss in the basal third of the cochlea. As Cd concentrations increased, toxicity spread toward the apex, also in a time-dependent manner. Treatment with 100 μM Cd for 48 h resulted in substantial (>30 %) hair cell loss over the entire cochlea. Cd was also toxic to auditory nerve fibers and spiral ganglion neurons; 100 μM of Cd for 24 h or 10 μM of Cd for 48 h resulted in considerable damage to auditory nerve fibers and spiral ganglion neurons. These findings are the first to demonstrate that Cd can cause significant lesions to peripheral auditory nerve fibers, spiral ganglion neurons, and sensory hair cells in organotypic cultures from postnatal cochleae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aimed to explore how Strychnine (Str) ion-pair compounds affect the in vitro transdermal process. In order to prevent the influence of different functional groups on skin permeation, seven homologous fatty acids were selected to form ion-pair compounds with Str. The in vitro permeation fluxes of the Str ion-pair compounds were 2.2 to 8.4 times that of Str, and Str-C10 had the highest permeation fluxes of 42.79 ± 19.86 µg/cm2/h. The hydrogen bond of the Str ion-pair compounds was also confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy and molecular simulation. In the process of molecular simulation, the intercellular lipid and the viable skin were represented by ceramide, cholesterol and free fatty acid of equal molar ratios and water, respectively. It was found by the binding energy curve that the Str ion-pair compounds had better compatibility with the intercellular lipid and water than Str, which indicated that the affinity of Str ion-pair compounds and skin was better than that of Str and skin. Therefore, it was concluded that Str ion-pair compounds can be distributed from the vehicle to the intercellular lipid and viable skin more easily than Str. These findings broadened our knowledge about how Str ion-pair compounds affect the transdermal process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple remote sensing datasets, combined with in-situ drifter observations, were used to analyze the Kuroshio intrusion through the Luzon Strait (LS). The results showed that a strong Kuroshio Current Loop (KCL) and accompanying anticyclonic eddy (ACE) existed in winter 2020–2021. As quantitatively demonstrated by the Double Index (DI), the Kuroshio Warm Eddy Index (KWI) had low values during a long sustained period compared to those in all other years in the available historical records. Remarkable kinematic properties (i.e., amplitude, diameter, propagated distance, lifespan and propagating speed) of the accompanying ACE were extracted by automatic eddy detection algorithms, showing that the ACE had a maximum diameter of 381 km and a peak amplitude of 50 cm, which significantly exceeded the previous statistics in winter. The orographic negative wind stress curl southwest of Taiwan Island and the westward Ekman transport through the LS during the winter half year of 2020–2021 both had large values beyond their historical maxima. Hence wind forcing is regarded as the primary forcing mechanism during this event. Alternating cyclonic eddies (CEs) and ACEs approaching on the east of the LS were identified, indicating that the interaction between the Kuroshio and the impinging CEs at proper locations made extra contributions to enhancing the KCL. The accompanying ACE had a distinctive feature of a cold-core structure at the surface layer, so as to be categorized as a cold core ACE (CC-ACE), and the temperature difference between the cold core and outer warm ring was maintained for three months. The generation and long duration of the CC-ACE may be due to the sustaining entrainment supported by the warm water from Kuroshio intrusion and the Northwest Luzon Coastal Current (NWLCC) successively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]