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The elastic deformation of the levitation electromagnet (LM) of the high-speed maglev vehicle brings uneven levitation gaps and displacement differences between measured gap signals and the real gap in the middle of the LM, and then reduces dynamic performances of the electromagnetic levitation unit. However, most of the published literature has paid little attention to the dynamic deformation of the LM under complex line conditions. In this paper, considering the flexibility of the LM and the levitation bogie, a rigid-flexible coupled dynamic model is established to simulate deformation behaviors of the LMs of the maglev vehicle passing through the 650 m radius horizontal curve. Simulated results indicate that the deflection deformation direction of the same LM on the front transition curve is always opposite to that on the rear transition curve. Similarly, the deflection deformation direction of a left LM on the transition curve is opposite to that of the corresponding right LM. Furthermore, deflection deformation amplitudes of the LMs in the middle of the vehicle are always very small (less than 0.2 mm). However, the deflection deformation of the LMs at both ends of the vehicle is considerably large, and the maximum deflection deformation is about 0.86 mm when the vehicle passes at the balance speed. This forms a considerable displacement disturbance for the nominal levitation gap of 10 mm. It is necessary to optimize the supporting structure of the LM at the end of the maglev train in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnet‐free active optical nonreciprocal (AON) devices free from insertion loss help to establish optical information processing networks involving weak signals without introducing external magnetic fields. However, considering the necessary resonant condition for amplification or the presence of optical resonators for most demonstrated magnet‐free AON schemes, it remains a challenge to broaden the AON bandwidth. Here the optical isolation based on optical parametric amplification is demonstrated experimentally in a coherent three‐level atomic configuration. With the phase‐matching condition satisfied or not by oppositely launching the probe beams, they can pass through the medium experiencing parametric amplification or strong resonant absorption. Such magnet‐ and cavity‐free optical isolation exhibits a maximum isolation ratio of 46.5 dB and a broad bandwidth of over 0.85 GHz for the isolation ratio ≥30 dB. The demonstrated results arising from atomic‐coherence‐based optical parametric process with quantum nature pave the way to achieve high‐performance nonreciprocal quantum information processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the plasma polymerization process of butane in a closed radio frequency plasma reactor system. Optical emission spectra of the luminous gas phase specified the main plasma species in the plasma system are radical species of CH and H (Balmer series). In the early stage of the butane plasma polymerization process, dissociation glow (cathode glow) was the primary glow with much higher deposition rate observed due to the availability of CH radicals in the system. In the late stage of the plasma process, in contrast, negative glow dominated and plasma deposition rate significantly decreased and eventually stopped due to exhaustion of the film forming CH radicals as confirmed by OES spectra of the luminous plasma phase. The results indicate that dissociation glow in the discharge creates hydrocarbon species for plasma polymeric film deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Patient-reported outcome (PRO)-based symptom assessment with a threshold can facilitate the early alert of adverse events. The purpose of this study was to determine whether shortness of breath (SOB) on postoperative day 1 (POD1) can inform postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) for patients after lung cancer (LC) surgery. Methods: Data were extracted from a prospective cohort study of patients with LC surgery. Symptoms were assessed by the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory-lung cancer module (MDASI-LC) before and daily after surgery. Types and grades of complications during hospitalization were recorded. SOB and other symptoms were tested for a possible association with PPCs by logistic regression models. Optimal cutpoints of SOB were derived, using the presence of PPCs as an anchor. Results: Among 401 patients with complete POD1 MDASI-LC and records on postoperative complications, 46 (11.5%) patients reported Clavien–Dindo grade II-IV PPCs. Logistic regression revealed that higher SOB score on POD1 (odds ratio [OR]=1.13, 95% CI=1.01– 1.27), male (OR=2.86, 95% CI=1.32– 6.23), open surgery (OR=3.03, 95% CI=1.49– 6.14), and lower forced expiratory volume in one second (OR=1.78, 95% CI=1.66– 2.96) were significantly associated with PPCs. The optimal cutpoint was 6 (on a 0– 10 scale) for SOB. Patients reporting SOB < 6 on POD1 had shorter postoperative length of stay than those reporting 6 or greater SOB (median, 6 vs 7, P =0.007). Conclusion: SOB on POD1 can inform the onset of PPCs in patients after lung cancer surgery. PRO-based symptom assessment with a clinically meaningful threshold could alert clinicians for the early management of PPCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tax credit management system (TCMS) implemented by the State Administration of Taxation (SAT) of China in 2014 is an innovative mechanism of tax collection and management. This paper attempts to incorporate the TCMS into the model of Allingham and Sandmo [Allingham, M. G. and Sandmo, A., Income tax evasion: A theoretical analysis, J. Public Econ.1(3–4) (1972) 323–338], and then proposes an agent-based tax compliance model combined with EWA model. In this model, enterprises are divided into three categories: enterprises paying taxes for better credit, paying taxes to avoid a punishment, and not paying taxes. Enterprises can borrow from banks based on their own tax credit rating. The experimental results based on the model show that: (i) When the probability of spot check is low, the actual tax behavior of some enterprises is inconsistent with the results of tax credit publicized by tax authorities. (ii) In order to reduce the proportion of tax evasion, we try to change the parameter variables of integral reward, audit probability, punishment, financial subsidy and loan interest rate. The results show that the punishment of fixed high loan interest rate on tax evasion enterprises can effectively restrain tax evasion and increase the proportion of enterprises with high credit rating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The characters of the polysaccharide was modified by the non-thermal plasma. • The hydrophilicity of the polysaccharide plasma-treated was significantly enhanced. • The degree of cross-linking of surface molecules of the polysaccharide increased. • Polysaccharide plasma-treated significantly improve the immunity ability of RAW264.7. In order to improve the hydrophilicity and immune activity of the polysaccharide from Dendrobium nobile Lindl., non-thermal plasma was used to treat the polysaccharide. It was found that the hydrophilicity of the polysaccharide plasma-treated was significantly enhanced. Infrared spectra showed that the content of OH in the molecule increased significantly, and the monosaccharide ring changed from β-pyran sugar to β-furan sugar. The detection of SEM, AFM and TEM showed that the degree of cross-linking of surface molecules increased, and the arrangement of the polysaccharide was more compact and orderly. In vitro cell tests showed that the polysaccharide plasma-treated significantly improve the phagocytosis ability of RAW264.7, and promote the secretion of cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1. However, the cell proliferation test indicated that the polysaccharide did not increase the concentration of cytokines by promoting cell proliferation. RT-PCR showed that the polysaccharide plasma-treated could promote the expression of IL-1β at the transcriptional level. These results showed that non-thermal plasma treatment can effectively enhance the hydrophilicity of the polysaccharide and enhance its immune activity in vitro. Therefore, it can be inferred that the non-thermal plasma technology can be applied to the modification of active polysaccharides and will promote active polysaccharides to work better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fumed silica is one of the most commonly used fillers for dental resin adhesives. However, fumed silica produced by flame hydrolysis of chlorosilanes are typically agglomerated aggregates instead of isolated primary particles. The fumed silica aggregates may affect the dispersion of fillers in the resin matrix, thus affect the bonding performance of the dental adhesives. In this study, fumed silica fillers chemically treated with methacrylsilane were loaded into an etch & rinse model dental adhesive. Filler 1 was only chemically pre-treated, while Filler 2 was combined chemically and mechanically pre-treated to break the agglomerated aggregates. The experiment result indicated that Filler 1 has faster rheology control effect than Filler 2 on the handling property of the filled resin adhesive showing as the rapid increased viscosity, which may due to the fast inorganic phase growing in the Filler 1 filled resin matrix. As for the mechanical properties, neither Filler 1 nor Filler 2 has an positive effect on the micro-tensile bond strength in short term and long term, despite of the fact that lower weight percent of Filler 2 loading is favourable to the penetration of the experimental adhesive into dentin substrate. In conclusion, mechanically pre-treatment to break the agglomerated fumed silica is helpful to increase the limit of filler loading percent while maintaining appropriate handling property, but the chemically and mechanically pre-treatment cannot provide positive effect on bonding performance within the range of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The low bond strength of lithium disilicate (LD) ceramics to dental resin cements remains a critical issue for dental applications because it leads to frequent replacement and causes tooth tissue destruction and consumption. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of atmospheric non-thermal argon plasma (NTP) treatment on LD to improve its micro-shear bond strength (μSBS) with dental resin cements because LD mostly experiences shear stress for its commonly used dental applications as crowns or veneers. Argon plasma treatment was performed on hydrofluoric (HF) acid-etched LD surfaces, and then commercial resin cements were subsequently applied to the treated LD surfaces. The plasma treatment significantly reduced the water contact angle of the LD surface to less than 10° without changing the surface morphology. The μSBS test was performed with cement-bonded LD samples after 24 h and 30 days, as well as after 1000 cycles of thermal cycling. The test results show that, as compared with the untreated controls, 300 s of plasma treatment significantly improved the LD-resin cement bond strength by 59.1%. After 30 days of storage in DI water and 1000 cycles of thermal cycling, the plasma-treated LD samples show 84.2% and 44.8% higher bond strengths as compared to the control samples, respectively. The plasma treatment effect on LD surfaces diminished rapidly as the bond strength decreased to 25.5 MPa after aging in the air for 1 day prior to primer and cement application, suggesting that primers should be applied to the LD surfaces immediately after the plasma treatment. These results demonstrate that, when applied with caution, plasma treatment can activate LD surfaces and significantly improve the SBS of LD with dental resin cements in both short-term and long-term periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trimethylsilane (TMS) plasma nanocoatings were deposited onto stainless steel coupons in direct current (DC) and radio frequency (RF) glow discharges and additional NH3/O2plasma treatment to tailor the coating surface properties. The chemical stability of the nanocoatings were evaluated after 12 week storage under dry condition (25 °C) and immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF) at 37 °C. It was found that nanocoatings did not impact surface roughness of underlying stainless steel substrates. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to characterize surface chemistry and compositions. Both DC and RF nanocoatings had Si- and C-rich composition; and the O- and N-contents on the surfaces were substantially increased after NH3/O2plasma treatment. Contact angle measurements showed that DC-TMS nanocoating with NH3/O2treatment generated very hydrophilic surfaces. DC-TMS nanocoatings with NH3/O2treatment showed minimal surface chemistry change after 12 week immersion in SBF. However, nitrogen functionalities on RF-TMS coating with NH3/O2post treatment were not as stable as in DC case. Cell culture studies revealed that the surfaces with DC coating and NH3/O2post treatment demonstrated substantially improved proliferation of endothelial cells over the 12 week storage period at both dry and wet conditions, as compared to other coated surfaces. Therefore, DC nanocoatings with NH3/O2post treatment may be chemically stable for long-term properties, including shelf-life storage and exposure to the bloodstream for coronary stent applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of radio frequency glow discharge of saturated hydrocarbon monomer indicated that the glow forms distinctive glow in plasma polymerization systems. The radio-frequency ethane plasma polymerization in a closed reactor system was studied. The composition of reactive species in the luminous gas phase was monitored during the deposition process by optical emission spectroscopy. Optical emission analysis indicates that polymerizable species are mainly formed in the glow region. It was found that, in such a closed plasma system, the deposition of ethane plasma polymers could be visualized as the batch processes. In the early stage of radio-frequency plasma initiation, the deposition of plasma polymers was dominated by the hydrocarbon-based species because the hydrocarbon-based species polymerized much quicker than hydrogen-based species. In the final stage, because of the exhaustion of all polymerizable species in the system, the deposition terminated and the deposited plasma polymer surface was endlessly treated by nonpolymer forming gas plasma. The growth of radio frequency plasma polymerized hydrocarbon film clearly showed the dominating effects of luminous gas phases on the polymerizable tendency in plasma polymerization system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kuding tea are used as a traditional tea material and widely consumed in China. In this study, total saponins (TS) from water extract of Kuding tea was prepared by D101 macroporous resins and analyzed by UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS. Then the hypolipidemic effect of TS extract was investigated in high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemic mice. For comprehensive identification or characterization of saponins in TS extract, 3 major saponins of Kudinoside A, Kudinoside F, and Kudinoside D were isolated and used as standards to investigate the MS/MS fragmentation pattern. As a result, 52 saponins were identified or characterized in TS extract from Kuding tea. In addition, the increased levels of mice serum TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, and atherogenic index (AI) were significantly reduced after the treatment of TS extract. Also, the liver protective effect of TS extract was obviously judged from the photographs stained with oil red-O staining. Meanwhile, TS extract significantly upregulated the expression of hepatic scavenger receptors including SR-AI, SR-BI, and CD36. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the overexpression of hepatic scavenger receptors was involved in the hypolipidemic effect of Kuding tea on the high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemic mice. The TS extract could influence these scavenger receptors, and this could be the potential mechanism of TS extract from Kuding tea in the treatment of lipid disorders. These results give the evidence that the saponins in Kuding tea could provide benefits in managing hypercholesterolemia and may be a good candidate for development as a functional food and nutraceutical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study was to quantify the degree of lumbar spinal stenosis by assessing the anterior and posterior vertebral canal diameter and dural area, determine the sensitivity of the anterior and posterior spinal canal diameter, dural area and dural occupying rate in predicting the postoperative efficacy of oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF) for patients with single-stage lumbar spinal stenosis, and identify the corresponding indicators suggesting that OLIF surgery should not be performed. Methods: In a retrospective analysis of patients who had previously undergone OLIF surgery in our hospital, we included a total of 104 patients with lumbar spinal stenosis who had previously undergone single-stage surgery in our hospital. Three independent observers were employed to measure the anterior and posterior diameter of the spinal canal (AD, mm), dural area (CSA, mm2), the spinal canal area (SCA, mm2), and the ratio of the dural area to the spinal canal area (DM, %) at the disc level with the most severe stenosis on MRI. According to the values of AD and CSA in preoperative MRI, patients were divided into three groups: A, B, and C (Group A: AD > 12 and 100 < CSA ≤ 130, group B: Except A and C, group C: AD ≤ 10 and CSA ≤ 75). Preoperative and postoperative clinical outcome scores (Japanese Orthopaedic Association [JOA] score, VAS score, modified Macnab standard) of 104 patients were statistically. Results: There were significant differences in the preoperative and postoperative clinical correlation scores among the mild, moderate and severe lumbar spinal stenosis groups. The improvement rate of the post treatment JOA score, the difference between the preoperative and postoperative VAS score, and the modified Macnab standard were compared pairwise. There was no statistical significance in the improvement rate of the post treatment JOA score, the difference between the preoperative and postoperative VAS score, and the modified Macnab standard between Group A and Group B (P = 0.125, P = 0.620, P = 0.803). There were statistically significant differences between Group A and Group C and between Group B and Group C in the improvement rate of the JOA score, the difference in the pre- and postoperative VAS score, and the modified Macnab standard. The anterior and posterior vertebral canal diameter and dural area are sensitive predictors of the postoperative efficacy of OLIF surgery for single-stage lumbar spinal stenosis. Moreover, when the anterior and posterior vertebral canal diameter was less than 6.545 mm and the dural area was less than 34.43 mm2, the postoperative effect of OLIF surgery was poor. Conclusions: All the patients with mild, moderate, and severe lumbar spinal stenosis achieved curative effects after OLIF surgery. Patients with mild and moderate lumbar spinal stenosis had better curative effects, and there was no significant difference between them, while patients with severe lumbar spinal stenosis had poor curative effects. Both the anteroposterior diameter of the spinal canal and the dural area of the spinal canal were sensitive in predicting the curative effect of OLIF surgery for single-stage lumbar spinal stenosis. When the anterior and posterior vertebral canal diameter was less than 6.545 mm and the dural area was less than 34.43 mm2, the postoperative effect of OLIF surgery was poor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an increasing interest in recent years in using novel nanomaterials as cost-effective, sensitive, and reproducible substrate for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) applications. In this study, a novel SERS substrate was developed by assembling gold nanorods into standing arrays on a gold-coated silicon slide. The standing nanorod arrays were closely packed on the gold film, generating strong electromagnetic field and uniformly distributed SERS 'hot-spots' on the array surface. The as-prepared SERS substrates were used to detect a widely used pesticide (that is, carbaryl) in acetonitrile-water solution, apple juice, and cabbage. Results demonstrate that the actual concentrations of carbaryl in apple juice and cabbage were linearly correlated with the concentrations predicted by the multiple linear regression models ( R > 0.97). The detection limits of carbaryl in apple juice and cabbage were both 2.5 ppm, meeting the maximum residue limits set by US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). SERS can detect as low as 0.1 ppm of carbaryl in acetonitrile-water solution. In addition, satisfactory recoveries were obtained for carbaryl in both apple juice and cabbage. These results indicate that SERS coupled with the standing gold nanorod array substrates is a sensitive and reproducible method and can accurately detect pesticides in foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objectives: The objectives of this study are to investigate the properties of high aspect-ratio hydroxyapatite (HAP) nanofibers and the reinforcing effect of such fibers on bisphenol A glycidyl methacrylate (BisGMA)/triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) dental resins (without silica microparticle filler) and dental composites (with silica microparticle filler) with various mass fractions (loading rates). Methods: HAP nanofibers were synthesized using a wet-chemical method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Biaxial flexural strength (BFS) of the HAP nanofibers reinforced dental resins without any microsized filler and dental composites with silica microparticle filler was tested and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for the statistically analysis of acquired data. The morphology of fracture surface of tested dental composite samples was examined by SEM. Results: The HAP nanofibers with aspect-ratios of 600 to 800 can be successfully fabricated with a simple wet-chemical method in aqueous solution. Impregnation of small mass fractions of the HAP nanofibers (5wt% or 10wt%) into the BisGMA/TEGDMA dental resins or impregnation of small mass fractions of the HAP nanofibers (2wt% or 3wt%) into the dental composites can substantially improve the biaxial flexural strength of the resulting dental resins and composites. A percolation threshold of HAP nanofibers, beyond which more nanofibers will no longer further increase the mechanical properties of dental composites containing HAP nanofibers, was observed for the dental composites with or without silica microparticle filler. Our mechanical testing and fractographic analysis indicated that the relatively good dispersion of HAP nanofibers at low mass fraction is the key reason for the significantly improved biaxial flexural strength, while higher mass fraction of HAP nanofibers tends to lead to bundles that cannot effectively reinforce the dental resins or composites and may even serve as defects and thus degrade the resulting dental resin and composite mechanical properties. Significance: The incorporation of small mass fraction of HAP nanofibers with good dispersion can improve the mechanical property of dental resins and dental composites. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Commercial nanofiltration (NF) thin-film composite (TFC) membranes were treated by low-pressure NH3 plasma, and the effects of the plasma treatment were investigated in terms of the membrane hydrophilicity, pure water flux, salt rejection, protein adsorption, and humic acid fouling. Experimental results indicated that the membrane surface hydrophilicity was increased by the plasma treatment, and changes in the hydrophilicity as well as membrane performance including permeate flux and fouling varied with the original membrane characteristics (e.g., roughness and hydrophilicity). Water flux of plasma treated membranes was the highest with 10min and 90W of plasma treatment, and salt rejection was mainly affected by the intensity of the plasma power. Results of bovine serum albumin (BSA) adsorption demonstrated that the protein adsorption decreased with increasing plasma treatment time. The plasma treatment that resulted in more negatively charged surfaces could also better prevent Aldrich humic acid (AHA) attachment on the membrane surface. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The characteristics of the glow created in plasma polymerization systems are notably different from inert gas plasmas such as argon, in which the well-known negative glow is the primary glow. The study of direct current (DC) glow discharges of a series of saturated hydrocarbon monomers indicated that cathode glow forms the distinctive glow in plasma polymerization systems. It forms a strong contrast to characteristic negative ionization glow of glow discharges of inert gases that do not polymerize. Optical emission analysis results obtained from these plasma deposition systems indicated that polymerizable species are mainly formed in cathode glow region. The growth of direct current plasma polymerized hydrocarbon film clearly showed the dominating effects of luminous gas phases on the polymerizable tendency in plasma polymerization system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

DC cathodic polymerization of trimethylsilane (TMS) and its mixtures with argon was conducted in a closed reactor system. The TMS deposition behavior and plasma parameters were examined with discharge time during the deposition process. The chemical composition of TMS plasma polymers was investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. It was found that the TMS plasma coatings obtained under such operations have a distinct chemical structure that gradually changes from silicon rich at the interface with the substrate to carbon rich at the top surface. The coating characteristics of TMS plasma polymers were evaluated in terms of refractive index, linear polarization resistance, and adhesion performance to subsequent spray paint primers. Experimental data indicated that DC cathodic polymerization of TMS in a closed reactor system produced plasma coatings with superior-coating properties, such as higher refractive index and stronger primer adhesion, to those obtained in a flow reactor system as employed in parts 1 and 2 of this series. As a result, the plasma interface engineered-coating systems of IVD/plasma polymer/non-chromated primer obtained under such an operation showed excellent corrosion protection of IVD Al-coated Al alloys which outperformed the chromate conversion-coated IVD controls after 4 weeks of SO2 salt spray and 12 weeks of Prohesion salt spray tests. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study aims to evaluate the therapeutic potential of cationic liposomal neostigmine bromide (NB), a novel drug delivery system, for the treatment of detrusor underactivity. By comparing the characteristics of NB‐liposomes (NLP), NB‐β‐cyclodextrin inclusion complex liposomes (NCLP), and NB‐mesoporous silica nanoparticle@CaCO3 liposomes (NMCLP), NMCLP is selected as the main research subject. It has an average particle size and zeta potential of 100 nm and +50 mV, and its encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity of NB are 14.75% and 12.8%, respectively. Most importantly, NMCLP shows the best in vitro release performance among the three liposomes, demonstrating its ability in sustained release of NB. During cell and animal assays, efficient cellular uptake of liposomes through liposome‐specific pathways is observed, facilitating targeted drug delivery, and in vivo experiments demonstrate the efficacy of NMCLP in improving bladder function in mice. Urodynamic measurements show increased bladder capacity and reduced voiding pressure, indicating enhanced bladder muscle activity. Histological analysis reveals the distribution and deep penetration of NMCLP within bladder tissues, supporting its localized drug effect. Therefore, NMCLP holds promise as a targeted and effective therapeutic strategy for detrusor underactivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine whether a 7-day or 24-h recall period of Perioperative Symptom Assessment for Patients Undergoing Lung Surgery (PSA-Lung) was appropriate for symptom assessment after discharge. Methods: A total of 377 patients were recruited in a cohort study of patients who underwent lung surgery. We measured patient symptoms daily and weekly using the two recall period versions of the PSA-Lung scale, respectively. The psychometric properties of both versions were calculated. Spearman rank correlation coefficients and kappa (k) coefficients were used to measure the association between items score measured by the two version scales each week. Cohen's d effect size and mixed linear model were used to measure responsiveness to change over time. Results: Spearman rank correlation coefficients between the symptom scores generated by the 7-day and 24-h versions (range 0.48–0.77; all P < 0.05). The correlations increased in patients in stable condition (weekly symptom change < 2). Cronbach's α coefficients for both ratings were > 0.87 and both had good test–retest reliability. The longitudinal analysis and Cohen's d effect sizes showed that both ratings had good ability to detect changes in all items. Conclusion: The 7-day retrospective scale was as effective as the 24-h retrospective scale in terms of psychometric performance. In the stage where the patient's symptoms change rapidly, it is recommended to use the 24-h retrospective scale for symptom monitoring. On the contrary, in a stable state, it can be considered to use the 7-day retrospective scale for monitoring to reduce the patient's burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Symptom assessment based on patient-reported outcome (PRO) can correlate with disease severity, making it a potential tool for threshold alerts of postoperative complications. This study aimed to determine whether shortness of breath (SOB) scores on the day of discharge could predict the development of post-discharge complications in patients who underwent lung cancer surgery. Methods: Patients were from a study of a dynamic perioperative rehabilitation cohort of lung cancer patients focusing on patient-reported outcomes. Patients were assessed using the Perioperative Symptom Assessment Scale for Lung surgery (PSA-Lung). Logistic regression model was used to examine the potential association between SOB on the day of discharge and complications within 3 months after discharge. The post-discharge complications were taken as the anchor variable to determine the optimal cutpoint for SOB on the day of discharge. Results: Complications within 3 months post-discharge occurred in 71 (10.84%) of 655 patients. Logistic regression analysis revealed that being female (OR 1.764, 95% CI 1.006–3.092, P < 0.05) and having two chest tubes (OR 2.026, 95% CI 1.107–3.710, P < 0.05) were significantly associated with post-discharge complications. Additionally, the SOB score on the day of discharge (OR 1.125, 95% CI 1.012–1.250, P < 0.05) was a significant predictor. The optimal SOB cutpoint was 5 (on a scale of 0–10). Patients with an SOB score ≥ 5 at discharge experienced a lower quality of life 1 month later compared to those with SOB score<5 at discharge (73 [50–86] vs. 81 [65–91], P < 0.05). Conclusion: SOB on the day of discharge may serve as an early warning sign for the timely detection of 3 month post-discharge complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA methylation is one of the most important epigenetic mechanisms to regulate gene expression, which is highly dynamic during development and specifically maintained in somatic cells. Aberrant DNA methylation patterns are strongly associated with human diseases including cancer. How are the cell-specific DNA methylation patterns established or disturbed is a pivotal question in developmental biology and cancer epigenetics. Currently, compelling evidence has emerged that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) mediates DNA methylation in both physiological and pathological conditions. In this review, we provide an overview of the current understanding of lncRNA-mediated DNA methylation, with emphasis on the roles of this mechanism in cancer, which to the best of our knowledge, has not been systematically summarized. In addition, we also discuss the potential clinical applications of this mechanism in RNA-targeting drug development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The methodological quality of development, validation, and modification of those models have not been evaluated via a thoroughly literature review. This study aims to describe the overall status and evaluate the methodological quality of risk prediction models for stroke incidence in the general population.Methods: We searched the database of EMBASE and MEDLINE by the combination of subject words and key words to collect the research on stroke risk prediction model in the general population. The retrieval time was from the establishment of the database to September 2019. It should be mentioned that risk of bias for each model was assessed, and data on population characteristics and model performance was also extracted.Results: The search screened 11,386 peer-reviewed publications and 57 citation searching, of which 48 were included in the review, describing the development of 51 prediction models, 47 external validation models, and 12 modification models. Among 51 development models, the predicted outcome concentrated on fatal or non-fatal stroke (n = 37, 73%). Thirty-nine development models (76%) were without internal validation. C-statistic or AUC was adopted for discrimination in 80% models, and Hosmer-Lemeshow test (n = 25, 49%) was also performed for calibration. Twenty-six development models (53%) were externally validated, among which only 2 (8%) were validated by independent researchers. Risk prediction performance was improved when models were modified by adding novel risk factors, such as the internal carotid artery plaque and intima-media thickness.Conclusion: Models for predicting stroke occurrence need further external validation, recalibration, or modification in different populations, to help interpret those models in the practice of stroke prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photothermal immunotherapy can provide an efficient and convenient strategy for cancer treatment by inducing immunogenic cell death (ICD) to generate vaccine‐like functions in situ, which highly relies on suitable photothermal agents with superior photothermal effect. Herein, a novel diradical‐featured organic small‐molecule photothermal material (TTD‐TPE) based on 4,6‐di(2‐thienyl)thieno[3,4‐c][1,2,5]thiadiazole and tetraphenylethylene is developed to exhibit near‐infrared (NIR) absorption of 808 nm, high photothermal conversion efficiency (PTCE) of about 75%, and superior photoacoustic imaging (PAI) property in nanoparticle. The excellent photothermal effect of TTD‐TPE nanoparticles originates from the integrated synergic effect of D–A interactions, diradical character, and excited‐state intramolecular motion, which not only ablates the primary tumor by localized high temperature but also transforms the primary tumor into vaccine in situ through ICD to inhibit the growth of distant and metastatic tumors, demonstrating the huge potential in photothermal immunotherapy. Thus, this finding encourage researchers to develop superior organic small‐molecule photothermal materials to boost the simple but useful modality for cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive or persistent infection is a major contributing factor in impeding chronic wound healing. Wound bed preparations using antiseptics do not necessarily target the entire bacterial spectrum, and the highly proliferating granulation tissue may be sensitive to the cytotoxic effects, impairing tissue repair. Non-thermal gas atmospheric pressure plasmas are partially ionized gases that contain highly reactive particles while the gas phase remains near room temperature, thus having the capability of accessing small irregular cavities and fissures and killing bacteria because of the diffusive nature of gas phase plasma species that are chemically reactive, providing an ideal approach to topical wound disinfection. A non-thermal plasma brush device of novel design has been developed that is suitable for clinical application in the disinfection of oral and wound bacteria. In vivo studies have indicated that the plasma brush treatment rendered no harmful effect on healthy skin or tissues, while it could improve wound healing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm infected wounds exposed to an optimized treatment with argon plus 1% nitrogen (Ar + N2) plasma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To incorporate an antibacterial agent derived deep eutectic solvent (DES) into a dental resin composite, and investigate the resulting mechanical properties and antibacterial effects. Method The DES was derived from benzalkonium chloride (BC) and acrylic acid (AA) and was incorporated into the dental resin composite through rapid mixing. A three-point bending test was employed to measure the flexural strength of the composite. An agar diffusion test was used to investigate antibacterial activity. Artificial (accelerated) aging was undertaken by immersing the composites in buffer solutions at an elevated temperature for up to 4 weeks. UV–vis spectrophotometry and NMR analysis were conducted to study BC release from the composite. Finally, the biocompatibility of the composite materials was evaluated using osteoblast cell culture for 7 days. Results were compared to those of a control composite which contained no BC. Result The DES-incorporated composite (DES-C) displayed higher flexural strength than a similar BC-incorporated composite BC (BC-C) for the same level of BC. The inclusion of BC conferred antibacterial activity to both BC-containing composites, although BC-C produced larger inhibition halos than DES-C at the same loading of BC. Control composites which contained no BC showed negligible antibacterial activity. After artificial aging, the DES-C composite showed better maintenance of the mechanical properties of the control compared with BC-C, although a decrease was observed during the three-point bending test, particularly upon storage at elevated temperatures. No BC release was detected in the aged solutions of DES-C, whereas the BC-C showed a linear increase in BC release with storage time. Significantly, cell viability results indicated that DES-C has better biocompatibility than BC-C. Significance The incorporation of a BC-based DES into a dental resin composite provides a new strategy to develop antibacterial dental materials with better biocompatibility and longer effective lifetimes without sacrificing the intrinsic mechanical properties of the composite structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sorafenib, the only approved drug for hepatocellular carcinoma, acts as a remarkable inhibitor of Raf serine-threonine kinases. However, Sorafenib is expensive, and clinical experience shows that it is not an effective treatment for many patients. Previous study has demonstrated that phosphorylated ERK (p ERK) is a key downstream component in the RAF/ MEK/ ERK signaling pathway. Here, we investigate whether p ERK is a useful biomarker for treating HCC with Sorafenib. In vitro cell viability assays showed that the efficacy of Sorafenib was distinctly different according to the level of p ERK. Furthermore, in established patient-derived xenografts from HCC specimens, we found that the growth rate of tumors with high levels of p ERK was significantly decreased by Sorafenib treatment. Taken together, p ERK is a potential biomarker for the sensitivity to Sorafenib in treating HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Situs inversus totalis (SIT) is a rare congenital anomaly characterized by a complete transposition of all the viscera. SIT cases were usually reported because of the presence of tumors, leading to false association between them. Therefore, any research that advances our understanding on SIT is highly required. This study firstly describes a very rare case of SIT with "jumping" metastasis to pancreas of gallbladder carcinoma.Case Presentation: A 69-year-old female patient presented at our hospital with complaints of one month of epigastric pain was studied. She had not sought for treatment prior the visit. Imaging examinations of this patient revealed SIT and a variation of the common hepatic artery with concomitant tumors of gallbladder and pancreas. However, there was no evidence of distant metastases beyond the abdominal cavity. She underwent a combination of radical cholecystectomy, total pancreatectomy, splenectomy and hepatic artery-splenic artery reconstruction. Histological analyses revealed metastasis of the gallbladder carcinoma in to the pancreas. Although the patient opted against chemotherapy, she survived without tumor for 16 months following the surgery. A review of the current literature on association with SIT and tumor occurrence was presented.Conclusions: It is a great surgical challenge for the resection of multicenter hepatobiliary and pancreatic tumors in such rare SIT anatomical abnormalities with vascular variants. A reliable surgical plan based on detailed preoperative imaging and intraoperative anatomical exploration is crucial to achieving radical resection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The aim of this study was to improve the bioavailability of polymyxin B (PMB) in pulmonary nebulized drug delivery. To this end, we developed a nano-delivery system that penetrates the mucus barrier of the lung. Hydrophilic hyaluronic acid (HA) was combined with a water-in-oil system containing a poly (lactic acid)-glycolic acid copolymer of PMB to prepare HA@PLGA-PMB nanoparticles (NPs) with good surface properties. HA@PLGA-PMB NPs with suitable electrical properties, particle size, and good hydrophilicity prevented strong interactions between the NPs and mucus, thereby allowing more drugs to enter deeper into the lung. Compared to the free drug PMB, NPs had more than 2-fold higher mucus penetration efficiency in vitro and better delivery to infected alveolar cells during in vivo nebulization. NPs had better biocompatibility, which further reduced the drug toxicity. More importantly, NPs showed better antimicrobial therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of lung infections in mice. These findings may provide support for the clinical application of nebulized pulmonary antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to investigate the treatment effects of non-thermal atmospheric gas plasmas (NTAP) on destruction and the recovery (or re-colonization) of Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) in biofilms. P. gingivalis is a well-known keystone periodontal pathogen strongly associated with periodontal diseases, especially periodontitis. P. gingivalis biofilms were formed on stainless steel coupons and treated for 1, 2, and 5 minutes by NTAP of pure argon gas and argon+oxygen gas mixture. MTT assay, colony forming unit (CFU) counting assay and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) were used to assess the destruction efficiency. In addition, the plasma treated biofilms were re-cultured in the medium supplemented with antibiotics and oxidative stress sources to determine the synergy of the NTAP with other antimicrobial agents. The results showed the plasma treatment could result in 2.7 log unit reduction in bacterial load. The recovered biofilm CFU with NTAP treatment combined with sub minimal inhibition concentration of amoxicillin was 0.33 log units less than the biofilm treated with amoxicillin alone. The recovered biofilm CFU in NTAP groups was about 2.0 log units less than that in the untreated controls under H2O2 treatment. There was approximately 1.0 log unit reduction of biofilm CFU in plasma treated biofilm compared with untreated control under paraquat treatment. The plasma treated biofilms exhibited less resistance to amoxicillin and greater susceptibility to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and paraquat, suggesting that NTAP may enhance biofilm susceptibility to host defense. These in vitro findings suggested that NTAP could be a novel and effective treatment method of oral biofilms that cause periodontal diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the biocompatibility of trimethylsilane (TMS) plasma nanocoatings modified with NH3/O2 (2:1 molar ratio) plasma post-treatment onto cobalt chromium (CoCr) L605 alloy coupons and stents for cardiovascular stent applications. Biocompatibility of plasma nanocoatings was evaluated by coating adhesion, corrosion behavior, ion releasing, cytotoxicity, and cell proliferation. Surface chemistry and wettability were studied to understand effects of surface properties on biocompatibility. Results show that NH3/O2 post-treated TMS plasma nanocoatings are hydrophilic with water contact angle of 48.5° and have a typical surface composition of O (39.39 at.%), Si (31.92 at.%), C (24.12 at.%), and N (2.77 at.%). The plasma nanocoatings were conformal to substrate surface topography and had excellent adhesion to the alloy substrates, as assessed by tape test (ASTM D3359), and showed no cracking or peeling off L605 stent surfaces after dilation. The plasma nanocoatings also improve the corrosion resistance of CoCr L605 alloy by increasing corrosion potential and decreasing corrosion rates with no pitting corrosion and no mineral adsorption layer. Ion releasing test revealed that Co, Cr, and Ni ion concentrations were reduced by 64–79%, 67–69%, and 57–72%, respectively, in the plasma-nanocoated L605 samples as compared to uncoated L605 control samples. The plasma nanocoatings showed no sign of cytotoxicity from the test results according to ISO 10993-05 and 10993-12. Seven-day cell culture demonstrated that, in comparison with the uncoated L605 control surfaces, the plasma nanocoating surfaces showed 62 ± 7.3% decrease in porcine coronary artery smooth muscle cells (PCASMCs) density and had comparable density of porcine coronary artery endothelial cells (PCAECs). These results suggest that TMS plasma nanocoatings with NH3/O2 plasma post-treatment possess the desired biocompatibility for stent applications and support the hypothesis that nanocoated stents could be very effective for in-stent restenosis prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To establish a discharge cutoff point (CP) on a simple patient-reported cough score to identify patients requiring post-discharge cough intervention.Methods: Data were extracted from a prospective cohort study of patients undergoing lung cancer surgery. Symptoms were assessed using the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory-Lung Cancer Module. Group-based trajectory modeling was used to identify patient subgroups defined by post-discharge cough trajectories. Generalized linear model and bootstrap resampling with 2000 samples were used to determine the optimal cutoff points of discharge cough scores and their robustness. Analysis of variance, chi-square test, and mixed-effects model were used to validate the optimal cutoff points.Results: The cough trajectories of post-discharge followed three patterns (high, middle, low); higher cough was associated with poor recovery of the enjoyment of life within 4 weeks after discharge (P < 0.001). The CP (3, 6) of discharge cough demonstrated as the optimal CP (F = 21.72). When discharged, 45.66% (179/392) of patients suffered a none/mild cough (0-2 points), 41.82% (164/392) suffered a moderate cough (3-5 points), and 12.5% (49/392) suffered a severe cough (6-10 points). Among these patients, there was a significant difference in the proportion of returning to work at 1 month after discharge (non-mild: 77.70%; moderate: 60.74%; severe: 48.57%; p < 0.001).Conclusions: Moderate-to-severe cough is relatively common in patients undergoing lung cancer surgery, and the higher the cough trajectory, the worse the recovery to normal life. Therefore, these patients with a cough score ≥ 3 or ≥ 6 at discharge may require additional medical intervention and extensive care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hypoxic nature of solid tumors limits the efficacy of radiotherapy (RT) and leads to radiation resistance. Hypoxic radiosensitizers can enhance tumor radiosensitivity by mimicking the effects of oxygen, but their efficacy has been limited by the heterogeneous oxygen distribution in tumor tissue. Herein, a multimodal therapeutic nanoplatform fabricated by co‐encapsulation of chlorin e6 and tirapazamine (TPZ) with an amphiphilic polymeric conjugate of cisplatin (CDDP) and metronidazole is reported. This platform could kill the tumor periphery cells by the deeply penetrated oxygen‐consuming sonodynamic therapy and unify the heterogeneously hypoxic context simultaneously, which then actuate the release and activation of the loaded TPZ. TPZ could further sensitize RT along with CDDP and metronidazole residues under the resultant hypoxic condition, which significantly decreases the radiation dosage required to cause massive cell damage. Except for the significantly suppressed tumor growth and metastasis caused by the multimodal therapeutic nanoplatform, its hypoxia‐directed feature also endows it with excellent safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Situs inversus totalis (SIT) is a rare congenital anomaly characterized by a complete transposition of all the viscera. SIT cases were usually reported because of the presence of tumors, leading to false association between them. Therefore, any research that advances our understanding on SIT is highly required. This study firstly describes a very rare case of SIT with "jumping" metastasis to pancreas of gallbladder carcinoma. Case presentation: A 69-year-old female patient presented at our hospital with complaints of one month of epigastric pain was studied. She had not sought for treatment prior the visit. Imaging examinations of this patient revealed SIT and a variation of the common hepatic artery with concomitant tumors of gallbladder and pancreas. However, there was no evidence of distant metastases beyond the abdominal cavity. She underwent a combination of radical cholecystectomy, total pancreatectomy, splenectomy and hepatic artery-splenic artery reconstruction. Histological analyses revealed metastasis of the gallbladder carcinoma in to the pancreas. Although the patient opted against chemotherapy, she survived without tumor for 16 months following the surgery. A review of the current literature on association with SIT and tumor occurrence was presented. Conclusions: It is a great surgical challenge for the resection of multicenter hepatobiliary and pancreatic tumors in such rare SIT anatomical abnormalities with vascular variants. A reliable surgical plan based on detailed preoperative imaging and intraoperative anatomical exploration is crucial to achieving radical resection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, clinical intravesical instillation chemotherapy has been greatly compromised by the toxicological and physiological factors. New formulations that can specifically and efficiently kill bladder cancer cells are in urgent need to overcome the low residence efficiency and dose limiting toxicity of current ones. The combination of mucoadhesive nanocarriers and cancer cell selective prodrugs can to great extent address these limitations. However, the insignificant endogenous stimulus difference between cancer cells and normal cells in most cases and the high local drug concentration make it essential to develop new drugs with broader selectivity-window. Herein, based on the statistically different NQO1 expression between cancerous and normal bladder tissues, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) activatable epirubicin prodrug and highly potent NQO1 substrate, KP372–1, was co-delivered using a GSH-responsive mucoadhesive nanocarrier. After endocytosis, epirubicin could be promptly activated by the NQO1-dependent ROS production caused by KP372–1, thus specifically inhibiting the proliferation of bladder cancer cells. Since KP372–1 is much more potent than some commonly used NQO1 substrates, for example, β-lapachone, the cascade drug activation could occur under much lower drug concentration, thus greatly lowering the toxicity in normal cells and broadening the selectivity-window during intravesical bladder cancer chemotherapy. [Display omitted] • Mucoadhesive nanoparticles enhanced the adhesion and penetration of drugs in bladder; • KP372–1 activated epirubicin prodrug in cancer cells through NQO1-dependent way; • Dual-drug loaded nanoparticles selectively killed cancer cells and exempted normal cells; • Prodrug nanoparticles caused significant tumor inhibition and negligible side effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients have severe symptom burden after oesophagectomy; however, longitudinal studies of symptom recovery after surgery are scarce. This study used longitudinal patient-reported outcome (PRO)-based symptoms to identify severe symptoms and profile symptom recovery from surgery in patients undergoing oesophagectomy.Methods: Oesophageal cancer patients (N = 327) underwent oesophagectomy were consecutively included between April 2019 and March 2020. Data were extracted from the Sichuan Cancer Hospital's Esophageal Cancer Case Management Registration Database. Symptom assessment time points were pre-surgery and 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21, 30, and 90 days post-surgery using the Chinese version of the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory. And each symptom was rated on an 11-point scale, with 0 being 'not present' and 10 being 'as bad as you can imagine'. The symptom recovery trajectories were profiled using mixed effect models and Kaplan-Meier analysis.Results: The most-severe symptoms on day 1 after oesophagectomy were pain, fatigue, dry mouth, disturbed sleep, and distress. The severity of symptoms peaked on day 1 after surgery. The top two symptoms were fatigue (mean: 5.44 [SD 1.88]) and pain (mean: 5.23 [SD 1.29]). Fatigue was more severe 90 days after surgery than at baseline (mean: 1.77 [SD 1.47] vs 0.65 [SD 1.05]; P < .0001). Disturbed sleep and distress persisted from pre-surgery to 90 days post-surgery; average sleep recovery time was up to 20 days, and 50.58% of patients had sleep disturbances 90 days post-surgery.Conclusions: Early post-operative pain management after oesophagectomy should be considered. Characteristics and intervention strategies of post-operative fatigue, distress, and disturbed sleep in oesophageal cancer patients warrant further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Patients who undergo surgery for lung cancer experience a variety of symptoms, such as pain and coughing, which interfere with their postoperative daily functions. However, there may be differences between the perception of symptoms among healthcare providers and patients. This study aimed to investigate patients' experiences after lung cancer surgery and analyze whether the perception of postoperative symptoms among the healthcare providers differed from that reported by patients. Methods: Semi-structured qualitative interviews involving 39 patients who underwent lung cancer surgery at the Sichuan Cancer Hospital were conducted between November 2018 and October 2019. In addition, 22 healthcare providers from the Department of Thoracic Surgery at the hospital answered open-ended questions about their perception of symptoms related to lung cancer surgery. The types and frequencies of symptoms reported by the patients and healthcare providers were compared. Results: The most frequent patient-reported symptoms were pain (967 times, 39 patients, 100%), coughing (904 times, 37 patients, 94.87%), shortness of breath (491 times, 35 patients, 89.74%), Disturbed sleep (412 times, 34 patients, 87.18%), and interference while walking (347 times, 36 patients, 92.31%). Of the patient-reported symptoms, the first four were perceived by the healthcare providers, while they interpreted interference while walking as fatigue. Conclusion: Although the healthcare providers and patients had a certain consensus on the main symptoms, there were differences in perception. Healthcare providers need to pay more attention to postoperative interference while walking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hypoxic nature of pancreatic cancer, one of the most lethal malignancies worldwide, significantly impedes the effectiveness of chemoradiotherapy. Although the development of oxygen carriers and hypoxic sensitizers has shown promise in overcoming tumor hypoxia. The heterogeneity of hypoxia—primarily caused by limited oxygen penetration—has posed challenges. In this study, we designed a hypoxia-responsive nano-sensitizer by co-loading tirapazamine (TPZ), KP372-1, and MK-2206 in a metronidazole-modified polymeric vesicle. This nano-sensitizer relies on efficient endogenous NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1-mediated redox cycling induced by KP372-1, continuously consuming periphery oxygen and achieving evenly distributed hypoxia. Consequently, the normalized tumor microenvironment facilitates the self-amplified release and activation of TPZ without requiring deep penetration. The activated TPZ and metronidazole further sensitize radiotherapy, significantly reducing the radiation dose needed for extensive cell damage. Additionally, the coloaded MK-2206 complements inhibition of therapeutic resistance caused by Akt activation, synergistically enhancing the hypoxic chemoradiotherapy. This successful hypoxia normalization strategy not only overcomes hypoxia resistance in pancreatic cancer but also provides a potential universal approach to sensitize hypoxic tumor chemoradiotherapy by reshaping the hypoxic distribution. [Display omitted] • KP372-1 normalizes the hypoxia distribution through NQO-1 mediated mechanism. • Hypoxia normalization triggers self-amplified drug release. • The nano -sensitizer efficiently sensitizes chemoradiotherapy under all conditions. • Akt inhibition further strengthens the efficacy of chemoradiotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the plasma treatment effects on deactivation effectiveness of oral bacteria.Methods: A low temperature atmospheric argon plasma brush were used to study the oral bacterial deactivation effects in terms of plasma conditions, plasma exposure time, and bacterial supporting media. Oral bacteria of Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus acidophilus with an initial bacterial population density between 1.0×10(8) and 5.0×10(8)cfu/ml were seeded on various media and their survivability with plasma exposure was examined. Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine the morphological changes of the plasma treated bacteria. Optical absorption was used to determine the leakage of intracellular proteins and DNAs of the plasma treated bacteria.Results: The experimental data indicated that the argon atmospheric plasma brush was very effective in deactivating oral bacteria. The plasma exposure time for a 99.9999% cell reduction was less than 15s for S. mutans and within 5 min for L. acidophilus. It was found that the plasma deactivation efficiency was also dependent on the bacterial supporting media. With plasma exposure, significant damages to bacterial cell structures were observed with both bacterium species. Leakage of intracellular proteins and DNAs after plasma exposure was observed through monitoring the absorbance peaks at wavelengths of 280 nm and 260 nm, respectively.Conclusion: The experimental results from this study indicated that low temperature atmospheric plasma treatment was very effective in deactivation of oral bacteria and could be a promising technique in various dental clinical applications such as bacterial disinfection and caries early prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ritts AC, Li H, Yu Q, Xu C, Yao X, Hong L, Wang Y. Dentin surface treatment using a non-thermal argon plasma brush for interfacial bonding improvement in composite restoration. Eur J Oral Sci 2010; 118: 510–516. © 2010 Eur J Oral Sci The objective of this study was to investigate the treatment effects of non-thermal atmospheric gas plasmas on dentin surfaces used for composite restoration. Extracted unerupted human third molars were prepared by removing the crowns and etching the exposed dentin surfaces with 35% phosphoric acid gel. The dentin surfaces were treated using a non-thermal atmospheric argon plasma brush for various periods of time. The molecular changes of the dentin surfaces were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry/attenuated total reflectance (FTIR/ATR), and an increase in the amount of carbonyl groups was detected on plasma-treated dentin surfaces. Adper Single Bond Plus adhesive and Filtek Z250 dental composite were applied as directed. To evaluate the dentin/composite interfacial bonding, the teeth thus prepared were sectioned into micro-bars and analyzed using tensile testing. Student–Newman–Keuls tests showed that the bonding strength of the composite restoration to peripheral dentin was significantly increased (by 64%) after 30 s of plasma treatment. However, the bonding strength to plasma-treated inner dentin did not show any improvement. It was found that plasma treatment of the peripheral dentin surface for up to 100 s resulted in an increase in the interfacial bonding strength, while prolonged plasma treatment of dentin surfaces (e.g. 5 min) resulted in a decrease in the interfacial bonding strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The use of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane as a support substrate layer for making a polyamide thin-film composite (TFC) has been hindered by the hydrophobic nature of PVDF. In this study, low temperature plasmas were used to treat a commercial PVDF membrane in order to improve its hydrophilicity and make it suitable for fabrication of a polyamide–polyvinylidene fluoride thin-film composite (PA-PVDF) membrane. The plasma treatment used oxygen, methane, or their 1:1 mixture gas to produce glow discharge for treatment and surface modification of the PVDF membrane. The membrane surfaces were characterized using water contact angle measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE SEM). Pure water permeability and salt rejection tests were performed to evaluate the performance of the resulting PA-PVDF. Our experimental results indicated that plasma treatment of PVDF membrane could significantly reduce its water contact angle and thus produce a hydrophilic surface that could be then used as the support substrate layer for the fabrication of TFC membrane through interfacial polymerization. Our experimental results also demonstrated that PA-PVDF membrane supports not only demonstrated higher pure water permeability, but also higher salt rejections than those of TFC membrane with polysulfone as the support. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this study, a dc low-temperature plasma technique, including plasma treatment and plasma polymerization, was used to create interface engineered coating systems with a structure of Mg/plasma interlayer/cathodic electrocoating (E-coat) for machined AZ31B magnesium (Mg) alloy panels. The plasma interlayer deposited from trimethylsilane (TMS) precursor had a nano-scale thickness of ∼65nm and well-controlled surface properties through subsequent plasma treatments in order to achieve different level of interfacial adhesion between the E-coat and the Mg substrates. The surface wettability of the plasma interlayer was monitored by water surface contact angle measurement. The interface adhesion of the coating system was evaluated using N-methylpyrrolidinone (NMP) paint removal test and ASTM tape test conducted under dry and wet conditions. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was employed to investigate the effects of plasma interlayer properties including surface wettability and adhesion enhancement on corrosion protection properties of the coating systems. It was found that a more wettable interface enhanced the electrolyte penetration through the coating and thus reduced the corrosion resistance of the coating system. On the other hands, the improved interface adhesion had little effects on EIS results mainly due to the high chemical reactivity of the Mg alloy substrates. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Cisplatin is widely used in the chemoradiotherapy (CRT) of cervical cancers. However, despite the severe systemic side effects, the therapeutic efficacy of cisplatin is often compromised by the development of drug resistance, which is closely related to the elevated intracellular thiol-containing species (especially glutathione (GSH)) and the adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-dependent glutathione S-conjugate pumps. The construction of a safe and redox-sensitive nano-sensitizer with high disulfide density and high Pt(IV) prodrug loading capacity (up to 16.50% Pt and even higher), as described herein, is a promising way to overcome the cisplatin resistance and enhance the CRT efficacy. The optimized nanoparticles (NPs) (referred to as SSCV 5) with moderate Pt loading (7.62% Pt) and median size (c.a. 40 nm) was screened out and used for further biological evaluation. Compared with free cisplatin, more drugs could be transported and released inside the cisplatin resistant cells (Hela-CDDP) by SSCV 5 NPs. With the synergistic effect of GSH scavenging and mitochondrial damage, SSCV 5 NPs can easily reverse the cisplatin resistance. Moreover, the higher nucleus DNA binding Pt content of SSCV 5 NPs not only caused the DNA damage and apoptosis of Hela-CDDP cells but also sensitized these cells to X-Ray radiation. The in vivo safety and efficacy results showed that SSCV 5 NPs effectively accumulated inside tumor and inhibited the growth of cisplatin resistant xenograft models while alleviating the serious side effect associated with cisplatin (the maximum tolerated cisplatin equivalent of single injection is higher than 20 mg/kg body weight). The intervention of exogenous radiation further improved the anticancer efficacy of SSCV 5 NPs and caused the shrinkage of tumor volume, thus making this safe and facile nano-sensitizer a promising route for the neoadjuvant CRT of cervical cancers. Unlabelled Image • Reduction sensitive nano-carrier quantitatively encapsulated prodrug molecules; • Prodrug nanomedicine greatly improved the safety profiles of cisplatin; • Prodrug strategies overcame cisplatin resistance by GSH consumption and mitochondrial targeting; • Prodrug nano-sensitizer enabled efficient chemoradiotherapy in cisplatin-resistant cancer model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fuzhuan Brick‐Tea is a postfermented product with the hypoglycemic effect, which is prepared from the leaves of Camellia sinensis var. sinensis. However, the material basis associated with the hypoglycemic effect was not clear. The present research was designed to explore the hypoglycemic effect of extract/fractions from Fuzhuan Brick‐Tea in streptozotocin‐induced type II diabetic mice. Then an ultra‐high pressure liquid chromatography along with quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry was used to analyze the phytochemicals in Fuzhuan Brick‐Tea fractions. As a result, the hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects were evidently observed from the serum biochemical indexes and liver pathological examination in type II diabetic mice. In addition, there were total of 20 major components including eight lysophosphatidylcholines (Lyso‐PCs), five fatty acids, and seven novel theophylline derivatives tentatively identified in the active fraction from water extract. Therefore, these components were assumed to contribute partly to the hypoglycemic effect of Fuzhuan Brick‐Tea. These findings also give the evidence that the Lyso‐PCs, fatty acids, and novel theophylline derivatives in Fuzhuan Brick‐Tea may provide benefits in ameliorating disorders of glucose and lipid metabolism. Practical Application: This study suggests that the Lyso‐PCs, fatty acids, and novel theophylline derivatives in Fuzhuan Brick‐Tea may provide benefits in ameliorating disorders of glucose and lipid metabolism. It can be taken as a beneficial diet additive or nutraceutical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemotherapy is the standard of care for bladder cancer after transurethral resection of the tumor. However, the rapid excretion of clinically used formulations of anticancer drugs make the common intravesical instillation chemotherapy far from efficient. Therefore, improving the muco-adhesion and penetrability of chemotherapeutic drugs became the key factors in the post-surgery treatment of superficial bladder cancers. Here, a reduction sensitive vehicle was developed to deliver the reactive oxygen species activated prodrug of gambogic acid for treatment of orthotopic bladder cancer. The positively charged chitosan can significantly enhance the adhesion and permeability of prodrug within the bladder wall. Moreover, by utilizing the different glutathione and ROS level between cancer cells and normal cells, the dual responsive nanoparticle can selectively and rapidly deliver drug in bladder cancer cells, and thus can significantly inhibit the proliferation of bladder cancer cells in an orthotopic superficial bladder cancer model without causing damage to normal cells. This work demonstrates that the smart prodrug nanomedicine may act as a promising drug-delivery system for local chemotherapy of bladder cancer with unprecedented clinical benefits. Unlabelled Image • Mucoadhesive nanoparticles enhanced the retention of drugs in bladder. • The positive nature improved the penetration of nanoparticles inside urothelium. • ROS- and redox- dual responsive nanoparticles selectively killed cancer cells. • Prodrug nanoparticles caused significant tumor inhibition and negligible side effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Management of dental plaque/biofilms is critical to maintain oral health. The objective of this study is to investigate the treatment effects of non-thermal atmospheric gas plasmas on oral biofilm formation and recovery under in vitro and in vivo conditions. Streptococcus mutans biofilms, a significant contributor to tooth decay, were cultured and treated by plasma. It was found that plasma treatment not only significantly reduced the in vitro biofilms, but also increased the metabolic activity of the bacteria in the biofilms. As compared with untreated control group, the cell metabolic activity, as measured by MTT assay, increased by 273%, and the aconitase activity increased by 446% for the plasma-treated group. The increased metabolic activity of the plasma-treated biofilm bacteria enhanced their susceptibility to antibiotic and host defense. An in vivo animal model using a total of 60 female rats (19 days old) were used to evaluate the anti-caries effects on the molars by 2 min of plasma treatment. It was found that, 6 months after the plasma treatment, the decayed surfaces were reduced by 62.5% on the upper molars and by 31.6% on the lower molars as compared with the untreated upper and lower molars, respectively. These in vitro and in vivo data demonstrate that the physiological state change of the biofilm due to plasma treatment provided benefit to caries control and prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More and more oil and gas reservoirs are used for commercial carbon-dioxide-enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR), resulting in associated CO2 storage that occurs as part of the process. CO2/brine corrosion of oil tube steel that can occur anywhere along the wellbore is a challenging issue faced by the oil and gas industry. In this paper, to enhance their corrosion resistance in CO2/brine, J55 and N80 oil tube steels were coated with trimethylsilane (TMS) with the plasma chemical vapor deposition (PCVD) method. Both atmosphere and vacuum direct-current (DC) discharges were utilized for TMS plasma coatings (TMS-PCs) deposition. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to characterize the coating surface chemistry. It was found that TMS-PCs deposited with vacuum direct current (DC) coatings (VDCPCs) had higher Si- and C-rich composition than atmospheric DC plasma coatings (ADCPCs). The corrosion resistance of samples with or without TMS-PC was evaluated through the weight loss method (WLM) and the 3-D pitting corrosion quantitative evaluation method (3D-PCQEM), which was conducted in CO2/brine with the self-built corrosion-resistant performance evaluation system (CRPES) and a 3-D scanning optical microscope. The results demonstrated that the TMS-PCs can significantly decrease not only the uniform corrosion rate but also the pitting corrosion rate of N80 and J55 oil tube steels. TMS-PCs deposited with VDCPC showed a lower corrosion rate than that of ADCPC. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to characterize the surface morphology of the samples before and after WLM, and the results indicated less corrosion and pitting corrosion on coated samples than that of uncoated controls. The energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) was used to characterize the coating surface chemistry before and after WLM, which also indicated that the ferric content of coated samples was higher than that of uncoated controls after WLM. The results obtained in this paper indicate that TMS-PCs may serve as a very promising barrier against the corrosion and pitting corrosion of tube steel in CO2/brine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) is an effective therapeutic method for coronary artery disease. Great saphenous vein is the predominant graft due to the accessibility, sufficient length and suitable size matching with coronary artery. However, saphenous vein graft failure (SVGF) always restrict the long-term success of CABG. In this study, a complex external sheath was prepared using multi-channel and coaxial electrospinning techniques. The sheath can slowly release fasudil dihydrochloride (100% at 63 days), everolimus (100% at 84 days) and simvastatin (31.87 ± 1.55% at 20 weeks) to match the time-dependent pathological changes of SVGF through a cocktail pattern. In 16 weeks animal experiments, drug loaded sheath exhibited significantly greater efficacy in inhibiting neointima formation and ensuring graft patency than bare vein graft and empty sheath. Under the joint action of mechanical restriction of the sheath and the synergistic effect of loaded fasudil dihydrochloride and everolimus, the endothelium damage and the proliferation/migration of smooth muscle cells, which were thought to be the early cause of graft failure, could be efficiently alleviated. Moreover, the long-term patency could be expected due to the inhibition of atherosclerosis by the sustained released simvastatin. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Complex external sheath slowly release drug combination in a combinatory manner. • Endothelial cell damage and smooth muscle cell proliferation could be avoid. • The combinatory effect of fasudil and everolimus inhibit neointimal hyperplasia. • The sustained inhibition of atherosclerosis by simvastatin may ensure long-term patency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]