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Sensitive, convenient and rapid detection and subtyping of influenza viruses are crucial for timely treatment and management of infected people. Compared with antigen detection, nucleic acid detection has higher specificity and can shorten the detection window. Hence, in this work, we improved the lateral flow assay (LFA, one of the most promising user-friendly and on-site methods) to achieve detection and subtyping of H1N1, H3N2 and H9N2 influenza virus nucleic acids. Firstly, the antigen-antibody recognition mode was transformed into a nucleic acid hybridization reaction. Secondly, Fe 3 O 4 -Au heterodimer nanoparticles were prepared to replace frequently used Au nanoparticles to obtain better coloration. Thirdly, four lines were arranged on the LFA strip, which were three test (T) lines and one control (C) line. Three T lines were respectively sprayed by the DNA sequences complementary to one end of H1N1, H3N2 and H9N2 influenza virus nucleic acids, while Fe 3 O 4 -Au nanoparticles were respectively coupled with the DNA sequences complementary to the other end of H1N1, H3N2 and H9N2 nucleic acids to construct three kinds of probes. The C line was sprayed by the complementary sequences to the DNAs on all three kinds of probes. In the detection, by hybridization reaction, the probes were combined with their target nucleic acids which were captured by the corresponding T lines to form color bands. Finally, according to the position of the color bands and their grey intensity, simultaneous qualitative and semi-quantitative detection of the three influenza virus nucleic acids was realized. The detection results showed that this multi-channel LFA had good specificity, and there was no significant cross reactivity among the three subtypes of influenza viruses. The simultaneous detection achieved comparable detection limits with individual detections. Therefore, this multi-channel LFA had good application potential for sensitive and rapid detection and subtyping of influenza viruses.

Rationale: Eucommia cortex is the core herb in traditional Chinese medicine preparations for the treatment of osteoporosis. Pinoresinol diglucoside (PDG), the quality control marker and the key pharmacodynamic component in Eucommia cortex, has attracted global attention because of its definite effects on osteoporosis. However, the in vivo metabolic characteristics of PDG and its anti-osteoporotic mechanism are still unclear, restricting its development and application., Methods: Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry was used to analyze the metabolic characteristics of PDG in rats, and its anti-osteoporosis targets and mechanism were predicted using network pharmacology., Results: A total of 51 metabolites were identified or tentatively characterized in rats after oral administration of PDG (10 mg/kg/day), including 9 in plasma, 28 in urine, 13 in feces, 10 in liver, 4 in heart, 3 in spleen, 11 in kidneys, and 5 in lungs. Furan-ring opening, dimethoxylation, glucuronidation, and sulfation were the main metabolic characteristics of PDG in vivo. The potential mechanism of PDG against osteoporosis was predicted using network pharmacology. PDG and its metabolites could regulate BCL2, MARK3, ALB, and IL6, involving PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, estrogen signaling pathway, and so on., Conclusions: This study was the first to demonstrate the metabolic characteristics of PDG in vivo and its potential anti-osteoporosis mechanism, providing the data for further pharmacological validation of PDG in the treatment of osteoporosis., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objectives: To investigate the risk factors for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in twin preterm infants with a gestational age of <34 weeks, and to provide a basis for early identification of BPD in twin preterm infants in clinical practice., Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed for the twin preterm infants with a gestational age of <34 weeks who were admitted to 22 hospitals nationwide from January 2018 to December 2020. According to their conditions, they were divided into group A (both twins had BPD), group B (only one twin had BPD), and group C (neither twin had BPD). The risk factors for BPD in twin preterm infants were analyzed. Further analysis was conducted on group B to investigate the postnatal risk factors for BPD within twins., Results: A total of 904 pairs of twins with a gestational age of <34 weeks were included in this study. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that compared with group C, birth weight discordance of >25% between the twins was an independent risk factor for BPD in one of the twins ( OR =3.370, 95% CI : 1.500-7.568, P <0.05), and high gestational age at birth was a protective factor against BPD ( P <0.05). The conditional logistic regression analysis of group B showed that small-for-gestational-age (SGA) birth was an independent risk factor for BPD in individual twins ( OR =5.017, 95% CI : 1.040-24.190, P <0.05)., Conclusions: The development of BPD in twin preterm infants is associated with gestational age, birth weight discordance between the twins, and SGA birth.

Osthole (also known as Osthol) is the main anti-inflammatory coumarin found in Cnidium monnieri and severs as the exclusive quality-controlled component according the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. However, its underlying anti-inflammatory mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that Osthole treatment significantly inhibited the generation of TNF-α, but not IL-6 in the classical LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage model. In addition, LPS induced the activation of both MAPK and NF-κB signalling pathways, of which the former was dose-dependently restrained by Osthole via suppressing the phosphorylation of JNK and P38 proteins, while the phosphorylation of IκB and P65 proteins remained unaffected. Interestingly, Osthole dose-dependently up-regulated the expression of the key cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway regulator α7nAChR, and the TNF-α inhibition effect of Osthole was also significantly alleviated by the treatment of α7nAChR antagonist methylbetaine. These results demonstrate that Osthole may regulate TNF-α by promoting the expression of α7nAChR, thereby activate the vagus nerve-dependent cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway., (© 2024 Wiley‐VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

Underwater superoleophobic (UWSO) materials have garnered significant attention in separating oil/water mixtures. But, the majority of these materials are made from non-degradable and non-renewable raw materials, polluting the environment and wasting scarce resources while using them. Against this backdrop, this study aimed to fabricate an environmental-friendly UWSO textile using biobased materials. To achieve this, hydrogel consisting of chitosan (CS) and poly(tannic acid) (PTA) were formed and coated on cotton fabric (CTF) via dip-coating followed by oxidative polymerization. CS&PTA hydrogel endowed the CTF with a rough surface and high surface energy, leading to an UWSO CTF with an underwater oil contact angle as high as 166.84°. The CS&PTA/CTF had excellent separation capability toward various oil/water mixtures, showing separation efficiency above 99.84 % and water flux higher than 23, 999 L m -2  h -1 . Moreover, CS&PTA/CTF possessed excellent mechanical and environmental stability with underwater superoleophobicity unchanged after sandpaper friction, ultrasonication, organic solvents, NaCl (m/v, 30 %) solution, and acid/base solution immersion, due to the strong interaction between the hydrogel and cotton fabric generated by the mussel-inspired adhesion owing to the presence of PTA. The fully biobased UWSO CTF exhibits great promising to be an alternative to traditional superwetting materials for separation of oil/water mixtures., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) shows great potential in reinforced composites but it is difficult to disperse in epoxy thermosets due to its poor dispersity in epoxy monomers. Herein, we reported a novel approach to disperse CNC in epoxidized soybean oil (ESO)-derived epoxy thermosets uniformly by using the reversibility of dynamic imine-containing ESO-derived covalent adaptable network (CAN). The crosslinked CAN was deconstructed by an exchange reaction with ethylenediamine (EDA) in dimethyl formamide (DMF), leading to a solution of deconstructed CAN with plenty of hydroxyl and amino groups, which could form strong hydrogen bonds with hydroxyl groups of CNC and thus facilitated and stabilized dispersion of CNC in the deconstructed CAN solution. Epoxy composite with well-dispersed CNC was finally achieved by a reformation of CAN through the removal of DMF and EDA. In this way, the epoxy composites with CNC content up to 30 wt% were successfully prepared and showed drastically reinforced mechanical properties. The tensile strength and Young's modulus of the CAN were improved by up to ∼70 % and ∼45 times with the incorporation of 20 and 30 wt% CNC, respectively. The composites showed excellent reprocessability without significant loss in mechanical properties after reprocessing., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Biobased poly(lactic acid)/lignin (PLA/lignin) composites are limited by poor mechanical properties resulted from poor compatibility and low interfacial adhesion. Herein, we reported a novel approach to improve compatibility and interfacial adhesion of PLA/lignin composites via reactive compatibilization with epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) as a compatibilizer. Interfacial tension calculation indicated that lignin tended to act as interfacial phase between PLA and ENR, but morphology analysis demonstrated lignin was wrapped with a layer of ENR and dispersed in PLA matrix, which was attributed to the interfacial reaction of ENR with both PLA and lignin. The interfacial reaction was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The compatibility and interfacial adhesion between PLA and lignin were improved significantly by incorporation and increase in the content of ENR, as evidenced by the reduced interfacial gaps, blurry phase boundaries, and enhanced elastic response. As such, the mechanical properties of PLA/lignin composites were enhanced significantly. The tensile strength and elongation at break of PLA/lignin (W/W, 80/20) were improved by 15 % and 77 %, respectively, with the incorporation of only 1 wt% ENR. We believe this approach to compatibilize PLA/lignin composites is promising because it would not require costly modification of lignin and would not compromise the sustainability of composites., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Au-Fe 3 O 4 multifunctional nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized and integrated with lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) for dual-mode detection of Salmonella typhimurium. The Au-Fe 3 O 4 NPs not only combined excellent local surface plasmon resonance characteristics and superparamagnetic properties, but also exhibited good photothermal effect. In the detection, antibody-conjugated Au-Fe 3 O 4 NPs first captured S. typhimurium from complex matrix, which was then loaded on the LFIA strip and trapped by the T-line. By observing the color bands with the naked eyes, qualitative detection was performed free of instrument. By measuring the photothermal signal, quantification was achieved with a portable infrared thermal camera. The introduction of magnetic separation achieved the enrichment and purification of target bacteria, thus enhancing the detection sensitivity and reducing interference. This dual-mode LFIA achieved a visual detection limit of 5 × 10 5  CFU/mL and a photothermal detection limit of 5 × 10 4  CFU/mL. Compared with traditional Au-based LFIA, this dual-mode LFIA increased the detection sensitivity by 2 orders of magnitude and could be directly applied to unprocessed milk sample. Besides, this dual-mode LFIA showed good reproducibility and specificity. The intra-assay and inter-assay variation coefficients were 3.0% and 7.9%, and with this dual-mode LFIA, other bacteria hardly produced distinguishable signals. Thus, the Au-Fe 3 O 4 NPs-based LFIA has potential to increase the efficiency of pandemic prevention and control. Au-Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticle proved to be a promising alternative reporter for LFIA, achieving multifunctions: target purification, target enrichment, visual qualitation, and instrumental quantification, which improved the limitations of traditional LFIA., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.)

The traits of Alzheimer's disease (AD) include amyloid plaques made of Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42, and neurofibrillary tangles by the hyperphosphorylation of tau protein. AD is a complex disorder that is heterogenous in genetical, neuropathological, and clinical contexts. Current available therapeutics are unable to cure AD. Systems medicine is a strategy by viewing the body as a whole system, taking into account each individual's unique health profile, provide treatment and associated nursing care clinically for the patient, aiming for precision. Since the onset of AD can lead towards cognitive impairment, it is vital to intervene and diagnose early and prevent further progressive loss of neurons. Moreover, as the individual's brain functions are impaired due to neurodegeneration in AD, it is essential to reconstruct the neurons or brain cells to enable normal brain functions. Although there are different subtypes of AD due to varied pathological lesions, in the majority cases of AD, neurodegeneration and severe brain atrophy develop at the chronic stage. Novel approaches including RNA based gene therapy, stem cell based technology, bioprinting technology, synthetic biology for brain tissue reconstruction are researched in recent decades in the hope to decrease neuroinflammation and restore normal brain function in individuals of AD. Systems medicine include the prevention of disease, diagnosis and treatment by viewing the individual's body as a whole system, along with systems medicine based nursing as a strategy against AD that should be researched further.

Superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic materials exhibit excellent oil/water separation performance but are usually fabricated from nonrenewable and nondegradable feedstocks and thus would cause secondary pollution after use. Herein, we report a fully biobased and mussel-inspired underwater superoleophobic hydrogel coated cotton fabric (CF) prepared by surface coating and subsequent oxidation polymerization of chitosan & dopamine mixtures. The obtained chitosan & polydopamine hydrogel coated CF (CS&PDA/CF) showed superhydrophilicity and underwater superoleophobicity, due to the formed rough surface structure with hydrophilic complex hydrogel. The CS&PDA/CF exhibited excellent oil/water separation performance with separation efficiency higher than 99.5% for various oil/water mixtures. Moreover, the CS&PDA/CF showed excellent resistance against various harsh conditions such as boiling water, ultrasonication, and concentrated salt solution, due to the mussel-inspired strong adhesion stabilized structure and morphology. We believe that the fully biobased and mussel-inspired underwater superoleophobic cotton fabric shows great potential as an eco-friendly and high-efficient oil/water separation material., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Epoxy vitrimers with reprocessability, recyclability, and a self-healing performance have attracted increasingly attention, but are usually fabricated through static curing procedures with a low production efficiency. Herein, we report a new approach to fabricate an epoxy vitrimer by dynamic crosslinking in a torque rheometer, using diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A and sebacic acid as the epoxy resin and curing agent, respectively, in the presence of zinc acetylacetonate as the transesterification catalyst. The optimal condition for fabricating the epoxy vitrimer (EVD) was dynamic crosslinking at 180 °C for ~11 min. A control epoxy vitrimer (EVS) was prepared by static curing at 180 °C for ~11 min. The structure, properties, and stress relaxation of the EVD and EVS were comparatively investigated in detail. The EVS did not cure completely during static curing, as evidenced by the continuously increasing gel fraction when subjected to compression molding. The gel fraction of the EVD did not change with compression molding at the same condition. The physical, mechanical, and stress relaxation properties of the EVD prepared by dynamic crosslinking were comparable to those of the EVS fabricated by static curing, despite small differences in the specific property parameters. This study demonstrated that dynamic crosslinking provides a new technique to efficiently fabricate an epoxy vitrimer.

Superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic textiles exhibit excellent oil/water separation performance but are limited by the poor stability and environmental incompatibility. Inspired by strong adhesion of marine mussels, we designed and fabricated a stable and eco-friendly superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic cotton fabric (CF) from all renewable resources through in-situ surface deposition of polydopamine (PDA) particles followed by adsorption of hydrophilic chitosan via dip coating at room temperature. The as-prepared superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic CF exhibited outstanding oil/water separation performance with separation efficiency and water flux higher than 99 % and 15,000 L m -2  h -1 , respectively. Moreover, it not only showed excellent resistance to mechanical abrasion and ultrasound treatment but also had outstanding superwetting stability against acid/alkali/salt erosion. We believed that the eco-friendly superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic CF would exhibit great potential in oil/water separation especially under harsh conditions., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Traditional superhydrophobic cotton fabrics (SCFs) for oil/water separation were usually fabricated by surface coating with inorganic nanoparticles combined with nonrenewable and nonbiodegradable or even toxic fossil-based chemicals, which would lead to secondary environmental pollution after their lifetime. In this study, we report robust, nanoparticle-free, fluorine-free SFC, which was prepared by acid etching followed by surface coating with epoxidized soybean oil resin (CESO) and subsequent modification with stearic acid (STA). No toxic compound and no nanoparticle were included within the SCF and all the raw materials including cotton fabric, CESO and STA are biodegradable and derived from biological resources. The SCF showed excellent mechanical stability and chemical/environmental resistances. The superhydrophobicity of the SFC survived from mechanical abrasion, tape peeling, ultrasonication, solvent erosion and low/high temperature exposure. The SCF also exhibited good acid/alkali resistance with contact angle over 150° toward different pH water droplets. Moreover, the SCF could efficiently separate oil/water mixtures with efficiency above 97.9% and the superhydrophobicity remained after reusing for at least 10 times. The fully biological-derived SCF with excellent mechanical and chemical resistances exhibit great potential for separation of oil/water mixtures., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is characterized by the development of hamartomas in multiple organ systems. This study attempted to screen mutations and to investigate the mutation distribution and related phenotypes including epilepsy of Chinese TSC patients., Methods: We performed the genotypic analysis of TSC1 and TSC2 genes in 77 unrelated Chinese TSC patients using direct Sanger sequencing and Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA)., Results: Mutations were identified in a total of 63 (81.8%) cases, including 18 TSC1 mutations (8 nonsense mutations, 6 frameshift, 1 in-frame shift, 1 missense and 2 splice-site) and 45 TSC2 mutations (13 missense, 3 nonsense, 6 splicing, 6 in-frame shift,12 frameshift mutations and 5 large deletions). Large deletions were presented exclusively in TSC2 gene, accounting for 7.9% of all mutations in this study. Fourteen novel mutations were identified in this study., Conclusions: Epilepsy occurs in approximately 75.3% (58/77) of patients. Hypomelanotic macules occurred significantly more often in patients with TSC2 mutations and cases with TSC1/TSC2 mutations had a significantly higher frequency of cortical nodule than patients with no mutations identified. Overall, our data expands the spectrum of mutations associated with the TSC loci and will be of value to the genetic counseling in patients with the disease., (Copyright © 2019 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Nucleic acid isolation and purification are essential steps in molecular biology. Currently-used isolation methods focus on the extraction of all the nucleic acids from crude samples, yet ignore the specific nucleic acids of interest, which may induce the loss of the specific nucleic acids and hinder their analyses. Herein, a magnetic nanospheres (MNs)-based strategy for efficient capture and release of specific nucleic acids is developed. The DNA sequence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is taken as a model to validate this method. The MNs are modified with the complementary strand of HBV DNA for specific capture based on hybridization reaction. Then, by melting at high temperature, the captured DNAs are detached from the MNs to achieve release. The capture and release process are performed conveniently with magnetic separation. High capture efficiency (over 80%) and nearly 100% release efficiency for HBV DNA are achieved respectively via 40 min and 5 min interaction. While non-target DNAs are hardly captured, indicative of good selectivity. Moreover, after releasing DNAs, the MNs are directly regenerated and can be reused without degrading performance, which greatly reduces the operation costs. Finally, this method is applied to serum samples without any pretreatment, which exhibits similar capture and release capacity with those in the ideal samples, indicating its great application potential in practice., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Many studies demonstrated a close relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and leukocyte telomere length (LTL). However, how the LTL changes in T2DM and what are the potential causal factors in it, particularly in patients during a long period treatment, have not been studied. Here we performed a longitudinal observation of LTL in trained T2DM patients during a 6-year follow-up and evaluated the possible risk factors that were associated with LTL alteration., Methods: Seventy-six patients with T2DM were enrolled in this 6-year longitudinal study. The enrolled patients had no severe complication and had never received insulin therapy by the time. Patients were scheduled to visit once every one or two months and their medication changes were recorded. The LTL at the time when patients were enrolled was used as baseline, which was compared with the LTL at 6 year. Multivariable linear regression and exact logistic regression model were adopted to identify independent predictors of telomere length change and telomere length shortening, respectively., Results: Sixty-four patients were successfully followed up. Although mean LTL decreased after 6 years, 30% (19/64) of patients demonstrated LTL lengthening and 70% (45/64) of patients demonstrated LTL shortening. Among them, 18 Patients received insulin treatment during the 6 years. Of these 18 patients, 16 patients showed decreased LTL and only two showed increased LTL. Linear regression analysis demonstrated that change in telomere length during the 6 years was associated inversely with insulin use (β-coefficients: -0.587, 95% CI: -0.198, -0.085, P < 0.001). Exact logistic regression analysis showed insulin use (OR: 17.355, 95% CI: 2.659, 35.627, P = 0.013) and LDL-C(OR: 3.493, 95% CI: 1.559, 10.063, P = 0.007)were independent predicts of telomere length shortening., Conclusions: LTL may increase as well as decrease in T2DM who received antidiabetic treatment. Insulin use may accelerate telomere attrition. Insulin use and LDL-C can predict telomere shortening., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Exploring low-cost and outstanding bimetallic phosphides to substitute noble metals as electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline media is essential for renewable energy technologies. Herein, bimetallic nickel-iron phosphides nanoparticles (P-NiFe-800 NPs) with rich defects have been synthesized through gas annealing at 800 °C and phosphorization using uniform nickel-iron nanocubes (NiFe NCs) as precursor. At optimized calcination temperature, the obtained P-NiFe-800 NPs are composed of uniform nanoparticles with the rough surface, which suggests the larger surface area and more exposed rich active sites than other samples for OER. The introduction of P element to binary nickel-iron metals can optimize the crystalline and electronic structures of NiFe NCs and thus enhance electrocatalytic properties. Owing to the distinct morphological structure and synergistic effect between nickel-iron and phosphorus, P-NiFe-800 NPs demonstrate superior electrocatalytic activities for OER with lower overpotential of 270.1 mV to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm -2 , smaller Tafel slope of 39 mV dec -1 , lower electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) value, bigger determined double-layer capacitance (C dl ) of 2130 uF cm -2 and prominent stability than NiFe NCs, NiFe-600 NPs, NiFe-700 NPs, NiFe-800 NPs, NiFe-900 NPs, P-NiFe NCs, P-NiFe-600 NPs, P-NiFe-700 NPs and P-NiFe-900 NPs. The optimized phosphorization is helpful for fabricating the bimetallic phosphides as efficient catalysts for OER., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) with renewability, biodegradability, and nanoscale size was used as the rough structure component instead of inorganic nanoparticles to fabricate renewable and degradable superhydrophobic cotton fabric via a dip-coating method with cured epoxidized oil resin (CESO) as the binder. The superhydrophobic cotton fabric could selectively absorb oil from oily water and could separate various oil/water mixture very efficiently with separation efficiency higher than 98%. The superhydrophobic cotton fabric showed excellent stability, making it reusable for several times without lowering separation efficiency. Moreover, the superhydrophobic cotton fabric exhibited excellent solvent and chemical resistances. Furthermore, the superhydrophobic cellulosic fabric was degradable with weight loss of 14.4 wt% after hydrolytic degradation in phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.4) at 37 °C for 10 weeks. The superhydrophobic cotton fabric may exhibit great viability as sustainable and degradable alternative to traditional nonrenewable and non-degradable superhydrophobic materials in oil/water separation., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The detection and removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are of great importance to reduce the risk of indoor air quality concerns. This study reports the rational synthesis of a dual-functional Janus nanostructure and its feasibility for simultaneous detection and removal of VOCs. The Janus nanostructure was synthesized via an anisotropic growth method, composed of plasmonic nanoparticles, semiconductors, and metal organic frameworks (e.g., Au@ZnO@ZIF-8). It exhibits excellent selective detection to formaldehyde (HCHO, as a representative VOC) at room temperature over a wide range of concentrations (from 0.25 to 100 ppm), even in the presence of water and toluene molecules as interferences. In addition, HCHO was also found to be partially oxidized into non-toxic formic acid simultaneously with detection. The mechanism underlying this technology was unraveled by both experimental measurements and theoretical calculations: ZnO maintains the conductivity, while ZIF-8 improves the selective gas adsorption; the plasmonic effect of Au nanorods enhances the visible-light-driven photocatalysis of ZnO at room temperature.

A one-step sandwich method is described for detecting proteins with magnetic nanospheres (MNs) and fluorescent nanospheres (FNs). Thrombin is selected as a model analyte to validate the method. Two DNA aptamers (Apt 29 and Apt 15 targeting two different exosites of thrombin) are chosen as recognition elements to modify MNs and FNs. The superparamagnetic MN-Apt 29 conjugate is used to separate and concentrate thrombin. The FN-Apt 15 conjugate encapsulates hundreds of fluorescent quantum dots and is used as reporter to provide a stable signal. Magnetic capture and fluorescence identification are performed simultaneously to form a sandwich complex (MN-Apt 29-thrombin-FN-Apt 15) for fluorescence determination (at excitation/emission wavelengths of 380/622 nm). The method is convenient, time saving, and gives a strong signal (compared to the two-step method where capture and identification are performed in two steps). The one-step method presented here is completed within 30 min and has a 3.5 ng·mL -1 (97 pM) detection limit. The method is reproducible, has an intra-assay variability of 1.5%, and an inter-assay variability of 4.9%. Other serum proteins (HSA, CEA, PSA, and AFP) do not interfere. The method was also applied to analyze serum samples. Almost the same fluorescence intensity was measured when analyzing 1% serum samples (compared to buffer samples). Graphical abstract Magnetic nanospheres with excellent superparamagnetic property and fluorescent QD-based nanospheres were prepared and used in a one-step sensitive method for detecting thrombin. The method exhibits good reproducibility, high specificity, and good selectivity.

Formation of highly conductive networks is essential for achieving flexible conductive polymer composites (CPCs) with high force sensitivity and high electrical conductivity. In this study, self-segregated structures were constructed in polydimethylsiloxane/multi-wall carbon nanotube (PDMS/MWCNT) nanocomposites, which then exhibited high piezoresistive sensitivity and low percolation threshold without sacrificing their mechanical properties. First, PDMS was cured and pulverized into 40-60 mesh-sized particles (with the size range of 250-425 μm) as an optimum self-segregated phase to improve the subsequent electrical conductivity. Then, the uncured PDMS/MWCNT base together with the curing agent was mixed with the abovementioned PDMS particles, serving as the segregated phase. Finally, the mixture was cured again to form the PDMS/MWCNT nanocomposites with self-segregated structures. The morphological evaluation indicated that MWCNTs were located in the second cured three-dimensional (3D) continuous PDMS phase, resulting in an ultralow percolation threshold of 0.003 vol% MWCNTs. The nanocomposites with self-segregated structures with 0.2 vol% MWCNTs achieved a high electrical conductivity of 0.003 S m -1 , whereas only 4.87 × 10 -10 S m -1 was achieved for the conventional samples with 0.2 vol% MWCNTs. The gauge factor GF of the self-segregated samples was 7.4-fold that of the conventional samples at 30% compression strain. Furthermore, the self-segregated samples also showed higher compression modulus and strength as compared to the conventional samples. These enhanced properties were attributed to the construction of 3D self-segregated structures, concentrated distribution of MWCNTs, and strong interfacial interaction between the segregated phase and the continuous phase with chemical bonds formed during the second curing process. These self-segregated structures provide a new insight into the fabrication of elastomers with high electrical conductivity and piezoresistive sensitivity for flexible force-sensitive materials.

Nanocomposites consisting of poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) were fabricated by solution coagulation method. Morphology analysis indicated that CNC dispersed well in PBS matrix and rheological analysis suggested that PBS and CNC showed strong interactions. Thermal analysis indicated that the nanocomposites showed slightly increased glass transition temperature, significantly enhanced crystallization temperature and different melting behavior, compared to neat PBS. Study on crystallization indicated that small loading of CNC could significantly increase overall crystallization rate of PBS, meanwhile the crystallization mechanism and crystal structure remained unchanged. The significant enhancement in overall crystallization was attributed to the increased nucleation ability by incorporation of well dispersed CNC nanoparticles. Tensile testing indicated that the tensile strength and modulus were gradually improved with increasing CNC content, while the elongation at break decreased and even brittle fracture occurred when the content of CNC increased to 1.0wt%., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Enrichment and purification of bacteria from complex matrices are crucial for their detection and investigation, in which magnetic separation techniques have recently show great application advantages. However, currently used magnetic particles all have their own limitations: Magnetic microparticles exhibit poor binding capacity with targets, while magnetic nanoparticles suffer slow magnetic response and high loss rate during treatment process. Herein, we used a highly controllable layer-by-layer assembly method to fabricate quick-response magnetic nanospheres (MNs), and with Salmonella typhimurium as a model, we successfully achieve their rapid and efficient enrichment. The MNs combined the advantages of magnetic microparticles and nanoparticles. On the one hand, the MNs had a fast magnetic response, and almost 100% of the MNs could be recovered by 1 min attraction with a simple magnetic scaffold. Hence, using antibody conjugated MNs (immunomagnetic nanospheres, IMNs) to capture bacteria hardly generated loss and did not need complex separation tools or techniques. On the other hand, the IMNs showed much excellent capture capacity. With 20 min interaction, almost all of the target bacteria could be captured, and even only one bacterium existing in the samples was not missed, comparing with the immunomagnetic microparticles which could only capture less than 50% of the bacteria. Besides, the IMNs could achieve the same efficient enrichment in complex matrices, such as milk, fetal bovine serum, and urine, demonstrating their good stability, strong anti-interference ability, and low nonspecific adsorption. In addition, the isolated bacteria could be directly used for culture, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses, and fluorescence immunoassay without a release process, which suggested our IMNs-based enrichment strategy could be conveniently coupled with the downstream identification and analysis techniques. Thus, the MNs provided by this work showed great superiority in bacteria enrichment, which would be a promising tool for bacteria detection and investigation.

Number concentration of nanoparticles is a critical and challenging parameter to be identified. Recently, gravimetric strategy is a fundamental method for absolute quantification, which is widely accepted and used by researchers, yet limited by the inaccuracy in measuring related parameters (e.g, density). Hence, we introduced isopycnic gradient centrifugation to determine the nanopartices' density and improved the current gravimetric method for more accuracy. In this work, polymer nanospheres were used as a model to validate this method. Through isopycnic gradient centrifugation, nanospheres finally reached the zone of equal density as them. By measuring the density of the medium solution in this zone, the nanospheres' density was identified. Then, the density was multiplied by the volume of a single nanosphere characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the average weight of a single nanosphere was obtained. Using total weight of the nanospheres divided by the unit weight, their number concentration was quantified. Directly using the real density of the nanoparticles achieved more accurate quantification than the current gravimetric method which used the density of the bulk material counterparts for calculation. Besides, compared with the viscosity/light scattering method and the high-sensitivity flow cytometry (HSFCM) method (another two kinds of typical methods respectively based on light measurements and single particle counting), the improved gravimetric method showed better reproducibility and more convenience. Further, we modified the nanospheres with streptavidin (SA) and antibody, and through biorecognition interaction, we determined the amount of the active affinity sites on each biofunctional nanosphere. Moreover, their bioactivity in different storage conditions was monitored, which showed good stability even in PBS at 4 °C over one year. Our work provided a promising method for more accurately determining the absolute number concentration of nanoparticles and the active affinity sites on their surfaces, which would greatly facilitate their downstream applications.

The key to fabricating conductive polymer/carbon nanotube (CNT) nanocomposites is controlling the distribution of CNTs in the polymer matrix. Here, an effective and simple approach for controlling the distribution of multiwalled CNTs (MWCNTs) is reported to largely improve the electrical conductivity of biodegradable poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) through crystalline morphology development by addition of high-melting-point PLLA (hPLLA) crystallites. hPLLA crystallites are efficient nucleating agents, increasing the crystallinity and crystallization rate of PLLA/MWCNT nanocomposites. Furthermore, the diameter of spherulites decreases from 9.7 to 1.0 μm with an increase in the concentration of hPLLA from 0.03 to 3.0 wt %. The electrical conductivity of PLLA/MWCNT nanocomposites with 0.3 wt % MWCNTs greatly increases from 1.89 × 10(-15) to 1.56 × 10(-8) S/cm with an increase in the matrix crystallinity from 2.4 to 46.8% on introducing trace amounts of hPLLA (0.07 wt %). The percolation threshold of PLLA/MWCNT nanocomposites is reduced from 0.51 to 0.21 wt % on addition of 0.07 wt % hPLLA. The high electrical conductivity and low percolation threshold of PLLA/MWCNT nanocomposites incorporated with hPLLA are related to the high crystallinity and crystalline morphologies of the PLLA matrix. Big spherulites lock a lot of MWCNTs at the intervals in the spherulites, which is harmful to the electrical conductivity. Small spherulites, with large surface areas, also need more MWCNTs to form conductive networks in the amorphous regions. Most MWCNTs that are bundled together to form conductive paths are found in samples with mid-sized spherulites of ∼6.7 μm. More interestingly, the high crystallinity and reconstructed MWCNT network also enhanced the Young modulus, elongation at break, and elastic modulus at high temperature of PLLA/MWCNT nanocomposites with small amounts of hPLLA.

Detection of KRAS mutation status is a routine clinical procedure for predicting response to anti-EGFR therapy in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Previous studies showed high concordance of KRAS mutation status in primary lesion and corresponding metastatic sites in CRC. However, the data were mostly from Caucasians. The aim of this study is to compare KRAS mutation and other molecules mutation status between primary tumor and corresponding metastatic lesion in Chinese patients with CRC. In this retrospective study, Chinese CRC patients with paired samples of primary tumor and metastatic site were detected for KRAS codon 12 and 13 with quantitative real-time PCR, or detected for OncoCarta™ panel of 19 genes with MassARRAY(®) technique, including KRAS, BRAF, NRAS and PIK3CA et al. Forty-eight paired CRC samples were analyzed for KRAS codon 12 and 13 using quantitative real-time PCR. Ten paired samples were analyzed by 19 genes OncoCarta™ Panel with MassARRAY(®) technique. KRAS mutation was found in 15 (25.9 %) primary tumors and 18 (31.0 %) metastases. The discordance of KRAS was observed in 11 (19.0 %) patients. Alteration of mutation points in primary site with mutant KRAS was not observed. In the 10 patients with multiple gene detection, PIK3CA mutation showed concordant mutation status in primary tumor and metastatic site, whereas discordance in BRAF, NRAS and AKT1 was detected. A concordance rate of 81.0 % was detected in KRAS mutation between primary tumor and metastatic lesion in Chinese patients with CRC. Discordance of BRAF, NRAS and AKT1 mutation status in primary tumor and metastases was observed.

Dual thermo- and pH-responsive chromatography has been proposed using poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-butyl methacrylate-co-N,N-dimethylaminopropyl acrylamide) (P(NIPAM-co-BMA-co-DMAPAAM)) brushes grafted gigaporous polystyrene microspheres (GPM) as matrix. Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiator was first coupled onto GPM through Friedel-Crafts acylation with 2-bromoisobutyryl bromide. The dual-responsive polymer brushes were then grafted onto GPM via surface-initiated ATRP. The surface composition, gigaporous structure, protein adsorption and dual-responsive chromatographic properties of the matrix (GPM-P(NIPAM-co-BMA-co-DMAPAAM) were characterized in detail. Results showed that GPM were successfully grafted with thermoresponsive cationic polymer brushes and that the gigaporous structure was well maintained. A column packed with GPM-P(NIPAM-co-BMA-co-DMAPAAM presented low backpressure, good permeability and appreciable thermo-responsibility. By changing pH of the mobile phase and temperature of the column in turn, the column can separate three model proteins at the mobile phase velocity up to 2528cmh(-1). A separation mechanism of this matrix was also proposed. All results indicate that the dual thermo- and pH-responsive chromatography matrix has great potentials in 'green' high-speed protein chromatography., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Caspase recruitment domain-containing protein 9 (CARD9) deficiency is an autosomal recessive primary immunodeficiency conferring human susceptibility to invasive fungal disease, including spontaneous central nervous system candidiasis (sCNSc). However, clinical characterization of sCNSc is variable, hindering its recognition. Furthermore, an in-depth understanding of the bases for this susceptibility has remained elusive., Objectives: We sought to comprehensively characterize sCNSc and to dissect the mechanisms by which a hypomorphic CARD9 mutation causes susceptibility to Candida species., Methods: We describe the clinical and radiologic findings of sCNSc caused by CARD9 deficiency in a French-Canadian cohort. We performed genetic, cellular, and molecular analyses to further decipher its pathophysiology., Results: In our French-Canadian series (n = 4) sCNSc had onset in adulthood (median, 38 years) and was often misinterpreted radiologically as brain malignancies; 1 patient had additional novel features (eg, endophthalmitis and osteomyelitis). CARD9 deficiency resulted from a hypomorphic p.Y91H mutation and allelic imbalance established in this population through founder effects. We demonstrate a consistent cellular phenotype of impaired GM-CSF responses. The ability of CARD9 to complex with B-cell CLL/lymphoma 10 (BCL10) and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma translocation protein 1 (MALT1) is intact in our series, arguing against its involvement in susceptibility to fungi. Instead, we show that the p.Y91H mutation impairs the ability of CARD9 to complex with Ras protein-specific guanine nucleotide-releasing factor 1 (RASGRF1), leading to impaired activation of nuclear factor κB and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in monocytes and subsequent GM-CSF responses. Successful treatment of a second patient with adjunctive GM-CSF bolsters the clinical relevance of these findings., Conclusions: Hypomorphic CARD9 deficiency caused by p.Y91H results in adult-onset disease with variable penetrance and expressivity. Our findings establish the CARD9/RASGRF1/ERK/GM-CSF axis as critical to the pathophysiology of sCNSc., (Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Constitutive activation and gemcitabine induction of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) contribute to the aggressive behavior and chemotherapeutic resistance of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Thus, targeting the NF-κB pathway has proven an insurmountable challenge for PDAC therapy. In this study, we investigated whether the inhibition of NF-κB signaling pathway by melatonin might lead to tumor suppression and overcome gemcitabine resistance in pancreatic tumors. Our results showed that melatonin inhibited activities of NF-κB by suppressing IκBα phosphorylation and decreased the expression of NF-κB response genes in MiaPaCa-2, AsPc-1, Panc-28 cells and gemcitabine resistance MiaPaCa-2/GR cells. Moreover, melatonin not only inhibited cell proliferation and invasion in a receptor-independent manner, but also enhanced gemcitabine cytotoxicity at pharmacologic concentrations in these PDAC cells. In vivo, the mice treated with both agents experienced a larger reduction in tumor burden than the single drug-treated groups in an orthotopic xenograft mouse model. Taken together, these results indicate that melatonin inhibits proliferation and invasion of PDAC cells and overcomes gemcitabine resistance of pancreatic tumors through NF-κB inhibition. Our findings therefore provide novel preclinical knowledge about melatonin inhibition of NF-κB in PDAC and suggest that melatonin should be investigated clinically, alone or in combination with gemcitabine for PDAC treatment., (© 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

A fully biobased and supertough thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) consisting of polylactide (PLA) and a biobased vulcanized unsaturated aliphatic polyester elastomer (UPE) was fabricated via peroxide-induced dynamic vulcanization. Interfacial compatibilization between PLA and UPE took place during dynamic vulcanization, which was confirmed by gel measurement and NMR analysis. After vulcanization, the TPV exhibited a quasi cocontinuous morphology with vulcanized UPE compactly dispersed in PLA matrix, which was different from the pristine PLA/UPE blend, exhibiting typically phase-separated morphology with unvulcanized UPE droplets discretely dispersed in matrix. The TPV showed significantly improved tensile and impact toughness with values up to about 99.3 MJ/m(3) and 586.6 J/m, respectively, compared to those of 3.2 MJ/m(3) and 16.8 J/m for neat PLA, respectively. The toughening mechanisms under tensile and impact tests were investigated and deduced as massive shear yielding of the PLA matrix triggered by internal cavitation of VUPE. The fully biobased supertough PLA vulcanizate could serve as a promising alternative to traditional commodity plastics.

We synthesize Au@Ag core/shell nanoparticles (NPs) using a Au NP assisted Tollens reaction. The as-synthesized NPs are used for the colorimetric cyanide sensing with a detection limit of 0.4 μM. The bimetallic NPs are immobilized into agarose gels as portable "test strips".

Objective: To investigate the expression of phosphatase and tension homolog (PTEN) in adipose tissue of KKAy diabetic mice, a mouse model of type 2 diabetes., Methods: KKAy diabetic mice were fed with high fat diet for 4 weeks. After blood glucose met the criteria of diabetes (over 16.7 mmol/L), mice were randomly divided into 3 groups: a control group (without any treatment), a rosiglitazone group (treated with rosiglitazone 12.5 mg/kg.d once per day), and a metformin group (treated with metformin 3 g/kg.d twice daily). After 4 weeks, we then determined the expression of PTEN and phosphoserine 473-Akt (pS473-Akt) in the epididymal adipose tissue with Western blots. The mice in each group were further divided into the insulin (-) subgroup and insulin (+) subgroup, which were intraperitoneally injected with saline and insulin (5 mU/g body weight), respectively., Results: The expression of PTEN was elevated in the epididymal adipose tissue obtained from KKAy diabetic mice compared with that from the C57BL/6J mice (P<0.001). In accordance with the enhanced expression of PTEN, the level of pS473-Akt stimulated by insulin was decreased in the adipose tissue of KKAy mice compared to the C57BL/6J mice (P<0.001). Treatment with the insulin-sensitizing agents, rosiglitazone and metformin did not inhibit the elevated expression of PTEN in adipose tissue of KKAy diabetic mice., Conclusion: PTEN may play an important role in the development of insulin resistance in adipose tissue of type 2 diabetes mice model.

Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) coupled with Tollens reagent were used for measuring formaldehyde. Au@Ag core-shell NPs were formed along with distinct color changes from pink to deep yellow. This colorimetric system was further immobilized into an agarose gel, which was used for monitoring of gaseous formaldehyde.

Fractional crystallization, homogeneous nucleation of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) segment, and self-nucleation behavior of PEG segment within miscible double crystalline poly(butylene succinate)-poly(ethylene glycol) (PBSEG) multiblock copolymers with different composition and segment chain length were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Surface morphology of PBSEG10K with different PEG content was investigated by atomic force microscope (AFM). Different from di- or triblock copolymers, the microstructure and confinement of PEG dispersed phase in PBS matrix phase highly depends on chain length and sequence as well as segment content. The transition point of the PEG segment content from heterogeneous to homogeneous nucleation mechanism decreased from 50 to 39 wt % with PEG segment chain length increasing from 1000 to 2000 g/mol. When PEG segment chain length increased further to 6000 and 10000 g/mol, homogeneous nucleation phenomenon took place at much lower PEG content and fractional crystallization was observed at 29 and 24 wt %, respectively. Homogeneous nucleation mechanism of PBSEG(1K-36), PBSEG(2K-26), PBSEG(6K-19), and PBSEG(10K-12) was evidenced by the large supercoolings needed for crystallization, as well as first-order crystallization kinetics obtained. Self-nucleation behaviors of PEG segment still rely on the composition of PBSEGs. In the case of heterogeneous nucleation crystallization, self-nucleation behaviors of PEG segment showed standard self-nucleation behavior with classical three self-nucleation domains. When the crystallizable chains were confined into isolated microdomains, however, self-nucleation domain (domain II) disappeared. The absence of III(A) was observed in PBSEG(2K-39), while PBSEG(6K-29) had both III(A) and III(SA). Furthermore, AFM morphology studies still indicated the confined degree of PEG segment by previous PBS crystals was profoundly influenced by segment fraction. The confinement of the PEG segment by previous PBS edge-on lamellae was observed in the sample which displays a homogeneous nucleation crystallization behavior.

Background: Hemoglobinopathies are the most common inherited diseases in southern China. However, there have been only a few epidemiological studies of hemoglobinopathies in Guangdong province., Materials and Methods: Peripheral blood samples were collected from 15299 "healthy" unrelated subjects of dominantly ethnic Hakka in the Meizhou region, on which hemoglobin electrophoresis and routine blood tests were performed. Suspected cases with hemoglobin variants and hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin (HPFH) were further characterized by PCR, DNA sequencing, reverse dot blot (RDB) or multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA). In addition, 1743 samples were randomly selected from the 15299 subjects for thalassemia screening, and suspected thalassemia carriers were identified by PCR and RDB., Results: The gene frequency of hemoglobin variants was 0.477% (73/15299). The five main subgroups of the ten hemoglobin variants were Hb E, Hb G-Chinese, Hb Q-Tahiland, Hb New York and Hb J-Bangkok. 277 cases (15.89%, 277/1743) of suspected thalassemia carriers with microcytosis (MCV<82 fl) were found by thalassemia screening, and were tested by a RDB gene chip to reveal a total of 196 mutant chromosomes: including 124 α-thalassemia mutant chromosomes and 72 β-thalassemia mutant chromosomes. These results give a heterozygote frequency of 11.24% for common α and β thalassemia in the Hakka population in the Meizhou region. 3 cases of HPFH/δβ-thalassemia were found, including 2 cases of Vietnamese HPFH (FPFH-7) and a rare Belgian( G)γ((A)γδβ)⁰-thalassemia identified in Chinese., Conclusions: Our results provide a detailed prevalence and molecular characterization of hemoglobinopathies in Hakka people of the Meizhou region. The estimated numbers of pregnancies each year in the Meizhou region, in which the fetus would be at risk for β thalassemia major or intermedia, Bart's hydrops fetalis, and Hb H disease, are 25 (95% CI, 15 to 38), 40 (95% CI, 26 to 57), and 15 (95% CI, 8 to 23), respectively.

Novel urethane ionic groups were incorporated into biodegradable poly(ethylene succinate) (PES) by chain extension reaction of PES diol (HO-PES-OH) and diethanolamine hydrochloride (DEAH) using hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) as a chain extender. The synthesized polymer was a novel segmented poly(ester urethane) ionomer (PESI) in which the soft segments were formed by reaction of HO-PES-OH with HDI and the hard segments that contained ionic groups were derived from reaction of DEAH with HDI. The crystallization rate of PESI was dramatically accelerated when 3 mol % urethane ionic groups were incorporated. However, the crystallization mechanism did not change. The significant acceleration in crystallization rate was attributed to the improved nucleation efficiency by incorporation of the urethane ionic group, because PESI showed significantly enhanced nucleation density but slightly slowed spherurlitic growth rate in comparison with PES which was synthesized by chain extension reaction of HO-PES-OH with HDI. The increased nucleation efficiency was ascribed to the aggregation of hard segments of PESI induced by the ionic interactions.

Objective: To investigate the frequency of CYP2C19 polymorphisms involved in clopidogrel metabolism in Fujian Han population., Methods: Frequencies of CYP2C19* 2, CYP2C19*3 and CYP2C19*17 in 1001 unrelated Fujian Han volunteers were determined with polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism and direct sequencing method., Results: The frequencies of CYP2C19*2, *3 and *17 were 32.4%, 5.8% and 0.4%, respectively. According to genotyping results, intermediate metabolizers (CYP2C19 *1/*2 or *1/*3) and poor metabolizers (CYP2C19 *2/*2 and *2/*3) respectively accounted for 47.95% and 13.99% of all subjects. Above frequencies were similar to those of Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Chinese Dai, Mongolian,Li and Hui ethnics (P>0.05), but were significantly different from those of Chinese Kazakh and Uygur ethnics, and people from Iran, Russia, Italy, Poland, Norway, Canada native Indians, Bolivia, Egypt or Tanzania (P<0.05)., Conclusion: Ethnic/regional diversity exist with regard to the prevalence of CYP2C19 polymorphisms. No significant difference were found between Fujian Han Chinese and Dai, Mongolian, Li and Hui from China or other populations from East and Southeast Asia, but higher frequencies of intermediate metabolizers and poor metabolizers compared with populations of Kazakh and Uygur in China, and people from Europe, South America and Africa.

Knowledge of the G6PD genotype and its associated enzyme activity is significant for population genetics, diagnosis of disease, and management of patients. We tested 2,872 unrelated subjects from a Hakka population in China for G6PD activity by the WHO standard method and for genotype by DHPLC and DNA sequencing. Among female heterozygotes, 78.5% had relatively normal enzyme activity. The phenotype frequency of G6PD deficiency is 0.028, and the causal allele frequency is 0.060 in females. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of DHPLC are more than 98% for detecting G6PD-deficient hemizygotes, heterozygotes, and homozygotes. Measuring enzyme activity alone is not sufficient for the diagnosis of heterozygotes. A combination of enzyme activity and DNA analysis should be used.

Chitin is the second most abundant semicrystalline polysaccharide. Like cellulose, the amorphous domains of chitin can also be removed under certain conditions such as acidolysis to give rise to crystallites in nanoscale, which are the so-called chitin nanocrystals or chitin whiskers (CHWs). CHW together with other organic nanoparticles such as cellulose whisker (CW) and starch nanocrystal show many advantages over traditional inorganic nanoparticles such as easy availability, nontoxicity, biodegradability, low density, and easy modification. They have been widely used as substitutes for inorganic nanoparticles in reinforcing polymer nanocomposites. The research and development of CHW related areas are much slower than those of CW. However, CHWs are still of strategic importance in the resource scarcity periods because of their abundant availability and special properties. During the past decade, increasing studies have been done on preparation of CHWs and their application in reinforcing polymer nanocomposites. Some other applications such as being used as feedstock to prepare chitosan nanoscaffolds have also been investigated. This Article is to review the recent development on CHW related studies.

Miscibility and crystallization behaviors of poly(ethylene succinate)/poly(p-dioxanone) (PES/PPDO) blends were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized optical microscopy (POM), and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). PES/PPDO blends are completely miscible as proved by the single grass transition temperature (T(g)) dependence of composition and decreasing crystallization temperature of the blends in comparison with the respective component. POM observation suggests that simultaneous crystallization of PES and PPDO components in the blends took place, spherulites of one component can crystallize inside the spherulites of the other component, and the unique interpenetrated crystalline morphology has been formed for the blends in the full composition range. Isothermal crystallization kinetics of the blends was studied by DSC and the data were analyzed by the Avrami equation. The results suggest that the crystallization mechanisms of the blends were unchanged but the overall crystallization rates were slowed down compared with neat PES and neat PPDO. WAXD results indicate that the crystal structures of PES and PPDO did not change in the blends.

A novel direct readout colorimetric optical glucose sensor strip was constructed based on a three-layer film, including a green-emitted CdTe/CdS quantum dots (QDs) layer as a stable color background, a red-fluorescent platinum-porphyrin oxygen-sensing layer and a glucose oxidase layer. The sensor achieved high resolution (up to 0.2 mmol L(-1)) glucose determination with a detection range from 0 to 3.0 mmol L(-1). A "glucose ruler" which acts as a glucose standard colorimetric card was obtained. Glucose concentration could easily be directly readout using the "glucose ruler", which made the glucose determination rapid, convenient and easy. The effects of pH, salinity and temperature were systematically investigated. The prepared sensor was finally applied for glucose sample analysis, compared with the "glucose ruler", accurate results could be directly readout.

A novel environmentally friendly thermoplastic soy protein/polyester blend was successfully prepared by blending soy protein isolate (SPI) with poly(butylene succinate) (PBS). To improve the compatibility between SPI and PBS, the polyester was pretreated by introducing different amounts of urethane and isocyanate groups before blending. The blends containing pretreated PBS showed much finer phase structures because of good dispersion of polyester in protein. Consequently, the tensile strength and modulus of blends increased obviously. A lower glass transition temperature of protein in the blends than that of the pure SPI, which was caused by the improvement of the compatibility between two phases, was observed by dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA). The hydrophobicity, water resistance, and moisture absorption at different humidities of the blends were modified significantly due to the incorporation of PBS.

Background: This prospective, randomized, controlled study was designed to investigate the effects of a diabetes specific formula (Diason low energy: 313.8 kJ/100 ml), compared with a standard formula, on insulin sensitivity, serum C peptide, serum lipids and free fatty acid (FFA) in type 2 diabetics., Methods: In total of 71 type 2 diabetics completed the study. Enteral formulas were given orally as the sole source of nutrition to the subjects for 6 days. Venous blood samples (0.5, 1, 2, 3 hours) were collected at day-7 after a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), day 1 after a standard test meal (1673.6 kJ) and after 6 days of either the test diabetes specific formula or a standard formula. Plasma glucose, serum insulin, C peptide and lipids were measured., Results: After the intervention period, the diabetes specific formula resulted in a significantly lower postprandial rise in blood glucose concentrations at 0.5 hour (P < 0.05) and 1 hour (P < 0.01); significantly lower peak height of plasma glucose (P = 0.05); significantly lower plasma insulin concentrations at 0.5 hour (P < 0.01), 1 hour (P < 0.01) and 2 hours (P < 0.01); and a significantly lower plasma insulin peak compared to controls; both OGTT and a standard test meal (P < 0.05). The glucose and insulin area under the curve after the diabetes specific formula compared to the standard formula were significantly lower. The C peptide level was lower after 6 days of both nutrition formulas compare to 75 g OGTT, but not different from the standard mixed meal. Both formulas were well tolerated., Conclusions: In summary the diabetes specific formula with a relatively high monounsaturated fatty acid and high multi fiber proportion significantly improved glycemic control. On top of this, the insulin sensitivity (HOMA-IS) was significantly improved and may therefore directly improve the impact on long term complications. The disease specific formula should therefore be the preferred option to be used by diabetic and hyperglycemic patients in need of nutritional support.

Objective: To investigate the effect of a new enteral nutrition suspension (diabetes) (TPF-DM) (Dixson 0.75 kcal/ml) (1 kcal = 4.184 kJ) on blood glucose, serum insulin and lipids as compared with a standard formula (Nutrition MF 0.75 kcal/ml) in patients with type 2 diabetes., Methods: A randomized, controlled, paralleled and single center trial was carried out. A total of 76 patients with type 2 diabetes without using insulin and obvious complications were randomized into a study group and a control group. 36 patients in the study group and 35 in the control group completed the trial. The observation lasted 6 days. All calories came from enteral nutrition. At baseline all the patients had standard mixed meal (bread 50 g, egg 50 g, milk 250 ml, total calorie 400 kcal) test and at the end of the trial a enteral nutrient meal (enteral nutrient 400 ml, total calorie 300 kcal) test. Blood samples were taken before the meal and 30, 60, 120 and 180 minutes after the meal to test plasma glucose, serum insulin, serum lipids and some safety parameters. The area under curve (AUC) for plasma glucose, serum insulin, serum lipids was calculated., Results: Compared with the mixed meal test, the AUC of plasma glucose and serum insulin during both Dixson 0.75 kcal/ml test and standard formula (Nutrition MF 0.75 kcal/ml) test were significantly lower (P < 0.01). The change at baseline in the study group was more than that in the control group [the change of AUC for plasma glucose (-6.42 +/- 8.62) h x mmol x L(-1) vs (-1.87 +/- 5.30) h x mmol x L(-1), P < 0.01; that of AUC for serum insulin (-36.94 +/- 49.77) h x mIU x L(-1) vs (-18.20 +/- 32.62) h x mIU x L(-1), P < 0.05]. Both the enteral nutrition formula can reduce insulin resistance (calculated by HOMA-IR), but there was no difference between them. There was no significant effect on total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein and low density lipoprotein. AUC of serum triglycerides was lower during the tests with both enteral nutrients than that during mixed meal test, but there was no significant difference between the two groups. There was no safety concern about the enteral nutrition., Conclusion: Enteral nutrition suspension (diabetes) (TPF-DM) (Dixson 0.75 kcal/ml) is an effective and safe enteral nutrient to be used in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Objective: To explore the effects of Gymnadenia conopsea alcohol extract (GcAE) on the collagen synthesis in rat lungs exposed to silica and the influence on antioxidase activities, level of lipid peroxidation (LPO)., Methods: One hundred and twenty rats were randomly divided into control group, silica group, and GcAE-treated group. Silicotic animal models were established by direct tracheal instillation of silica into rat lungs surgically. From the second day of model establishment, rats in GcAE-treated group were orally given GcAE [8 g/(kg x d) corresponding to raw herb]. At 7, 14, 21, 28 and 60 days after establishment of the animal model, eight rats in each group were sacrificed, and samples were collected. The malondialdehyde (MDA) content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities in plasma were assayed by a spectrophotometer. Types I and III collagen were detected by Sirius red polarization and microscopy, and measuered by Image-Pro Plus Version 4.5 for Windows software., Results: GcAE could reduce the lung/body weight ratio of rats exposed to silica, the synthesis of types I and III collagen of the lungs and the level of lipid peroxidation, increase the activities of SOD and GPx., Conclusion: GcAE can ameliorate the silica-induced pulmonary fibrosis by increasing the activities of antioxidase and alleviating the damage of lipid peroxidation to the lungs.

Objective: To investigate the change of the expression of the FasL receptor and apoptosis in the pathology of silicosis of the rats exposed to silica and their roles., Methods: Ninety-six wistar rats were randomizedly divided into the control group and the experimental group. The silicotic animal model was established by the direct tracheal instillation of silica into rat lungs surgically. The control rats underwent directly tracheal instillation of saline into lungs surgically. Eight rats from each group were sacrificed at different days. The expression of FasL receptor in the tissue of the model rats was detected by tissuechip microarray and immunohistochemistry and the cell apoptosis induced by silica was determined by TdT-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling method. The integral optical density of positive cells were quantitatively analyzed using Image-Pro Plus Version 4.5 for windows., Results: The expression of FasL in the lung tissue of the model rats on the 7th, the 14th, the 21st, and the 28th day was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05), and peaked at the 14th day after exposure to silica. Apoptotic cells in the lung tissue of the model rats on the 1st, the 3rd, the 7th, the 14th, the 21st, and the 28th day were significantly more than those in the control group, and peaked at the 7th and the 14th day after exposure to silica., Conclusion: Silica can lead to apoptosis in lung tissues. FasL is expressed in all kinds of cells in the pulmonary tissues of the rats exposed to silica and leads to apoptosis. From the 7th day to 14th day, inflammatory cells dominate in apoptotic cells.

Objective: To investigate the early diagnosis and treatment of polytrauma patients with thoracic and/or abdominal injuries., Methods: The data of all polytrauma patients with thoracic and/or abdominal injuries during the past 10 years were studied retrospectively., Results: In the present study, there were 1 540 polytrauma patients, accounting for 65.0% of all 2 368 trauma patients. Of these patients, 62.4% were in shock state on admission. The operative rates were 15.0% (181/1 206) and 79.9% (612/766) in patients with thoracic and abdominal injury (P<0.01), 5.2% (39/758) and 31.7% (142/448) in patients with blunt and penetrating chest trauma (P<0.01), and 72.45% (359/496) and 93.7% (253/270) in patients with blunt and penetrating abdominal injuries (P<0.01), respectively. To deal with abdominal injury, angioembolization was performed in 43 cases, with 42 cured. The overall mortality rate was 6.2%. And in the blunt and penetrating subgroups, the mortalities were 7.9% (75/950) and 3.6% (21/590), respectively (P<0.01). Most patients died from exsanguination., Conclusions: The first "golden hour" after trauma should be grasped, since the treatment in this hour can determine greatly whether the critically-injured victim could survive. Prompt diagnosis and proper treatment contribute more greatly to the survival of the victim than the severity of injury.

Objective: To investigate the approach of emergency management for severe pelvic fracture associated with injuries of adjacent viscera and evaluate the therapeutic effect., Methods: The data of 79 patients with severe pelvic fracture associated with injuries of adjacent viscera were retrospectively studied, and the study covered a period of 14 years., Results: To cease massive bleeding due to pelvic fracture, ligation of internal iliac arteries was performed on 33 cases, and angioembolization on 8. Of 42 patients with cystic or/and urethral injury, 35 underwent cystostomy and delayed reconstruction, and 7 received a primary realignment. All of 17 patients with injury of retroperitoneal rectum underwent diverting colostomy of the proximal end of sigmoid with presacral drainage, but 4 received primary repair without colostomy. In 22 patients with intraperitoneal colorectal injury, 19 were managed with primary repair or anastomosis while 3 received a colostomy. The overall mortality rate was 8.86% (7/79); the main causes were hemorrhagic shock and associated injury. The complications included urethro-rectal fistula in 4 cases, thrombosis of right common iliac artery in 1, ARDS following chest trauma in 1, and paraplegia in 1. Except the patient with paraplegia, all of them were cured., Conclusions: Prompt diagnosis and proper treatment are the key to success. Devascularization of internal iliac arteries with external fixation cage of the pelvis, cystostomy and proximal sigmoidostomy are effective procedures in emergency treatment of the critical patients.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between complex 1311 mutation of C-->T in exon 11 and 93 T-->C in intron 11 of G6PD gene and the G6PD deficiency., Methods: Using NBT paper strip method to screen and quantitative NBT method to confirm G6PD deficiency. PCR-SSCP technique was used to find the abnormal exon 11 and the amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS) to identify 1311 mutation, and DNA sequencing to identify the complex mutation at 1311 in exon 11 and 93 in intron 11., Results: Abnormal band in exon 11 was found in 12 cases. DNA sequencing showed that they were 1311 mutation together with 93 mutation., Conclusion: This complex mutation may be the cause of reduced activity of G6PD enzyme.