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Over half of patients with enlarged vestibular aqueducts (EVA) will have an air-bonr gap (ABG), however, current research on audiology has focused on the influencing factors of air-conducted. To retrospectively analyse the influencing factors and clinical manifestations of the bone-conduction threshold and ABG in patients with EVA. We included 286 patients with EVA; among them, 126 had full SLC26A4 gene sequence results. We performed a descriptive analysis of the bone-conduction threshold and explored the effect of age. Finally, we analyzed the relationship of ABG and SLC26A4 genes with the degree of vestibular aqueduct (VA) enlargement. Among 555 ears, 312 (57.8%) ears had ABG; approximately 94% of the patients' bone-conduction hearing is almost completely lost at frequencies of 2 and 4 kHz. There was no linear correlation between age and bone-conduction threshold (p > 0.05). ABG did not significantly differ according to the degree of VA enlargement and number of SLC26A4 allele mutations (p > 0.05). Among patients with EVA, ABG is mainly produced at low frequencies and is not significantly correlated with age, size of the VA opening or SLC26A4 genes, which could be attributed to the biomechanical effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endoscopic techniques have been widely used in ventral hernia surgery. Totally visceral sac separation (TVS) is a new concept proposed for hernia repair in recent years. The aim of this study was to contrast the postoperative results of TVS with the widely used method of Laparoscopic intraperitoneal onlay mesh plus repair (IPOM plus) for incisional hernias. The retrospective comparison analysis of 38 IPOM plus and 34 TVS was conducted during the time period between December 2019 and June 2022. For both two groups, baseline characteristics, surgical records, postoperative information, and quality of life outcomes utilizing the Carolina's Comfort Scale were collected and analyzed. There were no differences between the methods of TVS and IPOM plus among the baseline characteristics. It showed the operative time in TVS group with the mean time of 213.4 min was significantly longer than that in IPOM plus group with the mean time of 182.9 min (P = 0.010). The postoperative length of stay in TVS group was 6.2 days, which was significantly shorter than IPOM plus group with the mean time of 4.8 days (P = 0.011). The medical expenses was significantly smaller in TVS group than that in IPOM plus group (P < 0.001). The quality of life scores of TVS were significant better than IPOM plus at one week, one month and six months. Besides, both TVS and IPOM plus have very few complications. TVS approach for incisional hernias is secure, effective, and valuable. It has shorter postoperative length of stay, higher quality of life, longer operative time, smaller medical expenses, and approximate complications compared with IPOM plus procedure. Our results have a greater contribution to the application and popularization of TVS technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endoscopic techniques have been widely used in ventral hernia surgery. Totally visceral sac separation (TVS) is a new concept proposed for hernia repair in recent years. The aim of this study was to contrast the postoperative results of TVS with the widely used method of Laparoscopic intraperitoneal onlay mesh plus repair (IPOM plus) for incisional hernias. The retrospective comparison analysis of 38 IPOM plus and 34 TVS was conducted during the time period between December 2019 and June 2022. For both two groups, baseline characteristics, surgical records, postoperative information, and quality of life outcomes utilizing the Carolina's Comfort Scale were collected and analyzed. There were no differences between the methods of TVS and IPOM plus among the baseline characteristics. It showed the operative time in TVS group with the mean time of 213.4 min was significantly longer than that in IPOM plus group with the mean time of 182.9 min (P = 0.010). The postoperative length of stay in TVS group was 6.2 days, which was significantly shorter than IPOM plus group with the mean time of 4.8 days (P = 0.011). The medical expenses was significantly smaller in TVS group than that in IPOM plus group (P < 0.001). The quality of life scores of TVS were significant better than IPOM plus at one week, one month and six months. Besides, both TVS and IPOM plus have very few complications. TVS approach for incisional hernias is secure, effective, and valuable. It has shorter postoperative length of stay, higher quality of life, longer operative time, smaller medical expenses, and approximate complications compared with IPOM plus procedure. Our results have a greater contribution to the application and popularization of TVS technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the consistency on the target heart rate for exercise determined by simple target heart rate (sTHR) based on resting heart rate (HRrest) and heart rate at anaerobic threshold (HRAT) in cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) for patients with chronic heart failure. This is a retrospective cohort study, in which CHF patients who underwent CPET in Tongji Hospital Cardiac Rehabilitation Center Affiliated to Tongji University from March 2007 to December 2018 were enrolled. The clinical data of the patients from the electronic medical record system, HRrest and HRAT measured by CPET were collected. Patients were further divided into subgroups according to gender, age (<60 years group and ≥ 60 years group), with or without beta-blocker therapy and subgroup of heart failure (heart failure with reduced, mid-range and preserved ejection fraction). The sTHR (HRrest plus 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 bpm) and HRAT were all calculated in each patient. Paired t- test was used for the difference between the two methods, correlation analysis was shown by pearson analysis and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated for consistency test. A total of 547 CHF patients were enrolled, including 447 males (81.7%), aged 63 (56,69) years, with BMI of 25.2 (23.5,26.4) kg/m2 and LVEF of 45.0 (36.0, 52.0) %. The target heart rate determined by HRAT method was (93.59 ± 13.95) bpm, and its counterpart determined by HRrest plus 20 bpm (HRrest +20) was (93.16 ± 7.69) bpm. There was no significant difference between the two methods (P >0.05). However, it was statistically different between HRrest plus 10, 15, 25, 30 bpm and HRAT respectively (P <0.001). And HRrest +20 was positively correlated with HRAT (r = 0.418, P <0.001). Therefore, HRrest +20 below was regarded as sTHR. The ICC of the consistency test between sTHR and HRAT was 0.523,95%CI 0.435–0.596 (P < 0.001) in all patients (n = 547). In patients with beta-blocker therapy (n = 464), the ICC of sTHR and HRAT consistency test was 0.534,95%CI 0.441–0.612, P < 0.001; The ICC of the consistency test between sTHR and HRAT of patients without beta-blocker therapy (n = 83) was 0.407,95%CI 0.083–0.616, P < 0.05. In the sinus rhythm group (n = 466), the ICC of sTHR and HRAT consistency test was 0.527,95%CI 0.433–0.606, P < 0.001; The ICC of the consistency test between sTHR and HRAT of atrial fibrillation patients in group (n = 81) was 0.482,95%CI 0.195–0.667, P < 0.05.The ICC of the consistency test between sTHR and HRAT was 0.501,95%CI 0.338–0.623 (P < 0.001) in patients under 60 years old (n = 195); The ICC of the consistency test between sTHR and HRAT in patients ≥60 years old (n = 352) was 0.533,95%CI 0.424–0.621, P < 0.001. In the male group (n = 447), the ICC of sTHR and HRAT consistency test was 0.577,95%CI 0.491–0.649, P < 0.001; The ICC of the consistency test between sTHR and HRAT of female patients in group (n = 100) was 0.344,95%CI 0.025–0.559, P < 0.05. The ICC of sTHR and HRAT consistency test in HFrEF group (n = 170) was 0.395,95%CI 0.181–0.553, P < 0.01; The ICC values of the consistency test between sTHR and HRAT was 0.543, 95%CI 0.405–0.649 (P < 0.001) in patients with HFmrEF (n = 222); In HFpEF group (n = 155), the ICC of sTHR and HRAT consistency test was 0.620,95%CI 0.478–0.723, P < 0.001. The exercise target heart rate calculated by HRrest is consistent with that determined by HRAT in patients with CHF. For primary hospitals without CPET, exercise prescription equivalent to AT intensity for patients with CHF can be determined by HRrest. However, the target heart rate calculated by HRrest can't replace that determined by HRAT in this patient cohort completely. • In patients with CHF, the exercise target heart rate determined by HRrest plus 20 bpm is consistent with by AT. • It's feasible to develop exercise prescription equivalent to AT intensity for CHF patients by HRrest without CPET. • HRrest plus 20 bpm can be of clinical value in exercise therapy for CHF patients in primary hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we study the asymptotic stabilisation for coupled time fractional reaction diffusion (FRD) systems with time varying delays and input disturbances by backstepping-based boundary sliding-mode control. Here, the spatially varying diffusion coefficients can be same or distinct. To stabilise the system, we first use an invertible backstepping transformation to convert an original dynamics into a target dynamics with new manipulable inputs and perturbations. Then, we employ the sliding-mode algorithm to design this discontinuous controller to suppress disturbances. In this case, we obtain the combined backstepping/sliding-mode controller of the original dynamics. By using the fractional Halanay's inequality, the delay-independent stability condition is obtained for the asymptotic stabilisation of the delayed target system and therefore of the delayed original system under the combined controller. Fractional numerical examples are given to verify the efficiency of the proposed synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucose metabolism reprogramming is an important reason for the functional remodeling, growth, and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). It is also an important basis for the occurrence and development of aortic dissection (AD), but the specific regulatory factors are not clear. Noncoding RNA activated by DNA damage (NORAD) is dysfunctional in many diseases, but the role of NORAD in AD etiology is unclear. We first established a vascular remodeling cell model of AD, and the expression of NORAD in VSMCs was significantly increased. Functional experiments showed that inhibition of NORAD could downregulate the proliferation and migration of VSMCs. Meanwhile, silencing NORAD could also inhibit the flux of glycolysis, suggesting that NORAD may aggravate AD by promoting glycolysis. In addition, mechanism studies have shown that NORAD can exert VSMCs-regulating function by recruiting LIN28B to bind to TGF-β mRNA, which subsequently facilitates the expression of TGF-β1 (transforming growth factor β1). The recovery experiment also showed that overexpression of TGF-β could reverse the inhibitory effect of NORAD knockdown on VSMCs in terms of proliferation, migration, and glycolysis. Collectively, these results indicated that the NORAD/LIN28B/TGF-β axis promoted cell proliferation and migration through regulating aerobic glycolysis in VSMCs. Therefore, NORAD may regulate the occurrence of AD by affecting the reprogramming of glucose metabolism, and NORAD can be recognized as a good target for VSMC phenotypic intervention and AD treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider observer-based sampled-data in space output feedback stabilization of coupled time-delayed systems governed by semilinear time fractional-order partial differential equations (TFPDEs) with spatially varying parameters. For such systems, the output feedback controller is sampled-data in space and continuous in time. Here, we suppose that the sampled-in-space intervals are bounded. Under point measurements (PMs) or averaged measurements (AMs), the sampled-data observation problem is first considered. With the designed nonlinear observer, the sampled-data observer-based controller is then proposed to asymptotically stabilize the resulting closed-loop system in terms of the fractional Halanay inequality and the fractional Lyapunov method. Numerical examples are provided to valid the efficiency of the suggested synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Restricted mean survival time (RMST) has been increasingly used to assess the treatment effect. We aimed to evaluate a treatment effect of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) versus liver transplantation (LT) and surgical resection (SR) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) within Milan criteria by using an adjusted RMST. Methods: A total of 7,218 HCC patients (RFA, 3,327; LT, 2,332; SR 1,523) within Milan criteria were eligible for this retrospectively study. The RMST using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) adjustment were applied to estimate the treatment effect between RFA and LT, RFA, and SR groups. Results: The 3-, 5-, and 10-year IPTW-adjusted difference in RMST of OS for LT over RFA were + 4.5, + 12.4, and + 36.3 months, respectively. For SR versus RFA group, the survival benefit was + 2.3, + 6.1, and + 15.8 months at 3, 5, and 10 years, respectively. But the incremental survival benefit of SR over RFA was only half than that of LT over RFA. In the subgroup of solitary tumor ≤ 2 cm, the adjusted RMST of RFA versus SR was comparable with no statistical differences. Beyond that, in comparison with RFA, a notably greater efficacy of LT and SR was consistently across all subgroups with solitary HCC > 2.0 cm, AFP positive or negative, and fibrosis score 0–4 or 5–6. Conclusions: RMST provides a measure of absolute survival benefit at a specific time point. Using IPTW-adjusted RMST, we showed that the incremental survival benefit of SR over RFA was about half than that of LT over RFA. Key Points: • The restricted mean survival time offers an intuitive, clinically meaningful interpretation to quantify the treatment effect than the hazard ratio. • Liver transplantation and surgical resection provided better overall survival compared to radiofrequency ablation for HCC patients within Milan criteria, but RFA and SR provide equivalent long-term overall survival for solitary HCC ≤ 2 cm. • The incremental survival benefit of surgical resection over radiofrequency ablation was only half than that of liver transplantation over radiofrequency ablation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quenching of flavin fluorescence by electron transfer from neighboring aromatic residues is ubiquitous in flavoproteins. Apart from constituting a functional process in specific light-active systems, time-resolved spectral characterization of the process can more generally be employed as a probe for the active site configuration and dynamics. In the C51A variant of the bacterial RNA-transforming flavoenzyme TrmFO from the bacterium Thermus thermophilus, fluorescence is very short-lived (~ 1 ps), and close-by Tyr343 is known to act as the main quencher, as confirmed here by the very similar dynamics observed in protein variants with modified other potential quenchers, Trp283 and Trp214. When Tyr343 is modified to redox-inactive phenylalanine, slower and highly multiphasic kinetics are observed on the picosecond-nanosecond timescale, reflecting heterogeneous electron donor–acceptor configurations. We demonstrate that Trp214, which is located on a potentially functional flexible loop, contributes to electron donor quenching in this variant. Contrasting with observations in other nucleic acid-transforming enzymes, these kinetics are strikingly temperature-independent. This indicates (a) near-barrierless electron transfer reactions and (b) no exchange between different configurations on the timescale up to at least 2 ns, despite the presumed flexibility of Trp214. Results of extensive molecular dynamics simulations are presented to explain this unexpected finding in terms of slowly exchanging protein configurations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural characterization of radical ions and triplet excited states is usually challenging because of their high reactivity and corresponding short lifetime, but can be achieved by combining pulse radiolysis and time-resolved spectroscopic techniques. Herein, we report the transient absorption and time-resolved resonance Raman spectra of the radical anionic and the lowest triplet states of a fundamental aromatic imide compound, 2,3-naphthalimide, recorded during pulse radiolysis. Distinct spectral features are observed for these transient species, which are further explored in the context of theoretical calculations. We found that the molecular structures of 2,3- naphthalimide in open-shell configurations are closely related to the spin density localised on the naphthyl and carbonyl regions, as well as the decrease in local aromaticity because of changes of electron configurations. In particular, our results demonstrate that although in the neutral ground state and the lowest triplet state 2,3-naphthalimide exists as a symmetric molecule, in its radical anionic state, the addition of an electron leads to a deformed structure with unusual in-plane asymmetry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the risk factors affecting the technical failure of artificial ascites (AA) formation and to evaluate the local control efficacy of percutaneous thermal ablation assisted by the AA for hepatic tumors. A total of 341 patients with 362 hepatic tumors who underwent thermal ablation assisted by AA were reviewed retrospectively. The technical success of AA, the volume of liquid, and local efficacy after ablation were assessed. Predictive factors for the technical failure of AA formation and local tumor progression (LTP) were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analysis. The technical success rate of AA formation was 81.8% (296/362). The amount of fluid was higher when the tumor was located in the left lobe of the liver than when it was located in the right lobe (median 950 ml versus 700 ml, p < 0.001). Previous hepatic resection (OR: 12.63, 95% CI: 2.93–54.45, p < 0.001), ablation (OR: 6.48, 95% CI: 1.36–30.92, p = 0.019) and upper-abdomen surgery (OR: 11.34, 95% CI: 1.96–65.67, p = 0.007) were the independent risk factors of AA failure. In the AA success group, the complete ablation rate was higher and the LTP rate was lower than that in the AA failure group (98.7 versus 92.4%, p = 0.012; 8.8 versus 21.2%, p = 0.004). Multivariate analysis identified AA failure (p = 0.004), tumor size (>3.0 cm) (p = 0.002) and metastatic liver tumor (p = 0.008) as independent risk factors for LTP. History of hepatic resection, ablation and upper abdomen surgery were significant predictive factors affecting the technical failure of AA formation. Successful introduction of AA before thermal ablation can achieve better local tumor control efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to compare effectiveness and safety of thermal ablation and hepatic resection in patients with liver metastases of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). A total of 55 patients (27 in the ablation group and 28 in the surgery group) with liver metastases were included. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were assessed with Kaplan–Meier’s survival estimate curves. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were carried out to identify potential prognostic factors. The median OS was 102.0 months in the ablation group and 117.0 months in the surgery group (p =.875). The 1-, 3- and 5-year OS rates were 100%, 88.9% and 74.1% in the ablation group and 92.8%, 82.1% and 78.6% in the surgery group, respectively. The 1-, 3- and 5-year PFS rates were 48.1%, 25.9% and 18.5% in the ablation group and 67.8%, 64.3% and 64.3% in the surgery group, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that preoperative tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment (progressive disease, PD) (HR, 13.985; 95% CI, 1.791–109.187; p =.012) was the only significant independent prognostic factor for OS. Tumor number (HR, 1.318; 95% CI, 1.021–1.702; p =.034) was identified as an independent predictor for PFS in multivariate analysis. There were fewer postoperative complications (18.5% vs. 78.6%, p =.001) and shorter lengths of hospital stay (8.0 vs. 16.5 days, p =.001) in the ablation group. Compared with resection, thermal ablation offered comparable OS for liver metastases of GISTs. Furthermore, thermal ablation had the advantages of fewer complications and shorter lengths of hospital stay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clear visualization of spine structures in ultrasound imaging is difficult due to factors such as specular reflection, off-axis energy, and reverberation artifacts. The received channel data from the spine are often tilted even after delay correction, resulting in signal cancellation during the beamforming process. Conventional beamformers are not designed to tackle this issue. This paper proposes a closed-loop beamforming method which feeds back the location of the spine to the beamforming process so that backscattered bone signals can be aligned prior to the beamforming. To suppress the weak soft tissue and reverberation artifacts and increase the contrast of bones, a tensor-based filtering is employed prior to the cross-correlation-based alignment. Directional filtering is also employed to improve the bone surface detection. Phantom studies show improvement on the sharpness of the spine without shape distortion. $In~vivo$ results confirm significant contrast improvement of spinal structures. Compared with the conventional delay-and-sum beamforming, the proposed method improves the contrast ratio (CR) of the spine from 0.56 to 0.96. The 6-dB width of bone surfaces is also reduced by 51%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Injured vaginal infection is detrimental to women. A curcumin hydrogel was studied for local treatment of injured vaginal infection. Methods: Curcumin solid dispersions (CSDs) were prepared from polyvinyl pyrrolidone and characterized by differential scanning calorimetry and an X‐ray diffraction method. An in situ hydrogel CSD hydrogel (CSDG) was prepared with CSD/poloxamers and characterized. In vitro curcumin release and antibacterial effects of CSDs, CSDGs and curcumin were compared. The therapeutic effect of the CSDGs and Lincomycin/Lidocaine Gel was explored after intravaginal administration on the injured rat vaginal infection models. Key findings: Curcumin was amorphous in CSDs where curcumin rapidly released in simulated vaginal fluids. However, CSDGs showed sustained release. CSDGs quickly formed gels in the vagina. CSDGs showed high in vivo anti‐Escherichia coli or Staphylococcus aureus effect though weak in vitro effect. The recovery of vaginal microenvironment and improvement of intravaginal Lactobacillus growth may be the major reason. Furthermore, CSDGs remarkably improved vaginal wound healing by alleviating inflammation and restoring vaginal epidermal tissues compared with the Lincomycin/Lidocaine Gel. Conclusion: CSDGs are a promising topical formulation for local treatment of vaginal bacterial infection and improvement of vaginal wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionizing radiation-induced injury commonly happens in radiotherapy, leading to damages of the hematopoietic and gastrointestinal systems. Radioprotective medications are mainly applied in hospitals, although only injections are available and their gut protection is limited. Here, oral konjac glucomannan (KGM), a natural macromolecule and soluble dietary fiber, was used against ionizing radiation-induced injury. The mice were fed with KGM (0.4 g/kg) for 3 days or injected with a clinical medication amifostine before 6.5 Gy γ-ray whole body irradiation (WBI) or 13 Gy whole abdominal irradiation (WAI). In the WBI experiments, KGM improved blood cell recovery and bone marrow cell proliferation in the femur and spleen, though its effect was weaker than or similar to that of amifostine. In the WBI experiments, the gut protection of KGM was similar to or a little better than that of amifostine, involving regenerated crypts numbers, villus length, and gut permeability. Moreover, KGM remarkably enhanced the survival rates of WBI and WAI mice, consistent with amifostine. KGM, as a prebiotic, enhanced gut microbiota abundance, probiotic numbers, and short chain fatty acid production, maintaining gut homeostasis. Moreover, KGM inhibited the apoptosis of irradiated human intestinal epithelial cells. KGM is a promising natural macromolecule against ionizing radiation-induced injury. • Oral konjac glucomannan (KGM) protects the hematopoietic system from radiation. • Oral KGM protects the gut mucosa from radiation. • Oral KGM regulates gut microbiota. • Oral KGM increases short chain fatty acids in the intestine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platycladi Cacumen (PC) is a traditional Chinese medicine used for the treatment of hemorrhages, cough, asthma and hair loss. To get a better understanding of the chemical constituents in PC, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) and diagnostic ion filtering strategy were firstly employed for chemical profiling of PC. A total of 43 compounds including organic acids and derivatives, flavonoids as well as phenylpropanolds were unambiguously or reasonably identified. Coumarin and lignan were reported for the first time in PC. Chemical variation of 39 batches of PC from different geographical origins and 10 batches of processed product of PC was subsequently investigated by quantitation of nine major flavonoids. The results determined by UPLC coupled with diode array detection (UPLC-DAD) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) indicated that the contents of flavonoids in PC samples differ greatly. This work provides an efficient approach to comprehensively evaluate the quality of PC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, ultrasound has been increasingly used to guide needle insertion procedures for spinal anesthesia. The primary anatomical targets are facet joints and epidural spaces. For these procedures, accurate visualization of the spine anatomy is of critical importance. Challenges arising from the interactions between the ultrasound beam and spinal structures including tilt caused by specular reflections, off-axis interference, and reverberations often result in weakened and blurred vertebra surfaces. Previously, adaptive beamforming methods have been proposed to improve the resolution and contrast. However, most of these methods are not specialized for improving the contrast of specular targets like bones. In this paper, we propose an accumulated angle factor (AAF)-based beamforming method customized for bone surface enhancement. This approach applies a Hilbert transform on delay compensated channel data across the receive aperture. The accumulated phase change across the receive aperture is then calculated and utilized as the weight in the beamforming output. We compared our method with classical delay and sum (DAS) beamforming method and adaptive beamforming methods such as Wiener, phase coherence factor (PCF), CF, and generalized CF (GCF) beamforming. In 12 $in~vivo$ volunteer data sets, the mean contrast ratio between the vertebrae surface and the surrounding tissue for DAS, Wiener, PCF, CF, GCF, and the proposed AAF methods are 0.49, 0.64, 0.82, 0.77, 0.76, and 0.91, respectively. The contrast is significantly improved in the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is concerned with a stabilisation problem of a boundary controlled fractional reaction diffusion (FRD) system with mixed or Robin boundary conditions. The contribution of this study is to utilise boundary feedback control to stabilise the FRD system with mixed or Robin boundary conditions in terms of the backstepping method. Specifically, three backstepping‐based boundary feedback controllers have been proposed to address the stabilisation problem of the FRD system with mixed or Robin boundary conditions, including Dirichlet, Neumann, and Robin backstepping‐based boundary feedback controllers. Moreover, based on Lyapunov‐based Mittag–Leffler stability theory, we prove that the FRD system with mixed or Robin boundary conditions is Mittag–Leffler stable by the proposed three backstepping‐based boundary feedback controllers. Finally, the numerical efforts of the open‐loop and the closed‐loop solutions of the FRD systems with mixed or Robin boundary conditions are presented by two numerical experiments to verify the validness of our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are emerging as alternatives to conventional ionic liquids and organic solvents due to their unique advantages. In the present study, the tuneability of DESs as tailor-made solvents to efficiently extract polar and non-polar bioactive compounds from Platycladi Cacumen was detailedly investigated. Totally 12 types of choline chloride-, betaine-, and l-proline-based DESs were synthesized for initial screening, and extraction conditions was optimized by single-factor experiment. Experiments with different DESs and principal components analysis demonstrated that the extractability of both flavonoid glycosides and aglycones was greater with certain designed DESs than conventional solvents. In addition, the water content in DESs led to significantly different extraction yields of flavonoid compounds. The target compounds were recovered from DESs by macroporous resin LX-38 with a satisfactory yield between 77.44% and 98.92%. The knowledge acquired in this study could contribute to further DES application in extraction of bioactive compounds from natural sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop and validate a nomogram incorporating circulating tumour cell counts (CTCs) and the ultrasomics signatures of contrast‐enhancement ultrasound (CEUS) for predicting postoperative early recurrence (ER) of HCC after radical treatment. Methods: Between December 2017 and December 2018, 153 HCC patients (134 males and 19 females; mean age, 56.0 ± 10.2 years; range, 28–78 years) treated with radical therapy were enrolled in our retrospective study and were divided into a training cohort (n = 107) and a validation cohort (n = 46). All patients underwent preoperative CTC tests and CEUS examinations before treatment. The ultrasomics signature was extracted and built from CEUS images. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify the significant variables related to ER, which were then combined to build a predictive nomogram. The performance of the nomogram was evaluated by its discrimination, calibration and clinical utility. The predictive model was further evaluated in the internal validation cohort. Results: HBV DNA, serum AFP level, CTC status, tumour size and ultrasomics score were identified as independent predictors associated with ER (all p < 0.05). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the CTC status (OR = 7.02 [95% CI, 2.07 to 28.38], p = 0.003) and ultrasomics score (OR = 148.65 [95% CI, 25.49 to 1741.72], p < 0.001) were independent risk factors for ER. The nomogram based on ultrasomics score, CTC status, serum AFP level and tumour size exhibited C‐indexes of 0.933 (95% CI, 0.878 to 0.988) and 0.910 (95% CI, 0.765 to 1.055) in the training and validation cohorts, respectively, fitting well in calibration curves. Decision curve analysis further confirmed the clinical usefulness of the nomogram. Conclusion: The nomogram incorporating CTC, ultrasomics features and independent clinical risk factors achieved satisfactory preoperative prediction of ER in HCC patients after radical treatment. Advances in knowledge: 1. CTC status and ultrasomics score were identified as independent predictors associated with ER of HCC after radical treatment. 2. The nomogram constructed by ultrasomics score generated by 17 ultrasomics features, combined with CTCs and independent clinical risk factors such as AFP and tumour size. 3. The nomogram exhibited satisfactory discriminative power, and could be clinically useful in the preoperative prediction of ER after radical treatment in HCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop and validate a nomogram incorporating circulating tumour cell counts (CTCs) and the ultrasomics signatures of contrast‐enhancement ultrasound (CEUS) for predicting postoperative early recurrence (ER) of HCC after radical treatment. Methods: Between December 2017 and December 2018, 153 HCC patients (134 males and 19 females; mean age, 56.0 ± 10.2 years; range, 28–78 years) treated with radical therapy were enrolled in our retrospective study and were divided into a training cohort (n = 107) and a validation cohort (n = 46). All patients underwent preoperative CTC tests and CEUS examinations before treatment. The ultrasomics signature was extracted and built from CEUS images. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify the significant variables related to ER, which were then combined to build a predictive nomogram. The performance of the nomogram was evaluated by its discrimination, calibration and clinical utility. The predictive model was further evaluated in the internal validation cohort. Results: HBV DNA, serum AFP level, CTC status, tumour size and ultrasomics score were identified as independent predictors associated with ER (all p < 0.05). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the CTC status (OR = 7.02 [95% CI, 2.07 to 28.38], p = 0.003) and ultrasomics score (OR = 148.65 [95% CI, 25.49 to 1741.72], p < 0.001) were independent risk factors for ER. The nomogram based on ultrasomics score, CTC status, serum AFP level and tumour size exhibited C‐indexes of 0.933 (95% CI, 0.878 to 0.988) and 0.910 (95% CI, 0.765 to 1.055) in the training and validation cohorts, respectively, fitting well in calibration curves. Decision curve analysis further confirmed the clinical usefulness of the nomogram. Conclusion: The nomogram incorporating CTC, ultrasomics features and independent clinical risk factors achieved satisfactory preoperative prediction of ER in HCC patients after radical treatment. Advances in knowledge: 1. CTC status and ultrasomics score were identified as independent predictors associated with ER of HCC after radical treatment. 2. The nomogram constructed by ultrasomics score generated by 17 ultrasomics features, combined with CTCs and independent clinical risk factors such as AFP and tumour size. 3. The nomogram exhibited satisfactory discriminative power, and could be clinically useful in the preoperative prediction of ER after radical treatment in HCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor corneal penetration and short residence time on the ocular surface are two major bottlenecks for conventional ophthalmic formulations. To overcome the foregoing dilemmas, we prepared two novel formulations of pimecrolimus nanomicelles (PNM) with particle size of 37.85 ± 1.21 nm and thermosensitive hydrogel (PTH) for treating Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca ( KCS ). PNM were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Malvern laser particle size analyzer, X-ray diffraction (XRD) system, and the content of drug in PNM was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The drug loading and encapsulation efficiency reached to 7.57% ± 0.10% and 97.9% ± 1.26%, respectively. PTH displayed special gel–sol transition behavior with temperature increasing from 4 °C to 37 °C. The in vitro release profile demonstrated that PNM and PTH exhibited sustained-release behavior compared with free pimecrolimus oil-based eye drop (FPO). In addition, we established a mouse model of KCS induced by benzalkonium chloride to evaluate the therapeutic outcome of different pimecrolimus formulations. The production of tear, fluorescein staining scores and histopathologic examinations of the cornea were assessed in detail. The results confirmed that PNM had the best therapeutic effect among all formulations based on its higher drug encapsulation capability, favourable permeability and sustained release. All these indicated that PNM could serve as a potent ophthalmologic agent for KCS . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, chemotherapy has improved overall survival but remains limited at <12 months median overall survival. Cabazitaxel is hopeful to do the same in advanced lung cancer as well as in metastatic prostate cancer. However, its clinical application was restricted due to its high hydrophobicity and severe side effects. To overcome these problems, we developed self-assembled micelle loading cabazitaxel (CBZ-PM) for therapy of lung cancer. The CBZ-PM has high drug loading (10.52%) and encapsulation efficiency (99.30%) with particle size of 28.77 ± 0.52 nm and polydisperse index of 0.114 ± 0.012. The transmission electron microscope image presented its spherical and homogeneous appearance. In vitro release profile showed CBZ-PM has a sustained-release behavior. Furthermore, the result of cell proliferation assays proved that CBZ-PM could induce the Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells death through G 2 /M arrest more effectively than free CBZ. In vivo anti-tumor activity of CBZ-PM was further studied in mice model of LLC. The tumor inhibitory rate of CBZ-PM was more than 50% and the survival time of LLC bearing mice was efficiently prolonged following administration of CBZ-PM. In addition, the immunohistochemical study showed that more apoptosis cells were detected in the tumor tissue of CBZ-PM group than that of the positive control group. All these indicated that CBZ-PM served as a potential anti-lung cancer agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within an exact canonical-ensemble treatment, we investigate the thermodynamics for a finite number of ideal bosons confined in a three-dimensional quartic trap. We calculate several physical quantities including the specific heat C, chemical potential μ, condensate fraction 〈 n〉/ N, root-mean-square fluctuations δn of the condensate population, and transition temperature T. We discuss the particle-number dependence of T through proposing three T definitions, which are compared with ones derived in the grand canonical ensemble. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Acetonitrile as a solvent, excess of primary amines as general bases, and a reflux condition make the multi-component reactions of (2-cyanoacetyl) carbamate 1, ethyl orthoformate, and primary amines form 5-cyanouracils 4a–c feasibly. Mechanistic studies of the multi-component reaction were carried out by proton NMR spectrometer. Acetonitrile as a solvent makes the reaction of 1 with ethyl orthoformate produce E-ethyl (2-cyano-3-ethoxyacryloyl) carbamate E-2 without a catalyst of acetic anhydride. The reactions of E-2 with primary amines produce the corresponding Z-3a–c as the only stable isomers eventually in CDCl3 or CD3CN. General-base-catalyzed intramolecular cyclizations of Z-3a–c at a reflux condition in CD3CN generated the corresponding 5-cyanouracils 4a–c. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • Cationic liposomal hydroxycamptothecin as a chemotherapeutic. • 5-Aminolevulinic acid as a prodrug of protoporphyrin IX, a sonosensitizer. • High in vitro anticancer effect of chemo-sonodynamic therapy. • Highly effective therapy of metastatic lung cancer by chemo-sonodynamic therapy. • Enhanced apoptosis of cancer cells and ROS production are the major reason. Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) has been tried for cancer treatment; however, sonosensitizers are usually administered by injection, leading to low distribution in the tumor tissue and compromised therapeutic effect, even serious side effect. Here, we combined cationic liposomal hydroxycamptothecin (CLH) and 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) via intratracheal (i.t.) administration for the chemo-sonodynamic (Chemo-SDT) therapy of metastatic lung cancer. CLH was prepared from HCPT and the lipid mixture of soybean lecithin/cholesterol/octadecylamine with a film method. The optimal pre-incubation time of 5-ALA with tumor cells before ultrasound exposure was 4 h, for sake of sonosensitizer accumulation, i.e., protoporphyrin IX, the metabolite of 5-ALA. In vitro studies showed the higher cytotoxicity of Chemo-SDT compared to the other treatments, including i.t. CLH, intravenous (i.v.) CLH, and SDT alone. The combination of pulmonary delivery and Chemo-SDT showed the highest anticancer effect among the treatments on the metastatic lung tumor-bearing mice, which was judged according to the tumor appearance and pathological sections. The major anticancer mechanism of Chemo-SDT included the improved apoptosis of cancer cells and the enhanced production of reactive oxygen species, and more importantly, the synergy of chemotherapy and SDT. Pulmonary delivery of chemotherapeutics and sonosensitizers is a promising strategy for the treatment of lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the second stage of China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS-II), it is predicted that 2 PB raw experimental data will be produced annually from twenty instruments. Scientific computing puts forward higher requirements for data sharing, utilization, retrieval, analysis efficiency, and security. However, the existing data management system (DMS) based on ICAT has several limitations including poor scalability of metadata database, imperfect data-management lifecycle and inflexible API. To ensure the accuracy, usability, scalability and efficiency of CSNS-II experimental data, a new scientific data management system is therefore designed based on the DOMAS framework developed by the Computing Center of IHEP. The data acquisition, transmission, storage and service systems are re-designed and tailored specifically for CSNS-II. Upon its completion, the new DMS will overcome the existing challenges and offer functions such as online display, search functionality and rapid download capabilities for metadata, raw data and analyzed data; flexible and user-friendly authorization; and data lifecycle management. Ultimately, the implementation of the new Data Management System (DMS) is expected to enhance the efficiency of experimental data analysis, propelling CSNS-II to achieve international advanced standards. Furthermore, it aims to reinforce self-reliance and technological strength in the field of science and technology at a high level in China. The development and deployment of the new DMS begin at the end of 2023. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider an observer design problem of a time fractional reaction–diffusion system with space-dependent coefficients and measurement of weighted spatial averages. Different from the boundary measurement, here, the output is a weighted spatial average of the state over the entire spatial domain. In order to apply the backstepping approach to obtain the observer gains, we first use a conversion of weighting functions to transform the error system into an intermediate system. With a change of variable, this intermediate system is then converted into the final target system with boundary measurement where backstepping is easily applicable. The resultant observer realises Mittag-Leffler convergence of the error system. Finally, numerical simulations are provided to check the effectiveness of the proposed observer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel polyketones, along with four known compounds, were isolated from the leaves and twigs of Clerodendrum trichotomum. Their structures were determined to be clerodendruketone A (1), clerodendruketone B (2), ecdysanols E (3), ecdysanols D (4), 5,50-dimethoxy-7-oxolariciresinol (5), and (-)-(70S,8S,80R)-4,40-dihydroxy-3,30,5,50-tetramethoxy-70,9-epoxy-lignan-90-ol-7-one (6) through the methods of NMR, HRESIMS and ECD data analyses. The antioxidant effects against free radical were tested by DPPH assay. The antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were tested by turbidimetry assay. The results demonstrated that compounds 1 and 2 had significative antibacterial activity, and compound 3 had moderate antioxidant activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Post-surgical cavity-adaptive in situ hydrogels based on Schiff base reaction. • Appropriate gelation time and self-healing property of the hydrogels. • Programmed and controlled release of gemcitabine and doxorubicin from the hydrogels. • Highly efficient prevention of post-surgical tumor recurrence and metastasis. High local post-surgical cancer recurrence severely impairs the patients' prognosis and survival rates. Here, an injectable in situ forming hydrogel was designed to locally controlled release gemcitabine (GEM) and doxorubicin (DOX) to prevent local cancer recurrence. The hydrogel was rapidly formed at the post-surgical cavity after the aldehyde hyaluronic acid (HA-CHO) and the carboxymethyl chitosan (CM-CS) were mixed and immediately injected. Meanwhile, DOX was conjugated to HA-CHO and GEM was doped in CM-CS to obtain GD-HA/CS-Gel. The drug-free hydrogels showed low cytotoxicity on L929 cells and good in vivo biocompatibility. The hydrogels had appropriate viscoelasticity and rapid self-healing ability, favoring long-term local residence at the injected site where GEM quickly released and DOX slowly released. GEM and DOX showed the synergistic anticancer effect on 4T1 cells. Breast cancer 4T1-cell xenograft models were established and the tumors were surgically resected. GD-HA/CS-Gel was implanted in the post-surgical cavity and cancer recurrence and distant lung metastasis were completely prevented in comparison with the single drug-loaded hydrogel or drug solutions. The locally implanted dual drug-loaded cavity-adaptive hydrogel is a promising medication for prevention of post-surgical tumor recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the inter-reader agreement of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) of Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2017 (LI-RADS v2017) categories among radiologists with different levels of experience.Materials and Methods: From January 2014 to December 2014, a total of 326 patients at high risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who underwent CEUS were included in this retrospective study. All lesions were classified according to LI-RADS v2017 by six radiologists with different levels of experiences: two residents, two fellows, and two specialists. Kappa coefficient was used to assess consistency of LI-RADS categories and major features among radiologists with different levels of experience. The diagnostic performance of HCC was described by accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and area under the curve (AUC).Results: Inter-reader agreement among radiologists of different experience levels was substantial agreement for arterial phase hyperenhancement, washout appearance, and early or late washout. Inter-reader agreement for LI-RADS categories was moderate to substantial. When LR-5 was used as criteria to determinate HCC, the AUC of LI-RADS for HCC was 0.67 for residents, 0.72 for fellows, and 0.78 for specialist radiologists. When compared between residents and specialists, accuracy, sensitivity, and AUC were significantly different (all p < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences in specificity, PPV, and NPV between the two groups.Conclusion: CEUS LI-RADS showed good diagnostic consistency among radiologists with different levels of experience, and consistency increased with experience levels.Key Points: • The inter-reader agreement for LI-RADS categories was moderate to substantial agreement (κ, 0.60-0.80). • When compared between residents and specialists, accuracy, sensitivity, and AUC showed significantly different (all p < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences for specificity, PPV, and NPV between these two groups. • Among the radiologists with more than 1 year of experience, there was no significant difference in the diagnostic performance of HCC, suggesting that CEUS LI-RADS is a good standardized categorization system for high-risk patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess significant liver fibrosis by multiparametric ultrasomics data using machine learning.Materials and Methods: This prospective study consisted of 144 patients with chronic hepatitis B. Ultrasomics-high-throughput quantitative data from ultrasound imaging of liver fibrosis-were generated using conventional radiomics, original radiofrequency (ORF) and contrast-enhanced micro-flow (CEMF) features. Three categories of features were explored using pairwise correlation and hierarchical clustering. Features were selected using diagnostic tests for fibrosis, activity and steatosis stage, with the histopathological results as the reference. The fibrosis staging performance of ultrasomics models with combinations of the selected features was evaluated with machine-learning algorithms by calculating the area under the receiver-operator characteristic curve (AUC).Results: ORF and CEMF features had better predictive power than conventional radiomics for liver fibrosis stage (both p < 0.01). CEMF features exhibited the highest diagnostic value for activity stage (both p < 0.05), and ORF had the best diagnostic value for steatosis stage (both p < 0.01). The machine-learning classifiers of adaptive boosting, random forest and support vector machine were found to be optimal algorithms with better (all mean AUCs = 0.85) and more stable performance (coefficient of variation = 0.01-0.02) for fibrosis staging than decision tree, logistic regression and neural network (mean AUC = 0.61-0.72, CV = 0.07-0.08). The multiparametric ultrasomics model achieved much better performance (mean AUC values of 0.78-0.85) than the features from a single modality in discriminating significant fibrosis (≥ F2).Conclusion: Machine-learning-based analysis of multiparametric ultrasomics can help improve the discrimination of significant fibrosis compared with mono or dual modalities.Key Points: • Multiparametric ultrasomics has achieved much better performance in the discrimination of significant fibrosis (≥ F2) than the single modality of conventional radiomics, original radiofrequency and contrast-enhanced micro-flow. • Adaptive boosting, random forest and support vector machine are the optimal algorithms for machine learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amphiphilic polyurethanes based on methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG) and poly(ϵ-caprolactone) diol (PCL) with different arm numbers such as two, three and four were successfully synthesized. Their structures were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The effects of arm number on properties of amphiphilic polyurethanes were studied. Pyrene fluorescence probe technique and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analyses showed that the CMC value and the micellar size of the resultant amphiphilic polyurethanes decreased and the micellar stability against dilution enhanced with increasing the arm number of polyurethane. Using indometacin (IMC) as a model drug, the results indicated that the drug loading capacity and in vitro drug sustained release effect of polyurethane with four arms were better than those of polyurethanes with two and three arms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Neural tube defect (NTD) is a common disease among neonates with multiplex symptom and complex origins, and the exact mechanism of NTD has not been definitely elucidated. Nevertheless, it is hypothesized that NTD risk can be prevented by periconceptional folic acid in folate metabolism. The methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase ( MTHFD1 ) gene has been proved to play an important role in folate metabolism, which was strongly associated with the high risk for NTD. We focused on three folate metabolism-related single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the MTHFD1 gene to evaluate the associations between MTHFD1 polymorphisms and NTD susceptibility. Methods We genotyped blood samples from 222 specimens (including 122 NTD-affected infants and 100 healthy controls) in a case–control study. We investigated the association between NTD and three selected tag-SNPs on MTHFD1 gene: 401A > G (rs1950902), 2305C > T (rs17857382) and 1958G > A (rs2236225) by the SNapShot method. These SNPs were identified by Haploview 4.2 software with HapMap databases, and then these associations were evaluated by the Mann–Whitney test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and chi-square test. Furthermore, a meta-analysis of the association between MTHFD1 1958G > A and NTD risk was also performed. Results In our study, an increased risk of NTD was observed for 1958G > A of MTHFD1 (AA vs. GG: OR = 2.63, 95% CI = 2.61–5.70; AA vs. GG + GA: OR = 2.10, 95% CI = 1.07–4.14; A vs. G: OR = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.11–2.36). However, the other two SNPs (401A > G and 2305C > T) displayed no statistically significant association with NTD risk. The overall result of the meta-analysis indicated that the 1958G > A variant might not be a genetic susceptible factor for the Caucasian population. Conclusions Our analysis implicated that MTHFD1 1958G > A was significantly associated with the susceptibility of NTD in a Chinese population. In addition, the AA homozygote carriers were more likely to suffer NTD, compared with the others with GA or GG genotypes. Validation of the risk effect and functional impact of this polymorphism is needed in future investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Although infection was the most common symptom in patients returning to the ED, whether intravenous antibiotic administration at the index visit could serve as an indicator of patients with infectious diseases at high risk for hospital admission after returning to the ED within a short period of time remains unclear. The study aimed to investigate the potential risk factors for hospital admission in patients returning to the ED within 72 hours with a final diagnosis of infectious diseases. Material and methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed return visits to the ED from January to December 2019. Adult patients aged >20 years who had a return visit to the ED within 72 hours with an infectious disease were included herein. In total, 715 eligible patients were classified into the intravenous antibiotics and non-intravenous antibiotics group (reference group). The outcome studied was hospital admission to general ward and intensive care unit (ICU) at the return visits. Results: Patients receiving intravenous antibiotics at index visits had significantly higher risk—approximately two times—for hospital admission at the return visits than those did not (adjusted odds ratio = 2.47, 95% CI = 1.34–4.57, p = 0.004). For every 10 years increase in age, the likelihood for hospital admission increased by 38%. Other factors included abnormal respiratory rate and high C-reactive protein levels. Conclusions: Intravenous antibiotic administration at the index visit was an independent risk factor for hospital admission at return visits in patients with an infection disease. Physicians should consider carefully before discharging patients receiving intravenous antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: TiCl4-activated selective nucleophilic substitution reactions of tert-butyl alcohol and benzyl alcohols with π-donating substituents in the presence of primary and secondary alcohols can be carried out with various oxygen, nitrogen and carbon nucleophiles in good yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aim of the study: To investigate the hepatoprotective effect of Zhi-Zi-Da-Huang decoction (ZZDHD) and its two fractions (one is extracted with diethyl ether as a solvent from the water extract and is called ZD-DE for short, the other is the remained aqueous fraction after extracted with diethyl ether and is abbreviated as ZD-AQ) against acute alcohol-induced liver injury in rats. Materials and methods: Animals were administered orally with alcohol 6g/kg at 2h after the doses of ZZDHD and two fractions everyday for eight consecutive days except rats in normal group. The protective effect was evaluated by biochemical parameters including aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transferase (ALT), reduced glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). The biochemical observations were supplemented by histopathological examination. HPLC-UV was used for phytochemical analysis of the ZZDHD and its two fractions. Results: The high dose of ZZDHD exhibited a significant protective effect by reversing the biochemical parameters and histopathological changes. ZD-DE and ZD-AQ demonstrated different protective action in biochemical examination. Partly assayed indexes were ameliorated after administrated the media dose of ZZDHD. HPLC analysis indicated that ZZDHD contained flavonoids, anthraquinones and iridoids, which might be the active chemicals. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the hepatoprotective activity of ZZDHD thus scientifically supported the usage of this formula. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Silver compound [Ag(PPh3)2(NMP)]NO3 (1) (NMP=2-(4-Dimethylaminophenyl)imidazo(4,5-f)(1,10)phenanthroline) has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, IR and X-ray diffraction techniques. Two absorption bands (294 and 342nm) have been observed in UV/vis absorption spectrum of 1. Compound 1 exhibits luminescence in solid state at room temperature and shows broad emission with maximum at 599nm, which make red shift compared with free ligand NMP (λ max=522nm). Short lifetime (2.2ns) indicates that emission of 1 does not come form triplet excited state and the intense spin-orbital coupling of AgI has little effect on the lowest singlet excited state. Excited state of 1 was simulated by using the time-dependent density functional theory, which gave a sound explanation for absorption spectrum and indicated that emission of 1 originates form the metal-perturbed intraligand charge-transfer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This work proposes a state estimation strategy over mobile sensor–actuator networks with missing measurements for a class of distributed parameter systems (DPSs) with time-varying delay. Initially, taking advantage of the abstract development equation theory and operator semigroup method, this kind of delayed DPSs described by partial differential equations (PDEs) is derived for evolution equations. Subsequently, the distributed state estimators including consistency component and gain component are designed; the purpose is to estimate the original state distribution of the delayed DPSs with missing measurements. Then, a delay-dependent guidance approach is presented in the form of mobile control forces by constructing an appropriate Lyapunov function candidate. Furthermore, by applying Lyapunov stability theorem, operator semigroup theory, and a stochastic analysis approach, the estimation error systems have been proved asymptotically stable in the mean square sense, which indicates the estimators can approximate the original system states effectively when this kind of DPS has time-delay and the mobile sensors occur missing measurements. Finally, the correctness of control strategy is illustrated by numerical simulation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problems of state feedback and output feedback for fixed‐time stabilisation of a linear parabolic distributed parameter system with space‐dependent reactivity are considered by means of continuous backstepping approach and Lyapunov method. First, the invertible Volterra integral transformation with time dependent gain kernel is adopted to convert the original system into a fixed‐time stable target system with time‐dependent coefficient. The well‐posedness of the resulting kernel equations is proved by the method of successive approximation. Then a state feedback controller is designed to guarantee fixed‐time stabilisation of the closed‐loop system. Moreover, a fixed‐time observer is considered to estimate the state of the original system on the basis of the measurement signal at the boundary. Based on this observer, a observer‐based output feedback controller is established to fixed‐time stabilise the closed‐loop system in a prescribed time by using separation principle. Finally, a numerical simulation is provided to verify the feasibility of the proposed theoretical results by using the modified Ablowitz‐Kruskal‐Ladik scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study considers the boundary control problem of a time fractional partial differential equation (PDE) – fractional ordinary differential equation (ODE) cascaded system with spatially varying diffusivity and Dirichlet connection. Using the backstepping transformation, a full‐state feedback law is obtained. Meanwhile, the well‐posedness of kernel functions in this transformation is established theoretically. Subsequently, a Mittag‐Leffler convergent boundary observer is derived, which composes with the proposed state feedback law to enable stabilisation by output feedback. With the designed state and output feedback controllers, the Mittag‐Leffler stability of the closed‐loop system is then proved by the fractional Lyapunov method. Finally, the results of numerical simulations are provided for fractional cascaded plants when neither kernel ODE nor kernel PDE has an explicit solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study solves the problem of observer‐based output feedback stabilisation of a coupled time‐fractional reaction–advection–diffusion system with space‐dependent coefficients. In light of the backstepping approach, the Mittag–Leffler convergent observer is derived to enable stabilisation by output feedback. By the fractional Lyapunov method, the Mittag–Leffler stability of the estimation error system is then established. Using the separation principle yields a stabilising output feedback controller, with which the closed‐loop stability is proved. Finally, the feasibility of the proposed approach is tested by fractional numerical examples when the kernel matrix equation has not the explicit solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the boundary stabilisation problem of an underactuated system of coupled time-fractional partial differential equations (PDEs) with different space-dependent diffusivity by state and observer-based output feedback. For this underactuated system, there are n fractional equations, and n−1 of n equations are actuated at the boundary inputs, i.e. n−1 available inputs control the entire system of n fractional equations. In other words, we do not need to control all equations. Using the backstepping mapping, the Dirichlet boundary controller is derived to enable the Mittag–Leffler stability of the closed-loop system with the aid of the Lyapunov direct method. The Mittag–Leffler convergence of designed boundary observer and output feedback stabilisation are subsequently proved. Finally, a fractional numerical example is provided to support the effectiveness of the proposed synthesis for the case when the kernel matrix PDE has not an explicit solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [Display omitted] • The solubility of CEES in ILs is clarified from the molecular level. • The cationic alkyl chain length affects the solubility of CEES within a specific limit. • The anion–cation IEs play a dominant role in the solubility of ILs to CEES. • Anion more significantly affects the solubility of CEES than cationic alkyl chain. Mustard gas (HD) is one of the most dangerous chemical warfare agents, which can cause serious injuries and even deaths. The rapid and efficient degradation of HD is crucial to protect people from hurting by its high toxicity. However, the widely used water-based decontaminants always have limited degradation efficiency for HD due to its poor solubility in water. Therefore, ionic liquids (ILs) hold great potentials as solvents for degradation of HD since they can improve HD's solubility for an effective degradation. In this study, the solubilities of 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES), a simulant of HD, in nine ionic liquids (ILs) were investigated. Interaction descriptors of the anions, cations, and ILs were computed using quantum mechanics and density functional theory to understand the influence of the IL properties on the solubility of CEES in ILs at the molecular level. The results indicate that CEES solubility depends on cation/anion physical properties and anion–cation and anion/cation/IL–CEES interactions. The cation electron affinity and anion ionization potential are closely related to the solubility of the Lewis acid CEES in the ILs. The anion/cation–CEES interaction energy (IE) exhibits poor correlation with CEES solubility, while the anion–cation IE plays a dominant role. A negative correlation was observed between absolute IL–CEES IEs and CEES solubility. For HCO 3 ¯ anion-based ILs, the interstitial space of the ILs increased with the cationic alkyl side chain length within a specific limit, resulting in more excellent solubility of CEES. For [BMIm]+ cation-based ILs, the anion influenced the cation–anion and cation/anion/IL–CEES IEs, thus affecting the solubility of CEES. In conclusion, this study serves as a guide for designing ILs for dissolving CEES and improving the degradation efficiency of HD by exploring cation–anion and anion/cation/IL–CEES interactions and other interaction descriptors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have attracted increasing attention as eco-friendly and efficient alternatives to conventional organic solvents. In this study, five herbal medicines (HMs) including Caulis sinomenii , Coptis chinensis , Stephania tetrandra , Tetradium ruticarpum , and Sophora flavescens were selected for the first time to comprehensively evaluate the potential and effectiveness of DESs on the extraction of Morphinane, Protoberberine, Bisbenzylisoquinoline, Indole and Quinolizidine alkaloids, respectively. A total of 75 types of binary or ternary DESs with different polarity, viscosity, pH, and solubilization abilities were tailored to screen a suitable DESs for extraction of morphinane alkaloids from Caulis sinomenii , and the extraction conditions were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network hybridized with genetic algorithm (ANN-GA) for the first time. The results demonstrated that DESs were excellent solvents for extraction of alkaloids with superior efficiency to conventional extraction solvents. Moreover, both ANOVA and sensitivity analysis demonstrated that the most critical parameter for alkaloids extraction was water content in DESs. This study reveals the potential of eco-friendly DESs for applications involving the efficient extraction of bioactive alkaloids from natural sources. Highlights • 75 types of DESs were tailored for extraction of bioactive alkaloids from HMs. • The extraction parameters were optimized using RSM and ANN-GA. • The developed DESs extraction method was efficient and green. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine polysaccharide-based nanomaterial attracted considerable attention due to its biocompatibility and biodegradability. Here, a novel polymannuronic acid derivative (PM-C 18 ) was synthesized as nanocarrier modified with hydrophobic oleyl amine. Its structure was confirmed by Fourier-transformed infrared spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance. To investigate its function, we developed tacrolimus (FK506) loaded nanoparticle by self-assembling PM-C 18 and studied its drug loading, cytotoxicity and mechanism of in vitro release. Furthermore, we established a mouse model of allergic conjunctivitis (AC) to evaluate the efficacy of FK506 loaded PM-C 18 . The results indicated that PM-C 18 carrier can encapsule FK506 with high drug loading (18%) and average particle size of 110.34 ± 1.6 nm. The release mechanism was diffusion initially followed a lasting release induced by swelling and collapse of PM-C 18 . One-week treatment with FK506 loaded PM-C 18 efficiently relieved the symptoms of AC, which indicated it could serve as a potential ophthalmic drug for patients with AC. Compared with FK506 ophthalmic suspension, FK506 loaded PM-C 18 improved medication adherence . Most importantly, we developed a novel versatile nanomaterial of PM-C 18 which could encapsule other active agents for more applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is focused on the efficiency of denitration after peroxymonosulfate (PMS) modification on activated bamboo charcoal. The NO removal was evaluated in a fixed bed reactor to investigate the denitration rate and the mechanism of NO photocatalytic removal. The solid surface was characterized using different experimental techniques (N 2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffractometer and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy). The optimal conditions (20 °C, visible light) were determined with modified sample, and the highest NO removal was achieved at 62.50% when the intensity of visible light was 10 A. During the denitration experiment at low temperature, the NO can be physically absorbed as well as chemisorpted by modified sample. The oxygen and the active sites on solid were found to increase the conversion of NO to absorbed NO 2 . The light acted as a catalyst which excited the active sites and accelerated the oxidation of NO to NO 2 , while the solid pore structure can be broken down in long-time illumination with high-intensity. This study has realized the synergistic effect between the adsorbability of bamboo charcoal and the oxidation of PMS, which provides a new application prospect for dry denitration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]