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Background: Long-term biological therapies for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) include infliximab and vedolizumab, which are administered intravenously. Although highly effective, non-adherence to these biologics is common and is associated with adverse sequelae and loss of response. Objective: In this study, we aim to characterize long-term intravenous biologic adherence trajectories among IBD patients and identify the factors linked with these trajectories. Methods: We conducted a retrospective multicenter study of IBD patients over 2 years to assess their adherence to infliximab and vedolizumab. The date of infusion was determined based on medical and pharmacy records. Using group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM), adherence trajectories were identified based on patients' 90-day coverage of days over time. The effect of relevant variables on adherence behavior was assessed using multinomial regression analysis. Results: 374 patients with IBD were included in the study, 68.2% males with a median age of 34.3 (IQR 28.0–44.4) years old. Three distinct adherence trajectories were identified for intravenous biologics: "consistent adherence" (n = 136, 36.4%), "slow decline" (n = 137, 36.6%) and "rapid decline" (n = 101, 27.0%). Compared with consistent adherence, concomitant use of aminosalicylates (OR 3.49, 95% CI 1.34–9.05) was associated with a significantly greater risk of rapid decline. Conversely, being married at the initiation of biologics (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.19–0.95) and having been hospitalized within preceding years (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.23–0.88) appeared to have a protective effect against rapid decline. Additionally, being male (OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.32–1.01) was found to be protective against slow decline. Conclusion: Distinct adherence patterns for infusion biologics among IBD patients have been identified, offering valuable insights to refine the design and timing of adherence interventions. However, only limited factors were found to be associated with specific adherence trajectories, revealing the complex nature of adherence behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pathogenic bacteria in the environment pose a significant threat to public health. Titanium dioxide (TiO2)-based photocatalysts have emerged as a promising solution due to their potent antimicrobial effects under visible light and their generally eco-friendly properties. This review focuses on the antibacterial properties of visible-light-activated, TiO2-based photocatalysts against pathogenic bacteria and explores the factors influencing their efficacy. Various TiO2 modification strategies are discussed, including doping with non-metals, creating structure defects, combining narrow-banded semiconductors, etc., to extend the light absorption spectrum from the UV to the visible light region. The factors affecting bacterial inactivation, and the underlying mechanisms are elucidated. Although certain modified TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) show antibacterial activities in the dark, they exhibit much higher antibacterial efficacies under visible light, especially with higher light intensity. Doping TiO2 with elements such as N, S, Ce, Bi, etc., or introducing surface defects in TiO2 NPs without doping, can effectively inactivate various pathogenic bacteria, including multidrug-resistant bacteria, under visible light. These surface modifications are advantageous in their simplicity and cost-effectiveness in synthesis. Additionally, TiO2 can be coupled with narrow-banded semiconductors, resulting in narrower band gaps and enhanced photocatalytic efficiency and antibacterial activities under visible light. This information aids in understanding the current technologies for developing visible-light-driven, TiO2-based photocatalysts and their application in inactivating pathogenic bacteria in the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work highlights the synthesis of graphene oxide (GO) modified polythiophene (PTh) for its application as an antibacterial agent as well as a visible light active photocatalyst. PTh was synthesized via the interfacial polymerization method using FeCl3 as initiator and then formulated as nanohybrids by mixing it in different weight ratios with graphene oxide (GO) i.e., 1 wt.%,3 wt.% and 5 wt. %. PTh and GO/PTh nanohybrids were characterized using FTIR, UV-visible, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. The polymerization of PTh as well as modification of PTh with GO was confirmed by IR studies, while the shifting of electronic transitions of PTH upon modification with GO were confirmed by the UV-visible studies. The degradation of dyes, Alizarin Yellow (AY), Basic Blue (BB) and Congo Red (CR) was carried out via sonophotocatalysis under visible light using PTh and GO/PTh as catalysts for a period of 60 min. The GO/PTh revealed higher degradation efficiency as compared to PTh. To evaluate its effectiveness as an antibacterial agent against Bacillus subtilis, disk diffusion inhibitory assay was carried out under dark and light conditions. The results showed that PTh and GO/PTh nanohybrids had bactericidal properties, regardless of light exposure. The results of the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay indicated the nanohybrid of 3-GO/PTh had the lowest MIC, followed by 1-GO/PTh and 5-GO/PTh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon–semiconductor hybrid quantum dots are classical carbon dots with core carbon nanoparticles doped with a selected nanoscale semiconductor. Specifically, on those with the nanoscale TiO2 doping, denoted as CTiO2-Dots, their synthesis and thorough characterization were reported previously. In this work, the CTiO2-Dots were evaluated for their visible light-activated antibacterial function, with the results showing the effective killing of not only Gram-positive but also the generally more resistant Gram-negative bacteria. The hybrid dots are clearly more potent antibacterial agents than their neat carbon dot counterparts. Mechanistically, the higher antibacterial performance of the CTiO2-Dots is attributed to their superior photoexcited state properties, which are reflected by the observed much brighter fluorescence emissions. Also considered and discussed is the possibility of additional contributions to the antibacterial activities due to the photosensitization of the nanoscale TiO2 by its doped core carbon nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The short video APP has entered the stage of competition for stock, making it crucial to keep users engaged in their APP to promote continuous usage. Previous studies on the continuous use intention of mobile short video APP were relatively limited, with most studies focusing only on promoting factors. Therefore, based on the dual-factor theory of "enabling-inhibiting", and drawing on the Information System Continuance Model (ECM-ISC) and Cognitive Load Theory, this study extracted two variables, satisfaction and fatigue, to construct an integrated model to explore their enabling and inhibiting effects on continuous use intention.Methods: This study selected TikTok APP users as the respondents, obtained 681 valid questionnaires and analyzed with structural equation modeling (SEM) using SPSS24.0 and Amos23.0 software.Findings: The study investigated the factors that influence users' continuous use intention of short video APP. It shows that in enabling mechanism, perceived usefulness and social influence will increase user satisfaction and thus promote their continuous use intention, and perceived playfulness has a direct effect on the continuous use intention. In inhibiting mechanism, information overload and communication overload are positively correlated with emotional fatigue, which further reduces the continuous use intention.Contribution/Conclusion: Based on the dual-factor theory of "enabling-inhibiting", the study established an integration model to more comprehensively reveal the impact mechanism of short video APP users' continuous use intention. The study found that the fatigue caused by information and communication overload can inhibit users' continuous use intention of short video APP. Therefore, to improve users' continuous use intention, short video APP should not only increase users' satisfaction but also reduce the fatigue caused by overload. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbon/TiO2 hybrid dots (C/TiO2-Dots) are structurally TiO2 nanoparticles (in the order of 25 nm in diameter from commercially available colloidal TiO2 samples) surface-attached by nanoscale carbon domains with organic moieties, thus equivalent to hybrids of individual TiO2 nanoparticles each decorated with many carbon dots. These hybrid dots with exposure to visible light exhibit potent antibacterial properties, similar to those found in neat carbon dots with the same light activation. The results from the use of established scavengers for reactive oxygen species (ROS) to "quench" the antibacterial activities, an indication for shared mechanistic origins, are also similar. The findings in experiments on probing biological consequences of the antibacterial action suggest that the visible light-activated C/TiO2-Dots cause significant damage to the bacterial cell membrane, resulting in higher permeability, with the associated oxidative stress leading to lipid peroxidation, inhibiting bacterial growth. The induced bacterial cell damage could be observed more directly in the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging. Opportunities for the further development of the hybrid dots platform for a variety of antibacterial applications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shortage of freshwater severely constrains economic development and social security worldwide. Bio-inspired functional fog-harvesting devices (FHDs) have been broadly exploited to tackle this global challenge. Despite the great advances achieved in FHDs, efficient and large-scale water harvesting is still hindered by some inherent limitations: (1) a rational structure should be designed to maximize the function of the separated hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions, (2) simple, low-cost and mature manufacturing technology can better realize the large-scale production of FHDs. Here, inspired by the unique wettability of Namib desert beetles and the wedge-shaped structure of leaf veins, we prepared a dual-biomimetic tuck fabric with a manipulable structure and wettability using knitting technology, which greatly enhanced the fog capture velocity and directional water transportation. The influences of different structures and wettability on fog capture and droplet transportation efficiency have been systematically investigated. Moreover, massive theoretical models were proposed to reveal the fog harvesting mechanism. The optimized FHD exhibited rapid and highly efficient fog harvesting capacity (5424 mg h−1 cm−2). In addition, the prepared FHD showed excellent mechanical strength and durability, enabling low-cost and large-scale production. Thus, this work reinforces the understanding of the fundamental research and significantly promotes the practical applications of functional fog-harvesting devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) has been identified as a prognostic biomarker in various diseases. However, its significance in acute pancreatitis (AP) has not been reported. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to determine the association of SII with clinical outcomes of AP patients, after adjusting for several confounders. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted using data retrieved from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III database (MIMIC-III). The study only included patients diagnosed with AP. SII was calculated as the platelet counts x neutrophil counts/lymphocyte counts. Cox regression models were employed to assess the impact of SII on the 30- and 90-day mortality of AP patients. Subgroup analysis was carried out to explore the stability of the relationship between SII and AP mortality. Results: A total of 513 patients were found to be eligible based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. For 30-day all-cause mortality, in the model adjusted for multiple confounders, the HR (95% CI) for mid-SII group (SII: 75.6− 104.2) and high-SII groups (SII: > 104.2) were 1.29 (0.65, 2.56) and 2.57 (1.35, 4.88), respectively, compared to the low-SII group (SII: < 75.5). A similar trend was observed for 90-day mortality. Subgroup analyses presented a stable relationship between SII and 30-day all-cause mortality of AP patients. Conclusion: SII is a potentially useful prognostic biomarker for AP. However, prospective studies are needed to confirm this finding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional superhydrophobic coatings prepared from non-degradable materials tend to do harm to the environment throughout the fabrication process as well as after being discarded. Great efforts have been devoted to exploring more environmentally friendly approaches and materials to settle this problem. Here we report an eco-friendly strategy based on aqueous systems to construct superhydrophobic coatings on various fabrics. Fabrics were first coated with polydopamine (PDA) and then modified with the stearic acid emulsion to introduce the desired surface morphology and energy. The as-prepared fabrics achieved robust superhydrophobicity with a contact angle (CA) about 162.0° and sliding angle (SA) about 7.8°. Moreover, due to the UV-absorbing and the photo-thermal conversion ability of PDA, the modified fabrics exhibited excellent UV shielding and solar-induced self-healing properties. The as-prepared fabrics also possessed high efficiency oil–water separation properties. Without the usage of harmful organic solvents and the addition of micro/nano-particles, this biodegradable superhydrophobic fabric exhibited a clear advantage of being environmentally friendly over conventional coatings. Furthermore, the facile and low-cost fabrication process makes its large-scale production easy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to investigate the antimicrobial effects of CDots in combination with other antimicrobial reagents, including H2O2, Na2CO3, and AcOH (acetic acid). CDots were synthesized and passivated with 2,2’-(ethylenedioxy)bis(ethylamine) (EDA). The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of CDots was 64 μg/mL on both Gram negative bacteria E.coli cells and Gram positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis cells. When CDots were combined with H2O2, antibacterial synergistic effects were observed based on the fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) index, and further confirmed by an isobologram analysis and viable cell number counting methods. With the combination treatment of 10 μg/mL CDots with 8.82 mM H2O2, the viable E.coli cell numbers decreased 2.46 log, which was significant lower than the log reduction from 8.82 mM H2O2 (1.57 log) or 10 μg/mL CDots (0.14 log) treatment alone. However, the combination of CDots with Na2CO3 or AcOH did not show synergistic effects, instead, exhibiting indifference effects according to the FIC index. This study indicated that the combination of CDots with their synergistic antimicrobial reagents, such as H2O2, could reach the goal of inhibiting bacteria growth by using lower concentration of each individual chemical in the combination than using one chemical treatment alone, reduce the risks imposed on environmental health and the possibilities of the development of microbial resistances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE) coupled with macroporous resin column chromatography (MRCC) was successfully used for the extraction and purification of cordycepin and adenosine from culturedCordyceps militaris. After optimized by the response surface methodology (RSM), the extraction yields of cordycepin and adenosine were 86.45% and 70.06%, respectively. Subsequently, under the optimal separation conditions on NKA-II resins (loading 1 BV of extraction solution with pH 8.0, and eluting with 4 BVs of 70% ethanol at a flow rate of 3 BV/h), cordycepin (purity of 32.5%), and adenosine (purity of 39.9%) were obtained with an overall recovery rate more than 90%. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]