Search

An octahedral metal-organic framework, MIL-100, was synthesized by a hydrothermal method followed by high-temperature calcination. Thereafter, hematite nanoparticles were assembled on its surface to form Fe 2 O 3 -MIL-100, which was used to develop an electrochemical sensor for the sensitive detection of paraquat (PQ). The Fe 2 O 3 -MIL-100-based electrochemical sensor showed appreciable sensing performance under optimized conditions, with a linear response in the range of 0.01–30 μM and a limit of detection of 2.6 nM. The Fe 2 O 3 -MIL-100-based electrode produced an excellent current response to PQ even after 20 d of storage. Notably, the Fe 2 O 3 -MIL-100-based electrochemical sensor exhibited high sensitivity and selectivity for PQ detection in milk and honey samples. Therefore, the fabricated sensor can be an effective tool for the rapid detection of PQ in foods. • Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticle decorated MIL-100 was firstly synthesized by facile process. • Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticle exposed more active sites to improve detection activity of PQ. • The proposed senor had a wide linear range for PQ with a LOD of 2.6 nM. • The sensor can be used for accurate PQ analysis in foods with satisfactory results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Flavonols improved the color stability of mulberry juice during storage. • Flavonols enhanced the thermodynamic stability of anthocyanins. • Flavonols promoted the structure stability of anthocyanin via forming complexes. • Hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces are the main forces for complex formation. Copigmentation effect of flavonoids on black mulberry juice and its main anthocyanin, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G), was evaluated. Results showed that the hyperchromic effect of flavonols, such as kaempferol (KAE), hyperoside (HYP), rutin (RUT), quercetin (QTI) and isoquercitrin (IQT), was better than that of quercitrin (QTR) and catechin (CAT). The degradation rate constant (k) of C3G decreased by 8.6 %∼50.0 % when KAE, HYP, RUT, QTI and IQT were added, whilst half-life (t 1/2), activation energy (E a) and hydration reaction equilibrium constant (pK h) increased by 7.4 %∼99.0 %, 60.0 %∼95.7 % and 8.3 %∼37.8 % respectively. Meanwhile, the maximum absorption wavelength of the mixture displayed bathochromic shift. Molecular simulation indicated that the interaction energy with C3G was KAE > HYP > RUT > QTI > IQT > QTR > CAT. The main driving force forming C3G-flavonol complex were hydrogen bond and Van der Waals interaction. These results will provide theoretical reference to enhance color stability of food rich in anthocyanins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple method is proposed to prepare separable MoS 2 -modified biochar/CaCO 3 /alginate beads with a high Pb(II) removal capacity of 833.3 mg g−1 at room temperature. [Display omitted] • A facile method to prepare centimeter-scale biochar/CaCO 3 /alginate beads. • They have efficient removal of Pb(II) over a wide pH range. • The maximum adsorption capacity was up to 833.3 mg g−1 at 25 °C. • They are easy to separate and stable with 98.4 % removal after ten cycles. Centimeter-scale composite biochar-alginate gel beads (MoS 2 B/CaCO 3 /Alg) were designed for the adsorption of Pb(II) in water using MoS 2 modified biochar as the filler, alginate as the matrix, and CaCO 3 as the active additive component. The composite gel beads were characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and other techniques. MoS 2 B/CaCO 3 /Alg showed excellent adsorption capacity over a wide range of pH 4–7. The maximum adsorption capacities obtained using the Langmuir model were 769.2, 833.3, and 909.1 mg g−1 at 10, 25 and 40 °C, respectively. At a dosing rate of 0.4 g L−1, MoS 2 B/CaCO 3 /Alg was able to reduce the Pb(II) concentration to below 0.05 ppm in complex simulated lead battery wastewater. After 10 repeated cycles, MoS 2 B/CaCO 3 /Alg maintained a high removal rate of 98.4 %. This spherical adsorbent is simple to prepare and easy to recover, has an ultra-high adsorption capacity, and is mechanically stable and resistant to interference, thus it is expected to be suitable for application in industrial wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In structural dynamics, the consideration of statistical uncertainties is imperative to ensure a realistic modelling of loading and material parameters. It is well-known that any deterministic analysis only constitutes a single result for the given input parameters. Because of aleatoric or epistemic uncertainties, many factors must be considered either in certain intervals or with subjective probabilities. Especially for environmental processes, such as earthquakes or wind loads, a reliable prediction of future event characteristics is important for the design of safe structures. This work attends to the statistical procedure of simulating the response behaviour of a dynamic system under an excitation described by a stochastic process. A versatile option for this procedure is the estimation of the Power Spectral Density (PSD) function from real data records. The PSD function determines dominant frequencies and their magnitude of influence on the stochastic process. There are numerous methods for estimating the PSD function from source data, but usually these estimators do not account for uncertainties inherent in data records as they have a rigorous mathematical relationship between data and estimated PSD function. To address this issue, an approach for a stochastic load model that captures epistemic uncertainties by encompassing inherent statistical differences that exist across real data sets is proposed. Due to an increase in available data, reliable statistical information can be extracted from an ensemble of similar PSD functions that differ, for instance, only slightly in shape and peak frequency. Based on these statistics, a PSD function model is derived utilising subjective probabilities to capture the epistemic uncertainties and represent this information effectively. The spectral densities are characterised as random variables instead of employing discrete values, and thus the PSD function itself represents a non-stationary random process comprising a range of possible valid PSD functions for a given data set. This novel representation is useable for producing non-ergodic process realisations immediately applicable for Monte Carlo simulation analyses. The strengths and advantages are demonstrated by means of numerical examples. • Robust power spectrum estimation from a large amount of source data. • Probabilistic representation of source data in frequency domain. • Capturing of epistemic uncertainties in data records. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Fuzzy failure probability is calculated in a post-processing step of standard reliability analysis. • An explicit approximation of the failure probability as a function of the distribution parameters is proposed. • Intervening variables associated with the distribution parameters are formulated. Fuzzy probability offers a framework for taking into account the effects of both aleatoric and epistemic uncertainty on the performance of a system, quantifying its level of safety, for example, in terms of a fuzzy failure probability. However, the practical application of fuzzy probability is often challenging due to increased numerical efforts arising from the need to propagate both types of uncertainties. Hence, this contribution proposes an approach for approximate calculation of fuzzy failure probabilities for a class of problems that involve moderately nonlinear performance functions, where uncertain input parameters of a model are characterized as random variables while their associated distribution parameters (for example, mean and standard deviation) are described as fuzzy variables. The proposed approach is cast as a post-processing step of a standard (yet advanced) reliability analysis. The key issue for performing an approximate calculation of the fuzzy failure probabilities is extracting probability sensitivity information from the reliability analysis stage as well as the introduction of intervening variables that capture – to some extent – the nonlinear relation between distribution parameters and the failure probability. A series of relatively simple illustrative examples demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed approach, highlighting its numerical advantages, as it comprises a single standard reliability analysis plus some additional system analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming causes a large area of permafrost degradation, which leads to increasingly engineering problems related to pile foundations in Tibetan Plateau, particularly in warm permafrost. The present research investigated the effects of permafrost degradation on the axial behaviour of concrete piles in warm permafrost. Quick axial compression tests were conducted on concrete piles installed in frozen soils in the cold room laboratory. Results showed that the behaviours of pile gradually degenerated with the increase of active layer thickness (z a) and ground temperature. The development of shaft resistance as the pile settled was compared at various cases. Adfreeze strength on the pile shaft was reduced with increased ground temperature. The adfreeze strength for concrete piles was obtained in silt and clay at temperature of −1.10 °C to −2.35 °C. Adfreeze strength was not reached near the pile tip. Piles in frozen soils could still gain the tip resistance at a displacement as much as 10% pile diameter and did not reach the plunging failure at such a displacement. • The influence of permafrost degradation on the pile behaviours were studied. • Physical model tests were conducted to analyze axial loading behaviour of piles. • The adfreeze strength was obtained at temperature of −1.10 °C to −2.35 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of the study is to investigate the effect and feasibility of using absorbable plate instead of frontal and orbital bar and inverted U-shaped osteotomy to correct the widening of orbital distance., Methods: The surgical effect and feasibility of using absorbable plate instead of frontal and orbital bridge plus inverted U-osteotomy for orbital widening syndrome in seven cases between January 2019 and February 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. First, the surgical procedure for orbital hypertelorism was inverted U-shaped orbital osteotomy, and a frontal bone flap was removed, exposing the superior orbital margin and the orbital circumference, and the orbital bone was directly cut off by inverted U-shaped osteotomy. The widened bone in the middle of the orbit was removed, and a long absorbable plate was used to replace the orbitofrontal bridge. The two sides of the orbit were fixed on the absorbable plate, and the absorbable plate was fixed on the rear skull. The clinical effect of treatment, complications (such as cerebrospinal fluid leakage and infection), safety, and feasibility of surgery were evaluated., Results: Using absorbable plate instead of fronto-orbital bridge achieved the effect of orbitofrontal bridge, without orbital distance widening, cerebrospinal fluid leakage, and intracranial infection. Operating time was reduced. There was no metal fixation, and there was no risk of a second operation., Conclusions: The effect of replacing the frontal-orbital bridge with an absorbable plate and inverted U-shaped osteotomy is positive, the operation time is short, and the orbital distance is clearly improved. This approach can replace the traditional orbital-distance operation, and the incidence of postoperative cerebrospinal fluid leakage and infection is low. Long-term follow-up results are stable., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest and sources of funding: none declared., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This study was aimed to develop a nomogram that can accurately predict the likelihood of cognitive dysfunction in individuals with abdominal obesity by utilizing various predictor factors., Methods: A total of 1490 cases of abdominal obesity were randomly selected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database for the years 2011-2014. The diagnostic criteria for abdominal obesity were as follows: waist size ≥ 102 cm for men and waist size ≥ 88 cm for women, and cognitive function was assessed by Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD), Word Learning subtest, Delayed Word Recall Test, Animal Fluency Test (AFT), and Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST). The cases were divided into two sets: a training set consisting of 1043 cases (70%) and a validation set consisting of 447 cases (30%). To create the model nomogram, multifactor logistic regression models were constructed based on the selected predictors identified through LASSO regression analysis. The model's performance was assessed using several metrics, including the consistency index (C-index), the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC), calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA) to assess the clinical benefit of the model., Results: The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that age, sex, education level, 24-hour total fat intake, red blood cell folate concentration, depression, and moderate work activity were significant predictors of cognitive dysfunction in individuals with abdominal obesity ( p < 0.05). These predictors were incorporated into the nomogram. The C-indices for the training and validation sets were 0.814 (95% CI: 0.875-0.842) and 0.805 (95% CI: 0.758-0.851), respectively. The corresponding AUC values were 0.814 (95% CI: 0.875-0.842) and 0.795 (95% CI: 0.753-0.847). The calibration curves demonstrated a satisfactory level of agreement between the nomogram model and the observed data. The DCA indicated that early intervention for at-risk populations would provide a net benefit, as indicated by the line graph., Conclusion: Age, sex, education level, 24-hour total fat intake, red blood cell folate concentration, depression, and moderate work activity were identified as predictive factors for cognitive dysfunction in individuals with abdominal obesity. In conclusion, the nomogram model developed in this study can effectively predict the clinical risk of cognitive dysfunction in individuals with abdominal obesity., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (Copyright © 2024 Lei, Wu, Cui, Xia, Chen, Zhan, Lv, Li, Zhang and Zhu.)

Objective: This study seeks to examine the impact of anterior and posterior vault distraction osteogenesis (A-PVDO) in conjunction with 3D-printed positioning and shaping templates for the management of Apert syndrome., Methods: From January 2018 to February 2022, a retrospective analysis was conducted on 6 cases of Apert syndrome employing fronto-orbital 3D-printed positioning and molding templates. The cranium underwent surgical modification in accordance with the template's configuration and was affixed with absorbable plates. Subsequently, distraction devices were applied, encompassing both anterior and posterior craniotomies. The evaluation encompassed clinical outcomes, complications (including cerebrospinal fluid leakage and infection), safety, and the feasibility of the distraction osteogenesis procedure., Results: Six patients diagnosed with Apert syndrome underwent treatment involving the integration of fronto-orbital 3D-printed positioning and shaping templates in conjunction with anterior and posterior cranial distraction osteoplasty. Follow-up durations ranged from 18 to 32 months (average: 22 mo). No instances of fronto-orbital retraction, cerebrospinal fluid leakage, or intracranial infection were noted during the follow-up period. The sole reported complication entailed an infection at the extension rod site in 1 case. All patients conveyed satisfaction with the treatment outcomes., Conclusions: The application of 3D-printed positioning and shaping templates in tandem with anterior and posterior cranial distraction osteogenesis demonstrates efficacy in addressing Apert syndrome. Notably, significant enhancements in head shape and orbit were observed, and the incidence of postoperative complications such as cerebrospinal fluid leakage and infection remained minimal. Moreover, long-term follow-up affirmed stability., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 by Mutaz B. Habal, MD.)

Objective: To investigate the clinical effect of prolonging predilated transverse cervical flap with stepwise pressure packing for neck and chest lesions in children., Methods: A retrospective review of children with large cervicothoracic lesions admitted to our department from January 2011 to June 2021 was conducted to compare stepwise pressure packing with normal dressing in the surgical method of transverse cervical pedicled flaps after expansion. Among 58 included children, 22 (14 males and 8 females) were allocated to the extended and expanded transverse cervical flap with stepwise compression dressing group, and 36 (19 males and 17 females) to the transverse cervical flap group. The causes of skin defects were: scars (37 cases) and giant nevus (21 cases). The course of the disease ranged from 0.5 to 8 years. The two groups were compared in terms of child satisfaction, the occurrence of infection, recurrence of the contracture, secondary operation, and repaired area., Results: In 22 cases of extended transverse cervical flaps, 8 cases were embedded with two expanders, resulting in a total of 30 expanded flaps, which were successfully transferred to the neck and chest without necrosis at the distal end of compression, with good effect. Comparison of pedicled transverse cervical flaps with stepwise pressure packing and pedicled transverse cervical flaps alone revealed no significant difference in child satisfaction, the occurrence of infection, recurrence of the contracture, and secondary surgery (all P  > 0.05). Yet, there was a significant difference in the repair area between two groups ( P  < 0.05)., Conclusion: Prolongation of pedicled cervical flaps after expansion with stepwise pressure packing resulted in an effective method for repairing the large skin defect of children's face and neck caused by various diseases. In terms of increasing neck repair area, the operation with stepwise pressure dressing was significantly superior to the simple packing., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2023 Kong, Xiong, Ji, Cui, Chen and Shen.)

Background: The nonsyndromic craniosynostosis is the most common of craniosynostoses in childhood. There are many treatments. We aim to treat 12 cases of nonsyndromic craniosynostosis via posterior cranial vault distraction osteogenesis combined with bilateral parietal distraction., Methods: Data of a total of 12 patients (7 boys and 5 girls) with nonsyndromic sagittal synostosis who underwent distraction osteogenesis between January 2015 and August 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Bilateral parietal bone flaps and posterior occipital flaps were designed and cut. Then, distraction device was placed, which was distracted at 5 days after surgery (twice per day, 0.4-0.6 mm/d, and lasting for 10-15 days). After 6 months of fixation, the secondary surgery was performed to remove the device., Results: The scaphocephaly was corrected, and the appearance was satisfactory. Postoperative follow-up time was 6 to 14 months, with an average of 10 months, and the mean CI was 63.2 and 78.25 before and after surgery, respectively; the mean anterior-posterior skull diameter was shortened (12.63 ± 3.47) mm, the transverse diameter of both temporal regions was lengthened (15.4 ± 4.18) mm, and the scaphocephalic deformity was significantly improved. There was no detachment or rupture of the extender postoperatively. No severe complications, such as radiation necrosis or intracranial infection, were observed., Conclusion: Posterior cranial retraction combined with bilateral parietal distraction in children with nonsyndromic craniosynostosis, in which the proposed technique did not exhibit severe complications, and it is worthy of further promotion and application in clinical practice., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest and sources of funding: none declared., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Circular RNA (circRNA) has been proven to play a critical role in breast cancer progression. Therefore, this study was designed to clarify the role and underlying molecular mechanisms of circ-disintegrin and metalloproteinase 9 (circ-ADAM9) in breast cancer., Methods: A quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was conducted to assess the expression levels of circ-ADAM9, microRNA-383-5p (miR-383-5p), and profilin 2 (PFN2). Cellular growth curves of breast cancer cells were determined by colony-forming assay. Cell viability and apoptosis were measured by MTT and flow cytometry, respectively. The protein expression level was analyzed by western blot. Cell migration and invasion were evaluated by wound healing and Transwell assays. A xenograft experiment was established to clarify the functional role of circ-ADAM9 inhibition in vivo. The interactions among circ-ADAM9, miR-383-5p, and PFN2 were analyzed by dual-luciferase reporter, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), and RNA pull-down assays., Results: We found that circ-ADAM9 was upregulated in breast cancer tissues and cells compared to controls. Inhibition of circ-ADAM9 expression impaired proliferation, migration, and invasion, but increased radiosensitivity and apoptosis in breast cancer cells; besides, radiotherapy combined with circ-ADAM9 inhibition showed significant inhibitory effects on tumor growth. The functional effects of circ-ADAM9 were related to miR-383-5p, a target of circ-ADAM9. Overexpression of miR-383-5p-mediated malignant behaviors and radiosensitivity of breast cancer cells were dependent on PFN2., Conclusion: Circ-ADAM9 was found to participate in breast cancer progression through targeting the miR-383-5p/PFN2 axis., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany.)

Objective: To assess the therapeutic effect of management for lymphatic malformation (LM) in infants., Methods: This retrospective study recruited clinical data of 996 patients with LM from June 2004 to July 2015 in our center. All patients were diagnosed as LM after ultrasound, CT or MR scan. All patients were divided into Group 1 (427 patients, treated by endoscopic LM partial resection combined with cautery and postoperative intratumoral negative pressure and absolute ethyl alcohol),Group 2 (239 patients, treated by combined pinyangmycin and dexamethasone injection),Group 3 (330 patients, treated by surgical resection only).The clinical effects were observed in three groups, and therapeutic effect differences in gender, age, maximum diameter, location, range, histological typing, lymph property and treatments were analysed in cervicofacial LM., Results: Group 1:333 patients were cured (78.0％),Group 2:165 patients were cured (69.0％),Group 3:238 patients were cured (72.1％).The difference in cure rate between Group 1 and Group 2 or between Group 1 and Group 3 was significant(P ＜0.05).The number of patients with ≥ 2 treatments in Group 3 was significantly less than that in other two groups. The cure rate of LM in cervicofacial area was significantly lower than that in other parts of body (P ＜ 0.05).In cervicofacial LM patients, the therapeutic effect differences in maximum diameter, range, histological typing, lymph property were statistically significant (P ＜ 0.05).At the multivariable logistic regression analysis, LM range as well as histological typing were independent factors influencing the therapeutic effect (P ＜ 0.05)., Conclusions: Both treatment of endoscopic LM partial resection combined with cautery and postoperative intratumoral negative pressure and absolute ethyl alcohol, and surgical resection have good therapeutic effect on LM in infants. LM range as well as histological typing are important factors independently influencing the therapeutic effect of cervicofacial LM in infants.

Objective: To investigate the clinical effect of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) combined with lauromacrogol for the treatment of parotid gland hemangioma in infants., Methods: From Sep.2005 to Dec.2014,a total of 117 patients with parotid gland hemangioma were divided into observation group (n =32),control group 1 (n =30),control group 2 (n =28) and control group 3 (n =27).The observation group was treated by RFA combined with lauromacrogol, while the control group 1 was treated by RFA only, the control group 2 was treated by pingyangmycin only, and the control group 3 received additional pingyangmycin based on RFA. All the patients were followed up for 6 to 24 months, and the clinical effects were observed in four groups., Results: Control group 1:16 patients were cured (53.3％),and the number of patients with ≥2 treatments was 9.There was 1 case with skin ulceration,1 with abdominal discomfort,1 with liver function damage and 1 with high fever.Control group 2:17 patients were cured(60.7％),and number of patients with ≥2 treatments was 12.There were 3 cases with skin ulceration,9 with abdominal discomfort,6 with liver function damage and 5 with high fever.Control group 3:21 patients were cured(77.8％),and number of patients with ≥2 treatments was 2.There were 2 cases with skin ulceration,6 with abdominal discomfort,4 with liver function damage and 4 with high fever.However,in observation group,25 patients were cured(78.1％) and number of patients with ≥ 2 treatments was 4,which were significantly different from that in control group 1 or control group 2 (P ＜0.05).And the difference in postoperative adverse reactions between observation group and control group 2 or control group 3 was also of significance (2 with skin ulceration,1 with abdominal discomfort,1 with liver function damage and 6 with high fever,P ＜ 0.05)., Conclusions: Combined RFA and lauromacrogol has a good therapeutic effect on parotid gland hemangioma with relatively low adverse effect, so it deserves to be suggested and applied in clinical practice.

Objective: To discuss the treatment and diagnosis of congenital median perineal cleft in children., Methods: Between January 2009 to February 2013, 7 cases were diagnosed as congenital median perineal cleft according to the symptoms. Among them, 4 cases underwent surgery to correct cleft with double triangular perineal flaps. The other 3 cases with minor cleft did not receive surgery management., Results: There is an median cleft from the perineum to the anus with mucosa on the cleft surface. Primary healing was achieved in all the four patients with satisfactory appearance. The patients were followed up for 1-4 years with almost normal perineal appearance., Conclusions: Congenital perineal median cleft can be diagnosed according to the symptoms. Double triangular perineal flaps can be effectively correct the cleft to attain normal perineal appearance.