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Resonant Raman spectroscopy studies of (Mn, Co)-codoped ZnO films were carried out using the 325 nm laser as the excitation source. The mixed mode character of the longitudinal optical (LO) phonon reveals that the resonant Raman spectra of the films can be used to test the c-axis orientation degree of their crystallite grains. The ratio of integrated Raman intensities between the 2LO to LO changes as a function of annealing temperatures, which reaches maximum at about 800 °C and demonstrates the variation of electron-LO phonon coupling in the films. These can provide helpful information for the fabrication of ZnO based functional films and for the development of their future applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raman spectra of (Mn, Co)-codoped ZnO films were investigated as functions of laser line and temperature. It is shown that the Raman shifts for different phonon modes exhibit redshift with temperature increasing, which can be attributed to the anharmonic effect in the material. Strong resonant Raman spectra of multi-LO phonons were observed as well for the films with the exciting photon energy higher than the direct band gap. Compared with the Raman spectra for ZnO films, the Mn, Co codoping effect on the spectra is revealed by the presence of additional phonon modes at 275 and 642 cm-1 and another intensive phonon mode at around 524 cm-1. With postannealing, Raman intensity of these phonon modes decrease, owing to the incorporation of oxygen into the films. Origins of the different phonon modes in the spectra are discussed as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raman spectra of SrBi4Ti4O15 (SBTi4) thin films were measured as a function of temperature from 80 to 820 K. Below room temperature, no phonon modes were detected between 200 and 815 cm-1, which indicates the existence of a phonon band gap in this material. Differences between the Raman spectra of the thin film and bulk polycrystalline samples are discussed. The asymmetric Raman band at high frequency can be interpreted as the superposition of two main distinct Raman lines. Temperature dependence of the Raman shifts and full widths at half maximum (FWHMs) for the two phonon modes is discussed as well, which provides information about the vibration energy levels within the film. Theoretical fittings of their FWHMs indicate that the higher-energy phonon mode is apparently more anharmonic than the lower one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raman spectra of Sr[Bi.sub.4][Ti.sub.4][O.sub.15] (SB[Ti.sub.4]) thin films are measured as a function of temperature from 80 to 820 K. Temperature dependence of the Raman shifts and full widths at half maximum (FWHMs) for the two phonon models are discussed, and theoretical fittings of their FWHMs indicate that the higher-energy phonon mode is apparently more anharmonic than the lower one.

Using the density functional calculations, we elucidate the nature of (110)- and (001)-oriented LaxSr1-xMnO3/SrTiO3 ultrathin superlattices with different La concentrations. In comparison to the (001)-oriented superlattice, the (110)-oriented one keeps ferromagnetic and half-metallic in a wider x range and has much greater exchange energy at the same La concentration, verifying previous experimental results. The significant advantages of the (110) superlattice is the result of the uniform distribution of the eg states in the 110 superlattice. We also find that the exchange energy is not sensitive to the strain between the layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in the severity of pulp browning, endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) and ethylene concentrations, and related gene expression in peach (Prunus persica L. 'Bayuecui') fruit stored at the biological freezing-point temperature (BFT; -1°C), at 4°C, or at room temperature (20°C; as a control) were investigated. The results showed that fruit stored at room temperature showed climacteric changes in ethylene and ABA concentrations and in levels of expression of the corresponding ethylene synthetase genes (PpACS1, PpACO1) and the gene for a key enzyme of ABA synthesis (PpNCED), concomitant with a significant decrease in fruit firmness and an increase in juice yield. Meanwhile, two sucrose synthase genes (PpSUS1 and PpSUS2) were expressed at relatively low levels. However, fruit firmness decreased slightly and chilling injury (Cl) increased significantly 40 d after storage (DAS) at 4°C, with a significant accumulation of proline [from 8.33 µg g-1 (at t = 0 d) to 9.125 µg g-1 (at t = 40 d)]. In contrast, fruit firmness decreased slowly and pulp browning increased slightly 80 DAS at the BFT (-1°C), with a lower accumulation of proline than in fruit stored at 4°C. The concentrations of soluble sugars and titratable acidity decreased during storage at -1°C, 4°C, or 20°C, but there was a peak of soluble sugars at a late stage of storage at the BFT (-1°C). The fruit browning index was significantly and positively correlated (R² = 0.967) with ABA concentration. The decrease in ABA concentration in cold-stored fruit (at both -1°C and 4°C) inhibited ethylene production. Moreover, there was no significant correlation between Cl in fruit and ethylene production. In conclusion, the decrease in ABA concentration reduced ethylene concentrations and inhibited the development of pulp browning, which resulted in an improved taste, but crisper fruit, when fruit were stored at the BFT (-1°C). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With first-principles calculations, magnetism is found in amorphous silicon doped with B impurities. The maximum magnetic moment per impurity atom is predicted to be ∼1.0 μB which originates mostly from unsaturated bond around three-fold coordinated Si atoms. Stoner criterion is employed to account for the magnetism induced by p-type impurities. The obtained spin polarized energies are around 50 meV, indicating that the magnetism found in amorphous silicon is able to survive even at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the effect of preemptive analgesia with ibuprofen on postoperative pain following single posterior tooth implantation, aiming to provide a clinical reference for its application. Methods: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel-group trial was conducted. A total of 82 participants were included in the trial, meeting the eligibility criteria from April 2022 to April 2024 at the Capital Medical University School of Stomatology (40 cases), Beijing TianTan Hospital, Capital Medical University (22 cases), Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University (20 cases). Participants were randomly assigned in a 1∶1 ratio to either the ibuprofen group or the control group, with each group comprising 41 individuals. Participants in the ibuprofen group received 300 mg of sustained-release ibuprofen capsules orally 15 min before surgery, while the control group received a placebo. Both groups received the same postoperative analgesic regimen for 3 days. Pain scores were assessed using the Numerical rating scale (NRS) at 30 min, 4 h, 6 h, 8 h, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h postoperatively, and the additional use of analgesic medication was recorded from days 4 to 6 postoperatively. Results: A total of 82 participants were initially enrolled in the study, with 7 dropouts (4 from the control group and 3 from the ibuprofen group), resulting in 75 participants (37 in the control group and 38 in the ibuprofen group) completing the trial. There were no reports of adverse events such as nausea or vomiting among the participants. The ibuprofen group exhibited significantly lower pain scores at 4 h, 6 h and 8 h [1.0 (0.0, 2.0), 1.0 (0.0, 2.0), 1.5 (0.0, 3.0) ] postoperatively compared to the control group 4 h, 6 h and 8 h [2.0 (1.0, 3.0), 3.0 (1.5, 4.0), 2.0 (1.0, 4.0)] ( Z =-1.99, P =0.047; Z =-3.01, P =0.003; Z =2.10, P =0.036). The proportions of patients requiring additional analgesic medication between days 4 and 6 post-surgery were 18.4% (7/38) in the ibuprofen group and 27.0% (10/37) in the control group, with no significant difference (χ 2 =0.79, P =0.373). The median additional medication usage postoperatively was [0.0 (0.0, 0.0) pills] in the ibuprofen group and [0.0 (0.0, 1.0) pills] in the control group, with no significant difference ( Z =-0.78, P =0.439). Conclusions: Preemptive analgesia with ibuprofen effectively reduces postoperative pain following tooth implantation, representing a safe and effective perioperative pain management strategy.

We prospectively studied 17 patients with spontaneous pneumothorax or giant emphysematous bulla at Rizhao Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from October 2020 to March 2022. All patients underwent thoracoscopic interventional therapy, had experienced continued air leakage for 3 days with closed thoracic drainage postoperatively, had an unexpanded lung on CT, and/or failed to intervention with position selection combined with intra-pleural thrombin injection(referred to as "position plus1.0"). They were all treated with position selection combined with autologous blood (100 ml) and thrombin (5 000 U) intra-pleural injection(referred to as "position plus 2.0").The success rate of the "position plus 2.0" intervention was 16/17, and the recurrence rate was 3/17. There were four cases of fever, four cases of pleural effusion, one case of empyema, and no other adverse reactions. This study has shown that the "position plus 2.0" intervention is safe, effective, and simple for patient with persistent air leakage failed to intervention with"position plus 1.0" after thoracoscopic treatment of pulmonary and pleural diseases related to bulla.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of a new treatment protocol that combined "medical glue assisted argon plasma coagulation"(hereinafter called "APC plus") and "giant emphysematous bulla volume reduction"(hereinafter called "one thoracoscope plus one needle") via medical thoracoscopy on the spontaneous pneumothorax patients whose chest high resolution CT (HRCT) showed multiple subpleural bullae (SPB) and at least one SPB≥4 cm in diameter. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 46 cases of spontaneous pneumothorax with multiple SPB(at least one SPB≥4 cm in diameter), 42 males and 4 females, aged from 31 to 79 (68.5±10.3) years,from June 2018 to December 2021 in Rizhao Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The time of air leakage discontinuance, the disappearance rate and reduction degree of target subpleural blebs one week after operation, the degree of reduction and the incidence of postoperative complications were observed. Two-year follow-up after operation was carried out to assess the recurrence rate and its short- and long-term complications. Results: Among the 46 patients, SPB disappeared or nearly disappeared in 39 cases (84.78%), decreased in number or reduced in volume in 5 cases (10.87%), and remained unchanged in 2 cases (4.35%) after the intervention of "APC Plus"; 40 patients stopped leaking within 1 week and 6 cases stopped leaking over a week. Eleven patients finished the 3-year follow-up, 13 finished 2-year follow-up and 6 finished 1-year follow-up, with only 1 relapse. No serious complications occurred in all these 46 patients. Conclusion: "APC plus" combining with "one thoracoscope plus one needle" is safe and effective in the treatment of pneumothorax patients with multiple subpleural bullae of varying sizes.

Objective: To explore the efficacy and safety of position selection in combination with intra-pleural thrombin injection in the treatment of persistent air leakage (PAL) after medical thoracoscopic treatment of bullous pulmonary-pleural diseases (e.g. spontaneous pneumothorax or giant emphysematous bulla). Methods: This was a prospective study conducted in Rizhao Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from August 2018 to November 2020. Twenty patients(19 males,1 female) with a mean age of (62.3±8.1) years met the diagnostic criteria for PAL which was defined as the air leak persisted more than 3 days despite of the closed thoracic drainage after medical thoracoscopic treatment of bullous pulmonary-pleural diseases.They received the following treatment procedures (referred to as "position plus"):①Pleural cavity injection (50% glucose 20 ml+thrombin 5 000 U).②Changing the patient's position under continuous negative pressure suction to find the position causing the complete stop or significant reduction of air leakage, and keeping in the position for 24-48 hours.③If the PAL wasn't stopped 48 hours later, the procedures above would be repeated.The duration of air leakage after "position plus", times of pleural cavity injection, condition of lung re-expansion, recurrence of air leakage and complications during hospitalization were recorded. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the results: ¯x±s or M ( P 25 , P 75 ) for continuous variables; frequency and percentages for categoric variables. Results: A total of 20 patients were included. The average duration of air leakage after"position plus" was (1.32±0.97) days. The times of pleural cavity injection required were 1.0(1.0, 1.0).All the patients showed good lung re-expansion in review of imaging after PAL was stopped. One patient had recurrent air leakage during hospitalization. No serious complications occurred. Conclusion: The comprehensive "position plus" intervention method is effective, safe and easily operating for the treatment of PAL after medical thoracoscopic treatment of bullous pulmonary-pleural diseases.

Objective: To study the phenotype of memory CD4(+) T cells in peripheral blood of asthmatics and its relationship with asthma severity. Methods: From Dec 2014 to Aug 2015, thirty-three asthmatics, twenty-six chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and twenty-two healthy volunteers were enrolled in Respiratory Clinics of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from peripheral blood. Cell surface markers (CD45RO, CRTH2, CD62L, and CCR7) and intracellular protein[interleukin (IL)-5, IL-17, interferon (IFN)-γ]staining was performed using flow-cytometric techniques. CD4(+) T cells were cultured under neutralization and then Th2, Th2+ Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), Th2+ Home dust mite (HDM) conditions for 6 days and then intracellular proteins were analyzed using flow cytometry. Correlation analysis between memory CD4(+) T cells, asthma severity and drug consumption were performed. Results: The percentage of memory CD4(+) T (CD4(+) Tm) cells in circulating white blood cells was higher in asthmatics, than that in healthy subjects (48.0%±5.7% vs 32.0%±4.1%, P <0.05). The cytokine profiles of CD4(+) Tm cells in asthma patients were substantially different from those of COPD and healthy subjects, with increased IL-5 and IL-17 production. For COPD patients, the predominant cytokines were IFN-γ instead. IL-17-producing CD4(+) Tm cells were associated with the severity of disease and the level of medication consumption in asthma patients ( R (2)=0.829 6, P <0.05). Conclusions: The cytokine profile is IL-5 and IL-17 predominant in memory CD4(+) T cells from asthmatics. The amount of IL-17(+) CD4(+) memory T cells is positively correlated with asthma severity.

The genotoxicity of low-level exposure to ethylene dichloride (EDC) and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) in humans is not clear. We used lymphocyte sister chromatid exchange (SCE) frequency as a parameter to investigate the genotoxicity of low level EDC and VCM in VCM-manufacturing workers. The SCE frequency was determined for 51 male workers with exposure to VCM and/or EDC and for 20 male workers devoid of such exposure. Epidemiological data were obtained by questionnaire, and included history of smoking, drinking, and any medication taken, as well as a detailed occupational history. Personal- and area-sampling and analysis were conducted in order to calculate the time-weighted average (TWA) contaminant-exposure level corresponding to different job categories. Moderate EDC exposure around 1 ppm corresponded to a significantly greater SCE frequency than was the case for the low EDC exposure group (p<0.01). However, VCM exposure of similar level was not associated with increased SCE. We conclude that EDC may cause genotoxicity at a relatively low level of exposure.