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Abstract Efficient separation of bioactive compounds from nature source, particularly that of astaxanthin (AXT), remains challenging due to their low content in complicated matrix and readily degradable structure. Herein, a modulator‐induced defect engineering is presented on the stable zirconium‐based metal–organic frameworks (Zr‐MOFs) to optimize pore size and pore chemistry for the efficient separation and purification of AXT for the first time. High adsorption capacity of 26.21 mg g−1 is achieved on the best‐performing defect Zr‐MOF (d‐UiO‐67‐4), superior over the other reported adsorbent for AXT. Meanwhile, d‐UiO‐67‐4 exhibits the selective adsorption of AXT over other carotenoids analogues with similar structure and properties. This is attributed to the preferential non‐covalent interactions between defect framework and AXT revealed by the spectroscopy analysis and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. High purity of AXT with 89.0% ± 2.3% extraction efficiency can be realized after the purification of AXT by d‐UiO‐67‐4. The practical separation performance of d‐UiO‐67‐4 for AXT extracted from Haematococcus pluvialis is demonstrated by fixed‐bed column‐based dynamic adsorption and desorption experiments. This work broadens the preparation methods for thermosensitive active substances and provided new research ideas for the controlled adsorption of functional food factors.

ABSTRACT Bacterial biofilms are the major etiology agent of peri-implant disease. Chemical decontamination is a promising treatment strategy against bacterial biofilms; however, its applications are limited by its low efficiency and poor biocompatibility. In contrast to three conventional cleaners (sterile saline, hydrogen peroxide, and chlorhexidine), this study used resveratrol and naringin solutions to remove mature Staphylococcus aureus and Porphyromonas gingivalis biofilm on sandblasted (with large grit and acid-etched (SLA) titanium surface. To determine changes in surface characteristics, the surface wettability and roughness were measured, and micromorphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy. With crystal violet (CV) and live/dead bacterial staining, residual plaque quantity and composition were measured. The biocompatibility was tested using pH and cytotoxicity, as well as by osteoblasts (MC3T3-E1) adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation, and fibroblasts (L-929) proliferation were also analyzed. It was found that resveratrol and naringin solutions were more effective in restoring surface characteristics and also showed that less plaque and viable bacteria were left. Naringin removed S. aureus biofilms better than chlorhexidine. Alkaline resveratrol and naringin solutions increased cell adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation without any cytotoxicity. Resveratrol increased the expression of mRNA and protein associated with osteogenesis. In conclusion, resveratrol and naringin effectively restored SLA titanium surface characteristics and decontaminated the biofilm with good biocompatibility, suggesting their therapeutic potential as chemical decontaminants.IMPORTANCEBacterial biofilms are considered the primary etiology of peri-implant disease. Physical cleaning is the most common way to remove bacterial biofilm, but it can cause grooving, melting, and deposition of chemicals that alter the surface of implants, which may hamper biocompatibility and re-osseointegration. Chemical decontamination is one of the most promising treatments but is limited by low efficiency and poor biocompatibility. Our study aims to develop safer, more effective chemical decontaminants for peri-implant disease prevention and treatment. We focus on resveratrol and naringin, two natural compounds, which have shown to be more effective in decontaminating biofilms on dental implant surfaces and exerting better biocompatibility. This research is groundbreaking as it is the first exploration of natural plant extracts’ impact on mature bacterial biofilms on rough titanium surfaces. By advancing this knowledge, we seek to contribute to more effective and biocompatible strategies for combating peri-implant diseases, enhancing oral health, and prolonging implant lifespan.

Objective To explore the value of blood flow resistance index of both kidneys plus visceral adipose tissue-derived serine protease inhibitor (Vaspin) in predicting renal function in patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy (T2DN). Methods From August 2021 to August 2022, 108 T2DN patients were recruited. Color ultrasonography was performed after admission for measuring renal indices. They were divided into two groups of elevated blood flow resistance index (n=40) and normal renal index (n=68). Serum level of Vaspin was detected by MeAP immunosorbent assay. The relevant clinical data were recorded. The risk factors affecting an elevation of renal indices were analyzed by univariate and multivariate Logistic regression. Pearson’s method was employed for examining the relationship between renal indices, Vaspin and renal function. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted according to renal indices and Vaspin. And the area under the curve (AUC) was utilized for evaluating its predictive value of renal function in T2DN patients. Results No significant inter-group differences existed in gender, stage of diabetic kidney disease, quantitative urinary protein, blood albumin, glycosylated hemoglobin, blood uric acid, urinary albumin to creatinine ratio, urinary α1 microglobulin or urinary β2 microglobulin (P>0.05). Age [(56.33±5.19) year vs (50.78±5.24) year], duration of diabetes [(12.58±3.42) years vs (10.13±3.25) years] and hypertension (87.50% vs 61.76%) were higher in elevated renal blood flow resistance index group than those in normal group. Triglyceride [(1.72±0.45) mmol/L vs (2.11±0.58) mmol/L], low-density lipoprotein (LDL) [(2.33±0.57) mmol/L vs (2.61±0.62) mmol/L], hemoglobin [(102.39±21.64) g/L vs (113.76±28.45) g/L], left kidney volume [(76.58±15.33) cm3 vs (81.35±17.16) cm3], right kidney volume [(71.62±12.39) cm3 vs (80.47±16.51) cm3], estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) [(40.37±12.58) mL·min−1·(1.73 m2)−1 vs (52.14±13.26) mL·min−1·(1.73 m2)−1] and serum level of Vaspin [(1.52±0.38) μg/L vs (1.74±0.43) μg/L] were lower than those in normal group (P

Amendment significantly improves soil structure and promotes crop growth. To combat soil degradation and low crop yields in facility agriculture, it is crucial to study the optimal application rate of amendments. This study analyzed the effects of biochar, vermicompost, and mineral-source potassium fulvic acid on the stability of aggregate structure, soil nutrient content, and tomato yield in cambisols, providing a theoretical basis for improving the soil quality of plastic greenhouses in Southern China. A pot experiment on tomato cultivation was carried out in yellow-brown soil in plastic greenhouses. The experiment included eight treatments: 1% biochar (B1); 3% biochar (B3); 5% biochar (B5); 3% vermicompost (V3); 5% vermicompost (V5); 0.1% mineral-source potassium fulvic acid (F1); 0.2% mineral-source potassium fulvic acid (F2); and the control condition without adding soil amendments (CK). The results showed that the biochar and vermicompost treatments effectively reduced soil bulk density and increased total soil porosity. Compared to the control, treatments with soil amendments significantly increased soil pH and had different effects on soil nutrients: F2 showed the most significant improvement in the content of available nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available potassium, with an increase of 133.33%, 834.59%, and 74.34%, respectively; B3 treatment had the highest increase in dissolved organic carbon (DOC), while B5 treatment had the highest organic matter content. Compared to the CK, the particle size of the biochar treatment was mainly 0.053~0.25 mm, while the V3, F1, and F2 mainly occurred with a particle size > 0.25 mm; and V3 has the best aggregate stability. Biochar, vermicompost, and mineral potassium fulvic acid can all promote tomato yield, with the F2 and V3 treatments having a yield increase effect of over 30%. Furthermore, Pearson’s correlation analysis showed a highly significant positive correlation between geometric mean diameter (GMD) and mean weight diameter (MWD), water-stable macroaggregate content (R0.25), and a positive correlation between alkaline-dissolved nitrogen, available phosphorus, dissolved organic carbon content, and aggregate stability indicators. Adding 0.2% mineral-source potassium fulvic acid optimizes cambisols’ properties, enhances aggregate formation and stability, boosts tomato yield, and shows great application potential.

As a novel fluid of functional material, magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) micropolar fluid has the special properties of light, heat, magnetic and so on. It is of highly practical significance. The characteristics of flow, heat and mass transfer in MHD micropolar nanofluid boundary layer past a stretching plate are investigated based on the micropolar fluid theory in the present numerical work. In the presence of magnetic field, viscous dissipation and the cross-diffusion caused by Dufour effect and Soret effect are considered. First order slip velocity condition is employed. Mathematical models are built based on the assumptions. Collocation spectral method (CSM) via matrix multiplication is adopted to solve the two-dimensional dimensionless nonlinear partial governing equations. The program codes based on CSM is developed, validated and employed. The coupled effects of microrotation, Dufour effect, Soret effect, magnetic field as well as first order slip velocity boundary condition on the flow, heat and mass transfer are revealed. Besides, the variation trends of local Nusselt number and Sherwood number are analyzed in detail. The numerical results indicate that the fluid flow can be suppressed obviously in the consideration n of slip condition and magnetic field. As slip parameter δ and magnetic parameter M rise, the velocity in the boundary layer becomes lower gradually; further, both temperature and concentration increase. On the other hand, the opposite trend can be noticed with the effect of material parameter K. Moreover, Ec and Df augment the temperature; while, Sr leads to an upsurge in concentration. The temperature rises by about 79.73% with Dufour effect and Sh enlarges by a factor of about 38.15% with Soret effect. The concentration boundary layer decreases by about 37.50% is when K=5.0.

IntroductionIn China, the interest relationship between pharmaceutical enterprises and medical institutions has harmed the healthy development of pharmaceutical enterprises. In November 2018, the National Centralized Drug Procurement (NCDP) policy was published. The NCDP policy severs the interest relationship and significantly impacts on pharmaceutical enterprises’s financial performance.MethodsUsing the implementation of China’s National Centralized Drug Procurement (NCDP) policy as a quasi-natural experiment, this study evaluated the impact of participation in the NCDP policy on pharmaceutical enterprises’ financial performance. We developed a difference-in-difference model to estimate the change in financial performance after NCDP implementation, based on financial data on Chinese listed pharmaceutical enterprises.ResultsWe found that the bid-winning enterprises’ financial performance significantly improved after participating in NCDP. This may be related to lower costs, market share expansion, and increased research and development investment by the bid-winning enterprises.DiscussionTo further promote the high-quality development of pharmaceutical enterprises in China, the government should expand the variety of drugs on the NCDP list (NCDP drugs), while improving the drug patent protection system and the policies to support the bid-winning enterprises.

IntroductionEnhancing the wellbeing of residents through universal health coverage (UHC) is a long-term policy goal for China. In 2016, China integrated the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme (NRCMS) and the Urban Resident Basic Medical Insurance (URBMI) into the Urban and Rural Resident Basic Medical Insurance (URRBMI) to address the problem of fragmentation.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to investigate whether the integration of basic medical insurance had an impact on the subjective wellbeing of Chinese residents.MethodsUsing the China Household Finance Survey data of 2015 and 2019, we empirically estimated the influence of the integration of basic medical insurance on Chinese residents through the difference-in-difference method based on propensity score matching (PSM-DID).ResultsOur findings indicate that the integration of basic medical insurance improved the subjective wellbeing of the insured population. Additionally, through heterogeneity testing, we validated that the integration increased the subjective wellbeing of residents from less developed regions in West China and rural areas, as well as those with older adult dependents. However, the subjective wellbeing of low-income groups, who were expected to benefit more from the URRBMI, did not improve significantly, at least in the short term.ConclusionAccording to our research, the integration of basic medical insurance in China supports the country's objective of achieving equality and providing universal benefits for its residents. The introduction of the URRBMI has had a positive impact on the subjective wellbeing of insured individuals. This is particularly beneficial for disadvantaged groups in less developed regions, as well as for residents with older adult dependents. However, the subjective wellbeing of the middle-income group has improved significantly, whereas that of the low-income group, despite being the intended beneficiaries of the integration, did not show significant improvement.RecommendationsFrom a funding perspective, we recommend establishing a dynamic adjustment funding system that links residents' medical insurance funding standards with their disposable income. Regarding the utilization of the URRBMI, the benefit packages should be expanded, particularly by covering more outpatient services through risk pooling. We call for further research with additional data and continued efforts on improving wellbeing of residents, particularly for disadvantaged populations.

This study addresses convex resource allocation scheduling problems with exponential time-dependent learning effects. Under a single-machine, a bicriteria scheduling model is introduced where the first criterion is to minimize makespan, and the other is to minimize resource consumption cost. For some special cases, polynomial time algorithms are developed for three versions of considering the two costs. For the general case of the three versions of these two costs, we present a heuristic algorithm, a simulated annealing (SA), and a branch and bound algorithm to solve the problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]