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Bacterial infection and subsequent reactive oxygen species (ROS) damage are major factors that delay wound healing in infected skin. Recently, photothermal therapy (PTT), as a new antibacterial method, has shown great advantages in the treatment of infected skin wound. Antibacterial and antioxidant hydrogels can reduce bacterial colonization and infection, scavenge ROS, relieve inflammation, and accelerate wound healing. In this study, an enzyme-crosslinked hyaluronic acid-tyramine (HT) hydrogel loaded with antioxidant and photothermal silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), named HTA, was developed as functional wound dressing to promote the infected skin wound healing. Natural antioxidant tannic acids (TA) were used as both reducing and stabilizing agents to facilely synthesize the silver nanoparticles capped with TA (AgNPs@TA). The incorporation of AgNPs@TA significantly enhanced the antioxidant, antibacterial, photothermal antibacterial, adhesive, and hemostatic abilities of the resulted HTA hydrogel. Besides, HTA hydrogel has rapid gelation, well injection and biocompatibility. In vivo results on the Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli co-infected mouse skin wound model showed that HTA 0.4 (containing 0.4 mg/mL AgNPs@TA) hydrogel combined with near infrared ray radiation highly alleviated inflammation, promoted angiogenesis, and accelerated the healing process. Therefore, this nanocomposite hydrogel wound dressing with antibacterial and antioxidant capabilities has great application potential in the treatment of infected skin wounds. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The booming demand for energy storage has driven the rapid development of energy storage devices such as supercapacitors, and the research on high-performance electrode materials, a key component of supercapacitors, has gained tremendous attention. In this research, phenolic resin-based multi-porous carbon nanofibers have been prepared by electrospinning, curing, carbonization and activation and then employed as advanced electrode materials in supercapacitors. We demonstrate that the material is nano-scale continuous fiber, and its surface has pore distribution of different sizes. It delivers a high specific capacitance of 242 F g−1 at a current density of 0.2 A g−1 and maintains 148 F g−1 even at a high current density of 20 A g−1. Moreover, it shows almost no capacitance decay at a current density of 2 A g−1 over 1000 cycles, demonstrating its great potential as high-performance electrodes in supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intermediate coronary stenosis (ICS) is defined as a visually estimated percentage of diameter stenosis ranging between 40% and 70% by conventional coronary angiography (CAG). Whether to perform percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for these lesions is a challenge in clinical practice. The fractional flow reserve (FFR) can guide treatment by determining the functional significance of ICS. Studies have shown that some clinical indicators can be used to predict FFR. However, there is little research on this in the Chinese population.Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 690 patients who underwent FFR measurements to determine the functional significance of a single ICS. Patients were divided into 2 groups: FFR ≤0.8 (n = 280) and FFR >0.8 (n = 410). We compared the clinical factors between the two groups and performed multivariate logistic regression analyses to explore the risk factors. In addition, receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed for FFR ≤0.8 diagnoses.Results: The mean UHR (uric acid to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio) level was significantly higher in the FFR ≤0.8 group (p < 0.001). UHR corrects negatively with FFR (r = -0.44, p < 0.001). High-level UHR was an independent risk factor for the FFR ≤0.8 (OR = 7.17, 95% CI 4.17-12.34). The area under the curve (AUC) of the UHR diagnostic capacity for the FFR ≤0.8 is 0.77, with 77.3% sensitivity and 68.2% specificity.Conclusion: UHR levels were significantly increased in patients with hemodynamically significant coronary lesions. UHR is a novel predictor of functionally significant lesions in patients with a single-vessel disease of ICS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at promptly and accurately detecting falls and drag-to gaits induced by asynchronous human-robot movement speed during assisted walking, a noncontact interactive approach with generality, compliance and safety is proposed in this paper, and is applied to a wheeled walking aid robot. Firstly, the structure and the functions of the wheeled walking aid robot, including gait rehabilitation robot (GRR) and walking aid robot (WAR) are illustrated, and the characteristic futures of falls and the drag-to gait are shown by experiments. To obtain gait information, a multichannel proximity sensor array is developed, and a two-dimensional gait information detection system is established by combining four proximity sensors groups which are installed in the robot chassis. Additionally, a node-iterative fuzzy Petri net algorithm for abnormal gait recognition is proposed by generating the network trigger mechanism using the fuzzy membership function. It integrates the walking intention direction vector by taking gait deviation, frequency, and torso angle as input parameters of the system. Finally, to improve the compliance of the robot during human-robot interaction, a PID_SC controller is designed by integrating the gait speed compensation, which enables the WAR to track human gait closely. Abnormal gait recognition and assisted walking experiments are carried out respectively. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can accurately identify abnormal gaits of different groups of users with different walking habits, and the recognition rate of abnormal gait reaches 91.2%. Results also show that the developed method can guarantee safety in human robot interaction because of user gate follow-up accuracy and compliant movements. The noncontact interactive approach can be applied to robots with similar structure for usage in walking assistance and gait rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multicellular tumor spheroids are experimental models between animals and 2D cells. It can not only combine with animal experiments to obtain more detailed experimental data to reduce the number of experimental animals, but also can simulate better the tumor microenvironment of solid tumors. Although a variety of multicellular tumor spheroids had been developed, the multicellular tumor spheroids labelling with fluorescence quantum dots were rarely studied. Herein, folic acid-modified CdSe/ZnS quantum dots with size 5.98 ± 0.31 nm were prepared and characterized the properties of fluorescence, stability, and anti-photobleaching. A low-speed centrifugation was used to induce aggregation of the suspended colon cancer cells HCT116 labelled with quantum dots, and the aggregated cell was cultured to form 3D cell spheroids. The changes in fluorescence and biological activity of 3D cell spheroids and the position of quantum dots in cells were further studied. The results showed that cells labelled with quantum dots can form intact cell spheroids and maintain high fluorescence intensity and bioactivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Bacterial diversity and microbial functions were independent of slope facing direction. • Bacterial alpha diversity showed a hump-shaped elevational pattern. • Community assembly processes transitions shaped the soil bacterial community. • Microbial functions were strongly influenced by bacterial community. The distribution of microbial communities along elevational gradients has been widely reported, but whether there are linkages between soil microbial diversity, community assembly processes and microbial functions in elevational patterns, and whether the patterns are influenced by micro-topography (e.g. slope direction), remain unclear. Here, we collected soils from two slope directions (i.e. north-facing slope and east-facing slope) along the elevational gradient (∼2000 m elevational range) of a mountain ecosystem. Unexpectedly, for bacterial alpha diversity or microbial functions (i.e. multifunctionality), we found consistent elevational patterns for both slope directions, with alpha diversity showing a hump-shaped pattern and microbial functions exhibiting a linearly increasing trend. Similarly, for both slope directions, there were significant elevational distance-decay relationships in the bacterial beta diversity pattern. The elevational patterns of soil bacterial diversity were determined by the transitions of community assembly processes, while microbial functions were mainly influenced by bacterial community composition. These results suggest that soil bacterial diversity, community assembly processes and microbial functions are interactive along an elevational gradient, and that these interactions are independent of slope direction. Our study adds new insights into the elevational patterns of soil bacterial communities and their drivers and ecological consequences in mountain ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infected wounds pose a serious threat to public health and pose a significant challenge and financial burden worldwide. The treatment of infected wounds is now an urgent problem to be solved. Herein, mild hyperthermia-assisted hydrogels composed of carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCs), oxidized dextran (Odex), epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and PtNPs@PVP (CAT-like nanoenzymes) were proposed for the repair of infected wounds. The incorporation of PtNPs@PVP nanoenzymes give the hydrogels excellent photothermal property and CAT-like activity. When the temperature is maintained at 42–45 °C under 808 nm near infrared (NIR) exposure, the CMCs/Odex/EGCG/Nanoenzymes (COEN 2) hydrogel demonstrated highly enhanced antibacterial ability (95.9 % in vivo), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2) scavenging ratio (85.1 % in vitro) and oxygen supply (20.7 mg/L in vitro). Furthermore, this mild-heat stimulation also promoted angiogenesis in the damaged skin area. Overall, this multifunctional hydrogel with antibacterial, antioxidant, oxygen supply, hemostasis, and angiogenesis capabilities has shown great promise in the repair of infected wounds. This study establishes the paradigm of enhanced infected wound healing by mild hyperthermia-assisted H 2 O 2 scavenging, oxygen supplemental, and photothermal antibacterial hydrogels. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melanoma excision surgery is usually accompanied by neoplasm residual, tissue defect, and bacterial infection, resulting in high tumor recurrence and chronic wound. Nanocomposite hydrogels can satisfy the twin requirements of avoiding tumor recurrence and skin wound healing following skin melanoma surgery due to their photothermal anti-tumor and anti-bacterial activities. In this study, carboxymethyl chitosan, oxidized fucoidan and polyphenol–metal nanoparticle (PMN) of tannic acid capped gold nanoparticles were used to fabricate multifunctional nanocomposite hydrogels through Schiff base reaction. The prepared hydrogel demonstrated outstanding photothermal effect, and the controlled high temperature will rapidly kill melanoma cells as well as bacteria within 10 min. Good injectability, self-healing and adhesion combined with high reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging capacity, hemostasis and biocompatibility made this hydrogel platform perfect for the postoperative treatment of melanoma and promoting wound healing. With the assistance of NIR irradiance, hydrogel can inhibit tumor tissue proliferation and promote tumor cell apoptosis, thereby helping to prevent melanoma recurrence after surgical removal of tumors. Simultaneously, the irradiance heat and polyphenol component kill bacteria on the wound surface, eliminate ROS, inhibit inflammatory responses, and promote angiogenesis, collagen deposition, and skin regeneration, all of which help to speed up wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PtS2, a group-10 transition metal dichalcogenide, has prominent layer-depended band structure, and can enable extremely high phonon-limited mobility at room temperature. Here, we demonstrate the theoretical study on the electronic band structures of PtS2 with different thickness by using density functional theory (DFT), as well as experimental realization of large-area synthesis of few-layer PtS2 film by direct sulfurization of pre-deposited Pt. The synthetic process suggested that the reaction pressure is a key factor in the formation of high-quality PtS2 semiconducting films. Characterizations with atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) have indicated that good film stoichiometry and uniformity have been achieved. Furthermore, field-effect transistor (FET) arrays were fabricated based on the large-scale PtS2 film, exhibiting well-uniform electrical performance with p-type transport behavior. These results can open up an attractive approach to promote the large-scale applications of PtS2 in advanced nanoelectronics and optoelectronics devices and systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate phase transitions, glass transition, and dynamic behavior in the hyperquenched 69SiO2-31Al2O3 (mol%) glass ( SA glass). Upon reheating, the SA glass exhibits a series of thermal responses. Subsequent to the sub- Tg enthalpy release, the glass undergoes a large jump in isobaric heat capacity (Δ Cp) during glass transition, implying the fragile nature of the SA glass. The mullite starts to form before the end of glass transition, indicating that the SA glass is extremely unstable against crystallization. After the mullite formation, the remaining glass phase exhibits an increased Tg and a suppressed Δ Cp. The formation of cristobalite at 1553 K indicates the dominance of silica in the remaining glass matrix. The cristobalite gradually re-melts as the isothermal heat-treatment temperature is raised from 1823 to 1853 K, which is well below the melting point of cristobalite, while the amount of the mullite remains unchanged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wound infection by multidrug-resistant bacteria seriously threatens human life. Chronic wounds, with necrosis, persistent inflammation, and covered by hypoxic tissue, seriously hinder anti-infection treatments. Herein, we have developed a multifunctional hydrogel dressing with antibacterial activity in the hypoxia environment to promote wound healing. The hydrogel comprises Cypate-conjugated antimicrobial peptides (AMP-Cypates), liposome-encapsulated perfluorodecalin, and recombinant type III collagen. AMP-Cypates exhibited outstanding antibacterial activity, jointly achieved through antimicrobial peptide (AMP) activity, photothermal therapy (PTT), and photodynamic therapy (PDT). The perfluorodecalin liposomes act as the oxygen carrier to mitigate wound hypoxia condition and enhance the efficacy of PDT. The recombinant type III collagen in the hydrogel further promoted the healing of the wounds together with the eradication of bacterial infection. Taken together, the hydrogel dressing provides a platform for integrating multiple antimicrobial mechanisms for the rapid removal of bacterial infection and the healing of chronic wounds. • The wound dressing with antimicrobial mechanisms including antimicrobial peptides, PDT and PTT. • The wound dressing could accelerate wound healing through providing O 2 and recombinant type III collagen. • The released O 2 can enhance the PDT effect, and significantly improve hypoxic microenvironment to accelerate wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As science and technology continue to advance, the use of flow cytometry is becoming more widespread. It can provide important information about cells in the body by detecting and analysing them, thereby providing a reliable basis for disease diagnosis. In the diagnosis of bovine epidemic diseases, flow cytometry can be used to detect bovine viral diarrhoea, bovine leukaemia, bovine brucellosis, bovine tuberculosis, and other diseases. This paper describes the structure of a flow cytometer (liquid flow system, optical detection system, data storage and analysis system) and its working principles for rapid quantitative analysis and sorting of single cells or biological particles. Additionally, the research progress of flow cytometry in the diagnosis of bovine epidemic diseases was reviewed in order to provide a reference for future research and application of flow cytometry in the diagnosis of bovine epidemic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly crystallized ferroelectric BiFeO3 thin films were deposited on various miscut (100) SrTiO3 substrates. The domain structure of the films varies with substrate miscut angles and atomic-layer termination at the surface. The BiFeO3 thin films grown on 4° miscut substrates exhibit 71° periodic stripe domains consisting of two downward polarization variants. In contrast, four downward variants coexist in the films deposited on 0.2° miscut substrates, regardless of atomic-layer termination at the surface of the substrate. The introduction of an additional SrTiO3 repair layer on the same substrate results in a step-flow growth mode of the film. It is believed that the improved mobility of the BiFeO3 atomic species during the film growth leads to the appearance of preferred ferroelectric variants at the step edges. These preferred variants eventually form stripe domains. Our results reveal that both the miscut angle and the step-flow growth promote the formation of the two variant striped domains in BiFeO3 films deposited on decorated isotropic SrTiO3 substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curved sandwich structure made of glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite is emerging in the construction of non-linear architectures and wind turbine blades. In this work, a novel curved sandwich panel with pultruded GFRP strip core was proposed and studied. Compared with the common core materials such as foam and wood, pultruded GFRP strips can provide a higher stiffness and strength, particularly when used in large-scale sandwich structures. The proposed sandwich panel was manufactured through vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding process. A series of three-point bending tests was conducted to study the flexural behavior. The effect of surface thickness on the load-carrying capacity and failure mode was addressed. Then, a finite element analysis was conducted via ABAQUS and validated by the experimental results. The parametric study was performed to address the key design parameters. Both experimental and numerical results indicated that with the increased surface thickness, the failure mode could transition from the damage of glue seam to the transverse cracking inside the pultruded GFRP strip. Moreover, the load-carrying capacity can be improved with the thickened face sheet. In the end, this work successfully demonstrated the use of multilayer shell elements in the finite element modelling of the cracking behavior of glue seams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a photothermoelastic model for studying the photothermal effect in chalcogenide glasses. The temperature rise and thermoelastic expansion for a model material As2S3 glass are calculated. Our result indicates that significant expansion (e.g. >1 µm) on the free surface of glass can be induced with only moderate temperature rise (e.g. <30 K). This occurs because of the Poisson effect of the large compressive forces generated on the interface between the irradiated and unirradiated areas in the material. We argue that photoexpansion in chalcogenide glasses arise from the concurrent effect of photothermoelastic expansion and photofluidity. The temperature dependence of photoexpansion is also discussed. The present model provides an explanation for the generality of photoexpansion in these materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The grouting reinforcement strength of fracture surface is closely related to the microscopic behavior of slurry-rock interface. In this work, the spreading and penetration dynamics of nanosilica sol (NSS) droplets on granite, sandstone, and marble which cover the main types of rocks in nature were studied by experiments and numerical simulations. The control experiments were carried out by changing NSS and rock into distilled water and impermeable steel. The results show that the spreading behavior of granite and sandstone are similar because they are both porous rocks with similar mineral compositions. Based on the experimental data, two new scaling laws describing the maximum spreading factor as a function of the Reynolds number and the Weber number were proposed. The numerical models are validated against experimental data at the same condition. Following that, a parametric study is undertaken at various velocities, droplet initial diameters, equilibrium contact angles, porosity, and roughness. As the contact angle varies from 30° to 150°, the maximum spreading factor has a decrease of 49.7%, while the dimensionless penetration depth increases after decreasing. When the porosity ranges from 0.2 to 0.4, the dimensionless penetration depth has a significant increase of 138.7%. Besides, the dimensionless penetration depth increases after decreasing as the roughness gets higher. The results also show that the penetration depth has a negative correlation with the maximum spreading factor which reveals that there is a competitive mechanism of spreading and penetration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presented the experimental and theoretical results of insulated concrete Sandwich panels with innovative dumbbell-shaped steel fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite bar (SFCB) connectors under flexural load. The influences of FRP thickness and raised thickness of dumbbell ends of connectors, axial compression ratio, the content of vitrified microspheres in the wythes, and loading direction were discussed. The increase in thickness of a glass FRP (GFRP) jacket on the hybrid bar from 2 to 3 mm led to increased initial cracking load, ultimate load, and flexural stiffness of the Sandwich panels by 75, 49, and 16%, respectively. The increase in the thickness of dumbbell ends from 4 to 6 mm led to increased initial cracking load, ultimate load, and flexural stiffness of the Sandwich panels of 18, 46, and 9%, respectively. The incorporation of vitrified microspheres in concrete wythes resulted in a significant increase in the load-carrying capacity of Sandwich panels but decreased ductility. Increased axial compression ratio from 0/1 to 0.2/1 contributed in improving the crack resistance and ultimate loads of Sandwich panels. Further increase of the axial compression ratio to 0.4/1 led to crushing failure of concrete wythe ends. Specimens under negative loads had higher ultimate loads than the counterparts under positive loads. Three-dimensional finite-element (FE) models were developed to simulate Sandwich panel flexural behavior and numerical results compared with the test data. Then, the verified FE model was used to analyze the influence of the arrangement of dumbbell-shaped SFCB connectors. Increased connector spacing from 550 to 650 mm was found to have an insignificant influence on load-deflection responses. Moreover, analytical solutions for deflection of Sandwich panels under combined axial-flexural load were obtained, in which the effect of slipping between the facade and structural wythes and shear deflection were considered. The predicted deflection at the ultimate load agreed well with the test results. This study provided a theoretical basis and design reference for FRP-jacketed steel-composite connectors in applications of Sandwich wall panels with large insulation layer thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this article, the polymorph selection of calcium carbonate has been successfully achieved in water-soluble carboxymethyl chitosan aqueous solution at different temperatures (25–95°C). Vaterite is formed in carboxymethyl chitosan solution 25°C accompanied with trace of calcite, whereas pure aragonite is obtained at 95°C. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analyses show that the products are formed from the recrystallization of nanometer crystallites. Thermodynamic and kinetic analyses reveal that the polymorph of calcium carbonate is controlled and selected by kinetics in various temperatures. As a heterogeneous nucleator and stabilizing agent, carboxymethyl chitosan changes the nucleation and growth of calcium carbonate from thermodynamic into kinetic control. Under kinetic limitation, the reaction rate of aragonite increases along with the elevating of temperature and surpasses the rate of vaterite above 327K. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the present work, thermal properties of GeSe2–As2Se3–CdSe glasses were investigated via DSC measurements. The dependences of glass transition temperature and thermal stability on glass composition were discussed. XRD measurement was also performed to validate the effect of cadmium on the thermal properties of glasses. The calculated Avrami exponent was used to demonstrate the three-dimensional growth of crystals in the glass matrices. The crystallization kinetics for the glasses was studied by using the modified Kissinger and Ozawa equations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Dysprosium doped Ge x Ga5Se(95−x) (x =15–30) chalcogenide glasses were synthesized in this present work. The Vis–NIR transmission spectra, photoluminescence spectra and lifetime were measured. Glasses (x =27.5, 29.17 and 30) doped with 0.2wt% dysprosium ions shows relatively strong emission bands at 1146 and 1343nm when pumped at 808nm. The emission lifetime ranged from 440 to 540μs. The oscillator strengths and intensity parameters Ω t (t =2, 4 and 6) were calculated using Judd–Ofelt theory. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A newly derived crystallization kinetics equation was presented for investigation on crystallization kinetics of 0.7GeSe2–(0.3−x) As2Se3–xCdSe (, 0.15 and 0.2) glasses under nonisothermal conditions. Activation energy (E) was calculated and compared with several previously reported kinetics equations. The calculated Avrami exponent (n) values were all equal to 3, implying the three-dimensional growth of crystals. Crystallization reaction rate function [k(t)] was introduced in the same equation to estimate glass stability, which was in a good agreement with the conventional indication by . The compositional dependence of E and k(t)s was discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The glass-forming region in a GeSe2–As2Se3–CdSe system and the dependence of properties on glass compositions as a formula of 70GeSe2–(30− x)As2Se3– xCdSe ( x=0–25) were investigated. Measurements included density, micro-hardness, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction, and IR transmission spectra. A large glass-forming region was shown while addition of Cd increases the crystallization trend of the system. Besides, the Cd content accommodated by the system to form glass is found to be lower in the As2Se3-rich region than in the GeSe2-rich region. With the introduction of CdSe, density, micro-hardness, and Tg of glasses increase whereas an exothermal peak in the DSC curve appears and thermal stability (Δ T) decreases. The activation energy of crystallization and the Avrami exponent were also obtained using the modified Ozawa equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a simple Er-doped fiber laser configuration for achieving stable dual-wavelength oscillation at room temperature, in which a high birefringence fiber Bragg grating was used as the wavelength-selective component. Stable dual-wavelength oscillation at room temperature with a wavelength spacing of 0.23 nm and mutually orthogonal polarization stages was achieved by utilizing the polarization hole-burning effect. An amplitude variation of less than 0.7 dB over an 80 s period was obtained for both wavelengths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Guidelines on coronary intermediate lesions strongly recommend deferred revascularization after detecting a normal fractional flow reserve (FFR). Researches about triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) on cardiovascular diseases has also been well conducted. However, the association of TG/HDL-C and long-term adverse clinical outcomes remains unknown for patients deferred revascularization following FFR. Methods: This study retrospectively included 374 coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with non-significant coronary lesions diagnosed by coronary angiography (CAG) and FFR. The main outcome measure was the combination of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs). All patients were categorized into three subgroups in terms of TG/HDL-C tertiles (T1 < 0.96, 0.96 ≤ T2 < 1.58, T3 ≥ 1.58). Three different Cox regression models were utilized to reveal the association between TG/HDL-C and prevalence of MACCEs. Results: 47 MACCEs were recorded throughout a median monitoring period of 6.6 years. The Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed a higher MACCEs rate occurred in the higher TG/HDL-C group (5.6% vs. 12.9% vs. 19.4%, log-rank P < 0.01). After adjustment, patients in T3 suffered a 2.6-fold risk compared to the T1 group (T3 vs. T1: HR 2.55, 95% CI 1.05–6.21, P = 0.038; T2 vs. T1: HR 1.71, 95% CI 0.65–4.49, P = 0.075; P for trend = 0.001). The restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis demonstrated that the HR for MACCEs rose as TG/HDL-C increased. Both the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and time-dependent ROC proved the excellent predictive ability of TG/HDL-C. Conclusion: The study illustrates that TG/HDL-C correlates with the risk of MACCEs in CAD patients deferred revascularization following FFR. TG/HDL-C could serve as a dependable predictor of cardiovascular events over the long term in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple efficient method for stabilizing a harmonically mode-locked fiber ring laser is proposed. In this method, a linear optical filter and a nonlinear Fabry-Pérot filter in which the refractive index is optical intensity dependent are located in the laser cavity. The linear filter is used to select a fixed lasing wavelength, and the Fabry-Pérot filter introduces a negative all-optical feedback mechanism that is able to suppress pulse-to-pulse amplitude fluctuations in the laser cavity. The scheme was experimentally demonstrated using a fiber Bragg grating as the linear filter and a laser diode biased below threshold as the nonlinear Fabry-Pérot, and stable harmonically mode-locked pulses with a supermode noise suppression ratio > 55 dB were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanisms through which aging increases heart injury remain partially understood. Protein phosphorylation plays a critical regulatory role in cell survival and death. Using an unbiased phosphoproteomics approach, we aimed to identify the proteins whose phosphorylation could be causatively related to aging-related cardiomyocyte apoptosis and elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Comparative phosphoproteomics was conducted on cardiac tissues obtained from young (8 weeks) and aged (24 months) mice. Our findings revealed that the Mammalian Target of Rapamycin phosphorylation at T1262 (mTORT1262) was reduced in the aging heart. Immunohistochemical and Western blot analyses confirmed these findings in aging myocardia and D-galactose-induced senescent AC16 cardiomyocytes. In hypoxia/reoxygenation cardiomyocytes, mTORT1262 phosphorylation deficiency (mTORT1262A, lentivirus-mediated transfection) inhibited AKT1, suppressed NF-κB, activated FOXO1/3a signaling, and ultimately exacerbated apoptosis. Conversely, mTORT1262 pseudophosphorylation (mTORT1262E) exhibited opposite effects. Through bioinformatics and CO-IP, purinergic receptor P2X4 (P2X4R) was found to be the possible receptor responsible for mTORT1262 phosphorylation. Knockdown of P2X4R increased apoptosis, whereas its overexpression decreased it. In senescent cardiomyocytes, P2X4R expression and mTORT1262 and AKT1S473 phosphorylation were reduced, NF-κB signaling was suppressed, and FOXO1/3a signaling was activated. We demonstrated that P2X4R downregulation and the subsequent reduction of mTORT1262 phosphorylation is a novel mechanism contributing to cardiomyocyte apoptosis in aging hearts. The P2X4R-mTOR-AKT1 signaling pathway represents a potential therapeutic target against accelerated cardiac injury in aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reasonable ratio between the load inertia and servo motor inertia plays a decisive role for the dynamic performance and stability of the servo system, as well as the machining accuracy of the whole CNC machine. In order to improve the control performance and contour machining accuracy of the servo system of the CNC cycloidal gear form grinding machine, an optimization design method of the inertia matching for the CNC cycloidal gear form grinding machine servo system is proposed. The two-mass servo driving closed-loop PID control system is constructed, the influence of the different inertia ratios on the dynamic performance and contour errors of the servo system are deeply analyzed, and the inertia ratio is optimized to satisfied with the servo system performance requirements. Finally, the feasibility and practicability of the optimization design method of inertia matching are verified through the inertia ratio optimization grinding experiments of the cycloid gear in the CNC gear form grinding machine. This inertia matching optimization design method provides a valuable reference for the further design of CNC machine servo system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The implications of a diagnosis of DM are as severe as the diagnosis of coronary artery disease. For many patients with complex coronary artery disease, optimal revascularization strategy selection and optimal medical therapy are equally important. In this study, we compared the hemodynamic results of different stenting techniques for Medina 0,1,0 left main bifurcation lesions. Methods. We use idealized left main bifurcation models and computational fluid dynamics analysis to evaluate hemodynamic parameters which are known to affect the risk of restenosis and thrombosis at stented bifurcation. The surface integrals of time-averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS) and oscillatory shear index (OSI) at bifurcation site were quantified. Results. Crossover stenting without final kissing balloon angioplasty provided the most favorable hemodynamic results (integrated values of TAWSS = 2.96 × 10−4 N, OSI = 4.75 × 10−6 m2) with bifurcation area subjected to OSI values >0.25, >0.35, and >0.45 calculated as 0.39 mm2, 0.06 mm2, and 0 mm2, respectively. Conclusion. Crossover stenting only offers hemodynamic advantages over other stenting techniques for Medina 0,1,0 left main bifurcation lesions and large bifurcation angle is associated with unfavorable flow profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To observe the effectiveness and safety of the Colles fracture treated with the integrated retainer pad splint and to compare the clinical and radiological outcomes of the integrated retainer pad splint and the traditional bamboo curtain splint in the treatment of the Colles fracture. Methods. A total of 100 patients with Colles fractures were randomly divided into two groups: the treatment group was fixed with the integrated retainer pad splint (IS), and the control group was fixed with the traditional bamboo curtain splint (TS).The range of wrist motion was measured at follow-up examinations, and volar inclination, ulnar deviation, and radial height were measured on radiographs. Regular follow-up wrist imaging examinations and functional examinations were performed before reduction, after reduction, and at the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 8th weeks. The two groups were compared in terms of convenience, fracture healing time, X-ray data of volar inclination, ulnar deviation, radial height, and wrist joint function. The relevant data were analyzed with SPSS 25.0 statistical software. Results. There were no notable differences in gender, age, and injured side between IS and TS groups. In terms of operation time, IS was better than the TS group (P < 0.05), and the operation time in the IS group was shorter. On the basis of X-ray data of volar inclination, ulnar deviation, and radial height measured on radiographs, the difference between the IS and TS groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05), which showed that the IS group was more stable in fracture fixation and had less reduction loss during the treatment process. At the 8th week of treatment, the wrist Gartland–Werley score of the two groups showed that the two fixation methods are equivalent in restoring wrist joint function (P > 0.05); however, in terms of the excellent and good rate of wrist joint function, the IS group scored 96% was higher than the TS group (80%). Conclusion. Compared with the traditional bamboo curtain splint, the integrated retainer pad splint is more convenient and stable, and it has less reduction loss during the treatment. Repair of the Colles fracture using the integrated retainer pad splint with external fixation results in nearly normal return of function, which is significantly better than using the traditional bamboo curtain splint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The study aimed to investigate the incidence and influencing factors of heart failure after 5 years of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for first acute myocardial infarction. Methods. A total of 1235 patients, diagnosed as acute myocardial infarction and treated with PCI in Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2014, were enrolled. Based on the exclusion criteria, 671 patients were followed up to obtain echocardiographic results 5 years after the onset of myocardial infarction (from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2019). Of 671 patients, 62 were lost to follow-up. Finally, 609 patients were recruited in this study. According to the results of the echocardiographic examination, patients were divided into a heart failure group (n = 97) (LVEF < 50%) and a nonheart failure group (n = 512) (LVEF ≥ 50%). The clinical characteristics were compared between the two groups, and the influencing factors of heart failure after 5 years of PCI in patients with acute myocardial infarction were analyzed using logistic regression and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. Results. Of 609 patients, 97 had heart failure within 5 years after PCI for first myocardial infarction, with an incidence of 15.9%. Multivariate regression analysis finally examined the predictors related to the occurrence of heart failure, including age (aOR, 1.008; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.054–1.123; P ≤ 0.001), peak troponin I level (aOR, 1.020; 95% CI, 1.006–1.034; P = 0.004), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (during admission) (aOR, 0.908; 95% CI, 0.862–0.956; P ≤ 0.001), and left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD) (at admission) (aOR, 1.136; 95% CI, 1.016–1.271; P = 0.025). Conclusion. In this study, the incidence of heart failure (LVEF < 50%) in patients with acute myocardial infarction who underwent PCI was 15.9% at a five-year follow up. Age, peak troponin I level, and LVEDD (at admission) were risk factors for heart failure, while LVEF (at admission) of patients during hospitalization was a protective factor for heart failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infection-induced chronic wounds cause prolonged pains, a high risk of amputation, and even increased mortality in immunocompromised patients. Here we report an antibacterial microneedle (MN) patch, which features high degradability in biological fluids and gelatinase-responsive release of an antibacterial photothermal peptide AMP-Cypate. We first synthesize gelatin nanoparticles (GNPs) and then conjugate the AMP-Cypate to afford composite AMP-Cypate@GNPs. The proteinaceous nanoparticles can responsively release AMP-Cypate in the presence of gelatinase, an enzyme secreted specifically by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). AMP-Cypate@GNPs were then deposited in the tips of MNs fabricated by PVP and recombinant human type III collagen (Col III) to devise the antibacterial MN/AMP-Cypate@GNP patches. When applied to the infection site, MNs break through the epidermis and the stratum corneum, dissolve in the infected dermis, reach the bacterial colony or biofilm, release AMP-Cypate@GNPs, and exert a gelatinase-responsive photothermal therapy under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation to kill the pathogen S. aureus. In a rat model of staphylococcal infection-induced chronic wounds mimicking the condition of diabetic foot ulcer, the antibacterial MN/AMP-Cypate@GNP patches eradiated the bacterial infection and resulted in complete healing of the wounds, proving its potential application in the treatment of chronic wound infections and diabetic foot ulcers. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Deuteroporphyrin-niacin dyads with different chain lengths have been synthesized by modification of the propionate side chains of hemin. When a manganese ion was inserted into the porphyrin core, the UV spectral shift of manganese deuteroporphyrin-niacin dyads were experimentally demonstrated to mainly originate from the intramolecular coordination. In order to elaborate the intramolecular coordination, the spectra of single manganese porphyrin complexes in CH2Cl2 solution were measured and compared to that of the addition of axial ligands (pyridine and methyl nicotinate). Among all the synthetic dyads, the compounds of 2,7,12,18-tetramethyl-13,17-di(3-hydroxypropyl nicotinate) porphyrin and 2,7,12,18-tetramethyl-13,17-di(3-aminoethyl nicotinate) porphyrin manganese bearing the short chains did not show intramolecular coordination of the terminal base on the metal ion. Other three compounds of the niacin moiety indirectly bonded to the propionate side chains of manganese porphyrin through the diols linkage exhibited optical spectra characteristic of five or six-coordinate manganese complexes. These results indicate that the niacin groups'' access to the Mn(III) center depended on the chain lengths. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the present work γ-irradiation induced optical band gap variations (ΔE opt) were investigated on Ge–As–Se and Ge–As–Se–Te chalcogenide glasses. Higher doses of γ-irradiation resulted in decreased E opt, which was composition dependent. Especially, glasses with stoichiometric compositions showed different ΔE opt from nonstoichiometric glasses under the same irradiation conditions. There seemed existence of a threshold E opt (TE) under the certain dose of irradiation below which ΔE opt hardly occurred. Results were interpreted from viewpoint of glass structure, Chemical Bond Approach (CBA) and localized states density theory. Raman analysis supported well these discussions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Sodium borophosphate glasses exhibit intriguing mixed network former effect, with the nonlinear compositional dependence of their glass transition temperature as one of the most typical examples. In this paper, we establish the widely applicable topological constraint model of sodium borophosphate mixed network former glasses to explain the relationship between the internal structure and nonlinear changes of glass transition temperature. The application of glass topology network was discussed in detail in terms of the unified methodology for the quantitative distribution of each coordinated boron and phosphorus units and glass transition temperature dependence of atomic constraints. An accurate prediction of composition scaling of the glass transition temperature was obtained based on topological constraint model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transient grating experiments after optical band-gap pulsed illumination of amorphous a-As2Se3 thin films reveal the existence of a well defined transport process occurring on length- and time-scales of the order of micrometers and microseconds, respectively. We tentatively assign this fast process, corresponding to a mobility of 0.04 ± 0.005 cm2 V-1 s-1, to the diffusion of photoexcited charge carriers with microsecond lifetime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Combined therapy has demonstrated to be an effective strategy for cancer therapy. Herein, an injectable hydrogel based on the genetically engineered polypeptide and hollow gold nanoshells (HAuNS) has been developed for chemo-photothermal therapy of HepG2 tumor. Methods: PC10A/DOX/HAuNS nanogel was prepared with layer-by-layer through the adsorption of DOX and PC10A successively. DOX with positive charge and PC10A with negative charge were coated step by step onto the surface of negatively charged HAuNS. The multifunctional hydrogel PC10A/DOX/HAuNS were prepared via dissolving hybrid PC10A/DOX/HAuNS nanogel in polypeptide PC10A. Chemotherapy drug DOX in the PC10A/DOX/HAuNS hydrogel was absorbed on the HAuNS and directly embedded in the PC10A hydrogel, which contributes to sequentially release of the drug. Specifically, DOX adsorbed on the HAuNS could be released slowly for sustainable chemotherapy. Results: The PC10A/DOX/HAuNS hydrogel could pass 26-gauge needle without clogging, indicating that it is injectable. In addition, the PC10A/DOX/HAuNS hydrogel possessed outstanding photothermal effect and photothermal stability. In both in vitro cell and in vivo tumor-bearing mice experiments, a remarkably enhance tumor inhibition was observed by the combined therapy of chemo-photothermal therapy compared with photothermal therapy or chemotherapy alone. Conclusions: The combined chemotherapy and photothermal therapy of PC10A/DOX/HAuNS hydrogels could significantly improve the therapeutic effect. Therefore, the multifunctional hydrogel PC10A/DOX/HAuNS is promising to provide a new strategy for sustained chemo-photothermal therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The difference between organic and inorganic matters in shale matrix has significantly influence on the transport capacity of shale gas and the total production of shale gas further. Previous studies have demonstrated that the organic pores are hydrophobic and the inorganic pores are hydrophilic. Therefore, the water film can be adsorbed on the walls of the inorganic pores. However, the evaporation of water film in inorganic pore is often overlooked due to the analytical challenge and the effect of the water film evaporation on gas transport capacity is rarely discussed. Thus, it is important to accurately predict mass flow rate of the shale gas through a single nanopore whether it is organic or inorganic. In this article, the mass flow rate prediction model of the organic pore is developed firstly, which considers the interactions of slip flow, gas adsorbed at pore walls, surface diffusion for adsorbed gas and gas diffusing from the kerogen which contains dissolved shale gas in organic pores at nanoscale. This model is then used to investigate the influences of initial pressure, pressure gradient, and thickness of kerogen on the gas mass flow rate. For inorganic pores, the mass flow rate prediction model is developed secondly and the interactions of water film and the evaporation of water film have been considered. The influence of evaporation, initial humidity, water–methane diffusivity is investigated on the gas mass flow rate. Results show that diffusion from kerogen plays an important role in the transport capacity of shale gas. Both higher pressure gradient and thicker kerogen can contribute to higher gas mass flow rate and higher diffusion from kerogen. Higher initial pressure and thicker kerogen can contribute to the lower shale gas desorption. The thicker kerogen can contribute to the higher surface diffusion. The evaporation in inorganic pore should not be ignored, because it impacts gas mass flow rate and can contribute to the higher flow rate. Experimental data was compared with our prediction model, which proves the correctness and validity of our model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoinduced expansion is a special property of chalcogenide glasses, which makes them useful for various applications in photonics. A clear understanding of the kinetics and the topography of photoinduced effects is fundamental to improve potential applications. A detailed study on bulk glass is performed using in situ Atomic Force Microscope measurements. The corresponding expected thermal contribution is obtained by numerical simulation using Finite Elemental Analysis method. The results show a significant difference between the dynamics of metastable/permanent and transitory effects, with the permanent photoexpansion being much larger in magnitude and slower in kinetics than the transient or reversible changes. The former effect is of athermal origin. However, the dynamic response of the latter is similar to that expected from thermoelastic expansion, suggesting a close correlation between the two effects, which remains to be established. Image 1 • Thermal and athermal contributions for the dynamics of the laser induced effects in A s 2 S 3 bulk glass. • In situ laser-induced surface deformation measurement by Atomic Force Microscopy. • Numerical determination of the thermal contribution for the transient part of photoexpansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore the connection between the structural change and the sub- T g enthalpy relaxation in 61SiO 2 –39Al 2 O 3 (SA) glass by using the hyperquenching-annealing-calorimetry approach, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements show a sub- T g relaxation peak with a long tail starting from the onset temperature. With increasing the degree of sub- T g annealing, the tail evolves into a broad peak. The 5- and 6- fold coordinated Al species in the SA glass decrease with sub- T g annealing, while the 4-fold coordinated Al species increases. The coordination change leads to the formation of the oxygen triclusters, which act as the nucleation sites for mullite formation. This is confirmed by the existence of ordered structural nanodomains (∼10 nm). The extremely unstable behavior of the SA glass against crystallization could be attributed to both the higher content of the 5-fold coordinated Al (∼64%) and the easily formed oxygen triclusters. This work provides insights into both the structural evolution during the sub- T g relaxation, and the structural heterogeneity of an unstable glass system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The excited-hydrogen bond strength affected by the number of benzene rings has been discussed. • Probes detecting mechanisms for Zn(II) and Cu(II) have been clarified. • The weak complex stability hinders response ability of probes. With the rapid development of industry, it is pretty critical to detect the heavy metals. Recently, the 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl) benzothiazole derivatives with different numbers of rotatable phenyl m (m = 1,2,3) fluorescent probes HLm were synthesized. However, the theoretical analysis of the mechanism was still missing. In this work, we have systematically researched the mechanisms of excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) and the detection of Cu(II), Zn(II) ions for the hydrogen-bond system HLm though quantum chemistry methods. By bond parameters and the minimum energy pathways analyses, the proton of this system was probed directly transfer without barrier. Bond parameters, real space function at bond critical point, the frontier molecular orbital, electron spectra and orbital interaction diagram were carried to elucidate response to Cu(II), Zn(II) ions. In addition, comparing the Gibbs free energy variation of the complexation reaction between fluorescent probes and ions, it can be proved that the number of rotatable benzene rings affects the response ability of the probe to target ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: HIV-related stigma always is major obstacles to an effective HIV response worldwide. The effect of HIV-related stigma on HIV prevention and treatment is particularly serious in China. This study was to examine stigma attitude towards people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) among general individuals in Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China and the factors associated with stigma attitude, including socio-demographic factors and HIV/AIDS Knowledge.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out in Heilongjiang Province, China. A total of 4050 general individuals with age 15-69 years in four villages in rural areas and two communities in urban areas were drawn using stratified cluster sampling. Standardized questionnaire interviews were administered. Univariate and multivariate log-binomial regression were performed to assess factors affecting stigma attitude towards PLWHA.Results: The proportions of participants holding stigma attitude towards PLWHA were 49.6% among rural respondents and 37.0% among urban respondents (P < 0.001). Multivariate log binomial regression analysis among both rural participants (RR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.87-0.91, P < 0.001) and urban participants (RR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.87-0.91, P < 0.001) showed that greater knowledge of HIV transmission misconceptions was significantly associated with lower stigma attitude towards people living with HIV. And among urban participants, higher education level (high school vs. primary school or less: RR = 0.73, 95%CI: 0.62-0.87, P < 0.001; middle school vs. primary school or less: RR = 0.83, 95%CI: 0.71-0.97, P = 0.018) were also significantly associated with lower stigma attitude towards PLWHA.Conclusions: The level of stigma attitude towards PLWHA is higher in rural areas than in urban areas in Heilongjiang. Meanwhile, individuals who better were aware of HIV/AIDS transmission misconceptions may hold lower stigma attitude toward PLWHA whether among rural or urban residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, composition-dependent properties of glasses have been successfully predicted using the topological constraint theory. The constraints of the glass network are derived from two main parts: network formers and network modifiers. The constraints of the network formers can be calculated on the basis of the topological structure of the glass. However, the latter cannot be accurately calculated in this way, because of the existing of ionic bonds. In this paper, the constraints of the modifier ions in phosphate glasses were thoroughly investigated using the topological constraint theory. The results show that the constraints of the modifier ions are gradually increased with the addition of alkali oxides. Furthermore, an improved topological constraint theory for borophosphate glasses is proposed by taking the composition-dependent constraints of the network modifiers into consideration. The proposed theory is subsequently evaluated by analyzing the composition dependence of the glass transition temperature in alkali borophosphate glasses. This method is supposed to be extended to other similar glass systems containing alkali ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A selected glass composition from the Ga–Ge–Sb–Se has been studied in detail for potential applications in the 8–12μm region. The Ga5Sb10Ge25Se60 glass has a high enough glass transition temperature (283°C), a relatively high refractive index (2.63 at 10μm) and is very stable towards crystallization. An original purification method is developed to produce high purity glass with good transmission up to 15μm. This glass is very resistant in normal environmental conditions and even in hot water (60°C) during 24h. It may be a good candidate for producing infrared components operating in the mid and far infrared region. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]