Cobalt selenide with ordered cation vacancies for efficient oxygen reduction and frigostable Al-air batteries.

Aluminum-air batteries are still inhibited by the sluggish cathodic oxygen reduction reactions, especially in low temperature conditions. Thus, it is urgent to develop efficient electrocatalysts for Al-air batteries to allow their use in extreme weather conditions. In this work, hexagonal Co0.85Se-decorated N,Se co-doped carbon nanofibers (Co0.85Se@N,Se-CNFs) were synthesized via facile carbonization/selenization of electrospun ZIF-67 nanocubes. The as-prepared metallic Co0.85Se with ordered structural cation vacancies endows Co0.85Se@N,Se-CNFs with remarkable oxygen reduction reaction activity, including high onset and half-wave potentials (0.93 V and 0.87 V vs. RHE, respectively). Consequently, the corresponding Al-air battery exhibits superior performance in a wide range of operating temperatures (-40-50 °C). For instance, this Al-air battery exhibits a voltage from 0.15-1.2 V with a peak power density of about 0.7 mW cm-2 at -40 °C. It is expected that TMSe-decorated N,Se co-doped carbon nanofibers could be applied in extensive energy fields.

Chestnut Lily Beverage (CLB) Processing Using Ultrasound-Assisted Nisin: Microbiota Inactivation and Product Quality.

We evaluated the effects of ultrasound (US) and ultrasound combined with nisin (NUS) treatments on the properties of chestnut lily beverages (CLB) using conventional thermal pasteurisation (TP) as a control. After CLB samples were treated with US and NUS for 20, 40, or 60 min, the polyphenol oxidase activity (PPO), microbial inactivation effect, colour, pH value, total phenolic content, and antioxidant capacity of the CLB were observed. It was found that the inactivation rate of PPO in CLB after NUS treatment was higher than that in the US, indicating that NUS treatment aggravated PPO inactivation. Treatment time was important in the inactivation of microorganisms by US and NUS; NUS had a lethal synergistic lethal effect on microorganisms in CLB and when compared with US, NUS reduced changes in the CLB colour value. Notably, the total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of the US- and NUS-treated CLB significantly increased relative to the TP group. These results that suggest NUS has a potential application value in the development of CLB because it reduces the risk of microorganism contamination and helps improve the quality of CLB. This study provides technical support and a theoretical basis for the improved production of CLB.

Physical Stability of Chestnut Lily Beverages (CLB): Effects of Shear Homogenization on Beverage Rheological Behavior, Particle Size, and Sensory Properties.

The processing parameters have a crucial influence on the stability and sensory quality of beverages. The focus of this study is to observe the rheological behavior, particle size distribution, stability, color change, and sensory evaluation of chestnut lily beverages (CLB) at different rotational speeds (0~20,000 rpm) using a high-shear homogeneous disperser. The CLB system exhibited non-Newtonian shear-thinning behavior. As the homogenization speed increased (0~12,000 rpm), the viscosity increased (0.002~0.059 Pa.s). However, when the rotational speed shear continued to increase (12,000~20,000 rpm), the viscosity decreased slightly (0.035~0.027 Pa.s). Under all homogeneous conditions, the turbidity and precipitation fractions were the lowest when the rotational speed was 12,000 rpm: the sedimentation index was lowest at this point (2.87%), and the relative turbidity value of CLB was largest at this point (80.29%). The average beverage particle diameter and ascorbic acid content showed a downward trend at the homogenization speed from 0 to 20,000 rpm, whereas the total soluble solids (TSS) content followed the opposite trend. The results show that these physical properties can be correlated with different rotational speeds of homogenization. This study explained the effect of homogenization speed on CLB properties, which needs to be considered in beverage processing, where high-speed shear homogenization can serve as a promising technique.

Is it coincidental or correlative between reversible splenial lesion syndrome and atrial septal defect?: A case report.

RATIONALE: Reversible splenial lesion syndrome (RESLES) is a recently identified clinico-radiological syndrome, the etiology is miscellaneous. Atrial septal defect (ASD) as an underlying etiology for RESLES has not been reported. We first report a rare case of RESLES associated with ASD. The clinical, radiological, and ultrasonic profiles were presented and the pathophysiological mechanism was analyzed. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 23-year-old man presented with headache, drowsiness, occasional paraphasia, and paroxysmal dry cough. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on admission showed an ovoid isolated lesion in the splenium of corpus callosum, which exhibited hyperintensity on diffusion-weighted imaging and hypointensity on apparent diffusion coefficient, and completely disappeared on the follow-up MRI 14 days later. ASD was found by transthoracic echocardiography, Right-to-left shunts were detected on color Doppler of transesophageal echocardiography, and microemboli were captured by transcranial Doppler ultrasound. DIAGNOSES: According to his clinical history and imaging results, we confirmed the diagnosis of RESLES associated with ASD. INTERVENTIONS: The patient was treated by oral aspirin and lopidogrel sulfate to inhibit platelet aggregation. In addition, oral nimodipine to suppress vasoconstriction. OUTCOMES: After 14 days treatment, all the symptoms presenting on admission resolved completely. Subsequently, a repair surgery of ASD under thoracoscopy was successfully performed. LESSONS: To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of ASD may be an underlying etiology for RESLES and need require an etiotropic treatment.

Effects of konjac glucomannan on the water distribution of frozen dough and corresponding steamed bread quality.

The influences of konjac glucomannan (KGM) on the water distribution of frozen dough and steamed bread quaility made from frozen dough were addressed in this study. Low Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (LF-NMR) analysis demonstrated that the less tightly bound water of the dough was transferred to tightly bound water with the increase of KGM. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) showed that the freezable water of the frozen dough was transferred to non-freezable water with increasing the amount of KGM. DSC and LF-NMR results indicated the water state in the frozen dough was consistent. The addition of KGM enhanced the height and whiteness of steamed bread, but it decreased springiness, cohesiveness and resilience of steamed bread. As the KGM substitution rate increased, the hardness of steamed bread first decreased and then increased. The steamed bread with 1.5% of KGM showed the best quality.

Textural and staling characteristics of steamed bread prepared from soft flour added with inulin.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of inulin with different degree of polymerization on the properties of steamed bread made from soft flour. The type and substitution level of inulin had significant impacts on the quality of steamed bread. When 5.0% of flour was replaced by FS or FI, fresh steamed bread gained the highest score, possessing a lighter color, higher specific volume and softer texture. After inulin was added, tightly bound water migrated to loosely bound water and free water, which contributed to softness and delicious taste of fresh steamed bread. Inulin increased the staling rate of steamed bread during a short storage period (≤1d), but during a long storage period (>1d), it decreased the staling rate. Inulin interacts with starch by hydrogen bonds and alters water distribution between protein and starch, which finally affects storage characteristics of steamed bread.

Stiffness of prostate gland measured by transrectal real-time shear wave elastography for detection of prostate cancer: a feasibility study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the value of the Young's modulus obtained by transrectal real-time shear wave elastography (SWE) for detection of prostate cancer (PCa). METHODS: 215 patients underwent SWE in six identical planes before biopsy guided with transrectal ultrasonography. The Young's modulus of the entire prostate gland was defined as the mean of the results in these planes. The measurements were compared with the pathological results, the prostate specific antigen (PSA), and the Gleason score (GS) after biopsy. RESULTS: The Young's modulus of elasticity, including the maximum Young's modulus (Emax), the mean Young's modulus (Emean), and the minimum Young's modulus (Emin), were significantly higher in malignant lesions than those in benign lesions (all p < 0.05). The optimal cut-off values for PCa were 128.48 kPa, 62.27 kPa, and 20.03 kPa, respectively. The sensitivities were 77.88%, 81.42%, and 60.18%, respectively, and the specificities were 85.33%, 74.51 and 63.73 %, respectively. PSA positively correlated with Emax and Emean (r = 0.686 and 0.678, respectively), as did the GS (r = 0.410 and 0.382, respectively). CONCLUSION: The Young's modulus of entire prostate gland can be used to differentiate benign from malignant prostatic lesions. There were higher Young's modulus of elasticity and higher risk of malignant lesions. Meanwhile, higher Young's modulus correlated with higher PSA and GS. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: This study indicates SWE can detect PCa by quantified the stiffness of entire prostate gland whether the lesions have been visible or not on gray-scale and Doppler ultrasound.

Optimal Dietary Ferulic Acid for Suppressing the Obesity-Related Disorders in Leptin-Deficient Obese C57BL/6J -ob/ob Mice.

Ferulic acid (FA) is a major polyphenolic compound and has been shown to improve the glucose and lipid homeostasis in high-fat diet-induced obese mice. Here, we found the optimal level of dietary FA to ameliorate obesity and obesity-correlated disorders, and identified the responses of gut microbiota to dietary FA in genetic leptin-deficient obese ( ob/ob) mice. The ob/ob mice exhibited persistent higher body weights, feed efficiency, white adipose tissue weights, and hepatic lipid accumulation, compared to those of the wild-type mice. However, 0.5% dietary FA suppressed these symptoms in ob/ob mice. The diversity of gut microbiota and the total abundance of obesity- and anti-obesity-related genera were not influenced after FA intervention in ob/ob mice. These data suggest that sufficient intake of FA (0.5%) could be useful for treating obesity or obesity-related diseases, and this weight-control effect is possibly not correlated with the gut-brain axis.

Comparison of Two-Dimensional Shear Wave Elastography with Nine Serum Fibrosis Indices to Assess Liver Fibrosis in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B: A Prospective Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: To prospectively assess liver fibrosis with two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and to compare the performance of this modality with that of serum indices using Scheuer scoring from liver biopsies as the reference standard. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 123 patients with CHB underwent 2D-SWE measurements and serological tests between April 2016 and February 2018. The 2D-SWE and serum indices in the diagnosis of liver fibrosis were assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. RESULTS: The areas under ROC (AUCs) for 2D-SWE, aspartate transaminase-to-platelet ratio index, fibrosis index based on the four factors, Forns score, King's score, FibroIndex, red cell distribution width-to-platelet ratio, Hepascore, type IV collagen, and hyaluronic acid were 0.851, 0.738, 0.701, 0.739, 0.734, 0.711, 0.692, 0.601, 0.640, and 0.522, respectively, in the diagnosis of substantial fibrosis, 0.975, 0.819, 0.792, 0.829, 0.818, 0.807, 0.732, 0.572, 0.676, and 0.544, respectively, in the diagnosis of severe fibrosis, and 0.972, 0.883, 0.862, 0.908, 0.889, 0.918, 0.808, 0.601, 0.807, and 0.775, respectively, in the diagnosis of cirrhosis. The AUCs of 2D-SWE in the diagnosis of substantial fibrosis, severe fibrosis, and cirrhosis were significantly higher than those of the serum indices (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: 2D-SWE is a reliable noninvasive method for the assessment of liver fibrosis in patients with CHB with better diagnostic performance than that of nine serum fibrosis indices.

Acoustic Structure Quantification Versus Point Shear Wave Speed Measurement for the Assessment of Liver Fibrosis in Viral Hepatitis B.

This study was conducted to evaluate the value of acoustic structure quantification (ASQ) technology versus that of point shear wave speed measurement (PSWSM) imaging technology for the assessment of liver fibrosis stage. A total of 104 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and 30 healthy control patients underwent ASQ and PSWSM examinations. Seven quantitative parameters were obtained from ASQ, and a principal component analysis was used to establish the integrative indicators. A quantitative parameter, known as the shear wave speed (SWS, m/s), was obtained from the PSWSM. The METAVIR scores for the assessment of pathologic liver fibrosis were used as a benchmark. Liver fibrosis stages exhibited a good correlation with the integrative indicators and SWS (r = 0.682, p <0.001; r = 0.651, p <0.001). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for ASQ and PSWSM were 0.705 and 0.854 for mild liver fibrosis (F ≥ 1, p = 0.045), 0.813 and 0.743 for significant liver fibrosis (F ≥ 2, p = 0.115), 0.839 and 0.857 for severe liver fibrosis (F ≥ 3, p = 0.417) and 0.874 and 0.971 for liver cirrhosis (F = 4, p = 0.016), respectively. In conclusion, both ASQ and PSWSM were promising ultrasonic methods for assessing liver fibrosis in patients with CHB; however, PSWSM was more valuable for identifying mild liver fibrosis (F ≥ 1) and cirrhosis (F = 4) than ASQ, and the combination of PSWSM and ASQ improved the accuracy of diagnosing severe liver fibrosis (F ≥ 3).

The value of shear wave elastography in diffuse thyroid disease.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to discuss the value of ultrasound-based shear wave™ elastography (SWE) in diffuse thyroid disease (DTD). METHOD: Thyroid stiffness in 154 patients with DTD and 30 normal subjects was measured by SWE. The serum indicators of all subjects were detected. RESULTS: The area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve for DTD by SWE was 0.852. The AUROCs of SWE for differentiating chronic autoimmune thyroiditis (CAT) from Graves' disease (GD) and subacute thyroiditis (SAT) were 0.549 and 0.989, respectively. The AUROCs for distinguishing GD from SAT by SWE and the fT3/fT4 ratio were 0.975 and 0.713, respectively. CONCLUSION: SWE aids in the diagnosis of DTD, and SWE is superior to the fT3/fT4 ratio for distinguishing GD from SAT. However, SWE was unsuitable for differentiating CAT from GD.

Effects of inulin with different degree of polymerization on gelatinization and retrogradation of wheat starch.

The effects of three types of inulin, including FS (DP≤10), FI (DP of 2-60) and FXL (DP≥23), on the gelatinization and retrogradation characteristics of wheat starch were investigated. As the concentration of inulin added into starch increased, the gelatinization temperature increased whereas the breakdown value decreased, and the value of setback first decreased and then increased slightly. The three types of inulin with lower concentrations (<15%) all showed obvious suppression effects on the short-term retrogradation of wheat starch. After 7days of storage, the three types of inulin showed a significant suppression of starch retrogradation in the addition range of 5-7.5%. They can all inhibit amylose retrogradation, but accelerate amylopectin retrogradation. Inulin with lower DP has stronger effects on the starch retrogradation. Generally, the three types of inulin can all retard the retrogradation performance of wheat starch to some extent in the long-term storage.

Noninvasive Assessment of Liver Fibrosis Stage Using Ultrasound-Based Shear Wave Velocity Measurements and Serum Algorithms in Patients With Viral Hepatitis B: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: Liver biopsy remains the reference standard for the assessment of liver fibrosis, but this procedure is invasive and can lead to complications. Thus, studies to determine the optimal noninvasive test are warranted. This study compared several noninvasive tests and their combinations for evaluating liver fibrosis stages in patients with chronic hepatitis B. METHODS: The shear wave velocity (SWV) and laboratory indicators were collected from 174 patients with chronic hepatitis B. Formulas were applied to calculate the serum fibrosis model, including the aspartate aminotransaminase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI), fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4) and aspartate aminotransferase-to-alanine aminotransferase ratio (AAR). The diagnostic performance of all noninvasive tests was assessed in comparison with percutaneous liver biopsy, based on a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. RESULTS: The SWV (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC], 0.82) and APRI (AUC = 0.77) performed better than the FIB-4 (AUC = 0.62), and the AAR (AUC = 0.47) was not suitable for evaluating substantial liver fibrosis (stage ≥F2). The SWV (AUC = 0.96) was the best indicator, being superior to the APRI (AUC = 0.75) and FIB-4 (AUC = 0.74), and the AAR (AUC = 0.45) was not suitable for assessing cirrhosis (F4). Combining the SWV and APRI, the AUC improved to 0.85 for substantial liver fibrosis, and the sensitivity increased to 100% for cirrhosis. CONCLUSIONS: The SWV, APRI, and FIB-4 were valid tests for evaluating substantial liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. The combination of these tests with several noninvasive indicators is expected to enhance the assessment of liver fibrosis stages.

Relationship between the mechanism of hepatitis B virus father-infant transmission and pregnancy outcome.

PURPOSE: This study examined the relationship between the mechanism of hepatitis B virus (HBV) father-infant transmission via reproductive cells and pregnancy outcome. METHODS: Abandoned in vitro fertilization (IVF) embryos of fathers with chronic HBV infection were taken as study objects. HBV mRNA in embryos was detected, and successfully transplanted embryos were followed up to determine the relationship between HBV-infected embryos and pregnancy outcome. RESULTS: HBV mRNA signals were detected in one embryo in the group with HBV-positive fathers; the positive rate was 1/18 (5.5%). IVF embryos of HBV-positive fathers with HBV mRNA signals were successfully implanted, but early abortion occurred. CONCLUSIONS: HBV mRNA was found in abandoned IVF embryos of HBV-infected fathers, which confirmed that HBV could not only enter early cleavage embryos via sperm but also replicate in embryos, resulting in HBV father-infant transmission. HBV may interfere with embryonic development and thus affect pregnancy outcome.

Liver Shear-Wave Velocity and Serum Fibrosis Markers to Diagnose Hepatic Fibrosis in Patients with Chronic Viral Hepatitis B.

OBJECTIVE: To compare several noninvasive indices of fibrosis in chronic viral hepatitis B, including liver shear-wave velocity (SWV), hyaluronic acid (HA), collagen type IV (CIV), procollagen type III (PCIII), and laminin (LN). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) was performed in 157 patients with chronic viral hepatitis B and in 30 healthy volunteers to measure hepatic SWV (m/s) in a prospective study. Serum markers were acquired on the morning of the same day of the ARFI evaluation. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to evaluate and compare the accuracies of SWV and serum markers using METAVIR scoring from liver biopsy as a reference standard. RESULTS: The most accurate test for diagnosing fibrosis F ≥ 1 was SWV with the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.913, followed by LN (0.744), HA (0.701), CIV (0.690), and PCIII (0.524). The best test for diagnosing F ≥ 2 was SWV (AUC of 0.851), followed by CIV (0.671), HA (0.668), LN (0.562), and PCIII (0.550). The best test for diagnosing F ≥ 3 was SWV (0.854), followed by CIV (0.693), HA (0.675), PCIII (0.591), and LN (0.548). The best test for diagnosing F = 4 was SWV (0.965), followed by CIV (0.804), PCIII (0.752), HA (0.744), and LN (0.662). SWV combined with HA and CIV did not improve diagnostic accuracy (AUC = 0.931 for F ≥ 1, 0.863 for F ≥ 2, 0.855 for F ≥ 3, 0.960 for F = 4). CONCLUSION: The performance of SWV in diagnosing liver fibrosis is superior to that of serum markers. However, the combination of SWV, HA, and CIV does not increase the accuracy of diagnosing liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.

Effects of inulin on the structure and emulsifying properties of protein components in dough.

High-purity gliadin, glutenin and gluten fractions were extracted from wheat gluten flour. To investigate the effects of three types of inulin with different degrees of polymerization (DP) on the emulsifying properties, disulfide contents, secondary structures and microstructures of these fractions, Turbidimetry, spectrophotometer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used in this study. The results showed that the emulsifying activity of gliadin was higher than that of glutenin and gluten, but its emulsion stability was lower than that of glutenin. Adding inulin increased the emulsifying activity of the three protein fractions and emulsion stability of gliadin and gluten, but decreased the emulsion stability of glutenin and disulfide bond contents of glutenin and gluten. In the presence of inulin, the α-helical structure of the three proteins had no significant change, whereas the ß-turn structure decreased and ß-sheet structure increased. The SEM images showed that inulin had the most significant effect on the glutenin microstructure. In general, inulin with a higher DP had greater effects on the structure and emulsifying properties of protein components in dough.