Surface Engineering and Programmed Self-Assembly of Silica Nanoparticles with Controllable Polystyrene/Poly(4-vinybenzyl azide) Patches.

The programmed self-assembly of patchy nanoparticles (NPs) through a bottom-up approach is an efficient strategy for producing highly organized materials with a predetermined architecture. Herein, we report the preparation of di- and trivalent silica NPs with polystyrene (PS)/poly(4-vinylbenzyl azide) (PVBA) patches and assemble them in a THF mixture by lowering the solvent quality. Silica-PS/PVBA colloidal hybrid clusters were synthesized through the seeded growth emulsion copolymerization of styrene and 4-vinylbenzyl azide (VBA) in varying ratios. Subsequently, macromolecules on silica NPs originating from the copolymerization of growing PS or PVBA chains with the surface-grafted MMS compatibilizer are engineered by fine-tuning of polymer compositions or adjustment of solvent qualities. Moreover, multistage silica regrowth of tripod and tetrapod allowed a fine control of the patch-to-particle size ratio ranging from 0.69 to 1.54. Intriguingly, patchy silica NPs (1-, 2-, 3-PSNs) rather than hybrid clusters are successfully used as templates for multistep regrowth experiments, leading to the formation of silica NPs with a new morphology and size controllable PVBA/PS patches. Last but not least, combined with mesoscale dynamics simulations, the self-assembly kinetics of 2-PSN and 3-PSN into linear colloidal polymers and honeycomb-like lattices are studied. This work paves a new avenue for constructing colloidal polymers with a well-defined sequence and colloidal crystals with a predetermined architecture.

Status of pediatric echocardiography clinical trials: a cross-sectional study of registered trials in ClinicalTrials.gov.

Background: The objective of this study is to analyze the characteristics of pediatric echocardiography clinical trials registered in ClinicalTrials.gov. Methods: A data set including pediatric echocardiography clinical trials was downloaded from ClinicalTrials.gov until May 13, 2022. We searched the PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar, and Embase databases to extract publication data. Pediatric echocardiography trial characteristics, application areas, and publication status were described. The secondary objectives were to evaluate factors associated with trial publication. Results: We identified 410 pediatric echocardiography reporting definite age, of which 246 were interventional and 146 were observational. Drug interventions were the most commonly studied (32.9%). The most applied area of pediatric echocardiography was congenital heart disease, followed by hemodynamics of preterm or neonatal infants, cardiomyopathy, inflammatory heart disease, pulmonary hypertension, and cardio-oncology. According to the primary completion data, 54.9% of the trials were completed before August 2020. 34.2% of the trials had been published within 24 months. Union countries and quadruple masking were more likely to be published. Conclusion: Echocardiography is rapidly evolving in pediatric clinical applications, including anatomic imaging and functional imaging. Novel speckle tracking techniques have also been pivotal in the assessment of cancer therapeutics-related cardiac dysfunction. A small number of clinical trials in pediatric echocardiography are published in a timely fashion. Concerted efforts are needed to promote trial transparency.

Advances in highly active one-carbon metabolism in cancer diagnosis, treatment and drug resistance: A systematic review.

Study background objectives: Cancer poses a significant health concern as it is incurable. Every year, research on how to treat and eradicate this chronic condition is done. This systematic review will unmask the recent developments concerning highly active 1C metabolism with regard to cancer diagnosis, treatment, and drug resistance. The significance of this study is rolling out evidence-based evidence on the importance of one-carbon metabolism in cancer diagnosis and treatment. Methods: Eight randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were reviewed from five electronic databases - EMBASE, Scopus Review, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and PubMed. Outcomes from the eight studies were analyzed to paint a picture of the topic in question. While the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis' (PRISMA) protocol guided the initial literature search, The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach informed quality assessments of the eligible studies. Conclusion: Since its emergence in the 1980s, 1C metabolism has been investigated and broadened to capture essential aspects of cancer treatment, diagnosis, and drug resistance. The review found that metabolites like folic acid could be used to detect different types of cancer. The metabolic pathways could induce tumorigenesis and DNA methylation, hence drug resistance. Systematic review registration: https://inplasy.com/projects/, identifier INPLASY2022110099.

Optimal dose of cefotaxime in neonates with early-onset sepsis: A developmental pharmacokinetic model-based evaluation.

Objective: The perspective of real-world study is especially relevant to newborns, enabling dosage regimen optimization and regulatory approval of medications for use in newborns. The aim of the present study was to conduct a pharmacokinetic analysis of cefotaxime and evaluate the dosage used in newborns with early-onset sepsis (EOS) using real-world data in order to support the rational use in the clinical practice. Methods: This prospective, open-label study was performed in newborns with EOS. A developmental pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model of cefotaxime in EOS patients was established based on an opportunistic sampling method. Then, clinical evaluation of cefotaxime was conducted in newborns with EOS using real-world data. Results: A one-compartment model with first-order elimination was developed, using 101 cefotaxime concentrations derived from 51 neonates (30.1-41.3°C weeks postmenstrual age), combining current weight and postnatal age. The pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic target was defined as the free cefotaxime concentration above MIC during 70% of the dosing interval (70% fT > MIC), and 100% of neonates receiving the dose of 50 mg/kg, BID attained the target evaluated using the model. Additionally, only two newborns had adverse reactions possibly related to cefotaxime treatment, including diarrhea and feeding intolerance. Conclusion: This prospective real-world study demonstrated that cefotaxime (50 mg/kg, BID) had a favorable efficacy and an accepted safety profile for neonates with EOS.

Association of Cytochrome P450 2C9*3 and Angiotensin II Receptor 1 (1166A>C) Gene Polymorphisms With the Antihypertensive Effect of Irbesartan.

BACKGROUND: To analyze whether the cytochrome P450 enzyme 2C9*3 (CYP2C9*3) and angiotensin II receptor 1 (AGTR1) (1166A>C) gene polymorphisms are associated with the risk of essential hypertension (EH) and the antihypertensive effect of irbesartan. METHODS: A total of 2,057 EH patients and 286 healthy controls were enrolled for genotyping in which 598 EH patients were given irbesartan 150 mg/day for 4 weeks. Blood pressure of all subjects were determined before and at the end of 4-week treatment. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in genotype frequencies of CYP2C9*3 and AGTR1 (1166A>C) between EH and control groups. Subjects with *1*3/*3*3 genotypes of the CYP2C9*3 gene had larger systolic and diastolic blood pressure reductions (34.9 ± 15.5 vs. 29.3 ± 10.2 mm Hg and 22.8 ± 9.0 vs. 19.6 ± 8.5 mm Hg, respectively) compared with the *1*1 genotype. For AGTR1 (1166A>C) polymorphisms, although there was no significant difference among AC, CC, and AA genotypes, male subjects with AC/CC genotypes had larger systolic and diastolic blood pressure reductions (32.3 ± 1.3 vs. 29.3 ± 0.5 mm Hg and 21.6 ± 0.8 vs. 19.4 ± 0.1 mm Hg, respectively, P < 0.05) in response to irbesartan treatment compared with the AA genotype. CONCLUSIONS: Polymorphisms of CYP2C9*3 and AGTR1 (1166A>C) are not significantly different between EH and healthy controls. Male subjects with AC and CC genotypes of AGTR1 (1166A>C) show better antihypertensive effect of irbesartan than the AA genotype.

MTNR1B Gene Polymorphisms Are Associated With the Therapeutic Responses to Repaglinide in Chinese Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

The objective of this study was to investigate whether MTNR1B gene variants influence repaglinide response in Chinese patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A total of 300 patients with T2DM and 200 control subjects were enrolled to identify MTNR1B rs10830963 and rs1387153 genotypes by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), with subsequent high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis. Ninety-five patients with newly diagnosed T2DM were randomly selected to undergo 8 weeks of repaglinide treatment (3 mg/day). After 8-week repaglinide monotherapy, patients with at least one G allele of MTNR1B rs10830963 showed a smaller decrease in fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (P = 0.031) and a smaller increase in homeostasis model assessment for beta cell function (HOMA-B) (P = 0.002) levels than those with the CC genotype did. The T allele carriers at rs1387153 exhibited a smaller decrease in FPG (P = 0.007) and smaller increases in postprandial serum insulin (PINS) (P = 0.016) and HOMA-B (P < 0.001) levels compared to individuals with the CC genotype. These data suggest that the MTNR1B rs10830963 and rs1387153 polymorphisms are associated with repaglinide monotherapy efficacy in Chinese patients with T2DM.

Effects of additives on the viscoelastic responses of cationic gemini surfactant solutions.

Several additives, including inorganic (NaCl) and organic salts (derivatives of benzoate), were added into aqueous solutions of a gemini cationic surfactant, 2-hydroxypropyl-1,3-bis (myristyldimethylammonium chloride) (abbreviated as 14-3(OH)-14(2Cl)). The mixed systems were investigated using rheological measurement, cryo-TEM and 1H NMR analysis. The results showed that addition of salts induced rich aggregate morphologies in the 14-3(OH)-14(2Cl)/salt systems. The influence of an inorganic salt on the viscoelasticity of 14-3(OH)-14(2Cl) solutions is much weaker than that of organic salts. Furthermore, the ability of three organic salts in enhancing the viscoelasticity of 14-3(OH)-14(2Cl) solutions is in the order sodium m-hydroxybenzoate > sodium o-hydroxybenzoate > sodium p-hydroxybenzoate. The different roles of these organic salt isomers arise from the different types of hydrogen bonding formed between 14-3(OH)-14(2Cl) and the organic counter ions.

Impact of Menopause on Quality of Life in Community-based Women in China: 1 Year Follow-up.

Quality of life (QOL) throughout menopause has become an outcome variable requiring measurement in clinical care. Staff nurses can provide earlier nursing during the menopausal transition (MT) stage. The purpose of this study was to describe the changes of QOL in different stages of the MT according to The Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop (STRAW) in Chinese women in community settings. Prospective longitudinal study design was used to analyze QOL of 327 community women age 30-65years old. They were followed up at 1-year. An instrument including the Chinese version of the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire was used to obtain data. A gradual decline in QOL was seen from premenopausal to menopausal transition (MT) and in postmenopausal women. Significant differences were observed in vasomotor, physical and sexual scores at baseline and follow-up (P<0.05). Significant differences in vasomotor scores were observed between baseline and follow-up for women in the premenopausal and Late MT stages (P<0.05). There were significant differences in psychosocial and physical scores between baseline and follow-up in the Late MT stage (P<0.05). Menopause might have a negative impact on QOL independent of age in community-based women in China. There seemed to be a potential model of the relationship of menopause status to change in QOL, but this needs supporting evidence from longer longitudinal studies.

8-Hydroxy-2-methylquinoline-modified H4SiW12O40: a reusable heterogeneous catalyst for acetal/ketal formation.

A heteropoly acid based organic hybrid heterogeneous catalyst, HMQ-STW, was prepared by combining 8-hydroxy-2-methylquinoline (HMQ) with Keggin-structured H4SiW12O40 (STW). The catalyst was characterized via elemental analysis, X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and potentiometric titration analysis. The catalytic performance of the catalyst was assessed in the ketalization of ketones with glycol or 1,2-propylene glycol. Various reaction parameters, such as the glycol to cyclohexanone molar ratio, catalyst dosage, reaction temperature and time, were systematically examined. HMQ-STW exhibited a relatively high yield of corresponding ketal, with 100% selectivity under the optimized reaction conditions. Moreover, catalytic recycling tests demonstrated that the heterogeneous catalyst exhibited high potential for reusability, and it was revealed that the organic modifier HMQ plays an important role in the formation of a heterogeneous system and the improvement of structural stability. These results indicated that the HMQ-STW catalyst is a promising new type of heterogeneous acid catalyst for the ketalization of ketones.

Diagnostic and prognostic values of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in breast cancer: a retrospective study.

This study aimed to explore the diagnostic and prognostic values of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in breast cancer. Between September 2009 and October 2011, a total of 143 breast cancer patients and 161 healthy people were selected as case group and control group, respectively. After the identification of lesions by conventional ultrasound, all patients underwent CEUS. The CEUS images were analyzed, and time-intensity curves (TICs) were obtained. Hematoxylin-eosin and immunohistochemistry staining was performed on tissue specimens, according to which the expressions of estrogen receptor (ER), c-erb-B2, p53, and Ki-67 were measured. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to compare CEUS and TIC parameters between the two groups. Compared with the control group, cancer patients showed high enhancement, heterogeneous enhancement or defects in the central region, expansion of lesion diameter after enhancement and crab-like blur lesion edges. The peak intensity (PI), relative start time of enhancement, relative PI, and relative area under the curve in the case group were significantly higher than those in the control group. Logistic analysis showed that the uniformity of enhancement, expansion of lesion diameter, and relative PI were significant diagnostic parameters of breast cancer, with area under the curve being 0.798, 0.776, and 0.919, respectively. There were strong associations between CEUS characteristics and expressions of prognostic factors in breast cancer: the heterogeneous enhancement was common in c-erb-B2-positive tumors; the centripetal enhancement occurred more in ER-negative tumors; perforator vessels were often seen in tumors at high histological grade; perfusion defects were common in ER-negative, c-erb-B2-positive, and Ki-67-positive tumors. CEUS is a useful tool for the early diagnosis and prognosis of breast cancer.

The correlation between quality of life and social support in female nurses.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relationship between quality of life and social support in female nurses. BACKGROUND: Nurses play an important role in providing care and managing patients' health in hospitals. However, limited studies have shown an association between quality of life and social support in female nurses in China. DESIGN: Questionnaire survey. METHODS: To investigate 320 full-time female nurses in different departments at four comprehensive hospitals in Harbin with a cross-sectional correlational design using questionnaires. A demographic data questionnaire, menopause-specific quality of life questionnaire and social support scale were used. RESULTS: The scores on the physical (36·93 ± 17·65) and psychological (17·57 ± 9·45) subscales were higher than those of the vasomotor (4·88 ± 3·48) and sexual (4·53 ± 3·23) subscales of quality of life. The average score of objective support (25·12 ± 4·32) was higher than those of subjective support (9·80 ± 3·04) and utilisation of social support (7·80 ± 1·97). A significant association between quality of life and social support was found (p < 0·01). CONCLUSIONS: Social support influenced quality of life. Social support as a buffer for pressure can influence individual stress perception, help individuals cope with pressure and reduce the negative impact of stress on mental and physical health, thus improving different aspects of health. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Enhancing social support in an active environment would allow female nurses to enjoy a better quality of life in their clinical practice.

Research progress of synthetic biology for tanshinones.

Synthetic biology research methods which design and build a new artificial biological systems (medicinal plants or microorganisms system) with specific physiological functions through clarifying and simulating the basic law of the biosynthesis of active components of traditional Chinese medicine, is considered to be a potential method to produce an abundant resources of bioactive components. Tanshinones is a kind of diterpene quinone compounds with important pharmacological activities from traditional Chinese medicine Salvia miltiorrhiza. This article systematically introduced the research progress of the synthetic biology of S. miltiorrhiza, in order to provide references for studies on other terpenoid bioactive components of traditional Chinese medicines, and give new research strategies for the sustainable development of traditional Chinese medicine resources.

PPARD rs2016520 polymorphism affects repaglinide response in Chinese Han patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Repaglinide is a short-acting insulin secretagogue, which often results in considerable interindividual variability in therapeutic efficacy when widely used in a clinical setting. Among various reasons under discussion is genetic polymorphism, especially the genes related to insulin secretion and resistance. Recent studies have described the importance of PPARD in regulating the secretion and resistance of insulin. However, little is known about the impacts of PPARD genetic polymorphism on the efficacy of repaglinide. Therefore, the current study was designed to investigate the associations of PPARD rs2016520 polymorphism with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) susceptibility and repaglinide therapeutic efficacy in Chinese Han T2DM patients. A total of 338 T2DM patients and 200 healthy subjects were genotyped for PPARD rs2016520 polymorphism by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay. A total of 84 patients with the same genotypes of CYP2C8*3 139Arg and OATP1B1 521TT were randomized to orally take repaglinide for 8 weeks. Then the pharmacodynamic parameters of repaglinide and biochemical indicators were determined before and after repaglinide treatment. No significant difference was found in either allelic frequency (P = 0.298) or genotype distribution (P = 0.151) of PPARD rs2016520 between T2DM patients and healthy subjects. However, T2DM patients carrying genotype TC showed a significantly lower increase in postprandial serum insulin (mU/L) than those with wild-type TT (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that PPARD rs2016520 polymorphism might influence the therapeutic effect of repaglinide rather than T2DM susceptibility in Chinese Han T2DM patients.

[Issues of large scale tissue culture of medicinal plant].

In order to increase the yield and quality of the medicinal plant and enhance the competitive power of industry of medicinal plant in our country, this paper analyzed the status, problem and countermeasure of the tissue culture of medicinal plant on large scale. Although the biotechnology is one of the most efficient and promising means in production of medicinal plant, it still has problems such as stability of the material, safety of the transgenic medicinal plant and optimization of cultured condition. Establishing perfect evaluation system according to the characteristic of the medicinal plant is the key measures to assure the sustainable development of the tissue culture of medicinal plant on large scale.

A survey on 465 patients with post-stroke depression in China.

The incidence of PSD patients is very high. To analyze the related factors and incidence of post-stroke depression (PSD). A total of 465 stroke patients were evaluated by a self-designed questionnaire, Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD). The neurologic deficit score was tested using the National Institute of Health stroke scale (NIHSS). A multiple factor analysis with the logistic regression method was carried out to analyze related factors of PSD. A total of 146 cases (31.4%) were identified as suffering from PSD. In addition the stepwise regression analysis showed that important risk factors of PSD included of sex, lesion location, the course of post-stroke and degree of neurological deficit score (all P<0.05). Above mentioned factors about the patients of PSD are very significant and may provide reference for further treating.

The psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II.

AIMS: The present study was conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties of a newly adapted Chinese version of an instrument designed to measure structural empowerment among staff nurses. BACKGROUND: Structural empowerment has been shown to be important to nurses in Western cultures, but its importance in China is unknown. METHODS: A convenience sample of 650 staff nurses was selected from six hospitals in Harbin, China. After linguistic adaptation using the forward-backward translation method, the 19-item Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II (CWEQ-II-CV) was answered by participants. Content validity, Cronbach's alpha, item-to-total correlation and exploratory factor analysis were used to assess the reliability and validity of the translated instrument. RESULTS: In the factor analysis, a six-factor solution was found to be reasonable with the sub-dimensions of structural empowerment that included support (three items), resources (three items), information (three items), opportunity (three items), formal power (three items) and informal power (four items). Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the total instrument was 0.92 and ranged from 0.68 to 0.86 in the six subscales. The item-to-total correlation coefficients ranged from 0.48 to 0.80. The findings also gave support for content validity. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence was found to support the reliability and validity of the CWEQ-II-CV scale that measures the quality of the work environment for nurses from a structural empowerment perspective. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: The translated version of CWEQ-II-CV can provide an effective evaluation tool for structural empowerment in the Chinese nursing workplace.

Effects of NOS1AP rs12742393 polymorphism on repaglinide response in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To investigate the associations of NOS1AP rs12742393 polymorphism with the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and repaglinide therapeutic efficacy in Chinese patients with T2DM. DESIGN: Prospective case-control study. SETTING: Academic medical center. PATIENTS: A total of 300 patients with T2DM and 200 healthy volunteers were enrolled to identify NOS1AP rs12742393 genotypes using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay. Eighty-four patients with various genotypes were randomly selected to receive oral repaglinide as a single-agent therapy (3 mg/day) for 8 weeks. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Anthropometric measurements and fasting plasma glucose (FPG), postprandial plasma glucose, hemoglobin A1c , fasting serum insulin (FINS), postprandial serum insulin, homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol tests were obtained before and after repaglinide treatment. The risk C allelic frequency of NOS1AP rs12742393 was higher in patients with T2DM than in healthy volunteers (p<0.001). Patients with T2DM and genotypes AA and AC at NOS1AP rs12742393 had a significant reduction in FPG (mmol/l) compared with those with genotype CC (p<0.01). Patients with CC homozygotes and AC heterozygotes had a greater increase in FINS (mU/l) than those with wild-type AA (p<0.05). In addition, the carriers of genotype CC at NOS1AP rs12742393 had higher differential values of HOMA-IR compared with genotypes AC and AA carriers (p<0.001). The effects of repaglinide treatment on FPG (p<0.01), FINS (p<0.05) and HOMA-IR (p<0.001) were reduced in patients with T2DM carrying the NOS1AP rs12742393 risk C allele compared with the AA genotype carriers. CONCLUSION: The NOS1AP rs12742393 polymorphism is associated with therapeutic efficacy of repaglinide in Chinese T2DM patients.

The psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Problem Areas in Psychological Empowerment Scale (PES): scale development.

AIMS: This study was conducted to adapt the Problem Areas in Psychological Empowerment Scale for use among staff nurses and to evaluate the psychometric properties. BACKGROUND: Considering the importance of psychological aspects in the administration of nursing, there is a need for validated measurements in this area. Such tools make it possible to understand staff nurses as well as they serve as reliable measures when evaluating medical, psychological and educational interventions. DESIGN: Instrument development. METHODS: A convenience sample of 750 staff nurses was systematically selected from six hospitals in Harbin, China. Following the linguistic adaptation using the forward-backward translation method, the 12-item Psychological Empowerment Scale was answered by the selected staff nurses. Statistics covered exploratory factor analysis, content validity, Cronbach's alpha and item-to-total correlation. RESULTS: In the factor analysis, a four-factor solution was found to be reasonable with the subdimensions psychological empowerment-related meaning problems (three items), competence problems (three items), self-determination (three items) and impact problems (three items). Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the total score was 0.85 and varied between 0.82-0.89 in the four subscales. The item-to-total correlation coefficient was 0.40, and items were excluded with item-to-total correlation coefficient of lower than 0.40. The findings also gave support for the content validity. CONCLUSIONS: The Chinese version of the Problem Areas in Psychological Empowerment Scale seems to be reliable and valid outcome for measuring empowerment-related psychological response in staff nurses. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The Psychological Empowerment Scale can be used to evaluate staff nurses' empowerment-related psychological response in clinical.

[Study on medicinal plant allelopathy and soil sickness based on ecological niche].

Based on the conception and theory of ecological niche, authors analyzed the cause of the allelopathy and soil sickness of medicinal plants and the relationship between them. Methods to resolve problems in the cultivating medicinal plant was found, that is to construct the ecological niche based on allelopathy theory and avoid the soil sickness.