An EEG Study on [Formula: see text] Phase-Amplitude Coupling-Based Functional Brain Network in Epilepsy Patients.

Epilepsy, a chronic neuropsychiatric brain disorder characterized with recurrent seizures, is closely associated with abnormal neural communications within the brain. Despite that the phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) has been suggested to offer a new way to observe neural interactions during epilepsy, however, few studies pay attention to alterations of the epileptic functional brain network based on PAC, especially on the [Formula: see text] PAC. Therefore, we use scalp electroencephalography (EEG) data of epileptic patients and the [Formula: see text] PAC modulation index (MI) to construct functional brain networks to examine variations of neural interactions during different epileptic phases. Statistically, the findings show that between-channel MI values in the post-ictal period significantly increase compared to that in the pre-ictal period, and the between-channel MI value has a close association with the information of phase and amplitude provided by the channels. Importantly, in both the phase-amplitude and amplitude-phase functional brain networks, the average node degree is remarkably higher in the post-ictal period than that in the pre-ictal period, whereas the characteristic path length in the ictal and post-ictal periods is significantly lower than that in the pre-ictal period. Besides, the average betweenness centrality in the post-ictal period is remarkably higher than that in the ictal period. Interestingly, the positive correlations between within-channel MI values and between-channel MI values can be observed during the pre-ictal, ictal and post-ictal periods. These findings suggest that the [Formula: see text] PAC-based functional brain network may provide a novel perspective to understanding alterations of neural interactions during the epileptic evolution, and may contribute to effectively controlling the spread of epileptic seizures.

[Alterations of ß-γ coupling of scalp electroencephalography during epilepsy].

Uncovering the alterations of neural interactions within the brain during epilepsy is important for the clinical diagnosis and treatment. Previous studies have shown that the phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) can be used as a potential biomarker for locating epileptic zones and characterizing the transition of epileptic phases. However, in contrast to the θ-γ coupling widely investigated in epilepsy, few studies have paid attention to the ß-γ coupling, as well as its potential applications. In the current study, we use the modulation index (MI) to calculate the scalp electroencephalography (EEG)-based ß-γ coupling and investigate the corresponding changes during different epileptic phases. The results show that the ß-γ coupling of each brain region changes with the evolution of epilepsy, and in several brain regions, the ß-γ coupling decreases during the ictal period but increases in the post-ictal period, where the differences are statistically significant. Moreover, the alterations of ß-γ coupling between different brain regions can also be observed, and the strength of ß-γ coupling increases in the post-ictal period, where the differences are also significant. Taken together, these findings not only contribute to understanding neural interactions within the brain during the evolution of epilepsy, but also provide a new insight into the clinical treatment.

Chemerin and IL-17 are potential predictors and Chemerin silencing alleviates inflammatory response and bone remodeling in chronic rhinosinusitis.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is an inflammatory disease of paranasal sinuses. This study is formulated to explore the roles of pro-inflammatory factors Chemerin and interleukin-17 (IL-17) in CRS. Patients suffering from CRS without/with nasal polyps (CRSsNP/CRSwNP), along with volunteers, were recruited. CRS rabbit models were constructed by Staphylococcus aureus infection and rabbits were injected with lentiviral vectors of short hairpin RNA-targeting Chemerin (shChemerin), followed by micro-computed tomography (CT) scan. Levels of Chemerin and IL-17 were determined, and histopathological lesions were observed in subjects and CRS rabbits. Correlations between Chemerin/IL-17 level and Lund-Mackay/Lund-Kennedy scores of subjects and the predictive value of Chemerin or IL-17 for CRS were analyzed. In CRS patients and rabbits, inflammatory degrees and the level of Chemerin/IL-17 were increased in pathological tissues or plasma, while Chemerin silencing alleviated CRS symptoms of CRS rabbits. Chemerin and IL-17 were mainly located in the immune cells of pathological tissues and presented the positive correlation with Lund-Mackay/Lund-Kennedy score of CRS patients. Also, they showed high predictive value for CRS. Micro-CT scan uncovered that CRS rabbits had increased bone remodeling, which was alleviated by Chemerin silencing. Collectively, Chemerin and IL-17 are potential predictors and Chemerin silencing alleviates inflammatory response and bone remodeling in chronic rhinosinusitis.

Exploring Associations Between Short-Term Air Pollution and Daily Outpatient Visits for Allergic Rhinitis.

Purpose: Many studies have reported that exposure to air pollution increases the likelihood of acquiring allergic rhinitis (AR). This study investigated associations between short-term air pollution exposure and AR outpatient visits. Patients and Methods: The Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University provided AR outpatient data from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2021. Daily air quality information for that period was gathered from the Hangzhou Air Quality Inspection Station. We used the Poisson's generalized additive model (GAM) to investigate relationships between daily outpatient AR visits and air pollution, and investigated lag-exposure relationships across days. Subgroup analyses were performed by age (adult (>18 years) and non-adult (<18 years)) and sex (male and female). Results: We recorded 20,653 instances of AR during the study period. Each 10 g/m3 increase in fine particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations was associated with significant increases in AR outpatient Visits. The relative risks (RR) were: 1.007 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.001-1.013), 1.026 (95% CI: 1.008-1.413), and 1.019 (95% CI: 1.008-1.047). AR visits were more likely due to elevated PM2.5, PM10, and CO levels. Additionally, children were more affected than adults. Conclusion: To better understand the possible effects of air pollution on AR, short-term exposure to ambient air pollution (PM2.5, PM10, and CO) may be linked to increased daily outpatient AR visits.

Effects of Temperature and Salt Stress on the Expression of delta-12 Fatty Acid Desaturase Genes and Fatty Acid Compositions in Safflower.

The regulation of microsomal (e.g., FAD2) and plastidial (e.g., FAD6) oleate desaturases by cold, heat and salt stress were investigated. Gene expression levels and fatty acid compositions were determined in the roots, stems and leaves of safflower following stress treatments. A safflower plastidial oleate desaturase gene, CtFAD6, was cloned, and oleic acid desaturation was confirmed in Synechococcus sp. strain PCC7942. The results showed that temperature regulated oleate desaturation at the transcriptional level, and this regulation pattern was tissue-specific. CtFAD2-1, CtFAD2-2 and CtFAD6 were significantly induced under cold and heat stress in young leaves, and CtFAD2-2 and CtFAD6 were slightly induced in young stems. In contrast, CtFAD2-1, CtFAD2-11 and CtFAD2-10 were sensitive to salt stress in all safflower tissues (roots, stem and leaves). CtFAD6 was insensitive to salt and was slightly induced in leaves only.

Pt nanoparticles confined in hollow silica nanoreactors as highly efficient catalysts for semihydrogenations of alkynes at atmospheric H2 pressure.

In this work, Pt nanoparticles encapsulated hollow porous silica nanoreactors (Pt@HPSNs) was synthesized in one-pot by a reverse microemulsion system, and they exhibit good catalytic efficiency and stability for semihydrogenations of alkynes. The key design concept is to form Pt hydroxide nanoparticles mixed poly(ethyleneimine) nano-aggregates in water droplets, which further functions as seeds for silica deposition and the void templates to form the central voids. The Pt@HPSNs illustrate a wide adaptability for semihydrogenations of a series of terminal alkynes to the corresponding alkenes at mild reaction conditions, and demonstrate high yields of styrene for semihydrogenation of phenylacetylene, showing good catalytic efficiency for hydrogenation of phenylacetylene to styrene at atmospheric H2 pressure. The enhanced catalytic performance of Pt@HPSNs are ascribed to their hollow porous nanostructures, where the confinement of Pt nanoparticles in voids increase the structural stability and the confinement effect may increase the collision of reactants and Pt, resulting in improved catalytic efficiency.

Synthesis of Pd-CoxOy Hybrid Nanostructure-Encapsulated Hollow Silica Nanospheres through Reverse Microemulsion Systems and Their Application as Efficient Hydrodechlorination Catalysts.

Pd-CoxOy heteroaggregate-encapsulated hollow porous silica nanoreactors (Pd-CoxOy@HPSNs) were synthesized by a reverse microemulsion system. The key design of the developed reverse microemulsion system is to use poly(ethyleneimine) in the water droplets as the void templates for silica deposition and for anchoring the catalytic functionality inside the hollow silica nanospheres. The synthesized Pd-CoxOy@HPSNs contain ∼3 nm Pd-CoxOy hybrid nanostructures in ∼10 nm central cavities of silica nanospheres and illustrated a significantly promoted efficiency for hydrodechlorination of a series of chlorophenols into phenols under mild reaction conditions. The catalytic enhancement of Pd-CoxOy@HPSNs is ascribed to the synergistic effect between Pd and CoxOy and the protection of silica shells to the inner catalytic functionality.

Enantiomorphic Single Crystals of Linear Lead(II) Bromide Perovskitoids with White Circularly Polarized Emission.

Chiroptical hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites are emerging as a new class of promising materials with mirror optical signal responses for optoelectronic applications. However, chiroptical white-emission materials have been scarcely unearthed. Herein, four pairs of hybrid lead(II) bromide perovskitoids were obtained, namely, (R)- and (S)-(H2 MPz)PbBr4 (R/S-MPz=(R)-(-)/(S)-(+)-2-methylpiperazine) (1 and 2), (R)- and (S)-(H2 MPz)3 Pb2 Br10 ⋅2 DMAc (3 and 4), (R)- and (S)-(H2 MPz)PbBr4 ⋅0.5 MeCN (5 and 6) and (R)- and (S)-(H2 MPz)2 Pb2 Br8 ⋅DCM (7 and 8). Notably, they all exhibit ultrabroadband emission and chiroptical signals. Perovskitoids 3-6 even achieve white circularly polarized emission with a high dissymmetric factor (glum ) (±3×10-3 for 3 and 4; ±8×10-3 for 5 and 6). This new type of hybrid perovskitoids will attract attention and find applications in chiroptical fields because of the extensively and easily tunable photophysical properties.

A multi-responsive indium-viologen hybrid with ultrafast-response photochromism and electrochromism.

A novel 0D organic-inorganic metal halide hybrid (C13H16N2O2)2InCl6·Cl (1) has been obtained by integrating the mono-viologen derivative with InCl3. Compound 1 exhibits reversible and ultrafast UV/sunlight/X-ray induced photochromic properties, as well as excellent electrochromic performance, which is the first example of an indium-based organic-inorganic chromic hybrid.

Hydrogenation of Toluene to Methyl Cyclohexane over PtRh Bimetallic Nanoparticle-Encaged Hollow Mesoporous Silica Catalytic Nanoreactors.

PtRh bimetallic nanoparticle (NP)-encaged hollow mesoporous silica nanoreactors (PtRh@HMSNs) are prepared by employing metal-ion-containing charge-driven polymer micelles as templates. These nanoreactors feature ∼1-2 nm PtRh NPs in ∼11 nm hollow cavities of HMSNs. Among various Pt x Rh y @HMSNs, Pt0.77Rh1@HMSNs show the best catalytic performance for toluene hydrogenation. Under 30 °C, atmospheric H2 pressure, and a toluene/(Pt+Rh) molar ratio of 200/1, Pt0.77Rh1@HMSNs reach 100.0% of methyl cyclohexane yield and demonstrate a much better catalytic performance than monometallic Pt@HMSNs and Rh@HMSNs and their physical mixtures. Moreover, Pt0.77Rh1@HMSNs exhibit a good catalytic stability during recycling experiments. The enhanced performance of Pt0.77Rh1@HMSNs is ascribed to the interaction between Pt and Rh, the beneficial effect of the relatively large mesoporous channels for mass transfer, as well as the confinement effect of functional NPs inside hollow cavities.

Mechanism by which the combination of SjCL3 and SjGAPDH protects against Schistosoma japonicum infection.

A vaccine is an important method to control schistosomiasis. Molecules related to lung-stage schistosomulum are considered potential vaccine candidates. We previously showed that glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and cathepsin L3 (CL3) displayed differential expression in the lung-stage schistosomula of Schistosoma japonicum cocultured with host cells. In the present study, we prepared the two proteins and detected the protective effects of SjGAPDH by immunizing mice with this protein alone and in combination with SjCL3 with or without Freund's adjuvant. Then, we investigated the possible mechanisms underlying S. japonicum infection. The results showed that vaccination of adjuvanted SjGAPDH decreased the worm burden (37.8%) and egg load (38.1%), and the combination of adjuvanted SjGAPDH and SjCL3 further decreased the worm burden (65.6%) and egg load (70.9%) during Schistosoma japonicum infection. However, the immunization of a combination of adjuvant-free SjGAPDH and SjCL3 displayed a lower protective effect (< 15%) than those of the adjuvanted SjCL3, the adjuvanted SjGAPDH, and a combination of adjuvanted SjGAPDH and SjCL3. Flow cytometric results showed that the frequency of regulatory T cells (Tregs) was lower (P < 0.05) in the group with adjuvanted SjGAPDH and SjCL3 (2.61%) than the remaining groups. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) results indicated that except for the uninfected and infected control groups, the remaining groups displayed a Th1-type shift in immune responses. These results showed the immunization of SjGAPDH resulted in partial protection (approximately 38%); inoculation with a combination of SjCL3 and SjGAPDH in Freund's adjuvant resulted in a high immunoprotective effect (> 65%) against Schistosoma japonicum infection in mice, which was possibly caused by the reduced percentage of Tregs and a Th1-type shift in immune responses; and SjCL3 has no adjuvant-like effect, dissimilar to SmCL3.

Epidemiology of Plasmodium falciparum Malaria and Risk Factors for Severe Disease in Hubei Province, China.

This study aimed to describe the epidemiology of Plasmodium falciparum malaria and identify risk factors for severe disease in Hubei Province, China, using a case-based survey of retrospective data from 2013 to 2018. From 2013 to 2018, a total of 763 imported malaria cases were reported in Hubei Province; 69.2% (528/763) cases were caused by P. falciparum species. The proportion of malaria caused by P. falciparum increased from 66.7% in 2013 to 74.0% in 2018 (χ2 = 21.378, P < 0.05). Plasmodium falciparum malaria was reported in 77 counties of Hubei Province. The majority of imported P. falciparum cases originated from Africa (98.9%, 522/528); 9.7% (51/528) of patients infected with P. falciparum developed severe malaria. Three deaths (case fatality rate: 0.6%) were related to imported P. falciparum malaria. Risk factors for severe malaria were being female (odds ratio [OR] = 3.593, 95% CI: 1.003-12.874), age ≥ 50 years (OR = 2.674, 95% CI: 1.269-5.634), > 3 days between symptom onset and diagnosis (OR = 2.383, 95% CI: 1.210-4.693), and the first-visit medical institution at the township level or lower (OR = 2.568, 95% CI: 1.344-4.908). Malaria prevention should be undertaken among high-risk groups, infection with P. falciparum should be detected early to prevent severe disease and death, and healthcare providers in health facilities at the township level should be trained on early recognition of malaria.

Characteristics of imported Plasmodium ovale spp. and Plasmodium malariae in Hubei Province, China, 2014-2018.

BACKGROUND: There have been an increasing number of imported cases of malaria in Hubei Province in recent years. In particular, the number of cases of Plasmodium ovale spp. and Plasmodium malariae significantly increased, which resulted in increased risks during the malaria elimination phase. The purpose of this study was to acquire a better understanding of the epidemiological characteristics of P. ovale spp. and P. malariae imported to Hubei Province, China, so as to improve case management. METHODS: Data on all malaria cases from January 2014 to December 2018 in Hubei Province were extracted from the China national diseases surveillance information system (CNDSIS). This descriptive study was conducted to analyse the prevalence trends, latency periods, interval from onset of illness to diagnosis, and misdiagnosis of cases of P. ovale spp. and P. malariae malaria. RESULTS: During this period, 634 imported malaria cases were reported, of which 87 P. ovale spp. (61 P. ovale curtisi and 26 P. ovale wallikeri) and 18 P. malariae cases were confirmed. The latency periods of P. ovale spp., P. malariae, Plasmodium vivax, and Plasmodium falciparum differed significantly, whereas those of P. ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri were no significant difference. The proportion of correct diagnosis of P. ovale spp. and P. malariae malaria cases were 48.3% and 44.4%, respectively, in the hospital or lower-level Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In the Provincial Reference Laboratory, the sensitivity of microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests was 94.3% and 70.1%, respectively, for detecting P. ovale spp., and 88.9% and 38.9%, respectively, for detecting P. malariae. Overall, 97.7% (85/87) of P. ovale spp. cases and 94.4% (17/18) of P. malariae cases originated from Africa. CONCLUSION: The increase in the number of imported P. ovale spp. and P. malariae cases, long latency periods, and misdiagnosis pose a challenge to this region. Therefore, more attention should be paid to surveillance of imported cases of P. ovale spp. and P. malariae infection to reduce the burden of public health and potential risk of malaria.

Controlled Synthesis of Manganese Oxide Nanoparticles Encaged in Hollow Mesoporous Silica Nanoreactors and Their Enhanced Dye Degradation Activity.

In this study, controlled synthesis of hollow mesoporous silica nanoreactors with small manganese oxide nanoparticles in their cavities (Mn x O y @HMSNs) is reported, and the dye degradation performance in the presence of hydrogen peroxide over Mn x O y @HMSNs is investigated. Specifically, triple ligands (a compound with three dipicolinic acid groups) were used to coordinate manganese ions to form negatively charged coordination complex networks, which further combine with positively charged copolymers to obtain metal ion-containing polymer micelles. Following silica deposition onto micellar coronas and calcinations simultaneously result in hollow mesoporous silica nanoreactors and manganese oxide nanoparticles in their cavities. In this work, the influences of synthetic parameters on the structures are studied in detail. The obtained Mn x O y @HMSNs show greatly enhanced activity and stability for a series of dye degradations. The performance enhancement is ascribed to their unique nanostructures, where mesoporous silica walls provide protection to the inner Mn x O y nanoparticles and the small size of the manganese oxide nanoparticles greatly enhances the dye degradation activity.

Controllable Synthesis of Surface Pt-Rich Bimetallic AuPt Nanocatalysts for Selective Hydrogenation Reactions.

Bimetallic nanocatalysts, with efficient and controllable catalytic performance, have a promising application in chemical production. In this study, surface Pt-rich bimetallic AuPt nanoparticles with different Pt/Au ratios were prepared and tested in selective hydrogenation reactions of substituted nitroaromatics. Au nanoparticles were first prepared with n-butyllithium as a rapid reducer, which were further used as seeds in the slow growth process of Pt atoms. Because of the employed sequential reduction method and the following atom diffusion, surface Pt-rich bimetallic AuPt nanoparticles were obtained. Compared with the uniform AuPt alloy nanocatalysts synthesized by the co-reduction method with n-butyllithium as the reducer and monometallic Pt nanocatalysts, the obtained surface Pt-rich AuPt bimetallic nanocatalysts presented an enhanced catalytic selectivity or activity. The performance enhancement is assigned to the optimized Au/Pt interaction in the surface Pt-rich bimetallic nanostructures. This work demonstrates that the optimization of the stoichiometry and construction of bimetallic materials is a feasible method to synthesize controllable and efficient nanocatalysts.

Controlled Synthesis and Enhanced Catalytic Activity of Well-Defined Close-Contact Pd-ZnO Nanostructures.

In this study, PdZn-ordered intermetallic nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared in liquid phase by butyllithium co-reduction of their precursors at 240 °C. Through calcination and subsequent reduction with H2, the synthesized PdZn NPs were then in situ transformed into Pd-ZnO heteroaggregate nanocatalysts on alumina supports. Various characterization techniques, such as diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared with CO probes, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, H2 temperature-programmed reduction, and X-ray photoelectron spectra, reveal that PdZn NPs are ordered intermetallic compounds, and in situ transformation of PdZn alloy NPs results in close-contact Pd-ZnO heteroaggregates, where the interfaces are highly active and the interaction between Pd and ZnO prevents the active particles from agglomeration. The catalytic hydrogenations of nitrophenols over Pd/Al2O3 and Pd-ZnO/Al2O3 were investigated. The results show that Pd-ZnO/Al2O3 illustrates an enhanced catalytic activity relative to Pd/Al2O3, and no obvious activity degradation was observed in the recycle catalytic experiments over such nanostructures. It is concluded that the Pd-ZnO interaction not only enhances the catalytic hydrogenation activity but also promotes the thermal and catalytic stability.

Enhanced Catalytic Performance for Hydrogenation of Substituted Nitroaromatics over Ir-Based Bimetallic Nanocatalysts.

IrM (M = Fe, Co, and Ni) alloy nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized in a solution by employing butyllithium as a reduction agent and oleylamine as a stabilizing agent, and the alumina-supported IrM bimetallic nanoparticles were tested for selective hydrogenation of various substituted nitroaromatics. The relevant characterizations including X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectra, transmission electron microscopy, and diffuse reflectance fourier transform infrared with CO probes confirm that IrM NPs are uniform alloys. The obtained IrM/Al2O3 catalysts show significantly enhanced catalytic activity as well as selectivity relative to individual monometallic Ir catalysts, indicating a unique catalytic property of bimetallic alloy nanostructures. Among these bimetallic catalysts, IrNi/Al2O3 illustrate the highest activity and selectivity for hydrogenation of various substituted nitroaromatics. Calculations by density functional theory suggest that bimetallic structures of IrNi facilitate the reactant adsorption and product desorption, resulting in enhanced catalytic performance.

A Generic Method for Preparing Hollow Mesoporous Silica Catalytic Nanoreactors with Metal Oxide Nanoparticles inside Their Cavities.

We report a facile and generic method for the synthesis of hollow mesoporous silica nanoreactors (HMSNs) with small-sized metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) inside their cavities. They were made by deposition of silica onto metal-containing charge-driven polymer micelles and subsequent calcination. The micelles consist of 1) negatively charged supramolecular polyelectrolyte chains of bis-ligand-bound metal ions, and 2) water-soluble, neutral/positive diblock copolymers. Owing to the facile coordination between transition-metal ion and the employed bidentate ligand, a series of HMSNs with <2 nm Mx Oy NPs inside cavities (M=Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, or Zn) were obtained by simply varying the metal ions inside the micelles. The developed method circumvents the pre- and post-synthesis of metal oxide NPs; after calcination, hollow mesoporous nanostructures containing small-sized metal oxide NPs inside their cavities are directly obtained. The Cox Oy -functionalized HMSNs catalyze the degradation of various dyes with H2 O2 .

Comparisons of family environment between homeless and non-homeless individuals with schizophrenia in Xiangtan, Hunan.

BACKGROUND: Homelessness is an increasingly important problem for individuals with serious mental illness in China. AIM: Identify the characteristics of families that are associated with homelessness among individuals with schizophrenia. METHODS: Participants were 1856 homeless individuals with schizophrenia (defined as those who had no place of residence or involved caregivers for 7 consecutive days) and 1728 non-homeless individuals with schizophrenia from Xiangtan, Hunan. The self-completion Family Environment Scale-Chinese Version (FES-CV) was administered to these participants after their acute psychotic symptoms resolved. RESULTS: Compared to individuals in the non-homeless group, those in the homeless group were older and more likely to be non-locals (i.e., from outside of Xiangtan), be residents of rural (versus urban) communities, have temporary (versus permanent) jobs, be married, and have a low level of education. After controlling for demographic differences using multivariate logistic regression models, homelessness was independently associated higher scores in the FES-CV intellectual-cultural orientation, organization, achievement orientation, and control subscales and with lower scores in the FES-CV cohesion, moralreligious emphasis, independence, and active-recreational orientation subscales. CONCLUSION: After controlling for sociodemographic factors, certain aspects of the family environment areassociated with being homeless among patients with schizophrenia in China. Further work is needed to identify interventions that can reduce the risk of homelessness in high-risk individuals.