Distinct anthropogenic signatures: A comparative analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments from two southeastern Chinese bays.

Sansha and Luoyuan Bay are influenced by different industrial structure, but the sources and pollution status of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), especially alkylated PAHs, are poorly understood. We studied 25 PAHs in surface sediments from the two bays. The results showed that PAHs concentrations in Sansha and Luoyuan Bay sediment range from 6.54 to 479.28 ng/g and 118.82 to 2984.09 ng/g, respectively. Alkylated PAHs dominated in Sansha (48.86 % of Σ25PAHs), while 3-ring PAHs dominated in Luoyuan (36.32 % of ∑25PAHs). Results of sources analysis indicated oil spills as the main PAHs source in Sansha, and domestic emissions and fossil fuel combustion in Luoyuan. Ecological risk assessment of showed low sediment risk, but in Luoyuan was higher than in Sansha. Compared with Luoyuan Bay, Sansha Bay emits less industrial pollutants, so the pollution is lower than Luoyuan Bay. Increased attention to protecting Luoyuan Bay is recommended.

Application and effectiveness of an improved endoscopically guided nasojejunal tube placement technique in critically ill patients: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: The endoscopic nasojejunal (NJ) placement plays a pivotal role in the nutritional support of critically ill patients. However, the conventional endoscopy-guided tube insertion method presents issues of excessive procedural duration. We have enhanced the traditional endoscopy-guided catheter placement method, enabling a faster and more convenient catheter insertion. Methods: We improved the traditional endoscopically guided technique by incorporating an extra silk thread knot at the 25 cm mark on the jejunal segment of the NJ tube to assist endoscopists in accurate tube placement. We conducted the improved NJ tube placement on critically ill patients in need of enteral nutrition (EN). Laboratory data were retrospectively collected before and after the 7-day period of NJ tube placement and EN treatment to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the improved method. Results: A total of 88 critically ill patients, with an average age of 59.6±15.5 years, and a male ratio of 86.4%, who underwent the improved NJ tube placement method were enrolled into analysis finally, achieving a 100% success rate of NJ tube insertion. The average time for tube insertion was 5.9±2.2 min, with a mean insertion depth of 108.8±12.5 cm. The EN tolerance score was 0.79±0.98. Following 7 days of EN therapy, the patients showed significant improvement in serum albumin levels compared to baseline (36.42 vs. 33.66 g/L, P<0.001). Conclusions: The improved endoscopically guided NJ tube placement technique is a rapid and safe procedure with excellent patient tolerance. It significantly improves the nutritional status of critically ill patients and facilitates the administration of EN, which requires further validation through randomized controlled trials.

Moxibustion ameliorated age-related alterations in neurological behavior and gut microbiota in mice.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the anti-aging effects of moxibustion on age-related alterations in middle-aged mice. METHODS: Thirty, 9-month-old, male ICR mice were randomly divided into the moxibustion and control groups (N = 15). Mice in the moxibustion group were given mild moxibustion at the Guanyuan acupoint for 20 minutes every other day. After 30 treatments, neurobehavior tests, lifespan, gut microbiota composition and splenic gene expression were observed in the mice. RESULTS: Moxibustion improved the locomotor activity as well as motor function, activated the SIRT1-PPARα signaling pathway, ameliorated age-related alterations in gut microbiota, and affected the expression of genes related to energy metabolism in spleen. CONCLUSION: Moxibustion ameliorated age-related alterations in neurobehavior and gut microbiota in middle-aged mice.

3D Printed Skin-Interfaced UV-Visible Hybrid Photodetectors.

Photodetectors that are intimately interfaced with human skin and measure real-time optical irradiance are appealing in the medical profiling of photosensitive diseases. Developing compliant devices for this purpose requires the fabrication of photodetectors with ultraviolet (UV)-enhanced broadband photoresponse and high mechanical flexibility, to ensure precise irradiance measurements across the spectral band critical to dermatological health when directly applied onto curved skin surfaces. Here, a fully 3D printed flexible UV-visible photodetector array is reported that incorporates a hybrid organic-inorganic material system and is integrated with a custom-built portable console to continuously monitor broadband irradiance in-situ. The active materials are formulated by doping polymeric photoactive materials with zinc oxide nanoparticles in order to improve the UV photoresponse and trigger a photomultiplication (PM) effect. The ability of a stand-alone skin-interfaced light intensity monitoring system to detect natural irradiance within the wavelength range of 310-650 nm for nearly 24 h is demonstrated.

Elevated serum cholesterol levels are associated with proteinuria over 0.5 g/day in premenopausal women with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) commonly occurs in premenopausal women and is associated with elevated estrogen levels. Patients with SLE may have abnormal serum triglyceride (TG) levels, and lipid reportedly promotes kidney damage in patients with nephrosis. Since estrogen regulates lipid levels, we investigated the serum lipid levels of premenopausal women with SLE and their relationship with proteinuria. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 123 premenopausal women with SLE (SLE group), who were classified into 24-h urine protein exceeding 0.5 g (24 h-UPRO > 0.5 g, n = 22) and 24 h-UPRO ≤ 0.5 g (n = 101) subgroups, and 100 similarly aged healthy women (control group). Clinical characteristics and biomarker levels were compared between these groups. The associated factors of proteinuria over 0.5 g/day were evaluated using multivariate logistic regression. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to assess the cholesterol (CH) cut-off associated with increased development of proteinuria over 0.5 g/day. Results: The SLE group had significantly higher serum TG levels than that of control group. 24 h-UPRO were significantly correlated with serum creatinine, CH, TG, and uric acid levels. Serum CH level was the greatest associated factor for proteinuria over 0.5 g/day. The area under the ROC curve was 0.843, with a CH cut-off of 4.58 mmol/L. Patients with serum CH above 4.58 mmol/L had a higher proportion of type IV LN, but with no statistical difference. Conclusions: In premenopausal SLE patients, serum TG levels were higher than in healthy women, and serum CH levels were the primary associated factor for proteinuria over 0.5 g/day. Proteinura over 0.5 g/day may occur in women with SLE with serum CH levels >4.58 mmol/L. CH levels may be useful for predicting proteinuria.

A Taper-in-Taper Structured Interferometric Optical Fiber Sensor for Cu2+ ion Detection.

Copper ion is closely associated with the ecosystem and human health, and even a little excessive dose in drinking water may result in a range of health problems. However, it remains challenging to produce a highly sensitive, reliable, cost-effective and electromagnetic-interference interference-immune device to detect Cu2+ ion in drinking water. In this paper, a taper-in-taper fiber sensor was fabricated with high sensitivity by mode-mode interference and deposited polyelectrolyte layers for Cu2+ detection. We propose a new structure which forms a secondary taper in the middle of the single-mode fiber through two-arc discharge. Experimental results show that the newly developed fiber sensor possesses a sensitivity of 2741 nm/RIU in refractive index (RI), exhibits 3.7 times sensitivity enhancement when compared with traditional tapered fiber sensors. To apply this sensor in copper ions detection, the results present that when the concentration of Cu2+ is 0-0.1 mM, the sensitivity could reach 78.03 nm/mM. The taper-in-taper fiber sensor exhibits high sensitivity with good stability and mechanical strength which has great potential to be applied in the detection of low Cu2+ ions in some specific environments such as drinking water.

3D-printed flexible organic light-emitting diode displays.

The ability to fully 3D-print active electronic and optoelectronic devices will enable unique device form factors via strategies untethered from conventional microfabrication facilities. Currently, the performance of 3D-printed optoelectronics can suffer from nonuniformities in the solution-deposited active layers and unstable polymer-metal junctions. Here, we demonstrate a multimodal printing methodology that results in fully 3D-printed flexible organic light-emitting diode displays. The electrodes, interconnects, insulation, and encapsulation are all extrusion-printed, while the active layers are spray-printed. Spray printing leads to improved layer uniformity via suppression of directional mass transport in the printed droplets. By exploiting the viscoelastic oxide surface of the printed cathode droplets, a mechanical reconfiguration process is achieved to increase the contact area of the polymer-metal junctions. The uniform cathode array is intimately interfaced with the top interconnects. This hybrid approach creates a fully 3D-printed flexible 8 × 8 display with all pixels turning on successfully.

Effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation on bone metabolism in patients with immobilisation after foot and ankle fracture surgery: a randomised controlled trial study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Fracture is a disease with a high incidence worldwide. Foot and ankle fractures are common among fractures of the lower extremities. Foot and ankle fractures usually require surgical fixation and a period of fixed treatment, which can lead to decreased bone density. Although transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) is widely used for movement system diseases, there is minimal evidence to show the effectiveness of TEAS on patients after surgical fixation of ankle and foot fractures. This trial aims to evaluate whether TEAS can reduce bone loss in patients with immobilisation after ankle and foot fractures. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A randomised controlled trial will be conducted in which 60 patients will be randomly divided into two groups: (a) the control group will be treated according to the routine procedures of basic orthopaedics treatment; (b) in the treatment group, bilateral SP36, BL23 and ST36 will be performed on the basis of the control group, and the test will be performed for 30 min every other day for a total of 8 weeks. Bone turnover markers will be used as primary outcome. Secondary outcomes are composed of blood phosphorus, blood calcium and bone mineral density. Treatment safety will be monitored and recorded. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This trial is approved by the Ethics Committee of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (2020BZYLL0611) and the Ethics Committee of Beijing Luhe Hospital (2020-LHKY-055-02), and inpatients who meet the following diagnostic and inclusion criteria are eligible to participate in this study. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR 2000039944.

Oropharyngeal administration of colostrum for preventing necrotizing enterocolitis and late-onset sepsis in preterm infants with gestational age ≤ 32 weeks: a pilot single-center randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Oropharyngeal administration of colostrum (OAC) may provide immunoprotective and anti-inflammatory effects that potentially reduce the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and late-onset sepsis and improve short-term outcomes. Our objective was to evaluate the role of OAC in the early prevention of NEC and late-onset sepsis in preterm infants with gestational age (GA) ≤ 32 weeks. METHODS: A pilot, single-center, 1:1 parallel randomized controlled trial was conducted in a 40-bed tertiary neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in China from 1 January 2019 to 30 September 2020. Preterm infants were randomly divided into two groups with GA ≤ 32 weeks. The OAC group included preterm infants who received 0.4 ml of maternal colostrum via the oropharyngeal route every 3 h for 10 days beginning within the first 48 h after birth, and the control group included preterm infants who received normal saline instead. Data from the two groups were collected and compared. RESULTS: A total of 127 infants in the OAC group and 125 infants in the control group were enrolled. The incidence of NEC (Bell stage 2 or 3) and late-onset sepsis were lower in the OAC group [2.36% vs. 10.40%, relative risk (RR) 0.23 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.07, 0.78), adjusted RR 0.23 (95% CI 0.06, 0.84); 4.72% vs. 13.60%, RR 0.35 (95% CI 0.14, 0.85), adjusted RR 0.36 (95% CI 0.14, 0.95)]. In addition, the incidence of proven sepsis and intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) (stage 3 or 4) were lower in the OAC group [2.36% vs. 8.80%, RR 0.27 (95% CI 0.08, 0.94); 1.57% vs. 7.20%, RR 0.22 (95% CI 0.05, 0.99)], and the time to achieve full enteral feeding was shorter (23.13 ± 9.45 days vs. 28.50 ± 14.80 days). No adverse reactions were observed in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Oropharyngeal administration of colostrum is a safe and simple NICU procedure that may yield a potential effect in decreasing the incidences of NEC, late-onset sepsis, and severe IVH and shorten the time to achieve full enteral feeding in preterm infants with GA ≤ 32 weeks. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR1900023697 , Registered 8 June 2019, retrospectively registered.

[Early incision, decompression and screw fixation for the treatment of Lisfranc injuries with foot osteofascial compartment syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To explore clinical effect of early incision and decompression combined with screw fixation in treating Lisfranc injury and foot osteofascial compartment syndrome. METHODS: Clinical data of 5 patients with Lisfranc injury and foot osteofascial compartment syndrome were retrospective analysized from January 2017 to December 2018, including 4 males and 1 female, aged from 19 to 62 years old. All patients were suffered from closed injuries. The time from injury to treatment ranged from 1 to 14 h. According to Myerson classification, 1 patient was type A, 1 patient was type B, and 3 patients were type C. All patients were performed early incision decompression and screw fixation. Maryland foot functional scoring standard at 12 months after opertaion was used to evaluate clinical effect. RESULTS: All patients were followed up for 10 to 48 months. All fractures were achieved bone union, and healing time ranged from 3 to 9 months. All metatarsal and tarsal joints were reached to anatomical reduction. No infection, osteomyelitis, loosening or breaking of internal fixation occurred. Postopertaive Maryland foot function score at 12 months was from 44 to 97, and 2 patients got excellent result, 2 good, and 1 poor. CONCLUSION: Early incision and decompression with screw fixation for the treatment of Lisfranc injury and foot osteofascial compartment syndrome, which has advantages of simple opertaion, thoroughly decompression, screw fixation does not occupy space, stable decompression and fixation, and could receive satisfied clinical effect.

Low expression of estrogen receptor ß in renal tubular epithelial cells may cause hyperuricemia in premenopausal patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

We investigated the impact of estrogen receptor (ER) expression in renal tubular epithelial cells on serum uric acid (UA) levels in premenopausal patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Thirty patients underwent renal biopsy: 18 with SLE (LN group) and 12 with IgA nephritis (IgAN group). ERs (ERα and ERß) in renal tubular epithelial cells were measured using immunohistochemistry. The ER expression levels of the two groups were compared, and the relationship between the expression of ERs and serum UA levels was analyzed. Mean serum UA levels in the LN group were significantly higher than those of the IgA nephropathy group, while the mean creatinine levels and GFRs of the two groups were similar. Pathological changes in the LN group were significantly more severe than those in the IgAN group. ERß was expressed in renal tubular epithelial cells in both groups, but not in the glomeruli. ERß expression in the LN group was significantly lower than that in the IgAN group. ERß expression scores significantly negatively correlated with serum UA levels. These findings suggest that the expression of ERß in premenopausal female SLE patients may cause hyperuricemia, and may subsequently promote glomerular damage, suggesting that ERß may be involved in UA excretion.

Physical examination-indicated cerclage in twin pregnancy: a retrospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of physical examination-indicated cerclage in twin pregnancies and compare it with those that received conservative management. METHODS: We used a retrospective cohort study design of asymptomatic twin pregnancies identified with physical examination indications at 14-26 weeks from 2015 through 2019 at Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital. The primary outcomes were gestational age (GA) at delivery and the incidence of spontaneous preterm birth (SPTB) at < 34 weeks, < 32 weeks, < 28 weeks, and < 24 weeks. The main secondary outcomes were latency period from diagnosis to delivery, composite neonatal adverse outcome and neonatal survival at discharge. RESULTS: Thirty-one women with twin pregnancies were managed with physical examination-indicated cerclage, and another 31 received expectant management. The demographic characteristics of the two groups were not significantly different. GA at delivery was significantly later in the cerclage group than in the controls: 32.53 ± 4.78 vs. 27.53 ± 4.15 weeks, with a mean difference of 5.00 weeks [95% confidence interval (CI), 2.73-7.28]. There were significant decreases in the incidence of spontaneous preterm birth (SPTB) at < 34 weeks, < 32 weeks, < 28 weeks, and < 24 weeks in the cerclage group. The interval from diagnosis to delivery was increased with cerclage by a mean difference of 4.37 weeks (95% CI, 1.96-7.06). Regarding neonatal outcome, the perinatal mortality rate in the cerclage group was significantly reduced compared to that in the control group [8/62 (12.9%) vs. 26/62 (41.9%); P < 0001]. Likewise, the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions, length of stay in the NICU, and composite adverse neonatal outcome in the cerclage group were significantly reduced. CONCLUSION: Physical examination-indicated cerclage was associated with significantly later GA at delivery, longer latency period from diagnosis to delivery, decreased incidence of SPTB at any given GA, and improved perinatal outcome compared with the corresponding measures in controls treated conservatively.

Application of a surgical nursing cooperation program in laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the value of programmed surgical nursing in laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) and summarize the experience. METHODS: The clinical data of 80 patients who received LPD in Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital from January 2017 to December 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. A total of 40 patients were treated with traditional surgical nursing as the control group in the earlier stage. Afterwards, another 40 cases in the experimental group were treated using the surgical nursing program. Operation time, blood loss, and satisfaction of surgeons were analyzed. RESULTS: In all, 80 cases were successfully completed, and no significant difference was observed in the preoperative data statistics between these two groups (P>0.05). Compared with the control group, the average operation time and the average blood loss of the experimental group were significantly reduced (288.9±11.14 vs. 364.5±10.84 min, P<0.05; 135.3±20.12 vs. 364.8±77.39 mL, P<0.05), and the satisfaction of surgeons was significantly higher (95% vs. 80%, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Skilled execution of nursing cooperation is crucial in LPD. Through appropriate preoperative preparation, gaining mastery operation steps, remaining in sync with surgeons, and perfecting the management details, the surgical nursing cooperation program can improve the satisfaction of the surgeons and make operations more efficient.

Wearable Physiological Monitoring System Based on Electrocardiography and Electromyography for Upper Limb Rehabilitation Training.

Secondary injuries are common during upper limb rehabilitation training because of uncontrollable physical force and overexciting activities, and long-time training may cause fatigue and reduce the training effect. This study proposes a wearable monitoring device for upper limb rehabilitation by integrating electrocardiogram and electromyogram (ECG/EMG) sensors and using data acquisition boards to obtain accurate signals during robotic glove assisting training. The collected ECG/EMG signals were filtered, amplified, digitized, and then transmitted to a remote receiver (smart phone or laptop) via a low-energy Bluetooth module. A software platform was developed for data analysis to visualize ECG/EMG information, and integrated into the robotic glove control module. In the training progress, various hand activities (i.e., hand closing, forearm pronation, finger flexion, and wrist extension) were monitored by the EMG sensor, and the changes in the physiological status of people (from excited to fatigue) were monitored by the ECG sensor. The functionality and feasibility of the developed physiological monitoring system was demonstrated by the assisting robotic glove with an adaptive strategy for upper limb rehabilitation training improvement. The feasible results provided a novel technique to monitor individual ECG and EMG information holistically and practically, and a technical reference to improve upper limb rehabilitation according to specific treatment conditions and the users' demands. On the basis of this wearable monitoring system prototype for upper limb rehabilitation, many ECG-/EMG-based mobile healthcare applications could be built avoiding some complicated implementation issues such as sensors management and feature extraction.

Ultracompact optical fiber acoustic sensors based on a fiber-top spirally-suspended optomechanical microresonator.

Acoustic wave sensors with a high sensitivity and small size are highly desired for a wide variety of important and emerging applications such as photoacoustic gas sensing and bio-imaging. Here we present an ultracompact optical fiber acoustic sensor based on an optomechanical resonator that is directly in situ printed on the end face of a standard single-mode optical fiber by using an optical 3D µ-printing technology. The fiber-top optomechanical microresonator is composed of a microscale suspended polymer micro-disk that forms a Fabry-Perot interferometric cavity, together with the optical fiber end face, and acts as the acoustic wave-sensitive micromechanical resonator simultaneously. The microbeams for suspending the micro-disk are devised with a spiral structure to overcome the small-size imposed low deflection amplitude so as to improve its sensitivity to acoustic waves. The sensor with a high sensitivity of 118.3 mV/Pa and low noise equivalent acoustic signal level of 0.328µPa/Hz1/2 at audio frequency is experimentally demonstrated. Moreover, with a resonance amplification mechanism, the sensitivity can be enhanced by 40.1 times when the frequency of the acoustic wave matches with the natural resonance frequency of the optomechanical resonator. Such an ultrasmall fiber-tip acoustic sensor has not only a miniaturization-induced broad bandwidth, but also a structure-enhanced ultrahigh sensitivity and thus is very promising in various acoustic wave-based sensing, imaging, and testing applications.

Ultrasensitive optofluidic enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay by on-chip integrated polymer whispering-gallery-mode microlaser sensors.

Optical whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) microcavities offer great promise in ultrasensitive biosensors because of their unique ability to enable resonant recirculation of light to achieve strong light-matter interactions in microscale volumes. However, it remains a challenge to develop cost-effective, high-performance WGM microcavity-based biosensing devices for practical disease diagnosis applications. In this paper, we present an optofluidic chip that is integrated with directly-printed, high-quality-factor (Q) polymer WGM microlaser sensors for ultrasensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Optical 3D µ-printing technology based on maskless ultraviolet lithography is developed to rapidly fabricate high-Q suspended-disk WGM microcavities. After deposition with a thin layer of optical gain material, low-threshold WGM microlasers are fabricated and then integrated together with optical fibres upon a microfluidic chip to achieve an optofluidic device. With flexible microfluidic technology, on-chip, integrated, WGM microlasers are further modified in situ with biomolecules on surface for highly selective biomarker detection. It is demonstrated that such an optofluidic biochip can measure horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-streptavidin, which is a widely used catalytic molecule in ELISA, via chromogenic reaction at the concentration level of 0.3 ng mL-1. Moreover, it enables on-chip optofluidic ELISA of the disease biomarker vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) at the extremely low concentration level of 17.8 fg mL-1, which is over 2 orders of magnitude better than the ability of current commercial ELISA kits.

The incidence, risk factors, and long-term outcomes of acute kidney injury in hospitalized diabetic ketoacidosis patients.

BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence has demonstrated that acute kidney injury (AKI) is an important risk factor associated with increased morbidity and mortality in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) patients. The current study aimed to investigate the incidence rate, risk factors, long-term renal outcomes, and mortality in DKA patients with AKI. METHODS: A total of 179 patients diagnosed with DKA at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital from January 2012 to January 2018 were included in the analysis. AKI was diagnosed according to the 2012 KDIGO criteria. Risk factors, long-term renal outcomes, and mortality were analyzed by logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: Among 179 DKA patients, 98 patients (54.75%) were diagnosed as AKI. Aging; increased blood glucose, serum uric acid and white blood cells; decreased serum pH and albumin; coma; and preexisting chronic kidney disease (CKD) were risk factors of AKI in patients with DKA. During follow-up, DKA patients with AKI showed more than a two-fold decline in eGFR within 1 year after discharge from the hospital when compared with non-AKI DKA patients. Furthermore, AKI was also an independent risk factor for poor long-term renal outcomes and mortality in DKA patients. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple risk factors contribute to the development of AKI in DKA patients. AKI and advanced AKI stage are associated with rapid progressive CKD and long-term mortality in patients with DKA.

Multifunctional Textile Platform for Fiber Optic Wearable Temperature-Monitoring Application.

Wearable sensing technologies have been developed rapidly in the last decades for physiological and biomechanical signal monitoring. Much attention has been paid to functions of wearable applications, but comfort parameters have been overlooked. This research presents a developed fabric temperature sensor by adopting fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors and processing via a textile platform. This FBG-based quasi-distributed sensing system demonstrated a sensitivity of 10.61 ± 0.08 pm/°C with high stability in various temperature environments. No obvious wavelength shift occurred under the curvatures varying from 0 to 50.48 m-1 and in different integration methods with textiles. The temperature distribution monitored by the developed textile sensor in a complex environment with multiple heat sources was deduced using MATLAB to present a real-time dynamic temperature distribution in the wearing environment. This novel fabric temperature sensor shows high sensitivity, stability, and usability with comfort textile properties that are of great potential in wearable applications.

Wearable Fiber Optic Technology Based on Smart Textile: A Review.

Emerging smart textiles have enriched a variety of wearable technologies, including fiber optic technology. Optic fibers are widely applied in communication, sensing, and healthcare, and smart textiles enable fiber optic technology to be worn close to soft and curved human body parts for personalized functions. This review briefly introduces wearable fiber optic applications with various functions, including fashion and esthetics, vital signal monitoring, and disease treatment. The main working principles of side emission, wavelength modulation, and intensity modulation are summarized. In addition, textile fabrication techniques, including weaving and knitting, are discussed and illustrated as combination methods of embedding fiber optic technology into textile fabric. In conclusion, the combination of optical fibers and textiles has drawn considerable interest and developed rapidly. This work provides an overview of textile-based wearable fiber optic technology and discusses potential textile fabrication techniques for further improvement of wearable fiber optic applications.

CD8+CD103+ iTregs Inhibit Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease with Lupus Nephritis by the Increased Expression of CD39.

Many patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have lupus nephritis, one of the severe complications of SLE. We previously reported that CD8+CD103+ T regulatory cells induced ex vivo with transforming growth factor ß (TGF-ß) (iTregs) inhibited immune cells responses to ameliorate excessive autoimmune inflammation. However, the molecular mechanism(s) underlying the role of these CD8+ iTregs is still unclear. Here we identified that CD39, which is highly expressed on CD8+ iTregs, crucially contributes to the immunosuppressive role of the CD8+CD103+ iTregs. We showed that adoptive transfer of CD8+CD103+ iTregs significantly relieves the chronic graft-versus-host disease with lupus nephritis and CD39 inhibitor mostly abolished the functional activities of these CD8+ iTregs in vitro and in vivo. CD39+ cells sorted from CD8+CD103+ iTregs were more effective in treating lupus nephritis than CD39- partner cells in vivo. Furthermore, human CD8+ iTregs displayed increased CD103 and CD39 expressions, and CD39 was involved in the suppressive function of human CD8+ iTregs. Thus, our data implicated a crucial role of CD39 in CD8+CD103+ iTregs in treating lupus nephritis, and CD39 could be a new phenotypic biomarker for the identification of highly qualified CD8+ Tregs. This subpopulation may have therapeutic potential in patients with SLE nephritis and other autoimmune diseases.