Reversible Gas Sensing by Ferroelectric Switch and 2D Molecule Multiferroics in In2Se3 Monolayer

Two-dimensional ferroelectrics are important quantum materials which have found novel application in nonvolatile memories, however, the effects of reversible polarization on chemical reactions and interaction with environments are rarely studied despite of its importance. Here, based on the first-principles calculations, we found distinct gas adsorption behaviors on the surfaces of ferroelectric In2Se3 layer and the reversible gas caption and release controlled by ferroelectric switch. We rationalize the novel phenomena to the synergistic effect of the different electrostatic potential and electron transfer induced by band alignments between frontier molecular orbitals of gas and band edge states of substrate. Excitingly, the adsorption of paramagnetic gas molecules such as NO and NO2 can induce surface magnetism, which is also sensitive to ferroelectric polarization direction of In2Se3, indicating the application of In2Se3 as threshold magnetic sensors or switcher. Furthermore, it is suggested two NO molecules prefer to ferromagnetically couple with each other, the Curie temperature is polarization dependent which can reach up to 50K, leading to the long-sought 2D molecule multiferroics. The ferroelectric controllable adsorption behavior and molecule multiferroic feature will find extensive application in gas caption, selective catalytic reduction and spintronic device

Effect of low intensity pulsed ultrasound on repairing the periodontal bone of Beagle canines

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate the repairing effect of low intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) on the Beagle canines periodontal bone defect.MethodsA total of 12 Beagle dogs with periodontal bone defect model were randomly divided into control group, LIPUS group, guided tissue regeneration (GTR) group and LIPUS+GTR group, with three in each. After completion of the models, no other proceeding was performed in control group; LIPUS group adopt direct exposure to radiation line LIPUS processing 1 week after modeling; GTR group adopted treatment with GTR, following the CTR standard operation reference; LIPUS+GTR group was treated with LIPUS joint GTR. Temperature change before treatment and histopathological change of periodontal tissue after repair was observed.ResultsThere was no significant difference in temperature changes of periodontal tissue between groups (P>0.05). The amount and maturity of LIPUS+GTR group were superior to other groups; new cementum, dental periodontal bones of GTR group were superior to the control group but less than LIPUS group; new collagen and maturity of the control group is not high relatively.ConclusionsLIPUS can accelerate the calcium salt deposition and new bone maturation, thus it can serve as promoting periodontal tissue repair, and shortening the periodontal tissue repair time

Ultrasound-Triggered Regulation of Blood Glucose Levels Using Injectable Nano-Network

The integration of an injectable insulin-encapsulated nano-network with a focused ultrasound system (FUS) can remotely regulate insulin release both in vitro and in vivo. A single subcutaneous injection of the nano-network with intermittent FUS administration facilitates reduction of the blood glucose levels in type 1 diabetic mice for up to 10 d

Incorporating productivity loss in health economic evaluations : a review of guidelines and practices worldwide for research agenda in China

Introduction: Productivity loss may contribute to a large proportion of costs of health conditions in an economic evaluation from a societal perspective, but there is currently a lack of methodological consensus on how productivity loss should be measured and valued. Despite the research progress surrounding this issue in other countries, it has been rarely discussed in China. Methods: We reviewed the official guidelines on economic evaluations in different countries and regions and screened the literature to summarise the extent to which productivity loss was incorporated in economic evaluations and the underlying methodological challenges. Results: A total of 48 guidelines from 46 countries/regions were included. Although 32 (67%) guidelines recommend excluding productivity loss in the base case analysis, 23 (48%) guidelines recommend including productivity loss in the base case or additional analyses. Through a review of systematic reviews and the economic evaluation studies included in these reviews, we found that the average probability of incorporating productivity loss in an economic evaluation was 10.2%. Among the economic evaluations (n=478) that explicitly considered productivity loss, most (n=455) considered losses from paid work, while only a few studies (n=23) considered unpaid work losses. Recognising the existing methodological challenges and the specific context of China, we proposed a practical research agenda and a disease list for progress on this topic, including the development of the disease list comprehensively consisting of health conditions where the productivity loss should be incorporated into economic evaluations. Conclusion: An increasing number of guidelines recommend the inclusion of productivity loss in the base case or additional analyses of economic evaluation. We optimistically expect that more Chinese researchers notice the importance of incorporating productivity loss in economic evaluations and anticipate guidelines that may be suitable for Chinese practitioners and decision-makers that facilitate the advancement of research on productivity loss measurement and valuation

A system-level mechanistic investigation of traditional Chinese medicine, Yinlai Decoction, for related diseases

Purpose: To systemically explore the pharmacological mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine, Yinlai Decoction (YD), used in the clinical management of pediatric diseases such as pneumonia and recurrent respiratory tract infections.Methods: An ingredient-target-disease database of YD was constructed using Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP). First, the molecular targets related to lung and stomach diseases were searched and screened to avoid duplication. Second, the associations between these molecular targets were evaluated via Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) and Gene Ontology (GO) and Pathway enrichment analysis in STRING.Results: A total of 627 chemical ingredients and 654 protein targets in YD were obtained. After further screening, 38 molecular targets linked to respiratory diseases, inflammatory responses and various infections were identified. Finally, 576 GO terms and 75 KEGG pathway terms were obtained by analyzing gene functional annotation clusters and abundance value of these targets. Most of these terms were closely related to the inflammatory response.Conclusion: Based on these in silico findings, the use of YD for treating respiratory diseases, inflammation and various infections, most probably via the suppression of inflammation, has been established. The approach adopted in this study can serve as a model methodology to develop an innovative TCM candidate drug at a network pharmacology level.Keywords: Yinlai Decoction, Network (System) pharmacology, Inflammation, Interacting genes/proteins, Gene ocntology, Pathway enrichment analysi

Experimental and numerical simulation studies of the squeezing dynamics of the UBVT system with a hole-plug device

In this paper, a method is proposed to secure an autonomous underwater blasting vibration test (UBVT) system with plugs to deep-water rock, and its specific configuration concept and plugging principle are illustrated. Using the principle of statics, a mathematical model is established for the squeezing force in the process of pressing the hole-plug device (HPD) into holes in rocks. The tension-compression test is conducted on the plugs in round granite holes to obtain the axial pressure-displacement curves of the pressing process with the HPD spring parameter K, friction coefficient μ between the HPD and the rock-wall, and the dynamic contact friction attributes between the metallic HPD and the rock-wall of hole in granite. The axial pressure with such parameters as K, μ, and the squeezing velocity v, among others, and the four steps of the pressing process are numerically simulated. The relations of the characteristic squeezing force with K, μ, and v, as well as the mechanisms of these parameters that influence HPD usage and the sensitivity coefficient, are revealed. The findings of the present study provide references for setting the HPD configuration parameters and for formulating plug-specific construction methods

Factors influencing cognitive function in patients with Huntington's disease from China: A cross-sectional clinical study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by CAG repeats expansion. Cognitive decline contributes to the loss of daily activity in manifest HD. We aimed to examine the cognition status in a Chinese HD cohort and explore factors influencing the diverse cognitive domains. METHODS A total of 205 participants were recruited in the study with the assessment by neuropsychological batteries, including the mini-mental state examination (MMSE), Stroop test, symbol digit modalities test (SDMT), trail making test (TMT), verbal fluency test (VFT), and Hopkins verbal learning test-revised, as well as motor and psychiatric assessment. Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression models were applied to investigate the correlation. RESULTS Only 41.46% of patients had normal global function first come to our center. There was a significantly difference in MMSE, Stroop test, SDMT, TMT, and VFT across each stage of HD patients (p < .05). Apathy of PBA-s was correlated to MMSE, animal VFT and Stroop-interference tests performance. Severity of motor symptoms, functional capacity, age, and age of motor symptom onset were correlated to all neuropsychological scores, whereas education attainment and diagnostic delay were correlated to most neuropsychological scores except TMT. Severity of motor symptoms, functional capacity, and education attainment showed independent predicting effect (p < .05) in diverse cognitive domains. CONCLUSION Cognitive impairment was very common in Chinese HD patients at the first visit and worse in the patients in advanced phase. The severity of motor symptoms and functional capacity were correlated to the diverse cognitive domains

P16 Methylation as an Early Predictor for Cancer Development From Oral Epithelial Dysplasia: A Double-blind Multicentre Prospective Study

AbstractBackgroundSilencing of P16 through methylation and locus deletion is the most frequent early events in carcinogenesis. The aim of this study is to prospectively determine if early P16 methylation is a predictor for oral cancer development.MethodsPatients (n=181) with mild or moderate oral epithelial dysplasia (OED) were recruited into the double blind multicentre cohort. P16 methylation was analyzed using the MethyLight assay. Progression of OEDs was monitored for a minimum 3year follow-up period.FindingsP16 methylation-informative cases (n=152) were enrolled in the prospective multicenter cohorts with an ultimate compliance of 96.7%. OED-derived squamous cell carcinomas were observed in 21 patients (14.3%) during the follow-up (median, 41.0months). The cancer progression rate from the P16 methylation-positive patients was significantly increased when compared to P16 methylation-negative patients [27.1% vs 8.1%; adjusted odds ratio=4.6; P=0.006]. When the P16 methylation-positive criteria were used as a biomarker for early prediction of cancer development from OEDs, sensitivity and specificity of 62% and 76% were obtained, respectively.InterpretationP16 methylation is unequivocally a marker for determining the malignant potential of OED and there is no need for further research regarding this aspect.FundingNational Basic Research Programs of China (2011CB504201 and 2015CB553902), Beijing Science and Technology Commission (Z090507017709016), and Beijing Municipal Administration of Hospital (XM201303) to Dajun Deng. The funding agencies have no role in the actual experimental design, patient recruitment, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or writing of this manuscript

Tag SNP Polymorphism of CCL2 and Its Role in Clinical Tuberculosis in Han Chinese Pediatric Population

BACKGROUND: Chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 CCL2/MCP-1 is among the key signaling molecules of innate immunity; in particular, it is involved in recruitment of mononuclear and other cells in response to infection, including tuberculosis (TB) and is essential for granuloma formation. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We identified a tag SNP for the CCL2/MCP-1 gene (rs4586 C/T). In order to understand whether this SNP may serve to evaluate the contribution of the CCL2 gene to the expression of TB disease, we further analysed distribution of its alleles and genotypes in 301 TB cases versus 338 non-infected controls (all BCG vaccinated) representing a high-risk pediatric population of North China. In the male TB subgroup, the C allele was identified in a higher rate (P = 0.045), and, acting dominantly, was found to be a risk factor for clinical TB (P = 0.029). Homozygous TT genotype was significantly associated with lower CSF mononuclear leukocyte (ML) counts in patients with tuberculous meningitis (TBM) (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The present study found an association of the CCL2 tag SNP rs4586 C allele and pediatric TB disease in males, suggesting that gender may affect the susceptibility to TB even in children. The association of homozygous TT genotype with decreased CSF mononuclear leukocyte (ML) count not only suggests a clinical significance of this SNP, but indicates its potential to assist in the clinical assessment of suspected TBM, where delay is critical and diagnosis is difficult