Questionnaire of trialists' perceptions in COS

This questionnaire will be used in an online survey for the perceptions of trialists in core outcome set. There are three versions: 1) clinical trialists who report a full COS in their clinical trials; 2) clinical trialists who report only a few of outcomes in the COS;3) clinical trialists who do not report any outcome in the COS. Researchers can revise it based on their own research

Defect-Induced Tunable Permittivity of Epsilon-Near-Zero in Indium Tin Oxide Thin Films

Defect-induced tunable permittivity of Epsilon-Near-Zero (ENZ) in indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films via annealing at different temperatures with mixed gases (98% Ar, 2% O2) was reported. Red-shift of λENZ (Epsilon-Near-Zero wavelength) from 1422 nm to 1995 nm in wavelength was observed. The modulation of permittivity is dominated by the transformation of plasma oscillation frequency and carrier concentration depending on Drude model, which was produced by the formation of structural defects and the reduction of oxygen vacancy defects during annealing. The evolution of defects can be inferred by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Raman spectroscopy. The optical bandgaps (Eg) were investigated to explain the existence of defect states. And the formation of structure defects and the electric field enhancement were further verified by finite-difference time domain (FDTD) simulation

Development of a core outcome set (COS) and selecting outcome measurement instruments (OMIs) for non-valvular atrial fibrillation in traditional Chinese medicine clinical trials: study protocol

Abstract Background An increasing number of clinical trials of traditional Chinese medicine are being conducted in the treatment of non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) in China. However, the heterogeneity of outcomes and outcome measurement instruments has produced little evidence for traditional Chinese medicine in treating NVAF because many trials cannot be included in a meta-analysis. The majority of the trials did not report endpoint outcomes, side effects or other important outcomes for patients, which makes it difficult to evaluate the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine. Therefore, it is important to develop a core outcome set (COS). Although there are two related COSs for clinical trials of atrial fibrillation, the methodology is limited, and the perspectives of Chinese experts and patients are unclear. Therefore, we will develop a COS and recommend outcome measurement instruments after finishing the COS, which can be used for clinical trials of traditional Chinese medicine in NVAF. Methods/design The method of the study will include eight stages led by a national multidisciplinary Steering Committee: (1) A systematic review will be developed to identify currently reported outcomes and traditional Chinese medicine syndromes in clinical trials of NVAF, (2) Semi-structured interviews of patients will be conducted to fill gaps in potential outcomes, (3) Traditional Chinese medicine syndrome names will be identified from medical records, (4) A dataset of traditional Chinese medicine syndrome names will be developed, (5) The investigation of traditional Chinese medicine syndromes will be conducted from cross-sectional study, (6) Two rounds of Delphi surveys will be carried out, (7) A consensus meeting will be conducted to develop a COS, and (8) Recommendations of outcome measurement instruments (OMIs), which should be used in the COS, will be developed. Discussion The COS will improve the consistency of outcome reporting and reduce the reporting bias in NVAF clinical trials of traditional Chinese medicine to improve the value of traditional Chinese medicine clinical trials. Trial registration This study is not a clinical trial, so it is registered in Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials Initiative (COMET). Registration number: 941. Registered on 22 December 2016

Smartphone-Based Photoelectrochemical Immunoassay with Co9S8@ZnIn2S4 for Point-of-Care Diagnosis of Breast Cancer Biomarker

Photoelectrochemical immunoassays incorporating specific antigen-antibody recognition reactions with the photon-electron conversion capabilities of photocatalysts have been developed for biomarker detection, but most involve bulky and expensive equipment and are unsuitable for point-of-care testing. Herein, a portable smartphone-based photoelectrochemical immunoassay was innovatively designed for the on-site detection of breast cancer biomarkers (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2; HER2). The system consists of a split-type immunoassay mode, disposable screen-printed electrode covered with hierarchical Co9S8@ZnIn2S4 heterostructures, an integrated circuit board, and a Bluetooth smartphone equipped with a specially designed app. Using alkaline phosphatase (ALP) catalytic strategy to in situ generate ascorbic acid (AA) for electron-donating toward Co9S8@ZnIn2S4 heterostructures, an immunoreaction was successfully constructed for the HER2 detection in the real sample due to the positive correlation of the photocurrent signal to electron donor concentration. Differential charge density indicates that the formation of Co9S8@ZnIn2S4 heterojunction can facilitate the flow of charges in the interface and enhance the photocurrent of the composite. More importantly, the measured photocurrent signal can be wirelessly transmitted to the software and displayed on the smartphone screen to obtain the corresponding HER2 concentration value. The photocurrent values linearly with the logarithm of HER2 concentrations range spanned from 0.01 ng/mL to 10 ng/mL with a detection limit of 3.5 pg/mL. Impressively, the clinical serum specimen results obtained by the proposed method and the wireless sensing device are in good agreement with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)

Uptake of core outcome sets by clinical trialists in China: a protocol

BackgroundThe concept of core outcome sets (COS) has been introduced in China for about 10 years. In recent years, some Chinese researchers also committed to developing COS, though the majority of COS are ongoing. However, there were more than 500 published COS for research in the COMET database by 2020. The extent of availability of COS for the top 25 diseases with the highest burden in China is unknown. In addition, the uptake of COS in clinical trials for these diseases is unknown, along with the knowledge, perceptions, and views of the clinical trialist community in China on the use of COS in relation to choosing outcomes for their research.MethodsThe main burden of disease in China will be identified. Then we will search the COMET database to identify if there are ongoing or completed relevant COS research A COS published since 2012 would be preferred to one published before 2012 for the analysis of COS uptake if one meets the eligibility criteria. We will extract scopes of published eligible COS, including condition, population, interventions, and core outcomes. Then we will search the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry using disease names for each disease that has a published COS. We will assess the overlap in scope between clinical trials and COS. Then we will conduct an online survey and semi-structured interviews to identify the knowledge and perceptions of COS among primary investigators of included clinical trials.DiscussionThis research will fill in gaps between COS and the burden of disease in China. Understanding clinical trialists’knowledge and perceptions of COS may help dissemination and application of COS in the future

Regional aerosol forecasts based on deep learning and numerical weather prediction

Abstract Atmospheric chemistry transport models have been extensively applied in aerosol forecasts over recent decades, whereas they are facing challenges from uncertainties in emission rates, meteorological data, and over-simplified chemical parameterizations. Here, we developed a spatial-temporal deep learning framework, named PPN (Pollution-Predicting Net for PM2.5), to accurately and efficiently predict regional PM2.5 concentrations. It has an encoder-decoder architecture and combines the preceding PM2.5 observations and numerical weather prediction. Besides, the model proposes a weighted loss function to promote the forecasting performance in extreme events. We applied the proposed model to forecast 3-day PM2.5 concentrations over the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in China on a three-hour-by-three-hour basis. Overall, the model showed good performance with R 2 and RMSE values of 0.7 and 17.7 μg m−3, respectively. It could capture the high PM2.5 concentration in the south and relatively low concentration in the north and exhibit better performance within the next 24 h. The use of the weighted loss function decreased the level of “high values underestimation, low values overestimation”, while incorporating the preceding PM2.5 observations into the encoder phase improved the predictive accuracy within 24 h. We also compared the model result with that from a state-of-the-art numerical model (WRF-Chem with pollutant data assimilation). The temporal R 2 and RMSE from the WRF-Chem were 0.30−0.77 and 19−45 μg m−3 while those from the PPN model were 0.42−0.84 and 15−42 μg m−3. The proposed model shows powerful capacity in aerosol forecasts and provides an efficient and accurate tool for early warning and management of regional pollution events

CLC-3 regulates TGF-β/smad signaling pathway to inhibit the process of fibrosis in hypertrophic scar

Objective: To study the role and mechanism of chloride channel-3 (ClC-3) in the formation of hypertrophic scar by constructing ClC-3 interference vectors and examining their effects on human hypertrophic scar fibroblasts (HSFB). Methods: Human HSFB and human normal skin fibroblasts (NSFB) were used in this study, and ClC-3 interference vectors were constructed to transfect cells. ClC-3 inhibitors NPPB and Tamoxifen were used to treat cells. Cell migration and the expression of TGF-β/Smad, CollagenⅠ,CollagenⅢ were examined to explore the role of ClC-3 in the formation of hypertrophic scar. Results: Compared with the normal skin tissue, the positive expression of ClC-3 and TGF–β in the scar tissue was significantly increased. The relative expression of ClC-3 and TGF-β1 in HSFB cells was higher than that in NSFB cells. Interfering with the expression of CLC-3 can inhibit the migration of HSFB cells and the expression of TGF- β/Smad, CollagenⅠ/Ⅲ. The experiment of HSFB cells treated by CLC-3 inhibitors can also obtain similar results. Conclusion: Inhibiting CLC-3 can reduce the formation of hypertrophic scars

Protective effects of Liupao tea against high-fat diet/cold exposure-induced irritable bowel syndrome in rats

Liupao tea as a type of dark tea can relieve irritable bowel syndrome by regulating gut microbiota, but the mechanism has not been fully explained. An ultra-high performance liquid chromatography along with quadrupole time of flight tandem mass spectrometry was used to analyze the phytochemicals in Liupao tea. Then, we explored the effects of Liupao tea against IBS. From the results of chemical analysis, we identified catechins, polyphenols, amino acids, caffeine, polysaccharides and other components in Liupao tea. The open-field test, gastrointestinal function-related indexes, histochemical assays, measurements of cytokine and aquaporin 3 (AQP3), and determination of serum metabolites were utilized to monitor the physiological consequences of Liupao tea administration in rats with irritable bowel syndrome. The results showed that Liupao tea had a significant protective effect on irritable bowel syndrome. Liupao tea increased locomotive velocity while reducing interleukin-6, interleukin-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α levels, as well as gastrointestinal injury. Moreover, Liupao tea increased the AQP3 levels of renal tissues but reduced the AQP3 levels of gastrointestinal tissues. Liupao tea reduced the Firmicutes/Bacteroides ratio and significantly reconstructed the microbial pattern. Liupao tea relieved irritable bowel syndrome by repairing gastrointestinal dysfunction, regulating the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, modulating water metabolism, and restoring microbial homeostasis

Electroacupuncture Improves Cognitive Function in Senescence-Accelerated P8 (SAMP8) Mice via the NLRP3/Caspase-1 Pathway

Background. Clinically, electroacupuncture (EA) is the most common therapy for aging-related cognitive impairment (CI). However, the underlying pathomechanism remains unidentified. The aims of this study were to observe the effect of EA on cognitive function and explore the potential mechanism by which EA acts on the NLRP3/caspase-1 signaling pathway. Main Methods. Thirty male SAMP8 mice were randomly divided into the model, the 2 Hz EA and 10 Hz EA groups. Ten male SAMR1 mice were assigned to the control group. Cognitive function was assessed through the Morris water maze test. Hippocampal morphology and cell death were observed by HE and TUNEL staining, respectively. The serum IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, and TNF-α levels were measured by ELISA. Hippocampal NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, GSDM-D, IL-1β, IL-18, Aβ, and tau proteins were detected by Western blotting. Key Findings. Cognitive function, hippocampal morphology, and TUNEL-positive cell counts were improved by both EA frequencies. The serum IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, and TNF-α levels were decreased by EA treatment. However, 10 Hz EA reduced the number of TUNEL-positive cells in the CA1 region and serum IL-1β and IL-6 levels more effectively than 2 Hz EA. NLRP3/caspase-1 pathway-related proteins were significantly downregulated by EA, but 2 Hz EA did not effectively reduce ASC protein expression. Interestingly, both EA frequencies failed to reduce the expression of Aβ and tau proteins. Significance. The effects of 10 Hz EA at the GV20 and ST36 acupoints on the NLRP3/caspase-1 signaling pathway may be a mechanism by which this treatment relieves aging-related CI in mice