The Influence of Bifidobacterium bifidum and Bacteroides fragilis on Enteric Glial Cell-Derived Neurotrophic Factors and Inflammasome.

Enteric glial cells (EGCs) and enteric glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) are directly involved in intestinal inflammation. In this study, we sought to examine the possible mechanisms for how Bifidobacterium bifidum (B.b.

FecalNet: Automated detection of visible components in human feces using deep learning.

Purpose: To automate the detection and identification of visible components in feces for early diagnosis of gastrointestinal diseases, we propose FecalNet, a method using multiple deep neural networks.

Methods: FecalNet uses the ResNet152 residual network to extract and learn the characteristics of visible components in fecal microscopic images, acquire feature maps in combination with the feature pyramid network, apply the full convolutional network to classify and locate the fecal components, and implement the improved focal loss function to reoptimize the classification results. This allowed the complete automation of the detection and identification of the visible components in feces.

Diagnostic efficacy of three suction techniques for endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle biopsy of solid pancreatic lesions: protocol for a multicenter randomized cross-over clinical trial.

Background: How suction technique affects endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition (EUS-TA) remains unclear. A standardized protocol is currently lacking, with most previous studies being restricted to EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA). The research related to EUS-guided fine-needle biopsy (EUS-FNB) is sparse.

Polarization-independent toroidal dipole resonances driven by symmetry-protected BIC in ultraviolet region.

Optical resonances have gained great attention in nanophotonics attributing to their large enhancement of local field. In this work, we investigate polarization-independent toroidal dipole responses governed by bound state in the continuum (BIC) in the ultraviolet region. By introducing symmetry breaking, an asymmetric dielectric nanohole array is employed to excite two symmetry-protected BICs.

Maternal endothelial function, circulating endothelial cells, and endothelial progenitor cells in pregnancies conceived with or without in vitro fertilization.

In women who conceived with or without assisted reproduction, we evaluated endothelial function by EndoPAT [reactive hyperemia index (RHI)], circulating numbers of endothelial cells (CEC) and endothelial progenitor cells (EPC), and their function before during and after pregnancy. In vitro fertilization (IVF) pregnancies were stratified by method of conception and corpus luteum (CL) number-controlled ovarian stimulation (>1 CL) or programmed (0 CL) cycles and spontaneous singleton pregnancies (1 CL). We observed ) comparable gestational decline of RHI in the three participant groups secondary to gestational rise of baseline preocclusion pulse-wave amplitude (PWA) incorporated into the RHI calculation by EndoPAT software; ) progressive rise in "normalized" RHI throughout pregnancy (calculated by substituting prepregnancy baseline preocclusion PWA into the RHI equation), greater in spontaneous conception vs.

Optical radiation manipulation of Si-GeSbTe hybrid metasurfaces.

Active optical metadevices have attracted growing interest for the use in nanophotonics owing to their flexible control of optics. In this work, by introducing the phase-changing material GeSbTe (GST), which exhibits remarkably different optical properties in different crystalline states, we investigate the active optical radiation manipulation of a resonant silicon metasurface. A designed double-nanodisk array supports a strong toroidal dipole excitation and an obvious electric dipole response.

Hybrid plasmonic grating slot waveguide with high field enhancement for an on-chip surface-enhanced Raman scattering sensor.

We design and theoretically investigate a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensor based on the hybrid plasmonic grating slot waveguide. The sensor is formed by combining a dielectric deep slot waveguide and a metallic grating slot waveguide. The proposed sensor exhibits a high field enhancement with a maximum enhancement factor of 7580.

Using Mobile Health Tools to Engage Rural Underserved Individuals in a Diabetes Education Program in South Texas: Feasibility Study.

Background: Access to diabetes education and resources for diabetes self-management is limited in rural communities, despite higher rates of diabetes in rural populations compared with urban populations. Technology and mobile health (mHealth) interventions can reduce barriers and improve access to diabetes education in rural communities. Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) and financial incentives can be used with mHealth interventions to increase the uptake of diabetes education; however, studies have not examined their combined use for diabetes self-management in rural settings.

A 90 day oral toxicity study of blueberry polyphenols in ovariectomized sprague-dawley rats.

Regular consumption of polyphenol-rich fruits and vegetables is associated with beneficial health outcomes. To increase polyphenol intakes, consumers are increasingly using herbal and botanical dietary supplements containing concentrated polyphenol extracts. However, the safety of this consumption modality has not been vetted.

Inspection of visible components in urine based on deep learning.

Purpose: Urinary particles are particularly important parameters in clinical urinalysis, especially for the diagnosis of nephropathy. Therefore, it is highly important to precisely detect urinary particles in the clinical setting. However, artificial microscopy is subjective and time consuming, and various previous detection algorithms lack the adequate accuracy.

Ultrawide temperature range operation of SPR sensor utilizing a depressed double cladding fiber coated with Au-Polydimethylsiloxane.

A surface plasmon resonance (SPR) temperature sensor on the basis of depressed double cladding fiber (DDCF) is theoretically proposed and experimentally demonstrated for the first time. Simulation analysis implies that the SPR fiber optic structure consisting of a multimode fiber (MMF) inserted into an 8 mm long DDCF is highly sensitive to the refractive index (RI) of the surrounding environment, owing to their mismatched cores, large discrepancy in cladding diameters, and the depressed inner cladding in DDCF. The experimental results further verify that the highest RI sensitivity is 7002 nm/RIU established with a 50nm Au coated DDCF-SPR sensor.

Assessment of the Nutrient Removal Potential of Floating Native and Exotic Aquatic Macrophytes Cultured in Swine Manure Wastewater.

Although eutrophication and biological invasion have caused serious harm to aquatic ecosystems, exotic and even invasive plants have been used extensively in phytoremediation water systems in China. To identify native aquatic plants with excellent water restoration potential, two representative native floating aquatic plants from Guangdong Province, namely (PL) and (PT), were selected, with as a control, to study their growth status, adaptability, and nutrient removal potentials in swine manure wastewater. The results demonstrated that the two native plants offered greater advantages than in water restoration.

A novel pancreatic rendezvous technique for cannulation of the minor papilla.

Endoscopic procedures for the main pancreatic duct (MPD) are usually performed via major papilla. Minor papilla may be a feasible approach in some cases which attempts of cannulation through major papilla was also failed. Herein, we report the case of a novel method for the minor papilla cannulation.

Arsenic Distribution, Accumulation and Tolerance Mechanisms of Typha angustifolia in Different Phenological Growth Stages.

Variations of phytoaccumulation and tolerance in different growth stages of plant are important factors for effective removal of pollutants in phytoremediation. The present work investigated arsenic (As) accumulation, As-tolerance and the physiological tolerance mechanisms of Typha angustifolia under different As-level during the seedling, fast-growing and breeding stages. The results showed that As mainly distributed in the underground part and total As accumulation increased with growth stages.

Mechanism and Kinetics of Lipid Bilayer Formation in Solid-State Nanopores.

Solid-state nanopores provide a highly versatile platform for rapid electrical detection and analysis of single molecules. Lipid bilayer coating of the nanopores can reduce nonspecific analyte adsorption to the nanopore sidewalls and increase the sensing selectivity by providing possibilities for tethering specific ligands in a cell-membrane mimicking environment. However, the mechanism and kinetics of lipid bilayer formation from vesicles remain unclear in the presence of nanopores.

Estimating Detection Limits of Potentiometric DNA Sensors Using Surface Plasmon Resonance Analyses.

As the signals of potentiometric-based DNA ion-selective field effect transistor (ISFET) sensors differ largely from report to report, a systematic revisit to this method is needed. Herein, the hybridization of the target and the probe DNA on the sensor surface and its dependence on the surface probe DNA coverage and the ionic strength were systematically investigated by surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The maximum potentiometric DNA hybridization signal that could be registered by an ISFET sensor was estimated based on the SPR measurements, without considering buffering effects from any side interaction on the sensing electrode.

Removal of Total Nitrogen and Phosphorus Using Single or Combinations of Aquatic Plants.

Phytoremediation is a potentially suitable technology for taking up large amounts of N and P during plant growth and the removal of plant material, thereby avoiding eutrophication. We compared the capacity of nine different aquatic plant species for removing total P (TP), total N (TN), and NH-N from raw domestic sewage wastewater collected from a living area located in Guangzhou city, China, and different concentrations of artificial wastewater. The experiments were performed in two stages, namely screening and modification.

Impact on Physical Fitness of the Chinese CHAMPS: A Clustered Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: School physical activity (PA) policy, physical education curriculum, teacher training, knowledge of physical fitness, and parental support are among the key issues underlying the declining trend of physical fitness in children and adolescents. The Chinese CHAMPS was a multi-faceted intervention program to maximize the opportunities for moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and increase physical fitness in middle school students. The purpose of the study was to test whether the levels of modification in school physical education policy and curriculum incrementally influenced the changes in cardiorespiratory fitness and other physical fitness outcomes.

All-fiber SERS sensing with a depressed double cladding fiber probe embedded in a microfluidic chip.

A fiber surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) probe based on the depressed double cladding fiber (DDCF) is demonstrated. Due to the depressed cladding, the optical field distribution of the DDCF is more approachable to the outer surface than that of a no core fiber without depressed cladding, improving the excitation efficiency for generating Raman scattered light. The cladding diameter of the DDCF is only 80 µm, which is smaller than the core diameter (105 µm) of the input multimode fiber (MMF).

On Rectification of Ionic Current in Nanopores.

Rectification of ionic current, a frequently observed phenomenon with asymmetric nanopores varying in geometry and/or surface charge, has been utilized for studies of microfluidic circuits, nanopore sensors, and energy conversion devices. However, the physics behind the rectification phenomenon deserves further analysis, and the involved processes need renewed organization; however, the origin is known, and numerous simulations based on the Poisson-Nernst-Planck formalism provide details of the observation. Here, we present an analytical model by identifying the causal chain connecting the key physical factors and processes leading to rectification: the charge present on the pore sidewalls causing the selectivity of ion fluxes through the pore, the selectivity inducing enrichment-depletion of ions around the pore, and the established ion concentration gradient rendering the electric field redistribution in the pore.

A study on the properties and working mechanism of a waterborne polyurethane-modified silicate-based coating.

Herein, the effects of the amount of waterborne polyurethane, silica sol and fillers on the compressive and bending strength, temperature resistance and acid resistance of waterborne polyurethane-modified silicate-based coatings were investigated. The results indicated that the modified coating showed higher mechanical properties, impermeability and bonding properties when the amounts of polyurethane and silica sol were 10% and 4%, respectively. The room temperature strength, temperature resistance and acid resistance of the modified coating were 25.

Preparation of two ionic liquid bonded stationary phases and comparative evaluation under mixed-mode of reversed phase/ hydrophilic interaction/ ion exchange chromatography.

The present work describes the preparation of two ionic liquid and carboxyl acid silane reagents via photo-initiated thiol-ene click chemistry that have been bonded to silica to afford two mixed-mode stationary phases (Sil-C4Im-C9Co and Sil-C9Im-C4Co). The two stationary phases provided satisfactory retention repeatability and efficiencies. The influence of acetonitrile content, salt concentration and pH of the mobile phase was investigated to clarify the retention properties of the prepared stationary phases.

Spatial distribution and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in soil from the Raoyanghe Wetland, China.

Wetlands are recognized as one of the most important natural environments for humans. At the same time, heavy metal pollution has an important impact on wetlands. China's Raoyanghe Wetland is one of the most important natural wild species gene banks in China.