Worldwide productivity and research trend of publications concerning extracellular vesicles role in fibrosis: A bibliometric study from 2013 to 2022.

Background: Fibrosis is a heavy burden on the global healthcare system. Recently, an increasing number of studies have demonstrated that Extracellular vesicles play an important role in intercellular communication under both physiological and pathological conditions. This study aimed to explore the role of extracellular vesicles' in fibrosis using bibliometric methods.

[Circadian rhythm and health: dialogue between traditional Chinese medicine and modern medicine].

Circadian rhythm refers to the daily rhythmic variations in an organism. The irregular lifestyles of modern humans have led to a high incidence of chronic diseases, highlighting an inseparable relationship between disrupted circadian rhythm and disease development. TCM has long discussed rhythmic variations, with records dating back to the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon(Huang Di Nei Jing), which laid a rich theoretical foundation for the research on circadian rhythm.

Differences in the evolution of urban and rural surface thermal environment and their responses to urban renewal in Shanghai, China.

The rapid and extensive urbanization has profound impacts on urban thermal environment. It is of great significance to comprehensively understand how urbanization affects the evolution of urban thermal environment for urban ecological safety, environmental quality, and residents' health. Based on daily land surface temperature (LST) products of MODIS Aqua satellite in the summer of 2002-2020, we investigated the evolution of urban-rural differences in surface summer thermal environment in Shanghai during 2002-2020 and its response to urban spatial renewal.

A low-frequency multiple-band sound insulator without blocking ventilation along a pipe.

It is challenging to insulate sound transmission in low frequency-bands without blocking the air flow in a pipe. In this work, a small and light membrane-based cubic sound insulator is created to block acoustic waves in multiple low frequency-bands from 200 to 800 Hz in pipes. Due to distinct vibration modes of the membrane-type faces of the insulator and co-action of acoustic waves transmitting along different paths, large sound attenuation is achieved in multiple frequency-bands, and the maximum transmission loss reaches 25 dB.

Neurotoxins and pore forming toxins in sea anemones: Potential candidates for new drug development.

There are two kinds of toxins in sea anemones: neurotoxins and pore forming toxins. As a representative of the sodium channel toxin, the neurotoxin ATX II in neurotoxin mainly affects the process of action potential and the release of transmitter to affect the inactivation of the sodium channel. As the representatives of potassium channel toxins, BgK and ShK mainly affect the potassium channel current.

Combining Pre- and Postoperative Lymphocyte-C-Reactive Protein Ratios Can Better Predict Hepatocellular Carcinoma Prognosis After Partial Hepatectomy.

Background: Various preoperative inflammatory indicators have been identified as potential predictors of poor prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the role of postoperative inflammatory indicators remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the prognostic value of the postoperative lymphocyte-C-reactive protein ratio (PostLCR) on its own and combined with preoperative LCR (PreLCR).

Methods: A total of 290 patients with primary HCC were retrospectively enrolled in the study.

Ocular development in children with unilateral congenital cataract and persistent fetal vasculature.

Aim: To investigate the ocular development of patients who had unilateral congenital cataract (CC) combined with persistent fetal vasculature (PFV).

Methods: This cross-sectional, observational study included patients who had unilateral CC and PFV and those with isolated unilateral CC. Axial length (AL), keratometry, anterior chamber depth (ACD), lens thickness, and vitreous length were obtained.

General pore features for one-step CH production from a C2 hydrocarbon mixture.

Herein, we propose the required general pore features for one-step CH production from a C2 hydrocarbon mixture, such as: (i) a non-metallic binding site; (ii) polar pore surface; and (iii) narrow pocket. Four representative MOFs (Ni-BDC-INA, CPM-173, UiO-66, and DMOF-1) and two counterexamples (MOF-74-Co and IISERP-MOF2) were selected to verify this concept, by conducting single-component gas adsorption measurements, multiple-component breakthrough experiments, and molecular simulations. The established pore features are a stepping-stone for the design and synthesis of new MOFs with improved performance for CH separation.

LncRNA CDKN2B‑AS1 sponges miR‑28‑5p to regulate proliferation and inhibit apoptosis in colorectal cancer.

Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) CDKN2B‑antisense RNA 1 (AS1) functions as a tumor oncogene in numerous cancers. However, the roles and mechanism of CDKN2B‑AS1 in colorectal cancer (CRC) have not been explored. The present study aimed to investigate whether and how CDKN2B‑AS1 contributes to CRC progression.

Feasibility of oral health evaluation by intraoral digital photography: a pilot study.

Objectives: This study investigated the accuracy and duration of intraoral digital photograph examination (IDPE) for evaluating oral health status and explored the feasibility of remote oral health assessment.

Methods: Thirty-one healthy college students underwent evaluations of oral health status via clinical examination (CE) combined with panoramic X-ray assessment at baseline, followed by IDPE 1 month later using photos taken at baseline. Methods for evaluation of gingival health included the Modified Gingival Index (MGI) and Plaque Index (PI).

A room-temperature ultrasonic hydrogen sensor based on a sensitive layer of reduced graphene oxide.

It is challenging to increase the sensitivity of a hydrogen sensor operating at room temperature due to weak sorption and tiny mass of hydrogen. In this work, an ultrasonic sensor is presented for detecting hydrogen, which is composed of a 128° YX-LiNbO substrate and a reduced graphene oxide (RGO) sensitive layer with a platinum catalyzer. By optimizing the depositing parameters of RGO and platinum, a considerably high sensitivity is achieved at room temperature.

Improving long-term stability of retinol in dried blood spots and quantification of its levels via a novel LC-MS/MS method.

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a major micronutrient deficiency in children. Although plasma and serum retinol levels are proposed as the key indicators of VAD, collecting and transporting plasma and serum are difficult and inconvenient in field studies. Dried blood spot (DBS) retinol has been used as an alternative to plasma retinol in several epidemiological and clinical studies.

Sound regulation of coupled Helmholtz and Fabry-Pérot resonances in labyrinth cavity structures.

Traditional acoustic regulations in practice are used to have major obstacles in low frequency range, for which absorbers or suppressors have thicknesses that are comparable to their working wavelength. We present an acoustic structure-based "coiling-up space" to achieve outstanding sound regulation of acoustic waves in the extremely low frequency region. The structure is composed of an open waveguide and with a spiral throat tube and a cavity.

Predicting the risk for colorectal cancer with personal characteristics and fecal immunochemical test.

We aimed to predict colorectal cancer (CRC) based on the demographic features and clinical correlates of personal symptoms and signs from Tianjin community-based CRC screening data.A total of 891,199 residents who were aged 60 to 74 and were screened in 2012 were enrolled. The Lasso logistic regression model was used to identify the predictors for CRC.

Simultaneous realization of slow and fast acoustic waves using a fractal structure of Koch curve.

An acoustic metamaterial based on a fractal structure, the Koch curve, is designed to simultaneously realize slow and fast acoustic waves. Owing to the multiple transmitting paths in the structure resembling the Koch curve, the acoustic waves travelling along different paths interfere with each other. Therefore, slow waves are created on the basis of the resonance of a Koch-curve-shaped loop, and meanwhile, fast waves even with negative group velocities are obtained due to the destructive interference of two acoustic waves with opposite phases.

Tea consumption is associated with cognitive impairment in older Chinese adults.

Objective: To explore the association between tea consumption and cognitive impairment (CoI).

Methods: 4579 adults (≥60 years) from the Weitang Geratric Diseases Study were assessed for characteristics of tea consumption and cognitive function by administering questionnaires and the Abbreviated Mental Test (AMT), respectively. We divided the subjects into normal cognitive function group (AMT score ≥8) and CoI group (AMT score ≤7).

Simulation of SAW Humidity Sensors Based on ( 11 2 ¯ 0 ) ZnO/R-Sapphire Structures.

The characteristics of two types of surface acoustic waves SAWs (Rayleigh waves and Love waves) propagating in bilayered structures of ( 11 2 ¯ 0 ) ZnO/R-sapphire are simulated by a finite element method (FEM) model, in which both SAWs have crossed propagation directions. Furthermore, based on the bilayered structures, the frequency responses of Rayleigh wave and Love wave humidity sensors are also simulated. Meanwhile, the frequency shifts, insertion loss changes and then the sensitivities of both humidity sensors induced by the adsorbed water layer perturbations, including the mechanical and electrical factors, are calculated numerically.

Tunable sound transmission at an impedance-mismatched fluidic interface assisted by a composite waveguide.

We report a composite waveguide fabricated by attaching a coupling aperture to a waveguide. The acoustic impedance of the composite waveguide can be regulated by merely controlling its coupling vibrations, depending on its structure size. By changing the size to adjust the acoustic impedance of the composite waveguide at an impedance-mismatched fluidic interface, tunable sound transmission at the desired frequencies is achieved.

Extraordinary acoustic transmission through annuluses in air and its applications in acoustic beam splitter and concentrator.

We report an extraordinary acoustic transmission through two layer annuluses made of metal cylinders in air both numerically and experimentally. The effect arises from the enhancement and reconstruction of the incident source induced by different Mie-resonance modes of the annuluses. The proposed system takes advantages of the consistency in the waveform between the input and output waves, the high amplitude amplification of output waves, and the easy adjustment of structure.

A tunable acoustic metamaterial with double-negativity driven by electromagnets.

With the advance of the research on acoustic metamaterials, the limits of passive metamaterials have been observed, which prompts the studies concerning actively tunable metamaterials with adjustable characteristic frequency bands. In this work, we present a tunable acoustic metamaterial with double-negativity composed of periodical membranes and side holes, in which the double-negativity pass band can be controlled by an external direct-current voltage. The tension and stiffness of the periodically arranged membranes are actively controlled by electromagnets producing additional stresses, and thus, the transmission and phase velocity of the metamaterial can be adjusted by the driving voltage of the electromagnets.

Suppression of harmonics in a model of thermoacoustic refrigerator based on an acoustic metamaterial.

A model of thermoacoustic refrigerator on the basis of an acoustic metamaterial is presented, in which an array of side pipes is adopted to suppress harmonic waves in the thermoacoustic resonator. The array of side pipes traps the acoustic waves with Fabry-Perot resonant frequencies and induces narrow forbidden bands of transmission. When the resonant frequency of the thermoacoustic refrigerator is chosen as the operating frequency, the harmonic wave can be exactly located in the forbidden band by properly adapting the structural parameters of the system.

Performance optimization of high-order Lamb wave sensors based on silicon carbide substrates.

Silicon carbide (SiC), as a new type of material for substrates in micro-electromechanical system (MEMS), was given high consideration in virtue of the properties of high acoustic velocity, low loss, chemical resistance, and etc. In this work, five performance parameters, which are electromechanical coupling coefficients, mass sensitivities, conductivity sensitivities, insert losses and minimum detectable masses, are theoretically investigated in Lamb wave chemical sensors for gas sensing based on SiC substrates. It is presented that higher performance can be achieved based on high-order modes other than fundamental modes, and the abovementioned five parameters can be simultaneously optimized.

Linked PNPLA3 polymorphisms confer susceptibility to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and decreased viral load in chronic hepatitis B.

Aim: To investigate the association of PNPLA3 polymorphisms with concurrent chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Methods: A cohort of Han patients with biopsy-proven CHB, with or without NAFLD (CHB group, n = 51; CHB + NAFLD group, n = 57), and normal controls (normal group, n = 47) were recruited from Northern (Tianjin), Central (Shanghai), and Southern (Zhangzhou) China. Their PNPLA3 polymorphisms were genotyped by gene sequencing.

Characteristics of surface acoustic waves excited by (1120) ZnO films deposited on R-sapphire substrates.

(1120)-textured ZnO films are deposited on Rsapphire substrate by RF magnetron sputtering and the effects of deposition conditions on ZnO films are investigated. The chemical compositions of the ZnO films are characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and the results indicate that the ratio of latticed oxygen to zinc increases with increasing of oxygen concentration in the sputtering gas, which demonstrates the improvement of crystal structures in ZnO films. To investigate the characteristics of surface acoustic waves excited by the (1120)-textured ZnO films, SAW delay lines based on layered structures of (1120) ZnO film/R-sapphire substrate are fabricated, in which Rayleigh and Love modes are excited along the (0001)- and (1100)-directions of the ZnO films, respectively.