[en] The feasibility of endotoxins test of radiopharmaceuticals with limulus agent and the approach to take off the inhibition/enhancement effect of radiopharmaceuticals on limulus agent have been studied. Results of the test for 8 radiopharmaceuticals have been given

[en] Highlights: • ZnO linear resistors have been studied comprehensively with different contents of La₂O₃. Structural and morphological characteristics of the samples were investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) respectively. The property of resistivity-frequency reveals that the samples could be applied in high-frequency electric field. The dielectric property indicates Maxwell-Wagner interfacial polarization exists in the matrixes. • La³⁺ can be used as donor doping, to reduce the height of barrier at the grain boundary, further improving linear properties. When the doping amount of La₂O₃ is 1 wt%, The resistance temperature coefficient is -6.63×10^-3/°C, the minimum values of the barrier height and the nonlinear coefficient are 0.0787 eV and 1.09, respectively. -- Abstract: ZnO linear resistors have anticipated application prospect in electrical and electronic industry, but the study of La₂O₃ doping is still poor. In this paper, the ZnO linear resistors doped with Al₂O₃, MgO, SiO₂ and La₂O₃ were prepared by the conventional solid-state sintering method, and the effects of La₂O₃ doping on the microstructure and comprehensive electrical properties were studied. Structural and morphological characteristics of the samples were investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) respectively. The property of resistivity-frequency reveals that the samples could be applied in high-frequency electric field. The dielectric property indicates Maxwell-Wagner interfacial polarization exists in the matrixes. With La₂O₃ content of 1 wt%, ZnO linear resistors have the best linear performance: the grain size is relatively uniform, the resistance temperature coefficient α_T is − 6.63 × 10⁻³/°C, and the nonlinear coefficient α is 1.09. The comprehensive analysis of the influence of La₂O₃ doping on the electrical properties is of important significance for preparing ZnO linear resistors with excellent electrical properties.

[en] We herein review our studies on simulating the thermal unfolding Fourier transform infrared and two-dimensional infrared spectra of peptides. The peptide–water configuration ensembles, required forspectrum modeling, aregenerated at a series of temperatures using the GB"O"B"C implicit solvent model and the integrated tempering sampling technique. The fluctuating vibrational Hamiltonians of the amide I vibrational band are constructed using the Frenkel exciton model. The signals are calculated using nonlinear exciton propagation. The simulated spectral features such as the intensity and ellipticity are consistent with the experimental observations. Comparing the signals for two beta-hairpin polypeptides with similar structures suggests that this technique is sensitive to peptide folding landscapes. (topical review)

[en] Highlights: • BaZrO₃:Sm³⁺ shows a reversible color change during alternating ultraviolet irradiation and heat treatment. • BaZrO_3:Sm³⁺ photochromic material has robust fatigue resistance and excellent reproducibility. • As a downshifting emission-based photochromic material, BaZrO₃:Sm³⁺ achieved an optical switching contrast value of 90.05%. Inorganic photochromic materials, exhibiting great potential for optical switcher and erasable optical recording, have attracted more and more attention due to their robust fatigue resistance and excellent stability. However, the optical switching contrast of downshifting emission-based photochromic materials is still inferior. To address this issue, in this work we report a Sm³⁺-doped perovskite oxide (BaZrO₃) photochromic material with good fatigue resistance. With the combination of red emission and photochromism properties, optical switching with the highest contrast value of 90.05% for the downshifting emission-based photochromic material till now is achieved. The good reproducibility is demonstrated. The mechanisms of photoluminescence, photochromism and optical switching are discussed in detail. Finally, as a proof-of-concept, the implementation of erasable optical recording is also realized through the fabrication of photochromic discs and flexible films using the as-obtained BaZrO₃: Sm³⁺.

[en] We aimed to detect early changes of the blood-brain barrier permeability (BBBP) in acute ischaemic stroke (AIS), with or without reperfusion, and find out whether BBBP can predict clinical outcomes. Consecutive AIS patients imaged with computed tomographic perfusion (CTP) before and 24 h after treatment were included. The relative permeability-surface area product (rPS) was calculated within the hypoperfused region (rPS_hypo-i), non-hypoperfused region of ischaemic hemisphere (rPS_nonhypo-i) and their contralateral mirror regions (rPS_hypo-c and rPS_nonhypo-c). The changes of rPS were analysed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures. Logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of unfavourable outcome. Fifty-six patients were included in the analysis, median age was 76 (IQR 62-81) years and 28 (50%) were female. From baseline to 24 h after treatment, rPS_hypo-i, rPS_nonhypo-i and rPS_hypo-c all decreased significantly. The decreases in rPS_hypo-i and rPS_hypo-c were larger in the reperfusion group than non-reperfusion group. The rPS_hypo-i at follow-up was a predictor for unfavourable outcome (OR 1.131; 95% CI 1.018-1.256; P = 0.022). Early disruption of BBB in AIS is reversible, particularly when greater reperfusion is achieved. Elevated BBBP at 24 h after treatment, not the pretreatment BBBP, predicts unfavourable outcome. (orig.)

[en] We analyzed, based on the theoretical spectroscopic modeling, how the differences in the folding landscapes of two β-hairpin peptides trpzip2 and trpzip4 are reflected in their thermal unfolding infrared measurements. The isotope-edited equilibrium FTIR and two dimensional infrared spectra of the two peptides were calculated, using the nonlinear exciton propagation method, at a series of temperatures. The spectra calculations were based on the configuration distributions generated using the GB^OBC implicit solvent MD simulation and the integrated tempering sampling technique. Conformational analysis revealed the different local thermal stabilities for these two peptides, which suggested the different folding landscapes. Our study further suggested that the ellipticities of the isotope peaks in the coherent IR signals are more sensitive to these local stability differences compared with other spectral features such as the peak intensities. Our technique can thus be combined with the relevant experimental measurements to achieve a better understanding of the peptide folding behaviors

[en] We carried out a series of potential of mean force calculations to study the pairing preferences of a series of model mono-atomic 1:1 ions with evenly varied sizes. The probabilities of forming the contact ion pair (CIP) and the single water separate ion pair (SIP) were presented in the two-dimensional plots with respect to the ion sizes. The pairing preferences reflected in these plots largely agree with the empirical rule of matching ion sizes in the small and big size regions. In the region that the ion sizes are close to the size of the water molecule; however, a significant deviation from this conventional rule is observed. Our further analysis indicated that this deviation originates from the competition between CIP and the water bridging SIP state. The competition is mainly an enthalpy modulated phenomenon in which the existing of the water bridging plays a significant role

[en] We aimed to examine the impact of corticospinal tract (CST) involvement in acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) patients on functional outcome and the interaction with reperfusion. We retrospectively examined data in consecutive anterior circulation AIS patients undergoing thrombolysis. MR perfusion (time to maximum of tissue residue function, Tmax) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) images were transformed into standard space and the volumes of CST involvement by Tmax > 6 s (CST-Tmax) and ADC < 620 x 10^-6 mm²/s (CST-ADC) lesions were calculated. Good outcome was defined as modified Rankin scale ≤ 2 at 3 months. Reperfusion was defined as a reduction in Tmax > 6 s lesion volume of ≥70% between baseline and 24 h. 82 patients were included. Binary logistic regression revealed that both CST-Tmax and CST-ADC volume at baseline were significantly associated with poor outcome (p < 0.05). The 24-h CST-ADC volume was correlated with baseline CST-ADC volume in patients with reperfusion (r = 0.79, p < 0.001) and baseline CST-Tmax volume in patients without reperfusion (r = 0.67, p < 0.001). In patients with CST-Tmax volume > 0 mL and CST-ADC volume < 3 mL, the rate of good outcome was higher in patients with reperfusion than those without (70.4% vs 38.1%, p = 0.04). The use of CST-Tmax in combination with CST-ADC provides prognostic information in patients considered for reperfusion therapies. (orig.)

[en] Venous pathology could contribute to the development of parenchymal lesions in cerebral autosomal-dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL). We aim to identify presumed periventricular venous infarction (PPVI) in CADASIL and analyze the associations between PPVI, white matter edema, and microstructural integrity within white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) regions. We included forty-nine patients with CADASIL from a prospectively enrolled cohort. PPVI was identified according to previously established MRI criteria. White matter edema was evaluated using the free water (FW) index derived from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and microstructural integrity was evaluated using FW-corrected DTI parameters. We compared the mean FW values and regional volumes with different levels of FW (ranging from 0.3 to 0.8) in WMHs regions between the PPVI and non-PPVI groups. We used intracranial volume to normalize each volume. We also analyzed the association between FW and microstructural integrity in fiber tracts connected with PPVI. We found 16 PPVIs in 10 of 49 CADASIL patients (20.4%). The PPVI group had larger WMHs volume (0.068 versus 0.046, p = 0.036) and higher FW in WMHs (0.55 versus 0.52, p = 0.032) than the non-PPVI group. Larger areas with high FW content were also found in the PPVI group (threshold: 0.7, 0.47 versus 0.37, p = 0.015; threshold: 0.8, 0.33 versus 0.25, p = 0.003). Furthermore, higher FW correlated with decreased microstructural integrity (p = 0.009) in fiber tracts connected with PPVI. PPVI was associated with increased FW content and white matter degeneration in CADASIL patients. PPVI is an important factor related with WMHs, and therefore, preventing the occurrence of PPVI would be beneficial for patients with CADASIL.