Multifunctional polyeugenol-based nanoparticles with antioxidant and antibacterial properties

Over the past few decades,extensive scientific has been dedicated to polymer synthesis employing renewable resources.In this study,we devised and synthesized multifunctional polyeugenol-based nanoparticles,exhibiting remarkable antioxidant and antibacterial properties.The grafting of eugenol onto the nanoparticle surface was achieved via a thiol-ene chemical reaction with a grafting rate of 3.5%.To comprehend the properties of the synthesized nanoparticles,we employed Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and pyrolysis-gas chromatography mass spectrometry.Subsequent scanning electron microscopic and transmission electron microscopic analyses revealed the presence of a crosslinked structure within the polyeugenol-based nanoparticles,as well as a heteroge-neous microsphere structure on the surface.Due to the inherent crosslinking structure,the polyeugenol-based nanoparticles demonstrated robust the resistance to solvents,as ascertained through thermog-ravimetric analysis and solvent resistance tests.Notably,nitrogen adsorption/desorption studies confirmed the adsorption capacity of the polyeugenol-based nanoparticles,rendering them potentially suitable for drug transport applications.Moreover,the assays for assessing cytocompatibility and reactive oxygen species scavenging activities demonstrated better performance of the eugenol-based nano-particles compared to eugenol.Furthermore,the polyeugenol-based nanoparticles exhibited certain bactericidal activities against Escherichia coli,Staphylococcus aureus,and Fusobacterium nucleatum.Consequently,these observations indicated the nontoxic nature and expansive application prospects of the polyeugenol-based nanoparticles in the domains of medicine and food preservation.This work presented a pioneering concept for the development of antioxidant and antibacterial multifunctional polymer materials derived from eugenol.

Immunogenicity and safety of a booster COVID-19 vaccination in patients with chronic liver disease:A multicenter study

Aim:Patients with chronic liver disease(CLD),especially cirrhosis,are at a high risk of severe illness or death from coronavirus disease-2019(COVID-19)and may have a suboptimal immune response to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)vaccine.This study aimed to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of the COVID-19 booster vaccination in patients with CLD.Methods:The study protocol was prospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov(No.NCT05204602)after approval by the Ethics Committee.Adult participants with CLD were enrolled in this multicenter prospective study.They completed two doses of the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine and received booster doses at least 6 months later.Adverse reactions were recorded within 14 days after the booster dose.Serum samples of the enrolled patients were collected before and after booster vaccination and tested for SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain(RBD)immunoglobulin G and neutralizing anti-bodies.The chi-squared or Fisher's exact test was used to compare categorical data,and the Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare continuous variables.Two-sided p<0.05 were considered statistically significant.Results:In total,63 patients were enrolled from four hospitals in China,including 29 patients with cirrhosis.The median age of all patients was 55 years,and 61.9%(39/63)were male.The vaccines were well tolerated;most adverse reactions were mild and transient,and injection site pain(6.4%;4/63)and fatigue(3.2%,2/63)were the most frequent local and systemic adverse events.Following the booster vaccination,our results showed that in the whole cohort,the levels and positive rates of anti-RBD IgG and neutralizing antibodies were significantly higher than baseline levels(all p<0.05).Conclusions:The inactivated COVID-19 booster vaccine was safe and significantly increased antibody levels and positivity rates following standard vaccination regimens in patients with CLD,especially those with cirrhosis.

Which month to give a birth?The analysis on birth seasonality of China

A series of medical and biological studies have identified a strong link between the season during which a child is born and early childhood development and adult health.While providing an explanation for the seasonal determinants of birth remains one of the key challenges for demographers,understanding seasonal birth peaks and troughs can inform both public health planning and efforts to prevent childhood diseases.The seasonality of births varies across and within countries.Nonetheless,there has been scant research into the seasonality of births in China.This study takes an in depth look at the seasonal fluctuations in China’s births since 1960 and investigates the effects on seasonality of several key factors such as parity,residence(urban or rural area),and changes to fertility policies.Traditionally,winter has been the peak season of births in China,while spring and summer have been lean seasons,a pattern which is quite different than patterns in Europe and the United States.After 1990,the sweeping implementation of one-child policy and the wider use of modern contraceptives among Chinese women prompted a fundamental shift in the seasonality of births,with the deviation of births from month to month gradually diminishing over time.People’s self-control may serve as a key determinant accounting for such seasonal changes.First births exhibit pronounced and steady seasonality,while second and subsequent births follow a vague seasonal pattern,suggesting that later births are more likely affected by self-choice and self-intervention.The analysis also reveals that the monthly distribution pattern of second births experienced a dramatic change following the roll-out of the selective-two-child policy and the Universal Two-child Policy in 2014 and 2016,changes that reflects the adjustments people made to achieve their fertility plans under the new policy.

China fertility report,2006-2016 An analysis based on China fertility survey 2017

Based on China fertility survey 2017,this report presents the national fertility level,age-specific fertility rate and parity distribution.The survey results show that during 2006-2016 the mean ages at first marriage and first birth increased by 2.7 and 2.6 years respectively.From 2006 to 2011,the total fertility rate was around 1.60-1.70,and experienced notable fluctuations during 2012-2016.Compared the age-specific fertility in 2006 with in 2011,the curve in 2016 shifted significantly to the right side.Affected by the relaxation of the fertility policy,the proportion of second births among the total births had increased year by year since 2012.

Correction to:China fertility report,2006-2016 An analysis based on China fertility survey 2017

The article China fertility report,2006-2016,written by Dan He,Xuying Zhang,Ya’er Zhuang,Zhili Wang,Yu Jiang,was originally published electronically in SpringerLink on 25 January without Open Access.With the author(s)’decision to opt for Open Choice the copyright of the article changed on 25 January 2019 to©The Author(s)2019 and the article is forthwith distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/),which permits use,duplication,adaptation,distribution and reproduction in any medium or format,as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s)and the source,provide a link to the Creative Commons license,and indicate if changes were made.