Enhancing the role of nurses in breastfeeding preterm infants

The provision of breast milk and breastfeeding is recommended for preterm infants.Multidisciplinary cooperation is required to promote breastfeeding.Nurses play impor tant roles in breastfeeding preterm infants.First,nurses are strong advocates to help families be aware of the significance of breastfeeding.Second,nurses are educators providing technical and emotional support to pregnant and lying-in women.Third,nurses are coordinators in a multidisciplinary team.Nurses’unawareness of the impor tance of breastfeeding,knowledge deficit,and unsupportive lactation policy are barriers to breastfeeding promotion for preterm infants.It is therefore suggested that hospital administrators provide appropriate breastfeeding policies,set up posts,and ensure nurses’responsibilities in breastfeeding.Additionally,tailored training should be strengthened to improve nurses’knowledge and skills and thereby enable them to fully exer t their roles in the breastfeeding promotion of preterm infants.

Neuroprotective effects of autophagy inhibition on hippocampal glutamate receptor subunits after hypoxia-ischemia-induced brain damage in newborn rats

Autophagy has been suggested to participate in the pathology of hypoxic-ischemic brain damage（HIBD）.However,its regulatory role in HIBD remains unclear and was thus examined here using a rat model.To induce HIBD,the left common carotid artery was ligated in neonatal rats,and the rats were subjected to hypoxia for 2 hours.Some of these rats were intraperitoneally pretreated with the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine（10 m M in 10 μL） or the autophagy stimulator rapamycin（1 g/kg） 1 hour before artery ligation.Our findings demonstrated that hypoxia-ischemia-induced hippocampal injury in neonatal rats was accompanied by increased expression levels of the autophagy-related proteins light chain 3 and Beclin-1 as well as of the AMPA receptor subunit GluR 1,but by reduced expression of GluR 2.Pretreatment with the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine blocked hypoxia-ischemia-induced hippocampal injury,whereas pretreatment with the autophagy stimulator rapamycin significantly augmented hippocampal injury.Additionally,3-methyladenine pretreatment blocked the hypoxia-ischemia-induced upregulation of Glu R1 and downregulation of GluR2 in the hippocampus.By contrast,rapamycin further elevated hippocampal Glu R1 levels and exacerbated decreased GluR2 expression levels in neonates with HIBD.Our results indicate that autophagy inhibition favors the prevention of HIBD in neonatal rats,at least in part,through normalizing Glu R1 and GluR2 expression.

血清淀粉样蛋白A检测对感染性眼内炎诊断的临床价值

目的:探讨血清淀粉样蛋白A(SAA)在感染性眼内炎诊断中的临床应用价值。方法:收集2016-06/2019-03我院就诊的270例患者,其中116例感染性眼内炎患者作为研究组,154例非感染性患者作为对照组。采用胶体金免疫层析法检测SAA水平,用受试者工作特征(ROC)曲线分析诊断效能。结果:感染性眼内炎患者和对照组SAA值中位数分别为14.98、2.56mg/L,两组比较有差异(P<0.001);CRP值和WBC值中位数两组比较均有差异(P<0.001)。SAA、CRP和WBC计数诊断感染性眼内炎的ROC曲线下面积分别为0.772、0.638、0.618,SAA检测取Youden指数最大值所对应的最佳临界值为6.975mg/L,其灵敏度为63.79%,特异度为84.42%。结论:SAA联合CRP和WBC计数有助于提高感染性眼内炎的诊断效能。SAA可为感染性眼内炎的辅助诊断提供有用的参考信息。

The role of pineal microRNA-325 in regulating circadian rhythms after neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain damage

Circadian rhythm disorder is a common,but often neglected,consequence of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain damage(HIBD).However,the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown.We previously showed that,in a rat model of HIBD,up-regulation of microRNA-325(miR-325)in the pineal gland is responsible for the suppression of Aanat,a key enzyme involved in melatonin synthesis and circadian rhythm regulation.To better understand the mechanism by which miR-325 affects circadian rhythms in neonates with HIBD,we compared clinical samples from neonates with HIBD and samples from healthy neonates recruited from the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University(Dushuhu Branch)in 2019.We found that circulating miR-325 levels correlated positively with the severity of sleep and circadian rhythm disorders in neonates with HIBD.Furthermore,a luciferase reporter gene assay revealed that LIM homeobox 3(LHX3)is a novel downstream target of miR-325.In addition,in miR-325 knock-down mice,the transcription factor LHX3 exhibited an miR-325-dependent circadian pattern of expression in the pineal gland.We established a neonatal mouse model of HIBD by performing doublelayer ligation of the left common carotid artery and exposing the pups to a low-oxygen environment for 2 hours.Lhx3 mRNA expression was significantly down-regulated in these mice and partially rescued in miR-325 knockout mice subjected to the same conditions.Finally,we showed that improvement in circadian rhythm-related behaviors in animals with HIBD was dependent on both miR-325 and LHX3.Taken together,our findings suggest that the miR-325-LHX3 axis is responsible for regulating circadian rhythms and provide novel insights into the identification of potential therapeutic targets for circadian rhythm disorders in patients with neonatal HIBD.The clinical trial was approved by Institutional Review Board of Children’s Hospital of Soochow University(approval No.2015028)on July 20,2015.Animal experiments were approved by Animal Care and Use Committee,School of Medicine,Soochow University,China(approval No.XD-2016-1)on January 15,2016.

Involvement of NLRP3-inflammasome pathway in noise-induced hearing loss

The inflammasome is a multiprotein oligomer in the cell cytoplasm and is part of the innate immune system.It plays a crucial role in the pathological process of noise-induced hearing loss(NIHL).However,the mechanisms of NLR family pyrin domain containing 3(NLRP3)inflammasome activation in NIHL have not been clearly demonstrated.In this study,miniature pigs were exposed to white noise at 120 dB(A)and auditory brainstem response measurements were used to measure their hearing function.Immunofluorescence staining,confocal laser scanning microscopy,western blot assay,and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were used to analyze inflammasome-related protein distribution and expression.NLRP3,interleukin-1β,interleukin-18,and cleaved-caspase-1 were highly expressed in the cochlea after 120 dB(A)white noise exposure.Our findings suggest that NLRP3-inflammasomes in the cochlea may be activated after acoustic trauma,which may be an important mechanism of noise-induced hearing loss.

Gastrointestinal insights during the COVID-19 epidemic

Coronavirus disease-2019(COVID-19)has so far caused hundreds of mortalities worldwide.Although respiratory symptoms are the main complication in COVID-19 patients,the disease is also associated with gastrointestinal problems,with diarrhea,nausea,and vomiting being primary COVID-19 symptoms.Thus,cancer and inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)management,stool viral tests,and virus exposure are major concerns in the context of COVID-19 epidemic.In patients with colorectal cancer and IBD,the colonic mucosa exhibits elevated angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor levels,enhancing COVID-19 susceptibility.In some cases,positive viral stool tests may be the only indicator of infection at admission or after leaving quarantine.Without supplemental stool tests,the risk of undetected COVID-19 transmission is high.Moreover,viral exposure during the regular or emergency endoscopic examination should be avoided.We carefully discuss key gastrointestinal concerns with regard to COVID-19 and call for more attention to such problems.

Primary pancreatic lymphoma diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle biopsy

To the Editor:Primary pancreatic lymphoma(PPL)is extremely rare,account-ing for 1%of extra-nodal lymphomas and less than 0.5%of pan-creatic masses[1].Both cytological and histological analyses are required to confirm the diagnosis of PPL.The main treatments include chemotherapy and radiotherapy[2].Pancreatic resection alone does not improve the survival rate[3].Hence,it is necessary to differentiate PPL from other malignant tumors before surgery.

Laboratory study of the formation of fullerene(from smaller to larger, C44 to C70)/anthracene cluster cations in the gas phase

The formation and evolution mechanism of fullerenes in the planetary nebula or in the interstellar medium are still not understood.Here,we present the study on the cluster formation and the relative reactivity of fullerene cations(from smaller to larger,C44 to C70) with anthracene molecule(C14H10).The experiment is performed in an apparatus that combines a quadrupole ion trap with a time-of-flight mass spectrometer.By using a 355 nm laser beam to irradiate the trapped fullerenes cations(C60+or C70+),smaller fullerene cations C(60-2 n)+, n=1-8 or C(70-2 m)+,m=1-11 are generated,respectively.Then reacting with anthracene molecules,series of fullerene/anthracene cluster cations are newly formed(e.g.,(C14H10)C(60-2 n)+,n=1-8 and(C14H10)C(70-2 m)+,m=1-11),and slight difference of the reactivity within the smaller fullerene cations are observed.Nevertheless,smaller fullerenes show obviously higher reactivity when comparing to fullerene C60+ and C70+.A successive loss of C2 fragments mechanism is suggested to account for the formation of smaller fullerene cations,which then undergo addition reaction with anthracene molecules to form the fullerene-anthracene cluster cations.It is found that the higher laser energy and longer irradiation time are key factors that affect the formation of smaller fullerene cations.This may indicate that in the strong radiation field environment(such as photon-dominated regions) in space,fullerenes are expected to follow the top-down evolution route,and then form small grain dust(e.g.,clusters) through collision reaction with co-existing molecules,here,smaller PAHs.

Enhancements of Passive Film and Pitting Resistance in Chloride Solution for 316LX Austenitic Stainless Steel After Sn Alloying

In the present work, the electrochemical behavior and properties of the passive film of a new Sn-alloyed 316 LX austenitic stainless steel were investigated. With the increase in Sn content in 316 LX austenitic stainless steel from 0 to 0.21%, the critical pitting temperature value increased from 32.6 to 38.8 °C, and the pitting potential increased from 0.252 V_(SCE) to 0.317 V_(SCE). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results showed that the corrosion resistance of passive film rose with the increase in Sn content, indicating a more stable passive film. The Mott–Schottky measurement revealed an n-type passive film with a decreased carrier concentration on the 316 LX austenitic stainless steel surface. The Cr, Sn^(2+) and Sn^(4+)(SnO, SnOHCl or SnO_2) enrichments were observed in the passive layer by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The enrichment of Sn and Cr in the passive film can account for the enhanced pitting resistance of 316 LX austenitic stainless steel in chloride solution.

Investigation of Susceptibility to Intergranular Corrosion of Tin-Added Austenitic Stainless Steel

The intergranular corrosion （IGC） character of tin-added B316LX and the influence of tin addition on IGC susceptibility were investigated by DL-EPR, oxalic acid etch test and transmission electron microscopy. IGC susceptibility of B316LX is mainly caused by the precipitation of M23C6 carbide and intermetallic Laves phase. DL-EPR test is unsuitable to evaluate the IGC susceptibility of B316LX with long-time sensitization, because more carbides and inter- metallic phases are formed at grain boundaries and inside the grains, which induce more severe IGC and pits attacks. Tin addition increases the IGC susceptibility, maybe due to diffusion of tin toward grain boundaries.

A Conjugated Copolymer Bearing Imidazolium-based Ionic Liquid:Electrochemical Synthesis and Electrochromic Properties

An imidazolium-based ionic liquid(IL)modified triphenylamine derivative,namely 1-(4-((4-(diphenylamino)benzoyl)oxy)butyl)-3-methyl imidazole tetrafluoroborate(TPAC_(6)IL-BF_(4)),was designed and synthesized,and further applied with 3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene(EDOT)to prepare conjugated copolymer P(EDOT:TPAC_(6)IL-BF_(4)) via electrochemical polymerization.The cyclic voltammetry curves show that the copolymer P(EDOT:TPAC_(6)IL-BF_(4))possesses two pairs of redox peaks,which should be ascribed to the redox behaviors of EDOT and triphenylamine.The ultraviolet-visible(UV-Vis)absorption spectrum of P(EDOT:TPAC_(6)IL-BF_(4))exhibits one maximum absorption peak at 580 nm and a small shoulder characteristic peak at 385 nm under neutral state which are assigned toπ-π^(*)conjugated structure of EDOT and triphenylamine.After being applied at the positive voltage,the copolymer color changes from dark blue to light blue,which is close to the color of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)(PEDOT).Surprisingly,the copolymer P(EDOT:TPAC_(6)IL-BF_(4))shows shorter switching time of 0.37 s,0.30 s at 580 nm and 0.38 s,0.45 s at 1100 nm compared with PEDOT.It is more intriguing that the copolymer P(EDOT:TPAC_(6)IL-BF_(4))exhibits electrochromism even in free supporting electrolyte.The results confirm that the existence of imidazolium-based ionic liquid has an improvement on the ion diffusion properties and the switching time of conjugated polymer,which may provide a potential direction for the preparation of high-performance electrochromic materials.