Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) have been widely used in studying interfacial phenomena, biological processes, electrochemistry, photoelectrochemistry, photoactivity and molecular interaction. Much research has been carried out in fabricating and removing SAMs on different substrates. In this work, we report for the first time, to our knowledge, that SAMs of thiolates on gold can be removed by immersing SAMs in 0.5 M NaBH 4 solution for 10 min. The procedure of removing thiolates was very convenient. Cyclic voltammetry, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to characterize this process. The results indicated that the SAMs of thiolates on gold can be removed efficiently by NaBH 4.

Background: Our study aimed to explore the anxiety levels and possible associated factors in the pediatric medical staff in Jiangsu province during an outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 .Methods: Pediatric medical staff (n=534) from nine hospitals in Jiangsu province were enrolled. Their anxiety levels and quality of sleep were assessed using the online SAS and PSQI questionnaires.Results: The prevalence of anxiety was 14.0% among the medical staff. In children's hospital staff, anxiety levels in outpatient and emergency departments were significantly higher than those in inpatient departments, except for the intensive care unit. The SAS scores were significantly associated with educational background, professional title, lifestyle, and physical condition. Stepwise multiple linear regression showed that physical condition, lifestyle, attention to the epidemic, professional title, and educational background all had a linear relationship with the individual's anxiety levels. Pearson correlation analysis showed that sleep quality was moderately associated with anxiety levels. Conclusions:The prevalence of anxiety was 14.0% in pediatric medical staff in Jiangsu province during an outbreak of COVID-19. Department, professional title, and educational background were associated with anxiety levels in these workers. More attention should be paid to staff who are in poor health, and this anxiety can also be accompanied by poor sleep quality. Peer support can assist with anxiety relief.

Background Transcobalamin (TC) transports vitamin B12 from blood into cells. TC II deficiency is a rare autosomal recessive disorder. It is characterized by failure to thrive, diarrhoea, pallor, anaemia, pancytopenia or agammaglobulinemia. It is usually confirmed by molecular analysis of the TCN2 gene. We report a 2-month-old girl with two novel mutations, which were first reported in humans. Case presentation We present a 2-month-old Chinese girl with pancytopenia, severe combined immunodeficiency disease, and megaloblastic anaemia. Targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) was performed, which detected compound heterozygous variants in exon 7 of the TCN2 gene (Mutation 1: c.1033 C > T; Mutation 2: c.1017-1031delinsGTAACAGAGATGGTT). These mutations result in stop codons in TCN2. The c.1033C > T mutation causes a stop at codon 345 (p.Gln345Ter), and the c.1017-1031delinsGTAACAGAGATGGTT mutation causes a stop at codon 340 (p.Leu340Ter). After being diagnosed, she was treated with intramuscular 1 mg hydroxycobalamin (OH-Cbl) every day for 2 months. The CBC value returned to normal after half a month. The peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets and immunoglobulin recovered after 2 months. Then, the dosage of OH-Cbl was gradually reduced. Conclusions TC II deficiency is a serious complication that requires lifelong treatment. Its diagnosis is difficult due to the lack of clearly identifiable symptoms. Genetic testing should be performed as early as possible if this disease is suspected. The specific observations of this case report make a considerable contribution to the literature and provide a reference for the diagnosis and treatment of future cases.

The spontaneous closure rate of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is high, and the necessity of early intervention is debated. Quantitative echocardiographic assessment of the intima in PDA has not been reported. This study evaluated intimal thickness growth in neonatal cases of PDA via echocardiography and investigated its correlation with clinical factors. Seventy-three neonates were enrolled, and echocardiography was performed three times: within 24 h post-birth (first echo), 48 h after the first echo (second echo), and before discharge (third echo). According to PDA outcome, the neonates were divided into the PDA-open group (n = 18 cases), PDA-closure at second echo group (n = 32 cases), and non-PDA at first echo group (n = 23 cases). We measured the intimal thickness (IT1 and IT2 at first and second echo, respectively), lumen diameter of ductus arteriosus (D1 and D2 at first and second echo, respectively), IT1/D1 ratio, and intimal thickness growth rate (V). Correlations between echocardiographic indicators, perinatal factors, and clinical treatment were analyzed. On first echo, the PDA-open group showed a significantly lower IT1/D1 than the combined PDA-closure group (P < 0.05). On second echo, the PDA-open group showed a significantly lower IT2 and V than the PDA-closure group as well as a significantly higher D2 (P < 0.05). Smaller gestational age correlated with a larger D2 but smaller IT2 and V (P < 0.05) and a higher level of respiratory support within 72 h post-birth correlated with a larger D2 and smaller IT 2 (P < 0.05). Increasing oxygen demand within 72 h of birth correlated with a larger D1 and D2 (P < 0.05). Echocardiographic assessment of intimal thickness growth in PDA may provide an approach for predicting spontaneous PDA closure, thereby guiding decision-making regarding early intervention.

Objective: To explore the early diagnostic value of urinary NAG, NGAL and serum Cys-C detection for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia-related acute kidney injury (AKI) in full-term neonates with hyperbilirubinemia. Methodology: One hundred and ninety-six full-term jaundiced newborns were categorized as mild (n = 65), moderate (n = 69) or severe hyperbilirubinemia (n = 62). The severe group was divided into a non-AKI group (n = 35) and an AKI group (n = 27). Sixty-five full-term newborns with normal serum bilirubin and renal function were analyzed as a normal control group. Urine NAG, urine NGAL and serum Cys-C weremeasured. The value of urinary NAG, NGAL combined with serum Cys-C in early diagnosis of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia-related AKI was evaluated by Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (ROC). Result: Levels of urine NAG, NGAL and serum Cys-C in the mild, moderateand severe groups were higher than those in the normal control group (p < 0.001), the above indexes levels in the severe group were higher than those in the mildand moderate groups (p < 0.001), and the above indexes levels in the moderate group were higher than those in the mild group (p < 0.001). Pearson correlation analysis showed that serum Cys-C was positively correlated with urinary NAG and urinary NGAL in AKI group (r = 0.805, p < 0.001; r = 0.864, p < 0.001); there was a positive correlation between urinary NAG and urinary NGAL in AKI group (r = 0.948, p < 0.001). AUC of urinary NAG, urinary NGAL combined with serum Cys-C in diagnosing neonatal hyperbilirubinemia-related AKI is 0.900 (95%CI: 0.824-0.976), which is higher than that of urinary NAG, urinary NGAL and serum Cys-C alone. Conclusion: Combined measurement of urine NAG, NGAL and serum Cys-C is helpful for early diagnosis of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia-related AKI.