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Myxobacteria are renowned for their genuine prowess to deliver multifarious bioactive natural products. Genome mining ofMyxococcussp. SDU36 identified a hybrid PKS-NRPS BGC (mpd) that presumably specified previously uncharacterized molecules. The expression ofmpdwas activated by exchanging the innate promoter of core PKS-NRPS genes with our recently characterized strong constitutive promoter BBa_J23104. Comparative metabolic profiling allowed facile isolation of the elicited compounds1–5designated myxopyromides A–E, a group of structurally related polyketidic amides. Especially, myxopyromides D was appended with an uncommon pyrrolinone warhead at the carboxylic terminus, whereas myxopyromide C was instead decorated with a rare structural unit of aminobutanone. Although myxopyromides basically follow a textbook modular PKS-NRPS biosynthetic trajectory, an anteriorly unappreciated flexible chain release strategy is adopted to enrich the chemical repertoire ofmpdBGC. Interestingly, myxopyromides were associated with the predation ofMyxococcussp. SDU36.Abstract Figure

Objectives: Compound Kushen injection (CKI) combined with intraperitoneal chemotherapy (IPC) is widely used in the treatment of malignant ascites (MA). However, evidence about its efficacy and safety remains limited. This review aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CKI combined with IPC for the treatment of MA.Methods: Protocol of this review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022304259). Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the efficacy and safety of IPC with CKI for the treatment of patients with MA were searched through 12 electronic databases and 2 clinical trials registration platforms from inception until 20 January 2023. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool was used to assess the quality of the included trials through the risk of bias assessment. We included RCTs that compared IPC single used or CKI combined with IPC for patients with MA schedule to start IPC. The primary outcome was identified as an objective response rate (ORR), while the secondary outcomes were identified as the quality of life (QoL), survival time, immune functions, and adverse drug reactions (ADRs). The Revman5.4 and Stata17 software were used to calculate the risk ratio (RR) at 95% confidence intervals (CI) for binary outcomes and the mean difference (MD) at 95% CI for continuous outcomes. The certainty of the evidence was assessed according to the GRADE criteria.Results: A total of 17 RCTs were assessed, which included 1200 patients. The risk of bias assessment of the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool revealed that one study was rated high risk and the remaining as unclear or low risk. Meta-analysis revealed that CKI combined with IPC had an advantage in increasing ORR (RR = 1.31, 95% CI 1.20 to 1.43, p < 0.00001) and QoL (RR = 1.50, 95% CI 1.23 to 1.83, p < 0.0001) when compared with IPC alone. Moreover, the combined treatment group showed a lower incidence of myelosuppression (RR = 0.51, 95%CI 0.40–0.64, p < 0.00001), liver dysfunction (RR = 0.33, 95%CI 0.16 to 0.70, p = 0.004), renal dysfunction (RR = 0.39, 95%CI 0.17 to 0.89, p = 0.02), and fever (RR = 0.51, 95%CI 0.35 to 0.75, p = 0.0007) compared to those of the control group. The quality of evidence assessment through GRADE criteria showed that ORR, myelosuppression, and fever were rated moderate, renal dysfunction and liver dysfunction were rated low, and QoL and abdominal pain were rated very low.Conclusion: The efficacy and safety of CKI combined with IPC were superior to that with IPC alone for the treatment of MA, which indicates the potentiality of the treatment. However, more high-quality RCTs are required to validate this conclusion.Systematic Review Registration: [https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022304259], identifier [PROSPERO 2022 CRD42022304259].

A novel type of functional graphene oxide nanosheets (GNs) modified with β-cyclodextrins (β-CDs) have been developed by coating dopamine-functionalized cyclodextrin (DACD) molecules on GNs for removing Bisphenol A (BPA) molecules from water. The DACD molecules with both β-CD groups for achieving adsorption property and dopamine (DA) groups for achieving adhesion property are synthesized by grafting DA onto carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin (CmβCD). The proposed DACD molecules can be firmly coated on the surfaces of various inorganic and organic substrates. Due to the large specific surface area of GNs, DACD-coated GNs (DACD@GNs) are proposed for efficient adsorption separation of BPA molecules from water. Due to the host-gust complexation between the BPA molecules in water and β-CDs on DACD@GNs, the fabricated DACD@GNs exhibit excellent adsorption performances. The adsorption kinetics can be explained via the pseudo-second-order model effectively. The experimental adsorption capacity of DACD@GNs is 11.29 mg·g−1 for BPA. Furthermore, after the adsorption process, the DACD@GNs can be easily separated from aqueous solutions via vacuum filtration with porous membranes, and then regenerated by simply washing with ethanol. The proposed strategy in this study can be used for effectively functionalizing the surfaces of various substrates with functional β-CDs, which is highly promising in applications in the field of adsorption separations, especially water treatments.

To investigate the efficacy of integrated Chinese and Western medicine extending the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of limited-stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC) patients after the first-line chemoradiotherapy.The data of 67 LS-SCLC patients who received combined treatment of CM and Western medicine (WM) between January 2013 and May 2020 at the outpatient clinic of Guang'anmen Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Thirty-six LS-SCLC patients who received only WM treatment was used as the WM control group. The medical data of the two groups were statistically analyzed. Survival analysis was performed using the product-limit method (Kaplan-Meier analysis). The median OS and PFS were calculated, and survival curves were compared by the Log rank test. The cumulative survival rates at 1, 2, and 5 years were estimated by the life table analysis. Stratified survival analysis was performed between patients with different CM administration time.The median PFS in the CM and WM combination treatment group and the WM group were 19 months (95% CI: 12.357-25.643) vs. 9 months (95% CI: 5.957-12.043), HR=0.43 (95% CI: 0.27-0.69, P0.001), respectively. The median OS in the CM and WM combination group and the WM group were 34 months (95% CI could not be calculated) vs. 18.63 months (95% CI: 16.425-20.835), HR=0.40 (95% CI: 0.24-0.66, P0.001), respectively. Similar results were obtained in the further stratified analysis of whether the duration of CM administration exceeded 18 and 24 months (P0.001).The combination treatment of CM and WM with continuing oral administration of CM treatment after the first-line chemoradiotherapy for LS-SCLC patients produced better prognosis, lower risks of progression, and longer survival than the WM treatment alone. (Registration No. ChiCTR2200056616).

A PrS/pDNA/RAPA nanocomposite coating of a drug-coated balloon inhibits neointimal hyperplasia and facilitates endothelial regeneration after balloon-induced vascular injuries.

PurposeTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal injection thoracic perfusion combined with cisplatin chemotherapy for lung cancer patients with MPE.MethodEight databases were searched for articles published from inception to August 20, 2022 for randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) that are relevant. The included studies were reviewed by two investigators, with relevant data extracted independently. Primary outcome was identified as objective response rate (ORR), while secondary outcomes were identified as quality of life (QOL) and adverse reactions. Quality of the included trials was assessed through risk of bias assessment of the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. The Revman5.3 and Stata17.0 software were used to calculate risk ratio (RR) at 95% confidence intervals (CI) for binary outcomes.Results29 RCTs involving 1887 patients were included in this study. Compared with patients treated with cisplatin thoracic perfusion alone, those with Chinese herbal injection and cisplatin thoracic perfusion had better therapeutic effects (RR=1.44, 95% CI: 1.35∼1.53, P = 0.000), higher KPS score (RR = 1.47, 95%CI: 1.34∼1.61, P = 0.0000), lower digestive tract reaction(RR = 0.56, 95%CI: 0.48∼0.67, P = 0.000), bone marrow suppression (RR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.43∼0.59, P =0.000) and chest pain reactions (RR = 0.65, 95%CI: 0.47∼0. 89, P = 0.007).ConclusionThe systematic review indicated that Chinese herbal injection thoracic perfusion combined with cisplatin chemotherapy may improve therapeutic effect, quality of life, and reduce adverse reactions. More large-scale and higher quality RCTs are warranted to support our findings. Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO, identifier CRD42022347345.

Purpose This study aims to explore the characteristics and related factors of insomnia of patients after operation for gastric cancer. Methods A cross-sectional survey was carried out and finally 115 patients with insomnia after operation for gastric cancer were included. The general information, gastric cancer-related information, sleep quality, and other symptoms were investigated. Results ① The Pittsburgh sleep quality index score of most insomnia patients after gastric cancer surgery was 11-15 points, and the sleep quality rating was “poor”. ② The sleep quality of patients with insomnia after surgery for gastric cancer is related to the number of chemotherapy cycles, fatigue, and depression. ③ The probability of reduced sleep quality with the number of chemotherapy cycles >6 is 3.640 times that of ≤6. The probability of reduced sleep quality during moderate to severe fatigue was 4.390 times that of patients with no or mild fatigue. Conclusion Attention to related factors may be associated with improvement of sleep quality in patients with gastric cancer after surgery.

An unprecedented 19-membered allenic macrolide archangiumide (1) was discovered from the myxobacterium Archangium violaceum SDU8 by integrating NMR-based metabolic profiling and genome mining. Its biosynthesis pathway was proposed based on the architectural analysis of the encoding trans-AT PKS genes and validated by isotope labeling. The methodology of combing 2D NMR-based metabolic profiling and bioinformatics-aided structure prediction, as exemplified by this study, is anticipated to improve discovery efficiency of a broader range of microbial "dark matter".

To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of computed tomography (CT)-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of cervical intervertebral discs for the treatment of discogenic cervicogenic headache (CEH).Some patients with CEH experience no obvious therapeutic effect after conventional therapy, particularly patients with refractory CEH originating from abnormal cervical intervertebral discs. Treatment for this type of CEH remains poorly characterized.Using a single intervention arm, pretest/posttest design, we retrospectively analyzed the data of patients who underwent CT-guided RFA of cervical intervertebral discs for CEH at the Pain Medicine Center of Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital from January 2017 to April 2021. If conservative treatment failed in patients with discogenic CEH, we classified the patients as having refractory CEH and performed RFA of cervical intervertebral discs. We used a numeric rating scale (NRS) to assess pain intensity for 6 months. We also compared therapeutic outcome of patients with different characteristics.A total of 44 patients who underwent CT-guided RFA of cervical intervertebral discs were enrolled and 41 of them were analyzed in the present study. The preoperative median (25th, 75th) NRS score was 4 (4, 5), and it was significantly reduced to 1 (0, 4) 6 months after RFA (p 0.001). The number of patients with ≥50% of their pain relieved after 6 months was 28 of 41 (68%). No serious treatment-related complications occurred in this study. Compared with single-level RFA, multi-level RFA shows greater effects on pain intensity reduction (p = 0.032) and pain relief rate (p = 0.047) of patients.In patients who have discogenic CEH, CT-guided RFA of the cervical intervertebral discs appears to be a promising treatment with no serious complications.

Graphene oxide (GO) membranes have shown enormous promise in desalination and molecular/ionic sieving. However, the instability of GO membranes in aqueous solutions seriously hinders their practical applications. Herein, we report a novel and simple strategy to fabricate stable GO membranes in water-based environments through the insertion of various metal cations from metal foils (e.g., copper (Cu), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn) foils) and natural deposition. Based on the cation-π, coordination, and electrostatic interaction between metal cations and GO nanosheets, the aqueous stability and mechanical strength of the membranes are significantly improved. The permeation rates for acetone, toluene, and p-xylene molecules across the GO membrane cross-linked by copper ions with a deposition time of 24 h are 0.966, 0.074, and 0.100 mol m-2 h-1, respectively. Moreover, this membrane displays excellent separation performance, and the separation factor of K+/Mg2+ is up to 68.8 in mono-/multivalent metal cation sieving, which indicate the effective molecular/ionic sieving performance. Meanwhile, the ionic sieving of the GO membrane cross-linked by copper ions has excellent repeatability and long-term stability. The versatility of this natural deposition strategy to fabricate GO membranes cross-linked by metal cations is investigated by using Fe foil, Zn foil, and Ni foil as well as other porous substrates such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyethersulfone (PES), and nylon membranes and filter paper. This fabrication strategy also enables low-cost preparation of large-area GO membranes. Therefore, GO membranes cross-linked by metal cations and prepared by this simple metal cation incorporation strategy have large potential application for molecular/ionic sieving in various solution systems.

A novel type of hybrid graphene oxide/laponite (GO/L) layered membrane is developed with stable two-dimensional (2D) nanochannels for efficient separations in aqueous environments. The electrostati...

The electronic and optical properties of graphane, silicane and MoS2 bilayers, as well as the graphane/MoS2 and silicane/MoS2 hetero-bilayers, are calculated by the first-principles method. The interlayer interactions of all the bilayer systems are shown to be mainly van der Waals. Both the graphane/MoS2 and silicane/MoS2 hetero-bilayers belong to the type-II heterostructure, which can be utilized in photo-voltaic devices due to the efficient spatial separation of electrons and holes. For optical properties, the distinctions for the imaginary parts of the dielectric function e 2 ( ω ) between the monolayer and bilayer systems for both the graphane and silicane are more evident in electric vector E||z. However, the differences between e 2 ( ω ) of the monolayer and bilayer MoS2 materials are more significant in E||x. Broader light absorption ranges of the hetero-bilayers are reached, which can also improve the charge separation of the electron-hole pairs.

Organic compounds are widely used in both industry and daily life, and composite bilayer films with organic compound-triggered bending properties are promising for applications of transducers, soft robotics, and so on. Here, a universal and straightforward strategy to generate composite bilayer films with organic compound-triggered bending properties is demonstrated. The composite bilayer films with organic compound-triggered bending properties are designed with bilayer structures, in which one layer is a porous polymeric membrane with appropriate solubility parameter that matches the value of organic solvents in order to produce prominent affinity to the solvent molecules, and the other layer is reduced graphene oxide membrane stacked on the porous polymeric membrane as an inert layer for restraining the swelling of the polymeric membrane on one side. Guided by matching the solubility parameters between solvent and polymer, a significant bending curvature of 27.3 cm−1 is obtained in acetone vapor. The results in this study will provide valuable guidance for designing and developing functional composite materials with significant organic compound-triggered bending properties.

The hydrophilicity of smart additives thermodynamically and kinetically affects the degree and velocity of the phase separation of casting solution, together with their distribution on the membranes, which ultimately affects the microstructure and properties of smart membrane. However, the reasonable design and successful preparation of additives with different hydrophilicity, as well as the observation of their migration during membrane formation process and final distribution on/in the membranes remain challenges. The three kinds of thermo-responsive submicrogels with similar chemical structures and different hydrophilicity were successfully fabricated and blended into poly(ether sulfone) (PES) as functional gates to prepare smart membranes via vapor-induced phase separation (VIPS). The hydrophilicity of poly(N-n-propylacrylamide) (PNN), poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNI) and poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide) (PNM) submicrogels were quantitively measured; their diameters and thermo-responsive factors in water were similar. Moreover, the effects of the hydrophilicity of submicrogels on the microstructures and properties of as-prepared smart membranes were systematically investigated and the results were elucidated in principle. The results showed the velocity of phase separation of casting solution, the pore size of membranes and the number of submicrogels distributed on membranes increased whereas the stability of submicrogels on membranes decreased with the enhancement of hydrophilicity of submicrogels. The membrane blended with PNI submicrogels with optimal hydrophilicity, which was provided with both a large number of submicrogels stably distributed on the membrane pores as smart gates and appropriate pore size, exhibited excellent permeability and thermo-responsiveness. The maximum water flux through this membrane was 26271 kg m−2 h−1 bar−1, and its maximum normalized thermo-responsive coefficient N value reached to 28.7. The results will provide valuable guidance for understanding the mechanism of phase separation and further development of smart membranes with satisfactory performances.

The preparation of microparticles with non-spherical shapes has attracted increasing interest because the special physical properties of non-spherical microparticles can increase their performance in a wide variety of industrial applications and clinical pathologies. Here a simple and flexible approach is developed to fabricate monodisperse bullet-shaped microparticles with controlled structures from microfluidic droplet templates, which are deformed by both shear stress from outer fluid and spatial confinement from microchannel. The deformation of droplet templates can be simply controlled by varying the flow rate of outer fluid and the inner diameter of collection tube. By multiplying the microfluidic device, bullet-shaped microcapsules with different internal structures can be easily fabricated from deformed double emulsion droplets. The results of flow characteristics show that, the bullet-shaped microparticles have a higher velocity than the spherical microparticles with the same volume if they flow in the microchannel with smaller diameter than the length of the bullet-shaped microparticles; whereas their flowing velocity is slightly lower than that of spherical microparticles in the microchannel if the channel diameter is larger than the length of bullet-shaped microparticles. In microchannels of a model device, bullet-shaped microparticles show better embolization performance than spherical ones. The bullet-shaped microparticles and microcapsules are promising as materials candidates in the fields of embolization therapy, substance transfer and drug release systems. The proposed strategy in this study provides a facile route for fabricating bullet-shaped microparticles with controlled structures and presents intriguing possibilities for growing researches including non-spherical microparticles and micromachine systems.

Cell wall components and structure impact the physical and mechanical properties of plants, thereby affecting wood applications. Lignin is the most abundant biopolymer after cellulose in the wood cell wall and can be modified by certain lignin biosynthesis enzymes. 4-Coumarate: coenzyme A ligase(4CL) is an important lignin biosynthesis enzyme. To demonstrate the impact of the regulation of Pto4CL1 from poplar on wood properties, we analyzed the composition and anatomy of 5-year-old Pto4CL1-modified poplar cell walls, assessing the density, strength, volume shrinkage, and impact toughness of the transgenic trees. These results showed that the up-regulation of Pto4CL1 increased the lignin content to 46.65% from 33.11% in the control plants, while hydrophilic polysaccharides such as cellulose, hemi-cellulose, and pectin decreased. In contrast, the down-regulation of Pto4CL1 resulted in a reduction in lignin content to 27.39%, and the content of cellulose and hemi-cellulose showed compensatory variation. Raman spectroscopy showed that the change in lignin in the transgenic events was embodied in the deposition and concentration of lignin in the secondary cell wall. Moreover, the increased lignin content caused significantly increased wood strength and slightly increased wood density. In contrast, a reduction in lignin content resulted in a significant decrease in wood strength and a slight decrease in wood density. However, the Pto4CL1-modified trees had similar stiffness to the control group. We also found a significant decrease in volume shrinkage and increase in impact toughness in the low-lignin events. These results indicate that Pto4CL1 regulation alters the chemical composition of plant cell walls and these changes affect the physical and mechanical properties of the wood.

An unprecedented 19-membered allenic macrolide archangiumide (

Purpose This study aims to explore the characteristics, related factors and risk factors of insomnia of patients after operation for gastric cancer. Methods A cross-sectional survey was carried out and finally 115 patients with insomnia after operation for gastric cancer were included. The general information, gastric cancer related information, sleep quality and other symptoms were investigated. Results ①The Pittsburgh sleep quality index score of most insomnia patients after gastric cancer surgery was 11–15 points, the sleep quality rating was “Poor”. ②The sleep quality of patients with insomnia after surgery for gastric cancer is related to the number of chemotherapy cycles, fatigue and depression. ③The risk of reduced sleep quality with the number of chemotherapy cycles > 6 is 3.640 times that of ≤ 6. The risk of reduced sleep quality during moderate to severe fatigue was 4.390 times that of patients with no or mild fatigue. Conclusion Attention to related factors and risk factors may be associated with improvement of sleep quality in patients with gastric cancer after surgery.

To evaluate the applicability of AHC (agro-hydrological chemical and crop systems simulator) model and explore the suitable irrigation amount for peanut (Arachis hypogaea) under mulched drip irrigation in the semi-arid areas of northwestern Liaoning Province, based on the two-year field experimental data of peanut in 2016 and 2017, the model parameters were firstly chosen for global sensitivity analysis. Then, module parameters of soil moisture and crop growth were calibrated and validated. Finally, AHC model was used to analyze the responses of peanut yield and water use efficiency (WUE) to different irrigation amounts. The results showed that the two extremely sensitive parameters of the model were saturated hydraulic conductivity in the first and second layers of soil. Root mean square error (RMSE) and mean relative error (MRE) between simulated and measured values of soil water content ranged from 0.02 to 0.03 cm为评价AHC模型在辽西北半干旱地区的适用性及寻求花生膜下滴灌条件下的最优灌水量,本研究以2016、2017年花生田间试验数据为基础,首先对模型参数进行全局敏感性分析,然后对土壤水分、作物生长模块参数进行率定及验证,最后应用AHC模型分析了试验年份花生产量和水分利用效率对不同灌水量的响应。结果表明: 模型的极敏感参数为土壤第1、2层的饱和导水率。校验过程中,土壤含水率模拟值与实测值的均方根误差(RMSE)和平均相对误差(MRE)分别在0.02～0.03 cm

This study aims to summarize the characteristics of prenatal ultrasonography of the fetus with brachydactyly. From November 2015 to December 2016, a total of 10,866 pregnant women underwent prenatal ultrasound screening at the gestational age of 17-26 weeks. Targeted ultrasonographic imaging of the fetal hands was performed. The multi-view observation of fetal fingers by ultrasound was performed at different flexions of fingers (stretching, bending and fist) to observe the ultrasonographic manifestations of metacarpals and phalanges, and the number, size, shape and arrangement of the ossification centers of metacarpals and phalanges. A comparation was performed on the prenatal sonographic findings and the results of follow-up after termination of pregnancy or birth. The prenatal ultrasound detected six cases of brachydactyly. Among these cases, five cases were bilateral and one case was unilateral. In these cases, more than one ossification center of phalanxes were invisible or significantly smaller. Furthermore, among the six cases of brachydactyly, the women of four cases chose to terminate the pregnancy, while the women of the other two cases had no other abnormalities and gave birth. In the two cases with multiple malformations, one case was complicated with osteodysplasty, cleft lip and palate, and pleural effusion, while the other case was complicated with limb body wall complex and malformation of the heart. Overall, our results suggest that the targeted two- and three-dimensional ultrasound imaging of the fetal hands in the second trimester of pregnancy can improve the detection of severe brachydactyly.

At present, selective and efficient removal of cesium ions (Cs+) from nuclear waste is of significant importance but still challenging. In this study, an easy-to-get and low-cost hydrogel adsorbent has been developed for effective adsorption and removal of Cs+ from aqueous environment. The novel Cs+-recognizable poly(acrylic acid-co-benzo-18-crown-6-acrylamide) (poly(AAc-co-B18C6Am)) hydrogel is specifically designed with a synergistic effect, in which the AAc units are designed to attract Cs+ via electrostatic attraction and the B18C6Am units are designed to capture the attracted Cs+ by forming stable 2:1 "sandwich" complexes. The poly(AAc-co-B18C6Am) hydrogels are simply synthesized by thermally initiated free-radical copolymerization and display excellent Cs+ adsorption from commonly coexisting metal ions. Important parameters affecting the adsorption are investigated comprehensively, and the adsorption kinetics and adsorption isotherms are also discussed systematically. The poly(AAc-co-B18C6Am) hydrogels exhibit rapid Cs+ adsorption within 30min and the adsorption process is governed by the pseudo-second order model. Adsorption isotherm results demonstrate that the equilibrium data are well fitted by the Langmuir isotherm model, indicating that the Cs+ adsorption is probably a monolayer adsorption process. Such Cs+-recognizable hydrogel materials based on the host-guest complexation are promising as efficient and feasible candidates for adsorption and removal of radioactive Cs+ from nuclear contaminants.

Microhelices with unique three-dimensional (3D) helical structures have attracted great attention due to applications in various fields, especially magnetic microhelices can be applied as microrobots for removal of clogging substance in microchannels, cargo transport, cell manipulation, and so on. Here, a facile and flexible strategy is developed to controllably fabricate microhelices with droplet microfluidics. On-flow fabrication of microhelices is simply achieved by generating monodisperse droplets first, transforming the spherical droplets into helical templates subsequently due to the liquid rope coiling effect, followed by polymerizing monomers in the templates via on-line UV irradiation and then degrading the shells of helical fibers. Benefitting from the flexible controllability of microfluidics, the morphologies of microhelices can be precisely controlled by adjusting the flow rates of fluids and the structures of microfluidic devices. Functional microhelices can be easily prepared by introducing functional components or elements into inner fluids. By introducing magnetic nanoparticles into inner fluids, magnetic microhelices are easily fabricated as microrobots that featured with magnetic-field-driven corkscrew-like motion for efficient cargo transport and removal of clogging substance in microchannels. This novel microfabrication method allows a precise morphological control and easy functionalization of microhelices, providing a flexible and versatile strategy for fabricating designer functional microhelices for diverse applications.

BACKGROUND Perioperative shivering is clinically common during cesarean sections under neuraxial anesthesia, and several neuraxial adjuvants are reported to have preventive effects on it. However, the results of current studies are controversial and the effects of these neuraxial adjuvants remain unclear. AIM To evaluate the effects of neuraxial adjuvants on perioperative shivering during cesarean sections, thus providing an optimal choice for clinical application. METHODS A systematic review and network meta-analysis were conducted following the PRISMA (Preferred Reported Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis) guidelines. Analyses were performed using Review Manager 5.3 and Stata 14.0. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central databases for eligible clinical trials assessing the effects of neuraxial adjuvants on perioperative shivering and other adverse events during cesarean sections. Perioperative shivering was defined as the primary endpoint, and nausea, vomiting, pruritus, hypotension, and bradycardia were the secondary outcomes. RESULTS Twenty-six studies using 9 neuraxial adjuvants for obstetric anesthesia during caesarean sections were included. The results showed that, compared with placebo, pethidine, fentanyl, dexmedetomidine, and sufentanil significantly reduced the incidence of perioperative shivering. Among the four neuraxial adjuvants, pethidine was the most effective one for shivering prevention (OR = 0.15, 95%CI: 0.07-0.35, surface under the cumulative ranking curve 83.9), but with a high incidence of nausea (OR = 3.15, 95%CI: 1.04-9.57) and vomiting (OR = 3.71, 95%CI: 1.81-7.58). The efficacy of fentanyl for shivering prevention was slightly inferior to pethidine (OR = 0.20, 95%CI: 0.09-0.43), however, it significantly decreased the incidence of nausea (OR = 0.34, 95%CI: 0.15-0.79) and vomiting (OR = 0.25, 95%CI: 0.11-0.56). In addition, compared with sufentanil, fentanyl showed no impact on haemodynamic stability and the incidence of pruritus. CONCLUSION Pethidine, fentanyl, dexmedetomidine, and sufentanil appear to be effective for preventing perioperative shivering in puerperae undergoing cesarean sections. Considering the risk-benefit profiles of the included neuraxial adjuvants, fentanyl is probably the optimal choice.

Graphene oxide (GO) membranes become emerging efficient filters for molecular or ionic separation due to their well-defined two-dimensional nanochannels formed by closely spaced GO sheets and tunable physicochemical properties. The stability of GO membranes in aqueous solutions is a prerequisite for their applications. Here we show a novel and easy strategy for fabricating GO membranes with strong stability in aqueous solutions and controllable lamellar spacing by simply doping with partially reduced graphene oxide (prGO) sheets. With our prGO-doping strategy, the interlayer stabilizing force in GO membranes is enhanced due to the weakened repulsive hydration and enhanced π-π attraction between GO sheets; as a result, the fabricated GO membranes are featured with controllable lamellar spacing and extraordinary stability in water or even strong acid and base solutions as well as strong mechanical properties, which will expand the application scope of GO membranes and provide ever better performances in their applications with aqueous solution environments.

While a rechargeable battery based on Na/CFx has been proposed, its reversible mechanism has remained unclear. Here, a new fluorinated carbon fiber material with the formula CF0.75 is used as a cathode material for rechargeable sodium batteries, delivering an initial discharge capacity of 705 mA·h g–1 with a high discharge plateau of 2.75 V and a reversible high discharge capacity of 350 mA·h g–1 at 20 mA g–1. The first discharge plateau of 2.75 V is the highest value reported in this family of materials so far, even slightly higher than that of commercial fluorinated graphite tested in a lithium battery (2.7 V). The origins of the observed high voltage of the material are explored by a combination of theoretical calculations and galvanostatic intermittent titration technique data and determined to be related to the disordered structure of the carbon fiber. Soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy and 19F magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance characterization results disclose a full view of the conver...

Improving both nitrogen utilization and peanut kernel quality (after removing peanuts shell) through water management is a growing concern for farmers. To explore the role of supplemental irrigation in nitrogen transformation between ‘source’ and ‘sink’, a split-plot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of water (rain-fed irrigation as IRI; supplemental irrigation as ISI) and nitrogen (0 kg∙ha―1 as N0; 40 kg∙ha―1 as N1; 60 kg∙ha―1 as N2 and 80 kg∙ha―1 as N3) coupling on soil nitrate nitrogen content, nitrogen accumulation and kernel quality of peanuts. We determined the dry matter weight per plant at peanut maturity as 64.66—74.92 g and 71.65—92.81 g for IRIN0 and ISIN3, respectively. ISIN2 significantly increased nitrogen accumulation, yield and water productivity. Furthermore, the ISI treatment prolonged the nitrogen uptake accumulation time of leaves, thus enhancing the nitrogen transfer from the leaves to the pods. Thus, the ISI treatment significantly increased the nitrogen harvest index by 2.13% and the nitrogen agronomic efficiency by 78.57% compared to the IRI treatment. In addition, the essential amino acid content in the fruits was within the range of 5.57—6.08%, while the content of non-essential amino acids was 16.43 to 17.46%. N1 was able to significantly increase the content of non-essential and essential amino acids, while ISI reduced the content of essential amino acids. Post-harvest soil nitrate nitrogen was principally distributed in the 0—40 cm soil layer, accounting for 77.75% of the 0—60 cm soil layer. Although the supplemental irrigation is associated with an increased risk of the nitrogen moving deeper into the soil, it greatly enhances nitrogen transfer from leaves to the pods at nitrogen application rates of 40—60 kg ha―1.

With the rapid development of Internet technology, the state supports greatly to apply the Internet technology to the various walks of life. The combination of the Internet + the marketing of rural tourism products is a new kind of marketing model, opening a new way for the marketing innovation of rural tourism products. Through analyzing the questionnaire results of the Internet + the marketing of rural tourism products, this paper has found out some existing related problems, and finally put forward some corresponding strategies.

The optical and electronic properties of graphane and silicane are studied by a first-principles method based on density functional theory, employing both the hybrid (HSE06) and the Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof (PBE) functionals. Our HSE06 results show that graphane has a direct band gap of 4.49 eV, while silicane has an indirect band gap of 2.94 eV. In graphane, the imaginary part of dielectric function e 2 ( ω ) has two peaks at 7.70 and 15.03 eV for E||z, while for E||x, there are three peaks lying at 11.56, 13.25 and 14.33 eV. In silicane, e 2 ( ω ) has a main peak at 8.68 eV for E||z, while there are two peaks at 4.56 and 8.55 eV for E||x. In graphane, the peaks in e 2 ( ω ) are mainly due to the transitions from C 2p and H 1s states to C 2s and 2p ones; while in silicane, the peaks are primarily originated from the transitions from Si 3p and H 1s states to Si 3s and 3p as well as H 1s states.

In-depth investigations of the specific ion-responsive characteristics based on 2:1 "sandwich" structures and effects of crown ether cavity sizes on the metal-ion/crown-ether complexation are systematically performed with a series of PNIPAM-based responsive copolymers containing similar contents of crown ether units with different cavity dimensions (12-crown-4 (12C4), 15-crown-5 (15C5), 18-crown-6 (18C6)). The lower critical solution temperature (LCST) values of copolymers in deionized water shift to lower temperatures gradually when the crown ether contents increase or the ring sizes decrease from 18C6 to 12C4. With increasing the concentrations of alkali metal ions (Na(+), K(+), Cs(+)) or the contents of pendent crown ether groups, the copolymers with different crown ether cavity sizes exhibit higher selectivity and sensitivity to corresponding cations. Importantly, the ion sensitivities of the copolymers in response to corresponding alkali metal ions increase dramatically with an increase in the crown ether cavity size. Interestingly, a linear relationship between the crown ether cavity size and the diameter of corresponding cation for the formation of stable 2:1 "sandwich" complexes is found for the first time, from which the size of metal ions or other guests that able to form 2:1 "sandwich" complexes with crown ethers can be deduced. The results in this work are valuable and useful for further developments and practical applications of various crown-ether-based smart materials.

Facilitated transport of K+ ions through membranes is of great significance in both science and technology for the efficient and selective separation of potassium ions. Here, a novel membrane with ion-recognizable copolymers in graphene-based nanochannels is developed for facilitated transport of potassium ions. The poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-benzo-15-crown-5-acrylamide) (PNB) copolymers are fixed in the lamellate spacings between the partially reduced graphene oxide (prGO) nanosheets. The K+ permeability of the fabricated prGO-PNB membrane remarkably increases at around the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the PNB copolymer, because of the dynamic complexation between B15C5 units and K+ ions at around the LCST. The selectivity of K+/Na+ increases with increasing the content of PNB copolymers in the membrane. The proposed membrane shows good stability in water and K+ separation performance. Due to the uniform channels and facilitated transport mechanism of the prGO-PNB membrane, the comprehensive performance of selectivity and permeability of the K+ ions is better than that of previously reported polymer-based nanofiltration membranes, polymer-based facilitated transport membranes and graphene-based membranes. The proposed strategy of this prGO-PNB membrane that combining graphene-based sheets as “skeleton” and substance-recognizable copolymers as “facilitators” is also applicable to fabricate membranes for facilitated transport of other ions or molecules.

An allotrope of graphene named T graphene was reported to reveal Dirac-like fermions and high Fermi velocity in its buckled phase similar to graphene. However, these Dirac fermions were questioned to be artificial, caused by band folding under the unstable buckling in T graphene. Here, we report first-principles studies on the structural and electronic properties of T graphene nanotubes which are systems rolled up from the two-dimensional planar sheet of T graphene. The ‘artificial’ Dirac fermions in T graphene are turned into reality in the T graphene nanotubes. Two sets of T graphene nanotubes with different diameters were studied. One set of T graphene nanotubes reveals a semi-metallic property and shows an increasing of the number of Dirac points with the diameters. Another set of T graphene nanotubes reveals a metallic property. Our study indicates that rolling up the allotrope of graphene can provide a new avenue for developing new semimetal materials with fascinating properties.

Twenty-three bacterial strains isolated from root nodules of Arachis hypogaea and Lablab purpureus grown in five provinces of China were classified as a novel group within the genus Bradyrhizobium by analyses of PCR-based RFLP of the 16S rRNA gene and 16S-23S IGS. To determine their taxonomic position, four representative strains were further characterized. The comparative sequence analyses of 16S rRNA and six housekeeping genes clustered the four strains into a distinctive group closely related to the defined species Bradyrhizobium liaoningense, Bradyrhizobium yuanmingense, Bradyrhizobium huanghuaihaiense, Bradyrhizobium japonicum and Bradyrhizobium daqingense. The DNA-DNA relatedness between the reference strain of the novel group, CCBAU 051107(T), and the corresponding type strains of the five mentioned species varied between 46.05% and 13.64%. The nodC and nifH genes of CCBAU 051107(T) were phylogenetically divergent from those of the reference strains for the related species. The four representative strains could nodulate with A. hypogaea and L. purpureus. In addition, some phenotypic features differentiated the novel group from the related species. Based on all the results, we propose a new species Bradyrhizobium arachidis sp. nov. and designate CCBAU 051107(T) (=CGMCC 1.12100(T)=HAMBI 3281(T)=LMG 26795(T)) as the type strain, which was isolated from a root nodule of A. hypogaea and had a DNA G+C mol% of 60.1 (Tm).

Spasers can serve as a pure surface plasmon generator with a coupling efficiency to plasmonic modes approaching 100%., Spasers are a new class of laser devices with cavity sizes free from optical diffraction limit. They are an emergent tool for various applications, including biochemical sensing, superresolution imaging, and on-chip optical communication. According to its original definition, a spaser is a coherent surface plasmon amplifier that does not necessarily generate a radiative photon output. However, to date, spasers have only been studied with scattered photons, and their intrinsic surface plasmon emission is a “dark” emission that is yet to be revealed because of its evanescent nature. We directly image the surface plasmon emission of spasers in spatial, momentum, and frequency spaces simultaneously. We demonstrate a nanowire spaser with a coupling efficiency to plasmonic modes of 74%. This coupling efficiency can approach 100% in theory when the diameter of the nanowire becomes smaller than 50 nm. Our results provide clear evidence of the surface plasmon amplifier nature of spasers and will pave the way for their various applications.

Gossypol is an attractive therapeutic anti-tumor agent as an apoptosis inducer and is being evaluated in preclinical tests. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying apoptosis induction by gossypol in malignant cells have not been completely enunciated. Here we investigate the alterations of Bcl-2/Bcl-xL/Mcl-1 protein levels and Bcl-2 phosphorylation in gossypol-induced apoptosis in human leukemia HL-60 cells. We found that gossypol treatment inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis in HL-60 cells. Bcl-2/Bcl-xL/Mcl-1 protein levels were slightly reduced and phosphorylation of Bcl-2 at threonine 56 (phospho T56) was not altered. However, phosphorylation of Bcl-2 at serine 70 (phospho S70) was strikingly down-regulated in gossypol-exposed cells. This reduction was found to be not only in both dose- and time-dependent fashion but also obviated by phorbol l2,13-dibutyrate (PDBu), an activator of protein kinase C (PKC). In addition, pre-treatment of PDBu partially prevented gossypol-induced apoptosis in HL-60 cells. Collectively, gossypol treatment can reduce phosphorylation of Bcl-2 at serine 70 in leukemia HL-60 cells and gossypol may be a promising therapeutical candidate for leukemia patients especially expressing phosphorylated Bcl-2 at Ser70.

Terahertz (THz) digital holography is a combination of THz technology and digital holography which has drawn wide attention. Exact measurements of real recording distances in terahertz (THz) digital holography are important. Autofocusing experimental researches have been conducted based on the holograms in THz off-axis digital holography. Five criterion functions are utilized in this paper. Autofocusing performance of these criterion functions has been analyzed and compared by changing the numbers of the superposition frames of holograms. Experiment results show that five criterion functions all have preferable autofocusing performance with the 5-frame averaged holograms; standard deviation–based correlation criterion function has the worst autofocusing performance.

The technology of terahertz (THz) is a major research area in the 21st century. THz imaging is an important research direction. The single-frequency continuous-wave THz technology is combined with coaxial reflection-mode confocal scanning microscopic imaging in this article. Under the given system parameters, the transverse response character of 2.52THz (118.83μm) coaxial reflection-mode confocal scanning microscopic imaging is emulated and analyzed. The results of emulation show that coaxial reflection-mode confocal scanning microscopic imaging is feasible in THz region.

Because of the particularity of terahertz radiation, terahertz digital holographic imaging has attracted increasing attention. Thereinto, the resolution is the key to this field. Within an inverse problem framework, the simulation on the single point resolution of 2.52 THz on-axis digital hologram at different recording distances and object positions is made in this paper. Simulation results show that the recording distance and the object position have a great influence on the single point resolution. Simulation results have important directive significance to the practical terahertz digital holographic imaging.

Ochotona curzoniae is one of the main creature calamities in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. With the development of advanced biological recognition technologies, a new scientific method is provided for the Ochotona curzoniae's research using the automatic identification system of the Ochotona curzoniae. Image processing is one of the important procedures in the automatic identification system of the Ochotona curzoniae. In this paper, on the basis of research on traditional methods of edge detection, in order to solve the problems existed in the traditional algorithms of the edge detection in Ochotona curzoniae image, the algorithm of edge detection based on grayscale morphology is applied to the edge detection of the Ochotona curzoniae image. The results showed that the methods of edge detection based on mathematical morphology can overcome the problems existed in traditional methods of edge detection in Ochotona curzoniae image, such as noise- sensitive, no clear boundary etc, and can obtain good effect on edge detection. It is benefitial for the follow-up feature extraction and target recognition.

Ochotona curzoniae is one of the main creature calamities in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. With the development of advanced biological recognition technologies, a new scientific method is provided for the Ochotona curzoniae's research using an automatic identification system of this animal. But due to the relative motion between the object and the video camera, the obtained image of Ochotona curzoniae is often blurred in the process of image acquisition. The technology of image restoration can eliminate the blur of image and improve the quality of image. In this paper, on the basis of the analysis of the degradation model of motion blurred image and the restoration process of motion blurred image, the methods of image restoration of motion-blurred images of Ochotona curzoniae are studied and implemented. These motion blurred images are restored by the methods of inverse filter and Wiener filter to improve the quality of the image of Ochotona curzoniae to better carry out the follow-up feature extraction and target recognition.