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A new perovskite-based turn-on sensor, Cs4PbBr6/FAU-Y, is designed by depositing the precursor of CsPbBr3 on hygroscopic zeolite FAU-Y. This sensor shows an excellent fluorescence response when exposed to both low and high humidity conditions.

Congenital syphilis is a significant public health problem. Pregnant women infected with Treponema pallidum present with various clinical manifestations, mainly including skin or visceral manifestations. The extensive clinical manifestations of T. pallidum infection mimic those of many other diseases during pregnancy, which may lead to delayed diagnosis and serious consequences. We report a case of fetal T. pallidum infection and premature delivery in a woman whose syphilis screening was negative at 16 weeks of gestation. Despite presenting to the dermatologist at 24 weeks of gestation with maculopapular rash which is usually associated with secondary syphilis, the diagnosis of syphilis was not considered. This case shows that even if early syphilis screening of pregnant women is negative, they may still get infected with T. pallidum later on in pregnancy. Therefore, in patients presenting with a rash without an obvious cause, T. pallidum infection should be excluded. The health status of patients' spouses should be assessed during pregnancy. Additionally, perinatal health education is necessary for women and their spouses during pregnancy. The abovementioned factors could reduce the probability of T. pallidum infection in pregnant women and their infants.

133Ba, 63Ni, and 60Co are hazardous to the ecosystem and human health. Their nonradioactive isotopes are also worthy of concern as toxic metal ions. Barium can be studied as a simulant of hazardous...

As one of the most important therapies in complementary and alternative medicine, acupuncture has been used in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Acupuncture of “olfactory three-needle” manipulation can improve the cognitive ability of AD patients. However, the mechanism of “olfactory three-needle” in AD remains largely unknown. Here, we identified that the “olfactory three-needle” therapy and eugenol olfactory stimulation both reduced the deposition of β-amyloid (Aβ) protein and increased the expression of synaptophysin (SYP), but only the “olfactory three-needle” enhanced the spatial learning and memory ability of SAMP8. Remarkably, the “olfactory three-needle” inhibited the phosphorylation of p38MAPK and the excessive activation of microglia (MG) in the hippocampus. Our study demonstrates that the “olfactory three-needle” enhances spatial learning and memory ability by inhibiting the phosphorylation of p38MAPK and the excessive activation of MG to reduce the neuroinflammatory response and neurotoxicity of Aβ and promote synaptic regeneration, but it was not completely consistent with the stimulation of the olfactory system.

Herein, two indium-based metal organic frameworks (In-MOFs), namely [(CH3)2NH2][In(bpdc)2]·(DMF)2 (1) and [(CH3)2NH2]3[(In3Cl2)(bpdc)5]·(H2O)5(DMF)2.5 (2, bpdcH2 = 4,4′-biphenyldicarboxylic acid), have been synthesized and characterized. By introducing a Cl− ion as a terminal ligand to break the symmetrical coordination environment of a typical InO8 dodecahedron as that in a three dimensional (3D) compound 1 with a 4-connected and four-fold interpenetrating dia net topology, a chiral 2D compound 2 with unique double-helical chains along the c axis is generated. Fluorescence (FL) measurements indicate that both compounds demonstrate excellent FL sensing behaviour towards CS2, a trace amount of Fe3+ ions and nitro-containing explosives. Notably, the layered 2 exhibits a unique “turn on” FL sensing behaviour towards thiol molecules, e.g., cysteine and 1-butylmercaptan, by exfoliating 2 into a few-layer FL material. The detection mechanism was investigated in detail by multiple characterizations including but not limited to EDS, SEM and AFM. The [(CH3)2NH2]+ cations in 2 can be replaced by an Eu3+ ion to generate 2@Eu3+ which exhibits a new characteristic sharp red emission of Eu3+. More importantly, 2@Eu3+ can serve as a convenient ratiometric FL sensor for temperature, demonstrating obvious color changes from weak purple to red under UV light as the temperature increases. Furthermore, cationic green- and red-light emitting dyes incorporated with 2@dyes emit white light with 17.28% quantum yield.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the fluorine-18 fludeoxyglucose PET/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) findings of retroperitoneal leiomyosarcoma (RLMS) and the role of this method in differentiating between benign and malignant masses and classifying the malignant degree to improve the understanding of this rare disease. METHODS Eight leiomyomas (A group), 13 RLMSs (B group), and 20 postoperative recurrence/metastasis RLMSs (C group) were enrolled. PET/CT features of B group were analyzed. The differences of metabolic parameters between three groups were compared, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to group A and B, and correlation analysis was performed to subgroup B. RESULTS (1) The RLMS patients were more likely to be female, and PET/CT showed a high degree of heterogeneous metabolism in the soft tissue mass. (2) The standardized uptake value (SUV) of RLMS were significantly higher than those of benign leiomyomas (P

In order to overcome the problems of poor performance of distance detection based on deep learning, vehicle borne ultrasonic ranging system and vehicle borne radar automatic braking system in foggy and high-speed environment, this paper proposes a vehicle distance warning system based on the fusion of LoRa technology and laser ranging technology. The algorithm is established by visibility, speed, speed limit, distance and other factors, and the threshold value of minimum safe distance is set. Then the LoRa wireless network is used to monitor the distance between the front and rear vehicles. At the same time, the intelligent warning can be realized when the dangerous distance is between vehicles, so as to ensure the safety of high-speed driving in foggy days. The experimental results show that the system has the characteristics of wide protection range, low power consumption, high reliability and low cost.

Synaptic dysfunction and neuronal loss are related to cognitive impairment of Alzheimer's disease. Recent evidence indicates that regulating the phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase (PI3K)/AKT/GSK-3β pathway is a therapeutic strategy for improving synaptic plasticity in Alzheimer's disease. Here, we investigated "olfactory three-needle" effects on synaptic function and the PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β signaling pathway in β-amyloid

Yu Jie Gao,1 De Lin Liu,2 Sheng Li,2 Gao Feng Yuan,1 Li Li,1 Hong Yan Zhu,3 Guan Yi Cao3 1Department of Medical Oncology, Suqian First Hospital, Suqian, Jiangsu, China; 2Department of Medical Oncology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research & The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China; 3Department of General Surgery, Suqian First Hospital, Suqian, Jiangsu, China Background: The poor prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) largely results from local invasion and tumor metastases. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a key step in the progression of solid tumors and plays a vital role in tumor metastasis. Recent studies demonstrate that C-X-C motif chemokine 11 (CXCL11) is involved in various cancers’ progression. However, its biological activity in CRC needs deeper exploration. Methods: The level of CXCL11 in CRC tissues and cell lines was determined using the quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) assay. The MTT, colony formation, wound healing and Transwell invasion assays were applied to assess the role of CXCL11 in CRC cell growth, migration and invasion, in vitro, respectively. A xenograft model was constructed to analyze the function of CXCL11 in CRC cell growth in vivo. Results: CXCL11 was over-expressed in CRC tissues and cell lines. Repression of CXCL11 significantly inhibited CRC cell migration, invasion and EMT in vitro. In addition, down-regulation of CXCL11 reduced CRC cell growth and metastasis in vivo. Finally, we revealed that repression of CXCL11 inhibited the metastatic ability of CRC cell in a N-cadherin dependent manner. Conclusion: In summary, this study explicates the oncogenic activities of CXCL11 in CRC cell growth and metastasis. Keywords: colon cancer, CXCL11, migration, invasion, EMT

Chitin deacetylases (CDAs) are enzymes that catalyze the conversion of chitin into chitosan, thereby influence the mechanical and permeability properties of structures such as the cuticle and peritrophic matrices. The full length cDNAs of chitin deacetylase2 (CDA2) genes from Hyphantria cunea were fully cloned by PCR amplification. Two cDNA sequences of HcCDA2 were searched from transcriptome of H. cunea and named as HcCDA2a and HcCDA2b. The deduced protein sequences showed that HaCDA2a and HaCDA2b are synthesized as preproteins of 524 and 518 amino acid residues with an 18-amino acid signal peptide, respectively. HcCDA2a and HcCDA2b contained a chitin-binding domain (ChBD), a low-density lipoprotein receptor class A domain (LDLa) and a polysaccharide deacetylase-like catalytic domain (CDA). Gene expression analyses results showed that HcCDA2a and HcCDA2b were both expressed at the head, integument, foregut, midgut, hindgut, Malpighian tubules and fat body, as well as the 1st to 5th days of fifth instar larvae. Western blot analyses revealed that HcCDA2 protein was highly abundant in the head and integument, and the developmental expression result in the fifth instars showed that HcCDA2 was highly present at the first two days. Besides, RT-PCR results showed that HcCDA2a and HcCDA2b were both expressed in integument and head, whether in molting stage or feeding stage. No visiable phenotypic changes were observed after injection of dsHcCDA2b, while lethal phenotypes of cuticle shedding failure and high mortality were resulted from injection of dsHcCDA2a. The silence of HcCDA2a leads to the ecdysis failure and death of H. cunea. These results suggest that HcCDA2 plays an important role during insect development, and provide new candidate targets and basis for developing environment-friendly pesticides.

Unconventional ion exchangers can achieve efficient removal of [UO2]2+, Cs+, and Sr2+ ions from complex aqueous solutions and are of great interest for environmental remediation. We report two new gallium thioantimonates, [Me2NH2]2[Ga2Sb2S7]·H2O (FJSM-GAS-1) and [Et2NH2]2[Ga2Sb2S7]·H2O (FJSM-GAS-2), which present excellent ion exchange properties for [UO2]2+, Cs+, and Sr2+ ions. They exhibit high ion exchange capacities for [UO2]2+, Cs+, and Sr2+ ions ( qmU = 196 mg/g, qmCs = 164 mg/g, and qmSr = 80 mg/g for FJSM-GAS-1, qmU = 144 mg/g for FJSM-GAS-2) and short equilibrium times for [UO2]2+ ion exchange (5 min for FJSM-GAS-1 and 15 min for FJSM-GAS-2, respectively). Both compounds display active ion exchange with [UO2]2+ in the pH range of 2.9-10.5. Moreover, the sulfide compounds could maintain high distribution coefficients KdU even in the presence of excess Na+, Ca2+, and HCO3-. The distribution coefficient KdU of 6.06 × 106 mL/g exhibited by FJSM-GAS-1 is the highest among the reported U adsorbents. The [UO2]2+-laden products can be recycled by conveniently eluting the uranium with a low-cost method. These advantages combined with facile synthesis, as well as β and γ radiation resistance, make FJSM-GAS-1 and FJSM-GAS-2 promising for selective separations in nuclear waste remediation.

Employing a rational design strategy to construct porous metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with predictable structures for specific applications still remains one of the most compelling challenges. Here, a novel two-dimensional (2D) bilayer (FJI-H16) based on Zn/Cd heterometal clusters has been constructed throughout a heterometal strategy, further introducing pillar ligands with different sizes and flexibilities that expand such 2D bilayer structures into two novel three-dimensional (3D) frameworks (FJI-H17, FJI-H18), in which both the pore size and flexibility of the new-formed 3D frameworks can be tuned. Further gas adsorption research indicates that the less porous FJI-H16 has the highest H2 adsorption, while the very porous FJI-H17 has the highest CO2 adsorption. The relationship between gas adsorption properties and pore characteristics also has been investigated, which will provide a potential strategy that can improve gas adsorption in designing porous MOFs.

It is of vital importance to capture 137Cs+ and 90Sr2+ from solutions for radionuclide remediation due to their hazardous nature and long half-life. Although metal organic framework (MOF) materials have been greatly developed, the studies of their application in the capture of radioactive cations remain rare. Especially, the capture mechanism has not been clarified. Here, we present a new In-MOF material with the potential for remediation of radioactive Cs+ and Sr2+ ions by ion exchange, namely, [Me2NH2][In(TDC)2]·1.5DMA·1.5H2O (FJSM-InMOF; H2TDC = 2,5-thiophenedicarboxylic acid and DMA = N,N′-dimethylacetamide). It possesses an anionic framework of [In(TDC)2]nn− charge balanced by dimethylammonium cations. It could be easily synthesized via a one-pot solvothermal route. Remarkably, it showed excellent β and α radiation-resistances, high exchange capacities (qCsm = 198.63 mg g−1; qSrm = 43.83 mg g−1), impressive selectivity (KCsd = 7.50 × 104 mL g−1; KSrd = 9.49 × 105 mL g−1), high ion-exchange efficiency (RSr = 99.89%; RCs = 99.63%) and the ability of convenient elution with low cost. In particular, the ion exchange mechanism was illuminated by an unprecedented observation of the single-crystal to single-crystal structural transformation in the Cs+-exchange process. This work paves the way to develop highly efficient and environmentally friendly MOFs for the selective capture of radionuclides.

The lncRNA colorectal neoplasia differentially expressed (lncRNA CRNDE) has been reported to play a pivotal role in various cancers. However, the expression and function of CRNDE in pancreatic cancer remain unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of CRNDE on pancreatic cancer and the underlying mechanisms.The expression of CRNDE in pancreatic cancer tissues and cell lines was determined by RT-qPCR. Proliferation and angiogenesis were detected by MTT, colony formation, transwell and tube formation assays in vitro and in vivo. ELISA assay was used to detect the secretion of VEGFA. IHC was performed to test the expression levels of Ki67 and CD31. The binding sites between CRNDE, CDKN2D and miR-451a were predicted by bioinformatics analysis. Dual luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation assays were conducted to confirm the interaction with each other.The results showed that CRNDE was significantly up-regulated in pancreatic cancer tissues as well as cell lines. CRNDE overexpression promoted the progression and angiogenesis of pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we identified that CRNDE functioned as a sponge for miR-451a and CRNDE overexpression inhibited the expression of miR-451a. Furthermore, we confirmed that miR-451a directly interacted with CDKN2D and negatively regulated CDKN2D expression. In addition, CRNDE was found to positively regulate CDKN2D expression and mediate pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and angiogenesis through miR-451a/CDKN2D axis.CRNDE modulates cell proliferation and angiogenesis via miR-451a/CDKN2D axis in pancreatic cancer, which provides a potential therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer treatment.

Exploring new ion-exchangers for the recovery of rare earth elements (REEs) and recycling is worthwhile for the high-tech industry and an eco-friendly sustainable economy. The efficient enrichment of low concentration REE from complex aqueous solutions containing large excess of competitive ions is challenging. Here we present a chalcogenide example as a superior REE ion-exchanger efficiently removing them from very complex aqueous solutions, (Me2NH2)1.33(Me3NH)0.67 Sn3S7·1.25H2O (FJSM-SnS). The material exhibits fast and efficient ion exchange behavior with short equilibrium time ( 99%) at low concentrations. Moreover, after ion-exchange, the REE in corresponding exchanged products could be easily recovered by elution. FJSM-SnS has superior capacity ...

Synaptic dysfunction and neuronal loss are related to cognitive impairment of Alzheimer’s disease. Recent evidence indicates that regulating the phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase (PI3K)/AKT/GSK-3β pathway is a therapeutic strategy for improving synaptic plasticity in Alzheimer’s disease. Here, we investigated “olfactory three-needle” effects on synaptic function and the PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β signaling pathway in β-amyloid1-42 (Aβ1-42)-induced Alzheimer’s disease rats. A three-needle olfactory bulb insertion for 28 days alleviated Aβ1-42-induced Alzheimer’s disease rats’ cognitive impairment as assessed by performance in the Morris water maze test. Furthermore, the three-needle electrode inhibited neuro-apoptosis and neuro-inflammation. It significantly upregulated the protein expression of postsynaptic density protein 95, synaptophysin, and GAP43, indicating a protective effect on hippocampal synaptic plasticity. Additionally, the activation level of PI3K/AKT signaling and the phosphorylation inactivation of GSK-3β were significantly enhanced by the “olfactory three-needle”. Our findings suggested that the three-needle acupuncture is a potential alternative to improve synaptic plasticity and neuronal survival of Alzheimer’s disease brain in rodents.

A new glycoside of polymethoxylated flavonol, citrusunshitin A (1), together with five known analogues (2–6) were isolated from peels of Citrus reticulata Blanco. The structure of 1 was elucidated by NMR and MS data, and further confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Compounds 1–5 were isolated from C. reticulata Blanco. for the first time, and 1–6 were considered as the chemotaxonomic markers for the species C. reticulata Blanco.

A 10-week experiment was conducted to estimate the effects of graded levels of histidine on growth performance, digested enzymes activities, erythrocyte osmotic fragility and hypoxia-tolerance of juvenile grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella. Six isonitrogenous (38%) and isoenergetic semi-purified diets containing casein and gelatin with graded levels of histidine (0.45, 0.72, 1.02, 1.28, 1.55, 1.78 g 100 g − 1 DM) were formulated. Each diet was assigned to triplicate groups of 30 fish (3.68 ± 0.01) for each tank. The highest weight gain (WG, %), final body weight (FBW, g) and specific growth rate (SGR) were recorded when histidine level was 1.02% of the diet. Whole body protein and muscle protein were not significantly affected by the histidine level ( P > 0.05). Muscle histidine content was linearly increased along with the dietary histidine increasing ( P − 1 ) exhibited highest erythrocyte osmotic fragility ( P P Statement of relevance The present study determined optimum dietary histidine requirement for juvenile grass carp and the data goes to 1.21% of the diet, corresponding to 3.2% of dietary protein. We also found that juvenile grass carp fed with histidine deficiency diet not only limited their growth performance, but also exhibited higher erythrocyte osmotic fragility, lower hypoxia-tolerance and antioxidant enzyme activities. Digested enzyme activities were also significantly affected by the dietary histidine levels. Thus, it is important to meet histidine requirement when commercial diets are formulated for this species.

A method of blocking neural signal for spasticity which is based on the antimissile strategy was proposed. When the pathological nerve action potential signal is detected at the proximal end of the nerve, such a potential signal that is opposite to the signal of the primary neural activity is applied at the distal end of the nerve at a proper delay so as to block the pathological nerve signal. Preliminary tests were performed on toad sciatic nerve-gastrocnemius specimens. Firstly, the effect of the distance between blocking electrodes on the blocking pulse voltage threshold was studied based on the electrical tension induced by the nerve signal on the controlled muscle. Then, the effective parameters of the blocking waveform were studied. Finally, the delay range of the blocking pulse compared to the pathogen action potential was studied. The results showed that in the sciatic nerve-gastrocnemius specimens, the most effective distance between the blocking electrode pairs was 5 mm and the anodic block required an inverted triangle waveform. The voltage threshold of an effective anodic blocking pulse was 1 V and the minimum pulse width was 90 ms. Under the condition of voltage threshold and minimum pulse width, the time shifting value of blocking pulse was greater than 1ms. It is concluded from the study that the spastic action potential caused by the disease can be effectively blocked, and limb muscle spasms can be eliminated under the action of appropriate electrode configuration and blocking signal waveforms.

Unconventional ion exchangers can achieve efficient removal of [UO

This experiment was conducted to investigate total aromatic amino acid requirement of juvenile grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella. Six isonitrogenous and isoenergetic semipurified diets containing casein and gelatin with graded level of phenylalanine (7.8, 11.1, 14.4, 17.6, 21.7, 24.9 g kg−1 DM) were formulated. Each diet was randomly assigned to triplicate group of 30 fish (3.58 ± 0.002 g, mean ± SEM) each tank for 8 weeks. The highest weight gain (WG, %), final body weight (g) and specific growth rate were recorded when phenylalanine level was 17.6 g kg−1 of the diet. Fish muscle protein content, protein efficiency ratio (PER), feed conversion ratio and alanine aminotransferase were significantly affected by dietary phenylalanine level. The polynomial regression calculated using WG and PER indicated that the optimal dietary total aromatic amino acid (phenylalanine + tyrosine) requirement for juvenile grass carp was 24.4 g kg−1 of the diet, corresponding to 65.9 g kg−1 of dietary protein.

Objective: The aim of this study was to quantify the copies of circulating nucleophosmin (NPM) mutations DNA in the plasma of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and to explore the association of circulating NPM mutation levels with clinical characteristics. Design and Methods: The presence of NPM mutations in 100 Chinese patients newly diagnosed with AML were identified by RT-PCR and sequencing analysis. Copies of circulating NPM mutation A (NPM mut.A) DNA in the plasma of mutation-positive cases were quantified by real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR). Furthermore, the association of circulating NPM mutation levels and clinical characteristics was analyzed. Results: NPM mutations were identified in 37 of the 100 patients and all cases were NPM mut.A. The circulating NPM mut.A levels ranged from 0.35×10 8 copies/ml to 6.0×10 8 copies/ml in the 37 mutation-positive cases. The medium and quartile M (P25, P75) of the circulating NPM mut.A levels in patients classified as M2, M4 and M5 morphological subtypes were 1.35×10 8 (0.76×10 8 , 1.91×10 8 ) copies/ml, 1.81×10 8 (1.47×10 8 , 2.2×10 8 ) copies/ml and 2.50×10 8 (2.42×10 8 , 3.05×10 8 ) copies/ml, respectively. Circulating NPM mut.A levels were significantly higher in patients with the M5 subtype of AML compared to patients with the M2 and M4 subtypes (p=0.000, p=0.046). In addition, circulating NPM mut.A copies were significantly associated with a higher white blood cell count, platelet count and bone marrow blast percentage (p

Background It has been reported that postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is correlated with the degeneration of the central nervous system, oxidative stress, inflammation, and endocrine and immune dysfunction. Increased age, predisposed comorbidity, long surgery time, and prolonged stay in the intensive care unit have been reported to be risk factors for developing POCD for cardiac surgery. In the present study, the risk factors of early POCD after colorectal surgery were investigated. Methods Eighty patients, who provided informed consents for their participation in this study, were enrolled and received colorectal surgery under general anesthesia. Neuropsychological tests were performed preoperatively and on postoperative day seven. The risk factors for POCD were analyzed using a multivariate logistic regression model. Results Nineteen patients were diagnosed with POCD (24.7%). Diabetes history (OR = 8.391 [2.208–31.882], P = 0.012), fasting over 3 days after surgery (OR = 5.236 [1.998–13.721], P = 0.001) and an SIRS score of > 3 on the second day after surgery (OR = 6.995 [1.948–25.111], P = 0.003) were risk factors for early POCD in colorectal cancer patients. Conclusion The risk factors for early POCD after colorectal surgery included diabetes history, fasting over 3 days, and an SIRS score of > 3 on the second day.

Objective: The electromyographic bridge (EMGB) detects surface electromyographic signals from a non-paretic limb. It then generates electric pulse trains according to the electromyographic time domain features, which can be used to stimulate a paralysed or paretic limb in real time. This strategy can be used for the contralateral control of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) to improve motor function after stroke. The aim of this study was to compare the treat-ment effects of EMGB vs cyclic NMES on wrist and finger impairments in subacute stroke patients. Methods: A total of 42 hemiplegic patients within 6 months of their cerebrovascular accidents were randomly assigned to 4-week treatments with EMGB or cyclic NMES. Each group underwent a standard rehabilitation programme and 10 sessions per week of hand training with EMGB or cyclic NMES. Outcome measures were: Brunnstrom stage, upper extremity components of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment, Motor Status Scale, voluntary surface electromyographic ratio and active range of motion of the wrist and finger joints. Results: The EMGB group showed significantly greater improvements than the cyclic NMES group on the following measures: Brunnstrom stages for the hand, upper extremity – Fugl-Meyer Assessment, Motor Status Scale, and the voluntary surface electromyographic ratio of wrist and finger extensors. Eleven and 4 participants of the EMGB group who had no active wrist and finger movements, respectively, at the start of the treatment could perform measurable wrist and finger extensions after EMGB training. The corresponding numbers in the cyclic NMES group were only 4 and 1. Conclusion: In the present group of subacute stroke patients, the results favour EMGB over cyclic NMES for augmenting the recovery of volitional wrist and finger motion.

The voluntary participation of the paralyzed patients is crucial for the functional electrical stimulation (FES) therapy. In this study, we developed a strategy called “EMG Bridge” (EMGB) for volitional control of multiple movements using FES technique. The surface electromyography (sEMG) signals of the agonist muscles were transformed to stimulation pulses with various pulse width and frequency to stimulate the target paralyzed muscles using MAV/NSS co-modulation (MNDC) algorithm we proposed recently. Motion pattern classification based on linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was included to recognize the motion status and mapping the sEMG detection channel to the corresponding stimulation channel. A prototype EMGB system was built for real-time control of four hand movements. The test results showed that the movements can be reproduced with a successful rate of 92.5±3.5%. The angle trajectory of wrist joint and metacarpal-phalangeal joint can be mimicked with a maximum cross-correlation coefficient > 0.84 and a latency less than 300 ms.

Exploring new ion-exchangers for the recovery of rare earth elements (REEs) and recycling is worthwhile for the high-tech industry and an eco-friendly sustainable economy. The efficient enrichment of low concentration REE from complex aqueous solutions containing large excess of competitive ions is challenging. Here we present a chalcogenide example as a superior REE ion-exchanger efficiently removing them from very complex aqueous solutions, (Me

A new pair of sesamin-type lignan enantiomers (±)-morifolia A (1a/1b) together with eight known analogues (2–9) were isolated from the fruits of Morinda citrifolia. Their structures were established by spectroscopic data and the absolute configurations of 1a/1b were determined by ECD calculation. All compounds were examined for their inhibitory effects on the nitric oxide (NO) production induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in RAW 264.7 macrophages, and compounds 1a, 1b, 2–4 and 7–9 exhibited pronounced inhibition with IC50 values in the range of 1.97–8.01 (μM, being more active than the positive control, quercetin (IC50 = 15.32 (M).

This experiment was conducted to estimate the optimum requirement of arginine for juvenile grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella. Six isonitrogenous (38%) and isoenergetics (16 MJ kg−1) semi-purified diets containing casein and gelatine with graded level of arginine (0.93, 1.20, 1.51, 1.84, 2.10 and 2.41 g 100 g−1 DM) were formulated. Each diet was randomly assigned to triplicate groups of 25 fish each tank (initial weight: 3.84 ± 0.01) for 10 weeks. The highest weight gain (WG, %) was recorded when arginine level was 2.10% of the diet. Dietary arginine level higher than 1.84% significantly increased the protein contents of whole body. Whole body amino acid composition of juvenile grass carp was not significantly affected by the dietary arginine level. Plasma-free arginine level was increased linearly with increasing of arginine level in the diets, and the plasma-free ornithine level was significantly higher when the dietary arginine level was 2.41% compared with other groups. Quadratic model analysis of SGR data indicated that the minimum recommended dietary arginine requirement for grass carp was 2.17% of the diet, corresponding to 5.71% of dietary protein.

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of threonine on growth performance, biochemical parameters and intestine morphology of juvenile grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella. Six isonitrogenous and isoenergetic semi-purified diets containing casein and gelatin with graded level of threonine (0.73, 1.03, 1.33, 1.63, 1.93, 2.23 g 100 g− 1 DM) were formulated. Each diet was randomly assigned to triplicate groups of 30 fishes (4.02 ± 0.004 g, mean ± S.E.M.) each tank for 10 weeks. The highest weight gain (WG, %), final body weight (FBW, g) and specific growth rate (SGR) were recorded when threonine level was 1.33% of the diet. Second-degree polynomial regression analysis of SGR data indicated that the optimum requirement of threonine is to be at 1.37%, corresponding to 3.61% of dietary protein. Whole body protein, muscle protein, aspartate aminotransferase and cholesterol were significantly affected by the threonine level (P < 0.05). Threonine retention was significantly affected by dietary threonine level (P < 0.05). Fish fed threonine deficiency diets (0.73%, 1.03%) exhibited intestinal villus exfoliation, twist, severely fusion, lower anterior intestinal villus height and serosa thickness. The present results indicated that dietary threonine level not only affected grass carp growth, feed intake and body protein synthesis, but also influenced anterior intestinal development and integrity.

Background Although photoplethysmography and cerebral state index (CSI) have been used as indices in monitoring vital signs perioperatively, there are only a few reports comparing the performance of photoplethysmography with CSI in monitoring anaesthesia depth. The aim of the present study was to clarify features of photoplethysmography in monitoring balanced general anesthesia compared with CSI. Material/Methods Forty-five patients undergoing elective operation under general anaesthesia were enrolled in this study. Anaesthesia was induced with target-controlled infusion propofol. The photoplethysmogram, CSI, Modified Observer’s Assessment of Alertness/Sedation Scale (MOAAS), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were continuously monitored and recorded. Finger photoplethysmogram amplitude (PPGA) and pulse beat interval (PBI) were calculated off-line. Results For the period of time from pre-induction to pre-intubation, the coefficient of correlation between MOAAS and CSI was higher than those between MOAAS and PPGA, PBI, and MAP. CSI showed higher prediction probabilities (Pk) to differentiate the levels of MOAAS than did PPGA, PBI, and MAP. PPGA, PBI, and MAP values showed significant differences between before and after intubation, as well as pre- and post-incision (P0.05). Conclusions The present study shows that photoplethysmography-derived parameters appear to be more suitable in monitoring the nociceptive component of balanced general anesthesia, while CSI performs well in detecting the sedation or hypnotic component of balanced general anesthesia.

A novelBacillus thuringiensis(Bt) strain GZ2, was isolated from infected Hyphantria cunealarvae. The bioassay results showed that GZ2 had insecticidal activity to H.cunea larvae. The genotypes ofGZ2 were identified by PCR-RFLP method. GZ2 was identified to harbor cry9Ea10 gene and the full length of cry9Ea10 was cloned and sequenced. The engineering strain of Bt carrying cry9Ea10gene wasconstructed successfully. SDS-PAGE analysis confirmed that the expression of cry9Ea10 as ~130kDa protein. And Cry9Ea10 protein produced by Bt engineeringstrainexhibited a high toxicity to H.cuneal arvae.

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of ghrelin and des-ghrelin on feed intake, growth performance and hypothalamic neuropeptide Y (NPY) mRNA expression of grouper, Epinephelus coioides . Ghrelin and des-ghrelin (non-acylated form) were supplemented in the basal diet at the dose of 0, 2, 4 mg kg − 1 . The highest feed intake, weight gain (WG, %) and final body weight (FBW, g) were recorded when ghrelin was added at the dose of 4 mg kg − 1 and they were significantly different from that of the control ( P P > 0.05) effect on growth performance and feed intake was observed in fish fed diet supplemented with des-ghrelin at 2 and 4 mg kg − 1 . There were no significant differences ( P > 0.05) in the proximate composition (crude protein, crude lipid, ash and moisture), slaughter variables (condition factor, viscerasomatic index, hepatosomatic index and intraperitoneal fat ratio) and serum lipid (total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein and high density lipoprotein) in fish fed all the test diets. Grouper hypothalamic NPY mRNA expression was significantly ( P − 1 ) was supplemented in the diet. However, grouper fed the diet added with des-ghrelin (2, 4 mg kg − 1 ) did not show an increase ( P > 0.05) in the expression of hypothalamic NPY mRNA. The present results indicated for the first time that ghrelin supplemented in the diet could stimulate feed intake, growth and hypothalamic NPY mRNA expression of grouper, while des-ghrelin did not have those effects.

The current paper studies the technology used in making mulch sheet out of softwood pulp. The best technology for mulch sheet manufacturing is determined by studying the effect of the beating degree, quantitation of the base paper, dosage, and usage of the Polyamide epichlorohydrin condition for the base paper properties. The transparency is found to be very good after the base paper is steeped in a self-made transparent agent. Degradability experiments conducted on soil suggest that the mulch sheet is completely degradable.

For the ferromagnetic (FM)/antiferromagnetic (AFM) bilayers, both negative and positive exchange bias H E have been observed for low and high cooling field H C F , respectively. The thickness dependence of H E and coercivity H C have been investigated for the cases of negative and positive H E . It is found that the negative H E and the positive one have similar FM thickness dependence that is attributed to the interfacial nature of exchange bias. However, the AFM thickness dependence of positive H E is completely contrary to that of the negative one, which clearly demonstrates that the AFM spins play different roles for the cases of positive and negative H E . In particular, the AFM thickness of positive H E was first highlighted by an AFM spin canting model. These results should be attributed to the interfacial spin configuration after field cooling procedure.

Nucleophosmin (NPM1) plays key roles in ribosome biogenesis, centrosome duplication, and maintenance of genomic integrity. NPM1 mutations have been recently identified as the most frequent genetic alteration in acute myeloid leukemia and are related to leukemogenesis. NPM1 mutations are involved in the regulation of cell proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis. However, the oncogenic potential of NPM1 mutations is not fully understood. Here, we investigated the change of cell migration and invasion in vitro and the role of NPM1 mutations in this process. In our study, NIH3T3 cells were transfected with plasmids encoding NPM1 mutation A (NPM1 mA), and the cell chemotactic response in vitro was evaluated by cell migration and invasion assays. In addition, the expression levels of MMP-2, MMP-9 and CXCR4 were assayed by quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting. Our findings suggested that the migration and invasion of NIH3T3 cells were significantly enhanced after transfection with NPM1 mA (p

Metallic Zn nanoparticles (NPs) have been fabricated in the near surface region of SiO 2 by implantation of Zn ions at energy of 45 keV up to 5.0 × 10 16 ions/cm 2 . Such NPs were then subjected to the furnace annealing in different atmospheres. Various techniques, such as ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–vis), grazing incidence X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (GXRD), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), were employed to characterize the formation and evolution of the Zn and ZnO NPs, and also their related optical properties. Our results clearly show that the evolution of Zn NPs depends strongly on the annealing atmosphere. ZnO NPs have been effectively formed with preferred (0 0 2) and (1 0 3) orientations when the samples were annealed in a flow of nitrogen gas or sequentially annealed in nitrogen and oxygen ambient. The PL measurements give the evidence that ZnO NPs with high-quality could be formed when the samples were sequentially annealed in the flows of nitrogen and oxygen gases.

Recent studies have reported that cancer stem cells (CSCs) could be isolated from solid cancer cell lines, in which the purity of CSCs was higher than that from tumor tissues. Separation of CSCs from leukemic cell lines was rarely reported. In this study, CD34(+)CD38(-)stem-like cell subsets in human KG-1a leukemic cell line were enriched by cytotoxic agent 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). After 4 days incubation of KG-1a cell line with 5-FU (50 microg/ml), the CD34(+)CD38(-) subpopulation of cell lines was enriched more than 10 times. The enriched cells had proliferate potential in vitro, low level of RNA transcription and Hoechst 33342 dye efflux ability, accompanied by high expression of ATP-binding cassette transporter protein ABCG2. Our findings suggest that treatment with 5-FU offers an easy method to isolate leukemic stem-like subpopulation. It can facilitate studies of leukemic stem cell biology and the development of new therapeutic strategies.

The charge ordering characteristics in Y0.5Ca0.5MnO3 manganite, prepared by sol–gel process, have been investigated experimentally. It is found that the superlattice diffractions appear in the electron diffraction patterns recorded at low temperatures, while only basic Brag diffraction spots can be observed when temperature is higher than 300 K. This provides direct evidence for the existence of charge ordering in Y0.5Ca0.5MnO3. The magnetization and specific heat measurements indicate the charge ordering temperature of Y0.5Ca0.5MnO3 is 290 K, around which both the magnetization and specific heat reveal anomalous behaviors. We also observed that the MnO bond length changed remarkably and the effective number of carriers reduced prominently with decreasing temperature around charge ordering temperature through transform infrared spectra measurements.

By quantitatively analyzing the effects of different configurations, it is possible to find the best configuration and further optimize neural prosthesis performances without changing system hardware and software. In this study, we investigated the effects of five types of electrode configurations on electromyography (EMG)-based recruitment characteristics by utilizing multi-contact electrode to stimulate toad sciatic nerves. Five characteristic parameters (maximum amplitude, threshold current, slope, 50% level, and dynamic range) are derived from fitting recruitment curves using Boltzmann equation and the latency is measured by a simple user-defined algorithm. Based on these parameters evaluation, it is found that (1) the longitudinal tripolar with lowest threshold current appears to be well suitable for application to extent battery life and potentially reduce the damage to tissues and electrodes, and (2) the transverse configurations with gentle slope and large dynamic range are fit for the muscle force fine control, but their practical application may be limited by needing a large stimulus current. Therefore, these findings can provide a useful reference for designing a novel electrode configuration to further optimizing control of neural prosthetic devices.

Teachers' knowledge management is one of the main forms of school knowledge management, is to improve the level of teaching and teacher professional development strategy. This paper explains the meaning of knowledge management, points out the importance of the development of knowledge management of university teachers, reveals the present situation of college teachers' knowledge management at the present stage at the same time, gives the countermeasures to solve this situation.

Perfect epitaxial growth of La 0.67 Ca 0.33 MnO 3 (LCMO) thin film has been achieved on (1 0 0) LaAlO 3 (LAO) single crystal substrate by radio frequency sputtering method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electron diffraction analysis indicates that La 0.67 Ca 0.33 MnO 3 film grows epitaxially on LaAlO 3 along [1 0 0] direction of the substrate. The resistivity variation with temperature of the film shows a sharp metal to semiconductor transition peak around 253 K, which is close to that of the target. The magnetoresistance (MR) also reveals high quality epitaxy film characteristic at low temperatures and near the metal to semiconductor transition temperature.

Background: Increased cell-free DNA (cf-DNA) and the integrity of cf-DNA in plasma of patients with cancer has been described. We investigated the clinical utility of cf-DNA in the detection and monitoring of progression of leukemia. Methods: Plasma samples from 60 patients with acute leukemia were analyzed in comparison to plasma from 30 healthy controls. Plasma DNA was determined by quantitative PCR (qPCR) by amplifying the β-actin gene (ACTB). The DNA integrity index was calculated as the ratio of qPCR results (ACTB384/106). Paired diagnostic/complete remission (CR)/relapse samples from eight of 60 patients were analyzed, and the minimum residual disease (MRD) situations were monitored. Results: DNA concentrations (median: 8.80 ng/mL, p=0.004) and DNA integrity (median: 0.51, p Conclusions: Our preliminary data suggest that plasma DNA integrity is increased in acute leukemia and may be a potential biomarker for monitoring MRD. However, more work is needed. Clin Chem Lab Med 2010;48:1651–6.

Si wafers with a 220 nm top oxide layer were sequentially implanted at room temperature with 40 keV He and 35 keV H ions at a fluence of 5×1016/cm2 and 1×1016/cm2, respectively. Techniques of scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) were used to characterize the thermal evolution of surface damage as well as defect microstructures. Surface blisters as well as the localized exfoliation (~0.42 μm in depth) have been observed for samples annealed at temperatures of 500 °C and above. XTEM observations reveal a variety of defect microstructures, including cavities, platelets, nanometer or micrometer sized cracks and dislocations. The platelets and cracks are mainly distributed at a depth of about 0.42 μm parallel to the sample surface, which are responsible for the occurrence of the observed surface features. The relationship between surface damage and defect microstructures is described in detail.