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Background Emergence delirium (ED) is a common phenomenon occurring in the recovery period. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence, risk factors, and consequences of ED in adults after elective brain tumor resection. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the data of a prospective cohort performed in a tertiary university hospital. Adult patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) immediately after elective brain tumor resection were consecutively enrolled. Level of consciousness was assessed using the Richmond Agitation–Sedation Scale and ED was assessed using the Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU. Risk factors for ED were determined by multivariable logistic regression. Results A total of 659 patients met the inclusion criteria, of which 41 patients with coma were excluded. Among the remaining 618 patients, 131 (21.2%) developed ED. Independent risk factors for ED were: age, education level, use of anticholinergic and mannitol, Glasgow Coma Score and arterial partial pressure of oxygen postoperatively, postoperative pain, malignant tumor, and frontal approach craniotomy. ED was associated with increased postoperative delirium, longer length of hospital stay, and higher hospitalization costs. There was no significant difference in the neurological function deficits (modified Rankin Scale score) between ED and non-ED groups. Conclusions ED has a high incidence and is associated with poor outcomes in adults after elective brain tumor resection. Early screening and prevention for ED should be established in perioperative management of this population.

Background: Postoperative delirium (POD) is a significant clinical problem in neurosurgical patients after intracranial surgery. Identification of high-risk patients may optimise individual perioperative management, but an adequate and simple risk model for use at super early phase after operation has not been developed.Methods: Adult patients were admitted to the ICU after elective intracranial surgery under general anaesthesia. The POD was diagnosed as Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU positive on postoperative day 1 to 3. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to develop the early prediction model (E-PREPOD-NS) and the final model was validated with 200 bootstrap samples.Results: Among 800 patients included in the study, POD occurred in 157 cases (19.6%). We identified nine variables independently associated with POD in the final E-PREPOD-NS model: age > 65 years [odds ratio (OR) = 3.336, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.765-6.305, 1 risk score point], education level < 9 years (OR = 2.528, 95% CI = 1.446-4.419, 1 point), history of smoking (OR = 2.582, 95% CI = 1.611-4.140, 1 point), history of diabetes (OR = 2.541, 95% CI = 1.201-5.377, 1 point), supra-tentorial lesions (OR = 3.424, 95% CI = 2.021-5.802, 1 point), anesthesia duration > 360 min (OR = 1.686, 95% CI = 1.062-2.674, 0.5 point), GCS P = 0.593).Conclusions: The E-PREPOD-NS model based on nine perioperative risk factors can predict POD in patients admitted to the ICU after elective intracranial surgery with fairly good accuracy. External validation is needed before use in clinical practice.

The external use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to treat fractures has a long history of clinical application and theoretical basis, and is also one of the characteristic treatment methods of TCM with significant efficacy and many advantages. Among the commonly used external Chinese medicines, Tubiechong is noteworthy.To elucidate whether local patching of Tubiechong can promote fracture healing and explore its mechanism of action.A rat tibia fracture model was constructed by the modified Einhorn modeling method. X-ray films were taken to evaluate the progress of fracture healing. Serum bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP), osteocalcin (BGP) and the C-terminal content of collagen type I (CTX-I) were analyzed by ELISA. CD31 immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate angiogenesis in the tibia segment. The effects of Tubiechong decoction (TD) on HUVEC proliferation, migration and invasion were detected by MTT assay, wound healing assay and Transwell migration assay, respectively. RNA-seq was performed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Enrichment of functions and signaling pathway analysis were performed based on the Gene Ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. Quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to study gene expression levels. Western blotting (WB) was used to detect the expression of relevant regulatory proteins.The healing time of rat tibia fractures in the three TD dose groups was shortened. The serum levels of BALP, BGP and CTX- I in the TD-treated group were higher than those in the NC group. The X-ray results showed that on the 7th day after surgery, the fracture healing degree of the high-dose TD group was significantly better than that of the NC group, and the fracture healing degrees of each TD treatment group were significantly higher than those of the NC group on the 14th, 17th, and 21st days after the operation. The CD31 immunohistochemistry results showed that the number of blood vessels and the vascular area in the TD treatment group were higher than those in the NC group. In vitro, TD promoted the proliferation, wound healing and migration of HUVECs. GO analysis of transcriptome sequencing results showed that TD significantly altered the expression of genes related to cell growth, metabolism, and motility. According to KEGG annotations, VEGFA was upregulated. Eight DEGs were enriched in the VEGFA-VEGFR2 signaling pathway, of which six were upregulated. KEGG signaling pathway analysis showed that the most abundant DEGs were in mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. qRT-PCR showed that VEGFA gene expression in HUVECs was 7.8 times that of the control group after 1 mg/mL TD treatment for 24 h, and WB experiments showed that its protein expression was 3 times that of the control group. WB results showed that the phosphorylated ERK gene was highly expressed, while the expression levels of phosphorylated P38 and phosphorylated JNK protein remained unchanged.Tubechong patching therapy promotes tibia fracture healing in rats by regulating angiogenesis through the VEGF/ERK1/2 signaling pathway.

Tubiechong comprises mainly Eupolyphaga and Steleophaga is widely distributed in China. It has been used in the traditional medicine systems in Asian countries specially in China，Japan and Singapore for thousand years.The aim of this work is to review the scientific work about Tubiechong regarding their ethnomedicinal uses, bioactive chemical constituents and pharmacological activities.Relevant literature of Tubiechong was collected for its traditional uses, pharmacological activities, and bioactive compounds released from inception until May 2022. The online databases such as Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, Scopus, SciFinder Scholar, Springer Link, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data, and VIP database were used as electronic search engines for articles with the various specific keywords. Additionally, references from ancient texts and local information such as PhD and MSc theses, books, and Chinese journals were also included.The clinical researches have revealed that Tubiechong alone has been successfully used to treat bone disease, ache, sprain, herpes zoster, paronychia and so on. Tubichong's main clinical application is to form formulations with other herbs. The most widely used 34 kinds of Chinese patent medicine containing Tubiechong were included in Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2020 Edition) for the treatment of traumatic injury, low back pain, cardiovascular disease, tumors or mass and nodule, cervical spondylopathy, osteoarthritis and psoriasis. Its other derived formulas have been used in the clinical treatment of various diseases, such as blood stasis, hepatic cirrhosis, cyclomastopathy, chronic active hepatitis, nephropathy, gynaecopathia, cancer diseases. To date, the bioactive substances reported are limited to protein and peptides, fatty acids, polysaccharides and alkaloids from Eupolyphaga sinensis Walker. So far, the pharmacological activities of Tubiechong and its various extracts have been evaluated, including anticoagulant and antithrombotic, anticancer, bone repair, immunomodulation, analgesia, antioxidant, antihyperlipidemic, antimicrobial and protective and repair functions for damage to the liver, heart, brain and skin. As an edible insect, its safety has also been confirmed by acute toxicity tests and 30-day feeding trials.Tubiechong is an important insect medicine with the effect of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, which has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years for the treatment of trauma and abdominal lumps, and has now been clinically extended to the treatment of a variety of diseases. Its multiple pharmacological activities indicate that it has great potential for development and application. However, its chemical constituents with pharmacological activity require further excavation and detailed study. In addition, the in-depth molecular pharmacological mechanisms deserve further explanation.

Soil salinity is a threat to agricultural production worldwide. Oat (Avena sativa L.) is an irreplaceable crop in areas with fragile ecological conditions. However, there is a lack of research on salt tolerance evaluation of oat germplasm resources. Therefore, the purpose of this work was to evaluate the salt tolerance of oat cultivars and investigate the mechanism of salt-tolerant oat cultivars' adaptation to salinity. Salt tolerance of 100 oat cultivars was evaluated, and then two salt-tolerant cultivars and two salt-sensitive cultivars were used to compare their physiological responses and expression patterns of Na

Objective To investigate the anti-tumor effect of macromolecular fractions of fresh gecko (M-AG) in vivo and their differentiation-inducing activity in Bel-7402 cells in vitro . Methods An H22 hepatocarcinoma-bearing mouse model was used to evaluate the anti-tumor activity of M-AG samples. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay was applied to analyze cell viability. Cell morphology was observed by phase contrast microscopy. The quantity of the alpha-fetoprotein was detected by a radioimmunoassay. Chromatometry was used to assay the albumin quantity. Activities of alkaline phosphatase and γ-glutamyl trans-peptidase were measured by biochemical methods. Finally, western blotting was applied to assess proteins in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Results Macromolecular fractions of fresh gecko exerted a significant anti-tumor effect in mice. The inhibition rate of tumor growth was 63% in the moderate M-AG dose group. Cells treated with M-AG displayed a differentiated state. The treatment lowered alpha-fetoprotein secretion and significantly decreased the activities of γ-glutamyl trans-peptidase and alkaline phosphatase in Bel-7402 cells. In contrast, M-AG increased the amount of albumin in the cell culture medium. All biochemical indices demonstrated that M-AG induced Bel-7402 cell differentiation. Western blotting showed no changes in the quantities of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2, p38 MAPK, or c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase 1/2. However, M-AG significantly activated the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, M-AG had no significant influence on the expression of nuclear factor-kappa B. Conclusion Macromolecular fractions of fresh gecko has an anti-tumor activity in H22 hepatocarcinoma-bearing mice in vivo and inhibits Bel-7402 cell proliferation in vitro by inducing cell differentiation related to activation of ERK1/2.

Construction project managers (CPMs) with different types of personalities make various assessments in risky situations and draw up different risk management strategies. This research presents the findings of an empirical study in China that investigated whether and how CPMs with different personality traits differed in the way they perceived project risk. A conceptual model was developed and four hypotheses were proposed concerning the relationships among personality traits, risk propensity, and risk perception using the Big Five personality model. The Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling analyses of a sample of 152 imply that 1) Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness significantly influence risk propensity; 2) risk propensity negatively affects risk perception; 3) Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness have significant effects on risk perception; and 4) risk propensity fully mediates the relationship between personality traits and risk perception. The results were complemented by qualitative evidence from 5 semi-structured interviews with project managers. This research contributes to a better understanding of how CPMs perceive risk.

H2Ti12O25 nanorods are successfully prepared via hydrothermal reaction following heat treatment at 260 °C. The D50 value and surface area of H2Ti12O25 nanorods are 0.186 μm and 35.0637 m2 g−1, respectively. For comparison, Bulk-H2Ti12O25 are also prepared by milling assisted soft-chemical method, and the D50 value and surface area of Bulk-H2Ti12O25 are 0.274 μm and 4.3213 m2 g−1, respectively. The electrochemical tests show H2Ti12O25 nanorods deliver higher reversible capacity of 191.3 mAh g−1 (1C) after 100 cycles, 150.5 mAh g−1 (10C) and 132.1 mAh g−1 (20C) after 200 cycles, while for Bulk-H2Ti12O25, its reversible capacity is only 171.2 mAh g−1 (1C) after 100 cycles, 113.7 mAh g−1 (10C) and 83.3 mAh g−1 (20C) after 200 cycles. Meanwhile, H2Ti12O25 nanorods exhibit better rate performance at all rates compared with Bulk-H2Ti12O25. The higher discharge/charge capacity and cycling stability at high discharge/charge rate powerfully suggests that H2Ti12O25 nanorods hold great potential as high rate anode material for electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles.

The effect of LaMnO3 with high electronic conductivity on the fast charge-discharge rate performance of LiMn2O4 is studied. X-ray diffraction patterns confirm the existence of LaMnO3 and also indicate LaMnO3 has no influence on the crystal structure of pristine LiMn2O4. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images indicate that LaMnO3 coating layer, about 15 nm thickness, covers the surface of LiMn2O4 well. The electrochemical performances are evaluated by galvanostatic charge/discharge tests and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). At 0.5 C/0.5 C, LaMnO3 coated LiMn2O4 delivers an initial capacity of about 114 mAh g− 1 along with the coulombic efficiency of 95.0%, which are higher than those of uncoated LiMn2O4 (106 mAh g− 1 and 89.1%). Furthermore, LaMnO3 coated LiMn2O4 can exhibit higher capacities at high charge-discharge rates than uncoated LiMn2O4. It can deliver about 90.6 mAh g− 1 at 10 C/10 C and 68.0 mAh g− 1 at 20 C/20 C, but there are only 53.6 mAh g− 1 and 43.3 mAh g− 1 for bare LiMn2O4. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) demonstrates that LaMnO3 coating layer can effectively reduce the electrodes' resistances and improve the kinetics of electrodes. The improved high rate properties of LaMnO3 coated LiMn2O4 are ultimately ascribed to the easier phase conversion from λ-MnO2 to Li0·5Mn2O4 which is related to LaMnO3 coating layer with high electronic conductivity.

The CeO 2 /C hybrid coated LiMnPO 4 composites are prepared via a simple and effective wet chemical process followed by heat treatment at 550 °C. The nanometer-sized CeO 2 acts as an interconnector in carbon network, and its influence on the electrochemical performance is investigated in detail. The 0.25 wt.% CeO 2 -modified LiMnPO 4 /C (sample-0.25) exhibits the highest discharge capacity and the best cycle life, which can deliver an initial capacity of 139.9 mAh g −1 at 0.1C and still retain a reversible capacity of 120.4 mAh g −1 after 50 cycles (capacity retention of 86.1%). While for pristine LiMnPO 4 /C (sample-0), only 94.4 mAh g −1 can be obtained at the 50th cycle, corresponding to 72.9% of its initial discharge capacity (129.5 mAh g −1 ). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) results confirm that an integrated and hybrid CeO 2 /C coating layer is formed on LiMnPO 4 surface and its existence has no influence on the structure of LiMnPO 4 . The reason for the improved electrochemical properties of the CeO 2 -modified LiMnPO 4 /C composites has also been studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements.

Li 2 Mn 1 La x SiO 4 /C (x = 0, 0.01 and 0.04) composites are prepared via a polyol-assisted hydrothermal method followed by carbon coating. X-ray diffraction patterns confirm that the unit cell volume of Li 2 MnSiO 4 has been enlarged by doping a small amount of La 3+ . The scanning electron micrographs and elemental maps indicate that the sizes of the Li 2 MnSiO 4 particles can be reduced by homogeneously doping La 3+ . The transmission electron microscopy shows the well crystallized Li 2 MnSiO 4 nanoparticles. The electrochemical performances of all samples are evaluated by galvanostatic charge/discharge tests and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. 1 at.% La 3+ doped Li 2 MnSiO 4 (AL1) delivers the highest initial discharge capacity of about 257 mAh g −1 , corresponding to the intercalation of about 1.55 lithium ions per formula unit. AL1 also exhibits improved capacity retentions of about 51.1%. The above improvements of electrochemical properties are related to the decreased charge transfer resistance and enhanced lithium ion diffusion for La-doped samples, whose crystal structure is maintained and lattice has been slightly enlarged.

La0.7Sr0.3Mn0.7Co0.3O3-coated spinel LiMn2O4 with excellent cycle stability and high rate capability is successfully prepared by a sol–gel method. The 3 wt.% La0.7Sr0.3Mn0.7Co0.3O3-coated LiMn2O4 shows the optimum electrochemical performance. It can deliver 101 mAh g−1 at 10 C even after 100 cycles with a capacity retention of 93.5%. In contrast, the bare LiMn2O4 delivers 83.6 mAh g−1 at the same condition, only 84.5% capacity left. The rate capability of 3 wt.% La0.7Sr0.3Mn0.7Co0.3O3-coated LiMn2O4 is also obviously enhanced, especially at high rates (10 C, 20 C and 30 C). It can deliver 74.3 mAh g−1 at 30 C which is much higher than that of the bare sample (47.2 mAh g−1). The bare and coated LiMn2O4 samples are studied with various techniques. Both powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements demonstrate the existence of the La0.7Sr0.3Mn0.7Co0.3O3, and it has no influence on the crystal structure of the pristine LiMn2O4. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) shows that La0.7Sr0.3Mn0.7Co0.3O3 coating layer with good crystallinity can cover the surface of LiMn2O4 to form a core–shell structure. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) demonstrate that the coating layer can improve the kinetics of electrodes.

Background: Current methods of extending the storage time of wild Cordyceps sinensis adversely affect the nutritive and medicinal value of the product. Thus, this study was designed to investigate the effects of heat treatment, a relatively safe storage extension method, on the biological activity of wild C. sinensis. Methods: Samples were heated to 60, 80, or 100°C for 15, 30, or 60 minutes. SOD activity in wild C. sinensis before and after heating was assayed using a standard colorimetric assay. Deoxyribonuclease (DNase) activity was measured using the plasmid-nicking assay. Cordycepin content was analyzed using HPLC. Polysaccharide content was measured using the phenol-sulfuric method. The Student's t-test was used for comparison. Results: After heating at 60, 80, 100°C for 15, 30, 60 minutes, respectively, no significant reduction in DNase activity or polysaccharide dissolution was noted (P > .05). Interestingly, heating at 80°C for 30 minutes led to a significant increase in the SOD activity of C. sinensis (P .05). Conclusions: These results suggested that heat treatment does not adversely affect SOD or DNase activity, polysaccharide content, or cordycepin dissolution. Thus, heat treatment might be a safe processing method to extend the storage time of wild C. sinensis without compromising biological activity.

a Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Institute of Heart Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, The Key Laboratory of Remodeling-related Cardiovascular Diseases, Ministry of Education, Department of Atherosclerosis, 2 Anzhen Road, ChaoYang District, Beijing 100029, China b Department of Radiology, The China–Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China c Department of Cardiac Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China d Department of Imaging, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China e Department of Emergency, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China f National Engineering Laboratory for Druggable Gene and Protein Screening, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, Jilin, China g Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China

Objective To explore the ability of Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 in transforming 6-deoxypseudoanisatin. Methods The experiment was performed by incubating 6-deoxypseudoanisatin with the freshwater cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 under continuous white light at 30°C for 5 days. The crude converted product was detected using thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and further analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) as well as HPLC with electron spray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS). Results TLC results showed that 6-deoxypseudoanisatin was converted into a less polar product. HPLC and MS data indicated that the retention time of the converted product increased in comparison with the standard of 6-deoxypseudoanisatin. Conclusion Thus, the study appears to demonstrate that Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 can transform 6-deoxypseudoanisatin. The polarity of the converted product is less than that of 6-deoxypseudoanisatin.

Multiferroic composite nanoparticles of xCoFe2O4–(1−x)Bi0.85La0.15FeO3 (x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4) were prepared by a two-step wet chemical procedure, combining co-precipitation and sol–gel techniques. Phase composition, magnetic property, dielectric property and magnetoelectric coupling effect were characterized by XRD, multifunctional magnetic physical testing system, Mossbauer spectroscopy and LCR HiTester. The composites consisted of spinel CoFe2O4 and perovskite Bi0.85La0.15FeO3 phases. Magnetization of the composites was found to increase with increasing CoFe2O4 molar fraction. Both Mossbauer spectroscopic analysis and magnetic measurement confirmed the coupling interaction between the magnetic phase and ferroelectric phase. The higher values of dielectric constant and dielectric loss were observed at lower frequencies in the low frequency range (100 Hz–1 MHz). CoFe2O4 molar fraction in the composites had effect on dielectric resonance in the high frequency range (10–120 MHz). Magnetocapacitance coefficient of the composites was controlled by CoFe2O4 molar fraction at high frequency 100 MHz.

Background Notch ligands enhance ex vivo expansion of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). But to use Notch ligands in HSC therapies of human diseases, efforts are required to improve ex vivo expansion efficiency and in vivo transplant engraftment. Design and methods We designed and produced an endothelium-targeted soluble Notch ligand, the DSL domain of Delta-like 1 fused with a RGD motif (D1R), and examined the effects of this protein on HSCs ex vivo and in vivo. Results D1R efficiently promoted ex vivo expansion of both mouse bone marrow (BM) and human umbilical cord blood HSCs. HSCs expanded with D1R up-regulated many of the stemness-related genes, and showed high BM engraftment efficacy with long-term repopulation capacity after transplantation. Moreover, in vivo administration of D1R increased the number of BM HSCs in mice, and facilitated BM recovery of mice after irradiation. Injection of D1R significantly improved HSC engraftment and myeloid recovery after BM transplantation in irradiated mice. D1R enhanced HSC engraftment not only in BM, but also in the liver and spleen after BM transplantation in mice. D1R induced the formation of compact cell clusters containing the transplanted HSCs in close contact with endothelial cells, reminiscent of HSC niches, in the liver and spleen. Conclusions D1R might be applied in improving both HSC expansion ex vivo and HSC engraftment in vivo in transplantation.

The acaricidal activity of Adonis coerulea extracts was investigated against Psoroptes cuniculi. The aqueous, methanol, acetic ether and petroleum ether extracts all showed marked acaricidal activity in vitro. Especially, the acetic ether extract possessed strong toxicity against mites in vitro with LT50 values 0.743 h, 2.730 h, 5.919 h and 22.536 h at concentrations of 500, 250, 125 and 62.5 mg/ml, respectively. At the same time, the acetic ether extract showed the best effectiveness topically to infested rabbits in vivo. After three times treatment, at the day 20, rabbits treated with A. coerulea extract were observed only small scabs or secretions in ear canal, but no mites. These findings suggested that as a potential insecticide, A. coerulea should be studied further to develop active components or a new acaricidal drug.

This paper proposes a new automatic detection method of Interictal Epileptiform Discharges (IED) based on the merger of the increasing and decreasing sequences (MIDS) to improve IED detection rate. Firstly, increasing and decreasing sequences as well as complete and incomplete waves are reviewed to highlight the characteristics of clinical visual detection of IED. The sequence merging rules and algorithms are consequently proposed for time-domain electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. Experimental results demonstrate that the performance MIDS detection on rhythm waves and slow waves are very close to clinical visual detection. Secondly, the MIDS detection method is applied to IED fragments according to IED features in the time-domain. The results show that most IED fragments are recognized, although with some false detection of non-IED fragments. To reduce such false detection rate, Support Vector Machine (SVM) was applied with 17 characteristics and a training over 232 fragments from 3 patients' EEG recordings. With the SVM improvement, out-of-sample clinical EEG recordings of 32 suspected epilepsy patients were analyzed and 95.9% of the IED fragments marked by clinicians were successfully detected. The results show that the proposed algorithm performs well in IED detection and is a promising candidate in assisting clinicians' epilepsy diagnosis.

The cell suspension cultures of Cudrania tricuspidata could regio-selectively prenylate chrysin ( 1 ) at C-8, while the cell suspension cultures of Morus alba could regio-selectively prenylate genistein ( 2 ), sophoricoside ( 3 ) and diosmetin ( 4 ) at C-6. Eight products ( 5 – 12 ) were isolated, and five of them ( 8 – 12 ) were new compounds. Additionally, the bioconversion of 1 – 4 using microsomes of the cell cultures was performed, and the results showed that the bioconversion patterns were identical to those using cell cultures. These investigations would provide an approach to the selective prenylation and structural diversification of flavonoids.

A novel supramolecular compound based on three kinds of Keggin polyoxoanions PMo12O403 − with different coordination modes [(phen)4Cu2(PMo12O40)][(phen)2Cu (PMo12O40)]2[PMo12O40][(phen)2Cu(H2O)]2·4H2O (1), has been hydrothermally prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, TG, XRD and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Compound 1 is composed of one [(phen)4Cu2(PMo12O40)]+ cation, two [(phen)2Cu(PMo12O40)]− anions, one [PMo12O40]3 − anion, two [(phen)2Cu(H2O)]2 + cations and four lattice water molecules, generating an interesting three-dimensional supramolecular framework via supramolecular interactions, in which there are three kinds of Keggin polyoxoanions PMo12O403 − with different coordination modes. To the best of our knowledge, the title compound represents the first example of a structure containing three kinds of Keggin POMs with different coordination modes up to now. Its electrochemical and electrocatalysis behavior have been investigated in detail.

Ca 2+ and Ba 2+ ions co-doped BiFeO 3 nanoparticles, Bi 0.8 Ca 0.2− x Ba x FeO 3 ( x =0–0.20), were prepared by a sol–gel method. The phase structure, grain size, dielectric and magnetic properties of the prepared samples were investigated. The results showed that the lattice structure of the nanoparticles transformed from rhombohedral ( x =0) to orthorhombic ( x =0.07–0.19) and then to tetragonal ( x =0.20) with x increased. The dielectric properties of the nanoparticles were affected by the properties of the substitutional ions as well as the crystalline structure of the samples. The magnetic properties of the nanoparticles were greatly improved and the T N of the nanoparticles was obviously increased. All the Ca 2+ and Ba 2+ ions co-doped BiFeO 3 nanoparticles presented the high ratio of M r / M from 0.527 to 0.571 and large coercivity from 4.335 to 5.163 KOe.

The diagnosis of several neurological disorders is based on the detection of typical pathological patterns in electroencephalograms (EEGs). This is a time-consuming task requiring significant training and experience. A lot of effort has been devoted to developing automatic detection techniques which might help not only in accelerating this process but also in avoiding the disagreement among readers of the same record. In this work, Neyman–Pearson criteria and a support vector machine (SVM) are applied for detecting an epileptic EEG. Decision making is performed in two stages: feature extraction by computing the wavelet coefficients and the approximate entropy (ApEn) and detection by using Neyman–Pearson criteria and an SVM. Then the detection performance of the proposed method is evaluated. Simulation results demonstrate that the wavelet coefficients and the ApEn are features that represent the EEG signals well. By comparison with Neyman–Pearson criteria, an SVM applied on these features achieved higher detection accuracies.

Ca 2+ and La 3+ ions co-doped BiFeO 3 nanoparticles, Bi 0.9– x La 0.1 Ca x FeO 3 (BLCFO x ) ( x =0, 0.10, 0.13, 0.17 and 0.20), were prepared by a sol–gel method. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the average grain size of the prepared samples was in the range of 24–19 nm. The lattice structure of the nanoparticles transformed from orthorhombic to cubic with Ca 2+ ions substitution increased. Dielectric properties were measured up to high frequency ∼80 MHz. It was found that the co-doping of suitable amount of La 3+ and Ca 2+ ions was helpful to improve the dielectric properties of the samples. Magnetic properties of the samples were improved and all the co-doped samples presented a wasp-waisted hysteresis loop, which was rarely reported in BFO. Characteristics of wasp-waisted hysteresis loops show low hysteresis loss in low magnetic fields, and are helpful to design some multiferroic devices.

Notch signaling plays an important role in vascular development and tumor angiogenesis. It has been shown that disruption of Dll4-triggered Notch signal activation effectively inhibits tumor growth, but this treatment also results in the formation of vascular neoplasms. In this study, we investigate the effects of over-expressing Notch ligand Dll1 in B16 melanoma cells on tumor cell proliferation and tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. Our results showed that over-expression of Dll1 could activate Notch signaling in tumor cells, and promote tumor cell proliferation in vitro. In contrast, growth of Dll1-over-expressing tumors in vivo was reduced, due to abnormal tumor vessel formation. Impaired tumor vasculature enhanced hypoxia and necrosis in tumor tissues, leading to retarded tumor growth. These results suggest that activation of Notch signaling may serve as an anti-angiogenesis strategy in the treatment of malignant tumors.

Recent studies have revealed that microRNA-29c (miR-29c) is involved in a variety of biological processes including carcinogenesis. Here, we report that miR-29c was significantly downregulated in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines as well as in clinical tissues compared with their corresponding controls. Tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced protein 3 (TNFAIP3), a key regulator in inflammation and immunity, was found to be inversely correlated with miR-29c levels and was identified as a target of miR-29c. Overexpression of miR-29c in HepG2.2.15 cells effectively suppressed TNFAIP3 expression and HBV DNA replication as well as inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis. We conclude that miR-29c may play an important role as a tumor suppressive microRNA in the development and progression of HBV-related HCC by targeting TNFAIP3. Thus miR-29c and TNFAIP3 represent key diagnostic markers and potential therapeutic targets for the prevention and treatment of HBV infection.

A microdynamics study of high-quality CdTe/ligand self-assembled quantum dots (QDs) is significant because it is closely related to the energy transformation among specific quantum states, such as the electron and vibration levels of an elementary reaction. Transient photovoltaic (TPV) technology was used to probe the microdynamics behavior of the photogenerated carriers in the QDs. The TPV polarity of the nanocrystalline CdTe particles depended on the type of capping ligand used [3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) or β-mercaptoethylamine (MA)] because of a quantum tunneling effect. This resulted in a negative TPV polarity of the MPA samples upon illumination with a laser pulse of 532 nm and excitation intensity of 50 μJ, the opposite to the situation for the MA sample. The effect of the concentration of Cd 2+ cations on the separation and recombination rates of the photo-induced free charge carriers of the CdTe/MPA self-assembled QDs was negligible. The different chemical bonds that formed at the interface between the core-CdTe nanoparticles and the capping ligand led to the change in the intensity of the photoacoustic signal in the 550–800 nm region caused by the non-radiative de-excitations as compared to the CdTe QDs capped by MA with that capped by MPA, and to the differences in the Raman scattering between the two samples. The property of those lattice vibration quantum states locating at the Brillouin zone boundary or near the Brillouin zone boundary was associated to a great extent with the formation of the shell-CdS in between the core-CdTe and the capping ligand according to the computer simulation results.

Bi 0.8 La 0.2 Fe 1− x Co x O 3 nanoparticles of single phase (BLFCO x , x =0, 0.005, 0.01, 0.02) were prepared by a sol–gel method using polyvinyl alcohol as a surfactant. Co substitution at Fe site improved further dielectric properties of Bi 0.8 La 0.2 FeO 3 nanoparticles in the frequency range below 25 MHz at room temperature. Magnetization at 10 kOe, coercivities, and remanence of BLFCO x nanoparticles increased with increasing Co content. It is interesting that the hysteresis loop of all the BLFCO x nanoparticles presented a wasp-waisted shape. The property can open an important way to design new multiferroic applications of low hysteresis loss in low magnetic fields.

Ba doped BiFeO 3 nanocrystallines were prepared by a sol–gel method. The crystal structure and morphology of the prepared samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction analysis and transmission electron microscope, respectively. The results showed that the lattice structure of the nanocrystallines transformed from rhombohedral to tetragonal with Ba substitution increased and the average grain size of the prepared samples lay in the range of 20–70 nm. Dielectric properties and magnetic properties of the nanocrystallines were studied. Dielectric properties were measured up to high frequency ∼100 MHz. We found that suitable amount of Ba dopant was helpful to improve the dielectric properties of BFO and the nanocrystalline with 20% Ba doping on Bi sites had the best dielectric properties among the Ba doped nanocrystallines. Magnetic properties of the nanocrystallines were greatly improved due to the presence of oxygen deficiency and significant opening in the room-temperature M–H loop was observed with Ba substitution. All the nanocrystallines presented the high ratio of M r / M from 0.462 to 0.594 and large coercivity from 3.92 to 5.16 kOe.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) frequently occurs after catheter-based interventional procedures and increases mortality. However, the implication of AKI before thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR) of type B acute aortic dissection (AAD) remains unclear. We aimed to determine the incidence

The growth of solid tumors depends on neovascularization. Several therapies targeting tumor angiogenesis have been developed. However, poor response in some tumors and emerging resistance necessitate further investigations of newdrug targets. Notch signal pathway plays a pivotal role in vascular development and tumor angiogenesis. Either blockade or forced activation of this pathway can inhibit angiogenesis. As blocking Notch pathway results in the formation of vascular neoplasm, activation of Notch pathway to prevent tumor angiogenesis might be an alternative choice. However, an in vivo deliverable reagent with highly efficient Notch-activating capacity has not been developed. Here, we generated a polypeptide, hD1R, which consists of the Delta-Serrate-Lag-2 fragment of the human Notch ligand Delta-like 1 and an arginine-glycine-aspartate (RGD) motif targeting endothelial cells (ECs). We showed that hD1R could bind to ECs specifically through its RGD motif and effectively triggered Notch signaling in ECs. We demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo that hD1R inhibited angiogenic sprouting and EC proliferation. In tumor-bearing mice, the injection of hD1R effectively repressed tumor growth, most likely through increasing tumor hypoxia and tissue necrosis. The amount and width of vessels reduced remarkably in tumors of mice treated with hD1R. Moreover, vessels in tumors of mice treated with hD1R recruited more NG2+ perivascular cells and were better perfused. Combined application of hD1R and chemotherapy with cisplatin and teniposide revealed that these two treatments had additive antitumor effects. Our study provided a new strategy for antiangiogenic tumor therapy.