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Objective: To investigate the effect of growth hormone on low-prognosis patients who were diagnosed by POSEIDON criteria. Methods: Poor ovarian reserve patients were included if their AMH Results: A total of 574 cycles (155 in GH group, 419 in Control group) were analyzed. For all the poor ovarian reserve patients, there were no significant differences between GH and control group, in aspects of HMG dosage, duration of HMG, the number of oocytes retrieved, the number of 2PN, the number of embryos, transferrable embryos ,good-quality embryos, clinical pregnancy rate, miscarriage rate and clinical live birth rate. In stratified analysis, the variables of G4 were not significantly different, and in G3, duration of HMG (8.11±1.86vs. 8.80±1.98, P﹤0.05) was significantly different. Further study on non-first cycle patients, a total of 274 cycles (122 in GH group, 152 in Control group) were analyzed, there were no differences between GH group and control group, in aspects of HMG dosage, duration of HMG, the number of oocytes retrieved, the number of 2PN, the number of embryos, transferrable embryos ,good-quality embryos, clinical pregnancy rate, miscarriage rate and clinical live birth rate. In stratified analysis, the variables of G3’ were not significantly different. In G4’, duration of HMG (8.74±2.31 vs. 7.90±2.56, P﹤0.05) was significantly different, the number of oocytes retrieved(8.74±2.31 vs. 7.90±2.56, P﹤0.05), clinical pregnancy rate(22.97% vs. 8.45%, P﹤0.05), and clinical live birth rate(14.86% vs. 4.23%, P﹤0.05) were significantly different between GH and control groups. The outcomes of linear regression and logistic regression analysis were approximately consistent with that of Chi square test. Conclusions: GH co-treatment with the mild stimulation protocol in poor ovarian reserve patients who reached or were older than 35 years old, and failed in at least one previous cycle, could significantly increase the number of oocytes retrieved, clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate.

Low light levels during rice (Oryza sativa L.) growing seasons may lead to significant reductions in grain yield and quality. The effect of shading stress on remobilization of nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) from the stem plus sheath (SPS) to the grain, a process crucial to rice grain formation, was investigated. Field shading experiments were conducted in Hanyuan and Wenjiang, China, using two rice varieties (Huanghuazhan and Guichao II) subjected to shading stress after heading. Stored NSC of 60.00-159.15 g m-2 were remobilized from SPS after heading, contributing 9.63%-23.63% to grain dry weight at maturity. Shading stress resulted in the 23.99%-50.30% and 31.65%-61.33% reduction in NSC content of SPS at 20 d after heading (DAH20) and maturity stages, respectively. This contributed to the 13.80%-89.00% increase in the remobilization of stored NSC from SPS to the grain (RASN) and 15.86%-73.30% increase in remobilization percentage of removed NSC from SPS to the grain (RPRN). The effect of shading stress on remobilization differed between sites and varieties. Owing to a greater sink capacity, shading stress led to a higher RASN and RPRN from heading to DAH20 for ‘Huanghuazhan’ in Hanyuan. To compensate for photosynthate deficiency under shading stress, rice is adapted to remobilize stored NSC during early grain filling stages. Consequently, grain yield loss caused by shading could be reduced by increasing the SPS remobilization ability (especially in low light areas). Increasing NSC accumulation in SPS before heading for later remobilization may be a feasible way to alleviate rice yield loss under adverse light conditions.

Objective: To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of Donepezil in treating the cognitive decline in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Methods: Nine literature databases in domestic and abroad were searched by computer, and the search deadline was November 2, 2020. The randomized controlled trials (RCT) using donepezil to treat the cognitive decline in patients with PD were screened. The MMSE (Mini-Mental State Exam) scores, MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment) scores and adverse events of the included RCTs were extracted. Meta-analysis was implemented with RevMan 5.3 software, and the subgroup analyses were conducted to evaluate the effects of mean age and mean course of disease on the MMSE scores. Results: 14 RCTs with 1263 patients were selected, including 646 cases in the experimental group and 617 cases in the control group. There were 1209 effective patients who completed MMSE score, including 612 in the experimental group and 597 in the control group. Meta-analysis results showed that MMSE scores in the experimental group were higher than that in the control group after using donepezil intervention, and the difference was statistically significant [SMD=0.55, 95% CI (0.24, 0.87), P=0.0006]. It was also found that the MoCA scores of experimental group were higher than that of control group after using donepezil intervention, and the difference was statistically significant [SMD=1.25,95% CI (0.79, 1.72),P

Introduction: Tinea capitis (TC) is a disease caused by dermatophytes on the scalp and hair. This disease mainly infects pre-school children, although there has been a gradual increase in the number of adults infected with TC over recent years. Here, we retrospectively analyzed epidemiological data relating to adult TC (ATC) in Hangzhou, eastern China, over the last decade.Materials and Methods: We analyzed all adult patients who were referred to the Mycology Laboratory of Hangzhou Third People's Hospital (Affiliated Hangzhou Dermatology Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine) between 2012 and 2021 and suspected of having TC. Mycological tests were used to confirm the diagnosis. We acquired arrange of epidemiological data for analysis, including age, gender, and the distribution of dermatophytes. We also collated data relating to risk factors, such as tinea with other sites, underlying diseases, and a history of animal contact. Results: A total of 165 patients were diagnosed with ATC, including 77 males (46.7%) and 88 females (53.3%). The gender ratio was 0.875 and the mean age was 49±23.1 years (range: 18-96 years). The most dominant dermatophytes were Trichophyton violaceum (25.6%) and Trichophyton rubrum (25.6%), followed by Microsporum canis (24.4%). Anthropophilic dermatophytes accounted for 63.3% of all cases. Interestingly, 63 patients (38.2%) with a confirmed diagnosis of ATC also presented tinea with other sites.Conclusion: This study indicated that ATC infection is more commonly found in women, especially in those aged >45 years. Anthropophilic dermatophytes, T. violaceum and T. rubrum, were found to be the most dominant dermatophytes, followed by M. canis. Dermatologists should consider that tinea with other sites may represent a risk factor for ATC.

In rice (Oryza sativa L.), yield is related to characteristics of branches and spikelets. To investigate the effects of late sowing date on differentiation and degeneration of spikelets in rice, field experiments were conducted in Chongzhou and Hanyuan, China. Differentiation and survival of branches and spikelets in Hanyuan were lower than that of Chongzhou, whereas degeneration was greater than that of Chongzhou. In Chongzhou, sowing date affected differentiation and survival of primary, secondary, and total branches, as well as differentiation and degeneration of secondary and total spikelets. In Hanyuan, sowing date affected degeneration of secondary and total branches, and the survival and degeneration of primary spikelets. Late-sown plants experienced higher temperatures in the jointing to heading period, and there were higher sunshine hours. Rainfall and humidity were higher in Chongzhou, but lower in Hanyuan. Late sowing increased differentiation, degeneration, and survival number of branches and spikelets in Chongzhou. However, in Hanyuan, late sowing increased differentiation and degeneration of branches, but decreased survival of branches, which reduced spikelet differentiation and degeneration, resulting in fewer branches. Thus, the key to higher yield in Chongzhou was to increase differentiation of spikelets, whereas in Hanyuan, it was to reduce degeneration of branches and spikelets.

Wheat stripe rust, due to infection by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), is a devastating disease that causes significant global grain yield losses. Yr36, which encodes Wheat Kinase START1 (WKS1), is an effective high-temperature adult-plant resistance gene and confers resistance to a broad spectrum of Pst races. We previously showed that WKS1 phosphorylates the thylakoid ascorbate peroxidase protein and reduces its ability to detoxify peroxides, which may contribute to the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). WKS1-mediated Pst resistance is accompanied by leaf chlorosis in Pst-infected regions, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we show that WKS1 interacts with and phosphorylates PsbO, an extrinsic member of photosystem II (PSII), to reduce photosynthesis, regulate leaf chlorosis, and confer Pst resistance. A point mutation in PsbO-A1 or reduction in its transcript levels by RNA interference resulted in chlorosis and reduced Pst sporulation. Biochemical analyses revealed that WKS1 phosphorylates PsbO at two conserved amino acids involved in physical interactions with PSII and reduces the binding affinity of PsbO with PSII. Presumably, phosphorylated PsbO proteins dissociate from the PSII complex and then undergo rapid degradation by cysteine and aspartic proteases. Taken together, these results demonstrate that perturbations of wheat PsbO by point mutation or phosphorylation by WKS1 reduce the rate of photosynthesis and delay the growth of Pst pathogen before the induction of ROS.

BACKGROUND This study assessed the clinical characteristics of neonatal acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and differences in therapy in comparison to RDS. MATERIAL AND METHODS The clinical data of 925 preterm infants with respiratory distress were collected and divided into 4 groups. Group A and B both met the diagnosis of neonatal RDS, whereas infants in group B also showed inflammatory response. Group C met the Montreux definition of neonatal ARDS and group D was the control. RESULTS We found that 73.50% of the 925 preterm infants were diagnosed with RDS, of which RDS with inflammatory response accounted for 42.05%. ARDS accounted for 5.29% and control group accounted for 21.19%. Group C infants were the heaviest (2168.16±654.43 g) and had the oldest gestational age. The pregnancy-induced hypertension was highest (30.07%) in group B and lowest in group D (13.26%). Group C had higher iNO and longer invasive ventilator times, but had less frequent surfactant treatment, as well as shorter oxygen time and hospital stay. Group B had significantly longer invasive ventilator use than in Group A. In group A, PDA, ROP, and PPHN were the most common complications, with morbidity rates at 78.35%, 8.4%, and 25.77%, respectively, while group C had higher incidence of PDA (71.42%) and coagulation disorders (38.77%). CONCLUSIONS ARDS mainly occurs in late preterm infants. Its treatment is dependent on iNO and invasive ventilator-assisted therapy, and the surfactant treatment rate was relatively lower in comparison to RDS. RDS accompanied with inflammatory response is also dependent on prolonged use of an invasive ventilator.

In past few years, as security ciphers in the Internet of Things (IoT), the research of lightweight block cipher has attracted tremendous attention in cryptography. The SPN structure has been widely used in the design of block cipher. However, the encryption and decryption processes of ciphers based on the SPN structure are different. We design a new SPN structure, which is perfect for lightweight block cipher. The new SPN structure makes that the encryption process is the same as decryption. Moreover, input and output data directions are the same for encryption and decryption processes. Thus, the same process can absolutely be shared in decryption and encryption both for software and hardware implementation. Further, we propose a family of involutional lightweight block cipher, called Loong, based on the proposed SPN structure and components. Rigorous analysis indicates that Loong is of high security against cryptanalysis, especially the differential attack and linear attack. As shown by our experiments and comparisons, Loong is compact in hardware environment and is suitable for the IoT.

Background Postnatal care and growth in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants are being increasingly focused on worldwide. However, few data from China have been reported, expecially multicenters. This multicenter study was designed to investigate the problems existing in postnatal care, weight gain and the related risk factors in in-patient ELBW infants. Methods Eligible ELBW infants admitted to involved neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in 2017 in Beijing were studied retrospectively. Except for general early outcomes, Weight Z score and feeding practice related information was caculated, and collected. Growth retardation (GR) was diagnosed if body weight Z score at discharge dropped more than one standard deviation (SD) compared with birth. Results Of our cohort of 137 ELBW infants, 92 infants discharged with medical advice were analyzed. Full enteral feeding reached at 37.0 (27.0, 51.8)days. Exclusive breast milk feeding rate was 30.4% at discharge. All infants had decreased weight Z score, and its change was similar in different weight subgroups. The incidence of GR was 66.3%. Multiple-factor analysis showed the risk factors for GR were small for gestational age(OR 34.768, 95%CI 1.652-731.728), average weight gain rate 28days(OR 6.867, 95%CI 1.211–38.957), P༜0.05. Keeping ELBW infants staying in hospital longer was beneficial to their weight gain (OR = 0.950, 95% CI 0.909–0.993, P

Background Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is the most common symptom in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) undergoing treatment with chemotherapy. However, evidence upon which to base management strategies is scarce. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been shown to be beneficial to patients with CRF. Chinese herbal injections should be administered under an evidence-based approach. This trial aims to assess the efficacy and safety of the addition of the Shenmai injection (SMI) to conventional therapy for CRF in NSCLC patients undergoing chemotherapy. Methods/design The study is a two-group, prospective, randomized controlled trial (RCT) designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SMI for CRF NSCLC patients undergoing chemotherapy. Eligible participants will be randomized to either a treatment group receiving a 5-day Shenmai injection regimen plus conventional therapy or a control group receiving only conventional therapy. The primary outcome is fatigue, assessed using severity scores from the Functional Assessment for Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F) measurement system. Secondary outcomes include symptom distress scores, depression, sleep disorders, quality of life, and levels of immunologic indicators. Assessments will be carried out at baseline and on day 5 (the end of the intervention). Discussion This study can provide evidence to support clinical decision-making in the management of CRF in NSCLC patients undergoing chemotherapy in a way that can be scaled up and used throughout China. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (chictr.org.cn), ChiCTR-INR-17013737. Registered on 6 December 2017. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13063-018-2845-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Objective To investigate the protective effect of sodium butyrate on the neonatal mouse model of necrotizing enterocolitis and analyze its possible mechanism. Methods Sixty c57BL/6 neonatal mice were randomly divided into two groups (n=30): PBS group and butyric acid group. At the third day after birth, mice in both groups were respectively given PBS and sodium butyrate solution by gavage once a day for 7 days, and neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) model was established by hypoxia, cold stimulation and artificial feeding. The newborn mice were sacrificed overnight after modeling. HE staining and double-blind pathological score were performed to observe the pathological changes of ileocecal intestinal tissue. The mRNA expressions of IL-6, IL-10, TGF-β1 and TNF-a were tested by quantitative real-time PCR. The levels of IL-10 and TGF-β1 in intestine tissues were evaluated using ELISA. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the ratio of regulatory T cells (Treg) on CD4+ T cells in both groups. Results When mice were sacrificed overnight after NEC modeling, the body weight was significantly higher in butyric acid group (4.50±0.42g) than in PBS group (4.16±0.60g, P0.05) existed in survival rate of butyric acid group (76.34%) and PBS group (67.95%). The pathological damage score of intestinal tissue showed that the median score of intestinal injury was significantly lower in butyric acid group [1.33(1.33-1.67)] than in PBS group [2.00(1.67-2.25), P

Extreme prematurity is associated with a substantial burden on health care systems worldwide. However, little is known about the prognosis of infants born extremely preterm in developing countries, such as China.To describe survival and major morbidity among infants born extremely preterm in China over the past decade.This retrospective cohort study was conducted from January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2019. Included individuals were infants with gestational age less than 28 weeks discharged from 1 of 68 neonatal intensive care units located in 31 provinces in China. Data were analyzed from August through October 2020.Extremely preterm birth.Survival to discharge and major morbidity (ie, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, grades III-IV intraventricular hemorrhage, white matter injury, stage II-III necrotizing enterocolitis, sepsis, or severe retinopathy of prematurity) were measured.Among 8514 eligible infants, 5295 (62.2%) were male and 116 infants (2.0%) were small for gestational age (SGA). Overall, 5302 infants (62.3%) survived to discharge. The survival rate was 1 of 21 infants (4.8%) at 22 weeks, 13 of 71 infants (18.3%) at 23 weeks, 144 of 408 infants (35.3%) at 24 weeks, 480 of 987 infants (48.6%) at 25 weeks, 1423 of 2331 infants (61.0%) at 26 weeks, and 3241 of 4692 infants (69.1%) at 27 weeks. Survival increased from 136 of 241 infants (56.4%; 95% CI, 50.1%-62.7%) in 2010 to 1110 of 1633 infants (68.0%; 95% CI, 65.7%-70.2%) in 2019 for infants born at 24 to 27 weeks (mean difference, 11.5%; 95% CI, 4.9%-18.2%; P .001), without a significant change for infants born at less than 24 weeks. Major morbidity was found in 5999 of 8281 infants overall, for a rate of 72.4%, which increased from 116 of 223 infants (52.0%; 95% CI, 45.4%-58.6%) to 1363 of 1656 infants (82.3%; 95% CI, 80.5%-84.1%) from 2010 to 2019 (mean difference, 30.3%; 95% CI, 23.5%-37.1%, P .001). Regional variations in survival were identified, with an almost 2-fold increase (1.94-fold; 95% CI, 1.66-2.27; P .001) from 188 of 474 infants (39.7%) in northwest China to 887 of 1153 infants (76.9%) in north China. Gestational age (adjusted risk ratio [aRR], 1.084; 95% CI, 1.063-1.105; P .001), birth weight (aRR, 1.028; 95% CI, 1.020-1.036; P .001), premature rupture of membranes (aRR, 1.025; 95% CI, 1.002-1.048; P = .03), and antenatal steroids (aRR, 1.029; 95% CI, 1.004-1.055; P = .02) were associated with improved survival, while being born SGA (aRR, 0.801; 95% CI, 0.679-0.945; P = .01), being male (aRR, 0.975; 95% CI, 0.954-0.997; P = .02), multiple birth (aRR, 0.955; 95% CI, 0.929-0.982; P = .001), having a mother with gestational diabetes (aRR, 0.946; 95% CI, 0.913-0.981; P = .002), and low Apgar score (aRR, 0.951; 95% CI, 0.925-0.977; P .001) were found to be risk factors associated with decreased chances of survival.This study found that infants born extremely preterm were at increased risk of mortality and morbidity in China, with a survival rate that improved over time and a major morbidity rate that increased. These findings suggest that more active and effective treatment strategies are needed, especially for infants born at gestational age 25 to 27 weeks.

Background: Like any other countries, respiratory distress syndrome is a major cause of infantile mortality in China, especially in low birth weight infants. Objectives: The study aimed to determine the incidence of respiratory distress syndrome and identify some predictors of mortality in Chinese infants with confirmed respiratory distress syndrome (Level of Evidence: III). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the demographic characteristics, perinatal risk factors, and clinical manifestations of 600 infants with Downes’ score of ≥ 4 admitted to the Affiliated BaYi Children’s Hospital, China, and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, China, from 1 January 2013 to 1 December 2018. Infants were divided into two cohorts, non-survivors (who died, n = 109) and survivors (who survived, n = 491). Factors predicting infant mortality were determined using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis at a 95% confidence level. Results: Infants of the non-survivor cohort were more likely to have severer respiratory distress (P = 0.003), to be of low birth weight ( 6, extreme low birth weight (< 1,000 g, P = 0.001), preterm delivery (gestational age < 37 weeks, P = 0.003), and cesarean delivery (P = 0.002) were found to be the independent risk factors of infant death. Conclusions: Preterm delivery, extremely low birth weight, and cesarean section were the risk factors of infant death from respiratory distress syndrome.

Light is a basic environmental factor required for plant growth and development; however, these are not only affected by light quantity, but also by light quality - light and radiation of different wavelengths and different compositions. In four different rice varieties (Oryza sativa L.), two kinds of shading materials, white cotton yarn (Shading (W)) and black nylon net (Shading (B)) were used to simulate cloudy days. Yield decreased under Shading (W) (15.3–17.7%) and Shading (B) (16.6–20.0%) compared to under sunny day (CK), and different effects on rice quality, which is mainly affected by changes in light quality, were observed. The change in light quality (Blue, Green, Red and R/FR proportions) represented under Shading (W) was significantly different from that under CK and Shading (B) conditions. Red light composition under Shading (W) was closer to that of the cloudy day condition. The proportion of blue light under Shading (W) was significantly lower than that under CK conditions; under Shading (B), it was higher than that under all conditions. The differences in light quality may affect photosynthesis in leaves and final starch synthesis, resulting in increased chalky grain rate, chalkiness, and poor rice quality. White cotton yarn as the shading material for further research used to simulate the influence of the light environment on rice growth under cloudy conditions will be better than black net.

Increase in grain nitrogen concentration (GNC), which is directly affected by nitrogen (N) application, can help overcome the issues of malnutrition. Here, the effects of urea type (polyaspartic acid (PASP) urea and conventional urea) and N management method (two splits and four splits) on GNC and N concentration of head rice were investigated in field experiments conducted in Sichuan, China, in 2014 and 2015. N concentration of grain and head rice were significantly (P

Background: With the progress of perinatal medicine and neonatal technology, more and more extremely low birth weight (ELBW) survived all over the world. This study was designed to investigate the short-term outcomes of ELBW infants during their Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) stay in the mainland of China. Methods: All infants admitted to 26 NICUs with a birth weight (BW) < l000 g were included between January l, 2011 and December 31, 2011. All the data were collected retrospectively from clinical records by a prospectively designed questionnaire. The data collected from each NICU transmitted to the main institution where the results were aggregated and analyzed. Categorical variables were performed with Pearson Chi-square test. Binary Logistic regression analysis was used to detect risk factors. Results: A total of 258 ELBW infants were admitted to 26 NICUs, of whom the mean gestational age (GA) was 28.1 ± 2.2 weeks, and the mean BW was 868 ± 97 g. The overall survival rate at discharge was 50.0%. Despite aggressive treatment 60 infants (23.3%) died and another 69 infants (26.7%) died after medical care withdrawal. Furthermore, the survival rate was significantly higher in coastal areas than inland areas (53.6% vs. 35.3%, P = 0.019). BW < 750 g and GA < 28 weeks were the largest risk factors, and being small for gestational age was a protective factor related to mortality. Respiratory distress syndrome was the most common complication. The incidence of patent ductus arteriosus, intraventricular hemorrhage, periventricular leukomalacia, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, retinopathy of prematurity was 26.2%, 33.7%, 6.7%, 48.1%, and 41.4%, respectively. Ventilator associated pneumonia was the most common hospital acquired infection during hospitalization. Conclusions: Our study was the first survey that revealed the present status of ELBW infants in the mainland of China. The mortality and morbidity of ELBW infants remained high as compared to other developed countries.

Polysaccharide-modified flocculant is a notable material in the field of wastewater treatment. Synthesis of biopolysaccharide derivatives as eco-friendly flocculants is remarkably desired for environmental protection. This work presents an efficient flocculant synthesized through copolymerization of acrylamide, sodium acrylate (AS), and dextran. Physicochemical properties of the flocculant were evaluated. Process parameters of coal-washing wastewater flocculation were tested using Response Surface Method. The application of graft polymers exhibited efficient flocculation performance at low level of flocculant dosage in alkalescent environment. The improved dextran contributes to handle industrial effluent and sanitary sewage.

Anemia is commonly seen in preterm infants. It may reduce the capacity of hemoglobin to transport oxygen throughout the body and may result in tissue and organ dysfunction. This study aimed to investigate the effect of anemia on the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants. 243 infants who were admitted to BaYi Children’s Hospital Affiliated to Clinical Medical College in Beijing Military General Hospital with gestational age (GA) less than 32 weeks from February, 2014 to February, 2015 were included in the study. Maternal and infant data were recorded. Multivarariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the association between anemia and BPD. Of 243 preterm infants, the incidence of anemia was higher in BPD patients than non-BPD patients (p p = 0.001). Therefore, prevention and treatment of early anemia is necessary and reducing number of transfusions may reduce the incidence of BPD in preterm infants.

Three kinds of semiconductor metal sulfide nanoparticles (CdS, ZnS, Ag 2 S) are synthesized and then are functionalized with 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS) to obtain organically modified MPTMS–CdS(ZnS, Ag 2 S) composite. Meanwhile, ternary europium complex systems are synthesized with trifluoroacetylacetone (TAA) functionalized linkage (TAASi) and terminal N-heterocyclic ligand (Phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, Bipy = 2,2′-bipyridyl). Then through the co-hydrolysis and copolycondensation processes between TTASi unit of Phen(Bipy)-Eu-TAASi and MPTMS unit of MPTMS/CdS(ZnS, Ag 2 S), both of the semiconductor unit and rare earth complex system are sol–gel composed with covalently bonding Si–O to form the multi-component inorganic/organic hybrids Phen(Bipy)-Eu-TAASi–SiO 2 –MPTMS–CdS(ZnS, Ag 2 S). The luminescent properties of these hybrids are studied in detail, which shows the introduction of semiconductor unit is favorable for the luminescence of europium ions.

Three Gram-positive, aerobic, non-motile, non-acid-alcohol-fast strains, designated I05-00051, I05-00074T and I03-00808, were isolated from different soil samples in Beijing and Sichuan, China. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and DNA-DNA hybridization experiments revealed that these three isolates represented the same genospecies. These three strains showed

Background Patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring mutations of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene respond well to the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) gefitinib. Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has been used as a complementary therapy for cancer for decades in China. CHM was proved to be effective in improving the quality of life (QOL) and reducing the toxicity associated with chemotherapy in patients with NSCLC. The purpose of the present trial is to determine whether CHM (Fuzheng Kang’ai decoction (FZKA), a CHM formula) combined with gefitinib results in longer progression-free survival with less toxicity than gefitinib alone. Methods/Design This is a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial. This trial is designed to determine if CHM (FZKA) combined with gefitinib results in longer progression-free survival with less toxicity than gefitinib alone. A total of 70 NSCLC patients with EGFR mutations will be randomly assigned to treatment group (gefitinib plus FZKA granules) or control group (gefitinib plus placebo). The primary endpoint is progression-free survival. Secondary endpoints are: (1) overall survival; (2) disease control rate; (3) QOL, measured with the questionnaire of Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-lung (FACT-L 4.0) and Lung Cancer Symptom Scale and (4) safety. Discussion In previous clinical practice, we found that CHM (FZKA) could improve the therapeutic efficacy of gefitinib. This study will provide objective evidence to evaluate the efficiency of CHM combined with gefitinib in NSCLC patients with EGFR mutations, and may provide a novel regimen for patients with NSCLC. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (www.chictr.org): ChiCTR-IOR-14005679, registered 17 December 2014.

Antimycin A 18 produced by an endophytic Streptomyces albidoflavus isolated from a mangrove plant

The structure and adaptive algorithm of a nonlinear adaptive IIR digital filter is presented. It does not need stability monitoring in the adaptive process, which has always been a computational burden and disturbs the adaptive process in linear adaptive IIR filtering. The individual parameter adaptation scheme is incorporated into the adaptive algorithm to optimally adjust each parameter at every iteration to improve convergence speed. Simulation results are conducted for linear IIR system modeling. >

The structure and the adaptive algorithm of a new nonlinear adaptive FIR digital filter. Called nonlinear delayed N-path adaptive FIR (NDNAFIR) digital filter, is presented for cancelling broadband noise from signals containing sharp edges. The filter structure is obtained by decomposing a FIR digital filter into N delayed parallel subfilters which facilitates high speed implementation. Adjustable bipolar sigmoid functions are placed at the output of each subfilter as well as after the summation of all subfilter outputs. Simulation results show that the ND-NAFIR digital filter outperforms those of the linear adaptive FIR digital filter and the nonlinear median filter in broadband noise cancellation in terms of convergence speed and average squared difference between original and recovered signals. >

A series of ternary rare earth (Eu(3+), Tb(3+)) complexes are covalently coated to the 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) by a simple in situ sol-gel method by the bifunctional silylated monomer TTA-Si and TAA-Si (TTA-Si and TAA-Si are 3-(triethoxysilyl)propylisocyanate (TEPIC) modified thenoyltrifluoroacetone (TTA) and trifluoroacetylacetone (TAA), respectively). The resulting materials are characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectra, scanning electronic microscope, transmission electron microscope, thermogravimetric analysis, ultraviolet visible diffused reflection measure, photoluminescence spectra, and X-ray diffraction. The photoluminesce measurements indicated that these hybrids exhibit characteristic red and green luminescence originating from the corresponding ternary rare earth ion (Eu(3+), Tb(3+)). The luminescence quenching effect of MWCNT networks have been successfully restrained by coating a relatively thicker silica-oxygen-based organic-inorganic complex. Furthermore, the fluorescence lifetimes and emission quantum efficiencies of Eu(3+) hybrid materials are also determined.