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To investigate the effects of extended light/dark (L/D) cycle period (relative to the diurnal L/D cycle) on lettuce and explore potential advantages of abnormal L/D cycles, butter leaf lettuce were grown in a plant factory with artificial light (PFAL) and exposed to mixed red (R) and blue (B) LED light with different L/D cycles that were respectively 16 h light/8 h dark (L16/D8, as control), L24/D12, L48/D24, L96/D48 and L120/D60. The results showed that, all the abnormal L/D cycles increased shoot dry weight (DW) of lettuce (by 34–83%) compared with the control, and lettuce DW increased with the L/D cycle period prolonged. The contents of soluble sugar and crude fiber in lettuce showed an overall upward trend with the length of L/D cycle extended, and the highest vitamin C content as well as low nitrate content were both detected in lettuce treated with L120/D60. The light use efficiency (LUE) and electric use efficiency (EUE) of lettuce reached the maximum (respectively 5.37% and 1.76%) under L120/D60 treatment and so were DW, Assimilation rate (A), RC/CS, ABS/CS, TRo/CS and DIo/CS, indicating that longer L/D cycle period was beneficial for the assimilation efficiency and dry matter accumulation in lettuce leaves. The highest shoot fresh weight (FW) and nitrate content detected in lettuce subjected to L24/D12 may be related to the vigorous growth of root, specific L/D cycle seemed to strengthen root growth and water absorption of lettuce. The openness level of RC in PSII (Ψo), ETo/CS, and PIabs were all the highest in lettuce treated with L24/D12, implying that slightly extending the L/D cycle period might promote the energy flowing to the final electron transfer chain. In general, irradiation modes with extended L/D cycle period had the potential to improve energy use efficiency and biomass of lettuce in PFAL. No obvious stress or injury was detected in lettuce subjected to prolonged L/D cycles in terms of plant growth and production. From the perspective of shoot FW, the optimal treatment in this study was L24/D12, while L120/D60 was the recommended treatment as regards of the energy use efficiency and nutritional quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous increase of CO 2 concentration in the atmosphere, many environmental problems and natural disasters have been brought about, so CO 2 capture and utilization technology has received extensive attention. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) play an important role in the field of CO 2 capture due to their high specific surface area, diverse structures and modifiable functions. Herein, two MOFs were designed and synthesized by solvothermal synthesis: {[Cd 2 (dcpp)(H 2 O) 2 ]·DMF·2 H 2 O} n (1), {[Co 2 (dcpp)(bpy)(H 2 O) 4 ]·3.5 H 2 O} n (2) (H 4 dcpp = (3, 5- dicarboxyphenyl) pyridine, 2, 2′-bipyridine = bpy). MOFs 1 is 3D microporous network structure based on a binuclear cadmium unit and (dcpp)4- ligand. MOF 2 shows 1D lattice chain, which are linked each other by π···π stacking and hydrogen bonding interactions to form a 3D microporous network. TPD experiments show that there are both Lewis acid sites and Lewis base sites in 1–2, which have high catalytic activity for cycloaddition of epoxides and CO 2 under mild solvent-free conditions, and has good recyclability and recyclability. Interestingly, 1–2 showed excellent catalytic CO 2 conversion ability, and a strong application potential in the field of industrial waste gas purification. In addition, 1–2 can also be used as a highly efficient catalyst for the Knoevenagel reaction. The thermal filtration experiment has proved its heterogeneity. The cyclic experiments show that 1–2 is an efficient, recyclable and stable heterogeneous catalyst. Finally, the mechanism of CO 2 cycloaddition and Knoevenagel condensation catalyzed by 1–2 was discussed. [Display omitted] • MOFs 1–2 has good catalytic activity against carbon dioxide and epoxides, based on abundant Lewis acid-base active sites. • MOFs 1–2 also have good catalytic conversion effect in simulated flue system. • MOFs 1–2 can catalyze Knoevenagel condensation efficiently, and has good catalytic effect on benzaldehyde with different substituents. • MOFs 1–2 catalysts in the two catalytic reactions have good stability, recyclability and heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Asthma is the most common chronic disease among children and poses a significant threat to their health. This study aims to assess the relationship between various plasma proteins and childhood asthma, thereby identifying potential therapeutic targets. Methods: Based on publicly available genome‐wide association study summary statistics, we employed a two‐sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach to elucidate the causal relationship between plasma proteins and asthma. Mediation analysis was then conducted to evaluate the indirect influence of plasma proteins on childhood asthma mediated through risk factors. Comprehensive analysis was also conducted to explore the association between plasma proteins and various phenotypes using the UK Biobank dataset. Results: MR analysis uncovered a causal relationship between 10 plasma proteins and childhood asthma. Elevated levels of seven proteins (TLR4, UBP25, CBR1, Rac GTPase‐activating protein 1 [RGAP1], IL‐21, MICB, and PDE4D) and decreased levels of three proteins (GSTO1, LIRB4 and PIGF) were associated with an increased risk of childhood asthma. Our findings further validated the connections between reported risk factors (body mass index, mood swings, hay fever or allergic rhinitis, and eczema or dermatitis) and childhood asthma. Mediation analysis revealed the influence of proteins on childhood asthma outcomes through risk factors. Furthermore, the MR analysis identified 73 plasma proteins that exhibited causal associations with at least one risk factor for childhood asthma. Among them, RGAP1 mediates a significant proportion (25.10%) of the risk of childhood asthma through eczema or dermatitis. Finally, a phenotype‐wide association study based on these 10 proteins and 1403 diseases provided novel associations between these biomarkers and multiple phenotypes. Conclusion: Our study comprehensively investigated the causal relationship between plasma proteins and childhood asthma, providing novel insights into potential therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. This study aimed to clarify the mechanism of Fei-Xian formula (FXF) in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis based on network pharmacology analysis combined with molecular docking validation. Methods. Firstly, ingredients in FXF with pharmacological activities, together with specific targets, were identified based on the BATMA-TCM and TCMSP databases. Then, targets associated with pulmonary fibrosis, which included pathogenic targets as well as those known therapeutic targets, were screened against the CTD, TTD, GeneCards, and DisGeNet databases. Later, Cytoscape was employed to construct a candidate component-target network of FXF for treating pulmonary fibrosis. In addition, for nodes within the as-constructed network, topological parameters were calculated using CytoHubba plug-in, and the degree value (twice as high as the median degree value for all the nodes) was adopted to select core components as well as core targets of FXF for treating pulmonary fibrosis, which were subsequently utilized for constructing the core network. Furthermore, molecular docking study was carried out on those core active ingredients together with the core targets using AutoDock Vina for verifying results of network pharmacology analysis. At last, OmicShare was employed for enrichment analysis of the core targets. Results. Altogether 12 active ingredients along with 13 core targets were identified from our constructed core component-target network of FXF for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis. As revealed by enrichment analysis, the 13 core targets mostly concentrated in regulating biological functions, like response to external stimulus (from oxidative stress, radiation, UV, chemical substances, and virus infection), apoptosis, cell cycle, aging, immune process, and protein metabolism. In addition, several pathways, like IL-17, AGE-RAGE, TNF, HIF-1, PI3K-AKT, NOD-like receptor, T/B cell receptor, and virus infection-related pathways, exerted vital parts in FXF in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis. Conclusions. FXF can treat pulmonary fibrosis through a "multicomponent, multitarget, and multipathway" mean. Findings in this work lay foundation for further exploration of the FXF mechanism in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Conservative oxygen strategy is recommended in acute illness while its benefit in ICU patients remains controversial. Therefore, we sought to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine such oxygen strategies' effect and safety in ICU patients. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane database from inception to Feb 15, 2021. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared a conservative oxygen strategy to a conventional strategy in critically ill patients were included. Results were expressed as mean difference (MD) and risk ratio (RR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). The primary outcome was the longest follow-up mortality. Heterogeneity, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias were also investigated to test the robustness of the primary outcome. Results: We included seven trials with a total of 5265 patients. In general, the conventional group had significantly higher SpO2 or PaO2 than that in the conservative group. No statistically significant differences were found in the longest follow-up mortality (RR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.97–1.10; I2=18%; P=0.34) between the two oxygen strategies when pooling studies enrolling subjects with various degrees of hypoxemia. Further sensitivity analysis showed that ICU patients with mild-to-moderate hypoxemia (PaO2/FiO2 >100 mmHg) had significantly lower mortality (RR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.05–1.46; I2=0%; P=0.01) when receiving conservative oxygen therapy. These findings were also confirmed in other study periods. Additional, secondary outcomes of the duration of mechanical ventilation, the length of stay in the ICU and hospital, change in sequential organ failure assessment score, and adverse events were comparable between the two strategies. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that conservative oxygen therapy strategy did not improve the prognosis of the overall ICU patients. The subgroup of ICU patients with mild to moderate hypoxemia might obtain prognosis benefit from such a strategy without affecting other critical clinical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since red (R) and blue (B) LED light has different quantum efficiency and photoelectric conversion efficiency, mixed RB with different proportions of R and B results in varied energy consumption. In order to improve the energy use efficiency of the closed-type plant production systems, the effects of R and B proportions on the electric use efficiency (EUE), light use efficiency (LUE) as well as the quality of butter leaf lettuce were evaluated in this study. Lettuce seedlings were cultivated in a plant factory with artificial lighting (PFAL) and subjected to eleven combinations of R and B (100%R, 90%R, 80%R, 70%R, 60%R, 50%R, 40%R, 30%R, 20%R, 10%R, 0%R; the rest of the photons in each treatment were B) with the same total photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) and photoperiod (200 ± 3 μmol·m−2·s−1, 16 h) for 35 days. The results showed that palpable petiole distortion appeared when R proportion was more than 70% and the distortion was aggravated with the increase of R proportion. The highest EUE and LUE were both detected in lettuce under 90%R treatment, which were respectively 3.64% and 1.20%. The least number of photons and the least electricity amount required to produce 1 g dry weight of lettuce was respectively 2.92 mol and 1.67 MJ, which were both detected in lettuce treated with 90%R. The sucrose content in lettuce treated with more than 50%R was significantly higher than those treated with less than 50%R (50%R included). Lettuce treated with 80%R possessed the highest soluble sugar content as well as the lowest crude fiber and nitrate content (not significantly different with the minimum values). R proportion exceeding 50% in mixed RB light was beneficial to the accumulation of hexose and sucrose, as well as the decomposition of nitrate in lettuce. The vitamin C content in lettuce treated with 100%R was significantly higher than that in lettuce under other treatments in the study. On the whole, the study indicated that the proportions of R and B affected the energy use efficiency and quality of lettuce in closed plant factory, however the responses of plants to the proportions of R and B varied according to different indexes. Thus, some indexes of top priority should be determined before choosing the optimal proportions of R and B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic time warping (DTW) distance is commonly used in measuring similarity between time series for classification. In order to obtain the minimum cumulative distance, however, DTW distance may map multiple points on one time series to one point on another, and this makes time series over stretched and compressed, resulting in missing important feature information thus influence the classification accuracy. In this paper, we propose a method called adaptive cost dynamic time warping distance (AC-DTW), which adjusts the number of points on one time series mapped to the points on another. AC-DTW records the trajectories of all points and then adaptively allocates the cost rate to each point by calculating cost function at the next step. The results of the experiments implemented on 17 UCR datasets by using nearest neighbor classifier demonstrate that AC-DTW prevails in criterion of higher accuracy rate in comparison with some existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is vital in proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) development. Apoptosis-stimulating proteins of p53 (ASPP2) have recently been reported to participate in EMT. However, the role of ASPP2 in PVR pathogenesis has not been identified. Methods. Immunohistochemistry was used to investigate the expression of ASPP2 in epiretinal membranes of PVR patients. ARPE-19 cells were transfected with ASPP2-siRNA, followed with measurement of cell cytotoxicity, proliferation, and migration ability. EMT markers and related inflammatory and fibrosis cytokines were measured by western blot or flow cytometry. Additionally, PVR rat models were induced by intravitreal injection of ARPE-19 cells transfected with ASPP2-siRNA and evaluated accordingly. Results. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed less intense expression of ASPP2 in PVR membranes. ASPP2 knockdown facilitated the proliferation and migration of RPE cells and enhanced the expression of mesenchymal markers such as alpha smooth muscle actin, fibronectin, and ZEB1. Meanwhile, ASPP2-siRNA increased EMT-related and inflammatory cytokines, including TGF-β, CTGF, VEGF, TNF-α, and interleukins. PVR severities were more pronounced in the rat models with ASPP2-siRNA treatment. Conclusions. ASPP2 knockdown promoted EMT of ARPE-19 cells in vitro and exacerbated the progression of experimental PVR in vivo, possibly via inflammatory and fibrosis cytokines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Katz et al. (2014) carried out a study of controls on the size and geometry of landslides using two-dimensional discrete element numerical simulations. One of their conclusions is that in addition to the peak strength of the slope material, the initial slope angle is another factor that controls the amount of material available for landslides, thus the size, of the resultant landslide. It means that in steeper slopes, more material disintegrates for a given material strength, and consequently the produced landslide is larger. However, in our studies based on limit equilibrium simulations, the sliding mass volume decreases with the increasing slope angle for a given material strength, just contrary to the result of Katz et al. One possible explanation is that when the slope angle in our model increases, the geometry of the potential critical slip surface changes, leading to a decrease of the amount of material available for potential sliding that compensates the increasing gravity effect owing to the enlargement of the slope angle. It suggests that there exist different controls of the slope angle on the landslide size for given material strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: A number of studies have assessed the relationship between beta-2 adrenergic receptor (ADRB2) gene polymorphisms and asthma risk. However, the results are inconsistent. A meta-analysis that focused on the association between asthma and all ADRB2 polymorphisms with at least three case-control studies was thus performed. Methods: A literature search of the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI, and Wangfang databases was conducted. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were used to assess the strength of associations. Results: Arg16Gly, Gln27Glu, Thr164Ile, and Arg19Cys single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified in 46 case-control studies. The results showed that not all of the SNPs were associated with asthma in the overall population. Significant associations were found for the Arg16Gly polymorphism in the South American population via dominant model comparison (OR = 1.754, 95% CI = 1.179–2.609, I2 = 16.9%, studies  = 2, case  = 314, control  = 237) in an analysis stratified by ethnicity. For the Gln27Glu polymorphism, a protective association was found in children via recessive model comparison (OR = 0.566, 95% CI = 0.417–0.769, I2 = 0.0%, studies  = 11, case  = 1693, control  =  502) and homozygote genotype comparison (OR = 0.610, 95% CI = 0.434–0.856, I2 = 0.0%, studies  = 11, case  = 1693, control  = 1502), and in adults via dominant model comparison (OR = 0.864, 95% CI = 0.768–0.971, I2 = 46.9%, n = 18, case  = 3160, control  = 3433). Conclusions: None of the ADRB2 gene polymorphisms were reproducibly associated with a risk of asthma across ethnic groups in the general population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China triggered approximately 200,000 landslides. This study examined a detailed landslide inventory for the event. Based on Newmark's method, the correlation between critical acceleration and landslide occurrence was analyzed for the Beichuan region in Sichuan Province, where various kinds of geohazards occurred due to the earthquake. The results indicate that critical acceleration is a good and reliable criterion to assess slope stability, and that slope gradient and material component are important factors influencing landslide occurrences. It was found that external forces behave differently in different directions. Critical acceleration in horizontal direction is more important for assessing the stability of steeper slopes. This knowledge will help in the understanding of the mechanism of earthquake-triggered landslides and facilitate the combined use of critical acceleration and landslide distribution maps for determining peak ground acceleration in a region without abundant seismic instrument records. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: To determine whether right liver lobe volume (RV) and spleen size measured utilizing magnetic resonance (MR) imaging could identify the presence and severity of cirrhosis in patients with hepatitis B. Methods: Two hundred and five consecutive patients with clinically confirmed diagnosis of cirrhosis due to hepatitis B and 40 healthy control individuals were enrolled in this study and underwent abdominal triphasic enhanced scans using MR imaging. Spleen maximal width (W), thickness (T) and length (L), together with RV and spleen volume (SV), were measured utilizing MR imaging. Spleen multidimensional index (SI) was obtained by multiplying previously acquired parameters W×T×L. Then statistical assessment was performed to evaluate the ability of these parameters, including RV, SV, RV/SV and SI, to identify the presence of cirrhosis and define Child-Pugh class of this disease. Results: SV and SI tended to increase (r = 0.557 and 0.622, respectively; all P<0.001), and RV and RV/SV tended to decrease (r = −0.749 and −0.699, respectively; all P<0.001) with increasing Child-Pugh class of cirrhosis. All the parameters, including RV, SV, RV/SV and SI, might be the indicators used to discriminate the patients with liver cirrhosis from the control group, and to distinguish these patients between Child-Pugh class A and B, between B and C, and between A and C (area under receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] = 0.609–0.975, all P<0.05). Among these parameters, RV/SV was the best noninvasive factor for the discrimination of liver cirrhosis between Child-Pugh class A and B (AUC = 0.725), between A and C (AUC = 0.975), and between B and C (AUC = 0.876), while SI was the best variable to distinguish the cirrhosis patients from the control group (AUC = 0.960, P<0.05). Conclusion: RV/SV should be used to identify the severity of cirrhosis, while SI can be recommended to determine the presence of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C20H26N4O4, monoclinic, P21/a (no. 14), a = 12.107(3) Å, b = 7.8431(19) Å, c = 21.794(5) Å, β = 98.233(5)°, V = 2048.1(8) Å3, Z = 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0458, wRref(F2) = 0.1208, T = 293(2) K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel metal-organic framework (MOF), namely [Zn 2 (deta)(bpy)] n (1) (H 4 deta ​= ​4- (3,5-dicarboxyphenoxy) phthalic, bpy ​= ​2, 2′-bipyridine) was successfully prepared and characterized. MOF 1 is a three-dimensional network structure based on binuclear zinc unit, which is constructed by bpy and (deta)4- ions via μ 7 : η3, η2, η2, η2 coordination mode. It is worth noting that MOF 1 not only has excellent luminescence performance, but also can be regarded as a multifunctional luminescence sensor with high selectivity and excellent sensitivity to detect 2, 4, 6-trinitrophenol (TNP), aniline (ANI), tetracycline (TC) and lincomycin hydrochloride (LIN). Noticeably, when the ANI concentration is 1.96 ​× ​10−5 ​M, the fluorescence of MOF 1 is almost completely quenched, and the quenching efficiency reaches 99.7%. In addition, the fluorescence quenching mechanism of TNP was investigated by electron transfer, energy transfer and energy level orbitals. It is noteworthy that the color of TNP and nitroaromatic compounds (NACs) can be easily distinguished by the naked eye through the difference in fluorescence intensity when detected under 365 ​nm UV light. [Display omitted] • MOF 1 based on H 4 deta and bpy ligands was obtained and characterized. • MOF 1 shows a 3D network structure based on binuclear zinc unit. • MOF 1 can be used as a multifunctional fluorescent probe with high selectivity and excellent sensitivity to detect TNP, ANI, TC and LIN. • TNP can be easily distinguished from NACs by the naked eye through the difference in fluorescence intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel turn-on fluorescence probe L has been designed that exhibits high selectivity and sensitivity with a detection limit of 9.53 × 10−8 mol/L for the quantification of Zn2+. 1H-NMR spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed the unsymmetrical nature of the structure of the Schiff base probe L. An emission titration experiment in the presence of different molar fractions of Zn2+ was used to perform a Job's plot analysis. The results showed that the stoichiometric ratio of the complex formed by L and Zn2+ was 1:1. Moreover, the molecular structure of the mononuclear Cu complex reveals one ligand L coordinates with one Cu atom in the asymmetric unit. On adding CuCl2 to the ZnCl2/L system, a Cu-Zn complex was formed and a strong quenching behavior was observed, which inferred that the Cu2+ displaced Zn2+ to coordinate with the imine nitrogen atoms and hydroxyl oxygen atoms of probe L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 8 August 2017 an earthquake (MS7.0) occurred within Jiuzhaigou County, Northern Aba Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China, triggering 4834 landslides with an individual area greater than 7.8 m2 over a more than 400 km2 region. Instead of correlating geological and topographic factors with the coseismic landslide distribution pattern, this study has attempted to reveal the control from seismic landslide susceptibility mapping, which relies on the calculation of critical acceleration values using a simplified Newmark block model. We calculated the average critical acceleration for each cell of the gridded study area (1 km×1 km), which represented the seismic landslide susceptibility of the cell. An index of the potential landslide area generation rate was defined, i.e., the possible landsliding area in each grid cell. In combination with PGA (peak ground acceleration) distribution, we calculated such indexes for each cell to predict the possible landslide hazard under seismic ground shaking. Results show that seismic landslide susceptibility plays an important role in determining the coseismic landslide pattern. The places with high seismic landslide susceptibility tends to host many landslides. Additionally, the areas with high potential landslide area generation rates have high real landslide occurrence rates, consistent with dominant small-medium scale landslides by this earthquake. This approach can aid assessment of seismic landslide hazards at a preliminary stage. Additionally, it forms a foundation for further research, such as the rapid evaluation of post-earthquake landslides and identifying highly impacted areas to help decision makers prioritize disaster relief efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is a risk factor for poor long-term outcomes and a prognostic factor for disease-free survival in colon cancer. Preoperative lymph node status evaluation remains a challenge. The purpose of this study is to determine whether tumor size measured by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) could be used to predict LNM and N stage in colon cancer. Material and methods: One hundred six patients with colon cancer who underwent radical surgery within 1 week of MDCT scan were enrolled. Tumor size including tumor length (Tlen), tumor maximum diameter (Tdia), tumor maximum cross-sectional area (Tare), and tumor volume (Tvol) were measured to be correlated with pathologic LNM and N stage using univariate logistic regression analysis, multivariate logistic analysis, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: The inter- and intraobserver reproducibility of Tlen (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.94, 0.95, respectively), Tdia (ICC = 0.81, 0.93, respectively), Tare (ICC = 0.97, 0.91, respectively), and Tvol (ICC = 0.99, 0.99, respectively) parameters measurement are excellent. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that there were significant differences in Tlen, Tdia, Tare, and Tvol between positive and negative LNM (p < 0.001, 0.001, < 0.001, < 0.001, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that Tvol was independent risk factor for predicting LNM (odds ratio, 1.082; 95% confidence interval for odds ratio, 1.039, 1.127, p<0.001). Tlen, Tdia, Tare, and Tvol could distinguish N0 from N1 stage (p < 0.001, 0.041, < 0.001, < 0.001, respectively), N0 from N2 (all p < 0.001), N0 from N1-2 (p < 0.001, 0.001, < 0.001, < 0.001, respectively), and N0-1 from N2 (p < 0.001, 0.001, < 0.001, < 0.001, respectively). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was higher for Tvol than that of Tlen, Tdia, and Tare in identifying LNM (AUC = 0.83, 0.82, 0.69, 0.79), and distinguishing N0 from N1 stage (AUC = 0.79, 0.78, 0.63, 0.74), N0 from N2 stage (AUC = 0.92, 0.89, 0.80, 0.89, respectively), and N0-1 from N2 stage (AUC = 0.84, 0.79, 0.76, 0.83, respectively). Conclusion: Tumor size was correlated with regional LNM in resectable colon cancer. In particularly, Tvol showed the most potential for noninvasive preoperative prediction of regional LNM and N stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study evaluated the growth response and sugar accumulation of lettuce exposed to different lighting modes of red and blue LED light based on the same daily light integral (7.49 μmol·m−2). Six lighting treatments were performed, that were monochromatic red light (R), monochromatic blue light (B), simultaneous red and blue light as the control (RB, R:B = 1:1), mixed modes of R, B and RB (R/RB/B, 4 h R to 4 h RB and then 4 h B), and alternating red and blue light with alternating intervals of 4 h and 1 h respectively recorded as R/B(4 h) and R/B(1 h). The Results showed that different irradiation modes led to obvious morphological changes in lettuce. Among all the treatments, the highest fresh and dry weight of lettuce shoot were both detected with R/B(1 h), significantly higher than the other treatments. Compared with plants treated with RB, the contents of fructose, glucose, crude fiber as well as the total sweetness index (TSI) of lettuce were significantly enhanced by R treatment; meanwhile, monochromatic R significantly promoted the activities of sucrose degrading enzymes such as acid invertase (AI) and neutral invertase (NI), while obviously reduced the activity of sucrose synthesizing enzyme (SPS). Additionally. The highest contents of sucrose and starch accompanied with the strongest activity of SPS were detected in plants treated with R/B(1 h). The alternating treatments R/B(4 h) and R/B(1 h) inhibited the activity of SS, while enhanced that of SPS compared with the other treatments, indicating that different light environment might influence sugar compositions via regulating the activities of sucrose metabolism enzymes. On the whole, R/B(1 h) was the optimal lighting strategy in terms of lettuce yield, taste and energy use efficiency in the present study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To explore the structural progression of X-linked retinoschisis (XLRS) in patients by using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Design. Retrospective, observational study. Methods. Patients who were diagnosed with XLRS by genetic testing underwent comprehensive ophthalmological examinations from December 2014 to October 2016. Each eye was measured by SD-OCT using the same clinical protocol. A correlation between best-corrected visual acuity (VA) and SD-OCT measurements was observed. Results. Six patients demonstrated retinoschisis (12 eyes) and typical foveal cyst-like cavities (10 eyes) on SD-OCT images with a mean logMAR VA of 0.48. The median age was 7.5 years at the initial visit. Their foveal retinal thickness (516.9 μm) and choroid thickness (351.4 μm) decreased at a rate of 38.1 and 7.5 μm, respectively, at the 10.5-month follow-up visit; however, there were no significant differences (P=0.622 and P=0.406, resp.). There was no significant correlation between VA, the foveal retinal thickness, and subfoveal choroid thickness. Conclusions. SD-OCT images for XLRS patients during the juvenile period revealed no significant changes in the fundus structure, including the foveal retinal thickness and choroid thickness within one-year follow-up. There was a lack of correlation between VA, foveal retinal thickness, and subfoveal choroid thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, whether endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is superior to conventional TBNA (cTBNA) in the diagnosis of mediastinal lymphadenopathy remains controversial. We undertook a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the diagnostic yield of EBUS-TBNA versus cTBNA in the diagnosis of mediastinal lymphadenopathy, both in benign and malignant etiologies. Computer-based retrieval was performed on PubMed and EMBASE. The quality was evaluated according to the quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies-2, and Meta-Disc was adopted to perform meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. The summary receiving operating characteristic curve as well as the areas under curve (AUC) was measured. Four studies with a total of 440 patients met the inclusion criteria. Our results showed that the pooled sensitivity was 0.90 (95 % CI 0.85-0.94) and 0.76 (95 % CI 0.68-0.82), pooled specificity was 0.75 (95 % CI 0.60-0.87) and 0.94 (95 % CI 0.86-0.98), DOR was 75.38 (95 % CI 16.38-346.97) and 108.17 (95 % CI 13.84-845.35), and AUC was 0.9339 and 0.9732 for EBUS-TBNA group and cTBNA group, respectively. Although EBUS-TBNA with a higher sensitivity performs better than cTBNA, there is lack of enough evidence regarding EBUS-TBNA being superior to cTBNA in the diagnosis of mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Considering the limitations of methodology and limited data, further robust RCTs are needed to verify the current findings and investigate the optimal choice in patients receiving TBNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The employment of the new Schiff base ligand 2‐[(4‐chloro‐2‐hydroxybenzylideneamino)methyl]phenol (H2L) bearing O2N donors for the preparation of a novel Co6 cluster is reported. The hexanuclear cobalt complex, namely, di‐μ2‐acetatotetrakis{μ2‐2‐[(4‐chloro‐2‐oxidobenzylideneamino)methyl]phenolato}tetra‐μ3‐methanolato‐tetracobalt(II)dicobalt(III), [CoII4CoIII2(C14H10ClNO2)4(CH3COO)2(CH3O)4], was obtained using Co(CH3COO)2·4H2O and H2L as starting materials in MeOH under solvothermal conditions. The six metal ions are linked together by the μ3‐O atoms of four deprotonated MeOH molecules, two CH3COO− units and six phenolate O atoms of four L2− ligands to form a defect disk‐shaped topology. DC magnetic susceptibility investigations revealed the existence of antiferromagnetic interactions in the Co6 cluster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Dietary salt intake may vary depending on different lifestyles. We aimed to estimate the different salt intakes and evaluate the knowledge and self-awareness about salt among people speaking the Teochew, Teochew-Hakka and Hakka dialects in the Chaoshan region of southern China.Design: The study followed a cluster sampling of residents in Chaoshan region. General characteristics, lifestyles, health status as well as knowledge and self-awareness related to salt intake were investigated using a questionnaire. Anthropometric variables as well as Na and K excretion in a 24-h urine collection were measured.Setting: Chaoshan region of China.Participants: Four hundred fifteen adults who spoke only one of these three dialects.Results: The salt intake of adults who spoke the Teochew, Teochew-Hakka and Hakka dialects was 7·19 (interquartile range (IQR) 5·29-10·17), 9·03 (IQR 6·62-11·54) and 10·12 (IQR 7·61-12·82) g/d, respectively, with significant differences between Teochew and Teochew-Hakka speakers and between Teochew and Hakka speakers (both P < 0·05). The Na:K ratio for adults who spoke the three dialects was 3·00 (IQR 2·00-4·11), 3·50 (IQR 2·64-4·82) and 4·52 (IQR 3·35-5·97), respectively, and differed significantly among the groups (all P < 0·05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed increased Na:K ratio associated with hypertension (β = 0·71, P = 0·043) in Hakka speakers. Knowledge and self-awareness about salt intake were poor in this population.Conclusions: Salt intake was closely related to lifestyles and was higher than the upper limit (5 g/d) recommended by the WHO in adults of Chaoshan, especially those speaking the Hakka dialect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is to investigate optimum apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) parameter for predicting lymphovascular invasion (LVI), lymph node metastasis (LNM) and histology type in resectable rectal cancer. 58 consecutive patients with resectable rectal cancer were retrospectively identified. The minimum, maximum, average ADC and ADC difference value were obtained on ADC maps. Maximum ADC and ADC difference value increased with the appearance of LVI (r = 0.501 and 0.495, P < 0.001, respectively) and development of N category (r = 0.615 and 0.695, P < 0.001, respectively). ADC difference value tended to rise with lower tumor differentiation (r = − 0.269, P = 0.041). ADC difference value was an independent risk factor for predicting LVI (odds ratio = 1.323; P = 0.005) and LNM (odds ratio = 1.526; P = 0.005). Maximum ADC and ADC difference value could distinguish N0 from N1 category, N0 from N1–N2, N0–N1 from N2 (all P < 0.001). Only ADC difference value could distinguish histology type (P = 0.041). ADC difference value had higher area under the receiver operating characteristic curve than maximum ADC in identifying LVI (0.828 vs 0.797), N0 from N1 category (0.947 vs 0.847), N0 from N1–N2 (0.935 vs 0.874), and N0–N1 from N2 (0.814 vs 0.770). ADC difference value may be superior to the other ADC value parameters to predict LVI, N category and histology type of resectable rectal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) including Chinese patent medicine has been widely used to treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Syndrome differentiation is the essence of TCM. However, the diagnostic ability of gastroenterologists to detect TCM syndromes in IBS in China remains unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of gastroenterologists to diagnose the TCM syndromes of IBS based on modified simple criteria compared with TCM practitioners. Methods. Patients meeting the Rome III criteria for IBS-D or IBS-C were recruited from six tertiary referral centers between January 2016 and December 2017. After learning the diagnosis criteria of the TCM syndromes in IBS, gastroenterologists first diagnosed the syndromes of the enrolled patients. Subsequently, the patients were diagnosed by TCM practitioners. The rate of agreement between the gastroenterologists and TCM practitioners was analyzed. In addition, demographic data and the distribution of TCM syndrome types in IBS were also analyzed. Results. A total of 178 patients (93 males and 85 females), including 131 patients with IBS-D and 47 patients with IBS-C, were enrolled in this study. The rate of agreement of the syndrome diagnosis between the gastroenterologists and TCM practitioners was 84.3%. The diagnosis consistency rates among IBS-D patients and IBS-C patients were 87.0% and 76.5%, respectively. The most common TCM syndrome type in IBS-D patients was liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome (27.5%), followed by spleen-yang deficiency syndrome (19.8%). Dryness and heat in intestine syndrome was the most common TCM syndrome in IBS-C patients (57.4%). Conclusions. Gastroenterologists had good diagnostic agreement with TCM practitioners for diagnosing TCM syndrome types in IBS after learning the diagnostic criteria. This knowledge can aid gastroenterologists in selecting suitable Chinese patent medicine to treat IBS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many mutations in the retinoschisis (RS1) gene have been identified, but there are limited clinical data relating to the different genotypes. This study investigated the genotype, clinical phenotype and therapies for X-linked juvenile retinoschisis (XLRS) patients in China to evaluate the effects of gene mutations and therapies on the prognosis of the disease. Thirty patients were recruited in the study. Genetic examination identified 8 novel RS1 gene mutations. Twenty-four patients were identified as missense mutation, which was the most common gene mutation in XLRS patients. Amino acids 102 and 209 were the most common mutation areas, accounting for a total 35.7% of all patients. Mutations affecting amino acid 102 were associated with poor results on the flash electroretinogram (ERG). Sixteen patients had various complications. Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drugs were given to four patients with hemorrhage or other complications, and serious adverse events did not occur. Our outcome demonstrates that missense mutation was the leading cause of XLRS and more than half of the patients with this missense had various complications. Anti-VEGF drugs may be an effective and safe way to prevent deterioration of XLRS with certain complications. There is wide genotypic and phenotypic variability in Chinese patients with XLRS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Flax Lignan ( FLL), a chemical widespread within the plant and animal kingdoms, has antioxidant, antiinfectious, and antitumor activities. However, little is known about the effects of FLL on the central nervous system ( CNS). Methods The neuroprotective actions of FLL against N-methyl-d-aspartate ( NMDA) are investigated in primary cultured cortical neurons by MTT assay. The expression levels of proteins related to apoptosis and GluN2-containing receptor were detected by Western blot analysis. Intracellular Ca2+ was measured under a confocal laser scanning microscope. Results After challenged with 100 μM NMDA for 30 min, loss of cell viability and excessive apoptotic cell death were observed in cultured cortical neurons. FLL protected the neurons against the NMDA-induced cell loss in a concentration-dependent manner. FLL also significantly inhibited the neuronal apoptosis induced by NMDA exposure through reversing intracellular concentration of Ca2+ overload and balancing of Bcl-2 and Bax expression. Furthermore, FLL significantly reversed the upregulation of GluN2B-containing NMDA receptors by exposure to NMDA, but did not affect the expression of GluN2A-containing NMDA receptor. Conclusions These findings suggest that FLL protects cortical neurons by inhibiting the expression of GluN2B-containing NMDA receptor and regulating the Bcl-2 family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new column layered MOF with (3,6)-connected nets, namely [Co(pysa)(H 2 O)] n (YAU-7), was synthesized by using Co(NO 3) 2 ·6H 2 O and organic ligand 2-(pyrid-4′-yl)-benzimidazole-5-carboxylic acid (H 2 pysa) as flexible linkers. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction evidences the 3D YAU-7 MOF with (3,6)-connected nodes, a binuclear cluster [Co 2 (COO) 2 ] structure and 1D tunnel feature. The weak interactions of π---π stacking enhances chemical stability of YAU-7 3D structure. Interestingly, the YAU-7 presents high chemical/thermodynamic stability, superior adsorption performance for CO 2 , CH 4 , C 2 H 2 and C 2 H 4 , and high IAST selectivities for mixed gas systems of C 2 H 2 /CO 2 , C 2 H 4 /CO 2 , and CH 4 /CO 2 (50/50). In contrast, YAU-7 exhibits higher uptake of CO 2 (55.70 ​cm3 ​g−1) compared with CH 4 , C 2 H 2 , and C 2 H 4 (27.39, 23.36, and 9.04 ​cm3 ​g−1) at 273 ​K. YAU-7 takes separation values for C 2 H 2 /CO 2 , C 2 H 4 /CO 2 , and CH 4 /CO 2 mixture (37.6, 22.7, and 31.2) significantly higher than the C 2 H 2 /C 2 H 4 , C 2 H 2 /CH 4 , C 2 H 2 /CO 2 , C 2 H 4 /CH 4 mixture gas (1.30, 1.83, 1.67). The YAU-7 MOF is a promising material for CO 2 separation under ambient conditions. Mesoporous MOFs modified by 1D channels and column layer structure have been designed and synthesized as adsorption materials with excellent adsorption and separation properties. Image 1 • Design and prepare mesoporous MOF materials. • Column layer MOF possess 1D channel with dimensionality of 8.583 ​Å ​× ​12.593 ​Å. • YAU-7 MOF with excellent gas separation properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal-organic frameworks with open active sites and appropriate pore size show great application promises in gas storage and separation due to their structural characteristics and functionality can be adjusted and controlled. Based on a benzimidazole and carboxylate decorated new MOF, [Cd(PCA) 2 ] n, (YAU-1, HPCA=(2-(pyrid-4′-yl)-benzimidazole-5- carboxylic acid) has been gained under solvent-thermal conditions. Each dinuclear [Cd 2 ] unit are linked through PCA− ligands to obtain a 2D layer structure, and the 2D structure is further connected by PCA− ligands to form the 3D framework of YAU-1. Remarkably, the un-coordinated benzimidazole and pyridine groups of PCA− ligand not only provide the 1D channels with exposed N atoms to create a mesoporous environment but also stabilizes 3D framework by π⋯π stacking. Taking advantage of these structural characteristics, YAU-1 shows different adsorption capacity for CO 2 , C 2 H 2 , C 2 H 4 and CH 4 , and remarkable separation effect of C 2 H 2 /CH 4 , C 2 H 4 /CH 4 and CO 2 /CH 4. The research on the configuration-effect relationship of YAU-1 provides a promising methods to design and construction materials with high gas uptake and separation performance. Mesoporous MOFs modified by 1D channels and bare nitrogen-donor sites have been synthesized as adsorption materials with excellent adsorption and separation properties. Image 1 • Design and synthesize mesoporous MOFs materials. • Mesoporous MOFs with 1D channels, bare nitrogen-donor sites and high chemical stability. • Mesoporous MOFs with excellent gas adsorption and separation properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of 131I gelatin microspheres (131I-GMS) on human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) in nude mice and the biodistribution of 131I-GMSs following intratumoral injections.Methods: A total of 20 tumor-bearing mice were divided into a treatment group and control group and received intratumoral injections of 2.5 mci 131I-GMSs and nonradioactive GMSs, respectively. Tumor size was measured once per week. Another 16 mice received intratumoral injections of 0.4 mci 131I-GMSs and were subjected to single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scans and tissue radioactivity concentration measurements on day 1, 4, 8 and 16 postinjection. The 20 tumor-bearing mice received intratumoral injections of 0.4 mci [131I] sodium iodide solution and were subjected to SPECT scans and intratumoral radioactivity measurements at 1, 6, 24, 48 and 72 h postinjection. The tumors were collected for histological examination.Results: The average tumor volume in the 131I-GMSs group on post-treatment day 21 decreased to 86.82 ± 63.6%, while it increased to 893.37 ± 158.12% in the control group (P < 0.01 vs. the 131I-GMSs group). 131I-GMSs provided much higher intratumoral retention of radioactivity, resulting in 19.93 ± 5.24% of the injected radioactivity after 16 days, whereas the control group retained only 1.83 ± 0.46% of the injected radioactivity within the tumors at 1 h postinjection.Conclusions: 131I-GMSs suppressed the growth of MCF-7 in nude mice and provided sustained intratumoral radioactivity retention. The results suggest the potential of 131I-GMSs for clinical applications in radiotherapy for breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:To investigate liver lobe volumes and the ratios of liver lobe volumes to spleen volume measured with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for quantitatively monitoring and staging liver fibrosis. Methods:Animal study was approved by Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Sixteen minipigs were prospectively used to model liver fibrosis, and underwent abdominal gadolinium-enhanced MRI on 0, 5th, 9th, 16th and 21st weekend after modeling this disease staged by biopsy according to METAVIR classification system. On MRI, volume parameters including left lateral liver lobe volume (LLV), left medial liver lobe volume (LMV), right liver lobe volume (RV), caudate lobe volume (CV), and spleen volume (SV) were measured; and LLV/SV, LMV/SV, RV/SV and CV/SV were calculated. Statistical analyses were performed for staging this fibrosis. Results:LLV and CV increased with increasing stage of fibrosis (r = 0.711, 0.526, respectively; all P < 0.05). RV and LMV increased from stage 0 to 2 and decreased from 2 to 4; and RV/SV decreased from 0 to 1, increased from 1 to 2, and decreased from 3 to 4 (all P > 0.05). LLV/SV, LMV/SV and CV/SV decreased from stage 0 to 4 (r = -0.566, -0.748 and -0.620, respectively; all P < 0.05). LLV, CV, LLV/SV, LMV/SV, RV/SV, and CV/SV could distinguish stage 0–1 from 2–4 and 0–2 from 3–4 (all P < 0.05). Among these parameters, LLV and LMV/SV could best classify stage ≥2 and ≥3, respectively (area under receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.893 and 0.946, respectively). Conclusion:LLV and LMV/SV complement each other in staging liver fibrosis, and both parameters should be used to stage this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]