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Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury can lead to mortality and severe long-term disabilities including cerebral palsy and brain injury. However, the treatment options for neonatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury are limited. Apigenin is abundantly present in vegetables, celery, and chamomile tea with diverse biological functions, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, antioxidant, and anticancer effects. However, it has not yet been reported whether apigenin exerts a neuroprotective effect against neonatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury. In this study, we investigated whether apigenin could ameliorate HI brain injury and explored the associated mechanism using in vivo experiments. We found that apigenin remarkably reduced the infarct volume and ameliorated cerebral edema, decreased inflammatory response, inhibited apoptosis, promoted the recovery of tissue structure, and improved prognosis following HI brain injury. Mechanistically, we found that apigenin exerted a neuroprotective effect against HI brain injury by activating the PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 pathway. In summary, all these results demonstrate that apigenin could be a potential therapeutic approach for neonatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury.

Recent studies have suggested that CREB-regulated transcription coactivator 1 (CRTC1) plays a role in the pathophysiology of depression. Although imipramine is thought to prevent the reuptake of synaptic serotonin and norepinephrine, its antidepressant-like mechanisms remain elusive. In this study, the effects of imipramine on CRTC1 were studied in several models of depression, including the chronic restraint stress (CRS), chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) and chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) models. We examined whether repeated imipramine administration can reverse the effects of CRS, CUMS and CSDS on CRTC1 expression in both the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Furthermore, genetic knockdown of CRTC1 by CRTC1-shRNA was used to determine whether CRTC1 is necessary for the antidepressant-like effects of imipramine in mice. Our results showed that imipramine reversed the down-regulating effects of CRS, CUMS and CSDS on CRTC1 expression in the mPFC but not the hippocampus, and that CRTC1-shRNA fully abolished the antidepressant-like actions of imipramine in mice. In conclusion, CRTC1 in the mPFC is involved in the antidepressant mechanism of imipramine.

Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive form of human liver cancer and the fifth most common malignancy worldwide. Novel effective treatment strategies for HCC are urgently in clinical because of its poor response to conventional therapies. G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs), including GRK2 and GRK3, are known that involves in various essential cellular processes and regulates numerous signaling pathways. However, the role of GRK2/3 in invasion and metastasis of HCC still remains unclear. Materials and methods Immunohistochemistry, Western blot, laser confocal microscopy and qRT-PCR were used to detect the expression of GRK2/3 and EP2 in liver tissues of HCC patients and DEN-induced HCC mice. Wound healing and transwell assay were applied to measure the migration and invasion of HCC cells after transfected with GRK2 siRNA. The downstream pathway of Akt and ERK was verified by Western blot. Results The expression of GRK2 was significantly decreased, while GRK3 was not significantly changed in HCC tissues compared with noncancerous tissues of HCC patients. Moreover, GRK2 expression was reduced during liver tumorigenesis in diethylnitrosamine-induced liver tumor model. In addition, our in vitro study showed that GRK2 expression was gradually decreased with increasing HCC cell line metastatic potential, and GRK2 knockdown significantly promoted the migration and invasion of HCC cells. Furthermore, low GRK2 expression was associated with increased expression of EP2 receptor translocation to HCC cell membrane, and the activation of Akt pathway. Conclusion These data suggest that GRK2 inhibits HCC metastasis and invasion may be through regulating EP2 receptor translocation, and this effect appears to be mediated by Akt pathway.

Background Depression is one of the most common forms of mental illness and also a leading cause of disability worldwide. Developing novel antidepressant targets beyond the monoaminergic systems is now popular and necessary. LIM kinases, including LIM domain kinase 1 and 2 (LIMK1/2), play a key role in actin and microtubules dynamics through phosphorylating cofilin. Since depression is associated with atrophy of neurons and reduced connectivity, here we speculate that LIMK1/2 may play a role in the pathogenesis of depression. Methods In this study, the chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), chronic restraint stress (CRS) and chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) models of depression, various behavioral tests, stereotactic injection, western blotting and immunofluorescence methods were adopted. Results It was found that CUMS, CRS and CSDS all significantly enhanced the phosphorylation levels of LIMK1 and LIMK2 in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) but not the hippocampus of mice. Administration of fluoxetine, a most commonly used SSRI in clinical practice, fully reversed the effects of CUMS, CRS and CSDS on LIMK1 and LIMK2 in the mPFC. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition of LIMK1 and LIMK2 in the mPFC by LIMKi 3 infusions notably prevented the pro-depressant effects of CUMS, CRS and CSDS in mice. Conclusions In summary, these results suggest that LIMK1/2 in the mPFC has a role in chronic stress-induced depressive-like effects in mice, and could be a novel pharmacological target for developing antidepressants. Significance statement It is now popular and necessary to develop novel antidepressant targets beyond the monoaminergic systems. LIMK1/2 plays a key role in actin and microtubules dynamics through phosphorylating cofilin. This study mainly investigated the correlation between the LIMK-Cofilin system in the mPFC and depression. It was found that both chronic stress and fluoxetine were able to significantly regulate the phosphorylation of LIMK1, LIMK2 and cofilin in the mPFC but not the hippocampus, and inhibiting LIMK1/2 in the mPFC led to antidepressant-like effects in mice. Therefore, LIMK1/2 in the mPFC is a potential participant underlying the pathophysiology of depression and could be a novel antidepressant target. Moreover, this study provides support for the potential use of LIMKi 3 treatment strategies against chronic stress-related mental disorders.

Background To block transmission of measles, the China Ministry of Health endorsed the “2006–2012 National Measles Elimination Action Plan (NMEAP)” on November 11, 2006, while no published studies used mathematical models to assess the impact of this action. Also, the problem of residuals autocorrelation due to auto-correlated infectious disease data is often ignored in practice. Methods Based on monthly counts of measles in 31 Chinese provinces during 2004–2016, a spatiotemporal auto-correlated mixed model was developed to assess the intervention effects over 10 years after the NMEAP, after controlling for seasonality and time-varying socioeconomic and meteorological factors. The first-order autoregression dynamic relationship was used to adjust the bias of conditional covariance in Quasi-likelihood function due to temporal autocorrelation and the spatial autoregressive term was used to capture the neighbor effects of adjacent provinces. Results There were a similar seasonal pattern and spatial differences of measles incidence among provinces, yet the spatiotemporal pattern was diminished after the intervention. The introduction of the NMEAP was associated with a reduction of 51.03% [excess risk (ER%) = −51.03%, 95% CI: −62.32% to −36.37%] in measles morbidity on average during the 10-year intervention period. The intervention effect varied with time. The significant effect was observed 15 months after the intervention onset, and then gradually increased to a stable level, but was weakened slightly after 2012. The effect of birth rate and meteorological factors on measles morbidity reduced after the NMEAP. Conclusions There was clear evidence that prominent progress towards a goal of measles elimination had been achieved after the intervention, while the resurgence after 2012 indicated the goal for measles elimination by 2012 had not been reached.

PurposeThe international marketing field has witnessed many studies related to “country of origin” (COO) effects or the “made in” concept over the past few decades. Yet COO research is deeply rooted in the so-called “production-related” approach, which mainly accounts for production- or technology-based factors. Barely considered is the “consumption-related” perspective, which reflects consumers' proclivity to base their buying decisions on foreigners' product choice. In this paper, we propose the “country of reference” (COR) concept, in which consumers deliberately imitate the product choices of consumers from another country, to whom the former (i.e. the imitators) attribute superior or more prestigious personas.Design/methodology/approachUnlike the made in concept, which emphasizes favored product qualities from superior manufacturing countries, we believe product preferences may arise from cross-border benchmarking or “cross-country referencing.” Pivoting on the optimal distinctiveness theory, this paper suggests a COR framework that incorporates the system justification theory and the self-discrepancy concept, along with decision heuristics and mental simulation effects. The proposed framework aims to explain consumers' inclination to “buy what certain foreigners buy.”FindingsWe suggest critical propositions related to the COR concept, discuss its marketing implications, and pinpoint further research issues.Originality/valueCOR may become a coping strategy through which low-status consumers perceiving themselves as less privileged than their high-status counterparts can narrow this gap by means of decision mimicking.

Background Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery has become the most common surgical procedure among all cardiac surgeries. Hyperglycaemia and hypoglycaemia occur frequently during this type of surgery and are associated with a variety of postoperative outcomes. Therefore, intraoperative glycaemic control is an important issue for patients undergoing CABG surgery. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to evaluate the effects of different intraoperative glycaemic control strategies on postoperative outcomes. Methods We will perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) according to the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Relevant studies will be searched in the Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases. Two independent reviewers will conduct study selection, data extraction, risk of bias assessment and quality of evidence assessment. The primary outcome will be postoperative mortality, and the secondary outcomes will include time on a ventilator in the intensive care unit (ICU), incidence of postoperative myocardial infarction (MI), incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF), rate of postoperative infection, incidence of acute kidney failure (AKF), length of stay (LOS) in the ICU, and LOS in the hospital. χ2 (Cochran Q) and I2 methods will be used to assess statistical heterogeneity. Sensitivity analysis will also be performed to explore the source of clinical heterogeneity, and subgroup analyses will be performed to detect possible heterogeneity of the results. Review Manager (RevMan) 5.4 will be used for data management and statistical analysis. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool 2.0 and GRADEpro will be applied for risk of bias and quality assessment of the evidence. Discussion We assume that intensive glycaemic control in patients undergoing CABG will reduce postoperative mortality and complications, which seriously compromise a patient’s quality of life and may even cause premature death. To address limitations in our study, corresponding methodologies will be adopted to optimize the results as much as possible. The results of our study are expected to provide strong evidence supporting the relationship between intensive intraoperative glycaemic control strategies and the reduction of postoperative complications in patients undergoing CABG surgery. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42021240841.

Fibrosis is the final stage of the development of chronic inflammation. It is characterized by excessive deposition of the extracellular matrix, leading to tissue structure damage and organ dysfunction, which is a serious threat to human health and life. However, the molecular mechanism of fibrosis is still unclear. Inflammasome is a molecular complex of proteins that has been becoming a key innate sensor for host immunity and is involved in pyroptosis, pathogen infection, metabolic syndrome, cellular stress, and tumor metastasis. Inflammasome signaling and downstream cytokine responses mediated by the inflammasome have been found to play an important role in fibrosis. The inflammasome regulates the secretion of IL-1β and IL-18, which are both critical for the process of fibrosis. Recently, researches on the function of inflammasome have attracted extensive attention, and data derived from these researches have increased our understanding of the effects and regulation of inflammasome during fibrosis. In this review, we emphasize the growing evidence for both indirect and direct effects of inflammasomes in triggering fibrosis as well as potential novel targets for antifibrotic therapies.

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is recognized as the main cause of neonatal death, and efficient treatment strategies remain limited. Given the prevalence of HIE and the associated fatality, further studies on its pathogenesis are warranted. Oxidative stress and neuroinflammatory injury are two important factors leading to brain tissue injury and nerve cell loss in HIE. Neferine, an alkaloid extracted from lotus seed embryo, exerts considerable effects against several diseases such as cancers and myocardial injury. In this study, we demonstrated the neuroprotective effect of neferine on HIE and hypothesized that it involves the inhibition of neuronal pyroptosis, thereby ameliorating neurological inflammation and oxidative stress. We demonstrated that the mRNA levels of proteins associated with pyroptosis including caspase-1, the caspase adaptor ASC, gasdermin D, interleukin- (IL-) 18, IL-1β, and some inflammatory factors were significantly increased in neonatal HIBD model rats compared to those in the control group. The increase in these factors was significantly suppressed by treatment with neferine. We stimulated PC12 cells with CoCl2 to induce neuronal HIBD in vitro and investigated the relationship between neferine and pyroptosis by altering the expression of the NLRP3 inflammasome. The overexpression of NLRP3 partially reversed the neuroprotective effect of neferine on HIBD, whereas NLRP3 knockdown further inhibited caspase-1 activation and IL-1β and IL18 expression. In addition, simultaneous alteration of NLRP3 expression induced changes in intracellular oxidative stress levels after HIBD. These findings indicate that neferine ameliorates neuroinflammation and oxidative stress injury by inhibiting pyroptosis after HIBD. Our study provides valuable information for future studies on neferine with respect to neuroinflammation and pyroptosis.

Zhi-Ying Zhan,1,2,* Qi Tian,3,* Ting-Ting Chen,1,* Yunshao Ye,3 Qiaoxuan Lin,3 Dong Han,1 Chun-Quan Ou1 1State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Department of Biostatistics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Health Care Management and Social Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Information Resources, Guangzhou Health Information Center, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Chun-Quan Ou Email ocq@smu.edu.cnPurpose: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of chronic diseases causing considerable social and economic burden globally. Despite substantial evidence on temperature-COPD association, few studies have investigated the acute effect of temperature variability (TV), a potential trigger of exacerbation of COPD disease, and it remains unknown what fraction of the disease burden of COPD is attributable to TV.Patients and Methods: Based on 71,070 COPD hospitalizations during 2013– 2015 in Guangzhou, China, we conducted a time-series analysis using quasi-Poisson regression to assess the association between TV and hospital admission for COPD after adjusting for daily mean temperature. Short-term TV was captured by the standard deviation of hourly or daily temperatures across various exposure days. We also provided the fraction (total number) of COPD attributable to TV. Stratified analyses by admission route, sex, age, occupation, marital status and season were performed to identify vulnerable subpopulations.Results: We found a linear relationship between TV and COPD hospitalization, with a 1°C increase in hourly TV and daily TV associated with 4.3% (95%CI: 2.2– 6.4) and 4.0% (2.3– 5.8) increases in COPD, respectively. The greater relative risks of TV identified males, people aged 0– 64 years, blue collar, and divorced/widowed people as vulnerable population. There were 12.0% (8500 cases) of COPD hospitalization attributable to hourly TV during the study period. Daily TV produced similar estimates of relative effects (relative risk) but grater estimates of absolute effects (attributable fraction) than hourly TV.Conclusion: We concluded that TV was an independent risk factor of COPD morbidity, especially among the susceptible subgroups. These findings would be helpful to guide the development of targeted public intervention.Keywords: epidemiology, COPD hospitalization, distributed lag non-linear model, time-series analysis, China

Fluorescence imaging is a widely used technique for microscopic observation in basic biomedical research. Currently, most of the commercial fluorescence microscopes are based on the design of down-conversion fluorescence reagent. In this paper, an up-conversion fluorescence imaging device based on inverted fluorescence microscope is designed. The device uses 980nm near-infrared as the excitation source and the inverted fluorescence microscope as the platform to transform its internal optical system and apply it to up-conversion fluorescence imaging. Through a large number of experimental studies, the stability and linearity of the equipment were verified, and the relationship between incubation time and intake of Hela cells was explored. The experimental results showed that when the laser power was 1. 5W and UCNPs@ DSPE-PE concentration was 0. 05mg/ml, the uptake of Hela cells reached the saturation state.

Triamcinolone (T) is a glucocorticoid commonly used to relieve inflammation and treat arthritis, severe allergies, and asthma; however, it is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency in competition for athletes when administered orally, intravenously, intramuscularly, or rectally. The minimum required performance limit (MRPL) for urinary T is 30 ng/mL. However, the data about the urinary excretion of T after oral administration is limited. We investigate the elimination profile and determine whether single-dose administration of T would cause a positive doping result. Twelve healthy volunteers received a single-dose of 4-mg T rally, and urine samples were collected for 24 hours. A validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was used to determine urinary T levels. Non-compartmental modeling was used to estimate the pharmacokinetic parameters. All the urinary T concentrations were much higher than the MRPL. The peak urinary T concentration was 3211.4 ± 860.3 ng/mL (mean ± SD), time to peak concentration was 1.7 ± 0.9 hours, and the estimated elimination half-life was 4.4 ± 2.8 hours. About 27.76% of the consumed dose was eliminated via urine within 24 hours of intake. After a single-dose oral administration, urinary T concentrations still exceeded the MRPL after 24 hours. This information could be useful for limiting the misuse of T. Athletes should be aware when using T in competition and acquire approval for a therapeutic use exemption prior to use. Moreover, the elimination profile of orally administered T may be crucial information for distinguishing different dosage routes.

Background Recent studies have suggested the role of mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) in the pathophysiology of depression. Although venlafaxine was thought to be a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), its pharmacological mechanism remain elusive. In this study, the effects of venlafaxine on the mTORC1 system were studied in both chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) and chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) models. Method First, we examined whether repeated venlafaxine treatment reversed the effects of CUMS and CSDS on the mTORC1 signaling cascade in both the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Second, several selective pharmacological inhibitors of the mTORC1 system, including rapamycin, LY294002 and U0126, were used together to determine whether the protective effects of venlafaxine against the CUMS and CSDS models were prevented by mTORC1 system blockade. Finally, genetic knockdown of mTORC1 by mTORC1-shRNA was further adopted to test whether mTORC1 was necessary for the anti-stress effects of venlafaxine in mice. Result Our results showed that the decreasing effects of CUMS and CSDS on the mTORC1 signaling cascade in the hippocampus and mPFC were restored by venlafaxine, and the use of rapamycin, LY294002, U0126 and mTORC1-shRNA fully abolished the anti-stress actions of venlafaxine in mice. Conclusion The mTORC1 system is involved in the pharmacological mechanism of venlafaxine.

Background Diabetic retinopathy (DR) involves extensive retinal damage and is one of the most common and serious complications of diabetes mellitus. Hyperglycemia is the major pathological trigger for diabetic complications. Müller cell gliosis, a key pathophysiological process in DR, could finally lead to vision loss. Our previous finding revealed that the essential oil of Fructus Alpiniae zerumbet (EOFAZ) protects human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) against high glucose (HG)-induced injury via the PPAR-γ signal. However, Whether EOFAZ could prevent HG-induced Müller cell gliosis through the PPAR signaling remains unclear. Methods The neuroprotective effects of EOFAZ were evaluated in HG-treated rat retinal Müller cells (RMCs) and DR rat model. Result GFAP and VEGF upregulation is the biomarker of Müller glial reactivity gliosis. Results suggested that EOFAZ could remarkably ameliorate retinal reactive gliosis by suppressing p-CREB and GFAP and VEGF downstream effectors. Its effects on PPAR-γ, a major target for currently available anti-diabetes drugs, were also investigated. EOFAZ treatment remarkably attenuated the reduction of PPAR-γ and high level of p-CaMK II and p-CREB in HG-treated RMCs and diabetic rats. Furthermore, the activation and ectopic expression of PPAR-γ downregulated p-CREB and p-CaMK II in HG-treated RMCs. By contrast, CaMK II inhibitor KN93 and CREB gene silencing did not significantly affect the PPAR-γ expression. Conclusions A novel PPAR-γ-p-CREB signaling pathway accounts for the inhibitory effect of EOFAZ on RMCs gliosis. These findings provide scientific evidence for the potential use of EOFAZ as a complementary and alternative medicine for DR prevention and treatment in the future.

Klotho is an anti-aging protein and its increased plasma concentrations were related to good functional outcome of acute ischemic stroke. This study was designed to ascertain the prognostic significance of plasma Klotho in intracerebral hemorrhage.Plasma Klotho concentrations in 96 intracerebral hemorrhage patients and 96 healthy controls were quantified. Poor prognosis was defined as modified Rankin scale scores2 at 90 days. The association of plasma Klotho concentrations with stroke prognosis was assessed using regression model.Patients showed a substantially lower concentration of Klotho than healthy controls (P .01). Klotho concentrations were highly correlated with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores, Glasgow coma scale scores, intracerebral hemorrhage scores and hematoma volumes (r = -0.426, 0.382, -0.334 and - 0.432). Patients with the highest plasma Klotho concentration were less prone to have poor prognosis at 90 days compared with the lowest quartile (odds ratio, 0.092; 95% confidence interval, 0.015-0.562). Its optimal cutoff value for distinguishing patients at risk of poor prognosis was 345 pg/ml, which yielded a sensitivity value of 0.86 and a specificity value of 0.62.Decreased plasma Klotho concentrations were associated with increasing severity and poor prognosis significantly, indicating the prognostic role of plasma Klotho in intracerebral hemorrhage.

Exploiting photocatalysts with characteristics of cost effectiveness, environmental friendliness, visible light response, high reactivity and good durability is a great challenge for solar H 2 generation. Here, we synthesis of MoS 2 -graphene composite as a highly-efficient cocatalyst to enhance the photocatalytic activity of ZnIn 2 S 4 under visible light irradiation. Through the optimizing of each composition proportion, the hierarchical MoS 2 -graphene/ZnIn 2 S 4 photocatalyst shows the highest H 2 evolution rate of 4169 μmol h −1 g −1 under visible light irradiation in presence of Na 2 S and Na 2 SO 3 as sacrificial reagents when the content of MoS 2 -graphene is 1.2 wt% and the weight ratio of MoS 2 to graphene is 10:1, which is almost 22.8 times higher than that of pure ZnIn 2 S 4 . More importantly, the ternary MoS 2 -graphene/ZnIn 2 S 4 composite exhibits much higher photocatalytic activity than Pt-loaded ZnIn 2 S 4 photocatalyst, suggesting that the MoS 2 -graphene composite can act as a more efficient cocatalyst than the commonly used Pt metal. The superior catalytic activity of MoS 2 -graphene cocatalyst can be assigned to the positive synergistic effect between MoS 2 and graphene, which act as a hydrogen evolution reaction catalyst and an electron transport bridge, respectively. The effective charge transfer from ZnIn 2 S 4 to MoS 2 through graphene is demonstrated by the significant enhancement of photocurrent responses in MoS 2 -graphene/ZnIn 2 S 4 composite photoelectrodes.

Background: Midazolam is commonly used during the perioperative period in patients with cardiac operations, especially in the patients with myocardial ischemia (MI). Some studies have demonstrated that midazolam stimulates vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) release in aortic smooth muscle cells. As we all know, VEGF is a hypoxia-inducible factor, which enhances vascular permeability, promotes angiogenesis, and appears to play an important role in the mobilization of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of midazolam on both VEGF release and the mobilization of EPCs in rats with myocardial ischemia treated with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF).Methods: Thirty-six rats with myocardial ischemia were randomly divided into three groups (n=12): control group, G-CSF alone-group and G-CSF plus midazolam group (control group, G-CSF group and midazolam group), pretreated with G-CSF for five days, and followed by continuous infusion of saline and midazolam into the veins for six hours on the sixth day. The number of CD34+ mononuclear cells (MNCs) and EPCs, and the plasma concentrations of VEGF and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured at the end of the six-hour infusion. Left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), and maximal and minimal rates of rise of pressure in the left ventricle (dp/dtmax and dp/dtmin, respectively) were measured with a modified non-circulating Langendorff apparatus.Results: Compared to the control group, rats in the G-CSF group had a higher concentration of VEGF and increased levels of CD34+ MNCs and EPCs (P

Objective Surgical site infection (SSI) is a common complication in patients following posterior lumbar spinal surgery. Various laboratory data such as laboratory parameters derived neutrophil/lymphocyte count ratio (NLR), have been applied for the prediction of SSI, but more studies are necessary to evaluate the significance of these indicators. Here, our study aims to investigate the predictive value of total white blood cells (WBCs), count and percentages of neutrophils and leukocytes, NLR, and C-reactive protein (CRP) for surgical site infection (SSI) in patients after posterior lumbar spinal surgery. Methods A total of 293 patients who underwent posterior lumbar spinal surgery were enrolled in this study. Each patient's medical history was retrospectively reviewed, and patients were divided into the deep SSI group (n = 13) and the non-SSI group (n = 280). Laboratory data including total WBC, count and percentages of neutrophils and leukocytes, NLR at 1 week before the operation and the 4 and 7 days post-operation, and CRP at 4 and 7 days post-operation were analysed between the SSI and non-SSI groups. Moreover, predictive power and cut-off of NLR for SSI were determined by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) results. Results Data revealed that the medians of NLR were markedly increased in the SSI group as compared to that in non-SSI group at 4 days ( p = 0.011) and 7 days ( p = 0.047) post-operation. Moreover, the neutrophil percentage was also dramatically increased in the SSI group at both 4 and 7 days post-operation ( p = 0.010 and p = 0.030) respectively compared to the non-SSI group. However, no significant difference was observed between the groups 1 week before the operation. ROC results showed that NLR at 4 days (cut-off >5.19; sensitivity: 61.5%; specificity: 77.6%; AUC = 0.708) and 7 days (cut-off >3.85; sensitivity: 69.2%; specificity: 62.7%; AUC = 0.663) post-operation could significantly discriminate the SSI and non-SSI groups. Logistic regression analysis showed that NLR at both post-operative time points (OR = 1.218; p = 0.003 and OR = 1.296; p = 0.048) could be valuable predictors for SSI. Conclusion NLR at 4 and 7 days post-operation are valuable laboratory predictors for SSI in patients with posterior lumbar spinal surgery.

Background Although road traffic casualty (RTC) is preventable, it remains the eighth leading cause of death globally, especially in developing countries. Previous studies suggested the association between RTC and monthly or daily weather conditions, while the acute effects of weather conditions on an hourly timescale remains unknown. This study aims to quantify hourly effects of precipitation and temperature on RTC. Methods Using ambulance records on RTC during 2010–2016 for the whole population in Shenzhen, China, we conducted a time-stratified case-crossover design which can inherently control for hour of the day, day of the week, seasonality, time trends and potential time-invariant confounders. Conditional quasi-Poisson regression with distributed lag nonlinear model was used to determine the effects of hourly precipitation and temperature on RTC. Results Light and heavy precipitation increased RTC in current and following 2 h by 8.09% (95% CI: 4.20–12.12%) and 11.62% (95% CI: 5.93–17.62%), respectively. A J-shaped temperature-RTC curve revealed that each 1 °C increment above 17 °C were associated with a 0.87% (0.52–1.22%) increase in RTC. High temperature accounted for 6.44% (95% CI: 3.95–8.91%) of all RTC, with a high fraction of 10.64% (95% CI: 4.33–15.96%) during warm season and 8.30% (95% CI: 4.26–12.66%) in traffic peak hours. Precipitation contributed to 0.68% (95% CI: 0.44–0.92%) of RTC within 3 h. The middle-aged and female suffered more from precipitation-associated RTC, and the younger suffered more from high temperature-associated RTC. Conclusions High temperature increased substantially hourly RTC. Precipitation was also a risk factor of RTC and the adverse effect lasted for 3 h. The findings would be helpful to guide the development of targeted intervention to accelerate progress in road traffic safety.

Social networking site (SNS) group provides a new cyberspace for users to share knowledge. As competition intensifies and recruiting new members becomes more difficult, SNS groups need to devote their strategic efforts to encouraging members’ contributions. However, prior research has seldom touched this issue from the “online switching barrier” perspective. We develop and test a structural equation model incorporating pull-in (group-member and member-member relationship quality), push-back (alternative unattractiveness), and mooring (switching cost) effects, which subsequently affect members’ knowledge contribution behavior (knowledge sharing and knowledge co-creating) through the mediating role of self-development and pro-social motivation for engagement. Results based on 382-respondent survey data show that pull-in and push-back factors facilitate members’ contributing motivations, which in turn lead to contribution behavior. The mooring effect which is reflective of different levels of switching costs moderates the effects of pull-in/push-back on self-development and pro-social motivation. The findings provide academic insights for scholars and marketing implications for practitioners in leveraging lock-in effect in SNS groups.

We reveal the thickness effects on optical properties for nanoparticles in the shape of hollow spheres theoretically and experimentally. Within and beyond the electrically small limit, hollow spheres are shown to have almost the same light absorption power as that of solid ones, when the ratio of inner core to whole particle radii is smaller than 0.4. It means that one can maintain the level of light absorption even with a large empty core. In the electrically small limit, we expand the exact solution of Mie theory in power of the thickness parameter and show that the thickness ratio has less influence on light absorption. Moreover, we synthesize highly uniform hollow spheres of TiO2 anatase through a self-sacrificing template method. A variety of particle radii from 94 to 500 nm, with 50 nm in the shell thickness, are performed experimentally in photocatalytic activity. With experimental demonstrations and theoretical simulations, our results provide a guideline in the design on the thickness for hollow-...

The emergence of the digital world has provided users an online platform to alter their digital self-representations dramatically and easily. Today, mobile games, as entertainment media due to the rapid growth of mobile devices, usually become players’ utopian “third place,” beyond home and the workplace.

For the operational optimization problem of supply temperature and flow adjustment (known as “quality-quantity” regulation) in district heating system.To meet user needs hot,an operational cost equation of primary network is set up, taking the supply water temperature and the water flux as variables. The optimization objective of this equation is to minimize operational cost.Based on the genetic algorithm,and finally get the optimal water temperature and water flux. Analysis the several regulation of supply water temperature and water flux, finally proposed heating system integrated regulation.

In this paper, we shall first briefly introduce the hydraulic junction of three-sources branched heat-supply network and the related optimization method. It's difficult to guarantee that the system runs in optimal state and it increases energy consumption in the system. In view of this situation this paper proposes a method to find the optimal positions of hydraulic intersections based on analyzing a real heating system with three heat sources in Jining. The optimization objective is to minimize the electric power consumption of circulating water pumps in district heating system. Finally, optimization programs are designed and the optimized results verify the feasibility and validity of the method compared with conventional experience values.

In this paper, we shall discuss the calculate method of heat loss of central heating pipes.the calculation formulas available are too complicated and inconvenienced to analysis the dynamic thermal conditions of heating pipeline. Therefore, this paper presents one order polynomial with least-squares solution, and then establishes linear equations of heating pipeline heat loss that the hot water temperature as a variable alone. It is based on the comparision and analysis of buried hot water heating pipeline heat loss formula. This method will simplify not only the calculation, but also the model of calculation analysis for different diameter, different insulation materials. The result is that the deviation of the formula is caused mainly by the thermal resistance. The relative errors of simplified formula and the selection formulas are less than 3%, which can meet the requirements for engineering applications.

This paper presents the prediction method of cutting force and dimensional error of Ti6Al4V alloy thin-wall components in end-milling operations. Based on the FEM simulation software and force-model, machining deformation was predicted by two kinds of FEM models, and then compared with the measured data. Results obtained from the proposed models and the tests show that the coupling model of thermal-mechanical having better agreement with the experimental results. Besides, the test results also prove the new tool-path pattern proposed in this paper is useful to reduce the machining error.

Background: Colorectal Adenomatous Polyp (CAP) was one precursor of colorectal cancer (CRC) and having a high chance of developing into CRC. There was a lack of conclusive chemoprevention evidences to prevention new CAP occurrence in post-polypectomy. Xiaoai Jiedu Decoction, Chinese National Medical Professor (Zhou Zhongying)'s experience formula, has been used to treat new CAP occurrence in post-polypectomy from the 20th century in China. However, clinical research of Xiaoai Jiedu Decoction in the treatment of CAP recurrence was lack. We design this study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xiaoai Jiedu Decoction in the treatment of new CAP occurrence in post-polypectomy on colonoscopy. Methods/Design: A randomized, controlled, blind and multicenter trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xiaoai Jiedu Decoction is proposed. CAP patients (after complete polypectomy under colonoscopy) will be randomly assigned into Xiaoai Jiedu Decoction group and Xiaoai Jiedu Decoction mimetic agent group. Patients will receive 6-course treatments and a 2-year follow-up. Follow-up colonoscopy will be anticipated to perform in 1 and 2 years after the baseline examinations. The primary outcome measure is the new CAP occurrence in 1 and 2 years. The secondary outcome measure is the occurrence of advanced adenoma in 1 and 2 years. Discussion: This study will provide objective evidences to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xiaoai Jiedu Decoction as an adjuvant treatment for new CAP occurrence in post-polypectomy. Trial registration: NCT03616444.

The enhancement of the light harvesting efficiency over a metal oxide is crucial to optic-related applications which can convert solar energy into chemical energy. Here, we demonstrated a method to develop the characteristics of visible light absorption and visible Mie scattering over wurtzite ZnO microspheres. Size-controlled ZnO microspheres were successfully prepared in the thermal decomposition of amorphous/layered basic zinc salt (LBZ) spheres. Firstly, trisodium citrate was employed as the chelating agent to synthesize amorphous/LBZ microspheres in a nucleation-controlled method. The sphere size was controlled by the nuclei number, which depends on the competition between hydroxyl ions and citrate to the ligand with Zn2+. Secondly, visible-active wurtzite ZnO spheres were obtained by thermal decomposition. The uniform sized microspheres exhibited Mie scattering in the visible range due to the interaction with specific incident electromagnetic radiation, and the full absorption spectrum was easily obtained by tuning the size of the spheres. Such uniform spheres exhibited superior visible absorption and scattering effects and thus are expected to be good candidates for the optic-related applications.

We empirically investigate the relationship between environmental management and economic performance using such data as environmental rating, credit rating, and accumulated earnings ratio of companies listed in the manufacturing sector on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. We performed a path analysis using two types of structural equation modeling: Model A with a terminal economic performance path and Model B with a terminal environmental management path. As a result, we found that Model B has better goodness of fit in the path analysis than does Model A. This is because it is natural to place the economic performance path before the environment management path since companies pursue profits for stockholders. We also confirmed that in Model B, the path from the accumulated earnings rate to environmental management has a significantly negative coefficient. This suggests that two groups of enterprises exist: profit-oriented and environment-oriented companies. Since our results are based on Japanese companies, it is advisable to investigate further to generalize the results worldwide.

This paper puts forward a residential electricity forecasting method based on FOAGMNN. Correlation analysis was adopted to select the key influencing factors of residential electricity forecasting. Finally, annual disposable income, population, households, per capita floor space, preceding electricity consumption are choosed as the key influencing factors. Through simulation example using the data of Hangzhou residential electricity consumption from 2000 to 2011, the results showed that the proposed model outperformed the other models and is suitable for residential electricity prediction.

In dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), the charge recombination at the TiO2/dye/electrolyte interface greatly influences the photoelectron conversion efficiency. Hybrid semiconductor materials with matched band potentials are designed to reduce the charge recombination. In this study, SrTiO3/TiO2 hybridstructure was synthesized by using TiO2 nanoparticles as template in a hydrothermal, showing a negative shift in the flat band potential. The DSSC with the SrTiO3/TiO2 anode exhibits an increased photovoltage and a reduced photocurrent. The suppression of charge recombination at the TiO2/dye/electrolyte interface was observed in the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, causing an improvement in the photovoltage. However, the SrTiO3/TiO2 system shows an obstructed electrons injection from the dye to SrTiO3/TiO2, limiting the photocurrent performance. The photoelectrochemical properties of the SrTiO3/TiO2 system are discussed in detail herein.

A new kind of traffic separation mode for the two-way channel was proposed primarily by extending the channel to left for the heavy traffic side during the peak period, forming a new kind of channel--Tidal Reversible Channel. This method can improve the general navigation efficiency and meet the navigation demands of both sides of the channel at the same time. The two key points of the reversible channel which are the operation occasion and the reversible width of the channel, called Dynamic Time and Dynamic Zone, were discussed, also their further research directions. Then, the feasibility of the new channel was verified by two different design ships in Yangtze River Estuary Deep-Water Channel, indicating that the reversible channel will have wide study and application prospect.

According to the five-axis CNC machine tools, the main components are put to flexible and a rigid-flexible virtual prototype has been established. The influence on the machine tool stability is analyzed. The reliable theoretical basis has been provided for the structure optimization. Results are shown that simulation analysis based on a rigid-flexible coupling model is more accurate to show dynamics characteristics of machine tools.

In the process of engineering project construction, cost management should be closely around three big targets: cost control, quality control and progress control. This paper analyzes the interacting relationship of these factors, then discussing the elements of engineering cost management based on the earned value method. Finally, it proposed some corresponding suggestions and measures for the developing of cost management.

BACKGROUND: Since the identification in early 2013 of severe disease caused by influenza A(H7N9) virus infection, there have been few attempts to characterize the full severity profile of human infections. Our objective was to estimate the number and severity of H7N9 infections in Guangzhou, using a serological study. METHODS: We collected residual sera from patients of all ages admitted to a hospital in the city of Guangzhou in southern China in 2013 and 2014. We screened the sera using a haemagglutination inhibition assay against a pseudovirus containing the H7 and N9 of A/Anhui/1/2013(H7N9), and samples with a screening titer ≥10 were further tested by standard hemagglutination-inhibition and virus neutralization assays for influenza A(H7N9). We used a statistical model to interpret the information on antibody titers in the residual sera, assuming that the residual sera provided a representative picture of A(H7N9) infections in the general population, accounting for potential cross-reactions. RESULTS: We collected a total of 5360 residual sera from December 2013 to April 2014 and from October 2014 to December 2014, and found two specimens that tested positive for H7N9 antibody at haemagglutination inhibition titer ≥40 and a neutralization titer ≥40. Based on this, we estimated that 64,000 (95 % credibility interval: 7300, 190,000) human infections with influenza A(H7N9) virus occurred in Guangzhou in early 2014, with an infection-fatality risk of 3.6 deaths (95 % credibility interval: 0.47, 15) per 10,000 infections. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggested that the number of influenza A(H7N9) virus infections in Guangzhou substantially exceeded the number of laboratory-confirmed cases there, albeit with considerable imprecision. Our study was limited by the small number of positive specimens identified, and larger serologic studies would be valuable. Our analytic framework would be useful if larger serologic studies are done., published_or_final_version

Xin-Shao formula is a folk remedy widely used in China to prevent and cure stroke. Cerebral ischemic reperfusion (I/R) injury often takes place during the treatment of stroke. Information about the pharmacokinetic behavior of the remedy under cerebral I/R injury conditions is lacking. The present study aimed to compare the pharmacokinetic properties of scutellarin and paeoniflorin, two major bioactive components of Xin-Shao formula, under physiological state in cerebral I/R injury rats. Neurobehavioral dysfunction was evaluated and cerebral infarcted volume was measured in middle cerebral artery occlusion I/R injury (MCAO) rats. Plasma samples were collected at various time points after a single dose (intravenous, i.v.) of Xin-Shao formula. The levels of plasma scutellarin and paeoniflorin at the designed time points were determined by a UPLC-MS/MS method, and drug concentration versus time plots were constructed to estimate pharmacokinetic parameters. Increase in terminal elimination half-life (t1/2z) and mean residence time (MRT(0–t)) of scutellarin as well as elevation in area under the plasma drug concentration-time curve from 0 h to the terminal time point (AUC(0–t)) and maximum plasma drug concentration (Cmax) of paeoniflorin, along with decreased clearance of paeoniflorin and scutellarin as well as reduced apparent volume of distribution (Vz) of paeoniflorin, were observed in MCAO rats, compared with those in sham-operated animals. The elimination of scutellarin and paeoniflorin were reduced in cerebral I/R injury reduced rats.

Taking a 315kW, 6kV permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) with solid rotor as an example, the physical and mathematical models of PMSM three dimensional temperature fields analysis are established according to the heat transfer principles. The basic hypothesis and boundary value problems of the solving region in the motor are also presented. The 3-D temperature field in stator of PMSM was calculated, and the influences of heat transfer coefficients with consideration of the axial wind or not on stator temperature were analyzed. By comparing the test results with the calculated results, the influences of axial wind on motor temperature were investigated. These conclusions provide a reference for thermal design of the motor with co-axial fan and enclosure cooling fan.

This paper studies the problem of multi-joint robot with four degrees of freedom that is used in the process of loading and unloading, the method of homogeneous coordinate transformation is used to achieve the exchange between the implementation end of the space coordinate and the joint angle. Providing the theoretical reference and a basis of calculating for the follow-up study, and ultimately meeting the actual needs of production.

Vocal music, as an art form of music, requires the singers to have not only a certain degree of artistic accomplishment and singing skills, but also a solid theoretical knowledge of vocal music theory. Vocal music theory is one of art forms from the macroscopic point of view. Its function in vocal music is mainly reflected in the general art performance. Therefore, the singing is the external manifestation of vocal music theory. The formation and development of vocal music theory has a direct impact on the overall development of the art forms of vocal music. The existing art forms of vocal music are not based on theory comprehensively, which results in less attention paid to vocal music theory. Therefore, this article would analyze the art forms of vocal music from the perspective of theory and study the manifestations of the art forms of vocal music in theory and the importance of vocal music theory through exploring the functions of vocal music theory in singing from all aspects.

Heat and hypoxia exacerbate central nervous system (CNS) fatigue. We therefore investigated whether essential amino acid (EAA) and caffeine ingestion attenuates CNS fatigue in a simulated team sport–specific running protocol in a hot, hypoxic environment. Subelite male team sport athletes (n = 8) performed a repeat sprint running protocol on a nonmotorized treadmill in an extreme environment on 4 separate occasions. Participants ingested one of four supplements: a double placebo, 3 mg.kg-1 body mass of caffeine + placebo, 2 × 7 g EAA (Musashi Create)+placebo, or caffeine + EAA before each exercise session using a randomized, double-blind crossover design. Electromyography (EMG) activity and quadriceps evoked responses to magnetic stimulation were assessed from the dominant leg at preexercise, halftime, and postexercise. Central activation ratio (CAR) was used to quantify completeness of quadriceps activation. Oxygenation of the prefrontal cortex was measured via near-infrared spectroscopy. Mean sprint work was higher (M = 174 J, 95% CI [23, 324], p < .05, d = 0.30; effect size, likely beneficial) in the caffeine + EAA condition versus EAAs alone. The decline in EMG activity was less (M = 13%, 95% CI [0, 26]; p < .01, d = 0.58, likely beneficial) in caffeine + EAA versus EAA alone. Similarly, the pre- to postexercise decrement in CAR was significantly less (M = −2.7%, 95% CI [0.4, 5.4]; p < .05, d = 0.50, likely beneficial) when caffeine + EAA were ingested compared with placebo. Cerebral oxygenation was lower (M = −5.6%, 95% CI [1.0, 10.1]; p < .01, d = 0.60, very likely beneficial) in the caffeine + EAA condition compared with LNAA alone. Coingestion of caffeine and EAA appears to maintain muscle activation and central drive, with a small improvement in running performance.

Marine simulator has been widely applied to the seafarer training and examination. But, there have been still no standardized criteria on evaluation of the operation level of the trainees, which can influence the training quality and the effectiveness of the evaluation results. Therefore, it is extremely necessary to establish an automatic assessment system for operations on marine simulator. Besides, the development of the modern marine simulators and computer technology makes it feasible. So, the general design idea of the automatic assessment system is proposed. And the automatic assessment of ship berthing operation was taken as a detailed research object. Its related assessment index system and model was established to lay foundation for the realization of the system for ship operation on marine simulator.

Background Since the identification in early 2013 of severe disease caused by influenza A(H7N9) virus infection, there have been few attempts to characterize the full severity profile of human infections. Our objective was to estimate the number and severity of H7N9 infections in Guangzhou, using a serological study. Methods We collected residual sera from patients of all ages admitted to a hospital in the city of Guangzhou in southern China in 2013 and 2014. We screened the sera using a haemagglutination inhibition assay against a pseudovirus containing the H7 and N9 of A/Anhui/1/2013(H7N9), and samples with a screening titer ≥10 were further tested by standard hemagglutination-inhibition and virus neutralization assays for influenza A(H7N9). We used a statistical model to interpret the information on antibody titers in the residual sera, assuming that the residual sera provided a representative picture of A(H7N9) infections in the general population, accounting for potential cross-reactions. Results We collected a total of 5360 residual sera from December 2013 to April 2014 and from October 2014 to December 2014, and found two specimens that tested positive for H7N9 antibody at haemagglutination inhibition titer ≥40 and a neutralization titer ≥40. Based on this, we estimated that 64,000 (95 % credibility interval: 7300, 190,000) human infections with influenza A(H7N9) virus occurred in Guangzhou in early 2014, with an infection-fatality risk of 3.6 deaths (95 % credibility interval: 0.47, 15) per 10,000 infections. Conclusions Our study suggested that the number of influenza A(H7N9) virus infections in Guangzhou substantially exceeded the number of laboratory-confirmed cases there, albeit with considerable imprecision. Our study was limited by the small number of positive specimens identified, and larger serologic studies would be valuable. Our analytic framework would be useful if larger serologic studies are done. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12879-016-1983-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Recently more and more pet robot products are launched, showing the increasing market demand for pet robots. A pet robot has a healing effect for suitably developing companionship with people. A plenty of researches pointed out that the interaction between human and robot is important. This paper introduces the concentration and conditioning to model the emotion and behavior of a pet robot. For the overall system of this pet robot, a condition matrix is properly designed to support the pet robot for the adaption of several kinds of stimuli and response about behaviors. The behavior controller is achieved by the means of a neural network with learning mechanism, which can be trained for the behavioral control of voice, expression and action. All these mechanisms are established by psychological principles, accordingly the pet robot can behave naturally.

Although entrepreneurial learning is an important mean to transform and utilize the tacit knowledge contained in entrepreneurial network, little research has focused on how different entrepreneurial learning (explorative learning and exploitative learning) would impact the relationship between the two typical entrepreneurial networks (formal network and informal network) effects on the growth performance of new ventures, which resulted that it’s unable to guide entrepreneurship practice well. This paper analyzes formal and informal entrepreneurial network’s impact on new venture growth performance along with explorative and exploitative entrepreneurial learning’s influence on that process. Empirical tests found that both different types of entrepreneurial network and entrepreneurial learning have a positive impact on the growth performance of new ventures, and explorative learning help to the positive impact of formal entrepreneurial network effectively on growth performance of new ventures.

To evaluate the protective effects of Naoshuning Chinese traditional medicine on the brain ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury in rats and explore the possible mechanism of IR injury, rats were divided into 4 groups: sham-operation group, model group as negative control group, Naoshuning group as treatment group and ginaton group as positive control group. The brain IR model was established in rats. Reperfusion was carried out 2 h after ischemia. Neurological evaluation was assessed by scores when the rats came around. Brain infarct volume, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in serum were examined, respectively at 1st day, 7th day and 14th day after reperfusion. Behavioral abnormities could be seen after the surgery. Compared with sham-operation group, the general scores was much higher in the IR group but was significantly lower in Naoshuning group and ginaton group (p

Hyper IgE syndrome (HIES) is a rare primary immunodeficiency disorder, characterized by eczema, recurrent skin and lung infections, and significantly elevated serum IgE level. It was previously diagnosed based on clinical manifestations and laboratory markers that were not specific to the disease. Recent studies have demonstrated that mutations in signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) cause the autosomal dominant or sporadic HIES, which make the disease definitively characterized at molecular level. Here, we reported a 3-year old Chinese boy with neonatal-onset rash and multiple serious Staphylococcus aureus infections including recurrent skin abscesses, liver abscess, sepsis, and destructive pulmonary infection (pneumonia, multiple pulmonary abscesses, pyopneumothorax, and finally, pneumatocele). Genetic study revealed a heterozygous mutation in exon 21 of STAT3 gene (g.66583 A > C, c.1970A > C) in the boy, which resulted in a substitution of tyrosine at the amino acid position 657 to serine (p.Y657S) in the Src homology 2 (SH2) domain of STAT3. Functional prediction with bioinformatics programs of the Sorting Intolerant from Tolerant (SIFT) and the Polymorphism Phenotyping (PolyPhen) reported “deleterious (SIFT score 0.02)” and “probably damaging (PSIC score difference 2.94)” values, respectively. Further study of family members revealed that neither his parents, nor his twin brother carried the mutation, indicating the mutation was likely to occur de novo in our patient. Conclusion: The mutation,p.Y657S,in SH2 domain of STAT3 is a disease-causing mutation in the boy with HIES.

Periodically aligned Si nanopillar (PASiNP) arrays were fabricated on Si substrate via a silver-catalyzed chemical etching process using the diameter-reduced polystyrene spheres as mask. The typical sub-wavelength structure of PASiNP arrays had excellent antireflection property with a low reflection loss of 2.84% for incident light within the wavelength range of 200–1,000 nm. The solar cell incorporated with the PASiNP arrays exhibited a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of ~9.24% with a short circuit current density (JSC) of ~29.5 mA/cm2 without using any extra surface passivation technique. The high PCE of PASiNP array-based solar cell was attributed to the excellent antireflection property of the special periodical Si nanostructure.

PURPOSE: Prednisolone has been widely used due to its relatively short pituitary inhibition and its moderate potency. Exercise is one of the non-pharmacological interventions for glucocorticoid- induced osteoporosis prevention. However, the effects of exercise on the pharmacokinetics of prednisolone were unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of sub-maximal exercise on the pharmacokinetics of prednisolone. METHODS: A randomized, double-blind, cross-over experimental design was used. Subjects needed to undertake two trials: a non-exercise trial (NE) and an exercise trial (E). After the first blood sampling, the subjects consumed 5mg of prednisolone with 100mL of water and then took a rest for 30 min. In the E trial, subjects cycled at 70% VO2max intensity until exhaustion. When subjects underwent the NE trial, they remained seated for the duration of the experiment. Serial blood samples were collected at 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.25, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10 and 12h after prednisolone administration. Prednisolone and cortisol concentration were analyzed with a validated high performance liquid chromatographic method. RESULTS: This study indicated that the maximum concentration of the E trial was significantly lower than the NE trial (p