Search

Herein, we show the controlled generation of multi-component libraries based on the [MoV2S2O2]2+/MoVIO42−/SeIVO32−/C4O42− system leading to the formation of a whole new family of nanosized molecular chalcoxides, {Se8Mo36} 1, {Se8Mo40} 2, {Se8Mo56} 3, {Se20Mo56} 4 and {Se26Mo68} 5, of the general formula {(MoV2O2S2)a(OH)b(SeIVO3)c(C4O4)d(MoVI2O7)e}n−, where a, b, c, d, e, n = [16, 20, 8, 6, 2, 20] for 1, [18, 24, 8, 6, 2, 20] for 2, [24, 32, 8, 8, 4, 24] for 3, [28, 32, 20, 8, 0, 32] for 4 and [34, 36, 26, 8, 0, 36] for 5. The coordination modulation effect offered by the SeIVO32− and the C4O42− anions lead to the generation of new building blocks, [(MoV2O2S2)3(OH)6(C4O4) (MoVI2O7)]4−, and the discovery of a new family of clusters of increasing nuclearity and complexity.

Atomically dispersed and nitrogen coordinated single iron site (i.e., FeN4) catalysts (Fe-N-C) are the most promising platinum group metal (PGM)-free cathode for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). However, current Fe-N-C catalysts are limited by the inferior exposure of active FeN4 sites due to the inevitable agglomeration of particles in cathodes. Herein, we report a self-assembled strategy to synthesize the atomically dispersed FeN4 site catalysts with a hierarchically porous matrix derived from dual-size Fe-doped ZIF-8 crystal precursors by using large particles to support small particles. The tailored structure is effective in mitigating the particle migration, agglomeration, and spatial overlap, thereby exposing increased accessible active sites and facilitating mass transport. The best performing catalyst composed of 100 nm “nucleated seed” assembled by 30 nm “satellite” demonstrates exceptional ORR activity in acidic electrolyte and membrane electrode assembly. This work provides new concepts for designing hierarchically porous catalysts with single metal atom dispersion via self-assembly of ZIF-8 crystal precursors with tunable particle sizes and nanostructures.

Wastewater preconcentration to capture abundant organics is promising for facilitating subsequent anaerobic digestion (AD) to recover bioenergy, however research efforts are still needed to verify the effectiveness of such an emerging strategy as carbon capture plus AD. Therefore, lab-scale anaerobic dynamic membrane bioreactors (AnDMBRs) without and with the addition of zero-valent iron (ZVI) (i.e., AnDMBR1 versus AnDMBR2) were developed for preconcentrated domestic wastewater (PDW) treatment, and the impact of ZVI addition on process performance and associated mechanisms were investigated. The stepwise addition of ZVI from 2 to 4 to 6 g/L improved the treatment performance as COD removal slightly increased and TP removal and methane production were enhanced by 53.3%–62.9% and 22.6%–31.3%, respectively, in consecutive operational phases. However, the average increasing rate of the transmembrane pressure (TMP) in AnDMBR2 (0.18 kPa/d) was obviously higher than that in AnDMBR1 (0.05 kPa/d), indicating an unfavorable impact of dosing ZVI on the dynamic membrane (DM) filtration performance. ZVI that has transformed to iron ions (mainly Fe2+) can behave as a coagulant, electron donor or inorganic foulant, thus enabling the excellent removal of dissolved phosphorous, enhancing the enrichment and activities of specific methanogens and causing the formation of a compact DM layer. Morphological, componential, and microbial community analyses provided new insights into the functional mechanisms of ZVI added to membrane-assisted anaerobic digesters, indicating that ZVI has the potential to improve bioenergy production and resource recovery, while optimizing the ZVI dosage should be considered to alleviate membrane fouling.

Rice seeding in hill is beneficial to the growth of rice in the field and the increase of rice yield. However, rice seed metering device usually uses multiple rice seeds for sowing, which is difficult to form a hill. To improve the performance of rice seeding in hill, the seed throwing mechanism of the rice pneumatic seed metering device with adjustable seeding rate was study, and the trajectory of seed throwing was analyzed theoretically. The equation of seed throwing trajectory was established. The distribution of sucking holes on the sucking plate was optimized by using asynchronous seed throwing method. The distribution mechanism of seed throwing was studied, and the theoretical trajectory area of seed throwing was established. The actual trajectory area of seed throwing was established by high-speed photography. The theoretical area and actual trajectory area of seed throwing were compared by experiments. The influence factor of errors between the actual and theoretical seed trajectory areas were analyzed. The performance of seed throwing in hill was tested under different positive pressure and different rotational speeds. The optimum qualification rates of different seeding rates were 97.34%, 90.36% and 87.36% respectively. These were 10–17% higher than the original qualification rates of seed throwing. The experimental results showed that the optimized sucking holes on sucking plate could effectively improve the performance of seeding in hill of seed metering device. This study provided a theoretical basis for the seed throwing mechanism of the rice pneumatic seed metering device, and improved the qualification rate of seed throwing.

The viscosity of four dilution solution systems was determined for ionic liquids (ILs) with Dimethyl Carbonate (DMC) at lower concentration from 288.15 K to 313.15 K. The ILs include 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide ([C2mim][NTf2]), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide ([C4mim][NTf2]), 1-ethyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide ([C2mmim][NTf2]), and 1-butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide ([C4mmim][NTf2]). The viscosities of systems have been discussed at studied concentration from 288.15 to 313.15 K. The temperature dependence on viscosities was fitted according to the Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann equation. The activation energies for viscous flow have been obtained from Arrhenius equation at different concentration range. The relative viscosities (ηr) were also calculated and analyzed according to the Jones–Dole equation at different molar concentration ranges. The slopes of the parameter, B-coefficient/dm3·mol−1, dependence on temperature, T/K have also been discussed according to the methyl and methylene groups introduction. The effects of methyl or methylene group introduction on ILs cation have also been discussed to solute–solute or solute–solvent interactions.

Two new hydrogen-bonded organic networks (HONs) were successfully synthesized by using 1,5-naphthalenedisulfonic acid and 4,4′-dipyridyl or 1,2-ethanedisulfonic acid and piperazine via conventional aqueous solution volatilization method. The rich hydrogen bonds through acid-base pairs existing in the networks could construct continuous proton-conducting pathways, so the two HONs exhibited highest conductivity of 6.05 ​× ​10−3 ​S ​cm−1 and 5.76 ​× ​10−3 ​S ​cm−1 at 60 ​°C and 97% RH, and the proton transport were mainly dominated by Grotthuss mechanism.

The density of four ionic liquids 1-alkyl-2-methylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide ([C2mim][NTf2] and [C4mim][NTf2]), 1-alkyl-2, 3-dimethylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide ([C2mmim][NTf2] and [C4mmim][NTf2]) have been determined with Dimethyl Carbonate (DMC) at lower concentration from 288.15 to 313.15 K at atmospheric pressure. Apparent molar volumes, Vϕ/m3·mol−1, have been calculated from the experimental densities. The effects of the methyl or methylene groups of the imidazolium cation on the above properties are discussed in deeply. The infinite dilution apparent molar volumes, Vϕ0/m3·mol−1 can be obtained from apparent molar volumes according to a Redlich-Rosenfeld-Meyer equation. The limiting apparent molar expansibility, Eϕ0/cm3·mol−1·K−1, have been calculated by the parameters from Redlich-Rosenfeld-Meyer equation. The thermal expansion coefficient, α/K−1, has also been calculated in the studied concentration range.

Online transaction log records the relevant information of the users, commodities and transactions, as well as changes over time, which can help analysts understand commodities’ sales. The existing visualization methods mainly analyze the purchase behavior from the perspective of users, while analyzing the sales trend of commodities can better help merchants to make business decisions. Based on the transaction log, this paper puts forward the visual analysis framework of commodity sales trend and the corresponding data processing algorithm. The concepts of volatility and dynamic performance of sales trend are proposed, through which the multi-dimensional sales data of time-oriented are displayed in two-dimensional space. The “Feature Ring” is designed to display the detailed sales information of the products. Based on the above methods, a visual analysis system is designed and implemented. The usability and validity of the visualization methods are verified by using JD online transaction data. The visualization methods enable manufacturers to formulate production plans and carry out product research and develop better.

Leaf area index influences on the spray quality and efficacy, and has relationships with the spray quality and efficacy in agricultural spray application. The aim of the present study was to sought the relations of LAI with the spray quality and efficacy of cotton defoliant spraying using unmanned aerial systems (UASs). A TRAC-II instrument was used to measure the LAI of cotton plants. Three different types of UASs with different spray volume rates (48 L·ha−1, 72 L·ha−1 and 96 L·ha−1), flight altitudes (1.5 m, 2.0 m and 2.5 m), and flight speeds (1 m·s−1, 2 m·s−1 and 3 m·s−1) were tested. Results showed the following: (1) There were exponential relationships between LAI and droplet deposition at volume rates of 48 L·ha−1, 72 L·ha−1 and 96 L·ha−1. There were cubic relationships between LAI and cotton defoliation rate at volume rates of 48 L·ha−1, 72 L·ha−1 and 96 L·ha−1. (2) The multiple regression model between LAI and volume rate, and droplet deposition was D = −0.02896 − 0.08055 L + 0.01226 V, the R2 and RMSE values of the training and test sets were 0.81 and 0.08, and 0.83 and 0.07, respectively. The multiple regression model between LAI and volume rate, and cotton defoliation was C = 100.8524 − 4.0617 L + 0.05482 V, the R2 and RMSE values of the training and test sets were 0.72 and 0.17, and 0.75 and 0.06, respectively.

Injury associated pain involves subjective perception and emotional experience. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is a key area involved in the affective component of pain processing. However, the neuroimmune mechanisms underlying enhanced ACC excitability following peripheral nerve injury are still not fully understood. Our previous work has shown that tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) overexpression leads to peripheral afferent hyperexcitability and synaptic transmission potentiation in spinal cord. Here, we aimed to reveal the potential role of ACC TNF-α in ACC hyperexcitability and neuropathic pain. c-Fos, a widely used neuronal activity marker, was induced especially in contralateral ACC early [postoperative (PO) 1 h] and later (PO day 7 and 10) during the development of neuropathic pain. Spared nerve injury (SNI) elevated TNF-α level in contralateral ACC from PO day 5 to 14, delayed relative to decreased ipsilateral paw withdrawal threshold apparent from PO day 1 to 14. Microinjection of anti-TNF-α antibody into the ACC completely eliminated c-Fos overexpression and greatly attenuated pain aversion and mechanical allodynia induced by SNI, suggesting an important role of ACC TNF-α in the pain aversiveness and pain maintenance. Furthermore, modulating ACC pyramidal neurons via a Gi-coupled human M4 muscarinic receptor (hM4Di) or a Gq-coupled human M3 muscarinic receptor (hM3Dq), a type of designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADD), greatly changed the ACC TNF-α level and the mechanical paw withdrawal threshold. The positive interactions between TNF-α and ACC neurons might modulate the cytokine microenvironment thus contribute to the neuropathic pain.

The sewage sludge contains abundant organic substances as well as a complex variety of inorganic substances (such as heavy metals). The extraction of protein from sludge is a new treatment approach to promote the utilization of sludge as a resource. However, heavy metals in sludge are extracted together with organic matter during the extraction process. In this study, the amounts of protein and heavy metal in the supernatant extracted from sewage sludge were investigated, and the effects of different passivator (modified fly ash and modified sepiolite) on the speciation of different heavy metals in the sludge were examined. Both materials reduced the contents of protein and heavy metal in the supernatant. When the dosage of sepiolite was 0.10 g/g total suspended solids of sludge, the content of heavy metals was the lowest and the protein content had little change. It can be deduced by analysis of specific area that sepiolite can complex with heavy metal ions and the fly ash adsorb the metals by physical adsorption. The modified sepiolite can be seen as an ideal passivator due to higher protein content and less heavy metals in the supernatant, as well as more stable heavy metals in the sediments.

SUMMARY Transcription factor programming of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) has emerged as an approach to generate human neurons for disease modeling. However, programming schemes produce a variety of cell types, and those neurons that are made often retain an immature phenotype, which limits their utility in modeling neuronal processes, including synaptic transmission. We report that combining NGN2 programming with SMAD and WNT inhibition generates human patterned induced neurons (hpiNs). Single-cell analyses showed that hpiN cultures contained cells along a developmental continuum, ranging from poorly differentiated neuronal progenitors to well-differentiated, excitatory glutamatergic neurons. The most differentiated neurons could be identified using a CAMK2A::GFP reporter gene and exhibited greater functionality, including NMDAR-mediated synaptic transmission. We conclude that utilizing single-cell and reporter gene approaches for selecting successfully programmed cells for study will greatly enhance the utility of hpiNs and other programmed neuronal populations in the modeling of nervous system disorders., In Brief Nehme et al. combine two strong neuralizing factors (transcription factor programming and small molecule patterning) to generate human excitatory neurons from stem cells. They further undertake single-cell and reporter gene approaches to select highly differentiated neurons with increased functionality, augmenting their utility in the modeling of nervous system disorders.

Understanding how radial growth of silica spines on synthetic silica spheres relates to the biosilification mechanism on their analogous biological diatoms will help to better understand the natural process. However, the number of reports of the growth of silicas with radial spines is few. In this work we report the synthesis and use of a pair of low-molecular-weight amphiphiles derived from 1,2-diphenylethylenediamine to form chiral aggregates in deionized water at a concentration of 25 g L−1 at 25 °C. Silica nanotubes and hollow nanospheres with radial spines are prepared using one of the amphiphiles as the template, 3-(aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane as a co-structure-directing agent and tetraethyl orthosilicate as the silica precursor. The pH value of the reaction mixture plays an important role in the formation of radial spines, which are found to grow within the pH range of 7.43–10.52. It is proposed that the hierarchical nanostructures form through a dynamic templating process.

Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) is one of the most extensively studied enzymes with its crucial role in secondary phenylpropanoid metabolism of plants. Recently, its demand has been increased for aromatic chemical production, but its applications in trans-cinnamic acid production were not much explored. In the present study, a putative PAL gene from Zea mays designated as ZmPAL2 was expressed and characterized in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). The recombinant ZmPAL2 exhibited a high PAL activity (7.14 U/mg) and a weak tyrosine ammonia-lyase activity. The optimal temperature of ZmPAL2 was 55 °C, and the thermal stability results showed that about 50 % of enzyme activity remained after a treatment at 60 °C for 6 h. The recombinant ZmPAL2 is a good candidate for the production of trans-cinnamic acid. The vitro conversion indicated that the recombinant ZmPAL2 could effectively catalyze the L-phenylalanine to trans-cinnamic acid, and the trans-cinnamic acid concentration can reach up to 5 g/l.

Depression and anxiety have been considered as the most common comorbidities in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients. This study aimed to assess mental disorder in hemodialysis patients and to study the indicators and correlates of psychological disturbance among patients receiving MHD in China. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 187 outpatients undergoing regular hemodialysis for at least 3 months. All the participants completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-Fatigue, Chinese mainland version), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Family APGAR Index (PAGAR), Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES II, Chinese version) and the Social Functioning Questionnaire (SFQ). Based on the cutoff point of HADS-D/A ≥8, 51 (27.3 %) and 29 (15.5 %) patients reported depression and anxiety, respectively; 26 (13.9 %) of all reported both depression and anxiety. Depressive patients had lower economic status, less subsidies, less than 3 years duration on hemodialysis and comorbidities when compared to patients without depression (all P

A new cationic triazole-based metal-organic framework encapsulating Keggin-type polyoxometalates, with the molecular formula [Co(BBPTZ)3][HPMo12O40]⋅24 H2O [compound 1; BBPTZ = 4,4'-bis(1,2,4-triazol-1-ylmethyl)biphenyl] is hydrothermally synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, powder X-ray diffraction, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The structure of compound 1 contains a non-interpenetrated 3D CdSO4 (cds)-type framework with two types of channels that are interconnected with each other; straight channels that are occupied by the Keggin-type POM anions, and wavelike channels that contain lattice water molecules. The catalytic activity of compound 1 in the oxidative desulfurization reaction indicates that it is not only an effective and size-selective heterogeneous catalyst, but it also exhibits distinct structural stability in the catalytic reaction system.

Two new organic–inorganic hybrid compounds, [N(CH3)4]6[CuIILo][(Ti2O)(PW11O39)2]·4H2O (1) and [N(CH3)4]2[H2bpp]2[CuIILo][(Ti2O)(PW11O39)2]·1.5H2O (2) (Lo = 1,2-bis(3-(2-pyridyl)pyrazole-1-ylmethyl)benzene, bpp = 1,3-bis(4-piperidyl)propane), based on Ti-substituted polyoxometalates (abbr. Ti-POMs) and the metal–organic linking units constructed by CuII ions and bichelate-bridging ligands (Lo), have been hydrothermally prepared. The two compounds were characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectra, TG analyses, XPS spectra, powder X-ray diffraction and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Both compounds contain a rare corner-sharing double-Keggin type POM architecture in the Ti-POM species. In 1 and 2, the double-Keggin-type polyoxoanions connect with the butterfly-type [CuIILo] units to form a 1-D chain and a square plane, respectively. The photocatalytic properties of compounds 1 and 2 were investigated with the methylene blue (MB) degradation model under UV irradiation, indicating good photocatalytic activity. Furthermore, to compare the photocatalytic properties of the Keggin-type Ti-POMs with those of traditional Keggin-type POMs, another compound [CuILo]4[PW12O40] (3) was synthesized by combining typical Keggin-type polyoxoanions with the metal–organic [CuILo] units. A series of MB degradation experiments suggest that the Ti-POMs exhibit better photocatalytic activity than typical Keggin-type saturated POM species.

Three new polyoxometalate (POM)-based metal–organic coordination networks (MOCNs) with chemical formulae of [Co(BBTZ)1.5(HBBTZ)(H2O)2][PW12O40]·H2O (1), [Co2.5(BBTZ)4(H2O)2] [BW12O40]·4H2O (2) and [Cu(BBTZ)2]5[BW12O40]2·4H2O (3) (BBTZ = 1,4-bis-(1,2,4-triazol-1-ylmethyl)benzene) were hydrothermally synthesized in a reaction system containing Keggin-type POMs, transition metal salts (cobalt salts and copper salts) and BBTZ ligands. All compounds were characterized by elemental analyses, IR, powder X-ray diffraction, TG analyses and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Compound 1 exhibits a POM-encapsulated 3-D supramolecular network, while compounds 2 and 3 display POM-supported 3-D coordination networks. Using the oxidative desulfurization of dibenzothiophene (DBT) as the model, the catalytic activities of compounds 1–3 are investigated. All three compounds show efficient catalytic activity for the oxidation of DBT with the order of 2 > 3 > 1. It is found that the POM species of compounds 1–3 play the main role in the catalytic oxidative desulfurization process, while the TM ions, the loading amounts of POMs, and the structural features of these POM-based MOCNs are also necessary factors that affect the catalytic activities. Furthermore, a surfactant-assisted hydrothermal synthesis method has been developed to prepare nanocrystal 2. SEM reveals that the as-synthesized nanocrystalline 2 is about 245 nm in diameter. The catalytic oxidative desulfurization experiments show that nanocrystal 2 possesses much higher catalytic activities than those of the large single-crystal products of 2.

A series of polynuclear metal-oxo clusters have been constructed from the dynamic polyoxometalate (POM) building block {B-α-Sb(III)W9O33} and lanthanide (Ln) linkers via a stepwise synthetic strategy with the molecular formulas of [Ln2(H2O)4{WO2(pic)}2(SbW8O30)2](10-) (Na4Li6[La-1]·28H2O, Na3Li7[Pr-2]·30H2O) and [{Ln(H2O)}{Ln(pic)}(Sb3O4)(SbW8O31)(SbW10O35)]2(24-) (K2Na6Li16[Tb-3]·63H2O, Na9Li15[Dy-4]·61H2O, Na7Li17[Ho-5]·53H2O) (Hpic = picolinic acid). The five compounds have been characterized by FT-IR, elemental analysis, TG, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and single crystal X-ray diffraction. In compounds 1-5, various POM moieties, such as {B-β-SbW8O30}, {B-α-SbW8O31} and {B-α-SbW10O35}, were formed through a series of disassembling and re-assembling processes of the dynamic {B-α-SbW9O33} precursor with specific pH, reaction temperature and time. Furthermore, the use of oxytropic Ln(3+) ions as linkers, together with auxiliary organic pic ligands and/or inorganic Sb(3+) ions, led to diverse connection modes between the POM building blocks and Ln linkers and the assembly of new polynuclear metal-oxo clusters. The polyoxoanions of La-1 and Pr-2 possess the same structural feature, which can be viewed as a sandwich-type cluster composed of two {B-β-SbW8O30} units connected by two {WO2(pic)} fragments and two hydrated Ln ions. These sandwich-type polyoxoanions are further linked by the hydrated Ln ions to form a 1-D helical chain. The polyoxoanions of Tb-3, Dy-4 and Ho-5 display the same structural features, although they contain different counter-cations and lattice water molecules. In the polyoxoanions of 3-5, one {B-α-SbW8O31} POM moiety and one {B-α-SbW10O35} POM unit are connected by one {Sb3O4} fragment and one {Ln(pic)} linker, forming an asymmetric sandwich-type metal-oxo cluster. Two of these sandwich-type clusters are further fused together by extra two hydrated Ln ions, leading to an isolated polynuclear metal-oxo cluster with a size of 16.4 × 28.5 Å. The photoluminescence properties of Tb-3 and Dy-4 were investigated. Both compounds exhibit characteristic Tb(3+) and Dy(3+) luminescence. The relationship between the luminescence properties and the crystal structure of the polyoxoanion was discussed.

Context Fatigue is a common symptom reported by patients with end-stage renal disease, and it can significantly decrease patients' quality of life. A brief and convenient fatigue assessment tool is needed for Chinese patients on maintenance dialysis. Objectives To determine the psychometric characteristics of the Chinese version of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-Fatigue) in patients receiving maintenance dialysis. Methods The Chinese version of the FACIT-Fatigue was obtained from the FACIT system. Test-retest reliability of this scale was examined using intraclass correlation coefficients, and the internal consistency was calculated by Cronbach's alpha. Content validity was examined using the content validity index (CVI), scale-level CVI/universal agreement, and scale-level CVI/average agreement. Construct validity was tested using Pearson product-moment correlations of the FACIT-Fatigue scores with the Revised Piper Fatigue Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and disease characteristics during the same period. Results A total of 172 patients (111 males and 61 females, mean age 52.6 ± 12.5 years) completed this study, with a median FACIT-Fatigue score of 41 (first and third quartiles 34.3–46). The Chinese version of the FACIT-Fatigue had excellent test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.98) and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.92); the validity of the scale was supported by CVI, scale-level CVI/universal agreement, and scale-level CVI/average agreement values of at 0.67–1, 0.85, and 0.96, respectively. The standard error of measurement of the FACIT-Fatigue was 1.2. The significant correlations between the FACIT-Fatigue score and the Revised Piper Fatigue Scale ( r = −0.658), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (−0.566), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (−0.489) were supported by the FACIT-Fatigue, with good construct validity (all P Conclusion The FACIT-Fatigue had acceptable validity and reliability for maintenance dialysis patients and can be used as a valid tool for the measurement of fatigue among these Chinese patients.

A series of organic–inorganic hybrid compounds built from Keggin and Wells–Dawson polyoxometalates and TM-trz complexes (Htrz = 1,2,4-triazole) were obtained at different pH values under hydrothermal conditions, namely, [Co2(H2O)2(Htrz)5][SiW12O40]·2.5H2O (1), [Zn5(Htrz)8(trz)2(H2O)8][SiW12O40]2·10H2O (2), [CuI2CuII4(Htrz)4(trz)4Cl2][GeW12O40]·15H2O (3), [CuI2CuII4(Htrz)4(trz)4Cl2][SiW12O40]·15H2O (4), K2Na2(H2O)2[Co11(trz)14(H2O)14][P2W18O62]2·29H2O (5) and [Cu12(trz)10(Htrz)2(OH)4(SO4)2(H2O)6][P2W18O62]·28H2O (6). All of the compounds were characterized using single-crystal X-ray diffraction, TG analysis and powder X-ray diffraction. Compound 1 contains a kind of bimetallic–organic segment [Co2(Htrz)5]4+, which could be regarded as a quasi-sinusoid-like chain. 2 is a dimer constructed from two [SiW12O40]4− units linked by a [Zn5(trz)2(Htrz)8]8+ motif. In 3 and 4, the 2D wall-like layers constructed by the Cu(II) ions and Htrz ligands are extended into 3D frameworks by polyanions. 5 shows a complicated three-dimensional (3D) framework with a {412·612·84}{46}2 topology. Compound 6 is also a complicated 3D structure based on a triangular trinuclear Cu-trz unit and [P2W18O62] polyanions. To the best of our knowledge, 6 represents the largest copper cluster linked by amines in a POM system. Structural diversities reveal that the pH value of the reaction system plays a crucial role in the assembly of POM-based hybrids. Moreover, the optical band gaps, electrochemical properties, magnetic properties and the photocatalytic properties of the compounds have been investigated.

The self-assembly of π-conjugated molecules into low-dimensional luminescent nanomaterials has attracted much attention for their applications in optoelectronics and photonics. Herein, a new tolane derivative (1) containing donor and acceptor units has been designed and synthesized. The compound 1 shows the effect of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) due to the donor–acceptor interaction. In solution, it is weakly emissive, but becomes highly emissive upon aggregation, demonstrating the novel phenomenon of aggregation-induced emission (AIE). Moreover, through controlled self-assembly of 1, different micro/nanostructures (ribbons, rods and flower-like clusters) with high emission efficiency can be obtained, which paves the way for its photonic and electronic applications.

A large lanthanide-containing tungstotellurites(IV) nanocluster Na18[Ce10Te8W88O298(OH)12(H2O)40]·54H2O (1) was synthesized by combining cerium linkers and TeO32− heteroanion templates. The macroanion in 1 consists of two identical [Te4W42O144(OH)6Ce4(H2O)13]14− subunits and two triangle-shaped {W2O5Ce(H2O)7} linkers.

Both calpain-2 (CALP2) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) contribute to persistent bilateral hypersensitivity in animals subjected to L5 ventral root transection (L5-VRT), a model of selective motor fiber injury without sensory nerve damage. However, specific upstream mechanisms regulating TNF-α overexpression and possible relationships linking CALP2 and TNF-α have not yet been investigated in this model. We examined changes in CALP2 and TNF-α protein levels and alterations in bilateral mechanical threshold within 24 h following L5-VRT model injury. We observed robust elevation of CALP2 and TNF-α in bilateral dorsal root ganglias (DRGs) and bilateral spinal cord neurons. CALP2 and TNF-α protein induction by L5-VRT were significantly inhibited by pretreatment using the calpain inhibitor MDL28170. Administration of CALP2 to rats without nerve injury further supported a role of CALP2 in the regulation of TNF-α expression. Although clinical trials of calpain inhibition therapy for alleviation of neuropathic pain induced by motor nerve injury have not yet shown success, our observations linking CALP2 and TNF-α provide a framework of a systems’ approach based perspective for treating neuropathic pain.

Exercise and low-fat diets are common lifestyle modifications used for the treatment of hypertension besides drug therapy. However, unrestrained low-fat diets may result in deficiencies of low-unsaturated fatty acids and carry contingent risks of delaying neurodevelopment. While aerobic exercise shows positive neuroprotective effects, it is still unclear whether exercise could alleviate the impairment of neurodevelopment that may be induced by certain low-fat diets. In this research, developing spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were treated with chronic swimming exercise and/or a low-soybean-oil diet for 6 weeks. We found that performance in the Morris water maze was reduced and long-term potentiation in the hippocampus was suppressed by the diet, while a combination treatment of exercise and diet alleviated the impairment induced by the specific low-fat diet. Moreover, the combination treatment effectively increased the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and N-methyl-d-aspartic acid receptor (NMDAR), which were both down-regulated by the low-soybean-oil diet in the hippocampus of developing SHR. These findings suggest that chronic swimming exercise can ameliorate the low-soybean-oil diet-induced learning and memory impairment in developing SHR through the up-regulation of BDNF and NMDAR expression.

Herein, we show the controlled generation of multi-component libraries based on the [MoS

As an important dielectric liquid, transformer oil is widely used in power systems due to its higher breakdown strength than compressed gases. The key factor affecting the safe operation of power apparatus is decided by the steep impulse electric strength. In this paper, an impulse voltage generator with adjustable pulse width was set up to generate 0.12/50µs impulse voltage. Breakdown characteristics in transformer oil under pulsed voltages are studied over a range of electrode sizes and gap distances with a hemisphere electrode configuration of various geometric configurations. It is verified that both area and volume effects simultaneously lead to the degradation of the breakdown strength in transformer oil. The impulse breakdown strength is statistically analyzed by using Weibull distribution. By comparing two results of Weibull fitting function, it reveals that the 3-parameter Weibull distribution has a higher goodness-of-fit than the 2-parameter for impulse breakdown in transformer oil. The 3-parameter Weibull shape parameter m for the quasi-uniform field are estimated to be 2.4 to 2.58 and 2.79 to 4.11 under different electrode area and gap distance respectively. These effects are corresponding to the variation of breakdown initiation and propagation process when the dimension of electrode configuration changes. The relationships between the shape parameter m and electrode diameter as well as gap distance are in the forms of m(D)=0.004D+2.384(d=0.5mm) and m(d)=5.27−1.25d−0.423(D=30mm) and the field utilization factor η as a function of shape parameter m has been calculated in which case the relationship between electrode physical dimension and stressed area is established, which can be provided for insulation design directly.

During the exploration of highly efficient noble-metal-free electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), a promising and challenging strategy is to fabricate composite nanocatalysts by finely tuning metal and/or nonmetal element components. Herein, we report a new HER electrocatalyst, which is composed of molybdenum phosphide and molybdenum carbide composite nanoparticles (NPs) coated by few-layer N-doped graphitic carbon shells (denoted as MoP/Mo

BACKGROUND Personal digital assistants, technology with various functions, have been applied in international clinical practice. Great benefits in reducing medical errors and enhancing the efficiency of clinical work have been achieved, but little research has investigated nurses' satisfaction with the use of personal digital assistants. AIM To investigate nurses' satisfaction with use of personal digital assistants, and to explore the predictors of this. DESIGN This is a cross-sectional descriptive study. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional survey targeting nurses who used personal digital assistants in a comprehensive tertiary hospital in Beijing. RESULTS A total of 383 nurses were recruited in this survey in 2015. The total score of nurses' satisfaction with use of personal digital assistants was 238.91 (SD 39.25). Nurses were less satisfied with the function of documentation, compared with the function of administering medical orders. The time length of using personal digital assistants, academic degree, and different departments predicted nurses' satisfaction towards personal digital assistant use (all P

Background The world is facing increasing pressure with the continuous growth of the older population. Older patients are usually discharged with complex medical problems, high stress and vulnerability, and these factors place the elderly at risk for poor outcomes. Purpose The present review summarizes a method for providing appropriate and affordable health services by nursing professionals to meet older patient's health care needs during their transitional period which is defined as a period from discharge after hospitalization for a major disorder to recovery in a home setting. Summary Older patients with chronic diseases need seamless health care during a transitional period-a highly stressful and vulnerable period for them. Nurse professionals can conduct decent discharge planning to assist older patients with transitional problems through continuous healthcare. This review summarized the need of continuing care for older patients during the transitional period, the definition of discharge planning, the conceptual framework of discharge planning, and the professionals involved in discharge planning. It also highlights the problems of discharge planning and follow up intervention implementation in the mainland of China. Clinical implications Inadequate discharge planning and follow-up were leading factors associated with the readmission of discharged older patients. Further nursing-led discharge planning should be reinforced in China.

Polyoxometalates (POMs) have attracted a lot of interest due to their novel structure characteristics and various connection modes. POM-based coordination polymers with entangled structures, an indispensable branch of entangled networks, take advantage of the features of POMs, and have received increasing attention. Much effort has been devoted over the past few decades toward their preparation and the analysis of their unusual entangled topology. In this review, we will summarize a number of examples of POM-based coordination polymer that have been described according to their different entangled characteristics. Different concepts, such as interpenetration, polycatenation, polyrotaxane, poly pseudo -rotaxane and self-penetration, are employed to describe the various types of POM-based coordination polymers with entangled structures. In addition, we further classify POM-based coordination polymers with entangled structures based on the dimensionalities of the individual motifs and the roles of the POMs. Combining the advantages of the attractive potential applications of the POMs and structure diversities of the entangled frameworks, the investigation of POM-based coordination polymers with entangled structures will be a sustainable research field in coordination chemistry.

Treatment of neuropathic pain with opioid analgesics remains controversial and a major concern is the risk of addiction. Here, we investigated this issue with spared nerve injury (SNI) model of neuropathic pain in rats and mice. SNI prevented conditioned place preference (CPP) induced by low dose (3.5 mg/kg) of morphine (MOR), which was effective for anti-allodynia, but not by high dose (⩾5.0 mg/kg) of MOR. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) was upregulated in nucleus accumbens (NAcc) following SNI. The inhibitory effect of SNI on MOR-induced CPP was blocked by either genetic deletion of TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1) or microinjection of anti-TNF-α into the NAcc and was mimicked by intra-NAcc injection of TNF-α in sham rats. Furthermore, SNI reduced dopamine (DA) level and upregulated dopamine transporter (DAT) in the NAcc, but did not affect total tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) or phospho-TH ( p -TH), a rate-limiting enzyme of catecholamine biosynthesis, in ventral tegmental area (VTA). Accordingly, the increase in DA reuptake but not decrease in its synthesis may lead to the reduction of DA level. Finally, the upregulation of DAT in the NAcc of SNI animals was again blocked by either genetic deletion of TNFR1 or NAcc injection of anti-TNF-α, and was mimicked by NAcc injection of TNF-α in sham animals. Thus, our data provided novel evidence that upregulation of TNF-α in NAcc may attenuate MOR-induced rewarding by upregulation of DAT in NAcc under neuropathic pain condition.

The process of converting structural models derived from single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments into physical models for the purposes of visualization/communication and collaboration by the use of three-dimensional (3D) printing techniques is described. Digital information regarding the relative positioning of atoms in a crystal structure is translated, using a suite of computer programs, into a 3D computer model of a solid form, corresponding to that information which can then be saved in a file format for 3D printing. These files are then used to produce to-scale physical models of the structural information using two different 3D printing methodologies.

Background: Outbreaks of Rice Plant-hoppers (RPH) (Nilaparvata lugens, Sogatella furcifera, and Laodelphax striatellus) appear in Asia almost every year and have had significant impacts on rice yields. To implement timely, targeted pesticide applications, reduce input costs and benefit the environment, the accurate early detection and quantity estimation of RPH infestation is a critical part of integrated pest management (IPM) for rice production. To use visible images to detect and estimate RPH infestation areas on rice stems, related experiments and studies were performed to determine the feasibility of using a 2-Dimensional Wavelet Packet Transform (2DWPT) and a corner detection algorithm. Visible images of the rice stems were collected using a handheld camera. First, a series of pretreatments to these visible images were applied, including smoothing, denoising, image color space transformation and 2-Dimensional Wavelet Packet transformation. Second, the related image corner eigenvalues (i.e. the number of the corners) were extracted using a Smallest Univalue Segment Assimilating Nucleus (SUSAN) algorithm. Finally, a linear regression model was developed based on the corner eigenvalues. Results: The results show that the SUSAN corner detection algorithm used to extract the corner eigenvalues can also be used to distinguish the I (infestation) and N (non-infestation) areas with high accuracy. Most of the corner eigenvalues based on different image forms had a high correlation coefficient with the RPH quantity, and B-P10 (i.e., the corner eigenvalue of the RGB color space B component that was transformed via 2DWPT at node P10) had the highest correlation coefficient of 0.8277. Conclusions: It is possible to detect and quantify the estimated RPH infestation area on rice stems by applying a 2DWPT and corner detection algorithm to visible images. Along with the micro-sensor mobile monitoring platform, the visible-image-based method is expected to be used as a redundant method in remote sensing to measure the stress induced by RPH.

The heptamolybdate [NH4]6[Mo7O24], as a common polyoxometalate (POM) precursor with dynamic configuration transformation in aqueous solution by changing the pH, has been introduced into the hydrothermal reaction system containing copper ions and bichelate-bridging ligands, leading to the isolation of seven new organic–inorganic hybrid compounds [CuI2Lo2][Mo6O19] (1), [CuII2Lo2][β-Mo8O26]·2H2O (2), [CuII4Lo2(pypz)4][α-Mo8O26]·3H2O (3), [CuII4Lp4(H2O)4][α-Mo8O26][β-Mo8O26]·4H2O (4), [CuI4Lp3][β-Mo8O26]·H2O (5), [CuI4Lp4][α-Mo8O26] (6), and [CuI2Lp2(Emim)2][β-Mo8O26] (7) (bis(3-(2-pyridyl)pyrazole-1-ylmethyl)benzene = bppmb, Lo = 1,2-bppmb, Lp = 1,4-bppmb, pypz = 3-(2-pyridyl)pyrazole, Emim = 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium). All compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, TG analysis, powder X-ray diffraction and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The structural analyses show that the isopolymolybdate clusters act as a type of “molecular adaptor”, which modulate the coordination mode of metal–organic subunits, leading to a series of new metal–organic secondary building units, such as the “Mobius-Ring”-type binuclear unit, “S”-type binuclear unit, butterfly-type unit, helical chain and mesomeric helical chain. As a result, the POM anions and the metal–organic subunits have suitable matching modes to form new hybrid self-assemblies. The photocatalytic properties of compounds 1–7 for the degradation of Rhodamine-B (RhB) under UV irradiation were investigated. All compounds showed good catalytic activity. Furthermore, the luminescent properties of compounds 1–7 have also been explored, indicating an organic ligand-based emission mode for all compounds.

Aims and objectives To test the effect of a Health Belief Model-based nursing intervention on healthcare outcomes in Chinese patients with moderate to severe COPD. Background The Health Belief Model (HBM) has been internationally validated in a variety of chronic conditions. However, nursing intervention based on the HBM is less explored in Chinese patients with COPD. Design A randomised controlled trial. Methods Enrolled patients were randomly assigned to the intervention and control groups. Patients in the intervention group received a 20- to 30-minute HBM-based nursing intervention every 2 days during the hospitalisation period after disease conditions were stable, with additional follow-ups after discharge. Patients in the control group received routine nursing care. Results Patients had significantly increased scores of health belief and self-efficacy after receiving the HBM-based nursing intervention. After receiving the 3-month follow-up, patients in the intervention group had significantly higher mean total scores in the Health Belief Scale and the COPD Self-Efficacy Scale, as well as in all the subscales, than those in the control group except the perceived disease seriousness. Results showed that the value of FEV1/FVC ratio had a significant difference between study groups before and after the intervention. Results also indicated that mean scores of the Dyspnea Scale, 6-minute walking distance and ADL were significantly different between the groups and between the study time-points. Conclusions Among patients with moderate to severe COPD, nursing intervention based on the HBM can enhance their health belief and self-efficacy towards the disease management, decrease dyspnoea and improve exercise tolerance and ADL. Relevance to clinical practice Nurses can use the HBM-based intervention to enhance patients' health belief and self-efficacy towards the management of COPD, and subsequently benefit healthcare outcomes.

A new family of thiometalate-based composite molecular materials is synthesized and characterized. 1.6 and 1.9 nm-sized clusters are observed in the gas phase utilizing high-resolution ESI-MS. The diversity of the selenite anions as an inorganic ligand is demonstrated by the isolation of the highest nuclearity selenium-based oxothiometalate materials reported so far. The observed proton conductivity of the selenite based oxothiometalate species renders them as promising alternative materials for fuel-cell applications.

Rice plant-hopper (RPH) (Nilaparvata lugens, Sogatella furcifera, and Laodelphax striatellus) infestation is considered one of the most serious disasters in rice production in Asia. In order to use visible images to detect stress in rice production caused by RPH infestation, an algorithm based on fractal eigenvalues and fuzzy C-means (FCM) has been developed. First, an experiment was designed and many visible images of rice stems were collected. Based on the pretreatment of these visible images, such as smoothing, denoising, image color space and frequency domain transformation, the relative image fractal eigenvalues were extracted by using a box-counting dimension method, and then the linear regression model and FCM clustering algorithm were developed. Results showed that it is possible to distinguish RPH gathering areas and mouldy gray spots after RPH damage on rice plant stems from healthy rice plant stems using fractal-dimension values. Most of the fractal eigenvalues based on different-sized subregional image blocks have higher correlation coefficient with the RPH quantity, and the D s k e w n e s s (skewness), D m e a n (mean) and D m o m e n t (moment), (where D j is the fractal-dimension value of the j -th subregional image block), based on a 16 × 16 pixel subregional image block, have higher correlation coefficients: 0.803, 0.794, and 0.799 respectively. Using RPH infestation detection and classification based on fractal eigenvalues and the FCM algorithm, the accuracy to differentiate cases in which RPH infestation had occurred or not reached 87%. The accuracy to differentiate four groups was 63.5%. The result is expected to meet the needs of actual rice production: along with the use of a micro-sensor mobile monitoring platform, the visible-image-based method based on fractal eigenvalues and the FCM algorithm can be used to obtain redundancy information for the large area of remote sensing to the stress induced by RPHs, and then to improve the monitoring accuracy in fusion decisions of integrated pest management.

Recently, the emergence of conductive metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) has given great prospects for their applications as active materials in electronic devices. In this work, a high-quality, free-standing conductive MOF membrane was prepared by an air–liquid interfacial growth method. Accordingly, field-effect transistors (FETs) possessing a crystalline microporous MOF channel layer were successfully fabricated for the first time. The porous FETs exhibited p-type behavior, distinguishable on/off ratios, and excellent field-effect hole mobilities as high as 48.6 cm2 V–1 s–1, which is even comparable to the highest value reported for solution-processed organic or inorganic FETs.

A series of 2D sheet Bi2OxS3-x/Nb6O17 (Bi/Nb) heterostructure photocatalysts were synthesized through a facile hydrothermal vulcanization method between Bi(3+) exchanged K4Nb6O17 and thiourea (NH2CSNH2). XRD results confirm that the heterostructures were composed of Bi2OxS3-x and Nb6O17. HRTEM indicates that Bi2OxS3-x was successfully intercalated into layers of K4Nb6O17. Such large interfacial contacts can be beneficial to the transfer and separation of photogenerated charge carriers. Thus the composites exhibit good photocatalytic performance for the degradation of methyl orange (MO) under visible light irradiation (λ400 nm), which is superior to that of both precursors, pure Bi2S3 and K4Nb6O17. Radical capture tests reveal that photogenerated holes h(+) and ˙O2(-) play important roles in the photodegradation of MO. And based on the UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) and the band gap of the semiconductors, the mechanism of the enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity of these composites has been proposed.

Background L-arabinose isomerase (AI) is a crucial catalyst for the biotransformation of D-galactose to D-tagatose. In previous reports, AIs from thermophilic bacterial strains had been wildly researched, but the browning reaction and by-products formed at high temperatures restricted their applications. By contrast, AIs from mesophilic Bacillus strains have some different features including lower optimal temperatures and lower requirements of metallic cofactors. These characters will be beneficial to the development of a more energy-efficient and safer production process. However, the relevant data about the kinetics and reaction properties of Bacillus AIs in D-tagatose production are still insufficient. Thus, in order to support further applications of these AIs, a comprehensive characterization of a Bacillus AI is needed. Results The coding gene (1422 bp) of Bacillus coagulans NL01 AI (BCAI) was cloned and overexpressed in the Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) strain. The enzymatic property test showed that the optimal temperature and pH of BCAI were 60 °C and 7.5 respectively. The raw purified BCAI originally showed high activity in absence of outsourcing metallic ions and its thermostability did not change in a low concentration (0.5 mM) of Mn2+ at temperatures from 70 °C to 90 °C. Besides these, the catalytic efficiencies (kcat/Km) for L-arabinose and D-galactose were 8.7 mM-1 min-1 and 1.0 mM-1 min-1 respectively. Under optimal conditions, the recombinant E. coli cell containing BCAI could convert 150 g L-1 and 250 g L-1 D-galactose to D-tagatose with attractive conversion rates of 32 % (32 h) and 27 % (48 h). Conclusions In this study, a novel AI from B. coagulans NL01was cloned, purified and characterized. Compared with other reported AIs, this AI could retain high proportions of activity at a broader range of temperatures and was less dependent on metallic cofactors such as Mn2+. Its substrate specificity was understood deeply by carrying out molecular modelling and docking studies. When the recombinant E. coli expressing the AI was used as a biocatalyst, D-tagatose could be produced efficiently in a simple one-pot biotransformation system. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12896-016-0286-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Mimicking proton conduction mechanism of Nafion to construct novel proton-conducting materials with low cost and high proton conductivity is of wide interest. Herein, we have designed and synthesized a cationic covalent organic framework with high thermal and chemical stability by combining a cationic monomer, ethidium bromide (EB) (3,8-diamino-5-ethyl-6-phenylphenanthridinium bromide), with 1,3,5-triformylphloroglucinol (TFP) in Schiff base reactions. This is the first time that the stable cationic crystalline frameworks allowed for the fabrication of a series of charged COFs (EB-COF:X, X = F, Cl, Br, I) through ion exchange processes. Exchange of the extra framework ions can finely modulate the COFs' porosity and pore sizes at nanoscale. More importantly, by introducing PW12O40(3-) into this porous cationic framework, we can greatly enhance the proton conductivity of ionic COF-based material. To the best of our knowledge, EB-COF:PW12 shows the best proton conductivity at room temperature among ever reported porous organic materials.

Assembly of cucurbit[6] and a {Cd2Ge8V12O48} cluster produced two rotaxane-shaped and polyrotaxane-shaped solids by changing the ratio of starting precursors in the system. The high oxygen density of the polyoxoanion surface provides active sites to extend a single rotaxane-shaped hybrid 1 to a 1D polyrotaxane-shaped hybrid 2. This construction strategy may afford an entirely new methodology for polyoxometalate-based hybrid chemistry.

The concentrations of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in 30 water samples and 5 tissues (gill, liver, brain, kidney and muscle) of 36 fishes which were collected from 18 typical lakes of the Daqing lakes group, China were measured between February and April 2012. The results of PAHs concentrations in the water showed that the range of total concentrations was 0.2-1.21 μg x L(-1) and the highest concentration was found in the Yueliangpao Lake. Clustering analysis of statistical method was used to classify the concentrations of PAHs in the water of 18 lakes, and PAHs source and evaluation of ecological risk in different lake groups were obtained respectively based on the analysis of PAHs ratio and the species sensitivity distributions method. The results of cluster analysis about PAHs concentrations in the water of 18 lakes showed that all the lakes were divided into 4 lake groups. Yueliangpao (YLP) and dongdahai (DDH) lakes were respectively divided into a separate group and the other 14 lakes were divided into two groups named XHH group and DQSK group. PAHs in the water of lakes were mainly from wood and coal burning except that the PAHs of the water in YLP group was caused by oil contamination. According to the surface water quality standard of the world and China, the concentrations of PAHs in the water of 4 lake groups all exceeded the standard variously. The PAHs concentrations of most water samples in YLP group and XHH group exceeded the 16 PAHs limit value of Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) standard, especially, the concentration of Benz[a] pyrene with the strongest carcinogenicity of YLP group exceeded Chinese surface water quality standard. While in the DQSK lake group and the DDH lake group, several PAHs contaminations of water samples exceeded the standard. The tested and statistical results of 16 PAHs concentrations in 5 tissues of Cyprinus carpio and Hypophthalmichthys molitrix fish species in Daqing lakes showed the concentrations of anthracene in the gill tissue of Cyprinus carpio were significantly greater than those in the Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, while other 15 PAHs concentrations had no difference between the two species. Among the different tissues of Hypophthalmichthys molitrix or Cyprinus carpio, the concentrations of PAHs in the liver and kidney tissues which are the important tissues of PAHs accumulation were significantly greater than those in the muscle, gill and brain tissues of fish because of their pervasion ability of pollutants. The results of ecological risks of PAHs in water samples to different aquatic organism species and health risk of PAHs to human through the consumption of fish showed that low ecological risk to aquatic organism species and health risk of PAHs in the muscle of Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and Cyprinus carpio to human were observed in the 4 lake groups.

Peripheral nerve injury often induces chronic neuropathic pain. Peripheral nerve is consisted of sensory fibers and motor fibers, it is questioned injury to which type of fibers is responsible for generation of neuropathic pain? Because neuropathic pain is sensory disorder, it is generally believed that the disease should be induced by injury to sensory fibers. In recent years, however, emergent evidence shows that motor fiber injury but not sensory fiber injury is necessary and sufficient for induction of neuropathic pain. Motor fiber injury leads to neuropathic pain by upregulating pro-inflammatory cytokines and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in pain pathway.

Fatigue is considered as a common symptom in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and can significantly decrease patients' quality of life. This study aimed to assess fatigue in hemodialysis patients and to investigate risk factors of fatigue in Chinese patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) in China.Eligible patients completed questionnaires including demographic information, a Chinese version of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-Fatigue), the Family APGAR Index (APGAR), the medical outcomes study health status-Social Functioning subscale (SF-36,SocF), and the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI). Laboratory parameters were abstracted by medical records review. The multiple linear regression model was used to relate parameters with the FACIT-Fatigue score.A total of 345 MHD patients (216 men and 129 women, age 55.6 ± 12.8) were recruited in this study. The score of FACIT-Fatigue was 39 (Interquartile Range, 31-44). Fatigue was correlated with PSQI scores (p 0.001), SocF scores (p 0.001), comorbidity (p = 0.006), exercise time 1 hour per day (p = 0.003), adequacy of dialysis (Kt/V) 1.2 (p = 0.016), APGAR scores (p = 0.014), and high Scr (p = 0.043).Fatigue is related to sleep disturbance, social and family functioning, taking physical exercise time, comorbidity condition, Kt/V and serum creatinine level in Chinese MHD patients. Future studies and interventions should focus on developing strategies and improving the quality of life in patients by addressing these significant contributing factors.

Diazepam binds with the same high affinity to the central benzodiazepine receptor (CBR) and the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor, which has been renamed translocator protein (TSPO). Both receptors could promote neurosteroid synthesis. In the present study, we investigated whether a single dose of diazepam could inhibit neuropathic pain induced by L5 spinal nerve ligation (L5 SNL), and whether CBR and TSPO mediated this effect. We found that a single intraperitoneal injection of diazepam 9 d after L5 SNL significantly depressed the established mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia, which persisted until the end of the experiments. Furthermore, the effects were mimicked by a single intraperitoneal injection of Ro5-4864, a specific TSPO agonist and pregnenolone, a neurosteroid precursor. In addition, we found that the inhibitory effect of diazepam was also completely blocked by pretreatment with a specific CBR antagonist, flumazenil. The effects of diazepam or Ro5-4864 on neuropathic pain were completely blocked by pretreatment with a neurosteroid synthesis inhibitor, aminoglutethimide (AMG). Finally, any one of the three drugs, diazepam, Ro5-4864 and pregnenolone, could reduce the activation of astrocytes and the production of interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) in the L5 spinal dorsal horn 14 d after L5 SNL. These results suggest that in addition to exerting effects on CBR, diazepam may inhibit neuropathic pain via TSPO, which promotes neurosteroid formation, subsequently reducing the activation of astrocytes and production of cytokines.