Search

Balamuthia mandrillaris amebic encephalitis (BAE) can cause a fatal condition if diagnosis is delayed or effective treatment is lacking. Patients with BAE have been previously reported in 12 provinces of China, with skin lesions being the primary symptom and encephalitis developing after several years. However, a significantly lower number of cases has been reported in Southwest China. Here we report an aggressive BAE case of a 64-year-old woman farmer with a history of skin lesions on her left hand. She was admitted to our hospital due to symptoms of dizziness, headache, cough, vomiting, and gait instability. She was initially diagnosed with syphilitic meningoencephalitis and received a variety of empirical treatment that failed to improve her symptoms. Finally, she was diagnosed with BAE combined with amebic pneumonia using next-generation sequencing (NGS), qRT-PCR, sequence analysis, and imaging studies. She died approximately 3 weeks after the onset. This case highlights that the rapid development of encephalitis can be a prominent clinical manifestation of Balamuthia mandrillaris infection.

The prevention and control of soil erosion through soil and water conservation measures is crucial. It is imperative to accurately and quickly extract information on these measures in order to understand how their configuration affects the runoff and sediment yield process. In this investigation, intelligent interpretation algorithms and deep learning semantic segmentation models pertinent to remote sensing imagery were examined and scrutinized. Our objective was to enhance interpretation accuracy and automation by employing an advanced deep learning-based semantic segmentation model for the astute interpretation of high-resolution remote sensing images. Subsequently, an intelligent interpretation algorithm model tailored was developed for terracing measures in high-resolution remote sensing imagery. Focusing on Fenxi County in Shanxi Province as the experimental target, in this research we conducted a comparative analysis between our proposed model and alternative models. The outcomes demonstrated that our refined algorithm model exhibited superior precision. Additionally, in this research we assessed the model’s generalization capability by utilizing Wafangdian City in Liaoning Province as another experimental target and performed a comparative analysis with human interpretation. The findings revealed that our model possesses enhanced generalization ability and can substantially augment interpretation efficiency.

Objective: To investigate the psychological cognition of women of childbearing age on the use of cosmetics during pregnancy, so as to provide guidance for women of childbearing age to correctly use cosmetics during pregnancy. Methods: A total of 180 women of childbearing age who underwent gynecological examination in Dezhou People’s Hospital from October 2020 to October 2021 were selected as the research subjects. Questionnaires were used to investigate the psychological cognition of women of childbearing age on the use of cosmetics during pregnancy. Results: Among the 180 women of childbearing age, 48 (26.67%) felt that cosmetics cannot be used during pregnancy, 60 (33.33%) felt that it did not matter, and 72 (40.00%) agreed that cosmetics can be used during pregnancy. In addition, urban women, highly educated women, unmarried women, and enterprise employees agreed with the use of special cosmetics for pregnant women or the selective use of cosmetics during pregnancy. Conclusion: Most women of child-bearing age felt that cosmetics can be used during pregnancy; this cognition is related to their education level, occupation, and registered residence.

Background Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most aggressive brain tumors among human beings. In this study, we explored the functions of human microRNA-1270 (hsa-miR-1270) on GBM cancer cell proliferation, migration, and tumorigenesis. Materials and methods In GBM cell lines and clinical tissues, hsa-miR-1270 expression was probed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). In LN-18 and A172 cells, hsa-miR-1270 was upregulated by lentiviral transduction. The effects of hsa-miR-1270 upregulation on GBM in vitro and in vivo functions were probed by proliferation, migration, and xenograft assays, respectively. The correlation between hsa-miR-1270 and Wilms' tumor gene (WT1) was probed by dual-luciferase activity assay, qRT-PCR, and Western blot. WT1 was then secondarily over-expressed in hsa-miR-1270-upregulated LN-18 and A172 cells, to explore its mechanisms in GBM's association with hsa-miR-1270. Results Hsa-miR-1270 was significantly downregulated in both GBM cell lines and clinical tumors. Upregulating hsa-miR-1270 considerably suppressed GBM cell proliferation and migration in vitro and xenograft in vivo. WT1 was inversely correlated with hsa-miR-1270 in GBM. WT1 overexpression in hsa-miR-1270-upregulated GBM cells reversed the anticancer functions of hsa-miR-1270 on cancer proliferation and migration. Conclusion Hsa-miR-1270 upregulation may have suppressing effects on GBM cancer cells, likely by functionally acting through WT1.

Polystyrene is a low-priced, amorphous polymer, showing excellent foaming behavior. Polystyrene foams are widely used in a variety of applications including insulation panels for building and construction. In this context, foam morphology plays a significant role to tune the macroscopic properties of the foams and research focusses on the fabrication of foams with homogenous morphology and an average cell size distinctly below 100 µm at densities lower than 100 kg/m³. Here, we demonstrate how 1,3,5-benzene-trisamides can be used as supramolecular foam nucleating agents to control the morphology of extruded amorphous polystyrene foams. Depending on the concentration and the processing temperature, benzene-trisamides can be homogeneously dissolved in the polystyrene melt. Upon cooling, the benzene-trisamides self-assemble into finely dispersed, solid supramolecular nano-objects, which subsequently act as nucleating sites for foam cell formation. Various concentrations of the benzene-trisamide-based additive were selected to systematically study the influence of the morphology of the extruded polystyrene foams. In the same way, neat polystyrene foams were produced as a reference. We found that for extruded polystyrene foams with 0.2 wt% of additive, the cell sizes were significantly reduced by a factor of 35 from 632 to 18 µm compared to those of a neat extruded polystyrene reference foam.

Determining the soil quality of alluvial fans and its influencing factors is essential for understanding, utilizing, and protecting alluvial fans. In this study, a soil quality index (SQI) was constructed, and the soil of river terrace farmland was used as a control to evaluate the soil quality of alluvial fans in the Lhasa River Basin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Meanwhile, the influencing factors of soil quality of the alluvial fan were studied using correlation analysis. The results demonstrated that: 1) There is no significant difference in physicochemical indicators between the soil of the alluvial fan and river terrace farmland, namely the total nitrogen, total phosphorus, total potassium, available nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium, soil organic matter, pH, electrical conductivity, and soil erodibility; however, the coefficient of variation of each physicochemical indicator of the alluvial fan is greater than that of river terrace farmland. 2) The mean SQI value of alluvial fans and river terrace farmlands are 0.37 and 0.38, respectively. There is no significant difference between the values, demonstrating that the soil quality of alluvial fans is not lower than that of river terrace farmland. 3) The soil quality of alluvial fans has a highly significant positive correlation with vegetation coverage, land use, annual precipitation, altitude, and geomorphic divisions; a significant positive correlation with geomorphic location; and a highly significant negative correlation with annual temperature. Therefore, from the perspective of soil quality, the alluvial fan in the Lhasa River Basin can be used as a reserve arable land resource.

Objective: To investigate the prognostic value of Th-22 cells and related functional cytokines in patients with vitiligo. Methods: Thirty-five patients with vitiligo who admitted to the outpatient clinic from June 2016 to November 2018 in the hospital were selected as the study group. Thirty healthy controls were selected as the control group. Th-22 cells and their related cytokines were analyzed in both groups. Resylts: The levels of cytokines in Th-22 and Th-17 cells in the study group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P

Low thermal conductivity and adequate mechanical strength are desired for extruded polystyrene foams when they are applied as insulation materials. In this study, we improved the thermal insulation behavior and mechanical properties of extruded polystyrene foams through morphology control with the foam nucleating agent 1,3,5-benzene-trisamide. Furthermore, the structure&ndash, property relationships of extruded polystyrene foams were established. Extruded polystyrene foams with selected concentrations of benzene-trisamide were used to evaluate the influence of cell size and foam density on the thermal conductivity. It was shown that the addition of benzene-trisamide reduces the thermal conductivity by up to 17%. An increase in foam density led to a higher compression modulus of the foams. With 0.2 wt % benzene-trisamide, the compression modulus increased by a factor of 4 from 11.7 &plusmn, 2.7 MPa for the neat polystyrene (PS) to 46.3 &plusmn, 4.3 MPa with 0.2 wt % benzene-trisamide. The increase in modulus was found to follow a power law relationship with respect to the foam density. Furthermore, the compression moduli were normalized by the foam density in order to evaluate the effect of benzene-trisamide alone. A 0.2 wt % benzene-trisamide increased the normalized compression modulus by about 23%, which could be attributed to the additional stress contribution of nanofibers, and might also retard the face stretching and edge bending of the foams.

Characteristics of soil erosion under extreme rainfall conditions are indicators of the ecological restoration measures as well as the rationality of land use patterns in the region. To this end, 12 dam-controlled catchments were selected for investigation after an extreme rainstorm event in the northern Shaanxi Province on 25–26 July 2017 (known as the “7.26” rainstorm). Soil erosion intensities in the 12 catchments were obtained by excavations of sedimentation profiles and sedimentation area measurements. Digital orthophoto maps and digital terrain models by unmanned aerial vehicle were generated to characterise land use types and areas, slope gradients, and the distance from the land to the boundary of dam-land along the flow accumulation path. Stepwise regression analysis was used to determine the main factors affecting catchment erosion intensity. Results showed that the average sedimentation thickness and overall soil erosion intensity across the 12 catchments ranged from 0.16 to 1.67 m and 10295–49227 t km−2, respectively. Soil erosion caused by the extreme rainstorm was 10–50 times of the soil loss tolerance on the Loess Plateau (1000 t km−2 year−1). Stepwise regression analysis revealed that the more similar the shape of a catchment to a circle, the closer the distance between the slope-cropland and dam-land, the larger the erosion modulus within the catchment. Furthermore, the presence of a cement road along the valley shoulder greatly reduced the modulus of soil erosion. These findings indicate that the existing ecological conditions in the dam-controlled catchments were not able to effectively resist erosion under the extreme rainfall conditions of this event. Thus, optimising the distribution of land use types within catchments should be a focus for soil erosion control.

A novel powder catalyst Cu-Cr-O applied to the synthesis of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was developed, which was prepared via ammonia precipitation method. Techniques of thermo-gravimetric/differential scanning calorimeter (TG-DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD) as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have been employed to characterize the thermal decomposition procedure, crystal phase and micro structural morphologies of the as-synthesized materials, respectively. The results show that carbon nanotubes are successfully synthesized using Cu-Cr-O as catalyst when the precursors are calcined at 400, 500, 600, and 700 °C. The results indicate that the calcination of the Cu-Cr-O catalyst at 600 °C is an effective method to get MWCNT with few nano-tube defects or amorphous carbons.

The aim of this study was to assess the potential of a novel alkaline enzymosome to deliver uricase from Bacillus fastidious (UBF) and enhance its biochemical and pharmacological characteristics. The in vitro catalytic activity of the UBF loaded in the novel alkaline enzymosomes (ESUBFs) was almost 3.8 times that of free UBF at the optimum pH or 1.5 times that of free UBF at the physiological pH. Following intravenous (i.v.) administration (2000 mU/kg) in rats, ESUBFs provided significantly higher (22.5-fold) area under the plasma concentration (AUC) and longer (8.2-fold) circulation half-life (t(1/2)) compared with free UBF, respectively. Further, it took only 4.5h (or 1.1h) for ESUBFs to lower the plasma uric acid concentration from a high level to the normal level of rat (or human beings), compared with 7.6h (or 5.4h) for free UBF. Our results showed that ESUBFs could efficiently deliver UBF and favorably modify its biochemical and pharmacological characteristics by increasing the AUC, t(1/2), and catalytic activity. Therefore, ESUBFs might be a preferred alternative to cure hyperuricemia and gout.

The study described the development of lipid vesicles as colloidal carriers for uricase, an enzyme with low activity at physicological conditions and low stability in vitro and in vivo. The lipid vesicles containing uricase (UOXLVs) were prepared and the process parameters were optimized with the indexes of entrapment efficiency, polydispersion, particle size, and zeta potential. The storage stability of uricase in lipid vesicles was significantly increased compared to that of free uricase at 4°C. The stability to proteolytic digestion was also increased obviously by entrapping the uricase in the lipid vesicles. In vitro and in vivo pharmacodynamic studies on the hyperuricemia rat model explicitly suggested that the uricase entrapped by UOXLVs possessed high uricolytic activity and distinctively decreased the uric acid level.

Qunyou Tan,1,* Yi Li,2–4,* Jianyong Wu,2,* Hu Mei,5 Chunjing Zhao,3 Jingqing Zhang21Department of Thoracic Surgery, Institute of Surgery Research, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, 2Medicine Engineering Research Center, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Biochemical and Molecular Pharmacology, Chongqing Medical University, 3School of Pharmacy, Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, 4School of Pharmacy, The First People’s Hospital of Chongqing, 5College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this work Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore and evaluate the enhanced physical properties and biological activity of a molecular inclusion complex (MICDH) comprising diferuloylmethane (DFM) and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin.Methods: The preparation conditions of MICDH were optimized using an orthogonal experimental design. The solubility, in vitro release and model fitting, microscopic morphology, molecular structure simulation, anti-lung cancer activity, and action mechanism of MICDH were evaluated.Results: The solubility of DFM was improved 4400-fold upon complexation with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin. The release rate of DFM was significantly higher from MICDH than from free DFM. MICDH exhibited higher antitumor activity against human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells than free DFM. More cells were arrested in the S/G2 phase of the cell cycle or were induced to undergo apoptosis when treated with MICDH than when treated with free DFM. Furthermore, increased reactive oxygen species and intracellular calcium ion levels and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential were observed in cells treated with MICDH.Conclusion: MICDH markedly improved the physical properties and antitumor activity of DFM. MICDH may prove to be a preferred alternative to free DFM as a formulation for DFM delivery in lung cancer treatment.Keywords: biological properties, action mechanism, hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin, antitumor activity

Uricase-containing lipid vesicles (UOXLVs) were prepared by reverse-phase evaporation method with high efficiency and the characteristics of UOXLVs were described. The average size and zeta potential of UOXLVs obtained by the optimized formulation were 205.47 nm and -37.33 mV, respectively. Uricase was encapsulated in the alkaline aqueous phase of the lipid vesicle and the stability of its tetrameric structure was thus improved and its activity preserved. The storage stability of uricase in lipid vesicles was significantly increased compared to that of free uricase at 4 degrees C in borate buffer of pH 8.5. At 55 degrees C, free uricase was deactivated much more quickly especially at lower concentration predominantly due to enhanced dissociation of uricase into subunits. An intrinsic tryptophan of uricase recovered from the lipid vesicle thermally treated at 55 degrees C revealed that a partially denatured uricase molecule was stabilized through its hydrophobic interaction with lipid vesicle membrane. This interaction was depressed mainly by dissociation of uricase into subunits. At the physiological pH, significant increase of enzyme activity was found for the uricase entrapped in the lipid vesicles (1.8 times that of free uricase) at their respective optimum pH. The shift of optimum pH and increased uricolytic activity suggested the conformation change of the uricase during the entrapment process. The stability to proteolytic digestion was increased obviously by entrapping the uricase in the lipid vesicles. UOXLVs also showed relatively slower loss in activity compared with free uricase when treated with some chemical reagents. Lastly, in vitro study explicitly indicated that the uricase entrapped by UOXLVs possessed higher uricolytic activity than that of native uricase solution.

Usability has been used to measure the core Competitive ability of domestic products. Since usability testing cannot be limited to the tradition manual testing method, a new usability research model of implicit collection of user behavior lib has invoked the interest of the big name corporations. Based on the slideshow dual screen notebook?s auxiliary screen focus functionality development, usability principles and UCD method, extracting 31 usability collecting data points of implicit user behaviors, then transform the data into measurement of data collection, this article gives out data display algorithm of user behavior lib. It sets up the procedure of implicit mining user behavior lib. This method applies to the creation of implicit collection of user behavior lib used by usability testing.

A novel 5-in. R.G.B densely packed poly-crystal MgAl2O4 (magnesium-aluminum-oxide) phosphor screens with multi-layer interface filter have been developed. The filter is a multi-layer alternate high and low index of refraction film which was fabricated by depositing high index of refraction of titanium oxide and low index of refraction of silicon oxide. The 5-in.R.G. B densely packed poly-crystal phosphor screens with the filter have 60% more luminance than those of common R.G. B poly-crystal phosphor screens, and the area of their chromaticity is almost 10% larger than that of common poly-crystal phosphor screen. The 5-in.R.G. B densely packed poly-crystal phosphor screens with multi-layer interface filter are fabricated by using a centrifugal sedimentation method. The resolution of densely packed poly-crystal phosphor screen with multi-layer interface filter is higher than that of conventional poly-crystal phosphor screen. An experimental 52-inch TV set adopting the set of 5-inch densely packed poly-crystal projection CRT with multi-layer interface filter has very high resolution of 2000 TV lines and 1800 cd/m2 luminance, and it is easy to realize the HDTV display.© (2005) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

We have ever reported a phosphor screen, which is a 5-in. poly-crystal MgAl 2 O 4 phosphor screen. The 5-in. poly-crystal MgAl 2 O 4 phosphor screen has a very good performance, such as high luminance, high resolution, cheap cost and easily obtained. Recently we develop a high performance 5-in. poly-crystal phosphor screen. We deposit a multi-layer interface filter on the poly-crystal MgAl 2 O 4 substrate. The filter is a multi-layer alternate high and low index of refraction film which was fabricated by depositing high index of refraction of titanium oxide and low index of refraction of silicon oxide. The measurement results show that the filter not only increases the MgAl 2 O 4 phosphor screen’s white-D luminance, but also improves its chromaticity. The 5-in.R.G. B poly-crystal phosphor screens with the filter have 60% more luminance than those of common R.G. B poly-crystal phosphor screens, and the area of their chromaticity is almost 10% larger than that of common poly-crystal phosphor screen. The 5-in.R.G. B poly-crystal phosphor screens with the filter realize the authentic high performance.

The supermolecular curcumin (SMCCM) exhibiting remarkably improved solubility and release characteristics was fabricated to increase the oral bioavailability in rat as well as the antiproliferative and proapoptotic activities of curcumin (CCM) against human lung adenocarcinoma cell A549. SMCCM was characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, morphology and structure, aqueous solubility, and release behavior in vitro. Computer modeling of the supermolecular structure was performed. The pharmacokinetics, antiproliferative and proapoptotic activities of SMCCM were evaluated. The mechanisms by which SMCCM inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis were identified. The formation of SMCCM was testified and the supermolecular structure was studied by a computer modeling technique. Compared to free CCM, SMCCM with much higher aqueous solubility exhibited obviously enhanced release and more favorable pharmacokinetic profiles, and, furthermore, SMCCM showed higher anticancer efficacy, enhanced induction of G2/M-phase arrest and apoptosis in A549 cells, which might be involved with the increases in reactive oxygen species production and intracellular Ca(2+) accumulation, and a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential. SMCCM remarkably enhanced not only the oral bioavailability but also the antiproliferative and proapoptotic activities of CCM along with improved solubility and release characteristics of CCM.

Qun-You Tan,1,* Jing-Qing Zhang,2,* Na Wang,3,* Hong Yang,4 Xiaoling Li,5 Hua-Rong Xiong,2 Jian-Yong Wu,2 Chun-Jing Zhao,3 Hong Wang,2 Hua-Feng Yin2 1Department of Thoracic Surgery, Institute of Surgery Research, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 2Medicine Engineering Research Center, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Biochemical & Molecular Pharmacology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 3School of Pharmacy, Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 4School of Pharmacy, Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow, People's Republic of China; 5TJ Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, USA*These authors contributed equally to this workObjective: Previous studies on various enzymosomes (functional lipid vesicles encapsulating an enzyme) have been mostly carried out in vitro and have focused on preserving catalytic activity and improving the stability of the enzyme. Until now, few studies have focused on their in vivo fate. Similarly, although we have previously reported the increased in vitro uricolytic activity (about 2.2 times higher than that of free uricase, or three times higher than that of PEGylated uricase, Puricase®, under physiological pH and temperature) and improved stability of the novel alkaline enzymosomes (functional lipid vesicles encapsulating uricase from Candida utilis: uricase-containing lipid vesicles, UOXLVs), it is still necessary to study the biological properties and hypouricemic effects of UOXLVs in vivo.Methods: The enzyme kinetics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, immunogenicity, and preliminary safety of UOXLVs were evaluated.Results: The Michaelis constant (Km) value of the UOXLVs was slightly lower than that of the free enzyme. The enzyme release from the UOXLVs lasted over 12 hours and their circulation half-life was about sevenfold longer than that of the free uricase. Meanwhile, the UOXLVs had a 22-fold increase in the area under the curve compared with the free uricase. Furthermore, it took less than 3 hours for the UOXLVs to lower the plasma uric acid concentration from a high to a normal level, compared with 6 hours for the free uricase. In addition, the UOXLVs had much less immunogenicity than free uricase and were well tolerated by all animals throughout the observation period.Conclusion: The UOXLVs markedly improved the biological properties and enhanced the hypouricemic effects of uricase in vivo.Keywords: biological properties, hypouricemic effect, uricase, alkaline enzymosomes, in vivo