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Background. The Jiawei Yanghe decoction (JWYHD) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula for the treatment of osteoporosis, but its therapeutic mechanism has not been fully elucidated, and the therapeutic target of the intervention disease needs to be further verified. The dysfunction of bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) is considered to be an important pathogenesis of postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP). The purpose of this study was to explore how JWYHD regulates BMSC differentiation through the BMP-SMAD signal pathway. Methods. In the in vivo study, we used an ovariectomized PMOP rat (n = 36, 2-month-old, 200 ± 20 g) model and femur micro-CT analysis to study the effect of JWYHD on bone loss in rats. By immunofluorescence, the translocation expression of BMP2, a key protein in the pathway, was detected. Serum bone metabolism was detected by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was detected by alkaline phosphatase staining (ALPS), osteogenesis and matrix mineralization were detected by alizarin red staining (ARS), the adipogenic ability of BMSCs was detected by oil red staining (ORS), and CFU is used to detect the ability of cells to form colonies. The expression of related proteins was detected by western blotting. Results. In vivo and in vitro, the OP phenotypes of SD rats induced by ovariectomy (OVX) included impaired bone mineral density and microstructure, abnormal bone metabolism, and impaired MSC differentiation potential. JWYHD treatment reversed this trend and restored the differentiation potential of MSCs. JWYHD medicated serum and direct intervention of drugs activated the BMP-SMAD signaling pathway, promoted the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs, and inhibited their adipogenic differentiation. Conclusions. Our data identified that JWYHD is an effective alternative drug for the treatment of PMOP that functions to stimulate the differentiation of BMSCs into osteoblasts in the BMP-SMAD signaling-dependent mechanism.

Soil moisture (SM) is a critical variable in energy and water partitioning at the interface between the land surface and atmosphere. In this study, we provided a robust method to retrieve soil mois...

Background: Deep neck space infection is a disease that is often misdiagnosed and may have many rare symptoms. We report a case of upper cervical infection with headache as the primary manifestation and review the relevant literature.Case presentation: A 76-year-old male patient had a recurrent headache for more than one year but was misdiagnosed as cerebrovascular disease. Cervical magnetic resonance imaging showed an abnormal signal of the cervical spine with surrounding tissue edema. A deep neck space infection was diagnosed. We had debridement, and the headache disappeared.Conclusions: This case shows that orthopedics and cardiovascular doctors should improve their understanding of deep neck space infection and avoid misdiagnosis.

Objective. Acupotomy therapy is widely used for pain management. However, the efficacy of acupotomy on shoulder adhesive capsulitis (SAC) is still uncertain. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness and safety of acupotomy therapy for SAC. Methods. We searched seven electronic databases to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of acupotomy for SAC published before April 2019. A meta-analysis was performed according to the Cochrane systematic review method by using RevMan 5.3 software. Results. A total of eight RCTs involving 501 patients were enrolled. Meta-analysis showed that acupotomy was significantly better than the control group in debasing the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score (MD = −0.97, 95% CI = [−1.49, −0.45], P=0.0003) and improving the Constant–Murley Score (CMS) (MD = 8.46, 95% CI = [1.04, 15.87], P=0.03), and there was no significant difference in adverse events (OR = 1.24, 95% CI = [0.34, 4.52], P=0.74) between the two groups. Conclusion. Acupotomy therapy is an effective and safe treatment for SAC, and this treatment can be recommended for the management of SAC. Due to the low quality and small sample size of the included studies, more rigorously designed RCTs with high quality and large-scale are recommended in future.

Background: The role of vitamin D in reproductive health is still unclear. This study aimed to assess the effect of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), among preconception couples, on fecundity, and the associations between 25(OH)D concentrations before and during pregnancy, and pregnancy outcomes. Methods: 200 preconception couples attempting to conceive were recruited and were followed-up until childbirth. Time to pregnancy was collected via telephone every two months or obtained via a questionnaire during pregnancy. Blood samples were collected to measure serum 25(OH)D levels from both partners at enrollment and from women during the second and third trimester of pregnancy. Results: Couples had higher conception rates within six months (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 3.72, 95% CI: 1.16, 11.9) and reduced time to pregnancy (adjusted fecundability ratio (aFR): 1.50, 95% CI: 1.01, 2.23) if male partners had sufficient 25(OH)D compared with insufficient 25(OH)D. Compared to pregnant women with insufficient 25(OH)D in the third trimester of pregnancy, sufficient 25(OH)D was associated with reduced odds of anemia (OR: 0.22, 95% CI: 0.06, 0.82), longer gestational age (β: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.04, 1.01) and newborns’ higher ponderal index (β: 0.10, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.19). Conclusions: Sufficient serum 25(OH)D levels among preconception men or during pregnancy were associated with better reproductive health.

Background China was the first country in the world to experience a large-scale COVID-19 outbreak. The rapid spread of the disease and enforcement of public health measures has caused distress among vulnerable populations such as pregnant women. With a limited understanding of the novel, emerging infectious disease, pregnant women have sought ways to access timely and trusted health care information. The mental health status of pregnant women during this public health emergency, as well as how they responded to the situation and where and how they obtained antenatal care information, remain to be understood. Objective This study aimed to evaluate the mental health status of pregnant women during the COVID-19 epidemic in China by measuring their perceived stress, anxiety, and depression levels; explore the approaches used by them to access antenatal health care information; and determine their associations with maternal mental health status. Methods We conducted a web-based, cross-sectional survey to assess the mental health status of Chinese pregnant women by using the validated, Chinese version of Perceived Stress Scale, Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, and Edinburgh Depression Scale. We also collected information on the various approaches these women used to access antenatal care information during the early stage of the COVID-19 epidemic, from February 5 to 28, 2020. Results A total of 1873 pregnant women from 22 provinces or regions of China participated in the survey. The prevalence of perceived stress, anxiety, and depression among these participants was 89.1% (1668/1873; 95% CI 87.6%, 90.4%), 18.1% (339/1873; 95% CI 16.4%, 19.9%), and 45.9% (859/1873; 95% CI 43.6%, 48.1%), respectively. Hospitals’ official accounts on the Chinese social media platforms WeChat and Weibo were the most popular channels among these pregnant women to obtain antenatal care information during the COVID-19 outbreak. Access to antenatal care information via the hospitals’ official social media accounts was found to be associated with a significantly lower risk of perceived stress (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.46, 95% CI 0.30-0.72; P=.001), anxiety (aOR 0.53, 95% CI 0.41-0.68; P Conclusions During the COVID-19 outbreak in China, pregnant women experienced high levels of perceived stress, anxiety, and depression. During such public health emergencies, mental health care services should be strengthened to reassure and support pregnant women. Specific information targeted at pregnant women, including information on how to cope in an emergency or major disease outbreak, developed and disseminated by health care institutions via social media platforms could be an effective way to mitigate mental health challenges and ensure epidemic preparedness and response in the future.

Background: De Quervain disease (DQD) is a common clinical disease. As a strainingdisease, DQD is more common in women who frequently engage in manual operations. The main clinical symptoms are local pain and dysfunction. Many clinical studies have reported that moxibustion has a good effect on the treatment of DQD, but there is no relevant systematic review. So the purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion in treating DQD. Methods: The following 8 electronic databases will be searched, including PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Web of Science, Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), Wanfang Database, and Chinese Biomedical Literatures Database (CBM) from their inception to 1 October 2020 without any restrictions. Researchers retrieve the literature and extracted the data, evaluation of research methods, quality of literature. The outcomes will include a visual analogue scale, Finkelsteins, resisted thumb extension, total effective rate, incidence of any adverse events. We use the Cochrane Risk of a bias assessment tool to evaluate methodological qualities. Data synthesis will be completed by RevMan 5.3.0. Results: We will show the results of this study in a peer-reviewed journal. Conclusions: This meta-analysis will provide reliable evidence for moxibustion treatment of DQD. INPLASY registration number: INPLASY2020100111.

Background: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a disease of the urinary system. It is common in middle-aged and elderly men. Moxibustion is widely used to manage BPH and the associated lower urinary tract symptoms, but there is still lack of systematic review of moxibusiton for BPH. So the aim of this review is to comprehensively evaluate the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion in the treatment of BPH. Methods: The following 8 electronic databases including PubMed (1966–2020), EMbase (1980–2020), the Cochrane Library, Web of Science (1900–2020), China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database (1979–2020), WanFang Database (1998–2020), Chinese Scientific Journal Database (1989–2020), and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (1979–2020) will be searched. No language restrictions will be used. Researchers will retrieve databases, identify trials, extract data, and evaluate the quality of eligible randomized controlled trials, independently. The outcomes will include: total effective rate, the American Urologic Association Symptom Score, International Prostate Symptom Score, urinary flow rate (measured in mL/s), changes in prostate size (measured in cc), quality of life, side effects and adverse events. The quality of methodology and evidence will be rated by using the Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment tool and grading of recommendations, assessment, development, and evaluation tool, respectively. Data synthesis will be presented by the manager of the Cochrane Collaboration's RevMan 5.3.0. Results: We will show the results of this study in a peer-reviewed journal. Conclusions: The findings will provide credible clinical evidence of moxibustion treatment for BPH. PROSPERO Registration number: CRD42020190630.

BACKGROUND China was the first country in the world to experience a large-scale COVID-19 outbreak. The rapid spread of the disease and enforcement of public health measures has caused distress among vulnerable populations such as pregnant women. With a limited understanding of the novel, emerging infectious disease, pregnant women have sought ways to access timely and trusted health care information. The mental health status of pregnant women during this public health emergency, as well as how they responded to the situation and where and how they obtained antenatal care information, remain to be understood. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the mental health status of pregnant women during the COVID-19 epidemic in China by measuring their perceived stress, anxiety, and depression levels; explore the approaches used by them to access antenatal health care information; and determine their associations with maternal mental health status. METHODS We conducted a web-based, cross-sectional survey to assess the mental health status of Chinese pregnant women by using the validated, Chinese version of Perceived Stress Scale, Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, and Edinburgh Depression Scale. We also collected information on the various approaches these women used to access antenatal care information during the early stage of the COVID-19 epidemic, from February 5 to 28, 2020. RESULTS A total of 1873 pregnant women from 22 provinces or regions of China participated in the survey. The prevalence of perceived stress, anxiety, and depression among these participants was 89.1% (1668/1873; 95% CI 87.6%, 90.4%), 18.1% (339/1873; 95% CI 16.4%, 19.9%), and 45.9% (859/1873; 95% CI 43.6%, 48.1%), respectively. Hospitals’ official accounts on the Chinese social media platforms WeChat and Weibo were the most popular channels among these pregnant women to obtain antenatal care information during the COVID-19 outbreak. Access to antenatal care information via the hospitals’ official social media accounts was found to be associated with a significantly lower risk of perceived stress (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.46, 95% CI 0.30-0.72; P=.001), anxiety (aOR 0.53, 95% CI 0.41-0.68; PP=.005). Access to health care information via hospital hotlines or SMS was found to be significantly associated with a lower risk of anxiety only (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.60-0.98; P=.04). CONCLUSIONS During the COVID-19 outbreak in China, pregnant women experienced high levels of perceived stress, anxiety, and depression. During such public health emergencies, mental health care services should be strengthened to reassure and support pregnant women. Specific information targeted at pregnant women, including information on how to cope in an emergency or major disease outbreak, developed and disseminated by health care institutions via social media platforms could be an effective way to mitigate mental health challenges and ensure epidemic preparedness and response in the future.

We aimed to evaluate the neurotoxicity and mechanisms of anesthetics propofol in hESC-derived neurons. Cell apoptosis in hESC-derived neurons' exposure to 4, 10 and 20 μg/mL propofol for 6 h was assessed using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate in situ nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining and microRNA-665 (miR-665) expression was assessed using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). miR-665 was overexpressed and knocked down using a miR-665 mimic and anti-665 transfection, respectively. The results showed that hESCs exposed to propofol showed a dose-dependent cell apoptosis, followed by the upregulation of miR-665 expression. Overexpression of miR-665 increased propofol-induced apoptosis in hESC cells. And targeting miR-665 decreased propofol-induced cell apoptosis in hESC cells. These data suggest that propofol induces cell death in hESC-derived neurons and the propofol-induced cell apoptosis may occur via miR-665-dependent mechanism., Graphical Abstract

The electrical transport properties of Mn doped InAs single crystal (InAs:Mn) were determined from temperature-dependent Hall effect measurements over the temperature range of 77–300 K. Both samples were found to be p-type attributed to Mn acceptors randomly substituting for indium lattice sites. The sample with relatively higher doping concentration exhibits characteristics with nearest-neighbor hopping conductance (NNH) in impurity band below 200 K. The ionization energy of the Mn acceptor in InAs is determined to be 27 meV from the analysis of PL spectrum of the lightly doped sample. It is determined from the value of ionization energy that the localized radius a 0 of the manganese acceptor is 17 A.

Mechanical ventilation is extensively used to treat patients with lung injury but may result in ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). The present study investigated the protective effect of alpha 1-antitrypsin (AAT) on VILI. Adult male rats were subjected to sham, ventilation + saline, or ventilation + AAT treatment and lung injuries were evaluated. Peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were obtained to assess systemic and local inflammatory responses, respectively. Mechanical ventilation resulted in lung injury, as evidenced by histological abnormalities as well as elevations in PaO2/FiO2ratio, the wet-to-dry weight ratio, and the BALF level of proteins. The intravenous administration of AAT significantly improved these parameters of lung function, suggesting a protective role of AAT in VILI. Mechanistically, ventilator-induced inflammation was effectively reduced by AAT, as evidenced by decreases in BALF neutrophil counts, BALF cytokines, and serum adhesion factors. In contrast, anti-inflammatory interleukin-10 in BALF was increased in response to AAT. AAT treatment also inhibited the expression of nuclear factor-κB, Bax, and cleaved caspase-3 while promoting Bcl-2 expression in ventilator-injured lung tissues. AAT treatment can ameliorate VILI by inhibiting inflammatory mediator production and apoptosis.Impact statementMechanical ventilation has been commonly used to treat patients with lung injury but may result in ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). Few effective treatment options are currently available to reduce VILI. Alpha 1-antitrypsin (AAT) is an inhibitor of serine protease with anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic properties, suggesting a possible role in attenuating lung injury. The present study demonstrates that AAT inhibits the development of VILI by modulating inflammation- and apoptosis-related protein expression. Therefore, AAT may be a novel therapeutic agent for acute respiratory distress syndrome patients undergoing mechanical ventilation.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effects of sevoflurane on rats with ischemic brain injury and to determine the potential role of the TREK-1 channel in this process. Normal rats were randomly divided into three groups: Sham operation, sevoflurane anesthesia or chloral hydrate anesthesia group, an additional group of TREK-1 knockout rats were also studied. Semi-quantitative PCR and western blot analysis confirmed the lack of TREK-1 expression in the brain of TREK-1 knockout rats. The thread-tie method was used to establish middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model to induce cerebral ischemic brain injury. All rates were treated for 4 days prior to ischemia (for 2 h) followed by a 24 h reperfusion period. Physiological indexes of rats in each group both prior to and after surgery showed no statistical difference (P>0.05). Neurological function was scored both before (no statistical difference) and after surgery where it was found to be significantly better (lower score) in the sevoflurane anesthesia group than in chloral hydrate anesthesia and TREK-1 knockout groups (P

Jiawei Yanghe decoction (JWYHD) is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formula for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA), however the underlying mechanisms of action of JWYHD in OA are not fully explored. This study investigates how JWYHD protects cartilage from degradation via Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. The chondroprotective and anti-inflammatory effect of JWYHD on chondrocytes in vitro and on MIA-induced OA rat model in vivo were investigated. In vitro, JWYHD increased the chondrocyte viability against interleukin (IL)-1β-induced chondrocytes apoptosis and preserved glycosaminoglycans in the extracellular matrix. JWYHD promoted chondrocyte viability against apoptosis, decreased MMP-3, MMP-13, Caspase-3, Caspase-9 via Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in both IL-1β-induced and Licl-induced chondrocytes. The qRT-PCR and western blot results showed that mRNA and protein expressions of Wnt signaling pathway related genes β-catenin and CyclinD1, apoptosis related genes Casapase-3 and Caspase-9, collagen degradation related genes Metalloproteinase (MMP)-3 and MMP-13 were up-regulated, and Col2a1 was down-regulated on IL-1β-induced chondrocytes. Treatment with JWYHD reversed these effects in a dose-dependent manner. Licl was used as Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway activator in chondrocytes to determine the molecular mechanisms. Activation of Wnt signaling pathway by Licl up-regulated β-catenin, CyclinD1, Axin2, Caspase-3, Caspase-9, MMP-3, MMP-13 and IL-1β. These effects were blocked by JWYHD treatment. Furthermore, 75 Sprawl-Dawley rats were used to verify the results obtained in vitro. A total of 75 rats were randomly divided into the control group (no MIA-induced OA, received intragastric administration of an equivalent amount of saline), the OA group (MIA-induced OA, received intragastric administration of an equivalent amount of saline), and the JWYHD treatment group (MIA-induced OA, received intragastric administration of an equivalent amount of various concentrations of JWYHD at 1.4/2.7/5.5 g/kg). After 8 weeks of administration, all rats were sacrificed. JWYHD decreased the MIA-induced up-regulation of β-catenin, CyclinD1, Caspase-3, Caspase-9, MMP-3 and MMP-13 protein expressions in cartilage. It was also demonstrated that JWYHD decreased serum and synovium pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in MIA-induced OA rats and ameliorated the cartilage degradation. Histopathological staining, macroscopic observation and micro-CT scan with 3-dimension remodeling showed a cartilage protective effect of JWYHD. In conclusion, JWYHD possess multiple capabilities including preventing chondrocyte apoptosis, preserving integrity of extracellular matrix and anti-inflammatory effect in the treatment of OA both in vitro and in vivo.

Background Femur Head Necrosis (FHN) is a common clinical joint orthopedic-related disease, and its incidence is increasing year by year. Symptoms include dull pain and dull pain in the affected hip joint or its surrounding joints. More severely, it can lead to limited joint movement and inability to walk autonomously. Surgical treatment has many sequelae. The high cost makes it unaffordable for patients, and the side effects of drug treatment are unknown. A large number of clinical studies have shown that acupuncture is effective in treating femoral head necrosis. Therefore, this systematic review aims to explore the safety and effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of femoral head necrosis. Methods We will conduct a comprehensive literature search in Medline, PubMed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Embase, Chinese Biomedical Literatures Database (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wang FangDatabase (WF), Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP) from inception to May 2021 without any language restriction. In addition, we will retrieve the unpublished studies and the references of initially included literature manually. The two reviewers will identify studies, extract data, and assess the quality independently. The outcomes of interest include: total effective rate; the total nasal symptom score; Hip function (Hip Harris joint score, WOMAC hip score, hip joint Lequesne index score, Merle D 'Aubigne and hip joint Postel score); Adverse events. Randomized clinical trials will be collected, methodological quality will be evaluated using the Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment tool, and the level of evidence will be rated using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. Meta-analysis will be performed using RevMan 5.4.0 software. The heterogeneity test will be conducted between the studies, P 50% are the thresholds for the tests. We will utilize the fixed effects model or the random effects model according to the size of heterogeneity. Results The meta-analysis program will systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of FHN patients. Conclusion This study will investigate whether acupuncture can be used as one of the non-surgical and non-pharmacological therapies for the prevention or treatment of FHN. Trial registration number INPLASY202150035.

The World Health Organisation reported that since 2000, approximately 13,200 pregnant women (Cameron and Robson 2006) have died of postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) every year and that 10.5% of live bir...

The surface quality of HCl-etched and ammonium sulfide [(NH4)2S]-based treated bulk n-GaSb(100) were compared using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and TOF-SIMS. It has been found that native oxides present on the GaSb surface are more effectively removed when etched with concentrated HCl solution. With additional [(NH4)2SO4+S] substances or hydrogen ions in the passivation solution, the treated samples displayed significant reduction of native oxides and formation of the sulfides compared with pure (NH4)2S solution. The treated samples also result in a noteworthy improvement in the current–voltage (I–V) characteristics of Au/n-GaSb Schottky contacts, as evidenced by the lower ideality factor (n), higher barrier height (Φb) and higher rectification ratio at ±0.2 V. The I–V measurement provided definitive confirmation of XPS and TOF-SIMS results, establishing the need for less alkaline solution for greater passivation stability.

In the process of GNSS deformation monitoring, it is inevitable that the monitoring data are contaminated by noise. Effectively mitigating the impact of noise on the measurements and thus improving the quality of the deformation data is the objective of GNSS data processing. Wavelet analysis can analyse the signal according to different frequencies of the signal. Simulation data can be used to determine the best wavelet basis function and select the appropriate decomposition level. In this paper, an improved threshold de-noising method is proposed, based on an analysis of conventional hard threshold de-noising, soft threshold de-noising and compulsory de-noising methods. The improved method was examined through a simulation analysis and applied in an engineering case. The results show that it effectively removed the noise at high frequencies while retaining data details and mutation. The de-noising ability of the proposed technique was better than that of the conventional methods. Moreover, this method significantly improved the quality of the deformation data.

The incidence of cervical cancer is expected to rise sharply in China. A reliable routine human papillomavirus (HPV) detection and genotyping test to be supplemented by the limited Papanicolaou cytology facilities is urgently needed to help identify the patients with cervical precancer for preventive interventions. To this end, we evaluated a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol for detection of HPV L1 gene DNA in cervicovaginal cells. The PCR amplicons were genotyped by direct DNA sequencing. In parallel, split samples were subjected to a Digene HC2 HPV test which has been widely used for “cervical cancer risk” screen. Of the 1826 specimens, 1655 contained sufficient materials for analysis and 657 were truly negative. PCR/DNA sequencing showed 674 infected by a single high-risk HPV, 188 by a single low-risk HPV, and 136 by multiple HPV genotypes with up to five HPV genotypes in one specimen. In comparison, the HC2 test classified 713 specimens as infected by high-risk HPV, and 942 as negative for HPV infections. The high-risk HC2 test correctly detected 388 (57.6%) of the 674 high-risk HPV isolates in clinical specimens, mislabeled 88 (46.8%) of the 188 low-risk HPV isolates as high-risk genotypes, and classified 180 (27.4%) of the 657 “true-negative” samples as being infected by high-risk HPV. It was found to cross-react with 20 low-risk HPV genotypes. We conclude that nested PCR detection of HPV followed by short target DNA sequencing can be used for screening and genotyping to formulate a paradigm in clinical management of HPV-related disorders in a rapidly developing economy.

In the process of remote sensing image processing, analysis and interpretation, it is usually necessary to combine several local images into a complete image. Aiming at the shortcoming of long and complicated process of conventional semi-automatic video stitching. In this paper, using the splicing method of pixels, based on the Python interface of ArcGIS 10.1 platform, the idea of programming language is introduced and batch mosaic of remote sensing images is realized. Through the comparison with the image processing software, it is found that this method can shorten the time of image mosaic and improve the efficiency of splicing, which is convenient for later image analysis and other work under the premise of ensuring the accuracy.

To develop a purification process using hollow fiber membrane separation combined with size exclusion chromatography for the extraction of lumbrokinase from earthworms (Lumbricus rubellus). To extract the protein, the earthworms were first homogenized for 10 min, to produce ultrafine particles. Polyether sulfone hollow fiber membranes with MW cut offs of 50 and 6 kDa were used for initial purification of the crude extract. Further purification was carried out on a Sephadex G-75 column, and yielded three fractions of high purity protein. One of these fractions showed fibrinolytic activity. Three samples of high purity protein were obtained and one protein (LK1) showed strong fibrinolytic activity. The method has higher purification efficiency in comparison with existing methods.

The electrodynamic characteristics of single DNA molecules moving within micro-/nano-fluidic channels are important in the design of biomedical chips and bimolecular sensors. In this study, the dynamic properties of ?-DNA molecules transferring along the microchannels driven by the external electrickinetic force were systemically investigated with the single molecule fluorescence imaging technique. The experimental results indicated that the velocity of DNA molecules was strictly dependent on the value of the applied electric field and the diameter of the channel. The larger the external electric field, the larger the velocity, and the more significant deformation of DNA molecules. More meaningfully, it was found that the moving directions of DNA molecules had two completely different directions: (i) along the direction of the external electric field, when the electric field intensity was smaller than a certain threshold value; (ii) opposite to the direction of the external electric field, when the electric field intensity was greater than the threshold electric field intensity. The reversal movement of DNA molecules was mainly determined by the competition between the electrophoresis force and the influence of electro-osmosis flow. These new findings will theoretically guide the practical application of fluidic channel sensors and lab-on-chips for precisely manipulating single DNA molecules.

Residual impurities and contamination on semi-insulating (SI) InP wafers are detrimental for epitaxial growth and device performance, especially because residual silicon on an SI-InP wafer surface is electrically active and generates an n-type conduction layer at the interface between the epilayer and the InP substrate. In order to reduce the concentration of Si and improve surface quality, the authors investigate a wet-chemical cleaning process for ready-to-use InP substrates. A novel and practical cleaning process was developed by adding an alkaline solution to the conventional acidic cleaning process. Time-of-flight secondary mass spectrometry, a very powerful analysis technique to characterize surfaces and investigate any organic and inorganic contamination present on the InP surface, was used after the samples were etched under different cleaning processes. The results show that the novel etching process effectively reduces the Si contamination.