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Iatrogenic gastrointestinal perforation is a known uncommon complication of colonoscopy. The perforation usually occurs in the colon itself. Rarely, colonoscopic procedures can also cause the perforations of the small intestine.We describe the case of a 70-year-old man who experienced abdominal pain several hours after electrical polypectomy in the transverse colon. Urgent abdominal computed tomography scans showed a few bubbles on the frontal surface around the liver and a little extraluminal free air in the upper abdomen. Urgent exploratory laparotomy revealed a round perforation with a diameter of approximately 5 mm in the ileum 80 cm proximal to the ileocecal valve, accompanied by the outflow of intestinal contents. A small bowel perforation by thermal injury was diagnosed during colonic polypectomy.The ileal perforation was repaired primarily after debridement of the perforation site and abdominal cavity. The patient recovered well after surgery. Histopathological examination of the perforation site demonstrated inflammatory necrosis and infiltration of inflammatory cells.Small bowel perforation should be considered after colonoscopic procedures although the incidence is exceedingly rare. Urgent exploratory laparotomy is warranted when a visceral perforation is identified after colonoscopy.

Background The sensitivity of regular arrangement of collecting venules (RAC)-positive pattern for predicting Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-negative status greatly altered from 93.8 to 48.0% in recent two decades of various studies, while the reason behind it remained obscure. The aim of this study was to investigate the value of RAC as an endoscopic feature for judging H. pylori status in routine endoscopy and reviewed the underlying mechanism. Methods A prospective study with high-definition non-magnifying endoscopy was performed. RAC-positive and RAC-negative patients were classified according to the collecting venules morphology of the lesser curvature in gastric corpus. Gastric biopsy specimens were obtained from the lesser and greater curvature of corpus with normal RAC-positive or abnormal RAC-negative mucosal patterns. Helicobacter pylori status was established by hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry. Results 41 RAC-positive and 124 RAC-negative patients were enrolled from June 2020 to September 2020. The prevalence of H. pylori infection in patients with RAC-positive pattern and RAC-negative pattern was 7.3% (3/41) and 71.0% (88/124), respectively. Among all 124 RAC-negative patients, 36 (29.0%) patients were H. pylori-negative status. Ten patients (32.3%) demonstrated RAC-positive pattern in 31 H. pylori-eradicated cases. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of RAC-positive pattern for predicting H. pylori-negative status were 51.4% (95% CI, 0.395–0.630), 96.7% (95% CI, 0.900–0.991), 92.7% (95% CI, 0.790–0.981), and 71.0% (95% CI, 0.620–0.786), respectively. Conclusions RAC presence can accurately rule out H. pylori infection of gastric corpus, and H. pylori-positive status cannot be predicted only by RAC absence in routine endoscopy. Trial registration The present study is a non-interventional trial.

Internal carotid artery dissection (ICAD) results from disruption of the intima of the arterial wall, and can lead to intrusion of blood into the arterial wall and form an intramural hematoma. The hematoma can compress the true lumen of the vessel, causing functional stenosis or occlusion. The classic triad signs of ICAD include pain in the ipsilateral neck, head and orbital regions; a (partial) Horner syndrome; and cerebral or retinal ischemia. However, not all ICAD patients present with this classic signs. In some cases, ocular manifestations are the initial (and sometimes the only) findings. We summarize the ocular manifestations associated with ICAD in 3 categories: visual symptoms, oculosympathetic palsy, and ocular motor nerve palsy.

Aggressive angiomyxoma (AAM) is a rare mesenchymal tumor primarily involving the lower genital tract of reproductive females. It often shares pathologic morphology with other mesenchymal lesions, which result in diagnostic difficulties for pathologists.We described the case of a 32-year-old female presenting with a pelvic mass. Imaging examination showed a "swirling sign" within the mass. The mass was 10.2 × 10 × 7.7 cm, located in the right front of the uterus, with unclear demarcation from the surrounding organs and tissues. The gross appearance was grayish brown with a solid section and a myxedematous cut surface. Microscopically, it was a mesenchymal tumor with a presence of perivascular smooth muscle fibers radiating from the blood vessel and an infiltrative growth pattern. The pelvic AAM was diagnosed based on clinicopathologic and imaging features.A surgery with local excision of the mass was performed. The patient experienced 1 relapse during 2-year follow-up and underwent the radiation therapy.When the pathological morphology of AAM overlaps with other mesenchymal lesions, the comprehensive understanding of tumor clinicopathological characteristics combined with imaging features is important for the accurate diagnosis of AAM.

Labor analgesia is part of the most important tasks an anesthesiologist needs to deal with. With the "two-child policy" in China, the number of parturients has increased significantly, labor analgesia more should be valued. There has been a tremendous change on labor analgesia research in China and around the world; however, broader trends in the prevalence and scope of labor analgesia research remain underexplored. The current study quantitatively analyzes trends in labor analgesia research publications in the past 30 years.A bibliometric approach was used to search Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure for all labor analgesia-related research articles. The research progress and growing trend were quantitatively analyzed by total publications, research types, research institutions, journal impact factors, and author's contribution. Total citations frequency, average citations per item and h-index were used for evaluating literature quantity.From 1988 to 2018, over 8000 documents in labor analgesia research field were published worldwide. According to Scopus, 68.2% papers of all documents were articles. The USA published the largest number of articles (2204, 27.45%). China had published 175 articles (2.18%), ranking the 11th. According to WOS, there were 221 research categories for labor analgesia articles all over the world. The total citations were 76,207, average 9.086 citations per item, and the h-index was 114, average 14 citations per item worldwide. The total citations and h-index of papers published in China were as follows: 353 total citations, 7.06 citations per item, and 10 h-index. High contribution journals, authors, institutions and the top 10 most cited articles on labor analgesia in the world and China were also listed.Labor analgesia research has grown markedly during the 1988-2018 period. Although China had made remarkable achievements, there was a gap in the high-quality studies between China and other leading countries.

OBJECTIVES Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) infection is the most common cause of gastritis. The disappearance of regular arrangement of collecting venules (RAC) is well known as one of the main manifestations of H pylori-affected gastritis while the reason behind it remains obscure. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between invisibility of RAC and the length of gastric foveolae. METHODS 43 RAC-positive and 118 RAC-negative patients were enrolled. Gastric biopsy specimens were obtained from lesser and greater curvature of the corpus with RAC-positive or RAC-negative pattern. Histopathological evaluation was performed based on the updated Sydney System, and foveolar length was derived by a morphometric technique. RESULTS The median gastric foveolar length in RAC-positive group (median [IQR], 138.54 μm [120.50, 159.09]) was significantly shorter than that in the RAC-negative group (median [IQR], 260.96 μm [217.40, 315.23], P

This paper investigates the structural behaviour and ultimate strength of high strength steel (HSS) staggered bolted connections under tension. A total of 33 HSS (Q690 and Q960) and 15 Q345 staggered bolted connection specimens were tested. All specimens failed in net section fracture through the staggered path. The predicted net section resistance based on the s2/4g rule was achieved by most of the HSS specimens. For the specimens with a small bolt pitch to gauge (s/g) ratio, the connection efficiency (i.e., the ratio between the test ultimate load and the calculated net section resistance) exceeded 1.0 and decreased gradually with an increasing s/g ratio. Compared with the mild steel (MS) specimens, in general the HSS specimens have lower connection efficiency and overall deformation capability. Subsequently, the structural behaviour of the test specimens was investigated using finite element (FE) analysis to further interpret the test observations. The results of the test and the FE analysis indicated that for the HSS specimens, effective stress redistribution along the staggered net section was observed although the ductility and the ratio of tensile strength to yield strength (fu/fy) of HSS material are relatively lower than those of the MS material. In addition, it was also observed that the biaxial state of stress that existed in the plate area between the staggered bolt holes was influenced by the s/g ratio, which would affect the ultimate strength of the test specimens. A reliability analysis of the HSS specimens test results was carried out to re-evaluate the partial factor adopted in the design equation of the net section resistance of HSS (up to S700) in EN 1993-1-12. The analysis results of the limited test data showed that the net section resistance of HSS staggered bolted connections was predicted conservatively by the current design equation with a partial factor of 1.25.

Empirical antifungal therapy is effective in some patients with risk factors for invasive fungal disease (IFD) who do not qualify for the EORTC/MSG criteria for IFD, but who fail to respond to anti-bacterial and anti-viral therapy.This retrospective single-center study investigated the epidemiology of IFD and empirical antifungal therapy in patients with hematological malignancies.This study recruited 893 patients with hematologic malignancies who had failed to respond to anti-bacterial and anti-viral treatment and received antifungal therapy, but not for antifungal prophylaxis. Antifungal therapy regimens included amphotericin B, voriconazole, itraconazole and caspofungin. A total of 689 patients were diagnosed with proven, probable, or possible IFD, while 159 patients did not meet the EORTC/MSG criteria for IFD diagnosis but recovered with antifungal treatment, and 45 were excluded from having IFD. Effective treatment was defined as the disappearance or resolution of clinical symptoms of IFD.Patients diagnosed with IFD underwent chemotherapy at a higher proportion, and had significantly higher neutrophil counts compared to those who did not qualify for the EORTC/MSG criteria for IFD but responded to antifungals. The mortality due to all causes within 3 months was significantly higher for patients diagnosed with proven IFD, compared with those who did not qualify for the EORTC/MSG criteria for IFD. There was no discontinuation reported due to adverse events of caspofungin.Empirical antifungal treatment could help save the lives of some patients with severe infections who are strongly suspected of having IFD.

Background The benefit of volatile anesthetics in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) patients remains controversial. We aim to conduct an updated meta-analysis to assess whether the use of volatile anesthetics during CABG could reduce mortality as well as other outcomes. Methods We searched eight databases from inception to June 2019. RCTs comparing the effects of volatile anesthetics versus total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) in CABG patients were included. The primary outcomes were operative mortality and one-year mortality. The second outcomes included length of stay in intensive care unit (ICU), length of stay in hospital, and postoperative safety outcomes (myocardial infarction, heart failure, arrhythmia, stroke, delirium, postoperative cognitive impairment, acute kidney injury, and the use of intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) or other mechanical circulatory support). Trial sequential analysis (TSA) was performed to control random errors. Results This updated meta-analysis will test the hypothesis that the use of volatile anesthetics during CABG would not result in a lower mortality than TIVA. We also aim to examine the effect of volatile anesthetics on length of stay in intensive care unit (ICU), length of stay in hospital, and other postoperative safety outcomes. Moreover, we use trial sequential analysis (TSA) to determine whether the currently available evidence is sufficient and conclusive. Conclusion This updated meta-analysis may overturn the beneficial effect of volatile anesthetics, impact the choice of anesthesia for thousands of CABG patients, and further alter current guideline recommendations regarding this issue.

This article presents an experimental and numerical investigation on the net section resistance of high strength steel (HSS) bolted connections subject to double shear. A total of 22 HSS and 11 mild steel (MS) bolted connection specimens were tested to net section fracture. HSS grades of Q690 and Q960, and MS grade of Q345 were studied. Although the HSS material has relatively lower ductility and a lower ratio of tensile strength to yield strength (fu/fy) than those of the MS material, in general, the HSS connection specimens were able to reach the connection efficiency (i.e. the ratio of the ultimate load of the connection specimens to the calculated net section resistance) of above 1.0. Subsequently, the structural behaviour of the connections was studied by finite element (FE) analysis. The effects of material ductility and fu/fy ratio on the stress development across the net section of the specimens were examined. It was found that HSS materials possess sufficient ductility to allow an efficient stress redistribution across the net section. Besides, the beneficial influence of the ‘reinforcement’ or the biaxial stress effect due to the presence of holes in the connection increases the ultimate capacity of the perforated main plate, and hence the HSS specimens were able to reach the net section resistance. However, the overall deformation capability of the HSS specimens was significantly lower than that of the MS specimens. A reliability analysis was carried out to re-examine the partial factor used in the current design equation for predicting the net section resistance in Eurocode 3.

Background The benefits of volatile anesthetics in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) patients remain controversial. We aimed to conduct an updated meta-analysis to assess whether the use of volatile anesthetics during CABG could reduce mortality and other outcomes. Methods We searched eight databases from inception to June 2019 and included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the effects of volatile anesthetics versus total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) in CABG patients. The primary outcomes were operative mortality and one-year mortality. The secondary outcomes included the length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital and postoperative safety outcomes (myocardial infarction, heart failure, arrhythmia, stroke, delirium, postoperative cognitive impairment, acute kidney injury, and the use of intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) or other mechanical circulatory support). Trial sequential analysis (TSA) was performed to control for random errors. Results A total of 89 RCTs comprising 14,387 patients were included. There were no significant differences between the volatile anesthetics and TIVA groups in operative mortality (relative risk (RR) = 0.92, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.68–1.24, p = 0.59, I2 = 0%), one-year mortality (RR = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.32–1.26, p = 0.19, I2 = 51%), or any of the postoperative safety outcomes. The lengths of stay in the ICU and hospital were shorter in the volatile anesthetics group than in the TIVA group. TSA revealed that the results for operative mortality, one-year mortality, length of stay in the ICU, heart failure, stroke, and the use of IABP were inconclusive. Conclusions Conventional meta-analysis suggests that the use of volatile anesthetics during CABG is not associated with reduced risk of mortality or other postoperative safety outcomes when compared with TIVA. TSA shows that the current evidence is insufficient and inconclusive. Thus, future large RCTs are required to clarify this issue.

Three kinds of core–shell Ag@SiO 2 nanoparticles with shell thickness of around 10, 15, and 25 nm, respectively, have been prepared by modified Stober method and used for fluorescence enhancement. Six kinds of europium complexes with halobenzoic acid have been synthesized. Elemental analysis and lanthanide coordination titration show that the complexes have the compositions of Eu( p -XBA) 3 ·H 2 O and Eu( o -XBA) 3 ·2H 2 O ( X = F, Cl, Br). The fluorescence spectra investigation indicates that the introduction of Ag@SiO 2 nanoparticles into the europium complexes’ solution can significantly enhance the fluorescence intensities of the complexes. The sequence of enhancement factors for halobenzoic acid complexes with different halogen atoms is F 2 shell is 25 nm, the fluorescence intensity of the europium complexes can reach a maximum enhancement factor of 5.1. The fluorescence enhancement mechanism may be the metal-enhanced fluorescence resulting from surface plasmon resonance of nanoparticles. And the nanoparticles near the complexes can effectively prevent complexes from the interaction with the solvent molecules, leading to a decrease of nonradiative energy transfer and the suppression of luminescence quench.

Six kinds of terbium ternary complexes with halo-benzoic acids were synthesized. Their compositions were determined by C, H elemental analyzer and EDTA titration. The infrared spectra, ultraviolet absorption spectra, and fluorescence spectra were also measured to identify the complexes. Elemental analysis showed that the compositions of these complexes were Tb(p-BrBA)3·H2O, Tb(p-ClBA)3·2H2O, Tb(p-FBA)3·H2O, Tb(o-FBA)3·2H2O, Tb(o-ClBA)3·H2O, and Tb(o-BrBA)3·H2O, respectively. The monodispersed Ag@SiO2 core-shell nanoparticles with silica thicknesses of 10, 15, and 25 nm were successfully prepared and characterized by transmission-electron microscopy. Fluorescence intensities of the complexes were detected before and after Ag@SiO2 core-shell nanoparticles were added; the enhancement times were related to the silica-shell thickness. The fluorescence enhancement times were largest when the thickness of the silica shell was 25 nm. The mechanism may be attributed to the localized surface-plasmon resonance. Furthermore, the enhancement effect of terbium fluoro-benzoate complexes was the strongest in these complexes. This result may be attributed to the hydrogen bond between the hydroxyl on the surface of the silica shell and the fluorine atom.

Twelve kinds of rare earth complexes were synthesized using halo-benzoic acid as anion ligand and Sm 3+ and Dy 3+ as central ions, respectively. The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, rare earth coordination titration and electrospray ionization mass spectra, from which the compositions of the complexes were confirmed to be RE(p-FBA) 3 ·H 2 O, RE(p-ClBA) 3 ·2H 2 O, RE(p-BrBA) 3 ·H 2 O, RE(o-FBA) 3 ·2H 2 O, RE(o-ClBA) 3 ·H 2 O, RE(o-BrBA) 3 ·H 2 O (RE=Sm 3+ , Dy 3+ ). Besides, IR spectra and UV–visible absorption spectroscopy indicated that the carboxyl oxygen atoms of ligands coordinated to the rare earth ions. Moreover, Ag@SiO 2 core–shell nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared via a modified Stober method. The average diameters of silver cores were typically between 60 nm and 70 nm, and the thicknesses of the SiO 2 shells were around 10 nm, 15 nm and 25 nm, respectively. The influence of Ag@SiO 2 NPs on the luminescence properties of the rare earth complexes showed that the luminescence intensities of rare earth complexes were enhanced remarkably. As the thickness of SiO 2 shell increases in the range of 10–25 nm, the effect of metal-enhanced fluorescence become obvious. The mechanism of the changes of the fluorescence intensity is also discussed.

Background: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) possesses several advantages for treating patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The theory of ‘Jianpi Huayu Therapy’ rooted from ‘Jin Kui Yao Lue’is one of the most important therapies in this respect. This study was conducted to investigate the clinical effect and safety of hepatectomy combining with ‘Jianpi Huayu Therapy’ in the treatment of HCC. Materials and Methods: One hundred and twenty patients with HCC were randomized allocated into hepatectomy combined with ‘Jianpi Huayu Therapy’ group (treatment group, n=60) and hepatectomy alone group (control group, n=60). Disease- free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were the primary end-points. Liver function at the end of one week after surgery, complications, average days of hospitalization as well as performance status (PS) at the end of one month post operation were also compared. Results: No significant differences existed between two groups on baseline analysis (p>0.05). No treatment related mortality occurred in either group. Post-operative complications were detected among 14 patients (23.3%) in the treatment group, and 12 (20.0%) in the control group (p=0.658). Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) at the end of one week after operation was lower in the treatment than control groups (p=0.042). No significant differences in other indexes of liver function were discovered between two groups. Average days of hospitalization reduced by 0.9 day in treatment group than in control (p=0.034). During follow-up, 104 patients (86.6%) developed recurrence. The rates of 1-, 3-, and 5-year DFS and median DFS for all patients were 77.4%, 26.3%, 9.0% and 25.6 months (range, 6.0~68.0), respectively (78.2%, 29.2%, 14.3% and 28.7 months for the 48 patients in the treatment group and 75.0%, 23.3%, 6.4%, and 22.6 months for the 56 patients in the control group (p=0.045)). 101 patients had died at the time of censor, with 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates and median survival for all patients of 97.5%, 76.4%, 40.5% and 51.2 months (range, 10.0~72.0), respectively (98.3%, 78.0%, 43.6% and 52.6 months, for treatment and 96.7%, 74.7%, 37.4%, and 49.8 months, for controls, respectively (p=0.048)). Conclusions: Hepatectomy combined with ‘Jianpi Huayu therapy’was effective in the treatment of HCC, and reduced post-operative recurrence and metastasis and improved DFS and OS of HCC patients.

Graphite oxide was prepared by Hummers method and got graphene oxide by ultrasonic dispersion in water, and using a cheap and environment-friendly fructose as reductant, graphene oxide could be reduced into graphene under mild condition. Meanwhile, the structure and morphology of obtained product was characterized and analyzed by testing methods such as Fourier transform Infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Laser Raman spectroscopy, Transmission electron microscope and so on. In addition, the electrical conductivity of obtained graphene was determinated.The experimental results show that graphite oxide can be reduced by fructose under mild conditions and can get graphene with good structure and dispersibility. And the electrical conductivity of graphene prepared by the reduction of graphite oxide with fructose is 35.7 Scm-1, which has great improvement on conducting performance compared with graphite oxide. Moreover, It is non-toxic, non-polluting and friendly to the environment in preparation process of graphene, which lays the groundwork for mass production of graphene materials.

Flexible Graphite Composite (FGC) was prepared using flexible graphite as the basic material. The influence of the contents of binder and carbon fiber, and forming temperature and pressure was discussed on the mechanical properties. The experimental results showed that the optimum technologic conditions are binder A content 3%~10%, carbon fiber 0.5% ~1%, forming temperature 500°C~900°C, forming pressure 18MPa~25MPa. The density, tensile strength, compressive strength, and bending strength are optimal under these conditions.

Three 5,5′-azotetrazolate(AT)-based complexes, [Cd(pn)2(trans-AT)] (pn = 1,3-diaminopropane) (1), [Cd(en)2(trans-AT)]·4H2O (en = ethylenediamine) (2), and {[Zn(en)2(trans-AT)0.5](trans-AT)0.5} (3), have been synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Complexes 1–3 show three different supramolecular structures, in which the trans-AT2− have three different bridging modes. Complex 1 shows a 1-D zigzag chain structure formed by each μ 2-trans-AT2− bridging two Cd2+ ions. In 2, the trans-AT2− anions are μ 2 bridging, linking Cd2+ ions to give another 1-D zigzag chain, which forms a 2-D supramolecular network by intermolecular hydrogen bonds. In 3, [Zn(en)2(trans-AT)0.5]+ forms a 2-D network structure with each μ 4 bridging trans-AT2− linking four different Zn2+ ions. The [Zn(en)2(trans-AT)0.5]+ and uncoordinated trans-AT2− are further connected through face-to-face π–π stacking and electrostatic interactions, rendering a 3-D supramolecular network. The photochromism of aqueous...

Copper coating was deposited on the surface of low-temperature expandable graphite (LTEG) by electroless plating method. The effects of reaction temperature, Ni2+ concentration and pH value on the copper deposited low-temperature expandable graphite (CDLTEG) were discussed. The experimental results show that reaction temperature of 65~70°C, Ni2+ concentration of 0.006mol/L~0.008mol/L and pH value of 9~10 are the ideal reaction condition for CDLTEG. X ray diffraction analysis indicates that perfect copper cladding can be coated on LTEG through chemically plating method. It is found by thermogravimetric analysis that the depositing process of copper upon LTEG is exothermic. the oxidation of copper would obviously occur when temperature is higher than 270.8 °C, so CDLTEG should be expanded to prepare its expanded outcome at a lower temperature than 270.8 °C. The 3 mm wave dynamics test makes it clear that deposited copper has an obvious improvement effect on 3mm wave attenuation performance of LTEG.

Eleven europium complexes doped other metal ions with 2,3 - pyrazine dicarboxylic acid had been synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, rare earth EDTA titration, IR, UV and fluorescence spectra. They were EuL1.5•5H2O, Eu0.5Ln0.5 L1.5•5H2O (Ln3+=La3+, Y3+, Gd3+), EuML2.5•8H2O (M2+= Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, Ba2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Zn2+). Doped metal ions could enhanced the fluorescence of Eu3+ complex, and the order of the fluorescence enhancement was Zn2+>La3+>Gd3+>Y3+; Mg2+> Sr2+>Ca2+>Ba2+. And doped with Co2+ and Ni2+ made the Eu3+ luminescence quenched, which the luminous intensity was almost zero.

A series of novel ternary rare earth complexes showing attractive luminescence properties were prepared with both neutral and anion ligands. Three azatriphenylene neutral ligands, 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), dipyrido [3,2-a: 2′,3′-c] quinoxaline (dpq) and dipyrido [3,2-a: 2′,3′-c] phenazine (dppz) were investigated systematically as sensitizers in the ternary rare earth complexes. Benzoate ions (BA − ) and phenoxyacetate ions (POA − ) were chosen as anion ligands. The compositions of these complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, rare earth coordination titration, molar conductivity measurement, IR spectroscopy, UV–vis absorption spectroscopy, 1 H NMR spectroscopy and TGA–DTA. The luminescence spectra, luminescence decay time and quantum efficiency of the complexes were also studied. The very strong luminescence intensities and rather long luminescence lifetimes (typically > 1.0 ms) were achieved for both Eu 3+ and Tb 3+ ternary complexes with phen and dpq as neutral ligands. Moreover, high quantum efficiencies (40–60%) were also obtained for Eu 3+ ternary complexes with phen and dpq as neutral ligands.

The design of metal silo structures is dominated by the need to resist shell buckling failures in service. Shell buckling can occur in many different modes, and the strengths are very sensitive to the form and amplitude of very minor deviations of geometry (geometric imperfections) from the ideal shape. Many imperfection forms have been studied in the theoretical literature on shell buckling, but only one study appears to have ever extensively and rigorously measured the imperfections in real full-scale metal silos: this is the study of the 10,000 tonne Port Kembla grain silos in NSW, Australia. The data from this study of three seemingly identical silos are very extensive and cannot be assimilated without considerable processing. In this paper, the first attempt is made to provide a full characterisation of the imperfection set in a manner that permits them to be used in shell buckling analyses of the silo shell that do not rely on simplifying assumptions.

Buckling of cylindrical shells subject to axial compression is acutely sensitive to the form and amplitude of geometric imperfections present in the structure. As a result, many attempts have been made to measure geometric imperfections in cylindrical shells both in laboratory specimens and less frequently in full-scale structures. The imperfections are generally interpreted using the well-known method of Fourier decomposition, so that the different components of imperfections can be more easily related to structural features such as positions of welds and their effects on buckling strength better understood. A common situation in imperfection measurements on full-scale shell structures is that some parts of the structure are not accessible, due to the presence of accessories such as service ladders and pipes. As a result, a measurement grid with non-uniform intervals is generally employed in imperfection surveys on full-scale structures. This paper first shows that when results from such surveys are interpreted using the traditional Fourier decomposition method, the resulting Fourier series cannot provide an accurate representation of the discrete measurement data due to the non-uniform distribution of sampling points. The paper then presents an iterative Fourier decomposition method which overcomes this problem. The theoretical background of the proposed method is detailed, followed by a numerical demonstration of the effectiveness of the method.

Three kinds of core-shell Ag@SiO2 nanoparticles with shell thickness of around 10, 15, and 25 nm, respectively, have been prepared by modified Stöber method and used for fluorescence enhancement. Six kinds of europium complexes with halobenzoic acid have been synthesized. Elemental analysis and lanthanide coordination titration show that the complexes have the compositions of Eu(p-XBA)3·H2O and Eu(o-XBA)3·2H2O (X=F, Cl, Br). The fluorescence spectra investigation indicates that the introduction of Ag@SiO2 nanoparticles into the europium complexes' solution can significantly enhance the fluorescence intensities of the complexes. The sequence of enhancement factors for halobenzoic acid complexes with different halogen atoms is FClBr, and the fluorescence enhancement factors increase as the excitation wavelength of complexes increase. When the thickness of the SiO2 shell is 25 nm, the fluorescence intensity of the europium complexes can reach a maximum enhancement factor of 5.1. The fluorescence enhancement mechanism may be the metal-enhanced fluorescence resulting from surface plasmon resonance of nanoparticles. And the nanoparticles near the complexes can effectively prevent complexes from the interaction with the solvent molecules, leading to a decrease of nonradiative energy transfer and the suppression of luminescence quench.

To explore the epidemiological profiles of invasive fungal disease (IFD) in hospitalized patients with hematological diseases during 2007-2012.A total of 419 IFD patients with hematological diseases from January 2007 to December 2012 were reviewed. All of them were analyzed with regards to diagnostic levels, infection sites and various related factors.(1) A total of 233 cases (55.61%) were preliminarily identified as IFD, 140 cases (33.41%) had a clinical diagnosis and 46 cases (10.98%) were confirmed cases of IFD. (2) Among 46 confirmed cases of IFD, there were agranulocytosis (n = 43) and aspergillosis infection (n = 36). (3) Respiratory tract was the most frequent infection site in all IFD patients (85.20%) . (4) And chemotherapy-induced agranulocytosis was a major reason for IFD patients with hematological diseases. The number of IFD patients without chemotherapy had a rising trend. (5) The age group of IFD was during 41-60 years old. (6) All of them stayed on antibiotic therapy at the diagnosis of IFD. The numbers of antibiotics were two(205 cases, 48.93%) and three(179 cases, 42.72%). (7) The peak incidence of IFD was recorded in January, July and December. And June was another lower peak.Agranulocytosis is the main reason for IFD patients with hematological disease. The data is important and valuable for the early diagnosis and therapy of IFD patients with hematological disease.

To investigate the effects of recombine human erythropoietin (rhEPO) on neural cells apoptosis and the expression of Caspase-3 protein in brain tissue of fetal rats after intrauterine hypoxic-ischemic brain injury.Forty-four Sprague-Dawley rats on 19 days of pregnancy were divided into rhEPO treated group, ischemia-reperfusion group and sham-operated group. Intrauterine hypoxic-ischemic injury of fetal rats was induced by bilateral occlusion of the utero-ovarian artery for 20 min. rhEPO (5000 U/kg) was injected into rats through caudal vein in rhEPO treated group while saline was injected into rats in hypoxic-ischemic group 30 min before hypoxic-ischemic injury. The brain samples in rhEPO treated group and hypoxic-ischemic group were obtained at 30 min, 3 h, 6 h, 24 h and 48 h respectively after artery clamping. There was no hypoxic-ischemic injury in sham-operated group, so the brain samples were obtained at 24 hours after sham operation. Neuroapoptosis in brain tissue was measured by TdT mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (Tunel) staining. The expression of Caspase-3 protein was observed by immunohistochemistry.The number of apoptosis cells in fetal rat hippocampus after intrauterine hypoxic-ischemic increased progressively with reperfusion. Compared with the I/R group, the number of apoptosis cells decreased in rhEPO treated group (P0.01). The expression of Caspase-3 increased rapidly after 3 hours from the reperfusion in the I/R group. Compared with the I/R group, there was less expression of Caspase-3 in rhEPO treated group (P0.01).rhEPO showed the effects to inhibit the apoptosis of fetal neural cells and the expression of Caspase-3 protein due to intrauterine hypoxic-ischemic brain injury.

To investigate the effect of recombine human erythropoietin (rhEPO) on apoptosis of neural cells in fetal rats after intrauterine hypoxic-ischemic injury.Twenty SD rats on 19 days of pregnancy were divided into rhEPO (2500 U/kg, 5000 U/kg, 7500 U/kg) treated groups, ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) group and sham-operated group (4 rats in each group). Intrauterine hypoxic-ischemic injury of fetal rat was induced by bilateral occlusion of utero-ovarian artery for 20 min. rhEPO was injected into the rats in rhEPO treated group through the caudal vein 30 min before hypoxic-ischemic injury while saline was used in the other two groups. There was no hypoxic-ischemic injury in sham-operated group. The death rate of fetal rats was evaluated at 24 h after the operation, and then the brain samples of fetal rats were harvested. The expression of Caspase-3 protein was observed by immunohistochemistry. Neuroapoptosis was measured by TdT mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining.Death rates of fetal rats in rhEPO treated groups decreased compared with the I/R group (P0.05). Compared with the I/R group, there was less expression of copious Caspase-3 in rhEPO treated group (P0.01). The expression of Caspase-3 was decreased in the rhEPO treated groups with the increase of rhEPO dose (P0.01). Compared with the I/R group, the death rate of fetal rats in rhEPO treated groups decreased (P0.05), the number of apoptosis cells also decreased obviously (P0.01). The anti-apoptosis effect of 5000 U/kg rhEPO was similar to 7500 U/kg rhEPO, but better than 2500 U/kg rhEPO (P0.01).rhEPO can inhibit the apoptosis of fetal rat brain cells after intrauterine hypoxic-ischemic injury.

To investigate the epidemiology and antibiotic resistance of isolates from hospitalized patients with hematological disease from 2005 to 2011.A total of 1453 bacterial strains were isolated from patients with hematological disease from January 2005 to December 2011. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by micro-dilution method.(1) The majority of the bacterial strains were respiratory passage examples (57.5%). The portage of blood examples in our division (13.60%) was higher than of whole hospital (6.26%), with lower positive rate of bacterial culture (52.37%) than of whole hospital (60.24%). Chemotherapy-induced agranulocytosis was the main reason for hospital infection. 578 (39.8%) bacterial strains were gram positive, and 875 (60.2%) gram negative bacillus. Staphylococcus epidermidis strains and glucose nonfermenters had a tendency of ascensus. (2) Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) accounted for 72.8% antibiotic resistance. Detection rates of ESBLs in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae were 18.9% and 10.4%, respectively. (3) No obvious changes of antimicrobial resistances of Staphylococcus and Enterococcus were observed during these years. The Enterobacteriaceae strains showed lowest resistance rates to Carbapenems, next to Cefoperazone/sulbactam and Piperacillin/tazobactam. But the resistance rates of Escherichia coli to Cefepime and Ceftazidime were gradually increasing during the past years. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii of glucose nonfermenters showed lowest resistance rates to Cefoperazone/sulbactam, but the resistance rate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to Carbapenems increased.Escherichia coli was the highest in quantity of gram negative bacillus and glucose nonfermenters had a tendency of ascensus. The resistance rates of Escherichia coli to Cefepime and Ceftazidime, Pseudomonas aeruginosa to Carbapenems were gradually increasing in the past years.

To observe the permeability of recombinant human erythropoietin through placenta barrier and fetal blood-brain barrier after transient uteroplacental ischemia.Rats on days 19 of pregnancy were divided into rhEPO treated group, ischemia-reperfusion group and sham operated group. Fetal ischemia in rhEPO treated group and ischemia-reperfusion group was induced by bilateral occlusion of the utero-ovarian artery for 20 minutes. Different dosage of 125I-rhEPO (2500 U/kg, 5000 U/kg, 7500 U/kg) was injected into the rats through caudal veins 30 min before injury in rhEPO treated group and sham-operated group. Saline was administered intravenously 30 min before the induction of hypoxic-ischemic injury in ischemia-reperfusion group. The amniotic fluid, placenta and fetal organs including brain, liver, heart, lung and kidney were collected to measure the radioactivity at 24h after injury.125I-rhEPO was detected in amniotic fluid, placenta and fetal organs. The radioactivity of 125I-rhEPO in these tissues increased gradually with the increased dose injected in rhEPO treated group and sham-operated group. There were significant differences in the radioactivity of 125I-rhEPO between rhEPO treated group and sham-operated group (P0.05).The permeability of rhEPO through placental barrier and blood-brain barrier increased under the condition of fetal ischemia and hypoxia.

To explore the expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in pancreatic cancer and its influence on the proliferation and migration of cancer cells.The expression of CTGF in pancreatic cell line PANC-1 cells was analyzed by real-time PCR and in pancreatic carcinoma (50 cases) tissues by immunohistochemistry. The ability of proliferation and migration in vitro of PANC-1 cells was tested by MTT assay, scratch test and Boyden chamber test after the CTGF gene was overexpressed by Ad5-CTGF or silenced with Ad5-siCTGF transfection.CTGF was overexpressed in both pancreatic cancer cells and tissues. Overxpression of CTGF leads to increased proliferation and migration of PANC-1 cells. The CTGF-transfected PANC-1 cells showed apparent stronger proliferation ability and scratch-repair ability than that of empty vector controls. The results of Boyden chamber test showed that there were 34 cells/field (200× magnificantion) of the CTGF-transfected overexpressing cells, much more than the 11 cells/field of the empty vector control cells; and 6 cells/microscopic field of the Ad5-siCTGF-transfected silenced cells, much less than the 15 cells/field of the control cells.CTGF is overexpressed in both pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo, indicating that it may play an important role in the cell proliferation and migration in pancreatic cancer.

To estimate the minimal dosages of fentanyl and sufentanil in combination with 0.0625% W/V bupivacaine for epidural analgesia in labor.Forty-six pregnant women with full term gestation who requested epidural analgesia in labor were enrolled in this up-down sequential allocation study. Ten mL of fentanyl or sufentanil in combination of 0.0625% W/V bupivacaine was injected into the L2-3 epidural space of the women when their cervical dilated at about 2-4 cm. The effectiveness and side effects of the analgesia were observed in the following 30 minutes. The initial dose for the first study participant was set at 100 microg for fentanyl and 20 microg for sufentanil, respectively. The subsequent doses for the next study participants were determined by the response of the previous participants (testing interval, 5 microg for fentanyl and 1 microg for sufentanil). The minimum analgesic dose (MAD) of fentanyl or sufentanil was calculated using Dixon-Massey method.The MAD was 65.9 microg for fentanyl and 15.3 microg for sufentanil with 0.0625% W/V bupivacaine for epidural analgesia in labor. There were no significant differences in analgesia equality and side effects between fentanyl and sufentanil.When combined with 0.0625% W/V bupivacaine for epidural analgesia in labor, the minimum analgesic dose is 65.9 microg for fentanyl and 15.3 microg for sufentanil.

By replacing a part of terbium ions with yttrium ions using doping method, a series of dinuclear complexes of 1,3,5-benzene tricarboxylic acid (H3BTC) and phenanthroline (phen) with different molar ratios of Tb3+ to Y3+ were synthesized in the present paper. Their elemental analysis, rare earth complexometric titration, molar conductivity, IR spectra and UV spectra were studied, and the contents of terbium and yttrium of three doped complexes were measured by a plasma emission spectrophotometer. Their chemical formula is inferred to be (Tb(x)Y(1-x)) (HL)L'Cl x 1/2H2O (x = 0.10, 0.30, 0.50, 0.70, 0.90, L = BTC3-, L' = phen). The infrared spectra and ultraviolet spectra were determined, the results showed that the rare earth ions are bounded with the oxygen atoms of trimesic acid, and with the nitrogen atoms of phenanthroline. The fluorescence spectra of the complexes were determined at the room temperature (the exit and entrance slits are both 1.5 nm). The fluorescence intensity of terbium doped yttrium complexes is stronger than those of the terbium complex; it was showed that the fluorescence intensity of Tb3+ ion is greatly enhanced by Y3+ ion in the complexes. The fluorescence intensity of (Tb0.7 Y0.3)(HL)L'C1 x 1/2H2O complex is the strongest among the six complexes. The lowest excitation state energy level of Tb3+ ion and the triplet state energy level of the ligands (H3BTC and phen) match well each other, and the absorbing energy of the ligands is effectively transferred to Tb3+ ion.

Three 5,5′-azotetrazolate based Zn(II) and Ni(II) complexes exhibit novel supramolecular structures and emit multi-photoluminescence under laser excitation and the multi-photoluminescence promises a multi-channel signal photoluminescent material.

To investigate whether recombine human erythropoietin can cross the placenta barrier in rats with transient uteroplacental ischemia.Rats on day 19 of pregnancy were divided into ischemia-reperfusion group, sham-operated group and rhEPO treated group. Fetal ischemia was induced by bilateral occlusion of the utero-ovarian artery for 20 minutes. 125I-rhEPO or saline were administered intravenously 30 min before the induction of hypoxic-ischemic injury. Fetal rat organs were removed to measure the radioactivity post injury.A small amount of radioactive activity (1.26 +/- 0.28) pg/g was detected in the fetal rats with ischemia-reperfusion. 125I-rhEPO radioactivity increased gradually with time in the placenta, amniotic fluid and fetal tissues of vital organs in the rats of sham-operated group and rhEPO treatment group. There were significant differences in 125I-rhEPO between placental organs and other organs (P0.05). The permeability of 125I-rhEPO through the blood brain barrier changed with reperfusion time and peaked about 6 h after reperfusion, and significant differences were found between rhEPO treatment group and sham operation group (P0.05).Exogenous rhEPO can cross the placenta barrier and blood-brain barrier and reach hypoxic-ischemic fetal rats.

To assess the feasibility of propofol-fentanyl sedation protocol with ketamine for gynecologic diagnostic laparoscopy.Prospective, double-blind, randomized study (Canadian Task Force classification I).Outpatient operating unit in a university hospital specializing in obstetrics and gynecology.Eighty women who underwent outpatient gynecologic diagnostic laparoscopy.Patients were randomly assigned to receive fentanyl, 1 microg/kg, and normal saline solution (group F, n = 40), or fentanyl, 1 microg/kg, and ketamine, 0.5 mg/kg (group FK, n =40), followed by propofol, 2.0 mg/kg, for sedation induction. During surgery, propofol was supplemented to achieve a target Ramsey score of 6, and cardiopulmonary support was required to maintain stable vital signs.Five of 40 patients (12.5%) in group FK reported pain associated with propofol injection compared with 33 of 40 patients (82.5%) in group F. During surgery, 7 patients (17.5%) in group FK required rescue propofol compared with 32 patients (80.0%) in group F (p.001). The mean (SD) rescue dose of propofol was 0.4 (0.5) mg/kg in group FK compared with 1.6 (0.6) mg/kg in group F (p.001). In group F, 17 patients (42.5%) required assisted mask ventilation because of respiratory depression, and in 21 patients (52.5%), atropine therapy was necessary to treat bradycardia, compared with 6 patients (15.0%) and 11 patients (27.5%), respectively, in group FK (p.05). The mean arterial blood pressure at the end of induction, pneumoperitoneum inflation, and trocar insertion was significantly decreased in group F compared with group FK (p.05). No differences were observed between the 2 groups insofar as operation duration, recovery time, discharge time, intraoperative awareness, incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting, and postoperative pain. Although patient satisfaction scores were comparable, a higher degree of gynecologist satisfaction was observed in group FK compared with group F (p.001).Addition of low-dose ketamine to propofol-fentanyl sedation can provide more stable and satisfactory operation conditions in gynecologic diagnostic laparoscopy.

To investigate the alleviation effect of vein pretreatment and granisetron/lidocaine combination on propofol injection-induced pain.Two hundreds patients scheduled for gynaecological laparoscopic operations were randomly divided into four groups: control group (group I), lidocaine group (group II), granisetron group (group III) and granisetron/lidocaine combination group (group IV), with 50 patients in each group. The patients in the above four groups received placebo (saline), lidocaine 20 mg, granisetron 2 mg and granisetron 2 mg plus lidocaine intravenously respectively. The patients were injected with one-forth of scheduled propofol via a dorsal hand vein after one minute of venous occlusion. The pain during the injection of propofol was evaluated.Pain occurred in 84% of patients in the control group, 46% in the lidocaine group, 52% in the granisetron group and 24% in the granisetron/lidocaine combination group. There was a significant reduction in pain incidence in the three experimental groups compared with the control group (P0.05). The incidence of pain, nausea, vomiting and shivering was less in the granisetron/lidocaine combination group than in the control group (P0.05).Pretreatment with granisetron/lidocaine may be effective not only in attenuating pains during i.v. injection of propofol, but also in preventing postoperative nausea, vomiting and shivering.

This study was aimed to explore the effects of interleukin 21 (IL-21) on the anti-leukemia activity of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) induced by dendritic cells (DCs) in vitro. The peripheral mononuclear cells from leukemia patients in complete remission were cultured with the specific cytokines to induce the production of DCs. The DCs loaded with RNA from autologous leukemic cells as antigen, and co-cultured with autologous T lymphocytes to get leukemia specific CTL. The cytotoxic activity of CTL against autologous leukemic cells was measured by LDH release method. The concentration of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha in the culture supernatant was measured by enzyme immunoassay. The effects of IL-21 on the mature DCs were also studied by the measurement of the phenotype of DC and the allogenic mixed lymphocytic reactions induced by DCs. Experiments were divided into 2 groups: test group in which IL-21 (200 ng/ml) was added in coculture of DC/CTL and control group in which no IL-21 (200 ng/ml) was added. The results showed that when cultured with IL-21, the quantity of CTL increased from (56.73 +/- 10.21)% (control group) to (73.43 +/- 18.01)% (p0.01); The concentration of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha in the culture supernatant increased from (154.91 +/- 67.20) ng/L (control group) to (310.62 +/- 141.15) ng/L (p0.01) and from (8.77 +/- 5.09) microg/L (control group) to (15.25 +/- 6.56) microg/L (p0.01) respectively. At the effector: target ratio of 20:1, the cytotoxic activity against autologous leukemic cells by CTL increased from (50.22 +/- 5.07)% (control group) to (75.38 +/- 9.47)% (p0.01). IL-21 had neither effect on the phenotype (CD1a, CD83, CD86, CD80 and HLA-DR) of mature DCs nor the allogeneic mixed lymphocytic reactions induced by DCs. It is concluded that IL-21 can strengthen the proliferation of CTL, and improve the production of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha, thus enhance the anti-leukemia activity of CTL. Nevertheless, there is no effect of IL-21 on the function of mature DCs. These data indicate that IL-21 has a potential clinical value in the enhancement of anti-leukemia immunotherapy.