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This research provides an efficient hierarchical self-assembly approach to construct artificial LHSs featuring excellent energy transfer efficiency and high antenna effects with diverse architectures.

Over the past few decades, the design and construction of high-efficiency artificial light-harvesting systems (LHSs) involving multistep fluorescence-resonance energy transfer (FRET) processes have gradually received considerable attention within wide fields ranging from supramolecular chemistry to chemical biology and even materials science. Herein, through coordination-driven self-assembly, a novel tetragonal prismatic metallacage featuring a FRET process using tetraphenylethene (TPE) units as donors and BODIPY units as acceptors has been conveniently synthesized. Subsequently, taking advantage of supramolecular hydrophobic interactions, a promising artificial LHS involving two-step FRET processes from TPE to BODIPY and then to Nile Red (NiR) has been successfully fabricated in an aqueous solution using the FRET-featuring metallacage, NiR, and an amphiphilic polymer (mPEG-DSPE). Notably, this obtained aqueous LHS exhibits highly efficient photocatalytic activity in the dehalogenation of a bromoacetophenone derivate. This study provides a unique strategy for fabricating artificial LHSs in aqueous solutions with multistep FRET processes and further promotes the future development of mimicking the photosynthesis process.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is an independent risk factor for the increased risk of death in patients with sepsis. In the current study, we first investigated the expression of circMTO1 in sepsis-induced AKI, and the underlying mechanism was further elucidated. The results showed that circMTO1 expression level was significantly decreased in serums and kidney tissues of US rats and RMCs treated with LPS. Besides, circMTO1 overexpression promoted cell viability, suppressed cell apoptosis and cytokines production of LPS-treated RMCs. Bioinformatics analysis showed that circMTO1 served as a sponge for miR-337. Furthermore, circMTO1 could inhibit the expression of KLF6. Altogether, our study first reported that circMTO1 expression was decreased in sepsis-induced AKI rat models and RMCs treated with LPS. CircMTO1 overexpression could attenuate AKI development by sponging miR-337 and regulating KLF6 expression, which may provide new ideas for evaluation the pathogenesis and the treatment of sepsis-induced AKI.

In December 2019, a new type viral pneumonia cases occurred in Wuhan, Hubei Province; and then named “2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)” by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 12 January 2020. For it is a never been experienced respiratory disease before and with infection ability widely and quickly, it attracted the world’s attention but without treatment and control manual. For the request from frontline clinicians and public health professionals of 2019-nCoV infected pneumonia management, an evidence-based guideline urgently needs to be developed. Therefore, we drafted this guideline according to the rapid advice guidelines methodology and general rules of WHO guideline development; we also added the first-hand management data of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University. This guideline includes the guideline methodology, epidemiological characteristics, disease screening and population prevention, diagnosis, treatment and control (including traditional Chinese Medicine), nosocomial infection prevention and control, and disease nursing of the 2019-nCoV. Moreover, we also provide a whole process of a successful treatment case of the severe 2019-nCoV infected pneumonia and experience and lessons of hospital rescue for 2019-nCoV infections. This rapid advice guideline is suitable for the first frontline doctors and nurses, managers of hospitals and healthcare sections, community residents, public health persons, relevant researchers, and all person who are interested in the 2019-nCoV.

To experimentally determine the isothermal sections of Co−Mo−Zn ternary system at 600 and 450 °C, the equilibrated alloy and diffusion couple methods were adopted by using scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive spectrometry, X-ray diffractometry and electron probe microanalysis. Experimental results show that there are six three-phase regions on the Co−Mo−Zn isothermal section at 600 °C and nine three-phase regions on the Co−Mo−Zn isothermal section at 450 °C. No ternary compound is found in these two isothermal sections. Both the maximum solubilities of Mo in the Co−Zn compounds (γ-Co5Zn21, γ1-CoZn7, γ2-CoZn13 and β1-CoZn) and that of Zn in e-Co3Mo are no more than 1.5 at.%. The maximum solubilities of Zn in μ-Co7Mo6 are determined to be 2.1 at.% and 2.7 at.% at 600 and 450 °C, respectively. In addition, the maximum solubilities of Co in MoZn7 and MoZn22 are 0.5 at.% and 4.7 at.% at 450 °C, respectively.

Objective To investigate nutritional treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the mainland China. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in 116 ICUs of 118 mainland hospitals on April 26th, 2017. All patients of these ICUs were investigated at 0 o'clock on April 26th. Demographic and clinical parameters of those patients on April 25th (the investigation day) were recorded, including the dates of hospitalization, ICU admission and nutrition initiation and clinical outcome on 28 days after the investigation day. Results A total of 1953 patients were collected, including 631 females and 1306 males. The mean age was (64.1±19.3) years old (1950 cases). The means of Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation Ⅱ (APACHEⅡ) scores were (10.76±4.35)(1749 cases), (5.65±3.52)(1783 cases), (17.14±7.31)(1792 cases), respectively. The outcomes of 28 days after the investigation day were 1483 survivors (75.9%), 312 non-survivors (16.0%) and 158 cases (8.1%) being lost to follow-up. There were no significant differences between the males and the females in age, severity of disease and clinical outcomes of 28 days but in height and weight. There were 73.7%(1440 cases) of patients with normal or mildly injured gastrointestinal function, 10.8%(210 cases) with moderately or severely injured function, 1.7%(33 cases) with gastrointestinal failure and 13.2%(258 cases) without evaluation. To the investigation day, enteral nutrition (EN) had been initiated in 69.4%(1356 cases) of patients and parenteral nutrition (PN) in 36.4%(711 cases) of patients. There were 1720(88.1%) patients with EN administration on the investigation day. The proportion of patients with nausea, vomit/regurgitation, aspiration, abdominal pain, abdominal distention and diarrhea was 4.8%(93 cases), 5.4%(105 cases), 0.9%(17 cases), 8.7%(170 cases), 27.5%(538 cases) and 4.3%(84 cases) respectively, while that of patients using EN was 3.1%(40 cases), 4.25%(54 cases), 0.79%(10 cases), 4.41%(56 cases), 26.85%(341 cases) and 5.43%(69 cases) correspondingly. The proportion of cases starting EN within 24, 48 and 72 hours after ICU entry was 22.4%(437/1953), 38.6%(754/1953) and 46.6%(911/1953), respectively. The proportion of cases receiving ≥80% estimated energy target (=past body weight ×25 kcal/kg.d) within 3, 7 and 14 days after ICU entry was 12.9%(78/607), 18.7%(189/1010) and 23%(305/1325) respectively, while that of cases with EN was 9.9%(60/607), 15.0%(151/1010) and 18.6%(246/1325) correspondingly. Conclusions Nowadays, most of patients in the mainland ICUs receive nutrition therapy and the EN usage rate is much higher than the PN rate. However, the time of EN initiation and the target-reaching rate of energy are suboptimal and an individualized plan of nutrition therapy is still missing. Details of energy delivery still need to be improved. DOI: 10.11855/j.issn.0577-7402.2019.05.05

Motion sickness (MS) is a common physiological response to real or virtual motion. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of transcutaneous electrical acustimulation (TEA) on MS and the underlying mechanisms in healthy subjects.A total of 50 healthy participants were recruited and randomly assigned into two groups to complete two separate sessions in a crossover study. A Coriolis rotary chair was used as a model to provoke severe MS. The total tolerable rotation time and Graybiel scoring scale were recorded. Gastric slow waves were detected by electrogastrogram. The autonomic nervous function, including the vagal activity, was evaluated by the analysis of heart rate variability derived from the electrocardiogram recording. The serum levels of arginine vasopressin (AVP) and norepinephrine (NE) were examined.Of note, 22 participants in TEA and only 11 participants in the sham-TEA session completed the entire five-rotation MS stimuli (p = 0.019). TEA significantly prolonged the total tolerable rotation time of MS stimuli (220.4 ± 11.59 vs 173.6 ± 12.3 seconds, p 0.001) and lowered MS symptom scores (12.56 ± 2.03 vs 22.06 ± 3.0, p 0.001). TEA improved the percentage of normal gastric slow waves, compared with sham-TEA (56.0 ± 2.1% vs 51.6 ± 2.0%, p = 0.033). TEA also significantly enhanced vagal activity compared with sham-TEA (0.41 ± 0.02 vs 0.31 ± 0.02, p 0.001). In addition, the increased serum levels of AVP and NE on MS stimulation were markedly suppressed by TEA treatment, compared with sham-TEA (AVP, 56.791 ± 4.057 vs 79.312 ± 10.036 ng/mL, p = 0.033; NE, 0.388 ± 0.037 vs 0.501 ± 0.055 ng/mL, p = 0.021).Needleless TEA is a potent therapeutic approach for severe MS, as it increases participants' tolerance and ameliorates MS symptoms, which may be attributed to the integrative effects of TEA on autonomic functions and neuroendocrine balance.

Since online publication of this article, the authors noticed that an incorrect image was used during the compilation of Fig. 2a, which was caused during manuscript preparation. The correct Fig. 2a is shown below.

Background Traditional opioid analgesics act on the μ2 receptors and lead to delayed gastric emptying and weakening of the peristalsis. Butorphanol is an opioid analgesic that has strong excitatory effect on κ receptors, weak μ receptor agonistic and antagonistic activity. This study aimed to compare the effects of butorphanol tartrate and fentanyl on the analgesia and the gastrointestinal motility after intestinal surgery. Method This prospective cohort study was conducted in Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China from May to September 2017. One hundred and forty six patients admitted to ICU after intestinal surgeries, were divided into fentanyl group and butorphanol group. The fentanyl group continually infused fentanyl with 1ug/kg/h and the butorphanol group continually infused butorphanol with 20ug/kg/h. The analgesics were used until the patients were transfer out of ICU or up to 24 hours. The primary outcome was the time required for the first passage of flatus. The second outcomes included the pain and sedation scores, the incidence of nausea and vomiting, serum motilin concentrations, and the incidence rate of adverse reactions. Results There were 69 patients in butorphanol group and 77patients in fentanyl group. Compared with the fentanyl group, the time required for the first passage of flatus was shorter (69.82 ±18.84 h vs. 79.34 ± 15.69 h, p= 0.0012) and the incidence of nausea (14.9% vs. 29.3%, P=0.013) and vomiting (11.7% vs. 27.3%, P=0.031) was significantly lower in the butorphanol group without any significant difference in analgesic score and sedation score. The serum motilin increase level was significantly higher in butorphanol group [21.36(6.17, 28.47) ng/L vs. 5.56(3.04, 9.81) ng/L, P = 0.034]. Conclusion: In patients undergoing intestinal surgery, butorphanol tartrate allows faster recovery of gastrointestinal function and similar analgesia compared to fentanyl. TRIAL REGESTRITION Chinese Clinical Trial Register (ChiCTR-INR-17011031). Registered on Mar 31th 2017.

There is currently a clear biologic rationale for blood purification used in sepsis. Immunomodulation and organ support play important roles in the application of blood purification. Conventional continuous venovenous hemofiltration and hemodialysis have been shown not to be effective in sepsis in the absence of concomitant acute renal failure. Plasma therapies, high-volume hemofiltration, hemadsorption, or combinations of these therapies appear promising. However many questions still remain unanswered. Current technologies still remain inadequate for the removal of middle-molecular-weight substances, and the current practice worldwide is extremely variable. Moreover, there is lack of large-scale randomized clinical trials. Recently, new developing technologies may enhance the clinical results of current RRT strategies, including high-porosity of membranes to improve middle molecular clearance. Finally, multicenter randomized controlled trials are needed to test these promising blood purification technologies.

The role of circulating exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) in colorectal cancer (CRC) has drawn more and more attention during the past few years. Previously, we have identified several specific miRNAs in serum exosomes as potential CRC biomarkers. However, little is known about the association between exosome-encapsulated miR-548c-5p and outcomes of patients with CRC. In the current study, the expression of serum exosomal miR-548c-5p was investigated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Its correlation with CRC prognosis was estimated by Kaplan-Meier survival and log-rank tests. Cox regression analysis based on uni- and multivariate analyses was performed to estimate the relationship of exosome-encapsulated miR-548c-5p with the clinicopathological factors of patients with CRC. Reduced levels of serum exosomal miR-548c-5p were more significant in CRC patients with liver metastasis and at later TNM stage (III/IV tumor stages). Serum exosomal miR-548c-5p could inhibit the proliferation of CRC cells, while the precise molecular mechanisms warranted further elucidation. In addition, decreased levels of serum exosomal miR-548c-5p were independently associated with shorter overall survival in CRC adjusted by age, sex, tumor grade vascular infiltration, TNM stage (III/IV tumor stages) and metastasis (hazard ratio = 3.40, 95% confidence interval 1.02-11.27; P = 0.046). The downregulation of exosomal miR-548c-5p in serum predicts poor prognosis in patients with CRC. Exosomal miR-548c-5p may be a critical biomarker for CRC diagnosis and prognosis.

The system was used control cubic packaging machine was implemented by C8051F020 CMOS chip. It can be used to package cubic the object automatically on the stream lining. It include many functions, such as control temperature of five heater, control main motor, control motor of give material, control motor of give film and interface of people and machine. The system has a strong practical value.

This paper analyzes the per-reinforcing effects of composite foundation with a shield tunnel under-passing, and tries to find the regularity in soil foundation improvement under such conditions. The paper establishes piles-soil separation model using software FLAC3D in a finite difference method and research the influence of effective pile length and effective replacement rate on ground deformation under the condition of shield-driver tunnel excavation. there does exist the optimum reinforcement range about pile length and replacement rate between the surface and the top of tunnel. Moreover this can offer reference for similar projects to a certain extent.

Adhesive jet dispensing is widely used in many applications. To achieve nano, precise and efficient dispensing, an electromagnetic drive dispenser is proposed. In this paper, the characteristics of a sample electromagnetic drive dispenser are measured and analyzed. According to the specialties of the sample dispenser, several improved suggestions are given, and the improved results are verified by a simulation model.

The cytokine, macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), is encoded in a functionally polymorphic locus and subjects with high-expression MIF alleles are at an increased risk of inflammatory disease. Severe sepsis is the leading cause of death in intensive care units, and the prevailing hypothesis is that an excessive innate response contributes to its pathogenesis. To assess if MIF alleles influence the clinical course of infection, we conducted a case-control study to assess susceptibility and a parallel inception cohort study of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) to assess risk of severe sepsis and 90-d mortality. Two distinct polymorphisms in the MIF promoter were analyzed: a G/C transition at −173 and a CATT repeat at −794. The frequency of both polymorphisms was similar in the CAP cohort (n=1739) and controls (n=639); however, the 90-d mortality was lower for the high-expression C allele (P=0.003). This association remained significant after adjusting for demographics, comorbid conditions, and disease severity score [hazard ratio=0.64 (0.44–0.91), P=0.01]. The hazard ratio was similar in different geographic subcohorts, and the association remained significant after adjusting for false discovery. These data indicate that polymorphisms associated with higher MIF expression may have a beneficial effect in community-acquired pneumonia.—Yende, S., Angus, D. C., Kong, L., Kellum, J. A., Weissfeld, L., Ferrell, R., Finegold, D., Carter, M., Leng, L., Peng, Z.-Y., Bucala, R. The influence of macrophage migration inhibitory factor gene polymorphisms on outcome from community-acquired pneumonia.

Background Glutamine (GLN) has been shown to improve outcome after experimental and clinical models of critical illness. Enhanced expression of heat shock protein (HSP) has been hypothesized to be responsible for this protection. The heat shock response has been shown to inhibit inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene expression and nitric oxide (NO) production. This study tested the hypothesis that GLN-mediated activation of the HSP pathway is responsible for improved survival and attenuation of iNOS expression after an inflammatory cytokine-induced injury. Methods Heat shock factor-1 (HSF-1) wild-type and knockout mouse embryonic fibroblasts (HSF-1+/+ and HSF-1-/-) were used in all experiments. Cells were treated with 0 mmol/L or 8 mmol/L GLN and cytomix (tumor necrosis factor-alpha, lipopolysaccharide, and interferon-gamma) in a concurrent treatment model once they had reached confluence. Cell viability was assayed with MTS/PMS mixture. Apoptosis and necrosis were assayed via immunohistochemistry. iNOS and HSP-70 expression were detected via Western blotting. NO production was measured using the Griess reagent. Results GLN treatment significantly attenuated inflammatory cytokine-induced cell death and apoptosis in HSF-1+/+ cells vs 0 mmol/L GLN treatment; however, GLN's cellular protection was lost in HSF-1-/- cells. GLN supplementation attenuated cytomix-induced iNOS expression and NO production only in HSF-1+/+ cells. Further, GLN induced HSP-70 expression only in HSF-1+/+ cells. Conclusions This is the first demonstration that GLN-mediated cellular protection after inflammatory cytokine injury is due to HSF-1 expression and cellular capacity to activate an HSP response.

To compare the acute effects of 0.9% saline versus a balanced electrolyte solution on acute kidney injury in a rat model of sepsis.Controlled laboratory experiment.University laboratory.Sixty adult, male Sprague-Dawley rats.We induced sepsis by cecal ligation and puncture and randomized animals to receive fluid resuscitation with either 0.9% saline or Plasma-Lyte solution for 4 hours after 18 hours of cecal ligation and puncture (10 mL/kg in the first hour and 5 mL/kg in the next 3 hr). Blood and urine specimens were obtained from baseline, 18 hours after cecal ligation and puncture, immediately after 4 hours fluid resuscitation, and 24 hours later. We measured blood gas, plasma electrolytes, creatinine, interleukin-6, cystatin C, and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin concentrations. We also analyzed urine for cystatin C and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin. We used Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss and End-stage criteria for creatinine to assess severity of acute kidney injury. We observed all animals for survival up to 1 day after resuscitation. Surviving animals were killed for kidney histology. Finally, we carried out an identical study in 12 healthy animals.Compared with Plasma-Lyte, 0.9% saline resuscitation resulted in significantly greater blood chloride concentrations (p0.05) and significantly decreased pH and base excess. Acute kidney injury severity measured by RIFLE criteria was increased with 0.9% saline compared with Plasma-Lyte resuscitation (p0.05), and these results were consistent with kidney histology and biomarkers of acute kidney injury. Twenty-four-hour survival favored Plasma-Lyte resuscitation (76.6% vs 53.3%; p = 0.03). Finally, in healthy animals, we found no differences between fluids and no evidence of acute kidney injury.Volume resuscitation with Plasma-Lyte resulted in less acidosis and less kidney injury and improved short-term survival when compared with 0.9% saline in this experimental animal model of sepsis.

We highlight the need to combine information about hormone concentrations and tissue sensitivity when assessing control of physiological phenomena by plant hormones. A quantitative approach to this problem is suggested and the method illustrated using data for stomatal closure induced by abscisic acid. The technique requires accurate estimates of hormone concentration at the putative site of action and information about the kinetics of responses in the form of dose-response curves obtained under relevant conditions. Extending this approach, hormonal control is seen as relative, in that it must be considered against a background of other controlling influences. Possible means of evaluating this 'control potential' from dose-response curves are discussed. Finally, we draw together the above in an analytical framework for assessing hormonal control. This involves (1) matching observed and predicted responses; (2) studying effects of manipulating hormone concentration or sensitivity ; and (3) assessing the relative control potential of the compound of interest.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) often complicates sepsis in critically ill patients (1, 2), and is also an important predictor for outcome even in non-critically ill patients (3). In general, sepsis and likelihood of death appear to correlate with severity of AKI (4, 5). However, observations in humans reflect both the degree of functional impairment as measured by serum creatinine as well as the severity of the underlying insult causing the impairment. It is assumed that measures that improve kidney function will reduce kidney injury or conversely, therapies which worsen kidney function acutely must also increase kidney injury. These assumptions were analogous to the way heart failure was approached twenty years ago, as interventions for inhibition of cardiac contractility were contraindicated in congestive heart failure. The introduction of beta blockers as a treatment for heart failure shattered the existing paradigm that only measures to increase cardiac function would be beneficial (6). Our current AKI paradigm is similarly constrained and we are evaluating treatments solely on the basis of the degree to which maximum functional impairment is affected. Under this paradigm, even therapies which shorten AKI duration but transiently result in worse function would be rejected. Furthermore, the mechanisms of sepsis-induced AKI remain controversial (7-10). We have shown, in humans with community-acquired pneumonia, that AKI severity is associated with the degree of inflammatory response as measured by pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine activation (11). If, in sepsis, AKI occurs as a result of the cytotoxic effects of cytokines and other inflammatory mediators, then experimental models of sepsis showing greater cytokine activation should result in worse AKI (12). Bactericidal antibiotics are known to increase inflammation acutely by release of bacterial toxins (13-14). However, timing and appropriateness of antibiotics have also been shown to influence outcome in humans with sepsis (15) and are recommended as critical components of sepsis care bundles (15,16). We hypothesized that bactericidal antibiotics would result in increased inflammation and worse kidney function while still leading to improved survival and ultimately better organ function. This question is important because it asks whether AKI therapies can be solely evaluated on the basis of maximum functional impairment.

Short- and medium-term stresses (1 and 24 h, respectively) were applied to detached leaves of Commelina communis L., resulting in both cases in a final leaf cell water potential (ψ w ) of about -1.0 MPa and relative water content (RWC) of about 74%. A long-term stress (14 d), applied to intact plants, resulted in a final leaf cell Ψ w of -0.57 MPa and RWC of 90%. All the stresses resulted in lower leaf conductances (g i ) compared to controls, although temporary increases in g i were observed early in the short- and medium term stresses. When epidermal strips were incubated in vitro, the stomatal opening potential was reduced by the stresses, possibly due to lower initial apertures caused by the stress

The effect of extracorporeal blood purification on clinical outcomes in sepsis is assumed to be related to modulation of plasma cytokine concentrations. To test this hypothesis directly, we treated rats that had a cecal ligation followed by puncture (a standard model of sepsis) with a modest dose of extracorporeal blood purification that did not result in acute changes in a panel of common cytokines associated with inflammation (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10). Pre- and immediate post-treatment levels of these cytokines were unchanged compared to the sham therapy of extracorporeal circulation without blood purifying sorbent. The overall survival to 7 days, however, was significantly better in animals that received extracorporeal blood purification compared to those with a sham procedure. This panel of common plasma cytokines along with alanine aminotransferase and creatinine was significantly lower 72 h following extracorporeal blood purification compared to sham-treated rats. Thus, the effects of this procedure on organ function and survival do not appear to be due solely to immediate changes in the usual measured circulating cytokines. These results may have important implications for the design and conduct of future trials in sepsis including defining alternative targets for extracorporeal blood purification and other therapies.