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Carbon nanowires can be made via the insertion-and-fusion of short carbon chains inside carbon nanotubes, and carry H adatoms that can tune the electronic and magnetic properties of carbon chains upon the varied H positions in C–H nanoelectronics.

Background Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is commonly refractory. Epilepsy surgery is an effective treatment strategy for refractory epilepsy, but patients with a history of focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures (FBTCS) have poor outcomes. Previous network studies on epilepsy have found that TLE and idiopathic generalized epilepsy with generalized tonic-clonic seizures (IGE-GTCS) showed altered global and nodal topological properties. Alertness deficits also were found in TLE. However, FBTCS is a common type of seizure in TLE, and the implications for alertness as well as the topological rearrangements associated with this seizure type are not well understood. Methods We obtained rs-fMRI data and collected the neuropsychological assessment data from 21 TLE patients with FBTCS (TLE- FBTCS), 18 TLE patients without FBTCS (TLE-non- FBTCS) and 22 controls, and constructed their respective functional brain networks. The topological properties were analyzed using the graph theoretical approach and correlations between altered topological properties and alertness were analyzed. Results We found that TLE-FBTCS patients showed more serious impairment in alertness effect, intrinsic alertness and phasic alertness than the patients with TLE-non-FBTCS. They also showed significantly higher small-worldness, normalized clustering coefficient (γ) and a trend of higher global network efficiency (gE) compared to TLE-non-FBTCS patients. The gE showed a significant negative correlation with intrinsic alertness for TLE-non-FBTCS patients. Conclusion Our findings show different impairments in brain network information integration, segregation and alertness between the patients with TLE-FBTCS and TLE-non-FBTCS, demonstrating that impairments of the brain network may underlie the disruptions in alertness functions.

Currently, most epidemiological studies on haze focus on respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, etc. However, the relationship between haze and mental health has not been adequately explored. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of hazes on schizophrenia admissions and to further explore the potential interaction effect with the combined atmospheric oxidative indices (OWe collected 5328 cases during the cold season from 2013 to 2015 in Hefei, China. By integrating the Poisson Generalized Linear Models with the Distributed Lag Non-linear Models, the association between haze and schizophrenia admissions was evaluated. The interaction between hazes and two combined oxidation indexes was tested by stratifying hazes and OHaze was found to be significantly linked to an increased risk of hospitalization for schizophrenia, and a 9-day lag effect on schizophrenia (lag 3-lag 11), with the largest effect on lag 6 (RR = 1.080, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.046-1.116). Males, females, and40 y (people under 40 years old) were sensitive to hazes. Furthermore, in the stratified analysis, we found synergies between two combined oxidation indexes and hazes. The interaction relative risk (IRR) and relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI) between OOur findings suggest that exposure to haze significantly increases the risk of hospitalization for schizophrenia. More significant public health benefits can be obtained by prioritizing haze periods with high combined atmospheric oxidation capacity.

The carbon nanowires are defined as long linear carbon chains (LLCCs) or carbynes confined inside carbon nanotubes (CNTs). LLCCs were synthesized previously inside multi-walled CNTs (LLCCs@MWCNTs) and double-walled CNTs (LLCCs@DWCNTs). In this work, a feasible, efficient, controllable and scalable method was developed to mass-produce the smallest carbon nanowires (LLCCs@SWCNTs) consisting of LLCCs encapsulated inside single-walled CNTs (SWCNTs) with diameters of 0.70–0.95 nm. The polyynes were inserted into the open-ended SWCNTs, and then polyynes@SWCNTs were heated at 700 °C in argon gas. A combination of Raman spectra studies and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy observations demonstrated the formation of LLCCs@SWCNTs nanostructure. Density functional theory calculations and reactive molecular dynamics simulations indicated that the polyynes could fuse and grow to LLCCs inside the hollow space of SWCNTs. This work opened new avenues for exploring various physical properties of both LLCCs (carbyne) and LLCCs@SWCNTs, as well as their potential applications in nanoelectronics, nanomechanics and composite nanomaterials.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is widely found in industrial water and seawater. Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) caused by P. aeruginosa is a serious threat and damage to the safe service of steel materials. In this study, the MIC behavior of FeCoNiCrMn high-entropy alloy (HEA) by P. aeruginosa biofilm was investigated in the simulated marine medium. The maximum pitting depth of the HEA coupons in the P. aeruginosa-inoculated medium was ~4.77 μm, which was 1.5 times that in the sterile medium. EIS and potentiodynamic polarization results indicated that P. aeruginosa biofilm reduced the corrosion resistance of the passive film of HEA coupons and promoted its anodic dissolution process. XPS and AES results further demonstrated that P. aeruginosa interfered with the distribution of elements in the passive film and significantly promoted the dissolution of Fe.

To understand the related risk factors of occurrence and recurrence of hypertension and provide scientific basis for relevant departments to better guide prevention and control work.From September 2017 to September 2018, a prospective follow-up study was performed on patients with hypertension who visited the Second People's Hospital of Wuhu City, Anhui Province. Multivariate Cox regression was used to analyze influencing factors of stroke occurrence and recurrence in follow-up of hypertensive patients.A total of 769 hypertensive patients were enrolled in this study. The average age of hypertensive patients was 65.66 ± 11.70 years old and the BMI index was 24.99 ± 4.17. In this study, 769 patients with hypertension were followed up for 1 year, and the incidence of stroke was 14.69%. This study found that higher levels of blood glucose (RR = 2.027, 95% CI: 1.195-3.438), HCY (RR = 5.928,95% CI: 1.438-24.440), aggravated extent of carotid artery stenosis (RR = 2.620, 95% CI: 1.532-4.481), and drinking (RR = 3.867, 95% CI: 2.038-7.339) were risk factors, and maintaining exercise (RR = 0.325, 95% CI: 0.117-0.907) was a protective factor for stroke occurrence; however, aggravated extent of carotid artery stenosis (RR = 3.158, 95% CI: 1.797-5.550) and smoking (RR = 2.271, 95% CI: 1.142-4.517) were risk factors for stroke recurrence for hypertensive patients.For people with high blood pressure, it is necessary to exercise properly, control body weight, avoid obesity, quit smoking, reduce alcohol consumption, and reasonably control blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood lipid.

In this study, a durable superhydrophobic antibacterial coating was developed by a facile spraying method. A mixture of bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE) and hydrophobic SiO2 nanoparticles was sprayed on carbon steel to provide a superhydrophobic substrate. D-cysteine (D-cys) functionalized SiO2/dopamine/silver nanoparticles with multilayer core-shell structure were then sprayed on superhydrophobic substrate to enhance antibacterial performance. The results of morphology observation and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicated the successful preparation of antibacterial nanoparticles and presented the hierarchical micro/nanostructures of coating surface. The as-prepared coating exhibited superhydrophobicity, with the water contact angle of ~153°. The coating was endowed with good mechanical durability, which maintained the water contact angle of ~150° after 180 cycles in tape-peel tests. The results of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy showed satisfactory corrosion resistance of this coating during 3 days of immersion in 3.5% NaCl solution. Furthermore, the coating showed excellent antibacterial performances against Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which benefited from the synergistic actions of low wettability of superhydrophobic surface, bactericidal behavior of Ag nanoparticles, and biofilm inhibition effect of D-cys.

The synthesis of carbyne has remained an elusive goal for decades. One of the significant reasons is that high-purity and high-concentration hydrogen end-capped polyynes (C2nH2) as the most important model molecule and precursors for carbyne have been not widely prepared. Herein, we develop a facile and universal strategy to obtain high-purity and high-concentration C8-18H2 molecules using solid linear carbon chains with silver atom ending-capped (Ag2C8-18) as reaction precursors. The purified and concentrated C8-18H2 solution and Ag2C8-18 powder are evaluated by a combination of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, UV–vis–NIR spectroscopy and transmission electron microscope. These results confirm that the high-purity and high-concentration C2nH2 are obtained through the reaction of metal carbides solid and hydrogen chloride molecule. Our strategy for investigating unprotected linear carbon chains in solid and the successful preparation of high-concentration C2nH2 from solid carbides provide a new avenue for the research of linear carbon chains.

We aimed to explore the altered functional connectivity patterns within cerebello-cerebral circuits in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients with and without focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures (FBTCS). Forty-two patients with unilateral TLE (21 with and 21 without FBTCS) and 22 healthy controls were recruited. We chose deep cerebellar nuclei as seed regions, calculated static and dynamic functional connectivity (sFC and dFC) in the patients with and without FBTCS and healthy controls, and compared sFC and dFC among the three groups. Correlation analyses were used to assess relationships between the significantly altered imaging features and patient clinical parameters. Compared to the group without FBTCS, the FBTCS group showed decreased sFC between the right dentate nuclei and left hemisphere regions including the middle frontal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, superior medial frontal gyrus and posterior cingulate gyrus, and significantly increased dFC between the right interposed nuclei and contralateral precuneus. Relative to HCs, the FBTCS group demonstrated prominently decreased sFC between the right dentate nuclei and left middle frontal gyrus. No significant correlations between the altered imaging features and patient clinical parameters were observed. Our results suggest that the disrupted cerebello-cerebral FC might be related to cognitive impairment, epileptogenesis, and propagation of epileptic activities in patients with FBTCS.

To explore the circadian rhythm of sleep-wake and its relationship with anxiety and depression among medical students.A stratified cluster random sampling method was adopted in this study, 2231 medical students in grades 1 to 3 from a medical college in Wuhu City(1004 boys and 1227 girls, aged(19.09±1.13) years) were selected in November 2020. The sleep wake circadian chronotype and mental health of medical students were evaluated by the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire 19(MEQ-19), the Patient Health Questionnaire 2(PHQ-2), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale(GAD-2), respectively.The detection rates of evening chronotype, intermediate circadian chronotype, and morning chronotype were 59.84%(n=1335), 37.92%(n=846), and 2.24%(n=50), respectively. The detection rates of anxiety, depression, and anxiety combined with depression were 12.86%(n=287), 14.12%(n=315), and 9.59%(n=214), respectively. After adjusting for gender, age, grade, class performance in the last half semester, and learning burden, the result of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that compared with medical students with intermediate circadian chronotype, medical students with evening chronotype were more likely to have anxiety(OR_(adj. )=1.403, 95% CI 1.066-1.846, P=0.016) and depression(OR_(adj. )=1.639, 95% CI 1.251-2.146, Plt; 0.001).The detection rate of anxiety and depression in medical students is high. The circadian chronotype of medical students is mainly evening chronotype, which is a risk factor affecting anxiety and depression among medical students.

Objective: This meta-analysis evaluated the effectiveness of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) on accelerating orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) in clinical practice. Methods: Data from bilingual jo...

In order to clarify the reaction mechanism of co-gasification of biomass char and semi-coke, the gasification properties of bamboo reed char (BR), semi-coke (SC) and their blends were systematically studied by the non-isothermal thermogravimetry. The physicochemical properties of BR and SC were characterized in detail, the main factors affecting the co-gasification reaction were studied, and the gasification kinetics under CO2 environment were further investigated. The results show that the gasification reactivity of SC is lower than BR, which is due to the higher order degree of carbonaceous structure and the lower alkali metal content in the ash, and the addition of BR can significantly improve the gasification reaction performance. Meanwhile, the synergistic effect between BR and SC was evidenced by the experimental and theoretical results. The gasification process of different chars was described with three typical kinetic models: unreacted core model (URCM), volumetric model (VM) and random pore model (RPM). The findings show that the performance of RPM is better than URCM and VM, and there is a significant kinetic compensation effect in the co-gasification reaction of BR and SC through kinetic fitting.

Migratory insertion polymerization (MIP) of PFpR [PFp = (PPh2(CH2)3Cp)Fe(CO)2, R = (CH2)4CH═CH2 or (CH2)5CH3] (1) involved competitive MIP ring-closing polymerization and monomer cyclization (MC), ...

IntroductionKey populations such as men who have sex with men (MSM), drug users and sex workers are at high risk of HIV infection, but they are marginalised and hidden. Social network strategy (SNS) is purposeful to use social networks to generate social influence, accelerate behaviour change and achieve desirable outcomes among individuals or communities and have been increasingly used for HIV interventions. This study aims to investigate the effects of SNS on HIV prevention among key populations.MethodsWe searched six databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect and Wiley for randomised controlled trials published between January 1999 and May 2019. Eligibility criteria included SNS conducted among key populations for HIV interventions, with a comparator group. Outcomes included changes in HIV high-risk behaviour, HIV seroconversion and other HIV outcomes. We used the risk ratio (RR) or mean difference with associated 95% confidence interval (CI) to assess the comparative efficacy between SNS and control methods on the selected outcomes. The GRADE system was used to assess the quality of evidence for the studies.ResultsOf 2818 citations identified, 28 trails from 24 papers met the inclusion criteria. The results showed that SNS was associated with less unprotected intercourse (RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.86) and sex with multiple partners (0.46, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.65). Additionally, relative to the control methods, SNS significantly reduced HIV seroconversion (0.65, 95% CI 0.53 to 0.81), improved HIV testing uptake (1.11, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.15) and promoted participant retention (1.03, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.06) among key populations. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system showed that trails were of moderate quality.ConclusionsThis review provides evidence that SNS can reach key populations who are currently not being reached by existing programmes and deliver HIV interventions through social networks, which decreases HIV sexual risk behaviour and HIV incidence and increases HIV testing uptake and participant retention.Trial registration numberCRD42019140533.

Multi-walled Carbon nanowires (MWCNWs) made of long linear carbon chains inside multi-walled carbon nanotubes (LLCC@MWCNTs) have been successfully prepared by magnetic field enhanced hydrogen arc discharge. It has been found that introducing a static magnetic field into the conventional hydrogen arc discharge method can not only improve the growth yield but also expand the range of preparation parameters of MWCNW samples. Combining with the characterization and simulation, it can be summarized that the magnetic field helps to increase the arc plasma temperature which play an important role in the growth process of MWCNWs. The work presents a new convenient and practical approach to enhance the preparation of MWCNWs and will contribute to the further researches on the new one-dimensional allotrope.

ObjectiveTemporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) can be conceptualized as a network disease. However, the network characteristics in lateralization remain controversial.MethodsIn this study, resting-state functional MRI scans were acquired from 53 TLE patients [22 with left-side TLE (LTLE) and 31 with right-side TLE (RTLE)] and 37 matched healthy controls. We focused on the characteristics of static and dynamic functional connectivity, including static connectivity patterns and topological properties, as well as temporal properties of the dynamic connectivity state and the variability of the dynamic connectivity and network topological organization. Correlation analyses were conducted between abnormal static and dynamic properties and cognitive performances.ResultsThe static functional connectivity analysis presented a significantly decreased cortical-cortical connectivity pattern and increased subcortical-cortical connectivity pattern in RTLE. The global-level network in RTLE showed a significant decrease in global efficiency. The dynamic functional connectivity analysis revealed that RTLE patients exhibited aberrant connectivity states, as well as increased variability in the subcortical-cortical connectivity. The global-level network in RTLE revealed increased variance in global efficiency and local efficiency. The static or dynamic functional connectivity in LTLE did not show any significant abnormalities. The altered dynamic properties were associated with worsening cognitive performance in language and conceptual thinking by the TLE patients.ConclusionOur findings demonstrated the presence of abnormalities in the static and dynamic functional connectivity of TLE patients. RTLE patients exhibited more pronounced aberrant connectivity patterns and topological properties, which might represent a mechanism for reconfiguration of brain networks in RTLE patients. These observations extended our understanding of the pathophysiological network mechanisms of TLE.

The influence of outward extracellular electron transfer (EET) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in accelerating corrosion of 304 stainless steel was investigated. With less NO3− available as electron acceptor, P. aeruginosa biofilm accelerated the pitting corrosion. The ICP-MS and XPS results indicated that P. aeruginosa promoted the bioreductive dissolution of iron oxides in the passive film of stainless steel. Using in situ scanning electrochemical microscopy, we established a relationship between this accelerated deterioration of the passive film and the EET process mediated by the conversion of the redox states of pyocyanin secreted by P. aeruginosa.

Cu-bearing high-entropy alloys (HEAs) have been proposed for use as structural materials in the marine environment due to their superior mechanical and antimicrobial properties. However, the Al, Cu-enriched precipitations in HEAs damage their corrosion resistance. In this study, we used ultrasonic shot peening (USSP) technology to solve this problem. USSP caused severe plastic deformation of the Al0.3Cu0.5CoCrFeNi HEA surface and dispersed the long-strip Al, Cu-enriched phases into scattered dots, which reduced the galvanic corrosion of the HEA and enhanced passive film formation. The Al, Cu-enriched scattered precipitations also increased the number of Cu2+ ion dissolution sites, leading to the improvement of the alloy’s antibacterial properties.

BACKGROUND The present study was designed to investigate the effect of wogonin on Caov-3 and A2780 ovary cancer cell proliferation and the mechanisms involved. MATERIAL AND METHODS Cell viability changes and apoptosis induction by wogonin were assessed by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenytetrazolium bromide) assay and fluorescence microscopy. Morphological examination of cells was performed using transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS Wogonin exhibited inhibitory effect on Caov-3 and A2780 cancer cell proliferation in a concentration-based manner. Caov-3 and A2780 cell proliferation was reduced to 18% and 21%, respectively on treatment with 200 μM concentration of wogonin. Treatment with wogonin significantly enhanced the percentage of A2780 cells showing apoptosis. The nuclear membrane degradation and condensation of chromatin material was evident in A2780 cells on treatment with wogonin. Treatment of A2780 cells with wogonin suppressed the migration potential significantly. The proportion of A2780 cells in G1/G0 phase was markedly raised on exposure to wogonin for 48 hours. CONCLUSIONS In summary, this study demonstrated that wogonin acts as an ovary cancer cell proliferation inhibiting agent through activation of apoptosis. Wogonin, therefore, can be investigated further for the development of ovary cancer treatment.

Microbiologically influenced corrosion inhibition (MICI) of Q235 carbon steel by biomineralization was investigated via a combination of surface analysis, electrochemistry, and scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). The results showed that Shewanella putrefaciens used the cell walls as the nucleation sites to induce the formation of a protective biomineralized layers which contained calcite and extracellular polymeric substances on the steel surface. The potentiodynamic polarization results demonstrated that the corrosion current density (icorr value) of the biomineralized steel surface was 0.38 μA cm−2, which was less than one-tenth that of the blank steel in a sterile medium (4.86 μA cm−2) after 14 days. The biomineralized layers presented wear resistance and could self-repair after undergoing mechanical damage under microbial conditions as verified by morphological and SECM observations. This work reveals that microbial-induced carbonate biomineralization, as a MICI approach, may be considered as a reliable, low-cost, environmentally friendly corrosion inhibition strategy.

Visuospatial working memory (VSWM) impairment is common in patients with right temporal lobe epilepsy (rTLE). The posterior hippocampus is critical for spatial memory, but the contributions of the different subfields to VSWM deficits remain unclear. Forty-six rTLE patients and 42 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. Resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI) and structural MRI scans were administered, followed by a VSWM_Nback test. The right posterior hippocampus was automatically segmented, and the surface-based functional connectivity (SBFC) of the subiculum (Sub), CA1, CA3, dentate gyrus (DG), hippocampal tail, and right entorhinal cortex (EC) were compared between groups. Correlation analysis was performed between the altered SBFC and VSWM_Nback scores for rTLE patients. The results showed that rTLE patients underperformed in the VSWM_Nback test, with longer mean reaction time of accurate response (ACCmeanRT) in 0back and 2back condition, lower hit rate (HR) and higher false alarm rate (FAR) in 2back condition. Compared with HCs, the rCA3 in the rTLE group exhibited decreased SBFC with inferior parietal cortex (IPC), temporal lateral cortex (TLC), and posterior visual cortex (PVC) in the right hemisphere as well as the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). The SBFC of the rEC and right anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) increased in the rTLE group. Within the rTLE group, the decreased SBFC of the rCA3-rIPC and rCA3-rLTC were correlated with worse VSWM performance. Therefore, the decreased SBFC of the rCA3-rIPC and rCA3-rLTC might be the critical aberrant FC pattern reflecting VSWM impairment in rTLE patients. The mechanism might involve functional disruption between the core subsystem and the medial temporal subsystem of the default mode network (DMN).

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported that disturbance of endogenous circadian rhythms enhances the chance of hypertension and suggested that circadian clock genes could have a crucial function in the onset of the disease. This case-control study was aimed to investigate the association of the mRNA expression of aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator like (Arntl), clock circadian regulator (Clock), and period circadian regulators 1 and 2 (Per1 and Per2) with hypertension and blood pressure levels. METHODS: A total of 172 subjects were recruited in this study, including 86 hypertension and 86 nonhypertension controls. The mRNA expression levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The differences in Arntl, Clock, Per1, and Per2 mRNA expression were compared between the 2 groups, and the relationship between mRNA expression and cardiometabolic risk profiles was also assessed. RESULTS: We found that the mRNA expression of Arntl was downregulated in the hypertension cases compared with controls in women (1.10 [0.66, 1.71] vs. 1.30 [0.99, 2.06], p = 0.031). There was a significant negative correlation between the Arntl mRNA expression and SBP (r = −0.301, p = 0.004) and DBP (r = −0.222, p = 0.034) in women. In men, a negative correlation between the Per1 mRNA expression and SBP (r = −0.247, p = 0.026) was found. CONCLUSIONS: The Arntl mRNA expression may play an important role in progression of hypertension in women.

Microbial activities can change the properties of biofilm/metal interfaces to accelerate or decelerate the corrosion of metals in a given environment. Microbiologically influenced corrosion inhibition (MICI) is the inhibition of corrosion that is directly or indirectly induced by microbial action. Compared with conventional methods for protection from corrosion, MICI is environmentally friendly and an emerging approach for the prevention and treatment of (bio)corrosion. However, due to the diversity of microorganisms and the fact that their metabolic processes are greatly complicated by environmental factors, MICI is still facing challenges for practical application. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms of MICI under different conditions and their advantages and disadvantages for potential applications in corrosion protection.

Summary Background/objective To evaluate the three-dimensional (3D) changes of the upper airway in patients with Class II malocclusion treated with functional appliances (FAs). Search methods and eligibility criteria A comprehensive search of seven electronic databases was conducted from the date of inception to 12 July 2020. Manual search was also performed in relevant Chinese and English periodicals. Prospective and retrospective studies evaluating the 3D airway changes after FAs applied on growing patients with skeletal Class II malocclusion were included. Data collection and analysis Risk of bias assessment of each included study was performed referring to ROBINS-I. The effects of FAs on upper airway were evaluated by meta-analysis using STATA software. The outcome variables were the changes of oropharyngeal airway volumes (OAVs), nasopharyngeal airway volumes (NAVs), minimum cross-sectional area (MCA) and antero-posterior position of hyoid bone (HB). The overall quality of evidence for each outcome was rated based on Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation recommendations. Results Nine studies were ultimately included in the systematic review and five were included and analyzed in meta-analysis. The results indicated that the pooled mean differences among these studies were 2162.80 [95 per cent confidence interval (CI): 1264.97, 3060.62), 382.20 (95 per cent CI: 140.95, 623.44), 59.91 (95 per cent CI: 41.45, 78.38), and 0.63 (95 per cent CI: −1.97, 3.23) for changes of OAVs, NAVs, MCA, and antero-posterior position of HB, respectively. Conclusion Weak evidence suggests that FAs can increase OAVs, NAVs, and MCA in growing patients with Class II malocclusion. Weak evidence also suggests that antero-posterior position of HB cannot be affected by FAs. Further studies are necessary to assess the stability of its effect on the upper airway in the long term. Registration The review protocol was not registered prior to the study.

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is one of the most common focal epilepsies. Some patients with TLE have ictal panic (IP), which is often confused with panic attack (PA) in panic disorder (PD). Previous studies have described temporal lobe epilepsy with ictal panic (TLEIP), but the specific mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to investigate local brain abnormalities in patients with TLEIP and tried to find neural markers to explore the mechanism of IP in patients with TLE.A total of 40 patients with TLE, including 28 patients with TLE and 12 patients with TLEIP along with 30 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were included. We collected clinical/physiological/neuropsychological and rs-fMRI data. Fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and degree centrality (DC) were calculated. ANOVA was used to find different areas and t-tests used to compare differences among fALFF, ReHo, and DC. Correlation analyses explored the relationship between local brain abnormalities and patient characteristics.No significant differences in age and gender were found among the three groups, nor were there differences in education level, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) between the TLEIP and TLE groups. All the onset sites of patients with TLEIP were on the right. In addition to fear, other symptoms observed included nausea, palpitations, rising epigastric sensation, and dyspnea. There were no correlations between duration of IP and HAMA (p = 0.659). Moreover, all IP durations were2 min and most1 min. Compared to the HCs group, the ReHo value of the TLEIP group in the right middle frontal gyrus was significantly decreased (GRF correction, two-tailed, voxel level P 0.005, cluster level P 0.05). Compared to the HCs and TLE groups, the DC value of the TLEIP group in the left middle temporal gyrus (MTG) was significantly increased (GRF correction, two-tailed, voxel level P 0.005, cluster level P 0.05). No regions showed any significant fALFF difference between HCs and TLE groups (GRF correction, two-tailed, voxel level P 0.005, cluster level P 0.05).This research describes local brain abnormalities in patients with TLE presenting as IP. These results will be preliminarily conducive to understand the seizure mechanism of IP in patients with TLE, find out the MRI neural markers, and to further explore the neurophysiological mechanisms of IP in patients with TLE.

The influence of D-cysteine (D-cys) on the microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) of 304 stainless steel caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa was investigated in this work. Immersion tests in the sterile and P. aeruginosa-inoculated culture media with different D-cys concentrations were carried out. The results showed that the addition of D-cys inhibited the formation of P. aeruginosa biofilms on stainless steel surfaces. D-cys itself did not affect the corrosion of stainless steel but could decrease the corrosion rate of MIC of stainless steel caused by P. aeruginosa. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis and scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) analysis indicated that the biofilm inhibition effect of D-cys greatly reduced the destructive effect of the adhered P. aeruginosa cells on the passive film of the stainless steel, thus inhibiting the MIC of the stainless steel.

The influence of NaCl concentration on microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) of Q235 carbon steel by the halophilic archaeon Natronorubrum tibetense was investigated by immersion tests and electrochemical measurements. An increase in NaCl concentration from 0 g/mL to 0.1 g/mL promoted the anodic dissolution of carbon steel and accelerated its corrosion, but MIC did not occur. A further increase in NaCl concentration to 0.2 g/mL led to MIC in inoculated medium, and the occurrence of the MIC resulted in further aggravation of carbon steel corrosion. Once the NaCl concentration reached 0.3 g/mL, the high concentration of chloride ions greatly interfered with the adsorption of dissolved oxygen and the attachment of N. tibetense cells to the surface of carbon steel, thus reducing the corrosion rate of carbon steel and inhibiting the MIC.

In this study, a high aluminum and chromium Fe-B-C coating was prepared using laser cladding on 2Cr13 steel substrate. The microstructure, microhardness, and wear resistance of the high aluminum and chromium Fe-B-C coating were investigated. The results show that this dense coating possesses good metallurgical bond with the substrate. The microstructure is mainly composed of &alpha, (Fe, Cr, Al) lath martensite, orthorhombic M2B boride, orthogonal M3C2, and orthorhombic M7C3 carbides. The microhardness of the coating can reach 620 HV which is 3.3-times higher than that (190 HV) of the substrate. The coating shows a lower friction coefficient of 0.75 than that of the substrate (1.08). The wear rates of the substrate and the coating are 0.295 mg/min and 0.103 mg/min, respectively, indicating the coating exhibits excellent wear resistance. The wear mechanism transforms severe adhesive wear and abrasive wear of the substrate to slight abrasive wear of the coating. The results can provide technical support to improve the properties of the Fe-based laser cladded coating.

Uric acid (UA), the end product of purine nucleotide metabolism, participates in the processes of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Experimental evidence suggests it is an important mediator in the physiological response to blood pressure increase.To evaluate the association between serum UA levels and pre-hypertension and hypertension in a Chinese population.A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to September 2017, and 1,138 participants aged 35 to 75 were enrolled in this study, where 223 normotensive, 316 pre-hypertensive, and 599 hypertensive subjects were selected to evaluate the association between serum UA levels and hypertension. A p-value0.05 was considered statistically significant.Serum UA levels were significantly higher in the pre-hypertension and hypertension group compared to the control group in the entire population (p0.05 for all). Quantitative trait analysis indicated that serum UA levels were (2.92±0.81, 3.06±0.85, 3.22±0.98 mg/d) linearly increased in normotensive, pre-hypertensive and hypertensive females, with a p value of 0.008. Serum UA levels in the quartiles were positively correlated with DBP (p0.05), particularly in females. After adjusting for age, gender, body mass index (BMI), glucose (GLU), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of pre-hypertension from the lowest (referent) to the highest levels of serum UA were 1.718 (1.028-2.872), 1.018 (0.627-1.654) and 1.738 (1.003-3.010). Additionally, the second quartile of serum UA levels were significantly associated with hypertension, with an OR (95% CI) of 2.036 (1.256-3.298).This study suggests that higher serum UA levels are positively associated with pre-hypertension and hypertension among Chinese adults.O ácido úrico (AU), produto final do metabolismo dos nucleotídeos das purinas, participa dos processos de doenças metabólicas e cardiovasculares. Evidências experimentais sugerem que o ácido úrico é um mediador importante na resposta fisiológica ao aumento da pressão arterial.Avaliar a associação entre os níveis séricos de AU e pré-hipertensão e hipertensão em uma população chinesa.Conduziu-se um estudo transversal entre março e setembro de 2017, e 1.138 participantes com idades entre 35 e 75 anos foram incluídos neste estudo, onde 223 normotensos, 316 pré-hipertensos e 599 hipertensos foram selecionados para avaliar a associação entre níveis séricos de AU e hipertensão. Considerou-se um valor de p0,05 estatisticamente significativo.Os níveis séricos de AU foram significativamente maiores no grupo pré-hipertensão e hipertensão em comparação com o grupo controle em toda a população (p0,05 para todos). A análise quantitativa das características indicou níveis séricos de AU (2,92±0,81, 3,06±0,85, 3,22±0,98 mg/d) linearmente aumentados em mulheres normotensas, pré-hipertensas e hipertensas, com um valor de p de 0,008. Os níveis séricos de AU nos quartis correlacionaram-se positivamente com a PAD (p0,05), principalmente em mulheres. Após o ajuste para idade, sexo, índice de massa corporal (IMC), glicose (GLI), colesterol total (CT), triglicerídeos (TG), colesterol HDL (lipoproteína de alta densidade), as razões de chances ( odds ratios — ORs) e intervalos de confiança (IC) de 95% da pré-hipertensão, dos níveis séricos de AU mais baixos (referentes) aos mais altos foram 1,718 (1,028–2,872), 1,018 (0,627–1,654) e 1,738 (1,003–3,010). Além disso, o segundo quartil dos níveis séricos de AU esteve significativamente associado à hipertensão, com uma OR (IC 95%) de 2,036 (1,256–3,298).O presente estudo sugere que níveis séricos mais elevados de AU estão positivamente associados à pré-hipertensão e hipertensão entre adultos chineses.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the gasification properties of biomass chars obtained under different conditions by using non-isotherm thermogravimetric method. The physical and chemical structure features were also systematically studied. It shows that the gasification reactivities decrease with increasing pyrolysis temperature, and the gasification reactivities for the chars obtained under different atmosphere conditions are in the order of N2 char > CO2 char > CO char > H2 char. The gasification reactivities of the chars are mostly depend on the carbonaceous structure. Three nth-order represented gas-solid models, i.e. Random pore model (RPM), Unreaction core model (URCM) and Volumetric model (VM), were used to describe the reactive behaviors, and it indicates that the RPM is more suitable than the other two models.

In this work, different modes of scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) were employed to study the biofilm morphology, oxygen concentration distribution and Fe2+ oxidation metabolism during the microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) of 304 stainless steel caused by the thermoacidophilic archaeon Metallosphaera cuprina. The results of in situ SECM study suggested that the decrease in the concentration of organic nutrients forced the M. cuprina biofilms to use Fe2+ as an electron donor and consume more Fe2+ from the pitting corrosion, which accelerated anodic dissolution and led to aggravated pitting corrosion of stainless steel.

The role of metabolic catalase in microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) of 304 stainless steel by Natronorubrum tibetense was investigated. Under sterile condition, the catalase concentration in the culture medium had no effect on the corrosion of stainless steel. In contrast, the addition of catalase in the inoculated culture medium resulted in more severe pitting corrosion of stainless steel. The potentiodynamic polarization results demonstrated that catalase mainly promoted the cathodic process of MIC of the stainless steel. Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) further confirmed the accelerating effect of catalase on the cathodic oxygen reduction reaction of MIC.

As a paper-like membrane composed of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT), buckypaper possesses high conductivity, ideal flexibility, large surface area, great thermal/chemical stability and biocompatibility, which has manifested its potential as an alternative support material. However, due to the lack of defects, high quality SWCNT synthesized by arc-discharge method is difficult to be modified with metal nanoparticles for electro-catalysis. In this paper, a novel green strategy has been developed to fabricate SWCNT buckypaper decorated with Cu/reduced graphene oxide (Cu/rGO-BP) for the first time, in which graphene oxide functions as the intermediate between SWCNT and Cu nanoparticles. The fabricated Cu/rGO-BP was applied as a flexible electrode for electrochemical glucose detection. The electrode exhibited excellent electro-catalytic activity for glucose oxidation. The sensor based on Cu/rGO-BP performed a high upper limit of linear range (25 mM), which is close to commercial glucose sensors. The proposed strategy for Cu/rGO-BP fabrication can be extended to modify buckypaper with other metal or metal oxide nanoparticles, and thus opens an innovative route to potential practical applications of flexible buckypaper in wearable bioelectronics.

This paper briefly reviews the limitations of traditional accident analysis methods used in complex technical system accidents. By constructing the six-hierarchy accident analysis model, the accident causal factors are divided into two parts: the social system and the technical system, and the two parts subdivided into six hierarchies. By analyzing the communication and the control between the various hierarchies, the accident analysis steps of the complex social technology system based on the six-hierarchy accident analysis model are established to discover the deep-seated causes of the accident.

We report a facile synthesis of silver nanorods/nanowires with the diameter in the range of sub-20 nm via seeded growth. The key to the success of this work relies on the use of tiny Au seeds and manipulation over reaction kinetics. In particular, their diameter could be controlled to as small as 12 nm using 5-nm spherical Au seeds. They can be further converted to trimetallic (Au@Ag-Pd) hollow derivatives with tunable hollow degree and elemental compositions by galvanic replacement reaction.

The microbiologically influenced corrosion of a FeCoCrNiMo0.1 high-entropy alloy (HEA) by Pseudomonas aeruginosa was investigated. Compared to uncorroded samples in sterile medium, pitting corrosion was found on HEA surfaces after 14 day-immersion in inoculated medium. Electrochemical tests, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy demonstrated that the passive film was weaken and thinned by the P. aeruginosa biofilm. In the presence of biofilms, selective dissolution occurred on the HEA, particularly when the organic nutrient was insufficient. When the organic nutrient was reduced from 100% to 10% in the medium, the amount of dissolved iron increased from 188.4 to 712.9 μg/L.

Patients treated with the cisplatin often develop strong resistance to the drug after prolonged treatments, ultimately resulting in limited clinical efficacy. One of the possible mechanisms is that the internalized compound may be inactivated before getting access to the nucleus where cisplatin forms a complex with the genomic DNA and triggers a cell death program. However, the nature and intracellular fate of inactivated cisplatin is poorly illustrated. In the present study, we reported for the first time the presence of platinum nanoparticles (Pt-NPs) in the cytoplasm of cells treated with cisplatin. Further analysis also evidenced a correlation of the increased intracellular Pt-NPs formation with cisplatin resistance, and confirmed the process was glutathione S-transferase relevant. Our data suggest that tumor cells may develop cisplatin resistance by converting the drug into less toxic intracellular Pt-NPs, thereby impeding the drug from targeting its substrates.

Preclinical Research The Aurora family of serine/threonine kinases plays important roles in process of cell division or mitosis. Overexpression of Aurora A, B, and C has been identified in many human cancers including colon carcinoma cells. To date, a number of small molecular inhibitors have been developed for reducing Aurora kinases activities of tumor cells in preclinical and clinical trials. In this study, we describe the properties of AM-005, a novel and orally active Aurora A/B kinase inhibitor. AM-005 irreversibly inhibited the proliferation and levels of phospho-Histone H3 in human colon carcinoma cell lines. Defective mitosis was also visualized in AM-005-treated HT29 cells by microscopy. Flow cytometric analysis showed that AM-005 induced the accumulation of HT29 cells with >4N DNA content in a time or concentration-dependent manner, and HT29 cells underwent severe apoptosis at 72 h. Moreover, AM-005 given intragastrically led to suppression of the proliferative response in the xenograft model of colon carcinoma. These results indicate the utility of AM-005 as a promising noncytotoxic agent for treating human colon carcinoma.