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Abstract Background The aim of this study was to explore the efficacy of a novel intramedullary fixation technique using the ortho-bridge system (OBS) for midshaft clavicle fractures. Methods A total of 63 patients were included in this study: 35 underwent plate internal fixation (LP group) and 28 underwent OBS intramedullary fixation (OBS group). Surgical time, intraoperative blood loss, incision length, fracture healing time, removal of the internal fixation agent, visual analog scale (VAS) score for shoulder pain, Constant–Murley shoulder score and complication occurrence were compared between the two groups. Results Preoperative general data, such as sex, age and fracture type, were not significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.05). However, the OBS group exhibited better outcomes than the LP group exhibited in terms of surgical time, intraoperative blood loss and total incision length (P 0.05). None of the patients in the OBS group experienced scarring of the surgical incision, and 6 patients in the LP group experienced scarring of the surgical incision. Finally, the complication incidence in the OBS group was lower than that in the LP group. Conclusion For midshaft clavicle fractures, OBS intramedullary fixation is better than locking-plate internal fixation because it led to less trauma, a faster recovery, better efficacy, and better esthetic outcomes and comfort. Therefore, this technique may have potential as a novel treatment for midshaft clavicle fractures. Level of evidence: III, retrospective observational study.

IntroductionPeanut production is being increasingly threatened by water stress with the context of global climate change. Film mulching have been reported to alleviate the adverse impact of drought on peanut. Lower phosphorus use efficiency is another key factor limiting peanut yield. Application of iron-modified and phosphorus-loaded biochar (BIP) has been validated to enhance phosphorus utilization efficiency in crops. However, whether combined effect of film mulching and BIP could increase water use efficiency and enhance peanut production through regulating soil properties and root morphologies needs further investigation.MethodsA two-year (2021-2022) pot experiment using a split-plot design was conducted to investigate the effects of phosphorus fertilizer substitution using BIP on soil properties, root morphology, pod yield, and water use of peanut under film mulching. The main plots were two mulching methods, including no mulching (M0) and film mulching (M1). The subplots were four combined applications of phosphorus fertilizer with BIP, including conventional phosphorus fertilizer rates (PCR) without BIP, P1C0; 3/4 PCR with 7.5 t ha-1 BIP, P2C1; 3/4 PCR with 15 t ha-1 BIP, P2C2; 2/3 PCR with 7.5 t ha-1 BIP, P3C1; 2/3 PCR with 15 t ha-1 BIP, P3C2.Results and discussionThe results indicated that regardless of biochar amendments, compared with M0, M1 increased soil organic matter and root morphology of peanut at different growth stages in both years. In addition, M1 increased peanut yield and water use efficiency (WUE) by 18.8% and 51.6%, respectively, but decreased water consumption by 25.0%, compared to M0 (two-year average). Irrespective of film mulching, P2C1 increased length, surface area, and volume of peanut root at seedling by 16.7%, 17.7%, and 18.6%, at flowering by 6.6%, 19.9%, and 29.5%, at pod setting by 22.9%, 33.8%, and 37.3%, and at pod filling by 48.3%, 9.5%, and 38.2%, respectively (two-year average), increased soil pH and organic matter content during peanut growing season, and increased soil CEC at harvest. In general, the M1P2C1 treatment obtained the optimal root morphology, soil chemical properties, WUE, and peanut yield, which increased peanut yield by 33.2% compared to M0P1C0. In conclusion, the combination of film mulching with 7.5 t ha-1 BIP (M1P2C1) effectively improved soil chemical properties, enhanced root morphology of peanut, and ultimately increased peanut yield and WUE.

Estimating ecological environmental flow in tidal rivers is one of the major challenges for sustainable water resource management in estuaries and river basins. This paper presents an ecological environmental flow framework that was developed to accommodate highly dynamic medium tidal estuaries found along the Yellow Sea coast of China. The framework not only proposes a method of water quality-based ecological flow for tidal gate-controlled rivers but also proposes a method of water demand for scouring and silting to protect ports in coastal viscous sediment environments. The framework integrates the instream water requirements of water quality, sediment and basic ecological flow, and considers the temporal and spatial variation differences for the environmental flow requirements of tidal rivers. This study emphasizes the significance and necessity of continuous monitoring of ecological data in determining the environmental flow of tidal rivers. The output of this study could provide vital references for decision-making and management of the water resource allocation and ecological protection in tidal rivers. HIGHLIGHTS This study develops an ecological environmental flow framework for highly dynamic medium tidal estuaries.; This study suggests a method of water quality-based ecological flow for tidal gate-controlled rivers.; This study proposes a method of water demand for scouring and silting.;

The rapid industrialization and urbanization in China have exacerbated air pollution, particularly PM2.5, posing significant threats to public health. This study focused on Lianyungang, an industrial city, to analyze the spatiotemporal variations in PM2.5 concentrations from 2000 to 2023 and identify the influencing factors. Utilizing high-resolution PM2.5 data from the ChinaHighPM2.5 dataset and ERA5 meteorological data, the study employed Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis to capture spatial variability and the Bayesian Estimator of Abrupt Change Seasonal and Trend (BEAST) to assess long-term trends and abrupt changes. The key findings include a marked seasonal pattern, with higher PM2.5 levels during the winter months and lower concentrations in the summer, primarily driven by temperature, humidity, and precipitation. A significant decline in PM2.5 levels was observed after 2014, following the implementation of pollution control measures. The study underscores the importance of continued environmental regulation and green technology adoption in mitigating air pollution in rapidly industrializing cities. This research provides a comprehensive analysis of PM2.5 trends and highlights the critical role of natural and human factors, contributing valuable insights for policymakers and researchers aiming to improve air quality.

Abstract Background The purpose of current retrospective study was to review the surgical methods and to evaluate the clinical efficacy of supporting plate for the treatment of vertical medial malleolus fractures on the basis of stable fixation of ipsilateral fibula. Methods This retrospective study included a total of 191 patients with vertical medial malleolus fractures. Patients enrolled were divided into simple vertical medial malleolus fractures and complex types of fractures. General demographic information and surgical information, including age, sex, surgical procedure and postoperative complications, were collected. The functional prognosis of patients was evaluated by American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society Ankle-Hindfoot Score (AOFAS) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Result Among patients with simple vertical fractures, the respective incidence of internal fixation failure in screw group, buttress plate group, and screw combined buttress plate fixation group (combined fixation group) was 10/61 (16.4%),1/54 (7.4%) and 1 (1.9%), and the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.024). The incidence of abnormal fracture growth and healing in screw group, buttress plate group and combined fixation group was, respectively, 13/61 (21.3%), 6/54 (12.5%) and 2 (3.85%), with statistically significant difference (P = 0.019). In the patients with complex types of fractures, after 2 years of postoperative follow-up, the AOFAS score and VAS score of the following subgroups had good results: 91.18 ± 6.05 and 2.18 ± 1.08 in patients with joint surface collapse, and 92.50 ± 4.80 and 2.50 ± 1.29 in patients with tibial fractures, with 100% excellent and good rate. Conclusion For simple and complex vertical medial malleolus fractures, buttress plate showed excellent fixation. Despite poor wound healing and extensive soft tissue dissection with this approach, buttress plate may provide a novel insight into medial malleolar fractures, especially for extremely unstable medial malleolar fractures.

Abstract Background A locking compression plate (LCP) of the distal femur is used as an external fixator for lower tibial fractures. However, in clinical practice, the technique lacks a standardized approach and a strong biomechanical basis for its stability. Methods In this paper, internal tibial LCP fixator (Group IT-44), external tibial LCP fixator (Group ET-44), external distal femoral LCP fixator (Group EF-44, group EF-33, group EF-22), and conventional external fixator (Group CEF-22) frames were used to fix unstable fracture models of the lower tibial segment, and anatomical studies were performed to standardize the operation as well as to assess the biomechanical stability and adjustability of the distal femoral LCP external fixator by biomechanical experiments. Results It was found that the torsional and flexural stiffnesses of group EF-44 and group EF-33 were higher than those of group IT-44 and group ET-44 (p 0.05); and the compressive stiffness of all three EF groups was higher than that of group ET-44 (p 0.05). Group CEF-22 showed the highest stiffnesses, while group ET-44 had the lowest stiffnesses (P

Abstract To determine the heavy metal(loid)s (HMs) contamination of agricultural soil in hotbed chives hometown of Tangchang, 788 topsoil samples were collected and analyzed for their heavy metal(loid)s concentration. The index of geo-accumulation (Igeo), pollution index (PI) and potential ecological risk index (EI i ) were used to assess the degree of pollution. Correlation analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to determine the sources of soil HMs. Human health risks estimated with hazard index (HI) and carcinogenic risk (CR) indices based on ingestion, inhalation and dermal exposure pathways for adults and children. The mean values of Cd, Hg, As, Pb, Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn were 0.221, 0.155, 9.76, 32.2, 91.9, 35.2, 37.1 and 108.8 mg kg−1, respectively, which did not exceed the threshold values of the risk screening value for soil contamination. The potential ecological risk of soil heavy metal(loid)s was low level and there was no significant human health risk. Based on PCA, Pb and Hg may originate from transportation and atmospheric deposition, Zn, Cr and Ni may originate from natural sources and industrial activities, and Cu and Cd may originate from agricultural activities. Overall, from the perspective of HMs content, the soil quality in this study area was at a clean level. This study provides a reference and a basis for formulating effective measures to prevent and control HMs enrichment in agricultural soils.

Background: Since lobaplatin (LBP) has been approved to treat metastatic breast cancer in China, this study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of LBP-based chemotherapy in clinical practice. Methods: This trial was a prospective, open-label, multicenter phase IV clinical trial that enrolled patients with unresectable locally advanced or recurrent/metastatic breast cancer from 34 sites between July 2013 and March 2017. Patients were treated with LBP monotherapy or in combination for four to six cycles. The primary endpoint was safety. Secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), and disease control rate (DCR). Results: A total of 1179 patients were analyzed; 59 (5.0%) were treated with LBP alone, 134 (11.4%) with LBP plus paclitaxel, 263 (22.3%) with LBP plus docetaxel, 237 (20.1%) with LBP plus gemcitabine, 403 (34.2%) with LBP plus vinorelbine, and 83 (7.0%) with other LBP-based regimens. The overall incidence of adverse events (AEs) was 95.2%, and 57.9% of patients had grade >3 AEs. The most common grade >3 AEs were neutropenia (43.9%), leukopenia (39.4%), anemia (17.8%), and thrombopenia (17.7%). LBP monotherapy showed the lowest incidence of grade >3 AEs (39.0%), followed by LBP plus docetaxel (52.9%), LBP plus paclitaxel (59.0%), LBP plus vinorelbine (62.5%), and LBP plus gemcitabine (62.9%). The ORR and DCR were 36.8 and 77.0%, respectively. The median PFS was 5.5 months (95% confidence interval: 5.2–5.9). Conclusion: LBP-based chemotherapy shows favorable efficacy in patients with advanced breast cancer, with manageable safety profile. Trial registration: This trial was registered with ChiCTR.org.cn, ChiCTR-ONC-13003471.

When choosing a third-party cloud storage platform, the confidentiality of data should be the primary concern. To address the issue of one-to-many access control during data sharing, it is important to encrypt data with an access policy that enables fine-grained access. The attribute-based encryption scheme can be used for this purpose. Additionally, attribute-based proxy re-encryption (ABPRE) can generate a secret key using the delegatee’s secret key and access policy to re-encrypt the ciphertext, allowing for one-to-many data sharing. However, this scheme still has some flaws, such as low efficiency, inability to update access rules, and private data leakage. To address these issues, we proposed a scheme that combines attribute-based encryption (ABE) and identity-based encryption (IBE) to achieve efficient data sharing and data correctness verification. We also integrated this scheme with blockchain technology to ensure tamper-proof and regulated data storage, addressing issues such as data tampering and lack of supervision on third-party servers. Finally, to demonstrate the security of our scheme, we evaluated the communication overhead and computation overhead. Our results showed that our scheme is more efficient than other schemes and is secure against chosen plaintext attacks with verifiable properties.

The oxidation/weathering of molybdenite (MoS2) is too slow to be monitored, even under pure oxygen and high temperatures, while it proceeds rapidly through humid air. The adsorption of water molecules on molybdenite is necessary for the wet oxidation/weathering of molybdenite. Therefore, we employ kinetic Monte Carlo modeling to clarify the adsorption isotherm, site preferences and kinetics of water on different surfaces of molybdenite. Our results indicate that (1) the adsorption capacity and adsorption rate coefficient of H2O on the (110) surface are significantly larger than those on the (001) surface at a temperature of 0~100 °C and a relative humidity of 0~100%, suggesting that the (110) surface is the predominant surface controlling the reactivity and solubility of molybdenite in its interaction with water; (2) the kinetic Monte Carlo modeling considering the adsorption/desorption rate of H2O, dissociation/formation rate of H2O and adsorption/desorption of dissociated H indicates that the adsorption and dissociation of H2O on the (110) surface can be completed in one microsecond (ms) at 298 K and in wet conditions; (3) the adsorption and dissociation of H2O on molybdenite are not the rate-limiting steps in the wet oxidation/weathering of molybdenite; and (4) kinetic Monte Carlo modeling explains the experimental SIMS observation that H2O and OH (rather than H+/H− or H2O) occupy the surface of MoS2 in a short time. This study provides new molecular-scale insights to aid in our understanding of the oxidation/weathering mechanism of molybdenite as the predominant mineral containing molybdenum in the Earth’s crust.

Emerging evidence addresses the link between the aberrant epigenetic regulation of gene expression and numerous diseases including neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Huntington’s disease (HD). LncRNAs, a class of ncRNAs, have length of 200 nt or more, some of which crucially regulate a variety of biological processes such as epigenetic-mediated chromatin remodeling, mRNA stability, X-chromosome inactivation and imprinting. Aberrant regulation of the lncRNAs contributes to pathogenesis of many diseases, such as the neurological disorders at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. In this review, we highlight the latest research progress on the contributions of some lncRNAs to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases via varied mechanisms, such as autophagy regulation, Aβ deposition, neuroinflammation, Tau phosphorylation and α-synuclein aggregation. Meanwhile, we also address the potential challenges on the lncRNAs-mediated epigenetic study to further understand the molecular mechanism of the neurodegenerative diseases.

This paper presents a novel spiking neural network (SNN) classifier architecture for enabling always-on artificial intelligent (AI) functions, such as keyword spotting (KWS) and visual wake-up, in ultra-low-power internet-of-things (IoT) devices. Such always-on hardware tends to dominate the power efficiency of an IoT device and therefore it is paramount to minimize its power dissipation. A key observation is that the input signal to always-on hardware is typically sparse in time. This is a great opportunity that a SNN classifier can leverage because the switching activity and the power consumption of SNN hardware can scale with spike rate. To leverage this scalability, the proposed SNN classifier architecture employs event-driven architecture, especially fine-grained clock generation and gating and fine-grained power gating, to obtain very low static power dissipation. The prototype is fabricated in 65 nm CMOS and occupies an area of 1.99 mm2. At 0.52 V supply voltage, it consumes 75 nW at no input activity and less than 300 nW at 100% input activity. It still maintains competitive inference accuracy for KWS and other always-on classification workloads. The prototype achieved a power consumption reduction of over three orders of magnitude compared to the state-of-the-art for SNN hardware and of about 2.3X compared to the state-of-the-art KWS hardware.

In recent years, with the rapid development of industrial technology, industrial materials have also begun to develop in more and more refined directions. Nanotechnology is one of the most developed core technologies in industrial technology, and these characteristics of nanomaterials make them shine in many fields, especially in the field of construction. Nowadays, conventional materials still have the problems of heavy weight and high thermal conductivity as thermal insulation materials for external walls. At the same time, it has outstanding performance that conventional materials do not have. Nanomaterials are widely used in various fields with rapid growth due to their many excellent properties and have produced huge economic benefits and social significance. This article describes the basic characteristics of nanomaterials, including surface effects, quantum size effects, small size effects, and macroscopic quantum tunneling effects. As nanomaterials and nanotechnology become more and more mature, the research on architectural coatings in our country has been slightly strengthened. Nanomaterials have a huge impact on future economic development and have become the most promising objects in the current material field. The experimental results prove that the foaming ability of nanomaterials is much better than that of ordinary materials, and the fault tolerance rate of the cement paste is also the highest. This can also positively show that the relationship between nanotechnology and construction engineering is getting closer and closer, and the combination of nanomaterials and construction materials shows people the broad prospects of construction materials for the development of ecological construction materials that improve the living environment and improve the quality of life.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common form of dementia, is highly prevalent in older adults. The main clinical feature is the progressive decline of memory function, which eventually leads to the decline of cognitive function. At present, the pathogenesis of AD is unclear. In the disease process, synaptic changes are the key. Recent studies have shown that the dysregulation of RNA methylation is related to many biological processes, including neurodevelopment and neurodegenerative diseases. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant modification in eukaryotic RNA. In this study, RNA m6A methylation was quantified in APP/PS1 transgenic mice, which is an AD mouse model, and C57BL/6 control mice, and data showed that m6A methylation was elevated in the cortex and the hippocampus of APP/PS1 transgenic mice. Next, the alterations of m6A RNA methylation in AD and in C57BL/6 mice were investigated using high-throughput sequencing. Genome-wide maps of m6A mRNA showed that the degrees of m6A methylation were higher in many genes and lower in others in AD mice. Interestingly, the expression of the m6A methyltransferase METTL3 was elevated and that of the m6A demethylase FTO was decreased in AD mice. The data were analyzed by gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses, and pathways that might be related to synaptic or neuron development and growth were constructed. The related pathways and genes predicted the potential roles of the differentially expressed m6A methylation RNA in AD. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that the m6A methylation of RNA promotes the development of AD.

Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. Amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) deposition is a major neuropathologic feature of AD. When unfolded or misfolded proteins accumulate in mitochondria, the unfolded protein responses (UPRmt) is initiated. Numerous lines of evidence show that AD pathogenesis involves mitochondrial dysfunction. However little is known about whether the UPRmt is engaged in the process of AD development. In this study, we investigated the UPRmt in mouse and cell models of AD. We found that UPRmt was activated in the brain of 3 and 9 months old APP/PS1 mice, and in the SHSY5Y cells after exposure to Aβ25–35, Aβ25–35 triggered UPRmt in SHSY5Y cells could be attenuated upon administration of simvastatin or siRNA for HMGCS-1 to inhibit the mevalonate pathway, and or upon knocking down Serine palmitoyltransferase long chain subunit 1 (SPTLC-1) to lower sphingolipid biosynthesis. We observed that inhibition of UPRmt aggravated cytotoxic effects of Aβ25–35 in SHSY5Y cells. Our research suggests that the UPRmt activation and two pathways necessary for this response, and further provides evidence for the cytoprotective effect of UPRmt during the AD process.

This paper presents a detailed investigation into the contributions of different sound sources to the exterior noise of a high-speed train both experimentally and by simulations. The in situ exterior noise measurements of the high-speed train, including pass-by noise and noise source identification, are carried out on a viaduct. Pass-by noise characteristics, noise source localizations, noise source contributions of different regions, and noise source vertical distributions are considered in the data analysis, and it is shown how they are affected by the train speed. An exterior noise simulation model of the high-speed train is established based on the method of ray acoustics, and the inputs come from the array measurements. The predicted results are generally in good agreement with the measurements. The results show that for the high-speed train investigated in this paper, the sources with the highest levels are located at bogie and pantograph regions. The contributions of the noise sources in the carbody region on the pass-by noise increase with an increasing distance, while those in the bogie and train head decrease. The source contribution rates of the bogie and the lower region decrease with increasing train speed, while those of the coach centre increase. At a distance of 25 m, the effect of the different sound sources control on the pass-by noise is analysed, namely, the lower region, bogie, coach centre, roof region, and pantograph. This study can provide a basis for exterior noise control of high-speed trains.

Objective: This review assessed evidence on the impact of prior coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) on outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for chronic total occlusions (CTO). Methods: PubMed, CENTRAL, Embase, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar databases were searched from 1st January 1980 up to 10th January 2022 for studies assessing outcomes of CTO-PCI in patients with and without prior-CABG. Results: Eight studies were included. The meta-analysis demonstrated significantly reduced odds of procedural success in patients with prior history of CABG (OR: 0.51 95% CI: 0.41, 0.64 I²=84% p<0.00001). There was a tendency of increased in-hospital mortality (OR: 1.72 95% CI: 0.97, 3.04 I²=26% p=0.06) and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) (OR: 1.30 95% CI: 0.99, 1.69 I²=0% p=0.05), along with a significantly increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI) (OR: 2.56 95% CI: 1.65, 3.97 I²=0% p<0.0001) and coronary perforation (OR: 1.52 95% CI: 1.03, 2.24 I²=70% p=0.04) in patients with history of CABG. There was no difference in the risk of stroke, pericardial tamponade, major bleeding, vascular access complications, and renal failure. Conclusion: Our results suggest that patients with prior history of CABG undergoing PCI for CTO have a 49% reduced chance of procedural success. Such patients are at an increased risk of in-hospital mortality, MACE, MI, and coronary perforation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the active sites of heteroatoms in carbon matrix is highly desired to design advanced Zn-ion hybrid capacitors (ZICs) with high charge storage capability. Herein, N, B dual doped carbon nanosheet covering network (BN-SCN) superstructures were successfully prepared by simply pyrolysis of volatile ethanolamine in the presence of boric acid. The intermediated product formed between ethanolamine and boric acid can prevent the ethanolamine from evaporating during the pyrolysis process. Benefiting from the N and B enriched reactants, the resulting samples have a high level of heteroatoms (6.04 at % B and 9.73 at % N), which afford sufficient pseudo-capacitance to boost the specific capacity. Consequently, the as-assembled aqueous ZIC device yielded a high capacity of 133.8 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1, high specific energy of 107 W h kg−1, and an outstanding power output of 16 kW kg−1 . The ex situ XPS analysis results confirm a reversible transformation of the configuration of oxygen functional groups, which can offer additional pseudo-capacitance. Except for nitrogen functional groups, the presence of abundant B containing functional groups can further enhance the chemical absorption/desorption of Zn2+ ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capacitive deionization (CDI) is an energy-efficient and eco-friendly technology for purifying waste water. However, enhancing the volumetric desalination capacity and rate capability, based on a rational design strategy and deep understanding of the structure-performance relationship of electrode materials, remains a huge challenge. In this work, a hollow carbon bowl (HCB) was prepared as an advanced electrode material for CDI applications. The HCB electrode exhibits a superior volumetric desalination capacity (SACV) of 3.6 mg cm3 and a fast salt-removal rate with a gravimetric desalination capacity (SACG) of 21.8 mg g1. Combining the experimental results and finite element simulations, we demonstrate that the obtained promising CDI performance of the HCB is attributed to its structural merits, where the small cavities of the HCB efficiently increase the packing density of electrodes and the ultra-thin carbon shells of the HCB substantially facilitate ion transport. This work paves a way for miniaturizing future CDI devices based on developing structure-enhanced electrodes with high volumetric desalination capacity and fast ion transport kinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the impact of intensive mining on pollution of heavy metals in aqueous environment, water samples and seven sediment profiles adjacent to REE mine, iron mine, and V-Ti magnetite mine at Anning River, southwest China were collected and analyzed. Our study reveals that: (1) no significant pollution in water near mining regions of Maoniuping REE and Lugu iron mines were observed,(2) most outliers of As, Cd, Ni, Pb, Zn, and Cu in water are distributed at sites near towns not mining regions, except Cr that has been detected only in downstream waters near the V-Ti magnetite mine, because Cr was enriched in V-Ti magnetite mine and existed as oxyanions in water so that CrO42- can be preserved longer than heavy metals existing as cations in alkaline water,(3) although these trace elements in sediment profiles indicated significantly decreased recently, most heavy metals in sediment of Anning River were considerably higher than local background values,(4) source identification of heavy metals in sediment near mining regions is complicated, because the natural contribution from undeveloped ore can also increase content of heavy metals in sediment which cannot be directly assigned as anthropogenic activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing number of microRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, as well as additional therapeutic tools, in skeletal diseases. Recent studies have established the pathophysiological role of miR-214, using human osteoporotic bone specimens. However, miR-214 expression levels and the underlying regulatory mechanism in human osteosarcoma remain unclear. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to examine the expression of miR-214 in human osteosarcoma tissues and cells. Transfection of the cells with either a miR-214 expressing-plasmid, m imic or i nhibitor was performed, i n order to investigate the role of miR-214 in osteosarcoma. In this study, miR-214 was shown to be significantly increased in the majority of 15 examined osteosarcoma tissues and in the Saos-2 human osteosarcoma cell line. Overexpression of miR-214 in Saos-2 cells induced cell proliferation, while inhibition of miR-214 promoted Saos-2 cell apoptosis in vitro. Furthermore, ectopic expression of miR-214 markedly promoted osteosarcoma development in a subcutaneous xenotransplantation model in BALB/c athymic nude mice. The role of miR-214 in osteocarcinogenesis was further investigated and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) was determined to be a direct target of miR-214 in Saos-2 cells. The proliferation-promoting effect of PTEN knockdown was similar to that of miR-214 overexpression. This study revealed that miR-214 exerted a crucial role in promoting osteosarcoma progression and this suggests that modulation of miR-214 levels may provide a novel therapeutic approach in cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common malignant bone tumor in children and young adults, the early symptoms and signs of which are non-specific. The discovery of microRNAs (miRNAs) provides a new avenue for the early diagnosis and treatment of OS. miR-126 has been reported to be highly expressed in vascularized tissues, and is recently widely studied in cancers. Herein, we explored the expression and significance of miR-126 in OS. Using TaqMan RT-PCR analysis, we analyzed the expression of miR-126 in 32 paired OS tumor tissues and 4 OS cell lines and found that miR-126 was consistently under-expressed in OS tissues and cell lines compared with normal bone tissues and normal osteoblast cells (NHOst), respectively. As miR-126 is significantly decreased in OS tissues and cell lines, we sought to compensate for its loss through exogenous transfection into MG-63 cells with a miR-126 mimic. Ectopic expression of miR-126 inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and induced apoptosis of MG-63 cells. Moreover, bioinformatic prediction suggested that the sex-determining region Y-box 2 (Sox2) is a target gene of miR-126. Using mRNA and protein expression analysis, luciferase assays and rescue assays, we demonstrate that restored expression of Sox2 dampened miR-126-mediated suppression of tumor progression, which suggests the important role of miR-126/Sox2 interaction in tumor progression. Taken together, our data indicate that miR-126 functions as a tumor suppressor in OS, which exerts its activity by suppressing the expression of Sox2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, one-dimensional and layered parallel folding of cobalt oxalate nanostructures have been selectively prepared by a one-step, template-free, water-controlled precipitation approach by simply altering the solvents used at ambient temperature and pressure. Encouragingly, the feeding order of solutions played an extraordinary role in the synthesis of nanorods and nanowires. After calcination in air, the as-prepared cobalt oxalate nanostructures were converted to mesoporous Co3O4 nanostructures while their original frame structures were well maintained. The phase composition, morphology, and structure of the as-obtained products were studied in detail. Electrochemical properties of the Co3O4 electrodes were carried out using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge--discharge measurements by a three-electrode system. The electrochemical experiments revealed that the layered parallel folding structure of mesoporous Co3O4 exhibited higher capacitance compared to that of the nanorods and nanowires. A maximum specific capacitance of 202.5 F g -1 has been obtained in 2 M KOH aqueous electrolyte at a current density of 1 A g-1 with a voltage window from 0 to 0.40 V. Furthermore, the specific capacitance decay after 1000 continuous charge-discharge cycles was negligible, revealing the excellent stability of the electrode. These characteristics indicate that the mesoporous Co3O4 nanostructures are promising electrode materials for supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous SnO2 nanostructures with controlled shapes were synthesized by a facile morphologi- cally conserved transformation from SnC2O4 precursor approach. Well-defined SnC2O4 nanostructures can be obtained through a solution-based precipitation process at ambient conditions without any surfactant. The formation mechanism of such microstructures was tentatively proposed on the basis of intrinsic crystal struc- ture and the reaction conditions. We found that the morphologies of precursor were well maintained while numerous pores were formed during the annealing process. The combined techniques of X-ray diffraction, ni- trogen absorption-desorption, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and (high-resolution) transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the as-prepared SnO2 products. Moreover, cyclic voltammetry (CV) study shows that the shape of CV presents a current response like roughly rectangular mirror images with respect to the zero-current line without obvious redox peaks, which indicating an ideal capacitive behavior of the SnO2 electrodes. The photoluminescence (PL) spectrum study suggests that the as-obtained porous SnO2 nanostructures might have a large number of defects, vacancies of oxygen, and local lattice disorder at the interface, interior and exterior surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various techniques have been developed in the past to measure the different parameters in two-phase flow. Among them, the multi-sensor conductivity probe is one of the most commonly used techniques because of its good overall performance. Recently, more advanced techniques, such as high-speed optical imaging and fast x-ray densitometry, have matured and become easily accessible. The main objective of this work is to compare and integrate these different techniques, to achieve a more accurate and complete measurement of two-phase flow. In this study, a double-sensor conductivity probe is used to measure the local time-averaged parameters along the radial direction of a 2.54 cm ID round pipe. An x-ray densitometry system is used to measure the chordal averaged void fraction and gas velocity. A high-speed camera system is employed to provide a visualization of the two-phase flow structure and obtain the line-averaged gas velocity. The unique advantages and main uncertainties of these three techniques are analyzed by considering their measuring principles and possible issues in practical measurements. From this, a method is developed to integrate the data obtained by the optical and x-ray systems into the probe signal processing. Better accuracy can be achieved using this method for various local two-phase flow parameters, including the void fraction, bubble velocity and superficial gas velocity, compared to the original probe measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]