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Abscisic acid (ABA)-based chemically induced proximity (CIP) is primarily mediated by the interaction of the ABA receptor pyrabactin resistance 1-like 1 (PYL1) and the 2C-type protein phosphatase ABI1, which confers ABA-induced proximity to their fusion proteins, and offers precise temporal control of a wide array of biological processes. However, broad application of ABA-based CIP has been limited by ABA response intensity. In this study, we demonstrated that ABA-induced interaction between another ABA receptor pyrabactin resistance 1 (PYR1) and ABI1 exhibited higher ABA response intensity than that between PYL1 and ABI1 in HEK293T cells. We engineered PYR1-ABI1 and PYL1-ABI1 into ABA-induced transcriptional activation tools in mammalian cells by integration with CRISPR/dCas9 and found that the tool based on PYR1-ABI1 demonstrated better ABA response intensity than that based on PYL1-ABI1 for both exogenous and endogenous genes in mammalian cells. We further achieved ABA-induced RNA m6A modification installation and erasure by combining ABA-induced PYR1-ABI1 interaction with CRISPR/dCas13, successfully inhibiting tumor cell proliferation. We subsequently improved the interaction of PYR1-ABI1 through phage-assisted continuous evolution (PACE), successfully generating a PYR1 mutant (PYR1m) whose interaction with ABI1 exhibited a higher ABA response intensity than that of the wild-type. In addition, we tested the transcriptional activation tool based on PYRm-ABI1 and found that it also showed a higher ABA response intensity than that of the wild type. These results demonstrate that we have developed a novel ABA-based CIP and further improved upon it using PACE, providing a new approach for the modification of other CIP systems.

The integration of 7 Tesla (7T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with advanced multimodal artificial intelligence (AI) models represents a promising frontier in neuroimaging. The superior spatial resolution of 7TMRI provides detailed visualizations of brain structure, which are crucial forunderstanding complex central nervous system diseases and tumors. Concurrently, the application of multimodal AI to medical images enables interactive imaging‐based diagnostic conversation. In this paper, we systematically investigate the capacity and feasibility of applying the existing advanced multimodal AI model ChatGPT‐4V to 7T MRI under the context of brain tumors. First, we test whether ChatGPT‐4V has knowledge about 7T MRI, and whether it can differentiate 7T MRI from 3T MRI. In addition, we explore whether ChatGPT‐4V can recognize different 7T MRI modalities and whether it can correctly offer diagnosis of tumors based on single or multiple modality 7T MRI. ChatGPT‐4V exhibited accuracy of 84.4% in 3T‐vs‐7T differentiation and accuracy of 78.9% in 7T modality recognition. Meanwhile, in a human evaluation with three clinical experts, ChatGPT obtained average scores of 9.27/20 in single modality‐based diagnosis and 21.25/25 in multiple modality‐based diagnosis. Our study indicates that single‐modality diagnosis and the interpretability of diagnostic decisions in clinical practice should be enhanced when ChatGPT‐4V is applied to 7T data. In general, our analysis suggests that such integration has promise as a tool to improve the workflow of diagnostics in neurology, with a potentially transformative impact in the fields of medical image analysis and patient management. Fifteen patients were randomly selected and received state‐of‐the‐art preoperative and postoperative glioma workups. Preoperative examination including conventional 3 T and 7 T MR imaging and amino acid positron emission tomography imaging were presented to the ChatGPT‐4V. Two neurosurgeons and one radiologist compared with the postoperative pathological diagnosis and scored ChatGPT's output.

Objectives:The aim of this study was to investigate the ameliorative effect of platycodin D (PD) on cognitive dysfunction in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its potential molecular mechanisms of action in vivo and in vitro. Materials and methods:An animal model of cognitive impairment in T2DM was established using a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (100 mg/kg) after 8 weeks of feeding a high-fat diet to C57BL/6 mice. In vitro, immunofluorescence staining and Western blot were employed to analyze the effects of PD on glucose-induced neurotoxicity in mouse hippocampal neuronal cells (HT22). Results:PD (2.5 mg/kg) treatment for 4 weeks significantly suppressed the rise in fasting blood glucose in T2DM mice, improved insulin secretion deficiency, and reversed abnormalities in serum triglyceride, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein levels. Meanwhile, PD ameliorated choline dysfunction in T2DM mice and inhibited the production of oxidative stress and apoptosis-related proteins of the caspase family. Notably, PD dose-dependently prevents the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, promotes phosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase and protein kinase B (Akt) in vitro, activates glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) expression at the Ser9 site, and inhibits Tau protein hyperphosphorylation. Conclusions:These findings clearly indicated that PD could alleviate the neurological damage caused by T2DM, and the phosphorylation of Akt at Ser473 may be the key to its effect.

The Line laser gear measuring center (LLGMC) is an innovative gear measurement equipment that offers high efficiency but low accuracy. One crucial factor that influences its measurement accuracy is the presence of geometric errors. In this study, we conducted a thorough analysis of these geometric errors and proposed a method for modeling spatial errors. Instead of directly considering the geometric errors, we replaced them with the installation errors of the gear and line laser probe. This approach simplifies and improves the error transmission relationship. Subsequently, the installation errors are converted into a unified representation of the height error of the incident light from the line laser. A spatial error model that considers nine installation errors is then further established. By numerically calculating the sensitivity of different error sources, we effectively identified the errors that have a significant impact on the accuracy of LLGMC. Moreover, accuracy distribution is carried out to ensure that LLGMC can meet the measurement accuracy requirements for gears with a tolerance class of 6. This article provides a theoretical foundation for the structural design and accuracy assurance of LLGMC during the research and development phase.

Poly(glycerol monomethacrylate) (PGMA) prepared by reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization was investigated as an additive for high-loading iron oxide nanoparticle (IOP) 3D printable inks. The effect of adjusting the molar mass and loading of PGMA on the rheology of IOP suspensions was investigated, and an optimized ink formulation containing 70% w/w IOPs and 0.25% w/w PGMA98at pH 10 was developed. This ink was successfully 3D printed onto various substrates and into several structures, including rectangles, high aspect ratio cylinders, letters, spiral- and comb-shaped structures, and thin- and thick-walled toroids. The effect of sintering on the mechanical properties of printed artifacts was investigated via four-point flexural and compressive testing, with higher sintering temperatures resulting in improved mechanical properties due to changes in the particle size and microstructure. The printed toroids were fabricated into inductors, and their electrical performance was assessed via impedance spectroscopy at a working frequency range of 0.001–13 MHz. There was a clear trade-off between electrical properties and sintering temperature due to a phase change between γ-Fe2O3and α-Fe2O3upon heating. Nevertheless, the optimized devices had a Qfactor of ∼40 at 10 MHz, representing a superior performance compared to that of other inductors with iron oxide cores previously reported. Thus, this report represents a significant step toward the development of low-cost, fully aqueous, high loading, and 3D printable ceramic inks for high-performance inductors and functional devices.

Exploring nonlinear optical (NLO) materials with short ultraviolet cutoff edges are significant for developing an all-solid-state laser. Here, a noncentrosymmetric zinc fluoride hydrate, ZnF2(H2O)4, was synthesized by a hydrothermal method. It crystallizes in the polar space group of Pca21. The compound consists of the central Zn2+combined with F–and coordination water to form the [ZnF2(H2O)4] octahedra, and each octahedron is isolated from each other to form a 0-dimensional structure. As an acentric compound, ZnF2(H2O)4shows a phase-matchable second-harmonic-generation (SHG) activity with an intensity about 0.5 times that of KH2PO4. More attractively, it also shows a short ultraviolet cutoff edge below 200 nm, which is rare in reported halide hydrate systems. Interestingly, from ZnF2to ZnF2(H2O)4, the partial substitution of the coordinated F atoms by H2O molecules leads to the structural transformation from centric to acentric with SHG activity off to on. Structural analyses, NLO activity, and theoretical calculations are presented in this work.

Automatic guided vehicles are widely used in various types of warehouses including the automated container terminals. This paper provides a decision framework for port managers to design and schedule automatic guided vehicle routing plans under time-varying traffic conditions. A large number of computational experiments on a grid graph are conducted to validate the efficiency of the proposed decision framework. We also proposed one efficient queueing rule in automatic guided vehicle routing scheduling. Although the complexity of the problem is high, computational results show that our proposed decision framework can provide high quality solutions within a relatively short computation time.

Magnetic Resonance Elastography (MRE) can characterize biomechanical properties of soft tissue for disease diagnosis and treatment planning. However, complicated wavefields acquired from MRE coupled with noise pose challenges for accurate displacement extraction and modulus estimation. Using optimization-based displacement extraction and Traveling Wave Expansion-based Neural Network (TWENN) modulus estimation, we propose a new pipeline for processing MRE images. An objective function with Dual Data Consistency (Dual-DC) has been used to ensure accurate phase unwrapping and displacement extraction. For the estimation of complex wavenumbers, a complex-valued neural network with displacement covariance as an input has been developed. A model of traveling wave expansion is used to generate training datasets for the network with varying levels of noise. The complex shear modulus map is obtained through fusion of multifrequency and multidirectional data. Validation using brain and liver simulation images demonstrates the practical value of the proposed pipeline, which can estimate the biomechanical properties with minimal root-mean-square errors when compared to state-of-the-art methods. Applications of the proposed method for processing MRE images of phantom, brain, and liver reveal clear anatomical features, robustness to noise, and good generalizability of the pipeline.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the gold standard for evaluating body composition. However, the reference ranges have not been established. Three lean tissue and seven adipose tissue parameters based on MRI data from the UK Biobank were used in this study. Participants with European ancestry and data on at least one parameter were screened. Age‐ and sex‐specific percentile curves were generated using the lambda–mu–sigma method. Three levels of reference ranges were provided, which were equivalent to the mean ± 1 standard deviation (SD), 2 SDs and 2.5 SDs. The final analysis set for each parameter ranged from 4842 to 14 148 participants (53.4%–56.6% women) with a median age of 61. For lean tissue parameters, compared with those at age 45, the median total lean tissue volume and total thigh fat‐free muscle volume at age 70 were 2.83 and 1.73 L, and 3.02 and 1.51 L lower in men and women, respectively. The median weight‐to‐muscle ratios at age 45 were 0.51 and 0.83 kg/L lower compared with those at age 70 in men and women, respectively. Adipose tissue parameters showed inconsistent differences. In men, the median muscle fat infiltration, visceral adipose tissue (VAT) volume, total abdominal adipose tissue index and abdominal fat ratio were 1.48%, 0.32 L, 0.08 L/m2and 0.4 higher, and the median abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (ASAT) volume and total adipose tissue volume were 0.47 and 0.41 L lower, respectively, at age 70 than at age 45. The median total trunk fat volume was approximately 9.53 L at all ages. In women, the median muscle fat infiltration and VAT volume were 1.68% and 0.76 L higher, respectively, at age 70 than at age 45. The median ASAT volume, total adipose tissue volume, total trunk fat volume, total abdominal adipose tissue index and abdominal fat ratio were 0.35 L, 0.78 L, 1.12 L, 0.49 L/m2and 0.06 higher, respectively, at age 60 than at age 45. The medians of the former three parameters were 0.33 L, 0.14 L and 0.20 L lower, at age 70 than at age 60. The medians of the latter two parameters were approximately 3.64 L/m2and 0.55 at ages between 60 and 70. We have established reference ranges for MRI‐measured body composition parameters in a large community‐dwelling population. These findings provide a more accurate assessment of abnormal adipose and muscle conditions.

Glioblastoma is the most common type of primary brain tumor, which has a high recurrence rate and a high mortality rate. Immunotherapy shows promise in cancer therapy due to its capacity to manipulate the immune system to attack tumor cells with less toxic and durable immune responses. However, the low immunogenicity and limited immune cell infiltration in a glioblastoma lead to a weakened antitumor immune response, resulting in suboptimal therapeutic efficacy. A compelling solution is provided by oncolytic adenovirus (OAs), which can selectively replicate within tumor cells while simultaneously promoting antitumor immunity. Herein, we constructed an oncolytic adenovirus reservoir (OAR) by shocking OA-loaded tumor cells in liquid nitrogen to eliminate proliferation and pathogenicity. OARs showed sustained OAs release and effectively lysed tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. In a mouse intracranial glioblastoma model, OARs could efficiently induce dendritic cells’ maturation, facilitate the tumor recruitment, and promote the infiltration of cytotoxic effector T lymphocytes via a single treatment, resulting in specific antitumor immune responses and long-term animal survival. Taken together, these results demonstrated that OAR is a promising synergistic therapeutic strategy for treating glioblastoma.

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cie.2009.08.001 Byline: Zhi-Ping Fan (a), Qi Yue (a), Bo Feng (a)(b), Yang Liu (a) Keywords: Group decision-making (GDM); Uncertain preference ordinal; Collective probability matrix; Optimization model; Alternative-ranking Abstract: The aim of this paper is to develop an approach to solving group decision-making problems, where the preference information on alternatives provided by experts is in the form of uncertain preference ordinals. In this paper, firstly, we give several definitions on uncertain preference ordinal. Then, to process uncertain preference ordinals, a decision matrix in the form of probabilities is constructed. Based on the decision matrix, a collective probability matrix on alternatives with regard to ranking positions is constructed. Furthermore, an optimization model is built based on the collective probability matrix, and the ranking of alternatives can be obtained by solving the model. Finally, two examples are used to illustrate the use of the proposed approach. Author Affiliation: (a) Department of Management Science and Engineering, School of Business Administration, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110004, China (b) Department of Decision Science, School of Business Administration, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China Article History: Received 23 January 2009; Revised 30 June 2009; Accepted 8 August 2009 Article Note: (footnote) [star] This manuscript was processed by Area Editor Imed Kacem.

Here, a dual-mode quenched electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunosensor based on PtPd@PDA was proposed. Among them, nitrogen-doped hydrazide conjugated carbon dots (NHCDs), as an ECL emitter and a donor of resonance energy transfer, were quenched by PtPd@PDA (receptor). At the same time, PDA in PtPd@PDA, as an oxygen radical scavenger, completed the further quenching of the ECL signal by consuming O2•–generated by the decomposition of co-reactant H2O2. The dual-mode quenching from the above two channels was achieved. In addition, compared with the traditional carbon quantum dots, NHCDs as ECL emitters had lower excitation potential. Moreover, a large number of amino groups provided by aminated MWCNTs could capture more antibodies while connecting with NHCDs. Under the optimum experimental conditions, taking aflatoxin B1 as the target, the proposed sensor with good specificity, stability, and reproducibility had good linearity when the concentration of AFB1 was 0.01–100 ng/mL, with the detection limit of 2.63 pg/mL (S/N = 3). This strategy provided more possibilities for the application of dopamine metal nanocomposites in electrochemiluminescence analysis and offered a new approach to detect AFB1.

Two-dimensional heteronuclear chemical shift correlation experiments (HETCOR) under magic angle spinning (MAS) can provide the isotropic chemical shift and the proximity of different nuclei. The establishment of heteronuclear correlations is mainly achieved via cross-polarization (CP) in solid samples, relying on the through-space dipolar couplings. As a result, such an experiment typically suffers from severe limitations for the multiphase materials containing rigid and mobile components with significant mobility contrast, where the signals of mobile components in HETCOR spectra are often lost due to the efficient averaging of dipolar couplings by the fast molecular motions. Herein, we propose novel one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) HETCOR experiments, enabling sequential acquisition of 1D 13C and 2D HETCOR spectra of both rigid and mobile components in a single experiment, respectively, leading to significant experimental time saving. Particularly, CP and the heteronuclear Overhauser effect are used for 1H → 13C polarization transfer in rigid and mobile components, respectively, both enabling signal enhancement and particularly remote heteronuclear chemical shift correlations, in addition to the chemical bonding information. The proposed experiments were first demonstrated on a small-molecular model system, glycine and adamantane mixture, and then on two typical polymer systems, including a poly(methyl methacrylate)/polybutadiene (PMMA/PB) blend and polyurethane (PU). Due to the dynamic selectivity of this experiment, it can also be used for the fast chemical shift resonance assignments and dynamics-based spectral editing of multiphase materials. We envisage that such an approach can be quite useful for structural elucidation and thus reveal the interplay of structures and dynamics in multiphase materials.

Polymer/graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposite particles were prepared viaheteroflocculation between 140–220 nm cationic latex nanoparticles and anionic GO nanosheets in either acidic or basic conditions. It is demonstrated that nanocomposite particles can be formed using either poly(2-vinylpyridine)-b-poly(benzyl methacrylate) (P2VP–PBzMA) block copolymer nanoparticles prepared by reversible-addition chain-transfer (RAFT)-mediated polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA), or poly(ethylene glycol)methacrylate (PEGMA)-stabilized P2VP latexes prepared by traditional emulsion polymerization. These two latexes are different morphologically as the P2VP–PBzMA block copolymer latexes have P2VP steric stabilizer chains in their corona, whereas the PEGMA-stabilized P2VP particles have a P2VP core and a nonionic steric stabilizer. Nevertheless, both the P2VP–PBzMA and PEGMA-stabilized P2VP latexes are cationic at low pH. Thus, the addition of GO to these latexes causes flocculation to occur immediately due to the opposite charges between the anionic GO nanosheets and cationic latexes. Control heteroflocculation experiments were conducted using anionic sterically stabilized poly(potassium 3-sulfopropyl methacrylate)-b-poly(benzyl methacrylate) (PKSPMA–PBzMA) and nonionic poly(benzyl methacrylate) (PBzMA) nanoparticles to demonstrate that polymer/GO nanocomposite particles were not formed. The degree of flocculation and the strength of electrostatic interaction between the cationic polymer latexes and GO were assessed using disc centrifuge photosedimentometry (DCP), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and UV–visible spectrophotometry. These studies suggest that the optimal conditions for the formation of polymer/GO nanocomposite particles were GO contents between 10% and 20% w/w relative to latex, with the latexes containing P2VP in their corona having a stronger electrostatic attraction to the GO sheets.

Study design: Retrospective case series.Object: To evaluate the outcomes of a head frame reduction and atlantoaxial arthrodesis technique for the treatment of reducible basilar invagination (BI) and atlantoaxial dislocation (AAD).Methods: Seventy-two reducible BI and AAD cases who were treated with the head frame reduction and atlantoaxial arthrodesis technique from June 2015 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Radiological measurements including the atlantodental interval (ADI), the height of odontoid process above Chamberlain line, Wackenheim line, clivus-canal angle (CCA) and JOA score were evaluated.Results: There was no death in this series. The follow-up period ranged from 6 to 32 months (mean: 21.2 months). Radiological, complete or 90% reduction was attained and complete decompression was demonstrated in all patients. The CCA increased from 123.22 ± 8.36 preoperatively to 143.05 ± 8.79 postoperatively (P < 0.01). There was no patient found postoperative dysphagia. Neurological improvement was observed in all patients, with the JOA scores increasing from 12.53 ± 1.93 preoperatively to 16.13 ± 1.23 postoperatively (P < 0.01). Solid bony fusion was demonstrated in 69 patients at follow-up (95.8%).Conclusion: Head frame reduction technique is a simple and effective treatment which could relief neurologic compression and adjust the CCA in patients with reducible AAD and BI with lower potential risks. Atlantoaxial fixation with short segmental fixation, strong purchase and low shearing force could maintain superior stabilization. The safety and long-term efficacy of such fixation and reduction technique were favorable, which illustrated that it could be a promising treatment algorithm for such kind of disease.

Online hospitality reviews have an important impact on consumers’ travel and hospitality booking decisions in the Internet age. A well-designed online hospitality review system is crucial to reduce the uncertainty of consumers’ decision making, to grasp the actual needs of consumers, and to improve the quality experience of platforms. In this context, this research conducts an empirical study on the design features of online hospitality review systems based on the Kano model. First, the paper analyzes the design features of online hospitality review systems. Then, the paper proposes an improved method to classify design features on the basis of the Kano questionnaire design and survey data. Finally, the paper quantitatively measures their importance in online hospitality review systems. Results can provide scientific basis for online travel platforms or hospitality operators to optimize the design of online hospitality review systems and to obtain reference value to increase the satisfaction of consumers’ decision making.

Although the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA) is unclear, inflammatory cytokines are related to its occurrence. However, few studies focused on the therapeutic strategies of regulating joint homeostasis by simultaneously remodeling the anti‐inflammatory and immunomodulatory microenvironments. Fibroblast growth factor 18 (FGF18) is the only disease‐modifying OA drug (DMOAD) with a potent ability and high efficiency in maintaining the phenotype of chondrocytes within cell culture models. However, its potential role in the immune microenvironment remains unknown. Besides, information on an optimal carrier, whose interface and chondral‐biomimetic microenvironment mimic the native articular tissue, is still lacking, which substantially limits the clinical efficacy of FGF18. Herein, to simulate the cartilage matrix, chondroitin sulfate (ChS)‐based nanoparticles (NPs) are integrated into poly(D, L‐lactide)‐poly(ethylene glycol)‐poly(D, L‐lactide) (PLEL) hydrogels to develop a bionic thermosensitive sustainable delivery system. Electrostatically self‐assembled ChS and ε‐poly‐l‐lysine (EPL) NPs are prepared for the bioencapsulation of FGF18. This bionic delivery system suppressed the inflammatory response in interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β)‐mediated chondrocytes, promoted macrophage M2 polarization, and inhibited M1 polarization, thereby ameliorating cartilage degeneration and synovitis in OA. Thus, the ChS‐based hydrogel system offers a potential strategy to regulate the chondrocyte‐macrophage crosstalk, thus re‐establishing the anti‐inflammatory and immunomodulatory microenvironment for OA therapy. A bionic thermosensitive sustainable delivery system is reported, which can suppress the inflammatory response in IL‐1β‐mediated chondrocytes, promote macrophage M2 polarization, and inhibit M1 polarization, thereby ameliorating cartilage degeneration and synovitis in osteoarthritis (OA). The ChS‐based hydrogel system offers a potential strategy to regulate the chondrocyte‐macrophage crosstalk, thus re‐establishing the anti‐inflammatory and immunomodulatory microenvironment for OA therapy.

A facile synthesis of various 3-(alkoxyalkyl)-1H-indoles from pyrazolidinones, 2-acetylenic ketones, and alkyl alcohols viaC–H/C–C bond activation has been developed. The reaction proceeds smoothly under the proper reaction conditions, and preliminary mechanistic studies suggest that NaOAc is crucial for C–C bond activation. The advantages of the present method represent a redox-neutral process and exhibit excellent chemo and regioselectivity.

Type III interferon (IFN-λ) is currently considered to be largely nonredundant to type I interferon (IFN-α) in antivirus infection, especially in epithelial cells. Previous studies reported that, compared with IFN-α, IFN-λ exhibited stronger induction of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) at the transcriptional level in intestinal epithelial cells and stronger inhibition of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV). In this study, the different mechanisms of ISG upregulation induced by IFN-α and IFN-λ1 were compared at the mRNA and protein levels in the porcine intestinal epithelial cell model (IPEC-J2). It was proved that IFN-λ1 consistently exhibited stronger stimulation effects at both levels. At the mRNA level, 132 genes were significantly upregulated upon IFN-λ1 stimulation, while 42 genes upon IFN-α stimulation. At the protein level, 47 proteins were significantly upregulated upon IFN-λ1 stimulation, but only 8 proteins were upregulated upon IFN-α stimulation. The shared upregulated genes/proteins by IFN-λ1 in both transcriptional and translational omics, especially the regulation factors of ISG15, were involved in the JAK–STAT signaling pathway. Compared to IFN-α, IFN-λ1 could induce more consistent upregulation of the key ISGs (ISG15, USP18, OASL, and RSAD2) at 3–24 h postinduction as measured by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) validation. It was further confirmed through functional analysis that ISG15 and RSAD2 could inhibit PEDV infection in dose-dependent manners. This study provided solid evidence that IFN-λ1 could induce a more unique and higher ISG expression level, which exhibited anti-PEDV effects on porcine intestinal epithelial cells.

Self-assembly of divalent metal ions and designed amino acid derivatives, 4,4′-biphenyl-bis[carbonyl-N-(alanine)] (H2BPBAla) and 4,4′-biphenyl-bis[carbonyl-N-(proline)] (H2BPBPro), as well as ancillary ligands, 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane (bpea) and N,N′-bis(4-pyridyl)isophthalamide (bpipa), generated seven homochiral coordination polymers [Cu2(BPBAla)2(bpea)(H2O)]·H2O (1), [Co(BPBAla)(bpea)(H2O)2]·2H2O (2), [Ni(BPBAla)(bpea)(H2O)2]·2H2O (3), [Cd(BPBAla)] (4), [Cu(BPBPro)(bpea)(H2O)]·H2O (5), [Cd(BPBPro)(bpipa)(H2O)]·3H2O (6), [Zn(BPBPro)(bpipa)(H2O)]·3H2O (7). All compounds contain different chiral metal-amino acid derivative helixes, which are tuned by varied conformation and configuration of N-donor ligands. 1exhibits left-handed, double-stranded Cu-BPBAla helical chains tuned by the trans-conformation bpea ligand, whereas isostructural 2and 3exhibit right-handed, single-stranded Co/Ni-BPBAla helical chains tuned by the gauche-conformation bpea ligand. In the absence of an ancillary ligand, 4displays a two-dimensional (2D) Cd-BPBAla layered network made up of left-handed, single-stranded (−Cd-O−)nhelical chains and right-handed, double-stranded Cd-BPBPro-fragment helical chains. When H2BPBPro replaces H2BPBAla, 5becomes a three-dimensional (3D) framework composed of right-handed, single-stranded Cu-BPBPro helical chains and trans-conformation bpea ligand. 6and 7are isostructural 3D frameworks and constructed by the coalition of left-handed, single-stranded Cd/Zn-BPBPro and Cd/Zn-bpipa helical chains, and there is an angle of 92.28° between the two Cd/Zn-BPBPro helical chains. The photoluminescence spectra of 4, 6, and 7reveal the corresponding emission of ligands. More significantly, 6and 7can effectively detect the natural acidic amino acids by the enhancement of UV absorption intensity.

ABSTRACT:Background:Identifying risk factors and mortality of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) could have important implications for the clinical management of AD.Objective:This pilot study aimed to examine the overall mortality of AD patients over a 10-year surveillance period in Shanghai, China. This study is an extension of our previous investigation on mortality of neurodegenerative diseases.Methods:One hundred and thirty-two AD patients recruited from the memory clinics of two hospitals in Shanghai in 2007 were followed up until December 31, 2017 or death, representing a follow-up period of up to 10 years. Overall standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated, and predictors for survival at recruitment were estimated.Results:Sixty-seven patients had died by December 31, 2017, and the SMR at 10 years of follow-up was 1.225 (95% confidence interval 0.944–1.563). Employing Cox’s proportional hazard modeling, lower Mini-Mental State Examination score, and comorbid diabetes predicted poor survival in this cohort.Conclusion:This pilot study suggests a similar survival trend of patients with AD compared to the general population in Shanghai urban region. Poor cognitive status and comorbid diabetes had a negative impact on the survival of AD patients.

Glioma is the most frequent form of malignant brain tumors. Surgical debulking is a major strategy for glioma treatment. However, there is a great challenge for the neurosurgeons to intraoperatively identify the true margins of glioma because of its infiltrative nature. Tumor residues or microscopic satellite foci left in the resection bed are the main reasons leading to early recurrence as well as poor prognosis. In this study, a surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) probe was developed to intraoperatively guide glioma resection. In this probe, molecular reporters with absorptive maxima at the near-infrared wavelength range were covalently functionalized on the surface of gold nanostars. This SERRS probe demonstrated an ultrahigh sensitivity with a detection limit of 5.0 pM in aqueous solution. By the development of glioma xenografts in a mouse dorsal skin window chamber, extravasation of this probe from leaky tumor vasculature as functions of time and distance to tumor boundary was investigated. Importantly, the invasive margin of the tumor xenograft was demarcated by this probe with a high signal-to-background ratio. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) first defined the position of orthotopic glioma xenografts in the brain of rat models, and the craniotomy plan was designed. The brain tumor was then excised intraoperatively step-by-step with the assistance of a handheld Raman scanner till the Raman signals of the probe completely disappeared in the resection bed. Notably, longitudinal MRI showed that SERRS-guided surgery significantly reduced the tumor recurrence rate and improved the overall survival of rat models compared with the white light-guided surgery. Overall, this work demonstrates the prognostic benefit of SERRS-guided glioma surgery in animal models. Because delineation of tumor-invasive margins is a common challenge faced by the surgeons, this SERRS probe with a picomolar detection limit holds the promise in improving the surgical outcome of different types of infiltrated tumors.

Three novel, homochiral, porous metal–organic frameworks based on the H2PDBAla ligand and different divalent cations (Co(II)) and Cu(II)), namely, [M(PDBAla)(bipy)(H2O)2]·3H2O (M = Co 1and Cu 2), [Cu(PDBAla)(bpea)]·7H2O (3) (H2PDBAla = pyridine-2,6-dicarbonyl-bis(l-alanine), bipy = 4,4′-bipyridine, bpea = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane), have been synthesized and characterized with the assistance of N-donor ligands. The distinctive H2PDBAla ligands are coordinated to divalent metal ions by the different coordination modes, forming various helixes in compounds 1–3. Compounds 1and 2are isostructural and feature a 2-fold interpenetrating three-dimensional (3D) framework with the cdstopological net built by the combination right-handed helical chains and bipy ligands, whereas a 3D framework with the tcjtopological net is observed in compound 3, wherein bpea ligands reinforce the 3D framework constructed by right-handed helical chains. Compounds 1and 3display high CO2absorption capability and superior sorption enthalpies, reflecting the strong affinity of the frameworks for CO2. Moreover, compound 3exhibits a small enantioselective separation performance for racemic alcohol.

This article reports the preparation of multifunctional magnetic nanocomposite hydrogels formed from wormlike micelles. Specifically, iron oxide nanoparticles were incorporated into a temperature responsive block copolymer, poly(glycerol monomethacrylate)-b-poly(2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate) (PGMA-b-PHPMA), and graphene oxide (GO) dispersion at a low temperature (∼2 °C) through high-speed mixing and returning the mixture to room temperature, resulting in the formation of nanocomposite gels. The optimal concentrations of iron oxide and GO enhanced the gel strength of the nanocomposite gels, which exhibited a strong magnetic response when a magnetic field was applied. These materials retained the thermoresponsiveness of the PGMA–PHPMA wormlike micelles allowing for a solid-to-liquid transition to occur when the temperature was reduced. The mechanical and rheological properties and performance of the nanocomposite gels were demonstrated to be adjustable, making them suitable for a wide range of potential applications. These nanocomposite worm gels were demonstrated to be relatively adhesive and to act as strain and temperature sensors, with the measured electrical resistance of the nanocomposite gels changing with applied strain and temperature sweeps. The nanocomposite gels were found to recover efficiently after the application of high shear with approximately 100% healing efficiency within seconds. Additionally, these nanocomposite worm gels were injectable, and the addition of GO and iron oxide nanomaterials seemed to have no significant adverse impact on the biocompatibility of the copolymer gels, making them suitable not only for 3D printing in nanocomposite engineering but also for potential utilization in various biomedical applications as an injectable magnetic responsive hydrogel.

Organometal mixed-halide perovskite materials hold great promise for next-generation solar cells, light-emitting diodes, lasers, and photodetectors. Except for the rapid progress in the efficiency of perovskite-based devices, the stability issue over prolonged light illumination has severely hindered their practical application. The deterioration mechanism of organometal halide perovskite materials under light illumination has seldom been conducted to date, which is indispensable to the understanding and optimization of photon-harvesting process inside perovskite-based optoelectronic devices. Here, explicit degradation pathways and comprehensive microscopic understandings of white-light-induced degradation have been put forward for two organometal mixed-halide perovskite materials (e.g., MAPbI3–xClxand MAPbBr3–xClx) under high vacuum conditions. In situ compositional analysis and real-time film characterizations reveal that the decomposition of both mixed-halide perovskites starts at the grain boundaries, leading to the formation of hydrocarbons and ammonia gas with the residuals of PbI2(Cl), Pb, or PbClxBr2–xin the films. The degradation has been correlated to the localized trap states that induce strong coupling between photoexcited carriers and the crystal lattice.

There is a high demand for rapid, sensitive, and accurate detection methods for pathogens. This paper demonstrates a method of detecting the presence of amplified DNA from a range of pathogens associated with serious infections including Gram-negative bacteria, Gram-positive bacteria, and viruses. DNA is amplified using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and consequently detected using a sterically stabilized, cationic polymer latex. The DNA induces flocculation of this cationic latex, which consequently leads to rapid sedimentation and a visible change from a milky-white dispersion to one with a transparent supernatant, presenting a clear visible change, indicating the presence of amplified DNA. Specifically, a number of different pathogens were amplified using conventional or qPCR, including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV-2). This method was demonstrated to detect the presence of bacteria in suspension concentrations greater than 380 CFU mL–1and diagnose the presence of specific genomes through primer selection, as exemplified using methicillin resistant and methicillin susceptible Staphylococcus aureus. The versatility of this methodology was further demonstrated by showing that false positive results do not occur when a PCR of fungal DNA from C. albicansis conducted using bacterial universal primers.

INADEQUATE (Incredible Natural Abundance DoublE QUAntum Transfer Experiment) is one of the most important techniques in revealing the carbon skeleton of organic solids in solid-state NMR spectroscopy. Nevertheless, its use for structural analysis is quite limited due to the low natural abundance of 13C–13C connectivity (∼0.01%) and thus low sensitivity. Particularly, in semi-solids like rubbers, the sensitivity will be further significantly reduced by the inefficient cross polarization from 1H to 13C due to molecular motions induced averaging of 1H–13C dipolar couplings. Herein, in this study, we demonstrate that transient nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) can be used to efficiently enhance 13C signals, and thus enable rapid acquisition of two-dimensional (2D) 13C INADEQUATE spectra of rubbers. Using chlorobutyl rubber as the model system, it is found that an overall signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) enhancement about 22% can be achieved, leading to significant time-saving by about 33% as compared to the direct polarization-based INADEQUATE experiment. Further experimental results on natural rubber and ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber are also shown to demonstrate the robust performance of transient NOE enhanced INADEQUATE experiment.

Five novel homochiral metal–organic frameworks (HMOFs) have been synthesized using a semirigid alanine-derived ligand and varied auxiliary N-donor ligands, namely, [Cu2(TMAla)2(bipy)2]·10H2O (1) and [Cu(TMAla)(bpea)0.5(H2O)]·H2O (2), Ln(TMAla)(HTMAla)(phen) (Ln = Eu, 3; Tb, 4; Gd, 5), where H2TMAla = terephthaloyl-mono(l-alanine), bipy = 4,4′-bipyridine, bpea = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline. Crystallographic analysis indicates that all the complexes contain homochiral left- and/or right-handed helical chains, which are constructed by TMAla fragments and metal ions. Meanwhile, the introduction of auxiliary N-donor ligands gives rise to the formation of HMOFs with different structural topologies. Complex 1shows a three-dimensional (3D) quartz-dual net with a 4-connected (75·9) topology in the presence of bipy. Complex 2possesses a novel 3D pillared-layer framework with a (3,4,4)-connected (6·104·12)(63)2(64·102) topology by using bpea instead of bipy. Complexes 3–5are isomorphous and feature a 2-fold interpenetrating 3D quartz net with a 4-connected (64·82) topology due to the participation of phen. Complexes 3and 4exhibit characteristic Eu(III) and Tb(III) emissions in the red and green light regions, respectively. The solid-state circular dichroism (CD) spectra of all complexes exhibit strong CD signals. Our results highlight that the semirigid chiral linker is successful for the construction of interesting HMOFs with unique helical chains.

The therapeutic efficacy of oncolytic adenoviruses (OAs) relies on efficient viral transduction and replication. However, the limited expression of coxsackie-adenovirus receptors in many tumors, along with the intracellular antiviral signaling, poses significant obstacles to OA infection and oncolysis. Here, we present sonosensitizer-armed OAs (saOAs) that potentiate the antitumor efficacy of oncolytic virotherapy through sonodynamic therapy-augmented virus replication. The saOAs could not only efficiently infect tumor cells viatransferrin receptor-mediated endocytosis but also exhibit enhanced viral replication and tumor oncolysis under ultrasound irradiation. We revealed that the sonosensitizer loaded on the viruses induced the generation of ROS within tumor cells, which triggered JNK-mediated autophagy, ultimately leading to the enhanced viral replication. In mouse models of malignant melanoma, the combination of saOAs and sonodynamic therapy elicited a robust antitumor immune response, resulting in significant inhibition of melanoma growth and improved host survival. This work highlights the potential of sonodynamic therapy in enhancing the effectiveness of OAs and provides a promising platform for fully exploiting the antitumor efficacy of oncolytic virotherapy.

Marine isoprene plays a crucial role in the formation of secondary organic aerosol within the remote marine boundary layer. Due to scarce field measurements of oceanic isoprene and limited laboratory‐based studies of isoprene production, assessing the importance of marine isoprene on atmospheric chemistry and climate is challenging. Calculating in‐field isoprene production rates is a crucial step to predict marine isoprene concentrations and the subsequent emissions to the atmosphere. The distribution, sources, and dominant environmental factors of isoprene were determined in the Northwest Pacific Ocean in 2019. The nutrient enrichment in the Kuroshio Oyashio Extension (KOE) surface seawater, driven by the upwelling and atmospheric deposition, promoted the growth of phytoplankton and elevated the isoprene concentration. This was confirmed by observed responses of isoprene to nutrients and aerosol dust additions in a ship‐based incubation experiment, where the isoprene concentrations increased by 70% (t= 4.417, p< 0.001) and 35% (t= 2.387, p< 0.05), respectively. Biogenic isoprene production rates in the deck incubation experiments were positively related to chlorophyll a, temperature, and solar radiation, with an average production of 7.33 ± 4.27 pmol L−1day−1. Photochemical degradation of dissolved organic matter was likely an abiotic source of isoprene, contributing to approximately 14% of the total production. Driven by high isoprene production and extreme physical disturbance, the KOE showed very high emissions of isoprene of 46.0 ± 13.0 nmol m−2day−1, which led to a significant influence on the oxidative capacity of the local atmosphere. Nutrient enrichment in the surface seawater driven by upwelling and atmospheric deposition promoted the biological production of isoprenePhotochemical production was confirmed as an abiotic source of marine isopreneApproximately 10%∼63% of net isoprene produced in the mixed layer was transferred to the atmosphere Nutrient enrichment in the surface seawater driven by upwelling and atmospheric deposition promoted the biological production of isoprene Photochemical production was confirmed as an abiotic source of marine isoprene Approximately 10%∼63% of net isoprene produced in the mixed layer was transferred to the atmosphere

We have proposed a dual-quenching electrochemiluminescence (ECL) strategy which is based on tris(2,2′-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) [Ru(bpy)32+] as chromophores caged in three-dimensional (3D) zinc oxalate metal–organic frameworks [Ru(bpy)32+/zinc oxalate MOFs] for ultrasensitive detection of amyloid-β (Aβ). The three-dimensional chromophore connectivity in zinc oxalate MOFs provided a network for rapid excited-state energy transfer migration among Ru(bpy)32+units which shielded the chromophores from solvent molecules and led to a high-energy Ru emission efficiency. In addition, we found that both Au nanoparticles and NiFe-based nanocube MOFs could contribute to the reduction of the ECL intensity of the chromophore. The ECL emission spectra of 3D Ru(bpy)32+/zinc oxalate MOFs overlapped appropriately with the ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) absorption spectra of Au@NiFe MOFs composites, which could trigger the resonance energy transfer (RET) behavior between Ru(bpy)32+/zinc oxalate MOFs (donor) and Au@NiFe MOFs (acceptor), achieving the dual-quenching effect of Ru(bpy)32+encapsulated in 3D zinc oxalate MOFs and significantly boosting the sensitivity of the Aβ detection immunosensor. In order to examine the clinical practicability, we have applied it to verify the content of Aβ solution ranging from 100 fg mL–1to 50 ng mL–1and obtained the calibration curve with high correlation coefficient, along with the low limit of detection of 13.8 fg mL–1. Above all, this work demonstrated an approach of constructing dual-quenching effect ECL immunosensors in whole 3D MOF systems and its application in ECL detection methodology.

Purpose:To assess the diagnostic performance of quiescent-interval single-shot magnetic resonance angiography (QISS-MRA) at 3 tesla in diabetic patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI) vs contrast-enhanced MR angiography (CE-MRA) using digital subtraction angiography (DSA) as the standard of reference. Method:Thirty-seven consecutive diabetic patients (mean age 71.8±7.2 years; 30 men) with CLI (Fontaine stage III–IV) underwent QISS-MRA and CE-MRA with calf compression; DSA was the standard. Image quality (5-point Likert-type scale) and stenosis severity (5-point grading) for QISS-MRA and CE-MRA were evaluated by 2 blinded readers in 1147 and 654 vessel segments, respectively. Per-segment and per-region (pelvis, thigh, calf) sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were calculated. Results:Image quality of QISS-MRA was lower compared with CE-MRA in the pelvic region (p<0.001 in both readers) and thigh region (p=0.033 in reader 1 and p=0.018 in reader 2), whereas in the calf region, the image quality of QISS-MRA was better than CE-MRA (p=0.009 in reader 1 and p=0.001 in reader 2). In segment-based analyses, there was no difference between QISS-MRA and CE-MRA in sensitivity [89.5% vs 90.3% in reader 1 (p=0.774) and 87.6% vs 90.6% in reader 2 (p=0.266)] or specificity [94.2% vs 92.9% in reader 1 (p=0.513) and 92.9% vs 92.9% in reader 2 (p>0.999)]. In region-based analyses, QISS-MRA and CE-MRA yielded similar sensitivity and specificity in all areas but the pelvic region for reader 2 (specificity 95.5% vs 84.8%, p=0.041). Conclusion:QISS-MRA performed very well in diabetic patients with CLI and was a good alternative for patients with contraindications to CE-MRA.

A simple ultrasound-assisted co-precipitation method was developed to prepare lipophilic thi- ol-functionalized Fe3O4magnetic nanoparticles (EDT-Fe3O4MNPs) with sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDS) as dispersant and 1,2-ethanedithiol (EDT) as functionalization reagent. The property of EDT- Fe3O4MNPs was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). It was found that EDT-Fe3O4MNPs dispersed well in the system of ethanol/water (1:1) and had an average diameter of 15 nm. The hysteresis loop of EDT-Fe3O4MNPs demonstrated that these MNPs expressed high magnetic responsiveness. The EDT-Fe3O4MNPs were further used as an adsorbent for removal of Hg2+. The effects of the dosage of adsorbent, initial pH of the solution and contact time were investigated. The adsorption equilibrium and kinetics data could be well fitted with the Freundlich isotherm and the pseudo-first-order kinetic model respectively. Furthermore, the adsorbent could be effectively separated using an external magnetic field and regenerated.

Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived mesenchymal stem cells (iPSC-MSCs) represent a promising cell source for patient-specific cell therapy. We previously demonstrated that they display an immunomodulatory effect on allergic airway inflammation. Glucocorticoids are powerful anti-inflammatory compounds and widely used in the therapy of allergic diseases. However, the effect of glucocorticoids on the immunomodulatory function of iPSC-MSCs remains unknown. This study aimed to determine the effect of dexamethasone (Dex) on the immunomodulatory function of iPSC-MSCs in vitro and in vivo. A total of three human iPSC-MSC clones were generated from amniocyte-derived iPSCs. Anti-CD3/CD28-induced peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) proliferation was used to assess the effect of Dex on the immunoinhibitory function of iPSC-MSCs in vitro. Mouse models of contact hypersensitivity (CHS) and allergic airway inflammation were induced, and the levels of inflammation in mice were analyzed with the treatments of iPSC-MSCs and Dex, alone and combined. The results showed that Dex did not interfere with the immunoinhibitory effect of iPSC-MSCs on PBMC proliferation. In CHS mice, simultaneous treatment with Dex did not affect the effect of iPSC-MSCs on the inflammation, both in regional draining lymph nodes and in inflamed ear tissue. In addition, co-administration of iPSC-MSCs with Dex decreased the local expression of interferon (IFN)-γ and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in the ears of CHS mice. In the mouse model of allergic airway inflammation, iPSC-MSC treatment combined with Dex resulted in a similar extent of reduction in pulmonary inflammation as iPSC-MSCs or Dex treatment alone. In conclusion, Dex does not significantly affect the immunomodulatory function of iPSC-MSCs both in vitro and in vivo. These findings may have implications when iPSC-MSCs and glucocorticoids are co-administered.

ABSTRACTWe examined the formation of flower buds and floral organs at five growth stages and compared between normal flowers and those that emerged from the centre of another flower (i.e. flowers-in-flower). Gene expression was analysed via qRT-PCR. When compared with normal flowers, expression of nine genes at corresponding time periods showed clearly different trends in the flowers-in-flower samples, depending upon whether those abnormal structures were of the first types (1–1 and 1–2) or the second types (2–1 and 2–2). For example, at each time point, expression of AP2, STKand SHPwas notably higher in 2–1 flowers than in either 1–1 or 1–2 flowers. By contrast, AGexpression was up-regulated more between Stages 4 and 5 for normal flowers than for the other types. Furthermore, when compared with normal floral organs, AP1transcripts were barely detected in the stamens and pistils of mutant samples, and expression was lower in the flowers-in-flower sepals and petals. Except for 2–2 flowers at Stage 5, STKand SHPexpression was higher in the mutant organs than in the normal organs. These results suggest that formation of the flowers-in-flower morphology is closely related to down-regulation of AP1and AGand up-regulation of AP2, STK, and SHP.

Background: A new methodology is developed for bipartite matching decision, in which preferences of the agents from two sides are incomplete ordinal relations and matching aspirations. The bipartite matching problem with incomplete ordinal relations and matching aspirations is firstly provided. Methods: In the presented methodology, the incomplete ordinal relations are translated to the incomplete Borda counting matrixes, and matching aspirations are determined based on theory analysis. According to the incomplete Borda counting matrixes, the matching aspiration matrix, a bipartite matching model under the condition of one-to-one matching is developed. Results: The bipartite matching scheme can be obtained by solving the matching model. Conclusion: In the end, an example is used to illustrate the application of the presented methodology.

IntroductionMechanical thrombectomy (MT) has been widely accepted as a safe and effective treatment for acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Development of stent retriever devices has been intensively developed over the past two decades. In this study, we compared the effectiveness and safety of a new thrombectomy device with Solitaire FR for the treatment of AIS models.MethodsMechanical performance of stent retrievers was tested in vitro. Thrombin-induced thrombus was pre-injected into the right distal external carotid-maxillary artery in 18 dogs to create an acute thrombus occlusion model, and these animals were divided into a Tonbridge group (n=9, with Tonbridge stent Tonbridge Medical Technology) and a Solitaire group as control (n=9, with Solitaire stent, ev3 Neurovascular). Final flow restoration, side branches, recanalization time, distal vessel embolism, and device-related complications were recorded and compared. A post-procedure angiogram was obtained at 30 and 90 days after thrombectomy. Device manipulation-related damage to the arterial walls was evaluated histologically.ResultsIn vitro test showed that the maximum friction within the microcatheter was 0.763 for the Tonbridge device and 0.784 n for the Solitaire (P>0.05). Slight increase in radial force was noticed for the Tonbridge (0.035 N/mm vs 0.031 N/mm of Solitaire, P>0.05). Eighteen and 16 retriever attempts were done in the Tonbridge (mean 2.0 attempts) and the Solitaire (mean 1.8 attempts) groups (P=0.74). The Tonbridge device led to good flow restoration in all nine (100%) models compared with eight (88.9%) in the Solitaire group (P=0.30). Side branches' influence (P=0.39), distal thromboembolism (P=0.60), and device-related complications (P=1.00) found no difference between the two groups. The rates of disruption of the internal elastic lamina (IEL) were 8.3% (2/24) and 4.2% (1/24) of the specimens, respectively (P=0.683). TICI 2b/3 flow of the right CCA were similar between the two groups at 1 (6/6 vs 6/6) and 3 months (6/6 vs 6/6) follow-up (P>0.05).ConclusionOur preliminary study indicated this new device was technically feasible and effective to be used in thrombectomy for the treatment of acute thrombus occlusion in canine models.

Arctigenin is a phenylpropanoid dibenzylbutyrolactone lignan compound possessing antitumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-influenza, antioxidant, antibacterial, and hypoglycaemic activities. Our previous study demonstrated that arctigenin exerts neuroprotective effects both in vitro and in vivo in a Parkinson's disease model. However, the exact mechanism through which arctigenin improves amyloid beta-induced memory impairment by inhibiting the production of the hy- perphosphorylated tau protein is unknown. Amyloid β-1-42 was slowly administered via the intracerebroventricular route in a volume of 3 µL (≈ 410 pmmol/mouse) to mice. The mice were administered arctigenin (10, 40, or 150mg/kg) or vehicle starting from the second day after amyloid β-1-42 injection to the end of the experiment. Behavioural tests were performed from days 9 to 15. On day 16 after the intracerebroventricular administration of amyloid β-1-42, the mice were sacrificed for biochemical analysis. Arctigenin (10-150mg/kg) significantly attenuated the impairment of spontaneous alternation behaviours in the Y-maze task, decreased the escape latency in the Morris water maze test, and increased the swimming times and swimming distances to the platform located in the probe test. Arctigenin attenuated the level of phosphorylated tau at the Thr-181, Thr-231, and Ser-404 sites in the hippocampus, and increased the phosphorylation levels of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase, threonine/serine protein kinase B, and glycogen synthase kinase-3β. Arctigenin effectively provides protection against learning and memory deficits and in inhibits hyperphosphorylated tau protein expression in the hippocampus. The possible mechanism may occur via the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B-dependent glycogen synthase kinase-3β signalling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveTo assess the feasibility of using MicroFil polymer perfusion to detect concomitant saccular aneurysms in an intracranial arterial dolichoectasia (IADE) model in mice, and to report detailed histomorphometric features of these aneurysms.Materials and methodsIADE models were created in C57/BL6 mice via microsurgical injection of 25 mU elastase into the cisterna magna. The cerebral vasculature was perfused with MicroFil polymer and harvested at 1, 3, and 7 days, and 2 and 4 weeks (n=8 for each group). IADE was defined by a tortuosity index >10 combined with a 25% increase in diameter of the A1 segment of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA), internal carotid artery (ICA), or basilar artery compared with the baseline of controls, which received heat-inactivated elastase. Saccular aneurysm occurrence rate, location, and morphological parameters were investigated using macroscopic and microscopic analysis.ResultsIADE was present in 95% (36/38) of the subjects, with a mortality rate of 5% (2/40). Fifteen concomitant saccular aneurysms were detected in 8 (21%) of the 38 surviving mice, including 6 at the posterior communicating artery, 1 along the ACA, 2 along the anterior communicating artery complex, 3 along the ICA, and 3 along the middle cerebral artery. Rupture was confirmed in two aneurysms. Histological examination indicated that the aneurysms develop via arterial-wall remodelling, which is characterized by internal elastic lamina disruptions and muscular layer discontinuity in the media.ConclusionsThe proportion of subjects developing saccular aneurysms in addition to IADE in our mouse model is similar to the 15% of patients with IADE who have concomitant saccular aneurysms.

Nogo receptor 1 (NgR1) is the most important Nogo-A receptor. By its interaction with myelin-associated inhibitory proteins, NgR1 inhibits the regeneration of axons and is extensively expressed in the central nervous system. However, the expression of NgR1 in regenerable neurons, such as olfactory neurons, and its expression in the regeneration progress of olfactory neurons have not been reported. In this study, we demonstrated that NgR1 was expressed in the cell bodies of certain mature olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) but was not expressed in immature ORNs in the olfactory epithelium (OE) of normal adult mice. On day 21 after OE injury, NgR1 was expressed not only in the cell bodies of mature ORNs but also in the cell bodies of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive cells in the top and submucosal layers of the OE. On day 48 after model establishment, NgR1 expression decreased in the cell bodies of the GFAP-positive cells. On day 56 after model establishment, no NgR1 expression was found in the cell bodies of the GFAP-positive cells, and NgR1 was again expressed only in the mature ORNs. Our results demonstrated that NgR1 expression is upregulated in the OE after injury, which suggests that NgR1 might be involved in the regeneration of the OE.

Background Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) is considered to be the standard procedure for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). However, for CRSwNP that accompanies asthma, the results are not satisfying. Extensive endoscopic sinus surgery (EESS) aimed at reducing the inflammatory load has been indicated as a viable option for refractory chronic rhinosinusitis.Objective To evaluate the clinical outcomes and safety of EESS (middle turbinate and superior turbinate resection and total ethmoidectomy) for patients with CRSwNP and with asthma.Methods This was a prospective, single-institute cohort study conducted in a tertiary teaching hospital. Patients with CRSwNP and with asthma who were proceeding to surgery were enrolled. There were 23 patients in the EESS group and 24 patients in the FESS group. The preoperative disease severity was evaluated by the visual analog scale (VAS), Lund-Kennedy (L-K) endoscopy score, computed tomography Lund-Mackay score, asthma control test (ACT), and pulmonary function test. Clinical outcomes were comparatively evaluated between the two groups after a 1-year follow-up by using the VAS score, the postoperative endoscopic score (E score), L-K score, ACT score, and pulmonary function test.Results The disease severity (general VAS score, endoscopic L-K score, computed tomography score, ACT score) showed no significant differences between the two groups before surgery (p > 0.05). One year after surgery, both groups achieved significant improvement in the VAS score and endoscopic L-K score. The EESS group showed better improvement in the olfactory VAS score and E score compared with the FESS group (mean [standard deviation] change of olfactory VAS, 6.00 ∓ 3.67 versus 3.30 ∓ 3.44, p = 0.015; mean [standard deviation] E score, 0.31 ∓ 0.18 versus 0.66 ∓ 0.26, p < 0.001). No significant differences were found in the change of general nasal symptom VAS score, other individual VAS scores (nasal congestion, discharge, headache and/or facial pain), L-K score, ACT score, and pulmonary function between the two groups (p > 0.05).Conclusion EESS for patients with CRSwNP and with asthma may help to improve the subjective olfaction and endoscopic appearance.

This study aimed to investigate the trend of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in China over the past 10 years and assess the clinical application of inferior vena cava filters (IVCFs).

Adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are immunoprivileged cells due to the low expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) II molecules. However, the expression of MHC molecules in human‐induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)‐derived MSCs has not been investigated. Here, we examined the expression of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) in human MSCs derived from iPSCs, fetuses, and adult bone marrow (BM) after stimulation with interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ), compared their repair efficacy, cell retention, inflammation, and HLA II expression in immune humanized NOD Scid gamma (NSG) mice of hind limb ischemia. In the absence of IFN‐γ stimulation, HLA‐II was expressed only in BM‐MSCs after 7 days. Two and seven days after stimulation, high levels of HLA‐II were observed in BM‐MSCs, intermediate levels were found in fetal‐MSCs, and very low levels in iPSC‐MSCs. The levels of p‐STAT1, interferon regulatory factor 1, and class II transactivator exhibited similar phenomena. Moreover, p‐STAT1 antagonist significantly reversed the high expression of HLA‐II in BM‐MSCs. Compared to adult BM‐MSCs, transplanting iPSC‐MSCs into hu‐PBMNC NSG mice revealed markedly more survival iPSC‐MSCs, less inflammatory cell accumulations, and better recovery of hind limb ischemia. The expression of HLA‐II in MSCs in the ischemia limbs was detected in BM‐MSCs group but not in iPSC‐MSCs group at 7 and 21 days after transplantation. Our results demonstrate that, compared to adult MSCs, human iPSC‐MSCs are insensitive to proinflammatory IFN‐γ‐induced HLA‐II expression and iPSC‐MSCs have a stronger immune privilege after transplantation. It may attribute to a better therapeutic efficacy in allogeneic transplantation. StemCells2015;33:3452–3467

In order to separate wool from cashmere efficiently, an identification method based on texture analysis was proposed in this paper. The microscopic images captured by CCD digital camera were preprocessed as the texture image. Improved Tamura texture feature were employed to analyzing the final texture images and to attaining the texture parameters. Through a large number of samples, the mathematical modeling was completed by using neural network. Experiment results indicate that texture analysis can be a feasible method to identify cashmere and wool.

The technology of 3D garment virtual sewing has been developed for several decades, we proposed an approach to verify the virtual garments sewing effect. Here we took a sleeveless dress for our example, and the patterns of the dresses are made by expertise garment CAD software. The dresses patterns are used for two options. The first is for actual cutting and sewing. The second is for virtual sewing. The actual sleeveless dress is made by woolen fabric for our experiment. The parameters of the fabric mechanical properties in virtual sewing should be selected the same with the actual fabric. The fabric properties in this paper are mainly referred to shear property, tensile property and bearing property. We observe the surface shape of the finished dresses, compare the differences between the true and virtual sewing, and find the modified approach. Gray scale transformation and binary image processing are exploited for appearance comparison between real and simulated clothes sewn by the same 2D patterns. Folds and silhouettes comparison are main two features in our proposed approach. The sum of the squared differences is calculated for folds comparison, and the mismatches pixels are computed for silhouettes comparison. The aim of our research is proposed for forecasting the ready-made clothes which are made by given patterns, and check whether it is meet the requirement of the clients or not.

As an indirect measurement, acoustic emission (AE) of fiber break reflects the deformation energy during rupturing. It can be employed to evaluate the tensile properties of single fiber in fiber-bundle tensile test. In this paper, the extension of single wool fiber in the fiber-bundle are calculated using AE method. Comparing to the control samples whose extension distribution is derived from the stress-strain curve of fiber bundle, it is believed that the extension distribution calculated from AEs is more accurate and reliable, since it is not affected by the discreteness of fiber strength. The experimental results also show that there is a good linear relationship between the break force of single wool fibers and their AE energy.

Purpose The purpose of this article is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of covered stent implantation for large intracranial aneurysms treated with stent-assisted coiling.Materials and methods Seven patients with a cerebral aneurysm were selected for this study. The aneurysms were located at the cavernous segment of the internal carotid artery in three cases, the supraclinoid segment in two and the vertebrobasilar junction in one. Aneurysm diameter was 10–25 mm. Mass effect symptoms occurred in six patients, epistaxis in one and subarachnoid hemorrhage in one. All patients underwent endovascular reconstruction with stent-assisted coiling and a covered stent. Five had undergone conventional endovascular embolization with stent-assisted coiling three to six months previously; the covered stent was then navigated through the existing stent and deployed to cover the aneurysm neck. In two cases, the covered stent was deployed after stent-assisted coiling in a single procedure.Results Angiography showed that all aneurysms were excluded from the circulation and parent arteries were preserved. No technical adverse events occurred. At the one- to two-year follow-up, complete resolution of clinical symptom had occurred in six patients and partial resolution in one. No recurrent aneurysm filling and no hemodynamic stenosis was observed.Conclusion Endovascular reconstruction combining a covered stent with stent-assisted coiling could be an effective and safe strategy for the treatment of large cerebral aneurysms.

The effects of the homogenization conditions on the microstructure of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu-Zr-0.5Er alloy were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed that a lot of coarse phases existed in as-cast Al-Zn-Mg-Cu-Zr-0.5Er alloy. The dissolvable phases at grain boundary consisted of Mg32 (Al, Zn)49. The residual phases dissolved into the matrix gradually during homogenization with increasing temperature and prolonging holding time. When the temperature increased to 465°C, and time prolongs to 24h, the main phase disappeared except the Fe and Er enriched phase, as a result of its high melting temperature. Taking into account the precipitation of Al3Er, we used a two-step homogenization .Hence, the optimum parameters of homogenization were 400 °C for 4 h and 465 °C for 24 h, which are good for the presence of coherent, elastically hard and nanosized Al3(Er, Zr) particles and the dissolvable coarse phases .

BACKGROUND:Although the mechanisms and pathways mediating ARDS have been studied extensively, less attention has been given to the mechanisms and pathways that counteract injury responses. This study found that the apelin-APJ pathway is an endogenous counterinjury mechanism that protects against ARDS.