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Diabetic individuals with diabetic cardiomyopathy (DbCM) present with abnormal myocardial structure and function. DbCM cannot be accurately diagnosed due to the lack of suitable diagnostic biomarkers. In this study, 171 eligible participants were divided into a healthy control (HC), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients without DbCM (T2DM), or DbCM group. Serum fibrinogen-like protein 1 (FGL-1) and other biochemical parameters were determined for all participants. Serum FGL-1 levels were significantly higher in patients with DbCM compared with those in the T2DM group and HCs. Serum FGL-1 levels were negatively correlated with left ventricular fractional shortening and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and positively correlated with left ventricular mass index in patients with DbCM after adjusting for age, sex and body mass index. Interaction of serum FGL-1 and triglyceride levels on LVEF was noted in patients with DbCM. A composite marker including serum FGL-1 and triglycerides could differentiate patients with DbCM from those with T2DM and HCs with an area under the curve of 0.773 and 0.789, respectively. Composite marker levels were negatively correlated with N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide levels in patients with DbCM. Circulating FGL-1 may therefore be a valuable index reflecting cardiac functions in DbCM and to diagnose DbCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the viscosity coefficient and thickness of the viscous layer on the Tibetan Plateau, the relationship between the change in viscosity coefficient and thickness of a lower crustal flow and the change in elevation has been investigated based on the principle of a pipeline flow with different viscosity and thickness of terrain elevation. The viscosity and thickness of the lower crustal flow in different directions were determined based on the changes in the terrain along different directions on the Tibetan Plateau. The following results were obtained: (1) The greater the viscosity and the smaller the thickness of the lower crustal conduit flow, the steeper the ground elevation change formed; (2) The maximum viscosity coefficient in the region from India to the Kunlun Mountains in the southern Tibetan Plateau through the Himalayan boundary is approximately 1020Pas, and the thickness of the conduit flow is approximately 25 km. (3) The maximum value of the viscosity coefficient of the lower crustal flow in the region ranging from the Tibetan Plateau to the Qinghai- Gansu section is attained when the flow thickness in this region approaches 40 km (4) The maximum value of the viscosity coefficient of the lower crustal flow in the region ranging from the Tibetan Plateau to the Qinghai- Gansu section is attained when the flow thickness in this region approaches 40 km., which does not substantially differ from that of the region ranging from the Tibetan Plateau to the Qinghai-Gansu area. (5) The maximum viscosity coefficient of the lower crustal flow from the southeast of the Tibetan Plateau to Yunnan is approximately 1018Pas, and the thickness is approximately 32 km, which differs from the flow thickness in the Sichuan Basin and Qinghai-Gansu regions. The results show variations in the viscosity of the flow along different directions on the Tibetan Plateau, in addition to considerable variation in the thickness of the lower crustal channel flow from region to region, with the overall characteristics of thinness in the west and thickness in the east. The results of the four profiles reveal that the channel flow thickness is the steepest at the southwest border of the Tibetan Plateau with India. This paper presents a reasonable interpretation of the geomorphology of the Tibetan Plateau using different thickness and viscosity coefficients of the lower crustal channel flow model. In this paper, a possible mechanism for the formation of the Tibetan Plateau topography is explained using a horizontal pipe flow for four profiles of the Tibetan Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on utilizing mixed salts to create a synergistic effect, particularly at lower temperatures. In this study, lithium tetrafluoroborate(LiBF4) and lithium difluoro (oxalic acid) borate (LiODFB) were added to an electrolyte consisting of ethyl carbonate (EC), propylidene carbonate (PC), ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC), and ethyl acetate (EA) using LiCoO2 as cathode material. The electrochemical properties of the obtained electrolyte were evaluated by various analytical techniques. Analysis of electrical conductivity showed that there is a certain relationship between solution conductivity and electrolyte composition and temperature. The capacity and cycle stability of LiCoO2 positive electrode in different electrolyte systems and at different temperatures were studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV), charge–discharge cycle, and impedance test. The surface properties of LiCoO2 cathode after cycling were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results show that at − 20 °C, the first discharge specific capacity at 0.1C rate is 110.6 mAh/g, and the capacity retention rate of 100th cycle is 89.96%. The results of SEM morphology of the electrode before and after cycling show that too much or more LiODFB can form a thick or sparse CEI film, and the mixed salt 0.7 M LiBF4/0.3 M LiODFB-based electrolyte can form a uniform and dense CEI film that protects the electrode and prevents electrolyte decomposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated neurologic changes in patients with dry eye (DE) by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and to used regional homogeneity (ReHo) analysis to clarify the relationship between these changes and clinical features of DE. A total of 28 patients with DE and 28 matched healthy control (HC) subjects (10 males and 18 females in each group) were enrolled. fMRI scans were performed in both groups. We carried out ReHo analysis to assess differences in neural activity between the 2 groups, and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was performed to evaluate the performance of ReHo values of specific brain areas in distinguishing DE patients from HCs. The relationship between average ReHo values and clinical characteristics was assessed by correlation analysis. ReHo values of the middle frontal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, and superior frontal gyrus were significantly lower in DE patients compared to HCs. The ROC analysis showed that ReHo value had high accuracy in distinguishing between DE patients and HCs (P < 0.0001). The ReHo values of the middle frontal gyrus and dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus were correlated to disease duration (P < 0.05). Symptoms of ocular surface injury in DE patients are associated with dysfunction in specific brain regions, which may underlie the cognitive impairment, psychiatric symptoms, and depressive mood observed in DE patients. The decreased ReHo values of some brain gyri in this study may provide a reference for clinical diagnosis and determination of treatment efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium ion batteries (SIBs) is considered as a promising alternative to the widely used lithium ion batteries in view of the abundant resources and uniform distribution of sodium on the earth. However, due to the lack of suitable anode and cathode materials, especially the anode materials with excellent performance, its practical application is trapped. In recent years, lots of attentions are devoted to developing new electrode materials with high sodium storage capacity and long life. In a large number of anode material libraries, tin-based materials with alloying reaction mechanism show great potential for application in high-energy SIBs due to their high theoretical specific capacity. In this paper, detailed and comprehensive research progress on tin-based anodes (including tin metal, tin alloy as well as its compounds) in recent years is summarized. Specific efforts to improve the electrochemical properties of tin-based anode materials are discussed. Moreover, the challenges and prospects of these anode materials are also proposed in this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction and the operation of multi-reservoir has severely altered the downstream design flood. This paper quantified the flood frequency modifications caused by multi-reservoir regulation with recorded data and a numerical model composed of peaks-over-threshold (POT) samples and time-trend models. The whole research was carried out in Dongjiang River Basin, Southern China. Results showed that (1) Sampling with the POT method could eliminate fake changes in change detection and prevent the underestimation of the design floods with an exceeding probability over 90% and the overestimation of the design floods with an exceeding probability less than 80%; (2) Multi-reservoir regulation severely reduced design flood when the exceeding probability was greater than 1% and smaller than 95%. The 10-year floods were mitigated the most. However, when the exceeding probability was over 95%, the impact was insignificant; (3) Flood mitigation was positively correlated to the number of reservoirs, but negatively correlated to the distance between the affecting reservoir and the affected station. However, when multiple reservoirs took effect on the design flood in one station, the closest reservoir did not necessarily take the most effect. The results of this research will amplify the theoretical basis for flood protection and the planning of regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using sodium alginate hydrogel as skeleton, in combination with chitosan and magnetic Fe3O4, a new type of magnetic chitosan/sodium alginate gel bead (MCSB) was prepared. Adsorptive removal of Cu(II) from aqueous solutions was studied by using the MCSB as a promising candidate in environmental application. Different kinetics and isotherm models were employed to investigate the adsorption process. Based on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscope, CHNS/O elements analysis, vibration magnetometer, and various means of characterization, a comprehensive analysis of the adsorption mechanism was conducted. The MCSB had a good magnetic performance with a saturation magnetization of 12.5 emu/g. Elemental analysis proved that the addition of chitosan introduced a considerable amount of nitrogen-rich groups, contributing significantly to copper adsorption onto gel beads. The contact time necessary for adsorption was optimized at 120 min to achieve equilibrium. Experimental data showed that the adsorption process agreed well with the Langmuir isotherm model and the pseudo-second-order kinetics model. The theoretical maximum adsorption capacity of MCSB for Cu(II) could reach as high as 124.53 mg/g. In conclusion, the MCSB in this study is a novel and promising composite adsorbent, which can be applied for practical applications in due course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: From the perturbation formulas for g factors for an orthorhombically compressed octahedral 3d9 group, g factors, and local structures for the [Cu(en)3]2+ groups in Cu(en)3SO4 and Cu(en)3Cu(CN)3 powders are theoretically investigated. The local structure of Cu2+ in Cu(en)3Cu(CN)3 is evaluated by analyzing the experimental g factors and found to exhibit moderate axial compression ΔZ (≈0.018 Å) and planar bond length variation ΔR (≈0.015 Å) related to an ideal octahedron due to the Jahn-Teller effect. The larger experimental axial anisotropy Δg (= (gx + gy)/2 − gz) of Cu(en)3SO4 than Cu(en)3Cu(CN)3 is mainly ascribed to the larger ΔZ (≈0.053 Å) in the former. The calculated g factors for both systems show reasonable agreement with experiment by including the charge transfer (CT) contributions to gz, which have the same sign and much larger magnitude compared to the conventional crystal-field ones and should be included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disposal of nitrogen nutrient and excess sludge is a keen concern in wastewater treatment plants. This study describes a simple method of preparing an economical adsorbent, i.e., magnetic excess sludge (MES) by compounding the excess sludge with Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Ammonia-nitrogen removal from simulated wastewater was investigated by using the MES as an adsorbent. The MES had an adsorption efficiency of up to 90% for ammonium removal. Highly efficient separation of adsorbed ammonium on the MES could be magnetically separated from wastewater within 30 s. The operating conditions for ammonium adsorption were optimized at MES dose of 20 g/L, initial ammonium concentration of 45 mg/L and operating temperature of 298-308 K. The equilibrium data of ammonium adsorption on the MES showed a good agreement with the Langmuir isotherm, while the kinetic data were best fitted by the pseudo-second-order model. FTIR analysis indicated that various functional groups, such as hydroxyl and carboxyl groups, existed on the surface of the MES and contributed to the excellent capability for ammonium adsorption. These results suggest that the MES is a promising candidate for removing ammonium from wastewater and recycling excess sludge to ease its disposal at low cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kefir is a natural fermentation agent composed of various microorganisms. To address the mechanism of kefir grain formation, we investigated the microbial role in forming kefir biofilms. The results showed that a biofilm could be formed in kefir-fermented milk and the biofilm forming ability reached the maximum at 13 days. The strains Kluyveromyces marxianus, Lactococcus lactis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactobacillus kefiri, Lactobacillus sunkii and Acetobacter orientalis were isolated from kefir biofilms by the streak-plate method. These microorganisms were analysed with respect to biofilm forming properties, including their surface characterisation (hydrophobicity and zeta potentials) and the microbial aggregation. The results indicated that Klu. marxianus possessed the strongest biofilm forming properties with the strongest hydrophobicity, lowest zeta potential and greatest auto-aggregation ability. When Klu. marxianus and Ac. orientalis were co-cultured with kefir LAB strains respectively, it was found that mixing Klu. marxianus with Lb. sunkii produced the highest co-aggregation ability. These results elucidated the mechanism of kefir biofilm formation and the microorganisms involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To detect potential cardiac abnormalities in asymptomatic methamphetamine abusers using three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (3D STE). Fifty-three male methamphetamine abusers, free of cardiac symptoms/signs, were enrolled in this study. A control group of 53 age-matched male normal subjects was studied for comparison. Standard 3D, flow and tissue Doppler echo with measurements of left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), end-systolic volume (LVESV), ejection fraction (LVEF), the ratio of the early to late diastolic transmitral filling velocity (E/A), the ratio of the early diastolic transmitral filling velocity to the early diastolic septal tissue velocity (E/E') and 3D STE with measurements of global area strain (GAS), global longitudinal strain (GLS), global circumferential strain (GCS) and global radial strain (GRS) were performed, respectively. These echocardiographic parameters were compared between methamphetamine abusers and normal subjects, and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was done to differentiating methamphetamine abusers from normal subjects. LVESV, LVEDV, LVEF, E/A, E/E' ratios and GRS were not significantly different between methamphetamine abusers and normal subjects (p > 0.05). However, GAS, GLS and GCS were significantly less in methamphetamine abusers than in normal subjects (p < 0.05). The areas under ROC (AUC) for GAS were greatest among all the 3D STE derived LV global strains (GAS vs. GLS, GCS and GRS, 0.95 vs. 0.76, 0.69 and 0.61, respectively). The cutoff value with - 30.3% of GAS had sensitivity of 91.8%, specificity of 91.6% and accuracy of 91.3% for differentiating methamphetamine abusers from normal subjects. The potential myocardial function abnormalities can be detected by 3D STE in asymptomatic methamphetamine abusers, and GAS is a good indicator for indentifying methamphetamine abusers from normal population, which can be used to screening and monitor methamphetamine abuse, detect subclinical LV dysfunction, predict potential methamphetamine-related cardiotoxicity, and to initiate early cardioprotective therapy before the onset of overt heart failure in time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To describe the fetal regional myocardial strain rate in the membranous ventricular septum across gestation and to determine their predictive value for a complete membranous ventricular septum (without defect) after delivery. In 1150 fetuses, the peak systolic strain rate (SRs), peak early diastolic strain rate (SRe) and peak late diastolic strain rate (SRa) in the membranous ventricular septum were measured at four time points across gestation (18-20, 24-26, 30-32 and 36-38 weeks). The integrity of the interventricular septum was examined at 12 weeks' postnatal age. The correlations between myocardial strain rates and gestational age as well as fetal left ventricular mass were analyzed, and the performance of myocardial strain rates in predicting a complete membranous ventricular septum was deducted. Strain rate absolute values in the membranous ventricular septum all increased across gestation. They all significantly correlated with gestational age and left ventricular mass. At 24 weeks during pregnancy, the areas under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) for SRe and SRa were all > 0.72 (p < 0.05) in predicting a complete membranous ventricular septum, while the AUC for SRs was only 0.55. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the cut off value (> 1.53 s-1) for SRe was 62.5, 85.7 and 73.3%, respectively, and the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the cut off value (> 1.51 s-1) for SRa was 75.2, 71.9 and 73.8%, respectively. The changes of myocardial strain rates in the membranous ventricular septum across gestation maybe can be used to predict a complete membranous ventricular septum after delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spin Hamiltonian parameters (SHPs) ( g factors and hyperfine structure constants) for the mononuclear square pyramidal [CuO] groups in two paddle wheel copper complexes {Cu(μ-OCCH)}(OCNHCH) and $${}_{\infty }^{3} [{\text{Cu}}_{ 2}^{\text{I}} {\text{Cu}}_{ 2}^{\text{II}} ( {\text{H}}_{ 2} {\text{O)}}_{ 2} {\text{L}}_{ 2} {\text{Cl}}_{ 2} ]$$ are theoretically investigated from the perturbation calculations of these parameters for a rhombically elongated octahedral 3 d group. The slightly larger anisotropy Δ g (≈ g − g) of complex 1 than complex 2 is attributed to the slightly bigger deviations of the polar angles related to the ideal value 90° and relative differences between the axial and basal Cu-O distances in the former. The axiality of the EPR signals for both systems can be illustrated as the fact that the perpendicular anisotropic contributions to X and Y components of the SHPs arising from the four basal ligands with slightly distinct bond lengths and bond angles may roughly cancel one another. The signs of hyperfine structure constants are also theoretically determined for both complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three kinds of functional monomers, 4-vinylpridine(4-VP), 2-(allylthio)nicotinic acid(ANA), and 2-Acetamidoacrylic acid(AAA), were used to synthetize palladium(II) ion-imprinted polymeric nanospheres (Pd(II) IIPs) via precipitation-polymerization method in order to study the effects of different functional monomers on the adsorption properties of ion-imprinted materials. The results of UV spectra in order to study the interaction between template ion PdCl and functional monomers showed that there were great differences in structure after the template reacted with three functional monomers, 4-VP and ANA caused a large structural change, while AAA basically did not change. Further results on the adsorption performance of Pd(II) IIPs on Pd(II) confirmed 4-VP was the most promising candidate for the synthesis of Pd(II) IIPs with an adsorption capacity of 5.042 mg/g as compared with ANA and AAA. The influence of operating parameters on Pd(II) IIP's performance on Pd(II) adsorption was investigated. There was an increase in the adsorption capacity of Pd(II) IIPs at higher pH, temperature, and initial concentration of Pd(II). The results of multi-metal competitive adsorption experiments showed that Pd(II) IIPs had selectivity for Pd(II). An adsorption equilibrium could be reached at 180 min. Kinetic analysis showed that the adsorption test data fitted best to the pseudo-second order kinetic model, and the theoretical equilibrium adsorption capacity was about 5.085 mg/g. The adsorption isotherms of Pd(II) by Pd(II) IIPs agreed well with the Freundlich equation, suggesting a favorable adsorption reaction under optimal conditions. These results showed that Pd(II) IIPs have potential application in the removal of Pd(II) from aqueous solutions and may provide some information for the selection of functional monomers in the preparation of Pd(II) IIPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a technique based on laser self-mixing effect for acquiring pulse wave profile is proposed and demonstrated. For the characteristics of extremely weak vibration in human pulse waves, a method of multiple reflections with external cavity is designed to improve the measurement accuracy to λ/4. Based on the fringe counting algorithm, one period of pulse wave is successfully reconstructed. The measurement results show that the root mean square error ( RMSE) of the reconstructed pulse wave is 0.912 μm at sampling rate of 8 kHz. Besides, the correlation coefficients and heart beats of this method and the traditional photoplethysmography (PPG) measurement are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The HLA-I antigen processing machinery (APM) plays a crucial role in the anticancer immune response. The loss of surface expression of HLA-I molecules is particularly important as this enables tumor cells to evade recognition and lysis by cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. Transcriptional control of the APM genes is regulated by the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). BCRFl is an Epstein-Barr virus homologue of human IL-10 (hIL-10) and is known as viral IL-10 (vIL-10). vIL-10 shares many immunosuppressive effects with hIL-10 but lacks the immunostimulatory effect of hIL-10. The aim of this study was to assess whether vIL-10 inhibits APM components (TAP-1, TAP-2, LMP-2, LMP-7 and HLA-I) through the NF-κB signaling pathway in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. This work demonstrated that vIL-10 inhibited NF-κB activation by blocking IKK phosphorylation and promoting the expression of IKB. TNF-α treatment led to a strong translocation of NF-κB p65, whereas pretreatment with vIL-10 before TNF-α treatment blocked NF-κB p65 translocation. vIL-10 also inhibited TNF-α-induced DNA-binding of NF-κB p65 in the nucleus. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis demonstrated that NF-κB p65 could bind to the TAP-1, TAP-2, LMP-2, LMP-7 and HLA-I gene promoters, and after TNF-α stimulation, the down-regulation of TAP-1, TAP-2, LMP-2, LMP-7 and HLA-I transcription by vIL-10 correlated with the suppression of NF-κB in CNE-2 cells. Surprisingly, vIL-10 inhibits only TAP-1 and LMP-7 transcription in CNE-1 cells. Taken together, these results suggest that the inhibition of NF-κB activity may be an important mechanism for vIL-10 suppression of APM (TAP-1, TAP-2, LMP-2, LMP-7 and HLA-I) gene transcription in CNE-2 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To provide an evidence-based overview regarding the efficacy of Ashi points stimulation for the treatment of shoulder pain. Methods: A comprehensive search [PubMed, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chongqing Weipu Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals (VIP) and Wanfang Database] was conducted to identify randomized or quasi-randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effectiveness of Ashi points stimulation for shoulder pain compared with conventional treatment. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. RevMan 5.0 was used for data synthesis. Results: Nine trials were included. Seven studies assessed the effectiveness of Ashi points stimulation on response rate compared with conventional acupuncture. Their results suggested significant effect in favour of Ashi points stimulation [odds ratio (OR): 5.89, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.97 to 11.67, P<0.01, heterogeneity: χ =3.81, P=0.70, I =0% ]. One trial compared Ashi points stimulation with drug therapy. The result showed there was a significantly greater recovery rate in group of Ashi points stimulation (OR: 9.58, 95% CI: 2.69 to 34.12). One trial compared comprehensive treatment on the myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) with no treatment and the result was in favor of MTrPs. Conclusions: Ashi points stimulation might be superior to conventional acupuncture, drug therapy and no treatment for shoulder pain. However, due to the low methodological quality of included studies, a firm conclusion could not be reached until further studies of high quality are available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While indirect model has been widely accepted in bioleaching, but the evidence of cell surface iron speciation has not been reported. In the present work the iron speciation on the cell surfaces of four typically acidophilic iron-oxidizing microorganism (mesophilic Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans ATCC 23270, moderately thermophilic Leptospirillum ferriphilum YSK and Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans St, and extremely thermophilic Acidianus manzaensis YN25) grown on different energy substrates (chalcopyrite, pyrite, ferrous sulfate and elemental sulfur (S)) were studied in situ firstly by using synchrotron-based micro- X-ray fluorescence analysis and X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy. Results showed that the cells grown on iron-containing substrates had apparently higher surface iron content than the cells grown on S. Both ferrous iron and ferric iron were detected on the cell surface of all tested AIOMs, and the Fe(II)/Fe(III) ratios of the same microorganism were affected by different energy substrates. The iron distribution and bonding state of single cell of A. manzaensis were then studied in situ by scanning transmission soft X-ray microscopy based on dual-energy contrast analysis and stack analysis. Results showed that the iron species distributed evenly on the cell surface and bonded with amino, carboxyl and hydroxyl groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bio-oxidation of elemental sulfur (S) is very important in bioleaching and sulfur cycle. S was proposed to be first activated by reacting with reactive thiol groups (-SH) of outer membrane proteins, forming -SH (n ≥ 2) complexes. The differential expression of -SH of moderately thermophilic Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans and extremely thermophilic Acidianus manzaensis grown on Fe and S was investigated by synchrotron radiation-based scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) imaging and micro-beam X-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF) mapping. The STXM imaging and μ-XRF mapping of extracellular -SH were based on the analysis of Ca bound on the cell. By comparing Ca of the cells with and without labeling by Ca, the distribution and content of thiol groups were obtained. The results showed that, for both S. thermosulfidooxidans and A. manzaensis, the expression of extracellular -SH of S-grown cells was higher than that of Fe-grown cells. Statistical analysis indicated that the expression of extracellular -SH for S. thermosulfidooxidans and A. manzaensis grown on S was 2.37 times and 2.14 times, respectively, to that on Fe. These results evidently demonstrate that the extracellular thiol groups are most probably involved in elemental sulfur activation and oxidation of the acidophilic sulfur-oxidizing microorganisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was aimed to investigate the role of the delta-opioid receptor (DOR)-β-arrestin1-Bcl-2 signal transduction pathway in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC) and the intervention effects of oxymatrine on UC. Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into normal group, model group, oxymatrine-treated group and mesalazine-treated group ( n=10 each) at random. The rat UC model was established by intra-colonic injection of trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid in the model group and two treatment groups. The rats in oxymatrine-treated group were subjected to intramuscular injection of oxymatrine [63 mg/(kg·day)] for 15 days, and those in mesalazine-treated group given mesalazine solution [0.5 g/(kg·day)] by gastric lavage for the same days. Animals in normal group and model group were administered 3 mL water by gastric lavage for 15 days. On the 16th day, after fasting for 24 h, the rats were sacrificed for the removal of colon tissues. The expression levels of DOR, β-arrestin1 and Bcl-2 were determined in colon tissues by immunohistochemistry and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), respectively. It was found that the expression levels of DOR, β-arrestin1 and Bcl-2 protein and mRNA were significantly increased in the model group as compared with the other groups ( P<0.05). They were conspicuously decreased in both mesalazine-treated and oxymatrine-treated groups in contrast to the model group ( P<0.05). No statistically significant difference was noted in these indices between mesalazine- and oxymatrinetreated groups ( P>0.05). This study indicated that the DOR-β-arrestin1-Bcl-2 signal transduction pathway may participate in the pathogenesis of UC. Moreover, oxymatrine can attenuate the development of UC by regulating the DOR-β-arrestin1-Bcl-2 signal transduction pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The three-component reaction of $$N$$ -benzylbenzimidazole, dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylate, and $$N$$ -alkylisatins in tetrahydrofuran at room temperature afforded the novel functionalized benzimidazole[2.1- b][1,3]oxazine spirooxindoles in good yields. $${}^{1}$$ H NMR spectra indicated that two diastereoisomers with a ratio of 1:3-1:6 exist in the obtained spirooxindole derivatives. Graphic Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

P-type Cu1.8+xSe (x = 0, 0.16, 0.20) compounds were synthesized by mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering technique. A 100% enhancement of the Seebeck coefficient was achieved in the whole temperature interval for x = 0.16 and x = 0.20 bulks compared with that of the x = 0 bulk. The thermal conductivity was all below 1.6 W m−1 K−1 in the whole temperature interval for x = 0.16 and x = 0.20 bulks, showing a pronounced reduction compared with that of the x = 0 bulk. The lowest thermal conductivity 0.69 W m−1 K−1 was achieved in the x = 0.16 sample at 773 K, whereby a maximum ZT value of 1.23 was obtained, revealing that optimizing Cu content in Cu1.8+xSe system is an effective method to improve the thermoelectric (TE) merit and indicating a great potential for TE application along with their nontoxicity and low cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyester dendrimers are attractive for in vivo delivery of anti-cancer drug because of their biodegradability and low cytotoxicity. In this drug delivery system, G5 polyester dendrimer is composed of hydrophobic polyester dendritic blocks and hydrophilic poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG), in which DOX molecules are efficiently encapsulated in the core of microspheres due to their affinity with G5 dendritic blocks. A dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) computational method was used to investigate the loading/release mechanism of anti-cancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) in G5 polyester dendrimer. Four sequential transient stages were found during the drug encapsulation process: (1) all components distribute randomly in the cubic box at the initial stage, (2) DOX molecules dispersion in the G5 dendritic microsphere, (3) amalgamation of the small core-shell dendritic microspheres into bigger ones, and (4) the stabilization stage. The loaded DOX content was calculated to be 16.7 % with a loading efficiency of 100 %, which is close to the experiment results (15.2 % DOX content with the loading efficiency of 99 %). The simulation also successfully revealed the drug release dynamics at pH 7.4 and pH 5 (37 °C). At pH 7.4, no DOX molecule was released from G5/DOX when only considered the influence of temperature on drug release. It demonstrates that the increase of system temperature (from 25 to 37 °C) is not the major factor for drug release at pH 7.4. When considered protonation of DOX at pH 5, it is benefit to generate some pores on the surface of G5/DOX microspheres, and the aperture of the pores increased with the simulation steps increased, which leads to the increasingly exposure of DOX molecules to water. However, the drug could not release toward the aqueous solution. It demonstrated that the protonation of DOX is not the major factor for the drug's rapid release at pH 5 though it may facilitate the drug release process. Such results are in qualitatively consistent with the experimental observations and could provide valuable guidance in later design and optimization of this drug delivery system. The same tool could also be used to evaluate and design other similar drug/gene delivery systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the Eocene, the southwest Tarim Basin was a large epicontinental sea as a part of the Turun Sea in the eastern Paratethys. The marine succession of the Kalatar Formation is exposed along the piedmonts of the southern Tian Shan and western Kunlun Shan, and can be subdivided into three members. On the southern side of the Tarim Basin, a non-barrier shore-to-shelf, siliciclastic-dominated system, locally with carbonates and oyster biostromes, developed along the western Kunlun Shan, where river input led to a seaward arrangement of alluvial fan, foreshore, shoreface, and offshore facies. In contrast, on the northern side of the Tarim Basin, a carbonate ramp system formed along the southern Tian Shan, including shallow bioclastic-oolitic grainstone shoals, oyster beds, and red algal rudstones along with a number of evaporite units, which formed under hypersaline tidal-flat and lagoonal conditions. The basin center was a largely moderate deep and low-energy embayment facies. Deposition of the mixed carbonate-siliciclastic Kalatar Formation was controlled by tectonic activity, in particular the development of the Himalayan orogeny with the closure of Paratethys sea-level fluctuations, and arid-humid climate variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dimensional analysis and numerical simulations were carried out to research prediction method of breakthrough time of horizontal wells in bottom water reservoir. Four dimensionless independent variables and dimensionless time were derived from 10 influencing factors of the problem by using dimensional analysis. Simulations of horizontal well in reservoir with bottom water were run to find the prediction correlation. A general and concise functional relationship for predicting breakthrough time was established based on simulation results and theoretical analysis. The breakthrough time of one conceptual model predicted by the correlation is very close to the result by Eclipse with less than 2% error. The practical breakthrough time of one well in Helder oilfield is 10 d, and the predicted results by the method is 11.2 d, which is more accurate than the analytical result. Case study indicates that the method could predict breakthrough time of horizontal well under different reservoir conditions accurately. For its university and ease of use, the method is suitable for quick prediction of breakthrough time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of bulk samples CuCrS ( x = 0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.06, 0.10) were prepared by combining mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering. The effect of excessive sulfur content on the phase structure, microstructure, and thermoelectric and optical properties was investigated. The excessive sulfur initially entered into the lattice sites and then into the lattice interstices. A direct band gap semiconductor for CuCrS material with an optical band gap of about 2.48 eV was proved. An improved electrical conductivity 2980 S m at 673 K reached along with an inversely varied Seebeck coefficient as increasing x value, which showed a maximum power factor of 104 μ W mK at 673 K for CuCrS sample. In addition to the low thermal conductivity between 0.48 and 1.02 W mK in the whole temperature range, a peak ZT of 0.15 was achieved at 673 K for CuCrS bulk sample, which was 36 % higher than that (0.11) of the CuCrS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, electromagnetic poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/ γ-FeO (PEDOT/ γ-FeO) micro-bowls, 1-2 μm in diameter, were prepared by a simple environment-friendly process. In this method, the aqueous solution of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) instead of any organic solvent was used. FeCl acted as a source of Fe for the formation of γ-FeO and as an oxidant for the polymerization of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT). The bowl-shaped morphology of PEDOT/ γ-FeO composites was strongly influenced by the concentration of CTAB, FeCl, ammonia solution and the reaction temperature. The saturation magnetization of PEDOT/ γ-FeO micro-bowls increased with the increase of FeCl concentration and reached 6.20 Am/kg at the FeCl concentration of 0.30 mol/L. The conductivity of the PEDOT/ γ-FeO composites was in the range of 101 S/cm. The electrical and magnetic sources of PEDOT/ γ-FeO micro-bowls were confirmed by SEM-EDX, TEM, XRD and XPS spectra. And the possible formation mechanism of PEDOT// γ-FeO was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The objective of this study was to determine the removal of zinc and copper by two freshwater green microalgae Chlorella pyrenoidosa and Scenedesmus obliquus and to investigate changes of algal ultrastructure and photosynthetic pigment. Methods: Algal cells were exposed for 8 days to different initial zinc or copper concentrations. Heavy metal concentrations were detected by an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Algal growth, ultrastructure, and photosynthetic pigment were analyzed by a microplate reader, transmission electron microscope, and spectrophotometer, respectively. Results: Low zinc and copper concentrations induced increase in algal growth, whereas application of high zinc and copper concentrations suppressed the growth of both algae. High metal concentrations also decreased the photosynthetic pigments and destroyed algal cell ultrastructure. The zinc removal efficiency by both algae increased rapidly during the first day and thereafter remained nearly constant throughout the experiment. The copper removal efficiency by both algae increased slowly during the whole experimental periods. In all cultures, the quantity of both metals removed intracellularly was much lower than the adsorbed quantity on the cell surface. Conclusions: Both strains of the microalgae had proven effective in removing zinc and copper from aqueous solutions, with the highest removal efficiency being near 100%. In addition, C. pyrenoidosa appeared to be more efficient than S. obliquus for removing copper ions. On the contrary, S. obliquus appeared to be more efficient than C. pyrenoidosa for removing zinc ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objective: To investigate the β2-adrenoceptor (β2AR)-β-arrestin2-nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signal transduction pathway and the intervention effects of oxymatrine in a rat model of ulcerative colitis. Methods: Forty SD rats were randomly divided into four groups, which included the normal control group, the model group, the mesalazine group and the oxymatrine treatment group, with 10 rats per group. Experimental colitis induced with trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) was established in each group except the normal control group. The rats in the oxymatrine treatment group were treated with intramuscular injection of oxymatrine 63 mg/(kg·d) for 15 days and the rats in the mesalazine group were treated with mesalazine solution 0.5 g/(kg·d) by gastric lavage for 15 days. The rats in the normal control group and model group were treated with 3 mL water by gastric lavage for 15 days. Diarrhea and bloody stool were carefully observed. Histological changes in colonic tissue were examined on day 7 in 2 rats per group that were randomly selected. The expression of β2AR, β-arrestin2 and NF-κB p65 in colon tissue and spleen lymphocytes were detected with immunohistochemistry and Western immunoblotting techniques on day 16 after fasting for 24 h. Six rats died of lavage with 2 each in the normal control, the model group and the mesalazine group; and were not included in the analysis. Results: The rats in the model group suffered from looser stool and bloody purulent stool after modeling. But in the oxymatrine and mesalazine groups, looser stool and bloody purulent stool reduced after treatment. And the colonic wall in the model group was thickened and the colon length shortened. The colon mucosa was congested in multiple areas with edema, erosion, superficial or linear ulcer and scar formation, while the intestinal mucosa injury reduced in the mesalazine and oxymatrine groups ( P<0.01). In colonic mucosa and in spleen lymphocytes, compared with the normal control group, the expression of NF-κBp65 were significantly increased ( P<0.01) in the model group while the expressions of β 2AR and β-arrestin2 were significantly decreased ( P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the expression of NF-κ Bp65 was significantly decreased in the mesalazine group ( P<0.01) and oxymatrine treatment group ( P<0.01) while the expressions of β2AR and β-arrestin2 were significantly increased ( P<0.01). There were no statistically significant differences in the expression of β2AR, β-arrestin2 and NF-κBp65 between the mesalazine group and oxymatrine group ( P>0.05). Conclusions: The β2AR-β-arrestin2-NF-κB signal transduction pathway participated in the pathologic course of ulcerative colitis. Oxymatrine attenuated ulcerative colitis through regulating the β2AR-β-arrestin2-NF-κB signal transduction pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbonates of Mississippian age (Viséan) in the Midale Beds, Charles Formation of southeastern Saskatchewan, Canada, produce significant amounts of hydrocarbons. The Midale Beds represent deposition in a shallow-water, periodically restricted, epeiric setting. The sedimentation is characterized by a variety of shallow-water carbonate lithologies ranging from wackestone, packstone, grainstone, to microbial boundstone. Algae, calcimicrobes, and related microbial fabrics are common features in these limestones. Cores and thin sections through the Midale Beds in the Glen Ewen and Midale pools of southeastern Saskatchewan were examined in order to study the contribution of calcimicrobes and microbial fabrics to the sedimentation of Mississippian carbonate rocks in southeastern Saskatchewan. Calcimicrobes and microbial fabrics are the important components in the grainstones and microbial boundstone. The calcimicrobes are commonly found as porostromate forms, including Garwoodia sp. and Ortonella sp., and other forms such as Archaeolithoporella-like, Girvanella-like, Wetheredella-like, and problematic microbes also occur but are not common. Microbial fabrics are characterized by microstromatolites, microbial laminations, thrombolite, clotted peloids, and fenestrate forms. Calcimicrobes stabilized grains and modified and created sediments, and the related syndepositional microbial fabrics affected the development of porosity/permeability of Midale carbonates. Calcimicrobes and microbial fabrics in Midale Beds highlighted a significant account of microbial facies associated with the Mississippian carbonates worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid-phase extraction coupled with LC-fluorescence detection was used for the extraction and determination of three thiol compounds including glutathione (GSH), cysteine (Cys) and acetylcysteine (NAc). Fluorescence probe N-(4,4-difluoro-5,7-dimethyl-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza- s-indacene-3-yl)methyl)iodoacetamide (BODIPY Fl-C-IA) was applied for derivatization of thiols. The derivatization and extraction conditions have been investigated in detail. The calibration graph of the proposed method was linear in the range of 1-200 nM (GSH and Cys) and 20-2,000 nM (NAc). The limits of detection were in the range of 0.2-4.0 nM. The usefulness of the proposed method has been validated by measuring thiol-containing compounds in human urine and blood samples from healthy persons, with recoveries of 92.5-110%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The linear conjugated polymer of polyfluorene/poly( p-phenylenevinylenes) (PFO/PPV) was synthesized and selected as the matrix film. The incorporation of a small fraction of inorganic mesoporous silicas into the polymer matrix resulted in a significant increase in overall detection efficiency of nitroaromatics. The structure of the obtained mixed films was characterized by 1H-NMR, IR, and XRD. The optical and fluorescence properties of the mixed films were demonstrated by ultraviolet and visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) and photoluminescence (PL) spectra in ethanol/water solution. Compared with the pure conjugated polymer film, the mixed films had high fluorescence quenching sensitivity toward nitroaromatic compounds, especially 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (TNP), in the aqueous phase. The fluorescent emission quenching is quantitative and can be analyzed on the basis of the Stern-Volmer model relation with the quenching process. The results revealed that such mixed matrix films of conjugated polymer/mesoporous silicas can be a promising strategy of designing chemosensory materials for detecting nitroaromatic compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flow characteristics of deionized water in hydrophilic and hydrophobic microtubes with diameters of 14.9, 5.03 and 2.05 μm are investigated experimentally. The results indicate that the flow characteristics of deionized water in microtubes with diameter of 14.9 μm are in agreement with the classical Hagen-Poiseuille (H-P) equation, but for hydrophilic and hydrophobic microtubes with smaller diameters, the results show significant departure from the prediction of conventional theory, and the discrepancies are influenced by wettability of the microtubes and increase as the Reynolds numbers decrease. Besides, flows of fluid in cores are the macroscopic reflection of flows in countless micron-sized pore throats, the influence of wettability on microscale flow in pore throats will cause the change of seepage characteristic in cores. Therefore, flow experiments of brine through cores with different wettabilities are conducted. The results demonstrate that wettability exerts similar influence on water flows in cores and microtubes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A class of generalized Cohen-Grossberg neural networks(CGNNs) with variable delays are investigated. By introducing a new type of Lyapunov functional and applying the homeomorphism theory and inequality technique, some new conditions are derived ensuring the existence and uniqueness of the equilibrium point and its global exponential stability for CGNNs. These results obtained are independent of delays, develop the existent outcome in the earlier literature and are very easily checked in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to provide references for selecting highly efficient red mud flocculants, the behaviour of polyacrylamidomethyltrimethyl ammonium chloride (PATAC) in red mud separation process was investigated. PATAC was employed as a flocculant for red mud separation from the caustic aluminate liquor at 95 °C. The used red mud was generated from Chinese diaspore bauxite in Bayer process of alumina production. And the changes of PATAC before or after being treated in caustic solution at 95 °C were studied by thermogravimetry (TG) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectral analysis. The results show that PATAC fails in effectively flocculating red mud and PATAC is readily converted to a quaternary ammonium hydroxide (PATAH) in caustic solution. PATAH can be decomposed to a new polymer (HPATAH) even at 95 °C. Furthermore, there is an intramolecular hydrogen bond formed in the HPATAH polymer chain with two functional groups of -CH2-OH and -CONH2. Therefore, the poor flocculation property of PATAC for red mud separation can be attributed to the thermal decomposition of PATAC in the caustic red mud slurry at 95 °C and the formation of intramolecular hydrogen bond in the polymer chain of HPATAH during the thermal decomposition, which causes the absorbable functional groups of PATAC to decrease greatly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For waterflooding reservoir, oil trapped in pore’s dead ends is hardly flushed out, and usually becomes one typical type of residual oil. The microscopic displacement characteristics of polymer solution with varied viscoelastic property were studied by numerical and experimental method. According to main pore structure characteristics and rheological property of polymer solution through porous media, displacement models for residual oil trapped in dead ends were proposed, and upper-convected Maxwell rheological model was used as polymer solution’s constitutive equation. The flow and stress field was given and displacement characteristic was quantified by introducing a parameter of micro swept coefficient. The calculated and experimental results show that micro swept coefficient rises with the increase of viscoelasticity; for greater viscoelasticity of polymer solution, vortices in the dead end have greater swept volume and displacing force on oil, and consequently entraining the swept oil in time. In addition, micro swept coefficient in dead end is function of the inclination angle ( θ) between pore and dead end. The smaller of θ and 180- θ, the flow field of viscoelastic fluid is developed in dead ends more deeply, resulting in more contact with oil and larger swept coefficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pore throat of porous media is modeled as a constricted channel or expanded channel. The flow of viscoelastic polymer solution in pore throat model is studied by numerical method. Relationship between pressure drop and flow rate is developed, viscoelasticity and throat size are found to be two main factors in high flow resistance. According to pore throat model, 2-D stochastic channel bundle is put forward to model porous media, which is composed of pore throat models in series — parallel connection with size and length accord to Haring — Greenkorn stochastic distribution. Percolation model of viscoelastic fluid is developed on the basis of Darcy equation and pressure drop vs. flow rate relation in 2-D stochastic channel bundle. Results indicate that the seepage ability of viscoelastic polymer solution decreases with the increase of viscoelasticity, injection rate, and heterogeneity as well as the decrease of mean pore size of porous media. The high pressure drop of viscoelastic fluid at the connection of pore to throat plays a great role in its anomalous high flow resistance through porous media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new organotin/Schiff-base complex C28H31Cl3NO4Sn (1) was synthesized by the reaction of β-butoxycarbonylethyltin trichlorides (2) with 2-hydroxy-1-naphthalidene-4-methoxyaniline (3) in the presence of benzene, and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, IR, and elemental analysis. Yellow rectangular rods of the title complex crystallize as a benzene solvate of formula C28H31Cl3NO4Sn (1) in the triclinic space group P-1. The unit cell has a = 9.274(3) Å, b = 13.066(2) Å, c = 13.579(3) Å, α = 69.463(12)°, β = 89.04(2)°, γ = 73.36(2)°, and Z = 2. It is found that atom H riding on phenolic O in free ligand (3) has transferred to imine atom N due to the coordination of phenolic O with Sn after the complex formation, while an intromolecular hydrogen bond still exists between phenolic O and N (N...O, 2.572(3) Å). Sn is coordinated by three chloride atoms, one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms, resulting in a distorted octahedra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the clinical applications of Tripterygium glycosides (TG) which refers to the total glycosides extracted from the root of Chinese herb Tripterygium Wilfordii Hook f. TG can be used for the long-term treatment of endometriosis. The progestin levels of patients of hysteromyoma that were treated with small dose of TG were lower than those of the control group. TG could lessen the inflammation of trachea of patients with bronchial asthma.

The present study is aimed at probing the hydrogen bonding interaction between epinephrine and uracil by means of density functional theory calculations concerning their complexation's geometries, interaction energies, and vibrational frequencies. Geometry optimization was carried out giving 19 stable geometries of epinephrine-uracil complex with interaction energies in a range of – 21.51 to – 62.37 kJ mol−1 using the basis set superposition error (BSSE) correction. The analysis of structure and vibration shows that the hydrogen bonding elongates the length of corresponding bond O(N)–H and decreases the symmetric stretching vibrational frequency, which indicates red-shifted H-bonding interactions in all the geometries. Additionally, the analysis with theories of natural bond orbital (NBO), atoms in molecules (AIM), and the reduced density gradient (RDG) of hydrogen bonding properties and characteristics of the 19 geometries suggests that the hydrogen bonding in all the optimized structures of epinephrine-uracil complex is kind of a closed-shell interaction and mainly electrostatic dominant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance the photocatalytic activity of NaNbO3 (NNO) for hydrogen production through water splitting, monodoping with N or F atoms and codoping with (N, F) atom pairs are applied to modulate the electronic structures of NNO, which are calculated with hybrid functional HSE06 in VASP code. F doping into NNO crystals yields little band gap reduction of the system. Although N doping can significantly reduce band gap and enhance the visible light response of the system, presence of the localized unoccupied states above Fermi level in forbidden zone may promote the electron–hole recombination and possibly result in a poor photoconversion efficiency. A favorable improvement is achieved with N and F codoping, which yields not only an uncontaminated forbidden band but also the significantly narrowed band gap suitable for visible light absorption. Moreover, the band edge positions of various codoped systems are also suitable for the overall water splitting. The calculated formation energy indicates that N doping becomes more feasible in the presence of F due to charge balance. So, the (N, F) pairs codoping can be justified for improving the visible light driven photoactivity of NNO. The effects of concentration and separation of dopants on the photocatalytic performances are also investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The pH-responsive copolymer micelles are widely used as carriers in drug delivery system, but there are few micro-level mechanistically explorations on the pH-triggered drug release. Here we elucidate the relationship between drug release behavior of four/six-arms star copolymer micelles and the copolymer structures.Method: The net cumulative drug release percentage (En) was taken as the dependent variables, block unit autocorrelation descriptors as independent variables. The quantitative structure-property relationship models of drug release from block copolymers were developed at pH 7.4 and 5.0 of two periods (stage I: 0~12 h, stage II: 12~96 h).Results: The models built are of good fitting ability, internal predictive ability, stability and statistically significance. Drug diffusion is mainly influenced by the intra-block force, and micellar erosion by inter-block force. At pH 5.0, lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy of copolymer unit is the main factor influencing the En. Stage I of drug release is affected by hydrophobic property and stage II by regional polar of copolymer molecules.Conclusion: The models present good performance, factors affecting drug release behavior at different pH conditions can offer guidance for the design of copolymer structures to control the drug release behavior of micelles in a targeted and quantitatively way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intraventricular hemorrhage is associated with poor functional outcomes in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We aimed to investigate the association between intraventricular hemorrhage and early hematoma expansion in patients with ICH. Patients with ICH who underwent a baseline CT scan within six hours after onset of symptoms were included. The follow-up CT scan was performed within 24 hours after the baseline CT scan. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression were used to assess the relationship between presence of intraventricular hemorrhage and early hematoma expansion. A total of 160 patients were included in the study. Significant hematoma growth was observed in 52 (32.5%) patients presenting within six hours after onset of symptoms. Intraventricular hemorrhage was observed in 66 (41.25%) patients with ICH. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that a short time from onset to baseline CT scan, the initial hematoma volume, and the presence of intraventricular hemorrhage on follow-up CT scan were independently associated with hematoma enlargement. The presence of intraventricular hemorrhage on follow-up CT scan can be associated with hematoma expansion in patients with ICH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]