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Despite progress in prevention and treatment, colorectal cancer (CRC) remains the third most common malignancy worldwide and the second most common cause of cancer death in 2020. To evaluate various characteristics of human CRC, a variety of mouse models have been established. Transplant mouse models have distinct advantages in studying the clinical behavior and therapeutic progress of CRC. Host, xenograft, and transplantation routes are the basis of transplant mouse models. As the effects of the tumor microenvironment and the systemic environment on cancer cells are gradually revealed, 3 key elements of transplanted CRC mouse models have been revolutionized. This has led to the development of humanized mice, patient-derived xenografts, and orthotopic transplants that reflect the human systemic environment, patient's tumor of origin, and tumor growth microenvironments in immunodeficient mice, respectively. These milestone events have allowed for great progress in tumor biology and the treatment of CRC. This article reviews the evolution of these events and points out their strengths and weaknesses as innovative and useful preclinical tools to study CRC progression and metastasis and to exploit novel treatment schedules by establishing a testing platform. This review article depicts the optimal transplanted CRC mouse models and emphasizes the significance of surgical models in the study of CRC behavior and treatment response.

Superhydrophilic free-standing edge-rich graphene film (S-fs-ERG) with abundant edge-rich sites, high conductivity and hierarchical porosity was in situ fabricated for simultaneous and disposable detection of DA, AA and UA with superior performance.

The maintenance of visual function not only requires the normal structure and function of neurons but also depends on the effective signal propagation of synapses in visual pathways. Synapses emerge alterations of plasticity in the early stages of neuronal damage and affect signal transmission, which leads to transneuronal degeneration. In the present study, rat model of acute retinal ischemia/reperfusion (RI/R) was established to observe the morphological changes of neuronal soma and synapses in the inner plexiform layer (IPL), outer plexiform layer (OPL), and dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) after retinal injury. We found transneuronal degeneration in the visual pathways following RI/R concretely presented as edema and mitochondrial hyperplasia of neuronal soma in retina, demyelination, and heterotypic protein clusters of axons in LGN. Meanwhile, small immature synapses formed, and there are asynchronous changes between pre- and postsynaptic components in synapses. This evidence demonstrated that transneuronal degeneration exists in RI/R injury, which may be one of the key reasons for the progressive deterioration of visual function after the injury is removed.

Background To detect HOXD9 levels in cervical cancer species and to explore the relationship between HOXD9 level and prognosis in cervical cancer patients. We also verify the influence of HOXD9 on metastatic abilities in cervical cancer. Methods HOXD9 levels in cervical cancer species were detected. Its influence on clinical features and prognosis in cervical cancer patients was analyzed. Regulatory effects of HOXD9 on migratory and invasive capacities in C33-A and HeLa cells were evaluated by Transwell assay. Subsequently, the downstream gene of HOXD9 was predicted by bioinformatics analysis and confirmed by luciferase assay. The involvement of HMCN1 in regulating metastatic ability in cervical cancer cells was finally explored by rescue experiments. Results HOXD9 was upregulated in cervical cancer species and its level was positively correlated to rates of lymphatic metastasis and distant metastasis. High level of HOXD9 in cervical cancer patients predicted a poor prognosis. Overexpression of HOXD9 promoted migratory and invasive capacities in cervical cancer cells. HMCN1 was identified to be the downstream gene binding HOXD9. It was responsible for HOXD9-regulated metastasis in cervical cancer. Conclusions HOXD9 is upregulated in cervical cancer species. Its level is closely linked to metastasis rate and poor prognosis in cervical cancer patients. Through positively regulating HMCN1 level, HOXD9 stimulates migratory and invasive capacities in cervical cancer cells.

Background To compare the correction effect and optical quality after small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) and femtosecond laser assisted laser in situ keratomileusis (FS-LASIK) for high myopia. Methods 51 high myopia eyes after SMILE and 49 high myopia eyes after FS-LASIK were enrolled and divided into two groups retrospectively. The OQAS and iTrace analyzer were used for optical quality inspection. Between the two groups the spherical equivalent (SE), astigmatism, uncorrected distant visual acuity (UDVA), strehl ratio (SR), modulation transfer function cutoff frequency (MTF cutoff), objective scatter index (OSI) and wavefront aberrations were analyzed and compared before surgery and at 1, 6 and 12 months after surgery. Results After the operation: (1) SE and astigmatism declined and UDVA increased significantly in both groups, and UDVA was better after SMILE than FS-LASIK. (2) SR and MTF cutoff reduced and OSI increased significantly after SMILE and FS-LASIK. SR and MTF cutoff were significantly higher after SMILE than FS-LASIK. OSI was significantly lower after SMILE than FS-LASIK. (3) The total wavefront aberration, total low-order wavefront aberration, defocus and astigmatism aberration as well as trefoil aberration reduced significantly in both groups. The total high-order wavefront aberration increased significantly after FS-LASIK. The spherical and coma aberration increased significantly in both groups. The total high-order wavefront aberration and coma aberration at 1 month were higher after FS-LASIK than SMILE. Conclusion The optical quality descended after SMILE and FS-LASIK. SMILE was superior to FS-LASIK at the correction effect and optical quality for high myopia. The combination of OQAS and iTrace analyzer is a valuable complementary measurement in evaluating the optical quality after the refractive surgery. Trial registration This is a retrospective study. This research was approved by the ethics committee of Xiangya Hospital and the IRB approval number is 201612074.

Background. Myopia is a chronic ocular disease, emerging as the most common type of refractive error. This study intends to preliminarily explore the roles of protein S-nitrosylation of nitric oxide (NO) in the regulation of myopia by detecting the expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and downstream S-nitrosylation, using the animal model of lens-induced myopia (LIM) in mice. Methods. The 3-week-old C57BL/6 J mice were divided into three groups: group I, lens-induced 0-week group (take eyeballs at the age of 3 weeks); group II, self-control eyes of experimental group (take eyeballs at the age of 7 weeks); and group III, lens-induced 4-week group (take eyeballs at the age of 7 weeks). The diopter and axial length of each group were measured by streak retinoscopes and optical coherence tomography (OCT) before and after model establishment. The protein expressions and locations of nNOS and S-nitrosylated proteins (PSNOs) were measured by western blot and immunofluorescence staining. Site-specific proteomic for protein S-nitrolysation was used to detect the existence and location of S-nitrosylation proteins in the retina of myopic and nonmyopic mice. The Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and motif enrichment analyses were performed. The differential sites were analyzed by GO, KEGG, and motif. Irreversible biotinylation procedure combined with protein purification and western blot was used to detect the protein expression of α-enolase (ENO1), a key player in the hypoxia-related signal pathway. Results. The expressions of nNOS and PSNOs were significantly lower in the retina of experimental eyes than that in self-control eyes and 3-week-old baseline group. A total of 595 S-nitrosylated proteins, 709 S-nitrosylated peptides, and 708 S-nitrosylated sites were identified by site-specific S-nitrolysation proteomics in the retina of myopic and control eyes. A total of 19 differentiation loci were screened, of which 13 sites were downregulated and 6 sites were upregulated in experimental eyes compared with the self-control group. Specifically, the expression of SNO-ENO1 was significantly lower in the retina of experimental eyes than that in self-control eyes and 3-week-old baseline group. Conclusion. LIM induces the decrease of nNOS and PSNO protein levels in the retina of myopic mice. NO-mediated nonclassical protein S-nitrosylation modification may play an important role in the regulation of lens-induced myopia. ENO1 may be a key factor in the regulation of S-nitrosylation modification of myopia.

ObjectiveThe prevalence of glaucoma is rising due to an increasing aging population. Because of its insidious and irreversible nature, glaucoma has gradually become the focus of attention. We assessed primary open angle glaucoma, the most common type of glaucoma, to study its present status, global trend, and state of clinical research.MethodsPublications from 2000 to 2021 in Web of Science database were retrieved and analyzed by bibliometrics. VOSviewer and Citespace were used for analysis.ResultsA total of 6,401 publications were included in this review, and we found that the number of publications increased from 139 in 2000 to 563 in 2021. American researchers have published the most papers and had the highest h-index and the most citations, while the Journal of Glaucoma has published the most papers on this topic. Some key researchers, contributing institutions, their partnerships, and scientific masterpieces were identified. The publications we reviewed fall into seven categories: publications on intraocular pressure, normal tension glaucoma, risk factors, the trabecular meshwork, optical coherence tomography, surgery, and mutation. Clear study hotspots were described, which began with epidemiology and transitioned to pathogenesis and diagnosis and then to treatment.ConclusionStudies on primary open angle glaucoma extend well beyond ophthalmology to biochemistry molecular biology, general internal medicine, pharmacology, pharmacy, science technology, and other areas. Interest, research and publications on primary open angle glaucoma are on the rise.

We studied metastasis-promoting effect of transmembrane protease TMPRSS4 on mismatch repair (MMR)-deficient colorectal cancer liver metastasis in BALB/c nude mouse model. Histomorphological and histopathological studies showed that the number of liver metastases in the study group were significantly higher than that in the control group (p

Fresh water microplastic pollution is of pressing concern globally, but its distribution and sources in reservoirs are poorly documented. Danjiangkou Reservoir is the second largest reservoir in China and is divided into the Han Reservoir and Dan Reservoir. In this work, microplastic abundances and morphological characteristics of the reservoir were investigated. The microplastic abundance of 15 main tributaries of the reservoir was also measured. The vertical distribution (in water column and sediment), horizontal distribution (in Han Reservoir and Dan Reservoir) and source of microplastics were analyzed. Microplastics accumulated in the middle layer of the reservoir, and the size and color of the microplastic particles changed from the surface to the bottom, which implies that surveys of surface water are not enough to determine the microplastic contamination for deep water reservoirs. In the surface water, the microplastic abundance in the Han Reservoir was lower than that in the Dan Reservoir (p 0.05), but microplastic abundance did not differ significantly in the intermediate and bottom water. Tributaries were one of the main sources of microplastics for Han Reservoir but not for Dan Reservoir. Agricultural cultivation in the hydro-fluctuation belt might be an important source of microplastics in the Dan Reservoir, which should be given additional attention. The results of this study can provide valuable information for developing microplastic sampling strategies in deep water reservoirs. Further studies are recommended to investigate the process through which microplastics in the hydro-fluctuation belt enter the reservoir and the sinking behavior of microplastics in the reservoir.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are RNA molecules that do not encode proteins but are known to regulate tumor progression. This study was designed to explore the underlying mechanism driving circRNA-mediated modulation of gastric cancer (GC). Bioinformatics analysis of gene chip GSE83521 was used to identify multiple circRNAs that were differentially regulated in matched GC and adjacent normal tissues. The circRNA with the largest variation in expression (hsa_circ_0000751) was selected for further examination. The expression profile of hsa_circ_0000751 and its target-specific interactions with microRNAs (miRNAs) and downstream gene transcripts were determined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, luciferase reporter assays, and rescue assays in human tissues and cells. The relationship between hsa_circ_0000751 expression and the clinicopathological parameters of 25 GC patients was analyzed. Furthermore, ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase core protein 2 (UQCRC2), a GC suppressor, was detected via western blot analysis. The results showed that hsa_circ_0000751 levels were markedly downregulated in GC tissues and cell lines, which were also inversely proportional to the stage of tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) classification, tumor volume, and lymph node metastasis in GC patients. Conversely, hsa_circ_0000751 overexpression suppressed tumor progression, migration, and invasion in vitro and in vivo. From our results, we showed that hsa_circ_0000751 may serve as a miRNA sponge to suppress the activity of miR-488, thereby increasing the expression of the miR-488-target gene, UQCRC2, and limiting GC progression. Given its negative regulation of oncogenic miRNAs, the hsa_circ_0000751/miR-488/UQCRC2 axis may be crucial in the development of novel GC therapies.

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is a frequent thyroid malignancy. With the significant regulatory role in tumor progression, more attention has been employed to investigate mechanism of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in progression of PTC. We prospectively explored the mechanism whereby lncRNA SET‐binding factor 2‐antisense RNA1 (SBF2‐AS1) is implicated in pathogenesis of PTC. First, differentially expressed SBF2‐AS1 between PTC and normal adjacent thyroid tissues was determined, and result indicated a higher SBF2‐AS1 expression in PTC tissues than adjacent normal tissues. Moreover, highly SBF2‐AS1 expression predicted a poor prognosis in PTC patients. Second, SBF2‐AS1 overexpression promoted cell viability and cycle of PTC, while inhibited cell apoptosis. However, SBF2‐AS1 downregulation reduced viability and cycle, while promoted cell apoptosis. Moreover, SBF2‐AS1 could bind with miR‐431‐5p and showed negative correlation with miR‐431‐5p in PTC patients. Furthermore, miR‐431‐5p bind with cyclin‐dependent kinase (CDK) 14 and showed negative correlation with CDK14 in PTC patients. Finally, overexpression of CDK14 counteracted with the inhibitory role of SBF2‐AS1 downregulation on cell viability, cycle, and apoptosis of PTC. In conclusion, SBF2‐AS1 exhibited oncogenic property in PTC, and knockdown of SBF2‐AS1 could be a therapeutic strategy for PTC.

Wearable biochemical sensors are of great interest nowadays due to their powerful potential in personalized medicine and continuous monitoring of human health. Thus, a great deal of effort has been put into the development of such sensors to enable real-time and non-invasive quantification of various chemical constituents in the human body such as sweat, saliva, and tears. Owing to the advances in materials science and mechanical engineering, wearable biochemical sensors have been developed to probe various biomarkers and have been subsequently considered as wearable electronic devices for practical applications. In this review, we present a broad overview on the recent advances in electrochemical wearable sensors towards various organic components and ions closely linked to human health. With an emphasis on materials and manufacturing technologies of the sensing electrodes, the research status is summarized, and the challenges and opportunities in this growing field are prospected.

SARS-CoV-2 is an emerging coronavirus threatening human health and the economy worldwide. As an RNA virus, variants emerge during the pandemic and potentially influence the efficacy of the anti-viral drugs and vaccines. Eight spike variants harboring highly recurrent mutations were selected and introduced into a replication-competent recombinant VSV in place of the original G protein (rVSV-SARS-CoV-2). The resulting mutant viruses displayed similar growth curves in vitro as the wild-type virus and could be neutralized by sera from convalescent COVID-19 patients. Several variants, especially Beta strain, showed resistance to human neutralizing monoclonal antibodies targeting the receptor-binding domain (RBD). A single dose of rVSV-SARS-CoV-2 Beta variant could elicit enhanced and broad-spectrum neutralizing antibody responses in human ACE2 knock-in mice and golden Syrian hamsters, while other mutants generated antibody levels comparable to the wild-type. Therefore, our results will be of value to the development of next-generation vaccines and therapeutic antibodies.

Purpose. To investigate whether retinal neuroinflammatory response was affected by aging in a rat model of acute glaucoma. Methods. Young adult and aged rats were randomly assigned into normal control, 45 mmHg, 60 mmHg, and 90 mmHg groups. Intraocular pressure (IOP) of rats was acutely elevated to 45 mmHg, 60 mmHg, and 90 mmHg, respectively. Three days after high IOP treatment, loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), formation of proinflammatory microglia/macrophages and neurotoxic astrocytes, and deposition of complement C3 in the retina were detected by immunofluorescence. ELISA was used to assess the protein levels of proinflammatory cytokines TNF and IL-1β in the retina. Results. Compared with young adult retinae, (1) loss of RGCs was more severe in aged retinae under the same IOP treatment, (2) microglia/macrophages were more prone to adopt proinflammatory phenotype in aged retinae in response to elevated IOP, (3) high IOP treatment induced astrogliosis, formation of neurotoxic astrocytes, and deposition of complement C3 more easily in aged retinae, and (4) aged retinae induced higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines TNF and IL-1β under the same IOP treatment. Conclusion. Our data indicated that aging affects the degree of retinal neuroinflammatory response initiated by ocular hypertension, which may contribute to the age-related susceptibility of RGCs to elevated IOP.

Purpose To report two cases of polymicrobial keratitis following corneal collagen cross-linking for keratoconus and to review the literature. Methods Retrospective case note and literature review. Results The first case involved a 27-year-old male who presented with amebic corneal ulcers 3 days after the collagen cross-linking procedure. Some gram-negative (gram-ve) cocci were found upon staining, and cysts were observed by confocal microscopy at 7 days after surgery. Acanthamoeba infection mixed with gram-ve organisms was diagnosed. In the second case, a 14-year male developed Staphylococcus aureus corneal infection with anterior chamber empyema 3 days after the collagen cross-linking procedure for keratoconus. Occasional gram-positive (gram + ve) cocci and gram-ve bacilli were observed under a microscope. The mixed keratitis in the two patients resolved after systemic and topical antibiotic therapy, but the infection ultimately resulted in corneal scarring. Follow-up keratoplasty was needed to improve vision acuity in both patients. Conclusion Although ultraviolet irradiation and the reactive oxygen released by riboflavin during collagen cross-linking have bactericidal effects, a lack of a corneal epithelial barrier, bandage contact lens usage, perioperative hygiene, and an abnormal immune state are risk factors for infectious keratitis after collagen cross-linking. Perioperative management of collagen cross-linking is important to prevent infection.

Aims: Circadian rhythm genes including Period 3 (Per3) are associated with major depressive disorder (MDD) and have an effect on the patient's response to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SS...

BACKGROUND The de Winter electrocardiography (ECG) pattern is a sign that implies proximal left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion in patients with chest pain. The previous view was that the de Winter ECG pattern is static. CASE SUMMARY A 65-year-old man presented with sudden chest pain at rest associated with diaphoresis for 55 min. The first ECG showed only T-wave inversion in III and aVF leads. Another ECG was performed at the 100th minute, showing upsloping ST segments depressed with tall and symmetrical T waves in the precordial leads; the J point was raised by 0.1 mV at the aVR lead. The patient was referred to our catheterization laboratory. A third ECG showed ST segment elevation by 0.2 mV in the I and aVL leads. The patient underwent emergency coronary angiography, which revealed complete proximal left anterior descending coronary (LAD) occlusion. The second patient presented with a 1-h history of sudden-onset, severe, substernal crushing chest pain. The first ECG showed ST-segment elevation (0.1–1.7 mV) in I, aVL, and precordial leads. The patient was referred to the catheterization laboratory. On arrival, his symptoms alleviated, and ECG showed that the ST-segments had significantly fallen back. The third ECG showed a typical de Winter pattern. Coronary angiography revealed 99% stenosis of the middle LAD. CONCLUSION The de Winter ECG pattern is transient and dynamic, and it reflects proximal or mid-LAD subtotal occlusion rather than total occlusion.

5/6 Nephrectomy (PNx) on rat and mouse mimics renal failure after loss of kidney function in human, and it has been widely used in CKD researches. However, existing methods for PNx model construction present high mortality of animals after modeling due to hemorrhage and infection in or after surgery. Here, we report a novel and highly efficient PNx modeling method to simulate conventional 5/6 nephrectomy, which significantly reduced the mortality of animals and simplified the modeling procedures. In this novel modeling method, we directly ligated the upper and lower poles of left kidney after removal the right kidney 1 week later (l-PNx), which leads to necrosis of ligated upper and lower poles of the kidney and mimics the conventional 5/6 nephrectomy (c-PNx). After modeling 4 and 12 weeks, the serum creatinine, BUN and proteinuria levels were strongly increased in both c-PNx and l-PNx model. Importantly, compared with the c-PNx, l-PNx model present more severe renal fibrosis estimated by Masson staining, IHC and western blotting. The results showed that the protein levels of α-SMA were significantly increased in the kidney of c-PNx and l-PNx models, but more increase was found in l-PNx model. It is noteworthy that, compared with c-PNx model, the survival rate of l-PNx model was markedly increased. In summary, we established a novel and efficient 5/6 nephrectomy model, which can mimic conventional 5/6 nephrectomy to construct a renal fibrosis and renal failure mouse model, that is conducive to mechanism and treatment researches of CKD.

The efficiencies and mechanism of phycocyanin removal from water by zero-valent iron (ZVI) were studied. The trend for dissolved organic nitrogen removal was similar to phycocyanin and the removal efficiency was high at ∼81% and 95%, respectively, in 90 min. The experimental results showed that the phycocyanin removal efficiency was higher at pH 6, with an almost complete removal. However, only 68% was removed at pH 9. Within 30 min, the removal efficiency of phycocyanin for 1-4 tested cycles was reduced from 55.8% to 15.2%. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to analyze the mechanisms of phycocyanin removal, which indicated that a small amount of phycocyanin was immobilized on the ZVI surface by adsorption. In addition, the main removal pathway was coagulation by dissolved iron ions. The Fe oxide formed in situ from ZVI had a higher removal efficiency than that in FeCl

International audience; Herein we reported the synthesis of twenty new organoselenium compounds (2a-2j and 3a-3j) based on the hybridization of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) skeleton and organoselenium motif (-SeCN and -SeCF3), the anticancer activity was evaluated against four types of cancer cell lines, Caco-2 (human colon adenocarcinoma cells), BGC-823 (human gastric cancer cells), MCF-7 (human breast adenocarcinoma cells), PC-3 (human prostatic cancer cells). Interestingly, the introduction of the -SeCN or -SeCF3 moiety in corresponding parent NSAIDs results in the significant effect on cancer cell lines. Moreover, the most active compound 3a showed IC50 values lower than 5 μM against the four cancer cell lines, particularly to BGC-823 and MCF-7 with IC50 values of 2.5 and 2.7 μM, respectively. Furthermore, three compounds 3a, 3g and 3i were selected to investigate their ability to induce apoptosis in BGC-823 cells via modulating the expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein, pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-2) and proapoptotic caspase-8 protein. The redox properties of the NSAIDs-Se derivatives prepared herein were conducted by 2, 2-didiphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), bleomycin dependent DNA damage and glutathione peroxidase (GPx)-like assays. Finally, molecular docking study revealed that an interaction with the active site of thioredoxin reductase 1 (TrxR1) and predicted the anticancer activity of the synthesized candidates. Overall, these results could serve a promising launch point for further design of NSAIDs-Se derivatives as potential anticancer agents.

Background To evaluate early optical quality outcomes after small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) surgery for correcting high myopic astigmatism. Methods This retrospective study enrolled 55 eyes from 37 patients who had preoperative myopic astigmatism of ≥2.00 diopters (D) who had been treated with SMILE surgery. Preoperatively, the mean cylinder was − 2.41 ± 0.54 D (range, − 2.00 D to − 4.50 D). The preoperative and postoperative visual outcomes, refraction, and higher-order aberration (HOA) at 1 and 3 months were compared. Refractive astigmatism changes were analyzed by the Alpins vector method. Results Three months after SMILE surgery, the average cylinder was − 0.14 ± 0.31 D, and the average astigmatism vector was − 0.09 D × 6.34°. The angle of error (AofE) was limited to within ±10°, and the magnitude of error was limited to within ±1.0 D in all patients. The correction index (CI) was 0.98 ± 0.07, the index of success (IOS) was 0.08 ± 0.13, and the flattening index (FI) was 0.97 ± 0.07. Significant positive correlations were found between IOS and |AofE| (P = 0.000); negative correlations were found between FI and |AofE| (P = 0.000). The postoperative total HOA, spherical aberration, vertical coma aberration, and trefoil 30° were increased significantly compared with preoperative measurements, and the increase in HOA was closely related to preoperative astigmatism (P Conclusions SMILE has preferable outcomes for correcting high myopic astigmatism. Axis rotation during the surgery might influence the undercorrection of astigmatism. The increase of HOA after surgery is related to preoperative astigmatism.

IntroductionRheumatoid arthritis (RA) has a huge societal impact due to the high prevalence, irreversible joint damage and systemic complications. Gut microbiota plays an important role in the pathogenesis and progression of RA by regulating the host immune system. Restoring intestinal homeostasis by altering the microbiota could be an attractive strategy for the prevention and treatment of RA. However, the signature features of microbial dysbiosis in RA are still controversial. Therefore, we aim to elucidate the characteristic change in the diversity and composition of gut microbiota in RA.Methods and analysisWe will systematically search through PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Cochrane Library, as well as dissertations and conference proceedings. The reference lists of all included studies will be also reviewed to retrieve additional relevant studies. The case-control studies that reported either the relative abundance of bacteria at the phylum or genus level or at least one of the alpha-diversity, beta-diversity indexes in both RA and healthy controls will be included. Eligible studies will be screened independently by two reviewers according to the inclusion criteria. The Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale will be used to assess the quality of the included studies. Data extraction, qualitative and quantitative analysis will be performed within the gut microbial dysbiosis in RA. The expected outcomes will be the identification of the specific changes in composition and diversity of the gut microbiota in patients with RA. The quality of evidence will be assessed by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation framework.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is unnecessary as this review does not address the data and privacy of patients. The results will be published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal and conference presentations.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42021225229.

International audience; A series of organoselenium compounds based on the hybridization of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) scaffolds and Se functionalities (-SeCN and -SeCF3) were synthesized and characterized, and evaluated against four types of cancer cell lines, SW480 (human colon adenocarcinoma cells), HeLa (human cervical cancer cells), A549 (human lung carcinoma cells), MCF-7 (human breast adenocarcinoma cells). Interestingly, most of the investigated compounds showed active in reducing the viability of different cancer cell lines. The most active compound 3h showed IC50 values lower than 20 μM against the four cancer cell lines, particularly to SW480 and MCF-7 with IC 50 values of 4.9 and 3.4 μM, respectively. Furthermore, NSAIDs-SeCN derivatives (2h and 2i) and NSAIDs-SeCF3 derivatives (3h and 3i) were selected to investigate their ability to induce apoptosis in MCF-7 cells via modulation the expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein, pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-2) and proapoptotic caspase-3 protein. Moreover, the redox properties of the synthesized organoselenium candidates were conducted by 2, 2-didiphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), bleomycin dependent DNA damage and glutathione peroxidase (GPx)-like assays. Taken together, these NSAIDs-Se candidates could provide promising new lead derivatives for further potential anticancer drug development.

To determine whether sophocarpine (SC) can enhance the inhibiting effect of oxaliplatin on colorectal cancer (CRC) liver metastasis (CRCLM)-in vitro and in vivo. The inhibitory effect of SC and/or oxaliplatin on the proliferation, invasion, and migration of CRC cells was determined by CCK-8, MTT, wound healing migration, and transwell assay. Western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to evaluate the inhibitory effect of SC and/or oxaliplatin on the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. Nude mouse models of human CRCLM were established to test the anti-metastasis effect of SC and oxaliplatin in the single or combined form. SC exerted an inhibitory effect on the proliferation, invasion, and migration of CRC cells both in vitro and in vivo. The combination index of SC and oxaliplatin was 0.58. In addition, the inhibitory effect of SC in combination with oxaliplatin was found to be significantly stronger compared with that mediated by either SC or oxaliplatin alone, suggesting that SC can effectively enhance the inhibitory effect of oxaliplatin on CRCLM both in vitro and in vivo. SC was also revealed to reverse EMT process in cell lines and tissues, as reflected by the observed downregulation of N-cadherin and vimentin expression and the upregulation of E-cadherin expression. Taken together, data from the present study suggest that SC administration can inhibit CRC cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and EMT, while enhancing the inhibitory effects of oxaliplatin both in vitro and in vivo. These findings indicate (that) SC to be a promising anti-metastasis agent for CRCLM.

Background:. Interleukin-18 (IL18) gene polymorphisms are related to many inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. However, a correlation analysis between IL18 −607C/A and −137G/C gene polymorphisms and Takayasu arteritis (TA) is lacking. Methods:. This study enrolled 200 patients with TA as the case group and 334 region-, age-, and sex-matched healthy subjects as the control group. We genotyped alleles and genotypes at positions −607 and −137 of the IL18 gene and analyzed the distribution frequencies. Mann-Whitney U test, t test, Chi-squared test and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were performed. Results:. After adjusting for risk factors, the adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals at position −607C/A were 0.533, 0.391 to 0.880 (P = 0.010); 0.266, 0.586 to 1.002 (P = 0.051); and 0.122, 0.552 to 1.420 (P = 0.613) under the dominant, additive, and recessive models, respectively. For the −137G/C polymorphism, the adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were 1.571, 1.068 to 2.311 (P = 0.022); 1.467, 1.086 to 1.980 (P = 0.012); and 1.815, 0.901 to 3.656 (P = 0.095) under the dominant, additive, and recessive models, respectively. Moreover, regardless of the model used, we found no statistical difference in distribution frequency between the active and quiescent states of TA for the −607C/A (P = 0.355, 0.631, and 0.705, respectively) and −137G/C polymorphisms (P = 0.205, 0.385, and 0.208, respectively). Conclusions:. The IL18 −607C/A gene polymorphism may decrease the risk of TA, and thus is a protective factor, whereas −137G/C may increase the risk of TA, and thus is a risk factor. However, neither polymorphism was related to activity (active vs. quiescent) of TA.

To clarify the underlying mechanism of formin-like 3 (FMNL3) in the promotion of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) cell invasion.TheTheFMNL3 regulates the RhoC/FAK signaling pathway and RhoC-dependent remodeling of actin-based protrusions to promote CRC invasion.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the histological and morphological characteristics of corneal stromal lenticules extracted during femtosecond laser-assisted small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) surgery by light and electron microscopy. A total of 20 human corneal stromal lenticules extracted during SMILE surgery were sent for microscopic examination immediately after surgery. Of these, six were observed under a light microscope and 14 were observed under an electron microscope. The smoothness of the front and rear surface of the lenticules observed under an electron microscope was rated on a scale of 0 to 4 according to unified evaluation criteria and the scores were statistically compared. Under the light microscope, the edge of the cross section of the corneal stromal lenticules was deeply stained and certain burrs and broken collagen fibers were observed. The swollen corneal stromal fibers were distributed irregularly, with a few bubbles of different sizes. Under the electron microscope, the surface of the lenticules ablated using a femtosecond laser was not perfectly smooth and the front surface was smoother than the rear surface. The side edge of the lenticules ablated using a femtosecond laser was not as regular as the edge cut using microscissors. Necrosis and dissolution of collagen fibers were observed near the surface of the lenticules. In conclusion, the surface quality of corneal stromal lenticules ablated using a femtosecond laser was not optimal when observed under a microscope. Increased attention should be paid to the histology and morphology of the corneal surface following laser ablation.

Objective To study the one-year effect of wearing orthokeratology (OK) lenses on the visual quality of juvenile myopia. Methods The right eyes of 36 juvenile myopias were retrospectively studied in this work. Q-value, e-value, corneal curvature, strehl ratio (SR), modulation transfer function (MTF) and wavefront aberration (WA) were compared before and at 1, 3 and 12 months after wearing OK lenses. The SR, MTF and WA of cornea, internal optic and ocular were analyzed separately. The spherical and cylinder diopter, vision acuity, compensating factor (CF) and compensative rate (CF%) were compared before and at 12 months after wearing OK lenses. Results (1) The vision of LogMAR increased and the corneal curvature decreased significantly after wearing OK lenses. There was no significant difference for the e-value before and after wearing OK lenses. The Q-value increased at 1 month but decreased at 3 and 12 months remarkably. (2) The ocular and internal optic SR and MTF increased significantly at 1 month and then remained stable. The MTF in different spacial frequencies increased after wearing OK lenses. There was no significant difference for the corneal SR before and after wearing OK lenses, and the corneal MTF decreased significantly after wearing OK lenses. (3) For the ocular, the total higher order aberration (HOA), spherical, coma and trefoil aberrations increased, and the total aberration, total lower order aberration (LOA) and defocus aberration decreased obviously except astigmatism. The corneal aberrations increased significantly after wearing OK lenses except astigmatism. For the internal optic, the total aberration, total LOA and defocus aberration decreased, and the total HOA, coma and trefoil aberration increased significantly except the astigmatism and spherical aberrations. (4) The CF and CF% of total aberration, total LOA, total HOA and coma aberrations increased, and those of astigmatism and spherical decreased at 12 months. Conclusions Orthokeratology is effective in correcting the refractive error and improving the vision quality of juvenile myopia over the one-year follow-up period.

Aims Diabetic nephropathy is a growing health concern, which is reported to be associated with inflammation. Luteolin has been explored for the treatment of some diabetic complications. Although several studies have verified the effect of luteolin on diabetic nephropathy, the mechanism by which the therapeutic effects of luteolin on diabetic nephropathy has not been established. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of luteolin on diabetic nephropathy and its underlying mechanism. Main methods We used western blot, Real-time PCR, immunofluorescence and flow cytometry to analyze the effects of luteolin on podocyte injury and NOD-like receptor family and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation in high glucose (HG) condition. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was measured by flow cytometry and malondialdehyde (MDA) level. To investigate the potential mechanism, we examined cell apoptosis upon transfection of siNLRP3. Key findings We showed that luteolin treatment could protect podocyte against HG-induced cell apoptotic and mitochondrial membrane potential collapse. In addition, luteolin significantly reduced NLRP3 inflammasome formation and subsequent interleukin-1β (IL-1β) secretion in HG-induced MPC-5 cells. Interestingly, siNLRP3 abolished the effect of luteolin on cell apoptosis, suggesting that the anti-apoptotic effect was found to be mostly related to NLRP3 inflammasome. Significance In summary, our data demonstrated the abilities of luteolin to inhibit podocyte injury and NLRP3 inflammasome activation, which could be used in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy.

Cytotoxin-associated antigen A (CagA), a major virulence factor of Helicobacter pylori (Hp), is associated with the pathogenesis of peptic ulcer and gastric cancer. Recent researches demonstrated that Hp exists in palatine tonsil in all studied IgA nephropathy (IgAN) patients, most of which were CagA-positive, suggesting that CagA may be a causative pathogenic factor of IgAN. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms and signaling pathway are still largely unclear. In the present study, CCK8 assay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and immunohistochemistry were performed to investigate the effect of CagA on cell proliferation and extracellular matrix secretion in rat glomerular mesangial cells. RT-PCR and western blotting were used to reveal the potential signaling pathway. Rat glomerular mesangial cells were treated with recombinant CagA protein for 72 h, in a dose- and time-dependent manner. We found that CagA promoted cell proliferation and extracellular matrix secretion by inhibiting signaling pathway of apoptosis. Taken together, these findings suggested that CagA induced cellular injury in glomerular mesangium by proliferation and secretion of extracellular matrix, and may play an important role in pathogenesis of IgAN.

Primary neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) in the heart are exceptionally rare. Here, we report a case found at our hospital of a 51-year-old woman with a primary left ventricular NET. The patient presented with non-causal recurrent diarrhea for 2 years, abdominal pain, and vomiting. Endoscopy revealed chronic proctitis and duodenal ulcer but found no explanation for the clinical symptoms. Comprehensive cardiovascular tests were conducted, and a mass measuring 26 mm × 41 mm × 30 mm was detected in the left ventricle. The patient underwent complete surgical resection to remove the tumor. Postoperative pathological results indicated a NET. No recurrence or other signs of metastasis were experienced during a 13-month follow-up observation period. Herein, we report this case and describe the imaging manifestations and clinical diagnosis strategy of this rare tumor. A diagnosis of NET of the heart may be considered when there are unexplained abdominal symptoms and without an abdominal or pelvic mass.

Nutrient removal efficiency in green sorption media such as biosorption activated media (BAM) for treating stormwater runoff can be heavily influenced either on a short- or long-term basis by varying field conditions of linear ditches due to the presence of copper in stormwater runoff. It is also noticeable that the linear ditch undergoes physical or mechanical impacts from the traffic compaction, chemical impact of carbon sources from the nearby farmland, and biological impact from potential animal activities (such as gopher tortoises, moles, and ants). In the nitrogen cycle, two denitrification pathways, the dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia and common denitrification, are deemed critical for such assessment. A fixed-bed column study was set up to mimic different linear ditch field conditions for BAM applications and measure the effect of short-and long-term copper addition on microbial dynamics given the varying decomposition of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON). The findings confirm that, as the denitrifiers (in the second pathway) were the dominant species, their population continued to grow and maintain small-sized cells for extracellular sequestration under long-term copper impact. Furthermore, the study indicated that the ammonia oxidizer comammox was found in higher quantities than ammonia oxidizing bacteria or archaea. An enormous amount of DON was released during this process to bind the copper ion and reduce its toxicity as the enzymatic cascade effect appeared. In addition, the long-term copper exposure posed salient inhibitory effects on the microbial community regardless of varying field conditions in BAM. Short-term copper toxicity exerted an important but varying role in the enzymatic cascade effect over different linear ditch field conditions in BAM.

The recognition of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has been evolved from a toxic gas to a physiological mediator, exhibiting properties similar to NO and CO. On the one hand, H2S is produced from L-cysteine by enzymes of cystathionineγ-lyase (CSE) and cystathionineβ-synthase (CBS), 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (3MST) in combination with aspartate aminotransferase (AAT) (also called as cysteine aminotransferase, CAT); on the other hand, H2S is produced from D-cysteine by enzymes of D-amino acid oxidase (DAO). Besides sulfide salt, several sulfide-releasing compounds have been synthesized, including organosulfur compounds, Lawesson’s reagent and analogs, and plant-derived natural products. Based on garlic extractions, we synthesized S-propargyl-L-cysteine (SPRC) and its analogs to contribute our endeavors on drug development of sulfide-containing compounds. A multitude of evidences has presented H2S is widely involved in the roles of physiological and pathological process, including hypertension, atherosclerosis, angiogenesis, and myocardial infarcts. This review summarizes current sulfide compounds, available H2S measurements, and potential molecular mechanisms involved in cardioprotections to help researchers develop further applications and therapeutically drugs.

Eine gezielte Verbesserung der Baueinheiten ist eine naheliegende Herangehensweise, um Aerogele mit herausragenden Eigenschaften zu versehen und gleichzeitig ihre Vorzuge zu erhalten. Bestimmte Eigenschaften, wie die Optimierung der Morphologie fur katalytische Anwendungen oder die Ubergangsmetalldotierung in metallischen Aerogelen, sind jedoch nach wie vor schwer zu realisieren. In diesem Zusammenhang prasentieren wir hier erstmalig elektrokatalytisch aktive Aerogele, welche sich vollstandig aus legierten PdNi-Hohlnanospharen (HNS) aufbauen und deren chemische Zusammensetzung und Schalendicke gezielt eingestellt werden kann. Die Kombination von Ubergangsmetalldotierung mit hohlen Baueinheiten in einem dreidimensionalen Netzwerk machen PdNi-HNS-Aerogele zu vielversprechenden Elektrokatalysatoren fur die Ethanoloxidation. Gegenuber dem kommerziellen Pd/C-Katalysator zeigt das Pd83Ni17-HNS-Aerogel eine 5.6-fach hohere Massenaktivitat. Durch diese Arbeit wird die Nutzbarkeit von metallischen Aerogelen in der Elektrokatalyse erweitert, indem die Morphologie und Zusammensetzung der Baueinheiten gezielt kontrolliert werden.

Recent studies have implicated exotropia as a risk factor for schizophrenia. We determined whether schizophrenia biomarkers have abnormal levels of expression in extraocular muscles from patients with strabismus and explored whether differences in gene expression between medial and lateral rectus muscles may explain the specific association of schizophrenia with exotropia but not esotropia. Samples from horizontal extraocular muscles were obtained during strabismus surgery and compared with age- and muscle type-matched normal muscles from organ donors. We used PCR arrays to identify differences in gene expression among 417 signaling molecules. We then focused on established schizophrenia-related growth factors, cytokines, and regulators of the extracellular matrix. Among 36 genes with significantly altered gene expression in dysfunctional horizontal rectus muscles, over one third were schizophrenia-related: CTGF, CXCR4, IL1B, IL10RA, MIF, MMP2, NPY1R, NRG1, NTRK2, SERPINA3, TIMP1, TIMP2, and TNF (adjustedpvalue ≤ 0.016667). By PCR array, expression of three of these genes was significantly different in medial rectus muscles, while eleven were significantly altered in lateral rectus muscles. Comparing baseline levels between muscle types, three schizophrenia-related genes (NPY1R, NTRK2, TIMP2) had lower levels of expression in medial rectus muscles. Despite the surprisingly large number of schizophrenia-related genes with altered gene expression levels in dysfunctional muscles, the lack of specificity for medial rectus muscles undermines a model of shared, region-specific gene expression abnormalities between exotropia and schizophrenia, but rather suggests consideration of the alternative model: that exotropia-induced aberrant early visual experiences may enable and/or contribute as a causative factor to the development of schizophrenia.

The beneficial effects of melatonin on abiotic stress have been demonstrated in several plants. However, little is known about the signal transduction pathway of melatonin involved in the plant stress response. Here, we manipulated the melatonin levels in tomato plants through a chemical approach. The roles of melatonin in stress tolerance were studied by assessing the symptoms, chlorophyll fluorescence and stress-responsive gene expression. Moreover, both chemical and genetic approaches were used to study the roles of hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) in melatonin-induced signal transduction in tomato plants. We found that melatonin activates NADPH oxidase (RBOH) to enhance H2 O2 levels by reducing its S-nitrosylation activity. Furthermore, melatonin-induced H2 O2 accumulation was accompanied by obtainable stress tolerance. Inhibition of RBOH or chemical scavenging of H2 O2 significantly reduced the melatonin-induced defense response, including reduced expression of several stress-related genes (CDPK1, MAPK1, TSPMS, ERF4, HSP80 and ERD15) and reduced antioxidative enzyme activity (SOD, CAT and APX), which were responsible for the stress tolerance. Collectively, these results revealed a novel mechanism in which RBOH activity and H2 O2 signaling are important components of the melatonin-induced stress tolerance in tomato plants.

With the continuous development of economic globalization and the overall deepening of China's reform and opening up, energy efficiency has increasingly become a major strategic issue related to national social-economic development, energy security and environmental protection. At present, the general trend of energy efficiency in China is continuously improving, but the development among regions is seriously uneven. There is still a big difference compared with the current and the international advanced level. Therefore, establishing the policy support system and the long-term development mechanism helping to continuously improve energy efficiency will undoubtedly be a strategic topic both for present and future.

Zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and occludin are important tight junction (TJ)-associated proteins, which are expressed in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)-choroid complex. Retinoic acid (RA) is a regulator of eye growth and may play an important role in forming functional TJs. The aim of this study was to detect the changes that occur in the expression of ZO-1 and occludin in the RPE-choroid complex of guinea pigs with lens-induced myopia (LIM), and to investigate the effect of RA on TJ-associated proteins in vivo. We developed an animal model of myopia by placing a -6.00 D negative lens on the right eyes of 3-week-old guinea pigs. The refractive error and axial length of the eye were measured on days 0, 3, 7 and 14. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was performed to detect the changes in endogenous RA in the RPE-choroid complex. The expression of ZO-1 and occludin was observed by immunofluorescence and assayed by western blot analysis. Additionally, 2 µl LE540 (2.5 µg/µl), an antagonist of RA receptors (RARs), was injected into the vitreous chamber of the eyes of guinea pigs with LIM and 2 µl phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) (2.5 µg/µl) were injected as a negative control. We observed no obvious change in RA, ZO-1 and occludin expression in the normal control group within 14 days. In the LIM and LIM plus PBS groups, the level of RA and the expression of ZO-1 and occludin in the RPE-choroid complex significantly increased within 14 days along with the development of myopia. However, the level of RA was inhibited and the expression of TJ-associated proteins decreased in the eyes of guinea pigs with LIM following the injection of LE540. Thus, we consider that the expression of ZO-1 and occludin is increased in the RPE-choroid complex during the development of myopia. This change in expression may be regulated by RA, a factor known to be involved in the regulation of eye growth.

Background: Paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD) is the most common subtype of paroxysmal dyskinesias and is caused by mutations in PRRT2 gene. The majority of familial PKD was identified to harbor PRRT2 mutations. However, over two-third of sporadic PKD patients did not carry any PRRT2 mutation, suggesting an existence of additional genetic mutations or possible misdiagnosis due to clinical overlap. Methods: A cohort of 28 Chinese patients clinically diagnosed with sporadic PKD and excluded PRRT2 mutations were recruited. Clinical features were evaluated, and all subjects were screened for MR-1 , SLC2A1 , and CLCN1 genes, which are the causative genes of paroxysmal nonkinesigenic dyskinesia (PNKD), paroxysmal exertion-induced dyskinesia, and myotonia congenita (MC), respectively. In addition, 200 genetically matched healthy individuals were recruited as controls. Results: A total of 16 genetic variants including 4 in MR-1 gene, 8 in SLC2A1 gene, and 4 in CLCN1 gene were detected. Among them, SLC2A1 c.363G>A mutation was detected in one case, and CLCN1 c.1205C>T mutation was detected in other two cases. Neither of them was found in 200 controls as well as 1000 Genomes database and ExAC database. Both mutations were predicted to be pathogenic by SIFT and PolyPhen2. The SLC2A1 c.363G>A mutation was novel. Conclusions: The phenotypic overlap may lead to the difficulty in distinguishing PKD from PNKD and MC. For those PRRT2- negative PKD cases, screening of SLC2A1 and CLCN1 genes are useful in confirming the diagnosis.

In this study, rat models of acute kidney injury (AKI) induced by renal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) and HK-2 cell models of hypoxia-reoxygenation (H/R) were established to investigate the expression of inhibitor of DNA binding 1 (ID1) in AKI, and the regulation relationship between ID1 and hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α). Through western blot, quantitative real-time PCR, immunohistochemistry, and other experiment methods, the induction of ID1 after renal I/R in vivo was observed, which was expressed mainly in renal tubular epithelial cells (TECs). ID1 expression was upregulated in in vitro H/R models at both the protein and mRNA levels. Via RNAi, it was found that ID1 induction was inhibited with silencing of HIF-1α. Moreover, the suppression of ID1 mRNA expression could lead to decreased expression and transcription of HIF-1αduring hypoxia and reoxygenation. In addition, it was demonstrated that both ID1 and HIF-1αcan regulate the transcription of twist. This study demonstrated that ID1 is induced in renal TECs during I/R and can regulate the transcription and expression of HIF-1α.

In order to study the machinability of gray cast iron, the cutting force must be precision measure. An improving measurement based on strain gauge dynamometer has been proposed in this paper, the measurement changed the traditional calibration method of strain gauge dynamometer. A set of new calibration device have been designed. Use the device, the process of calibration could be made after the strain-gauge dynamometer for cutting force measuring fixed on lathe, in this way, the states of calibration and measuring in experiment achieved same, and the error of measuring which had been begot by the differ states of calibration and measuring could be eliminated. The results of experiment show that the method presented in this paper achieved high precision and low cost cutting force measuring, and the results of cutting force measuring could be used for estimating machinability of gray cast iron.

The wavelet ridge method to analyze chaos is described, and the wavelet ridge method is applied to analysis of the nonlinear vibration of blooming mill which exists chaos. The results show that the wavelet ridge can tell the periodic motion, quasi-periodic motion or chaotic motion by analysising the time history of one component of the system state variables. Compared to the other researching methods, such as the Poincaré sections or the phase diagram, we can find the wavelet ridge is more suitable to high dimensional chaotic systems and the clutter of instantaneous frequency which is represented by the wavelet ridge can distinguish between strong and week chaos motion. And it can provide more accurate partial details and features of chaotic motion.

The twiste angle has a great effect on shaping law and stability of Numerical Controlled Electrochemical Machining (NC-ECM) process. In order to avoid the disadvantages caused by twiste angle, a methode of study shaping law by dispersing cathode working face in NC-ECM was proposed, and a mathematical model of the shaping law with the effects of twiste angle has been established in this paper. The mathematical model disclosed the relationship of twiste angle β, feeding velocity vf and thickness of removal material h in NC-ECM. Theoretical and experimental results show the the mathematical model of shaping law described in this paper can be considered as a useful reference and is helpful for the analysis of the NC-ECM and general ECM process.

Aim: To assess the effect of beta-blockade therapy on progressive aortic dilatation and on clinical outcome in children and adolescents with Marfan’s syndrome (MFS). Methods: The meta-analysis was instituted, which included studies identified by a systematic review of MEDLINE of peer-reviewed publications. Echocardiogram measurements of the aortic root dimension and outcome measures of mortality and major morbidity were compared between patients who were treated and untreated with beta-blockade therapy. Results: Five studies were included. A total of 224 young patients treated with beta-blocker therapy and 168 patients did not accept medical management. Compared with non-beta-blockade treatment, beta-blockade therapy significantly decreased the rate of aortic dilatation (SMD = −1.30 with 95% CI −2.11 to −0.49). A tendency of clinical outcome beneficial was observed in the beta-blocker treatment group when compared with no beta-blocker treatment group (odds ratio = 0.87 with 95% CI 0.37–2.04). Conclusion: There is evidence that beta-blockade therapy can slow down the rate of dilatation of the aorta and has clinical benefits on children and adolescents with MFS.

Trinitrotoluene, usually known as TNT, is a kind of chemical explosive with hazardous and toxic effects on the environment and human health. Ever-increasing needs for a secure society and green environment essentially require the detection of TNT with rapidity, high sensitivity and low cost. In this article, ionic liquid–graphene hybrid nanosheets (IL–GNs) have been used as an enhanced material for rapidly electrochemical detection of trinitrotoluene (TNT). IL–GNs were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy, which confirmed that IL has been effectively functionalized on the surface of GNs. Significantly, IL–GNs modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) showed 6.2 and 51.4-folds higher current signals for TNT reduction than IL–CNTs/GCE and bare GCE, respectively. Adsorptive stripping voltammetry (ASV) for the detection of TNT on IL–GNs exhibited a good linear range from 0.03 to 1.5 ppm with a detection limit of 4 ppb on the basis of the signal-to-noise characteristics (S/N = 3). Moreover, IL–GNs/GCE exhibited good stability and reproducibility for the detection of TNT. And, IL–GNs based electrochemical detection platform was also successfully demonstrated for the detection of TNT in ground water, tap water, and lake water with satisfactory results.

In this study, we reported on the construction of a stable single-chamber ethanol/O2 biofuel cell harvesting energy from the ethanol and alcoholic beverage. We prepared a composite film which consisted of partially sulfonated (3-mercaptopropyl)-trimethoxysilane sol–gel (PSSG) and chitosan (CHI). The combination of ion-exchange capacity sol–gel and biopolymer chitosan not only provided the attached sites for mediator MDB and AuNPs to facilitate the electron transfer along the substrate reaction, but also gave the suitable microenvironment to retain the enzyme activity in long term. The ethanol bioanode was constructed with the film coimmobilized dehydrogenase (ADH), Meldola's blue (MDB) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The MDB/AuNPs/PSSG-CHI-ADH composite modified electrode showed prominent electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of ethanol. The oxygen biocathode consisted of laccase and AuNPs immobilized on the PSSG–CHI composite membrane. The AuNPs/PSSG–CHI-laccase modified electrode catalyzed four-electron reduction of O2 to water, without any mediator. The assembled single-chamber biofuel cell exhibited good stability and power output towards ethanol. The open-circuit voltage of this biofuel cell was 860 mV. The maximum power density of the biofuel cell was 1.56 mW cm−2 at 550 mV. Most interestingly, this biofuel cell showed the similar performance when the alcoholic beverage acted as the fuel. When this biofuel cell ran with wine as the fuel, the maximum power output density was 3.21 mA cm−2 and the maximum power density was 1.78 mW cm−2 at 680 mV of the cell voltage. Our system exhibited stable and high power output in the multi-component substrate condition. This cell has great potential for the development and practical application of bioethanol fuel cell.

A NADH and glucose biosensor based on thionine cross-linked multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and Au nanoparticles (Au NPs) multilayer functionalized indium-doped tin oxide (ITO) electrode were presented in this paper. The effect of light irradiation on the enhancement of bioelectrocatalytic processes of the biocatalytic systems by the photovoltaic effect was investigated. This bioelectrode exhibited excellent catalytic activity of the oxidation towards dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH). Most interesting, the performance of this NADH sensor could be tuned by the visible light. When the biosensor was performed in the dark, the anodic current increased linearly with NADH concentration over the range from 0.5 to 237 microM with detection limit 0.1 microM and sensitivity 17 nA microM(-1). The sensitivity became 115 nA microM(-1) with detection limit 0.05 microM with the light irradiation. Compared with the reaction in dark, the sensitivity increased around 7 folds while the detection limit decreased 2 folds. The glucose biosensor also exhibited the same behavior. The linear range was from 10 microM to 2.56 mM with the sensitivity of 7.8 microAmM(-1) and detection limit 5.0 microM in the dark. After the light irradiation, the linear range was from 1 microM to 3.25 mM with the sensitivity of 18.5 microA mM(-1) and detection limit 0.7 microM. It indicated a potential to provide an operational access to develop new kinds of photocontrolled dehydrogenase enzyme-based bioelectronics.

CONSPECTUS: Metallic and catalytically active materials with high surface area and large porosity are a long-desired goal in both industry and academia. In this Account, we summarize the strategies for making a variety of self-supported noble metal aerogels consisting of extended metal backbone nanonetworks. We discuss their outstanding physical and chemical properties, including their three-dimensional network structure, the simple control over their composition, their large specific surface area, and their hierarchical porosity. Additionally, we show some initial results on their excellent performance as electrocatalysts combining both high catalytic activity and high durability for fuel cell reactions such as ethanol oxidation and the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Finally, we give some hints on the future challenges in the research area of metal aerogels. We believe that metal aerogels are a new, promising class of electrocatalysts for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) and will also open great opportunities for other electrochemical energy systems, catalysis, and sensors. The commercialization of PEFCs encounters three critical obstacles, viz., high cost, insufficient activity, and inadequate long-term durability. Besides others, the sluggish kinetics of the ORR and alcohol oxidation and insufficient catalyst stability are important reasons for these obstacles. Various approaches have been taken to overcome these obstacles, e.g., by controlling the catalyst particle size in an optimized range, forming multimetallic catalysts, controlling the surface compositions, shaping the catalysts into nanocrystals, and designing supportless catalysts with extended surfaces such as nanostructured thin films, nanotubes, and porous nanostructures. These efforts have produced plenty of excellent electrocatalysts, but the development of multisynergetic functional catalysts exhibiting low cost, high activity, and high durability still faces great challenges. In this Account, we demonstrate that the sol-gel process represents a powerful "bottom-up" strategy for creating nanostructured materials that tackles the problems mentioned above. Aerogels are unique solid materials with ultralow densities, large open pores, and ultimately high inner surface areas. They magnify the specific properties of nanomaterials to the macroscale via self-assembly, which endow them with superior properties. Despite numerous investigations of metal oxide aerogels, the investigation of metal aerogels is in the early stage. Recently, aerogels including Fe, Co, Ni, Sn, and Cu have been obtained by nanosmelting of hybrid polymer-metal oxide aerogels. We report here exclusively on mono-, bi- and multimetallic noble metal aerogels consisting of Ag, Au, Pt, and Pd and their application as electrocatalysts.

The aim of this study was to investigate the visual quality of the 2 kinds of intraocular lens: Visian implantable collamer lens (ICL) V4 and Visian ICL V4c implantations for high myopia. Twenty cases (20 eyes) with high myopia who received Visian ICL V4 implantation and 18 cases (18 eyes) with high myopia who received Visian ICL V4c implantation in our hospital from April 1, 2014 to November 31, 2016 were enrolled. In 1-month follow-up, near vision, best corrected distant visual acuity (BCVA), uncorrected distant visual acuity (UDVA), and wavefront aberrations were measured, and compensation factor was calculated. Near vision, UDVA, and BCVA showed no significant difference between ICL V4 implantation and ICL V4c implantation (P >.05). However, high-order aberrations and spherical aberrations were higher in ICL V4c implantation than in ICL V4 implantation (P .05). The 2 kinds of ICL Visian ICL V4 and Visian ICL V4c had similar efficacy of visual quality for high myopia. The presence of the central hole of Visian ICL V4c has no significant effect on visual quality.