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In China, it has been well recognized that some female patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) have different overall survival (OS) time, even with the same tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, challenging the prognostic value of the TNM system alone. An effective predictive model is needed to accurately evaluate the prognosis of female ESCC patients.To construct a novel prognostic model with clinical and reproductive data for Chinese female patients with ESCC, and to assess the incremental prognostic value of the full model compared with the clinical model and TNM stage.A new prognostic nomogram incorporating clinical and reproductive features was constructed based on univariatie and Cox proportional hazards survival analysis from a training cohort (A clinical-reproductive model including incidence area, age, tumor differentiation, lymph node metastasis (N) stage, estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) and beta (ESR2) expression, menopausal age, and pregnancy number was constructed to predict OS in female ESCC patients. Compared to the clinical model and TNM stage, the time-dependent ROC and C-index of the clinical-reproductive model showed a good discriminative ability for predicting 1-, 3-, and 5-years OS in the primary training, internal and external validation sets. Based on the optimal cut-off value of total prognostic scores, patients were classified into high- and low-risk groups with significantly different OS. The estrogen response was significantly associated with p53 and apoptosis pathways in esophageal cancer.The clinical-reproductive prognostic nomogram has an incremental prognostic value compared with the clinical model and TNM stage in predicting OS in Chinese female ESCC patients.

Objectives: To investigate the mechanism of astragaloside IV (AS-IV) inhibiting the invasion and metastasis of vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC). Material and methods: MTT and plate colony-formation assays were used to examine the cell proliferation of VSCC (SW962 cell line). Transwell and scratch wound-healing assays were used to analyse cell migration and invasion. Western blot was used to detect the expression of relevant proteins in terms of cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis, as well as the TGF-β1/FAK/AKT signaling pathway. Results: The results showed that AS-IV inhibited the proliferation of SW962 cells in a concentration-dependent manner, as demonstrated by the upregulation of P53 and P21 expression and the downregulation of cyclin D1 expression. AS-IV decreased the ability of cell invasion and metastasis by the downregulation of MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression. When TGF-β1 was added to SW962 cells, the expression of the N-cadherin and Vimentin were upregulated and that of the E-cadherin was downregulated. Subsequently, fibroblast-like elongated spindle-shaped cells appeared, which suggests that TGF-β1 could induce EMT in SW962 cells. Furthermore, the expression of p-FAK, p-AKT, MMP-2 and MMP-9 were upregulated. The expression of these proteins exhibited the opposite effect after AS-IV intervention. Cell invasion and metastasis were suppressed. Conclusions: AS-IV inhibits cell invasion and metastasis in VSCC through the TGF-β1/FAK/AKT signalling pathway.

In this article, we study the eigenvalue dependence of Sturm-Liouville problems on time scales with spectral parameter in the boundary conditions. We obtain that the eigenvalues not only continuously but also smoothly depend on the parameters of the problem. Moreover, the differential expressions of the eigenvalues with respect to the data are given.

Sarglamides A–E (1−5), representing the first example of heterodimers of a trans-N-cinnamoylindolidinoid and an α-phelladrene derivatives, were isolated from Sarcandra glabra subsp. brachystachys. Particularly, compounds 4 and 5 possess unprecedented cage-like 6/6/5/6/5- and 6/6/6/6/5-fused pentacyclic scaffolds, respectively. Their structures were established by spectroscopic analysis, X-ray crystallography, quantum chemical calculations, and chemical conversions. Plausible biosynthetic pathways of 1−5, involving the co-isolated enantiomers 6a and 6b were proposed. Compounds 3–7 showed inhibitory activity against lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced inflammation in BV-2 microglial cells.

Using national longitudinal survey data, we study how the Chinese New Rural Pension Scheme (NRPS) reform affects the rural labour supply structure of individuals aged 20–70. Applying multiple regre...

The Loess Plateau is one of the most eco-fragile regions in China, and therefore the scientific evaluation of its ecological vulnerability provides a premise for the effective implication of ecological protection and management practices. However, previous studies have mainly focused on the ecological vulnerability in a small region, which cannot reflect the overall picture of the ecological vulnerability in the Loess Plateau. Based on the "exposure-sensitivity-adaptation" framework, this study investigated the spatial-temporal patterns and their driving forces of the ecological vulnerability in the Loess Plateau from 2000 to 2015 through a combined use of the analytic hierarchy process, spatial principal component analysis, and Geodetector analysis. The results showed that the ecological vulnerability was overall at a moderate to high level, and the vulnerability was clearly higher in the northwestern part of the Loess Plateau than that in the southeastern counterparts. Additionally, the ecological vulnerability differed greatly by land use type. The ecological vulnerability decreased after an increase from 2000 to 2015 and in general decreased slightly throughout the study period. Therein, approximately 64% of the total land area experienced an upward or downward trend in the vulnerability. Vegetation coverage and precipitation were the two main factors contributing to the spatial-temporal variability in the ecological vulnerability, and there were significant interactions among all the used indicators. This study suggests that climate change and human activities may help reduce the ecological vulnerability over the Loess Plateau, although their contributions are limited.

Pyemotes zhonghuajia (Acari: Pyemotidae) has paralyzing and lethal effects on a variety of important agricultural and forestry pests in Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Hymenoptera pests. A single P. zhonghuajia mite can paralyze and kill a host 680,000 times its own weight within 3 hours. However, although it is an efficient and broad-spectrum natural enemy that is unique to China, its mitochondrial genome is still unknown. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of P. zhonghuajia was sequenced and annotated. It consists of two circular genomes. The complete mitogenome of P. zhonghuajia is 14,772 bp in length and contains 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, and two control regions. The phylogenetic tree of 29 species suggests that P. zhonghuajia belongs to Eleutherengona.

A novel norditerpenoid, sinusiaetone A (1), featuring an uncommon bicyclo[11.3.0]hexadecane carbon skeleton, and four polyoxygenated cembranoids (2-5) were isolated from the Hainan soft coral Sinularia siaesensis. Their structures were established by spectroscopic analysis, X-ray diffraction, quantum chemical computational approaches, and/or a modified Mosher's method. A plausible biosynthetic pathway of 1 and its biogenetic relationship with 2-5 were proposed. New compounds 1-3 displayed an interesting inhibitory activity against lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in BV-2 microglial cells.

Three new sesquiterpene polyol ester compounds angulatins S-U, together with three known compounds were isolated from Celastrus angulatus Maxim. According to mainly 1D NMR and 2D NMR analysis, the structures of the new compounds were completely determined as angulatin S (1β-furoyloxy-2β,8α-diisobutanoyloxy-9β-benzoyloxy-15-acetoxy-4α,6α-dihydroxy-β-dihydroagarofuran), angulatin T (1β,2β,6α-triacetoxy-8β,15-diisobutanoyloxy-9α-benzoyloxy-β-dihydroagrofuran), and angulatin U (1β,6α,15-triacetoxy-8β-isobutanoyloxy-9α-benzoyloxy-β-dihydroagarofuran).

Two eudesmane-guaiane/lindenane heterocoupled sesquiterpenoid dimers, horienoids A (1) and B (2) with new carbon skeletons, from Hedyosmum orientale were characterized by a combined method. Compound 1 featured a unique 2,10-dioxabicyclo[6.2.1]undecane core moiety with an anti-Bredt bridgehead double bond. Their biogenetic pathways were proposed to involve Diels-Alder and cascade rearrangement reactions as the key steps. Compound 2 exhibited a potent anti-inflammatory effect on LPS-induced BV-2 microglial cells.

Three new β-dihydroagarofuran sesquiterpene polyesters, angulatin O (1β,2β-difuroyloxy-8α-isobutanoyloxy-9β-benzoyloxy-15-acetoxy-4α,6α-dihydroxy-β-dihydroagarofuran), angulatin Q (1β,6α,15-triacetoxy-2β,9α-difuroyloxy-4α-hydroxy-8β-isobutanoyloxy-β-dihydro-agarofuran), and angulatin R (1β,2β,6α,15-tetracetoxy-8β-isobutanoyloxy-9α-benzoyloxy-β-dihydroagarofuran), as well as six related and known compounds, β-dihydroagarofuran sesquiterpene polyesters, were isolated from the root bark of Celastrus angulatus. Extensive spectroscopic studies were conducted to elucidate the structures of the new compounds. The IR, HRESI-MS, 1D, and 2D NMR techniques were used to characterise the compounds.

The acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors remain key therapeutic drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the low-safety window limits their maximum therapeutic benefits. Here, a novel kinetics-driven drug design strategy was employed to discover new-generation AChE inhibitors that possess a longer drug-target residence time and exhibit a larger safety window. After detailed investigations, compound 12 was identified as a highly potent, highly selective, orally bioavailable, and brain preferentially distributed AChE inhibitor. Moreover, it significantly ameliorated cognitive impairments in different mouse models with a lower effective dose than donepezil. The X-ray structure of the cocrystal complex provided a precise binding mode between 12 and AChE. Besides, the data from the phase I trials demonstrated that 12 had good safety, tolerance, and pharmacokinetic profiles at all preset doses in healthy volunteers, providing a solid basis for its further investigation in phase II trials for the treatment of AD.

The chemical investigation of the South China Sea soft coral Sinularia humilis has resulted in the isolation of a library of diverse diterpenoids, including four new cembranoids, namely, humilisins A-D (1-4), two new uncommon diterpenoids possessing a tetradecahydrocyclopenta[3',4']cyclobuta[1',2':4,5]cyclonona[1,2-b]oxirene ring system, namely, humilisins E and F (5 and 6), and eight known related compounds (7-14). Humilisin A (1) is the first cembranoid with an ether linkage between C-3 and C-7. The structures and absolute configurations of 1-8 were determined by extensive spectroscopic data analyses, chemical reactions, and a series of quantum chemical calculations including quantum mechanical-nuclear magnetic resonance (QM-NMR), time-dependent density functional theory-electronic circular dichroism (TDDFT-ECD), and optical rotatory dispersion (ORD) methods. In bioassay, compound 6 displayed anti-inflammatory activity in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BV-2 microglia cells.

Twelve sesquiterpenoids with seven different carbon skeletons, including four isodaucanes (1-4), an aromadendrane (5), a guaiane (6), a cadalane (7), two eudesmanes (8 and 9), two bisabolanes (10 and 11), and a megastigmane (12), were isolated from the twigs and leaves of Aglaia lawii (Wight) C. J. Saldanha et Ramamorthy. Of these compounds, amouanglienoids A (1) and B (2) are new isodaucane sesquiterpenoids. This is the first report of isodaucanes from the genus Aglaia, and amouanglienoid A (1) represents the first isodaucane containing a Δ

Aims Projections of invasive species expansion under a warmer world often do not explicitly consider the concurring nitrogen (N) deposition. It remains largely unknown how the convoluted effect of climate warming and N deposition will shift the native and invasive species dynamics. Here, we hypothesize that the concurring increases in N and temperature would promote growth of invasive species greater than that of native species. Methods A controlled greenhouse experiment was conducted to quantify the growth response of an invasive species (Solidago canadensis L.) and a co-existing native species (Artemisia argyi Levl. et Van) under the effects of climate warming, N deposition and their interactions. Important Findings Due to the strong positive effect of N addition, the interactive effect of temperature increase and N addition resulted in an overall significant increase in growth of both invasive and native species, demonstrating that these manipulations may make microhabitats more favorable to plant growth. However, the relative increases in biomass, height and diameter of invasive S. canadensis were significantly lower than those of native A. argyi. This suggests that the vegetative growth superiority of invasive S. canadensis over the native species A. argyi is reduced by the enhanced N availability in the warmer world. Therefore, the inclusion of N deposition may mitigate the projection of invasive species S. canadensis expansion under climate warming.

Three new dimeric diarylheptanoids, taccachanfurans A-C (1-3), a new monomeric diarylheptanoid, taccachannoid A (4), and four known diarylheptanoids (5-8) were isolated from the EtOH extract of the rhizomes of Tacca chantrieri. Their structures were established on the basis of comprehensive spectroscopic data analysis. The absolute configuration of taccachanfuran A (1) was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. All the diarylheptanoid dimers contain a ditetrahydrofuran moiety, which has not been described previously for diarylheptanoid compounds. A plausible biosynthetic pathway for the diarylheptanoid dimers is proposed. Compounds 2-4 showed significant neuroprotective activity against Aβ25-35-induced damage in SH-SY5Y cells at the concentrations of 10 and 1 μM. Compounds 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8 showed anti-inflammatory activity in LPS-stimulated murine microglial BV-2 cells at the concentrations of 10 and 1 μM.

Starvation is defined as a failure to ingest and digest food under some extrinsic limitation. Starvation could induce the behavioral consequences, such as searching, movement, parasitism efficiency of arthropods. In this study, we try to evaluate the hunger tolerance and movement rates of P. zhonghuajia on corn and sorghum, and observed the time of P. zhonghuajia biting S. frugiperda and the lethal efficiency of P. zhonghuajia on S. frugiperda under different starvation periods (6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h and 96 h). The results showed that without host the survival rates of P. zhonghuajia was significantly reduced over the 96 h. Starvation significantly increased the movement rates of P. zhonghuajia with increasing starvation from 6 to 24 h on the sorghum and corn leaves. When starved for 12 h, starvation significantly decreased the time P. zhonghuajia spent biting S. frugiperda. Proper hunger in P. zhonghuajia caused a 100% mortality rate in S. frugiperda within 2 hours, while a 96-h starved P. zhonghuajia parasited S. frugiperda for 16 hours to achieve a 100% mortality rate. In conclusion, a shorter period of starvation (24 h) could improve the movement rates and lethal efficiency of P. zhonghuajia against S. frugiperda, and ultimately enhance the biological control of P. zhonghuajia.

BACKGROUND Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine-kinase inhibitors are widely used for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer with EGFR mutations. However, patients with rare, even compound EGFR mutations have different responses to EGFR-tyrosine-kinase inhibitors, which bring uncertainty to clinical treatment. CASE SUMMARY A 45-year-old female patient presented with a 3-mo history of cough and white sputum without chest pain. Chest computed tomography revealed lung space-occupying lesions and multiple lymphadenectasis. Bronchoscopy and pathology suggested lung adenocarcinoma. Compound variation of EGFR gene (exon 21 L858R/V834L) was detected in both tissue and circulating tumor deoxyribonucleic acid samples. As a result of next-generation sequencing and her family’s wishes, the patient was given oral treatment with icotinib hydrochloride (125 mg/d, tid) from March 21, 2019 and has achieved stable disease for the last 1 year. CONCLUSION Non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma with EGFR L858R/V834L was treated successfully with icotinib, and it may be a new medication treatment option.

Increasing evidence suggests that the use of potent neuroprotective agents featured with novel pharmacological mechanism would offer a promising strategy to delay or prevent the progression of neurodegeneration. Here, we provide the first demonstration that the chiral nonracemic isochroman-2H-chromene conjugate JE-133, a novel synthetic 1,3-disubstituted isochroman derivative, possesses superior neuroprotective effect against oxidative injuries. Pretreatment with JE-133 (1–10 μM) concentration-dependently prevented H(2)O(2)-induced cell death in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells and rat primary cortical neurons. Pretreatment with JE-133 significantly alleviated H(2)O(2)-induced apoptotic changes. These protective effects could not be simply attributed to the direct free radical scavenging as JE-133 had moderate activity in reducing DPPH free radical. Further study revealed that pretreatment with JE-133 (10 μM) significantly decreased the phosphorylation of MAPK pathway proteins, especially ERK and P38, in the neuronal cells. In addition, blocking PI3K/Akt pathway using LY294002 partially counteracted the cell viability-enhancing effect of JE-133. We conclude that JE-133 exerts neuroprotection associated with dual regulative mechanisms and consequently activating cell survival and inhibiting apoptotic changes, which may provide important clues for the development of effective neuroprotective drug lead/candidate.

To compare the thoracic magnetic resonance imaging (TMRI) features between peripheral lung cancer (PLC) and progressive massive fibrosis (PMF) of coal silicosis (CS), and to excavate information of differential diagnostic value. 68 patients with PLC (68 lesions) were selected as lung cancer group (LCG), and 50 patients with PMF of CS (78 lesions) were selected as coal silicosis group (CSG). TMRI was performed in both groups, and T1-weighted imaging (T1WI), T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) and Spectral pre-saturated inversion recovery (SPIR) were used. The differences and characteristics of TMRI between the two groups were analyzed. 55 cases of pulmonary masses (PM) in LCG showed iso-signal intensity on T1WI (80.9%), and 63 cases showed high-signal intensity on T2WI and SPIR (92.6%); 65 cases of PMF in CSG showed iso-signal intensity on T1WI (83.5%), and high-signal intensity on T2WI and SPIR was found in 4 cases (5.1%), but 67 cases showed low-signal intensity (85.9%). PMF in CSG with high-signal intensity on T2WI and SPIR were significantly lower than PM in LCG(P < 0.1). Compared with TMRI of PLC showed high-signal intensity on T2WI and SPIR, PMF in CS showed low-signal intensity on T2WI and SPIR. This feature is of important significance in differential diagnosis.

The effects of CaCl2, GA3, and H2O2 priming on Isatis indigotica Fort. seed germination characteristics, seedling growth parameters, and antioxidant enzyme activities under salt stress were investigated. NaCl had an adverse effect on the germination and seedling performance of I. indigotica. However, these three priming agents alleviated salt stress by increasing the germination percentage, improving seed vigor, accelerating germination velocity, and establishing strong seedlings. The optimal concentrations were 15 g/L for CaCl2, 0.2 g/L for GA3, and 40 mm for H2O2. Seed priming treatments enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes in seedlings, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT), under a salt environment, which reduced the oxidative injury caused by salt. Seed priming is a promising technique that can enhance the ability of I. indigotica seed germination when salt is present.

Ischemic stroke is a severe disorder resulting from acute cerebral thrombosis. Here we demonstrated that post-ischemic treatment with ciclopirox olamine (CPX), a potent antifungal clinical drug, alleviated brain infarction, neurological deficits and brain edema in a classic rat model of ischemic stroke. Single dose post-ischemic administration of CPX provided a long-lasting neuroprotective effect, which can be further enhanced by multiple doses administration of CPX. CPX also effectively reversed ischemia-induced neuronal loss, glial activation as well as blood–brain barrier (BBB) damage. Employing quantitative phosphoproteomic analysis, 130 phosphosites in 122 proteins were identified to be significantly regulated by CPX treatment in oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD)-exposed SH-SY5Y cells, which revealed that phosphokinases and cell cycle-related phosphoproteins were largely influenced. Subsequently, we demonstrated that CPX markedly enhanced the AKT (protein kinase B, PKB/AKT) and GSK3β (glycogen synthase kinase 3β) phosphorylation in OGD-exposed SH-SY5Y cells, and regulated the cell cycle progression and nitric oxide (NO) release in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced BV-2 cells, which may contribute to its ameliorative effects against ischemia-associated neuronal death and microglial inflammation. Our study suggests that CPX could be a promising compound to reduce multiple ischemic injuries; however, further studies will be needed to clarify the molecular mechanisms involved., Graphical abstract Ciclopirox olamine (CPX), a clinical antifungal drug, blocks ischemic damages induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion or oxygen glucose deprivation/lipopolysaccharide. Effects of CPX on AKT/GSK3β phosphorylation and cell cycle might contribute to ischemic neuronal damage and glial inflammation.Image 1

Traditional fermented soybean contains a variety of microflora. To obtain a comprehensive and accurate understanding of the microbial community structure and metabolic potential of fermented soybean, comparative metagenomics and metatranscriptomics were performed on a sample of fermented soybean in Yunnan Province. Metagenomic DNA and metatranscriptomic RNA were sequenced using Illumina HiseqTM2500, which yielded a total of 92,192,276 reads, with an average read length of 150 bp and 38,798,262 paired-end sequences, with an average length of 151 bp. The results show that Providencia stuartii was the most abundant species and the genes of carbohydrates (2296, 13.30%), protein metabolism (1530, 8.86%), and amino acids and amino acid derivatives (1423, 8.24%) were dominant. The expression levels of the genes belonging to amino acid transport and metabolism processes were the highest according to the reads per length of transcript in kilo-bases per million mapped reads (RPKM) values, followed by energy production and conversion and carbohydrate transport and metabolism. The metabolic pathways were primarily associated with carbohydrates, proteins and amino acids, which might be in accordance with the high levels of proteins and other nutrients in soybeans. Overall, these findings provide insights into the community structure and metabolic potential of the fermented soybean microbiome.

Background Recently, researchers have proposed a possible relationship between RA and the microbiome of the oral cavity and gut. However, this relation has not been systematically established. Herein, we conducted a comprehensive review of the pertinent literature to describe this possible association. Methods We systematically performed searches in databases, namely EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and PubMed, from inception to 7 June 2020 to identify case–control studies that compared the oral and gut microbiome in adult RA patients with those of controls. The primary outcome was specific bacterial changes between RA and controls. The secondary outcome was microbial diversity changes between RA and controls. Results In total, 26 articles were considered eligible for inclusion and reported some differences. Therein, ≥3 articles reported decreased Faecalibacterium in the gut of early-RA (ERA)/RA patients compared with healthy controls (HCs). Also, ≥3 articles reported decreased Streptococcus and Haemophilus and increased Prevotella in the oral cavity of ERA/RA patients compared with HCs. In addition, some Prevotella species, including P. histicola and P. oulorum, showed increased trends in RA patients’ oral cavity, compared with HCs. The α-diversity of the microbiome was either increased or not changed in the oral cavity of RA patients, but it was more commonly either decreased or not changed in the gut of RA patients. Conclusions In this systematic review, we identified the microbiome associated with RA patients in comparison with controls. More research is needed in the future to find the deep relationship between RA and the microbiome.

Our previous study had identified ciclopirox (CPX) as a promising lead compound for treatment of ischemic stroke. To find better neuroprotective agents, a series of N-hydroxypyridone derivatives based on CPX were designed, synthesized, and evaluated in this study. Among these derivatives, compound 11 exhibits significant neuroprotection against oxygen glucose deprivation and oxidative stress-induced injuries in neuronal cells. Moreover, compound 11 possesses good blood-brain barrier permeability and superior antioxidant capability. In addition, a complex of compound 11 with olamine-11·Ola possesses good water solubility, negligible hERG inhibition, and superior metabolic stability. The in vivo experiment demonstrates that 11·Ola significantly reduces brain infarction and alleviates neurological deficits in middle cerebral artery occlusion rats. Hence, compound 11·Ola is identified in our research as a prospective prototype in the innovation of stroke treatment.

Introduction: Ultrasound-guided thoracic paravertebral block (US-TPVB) is generally used for postoperative analgesia. We hypothesized that single-injection US-TPVB could be used as the principal anesthetic technique for a peritoneal dialysis catheter (PDC) procedure (implantation or removal). The anesthetic effect and venous ropivacaine level after a TPVB would be compared with that after local anesthetic infiltration (LAI). Methods: Patients undergoing PDC procedures were randomized into Group LAI or TPVB. In Group LAI, 40 mL of 0.25% ropivacaine were used. In Group TPVB, single-injection of US-TPVB at T10–T11 level was performed with 20 mL of 0.25% ropivacaine. The quality of anesthesia, visual analogue scale of pain, and venous total plasma ropivacaine level were compared between the 2 groups. Results: Seventy-four eligible patients were enrolled and 38 in Group TPVB. Thirty patients in Group TPVB and 26 patients in Group LAI underwent PDC procedures successfully. Higher satisfaction rates by nephrologists and patients (76.3 and 78.9%) were reported in Group TPVB (44.4 and 44.4% in Group LAI, respectively). The peak venous total plasma ropivacaine concentrations were below the reported toxic threshold in the 2 groups. Conclusions: A single-injection US-TPVB with 20 mL of 0.25% ropivacaine at T10–T11 could be the principal anesthetic technique for PDC procedures, which provided a comparable anesthetic effect to that of LAI with 40 mL ropivacaine. Higher satisfaction rates by nephrologists and patients were observed in Group TPVB. The 20 mL dose of 0.25% ropivacaine used for an US-TPVB was safe in end-stage renal diseases patients.

In this paper, regular Sturm-Liouville problems with eigenparameter-dependent boundary conditions and interface conditions are investigated. We obtain that the eigenvalues of the problems depend not only continuously but also smoothly on the parameters of the problem: the coefficients, the boundary conditions, the interface conditions as well as the endpoints. Moreover, we find the differential expressions for each parameters, respectively.

Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous in aquatic environments, which are important carriers of emerging contaminants (ECs). Biofilms can be attached to the surface of MPs in a natural aquatic environment, which may influence chemical adsorption; however, knowledge of its impact is still limited. This study investigated the effect of biofilms on MPs on the adsorption of ECs through field-laboratory exposure experiments. Three types of MPs were naturally colonized with biofilms in lake. Then, biofilm-absent/biofilm-attached MPs were exposed to nine EC solutions at a concentration of 8 μg/L of each compound in laboratory. Most compounds exhibited 3.8 times lower concentrations on biofilm-attached MPs than on biofilm-absent MPs; only a few compounds showed enhanced adsorption. Pseudo-equilibrium was achieved within 72 h based on adsorption kinetics, implying fast adsorption of ECs on biofilm-attached MPs. The partition coefficients (K