Search

Two coordination polymers named [Co(tib)(H2O)3]· ipa·2H2O (1, H2ipa = iso-phthalic acid) and [Cu3(tib)2(BTB)2]·DMF·2H2O (2, H3BTB = 4,4′,4′′-gbenzene-1,3,5-triyl-tribenzoic acid, DMF = N,N-dimethylformamide) were constructed using a solvothermal method by reaction of metal salts with the 1,3,5-tris(1-imidazolyl)benzene (tib) ligands and different carboxylate linkers as the co-ligands. The two complexes have been characterized by X-ray diffraction as well as the elemental analyses. Subsequently, the protective effect of compounds 1 and 2 on the acute lung injury and its related mechanism was explored. Firstly, the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to detect the release of the inflammatory cytokines. Then, the partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) and the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) was measured with blood gas analysis.

Purpose This study aims to explore the effects of BTXA on the proteins that affect the contraction of fibroblasts. Moreover, the optimal dose of BTXA on hypertrophic scars has not yet been determined. The current study investigated the effect of different doses of BTXA on scar formation. Materials and Methods 18 rabbits’ ears of New Zealand rabbits were used to establish hypertrophic scar model. These wounds were divided into four groups as group B (treated with deferent dosage of BTXA), group T (treated with TAC), group S (not treated), and group C (normal skin). Fibroblast apoptosis was detected by the method of TUNEL. Collagen I, III, and TGF-β1 expression were examined by western blotting method. The immunohistochemical staining and computerized image analysis were used to measure the optical density (OD value) of positive staining of α-SMA and myosin II. Results With increasing BTXA dose, the apoptotic rates increased. Western blot showed that Collagen fibrils and TGF-β1 proteins were expressed lower with the increasing of dose of BTXA (P < 0.05). α-SMA and myosin II in Group B were significantly decreased than those in Group T (P < 0.05), moreover, more myosin II can be reduced with high concentrations of BTXA (2.0 IU). Conclusions It was shown that BTXA could induce fibroblast apoptosis and inhibit the expression of α-SMA and myosin II, which can inhibit FB contraction. It plays a positive role in the treatment of scar.

Fonsecaea spp. is the most common pathogen underlying chromoblastomycosis. However, many aspects of its evolutionary history are not fully understood, and a timescale for its diversification is lacking . Here, we propose, explain, and validate the evolutionary relationships, transmission routes, and modes of transmission among pathogenic species of the genus Fonsecaea . we investigated the sequences of a total of 510 intra-ribosomal transcribed regions and 485 reported cases of eight strains of the genus Fonsecaea , that have spread epidemically worldwide, persisted, and diversified over 38.27 million years. This period coincides with the diversification of many filamentous fungi, and this evolution explains the diversity and origin of pathogenic species of Fonsecaea spp . , as well as the possible transmission routes. Fonsecaea pedrosoi originated in the Atlantic Ocean near Brazil, F. monophora originated in the Pacific Ocean near southern China, and F. nubica originated in the Indian Ocean near Madagascar. F. pugnacius originated and is endemic in the Atlantic Ocean near Brazil. We proposed the hypothesis that non-pathogenic environmental strains in the environment ( Fonsecaea brasiliensis , F. multimorphosa , F. minima , and F. erecta ) evolved into pathogenic strains ( F. pedrosoi , F. pugnacius , F. nubica , and F. monophora ) and spread globally with global tropical cyclone and ocean currents pathways. F. multimorphosa is potentially infectious to humans. The present study’s results will greatly facilitate the prevention, treatment, and cure of Fonsecaea infections and give insight and reference to researchers in the field of fungal research, especially other pathogenic fungi and environmental fungi.

Yi-Bo Chen, Zhao-Hui Wang, Gui-Ming Fu, Quan-Xin Wan, Xiao-Jing Li, Jin Chen Department of Head and Neck Oncology, Sichuan Cancer Hospital, Chengdu 610041, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Zhao-Hui Wang Email wangzh912@163.comBackground: To evaluate the application of computer-aided design (CAD) and three-dimensional (3D) visualization techniques in the diagnosis and treatment of refractory thyroid tumors.Materials and Methods: The clinical data from 12 cases of refractory thyroid tumors treated with CAD and 3D visualization techniques from September 2016 to January 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. Ten cases were malignant, while two cases were benign. All tracheas in the 12 cases were invaded or oppressed by the thyroid tumors. Six of the cases experienced type III dyspnea, while the other six cases had type II dyspnea. All patients underwent contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) imaging.Results: CAD and 3D visualization technologies were used to guide the surgeries. Ten cases of malignant thyroid tumors underwent total thyroidectomy, cervical lymph node dissection, and invaded organ resection. Among the ten cases, five underwent sleeve resections and anastomosis reconstructions, one underwent a tracheal sleeve resection and total laryngectomy, two underwent tracheal window resections, one case underwent a sternotomy, and one case underwent a laryngopharyngectomy, invaded skin resection, and pectoralis major muscle flap reconstruction. The two cases of benign thyroid tumors underwent subtotal thyroidectomies. Using CAD and 3D visualization techniques, surgeons can visually observe the relationship of the tumor with the respiratory tract and essential blood vessels, which can lead to optimized surgical plans and improved surgical outcomes.Conclusion: CAD and 3D visualization technologies have an important role in the personalized surgical intervention of thyroid cancer, which will likely have important clinical implications.Keywords: refractory thyroid tumors, thyroid cancer, computer-aided design, CAD, 3D visualization, contrast-enhanced CT, thyroidectomy

Background With guidance from the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) Cancer Staging Manual, 8th edition, we explored the characteristics of central lymph node metastasis (CLNM) of papillary thyroid micro-carcinoma (PTMC) in elderly patients ≥55 years of age. Our goal was to provide references for establishing a lymph node dissection scheme in such patients. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of thyroid cancer patients admitted to the Head and Neck Surgery Center of Sichuan Cancer Hospital, Chengdu, China, from January 2015 to September 2018. Then, we screened and analyzed eligible PTMC cases in strict accordance with our inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results The study included 107 patients, including 24 men and 83 women. Median age was 59.99 ± 4.58 years. The maximum diameter range of the cancer foci was 4-10 mm, and the median was 7.59 ± 1.78 mm. Unilateral lobectomy had been performed in 32 cases, total thyroidectomy in 75 cases and lateral cervical lymph node dissection in 21 cases. There were 60 cases of CLNM (56.07%) and 13 cases of lateral cervical lymph node metastasis (12.10%). The sensitivity of preoperative ultrasound in predicting CLNM was 100%, but its accuracy was only 50.47%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that multiple cancer foci (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.632), extra-thyroidal expansion of cancer focus (AUC = 0.721), and irregular nodules (AUC = 0.603) were independent risk factors for CLNM of PTMC in elderly patients (P < 0.05). Overall predictability for PTMC-CLNM was 80.30%. Conclusion 1) Preoperative color Doppler ultrasound is not recommended as the basis for cervical lymph node dissection in PTMC patients. 2) For multiple cancer foci, irregular nodules, and elderly patients with PTMC extra-thyroidal expansion, we recommend a prophylactic central lymph node dissecting. 3) Nonsurgical observation of PTMC in elderly patients with low risk should be carefully selected.

The functional and cosmetic outcomes of defect reconstruction of the lower eyelid are very important because of the specialised functions and complex anatomy of this region. Several techniques can be used to reconstruct the anterior lamella defect of the lower eyelid. We aimed to introduce a new technique for reconstructing the lateral or medial anterior lamella defects while preventing ectropion and gaining good appearance. The local temporal island flap combined with orbicularis oculi muscle flap was designed. From 1 January 2014 to 1 January 2018, the local temporal island flap combined with orbicularis oculi muscle flap was designed to reconstruct the anterior lamella defects of the lower eyelids in 10 patients. The cause of the defects, its location, the postoperative cosmetic and functional results, and complications were recorded and analysed. The survival rate of the flaps was 100% postoperatively. No ectropion or other complications were observed during the follow-up period. The aesthetic and functional result was satisfactory. The local temporal island flap combined with orbicularis oculi muscle flap may be an alternative for a single-stage reconstruction of anterior lamella defects of the lower eyelid with good functional and cosmetic results.

Background Coumarin and 3,4-dihydroquinolinone nuclei are two heterocyclic rings that are important and widely exploited for the development of bioactive molecules. Here, we designed and synthesized a series of 3,4-dihydroquinolinone and coumarin derivatives (Compounds 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 18-20, 23, 24 and 28 are new compounds) and studied their antidepressant activities. Methods Forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) were used to evaluate the antidepressant activity of the target compounds. The most active compound was used to evaluate the exploratory activity of the animals by the open-field test. 5-HT concentration was estimated to evaluate if the compound has an effect on the mouse brain, by using ELISA. A 5-HT1A binding assay was also performed. The biological activities of the compounds were verified by molecular docking studies. The physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties of the target compounds were predicted by Discovery Studio and ChemBioDraw Ultra. Results Of all the compounds tested, compound 7 showed the best antidepressant activity, which decreased the immobility time by 65.52 s in FST. However, in the open-field test, compound 7 did not affect spontaneous activity. The results of 5-HT concentration estimation in vivo showed that compound 7 may have an effect on the mouse brain. Molecular docking results indicated that compound 7 showed significant interactions with residues at the 5-HT1A receptor using homology modeling. The results show that compound 7 exhibits good affinity for the 5-HT1A receptor. Conclusion Coumarin and 3,4-dihydroquinolinone derivatives synthesized in this study have a significant antidepressant activity. These findings can be useful in the design and synthesis of novel antidepressants.

Oreocharis maximowiczii var. mollis, a new variety of Oreocharis (Gesneriaceae) from Taining county, Fujian, China, is described. The new variety is similar to Oreocharis maximowiczii var. maximowiczii, but differs in having peduncle and pedicel densely brown woolly and glandular pubescent, and corolla and pistil densely glandular pubescent.

Background Alcohol dependence is a mental disorder with a high relapse rate. However, specific neuroimaging biomarkers have not been determined for alcohol dependence and its relapse. We conducted data-driven research to investigate resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) during early abstinence from alcohol dependence and its potential ability to predict relapse. Methods Participants included 68 alcohol-dependent patients and 68 healthy controls (HCs). The regional homogeneity (ReHo) and fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) were compared between the alcohol dependence group and the HCs and between the relapse group and the nonrelapse group. The brain regions that presented significantly different ReHo and/or fALFF between the alcohol-dependent patients and HCs and/or between the relapsed and nonrelapsed patients were selected as the seeds to calculate the functional connectivities (FCs). Results During a 6-month follow-up period, 52.24% of alcohol-dependent patients relapsed. A regression model for differentiating alcohol-dependent patients and HCs showed that reductions in ReHo in the left postcentral region, fALFF in the right fusiform region, and FC in the right fusiform region to the right middle cingulum were independently associated with alcohol dependence, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.841. The baseline FC of the left precentral to the left cerebellum of the relapse group was significantly lower than that of the nonrelapse group. The AUC of this FC to predict relapse was 0.774. Conclusions Our findings contribute to advancing research on the neurobiological etiology and predictive biomarkers for relapse associated with alcohol dependence.

Targeting neddylation pathway has been recognized as an attractive anticancer therapeutic strategy, thus discovering potent and selective neddylation inhibitors is highly desirable. Our work reported the discovery of novel cinnamyl piperidine compounds and their antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo. Among these compounds, compound 4g was identified as a novel neddylation inhibitor and decreased the neddylation levels of cullin 1, cullin 3 and cullin 5. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that compound 4g could inhibit the migration ability of gastric cancer cells and induce apoptosis partly mediated by the Nrf2-Keap1 pathway. Furthermore, in vivo anti-tumor studies showed that 4g effectively inhibited tumor growth without obvious toxicity. Collectively, the cinnamyl piperidine derivatives could serve as new lead compounds for developing highly effective neddylation inhibitors for gastric cancer therapy.

S-phase kinase associated protein 2 (Skp2), a member of the F-box family that constitute the largest known class of ubiquitin E3 specificity components, is responsible for recognizing and recruiting cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27 for its ubiquitination in the presence of the small accessory protein cyclin-dependent kinase regulatory subunit 1(Cks1). Skp2 is overexpressed in esophageal carcinoma tissues and closely related with tumor poor prognosis, and perturbation of the Skp2-Cks1 interaction by inhibitors or RNAi could inhibit the proliferation and metastasis of tumor cells. Therefore, inhibition of Skp2 function by small-molecule compounds targeting Skp2-Cks1 interaction is emerging as a promising and novel anti-cancer strategy. In this study, we establish an improved high-throughput screening platform to screen Skp2 inhibitors targeting Skp2-Cks1interaction, which may provide a new therapeutic approach for the clinic.

AIM: To investigate the relationship between semaphorin 7a expression and cell proliferation and migration in pterygium fibroblasts. METHODS: Twenty-six patients with surgically diagnosed pterygium were enrolled, including 15 cases of primary pterygium and 11 cases of recurrent pterygium. In addition, 12 cases of normal conjunctival tissue were collected. The expression of semaphorin 7a in normal conjunctival tissue, primary pterygium and recurrent pterygium was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Recurrent pterygium fibroblasts were isolated and cultured, and the expression of semaphorin 7a was silenced by small interfering RNA (siRNA) interference technique. Furthermore, the effects of si-semaphorin 7a interference on the mRNA and protein levels of β1-integrin, vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR), and on fibroblast proliferation were analyzed. Transwell assay was used to detect the effect of semaphorin 7a interference on fibroblast migration. RESULTS: Semaphorin 7a was highly expressed in the primary pterygium and recurrent pterygium samples than that of the normal conjunctival tissue. Compared with the primary pterygium, the expression of semaphoring 7a in the recurrent pterygium samples was significantly increased (P

Red blood cells (RBCs) are exposed to exogenous reactive oxygen species in the circulatory system. To this end, the interactions between the different hemoglobin (Hb) subunits and peroxiredoxin 2, which is a ubiquitous member of the antioxidant enzymes that also controls the cytokine-induced peroxide levels, were assessed. We predicted by the increment of diversity with quadratic discriminant analysis (IDQD) that peroxiredoxin2 (Prx2) could interact with the hemoglobin alpha, beta and gamma subunits but not with the delta subunit. Coimmunoprecipitation (co-IP), electrospray ionization quadrupole time of flight (ESI-Q-TOF) mass spectrometry, Western blotting and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy were performed to verify these predictions. The results showed that Prx2 was a member of the beta-globin immunoprecipitating complex that existed in hemoglobin A, hemolysate-hemoglobin A, hemoglobin A-hemoglobin A2, hemolysate-hemoglobin A-hemoglobin A2 and hemoglobin A2 but not in hemolysate-hemoglobin A2. Adding Prx2 to hemoglobin A altered the second shell of iron embedded in hemoglobin A. Therefore, Prx2 interacts with hemoglobin A (Alpha2Beta2) and hemoglobin F (Alpha2Gamma2) but not with hemoglobin A2 (Alpha2Delta2).

AIM To investigate the value of ultrasound elastography combined with serological indexes in diagnosing liver fibrosis and assessing its severity. METHODS A total of 338 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients were divided into a disease group (patients with hepatic fibrosis) and control group (subjects without hepatic fibrosis). The disease group was further divided into S1-S4 according to the degree of fibrosis. Independent risk factors for hepatic fibrosis were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. The diagnostic values of hepatic fibrosis from different indicators were compared using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The combination of elastography and serological indexes was explored to assess the severity of hepatic fibrosis. RESULTS The multivariate logistic regression analysis results revealed that shear wave velocity (SWV), hyaluronic acid (HA), type IV collagen (CIV) and aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) significantly affected the occurrence of hepatic fibrosis. The ROC curve revealed that the accuracy of the diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis for SWV and HA were 87.3% and 84.8%, respectively. The accuracy of SWV combined with HA was 88.9%. The multiple linear regression analysis revealed that SWV, aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/alanine aminotransferase (ALT), HA, CIV, APRI and fibrosis index based on the 4 factor (FIB-4) were screened as statistically significant independent factors. The established regression equation was: Fibrosis level = -4.046 + 1.024 × SWV + 1.170 × AST/ALT + 0.011 × HA + 0.020 × CIV + 0.719 × APRI + 0.379 × FIB-4. CONCLUSION SWV combined with serological indexes can improve the accuracy of diagnosis for CHB hepatic fibrosis. Serum indexes can help diagnose the degree of hepatic fibrosis.

Basalt fiber polymer concrete (BFPC) machine tool has the properties of lightweight and high damping, and the BFPC machine tool has excellent vibration damping and anti-vibration performance, which can improve the processing performance of the machine tool. There are many steel-BFPC jointsurfaces in the machine tool, and thesejoint surfaceshavea key influence on the dynamic performance such as the modal performance of the machine tool. In order to establish a virtual material simulation analysis method for modal characteristics of steel-BFPC joint surface, the detection principle of contact parameters of steel-BFPC joint surface was studied by using forced vibration theory, and the contact parameter detection experiment of steel-BFPC joint surface was designed. The virtual material model of BFPC joint surface was established, and the theoretical formulas of equivalent elastic modulus and equivalent shear modulus were derived based on the identified parameters of the BFPC joint surface. For the correctness of the analysis theory, a BFPC bed was taken as an example to study the modal performance of the BFPC bed by means of experiment and virtual material simulation analysis, respectively. The results of simulation analysis were compared with the experimental results. The results show that the maximum error of thenatural frequency is only 6.23%, and the modes of each order are consistent, which prove the effectiveness and accuracy of the virtual material simulation analysis method.

To investigate the role of P2X7 receptor (P2X7r) in osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs).hPDLSCs were isolated from the premolars collected in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guiyang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and divided into four groups. Group A was cultured in conventional medium, group B was cultured in osteogenic induction medium, group C was cultured in osteogenic induction medium + 100 nmol/L adenosine triphosphate (ATP) solution, and group D was cultured in osteogenic induction medium + 100 nmol/L P2X7 receptor specific antagonist KN-62. After 7 days, alizarin red staining was used to observe the osteogenic effect of hPDLSCs in each group. The mRNA expression of osteocalcin (OCN), RUNX2 and P2X7r in hPDLSCs was detected by real-time PCR reaction (RT-PCR). The data were processed by SPSS 22.0 software package.Alisarin red staining showed that the morphology of hPDLSCs cells in group B and group C was significantly changed. The pale calcified nodules in group C were significantly more than those in group B, while very few calcified nodules were found in group A and group D. The mRNA expression of OCN, RUNX2 and P2X7r in hPDLSCs were the highest in group C, followed by group B(P0.05), and no difference was found between group A and group D(P0.05).P2X7 receptor can promote osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament stem cells after being activated by ATP, which may provide a new direction for clinical treatment of periodontitis.

BACKGROUND Evidence indicates that Internet addiction (IA) is associated with depression, but longitudinal studies have rarely been reported, and no studies have yet investigated potential common vulnerability or a possible specific causal relationship between these disorders. OBJECTIVE To overcome these gaps, the present 12-month longitudinal study based on a large-sample employed a cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) approach to investigate the potential common vulnerability and specific cross-causal relationships between IA and CSD (or depression). METHODS IA and clinically-significant depression (CSD) among 12 043 undergraduates were surveyed at baseline (as freshmen) and in follow-up after 12 months (as sophomores). Application of CLPM revealed two well-fitted design between IA and CSD, and between severities of IA and depression, adjusting for demographics. RESULTS Rates of baseline IA and CSD were 5.47% and 3.85%, respectively; increasing to 9.47% and 5.58%, respectively at follow-up. Among those with baseline IA and CSD, 44.61% and 34.48% remained stable at the time of the follow-up survey, respectively. Rates of new-incidences of IA and CSD over 12 months were 7.43% and 4.47%, respectively. Application of a cross-lagged panel model approach (CLPM, a discrete time structural equation model used primarily to assess causal relationships in real-world settings) revealed two well-fitted design between IA and CSD, and between severities of IA and depression, adjusting for demographics. Models revealed that baseline CSD (or depression severity) had a significant net-predictive effect on follow-up IA (or IA severity), and baseline IA (or IA severity) had a significant net-predictive effect on follow-up CSD (or depression severity). CONCLUSIONS These correlational patterns using a CLPM indicate that both common vulnerability and bidirectional specific cross-causal effects between them may contribute to the association between IA and depression. As the path coefficients of the net-cross-predictive effects were significantly smaller than those of baseline to follow-up cross-section associations, vulnerability may play a more significant role than bidirectional-causal effects. CLINICALTRIAL Ethics Committee of West China Hospital, Sichuan University (NO. 2016-171)

Background: The imbalance of proliferation and apoptosis plays an important role in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. MicroRNAs play an important role in the apoptosis of osteoblasts cells. However, the role and potential mechanism of miR-545-3p in regulating osteoblast apoptosis remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of miR-545-3p on osteoblast cells apoptosis and explore the mechanism of osteoporosis.Methods: Osteogenic medium was used to induce the differentiation of osteoblasts MC3T3-E1 to construct the osteoporosis model, and the expression of ALP, Runx2, OCN were detected by western blot; miR-545-3p mRNA was detected by RT-PCR. Transfected with miR-545-3p mimics into MC3T3-E1, then flow cytometry was used to detected the changes of apoptosis status. The expression of apoptosis related proteins Bcl-2 and Bax were detected by western blot. Bioinformatics was used to analyze the binding protein of miR-545-3p, and luciferase reporter gene experiment was used to verify whether miR-545-3p directly targets SIRT6; RT-qPCR and western blot were used to detect the expression level of SIRT6 after transfection of miR-545-3p mimics or miR-545-3p inhibitor. After co-transfection of miR-545-3p mimics and pcDNA3.1-SIRT6, the apoptosis status of osteoblasts was analyzed by flow cytometry, and the expression of apoptosis related proteins Bcl-2 and Bax were detected by western blot.Results: The expression of miR-545-3p in patients with osteoporosis was significantly higher than that of normal in GEO database (PPPPConclusions: miR-545-3p can promote the apoptosis of osteoblasts by inhibiting the expression of SIRT6, which provides a certain idea for the treatment of osteoporosis.

Gastrointestinal tumor (GIT) is a common malignant tumor of the digestive system, which seriously threatens people's health and life. With the deepening of the study on the mechanism of tumor immune escape, programmed death receptor ligand 1 (PD-L1) has been proved to interact with the tumor microenvironment to mediate tumor immune escape. PD-L1 inhibitor is a hot spot in tumor immunotherapy in recent years, which can restore the activity of T cells, enhance the body's ability of immune response, and ultimately enable the immune system to effectively identify and kill gastric cancer cells, then achieve long-term tumor remission in patients with GITs. At present, variety of PD-L1 inhibitors such as pembrolizumab, nivolumab and avelumab have been approved for the market, and they have achieved good results in clinical studies on the GIT. This paper reviews the progress of PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy in GITs which include gastric cancer, colon cancer and rectal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To study the association of body fat ratio with precocious puberty in girls. Previous studies have shown that body mass index (BMI) is associated with the girls' age of puberty but have not revealed the association of body fat ratio with age of puberty. METHODS: Based on the consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of central precocious puberty (CPP), 128 children with precocious puberty who were admitted to the hospital from July to August, 2017, were divided into a CPP group with 87 children and a peripheral precocious puberty (PPP) group with 41 children. A total of 51 girls without any puberty development signs were enrolled as the control group. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to measure the body fat ratios of upper limbs, legs, trunk, android area, gynoid area, and the whole body. The association between body fat ratios and precocious puberty was analyzed with reference to age, BMI, BMI-Z score, bone age, ovarian volume, and hormone levels. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the CPP and PPP groups had significantly higher body fat ratios of upper limbs, legs, trunk, android area, gynoid area, and the whole body, legs/whole body fat ratio, and (upper limbs+legs)/trunk fat ratio (P < 0.05), while there were no significant differences in the above body fat ratios and fat distribution indicators between the CPP and PPP groups (P > 0.05). For the girls with precocious puberty, the high body fat ratio group had significantly higher luteinizing hormone (LH) base value, luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH)-stimulated LH peak value, and LH/follicle-stimulating hormone peak value than the low body fat ratio group (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, both the high body fat ratio and low body fat ratio groups had a significantly higher LH base value (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The increase in body fat may be a factor inducing precocious puberty in girls, but further studies are needed to determine the mechanism.

Objective: The current study aims to explore precipitating and risk factors for internet addiction (IA) in university undergraduate students, and to provide evidence for interventions and the early prevention of IA in this population.Method: Four thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight college sophomores completed an online survey on their internet use-related behaviours and social risk factors.Result: Compared to female students (5.4%), more male students (8.3%) were in the moderate and severe IA groups. Male and female students tend to engage in different types of online entertainment. There are some shared and some different precipitating factors for internet use and risk factors for IA between the different gender groups.Conclusion: By understanding the differences and similarities in risk factors for IA in both gender groups of the university undergraduate students, interventions can be more precisely designed to target specific behaviours in this populations.

The shrub species, Artemisia ordosica, commonly occurs in the eastern Hobq desert. Here, we used a micrometeorological observation system to continuously monitor the rainfall and soil water content in 0-10, 10-30, and 30-50 cm soil layers during the growing season from 2016 to 2018. The dynamic spatial and temporal changes in soil water content under different rainfall patterns were examined, and the replenishing effects of rainfall events on soil water content and water infiltration characteristics were analyzed. The results showed that soil water content of the surface layer in the A. ordosica community had significant seasonal and vertical variation under rainfall fluctuation. Rainfall amount and soil water content before rain were the main factors controlling soil water replenishment and infiltration. The soil surface layer (0-10 cm) was sensitive to rainfall, and the rainfall of 3.8 mm began to replenish this layer. The responses of 10-30 cm soil layer to rainfall was slower, more than 8.6 mm rainfall being needed for effective replenishment. The response of the 30-50 cm soil layer to rainfall was even more delayed, and replenishment at this depth could not be achieved until the rainfall exceeded 11.8 mm. The water infiltration rate increased with rainfall amount and decreased with soil depth, while water infiltration depth was positively correlated with the rainfall amount and soil water content before rainfall. During the study period, rainfall of10 mm occurred predominantly, accounting for 78.4% of the total rainfall events. The rainfall mainly replenished soil layer above 30 cm, and the replenishment of deep soil was very limited, which was not conducive to the growth of deep-rooted species. Therefore, rainfall patterns directly affected the composition, distribution, and succession of plant communities in this area.以库布齐沙漠东缘典型分布的油蒿灌丛为对象,使用微气象观测系统连续监测2016—2018年生长季降雨及多层次土壤含水量(0～10、10～30、30～50 cm),研究不同降雨格局下荒漠土壤水分的时空动态变化,分析降雨事件对土壤水分的补给作用和水分入渗特征。结果表明: 油蒿灌丛浅层土壤含水量在降雨脉动下产生明显的季节和垂直变化,雨量和雨前土壤含水量是影响土壤水分补给和入渗的主控因素。0～10 cm土层土壤对降雨反馈迅速,3.8 mm降雨对该层产生补给作用;10～30 cm土层土壤对降雨反馈稍显迟滞,需8.6 mm以上降雨才能产生有效补给;30～50 cm土层土壤对降雨反馈更加滞后,降雨量超过11.8 mm后才能达到该补给深度。水分入渗速率随雨量增大而升高,随土层加深而减弱,入渗深度与雨量和雨前土壤含水量均呈显著正相关。研究期间,降雨事件以10 mm降雨为主,占总降雨次数的78.4%,降雨对土壤的补给主要作用于30 cm以内土层,对深层土壤的补给十分有限,不利于深根性植物生长,降雨格局直接影响和改变了研究区植物群落的构成、分布和演替。.

Background: The cytokine TNF-α-stimulated gene-6 (TSG-6) had been verified to have a certain inhibitory effect on the inflammation. During wound healing, fibroblasts increasingly proliferated and deposited collagen fibers, leading to the formation of pathological scars. We sought to elucidate the mechanism by which the TGF-β1/Smad pathway was mediated by TSG-6 in human keloid fibroblasts.Materials and methods: Human keloid fibroblast cells were isolated from keloid tissue by enzyme digestion and identified by immunocytochemistry. Lentiviral vectors pLVX-puro-TSG-6 and pLVX-shRNA1-TSG-6 were constructed which were then transfected into human keloid fibroblasts. The mRNA and protein levels of TSG-6 were detected respectively by RT-PCR and western blot assay. The intracellular localization of TGF-β1-induced proteins and phosphorylated (p)-Smad2/3 in keloid fibroblasts were investigated using an immunofluorescence assay. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) transcriptional activity was detected by RT-PCR.Results: TSG-6 could effectively interfere the TGF-β1/Smad signal transduction pathway in keloid fibroblasts rather than in normal fibroblasts. The phosphorylation levels of Smad2/3 were notably reduced by TSG-6 treatment. TSG-6 blocked the complex formation of Smad2/3/4, and their nuclear translocation. However, it upregulated Smad7 expression, presenting dose dependence. PAI-1 was also suppressed by TSG-6 treatment.Conclusions: TSG-6 inhibits proliferation by inducing apoptosis in keloid fibroblasts, which may be associated with TGF-β1/Smad pathway.

To clarify the effects of desertification reversal on soil respiration rate (R为研究沙漠化逆转过程对土壤呼吸速率(

The effect of thickness deviation on the optical properties of graphene-based optical microstructure was studied by using the transfer matrix method. Machining errors led to inconsistencies in the thicknesses of different parts and resulted in an offset of absorption peak, thus significantly reducing the average light absorption. The 3-nm deviation decreased the light absorption of graphene-optical microstructure by approximately 3.5 times. However, if the machining error is included in the design, then a relatively small Q value will help reduce the effect of machining error and the light absorption can be enhanced by about 32%.

Two series of furo[3,2-f]quinoline-2-carboxylate were obtained via a three-component reaction of aldehydes, 5-aminobenzofuran-2-carboxylate, and 4-hydroxy-2H-chromen-2-one or cyclopentane-1,3-dione in DMF under catalyst-free condition in high yields. This one-pot three-component reaction provided an efficient method for the synthesis of fused polycyclic heterocycles for bioactive screening.

Objective: To observe the influence of ganglioside on the blood gas analysis and serum levels of inflammatory cytokines in newborns with anoxic ischemic encephalopathy. Method: A total of 100 newborns with anoxic ischemic encephalopathy in our hospital were selected and randomly divided into 2 groups: the control group and the observation group. Conventional oxygen inhalation, reducing intracranial pressure, controlling eclampsia and neurotrophic drug treatment were given to the observation group. Treatment of ganglioside was given to the control group on the basis of observation group. Blood gas analysis and serum levels of inflammatory cytokines were detected before treatment (T0), 3 d after treatment (T1), and 7 d after treatment (T2). Result: (1) The comparison of pH, PaO2, PaCO2, SaO2 in the two groups in T0 was not statistically significant. The comparison of pH, PaO2, PaCO2, SaO2 in T0, T1, T2 was considered to be statistically significant. Among these, the result of comparision of pH, PaO2, SaO2: T0＜T1＜T2. comparision of PaCO2: T0＞T1＞T2. The pH, PaO2, SaO2 in observation group were higher, PaCO2 in observation group was lower compared with that in control group in T1 and T2. The difference was considered to be statistically significant. (2) The comparision of IL-2, IL-6, hs-CRP, TNF-α in the two groups in T0 was not statistically significant. IL-2 in the observation in T1 and T2 was higher than that in the control group, IL-6, hs-CRP, TNF-α in the observation in T1 and T2 was lower than that in the control group. The difference was considered to be statistically significant. Conclusion: Ganglioside can improve blood gas analysis indexes, decrease the serum inflammatory cytokines in newborns with anoxic ischemic encephalopathy.

La0.67Mg0.5W0.5O3:Tb3+ (LMWO:Tb3+) green phosphors with multiple-cell perovskite-structure were prepared by the high temperature solid state reaction. The phase, morphology and luminescent properties of (LMWO:Tb3+) green phosphors were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and photoluminescence spectra. The excitation spectra vary with the Tb3+ concentration and consist of an intense charge transfer bands of O2−–Tb3+ (240–300 nm), O2−–W6+ (290–340 nm) and weak intra-4f 8 transition absorption peaks of Tb3+ ions (340–400 nm). Among them, O2−–W6+ charge transfer band centered at 310 nm exhibits the strongest. WO6 6− group of LMWO can efficiently absorb ultraviolet light and transfer the energy to the Tb3+. The photoluminescence spectra, excited at the peak wavelengths of O2−–W6+ charge transfer bands, consist of the characteristic Tb3+ emission transitions from 5D3 and 5D4 excited levels to 7FJ (J = 3–6) levels. The CIE chromaticity coordinates for these phosphors were located in the green region. The phosphor could act as a candidate for the potential application in UV excited white-LEDs lighting.

A new rock-like resin has been developed after extensive formula research. This resin is completely transparent and low temperature brittle. Its tension-compression ratio can reach 1/6.6 in the −10 to −15 °C temperature range. It can simulate many kinds of engineering rocks. Specimens are made with a single internal crack. The progressive failure processes of specimens under uniaxial and biaxial compressions are investigated. The uniaxial failure process of specimens is divided into four stages. Some forms of secondary cracks, like anti-wing cracks in biaxial test, have never been reported in previous studies. 3-D numerical simulation is carried out using FLAC3D. A new elastic-brittle constitutive model is developed in the simulation. Superfine element division is also required. The uniaxial and biaxial numerical results of the new method possess an excellent consistency with experiment results in this paper.

At present, there are many therapies for treating keloids and hypertrophic scars, but there is still a lack of treatments that are relatively balanced in efficacy and safety. The study aims to evaluate comprehensively efficacy and safety of common therapies in keloids and hypertrophic scars. The literature search was conducted up to May 2019. The traditional meta-analysis was performed on 17 therapies. Bayesian network meta-analysis was conducted on the four most common treatments. The outcome indicators were the numbers of patients with good-to-excellent effect, Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) and adverse events. There was no significant difference in the efficacy of triamcinolone acetonide (TAC) compared with other monotherapies except for silicone gel sheet and neodymium-yttrium-aluminum-garnet in primary indicator. The combination therapies were superior to TAC, and the results were consistent after the pooled analysis (RR = 0.522, 95% CI 0.332–0.823). The level of VSS in TAC group was higher than that in 5-flurouracil (5-FU) and TAC + 5-FU group, but lower than that in verapamil (VER) group. And the patients treated with TAC were less safe than those treated with verapamil (P = 0.013). Surface under cumulative ranking ranked verapamil and TAC + 5-FU as the favorable efficacy therapies in terms of primary indicator and ranked TAC + 5-FU as the best therapy for VSS, while VER was ranked as the worst. This meta-analysis showed that TAC + 5-FU may be the most effective therapy, while verapamil may be a better therapeutic strategy for safety. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.

This is book review of “The Belt and Road Strategy in International Business and Administration”, edited by Wei Liu, Zhe Zhang, Jinxiong Chen and Sang-Bing Tsai. This book review focuses on discussing how “The Belt and Road Strategy” develops in the current studies of international business field based on the book’s content. The review begins with a literature review on current research in “The Belt and Road Strategy”, then gives a brief summary of each chapter of the book, and finally concludes with its practical implication and suggestion for readership.

A series of 7-phenyl-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrothieno[3,2-b]pyridine derivatives containing triazole and other heterocycle substituents (methyltriazole, tetrazole, and triazolone) is described. Two experimental methods, maximal electroshock (MES) and subcutaneous pentylenetetrazole (scPTZ), were used to evaluate the anticonvulsant activity of the target compounds. Moreover, the neurotoxicity (NT) was tested using the Rotarod test. 5-(4-Chlorophenyl)-4,5-dihydrothieno[2,3-e][1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyridine (6c) showed the best anticonvulsant activity. In the MES and PTZ experiments, the 50% effective dose (ED50 ) values of compound 6c were 9.5 and 20.5 mg/kg, respectively. From the therapeutic index (PI) values, 6c (MES and PTZ with PI values of 48.0 and 22.2, respectively) showed better safety than the clinical drugs carbamazepine (MES with PI value of 6.4) and ethosuximide (PTZ with PI value of 3.2). The biological activities of the compounds were verified by using molecular docking studies. Compound 6c showed significant interactions with residues at the benzodiazepine-binding site on gamma-aminobutyric acid A (GABAA ) receptors. The results of in vivo GABA estimation and bicuculline-induced seizures showed that 6c may have an effect on the GABA system. The physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties of the target compounds were predicted.

We analyzed greenhouse gas fluxes at the different growth stages of algae and lichen crusts in fixed sand with mobile dune as control in the eastern Hobq Desert, China, using the spatio-temporal substitution method. We explored the correlation of these fluxes with environmental factors and with biological soil crust growth. The results showed that variation of CO以流动沙地为对照,采用时空替代法分析库布齐沙漠东部固定沙地上不同发育阶段生物结皮藻类结皮和地衣结皮土壤温室气体通量特征及其与环境因子之间的关系,研究生物结皮发育对荒漠土壤温室气体通量的影响.结果表明: 荒漠土壤CO

To investigate the 1-stage repair for postoperative wound of large facial malignant tumors.The angular perforator flap of the face and neck was used for 1-stage rotary advancement repair of the large skin wound following tumor resection.After using the angular perforator flap for 1-stage wound repair, the flap was completely preserved, and the donor incision site healed well. The suture was removed after some 7 to 9 days, and the flap color was similar to that of the surrounding skin. After 12 months follow-up, there was no obvious scar growth observed.The design of the neck and face angular perforator flap was flexible with a good blood supply, and thus can be used for 1-stage repair of the large defect wound after facial malignant tumor resection. Also, the observed prognosis was good.

The cullin-RING ubiquitin ligases (CRLs) are responsible for about 20% of cellular protein degradation and regulate diverse cellular processes, and the dysfunction of CRLs is implicated in human diseases. Targeting the CRLs has become an emerging strategy for the treatment of human diseases. Herein, we describe the discovery of a hit compound from our in-house library and further structure-based optimizations, which have enabled the identification of new triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine-based inhibitors targeting the DCN1–UBC12 interaction. Compound WS-383 blocks the DCN1–UBC12 interaction (IC50 = 11 nM) reversibly and shows selectivity over selected kinases. WS-383 exhibits cellular target engagement to DCN1 in MGC-803 cells. WS-383 inhibits Cul3/1 neddylation selectively over other cullins and also induces accumulation of p21, p27, and NRF2. Collectively, targeting the DCN1–UBC12 interaction would be a viable strategy for selective neddylation inhibition of Cul3/1 and may be of therapeutic potential for diseas...

Background Scrub typhus is a life-threatening disease caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, and specific antimicrobial medicine is available. Early and accurate diagnosis is essential for reducing the risk of severe complications and death. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the case diagnosis situation among medical care institutions and geographical regions in China, and the results will benefit both clinical practice and the disease surveillance system. Methods We extracted individual scrub typhus case data 2006–2016 from a national disease surveillance system in China. The diagnosis category and interval time from illness onset to diagnosis were compared among three levels of medical care institutions and provinces. The descriptive analysis method was performed in our study. Results During the 11-year study period, 93 481 scrub typhus cases, including 57 deaths, were recorded in the nationwide surveillance system. The overall proportion of laboratory-confirmed cases was only 4.7%, and this proportion varied greatly among primary medical centres (2.8%), county level hospitals (4.2%), and city level hospitals (6.3%). Notably, the proportion of laboratory-confirmed cases has consistently decreased from 16.3% in 2006 to 2.6% in 2016, and the same decreasing trend was found among all three levels of medical care institutions. The interval from illness onset to case diagnosis (Tdiag) for all cases was 5 days (interquartile range [IQR]: 2–9 days) and decreased from 7 days (IQR: 3–11 days) in 2006 to 5 days (IQR: 2–8 days) in 2016. The risk of death for patients with a Tdiag of > 7 days was 2.2 times higher (OR = 2.21, 95% CI: 1.05–5.21) than that of patients with a Tdiag of

An increasing number of studies have demonstrated that tumor necrosis factor‑stimulated gene‑6 (TSG‑6) has a key role in the progression of fibrosis; however, the exact effects of TSG‑6 in keloid fibroblasts (KFs) remain unknown. The aim of the current study was to investigate the role of TSG‑6 in the pathogenesis of keloids. Primary fibroblasts from 10 patients with keloid were cultured and transfected with pLVX‑Puro or pLVX‑Puro‑TSG‑6. Alterations of TSG‑6 expression were then determined by reverse transcription‑polymerase chain reaction (RT‑PCR) and regulation was observed in KFs transfected with pLVX‑Puro‑TSG‑6. Compared with the control group, transfection with pLVX‑Puro‑TSG‑6 induced growth suppression, cell apoptosis and G2/M arrest in KFs. In addition, the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway was activated in KFs transfected with pLVX‑Puro‑TSG‑6. These findings indicate that TSG‑6 is a novel regulator of keloid fibrogenesis, and thus could be used/targeted TSG‑6 as a promising treatment for keloid.

In this paper, an atmospheric pressure polyethylene terephthalate dielectric barrier discharge is produced in a helium–argon mixture. The influences of the electrode voltage on the discharge mode are experimentally investigated. The results show that, at a fixed argon content of 50%, the discharge transits from local uniform, through the isolated pattern, to whole uniform with the increase in the electrode voltage. Both the peak value of current pulse and argon spectra (696.54, 763.13, 772.09, 811.17, and 911.81 nm) intensities are captured to clarify the characteristics of the discharge mode transition. The different discharge characteristic regions are obtained by varying the argon content. In addition, the influence of the argon content on the above-mentioned argon spectra intensities is also researched. The spectra intensities enhance at 696.54, 763.13, and 772.09 nm but weaken at 811.17 and 911.81 nm with the increase in the argon content when the discharge operates in the whole uniform mode. The physical reasons for these results are discussed.

In this work, a novel series of tofacitinib analogs were designed and synthesized based on the scaffold hybridization strategy and then evaluated for their antiproliferative activity toward three gastric cancer cell lines, leading to the identification of compound C18 which exhibited potent inhibitory activity against MGC-803 cell lines with an IC50 value of 2.68 μM. Compound C18 could effectively inhibit the colony formation, suppress the cell migration and induce apoptosis of MGC-803 cells through activating the p38 and JNK signaling pathways, while C18 showed no obvious effect on the cell cycle distribution in MGC-803 cells. In addition, C18 could initiate mitochondrial dysfunction of MGC-803 cells. Besides, in vivo antitumor studies indicated that C18 could inhibit gastric cancer tumor growth in vivo without obvious global toxicity.