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Accumulating evidence has indicated that circular RNAs (circRNAs) serve crucial roles in the progression of a diverse range of different types of cancer, including osteosarcoma (OS). The present study determined the expression pattern and function of circRNA homeodomain interacting protein kinase 3 (circHIPK3), a novel circular RNA, in OS. It was revealed that circHIPK3 expression was upregulated in OS tissue samples and OS cell lines. A localization assay revealed that circHIPK3 was primarily located in the cytoplasm. Using loss-of-function proliferation and Transwell assays, the present study revealed that circHIPK3-knockdown suppressed OS cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Furthermore, the present study screened potential microRNAs that may interact with circHIPK3. It was revealed that microRNA-637 (miR-637) expression was downregulated in OS according to a Gene Expression Omnibus data analysis. In addition, the present study demonstrated that miR-637 expression was downregulated in OS cell lines. A fluorescence in situ hybridization assay revealed that both miR-637 and circHIPK3 were located in the cytoplasm. An in-depth mechanism investigation demonstrated that circHIPK3 expression was inversely correlated with miR-637 expression, and that circHIPK3 was a target of miR-637. In addition, it was revealed that histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) was another downstream target gene of miR-637, as demonstrated using a luciferase assay. It was revealed that miR-637 suppressed OS cell proliferation, migration and invasion via targeting of HDAC4. Finally, the present study demonstrated that circHIPK3 sponged miR-637 to promote HDAC4 expression and OS cell proliferation, migration and invasion. In conclusion, the present study uncovered the role of the circHIPK3/miR-637/HDAC4 axis in OS cell proliferation, migration and invasion. It was demonstrated that circHIPK3 promoted OS cell proliferation, migration and invasion by modulating miR-637/HDAC4 signaling.

The selective adsorption of ethane (C2H6) in the separation process of C2H6 and ethylene (C2H4) is of great importance for obtaining polymer-grade C2H4 in industry, yet it is still challenging task to develop suitable adsorbents with large adsorption capacity, high selectivity and excellent stability for efficient separation of C2H6/C2H4. Herein, carbazole-based covalent trazine frameworks (CTFs) prepared by ionothermal strategy are proposed for C2H6/C2H4 for the first time. By changing the preparation conditions, the obtained CTF-DCTC-500 shows defective ultramicropore structure while CTF-DCTC-400 does not. Compared with CTF-DCTC-400, the introduction of defective ultramicropore in CTF-DCTC-500 not only increases the adsorption capacity of C2H6, but also exhibits obviously C2H6/C2H4 separation behavior. Surprisingly, the adsorption selectivity of C2H6/C2H4 in CTF-DCTC-500 at 298 K and 1 bar is up to 2.08, exceeding all reported COF materials. To the best of our knowledge, this is first reported CTF material with preferential C2H6 adsorption over C2H4. Breakthrough experiments on CTF-DCTC-500 reveal that the polymer-grade C2H4 with 99.95 % purity can be directly obtained from the C2H6/C2H4 mixture in the practical application. Furthermore, CTF-DCTC-500 possesses the high chemical stability and excellent cycling stability and regeneration for C2H6/C2H4 separation, indicating it is a promising material for C2H6/C2H4 separation. This work not only provides a highly stable carbazole-based CTF with high C2H6/C2H4 separation selectivity, but also emphasizes the important role of defective ultramicropore structure on C2H6/C2H4 separation.

SAPHO syndrome is an inflammatory disease invading the skin and bones, whose diagnosis has been difficult due to its low incidence and diversified manifestation. We investigated the serum proteomic profile of SAPHO patients to identify key proteins associated with SAPHO syndrome, trying to find clinical biomarkers or functional molecules for this rare disease. Blood samples from 8 SAPHO patients and 8 healthy controls were detected and analyzed using data independent acquisition (DIA) method to identify differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) specific to SAPHO. A total of 57 differentially expressed proteins were identified (p 0.05, fold change1.2), in which 27 proteins were upregulated and 30 downregulated. DEPs may participate in GO terms such as "lipid particle" and "Notch signaling pathway", as well as KEGG pathways including "complement and coagulation cascades" and "mTOR signaling pathway". The overexpression of inhibitors of the complement system (CFH and C4BP), were verified in a larger cohort (16 SAPHO patients, 8 AS patients and 24 healthy controls) with ELISA, and the combined diagnostic ability of CFH and C4BP was predicted by ROC curve with an AUC of 0.91, which may be molecular candidates for further study on diagnosis and pathology of this rare disease. SIGNIFICANCE: Our research provided the first insight into plasma proteomic profile for SAPHO patients，offering potential biomarkers for disease diagnosis. We found that inhibitors of complement system such as CFH and C4BP were up-regulated in SAPHO syndrome, which may play important roles in the pathogenesis of SAPHO syndrome.

Noncoding RNAs regulate the initiation and progression of osteosarcoma (OS). The role of long noncoding RNA metastasis‐associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) playing in OS and whether the function it working out was achieved through HDAC4 pathway remain uncovered. In this study, we illustrated that MALAT1 was upregulated and was correlated with poor prognosis in OS patients. Meanwhile, we demonstrated that a depression of MALAT1 suppressed proliferation and promoted apoptosis in OS cell line HOS and 143B. Further, we verified that MALAT1 exerting its function via upregulating of histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4). Through an online prediction, a series of luciferase assays and RNA pull‐down assays, we demonstrated that both MALAT1 and HDAC4 were the targets of microRNA‐140‐5p (miR‐140‐5p) via sharing a similar microRNA responding elements. Even further, we revealed that MALAT1 served as a ceRNA of HDAC4 via decoying of miR‐140‐5p. Finally, we proved that MALAT1 promoted OS tumor growth in an in vivo animal study. In summary, the outcomes of this study demonstrated the complex ceRNA network among MALAT, miR‐140‐5p, and HDAC4‐mediated proliferation and apoptosis in OS. This study might provide a new axial in molecular treatment of OS.

Based on the literature review of previous studies in court interaction, this paper tries to confine its discussion into a relatively detailed topic— presuppositions—in both direct examination and cross-examination. The primary aim is to examine the interaction between illocutionary acts, meaning and intentions in court discourse, which is helpful to understand the interaction between different discourse community in judicial system, while the ultimate goal is to investigate the balance between narrative and persuasion achieved by patterns of presuppositions, which are initiated by court questioners: prosecutors and lawyers. This paper finds in direct examination, presuppositions make evidence more admissible, witness more credible and therefore narrative more coherent, believable; in cross-examination, presuppositions are mainly used to challenge the credibility of the hostile witness and therefore deconstruct the narrative of the opposite lawyer. A presupposition is a method of verifying or challenging facts and credibility.

This work describes a facile approach to modify metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with ionic liquids (ILs), rendering them as useful heterogeneous catalysts for CO2 chemical fixation. An amino-functionalized imidazolium-based ionic liquid is firmly grafted into the porous MOF, MIL-101-SO3H by the acid-base attraction between positively charged ammonium groups on the IL and negatively charged sulfonate groups from the MOF. Analyses by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, 1H NMR, and N2 sorption experiments reveal the MOF-supported ionic liquid (denoted as IL@MOF) material remains intact while functioning as a recyclable heterogeneous catalyst that can efficiently convert CO2 and epichlorohydrin into chloropropene carbonate without the addition of a cocatalyst.

The Co2P nanoparticles hybridized with unique N-doping carbon matrices have been successfully designed employing ZIF-67 as the precursor via a facile two-step procedure. The Co2P nanostructures are shielded with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to enhance electrical conductivity and mitigate volume expansion/shrinkage during sodium storage. As anode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), the novel architectures of Co2P@N-C@rGO exhibited excellent sodium storage performance with a high reversible capacity of 225 mA h g-1 at 50 mA g-1 after 100 cycles. Our study demonstrates the significant potential of Co2P@N-C@rGO as anode materials for SIBs.

Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin film solar cells become an interesting research topic due to some advantages of the CZTS thin film such as having nontoxic and abundant components, a low price and excellent optoelectronic properties. In this work, a solution-based preparation method was developed to fabricate a CZTS solar cell with a superstrate structure of FTO/TiO2/CdS/CZTS/P3HT/Cu by using mixed solvent. Nanocrystalline TiO2 porous thin film was used as the bottom layer for deposition of CZTS to increase the interfacial area of CZTS. To deposit CZTS inside the porous structure leading to a good contact of CZTS with porous TiO2 thin film, the CZTS precursor particle size is successfully regulated by changing the volume ratios of N,N-dimethylformamide and ethanol. More importantly, small size CZTS precursor particles can easily enter into the porous structure of nanocrystalline thin film leading to a good interfacial contact, which allowed the effective improvement of the light-to-electric conversion efficiency for the present superstrate CZTS solar cell. This work may provide a promising way for the design of high-efficient superstrate solar cells.

This study starts with the multi-dimensional analysis of describing linguistic variation in legislative discourse through three corpora (Chinese legislative corpus, the corresponding English translation corpus and American legislative corpus). Based on the findings from the multi-dimensional data derived from the factor analysis, contrastive interpretations are provided for related legal representations. This study then goes further to apply the corpus-based multi-dimensional analytical approach, deducing total 53 features into 5 interpretable underlying dimensions, represented as: Dimension 1 Involved Production vs. Specialized Information Density; Dimension 2 Narrative vs. Non-Narrative Discourse; Dimension 3 Author-centered Explicitness vs. Situational-dependent Reference; Dimension 4 Overly vs. Not Overly Expression of Persuasion; and Dimension 5 Abstract Description vs. Non-impersonal Style. After the analysis of certain typical patterns among these five dimensions, this study identifies and discusses four legal representations (non-narrative and explicitness, high informational density, the decontextualized style, and less overly persuasion) as key features represented in legislative discourse. Finally, general characteristics, tendencies and preferences identified in the three types of legislative texts are further deduced and interpreted from jurisprudential perspectives.

Pore constructing in polyamide thin film composite (TFC) membranes through the mixed matrix strategy is of great interest to the production of nanofiltration membranes with high liquid permeance, however still facing challenges in fine control of filler distribution and filler-polymer interfacial microstructure. Herein, ZrT-1-NH2, one kind of water stable metal-organic polyhedron (MOP) molecular cages with intrinsic porosity, was exploited to construct porous MOP membranes through interfacial polymerization assembly for the first time. Continuous and defect-free separating layer can be facilely assembled on polymer ultrafiltration support by crosslinking ZrT-1-NH2 with trimesoyl chloride (TMC). The permanent pores inherited from ZrT-1-NH2 and the network pores originated from the mismatch in molecular volume of ZrT-1-NH2 and TMC offer the MOP membrane great water permeance (82.0 L·m−2·h−1·bar−1), as well as attractive dye rejection (99.7% for congo red) and dye/salt separation performance. Moreover, the ZrT-1-NH2/TMC composite membrane also exhibited good antifouling and antibacterial properties. The MOP membrane can well combine the developed porous structure of thin film nanocomposite membranes with the advantages of polyamide membranes in simplicity and scalability of membrane fabrication, showing good potential for application in practical molecular separations.

Metal–organic frameworks are a class of attractive materials for fluorescent sensing. Improvement of hydrolytic stability, sensitivity, and selectivity of function is the key to advance application of fluorescent MOFs in aqueous media. In this work, two stable MOFs, [Zr6O4(OH)8(H2O)4(L1)2] (BUT-14) and [Zr6O4(OH)8(H2O)4(L2)2] (BUT-15), were designed and synthesized for the detection of metal ions in water. Two new ligands utilized for construction of the MOFs, namely, 5′,5‴-bis(4-carboxyphenyl)-[1,1′:3′,1″:4″,1‴:3‴,1′′′′-quinquephenyl]-4,4′′′′-dicarboxylate (L1) and 4,4′,4″,4‴-(4,4′-(1,4-phenylene)bis(pyridine-6,4,2-triyl))tetrabenzoate (L2), are structurally similar with the only difference being that the latter is functionalized by pyridine N atoms. The two MOFs are isostructural with a sqc-a topological framework structure, and highly porous with the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface areas of 3595 and 3590 m2 g–1, respectively. Interestingly, they show intense fluorescence in water, which can be sol...

Metal–organic-framework (MOF) derived carbon materials have attracted particular attention in recent years as a new class of porous conducting materials because of their well-connected networks, and tunable and versatile porosities. Herein, we report on a novel porous MOF-derived carbon framework supported PbS quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs). A zeolitic-imidazole framework (ZIF) layer is prepared by printing ZIF-67 powders, followed by the careful carbonation in N2. Then nanocrystalline SnO2 thin film is coated and PbS quantum dots (QDs) are further deposited to form a PbS QD-sensitized porous conducting framework supported nanocrystalline SnO2 thin film. The morphologies and microstructure of the porous conducting framework were characterized in detail by the measurements of XRD, SEM, TEM, Raman spectrum and BET. Prior to deposition of PbS QDs, a compact TiO2 layer is modified on the sites of the porous conducting framework uncovered by SnO2 nanoparticles. The porous conducting framework is beneficial to the electron transporting process in the nanocrystalline thin film, while the compact TiO2 layer effectively suppresses the recombination of the transported electrons. The photovoltaic performance of QDSSCs is greatly improved due to the introduction of the porous conducting framework and the corresponding TiO2 compact layer. Eventually, the porous conducting framework buried in the nanocrystalline thin film improves light-to-electric conversion efficiency by 2.5 times compared with that of the cell without the porous carbon framework.

In this work, we demonstrate a facile molecular-level modification method that imparts superhydrophobic character to Zr-based MOFs, while retaining their high porosity. Alkyl phosphonic acids, such as n-octadecylphosphonic acid (OPA), interact with the zirconium oxide clusters situated near and on the surface of the MOF. The octadecyl alkyl chains reduce the surface free energy on the MOF's exterior, yielding a superhydrophobic material with a contact angle greater than 150°. After exposure to aqueous solutions with a high pH and high ionic strength, the OPA-MOFs retain nearly identical surface areas. Notably, the OPA-MOFs are capable of separating organic liquids from water, which could facilitate oil/water separation applications in the event of an oil spill.

Based on extensive accumulated evidence and using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system, we have developed clinical practice guidelines for the use of acupuncture to treat low back pain (LBP). In the guidelines, we considered the objective and scope of this guide, the diagnostic criteria and syndrome differentiation standards of traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine for LBP, the treatment principles of acupuncture, intervention opportunities for acupuncture, and recommendations for use of different acupuncture therapies for acute/subacute and chronic LBP.

Oriented nano-microstructure-assisted controllable fabrication, a facile and versatile preparation strategy, is developed to fabricate metal-organic framework (MOF) membranes. With this method, several MOF membranes with tailored structures are prepared, including HKUST-1 (with 3D pores) and M3 (HCOO)6 (with 1D pores; M = Co, Mn, and Mg) membranes, which demonstrate good performances in gas separations.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are promising candidates for membrane-based gas separation due to their regular crystalline lattices with relatively well-defined pore structures. To date, the preparation of integrated MOF membranes grown on porous substrates is still a major challenge. Herein, a facile aggregation-based growth method is developed to prepare a Co-MOF-74 (referred to as Co2(dobdc), H4dobdc = 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic acid) membrane on a nanostructure array modified nickel (Ni) foam substrate. Ni3S2 nanorod arrays directly grown from the Ni-foam substrate can aggregate and effectively regulate the growth of Co-MOF-74 crystals along a given direction. The effect of reaction time on membrane growth is discussed. The resulting Co-MOF-74 membrane presents good H2 permeance and H2/CO2 selectivity.

The membranes of a pillared-layer structure Metal-Organic Framework (MOF), [Ni(HBTC)(4,4&prime, bipy)] (HBTC = 1,3,5-Benzenetricarboxylic acid, 4,4&prime, bipy = 4,4&prime, bipyridine), have been in situ fabricated on Nickel foam substrate. The orientations of MOF crystals in the membranes can be controlled by the molar ratio of ligand H3BTC to 4,4&prime, bipyridine. Scanning electron microscope images and powder X-ray diffraction patterns were used to characterize the membranes and confirm the orientations of their MOF layers. Control experiments have revealed that the presence of homologous metal element Nickel in both the MOF and the substrate and the presence of the neutral 4,4&prime, bipyridine in the reaction system are necessary for in situ growth of the well-intergrown MOF membranes. This work provides a successful example of directly growing continuous MOF layers on porous metallic substrate with desired orientations by a facile approach.

This work describes a facile approach to modify metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with ionic liquids (ILs), rendering them as useful heterogeneous catalysts for CO

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SEM and XRD of the ZIF-67 derived thin films

Amino acids are important fermentation products that are used in the food, animal feed, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries. Development of a better quantitation assay to measure amino acid levels will facilitate research and application in medical and industrial fields. Here we report the development of an assay that allows the rapid measurement of threonine concentration. l -threonine aldolase (LTA) catalyzes the cleavage of threonine to glycine and acetaldehyde. The resulting acetaldehyde is further converted into ethanol by alcohol dehydrogenase accompanying NADH reduction. Therefore, monitoring the changes in NADH concentration can serve as a readout for the amount of threonine present within certain range. This LTA assay can distinguish a 0.5 mM difference in threonine concentration in some certain mediums. We successfully utilized this assay to measure l -threonine levels in industrial fermentation samples. Moreover, we were able to scale up this assay to 96-well format and use it in high-throughput screening of threonine-overproducing strains. We show this assay is simple, accurate, specific and suitable for determination of threonine concentration in large numbers of samples.

Background. Many previous studies have shown the potential therapeutic effect of acupuncture for metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, most of these studies were limited by short durations of observation and a lack of sham acupuncture as control. We designed a randomized controlled trial, used sham acupuncture as the control, and evaluated the efficacy over 12 weeks of treatment and 12 weeks of follow-up. Methods/Design. The study was designed as a multicentre, parallel-group, randomized, double-blinded trial. 40 patients were randomly assigned to two groups: treatment group (treated with acupuncture) and control group (treated with sham acupuncture). Outcomes were measured at 4, 8, and 12 weeks and 3 months after treatment. Results. 33 participants (17 in acupuncture group and 16 in control group) completed the treatment and the follow-up. Decreases from baseline in mean waist circumference (WC) and weight at the end of treatment were 4.85 cm (95% CI [2.405,5.595]) and 4.00 kg (95% CI [1.6208,4.4498]) in acupuncture group and 1.62 cm and 1.64 kg in control group (P<0.01). The changes in mean glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and blood pressure in acupuncture group were greater than the changes in control group (P<0.05, P<0.01). Conclusion. Acupuncture decreases WC, HC, HbA1c, TG, and TC values and blood pressure in MetS.

Congenital cataract is the cloudiness of the eye's natural lens and is a primary cause of congenital vision loss. It accounts for almost 10% of childhood vision loss worldwide.A four generation Chinese family having seven affected individuals was recruited for the current study. Exome sequencing was performed to identify the genetic cause of congenital cataract.Analysis of data identified a novel frameshift mutation, c.608delC (p.A203fs), in theThese findings suggest that p.A203fs is the cause of cataracts in the recruited family. This information would be further helpful in the genetic diagnosis of cataract and in the genetic counseling of similar patients.

The ability to manipulate the upconversion luminescence of lanthanide-ion doped fluoride upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) is critical and highly desired due to their wide applications in color displays, multiplexing bioassays and multicolor imaging. Here, we developed a facile strategy for simultaneously tuning color output and enhancing upconversion emission of Yb3+/Er3+ doped fluoride UCNPs, based on adjusting the crystalline phases and particle size. With the transformation of crystalline phases from α, a transition state of α mixed β, and finally to β phase, the upconversion emission color output changed from red, yellow, and finally turned green. That is, the UCNPs' emission is sensitive to the crystallite size and phase. Moreover, the fluorescence intensity of the obtained UCNPs became stronger with the crystalline phase changing from a to β. Three kinds of UCNPs including α-UCNPs, α mixed β-UCNPs, and β-UCNPs were used for cell imaging, while the transition state phase α mixed β-UCNPs was the better candidate.

Objective To investigate the effects of Sini San and fluoxetine on the levels of central and peripheral 5-HT in a rat model of depression, and provide new insight into the treatment of depression with integrated Chinese-Western Medicine. Methods A rat model of depression was established by chronic mild stress (CMS). Model rats received either Sini San, fluoxetine, a combination of the two drugs, or no drug treatment. Healthy naive rats were used as controls. Open field and sucrose preference tests were used to assess depression-like behavior. ELISA and immunohistochemistry were used to determine central and peripheral levelsof 5-HT. Results In the group with no drug treatment, central 5-HT expression decreased while peripheral 5-HT concentrations increased as CMS continued. Four weeks after CMS, Sini San alone was less effective in reducing depression-like behavior than fluoxetine alone or in combination with Sini San, but combined use was more effective than fluoxetine alone. Eight weeks after CMS, Sini San alone or in combination with fluoxetine was more effective in reducing depression-like behavior than fluoxetine alone. Furthermore Sini San and fluoxetine used alone or in combination notably increased central 5-HT expression and decreased peripheral 5-HT levels in the rat model. Conclusion The results of the present study indicate that there is a synergistic action between the two medicines in the treatment of depression. Sini San exhibited a relatively long lag before its effects were observed; however, by eight weeks the Traditional Chinese Medicine appeared at least as effective as fluoxetine. We suggest that Sini San can replace fluoxetine in the later stages of depression treatment to minimize side effects observed with long-term fluoxetine administration.

In this study, luminescent Eu 3+ -doped fluorapatite (Eu 3+ :FA) was successfully synthesized by a hydrothermal process by using Na 2 EDTA/citric acid (CA) as the chelating agent. X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and photoluminescence spectra (PL) were utilized to characterize the obtained nanoparticles. The results showed that Eu 3+ ions entered the FA lattice and occupied Ca 2+ sites, which resulted in a decrease in the values of the lattice parameters. The as-prepared luminescent samples exhibit sphere-like aggregates that are constructed of small nanospheres and that are well dispersed with a good size distribution. Upon excitation by UV radiation, the Eu 3+ :FA samples demonstrate the characteristic 5 D 0 – 7 F 1–2 emission lines of Eu 3+ . Finally, the influence of Na 2 EDTA/CA on the morphology of Eu 3+ :FA nanopowder was also discussed.

To organize the clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) related to acupuncture included in the National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC) to systematically summarize the diseases and disorders most commonly treated with acupuncture, the strength of recommendations for acupuncture and the quality of evidence. The NGC database was systematically searched for guidelines that included acupuncture as an intervention. Two independent reviewers studied the summaries and the full texts of the guidelines and included guidelines based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Thirty-nine guidelines were collected with 80 recommendations. The Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II instrument was used to assess the quality of these guidelines. Of the 80 recommendations on acupuncture, 49 recommendations were clearly for acupuncture, 25 recommendations were against acupuncture and 6 recommendations did not indicate any clear recommendations, 37 recommendations were for painful diseases/disorders, and 12 recommendations were for non-painful diseases/disorders. Locomotor system disorders were the most common in the painful diseases/disorders category. Out of all the recommendations for acupuncture, most recommendations (87.76%) were weak in strength, and most of the evidence (40.84%) was of low quality. In the National Guideline Clearinghouse, the recommendations for acupuncture focus on painful diseases/disorders. The recommendations in the guidelines are not high in strength, and most of the evidence is moderate or low in quality.

SPIRIT 2013 checklist: recommended items to address in a clinical trial protocol and related documents. (DOC 80 kb)

Luminescent lanthanide-doped hydroxyapatites (Eu:HA and Eu–La:HA) were successfully fabricated via the (cyclohexane/polyxyethylene (TX-100)/ n -butanol/water solution) microemulsion mediated hydrothermal process. The structure, morphology, and optical properties were systematically characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and photoluminescence (PL) spectra, respectively. The XRD results reveal that the obtained Eu:HA and Eu–La:HA nanoparticles also show the characteristic peaks of hydroxyapatite in a hexagonal lattice structure. It is observed that the as-prepared luminescent samples exhibit sphere-like morphology with well dispersed and non-aggregated size distribution. Upon excitation by UV radiation, the Eu:HA samples demonstrate the characteristic 5 D 0 – 7 F 1–4 emission lines of Eu 3+ . Moreover, the PL emission intensity of Eu 3+ can be tuned by importing La 3+ ions into the structure of europium-doped hydroxyapatite nanocrystals within some Eu 3+ :La 3+ doping contents, and altering the doping concentration of Eu 3+ .

A hybrid nanoparticle/organic device consisting of small molecule organic semiconductors and Ag nanoparticles is reported. The single device exhibits unusual properties of organic resonant tunneling diode (ORTD) at low driving voltage region and offers light emission at high voltage. For ORTD, a strong negative differential resistance behavior is demonstrated at room temperature. The current resonance with the peak-to-valley current ratio of over 4.6 and narrow linewidth of only ~1.4 V is achieved. A detailed operating mechanism of the charging and emission modes is proposed, which can be discussed in terms of the strong charge-trapping effect of Ag nanoparticles. The repeatable operations of hybrid device show the mutual influences between two modes and the light emission properties of the ORTD are also discussed.

Morphology controllable hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles were synthesized using reverse microemulsion (aqueous solution/TX-100/ n -butanol/cyclohexane) systems under hydrothermal conditions. The concentration of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) contained in the aqueous solution and pH value had significant effect on the morphology and crystal phases of the final products. All the as-synthesized HA nanoparticles had a larger a value but smaller c value compared with the standard values of the JCPDs card. The existence of CTAB could be attributed to the growth of HA along an axis, but inhibit the growth along the c -axis to some extent. A proposed model was established to explain the change of the lattice parameters.

A clinical practice guideline of acupuncture for depression was compiled according to the grading of recommendations assessment, development and evaluation (GRADE) method, including the clinical characteristics, diagnosis, treatment and other information about depression, while several acupuncture treatments of depression, severe depression, depression after stroke were recommended.

5nm intense green emission NaYF4:Yb/Er upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) with pure β phase was synthesized with a simple "green" strategy for the first time. Traditional organic solvothermal method is often applied to prepare the high-quality and uniform UCNPs, but the preparation of lanthanide-oleate complexes is laborious as heating and multistep post-treatment for purification are often required. The water-alcohols solvothermal method is environmentally friendly, but the fabricated UCNPs have big size, poor biocompatibility and high cytotoxicity, which limited their application for cell imaging. Herein, NaYF4:Yb/Er UCNPs were prepared with rare-earth nitrates RE(NO3)3 (RE=Y0.80 Yb0.18 Er0.02) as precursors and diethylene glycol (DEG)/ethylene glycol (EG)/water as the solvent. A facile green solvothermal method with the temperature being controlled at 300°C was developed. The as-prepared NaYF4:Yb/Er UCNPs were characterized and were found to have enhanced UC emission and controllable particle size. The as-prepared UCNPs were further functionalized via folic acid coating for the targeted imaging and improved bio- compatibility. It was made the UCNPs potential for upconversion bioimaging of living cells by the strong upconversion luminescence, the excellent biocompatibility, and the super-small size. The good colloidal stability and low cell cytotoxicity of the as-prepared UCNPs and the developed synthesis protocol might advance both the fields of UCNPs and biomolecule-based nanotechnology for future studies.

Qili qiangxin capsule (QL), a traditional Chinese herbal compound, has been proved to be effective and safe for the treatment of chronic heart failure (CHF). Upregulation of aquaporin-2 (AQP2) accounts for the water retention in CHF. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of QL on the expression of AQP2 in rats with CHF induced by acute myocardial infarction and to investigate the underlying mechanisms. The urine output of all rats was quantified and collected every day at the first week and the 4th week after administration of QL or Valsartan. The expression of AQP2, vasopressin type 2 receptor (V2R), and angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) were examined after treatment for 4 weeks. Urinary output increased significantly after administration of QL. Importantly, the protein expression of AQP2 and AQP2 phosphorylated at serine 256 (pS256-AQP2) was downregulated after administration of QL and Valsartan to CHF rats. Furthermore, QL reduced plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP) and angiotensin II (AngII) level and downregulated V2R and AT1R protein expression. Thus, QL exerts its diuretic effect and improves cardiac function in CHF rats by reversing the increases in both AQP2 and pS256-AQP2 expression. The possible mechanisms may involve inhibition of V2R and AT1R.

With the evolution of corpus techniques, there are the possibilities of computers' capacity for fast, accurate and complex analyses, which could benefit linguists describing linguistic characteristics in different registers. Applying corpus linguistics as methods and trial transcripts as materials, the present study is concerned with there-existential sentence pattern, one traditional grammar. After analyzing data extraction, four detailed sentence patterns are explored with examples. Such a way to examine the data could benefit understandings and interpretations from Halliday's metafunction theory. Since the materials selected from trial transcripts are spoken legal language, which have both the characteristics of legal language and oral language, results show that existential there, beyond the guidance of new information and new topic, has two more functions---stressed information and corporation; and make bedding for latter interactive, which are the combinational application of all three metafunctions. This paper, as an example of corpus-based approach, shows corpus linguistics great potential, for more comprehensive descriptions of linguistics features and the various understandings of linguistic theory in legal domain. KEYWORD: Corpus; There-existential sentence; There; Metafunctions

This study was performed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of warm needling acupuncture at meridian-sinew sites based on the meridian-sinew theory in the treatment of hemiplegic shoulder pain (HSP) after stroke. In total, 124 subjects were randomized into a treatment group and control group. In the treatment group, warm needling therapy and acupuncture at meridian-sinew sites based on the meridian-sinew theory were performed. In the control group, usual care therapy was applied. The visual analog scale (VAS) score, range of motion (ROM), and Barthel index (BI) were used to evaluate treatment effectiveness. At 2 weeks of treatment, the VAS score, ROM, and BI had obviously changed from baseline in the two groups (P< 0.01). The changes in the VAS score and ROM in the treatment group were significantly greater than those in the control group (P< 0.01). At the 3-month follow-up after treatment, the changes in the treatment group were significantly greater than those in the control group (P< 0.01). This study indicates that warm needling therapy with acupuncture at meridian-sinew sites based on the meridian-sinew theory is effective for HSP.

Single-crystal hydroxyapatite (HAP) nanorods have been successfully synthesized by the reverse microemulsion method, and characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), infrared spectra (IR), and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). In this work, the feasibility of using quaternary reverse microemulsion (TX-100 + CTAB/ n -butanol + n -hexanol/cyclohexane/water) to prepare hydroxyapatite nanorods with diameter 8–15 nm and length 25–50 nm, is described. The homogeneity in size and shape of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles observed by TEM is probably attributed to the different stabilization functions of different kinds of surfactant on the interfacial film.

Hydroxyapatite (HAP) nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized by reverse microemulsion (aqueous solution/mixed TX-100 and Tween 80/mixed n-butanol and n-hexanol/cyclohexane) at room temperature. In comparison with HAP particles, prepared by conventional direct precipitation method, the reverse microemulsion route led to a significant improvement in the particle size and the degree of particle agglomeration. The effect of different hydrophile–lipophile balance (HLB) values on the particle size was also discussed.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are concerned mainly due to the unusual properties for diverse analytical applications, such as high surface area, good thermal stability, inpore functionally and outer-surface modification. Two metal-organic complexes were prepared by two methods of hydrothermal synthesis and room temperature synthesis, separately. The compositions, structures, thermal stability and adsorption properties of the two complexes were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method, which indicated that the two complexes have not only good thermal stability but also good adsorption for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs enter into environment leading to pollution by industrial and agricultural production and life, rooting in the incomplete combustion or pyrolysis of organism. PAHs are strongly carcinogenic and mutagenic. Some PAHs are considered as endocrine disruptors, and maybe have biological effects on human health. Regulations have thus been formulated for monitoring and controlling PAHs by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and other government agencies. Adsorption kinetic of PAHs on the two complexes could be well described by the pseudo-second order kinetic model, and the adsorption behaviors of the two complexes on PAHs are in accord with Langmuir model. In addition, the adsorption capacities increase with the increasing adsorbent dosage. It is proved by the FT-IR data that pi-pi interactions between the PAHs and the framework terephthalic acid molecules. Ten PAHs were adsorbed well on the two complexes which have good adsorptive selectivity. By further optimizing of the two complex materials, it is promising to use them as chromatographic stationary phases.

Since ZnSe is less toxic than cadmium based materials, ZnSe nanocrystal is a potential candidate for optoelectronic and fluorescent labelling applications. In this paper, colloidal ZnSe nanocrystals are successfully synthesized from zinc stearate and elemental selenium in a paraffin hot-matrix. The method is environment-friendly and of low cost compared with the conventional methods, which are generally toxic and expensive. The nanocrystal–nanocrystal interactions will significantly affect the optical properties and thus a detailed study is desirable. Here, we comprehensively study the interaction through the van der Waals interaction energy, electrostatic energy, steric energy and depletion interaction energy. The corresponding photoluminescence and absorption spectra show obvious excitonic features. Our results show that the nanocrystals can be converted to a water-dispersible system when the dominant emission is still from the excitonic recombination on ZnSe nanocrystals.

We report a hybrid nanoparticle/organic device with strong resonant tunneling behavior by introducing ligand-capped Ag nanoparticles between indium tin oxide and hole transport layer in small molecule organic light-emitting devices. The dependences of resonant tunneling current on the thickness of the organic layers are investigated. For the optimized device, a peak-to-valley current ratio as high as 4.5 and narrow peak width about 1.8 V are obtained. Combining with the analysis of current-voltage behavior, the mechanism based on the charge trapping effect of Ag nanoparticles is proposed to interpret the operation of the hybrid device. Finally, the emission characteristics of hybrid devices are also studied.

Background Many previous studies have shown the potential therapeutic effect of acupuncture for allergic rhinitis. Most of these studies, however, were limited by the short duration of observations and lack of sham acupuncture as the control group. Our preliminary experiments showed that the use of a warm needling achieved a much more persistent effect in the treatment of allergic rhinitis (AR) compared with simple acupuncture therapy. Hence, we have designed a multicenter, randomized controlled trial (RCT) in which the first-line medication loratadine will be used as the control group, and the effect of warm needling therapy will be evaluated through long-term observation. Methods/design The trial is designed as a multicenter, parallel-group, randomized, single-blinded (outcome assessors), non-inferiority trial. A total of 98 patients with persistent AR will be randomly assigned into two groups. Patients in the treatment group will be treated with warm needling at GV14 and acupuncture at EX-HN3, ST2, LI20, EX-HN8, GV23, LU7, LU5 and LI4 three times a week, for a total of 4 weeks. Patients in the control group will be treated with oral loratadine 10 mg/day for 4 weeks. The primary outcome will be the change in the Total Nasal Symptom Score (TNSS) from baseline to that at 6 months after treatment during the follow-up period. The secondary outcomes will include the Total Non-nasal Symptom Score and the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire, changes in the TNSS from baseline to that at 2 and 4 weeks during treatment, and 3 months after treatment during the follow-up period. Outcomes will be measured at 2 and 4 weeks, and 3 and 6 months after treatment. Any side effects of treatment will be observed and recorded. Discussion We expect that the study results will provide evidence to determine the effects of warm needling compared with loratadine. Our final goal of the study is to evaluate the difference in the short-term and long-term effects between the two therapeutic methods, especially the long-term effect of warm needling. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02339714. Registered on 14 January 2015. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13063-016-1432-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.