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Despite the design of nano-structured SnO2 anodes has attracted much attention because of its high theoretical capacity, good electron mobility and low potential of lithium-ion intercalation, challenges remain due to their weak mechanical stability, complex processing and rapid capacity decay. The flexible one-dimensional binder-free porous CC/SnO2 nanotube arrays are synthesized with a well-suited core etching method to meet the needs of steady operation of flexible devices under mechanical deformation. This porous, binder-free nanostructure has large contact area with the electrolyte and excellent electron transport performance. The electrochemical measurements demonstrate that these nanotube arrays have high energy density and high-rate capability. After 500 cycles at a current density of 200 mA g−1, their stable capacity remains at 595.7 mA h g−1.

Graphene-based MoS2 nanocomposites are expected to be promising anode materials for lithium ion batteries because of their large specific capacity and high conductivity. However, the aggregation of graphene and the weak interaction between the two components hinder their practical application. Inspired by the sandwich structure, novel three-dimensional flower-like MoS2-PrGO sandwich composites were proposed as an advanced anode material for lithium-ion batteries. The separated 2D ultrathin rGO nano-sheets were connected by PEO chains and assembled into a well-organized 3D layered spatial structure, which not only avoids the aggregation of graphene but also accommodates a high mass loading of the micro-scale MoS2 nano-flowers. MoS2 nano-flowers with open architecture deliver large specific area. The rGO interlayers act as a conductive framework, making all flower-like MoS2 nano-stuffing electrochemically active. The ultra-thin 2D nano-sheets provide excellent cycle stability due to their neglectable volume changes during cycling. The 3D flower-like MoS2-PrGO sandwich composites deliver high energy density, excellent conductivity and stable cyclic performance during charge-discharge process. With a nearly 100% coulombic efficiency, their reversible capacity is retained at 1,036 mA h g−1 even after 500 cycles at current densities of 100 mA g−1. This novel design strategy provides a broad prospect for the development of advanced anode materials for superior lithium storage.

Antibiotics abuse now poses a global threat to public health. Monitoring their residual levels as well as metabolites are of great importance, still challenges remain in in situ tracing during the circulation. Herein, taking the typical antibacterial Enrofloxacin (ENR) as a subject, a paper-based aptasensor was tailored by manipulating a duo of aptameric moieties to “sandwich” the target in a lateral-flow regime. To visualize the tight-binding sandwich motif more vividly, an irregular yet robust DNA-bridged gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) proximity strategy was developed with recourse to terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase, of which the nonaggregate constraining feature was unveiled via optical absorption and scanning probe topography. This complex performed exceptionally better in the test strip context than single-particle tags, leading to an enhanced on-chip focusing. Rather than qualitative color developing, further efforts were taken to visualize the readouts in a quantitative manner by exploiting the smartphone camera for pattern recognition along with data processing in a professional App. Overall, this prototyped contraption realized a rapid and ultrasensitive quantification of ENR down to 0.1 μg/L along with a broad linear range over 5 orders of magnitude, plus excellent selectivity and precision even for real samples. Such innovative fusion across DNA-structured nanomanufacturing and intelligent perception provides a prospective and invigorating solution to point-of-care inspection.

Transformation theory is a powerful tool for material design to control waves in electromagnetics, acoustics, and elastic mechanics. Deformable materials are demonstrated to guide the propagation of ultrasonic waves freely. Toothed whales, such as dolphins and porpoises, may manipulate directional beams by simply deforming their foreheads. However, existing materials face great challenges in realizing their bioacoustic function. Here, we propose a bioinspired semianalytical conformal acoustics that can predict the evolution of acoustic functions strictly. Based on this method, we design a series of acoustic steering and collimation models. The sound-speed distribution functions can be determined by conformal mappings, and the acoustic-beam steering and expansion are numerically confirmed. We further experimentally fabricate acoustic steering and collimation devices by using metamaterials. The experimental results show good agreement with theoretical predictions. The proposed bioinspired conformal acoustics may bridge the gap between an animal's biosonar and artificial materials, which show potential application value in underwater acoustics, medical ultrasonography, and other related applications.

Inguinal hernia has been repaired with verity of approaches with growing evidence comparing open, laparoscopic transabdominal peritoneal and total extra peritoneal approaches...

The use of nitrogen fertilizers has been estimated to have supported 27% of the world’s population over the past century. Urea (CO(NH2)2) is conventionally synthesized through two consecutive industrial processes, N2 + H2 → NH3 followed by NH3 + CO2 → urea. Both reactions operate under harsh conditions and consume more than 2% of the world’s energy. Urea synthesis consumes approximately 80% of the NH3 produced globally. Here we directly coupled N2 and CO2 in H2O to produce urea under ambient conditions. The process was carried out using an electrocatalyst consisting of PdCu alloy nanoparticles on TiO2 nanosheets. This coupling reaction occurs through the formation of C–N bonds via the thermodynamically spontaneous reaction between *N=N* and CO. Products were identified and quantified using isotope labelling and the mechanism investigated using isotope-labelled operando synchrotron-radiation Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. A high rate of urea formation of 3.36 mmol g–1 h–1 and corresponding Faradic efficiency of 8.92% were measured at –0.4 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode. Conventionally, urea is synthesized via two consecutive processes, N2 + H2 → NH3 followed by NH3 + CO2. Now, an electrocatalyst consisting of PdCu alloy nanoparticles on TiO2 nanosheets has been shown to directly couple N2 and CO2 in H2O to produce urea under ambient conditions.

There is no essential difference in theory between the inner and outer insulating properties of cylindrical and conical head disc suspension porcelain insulators. Compared with a conical head porcelain insulator, a cylindrical head porcelain insulator is significantly lighter in weight, which can effectively reduce the mechanical load of the tower and wire; and it has better dispersion and adjustment capabilities for changes in material properties over time, so that the product is not subject to excessive and uneven stress over a long-term. In order to improve the mechanical performance of cylindrical head insulator products, this paper establishes a parameterized fine simulation model of the steel pin without changing the geometry of the insulator iron cap and porcelain body. The finite element method is used to calculate and analyze how the geometric parameters of the steel pin influence insulator mechanical properties, which can provide design reference for further product optimization.

Potassium ion (K-ion) batteries are expected to be utilized as potential energy storage devices to replace the commercialized lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries in the upcoming large-scale system due to their abundant potassium resources as well as fast ion transport capability. Nevertheless, developing superior anode materials that can store K+ with a large ion radius has been the hotspot and leading edge. Herein, a self-formed carbon layer on calcium metal–organic framework and rGO composite with high-stable K-storage performance was initially introduced as an advanced anode material for K-ion battery. Due to the in-situ formed carbon coating layer on the surface by proper thermal treatment, the highly stable crystal structure and molecule structure of CaC8H4O4, as well as enhanced electronic conductivity from the two-dimentional rGO, the as-prepared CaC8H4O4/rGO-450 composite could exhibit excellent cyclic stability and rapid electrochemical reaction rate with a reversible capacity of 110 mAh g−1 over 700 cycles at the current density of 100 mAg−1. This work provides guidelines for the further realization of the preparation of K-ion battery anode materials with a fast electrochemical reaction rate, high rate and long life.

A new probe, based on BINOL and ferrocene unit, senses Al3+ selectively among a variety of metal cations. Through different channels: anodic redox shift of the Fe(II)/Fe(III) redox couple, and a remarkable enhancement of the fluorescence. This fluorescence recognition of Al3+ also shows color changes under a UV lamp. Mass and NMR spectroscopic analyses have been used to study the mechanism, which indicates the formation of [1 + 2] complexes.

A series of planar chiral cyclopalladated ferrocene compounds were synthesized and characterized. The absolute configurations of three compounds were determined by single-crystal X-ray analysis. The binding of the compounds with Native Calf Thymus DNA (CT-DNA) was monitored using UV-visible absorption spectrophotometry, fluorescence spectroscopy and circular dichroism (CD) studies. The results indicate that these compounds can interact with DNA via intercalation mode. In addition, the HSA interactions of these compounds were investigated using UV-visible absorption spectrophotometry and fluorescence spectroscopy. The results of fluorescence spectroscopy show that the fluorescence quenching mechanism of HSA is a static process. The cytotoxic activities of the synthesized compounds and cisplatin exhibited different inhibition potencies on the viability of MCF-7, HCT-116, MDA-MB-231 and Hela cancer cell lines. Compound ( R p, S ) - 6 was 17-fold more potent than cisplatin in breast cancer cells.

The performance of anodes of lithium-ion batteries relies largely on the architecture and composition of the hybrid active materials. We present a two-step, seed-free, solution-based method for the direct growth of hierarchical charantia-like TiO2/Fe2O3 core/shell nanotube arrays on carbon cloth substrates. An ultrahigh loading of the nanomaterial on carbon fibers was achieved with this method without the use of a binder. This three-dimensional porous hollow architecture and its direct contact with the CC current collector ensure an efficient electronic pathway. The hollow TiO2 framework effectively protects the hierarchical charantia-like TiO2/Fe2O3 hollow core/shell arrays from collapsing because of its negligible volume change during cycling. Meanwhile, the self-assembled α-Fe2O3 hollow nanospheres guarantee a large capacity and contact area with the electrolyte. This flexible anode with a 3D porous charantia-like hollow architecture exhibits high cycle performance, reversible capacity, and rate capability. These nanotube arrays maintain a high reversible capacity of 875 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles at a current density of 200 mA g−1. This simple, cost-effective, and scalable electrode fabrication strategy can be implemented in the fabrication of high-performance wearable energy storage devices.

As a low molecular weight protein with the ability of binding metal ions and high inducibility, metallothionein (MT) is often regarded as an important biomarker for assessment of heavy metal pollution in water environment. In the light of that the traditional process of enrichment and identification is time-consuming and complicated, we prepared a core-shell nanoparticle, gold-coated iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4@Au NPs) herein. It possessed the advantages of fast response to magnetic fields and optical properties attributing to Fe3O4 and Au nanoparticles, respectively. The Fe3O4@Au nanoparticles could be used to enrich MT simply through Au–S interaction, and the purified proteins were determined by matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/MS). The results showed that the Fe3O4@Au nanoparticles could directly enrich MT from complex solutions and the detection limit could be as low as 10 fg mL−1.

To explore the relationship between NF2 promoter gene mutation and the risk of medulloblastomas (MBs). We collected tissues from 16 MB patients and 7 age-matched non-MB controls. Gene sequencing, qPCR (real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction), IHC (immunohistochemistry), and WB (Western blot) were used to analyze the changes in the NF2 gene sequence and expression between patients and controls. We found that NF2 promoter gene mutations occurred in MB patients. The NF2 mRNA expression was higher in the controls than in patients (p = 0.03

Due to the complexity and heterogeneity of gastric cancer (GC) in individual patient, current staging system is inadequate for predicting outcome of GC. Comprehensive computational and bioinformatics approach may triumph for the prediction. In this study, GC patients were devided according to stage and treatment: curative surgery plus chemoradiotherapy in stage II, curative surgery plus chemoradiotherapy in stages III, and IV, unresectable metastatic gastric cancer. The training sets were downloaded from GEO datasets (GSE26253 and GSE14208). Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to explore enriched difference between recurrence and nonrecurrence. The core enrichment genes of enriched pathways significantly associated with recurrence or progression were identified using Cox proportional hazards analysis. Thereafter, the risk score models were externally validated in independent datasets-GSE15081 and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We generated respective risk score models of patients in different stages and treatment. A five-gene signature comprising FARP1, SGCE, SGCA, LAMA4, and COL9A2 was strongly associated with recurrence of patients with curative surgery plus chemoradiotherapy in stage II. A six-gene signature consisting of SHH, NF1, AP4B1, COMP, MATN3, and CCL8 was correlated with recurrence of patients with curative surgery plus chemoradiotherapy in stages III and IV. And a four-gene signature composing of ABCC2, AHNAK2, RNF43, and GSPT2 was highly related to progression of patients with unresectable metastatic GC. Taking into consideration TNM stage and gene signature reflecting recurrence or progression, the risk score models significantly improved the accuracy in predicting outcome of GC.

Pesticide operators are often exposed to high levels of contaminants, leading to potential adverse health impacts on these agricultural workers. In tropical regions, pesticide applicators are more vulnerable to dermal exposure than their counterparts in temperate regions. Thus, it is highly desirable to develop new spraying methods to minimize the pesticide exposure level without sacrificing the pest control efficiency. Due to their flexibility, high efficiency, and lower labor intensity, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have attracted considerable attention in precision pest management. However, the pesticide operator exposure assessment during the spraying application with UAVs, especially the comparison with conventional ground sprayers, has not been well investigated. In this work, the control effect against thrips on cowpea and operator exposure determination by aerial and ground spraying in Hainan Province were carried out and compared. When biopesticide spinetoram with the same dosage was applied, the field control efficacy against cowpea thrips sprayed by UAVs was higher than that of knapsack electric sprayers. Moreover, UAV spraying could greatly reduce water consumption and working time. For UAV spraying, when the amounts of water applied per hectare were 22.5, 30, and 37.5 L, the control effects on thrips on the first day were about 69.79%, 80.15%, and 80.58%, respectively. When Allura Red as a pesticide surrogate was applied under similar spraying scenarios with the field control against thrips on cowpea, the average total unit exposure of the knapsack operator (1952.02 mg/kg) was greatly higher than that of the UAV operator (134.51 mg/kg). The present research indicates that plant protection UAV is the direction of development of modern intensive sustainable agriculture.

To realize the sustainability of potassium-ion (K-ion) batteries for large-scale energy storage applications, a resource-abundant and cost-effective anode material is the key to design. Herein, we develop nitrogen-doped three-dimensional biomass porous activated carbon materials using bagasse biomass waste by carbonization and further activation with NiCl2 and urea as an advanced anode material for K-ion batteries. The results demonstrate that NiCl2 is an important factor in the formation of porous structure and nitrogen doping also promotes the change of morphology, enabling fast transport of K+ and electrons. More importantly, the as-synthesized carbon material could exhibit a superior K-storage property with a reversible capacity of 100.4 mAh g−1 at a current density of 200 mA g−1 over 400 cycles without any obvious capacity fading in K-ion batteries. This work provides significant guideline for structural design in large-scale application.

Mitigating the thermal environment by lakes in the urbanization context has been well understood. Meanwhile, whether a difference exists between the cooling effect of urban and rural lakes and the impacts of surrounding landscape patterns on lake cooling effect (LCE) has not been intensively investigated. In this study, 18 lakes in Wuhan have been selected to decipher land surface temperature variations along with distances from lakes and quantify the cooling effect of each lake. We also identified the local thermal anomalies around urban lakes compared with rural lakes and performed Pearson correlation analysis between the thermal anomalies, the LCE, and the landscape metrics. The results showed that the LCE of different lakes greatly varied, and the LCE for urban lakes was greater than rural lakes. Many thermal anomalies existed around urban lakes compared with rural lakes, while lakes with higher thermal anomalies surrounding tended to receive greater LCE. The areas with high proportions, intensive, irregular-shaped, and aggregated built-up received higher cooling effect from lakes, while areas with green space of the same characteristics were likely to weaken this effect. The findings can support the optimization of the cooling effect of urban lakes to mitigate the urban thermal environment.

Hydrogen has been regarded as one of promising renewable alternatives to traditional fossil fuels. It remains a big challenge to explore highly efficient catalysts with low cost for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in energy storage and conversion. Herein, we proposed a facile method to fabricate a self-supported electrode with two-dimensional (2D) CoP/Co-MOF heterostructure nanosheets via a partially controlled phosphorization method. The optimal 2D CoP/Co-MOF exhibits excellent HER activities over a wide pH range, which only requires 52, 106, and 26 mV overpotentials at −10 mA cm−2 in acidic (0.5 M H2SO4), neutral (1.0 M PBS) and alkaline (1.0 M KOH) solution, respectively. Additionally, CoP/Co-MOF also presents desirable durability under different pH media. The excellent HER performance can be attributed to the fast charge-transfer rate and abundant exposed active sites because of the modified electronic structure and increased specific surface area. This work provides an effective strategy to design the pH-universal HER activity of MOF-based electrocatalysts.

The anatase branched open-ended titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanotubes (NTs) are prepared using a combined method of electrospinning, hydrothermal processing and calcination. The branched open-ended TiO 2 NT (BOTNT) is composed a trunk of a large sized NT, from which out growth many branches consisting of single-crystalline TiO 2 nanosheets (NSs) and small NTs. The morphology and microstructure of the BOTNTs can be controlled by varying with the hydrothermal treatment time. When it is used in flexible dye-sensitized solar cells (FDSSCs) as multifunctional layer covering on the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) incorporated TiO 2 (CNTs/TiO 2 ) nanorods (NRs) layer, a high conversion efficiency of 4.70% is obtained. This efficiency is much higher than that of the cell assembled by the single-layer CNTs/TiO 2 NRs film. This is attributed to the great increase in light harvesting efficiency, resulting from excellent light-scattering ability and high specific surface area for dye loading of the BOTNTs. Furthermore, the excellent electron transport ability of the BOTNTs due to their high level of interconnectivity, improves the performance of FDSSCs.

CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1 (COP1), a well-known E3 ubiquitin ligase, functions as a central regulator of plant growth and photomorphogenic development in plants, including hypocotyl elongation. It has been well-established that, in darkness, COP1 targets many photomorphogenesis-promoting factors for ubiquitination and degradation in the nucleus. However, increasing evidence has shown that a proportion of COP1 is also localized outside the nucleus in dark-grown seedlings, but the physiological function of this localization remains largely unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that COP1 directly targets and mediates the degradation of WAVE-DAMPENED 2-LIKE 3 (WDL3) protein, a member of the microtubule-associated protein (MAP) WVD2/WDL family involved in regulating hypocotyl cell elongation of Arabidopsis seedlings. We show that COP1 interacts with WDL3 in vivo in a dark-dependent manner at cortical microtubules. Moreover, our data indicate that COP1 directly ubiquitinates WDL3 in vitro and that WDL3 protein is degraded in WT seedlings but is abundant in the cop1 mutant in the dark. Consistently, introduction of the wdl3 mutation weakened, whereas overexpression of WDL3 enhanced, the short-hypocotyl phenotype of cop1 mutant in darkness. Together, this study reveals a function of COP1 in regulating the protein turnover of a cytosol-localized MAP in etiolated hypocotyls, thus providing insights into COP1-mediated degradation of downstream factors to control seedling photomorphogenesis.

Trauma is one of the leading causes of death for men and women under the age of 45 years old, and abdominal injuries contribute to a large number of these deaths. Prompt diagnosis is very important for treatment decision making and can be life-saving. CT has become an essential imaging modality in emergency medicine. In this pictorial review, we present our experience of CT in blunt abdominal trauma and describe CT findings of common injuries, including hemoperitoneum, solid viscera, hollow viscera, mesenteric and diaphragmatic injuries. Unenhanced CT is routinely used, tailored protocols should be reserved for patients with questionable or subtle findings at unenhanced CT, especially for bowel and mesenteric injuries. The decision can be made by radiologists based on initial findings or by referring clinicians based by clinical presentations or deterioration of patients' condition.

The highly flexible ZrO2/C nanofiber film was fabricated by electrospinning followed by heat treatment of stabilization and carbonization. The effects of carbonization temperature on the morphology, microstructure, and performance of ZrO2/C nanofiber film were investigated. As the temperature increases, the tetragonal phase of the ZrO2 nanoparticles gradually transformed into monoclinic phase. As a result, the mechanical and electrical properties of the ZrO2/C nanofiber film were improved. When the temperature reached 1100 °C, the ZrO2/C nanofiber film exhibited the best flexibility with the flexural modulus of 6.24 ± 0.08 MPa, the highest conductivity of 476.5 S/m, and promising electrocatalytic activity. These improvements can be ascribed to the phase transition toughening effect of ZrO2 nanoparticles, the increase in oxygen vacancy concentration in ZrO2, and the improvement in graphitization of carbon matrix. Hence, the ZrO2/C nanofiber film served as a counter electrode for flexible dye-sensitized solar cells, and an efficiency of 2.97% was achieved.

The present study provides an integrated view of algal removal of the antibiotic ceftazidime and its basic parent structure 7-aminocephalosporanic acid (7-ACA), including contribution analysis, bacteriostatic and aquatic toxic assessment and metabolite verification. 92.70% and 96.07% of the two target compounds was removed after the algal treatment, respectively. The algal removal can be separated into three steps: a rapid adsorption, a slow cell wall-transmission and the final biodegradation. Additionally, while ceftazidime demonstrated an excellent inhibitory effect on Escherichia coli, there was no bacteriostasis introduced after the algal treatment, which could avoid favoring the harmful selective pressure. On the other hand, no significant aquatic impact of the two target compounds on rotifers was observed and it was not enhanced after the algal treatment. To better reveal the mechanism involved, metabolite analyses were performed. Δ-3 ceftazidime and trans-ceftazidime were regarded as the metabolites of ceftazidime and the metabolite of 7-ACA was regarded as a compound which shared the similar structure with 4-chlorocinnamic acid. Our study indicated that the green algae performed a satisfactory growth capacity and played a dominant role for the biodegradation of the target antibiotics, which achieved high removal efficiency and low environmental impact.

Fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1), belonging to receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), possesses various biological functions. Over-expression of FGFR1 has been observed in multiple human malignancies. Hence, targeting FGFR1 is an attractive prospect for the advancement of cancer treatment options. Here, we present a novel small molecular FGFR1 inhibitor L16H50, which can inhibit FGFR1 kinase in an ATP-independent manner. It potently inhibits FGFR1-mediated signaling in a gastric cancer cell line, resulting in inhibition of cell growth, survival and migration. It also displays an outstanding anti-tumor activity in a gastric cancer xenograft tumor model by targeting FGFR1 signaling. These results show that L16H50 is a potent non-ATP-competitive FGFR1 inhibitor and may provide strong rationale for its evaluation in gastric cancer patients.

Since its initial identification, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) has been shown to be capable of selectively inducing apoptosis in cancer cells. However, translation of the encouraging preclinical studies of this cytokine into the clinic has been restricted by its extremely short half-life, the presence of resistant cancer cell populations, and its inefficient in vivo delivery. Recently, there has been exceptional progress in developing novel formulations to increase the circulatory half-life of TRAIL and new combinations to treat cancers that are resistant to TRAIL. In particular, TRAIL-based nanotherapies offer the potential to improve the stability of TRAIL and prolong its half-life in plasma, to specifically deliver TRAIL to a particular target site, and to overcome resistance to TRAIL. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the state-of-the art drug delivery systems that are currently being tested or developed to improve the biological attributes of TRAIL-based therapies.

Two hydrogenation mechanisms, transfer and catalytic hydrogenation, were combined to achieve higher regulation of hydrogenation chemoselectivity of cinnamyl aldehydes. Transfer hydrogenation with ammonia borane exclusively reduced C=O bonds to get cinnamyl alcohol, and Pt-loaded metal-organic layers efficiently hydrogenated C=C bonds to synthesize phenyl propanol with almost 100 % conversion rate. The hydrogenation could be performed under mild conditions without external high-pressure hydrogen and was applicable to various α,β-unsaturated aldehydes.

Neurokinin B (NKB) is a member of the tachykinin (tac) family that plays important roles in mammalian growth by modulating prolactin (PRL) synthesis and secretion and causing contraction of the stomach and intestine. However, its potential role in regulating growth of teleosts is less clear. We aimed to explore the role that NKB plays in regulating fish growth using the spotted sea bass (Lateolabrax maculatus) as a model. In the present study, two tac3 and two tacr3 genes were identified in the spotted sea bass. Sequence analysis showed that two tac3 transcripts, tac3a and tac3b, encode four NKBs: NKBa-13, NKBa-10, NKBb-13, and NKBb-10. Expression analysis in different tissues showed that both genes are highly expressed in the brain, stomach and intestine of the spotted sea bass. In situ hybridization indicated that the tac3a and tac3b mRNAs are both localized in several brain regions, such as the telencephalon and hypothalamus, and that tacr3a and tacr3b are localized in the intestinal villus and gastric gland. To investigate the potential role of NKBs in regulating growth, in vitro experiments were performed to detect the effect of NKBs on growth-related gene expression in the brain and brain-gut peptide (BGP)-related genes in the stomach and intestine. NKBb-13 was the most critical ligand in regulating the expression of growth-related genes in the brain and brain-gut peptide (BGP)-related genes in the stomach. The expression of cholecystokinin (cck) was enhanced by NKBa-13, NKBa-10, and NKBb-10 but not NKBb-13 in the intestine. In general, our results showed that NKBs participate in regulating the growth of spotted sea bass.

To introduce the research progress of conservative treatment, internal fixation, hip arthroplasty, and multidisciplinary team (MDT) modes in the treatment of femoral neck fracture in the elderly.By consulting domestic and foreign literature in recent years, the characteristics and application of various treatment methods and new treatment modes for femoral neck fracture in the elderly were summarized and analyzed.The elderly non-displaced femoral neck fracture should be treated surgically, and conservative treatment has a high risk of secondary displacement. The displaced fracture should be operated as soon as possible. There is no difference in long-term functional outcome between hemiarthroplasty and total hip arthroplasty. Hemiarthroplasty has less intraoperative blood loss, shorter operation time, and is suitable for the elderly patients with poor basic condition. Total hip arthroplasty is suitable for the elderly patients with better basic condition and higher demand of life quality. MDT can effectively reduce preoperative waiting time and length of stay, reduce the incidence of medical complications, improve the nutritional status of patients, and reduce the mortality of patients.Significant results have been achieved in the treatment of femoral neck fractures in the elderly by methods such as internal fixation, hip arthroplasty, and MDT.介绍保守治疗、内固定、人工关节置换术和多学科综合诊疗（multidisciplinary team，MDT）模式等治疗老年股骨颈骨折的研究进展。.广泛查阅国内、外近年相关文献，对多种老年股骨颈骨折治疗方法、新治疗模式的特点和应用进行总结分析。.老年非移位型股骨颈骨折应手术治疗，保守治疗继发移位风险高。移位型骨折则应尽早进行手术，人工半髋、全髋关节置换术后患者的远期功能结果没有差别。人工半髋关节置换术中出血量少、手术时间短，适合基础情况不佳的高龄患者；人工全髋关节置换术适合基础情况较好、对生活质量要求较高的老年患者。MDT 可有效减少患者术前等待时间和住院时间、降低内科并发症发生率、改善患者营养状况和降低患者死亡率。.内固定、人工关节置换术等术式和 MDT 新模式用于老年股骨颈骨折的治疗均取得了显著成果。.

Objective: Pipeline embolization devices (PEDs) are widely used to exclude intracranial aneurysms from their parent arteries. Side branches covered by PEDs, however, sometimes experience occlusion and related symptoms. Thus, predictors of branch occlusion and the patency and clinical outcomes of these branches are concerning. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of consecutive patients who had been treated with PEDs in our institution during 2015-2018 to identify those in whom one or more branches were involved. Pretreatment and follow-up angiograms were assessed to determine patency of the involved branches. Demographic and clinical data, treatment strategies, and comorbidities were collected to investigate their relations with branch occlusion. Results: Altogether, 173 branches [24 (13.9%) occluded), 29 (16.8%) with diminished flow] in 126 patients were studied. Five patients (OphA involved) presented with blurred vision and 1 patient (ACA involved) presented with headache. None of the other patients had neurologic complications or clinical strokes related to branch occlusion. Multivariate analysis identified that small PED diameter [p = 0.003, odds ratio (OR) = 0.168], branches arising from the aneurysm (p = 0.004, OR = 6.614), and involvement of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) (p < 0.001, OR = 25.656) significantly predicted branch occlusion. Conclusion: Branch occlusion rate after PED deployment was low and most occlusions was asymptomatic. Branches with rich collateral supply were more likely to occlude, especially the ACA. Smaller PED diameter, branches arising from the aneurysm, and ACA involvement were significant predictors of branch occlusion after PED treatment.

The use of nitrogen fertilizers has been estimated to have supported 27% of the world's population over the past century. Urea (CO(NH

A colorimetric assay is described for simultaneous detection of multiple analytes related to food safety. It is based on the use of a sandwich aptasensor and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) which produces a primer for subsequent rolling circle amplification (RCA). Two split aptamer fragments (Apt1 and Apt2) are firstly immobilized, Apt1 on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), and Apt2 on magnetic beads (MBs). They are then used in a sandwich aptasensor. In the presence of analyte, two probes could specifically recognize target and form a ternary assembly, and the magnetic beads also act to separate rapidly and enrich the target. Then, the extension of template-free DNA is triggered by TdT at the exposed 3′-hydroxy terminals of Apt1. This produces polyA sequences that serve as primers for subsequent RCA. The product of RCA is hybridized with a complementary horse radish peroxidase (HRP) DNA probe. HRP catalyzes the H2O2-mediated oxidation of tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and forms a blue chromogenic product. After magnetic separation, the absorption values of the blue product in the supernatant are measured at a wavelength of 600 nm. Based on this dual amplification mechanism, the assay was applied to multiplexed determination of enrofloxacin (ENR), lead(II), Escherichia coli O157:H7 and tropomyosin. Exemplarily, ENR is detectable at concentrations down to 2.5 pg mL−1 with a linear range that extends from 1 pg mL−1 to 1 μg·mL−1. The assay was validated by analysis of spiked fish samples. Recoveries range between 87.5 and 92.1%.

Objective: Flow diverter devices are increasingly used in the treatment of posterior circulation aneurysms, sometimes necessarily involving ostia of side branches and perforators. The aim of this study was to identify the hemodynamic influence of flow diverters on side branches and perforators of the posterior circulation.Methods: We performed a retrospective study of consecutive patients treated by a flow diverter device for posterior circulation aneurysms with anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) or posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) involvement. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) were used to discern hemodynamic changes of branches after deployment of the flow diverter.Results: We studied 18 branches from 17 patients (mean age, 50.72 ± 8.17 years). No branches were occluded on immediate angiography and later follow-up. Average flow velocity in aneurysms decreased from 0.077 ± 0.065 m/s to 0.025 ± 0.025 m/s (p < 0.01). Average flow velocity in branch ostia decreased from 0.29 ± 0.14 m/s to 0.27 ± 0.16 m/s (p = 0.189). The difference in flow velocity reduction ratio between aneurysms and branches was statistically significant (68.8 vs. 9.5%; p < 0.001). The mean pressure in branch ostia increased from 10,717.4 ± 489.0 to 10,859.0 ± 643.4 Pa (p < 0.01).Conclusion: While a flow diverter device is capable of slowing down aneurysmal inflow, it is unable to block the flow into branches and perforators when used in the treatment of posterior circulation aneurysms; flow velocity in branches even increased in some cases. With a low branch occlusion ratio, it may be acceptable to cover posterior circulation branches and perforators if unavoidable.

Core-shell plasmonic metal nanoparticles with interior nanogaps are superior nanostructures owing to their large signal enhancement for Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Herein, we incorporated Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-catalyzed DNA in the preparation of core-shell nanostructures for the detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli O157:H7) cells. The elongated products-homo-nucleotides-composed of long single DNA strands (hn-D) are used not only to induce tunable-size nanogaps but also as Raman reporters with consistent and uniform signal enhancement. Using this synthetic process of hn-D-embedded core-shell nanoparticles (hn-DENPs), we found that the length of hn-D strands affects the size of the nanogap. In addition, performances of the specific Raman imaging of E. coli O157:H7, high detection sensitivity of 2 CFU/mL, and the recovery of 98.1%–105.2% measured in the real food samples, make hn-DENP a biosensor that will be widely used in biological detection.

Biofilm is a natural form of bacterial growth ubiquitously in environmental niches. The biofilm formation results in increased resistance to negative environmental influences including resistance to antibiotics and antimicrobial agents. Quorum sensing (QS) is cell-to-cell communication mechanism, which plays an important role in biofilm development and balances the environment when the bacteria density becomes high. Due to the prominent points of biofilms implicated in infectious disease and the spread of multi-drug resistance, it is urgent to discover new antibacterial agents that can regulate biofilm formation and development. Accumulated evidences demonstrated that natural products from plants had antimicrobial and chemo-preventive properties in modulation of biofilm formation in the last two decades. This review will summarize recent studies on the discovery of natural anti-biofilm agents from plants with clear-cut mechanisms or identified molecular addresses, as well as some herbs with unknown mechanisms or unidentified bioactive ingredients. We also focus on the progression of techniques on the extraction and identification of natural anti-biofilm substances. Besides, anti-biofilm therapeutics undergoing clinical trials are discussed. These newly discovered natural anti-biofilm agents are promising candidates which could provide novel strategies for biofilm-associated infections.

In this paper, we designed Maxwell's fish-eye lens in a square shape from a conformal mapping and constructed it into a waveguide and a photonic crystal. We studied the unidirectional self-imaging effect from both geometric optics and wave optics. Ray tracing and full-wave simulations were performed to validate this effect. Specifically, the designed waveguide is of a finite width while having the same imaging properties as the ideal infinite waveguide---the Mikaelian lens, the refractive index profile of which is 1/cosh ($x$) [Mikaelian and Prokhorov, Prog. Opt. 17, 279 (1980)].

Additional file 1: Table S1. Reynolds value and proves this assumption.

Severe hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation (HS/R) can lead to lung injury, resulting in respiratory insufficiency. We investigated whether treatment with Alda-1, an ALDH2 activator, decreased lung injury induced by severe HS/R in a rat model. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into three groups, hemorrhagic shock + placebo, hemorrhagic shock + Alda-1, and sham. All animals were heparinized, and then 50% of the total calculated blood volume was collected over 60 minutes. After 40 minutes of hemorrhagic shock, animals were reinfused with the shed blood over 40 minutes and then observed for an additional 2 hours. Concentrations of 4-HNE, TNF-α, IL-6, and ALDH2 activity were detected; lung injury and lung wet-to-dry weight ratios were assessed. Expression of occludin and ZO-1 proteins in lung tissues was also determined. At 2 hours after resuscitation, lung injury was significantly reduced and the wet-to-dry weight ratio was notably decreased in the Alda-1 group compared with placebo (Pαwere dramatically decreased compared with placebo-treated animals (P

Additional file 1. Minimum Standards of Reporting Checklist.

Esophageal stricture is a major complication of large areas endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). Until now, the critical mechanism of esophageal stricture remains unclear. We examined the role of mucosal loss versus submucosal damage in esophageal stricture formation after mucosal resection using a porcine model. Twelve swine were randomly divided into two groups, each of 6. In each group, two 5-cm-long submucosal tunnels were made to involve 1/3rd of the widths of the anterior and posterior esophageal circumference. The entire mucosal roofs of both tunnels were resected in group A. In group B, the tunnel roof mucosa was incised longitudinally along the length of the tunnel, but without excision of any mucosa. Stricture formation was evaluated by endoscopy after 1, 2, and 4 weeks, respectively. Anatomical and histological examinations were performed after euthanasia. Healing observed on endoscopy in both groups after 1 week. Group A (mucosa resected) developed mild-to-severe esophageal stricture, dysphagia, and weight loss. In contrast, no esophageal stricture was evident in group B (mucosa incisions without resection) after 2 and 4 weeks, respectively. Macroscopic examination showed severe esophageal stricture and shortening of esophagus in only group A. Inflammation and fibrous hyperplasia of the submucosal layer was observed on histological examination in both groups. The extent of loss of esophageal mucosa appears to be a critical factor for esophageal stricture. Inflammation followed by fibrosis may contribute to alteration in compliance of the esophagus but is not the main mechanism of postresection stricture.

NiO-based flexible anodes have provoked great interest due to their high theoretical capacity, benign redox reactivity, and chemical and thermal stability. However, the issues of their poor cyclability, low rate capability, and mechanical instability limit their practical applications. To approach the high-performance flexible devices, 3D NiO/TiO2 nanotube network arrays on flexible carbon cloth substrates are fabricated through a simple two-step, seed-free solvothermal method. The ultrathin NiO nanosheets provide remarkable charge-discharge cycle performance due to their slight volume expansion during the charge-discharge process. The flexible carbon cloth provides a conductive and bendable matrix. TiO2 nanotube arrays not only deliver a fast electron transfer path, but also excellent mechanical stability during bending. The porous network architecture results in a remarkable reduction in the irreversible capacity loss without sacrificing specific surface area. This unique structure creates a reversible capacity of 592.2 mAh g−1 after 1000 cycles at a current density of 200 mA g−1, and has a rate capacity of 439 mAh g−1 even at high current densities of 2000 mA g−1. Their full cells maintain excellent electrochemical performance and mechanical stability after multiple folds. The convenient synthetic process creates a window of opportunity for bringing flexible, high-performance energy storage devices to markets.

High quality polycrystalline CH3NH3PbI3 was prepared by dripping the γ-butyrolactone (GBL) solution of CH3NH3PbI3 into toluene, dimethylformamide (DMF) and dimethylsilicone oil. In toluene, a compact CH3NH3PbI3 thin film was observed but with grain size smaller than 1 μm because of the rapid extraction of GBL. As CH3NH3PbI3 is soluble in DMF, the crystallization in DMF is understood by interdiffusion induced local and temporal supersaturated droplets, which allow for growth of irregular, separated single crystals with size of more than 0.1 mm. In dimethylsilicone oil, compact, yolk-like polycrystalline CH3NH3PbI3 was observed. Unlike the round grains observed in toluene, it is composed of single crystal grains with clear angular surfaces. The average crystal size is tens of μm and can be modulated by the solvent temperature. We suggest that the poor miscibility between GBL and dimethylsilicone oil, and the poor solubility of CH3NH3I, PbI2 and CH3NH3PbI3 in the dimethylsilicone oil, allow slow extraction of GBL while keeping the stoichiometry of CH3NH3PbI3. The results offer a feasible and high-yielding method for growing uniform CH3NH3PbI3 crystals in a few seconds.

The ancient Chinese bridge, Luoyang Bridge, has been revealed to obey similar laws to diminish waves like an optical model, metagrating. Numerical simulations have been performed to verify this finding.

The analysis of residual kanamycin (KANA) has drawn great attentions based on its potential threat to human health and environment caused by its residual in aquatic and soil system. Herein, an ultrasensitive fluorescent aptasensing system was proposed based on the fluorescence change resulting from the conformation switch of kanamycin-aptamer (KANA-aptamer) with or without kanamycin in the sensing system, in which berberine was employed as the fluorescence reporter and KANA-aptamer as the recognition unit. Free berberine emits weak fluorescence at 535 nm in aqueous solution, and its fluorescence enhanced remarkably after it intercalated to KANA-aptamer. Once kanamycin was introduced into the sensing system, the randomly coiling structure of KANA-aptamer switched to a hairpin form, which made the dissociation of berberine from the KANA-aptamer, thus the fluorescence was quenched. Various experimental conditions including the concentration of berberine, KANA-aptamer, pH, ion strength and equilibrium time were studied in detail. Under the optimal experimental condition, a good correlation was obtained between the fluorescence of the sensing system and the concentration of kanamycin ranged from 5.0 nM to 71.0 nM with LOD at 2.3 nM. The presented fluorescent aptasensor also showed a delightful recovery of 96.50%–101.20% in human serum and milk. The excellent analytical performance of kanamycin shows a promising prospect in the practical application.