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Based on the analysis of field observation, drilling data and geophysical data, this paper interpreted the structural deformation characteristics of Lower Yangtze region and its preservation potential for shale gas. The results show that the deformation characteristics of Lower Yangtze region vary in different areas. The structural style is not only different from south to north, but also from east to west. To the east of Maoshan, the structure style is mainly controlled by decollement folding, which was caused by the Indosinian-Yanshan movement. The following extension and reversion movements greatly are destroyed the previous structures. So it still has good shale gas preservation conditions for shale gas and not very hard to explore. The west Maoshan region, however, is strongly reworked by strong reverse and tension movements since the Indosian-Yanshan movement, and as a result a serious of extensional and faulted basins and volcanic basins were formed, which are very negative for the shale gas preservation and explorations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important building block for optoelectronic applications, various chemical modifications at C9-position of fluorene have been proposed to enhance its performance by suppressing the well-known keto effect. In order to identify different substitution effects on the photophysical and charge transport properties of fluorene, we systematically study the electronic structures and photophysical behaviors of fluorene ( FR) and its three dimerized counterparts, namely, 9,9′-spirobifluorene ( SBF), 9,9′-bifluorenylidene ( BFD), and bis(biphenyl-2-2-diyl)allene ( BDA), by employing density functional theory calculations. The changes in bond length alternation indicate that the geometrical relaxations of the fluorene unit in its dimerized derivatives are smaller than FR compound. This fact was further proved by the nonradiative decay rate estimated of the first excited singlet state for each compound. Meanwhile, the vibration relaxation analyses suggest that the bridge between two fluorene fragments plays an important role in the nonradiative decay process. In addition, the injection abilities were evaluated in terms of the ionization potentials and electron affinities, and the carrier transport properties were discussed in the framework of Marcus theory. We find BFD could be a better ambipolar transport material, and BDA can be used as a high-efficient luminescent building unit with excellent hole transport property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The vertical excitation energies of tetrathiafulvalene (TTF)-annulated zinc porphyrazine (ZnPzTTF) were investigated using time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations and compared to the experimental UV–vis spectra. To examine the effects of the aza substitutions and TTF groups on the molecular properties, zinc complexes of porphyrin (ZnP), porphyrazine (ZnPz) and tetraTTF-annulated porphyrin (ZnPTTF) were also selected for comparison. It was shown that numerous electronic transitions with TTF-to-porphyrin or porphyrazine charge transfer character exist and the Q band of ZnPzTTF is dominated by TTF-to-porphyrazine charge transfer transition mixed with porphyrazine core unit itself except for classic porphyrazine π→π* transitions. The Q band of ZnPzTTF mixes with other configurations, which breaks down the Gouterman''s classic four-orbital model for the spectral interpretation. The data suggest that TDDFT/SAOP performs best for Q and B bands of ZnPzTTF with the maximum error in excitation energy being 0.17eV. The CAM-B3LYP, ωB97XD and M06-2X calculations qualitatively predict that the low-lying electronic transitions of ZnPzTTF with TTF-to-porphyrazine charge transfer character located below the Q band. The broad and intense red-shifted Q band suggests that ZnPzTTF can be a candidate for dye-sensitized solar cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Selective synthesis of gasoline-range hydrocarbons (C5-C12) was investigated in a fixed-bed micro reactor using two series of CO2-containing syngas with various mole CO2/(CO+CO2) and H2/(CO+CO2) ratios, where Fischer-Tropsch synthesis(FTS) and in situ hydrocracking/hydroisomerization were performed over bifunctional Co/SiO2/HZSM-5 catalyst. CO2 was converted at 0.15-0.55 of CO2/(CO+CO2) ratio under H2-rich condition (H2/(CO+CO2)=2.0), highest conversion of 20.3% at 0.42. Further increasing CO2 content decreased CO2 conversion and quite amount of CO2 acted as diluting component. For the syngas with low H2 content or H2/(CO+CO2) ratio(<1.85, H2/CO=2.0), the competitive adsorption of CO, H2 and CO2 resulted in low CO, CO2 and total carbon conversion, which was 57.9%, 12.7% and 31.4% respectively at 0.74 of H2/(CO+CO2) ratio(H2/CO/CO2/N2 =40.8/20.4/34.8/4). FTS results indicated that high H2 content and proper H2/(CO+CO2) ratio were favorable for the conversion of CO2-containing syngas. More than 45% selectivity to gasoline-range hydrocarbons including isoparaffins was obtained under the two series of syngas. It was also tested that the catalytic activity of Co/SiO2/HZSM-5 kept stable under CO2-containing syngas(<7.5%). And the quick catalytic deactivation under high CO2 containing syngas(H2/CO/CO2/N2 =45.3/23.2/27.1/3.06) was due to carbon deposition and pore blockage by heavy hydrocarbon, tested by thermal gravimetry, N2 physisorption and scanning electron microscopy(SEM). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• CO produced directly from CO 2 via chemical looping process with Ca-modified hematite. • Maximum H 2 /CO in CLR process was nearly 3 times as high as initial ratio. • 80.95% CO 2 were converted and 2.32 mmol/min/g CO were yielded in CO 2 splitting. • Ca/Fe synergistic effect improves CO 2 conversion and enhances O ion diffusion. • Reaction path of Ca-modified hematite oxygen carriers was confirmed. Chemical looping reforming (CLR) of biomass pyrolyzed gases coupled with CO 2 splitting was proposed to improve the H 2 /CO ratio of gaseous product by using Ca-enhanced hematite oxygen carriers. The oxygen carriers mainly consist of Fe 2 O 3 , Ca 2 Fe 2 O 5 , CaO and SiO 2. The impurity gas in biomass pyrolyzed gases is consumed in CLR stage, attributing to the dry reforming reaction over a catalytic effect of oxygen carriers. The highest CH 4 conversion 98.26% and CO 2 conversion 71.92% are realized in the CLR process with the crystal transformation of Fe 2 O 3 and Ca 2 Fe 2 O 5 to Fe and CaO. The improved reactivity of hematite oxygen carriers by CaO is mainly ascribed to the intermetallic synergistic effect in Ca 2 Fe 2 O 5 , which influences the lattice oxygen release and selectivity of gaseous products. The maximum H 2 /CO ratio of gaseous product in CLR process is nearly 3 times as high as the initial H 2 /CO ratio of biomass pyrolyzed gas. Moreover, up to 80.95% CO 2 conversion efficiency and 2.32 mmol/min/g CO yield are achieved in CO 2 splitting step with the generation of Fe 3 O 4 and CaFe 3 O 5 in oxygen carriers. The CO 2 conversion shows positive correlation with reaction temperature but negative correlation with weight hourly space velocity. The metallic synergistic effect between Ca/Fe are conductive to improve CO 2 conversion though shifting the reaction equilibrium and enhancing ion diffusion. Modest reactivity and stability of Ca-modified oxygen carriers are confirmed in 15 cycles reaction, which indicates that potentially application prospect in CLR of biomass pyrolyzed gases coupled with CO 2 splitting process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The kinetic mechanism of cellulose with different physical structure was studied. • The crystalline cellulose required higher activation energy for decomposition. • The decomposition of crystalline cellulose was more concentrated. • A high yield of levoglucosan (64.3 wt%) at 400 °C was obtained from cellulose. In this work, the kinetic mechanisms of pyrolysis of cellulose with different physical structures were illustrated. The crystalline cellulose showed better thermal stability and required higher energy for decomposition with more concentrated reactions due to the highly ordered structure. The crystallinity of the ball milling and ionic liquid pretreated cellulose decreased and the structure was relatively loose and disordered, thereby reducing the thermal stability, so the global activation energy of both samples decreased and the intensive reaction caused by the collapse of structure was alleviated. In fast pyrolysis, crystalline cellulose favored fast pyrolytic saccharification, and the highest levoglucosan yield reached 64.3 wt% at 400 °C. This research was helpful to deduce the influence of physical structure on the pyrolytic product distribution of cellulose, thereby providing useful information to promote the development of pyrolytic saccharification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ball milling pretreatment was used to alter the structure of cellulose. • The kinetic mechanism of cellulose with different physical structure was researched. • The crystalline cellulose required higher activation energy for decomposition. • BM-cellulose yielded more CO 2 and H 2 O than Un-treated cellulose during pyrolysis. • It was beneficial for elaborating the effect of cellulosic structure on the pyrolysis behavior. In this study, the effect of structural characteristics of cellulose on its pyrolysis behavior was investigated. The structure of crystalline cellulose was altered by ball milling (BM) pretreatment, resulting in decreases in crystallinity and degree of polymerization. The initial pyrolysis temperature of BM-cellulose decreased, as well as the temperature at which maximum weight loss rate was achieved. Moreover, BM-cellulose was observed to produce more solid residue. The pyrolysis process was fitted by n-order reaction model. The global activation energy of Un-treated cellulose (228.3–270.6 kJ/mol) was higher than that of BM-cellulose (166.8–187.0 kJ/mol). TG-FTIR experiment showed that BM-cellulose yielded more CO 2 and H 2 O than Un-treated cellulose. This research provided a comprehensive analysis of the effects of structural characteristics of cellulose on the pyrolysis behavior of cellulose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Microwave-assisted glycerol pretreatment was performed for saccharification of corncobs. • Microwave-assisted glycerol pretreatment favored demineralization and delignification. • Levoglucosan yield from pretreated corncobs was enhanced from 6.9 to 44.5% in fast pyrolysis. • Glucose yield from pretreated corncobs was improved to 52.1 from 19.9% in enzymatic hydrolysis. • A comparative investigation for fast pyrolysis and enzymatic saccharification was made. Fermentable sugars are a group of key intermediate compounds and pretreatment is the most crucial step for the saccharification of lignocellulose. In this manuscript, microwave-assisted glycerol pretreatment was performed before fast pyrolysis and enzymatic hydrolysis to obtain fermentable sugars from corncobs. Owing to demineralization, delignification, and concentration of crystalline cellulose via pretreatment, the yield of levoglucosan (44.5%) was significantly increased as compared to that of un-pretreated corncobs (6.9%) in fast pyrolysis. Furthermore, the microwave-assisted glycerol pretreatment also facilitated glucose production in enzymatic hydrolysis. The yield of glucose increased from 19.9 to 52.1%, which could be ascribed to the elimination of lignin by pretreatment. These results demonstrated that microwave-assisted glycerol pretreatment was an economically attractive route to boost the final production of fermentable sugars from lignocellulose via following fast pyrolysis and enzymatic hydrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Crude glycerol pretreatment was firstly used prior to fast pyrolysis for selective conversion. • Levoglucosan yield from crude glycerol pretreated corncobs was enhanced in fast pyrolysis. • Glucose yield from crude glycerol pretreated corncobs was improved in enzyme hydrolysis. • The recovered glycerol after pretreatment was an attractive feedstock for microbe fermentation. Saccharification is a major step in the conversion of lignocellulose, and pretreatment is a vital process to modify the component and structure of lignocellulose for efficient saccharification. Crude glycerol pretreatment was used to facilitate selective saccharification of corncobs via fast pyrolysis and enzyme hydrolysis. Based on the reduction of alkaline and alkaline earth metals and removal of lignin fraction, the crude glycerol pretreated sample exhibited a higher levoglucosan selectivity (30.5%) than those from glycerol pretreated (9.5%) and un-treated corncobs (2.4%) in fast pyrolysis. The crude glycerol pretreated corncobs also gave a higher glucose yield (83.7%) as compared to those of un-treated (19.1%) and glycerol pretreated (41.1%) samples in enzyme hydrolysis. Additionally, after crude glycerol pretreatment, the recovered glycerol could also be used as an attractive fermentable substrate for D-lactate production. In accordance, this manuscript provided an economically-viable and environmentally-benign approach to maximize the value of crude glycerol, meanwhile minimize the cost of pretreatment and improve the efficiency of saccharification for lignocellulose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wabu Lake serves as a crucial junction within the Yangtze River to Huai River Water Diversion Project （Yangtze-Chao Lake-Wabu Lake-Huai River）, where clarifying the status and risk levels of heavy metal contamination in the lake is crucial for the aquatic ecological safety along the route of the project. Surface water and sediment samples from 24 locations in Wabu Lake were collected and analyzed for the contents of heavy metals （As, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cu, Cr, Fe, and Cd）. Risk evaluation and source apportionment of heavy metals in the lake were conducted using the human risk assessment （HRA） model, sediment quality guidelines （SQGs）, and positive matrix factorization （PMF） method. The results showed that the average concentrations of heavy metals （except for Cd and Pb） in the surface water were lower than the class III limits of the surface water quality standard （GB 3838-2002）. The average concentration of heavy metals （As, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cu, Cr, Fe, and Cd） in interstitial water were lower than the Criteria Continuous Concentration （CCC） of the National Recommended Water Quality Criteria. The average contents of As, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cu, Cr, and Cd in the sediment exceeded the background values by factors of 1.78, 1.85, 1.42, 1.77, 1.41, 1.38, and 3.46, respectively. In addition, the heavy metals Pb, Cd, and Cr in the Wabu Lake water posed severe risks to human health, with the cancer risk （CR） value for Cr reaching 6.14×10 -5 . The sediment quality guidelines （SQGs） indicated that the probability of adverse effects on lakes by As, Ni, and Cr was relatively high. The spatial distribution of risk areas showed that the risk control zones for As, Cr, and Ni in Wabu Lake covered almost the entire lake area. The PMF analysis indicated that the primary sources of heavy metals in Wabu Lake were exogenous inputs from industrial, agricultural, and residential activities in surrounding areas, followed by endogenous pollution caused by enclosed aquaculture. The subsequent focus should be on the pollution of heavy metals Cr, Cd, and Pb in the overlying water of Wabu Lake as well as the sediment ecological safety of As, Cr, and Ni in the sediment.

Objectives: The diameter, area, and volume of the true lumen and false lumen (FL) have been measured in previous studies to evaluate the extent of DeBakey type I aortic dissection. However, these indicators have limitations because of the irregular shapes of the true and false lumens and the constant oscillation of intimal flap during systole and diastole. The ratio of arch lengths seems to be a more reliable indicator. FL% was defined as the ratio of the arch length of FL to the circumference of the aorta at the different levels of the aorta. The purpose of this article was to investigate whether FL% is a predictor of the severity of acute DeBakey type I aortic dissection in patients undergoing frozen elephant trunk (FET) and total arch replacement., Methods: In this retrospective observational study, we analyzed a total of 344 patients with acute DeBakey type I aortic dissection that underwent FET and total arch replacement at our center from October 2015 to October 2019. The patients were divided into two groups by cluster analysis according to the perioperative course. Binary logistic regression analyses were performed to determine whether FL% could predict the severity of acute DeBakey type I aortic dissection. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was used to assess the power of the multivariate logistic regression model for the severity of acute DeBakey type I aortic dissection., Results: The patients in the ultra-high-risk group (109 patients) had significantly more severe clinical comorbidities and complications than the patients in the high-risk group (235 patients). The ascending aortic FL% [odds ratio (OR), 11.929 (95% CI: 1.421-100.11); P  = 0.022], location of initial tear [OR, 0.68 (95% CI: 0.47-0.98); P  = 0.041], the degree of left iliac artery involvement [OR, 1.95 (95% CI: 1.15-3.30); P  = 0.013], and the degree of right coronary artery involvement [OR, 1.46 (95% CI: 1.01-2.12); P  = 0.045] on preoperative computed tomography angiography were associated with the severity of acute DeBakey type I aortic dissection. The AUROC value of this multivariate logistic regression analysis was 0.940 (95% CI: 0.914-0.967; P  < 0.001). The AUROC value of ascending aortic FL% was 0.841 (95% CI: 0.798-0.884; P  < 0.001) for the severity of acute DeBakey type I aortic dissection in patients undergoing FET and total arch replacement., Conclusions: Ascending aortic FL% was validated as an essential radiologic index for assessing the severity of acute DeBakey type I aortic dissection in patients undergoing FET and total arch replacement. Higher values of ascending aortic FL% were more severe., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2024 Wang, Li, Jin, Li, Zhang, Gong, Zhang, Liu and Lai.)

Objective: To study the clinical therapeutic effect as well as drug effectiveness and safety of Shizi Sanhua decoction combined with Nuoyu in the treatment of oligozoospermia in men., Methods: 102 patients with oligozoospermia diagnosed at Longhua Hospital of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from February 2022 to March 2023 were selected and randomly divided into 3 groups. The treatment group was treated with Shizi Sanhua Decoction + Nuoyu; the traditional Chinese medicine group was treated with Shizi Sanhua Decoction; and the Nuoyu nutrient group was treated with Nuoyu nutrient. A review assessment and record were made after one course of treatment (3 months)., Results: A total of 102 patients completed the trial due to the treatment process. There were 34 cases in each of the traditional Chinese medicine group, the Nuoyu nutrient group, and the treatment group. Clinical efficacy: total effective rate of 52.94% in the traditional Chinese medicine group; 58.82% in the Nuoyu nutrient group; 82.35% in the treatment group. The clinical efficacy of the treatment group was better than that of the traditional Chinese medicine group and the Nuoyu nutrient group (P<0.05), which was statistically significant. Semen routine: the treatment group was better than the traditional Chinese medicine group and Nuoyu nutrient group in improving the total number of sperm and sperm concentration., Conclusion: The semen concentration and forward sperm count of patients with oligozoospermia treated with Shizi Sanhua Decoction combined with Nuoyu improved more significantly, and the clinical efficacy was remarkable. And the clinical efficacy is not affected by age and disease duration. It can be popularized and applied as a treatment for oligozoospermia.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to explore the evaluation and use of donor organs from donors with brain death caused by acute severe organophosphorus pesticides and provide a basis for the use of such donor organs. MATERIAL AND METHODS Seven cases of brain dead donors caused by acute organophosphorus pesticide poisoning from January 2014 to December 2018 in the hospital were collected, and a retrospective analysis was made of the donors' age, race, physiological and pathological changes, donor organ function changes and the organ use, liver or kidney function recovery, and complications of the recipients. The 18 recipients were followed up until June 31, 2022. RESULTS We found that 71.42% of organ donors were male, and 71.42% of organ donors were under 50 years old. The main cause of death was respiratory failure caused by organophosphorus pesticide poisoning. The liver and kidney functions of 7 donors were damaged, and 3 livers could not be used due to severe functional damage, but the liver or kidney function of 18 recipients gradually recovered after transplantation. Delayed recovery of graft function occurred after transplantation accounted for 21.43%, and the grafts had good short-term to medium-term performance. CONCLUSIONS Although the function of organs from donor with brain death due to acute severe organophosphorus pesticide poisoning is seriously damaged, most of the organs can still be used for transplantation. Individualized functional maintenance according to the situation of donors is conducive to improving the quality of organs.

The Y-family DNA polymerases specialize in translesion DNA synthesis, which is essential for replicating damaged DNA. The Y-family polymerases, which are made up of four stable domains, exhibit extensive distributions of charged residues, and are responsible for the tight formation of the protein-DNA complex. However, it is still unclear how the electrostatic interactions influence the conformational dynamics of the polymerases. Here, we focus on the case of a prototype Y-family DNA polymerase, Dpo4. Using coarse-grained models including a salt-dependent electrostatic potential, we investigate the effects of the electrostatic interactions on the folding process of Dpo4. Our simulations show that strong electrostatic interactions result in a three-state folding of Dpo4, consistent with the experimental observations. This folding process exhibits low cooperativity led by low salt concentration, where the individual domains fold one by one through one single pathway. Since the refined folding order of domains in multidomain proteins can shrink the configurational space, we suggest that the electrostatic interactions facilitate the Dpo4 folding. In addition, we study the local conformational dynamics of Dpo4 in terms of fluctuation and frustration analyses. We show that the electrostatic interactions can exaggerate the local conformational properties, which are in favor of the large-scale conformational transition of Dpo4 during the functional DNA binding. Our results underline the importance of electrostatic interactions in the conformational dynamics of Dpo4 at both the global and local scale, providing useful guidance in protein engineering at the multidomain level.

Objective: To analyze the prevalence of diabetes mellitus among middle-aged and older rural adults of Xinxiang county, Henan Province and its correlation with dietary patterns., Methods: The study was done based on the data collected from a cross-sectional survey of Xinxiang County, which was part of the Prospective Cohort Study on the Common Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases in Rural areas of Henan Province. Randomized cluster sampling was used to select adult respondents (≥18 years old) from among the residents of 17 villages in Xinxiang county. The respondents completed questionnaires, and underwent physical examinations and laboratory tests between April, 2017 and June, 2017. A total of 7604 individuals aged between 45 and 79 were included in our study. Dietary patterns were established through factor analysis and the dietary pattern factor scores were divided into quartiles (Q1-Q4). The relationship between dietary patterns and diabetes mellitus was analyzed with multivariate logistic regression model., Results: Out of the total of 7604 middle-aged and older rural adults in Xinxiang County, Henan Province, 1604 had diabetes mellitus, suggesting a 21.1% prevalence of diabetes mellitus. Factor analysis was used to establish four dietary patterns, namely animal-based diet, vegetable-egg diet, mixed diet and traditional diet. Subjects of these four dietary patterns displayed different demographic characteristics. There were no statistical difference in anthropometricor clinical indicators between the quartile with the lowest dietary pattern factor score (Q1) and the quartile with the highest dietary pattern factor score (Q4) for subjects with animal-based diet ( P >0.05). Compared with those in the Q1 quartile of vegetable-egg diet, subjects in the Q4 quartile of vegetable-egg diet showed lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), along with different distribution of fasting blood glucose (FBG), showing statistically significant difference ( P <0.05). In comparison to subjects in Q1 quartile of mixed diet, those in Q4 quartile showed lower levels of systolic blood pressure (SBP), the difference being statistically significant ( P <0.05). In the traditional diet group, subjects in the Q4 quartile had lower waist circumference (WC), but higher levels of HDL-C than those of subjects in Q1 quartile. In addition, the distribution of glycated-hemoglobin (HbA1c) and FBG were different, the difference being statistically significant ( P <0.05). The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that traditional diet could be a protective factor of diabetes mellitus (odds ratio [ OR ]=0.810, 95% CI : 0.690-0.952, P trend <0.05) after adjusting for multiple confounding factors., Conclusion: The prevalence of diabetes in middle-aged and older rural residents is relatively high in Xinxiang County, Henan Province, and there may be a protective relationship between traditional diet and diabetes mellitus., (Copyright© by Editorial Board of Journal of Sichuan University (Medical Sciences).)

Background: Our primary aim of the current study was to explore the correlation between plasma CRABP2 and migration, proliferation and invasion of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells., Methods: Human lung cancer cell line A549 was used in the present study, which was cultured in 6-well plates (1 × 106 cells/well) and then transfected with pcDNA-CRABP2 and pcDNA, siRNA with the use of Lipofectamine 2000 based on the manufacturer's protocol. The expression of CRABP2 mRNA was detected through real-time PCR. Proliferation was further detected using MTT assays, and apoptosis was monitored and recorded with the application of flow cytometry. The expression of E-cadherin, MMP9, vimentin and related pathway proteins was detected by Western blotting assays. Transwell assays and cell scratch assays were utilized for the detection of migration and invasion ability of A549 cells., Results: RT-PCR results showed The CRABP2 mRNA transcript levels in the CRABP2 overexpression group were higher when comparing those of the empty vector group (P < 0.05). By MTT assays, CRABP2 overexpression promoted cellular proliferation, while CRABP2 downregulation inhibited cellular proliferation. CRABP2 overexpression inhibited cell apoptosis and promoted cellular proliferation. The number of TUNEL staining positive cells was the lowest in the CRABP2 overexpression group, and the siRNA transfection group had increased apoptosis. CRABP2 downregulation reduced EMT in cells and cell migration and invasion reflected from western blotting results and cell migration and invasion assay results, respectively., Conclusion: Inhibition of plasma CRABP2 expression offers the potential in terms of reducing the expression of MAPKs and proteins in the NF-κB pathway and inhibiting the proliferation and migration of NSCLC cells, which is ideally suited for further treatment for NSCLC.

This article aims to explore the effects and possible mechanism of miR-543 on small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) cells. The respective levels of miR-543 in lung carcinoma tissues, para-cancerous tissues, human normal lung cells MRC-9, and SCLC cells were detected by RT-qPCR. The proliferation, apoptosis, and migration of SCLC cells were detected after the miR-543 level in SCLC cells was altered by miRNA mimics and inhibitors. The levels of apoptosis-related proteins and potential downstream targeted proteins of miR-543 were detected by western blots. The study revealed that KNTC1 was highly expressed in lung carcinoma tissues and SCLC cells (P < 0.01). It also showed that knockdown of miR-543 can inhibit the proliferation and migration of SCLC cells, induce apoptosis, and increase the level of apoptosis-related proteins. These changes were reversed by the addition of mimics that increased miR-543 levels. The level of miR-543 was positively correlated with the protein expression level of downstream MUC1, β-catenin, and CDC42 in SCLC cells, suggesting that miR-543 may play a role through them. Thus this study concludes that MiR-543 can affect the function of SCLC cells, which may play a crucial role in the presence and development of SCLC.

We aimed to know the effect of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) inhibition on the kidney injury of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) mice. Pristane-induced SLE mice were treated with pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC, 50 or 100 mg/kg), a NF-κB inhibitor. Histopathological changes were observed by hematoxylin & eosin, Masson and periodic schiff-methenamine stainings. Long noncoding RNA Taurine upregulated gene 1 (LncRNA TUG1) was measured by real-time reverse transcription PCR, NF-κB p65 expression by western blotting, levels of inflammatory cytokines, antinuclear antibodies (ANA), and antidouble stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the deposition of IgG and C3 by immunofluorescence. The kidney of SLE mice exhibited interstitial inflammatory cell infiltration, interstitial fibrous proliferation, glomerular mesangial proliferation, and crescent formation, which was mitigated after PDTC administration. The levels of BUN, Cr, ANA, and anti-dsDNA and the pro-inflammatory factors in SLE mice were increased with obvious deposition of IgG and C3, but they were also reversed by PDTC. Furthermore, the NF-κB p65 expression in the nucleus in the SLE mice was decreased with the up-regulation of TUG1 expression and NF-κB p65 expression in the cytoplasm after PDTC treatment. Correlation analysis revealed the negative correlation between the TUG1 expression and NF-κB p65 in the nucleus in the kidney tissues. NF-κB inhibition with PDTC protected against the kidney injury of pristine-induced SLE mice possibly via up-regulating lncRNA TUG1, and further clinical studies are needed to clarify whether NF-κB inhibition may be a therapeutic modality for the kidney injury of SLE., (© 2020 The Authors. The Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences published by John Wiley & Sons Australia on behalf of Kaohsiung Medical University.)

Background: Not all adults with chronic insomnia respond to the recommended therapeutic options of cognitive behavioral therapy and approved hypnotic drugs. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) may offer a novel potential treatment modality for insomnia., Objectives: This study aimed to examine the efficacy and safety of tACS for treating adult patients with chronic insomnia., Methods: Sixty-two participants with chronic primary insomnia received 20 daily 40-min, 77.5-Hz, 15-mA sessions of active or sham tACS targeting the forehead and both mastoid areas in the laboratory on weekdays for 4 consecutive weeks, followed by a 4-week follow-up period. The primary outcome was response rate measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) at week 8. Secondary outcomes were remission rate, insomnia severity, sleep onset latency (SOL), total sleep time (TST), sleep efficiency, sleep quality, daily disturbances, and adverse events at the end of the 4-week intervention and at the 4-week follow-up., Results: Of 62 randomized patients, 60 completed the trial. During the 4-week intervention, 1 subject per group withdrew due to loss of interest and time restriction, respectively. Based on PSQI, at 4-week follow-up, the active group had a higher response rate compared to the sham group (53.4% [16/30] vs. 16.7% [5/30], p = 0.009), but remission rates were not different between groups. At the end of the 4-week intervention, the active group had higher response and remission rates than the sham group (p < 0.001 and p = 0.026, respectively). During the trial, compared with the sham group, the active group showed a statistically significant decrease in PSQI total score, a shortened SOL, an increased TST, improved sleep efficiency, and improved sleep quality (p < 0.05 or p < 0.001). Post hoc analysis revealed that, in comparison with the sham group, the active group had improved symptoms, except for daily disturbances, at the end of the 4-week intervention, and significant improvements in all symptoms at the 4-week follow-up. No adverse events or serious adverse responses occurred during the study., Conclusion: The findings show that the tACS applied in the present study has potential as an effective and safe intervention for chronic insomnia within 8 weeks., (© 2019 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) is an important part of printed electrochemical gas sensors and are of value to electrochemical sensors. Here, a new type of SPE was prepared by dissolving a poly-vinylidene fluoride (PVDF) matrix in a 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) to immobilize 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([EMIM] [BF 4 ]), which was then used in a new electrochemical amperometric nitrogen dioxide sensor. The SPE was coated on a single electrode and attached to the electrode to construct a simple two-layer structure. Nitrogen dioxide in the air was reduced on the working electrode at a bias voltage of -500 V. We controlled the components and process parameters separately for control experiments. The results show that the SPE based on [EMIM] [BF 4 ], NMP, and PVDF coated on the electrode at a thickness of 1.25 mm with a 1:1:4 weight ratio under heat treatment conditions of 80°C for 2 min has the best sensitivity. The FTIR and XPS results indicated that SPE is prepared via physical miscibility. The SEM and XRD results showed that the sensitivity of the sensor is strongly dependent on the interconnected pore structure in SPE, and the pore structure is related to the synthesis ratio, morphology, and heat treatment mode of SPE. Moreover, the sensor sensitivity has a certain relationship with SPE conductivity. The reaction principle and cycle performance of the sensor were also studied.

Aim: To observe the effect of targeted therapy with 64-slice spiral computed tomography (CT) combined with cryoablation for liver cancer., Methods: A total of 124 patients (142 tumors) were enrolled into this study. According to the use of dual-slice spiral CT or 64-slice spiral CT as a guide technology, patients were divided into two groups: dual-slice group ( n = 56, 65 tumors) and 64-slice group ( n = 8, 77 tumors). All patients were accepted and received targeted therapy by an argon-helium superconducting surgery system. The guided scan times of the two groups was recorded and compared. In the two groups, the lesion ice coverage in diameter of ≥ 3 cm and < 3 cm were recorded, and freezing effective rate was compared. Hepatic perfusion values [hepatic artery perfusion (HAP), portal vein perfusion (PVP), and the hepatic arterial perfusion index (HAPI)] of tumor tissues, adjacent tissues and normal liver tissues at preoperative and postoperative four weeks in the two groups were compared. Local tumor changes were recorded and efficiency was compared at four weeks post-operation. Adverse events were recorded and compared between the two groups, including fever, pain, frostbite, nausea, vomiting, pleural effusion and abdominal bleeding., Results: Guided scan times in the dual-slice group was longer than that in the 64-slice group ( t = 11.445, P = 0.000). The freezing effective rate for tumors < 3 cm in diameter in the dual-slice group (81.58%) was lower than that in the 64-slice group (92.86%) (χ 2 = 5.707, P = 0.017). The HAP and HAPI of tumor tissues were lower at four weeks post-treatment than at pre-treatment in both groups (all P < 0.05), and those in the 64-slice group were lower than that in the dual-slice group (all P < 0.05). HAP and PVP were lower and HAPI was higher in tumor adjacent tissues at post-treatment than at pre-treatment (all P < 0.05). Furthermore, the treatment effect and therapeutic efficacy in the dual-slice group were lower than the 64-slice group at four weeks post-treatment (all P < 0.05). Moreover, pleural effusion and intraperitoneal hemorrhage occurred in patients in the dual-slice group, while no complications occurred in the 64-slice group (all P < 0.05)., Conclusion: 64-slice spiral CT applied with cryoablation in targeted therapy for liver cancer can achieve a safe and effective freezing treatment, so it is worth being used., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflict of interest related to the manuscript.

Long non-coding RNAs have recently emerged as important regulators in the pathogenesis and progression of cancers. The long non-coding RNA urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 is reportedly upregulated and functions as an oncogene in some tumors. However, the role of urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 in renal cell carcinoma is not well elucidated so far. In this study, we found that urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 was overexpressed in renal cell carcinoma tissues compared with the adjacent normal tissues, and higher urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 expression levels were positively associated with advanced tumor stage and poor survival time in renal cell carcinoma patients. Further studies showed that knockdown of urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 suppressed renal cell carcinoma cell proliferation and S-phase cell number in vitro. Moreover, urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 was found to be associated with enhancer of zeste homolog 2, which suppressed p21 expression through histone methylation (H3K27me3) on p21 promoter. We also showed that knockdown of urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 increased the p21 protein expression through regulating enhancer of zeste homolog 2. In addition, bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assays confirmed that miR-495 was a target of urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 in renal cell carcinoma, and urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 promoted cell proliferation by negatively regulating miR-495. These findings illuminated that urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 promoted renal cell carcinoma progression through enhancer of zeste homolog 2 and interacted with miR-495. Overall, overexpression of urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 functions as an oncogene in renal cell carcinoma that may offer a novel therapeutic target for renal cell carcinoma patients.

Objective: To explore the association between body mass index (BMI) and all-cause mortality among the elderly in Beijing., Methods: This analysis was based on the Beijing multidimensional longitudinal study of aging (BLSA), which included 2,090 subjects over 55 years old and was followed-up from 1992 to 2012. BMI-mortality curves were drawn to find the optimal BMI range with the lowest mortality. Cox proportional hazard models were used to obtain the hazard ratios (HRs) for BMI and BMI changes in the overall population and in specific stratified populations., Results: During follow-up, 1,164 deaths were recorded; BMI-mortality curve was U-shaped, with the lowest mortality at a BMI of approximately 25 kg/m2. After adjusting for gender, age, smoking, drinking and some pre-existing diseases, HRs for underweight, overweight and obesity compared with normal weight were 1.372 (95% CI: 1.154-1.631), 0.767 (95% CI: 0.666-0.884) and 0.871 (95% CI: 0.830-1.246), respectively. HR for BMI drop was 3.245 (95% CI: 0.824-12.772) in the underweight group and 1.892 (95% CI: 0.830-1.246) in the normal weight group, HR for BMI rise was 1.795 (95% CI: 1.243-2.591) in normal weight group and 1.962 (95% CI: 1.202-3.203) in the overweight group., Conclusion: Keeping BMI in an overweight status and stable is related to a reduced mortality., (Copyright © 2017 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.)

Effective use of all available donated organs is critical, in order to meet the increasing demand for transplants. The present study explored liver transplantation with livers that were donated following cardiac death (DCD). According to the guidelines established by The Red Cross Society of China, 42 DCD organs were procured. Selected donors were treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) prior to the organ retrieval. The present single-center study included 6 liver transplantations of DCD organs (5 liver transplants and 1 liver-kidney combined transplant). All 6 recipients had a successful recovery without significant complications. The serum alanine transaminase, total bilirubin and international normalized ratio returned to the normal levels within a short period of time following transplantation, and the liver function remained normal during the follow-up period, which lasted up to 24 months. The present report demonstrated the feasibility of orthotopic liver transplantation using DCD livers. The pre-conditioning DCD donors and optimization of the recipient's condition using ECMO, played a crucial role in ensuring the success of transplantation.

The breeding of domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) for human consumption has a long tradition in China. Infections that can affect the production of meat or even be transmitted from animals to humans are important to monitor, especially for public health reasons as well as for their impact on animal health. Thus, a total of 1,132 domestic rabbit sera from 4 regions in China were collected for serological screening for Encephalitozoon cuniculi and for Toxoplasma gondii by ELISA and modified agglutination test (MAT), respectively. Antibodies to E. cuniculi were detected in 248/1,132 (21.9%) sera tested while antibodies against T. gondii revealed a seroprevalence of 51/1,132 (4.5%). We believe that the present results are of epidemiological implications and public health importance due to the acknowledged susceptibility of humans to E. cuniculi and T. gondii infections. Therefore, routine screening tests of domestic rabbits are proposed considering the zoonotic potential of these parasites.

To detect the expression of RKIP, E-cadherin and NF-kB p65 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and study their correlations. Steptavidin-peroxidase (S-P) method was employed to detect the expressions of RKIP, E-cadherin and NF-kB p65 in ESCC tissues from 77 cases and paracancerous tissues from 77 cases. The correlations between their expressions and clinicopathological indices and between the expressions of these proteins themselves were analyzed. The expressions of RKIP and E-cadherin in ESCC tissues were obviously lower than those in the paracancerous tissues (P<0.01); the expressions in ESCC tissues from cases with lymph node metastasis were lower than those from cases without lymph node metastasis (P<0.01); the expression of RKIP was positively correlated with the expression of E-cadherin in ESCC tissues (P<0.01). The expression of NF-kB p65 in ESCC tissues was correlated with clinical staging, lymph node metastasis and tumor differentiation (P<0.01); the expression of RKIP was negatively correlated with the expression of NF-kB p65 in ESCC tissues (P<0.05). Downregulation or depletion of RKIP was related to the onset and progression of ESCC, and facilitated the invasion and metastasis of ESCC by downregulating E-cadherin and upregulating NF-kB p65.

Ten porphyrin sensitizers with different electron-withdrawing groups derived from the best sensitizer SM315 were investigated by means of the density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT calculations. To this end, major factors affecting the performance of the cell, including light harvesting, electron injection, dye regeneration, and conduction band energy shift are taken into consideration. Especially, the calculated distance (r) from the electron recapture center to the semiconductor surface is used to probe the charge recombination process. In addition, considering the complexity of the porphyrin sensitizers' absorption, the maximum short circuit current density (J(max)sc) is determined for investigating the light harvesting ability quantitatively. We find that when compared to SM315 with 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole, 1 with naphtho[1,2-c:5,6-c]bis[1,2,5]thiadiazole shows better performance due to both larger J(max)sc and r, and 7 with diketopyrrolopyrrole could also be a promising candidate due to the much larger J(max)sc and comparable r.

Systematic density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT calculations on the geometry, electronic structure, absorption, and nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of experimentally synthesized organic sensitizers LCn (n = 1-3) used in dyes-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were performed to disclose the important influences of the planar triphenylamine donor and the extended π-linker on the DSSCs performance. The interaction of dye with I2 and the conduction band shift were also investigated to rationalize the difference in open-circuit photovoltage (V oc). The results demonstrated that the planarization of TPA donor and the extended conjugation of π-linker in sensitizers LC2 and LC3 could result in a red shift of absorption and a reduction in exciton binding energy, which is beneficial to enhance the matching degree of absorption of sensitizers with solar photon-flux spectrum and to improve the incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency, both contributing to the significant increase of photocurrent density as compared to reference dye LC1. It is also found that the calculated NLO properties correlated well with the photocurrent response of sensitizers, suggesting that NLO properties may be used as an effective tool for the fast screen and design of candidate sensitizers. As for candidate dyes Tn (n = 1-4) with different dithiophene blocks as π-linker, dye T1 with dithienosilole as π-linker may serve as a promising alternative to high-performance dye LC3.

Background: Numerous studies have investigated cospeciation between parasites and their hosts, but there have been few studies concerning parasitoids and insect hosts. The high diversity and host specialization observed in Anicetus species suggest that speciation and adaptive radiation might take place with species diversification in scale insect hosts. Here we examined the evolutionary history of the association between Anicetus species and their scale insect hosts via distance-based and tree-based methods., Results: A total of 94 Anicetus individuals (nine parasitoid species) and 113 scale insect individuals (seven host species) from 14 provinces in China were collected in the present study. DNA sequence data from a mitochondrial gene (COI) and a nuclear ribosomal gene (28S D2 region) were used to reconstruct the phylogenies of Anicetus species and their hosts. The distance-based analysis showed a significant fit between Anicetus species and their hosts, but tree-based analyses suggested that this significant signal could be observed only when the cost of host-switching was high, indicating the presence of parasite sorting on related host species., Conclusions: This study, based on extensive rearing of parasitoids and species identification, provides strong evidence for a prevalence of sorting events and high host specificity in the genus Anicetus, offering insights into the diversification process of Anicetus species parasitizing scale insects.

Aim: To investigate the indications for lymph node dissection (LND) in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma patients., Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 124 intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) patients who had undergone surgical resection of ICC from January 2006 to December 2007. Curative resection was attempted for all patients unless there were metastases to lymph nodes (LNs) beyond the hepatoduodenal ligament. Prophylactic LND was performed in patients in whom any enlarged LNs had been suspicious for metastases. The patients were classified according to the LND and LN metastases. Clinicopathologic, operative, and long-term survival data were collected retrospectively. The impact on survival of LND during primary resection was analyzed., Results: Of 53 patients who had undergone hepatic resection with curative intent combined with regional LND, 11 had lymph nodes metastases. Whether or not patients without lymph node involvement had undergone LND made no significant difference to their survival (P = 0.822). Five patients with multiple tumors and involvement of lymph nodes underwent hepatic resection with LND; their survival curve did not differ significantly from that of the palliative resection group (P = 0.744). However, there were significant differences in survival between patients with lymph node involvement and a solitary tumor who underwent hepatic resection with LND and the palliative resection group (median survival time 12 mo vs 6.0 mo, P = 0.013)., Conclusion: ICC patients without lymph node involvement and patients with multiple tumors and lymph node metastases may not benefit from aggressive lymphadenectomy. Routine LND should be considered with discretion.

The geometric and electronic structures, absorption spectra, transporting properties, chemical reactivity indices and electrostatic potentials of the planar three-coordinate organoboron compounds 1-2 and twisted reference compound Mes(3)B, have been investigated by employing density functional theory (DFT) and conceptual DFT methods to shed light on the planarity effects on the photophysical properties and the chemical reactivity. The results show that the planar compounds 1-2 exhibit significantly lower HOMO level than Mes(3)B, owing to the stronger electronic induction effect of boron centers. This feature conspicuously induces a blue shifted absorption for 1, although 1 seemingly possesses more extended conjugation framework than Mes(3)B. Importantly, the reactivity strength of the boron atoms in 1-2 is much lower than that in Mes(3)B, despite the fact that the tri-coordinate boron centers of 1-2 are completely naked. The interesting and abnormal phenomenon is caused by the strong p-π electronic interactions, that is, the empty p-orbital of boron center is partly filled by π-electron of the neighbor carbon atoms in 1-2, which are confirmed by the analysis of Laplacian of the electron density and natural bond orbitals. Furthermore, the negative electrostatic potentials of the boron centers in 1-2 also interpret that they are not the most preferred sites for incoming nucleophiles. Moreover, it is also found that the planar compounds 1-2 can act as promising electron transporting materials since the internal reorganization energies for electron are really small.

The study was aimed to investigate the mechanism of mannan-binding lectin (MBL) on bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced human peripheral blood monocyte-derived dendritic cell (DC) maturation. The monocytes were prepared from the peripheral blood of healthy adult volunteers. The immature dendritic cells (imDC) were induced by 5-day-culture in medium supplemented with rhGM-CSF and rhIL-4. FACS was used to investigate the interaction of MBL with imDC and the impact of MBL on LPS binding to imDC. ELISA and Western blot was used to analyze the interaction of MBL with soluble TLR4 ectodomain protein (sTLR4); Western blot was used to detect LPS-induced NF-κB translocation in imDC. The results showed that MBL could directly bind to imDC in the presence of calcium. sTLR4 protein or LPS could competitively inhibit the binding of MBL to imDC. ELISA and Western blot showed that MBL could evidently bind to sTLR4 protein in a concentration-dependent manner. FACS showed that MBL could competitively inhibit the binding of LPS to imDC by binding to imDC directly. Western blot showed that MBL decreased LPS-induced NF-κB translocation in imDC. It is concluded that MBL may competitively inhibit the binding of LPS to imDC by binding to TLR4 expressed on imDC, resulted in inhibition of LPS-induced DC maturation, suggesting that MBL can regulate DC maturation through ligand-binding. This study provides the good foundation to clarify the mechanism of MBL inhibiting the LPS-induced DC maturation.

It is critical to effectively use every available organ to meet the increasing demands for liver transplantation. Situs inversus is a rare congenital anomaly caused by obstruction of viscus rotation during embryonic development. Situs inversus was once regarded as a contraindication to liver transplantation because of the technical difficulties associated with the unique vascular anatomy and concern about achieving accurate graft positioning. Here, we present a successful case of liver transplantation using a graft from a donor with situs inversus totalis. The related experience will contribute to opening up new realms for the use of such rare organ resources.

The impacts of bisphenol A- imprinted polymeric microspheres (MIPMs) on the biodegradation of bisphenol A by acclimated activated sludge were studied. Due to the selective adsorption of MIPMs to bisphenol A (BPA) and its analogues, addition of MIPMs to activated sludge increased levels of BPA and its metabolites, which were also the substrates of biodegradation. Higher substrates (BPA and its metabolites) level promoted biodegradation efficiencies of activated sludge via accelerating removal speed of BPA and its metabolites, increasing degradation rate and decreasing half-lives of biodegradation. The enhancement of MIPMs in degradation efficiencies was more significant in environmental water containing low-level of pollutants, and water containing interferences such as heavy metals and humic acid. Furthermore, MIPMs were more suitable than non-selective sorbents such as active carbon to be used as enhancer for BPA biodegradation. MIPMs combined with activated sludge are simple, effective, environmental-friendly processes to biodegrade low-level pollutants in environmental water., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To study the effect of lipid-regulating function for extracts and their prescriptions from Semen Cassiae and Crataegus pinnatifida Bge. var. major N. E. Br. on serum lipid of hyperlipidema mice., Methods: 1 week after being administered with extract of Semen Cassiae, extract of Crataegus pinatifida Bge. var. major N. E. Br. and different proportion mixture of them (180 mg/ kg), mice were treated with ip 75% fresh yelkfluid. The contents of TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, apo AI and apo B were observed after 24 h., Results: The levels of TC, TG, LDL-C and apoB in therapeutic group were lower than those in hyperlipidemic model group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), especially in different proportion mixture groups., Conclusion: Lipid-regulating active part of Semen Cassiae and Crataegus pinatifida Bge. var. major N. E. Br. might inhibit hyperlipidemic formation, and mixture groups were more effective than those of its single extract.