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Abstract: Nanosized metal and polyaniline (PANi) composite spheres have been prepared via the polymerization of aniline using PdCl2 or HAuCl4 as the oxidant in a microemulsion system. The oxidization of aniline and the reduction of metal ion happened together during the reaction, yielding PANi and elemental metal simultaneously. The results of FTIR spectra suggested that the oxidation degree of PANi was affected by the initial ratio of metal ions to monomer in the microemulsion system. The PANi–metal nanospheres were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and the conductivity of the composite nanospheres was measured by conventional four-probe method. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy were used to show the morphology of the composites. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Surface modification of polyimide (PI) films were first carried out by chloromethylation under mild conditions, followed by surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of 4-vinylpyridine (4VP) from the chloromethylated PI surfaces. The composition and topography of the PI surfaces modified by poly(4-vinylpyridine) (P4VP) were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. The P4VP brushes with well-preserved pyridine groups on the PI surface was used not only as the chemisorption sites for the palladium complexes without prior sensitization by SnCl2 solution during the electroless plating of copper, but also as an adhesion promotion layer to enhance the adhesion of the electrolessly deposited copper to the PI surfaces. The T-peel adhesion strength of the electrolessly deposited copper on the modified PI surface could reach about 6.6N/cm. Effects of the polymerization time and the activation time in the PdCl2 solution on the T-peel adhesion strength of the electrolessly deposited copper in the Sn-free process to the modified PI surface were also studied. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Elastic conducting hydrogel is a promising candidate for the construction of high-performance electronic devices because of the unique mechanical and electrical features of conducting hydrogel with three-dimensional network. But conducting polymers are considered to be inherently rigid due to the conjugated chains in the macromolecular structures, leading to poor processability. Making conducting polymer hydrogels elastic by a rational and facile design is paramount for the construction of remarkable electronic device. Here, elastic polypyrrole (PPy) hydrogels reinforced by TEMPO-oxidized cellulose are obtained in the presence of methyl orange and FeCl 3 during the static polymerization and self-assembly process. The as-prepared hydrogels exhibit one-dimensional nanotubes-based porous networks with electric conductivity, high elasticity and mechanical stability. With this special design, the symmetric quasi-solid-state supercapacitor fabricated by PPy hydrogels reinforced by TEMPO-oxidized cellulose electrodes deliver good electrochemical performance and can be connected in series as an electronic circuit to light up a LED bulb. All of the characteristics of the resulting PPy hydrogels reinforced by TEMPO-oxidized cellulose open an avenue for potential energy storage applications. • Elastic PPy hydrogels reinforced by TEMPO-oxidized cellulose are prepared. • The hydrogels possess electric conductivity, high elasticity and stability. • The hydrogels are further used to construct a quasi-solid-state supercapacitor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main research about the preparation of the conducting polymer/graphene composite hydrogel has been focused on the hydrothermal synthesis or the external gel accelerator. Herein, the composite hydrogel based on graphene oxide (GO) and polypyrrole (PPy) and polyaniline (PANI) is fabricated via vapor-liquid interfacial synthesis. FeCl 3 and GO are dispersed in an aqueous solution. Then, the polymerization of pyrrole and aniline occurs on the interface between their vapor and the above aqueous solution. The effect of FeCl 3 and GO on formation, morphology and performance of composite hydrogel of GO/PPy/PANI is investigated. Furthermore, the specific capacitance of hydrogel is larger than that of composite film obtained without the addition of GO. After 2000 electrochemical cycles at a scan rate of 1 A g−1, about 91% of the specific capacitance of GO/PPy/PANI composite hydrogel is kept, indicating the enhanced cyclic stability of composite hydrogel. Moreover, graphite paper can be coated by GO/PPy/PANI composite hydrogels and used as binder-free electrodes to construct a flexible solid-state symmetric supercapacitor with excellent cyclic stability and rate capability. This work reveals an easy, efficient, and scalable route for the preparation of the conducting composite hydrogel with improved electrochemical performance. [Display omitted] • GO/PPy/PANI composite hydrogel is fabricated by vapor-liquid interfacial synthesis. • The effect of GO and FeCl 3 on the composite hydrogel is investigated. • The specific capacitance of composite hydrogel is improved. • The composite hydrogels are further used to construct a flexible supercapacitor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multifunctional therapeutics have emerged as a solution to the constraints imposed by drugs with singular or insufficient therapeutic effects. The primary challenge is to integrate diverse pharmacophores within a single-molecule framework. To address this, we introduced DeepSA, a novel edit-based generative framework that utilizes deep simulated annealing for the modification of articaine, a well-known local anesthetic. DeepSA integrates deep neural networks into metaheuristics, effectively constraining molecular space during compound generation. This framework employs a sophisticated objective function that accounts for scaffold preservation, anti-inflammatory properties, and covalent constraints. Through a sequence of local editing to navigate the molecular space, DeepSA successfully identified AT-17 , a derivative exhibiting potent analgesic properties and significant anti-inflammatory activity in various animal models. Mechanistic insights into AT-17 revealed its dual mode of action: selective inhibition of Na V 1.7 and 1.8 channels, contributing to its prolonged local anesthetic effects, and suppression of inflammatory mediators via modulation of the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. These findings not only highlight the efficacy of AT-17 as a multifunctional drug candidate but also highlight the potential of DeepSA in facilitating AI-enhanced drug discovery, particularly within stringent chemical constraints., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Background: Although the roles of PD-L1 in promoting tumor escape from immunosurveillance have been extensively addressed, its non-immune effects on tumor cells remain unclear., Methods: The spatial heterogeneity of PD-L1 staining in human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) tissues was identified by immunohistochemistry. Three-dimensional (3D) specific cell-led invasion assay and 3D cancer spheroid model were used to investigate the roles of PD-L1 hi leader cells in collective invasion. The impact of M1 macrophages on specific PD-L1 expression in leader cells and its mechanisms were further studied. Finally, the effect of combination therapy of anti-PD-L1 and CDK4 inhibitor on HPV-positive tumors were evaluated on a mice model., Results: Here, we observed a distinctive marginal pattern of PD-L1 expression in HPV-positive HNSCC tissues. By mimicking this spatial pattern of PD-L1 expression in the 3D invasion assay, we found that PD-L1 hi cells led the tumor collective invasion. M1 macrophages induced specific PD-L1 expression in leader cells, and depletion of macrophages in tumor-bearing mice abrogated PD-L1 hi leader cells and collective invasion. Mechanistically, TNF-α secreted by M1 macrophages markedly increased the abundance of PD-L1 via CDK4/ubiquitin-specific peptidase 14-mediated deubiquitination of PD-L1. We also found that suppression of CDK4 enhanced the efficacy of anti-PD-L1 therapy in an E6/E7 murine model., Conclusions: Our study identified TNF-α/CDK4/ubiquitin-specific peptidase 14-mediated PD-L1 stability as a novel mechanism underlying M1 macrophage-induced PD-L1 hi leader cells and collective tumor invasion, and highlighted the potential of the combination therapy of anti-PD-L1 and CDK4 inhibitor for HPV-positive HNSCC., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Optical vortices (OVs), as eigenmodes of optical orbital angular momentum, have been widely used in particle micro-manipulation. Recently, perfect optical vortices (POVs), a subclass of OVs, are gaining increasing interest and becoming an indispensable tool in optical trapping due to their unique property of topological charge-independent vortex radius. Here, we expand the concept of POVs by proposing concentric ring optical traps (CROTs) and apply them to trapping and rotating particles. A CROT consists of a series of concentric rings, each being a vortex whose radius and topological charge can be controlled independently with respect to the other rings. Quantitative results show that the generated CROTs have weak sidelobes, good uniformity, and relatively high diffraction efficiency. In experiments, CROTs are observed to trap multiple dielectric particles simultaneously on different rings and rotate these particles with the direction and speed of rotation depending on the topological charge sign and value of each individual ring. In addition, gold particles are observed to be trapped and rotate in the dark region between two bright rings. As a novel tool, CROTs may find potential applications in fields like optical manipulation and microfluidic viscosity measurements., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2023 the author(s), published by De Gruyter, Berlin/Boston.)

In order to improve the teaching quality of engineering courses, we introduced a multi-dimensional teaching method into the teaching reform of biology majors in colleges based on the portfolio assessment in the curriculum of Cell Engineering. We reformed the knowledge system, teaching form and implementation scheme of this course. By combining the reform of online teaching, interactive teaching, case teaching and other teaching modes, the students mastered the relevant professional knowledge and the scientific and technological frontier of Cell Engineering. Moreover, their learning interest and enthusiasm, ability of analyzing and solving professional problems related to Cell Engineering also improved. The implementation of teaching reform of this course provides a reference for other similar professional courses in colleges.

Positive human papillomavirus (HPV + ) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) presents a higher risk of lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis. Here, advanced microarray analysis of clinically collected HNSCC tissues revealed significant upregulation of the lncRNA SELL in HPV + HNSCC, and its overexpression was obviously associated with lymph node metastasis. The lncRNA SELL could function as a promigratory and proinvasive mediator as well as an inducer of M1-like tumour-associated macrophages (TAM) by increasing the level of L-selectin. Furthermore, fucoidan, as an L-selectin inhibitor, obviously weakened the formation of tongue lesions induced by 4-Nitroquinoline N-oxide (4-NQO) in HPV16 E6/E7 transgenic mice. This result drove us to synchronously develop a nanodelivery platform to verify fucoidan-mediated anti-growth and anti-metastasis effects. This work highlighted the important influence of the lncRNA SELL/L-selectin on promoting HPV + HNSCC progression and proposed a potential fucoidan-mediated therapeutic strategy. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients with human papillomavirus (HPV) involvement present a greater risk of lymph node metastasis than HPV negative HNSCC patients. However, treatment protocols, including surgery and platinum-based chemo- and radiotherapy, have not improved the 5-year overall survival due to the high tendency of lymphatic metastasis. Here, microarray of clinical HNSCC samples confirms the oncogenic significance of lncRNA SELL, which acts as an M1-like TAM inducer and promotes tumorigenesis by upregulating L-selectin. Fucoidan, as an L-selectin inhibitor, suppresses tongue lesions in transgenic mice, and a fucoidan-mediated nanodelivery platform inhibits HPV + HNSCC growth. The present study highlights lncRNA SELL/L-selectin on promoting HPV + HNSCC progression and proposes a potential fucoidan-mediated therapeutic., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The optical angular memory effect (AME) is a basic feature of turbid media and defines the correlation of speckles when the incident light is tilted. AME based imaging through solid scattering media such as ground glass and biomedical tissue has been recently developed. However, in the case of liquid media such as turbid water or blood, the speckle pattern exhibits dynamic time-varying characteristics, which introduces several challenges. The AME of the thick volume dynamic media is particularly different from the layer scatterers. In practice, there are more parameters, e.g., scattering particle size, shape, density, or even the illuminating beam aperture that can influence the AME range. Experimental demonstration of AME phenomenon in liquid dynamic media and confirm the distinctions will contribution to complete the AME theory. In this paper, a dual-polarization speckle detection setup was developed to characterize the AME of dynamic turbid media, where two orthogonal polarized beams were employed for simultaneous detection by a single CCD. The AME of turbid water, milk and blood were measured. The influence of thickness, concentration, particle size and shape, and beam diameter were analyzed. The AME increasement of upon the decrease of beam diameter was tested and verified. The results demonstrate the feasibility of this method for investigating the AME phenomenon and provide guidance for AME based imaging through scattering media.

Tinnitus is an auditory phantom percept that affects the perception of sound in the patient's ears, and the incidence of prolonged tinnitus is as high as ten to fifteen percent. Acupuncture is a unique treatment method in Chinese medicine, and it has great advantages in the treatment of tinnitus. However, tinnitus is a subjective symptom of patients, and there is currently no objective detection method to reflect the improvement effect of acupuncture on tinnitus. We used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to explore the effect of acupuncture on the cerebral cortex of tinnitus patients. We collected the scores of the tinnitus disorder inventory (THI), tinnitus evaluation questionnaire (TEQ), hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA), and hamilton depression scale (HAMD) of eighteen subjects before and after acupuncture treatment, and the fNIRS signals of these subjects in sound-evoked activity before and after acupuncture treatment. According to the fNIRS detection results of tinnitus patients, acupuncture increased the concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin in the temporal lobe of tinnitus patients, and affected the activation of the auditory cortex. The study may reflect the neural mechanisms of acupuncture treatment for tinnitus and ultimately help to provide an objective evaluation method for the therapeutic effect of acupuncture treatment for tinnitus.

Airy beam light-sheet illumination can extend the field of view (FOV) of light-sheet fluorescence microscopy due to the unique propagation properties of non-diffraction and self-acceleration. However, the side lobes create undesirable out-of-focus background, leading to poor axial resolution and low image contrast. Here, we propose an Airy complementary beam subtraction (ACBS) method to improve the axial resolution while keeping the extended FOV. By scanning the optimized designed complementary beam that has two main lobes (TML), the generated complementary light-sheet has almost identical intensity distribution to that of the planar Airy light-sheet except for the central lobe. Subtraction of the two images acquired by double exposure respectively using the planar Airy light-sheet and the planar TML light-sheet can effectively suppress the influence of the out-of-focus background. The axial resolution improves from ∼4µ m to 1.2 µm. The imaging performance was demonstrated by imaging specimens of aspergillus conidiophores and GFP labeled mouse brain section. The results show that the ACBS method enables the Airy beam light-sheet fluorescence microscopy to obtain better imaging quality.

Background: Previous studies concerning the effect of plasma hemoglobin (HB) and other factors that may modify the risk of death in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART) are limited., Results: Higher HB was independently linked to a lower death risk in PLHIV, with a decrease of 29% (13%, 43%) per standard deviation (SD) increment after adjusting for CD4, VL and other potential factors [hazard ratio (HR): 0.71, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.57-0.87, P<0.001]. In addition, the addition of HB to the predictive model containing VL and CD4 significantly improved the C-index, by 0.69% (95% CI: 0.68%-0.71%), and net discrimination, by 0.5% (95% CI: 0.0%-1.6%, P=0.040), when predicting the death risk of PLHIV., Conclusions: A lower level of HB was an independent risk factor for HIV/AIDS-associated death in PLHIV. HB combined with VL and CD4 may be an appropriate predictive model of the death risk of PLHIV., Materials and Methods: A propensity-score matching (PSM) approach was applied to select a total of 750 PLHIV (150 deceased and 600 living) from the AIDS prevention and control information system in the Wenzhou area from 2006 to 2018. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were formulated to estimate the effect of HB. The predictive performance improvement contributed by HB was evaluated using the C-index and net reclassification improvement.

We introduce the portfolio assessment into the classroom teaching reform in the curriculum of Cell Engineering, a specialty course in bioengineering & biotechnology. We established a complete classroom evaluation system that was divided the classroom assessment system of portfolio into four stages including the preparation stage, training stage, implementation stage and exhibition stage. We also discuss the feasibility and necessity of implementing the portfolio evaluation method in the course of cell engineering, the construction of evaluation system, and the key points and matters needing attention in the implementation process. The classroom reform is very productive, not only the classroom atmosphere has been activated, students' learning initiative and autonomy has been enhanced, but also the students' ability to analyze and solve professional problems related to cell engineering technology has been improved. The implementation of classroom teaching reform of this course can provide reference for other similar professional courses in colleges and universities.

Light-sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) facilitates high temporal-spatial resolution, low photobleaching and phototoxicity for long-term volumetric imaging. However, when a high axial resolution or optical sectioning capability is required, the field of view (FOV) is limited. Here, we propose to generate a large FOV of light-sheet by scanning multiple focus-shifted Gaussian beam arrays (MGBA) while keeping the high axial resolution. The positions of the beam waists of the multiple Gaussian beam arrays are shifted in both axial and lateral directions in an optimized arranged pattern, and then scanned along the direction perpendicular to the propagation axis to form an extended FOV of light-sheet. Complementary beam subtraction method is also adopted to further improve axial resolution. Compared with the single Gaussian light-sheet method, the proposed method extends the FOV from 12 μm to 200 μm while sustaining the axial resolution of 0.73 μm. Both numerical simulation and experiment on samples are performed to verify the effectiveness of the method.

Super-resolution structured illumination microscopy (SIM) routinely performs image reconstruction in the frequency domain using an approach termed frequency-domain reconstruction (FDR). Due to multiple Fourier transforms between the spatial and frequency domains, SIM suffers from low reconstruction speed, constraining its applications in real-time, dynamic imaging. To overcome this limitation, we developed a new method for SIM image reconstruction, termed spatial domain reconstruction (SDR). SDR is intrinsically simpler than FDR, does not require Fourier transforms and the theory predicts it to be a rapid image reconstruction method. Results show that SDR reconstructs a super-resolution image 7-fold faster than FDR, producing images that are equal to either FDR or the widely-used FairSIM. We provide a proof-of-principle using mobile fluorescent beads to demonstrate the utility of SDR in imaging moving objects. Consequently, replacement of the FDR approach with SDR significantly enhances SIM as the desired method for live-cell, instant super-resolution imaging. This means that SDR-SIM is a "What You See Is What You Get" approach to super-resolution imaging.

The scattering effect occurring when light passes through inhomogeneous-refractive-index media such as atmosphere or biological tissues will scramble the light wavefront into speckles and impede optical imaging. Wavefront shaping is an emerging technique for imaging through scattering media that works by addressing correction of the disturbed wavefront. In addition to the phase and amplitude, the polarization of the output scattered light will also become spatially randomized in some cases. The recovered image quality and fidelity benefit from correcting as much distortion of the scattered light as possible. Liquid-crystal spatial light modulators (LC-SLMs) are widely used in the wavefront shaping technique, since they can provide a great number of controlled modes and thereby high-precision wavefront correction. However, due to the working principle of LC-SLMs, the wavefront correction is restricted to only one certain linear polarization state, resulting in retrieved image information in only the right polarization, while the information in the orthogonal polarization is lost. In this paper, we describe a full-polarization wavefront correction system for shaping the scattered light wavefront in two orthogonal polarizations with a single LC-SLM. The light speckles in both polarizations are corrected for retrieval of the full polarization information and faithful images of objects. As demonstrated in the experiments, the focusing intensity can be increased by full-polarization wavefront correction, images of objects in arbitrary polarization states can be retrieved, and the polarization state of the object's light can also be recognized.

Iodine-doped polyvinyl alcohol (IDPVA) film has been widely used as a plastic polarizer due to its great linear dichroism. We found that the anisotropic character of the plastic polarizer can be permanently damaged upon exposure of high intensity femtosecond laser pulses. This process is a two-photon-induced chemical reaction and denominated as two-photon-induced isotropy (TPII). The TPII effect can form a high polarization contrast on the base of the original IDPVA films. With this property, polarization-sensitive diffractive optical elements are fabricated in IDPVA films. The low cost of the IDPVA film and the high polarization contrast of TPII make it a promising new candidate for femtosecond laser fabrication of polarization-selective optical elements.

Benefitting from the development of commercial spatial light modulator (SLM), holographic optical tweezers (HOT) have emerged as a powerful tool for life science, material science and particle physics. The calculation of computer-generated holograms (CGH) for generating multi-focus arrays plays a key role in HOT for trapping of a bunch of particles in parallel. To realize dynamic 3D manipulation, we propose a new tilted-plane GS algorithm for fast generation of multiple foci. The multi-focal spots with a uniformity of 99% can be generated in a tilted plane. The computation time for a CGH with 512×512 pixels is less than 0.1 second. We demonstrated the power of the algorithm by simultaneously trapping and rotating silica beads with a 7×7 spots array in three dimensions. The presented algorithm is expected as a powerful kernel of HOT.

Background: Temperature is a key factor influencing the growth and distribution of Taxus chinensis var. mairei, which is of high medicinal value. However, there is little information about the changes in rhizosphere bacterial community of Taxus chinensis var. maire under different temperatures., Methods: In this study, the rhizosphere bacterial communities of Taxus chinensis var. maire under a series of temperatures [5°C (T5), 15°C (T15), 25°C (T25), 35°C (T35)] were assessed through high-throughput sequencing. And some taxa annotated as Mitochondria were positively correlated with the activity of SOD., Results: Activity of peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were increased and decreased respectively with increasing incubation temperature, showing that SOD may be the dominant reactive oxygen species (ROS) detoxifying enzyme in Taxus chinensis var. maire under low temperature. Taxus chinensis var. maire enriched specific bacterial taxa in rhizosphere under different temperature, and the rhizosphere bacterial diversity decreased with increasing temperature., Conclusion: The results indicated that rhizosphere bacteria may play important role for Taxus chinensis var. maire in coping with temperature changes, and the management of rhizosphere bacteria in a potential way to increase the cold resistance of Taxus chinensis var. mairei, thus improving its growth under low temperature and enlarging its habitats., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

This publisher's note contains corrections to Opt. Lett.44, 5141 (2019)OPLEDP0146-959210.1364/OL.44.005141.

Objective: The side-lobes of a Bessel beam (BB) create a severe out-of-focus background in scanning light-sheet fluorescence microscopy, thereby extremely limiting the axial resolution. The complementary beam subtraction (CBS) method can significantly reduce the out-of-focus background by double scanning a BB and its complementary beam. However, the blurring and noise caused by the system instability during the double scanning and subtraction operations degrade the image quality significantly. Therefore, we propose a compressed blind deconvolution and denoising (CBDD) method that solves this problem., Methods: We use a unified formulation that comprehensively takes advantage of multiple compressed sensing reconstructions and blind sparse representation., Results: The simulations and experiments were performed using the microbeads and model organisms to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. Compared with the CBS light-sheet method, the proposed CBDD algorithm achieved the gain improvement in the axial and lateral resolution of about 1.81 and 2.22 times, respectively, while the average signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was increased by about 3 dB., Conclusion: Accordingly, the proposed method can suppress the noise level, enhance the SNR, and recover the degraded resolution simultaneously., Significance: The obtained results demonstrate the proposed CBDD algorithm is well suited to improve the imaging performance of the CBS light-sheet fluorescence microscopy.

Imaging through scattering media has been a long standing challenge in many disciplines. One of the promising solutions to address the challenge is the wavefront shaping technique, in which the phase distortion due to a scattering medium is corrected by a phase modulation device such as a spatial light modulator (SLM). However, the wide-field imaging speed is limited either by the feedback-based optimization to search the correction phase or by the update rate of SLMs. In this report, we introduce a new method called digital holographic wavefront correction, in which the correction phase is determined by a single-shot off-axis holography. The correction phase establishes the so-called "scattering lens", which allows any objects to be imaged through scattering media; in our case, the "scattering lens" is a digital one established through computational methods. As no SLM is involved in the imaging process, the imaging speed is significantly improved. We have demonstrated that moving objects behind scattering media can be recorded at the speed of 2.8 fps with each frame corrected by the updated correction phase while the image contrast is maintained as high as 0.9. The image speed can potentially reach the video rate if the computing power is sufficiently high. We have also demonstrated that the digital wavefront correction method also works when the light intensity is low, which implicates its potential usefulness in imaging dynamic processes in biological tissues.

Complex diffusive scattering media pose significant challenges for light focusing as well as optical imaging to be implemented in practice. Recently, it has been demonstrated that the wavefront shaping technique can be applied to realize focusing and imaging through scattering medium. Here we report dynamic optical manipulation of particles through turbid media by employing the interleaved segment wavefront correction method, which is an improved genetic algorithm providing faster convergence speed and higher peak to background ratio. Manipulating micro-beads behind a scattering medium along both one and two dimensional predesigned trajectories in real time has been successfully demonstrated.

Background: Acupuncture carries the potential risk of transmission of pathogenic microorganisms from the environment to the patient, and from one patient to another. An outbreak of tuberculosis at a private clinic in eastern China was investigated to identify the source of infection, mode of transmission, and risk factors for infection., Methods: A probable case was one who had the onset of unexplained pain, swelling, or abscess in the area of invasive treatment between January 1, 2011 and February 23, 2012. A confirmed case was a probable case with positive laboratory test results for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Patient history and the frequency of invasive treatment were compared between 56 probable and confirmed cases and 98 controls in a case-control study., Results: Fifty-six of 2561 patients (2.2%) who had visited the clinic developed tuberculosis. The odds ratio (OR) of M. tuberculosis infection increased with the frequency of clinic visits (Chi-square for trend=28.943, p=0.000). Multivariate analysis showed that the frequency of acupuncture (Chi-square=24.258, adjusted p-value=0.000) and sharing acupuncture needles (Chi-square=8.936, adjusted p-value=0.003) were risk factors for M. tuberculosis infection. Thirty-two pus sample and nine sputum sample cultures were M. tuberculosis-positive., Conclusions: This outbreak was caused by acupuncture and was transmitted through sharing acupuncture needles contaminated with M. tuberculosis., (Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Lanthanide-organic complexes of the general type Ln[N(SiMe(3))(2)](3) (Ln = La, Sm, Y, Lu) serve as effective precatalysts for the rapid, exoselective, and highly regioselective intramolecular hydroalkoxylation/cyclization of primary and secondary alkynyl alcohols to yield the corresponding exocyclic enol ethers. Conversions are highly selective with products distinctly different from those generally produced by conventional transition metal catalysts, and turnover frequencies as high as 52.8 h(-1) at 25 degrees C are observed. The rates of terminal alkynl alcohol hydroalkoxylation/cyclization are significantly more rapid than those of internal alkynyl alcohols, arguing that steric demands dominate the cyclization transition state. The hydroalkoxylation/cyclization of internal alkynyl alcohols affords excellent E-selectivity. The hydroalkoxylation/cyclization of the SiMe(3)-terminated internal alkynyl alcohols reveals interesting product profiles which include the desired exocyclic ether, a SiMe(3)-eliminated exocyclic ether, and the SiMe(3)-O-functionalized substrate. The rate law for alkynyl alcohol hydroalkoxylation/cyclization is first-order in [catalyst] and zero-order in [alkynyl alcohol], as observed in the intramolecular hydroamination/cyclization of aminoalkenes, aminoalkynes, and aminoallenes. An ROH/ROD kinetic isotope effect of 0.95(0.03) is observed for hydroalkoxylation/cyclization. These mechanistic data implicate turnover-limiting insertion of C-C unsaturation into the Ln-O bond, involving a highly organized transition state, with subsequent, rapid Ln-C protonolysis.

M(NMe2)4 (M = Zr, 1a; Hf, 1b) and the silyl anion (SiButPh2)- (2) in Li(THF)2SiButPh2 (2-Li) were found to undergo a ligand exchange to give [M(NMe2)3(SiButPh2)2]- (M = Zr, 3a; Hf, 3b) and [M(NMe2)5]- (M = Zr, 4a; Hf, 4b) in THF. The reaction is reversible, leading to equilibria: 2 1a (or 1b) + 2 2 <--> 3a (or 3b) + 4a (or 4b). In toluene, the reaction of 1a with 2 yields [(Me2N)3Zr(SiButPh2)2]-[Zr(NMe2)5Li2(THF)4]+ (5) as an ionic pair. The silyl anion 2 selectively attacks the -N(SiMe3)2 ligand in (Me2N)3Zr-N(SiMe3)2 (6a) to give 3a and [N(SiMe3)2]- (7) in reversible reaction: 6a + 2 2 <--> 3a + 7. The following equilibria have also been observed and studied: 2M(NMe2)4 (1a; 1b) + [Si(SiMe3)3]- (8) <--> (Me2N)3M-Si(SiMe3)3 (M = Zr, 9a; Hf, 9b) + [M(NMe2)5]- (M = Zr, 4a; Hf, 4b); 6a (or 6b) + 8 <--> 9a (or 9b) + [N(SiMe3)2]- (7). The current study represents rare, direct observations of reversible amide-silyl exchanges and their equilibria. Crystal structures of 5, (Me2N)3Hf-Si(SiMe3)3 (9b), and [Hf(NMe2)4]2 (dimer of 1b), as well as the preparation of (Me2N)3M-N(SiMe3)2 (6a; 6b) are also reported.

Ammonolysis of previously reported Cl-M[N(SiMe3)2]3 (M = Zr, 1a; Hf, 1b) leads to the formation of peramides H2N-M[N(SiMe3)2]3 (M = Zr, 2a; Hf, 2b) which upon deprotonation by LiN(SiMe3)2 or Li(THF)3SiPh2But yields imides Li+(THF)n{HN(-)-M[N(SiMe3)2]3} (M = Zr, 3a; Hf, 3b). One -SiMe3 group in 3a-b undergoes silyl migration from a -N(SiMe3)2 ligand to the imide =NH ligand to give Li+(THF)2{Me3SiN(-)-M[NH(SiMe3)][N(SiMe3)2]2} (M = Zr, 4a; Hf, 4b) containing an imide =N(SiMe3) ligand. The kinetics of the 3a --> 4a conversion was investigated between 290 and 315 K and was first-order with respect to 3a. The activation parameters for this silyl migration are DeltaH++ = 13.3(1.3) kcal/mol and DeltaS++ = -34(3) eu in solutions of 3a (in toluene-d8 with 1.07 M THF) prepared in situ. THF in the mixed solvent promoted the 3a --> 4a reaction. The effect of THF on the rate constants of the conversion has been studied, and the kinetics of the reaction was 3.4(0.6)th order with respect to THF. Crystal and molecular structures of H2N-Zr[N(SiMe3)2]3 (2a) and 4a-b have been determined.

New transition metal silyl amide complexes (Me(2)N)(3)Ta[N(SiMe(3))(2)](SiPh(2)Bu(t)) (1) and (Me(2)N)M[N(SiMe(3))(2)](2)(SiPh(2)Bu(t)) (M = Zr, 2a, and Hf, 2b) were found to undergo gamma-H abstraction by the silyl ligands to give metallaheterocyclic complexes (3) and (M = Zr, 4a, and Hf, 4b), respectively. The conversion of 1 to 3 follows first-order kinetics with DeltaH() = 23.6(1.6) kcal/mol and DeltaS() = 3(5) eu between 288 and 313 K. The formation of 4a from (Me(2)N)Zr[N(SiMe(3))(2)](2)Cl (5a) and Li(THF)(2)SiPh(2)Bu(t) (6) involves the formation of the intermediate 2a, followed by gamma-H abstraction. Kinetic studies of these consecutive reactions, a second-order reaction to give 2a and then a first-order gamma-H abstraction to give 4a, were conducted by an analytical method and a numerical method. At 278 K, the rate constants k(1) and k(2) for the two consecutive reactions are 2.17(0.03) x 10(-)(3) M(-)(1) s(-)(1) and 5.80(0.15) x 10(-)(5) s(-)(1) by the analytical method. The current work is a rare kinetic study of the A + B --> C --> D (+ E) consecutive reactions. Kinetic studies of the formation of a metallaheterocyclic moiety have, to our knowledge, not been reported. In addition, gamma-H abstraction by a silyl ligand to give such a metallaheterocyclic moiety is new. Theoretical investigations of the gamma-H abstraction by silyl ligands have been conducted by density functional theory calculations at the Becke3LYP (B3LYP) level, and they revealed that the formation of the metallacyclic complexes through gamma-H abstraction is entropically driven. X-ray crystal structures of (Me(2)N)(3)Ta[N(SiMe(3))(2)](SiPh(2)Bu(t)) (1), (Me(2)N)Zr[N(SiMe(3))(2)](2)Cl (5a), and (M = Zr, 4a, and Hf, 4b) are also reported.

Objective: To optimize and develop the technique for mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA microarray., Methods: The process included preparation of DNA samples, spotting and past-spotting treatment of arrays. DNA microarrays were prepared by spotting fluorescence labeled PCR products of target genes onto specially treated glass slides with robotics. The fluorescent signals before and after treatment were scanned with a scanner, and the DNA attachment rate was calculated from the obtained data by software., Results: A foundation for optimizing the conditions of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA microarrays has been laid. The support aldehyde-modified glass slide is useful for anchoring DNA at Some distance. DMSO as spotting solution is of benefit to preparation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA microarray. Drying the chip at 37 degrees C temperature after spotting can enhance the DNA combination rate., Conclusion: Several key steps of this technique have been optimized. This study has provided a foundation for optimizing the DNA attachment conditions in creating mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA microarray.