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In this paper, a novel pH-responsive brass mesh modified by 3-mercaptobenzoic acid (MBA) and 2-naphthalenethiol (NPT) was demonstrated via a facile chemical etching method followed by surface modification. The smart wettability was dependent on the assembled MBA and NPT with suitable thiol proportions. The on–off control of water penetrating intelligently into the nanostructured brass mesh substrate was carried out by the pH change in the outside environment. The brass mesh modified with XNPT = 0.4 (mole fraction of NBT in the mixed solution) exhibited the strongest pH responsivity from superhydrophobicity to superhydrophilicity. Furthermore, the resulted Janus membrane (JM) fabricated by the integration of a smart brass mesh and hydrophobic Ni foam could be used as a water diode in air and liquid systems. Unidirectional penetration for the water droplet was realized by the resulting smart JM with a hydrophobic upper layer and a pH-responsive layer below.

Zhou-Feng Chen, Zhi-Ming Huang, Hai-Bo Xue, Xiu-Qing Lin, Ren-Ping Chen, Meng-Jun Chen, Rui-Fang Jin Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, People’s Republic of China Abstract: The mechanism underlying the metastasis of gastric cancer (GC) cells remains elusive. REG3A is considered an oncogene in various cancers, but in GC its role is unclear. Here, we report that the expression of REG3A was significantly increased in the tumor tissues of patients with GC compared with the matched normal tissues. Knockdown of REG3A induced by specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) significantly repressed the proliferation of GC cells for 24 h or 48h. Moreover, knockdown of REG3A significantly suppressed the migration, invasion, and adhesion of GC cells in vitro. Furthermore, knockdown of REG3A reduced the phosphorylation of JAK2 and STAT3, and altered the messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression levels of E-cadherin, Snail, RhoC, MTA1, MMP-2, and MMP-9. Taken together, REG3A is overexpressed in GC and promotes the proliferation, migration, invasion, and adhesion of GC cells by regulating the JAK2/STAT3 signal pathway. REG3A may be a potential therapeutic target for GC. Keywords: gastric cancer, REG3A, invasion, migration, adhesion

The detection rate of gastric polyps (GPs) is low, improving the detection rate would be good. The present study aimed to evaluate the role of sedated gastroscopy in GP detection. The data of patients who underwent gastroscopic examination from January 2014 to December 2016 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University (Wenzhou, China) were retrospectively reviewed. Endoscopic records of 6,195 patients diagnosed with GPs were analyzed. The GP detection rate was 3.12 and 5.11% in the unsedated and sedated gastroscopy group, respectively (P0.5 cm were more common in the sedated gastroscopy group than in the unsedated gastroscopy group (P

In order to evaluate the performance of the self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) to treat 90SrO-contained radioactive graphite in N2 atmosphere, waste forms were prepared with the self-developed SHS reactor according to the waste forms formulation designed with a solid-soluted content of 010 wt% (calibrated in mass, hereinafter the same). The waste forms were made with the exothermic reaction (3C + 4Al + 3TiO2 = 2Al2O3 + 3TiC + Q), where, 88SrO (a stable Sr isotope)-containing 88SrO was used to simulate 90SrO. And the raw materials for the waste forms were the powdery materials of graphite (C), aluminum (Al) and titanium dioxide (TiO2). Then, X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used to test and analyze the phase composition and morphology of the prepared waste forms. According to the results in dealing with the treatment with the given exothermic reaction of the 90SrOcontaining radioactive graphite in N2 atmosphere, the SrO solid solubility could be up to 8 wt%. Besides, with a SrO content of 0~2 wt%, the major composition of the waste forms was including: alumina (Al2O3) in diamond scheme, titanium carbide (TiC) in cubic phase, graphite (C), anatase titanium dioxide (TiO2) and aluminum nitride (AlN) in cubic phase. Comparatively, with a SrO content of 3~8 wt%%, the major composition of the waste forms was including: alumina (Al2O3) in diamond scheme, titanium carbide (TiC) in cubic phase, graphite (C), anatase titanium dioxide (TiO2), aluminum nitride (AlN) in cubic phase and rhomboid aluminum titanate (Al2TiO5). Furthermore, diffractive peaks of unidentified phase occurred at 2θ = 7.7°, 15.6°, 19.8° and 24.1° position, whose intensities were increased with the increasing additional SrO content. The grain sizes of the prepared waste forms are mainly within 515μm, majorly exist in pieces.

Healthcare waste management represents a challenge in China due to insufficient legislation and financial investment, lack of awareness and effective regulations, lack of trained clinical staffs in the waste management framework etc. This study considered the issues of existing healthcare waste management practice and put forward the policy suggestions.

Due to shorter and shorter life span and the rapid development of flat panel display, plasma display panel (PDP) is now becoming a new kind of e-waste. In order to remove heavy metals, such as As, Ba, Cu, Zn, from waste PDP glass, electro-kinetic process was introduced and factors that affect heavy metal removing rate were investigated. Results showed that HNO3 concentration and PDP adding amount could significantly impact heavy metal removing rate, while current density was on the opposite. Heavy metal removing rate increased first and then decreased as the time extension. When PDP powders was 2 g, 9 mL 5 mol/L HNO3 was added, current density was 200 mA/cm2 and time was 6 h, the removal rate of As, Ba, Cu, Zn were 71.02%, 95.87%, 92.50% and 97.70%, respectively. As, Ba, Cu and Zn distributions in the cathode, anode and middle chamber varied as changing particle size, HNO3 concentration, current density. Generally, most Cu was concentrated in cathode chamber, and Zn in the anode chamber, while As and Ba would be in both cathode and anode chamber. As, Ba, Cu and Zn, in the middle chamber, no more than 10%, were the lowest among the three.

Knowledge workers are invaluable assets in the organization in the knowledge economy era today. Both training and employee retention are the two critical parts in human resource management. The report analyzes why training might influence knowledge worker retention based on human capital theory and psychological contract theory. Followed with the empirical evidence on the link between training and retention, the report finishes with conclusions and future research directions.

The paper introduces a new low-cost temperature measurement solution. CTMU module is available in many Microchip microcontrollers.The method is to use the CTMU of microcontroller and a diode to replace the higher cost thermostat or temperature sensor.

International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNPsup®/sup) was developed as the standardized terminology by the International Council of Nursing (ICN) since 1999. It is important to evaluate the applicability of using ICNPsup®/supas the electronic nursing data exchange standardization when adopting in Taiwan. A total of 87% clinical nursing problems could be cross-mapped to DC axis of ICNPsup®/supversion 2 in traditional Chinese language (Kappa = .96). Only five nursing problems (following care problem; blood transfusion; potential risk for unstable blood sugar level; hyperbilirubinemia; and caregiver anxiety) couldn't be matched. ICNPsup®/supcould mostly support the electronic nursing data exchange standardization. Developing Taiwan-ICNPsup®/supas the local terminology was seemed to be the strategy to create a more adoptive standardization across the country for Taiwan health care data exchange in the future.

Purpose : To investigate the role of bone marrow kinase in chromosome X (BMX) in colorectal cancer (CRC) cell resistance to ABC294640 treatment. Methods : HCT-116R, LS174T and WiDr cells were transfected with either BMX-specific siRNA or scrambled siRNA, and then BMX mRNA and protein expressions were detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and western blotting, respectively. The cells were treated with ABC294640 and cell viability evaluated using cell counting and colony formation assays. Apoptosis was determined by detecting caspase 3/7 activity. To evaluate tumor growth of HCT-116R cells, a xenograft model was utilized to measure tumor size. Results : Pharmacological inhibition of sphingosine kinase type 2 (SK2) with ABC294640 significantly decreased cell viability (p < 0.001) when compared with control group. SK2 inhibition also remarkably induced apoptosis in HCT-116 CRC cells in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001). However, no significant effects were observed in HCT-116R, LS174T, or WiDr cells following ABC294640 treatment. BMX mRNA and protein expression increased in ABC294640-resistant cell lines. In addition, silencing BMX expression with siRNA potentiated ABC294640-induced inhibition of tumor growth in CRC cells in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion : ABC294640-induced BMX upregulation impedes the antitumor effect of ABC294640 in CRC cells. Therefore, these results may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for CRC using a combination of ABC294640 treatment and BMX blockade. Keywords : ABC294640, Apoptosis, Bone marrow kinase in chromosome X, Cell viability, Colorectal cancer

Ni-Fe-Mo-Co alloy electrode was prepared in a citrate solution by electrodeposition, and then Mo and Fe were partially leached out from the electrode in 30% KOH solution. The unique surface micromorphology of a hive-like structure was obtained with an average pore size of about 50 nm. The electrode has a very large real surface area and a stable structure. The effects of sodium molybdate concentration on the composition, surface morphology, and structure of electrodes were analyzed by EDS, SEM and XRD. The polarization curves of the different electrodes show that the catalytic activity of electrodes is strongly correlated with the mole fraction of alloy elements (Ni, Fe, Mo, Co), and the addition of cobalt element to Ni-Fe-Mo alloy improves the catalytic activity. The Ni35.63Fe24.67Mo23.52Co16.18 electrode has the best activity for hydrogen evolution reaction(HER), with an over-potential of 66.2 mV, in 30% KOH at 80 °C and 200 mA/cm2. The alloy maintains its good catalytic activity for HER during continuous or intermittent electrolysis. Its electrochemical activity and catalytic stability are much higher than the other iron-group with Mo alloy electrodes.

AIM: To assess the value of plasma melatonin in predicting acute pancreatitis when combined with the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHEII) and bedside index for severity in acute pancreatitis (BISAP) scoring systems. METHODS: APACHEII and BISAP scores were calculated for 55 patients with acute physiology (AP) in the first 24 h of admission to the hospital. Additionally, morning (6:00 AM) serum melatonin concentrations were measured on the first day after admission. According to the diagnosis and treatment guidelines for acute pancreatitis in China, 42 patients suffered mild AP (MAP). The other 13 patients developed severe AP (SAP). A total of 45 healthy volunteers were used in this study as controls. The ability of melatonin and the APACHEII and BISAP scoring systems to predict SAP was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The optimal melatonin cutoff concentration for SAP patients, based on the ROC curve, was used to classify the patients into either a high concentration group (34 cases) or a low concentration group (21 cases). Differences in the incidence of high scores, according to the APACHEII and BISAP scoring systems, were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The MAP patients had increased melatonin levels compared to the SAP (38.34 ng/L vs 26.77 ng/L) (P = 0.021) and control patients (38.34 ng/L vs 30.73 ng/L) (P = 0.003). There was no significant difference inmelatoninconcentrations between the SAP group and the control group. The accuracy of determining SAP based on the melatonin level, the APACHEII score and the BISAP score was 0.758, 0.872, and 0.906, respectively, according to the ROC curve. A melatonin concentration ≤ 28.74 ng/L was associated with an increased risk of developing SAP. The incidence of high scores (≥ 3) using the BISAP system was significantly higher in patients with low melatonin concentration (≤ 28.74 ng/L) compared to patients with high melatonin concentration (> 28.74 ng/L) (42.9% vs 14.7%, P = 0.02). The incidence of high APACHEII scores (≥ 10) between the two groups was not significantly different. CONCLUSION: The melatonin concentration is closely related to the severity of AP and the BISAP score. Therefore, we can evaluate the severity of disease by measuring the levels of serum melatonin.

To investigate whether therapeutic treatment with melatonin could protect rats against acute pancreatitis and its associated lung injury.Seventy-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: the sham operation (SO), severe acute pancreatitis (SAP), and melatonin treatment (MT) groups. Acute pancreatitis was induced by infusion of 1 mL/kg of sodium taurocholate (4% solution) into the biliopancreatic duct. Melatonin (50 mg/kg) was administered 30 min before pancreatitis was induced, and the severity of pancreatic and pulmonary injuries was evaluated 1, 4 and 8 h after induction. Serum samples were collected to measure amylase activities, and lung tissues were removed to measure levels of mRNAs encoding interleukin 22 (IL-22) and T helper cell 22 (Th22), as well as levels of IL-22.At each time point, levels of mRNAs encoding IL-22 and Th22 were significantly higher (P0.001) in the MT group than in the SAP group (0.526 ± 0.143 vs 0.156 ± 0.027, respectively, here and throughout, after 1 h; 0.489 ± 0.150 vs 0.113 ± 0.014 after 4 h; 0.524 ± 0.168 vs 0.069 ± 0.013 after 8 h, 0.378 ± 0.134 vs 0.122 ± 0.015 after 1 h; 0.205 ± 0.041 vs 0.076 ± 0.019 after 4 h; 0.302 ± 0.108 vs 0.045 ± 0.013 after 8 h, respectively) and significantly lower (P0.001) in the SAP group than in the SO group (0.156 ± 0.027 vs 1.000 ± 0.010 after 1 h; 0.113 ± 0.014 vs 1.041 ± 0.235 after 4 h; 0.069 ± 0.013 vs 1.110 ± 0.213 after 8 h, 0.122 ± 0.015 vs 1.000 ± 0.188 after 1 h; 0.076 ± 0.019 vs 0.899 ± 0.125 after 4 h; 0.045 ± 0.013 vs 0.991 ± 0.222 after 8 h, respectively). The mean pathological scores for pancreatic tissues in the MT group were significantly higher (P0.01) than those for samples in the SO group (1.088 ± 0.187 vs 0.488 ± 0.183 after 1 h; 2.450 ± 0.212 vs 0.469 ± 0.242 after 4 h; 4.994 ± 0.184 vs 0.513 ± 0.210 after 8 h), but were significantly lower (P0.01) than those for samples in the SAP group at each time point (1.088 ± 0.187 vs 1.969 ± 0.290 after 1 h; 2.450 ± 0.212 vs 3.344 ± 0.386 after 4 h; 4.994 ± 0.184 vs 6.981 ± 0.301 after 8 h). The severity of SAP increased significantly (P0.01) over time in the SAP group (1.088 ± 0.187 vs 2.450 ± 0.212 between 1 h and 4 h after inducing pancreatitis; and 2.450 ± 0.212 vs 4.994 ± 0.184 between 4 and 8 h after inducing pancreatitis).Melatonin protects rats against acute pancreatitis-associated lung injury, probably through the upregulation of IL-22 and Th22, which increases the innate immunity of tissue cells and enhances their regeneration.