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A minimized and efficient low temperature loading device cooling with Peltier coolers for indentation test is developed. Both specimen and indentation tip are immersed in 50% methanol–water solution, totally eliminating the contact thermal drift problem. Low temperature indentation tests down to 253.8 K can be realized within 10 min. The size of the device is miniaturized within 50 × 40 × 30 mm3, and no vacuum environment is required. Monocrystalline copper is tested to perform the feasibility of the device. Based on the simple structure and stable experimental effect, the developed device can be integrated into various types of current indentation devices to attach low temperature testing ability.

With the wide application of high-resolution chest CT in health check-up, the ground glass nodule(GGN) has been increasingly detected. GGNs have a complex etiology and image features, which can develop fast or very slowly. Therefore, whether to follow up or to resect it is usually very difficult to be determined. Overdiagnosis or overtreatment frequently happens. According to the development of GGNs, the process can be clinically divided into four stages: biological onset stage (pre-detection stage), observational stage, clinical treatment stage and postoperative follow-up stage. This review summarizes the progress on the natural development process, imaging monitoring and differentiation, the optimal time of surgical treatment for GGNs based on the decision of multidisciplinary team. This revie wmay be helpful for clinicians to understand the rule of GGN development in the follow-up, and find an optimal time to give surgical intervention for improving the prognosis of and life quality of the GGN patients.随着高分辨胸部CT的广泛应用，检出的肺磨玻璃结节(GGN)日益增多。GGN病因复杂，影像学表现形式多样，发展变化快慢不一，因此诊疗过程中常难以抉择，过度诊疗或忽视随诊观察常有发生。根据生物学的变化和临床观察诊治过程，可将GGN的发生发展大致分为生物学发病期(发现前期)、随诊观察期、临床治疗期和术后随访期。总结关于肺部GGN随诊中自然发展、影像学监测鉴别、最佳外科诊疗时机和多学科诊疗管理模式的相关研究进展，有助于临床医师掌握其在随诊观察过程中的发展变化规律，把握合适的手术干预时机，改善恶性GGN患者的预后和生活质量。.

Estimating variation in fruit mineral concentration is important for breeding mango with improvement of nutritional quality of mango. In the present study, 53 morphologically diverse mango genotypes were evaluated for phosphorus, potassium, calcium, manganese, sodium, copper, zinc, iron, boron and magnesium content on a dry weight (DW) basis in fruit pulp. Significant differences were found among evaluated mango genotypes in the mineral composition. The macro-minerals such as phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium and sodium ranged from 644.66-1311.37, 6285.79-17063.11, 278.14-816.98, 146.77-640.82 and 56.94-270.29 mg kg(-1) DW, respectively. The micro-minerals such as manganese, copper, zinc, iron, boron ranged from 5.03-103.48, 3.01-8.55, 3.24-13.77, 8.13-21.71 and 0.60-10.65 mg kg(-1) DW, respectively. ‘Renong 1’, ‘Xiaoji’ and ‘Cuba 1’ had the highest Ca content and can be used as potential donors for developing calcium-rich mango cultivars. In addition, there was a positive correlation among minerals.

The advantages of the rain cover cultivation over open field were evaluated in order to explore the mango efficient cultivation mode in the coastal rainy region of South China. The ‘Renong 1’ mango trees were treated with rain covers from first blooming until harvest. Meteorological variables such as temperature and relative humidity were determined, and the photosynthetic indexes, productivity and quality were also investigated. The results showed that rain covers tended to increase the temperature and decrease the relative humidity at flowering and fruit set phase, and resulted in a significantly higher bisexual flower rate. Rain covers promoted early fruit drop but the final fruit set rate was not significantly affected. In rain covers, the net photosynthetic rates (Pn) were not affected negatively whether at flowering and fruit set phase or at the fruit development phase. In comparison with open field, the mean yield of mango in rain cover increased by 60.2%, however the internal quality of fruits were not significantly affected by rain covers. In addition, rain covers significantly reduced the fruit decay and disease index of mango fruits after harvest. These results suggest that rain covers modified the microenvironment of the canopy in mango and promoted bisexual flower rate and yield of mango while they had no negative effects on the internal quality of fruits and improved the storability of mango fruit. Therefore, rain-shelter cultivation could be a promising practice for mango production in the rainy region of South.

BackgroundGouty arthritis (GA) is an autoinflammatory disease caused by the deposition of monosodium urate crystal (MSU) in the joints and surrounding tissues, which lead to a series of complex inflammatory cascade amplification reactions.The clinical symptoms of acute GA attack rapidly, but often alleviate spontaneously within 7 ~ 10 days, which is one of the significant characteristics different from other joint diseases or autoimmune diseases. However, the exact molecular mechanism of its inflammatory self limitation is still unclear. The phenotypic imbalance of Th1 / Th2 cells and the M1/ M2 polarization of macrophages may be involved in the inflammatory self limitation of gout[1].Decoy receptor 3 (DCR3) can differentiate T cells into Th2 phenotype, promote M2 polarization of macrophages, and play the functions of immune regulation and repair[2].DCR3 and its Signal Pathway are involved in the pathogenesis of tumors and a variety of autoimmune diseases, and have become an important research target of tumors and immune related diseases.However, studies on DcR3 related molecular pathway and GA are scarce, and the specific regulatory mechanism is unknown.ObjectivesTo assess the contribution of DcR3 and its signal pathway to gout and the clinical importance of these genes in primary gouty arthritis.MethodsThe mRNA expression levels of DCR3 and its signal pathway(DR3, TL1A, Fas, FasL, Ligth, LigthR, LTgthRNA expression levels of DCR3 and its signal pathway(DR3gout and the clinical importance of these genes in primary gouty arthritis.nt research target of tumors and immune related diseases.However, studies on DcR3 related moathway expression levels and laboratory features was analyzed in GA patients.ResultsThe expression levels of DCR3, FasL were much lower in the AG and IG group than in the HC groups (p0.05)(a,e). The expression levels of DR3 were much lower in the AG and IG group than in the HC groups (p0.05)(c).The expression levels of Light, LightR were much lower in the AG group than in the HC groups (p0.05)(f,g).The expression levels of LTlower in the AG and IG group than in the HC groups (p0.05)(h).In GA patients, the levels of DcR3 related molecular pathway gene correlated with laboratory inflammatory and metabolic indexes.ConclusionAltered DCR3 and its signal pathway expression suggests that DCR3 related molecular pathway is involved in the pathogenesis of GA and participates in regulating inflammation and metabolism.References[1]Desai J, Steiger S, Anders HJ. Molecular Pathophysiology of Gout[J]. Trends Mol Med. 2017 Aug;23(8):756-768. DOI:10.1016/j.molmed.2017.06.005.[2]Pan YG, Huang MT, Sekar P, et al. Decoy Receptor 3 Inhibits Monosodium Urate-Induced NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation via Reduction of Reactive Oxygen Species Production and Lysosomal Rupture[J]. Front Immunol. 2021 Mar 3;12:638676.DOI:10.3389/fimmu.2021.638676.Figure 1.Relative Expression of DcR3 related molecular pathway gene in the PBMCs of Patients.The expression levels of DCR3, FasL were much lower in the AG and IG group than in the HC groups (pAcknowledgementsInstitute of Research Center of Gout and Hyperuricemia of the Affiliated Hospital, North Sichuan Medical CollegeDisclosure of InterestsNone declared

BackgroundSystemic sclerosis is a chronic immune disease characterized by varying degrees of fibrosis of skin and internal organs. Microscopic polyangitis, as a subtype of ANCA associated vasculitis, mainly involves small blood vessels, often manifested as necrotizing glomerulonephritis and pulmonary capillary vasculitis. Pulmonary renal syndrome is characterized by diffuse alveolar hemorrhage based on pulmonary capillary vasculitis and rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis, which can be derived from a variety of autoimmune diseases, of which ANCA associated vasculitis accounts for about 60%[1]. The cases of coexistence of systemic sclerosis and microscopic polyangitis associated with pulmonary renal syndrome in clinic are rare, which is often dangerous and is easy to miss diagnosis or misdiagnosis.ObjectivesTo investigate the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of coexistence of systemic sclerosis (SSC) and microscopic polyangitis（MPA）associated with pulmonary renal syndrome (PRS).MethodsThe clinical data, diagnosis and treatment process of a patient who has SSC combined with MPA and PRS were summarized and analyzed. And the literature was reviewed to explore the correlation of the pathogenesis and clinical experience of SSC complicated with MPA and PRS.ResultsThe case is a middle-aged male who was diagnosed as SSc due to the hardening of the skin of both hands，Reynolds phenomenon, the anti-scl-70 antibody are positive. The patient suffered from repeated hemoptysis, progressive dyspnea, severe anemia and renal insufficiency, so he was diagnosed as MPA with PRS. After giving glucocorticoid, immunosuppressant and anti-infection treatment, his condition has improved. A total of 7 case reports were retrieved by reviewing the relevant literature.A total of 7 patients were reported.They were first diagnosed as SSc and then MPA with PRS, of which 4 cases improved after treatment and 3 cases died. Among the dead patients, 1 case was treated with penicillamine for 3 years, and the remaining 2 cases were only treated with steroids without immunosuppressants.In SSc, P-ANCA is closely related to vasculitis, and the prognosis of PRS secondary to P-ANCA may be very poor. Most of the diagnosis of MPA is only after patients have kidney or lung diseases.There is a certain correlation between them in pathogenesis. Glucocorticoids, immunosuppressants, biological agents, hemodialysis and plasma exchange are the main treatments.ConclusionAlthough the cases of SSc combined with MPA and PRS are rare, there are still many cases reported,which reminds us: ①When SSc patients have new symptoms such as renal insufficiency or lungs, they should be alert to new entities that may be combined with other autoimmune diseases to avoid missed diagnosis or misdiagnosis.②ANCA should be detected in SSc patients at baseline, which may be related to disease activity.③PRS has rapid progress and high mortality, whcih is an emergency that needs urgent treatment. Such patients should be treated with glucocorticoid, immunosuppression and plasma exchange immediately. However, if patients are complicated with SSc, they need to be extra careful when using high-dose steroids, which increases the risk of renal crisis.References[1]de Groot K, Schnabel A. Das pulmorenale Syndrom [Pulmonary-renal syndrome]. Internist (Berl). 2005;46(7):769-782. doi:10.1007/s00108-005-1423-8.Figure 1.The contrast of chest CT before and after treatment showed that the exudative lesions of both lungs were significantly absorbedFigure 2.Clinical data of systemic sclerosis combined with microscopic polyangitis and pulmonary renal syndromeAcknowledgementsInstitute of Research Center of Gout and Hyperuricemia of the Affiliated Hospital, North Sichuan Medical CollegeDisclosure of InterestsNone declared

BackgroundAnkylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic progressive disease with invasion of spine and sacroiliac joint as the main clinical manifestation, which can be combined with systemic inflammation or abnormalities in multiple parts at the same time. There are complex changes of immune function in patients with AS, and its immune and genetic pathogenesis is still unclear. Decoy receptor 3 (DcR3), as a new immune molecule discovered in recent years, plays an important role in regulating T cell activation, proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis.Studies have confirmed that DcR3 is involved in the immune disorder process of rheumatoid arthritis, SLE, AS and other autoimmune diseases, so that the role of DcR3 in AS has attracted attention. However, the expression of DcR3 related pathway genes[1-3].However, studies evaluating the DcR3 related pathway genes in AS are scarce.ObjectivesTo assess the contribution of DcR3 and its signal pathway to AS and the clinical importance of these genes in AS.MethodsThe mRNA expression levels of DCR3 and its signal pathway(DR3、TL1A、Fas、FasL、Ligth、LigthR、LTgthRNA expresured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 50 AS patients and 50 healthy subjects. The relationship between DCR3 related molecular pathway expression levels and laboratory features was analyzed in AS patients.ResultsThe expression levels of DCR3、DR3、Fas、Light were much lower in the AS group than in the HC groups (pConclusionCompared with HC group, DCR3 and its signal pathway in PBMCs of AS patients are differentially expressed. It is speculated that DcR3 related molecular pathway gene may be involved in the pathogenesis of AS.Figure 1.Relative Expression of DcR3 related molecular pathway gene in the PBMCs of Patients. The mRNA levels in PBMCs from AS patients(n=50) and HCs(n=50) were measured by RT-qPCR. The expression levels of DCR3ˎDR3ˎFasˎLight were much lower in the AS group than in the HC groups (pReferences[1]Lee CS, Hu CY, Tsai HF, et al. Elevated serum decoy receptor 3 with enhanced T cell activation in systemic lupus erythematosus. Clin Exp Immunol. 2008;151(3):383-390. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2249.2007.03579.x[2]Hayashi S, Miura Y, Tateishi K, Takahashi M, Kurosaka M. Decoy receptor 3 is highly expressed in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Mod Rheumatol. 2010;20(1):63-68. doi:10.1007/s10165-009-0240-7.[3]Chen MH, Chen WS, Tsai CY, Liao HT, Chen CH, Chou CT. Overexpression of decoy receptor 3 in synovial tissues of inflammatory arthritis. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2012;30(2):171-177.AcknowledgementsInstitute of Research Center of Gout and Hyperuricemia of the Affiliated Hospital, North Sichuan Medical CollegeDisclosure of InterestsNone declared

Dysregulation of miR-592 has been reported in several tumors. However, its role in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains unknown. The present study aimed at investigating the expression pattern and biological function of miR-592 in AML and to elucidate the mechanism involved.qRT-PCR was used to analyze the expression of miR-592 in bone marrow and serum obtained from AML patients and healthy controls. The associations between serum miR-592 expression and clinical features and prognosis of AML patients were statistically analyzed. Then we detected the effect of miR-592 on proliferation, metastasis and apoptosis by CCK-8 assay, Transwell assays and flow cytometry, respectively. Dual-luciferase reporter assays were performed to validate the regulation of a putative target of miR-592. Rescue experiments were performed to confirm whether ROCK1 was a direct and functional target of miR-592 in AML.We found that the expression level of miR-592 was significantly lower in AML patients and AML cell lines. Low expression of serum miR-592 was associated with advanced French-American-British classification, cytogenetics and poor prognosis. Multivariate analysis confirmed that serum miR-592 expression was an independent prognostic factor for AML patients. Functionally, overexpression of miR-592 suppressed AML cell growth and metastasis, and promoted apoptosis. Further mechanistic investigation showed ROCK1 was a direct target gene of miR-592. Finally, ROCK1 overexpression rescued the effect of miR-592-mediated AML cell proliferation and metastasis.These findings suggest that miR-592 acted as a tumor suppressor by targeting ROCK1 and may serve as a potential biomarker in AML.

Background:Growing evidences have demonstrated that autophagy is a powerful regulators in the pathogenesis of fibrosis and autoimmune diseases. Autophagy abnormalities in SSc involve abnormal autophagy-related protein and autophagy-related gene polymorphism[1-2], however there is a few reports on the expression and clinical significance of autophagy-related genes.Objectives:To investigate the expression and clinical significance of autophagy-related genes LC-3 mRNA, Becline-1 mRNA, Agt-3 mRNA, Agt-5 mRNA, Agt-12 mRNA and Agt-16L1 mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of systemic sclerosis (SSc).Methods:51 cases of SSc and 60 cases of normal control were received from the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, and autophagy-related genes were detected by RT-PCR. SPSS19.0 statistical software was used to compare the expression of autophagy-related genes between groups and analyze the relationship between autophagy-related genes and clinical data, PResults:LC-3, Becline-1, and Agt-3 were highly expressed in SSc compared with normal control [LC-3: 0.78(0.60) ×10-3 vs. 0.52(0.54) ×10-3; Beclin-1: 6.68(3.56)×10-3 vs. 5.22(3.54)×10-3; Agt-3: 17.58(12.33)×10-3 vs. 11.00(4.56)×10-3, P-3 vs. 6.67(2.64) ×10-3; AGT-12: 8.64(5.56)×10-3 vs. 8.57(4.66)×10-3; Agt-16L1: 2.69(2.19)×10-3 vs. 2.52(2.26)×10-3] (Figure 1). Beclin-1 and Agt-5 high expressed in SSc with the positive of anti-SSA/Ro antibody. LC-3 was positively correlated with Age(r=0.662) and ESR(r=0.355) (all PConclusion:Autophagy-related genes were increased in PBMC of SSc, and were correlated with Age, ESR and autoantibody, suggested that autophagy is a key feature in the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis.Figure 1.The relative expression of autophagy-related genesReferences:[1]LIU C, ZHOU X, LU J, et al. Autophagy mediates 2-methoxyestradiol-inhibited scleroderma collagen synthesis and endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition induced by hypoxia[J]. Rheumatology, 2019;58(11):1966–1975.[2]Mayes M D, Bossini-Castillo L, Gorlova O, et al. Immunochip Analysis Identifies Multiple Susceptibility Loci for Systemic Sclerosis[J]. The American Journal of Human Genetics, 2014,94(1):47-61.DOI:10.1016/j.ajhg.2013.12.002.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

Angiogenesis is a critical biological process essential for solid cancer growth and metastasis. It has been shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) play a vital role in a variety of biological processes in cancers. However, whether miR-130b is involved in prostate cancer angiogenesis remains ill-defined. We performed the miRNA microarray to analyze miRNA expression in human prostate cancer specimens. In vitro gain-of-function assays and loss-of-function assays were conducted to explore the potential functions of miR-130b in human prostate cancer cells. Correlation analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assay were performed to validate whether tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) was a direct target of miR-130b. The Matrigel plug and tumor vascular imaging assays were performed to confirm the anti-angiogenic activity of miR-130b in nude mice. We found that miR-130b was one of the miRNAs being most significantly downregulated. Subsequently, we found that miR-130b expression was markedly downregulated in human prostate cancer cell lines. Down-regulation of miR-130b in prostate cancer cells significantly promoted the proliferation, invasion and tubule formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), while ectopic expression of miR-130b blocked prostate cancer angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistic analyses indicated that tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) was regulated by miR-130b directly. MiR-130b attenuated nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling and its downstream gene vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGFA) by directly inhibiting TNF-α expression. Additionally, subsequent investigations identified that the ectopic level of VEGFA markedly abrogated the anti-angiogenic effect induced by miR-130b. Interestingly, VEGFA could in turn decrease the expression of miR-130b, thus forming a negative feedback loop that drives the angiogenesis of prostate cancer. These findings show that miR-130b/TNF-α/NF-κB/VEGFA feedback loop is significantly correlated with angiogenesis in prostate cancer and miR-130b could be regarded as potential therapeutic target for prostate cancer anti-angiogenesis treatment.

To explore the role of microvesicles (MVs) containing microRNA-21 in myocardial fibrosis and their underlying mechanism.Myocardial ischemia rat model was first constructed for collecting myocardial tissues. Myocardial fibrosis-related indicators and microRNA-21 expression in myocardial tissues of ischemia rats were detected. After in vitro primary rat cardiomyocytes were treated with TGF-β1, myocardial fibrosis-related indicators and microRNA-21 expression in primary rat cardiomyocytes were also detected. Furthermore, AKT (protein kinase B) pathway-related genes were detected by Western blot. Rescue experiments were performed after primary rat cardiomyocytes were transfected with a microRNA-21 inhibitor.MVs containing microRNA-21 were overexpressed during the process of myocardial fibrosis. AKT pathway was remarkably activated after TGF-β1 treatment in cardiomyocytes. Meanwhile, myocardial fibrosis was significantly alleviated after microRNA-21 expression was inhibited.Overexpressed MVs containing microRNA-21 promoted myocardial fibrosis via AKT pathway.

Glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) can negatively regulate Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway via degrading β-catenin protein, and plays suppressing roles in various tumors. Its role in bladder cancer pathogenesis is still unclear. In bladder cancer tissues, expression of microRNA-9 (miR-9) is significantly elevated. This study investigated the effect of miR-9 in modulating GSK-3β expression, Wnt/β-catenin pathway activity, and proliferation or apoptosis of bladder cancer cells.Dual luciferase reporter gene assay confirmed targeted regulation between miR-9 and GSK-3β. Bladder cancer tissues were collected to measure expression of miR-9, GSK-3β mRNA using adjacent tissues as the control. Expression of miR-9 and GSK-3β was also measured in HBEC, RT4 and TCCSUP cells. Cultured RT4 and TCCSUP cells were transfected with miR-9 inhibitor or pSicoR-GSK-3β. The expression of miR-9, GSK-3β and β-catenin was compared, followed by using flow cytometry assay for cell apoptosis and EdU staining for cell proliferation.Comparing to adjacent tissues, bladder cancer tissues illustrated significantly elevated miR-9 expression and lower GSK-3β mRNA. Bioinformatics analysis revealed complementary binding sites between miR-9 and 3'-UTR of GSK-3β mRNA, indicating targeted regulation between miR-9 and GSK-3β. Comparing to HBEC cells, RT4 and TCCSUP cells had significantly elevated miR-9 expression and lower GSK-3β expression, with enhanced proliferation. Transfection of miR-9 inhibitor or pSicoR-GSK-3β significantly elevated GSK-3β expression and suppressed β-catenin expression, promoted cell apoptosis and inhibited proliferation.MiR-9 up-regulation plays a role in suppressing GSK-3β expression and facilitating bladder cancer pathogenesis. Inhibition of miR-9 could potentiate GSK-3β expression, suppress proliferation of bladder cancer, and facilitate apoptosis.

The photoconduction properties of (non-polar) m-plane and (polar) c-plane ZnO thin films epitaxially grown on relatively lattice-matched LiGaO2 substrates by chemical vapor deposition have been investigated and compared. Structural and photoluminescence characterizations indicate that the c-plane ZnO films possess higher crystallinity than the m-plane ZnO films. Owing to their superior crystallinity and lower dark current, the c-plane ZnO films exhibit significantly higher optimal sensitivity (S = 4650) to ultraviolet light than the m-plane ZnO films (S = 10). However, in terms of photocurrent generation efficiency, the m-plane ZnO films exhibit over one order of magnitude higher responsivity (R = 0.05–3.2 A W−1) than the c-plane ZnO films (R = 0.009–0.035 A W−1) in the light intensity range 1.6–320 W m−2. The probable mechanisms causing the aforementioned differences based on surface-dominant photoconduction and bulk-dominant structural and photoluminescence properties are also discussed.

In this study, we investigate the effects of fluorinated poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) buffer layer on the performance of polymer photovoltaic cells. We demonstrate for the first time, the deterioration of the device performance can be effectively mended by modifying the interface between the active layer and buffer layer with heptadecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetra-hydro-decyl trimethoxysilane (PFDS) and perfluorononane. Device performance shows a substantial enhancement of short-circuit current from 7.90 to 9.39 mA/cm(2) and fill factor from 27% to 53%. The overall device efficiency was improved from 0.98% to 3.12% for PFDS modified device. The mechanism of S-shape curing is also discussed. In addition, the stability of modified devices shows significant improvement than those without modification. The efficiency of the modified devices retains about half (1.88%) of its initial efficiency (4.1%) after 30 d compared to the unmodified ones (0.61%), under air atmosphere.

To assess the midterm clinical and radiological outcomes of internal fixation and fusion for the treatment of Hirayama disease and to evaluate the clinical significance and value of this procedure.In the study, 36 patients were treated with anterior cervical internal fixation and fusion. The clinical outcomes including muscle strength and atrophy were recorded. The radiological outcomes including range of motion of cervical spine and the cross-sectional area of spinal cord at each level on MRI scan were measured before and at 3 month, 1 year and 2 years follow-up time points after surgery.(1) Clinical outcomes: all the patients showed no further progression of symptoms except one patient with mild progression of muscular weakness and atrophy. As the time passed by, the ratio of the patients with muscle strength and atrophy improvement increased. There were 26.5% of patients in 3 months, 36.0% in 1 year and 85.7% in 2 years who experienced muscle strength improvement. 8.8% of patients in 3 months, 24.0% in 1 year and 35.8% in 2 years felt muscle atrophy improvement. And 12 of the 14 patients showed improved muscle strength and atrophy at the end of 2 years period follow-up. (2) Radiological outcomes: the range of motion (ROM) of C2-C7 was significantly decreased after the operation. The ROM of preoperation was 62.25°±2.10° and that of 2 years postoperation was 13.67°±7.51°(P0.01). The spinal cord was of no compression on flexion MRI. The cross-section area of spinal cord on MRI was significantly increased only at C6 level (P0.05) at the end of three months follow-up. The level of increased cross-section area rose to C4-C5-C6 levels (P0.01) in 1 year and to C4-C5-C6-C7 levels at the end of 2 years follow-up (P0.05). The cross-section area increased 15.60% at C4, 19.08% at C5, 21.60% at C6 and 23.91% at C7 with significant difference (P0.05) 2 years after the operation.Anterior cervical internal fixation and fusion is an effective surgical treatment for Hirayama disease and may provide preferable midterm clinical and radiological outcomes. This procedure has clinical significance and value in terms of control of the progression and outcome of this disease.

The present study is to compare plastic stents (PS) with self-expandable metal stents (SEMS) in patients with malignant bile duct obstruction.Literature search in PubMed (Medline) and Embase databases was performed for all prospective randomized trials that compared SEMS with PS for the treatment of malignant biliary obstruction between January 1966 and January 2015. Research studies were included in the present meta-analysis if they met the inclusion criteria. In the meta-analysis, summary risk ratio estimates for major outcome were calculated. Forest plots were used to assess overall risk estimate, and funnel plots were used to assess overall publication bias. Meta-analysis was performed using STATA 11.0 software.Ten articles with 810 patients were eligible for inclusion in the present meta-analysis. SEMS is not significantly associated with complications or 30-day mortality when compared with PS (p = 0.069 and 0.167, respectively). Further stratified analysis showed similar results. For other therapeutic effects, SEMS offered 2.27-fold 6-month stent patency rate (95% CI = 1.30-3.95), and 36% reduction in a recurrent obstruction (95% CI = 0.17-0.51), as compared with PS. In addition, SEMS was associated with fewer hospitalization days than PS (p = 0.023) in a random model. With fixed model, the corresponding p-value was less than 0.001.The present meta-analysis demonstrates that SEMS cannot result in lower risks of complications and mortality, but can provide a lower risk of recurrent obstruction and longer stent patency for the palliation of malignant bile duct obstruction when compared with PS.

Based on the organic ligand 2,4-diamine-6-phenyl-1,3,5-triazine (Phdat), two Ag(I) compounds, Ag(Phdat)2(NO3) (I) and Ag(Phdat)2(OAc) (II), have been synthesized and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffractions, elemental analyses, and IR spectra. Compounds I and II are mononuclear and binuclear structures, respectively, and with the help of N-H…O and N-H…N hydrogen bonds and π…π packing interactions, the 3D supramolecular networks are built up.

A 3D trenched-structure metal-insulator-metal (MIM) nanocapacitor array with an ultrahigh equivalent planar capacitance (EPC) of ~300 μF cm(-2) is demonstrated. Zinc oxide (ZnO) and aluminum oxide (Al2O3) bilayer dielectric is deposited on 1 μm high biomimetic silicon nanotip (SiNT) substrate using the atomic layer deposition method. The large EPC is achieved by utilizing the large surface area of the densely packed SiNT (!5 × 10(10) cm(-2)) coated conformally with an ultrahigh dielectric constant of ZnO. The EPC value is 30 times higher than those previously reported in metal-insulator-metal or metal-insulator-semiconductor nanocapacitors using similar porosity dimensions of the support materials.

Worldwide, water scarcity threatens delivery of water to urban centers. Increasing water use efficiency (WUE) is often recommended to reduce water demand, especially in water-scarce areas. In this paper, agricultural water use efficiency (AWUE) is examined using the super-efficient data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach in Xi'an in Northwest China at a temporal and spatial level. The grey systems analysis technique was then adopted to identify the factors that influenced the efficiency differentials under the shortage of water resources. From the perspective of temporal scales, the AWUE increased year by year during 2004–2012, and the highest (2.05) was obtained in 2009. Additionally, the AWUE was the best in the urban area at the spatial scale. Moreover, the key influencing factors of the AWUE are the financial situations and agricultural water-saving technology. Finally, we identified several knowledge gaps and proposed water-saving strategies for increasing AWUE and reducing its water demand by: (1) improving irrigation practices (timing and amounts) based on compatible water-saving techniques; (2) maximizing regional WUE by managing water resources and allocation at regional scales as well as enhancing coordination among Chinese water governance institutes.

Community acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common pulmonary infectious disease. Glucocorticoids (GCS) as one of the most powerful anti-inflammation drugs, are still the most controversial adjuvant therapy in treating CAP. Which sub-groups of CAP patients would benefit from GCS is a debating topic. Our aim of this study is to find the indications for GCS in treating adult CAP patients by using meta-analysis."Steroids, glucocorticoids, corticosteroids, hydrocortisone, prednisone, cortisol, methylprednisolone, dexamethasone"and"community-acquired pneumonia"were used as key words both in Chinese and English to search all published literature in Pubmed, EMBASE MEDLINE, Cochrane, CNKI and Wanfang Database until March 2015.All 840 articles were reviewed, and 11 high quality randomized clinical trials involving 1942 adult CAP patients were included in this meta-analysis. Using GCS did not significantly reduce mortality in all CAP patients (OR=0.68, 95%CI 0.46-0.99, P=0.04). But in the subgroup analysis, patients with severe CAP benefited from GCS treatment (OR=0.35, 95%CI 0.17-0.75, P=0.007). GCS also increased the risk of hyperglycemia (OR=1.99, 95%CI 1.50-2.65, P0.000 01).RESULTS from this meta-analysis suggested that GCS should only be rigorously used in severe CAP patients.

To retrospectively analyze the clinical data of the patients with reoperation for cervical myelopathy due to progressing ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligaments, with previous open-door expansive laminoplasty, and to evaluate the outcomes.From May 2006 to July 2012, a retrospective study was performed on a consecutive series of 17 patients with previous open-door expansive laminoplasty, who had received the reoperation for cervical myelopathy due to progressing ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligaments. The reoperation was performed based on the clinical manifestations and segments of responsibility. The anterior approaches were performed in 12 cases, and the posterior approaches in 5 cases. The correlation between the clinical factors and Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scores or the JOA recovery rate was evaluated by Pearson or Spearman correlation test. The pre- and post-operative JOA scores were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA and the JOA recovery rates were compared with paired t test.The mean follow-up was 137.5 months (range 60-348 months). There were no serious complications after surgical procedures. There was one case that had C5 palsy in the first operation and had recovery after one week. Another case had C5 palsy in the reoperation with posterior approach, which had recovery at the end of 6 months postoperation. Three cases had the cerebrospinal fluid leakage of the reoperation, with two cases in the anterior approaches and one case in the posterior approach. There was no significant correlation between the clinical variables and JOA scores or JOA recovery rates. The JOA scores of the patients in the first operation were improved from 9.4±4.1 to 12.8±2.8 (P0.01), and the JOA recovery rate was 45.6%. The JOA scores of the reoperation were improved from 10.2±2.8 to 12.7±2.4 (P0.05) at the end of 6 months and 14.3±1.9 (P0.01) by the last follow-up. There were significant differences between the JOA recovery rates by the last follow-up (63.2%) and at the end of 6 months (39.3%) of the reoperation or 45.6% of the first operation (P0.01).The reoperation for cervical myelopathy duo to progressing ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligaments can significantly promote the recovery of the spinal cord, based on the clinical manifestations combined with segments of responsibility of the imaging.

Copper germanate (CuGeO3) nanowires have been synthesized by the hydrothermal deposition process using GeO2 and copper foil as the resource as well as the deposition substrate. The factors including hydrothermal temperature, pressure and duration of the process were investigated in order to analyze the processing parameters that control the formation process, morphology and size of the nanowires. The dependence of the nanowires properties on the growth conditions shows that the CuGeO3 nanowires can be synthesized in a large range of different hydrothermal parameters from 400 °C to 250 °C. The hydrothermal pressure has an important effect on the formation and growth of the CuGeO3 nanowires. The CuGeO3 nanowires exhibit good electrochemical cyclic voltammetry characteristics owing to offering many advantages in sensing applications including their small size, high aspect ratio and conductance.

The authors report the growth of CuO nanowires on an oxidized Cu wire and the fabrication of CuO infrared photodetector. By annealing the Cu wire at 500 °C in air for 2 h, high density CuO nanowires with an average length of 1.2 μm and an average diameter of 50 nm were successfully grown vertically on the CuO wire. Using an 808 nm laser diode as the excitation source, it was found that rise-time and fall-time of the fabricated CuO infrared photodetector were 15 and 17 s, respectively, when measured in vacuum.

Single crystalline germanium nanorods have been prepared via a simple hydrothermal deposition process using Ge and GeO2 as the starting materials under the hydrothermal conditions of 400 °C and 7.1 – 8 MPa. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy observations show the diameter of the nanorods ranging from 70 nm to 500 nm and the length greater than 10 μm. X-ray diffraction and high resolution transmission electron microscopy results indicate that the nanorods are mainly composed of single crystalline Ge with cubic diamond structure. The growth process has been proposed as the CuGeO3-assisted growth mechanism.

The authors report the growth of high-density ZnSe/CdSe multiquantum disks on oxidized Si substrate. It was found the as-grown nanotips were tapered with the mixture of cubic zinc blende and hexagonal wurtzite structures. Also, photoluminescence intensities observed from these ZnSe/CdSe multiquantum disks were much larger than that observed from the homogeneous ZnSe. Activation energies for the ZnSe/CdSe multiquantum disks with well widths Lw of 8, 12, and 16 nm were 22, 62, and 56 meV, respectively.

The authors report the growth of quaternary ZnCdSeTe nanotips and ZnSe/ZnCdSeTe superlattice nanotips on oxidized Si(1 0 0) substrate. It was found that the nanotips exhibit mixture of cubic zinc-blende and hexagonal wurtzite structures. It was also found that photoluminescence intensities observed from the ZnSe/ZnCdSeTe superlattice nanotips were much larger than that observed from the homogeneous ZnCdSeTe nanotips. Furthermore, it was found that activation energies for the ZnSe/ZnCdSeTe superlattice nanotips with well widths of 12, 16, 20, and 24 nm were 189, 205, 292, and 240 meV, respectively.

The authors report the growth of high density ZnSe0.9Te0.1 nanotips by molecular beam epitaxy and the fabrication of ZnSeTe nanotip photodetector. It was found that the as-grown ZnSe0.9Te0.1 nanotips were twinned with alternative multidomains and mixture of cubic zinc-blende/hexagonal wurtzite phases. With 5-V applied bias, it was found that photocurrent to dark current contrast ratio of the fabricated photodetector was larger than 700.

Ma JW, Geng SL, Wang SB, Zhang GL, Fu WD & Shu B (2011). Genetic diversity of the newly invasive weed Flaveria bidentis (Asteraceae) reveals consequences of its rapid range expansion in northern China. Weed Research51, 363–372. Summary The South American weed Flaveria bidentis has spread rapidly across northern China since its introduction to the Tianjin area in 2001. To explore its introduction dynamics and mechanism of rapid range expansion in northern China, we examined genetic diversity in 26 populations across the invaded range, using inter-simple sequence repeat markers. We found relatively high intraspecies genetic diversity (He = 0.279; I = 0.415) and wide-ranging genetic variation within populations (He = 0.095–0.263; I = 0.160–0.383), with relatively high genetic diversity in both older established populations and some newly established populations. Approximately 78% of genetic variation resides within populations, according to analysis of molecular variance. The unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean clustered populations into two groups, composed of most populations distributed along the G106 or G107 National Roads. Moreover, a Mantel test showed no significant correlation between geographical and genetic distances. The findings indicate that during F. bidentis invasion, sexual reproduction and multiple introductions have maintained high genetic diversity, while secondary introductions or admixtures of populations have mitigated losses of genetic variation caused by founder events and promoted local adaptation and colonisation. In addition, human-mediated long-distance seed dispersal, via National Roads, may have contributed to its weak geographical genetic structure and rapid range expansion in northern China. To prevent further introductions, imports should be monitored at Tianjin (the likely first arrival point). To control established populations, efforts should focus on populations with high genetic diversity, populations along the G106 and G107 National Roads and regions that are climatically similar to its native range.

Ternary copper germanate nanowires have been synthesized by the hydrothermal deposition route in an autoclave using germanium dioxide and copper oxide powders as the starting materials as well as the copper germanate nanowires have been investigated for cysteine sensing characteristics. The nanowires with the length of several dozens of micrometers are mainly composed of single crystalline orthorhombic CuGeO3, which are supported by X-ray diffraction, selected area electron diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectrum. Room temperature photoluminescence spectrum exhibits strong green light emission ability at 535.4 nm with a broad emission band. The copper germanate nanowires may be controlled grown by controlling the growth conditions of the nanowires. The nanowire growth process is explained using a solid state growth mechanism. The electrochemical analysis demonstrates that the copper germanate nanowires serve as a good electrochemical sensor with excellent electrochemical sensing ability for cysteine and catalytic ability for electron-transfer process. The electrochemical result of the copper germanate nanowires presents an important advance toward the application for electrochemical sensors operating at room temperature. (© 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Large-scale submicron gallium oxide hydrate (GaOOH) rods have been synthesized by a simple hydrothermal process and their optical, electrochemical properties have been analyzed. The diameter of the GaOOH nanorods with good single crystalline structure is 80-800 nm and length of less than 4 μm. The tips of the GaOOH structures are composed of nanorods with the diameter of less than 10 nm and length of more than 100 nm. Hydrothermal temperature, time and the Ga-contained starting materials have important roles on the formation and growth of submicron GaOOH rods. The submicron GaOOH rods exhibit good UV-vis absorption ability. The electrochemical analysis shows that the submicron GaOOH rods have good detecting ability for ascorbic acid and cysteine in PBS and NaCl solution exhibiting promising potential for electrochemical sensing application. (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)