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Intensive animal farming produces large volume of digested liquid, and overdose application often causes the pollution of surface water and groundwater. Therefore, post-treatment is very necessary for the discharging of surplus digested liquid, but the removal of high concentrations of suspended solids (SS) in the digested liquid is a challenge. In this study, the effect of Ca(ClO)

Background There is limited research assessing the utility of the Xpert Mycobacterium tuberculosis/rifampin (MTB/RIF) assay for the analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in Chinese patients with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). Thus, our objective was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the Xpert MTB/RIF assay and evaluate its utility for the determination of rifampicin resistance. Methods We retrospectively analyzed BALF from 214 patients with suspected PTB between January 2018 and March 2019. Using mycobacterial culture or final clinical diagnosis as the reference standard, the diagnostic accuracy of the smear microscopy (SM), tuberculosis bacillus DNA (TB‐DNA), Xpert MTB/RIF assay, and the determination of rifampicin resistance based on the Xpert MTB/RIF assay were compared. Results As compared to mycobacterial culture, the sensitivity of the Xpert MTB/RIF assay, SM, and TB‐DNA were 85.5% (74.2%–93.1%), 38.7% (26.6%–51.9%), and 67.7% (54.7%–79.1%), respectively. As compared to the final diagnosis, the specificity of the Xpert MTB/RIF assay, SM, and TB‐DNA were 100.0% (95.9%–100.0%), 94.3% (87.1%–98.1%), and 98.9% (93.8%–100.0%), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the rifampicin resistance detection using the Xpert MTB/RIF assay were 100% and 98.0%, respectively, with liquid culture as the reference. Conclusions This study demonstrates that the analysis of BALF with the Xpert MTB/RIF assay provides a rapid and accurate tool for the early diagnosis of PTB. The accuracy of diagnosis was superior compared with the SM and TB‐DNA. Moreover, Xpert is a quick and accurate method for the diagnosis of rifampicin‐resistant tuberculosis and can also provide more effective guidance for the treatment of PTB or multidrug‐resistant tuberculosis (MDR‐TB)., The analysis of BALF with the Xpert MTB/RIF assay provides a rapid and accurate tool for the early diagnosis of PTB. The accuracy of diagnosis was superior compared to SM and TB‐DNA. Moreover, Xpert is a quick and accurate method for the diagnosis of rifampicin‐resistant tuberculosis and can also provide more effective guidance for the treatment of PTB or multidrug‐resistant tuberculosis (MDR‐TB).

A monolithic macroporous silica (MMS) was prepared by using a pillared epoxy resin macroporous polymer as template. Polydopamine (PDA) as a spacer-arm polymer was modified on the surface of MMS for immobilization of Candida rugosa lipase (CRL), aiming to improve the performance of CRL and overcome the limitations of the immobilized enzymes on mesoporous materials and fine particles. The immobilization conditions and the properties of the immobilized CRL were investigated. The as-prepared monolithic macroporous materials were characterized by SEM, TEM, MIP, BET, FT-IR and TG-DTA. The results revealed that MMS possessed two sets of well-defined and uniform continuous macroporous channels (pore size of 300–500 nm), high mechanical strength, large pore volume and specific surface area, and that the PDA/MMS macroporous composite was constructed by PDA/SiO2/PDA nano-film with a thickness of about 50 nm. Because of its surface chemical properties and unique macropore structure, the PDA/MMS composite provided a simple, cost-effective way to enhance the catalytic activity of directly immobilized enzyme. The activity recovery of CRL–PDA/MMS was 201%, and the stability of the immobilized lipase was remarkably improved. Moreover, this biocatalyst can be easily recovered from the reaction system without centrifugation or filtration.

A new TEMPO-catalyzed aminophosphinoylation of ethers with amines and H-phosphine oxides was developed for the synthesis of α-aminophosphine oxides. This metal-free aminophosphinoylation reaction c...

Background During tumor malignant development, the extracellular matrix (ECM) is usually abnormally regulated. Dysregulated expression of lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2), matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) and lipocalin 2 (LCN2) are associated with ECM remodeling. Nevertheless, the evidence of an LCN2/LOXL2/MMP9 protein complex and its potential molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Methods In this study, the LCN2/LOXL2/MMP9 ternary complex and their specific interaction domains were determined by co-immunoprecipitation. Next, biological functions of the complex were assessed by wound-healing, migration, invasion and MTS assays. Xenografts were applied to study the effect of the LCN2/LOXL2/MMP9 ternary complex on the tumor progression in vivo. Finally, the molecular mechanism of this ternary complex was explored by zymography, immunofluorescence, and fluorescent matrix degradation. Results Protein-protein interaction assays indicated LCN2 and LOXL2, and LCN2 and MMP9 both had intracellular and extracellular interactions, but the interaction between LOXL2 and MMP9 only occurred intracellularly. The LCN2/LOXL2/MMP9 ternary complex promoted migration and invasion of ESCC cells, as well as tumor growth and malignant progression in vivo, while the iron chelator deferoxamine mesylate (DFOM) inhibited ESCC tumor growth. Co-overexpression of LCN2/LOXL2/MMP9 enhanced the ability of tumor cells to degrade fibronectin and Matrigel, increased the formation and extension of filopodia, promoted the rearrangement of microfilaments through upregulation of profilin 1. In addition, the LCN2/LOXL2/MMP9 ternary complex promoted the expression of SPOCK1, and abnormally activated the FAK/AKT/GSK3β signaling pathway. Conclusion The LCN2/LOXL2/MMP9 ternary complex promotes the migration and invasion of cancer cells and malignant tumor progression through multiple mechanisms, which could be a potential therapeutic target.

Additional file 2: Table S2. Alternative splicing events representing non-coding RNA.

Additional file 1: Table S1. Summary of alternative splicing events with significant difference in ESCC tissues & cell lines.

Additional file 4: Table S3. SF3B4 regulated alternative splicing events tested in SF3B4 shRNA knockdown cell lines.

Additional file 3. Materials and methods.

Proline was reported to improve sperm quality in rams, stallions, cynomolgus monkeys, donkeys, and canines during cryopreservation. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of proline on boar semen during liquid storage at 17 &deg, C and explore the underlying mechanism. Freshly ejaculated boar semen was supplemented with different concentrations of proline (0, 25, 50, 75, 100, 125 mM) and stored at 17 &deg, C for nine days. Sperm motility patterns, membrane integrity, ATP (adenosine triphosphate), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and GSH (glutathione) levels, and the activities of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were evaluated after storage for up to five days. It was observed that boar sperm quality gradually decreased with the extension of storage time, while the ROS levels increased. Addition of 75 mM proline not only significantly improved sperm membrane integrity, motility, and ATP levels but also maintained the redox homeostasis via increasing the GSH levels and activities of CAT and SOD. When hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was used to induce oxidative stress, addition of proline significantly improved sperm quality and reduced ROS levels. Moreover, addition of proline also improved sperm quality during the rapid cooling process. Notably, addition of DL-PCA (DL-pipecolinic acid) rescued the reduction of progressive motility and total motility caused by H2O2, and THFA (tetrahydro-2-furoic acid) failed to provide protection. Furthermore, addition of proline at 75 mM increased the activity of proline dehydrogenase (PRODH) and attenuated the H2O2-induced reduction in progressive motility. These data demonstrate that proline protects sperm against oxidative stress through the secondary amine structure and proline dehydrogenase-mediated metabolism.

Background/Aims: ATP is essential for mammalian sperm to survive and maintain fertilizing capacity. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a sensor of cellular energy status. The aims of the present study were to explore the localization of AMPK in goat sperm and to investigate whether and how AMPK regulates sperm functions in vitro. Methods: Sperm were treated with AMPK modulators (AICAR, metformin and Compound C) during incubation. Sperm motility was assessed with a computer-assisted spermatozoa analysis system (CASA). Membrane integrity, acrosome reaction and mitochondrial membrane potentials were detected by SYBR-14/PI, FITC-PNA and JC-1 staining, respectively. And the lactate content, ATP content, AMPK activity, activity of pyruvate kinase (PK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were also measured with the commercial assay kits. Immunofluorescence staining was used to analyze the distribution of PK, LDH, AMPK and phospho-Thr172-AMPK in sperm. The role of AMPK was further studied during induction of capacitation and acrosome reaction. Results: We found that AMPKα was localized in the entire acrosomal region, the midpiece and the flagellum, while the phospho-Thr172-AMPK was distributed in the head, the midpiece and flagellum. Activation of AMPK by AICAR and metformin significantly improved sperm motility, membrane integrity and acrosome reaction, largely maintained sperm mitochondrial membrane potentials, lactate content and ATP content, and enhanced the activity of AMPK, PK and LDH, whereas inhibition by Compound C triggered the converse effects. Moreover, PK was localized in the acrosomal area and the midpiece, while LDH was distributed in the tail. Induction of capacitation and acrosome reaction led to AMPK phosphorylation. AMPK phosphorylation regulated the activity of energetic enzymes. Conclusion: This study for the first time provides evidence that AMPK governs goat sperm functions through energy metabolism in vitro. This finding will help to improve assisted reproductive techniques in goats and the other species.

Objectives The application of Light’s criteria misidentifies approximately 30% of transudates as exudates, particularly in patients on diuretics with cardiac effusions. The purpose of this study was to establish a predictive model to effectively identify cardiac effusions misclassified by Light’s criteria. Methods We retrospectively studied 675 consecutive patients with pleural effusion diagnosed by Light’s criteria as exudates, of which 43 were heart failure patients. A multivariate logistic model was developed to predict cardiac effusions. The performance of the predictive model was assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, as well as by examining the calibration. Results It was found that protein gradient of >23 g/L, pleural fluid lactate dehydrogenase (PF-LDH) levels, ratio of pleural fluid LDH to serum LDH level (P/S LDH), pleural fluid adenosine deaminase (PF-ADA) levels, and N-terminal pro–brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) levels had a significant impact on the identification of cardiac effusions, and those were simultaneously analyzed by multivariate regression analysis. The area under the curve (AUC) value of the model was 0.953. The model also had higher discriminatory properties than protein gradients (AUC, 0.760) and NT-pro-BNP (AUC, 0.906), all at a P value of Conclusion In cases of suspected cardiac effusion, or where clinicians cannot identify the cause of an exudative effusion, this model may assist in the correct identification of exudative effusions as cardiac effusions.

Background Ascites is one of the most common complications of cirrhosis. Umbilical therapy with traditional Chinese medicines has been increasingly prescribed to treat cirrhotic ascites. However, high-quality evidence from clinical trials supporting such application of traditional Chinese medicines remains limited. Therefore, we designed a clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of umbilical therapy with the Lishui Xiaogu cataplasm formulation applied to treat cirrhotic ascites. Methods/design This ongoing study is a double-blind, randomized, parallel, placebo-controlled trial. A total of 82 patients will be recruited and randomly assigned to either a treatment group or a placebo group, in a 1:1 ratio. The treatment group will receive umbilical therapy with the Lishui Xiaogu cataplasm plus red light irradiation along with conventional treatment; the placebo group will receive umbilical therapy with a placebo cataplasm plus red light irradiation along with conventional treatment. Interventions for both groups will be administered once daily for up to 10 days, with a 30-day follow-up after the last treatment. The primary efficacy measurement will be ascites depth. Secondary efficacy measurements will include abdominal perimeter, weight, urine volume, the symptomatic score of traditional Chinese medicine, and the Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire. Adverse events will also be reported. Discussion This randomized trial will be the first rigorous study designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of umbilical therapy with Lishui Xiaogu cataplasm applied for cirrhotic ascites. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR-INR-16007686. Registered on 1 January 2016. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13063-019-3221-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

SPIRIT 2013 checklist. (DOC 124 kb)

A series of novel thiourea derivatives were synthesized and evaluated by biological activities. Among them, compound 10e containing 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl moiety (R1) at the terminal thiourea and phenylamino (R2) at the terminal acyl position showed the best cytotoxic activities against seven cancer cell lines (NCI-H460, Colo-205, HCT116, MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, HepG2, PLC/PRF/5) and HUVECs. Moreover, compound 10e moderately inhibited various RTKs such as VEGFR2, VEGFR3, and PDGFRβ. Notably, 10e exhibited much better inhibitory effect of tumor formation and antiangiogenic activities than Sorafenib and Regorafenib at the same concentration. Further docking studies suggested that 10e could serve as potential candidate for cancer therapy.

In this paper, we introduce a novel negative-capacitance device, named as negative-capacitance independent dual-gate FinFETs (NC-IDG-FinFETs) that can reduce the number of transistors used in circuit designs. We stack thin ferroelectric (FE) layers into the two gate stacks of baseline traditional independent dual-gate FinFET devices. We chose HfSiO (with the typical anisotropy constants of $\alpha_{FE}=-8.65\mathrm{e}10$ cm/F, $\beta_{FE}=1.92\mathrm{e}20$ cm5/ F/C2, and $\gamma_{FE}=0$ cm9/F/C4) as the material with negative capacitance effect. The high-K dielectric Hf0 2 is used between the FE layer and the channel. We optimize the turn-on currents, leakage currents, and the switching current ratio by adjusting ferroelectric thickness. Simulation results show that the proposed devices can increase the on-state current and decrease the leakage current, and increase the switching current ratio.

In this paper, we introduce novel dual-threshold (DT) independent gate (IG) N-type Tunneling Field-effect Transistor (TFET) devices that can reduce the number of transistors used in circuit designs. We optimize the leakage currents by varying gate-on-drain overlapping based on typical symmetrical dual-gate structures, and then achieve high-Vth and low-Vth IG transistors by adjusting gate work function. TCAD simulation results show high-Vth and low-Vth IG N-type TFETs are logically equivalent to two short-gate (SG) transistors in series and parallel, respectively, with excellent electrical characteristics.

As a kind of intervention measures of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture-moxibustion is highly adopted on global clinical practice. Even though the global clinical trial registration system was established more than 10 years ago, the proportion of acupuncture-moxibustion clinical trial registration is still very low; and it is very problematic on the methodological quality and report quality in the published acupuncture-moxibustion clinical trials. In order to manage particularly the acupuncture-moxibustion clinical trials, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, collaborated with China Association of Acupuncture and Moxibustion and World Federation of Acupuncture Societies, established the Acupuncture-Moxibustion Clinical Trail Registry (AMCTR). AMCTR is a secondary registry platform affiliated to the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR) and WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), specifically for the acceptance and management of clinical trials in the field of acupuncture and moxibustion. It is a nonprofit academic organization, located in China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences.

As a hallmark of cancer, the Warburg effect (aerobic glycolysis) confers a selective advantage for the survival and proliferation of cancer cells. Due to frequent aberration of upstream proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressors, hyperactive mammalian/mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a potent inducer of the Warburg effect. Here, we report that overexpression of a glycolytic enzyme, phosphoglyceric acid mutase-1 (PGAM1), is critical to oncogenic mTOR-mediated Warburg effect. mTOR stimulated PGAM1 expression through hypoxia-inducible factor 1α-mediated transcriptional activation. Blockage of PGAM1 suppressed mTOR-dependent glycolysis, cell proliferation, and tumorigenesis. PGAM1 expression and mTOR activity were positively correlated in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissues and PGAM1 abundance was an adverse predictor for patient survival. PGAM1 is thus a downstream effector of mTOR signaling pathway and mTOR-PGAM1 signaling cascade may contribute to the development of Warburg effect observed in cancer. We consider PGAM1 as a novel prognostic biomarker for NSCLC and a therapeutic target for cancer.

Based on the PMT test system analysis, from the perspective of PMT single photo-electron peak starting to get accurate test existing test pulse generator is optimized to achieve the interactive system and PC control system through the ARM controller, through the FPGA to achieve adjustable duty cycle pulse width output, to achieve the output datum transformation through the level conversion chip and programmable voltage source, and ultimately the high-precision, multi-channel pulse generator, and the output signal quality pulse signal generator and RIGOO-DG5352 350MHz analog output signal source for comparison, the rise time, fall on superior signal source parameters currently used time. And expand the design is better, you can compare the signal source quickly expanded into more channels compared to conventional sources, only 2 channels or 4 channels more suitable PMT test system.

SPIRIT 2013 checklist: recommended items to address in a clinical trial protocol and related documents. (DOC 80 kb)

BACKGROUND: Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is common and diagnosis is often problematic. A cancer ratio (serum lactate dehydrogenases: pleural adenosine deaminase ratio) has been proposed for diagnosing MPE. However, the usefulness of this “cancer ratio” and the clinical‐radiological criteria for diagnosing MPE has not been clearly determined to date. The aim of this study was to assess the performance of those parameters in the diagnosis of MPE. METHODS: We analyzed 240 patients including 120 with MPE and 120 with non‐MPE (93 tuberculous and 27 parapneumonic). Patients were divided into two groups: MPE and non‐MPE (eg, tuberculous and parapneumonic). We constructed two predictive models to assess the probability of MPE: (a) clinical‐radiological data only and (b) a combination of clinical‐radiological data, the cancer ratio, and the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). The performances of the predictive models were assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and by examining the calibration. RESULTS: The area under the ROC curves for model 1 and model 2 were excellent, 0.936 and 0.998, respectively. The overall diagnostic accuracies for model 1 and model 2 were 87.5% and 98.8%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The results confirm that both models achieved a high diagnostic accuracy for MPE; however, model 2 was superior with the addition of its simplicity of use in daily practice. This model should be applied to determine which patients with a pleural effusion of unknown origin would not benefit from further invasive procedures.

Lung dysfunction is an important characteristic of injury induced by paraquat (PQ). This study aimed to evaluate the effects of prolonged low-dose methylprednisolone (MP) treatment on lung function in patients with mild PQ poisoning. We analyzed the results of lung function testing in all patients with mild PQ poisoning admitted to Cangzhou Central Hospital between January 2012 and August 2017. Patients were grouped according to short-term treatment (3 mg/kg/day MP for 3 days) or prolonged treatment (3 mg/kg/day MP for 3 days, followed by dosage reduction by half every 3 days, with treatment terminated when a dosage of 0.375 mg/kg/day was reached). Lung function was evaluated at 2 to 3 months after PQ exposure. The forced expiratory volume in 1 second (85.72 ± 4.93% vs 78.41 ± 4.58%; P

Analyzed the development and changes of product and design in immaterial society, pointed out that brand had become one of the important parts of product's immaterial intensions, and brand building shouldn't be limited in sales department, on the contrary it should be put into the whole product development process. Only with efficient design and design management, can brand building succeed. Along with the concept of design management, studied on the general pattern of brand building and the primary implement steps, analyzed the key phases in detail, and reflected on the main working contents and the general procedure of brand design management. Based on that, analyzed the brand building process of SONY, and discussed four key issues particularly.

Summary Objective To evaluate the effects of Sanyinjiao (SP6) with electroacupuncture on labour pain in women during the labour process. Methods A total of 350 women in labour from three centres were randomly divided into the electroacupuncture group (acupuncture group), the sham electroacupuncture group (sham group) and the control group. Women in labour in the electroacupuncture group received the electroacupuncture on the point Sanyinjiao (SP6). The analgesic effect was self-rated by women in labour, using visual analogue scale (VAS). The duration and paralysis time of uterine contraction, uterine contraction regularity, degree of cervical extension, presentation of foetal descent, the condition of intra-partum haemorrhage and postpartum haemorrhage, labour manner, lochia, involution of uterus, milk secretion, neonate Apgar Score and neonate body height and weight were also measured. All data were analysed with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 12.0. Results Labour pain scores from women in the acupuncture group were less than in the control group at needle retaining at 30 min, 2 and 4 h after needle withdrawal. Other evaluated indices did not show significant differences among the three groups. No adverse events were observed during the labour process. Conclusion SP6 with electroacupuncture could be an effective way for decreasing labour pain.