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BACKGROUND Meigs’ syndrome is regarded as a benign ovarian tumor accompanied by pleural effusion and ascites, both of which resolve after removal of the tumor. Patients often seek treatment in the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine or other internal medicine departments due to symptoms caused by ascites or hydrothorax. Here, we report a rare case of Meigs' syndrome caused by granulosa cell tumor accompanied with intrathoracic lesions. CASE SUMMARY A 52-year-old women was admitted to the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine due to coughing and expectoration accompanied with shortness of breath. Chest X-ray and chest computed tomography showed a modest volume of pleural fluid with pleural thickening in the right lung. The carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) concentration was 150.8 U/mL (normal, 0-35 U/mL) and no tumor cells were observed in pleural fluid. Nodules and a neoplasm with a fish meat-like appearance in the parietal pleura and nodules with a ‘string of beads’-like appearance in the diaphragm were found by thoracoscopic examination. Furthermore, pelvic magnetic resonance revealed a pelvic mass measuring about 11.6 cm × 10.0 cm × 12.4 cm with heterogeneous signal intensity and multiple hypointense separations. Total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral adnexectomy, and separation of pelvic adhesion were performed under general anesthesia. The pathology results showed granulosa cell tumor. At the 2-mo follow-up after the surgery, the hydrothorax subsided, and the CA125 level returned to normal. CONCLUSION For postmenopausal women with unexplained hydrothorax and elevated CA125, in addition to being suspected of having gynecological malignancy, Meigs’ syndrome should be considered.

Surface soil samples collected at 18 sites from the northeast Tibetan Plateau were used to analyze perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) via ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) to study the concentration levels and sources of PFASs. The results showed that 11 PFASs were detected in the soil, and the

Recently, a two-dimensional (2D) Ruddlesden–Popper (RP) organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite material (MTEA)2MAn−1PbnI3n+1 (n = 1–6) has attracted great attention, and experiments have reported that the thicker material (MTEA)2(MA)4Pb5I16 (n = 5) perovskite material has excellent environmental stability and improved photovoltaic stability. However, considering that the thickness of the material and the substitution of halogen anions have influence on photoelectric properties of materials. In this paper, we study the photoelectric properties of 2D RP organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite (MTEA)2MAPb2X7 (X = Cl, Br, I) (n = 2) based on the density functional theory. The calculated results show that as the halogen in (MTEA)2MAPb2Cl7 varies from Cl to I, the bandgap decreases, the absorption intensity increases, and the exciton binding energies decrease, which is significantly higher than that of MAPbI3 crystal photovoltaic materials, indicating that the material (MTEA)2MAPb2X7 (X = Cl, Br, and I) (n = 2) is more suitable as candidates for luminescent devices. Our work provides opportunities and challenges for the application of 2D RP organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites in luminescent devices.

To evaluate the predictive value of using cystatin c-based estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR-CysC) in assessing the prognosis of hepatitis B virus-associated acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) patients treated with artificial liver support system (ALSS).A total of 364 HBV-ACLF inpatients treated with ALSS at our hospital were enrolled retrospectively in the study. The patients were divided into the survival group (Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified eGFR-CysC as one of the independent risk factors associated with mortality within 28 days in HBV-ACLF patients (the hazard ratio=0.987; 95% confidence interval, 0.979-0.996,eGFR-CysC could be used to assist clinical assessment of short-term mortality in HBV-ACLF patients treated with ALSS, and has better clinical application value for dynamic monitoring.

Pure ZnS and Ni2+-doped ZnS nanorods (Zn1-xNixS, x=0, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05 and 0.07, mole fraction, %) were synthesized by hydrothermal method. The effects of Ni2+ doping on the phase-structure, morphology, elemental composition and optical properties of the samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), respectively. The photocatalytic activity of Zn1-xNixS nanorods was evaluated by the photodegradation of organic dyes Rhodamine B (RhB) in aqueous solution under UV light irradiation. The results show that all samples exhibit wurtzite structure with good crystallization. The morphologies are one-dimensional nanorods with good dispersion, and the distortion of the lattice constant occurs. The band gap of Zn1-xNixS samples is smaller than that of pure ZnS, thus red shift occurs. Ni2+-doped ZnS nanocrystals can enhance photocatalytic activities for the photodegradation of RhB. Especially, Zn0.97Ni0.03S sample exhibits better photocatalytic performance and photocatalytic stability for the decomposition of RhB.

Background T cell immunoglobulin mucin-3 (Tim-3) has been reported to participate in the regulation of immune response and the induction of allograft tolerance. However, the association between Tim-3 and renal allograft dysfunction is unclear. We studied the expression of cellular and soluble Tim-3 (sTim-3), soluble galectin-9 (sGal-9) and carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule-1 (sCEACAM-1) in kidney transplantation recipients (KTRs) to explore their roles in allograft dysfunction. Methods 96 KTRs (53 with stable graft and 43 with graft dysfunction) and 30 healthy controls (HC) were enrolled. Among the KTRs, 55 used Tacrolimus (TAC) and 41 used Sirolimus (SRL). In the dysfunction group, 29 recipients have undergone graft biopsy and 14 were classified as biopsy-proven rejection (BPR). Cellular Tim-3 was determined by flow cytometry. sTim-3 was determined by ELISA. sGal-9 and sCEACAM-1 were determined by Bio-Plex® suspension array system. Results KTRs with renal dysfunction showed significantly higher levels of sTim-3 and sGal-9 but similar levels of cellular Tim-3 and sCEACAM-1 compared with stable recipients. Correlation analysis revealed that estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was negatively associated with sTim-3 and sGal-9. Both BPR and non-BPR groups showed comparable levels of Tim-3, Gal-9 and CEACAM-1. Moreover, SRL group showed significantly higher levels of sCEACAM-1 than TAC and HC groups. Conclusions sTim-3 and sGal-9 were promising biomarkers for allograft dysfunction, but unable to differentiate allograft rejection from other causes of renal dysfunction in KTRs. Moreover, long-term administration of sirolimus would up-regulate sCEACAM-1 level, while exert similar regulatory effects on Tim-3 and Gal-9 compared to tacrolimus.

Circulating tumour cell (CTC) enumeration and profiling has been established as a valuable clinical tool in many solid malignancies. A key challenge in CTC research is the limited number of cells available for study. Ex vivo CTC culture permits expansion of these rare cell populations for detailed characterisation, functional assays including drug sensitivity testing, and investigation of the pathobiology of metastases. We report for the first time the establishment and characterisation of two continuous CTC lines from patients with gastroesophageal cancer. The two cell lines (designated UWG01CTC and UWG02CTC) demonstrated rapid tumorigenic growth in immunodeficient mice and exhibit distinct genotypic and phenotypic profiles which are consistent with the tumours of origin. UWG02CTC exhibits an EpCAM+, cytokeratin+, CD44+ phenotype, while UWG01CTC, which was derived from a patient with metastatic neuroendocrine cancer, displays an EpCAM−, weak cytokeratin phenotype, with strong expression of neuroendocrine markers. Further, the two cell lines show distinct differences in drug and radiation sensitivity which match differential cancer-associated gene expression pathways. This is strong evidence implicating EpCAM negative CTCs in metastasis. These novel, well characterised, long-term CTC cell lines from gastroesophageal cancer will facilitate ongoing research into metastasis and the discovery of therapeutic targets.

Background: Endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) has shown efficacy in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with infective endocarditis (IE). The possibility to undertake advanced histopathological clot analysis following EVT offers a new avenue to establish the etiological basis of the stroke – which is often labelled “cryptogenic.” In this paper, we present our findings from four consecutive patients with IE who underwent EVT following an AIS at our tertiary referral comprehensive stroke centre. Methods: Comprehensive histopathological analysis of clot retrieved after EVT, including morphology, was undertaken. Results: The consistent observation was the presence of dense paucicellular fibrinoid material mixed/interspersed with clusters of bacterial cocci. This clot morphology may be specific to septic embolus due to IE unlike incidental bacteraemia and could possibly explain the refractoriness of such clots to systemic thrombolysis. Conclusion: Detailed morphological and histopathological analysis of EVT-retrieved clots including Gram staining can assist in etiological classification of the clot. Understanding the composition of the clot may be of clinical value in early diagnostics and mapping treatment planning in IE.

As noble metal nanoclusters (NCs) are widely employed in nanotechnology, their potential threats to human and environment are relatively less understood. Herein, the biological effects of ultra-small silver NCs coated by bovine serum albumin (BSA) (Ag-BSA NCs) on isolated rat liver mitochondria were investigated by testing mitochondrial swelling, membrane permeability, ROS generation, lipid peroxidation and respiration. It was found that Ag-BSA NCs induced mitochondrial dysfunction via synergistic effects of two different ways: (1) inducing mitochondrial membrane permeability transition (MPT) by interacting with the phospholipid bilayer of the mitochondrial membrane (not with specific MPT pore proteins); (2) damaging mitochondrial respiration by the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). As far as we know, this is the first report on the biological effects of ultra-small size nanoparticles (∼2 nm) at the sub-cellular level, which provides significant insights into the potential risks brought by the applications of NCs. It would inspire us to evaluate the potential threats of nanomaterials more comprehensively, even though they showed no obvious toxicity to cells or in vivo animal models. Noteworthy, a distinct toxic mechanism to mitochondria caused by Ag-BSA NCs was proposed and elucidated.

Background Neutrophil gelatinase-assoicated lipocalin (NGAL) appears to be a promising proximal tubular injury biomarker for early prediction of delayed graft function (DGF) in kidney transplant recipients. However, its predictive values in urine and blood were varied among different studies. Here, we performed the meta-analysis to compare the predictive values of urine NGAL (uNGAL) and blood NGAL (bNGAL) for DGF in adult kidney transplant recipients. Methods We systematically searched Medline, Cochrane library and Embase for relevant studies from inception to May 2018. The summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curves, the pooled sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were used to evaluate the prognostic performance of uNGAL and bNGAL for the identification of DGF. Results A total of 1036 patients from 14 eligible studies were included in the analysis. 8 studies focused on NGAL in urine and 6 reported NGAL in serum or plasma. The composite area under the ROC (AUC) for 24 h uNGAL was 0.91 (95% CI, 0.89–0.94) and the overall DOR for 24 h uNGAL was 24.17(95% CI, 9.94–58.75) with a sensitivity of 0.88 (95% CI, 0.75–0.94) and a specificity of 0.81 (95% CI, 0.68–0.89). The composite AUC for 24 h bNGAL was 0.95 (95% CI, 0.93–0.97) and the overall DOR for 24 h bNGAL was 43.11 (95% CI, 16.43–113.12) with a sensitivity of 0.91 (95% CI, 0.81–0.96) and a specificity of 0.86 (95% CI, 0.78–0.92). Conclusions Urine and serum/plasma NGAL were valuable biomarkers for early identification of DGF in kidney transplantation. In addition, the bNGAL was superior to uNGAL in early prediction of DGF. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12882-019-1491-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

This study seeks to compare the impact of selective partial portal vein ligation (PPVL) or the combination of simultaneous hepatic artery ligation (PPVAL) with in situ splitting (ISS) on liver regeneration and injury. Rats were randomized into three groups; namely: selective PVL, PPVL + ISS and PPVAL + ISS. The changes in hepatic hemodynamics, liver regeneration and hepatocytic injury were examined. Blood flow to the left portal branch and the microcirculation of the left median lobe after PPVL or PPVAL was significantly reduced. Liver regeneration of PPVAL + ISS group was more pronounced than that in the PPVL + ISS and PVL groups at 48 and 72 hours as well as 7 d postoperatively. The serum biochemical markers and histopathological examination demonstrated reduced levels of liver injury in the PPVL + ISS group. Injury to hepatocytes was more pronounced with PPVAL + ISS than PVL. HGF, TNF-α and IL-6 expression in the regenerated lobes in both PPVAL + ISS and PPVL + ISS groups increased significantly when compared to the PVL group. We demonstrated that both PPVL + ISS and PPVAL + ISS were effective and feasible means of inducing remnant liver hypertrophy and could serve as a rapid clinical application for qualified patients.

Fuel consumption in the COREX-3000 process run in Baosteel is currently higher than the design index. Therefore, mass and heat balance equations for the COREX process were established using the basic principles included in the Rist operating diagram for blast furnace (BF) as a reference. Thermodynamic calculations were then used to modify the Rist operating diagram so that it was suitable for the COREX process. The modified Rist operating diagram was then applied for the evaluation of metallization rate (MR) and fuel structure to reduce the energy consumption in the COREX process. The modified Rist operating diagram for the shaft furnace (SF) provided a nearly ideal value for the restriction point W when the metallization rate was increased, while the point P on the operating line for the melter gasifier (MG) moved upward due to reduction in the heat required in hearth. The feasibility of reducing the energy consumption during the COREX process by changing the fuel structure was also demonstrated.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors with an increasing incidence worldwide. Apolipoprotein M (apoM) is a novel apolipoprotein that is mainly expressed in liver and kidney tissues. However, the anti-tumor properties of apoM remain largely unknown. We evaluated the anti-tumor activities and mechanisms of apoM in HCC both in vivo and in vitro. Bioinformatic analysis and luciferase reporter assay results showed that apoM was a potential target of hsa-miR-573 and was downregulated after transfection with hsa-miR-573 mimics. Overexpression of apoM suppressed migration, invasion, and proliferation of hepatoma cells in vitro. Overexpression of hsa-miR-573 in hepatoma cells reduced apoM expression, leading to promotion of the invasion, migration, and proliferation of hepatoma cells in vitro. In addition, hsa-miR-573 markedly promoted growth of xenograft tumors in nude mice with an accompanying reduction in cell apoptosis. ApoM markedly inhibited growth of xenograft tumors in nude mice and promoted cell apoptosis. Moreover, Bcl2A1 mRNA and protein levels were inhibited by apoM overexpression and an increase in apoptosis rate by apoM was markedly compensated by Bcl2A1 overexpression in HepG2 cells. These results provide evidence that hsa-miR-573 promoted tumor growth by inhibition of hepatocyte apoptosis and this pro-tumor effect might be mediated through Bcl2A1 in an apoM-dependent manner. Therefore, our findings may be useful to improve understanding of the critical effects of hsa-miR-573 and apoM in HCC pathogenesis.

Tumor metastasis is one of the key events leading to tumor relapse and poor prognosis. Nowadays, increasing evidences demonstrated that ZEB1 was implicated in human carcinogenesis. However, involvement of ZEB1 deregulation in tumorigenesis in Asian patients with breast carcinoma remains elusive. The present study included 102 Asian patients with breast carcinoma treated by surgery from January of 2005 to December of 2006, and the expression of ZEB1 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. To further assess the prognostic value of ZEB1, Kaplan-Meier curves were constructed. In this study, elevated levels of ZEB1 expression was found in carcinomas with higher aggressive potential. We also correlated expression of ZEB1 with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.021), advanced clinical stage (P = 0.012) in all cases, and high tumor grade (P = 0.047) in invasive ductal carcinoma. Furthermore, our data suggested an elevated level of Ki-67 expression in cases with positive expression of ZEB1. Clinically, reduced overall survival and disease-free survival were observed in cases with positive ZEB1 expression than that in negative cases. Our results correlated ZEB1 with aggressive potentials of breast carcinoma and revealed a possibility for ZEB1 as a prognostic marker in breast carcinoma.

Aluminum powder, stannous oxide powder and cuprous oxide powder are used for the preparation of tin oxide nanostructure in combustion synthesis-injection method with the formula designed using combinatorial chemistry method. The composition range of tin oxide nanostructure synthesis has been studied and the best formula of tin oxide nanowires synthesis has been screened. The research shows that the effective ingredient scope of tin oxide nanostructure is Al=30%~60%, CuO2=10%~50%, SnO=20% ~50% (mol), the main form of tin oxide nanostructure is nanowire and there are also forms such as nanorod, nanoparticle and nanobelt. The formula of tin oxide nanowire which leads to high yield, high purity and high conversion is Al:SnO:Cu2O=4:2:4(mol), the diameter of the tin oxide nanowires is within the range of 10~100 nm and most of them is from 40 to 60 nm, the highest conversion rate of SnO powder to SnO2 nanowire is 25.6%(mass), the tin oxide nanostructure synthesized by combustion synthesis-injection method has high purity, good dispensability, low preparation cost and it is also suitable for mass production.

With the increasing of extended warranty period for complex systems, the extended warranty has aroused more and more attention for manufacturers and consumers. Although the academic research on extended warranty has made some progresses, there isn’t a detailed literature review. Considering this situation, this paper first provides a classification for extended warranty, and develops a taxonomy scheme, then reviews the literatures about the extended warranty model from different perspectives. At last, the brief discussion of future research about extended warranty is put forward in this paper.

On the basis of magnesiothermy, with Mg powder, TiO2 powder and B2O3 powder as mixed reactants, relatively pure TiB2 powder was prepared by self-propagating high temperature synthesis (SHS) after leached in diluted hydrochloric acid with the suitable concentration. The product after leached was examined by XRD for qualitative and quantitative analysis, SEM for morphology analysis and infrared spectroscopy for transmittance analysis. It was found that diluted hydrochloric acid could decrease most of the impurities, and the proportion of TiB2 phase in the product is more than 99%, which was hexagonal shape crystal with the grain size of 200-300 nm. Compare with the infrared spectrogram of the middle infrared spectral region of the product of before and after acid pickling, it was found that the transmittance of TiB2 is extremely low in the range of 2000-4000 cm-1, which can be excellent infrared absorption material in the corresponding wave band.

Using TiO2B2O3 powders as oxidizer,AlMg powders as reducer,the TiB2 multiphase ceramic are preparated with SHS, and analysed with SEM and XRD.The effect of HCl, H3PO4 to pickling of TiB2-based multiphase ceramics is explored by SEM and XRD analysis. Research suggests that: the main ingredients of TiB2-based multiphase ceramics is TiB2, MgO and MgAl2O4 three phases, few of reaction residual objects and impurities also exists; the multiphase ceramics is forming by many of hexagonal crystal type products and small particles reunion, hexagonal crystal type product is TiB2, small particles may be MgO, MgAl2O4 and other impurities product; MgO can be effectively washed by HCl and H3PO4 , but TiB2 and MgAl2O4 invalid. At room temperature, 30% HCl pickling has the best effect, the concentration of TiB2(ω) is up to 59.3%; the higher of the concentration, the better of acid-effect; In the pickling process, as the temperature rises, the concentration of TiB2 grows, but the temperature should not be too high. When temperature reach 75 °C, HCl volatilizes too quickly and inefficiently. At room temperature, 20% H3PO4 has the best pickling effect, the concentration of TiB2(ω) is up to 52.6%, but the best pickling effect is not well with concentration increasing; as the temperature increasing, purity of TiB2 is also increased; At 70°C, the concentration of TiB2(ω) after H3PO4 pickling is up to 61.9%, refine effect is good.

Infection remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality after kidney transplantation (KT). Reliable biomarkers to predict post-transplant infection are lacking. We investigated the predictive performance of pre- and post-transplant levels of T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-3 (Tim-3) and Galectin-9 (Gal-9), two pleiotropic immunomodulatory molecules, in early identification of infection. Serum Tim-3 and Gal-9 were paired measured before and 30 days after transplantation (PTD 30) in 95 KT recipients (KTRs). The decline rates of Tim-3 and Gal-9 were calculated relative to pre-transplant levels. KTRs with infection history had significantly higher levels of PTD 30 Tim-3 and Gal-9, and slower decrease rates of Gal-9 compared to non-infected recipients, while no difference was observed between two groups regarding pre-transplant levels. The AUCs for predicting 1-year post-transplant infection were 0.653 and 0.711 for post-transplant Tim-3 and Gal-9, 0.664 and 0.670 for relative Tim-3 and Gal-9, respectively. After adjusting for potential confounders, PTD 30 Tim-3, Gal-9 and relative Gal-9 remained as independent risk factors for post-transplant infection. Our results suggested that PTD 30 Tim-3 and Gal-9 and relative decrease of Gal-9 were promising predictors for identifying KTRs with high risk of infection, while pre-transplant Tim-3 and Gal-9 showed no predictive power to infection.

Polyimide (PI) was chosen as the matrix of the composites, barium titanate/polyimide (BT/PI) nanocomposite films were prepared with in-situ polymerization. The morphology of the samples was obtained by SEM. The factors affecting the dielectric properties are discussed. When the mass fraction of BT is 70%, the dielectric constant will be 19.32, and loss 0.00254 (at 103 Hz). The optimal solvent content and ultrasonic time were 9.2 ml and 30 min respectively. TG analysis shows that the film is stable below 500°C. The AC breakdown strength were 42 MV·m-1 and 64 MV·m-1 for 70% BT/PI and 60% BT/PI respectively, and corresponding energy storage density were 0.17 J·cm-3 and 0.30 J·cm-3 respectively.

Ni-doped ZnO diluted magnetic semiconductors nanorods were successfully synthesized by hydrothermal method. The crystal structure, morphology, constituent elements and optical proprety of the products using this method were investigated via X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray energy dispersive spectrometry (XEDS) and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis). The experiment results show that the morphology of samples were nanorods with good dispersion, all the diffraction peaks correspond to the wurtzite structure hexagonal phase, no other impurity phase appeare, and the Ni2+ions successfully substituted for the lattice site and generate single-phase Zn1-xNixO. The band gap increases firstly and reduces afterward with the increase of Ni2+contents.

Propofol (2,6-diisopropylphenol) is probably the most widely used intravenous hypnotic agent in daily practice. However, its anti-inflammatory properties have seldom been addressed. In this study, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory activity and mechanisms of propofol on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in vivo and in vitro and found that propofol markedly inhibited LPS-induced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6, and expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). At the same time, the expression of hepatocyte nuclear factor-1α (HNF-1α) and apolipoprotein M (APOM) was inhibited by treatment with LPS and LPS-induced down-regulation of HNF-1α expression and APOM expression could be compensated by propofol treatment. However, propofol could not compensate LPS-induced down-regulation of APOM expression by treatment with HNF-1α siRNA and the suppressive effect on LPS-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines production by propofol was significantly compensated by treatment with APOM siRNA. These results provide evidence that propofol may first up-regulate APOM expression by enhancing HNF-1α expression and then inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokine production in LPS-stimulated cells. Therefore, our study may be useful in understanding the critical effect of propofol in patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome.

Silver materials have been widely used as antimicrobial agents. Notably, silver nanoparticles have emerged as a new generation of nanoproducts for biomedical and environmental applications in recent years. However, ultrasmall silver nanoclusters (NCs) (∼2 nm) have rarely been used to kill bacteria and their antibacterial mechanisms have not yet been fully elucidated. Herein, we studied the antibacterial activities of bifunctional fluorescent DHLA-AgNCs against three types of bacteria. The results showed that DHLA-AgNCs exhibited excellent antibacterial activities against Gram-negative E. coli, which could efficiently inhibit the growth of E. coli DH 5α and E. coli DSM 4230 cells at a concentration of 15 and 10 μg mL-1, respectively. Meanwhile AgNCs demonstrated no apparent antibacterial activity against Gram-positive S. aureus. Then, the antibacterial mechanisms of AgNCs were systematically investigated. We found that AgNCs affected the growth of different E. coli strains in different ways. AgNCs inhibited the growth of E. coli DH 5α mainly through damaging the outer cellular membrane and permeating into the cells, followed by the antibacterial effect of the internalized AgNCs and released silver ions. AgNCs, however, inhibited the growth of E. coli DSM 4230 cells mainly through diffusing into E. coli DSM 4230 cells and damaging their respiratory chain. These results clearly indicated that different bacterial strains (e.g. different E. coli strains) should be taken into consideration in future studies. Our work facilitates further investigation of the design of new antibacterial silver nanomaterials with different sizes.

Aim IgG4 disease is rare. However, IgG4 tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN) is the most common renal manifestation. IgG4 disease is usually associated with elevated serum IgG4 levels and other organ involvement, low-density renal lesions on enhanced CT imaging and immune activation. The incidence of IgG4-TIN may be underestimated, as staining for IgG4 is not routine. This study sought to describe the prevalence of previously undiagnosed IgG4-TIN. Due to the complexity of the diagnosis, we only attempt to look at IgG4-positive plasma cell TIN as a potential indication for IgG4 renal disease. Methods A retrospective review of native renal biopsies performed between 2002 and 2012 with a primary diagnosis of TIN was selected. Samples for which interstitial nephritis was secondary to a glomerular disease were excluded. The tissues were stained for IgG4 and scored by two blinded observers. Demographic and follow-up details were collected. This study was approved by the local ethics committee. Results 82 cases of interstitial nephritis from a total of 1238 renal biopsies (2002–2012) were available after staining for further assessment. 12 samples demonstrated staining consistent with the criteria for IgG4-positive plasma cell TIN, of which 3 had mildly positive staining, 7 moderately positive staining and 2 had markedly positive staining. There were no statistically significant differences in the baseline characteristics between the positive and negative staining groups. Conclusions A number of cases of IgG4-positive plasma cell TIN were observed histologically that had been previously diagnosed as non-specific chronic TIN. IgG4-positive plasma cell TIN made up 1% of all renal biopsies performed over 10 years and 13% of all biopsies demonstrating TIN not related to glomerular disease. IgG4 staining should be considered routinely in biopsies demonstrating primary TIN.

To further evaluate the potential renal targeting profile of low molecular weight hydroxyethyl chitosan (LMWHC) we developed before, prednisolone (Pre) was conjugated with LMWHC by EDC/NHS chemistry to improve the therapeutic effect of glucocorticoids in vivo. The conjugate was denoted as LMWHC-Pre. The prednisolone content of the conjugate was determined by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with Kromasil C18 column. The results showed that the average coupling degree of prednisolone to LMWHC was 76.7±3.2 μg·mg(-1). The stability and physicochemical characterization of LMWHC-Pre under various conditions were also investigated. To study the fate of LMWHC-Pre after intravenous (i.v.) administration, fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) was coupled to the conjugate to explore the renal targeting efficacy. The in vivo results showed that significant amount of the conjugate was accumulated into the kidneys while negligible signal could be detected when the mixture of FITC-LMWHC and prednisolone was co-administered. The preliminary pharmacodynamics study of LMWHC-Pre showed that the conjugate could effectively alleviate the nephrotic syndrome of rats induced by minimal change nephrosis (MCN) model. Toxicity study also revealed that there was little glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis by LMWHC-Pre upon 20 days of treatment. From this study, LMWHC-Pre may be employed as an effective potential drug candidate for the treatment of chronic renal disease.

The StelliteNo6 alloy was surfaced on low carbon steel by plasma arc surfacing with LMF or TMF. The magnetic field current could been changed during surfacing. After plasma arc surfacing with magnetic field, the OM, XRD, wear loss test, micro-hardness test were used to analyze the effect of magnetic field style on microstructure and properties of overlay deposit. The acting mechanisms of magnetic field style and parameters on properties and microstructure of overlay deposit were researched. The results indicate that LMF and TMF all can improve the properties of overlay deposit. The active effect of TMF is better than LMF because of TMF can make the matrix metal γ-Co finer, second phase (CoCx、Cr7C3、Cr23C and FeNi) dispersion.

Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) levels have been advocated as a biomarker for evaluating the oxidative stress status. No data are showed on the potential role of IMA in type 1 diabetes (T1D). We aimed to establish the correlation among serum levels of IMA, C-reactive protein (CRP), and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in patients with T1D. Fifty-seven patients with T1D, 27 patients with DKA, and 40 controls were enrolled. Serum IMA and CRP levels were measured and evaluated to distinguish from DKA. CRP and IMA levels were significantly elevated in patients with DKA at admission to the hospital compared to non-DKA and control subjects. CRP and IMA levels were higher in non-DKA patients than in controls. CRP, plasma glucose, and IMA levels were reduced after insulin treatment. Serum IMA levels were an independent risk marker for DKA (OR = 1.225, p = 0.002, 95 % CI: 1.076-1.394). Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses showed no difference in the areas under curve for serum IMA and CRP values. This study indicates that IMA and CRP levels were significantly correlated with DKA diagnosis. IMA can act as a biomarker that reflects the presence of DKA.

This paper presents a novel strategy for synthesis of carbon nanomaterials using the Cstaple biomaterials – starch as the starting materials. The carbonhydrate were vaporized by arc under helium, which leads to a large amount of monodispersive carbon nanoballs with range of 30-70nm in diameter. In addition to carbon nanoballs, some carbon nanocapsules were occasionally observed in products. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were employed to characterizing products. The growth mechanism of carbon nanoballs is discussed briefly in terms of the precursor composition and process parameters.

Ag nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by hydrothermal method under the polyol system combined with traces of sodium chloride, Silver nitrate(AgNO3) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) acted as the silver source and dispersant respectively. The samples by this process were characterized via X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) adsorption equation, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and the corresponding selected area electron diffraction (SAED) to determine the chemical composition, particle size, crystal structure and morphology. The experiment results indicate that the crystal structure of the samples is face centered cubic (FCC) structure as same as the bulk materials, The specific surface area is 24 m2/g, the particle size distribution ranging from10 to 50 nm, with an average particle size about 26 nm obtained by TEM and confirmed by XRD and BET results.

To further evaluate the potential renal targeting profile of low molecular weight hydroxyethyl chitosan (LMWHC) we developed before, prednisolone (Pre) was conjugated with LMWHC by EDC/NHS chemistry to improve the therapeutic effect of glucocorticoids in vivo. The conjugate was denoted as LMWHC-Pre. The prednisolone content of the conjugate was determined by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with Kromasil C18 column. The results showed that the average coupling degree of prednisolone to LMWHC was 76.7±3.2 μg·mg-1. The stability and physicochemical characterization of LMWHC-Pre under various conditions were also investigated. To study the fate of LMWHC-Pre after intravenous (i.v.) administration, fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) was coupled to the conjugate to explore the renal targeting efficacy. The in vivo results showed that significant amount of the conjugate was accumulated into the kidneys while negligible signal could be detected when the mixture of FITC-LMWHC and prednisolone was co-administered. The preliminary pharmacodynamics study of LMWHC-Pre showed that the conjugate could effectively alleviate the nephrotic syndrome of rats induced by minimal change nephrosis (MCN) model. Toxicity study also revealed that there was little glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis by LMWHC-Pre upon 20 days of treatment. From this study, LMWHC-Pre may be employed as an effective potential drug candidate for the treatment of chronic renal disease.

In the protecting inert gas, Aluminum nanoparticles were successfully prepared by anodic arc discharge plasma method. The morphology, particle size, crystal microstructure and specific surface area of the particles by this process were characterized via X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller(BET) adsorption equation, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and the corresponding selected area electron diffraction (SAED). The experimental results indicate that the crystal structure of the samples is face centered cubic (fcc) structure as same as the bulk materials, the particle size distribution ranging from 20 to 70 nm, with an average particle size about 44 nm obtained by TEM and confirmed by XRD and BET results. The specific surface area is 41 m2/g, the nanopowders distributed uniformly in spherical chain shapes with uniform size and monodisperse particles.

In this paper, Silver nitrate(AgNO3) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) acted as the silver source and dispersant respectively, the silver nanowires including a small amount of folded structure of silver nanowires, were synthesized by hydrothermal method under the polyol system combined with traces of sodium chloride. The nanowires were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction(XRD), transmission electron microscopy(TEM), selected area electron diffraction(SAED), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDAX) and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy to determine the chemical composition, crystal structure, morphology,and the generation mechanism of Ag nanowires was also analysed. The experimental results showed that the crystal structure of the as-prepared Ag nanowires was fcc structure with uniform width, smooth surface, the diameter about 200nm,the average length about 15μm,and the aspect ratio up to 75.The folded structure of silver nanowires synthesized were due to the straight silver nanowires were connected in an end-to-end manner, with obvious spacing between them.

To investigate whether ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) is reliable for early diagnosing symptomatic lacunar infarction (SLI) in type 2 diabetics.Ninety-seven consecutive diabetic patients, 47 with SLI, and 45 healthy controls were enrolled. Serum IMA and plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) were measured on an autoanalyzer and evaluated in distinguishing SLI.Serum IMA levels were 97.35 ± 5.25 U/L in the healthy control group, 103.26 ± 7.43 U/L in the non-SLI group, and 139.84 ± 20.00 U/L in the SLI group. Plasma tHcy levels were 8.08 ± 1.82 μmol/L, 11.31 ± 3.03 μmol/L, and 13.10 ± 3.67 μmol/L, respectively. The differences in IMA and tHcy levels were statistically significant for all groups (p0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses revealed the areas under curve were 0.866 for IMA and 0.352 for tHcy.This study indicates that IMA was significantly elevated in the acute phase of SLI and more sensitive than tHcy in distinguishing SLI.

The high-phosphorus electroless Ni–P plating was coated on the surface of stainless steel. Five parameters, which have much effect on coating quality, were chosen to optimize the high-phosphorus electroless Ni–P plating technology in L16(45) orthogonal test. By means of x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, the morphologies and phase structures of coating were analyzed. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of coating were studied by micro-hardness tester and universal friction-wear testing machine. The results reveal that the optimal technical parameters are as follows: 20 g•L-1 for NiSO4, 23 g•L-1 for NaH2PO2, 15 g•L-1 for C6H5O7Na3•2H2O, 8 g•L-1 for H2N-CH2-COOH, 10g•L-1 for CH3COONa, 7 g•L-1 for C4H6O4, with PH value of 4.6, which leads to perfect coating quality. Besides, the P content is 11.64 wt.%, i.e. a high-P coating. The micro-hardness of the coating is 550.67 HV and the wear loss, 4.7×10-3 g. The thermal shock test suggests that between coating and matrix exist a perfect cohesion, which is due to the homogenous and compact coating, with an amorphous structure, under the condition of the optimal technical parameters.

Two new acetylated kaempferol glycosides were isolated from the seeds of Camellia semiserrata Chi, their structures were elucidated as kaempferol 3- O -[(3- O -acetyl)-α- l -rhamnopyranosyl(1 → 3)(4- O -acetyl)- α - l -rhamnopyranosyl(1 → 6)- β - d -gluco-pyranoside] ( 1 ) and kaempferol 3- O -[(2- O -acetyl)- α - l -rhamnopyranosyl (1 → 3)(4- O -acetyl)- α - l -rhamnopyranosyl(1 → 6)- β - d -gluco-pyranoside] ( 2 ) by spectral experiments (including ESI-MS, 1D- and 2D-NMR).

Objective To evaluate the effect of telbivudine and lamivudine in the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis B(CHB).Methods Correspondent data were retrieved form PUBMED,EMBASE,Web of Science,The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials,Chinese Journals Full-text Database,Chinese Biomedical Database and Wan Fang Digital Journal Full-text database to collect clinical randomized controlled trials regarding the treatment of CHB by telbivudine and lamivudine.Statistical analysis was performed by Meta-analysis using Review Manager 4.2.10.Results Seven randomized controlled trials including 2672 CHB cases met the inclusion criteria.Meta-analysis showed that: a) Patients in telbivudine group had the higher rates of lowering of HBV DNA to undetectable levels,loss of HBeAg,HBeAg seroconversion,and therapeutic response as compared with those in lamivudine group,and the RR values were 1.46(95%CI: 1.35-1.57,P < 0.00001),1.28(95%CI: 1.13-1.45,P=0.0001),1.31(95%CI: 1.14-1.52,P=0.0002),and 1.31(95%CI:1.23-1.40,P < 0.00001),respectively.But the rates of viral resistance and viral breakthrough were lower in telbivudine group than in lamivudine group,and the RR values were 0.58(95%CI: 0.48-0.69,P < 0.00001) and 0.52(95%CI: 0.44-0.60,P < 0.00001),respectively.b) There were no significant differences between the two groups in the ALT normalization and nonspecific adverse events(RR=1.13,95%CI: 0.99-1.27,P=0.06;RR=1.05,95%CI: 1.00-1.11,P=0.07).c) Elevated creatine kinase(CK) levels were more common in patients who received telbivudine as compared with those received lamivudine(RR=3.26,95%CI: 2.28-4.67,P < 0.00001).Conclusion Telbivudine shows a better effect and safety than lamivudine in the treatment of CHB.Telbivudine can inhibit the replication of HBV,but particular attention should be paid to the elevation of the CK value.

For avoiding false-alarm and diagnosing intermittent fault, based on the relationship analysis between intermittent fault and false-alarm, the intermittent fault diagnosis model of power system based on HMM (Hidden Markov Model)-SVM (Support Vector Machine) characteristics was constructed in this paper. By means of this model, the intermittent fault diagnosis procedure of power system based on HMM-SVM characteristics was built. Finally, the intermittent fault diagnosis simulation system of power system based on HMM-SVM characteristics was demonstrated and validated by QUEST software. The result showed that the proposed method was available, and can provided guidance for avoiding false-alarm and diagnosing intermittent fault, and support for stable performance in power system.

Helical structure ZnS were successfully prepared via solvothermal method by the reaction of zinc acetate and sodium sulphide. The composition, morphology, and microstructure of the sample were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), the corresponding selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and X-ray energy spectrum (EDS). The experiment results show that the sample is 1-D hexagonal crystal ZnS and grows along the [002] direction, and is helical structure, with lengths in the range of 100-200 nm, the diameter about 5-15 nm, and pitch about 20nm.