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The first application of 3-alkyl-2-vinylindoles in catalytic asymmetric dearomative cycloadditions was established by chiral phosphoric acid (CPA)-catalyzed (2+3) cycloaddition with azoalkenes, leading to the generation of chiral pyrroloindolines bearing two tetrasubstituted stereogenic centers in good yields (61-96%) and excellent stereoselectivities (all >95:5 dr, 86-99% ee). This reaction has realized the first enantioselective dearomative cycloaddition of 3-alkyl-2-vinylindoles, which brings a new reactivity to this class of vinylindoles and will enrich the chemistry of 3-alkyl-2-vinylindoles. In addition, this approach has provided a useful strategy for the construction of enantioenriched pyrroloindoline skeletons bearing two tetrasubstituted stereogenic centers. More importantly, the bioassay of these chiral pyrroloindolines has revealed that some compounds exhibit strong anti-cancer activity against Hela and MCF-7 cell lines, which will be helpful for discovering anti-cancer drug candidates.

PurposeTo compare the oncologic safety, aesthetic outcome, and upper extremity function of single-port insufflation endoscopic nipple-sparing mastectomy (SIE-NSM) vs conventional open mastectomy (C-OM) in the treatment of early breast cancer. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, 285 stage I and II breast cancer patients were divided into the SIE-NSM group (n = 71) and the C-OM group (n = 214). Local recurrence, distant metastasis, and upper extremity function were compared. Differences in the aesthetic outcome, psychosocial well-being, and sexual well-being were analyzed by the BREAST-Q scale. Multivariable binary logistic regression was conducted to assess the risk of local recurrence. The multivariable linear regression model was performed to evaluate the upper extremity function and the aesthetic outcome.Results Local recurrence rates were similar (p = 0.735), which was also shown by multivariable binary logistic regression analysis. No distant metastases were observed in either group. Satisfaction with breasts, chest well-being, psychosocial well-being, and sexual well-being scores were superior in the SIE-NSM group (p < 0.001). Chest wall/breast pain, shoulder range of motion, and use of arm in daily life was better for the patients in the SIE-NSM group (p < 0.001). There were no cases of subcutaneous effusion in the SIE-NSM group, while the incidence rate of subcutaneous effusion in the C-OM group was 10.7% (p = 0.004). ConclusionsSIE-NSM is comparable to C-OM in oncologic safety while increasing satisfaction with breasts, physical well-being, psychosocial well-being, sexual well-being, and upper extremity function. This novel method is an appropriate surgical option for early breast cancer treatment.

The loading–unloading curves of poly(methoxy-5-(2′-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phyen-ylenevinylene) (MEH-PPV) films were measured using four different tests of nanoindentation. Then the curves were simulated with the theory of Lennard-Jones (L-J) potential, discovering the relationship between Young’s modulus (modulus, E) and the indented depth or force. Therefore, it is proposed that the modulus of a soft conjugated polymer can be calculated by fitting the unloading curve. This method of modulus determining is different from that the well-accepted and widely used, which traditionally comes from the stiffness at the beginning of the unloading curve. The modulus of the MEH-PPV film, which usually varies with stress or strain, is calculated to be ~ 70 MPa on the equilibrium position where the intermolecular potential is minimal and the intermolecular force is zero. This method will be beneficial for the standardization of modulus measuring of soft polymer thin films.

The loading curves and Young’s modulus of poly(2-methoxy-5-(3′,7′-dimethyloctyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene) (MDMO-PPV) films have been measured using nanoindentation through single- and multicycle- test. The ITO\MDMO-PPV\Al devices were fabricated and measured. We measured the I–V characteristics of the devices under different stresses. We found that the applied stress makes the film not only tightened but also more conductive. The devices showed a good piezoresistive performance. Their piezoresistance coefficients have even reached 4.36 × 10−3 Pa−1. The device resistance significantly decreased with the periodical stress produced by a weight, demonstrating a good sensitivity, stability, and repeatability. We propose that two mechanisms are involved in the I–V characteristics in the bias range from 0 to 4 V. One is the Ohm’s law, which is taking effect at low current density or high stress (more than 118 kPa); the other is the trapped charge limited current (TCLC) mechanism, which is taking effect at high current density and low stress (less than 118 kPa).

The piezoresistive devices with the structure of ITO/poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT; spin coating 90 nm film)/Al (75 nm) have been fabricated and measured. We measured the I-V characteristics of the devices under different stresses. The stress ranges from 0 to 510 kPa and the voltage ranges from 0 to 5 V. The resistance of the devices is very sensitive to the applied stress. The piezoresistive coefficient is far larger than 10−4/Pa when the working voltage ranges from 0.2 to 0.5 V and the stress ranges from 160 to 510 kPa, whereas the current seems to change linearly with pressure and with a considerable fluctuation. This uncertainty in piezoresistance measurement may have originated from the viscoelasticity of P3HT, including a significant creep and a slow restoration after a deep compression, which has been confirmed by the results of the nanoindentation test. In general, P3HT could be used in tactile sensors, which need more sensitivity rather than accuracy.

The “hyper-triglyceridemic waist (HTW) phenotype” is relatively convenient to identify, acquired readily, and is inexpensive. We explored the relationship between the HTW phenotype and abdominal-fat accumulation in Chinese adults. The study cohort comprised 195 adults divided into four groups according to triglyceride (TG) concentration and waist circumference (WC): normal (A), “hyper-TG” (B), “hyper-WC” (C) and the HTW phenotype (D). The abdominal-fat compartment was measured by magnetic resonance imaging. A 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was administered after an overnight fast. Clinical, anthropometric and laboratory data were analyzed. Individuals with the HTW phenotype had the highest WC, Conicity Index, waist:hip ratio and abdominal visceral fat (AVF) area, and the highest TG and uric-acid concentrations among the four groups. People with the HTW phenotype were older, had higher blood pressure than those with normal WC (groups A and B). In the OGTT, participants with the HTW phenotype had the highest insulin resistance and lowest insulin sensitivity. In binary logistic regression analysis, age, sex, Body Mass Index, high concentrations of density lipoprotein-cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and the HTW phenotype were independent risk factors for predicting AVF accumulation with a sensitivity of 81.08% and specificity of 90.91%. Chinese adults with the HTW phenotype had the highest AVF area and insulin resistance, and were associated with higher blood pressure than individuals with normal WC. The HTW phenotype is a reliable marker for prediction of AVF accumulation associated with insulin resistance. IV.

PID optimal parameters selection has been extensively studied, In order to improve some strict performance requirements for complex system. A new design scheme of PID controllers is proposed in this paper. This scheme is designed based on the IMC which is a kind of the model driven controllers. The internal model consists of the full model. The full model is deigned by using the quantum neural network. The PID control system is first constructed for the augmented system which is composed of the controlled object and the internal model. Simulation and experiment results show that the method outperforms the typical model-based approach despite its simplicity and it is therefore suitable to implement in distributed control system as well as in single-station controller.

Chlamydia spp. are obligate intracellular bacteria distributed globally, known to cause various forms of diseases in animals and humans. To date, there is limited information about the seroprevalence of Chlamydia and the risk factors associated with Chlamydia infection in dogs in the world. In the present study, a serological survey was undertaken to examine the seroprevalence and risk factors associated with dog chlamydiosis in Yunnan Province, southwestern China. A total of 591 dogs were sampled, antibodies to Chlamydia were determined by indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA). The overall seroprevalence was estimated at 17.6%. The risk factors associated with seroprevalence were determined by a multivariate logistic regression analysis. Gender and age of dogs were not significant in the logistic regression analysis (P0.05) and left out of the final model. Type and geographical origin of dogs were considered as main risk factors associated with Chlamydia infection, stray dogs (31.37%) were more than 16 times (OR=16.167, 95% CI=6.283-41.599, P0.01) at risk of acquiring the infection compared to the police dogs (7.62%), while pet dogs (14.41%) had a 3 times (OR=2.968, 95% CI=1.349-6.529, P=0.007) higher risk. Positive dogs were found in 5 districts of Yunnan Province with prevalence ranging from 2.56% to 31.67% except Diqing (0/56). Dogs in Kunming (20.21%) had a 9 times higher risk of being seropositive compared to dogs in Lijiang (2.56%) (OR=9.057, 95% CI=1.211-67.714, P=0.032), although no regional differences were found in other 4 administrative divisions compared to Lijiang (P0.05). Our study revealed a widespread and high prevalence of Chlamydia infection in dogs in Yunnan Province, southwestern China, with higher exposure risk in stray dogs and distinct geographical distribution. These findings suggest the potential importance of dogs in the transmission of zoonotic Chlamydia infection, and thus Chlamydia should be taken into consideration in diagnosing dog diseases.

Chlamydophila is an obligate intracellular bacterium, found in a wide range of birds, which is frequently transmitted from infected birds to humans. In the present study, a total of 313 serum samples from free-living, clinically healthy house sparrows were examined using an indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA). Antibodies against Chlamydophila were found in 33 (10.54%) of 313 serum samples (IHA titer ≥ 1:16). The result indicated that clinical healthy status was not a reliable “standard” for the diagnosis of Chlamydophila infection and there was a potential risk for human infection with Chlamydophila in this region. The present study is the i¬rst seroprevalence survey of sparrows infected by Chlamydophila in China. Key words: Chlamydophila, Seroprevalence, house sparrows, Lanzhou, northwest China, indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA).

Background Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan parasite infecting almost all warm-blooded animals, including birds, with a worldwide distribution. Surveys of T. gondii infection in wild birds have been reported extensively in the world, but little is known of T. gondii infection in peafowls worldwide. This study was performed to determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in peafowls in Yunnan Province, southwestern China. Methods Sera from 277 peafowls, including 272 blue peafowls (Pavo cristatus) and 5 green peafowls (Pavo muticus) originated from two geographic areas in Yunnan Province were assayed for T. gondii antibodies using the modified agglutination test (MAT). Results Specific T. gondii antibodies were detected in 35 of 277 (12.64%) peafowls (MAT titer ≥ 1:5). Seropositive birds were found in both species, 33 in 272 blue peafowls and 2 in 5 green peafowls. There was no significant difference in T. gondii seroprevalence between the adolescent birds (6.74%) and the adult birds (6.67%) (P > 0.05). The geographical origins of peafowls was found to be highly associated with T. gondii infection in the present study, a statistically significant difference in T. gondii seropositivity was observed between peafowls from Kunming (31.08%) and those from Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture (5.91%) (OR = 10.956, 95% CI = 1.632-73.545, P = 0.014). Statistical analyses showed that there were no significant interactions between ages and geographical origins of peafowls (P > 0.05). Conclusions The results of the present survey indicated that infection of peafowls with T. gondii is widespread in Yunnan Province, which has significant public health concerns and implications for prevention and control of toxoplamosis in this province. To our knowledge, this is the first seroprevalence report of T. gondii infection in China’s southwestern Yunnan Province.

Background Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, which infects almost all warm-blooded animals, including humans, with a worldwide distribution. However, little is known of T. gondii seroprevalence in pet dogs in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province, southwest China. The objective of this investigation was to estimate the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in pet dogs in this area. Methods A total of 611 serum samples were collected from 7 pet hospitals in Kunming, and assayed for T. gondii antibodies by the indirect haemagglutination (IHA) using a commercially-marked kit. Results 132 (21.6%) pet dogs were positive for T. gondii antibodies, and the seroprevalence ranged from 17.3% to 34.7% among different sampling regions, the difference was statistically significant (P T. gondii seroprevalence in female and male dogs were 20.8% and 22.4%, respectively, the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The seroprevalence ranged from 17.5% to 23.6% among different age groups, but the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05), and there were no interactions in statistics (P > 0.05) between gender and age of pet dogs in the region. Conclusions The findings of the present survey indicate high T. gondii seroprevalance in pet dogs in Kunming, southwest China, posing significant public health concern. It is necessary to enhance integrated strategies and measures to prevent and control T. gondii infection in pet dogs in this area.