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Abstract Background Cognitive dysfunction is one of the common symptoms in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have been studied separately in the treatment of cognitive dysfunction in MDD patients. We aimed to investigate the effectiveness and safety of rTMS combined with tDCS as a new therapy to improve neurocognitive impairment in MDD patients. Methods In this brief 2-week, double-blind, randomized, and sham-controlled trial, a total of 550 patients were screened, and 240 MDD inpatients were randomized into four groups (active rTMS + active tDCS, active rTMS + sham tDCS, sham rTMS + active tDCS, sham rTMS + sham tDCS). Finally, 203 patients completed the study and received 10 treatment sessions over a 2-week period. The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) was performed to assess patients’ cognitive function at baseline and week 2. Also, we applied the 24-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-24) to assess patients’ depressive symptoms at baseline and week 2. Results After 10 sessions of treatment, the rTMS combined with the tDCS group showed more significant improvements in the RBANS total score, immediate memory, and visuospatial/constructional index score (all p

Background: Cognitive impairment is a common manifestation in patients with T2DM mellitus (T2DM). Ginsenoside Rg1 (GRg1) is the main active substance extracted from ginseng or Panax notoginseng. Methods: T2DM was induced by feeding rats with a high-sugar and high-fat diet combined with a low-dose intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 35 mg/kg) on an empty stomach. Subsequently, different concentrations of GRg1 (25, 50, 100 mg/kg/d) were used to intervene for 8 weeks and explore its therapeutic effects and potential mechanisms on cognitive impairment in T2DM rats. Results: Our data suggested that administration of GRg1 improved insulin resistance, specifically manifesting in a reduction of insulin resistance index by approximately 57.1 % with high doses of GRg1 (100 mg/kg/d). Besides, it has been observed to lower cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein by approximately 20–50 % in T2DM rats. In addition, GRg1 treatment dramatically improved the spatial memory and learning ability in T2DM rats. Furthermore, administration of GRg1 to the T2DM rats dose-dependently up-regulated ERKs phosphorylation and blunted phosphorylation of JNKs and p38. Furthermore, GRg1 treatment also dose-dependently increased the expression of Bcl-2 but inhibited the expression of Bax and Caspase 3 expression in T2DM rats brain cortex and hippocampus neurons. Conclusion: GRg1 effectively improves mild cognitive impairment in T2DM rats by inhibiting oxidative stress and reducing the apoptosis of neurons in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus.

Pulmonary vascular remodeling and inflammation play an important role in the hypoxic-induced lung diseases. Our previous investigations showed that peptide from yak milk residues could alleviate inflammation. In this study, our results suggest that peptide (LV) from yak milk residues peptide had protective effect of lung in the animal models of hypoxic-induced lung injury. LV Gavage could improve pulmonary vascular remodeling in the lung tissues of hypoxic mice. A comprehensive analysis of metabolomics and transcriptomics revealed that 5-KETE, 8,9-EET, and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1a might be potential targets to prevent lung injury in the hypoxic mice. These metabolites can be regulated by MAPK/VEGF and inflammatory pathways. Our data indicated that LV treatment could inhibit apoptosis and inflammation via Nrf2/NF-κB/MAPK/PHD-2 pathway and protected hypoxic-induced lung epithelial cells injury. Taken together, our results suggest that LV provides a novel therapeutic clue for the prevention of hypoxia-induced lung injury and inflammation-related lung diseases.

BackgroundBenign tumors of the spleen are rare compared to those of other parenchymal organs, accounting for less than 0.007% of all tumors, and are often found incidentally. Splenolymphangiomas are much rarer, commonly occur in children, and tend to have multiple foci. Splenic lymphangiomas are rare in adults, and fewer than 20 adult patients with isolated splenic lymphangiomas have been reported. In this article, we report the case of a middle-aged female patient with isolated splenic lymphangioma who underwent laparoscopic anatomical hypophysectomy of the lower pole of the spleen. We also summarize the existing literature on splenic lymphangioma diagnosis and available treatment options.Case presentationA 58-year-old middle-aged woman was found to have a mass approximately 60 mm in diameter at the lower pole of the spleen during a health checkup that was not accompanied by other symptoms or examination abnormalities. After completing a preoperative examination with no contraindications to surgery, the patient underwent laparoscopic anatomical splenectomy of the lower extremity of the spleen. The patient recovered well without complications and was discharged from the hospital on the 7th postoperative day. Histopathological and immunohistochemical results confirmed the diagnosis of splenic lymphangioma. Prompt surgical intervention is safe and necessary when splenic lymphangiomas are large or associated with a risk of bleeding.ConclusionSplenic lymphangiomas are rare and require early surgical intervention in patients with large tumor diameters or those at risk of rupture and bleeding. After rigorous preoperative evaluation and preparation, laparoscopic anatomical partial splenectomy is safe and feasible for surgeons with experience in laparoscopic surgery.

Background: Didymin is a dietary flavonoid derived from citrus fruits and has been shown to have extensive biological functions, especially anti-inflammatory effects, but its mechanism is unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential mechanism of didymin that alleviates ulcerative colitis. Methods and Results: Our results indicated that didymin could alleviate the symptoms of ulcerative colitis, as it inhibited the expressions of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Didymin also promoted the expressions of claudin-1 and zona occludens-1(ZO-1), which are closely related with restoring colon barrier function. Didymin also increased the abundance of Firmicutes and Verrucomicobiota, while decreasing the abundance of Bacteroidota and Proteobacteria. Meanwhile, didymin significantly altered the levels of metabolites related to arginine synthesis and metabolism, and lysine degradation in the colitis mice. Utilizing network pharmacology and molecular docking, our results showed that the metabolites L-ornithine and saccharin could interact with signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB). In this in vitro study, L-ornithine could reduce the expressions of transcription factors STAT3 and NF-κB, and it also inhibited the expressions of IL-6 and IL-1β in the lipopolysaccharides (LPS) induced in RAW264.7 cells, while saccharin had the opposite effect. Conclusions: Taken together, didymin can regulate gut microbiota and alter metabolite products, which can modulate STAT3 and NF-κB pathways and inhibit the expressions of inflammatory factors and inflammatory response in the DSS-induced colitis mice.

Excessive inflammatory reactions are the most important pathological injury factor in acute lung injury (ALI). Our recent study found that sialic acid had an anti-colitis effect. In this study, the effect of sialic acid (SA) on acute lung inflammation was investigated. A lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI animal model and LPS-stimulated HUVEC cell model were used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of SA and study its molecular mechanisms. Compared with the LPS group, the lung index of the SA group decreased from 0.79 ± 0.05% to 0.58 ± 0.06% (LPS + 50 SA) and 0.62 ± 0.02% (LPS + 100 SA), with p < 0.01, suggesting that SA could improve the pulmonary edema of mice and alleviate LPS-induced lung injury. Transcriptome research identified 26 upregulated genes and 25 downregulated genes involved in the protection of SA against ALI. These genes are mainly related to the MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways. Our study also proved that SA markedly downregulated the expression of inflammatory factors and blocked the JNK/p38/PPAR-γ/NF-κB pathway. Meanwhile, SA treatment also upregulated the expression of HO-1 and NQO1 in ALI mice. In vitro, SA obviously repressed the expressions of inflammatory cytokines and the JNK/p38-NF-κB/AP-1 pathway. SA also regulated the expression of oxidative stress-related genes through the Nrf2 pathway. Taken together, SA exhibits a protective role by modulating the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidation pathways in ALI, and it may be a promising candidate for functional foods to prevent ALI.

BackgroundQuercetin, a widespread polyphenolic flavonoid, is known for its extensive health benefits and is commonly found in the plant kingdom. The natural occurrence and extraction methods of quercetin are crucial due to its bioactive potential.PurposeThis review aims to comprehensively cover the natural sources of quercetin, its extraction methods, bioavailability, pharmacokinetics, and its role in various cell death pathways and liver fibrosis.MethodsA comprehensive literature search was performed across several electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, CNKI, Wanfang database, and ClinicalTrials.gov, up to 10 February 2024. The search terms employed were “quercetin”, “natural sources of quercetin”, “quercetin extraction methods”, “bioavailability of quercetin”, “pharmacokinetics of quercetin”, “cell death pathways”, “apoptosis”, “autophagy”, “pyroptosis”, “necroptosis”, “ferroptosis”, “cuproptosis”, “liver fibrosis”, and “hepatic stellate cells”. These keywords were interconnected using AND/OR as necessary. The search focused on studies that detailed the bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of quercetin, its role in different cell death pathways, and its effects on liver fibrosis.ResultsThis review details quercetin’s involvement in various cell death pathways, including apoptosis, autophagy, pyroptosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis, and cuproptosis, with particular attention to its regulatory influence on apoptosis and autophagy. It dissects the mechanisms through which quercetin affects these pathways across different cell types and dosages. Moreover, the paper delves into quercetin’s effects on liver fibrosis, its interactions with hepatic stellate cells, and its modulation of pertinent signaling cascades. Additionally, it articulates from a physical organic chemistry standpoint the uniqueness of quercetin’s structure and its potential for specific actions in the liver.ConclusionThe paper provides a detailed analysis of quercetin, suggesting its significant role in modulating cell death mechanisms and mitigating liver fibrosis, underscoring its therapeutic potential.

Background: Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in the pathogenesis of dermatomyositis (DM), a rare autoimmune disease affecting the skin and muscles. However, the genetic basis underlying dysfunctional mitochondria and the development of DM remains incomplete.Methods: The datasets of DM muscle and skin tissues were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The mitochondrial related genes (MRGs) were retrieved from MitoCarta. DM-related modules in muscle and skin tissues were identified with the analysis of weighted gene co-expression network (WGCNA), and then compared with the MRGs to obtain the overlapping mitochondrial related module genes (mito-MGs). Subsequently, differential expression genes (DEGs) obtained from muscle and skin datasets were overlapped with MRGs to identify mitochondrial related DEGs (mito-DEGs). Next, functional enrichment analysis was applied to analyze possible relevant biological pathways. We used the Jvenn online tool to intersect mito-MGs with mito-DEGs to identify hub genes and validate them using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and immunohistochemistry staining. In addition, we evaluated immune infiltration in muscle and skin tissues of DM patients using the one-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm and predicted potential transcription factor (TF) -gene network by NetworkAnalyst.Results: The WGCNA analysis revealed 105 mito-MGs, while the DEG analysis identified 3 mito-DEGs. These genes showed functional enrichment for amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism and oxidative phosphorylation. Through the intersection analysis of the mito-MGs from the WGCNA analysis and the mito-DEGs from the DEG set, three DM mito-hub genes (IFI27, CMPK2, and LAP3) were identified and validated by RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry analysis. Additionally, positive correlations were observed between hub genes and immune cell abundance. The TF-hub gene regulatory network revealed significant interactions involving ERG, VDR, and ZFX with CMPK2 and LAP3, as well as SOX2 with LAP3 and IFI27, and AR with IFI27 and CMPK2.Conclusion: The mito-hub genes (IFI27, CMPK2, and LAP3) are identified in both muscles and skin tissues from DM patients. These genes may be associated with immune infiltration in DM, providing a new entry point for the pathogenesis of DM.

This study assessed the potential role of parboiled rice (PR) in balancing lipid levels and its mechanisms. Water and 80% methanol soluble substances of refined rice (RR) and PR were extracted and were used to treat HepG2 cells, and PR extracts were found to alleviate cellular lipid accumulation. The components of RR and PR extracts were identified. Among them, there were 267 and 291 different components in water extract and 80% methanol extract, respectively. After screening differential substances, the active ingredients delphinidin and cinnamic acid were selected and their lipid-lowering activity was verified in vitro. Furthermore, the potential mechanisms of the two components reducing steatosis were explored by network pharmacology and molecular docking. Our results indicated that they may interfere with lipid deposition through the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, which was also confirmed in vitro. These results contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms of PR involved in lipid metabolism.

BackgroundDermatomyositis (DM) is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease that can affect the lungs, causing interstitial lung diseases (ILD). However, the exact pathophysiological mechanisms underlying DM-ILD are unknown. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) belongs to the broader spectrum of ILD and evidence shows that common pathologic pathways might lie between IPF and DM-ILD.MethodsWe retrieved gene expression profiles of DM and IPF from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and utilized weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to reveal their co-expression modules. We then performed a differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis to identify common DEGs. Enrichment analyses were employed to uncover the hidden biological pathways. Additionally, we conducted protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks analysis, cluster analysis, and successfully found the hub genes, whose levels were further validated in DM-ILD patients. We also examined the relationship between hub genes and immune cell abundance in DM and IPF. Finally, we conducted a common transcription factors (TFs)-genes network by NetworkAnalyst.ResultsWGCNA revealed 258 intersecting genes, while DEG analysis identified 66 shared genes in DM and IPF. All of these genes were closely related to extracellular matrix and structure, cell-substrate adhesion, and collagen metabolism. Four hub genes (POSTN, THBS2, COL6A1, and LOXL1) were derived through intersecting the top 30 genes of the WGCNA and DEG sets. They were validated as active transcripts and showed diagnostic values for DM and IPF. However, ssGSEA revealed distinct infiltration patterns in DM and IPF. These four genes all showed a positive correlation with immune cells abundance in DM, but not in IPF. Finally, we identified one possible key transcription factor, MYC, that interact with all four hub genes.ConclusionThrough bioinformatics analysis, we identified common hub genes and shared molecular pathways underlying DM and IPF, which provides valuable insights into the intricate mechanisms of these diseases and offers potential targets for diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.

BackgroundTraditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is widely used in the clinical treatment of hepatolenticular degeneration (HLD) and liver fibrosis (LF). In the present study, the curative effect was assessed using meta-analysis. The possible mechanism of TCM against LF in HLD was investigated using network pharmacology and molecular dynamics simulation.MethodsFor literature collection, we searched several databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals (VIP) and Wan Fang database until February 2023, and the Review Manager 5.3 was used to analyze the data. Network pharmacology and molecular dynamics simulation were used to explore the mechanism of TCM in treating LF in HLD.ResultsThe results of the meta-analysis revealed that the addition of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) in treating HLD resulted in a higher total clinical effective rate than western medicine alone [RR 1.25, 95% CI (1.09, 1.44), p = 0.002]. It not only has a better effect on liver protection [Alanine aminotransferase: SMD = −1.20, 95% CI (−1.70, −0.70), p < 0.00001; Aspartate aminotransferase: SMD = −1.41, 95% CI (−2.34, −0.49), p = 0.003; Total bilirubin: SMD = −1.70, 95% CI (−3.36, −0.03), p = 0.05] but also had an excellent therapeutic effect on LF through four indexes [Hyaluronic acid: SMD = −1.15, 95% CI (−1.76, −0.53), p = 0.0003; Procollagen peptide III: SMD = −0.72, 95% CI (−1.29, −0.15), p = 0.01; Collagen IV: SMD = −0.69, 95% CI (−1.21, −0.18), p = 0.008; Laminin: SMD = −0.47, 95% CI (−0.95, 0.01), p = 0.06]. Concurrently, the liver stiffness measurement decreased significantly [SMD = −1.06, 95% CI (−1.77, −0.36), p = 0.003]. The results of network pharmacological experiments and molecular dynamics simulation indicate that the three high-frequency TCMs (Rhei Radix Et Rhizoma-Coptidis Rhizoma-Curcumae Longae Rhizoma, DH-HL-JH) primarily act on the core targets (AKT1, SRC, and JUN) via the core components (rhein, quercetin, stigmasterol, and curcumin), regulate the signal pathway (PI3K-Akt, MAPK, EGFR, and VEGF signaling pathways), and play a role of anti-LF.ConclusionMeta-analysis indicates that TCM is beneficial in treating HLD patients and improving LF. The present study successfully predicts the effective components and potential targets and pathways involved in treating LF for the three high-frequency CHMs of DH-HL-JH. The findings of the present study are hoped to provide some evidence support for clinical treatment.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO, identifier: CRD42022302374.

Performance improvement of cathode materials represents one of the most critical technological challenges for lithium-ion batteries. Here the authors show a close correlation between surface chemistry and phase distribution from homogeneity to heterogeneity, and its impact on the cyclic performance.

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is an all-weather sensing technology that has proven its effectiveness for ship detection. However, detecting ships accurately with oriented bounding boxes (OBB) on SAR images is challenging due to arbitrary ship orientations and misleading scattering. In this article, we propose a novel anchor-free key-point-based detection method, KeyShip, for detecting orientated SAR ships with high precision. Our approach uses a shape descriptor to model a ship as a combination of three types of key points located at the short-edge centers, long-edge centers, and the target center. These key points are detected separately and clustered based on predicted shape descriptors to construct the final OBB detection results. To address the boundary problem that arises with the shape descriptor representation, we propose a soft training target assignment strategy that facilitates successful shape descriptor training and implicitly learns the shape information of the targets. Our experimental results on three datasets (SSDD, RSDD, and HRSC2016) demonstrate our proposed method’s high performance and robustness.

Although lithium metal is an ideal anode material for achieving high-energy-density lithium-based batteries, the uneven deposition/exfoliation process of lithium during cycling easily triggers the formation of lithium dendrites and dead lithium, which leads to a low Coulombic efficiency and safety issues. In this paper, a lithiophilic 3D copper mesh current collector is designed by using lithiophilic ZnO and pulsed current plating and is applied to a lithium metal battery composite anode. Under the action of the pulsed current field, the novel lithium metal composite anode battery achieved the homogeneous deposition of lithium ions. The lithium-to-copper half cells assembled with the 3DM Cu/ZnO current collector from the pulsed current deposition presented a Coulombic efficiency as high as 97.8% after 1 min of activation at 3 mA cm−2 follow by 10 cycles at a stripping current of 0.5 mA cm−2. Moreover, the symmetric cell could be stable for 1500 h at 1 mA cm−2 with a limited capacity of 1 mAh cm−2, and the assembled full cell (LiFePO4 as the cathode) maintained a Coulombic efficiency of about 90% for the 30th cycle at 1 C. This novel mechanism is an advanced strategy to improve cyclic stability and is crucial for designing stable lithium metal batteries.

The visually secure image encryption scheme is an effective image encryption method, which embeds an encrypted image into a visual image to realize a secure and secret image transfer. This paper proposes a merging compression and encryption chaos image visual encryption scheme. First, a dictionary matrix D is constructed with the plain image by the K-SVD algorithm, which can encrypt the image while sparsing. Second, an improved Zeraoulia-Sprott chaotic map and logistic map are employed to generate three S-Boxes, which are used to complete scrambling, diffusion, and embedding operations. The secret keys of this scheme contain the initial value of the chaotic system and the dictionary matrix D, which significantly increases the key space, plain image correlation, and system security. Simulation shows the proposed image encryption scheme can resist most attacks and, compared with the existing scheme, the proposed scheme has a larger key space, higher plain image correlation, and better image restoration quality, improving image encryption processing efficiency and security.

Increasing consumption produces a large amount of cotton textile waste, the conversion of which into porous metals used for energy purposes is of practical value. In this paper, a porous, Ni-based, hollow microtubular weave (Ni-HTW) is obtained from cotton weave by high-temperature carbonization and hydrothermal synthesis with high-temperature reduction. The Ni-based, hollow microtubules in this weave have a diameter of 5–10 μm and a wall thickness of about 1 μm, and every 15 microtubules form a loose bundle with a diameter of 150–200 μm. For improved performance, Ni(OH)2 nanosheets are further electrodeposited on the fibers’ surface of the Ni-HTW to form a nano-Ni(OH)2/Ni-HTW composite electrode with a core–shell heterostructure where Ni is the core and Ni(OH)2 the shell. The combination of hollow microtubule weave morphology and nanosheet structure results in a large specific surface area and abundant active sites, and the composite electrode shows excellent electrocatalytic performance and long-term stability for methanol oxidation (MOR) and urea oxidation (UOR). The current densities can reach 303.1 mA/cm2 and 342.5 mA/cm2 at 0.8 V, and 92.29% (MOR) and 84.41% (UOR) of the pre-cycle current densities can be maintained after 2000 consecutive cycles.

Thrombosis is a severe health care issue and one of the leading causes of death globally. Since presently used drugs have a number of limitations, safe and effective thrombolytic agents are still needed. Subtilisin QK, widely used as a component of functional food, presents high direct cross-linked fibrin degradation, without activation of plasminogen. It could be absorbed throughout intestine and infiltrate into all organs with fibrinolytic activity against the pancreatic enzyme and acidic pH mimicking the stomach in a time-dependent manner. Oral intake of rSubtilisin QK also elevated levels of fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products, D-dimer, and tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) in plasma, and alleviated ear- and tail-thrombosis in κ-carrageenan-induced model. Furthermore, the levels of t-PA were increased in cultured HUVECs stimulated with rSubtilisin QK, while plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 showed the opposite trend simultaneously, suggesting the activation of plasminogen. In conclusion, rSubtilisin QK exerted thrombolytic effects in vivo and may be a potential oral thrombolytic agent.

To evaluate the anti-inflammatory function of mogroside V (MGV) and its molecular mechanism, dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation model were used in the study. Results indicated that MGV (100 mg/kg/day) supplementation in diet improved the health status of mice. Western blot results showed that MGV inhibited the expression pro-inflammatory factors of colonic tissues. MGV significantly reduced the expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, also inhibited the phosphorylation of MAPKs. MGV promoted the activation of AMPK and inhibition the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. Compound C (AMPK inhibitor) and SC79 (Akt activator) reversed the alleviating effect of MGV on the expression pro-inflammatory factors via a hub molecule of mTOR, indicating that MGV inhibits LPS-stimulated inflammation by triggering the AMPK-PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. Collectively, MGV can potentially be used in the treatments of ulcerative colitis, and it exerts anti-inflammatory effect via MAPK-NF-κB/AP-1 and AMPK-PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways in ulcerative colitis.

Improving the interfacial properties between the electrode materials and current collectors plays a significant role in lithium-ion batteries. Here, four kinds of electrolytic copper foils with roughness (Rz) values of 1.2, 1.5, 2.2, and 2.8 μm were prepared via an electropolishing technique. Reducing the roughness of the electrolytic copper foil can effectively improve the wettability of the anode slurry. The electrolytic copper foil with a roughness value of 1.2 μm shows the best coating uniformity of the graphite anode slurry. The battery with this electrolytic copper foil (Rz = 1.2 μm) as the current collector exhibits fifth-cycle capacities of 358.7 and 102.5 mAh g−1 at 0.2 and 3.0 C, respectively, showing excellent rate capability. In addition, at 0.5 C, the battery exhibits an initial discharge capacity of 319.5 mAh g−1 and a 100th-cycle capacity retention rate of 98.1%, demonstrating a high level of cycling performance. These results indicate that reducing the roughness of electrolytic copper foil can provide a feasible route to improve the performance of lithium-ion batteries.

A new reduction–diffusion method for preparing submicron-sized Sm2Fe17N3 was developed. First, submicron-sized α-Fe/Sm2O3 composite precursors with good dispersibility were prepared directly by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis and hydrogen reduction (USP-HR). Then, the precursor was successfully converted into Sm2Fe17N3 powder by Ca reduction–diffusion and nitridation. The results displayed that the precursor prepared by USP-HR was a monodisperse homogeneous composite of spherical particles of α-Fe and Sm2O3. α-Fe and Sm2O3 exist in an intercalated structure in the composite spherical particles. This creates conditions for the preparation of ultrafine Sm2Fe17N3 particles with uniform sizes and dispersity. The results show that Sm2Fe17N3 is a single-phase, composed of submicron-sized particles with no other impurity phases. The physical property measurement system shows that the coercivity of 0.616 ± 0.347 µm particles reaches 14.7 kOe.

Abstract Background Recently, minimal invasive surgery (MIS) has been applied as a common therapeutic approach for treatment of hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage (HICH). However, the efficacy and safety of MIS is still controversial compared with conservative medical treatment or conventional craniotomy. This meta-analysis aimed to systematically assess the safety and efficacy of MIS compared with conservative method and craniotomy in treating HICH patients. Methods PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Controlled Trials Register were used to identify relevant studies on MIS treatment of HICH up to November 2017. This study evaluated Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) score, Activities of Daily Living (ADL) score, pulmonary infection rate, mortality rate, and rebleeding rate for patients who underwent MIS, or conservative method, or craniotomy. Subgroup analyses were performed to compare randomization versus non-randomization and large hematoma versus small or mild hematoma. Begg’s test and Egger’s test were used to determine the potential presence of publication bias. Results Sixteen studies consisting of 1912 patients were included in this study to compare the efficacy and safety of MIS to conservative method or craniotomy. MIS contributed to a significant improvement on the prognosis of the patients comparing with conservative group or craniotomy group. Patients undergoing MIS had a lower mortality rate when compared to those receiving conservative method. Also, MIS led to a notable reduction of rebleeding rate and an effective improvement of the patient’s quality of life by contrast with craniotomy. No obvious difference was found in terms of the pulmonary infection rate among the comparisons of three treatment methods. Randomization is not the potential source of heterogeneity, but hematoma volume may be a risk factor for post-operative mortality rate. No statistical evidence of publication bias among studies was found under most of comparison models. Conclusion This meta-analysis suggests that minimal invasive surgery is an efficient and safe method for the treatment of hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage, which is associated with a low mortality rate and rebleeding rate, as well as a significant improvement of the prognosis and the quality life of patients when compared with conservative medical treatment or craniotomy.

This paper presents a systematic numerical investigation of the transient transport phenomenon during the pileup of molten metal droplets on the substrate. The physical mechanisms of the pileup process, including the bulk liquid, capillarity effects at the liquid-solid interface, heat transfer, and solidification, are identified and quantified numerically. The droplet diameter is 100 μm, and the impact velocities are 1–3 m/s. These conditions correspond to Re = O(100), We = O(1). The initial substrate temperature is 350 K. The initial droplet temperature of aluminum alloy molten droplets is 960 K. The numerical models are validated with experiments. The comparison between numerical simulations and experimental findings shows a good agreement. The effects of impacting velocity and relative distances between two successive molten droplets on the end-shapes of impact regime are examined. This investigation is essential to implement effective process control in metal microdroplet deposition manufacture.

In this study, a green ionic-liquid based vortex-synchronized matrix solid-phase dispersion (VS-MSPD) combined with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed as a quantitative determination method for four anthraquinones in Cassiae Semen. Two conventional adsorbents, C18 and silica gel were investigated. The strategy included two steps: Extraction and determination. Wasted crab shells were used as an alternative adsorbent and ionic liquid was used as an alternative solvent in the first step. Factors affecting extraction efficiency were optimized: A sample/adsorbent ratio of 2:1, a grinding time of 3 min, a vortex time of 3 min, and ionic liquid ([Domim]HSO4, 250 mM) was used as eluent in the VS-MSPD procedure. As a result, the established method provided satisfactory linearity (R > 0.999), good accuracy and high reproducibility (RSD < 4.60%), and it exhibited the advantages of smaller sample amounts, shorter extraction time, less volume of elution solvent, and was much more environmental-friendly when compared with other conventional methods.