Novel synthesis of aluminum hydroxide gel-coated nano zero-valent iron and studies of its activity in flocculation-enhanced removal of tetracycline.

A newly designed aluminum hydroxide gel-coated nanoscale zero-valent iron (AHG@NZVI) with enhanced activity and dispersibility of NZVI was successfully synthesized. The AHG@NZVI composite was synthesized via control of the surface AHG content. AHG@NZVI-1, AHG@NZVI-2 and AHG@NZVI-3 were prepared under centrifugal mixing speeds of 1000, 2000 and 4000 r/min, respectively.

High-Performance X-ray Detection Based on One-Dimensional Inorganic Halide Perovskite CsPbI.

Recently, three-dimensional (3D) halide perovskites were considered as X-ray detection materials because of their high mobility, carrier lifetime, and absorption of X-ray radiation. However, their detection sensitivity and instability at extreme conditions and environments still require optimization. In our present research work, we report using one-dimensional (1D) inorganic halide perovskite CsPbI crystals for stable X-ray detection.

Perfect Combination of LBL with Sol-Gel Film to Enhance the Anticorrosion Performance on Al Alloy under Simulated and Accelerated Corrosive Environment.

Given their outstanding versatile properties, multilayered anticorrosion coatings have drawn great interest from researchers in the academic and engineering fields. However, the application of multilayered coatings is restricted by some limitations such as low interlayer compatibilities, the harsh preparation process, etc. This work introduced a composite film fabricated on a 2A12 aluminum alloy surface, including an anodic oxide film, a sol-gel film, and a layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembling film from bottom to top.

LC-MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of rivaroxaban and metformin in rat plasma: application to pharmacokinetic interaction study.

A reliable, sensitive and simple LC-MS/MS method has been established and validated for the quantitation of rivaroxaban (RIV) and metformin (MET) in rat plasma. The procedure of method validation was conducted according to the guiding principles of EMA and US FDA. At the same time, the method was applied to pharmacokinetic interactions study between RIV and MET for the first time.

Tolerogenic Dendritic Cells Generated by BAFF Silencing Ameliorate Collagen-Induced Arthritis by Modulating the Th17/Regulatory T Cell Balance.

Tolerogenic dendritic cells (tolDCs) have received much attention because of their capacity to restore immune homeostasis. RNA interference techniques have been used in several studies to generate tolDCs by inactivating certain molecules that regulate DC maturation and immunologic function. BAFF is a key B cell survival factor that is not only essential for B cell function but also T cell costimulation, and DCs are the major source of BAFF.

Degradation Mechanism Detection in Photovoltaic Backsheets by Fully Convolutional Neural Network.

Materials and devices age with time. Material aging and degradation has important implications for lifetime performance of materials and systems. While consensus exists that materials should be studied and designed for degradation, materials inspection during operation is typically performed manually by technicians.

miR-4286 promotes prostate cancer progression by targeting the expression of SALL1.

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is a serious health threat for humans worldwide. Recent studies have revealed that microRNAs are associated with the progression of human cancers, including PCa. However, no study has been performed aiming to investigate the role of microNA-4286 (miR-4286) on PCa.

Reversible Redox Switching of Concurrent Luminescence and Visual Color Change Based on Lanthanide Metallogel.

The development of reversible redox supramolecular gels capable of concurrent luminescence switch and visible color change with the facile redox process has always been an intriguing challenge. A redox-responsive supramolecular lanthanide metallogel with strong luminescence and yellow color is obtained via coordination interaction between 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid (DNSA) and europium (Eu). Upon the addition of TiO to the prepared gel (DNSA/Eu gel), the oxidation process of the gel (DNSA/Eu/TiO gel) can be easily achieved by UV irradiation.

Effectiveness and safety of bovine pericardium patch repair for cervical anastomotic leakage after oesophagectomy for cancer.

Background: The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of bovine pericardium patch (BPP) repair for cervical anastomotic leakage after esophageal squamous cancer.

Methods: Intractable cervical anastomotic leakage developed in 7 patients of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma undergoing cervical anastomosis. These patients received the BPP repair.

Effect of the coexistence of albumin and HO on the corrosion of biomedical cobalt alloys in physiological saline.

The corrosion of Co-28Cr-6Mo and Co-35Ni-20Cr-10Mo, as biomedical alloys, has been investigated for effects of typical species (albumin and HO) in physiological saline, with their coexistence explored for the first time. Electrochemical and long term immersion tests were carried out. It was found that Co alloys were not sensitive to the presence of albumin alone, which slightly promoted anodic dissolution of Co-35Ni-20Cr-10Mo without noticeably affecting Co-28Cr-6Mo and facilitated oxide film dissolution on both alloys.

Protective role of cinnabar and realgar in Hua-Feng-Dan against LPS plus rotenone-induced neurotoxicity and disturbance of gut microbiota in rats.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Hua-Feng-Dan (HFD) is a traditional Chinese medicine used for neurological disorders. HFD contains cinnabar (HgS) and realgar (AsS). The ethnopharmacological basis of cinnabar and realgar in HFD is not known.

Autism candidate gene DIP2A regulates spine morphogenesis via acetylation of cortactin.

Dendritic spine development is crucial for the establishment of excitatory synaptic connectivity and functional neural circuits. Alterations in spine morphology and density have been associated with multiple neurological disorders. Autism candidate gene disconnected-interacting protein homolog 2 A (DIP2A) is known to be involved in acetylated coenzyme A (Ac-CoA) synthesis and is primarily expressed in the brain regions with abundant pyramidal neurons.

Circular RNA hsa_circ_0016070 Is Associated with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension by Promoting PASMC Proliferation.

Noncoding RNAs play an important role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). In this study, we investigated the roles of hsa_circ_0016070, miR-942, and CCND1 in PAH. circRNA microarray was used to search circRNAs involved in PAH, whereas real-time PCR and western blot analysis were performed to detect miR-942 and CCND1 expression in different groups.

General Mild Reaction Creates Highly Luminescent Organic-Ligand-Lacking Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals for Efficient Light-Emitting Diodes.

The presence of labile bulky insulating hydrocarbon ligands in halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) passivates surface traps but concurrently makes charge transport difficult in optoelectronic devices. Early efforts routinely rely on the replacement of long-chain ligands with short-chain cousins, leading to notable changes in NC's sizes and photophysical properties and thus making it hard to obtain devices with nearly designed emissions. Here we report a general solution-phase ligand-exchange strategy to produce organic-ligand-lacking halide perovskite NCs with high photoluminescence (PL) quantum yields and good stability in ambient air.

Fluorescent perylene derivative functionalized titanium oxide gel for sensitive and portable ascorbic acid detection.

An inorganic titanium oxide (TiO) gel sensor was demonstrated for convenient detection of ascorbic acid (AA). It is composed of TiO (PI-TiO) functionalized with a perylene diimide derivative containing carboxylic groups as a new soft dopant material. A traditional solvothermal reaction is adopted to prepare the PI-TiO composite, which exhibits a different spectrum according to the reaction time.

A Nitric Oxide-Dependent Presynaptic LTP at Glutamatergic Synapses of the PVN Magnocellular Neurosecretory Cells in Rats.

The magnocellular neurosecretory cells (MNCs) of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) integrate incoming signals to secrete oxytocin (OT), and vasopressin (VP) from their nerve terminals in the posterior pituitary gland. In the absence of gamma-aminobutyric acid A (GABA) and cannabinoids 1 (CB1) receptor activity, we used whole-cell patch-clamp recording, single-cell reverse transcription-multiplex polymerase chain reaction (SC-RT-mPCR), biocytin histochemistry and pharmacological methods to examine the mechanism of high frequency stimulus (HFS, 100 Hz)-induced long-term potentiation (LTP) at glutamatergic synapses in the PVN MNCs of juvenile male rats. Our results showed that HFS-induced LTP at glutamatergic synapses was accompanied by a decrease in the paired-pulse ratio (PPR) of the PVN MNCs.

Efficacy and safety of programmed death 1 inhibitors in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a meta-analysis.

This study aims to perform systematic review and meta-analysis of all randomized controlled trials that compare the efficacy and safety of programmed death 1 (PD-1) inhibitors versus chemotherapy alone in previously untreated advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Several databases, including Medline, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science, were searched. The main outcome measures included overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), and adverse events (AEs).

HgS and Zuotai differ from HgCl and methyl mercury in intestinal Hg absorption, transporter expression and gut microbiome in mice.

Mercury (Hg) is generally considered as a toxic metal; yet the biological outcomes of Hg-containing compounds are highly dependent upon their chemical forms. We hypothesize that mercury sulfide (HgS) is different from HgCl and methylmercury (MeHg) in producing intestinal Hg absorption and disruption of gut microbiome. To test this hypothesis, mice were given orally with HgS (α-HgS, 30 mg/kg), Zuotai (β-HgS, 30 mg/kg), HgCl (33.

Birth month associates with risk of coronary artery disease and its complications: A propensity score matched analysis.

Objective: Birth month and climate affect lifetime disease risk, while the underlying mechanisms remain largely elusive. It is vital to investigate the risks of coronary artery disease (CAD) and its complications in patients born in different months.

Methods: A total of 12,263 patient medical records were reviewed from the BioBank of First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, with 4729 records from patients with CAD (CAD group) and 7534 records from control patients without CAD (control group).

Lotus-Inspired Multiscale Superhydrophobic AA5083 Resisting Surface Contamination and Marine Corrosion Attack.

The massive and long-term service of 5083 aluminum alloy (AA5083) is restricted by several shortcomings in marine and industrial environments, such as proneness to localized corrosion attack, surface contamination, etc. Herein, we report a facile and cost-effective strategy to transform intrinsic hydrophilicity into water-repellent superhydrophobicity, combining fluorine-free chemisorption of a hydrophobic agent with etching texture. Dual-scale hierarchical structure, surface height relief and surface chemical elements were studied by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), successively.

A regulatory circuit of circ-MTO1/miR-17/QKI-5 inhibits the proliferation of lung adenocarcinoma.

Circular RNA (circRNA) is a new class of non-coding RNA that plays a pivotal role in carcinogenesis. Recently, circ-MTO1 (hsa_circ_0007874) was shown to be a cancer-related circRNA. However, its role in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) has not been reported.

Pharmacokinetic Characterizations of Ginsenoside Ocotillol, RT5 and F11, the Promising Agents for Alzheimer's Disease from American Ginseng, in Rats and Beagle Dogs.

Background: Ocotillol, RT5 and F11, the main active components of ocotillol type ginsenosides, have attracted a lot of attention due to their beneficial effects on neurodegenerative disease models of Alzheimer's disease. Pharmacokinetic (PK) is a bridge linking the herbal medicines and their pharmacological responses. However, few data are available regarding PK behaviors of ocotillol type ginsenosides.

Biological mechanisms and related natural modulators of liver X receptor in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming a worldwide health problem, but no approved medical treatment exists so far. Nuclear receptors are one of the drug targets for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Among them, liver X receptor (LXR) has been studied in recent years in tumors, metabolic diseases and inflammatory diseases, but its physiological and pharmacological effects in the treatment of NASH are controversial.

Electron Transfer in Nanoscale Contact Electrification: Effect of Temperature in the Metal-Dielectric Case.

The phenomenon of contact electrification (CE) has been known for thousands of years, but the nature of the charge carriers and their transfer mechanisms are still under debate. Here, the CE and triboelectric charging process are studied for a metal-dielectric case at different thermal conditions by using atomic force microscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy. The charge transfer process at the nanoscale is found to follow the modified thermionic-emission model.

Medial Open-wedge Osteotomy with Double-plate Fixation for Varus Malunion of the Distal Femur.

Objective: To present our clinical experience of treating varus malunion of the distal femur through a medial open-wedge osteotomy with double-plate fixation.

Methods: A prospective cohort study was performed. From January 2005 to February 2015, 15 consecutive patients with varus malunion following distal femur fractures were surgically treated at a single level I trauma center.