Low Serum Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Level Predicts Adverse Outcomes in Neonates with Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

Preterm neonates are susceptible to neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS). Lower levels of cord blood vascular endothelial growth factor () are implicated in NRDS. This study aims to explore whether the serum level has prognostic values on neonates with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).

Study of a novel front-roof-back natural ventilation system for Chinese solar greenhouses.

A Chinese solar greenhouse (CSG) is a highly efficient and energy-saving horticultural facility. Ventilation is significantly important for crop production in the greenhouse, and the vent configuration is the basis of the greenhouse design. Current CSG ventilation structures mostly include front bottom vents and top vents to create a suitable temperature environment for the normal development of crops.

A computational study of the HO + SO → HOSO + O reaction catalyzed by a water monomer, a water dimer and small clusters of sulfuric acid: kinetics and atmospheric implications.

Herein, the reaction mechanisms and kinetics for the HO + SO → HOSO + O reaction catalyzed by a water monomer, a water dimer and small clusters of sulfuric acid have been studied theoretically by quantum chemical methods and the Master Equation/Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (ME/RRKM) rate calculations. The calculated results show that when HO is introduced into the HO + SO reaction, it not only enhances the stability of the reactant complexes by 9.0 kcal mol but also reduces the energy of the transition state by 8.

A microenvironment prediction model for Chinese solar greenhouses based on the bond graph approach.

To improve the prediction accuracy of temperature and humidity in typical Chinese solar greenhouses, this paper proposed a new longwave/shortwave radiation modeling method using bond graph. This model takes into account sun position, useful incoming solar radiation model, sky longwave radiation model, inside longwave, and shortwave radiation model. The approach solves the problems caused by underestimating the effects of longwave radiation on night temperature and relative humidity.

Synthesis of renewable diesel and jet fuel range alkanes using 2-methylfuran and cyclohexanone.

New solid acid catalysts were prepared by bisphenol A, paraformaldehyde and chlorosulfonic acid, and applied to hydroxylalkylation/alkylation (HAA) of 2-methylfuran (2-MF) and cyclohexanone. After optimizing the reaction conditions, the conversion of 2-MF reached 99% and the yield of 5,5'-(cyclohexane-1,1-diyl)bis(2-methylfuran) acquired 98%. The activity and catalytic efficiency were higher than those of Amberlyst 15 and Amberlyst 36 resins, which could be rationalized by high acid strength.

Evaluation of illness severity of neonate infectious pneumonia and neurobehavioral development through ultrasonography under adaption algorithm.

Objectives: To explore the diagnostic effect of ultrasound imaging on the illness severity, and to analyze neurobehavioral development of neonates with Infectious Pneumonia (IPN), Self- Adaptation (SD), and Spatial Smoothing (SS) technologies were adopted to build SDSS. Then, the WFFSF algorithm based on Wiener Filtering (WF) and Feature Space Fusion (FSF) and the SNRP-FSF algorithm based on Signal-to-noise ratio post-filtering (SNRP) and FSF were introduced for comparison.

Methods: One hundred and thirty-two neonates were divided into group without respiratory failure (S1) and respiratory failure group (S2).

Application of block matching method-based Echocardiography combined with serum NT-PROBNP level detection in the early prediction of PDA in premature infants.

Objectives: The paper uses block matching method combined with echocardiography to explore the value of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in predicting symptomatic patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in preterm infants.

Methods: We selected premature infants born between February 2019 and March 2020, gestational age ≤32 weeks, and echocardiography within 48 hours to determine the presence of arterial ducts as the research object, monitor their clinical manifestations, and detect serum at three and five days after birth The level of NT-proBNP was checked with echocardiography, and the children were divided into PDA group and asymptomatic patent ductus arteriosus (aPDA) group according to the clinical manifestations and echocardiographic.

Results: The area under the ROC curve of PDA predicted by serum NT-proBNP level at 3 days after birth was 0.

Brain tissue development of neonates with Congenital Septal Defect: Study on MRI Image Evaluation of Deep Learning Algorithm.

Objectives: This article is based on deep learning algorithms and uses MRI to study the development of congenital heart septal defects in neonatal brain tissue.

Methods: From January 2018 to December 2019, 150 cases of congenital cardiac paper septal defect were retrospectively analyzed on 50 cases of normal newborns and neonates. The four index parametersbrain MR imaging, lateral ventricle pre-angle measurement index (F/F'), body index (D/ D'), caudal nucleus index (C/C') were analyzed.

Application of CT images based on the optimal atlas segmentation algorithm in the clinical diagnosis of Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Pneumonia in Children.

Objective: Use of optimal Atlas segmentation algorithm to study the imaging signs of mycoplasma pneumonia with multi-slice spiral CT (HRCT), and to explore the value of HRCT in the diagnosis and efficacy in evaluation of mycoplasma pneumonia in children.

Methods: The study retrospectively analyzed 72 patients diagnosed with mycoplasma pneumonia in our hospital from January 2017 to January 2019. The imaging data and clinical data of 72 patients were collected.

Exploring the NT-proBNP expression in Premature Infants with Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) by Echocardiography.

Objectives: To investigate the correlation between echocardiographic indicators and the expression level of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in premature infants (PIs) with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) and the value of NT-proBNP in diagnosing symptomatic PDA (sPDA) in PIs whose gestational age (GA) was less than 32 weeks.

Methods: Ninty premature infants were selected as the research objects, including 52 in the non-PDA group and 38 in the PDA group (26 sPDA cases and 12 cases with asymptomatic PDA (asPDA)) from February 2019 to March 2020. The general information of these infants was recorded, including gender, delivery method, maternal infection, and serum NT-proBNP level on the 3rd day after birth.

Genetic analysis of three wild Eurasian eagle-owl subspecies, , and in Chinese populations.

The Eurasian eagle-owl () is distributed throughout Asia and Europe and contains approximately twelve subspecies. Three subspecies, s, and are separately distributed in the refugia and plateau habitats of China. However, the genetics of these subspecies and populations have not been studied.

Comparative Pharmacokinetic Profiles of Puerarin in Rat Plasma by UHPLC-MS/MS after Oral Administration of Extract and Pure Puerarin.

Puerarin is the main biologically active isoflavone in and has a wide range of biological activities. However, due to its poor water solubility and low oral bioavailability, its clinical applications are restricted. Compared with puerarin, the extract (PLE) has better water solubility, lower toxicity, and less side effects.

One-Pot Conversion of Lignin into Naphthenes Catalyzed by a Heterogeneous Rhenium Oxide-Modified Iridium Compound.

The direct transformation of lignin into fuels and chemicals remains a huge challenge because of the recalcitrant and complicated structure of lignin. In this study, rhenium oxide-modified iridium supported on SiO (Ir-ReO /SiO ) is employed for the one-pot conversion of various lignin model compounds and lignin feedstocks into naphthenes. Up to 100 % yield of cyclohexane from model compounds and 44.

Estimation of Solar Radiation for Tomato Water Requirement Calculation in Chinese-Style Solar Greenhouses Based on Least Mean Squares Filter.

The area covered by Chinese-style solar greenhouses (CSGs) has been increasing rapidly. However, only a few pyranometers, which are fundamental for solar radiation sensing, have been installed inside CSGs. The lack of solar radiation sensing will bring negative effects in greenhouse cultivation such as over irrigation or under irrigation, and unnecessary power consumption.

Emergence of Genetic Diversity and Multi-Drug Resistant From Wild Birds in Beijing, China.

() is considered as an opportunistic zoonotic pathogen that may cause gastroenteritis in humans and other animals. Wild birds may be as potential vectors of around urban and suburban areas. Here, 520 samples were collected from 33 wild bird species in urban and suburban areas, Beijing.

Investigation of roughness evolution of ion sputtered fused silica surface.

Ion beam polishing (IBP) has been widely used in smooth surface manufacturing. Nevertheless, the evolution of the process and mechanisms of the change in surface roughness have not yet been fully clarified. In this paper, the evolution of surface morphology at the micrometer scale under IBP is studied.

Theoretical modeling and analysis of material removal characteristics for KDP crystal in abrasive-free jet processing.

Traditional KDP polishing methods, such as magnetorheological finishing (MRF), ion-beam figuring (IBF), and chemical mechanical polishing (CMP), are limited by either hard-to-remove residual particles, unavoidable heating effect, or applicability that is restricted to large-sized KDP. The abrasive-free jet polishing (AFJP) is regarded as a promising polishing method that can circumvent the above issues. KDP AFJP makes use of a thermodynamically and kinetically stable ionic liquid (IL) microemulsion that contains nanometer range water droplets evenly dispersed in the non-aqueous carrier liquid.

Selective Cleavage of C-O Bonds in Lignin Catalyzed by Rhenium(VII) Oxide (Re O ).

The selective cleavage of C-O bonds in typical model lignin β-O-4 compounds and deconstruction of a realistic lignin feedstock catalyzed by Re O is described. High yields of C-O cleavage products (up to 97.8 %) from model compounds and oils (76.

Selective Cleavage of C-O Bonds in Lignin Catalyzed by Rhenium(VII) Oxide (Re O ).

Invited for this month's cover are the collaborating groups of Dr. Changzhi Li from Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, China, and Dr. Lican Lu, Xiangtan University, China.

Valorization of Lignin to Simple Phenolic Compounds over Tungsten Carbide: Impact of Lignin Structure.

Lignins isolated from representative hardwood, softwood, and grass materials were effectively hydrocracked to aromatics catalyzed by tungsten carbide over activated carbon (W C/AC). The effects of botanical species and fractionation methods on lignin structure and the activity of W C/AC were studied in detail. Gas permeation chromatography (GPC), FTIR, elemental analysis, and 2 D HSQC NMR showed that all the extracted samples shared the basic skeleton of lignin, whereas the fractionation method significantly affected the structure.

Serum fetuin-A concentrations are positively associated with serum VEGF levels in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes.

Fetuin-A was considered to be involved in pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. On the other hand, higher vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression is associated with diabetes and its vascular complications, but the mechanisms leading to higher VEGF levels are still not clear. To the best of our knowledge, there are no data to show the associations between fetuin-A and VEGF in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Complete mitochondrial genome of Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo, Strigiformes; Strigidae) from China.

In the present study, the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Bubo bubo using PCR amplification, sequencing and assembling has been obtained for the first time. The total length of the mitochondrial genome was 16,250  bp, with the base composition of 29.88% A, 34.

Type-II core-shell Si-CdS nanocrystals: synthesis and spectroscopic and electrical properties.

Type-II Si-CdS core-shell colloidal nanocrystals (NCs) are synthesized with the spectroscopic and electronic properties tuned by the thickness of the CdS shell.

Functionalized silicon quantum dots by N-vinylcarbazole: synthesis and spectroscopic properties.

Silicon quantum dots (Si QDs) attract increasing interest nowadays due to their excellent optical and electronic properties. However, only a few optoelectronic organic molecules were reported as ligands of colloidal Si QDs. In this report, N-vinylcarbazole - a material widely used in the optoelectronics industry - was used for the modification of Si QDs as ligands.

Thiolate-protected Ni39 and Ni41 nanoclusters: synthesis, self-assembly and magnetic properties.

Thiolate-protected soluble nickel clusters, Ni(39)(SC(2)H(4)Ph)24 and Ni(41)(SC(2)H(4)Ph)25, were synthesized via a wet chemical method. The cluster formulae were identified by MALDI-TOF. Possible structures of the clusters were discussed.