Temperature and Infill Density Effects on Thermal, Mechanical and Shape Memory Properties of Polylactic Acid/Poly(ε-caprolactone) Blends for 4D Printing.

Polylactic acid (PLA)/poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) blends have exhibited good shape memory properties and degradable characteristics in various 4D printing fields such as biomedicine, flexible electronics, and soft robotics, where the service temperature fluctuates easily by environment temperature and polymer characteristics. In this work, printed PLA/PCL 4D samples with different infill densities were prepared by material extrusion printing of pre-extruded filaments and characterized under different temperatures. The results show that the microstructures of printed samples are not influenced by printing process and have similar unique orientation as that of filaments.

Effects of SOCS1-overexpressing dendritic cells on Th17- and Treg-related cytokines in COPD mice.

Background: In this study, we established a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) model by stimulating mice with cigarette smoke, and observed the effects of dendritic cells (DCs) overexpressing SOCS1 on Th17, Treg and other related cytokines in peripheral blood, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung tissues of COPD mice.

Methods: After successfully transfecting DCs with overexpressing SOCS1 (DC-SOCS1), the mice were injected with DC-SOCS1 (1 × 10), DC-SOCS1 (2 × 10) and immature DCs (1 × 10) via tail vein on days 1 and 7 of COPD fumigation modeling. After day 28 of modeling, the peripheral blood, BALF and lung tissue samples were extracted from the mice, and the changes of DCs, Th17 and Treg cells and related cytokines were detected by immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, HE staining, flow cytometry and ELISA.

Autophagy and pulmonary disease.

Autophagy is a process of cell self-renewal that is dependent on the degradation of the cytoplasmic proteins or organelles of lysosomes. Many diseases, such as metabolic diseases, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and lung diseases, have been confirmed to be associated with elevated or impaired levels of autophagy. At present, studies have found that autophagy participates in the regulation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, acute lung injury, lung cancer, and other pulmonary diseases.

Preparation of a Thermally Light-Transmittance-Controllable Film from a Coexistent System of Polymer-Dispersed and Polymer-Stabilized Liquid Crystals.

Polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) and polymer-stabilized liquid crystal (PSLC) systems are the two primary distinct systems in the field of liquid crystal (LC) technology, and they are differentiated by their unique microstructures. Here, we present a novel coexistent system of polymer-dispersed and polymer-stabilized liquid crystals (PD&SLCs), which forms a homeotropically aligned polymer network (HAPN) within the LC droplets after a microphase separation between the LC and polymer matrix and combines the advantages of both the PDLC and PSLC systems. Then, we prepare a novel thermally light-transmittance-controllable (TLTC) film from the PD&SLC system, where the transmittance can be reversibly changed through thermal control from a transparent to a light-scattering state.

Phytoremediation potentiality of garlic roots for 2,4-dichlorophenol removal from aqueous solutions.

2,4-Dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) is considered as an important pollutant because of its high toxicity and wide distribution in wastewaters. Innocuous remediation technologies have been studied for the removal of this pollutant. This study investigated the feasibility of using garlic roots as a plant system for the removal of 2,4-DCP.

Photodynamic therapy for intractable bronchial lung cancer.

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness and side effects of photofrin-photodynamic therapy (PDT) for intractable bronchial lung cancer.

Methods: Thirty patients were classified as stage II-IV intractable bronchial lung cancer with lumen obstruction after they failed previous treatment regimens such as surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. PDT was performed with 630 nm laser light (Diomed) delivered through cylinder diffusing tip quartz fibers that was passed through the biopsy channel of a flexible endoscope 48 h after intravenous injection of the photosensitizer photofrin (2mg/kg body weight).

Retrospective study of photodynamic therapy vs photodynamic therapy combined with chemotherapy and chemotherapy alone on advanced esophageal cancer.

Objective: To compare the short-term curative effect of photodynamic therapy (PDT), PDT combined with chemotherapy and chemotherapy alone on the advanced esophageal cancer patients.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of 90 patients of esophageal cancer underwent PDT, PDT combined with chemotherapy and chemotherapy alone from 2004 to 2007 (stages III-IV), including 27 cases received PDT alone, 33 cases received PDT combined with chemotherapy and 30 cases chemotherapy alone. The enrolled patients were treated with intravenous administration of Photofrin as the photosensitizer at a dose of 2mg/kg.

[Correlation analysis between multi-slice CT perfusion imaging and microvessel density in ovarian tumors].

Objective: To analyze the correlation between the perfusion data and microvessel density (MVD) in ovarian tumors, and investigate the hemodynamic features of the tumors in terms of anatomy and functional CT imaging.

Methods: Six patients with surgically confirmed benign ovarian tumors and 6 with malignant ovarian tumors underwent multi-slice CT perfusion imaging to acquire the perfusion parameters including perfusion, PEI, TTP, BV peak enhancement image(PEI), time to peak(TTP) and blood volume(BV). The tumors were stained and counted by Immunohistochemical staining of the microvessels in the tumor was performed to detect the MVD.

[Isolation, identification and degradation characterization of a polychlorinated biphenyls-degrading bacterium Pseudomonas sp. DN2].

A polychlorinated biphenyls-degrading bacterium DN2, using biphenyl as sole carbon source and energy source, was isolated from long-term PCBs-contaminated soil. Through morphological observation and sequence analysis of 16S rDNA, the strain was identified as Pseudomonas sp..

[Atypical magnetic resonance imaging vs pathological findings of leiomyoma in the female reproductive system].

Objective: To investigate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of the atypical leiomyoma in the female reproductive system in comparison with the pathological features of the neoplasms.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of the MRI findings and the pathological features was conducted in 24 cases of atypical leiomyoma involving the female reproductive system.

Results: Atypical leiomyomas were displayed by MRI as solid tumor mass surrounded by cystic degeneration, pseudotumors, or solid mass with homogeneous signal intensity.

[Effects of EGb761 on hippocamal synaptic plasticity of vascular dementia rats].

Aim: To investigate the effects of ginkgo biloba extract 761 (EGb761) on synaptic plasticity in hippocampus of vascular dementia (VD) rats.

Methods: The escape latency (EL) of Morris water maze (MWM) task was measured at different time points (4 W, 8 W and 16 W), and the population spikes (PS) of granule cell layer in the dentate gyrus were induced by single pulse stimulation to perfo rate path fibers before and after high frequency stimulation (HFS) in vivo.

Results: MWM test showed that the escape latency (EL) of VD model group were highly longer than that of the sham-operated group, while the EL of EGb761-treated group was significantly shorter than that of model group, but still longer than that of the sham-operated group.

[Characteristics and influencing factors of ammonia contamination from production of monosodium glutamate].

Fluxes of ammonia contamination from production of monosodium glutamate (MSG) were quantitatively observed and relationships with some important influencing factors were statistically analyzed. The study indicates that there is a big difference in the release of ammonia at each step of MSG production including sewage treatment, depending on technical processes. The flux of ammonia released in the process of fermentation was highest, up to 880 mg x (L x min)(-1), and that in the process of refining sugar was lowest, only 0.

[Hydrolysis and mechanism of wastewater contained protein using immobilized protein enzyme].

Protein-enzyme was immobilized on big-hole resin, activated charcoal and silica particles by a absorption method. This study focuses on effect of enzyme immobilization, thermal stability and hydrolysis efficiency of wastewater. The result of batch test show that the ratio of immobilized enzyme on activated charcoal, big-hole resin and silica particles was 61.

Screening of flocculant-producing microorganisms and flocculating activity.

A strain saccharomycete STSM-1 with high flocculanting activity was isolated from activated sludge with conventional methods. The high production rate and the low cost STSM-1 medium was obtained by selecting different kinds of media, carbon source, nitrogen source and inorganic salt ion. The best flocculant-producing conditions were found by changing medium initial pH, culture temperature and ventilation flow.

[A case control study on the risk factors of male infertility].

Objective: To study the risk factors of male infertility.

Method: Case control study including 94 cases and control group with a ratio of 1 to 1.

Results: The risk factors of male infertility were long time heavy smoking habit (OR = 3.