Large Negative Thermal Expansion Induced by Synergistic Effects of Ferroelectrostriction and Spin Crossover in PbTiO-Based Perovskites.

The discovery of unusual negative thermal expansion (NTE) provides the opportunity to control the common but much desired property of thermal expansion, which is valuable not only in scientific interests but also in practical applications. However, most of the available NTE materials are limited to a narrow temperature range, and the NTE effect is generally weakened by various modifications. Here, we report an enhanced NTE effect that occurs over a wide temperature range , and this NTE effect is accompanied by an abnormal enhanced tetragonality, a large spontaneous polarization, and a G-type antiferromagnetic ordering in the present perovskite-type ferroelectric of (1-)PbTiO-BiCoO.

Full-Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy for Lumbar Disc Herniation with Posterior Ring Apophysis Fracture: A Retrospective Study.

Objective: The present retrospective study evaluated the clinical results of full-endoscopic lumbar discectomy (FELD) for the treatment of lumbar disc herniation (LDH) with lumbar posterior ring apophysis fracture (PRAF) using an interlaminar or a transforaminal approach at an inpatient surgery center.

Methods: Patients with single-level LDH with type III PRAF who had undergone FELD using an interlaminar or a transforaminal approach from January 2010 to December 2015 were enrolled. The general data recorded included sex, age, location, surgical approach, operative time, hospital stay, perioperative complications, and recurrence.

Reducing Surface Wetting Proportion of Soils Irrigated by Subsurface Drip Irrigation Can Mitigate Soil N₂O Emission.

To reveal the impact of soil moisture distributions on nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from wet soils irrigated by sub-surface drip irrigation (SDI) with different surface soil wetting proportions, pot experiments were conducted, with surface irrigation (SI) as a control. Results indicated that irrigation triggered N₂O pulsing effect in all SDI treatments, yet N₂O values reduced with the decrease of surface soil wetting proportions of SDI irrigated soils, and the occurrence times were lagged. The peak N₂O fluxes and the corresponding soil water filled pore space (WFPS), as well as the coefficients of determination (R²) of the exponential function between N₂O fluxes and soil WFPS, decreased with the reduction of surface soil wetting proportions with SDI treatment, and from the central sub-region to the periphery sub-region.

BCC-Phased PdCu Alloy as a Highly Active Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Oxidation in Alkaline Electrolytes.

Anion-exchange membrane fuel cells hold promise to greatly reduce cost by employing nonprecious metal cathode catalysts. More efficient anode catalysts are needed, however, to improve the sluggish hydrogen oxidation reaction in alkaline electrolytes. We report that BCC-phased PdCu alloy nanoparticles, synthesized via a wet-chemistry method with a critical thermal treatment, exhibit up to 20-fold HOR improvement in both mass and specific activities, compared with the FCC-phased PdCu counterparts.

Effect of Ba and Pb dual doping on the thermoelectric properties of BiCuSeO ceramics.

Besides the thermoelectric properties, mechanically robust is also very important for applications in TEGs. Up to now, no studies have been reported to investigate the mechanical properties of BiCuSeO oxyselenides. In this work, the results of hardness test of pristine and Ba/Pb doped BiCuSeO are presented here.

Circular RNA BCRC-3 suppresses bladder cancer proliferation through miR-182-5p/p27 axis.

Background: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a new member of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) that have recently been described as key regulators of gene expression. Our previous study had identified the negative correlation between circHIPK3 and bladder cancer grade, invasion, as well as lymph node metastasis. However, the roles of circRNAs in cellular proliferation in bladder cancer remain largely unknown.

Water Salinity Should Be Reduced for Irrigation to Minimize Its Risk of Increased Soil N₂O Emissions.

To reveal the effect of irrigation salinity on soil nitrous oxide (N₂O) emission, pot experiments were designed with three irrigation salinity levels (NaCl and CaCl₂ of 1, 2.5 and 4 g/L equivalence, Ec = 3.6, 8.

Short-term effects of ambient air pollution exposure on lung function: A longitudinal study among healthy primary school children in China.

Background: Short-term exposure to ambient air pollution has been associated with reduced lung function among asthmatic children. However, there is little information about the effects among healthy children, especially in areas with relatively high exposure background.

Objective: To examine the association between short-term effects of ambient air pollutants and lung function among healthy primary school-aged children in China.

Facile synthesis of a metal-organic framework nanocarrier for NIR imaging-guided photothermal therapy.

The NIR dye cyanine (Cy) is one of the most significant phototherapy agents (PTAs) due to its strong NIR absorbance, high thermal conversion capacity and good safety. However, its clinic application is seriously limited owing to its inherent properties as an organic dye, including low solubility, poor selectivity, and fast clearance. Thus, herein, we embed Cy into the zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (Cy@ZIF-8) for antitumor photothermal therapy (PTT).

The interplay of LncRNA ANRIL and miR-181b on the inflammation-relevant coronary artery disease through mediating NF-κB signalling pathway.

This study was designed to investigate whether ANRIL affected the aetiology of coronary artery disease (CAD) by acting on downstream miR-181b and NF-κB signalling. Altogether 327 CAD patients diagnosed by angiography were included, and mice models of CAD were established. Human coronary endothelial cells (HCAECs) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were also purchased.

Inhibition of RAD54B suppresses proliferation and promotes apoptosis in hepatoma cells.

RAD54 homolog B is a central motor protein of homologous recombination (HR), which plays an important role in the development and evolution of human cancer. Recent studies have indicated that RAD54B is aberrantly expressed in a variety of cancers and exhibits numerous biological functions, including participating in the repair of DNA double strand breaks. However, the expression and function of RAD54B in liver cancer have not yet been reported.

Nanoscale Melittin@Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks for Enhanced Anticancer Activity and Mechanism Analysis.

The cytolytic peptide melittin (MLT) is an important candidate of anticancer drug owing to its hemolytic properties. Nevertheless, its clinical applications are severely restricted as a result of its nonspecific toxicities like hemolysis. In this work, we reported MLT-loaded zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (MLT@ZIF-8) nanoparticles (NPs).

Cu atomic chains supported on β-borophene sheets for effective CO electroreduction.

The good performance of Cu displayed in CO2 conversion promotes the study on how to disperse Cu into 2D materials for better catalysis. Inspired by the recent studies on new 2D porous B sheets [Angew. Chem.

Dihydroartemisinin induces apoptosis and downregulates glucose metabolism in JF-305 pancreatic cancer cells.

Cancer cell promotion of glycolysis provides a promising therapeutic target for cancer treatment. Dihydroartemisinin (DHA) displays cytotoxicity to multiple human tumor cells. However, its effects on pancreatic cancer cells are not well studied.

Stand-Alone Anterolateral Interbody Fusion Versus Extended Posterior Fusion for Symptomatic Adjacent-Segment Degeneration: A Retrospective Study of 2 Years' Follow-up.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical and radiologic outcome of stand-alone anterolateral lumbar interbody fusion (ALLIF) using self-locked cages in comparison with extended posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) for symptomatic adjacent-segment degeneration (ASD) after posterior lumbar fusion.

Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 40 symptomatic patients with ASD who were treated with ALLIF (n = 13) or extended PLIF (n = 27) between January 2011 and January 2015. Evaluations were performed preoperatively, at 3, 12, and 24 months postoperatively.

A comparison of zero-profile anchored spacer (ROI-C) and plate fixation in 2-level noncontiguous anterior cervical discectomy and fusion- a retrospective study.

Background: Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is the classic surgical treatment for symptomatic cervical degenerative disc disease (CDDD). However, there is controversy over the best surgical management in patients with two noncontiguous symptomatic levels of CDDD.

Methods: From April 2011 to May 2014, 44 patients with two noncontiguous symptomatic levels of CDDD underwent skip-level ACDFs.

Hybrids of carbon dots with subunit B of ricin toxin for enhanced immunomodulatory activity.

Although Ricin toxin binding subunit B (RTB) can promote the activation of macrophages and modulate the cell-mediated immunity, its applications are severely limited due to the intrinsic properties of proteins, like poor stability and low efficacy of cellular uptake. In this work, the stable nanoparticles were prepared by supramolecular assembling of carbon dots (CDs) and RTB. The formed CDs-RTB possesses robust stability and can protect RTB against enzymatic hydrolysis.

A Retrospective Cohort Study of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes in China: Associations of Hypoglycemia with Health Care Resource Utilization and Associated Costs.

Introduction: This study aimed to examine the associations of hypoglycemia with health care resource utilization (HCRU) and health care costs among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in China.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted with 23,680 T2DM patients >18 years old who visited the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2015. Univariate descriptive statistics were used to relate the HCRU and associated costs to patient characteristics, and regression analysis was used to examine the association between hypoglycemia and HCRU, controlling for other confounding factors.

Complications of Full-Endoscopic Versus Microendoscopic Foraminotomy for Cervical Radiculopathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Minimally invasive surgery of posterior cervical foraminotomy (PCF) for symptomatic radiculopathy has gained popularity in the last decade. It remains to be determined whether the 2 dominant operation techniques, full-endoscopic (FE) or microendoscopic (MI), are associated with fewer complications.

Methods: An electronic retrieval from PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science was performed to identify comparative or single-arm studies concerning FE-PCF and MI-PCF.

Biconcave and Convex-Concave Tribenzotriquinacene Dimers.

A new chiral tribenzotriquinacene bearing an ortho-bromoaniline nucleus was synthesized and optically resolved. The individual enantiomers, the absolute configuration of which was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray structure analysis, were stereoselectively converted into the same pyrazine-fused syn-bis-TBTQ derivative by chirality-assisted Buchwald-Hartwig amination. The corresponding diastereomeric anti-dimer was obtained alongside the syn-dimer from the racemic sample under similar reaction conditions.

Toward Achieving Highly Ordered Fluorinated Surfaces of Spin-Coated Polymer Thin Films by Optimizing the Air/Liquid Interfacial Structure of the Casting Solutions.

Thin polymer films with well-assembled fluorinated groups on their surfaces are not easily achieved via spin-coating film-fabrication methods because the solution solidifies very rapidly during spin-coating, which hinders the fluorinated moieties from segregating and organizing on the film surface. In this contribution, we have proposed a comprehensive strategy toward achieving well-ordered fluorinated thin films surfaces by optimizing the molecular organization at air/liquid interface of the film-formation solutions. To validate such a route, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) end-capped with several 2-perfluorooctylethyl methacrylate (FMA) units was employed as the model polymer for investigations.

Long noncoding RNA GAS5 promotes bladder cancer cells apoptosis through inhibiting EZH2 transcription.

Aberrant expression of long noncoding RNA GAS5 in bladder cancer (BC) cells was identified in recent studies. However, the regulatory functions and underlying molecular mechanisms of GAS5 in BC development remain unclear. Here, we confirmed that there was a negative correlation between GAS5 level and bladder tumor clinical stage.

Transcriptional and post-transcriptional upregulation of p27 mediates growth inhibition of isorhapontigenin (ISO) on human bladder cancer cells.

There are few approved drugs available for the treatment of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Recently, we have demonstrated that isorhapontigenin (ISO), a new derivative isolated from the Chinese herb Gnetum cleistostachyum, effectively induces cell-cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase and inhibits anchorage-independent cell growth through the miR-137/Sp1/cyclin D1 axis in human MIBC cells. Herein, we found that treatment of bladder cancer (BC) cells with ISO resulted in a significant upregulation of p27, which was also observed in ISO-treated mouse BCs that were induced by N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine (BBN).

Posterior surgery versus combined laminectomy and thoracoscopic surgery for treatment of dumbbell-type thoracic cord tumor: A long-term follow-up.

Objective: The goal of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of posterior surgery with combined laminectomy and thoracoscopic surgery for treating dumbbell-type thoracic cord tumors.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 32 cases of dumbbell-type thoracic cord tumors treated by two surgical procedures in our center from February 2003 to July 2013. CASES WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF SURGERY: Group A cases (n = 12) underwent posterior surgery followed by laminectomy, costotransversectomy and instrumentation; Group B cases (n = 20) underwent posterior laminectomy and anterior video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in a single-stage procedure.