Highly Stretchable Conductor by Self-Assembling and Mechanical Sintering of a 2D Liquid Metal on a 3D Polydopamine-Modified Polyurethane Sponge.

A highly stretchable conductor was fabricated through dip-coating a new liquid metal (LM) electric ink on a polydopamine (PDA)-modified three-dimensional (3D) polyurethane sponge (PUS) followed by mechanical sintering. The LM was first sonicated to nanodroplets to reduce the consumption of LM and then modified by 3-mercaptopropionic acid (LMNPS-MPA) to improve the interfacial adhesion between LM and PUS. The denser and even distribution of LMNPS-MPA self-assembling on PDA-treated PUS (PUS-PDA) was successfully prepared via hydrogen bonding interactions.

Household preparedness for emergency events: a cross-sectional survey on residents in four regions of China.

Objective: This study aimed to assess household preparedness for emergency events and its determinants in China.

Design: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted on 3541 households in China in 2015.

Participants: Households were selected using a stratified cluster sampling strategy, representing central, eastern, western and southern regions of China.

Yam-Containing Serum Promotes Proliferation and Chondrogenic Differentiation of Rabbit Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Synthesis of Glycosaminoglycan.

The chondrogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) is affected by a variety of factors, including environmental, physical, and chemical factors and growth factors, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparations can further influence this process. In this study, the effects of different concentrations of Yam-containing serum of rabbits on BMSC proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation were investigated, as were the underlying molecular mechanisms. The growth and proliferation of BMSCs were significantly enhanced upon treatment with Yam-containing serum.

Mitochondria as a therapeutic target for ischemic stroke.

Stroke is the leading cause of death and physical disability worldwide. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been considered as one of the hallmarks of ischemic stroke and contributes to the pathology of ischemia and reperfusion. Mitochondria is essential in promoting neural survival and neurological improvement following ischemic stroke.

Clinical value of LHPP-associated microRNAs combined with protein induced by vitamin K deficiency or antagonist-II in the diagnosis of alpha-fetoprotein-negative hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) has received extensive attention in the differential diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), especially for AFP-negative HCC (AFP-NHCC). The current study aimed to explore the value of targeted regulation of LHPP expression-related microRNAs (miRs) and protein induced by vitamin K deficiency or antagonist-II (PIVKA-II) in the differential diagnosis of AFP-NHCC.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on a testing set-including 214 AFP-NHCC patients, 200 cirrhosis, and 210 controls, and a validation set-including 140 AFP-NHCC patients, 134 cirrhosis, and 128 controls recruited from The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University.

Gender differences on medical students' attitudes toward patient-centred care: a cross-sectional survey conducted in Heilongjiang, China.

Objectives: Assessing medical students' attitudes toward patient-centred care is essential to bettering medical education. Based on doctor-patient relationships and the medical system in China, it is important to explore the impact of gender differences and other background factors on patient-centred attitudes and to provide references for medical education reform.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on fourth-year medical undergraduate students from November 2017 to March 2018 in Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China.

Financial Affordability, Health Insurance, and Use of Health Care Services by the Elderly: Findings From the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study.

The rapidly growing aging population has attracted global attention. This study explores the associations between 3 basic health insurances, and it identifies factors associated with health care services among the elderly populations. This study is based on multistage stratified cluster sampling method from the 2013 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) resulting in 7589 participants.

Overexpressed VEPH1 inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition, invasion, and migration of human cutaneous melanoma cells through inactivating the TGF-β signaling pathway.

Malignant melanoma has a profound influence on populations around the world, with the underlying mechanisms controlling this disease yet to be fully identified. Hence, the current study aimed to investigate effects associated with VEPH1 on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), proliferation, invasion, migration and the apoptosis of human cutaneous melanoma (CM) cells through the TGF-β signaling pathway. Microarray-based gene analysis was initially performed to screen the CM-related differentially expressed genes.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress contributed to β1-adrenoceptor autoantibody-induced reduction of autophagy in cardiomyocytes.

Autophagy reduction has been confirmed as an important mechanism in apoptosis induction. Our previous study showed that decreased autophagy induced by β1-adrenoceptor autoantibodies (β1-AAs) enhanced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and contributed to heart failure progression. Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) is known to be an important mechanism in intracellular homeostasis and is closely related to autophagy.

Compact general interference hybrid-plasmonic multimode interferometers used for optical hybrid.

We propose three general interference multimode interferometers (MMIs) based on hybrid plasmonic waveguides (HPWs). Among them, the general 2×2 and 4×4 MMIs are designed for a 90° optical hybrid, while the 3×3 MMI is for a 120° optical hybrid. First, by considering the mode interference characteristics inside the multimode HPWs, a compromise between the number of guided modes and the device length is obtained at a determined height of the SiO interlayer of the HPW.

Can integration reduce inequity in healthcare utilization? Evidence and hurdles in China.

Background: Integration of medical insurance schemes has been prioritized as one of the key strategies to address inequity in China's health system. The first pilot attempt to integrate started in 2003 and later expanded nationwide. This study aims to assess its intended impact on inequity in inpatient service utilization and identify the main determinants contributing to its ineffectiveness.

D-Ser2-oxyntomodulin ameliorated Aβ31-35-induced circadian rhythm disorder in mice.

Introduction: The occurrence of circadian rhythm disorder in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is closely related to the abnormal deposition of amyloid-β (Aβ), and d-Ser2-oxyntomodulin (Oxy) is a protease-resistant oxyntomodulin analogue that has been shown to exert neuroprotective effects.

Aims: This study aimed to explore whether Oxy, a new GLP-1R/GCGR dual receptor agonist, can improve the Aβ-induced disrupted circadian rhythm and the role of GLP-1R.

Methods: A mouse wheel-running experiment was performed to explore the circadian rhythm, and western blotting and real-time PCR were performed to assess the expression of the circadian clock genes Bmal1 and Per2.

Treatment Effect of Tuftsin and Antigen Peptide Combined with Immune Cells on Colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of antigenic peptides on dendritic cell maturation and activation as well as the role of dendritic cell induced cell function. The tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes induced by activation of the dendritic cells were also evaluated. MATERIAL AND METHODS SW-480 cell lysate and peptide antigens were selected as adjuvants in dendritic cell sensitization, and tuftsin was used to induce the phagocytosis of dendritic cells.

Impaired brain glucose metabolism in cirrhosis without overt hepatic encephalopathy: a retrospective 18F-FDG PET/CT study.

Objectives: There are subclinical neurologic deficits in cirrhotic patients without overt hepatic encephalopathy. We aimed to use F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/computed tomography to explore the impaired brain glucose metabolism of subclinical hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhosis.

Methods: Thirty-seven patients with hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis without overt hepatic encephalopathy and 49 controls were enrolled in the study.

Clinical comparison between a percutaneous hydraulic pressure delivery system and balloon tamp system using high-viscosity cement for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures.

Objectives: Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) affect the elderly population, especially postmenopausal women. Percutaneous kyphoplasty is designed to treat painful vertebral compression fractures for which conservative therapy has been unsuccessful. High-viscosity cement can be injected by either a hydraulic pressure delivery system (HPDS) or a balloon tamp system (BTS).

Effect of cold atmospheric plasma treatment on the metabolites of human leukemia cells.

Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a typically fatal malignancy and new drug and treatment need to be developed for a better survival outcome. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is a novel technology, which has been widely applied in biomedicine, especially in various of cancer treatment. However, the changes in cell metabolism after CAP treatment of leukemia cells have been rarely studied.

Arabidopsis IAR4 Modulates Primary Root Growth Under Salt Stress Through ROS-Mediated Modulation of Auxin Distribution.

High salinity is one of the major environmental stresses that plants encounter. Roots are the initial and direct organs to perceive the signal. However, how plant roots perceive and respond to salinity at the molecular and physiological levels is still poorly understood.

Brain Tumor Segmentation Based on Improved Convolutional Neural Network in Combination with Non-quantifiable Local Texture Feature.

Accurate and reliable brain tumor segmentation is a critical component in cancer diagnosis. According to deep learning model, a novel brain tumor segmentation method is developed by integrating fully convolutional neural networks (FCNN) and dense micro-block difference feature (DMDF) into a unified framework so as to obtain segmentation results with appearance and spatial consistency. Firstly, we propose a local feature to describe the rotation invariant property of the texture.

Association of Arg47His polymorphism with the risk of cancer: a meta-analysis.

Alcohol consumption has been established to be a major factor in the development and progress of cancer. Genetic polymorphisms of alcohol-metabolism genes result in differences between individuals in exposure to acetaldehyde, leading to possible carcinogenic effects. Arg47His (rs1229984 G > A) in have been frequently studied for its potential effect on carcinogenesis.

Serial Cardiac FDG-PET for the Diagnosis and Therapeutic Guidance of Patients With Cardiac Sarcoidosis.

Background: Cardiac fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography (FDG-PET) has emerged as a standard imaging modality for the diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis (CS); however, there is a scarcity of data on the use of serial FDG-PET to guide immunosuppressive therapy. The aim of this work was to report our experience using serial FDG-PET for the diagnosis and management of patients with CS, focusing on its utility in ongoing immunosuppression management.

Methods And Results: We studied consecutive patients with CS managed at Stanford University from 2010 to 2017.

Effects of paraquat on IL-6 and TNF-α in macrophages.

Effects of paraquat (PQ) on interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in macrophages were investigated. Different concentrations of PQ were added to mouse macrophage RAW264.7 for culture.

DA-JC1 improves learning and memory by antagonizing Aβ31-35-induced circadian rhythm disorder.

Studies have shown that a normal circadian rhythm is crucial to learning and memory. Circadian rhythm disturbances that occur at early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) aggravate the progression of the disease and further reduce learning and memory in AD patients. The novel, dual GLP-1R/GIPR agonist DA-JC1 has been found to exert a stronger hypoglycemic effect than a GLP-1R agonist alone and has been shown to exert neuroprotective effects.

Photothermal-Induced Self-Healable and Reconfigurable Shape Memory Bio-Based Elastomer with Recyclable Ability.

Photothermal-induced self-healable and shape memory materials have drawn much attention due to the rapidly growing technical applications and environmental requirements. As epoxy natural rubber (ENR) is a kind of bio-based elastomer with good mechanical properties, weather resistance, and air impermeability, it is of great significance to incorporate ENR with recyclable, photothermal-induced self-healable and shape memory properties. In this study, we report a simple method to cross-link ENR with dodecanedioic acids (DAs) through esterification reaction, and during the cross-linking process, a little aniline trimer (ACAT, a kind of oligoaniline) was added at the same time.

A Cross-Sectional Survey of Low Back Pain in Nurses Working in Orthopedic Departments.

The study aimed to gain knowledge about low back pain (LBP) in nurses working in the orthopedic departments of tertiary hospitals in Sichuan province, China. We used a cross-sectional survey to examine the prevalence of LBP among 797 inpatient nurses who had worked for 1 year in an orthopedic department in one of 29 hospitals (Grade 3A) in Sichuan province. The survey included a questionnaire to determine the prevalence of LBP and factors related to LBP, a screening graph of LBP symptoms, the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ), and the Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ) for LBP.