Cyclosporine A improves the binding of mouse embryos to fibronectin.

AIM: The binding of integrin αvß3 with endometrial fibronectin (FN) promotes the migration of preimplantation embryos in mice. We have previously shown that cyclosporine A (CsA) improves the adhesion and invasion of mouse preimplantation embryos. In this study, we evaluated the roles of calcium ions and downstream signaling factors in the binding of integrin αvß3 to FN. METHODS: Female Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice were superovulated and mated, and two-cell embryos were harvested from the oviducts and cultured to the blastocyst stage The adhesion and stretching growth of hatched embryos in laminin-coated dishes were evaluated, and integrinß3 expression was determined using qPCR. Blastocytes were cultured with 0 or 1 µM cyclosporine A (CsA) and the attachment of embryonic integrin αvß3 to FN120 was observed using a fluorescent bead. To further determine the mechanism, the cells were also incubated with calcium ions and protein kinase C and calmodulin antagonists. The binding of integrin αvß3 to FN120 was examined via confocal laser scanning microscopy. RESULTS: The adhesion and stretching growth of peri-implantation embryos were greater and integrinß3 expression was higher in the 1 µM CsA group than in the 0 µM CsA group (p < 0.05). When incubated with calcium ions and protein kinase C and calmodulin antagonists, the ability of peri-implantation embryos to bind to FN decreased; CsA treatment promoted this binding. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that CsA up - regulates integrinß3 expression in peri - implantation embryos and promotes binding to FN via calcium ions, and protein kinase C, and calmodulin. These findings provide evidence supporting the beneficial effect of CsA on the peri - implantation embryo adhesion.

Probing spin hydrodynamics on a superconducting quantum simulator.

Characterizing the nature of hydrodynamical transport properties in quantum dynamics provides valuable insights into the fundamental understanding of exotic non-equilibrium phases of matter. Experimentally simulating infinite-temperature transport on large-scale complex quantum systems is of considerable interest. Here, using a controllable and coherent superconducting quantum simulator, we experimentally realize the analog quantum circuit, which can efficiently prepare the Haar-random states, and probe spin transport at infinite temperature. We observe diffusive spin transport during the unitary evolution of the ladder-type quantum simulator with ergodic dynamics. Moreover, we explore the transport properties of the systems subjected to strong disorder or a tilted potential, revealing signatures of anomalous subdiffusion in accompany with the breakdown of thermalization. Our work demonstrates a scalable method of probing infinite-temperature spin transport on analog quantum simulators, which paves the way to study other intriguing out-of-equilibrium phenomena from the perspective of transport.

Antifungal bioactivity of Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna Franch. against fluconazole-resistant Candida albicans in vitro and in vivo.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna Franch. has been widely utilized in folk medicine by the Miao people in the southwestern region of China for treating skin sores which may be associated with microbial infection. AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate the antifungal bioactivity of S. hookeriana var. digyna against fluconazole-resistant Candida albicans in vitro and in vivo, as well as its underlying mechanism and the key bioactive component. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The antifungal bioactivity of 80% ethanol extract of S. hookeriana var. digyna (SHE80) was investigated in vitro using the broth microdilution method, time-growth curve, and time-kill assay. Its key functional component and antifungal mechanism were explored with combined approaches including UPLC-Q-TOF-MS, network pharmacology and metabolomics. The antifungal pathway was further supported via microscopic observation of fungal cell morphology and examination of its effects on fungal biofilm and cell membranes using fluorescent staining reagents. In vivo assessment of antifungal bioactivity was conducted using a mouse model infected with C. albicans on the skin. RESULTS: S. hookeriana var. digyna suppressed fluconazole-resistant C. albicans efficiently (MIC = 16 µg/mL, MFC = 64 µg/mL). It removed fungal biofilm, increased cell membrane permeability, induced protein leakage, reduced membrane fluidity, disrupted mitochondrial membrane potential, induced the release of reactive oxygen species, promoted cell apoptosis, and inhibited the transformation of fungi from the yeast state to the hyphal state significantly. In terms of mechanism, it affected sphingolipid metabolism and signaling pathway. Moreover, the predicted bioactive component, sarcovagine D, was supported by antifungal bioactivity evaluation in vitro (MIC = 4 µg/mL, MFC = 16 µg/mL). Furthermore, S. hookeriana var. digyna promoted wound healing, reduced the number of colony-forming units, and reduced inflammation effectively in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: The traditional use of S. hookeriana var. digyna for fungal skin infections was supported by antifungal bioactivity investigated in vitro and in vivo. Its mechanism and bioactive component were predicted and confirmed by experiments, which also provided a new antifungal agent for future research.

Anti-MRSA mechanism of spirostane saponin in Rohdea pachynema F.T.Wang & tang.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY RELEVANCE: Rohdea pachynema F.T.Wang & Tang (R. pachynema), is a traditional folk medicine used for the treatment of stomach pain, stomach ulcers, bruises, and skin infections in China. Some of the diseases may relate to microbial infections in traditional applications. However few reports on its antimicrobial properties and bioactive components. AIM OF THE STUDY: To identify its bioactive constituents against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in vitro and in vivo, and its mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The anti-MRSA ingredient 6α-O-[ß-D-xylopyranosyl-(1 â†’ 3)-ß-D-quinovopyranosyl]-(25S)-5α-spirostan-3ß-ol (XQS) was obtained from R. pachynema by phytochemical isolation. Subsequently, XQS underwent screening using the broth microdilution method and growth inhibition curves to assess its antibacterial activity. The mechanism of XQS was evaluated by multigeneration induction, biofilm resistance assay, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and metabolomics. Additionally, a mouse skin infection model was established in vivo. RESULTS: 26 compounds were identified from the R. pachynema, in which anti-MRSA spirostane saponin (XQS) was reported for the first time with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 8 µg/mL. XQS might bind to peptidoglycan (PGN) of the cell wall, phosphatidylglycerol (PG), and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) of the cell membrane, then destroying the cell wall and the cell membrane, resulting in reduced membrane fluidity and membrane depolarization. Furthermore, XQS affected MRSA lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and ABC transporters by metabolomics analysis, which targeted cell walls and membranes causing less susceptibility to drug resistance. Furthermore, XQS (8 mg/kg) recovered skin wounds in mice infected by MRSA effectively, superior to vancomycin (8 mg/kg). CONCLUSIONS: XQS showed anti-MRSA bioactivity in vitro and in vivo, and its mechanism association with cell walls and membranes was reported for the first, which supported the traditional uses of R. pachynema and explained its sensitivity to MRSA.

Quantum Simulation of Topological Zero Modes on a 41-Qubit Superconducting Processor.

Quantum simulation of different exotic topological phases of quantum matter on a noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) processor is attracting growing interest. Here, we develop a one-dimensional 43-qubit superconducting quantum processor, named Chuang-tzu, to simulate and characterize emergent topological states. By engineering diagonal Aubry-André-Harper (AAH) models, we experimentally demonstrate the Hofstadter butterfly energy spectrum. Using Floquet engineering, we verify the existence of the topological zero modes in the commensurate off-diagonal AAH models, which have never been experimentally realized before. Remarkably, the qubit number over 40 in our quantum processor is large enough to capture the substantial topological features of a quantum system from its complex band structure, including Dirac points, the energy gap's closing, the difference between even and odd number of sites, and the distinction between edge and bulk states. Our results establish a versatile hybrid quantum simulation approach to exploring quantum topological systems in the NISQ era.

Simulating Chern insulators on a superconducting quantum processor.

The quantum Hall effect, fundamental in modern condensed matter physics, continuously inspires new theories and predicts emergent phases of matter. Here we experimentally demonstrate three types of Chern insulators with synthetic dimensions on a programable 30-qubit-ladder superconducting processor. We directly measure the band structures of the 2D Chern insulator along synthetic dimensions with various configurations of Aubry-André-Harper chains and observe dynamical localisation of edge excitations. With these two signatures of topology, our experiments implement the bulk-edge correspondence in the synthetic 2D Chern insulator. Moreover, we simulate two different bilayer Chern insulators on the ladder-type superconducting processor. With the same and opposite periodically modulated on-site potentials for two coupled chains, we simulate topologically nontrivial edge states with zero Hall conductivity and a Chern insulator with higher Chern numbers, respectively. Our work shows the potential of using superconducting qubits for investigating different intriguing topological phases of quantum matter.

[Comparison of therapeutic effects of arthroscopic popliteal cyst internal drainage and capsular wall resection].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate efficacy between arthroscopic popliteal cyst drainage and arthroscopic popliteal cyst resection. METHODS: From January 2013 to June 2021, 54 patients with popliteal cyst (Rausching-Lindgren gradeⅠto Ⅲ) were treated with arthroscopic surgery. There were 24 males and 30 females. The age ranged from 44 to 72 years old, with a mean of (62.67±6.08) years old. The course of the disease ranged from 1 to 72 months, with a mean of(15±14) months. Twenty-four patients (group A) were underwent arthroscopic internal drainage of popliteal cyst. Thirty patients (group B) were underwent arthroscopic resection of popliteal cyst. Preoperative main symptoms included knee pain, swelling, walking pain, popliteal swelling, popliteal mass and so on. After 1, 3, 6 months and 1, 2 years of surgery, routine outpatient follow-up was conducted to observe and compare the surgical time, bleeding volume, preoperative and postoperative visual analog scale (VAS), knee Lysholm score, and complications between two groups. RESULTS: All incisions healed at one stage after operation. All 54 patients were followed up, and the duration ranged from 6 months to 2 years, with an average of (13.89±4.29) months. There was no intraoperative vascular or nerve injury. Operation time and intraoperative blood loss of the two groups:group A of (62.08±9.55) min and (8.00±1.69) ml, group B of (69.50±6.99) min and (8.70±2.00) ml. Popliteal pain, swelling, limitation of flexion and extension were significantly relieved after operation. VAS before and one month after operation between two groups:group A of 5.38±1.21 and 2.63±0.71, group B of 5.60±1.26 and 2.80±0.81. Lysholm scores of knee joint before and 6 months after operation:group A of 62.59±4.99 and 89.74±2.90, group B of 63.87±3.23 and 89.02±2.35. Knee joint function improved significantly in both groups. In group A, 4 cases had popliteal cyst at 3 months after operation, and 2 cases had small isolated cyst at 1 year after operation. There was no recurrence of cyst in group B. CONCLUSION: The results between two arthroscopic treatments of popliteal cyst are satisfactory, and there is no significant difference in the amount of blood loss, safety, postoperative pain VAS score and knee function recovery. It is suggested that arthroscopic resection of the cyst wall should be performed when the technique is mature, especially for large cysts and septal cysts.

[Locking compression plate combined with medial buttress plate for the treatment of osteoporotic comminuted proximal humerus fractures].

OBJECTIVE: To explore clinical effect of lateral locking compression plate combined with medial buttress plate in treating osteoporotic comminuted fractures of proximal humerus. METHODS: From May 2017 to December 2021, 12 patients with osteoporotic comminution of proximal humerus were treated by lateral locking compression plates combined with medial buttress plates, including 5 males and 7 females, aged from 55 to 78 years old, bone mineral density(BMD) less than -2.5 g/cm3, the time from injury to operation was from 2 to 6 days. According to Neer classification, 7 patients were type Ⅲ, 4 patients were type Ⅳ and 1 patient was type Ⅵ. Postoperative complications, fracture healing and internal fixation were observed and Constant-Murley score of shoulder joint was used to evaluate clinical effects at 6 months after operation. RESULTS: Postoperative wound healed well at stage I. All patients were followed up from 6 to 18 months. Humeral head collapse and necrosis occurred in 1 patient and humeral head varus in 1 patient. No impact of shoulder joint, internal fixation loosening occurred. Constant-Murley score at 6 months ranged from 45 to 90 points, and 6 patients got excellent result, 3 good, and 3 poor. CONCLUSION: Locking compression plate combined with medial buttress plate could effectively reconstruct medial humeral column support and enhance fracture stability, and receive satisfactory clinical results. However, no control group was established in this study, and function of shoulder joint has not been evaluated many times after operation, so it cannot dynamically reflect changes of shoulder joint function.

The Actual Status of Hospitals as COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics in China and Safety Monitoring of Inactivated Vaccine: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: The outbreak has had a devastating impact, and efforts are underway to speed up vaccination. The study's objective was to describe the clinical characteristics of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination clinic in the Second People's Hospital of Fujian Province, China. Meanwhile, we monitored all the vaccine recipients to evaluate adverse reactions. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was done at the COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic, the Second People's Hospital of Fujian Province, China. We systematically collected Clinical data from the COVID-19 vaccination clinic between March 11 and November 11, 2021, including the type of vaccine, number of doses, gender, age, educational level, occupational category, adverse reactions, etc. Investigators will contact vaccine recipients by means of phone call or WeChat message to record the negative responses. Last, this report covers data through 8 mo, so it will be better to Evaluate the Safety of 2 inactivated COVID-19 vaccines from China (BBIBP-CorV [Beijing Institute of Biological Products, Beijing, China] and CoronaVac [Sinovac Life Sciences, Beijing, China]). RESULTS: The results indicated that the Second People's Hospital of Fujian Province received a total of 64,602 COVID-19 vaccines from March 11 to November 11, 2021, including 34,331 (53.14%) first doses, 29,245 (45.27%) second doses, and 1026 (1.59%) third doses. This study found the highest proportion in other personnel (38.69% at the first dose, 38.75% at the second dose, and 2.44% at the third dose), who were mainly retirees. People with higher levels of education are more likely to be vaccinated against COVID-19 during the early stages of vaccine rollout. In terms of age stratification, the highest proportion was found among people aged 18-49 (BBIBP-CorV: first dose 61%, second dose 62.6%, and third dose 76.8%; CoronaVac: first dose 66.1%, double dose 63.6%, and third dose 75.5%), followed by those over 60. The common adverse reactions were mainly local and systemic, and there were some differences between the 2 inactivated vaccines (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to analyze the actual status of hospitals as COVID-19 vaccination clinics in China. The hospital has focused on vaccinating citizens and the initial rollout of vaccines to ensure any safety issues are identified. More citizens are willing to vaccinate in hospitals because of the uncertain safety of the available vaccines and adverse reactions. The good news is that vaccine-related severe adverse events have not been found in the hospital vaccination clinic. The Safety of BBIBP-CorV and CoronaVac is relatively high.

[Clinical features of intestinal polyps and risk factors for secondary intussusception in children: an analysis of 2 669 cases]. / 2 669ä¾‹å„¿ç«¥è‚ æ¯è‚‰çš„ä¸´åºŠç‰¹å¾åŠç»§å‘è‚ å¥—å çš„å±é™©å› ç´ åˆ†æž.

OBJECTIVES: To study the clinical features of intestinal polyps and the risk factors for secondary intussusception in children. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed for the medical data of 2 669 children with intestinal polyps. According to the presence or absence of secondary intussusception, they were divided into two groups: intussusception (n=346) and non-intussusception (n=2 323). Related medical data were compared between the two groups. The multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for secondary intussusception. RESULTS: Among the children with intestinal polyps, 62.42% were preschool children, and the male/female ratio was 2.08∶1; 92.66% had hematochezia as disease onset, and 94.34% had left colonic polyps and rectal polyps. There were 346 cases of secondary intussusception, with an incidence rate of 12.96% (346/2 669). Large polyps (OR=1.644, P<0.001), multiple polyps (≥2) (OR=6.034, P<0.001), and lobulated polyps (OR=93.801, P<0.001) were the risk factors for secondary intussusception. CONCLUSIONS: Intestinal polyps in children often occur in preschool age, mostly in boys, and most of the children have hematochezia as disease onset, with the predilection sites of the left colon and the rectum. Larger polyps, multiple polyps, and lobulated polyps may increase the risk of secondary intussusception, and endoscopic intervention is needed as early as possible to improve prognosis.

Thermal Decomposition Mechanism of 1,3,5,7-Tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocane Accelerated by Nano-Aluminum Hydride (AlH3): ReaxFF-Lg Molecular Dynamics Simulation.

ReaxFF-low-gradient reactive force field with CHONAl parameters is used to simulate thermal decomposition of 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocane (HMX) and AlH3 composite. Perfect AlH3 and surface-passivated AlH3 particles were constructed to mix with HMX. The simulation results indicate HMX is adsorbed on the surface of particles to form O-Al and N-Al bonds. The decomposition of HMX and AlH3 composite is an exothermic reaction without energy barrier, but the decomposition of pure HMX needs to overcome the energy barrier of 133.57 kcal/mol. Active nano-AlH3 causes HMX to decompose rapidly at low temperature, and the primary decomposition pathway is the rupture of N-O and C-N bonds. Adiabatic simulation shows that the energy release and temperature increase of HMX/AlH3 is much larger than those of the HMX system. Surface-passivated AlH3 particles only affect the initial decomposition rate of HMX. In HMX and AlH3 composites, the strong attraction of Al in AlH3 to O and the activation of the intermediate reaction by H2 cause HMX to decompose rapidly. The final decomposition products of pure HMX are H2O, N2, and CO2, and those of HMX/AlH3 are H2O, N2, and Al-containing clusters dominated by C-Al. The final gas production shows that the specific impulse of HMX/AlH3 is larger than that of HMX.

Theoretical study of nitrogen cation modified aromatics containing thiophene as π-linker for p-type photosensitizers.

On the basis of triphenylamine as an electron donor with attachment of two -COOH anchoring groups and dicyanovinyl as acceptor, ten dyes with D-π-A structures were designed to investigate the effects of different π-linker groups on the properties of the sensitizers, especially the influence of the π-linkers containing nitrogen cation (N+). The optimized structures and electronic and optical properties were investigated by the density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT). The results show that all the investigated dyes can be used as dye sensitizers for the p-type dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) except one dye which contains two N+. The N+ modified dye (named S3-PZL1C) has narrow energy gap (2.02 eV), the best light-harvesting efficiency (LHE, 0.9974), and the smallest internal reorganization energy (λint = 7.00 kcal/mol). Importantly, S3-PZL1C displays the largest red shift of the UV-vis absorption, the maximum integral values of the adsorption-wavelength curves over the visible light (400~800 nm), and the strongest adsorption energy (- 66.84 kcal/mol) on NiO surface. In addition, S3-PZL1C not only enhances the electronic excitation but also improves the reorganization energy and charge separation. The intramolecular charge transfer towards the acceptor is sensitive to the N+ position in π-linkers. Therefore, the suitable introduction of N+ in dyes can improve the performance of the dyes, and the PZL1C moiety may be a promising π-linker for p-type DSSCs. Graphical abstract.

Molecular dynamics simulation on the reaction of nano-aluminum with water: size and passivation effects.

The reaction of aluminum and water is widely used in the field of propulsion and hydrogen production, but its reaction characteristics at the nanometer scale have not been fully studied. In this paper, the effect of particle size and surface passivation of aluminum particle on the reaction mechanism was studied by using reactive molecular dynamics (RMD) simulation. The reduction of aluminum particle size can accelerate the reaction rate in the medium term (20-80 ps) due to the increase of activity, but it also produces an agglomeration effect as the temperature increases. The presence of surface passivation reduces the proportion of active aluminum and the yield of hydrogen decreases by 30% and 33%, respectively, as the particle size decreases from 2.5 nm to 1.6 nm. The addition of AlH3 can overcome these drawbacks when some aluminum powders are replaced by AlH3. The hydrogen yield is increased by the reaction 2AlH3 + 3H2O → Al2O3 + 6H2. In the reaction of surface passivated Al (1.6 nm in diameter) and H2O, when the proportion of AlH3 reaches 25%, the energy release and hydrogen yield increase from 59.47 kJ mol-1 and 0.0042 mol g-1 to 142.56 kJ mol-1 and 0.0076 mol g-1, respectively. This performance even approximates the reaction of pure aluminum with water: 180.67 kJ mol-1 and 0.0087 mol g-1. In addition, the surface passivation affects the reaction mechanism. Before the passivation layer melts, the reaction 4Al + Al2O3 → 3Al2O occurs inside the nanoparticles.

[Value of Diffusion-weighted Imaging and Apparent Diffusion Coefficient in the Differential Diagnosis of Posterior Fossa Solid Hemangioblastoma].

Objective To investigate the value of diffusion-weighted imaging(DWI)and apparent diffusion coefficient(ADC)in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of posterior fossa solid hemangioblastoma(PFSH). Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 15 PFSH patients and 58 patients with other hypervascular tumors in the posterior fossa(the latter included 23 cases of meningioma,5 cases of medulloblastoma,8 cases of acoustic neuroma,4 cases of hemangiopericytoma,5 cases of lymphoma,9 cases of metastatic tumor,3 cases of astrocytoma,and 1 case of choroid plexus papilloma)confirmed by operation and pathology.All patients underwent axial DWI scans,and the mean ADC value of solid part of the tumors and the adjacent normal cerebellar white matter were measured,and then the normalized ADC was calculated.In addition,t test was used to compare the differences in mean ADC and normalized ADC between these two groups,and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was applied to analyze the diagnostic performance of normalized ADC. Results Of all the 15 PFSH patients,DWI appeared hypointense in 12 patients and isointense in 3 patients;the signals on ADC maps were isointense or hyperintense;the mean ADC value of PFSHs was(1.881±0.445)×10 -3mm 2/s and the normalized ADC was 2.70±0.62.In contrast,in 58 patients with other tumors in the posterior fossa,DWI appeared hyperintense in 51 cases,isointense in 3 cases,and hypointense in 4 cases;the mean ADC value was(0.771±0.202)×10 -3 mm 2/s,and the normalized ADC was 1.17±0.33.Thus,the ADC value and normalized ADC value were significantly higher in PFSH than in other tumors in the posterior fossa(t=9.419,P<0.001;t=9.184,P<0.001).The cut-off value of the normalized ADC for the diagnosis of solid hemangioblastoma was 1.89,with the sensitivity and specificity being 100%and 96.6%respectively,and the area under the ROC curve was 0.989. Conclusion ADC and normalized ADC are valuable in the differential diagnosis of PFSH from other tumors with abundant blood supply.

Reactive molecular dynamics simulation of thermal decomposition for nano-aluminized explosives.

Aluminized explosives have important applications in civil construction and military armaments, but their thermal decomposition mechanisms are not well characterized. Here, the thermal decomposition of TNT, RDX, HMX and CL-20 on Al nanoparticles is examined by reactive dynamics simulations using a newly parameterized reactive force field with low gradient correction (ReaxFF-lg). Partially passivated Al nanoparticles were constructed and mixed with TNT, RDX, HMX and CL-20 crystals and then the mixed systems are heated to a high temperature in which the explosives are fully decomposed. The simulation results show that the aluminized explosives undergo three main steps of thermal decomposition, which were denoted "adsorption period" (0-20 ps), "diffusion period" (20-80 ps) and "formation period" (80-210 ps). These stages in sequence are the chemical adsorption between Al and surrounding explosive molecules (R-NO2-Al bonding), the decomposition of the explosives and the diffusion of O atoms into the Al nanoparticles, and the formation of final products. In the first stage, the Al nanoparticles decrease the decomposition reaction barriers of RDX (1.90 kJ g-1), HMX (1.95 kJ g-1) and CL-20 (1.18 kJ g-1), respectively, and decrease the decomposition reaction barrier of TNT from 2.99 to 0.29 kJ g-1. Comparing with the crystalline RDX, HMX and CL-20, the energy releases are increased by 4.73-4.96 kJ g-1 in the second stage. The number of produced H2O molecules increased by 25.27-27.81% and the number of CO2 molecules decreased by 47.73-68.01% in the third stage. These three stages are further confirmed by the evolutive diagram of the structure and temperature distribution for the CL-20/Al system. The onset temperatures (To) of generating H2O for all the aluminized explosives decrease, while those of generating CO2 for aluminized HMX and CL-20 increase, which are in accord with the experiment of aluminized RDX.

Molecular dynamic simulation for thermal decomposition of RDX with nano-AlH3 particles.

Molecular dynamic simulation of a high explosive, RDX, mixed with AlH3 nanoparticles was performed by a newly parameterized ReaxFF force field. Testing of the ReaxFF shows that the mean absolute errors of the densities and bond lengths between calculated and experimental values are less than 7% and 3%, respectively. Using the ReaxFF, effects of AlH3 nanoparticles with different radii on the thermal decomposition of RDX were revealed. A new mechanism of the generation and the consumption of H2 was discovered in the explosion. The H2 is released by AlH3 firstly and then it reacts with NO2 and CO2 from the decomposition of RDX, leading to an increase of H2O, NO and CO. Meanwhile, the size effect of AlH3 upon the reaction was also revealed. As a result, the number of produced H2O and CO2 molecules increases by 10.38% and 56.85%, respectively, when the radius of AlH3 nanoparticles decreases from 1.10 to 0.68 nm. This showed that RDX decomposes more completely with smaller AlH3 nanoparticles, which was further demonstrated by the analysis of reaction residues and diffusion coefficients.

[Modified osteotomy of olecranon for the management of inter-condylar fracture of the humerus].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the surgical method and clinical outcome of modified osteotomy of olecranon for the treatment of inter-condylar fracture of humerus. METHODS: From May 2007 to December 2012, 32 patients of intercondylar fracture of humerus were treated surgically through the approach of modified osteotomy of olecranon. The patients were 21 males and 11 females with a mean age of 46.3 years (ranged 18 to 65 years). Nineteen fractures occurred on the right extremity and 13 on the left extremity. According to the AO classification, type C1 fracture was found in 7, C2 in 11 and C3 in 14. Five patients suffered from open fracture (Gustilo type Iin 3, type II in 2). Other fractures occurred in 6 patients and the primary injury of nerve occurred 6. The healing of the osteotomy was evaluated with physical examination and plain X-ray film, and the function of elbow was assessed according to Cassebaum scale. RESULTS: All the patients were followed from 9 months to 5 years(average, 1.9 years). All the osteotomies healed at 7.4 weeks averagely after operation, and no nonunion, delayed union, fracture of ulna olecranon were found. Two cases had little pain on the elbow, heterotopic ossification occurred in 2 cases and cutting bone block loosed in 1 case. The function of the elbow showed excellent in 19 cases, good in 8, fair in 4 and poor in 1. CONCLUSIONS: The use of the approach of modified olecranon osteotomy for surgical management of intercondylar fracture of humerus has some advantages, it provides satisfactory stability with simple technical procedures avoiding inter-articular invasion, and it facilitates rehabilitation exercises and providing good results with low complication rates.

[Puerarin alleviates cognitive impairment and tau hyperphosphorylation in APP/PS1 transgenic mice].

To observe the effect of puerarin on learning and memory function and tau phosphorylation in APP/PS1 transgenic mice, drugs were administered to 3-month old APP/PS1 transgenic mice. Learning and memory function of mice were assessed by Morris water maze test 3 months after treatment. Animals were decapitated after behavioral test. The levels of Aß were detected by ELISA, the expression of protein [tau, phosphorylated tau, GSK3ß and p-GSK3ß(Ser9)] were assessed by Western blot. Morris water maze test showed that the escape latency of APP/PS1 double transgenic mice was significantly longer than that of the normal control group, and the residence time of the original quadrant was significantly shorter. The escape latency of puerarin group was significantly shorter and the residence time of the original quadrant was prolonged compared with the model group. Compared with the normal control group, the levels of Aß in the cortex of APP/PS1 transgenic mice were increased, the expression of phosphorylated tau was significantly increased, and the expression of phosphorylated GSK3ß(Ser9) protein was decreased. Treatment with puerarin, the latency of APP/PS1 transgenic mice was significantly reduced, the level of Aß was decreased, the expression of phosphorylated tau was significantly decreased, and the expression of phosphorylated GSK3ß(Ser9) protein was increased. Puerarin improves the learning and memory impairment by reducing the formation of Aß, activating the GSK3ß signaling pathway, inhibiting the phosphorylation of tau in APP/PS1 double transgenic mice.

[Modified Stoppa approach in treatment of bilateral pubic branch fractures].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of modified Stoppa approach in treatment of bilateral pubic fractures of pelvic. METHODS: The therapeutic effects of 16 patients with bilateral pubic fractures treated through the modified Stoppa approach from January 2010 to January 2014 were summarized and analyzed, involved 11 males and 5 females with an average age of 40.5 years old ranging from 17 to 59 years. According to Tile classification, there were 8 patients with type A, 6 with type B and 2 with type C. For 16 pelvic fractures, the modified Stoppa approach was used exclusively 11 cases, in combination with the iliac fossa approach in 4 cases, and in combination with the posterior approach in 1 case. The operation incision length, operation time , intra-operative blood loss and postoperative complications were observed. The fracture reduction and post-operative function were assessed by Matta criteria and Majeed system respectively. RESULTS: The incision length of the modified Stoppa approach ranged from 8 to 10 cm (averaged in 9 cm). The operation time ranged from 75 to 135 minutes (averaged in 95 minutes). The intra-operative blood loss ranged from 400 to 900 ml (averaged in 600 ml). Sixteen patients were followed up from 7 to 18 months (averaged in 12.5 months). The fractures were all healed, the fracture healing time was 2.7 to 5 months (means 3.1 months). There were no infections, ectopic ossification, screw loosening, plate breakage and lateral ventral syndrome. According to Matta criteria for pubic fracture reduction, the result was excellent in 9 cases, good in 6, fair in 1. The Majeed function scores at 6 months after operation was 85.32±8.50; the result was excellent in 8 cases, good in 6 cases, fair in 2 cases. CONCLUSION: The modified Stoppa approach has characteristics of convenience and directness of incisions, clear operation field, easy reduction, few complications and fast recovery , it is an ideal choice in surgical treatment of bilateral pubic fractures.

Three-dimensional transvaginal tomographic ultrasound imaging for cervical cancer staging.

The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using 3-D transvaginal tomographic ultrasound imaging (TUI) to stage patients with cervical carcinoma. Eighty women with cervical cancer who underwent transvaginal TUI examinations were enrolled. In all patients, cancer was confirmed pre-operatively by pathologic examination. Staging on the basis of clinical features, ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging was performed according to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system. Clinical, TUI and magnetic resonance imaging staging was compared with that based on histology. Depth of invasion into the stroma was measured by TUI in 52 cases and compared with pathologic results. An interclass correlation coefficient was used to analyze reproducibility. In total, all 80 patients underwent surgical treatment. The accuracy of pre-operative staging, compared with histologic findings, was 92.50% for TUI, 82.50% for magnetic resonance imaging and 78.75% for clinical examination. The mean depth of lesions as measured with TUI was 12.5 ± 6.2 mm (range: 3.5-40.0 mm), and that measured on histology was 10.5 ± 8.0 mm (range: 3.0-40.0 mm). The interclass correlation coefficient of the two methods was 0.933 (95% confidence interval: 0.887-0.961). Pre-operative TUI is promising as a method for pre-operative staging of cervical carcinomas. TUI can also reliably assess lesion depth.