Enhancing Surface Strain of Intermetallic Fuel Cell Catalysts by Composition-Induced Phase Transition.

The lattice parameter of platinum-based intermetallic compounds (IMCs), which correlates with the intrinsic activity of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), can be modulated by crystal phase engineering. However, the controlled preparation of IMCs with unconventional crystal structures remains highly challenging. Here, we demonstrate the synthesis of carbon-supported PtCu-based IMC catalysts with an unconventional L10 structure by a composition-regulated strategy. Experiment and machine learning reveal that the thermodynamically favorable structure changes from L11 to L10 when slight Cu atoms are substituted with Co. Benefiting from crystal-phase-induced strain enhancement, the prepared L10-type PtCu0.8Co0.2 catalyst exhibits much-enhanced mass and specific activities of 1.82 A mgPt-1 and 3.27 mA cmPt-2, which are 1.91 and 1.73 times higher than those of the L11-type PtCu catalyst, respectively. Our work highlights the important role of crystal phase in determining the surface strain of IMCs, and opens a promising avenue for the rational preparation of IMCs with different crystal phases by doping.

Tumor-derived KLK8 predicts inferior survival and promotes an immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment in lung squamous cell carcinoma.

Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) is the second most common lung cancer worldwide, leading to millions of deaths annually. Although immunotherapy has expanded the therapeutic choices for LUSC and achieved considerable efficacy in a subset of patients, many patients could not benefit, and resistance was pervasive. Therefore, it is significant to investigate the mechanisms leading to patients' poor response to immunotherapies and explore novel therapeutic targets. Using multiple public LUSC datasets, we found that Kallikrein-8 (KLK8) expression was higher in tumor samples and was correlated with inferior survival. Using a LUSC cohort (n = 190) from our center, we validated the bioinformatic findings about KLK8 and identified high KLK8 expression as an independent risk factor for LUSC. Function enrichment showed that several immune signaling pathways were upregulated in the KLK8 low-expression group and downregulated in the KLK8 high-expression group. For patients with low KLK8 expression, they were with a more active TME, which was both observed in the TCGA database and immune marker immunohistochemistry, and they had extensive positive relations with immune cells with tumor-eliminating functions. This study identified KLK8 as a risk factor in LUSC and illustrated the associations between KLK8 and cancer immunity, suggesting the potentiality of KLK8 as a novel immune target in LUSC.

Temporomandibular disorder patients with excessive daytime sleepiness present greater pain intensity and reduced jaw function.

BACKGROUND: Sleep disorders are associated with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). Limited studies have focused on excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and its impact on jaw functions in TMD patients. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present investigation was to identify the impact of EDS on pain and jaw function in TMD patients. METHODS: A total of 338 TMD patients (50 males and 288 females) was included. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) was used to classify patients into EDS group (score ≥ 10) and non-EDS group (score < 10). The Jaw Functional Limitation Scale 8-item (JFLS-8) was used to assess the severity of jaw dysfunction. Pain intensity was evaluated using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Anxiety and depression were evaluated using the Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) and the Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item (PHQ-9). All included patients were diagnosed with pain-related TMD (PT), intra-articular TMD (IT) or combined TMD (CT). RESULTS: Compared with non-EDS patients, EDS patients exhibited more severe jaw dysfunction, greater pain intensity and higher PHQ-9 scores (p < .05). Multivariate analyses showed that EDS (B = 3.69), female gender (B = 3.69), and elevated GAD-7 score (B = 0.73) were significantly associated with an increased score on the JFLS-8 (p < .05). Moreover, bivariate logistic regression analysis indicated a significant relationship between EDS and PT (OR = 2.70, p = .007). CONCLUSION: The presence of EDS was more closely related to PT, but the causal relationship between them needs to be further confirmed. More concern and intervention to alleviate poor sleep quality might be highlighted during the treatment of TMD, especially PT subtype.

H3K4me3-related lncRNAs signature and comprehensive analysis of H3K4me3 regulating tumor immunity in lung adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUD: The role of epigenetic modifications in tumorigenesis has been widely reported. However, the role and mechanism of H3K4me3 modification in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) are rarely reported systematically. We, therefore, sought to analyze the characteristics of LUAD associated with H3K4me3 modification, build an H3K4me3-lncRNAs score model to predict the prognosis of patients with LUAD and clarify the potential value of H3K4me3 in immunotherapy of LUAD. METHODS: We evaluated H3K4me3-lncRNA patterns and H3K4me3-lncRNA scores of 477 LUAD samples based on 53 lncRNAs closely correlated to H3K4me3 regulators and comprehensive analyzed the role of these patterns in tumorigenesis and tumor immunity. Using Gene set variation analysis (GSVA), we systematically evaluated the H3K4me3 level of every sample and deeply analyzed the effect of H3K4me3 on the prognosis of LUAD. In addition, we included two independent immunotherapy cohorts to study the impact of high H3K4me3 score on the prognosis of patients. We also used an independent cohort with 52 matched paraffin specimens of LUAD to verify the impact of high H3K3me3 expression on the prognosis of patients. RESULTS: We identified three H3K4me3-lncRNA patterns that exhibited specific immune characteristics. Characterized by immunosuppressive and increased TGFß-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), patients with high H3K4me3-lncRNA score had a poor overall survival and decreased H3K4me3 score. H3K4me3 score was significantly positively correlated with CD4+T-cell and CD8+T-cell activation, programmed cell death and immune checkpoints (ICs) expression, and was negatively correlated with MYC pathway, TP53 pathway, and cell proliferation. Patients with high H3K4me3 score showed elevated expression of ICs, potentiated CD4 T-cell and CD8 T-cell activation, increased programmed cell death, and suppressed cell proliferation and TGFß-mediated EMT. Patients with high H3K4me3 score and high expression of CTLA4, ICOS, TIGIT, PDCD1LG2, IDO1, CD274, PDCD1, LAG3, or HAVCR2 had the best survival advantage. Two independent immunotherapy cohorts verified that patients with high H3K4me3 score showed an increased inflamed tumor microenvironment (TME) phenotype and enhanced anti-PD-1/L1 immunotherapy response. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) data from 52 matched paraffin specimens of LUAD confirmed that the protein level of H3K4me3 in tumor was significantly lower than that of paracancerous tissues and H3K4me3 brought significant survival benefits to patients with LUAD. CONCLUSIONS: We build an H3K4me3-lncRNAs score model to predict the prognosis of patients with LUAD. More importantly, this study revealed characteristics of H3K4me3 modification in LUAD and clarified the important potential role of H3K4me3 on tumor immunotherapy and patients' survival.

Association between Kidney Function and the Burden of Cerebral Small Vessel Disease: An Updated Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: Due to anatomical and functional similarities in microvascular beds, the brain and kidney share distinctive susceptibilities to vascular injury and common risk factors of small vessel disease. The aim of this updated meta-analysis is to explore the association between kidney function and the burden of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were systematically searched for observational studies that explored the association between the indicators of kidney function and CSVD neuroimaging markers. The highest-adjusted risk estimates and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were aggregated using random-effect models. RESULTS: Twelve longitudinal studies and 51 cross-sectional studies with 57,030 subjects met the inclusion criteria of systematic review, of which 52 were included in quantitative synthesis. According to the pooled results, we found that low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2) was associated with cerebral microbleeds (odds ratio (OR) = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.26-1.90), white matter hyperintensities (OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.05-1.86), and lacunar infarctions (OR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.18-1.92), but not with severe perivascular spaces (OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 0.77-1.88). Likewise, patients with proteinuria (OR = 1.75, 95% CI = 1.47-2.09) or elevated serum cystatin C (OR = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.25-1.83) also had an increased risk of CSVD. CONCLUSION: The association between kidney function and CSVD has been comprehensively updated through this study, that kidney insufficiency manifested as low eGFR, proteinuria, and elevated serum cystatin C was independently associated with CSVD burden.

[Surgical Safety of Elderly Hospitalized Patients Stratified by Age in General Surgery].

Objective To compare the surgical safety of elderly hospitalized patients in different age groups undergoing general surgery,and provide references for preoperative evaluation and treatment decision-making.Methods The inpatients ≥ 60 years old in the department of general surgery were selected from a national multi-center survey conducted from January to June in 2015 and from January to June in 2016.The patient characteristics and postoperative outcomes were described,and the risk factors for adverse postoperative outcomes of patients in different age groups were explored.Results The elderly patients (≥75 years old) accounted for 17.33%.The non-elderly patient (< 75 years old) group and the elderly patient (≥75 years old) group had significant differences in the proportions of patients with three or more chronical diseases (13.18% vs.5.36%,P<0.001),emergency surgery (16.64% vs.7.62%,P<0.001),American Society of Anesthesiologists score≥3 (48.68% vs.27.28%,P<0.001),and postoperative return to the intensive care unit(33.64% vs.12.00%,P<0.001).The occurrence of postoperative infectious complications showed no significant difference between the two age groups (7.29% vs.6.40%,P=0.410),while severe complications differed between the two groups (6.51% vs.2.60%,P<0.001).Besides,emergency surgery was a common independent risk factor for the two age groups.Conclusions Advanced age is not a contraindication to surgery of elderly patients.With consideration to patient's physical conditions and available surgical resources,elderly patients can still benefit from surgery.

PSC subtyping based on TTF-1 and p40 expression reveals distinct molecular characteristics and therapeutic strategies.

Pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma (PSC) is a unique form of poorly differentiated nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and is notorious for its highly malignant nature and dismal prognosis. To introduce effective treatment for PSC patients, precise subtyping of PSC is demanding. In our study, TTF-1 and P40 immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining were applied to 56 PSC patients with multiomics data. According to IHC results, we categorized these patients into three subgroups and profiled their molecular contexture using bioinformatic skills. IHC results classified these patients into three subgroups: TTF-1 positive subgroup (n = 27), P40 positive subgroup (n = 15) and double-negative subgroup (n = 14). Spindle cell samples accounted for 35.71% (5/14) of double-negative patients, higher than others (P = .034). The three subgroups were heterogeneous in the genomic alteration spectrum, showing significant differences in the RTK/RAS pathway (P = .004) and the cell cycle pathway (P = .030). The methylation profile of the double-negative subgroup was between the other two subgroups. In similarity analysis, the TTF-1 and p40 subgroups were closely related to LUAD and LUSC, respectively. The TTF-1 positive subgroup had the highest leukocyte fraction (LF) among several cancer types, and the tumor mutation burden (TMB) of the p40 positive subgroup ranked third in the TMB list, suggesting the applicability of immunotherapy for PSC. The study established a new subtyping method of PSC based on IHC results and reveals three subgroups with distinct molecular features, providing evidence for refined stratification in the treatment of PSC.

The RNA-binding protein PCBP1 represses lung adenocarcinoma progression by stabilizing DKK1 mRNA and subsequently downregulating ß-catenin.

BACKGROUND: PolyC-RNA-binding protein 1 (PCBP1) functions as a tumour suppressor and RNA regulator that is downregulated in human cancers. Here, we aimed to reveal the biological function of PCBP1 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). METHODS: First, PCBP1 was identified as an important biomarker that maintains LUAD through The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project screening and confirmed by immunohistochemistry and qPCR. Via colony formation, CCK8, IncuCyte cell proliferation, wound healing and Transwell assays, we confirmed that PCBP1 was closely related to the proliferation and migration of LUAD cells. The downstream gene DKK1 was discovered by RNA sequencing of PCBP1 knockdown cells. The underlying mechanisms were further investigated using western blot, qPCR, RIP, RNA pulldown and mRNA stability assays. RESULTS: We demonstrate that PCBP1 is downregulated in LUAD tumour tissues. The reduction in PCBP1 promotes the proliferation, migration and invasion of LUAD in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, the RNA-binding protein PCBP1 represses LUAD by stabilizing DKK1 mRNA. Subsequently, decreased expression of the DKK1 protein relieves the inhibitory effect on the Wnt/ß-catenin signalling pathway. Taken together, these results show that PCBP1 acts as a tumour suppressor gene, inhibiting the tumorigenesis of LUAD. CONCLUSIONS: We found that PCBP1 inhibits LUAD development by upregulating DKK1 to inactivate the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway. Our findings highlight the potential of PCBP1 as a promising therapeutic target.

Quantum Battery Based on Hybrid Field Charging.

A quantum battery consisting of an ensemble two-level atom is investigated. The battery is charged simultaneously by a harmonic field and an electrostatic field. The results show that the hybrid charging is superior to the previous case of only harmonic field charging in terms of battery capacity and charging power, regardless of whether the interaction between atoms is considered or not. In addition, the repulsive interaction between atoms will increase the battery capacity and charging power, while the attractive interaction between atoms will reduce the battery capacity and discharge power.

[Patterns of Perioperative Blood Transfusion in Patients with Blood Loss during Major Cardiac Surgery].

Objective To investigate the patterns of perioperative blood transfusion in patients with blood loss during major cardiac surgery,so as to provide data reference for rational and standardized blood use.Methods The adult patients(aged 18 years or above)who underwent vascular surgery,coronary artery bypass grafting surgery,heart valve surgery or surgery for congenital heart disease in a national multicenter(four large hospitals)survey in China,2015-2016 were included in this study.We described their baseline characteristics,postoperative outcomes,and in particular,bleeding and patterns of perioperative blood transfusion(autologous and allogeneic,the latter including red blood cells,plasma,and platelet,or a combination of these components).Results Autologous blood transfusion in operation accounted for the highest proportion(58.84%)in patients undergoing heart valve surgery.The patients undergoing vascular surgery had the largest autologous blood transfusion volume(722 ml)and the highest intraoperative transfusion proportion of allogeneic blood(53.28%),especially that of platelet(39.34%).Compared with the transfusion of red blood cells,the transfusion of other blood components showed concentrated time distribution,and the proportion of plasma transfusion was the highest one day post operation.With the increase in bleeding volume,combined transfusion presented increased proportion and became the dominant transfusion pattern.Conclusions The blood transfusion patterns varied significantly depending on different types of cardiac surgery,different perioperative stages,and different bleeding volumes.It is necessary to formulate the targeted transfusion practice scheme on the basis of understanding the current situation,so as to make better use of blood resources and improve the safety of transfusion.

Systemic lupus erythematosus and risk of sexual dysfunction: A systematic review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review and summarize the available literature regarding the association between systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and sexual dysfunction (SD) in both sexes. METHODS: We retrieved relevant studies from the following databases: PubMed, Embase,Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. Two reviewers independently reviewed the studies in our sample, assessed their validity, and extracted relevant data. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses were performed to distinguish sources of heterogeneity. RESULTS: Our search resulted in a sample of eight eligible studies, which involved 758 patients in the SLE group and 1724 individuals in the control group. The pooled RR for the increased risk for SD compared to those in the control group was 1.80 (95%CI 1.12-2.87). Subgroup analysis by sex revealed that males (pooled RR = 2.98, 95%CI 2.41-3.68) had a higher risk of SD compared to females (pooled RR = 1.56, 95%CI 0.99-2.48). Females with SLE had significantly lower values in FSFI compared to the healthy individuals (WMD=-0.224, 95%CI -0.441 to -0.078). Age of participants and the quality of studies might influence the results. CONCLUSIONS: Our meta-analysis suggests that SLE is significantly associated with an increased risk of sexual dysfunction. It is of great urgency to implement for active interventions that aimed to treat or prevent SD among SLE patients.

A rapid and convenient derivatization method for quantitation of short-chain fatty acids in human feces by ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.

RATIONALE: Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are associated with intestinal microbiota and diseases in humans. SCFAs have a low response in mass spectrometry, and in order to increase sensitivity, reduce sample consumption, shorten analysis time, and simplify sample preparation steps, a derivatization method was developed. METHODS: We converted seven SCFAs into amide derivatives with 4-aminomethylquinoline. The reaction occurred for 20 min at room temperature. The analytes were separated on a reversed-phase C18 column and quantitated in the positive ion electrospray ionization mode using multiple reaction monitoring. Acetic acid-d4 was used as the stable-isotope-labeled surrogate analyte for acetic acid in the working solutions, while the other stable-isotope-labeled standards were used as internal standards (ISs). RESULTS: Method validation showed that the intra-day and inter-day precision of quantitation for the seven SCFAs over the whole concentration range was ≤3.8% (n = 6). The quantitation accuracy ranged from 85.5% to 104.3% (n = 6). Most important, the collected feces were vortexed immediately with ethanol. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a new derivatization method for a precise, accurate, and rapid quantitation of SCFAs in human feces using ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. This method successfully determined the concentration of SCFAs in human feces and could assist in the exploration of intestinal microbiota and diseases.

Association between white matter impairment and cognitive dysfunction in patients with ischemic Moyamoya disease.

BACKGROUND: Ischemic Moyamoya disease is one of the important causes of stroke, which leads to severe impairment in cognitive functions. This cognitive impairment occurs prior to stroke. However, the cognitive functions that are impaired and the mechanisms of these impairments have not been determined. METHODS: We analyzed 12 patients with Moyamoya disease and 12 controls. All participants underwent cognitive tests and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. The diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data was processed using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS). Significantly different white matter areas were correlated with different cognitive functions. RESULTS: There were significant differences in intelligence and subtraction between the patients and controls (p < 0.05). The parameters of DTI such as fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD) have different changes in anterior thalamic radiation, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFO), superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), uncinate fasciculus (UF), inferior longitudinal fasciculus, forceps minor, and other regions between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Left UF and IFO may be the key brain regions affecting arithmetic function, while bilateral IFO has an effect on intelligence. RD and AD may be better indicators for early prediction of chronic white matter damage than FA, while MD tends to have a comprehensive indirect change. There is cognitive impairment in ischemic MMD, which is closely related to white matter impairment. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trial Registration, Unique identifier: ChiCTR1900023610 . Registered 4 June 2019 - Prospective study registered.

Brain Functional Network in Chronic Asymptomatic Carotid Artery Stenosis and Occlusion: Changes and Compensation.

Asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis (CAS) and occlusion (CAO) disrupt cerebral hemodynamics. There are few studies on the brain network changes and compensation associated with the progression from chronic CAS to CAO. In the current study, our goal is to improve the understanding of the specific abnormalities and compensatory phenomena associated with the functional connection in patients with CAS and CAO. In this prospective study, 27 patients with CAO, 29 patients with CAS, and 15 healthy controls matched for age, sex, education, handedness, and risk factors underwent neuropsychological testing and resting-state functional magnetic resonance (rs-fMRI) imaging simultaneously; graph theoretical analysis of brain networks was performed to determine the relationship between changes in brain network connectivity and the progression from internal CAS to CAO. The global properties of the brain network assortativity (p = 0.002), hierarchy (p = 0.002), network efficiency (p = 0.011), and small-worldness (p = 0.009) were significantly more abnormal in the CAS group than in the control and CAO groups. In patients with CAS and CAO, the nodal efficiency of key nodes in multiple brain regions decreased, while the affected hemisphere lost many key functional connections. In this study, we found that patients with CAS showed grade reconstruction, invalid connections, and other phenomena that impaired the efficiency of information transmission in the brain network. A compensatory functional connection in the contralateral cerebral hemisphere of patients with CAS and CAO may be an important mechanism that maintains clinical asymptomatic performance. This study not only reveals the compensation mechanism of cerebral hemisphere ischemia but also validates previous explanations for brain function connectivity, which can help provide interventions in advance and reduce the impairment of higher brain functions. This trial is registered with Clinical Trial Registration-URL http://www.chictr.org.cn and Unique identifier ChiCTR1900023610.

Differences in flavonoid pathway metabolites and transcripts affect yellow petal colouration in the aquatic plant Nelumbo nucifera.

BACKGROUND: The Asia lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) is an ornamental aquatic plant with high economic value. Flower colour is an important ornamental trait, with much of N. nucifera breeding focusing on its yellow flowers. To explore the yellow flower colouration mechanism in N. nucifera, we analysed its pigment constituents and content, as well as gene expression in the flavonoid pathway, in two N. nucifera cultivars. RESULTS: We performed metabolomic and gene expression analyses in two N. nucifera cultivars with yellow and white flowers, Molinqiuse (MLQS) and Yeguangbei (YGB), respectively, at five stages of flower colouration. Based on phenotypic observation and metabolite analyses, the later stages of flower colouration (S3-S5) were determined to be key periods for differences between MLQS and YGB, with dihydroflavonols and flavonols differing significantly between cultivars. Dihydroquercetin, dihydrokaempferol, and isorhamnetin were significantly higher in MLQS than in YGB, whereas kaempferol was significantly higher in YGB. Most of the key homologous structural genes in the flavonoid pathway were significantly more active in MLQS than in YGB at stages S1-S4. CONCLUSION: In this study, we performed the first analyses of primary and secondary N. nucifera metabolites during flower colouration, and found that isorhamnetin and kaempferol shunting resulted in petal colour differences between MLQS and YGB. Based on our data integration analyses of key enzyme expression in the putative flavonoid pathways of the two N. nucifera cultivars, NnFLS gene substrate specificity and differential expression of NnOMTs may be related to petal colour differences between MLQS and YGB. These results will contribute to determining the mechanism of yellow flower colouration in N. nucifera, and will improve yellow petal colour breeding in lotus species.

Cognitive Impairments in First-Episode Drug-Naïve Versus Medicated Depressive Patients: RBANS in a Chinese Population.

Cognitive deficits are a core feature of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, there are no previous studies that directly compare cognitive performance between first-episode drug-naive depressive patients (FDDP) and medicated depressive patients (MDP). Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether there were the differences in cognitive functions between FDDP and MDP. Sixty-two FDDP, 111 MDP and 90 healthy controls were enrolled in a Chinese population. Cognitive functions were assessed using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). There were the differences in the RBANS total score (F = 26.55, p < 0.001), subscales of immediate memory (F = 3.95, p = 0.02), language (F = 54.11, p < 0.001) and delayed memory (F = 11.19, p = 0.001) among the three groups after controlling for gender, education, smoking and body mass index (BMI). These differences in the RBANS total score, subscales of language and delayed memory passed the Bonferroni corrections (all, p < 0.05). Compared to healthy controls, FDDP and MDP had poorer cognitive performance including the RBANS total score, and subscales of language and delayed memory (all, p < 0.05) after controlling for the variables. FDDP experienced greater language deficits than MDP (p < 0.05) after controlling for the variables. Education was correlated with the language score in FDDP (r = 0.61, p < 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis indicated that education was an independent contributor to the language score in FDDP (ß = 3.11, t = 5.48, p < 0.001). Our findings indicated that FDDP had poorer language performance than MDP. Moreover, education could influence the language performance in FDDP.

Effects of atomic vacancies and temperature on the tensile properties of single-walled MoS2 nanotubes.

Using molecular dynamics simulations, we study the effects of Mo and S atomic vacancies and different temperatures on the tensile properties of single-walled MoS2 nanotubes through a series of tensile tests. Both armchair and zigzag MoS2 nanotubes under uniaxial tensions show phase transitions. Two types of Mo-S bonds play different roles in this phase transition of MoS2 nanotubes. Moreover, the influences of Mo and S atomic vacancies and temperature on the Young's modulus, ultimate strength and fracture strain of single-walled MoS2 nanotubes are investigated systematically. The results show that Mo and S atomic vacancies have no influence on the Young's modulus of MoS2 nanotubes. However, Mo atomic vacancies result in a significant decrease of ultimate strength and fracture strain of MoS2 nanotubes, while S atomic vacancies have a relatively small influence on the fracture properties of MoS2 nanotubes. With an increase in temperature, the Young's modulus and ultimate strength decrease. When the temperature is higher than 300 K, the fracture is changed from brittle to ductile together with an enhanced fracture strain.

Combined hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma (biphenotypic) tumors: clinical characteristics, imaging features of contrast-enhanced ultrasound and computed tomography.

BACKGROUND: Combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC-CC) is an uncommon primary liver malignancy and little known about the clinical and imaging characteristics of cHCC-CC. We aim to define the demographics, imaging features of cHCC-CC on contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) in this study. METHODS: From January 2005 to December 2014, 45 patients with pathologically proven cHCC-CC who underwent preoperative CEUS and 43 patients who had additional CT scan in our institution were included. A retrospective review of the imaging studies and clinical data in these patients was conducted. RESULTS: In our series, cHCC-CC accounted for 1.6 % of all primary liver malignancy. Mean age of patient with cHCC-CC was 52.8 year (range: 28-74 year) and 88.9 % (40/45) of patients were male. Thirty of forty five patients (66.7 %) had cirrhosis and 20 % (9/45) of patients had chronic hepatitis B without cirrhosis. Alpha--fetoprotein (AFP) was elevated in 62.2 % (28/45) of patients and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) elevated in 22.2 % (10/45) of patients). Both AFP and CA19-9 were simultaneously elevated in 15.6 % (7/45) of patients. Enhancement pattern resembling cholangiocarcinoma (CC) was noted in 53.3 % (24/45) of patients (on CEUS and in 30.2 % (13/43) of patients at CT. Enhancement pattern resembling hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was observed in 42.2 % (19/45) of patients on CEUS and in 58.1 % (25/43) of patients at CT. The percentage of tumors showing CC enhancement pattern (27.9 %, 12/43) was comparable with that of tumors showing HCC enhancement pattern (44.2 %, 19/43) on both CEUS and CT (p = 0.116). Simultaneous elevation of tumor markers (AFP and CA19-9) or tumor marker elevation (AFP or CA19-9) in discordance with enhancement pattern on CEUS was demonstrated in 51.1 % (23/45) of patients and on CT in 53.5 % (23/43) of patients, which was significantly more than simultaneous elevation of tumor markers (AFP and CA19-9) alone (p = 0.000). CONCLUSIONS: The clinical characteristics of cHCC-CC are similar to those of HCC. The cHCC-CC tumors display enhancement patterns resembling CC or HCC in comparable proportion on both CEUS and CT. Combination of simultaneous elevation of tumor makers (AFP and CA19-9) and tumor mark elevation (AFP or CA19-9) in discordance with presumptive imaging findings on CEUS or CT may lead significantly more patients to be suspicious of the diagnosis of cHCC-CC.

Compounds from the insect Blaps japanensis with COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitory activities.

Blapsols A-D (1-4), four new compounds possessing a 2,3-dihydrobenzo[b][1,4]dioxin group, together with five known N-acetyldopamine dimers (5-9), were isolated from Blaps japanensis. Their structures including the absolute configuration of (+)-1 were determined by means of spectroscopic and X-ray crystallographic methods. Chiral HPLC was used to separate (-)- and (+)-enantiomers of compounds 1-4, which were isolated from this insect as racemic mixtures. All the compounds were found to have inhibitory effects towards COX-2 with IC50 values in the range of 1.3-17.8µM.

Asteltoxins with Antiviral Activities from the Marine Sponge-Derived Fungus Aspergillus sp. SCSIO XWS02F40.

Two new asteltoxins named asteltoxin E (2) and F (3), and a new chromone (4), together with four known compounds were isolated from a marine sponge-derived fungus, Aspergillus sp. SCSIO XWS02F40. The structures of the compounds (1-7) were determined by the extensive 1D- and 2D-NMR spectra, and HRESIMS spectrometry. All the compounds were tested for their antiviral (H1N1 and H3N2) activity. Compounds 2 and 3 showed significant activity against H3N2 with the prominent IC50 values of 6.2 ± 0.08 and 8.9 ± 0.3 µM, respectively. In addition, compound 2 also exhibited inhibitory activity against H1N1 with an IC50 value of 3.5 ± 1.3 µM.