Ligand engineering to achieve synergistic properties in a 2D bilayer supertetrahedral chalcogenide cluster-based assembled material.

Incorporating functional organic linkers into supertetrahedral chalcogenolate cluster-based materials is an effective synthetic strategy to expand structural diversity and generate tunable optical and photoelectric properties arising from synergistic effects. Herein, a mixed ligand engineering approach was adopted to design a supertetrahedral cluster-based assembled material [(Cd6Ag4(SPh)16(TPPA)(BPE)0.5)·2DMF]n (denoted as SCCAM-3) with a 2D bilayer architecture and broader visible-light absorption. Interestingly, SCCAM-3 demonstrates a long-lived afterglow at 83 K and efficient photocatalytic activity for degrading tetracycline in water.

Prevalence and Management Recommendations for Disease-Related Malnutrition in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients with and without Diabetes.

Objective: To investigate the nutritional risk, malnutrition, severe malnutrition, and malnutrition prevalence of different stages in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients with and without diabetes mellitus using the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM), and to analyze the causes of malnutrition and to improve the clinical outcomes of patients for early intervention. Methods: A total of 683 patients with CKD who were hospitalized in our hospital from January 2020 to January 2021 were enrolled and divided into subgroups 1 to 5 according to whether they were complicated with diabetes and glomerular filtration rate. Using the second step of the malnutrition (GLIM) diagnostic tool and 2 previously commonly used malnutrition assessment methods (body mass index <18.5 kg/m2 with poor general condition, 3 points for nutritional deficiency in nutritional risk screening), combined with clinical research on the main causes of malnutrition, the intervention measures were discussed. Results: The prevalence of malnutrition was 16.7% (114/683) in the patients included in the survey using the diagnostic criteria of malnutrition (GLIM) (excluding whole body muscle mass index). The prevalence of malnutrition in CKD patients with and without diabetes was 23.7% and 12.6%, respectively. The overall prevalence rate of severe malnutrition was 14.2%, and the prevalence rates of those with and without diabetes were 19.0% and 11.4%, respectively; the results of the two methods of malnutrition assessment showed that the prevalence of malnutrition in CKD patients with diabetes was higher than that in the uncombined group. There was no severe malnutrition in patients with CKD stages 1 and 2. From CKD stage 3 onwards, the severe malnutrition in the diabetic group was significantly higher than that in the uncombined group. Conclusion: With the progression of CKD, the incidence of malnutrition also gradually increased, indicating that malnutrition is related to primary diseases and concomitant diseases. Attention should be paid to the malnutrition of CKD patients with diabetes, and clinical medical staff need to pay early attention to various diseases that lead to the progression of CKD, such as diabetes, primary nephropathy, and other factors, to prevent complications and delay the progression of CKD.

Mechanisms of Traditional Chinese Medicine Bushenantai granules in promoting angiogenesis at the maternal-fetal interface of recurrent spontaneous abortion mice.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of Bushenantai (BSAT) granule() on angiogenesis-related factors [E2, P, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)] at the maternal-fetal interface of recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) mice, and to evaluate the role of BSAT in promoting angiogenesis at the maternal-fetal interface by influencing the expression of sex hormones, and VEGF. METHODS: A mouse model with normal pregnancy and another with Clark's classic RSA were established. The RSA mice were randomly assigned to six groups: normal, model, progesterone, high-doseBSAT granule (BSAT-H), medium-dose-BSAT granule (BSAT-M), and low-dose-BSAT granule (BSAT-L) (n = 10 for each group). The embryo loss rate and the histopathological changes in the decidual tissues were measured. Serum levels of estrogen (E2), progesterone (P), and VEGF were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The mRNA and protein expressions of estradiol receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), VEGF, and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) in the decidual tissues were identified by immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The embryo loss rate in all groups that received BSAT treatment was reduced, while the number of blood vessels at decidual tissues was increased. The serum levels of E2, P and VEGF were elevated, and the mRNA and protein expressions of ER, PR, VEGF, and VEGFR2 in the decidual tissues were enhanced. CONCLUSION: BSAT can improve angiogenesis at the maternal-fetal interface and reduce the embryo loss rate, which may be associated with its ability to increase the serum levels of estrogen, progesterone, and VEGF, in addition to up-regulation of mRNA and protein expression of ER, PR, VEGF, and VEGFR2 in the decidual tissue.

A randomized trial in the investigation of anxiety and depression in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

BACKGROUND: In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a public health emergency of international concern. A small proportion of patients infected with COVID-19 go on to develop pneumonia. We speculated that COVID-19 may be likely to result in psychological disorders such as anxiety and depression. In this study, we conducted an investigation of anxiety and depression in patients with COVID-19. METHODS: Sixty-five COVID-19 patients were randomly enrolled into this study. Anxiety and depression among participants were measured through the completion of anonymous Chinese-language Zung self-rating anxiety scale and self-rating depression scale questionnaires. Data were analyzed using independent samples t-tests, Mann-Whitney U-tests, and χ2 tests. RESULTS: The questionnaire results showed that 26.15% and 41.54% of participants suffered from anxiety and depression, respectively, although there was no significantly statistical difference between the proportions of COVID-19 patients with anxiety and depression. Statistically significant differences in employment status, partial pressure of oxygen, and corticosteroid application existed between moderate- and severe COVID-19 patients (P<0.05). In particular, the partial pressure of oxygen was significantly lower in severe COVID-19 patients than in their moderate counter parts (71.31±23.54 vs. 101.06±34.43, U=156, P=0.006). Total lymphocytes was lower in severe group than in moderate group [1.659±0.643 vs. 0.745 (0.645, 0.928), U=109, P=0.000]. Also, a higher proportion of female than male patients had anxiety (χ2=5.388, P=0.02). COVID-19 patients who received antiviral medications also displayed a higher rate of anxiety (χ2=4.481, P=0.034). Total lymphocytes between the non-anxiety and anxiety had statistical difference (U=321, P=0.019). Meanwhile, total lymphocytes between the non-depression and depression also had statistical difference (U=389.5, P=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with COVID-19, females and those treated with antiviral medications were more likely to experience anxiety. In addition, our findings reflected the effect of anxiety and depression on immune system.

Response and Duration of Serum Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies After Inactivated Vaccination Within 160 Days.

Background: A vaccine against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with highly effective protection is urgently needed. The anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody response and duration after vaccination are crucial predictive indicators. Objectives: To evaluate the response and duration for 5 subsets of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies after vaccination and their predictive value for protection. Methods: We determined the response and duration for 5 subsets of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (neutralizing antibody, anti-RBD total antibody, anti-Spike IgG, anti-Spike IgM, and anti-Spike IgA) in 61 volunteers within 160 days after the CoronaVac vaccine. A logistic regression model was used to determine the predictors of the persistence of neutralizing antibody persistence. Results: The seropositivity rates of neutralizing antibody, anti-RBD total antibody, anti-Spike IgG, anti-Spike IgM, and anti-Spike IgA were only 4.92%, 27.87%, 21.31%, 3.28% and 0.00%, respectively, at the end of the first dose (28 days). After the second dose, the seropositivity rates reached peaks of 95.08%, 100.00%, 100.00%, 59.02% and 31.15% in two weeks (42 days). Their decay was obvious and the seropositivity rate remained at 19.67%, 54.10%, 50.82%, 3.28% and 0.00% on day 160, respectively. The level of neutralizing antibody reached a peak of 149.40 (101.00-244.60) IU/mL two weeks after the second dose (42 days) and dropped to 14.23 (7.62-30.73) IU/mL at 160 days, with a half-life of 35.61(95% CI, 32.68 to 39.12) days. Younger participants (≤31 years) had 6.179 times more persistent neutralizing antibodies than older participants (>31 years) (P<0.05). Participants with anti-Spike IgA seropositivity had 4.314 times greater persistence of neutralizing antibodies than participants without anti-Spike IgA seroconversion (P<0.05). Conclusions: Antibody response for the CoronaVac vaccine was intense and comprehensive with 95.08% neutralizing seropositivity rate, while decay was also obvious after 160 days. Therefore, booster doses should be considered in the vaccine strategies.

The complete genome of Banana streak GF virus Yunnan isolate infecting Cavendish Musa AAA group in China.

Banana streak virus (BSV) belongs to the members of the genus Badnavirus, family Caulimoviridae. At present, BSV contains nine species in the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) classification report (2018b release). Previous study indicated that the viral particles of Banana streak virus Acuminata Yunnan (BSV-Acum) were purified from banana (Cavendish Musa AAA group) leaves in Yunnan Province, China, and its complete genome was obtained. To further determine whether this sample infecting with Banana streak GF virus (BSGFV), the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) cloning and complete genome analysis of the Banana streak GF virus Yunnan isolate (BSGFV-YN) isolate were carried out in this study. The result showed that BSGFV-YN infecting Cavendish Musa AAA group was co-infecting this sample. Its genome contains a total of 7,325 bp in length with 42% GC content. This complete genome sequence was deposited in GenBank under accession number MN296502. Sequence analysis showed that the complete genome of BSGFV-YN was 98.14% sequence similarity to BSGFV Goldfinger, while it was 49.10-57.09% to other BSV species. Two phylogenetic trees based on the complete genome and ORFIII polyprotein indicated that BSGFV-YN and other BSV species clustered into a group, while it was the highest homology with BSGFV Goldfinger. Although BSGFV-YN and BSGFV Goldfinger were highly homologous, their cultivating bananas are different. The former cultivating banana was from Cavendish Musa AAA group, while the latter cultivating banana was from Goldfinger Musa AAAB group. Compared with BSGFV Goldfinger, the genome of BSGFV-YN has an extra multiple repetitive sequences in the intergenetic region between ORFIII and ORFI, suggesting that this region might be related to host selection. In summary, a BSGFV-YN distant from BSV-Acum was identified from the same sample, and its complete genome sequence was determined and analyzed. The study extends the polymorphism of BSVs in China and provides scientific clue for the evolutionary relationship with host selection of badnaviruses.

Chinese Medicine Sequential Therapy Improves Pregnancy Outcomes after Surgery for Endometriosis-Associated Infertility: A Multicenter Randomized Double-blind Placebo Parallel Controlled Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Chinese medicine (CM) improving pregnancy outcomes after surgery for endometriosis-associated infertility. METHODS: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind placebo parallel controlled clinical trial was designed. A total of 202 patients who had laparoscopy for endometriosis-associated infertility with qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome were included and randomly divided into the CM treatment group and placebo control group at a ratio of 1:1 using a central block randomization from May 2014 to September 2017, 101 patients in each group. The two groups received continuous intervention at 1-5 days after surgery, for 6 menstrual cycles. Before ovulation, the CM group was treated Huoxue Xiaoyi Granule (); after ovulation, Bushen Zhuyun Granule ( was involved. The control group was treated with placebo. Transvaginal ultrasonography was performed every menstrual cycle during the treatment, and female hormone levels in the follicular and luteal phases were measured during the 1st, 3rd and 6th menstrual cycles. The analysis was continued until pregnancy. The primary outcomes were clinical pregnancy rate and pregnancy outcome, and the secondary outcomes were follicular development and endometrial receptivity. Safety evaluations were performed before and after treatment. RESULTS: (1) Clinical pregnancy and live birth rates: the clinical pregnancy and live birth rates of the CM group were significantly higher than those of the placebo group [44.6% (45/101) vs. 29.7% (30/101), 34.7% (35/101) vs. 20.8% (21/101), both P<0.05]. (2) Follicle development: the incidence of dominant follicles, rate of cumulative cycle ovulation, and rate of cumulative cycle mature follicle ovulation were significantly higher in the CM group than those in the placebo group [93.8% (350/373) vs. 89.5% (341/381), 80.4% (275/342) vs. 69.1% (253/366), 65.8% (181/275) vs 56.1% (142/253), P<0.05 or P<0.01]). The incidence of cumulative cycle luteinized unruptured follicle syndrome was significantly lower in the CM group than in the placebo group [11.7% (40/342) vs. 17.8% (65/366), P<0.05). (3) Endometrial receptivity: after treatment, both endometrial types and endometrial blood flow types in the CM group were mainly types A and B, while those in the placebo group were mainly types B and C, with a significant difference between the two groups (both P<0.05). (4) Adverse events: the incidence of adverse events between the two groups was not significantly different (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Strategies for activating blood circulation-regulating Gan (Liver)-tonifying Shen (Kidney) sequential therapy can effectively improve the clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate of endometriosis-associated infertility with qi stagnation and blood stasis after laparoscopy, improve follicular development, promote ovulation, improve endometrial receptivity, while being a safe treatment option. (Trial registration No. NCT02676713).

Remote ischemic conditioning for the treatment of ischemic moyamoya disease.

AIMS: This study investigated the safety and efficacy of remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) on ameliorating the sequelae of ischemic moyamoya disease (iMMD). METHODS: A total of 30 iMMD patients underwent long-term RIC and were followed up at 0.5, 1, and 2 years for clinical outcomes, including frequency of stroke recurrence, Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) scale, peak systolic velocities (PSV), and cerebral perfusion. RESULTS: During the whole RIC treatment process, no RIC-related adverse event occurred. Only one of 30 patients suffered a onetime infarction (3.3%), and the ratios of acceptable PGIC were 88.2%, 64.3%, and 92.3% at 0.5, 1, and 2 years follow-up. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed the frequency of stroke recurrence was significantly reduced after RIC (P = .013). The frequency of TIA per week was 1.1 (0.6, 2.8) prior to RIC and 0.1 (0.0, 0.5) post-RIC (P < .01). Compared to baseline, PSV values were significantly reduced after RIC treatment (P = .002 at 0.5, P = .331 at 1, and P = .006 at 2 years). In patients undergoing perfusion studies, 75% obtained improvement on followed-up SPECT and 95% on followed-up PET maps. CONCLUSIONS: Remote ischemic conditioning may be beneficial on controlling iMMD-induced ischemic events, relieving symptoms, and improving cerebral perfusion, without incidence of complications in this case series.

The heterozygous EDNRB mutation in a Chinese family with Waardenburg syndrome type I.

The genovariation of endothelin receptor type B (EDNRB) was identified in a Chinese family with Waardenburg syndrome type I (WS1) in the present study. WS1 was diagnosed in a 19-year-old young man, his older sister and aunt according to WS consortium criteria. After extracting genomic DNA from the peripheral blood samples, the coding exons and intronic regions of EDNRB were sequenced. A missense heterozygous mutation was found in the coding region of exon 2 in the EDNRB gene on chormosome 13q22.3 of the proband. The same mutation was detected in the proband's afflicted paternal aunt and first older sister. Subsequent polyphen analysis and three-dimensional modeling confirmed that the c.469A>G heterozygous mutation in EDNRB was possibly pathogenic. This is the first report of EDNRB mutation as a potential disease-causing mutation in Chinese patients with WS1.

[Nitrogen Removal Performance of a Sulfur/Pyrite Autotrophic Denitrification System].

In order to search for an economical, rapid, and highly efficient nitrogen removal process for sewage, a sulfur/pyrite packed column reactor was fed with low C/N municipal sewage. The effects of temperature, the sulfur-to-pyrite volume ratio, and hydraulic retention time (HRT) on nitrogen removal were studied. The results showed that with an influent total nitrogen (TN) of 40 mg·L-1, the optimal HRT of the No.1 reactor was 2.5 h, and the removal rate and effluent concentration of TN were stable at 72.2% and 10.55 mg·L-1, respectively. The optimal HRT of the No.2 reactor was 3.5 h, and the removal rate and effluent concentration of TN were stable at 67.8% and 12.90 mg·L-1, respectively. The optimal HRT of the No.3 reactor was 3.5 h, and the removal rate and effluent concentration of TN were stable at 60.6% and 15.00 mg·L-1, respectively. The sulfur/pyrite autotrophic denitrification system starts faster than the pyrite autotrophic denitrification system. Its nitrogen removal rate decreased with decreasing sulfur-to-pyrite volume ratio. The nitrogen removal performance of the system is not sensitive to temperature, and the denitrification performance is better than that of the system with pyrite alone as the sulfur source. The main functional bacteria in the system are Sulfurimonas and Thiobacillus, and the proportion of the sum of these two bacteria in the three reactors decreased from No.1 to No.3.

Dynamics of electron attachment and photodissociation in iodide-uracil-water clusters via time-resolved photoelectron imaging.

The dynamics of low energy electron attachment to monohydrated uracil are investigated using time-resolved photoelectron imaging to excite and probe iodide-uracil-water (I-·U·H2O) clusters. Upon photoexcitation of I-·U·H2O at 4.38 eV, near the measured cluster vertical detachment energy of 4.40 eV ± 0.05 eV, formation of both the dipole bound (DB) anion and valence bound (VB) anion of I-·U·H2O is observed and characterized using a probe photon energy of 1.58 eV. The measured binding energies for both anions are larger than those of the non-hydrated iodide-uracil (I-·U) counterparts, indicating that the presence of water stabilizes the transient negative ions. The VB anion exhibits a somewhat delayed 400 fs rise when compared to I-·U, suggesting that partial conversion of the DB anion to form the VB anion at early times is promoted by the water molecule. At a higher probe photon energy, 3.14 eV, I- re-formation is measured to be the major photodissociation channel. This product exhibits a bi-exponential rise; it is likely that the fast component arises from DB anion decay by internal conversion to the anion ground state followed by dissociation to I-, and the slow component arises from internal conversion of the VB anion.

Effect of exposure to second-hand smoke from husbands on biochemical hyperandrogenism, metabolic syndrome and conception rates in women with polycystic ovary syndrome undergoing ovulation induction.

STUDY QUESTION: Does second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure from husbands have adverse effects on sex hormones, metabolic profiles, clinical phenotypes and fertility outcomes in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) undergoing ovulation induction? SUMMARY ANSWER: SHS exposure is associated with worsened biochemical hyperandrogenism, higher incidence of metabolic syndrome and reduced conception rates in women with PCOS. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Smoking in women impairs fecundity at some stages of the reproductive process including folliculogenesis, embryo transport, endometrial angiogenesis and uterine blood flow. Yet little is known about the hazard of SHS exposure in women with PCOS. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: This study was a secondary analysis of the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Acupuncture and Clomiphene Trial (PCOSAct), a large randomized controlled trial conducted at 27 hospitals from 2012 to 2015 in mainland China. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: Out of 1000 women with PCOS, SHS exposure status were available in 500 women, of whom 271 women were non-exposed and 229 exposed to cigarette smoke (170 women ≤10 cigarettes per day as low-SHS exposed and 59 women >10 cigarettes per day as high-SHS exposed). We compared circulating sex steroids, glucose and lipid metabolism, metabolic syndrome and phenotypes, fertility and obstetric outcomes between non-exposed and exposed women. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: Women exposed to SHS, compared to non-exposed women, had a higher serum total testosterone (1.7 vs 1.5 nmol/L, P = 0.01), free androgen index (5.7 vs 4.0, P = 0.001) and lower sex hormone binding globulin (30.1 vs 35.6 nmol/L, P = 0.03). Metabolic syndrome, but not other phenotypes, was more frequent in exposed women as compared to non-exposed women (21.8 vs 13.3%, adjusted odds ratio (OR)=1.66; 95% CI, 1.02-2.71, P = 0.04). Ovulation rates between exposed and non-exposed groups were not significantly different (76.9 vs 82.9%, adjusted OR=0.72; 95% CI, 0.45-1.15, P = 0.17). Conception rates were significant lower in the exposed group (26.6 vs 36.9%; adjusted OR=0.61; 95% CI, 0.41-0.91; P = 0.01), while clinical pregnancy and live birth rates showed a similar trend that was not statistically significant. Gestational age, birth weight and other obstetric outcomes were not affected by SHS exposure. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: Data on SHS exposure were missing in 50% of the women. We did not assay serum nicotine or cotinine levels to quantify the SHS exposure status. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: These data suggest that smoking partners of infertile women with PCOS who seek treatment should be advised to quit smoking. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): Funding was provided by the National Public Welfare Projects for Chinese Medicine (201107005 and 200807002) and the National Clinical Trial Base in Chinese Medicine Special Projects (JDZX2012036 and 2015B009). There are no conflicts of interest. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrial.gov number: NCT01573858 and chictr.org.cn number: ChiCTR-TRC-12002081.

Nb2©Au6: a molecular wheel with a short Nb[triple bond, length as m-dash]Nb triple bond coordinated by an Au6 ring and reinforced by σ aromaticity.

We report a photoelectron spectroscopy and high-resolution photoelectron imaging study of a bimetallic Nb2Au6 - cluster. Theoretical calculations, in conjunction with the experimental data, reveal that Nb2Au6 -/0 possess high-symmetry D 6h structures featuring a Nb-Nb axis coordinated equatorially by an Au6 ring. Chemical bonding analyses show that there are two π bonds and one σ bond in the Nb2 moiety in Nb2©Au6, as well as five totally delocalized σ bonds. The Nb[triple bond, length as m-dash]Nb triple bond is strengthened significantly by the delocalized σ bonds, resulting in an extremely short Nb-Nb bond length comparable to the quintuple bond in gaseous Nb2. The totally delocalized σ bonding in Nb2©Au6 is reminiscent of σ aromaticity, representing a new bonding mode in metal-ligand systems. The unusually short Nb-Nb bond length in Nb2©Au6 shows that the Au6 ring can serve as a bridging ligand to facilitate multiple bonding in transition metal dimers via delocalized σ bonding.

Effect of Acupuncture and Clomiphene in Chinese Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Acupuncture is used to induce ovulation in some women with polycystic ovary syndrome, without supporting clinical evidence. Objective: To assess whether active acupuncture, either alone or combined with clomiphene, increases the likelihood of live births among women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Design, Setting, and Participants: A double-blind (clomiphene vs placebo), single-blind (active vs control acupuncture) factorial trial was conducted at 21 sites (27 hospitals) in mainland China between July 6, 2012, and November 18, 2014, with 10 months of pregnancy follow-up until October 7, 2015. Chinese women with polycystic ovary syndrome were randomized in a 1:1:1:1 ratio to 4 groups. Interventions: Active or control acupuncture administered twice a week for 30 minutes per treatment and clomiphene or placebo administered for 5 days per cycle, for up to 4 cycles. The active acupuncture group received deep needle insertion with combined manual and low-frequency electrical stimulation; the control acupuncture group received superficial needle insertion, no manual stimulation, and mock electricity. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was live birth. Secondary outcomes included adverse events. Results: Among the 1000 randomized women (mean [SD] age, 27.9 [3.3] years; mean [SD] body mass index, 24.2 [4.3]), 250 were randomized to each group; a total of 926 women (92.6%) completed the trial. Live births occurred in 69 of 235 women (29.4%) in the active acupuncture plus clomiphene group, 66 of 236 (28.0%) in the control acupuncture plus clomiphene group, 31 of 223 (13.9%) in the active acupuncture plus placebo group, and 39 of 232 (16.8%) in the control acupuncture plus placebo group. There was no significant interaction between active acupuncture and clomiphene (P = .39), so main effects were evaluated. The live birth rate was significantly higher in the women treated with clomiphene than with placebo (135 of 471 [28.7%] vs 70 of 455 [15.4%], respectively; difference, 13.3%; 95% CI, 8.0% to 18.5%) and not significantly different between women treated with active vs control acupuncture (100 of 458 [21.8%] vs 105 of 468 [22.4%], respectively; difference, -0.6%; 95% CI, -5.9% to 4.7%). Diarrhea and bruising were more common in patients receiving active acupuncture than control acupuncture (diarrhea: 25 of 500 [5.0%] vs 8 of 500 [1.6%], respectively; difference, 3.4%; 95% CI, 1.2% to 5.6%; bruising: 37 of 500 [7.4%] vs 9 of 500 [1.8%], respectively; difference, 5.6%; 95% CI, 3.0% to 8.2%). Conclusions and Relevance: Among Chinese women with polycystic ovary syndrome, the use of acupuncture with or without clomiphene, compared with control acupuncture and placebo, did not increase live births. This finding does not support acupuncture as an infertility treatment in such women. Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01573858.

Synergistic effects of G-CSF and bone marrow stromal cells on nerve regeneration with acellular nerve xenografts.

Peripheral nerve defects result in severe denervation presenting sensory and motor functional incapacitation. Currently, a satisfactory therapeutic treatment promoting the repair of injured nerves is not available. As shown in our previous study, acellular nerve xenografts (ANX) implanted with bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) replaced allografts and promoted nerve regeneration. Additionally, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) has been proven to mobilize supplemental cells and enhance vascularization in the niche. Thus, the study aimed to explore whether the combination of G-CSF and BMSC-laden ANX exhibited a synergistic effect. Adult Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into five groups: ANX group, ANX combined with G-CSF group, BMSCs-laden ANX group, BMSCs-laden ANX combined with G-CSF group and autograft group. Electrophysiological parameters and weight ratios of tibialis anterior muscles were detected at 8 weeks post-transplantation. The morphology of the regenerated nerves was assayed, and growth-promoting factors present in the nerve grafts following G-CSF administration or BMSCs seeding were also investigated. Nerve regeneration and functional rehabilitation induced by the combination therapy were significantly advanced, and the rehabilitation efficacy was comparable with autografting. Moreover, the expression of Schwann cell markers, neurotrophic factors and neovessel markers in the nerve grafts was substantially increased. In conclusion, G-CSF administration and BMSCs transplantation synergistically promoted the regeneration of ANX-bridged nerves, which offers a superior strategy to replace autografts in repairing peripheral nerve injuries.

Time-resolved photoelectron imaging of iodide-nitromethane (I-·CH3NO2) photodissociation dynamics.

Femtosecond time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy is used to probe the decay channels of iodide-nitromethane (I-·CH3NO2) binary clusters photoexcited at 3.56 eV, near the vertical detachment energy (VDE) of the cluster. The production of I- is observed, and its photoelectron signal exhibits a mono-exponential rise time of 21 ± 1 ps. Previous work has shown that excitation near the VDE of the I-·CH3NO2 complex transfers an electron from iodide to form a dipole-bound state of CH3NO2- that rapidly converts to a valence bound (VB) anion. The long appearance time for the I- fragment suggests that the VB anion decays by back transfer of the excess electron to iodide, reforming the I-·CH3NO2 anion and resulting in evaporation of iodide. Comparison of the measured lifetime to that predicted by RRKM theory suggests that the dissociation rate is limited by intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution in the re-formed anion between the high frequency CH3NO2 vibrational modes and the much lower frequency intermolecular I-·CH3NO2 stretch and bends, the predominant modes involved in cluster dissociation to form I-. Evidence for a weak channel identified as HI + CH2NO2- is also observed.

Competition between quasi-planar and cage-like structures in the B29- cluster: photoelectron spectroscopy and ab initio calculations.

Size-selected boron clusters have been found to be predominantly planar or quasi-planar (2D) in the small size regime with the appearance of three-dimensional (3D) borospherene cages of larger sizes. A seashell-like B28- cluster was previously shown to be the smallest borospherene, which competes with a quasi-planar isomer for the global minimum. Here we report a study on the structures and bonding of the B29- and B29 clusters using photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) and first-principles calculations and demonstrate the continued competition between the 2D and borospherene structures. The PES spectrum of B29- displays a complex pattern with evidence of low-lying isomers. Global-minimum searches and extensive theoretical calculations revealed a complicated potential energy surface for B29- with five low-lying isomers, among which the lowest three were shown to contribute to the experimental spectrum. A 3D seashell-like Cs (2, 1A') isomer, featuring two heptagons on the waist and one octagon at the bottom, is the global minimum for B29-, followed by a 2D C1 (3, 1A) isomer with a hexagonal hole and a stingray-shaped 2D Cs (1, 1A') isomer with a pentagonal hole. However, by taking into account the entropic effects, the stingray-shaped isomer 1 was shown to be the lowest in energy at room temperature and was found to dominate the PES spectrum. Isomers 2 and 3, which have lower electron binding energies, were also found to be present in the experiment. Chemical bonding analyses showed that isomer 1 is an all-boron analogue of benzo[ghi]fluoranthene (C18H10), whereas the borospherene isomer 2 possesses 18π electrons, conforming to the 2(N + 1)2 electron counting rule for spherical aromaticity. For the B29 neutral cluster, the seashell-like borospherene isomer is the global minimum, significantly lower in energy than the stingray-shaped quasi-planar structure.

Photodissociation dynamics of the iodide-uracil (I(-)U) complex.

Photofragment action spectroscopy and femtosecond time-resolved photoelectron imaging are utilized to probe the dissociation channels in iodide-uracil (I(-) ⋅ U) binary clusters upon photoexcitation. The photofragment action spectra show strong I(-) and weak [U-H](-) ion signal upon photoexcitation. The action spectra show two bands for I(-) and [U-H](-) production peaking around 4.0 and 4.8 eV. Time-resolved experiments measured the rate of I(-) production resulting from excitation of the two bands. At 4.03 eV and 4.72 eV, the photoelectron signal from I(-) exhibits rise times of 86 ± 7 ps and 36 ± 3 ps, respectively. Electronic structure calculations indicate that the lower energy band, which encompasses the vertical detachment energy (4.11 eV) of I(-)U, corresponds to excitation of a dipole-bound state of the complex, while the higher energy band is primarily a π-π(∗) excitation on the uracil moiety. Although the nature of the two excited states is very different, the long lifetimes for I(-) production suggest that this channel results from internal conversion to the I(-) ⋅ U ground state followed by evaporation of I(-). This hypothesis was tested by comparing the dissociation rates to Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus calculations.

Negative Capacitance in BaTiO3/BiFeO3 Bilayer Capacitors.

Negative capacitances provide an approach to reduce heat generations in field-effect transistors during the switch processes, which contributes to further miniaturization of the conventional integrated circuits. Although there are many studies about negative capacitances using ferroelectric materials, the direct observation of stable ferroelectric negative capacitances has rarely been reported. Here, we put forward a dc bias assistant model in bilayer capacitors, where one ferroelectric layer with large dielectric constant and the other ferroelectric layer with small dielectric constant are needed. Negative capacitances can be obtained when external dc bias electric fields are larger than a critical value. Based on the model, BaTiO3/BiFeO3 bilayer capacitors are chosen as study objects, and negative capacitances are observed directly. Additionally, the upward self-polarization effect in the ferroelectric layer reduces the critical electric field, which may provide a method for realizing zero and/or small dc bias assistant negative capacitances.