Efficient Co-Adsorption and Highly Selective Separation of Cs+ and Sr2+ with a K+ -Activated Niobium Germanate by the pH Control.

137 Cs and 90 Sr are hazardous to ecological environment and human health due to their strong radioactivity, long half-life, and high mobility. However, effective adsorption and separation of Cs+ and Sr2+ from acidic radioactive wastewater is challenging due to stability issues of material and the strong competition of protons. Herein, a K+ -activated niobium germanate (K-NGH-1) presents efficient Cs+ /Sr2+ coadsorption and highly selective Cs+ /Sr2+ separation, respectively, under different acidity conditions. In neutral solution, K-NGH-1 exhibits ultrafast adsorption kinetics and high adsorption capacity for both Cs+ and Sr2+ (qm Cs  = 182.91 mg g-1 ; qm Sr  = 41.62 mg g-1 ). In 1 M HNO3 solution, K-NGH-1 still possesses qm Cs of 91.40 mg g-1 for Cs+ but almost no adsorption for Sr2+ . Moreover, K-NGH-1 can effectively separate Cs+ from 1 M HNO3 solutions with excess competing Sr2+ and Mn + (Mn +  = Na+ , Ca2+ , Mg2+ ) ions. Thus, efficient separation of Cs+ and Sr2+ is realized under acidic conditions. Besides, K-NGH-1 shows excellent acid and radiation resistance and recyclability. All the merits above endow K-NGH-1 with the first example of niobium germanates for radionuclides remediation. This work highlights the facile pH control approach towards bifunctional ion exchangers for efficient Cs+ /Sr2+ coadsorption and selective separation.

[The Occurrence and Risk Factors of Stroke Complicated by Venous Thromboembolism].

Objective: To investigate the occurrence and the risk factors of stroke complicated by venous thromboembolism. Methods: A total of 2709 stroke patients who received treatment at our hospital between January 2018 and June 2021 were selected. The incidence of stroke complicated by venous thromboembolism was analyzed and the risk factors of stroke complicated by venous thromboembolism were investigated by logistic regression. Results: Among the 2709 stroke patients, 390 had venous thromboembolism, resulting in 14.39% incidence of venous thromboembolism. Among them, 383 patients (14.14%) had deep venous thrombosis (DVT), 4 patients (0.15%) had pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE), and 3 cases (0.11%) had DVT combined with PTE. According to the analysis of unconditional multivariate logistic regression model, age>60 years, concomitant hypertension, concomitant diabetes, bedrest time after admission≥3 days, D-dimer (D-D)≥0.95 mg/mL, triglyceride (TG)≥1.83 mmol/L, Barthel Index (BI) score≤9 points, and Padua score>4 points after admission were independent risk factors for stroke complicated by venous thromboembolism ( P<0.05), while anticoagulation therapy was a protective factor ( P<0.05). Conclusion: Stroke complicated by venous thromboembolism is associated, to some degree, with age, concomitant hypertension, concomitant diabetes, bedrest time, D-D, TG, BI score, Padua score, and whether anticoagulant therapy is administered or not. Interventions in line with relevant risk factors should be strengthened to effectively reduce the risk of stroke complicated by venous thromboembolism.

Single-Crystal Superstructures via Hierarchical Assemblies of Giant Rubik's Cubes as Tertiary Building Units.

Intricate superstructures possess unusual structural features and promising applications. The preparation of superstructures with single-crystalline nature are conducive to understanding the structure-property relationship, however, remains an intriguing challenge. Herein we put forward a new hierarchical assembly strategy towards rational and precise construction of intricate single-crystal superstructures. Firstly, two unprecedented superclusters in Rubik's cube's form with a size of ≈2×2×2 nm3 are constructed by aggregation of eight {Pr4 Sb12 } oxohalide clusters as secondary building units (SBUs). Then, the Rubik's cubes further act as isolable tertiary building units (TBUs) to assemble diversified single-crystal superstructures. Importantly, intermediate assembly states are captured, which helps illustrate the evolution of TBU-based superstructures and thus provides a profound understanding of the assembly process of superstructures at the atomic level.

The Impact of Non-Invasive Ventilation Combined with Montelukast on Clinical Efficiency and Pulmonary Function in Patients with Bronchial Asthma Complicated by Obstructive Sleep Apnea Hypopnea Syndrome.

PURPOSE: Our study aims to explore the impact of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) alone or combined with montelukast on clinical efficiency and pulmonary function (PF) in treating patients with bronchial asthma complicated by obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS). METHODS: A total of 386 patients with bronchial asthma underwent sleep monitoring. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to the different treatment methods. The changes in PF, apnea hypopnea index (AHI) score and the level of inflammatory factors in all patients before and after treatment were recorded, and the clinical effect following treatment was noted. RESULTS: Following treatment, the clinical efficiency of Group 2 was significantly better than that of both Group 1and the control group, and the therapeutic effect in Group 1 was better than in the control group (P < .05). Before treatment, vital capacity (VC), peak expiratory flow (PEF), forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) and asthma control test (ACT) scores, AHI scores, C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) index were compared between the 3 groups (P > .05). In contrast, after treatment the VC, PEF, FEV1/FVC and ACT, AHI, CRP and TNF-α scores and the IL-6 index in the 3 groups were improved compared with before treatment. The indices in Groups 1 and 2 were better than in the control group, and the VC, PEF, FEV1/FVC and ACT, AHI, CRP, and TNF-α scores and IL-6 index in Group 2 reported greater beneficial effect than in Group 1. CONCLUSION: The combination of NIV and montelukast exerts a beneficial effect in treating patients with bronchial asthma complicated with OSAHS, which holds the potential of effectively improving clinical symptoms and PF, reducing ACT and AHI scores and alleviating inflammatory reactions. Hence, the combination is valid and appropriate for clinical application.

Clinical features and risk factors in patients with asthma complicated with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome: a hospital-based study.

PURPOSE: The current study was conducted to explore the clinical features and risk factors of patients with asthma complicated by obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS). METHODS: Patients with asthma who underwent polysomnography in our hospital from August 2017 to December 2019 were enrolled in the study. Data on demographics, pulmonary function testing, polysomnography, blood gases, mean pulmonary artery pressure, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Of 238 patients with asthma, 93 who also had OSAHS formed the observation group and were subclassified into mild (n = 33), moderate (n = 41), and severe (n = 19) categories, while 145 patients with asthma alone were assigned to the control group. No significant differences were found in sex, age, course of disease, or pulmonary function between the two groups (P > 0.05), while the observation group showed more frequent allergic rhinitis and had greater BMI, neck circumference, mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP), and VEGF than those in the control group (P < 0.001). The peak expiratory flow (PEF), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and FEV1/FVC in the mild group and the moderate group were higher than those in the severe group (P < 0.001). The durations of AHI and SaO2 < 90% in the mild group and the moderate group were shorter than that in the severe group, and the lowest level of SaO2 in the mild group and the moderate group was higher than that in the severe group (P <  0.05). The mPAP and VEGF of the mild and moderate groups were lower than those of severe group (P < 0.001), with mild group lower than moderate group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Significant differences in allergic rhinitis, BMI, neck circumference, AHI, SaO2, mPAP, and VEGF were observed in patients with asthma complicated by OSAHS. These parameters are risk factors associated with asthma complicated by OSAHS.

Histone demethylase Jmjd3 modulates osteoblast apoptosis induced by tumor necrosis factor-alpha through directly targeting RASSF5.

Purpose: Regulation of gene expression is fine-tuned by a dynamic equilibrium between repressive modifications and transcriptional activation of histone tails. Jumonji domain-containing 3 (Jmjd3), also known as KDM6B, is a specific histone demethylase for trimethylation on histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3) that specifically removes the methylation of H3K27me3 and promotes gene expression. Our previous study showed that Jmjd3 inhibits serum deprivation-induced osteoblast apoptosis. In this study, we clarified the role of Jmjd3 in tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)-induced osteoblast apoptosis. Materials and Methods: Jmjd3 activity was inhibited by GSK-J4. Transfection of osteoblastic murine MC3T3-E1 cells with short hairpin RNA (shRNA) was used to establish stable Jmjd3 knockdown cells. Osteoblast apoptosis was detected using Annexin V-APC/PI staining, cysteinyl aspartate specific protease-3 (caspase-3) activity assays, and Western blot. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays were performed to clarify the mechanism responsible for Jmjd3-regulated osteoblast apoptosis induced by TNF-α. Results: Based on Annexin V-APC/PI staining, caspase-3 activation, and poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage, pretreatment with GSK-J4 and knockdown of Jmjd3 by shRNA transfection each inhibited osteoblast apoptosis. Furthermore, knockdown of Jmjd3 decreased the expression of Ras association domain family 5 (RASSF5), which is a pro-apoptotic gene of the Ras associated domain family. H3K27me3 levels in the promoter region of RASSF5 were up-regulated in the Jmjd3 knockdown cells. Conclusions: Jmjd3 regulated TNF-α-induced osteoblast apoptosis by targeting RASSF5.

Fast and Selective Removal of Aqueous Uranium by a K+-Activated Robust Zeolitic Sulfide with Wide pH Resistance.

For the nuclear industry, uranium is not only an important strategic resource but also a serious global contaminant with radiotoxicity and high chemotoxicity. It is very important to efficiently capture uranium from complex aqueous solutions for further treatment and disposal of nuclear wastes. Herein, we first demonstrate the suitability of a three-dimensional (3D) water-stable K+-exchanged zeolitic sulfide, namely K@GaSnS-1, for the remediation of radioactive and toxic uranium by ion exchange. In comparison to the pristine compound GaSnS-1, the K+-activated porous sulfide K@GaSnS-1 exhibits faster [UO2]2+ ion uptake kinetics, following the pseudo-second-order adsorption model. Further studies indicate that K@GaSnS-1 shows high exchange capacity (qmU = 147.6 mg/g) and wide pH resistance (pH 2.75-10.87). In particular, it can efficiently capture [UO2]2+ ion even when excessive amounts of Na+, K+, Mg2+, and Ca2+ ions are present. The highest distribution coefficient value Kd, signifying the affinity and selectivity for [UO2]2+ ion, reaches as high as 1.24 × 104 mL/g. More importantly, the uranium in corresponding exchanged samples can be facilely and effectively eluted by a low-cost and eco-friendly method. These merits of K@GaSnS-1 make it promising for the effective and selective removal of uranium from complex contaminated water.

[The applications of thermostable ligase chain reaction in facilitating DNA recombination].

The traditional Type Ⅱ restriction enzyme-based method is restricted by the purification steps, and therefore, cannot be applied to specific DNA assembly in chaotic system. To solve this problem, Thermostable Ligase Chain Reaction (TLCR) was introduced in the process of DNA assembly and capture. This technique combines the feature of thermostable DNA ligase and sequence specific oligo ligation template, "Helper", to achieve specific assembly of target fragments and exponential increase of products in multiple thermocyclings. Two plasmid construction experiments were carried out in order to test the feasibility and practical performance of TLCR. One was that, TLCR was used to specifically capture a 1.5 kb fragment into vector from an unpurified chaotic system which contained 7 different sizes of fragments. The results showed that the capturing accuracy was around 80%, which proved the feasibility and accuracy of using TLCR to specific assembly of DNA fragments in a complicated mixed system. In the other experiment, TLCR was used to capture two fragments (total length was 27 kb) from Hind Ⅲ digestion of Lambda genome into vector by order. The results also showed an accuracy of around 80%. As demonstrated in the results, TLCR can simplify the process of DNA recombination experiments and is suitable for the assembly of multiple and large DNA fragments. This technique can provide convenience to biological experiments.

Survey of Fusarium spp. Causing Wheat Crown Rot in Major Winter Wheat Growing Regions of China.

Fusarium crown rot of wheat has become more prevalent in China. To investigate the phylogenetic structure of Fusarium causing wheat crown rot in China, wheat basal stems with symptoms of the disease were collected from 2009 to 2013 in Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan, Hebei, and Shandong provinces. In total, 175 Fusarium isolates were collected and their mycotoxin chemotypes and distribution were identified. Among the 175 isolates, 123 were Fusarium asiaticum; 95 of these were the chemotype 3-acetyl-deoxynivalenol (3-AcDON) and 28 were nivalenol (NIV). Thirty-seven isolates belonged to F. graminearum, which were all 15-AcDON. Smaller numbers of isolates consisted of F. acuminatum, F. pseudograminearum, and F. avenaceum. The virulence of F. asiaticum and F. graminearum isolates on wheat crowns and heads was comparable. The virulence of isolates of the DON and NIV chemotype were statistically similar, but DON tended to be more aggressive. The DON concentrations in grains from wheat heads inoculated with isolates causing either Fusarium head blight or crown rot were similar. In the five provinces, F. asiaticum of the 3-AcDON chemotype was the predominant pathogen causing crown rot, followed by F. graminearum. Recent changes in causal Fusarium species, chemotypes, and distribution in China are discussed.