LncRNA XIST/miR-455-3p/HOXC4 axis promotes breast cancer development by activating TGF-ß/SMAD signaling pathway.

Breast cancer is the second primary cause of cancer death among women. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) X-inactive specific transcript (XIST) is a central regulator for X chromosome inactivation, and its abnormal expression is a primary feature of breast cancer. So far, the mechanism of XIST in breast cancer has not been fully elucidated. We attempted to illustrate the mechanism of XIST in breast cancer. The expressions of XIST, microRNA-455-3p (miR-455-3p) in breast cancer were measured using quantitative real-time PCR. The expressions of homeobox C4 (HOXC4) were assessed with immunohistochemical and Western blot. Also, the functions of XIST in breast cancer were assessed by Cell Counting Kit-8 analysis, colony formation assay, flow cytometry, Western blot, Transwell, and cell scratch assays. Meanwhile, the mechanism of XIST in breast cancer was validated using database analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assay. Furthermore, the function of XIST in breast cancer in vivo was estimated by tumor xenograft model, immunohistochemical assay, and hematoxylin-eosin staining. XIST and HOXC4 expressions were increased, but miR-455-3p expressions were decreased in breast cancer tissues and cells. Knocking down XIST restrained breast cancer cell proliferation, invasion, migration, epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT), and induced cell cycle arrest at G0/G1. Meanwhile, XIST interacted with miR-455-3p, while miR-455-3p interacted with HOXC4. XIST knockdown repressed breast cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and EMT, while miR-455-3p inhibitor or HOXC4 overexpression abolished those impacts. HOXC4 overexpression also blocked the impacts of miR-455-3p mimic on breast cancer cell malignant behavior. In vivo experimental data further indicated that XIST knockdown repressed breast cancer cell tumorigenic ability, and decreased HOXC4 and p-SMAD3 (TGF-ß/SMAD-related protein) expressions.XIST/miR-455-3p/HOXC4 facilitated breast cancer development by activating the TGF-ß/SMAD pathway.

A Highly Specific and Versatile Biochip for Ultra-Sensitive Quantification of Denatured Collagen in Assessing Collagen Quality.

Collagen, a widely used biomaterial, is susceptible to denaturation during production from native tissues, posing serious challenges for its applications in tissue engineering. Accurate quantification of denatured collagen (DC) is essential for evaluating the quality of collagen-based biomaterials, yet quantitative methods for assessing collagen denaturation are lacking. Here, we for the first time present a highly specific biochip for sensitive quantification of denatured collagen levels (Ldc), addressing this critical need in collagen quality analysis. The denatured collagen-specific chip (DCSC) features an intrinsically nontrimerizing peptide probe, F-GOP-14, targeting denatured collagen and a fully denatured collagen-coated capture surface. The DCSC demonstrates exceptional sensitivity and accuracy in quantifying DC concentration (Cdc) and total collagen concentration (Ctc), enabling precise calculation of Ldc. Importantly, DCSC is versatile, detecting Ldc across various denaturing scenarios, including UV radiation, thermal environments, and decellularization. This denatured collagen-specific biochip offers a robust method for accurately analyzing Ldc, with significant potential for enhancing collagen quality assessment in biomaterial development and production.

Inhibiting the NF-κB/DRP1 Axis Affords Neuroprotection after Spinal Cord Injury via Inhibiting Polarization of Pro-Inflammatory Microglia.

BACKGROUND: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is considered a central nervous system (CNS) disorder. Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) regulates inflammatory responses in the CNS and is implicated in SCI pathogenesis. The mechanism(s) through which NF-κB contributes to the neuroinflammation observed during SCI however remains unclear. METHODS: SCI rat models were created using the weight drop method and separated into Sham, SCI and SCI+NF-κB inhibitor groups (n = 6 rats per-group). We used Hematoxylin-Eosin Staining (H&E) and Nissl staining for detecting histological changes in the spinal cord. Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) behavioral scores were utilized for assessing functional locomotion recovery. Mouse BV2 microglia were exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to mimic SCI-induced microglial inflammation in vitro. RESULTS: Inhibition of NF-κB using JSH-23 alleviated inflammation and neuronal injury in SCI rats' spinal cords, leading to improved locomotion recovery (p < 0.05). NF-κB inhibition reduced expression levels of CD86, interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1ß, and inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase (iNOS), and improved expression levels of CD206, IL-4, and tissue growth factor-beta (TGF-ß) in both LPS-treated microglia and SCI rats' spinal cords (p < 0.05). Inhibition of NF-κB also effectively suppressed mitochondrial fission, evidenced by the reduced phosphorylation of dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1) at Ser616 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: We show that inhibition of the NF-κB/DRP1 axis prevents mitochondrial fission and suppresses pro-inflammatory microglia polarization, promoting neurological recovery in SCI. Targeting the NF-κB/DRP1 axis therefore represents a novel approach for SCI.

PLM-T3SE: Accurate Prediction of Type III Secretion Effectors Using Protein Language Model Embeddings.

The Type III secretion effectors (T3SEs) are bacterial proteins synthesized by Gram-negative pathogens and delivered into host cells via the Type III secretion system (T3SS). These effectors usually play a pivotal role in the interactions between bacteria and hosts. Hence, the precise identification of T3SEs aids researchers in exploring the pathogenic mechanisms of bacterial infections. Since the diversity and complexity of T3SE sequences often make traditional experimental methods time-consuming, it is imperative to explore more efficient and convenient computational approaches for T3SE prediction. Inspired by the promising potential exhibited by pre-trained language models in protein recognition tasks, we proposed a method called PLM-T3SE that utilizes protein language models (PLMs) for effective recognition of T3SEs. First, we utilized PLM embeddings and evolutionary features from the position-specific scoring matrix (PSSM) profiles to transform protein sequences into fixed-length vectors for model training. Second, we employed the extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) algorithm to rank these features based on their importance. Finally, a MLP neural network model was used to predict T3SEs based on the selected optimal feature set. Experimental results from the cross-validation and independent test demonstrated that our model exhibited superior performance compared to the existing models. Specifically, our model achieved an accuracy of 98.1%, which is 1.8%-42.4% higher than the state-of-the-art predictors based on the same independent data set test. These findings highlight the superiority of the PLM-T3SE and the remarkable characterization ability of PLM embeddings for T3SE prediction.

Association Between Sarcopenia, Clinical Outcomes, and Survival in Patients with Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated with First-Line Immunochemotherapy: A Prospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between sarcopenia, short-term efficacy, and long-term survival in patients with extensive small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) treated with standard first-line immunochemotherapy. METHODS: A total of 63 patients initially diagnosed with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer were enrolled in the prospective study from December 1, 2020 to December 31, 2022. The clinical characteristics, body composition, blood test results, and image data were obtained before treatment. Patients were divided into sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia groups according to the diagnostic criteria of the Asian Sarcopenia Working Group 2019. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS) and comprehensive survival analyses were performed. Secondary outcomes included short-term efficacy and adverse events associated with first-line immunochemotherapy. RESULTS: The median age of the 63 patients enrolled in our study was 63.0 years (40-80 years). The incidence of sarcopenia was 19.0% (12/63) in patients with extensive SCLC. Compared with non-sarcopenia patients, extensive-stage SCLC patients with sarcopenia were significantly older (69.0 vs. 62.0, P = 0.017), and had lower body mass index (BMI) (20.29 vs. 24.27, P < 0.001), hand grip strength (HGS) (20.42 vs. 30.75, P < 0.001), and albumin (35.9 vs. 41.40, P < 0.001). The objective response rate after two cycles of standard first-line immunochemotherapy in the sarcopenia group was lower than in the non-sarcopenia group (30.0 vs. 78.9%, P = 0.012). There was no significant difference in chemotherapy-related hematological toxicity between the two groups. During a median follow-up of 15 months (3-33 months), patients with extensive SCLC had a median OS of 24 months, with 1-year survival of 75% and 2-year survival of 52%, respectively. Compared to non-sarcopenia patients, the median OS in the sarcopenia group was significantly shorter (9 vs. 24 months, P = 0.0014). Multivariate Cox analysis showed that sarcopenia was an independent risk factor for OS in patients with extensive SCLC (HR = 4.993, 95%CI = 1.106-22.538, P = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with Extensive SCLC and sarcopenia had worse clinical outcomes and shorter OS. Sarcopenia is a prognostic factor affecting first-line treatment efficacy and long-term survival of patients with SCLC in the era of immunotherapy.

Taiwanese reference values for the Short Physical Performance Battery in community-dwelling older adults.

OBJECTIVES: To establish reference values for SPPB score as well as test performances among Taiwanese community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: Participants included 847 older adults. The total scores and three subtest scores for the SPPB and the registered time to complete the walk and five-repetition sit-to-stand (STS) tests were determined and compared between sex and age (65-74, 75-84, and ≥85 years) groups. RESULTS: The mean SPPB total score was 10.9 in women and 10.5 in men. SPPB scores did not differ by sex, regardless of age group. However, the walk test (p = .030) and STS test (p = .008) timings were longer for men than for women in the 65-74-year-old group. The ≥85-year-old men achieved a lower balance score than did the 65-74-year-old men (p = .027). CONCLUSIONS: Population-specific SPPB reference values contribute to assessments of physical function and facilitate cross-cultural comparisons of physical performance.

Effects of simulated multi-sensory stimulation integration on physiological and psychological restoration in virtual urban green space environment.

Virtual urban green environment images and audio stimuli had been proven to have restorative effects on subjects' physical and mental health. In this area, researchers predominantly focused on visual, auditory and olfactory aspects, while tactile and gustatory senses have been minimally explored. However, the optimal combination of sensory stimuli for promoting physical and mental recovery remains unclear. Therefore, a simulated sensory stimulation approach involving 240 participants was employed, with 30 individuals included in each of the eight experimental groups: the visual-auditory (VA), visual-auditory-olfactory (VAO), visual-auditory-tactile (VAT), visual-auditory-gustatory(VAG), visual-auditory-olfactory-tactile (VAOT), visual-auditory-olfactory-gustatory (VAOG), visual-auditory-tactile-gustatory (VATG), and visual-auditory-olfactory-tactile-gustatory (VAOTG) groups. This study aimed to explore the differences in participants' physiological and psychological health recovery after exposure to different combinations of simulated sensory stimuli in virtual UGSs. The results indicated that the following: (1) In terms of physiological recovery, the blood pressure of the 8 experimental groups decreased significantly after the experiment, indicating that the virtual urban green space environment has a certain recovery effect on physiological state. The combination of VAOTG stimuli in the multisensory group resulted in the best blood pressure recovery (p < 0.05). Tactile is an important sense to enhance the physiological recovery effect. Olfactory-tactile or tactile-gustatory stimuli interactions significantly enhance physiological recovery, emphasizing the importance of tactile stimulation in improving physiological recovery. (2) In terms of psychological recovery, the common trigger of olfactory-gustatory is the most key element to enhance psychological recovery through multi-sensory stimulation of virtual urban green space environment. VAOG stimulation had the best effect on psychological recovery (p < 0.05), followed by VAOTG stimulation (p < 0.05). Gustatory is an important sense to enhance the psychological recovery effect, and both the tactile-gustatory interaction and the olfactory-gustatory interaction significantly enhance the recovery effect. At the same time, the psychological recovery effect obtained by four or more sensory combinations was higher than that obtained by two or three sensory stimulation groups. This study confirms more possibilities for ways to restore physical and mental health through virtual natural environments. It expands the research on the benefits of virtual nature experience and provides theoretical support for the application of this method.

PKM2 aggregation drives metabolism reprograming during aging process.

While protein aggregation's association with aging and age-related diseases is well-established, the specific proteins involved and whether dissolving them could alleviate aging remain unclear. Our research addresses this gap by uncovering the role of PKM2 aggregates in aging. We find that PKM2 forms aggregates in senescent cells and organs from aged mice, impairing its enzymatic activity and glycolytic flux, thereby driving cells into senescence. Through a rigorous two-step small molecule library screening, we identify two compounds, K35 and its analog K27, capable of dissolving PKM2 aggregates and alleviating senescence. Further experiments show that treatment with K35 and K27 not only alleviate aging-associated signatures but also extend the lifespan of naturally and prematurely aged mice. These findings provide compelling evidence for the involvement of PKM2 aggregates in inducing cellular senescence and aging phenotypes, and suggest that targeting these aggregates could be a promising strategy for anti-aging drug discovery.

PreDBP-PLMs: Prediction of DNA-binding proteins based on pre-trained protein language models and convolutional neural networks.

The recognition of DNA-binding proteins (DBPs) is the crucial step to understanding their roles in various biological processes such as genetic regulation, gene expression, cell cycle control, DNA repair, and replication within cells. However, conventional experimental methods for identifying DBPs are usually time-consuming and expensive. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop rapid and efficient computational methods for the prediction of DBPs. In this study, we proposed a novel predictor named PreDBP-PLMs to further improve the identification accuracy of DBPs by fusing the pre-trained protein language model (PLM) ProtT5 embedding with evolutionary features as input to the classic convolutional neural network (CNN) model. Firstly, the ProtT5 embedding was combined with different evolutionary features derived from the position-specific scoring matrix (PSSM) to represent protein sequences. Then, the optimal feature combination was selected and input to the CNN classifier for the prediction of DBPs. Finally, the 5-fold cross-validation (CV), the leave-one-out CV (LOOCV), and the independent set test were adopted to examine the performance of PreDBP-PLMs on the benchmark datasets. Compared to the existing state-of-the-art predictors, PreDBP-PLMs exhibits an accuracy improvement of 0.5 % and 5.2 % on the PDB186 and PDB2272 datasets, respectively. It demonstrated that the proposed method could serve as a useful tool for the recognition of DBPs.

KOH-activated hollow carbon spheres with surface functionalization for high-capacity and long-cycle-life lithium-selenium batteries.

Lithium-selenium (Li-Se) batteries are considered promising alternatives to lithium-ion batteries due to their higher volumetric capacity and energy density. However, they still face limitations in efficiently utilizing the active selenium. Here, we develop surface-functionalized mesoporous hollow carbon nanospheres as the selenium host. By using KOH activation, the surface of the carbon nanospheres is functionalized with hydroxyl groups, which greatly improve the utilization of selenium and facilitate the conversion of lithium selenides, leading to much higher capacities compared to ZnCl2 activation and untreated carbon nanospheres. Theory and experimental evidence suggest that surface hydroxyl groups can enhance the reduction conversion of polyselenides to selenides and facilitate the oxidation reaction of selenides to elemental selenium. In-situ and ex-situ characterization techniques provided additional confirmation of the hydroxyl groups electrochemical durability in catalyzing selenium conversion. The meticulously engineered Se cathode demonstrates a high specific capacity of 594 mA h g-1 at 0.5C, excellent rate capability of 464 mA h g-1 at 2C, and a stable cycling performance of 500 cycles at 2C with a capacity retention of 84.8 %, corresponding to an ultra-low-capacity decay rate of 0.0144 % per cycle, surpassing many reported lithium-selenium battery technologies.

Exploring approaches to tackle cross-domain challenges in brain medical image segmentation: a systematic review.

Introduction: Brain medical image segmentation is a critical task in medical image processing, playing a significant role in the prediction and diagnosis of diseases such as stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and brain tumors. However, substantial distribution discrepancies among datasets from different sources arise due to the large inter-site discrepancy among different scanners, imaging protocols, and populations. This leads to cross-domain problems in practical applications. In recent years, numerous studies have been conducted to address the cross-domain problem in brain image segmentation. Methods: This review adheres to the standards of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) for data processing and analysis. We retrieved relevant papers from PubMed, Web of Science, and IEEE databases from January 2018 to December 2023, extracting information about the medical domain, imaging modalities, methods for addressing cross-domain issues, experimental designs, and datasets from the selected papers. Moreover, we compared the performance of methods in stroke lesion segmentation, white matter segmentation and brain tumor segmentation. Results: A total of 71 studies were included and analyzed in this review. The methods for tackling the cross-domain problem include Transfer Learning, Normalization, Unsupervised Learning, Transformer models, and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). On the ATLAS dataset, domain-adaptive methods showed an overall improvement of ~3 percent in stroke lesion segmentation tasks compared to non-adaptive methods. However, given the diversity of datasets and experimental methodologies in current studies based on the methods for white matter segmentation tasks in MICCAI 2017 and those for brain tumor segmentation tasks in BraTS, it is challenging to intuitively compare the strengths and weaknesses of these methods. Conclusion: Although various techniques have been applied to address the cross-domain problem in brain image segmentation, there is currently a lack of unified dataset collections and experimental standards. For instance, many studies are still based on n-fold cross-validation, while methods directly based on cross-validation across sites or datasets are relatively scarce. Furthermore, due to the diverse types of medical images in the field of brain segmentation, it is not straightforward to make simple and intuitive comparisons of performance. These challenges need to be addressed in future research.

High-Performance Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for Flexible and Rechargeable Zn-Air Batteries: Recent Advances.

Flexible rechargeable Zn-air batteries (FZABs) exhibit high energy density, ultra-thin, lightweight, green, and safe features, and are considered as one of the ideal power sources for flexible wearable electronics. However, the slow and high overpotential oxygen reaction at the air cathode has become one of the key factors restricting the development of FZABs. The improvement of activity and stability of bifunctional catalysts has become a top priority. At the same time, FZABs should maintain the battery performance under different bending and twisting conditions, and the design of the overall structure of FZABs is also important. Based on the understanding of the three typical configurations and working principles of FZABs, this work highlights two common strategies for applying bifunctional catalysts to FZABs: 1) powder-based flexible air cathode and 2) flexible self-supported air cathode. It summarizes the recent advances in bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts and explores the various types of catalyst structures as well as the related mechanistic understanding. Based on the latest catalyst research advances, this paper introduces and discusses various structure modulation strategies and expects to guide the synthesis and preparation of efficient bifunctional catalysts. Finally, the current status and challenges of bifunctional catalyst research in FZABs are summarized.

Clinical efficacy and safety analysis of type A botulinum toxin in the treatment of adolescents with refractory overactive bladder.

The objective of this study was to assess the clinical effectiveness and safety of type A botulinum toxin in the treatment of refractory overactive bladder in adolescents. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 37 adolescent patients with refractory overactive bladder who were treated at the Urology Department of Hangzhou Third People's Hospital between January 2018 and August 2023. These patients received intravesical injections of type A botulinum toxin at a concentration of 10 U/mL, with an average of 20 injection points. We recorded changes in urination diaries and urodynamic parameters both before and 1 month after treatment. After 1 month of treatment, significant improvements were observed in several parameters, when compared to the pretreatment values. These included daytime frequency of urination (11.13 ±â€…6.45), average single void volume (173.24 ±â€…36.48) mL, nighttime frequency of urination (2.43 ±â€…0.31), urgency episodes (3.12 ±â€…0.27), initial bladder capacity (149.82 ±â€…41.34) mL, and maximum bladder capacity (340.25 ±â€…57.12) mL (all P < .001). After the first treatment, 5 patients had mild hematuria, 4 patients had urinary tract infection, and 1 patient had urinary retention, which was relieved after catheterization. No serious complications or adverse reactions were observed in other patients. The follow-up period ranged from 6 to 18 months, and the duration of efficacy varied from 2 to 8 months. Eight patients who initially had treatment failure achieved symptom relief after reinjection. In adolescents with refractory overactive bladder who do not respond well to conventional drug therapy, type A botulinum toxin can be administered safely and effectively. It significantly improves lower urinary tract symptoms and enhances the quality of life for these patients.

18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography in the localization of the lesions in the osteogenic region of breast cancer bone metastases after therapy.

Background: Accurate efficacy evaluation of bone metastases (BMs) from breast cancer (BC) is an intractable issue in clinical practice, for which solutions are urgently needed. This study aimed to investigate the utility of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) in the response evaluation of bone metastasis of BC. Methods: In total, 22 patients diagnosed with BC and BM were enrolled. These patients underwent repeated 18F-FDG PET/CT evaluations. The patients and each BM site were divided into two groups based on their response to treatment: progressive disease (PD) and nonprogressive disease (non-PD). We analyzed and compared the changes in PET and CT images, as well as the serum concentration of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 153 (CA153), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and calcium (Ca) over the same time frame. The immunohistochemistry (IHC) of primary lesions between groups and between the primary focus and BM with high 18F-FDG uptake were compared and analyzed. Results: Maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax) after therapy [area under the curve (AUC): 0.932] and Δ-value of SUVmax (AUC: 0.811) on 18F-FDG PET imaging proved significantly valuable for the efficacy of therapy outcomes related to BM lesions (P<0.05). In terms of overall evaluation of BM, age and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression were significantly lower in the PD group than in the non-PD group (P<0.05). There were marked differences in CEA after therapy, the changes of CEA, and CA153 (∆-value) between the groups (P<0.05). The SUVmax and Ca concentration after therapy and ∆-value of SUVmax, along with the levels of CA153, CEA, and ALP, were valuable indicators for evaluating the efficacy of individual BMs (P<0.05). IHC of BM in the PD group showed differences compared to primary lesions, with antigen Ki-67 being downregulated in metastatic lesions and HER2 being downregulated in a portion of BMs (2 of 6). Meanwhile, the expression of estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) remained relatively unchanged. Conclusions: 18F-FDG PET/CT confers precise assessment of the posttreatment efficacy pertaining to BM in BC. This modality facilitates the identification of poor effect lesions following extant therapies and localization for pathological assessment and may substantially contribute to evaluating therapeutic efficacy, refining treatment strategies, and predicting the disease trajectory of patients with BC and BM.

Characteristics and risk differences of different tumor sizes on distant metastases of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: A retrospective study in the SEER database.

BACKGROUND: The rate of distant metastasis in patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) is 20%-50% at the time of initial diagnosis. However, whether tumor size can predict distant metastasis for PNETs remains unknown up to date. METHODS: We used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) population-based data to collect 6089 patients with PNETs from 2010 to 2019. The optimal cut-off point of tumor size to predict distant metastasis was calculated by Youden's index. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to figure out the association between tumor size and distant metastasis patterns. RESULTS: The most common metastatic site was liver (27.2%), followed by bone (3.0%), lung (2.3%) and brain (0.4%). Based on an optimal cut-off value of tumor size (25.5 mm) for predicting distant metastasis determined by Youden's index, patients were categorized into groups of tumor size < 25.5 mm and ≥ 25.5 mm. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that, compared with < 25.5 mm, tumor size ≥ 25.5 mm was an independent risk predictor of overall distant metastasis [odds ratio (OR) = 4.491, 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.724-5.416, P < 0.001] and liver metastasis (OR = 4.686, 95% CI: 3.886-5.651, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Tumor size ≥ 25.5 mm was significantly associated with more overall distant and liver metastases. Timely identification of distant metastasis for tumor size ≥ 25.5 mm may provide survival benefit for timely and precise treatment.

Coronal deformity in ankylosing spondylitis with concomitant thoracolumbar kyphosis: patterns, manifestations and surgical strategies.

PURPOSE: To evaluate different patterns of coronal deformity secondary to ankylosing spondylitis (AS), to propose relevant treatment strategies, and to assess efficacy of asymmetrical pedicle subtraction osteotomy (APSO). METHODS: Coronal deformity was defined as coronal Cobb angle over 20º or coronal balance distance (CBD) more than 3 cm. 65 consecutive AS patients with concomitant coronal and sagittal deformity who underwent PSO were included. The average follow-up time was 40.4 months. Radiographic evaluation included coronal Cobb angle and CBD. Furthermore, sagittal parameters were used to assess magnitude and maintenance of kyphosis correction. RESULTS: Based on curve characteristics, coronal deformity caused by AS included four different radiologic patterns: Pattern I: lumbar scoliosis; Pattern II: C-shaped thoracolumbar curve; Pattern III: trunk shift without major curve; Pattern IV: proximal thoracic scoliosis. APSO was performed for patients in Pattern I to III while conventional PSO was applied for patients in Pattern IV. Significant improvement in all the sagittal parameters were noted in 65 patients without obvious correction loss at the last follow-up. Besides, significant and sustained correction of coronal mal-alignment was identified in 59 APSO-treated patients. Rod fracture occurred in four cases and revision surgery was performed for one case. CONCLUSION: According to radiologic manifestations, coronal deformity caused by AS could be categorized into four patterns. APSO proved to be a feasible and effective procedure for correction of Pattern I to III patients. Coronal deformity pattern, apex location, sagittal profile of lumbar spine and preoperative hip function should be considered for osteotomy level selection in APSO.

Constrution of Quinazoline-Linked Covalent Organic Frameworks via a Multicomponent Reaction for Photocatalysis.

Quinazoline (Qz)-linked covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have been constructed via a three-component reaction of ortho-acylanilines, benzaldehydes and NH4OAc. The structure of Qz-COFs has been confirmed by solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared and powder X-ray diffraction patterns. The Qz-COFs possess high chemical stability, showing good endurance to strong acid, strong base, oxidant, reductant and other conditions. Particularly, Qz-COF-3 can catalyze the aerobic photooxidation of toluene and other compounds containing C(sp3)-H bonds.

Extraction of phosphorus from sewage sludge ash by electrodialysis combined with wet-chemical extraction.

Phosphorus (P) recovery from sewage sludge ash (SSA) is considered to be an effective method for P recovery. In this work, P extraction and the removal of heavy metals were realized by electrodialysis. Low-cost, easily available, and environmentally friendly plant extracts were applied as suspension to reduce the inevitable secondary pollution. And the feasibility of using plant extracts was analysed by comparing with using deionized water (DI) and oxalic acid (OA) solution. When SSA was suspended in different solutions (DI, OA, and three plant extracts - Hovenia acerba (HA), Saponin (SA) and Portulaca oleracea (PO)), the effects of reaction time and plant extract concentration on P extraction and heavy metal separation of SSA under ED treatment were compared. After the process of electrodialysis, compared to other experimental groups, electrodialysis with plant extracts obtained more P released from SSA, but less P migrated to the anode chamber. However, when SSA was suspended in PO at a concentration of 80 g/L, the proportion of P transferred from SSA to the anode chamber can still reached 37.86%. In addition, the use of plant extracts as suspension had a positive effect on the removal of heavy metals, but its effect was lower than that of the oxalic acid-treated experimental group. The results indicated that the use of plant extracts for wet-chemical extraction combined with electrodialysis promoted the removal of heavy metals and the extraction of P from SSA, which is a feasible option.