Thin-film nanocomposite NF membrane with GO on macroporous hollow fiber ceramic substrate for efficient heavy metals removal.

The ceramic membrane has been widely used in the wastewater treatment based on the chemical resistance and superior separation performance. A robust and defect-free thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) nanofiltration (NF) membrane on the macroporous hollow fiber ceramic (HFC) substrate was novelly developed for heavy metals removal. Before interfacial polymerization (IP), the aqueous solution of graphene oxide (GO) grafted with ethylenediamine (EDA) was deposited on the HFC substrate by vacuum filtration. Then, a thin polyamide (PA) film was fabricated by EDA and 1,3,5-trimesoyl chloride (TMC), followed by heat treatment. The effects of GO content and EDA concentration on the performance of the NF membrane have been systematically investigated. The results showed that when the GO content was 0.015 mg·mL-1 and the EDA concentration was 0.75 wt.%, the as-prepared eGO3/PA-HFC membrane had a rejection rate of 94.12% for MgCl2 and a pure water flux of 18.03 L·m-2·h-1. Additionally, the removal ability of eGO3/PA-HFC membranes for heavy metal ions was satisfactory (93.33%, 92.73%, 90.45% and 88.35% for Zn2+, Cu2+, Ni2+ and Pb2+, respectively). The study explored further that it was efficient and stable for heavy metal ions removal during 30 h in the simulated tap water and mining wastewater, which indicated that the eGO/PA-HFC membrane has great application potential in wastewater treatment.

Designing of a novel polyvinylidene fluoride/TiO2/UiO-66-NH2 membrane with photocatalytic antifouling properties using modified zirconium-based metal-organic framework.

Novel polyvinylidene fluoride/TiO2/UiO-66-NH2 (PVDF/TiUN) membranes were produced by the delay phase separation method via introducing the TiO2/UiO-66-NH2 (TiUN) nanocomposite into PVDF casting solution. Interconnection of TiO2 and UiO-66-NH2 improved photocatalysis capacity and endowed PVDF/TiUN membranes with self-cleaning capability. Quantitative measurements showed that, firstly, PVDF/TiUN membranes exhibited improved photodegradation kinetics and efficiency (up to 88.1%) to Rhodamine B (RhB). Secondly, the performances of bovine serum albumin (BSA) rejection and permeation of PVDF/TiUN membranes outperformed those of other check samples, indicating enhanced hydrophilicity. Thirdly, rejection rate of BSA reached a breathtaking 98.14% and flux recovery ratio (FRR) of BSA reached a breathtaking 95.37%. Thus, given their excellent anti-contamination property and separation performance, the PVDF/TiUN membrane is very likely to be a novel water treatment membrane.

Do patients benefit more from robot assisted approach than conventional laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy? A meta-analysis of perioperative and economic outcomes.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Robotic approach has improved the ergonomics of conventional laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (LDP), but whether patients benefit more from robot assisted distal pancreatectomy (RADP) is still controversial. This meta-analysis aims to compare the perioperative and economic outcomes of RADP with LDP. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was carried out on PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library between January 1990 and March 2017. All eligible studies comparing RADP versus LDP were included. Perioperative and economic outcomes constituted the end points. RESULTS: 13 English studies with 1396 patients were included. Regarding to intraoperative outcomes, RADP was associated with a significant decrease in conversion rate (OR = 0.52; 95%CI: 0.34, 0.78; P = 0.002). Although the spleen-preserving rates were comparable between RADP and LDP, a significant higher splenic vessels conservation rate was observed in the RADP group (OR = 4.71; 95%CI: 1.77, 12.56; P = 0.002). No statistically significant differences were found at operation time, estimated blood loss and blood transfusion rate. Concerning postoperative outcomes, pooled data indicated the overall morbidity, pancreatic fistula and the length of hospital stay did not differ significantly between the RADP and LDP groups. And concerning pathological outcomes, positive margin rate and the number of lymph nodules harvested were comparable between the two groups. The operative cost of RADP was almost double that of LDP (WMD = 2350.2 US dollars; 95%CI: 1165.62, 3534.78; P = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: RADP showed a slight technical advantage. But whether this benefit is worth twofold cost should be considered by patient's individuation.

Whether membranes developed for organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) tend to be hydrophilic or hydrophobic? ── a review.

In the past few decades, organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) has attracted numerous researchers and broadly applied in various fields. Unlike conventional nanofiltration, OSN always faced a broad spectrum of solvents including polar solvents and non-polar solvents. Among those recently developed OSN membranes in lab-scale or widely used commercial membranes, researchers preferred to explore intrinsic materials or introduce nanomaterials into membranes to fabricate OSN membranes. However, the hydrophilicity of the membrane surface towards filtration performance was often ignored, which was the key factor in conventional aqueous nanofiltration. The influence of surface hydrophilicity on OSN performance was not studied systematically and thoroughly. Generally speaking, the hydrophilic OSN membranes performed well in the polar solvents while the hydrophobic OSN membranes work well in the non-polar solvent. Many review papers reviewed the basics, problems of the membranes, up-to-date studies, and applications at various levels. In this review, we have focused on the relationship between the surface hydrophilicity of OSN membranes and OSN performances. The history, theory, and mechanism of the OSN process were first recapped, followed by summarizing representative OSN research classified by surface hydrophilicity and types of membrane, which recent OSN research with its contact angles and filtration performance were listed. Finally, from the industrialization perspective, the application progress of hydrophilic and hydrophobic OSN membranes was introduced. We started with history and theory, presented many research and application cases of hydrophilic and hydrophobic OSN membranes, and discussed anticipated progress in the OSN field. Also, we pointed out some future research directions on the hydrophilicity of OSN membranes to deeply develop the effect made by membrane hydrophilicity on OSN performance for future considerations and stepping forward of the OSN industry.

Cyanobacterial VOCs ß-ionone and ß-cyclocitral poisoning Lemna turionifera by triggering programmed cell death.

ß-Ionone and ß-cyclocitral are two typical components in cyanobacterial volatiles, which can poison aquatic plants and even cause death. To reveal the toxic mechanisms of the two compounds on aquatic plants through programmed cell death (PCD), the photosynthetic capacities, caspase-3-like activity, DNA fragmentation and ladders, as well as expression of the genes associated with PCD in Lemna turionifera were investigated in exposure to ß-ionone (0.2 mM) and ß-cyclocitral (0.4 mM) at lethal concentration. With prolonging the treatment time, L. turionifera fronds gradually died, and photosynthetic capacities gradually reduced and even disappeared at the 96th h. This demonstrated that the death process might be a PCD rather than a necrosis, due to the gradual loss of physiological activities. When L. turionifera underwent the death, caspase-3-like was activated after 3 h, and reached to the strongest activity at the 24th h. TUNEL-positive nuclei were detected after 12 h, and appeared in large numbers at the 48th h. The DNA was cleaved by Ca2+-dependent endonucleases and showed obviously ladders. In addition, the expression of 5 genes (TSPO, ERN1, CTSB, CYC, and ATR) positively related with PCD initiation was up-regulated, while the expression of 2 genes (RRM2 and TUBA) negatively related with PCD initiation was down-regulated. Therefore, ß-ionone and ß-cyclocitral can poison L. turionifera by adjusting related gene expression to trigger PCD.

Abnormal anthropometric measurements and growth pattern in male adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

PURPOSE: The progression of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is closely correlated with longitudinal growth during puberty. A decreased incidence of curve progression has been found in male patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis compared with female patients with the condition. This finding implies that there might be a sexual dimorphism in the pubertal growth patterns of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients. Abnormal pubertal growth in female adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients has been well characterized; however, the pubertal growth patterns of male adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients have not been reported. We conducted a cross-sectional study of anthropometric measurements to compare the growth patterns of male patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis with those of healthy boys during puberty and explore the difference in the pubertal growth patterns of female and male patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. METHODS: A total of 688 subjects were involved in the study, including 332 male adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients and 356 age-matched healthy boys. The subjects were categorized according to their chronological ages. Their body weights, heights and arm spans were obtained using standard methods; the corrected body heights of the adolescent idiopathic scoliosis boys were determined using Bjour's equation. The inter-group differences in the anthropometric parameters were analyzed. Multivariate regression analysis was carried out in the adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients to identify the anthropometric parameters that influence curve severity. RESULTS: The corrected standing heights and arm spans of male adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients were similar to those of the matched controls during puberty. However, the body weights of the adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients who were more than 14 years old were significantly less than those of the control group. The body mass index of the adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients between the ages of 15 and 17 were also significantly less than those of the control subjects. Moreover, a significantly higher incidence of underweight was found in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients (8.6%) than in the controls (3.4%). Upon multivariate regression analysis, body weight and chronological age were identified as independent predictors of curve magnitude in male adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients. The male adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients with variable curve patterns exhibited no significant differences in their anthropometric parameters. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed abnormal pubertal growth in the male adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients compared with their age- and gender-matched normal controls. Despite similar longitudinal growth, the male patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis exhibited significantly lower body weights and a higher incidence of underweight during the later stage of puberty compared with their normal controls. These abnormalities in the pubertal growth of male patients were different from those observed in female patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Body weight could be an important parameter for further longitudinal studies on the prognostication of curve progression in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

[Construction of miRNA expression vector dual-targeting on HIF-1α/survivin genes and its effects on proliferation of pancreatic cancer Panc-1 cell line].

OBJECTIVE: To design and construct miRNA expression vector dual-targeting on HIF-1α and survivin genes and to investigate its effects on proliferation of human pancreatic cancer cells. METHODS: The specific pre-miRNA single strand DNA oligos for HIF-1 α and survivin genes were designed and synthesized, then via annealing and ligating with pcDNA6.2-GW/EmGFP-miR plasmids in order, two kinds (eight in total) of miRNA expression vectors for HIF-1α and survivin genes were constructed. The vectors, which were most effective to knockdown target genes, were screened with real-time RT-PCR and combined by chaining technology to construct dual-targeting plasmid. The recombined dual-targeting plasmid, mono-targeting plasmids and negative plasmid were transfected into Panc-1 cells, the suppression effect on two genes was identified by real-time RT-PCR, Western blot and MTT assays. RESULTS: The miRNA expression plasmids anti-H, anti-S and anti-H+S were successfully constructed by identification of sequencing analysis, and they were able to effectively inhibit the target genes expressing. MTT assays showed that the inhibition effect of dual-targeting vector anti-H+S was higher than that of mono-targeting vectors anti-H and anti-S 72 h after transfection (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The effective miRNA expression vector dual-targeting on HIF-1α and survivin genes has been successfully constructed. The inhibition effect on proliferation of pancreatic cancer Panc-1 cells by dual-targeting plasmid was higher than that by mono-target plasmids.

The net parenchymal thickness predicts pancreatic fistula after pancreaticoduodenectomy: a retrospective cohort study of objective data.

BACKGROUND: The clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF) is still a challenging complication of pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). This study aims to explore the predictors of CR-POPF after PD, including net parenchymal thickness (NPT) of pancreatic neck. METHODS: The consecutive patients who underwent PD at a tertiary hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted on the perioperative data, which was mainly extracted from the objective data, containing the results from the laboratory tests and the imaging examination. NPT refers to the total thickness of pancreatic gland excluding main pancreatic duct (MPD) at the CT film. RESULTS: Univariate analyses showed that total serum bilirubin (TBiL) and albumin (ALB) levels, MPD size and NPT were significantly different between the patients with and without CR-POPF. The white blood cell count, the rate of intra-abdominal infection (IAI) and the postoperative length of hospital stay (LOS) were associated with the incidence of CR-POPF. The proportion of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma or chronic pancreatitis was significantly lower in the CR-POPF group than in the non-CR-POPF group. Multivariate analyses manifested that ALB ≤35 g/L and NPT >10 mm were two of the independent risk factors for CR-POPF. CONCLUSION: Preoperative ALB ≤35 g/L and NPT > 10 mm were both the independent predictors of CR-POPF. CR-POPF was associated with the higher IAI rate and the extended LOS.

Astaxanthin accumulation in Microcystis aeruginosa under different light quality.

The aim of this work was to uncover the astaxanthin biosynthesis mechanism in Microcystis aeruginosa under optimum light quality, and promote astaxanthin production using this alga. Among purple, blue and red light, only purple light promoted M. aeruginosa cell growth compared with white light, due to up-regulating expression of the genes related with DNA replication. An increase was detected in the photosynthetic rate under purple light, which should be caused by the raised carotenoid content and up-regulation of the genes associated with light reaction and carbon fixation. Compared with white light, purple light increased the levels of ß-carotene, zeaxanthin and astaxanthin by up-regulating expression of the genes related with methylerythritol-4-phosphate pathway (MEP) and astaxanthin biosynthesis. For red and blue light, they did not impact or declined the content of astaxanthin and its precursors. Therefore, purple light promoted M. aeruginosa cell growth and astaxanthin production by up-regulating related gene expression.

[Predictive Value of Pre-treatment Serum Uric Acid Level for Prognosis in Newly Diagnosed Patients with Multiple Myeloma].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the predictive value of pre-treatment serum uric acid (sUA) level for the prognosis of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) patients. METHODS: The NDMM patients admitted to our center from January 2014 to December 2018 were analyzed retrospectively, and 94 patients among them who were initially treated with bortezomib-based chemotherapy for at least 4 cycles were included in this study. Clinical characteristics, laboratory data and follow-up information were collected, and the predictive value of sUA on the overall survival (OS) of NDMM was evaluated by using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve based on the patient's pre-treatment sUA level and the survival status at the end of follow-up, and the correlation of the sUA level with patient's clinical, laboratory characteristics and overall survival (OS) was further analyzed. The univariate and multivariate Cox proportional-hazards model were used to identify the potential factors affecting OS. RESULTS: ROC analysis showed that the area under the curve for predicting OS in NDMM patients with sUA level was 0.702 (P<0.001), and the optimal cut-off value was 455.4 µmol/L. Compared to patients with low sUA (<455.4 µmol/L), patients with higher sUA (≥455.4 µmol/L) were more likely to have international staging system (ISS) stage III disease, beta2-microglobulin (ß2-MG) ≥5.5 mg/L, serum creatinine (sCr) ≥177 µmol/L, serum corrected calcium (cCa) ≥2.75 mmol/L, urea nitrogen (BUN) ≥1×upper limit of normal, and high-risk cytogenetic abnormality (all with P<0.001). At a median follow-up of 22.5 months, the OS of NDMM with lower sUA was significantly better than higher sUA (median OS: not reached vs 32 months, P=0.003). Univariate COX regression analysis identified that age ≥60 years old, ISS stage III, sUA ≥455.4 µmol/L, ß2-MG ≥5.5 mg/L, cCa ≥2.75 mmol/L were risk factors affecting OS. The multivariate COX regression analysis that only age ≥60 years old (HR=2.317, 95%CI: 1.015-5.288, P=0.045) and sUA ≥455.4 µmol/L (HR=2.785, 95%CI: 1.054-7.361, P=0.039) were independent risk factors affecting OS. CONCLUSION: Pre-treatment sUA level is a potential biomarker for the prognosis evaluation in NDMM patients, which deserves a further exploration and verification.

Programmed cell death of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii induced by three cyanobacterial volatiles ß-ionone, limonene and longifolene.

ß-Ionone, limonene and longifolene are 3 main components in cyanobacterial volatile organic compounds, which are formed through different pathways and can poison and even kill other algae. To uncover their toxic mechanism from programmed cell death (PCD), the photosynthetic pigments, chlorophyll fluorescence, caspase-like activities, cell size, nuclear variations and DNA ladders were investigated in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii treated with ß-ionone (0.2 mM), limonene (0.2 mM) and longifolene (0.4 mM) at lethal concentration during 24 h. In the treatments with the 3 compounds, the photosynthetic pigments in C. reinhardtii cells gradually degraded, and Fv/Fm gradually decreased and disappeared at 24 h, suggesting that the cell death might be a PCD, due to the physiological activities gradually disappearing. During the cell death, the activities of caspase-9-like and caspase-3-like significantly increased, with the highest at 1 h. With prolonging the treatment time, C. reinhardtii cells gradually shrank, and the nuclei concentrated firstly following by a broken process, with moving to the cell edge. For DNA, obvious ladders were detected at 1 h, and then they gradually degraded to fragments of 100-250 bp at 24 h. These hallmarks suggested that ß-ionone, limonene and longifolene may poison other algae by inducing PCD.

Genetic Mutation Analysis in Small Cell Lung Cancer by a Novel NGS-Based Targeted Resequencing Gene Panel and Relation with Clinical Features.

BACKGROUND: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive and invasive malignancy that presents at advanced clinical stage with no more effective treatments. Development of a method for its early detection would be useful, also new therapeutic target need to be discovered; however, there is a lack of information about its oncogenic driver gene mutations. OBJECTIVES: We aim to identify the SCLC-related genomic variants that associate with clinical staging and serum protein biomarkers observed in other types of lung cancer. METHODS: We screened formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) biopsy tissues of 32 Chinese SCLC patients using the 303 oncogenic driver gene panel generated by Tiling PCR amplification sequencing (tPAS) and analyzed the patients' corresponding serum protein levels of CYFRA21-1 CEA, NSE, and SCCA. RESULTS: In total, we found 147 SCLC-related mutant genes, among these, three important genes (TP53, RB1, KMT2D) as well as five novel genes LRRK2, BRCA1, PTCH1, ARID2, and APC that altogether occurred in 90% of patients. Furthermore, increased mutations to 6 genes (WT1, NOTCH1, EPHA3, KDM6A, SETD2, ACVR1B) significantly associated with higher serum NSE levels (P = 0.0016) and higher clinical stages II + III compared to stage I (P = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS: Our panel is relatively reliable in detecting the oncogenic mutations of Chinese SCLC patients. Based on our findings, it may be possible to combine SCLC-related mutations and serum NSE for a simple detection of clinical staging.

Effect of the impaction of posterior wall on the prognosis following open reduction and internal fixation for fractures of acetabular posterior wall / 中华创伤骨科杂志

Objective:To evaluate the effect of the impaction of posterior wall on the prognosis following open reduction and internal fixation for fractures of acetabular posterior wall.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the data from the 83 patients with fracture of acetabular posterior wall who had been consecutively treated by open reduction and internal fixation at Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital from January 2017 to December 2020. The patients were divided into 2 groups based on involvement of posterior wall impaction. In the impaction group of 33 cases, there were 26 males and 7 females with an age of (47.4±11.6) years; in the non-impaction group of 50 cases, there were 43 males and 7 females with an age of (41.3±12.0) years. The quality of postoperative fracture reduction, the function of the affected hip at the last follow-up, and the complication rate during follow-up were compared between the 2 groups. Multifactorial binary logistic regression and age subgroups were used to analyze the effects of posterior wall impaction on functional outcomes.Results:The age, rate of associated injuries in other body parts, and rate of posterior wall comminution in the impaction group were significantly higher than those in the non-impaction group ( P<0.05), but there was no statistically significant difference in other general data of patients between the 2 groups ( P>0.05). All patients were followed up for (44.5±13.3) months after surgery. The rate of anatomical reduction in the non-impaction group (96.0%, 48/50) was significantly higher than that in the impaction group (57.6%, 19/33) ( P<0.05), and the good and excellent rate by the modified Merle d'Aubigné & Postel scale at the last follow-up in the non-impaction group (84.0%, 42/50) was significantly higher than that in the impaction group (51.5%, 17/33) ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of complications between the 2 groups ( P>0.05). After adjusting for age and gender, the difference in hip function was still significantly different between the 2 groups ( OR=0.23, 95% CI: 0.06 to 0.79, P=0.020). The effect of posterior wall impaction on functional outcomes was statistically significant in patients aged ≥50 years ( P=0.008), whereas the difference was not statistically significant in patients aged <50 years ( P=0.194). Conclusions:Compared with non-impaction ones, acetabular fractures of posterior wall impaction tend to lead to poorer quality of reduction, which in turn affects the postoperative recovery of hip joint function. The impact of impaction fractures on functional recovery is more significant in patients aged 50 years and above.

Variants in oxidative stress-related genes affect the chemosensitivity through Nrf2-mediated signaling pathway in biliary tract cancer.

BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress and their effectors play critical roles in carcinogenesis and chemoresistance. However, the role of oxidative stress-related genes variants in biliary tract cancer (BTC) chemoresistance remains unknown. In this work, we aim to investigate oxidative stress-dependent molecular mechanisms underlying chemoresistance, and find potential biomarkers to predict chemotherapy response for BTC. METHODS: Sixty-six SNPs in 21 oxidative stress-related genes were genotyped and analyzed in 367 BTC patients. Immunoblot, immunohistochemical, immunofluorescent, quantitative PCR, chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis and study of animal xenograft models were performed to discover oxidative stress-related susceptibility genes underlying chemoresistance mechanism of BTC. FINDINGS: We found that 3 functional polymorphisms (CAT_rs769217, GPX4_rs4807542, and GSR_rs3779647), which were shown to affect their respective gene expression levels, modified the effect of chemotherapy on overall survival (OS). We then demonstrated that knockdown of GPX4, CAT, or GSR induced chemoresistance through elevation of ROS level and activation of Nrf2-ABCG2 pathway in BTC cell lines. Moreover, the association between Nrf2 expression and BTC prognosis is only found in patients who received chemotherapy. Knockdown of Nrf2 enhanced chemosensitivity or even eliminated postoperative recurrence in BTC xenograft mouse models. Importantly, upon chemotherapy treatment patients harboring high oxidative stress-related score received higher survival benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy compared with patients with low oxidative stress-related score. INTERPRETATION: The result of our study suggests, for the first time, that the oxidative stress-related score calculated by combining variations in CAT, GPX4, and GSR or Nrf2 expression could be used for predicting the chemosensitivity of BTC patients. FUND: This work was supported by the National Science Foundation of China, Foundation of Shanghai Shen Kang Hospital Development Center, and Shanghai Outstanding Academic Leaders Plan.

Research progress of spinal-pelvic sagittal alignment based on sitting position imaging / 中华骨科杂志

Sitting is a common position in daily life. The spinal-pelvic sagittal alignment differs between different sitting positions. When the human body changs from erect sitting to natural sitting position, the thoracolumbar kyphosis increases, the global spine presents a "C" shape, the center of body weight moves forward and the pelvic retroverts. In different people, such as healthy people, back pain patients and patients with scoliosis, the spinal-pelvic sagittal alignment has a unique change when standing-to-sitting, which is usually characterized by forward shift of the body center, posterior rotation of pelvic and straightening of thoracolumbar curve. For elderly people or patients underwent internal fixation surgery, the spinal-pelvic sagittal alignment changes less when standing-to-sitting due to the decrease of spinal-pelvic motion. In clinical work, understanding the spinal pelvic sagittal plane sequence during patient sitting can provide guidance for preoperative planning and prognosis evaluation, and improve the quality of life of patients. This article systematically reviews the relevant literature on sitting imaging published from 2010 to 2023, sums up the latest progress of spinal-pelvic sagittal alignment based on sitting position imaging, summarizes the difference between different sitting postures, and demonstrats the changes of spinal-pelvic sagittal alignment in different people when standing-to-sitting, aiming to provide reference for clinical workers.

Novel ß-CD@ZIF-8 Nanoparticles-Doped Poly(m-phenylene isophthalamide) (PMIA) Thin-Film Nanocomposite (TFN) Membrane for Organic Solvent Nanofiltration (OSN).

Organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) membranes are always troubled by the "trade-off" effect between solvent flux and solute rejection. Hence, a rapid, convenient, and effective way to synthesize novel ß-cyclodextrin-enhanced zeolite imidazole framework-8 (ß-CD@ZIF-8) nanoparticles was first proposed and the nanoparticles were doped into both selective layer and poly(m-phenylene isophthalamide) support for fabricating thin-film nanocomposite membranes. Transmission/scanning electron microscopy images and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results demonstrate the successful synthesis of ß-CD@ZIF-8. Atomic force microscopy images illustrate the more rougher surface compared to the pristine membrane, while the pure acetone flux reached 62.3 ± 2.3 L m-2 h-1, and Rose Bengal rejection achieved 96.6 ± 1.8 and 94.5 ± 0.5% in methanol (MeOH) and tetrahydrofuran at 0.6 MPa, respectively, when the dosage was 0.05% (w/v). The molecular weight cutoff around 574 Da of PPA2505 containing ß-CD@ZIF-8 in both support and selective layers shows the optimum properties and outstanding OSN performances in erythromycin concentration and purification in MeOH and butyl acetate. Additionally, polyimide nanofiber and the formed net structure may offer a potential way to fabricate "ultrathin" film in the OSN industry.

Relationship among self-efficacy, quality of care and quality of life for people with physical disabilities / 中国康复理论与实践

ObjectiveTo investigate the status of self-efficacy, quality of care and quality of life of people with physical disabilities, and analyze the relationship among them. MethodsFrom January, 2019 to December, 2020, 357 people with physical disabilities in Shandong were selected with cluster stratified random sampling, and all the participants were investigated with a general questionnaire, World Health Organization Quality of Life-Disability Scales, General Self-Efficacy Scale and World Health Organization Quality of Care and Support Scale-Disability Scale on internet. ResultsA total of 357 questionnaires were collected, in which 350 were valid. The total score was (115.00±20.70) for quality of life, (23.33±5.78) for self-efficacy, and (50.43±10.56) for quality of care. The quality of life and its each domain was positively correlated with self-efficacy (r > 0.282, P < 0.01), quality of care, care information acquisition, care giving and care environment (r > 0.369, P < 0.01). Employment, self-efficacy and quality of care associated with the quality of life (t > 4.386, P < 0.001); employment, self-efficacy, care giving and care environment associated with the physiological, psychological and environment domains of the quality of life (t > 2.926, P < 0.01); parents as main caregivers, employment, self-efficacy, care giving and care environment associated with social relationships domain of the quality of life (|t| > 2.525, P < 0.05); parents as main caregivers, employment, care giving and care environment associated with the disability domain of the quality of life (|t| > 2.209, P < 0.05). ConclusionThe quality of life needs to be improved for the people with physical disabilities. Self-efficacy and quality of care may impact the quality of life; and it is needed to focus on the people with physical disabilities who are unemployed and whose parents are the main caregivers.

The utilization of Scoliosis Research Society-Schwab grade VI osteotomy and satellite rod technique in severe angular kyphosis: short-term outcomes and complications analysis / 中华骨科杂志

Objective:To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of SRS-Schwab Grade VI osteotomy in the management of severe angular kyphosis and to assess perioperative and postoperative complications.Methods:A comprehensive retrospective analysis was conducted on 19 patients diagnosed with severe angular kyphosis who underwent SRS-Schwab Grade VI osteotomy between June 2011 and June 2021. Various radiographic parameters, including global kyphosis (GK), sagittal vertical axis (SVA), thoracic kyphosis (TK), lumbar lordosis (LL), pelvic tilt (PT), pelvic incidence (PI), and sacral slope (SS), were quantified through standing radiographs obtained preoperatively, postoperatively, and at the most recent follow-up. Incidences of intraoperative and postoperative complications were meticulously recorded. The Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22) score was utilized to gauge patient quality of life, while neurological function was appraised using the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) grading system.Results:The mean follow-up duration was 24.9±9.5 months, ranging from 12 to 49 months. The intraoperative blood loss averaged 2 995.3±1 357.6 ml, with a mean operative time of 414.5±65.8 minutes. The osteotomy was performed across an average of 2.4±0.6 segments, with 11.0±1.7 segments subsequently fused. Statistically significant alterations were observed in multiple parameters including GK ( F=658.56, P<0.001), SVA ( F=18.86, P<0.001), LL ( F=180.73, P<0.001), TK ( F=166.12, P<0.001), PT ( F=14.68, P<0.001), and SS ( F=6.03, P=0.005) when compared at preoperative, immediate postoperative, and ultimate follow-up intervals. PI remained statistically invariable ( F=0.29, P=0.750). Preoperative mean values for GK and SVA were 107.4°±9.1° and 38.4±19.7 mm, respectively. Postoperatively, GK was dramatically reduced to 39.7°±12.1° ( t=25.59, P<0.001), reflecting a correction rate of 63.2%±10.1%. Concurrently, SVA was markedly improved to 18.1±10.6 mm ( t=4.22, P=0.001). Notably, the correction remained stable during subsequent follow-ups. Functional and self-image domain scores exhibited a significant elevation at the final follow-up in comparison to preoperative values. Seven patients experienced intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring events, but no enduring neurological deficits were discerned postoperatively. A singular case of postoperative neurological impairment was attributed to spinal cord hematoma. Moreover, proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) manifested in six patients during follow-up, while implant failure was conspicuously absent. Conclusion:SRS-Schwab Grade VI osteotomy demonstrates a commendable efficacy in the correction of severe angular kyphosis, with the resultant alignment proving to be durably maintained throughout the follow-up period.