A smart and responsive crystalline porous organic cage membrane with switchable pore apertures for graded molecular sieving.

Membranes with high selectivity offer an attractive route to molecular separations, where technologies such as distillation and chromatography are energy intensive. However, it remains challenging to fine tune the structure and porosity in membranes, particularly to separate molecules of similar size. Here, we report a process for producing composite membranes that comprise crystalline porous organic cage films fabricated by interfacial synthesis on a polyacrylonitrile support. These membranes exhibit ultrafast solvent permeance and high rejection of organic dyes with molecular weights over 600 g mol-1. The crystalline cage film is dynamic, and its pore aperture can be switched in methanol to generate larger pores that provide increased methanol permeance and higher molecular weight cut-offs (1,400 g mol-1). By varying the water/methanol ratio, the film can be switched between two phases that have different selectivities, such that a single, 'smart' crystalline membrane can perform graded molecular sieving. We exemplify this by separating three organic dyes in a single-stage, single-membrane process.

Vapor-Induced Pore-Forming Atmospheric-Plasma-Sprayed Zinc-, Strontium-, and Magnesium-Doped Hydroxyapatite Coatings on Titanium Implants Enhance New Bone Formation-An In Vivo and In Vitro Investigation.

OBJECTIVES: Titanium implants are regarded as a promising treatment modality for replacing missing teeth. Osteointegration and antibacterial properties are both desirable characteristics for titanium dental implants. The aim of this study was to create zinc (Zn)-, strontium (Sr)-, and magnesium (Mg)-multidoped hydroxyapatite (HAp) porous coatings, including HAp, Zn-doped HAp, and Zn-Sr-Mg-doped HAp, on titanium discs and implants using the vapor-induced pore-forming atmospheric plasma spraying (VIPF-APS) technique. METHODS: The mRNA and protein levels of osteogenesis-associated genes such as collagen type I alpha 1 chain (COL1A1), decorin (DCN), osteoprotegerin (TNFRSF11B), and osteopontin (SPP1) were examined in human embryonic palatal mesenchymal cells. The antibacterial effects against periodontal bacteria, including Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella nigrescens, were investigated. In addition, a rat animal model was used to evaluate new bone formation via histologic examination and micro-computed tomography (CT). RESULTS: The ZnSrMg-HAp group was the most effective at inducing mRNA and protein expression of TNFRSF11B and SPP1 after 7 days of incubation, and TNFRSF11B and DCN after 11 days of incubation. In addition, both the ZnSrMg-HAp and Zn-HAp groups were effective against P. gingivalis and P. nigrescens. Furthermore, according to both in vitro studies and histologic findings, the ZnSrMg-HAp group exhibited the most prominent osteogenesis and concentrated bone growth along implant threads. SIGNIFICANCE: A porous ZnSrMg-HAp coating using VIPF-APS could serve as a novel technique for coating titanium implant surfaces and preventing further bacterial infection.

First report of Fusarium fujikuroi causes leaf spot in Polygonatum odoratum (Mill.) Druce in China.

Polygonatum odoratum (Mill.) Druce, a member of Liliaceae, is one of the traditional Chinese herbal plants mainly used in Jilin, Hubei, Guangxi, Zhejiang, Liaoning, Hunan and Guangdong provinces. Leaf spot disease of P. odoratum was continuously observed in the Planting Demonstration Garden in Changsha (28 °48 N; 113° 34E), Hunan Province of China, in May 2021 and May 2022. The symptoms initially appeared as tiny reddish-brown spots and continued to expand, resulting in round, oval, or irregular tan lesions with necrotic, film-shaped, or perforated central tissues. Leaf spot disease affects approximately 60-70% of plants. For pathogen isolation, symptomatic leaf samples were collected and disinfected with 70% ethanol for 30 s and 3% sodium hypochlorite for 2 min, followed by rinsing with sterile distilled water. Subsequently, small pieces (3 × 3 mm) of diseased tissues were placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and incubated in the dark at 25 °C for 24 h to 36 h. The emerging fungal hyphal tips were transferred to PDA and purified by the single-spore method (Yu, et al., 202). In total, 50 disease spots were isolated, and 10 cultures with the same appearance were obtained. Two strains coded as hnxryzy and hnxryzy01 were randomly selected for identification. After 6 days of culture in PDA, dense pink colonies were observed with a mean radial growth rate of 7.5 mm/day. Strains cultured 6 days on synthetic low nutrient medium, microconidia were oval or ovate (7.5-9.67 µm × 2.49-3.57 µm(n = 50)), and macroconidia were sickle-shaped and slightly curved, gradually tapering at both ends, with 2-5 pseudoseptate (10.01-22.14 µm × 2.07-4.22 µm (n = 50)). These morphological characteristics were consistent with the description of Fusarium fujikuroi (Fang, et al., 2021). Furthermore, primers ITS1/ITS4, EF728F/EF986R, Bt2a/Bt2b, RPB1-F5/RPB1-R8 and fRPB2-5F2/fRPB2-7cR (Li, et al., 2013, Xie, et al., 2022) were used to amplify the partial region of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) , the translation elongation factor EF-1α,ß-tubulin,polymerase II largest subunit (RPB1) and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2) genes from strains hnxryzy and hnxryzy01, respectively. Amplicons were sequenced by Tsingke Biotechnology Co., Ltd. The expected sequences of ITS, EF-1α, ß-tubulin, RPB1 and RPB2 of hnxryzy and hnxryzy01 were obtained. The sequence alignment of hnxryzj and hnxryzj01 with the Fusarium ID databased and NCBI shows the following results: The sequences of ITS region, EF-1α, ß-tubulin , RPB1 and RPB2 of strain hnxryzy (GenBank accession nos. ON797440, ON820553, ON820554, OP413443, and OP413445, respectively) and strain hnxryzy01 (GenBank accession nos. ON965284, ON968721, ON968722, OP413444, and OP413446, respectively) were 99% to 100% identical to those of F. fujikuroi (GenBank accession numbers CP023090, KC874784, MN490089, MN193916, and MN193888, respectively). Then a phylogenetic tree based on EF-1α, RPB1, and RPB2 sequences was constructed (Torres-Cruz, et al., 2022). The strains hnxryzy and hnxryzy01 were more closely related to F. fujikuroi ( NRRL13566 GenBank accession nos. AF160279, JX171456, and JX171570, respectively), with bootstrap values of 99%. Two sets (5 plants in each set) of potted plants were used in pathogenicity assays. Wounded leaves were sprayed with conidial suspensions (100 µL, 1 × 107 spores/mL) and sterile water as control. Inoculated plants were covered with plastic bags for 24 h, and maintained at 25 ° C in 12/12 h light/dark conditions in the greenhouse (Yu, et al., 2022). Pathogenicity assays were repeated thrice. Dark brown spots identical to those seen in the field were observed 14 days after inoculation, while the control leaves did not exhibit any symptoms. In this study, the pathogen F. fujikuroi was successfully reisolated from the leaves of inoculated samples showing symptoms, thereby verifying Koch's postulate. To our knowledge, this is the first report of F. fujikuroi inducing leaf spot on P. odoratum in China. Since F. fujikuroi is a common pathogenic fungus that infects different plant species(Qiu, et al., 2020), more attention should be paid to its prevalence in P. odoratum and the potential risk of outbreak in other provinces of China.

Optimal movement behaviors: correlates and associations with anxiety symptoms among Chinese university students.

BACKGROUND: The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Adults was released in 2020. There is a dearth of evidence on the association between adherence to the 24 h movement guidelines and health indicators. This study aims to (a) explore the associations between potential correlates and meeting the 24 h movement guidelines using a sample of Chinese university students; and (b) examine if meeting 24 h movement guidelines is associated with the severity of anxiety symptoms. METHODS: Cross-sectional findings are based on 1846 Chinese university students (mean age = 20.7 years, 64.0% female). Movement behaviors (physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep duration), possible correlates, and anxiety symptoms were measured through self-reported online questionnaires. Logistic regression models were performed to examine the associations. RESULTS: We found that male students and those who had a mother with a master's degree or above, more close friends and higher perceived family affluence were more likely to meet the overall 24 h guidelines. Meeting all 24 h movement guidelines presented the lower odds for severe anxiety symptoms than those meeting fewer recommendations in the 24 h movement guidelines. CONCLUSIONS: As one of the first to examine the correlates of adherence to the 24 h movement guidelines and the relationship between anxiety symptoms and meeting the guidelines among Chinese university students, our findings contribute to the growing body of evidence linking movement behaviors, psychosocial correlates, and heath indicators. Schools and health providers can encourage movement behaviors that follow the guidelines on campus.

Engineered Coatings via the Assembly of Amino-Quinone Networks.

Engineering coatings with precise physicochemical properties allows for control over the interface of a material and its interactions with the surrounding environment. However, assembling coatings with well-defined properties on different material classes remains a challenge. Herein, we report a co-assembly strategy to precisely control the structure and properties (e.g., thickness, adhesion, wettability, and zeta potential) of coatings on various materials (27 substrates examined) using quinone and polyamine building blocks. By increasing the length of the amine building blocks from small molecule diamines to branched amine polymers, we tune the properties of the films, including the thickness (from ca. 5 to ca. 50 nm), interfacial adhesion (0.05 to 5.54 nN), water contact angle (130 to 40°), and zeta potential (-42 to 28 mV). The films can be post-functionalized through the in situ formation of diverse nanostructures, including nanoparticles, nanorods, and nanocrystals. Our approach provides a platform for the rational design of engineered, substrate-independent coatings for various applications.

High Expression Levels of Long Noncoding RNA Small Nucleolar RNA Host Gene 18 and Semaphorin 5A Indicate Poor Prognosis in Multiple Myeloma.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to detect the expression of long noncoding RNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 18 (SNHG18) andsemaphorin 5A (SEMA5A) genes in multiple myeloma (MM) patients and to explore the correlation of the expression of these genes with the clinical characteristics and prognosis of MM patients. METHODS: Forty-seven newly diagnosed MM, 18 complete remission MM, 13 refractory/relapse MM, and 22 iron deficiency anemia (serving as control) samples were extracted at the Department of Hematology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Xian Jiaotong University between January 2015 and December 2016. The clinical features of the MM patients are summarized. Real-time quantitative PCR was performed to analyze the relative expression levels of the SNHG18 and SEMA5Agenes. The clinical characteristics and overall survival (OS) of the MM patients were statistically analyzed while measuring different levels of SNHG18 and SEMA5Agene expression. At the same time, the correlation between the expression of SNHG18 and SEMA5A was also analyzed. RESULTS: The analysis confirmed that SNHG18 and its possible target gene SEMA5A were both highly expressed in newly diagnosed MM patients. After analyzing the clinical significance of SNHG18 and SEMA5A in MM patients, we found that the expression of SNHG18 and SEMA5A was related to the Durie-Salmon (DS), International Staging System (ISS), and Revised International Staging System (R-ISS) classification systems, and the Mayo Clinic Risk Stratification for Multiple Myeloma (mSMART; p < 0.05). Moreover, we observed a significant difference in OS between the SNHG18/SEMA5A high expression group and the low expression group. We found a positive correlation between SNHG18 and SEMA5A expression (r = 0.709, p < 0.01). Surprisingly, the expected median OS times of both the SNHG18 and SEMA5Ahigh expression groups were significantly decreased, which was in contrast to those of both the SNHG18 and SEMA5Alow expression groups and the single-gene high expression group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: High expression of both SNHG18 and SEMA5A is associated with poor prognosis in patients with MM.

Dietary Calcium Intake and HPV Infection Status Among American Women: A Secondary Analysis from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) Data Set of 2003 - 2016.

BACKGROUND The evidence on the link of dietary calcium (DCa) to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is limited. Thus, this research was conducted to explore whether DCa is independently associated with HPV infection status in American women with age of 18 to 59 years old. MATERIAL AND METHODS We performed a secondary analysis from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data set including 7 cycles from 2003 to 2016. A total of 13 475 selected participants were used for data analysis. The interested independent and the outcome variable were DCa and HPV infection status (HPV infection; HPV subtype). Sociodemographic, dietary, laboratory, questionnaire, and physical examination data were covariates. Weighted binary logistic regression and generalized additive model (GAM) were used for the investigation of both linear and non-linear relationships between DCa and HPV infection status. RESULTS Weighted multivariable binary logistic regression indicated DCa was not associated with HPV infection and subtype (OR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.82-1.05 for HPV infection; OR: 1.09; 95% CI: 0.93-1.28 for HPV subtype). For HPV infection, a non-linear correlation was detected, whose inflection points were 9.78 of log2 DCa. The OR values and the confidence intervals on both sides of inflection point were 0.83 (95% CI: 0.70-0.98) and 1.18 (95% CI: 0.91-1.52), respectively. CONCLUSIONS At the range of 3.32-9.78 of log2 calcium intake, DCa intake was negatively correlated with HPV infection. After this interval, DCa intake was not associated with the risk of HPV infection.

First Report of Damping-off on Sedum plumbizincicola Caused by Rhizoctonia solani AG 2-1 in China.

Sedum plumbizincicola X.H. Guo et S.B. Zhou sp. nov. is a plant species of the family Crassulaceae that has the ability to hyperaccumulate cadmium and zinc in high concentrations (Liu et al. 2017). In April of 2018 and 2019, a disease of damping-off was observed on S. plumbizincicola seedlings in a nursery in Changsha (28°13'N; 112°56'E), the Hunan Province of China, in which nearly 1 million seedlings were planted. Approximately 40% of the surveyed plants were infected. The affected plants displayed water-soaking on the shoots and stems, and chlorosis on the leaves. As the disease spread upward, leaf stalks or the whole plants became wilted and collapsed. Five diseased stem and leaf samples were collected. Symptomatic tissues were excised and surface sterilized with 70% ethanol for 10 s, and 0.1% HgCl2 for 2 min, washed with sterile distilled water for three times, and then cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 26°C in darkness. Fungal colonies were similar in morphology: white, light gray to brown, with hyphae branched at nearly right angles, septa near the branching point and constrictions at the base of hyphal branches. After 10 days, white-gray to brown sclerotia were produced. The morphological characteristics were consistent with those of Rhizoctonia solani J.G. Kühn (Sneh et al. 1991). Genomic DNA of a representative isolate was extracted using the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide method. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA was amplified and sequenced with the primer pairs ITS4/ITS5 (White et al. 1990). When analyzed by the BLASTn program, the ITS sequence (GenBank Accession No. MN961664) had 100% identity to the corresponding gene sequence of R. solani anastomosis group (AG) 2-1(Accession Nos: LC202869.1 and MH862641.1). In addition, primers Rhsp1/ITS4B and Rhsp2/ITS1F specific for R. solani, and AG21sp/ITS4B specific for R. solani AG 2-1 were also used (Salazar et al. 2000). Results revealed that our isolate was R. solani AG 2-1. Pathogenicity was confirmed via in vivo inoculation of one-month-old S. plumbizincicola seedlings in sterilized nursery soil with four representative isolates. For each pot, five 5-mm-diameter mycelial plugs from 7-days old colonies on PDA were placed in the soil near the base of the stems. Plants inoculated with agar plugs without mycelium served as controls. The inoculated plants were kept in a growth chamber at 25°C with a 12/12 h light/dark cycle. Pathogenicity tests were performed twice, with three replicative potted plants for each isolate in each test. Approximately 25 days after inoculation, the damping-off symptoms resembling those observed in the field were displayed on the inoculated plants, while no obvious symptoms were observed on the control plants. R. solani was re-isolated from all infected plants and molecularly characterized, thus confirming Koch's postulates. R. solani has been previously reported as the pathogen of damping-off disease in many plants, such as canola (Paulitz et al. 2006) and oat (Zhang et al. 2016). However, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of R. solani causing damping-off of S. plumbizincicola in China. S. plumbizincicola is widely planted for heavy metal pollution treatment in China. The occurrence of this disease could seriously affect the production of the seedlings, and management strategies should be developed.

Reducing NETO2 expression prevents human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) progression by suppressing metastasis and inducing apoptosis.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), the most common cancer in head and neck regions, is a serious health problem worldwide. Neuropilin and tolloid-like 2 (NETO2), a member of the subfamily of CUB domain and LDLa-containing proteins, has been suggested to be involved in tumor progression. Nevertheless, little is known about the function and molecular mechanism of NETO2 in NPC progression. In the study, NETO2 was found to be significantly up-regulated in clinical tissues and NPC cell lines. NETO2 expression was positively correlated with tumor size. NETO2 knockdown inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion in NPC cell lines. Significantly, NETO2 knockdown promoted the radiotherapy in vitro, as evidenced by the further reduced cell proliferation and metastasis in NPC cells using 3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT), colony formation and transwell analysis. In addition, NETO2 inhibition markedly induced apoptosis in NPC cells through activating Caspase-3 signaling. Also, the knockdown of NETO2 obviously promoted the efficacy of radiotherapy in apoptosis induction, along with higher expression of cleaved Caspase-3. NETO2 knockdown-triggered apoptosis in NPC cells were considerably diminished by Caspase-3 inactivation, demonstrating the essential role of Caspase-3 in NETO2-regulated NPC development. Moreover, in vivo experiments suggested that NETO2 knockdown promoted radiation-induced tumor growth suppression in the absence of significant side effects. Collectively, reducing NETO2 expression might elevate the efficiency of radiotherapy in NPC patients.

Bufalin suppresses the migration and invasion of prostate cancer cells through HOTAIR, the sponge of miR-520b.

Bufalin, the major active component of the traditional Chinese medicine ChanSu obtained from the skin and parotid venom glands of toads, has long been known as an anticancer agent. Recent studies show that microRNAs (miRs) are involved in the anticancer activities of bufalin, while long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are known to interact with miRNAs to regulate various biological functions. In this paper, we investigated the possible network related to the antimetastatic effect of bufalin in prostate cancer (PCa) cells. We demonstrated that bufalin (0.05-10 µM) dose-dependently suppressed the proliferation of prostate cancer DU145 and PC3 cells with IC50 values of 0.89 and 1.28 µM, respectively. Furthermore, bufalin treatment significantly suppressed the cell migration and invasion. To explore the role of lncRNAs in the antimetastatic activity of bufalin, we used an lncRNA microarray and found that HOX transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR) was the most markedly downregulated lncRNA in bufalin-treated PCa cells. Overexpression of HOTAIR counteracted the suppressing effects of bufalin on DU145 and PC3 cells. We then predicted and verified that HOTAIR upregulated FGFR1 expression by sponging miR-520b in PCa cells. In 40 patients with PCa bone metastasis, we used in situ hybridization or immunohistochemical assay to assess the HOTAIR and FGFR1 expression, which revealed that both HOTAIR and FGFR1 expression were significantly higher in bone metastasis tissues than in the primary PCa tissues. In addition, the level of serum HOTAIR was positively associated with the levels of serum bone metabolic markers (CTx, OST, B-ALP and PINP) and may serve as a reasonable biomarker for PCa bone metastasis. Taken together, this is the first study revealing that HOTAIR promotes PCa bone metastasis, and bufalin may be a promising candidate for the treatment of this disease.

MicroRNA-193b-3p regulates matrix metalloproteinase 19 expression in interleukin-1ß-induced human chondrocytes.

Micro(mi)RNAs are small, non-coding RNA molecules known to play a significant role in osteoarthritis (OA) initiation and development, and similar to matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), they participate in cartilage degeneration and cleave multiple extracellular matrices. The aim of this study was to determine whether the expression of MMP-19 in interleukin (IL)-1ß-induced human chondrocytes is directly regulated by miR-193b-3p. Expression levels of miR-193b-3p and MMP-19 in normal and osteoarthritis (OA) human cartilage, and interleukin-1 ß (IL-1ß)-induced human chondrocytes were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Additionally, expression level of MMP-19 in IL-1ß-induced human chondrocytes was estimated by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry analyses. The effect of miR-193b-3p on MMP-19 expression was evaluated using transient transfection of normal human chondrocytes with miR-193b-3p mimic or its antisense inhibitor (miR-193b-3p inhibitor), and siMMP-19. The putative binding site of miR-193b-3p in the 3'-untranslated region (UTR) of MMP-19 mRNA was validated by luciferase reporter assay. miR-193b-3p expression was reduced in OA cartilage compared to that in normal chondrocytes, while the opposite was observed for MMP-19. Upregulation of MMP-19 expression was correlated with downregulation of miR-193b-3p in IL-1ß-stimulated normal chondrocytes. Increase in miR-193b-3p levels was associated with silencing of MMP-19. Overexpression of miR-193b-3p suppressed the activity of the reporter construct containing the 3'-UTR of human MMP-19 mRNA and inhibited the IL-1ß-induced expression of MMP-19 and iNOS in chondrocytes, while treatment with miR-193b-3p inhibitor enhanced MMP-19 expression. MiR-193b-3p is an important regulator of MMP-19 in human chondrocytes and may relieve the inflammatory response in OA.

Identification of long noncoding RNAs in Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma japonicum.

Schistosomiasis is a major parasitic disease caused by 3 principal species of schistosome. Studies of schistosome transcriptomes have focused on protein-coding transcripts and although miRNAs are attracting increased attention, few reports have concerned the long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). These have been shown to play key roles in the regulation of gene expression through interactions with mRNAs, proteins and miRNAs. In this study, we first identified lncRNAs from RNA-seq data in Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma japonicum: 3247 and 3033 potential lncRNAs were found in these two species respectively. ChIP-seq analysis to determine H3K4me3 profiles along the gene regions corresponding to lncRNAs showed that in 12% of cases this mark was enriched in regions proximal to the transcription start sites, supporting their validity as actively transcribed genes. Besides, the sequence conservation of lncRNAs between schistosome species was much lower than that of mRNAs, but higher than that of the randomly selected genomic sequences, which is consistent with that in mammals. Our results demonstrate that lncRNAs form a significant part of the schistosome transcriptome and suggest that they play an important role in the biology of the parasite.

Cdc42 Promotes Schwann Cell Proliferation and Migration Through Wnt/ß-Catenin and p38 MAPK Signaling Pathway After Sciatic Nerve Injury.

Schwann cells (SCs) are unique glial cells in the peripheral nerve and may secrete multiple neurotrophic factors, adhesion molecules, extracellular matrix molecules to form the microenvironment of peripheral nerve regeneration, guiding and supporting nerve proliferation and migration. Cdc42 plays an important regulatory role in dynamic changes of the cytoskeleton. However, there is a little study referred to regulation and mechanism of Cdc42 on glial cells after peripheral nerve injury. The present study investigated the role of Cdc42 in the proliferation and migration of SCs after sciatic nerve injury. Cdc42 expression was tested, showing that the mRNA and protein expression levels of Cdc42 were significantly up-regulated after sciatic nerve injury. Then, we isolated and purified SCs from injuried sciatic nerve at day 7. The purified SCs were transfected with Cdc42 siRNA and pcDNA3.1-Cdc42, and the cell proliferation, cell cycle and migration were assessed. The results implied that Cdc42 siRNA remarkably inhibited Schwann cell proliferation and migration, and resulted in S phase arrest. While pcDNA3.1-Cdc42 showed a contrary effect. Besides, we also observed that Cdc42 siRNA down-regulated the protein expression of ß-catenin, Cyclin D1, c-myc and p-p38, which were up-regulated by pcDNA3.1-Cdc42. Meanwhile, the inhibitor of Wnt/ß-catenin and p38 MAPK signaling pathway IWP-2 and SB203580 significantly inhibited the effect of pcDNA3.1-Cdc42 on cell proliferation and migration. Overall, our data indicate that Cdc42 regulates Schwann cell proliferation and migration through Wnt/ß-catenin and p38 MAPK signaling pathway after sciatic nerve injury, which provides further insights into the therapy of the sciatic nerve injury.

Nanofiltration Membrane with a Mussel-Inspired Interlayer for Improved Permeation Performance.

A mussel-inspired interlayer of polydopamine (PDA)/polyethylenimine (PEI) is codeposited on the ultrafiltration substrate to tune the interfacial polymerization of piperazine and trimesoyl chloride for the preparation of thin-film composite (TFC) nanofiltration membranes (NFMs). This hydrophilic interlayer results in an efficient adsorption of piperazine solution in the substrate pores. The solution height increases with the PDA/PEI codeposition time from 45 to 135 min due to the capillary effect of the substrate pores. The prepared TFC NFMs are characterized with thin and smooth polyamide selective layers by ATR/IR, XPS, FESEM, AFM, zeta potential, and water contact angle measurements. Their water permeation flux measured in a cross-flow process increases to two times as compared with those TFC NFMs without the mussel-inspired interlayer. These TFC NFMs also show a high rejection of 97% to Na2SO4 and an salt rejection order of Na2SO4 ≈ MgSO4 > MgCl2 > NaCl.

[Summarize drug dosage forms in treatment of age-related macular degeneration disease].

In this review, the authors summarized the drugs in treatment of the age-related macular degeneration (AMD or ARMD), including the pathogenesis of the age-related macular degeneration at home and abroad, dosage forms used in the treatment, and the drugs research and development directions in the future. AMD disease is the third largest blinding diseases all over the world, with an incidence of 6.62%. The dosage form of the traditional medicine is mostly oral formulations, playing a role in body, while the newly dosage form is topical drug delivery formulation. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has certain advantages in the treatment of AMD disease and the development of topical drug delivery preparations with newly preparation technologies would have a very bright prospect in the future.

Mussel-Inspired Coatings Directed and Accelerated by an Electric Field.

Polydopamine-based coatings are fabricated via an electric field-accelerating and -directing codeposition process of polydopamine with charged polymers such as polycations, polyanions, and polyzwitterions. The coatings are uniform and smooth on various substrates, especially on those adhesion-resistant materials including poly(vinylidene fluoride) and poly(tetrafluoroethylene) membranes. Moreover, this electric field-directed deposition method can be applied to facilely prepare Janus membranes with asymmetric chemistry and wettability.

New sonographic morphology score for the differentiation of malignant from benign ovarian tumors.

AIM: The aim of this study was to explore the efficacy of a new sonographic morphology score (SMS) to differentiate malignant from benign ovarian tumors. METHODS: Data on 84 ovarian tumors in patients hospitalized in our hospital between 2013 and 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. We established a new sonographic morphology score for ovarian tumors based on volume and structure scores. The efficacy of the new SMS was compared with that of Ueland's index (the old SMS). Receiver-operator curves (ROC) of the two SMS were constructed, and the areas under the curve were calculated and compared. The ROC of the new SMS was also compared with those for the patients' CA-125 and CA-72-4 levels. RESULTS: The area under the ROC of the new SMS for ovarian tumors was 0.836, while for the old SMS for ovarian tumors it was 0.709. By Z-test (Z = 2.452, P = 0.0384), there was a significant difference between the new SMS and the old SMS in the diagnosis of ovarian tumors. There was no significant difference in the area under the ROC between the new SMS and CA-125 and CA-72-4 in the diagnosis of ovarian tumors. With a cut-off value of 6, the sensitivity, specificity, positive prognostic value, and negative prognostic value of the new SMS were 0.797, 0.85, 0.944, and 0.567, respectively. CONCLUSION: The new SMS may be used to differentiate malignant ovarian carcinomas from benign tumors except in the case of ovarian thecoma.

Enhanced butanol production in a microbial electrolysis cell by Clostridium beijerinckii IB4.

Reducing power such as NADH is an essential factor for acetone/butanol/ethanol (ABE) fermentation using Clostridium spp. The objective of this study was to increase available NADH in Clostridium beijerinckii IB4 by a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) with an electron carrier to enhance butanol production. First of all, a MEC was performed without electron carrier to study the function of cathodic potential applying. Then, various electron carriers were tested, and neutral red (NR)-amended cultures showed an increase of butanol concentration. Optimal NR concentration (0.1 mM) was used to add in a MEC. Electricity stimulated the cell growth obviously and dramatically diminished the fermentation time from 40 to 28 h. NR and electrically reduced NR improved the final butanol concentration and inhibited the acetone generation. In the MEC with NR, the butanol concentration, yield, proportion and productivity were increased by 12.2, 17.4, 7.2 and 60.3 %, respectively. To further understand the mechanisms of NR, cathodic potential applying and electrically reduced NR, NADH and NAD(+) levels, ATP levels and hydrogen production were determined. NR and electrically reduced NR also improved ATP levels and the ratio of NADH/NAD(+), whereas they decreased hydrogen production. Thus, the MEC is an efficient method for enhancing the butanol production.

Annular ligament reconstruction by suture anchor for treatment of radial head dislocation in children.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the efficacy of annular ligament reconstruction by suture anchor in the treatment of radial head dislocation (RHD) in children. METHOD: A total of 20 RHD children nderwent annular ligament reconstruction surgery using suture anchor. Preoperative and postoperative elbow functions were evaluated according to Broberg and Morrey 100-point scale. Recovery of radial nerve function was assessed using the Chinese Medical Association of Hand Surgery Branch of Upper Limb Functional Assessment Standard. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 17.0 software. RESULTS: All 20 RHD children who underwent the procedure were followed up for a median duration of 24 months. At the last follow-up, the average Broberg-Morrey score was 94.3, with 12 children (60.0%) showing excellent outcomes (score range, 95 to 100), 7 children (35.0%) showing good outcomes (score range, 80 to 94), 1 child (5.0%) displayed a fair outcome (score range, 60 to 79), and 0 (0%) poor outcome. A significant difference in the excellent-good rate was observed when the elbow function before surgery was compared to after surgery (χ(2) = 5.559, P = 0.018). The radial nerve function of the 13 RHD children with radial nerve injury also recovered to normal. Among these 13 RHD children, nine exhibited excellent outcomes, 3 showed good outcomes, 1 displayed a fair outcome, and no patient showed a poor outcome. A significant difference in the excellent-good rate of radial nerve function was also observed when before surgery was compared to after surgery in these RHD children (χ(2) = 4.887, P = 0.027). CONCLUSION: Our results strongly indicated that suture anchor is highly effective for reconstruction of the annular ligament and to promote full functional recovery in RHD children, demonstrating that the procedure is an excellent treatment choice in RHD children.

Microglia activation: one of the checkpoints in the CNS inflammation caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection in rodent model.

Angiostrongylus cantonensis (A. cantonensis) is a rodent nematode. Adult worms of A. cantonensis live in the pulmonary arteries of rats; humans are non-permissive hosts like the mice. The larva cannot develop into an adult worm and only causes serious eosinophilic meningitis or meningo-encephalitis if humans or mice eat food containing larva of A. cantonensis in the third stage. The differing consequences largely depend on differing immune responses of hosts to parasite during A. cantonensis invasion and development. To further understand the reasons why mice and rats attain different outcomes in A. cantonensis infection, we used the HE staining to observe the pathological changes of infected mice and rats. In addition, we measured mRNA levels of some cytokines (IL-5, IL-6, IL-13, Eotaxin, IL-4, IL-10, TGF-ß, IFN-γ, IL-17A, TNF-α, IL-1ß, and iNOS) in brain tissues of mice and rats by real-time PCR. The result showed that brain inflammation in mice was more serious than in rats. Meanwhile, mRNA expression levels of IL-6, IL-1ß, TNF-α, and iNOS increased after mice were infected. In contrast, mRNA levels of these cytokines in rats brain tissues decreased at post- infection 21 days. These cytokines mostly were secreted by activated microglia in central nervous system. Microglia of mice and rats were showed by Iba-1 (microglia marker) staining. In micee brains, microglia got together and had more significant activation than in rats brains. The results demonstrate that mice and rats have different CNS inflammation after infection by A. cantonensis, and it is in line with other researchers' reported findings. In conclusion, it is suggested that microglia activation is probably to be one of the most important factors in angiostrongyliasis from our study.