In Situ Photogenerated Radicals of Hydroxyl Substituted Pyrene-Based Triphenylamines with Enhanced Transport and Free Doping/Post-Oxidation for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells.

The high-performance hole transporting material (HTM) is one of the most important components for the perovskite solar cells (PSCs) in promoting power conversion efficiency (PCE). However, the low conductivity of HTMs and their additional requirements for doping and post-oxidation greatly limits the device performance. In this work, three novel pyrene-based derivatives containing methoxy-substituted triphenylamines units (PyTPA, PyTPA-OH and PyTPA-2OH) are designed and synthesized, where different numbers of hydroxyl groups are connected at the 2- or 2,7-positions of the pyrene core. These hydroxyl groups at the 2- or 2,7-positions of pyrene play a significantly role to enhance the intermolecular interactions that are able to generate in situ radicals with the assistance of visible light irradiation, resulting in enhanced hole transferring ability, as well as an enhanced conductivity and suppressed recombination. These pyrene-core based HTMs exhibit excellent performance in PSCs, which possess a higher PCE than those control devices using the traditional spiro-OMeTAD as the HTM. The best performance can be found in the devices with PyTPA-2OH. It has an average PCE of 23.44% (PCEmax = 23.50%), which is the highest PCE among the reported PSCs with the pyrene-core based HTMs up to date. This research offers a novel avenue to design a dopant-free HTM by the combination of the pyrene core, methoxy triphenylamines, and hydroxy groups.

Environmental Controls on Evapotranspiration and Its Components in a Qinghai Spruce Forest in the Qilian Mountains.

Qinghai spruce forests, found in the Qilian mountains, are a typical type of water conservation forest and play an important role in regulating the regional water balance and quantifying the changes and controlling factors for evapotranspiration (ET) and its components, namely, transpiration (T), evaporation (Es) and canopy interceptions (Ei), of the Qinghai spruce, which may provide rich information for improving water resource management. In this study, we partitioned ET based on the assumption that total ET equals the sum of T, Es and Ei, and then we analyzed the environmental controls on ET, T and Es. The results show that, during the main growing seasons of the Qinghai spruce (from May to September) in the Qilian mountains, the total ET values were 353.7 and 325.1 mm in 2019 and 2020, respectively. The monthly dynamics in the daily variations in T/ET and Es/ET showed that T/ET increased until July and gradually decreased afterwards, while Es/ET showed opposite trends and was mainly controlled by the amount of precipitation. Among all the ET components, T always occupied the largest part, while the contribution of Es to ET was minimal. Meanwhile, Ei must be considered when partitioning ET, as it accounts for a certain percentage (greater than one-third) of the total ET values. Combining Pearson's correlation analysis and the boosted regression trees method, we concluded that net radiation (Rn), soil temperature (Ts) and soil water content (SWC) were the main controlling factors for ET. T was mainly determined by the radiation and soil hydrothermic factors (Rn, photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) and TS30), while Es was mostly controlled by the vapor pressure deficit (VPD), atmospheric precipitation (Pa), throughfall (Pt) and air temperature (Ta). Our study may provide further theoretical support to improve our understanding of the responses of ET and its components to surrounding environments.

Nanopore Direct RNA Sequencing Reveals the Short-Term Salt Stress Response in Maize Roots.

Transcriptome analysis, relying on the cutting-edge sequencing of cDNA libraries, has become increasingly prevalent within functional genome studies. However, the dependence on cDNA in most RNA sequencing technologies restricts their ability to detect RNA base modifications. To address this limitation, the latest Oxford Nanopore Direct RNA Sequencing (ONT DRS) technology was employed to investigate the transcriptome of maize seedling roots under salt stress. This approach aimed to unveil both the RNA transcriptional profiles and alterations in base modifications. The analysis of the differential expression revealed a total of 1398 genes and 2223 transcripts that exhibited significant variation within the maize root system following brief exposure to salt stress. Enrichment analyses, such as the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway assessments, highlighted the predominant involvement of these differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in regulating ion homeostasis, nitrogen metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and the phytohormone signaling pathways. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis showed the participation of various proteins related to glycolytic metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, amino acid metabolism, abscisic acid signaling, and the jasmonate signaling pathways. It was through this intricate molecular network that these proteins collaborated to safeguard root cells against salt-induced damage. Moreover, under salt stress conditions, the occurrence of variable shear events (AS) in RNA modifications diminished, the average length of poly(A) tails underwent a slight decrease, and the number of genes at the majority of the variable polyadenylation (APA) sites decreased. Additionally, the levels of N5-methylcytosine (m5C) and N6-methyladenosine (m6A) showed a reduction. These results provide insights into the mechanisms of early salt tolerance in maize.

Broadband ultraviolet plasmonic enhanced AlGaN/GaN heterojunction photodetectors with close-packed Al nanoparticle arrays.

Plasmonic metallic nanostructures could concentrate optical fields into nanoscale volumes and support efficient light scattering and absorption, which therefore stimulates the continuing development of advanced plasmonic-assisted semiconductor photodetectors. In this work, by fabricating Al nanoparticle (NP) arrays in AlGaN surface using the AAO template transferring method, significant broadband ultraviolet (UV) photoresponse enhancement was demonstrated on AlGaN/GaN heterojunction photodetectors. By deliberately designing the close-packed Al NP arrays, the broadband UV plasmonic resonance with large optical field absorption and strong interface field enhancement are enabled, hence, the highest responsivity exceeding 8.1 A W-1 and maximum external quantum efficiency of 3500% was obtained at the resonance wavelength 292 nm, revealing more than 80 times the excellent enhancement in responsivity. Specifically, owing to coupling among NPs at the Al/AlGaN interface, the smaller size Al NP array exhibits an excellent photoresponse enhancement encompassing the entire UV band compared to the relatively larger size Al NP array. In addition, different photoresponse enhancements depending on the applied bias were observed. The Al NPs detector also demonstrates a fast photoresponse with a rise time of around 60 ms and a relatively long fall time of 1.42 s. This work could be of great significance for gaining a low and efficient approach to achieve plasmonic-empowered heterojunction broadband UV detectors.

Development, characterization and in vivo zinc absorption capacity of a novel soy meal hydrolysate-zinc complexes.

Background: Zinc is an essential trace element for the human body. Recently, a novel Zn-binding peptide, Lys-Tyr-Lys-Arg-Gln-Arg-Trp (PP), was purified and identified from soy protein hydrolysates with high Zn-binding capacity (83.21 ± 2.65%) by our previous study. The preparation of soy meal hydrolysates (SMHs)-Zn complexes is convenient and low-cost, while PP (Lys-Tyr-Lys-Arg-Gln-Arg-Trp)-Zn complexes have a higher coordination rate but a relatively high cost. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of soy meal hydrolysates (SMHs)-Zn complexes on zinc absorption in mice model, and synthetic soy peptide (PP)-Zn complexes with high Zn-binding capacity were used as control. Firstly, SMHs were prepared by enzymolysis, and the PP (Lys-Tyr-Lys-Arg-Gln-Arg-Trp) were synthesized based on previous studies. The binding mechanism of soy hydrolysates and zinc was analyzed by spectral analysis. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity of the SMHs-Zn complexes was also studied using the CCK-8 method. The effect of zinc absorption was evaluated based on Zn content, total protein and albumin content, relevant enzyme system, and the PeT1 and ZnT1 mRNA expression levels. Result: The result showed that zinc was bound with carboxyl oxygen and amino nitrogen atoms on SMHs, with hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions as auxiliary stabilizing forces. SMHs-Zn were proved to have great solubility and a small particle size at different pH values, and it showed a beneficial effect on Caco-2 cells growth. Moreover, it was proved that SMHs-Zn and PP-Zn could increase the levels of zinc and the activity of Zn-related enzymes in mice. SMHs-Zn possessed higher PepT1 and ZnT1 mRNA expression levels than PP-Zn in the small intestine. Conclusion: SMHs-Zn with a lower Zn-binding capacity had similar effects on zinc absorption in mice as PP-Zn, suggesting that the bioavailability of peptide-zinc complexes in mice was not completely dependent on their Zn-binding capacity, but may also be related to the amino acid composition.

Controllable acoustic deterrent based on the warning signals generated by nonel detonators.

Acoustic deterrents are a practical strategy to mitigate the impact of underwater noise on marine mammals. However, their safety and effectiveness are still debatable. This study proposes a controllable acoustic deterrence method to protect marine mammals threatened by underwater blasting noise. The method creates strong-randomness warning signals using nonel detonators and establishes an escape time for animals protected. Combining the BELLHOP ray-based acoustic model with the marine environmental parameters and animals' auditory characteristics, we built a prediction model to establish a link between the acoustic fields and the adjustable source parameters, and provide a Risk zone and Deterrent zone for animals. The simulation and experimental results demonstrated that the root mean squared error between the simulated and measured sound pressure spectral density levels did not exceed 4.5 dB and the coefficient of determination remained at approximately 0.8, indicating that the new deterrent is an effective method with good controllable performances.

Using a mixed method to identify communication skills training priorities for Chinese general practitioners in diabetes care.

BACKGROUND: In China diabetes care is gradually shifting from secondary to primary care with great infrastructure investment and GP training. However, most GPs in China lack communication skills training, which is a huge obstacle in communication with their patients in primary care. In this study we seek to identify training priorities that is evidence-based, appropriate for the context of primary care in China, and that meet the real needs of both GPs and people with diabetes. METHODS: A mixed method approach was used. A conceptual framework was designed based on the MRC framework, action research and adult learning theories. Through a systematic review of the literature and qualitative research with GPs and patients with diabetes, a list of communication skills training components was developed by the research team. A modified nominal group technique (NGT) with GPs was used to evaluate these contents. Purposive sampling was used to recruit a variation of participants (age, work area, practice years and education background) from general practices in Guangzhou city, China. Eight structured nominal groups were facilitated to elicit the views of group members, and participants rated the 9-point Likert scale of importance and feasibility of the training items independently, before and after focus groups. The ranking of each item was calculated, based on the mean Likert score ratings from all participants. Video recordings of four NGT group discussions were thematically analysed using the Framework Method to explore reasons for any differences in rating items. RESULTS: 29 males and 29 female GPs from 28 general practices participated in NGT group discussions, with a mean age of 38.5 years and mean 12.3 years of practice experience. Based on the mean scores of importance and feasibility rating scores, the top 3 ranked priorities for communication training were 'health education' (importance 8.39, feasibility 7.67), 'discussing and explaining blood glucose monitoring' (8.31, 7.46), and 'diabetes complications and cardiovascular disease risk communication' (8.36, 7.12). Five main themes were identified from focus group discussions through qualitative analysis: 'impact on diabetes patients', 'GP attitudes towards communication skills', 'patient-related factors influencing the application of communication skills by GPs, 'local contextual factors', and 'training implementation'. CONCLUSIONS: Priorities for communication skills training for Chinese GPs in diabetes care were identified. These are set in the context of GPs' current experience of communication with patients in China who have diabetes, which is often unsatisfactory. This study describes the baseline from which better primary care for diabetes in China needs to be developed. Based on suggestions from GPs themselves, it identifies an agenda for improvement in communication as a key component of diabetes care in China.

Study on the relationship of depression, anxiety, lifestyle and eating habits with the severity of reflux esophagitis.

BACKGROUND: The etiology of reflux esophagitis (RE) is multi-factorial. This study analyzed the relationship of depression, anxiety, lifestyle and eating habits with RE and its severity and further explored the impact of anxiety and depression on patients' symptoms and quality of life. METHODS: From September 2016 to February 2018, a total of 689 subjects at Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University participated in this survey. They were divided into the RE group (patients diagnosed with RE on gastroscopy, n = 361) and the control group (healthy individuals without heartburn, regurgitation and other gastrointestinal symptoms, n = 328). The survey included general demographic information, lifestyle habits, eating habits, comorbidities, current medications, the gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) questionnaire (GerdQ), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 depression scale and the General Anxiety Disorder-7 anxiety scale. RESULTS: The mean age and sex ratio of the two groups were similar. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified the following factors as related to the onset of RE (p < 0.05): low education level; drinking strong tea; preferences for sweets, noodles and acidic foods; sleeping on a low pillow; overeating; a short interval between dinner and sleep; anxiety; depression; constipation; history of hypertension; and use of oral calcium channel blockers. Ordinal logistic regression analysis revealed a positive correlation between sleeping on a low pillow and RE severity (p = 0.025). Depression had a positive correlation with the severity of symptoms (rs = 0.375, p < 0.001) and patients' quality of life (rs = 0.306, p < 0.001), whereas anxiety showed no such association. CONCLUSIONS: Many lifestyle factors and eating habits were correlated with the onset of RE. Notably, sleeping on a low pillow was positively correlated with RE severity, and depression was positively related to the severity of symptoms and patients' quality of life.

Transcription factor NF-κB promotes acute lung injury via microRNA-99b-mediated PRDM1 down-regulation.

Acute lung injury (ALI), is a rapidly progressing heterogenous pulmonary disorder that possesses a high risk of mortality. Accumulating evidence has implicated the activation of the p65 subunit of NF-κB [NF-κB(p65)] activation in the pathological process of ALI. microRNAs (miRNAs), a group of small RNA molecules, have emerged as major governors due to their post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression in a wide array of pathological processes, including ALI. The dysregulation of miRNAs and NF-κB activation has been implicated in human diseases. In the current study, we set out to decipher the convergence of miR-99b and p65 NF-κB activation in ALI pathology. We measured the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNFα) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid using ELISA. MH-S cells were cultured and their viability were detected with cell counting kit 8 (CCK8) assays. The results showed that miR-99b was up-regulated, while PRDM1 was down-regulated in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced murine model of ALI. Mechanistic investigations showed that NF-κB(p65) was enriched at the miR-99b promoter region, and further promoted its transcriptional activity. Furthermore, miR-99b targeted PRDM1 by binding to its 3'UTR, causing its down-regulation. This in-creased lung injury, as evidenced by increased wet/dry ratio of mouse lung, myeloperoxidase activity and pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion, and enhanced infiltration of inflammatory cells in lung tissues. Together, our findings indicate that NF-κB(p65) promotion of miR-99b can aggravate ALI in mice by down-regulating the expression of PRDM1.

AlGaN-based Schottky barrier deep ultraviolet photodetector grown on Si substrate.

This letter reports the influence of material quality and device processing on the performance of AlGaN-based Schottky barrier deep ultraviolet photodetectors grown on Si substrates. The thermal annealing can significantly improve Schottky barrier height and wet chemical etching can effectively remove etching damage. Meanwhile, the decrease of threading dislocation density and the pit size, especially the later, can substantially suppress reverse leakage. As a result, the reverse leakage current density of the as-fabricated deep UV photodetector was reduced down to 3×10-8 A/cm2. Furthermore, the responsivity of the deep UV photodetectors was greatly improved by reducing the point defect concentration.

Circulating regulatory Tfh cells are enriched in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection and induce the differentiation of regulatory B cells.

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a complex disease with dysregulations in the immune system. Follicular helper T (Tfh) cells are professional B helper cells that are crucial to the development of antibody responses and are involved in a variety of diseases. In this study, we examined the circulating Tfh cells in patients with chronic HBV infection. We observed that CD3+CD4+CXCR5+ circulating Tfh cells contained a CD25+Foxp3+ Treg-like subset that was significantly enriched in patients with chronic HBV infections. The CD25+ Tfh subset presented distinctive cytokine secretion profile, such as lower interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin (IL)-17, and higher transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß secretion, compared to the CD25- Tfh subset. When incubated with autologous naive CD10-CD27-CD19+ B cells, the CD25+ Tfh subset was less capable of mediating CD20-/loCD38+ plasmablast differentiation than the CD25- Tfh subset. In terms of Ig production, CD25+ Tfh cells were more potent at inducing IgM but less potent at inducing IgG and IgA than CD25- Tfh cells. Interestingly, B cells following incubation with CD25+ Tfh cells presented elevated regulatory function, with higher production of IL-10 and enhanced capacity of suppressing autologous CD8+ T cell inflammation. In the chronic HBV-infected patients, the frequency of IL-10+ B cells and the HBV viral load were positively correlated with the frequency of CD25+Foxp3+ CD4+CXCR5+ Tfh cells. Together, this study presented that CD25+Foxp3+ Treg-like Tfh cells were enriched in chronic HBV-infected patients and could promote regulatory B cell functions.

Room-temperature electrically pumped InGaN-based microdisk laser grown on Si.

Silicon photonics has been longing for an efficient on-chip light source that is electrically driven at room temperature. Microdisk laser featured with low-loss whispering gallery modes can emit directional lasing beam through a closely coupled on-chip waveguide efficiently, and hence is particularly suitable for photonics integration. The realization of electrically pumped III-nitride microdisk laser grown on Si has been impeded by the conventional undercut structure, poor material quality, and a limited quality of GaN microdisk formed by dry etching. Here we report a successful fabrication of room-temperature electrically pumped InGaN-based microdisk lasers grown on Si. A dramatic narrowing of the electroluminescence spectral line-width and a clear discontinuity in the slope of light output power plotted as a function of the injection current provide an unambiguous evidence of lasing. This is the first observation of electrically pumped lasing in InGaN-based microdisk lasers grown on Si at room temperature.

Structural dependences of localization and recombination of photogenerated carriers in the top GaInP Subcells of GaInP/GaAs double-junction tandem solar cells.

In high-efficiency GaInP/GaAs double-junction tandem solar cells, GaInP layers play a central role in determining the performance of the solar cells. Therefore, gaining a deeper understanding of the optoelectronic processes in GaInP layers is crucial for improving the energy conversion efficiency of GaInP-based photovoltaic devices. In this work, we firmly show strong dependences of localization and recombination of photogenerated carriers in the top GaInP subcells in the GaInP/GaAs double-junction tandem solar cells on the substrate misorientation angle with excitation intensity- and temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL). The entire solar cell structures including GaInP layers were grown with metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on GaAs substrates with misorientation angles of 2° (denoted as Sample 2°) and 7° (Sample 7°) off (100) toward (111)B. The PL spectral features of the two top GaInP subcells, as well as their excitation-power and temperature dependences exhibit remarkable variation on the misorientation angle. In Sample 2°, the dominant localization mechanism and luminescence channels are due to the energy potential minima caused by highly ordered atomic domains; In Sample 7°, the main localization and radiative recombination of photogenerated carriers occur in the atomically disordered regions. Our results reveal a more precise picture on the localization and recombination mechanisms of photogenerated carriers in the top GaInP subcells, which could be the crucial factors in controlling the optoelectronic efficiency of the GaInP-based multijunction photovoltaic devices.

Effect of Yisui Shengxue Granule () on the oxidative damage of erythrocytes from patients with hemoglobin H disease.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Yisui Shengxue Granule (, YSSXG), a complex Chinese medicine, on the oxidative damage of erythrocytes from patients with hemoglobin H (HbH) disease. METHODS: Twenty-two patients with HbH disease and 22 healthy volunteers were observed. YSSXG was given to patients with HbH disease for 3 months. Before and after the 3-month treatment, blood parameters [hemoglobin (Hb), red blood cells (RBCs), and reticulocyte percent (Ret)] were examined; inclusion bodies in erythrocytes were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM); activities of antioxidant defense enzymes [superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and catalase (Cat)] and erythrocyte membrane malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations were determined. RESULTS: In patients with HbH disease, measured values of RBC and Hb obtained from the first to the third months after treatment with YSSXG were significantly higher than before treatment (P<0.01). Measured values of Ret from the second to the third months after treatment were significantly lower than before treatment (P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively). Prior to treatment with YSSXG, TEM images of RBCs showed the presence of numerous inclusion bodies. After treatment with YSSXG, the amount and volume of inclusion bodies decreased. Treatment with YSSXG also led to a significant increase in SOD activity (P<0.01), a decrease in Cat activity (P<0.01), and no significant differences in GSHPx activity (P>0.05) or MDA concentration (P>0.05). However, compared with the healthy counterparts, SOD, GSH-Px, and Cat activities presented at high levels (P<0.01) both before and after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: YSSXG could improve the degree of hemolysis and anemia in patients with HbH disease. The mechanism may be related to its antioxidative effects, which could elevate the activity of total SOD in erythrocytes and efficiently inhibit the oxidative precipitation of ß-globin chains.

[A family survey of syndromes of traditional Chinese medicine in patients with beta-thalassemia].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between syndromes of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and genetic background in patients with beta-thalassemia. METHODS: TCM syndromes were surveyed in the selected 78 patients with beta-thalassemia intermedia including 120 parents. The gene mutations were detected separately. The frequency and score of TCM syndromes between the offspring and their parents in different family types were analyzed, and the differences were compared. RESULTS: The 73 families were divided into two family types by hereditary characteristics. Family type one meant that genotypes of one of the parents were normal, while the offspring genotypes were heterozygous and were exactly the same as another parent. In the 22 families of type one, the heterozygous offspring manifested 6 high-frequency symptoms and signs such as spontaneous perspiration, dry mouth and dry throat, pale or sallow complexion, tidal fever and night sweating, lassitude and pale fingernails. The heterozygous parents manifested 5 high-frequency symptoms and signs such as lassitude in loins and knees, dizziness, aversion to cold and cold limbs, tinnitus, dry mouth and dry throat. The normal parents manifested 3 high-frequency symptoms and signs such as lassitude in loins and knees, dizziness, and spontaneous perspiration. TCM syndrome score in the heterozygous offspring was higher than that in the heterozygous and normal parents, but there was no significant difference (P>0.05). Family type two meant that genotypes of both parents were heterozygous, while the offspring genotypes were heterogenic duplex heterozygotes. In the 51 families of type two, the offspring manifested 9 high-frequency symptoms and signs such as pale or sallow complexion, spontaneous perspiration, dry mouth and dry throat, pale fingernails, tidal fever and night sweating, lassitude, frequent attack of common cold, dysphoria with feverish sensation in chest, and yellow discoloration of the skin and sclera. The parents manifested 3 high-frequency symptoms and signs such as lassitude in loins and knees, dizziness, aversion to cold and cold limbs. TCM syndrome score in the offspring was significant higher than that in the parents (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: In the two family types, TCM syndrome in the offspring is of yin-blood deficiency, while the syndrome of the parents is of kidney deficiency. The differences of TCM syndromes between the offspring and the parents may have some relations to the type of mutant genes and genetically modified ingredients. This research provides scientific evidence to TCM syndrome differentiation treatment of thalassemia.

Observations on after-effect duration of kidney-nourishing and marrow-replenishing therapy on 58 cases of Mediterranean anemia.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the after-effect duration of kidney-nourishing and marrow-replenishing therapy on Mediterranean anemia. METHODS: To observe the kidney-nourishing and marrow-replenishing therapy on 58 cases of Mediterranean anemia and the influence of various relative factors on the after-effect duration. RESULTS: The after-effect duration on 58 cases varied from 3-6 months, about 4 months on average, and was not influenced by sex, clinical types, genetic types, types of Mediterranean anemia and other factors. CONCLUSION: Kidney-nourishing and marrow-replenishing therapy used to treat Mediterranean anemia can not only produce good therapeutic effect during treatment but also keep after effect lasting for about 4 months, indicating that the therapy used to treat Mediterranean anemia has good clinical after effect.

[Clinical observation of Yisui Shengxue Granule in treating 25 patients with hemoglobin H disease].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of Yisui Shengxue Granule (YSSXG), a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine for reinforcing kidney and nourishing blood, in treating hemoglobin H (HbH) disease. METHODS: YSSXG was given orally to 25 patients with HbH disease in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (high incidence area for HbH disease in China) for 3 months as one therapeutic course, 3 times a day, 10 g YSSXG was given each time (dose of YSSXG for children should be reduced properly), and blood transfusion was not given to HbH patients during the course of treatment. The levels of hemoglobin (Hb), red blood cell (RBC), HbH and reticulocyte (Ret) were observed before and after YSSXG treatment, and side effects were observed during the course of treatment. Meanwhile, the genotype was examined, and the clinical efficacy of YSSXG in treating HbH patients with different genotype was evaluated. RESULTS: The levels of Hb, RBC and Ret were obviously increased after YSSXG treatment from the first month to the end of treatment (P<0.01). After YSSXG treatment, the levels of Hb, RBC, Ret in 12 HbH patients with gene deletion were elevated (P<0.05, P<0.01), and the levels of Hb and Ret in 13 HbH patients with gene non-deletion were increased obviously (P<0.05, P<0.01). The total response rate was 84% after 3-month treatment, and there was no statistical difference in clinical efficacy between gene deletion HbH patients and non-deletion HbH patients. No adverse effect was observed during the course of treatment. CONCLUSION: YSSXG is effective and safe for treatment of HbH disease. YSSXG can improve the levels of Hb, RBC and Ret in HbH patients, especially in gene deletion HbH patients.

Flexible organic light-emitting diodes with a polymeric nanocomposite anode.

Flexible organic light-emitting diodes (FOLEDs) are facing mechanical issues arising from failure of the indium-tin oxide (ITO) films fabricated on flexible substrates. Polymeric nanocomposite anodes were fabricated by including single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in aqueous poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). The conductivity, transmittance and flexibility of the polymeric nanocomposite anode were characterized. The polymeric nanocomposite anodes fabricated on a poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrate exhibited superior bending properties to ITO anodes on PET. The FOLEDs fabricated on the polymeric nanocomposite anodes had a low turn-on voltage and higher luminous intensity than those fabricated on ITO/PET anodes. This flexible nanocomposite polymeric anode is a very promising for fully FOLEDs and other optoelectronics.

Clinical observation on YiSuiShengXueGranule on treating 156 patients with beta-thalassemia major and the molecular mechanism study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical effects and security of YiSuiShengXueGranule (YSSXG) on treating 156 patients with beta-thalassemia major. METHODS: YSSXG was given orally to 156 patients with beta-thalassemia in GuangXi Autonomous Region (the high incidence area of beta-thalassemia in China) for 3 months as one therapeutic course, 3 times a day, 10 g each time (for children, the dose should be reduced properly according to their body weight and age), and no blood transfusion used during the course. Clinical symptoms and levels of hemoglobin (Hb), red blood cell (RBC), reticulocyte (Ret) and hemoglobin F (HbF) were observed before and after treatment, and side-effects were observed during the course. A 3-6 months follow up study was performed after withdrawal of YSSXG. And systemic gene analysis was conducted with PCR, SSCP-PCR, RT-PCR and DNA sequences analysis and mRNA differently expression technique, in order to study the molecular mechanism from the relationships between genetic mutation and clinical efficacy, gene expression and its regulation. RESULTS: Levels of Hb, RBC, Ret and HbF obviously elevated, and clinical symptoms markedly ameliorated in patients after treated with YSSXG from the 1st to 3rd month (all p<0.01). Dynamical observation showed that the improvement of symptoms kept accordance with the elevation of hemorrheological indexes. The treatment was effective in 145 patients and ineffective in 11, and the total effective rate was 92.9%, without any adverse reaction founded. Follow-up studies showed the therapeutic effect could sustain for 3 to 4 months after drug-withdrawal. The molecular mechanism study showed: YSSXG did not change the genetic mutation type, but could obviously increase gamma/(beta+gamma) globin ratio, both gamma-globin mRNA and GM-CSF mRNA expression were significantly enhanced so as to induce HbF synthesis increasing after treated with YSSXG. CONCLUSION: YSSXG had obvious effects in treating beta-thalassemia by unlocking gamma-gene, increasing the gamma-globin expression and enhancing HbF synthesis so as to compensate for the gene defect. This study has provided a new path for the treatment of beta-thalassemia with Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Differential gene expression in human hematopoietic stem cells specified toward erythroid, megakaryocytic, and granulocytic lineage.

To better understand the transcriptional program that accompanies orderly lineage-specific hematopoietic differentiation, we analyzed expression changes during the lineage-specific differentiation of human hematopoietic stem cells (HSC; CD34+/CD38-/CD33-); HSC and multipotent myeloid progenitors (MMP; CD34+/CD38-/CD33+) were isolated from the bone marrow of healthy individuals by MACS. CD34+ cells in semi-solid culture were stimulated with the cytokines erythropoietin, IL-6, and G-CSF to promote differentiation to committed erythroid, megakaryocytic, and granulocytic clones, respectively. Differential display RT-PCR analysis was performed to compare the mRNA transcripts in HSC, MMP, and the committed lineage-specific clones derived from these committed lineage-specific progenitors. Expressed sequence tags (n=256), which were differentially expressed, were identified. One hundred ninety-four were homologous to known genes, and some were associated with hematopoiesis. These known genes were classified as involved in transcription/translation, signal transduction, cell surface receptors/ligands, cell signaling, cell metabolism, cell cycle, cell apoptosis, and oncogenesis. We identified genes, which were up- or down-regulated specifically in the lineage-committed clones compared with HSC or/and MMP, suggesting that specific gene activation and repression might be necessary for specific lineage commitment and differentiation. Our data provide an extensive transcriptional profile of human hematopoiesis during in vitro, lineage-specific differentiation.