Na+ Lattice Doping Induces Oxygen Vacancies to Achieve High Capacity and Mitigate Voltage Decay of Li-Rich Cathodes.

In this work, we synthesized 1D hollow square rod-shaped MnO2, and then obtained Na+ lattice doped-oxygen vacancy lithium-rich layered oxide by a simple molten salt template strategy. Different from the traditional synthesis method, the hollow square rod-shaped MnO2 in NaCl molten salt provides numerous anchor points for Li, Co, and Ni ions to directly prepare Li1.2Ni0.13Co0.13Mn0.54O2 on the original morphology. Meanwhile, Na+ is also introduced for lattice doping and induces the formation of oxygen vacancy. Therefrom, the modulated sample not only inherits the 1D rod-like morphology but also achieves Na+ lattice doping and oxygen vacancy endowment, which facilitates Li+ diffusion and improves the structural stability of the material. To this end, transmission electron microscopy, high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and other characterization are used for analysis. In addition, density functional theory is used to further analyze the influence of oxygen vacancy generation on local transition metal ions, and theoretically explain the mechanism of the electrochemical performance of the samples. Therefore, the modulated sample has a high discharge capacity of 282 mAh g-1 and a high capacity retention of 90.02% after 150 cycles. At the same time, the voltage decay per cycle is only 0.0028 V, which is much lower than that of the material (0.0038 V per cycle) prepared without this strategy. In summary, a simple synthesis strategy is proposed, which can realize the morphology control of Li1.2Ni0.13Co0.13Mn0.54O2, doping of Na+ lattice, and inducing the formation of oxygen vacancy, providing a feasible idea for related exploration.

[Application value of whole exome sequencing in critically ill neonates with inherited diseases].

OBJECTIVE: To study the application value of whole exome sequencing (WES) in critically ill neonates with inherited diseases. METHODS: A total of 66 critically ill neonates with suspected inherited diseases or unclear clinical diagnosis who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit were enrolled as subjects. The clinical data of the neonates were collected, and venous blood samples were collected from the neonates and their parents for WES. The clinical manifestations of the neonates were observed to search for related pathogenic gene mutations. RESULTS: Among the 66 critically ill neonates with suspected inherited diseases or unclear clinical diagnosis (34 boys and 32 girls), 14 (21%) were found to have gene mutations by WES. One neonate had no gene mutation detected by WES but was highly suspected of pigment incontinence based on clinical manifestations, and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification detected a heterozygous deletion mutation in exons 4-10 of the IKBKG gene. Among the 15 neonates with gene mutations, 10 (67%) had pathogenic gene mutation, 1 (7%) was suspected of pathogenic gene mutation, and 4 (27%) had gene mutations with unknown significance. Among the 15 neonates, 13 underwent chromosome examination, and only 1 neonate was found to have chromosome abnormality. CONCLUSIONS: Chromosome examination cannot be used as a diagnostic method for inherited diseases, and WES detection technology is an important tool to find inherited diseases in critically ill neonates with suspected inherited diseases or unclear clinical diagnosis; however WES technology has some limitation and it is thus necessary to combine with other sequencing methods to achieve an early diagnosis.

Yinzhihuang attenuates ANIT-induced intrahepatic cholestasis in rats through upregulation of Mrp2 and Bsep expressions.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of intrahepatic cholestasis has been limited, and development of an effective drug is needed. Clinical studies have shown that Yinzhihuang (YZH), a traditional Chinese decoction, enhances bilirubin clearance. The goal of this study was to determine the protective effect of YZH on experimental intrahepatic cholestasis in young rats and to explore its underlying molecular mechanisms. METHODS: Intrahepatic cholestasis in rats was induced by α-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT) on days 1 and 8. The rats received YZH, ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), or vehicle for 9 d and were killed on either day 3 or day 10. Serum biomarkers, liver histology, and the distribution of protein and mRNA expression of Mrp2 and Bsep were analyzed. RESULTS: YZH treatment resulted in decreased levels of serum biomarkers except γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, attenuated liver histological injuries, increased protein expressions of Mrp2 and Bsep, and upregulated expressions of Mrp2 and Bsep mRNAs. The effects of YZH on serum biomarkers (aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and direct bilirubin), liver histology, and Mrp2 mRNA expressions were significantly greater and earlier than those of UDCA. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that YZH has protective effect against ANIT-induced intrahepatic cholestasis in rats, through upregulation of Mrp2 and Bsep expressions.

Assessment of Left Ventricular Myocardial Viability by 3-Dimensional Speckle-Tracking Echocardiography in Patients With Myocardial Infarction.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether 3-dimensional (3D) speckle-tracking echocardiography could provide a new way to assess myocardial viability in patients with myocardial infarction (MI). METHODS: Forty-five patients with MI underwent routine echocardiography, 2-dimensional (2D) speckle-tracking echocardiography, and 3D speckle-tracking echocardiography. Radionuclide myocardial perfusion/metabolic imaging was used as a reference standard to define viable and nonviable myocardia. RESULTS: Among 720 myocardial segments in 45 patients, 368 showed abnormal motion on routine echocardiography; 204 of 368 were categorized as viable on single-photon emission computed tomography/positron emission tomography (SPECT/PET), whereas 164 were defined as nonviable; 300 normal segments on SPECT/PET among 352 segments without abnormal motion on routine echocardiography were categorized as a control group. The radial, longitudinal, 3D, and area strain on 3D speckle-tracking echocardiography had significant differences between control and nonviable groups (P < .001), whereas none of the parameters had significant differences between control and viable groups. There were no significant differences in circumferential, radial, and longitudinal peak systolic strain from 2D speckle-tracking echocardiography between viable and nonviable groups. Although there was no significant difference in circumferential strain between the groups, radial and longitudinal strain from 3D speckle-tracking echocardiography decreased significantly in the nonviable group. Moreover, 3D and area strain values were lower in the nonviable segments than the viable segments. By receiver operating characteristic analysis, radial strain from 3D speckle-tracking echocardiography with a cutoff of 11.1% had sensitivity of 95.1% and specificity of 53.4% for viable segments; longitudinal strain with a cutoff of 14.3% had sensitivity of 65.2% and specificity of 65.7%; 3D strain with a cutoff of 17.4% had sensitivity of 70.6% and specificity of 77.2%; and area strain with a cutoff of 23.2% had sensitivity of 91.5% and specificity of 82.8%. CONCLUSIONS: Three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography might have potential for detection of myocardial viability in patients with cardiac dysfunction due to MI.

Opposite photocatalytic activity orders of low-index facets of anatase TiO2 for liquid phase dye degradation and gaseous phase CO2 photoreduction.

We firstly demonstrate the opposite photocatalytic activity orders of low-index facets of anatase TiO2 in the liquid phase for rhodamine B (RhB) photocatalytic degradation and in the gaseous phase for the photoreduction of CO2 to CH4. The photocatalytic activity order in the liquid phase for RhB photocatalytic degradation is revealed as {001} > {101} > {010}, whereas the photocatalytic activity order {010} > {101} > {001} is found in the gaseous phase for the photoreduction of CO2 to CH4. The atomic arrangement of the different facets, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra, photoluminescence spectra and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis show that the photoactivity order in the gas phase for the photoreduction of CO2 to CH4 mainly depends on the CO2 molecule adsorption properties on the different exposed facets, and the separation efficiency of the photo-generated carriers determines the photoactivity order for the dye degradation reaction in the liquid phase. These findings also provide a new direction to design efficient photocatalysts and the tuning of their photoreactivity for environmental and energy applications.

Enhancing the Electrochemical Performance of Ni-Rich LiNi0.88Co0.09Al0.03O2 Cathodes through Tungsten-Doping for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

The tungsten-doped (0.5 and 1.0 mol%) LiNi0.88Co0.09Al0.03O2 (NCA) cathode materials are manufactured to systematically examine the stabilizing effect of W-doping. The 1.0 mol% W-doped LiNi0.88Co0.09Al0.03O2 (W1.0-NCA) cathodes deliver 173.5 mAh g-1 even after 100 cycles at 1 C, which is 95.2% of the initial capacity. While the capacity retention of NCA cathodes cycled in identical conditions is 86.3%. The optimal performances of the W1.0-NCA could be ascribed to the suppression of impendence increase and the decrease in anisotropic volume change, as well as preventing the collapse of structures during cycling. These findings demonstrate that the W-doping considerably enhances the electrochemical performance of NCA, which has potential applications in the development of Ni-rich layered cathode materials that can display high capacity with superior cycling stability.

Characterization, Comparison of Two New Mitogenomes of Crocodile Newts Tylototriton (Caudata: Salamandridae), and Phylogenetic Implications.

Mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) are valuable resources in molecular and evolutionary studies, such as phylogeny and population genetics. The complete mitogenomes of two crocodile newts, Tylototriton broadoridgus and Tylototriton gaowangjienensis, were sequenced, assembled, and annotated for the first time using next-generation sequencing. The complete mitogenomes of T. broadoridgus and T. gaowangjienensis were 16,265 bp and 16,259 bp in lengths, which both composed of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, and 1 control region. The two mitogenomes had high A + T content with positive AT-skew and negative GC-skew patterns. The ratio of non-synonymous and synonymous substitutions showed that, relatively, the ATP8 gene evolved the fastest and COI evolved the slowest among the 13 PCGs. Phylogenetic trees from BI and ML analyses resulted in identical topologies, where the Tylototriton split into two groups corresponding to two subgenera. Both T. broadoridgus and T. gaowangjienensis sequenced here belonged to the subgenus Yaotriton, and these two species shared a tentative sister group relationship. The two mitogenomes reported in this study provided valuable data for future molecular and evolutionary studies of the genus Tylotoriton and other salamanders.

Bacillus nanhaiensis sp. nov., isolated from an oyster.

A novel Gram-stain-positive, slightly halophilic, facultatively alkaliphilic, catalase-positive, oxidase-negative, endospore-forming, motile, rod-shaped, aerobic bacterium, designated strain JSM 082006(T), was isolated from an oyster collected from Naozhou Island in the South China Sea. The isolate grew in 0-18 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0.5-4.0 %), at pH 6.0-10.5 (optimum, pH 8.0) and at 15-45 °C (optimum, 30 °C). meso-Diaminopimelic acid was present in the cell-wall peptidoglycan. The major cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C(15 : 0), iso-C(15 : 0) and C(16 : 0). Strain JSM 082006(T) contained MK-7 as the predominant respiratory quinone and diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine as the major polar lipids. The genomic DNA G+C content was 40.2 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons revealed that strain JSM 082006(T) should be assigned to the genus Bacillus and that it was most closely related to the type strains of Bacillus barbaricus (sequence similarity 99.1 %) and Bacillus arsenicus (97.5 %), followed by those of Bacillus rigui (96.6 %) and Bacillus solisalsi (96.1 %). Phylogenetic analysis, DNA-DNA relatedness values, phenotypic characteristics and chemotaxonomic data support the view that strain JSM 082006(T) represents a novel species of the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillus nanhaiensis sp. nov. is proposed; the type strain is JSM 082006(T) ( = DSM 23009(T)  = KCTC 13712(T)).

Micron-Sized Monodisperse Particle LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 Derived by Oxalate Solvothermal Process Combined with Calcination as Cathode Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Ni-rich cathode LiNixCoyMn1-x-yO2 (NCM, x ≥ 0.5) materials are promising cathodes for lithium-ion batteries due to their high energy density and low cost. However, several issues, such as their complex preparation and electrochemical instability have hindered their commercial application. Herein, a simple solvothermal method combined with calcination was employed to synthesize LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 with micron-sized monodisperse particles, and the influence of the sintering temperature on the structures, morphologies, and electrochemical properties was investigated. The material sintered at 800 °C formed micron-sized particles with monodisperse characteristics, and a well-order layered structure. When charged-discharged in the voltage range of 2.8-4.3 V, it delivered an initial discharge capacity of 175.5 mAh g-1 with a Coulombic efficiency of 80.3% at 0.1 C, and a superior discharge capacity of 135.4 mAh g-1 with a capacity retention of 84.4% after 100 cycles at 1 C. The reliable electrochemical performance is probably attributable to the micron-sized monodisperse particles, which ensured stable crystal structure and fewer side reactions. This work is expected to provide a facile approach to preparing monodisperse particles of different scales, and improve the performance of Ni-rich NCM or other cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries.

Schistosoma japonicum Infection in Treg-Specific USP21 Knockout Mice.

The E3 deubiquitinating enzyme ubiquitin-specific proteolytic enzyme 21 (USP21) plays vital roles in physiological activities and is required for Treg-cell-mediated immune tolerance. Using a murine model infected with Schistosoma japonicum, we observed that there were more cercariae developed into adults and more eggs deposited in the livers of the USP21fl/flFOXP3Cre (KO) mice. However, immunohistochemistry showed that the degree of egg granuloma formation and liver fibrosis was reduced. In USP21fl/flFOXP3Cre mice, levels of IFN-gamma, IL-4, anti-soluble egg antigen (SEA) IgG and anti-soluble worm antigen preparation (SWAP) IgG increased in blood, as determined using ELISAs and multiplex fluorescent microsphere immunoassays, while the levels of IL-10, lL-17A, IL-23, IL-9, and anti-SEA IgM decreased. In addition, the levels of the USP21 protein and mRNA in the liver and spleen of KO mice decreased. We further observed increased Th1 responses amplified by Tregs (regulatory T cells) and compromised Th17 responses, which alleviated the liver immunopathology. We speculated that these changes were related to polarization of Th1-like Tregs. Our results revealed the roles of USP21 in Treg-cell-mediated regulation of immune interactions between Schistosoma and its host. USP21 may have potential for regulating hepatic fibrosis in patients with schistosomiasis.

Ethyl pyruvate inhibits glioblastoma cells migration and invasion through modulation of NF-κB and ERK-mediated EMT.

BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma is a grade IV glioma with the highest degree of malignancy and extremely high incidence. Because of the poor therapeutic effect of surgery and radiochemotherapy, glioblastoma has a high recurrence rate and lethality, and is one of the most challenging tumors in the field of oncology. Ethyl pyruvate (EP), a stable lipophilic pyruvic acid derivative, has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory and other cellular protective effects. It has been reported that EP has potent anti-tumor effects on many types of tumors, including pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, liver cancer, gastric cancer. However, whether EP has anti-tumor effect on glioblastoma or not is still unclear. METHODS: Glioblastoma U87 and U251 cells were treated with different concentrations of EP for 24 h or 48 h. CCK8 assay and Colony-Formation assay were performed to test the viability and proliferation. Wound-healing assay and Transwell assay were carried out to measure cell invasion and migration. Western blot was not only used to detect the protein expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related molecules, but also to detect the expression and activation levels of NF-κB (p65) and Extracellular Signal Regulated Kinase (ERK). RESULTS: In glioblastoma U87 and U251 cells treated with EP, the viability, proliferation, migration, invasion abilities were inhibited in a dose-dependent manner. EP inhibited EMT and the activation of NF-κB (p65) and ERK. With NF-κB (p65) and ERK activated, EMT, migration and invasion of U87 and U251 cells were promoted. However the activation of NF-κB (p65) and ERK were decreased, EMT, migration and invasion abilities were inhibited in U87 and U251 cells treated with EP. CONCLUSION: EP inhibits glioblastoma cells migration and invasion by blocking NF-κB and ERK-mediated EMT.

Halobacillus naozhouensis sp. nov., a moderately halophilic bacterium isolated from a sea anemone.

A moderately halophilic, Gram-positive, catalase- and oxidase-positive, rod-shaped, aerobic bacterium, designated strain JSM 071068(T), was isolated from a sea anemone (Anthopleura xanthogrammica) collected from the Naozhou Island on the Leizhou Bay in the South China Sea. Cells were motile by means of peritrichous flagella and formed ellipsoidal endospores lying in subterminal swollen sporangia. Strain JSM 071068(T) was able to grow with 1-20% (w/v) total salts (optimum, 6-9%), at pH values of 6.0-10.0 (optimum, pH 7.5) and a temperature range of 10-35 degrees C (optimum, 25 degrees C). meso-Diaminopimelic acid was present in the cell-wall peptidoglycan. The predominant menaquinone was MK-7 and the major cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C(15:0), anteiso-C(17:0) and iso-C(15:0). The genomic DNA G + C content was 42.8 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons revealed that strain JSM 071068(T) belonged to the genus Halobacillus. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities between strain JSM 071068(T) and the type strains of the recognized Halobacillus species ranged from 97.9% (with Halobacillus alkaliphilus) to 95.3% (with Halobacillus kuroshimensis). The levels of DNA-DNA relatedness between the new isolate and the type strains of H. alkaliphilus, Halobacillus campisalis, Halobacillus halophilus and Halobacillus seohaensis were 25.6, 22.1, 10.8 and 13.2%, respectively. The combination of phylogenetic analysis, DNA-DNA relatedness, phenotypic characteristics and chemotaxonomic data supported the view that strain JSM 071068(T) represents a new species of the genus Halobacillus, for which the name Halobacillus naozhouensis sp. nov. is proposed, with JSM 071068(T) (=DSM 21183(T) =KCTC 13234(T)) as the type strain.

Vampire in the darkness: a new genus and species of land leech exclusively bloodsucking cave-dwelling bats from China (Hirudinda: Arhynchobdellida: Haemadipsidae).

Land leeches in the family Haemadipsidae are mostly from the humid tropical rainforest habitats and habitually take blood from the body of human and other animals. In the present study, we report a new species, Sinospelaeobdella wulingensis sp. n., from caves in the northern subtropical Wuling Mountains of central-south China that feeds blood exclusively on cave-dwelling bats. Based on morphological characteristics, COI gene sequence divergence, and phylogenetic analysis, a new genus Sinospelaeobdella gen. n. is established for the new species, to which a previously described species Haemadipsa cavatuses Yang et al., 2009 is transferred as S. cavatuses comb. n. We also provided extended discussion on phylogenetic relationship within the "Tritetrabdellinae" clade uncovered in a previous study, DNA taxonomy, morphological and behavioral adaptions, biogeography, and possible involvement of Sinospelaeobdella gen. n. in bat transmitted diseases of public concerns.

A new cave-dwelling blind loach, Triplophysa erythraea sp. nov. (Cypriniformes: Nemacheilidae), from Hunan Province, China.

A new blind loach species, Triplophysa erythraea sp. nov., from a karst cave in Hunan Province, central south China, is described based on morphology and cyt b gene sequencing. It can be distinguished from other species of Triplophysa by the following combination of characters: eyes absent; body scaleless and colorless; caudal-fin 17; maxillary barbel longest; fins transparent, compressed pectoral-fin reaching 2/3 distance between pectoral-fin and pelvic-fin origins; pelvic-fin and dorsal-fin origins relative; posterior chamber of airbladder well developed, long, oval, and dissociative.

Noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis with combined serum aminotransferase/platelet ratio index and hyaluronic acid in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

AIM: To construct a noninvasive assessment model consisting of routine laboratory data to predict significant fibrosis and cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). METHODS: A total of 137 consecutive patients with CHB who underwent percutaneous liver biopsy were retrospectively analyzed. These patients were divided into two groups according to their aminotransferase (ALT) level. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), the likelihood ratio (LR) of aminotransferase/platelet ratio index (APRI) > or = 1.5 or < 1.5 in combination with different hyaluronic acid (HA) cut-off points were calculated for the presence of moderate to severe fibrosis/cirrhosis (fibrosis stages 2 and 4) and no to mild fibrosis/cirrhosis (fibrosis stages 0 and 1). RESULTS: The APRI correlated with fibrosis stage in CHB patients. The APRI > or = 1.5 in combination with a cut-off HA cut-off point > 300 ng/mL could detect moderate to severe fibrosis (stages 2-4) in CHB patients. The PPV was 93.7%, the specificity was 98.9%. The APRI < 1.5 in combination with different HA cut-off points could not detect no to mild fibrosis in CHB patients. CONCLUSION: The APRI > or = 1.5 in combination with a HA cut-off point > 300 ng/mL can detect moderate to severe fibrosis (stages 2-4) in CHB patients.

YEATS Domain Containing 4 Promotes Gastric Cancer Cell Proliferation and Mediates Tumor Progression via Activating the Wnt/ß-Catenin Signaling Pathway.

Increased expression of YEATS domain containing 4 (YEATS4) has been reported to have a correlation with progression in many types of cancer. However, the mechanism by which it promotes the development of gastric cancer (GC) is rarely reported. This study aimed to investigate the effect of YEATS4 on cell proliferation and tumor progression. The mRNA and protein expressions of YEATS4 in GC tissues and cell lines were analyzed. BGC-823 cells then overexpressed or silenced YEATS4 by transfection of different plasmids. The regulatory effect of YEATS on cell viability, colony formation, cell apoptosis, and tumor growth in vivo was evaluated. Finally, we explored the underlying regulatory mechanism of YEATS4 on the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway. YEATS4 was highly expressed in GC tissues and cell lines. Furthermore, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and qRT-PCR analysis showed that the increased expression of YEATS4 indicated poor prognosis and tumor progression. The overexpression of YEATS4 significantly promoted cell proliferation and inhibited cell apoptosis, whereas the opposite trends were found upon the downregulation of YEATS4. Western blot analysis showed that the downregulation of YEATS4 inhibited protein expression and phosphorylation of ß-catenin. In addition, decreased expressions of c-Myc, CDK6, CDK4, cyclin D1, and Bcl-2 and increased expression of Bax were observed in YEATS4 knockdown cells. Our results showed that increased expression of YEATS4 might play a critical role in promoting GC cell proliferation and apoptosis by activating the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway, indicating that the control of YEATS4 expression might be used as a promising therapy for GC.

Oxygen Vacancies and Stacking Faults Introduced by Low-Temperature Reduction Improve the Electrochemical Properties of Li2MnO3 Nanobelts as Lithium-Ion Battery Cathodes.

Among the Li-rich layered oxides Li2MnO3 has significant theoretical capacity as a cathode material for Li-ion batteries. Pristine Li2MnO3 generally has to be electrochemically activated in the first charge-discharge cycle which causes very low Coulombic efficiency and thus deteriorates its electrochemical properties. In this work, we show that low-temperature reduction can produce a large amount of structural defects such as oxygen vacancies, stacking faults, and orthorhombic LiMnO2 in Li2MnO3. The Rietveld refinement analysis shows that, after a reduction reaction with stearic acid at 340 °C for 8 h, pristine Li2MnO3 changes into a Li2MnO3-LiMnO2 (0.71/0.29) composite, and the monoclinic Li2MnO3 changes from Li2.04Mn0.96O3 in the pristine Li2MnO3 (P-Li2MnO3) to Li2.1Mn0.9O2.79 in the reduced Li2MnO3 (R-Li2MnO3), indicating the production of a large amount of oxygen vacancies in the R-Li2MnO3. High-resolution transmission electron microscope images show that a high density of stacking faults is also introduced by the low-temperature reduction. When measured as a cathode material for Li-ion batteries, R-Li2MnO3 shows much better electrochemical properties than P-Li2MnO3. For example, when charged-discharged galvanostatically at 20 mA·g-1 in a voltage window of 2.0-4.8 V, R-Li2MnO3 has Coulombic efficiency of 77.1% in the first charge-discharge cycle, with discharge capacities of 213.8 and 200.5 mA·h·g-1 in the 20th and 30th cycles, respectively. In contrast, under the same charge-discharge conditions, P-Li2MnO3 has Coulombic efficiency of 33.6% in the first charge-discharge cycle, with small discharge capacities of 80.5 and 69.8 mA·h·g-1 in the 20th and 30th cycles, respectively. These materials characterizations, and electrochemical measurements show that low-temperature reduction is one of the effective ways to enhance the performances of Li2MnO3 as a cathode material for Li-ion batteries.

Application of color Doppler ultrasound combined with Doppler imaging artifacts in the diagnosis and estimate of congenital hypertrophic pyloric stenosis.

Congenital Hypertrophic Pyloric Stenosis (CHPS) is a disease condition that is caused as a result of pylorus wall hypertrophy and hyperplasia. In this study, we used color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) and Doppler artifacts technique to observe the blood flow of hypertrophic pylorus tissue and the dynamic imaging of liquid passing through the pyloric canal in CHPS infants. 65 cases of CHPS infants and 50 infants without CHPS served as control group. We found that there were statistically significant differences between the blood flow grade of muscular layer and mucosal layer between CHPS and control infants, but no significant differences were observed in the same group. Doppler artifacts technique demonstrated the whole process of contrast agent flow through pyloric canal was directly observed in 35 of 65 subjects, and the internal diameter of the pyloric canal was 1.93 ± 0.33mm.Conclusion that CDFI combined with color Doppler artifacts technique was proved to be effective to observe the distribution feature and blood flow grade in each layer of pyloric canal in CHPS patients. This method provides the evidence for judging the degree of pyloric stenosis clinically, and furnishes the basis of therapy along with its clinical significance and good application value.

[Protective effects of glycyrrhizin on adriamycin nephropathy in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of glycyrrhizin on laminin (LN) expression in kidney tissue and excretory quantity of urine protein of rats with adriamycin nephropathy, and to explore the protective effects of glycyrrhizin on glomerulosclerosis. METHODS: Eighteen SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: normal control group (n=6), untreated group (n=6) and glycyrrhizin-treated group (n=6). Adriamycin nephropathy was induced in rats in the last two groups by intravenous injection of adriamycin. The rats in the glycyrrhizin-treated group were fed glycyrrhizin for eight weeks, whereas the rats in the normal control group and untreated group were fed normal saline solution for eight weeks too. The levels of 24 h urine protein (Upr), serum creatinine (sCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum cholesterol (Ch) of rats in each group were examined before treatment and after the treatment for four and eight weeks. The renal morphological changes were observed under a microscope. The expression level of LN in renal tissue was detected by streptavidin-biotin peroxidase complex (SABC) method. RESULTS: The levels of 24 h Upr after the treatment for four and eight weeks in the glycyrrhizin-treated group were both significantly decreased as compared with those in the untreated group. The pathological morphological changes of renal tissue in the glycyrrhizin-treated group were remarkably alleviated, and the expression level of LN in renal tissue was also decreased in the glycyrrhizin-treated group as compared with those in the untreated group. CONCLUSION: The glycyrrhizin exerts certain protective effects on adriamycin nephropathy in rats by reducing excretory quantity of urine protein, decreasing expression level of LN in renal tissue, improving renal function and lessening the severity degree of glomerulosclerosis so as to retard the development of glomerulosclerosis.

Association between NKX2-5 rs29784 and infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis in Chinese Han population.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, rs11712066 and rs573872 near MBNL1, rs29784 near NKX2-5) with infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS) in Chinese Han population. METHODS: A total of 47 family trios consisting of infants with IHPS and their healthy biological parents were recruited for this study. Genotypes were determined using direct sequencing. Transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) was performed for family-based association analysis. RESULTS: Genotypic distributions of three SNPs in both groups (patients and proband's parents) were in conformity with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P > 0.05). There were significant preferential transmission of A allele of rs29784 from the parents to affected offspring (TDT: x(2) = 5.444, P = 0.0196). However, other two polymorphism loci (rs11712066 and rs573872) were not significant susceptibility loci for IHPS in Chinese Han population. CONCLUSIONS: We found that there was a significant association between rs29784 and IHPS.