[Etiological characterization of invasive non-typhoid Salmonella strains in Guangdong Province from 2018 to 2022]

Objective: To understand the serotype distribution, drug resistance and molecular characterization of invasive non-typhoid Salmonella (iNTS) in Guangdong Province from 2018 to 2022 and provide scientific evidence for the prevention and treatment of blood flow infection caused by Salmonella. Methods: Serological identification, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and whole genome sequencing were performed on Salmonella isolated from blood and stool samples in Guangdong from 2018 to 2022. Simultaneously, annotated the sequencing results for drug resistance genes and virulence factors by a microbial gene annotation system. Results: The 136 iNTS strains were divided into 25 serotypes, and Salmonella enteritidis accounted for 38.24% (52/136). The OR of other iNTS serotypes were calculated with Salmonella typhimurium as the control. The OR values of Oreninburg, Rysson, and Pomona serotypes were the highest, which were 423.50, 352.92, and 211.75, respectively. The drug resistance rate of iNTS was 0.74%-66.91%, which was lower than that of non-iNTS (3.90%-77.21%). The main iNTS of drug resistance were ampicillin and tetracycline, with resistance rates of 66.91% (91/136) and 50.00% (68/136), respectively, while the resistance rates to ciprofloxacin (5.88%,8/136), ceftazidime (5.88%,8/136), gentamicin (5.13%,7/136) and cefoxitin (0.74%, 1/136) were relatively low. iNTS carried a variety of drug-resistance genes and virulence factors, but no standard virulence factor distribution has been found. MLST cluster analysis showed that iNTS was divided into 26 sequence types, and ST11 accounted for 38.24% (52/136). Conclusions: The iNTS strains in Guangdong were dominated by Salmonella enteritidis, of which three serotypes, Oreninburg, Rison, and Pomona, may be associated with a higher risk of invasive infection during 2018 to 2022. iNTS was sensitive to clinical first-line therapeutic drugs (cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones), with highly diverse sequences and clear phylogenetic branches. ST11 was the local dominant clone group.

Investigating the Impact of Tea Consumption on Cognitive Function and Exploring Tea-Genetic Interactions in Older Adults Aged 65-105 Years: Findings from the 2002-2018 CLHLS Data

BACKGROUND

As the global population ages, cognitive impairment (CI) becomes more prevalent. Tea has been one of the most popular drinks in the world. Several studies have demonstrated that tea consumption has an impact on cognitive function.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to examine the association between tea consumption and cognitive function and explore the potential effect of genetics on the relationship between tea consumption and CI risk in older adults.

DESIGN

This is a prospective longitudinal study using data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS).

SETTING

Six waves of data from CLHLS containing 76,270 subjects were analyzed. Generalized estimation equations (GEE) with a logit link function were adopted to estimate the effect of tea consumption on CI risk from a cross-sectional and longitudinal perspective.

PARTICIPANTS

A population-based cohort of adults aged 65-105 years.

MEASUREMENTS

The frequency and type of tea consumption were obtained by questionnaires. CI was measured based on MMSE. Polygenic risk was measured using the polygenic score approach described by the International Schizophrenia.

RESULTS

The results showed that drinking green tea had a better protective effect on cognitive function than other types of tea, the incidence of CI gradually decreased with the increase of tea consumption frequency, and men were more likely to benefit from tea consumption. Additionally, we also found a significant interaction between tea consumption and genetic risk, measured by polygenic risk score (PRS).

CONCLUSIONS

Based on current research evidence, tea consumption, may be a simple and important measure for CI prevention.

Information-based continuous nursing on pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus

OBJECTIVE

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a serious pregnancy complication, and women with undiagnosed diabetes mellitus can develop chronic hyperglycemia during pregnancy. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of information-based continuity of care on glucose levels, health awareness, and maternal and infant outcomes in pregnant women with GDM, thereby providing a basis for the clinical implementation of effective interventions for GDM to reduce or avoid adverse outcomes due to GDM.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

One hundred and sixty cases of pregnant women with GDM who underwent treatment in the obstetrics and gynecology department of our hospital from June 2019 to September 2021 were randomly selected as the study population and divided into the control group (n=80) and the study group (n=80). Women in the control group were received with conventional nursing intervention, and those in the study group were obtained with information-based continuity of care on the basis of the control group. Basic clinical data were collected. The levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), 2h postprandial glucose (2hPG), knowledge of health education, treatment compliance scores, and changes in delivery outcomes were compared between the two groups. According to the maternal blood glucose control level, 160 pregnant women with GDM were divided into the better control group (143 cases) and the poor control group (17 cases). The risk factors affecting the level of maternal glycemic control in gestational diabetes were analyzed.

RESULTS

After the intervention, the levels of FBG and 2hPG were significantly lower in both groups than those before the intervention, while the levels of FBG and 2hPG in the study group were notably lower than those in the control group. The health education knowledge score and treatment compliance score after the intervention were significantly higher than those before the intervention, and the health education knowledge score and treatment compliance score in the study group were observably higher than those in the control group (p<0.01). The adverse pregnancy outcomes of pregnant women in the study group were significantly reduced compared with those in the control group (p<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that body mass index (BMI), dietary control, literacy, and information-based continuity of care were all influential factors for maternal glycemic control level (p<0.05). Among the influencing factors, dietary control and continuity of care had clinical value in predicting maternal glycemic control levels in gestational diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

Continuous nursing based on informatization can effectively control the blood glucose level of pregnant women with GDM, improve the treatment compliance of pregnant women and the awareness rate of gestational diabetes knowledge so as to reduce the occurrence of adverse pregnancy outcomes and improve the health level. In addition, BMI and dietary control are independent risk factors that affect the blood glucose control level of pregnant women. Relevant intervention measures should be formulated according to the relevant influencing factors to effectively control the blood glucose level of pregnant women with GDM and improve maternal and infant outcomes.

Compositing effects for high thermoelectric performance of Cu2Se-based materials

Thermoelectric materials can realize direct conversion between heat and electricity, showing excellent potential for waste heat recovery. Cu₂Se is a typical superionic conductor thermoelectric material having extraordinary ZT values, but its superionic feature causes poor service stability and low mobility. Here, we reported a fast preparation method of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis to realize in situ compositing of BiCuSeO and Cu₂Se to optimize the service stability. Additionally, using the interface design by introducing graphene in these composites, the carrier mobility could be obviously enhanced, and the strong phonon scatterings could lead to lower lattice thermal conductivity. Ultimately, the Cu₂Se-BiCuSeO-graphene composites presented excellent thermoelectric properties with a ZT_max value of ~2.82 at 1000 K and a ZT_ave value of ~1.73 from 473 K to 1000 K. This work provides a facile and effective strategy to largely improve the performance of Cu₂Se-based thermoelectric materials, which could be further adopted in other thermoelectric systems.

Prevalence and risk factors of erectile dysfunction in COVID-19 patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

Studies have found that erectile dysfunction (ED) may be a short-term or long-term complication in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, but no relevant studies have completed a pooled analysis of this claim. The purpose of the review was to comprehensively search the relevant literature, summarize the prevalence of ED in COVID-19 patients, assess risk factors for its development, and explore the effect of the COVID-19 infection on erectile function.

METHODS

Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library was performed from database inception until April 14, 2022. Heterogeneity was analyzed by χ² tests and I² was used as a quantitative test of heterogeneity. Subgroup analyses, meta-regression, and sensitivity analyses were used to analyze sources of heterogeneity.

RESULTS

Our review included 8 studies, 4 of which functioned as a control group. There were 250,606 COVID-19 patients (mean age: 31-47.1 years, sample size: 23-246,990). The control group consisted of 10,844,200 individuals (mean age: 32.76-42.4 years, sample size 75-10,836,663). The prevalence of ED was 33% (95% CI 18-47%, I² = 99.48%) in COVID-19 patients. The prevalence of ED based on the international coding of diseases (ICD-10) was 9% (95% CI 2-19%), which was significantly lower than the prevalence of ED diagnosed based on the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) (46%, 95% CI 22-71%, I² = 96.72%). The pooling prevalence of ED was 50% (95% CI 34-67%, I² = 81.54%) for articles published in 2021, significantly higher than that for articles published in 2022 (17%, 95% CI 7-30%, I² = 99.55%). The relative risk of developing ED was 2.64 times in COVID-19 patients higher than in non-COVID-19 patients (RR: 2.64, 95% CI 1.01-6.88). The GRADE-pro score showed that the mean incidence of ED events in COVID-19 patients was 1,333/50,606 (2.6%) compared with 52,937/844,200 (0.4%) in controls; the absolute impact of COVID-19 on ED was 656/100,000 (ranging from 4/100,000 to 2352/100,000). Anxiety (OR: 1.13, 95% CI 1.03-1.26, I² = 0.0%) in COVID-19 patients was a risk factor for ED.

CONCLUSION

COVID-19 patients have a high risk and prevalence of ED, mainly driven by anxiety. Attention should be paid to patient's erectile functioning when treating COVID-19.

Andrographolide restored production performances and serum biochemical indexes and attenuated organs damage in Mycoplasma gallisepticum-infected broilers

1. This study aimed to study the preventive and therapeutic effects of andrographolide (Andro) during Mycoplasma gallisepticum HS strain (MG) infection in ArborAcres (AA) broilers.2. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Andro against MG was measured. Broiler body weight, feed efficiency, morbidity, cure rate and mortality were recorded during the experiment. Air sac lesion scores and immune organ index were calculated. Expression of pMGA1.2 in lung tissue and serum biochemical indices were examined. Histopathological examinations of immune organs, liver, trachea and lung tissue were conducted by Haematoxylin and Eosin stain.3. MIC was 3.75 μg/mL and Andro significantly inhibited the expression of pMGA1.2 (P ≤ 0.05). Compared with control MG-infected group, Andro low-dose and high-dose prevention reduced the morbidity of chronic respiratory disease in 40.00% and 50.00%, respectively. Mortality of C, D and E group was 16.67%, 10.00% and 6.67%, respectively. Cure rate of E, F, G and H group was 92.00%, 92.86%, 93.33% and 100.0%, respectively. Compared with control MG-infected group, Andro treatment significantly increased average weight gain (AWG), relative weight gain rate (RWG) and feed conversion rate (FCR) at 18 to 24 days (P ≤ 0.05). Compared with control group, Andro alone treatment significantly increased AWG in broilers (P ≤ 0.05).4. Compared with control MG-infected group, Andro significantly attenuated MG-induced air sac lesion, immune organs, liver, trachea and lung damage in broilers. Andro alone treatment did not induce abnormal morphological changes in these organs in healthy broilers. Serum biochemical analysis results showed, comparing with control MG-infected group, Andro significantly decreased the content of total protein, albumin, globulin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin, urea, creatinine, uric acid, total cholesterol, and increased the albumin/globulin ratio and content of alkaline phosphatase, apolipoprotein B and apolipoprotein A-I in a dose-dependent manner (P ≤ 0.05).5. Andro could act as a potential agent against MG infection in broilers.

[Clinical characteristics and risk factors of lower extremity arterial disease in patients with diabetic foot ulcer]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the clinical characteristics of lower extremity arterial disease (LEAD) and its risk factors in patients with diabetic foot ulcer (DFU).

METHODS

We retrospectively collected the clinical and follow-up data of 650 patients with DFU treated in the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism of Nanfang Hospital between January, 2017 and December, 2019. We compared the data between patients who had LEAD and those without LEAD and used a multivariate logistic regression model to analyze the risk factors of LEAD in DFU patients.

RESULTS

Among the 650 DFU patients, 470 (72.4%) had LEAD. The patients were followed up for a mean of 3.5 months, and the mean healing time of DFU was 2.55 months; healing of DFU occurred in 453 patients and 183 patients received amputation. The patients with LEAD and those without LEAD differed significantly in age, hospitalization costs, diastolic blood pressure (DBP), glycated hemoglobin, blood lipid levels, disease course, ankle brachial index, healing time, smoking history, clinical outcomes, Wagner grade and imaging results (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified age (OR=1.070, 95% CI: 1.049-1.091), smoking history (OR= 2.013, 95% CI: 1.268-3.195), and a decreased DBP (OR=0.980, 95% CI: 0.963-0.997) as independent risk factors for LEAD in DFU patients. A prolonged healing time was a prominent clinical feature of DFU complicated by LEAD.

CONCLUSION

DFU patients have a high incidence of LEAD, which leads to high rates of disability and mortality and is associated with an advanced age, high smoking rate and longer healing time. A decreased DBP is also a risk factor for LEAD in DFU patients.

Enhancing Thermoelectric Properties of (Cu2Te)1−x-(BiCuTeO)x Composites by Optimizing Carrier Concentration

Because of the high carrier concentration, copper telluride (Cu2Te) has a relatively low Seebeck coefficient and high thermal conductivity, which are not good for its thermoelectric performance. To simultaneously optimize carrier concentration, lower thermal conductivity and improve the stability, BiCuTeO, an oxygen containing compound with lower carrier concentration, is in situ formed in Cu2Te by a method of combining self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) with spark plasma sintering (SPS). With the incorporation of BiCuTeO, the carrier concentration decreased from 8.1 × 1020 to 3.8 × 1020 cm−3, bringing the increase of power factor from ~1.91 to ~2.97 μW cm−1 K−2 at normal temperature. At the same time, thermal conductivity reduced from 2.61 to 1.48 W m−1 K−1 at 623 K. Consequently, (Cu2Te)0.95-(BiCuTeO)0.05 composite sample reached a relatively high ZT value of 0.13 at 723 K, which is 41% higher than that of Cu2Te.

COPB2: a transport protein with multifaceted roles in cancer development and progression

The Coatomer protein complex subunit beta 2 (COPB2) is involved in the formation of the COPI coatomer protein complex and is responsible for the transport of vesicles between the Golgi apparatus and the endoplasmic reticulum. It plays an important role in maintaining the integrity of these cellular organelles, as well as in maintaining cell homeostasis. More importantly, COPB2 plays key roles in embryonic development and tumor progression. COPB2 is regarded as a vital oncogene in several cancer types and has been implicated in tumor cell proliferation, survival, invasion, and metastasis. Here, we summarize the current knowledge on the roles of COPB2 in cancer development and progression in the context of the hallmarks of cancer.

Baicalin ameliorates Mycoplasma gallisepticum-induced lung inflammation in chicken by inhibiting TLR6-mediated NF-κB signalling

1. Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) causes severe lung inflammation and cell damage by activating toll-like receptor (TLR) signalling, the nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) pathway and pro-inflammatory cytokine gene expression. Baicalin (BA) is a flavonoid extracted from Scutellaria baicalensis, which possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. This study investigated the effect of BA in MG-induced lung inflammation and its potential mechanism in MG-infected chicken embryo lungs and DF-1 cells.2. The histopathological examination result showed that BA treatment alleviated MG-induced lung pathological changes. In addition, CCK-8 and cell cycle assays showed that BA treatment inhibited MG-induced cell proliferation and cell cycle progression in DF-1 cells.3. The ELISA and RT-qPCR results demonstrated that BA treatment decreased the expression of interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), IL-6, and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) both in MG-infected chicken embryo lungs and DF-1 cells.4. The results revealed that BA inhibited mRNA expression levels of toll-like receptor-6 (TLR6), myeloid differentiation primary response gene-88 (MyD88) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), and the nuclear translocation of NF-κB-p655. In conclusion, the results showed that BA has a protective effect against MG-induced lung inflammation in chicken by inhibiting the TLR6-mediated NF-κB signalling.

Clinical and sonographic features for the preoperative prediction of lymph nodes posterior to the right recurrent laryngeal nerve metastasis in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate clinical and sonographic features predictive of lymph nodes posterior to the right recurrent laryngeal nerve (LN-prRLN) metastasis in patients diagnosed with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records and ultrasound (US) images of 479 consecutive PTC patients who received total thyroidectomy or right lobectomy with central neck dissection (CND) between October 2017 and October 2019. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify clinical and sonographic features associated with LN-prRLN metastasis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was applied to evaluate the efficacy of clinical and sonographic features in the preoperative prediction of LN-prRLN metastasis.

RESULTS

Overall, 127 (26.5%) patients had LN-prRLN metastasis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age < 45 years (p = 0.005; OR 2.155; 95% CI 1.262-3.683), male sex (p = 0.043; OR 1.657; 95% CI 1.016-2.704), tumor diameter > 1 cm (p = 0.042; OR 1.702; 95% CI 1.019-2.842), microcalcifications (p = 0.022; OR 1.980; 95% CI 1.104-3.551), and US-detected lateral compartment lymph node (LLN) metastasis (p = 0.001; OR 2.578; 95% CI 1.500-4.430) were independent risk factors for LN-prRLN metastasis. ROC analysis revealed that the multivariate logistic regression model had good accuracy in predicting LN-prRLN metastasis, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.758.

CONCLUSIONS

Age less than 45 years, male sex, tumor diameter larger than 1 cm, microcalcifications, and US-detected LLN metastasis may preoperatively predict LN-prRLN metastasis.

Porous-Carbon Aerogels with Tailored Sub-Nanopores for High Cycling Stability and Rate Capability Potassium-Ion Battery Anodes

Developing advanced electrode materials for potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) is an emerging research area in recent years; so far, several strategies such as heteroatom doping into carbon, increasing interlayer spacing, or creating amorphous region in graphite have been investigated. Here, we studied the effect of sub-nanopores in a porous-carbon aerogel with a pore size distribution centered at around 0.8 nm and achieved outstanding PIB performance including long cycling stability (particularly at small current densities for prolonged charge/discharge period) and high rate capability with enhanced retentions. Mechanism studies reveal very high contribution from surface capacitive potassium (K)-ion storage (more than 90%) to the total capacity, and theoretical calculations show that 0.8 nm sub-nanopores lead to substantially low barrier for K-ion transport and storage, with ultrasmall diffusion energy and negligible lattice change. Sub-nanopore engineering, as demonstrated here, may be adopted to develop highly efficient and stable porous-carbon-based structures for applications in advanced energy storage systems and electrochemical catalysis.

Inhibition of Sumoylation Alleviates Oxidative Stress-induced Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cell Senescence and Represses Proinflammatory Gene Expression

PURPOSE

Advanced age is the largest risk factor for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Sumoylation is a reversible post-translational modification that conjugates small peptide, small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO), to a target protein. Dysregulation of sumoylation is recently found to be critically involved in several age-related disorders. However, the effects of sumoylation during retina senescence and aging remains elusive. This study is aimed to investigate the function and regulation of sumoylation pathway in the aging retina and premature senescent retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells.

METHODS

1.5- and 10-month C57/B6 mice were used for comparative aging study. Both ARPE primary cultures and ARPE-19 cells were used for assay systems. The qRT-PCR was used for analysis of mRNA expression. Western blot and immunofluorescence were used to analyze the protein expression. Cell flow cytometry was used for cell cycle progression analysis. RPE barrier function and senescent-associated β-galactosidase (SA β-gal) activity were analyzed to measure cellular senescence.

RESULTS

We show that the expression of SUMO enzymes and global protein sumoylation were downregulated in the aging mouse retina, and in the oxidative stress (OS) -induced premature senescent RPE cells. Dramatical altered distribution of SUMO E1, E2 and E3 enzymes were observed during RPE senescence. Inhibition of sumoylation alleviated OS-induced cell senescence in RPE cells, as indicated by decreased p21 and p53 expression and decreased percentage of cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase. Intriguingly, inhibition of SUMO E1 repressed the expression of proinflammatory cytokine and chemokine in the premature senescent RPE cells. However, inhibition of sumoylation did not prevent DNA damage during the OS-induced RPE senescence process.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data indicate sumoylation critically regulates retina and RPE aging and that targeting sumoylation process may provide potential therapeutic strategy for AMD treatment.

Membrane adsorbers with ultrahigh metal-organic framework loading for high flux separations

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with high porosity and designable functionality make it possible to access the merits of high permeability and selectivity. However, scalable fabrication methods to produce mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) with good flexibility and ultrahigh MOF loading are urgently needed yet largely unmet. Herein, we report a thermally induced phase separation-hot pressing (TIPS-HoP) strategy to roll-to-roll produce 10 distinct MOF-membranes (loadings up to 86 wt%). Ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene interweaving the MOF particles contributes to their mechanical strength. Rejections (99%) of organic dyes with a water flux of 125.7 L m^–2 h^–1 bar^–1 under cross-flow filtration mode. The micron-sized channels between the MOF particles translate into fast water permeation, while the porous MOFs reject solutes through rapid adsorption. This strategy paves ways for developing high-performance membrane adsorbers for crucial separation processes. As a proof-of-concept, the abilities of the membrane adsorbers for separating racemates and proteins have been demonstrated.

Mixed matrix membranes have shown great promise for separation applications, but low filler loading typically leads to low selectivity. Here the authors use a thermally induced phase separation-hot-pressing strategy to fabricate 10 distinct metal-organic framework-based membrane adsorbers with up to 86 wt% MOF-loading.

Exosomes secreted by mice adipose-derived stem cells after low-level laser irradiation treatment reduce apoptosis of osteocyte induced by hypoxia

OBJECTIVE

Kienböck's disease is a commonly seen posttraumatic avascular necrosis characterized by avascular necrosis of the lunate bone of the wrist which involves the dominant hand. In our study, we aimed to present midterm outcomes of 12 cases treated with radial metaphyseal core decompression.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In our clinic, 12 patients who applied to our outpatient clinic with intractable pain despite at least six weeks of conservative treatment were previously diagnosed and evaluated as Kienböck's disease between the years 2006 and 2014. Patients at early stage received radial metaphyseal core decompression.

RESULTS

The patients were evaluated as postoperative grip strength, flexion-extension gap, ulnar-radial deviation gap, VAS, Quick DASH and MAYO wrist scoring and patient satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

We determined that interventions performed for Kienböck's disease cannot halt radiological progression. We are of the opinion that radial metaphyseal core decompression, aiming at increasing blood perfusion, improve early diagnosis and treatment of Kienböck's disease, increasing the patient satisfaction.

Large-area graphene-nanomesh/carbon-nanotube hybrid membranes for ionic and molecular nanofiltration

Nanoporous two-dimensional materials are attractive for ionic and molecular nanofiltration but limited by insufficient mechanical strength over large areas. We report a large-area graphene-nanomesh/single-walled carbon nanotube (GNM/SWNT) hybrid membrane with excellent mechanical strength while fully capturing the merit of atomically thin membranes. The monolayer GNM features high-density, subnanometer pores for efficient transport of water molecules while blocking solute ions or molecules to enable size-selective separation. The SWNT network physically separates the GNM into microsized islands and acts as the microscopic framework to support the GNM, thus ensuring the structural integrity of the atomically thin GNM. The resulting GNM/SWNT membranes show high water permeance and a high rejection ratio for salt ions or organic molecules, and they retain stable separation performance in tubular modules.

Highly Dispersed Catalytic Co3S4 among a Hierarchical Carbon Nanostructure for High-Rate and Long-Life Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are next-generation energy storage systems with high energy density, and the rate performance is a very important consideration for practical applications. Recent approaches such as introducing catalytic materials to facilitate polysulfide conversion have been explored, yet the results remain unsatisfactory. Here, we present an optimized Li-S electrode featured by a large amount of highly dispersed Co₃S₄ nanoparticles (∼10 nm in size) throughout a hierarchical carbon nanostructure hybridized from ZIF-67 and carbon nanotube (CNT) sponge. This enables homogeneous distribution and close contact between infiltrated sulfur and Co₃S₄ nanoparticles within the ZIF-67-derived N-doped carbon nanocubes, leading to effective chemical interaction with polysulfides, maximum catalytic effect and enhanced lithium ion diffusion, while the built-in three-dimensional CNT network ensures high electrical conductivity of the electrode. As a consequence, the Li-S battery exhibits both extraordinary rate performance by maintaining a capacity of ∼850 mAh g^-1 at very high charge/discharge rate (5 C) and long-term cycling stability with 85% retention after 1000 cycles at 5 C (an average capacity fading rate of only 0.0137% per cycle).

[Analysis of the discrepancy of crown-root morphology of central incisors among different skeletal malocclusion using cone-beam CT]

Objective: To investigate the discrepancy of crown-root morphology of upper and lower central incisors in adult patients with different skeletal malocclusions using cone-beam CT (CBCT). Methods: Patients visiting the Department of Orthodontics, College of Stomatology, Xi'an Jiaotong University from January 2015 to December 2017 were selected, including 108 cases (52 males, 56 females, aged from 18 to 30 years, mean age 25.8 years). According to CBCT data and cephalometric analysis, 66 patients with average angle were selected as the sagittal skeletal group, including 24 Class Ⅰ patients, 20 Class Ⅱ and 22 Class Ⅲ patients. In the other selected 66 skeletal Class Ⅰ patients including 21 low angle patients, 24 average angle patients (from the sagittal skeletal Class Ⅰ subgroup) and 21 high angle patients. Invivo 5 software was used to locate the CBCT image three dimensionally and then obtain the middle labio-lingual section of right central incisor. Auto CAD 2007 software was applied to measure the angle formed by the long axis of root and the extension line of the long axis of crown (Collum angle), and the angle between the long axis of crown and the lip tangent line passing through the center of the labial surface of crown (labial surface angle). One-way ANOVA and Scheff were used to analyze the discrepancies among classifications and Pearson correlation analysis was used to determine the correlation between the Collum angles and labial surface angles. Results: Significant differences were found in Collum angles and labial surface angles among different sagittal skeletal patterns (P<0.05). The Collum angle of maxillary central incisors in Class Ⅱ patients was 5.18°±4.97° and the average labial surface angle was 17.78°±3.74°, which were both significantly higher than that of maxillary central incisors in Class Ⅰ and Ⅲ subgroups (P<0.05). Similarly, the above two angles of mandibular central incisors in Class Ⅲ were 5.59°±5.64° and 15.32°±3.05°, which were significantly higher than that of mandibular central incisors in Class Ⅰ and Ⅱ subgroups (P<0.05). There was no significant difference among different vertical skeletal patterns (P>0.05). Notably, the Collum angles of maxillary or mandibular central incisors presented significantly positive correlation with labial surface angles (maxillary: r=0.723, P<0.001; mandibular: r=0.752, P<0.001). Conclusions: The long axis of the crown of the maxillary central incisor in skeletal Class Ⅱ patients and the mandibular central incisor in skeletal Class Ⅲ patients are obviously deviated toward the lingual side relative to the long axis of the root, and correspondingly there is a greater labial surface angle of the crown, which indicates that equivalent positioning deviation during bracket bonding can cause greater torque expression error.

Controlled Air-Etching Synthesis of Porous-Carbon Nanotube Aerogels with Ultrafast Charging at 1000 A g-1

Supercapacitors are energy storage systems capable of fast charging and discharging, thus generating superior power density. Porous carbon with high surface area and tunable pore size represents a promising candidate to construct ultrafast supercapacitors; so far, most porous carbon-based electrodes can only be charged to a moderate current density (100-200 A g^-1), also with significant capacitance loss at increasing rate. Here, it is shown that a 3D aerogel consisting of interconnected 1D porous-carbon nanotubes (PCNs) can serve as a freestanding supercapacitor electrode with excellent rate performance. As a result, the PCN aerogel electrodes achieve 1) ultrafast charging at current densities up to 1000 A g^-1 (corresponding to a charge period of 16 ms), which is the highest value among other porous carbon-based supercapacitors, 2) superior cycling stability at high charging rates (88% capacitance retention after 10⁵ cycles at 1000 A g^-1). Mechanism study reveals favorable kinetics including a centralized pore size distribution at 0.8 nm which is a dominant factor to allow high-rate charging, a low and linear IR drop, and a metallic feature of 1D PCNs by theoretical calculation. The results indicate that 1D PCNs with controlled porous structures have potential applications in ultrafast energy conversion and storage.

Hyperporous Sponge Interconnected by Hierarchical Carbon Nanotubes as a High-Performance Potassium-Ion Battery Anode

Recently, commercial graphite and other carbon-based materials have shown promising properties as the anode for potassium-ion batteries. A fundamental problem related to those carbon electrodes, significant volume expansion, and structural instability/collapsing caused by cyclic K-ion intercalation, remains unsolved and severely limits further development and applications of K-ion batteries. Here, a multiwalled hierarchical carbon nanotube (HCNT) is reported to address the issue, and a reversible specific capacity of 232 mAh g^-1 , excellent rate capability, and cycling stability for 500 cycles are achieved. The key structure of the HCNTs consists of an inner CNT with dense-stacked graphitic walls and a loose-stacked outer CNT with more disordered walls, and individual HCNTs are further interconnected into a hyperporous bulk sponge with huge macropore volume, high conductivity, and tunable modulus. It is discovered that the inner dense-CNT serves as a robust skeleton, and collectively, the outer loose-CNT is beneficial for K-ion accommodation; meanwhile the hyperporous sponge facilitates reaction kinetics and offers stable surface capacitive behavior. The hierarchical carbon nanotube structure has great potential in developing high-performance and stable-structure electrodes for next generation K and other metal-ion batteries.

Beneficial effects of low-level laser irradiation on senile osteoporosis in rats

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of low-level laser irradiation (LLLI) on bone mineral density (BMD), bone structures, bone biomechanical properties and bone metabolism in senile osteoporosis, and to explore a relatively more secure and effective way to prevent and treat osteoporosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Sprague-Dawley (SD) male rats at different age stages (4 months old, 12 months old and 20 months old) were selected and randomly divided into six groups. The rats in the treatment group were treated with LLLI for 12 weeks, and then the microstructure of bones was analyzed by micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) scanning. The biomechanical indexes of the femur were detected by the three-point bending test. Levels of the blood calcium (Ca)2+, blood phosphorus (P)3+, urine Ca, urine P and urine creatinine (CREA) were detected using an automatic biochemical analyzer. The contents of serum osteocalcin (OCN) and bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The bone formation rate (BFR) was analyzed by double fluorescent labeling with calcein and tetracycline. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and toluidine blue staining were used to analyze the number of bone marrow osteoblasts and adipocytes.

RESULTS

Micro-CT results showed that compared with those in the young group, the bone mineral density (BMD) in the old group was significantly decreased, and the trabecular microstructure was seriously damaged. LLLI could significantly enhance the BMD and improve the damage to the trabecular microstructure; the three-point bending test revealed that LLLI could significantly improve the biomechanical properties and enhance the mechanical strength of the femur in the old group; the biochemical analysis showed that LLLI could significantly reduce Ca and P losses and elevate the levels of serum BAP and OCN; the bone histomorphology analysis results indicated that LLLI could increase BFR and mineral apposition rate (MAR), increase the number of osteoblasts and decrease the number of adipocytes in the bone marrow in the old group.

CONCLUSIONS

LLLI can effectively improve osteoporosis, increase BMD, improve bone structure and improve bone biomechanical properties in old rats; at the same time, it increases the levels of serum BAP and OCN and the number of osteoblasts in the bone marrow, suggesting that the osteogenesis function of osteoblasts is enhanced.

[Electronic probe analysis of enamel remineralization effect of casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate promoted by different concentrations of fluorine]

Objective: To evaluate the remineralization effect and mechanism of casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP) with different concentrations of fluorine on demineralized enamel using electronic probe. Methods: Extracted premolar teeth for orthodontic purpose were immersed into lactic acid gel to prepare artificial white spot lesions (10 teeth in each group). Then the specimens were randomly assigned to three groups: Control group, with 5% of the CPP-ACP+deionized water; Group A with 5% CPP-ACP+500 mg/L F(-) and Group B with 5% CPP-ACP+900 mg/L F(-). The teeth in each group were soaked in different solutions for 4 days and then were measured using electron probe tester. The changes of contents among the three groups were compared. Results: No statistically significant difference in the percentage of fluorine was found in the control group before and after treatment (P=0.06), and the difference in the percentage of fluorine quality in the other two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). Statistically significant difference was found between calcium oxide and phosphorus peroxide in the three groups before and after mineralization (P<0.05). The percentage change of fluorine mass in group B [(0.107±0.035)%] was significantly greater than that in group A [(0.057±0.038)%] (P<0.05), while fluorine mass in group A was significantly greater than that in control group [(0.013±0.019)%] (P<0.05). In group A and group B, the change in quality of calcium oxide and phosphorus peroxide was significantly greater than that in control group (P<0.05), while no significant difference was found between group A and group B (P>0.05). Conclusions: The addition of fluorine in CPP-ACP increased the transport and penetration of calcium, phosphorus and fluorine on enamel surface.

Robust and Stable Cu Nanowire@Graphene Core-Shell Aerogels for Ultraeffective Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

Cu nanowires (CuNWs) are considered as a promising candidate to develop high performance metal aerogels, yet the construction of robust and stable 3D porous structures remains challenging which severely limits their practical applications. Here, graphene-hybridized CuNW (CuNW@G) core-shell aerogels are fabricated by introducing a conformal polymeric coating and in situ transforming it into multilayered graphene seamlessly wrapped around individual CuNWs through a mild thermal annealing process. The existence of the outer graphene shell reinforces the 3D bulk structure and significantly slows down the oxidation process of CuNWs, resulting in improved mechanical property and highly stable electrical conductivity. When applied in electromagnetic interference shielding, the CuNW@G core-shell aerogels exhibit an average effectiveness of ≈52.5 dB over a wide range (from 8.2 to 18 GHz) with negligible degradation under ambient conditions for 40 d. Mechanism analysis reveals that the graphene shell with functional groups enables dual reflections on the core-shell and a multiple dielectric relaxation process, leading to enhanced dielectric loss and energy dissipation within the core-shell aerogels. The flexible core-shell-structured CuNW@G aerogels, with superior mechanical robustness and electrical stability, have potential applications in many areas such as advanced energy devices and functional composites.

Single Carbon Fibers with a Macroscopic-Thickness, 3D Highly Porous Carbon Nanotube Coating

Carbon fiber (CF) grafted with a layer of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) plays an important role in composite materials and other fields; to date, the applications of CNTs@CF multiscale fibers are severely hindered by the limited amount of CNTs grafted on individual CFs and the weak interfacial binding force. Here, monolithic CNTs@CF fibers consisting of a 3D highly porous CNT sponge layer with macroscopic-thickness (up to several millimeters), which is directly grown on a single CF, are fabricated. Mechanical tests reveal high sponge-CF interfacial strength owing to the presence of a thin transitional layer, which completely inhibits the CF slippage from the matrix upon fracture in CNTs@CF fiber-epoxy composites. The porous conductive CNTs@CF hybrid fibers also act as a template for introducing active materials (pseudopolymers and oxides), and a solid-state fiber-shaped supercapacitor and a fiber-type lithium-ion battery with high performances are demonstrated. These CNTs@CF fibers with macroscopic CNT layer thickness have many potential applications in areas such as hierarchically reinforced composites and flexible energy-storage textiles.

The dynamic metabolomic changes throughout mouse epididymal lumen fluid potentially contribute to sperm maturation

Epididymal lumen fluids are directly responsible for sperm maturation. However, very little is known about the molecular details of small molecule metabolites in the epididymal lumen fluids until now. Here we identified and compared the metabolic profiles of mouse caput and cauda epididymal lumen fluids using GC-MS technique. Among 236 metabolites identified in caput and cauda epididymis, 36 were significantly enriched in caput epididymis while 18 were significantly enriched in cauda epididymis. Pathway analysis identified ascorbate and aldarate metabolism and beta-alanine metabolism as most relevant pathways in caput and cauda epididymis, respectively. Ascorbate, dehydroascorbic acid and beta-alanine associated with these two pathways were firstly reported in mouse epididymal lumen fluids and might play important roles in sperm maturation.

MOF-Derived ZnO Nanoparticles Covered by N-Doped Carbon Layers and Hybridized on Carbon Nanotubes for Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have many promising applications in energy and environmental areas such as gas separation, catalysis, supercapacitors, and batteries; the key toward those applications is controlled pyrolysis which can tailor the porous structure, improve electrical conductivity, and expose metal ions in MOFs. Here, we present a systematic study on the structural evolution of zeolitic imidazolate frameworks hybridized on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) during the carbonization process. We show that a number of typical products can be obtained, depending on the annealing time, including (1) CNTs wrapped by relatively thick carbon layers, (2) CNTs grafted by ZnO nanoparticles which are covered by thin nitrogen-doped carbon layers, and (3) CNTs grafted by aggregated ZnO nanoparticles. We also investigated the electrochemical properties of those hybrid structures as freestanding membrane electrodes for lithium ion batteries, and the second one (CNT-supported ZnO covered by N-doped carbon) shows the best performance with a high specific capacity (850 mA h/g at a current density of 100 mA/g) and excellent cycling stability. Our results indicate that tailoring and optimizing the MOF-CNT hybrid structure is essential for developing high-performance energy storage systems.

Rational Design of Hierarchical Carbon/Mesoporous Silicon Composite Sponges as High-Performance Flexible Energy Storage Electrodes

Nanostructuring silicon (Si) and combining Si with carbon shells have been studied in recent Li-ion battery electrodes, yet it remains a grand challenge to overcome the low electrical conductivity and associated volume change of Si. Here, by first coating a mesoporous SiO₂ (meso-SiO₂) onto carbon nanotube (CNT) networks and then converting it into a meso-Si layer covered by carbon, we obtained a freestanding, highly porous composite sponge electrode consisting of three-dimensionally interconnected sandwiched carbon-Si-CNT skeletons. In this hierarchical structure, the macropores among the sponge connect to mesopores in the meso-Si layer so that Li⁺ diffusion is facilitated, whereas the underlying CNT networks serve as conductive paths for electrons transport. Meanwhile, the outer carbon coating on meso-Si could buffer the volume expansion and prevent material shedding. As a result, our sandwiched carbon-Si-CNT electrodes exhibit large specific capacity, high rate capability and long cycle life. The combination of carbon-wrapped meso-Si and CNT sponges might be a potential strategy for developing efficient electrodes in various energy storage systems.

Analysis of genetic diversity of Leuciscus leuciscus baicalensis using novel microsatellite markers with cross-species transferability

We used next-generation sequencing technology to characterize 19 genomic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and 11 expressed sequence tag (EST) SSR markers from Leuciscus leuciscus baicalensis, a small freshwater fish that is widely distributed in Xinjiang, China. Primers were used to test for polymorphisms in three L. leuciscus baicalensis populations in Xinjiang. There were 4-27 (average 11.3) alleles (N_A), the expected heterozygosity (H_E) was 0.36-0.94 (average 0.75 ± 0.14), the observed heterozygosity (H_O) was 0.37-1.00 (average 0.68 ± 0.18), and the polymorphism information content (PIC) was 0.31-0.93 (average 0.71). The averages of H_E and PIC for the EST-SSR markers were slightly lower than for the genomic SSR markers. Genetic analysis of the three populations showed similar results for PIC, H_E, and N_A. Amplifications were performed in nine other species; the top three transferability values were for Rutilus lacustris (80%), Leuciscus idus (76.7%), and Phoxinus ujmonensis (63.3%), with the following average values: PIC (0.56, 4.46, and 0.52); N_A (0.40, 3.00, and 0.32); and H_O (0.44, 2.74, and 0.22), respectively. L. leuciscus baicalensis is one of the most important commercial fish in Xinjiang, but in recent years, fishery resources have decreased sharply owing to water conservation projects, unreasonable utilization, and invasion by alien species. These novel SSR markers are appropriate for studies involving fingerprinting, gene flow, genetic diversity, population structure, and molecular-assisted breeding, and could contribute to the conservation of L. leuciscus baicalensis.

Evolutionarily conserved dual lysine motif determines the non-chaperone function of secreted Hsp90alpha in tumour progression

Both intracellular and extracellular heat shock protein-90 (Hsp90) family proteins (α and β) have been shown to support tumour progression. The tumour-supporting activity of the intracellular Hsp90 is attributed to their N-terminal ATPase-driven chaperone function. What molecular entity determines the extracellular function of secreted Hsp90 and the distinction between Hsp90α and Hsp90β was unclear. Here we demonstrate that CRISPR/Case9 knocking out Hsp90α nullifies tumour cells' ability to migrate, invade and metastasize without affecting the cell survival and growth. Knocking out Hsp90β leads to tumour cell death. Extracellular supplementation with recombinant Hsp90α, but not Hsp90β, protein recovers tumourigenicity of the Hsp90α-knockout cells. Sequential mutagenesis identifies two evolutionarily conserved lysine residues, lys-270 and lys-277, in the Hsp90α subfamily that determine the extracellular Hsp90α function. Hsp90β subfamily lacks the dual lysine motif and the extracellular function. Substitutions of gly-262 and thr-269 in Hsp90β with lysines convert Hsp90β to a Hsp90α-like protein. Newly constructed monoclonal antibody, 1G6-D7, against the dual lysine region of secreted Hsp90α inhibits both de novo tumour formation and expansion of already formed tumours in mice. This study suggests an alternative therapeutic approach to target Hsp90 in cancer, that is, the tumour-secreted Hsp90α, instead of the intracellular Hsp90α and Hsp90β.

Graphene Oxide Glue-Electrode for Fabrication of Vertical, Elastic, Conductive Columns

Graphene has a planar atomic structure with high flexibility and might be used as ultrathin conductive glues or adhesion layers in electronics and other applications. Here, we show that graphene oxide (GO) sheets condensed from solution can act as a pure, thin-layer, nonpenetrating glue for fabrication of vertical architectures anchored on rigid and flexible substrates. Carbon nanotube (CNT) sponges are used as a porous template to make polymer-reinforced composite columns, to achieve both high conductivity and elastic behavior. These vertical columns are fixed on a substrate by reduced GO sheets as an electrode and exhibit reversible resistance change under large-strain compression for many cycles. Similar to the CNT gecko feet, we disclose high adhesion forces at the CNT-GO and GO-SiO₂ interfaces by mechanical tests and theoretical calculation. Three-dimensional CNT, graphene, and nanowire networks with our GO glue-electrodes have potential applications as energy storage electrodes, flexible sensors, functional composites, and vertical interconnects.

Efficacy of statins for osteoporosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Our meta-analysis assessed the efficacy of statins on the risk of fracture, bone mineral density (BMD), and the markers of bone metabolism by collecting data from 33 clinical trials. We found that statin treatment was associated with bone metabolism. And statins seemed to be more effective on male patients with osteoporosis. The efficacy of statins for the treatment of osteoporosis has been controversial in previous studies and meta-analyses. Our meta-analysis was conducted to examine in detail the efficacy of statins on osteoporosis. We searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases for clinical trials from inception to May 2016. We included studies that described the effect of statins on the risk of fracture, BMD, or bone turnover markers. Moreover, we also conducted subgroup analyses according to the skeleton site, patient gender, and length of follow-up. A total of 33 studies which included 23 observational studies (16 cohort studies and 7 case-control studies) and 10 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were evaluated. These 33 studies included 314,473 patients in statin group and 1,349,192 patients in control group. Statins decreased the risk of overall fractures (OR = 0.81, 95% CI 0.73-0.89) and hip fractures (OR = 0.75, 95% CI 0.60-0.92). Furthermore, the use of statins was associated with increased BMD at the total hip (standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.18, 95% CI 0.00-0.36) and lumbar spine (SMD = 0.20, 95% CI 0.07-0.32) and improved the bone formation marker, osteocalcin (OC) (SMD = 0.21, 95% CI 0.00-0.42). However, there was no positive effect on vertebral fractures, upper extremity fractures, BMD at the femoral neck, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP), and serum C-terminal peptide of type I collagen (S-CTX). Also, compared with male subgroups, the effect on female subgroups was only slightly positive or of no statistical significance. Our meta-analysis indicates that statin treatment may be associated with a decreased risk of overall fractures and hip fractures, an increased BMD at the total hip, BMD at the lumbar spine, and OC. Moreover, our results also show that statin treatment may have a greater effect on male patients than on female patients.

Highly Stable Carbon Nanotube/Polyaniline Porous Network for Multifunctional Applications

Three-dimensional carbon nanotube (CNT) networks with high porosity and electrical conductivity have many potential applications in energy and environmental areas, but the network structure is not very stable due to weak inter-CNT interactions. Here, we coat a thin polyaniline (PANI) layer on as-synthesized CNT sponge to obtain a mechanically and electrically stable network, and enable multifunctional applications. The resulting CNT/PANI network serves as stable strain sensors, highly compressible supercapacitor electrode with enhanced volume-normalized capacitance (632 F/cm³), and reinforced nanocomposites with the PANI as intermediate layer between the CNT fillers and polymeric matrix. Our results provide a simple and controllable method for achieving high-stability porous networks composed of CNTs, graphene, or other nanostructures.

Controlled Synthesis of Core-Shell Carbon@MoS2 Nanotube Sponges as High-Performance Battery Electrodes

Heterogeneous inorganic nanotube structures consisting of multiwalled carbon nanotubes coated by long, continuous MoS₂ sheets with tunable sheet number are synthesized using a carbon-nanotube sponge as a template. The resulting 3D porous hybrid sponges have potential applications as high-performance freestanding anodes for Li-ion batteries with excellent specific capacity and cycling stability.

Blown-Bubble Assembly and in Situ Fabrication of Sausage-like Graphene Nanotubes Containing Copper Nanoblocks

We use a blown-bubble method to assemble Cu nanowires and in situ fabricate graphene-based one-dimensional heterostructures, including versatile sausage-like configurations consisting of multilayer graphene nanotubes (GNTs) filled by single or periodically arranged Cu nanoblocks (CuNBs). This is done by first assembling Cu nanowires among a polymer-based blown-bubble film (BBF) and then growing graphene onto the nanowire substrate using the polymer matrix as a solid carbon source by chemical-vapor deposition. The formation of sausage-like GNT@CuNB nanostructures is due to the partial melting and breaking of embedded Cu nanowires during graphene growth, which is uniquely related to our BBF process. We show that the GNT skin significantly slows the oxidation process of CuNBs compared with that of bare Cu nanowires, and the presence of stuffed CuNBs also reduces the linear resistance along the GNTs. The large-scale assembled graphene-based heterostructures achieved by our BBF method may have potential applications in heterojunction electronic devices and high-stability transparent conductive electrodes.

[A comparation of efficacy between unilateral laminectomy approach bilateral decompression and traditional total laminectomy decompression in the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis]

OBJECTIVES

To compare the efficacy between unilateral laminectomy approach bilateral decompression and traditional total laminectomy decompression in the treatment of graft bone fusion and internal fixation for degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis with the unilateral symptoms.

METHOD

From January 2013 to December 2014, a total of 40 patients with unilateral symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis were treated in Department of Spinal Surgery Bozhou People's Hospital of Anhui Province. Twenty patients(group A ) were treated by severe symptoms unilateral facetectomy and resection of superior articular and laminectomy and lateral recess decompression, interbody fusion, pedicle screw fixation.Twenty patients(group B ) were treated by total laminectomy interbody fusion and pedicle screw fixation.The time of operation, blood loss of the two groups were recorded.At the same time the visual analog scale (VAS), Oswestry disability index(ODI), Japanese Orthopaedic Association Scores(JOA) before and after operation (3, 6 , 12months) were recorded retrospectively. The effect of surgery were evaluated and compared.

RESULT

The VAS, JOA, and ODI of group A preoperation is respectively have no significant differences with the group B (P>0.05). The operation time, blood loss in operation of group A was respectively(133.2±25.3) min, (415.0±42.1) ml, significant differences with the group B[(491.0±46.3)ml; (156.2±28.5) min, P<0.05)]. The VAS, JOA, ODI of group A had no significant differences with the group B (P>0.05) at 3, 6 months after operation.The VAS, JOA, ODI of group A was respectively (3.0±0.6), (25.3±5.1), (16.5±1.5)scores, had significant differences with the group B and preoperation (P<0.05) at 12 months after operation. The radiographic data showed that the interbody fusion rate of group A was 100%, and group B was 95%, had significant differences by statistical analysis (P<0.05) at 12 months afer operation.

CONCLUSION

The improved unilateral laminectomy approach and bilateral decompression have less operation time and blood loss, more satisfactory for the lumbar spinal stenosis patients with the unilateral severe symptoms, the other side moderate stenosis and mild symptoms.The efficacy of lumbar stability and bilateral decompression is better by operation of improved unilateral approach.

Direct Oil Recovery from Saturated Carbon Nanotube Sponges

Oil adsorption by porous materials is a major strategy for water purification and industrial spill cleanup; it is of great interest if the adsorbed oil can be safely recovered from those porous media. Here, direct oil recovery from fully saturated bulk carbon nanotube (CNT) sponges by displacing oil with water in controlled manner is shown. Surfactant-assisted electrocapillary imbibition is adopted to drive aqueous electrolyte into the sponge and extrude organic oil out continuously at low potentials (up to -1.2 V). More than 95 wt % of oil adsorbed within the sponge can be recovered, via a single electrocapillary process. Recovery of different oils with a wide range of viscosities is demonstrated, and the remaining CNT sponge can be reused with similar recovery capacity. A direct and efficient method is provided to recover oil from CNT sponges by water imbibition, which has many potential environmental and energy applications.

Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae induced ventilator-associated pneumonia in mechanically ventilated patients in China

The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics of hypervirulent K. pneumoniae (hvKP) induced ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and the microbiological characteristics and epidemiology of the hvKP strains. A retrospective study of 49 mechanically ventilated patients with K. pneumoniae induced VAP was conducted at a university hospital in China from January 2014 to December 2014. Clinical characteristics and K. pneumoniae antimicrobial susceptibility and biofilm formation were analyzed. Genes of capsular serotypes K1, K2, K5, K20, K54 and K57 and virulence factors plasmid rmpA(p-rmpA), iroB, iucA, mrkD, entB, iutA, ybtS, kfu and allS were also evaluated. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analyses were used to study the clonal relationship of the K. pneumoniae strains. Strains possessed p-rmpA and iroB and iucA were defined as hvKP. Of 49 patients, 14 patients (28.6 %) were infected by hvKP. Antimicrobial resistant rate was significantly higher in cKP than that in hvKP. One ST29 K54 extended-spectrum-beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing hvKP strain was detected. The prevalence of K1 and K2 in hvKP was 42.9 % and 21.4 %, respectively. The incidences of K1, K2, K20, p-rmpA, iroB, iucA, iutA, Kfu and alls were significantly higher in hvKP than those in cKP. ST23 was dominant among hvKP strains, and all the ST23 strains had identical RAPD pattern. hvKP has become a common pathogen of VAP in mechanically ventilated patients in China. Clinicians should increase awareness of hvKP induced VAP and enhance epidemiologic surveillance.

Double polymer sheathed carbon nanotube supercapacitors show enhanced cycling stability

Pseudo-materials are effective in boosting the specific capacitance of supercapacitors, but during service their degradation may also be very strong, causing reduced cycling stability. Here, we show that a carbon nanotube sponge grafted by two conventional pseudo-polymer layers in sequence can serve as a porous supercapacitor electrode with significantly enhanced cycling stability compared with single polymer grafting. Creating conformal polymer coatings on the nanotube surface and the resulting double-sheath configuration are important structural factors leading to the enhanced performance. Combining different polymers as double sheaths as reported here might be a potential route to circumvent the dilemma of pseudo-materials, and to simultaneously improve the capacitance and stability for various energy storage devices.

Flexible hybrid carbon nanotube sponges embedded with SnS2 from tubular nanosheaths to nanosheets as free-standing anodes for lithium-ion batteries

Flexible CNT@SnS₂ sponges with controllable mass ratios and various morphologies of loaded SnS₂ from tubular nanosheaths to nanosheets have been fabricated and can be used as free-standing and binder-free electrodes applied in lithium-ion batteries.