The impact of probiotics on gut microbiota in the eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

The effect of probiotics supplementation on the gut microbiota in Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication therapy is controversial. Therefore, this review aimed to illustrate changes in the gut microbiota after standard eradication therapy with probiotics supplements.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A computerized literature search in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Embase database was performed up to February 1st, 2022, with English language restriction. The extracted outcomes were analyzed, including gut microbiota, adverse effects, and eradication rate.

RESULTS

13 studies reported data on 777 participants who were finally eligible for this systematic review. All of them are randomized controlled trials investigating the effect of H. pylori eradication with probiotics supplementation therapy on gut microbiota. Probiotics supplementation seems to play a positive role in restoring the gut microbiota during H. pylori eradication therapy. However, the changes in the gut microbiota are still controversial. The included studies had significant heterogeneity in the study population, diagnostic methods of H. pylori infection, and detection techniques of the gut microbiota and probiotics species.

CONCLUSIONS

The results provided a basis for the rational selection of probiotics in the H. pylori eradication process. Probiotic supplementation might keep the balance of gut microbiota and reduce the gastrointestinal adverse effects of antibiotics, but whether it could improve the eradication rate or not is a debatable point. Therefore, more research is needed to provide evidence.

Curvature Adjustable Liquid Transport on Anisotropic Microstructured Elastic Film

Directional liquid transport is expected via adjusting chemical components, surface morphology, and external stimuli and is critical for practical applications. Although many studies have been conducted, there are still challenges to achieving real-time transformation of liquid transport direction on the material surface. Herein, we demonstrate a strategy to achieve curvature responsive anisotropic wetting on the elastic film with V-shaped prism microarray (VPM) microstructure, which can be used to control the direction of liquid transport. The results reveal that the curvature change of an elastic film can adjust the arrangement of V-shaped prisms on the elastic film. Correspondingly, the liquid wetting trend will change and even the moving direction reverses with varying arrangements of the V-shaped prisms on the elastic film. Meanwhile, surface hydrophobicity of the VPM elastic film also affects the liquid wetting trend and even shows the opposite transport direction of the liquid, which is up to the water wetting state on the VPM elastic film. Based on these results, the VPM elastic film can serve as a valve to control the liquid transport direction and is promising in the application of liquid directional harvest, chemical reaction, microfluidic, etc.

Ultrastable Super-Hydrophobic Surface with an Ordered Scaly Structure for Decompression and Guiding Liquid Manipulation

Directional droplet manipulation is very crucial in microfluidics, intelligent liquid management, etc. However, excessive liquid pressure tends to destroy the solid-gas-liquid (SAL) composite interface, creating a highly adhesive surface, which is not conducive to liquid transport. Herein, we propose a strategy to enhance the surface durability, in which the surface cannot withstand liquid pressure only by "blocking" but must instead guide liquid transport for "decompression". Learning from the water resistance of water strider legs and the drag reduction of shark skin, we present a continuous integrated system to obtain an ultrastable super-hydrophobic surface with a highly ordered scaly structure via a liquid flow-induced alignment method for lossless unidirectional liquid transport. The nonwetting scaly structure can both buffer liquid pressure and drive droplet motion to further reduce the vertical pressure of the liquid. Moreover, droplets can be manipulated unidirectionally using a voice. This work could aid in manufacturing scalable anisotropic micro-nanostructure surfaces, which inspires efforts in realizing lossless continuous liquid control on demand and related microfluidic applications.

Total arterial revascularization is associated with long-term survival benefit in coronary artery bypass grafting: systematic review with meta-analysis

Importance

Total arterial revascularization (TAR), the complete avoidance of saphenous vein grafting (SVG) in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), is advocated based on the superior conduit durability and resistance against atherosclerosis. However, the low adoption rate of TAR indicates a high level of controversy.

Objective

To compare long-term survival between TAR and conventional CABG involving SVG.

Data sources

A comprehensive literature search was conducted through digital databases including MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from the inception to May 2021.

Study selection

The inclusion criteria were randomized clinical trials, or propensity-score balanced or multivariable-adjusted observational studies with a sample size of at least 100 patients in each arm, isolated CABG, comparing TAR (SVG=0) vs. non-TAR (SVG≥1), and inclusion of all-cause mortality.

Data extraction and synthesis

Two reviewers performed independent extraction following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Pooled hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated with random-effect and fixed-effect models using generic inverse variance weighting. Individual patient time-to-event data were reconstructed to create an overall Kaplan-Meier survival function for matched studies. Sensitivity analyses were performed according to the risk of bias, matching status, and source of HR.

Main outcomes and measures

The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality.

Results

A total of 23 studies (100,314 patients), all with a retrospective observational design, were identified. The weighted mean follow-up time was 8.8 years post-operatively. Total arterial revascularization was associated with greater freedom from all-cause mortality than non-TAR (HR, 0.77, 95% CI, 0.71 to 0.84, p<0.001). There was evidence of low heterogeneity (I2=45%) across studies. Low publication bias was observed. Leave-one-out influence analysis and sensitivity analyses produced consistent results. Cochrane Collaboration signaling domains showed no critical risk of bias.

Conclusions and relevance

This meta-analysis found superior late survival associated with total arterial revascularization. Further randomized clinical trials are needed.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

[Long-term outcomes of 328 patients with of autism spectrum disorder after fecal microbiota transplantation]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in the treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods: A longitudinal study was conducted. Clinical data from ASD patients with gastrointestinal symptoms and who underwent FMT in the Tenth People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University or Jinling Hospital between May 2012 to May 2021 were retrospectively collected. Scores derived from the autism behavior checklist (ABC), the childhood autism rating scale (CARS), the Bristol stool form scale (BSFS), and the gastrointestinal symptom rating scale (GSRS) were analyzed at baseline and at the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 12th, 24th, 36th, 48th and 60th month after FMT. Records of any adverse reactions were collected. Generalized estimating equations were used for analysis of data on time points before and after FMT. Results: A total of 328 patients met the inclusion criteria for this study. Their mean age was 6.1±3.4 years old. The cohort included 271 boys and 57 girls. The percentage of patients remaining in the study for post-treatment follow-up at the 1st, 3rd, 12th, 24th, 36th, 48th and 60th month were as follows: 303 (92.4%), 284 (86.7%), 213 (64.9%), 190 (57.9%), 143 (43.6%), 79 (24.1%), 46 (14.0%), 31 (9.5%). After FMT, the average ABC score was significantly improved in the first 36 months and remained improved at the 48th month. However, the average score was not significantly different from baseline by the 60th month (1st-36th month, P<0.001; 48th month, P=0.008; 60th month, P=0.108). The average CARS score improved significantly during the first 48 months and remained improved at the 60th month (1st-48th month, P<0.001; 60th month, P=0.010). The average BSFS score was also significantly improved in the first 36 months (with an accompanying stool morphology that resembled type 4). This improvement was maintained at the 48th month. However, the average score was similar to baseline at the 60th month (1st-36th month, P<0.001; 48th month, P=0.008; 60th month, P=0.109). The average GSRS score was significantly improved during the first 24 months, but not afterwards (1st-24th month, P<0.001; 36th month, P=0.209; 48th month, P=0.996; 60th month, P=0.668). The adverse events recorded during treatment included abdominal distension in 21 cases (6.4%), nausea in 14 cases (4.3%), vomiting in 9 cases (2.7%), abdominal pain in 15 cases (4.6%), diarrhea in 18 cases (5.5%), fever in 13 cases (4.0%), and excitement in 24 cases (7.3%). All adverse reactions were mild to moderate and improved immediately after suspension of FMT or on treatment of symptoms. No serious adverse reactions occurred. Conclusion: FMT has satisfactory long-term efficacy and safety for the treatment of ASD with gastrointestinal symptoms.

Gradient monolayered porous membrane for liquid manipulation: from fabrication to application

The controlled transport of liquid on a smart material surface has important applications in the fields of microreactors, mass and heat transfer, water collection, microfluidic devices and so on. Porous membranes with special wettability have attracted extensive attention due to their unique unidirectional transport behavior, that is, liquid can easily penetrate in one direction while reverse transport is prevented, which shows great potential in functional textiles, fog collection, oil/water separation, sensors, etc. However, many porous membranes are synthesized from multilayer structural materials with poor mechanical properties and are currently prone to delamination, which limits their stability. While a monolayered porous membrane, especially for gradient structure, is an efficient, stable and durable material owing to its good durability and difficult stratification. Therefore, it is of great significance to fabricate a monolayered porous membrane for controllable liquid manipulation. In this minireview, we briefly introduce the classification and fabrication of typical monolayered porous membranes. And the applications of monolayered porous membranes in unidirectional penetration, selective separation and intelligent response are further emphasized and discussed. Finally, the controllable preparation and potential applications of porous membranes are featured and their prospects discussed on the basis of their current development.

Pharmacological inhibition of eIF2alpha phosphorylation by integrated stress response inhibitor (ISRIB) ameliorates vascular calcification in rats

Vascular calcification (VC) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality with the absence of current treatment. This study aimed to investigate whether eIF2alpha phosphorylation inhibition could ameliorate VC. VC in rats was induced by administration of vitamin D3 (3×10(5) IU/kg, intramuscularly) plus nicotine (25 mg/kg, intragastrically). ISRIB (0.25 mg/kg·week), an inhibitor of eIF2alpha phosphorylation, ameliorated the elevation of calcium deposition and ALP activity in calcified rat aortas, accompanied by amelioration of increased SBP, PP, and PWV. The decreased protein levels of calponin and SM22alpha, and the increased levels of RUNX2 and BMP2 in calcified aorta were all rescued by ISRIB, while the increased levels of the GRP78, GRP94, and C/EBP homologous proteins in rats with VC were also attenuated. Moreover, ISRIB could prevent the elevation of eIF2alpha phosphorylation and ATF4, and partially inhibit PERK phosphorylation in the calcified aorta. These results suggested that an eIF2alpha phosphorylation inhibitor could ameliorate VC pathogenesis by blocking eIF2alpha/ATF4 signaling, which may provide a new target for VC prevention and treatment.

Switchable smart porous surface for controllable liquid transportation

Controllable liquid transportation through a smart porous membrane is realized by manipulating the surface wetting properties and external stimuli, and has been intensively studied. However, the liquid transportation, e.g., permeation and moving process, at the interface is generally uninterrupted, i.e., the opening and closing of the interface is irreversible. Herein, we present a new strategy to achieve magnetic adaptive switchable surfaces, i.e., liquid-infused micro-nanostructured porous composite film surfaces, for controllable liquid transportation, via modulation of the magnetic field. The liquid transportation process can be interrupted and restarted on the porous composite film because its pore structure can be quickly closed and opened owing to the adaptive morphological transformation of the magnetic liquid with a varying magnetic field. That is, the liquid permeation process occurs due to the open pore structure of the composite film when the external magnetic field is added, while the permeation process can be interrupted owing to the self-repairing closure of the pore when the magnetic field is removed, and the moving process can be achieved. Thus a magnetic field induced switchable porous composite film can serve as a valve to control liquid permeation based transportation, which opens new avenues for artificial liquid gating devices for flow, smart separation, and droplet microfluidics.

Stretch-Enhanced Anisotropic Wetting on Transparent Elastomer Film for Controlled Liquid Transport

Direction-controlled wetting surfaces, special for lubricating oil infused anisotropic surfaces, have attracted great research interest in directional liquid collection, expelling, transfer, and separation. Nonetheless, there are still existing difficulties in achieving directional and continuous liquid transport. Herein, we present a strategy to achieve directional liquid transport on transparent lubricating oil infused elastomer film with V-shaped prisms microarray (VPM). The results reveal that the water wetting direction in the parallel and staggered arrangement of the VPM structure surface with lubricating oil infusion is the opposite, which is completely different from the wetting direction on the usual VPM surface in air. Moreover, asymmetric stretching can enhance or weaken the directional water wetting tendency on the lubricating oil infused VPM elastomer film and even can reverse the droplet wetting direction. In a closed moist environment, tiny droplets gradually coalesce and then slip away from the lubricating oil infused VPM surface to keep the surface transparent, due to the cooperation of imbalanced Laplace pressure, resulting from the anisotropic geometric structures, varying VPMs spacing, and gravity. Thus, this work provides a paradigm to design and fabricate a type of surface engineering material in the application fields of directional expelling, liquid collection, anti-biofouling, anti-icing, drag reduction, anticorrosion, etc.

Novel AVPR2 mutations and clinical characteristics in 28 Chinese families with congenital nephrogenic diabetes insipidus

AIMS

To investigate genotype and phenotype of congenital nephrogenic diabetes insipidus caused by AVPR2 mutations, which is rare and limitedly studied in Chinese population.

METHODS

88 subjects from 28 families with NDI in a department (Beijing, PUMCH) were screened for AVPR2 mutations. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed and characterized. Genotype and phenotype analysis was performed.

RESULTS

23 AVPR2 mutations were identified, including six novel mutations (p.Y117D, p.W208R, p.L313R, p.S127del, p.V162Sfs*30 and p.G251Pfs*96). The onset-age ranged from 1 week to 3 years. Common presentations were polydipsia and polyuria (100%) and intermittent fever (57%). 21% and 14% of patients had short stature and mental impairment. Urine SG and osmolality were decreased, while serum osmolality and sodium were high. Urological ultrasonography results showed hydronephrosis of the kidney (52%), dilation of the ureter (48%), and thickened bladder wall or increased residual urine (32%), led to intermittent urethral catheterization (7%), cystostomy (11%) and binary nephrostomy (4%). Urological defects were developed in older patients. Genotype and phenotype analysis revealed patients with non-missense mutations had higher levels of serum sodium than missense mutations.

CONCLUSION

In the first and largest case series of NDI caused by AVPR2 mutations in Chinese population, we established genetic profile and characterized clinical data, reporting six novel mutations. Further, we found genotype was associated with phenotype. This knowledge broadens genotype and phenotype spectrum of rare congenital NDI caused by AVPR2 mutations, and provides basis for studying molecular biology of AVPR2.

Manganese promoted wheat straw decomposition by regulating microbial communities and enzyme activities

AIMS

This study investigated the dose-effect of manganese (Mn) addition on wheat straw (WS) decomposition, and explored the potential mechanisms of Mn involved in the acceleration of WS decomposition in regards to the soil microbial communities and enzyme activities.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A 180-day incubation experiment was performed to examine the decomposition of WS under four Mn levels, that is, 0, 0.25, 1 and 2 mg g^-1 . The effects of microbial communities and enzyme activities were evaluated using control (0 mg g^-1 ) and Mn (0.25 mg g^-1 ) treatments. Our results revealed that Mn (0.25 mg g^-1 ) addition significantly increased WS decomposition, and enhanced the release of carbon and nitrogen. Optimal Mn addition (0.25 mg g^-1 ) also caused significant increases in the activity of neutral xylanase (NEX), laccase (Lac), manganese peroxidase (MnP) and lignin peroxidase (LiP) within the incubation period. Mn (0.25 mg g^-1 ) addition also enriched some operational taxonomic units (OTUs) that, in turn, had the potential ability to decompose crop straw, such as secreting lignocellulolytic enzymes.

CONCLUSIONS

Mn (0.25 mg g^-1 ) could promote WS decomposition through enrichment of the microbial species involved in biomass decomposition, which enhanced the lignocellulose-degrading enzyme activity.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This study provides evidence for Mn to promote WS biodegradation after Mn application, opening new windows to improve the utilization efficiency of crop residues.

Meta-analysis of the effect of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors on hepatic fibrosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus complicated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

AIM

This study aimed to analyze the effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors on the indexes of liver fibrosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus complicated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and also to observe the effects on liver enzymes and liver fat.

METHODS

This meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 statistical software.

RESULTS

SGLT2 inhibitors could significantly reduce the level of hepatic fibrosis index: fibrosis-4 (mean difference [MD] 0.25, 95% CI -0.39 to -0.11, p = 0.0007); serum type Ⅳ collagen 7s (MD 0.32, 95% CI -0.59 to -0.04, p = 0.02); and ferritin (MD 26.7, 95% CI 50.64, 2.76, p = 0.03). SGLT2 inhibitors could significantly reduce the level of liver enzymes: alanine aminotransferase (MD 3.49, 95% CI -5.1 to 1.58, p < 0.0001); aspartate aminotransferase (MD 3.64, 95% CI -5.10 to -2.18, p < 0.00001); and glutamate aminotransferase (MD 7.13, 95% CI -12.95 to -1.32, p = 0.02). SGLT2 inhibitors could significantly reduce the level of liver fat: liver-to-spleen attenuation ratio (MD 0.16, 95% CI 0.10-0.22, p < 0.00001); magnetic resonance imaging proton density fat fraction (MD 1.97, 95% CI -3.49 to -0.45, p = 0.01); liver controlled attenuation parameter (MD 0.29, 95% CI -26.95 to -13.64, p < 0.00001); liver fat score (MD 0.55, 95% CI 1.04 to -0.05, p = 0.03); and liver fat index (MD 11.21, 95% CI -16.53 to -5.89, p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

SGLT2 inhibitors could improve liver fibrosis, liver enzymes, liver fat, and metabolic indexes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus complicated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Molecular-Structure-Induced Under-Liquid Dual Superlyophobic Surfaces

Surfaces with under-water superoleophobicity or under-oil superhydrophobicity have attractive features due to their widespread applications. However, it is difficult to achieve under-liquid dual superlyophobic surfaces, that is, under-oil superhydrophobicity and under-water superoleophobicity coexistence, due to the thermodynamic contradiction. Herein, we report an approach to obtain the under-liquid dual superlyophobic surface through conformational transitions of surface self-assembled molecules. Preferential exposure of either hydrophobic or hydrophilic moieties of the hydroxythiol (HS(CH₂)_nOH, where n is the number of methylene groups) self-assembled monolayers to the surrounding solvent (water or oil) can be used to manipulate macroscopic wettability. In water, the surfaces modified with different hydroxythiols exhibit under-water superoleophobicity because of the exposure of hydroxyl groups. In contrast, surface wettability to water is affected by molecular orientation in oil, and the surface transits from under-oil superhydrophilicity to superhydrophobicity when n ≥ 4. This surface design can amplify the molecular-level conformational transition to the change of macroscopic surface wettability. Furthermore, on-demand oil/water separation relying on the under-liquid dual superlyophobicity is successfully demonstrated. This work may be useful in developing the materials with opposite superwettability.

Switchable Wettability and Adhesion of Micro/Nanostructured Elastomer Surface via Electric Field for Dynamic Liquid Droplet Manipulation

Dynamic control of liquid wetting behavior on smart surfaces has attracted considerable concern owing to their important applications in directional motion, confined wetting and selective separation. Despite much progress in this regard, there still remains challenges in dynamic liquid droplet manipulation with fast response, no loss and anti-contamination. Herein, a strategy to achieve dynamic droplet manipulation and transportation on the electric field adaptive superhydrophobic elastomer surface is demonstrated. The superhydrophobic elastomer surface is fabricated by combining the micro/nanostructured clusters of hydrophobic TiO2 nanoparticles with the elastomer film, on which the micro/nanostructure can be dynamically and reversibly tuned by electric field due to the electric field adaptive deformation of elastomer film. Accordingly, fast and reversible transition of wetting state between Cassie state and Wenzel state and tunable adhesion on the surface via electric field induced morphology transformation can be obtained. Moreover, the motion states of the surface droplets can be controlled dynamically and precisely, such as jumping and pinning, catching and releasing, and controllable liquid transfer without loss and contamination. Thus this work would open the avenue for dynamic liquid manipulation and transportation, and gear up the broad application prospects in liquid transfer, selective separation, anti-fog, anti-ice, microfluidics devices, etc.

[A preliminary study on the evaluation of diaphragm function by ultrasound in patients with invasive mechanical ventilation]

Objectives: To study the feasibility of using ultrasound to evaluate diaphragm function in patients with invasive mechanical ventilation. Methods: From March to December 2017, 40 adult patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome who were admitted to the Department of Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University for more than 48 hours were included. Diaphragmatic excursion and thickness of bilateral anterior, middle and posterior parts were measured by ultrasound for 5 consecutive days. Results: (1) Compared with the diaphragmatic excursion of the right [anterior: (11.05±3.04) mm; middle: (12.08±2.71) mm; posterior: (11.51±3.33) mm] and left [anterior: (13.63±7.52) mm; middle: (15.44±7.52) mm; posterior: (14.76±6.93) mm] sides on day 1, the diaphragmatic excursion of the right [anterior: (8.90±3.65) mm; middle: (10.02±4.24) mm; posterior: (10.25±4.38) mm] and left [anterior: (9.82±1.96) mm; middle: (11.60±1.13) mm; posterior: (11.52±1.98) mm] sides decreased significantly on day 3 (P<0.05). Bilateral anterior, middle and posterior diaphragmatic excursion recovered on day 5, and was higher than the baseline levels on day 1, with the left middle and posterior diaphragmatic excursion changing most significantly. (2) Compared with day 1, 2, 3, the thickening fraction of bilateral anterior, middle and posterior diaphragm were significantly decreased on day 4, with the left middle part [day 1: (33.87±14.34)%; day 2: (37.26±13.91)%; day 3: (30.56±14.27)%; day 4: (15.53±5.68)%] and the left posterior part [day 1: (35.50±15.69)%; day 2: (39.84±15.32)%; day 3: (29.06±14.96)%; day 4: (13.30±5.79)%] changing most significantly (P<0.05). The thickening fractions of left anterior, middle and posterior diaphragm recovered on day 5 compared with that on day 4, but still lower than those on day 1 (P<0.05). Conclusions: It is feasible to evaluate the diaphragm function in patients with invasive mechanical ventilation by ultrasound, which can provide guidance for preventing diaphragmatic atrophy and withdrawing from mechanical ventilation.

Highly Flexible Monolayered Porous Membrane with Superhydrophilicity-Hydrophilicity for Unidirectional Liquid Penetration

The ability to allow microliquid to penetrate in one direction but block in the opposite direction plays an irreplaceable role in intelligent liquid management. Despite much progress toward facilitating directional transport by multilayer porous membranes with opposite wettability, it remains difficult to achieve a highly multifunctional flexible membrane for highly efficient unidirectional liquid transport in different situations. Herein, a superhydrophilic-hydrophilic self-supported monolayered porous poly(ether sulfone) (PES) membrane with special nano- and micropores at opposite surfaces is demonstrated, which can be used for unidirectional liquid transport. The results reveal that the competition of liquid spreading and permeation is critical to achieve directional liquid transport. The porous PES membrane, transformed with 70 vol % of ethanol in water (E/W-PES-70%), exhibits continuous unidirectional liquid penetration and antigravity unidirectional ascendant in a large range of pH values and can be used as "liquid diode" for moisture wicking. Moreover, the PES membrane can be prepared in a large area with excellent flexibility at room and liquid nitrogen temperature, indicating great promise in harsh environments. This work will provide an avenue for designing porous materials and smart dehumidification materials, which have promising applications in biomedical materials, advanced functional textiles, engineered desiccant materials, etc.

[Clinical features of 9 cases of Brucella endocarditis]

Objective: To explore the clinical characteristics of patients with Brucella endocarditis. Methods: The clinical data of 9 patients with Brucella endocarditis admitted to Beijing Ditan Hospital from October 2008 to August 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Through the electronic medical record system of the hospital. Through assessing the electronic medical record system of the hospital, demographic data, main symptoms, vital signs, blood culture, Rose Bengal Plate Agglutination Test, echocardiography, electrocardiogram, chest imaging and other clinical data of included patients were inquired and recorded. Patients were followed up by telephone for medication, operation and outcome. Results: The 9 patients were all Han nationality, aged from 25 to 66 years, 7 out of 9 patients were male, and they came from Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia and Beijing. Of the 9 patients, 5 were farmers, 2 were self-employed, 1 was a technician, and 1 was unemployed. Of the 9 cases, 8 had a history of close contact with cattle and sheep, and 5 had a history of eating beef and mutton. Rose-Bengal Plate Agglutination Test and blood culture were positive in all 9 patients. Aortic valve was involved in 7 out of 9 patients, mitral and tricuspid valve was involved in 1 patient, respectively, and aortic dissection occurred in 1 patient. Condition of 1 patient rapidly deteriorated after admission and finally died during hospitalization despite antibiotic therapy, the remaining patients received long-term antibiotic treatment. A total of 7 patients who underwent valve replacement were followed up. One patient died of cerebral hemorrhage 6 months after operation, and the remaining 6 patients recovered well after valve replacement. Heart failure occurred in all 9 patients, and pericardial effusion occurred in 8 patients. Electrocardiogram showed low voltage of the QRS complex in the limb in 3 cases and poor R-wave progression in V(1)-V(3) lead in 2 cases, and sinus tachycardia in 2 cases. One patient developed non-specific ST-T abnormalities. All patients had fever, 7 patients complained of weakness, and 6 patients complained of palpitations. Among the 9 patients, 7 cases had anemia, 7 patients had pneumonia, 6 had bilateral pleural effusion, 4 had thrombocytopenia. Creatinine was above normal in 4 patients, urine protein was positive in 3 patients, Delta Bilirubin was higher in 3 cases. Conclusions: Patients with Brucella endocarditis often suffer from heart failure and have severe complications. Adequate antibiotic therapy in combination with valve replacement is effective for the treatment of patients with Brucella endocarditis.

Switchable Direction of Liquid Transport via an Anisotropic Microarray Surface and Thermal Stimuli

Design and construction of special surface microstructures has made many amazing breakthroughs in directional liquid transport. Despite much progress in this field, challenges still remain in on-demand switchable direction transport of liquid in situ and real-time via transforming the arrangement of the surface microstructure and external stimuli. Herein, we demonstrate a strategy to achieve switchable direction transport of liquid via a tunable anisotropic microarray surface, that is, assembling a V-shaped prism microarray (VPM) surface, which can also be intelligently manipulated by thermal stimuli. By transforming the parallel and staggered prism microstructure arrangement of the VPM, switchable direction transport of a liquid can be successfully achieved on the VPM surface. Flow direction switching among unidirectional transport, bidirectional transport, and reverse unidirectional transport is also achieved on the temperature-adaptive VPM surface by thermal stimuli, which can be used for on-demand liquid transport according to the paths of the microfluidic channels. The work provides a way for precise liquid manipulation in desired liquid transport, which may be utilized in nonpower conveying systems, autolubrication, life fluid medical instruments, and other microfluidic devices.

[Inhibition of the TGF-β/Smad3 signaling pathway by SB431542: A study of the intervention effect of SB431542 on silicotic fibrosis in rats]

Objective: To investigate the intervention effect of SB431542, which inhibits the TGF-β/Smad3 signaling pathway, on silicotic fibrosis in rats. Methods: A total of 40 specific pathogen-free Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into normal saline control group, model group, SB431542 inhibitor group, and SB431542 inhibitor control group using a random number table, with 10 rats in each group. All rats except those in the normal saline control group were given non-exposed single intratracheal instillation of free silicon dioxide dust suspension 1 mL (50 mg/mL) ; the rats in the SB431542 inhibitor group were given intraperitoneal injection of SB431542 (5 mg/kg) on days 7 and 30 after dust exposure, those in the SB431542 inhibitor control group were given intraperitoneal injection of SB431542 cosolvent (5 mg/kg) on days 7 and 30 after dust exposure, and those in the normal saline control group were given intratracheal instillation of an equal volume of normal saline (5 mg/kg). On day 60 after dust exposure, the paraffin-embedded section of the right upper lobe of lung was collected for HE staining; the left upper lobe of lung was collected to measure the mRNA levels of fibronectin (FN) , collagen type I (COL-I) , and collagen type III (COL-III) by quantitative real-time PCR; the right inferior lobe of lung was collected to measure the protein levels of FN, COL-I, COL-III, phosphorylated Smad3 (p-Smad3) , and Smad3. Results: Compared with the normal saline control group, the model group had nodules with various sizes in lung tissue, with rupture of some alveolar septa, emphysema changes, and pulmonary interstitial fibrosis, as well as significant increases in the mRNA expression of FN, COL-I, and COL-III and the protein expression of FN, COL-I, COL-III, p-Smad3, and Smad3 in lung tissue (P<0.05) . Compared with the SB431542 inhibitor control group, the SB431542 inhibitor group had a relatively complete structure of lung tissue without marked nodules and with a small amount of exudate in alveolar space and the lumen of bronchioles, as well as significant reductions in the mRNA expression of FN, COL-I, and COL-III and the protein expression of FN, COL-I, COL-III, p-Smad3, and Smad3 in lung tissue (P<0.05) . There were no significant differences in the mRNA expression of FN, COL-I, and COL-III and the protein expression of FN, COL-I, COL-III, p-Smad3, and Smad3 between the model group and the SB431542 inhibitor control group (P>0.05) . Conclusion: SB431542 exerts an intervention effect on silicotic fibrosis by blocking the TGF-β/Smad3 signaling pathway and reducing the expression of the downstream fibrosis factors FN, COL-I, and COL-III.

Multifunctional Magnetocontrollable Superwettable-Microcilia Surface for Directional Droplet Manipulation

In nature, fluid manipulations are ubiquitous in organisms, and they are crucial for many of their vital activities. Therefore, this process has also attracted widescale research attention. However, despite significant advances in fluid transportation research over the past few decades, it is still hugely challenging to achieve efficient and nondestructive droplet transportation owing to contamination effects and controllability problems in liquid transportation applications. To this end, inspired by the motile microcilia of micro-organisms, the superhydrophobicity of lotus leaves, the underwater superoleophobicity of filefish skin, and pigeons' migration behavior, a novel manipulation strategy is developed for droplets motion. Specifically, herein, a superwettable magnetic microcilia array surface with a structure that is switchable by an external magnetic field is constructed for droplet manipulation. It is found that under external magnetic fields, the superhydrophobic magnetic microcilia array surface can continuously and directionally manipulate the water droplets in air and that the underwater superoleophobic magnetic microcilia array surface can control the oil droplets underwater. This work demonstrates that the nondestructive droplet transportation mechanism can be used for liquid transportation, droplet reactions, and micropipeline transmission, thus opening up an avenue for practical applications of droplet manipulation using intelligent microstructure surfaces.

[Delay on care-seeking and related influencing factors among tuberculosis patients in Wuhan, 2008-2017]

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics, trend and related factors of tuberculosis patients that delayed for care, in Wuhan from 2008 to 2017. Methods: Data regarding tuberculosis (TB) patients was collected from the tuberculosis management information system (TMIS), a part of the China information system for disease control and prevention from 2008 to 2017. A total of 64 208 tuberculosis patients, aged 0 to 95 years were included for the analysis. Unconditional logistic regression method was used to estimate those factors that associated with this study. Results: Days of delay among TB patients appeared as M=10 (P(25)-P(75): 3-28) day, in Wuhan, 2008-2017. The prevalence of the delay was 52.5% (33 703/64 208), presenting a downward trend from 2008 to 2017 (trend χ(2)=10.64, P<0.001), but the proportions of women and ≥65 year-olds were gradually increasing. Results from the multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that factors as: patients living far away from the city vs. near the city (OR=1.29, 95%CI: 1.25-1.35), and age above 45 years vs. younger than 25 years (the age 45-64 years group vs. aged less than 25 years group, OR=1.22, 95%CI: 1.15-1.29; the age 65 or above group vs. aged less than 25 years group, the OR=1.30, 95%CI: 1.22-1.39) were under higher risk on the delay of seeking care. Occupation, way of case-finding and classification of tuberculosis patients also appeared as influencing factors on this issue. Conclusions: Prevalence on the delay of care was 52.5% among tuberculosis patients in Wuhan, 2008-2017, but with an annual decrease. Attention should be paid to female, wrinkly or elderly tuberculosis patients regarding the delay of care on TB, in Wuhan.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with irinotecan and nedaplatin in a single cycle followed by esophagectomy on cT4 resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a prospective nonrandomized trial for short-term outcomes

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) significantly extends survival in advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), but the short-term outcomes for cT4 ESCC remain controversial. Many NAC regimens have been previously reported, although no study has reported a regimen of irinotecan and nedaplatin for cT4 potential resectable ESCC. We evaluated the short-term outcomes of NAC with irinotecan and nedaplatin in a single cycle followed by esophagectomy on cT4 resectable ESCC. A total of 51 patients with cT4 potentially resectable ESCC were eligible for this study. Twenty of these patients underwent NAC, and the other 31 patients underwent surgery alone. The toxicities and response of NAC were evaluated. The clinicopathologic characteristics, responses, toxicities, surgical outcomes, postoperative complications, and survival time between the two groups were analyzed. No significant differences were found in clinicopathologic characteristics between the groups (P > 0.05). The response rate of NAC was 75% (15/20). The differences in the long-axis diameter of the tumor and cT stage between pre- and post-NAC were significant (P < 0.05). Twenty-four toxic events occurred in 11 patients of the NAC group, and 20/24 of these were mild. The R0 resection rates in the NAC group and the surgery alone group were 85% and 64.5%, with no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05). Differences in the pathological T stage and pathological tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage were significant (P < 0.05). The overall survival (OS) time and mortality in the NAC group versus the surgery alone group were 31.57 ± 3.06 months versus 15.24 ± 1.46 months and 25% versus 61.3%, respectively. The differences in OS and mortality were significant (P < 0.05). The NAC group and R0 resection were significant and independent predictors of positive prognosis. NAC with irinotecan and nedaplatin in a single cycle followed by esophagectomy on cT4 resectable ESCC as a new NAC is safe and effective.

Mechanism of Nucleoside Triphosphate Diphosphohydrolase-1-Associated Imbalance in Adenosine Diphosphate Degradation, B-Cell Activation, and Related Injury During Acute Antibody-Mediated Rejection

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase-1 (NTPDase1) during acute antibody-mediated rejection (AMR).

METHODS

NTPDase1 overexpression, NTPDase1 knockout, and wild-type nude mice skin graft models were used to induce acute AMR. NTPDase1 expression in B cells, NTPDase1 messenger RNA expression in skin grafts, extracellular adenosine diphosphate (ADP) concentration, B-cell volume and surface antigens expression, average platelet transport rate, and ultrastructure and apoptosis of skin graft cells were investigated.

RESULTS

During acute AMR in nude mice, higher NTPDase1 expression caused lower extracellular ADP concentration, smaller increase in B-cell volume, and major histocompatibility complex II surface antigen expression, suggesting a negative correlation between them; higher NTPDase1 expression also caused slower average platelet transport rate and less severe skin graft injury, suggesting a negative correlation between them. Pretreatment with high-dose exogenous NTPDase1 inhibited platelet activation and protected skin grafts, but it resulted in prolonged bleeding time (by 51.4%) and prolonged coagulation time (by 44.1%).

CONCLUSION

An NTPDase1-associated imbalance in extracellular ADP degradation may contribute to B-cell activation, platelet activation, and more severe skin graft injury in nude mice. Pretreatment with high-dose exogenous NTPDase1 effectively protected skin grafts in nude mice at 1 week, but it increased the risk of bleeding.

An Integrated Janus Mesh: Underwater Bubble Antibuoyancy Unidirectional Penetration

Gas bubbles are a powerful tool with applications in particle visualization, spacers, actuation pistons, and pressure sensors. Controlling the transportation of bubbles in the liquid phase is a challenge that needs to be solved in many industrial processes, such as in the pipe transportation of fluids, the corrosion of ocean vessels, and the control of foaming processes. There are few existing materials capable of the antibuoyancy unidirectional transportation of bubbles. Here, a Janus superwetting mesh is fabricated by integrating aerophilic (AL) and superaerophobic (SAB) surfaces. The resulting composite mesh achieves underwater bubble antibuoyancy unidirectional penetration. In aqueous solution, bubbles pass through the mesh from the SAB side to the AL side, but are blocked from passing through in the opposite direction. This Janus mesh can be considered to be a bubble diode, so is convenient for use in underwater bubble unidirectional transportation. This work may promote the development of advanced materials for gas bubble directional transportation and separation in aqueous media.

Vitamin A maintains the airway epithelium in a murine model of asthma by suppressing glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper

BACKGROUND

The effects of glucocorticoids (GCs) on the repair of the airway epithelium in asthma are controversial, and we previously reported that the GC dexamethasone (Dex) inhibits the repair of human airway epithelial cells and that this process is mediated by glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper (GILZ) through MAPK-ERK signaling in vitro. Vitamin A (VA) is involved in the regulation of the MAPK-ERK pathway but has not been widely supplied during asthma treatment. It is unclear whether VA attenuates the negative regulation of GILZ on the MAPK-ERK pathway and maintains airway epithelium integrity during asthma treatment.

METHODS

Female BALB/c mice were sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA) and subsequently treated with Dex, VA or intranasal inhalation of adenovirus sh-GILZ vectors. Indexes of airway epithelium integrity, including pathological alterations, pulmonary EGFR expression and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), were then measured. The expression of GILZ and key components of activated MAPK-ERK signals (p-Raf-1, p-MEK, and p-Erk1/2) were also detected.

RESULTS

Dex failed to relieve OVA-induced asthma airway epithelium injury, as assessed through H&E staining, EGFR expression and AHR. Moreover, in the OVA-challenged mice treated with Dex, GLIZ expression was increased, whereas the ratios of p-Raf-1/Raf-1, p-MEK/MEK and p-Erk1/2/Erk1/2 were significantly decreased. Further study indicated that GILZ expression was decreased and that the ratios of p-Raf-1/Raf-1, p-MEK/MEK and p-Erk1/2/Erk1/2 were up-regulated in the GILZ-silenced OVA-challenged mice and VA-fed OVA-challenged mice, independent of Dex treatment. The airway epithelium integrity of the OVA-challenged mice was maintained by treatment with both VA and Dex.

CONCLUSIONS

Vitamin A maintained the Dex-treated asthma airway epithelium via the down-regulation of GILZ expression and the activation MAPK-ERK signaling, and these effects might contribute to improving the effects of GC therapeutics on asthma.

External-Field-Induced Gradient Wetting for Controllable Liquid Transport: From Movement on the Surface to Penetration into the Surface

External-field-responsive liquid transport has received extensive research interest owing to its important applications in microfluidic devices, biological medical, liquid printing, separation, and so forth. To realize different levels of liquid transport on surfaces, the balance of the dynamic competing processes of gradient wetting and dewetting should be controlled to achieve good directionality, confined range, and selectivity of liquid wetting. Here, the recent progress in external-field-induced gradient wetting is summarized for controllable liquid transport from movement on the surface to penetration into the surface, particularly for liquid motion on, patterned wetting into, and permeation through films on superwetting surfaces with external field cooperation (e.g., light, electric fields, magnetic fields, temperature, pH, gas, solvent, and their combinations). The selected topics of external-field-induced liquid transport on the different levels of surfaces include directional liquid motion on the surface based on the wettability gradient under an external field, partial entry of a liquid into the surface to achieve patterned surface wettability for printing, and liquid-selective permeation of the film for separation. The future prospects of external-field-responsive liquid transport are also discussed.

Reconciling agriculture, carbon and biodiversity in a savannah transformation frontier

Rapidly rising populations and likely increases in incomes in sub-Saharan Africa make tens of millions of hectares of cropland expansion nearly inevitable, even with large increases in crop yields. Much of that expansion is likely to occur in higher rainfall savannas, with substantial costs to biodiversity and carbon storage. Zambia presents an acute example of this challenge, with an expected tripling of population by 2050, good potential to expand maize and soya bean production, and large areas of relatively undisturbed miombo woodland and associated habitat types of high biodiversity value. Here, we present a new model designed to explore the potential for targeting agricultural expansion in ways that achieve quantitatively optimal trade-offs between competing economic and environmental objectives: total converted land area (the reciprocal of potential yield); carbon loss, biodiversity loss and transportation costs. To allow different interests to find potential compromises, users can apply varying weights to examine the effects of their subjective preferences on the spatial allocation of new cropland and its costs. We find that small compromises from the objective to convert the highest yielding areas permit large savings in transportation costs, and the carbon and biodiversity impacts resulting from savannah conversion. For example, transferring just 30% of weight from a yield-maximizing objective equally between carbon and biodiversity protection objectives would increase total cropland area by just 2.7%, but result in avoided costs of 27-47% for carbon, biodiversity and transportation. Compromise solutions tend to focus agricultural expansion along existing transportation corridors and in already disturbed areas. Used appropriately, this type of model could help countries find agricultural expansion alternatives and related infrastructure and land use policies that help achieve production targets while helping to conserve Africa's rapidly transforming savannahs.This article is part of the themed issue 'Tropical grassy biomes: linking ecology, human use and conservation'.

Identification of microRNAs involved in drought stress responses in early-maturing cotton by high-throughput sequencing

Drought stress is one of the most important abiotic stresses. Cotton is classified as drought tolerant crop but the regulatory mechanism is unknown. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated important roles in stress responses in many plants. However, the study of miRNAs in cotton responsive to drought stress is limited, especially in early-maturing cotton. In this study, we performed deep sequencing of small RNAs to identify known and novel miRNAs involved in the regulation of drought stress and understand the expression profile of miRNAs in early-maturing cotton. Three cotton small RNA libraries: non-stressed Shizao1 (early-maturing cotton variety) library (NSS), drought-stressed Shizao1 library (DSS) and non-stressed Jimian958 (medium-maturing cotton variety) library (NSJ) were constructed for deep sequencing. As a result, we identified a total of 64 known and 67 novel miRNAs in the 3 libraries and 88 of them were dramatically differentially expressed (greater than twofold) during drought stress. In addition, we found the expression of 41 miRNAs increased or reduced more than twofold in early-maturing cotton variety compared with that in medium-maturing cotton variety. Our results significantly increased the number of miRNAs in cotton and revealed for the first time the expression profile of miRNAs for early-maturing cotton.

Closed Pore Structured NiCo2O4-Coated Nickel Foams for Stable and Effective Oil/Water Separation

To solve the serious problem caused by oily wastewater pollution, unique interface designs, for example, membranes with superwetting properties such as superhydrophobicity/superoleophilicity and superhydrophilicity/underwater superoleophobicity, provide a good way to achieve oil/water separation. Here, inspired by the liquid storage property of the honeycomb structure, we propose a strategy to fabricate NiCo₂O₄-coated nickel foams for stable and efficient oil/water separation. NiCo₂O₄ with a closed-pore structure was formed by assembling nanoflakes with a micro/nanoscale hierarchical structure. Compared with nickel foam coated by NiCo₂O₄ with an open-pore structure (NiCo₂O₄ nanowires), the enclosed nanostructure of NiCo₂O₄ nanoflakes can firmly hold water for a more stable superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic interface. As a consequence, the NiCo₂O₄-nanoflake-coated nickel foam has a larger oil breakthrough pressure than the NiCo₂O₄-nanowire-coated nickel foam because of a slightly larger oil advancing angle and a lower underwater oil adhesion force, which makes it more stable and efficient for oil/water separation. Moreover, the NiCo₂O₄-coated nickel foams have excellent chemical and mechanical stability, and they are reusable for oil-water separation. This work will be beneficial for the design and development of stable underwater superoleophobic self-cleaning materials and related device applications, such as oil/water separation.

Fish Gill Inspired Crossflow for Efficient and Continuous Collection of Spilled Oil

Developing an effective system to clean up large-scale oil spills is of great significance due to their contribution to severe environmental pollution and destruction. Superwetting membranes have been widely studied for oil/water separation. The separation, however, adopts a gravity-driven approach that is inefficient and discontinuous due to quick fouling of the membrane by oil. Herein, inspired by the crossflow filtration behavior in fish gills, we propose a crossflow approach via a hydrophilic, tilted gradient membrane for spilled oil collection. In crossflow collection, as the oil/water flows parallel to the hydrophilic membrane surface, water is gradually filtered through the pores, while oil is repelled, transported, and finally collected for storage. Owing to the selective gating behavior of the water-sealed gradient membrane, the large pores at the bottom with high water flux favor fast water filtration, while the small pores at the top with strong oil repellency allow easy oil transportation. In addition, the gradient membrane exhibits excellent antifouling properties due to the protection of the water layer. Therefore, this bioinspired crossflow approach enables highly efficient and continuous spilled oil collection, which is very promising for the cleanup of large-scale oil spills.

[Determination of relative elements of hard metal in workplace air and urine by inductive coupled plama]

Objective: To establish a rapid detection method regarding the air conditions of workplace and the workers' urine included Tungsten, Cobalt, Nickel, Titanium, Cadmium, Manganese, Lead and its compounds based on inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) . Methods: The experiment adopts ICP-MS to deter-mine those metals in workshop air and workers urine, evaluate the detection's limitation, the precision and accuracy of the method. Using the membrane filter and urine freeze - dried metal standard material to verify this method. Results: Each element of correlation coefficient was greater than 0.999. The recovery rate of air samples was 91.6%~104.6%, within-batch RSD precision was 1.41%~3.50%, between-run precision was 1.28%~4.31%, urine samples recovery rate was 93.0%~102.6%, within - batch RSD precision was 1.25%~3.56%, between - run precision was 1.58%~4.67%, According to the method every element was within the scope of the standard reference, it was also showed that the established method is accurate and reliable. Conclusion: ICP-MS is an effective and feasible method to detect the workshop air and the workers' urine which included Tungsten, Cobalt, Nickel, Titanium, Cadmium, Manganese, Lead and its compounds.

A porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus candidate vaccine based on the synthetic attenuated virus engineering approach is attenuated and effective in protecting against homologous virus challenge

Current porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) vaccines sometimes fail to provide adequate immunity to protect pigs from PRRSV-induced disease. This may be due to antigenic differences among PRRSV strains. Rapid production of attenuated farm-specific homologous vaccines is a feasible alternative to commercial vaccines. In this study, attenuation and efficacy of a codon-pair de-optimized candidate vaccine generated by synthetic attenuated virus engineering approach (SAVE5) were tested in a conventional growing pig model. Forty pigs were vaccinated intranasally or intramuscularly with SAVE5 at day 0 (D0). The remaining 28 pigs were sham-vaccinated with saline. At D42, 30 vaccinated and 19 sham-vaccinated pigs were challenged with the homologous PRRSV strain VR2385. The experiment was terminated at D54. The SAVE5 virus was effectively attenuated as evidenced by a low magnitude of SAVE5 viremia for 1-5 consecutive weeks in 35.9% (14/39) of the vaccinated pigs, lack of detectable nasal SAVE5 shedding and failure to transmit the vaccine virus from pig to pig. By D42, all vaccinated pigs with detectable SAVE5 viremia also had detectable anti-PRRSV IgG. Anti-IgG positive vaccinated pigs were protected from subsequent VR2385 challenge as evidenced by lack of VR2385 viremia and nasal shedding, significantly reduced macroscopic and microscopic lung lesions and significantly reduced amount of PRRSV antigen in lungs compared to the non-vaccinated VR2385-challenged positive control pigs. The nasal vaccination route appeared to be more effective in inducing protective immunity in a larger number of pigs compared to the intramuscular route. Vaccinated pigs without detectable SAVE5 viremia did not seroconvert and were fully susceptible to VR2385 challenge. Under the study conditions, the SAVE approach was successful in attenuating PRRSV strain VR2385 and protected against homologous virus challenge. Virus dosage likely needs to be adjusted to induce replication and protection in a higher percentage of vaccinated pigs.

[HER-2 expression and clinical significance in esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma (Siewert type Ⅱ)]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2) expression in esophagogastirc junction adenocarcinoma(Siewert type Ⅱ)and its clinical significance.

METHODS

A total of 180 patients with esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma (Siewert type Ⅱ) were included in this study. The HER-2 expression was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC), and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis was performed to assess the HER-2 gene amplification in the IHC-positive and IHC-weak positive cases.

RESULTS

HER-2 overexpression (3+ ), weak positive (2+ ) and negative (1+ /0) was 11.7%(21/180), 8.9%(16/180), and 79.4%(143/180), respectively. The FISH analysis showed HER-2 gene amplification in 95.2%(20/21) of HER-2(3+ ) cases and 18.8% (3/16) of HER-2(2+ ) cases. The concordance rate between IHC and FISH was 95.2%. Overexpression of HER-2(3+ ) was associated with the tumor differentiation (P<0.05), and irrelevant to age, sex, pT stage, pN stage, pM stage and pTNM stage (P>0.05). The median overall survival time (OS) was 13 months in HER-2(3+ ) patients, significantly shorter than the 21 months in HER-2(2+ ) and HER-2(+ /-) cases (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Approximately 11.7% of the patients with esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma (Siewert type Ⅱ) are HER-2-positive on IHC. HER-2 overexpression is associated with the tumor differentiation. IHC can be used as a screening test for the positive expression of HER-2 in the esophagogastirc junction adenocarcinoma (Siewert type Ⅱ). However, FISH detection can be used as a more reliable detection method.

Fast Responsive and Controllable Liquid Transport on a Magnetic Fluid/Nanoarray Composite Interface

Controllable liquid transport on surface is expected to occur by manipulating the gradient of surface tension/Laplace pressure and external stimuli, which has been intensively studied on solid or liquid interface. However, it still faces challenges of slow response rate, and uncontrollable transport speed and direction. Here, we demonstrate fast responsive and controllable liquid transport on a smart magnetic fluid/nanoarray interface, i.e., a composite interface, via modulation of an external magnetic field. The wettability of the composite interface to water instantaneously responds to gradient magnetic field due to the magnetically driven composite interface gradient roughness transition that takes place within a millisecond, which is at least 1 order of magnitude faster than that of other responsive surfaces. A water droplet can follow the motion of the gradient composite interface structure as it responds to the gradient magnetic field motion. Moreover, the water droplet transport direction can be controlled by modulating the motion direction of the gradient magnetic field. The composite interface can be used as a pump for the transport of immiscible liquids and other objects in the microchannel, which suggests a way to design smart interface materials and microfluidic devices.

Magnetic field actuated manipulation and transfer of oil droplets on a stable underwater superoleophobic surface

Magnetic-field-driven manipulation and transport of oil-based magnetic fluids are demonstrated under water by using tri-phase systems.

Underwater self-cleaning scaly fabric membrane for oily water separation

Oily wastewater is always a threat to biological and human safety, and it is a worldwide challenge to solve the problem of disposing of it. The development of interface science brings hope of solving this serious problem, however. Inspired by the capacity for capturing water of natural fabrics and by the underwater superoleophobic self-cleaning property of fish scales, a strategy is proposed to design and fabricate micro/nanoscale hierarchical-structured fabric membranes with superhydrophilicity and underwater superoleophobicity, by coating scaly titanium oxide nanostructures onto fabric microstructures, which can separate oil/water mixtures efficiently. The microstructures of the fabrics are beneficial for achieving high water-holding capacity of the membranes. More importantly, the special scaly titanium oxide nanostructures are critical for achieving the desired superwetting property toward water of the membranes, which means that air bubbles cannot exist on them in water and there is ultralow underwater-oil adhesion. The cooperative effects of the microscale and nanoscale structures result in the formation of a stable oil/water/solid triphase interface with a robust underwater superoleophobic self-cleaning property. Furthermore, the fabrics are common, commercially cheap, and environmentally friendly materials with flexible but robust mechanical properties, which make the fabric membranes a good candidate for oil/water separation even under strong water flow. This work would also be helpful for developing new underwater superoleophobic self-cleaning materials and related devices.