Auto-ejection of liquid from a nozzle.

Auto-ejection of liquid is an important process in engineering applications, and is also very complicated since it involves interface moving, deforming, and jet breaking up. In this work, a theoretical velocity of meniscus at nozzle exit is first derived, which can be used to analyze the critical condition for auto-ejection of liquid. Then a consistent and conservative axisymmetric lattice Boltzmann (LB) method is proposed to study the auto-ejection process of liquid jet from a nozzle. We test the LB model by conducting some simulations, and find that the numerical results agree well with the theoretical and experimental data. We further consider the effects of contraction ratio, length ratio, contact angle, and nozzle structure on the auto-ejection, and observe some distinct phenomena during the ejection process, including the deformation of meniscus, capillary necking, and droplet pinch off. Finally, the results reported in the present work may play an instructive role on the design of droplet ejectors and the understanding of jetting dynamics in microgravity environment.

Effect of high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation combined with rehabilitation robot on upper limb and hand function in patients with subacute stroke / 中国康复理论与实践

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) combined with rehabilitation robot on upper limb and hand dysfunction in patients with subacute stroke. MethodsFrom December, 2019 to December, 2021, 50 inpatients with subacute stroke in Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital were randomly divided into control group (n = 25) and experimental group (n = 25). Both groups received routine rehabilitation therapy, while the control group added sham HD-tDCS combined with rehabilitation robot, and the experimental group added HD-tDCS combined with rehabilitation robot, for four weeks. The upper limb and hand function was assessed with Action Research Arm Test (ARAT), Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremities (FMA-UE) and Motor Assessment Scale (MAS) before and after treatment. ResultsAfter treatment, the scores of ARAT, FMA-UE and MAS increased in the two groups (∣Z∣ > 3.320, t > 6.379, P < 0.01), while the scores of FMA-UE and MAS were higher in the experimental group than in the control group (Z = -2.379, t = 3.181, P < 0.05), as well as the scores of grasping and gross motor of ARAT (∣Z∣ > 2.033, P < 0.05). ConclusionThe combination of HD-tDCS and rehabilitation robot can be more effective on upper limb and hand function in patients with subacute stroke than rehabilitation robot alone.

Complete chloroplast genome of Lonicera crassifolia Batalin (Caprifoliaceae) and its phylogenetic implications.

Lonicera crassifolia is a prostrate or creeping, evergreen Lonicera species endemic to southwest China. Here, we reported the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of L. crassifolia (GenBank accession number: OK393707). The cp genome was 154,731 bp long, with a large single-copy region (LSC) of 88,619 bp and a small single-copy region (SSC) of 18,642 bp separated by a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 23,735 bp. It encodes 130 genes, including 85 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 ribosomal RNA genes. We also reconstructed the phylogeny of Lonicera using the maximum-likelihood (ML) method, including our data and previously reported cp genomes of related taxa. The phylogenetic analysis showed that L. crassifolia is a sister to the remaining Nintooa clade with strong bootstrap support.

The measurements of the similarity of dynamic brain functional network / 生物医学工程学杂志

Brain functional network changes over time along with the process of brain development, disease, and aging. However, most of the available measurements for evaluation of the difference (or similarity) between the individual brain functional networks are for charactering static networks, which do not work with the dynamic characteristics of the brain networks that typically involve a long-span and large-scale evolution over the time. The current study proposes an index for measuring the similarity of dynamic brain networks, named as dynamic network similarity (DNS). It measures the similarity by combining the "evolutional" and "structural" properties of the dynamic network. Four sets of simulated dynamic networks with different evolutional and structural properties (varying amplitude of changes, trend of changes, distribution of connectivity strength, range of connectivity strength) were generated to validate the performance of DNS. In addition, real world imaging datasets, acquired from 13 stroke patients who were treated by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), were used to further validate the proposed method and compared with the traditional similarity measurements that were developed for static network similarity. The results showed that DNS was significantly correlated with the varying amplitude of changes, trend of changes, distribution of connectivity strength and range of connectivity strength of the dynamic networks. DNS was able to appropriately measure the significant similarity of the dynamics of network changes over the time for the patients before and after the tDCS treatments. However, the traditional methods failed, which showed significantly differences between the data before and after the tDCS treatments. The experiment results demonstrate that DNS may robustly measure the similarity of evolutional and structural properties of dynamic networks. The new method appears to be superior to the traditional methods in that the new one is capable of assessing the temporal similarity of dynamic functional imaging data.

Research progress on follicle-stimulating hormone and its receptor in menopausal women / 中华老年医学杂志

Menopause leads to significant changes in serum levels of reproductive hormones and increased incidences of menopause-related diseases.Because of the impact of follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH)and its receptor(FSHR)on women's physical and mental health and quality of life, research has been conducted and progress has been made concerning their involvement in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis, abnormal lipid metabolism, cardiovascular disease, cancer, cognitive impairment and other disorders, thus laying the foundation for an understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of these postmenopausal diseases.

Comparative study on the clinical characteristics of local cases of COVID-19 and imported cases from abroad: A retrospective cohort study.

ABSTRACT: It is presently unknown whether imported cases of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have different characteristics when compared with local cases. To compare the clinical characteristics of local cases of COVID-19 in China compared with those imported from abroad.This was a retrospective study of confirmed cases of COVID-19 admitted at the Beijing Ditan Fever Emergency Department between February 29th, 2020, and March 27th, 2020. The clinical characteristics of the patients were compared between local and imported cases.Compared with local cases, the imported cases were younger (27.3 ±â€Š11.7 vs. 43.6 ±â€Š22.2 years, P < .001), had a shorter interval from disease onset to admission (1.0 (0.0-2.0) vs 4.0 (2.0-7.0) days, P < .001), lower frequencies of case contact (17.4% vs 94.1%, P < .001), fever (39.1% vs 82.4%, P < .001), cough (33.3% vs 51.0%, P = .03), dyspnea (1.9% vs 11.8%, P = .01), fatigue (7.5% vs. 27.5%, P = 0.001), muscle ache (4.7% vs. 25.5%, P < 0.001), and comorbidities (P < .05). The imported cases were less severe than the local cases, with 40.4% versus 5.9% mild cases, 2.8% versus 15.7% severe cases, and no critical cases (P < .001). The length of hospital stay was longer in imported cases than in local cases (32.3 ±â€Š14.5 vs 21.7 ±â€Š11.2 days, P < .001). The imported cases showed smaller biochemical perturbations than the local cases. More imported cases had no sign of pneumonia at computed tomography (45.0% vs 14.9%, P = .001), and none had pleural effusion (0% vs 14.9%, P < .001).Compared with local cases, the imported cases of COVID-19 presented with milder disease and less extensive symptoms and signs.

Human mesenchymal stem cell treatment of premature ovarian failure: new challenges and opportunities.

Premature ovarian failure (POF) is one of the common disorders found in women leading to 1% female infertility. Clinical features of POF are hypoestrogenism or estrogen deficiency, increased gonadotropin level, and, most importantly, amenorrhea. With the development of regenerative medicine, human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) therapy brings new prospects for POF. This study aimed to describe the types of MSCs currently available for POF therapy, their biological characteristics, and their mechanism of action. It reviewed the latest findings on POF to provide the theoretical basis for further investigation and clinical therapy.

Survey on the research and teaching ability of rehabilitation based on public hospitals in Zhejiang Province / 中华医学科研管理杂志

Objective:To explore the research and teaching ability of rehabilitation in medical institutions at different levels in Zhejiang province, for better guiding and promoting of rehabilitation medicine.Methods:90 public hospitals in Zhejiang province were surveyed by Zhejiang Rehabilitation Center from May to August during 2019, to collect information of the research papers, research project applications, patents and monographs of each rehabilitation medicine department in the past five years, as well as the teaching and training activities in 2018.Results:Among the 90 hospitals surveyed, 86 hospitals had rehabilitation medicine departments. In the past five years, 86 hospitals published 636 papers in core journals, 120 SCI/EI papers, and applied for 19 national projects, 40 provincial projects, and 204 bureau level projects, and applied for 25 invention patents and 40 utility model patents, and edited 19 monographs. The average research capacity of rehabilitation including research paper, research project application, patent invention and monograph preparation in tertiary hospitals was significantly better than that of secondary general hospitals in recent 5 years. No SCI/EI papers have been published in the secondary hospital in the past 5 years, and no national project has been awarded. The proportion of SCI/EI papers published by tertiary hospitals was 92.5% (111/120). More teaching work was conducted by tertiary hospitals.Conclusions:The research and teaching ability of rehabilitation in public hospitals of Zhejiang province has reached a certain scale, but there is still a long way to go with other subjects. It is suggested that we should take the opportunity of development of great health and great rehabilitation, different levels of rehabilitation institutions should take their advantages to carry out scientific research and teaching training at different levels. Combined with the three-level rehabilitation network, a number of rehabilitation development measures such as linkage between the upper and the lower levels, mutual assistance in scientific research and integration in teaching should be implemented.

Admission C-Reactive Protein-to-Albumin Ratio Predicts the 180-Day Mortality of AIDS-Related Pneumocystis Pneumonia.

Assessment tools are necessary for the adequate stratification of patients with AIDS-related pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP). The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of severity assessment scores and inflammation- and nutrition-based parameters for predicting the 180-day mortality of AIDS-related PCP. This was a retrospective cohort study of patients with AIDS-related PCP admitted at the Beijing Di-Tan Hospital. The CURB-65 score, Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) score, Acute Physiology And Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score, C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR), procalcitonin, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio, and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio during the first 24 h of intensive care unit admission were analyzed. The prognostic values of the severity assessment scores and biomarkers for 180-day mortality were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) indexes. A total of 123 patients with AIDS-related PCP were included. Fifty-five patients were dead, and 68 were still alive at 180 days after admission. CAR, CURB-65, PSI, and APACHE II were independent predictors of 180-day mortality. The optimal cutoff value of CAR was 2.0 mg/g [area under the ROC curve = 0.844, 95% credential interval (CI) = 0.776-0.913], and CAR >2.0 mg/g increased the prognostic value of all three severity assessment scores, with an IDI index of 5.1% for the CURB-65 score, 8.1% for the PSI score, and 4.1% for the APACHE II score (all p < .05). Combining CAR >2.0 mg/g enhanced the capability of CURB-65, APACHE II, and PSI in predicting the 180-day mortality of patients with AIDS-related PCP.

Famous veteran traditional Chinese medicine doctors' medication rules in treating spermatorrhea / 中国中药杂志

To explore famous veteran traditional Chinese medicine( TCM) doctors' medication rules in treating spermatorrhea based on the medical cases about spermatorrhea collected from Hundred TCM Clinical Doctors of Hundred Years in China and Proven Cases and National Medical Master Test Case. Researchers extracted such data as medicinal and therapies from these cases according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Then,Excle 2010,SPSS Clementine 12. 0 and SPSS 22. 0 were adopted respectively for frequency analysis,association rules analysis,cluster analysis and factor analysis. Cluster analysis was carried out by Ochiai algorithm of binary variable data,one of the systematic clustering methods. And principal component analysis was used for factor analysis. Finally,27 medical cases and 41 prescriptions were included in total. The frequency analysis showed that the most common therapy was the astringent therapy( n = 28),which was followed by the tonifying method,tranquilizing method,heat-clearing method,damp-dispelling method and Qiregulating method. The top three kinds of high-frequency traditional Chinese medicines were Poria,Ostreae Concha and Dioscoreae Rhizoma. The association rules analysis found out 11 association rules of medicine pairs,23 association rules of medicine combinations of the three kinds of herbs and 6 association rules of medicine combinations of five kinds of herbs. Among them,the representatives were Rubi Fructus→Fossilia Ossis Mastodi,Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata + Corni Fructus→Dioscoreae Rhizoma,and Pinelliae Rhizoma→Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium,which showed the therapeutic characteristics of astringing,tonifying the kidney and replenishing essence,fortifying the spleen and dispelling dampness. Moreover,7 medicine groups with relevance were extracted from the tree map generated by cluster analysis,including " Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex and Anemarrhenae Rhizoma" and " Angelicae Sinensis Radix,Rehmanniae Radix,Bupleuri Radix and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma",which demonstrated the effects of nourishing Yin and purging fire,tonifying and soothing the liver. Besides,totally 12 common factors were obtained according to factor analysis,including 14 drug combinations,like " Amomi Fructus,Anemarrhenae Rhizoma and Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex" and " Nelumbinis Stamen,Moutan Cortex,Poria and Scrophulariae Radix",which indicated the compatibility characteristics of tonifying the spleen and purging fire,dispelling dampness and clearing heat. In conclusion,data mining techniques( including frequency analysis,association rules analysis,cluster analysis and factor analysis) were used to comprehensively analyze the famous veteran TCM doctors' medication rules in treating spermatorrhea,which was helpful for guiding the clinical practice of treating spermatorrhea in TCM.

The expression and clinical correlations of 4-1BB on peripheral CD4+ T cell subsets in patients with coronary artery disease. A cross-sectional pilot study.

BACKGROUND: The expression of 4-1BB on peripheral regulatory T cells (Tregs) and conventional T cells (Tconvs) in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients is unknown. We aimed to investigate the expression and clinical correlations of 4-1BB on peripheral Tregs and Tconvs in CAD patients. METHODS: Flow cytometry analysis was used to analyze 4-1BB expression on peripheral Tregs and Tconvs. We compared the percentages of 4-1BB on Tregs and Tconvs in the control (ctrl) group, the stable ischemic heart disease (SIHD) group, and the acute coronary syndrome (ACS) group. The correlations of 4-1BB expression on Tregs and Tconvs with the Gensini score and CRP were examined in the ACS group. The value of 4-1BB percentage on Tregs for predicting CAD in this cardiovascular risk population was also analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 71 participants were enrolled in this study. In all the groups, the percentages of 4-1BB on Tregs were significantly higher than on Tconvs (all P < .05). After adjusting for sex, age, SBP, HbA1c and LDL, 4-1BB percentages on Tregs and Tconvs were significantly higher in the SIHD and ACS groups compared with the ctrl group (all P < .05). The ratio of 4-1BB percentage on Tregs to 4-1BB percentage on Tconvs was higher in the ACS group compared with the ctrl group (P = .010). In the ACS group, CRP was negatively correlated with the Tregs percentage (in CD4+ T cells) and the Tregs percentage to Tconvs percentage ratio. The Gensini score was positively correlated with the 4-1BB percentage on Tregs in the ACS group. Linear regression analysis showed 4-1BB percentage on Tregs independently predicted the Gensini score. Binary logistic regression showed CRP, HbA1c and 4-1BB percentage on Tregs independently predicted the development of CAD (SIHD+ACS) in the whole population. CONCLUSION: 4-1BB expression on peripheral Tregs and Tconvs was increased in SIHD and ACS patients. 4-1BB percentage on Tregs positively correlated with the severity of coronary artery stenosis in ACS patients. 4-1BB percentage on Tregs independently predicted the severity of coronary artery stenosis in an ACS population and development of CAD in a cardiovascular risk population.

Safety and efficacy of 595-nm pulsed dye laser combined with topical timolol maleate 0.5％ solution for the treatment of superficial infantile hemangioma / 中华皮肤科杂志

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of 595-nm pulsed dye laser with topical timolol maleate 0.5％ solution for the treatment of superficial infantile hemangioma (IH).Methods Complete clinical data were collected from 156 infants with superficial IH,who received treatment with 595-nm pulsed dye laser combined with topical timolol maleate 0.5％ solution in the Department of Dermatology of the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University from July 2015 to July 2016,and analyzed retrospectively.Of the 156 patients,44 were males,and 112 were females,with an average age of 3.8 ± 0.7 months (range,24 days-1 year).These patients were treated with 595-nm pulsed dye laser every 5 weeks and topical application of timolol maleate solution twice a day.Each treatment with timolol maleate solution lasted 30 minutes.When the hemangioma regressed generally,the treatment with laser and timolol maleate solution was stopped.At weeks 5,10,15 and 30,the visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the efficacy,and adverse reactions were recorded.These patients were followed up till 6 months after the end of treatment.The relationships of area and thickness of hemangioma with treatment duration,treatment sessions and VAS scores were analyzed.Results After 5-30 weeks of treatment,hemangiomas regressed to different extents,and the cure rate was 93.59％ (146/156).At weeks 5,10,15 and 30,the VAS scores were 3.12 ± 0.23,4.45 ± 0.52,5.45 ± 0.71 and 7.59 ± 1.64 respectively.Repeated-measures analysis of variance showed that the VAS scores all significantly increased over time (F =189.35,P ＜ 0.05) in the 3 groups with different initial thickness of hemangiomas (＜ 1 mm,1-3 mm,and ＞ 3 mm),and significantly differed among the above 3 groups at different time points (F =215.56,P ＜ 0.05),and the group with the initial thickness of hemangiomas ＜ 1 mm showed the highest VAS scores.The total treatment duration was significantly shorter in the group with the initial thickness of hemangiomas ＜ 1 mm (2.71 ± 0.58 months) than in those with the initial thickness of hemangiomas 1-3 mm (8.22 ± 0.67 months,P ＜ 0.05) and ＞ 3 mm (11.03 ± 0.72 months,P ＜ 0.05).The VAS scores also significantly differed among the 3 groups with different initial area of hemangiomas (＜ 3 cm2,3-9 cm2 and ＞ 9 cm2),and significantly increased over time in these groups;Kruskal-Wallis H test showed that there was a significant difference in the treatment sessions among the above 3 groups (H =10.45,P ＜ 0.01),and the group with the initial area of hemangiomas ＜ 3 cm2 showed the least treatment session.The adverse reactions were mild,and no adverse cardiovascular or respiratory events were observed.Conclusion The 595-nm pulsed dye laser combined with topical timolol maleate 0.5％ solution is effective and safe for the treatment of superficial IH.

Follistatin-Like 1 Promotes Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis through the Transforming Growth Factor Beta 1/Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Signaling Pathway / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Background@#Follistatin-like 1 (FSTL1) is a novel profibrogenic factor that induces pulmonary fibrosis (PF) through the transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1)/Smad signaling. Little is known about its effects on PF through the non-Smad signaling, like the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the role of FSTL1 in PF through the MAPK signaling pathway and its mechanisms in lung fibrogenesis.@*Methods@#PF was induced in Fstl1and wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mice with bleomycin. After 14 days, the mice were sacrificed, and lung tissues were stained with hematoxylin and eosin; the hydroxyproline content was measured to confirm PF. The mRNA and protein level of FSTL1 and the change of MAPK phosphorylation were measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. The effect of Fstl1 deficiency on fibroblasts differentiation was measured by Western blotting and cell immunofluorescence. MAPK signaling activation was measured by Western blotting in Fstl1 and WT fibroblasts treated with recombinant human FSTL1 protein. We pretreated mouse lung fibroblast cells with inhibitors of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), p38, and Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling and analyzed their differentiation, proliferation, migration, and invasion by Western blotting, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide analysis, and transwell assays. The Student's t-test was used to compare the differences between two groups.@*Results@#Fstl1 deficiency attenuated phosphorylation of the ERK, p38, and JNK signaling in bleomycin-induced fibrotic lung tissue 14 days after injury (0.67 ± 0.05 vs. 1.22 ± 0.03, t = 14.92, P = 0.0001; 0.41 ± 0.01 vs. 1.15 ± 0.07; t = 11.19; P = 0.0004; and 0.41 ± 0.01 vs. 1.07 ± 0.07, t = 8.92, P = 0.0009; respectively), compared with WT lungs at the same time and in primary lung fibroblasts (0.82 ± 0.01 vs. 1.01 ± 0.04, t = 4.06, P = 0.0150; 1.04 ± 0.03 vs. 1.24 ± 0.03, t = 4.44, P = 0.0100; and 0.76 ± 0.05 vs. 0.99 ± 0.05, t = 4.48, P = 0.0100; respectively), compared with TGF-β1-stimulated WT group. Recombinant human FSTL1 protein in lung fibroblasts enhanced TGF-β1-mediated phosphorylation of the ERK (1.19 ± 0.08 vs. 0.55 ± 0.04, t = 6.99, P = 0.0020), p38 (1.18 ± 0.04 vs. 0.66 ± 0.03, t = 11.20, P = 0.0020), and JNK (1.11 ± 0.01 vs. 0.84 ± 0.04, t = 6.53, P = 0.0030), compared with the TGF-β1-stimulated WT group. Fstl1-deficient fibroblasts showed reduced alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression (0.70 ± 0.06 vs. 1.28 ± 0.11, t = 4.65, P = 0.0035, compared with the untreated WT group; 1.40 ± 0.05 vs. 1.76 ± 0.02, t = 6.31, P = 0.0007; compared with the TGF-β1-treated WT group). Compared with the corresponding condition in the control group, the TGF-β1/FSTL1-mediated α-SMA expression was significantly suppressed by pretreatment with an inhibitor of p38 (0.73 ± 0.01 vs. 1.13 ± 0.10, t = 3.92, P = 0.0078) and JNK (0.78 ± 0.03 vs. 1.08 ± 0.06, t = 4.40, P = 0.0046) signaling. The proliferation of mouse lung fibroblast cells (MLgs) significantly decreased after treatment of an inhibitor of p38 (0.30 ± 0.01 vs. 0.46 ± 0.03, t = 4.64, P = 0.0009), JNK (0.30 ± 0.01 vs. 0.49 ± 0.01, t = 12.84, P = 0.0001), and Smad2/3 (0.18 ± 0.02 vs. 0.46 ± 0.02, t = 12.69, P = 0.0001) signaling compared with the dimethylsulfoxide group. The migration and invasion cells of MLgs significantly decreased in medium pretreated with an inhibitor of p38 (70.17 ± 3.28 vs. 116.30 ± 7.11, t = 5.89, P = 0.0042 for the migratory cells; 19.87 ± 0.84 vs. 32.70 ± 0.95, t = 10.14, P = 0.0005 for the invasive cells), JNK (72.30 ± 3.85 vs. 116.30 ± 7.11, t = 5.44, P = 0.0056 for the migratory cells; 18.03 ± 0.94 vs. 32.70 ± 0.95, t = 11.00, P = 0.0004 for the invasive cells), and Smad2/3 (64.76 ± 1.41 vs. 116.30 ± 7.11, t = 7.11, P = 0.0021 for the migratory cells; 18.03 ± 0.94 vs. 32.70 ± 0.95, t = 13.29, P = 0.0002 for the invasive cells) signaling compared with the corresponding condition in the dimethylsulfoxide group.@*Conclusion@#FSTL1 affects lung fibroblast differentiation, proliferation, migration, and invasion through p38 and JNK signaling, and in this way, it might influence the development of PF.

In vitro and in vivo protein release and anti-ischemia/reperfusion injury properties of bone morphogenetic protein-2-loaded glycyrrhetinic acid-poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(l-lysine) nanoparticles.

Here, we describe a bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) nanocarrier based on glycyrrhetinic acid (GA)-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-b-poly(l-lysine) (PLL). A protein nanocarrier was synthesized, characterized and evaluated as a BMP-2 delivery system. The designed nanocarrier was synthesized based on the ring-opening polymerization of amino acid N-carboxyanhydride. The final product was measured with 1H nuclear magnetic resonance. GA-PEG-b-PLL nanocarrier could combine with BMP-2 through electrostatic interaction to form polyion complex (PIC) micelles. BMP-2 could be rapidly and efficiently encapsulated through the GA-PEG-b-PLL nanocarrier under physiological conditions, exhibiting efficient encapsulation and sustained release. In addition, the GA-PEG-b-PLL-mediated BMP-2 delivery system could target the liver against hepatic diseases as it has GA-binding receptors. The anti-hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury (anti-HI/RI) effect of BMP-2/GA-PEG-b-PLL PIC micelles was investigated in rats using free BMP-2 and BMP-2/PEG-b-PLL PIC micelles as controls, and the results showed that BMP-2/GA-PEG-b-PLL PIC micelles indicated significantly enhanced anti-HI/RI property compared to BMP-2 and BMP-2/PEG-b-PLL. All results suggested that GA-PEG-b-PLL could be used as a potential BMP-2 nanocarrier.

Synthesis of magnetic CoFe2O4/ordered mesoporous carbon nanocomposites and application in Fenton-like oxidation of rhodamine B.

CoFe2O4/ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) nanocomposites were synthesized and tested as heterogeneous peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activator for the removal of rhodamine B. Characterization confirmed that CoFe2O4 nanoparticles were tightly bonded to OMC, and the hybrid catalyst possessed high surface area, pore volume, and superparamagnetism. Oxidation experiments demonstrated that CoFe2O4/OMC nanocomposites displayed favorable catalytic activity in PMS solution and rhodamine B degradation could be well described by pseudo-first-order kinetic model. Sulfate radicals (SO4-·) were verified as the primary reactive species which was responsible for the decomposition of rhodamine B. The optimum loading ratio of CoFe2O4 and OMC was determined to be 5:1. Under optimum operational condition (catalyst dosage 0.05 g/L, PMS concentration 1.5 mM, pH 7.0, and 25 °C), CoFe2O4/OMC-activated peroxymonosulfate system could achieve almost complete decolorization of 100 mg/L rhodamine B within 60 min. The enhanced catalytic activity of CoFe2O4/OMC nanocomposites compared to that of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles could be attributable to the increased adsorption capacity and accelerated redox cycles between Co(III)/Co(II) and Fe(III)/Fe(II).

Sequence Analysis of Mitochondrial Genome of Toxascaris leonina from a South China Tiger.

Toxascaris leonina is a common parasitic nematode of wild mammals and has significant impacts on the protection of rare wild animals. To analyze population genetic characteristics of T. leonina from South China tiger, its mitochondrial (mt) genome was sequenced. Its complete circular mt genome was 14,277 bp in length, including 12 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and 2 non-coding regions. The nucleotide composition was biased toward A and T. The most common start codon and stop codon were TTG and TAG, and 4 genes ended with an incomplete stop codon. There were 13 intergenic regions ranging 1 to 10 bp in size. Phylogenetically, T. leonina from a South China tiger was close to canine T. leonina. This study reports for the first time a complete mt genome sequence of T. leonina from the South China tiger, and provides a scientific basis for studying the genetic diversity of nematodes between different hosts.

[Heterogeneous Activation of Peroxymonosulfate with Three-dimensional Ordered Mesoporous Co3O4 for the Degradation of Rhodamine B].

Three-dimensional ordered mesoporous Co3O4 was prepared by nanocasting method with porous silicon KIT-6 as the hard template and firstly used to activate peroxymonosulfate for the degradation of rhodamine B. The structural properties were characterized by BET, H-TEM, XRD, XPS, FT-IR. The results showed that three-dimensional ordered mesoporous Co3O4 presented far superior catalytic activity over conventional nanoscale Co3O4 due to its abundant space mesoporous channel structure and the large specific surface areas. Higher catalyst dosage and higher peroxymonosulfate concentration favored the decolorization of rhodamine B. The removal of rhodamine B could be accelerated in the presence of Cl- and H2PO4-; however, the decolorization of rhodamine B would be inhibited in the presence of NO3-, SO42- and HCO3-. Sulfate radicals were identified as the dominant active species for the decolorization of rhodamine B through radicals quenching experiments. Three-dimensional ordered mesoporous Co3O4 showed excellent catalytic activity even after five consecutive cycles.