Mechanical Reinforcement in Nylon 6 Nanocomposite Fiber Incorporated with Dopamine Reduced Graphene Oxide

The emergence of graphene-based polymer composite fibers provides a new opportunity to study the high-performance and functional chemical fibers. In this work, we have developed an efficient and convenient method with polydopamine (PDA) to functionalize and reduce graphene oxide (GO) simultaneously, and the modified graphene nanosheets can obtain uniform dispersion and strong interfacial bonding in nylon 6 (PA6). Furthermore, the reinforced PA6 composite fibers were prepared through mixing PDA-rGO into the PA6 polymer matrix and then melt spinning. The functional modification was characterized by surface analysis and structural testing including SEM, TEM, FTIR, and Raman. When the addition amount of the modified GO was 0.15 wt%, the tensile strength and Young’s modulus of the composite fiber reached 310.4 MPa and 462.3 MPa, respectively. The results showed a meaningful reinforcement with an effect compared to the pure nylon 6 fiber. Moreover, the composite fiber also exhibited an improved crystallinity and thermal stability, as measured by DSC and TGA.     

Predictive risk factors for lymph node metastasis in patients with small size non-small cell lung cancer

Background

Accurate clinical staging of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is essential for developing an optimal treatment strategy. This study aimed to determine the predictive risk factors for lymph node metastasis, including both N1 and N2 metastases, in clinical T1aN0 NSCLC patients.

Methods

We retrospectively evaluated clinical T1aN0M0 NSCLC patients who showed no radiologic evidence of lymph node metastasis, and who had undergone surgical pulmonary resection with systematic mediastinal node dissection or sampling at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University between January 2011 and June 2013. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictive factors for node metastasis.

Results

Pathologically positive lymph nodes were found in 16.2% (51/315) of the patients. Positive N1 nodes were found in 12.4% (39/315) of the patients, and positive N2 nodes were identified in 13.0% (41/315) of the patients. Some 9.2% (29/315) of the patients had both positive N1 and N2 nodes, and 3.8% (12/315) of the patients had nodal skip metastasis. Variables of preoperative radiographic tumor size, non-upper lobe located tumors, high carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels and micropapillary predominant adenocarcinoma (AC) were identified as predictors for positive N1 or N2 node multivariate analysis.

Conclusions

Pathologically positive lymph nodes were common in small size NSCLC patients with clinical negative lymph nodes. Therefore, preoperative staging should be performed more thoroughly to increase accuracy, especially for patients who have the larger size, non-upper lobe located, high CEA level or micropapillary predominant ACs.     

Ovine fetal hormonal and hypothalamic neuroendocrine responses to maternal water deprivation at late gestation

Angiotensin II (Ang II), aldosterone, and arginine-vasopressin (AVP) are three major neuropeptides or hormones that are important in the control of body fluid regulation. Dehydration during pregnancy induces alterations in maternal–fetal fluid homeostasis. It is still not clear about effects and mechanisms of maternal water deprivation on fetal neuroendocine and hormonal responses. The present study deprived water from pregnant sheep at near-term for 24 h and 48 h, and determined maternal and fetal blood osmolality and sodium levels before and immediately after water deprivation. Fetal renal excretion and plasma hormones were measured. Fetal forebrain was analyzed for cellular activation marked with Fos and Fos-B. The results showed that maternal and fetal blood osmolality and sodium were increased by water deprivation. Maternal and fetal Ang II, aldosterone, and AVP levels were elevated by 24-h and 48-h water deprivation, while fetal plasma Ang I levels were increased only under the condition of 48-h water deprivation. Intensive Fos and Fos-B expression was detected in the median preoptic nuclei and paraventricular nuclei in the fetal brain following exposure to maternal water deprivation. Double labeling demonstrated that many Fos-positive cells were AVP-containing neurons in the fetal paraventricular nucleus. Together, the results suggest that neuroendocrine and hormonal regulatory mechanisms play a role in the control of body fluid homeostasis, and relatively matured and functional at the last third of gestation, as well as the fetal hypothalamus is functional in the control of the neuropeptide in response to maternal dehydration.     

Fetal and offspring arrhythmia following exposure to nicotine during pregnancy

Although recent studies have demonstrated prenatal nicotine can increase cardiovascular risk in the offspring, it is unknown whether exposure to nicotine during pregnancy also may be a risk for development of arrhythmia in the offspring. In addition, in previous studies of fetal arrhythmia affected by smoking, only two patterns, bradycardia and tachycardia, were observed. The present study examined acute effects of maternal nicotine on the fetal arrhythmia in utero, and chronic influence on offspring arrhythmia at adult stage following prenatal exposure to nicotine. Nicotine was administered to pregnant ewes and rats. In the fetal sheep, intravenous nicotine not only induced changes of fetal heart rate, but also caused cardiac cycle irregularity, single and multiple dropped cardiac cycles. Although maternal nicotine had no influence on fetal blood pH, lactic acid, hemocrit, Na⁺, K⁺ levels and plasma osmolality, fetal blood PO₂ levels were significantly decreased following maternal nicotine in ewes. In offspring rats at 4–5 months after birth, prenatal exposure to nicotine significantly increased heart rate and premature ventricular contraction in restraint stress. In addition, arrhythmias induced by injection of nicotine were higher in the offspring prenatal exposure to nicotine in utero. The results provide new evidence that exposure to nicotine in pregnancy can cause fetal arrhythmia in various patterns besides tachycardia and bradycardia, the possible mechanisms for nicotine‐induced fetal arrhythmia included in utero hypoxia. Importantly, following exposure to nicotine significantly increased risk of arrhythmia in the adult offspring. The finding offers new insight for development of cardiac rhythm problems in fetal origins. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

江苏省SARS⁃CoV⁃2 Omicron变异株引起的新型冠状病毒肺炎流行病学特征分析

目的：分析江苏省由新型冠状病毒即严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2型(severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavi- rus 2,SARS-CoV-2)Omicron变异株引起的新型冠状病毒肺炎(coronavirus disease 2019,COVID-19)的流行病学特征,为后续疫情的防控措施提供数据支持。方法：收集江苏省卫生健康委员会官网以及各市政府官方通报(2022年2月13日—4月9日)的 COVID-19病例数据并进行流行病学调查研究。结果：截至2022年4月9日,江苏省SARS-CoV-2 Omicron变异株引起的COVID -19疫情蔓延势头初步遏制,累积发病率为0.48/10万,病死率为0。无症状感染者比例高(76.3%),确诊病例中以轻型为主。发病中位年龄为42岁,＜20岁感染者占16.9%。OmicronBA.1变异株中位潜伏期为5.0(4.5,6.0)d,BA.2变异株中位潜伏期为3.0(2.8, 3.5)d,两组潜伏期差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05)。聚集性病例比例较高(81.6%),主要来自家庭聚集。结论：Omicron变异株传染性强,潜伏期短,毒力减弱,该阶段江苏省Omicron感染病死率为0,江苏省实施的精准防控成果显著。     

二氢杨梅素抗血栓形成的作用研究

目的:探讨二氢杨梅素的抗血栓作用。方法:采用大鼠静脉血栓形成造模法,颈总动脉-颈外静脉血流旁路法,小鼠静脉注射胶原蛋白-肾上腺素造成血栓形成等模型。结果:二氢杨梅素能明显减轻静脉血栓湿重和干重,抑制大鼠颈总动脉-颈外静脉血流旁路血栓形成,提高胶原蛋白-肾上腺素诱导小鼠瘫痪的恢复率。结论:二氢杨梅素具有明显的抗血栓作用。     

以肺部症状为首发表现的MDA5抗体阳性皮肌炎的临床特征与预后分析

目的：分析以肺部症状为首发表现的黑色素瘤分化相关基因蛋白5(melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5,MDA5)抗体阳性皮肌炎（dermatomyositis,DM）患者的临床特征与预后。方法：回顾性选取2017年8月—2021年10月南京医科大学第一附属医院收治的MDA5抗体阳性DM患者57例为研究对象,根据临床首发表现分为肺部首发组（n=15）和非肺部首发组（n=42）,比较两组一般临床资料、实验室检查结果、影像学表现和预后情况。结果：肺部首发组患者血清铁蛋白（serum ferritin,SF）、C反应蛋白（C-reactive protein,CRP）水平明显高于非肺部首发组,肌酸激酶（creatine kinase,CK）水平明显低于非肺部首发组（P <0.05）。肺部首发组患者的胸部CT征象以斑片状影为主,其次为磨玻璃影、网格影、实变影,小叶间隔增厚、结节影、蜂窝肺和胸腔积液等征象较少。多因素Logistic回归分析结果显示,SF、CK水平是MDA5抗体阳性DM患者以肺部症状为首发表现的独立危险因素（P <0.05）。...     

Targeting BMI-1-mediated epithelial–mesenchymal transition to inhibit colorectal cancer liver metastasis

Liver is the most common metastatic site for colorectal cancer (CRC), there is no satisfied approach to treat CRC liver metastasis (CRCLM). Here, we investigated the role of a polycomb protein BMI-1 in CRCLM. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that BMI-1 expression in liver metastases was upregulated and associated with T4 stage, invasion depth and right-sided primary tumor. Knockdown BMI-1 in high metastatic HCT116 and LOVO cells repressed the migratory/invasive phenotype and reversed epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), while BMI-1 overexpression in low metastatic Ls174T and DLD1 cells enhanced invasiveness and EMT. The effects of BMI-1 in CRC cells were related to upregulating snail via AKT/GSK-3β pathway. Furthermore, knockdown BMI-1 in HCT116 and LOVO cells reduced CRCLM using experimental liver metastasis mice model. Meanwhile, BMI-1 overexpression in Ls174T and DLD1 significantly increased CRCLM. Moreover, sodium butyrate, a histone deacetylase and BMI-1 inhibitor, reduced HCT116 and LOVO liver metastasis in immunodeficient mice. Our results suggest that BMI-1 is a major regulator of CRCLM and provide a potent molecular target for CRCLM treatment.KEY WORDS: BMI-1, Colorectal cancer, Liver metastasis, Epithelial–mesenchymal transition, Snail, AKT, GSK-3β, Sodium butyrate     

岗松总黄酮抗氧化及抗炎作用研究

目的:研究岗松总黄酮体内抗氧化和抗炎作用.方法:小鼠灌胃岗松总黄酮9 d后,测定血清 SOD、MAD、GSH-Px水平以探讨岗松总黄酮的体内抗氧化作用;通过测定岗松总黄酮对二甲苯致小鼠耳肿胀抑制率的影响,研究岗松总黄酮的抗炎作用.结果:岗松总黄酮80 mg·kg-1组可显著提高小鼠SOD、GSH-Px活力,明显降低MAD含量(P＜0.05);而且能显著抑制二甲苯致小鼠耳的肿胀(P＜0.05).结论:岗松总黄酮具有较好的抗氧化和抗炎作用.