In Alzheimer's disease (AD), neurodegenerative signals such as amyloid-beta (Aβ) and the precursors of neurotrophins, outbalance neurotrophic signals, causing synaptic dysfunction and ...neurodegeneration. The neurotrophin receptor p75 (p75NTR) is a receptor of Aβ and mediates Aβ-induced neurodegenerative signals. The shedding of its ectodomain from the cell surface is physiologically regulated; however, the function of the diffusible p75NTR ectodomain (p75ECD) after shedding remains largely not known. Here, we show that p75ECD levels in cerebrospinal fluid and in the brains of Alzheimer's patients and amyloid-beta precursor protein (APP)/PS1 transgenic mice were significantly reduced, due to inhibition of the sheddase-tumor necrosis factor-alpha-converting enzyme by Aβ. Restoration of p75ECD to the normal level by brain delivery of the gene encoding human p75ECD before or after Aβ deposition in the brain of APP/PS1 mice reversed the behavioral deficits and AD-type pathologies, such as Aβ deposit, apoptotic events, neuroinflammation, Tau phosphorylation and loss of dendritic spine, neuronal structures and synaptic proteins. Furthermore, p75ECD can also reduce amyloidogenesis by suppressing β-secretase expression and activities. Our data demonstrate that p75ECD is a physiologically neuroprotective molecule against Aβ toxicity and would be a novel therapeutic target and biomarker for AD.
Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of Lactobacillus plantarum B1 on broiler performance, cecal bacteria, and ileal and cecal short chain fatty acids (SCFA). The study also ...determined whether it was necessary to feed Lactobacillus throughout the entire growth period or if the beneficial effects could be obtained by supplementation during the starter or finisher period only. Experiment 1 was conducted with 72 broilers assigned to 2 treatments (N = 6). One treatment was the basal diet (Con), and the other was the basal diet supplemented with 2 × 109 cfu/kg L. plantarum B1 (Wh). In experiment 2, 144 one-day-old broilers were assigned to 4 treatments (N = 6) including a basal diet (Con), the basal diet supplemented with 2 × 109 cfu/kg L. plantarum B1 during d one to 21 only (St), the basal diet supplemented with L. plantarum B1 during d 22 to 42 only (Fn), and, finally, the basal diet supplemented with L. plantarum B1 from d one to 42 (Wh). Experiment 1 showed that L. plantarum B1 enhanced broiler average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR). In experiment 2, during the starter period, broilers in the Wh and St treatments had higher ADG (P < 0.05) than broilers in the Con and Fn, while during the finisher period, broilers in the Wh and Fn had higher ADG (P < 0.01) and improved FCR (P < 0.01) compared with broilers in the Con and St. On d 42, broilers in the Wh and Fn had decreased E. coli (P < 0.05) and increased lactic acid bacteria (P < 0.05) in their cecal digesta. L. plantarum B1 also increased (P < 0.05) ileal mucosal sIgA as well as ileal and cecal SCFA. However, L. plantarum B1 had no effect on intestinal morphology. In conclusion, L. plantarum B1 plays a positive role in broilers. Supplementation during the finisher period or the entire growth period is superior to supplementation during the starter period only.
Solid-lubricant MoS2 coatings have been successfully applied in high vacuum and aerospace environments. However, these coatings are very sensitive to water vapor and not suitable for applications in ...moist environments. In this work, Cr- and T-doped MoS2 composite coatings were developed. The results demonstrated that these composite coatings are promising for applications in high humidity environments. MoS2-Cr and MoS2-Ti composite coatings with different Cr or Ti content were deposited on high speed steel substrate by unbalanced magnetron sputtering. The composition, microstructure, and mechanical properties of the as-deposited MoS2-metal composite coatings were analyzed by energy dispersive analysis of X-ray (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and nanoindentation experiments. The tribological properties of the coatings were evaluated against an alumina ball under different relative humidity atmosphere using a ball-on-disc tribometer. The MoS2-Cr and MoS2-Ti coatings showed a maximum hardness of 7.5GPa and 8.4GPa at a dopant content of 16.6at.% Cr or 20.2at.% Ti, respectively. The tribological test results showed that, with a small amount of Cr and/or Ti doping, the tribological properties of MoS2 coatings under humid atmosphere could be significantly improved. The optimum doping level was found to be around 10at.% for both MoS2-Cr coatings and MoS2-Ti coatings to show the best tribological properties, with both the lowest friction coefficient and wear rate. The excellent tribological properties of the MoS2-Cr and MoS2-Ti coatings with an appropriate metal doping level in moist atmosphere are found due to their ability to form stable transfer layer on the surface of the counterbody, which supplies lubrication for the contact surface.
Aim
To investigate nurses' knowledge, attitudes and practices related to physical restraint in tertiary hospitals and identify the factors that influence physical restraint use.
Background
Physical ...restraint is used to maintain patient safety. Nurses play an important role in the restraint process. It is important to identify their understanding, feelings and approach regarding the use of physical restraint.
Introduction
Physical restraint is widely practiced in hospitals in China. However, it results in a range of serious negative consequences. This article provides a clear description of nurses' knowledge, attitudes and practices related to physical restraint.
Methods
A cross‐sectional survey was conducted. The participants were asked to complete a questionnaire examining their knowledge, attitudes and practices related to physical restraint use. A total of 200 questionnaires were distributed in four tertiary hospitals in Hubei Province, China between August and October 2014.
Results
The nurses' responses indicated a good level of knowledge regarding physical restraint use. However, they held some misconceptions. The nurses' attitudes towards physical restraint tended to be neutral. The nurses were well experienced in the use of physical restraint. Nurses who had received on‐the‐job training performed better than those who had received no training related to knowledge and practices regarding physical restraint use.
Conclusions and implication for nursing/health policy
In‐service training is highly recommended for nursing managers to improve nurses' physical restraint related knowledge and practices. Regulations regarding the use of restraints should be established as soon as possible by healthcare administration system.
Implications for nursing
Nurses should be open to evaluate and improve their views and attitudes regarding effective physical restraint use via multidimensional interventions.
Vanadium dioxide (VO
2
), with a reversible phase transition near ambient temperature, has been found to be a promising candidate for energy-saving smart windows. However, its use is constrained by ...its low visible transmission (
T
lum
) and high transition temperature (
τ
c
). In this paper, by codoping tungsten (W) and magnesium (Mg) in VO
2
, a good combination of low
τ
c
(∼35 °C) and high
T
lum
(81.3%) was achieved. The
τ
c
declines with decreasing Mg doping level in Mg/W-codoped samples, which is the opposite effect of doping with only Mg, suggesting a synergistic effect of the two dopants arising from the e
−
and h
+
carrier neutralization. In addition, the band gap of Mg/W-codoped VO
2
was gradually widened; this is attributed to the depressed absorption, which enhanced the
T
lum
.
In this paper, four kinds of hard coatings, TiN, CrN, TiAlN and CrAlN (with Al/Ti or Al/Cr atomic ratio around 1:1), were deposited on stainless steel substrates by a lateral rotating cathode arc ...technique. The as-deposited coatings were annealed in ambient atmosphere at different temperatures (500–1000 °C) for 1 h. The evolution of chemical composition, microstructure, and microhardness of these coatings after annealing at different temperatures was systematically analyzed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and nanoindentation experiments. The oxidation behaviour and its influence on overall hardness of these four coatings were compared. It was found that the ternary TiAlN and CrAlN coatings have better oxidation resistance than their binary counterparts, TiN and CrN coatings. The Cr-based coatings (CrN and CrAlN) exhibited evidently better oxidation resistance than the Ti-based coatings (TiN and TiAlN). TiN coating started to oxidize at 500 °C. After annealing at 700 °C no N could be detected by EDX, indicating that the coating was almost fully oxidized. After annealed at 800 °C, the coating completely delaminated from the substrate. TiAlN started to oxidize at 600 °C. It was nearly fully oxidized (with little residual nitrogen detected in the coating by EDX) and partially delaminated at 1000 °C. Both CrN and CrAlN started to oxidize at 700 °C. CrN was almost fully oxidized (with little residual nitrogen detected in the coating by EDX) and partially delaminated at 900 °C. The oxidation rate of the CrAlN coating is quite slow. After annealing at 1000 °C, only about 19 at.% oxygen was detected and the coating showed no delamination. The Ti-based (TiN and TiAlN) coatings were not able to retain their hardness at higher temperatures (≥
700 °C). On the other hand, the hardness of CrAlN was stable at a high level between 33 and 35 GPa up to an annealing temperature of 800 °C and still kept at a comparative high value of 18.7 GPa even after annealed at 1000 °C, indicating a very promising applicability of this coating for high speed dry machining and other applications under high temperature environments.
Aim To determine and compare the diagnostic value of computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous core needle biopsy (PCNB) and percutaneous fine-needle aspiration biopsy (PNAB) in pulmonary lesions. ...Materials and methods PubMed, EMBASE, and the Web of Science were systematically searched for relevant studies that investigated the diagnostic accuracy of CT-guided PCNB and/or PNAB for pulmonary lesions up to December 2014. After study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment, the sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SPE), diagnostic odds rate (DOR), positive likelihood ratios (PLR), negative likelihood ratios (NLR), and summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curves were calculated using the Meta-Disc 1.4 software. Results Nineteen publications, including 21 independent studies, met the inclusion criteria. Of them, 15 studies were included in the PCNB group and six studies in the PNAB group. The pooled SEN, SPE, DOR, PLR, NLR, and SROC were 0.95, 0.99, 54.72, 0.06, 821.90, and 0.98 in the PCNB group and 0.90, 0.99, 24.71, 0.14, 210.72, and 0.98 in the PNAB group, respectively. Conclusion Based on current evidence, both PCNB and PNAB can be used as diagnostic methods to distinguish benign and malignant pulmonary lesions; the difference between PCNB and PNAB regarding diagnostic accuracy of benign or malignant pulmonary lesions is not obvious.
The objective of this study is to analyse the factors affecting late toxicity for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).
Seven hundred and ...eighty-nine consecutive NPC patients treated with IMRT at our centre from January 2003 to February 2008 were retrospectively analysed. Radiotherapy-related complications were categorised using the RTOG Late Radiation Morbidity Scoring Criteria and the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (Version 3.0). Two hundred and thirty-three patients were treated with IMRT alone (group 1) and 556 patients underwent cisplatin-based chemotherapy (group 2).
Median follow-up was 65 months (range, 4-106 months). The 5-year major late toxicity rate was significantly greater in group 2 than group 1 (63.2% vs 42.0%, P<0.001). Multivariate analyses showed that N category, T category and chemotherapy were significant factors. The maximal dose (Dmax) to the temporal lobe was a significant factor affecting temporal lobe injury (TLI), with a hazard ratio of 1.26 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.18-1.35; P<0.001) per 1-Gy increase. The 5-year TLI rate increased from 0.8% for 284 lobes with Dmax <65.77 Gy to 27.1% for 176 lobes with greater doses (P<0.001). Logistic regression showed that the hazard ratio attributed to the parotid gland mean dose was 1.36 (95% CI, 1.21-1.53; P<0.001) per 1-Gy increase. Chemotherapy was not a significant factor (P=0.211).
With the application of IMRT, the incidence of radiation-related complications has been reduced except for TLI. The significant factors affecting the risk of TLI included T category, chemotherapy and Dmax.
The exploration of low-cost, stable, and robust electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is urgently needed for developing renewable-energy ...storage and conversion techniques. In this study, we report a facile one-step electrodeposition route to prepare self-supported porous Ni-Mo alloy microsphere (Ni-Mo MS) films directly grown on copper foils from a deep eutectic solvent, ethaline (mixture of choline chloride and ethylene glycol), as a highly efficient and durable catalyst for both the HER and OER in 1.0 M KOH. The prepared Ni-Mo MS/Cu, as a hydrogen-evolving cathode, shows remarkable catalytic performance toward the HER with a small Tafel slope of 49 mV dec-1 and a low HER overpotential of -63 mV to deliver 20 mA cm-2. Serving as an oxygen-evolving anode, the catalyst also offers excellent OER catalytic activity with a moderate Tafel slope of 108 mV dec-1, and reaches 20 mA cm-2 at an OER overpotential of 335 mV. Utilized as both the cathode and anode in a symmetric two-electrode water electrolysis system, the bifunctional catalyst requires a cell voltage of 1.59 V to reach an overall water splitting current density of 10 mA cm-2 with robust durability, which could be potentially used in water splitting devices for practical applications.
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