Facile Ozonation of Light Alkanes to Oxygenates with High Atom Economy in Tunable Condensed Phase at Ambient Temperature

We have demonstrated the oxidation of mixed alkanes (propane, n-butane, and isobutane) by ozone in a condensed phase at ambient temperature and mild pressures (up to 1.3 MPa). Oxygenated products such as alcohols and ketones are formed with a combined molar selectivity of >90%. The ozone and dioxygen partial pressures are controlled such that the gas phase is always outside the flammability envelope. Because the alkane–ozone reaction predominantly occurs in the condensed phase, we are able to harness the unique tunability of ozone concentrations in hydrocarbon-rich liquid phases for facile activation of the light alkanes while also avoiding over-oxidation of the products. Further, adding isobutane and water to the mixed alkane feed significantly enhances ozone utilization and the oxygenate yields. The ability to tune the composition of the condensed media by incorporating liquid additives to direct selectivity is a key to achieving high carbon atom economy, which cannot be achieved in gas-phase ozonations. Even in the liquid phase, without added isobutane and water, combustion products dominate during neat propane ozonation, with CO2 selectivity being >60%. In contrast, ozonation of a propane+isobutane+water mixture suppresses CO2 formation to 15% and nearly doubles the yield of isopropanol. A kinetic model based on the formation of a hydrotrioxide intermediate can adequately explain the yields of the observed isobutane ozonation products. Estimated rate constants for the formation of oxygenates suggest that the demonstrated concept has promise for facile and atom-economic conversion of natural gas liquids to valuable oxygenates and broader applications associated with C–H functionalization

Do the Disc Degeneration and Osteophyte Contribute to the Curve Rigidity of Degenerative Scoliosis?

The factors associated with lateral curve flexibility in degenerative scoliosis have not been well documented. Disc degeneration could result in significant change in stiffness and range of motion in lateral bending films. The osteophytes could be commonly observed in degenerative spine but the relationship between osteophyte formation and curve flexibility remains controversial. The aim of the current study is to clarify if the disc degeneration and osteophyte formation were both associated with curve flexibility of degenerative scoliosis

Scoliosis Related Information on the Internet in China: Can Patients Benefit from This Information?

Background: There has been an increasing popularity of searching health related information online in recent years. Despite that considerable amount of scoliosis patients have shown interest in obtaining scoliosis information through Internet, previous studies have demonstrated poor quality of online information. However, this conclusion may vary depending on region and culture. Since China has a restricted Internet access outside of its borders, the aim of this study is to evaluate the quality of scoliosis information available online using recognized scoring systems and to analyze the Internet as a source of health information in China. Methods: A survey-based questionnaire was distributed to 280 respondents at outpatient clinics. Information on demographics and Internet use was collected. Binary logistic analysis was performed to identify possible predictors for the use of Internet. In addition, the top 60 scoliosis related websites assessed through 4 search engines were reviewed by a surgeon and the quality of online information was evaluated using DISCERN score and JAMA benchmark. Results: Use of the Internet as a source for scoliosis related information was confirmed in 87.8% of the respondents. College education, Internet access at home and urban residence were identified as potential predictors for Internet use. However, the quality of online scoliosis related information was poor with an average DISCERN score of 27.9±11.7 and may be misleading for scoliosis patients. Conclusion: The study outlines the profile of scoliosis patients who use the Internet as a source of health information. It was shown that 87.8% of the scoliosis patients in outpatient clinics have searched for scoliosis related information on Internet. Urban patients, higher education and Internet access at home were identified as potential predictors for Internet search. However, the overall quality of online scoliosis related information was poor and confusing. Physician based websites seemed to contain more reliable information

Primerjalna študija genetske raznovrstnosti talnih bakterij in gliv v različnih sukcesijah vegetacije na krasu v provinci Guizhou, Kitajska

To study the soil genetic diversity of bacteria and fungi in different vegetation successions (grassland, shrubbery, primary forest and secondary forest) from the karst area, the Polymerase Chain Reaction-Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) technology was applied. The results showed that: (1) the diversity of bacterial communities and the fungal communities in karst area were higher than non karst area in each vegetation succession. Compared with the survey from bacterial (the Shannon index was 2.97 in primary forest, 2.91 in secondary forest, 3.18 in shrubbery, 3.14 in grassland and 2.68 in non karst), fungal diversity between karst areas (the Shannon index was 3.56 in primary forest, 3.78 in secondary forest, 3.73 in shrubbery and 3.70 in grassland) and non karst areas (the Shannon index was 3.08) was more evident, which may be related to the alterations of the composition of plant community and the source of carbon in soil with the vegetation succession of karst ecosystem; (2) The comparation of bacterial diversity index and the richness comprehensively evaluated as follows: shrubbery > grassland > primary forest > nsecondary forest. The diversity index and the richness of fungal communities was as follows: secondary forest > shrubbery > grassland > primary forest. The results suggest that the fungal communities have been greatly changed via vegetation successions, but the diversity index and the richness of the bacterial communities have not been seriously affected. The results provide scientific basis for understanding karst surface ecosystem, which contributes to the future aim of protecting the karst from desertification.Za proučevanje genetske pestrosti talnih bakterij in gliv v različnih sukcesijah vegetacije (travišče, grmičevje, primarni gozd in sekundarni gozd) na krasu je bila uporabljena tehnologija verižne reakcije s polimerazo-denaturirajoča gradientna gelska elektroforeza (PCR-DGGE). Rezultati raziskave so pokazali, da: (1) je bila v vsaki sukcesiji vegetacije pestrost bakterijskih in glivnih združb na kraškem območju višja kot na nekraškem. V primerjavi z bakterijsko raznovrstnostjo (Shannonov indeks je bil 2,97 v primarnem gozdu, 2,91 v sekundarnem gozdu, 3,18 v tleh grmičevja, 3,14 v tleh travišč in 2,68 v nekraškem območju) je bila raznovrstnost gliv med kraškimi območji (Shannonov indeks je bil v primarnem gozdu 3,56, 3,78 v sekundarnem gozdu, 3,73 v tleh grmičevja in 3,70 v tleh travišč) in nekraškimi (Shannonov indeks je bil 3,08) jasneje izražena. To je lahko povezano s spremembami v sestavi rastlinske združbe in vira ogljika v tleh glede na stanje sukcesije v vegetaciji kraškega ekosistema. (2) Primerjava kazalnikov bakterijske raznovrstnosti in abundance je bila celostno ovrednotena in sledi takole: grmičevje > travišče > primarni gozd > sekundarni gozd. Kazalnika raznovrstnosti in abundance glivnih združb kažeta sledeči trend: sekundarni gozd > grmičevje > travišče > primarni gozd. Rezultati izkazujejo, da so se glivne združbe precej spremenile zaradi sukcesije v vegetaciji, vendar pa na drugi strani ni bilo bistvenega vpliva na kazalnika bakterijske raznovrstnosti in abundance. Rezultati med drugim dajejo tudi znanstveno podlago za razumevanje delovanja kraškega površinskega ekosistema, kar ključno prispeva k cilju zaščite krasa pred dezertifikacijo (širjenjem puščav)

CD133-Positive Cells Might Be Responsible for Efficient Proliferation of Human Meningioma Cells

Owing to lack of appropriate model systems, investigations of meningioma biology have come to a stop. In this study, we developed a comprehensive digestion method and defined a culture system. Using this method and system, primary meningioma cells in conditioned suspension medium and a hypoxic environment could be amplified in spheres and were passaged for more than ten generations. Meningioma sphere cells were positive for meningioma cell markers and negative for markers of neural cell types. Importantly, we found the cells expressed the stem cell marker, CD133, but not nestin. All of the tumor sphere cell populations showed a slower degree of cell proliferation than that of human glioma cells and fetal neural stem cells (NSCs). Further studies showed that the proliferative rate was positively correlated with CD133 expression. The higher the CD133 expression, the faster the cell proliferation. With the increase in cell generations, the cell proliferation rate gradually slowed down, and CD133 expression also decreased. Single CD133+ cells rather than CD133− cells could form spheres. Thus, the results above indicated that those cells expressing CD133 in spheres might be stem-like cells, which may be responsible for efficient amplification of human meningioma cells. Decreased expression of CD133 may lead to the failure of long-term passaging

In-situ growth of nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes on MXene nanosheets for efficient sodium/potassium-ion storage

For game changing for future of large-scale energy storage technologies, sodium-ion and potassium-ion batteries provide a substitute to lithium-ion batteries. As an excellent candidate anode, MXene still suffers from the blockage of active sites caused by restacking of sheets. Herein, an in-situ decoration of MXene nanosheets with nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is introduced, to yield MXene@CNTs. The modification of nitrogen-doped CNTs not only prevents the restacking of MXene and increases ion accessibility but also improves the electrode’s overall conductivity, thereby enhancing electron conduction and ion diffusion kinetics significantly. Therefore, MXene@CNTs exhibits superior sodium/potassium-ion storage performance than pure MXene nanosheets. At 0.05 A g-1, it can deliver reversible capacities of 286 mAh g-1 for SIBs and 250 mAh g-1 for PIBs. This research illustrates the significance of the electrode architecture for electrochemical performances, and the in-situ growth strategy could provide some insight on searching for high-performance MXene-based anodes for SIBs and PIBs

Short-term outcomes of robot-assisted versus video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for non-small cell lung cancer patients with neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy: a single-center retrospective study

BackgroundNeoadjuvant immunochemotherapy has been increasingly applied to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the comparison between robotic-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS) and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in the feasibility and oncological efficacy following neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy is scarce. This study aims to assess the superiorities of RATS over (VATS) concerning short-term outcomes in treating NSCLC patients with neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy.MethodsNSCLC patients receiving RATS or VATS lobectomy following neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy at Shanghai Chest Hospital from 2019 to 2022 were retrospectively identified. Baseline clinical characteristics, perioperative outcomes, and survival profiles were analyzed.ResultsForty-six NSCLC patients with neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy were included and divided into the RATS (n=15) and VATS (n=31) groups. The baseline clinical characteristics and induction-related adverse events were comparable between the two groups (all p>0.050). The 30-day mortality in the RATS and VATS groups were 0% and 3.23%, respectively (p=1.000). Patients undergoing RATS were associated with reduced surgical-related intensive unit care (ICU) stay than those receiving VATS (0.0 [0.0-0.0] vs. 0.0 [0.0-1.0] days, p=0.026). Moreover, RATS assessed more N1 LNs (6.27 ± 1.94 vs 4.90 ± 1.92, p=0.042) and LN stations (3.07 ± 1.03 vs 2.52 ± 0.57, p=0.038) compared with VATS. By comparison, no difference was found in surgical outcomes, pathological results, and postoperative complications between the RATS and VATS groups (all p>0.050). Finally, RATS and VATS achieved comparable one-year recurrence-free survival (82.96% vs. 85.23%, p=0.821) and the timing of central nervous system, LN, and bone recurrences (all p>0.050).ConclusionRATS is safe and feasible for NSCLC patients with neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy, reducing surgical-related ICU stay, assessing increased N1 LNs and stations, and achieving similar survival profiles to VATS