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Objective: To assess whether the immunogenicity of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines or breakthrough infection rates differ between patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and control subjects. Research Design and Methods: A prospective 12-month follow-up of 27 adults with T1D and 89 control subjects who received at least two doses of either the mRNA-1273 or BNT162b2 vaccine. Primary outcomes: total antibodies against the receptor-binding domain and neutralizing antibodies. A multivariate repeated measures model evaluated potential determinants of antibody response. Results: Neither antibody levels nor breakthrough infection rates after vaccination differed in T1D and non-T1D groups. Older age predicted lower antibody levels, whereas SARS-CoV-2 infection or booster vaccine resulted in higher antibody levels in both groups. mRNA-1273 was associated with higher antibody levels than BNT162b2 until 6 months after the first dose. Conclusions: Persons with and without T1D have similar humoral antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines during 12-months of follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited empirical studies were identified to quantify parenting stress in parents of children with nephrotic syndrome (NS). This cross-sectional study aimed to address this gap by examining the prevalence and factors associated with parenting stress. Two hundred two Chinese parents of children with NS were investigated by using the Parenting Stress Index–Short Form (PSI-SF), the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (PSCS), the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), and a demographic questionnaire. The results showed that parents of children with NS experienced higher parenting stress, and 67.8% of participants reported clinical levels of parenting stress. Fathers, parents with a primary education background, low social support and parenting sense of competence, and children with a prolonged treatment childhood NS reported higher parenting stress. Developing corresponding improvement interventions targeting parenting sense of competence, or providing extra disease-related support and education for parents might lessen parenting stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cronobacter has been identified as the causative agent of outbreaks or sporadic cases of meningitis, necrotizing enterocolitis, and septicemia associated with powdered infant formula. Food processing environments may provide a possible contamination route. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whole genome mapping (WGM) as a fast and automated molecular epidemiological method for characterizing Cronobacter spp. in the processing environment. This is the first study indicating the applicability of WGM to Cronobacter. WGM was compared with ribotyping, which is often used as an automated typing tool, and with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, which is a well-known and highly discriminating tool that is also based on restriction site analysis. The comparison of the three tools was carried out on a subset of Cronobacter isolates collected from 2011 to 2014 through a monitoring program. The performance characteristics of WGM have not yet been described; therefore, in the current study its performance was evaluated based on five criteria: typeability, reproducibility, stability, epidemiological concordance, and the discrimination power. WGM was shown to produce typeable, reproducible, and stable results. With a similar cut-off of 98%, WGM was shown to have a discriminatory power equivalent to pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and higher than ribotyping. Future studies are needed to confirm the indicated cut-off level of 98%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, diamond nanoparticles with sizes of ∼2-70 nm have been produced by Ar[sup +] ion irradiation at the fluence of ∼10[sup 22] cm[sup -2]. With the help of transmission electron microscope, electron diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy, these nanoparticles' shape and size were determined and their crystal structure was also solved. From these results, our discussion, based on the viewpoint of beam-solid interaction, may be critical for understanding the growth process of nanocrystalline diamonds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transforming growth factors beta (TGF-β) are multi-functional cytokines capable of inducing apoptosis in epithelial cells, including glomerular podocytes. We and others have previously shown that podocyte-selective genetic deletion of the microRNA (miR)-processing enzyme, Dicer, caused glomerulosclerosis that was associated with podocyte apoptosis, and the miR-30 family was implicated in the process. Here, we report that apoptosis-associated genes were highly enriched among the predicted targets of miR-30 when compared with randomly selected miRs (26% vs. 4.5 ± 2.1%) or with the known TGF-β-regulated miR-192 (6%), miR-216a (5.1%), and miR-217 (0%). miR-30 family members were abundantly expressed in podocytes in normal mice but were downregulated in albumin/TGF-β transgenic mice with podocyte apoptosis and glomerulosclerosis. In vitro, TGF-β downregulated miR-30s in wildtype and Smad3-deficient, but not Smad2- or Smad2/Smad3-deficient, podocytes. The TGF-β-induced activation of caspase 3 and an increase in TUNEL-positive nuclei were significantly inhibited by the lentivirus-mediated overexpression of miR-30d, but not by a scrambled control miR, in podocytes. TGF-β stimulated the phosphorylation of pro-apoptotic p53 in podocytes with lentiviral expression of a scrambled miR, but not in podocytes expressing miR-30d. In contrast, miR-30d had no effect on the phosphorylation of pro-apoptotic p38 MAP kinase induced by TGF-β. Thus, we report that Smad2-dependent inhibition of miR-30s in podocytes is required for the activation of p53 and the induction of apoptosis by TGF-β. These results demonstrate a novel functional role for miR-30 in podocyte survival and indicate that the loss of miR-30 survival signaling is a novel and specific mechanism of TGF-β-induced podocyte apoptosis during glomerulosclerosis. We propose the therapeutic replacement of miR-30 as a novel strategy to prevent the podocyte apoptosis that is characteristic of progressive glomerular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The number of patients with advanced cancer is rapidly increasing, and the subgroup of this population with low socioeconomic status has suffered more disease burden than others. However, there is no recent qualitative synthesis of primary research studies into advanced cancer patients with low socioeconomic status. Objective: To synthesise qualitative research findings into advanced cancer patients' experiences with low socioeconomic status, and then to help provide targeted and effective strategies to improve their quality of life. Design: A systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative evidence (PROSPERO: CRD42021250423). Data sources: PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection (ISI Web of Science), Cochrane Library, Embase, OVID LWW, CINAHL Complete (EBSCO), PsycINFO (EBSCO) and MEDLINE (ISI Web of Science), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WangFang, and Vip databases were systematically searched from their original dates to July 2022. Qualitative data were appraised using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) qualitative assessment. Findings: The findings were synthesised into the following three analytical themes: (1) multi-dimensional disease distresses; (2) barriers in coping with disease distresses; and (3) strategies for dealing with disease distresses. Conclusions: Patients with advanced cancer with low socioeconomic status experienced complicated and interactional distresses, unique life barriers, and a wide range of adaptation strategies. These findings will provide a comprehensive perspective to promote individual-centred health care systems and services to help these vulnerable people deal with the challenges of disease and improve their quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the role and mechanisms by which the myokine musclin promotes exercise-induced cardiac conditioning. Exercise is one of the most powerful triggers of cardiac conditioning with proven benefits for healthy and diseased hearts. There is an emerging understanding that muscles produce and secrete myokines, which mediate local and systemic "crosstalk" to promote exercise tolerance and overall health, including cardiac conditioning. The myokine musclin, highly conserved across animal species, has been shown to be upregulated in response to physical activity. However, musclin effects on exercise-induced cardiac conditioning are not established. Following completion of a treadmill exercise protocol, wild type (WT) mice and mice with disruption of the musclin-encoding gene, Ostn, had their hearts extracted and exposed to an ex vivo ischemia-reperfusion protocol or biochemical studies. Disruption of musclin signaling abolished the ability of exercise to mitigate cardiac ischemic injury. This impaired cardioprotection was associated with reduced mitochondrial content and function linked to blunted cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) signaling. Genetic deletion of musclin reduced the nuclear abundance of protein kinase G (PKGI) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response element binding (CREB), resulting in suppression of the master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α (PGC1α), and its downstream targets in response to physical activity. Synthetic musclin peptide pharmacokinetic parameters were defined and used to calculate the infusion rate necessary to maintain its plasma level comparable to that observed after exercise. This infusion was found to reproduce the cardioprotective benefits of exercise in sedentary WT and Ostn-KO mice. Musclin is essential for exercise-induced cardiac protection. Boosting musclin signaling might serve as a novel therapeutic strategy for cardioprotection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to develop cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk equations for Chinese patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes (T2D) to predict 10-, 20-, and 30-year of risk. Methods: Risk equations for forecasting the occurrence of CVD were developed using data from 601 patients with newly diagnosed T2D from the Da Qing IGT and Diabetes Study with a 30-year follow-up. The data were randomly assigned to a training and test data set. In the training data set, Cox proportional hazard regression was used to develop risk equations to predict CVD. Calibration was assessed by the slope and intercept of the line between predicted and observed probabilities of outcomes by quintile of risk, and discrimination was examined using Harrell's C statistic in the test data set. Using the Sankey flow diagram to describe the change of CVD risk over time. Results: Over the 30-year follow-up, corresponding to a 10,395 person-year follow-up time, 355 of 601 (59%) patients developed incident CVD; the incidence of CVD in the participants was 34.2 per 1,000 person-years. Age, sex, smoking status, 2-h plasma glucose level of oral glucose tolerance test, and systolic blood pressure were independent predictors. The C statistics of discrimination for the risk equations were 0.748 (95%CI, 0.710–0.782), 0.696 (95%CI, 0.655–0.704), and 0.687 (95%CI, 0.651–0.694) for 10-, 20-, and 30- year CVDs, respectively. The calibration statistics for the CVD risk equations of slope were 0.88 (P = 0.002), 0.89 (P = 0.027), and 0.94 (P = 0.039) for 10-, 20-, and 30-year CVDs, respectively. Conclusions: The risk equations forecast the long-term risk of CVD in patients with newly diagnosed T2D using variables readily available in routine clinical practice. By identifying patients at high risk for long-term CVD, clinicians were able to take the required primary prevention measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyxinol skeleton is a promising framework of anti-inflammatory agents formed in the human liver from 20S-protopanaxadiol, the main active aglycone of ginsenosides. In the present study, a new series of amino acid-containing derivatives were produced from 12-dehydropyxinol, a pyxinol oxidation metabolite, and its anti-inflammatory activity was assessed using an NO inhibition assay. Interestingly, the dehydrogenation at C-12 of pyxinol derivatives improved their potency greatly. Furthermore, half of the derivatives exhibited better NO inhibitory activity than hydrocortisone sodium succinate, a glucocorticoid drug. The structure–activity relationship analysis indicated that the kinds of amino acid residues and their hydrophilicity influenced the activity to a great extent, as did R/S stereochemistry at C-24. Of the various derivatives, 5c with an N-Boc-protected phenylalanine residue showed the highest NO inhibitory activity and relatively low cytotoxicity. Moreover, derivative 5c could dose-dependently suppress iNOS, IL-1β, and TNF-α via the MAPK and NF-κB pathways, but not the GR pathway. Overall, pyxinol derivatives hold potential for application as anti-inflammatory agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To systematically review existing evidence and assess the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for people with advanced cancer. Design: Systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials. Data Sources: Nine databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Database and Wanfang, were searched. The search covered the period between the inception of the selected databases and August 2022. Review Methods: Two authors independently examined eligible studies and appraised the methodological quality of the included studies by applying the criteria suggested by the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organization of Care followed by data abstraction. The Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist was used to identify intervention characteristics. Meta‐analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software, and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was used to evaluate the certainty of evidence. Results: Eight studies, involving 488 people with advanced cancer, were included. The results showed significant effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on the improvement of quality of life and the alleviation of anxiety, depression, psychological distress and fatigue in people with advanced cancer. However, its effects in relieving psychological flexibility and pain were not statistically significant. The certainty of the evidence was low to moderate. Conclusion: People with advanced cancer can benefit from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which is conducive to improving their health outcomes. Impact This review provides evidence about the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in people with advanced cancer. Further well‐designed studies with larger sample sizes are required. This review may help nurses and researchers to design and implement Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in clinical practice, thereby improving health outcomes in this population. PROSPERO Registration Number: CRD42021244568. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a disease in which autoimmune attack is directed to the insulin-producing β-cell in the pancreatic islet. Autoantigens on the β-cell surface membrane are specific markers for molecular recognition and targets for engagement by autoreactive B lymphocytes, which produce islet cell surface autoantibody (ICSA) upon activation. Here, we report the cloning of an ICSA (mAb43) that recognizes a major T1D autoantigen, ZnT8, with a subnanomolar binding affinity and conformation specificity. We demonstrate that cell-surface binding of mAb43 protects the extracellular epitope of ZnT8 against immunolabeling by serum ICSA from a patient with T1D. Further, mAb43 exhibits in vitro and ex vivo specificity for islet cells, mirroring the exquisite specificity of islet autoimmunity in T1D. Systemic administration of mAb43 yields a pancreas-specific biodistribution in mice and islet homing of a mAb43-linked imaging payload through the pancreatic vasculature, thereby validating the in vivo specificity of mAb43. Identifying ZnT8 as a major antigenic target of ICSA allows for research into the molecular recognition and engagement of autoreactive B cells in the chronic phase of T1D progression. The in vivo islet specificity of mAb43 could be further exploited to develop in vivo imaging and islet-specific immunotherapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Minnesota is home to the largest Somali population in USA, and pediatric diabetes teams are seeing increasing numbers of Somali children with diabetes. Objective To assess the immune basis of diabetes in Somali children in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. Methods A total of 31 Somali children ≤19 yr were treated for type 1 diabetes ( T1D) at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital and Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota underwent analysis of human leukocyte antigen ( HLA) alleles (n = 30) and diabetes autoantibodies [glutamic acid decarboxylase ( GAD65), islet antigen 2 ( IA-2), zinc transporter 8 ( ZnT8); n = 31]. HLA alleles were analyzed in 49 Somalis without diabetes (controls). Anti-transglutaminase autoantibodies ( TGA) for celiac disease were also measured. Results In Somali children with T1D aged 13.5 ± 5 yr (35% female, disease duration 6.5 ± 3.6 yr), the most common HLA allele was DRB1*03:01 (93%, compared with 45% of Somali controls), followed by DRB1*13:02 (27%). There was a relatively low frequency of DR4 (13%). Controls showed a similar pattern. All 31 participants were positive for at least one diabetes autoantibody. Insulin antibodies were positive in 84% (all were on insulin). Excluding insulin antibodies, 23 (74%) subjects tested positive for at least one other diabetes autoantibody; 32% had 1 autoantibody, 32% had 2 autoantibodies, and 10% had 3 autoantibodies. GAD65 autoantibodies were found in 56% of subjects, IA-2 in 29%, and ZnT8 in 26%. Four (13%) were TGA positive. Conclusion The autoantibody and HLA profiles of Somali children with diabetes are consistent with autoimmune diabetes. Their HLA profile is unique with an exceptionally high prevalence of DRB1*03:01 allele and relative paucity of DR4 alleles compared with African Americans with T1D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multisensory integration capabilities of superior colliculus (SC) neurons are normally acquired during early postnatal life and adapted to the environment in which they will be used. Recent evidence shows that they can even be acquired in adulthood, and require neither consciousness nor any of the reinforcement contingencies generally associated with learning. This process is believed to be based on Hebbian mechanisms, whereby the temporal coupling of multiple sensory inputs initiates development of a means of integrating their information. This predicts that co-activation of those input channels is sufficient to induce multisensory integration capabilities regardless of the specific spatiotemporal properties of the initiating stimuli. However, one might expect that the stimuli to be integrated should be consonant with the functional role of the neurons involved. For the SC, this would involve stimuli that can be localized. Experience with a non-localizable cue in one modality (e.g., ambient sound) and a discrete stimulus in another (e.g., a light flash) should not be sufficient for this purpose. Indeed, experiments with cats reared in omnidirectional sound (effectively masking discrete auditory events) reveal that the simple co-activation of two sensory input channels is not sufficient for this purpose. The data suggest that experience with the kinds of cross-modal events that facilitate the role of the SC in detecting, locating, and orienting to localized external events is a guiding factor in this maturational process. Supported by NIH grants NS 036916 and EY016716. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nurse managers play a pivotal role in quality patient care and staff satisfaction and retention. An overwhelming amount of work tasks and responsibilities might result in their sleep problems which are expected to aggravate in the context of the COVID-19, thereby affecting their overall health and work quality. However, little attention has been paid to sleep quality among nurse managers. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of sleep disorders among nurse managers and identify related factors of sleep quality during regular prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Methods: This cross-sectional online survey was conducted in 14 hospitals on a sample of 327 nurse managers in China. Participants were invited to complete the general demographic questionnaire, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ). Multiple linear regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors of sleep quality among nurse managers. Results: In this study, 43.7% of nurse managers suffered from sleep disorders. Active coping style and frequent exercise were positive factors that could influence nurse managers' sleep quality, while passive coping style and age over 41 years old were negative predictors, collectively accounting for 52.0% of the variance of sleep quality. Conclusions: The issue of sleep disorders among nurse managers during regular epidemic prevention and control period is underscored. Coping style and demographic factors including age and frequency of exercise can significantly affect nurse managers' sleep quality. Healthcare administrators should pay more attention to nurse managers' sleep disorders and implement targeted strategies based on influencing factors to ensure their sleep quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphor‐converted materials play a very important role in modern facility agriculture, both in converting the excess green light and low‐efficiency ultraviolet (UV) into the red and blue light that is beneficial for the plant growth, and in slowing down the aging of polymer films. In this work, UVC absorption of Zn0.5Mg0.5Al2O4 (ZMAO):Cr3+ was significantly improved by co‐doping Tb3+. The energy transfer (ET) from Tb3+ to Cr3+ occurred through a dipole–quadrupole interaction mechanism and the ET efficiency (ηET) from was up to 99.90% in the ZMAO:0.5%Tb3+, 3.0%Cr3+ phosphor, which improved the match between the phosphor emission and absorption spectra of the phytochrome PFR. Finally, light‐conversion polymeric film is achieved by coating ZMAO:Tb3+, Cr3+ phosphor. This study provides a strategy to efficiently covert the UVC and green components of the sunlight to far‐red light promoting the plant growth in horticulture and extending the service life of polymer film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) grain is rich in fiber and antioxidant phytochemicals, including fatty acids, proteins, phenolic compounds, vitamins, and minerals, that offer various health benefits. Research on identifying different barley genotypes based on their health attributes is very limited. In this study, we performed an analysis of fatty acids, proteins, ascorbic acid, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity of several Canadian barley cultivars and elite breeding lines. Linoleic acid (C18:2) was the predominant fatty acid present in the tested barley cultivars. The cultivar CDC Bold contained the highest amount of ascorbic acid, while the highest protein content was in CDC Mindon. An assessment of the free and bound phenolic compounds of barley grains showed quantitative changes among different genotypes of Canadian barley. Catechin is the most abundant molecule in free phenolics, while ferulic acid and para-coumeric acid are the most abundant in bound phenolics. Ferulic acid and vanillic acid were molecules detected in the soluble free fraction of all genotypes. Para-coumeric acid was detected only in genotypes such as CDC Copeland, CDC Bold, Lowe, and elite breeding Line 5 of both free and bound fractions of barley. Breeding Line 5 had the lowest antioxidant activity. An analysis of the above molecules and parameters of Canadian barley would help to uncover potential biomarkers in order to distinguish individual barley genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term studies of children at high genetic risk for type 1 diabetes (T1D) have identified groups of children with diabetes related autoantibodies. The ability to differentiate subjects at the highest risk for progression to T1D will be important for planned prevention studies. DAISY follows two high risk cohorts (young first degree relatives of subjects with T1D and neonates from the general population with moderate or high risk HLA genotypes). Subjects are screened at 9, 15 and 24 months of age and then annually for autoantibodies to insulin (IAA), GAD65 and ICA-512. Subjects who are identified as positive for any autoantibody are then tested every 3-6 months. Positive subjects were classified as follows: transiently positive (+for ≥ 1 antibody (confirmed by blinded duplicate sample testing) but negative at the most recent visit, n=82), persistently positive with no T1D (+ for ≥ 1 antibody and + at the most recent visit, n=65) and progressed to diabetes (regardless of autoantibody status, n=30). We hypothesized that characteristics of autoantibody positivity would differentiate the persistently positive children from those progressing to diabetes. The persistent and diabetes groups had a higher proportion with multiple antibodies positive at the 1st + test compared to the transient group (transient 1.2%, persistent 22%, diabetes 33% multiple antibodies at first positive, p<0.0001). Children who developed diabetes, compared with the persistent group, had more often multiple antibodies (70% vs. 35%, p<0.0001) and IAA (66% vs. 35%, p=0.003) at their last visit. To analyze the effect of IAA positivity over time, the area under the curve of IAA levels was calculated and divided by duration of the follow-up (AUC/duration). Subjects who developed diabetes had greater IAAAUC/duration of follow-up compared with persistent or transient subjects (ANOVA: p<0.0001). Cox proportional hazard modeling was used to determine the effect of IAA AUC/duration in the persistant and diabetes groups, controlling for family history and the number of positive antibodies at the last non-diabetic visit. Predictors of progression to diabetes included: HLA DR, DQ (Hazard Ratio (HR) 1.75, p = 0.02), age first positive (HR=0.609, p<0.0001) and IAAAUC/duration (HR=3.57 p=0.02). Therefore, IAA AUC may be useful for identifying subjects at high risk for progression to T1D and suggests that IAA levels are related to progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "Clinical predictors of prognosis in stroke patients after endovascular therapy" published in Scientific Reports. The correction addresses an error in Figure 2 labelling, specifically the incorrect number of patients. The original Figure 2 and accompanying legend are provided in the correction notice. The authors of the article are Yugang Wang, Xingyun Yuan, Yonggang Kang, Liping Yu, Wanhong Chen, and Gang Fan. [Extracted from the article]

Porous CaTiO3 solid submicrospheres and SrTiO3 and BaTiO3 hollow submicrospheres, which have large surface areas (40.21 to 228.18 m2 g−1) and uniform particle sizes, have been synthesized by a self-template assisted hydrothermal method with glucose as an additive. The results showed that the crystalline phase and morphology of ATiO3 were significantly influenced by the addition of glucose. Samples with irregular morphology and weak crystallinity were obtained without glucose as the reactant. The underlying formation mechanism of SrTiO3 and BaTiO3 hollow submicrospheres in the presence of glucose was manifested by XRD, SEM and TEM to involve Sr2+, Ba2+, and OH− ion diffusion, reactions and Ostwald ripening, while the formation of CaTiO3 solid submicrospheres has a different growth mechanism during the hydrothermal process, that is, only diffusion–crystallization, without Ostwald ripening. The obtained porous SrTiO3 hollow spheres show the highest photocatalytic performance on methylene blue, which may be related to the combined effects of surface area, band gap and interfacial charge transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main pathophysiological abnormalities in type 2 diabetes (T2D) include pancreatic β-cell dysfunction and insulin resistance. Due to hyperglycemia, patients receive long-term treatment. However, side effects and drug tolerance usually lead to treatment failure. GuaLouQuMaiWan (GLQMW), a common traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription, has positive effects on controlling blood sugar and improving quality of life, but the mechanism is still unclear. To decipher their molecular mechanisms, we used a novel computational systems pharmacology-based approach consisting of bioinformatics analysis, network pharmacology, and drug similarity comparison. We divided the participants into nondisease (ND), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and type 2 diabetes groups according to the WHO's recommendations for diabetes. By analyzing the gene expression profile of the ND-IGT-T2D (ND to IGT to T2D) process, we found that the function of downregulated genes in the whole process was mainly related to insulin secretion, while the upregulated genes were related to inflammation. Furthermore, other genes in the ND-IGT (ND to IGT) process are mainly related to inflammation and lipid metabolic disorders. We speculate that 17 genes with a consistent trend may play a key role in the process of ND-IGT-T2D. We further performed target prediction for 50 compounds in GLQMW that met the screening criteria and intersected the differentially expressed genes of the T2D process with the compounds of GLQMW; a total of 18 proteins proved potential targets for GLQMW. Among these, RBP4 is considerably related to insulin resistance. GO/KEGG enrichment analyses of the target genes of GLQMW showed enrichment in inflammation- and T2D therapy-related pathways. Based on the RDKit tool and the DrugBank database, we speculate that (-)-taxifolin, dialoside A_qt, spinasterol, isofucosterol, and 11,14-eicosadienoic acid can be used as potential drugs for T2D via molecular docking and drug similarity comparison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blueberry is considered a functional food due to various beneficial health effects associated with its consumption. Therefore, we examined the cardiovascular benefits of a blueberry polyphenolic extract in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Male SHR and Wistar–Kyoto (WKY) rats were administered with blueberry polyphenolic extract for 15 weeks. SHR showed significant augmented media‐to‐lumen ratio compared to WKY rats and blueberry polyphenolic extract significantly improved media‐to‐lumen ratio. SHR also had high blood pressure (BP), cardiac remodeling, and diastolic dysfunction and treatment did not affect BP or cardiac structure and function. SHR showed significantly increased the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and blueberry polyphenolic extract did not lower MDA. The levels of interleukin 6 and nitrate/nitrite ratio were unaltered in SHR. SHR showed a significant increase in the pro‐apoptotic marker, Bax. Blueberry polyphenolic extract significantly lowered Bax. Our study shows that blueberry polyphenolic extract is beneficial in preventing vascular remodeling and cardiac apoptosis. Practical applications: Similar to many other berries, blueberries are repertoire of many phytochemicals including polyphenols. Along with its considerably well‐established role as a sought after berry, blueberries have been at the forefront of approaches to hharnessing health benefits from plant food sources. Several studies have attempted to unravel the role of blueberry and their major phytochemicals in reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and reported their beneficial effects. Our pre‐clinical study found that blueberry polyphenolic extract can reduce vascular remodeling in the setting of hypertension. This new finding further suggests the potential of blueberry‐based phytochemicals. Further exploration of blueberries and their phytochemicals and positive outcomes from such studies can lead to substantial benefits for consumers and economy as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxygen consumption by isolated mitochondria is generally measured during state 4 respiration (no ATP production) or state 3 (maximal ATP production at high ADP availability). However, mitochondria in vivo do not function at either extreme. Here we used ADP recycling methodology to assess muscle mitochondrial function over intermediate clamped ADP concentrations. In so doing, we uncovered a previously unrecognized biphasic respiratory pattern wherein O2 flux on the complex II substrate, succinate, initially increased and peaked over low clamped ADP concentrations then decreased markedly at higher clamped concentrations. Mechanistic studies revealed no evidence that the observed changes in O2 flux were due to altered opening or function of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore or to changes in reactive oxygen. Based on metabolite and functional metabolic data, we propose a multifactorial mechanism that consists of coordinate changes that follow from reduced membrane potential (as the ADP concentration in increased). These changes include altered directional electron flow, altered NADH/NAD+ redox cycling, metabolite exit, and OAA inhibition of succinate dehydrogenase. In summary, we report a previously unrecognized pattern for complex II energized O2 flux. Moreover, our findings suggest that the ADP recycling approach might be more widely adapted for mitochondrial studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

p17 is a nonstructural protein of avian reovirus (ARV) that induces autophagy in infected cells. In the present study, we investigated the effect of p17 and its nuclear localization signal (NLS) on autophagy and viral replication. When Vero cells and DF1 cells were transfected with mutant p17 in which lysine (K) at position 122 and arginine (R) at position 123 were mutated to alanine (A), the expression level of LC3 II decreased dramatically after transfection. The expression of the polypeptide encompassing the first 103 amino acids of p17, a region that did not contain the NLS, did not have a significant effect on autophagy. Moreover, when cells overexpressing mutant p17 were infected with the ARV GX2010/1 strain, the viral titer was significantly decreased compared with the expression of wild-type p17. In general, the NLS of p17 facilitates the induction of autophagy and is correlated with an increase in virus production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate processing of sound temporal information is crucial to human speech perception and other species-specific communication. During postnatal development, the auditory cortex shows environmental and experience-dependent plasticity. However, how the postnatal environment affects cortical processing of sound temporal information is not fully understood. The aim of the present study was to determine whether postnatal noise exposure impairs neural temporal resolution in the auditory cortex, and, if so, whether environmental enrichment can rescue this degraded neural temporal acuity. Using the neural gap detection threshold determined in anesthetized rats as an index of temporal acuity, we found that exposure of juvenile rats to moderate-level noise induced much higher neural gap detection thresholds in adulthood than exposure of adult rats to the same noise. Environmental enrichment did not affect cortical neural gap detection thresholds in normally developing rats. However, rearing of rats with early noise exposure in an enriched environment promoted recovery from the noise-induced degraded neural temporal resolution. In addition, the tonal stimuli in the enriched environment contributed to only a portion of the recovery. These results provide evidence for noise-induced developmental impairment in neural gap detection thresholds in the auditory cortex, and suggest a therapeutic potential for environmental enrichment as a non-invasive approach to rescue developmentally degraded auditory temporal processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Motor tic, Obsessions and Compulsions, Vocal tic Evaluation Survey (MOVES) is a widely used screening tool for Tourette syndrome (TS) and associated comorbidities. This study evaluated its applicability for children in China using 7,125 participants from the National Center for Children’s Health (Beijing). Psychometric evaluations included exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, yielding a 16-item, four-factor model that explained 55.11% of the variance and demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.88) and test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.86). The scale showed strong convergent, discriminant, and criterion-related validity and was significantly correlated with other established TS scales. The results affirm the reliability and validity of the MOVES for screening TS in Asian contexts, addressing a crucial gap in the region’s TS assessment tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bamboo fibers are considered as a more attractive option for the reinforcement of wood plastic composites as compared to wood fiber due to its fast growth rate and good toughness. Heat treatment is an environment-friendly method of improving the integrated performance of bamboo materials. This paper highlights the heat treatment of bamboo fiber for suitable properties as reinforcements in bamboo plastic composites. The effects of vacuum heat treatment on the surface characteristics of bamboo fibers and the properties of bamboo plastic composites were analyzed by studying the chemical composition, surface elements and polarity of bamboo fiber before and after treatment, and the physical and mechanical properties of bamboo plastic composite. The results showed that after vacuum heat treatment, the bamboo fibers became darker and experienced a transition from green to red. Moreover, FTIR, XPS and contact angle analysis indicated that the hemicellulose content, the oxygen/carbon ratio and the polar component of the bamboo fiber had a decreasing trend as the treatment temperature increased. In addition, the 24 h water absorption and the 24 h thickness expansion rate of the water absorption showed a trend of first decreasing and then increasing as the treatment temperature increased, while the bending performance of bamboo plastic composite showed a trend of increasing first and then decreasing as a result of increased treatment temperature. Therefore, a combined process of vacuum heat treatment and the addition of MAPE could improve the physical and mechanical properties of bamboo plastic composites to a certain extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Large-scale screening of the general population for islet autoantibodies (IAbs) to detect type 1 diabetes (T1D) has started worldwide. The standard screening method of separate radio-binding assay (RBA) for each IAb is an inefficient bottleneck. Furthermore, most positive results by RBA in screening of general population individuals without a clinical diagnosis of T1D are low-affinity and not predictive of future diabetes. Research Design and Methods: We have developed and validated a novel 6-Plex assay based on electrochemiluminescence (ECL) technology that combines in a single well high-affinity IAbs (to insulin, GAD, IA-2, and ZnT8), transglutaminase autoantibodies for celiac disease, and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 antibodies. The Autoimmunity Screening for Kids (ASK) provided 880 serum samples, from 828 children aged 1-17 years without diabetes who were previously tested for IAbs using single ECL assays and RBA assays. Results: Levels of all six antibodies in the 6-Plex ECL assay correlated well with respective single ECL assay levels. Similar to single ECL assays, the 6-Plex ECL assay positivity was congruent with the RBA in 95% (35/37) of children who later developed T1D and in 88% (105/119) high-risk children with multiple IAbs. In contrast, only 56% (86/154, P < 0.0001) of children with persistent single IAb by RBA were found to be positive by 6-Plex ECL assay. Of 555 samples negative for all IAbs by RBA, few (0.2%-0.5%) were positive at low levels in the 6-Plex ECL assay. Conclusions: The study demonstrated that the 6-Plex ECL assay compares favorably to the standard RBAs in terms of disease specificity for general population screening in children. The 6-Plex ECL assay was therefore adopted as the primary screening tool in the general population screening ASK program with advantages of high efficiency, low cost, and low serum volume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Whether knowledge, attitude and practice of nurses on nursing post-stroke dysphagia patients varies between different ranking hospitals is still unknown. This study aimed to compare the knowledge, attitude and practice level of nurses on nursing post-stroke dysphagia patients between iii-A and ii-A hospitals in China. Design: A cross-sectional study design was used. Methods: Data were collected from eighteen hospitals in Wuhan, Hubei in May–July 2020, and a total of 824 nurses were recruited by convenient sampling. After propensity score matching, 205 participants in iii-A hospitals were matched with 205 participants in ii-A hospitals. Results: There were no statistically differences in the socio-demographic characteristics between two groups after propensity score matching. Before matching, the regression coefficients between hospital ranking and knowledge, attitude, practice were -0.415, -0.718 and -1.855, respectively. After matching, the coefficients changed to -0.394, -0.824 and -1.278. Nurses from iii-A hospitals had higher knowledge and attitude scores than nurses from ii-A hospitals, but no significant practice scores difference was observed between various rankings of hospitals. Conclusions: The KAP of nurses on nursing post-stroke dysphagia patients were different in iii-A and ii-A hospitals. Administrators should strengthen management, provide more learning resources and trainings to meet nurses' needs about methods to deal with and recognize dysphagia, so as to further improve the quality of post-stroke dysphagia management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To analyze disease generalization in patients with ocular myasthenia gravis (OMG) treated with immunosuppression compared with patients without immunosuppression treatment. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed data from patients with OMG at seven medical centers in China from January 1, 2015 to May 1, 2019 and compared disease generalization in patients (treated with immunosuppression vs. not treated) within 2 years of disease onset using raw and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) analyses. Results: In the study population of 813 patients with OMG, 425 (52.3%) with immunosuppression had a mean (SD) onset age of 50.0 (15.1) years, and 188 (44.2%) were women. The remaining 388 (47.7%) patients were not immunosuppressed (mean age, 48.4 [15.0] years; 185 [47.7%] women). Disease generalization developed in 122 (31.4%) and 37 (8.7%) patients in the non‐immunosuppression and immunosuppression groups, respectively. Relative to non‐immunosuppression, immunosuppression was associated with a lower risk of generalization in a multivariable‐adjusted Cox model (hazard ratio [HR] 0.27; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.18–0.40; p < 0.001) and IPTW‐weighted Cox model (HR 0.28; 95% CI 0.19–0.42; p < 0.001). In sensitivity analyses, longer duration of immunosuppression was associated with a lower risk of generalization (HR 0.90 for every 1‐month increase; 95% CI 0.87–0.92; p < 0.001; IPTW‐adjusted). Combination therapy with steroids and non‐steroidal immunosuppressants showed superior efficacy in reducing the risk of generalization (HR 0.14; 95% CI 0.07–0.26; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Immunosuppression significantly reduced the 2‐year risk of generalization in patients with OMG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and tic disorders (TDs) are closely related and considered to etiologically overlap. Both disorders are characterized by repetitive behaviors. TD and OCD often co-occur. The high comorbidity between OCD and TD individuals suggests that we also need to pay more attention to the homogeneity and heterogeneity between TS and OCD. To date, there has been no systematic nationwide epidemiological survey of the mental health (including tic disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder) of children and adolescents in China. Methods: A two-stage epidemiological study of psychiatric point prevalence was conducted. We used the multistage cluster stratified random sampling strategy to assess five provinces of China. The Child Behavior Checklist was used to identify behavioral problems among the enrolled students in the first stage. The results from the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents and evaluations from two psychiatrists based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV were used to make a diagnosis. Point weighted prevalence for TD and OCD was estimated. We adjusted prevalence estimates with the product of sampling weights and poststratification weights. Standard error values and 95% confidential intervals were generated with Taylor series linearization. Rao–Scott adjusted chi-square (χ2) tests were employed to compare the prevalence estimates of different age and sex groups. Results: In the first stage, 73,992 participants aged 6–16 years old were selected. The prevalence rates of OCD and TDs were 1.37% (95% CI: 1.28–1.45) and 2.46% (95% CI: 2.35–2.57), respectively. The prevalence of OCD was found to be higher in girls (p < 0.001) and higher in boys with transient tic disorder (TTD) (p < 0.001) and Tourette's syndrome (TS) (p < 0.001). The most common comorbidity of TS was OCD (40.73%), and for OCD, it was TS (11.36%). Conclusions: Our study is the first nationwide survey on the prevalence of TD (2.46%) and OCD (1.37%) in school students aged 6–16 years old in China. The high comorbidity between OCD and TD individuals suggested overlap based on the prevalence dimensions, which might be influenced by age and sex. This result suggested that we also need to pay more attention to the homogeneity and heterogeneity between TS and OCD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel aggregation induced emission (AIE) active cyclodextrin (CD) was synthesized by combining tetraphenylethene (TPE) and CD via click chemistry. The new material, which is the first reported clicked AIE probe for the specific detection of Cd2+, exhibits an excellent selective turn-on fluorescence response to Cd2+ in neutral environments, with a low detection limit of 0.01 µM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MAS-1, a nanoparticular, emulsion-based adjuvant, was evaluated for its ability to promote Th2 and regulatory immune responses and prevent type 1 diabetes progression when given alone or as antigen-specific immunotherapy (ASI) using insulin B chain (IBC; MER3101) and its analog B:9-23(19Ala) (MER3102). MAS-1 formulations were administered to NOD mice at age 9 and 13 weeks and followed through 52 weeks. MER3101 and MER3102 provided long-term protection with 60% and 73% of mice remaining diabetes-free at week 35, and 60% and 47% at week 52. MAS-1 adjuvant emulsion by itself also provided protection with 60% and 40% of mice diabetes-free at 35 and 52 weeks, respectively. Higher levels of interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-2 positive T cells were detected among splenocytes by week 15 in MER3101 and MER3102 immunized mice, whereas MAS-1 alone induced higher levels of IL-10-positive T cells. Diabetes-free 52-week-old mice expressed significant levels of antigen-specific IL-10-positive type 1 regulatory T cells and FoxP3-positive T cells when stimulated ex vivo with IBC. Antibodies targeting IBC and B:9-23(19Ala) induced by MER3101 and MER3102 were overwhelmingly Th2 type IgG1 and IgG2b isotypes. Splenocyte cultures from 52 week diabetes-free, MER3101-treated mice secreted significantly increased levels of IL-4 and IL-5 Th2 cytokines. Based on these pre-clinical results and its clinical safety profile, MAS-1 has the requisite qualities to be considered for use in prophylactic or early stage disease settings to augment ASI to prevent disease progression in type 1 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early enteral nutrition is crucial for preventing malnutrition and improving outcomes in patients with severe stroke, but previous trials have provided conflicting results regarding the optimal nutritional strategy. We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of three enteral feeding strategies in patients with severe stroke.Methods: The Optimizing Early Enteral Nutrition in Severe Stroke (OPENS) study was a multicentre, investigator-initiated, prospective, open-label, randomised controlled trial, with blinded outcome assessment, in 16 tertiary and district general hospitals in the west of China. Adult patients with acute severe ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke (Glasgow Coma Scale score ≤12 or National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score ≥11 on admission) who were expected to receive enteral nutrition for more than 7 days were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to full enteral nutrition (70-100% of estimated caloric requirements), modified full enteral nutrition (full enteral nutrition plus prokinetic agents), or hypocaloric enteral nutrition (40-60% of estimated caloric requirements) via a centralised web-based randomisation system. The assigned nutrition was initiated within 24 h after enrolment and continued for 7 days. The computer-generated randomisation sequence was prepared by a statistician not involved with the rest of the study. Randomisation was done with an automated permuted block size of six. The allocation was unblinded to participants and investigators. The primary efficacy outcome was the proportion of participants with poor outcome (modified Rankin Scale score ≥3) at day 90 and the prespecified primary safety outcome was mortality at day 90, assessed in the intention-to-treat population. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02982668.Findings: Between Jan 15, 2017, and Sept 23, 2020, 321 patients were randomly assigned (107 in each group) and 315 patients (175 [56%] men, median age 71 years, IQR 60-78) were included in the final analysis. The study was terminated ahead of schedule on Sept 23, 2020, because a significant difference between groups was detected in mortality. The proportion of participants with poor outcomes at 90 days did not differ (modified full enteral nutrition 86 [82%] of 105 patients vs full enteral nutrition 85 [80%] of 106 patients, adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0·87, 95% CI 0·41-1·86, p=0·721; hypocaloric enteral nutrition 76 [73%] of 104 patients vs full enteral nutrition 0·61, 0·30-1·27, p=0·186; hypocaloric enteral nutrition vs modified full enteral nutrition 0·70, 0·34-1·46, p=0·340). Hypocaloric enteral nutrition showed significantly higher 90-day mortality than did modified full enteral nutrition (35 [34%] of 104 patients vs 18 [17%] of 105 patients, adjusted OR 2·89, 95% CI 1·46-5·72; p=0·0023), whereas the difference was not significant between hypocaloric enteral nutrition and full enteral nutrition (24 [23%] of 106 patients; adjusted OR 1·92, 95% CI 1·00-3·69; p=0·049), and between modified full enteral nutrition and full enteral nutrition (adjusted OR 0·61, 0·29-1·28; p=0·187). The most common adverse event was pneumonia, the incidence of which showed no significant difference among groups (full enteral nutrition 82 [78%] of 105 patients, modified full enteral nutrition 83 [81%] of 103 patients, hypocaloric enteral nutrition 78 [75%] of 104 patients; p=0·625).Interpretation: In the early phase of severe stroke, modified full enteral nutrition or hypocaloric enteral nutrition did not significantly reduce the risk of a poor outcomes compared with full enteral nutrition over a 90-day period. Hypocaloric enteral nutrition might be associated with increased mortality compared with modified full enteral nutrition. Further studies are needed to investigate whether modified full enteral nutrition might be the optimal strategy.Funding: Shaanxi province Key Research and Development Project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classically, mitochondrial respiration responds to decreased membrane potential (ΔΨ) by increasing respiration. However, we found that for succinate‐energized complex II respiration in skeletal muscle mitochondria (unencumbered by rotenone), low ΔΨ impairs respiration by a mechanism culminating in oxaloacetate (OAA) inhibition of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH). Here, we investigated whether this phenomenon extends to far different mitochondria of a tissue wherein ΔΨ is intrinsically low, i.e., interscapular brown adipose tissue (IBAT). Also, to advance our knowledge of the mechanism, we performed isotopomer studies of metabolite flux not done in our previous muscle studies. In additional novel work, we addressed possible ways ADP might affect the mechanism in IBAT mitochondria. UCP1 activity, and consequently ΔΨ, were perturbed both by GDP, a well‐recognized potent inhibitor of UCP1 and by the chemical uncoupler carbonyl cyanide m‐chlorophenyl hydrazone (FCCP). In succinate‐energized mitochondria, GDP increased ΔΨ but also increased rather than decreased (as classically predicted under low ΔΨ) O2 flux. In GDP‐treated mitochondria, FCCP reduced potential but also decreased respiration. Metabolite studies by NMR and flux analyses by LC‐MS support a mechanism, wherein ΔΨ effects on the production of reactive oxygen alters the NADH/NAD+ ratio affecting OAA accumulation and, hence, OAA inhibition of SDH. We also found that ADP‐altered complex II respiration in complex fashion probably involving decreased ΔΨ due to ATP synthesis, a GDP‐like nucleotide inhibition of UCP1, and allosteric enzyme action. In summary, complex II respiration in IBAT mitochondria is regulated by UCP1‐dependent ΔΨ altering substrate flow through OAA and OAA inhibition of SDH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creep rupture behavior of dissimilar weldments between FB2 and 30Cr1Mo1V heat-resistant steel by multipass welding at 783 K (510°C) under different stresses (260 to 420 MPa) was researched. The fitted creep rupture exponent is 14.53, and the 10,000 h extrapolating strength values predicted by the power law and Larson-Miller parameter show good agreement with experimental data. The samples exhibit a ductile fracture character and fracture in the weld fusion zone, which has a highly heterogeneous microstructure and grains with different morphologies and sizes and an obvious softening. There exist a decrease in the dislocation and precipitate density and an increase in the subgrain size in the weld metal after creep. The rupture is a transgranular fracture characterized by dimples as a result of microvoid coalescence. Laves phases along with copper-rich precipitates are observed in the vicinity of fracture surface, which creates a stress concentration that can cause transgranular fracture initiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this work, we report preparation, characterization and luminescent mechanism of a phosphor Sr1.5Ca0.5SiO4:Eu3+,Tb3+,Eu2+ (SCS:ETE) for white-light emitting diode (W-LED)-based near-UV chip. Co-doped rare earth cations Eu3+, Tb3+ and Eu2+ as aggregated luminescent centers within the orthosilicate host in a controlled manner resulted in the white-light phosphors with tunable emission properties. Under the excitation of near-UV light (394nm), the emission spectra of these phosphors exhibited three emission bands: one broad band in the blue area, a second band with sharp lines peaked in green (about 548nm) and the third band in the orange–red region (588–720nm). These bands originated from Eu2+ 5d→4f, Tb3+ 5D4→7F J and Eu3+ 5D0→7F J transitions, respectively, with comparable intensities, which in return resulted in white light emission. With anincrease of Tb3+ content, both broad Eu2+ emission and sharp Eu3+ emission increase. The former may be understood by the reduction mechanism due to the charge transfer process from Eu3+ to Tb3+, whereas the latter is attributed to the energy transfer process from Eu2+ to Tb3+. Tunable white-light emission resulted from the system of SCS:ETE as a result of the competition between these two processes when the Tb3+ concentration varies. It was found that the nominal composition Sr1.5Ca0.5SiO4:1.0%Eu3+, 0.07%Tb3+ is the optimal composition for single-phased white-light phosphor. The CIE chromaticity calculation demonstrated its potential as white LED-based near-UV chip. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The purpose of this study was to explore the level and predictors of the health-related quality of life among patients who were newly diagnosed with lung cancer in China. A descriptive survey design was used to collect the data from 108 patients. The relationships among the variables were analyzed by using Pearson's correlation and multiple regression analyses. The results indicated that the patients in this sample had a poor quality of life in the physical, psychological, and environmental domains of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire. Their age, annual family income, social support, and three dimensions of the health locus of control (internal, external, and chance) correlated significantly with the global quality of life. The stepwise multiple regressions showed that only the internal locus of control was statistically significant in predicting the patients' quality of life. The results suggest that healthcare professionals should pay particular attention to demographic characteristics, such as age and family income, and personal characteristics, such as the health locus of control and social support, when treating this patient group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers are becoming the material of choice for use in cosmetic soft tissue and dermal correction. HA fillers appear to be similar, but their physical characteristics can be quite different. These differences have the potential to affect the ability of the physician to provide the patient with a natural and enduring result. OBJECTIVE The objective of this article is to discuss the key physical properties and methods used in characterizing dermal fillers. These methods were then used to analyze several well-known commercially available fillers. METHODS AND MATERIALS Analytical methods were employed to generate data on the properties of various fillers. The measured physical properties were concentration, gel-to-fluid ratio, HA gel concentration, degree of HA modification, percentage of cross-linking, swelling, modulus, and particle size. RESULTS The results demonstrated that commercial fillers exhibit a wide variety of properties. CONCLUSION Combining the objective factors that influence filler performance with clinical experience will provide the patient with the optimal product for achieving the best cosmetic result. A careful review of these gel characteristics is essential in determining filler selection, performance, and patient expectations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Natural minerals and industrial slag are used as the starting materials for the preparation of glass–ceramics. Based on the glass system of CaO–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2 (CMAS), the CaO/MgO ratio, the kind and content of nucleating agent, the processing schedule for nucleation and crystallization on the microstructure and properties of the glass–ceramics were investigated. Results show that a dense and homogeneous glass–ceramics with a crystal size of about 50–200nm was prepared using natural minerals only. The main phases of the glass–ceramics are wollastonite (β-CaSiO3) and diopside (CaMg(SiO3)2). With the decrease of CaO/MgO ratio, the crystallizing temperature of the glass becomes higher, and the content of diopside increases. When CaF2 was used as nucleating agent, it results in a large number of nucleus by the phase separation in the glass and benefits the fine-grained microstructure of the glass–ceramics. The best mechanical properties of the glass–ceramics were obtained under the processing schedules of nucleation at 840°C and crystallization at 960°C. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: Autoimmune thyroid disease (AIT), celiac disease, and Addison's disease are characterized by the presence of autoantibodies: thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) and thyroglobulin antibody (TGAb) in AIT, tissue transglutaminase antibody (TTGAb) in celiac disease, and 21-hydroxylase antibody (21-OHAb) in Addison's disease. The objective of this study was to define the prevalence of these autoantibodies and clinical disease in a population with type 1 diabetes.Research Design and Methods: We screened 814 individuals with type 1 diabetes for TPOAb, TGAb, TTGAb, and 21-OHAb. Clinical disease was defined by chart review. Factors related to the presence of autoimmunity and clinical disease including age at onset of type 1 diabetes, duration of diabetes, age at screening, sex, and the presence of autoantibodies were reviewed.Results: The most common autoantibodies expressed were TPOAb and/or TGAb (29%), followed by TTGAb (10.1%) and 21-OHAb (1.6%). Specific HLA DR/DQ genotypes were associated with the highest risk for expression of 21-OHAb (DRB1*0404-DQ8, DR3-DQ2) and TTGAb (DR3-DQ2- DR3-DQ2). The expression of thyroid autoantibodies was related to 21-OHAb but not to TTGAb. The presence of autoantibodies was associated with and predictive of disease.Conclusions: In this large cohort of individuals with type 1 diabetes, the expression of organ-specific autoantibodies was very high. The grouping of autoantibody expression suggests common factors contributing to the clustering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE -- Autoimmune thyroid disease (ALT), celiac disease, and Addison's disease are characterized by the presence of autoantibodies: thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) and thyroglobulin antibody (TGAb) in AIT, tissue transglutaminase antibody (TTGAb) in celiac disease, and 21-hydroxylase antibody (21-OHAb) in Addison's disease. The objective of this study was to define the prevalence of these autoantibodies and clinical disease in a population with type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS -- We screened 814 individuals with type 1 diabetes for TPOAb, TGAb, TTGAb, and 21-OHAb. Clinical disease was defined by chart review. Factors related to the presence of autoimmunity and clinical disease including age at onset of type 1 diabetes, duration of diabetes, age at screening, sex, and the presence of autoantibodies were reviewed. RESULTS -- The most common autoantibodies expressed were TPOAb and/or TGAb (29%), followed by TTGAb (10.1%) and 21-OHAb (1.6%). Specific HLA DR/DQ genotypes were associated with the highest risk for expression of 21-OHAb (DRB1(*)0404-DQ8, DR3-DQ2) and TTGAb (DR3-DQ2- DR3-DQ2). The expression of thyroid autoantibodies was related to 21-OHAb but not to TTGAb. The presence of autoantibodies was associated with and predictive of disease. CONCLUSIONS -- In this large cohort of individuals with type 1 diabetes, the expression of organ-specific autoantibodies was very high. The grouping of autoantibody expression suggests common factors contributing to the clustering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To the best of our knowledge, although the Chinese version of the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) is widely used in child psychiatry departments in China, there is very little evidence focusing on the psychometric characteristics of the Chinese version of YGTSS. In this present study, we aim to re-examine the structure of the Chinese version of YGTSS and investigate its reliability and validity. Methods: A total of 367 children and adolescents with tic disorders aged 5–16 years old participated in the study. The Cronbach's alpha, test-retest reliability and concurrent validity will be calculated. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) also will be performed to assess the structure of YGTSS. Results: The Cronbach's alpha of the motor tic subscale of YGTSS was 0.84, for the phonic tic subscale of YGTSS, it was 0.90, but for the whole scale, it was 0.58. The test-retest reliability of YGTSS was 0.84. For the results of CFA, the Comparative Fit Index (CFI) of YGTSS based on the Two-Factor Model and Three-Factor Model was 0.97 and 0.96 respectively. The measurement invariance analysis suggested that the Two-Factor model of YGTSS across different age and sex groups was at the accepted level (≥0.90). Conclusion: Overall, according to the results of this research, it suggested that the Chinese version of YGTSS showed good psychometric properties. It can be used in the assessment of tic disorders in the Chinese population. In the future, more comprehensive tools for assessing tics need to be further developed, which can cover the symptoms of premonitory urge and tic related obsessive-compulsive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of maternally transmitted immunoglobulins on the development of autoimmune diabetes mellitus in genetically susceptible human progeny remains unknown. Given the presence of islet β cell?reactive autoantibodies in prediabetic nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice, we abrogated the maternal transmission of such antibodies in order to assess their influence on the susceptibility of progeny to diabetes. First, we used B cell?deficient NOD mothers to eliminate the transmission of maternal immunoglobulins. In a complementary approach, we used immunoglobulin transgenic NOD mothers to exclude autoreactive specificities from the maternal B-cell repertoire. Finally, we implanted NOD embryos in pseudopregnant mothers of a non-autoimmune strain. The NOD progeny in all three groups were protected from spontaneous diabetes. These findings demonstrate that the maternal transmission of antibodies is a critical environmental parameter influencing the ontogeny of T cell-mediated destruction of islet β cells in NOD mice. It will be important to definitively determine whether the transmission of maternal autoantibodies in humans affects diabetes progression in susceptible offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: As diabetes is a risk factor for severe symptoms, hospitalization, and death with COVID-19 disease, we aimed to assess the prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies in children and adults with and without type 1 diabetes in Colorado during 2020. Research Design and Methods: We developed a highly sensitive and specific test for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and measured the antibodies in children and adults with new-onset (n = 129) and established type 1 diabetes (n = 94) seen for routine diabetes care at our center between January and October 2020. The antibodies were also measured in 562 children and 102 adults from the general population of Colorado. Results: The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in persons with new-onset type 1 diabetes (0.8%; 95% confidence interval 0.1%-4.2%) or those with established disease (4.3%; 1.7%-10.4%) did not differ from that in the general population children (2.8%; 1.8%-4.6%) or adults (3.9%; 1.5%-9.7%). In a subset of individuals with positive antibodies (n = 31), antibodies remained positive for up to 9 months, although the levels decreased starting 3 months after the infection (P = 0.007). Conclusions: From January to October 2020, the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were not different in children and adults with and without type 1 diabetes in Colorado. We found no evidence for increased prevalence of COVID-19 infections among youth with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes. (COMIRB Protocol 20-1007). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/Introduction: To investigate the differential effects of maternal versus paternal history of diabetes on the risks for diabetes and prediabetes, as well as on insulin secretion and resistance in Chinese individuals. Materials and Methods: From the 2007 to 2008 China National Diabetes and Metabolism Disorders Study, 39,244 participants were included and divided into four categories: negative parental history, paternal history only (PH), maternal history only (MH), and both paternal and maternal history. Results: The age‐ and sex‐standardized prevalence rates of diabetes in the negative parental history, PH, MH, and both paternal and maternal history groups were 8.59, 12.56, 15.86 and 29.81%, respectively. The prevalence rates of impaired glucose metabolism were 24.13, 25.41, 31.13 and 50.80%, with the prevalence in the MH group being significantly higher than that in the PH group. Compared with that in the FH0 group, the risks of diabetes in the PH, MH, and both paternal and maternal history groups were 2.01‐, 2.67‐ and 6.37‐fold greater, and the risks of impaired glucose metabolism were 1.28‐, 1.65‐ and 3.45‐fold greater. In addition, MH had a significantly greater impact on impaired glucose metabolism than PH (PMHvsPH = 0.0292). Regression analyses suggested MH was associated with homeostatic model assessment for β‐cell function (β[SE] = −0.0910[0.0334], P = 0.0065), insulinogenic index (−0.1866[0.0550], P = 0.0007), homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (0.0662[0.0227], P = 0.0036) and Matsuda Index [−0.0716(0.0203), P = 0.0004]. PH was specifically associated with homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (0.1343[0.0267], P < 0.0001) and Matsuda Index (−0.1566[0.0243], P < 0.0001), but the effects were stronger than those of MH (PMHvsPH = 0.0431, 0.0054). Conclusions: MH and PH differentially influence the risks for diabetes, insulin secretion, and insulin resistance in the Chinese population, suggesting they participate in the pathogenesis of diabetes through different mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The movement characteristics of heterogeneous crowds involving individuals with different types of disabilities are analyzed. • The movement characteristics of the mixed disabled group and the elderly are studied contrastively. • The fundamental diagram of the mixed disabled group on the corridors is derived. • The evacuation efficiency of the mixed disabled group is investigated. • Spatial distribution of the mixed disabled group in different density ranges is investigated. In this paper, the movement experiment of mixed disabled group including visual disabilities, hearing disabilities, physical disabilities, mental disabilities, intellectual disabilities and people without disabilities is conducted to analyze the movement characteristics in the corridor. The results show that mental and intellectual disabilities have a higher global velocity than the rest of the crowds. The density range of the mixed disabled group (0.48–2.25 m−2) is narrower than that of the elderly group (0.27–2.64 m−2) in the analysis of fundamental diagram. In the same density range, the differences in velocity and specific flow between two groups are 0.00 ± 0.09 m/s and 0.04 ± 0.11 (m∙s)-1, respectively; the specific flow of the mixed disabled group is increases by (3.84 ± 10.67) % compared to the elderly group. Further analysis shows that evacuation time of the mixed disabled group is inversely proportional to the exit width, the same relationship as for the elderly group, with the curve below that of the elderly group; the flow of the mixed disabled group is greater than that of the elderly group. The spatial distribution of nearest neighbor for the mixed disabled group presents an elliptical shape; with increasing density, the shape of the spatial distribution tends to be circular. For wheelchair users and other crowds, the area of the nearest neighbor spatial distribution decreases as the exit width decreases. However, the area of wheelchair users is larger than that of other crowds. The findings of this study are hoped to be a guide for pedestrian safety management and engineering egress design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous zinc-ion battery (AZIB) is expected to be an alternative energy storage device for lithium-ion batteries because of its advantages of high safety and low cost. However, a series of side reactions on cathodes and anodes caused by aqueous electrolytes still remain to be resolved. Using "solvent-free" solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) can fundamentally settle the above issues. Poly(ethylene carbonate) (PEC), possesses a higher amorphous phase and weaker binding of carbonate groups to Zn2+, is a promising polymer electrolytes. Here, a PEC-based solid electrolyte modified with succinonitrile (SN) is successfully developed, furthermore, in order to improve the interface contact between electrode and electrolyte, the polymer electrolyte is in-situ prepared directly between electrodes. The results indicate that, compared with traditional battery assembling processes, the in-situ method can significantly reduce the interface impedance, which is one tenth of ex-situ SPE. The optimal component's room temperature ionic conductivity is 5.183 × 10–5, the ion transport number is 0.61, and the zinc symmetric battery assembled with it has a stable and highly reversible dendrite-free plating/stripping curves at 0.1 mA cm–2. The all-solid-state in-situ battery assembled with MnO 2 and Zn metal can cycle 100 rounds at 0.1 A g–1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oleylamine selectively transfer Cu2+ ions from water to cyclohexane, and thereby to quench fluorescence of perovskite QDs. • Transfer of Cu2+ ions from water to cyclohexane was proved. • The fluorescence of the CsPbBr 3 quantum dots is only quenched by Cu2+ among thirteen metal ions. • The linear range, high selectivity, response time and quenching mechanism of the probe were studied. Perovskite quantum dots (QDs) have the sensing applications only in organic solution because of their instability in water. In this communication, we report an ingenious way to detect Cu2+ in aqueous solution based on the CsPbBr 3 (CPB) QDs. The idea is that adding strong organic ligand (oleylamine, OAm) to selectively transfer Cu2+ ions from water to cyclohexane to quench fluorescence of CPB QDs. Due to the strong interaction between the amine ligands and the metal ions, OAm in cyclohexane can capture Cu2+ from water to form OAm-Cu2+ complexes at the interface of cyclohexane/water. These Cu2+ complexes can rapidly diffuse into cyclohexane and finally quench PL of the CPB QDs. The linear range, high selectivity, response time and quenching mechanism of the probe were studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross-modal interaction (CMI) could significantly influence the perceptional or decision-making process in many circumstances. However, it remains poorly understood what integrative strategies are employed by the brain to deal with different task contexts. To explore it, we examined neural activities of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of rats performing cue-guided two-alternative forced-choice tasks. In a task requiring rats to discriminate stimuli based on auditory cue, the simultaneous presentation of an uninformative visual cue substantially strengthened mPFC neurons' capability of auditory discrimination mainly through enhancing the response to the preferred cue. Doing this also increased the number of neurons revealing a cue preference. If the task was changed slightly and a visual cue, like the auditory, denoted a specific behavioral direction, mPFC neurons frequently showed a different CMI pattern with an effect of cross-modal enhancement best evoked in information-congruent multisensory trials. In a choice free task, however, the majority of neurons failed to show a cross-modal enhancement effect and cue preference. These results indicate that CMI at the neuronal level is context-dependent in a way that differs from what has been shown in previous studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Autoimmunity Screening for Kids (ASK) study was launched to screen general population children for type 1 diabetes (T1D) and celiac disease (CD).Methods: A total of 23,319 children from general population were screened. A high throughput multiplex electrochemiluminescence (ECL) assay to screen multiautoantibodies in a single well was applied, parallel with a standard radiobinding assay (RBA). All children with any positive autoantibodies in screening were revisited within one month for confirmation and followed every 6 months.Results: Among 23,319 children, 2.6% (606/23,319) of children were tested positive for TGA. Multiplex ECL assay detected more TGA (584/23,319) in the initial screening than RBA (490/23,319, p = 0.004) and was able to detect TGA earlier than RBA in a subset of children by 0.8 to 34.8 months. Prevalence of TGA by either ECL or RBA in children with islet autoantibodies was found significantly higher than overall prevalence in general population screened.Conclusions: A multiplex ECL assay was more sensitive than standard RBA by identifying more TGA positivity and detecting TGA earlier in general population screening. It also provides a high efficient tool with its unique advantage of multiplexing measurements to screen for multiple autoimmune diseases simultaneously in general population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]