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ABSTRACT The biological conversion method using immobilized enzymes has become an important means to produce ginsenosides. Among them, the preprepared Zn‐Ni MOF could be used to immobilize glycosyltransferase by specific adsorption for ginsenoside Rh2 production. However, the low enzyme load of Zn‐Ni MOF limited its wide application. In this study, we successfully synthesized the Glu@Zn‐Ni MOF filled with nanospheres by modifying the previously prepared Zn‐Ni MOF with glutamic acid (Glu) through ligand exchange. This modification significantly increased the specific surface area of the Glu@Zn‐Ni MOF and enhanced the material's enzyme‐carrying capacity. After immobilizing glycosyltransferase (UGT) onto the Glu@Zn‐Ni MOF, the UGT@Glu@Zn‐Ni MOF demonstrated improved stability across different pH levels, temperatures, and repeated cycles. After seven cycles, the immobilized enzyme remained at 83.42% of its initial enzyme activity. To further enhance the process, we incorporated immobilized sucrose synthase into the system to form a coupled reaction. This approach not only reduced substrate costs but also increased the yield of ginsenoside Rh2. By optimizing the coupling reaction through adjustments to the reaction conditions and the addition of suitable surfactants and organic solvents, we achieved a yield of 5.41 μg/mL of Rh2. The development and optimization of this material hold significant potential and value for industrial applications in both material enhancement and ginsenoside synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This pooled cross-sectional study explores prescribing rates for glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors among US patients with type 1 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is a common chronic systemic autoimmune disorder which primarily affects the exocrine glands. Patients may have extraglandular disease involving multiple organs, including the kidneys. This study aimed at investigating the clinical data and laboratory markers which were associated with renal function damage or renal involvement. Method: One thousand two hundred eighty-eight adult pSS patients from the Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. And there were 334 patients of them followed up for more than two years for analyzing demographic, clinical data and laboratory markers. Statistical analysis was performed by R software (Version 3.6.2). Result: Nearly 95% of 1288 pSS patients were women, and the positive rates of anti-SSA (Sjögren's syndrome A) and anti-SSB were 63% and 27% respectively. 12% of the pSS patients presented renal involvement with eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2, and the mean age of hospital presentation, serum creatinine and urea were the highest (P < 0.001), and ANA (antinuclear antibody)-positive, anti-SSB-positive and anti-scl-70-positive were more prevalent in this group. Multivariate analyses showed that age, urea, chlorine and anti-SSA indicate a significant association with renal dysfunction. Potassium, sodium and Jo-1 were also confirmed to be related with decreased renal function. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis including the above factors showed a good performance on the evaluation of renal injury including eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and eGFR 60 -90 mL/min/1.73 m2 in pSS, with area under curve (AUC) values of 0.957 and 0.821, and high sensitivity (71.1% and 84.4%) and specificity (95.5% and 70.5%). After a more than two years follow-up of anti-SSA positive patients, 34.14% of them developed decreased renal function, and 13.58% of them experienced a progression of renal injury with a 23.64% decrease in eGFR. Conclusion: Age, urea, chlorine, and anti-SSA were highly associated with renal injury in pSS. Early screening for autoantibodies would be meaningful for evaluation and prevention of renal injury in pSS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Gastric cancer is a major health risk, and surgery is the primary curative option. However, the appropriate extent of lymph node dissection and appropriate surgical margins are two major issues that need to be addressed. Clinical tracers are an excellent solution. Therefore, we compiled a list of common clinical tracers for gastric cancer surgery to help surgeons better select and use them. The treatment of gastric cancer mainly depends on radical gastrectomy. Determination of appropriate surgical margins and adequate lymph node (LN) resection are two major surgical steps that directly correlate with prognosis in gastric cancer. Due to the expanding use of minimally invasive procedures, it is no longer possible to locate tumors and LNs through touch. As an alternative, tracers have begun to enter the field due to their capacities for intraoperative visualization. Herein, we summarize the application of contemporary tracers in gastric cancer surgery, including isosulfan blue, methylene blue, patent blue, indocyanine green, carbon particles, and radioactive tracers. Their mechanisms, administration methods, detection efficiency, and challenges, as well as perspectives on them, are also outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The clinical application of robotic-assisted gastrectomy remains controversial, especially as clinical studies of this operation navigated by carbon nanoparticle suspension injection (CNSI) have not been conducted. This study aims to assess the perioperative safety and efficacy of CNSI-guided robotic-assisted gastrectomy in patients with gastric cancer by focusing on short-term outcomes. Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients who underwent CNSI-guided laparoscopic or robotic-assisted gastrectomy with a pathological diagnosis of gastric cancer was conducted. Data on demographics, surgical management, clinical-pathological results and short-term outcomes were compared among the groups. Results: A total of 126 eligible patients were separated into the robotic-assisted gastrectomy (RAG) group (n = 16) and the laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG) group (n = 110) in total. The operation time of the RAG group is longer than the LG group (p = 0.0000). When it comes to perioperative and short-term complications, there exists no statistical difference between the two groups. Conclusion: The time required for CNSI-guided robotic-assisted gastrectomy is longer than that for CNSI-guided laparoscopic gastrectomy. CNSI-guided robotic-assisted gastrectomy is safe and effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. T-cell malignancies (TCMs), including T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) and T-cell lymphoma (TCL), are highly aggressive and have a poor prognosis. To further understand prognostic stratifications and to design targeted therapies, this study aims to explore novel, potential biomarkers based on alterations in immune costimulatory molecules (CMs) for TCMs. Methods. Peripheral blood from 25 de novo T-ALL patients in our clinical center and transcriptome data from 131 to 162 patients with peripheral TCL (PTCL) from the GSE19069 and GSE58445 dataset, respectively, were obtained to assess the expression levels of CMs and their prognostic significance. Results. Seven CMs were associated with overall survival (OS). Among these CMs, CD5 and CD6 had the highest pairwise positive correlation (R = 0.69). CD5 and CD6 were significantly down-regulated in TCM patients compared with healthy individuals (HIs), and lower CD5 and CD6 expression was associated with poor OS for both T-ALL and TCL patients, particularly for patients greater than 60 years old. Furthermore, CD5 was positively correlated with CD6 in TCM patients. Compared with patients who were CD5highCD6high, T-ALL and TCL patients who were CD5lowCD6low had poor OS. Importantly, CD5highCD6high was an independent prognostic predictor for OS in T-ALL (HR = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.23–0.65, P < 0.001) and TCL (HR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.19–0.62, P < 0.001) patients. Conclusions. Low expression of CD5 and CD6 was associated with poor OS for TCM patients, and this may be a potential immune biomarker panel for prognostic stratification of TCM patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nitrate radical (NO 3) and dinitrogen pentoxide (N 2 O 5) play an important role in the nocturnal atmosphere chemistry. Observations of NO 3 radicals and N 2 O 5 were performed in a semirural ground site at Tai'Zhou in polluted southern China using cavity ring down spectroscopy (CRDS) from 23 May to 15 June 2018. The observed NO 3 and N 2 O 5 concentrations were relatively low, with 1 min average value of 4.4 ± 2.2 and 26.0 ± 35.7 pptV, respectively. The N 2 O 5 uptake coefficient was determined to be from 0.027 to 0.107 based on steady state lifetime method. Fast N 2 O 5 hydrolysis was the largest contributor to the loss of NO 3 and contributed to substantial nitrate formation, with an average value of 14.83 ± 6.01 µg/m3. Further analysis shows that the N 2 O 5 heterogeneous reactions dominated the nocturnal NO x loss and the nocturnal NO x loss rate is 0.14 ± 0.02 over this region. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transcription factors (TFs) play critical roles in gene expression regulation and disease development. In this paper, we report an antibody free ELISA-like assay which could be used to analyze transcription factor NF-κB p50 with comparatively low cost and high throughput. This assay is based on the stabilization of a duplex DNA probe by binding with a transcription factor. The double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) probe immobilized on a 96-well plate was too short in length to stabilize its duplex structure at a relatively high temperature and would unwind into a single strand. In the presence of a target TF, the protein bound to a specific TF-binding site and prevented the specific dsDNA probe from being unzipped at the washing temperature, thus holding the chemiluminescence signal. This method could sensitively detect NF-κB p50 with a detection limit of 0.5 nM. The proposed strategy provides a convenient, cheap and high throughput detection method of TFs, which can potentially help the development of drug discovery and disease diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are relevant to air quality due to their roles in tropospheric ozone (O3) production. In China, NOx emissions are very high and NOx emissions exhausted from on-road vehicles make up 20 % of total NOx emissions. In order to detect the NO and NO2 emissions on road, a dual-channel cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) system for NO2 and NO detection has been developed. In the system, NO is converted to NO2 by its reaction with excess O3 in the NOx channel, such that NO can be determined through the difference between two channels. The detection limits of NO2 and NOx for the system are estimated to be about 0.030 (1σ , 1 s) and 0.040 ppb (1 σ , 1 s), respectively. Considering the error sources of NO2 absorption cross section and RL determination, the total uncertainty of NO2 measurements is about 5%. The performance of the system was validated against a chemiluminescence (CL) analyser (42i, Thermo Scientific, Inc.) by measuring the NO2 standard mixtures. The measurement results of NO2 showed a linear correction factor (R2) of 0.99 in a slope of 1.031±0.006 , with an offset of (-0.940±0.323) ppb. An intercomparison between the system and a cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy (CEAS) instrument was also conducted separately for NO2 measurement in an ambient environment. Least-squares analysis showed that the slope and intercept of the regression line are 1.042±0.002 and (-0.393±0.040) ppb, respectively, with a linear correlation factor of R2=0.99. Another intercomparison conducted between the system and the CL analyser for NO detection also showed a good agreement within their uncertainties, with an absolute shift of (0.352±0.013) ppb, a slope of 0.957±0.007 and a correlation coefficient of R2=0.99. The system was deployed on the measurements of on-road vehicle emission plumes in Hefei, and the different emission characteristics were observed in the different areas of the city. The successful deployment of the system has demonstrated that the instrument can provide a new method for retrieving fast variations in NO and NO2 plumes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The conventional diffuser performance is constrained by the optimal contraction ratio and the start-up contraction ratio. In order to balance the start-up performance and operating performance, the diffuser can be designed to be adjustable. Existing adjustable diffuser configurations have different drawbacks and most of them lack experimental verification. Therefore, a new parallel dual-channel diffuser scheme is proposed. The diffuser operates at Ma 4 and uses simple transmission devices to achieve an adjustment in the contraction ratio. The performances of the dual-channel mode, single-channel mode and the mode conversion are tested experimentally. The diffuser exhibits good starting and anti-backpressure capabilities. The unsteady numerical results show that the increase in the anti-backpressure capability of the diffuser is mainly due to the increase in the number of oblique shock waves in the main channel and the backward movement of the leading shock. Highlights • A new adjustable supersonic diffuser with parallel dual channels was designed. • The diffuser greatly reduces the contraction ratio required for start-up. • The diffuser's ability to resist back pressure is improved after the adjustments. • The diffuser's performance depends on the shock trains' positions and shapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Design, synthesis and evaluation of d -amino acid-containing peptidomimetics targeting the polo-box domain of polo-like kinase 1. Highlights • A series of d -amino modified peptidomimetics targeting the Plk1 PBD was identified. • Optimized compound showed potent Plk1 PBD binding affinity and high selectivity. • The optimized compound 18 showed improved plasma stability compared to l -peptide inhibitor LHSpTA. Abstract A series of d -amino acid-containing peptidomimetics were designed, synthesized as novel polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) polo-box domain (PBD) inhibitors based on the reported peptide Plk1 PBD inhibitor. Their inhibitory activity to Plk1, Plk2, and Plk3 PBD were evaluated using our fluorescence polarization (FP) assay. Compound 18 bound to Plk1 PBD with IC 50 of 0.80 μM and showed nearly no inhibition to Plk2 PBD or Plk3 PBD at 100 μM. Compound 18 induced Hela cells to undergo apoptosis by increasing the ratio of the cells at the G2/M phase by decreasing the neosynthesized proteins in a dose-dependent manner from 50 to 150 μM. Compound 18 showed improved stability in rat plasma compared to l -peptide inhibitor LHSpTA. These novel d -amino acid modified selective Plk1 PBD inhibitors may provide new lead compounds for further optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphic abstract Highlights • A series of non-peptide inhibitors targeting the Plk1 PBD was identified. • Optimized compound showed moderate Plk1 PBD binding affinity and high selectivity. • Molecular docking study was performed and possible binding mode was proposed. Abstract A series of non-peptide inhibitors targeting the polo-box domain (PBD) of polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) was designed based on the potent and selective minimal tripeptide Plk1 PBD inhibitor. Seven compounds were designed, synthesized and evaluated for fluorescence polarization (FP) assay. The most promising compound 10 bound to Plk1 PBD with IC 50 of 3.37 μM and had no binding to Plk2 PBD or Plk3 PBD at 100 μM. Molecular docking study was performed and possible binding mode was proposed. MM/GBSA binding free energy calculation were in agreement with the observed experimental results. These novel non-peptide selective Plk1 PBD inhibitors provided new lead compounds for further optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dinitrogen pentoxide (N 2 O 5 ) is one of the basic trace gases which plays a key role in nighttime atmosphere. An intercomparison and validation of different N 2 O 5 measurement methods is important for determining the true accuracy of these methods. Cavity ring down spectroscopy (CRDS) and cavity enhanced absorption spectrometer (CEAS) were used to measure N 2 O 5 at the campus of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) from February 21, 2016 to March 4, 2016. The detection limits were 1.6 ppt (1σ) at 30 s intervals for the CEAS instrument and 3.9 ppt (1σ) at 10 s time resolution for the CRDS instrument respectively. In this study, a comparison of the 1 min observations from the two instruments was presented. The two data sets showed a good agreement within their uncertainties, with an absolute shift of 15.6 ppt, slope of 0.94 and a correlation coefficient R 2 = 0.97. In general, the difference between the CRDS and CEAS instruments for N 2 O 5 measurement can be explained by their combined measurement uncertainties. However, high relative humidity (> 60%) and high PM2.5 concentration (> 200 μg/m 3 ) may contribute to the discrepancies. The excellent agreement between the measurement by the CRDS and CEAS instruments demonstrates the capability of the two instruments for accurately measuring N 2 O 5 with high sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with the existence of positive periodic solutions for the prescribed mean curvature Rayleigh equations with a singularity. Our results are based on the Manásevich-Mawhin continuation theorem. The results to be obtained here extend the existing ones in the literature. Moreover, an example is given to illustrate the applicability of our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the positive periodic solutions of a kind of p-Laplacian neutral differential equation with a singularity. By applying the continuation theorem and some analytic techniques, we shall establish several new criteria for the existence of positive periodic solutions for the considered problem. Some recent results in the literature are generalized and improved. Three examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Traditionally, testing for syphilis has consisted of initial screening with a non-treponemal test, then retesting reactive specimens with a treponemal test. Recent availability of a chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay for detecting antibodies against Treponema pallidum has led several laboratories in China to adopt chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay for screening of syphilis, with subsequent testing of reactive serum samples with non-treponemal tests. We evaluated the utility of chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay for routine screening of syphilis.Methods: Antibodies against Treponema pallidum were screened in 20,550 serum samples using chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. Chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay-positive samples were reflexively tested with rapid plasma reagin tests and Treponema pallidum particle agglutination assays. Dot-immunoblot assays were used to confirm results of chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay-positive and Treponema pallidum particle agglutination-negative serum samples.Results: Overall, 267 samples (1.3%) were chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay-positive, and 185 (69.3%) of those chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay-positive serum samples were also Treponema pallidum particle agglutination-positive. Samples' signal to cut-off ratio for chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay correlated with diagnostic reliability, as greater samples' signal to cut-off ratio corresponded with greater concordance between chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay and Treponema pallidum particle agglutination results. Dot-immunoblot testing of 82 chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay-positive and Treponema pallidum particle agglutination-negative serum samples showed that 16 samples (19.5%) were Dot-immunoblot-positive, 28 (34.2%) were indeterminate and 38 (46.3%) were negative.Conclusions: Because there is a certain percentage of false-positive results using chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay for routine screening of syphilis, further analysis by Treponema pallidum particle agglutination is recommended to confirm diagnostic results. While in screening populations discrepancies between chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay and Treponema pallidum particle agglutination results are quite prevalent, confirmation by immunoblot assay may be useful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to prospectively evaluate the safety and the efficacy of percutaneous radio-frequency ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma adjacent to the gastrointestinal tract. Materials and methods: From April 2012 to November 2015, 141 hepatocellular carcinoma nodules that underwent ultrasound-guided percutaneous radio-frequency ablation were included. A total of 52 lesions were located less than 5 mm from the gastrointestinal tract in the study group, and 89 lesions were located more than 5 mm from hepatic surface in the control group. Ethanol (2.5–9.6 mL) was injected into marginal tissue of tumour in five lesions of the study group. During the ablation, the temperature of marginal ablation tissue proximal to the gastrointestinal tract was monitored and controlled at 45–56 °C for more than 10 min in the study group. We compared the results of ablation between the two groups. Results: In total 48 of 52 tumours (92.3%) in the study group and 84 of 89 tumours (94.4%) in the control group achieved complete ablation (P = 0.63). Local tumour progression was found in eight tumours (15.4%) in the study group and 11 tumours (12.4%) in the control group during follow-up (P = 0.61). There were neither immediate nor peri-procedural major complications in both groups, grade I (Clavien–Dindo classification). One case developed biloma at 5-month follow-up in the study group, Clavien–Dindo gradeIII. Conclusions: Percutaneous radio-frequency ablation is safe and achieves a high complete ablation rate for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma adjacent to the gastrointestinal tract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the safety and efficacy of ultrasound (US) - guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for primary hepatic carcinoma adjacent to the diaphragm. Methods This study included 277 patients with 362 lesions of primary hepatic carcinoma managed with US - guided percutaneous RFA in 302 Hospital of PLA from January 2011 to October 2014. Sixty - six patients with 71 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) located less than 5 mm from the diaphragm were in study group, and 95 patients with 114 HCCs located more than 10 mm from the hepatic surface were in control group. The patients' symptoms and complications were observed after the therapy. The complete ablation rate, local tumor progression rate, and complication rate were compared between the two groups. Comparison of continuous data between the two groups was made by independent - samples t test, while comparison of categorical data was made by chi - square test. Results At one month after operation, 65 (91.5%) of 71 tumors in the study group and 107 (93.9%) of 114 tumors in the control group achieved complete ablation, according to contrast - enhanced CT and MRI, a d there was no significant difference between the two groups (χ² = 0.36, P = 0.55). The postoperative follow - up showed that the local tumor progression rates in the study group and control group were 16.9% and 13.2%, respectively, without significant diference between the two groups (χ² = 0.49, P = 0.48). In the study group, 22 patients developed adverse reactions, versus 37 patients in the control group (χ² = 2.60, P = 0.11). Conclusion US - guided percutaneous RFA is a safe and effective means for the treatment of primary hepatic carcinoma addacent to the diaphragm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• New algorithm of hybrid inference for line spectral estimation in multi-snapshot context. • Computationally efficient, only cubic complexity per iteration. • Comprehensively effective, approaching the Cramer-Rao bound. This paper studies line spectral estimation, a classical signal processing problem, under the new assumption of lower-resolution quantization and multiple snapshots. We take a Bayesian standpoint to reformulate the problem as regression in the generalized bilinear model, where the two matrices to estimate are stochastic and structurally correlated. We then propose a hybrid inference method that matches the BiG-AMP [1, 2], a high efficient bilinear regressor, with belief propagation [3], the classical sum-product message passing algorithm. To estimate the model order, we further incorporate the hybrid method into the expectation-maximization [4] framework. The algorithm obtained is then verified via extensive Monte Carlo simulations, in which the proposed algorithm comprehensively outperforms the two state-of-the-art methods, MVALSE [5] and MVALSE-EP [6], while keeping its computational complexity at a relatively low level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: The primary infection of Toxoplasma gondii (TOX), rubella virus (RV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), or herpes simplex virus (HSV), abbreviated as TORCH, remains a major problem in the pregnant women in China today. Methods: We analyzed the performance of a novel chemiluminesent immunoassay (CLIA) for anti-TORCH IgM and IgG detection then analyzed the prevalence of TORCH infection among 4692 women at childbearing age in Beijing, China. Results: The functional sensitivity of detecting anti-TOX IgM, anti-RV IgM, anti-CMV IgM and anti-HSV (types 1 and 2) IgM were 1.4, 3.2, 1.0 AU/ml and 0.5 index, respectively. The within-assay and the total CVs were both <10%, and recoveries of these assays ranged from 90–110%. High concentration of hemoglobin, lipids and bilirubin in sample did not affect the results. The infective rate of TORCH was 17.2%, with the highest positive rate of anti-HSV IgM. Within anti-TORCH IgG, anti-CMV IgG had the highest infective rate, 92.5%. Conclusions: The infective rate of TORCH was fairly high among women before pregnancy or in the early period of pregnancy in Beijing. Entirely new approaches to prevention and treatment of congenital TORCH infection are necessary. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: Infectious mononucleosis is the common clinical manifestation of primary Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in young children. We evaluated a chemiluminescent immunoassay method for the determination of serum anti-viral capsid antigen IgM antibody and its clinical value in the diagnosis of infectious mononucleosis. Methods: Concentrations of the antibody in serum samples from 187 children measured by chemiluminescent immunoassay were compared with those measured by ELISA. Results: Assessment of technologic quality (methodology) in diagnostic tests demonstrated that sensitivity of CLIA was 0.64 U/ml and the functional sensitivity was &#60;0.9 U/ml. The within-assay and the between-assay imprecisions of different concentrations were all &#60;5%. Recoveries were all in 93–107%. The linear regression equation between expected values and measured values was y=0.0967+1.0093x, correlation coefficient was 0.9996 (p&#60;0.0001). The ROC curve showed that the sensitivity and specificity of the CLIA both were >90%. The area under the curve was 0.992, which was significantly higher than that of ELISA (p&#60;0.05). Conclusion: The CLIA was the excellent method for EBV-VCA IgM measurement at present and can improve the clinical diagnosis of infectious mononucleosis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Hormonal homeostasis is essential in bone remodeling. Recent studies have shown that the treatment of intestinal inflammation can result in the regulation of bone resorption in distant bones. Increased intestinal permeability may lead to systemic inflammation and bone loss, also known as gut-bone axis. However, the underlying mechanism remains to be elucidated. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a component of gram-negative bacteria that can increase osteoclastic differentiation in vitro. Acyloxyacyl hydrolase (AOAH) is a specific degrading enzyme of LPS, but little is known about the role of AOAH in bone metabolism. In this study, adult Aoah−/− mice showed a chronic inflammatory state and osteopenic phenotype analyzed by micro-CT and HE staining. Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining of femurs showed an increase in TRAP-positive cells from Aoah−/− mice. AOAH depletion enhanced the osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption capacity of bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs). The enhanced osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption capacity of Aoah−/− BMMs were reversed by rAOAH. In conclusion, the chronic inflammatory state of adult Aoah−/− mice promotes bone resorption. AOAH participates in bone metabolism, which is mainly mediated by inhibiting osteoclast differentiation. LPS may be a key mediator of the gut-bone axis, and targeting AOAH may represent a feasible strategy for the treatment of chronic inflammatory bone resorption. Key messages: AOAH knockout mice exhibited chronic inflammation mediated by LPS, and LPS may also serve as an important mediator in the regulation of bone metabolism in the gut-bone axis. AOAH regulated bone resorption by blocking the osteoclast differentiation via classical ERK and JNK pathways. rAOAH could rescue the enhanced osteoclast differentiation caused by AOAH deficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water intoxication is rarely seen in forensic practice and is typically associated with excessive water consumption, amphetamine intake, and child abuse. Iatrogenic water intoxication is rare but usually related to medical disputes. Here, we report a 44-year-old female was admitted to the hospital due to a 3-month history of excessive menstrual bleeding. B-ultrasound revealed multiple substantial intrauterine masses, leading to a diagnosis of multiple uterine fibroids. After admission, she underwent submucous myomectomy, endometrial resection, and transcervical resection of endometrial polyps. During the procedure, the patient suffered dizziness and chest tightness, her blood pressure decreased to 89/52 mmHg, and moist rales were heard in her both lungs; she died despite medical efforts. A forensic autopsy was performed and revealed severe pulmonary edema. Considering the patient's clinical history, acute water intoxication was considered to be the cause of death. This highlights the need for forensic pathologists to be vigilant of postoperative water intoxication, a rare complication in obstetrics, to ensure accurate assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferroelectric ceramics are highly desired for applications in energy storage devices due to their fast charge-discharge capability. However, electric field-driven gradual degradation of ferroelectric polarization (i.e., fatigue) inevitably results in a decrease in energy efficiency and energy storage density. Therefore, improving fatigue endurance is one challenge for their practical applications in energy storage devices. Here, we provide a strategy to modulate the strain response to the external electric field, and thus, increase the fatigue endurance by employing hybrid improper ferroelectricc Ca3Ti2O7 ceramic that exhibits a negative piezoelectric effect. We synthesized (1 − x) BaTiO 3 − x Ca3Ti2O7 (BT-xCT) ceramics, in which the strain response of ceramics to the electric field gradually decreases with the increasing proportion of Ca3Ti2O7. For BT-0.3CT ceramic, the energy density storage efficiency is improved to 74.95% which is much higher than that of BT-0.1CT (48.07%). The strain response to the external electric field of BT-0.3CT is substantially lowered and almost reaches zero, leading to excellent fatigue endurance ability. This research work paves a route for designing ferroelectric ceramics with smaller strain response and enhanced fatigue endurance ability, which is expected to benefit a wide range of applications of ferroelectric ceramics in various electric capacitors and electric storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A series of unnatural amino acid modified peptidomimetics targeting the Plk1 PBD were identified. • There are only two natural amino acid residues in the optimized compound 9. • Optimized compound 9 showed potent Plk1 PBD binding affinity and high selectivity. A series of new peptidomimetics targeting the polo-box domain (PBD) of polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) was identified based on the potent and selective pentapeptide Plk1 PBD inhibitor PLHSpT. Unnatural amino acid residues were introduced to the newly designed compound and the N -terminal substituent of the peptidomimetic was investigated. The optimized compound 9 inhibited the Plk1 PBD with IC 50 of 0.267 μM and showed almost no inhibition to Plk2 PBD or Plk3 PBD at 100 μM. Biolayer interferometry studies demonstrated that compound 9 showed potent binding affinity to Plk1 with a K d value of 0.164 μM, while no K d were detected against Plk2 and Plk3. Compound 9 showed improved stability in rat plasma compared to PLHSpT. Binding mode analysis was performed and in agreement with the observed experimental results. There are only two natural amino acids remained in the chemical structure of 9. This study may provide new information for further research on Plk1 PBD inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NOx (=NO+NO2) are relevant to air quality due to their role in tropospheric ozone (O3) production. In China, NOx emissions are relatively high and exhausted from on-road vehicles makes up 20% of total NOx emissions. Too much NOx are harmful to the human body and animals. In order to detect the NO and NO2 emissions on road, a dual-channel CRDS system for NO2 and NO detection is reported. The detection limits of the developed CRDS system for NO2 and NOx measurements are estimated to be about 0.035 ppb (1σ, 1 s) and 0.039 ppb (1σ, 1 s), respectively. Considering the error sources of NO2 absorption cross section and RL determination, the total uncertainty of NO2 measurements is about 5%. The performance of the system was validated against other instruments. The good agreement between these experiments show the CRDS method is capable of measuring species with high sensitivity and accuracy. The measurements of on-road vehicle emission plumes by this mobile CRDS instrument show the different emission characteristics in the urban and suburban areas of Hefei. The instrument provides a new method for retrieving fast variations of NO and NO2 plumes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the mutual compensation of offshore wind energy and wave energy, a hybrid wind–wave power generation system can provide a highly cost-effective solution to the increasing demands for offshore power. To provide comprehensive guidance for future research, this study reviews the energy conversion and coupling technologies of existing hybrid Wind–wave power generation systems which have not been reported in previous publications. The working principles of various wind and wave energy conversion technologies are summarised in detail. In addition, existing energy coupling technologies are specifically classified and described. All aforementioned technologies are comprehensively compared and discussed. Technological gaps are highlighted, and future development forecasts are proposed. It is found that the integration of hydraulic wind turbines and oscillating wave energy converters is the most promising choice for hybrid wind–wave power extraction. DC and hydraulic coupling are expected to become mainstream energy coupling schemes in the future. Currently, the main technological gaps include short their operating life, low energy production, limited economic viability, and the scarcity of theoretical research and experimental tests. The field offers significant opportunities for expansion and innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumors (PH-NETs) are extremely rare and unknown. Because of its rarity, its prognosis features and influencing factors are not well established.Methods: Data of 140 patients with PH-NETs diagnosed in the SEER database from 1975 to 2016 were collected. The demographics and clinic-pathological features were described. By using propensity-score matching (PSM) analysis, three associated cohorts were selected to describe the malignancy of PH-NETs and univariate analysis was conducted. Then, multivariate Cox analyses were performed and a predicting nomograph was constructed. C-index, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and calibration curves were used to evaluate the predictive value of nomogram.Results: The overall survival outcomes of PH-NETs were superior to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with a mean survival time 30.64 vs 25.11 months (p = 0.052), but inferior to gastrointestinal tract neuroendocrine tumors in situ (GI-NETs in situ) with a mean survival time 30.64 vs 41.62 months (p = 0.017). With reference to gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors with liver metastasis (GI-NETs-LM), GI-NETs-LM had better outcomes in short time (1-year survival rate: 64.75% vs 56.43%) but was worse in long time (5-year survival rate: 8. 63% vs 18.57%). Multivariate Cox analyses showed that tumor grade and surgery were two independent factors for prognosis of the patients (p < 0.00). Tumor grade and surgery were used to construct the predicting nomogram. The C-index was 0.79 (95%CI = 0.75-0.83). The area under curve (AUC) values in ROC were 0.868 in 1-year and 0.917 in 3-year survival and the calibration curves showed good consistency.Conclusions: The overall prognosis PH-NETs is generally favorable, better than HCC and GI-NETs-LM in long term. Preoperative biopsy and complete pathological diagnosis were recommended. Radical surgical intervention including transplantation was the first choice in PH-NETs therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For tumor treatment, the ultimate goal in tumor therapy is to eliminate the primary tumor, manage potential metastases, and trigger an antitumor immune response, resulting in the complete clearance of all malignant cells. Tumor microenvironment (TME) refers to the local biological environment of solid tumors and has increasingly become an attractive target for cancer therapy. Neutrophils within TME of gastric cancer (GC) spontaneously undergo ferroptosis, and this process releases oxidized lipids that limit T cell activity. Enhanced photodynamic therapy (PDT) mediated by di‐iodinated IR780 (Icy7) significantly increases the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Meanwhile, neutrophil ferroptosis can be triggered by increased ROS generation in the TME. In this study, a liposome encapsulating both ferroptosis inhibitor Liproxstatin‐1 and modified photosensitizer Icy7, denoted LLI, significantly inhibits tumor growth of GC. LLI internalizes into MFC cells to generate ROS causing immunogenic cell death (ICD). Simultaneously, liposome‐deliver Liproxstatin‐1 effectively inhibits the ferroptosis of tumor neutrophils. LLI‐based immunogenic PDT and neutrophil‐targeting immunotherapy synergistically boost the anti‐PD‐1 treatment to elicit potent TME and systemic antitumor immune response with abscopal effects. In conclusion, LLI holds great potential for GC immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is predominantly caused by mutations in sarcomeric genes. However, a subset of cases is attributed to genetic disorders unrelated to sarcomeric genes, such as Noonan syndrome (NS) and other RASopathies. In this study, we present a family with a history of sudden cardiac death (SCD) and focus on two adults with syndromic left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Methods: Clinical evaluations, including echocardiography, were conducted to assess cardiac manifestations. Whole‐exome sequencing was performed to identify potential genetic variants underlying syndromic LVH in the study participants. Results: Whole‐exome sequencing revealed a missense variant in the RAF1 gene, c.782C>T (p.Pro261Leu). This variant confirmed the diagnosis of NS in the affected individuals. Conclusion: The findings of this study underscore the importance of family history investigation and genetic testing in diagnosing syndromic LVH. By identifying the underlying genetic cause, clinicians can better understand the etiology of RAS‐HCM and its association with SCD in young adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monolayer g-C3N4-modified Au/Ag nanorods (g-C3N4/Au/Ag NRs) array is fabricated as a dual-function platform with high surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) response and excellent photocatalytic degradation ability for bisphenol A (BPA) residues. FDTD simulation results of Au/Ag NRs proves that the electromagnetic field intensity is significantly enhanced at the gap of Ag NRs and Au NPs and the protrusion of Au NPs, which endows the arrays with excellent SERS activity. The arrays exhibit high sensitivity for rhodamine 6G (R6G) (LOD = 1.1 × 10-11 mol/L) and high SERS enhancement (EF = 9.2 × 107). In addition, the g-C3N4/Au/Ag NRs could degrade ˃90% of BPA adsorbed on the substrate surface within 140 min under visible light irradiation, and maintains its SERS activity after repeated use for 4 times. The dual-function platform with high SERS response and excellent recycling capability is proved to be reliable and is very promising for monitoring of BPA residues in food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lymph node (LN) metastasis is the most common metastasis route in gastric cancer. Extensive dissection of LNs can significantly improve the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer. Recently, multiple clinical studies have demonstrated that either indocyanine green (ICG) or carbon nanoparticles (CNs) can assist to promote the dissection of LNs during laparoscopic radical gastrectomy. Considering the pros and cons of the two tracers, this study proposed a novel method of dual tracer (ICG combined with CNs) for lymphatic tracing in laparoscopic gastric cancer surgery. Methods: This trial is a prospective, randomized controlled trial (RCT) with an estimation of 516 participants that randomize into 4 groups (1:1:1:1), namely control group, ICG group, CNs group, and dual tracer group. The primary outcome is the number of dissected LNs. The secondary outcomes include positive rate, false positive rate, negative rate, false negative rate, number of metastatic LNs, relationship between LN metastasis and tracer stained, operation duration, blood loss, incision length, morbidity and mortality rate, 3-year DFS (disease free survival), PFS (progression-free survival), and OS (overall survival). Discussion: This study will investigate the efficacy and safety of a novel strategy using dual tracers for laparoscopic gastrectomy. The protocol has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital (2021-361-02). The trial findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2100051309). Registered 18 September 2021, https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=133764. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Balanced bone resorption and bone formation are vital for bone homeostasis. Excessive osteoclastic bone resorption in this process can cause a variety of bone disorders including osteoporosis, aseptic prosthetic loosening and tumor associated bone destruction. Bulleyaconitine A (BLA) is a natural compound that has been widely used for pain treatment but its role in osteolysis has not yet been investigated. In this study, we verified for the first time that BLA inhibited osteoclast formation, the mRNA expression of osteoclast‐related genes and osteoclastic bone resorption by inhibiting NF‐κB signal pathway and downstream NFATc1 expression. Meanwhile, BLA had a stimulatory effect in osteoblast differentiation and mineralization. Furthermore, BLA showed preventive effect in Ti particle‐induced osteolysis model in vivo. Together, all our data demonstrated that BLA suppressed osteoclastogenesis and promoted osteoblastogenesis via suppressing NF‐κB signal pathway and could be an alternative therapeutic choice against bone loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider the following p-Kirchhoff equation: with Dirichlet boundary conditions, where Ω is a bounded domain in $\mathbb{R}^{N}$ . Under proper assumptions on M and f, we obtain three existence theorems of infinitely many solutions for problem (P) by the fountain theorem. Moreover, for a special nonlinearity $f(x,u)=\lambda |u|^{q-2}u+|u|^{r-2}u$ ( $1< q< p< r< p^{*}$ ), we prove that problem (P) has at least two nonnegative solutions via the Nehari manifold method and a sequence of solutions with negative energy by the dual fountain theorem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quasi‐2D Ruddlesden–Popper layered perovskites with single‐phase multiferroicity have attracted much attention in recent magnetoelectric memory applications. We have systematically investigated the optical and magnetic properties of Ru‐doped hybrid improper perovskite Ca3Mn2O7 both experimentally and using first‐principles calculations. The Ca3RuxMn2−xO7 (x = 0, 0.02, 0.06, 0.10) powders were successfully synthesized using the sol–gel method. Ru doping enhanced the ferromagnetism of Ca3Mn2O7. The quasi‐2D antiferromagnetic (AFM) fluctuation effect was observed in Ca3Mn2O7 and in certain doped samples. We also found that the optical bandgaps of the doped samples were reduced after doping, agreeing with the results of the first‐principles calculations. Infrared absorption spectra indicated the distortion of the Mn–O bonds was possibly due to the Jahn–Teller effect. To analyze the electronic structures and to understand the detailed atomic contributions of magnetic moments, the Crystal Orbital Hamilton Population (COHP) and Integrated COHP of the (Mn,Ru)O6 octahedra were also calculated. The Ru‐doped materials with the coexistence of ferromagnetic and AFM orderings are expected to be excellent candidates for magnetoelectric devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Experiment is conducted on an additive manufactured plate-fin precooler. • The temperature of hot fluid reaches up to 1300 K while pressure drop to 15 kPa. • A pressure recovery coefficient of 97% and a temperature drop of 40% are achieved. • Precooler's performance depends more on the hot fluid than on the cooling fluid. This paper introduces an original plate-fin precooler designed for potential applications in extreme low-pressure environments. Utilizing additive manufacturing technology, the heat transfer plate thickness is constrained to 2.0 mm, with channel widths inside the plate achieving 0.8 mm. Through experimental methods, this study aims to assess the precooler's performance and identify critical influencing factors. Experimental results indicate that the hot fluid inlet temperature to the precooler exceeds 1100 K, with static pressures dropping below 30 kPa. Despite these conditions, the precooler demonstrates an impressive pressure recovery coefficient exceeding 97 % and achieves a maximum temperature drop of 731.4 K for the hot fluid. Furthermore, it is observed that the overall performance of the precooler diminishes with increasing mass flow rates of the hot fluid, showing fluctuations of up to 25 % when assessed by the j/f 1/3 factor. Additionally, while the hot fluid inlet velocity exceeds 90 m/s, laminar flow predominates during the heat transfer process. Moreover, regardless of whether the cooling fluid experiences a phase change within the precooler, its heat transfer performance show priority than that of the hot fluid. Thus, changes in the mass flow rate of the cooling fluid have minimal impact on the overall precooler performance. Finally, the first-stage heat exchanger plays a critical role in the heat transfer process, accounting for over 2/3 of the total temperature and pressure drop for the hot fluid. This research is expected to contribute to the design of high-efficiency, low-resistance precoolers, particularly those applied for operation under negative pressure conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aero-thermal analysis of hypersonic vehicles is of fundamental interest for structural design and material selection. Therefore, we investigated the aerodynamic heating characteristics of a blunt cone made from stainless steel in a combustion-heated hypersonic wind tunnel with a free stream of Mach 6. During ground testing, the temperature rise of the model from room temperature to thermal equilibrium under the influence of hypersonic flow was measured with thermocouples, and the equilibrium temperature of the blunt section was 1130–1150 K. In addition, the transient thermal response of the model to the aerothermodynamic load was simulated by fluid-thermal coupled analysis and compared with the measurement data. The obtained results correspond well to typical thermocouple data, and the temperature predicts the measurement with an accuracy on the order of 8.8%. On this foundation, some factors affecting the radiation equilibrium temperature of the blunt cone are also discussed. The analysis indicates that emissivity has an important influence, while turbulence intensity at the nozzle inlet has minimal impact. • The effective experimental time reached 350 s, and the radiation equilibrium temperature of the cone section is obtained in 225 s. • Under the experimental conditions of Mach 6 and total temperature of 1712 K, the radiation equilibrium temperature of the cone section is 1130–1150 K. • The fluid-thermal coupling analysis method can effectively predict the thermal response process of the model. • The radiation equilibrium temperature in the blunt section is not sensitive to the change of the total temperature of the gas flow. • Surface emissivity has a great influence on the radiation equilibrium temperature, while the turbulence intensity gives the minimal impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NO3, NO2, O3, and relevant parameters were measured at a rural site on the North China Plain during June 2014. During the campaign, the average concentrations of NO3 and N2O5 were 4.8 ± 3.3 pptv and 30.5 ± 35.4 pptv, respectively. The average NO3 production rate was 1.03 ± 0.48 ppbvh−1, and the steady-state lifetimes of NO3 and N2O5 were 26 s and 162 s, respectively, indicating that the NOx chemistry in the rural site during summer was active. The uptake coefficient range of N2O5 was 0.023 to 0.118, with an average value of 0.062 ± 0.035. Meanwhile, the fitting for kNO3 was 0.013 ± 0.016 s−1, corresponding to the shorter NO3 lifetime below 1 min. The results show that the indirect loss pathways caused by the heterogonous uptake of N2O5 contributed 64–90% of the overall NO3 loss, with an average of 81%, suggesting that the N2O5 heterogeneous reaction dominated the nocturnal NOx loss over this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The long-term clinical status of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in recovered patients remains largely unknown. This prospective cohort study evaluated clinical status of COVID-19 and explored the associated risk factors. Methods: At the outpatient visit, patients underwent routine blood tests, physical examinations, pulmonary function tests, 6-min walk test, high-resolution computed tomography (CT) of the chest, and extrapulmonary organ function tests. Results: 230 patients were analyzed. Half (52.7%) reported at least one symptom, most commonly fatigue (20.3%) and sleep difficulties (15.8%). Anxiety (8.2%), depression (11.3%), post-traumatic symptoms (10.3%), and sleep disorders (26.3%) were also reported. Diffusion impairments were found in 35.4% of the patients. Abnormal chest CT scans were present in 63.5% of the patients, mainly reticulation and ground-glass opacities. Further, a persistent decline in kidney function was observed after discharge. SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies of IgA, IgG, and IgM were positive in 56.4%, 96.3%, and 15.2% of patients, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression showed that disease severity, age, and sex were closely related to patient recovery. Conclusions: One year after hospital discharge, patients recovered from COVID-19 continued to experience both pulmonary and extrapulmonary dysfunction. While paying attention to pulmonary manifestations of COVID-19, follow-up studies on extrapulmonary manifestations should be strengthened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The long-term clinical status of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in recovered patients remains largely unknown. This prospective cohort study evaluated clinical status of COVID-19 and explored the associated risk factors. Methods: At the outpatient visit, patients underwent routine blood tests, physical examinations, pulmonary function tests, 6-min walk test, high-resolution computed tomography (CT) of the chest, and extrapulmonary organ function tests. Results: 230 patients were analyzed. Half (52.7%) reported at least one symptom, most commonly fatigue (20.3%) and sleep difficulties (15.8%). Anxiety (8.2%), depression (11.3%), post-traumatic symptoms (10.3%), and sleep disorders (26.3%) were also reported. Diffusion impairments were found in 35.4% of the patients. Abnormal chest CT scans were present in 63.5% of the patients, mainly reticulation and ground-glass opacities. Further, a persistent decline in kidney function was observed after discharge. SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies of IgA, IgG, and IgM were positive in 56.4%, 96.3%, and 15.2% of patients, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression showed that disease severity, age, and sex were closely related to patient recovery. Conclusions: One year after hospital discharge, patients recovered from COVID-19 continued to experience both pulmonary and extrapulmonary dysfunction. While paying attention to pulmonary manifestations of COVID-19, follow-up studies on extrapulmonary manifestations should be strengthened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Production of higher carboxylic acids from CO2 and H2 is a novel and very attractive topic. Herein we present a protocol of synthesizing C3+ carboxylic acids via the reaction of alcohols with CO2 and H2. A catalytic system consisting of iridium(III) acetate and LiI could effectively accelerate this reaction. The reaction could occur at above 120 °C and the best result was obtained at 170 °C. The catalytic system could be applied to various alcohols (primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols and polyols). The reaction mechanism was proposed based on systematic control experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of figure assembly errors, in Figure 5A and Supplementary Figure 4F the images used to represent the treatment condition were incorrectly derived from the control dataset. Graph: Figure 1 The corrected version of Figure 5. [Extracted from the article]

• Preparation of a magnetic MOF with superior materials and high enzyme load. • The immobilized material has a specific adsorption effect on UGT containing His-tag. • Simultaneous purification and immobilization of the enzyme onto the material. • Immobilization improved the stability of enzyme molecules. • The immobilized enzyme is easy to separate and can be reused. To solve the problem that free glycosyltransferase is difficult to isolate and reuse in ginsenoside Rh2 catalysis and synthesis. In this study, we developed a magnetic nickel-based metal-organic framework (MOF) material (Fe 3 O 4/ PDA@MOF) to enable the separation of recombinant glycosyl transferase (UGT) directly from crude enzyme solutions, while simultaneously immobilizing it by utilizing the specific adsorption of Ni2+ ions to His-tag. Our investigations demonstrated that the Fe 3 O 4 /PDA@MOF@UGT was successfully prepared, which not only maintained enzyme activity, but was reused by low-cost magnetic separation and exhibited enhanced enzyme loading and stability. Following thorough research and optimization, the immobilized enzyme achieved a rare ginsenoside Rh2 concentration of 69.68 µg/mL under optimal conditions, with an initial activity of 61.99 % after six cycles. This cost-effective, efficient, and sustainable biocomposite holds significant promise for industrial applications in enzyme purification and catalytic synthesis of ginsenoside. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enzymatic catalysis is the most suitable method for synthesizing the ginsenoside Rh2. However, challenges in the purification and reuse of the enzyme limited the applications of this method. In this study, Fe 3 O 4 /PMG/NTA-Ni2+ magnetic nanospheres modified with nano-Fe 3 O 4 were employed to achieve the one-step purification and immobilization of glycosyltransferase. The resulting assembly catalyzed ginsenoside protopanaxadiol (PPD) to more valuable Rh2. This material successfully immobilized the recombinant enzyme on the carrier. Moreover, the good dispersibility and superparamagnetism of the immobilized enzyme were maintained without any alteration in its structure, and the maximum immobilized enzyme amount was 180 mg/g. Notably, the pH value, temperature and storage stability of the immobilized enzyme were significantly improved compared with the free enzyme. After reusing the immobilized enzyme six times, the relative enzyme activity was still maintained at 67.8%. Thus, this study specifically adsorbed, purified, and immobilized free glycosyltransferase by modifying nanometer-sized Fe 3 O 4 particles. This reduced operating costs and enhanced the properties of the enzyme. [Display omitted] • A magnetic material for specific adsorption of enzymes was prepared. • The glycosyltransferase was purified and immobilized at the same time. • Immobilized enzyme has higher enzyme loading and improved stability. • Immobilized enzymes could be easily separated from the reaction and reused. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoporosis is an ageing disease characterized by elevated osteoclastic bone resorption resulting in bone loss, decrease bone strength, and elevated incidence of fractures. Neferine, a natural compound isolated from the traditional Chinese medicine Nelumbo nucifera (Lotus), has been reported exhibit anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. However, its effect on bone remains to be determined. Here we showed that Neferine inhibits RANKL‐induced osteoclast formation in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner. Furthermore, Neferine also demonstrated antiresorptive properties by effectively ameliorating the bone resorptive activity of mature osteoclasts. Mechanistically, Neferine suppressed RANKL‐induced activation of NF‐κB signaling pathway. This in turn hindered the induction and activation of NFATc1 resulting in downregulation of osteoclast marker genes closely related to differentiation, fusion as well as bone resorption. Interestingly, we found Neferine enhanced the differentiation and bone mineralization activity of MC3T3‐E1 preosteoblast cells. Finally, mice treated with Neferine was protected against ovariectomy (OVX)‐induced bone loss. The Neferine treatment improved bone volume following ovariectomy and also exhibited less TRAP‐positive osteoclasts on bone surface. Collectively our data provide promising evidence that Neferine could be a potential therapeutic application for against osteolytic bone conditions such as osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract [4-(acetylamino)-N-(2-amino-phenyl) benzamide] (CI-994) is a histone deacetylase 1-3 specific inhibitor that has been shown to indirectly increase the production of Dickkopf-1, which is an inhibitor of osteoclastic development. However, whether CI-994 has an influence on receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis is still unclear; in our study, this mechanism was investigated. In an in vitro study, using a tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) stain, an F-actin ring, bone absorption test, quantitative PCR and Western blotting, the role of CI-994 in osteoclastogenesis and the expression of related genes and proteins were investigated. In an in vivo study, the effect of CI-994 on osteolysis was evaluated using a titanium particle-induced murine calvarial osteolysis model. Our results indicated that CI-994 inhibited osteoclast differentiation and the function of bone resorption without cytotoxic effects. Moreover, CI-994 inhibited the expression of osteoclast-related genes, including ACP5, CTSK, NFATc1, c-Fos, DC-STAMP and V-ATPase-d2. Furthermore, CI-994 suppressed the phosphorylation of IκBα and p65 and the expression of downstream c-Fos and NFATc1. Consistent with the in vitro results described above, our in vivo experiment indicated that CI-994 inhibited Ti-induced osteolysis. In conclusion, CI-994 inhibited osteoclastogenesis by suppressing NF-κB and the downstream c-Fos/NFATc1 signaling pathway. Thus, this study showed the possibility of using CI-994 for the treatment of exorbitant osteoclastic bone resorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plate-fin heat exchangers are widely employed in aerospace and many other fields due to the advantage of high efficiency and low resistance. However, they usually operate at atmospheric or high-pressure conditions. In this study, The commercial CFD solver Fluent 16.0 was used to evaluate the overall performance of the plate-fin precooler whose hot fluid is nitrogen under negative pressure and high temperature conditions. The characteristics of the hot fluid flow field inside the precooler with and without fins were investigated. The effect of fin number on the heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of the hot fluid side was analyzed. Furthermore, the comprehensive performance of the precooler under different pressure conditions was compared quantitatively. The results showed that under negative pressure conditions, the hot fluid flow field features inside the precooler without fins was regular, while that of the precooler with fins took on a "<" shaped flow features, indicating the evolving of thermal boundary layer. It was also found that the comprehensive performance of the precooler did not increase with an increase in the number of fins when the hot fluid was in a low-density and high-speed flow state. Moreover, pressure conditions did not affect the heat transfer performance of the precooler but had a significant impact on the pressure drop performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to build a valid diagnostic nomogram for assessing the cancer risk of the pulmonary lesions identified by chest CT.Patients and Methods: A total of 691 patients with pulmonary lesions were recruited from three centers in China. The cut-off value for each tumor marker was confirmed by minimum P value method with 1000 bootstrap replications. The nomogram was based on the predictive factors identified by univariate and multivariate analysis. The predictive performance of the nomogram was measured by concordance index and calibrated with 1000 bootstrap samples to decrease the overfit bias. We also evaluated the net benefit of the nomogram via decision curve analysis. Finally, the nomogram was validated externally using a separate cohort of 305 patients enrolled from two additional institutions.Results: The cut-off for CEA, SCC, CYFRA21-1, pro-GRP, and HE4 was 4.8 ng/mL, 1.66 ng/mL, 1.83 ng/mL, 56.55 pg/mL, and 63.24Lpmol/L, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression model (LRM) identified tumor size, CEA, SCC, CYFRA21-1, pro-GRP, and HE4 as independent risk factors for lung cancer. The nomogram based on LRM coefficients showed concordance index of 0.901 (95% CI: 0.842-0.960; P < 0.001) for lung cancer in the training set and 0.713 (95% CI: 0.599-0.827; P < 0.001) in the validation set. Decision curve analysis reported a net benefit of 87.6% at 80% threshold probability superior to the baseline model.Conclusion: Our diagnostic nomogram provides a useful tool for assessing the cancer risk of pulmonary lesions identified in CT screening test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II (PIVKA-II) has been widely used as a biomarker for liver cancer diagnosis in Japan for decades. However, the reference intervals for serum ARCHITECT PIVKA-II have not been established in the Chinese population. Thus, this study aimed to measure serum PIVKA-II levels in healthy Chinese subjects. Methods This is a sub-analysis from the prospective, cross-sectional and multicenter study ( ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03047603 ). A total of 892 healthy participants (777 Han and 115 Uygur) with complete health checkup results were recruited from 7 regional centers in China. Serum PIVKA-II level was measured by ARCHITECT immunoassay. All 95% reference ranges were estimated by nonparametric method. Results The distribution of PIVKA-II values showed significant difference with ethnicity and sex, but not age. The 95% reference range of PIVKA-II was 13.62–40.38 mAU/ml in Han Chinese subjects and 15.16–53.74 mAU/ml in Uygur subjects. PIVKA-II level was significantly higher in males than in females ( P  < 0.001). The 95% reference range of PIVKA-II was 15.39–42.01 mAU/ml in Han males while 11.96–39.13 mAU/ml in Han females. Conclusions The reference interval of serum PIVKA-II on the Architect platform was established in healthy Chinese adults. This will be valuable for future clinical and laboratory studies performed using the Architect analyzer. Different ethnic backgrounds and analytical methods underline the need for redefining the reference interval of analytes such as PIVKA-II, in central laboratories in different countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]