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Background: The TRIANGLE operation benefits patients with pancreatic cancer; however, the Heidelberg triangle, where the operation occurs, contains vessels that can impact safety, especially in laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) with the TRIANGLE operation. This study aimed to identify Heidelberg triangle vessel types and their implications in pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Methods: Retrospective collection of radiographic data was performed from January 2017 to April 2023. Three-dimensional (3D) CT reconstructions were performed on patients. Vascular types in the Heidelberg triangle were classified based on named vessels crossing its interior. The impact of these types on surgical outcomes and complications in PD with the TRIANGLE operation was assessed. Results: Preoperative CT reconstruction was conducted on 184 pancreatic surgery patients. The findings revealed 99 patients (53.8%) with the type I Heidelberg triangle, lacking named vessels crossing the interior. Type II (n = 85, 46.2%), with named vessels crossing the interior, was identified. Among reconstructed patients who underwent PD with the TRIANGLE operation (n = 103), they were categorized as type I (n = 57) or type II (n = 46). The results showed that LPD patients with type II had significantly higher median intraoperative blood loss (300 mL vs. 200 mL, P = 0.030) and mean examined lymph nodes (17.2 ± 7.6 vs. 13.4 ± 5.2, P = 0.019) compared to those with type I. No significant differences were found in operative time or postoperative complications. Conclusion: The presence of named vessels crossing the interior of the Heidelberg triangle was associated with increased intraoperative bleeding during LPD combined with the TRIANGLE operation. Therefore, targeted preoperative planning is required before the operation, thus improving the safety of the TRIANGLE operation in minimally invasive surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is an obligate intracellular protozoan that can elicit a robust immune response during infection. Macrophage cells have been shown to play an important role in the immune response against T. gondii. In our previous study, the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF-5A) gene of T. gondii was found to influence the invasion and replication of tachyzoites. In this study, the recombinant protein of T. gondii eIF-5A (rTgeIF-5A) was incubated with murine macrophages, and the regulatory effect of TgeIF-5A on macrophages was characterized. Immunofluorescence assay showed that TgeIF-5A was able to bind to macrophages and partially be internalized. The Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) level and chemotaxis of macrophages stimulated with TgeIF-5A were reduced. However, the phagocytosis and apoptosis of macrophages were amplified by TgeIF-5A. Meanwhile, the cell viability experiment indicated that TgeIF-5A can promote the viability of macrophages, and in the secretion assays, TgeIF-5A can induce the secretion of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and nitric oxide (NO) from macrophages. These findings demonstrate that eIF-5A of T. gondii can modulate the immune response of murine macrophages in vitro, which may provide a reference for further research on developing T. gondii vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: With the change of lifestyle, the occurrence of coronary artery disease presents a younger trend, increasing the medical and economic burden on the family and society. To reduce the burden caused by this disease, this study applied LASSO Logistic Regression and Random Forest to establish a risk prediction model for premature coronary artery disease(PCAD) separately and compared the predictive performance of the two models. Methods: The data are obtained from 1004 patients with coronary artery disease admitted to a third-class hospital in Liaoning Province from September 2019 to December 2021. The data from 797 patients were ultimately evaluated. The dataset of 797 patients was randomly divided into the training set (569 persons) and the validation set (228 persons) scale by 7:3. The risk prediction model was established and compared by LASSO Logistic and Random Forest. Result: The two models in this study showed that hyperuricemia, chronic renal disease, carotid artery atherosclerosis were important predictors of premature coronary artery disease. A result of the AUC between the two models showed statistical difference (Z = 3.47, P < 0.05). Conclusions: Random Forest has better prediction performance for PCAD and is suitable for clinical practice. It can provide an objective reference for the early screening and diagnosis of premature coronary artery disease, guide clinical decision-making and promote disease prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Globally, oral diseases are common, pose an economic burden, and significantly decline the quality of life of affected individuals. Recently, researchers have substantially highlighted the effect of depression on oral disease incidence and development. In this study, we elucidated the correlation between depression and oral diseases. Methods: Using two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR), the association between depression and the risk of 17 oral diseases was evaluated. Three methods were used to perform MR analysis: the inverse variance-weighted, weighted median, and MR-Egger methods. Furthermore, Cochran's Q test, MR-Egger intercept test, MR Pleiotropy RESidual Sum and Outlier test, and leave-one-out analysis were performed to analyze sensitivity. Results: After implementing multiple test corrections, we observed that genetic susceptibility to depression was associated with an increased risk of mouth ulcers, toothache, loose teeth, bleeding gums, painful gums, chronic periodontitis, chronic tonsil and adenoid diseases, peritonsillar abscess, and excessive tooth attrition. However, a causal relationship between depression and other oral diseases was not observed. Sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of the results. Conclusions: We confirmed the causal relationship between depression and several oral diseases, thereby providing a novel viewpoint on the prevention and treatment of oral diseases. Our findings suggest the integration of depression control into routine clinical care to enhance the effectiveness of oral disease treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This overview of systematic reviews (SRs) systematically collected, evaluated, and combined the evidence for migraine treatment with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).Methods: We conducted a systematic literature search in various databases, such as PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, VIP, and China Biomedical Literature. Two reviewers independently assessed the methodological quality, risk of bias, reporting quality, and strength of evidence of the included studies using AMSTAR-2, ROBIS, the PRISMA checklist, and the GRADE system.Results: We performed an overview of 7 relevant SRs, of which 4 were of moderate quality and 3 were of low quality according to AMSTAR 2. All SRs had low risk of bias in Phase 1 (Assessing relevance), Domain 1 (Study eligibility criteria), and Domain 4 (Synthesis and findings) as evaluated by ROBIS. In Domain 2 (Identification and selection of studies), 4 SRs (57.1%) had low risk of bias, while in Domain 3 (data collection and study appraisal) and Risk of Bias in the Review Phase 3, 4 SRs (57.1%) had low risk of bias. The PRISMA reporting standards were generally comprehensive, but some limitations were observed in the assessments, pooled results, evidence reliability, registration and protocols, and funding sources. The GRADE levels ranged from moderate to low, with 10 outcomes of moderate quality and 6 outcomes of low quality. The main reason for the low quality of evidence was the small sample size and high heterogeneity of the available studies.Conclusion: TMS may improve migraine severity and frequency, but the evidence is limited due to methodological flaws and heterogeneity. Future studies should standardize use, assess side effects, and compare with other treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toll-like receptors (TLRs), as the members of pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs), play a crucial role in innate immunity due to its significant function to recognize pathogens and activate downstream elements in signaling pathway. In the present study, the full-length cDNA sequences of TLR1 and TLR2 were cloned in the natural triploid Qihe crucian carp (Carassius auratus). The complete cDNA sequence of TLR1 was 2754 bp which was comprised of 5′ UTR of 60 bp, 3′ UTR of 300 bp, and an open reading frame of 2394 bp encoding 797 amino acids. The full-length cDNA sequence of TLR2 was 2605 bp, containing 5′ UTR of 36 bp, 3′ UTR of 202 bp, and an open reading frame of 2367 bp, encoding 788 amino acids. The mRNA expressions of CaTLR1 and CaTLR2 were detected to be constitutive at various embryonic developmental stages, and it was indicated that the similar expression pattern that mRNA expression levels were high at early development, then went down, and increased at later development stage. With regard to mRNA expression levels of CaTLR1 and CaTLR2 in various tissues of Qihe crucian carp, it showed to be constitutive with being higher in the liver and heart and the lowest in ovary. The mRNA expressions of CaTLR1 and CaTLR2 were profiled by quantitative real-time PCR following intraperitoneal injections of Aeromonas hydrophila and TLR ligands including LPS, PGN, and PolyI:C. Compared with the control, both CaTLR1 and CaTLR2 expressions were upregulated in most tissues of fish after challenges of LPS, PGN, PolyI:C, or A. hydrophila, although expression patterns varied in different tissues (gill, liver, spleen, trunk kidney, and head kidney). Together, these data highlighted the important role of CaTLR1 and CaTLR2 in recognizing LPS, PGN, PolyI:C, and A. hydrophila and in augmenting the innate immune ability against bacterial and viral infections in Qihe crucian carp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil total nitrogen (STN) is a crucial component of the ecosystem's nitrogen pool, and accurate prediction of STN content is essential for understanding global nitrogen cycling processes. This study utilized the measured STN content of 126 sample points and 40 extracted remote sensing variables to predict the STN content and map its spatial distribution in the northeastern coastal region of Hebei Province, China, employing the random forest (RF), gradient boosting machine (GBM), and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) methods. The purpose was to compare the ability of remote sensing images (Landsat-8, Sentinel-1, and Sentinel-2) with different machine learning methods for predicting STN content. The research results show the following: (1) The three machine learning methods accurately predicted the STN content and the optimal model provided by the XGBoost method, with an R2 of 0.627, RMSE of 0.127 g·kg−1, and MAE of 0.092 g·kg−1. (2) The combination of optical and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images improved prediction accuracy, with the R2 improving by 45.5%. (3) The importance of optical images is higher than that of SAR images in the RF, GBM, and XGBoost methods, with optical images accounting for 87%, 76%, and 77% importance, respectively. (4) The spatial distribution of STN content predicted by the three methods is similar. Higher STN contents are distributed in the northern part of the study area, while lower STN contents are distributed in coastal areas. The results of this study can be very useful for inventories of soil nitrogen and provide data support and method references for revealing nitrogen cycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water conservation (WC) function of ecosystems is related to regional ecological security and the sustainable development of water resources, and the assessment of WC and its influencing factors is crucial for ecological and water resource management. The Tumen River Basin (TRB) is located in the core of the Northeast Asian ecological network and has been experiencing severe ecological crises and water shortages in recent years due to climate change and human activities. However, these crises have not been fully revealed to the extent that corresponding scientific measures are lacking. This study analyzed the spatial and temporal evolution characteristics and drivers of WC in the TRB from 1990 to 2019 based on the water yield module of the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model. The results showed that: 1) under the combined effect of nature and socioeconomics, the WC depth of the TRB has slowly increased at a rate of 0.11 mm/yr in the past 30 years, with an average WC depth of 36.14 mm. 2) The main driving factor of the spatial variation in WC is precipitation, there is a significant interaction between precipitation and velocity, the interaction between each factor is higher than the contribution of a single factor, and the interactions between factors all have nonlinear enhancement and two-factor enhancement. 3) Among the seven counties and municipalities in the study area, the southern part of Helong City and the southeastern part of Longjing City are extremely important areas for WC (> 75 mm), and they should be regarded as regional water resources and ecological priority protection areas. It is foreseen that under extreme climate conditions in the future, the WC of the watershed is under great potential threat, and protection measures such as afforestation and forestation should begin immediately. Furthermore, the great interannual fluctuations in WC depth may place more stringent requirements on the choice of time scales in the ecosystem service assessment process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A protective oxide film is the key to the corrosion resistance of the FeCrAl alloy. The mechanism of the formation of the multilayer oxide film of the FeCrAl alloy in 700 °C air was explored by studying the structure evolution of the oxide film and the oxidation kinetics of FeCrAl. The results show that a multilayer oxide layer is formed on the surface of the FeCrAl alloy after 1344 h, with a (Fe,Cr)2O3 layer, an Al-rich oxide layer, an Al-depleted zone, and a new Al-rich oxide layer sequentially arranged from the surface to the matrix. This indicates that the Al element plays an important role in the formation of the oxide film. The Al in the matrix is depleted to form the Al-rich oxide layer, resulting in the Al-depleted zone. The new Al-rich oxide layer is formed under the Al-depleted zone by internal oxidation. It should be noted that the precipitation of the AlN phase in the matrix is observed, which might be a probable factor for the Al-depleted zone in the matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shelterbelt width not only influences protection effectiveness, but also represents a variable in a porosity model. Following extensive planting of shelterbelts globally, it is important to accurately identify shelterbelt width to evaluate its effectiveness on the regional scale. However, obtaining such an inventory is challenging given the narrow linear characteristic and extensive distribution. The development of high-resolution remote sensing monitoring offers the possibility of accurate identification of shelterbelt width. This study developed a method for identification of shelterbelt width using 3-m spatial resolution JL1–02A remote sensing imagery. The primary principles of the method are as follows: (1) generate two-dimensional waveforms of shelterbelts using remote sensing images; (2) recognize intact parts of shelterbelts from wave features in the direction of belt orientation; (3) determine the belt edge and pixels related to belt width through neighboring pixel analysis in the direction of belt width; and (4) establish an algorithm for shelterbelt width identification through analysis of its relationship with edge and inner pixels. Using the proposed method, shelterbelt width was identified in the study area in Jilin Province (Northeast China), and the accuracy of the measurement was analyzed using a 0.75-m resolution fusion image (sample number: 140). Results showed that the coefficient of determination (R2) was 0.93, root mean square error was 2.18 m, mean absolute error was 1.76 m, maximum error was 5.11 m, and minimum error was 0.01 m, which verified the accuracy and reliability of the method for shelterbelt width identification. The result could be used to determine shelterbelt structure (e.g., number of rows), thereby providing the possibility for remote simulation of shelterbelt porosity, which was previously only measured from the ground-level approach. The proposed method could help promote accurate monitoring and management of shelterbelt structure and function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal wetland soil organic carbon (CW-SOC) is crucial for both "blue carbon" and carbon sequestration. It is of great significance to understand the content of soil organic carbon (SOC) in soil resource management. A total of 133 soil samples were evaluated using an indoor spectral curve and were categorized into silty soil and sandy soil. The prediction model of CW-SOC was established using optimized support vector machine regression (OSVR) and optimized random forest regression (ORFR). The Leave-One-Out Cross-Validation (LOO-CV) method was used to verify the model, and the performance of the two prediction models, as well as the models' stability and uncertainty, was examined. The results show that (1) The SOC content of different coastal wetlands is significantly different, and the SOC content of silty soils is about 1.8 times that of sandy soils. Moreover, the characteristic wavelengths associated with SOC in silty soils are mainly concentrated in the spectral range of 500–1000 nm and 1900–2400 nm, while the spectral range of sandy soils is concentrated in the spectral range of 600–1400 nm and 1700–2400 nm. (2) The organic carbon prediction model of silty soil based on the OSVR method under the first-order differential of reflectance (R′) is the best, with the Adjusted-R2 value as high as 0.78, the RPD value is much greater than 2.0 and 5.07, and the RMSE value as low as 0.07. (3) The performance of the OSVR model is about 15~30% higher than that of the support vector machine regression (SVR) model, and the performance of the ORFR model is about 3~5% higher than that of the random forest regression (RFR) model. OSVR and ORFR are better methods of accurately predicting the CW-SOC content and provide data support for the carbon cycle, soil conservation, plant growth, and environmental protection of coastal wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water yield (WY) is an important provisioning ecosystem service that maintains the sustainable water resources supply and ecosystem water cycle. As a case study, the Tumen River Basin (TRB), located at the junction of China, North Korea, and Russia, was chosen as the study area considering that it belongs to a prioritized protection area for wild aquatic animals and a water shortage area where WY ecosystem service is critical for local ecological security and water resources management. Nevertheless, the spatiotemporal dynamics and driving mechanism of WY ecosystem service in TRB have so far remained poorly understood. In this study, the WY model based on the InVEST model is adopted to reveal the interannual change in WY and its driving factors in TRB from 1990 to 2019. The final results showed that (1) the annual average WY reached 227.40 mm and increased at a rate of 0.72 mm/year in TRB in the last 30 years. Specifically, WY and evapotranspiration were approximately equal to 35% and 65% of the precipitation in this study, respectively; (2) correlation analysis shows that precipitation and actual evapotranspiration are the dominant natural factors affecting watershed WY, with correlation coefficients of 0.65 (p < 0.01) and − 0.56 (p < 0.01), respectively, and that the trade-off between them jointly dominates the change in watershed WY; (3) in the seven cities of the study area, Helong City, Yanji City, and Hunchun City were highly important water resource–protect areas (WY > 300 mm) and should be regarded as the key protection areas. Overall, WY was increasing in TRB over the past three decades, but its trend was not significant, which implied a potential water shortage crisis in some years with extremely low precipitation. Therefore, artificial water-saving measures must be implemented immediately to cope with potential water crisis in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are important seed cells for cell therapy and tissue engineering because of their multidirectional differentiation potential, high proliferative capacity, low immunogenicity, and immunomodulatory ability. In this study, we successfully isolated and cultured a population of mesenchymal stem-like cells from pediatric urethra (PU-MSLCs). The cells had a spindle-shaped fibroblast-like morphology, similar to MSCs derived from other tissues. The PU-MSLCs highly expressed MSC surface markers CD29, CD73, CD90, and CD105 but were negative for leukocyte common antigen CD45, and MHC class II-encoded molecule HLA-DR. After in vitro induction, the PU-MSLCs had the potential to differentiate into adipocytes, osteocytes, and chondrocytes. The PU-MSLCs maintained a normal karyotype and showed no tumorigenicity during long-term cultivation. We thus demonstrated that the mesenchymal stem/stromal cell-like population obtained from pediatric urethra tissue is capable of self-renewal and multidirectional differentiation, has promising application prospects for cell therapy and tissue engineering, and is expected to contribute to urethral tissue reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recurrent implantation failure (RIF) in the majority of patients undergoing in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) is caused by various factors such as maternal age, embryo quality, endometrial receptivity (ER), and immunity. The incidence of RIF is usually between 5 and 10%. Previous studies have shown that herb-partitioned moxibustion on the navel is one of the treatment methods of acupuncture with a positive effect on pregnancy. However, its application in the treatment of RIF has not been reported. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safeness of herb-partitioned moxibustion on the navel in improving the outcome of frozen embryo transfer (FET) in patients with RIF.Methods: This study conducts a randomized controlled trial (RCT). It is planned to recruit 210 patients undergoing RIF for FET from Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and randomly divide them into the treatment group and the control group in a ratio of 1:1. The patient of the treatment group will be treated with herb-partitioned moxibustion on the navel once a week for three consecutive menstrual cycles. No intervention will be used in the control group for 3 menstrual cycles. In the fourth menstrual cycle, all patients will undergo artificial cycle to prepare the endometrium for FET. The pregnancy outcomes will be recorded after a 3-month follow-up. Primary outcome will be assessed as the ongoing pregnancy rate compared with the control group. Secondary outcomes include the endometrial type, resistance index (RI), pulsatility index (PI) of the bilateral uterine artery, endometrial blood flow, serum estradiol (E2), progesterone (P), biochemical pregnancy rate, implantation rate, and clinical pregnancy rate.Discussion: If the results show that the herb-partitioned moxibustion on the navel can improve IVF-ET outcomes in patients with RIF, it will be recommended in clinical practice.Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR) ChiCTR2100043954 . Registered on 8 July 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The age of a shelterbelt is not only an important parameter for determining the function of a shelterbelt, it is also strongly related to the biomass and carbon flux of shelterbelt ecosystems. Therefore, timely and accurate identifications of shelterbelt ages are key for shelterbelt monitoring and management. This study developed a method for estimating shelterbelt age (i.e., years after planting) from a time series of remote sensing images. Firstly, the shelterbelts were divided into three states based on a single remote sensing image of each. Then, a three-stage growth process was established by analysis. Finally, the shelterbelt ages were determined based on time series remote sensing images over a two-year monitoring period in the study area. The actual shelterbelt ages based on field measurements were used to analyze the accuracy of the results. The total number of samples was 243. The results showed that the age identification accuracy was 68.7%. The main factors affecting the identification accuracy were missing images, cloud cover, and the length of the monitoring period. Despite some uncertainties, the proposed method may be used to obtain critical data for shelterbelt management and conducting quick surveys of current shelterbelt conditions over a large area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To explore the application value of perioperative nursing for patients with brain tumors with epilepsy symptoms under the cortical electrocorticography (EEG) monitoring. Methods. A total of 86 patients with brain tumor complicated with epilepsy admitted to the department of brain surgery of our hospital from January 2018 to December 2019 were selected as the research objects, and all underwent resection under cortical EEG monitoring. According to different nursing methods, they were divided into the control group and observation group, each with 43 cases. The control group was given perioperative basic nursing, and the observation group was given perioperative comprehensive nursing. The EEG image of the patient during the operation was observed by a portable EEG monitor. Anxiety and depression were assessed by self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and self-rating depression scale (SDS) scores. The self-made satisfaction questionnaire was used to investigate the nursing satisfaction. A visual analogue (VAS) score is used to assess pain degree. A multiparameter monitor was used to detect the patient's heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). The quality of life was assessed by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-30). The complication rate and recurrence rate were also counted. Results. Eighty-six patients with epileptic brain tumor developed spikes in 35 cases, including 7 meningiomas, 22 gliomas, and 6 cholesteatomas; 27 cases of sharp waves, including 14 meningiomas, 12 gliomas, and 1 case of cholesteatomas; and 24 cases of complex wave, including 9 cases of meningioma, 13 cases of glioma, and 2 cases of cholesteatoma. There was no significant difference in the scores of SAS, SDS, VAS, HR, SBP, DBP, and quality of life between the two groups at T0. The VAS score increased at T1 and T2, and the increase in the control group was greater than that in the observation group. At T3 and T4, the SAS, SDS, and VAS scores of the two groups decreased, and the observation group decreased more than the control group. HR, SBP, and DBP of the two groups showed an upward trend at T1 and T2, and the increase in the control group was more significant than that in the observation group. At T3, the three indicators of the two groups decreased, and the observation group decreased more significantly than the control group. At T4, the scores of all indicators of the quality of life of the two groups increased, and the observation group increased more significantly than the control group. The nursing satisfaction of the observation group was higher than that of the control group. The complication rate and recurrence rate in the observation group were decreased compared with the control group. Conclusion. Perioperative comprehensive nursing intervention for patients with epileptic brain tumor undergoing resection under cortical EEG monitoring can reduce or even eliminate the recurrence rate of epilepsy, reduce the patient's pain and stress response, and improve the patient's quality of life. It can also reduce the occurrence of complications, improve nursing satisfaction, thereby improving patient compliance, and has a high clinical application value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the latest clinical data, cardiovascular diseases have ranked first in prone diseases, causing 40% of the premature deaths of China's population. This study aimed to investigate the influence of Toll-like receptor 2- (TLR2-) mediated inflammation on the occurrence and development of familial hypertension combined with hyperlipemia and its related mechanism. Blood specimens from 66 patients undergoing coronary atherosclerosis were collected and grouped, including 22 patients into the control group, 25 into the familial hypertension group, and 19 into familial hypertension combined with hyperlipemia group. In this study, ELISA was conducted for determining the levels of four inflammatory factors of TLR2 and IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-ɑ, and CCL2 in serum and the levels of relevant indicators in mice. C57Bl/6j and genetically engineered C.129(B6)-Tlr2tm1Kir/J mice were given subcutaneous injection of normal saline (wild-saline group), 8-week 40% high-fat diet (wild-high-fat group), and subcutaneous Alzet-implanted angiotensin II micropump supplemented with the research diet (wild-high fat-Ang II group, Tlr2-/--high fat-Ang II group). Blood pressure in mice was recorded consecutively with a noninvasive hemopiezometer for eight weeks. TLR2 and IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-ɑ, and CCL2 in serum of patients with familial hypertension combined with hyperlipemia and the hypertension combined with hyperlipemia mouse model were higher than those in the normal group. Under combined intervention of Ang II and the research diet, mRNA expression related to blood pressure, blood lipid, and fat metabolism in Tlr2-/- genetically engineering mice was significantly lower than that in the wild-high fat-Ang II group. The phosphorylation levels of AKT, IKK, and p65 in mice with hypertension combined with hyperlipidemia were significantly higher than those in normal group. The levels of blood pressure and blood lipid in mice after blocking the AKT or NF-κB pathway were significantly downregulated compared with those in the wild-high fat-Ang II group, with statistically significant differences (both P < 0.05). In conclusion, TLR2 regulates inflammation through Akt-NF-κB pathway, thus inducing the occurrence and development of familial hypertension combined with hyperlipemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The proliferative stage (tachyzoite) of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is critical for its transmission and pathogenesis, and a proto-oncogene eukaryotic translation initiation factor (eIF-5A) plays an important role in various cellular processes such as cell multiplication. Methods: We performed a proteomic study to evaluate the specific roles of eIF-5A involved in invasion and replication of T. gondii, and both in vivo and in vitro trials using eIF-5A-interfered and wild tachyzoites were performed to verify the proteomic results. Results: The results of our study showed that T. gondii eIF-5A affected tachyzoite growth and also participated in the synthesis of proteins through regulation of both ribosomal and splicing pathways. Inhibition of eIF-5A in T. gondii resulted in the downregulated expression of soluble adhesions, such as microneme protein 1 (MIC1) and MIC4, which in turn decreased the parasite population that adhered to the surface of host cells. The reduced attachment, combined with lower expression of some rhoptry proteins (ROPs) and dense granule antigens (GRAs) involved in different stages of T. gondii invasion such as ROP4 and GRA3, ultimately reduce the invasion efficiency. These processes regulated by eIF-5A eventually affect the replication of tachyzoites. Conclusions: Our findings showed that eIF-5A influenced tachyzoite survival and was also involved in the process of parasite invasion and replication. These results will provide new clues for further development of targeted drugs to control T. gondii infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ureteroscopy is widely applied in pregnant women with renal colic, but such patients are easy to experience uterine contraction after surgery. There are many factors which may affect uterine contraction, this study aims to explore the risk factors of uterine contraction triggered by ureteroscopy in pregnant women with renal colic. Methods: One hundred and one pregnant women were retrospectively analyzed, the patients were hospitalized because of severe renal colic. All patients received ureteroscopy during which double J catheters were inserted into ureters for drainage. Patients received other medical treatments individually according to their condition and uterine contractions were detected by EHG within 12 h after operation. Patients were classified as group A (uterine contraction) and group B (no uterine contraction) according to the presence or absence of continuously regular uterine contraction. Clinical characteristics were collected for further analysis, including history of childbirth, anesthesia method, application of phloroglucinol or not, operation time, Oxygen inhalation or not, pain relief or not after surgery, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) occurred or not. A binary logistic regression analysis model was established to explore whether such clinical characteristics were relevant to uterine contraction after ureteroscopy. Results: Continuously regular uterine contraction presented in 46 pregnant women within 12 h after ureteroscopy, making the incidence of uterine contraction as high as 45.54%. The presence of uterine contraction was related to the following factors(P < 0.05): history of childbirth (primipara versus multipara)(OR 6.593, 95% CI 2.231–19.490), operation time (each quarter additional) (OR 2.385, 95% CI 1.342–4.238), application of phloroglucinol (yes versus not) (OR 6.959, 95% CI 1.416–34.194), pain relief after surgery(yes versus not)(OR 6.707, 95% CI 1.978–22.738), SIRS occurred after surgery (yes versus not) (OR 0.099, 95% CI 0.014–0.713). Conclusion: Continuously regular uterine contraction is easy to occur within 12 h after ureteroscopy in pregnant women. SIRS occurred after surgery is a risk factor for uterine contraction; on the contrary, no history of childbirth, shorter operation time, application of phloroglucinol, pain relief after surgery are protective factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The proliferative stage (tachyzoite) of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is critical for its transmission and pathogenesis, and a proto-oncogene eukaryotic translation initiation factor (eIF-5A) plays an important role in various cellular processes such as cell multiplication. Methods: We performed a proteomic study to evaluate the specific roles of eIF-5A involved in invasion and replication of T. gondii, and both in vivo and in vitro trials using eIF-5A-interfered and wild tachyzoites were performed to verify the proteomic results. Results: The results of our study showed that T. gondii eIF-5A affected tachyzoite growth and also participated in the synthesis of proteins through regulation of both ribosomal and splicing pathways. Inhibition of eIF-5A in T. gondii resulted in the downregulated expression of soluble adhesions, such as microneme protein 1 (MIC1) and MIC4, which in turn decreased the parasite population that adhered to the surface of host cells. The reduced attachment, combined with lower expression of some rhoptry proteins (ROPs) and dense granule antigens (GRAs) involved in different stages of T. gondii invasion such as ROP4 and GRA3, ultimately reduce the invasion efficiency. These processes regulated by eIF-5A eventually affect the replication of tachyzoites. Conclusions: Our findings showed that eIF-5A influenced tachyzoite survival and was also involved in the process of parasite invasion and replication. These results will provide new clues for further development of targeted drugs to control T. gondii infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper propose a direct generalization quantile regression estimation method (DGQR estimation) for quantile regression with varying-coefficient models with interval censored data, which is a direct generalization for complete observed data. The consistency and asymptotic normality properties of the estimators are obtained. The proposed method has the advantage that does not require the censoring vectors to be identically distributed. The effectiveness of the method is verified by some simulation studies and a real data example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long-lasting infection of high-risk type (type 16 or type 18) human papillomavirus (HPV) is the main cause of gynecological and urinary malignancies. Given the high mortality rate after surgery, the development of a new molecular therapy would be of value to clinicians. The aim of the present study was to achieve targeted inactivation of the viral E6 gene in keratinocytes using the reprogrammed CRISPR-Cas13a system. To accomplish this, a reprogrammed CRISPR-Cas13a system, targeting both the HPV16/18 E6 genes was constructed using a guide RNA expressing vector. The expression levels of E6 protein were measured using western blot analysis after transfection of the vector into E6-transformed keratin oocytes. Cell proliferation was analyzed using CCK-8 assays and cell apoptosis was evaluated using Hoechst 33258 staining and ELISAs examining caspase-3 levels. The results indicated that both the HPV16/18 E6 genes can be inactivated using the CRISPR-Cas13a system. Furthermore, silencing E6 inhibited cell proliferation (14±1.8% on average) and induced apoptosis (80.2±3.2% on average) in E6-transformed keratinocytes but not in normal keratinocytes. In conclusion, results of the present study demonstrate that the reprogrammed CRISPR-Cas13a system has the potential for inactivating HPV E6 gene functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although the application of ureteroscopy in the treatment of ureteral calculi during pregnancy has been on the rise, for persistent renal colic patients without ultrasound-detected ureteral calculi, it may represent a clinical dilemma due to the potential risks for both mother and fetus. Objective: The aim of the present study is to present our experience with the application of the ureteroscope in the emergency treatment of persistent renal colic patients during pregnancy. Methods: From March 2009 to September 2014, a total of 117 pregnant women who received ureteroscopy for persistent renal colic were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into three groups according to duration of the persistent renal colic: Group A (within 12 hours; 24 cases); Group B (12 to 24 hours; 76 cases); and Group C (more than 24 hours; 17 cases). The stone-free rate, complications, and other qualitative data were analyzed. Results: Of the 117 patients, 31 patients who were found not to have renal or ureteral calculi received ureteroscopic double-J (DJ) stent insertion, whereas 86 patients who were found with ureteral calculi received ureteroscopic lithotripsy (URSL) and DJ stent insertion. Among them, 24 patients (27.9%) were found with ureteral calculi by ureteroscopy rather than ultrasound. In addition, 73 patients (84.9%) had complete fragmentation of calculi; 12 patients (10.3%) had a threatened abortion (the rates of threatened abortion in Groups A, B and C were 8.3% vs. 6.5% vs. 29.4%; Group C compared with Groups A and B, p<0.05), and one patient (1.2%) had urosepsis (in Group C). However, these complications were cured with conservative treatment, without postpartum infant and maternal complications. Conclusion: For pregnant patients with persistent renal colic/ureteral calculi and hydronephrosis, ureteroscopic DJ stent insertion and URSL are effective and safe options when conservative treatment fails, even if no urinary calculi were found by ultrasound. At the same time, for patients with persistent renal colic during pregnancy, early application of ureteroscopy may reduce the risk of preterm birth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Material problem is one of the key issues for the realization of fusion energy. Reduced Activation Ferritic/Martensitic steels have been considered to be the primary candidate structural material for fusion DEMO reactors and the first fusion power plants. China low activation martensitic steel (CLAM) has been chosen as the primary structure material in the designs of FDS series PbLi blankets for fusion reactors, CN helium cooled ceramic breeder test blanket module for ITER, liquid blanket of China fusion engineering test reactor (CFETR). In this work, optimization of CLAM steel composition was performed based on extreme learning machine method. The results showed that CLAM steel with Ta content of 0.18-0.20 % had better tensile property at the temperature of 350-550 °C, which provided references for the optimization of CLAM steel composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the correlation between PGAM1 and spermatogenic dysfunction and to evaluate the effect of expression of PGAM1 on the function of germ cells. Methods: Expression of PGAM1 was detected in 40 cases of infertile males with definite pathological diagnosis and 12 cases of mouse models with spermatogenic dysfunction by immunohistochemistry. Then, cell proliferation, apoptosis, and migration were evaluated when expression of PGAM1 was knocked down by a specific small interfering RNA in GC1 and TM4 cells. Results: The positive rates of PGAM1 in patients with normal spermatogenesis, mild hypospermatogenesis, severe hypospermatogenesis, and Sertoli cell-only syndrome were 90%, 80%, 10%, 100%, respectively, and the difference was significant (P < .001). Meanwhile, expression of PGAM1 was found to be significantly decreased in mouse models with spermatogenic dysfunction. Moreover, when expression of PGAM1 was knocked down in GC1 cells, the proliferation and migration were significantly inhibited, but the rate of apoptosis was significantly increased. Furthermore, PGAM1 downregulation in TM4 cells significantly inhibited proliferation and promoted apoptosis but didn’t affect migration. Conclusion: PGAM1 correlates with spermatogenic distinction and affects the function of cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The blanket is the key component for fusion reactor. The China Low Activation Martensitic steel is being developed under wide collaboration in China, and chosen as the candidate structure material of dual functional lithium-lead (DFLL) blanket of fusion design study series reactor designs. The cooling plate (CP) is one of the key components of the DFLL blanket, and it is embedded with high density cooling channels (HDCCs). The CP can be fabricated with grooved base plate, thin strips and thin cover plate by electron beam welding (EBW) and hot isostatic pressing methods. The welding of thin strips with grooved base plate is one of the key issues of HDCCs manufacturing. In this work, the effect of electron beam currents (EBCs) on the EBW quality of HDCCs was studied. The microstructure and the microhardness of the optimized EBC joint were tested at as-weld and post weld heat treatment to check its quality. The results showed that no obvious defect was observed and the quality of the joint was sound. Preliminary testing verified the effectiveness of the EBW for the HDCCs fabrication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many researches on the fields of different applied mathematics and physics can be attributed to the boundary value problem with p-Laplacian. So the research on this issue has important theoretical significance and application value. In this paper, we consider the existence of triple positive solutions for third-order differential equation boundary value problems with p-Laplacian ... where φp(s) = |s|p-2 s, p > 1. By using Avery-peterson's fixed point theorem, under f satisfies certain growth conditions, we study the existence of at least three positive solutions for the above boundary value problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of human society has brought great pressure on land resources, while the reasonable land use pattern is the key to alleviate the pressure and realize the regional sustainable development strategy. This paper, based on the land demand of social, economic, and ecologically sustainable development, constructs a quantitative evaluation method of land pressure from three aspects of food production, economic development, and ecological protection. According to the survey data of the Shanghuang experimental area in different periods, this paper analyses the changes process of land pressure index and land use patterns in different periods, the results show the following: the land pressure index was 0.738 before comprehensive control of soil and water erosion, which is severe pressure level; the comprehensive pressure index of land fell to 0.247 in year 2000; the land pressure decreased significantly; the pressure level demonstrates a mild pressure rating; and, during the conversion of cropland to forest and grassland, the land pressure index continued to decline, which reached 0.164 in year 2010. Land pressure was defined as land use pattern interactions throughout the whole study period, but the interactional features are significant differences in different periods. Before 1982, under the conditions of the traditional agriculture production pattern, due to the low levels of agricultural productivity and the rapid population growth, the land resource was facing tremendous pressure. The characteristics of land use pattern were that the productivity development level and the population growth were extremely imbalanced, the resources utilization and protection were in serious disorder, and the man-land relationship was opposite. During the periods of governance and returning farmland to forest and grassland, the land resource was facing greater pressure because of the situation of population growth. Under the interventions of technical factors and policy factors, the level of agricultural productivity increased greatly, so the land use pattern was changed from the extensive to the intensive management, the grain yield and economic income had great improvement, the ecological construction obtained great achievements, ecology and economics presented a harmonious development situation, the sustainable utilization level of land resource continuously improved. From the mutual relationship of land use pattern and land pressure, population growth is the primary source of land pressure, while the productivity level is the key to relieve the pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the significance of angiogenesis of lung cancer, in order to provide a scientific basis for interventional therapy. Double-phase enhancement-scanning spiral CT and DSA were performed in 56 pathologically confirmed lung cancer cases, in order to evaluate angiogenesis of the tumors. The patients included 36 males and 20 females, with ages ranging from 33 to 76 years (average of 53). Assessments and indexes for SCT and DSA examinations were as follows: a) Peak value (PV) of the cancerous focus was the difference between the maximum CT value after enhancement and the CT value of a plain scan; b) The abnormally distorted and expanded new vessels of the cancerous focus which could be macroscopically discriminated; c) DSA staining of the focus of cancer was sparse, grid-like and dense. Chemotherapy and embolotherapy via the bronchial artery (interventional therapy) were conducted. Radiotherapy was added for some of the solid tumors with a diameter exceeding 4 cm. a) There were 25 cases with a central-type lesion, among which 4 were small cell lung cancers (SCLC) and 21 non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). The cases with a peripheral location accounted for 31 of the total, with a maximum diameter of 1.5 to 13.5 cm and a median of 4.2 cm, including 5 small cell lung cancers and 26 NSCLC cases. b) The reinforced PVs of the cancerous foci were as follows: The PV ranged from 45 to 70 Hu in 34 cases, 25 to 45 Hu in 19, and 10 to 25 Hu in 3. Sparse DSA staining occurred in 3 cases, there was uneven grid-like staining in 22 and dense staining in 31; c) The interventional therapy via the bronchial artery was conducted twice in 5 cases with the SCLC, and three times in 4 SCLC cases. For 3 of the latter cases, a dose of 5,000 to 7,000 cGy radiation therapy was added during the interventional treatment. Complete remissions (CR) were seen in 88.9% of the cases (8/9) and partial remission (PR) in 11.1% (1/9). Interventional therapy was conducted twice in 8 cases with NSCLC and three times in 30 with NSCLC and four times in 9 cases. Among the total cases, 13 received radiotherapy during interventional therapy, with a radiation dose of 5,000–7,000 cGy; The CR rate was 78.7% (37/47), PR was 14.9% (7/47) and the rate of non-remission was 6.4% (3/47). Using imaging technology, analysis of angiogenesis of lung cancers was employed to accurately detect and quantify angiogenesis. This analysis was combined for interventional therapy, using embolizing agents and large doses of the anti-tumor drugs and angiogenesis inhibitors. The agents were selectively delivered into the tumor vessels to eliminate the primary tumor, in order to depress distant metastases and thus enhance the curative effect of the therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is the most common zoonotic protozoa and has infected about one-third of the population worldwide. Recombinant epitopes encapsulated in nanospheres have advantages over traditional T. gondii vaccines. For an efficient delivery system, poly (DL-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) and chitosan are the most frequently used biodegradable polymeric nanospheres with strong safety profiles. In the present study, we first expressed and purified histone H2A1 of T. gondii using the prokaryotic expression system. The effects of recombinant TgH2A1 on the functions of murine macrophages were then studied. Purified recombinant TgH2A1 was then encapsulated in nanospheres with PLGA and chitosan. After subcutaneous vaccination in mice, the immune response was evaluated by double antibody sandwich ELISA kits. The results from this study showed that PLGA and chitosan loaded with rTgH2A1 could trigger a stronger Th1 oriented immune response and prolong the survival time of mice effectively. In conclusion, PLGA and chitosan nanospheres loaded with histone H2A1 are an effective method for the development of vaccines against T. gondii. Further studies should focus on evaluating the regulatory mechanism of TgH2A1, vaccine potency, and cellular response in chronic T. gondii infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]