Search

Linjuan Xia,1 Zehua Yang,2 Qincai Mu,3 Yulin Ji,1 Juncheng Lyu4 1College of Nursing, Dali University, Dali, Yunnan, 671000, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second People’s Hospital of Dali City, Dali, Yunnan, 671003, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Obstetrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University, Dali, Yunnan, 671000, People’s Republic of China; 4School of Public Health, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, 261053, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Juncheng Lyu, Email cheng_china@163.comObjective: This study aimed to identify and evaluate risk factors associated with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in mainland China.Methods: Eight electronic databases were searched for literature published from January 2010 until December 2023. Heterogeneity was quantified using I2. Data were pooled by fixed or random effects models and expressed as odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals.Results: A total of 69 observational studies with an overall sample size of 2,138,032 Chinese women and 219,303 patients with GDM were included in the analysis. After adjusting confounders, older maternal age (OR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.09– 1.15), maternal age ≥ 35 years (OR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.74– 2.21), higher pre-pregnancy body mass index (OR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.17– 1.32), pre-pregnancy overweight (OR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.64– 1.92) or obesity (OR 2.52, 95% CI: 2.06– 3.08), family history of diabetes (OR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.58– 2.17), history of GDM (OR = 4.09, 95% CI: 2.13– 7.82), and elevated levels of fasting plasma glucose (OR = 2.54, 95% CI: 2.13– 3.01), hemoglobin (OR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.14– 1.89) and serum triglycerides (OR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.31– 2.16) in early pregnancy were associated with an increased risk of GDM in mainland China. But gravidity ≥ 2 (OR = 1.06, 95% CI: 0.89– 1.27), conception by assisted reproductive technology analyses (OR = 1.54, 95% CI: 0.95– 2.51) were not associated with GDM, and parity ≥ 1 (OR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.82– 0.94) was related to lower risk of GDM. In available unadjusted studies, history of abortion (OR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.31– 1.37) increased risk of GDM, non-Han ethnicity (OR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.59– 1.03) and high school or lower education level (OR1.09, 95% CI: 0.94– 1.26) showed no correlation with GDM.Conclusion: The key risk factors for GDM in mainland China included older maternal age, maternal age ≥ 35 years, pre-pregnancy overweight or obesity, family history of diabetes, history of GDM, elevated levels of FPG, Hb, and serum TG in early pregnancy. Early identification and intervention for women at high risk should be performed to prevent the development of GDM.Keywords: gestational diabetes mellitus, risk factors, mainland China, systematic review, meta-analysis

Zirui Bian,1,* Tianzhe Bao,2,* Xuequan Sun,3,4 Ning Wang,1 Qian Mu,5 Ting Jiang,6 Zhongxiang Yu,6 Junhang Ding,2 Ting Wang,7 Qihui Zhou2 1Department of Bone, Huangdao District Central Hospital, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China; 2Qingdao Key Laboratory of Materials for Tissue Repair and Rehabilitation, School of Rehabilitation Sciences and Engineering, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China; 3Weifang Eye Institute, Weifang Eye Hospital, Zhengda Guangming Eye Group, Weifang, People’s Republic of China; 4Zhengda Guangming International Eye Research Center, Qingdao Zhengda Guangming Eye Hospital, Qingdao University, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Biomaterials, LongScience Biological (Qingdao) Co, LTD, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China; 6Heart Center, Qingdao Hiser Hospital Affiliated of Qingdao University (Qingdao Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital), Qingdao University, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China; 7Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Qihui Zhou; Junhang Ding, Tel +86-17660670299, Email qihuizhou@uor.edu.cn; dingjunhang@uor.edu.cnIntroduction: The emergence and rapid spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria (MRB) caused by the excessive use of antibiotics and the development of biofilms have been a growing threat to global public health. Nanoparticles as substitutes for antibiotics were proven to possess substantial abilities for tackling MRB infections via new antimicrobial mechanisms. Particularly, carbon dots (CDs) with unique (bio)physicochemical characteristics have been receiving considerable attention in combating MRB by damaging the bacterial wall, binding to DNA or enzymes, inducing hyperthermia locally, or forming reactive oxygen species.Methods: Herein, how the physicochemical features of various CDs affect their antimicrobial capacity is investigated with the assistance of machine learning (ML) tools.Results: The synthetic conditions and intrinsic properties of CDs from 121 samples are initially gathered to form the raw dataset, with Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) being the output. Four classification algorithms (KNN, SVM, RF, and XGBoost) are trained and validated with the input data. It is found that the ensemble learning methods turn out to be the best on our data. Also, ϵ-poly(L-lysine) CDs (PL-CDs) were developed to validate the practical application ability of the well-trained ML models in a laboratory with two ensemble models managing the prediction.Discussion: Thus, our results demonstrate that ML-based high-throughput theoretical calculation could be used to predict and decode the relationship between CD properties and the anti-bacterial effect, accelerating the development of high-performance nanoparticles and potential clinical translation. Keywords: carbon dots, machine learning, antibacterial, minimum inhibitory concentration, classification algorithms

Gang Chen,1 Qing Mu,1 Zhao-Ji Meng2 1Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, People’s Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Immune Allergy, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, People’s Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Gang Chen, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, People’s Hospital of Zhengzhou University, 7 Weiwu Road, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450003, People’s Republic of China, Email chengangvips@163.comBackground: Dysregulation and pyroptosis of T-helper (Th) cells and inflammatory cytokines have been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the immune response mechanisms as a consequence of tobacco smoke exposure are not fully understood. We hypothesized that cigarette smoke-induced inflammation could be modulated through the cytokine milieu and T-cell nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs).Methods: The proportions of peripheral blood Th1 and Th2 cells from patients with COPD, smokers without airway obstruction and healthy nonsmokers were analyzed using flow cytometry. The levels of plasma proinflammatory cytokines and their potential association with pulmonary function were also measured. The influence of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) on the conditioned differentiation of T helper cell subsets was further examined in vitro.Results: Significantly higher Th1 cell and plasma IFN-γ and IL-18 levels but lower levels of Th2 cells were found in the peripheral blood from patients with COPD. The increased plasma levels of IFN-γ and IL-18 were negatively correlated with pulmonary function (FEV1% predicted value). Pyroptosis participates in COPD development probably through the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome upon exposure to CSE. CSE does not directly induce the differentiation of T helper cells; however, under conditioned medium, CSE promotes Th1 development through α 7 nAChR modification, while it does not substantially interfere with Th2 differentiation.Conclusion: The differences in the cytokine milieu play a key role in the effects of CSE on the immune response in patients with COPD.Keywords: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, cigarette smoke, T helper 1, Th1 cells, Th2, nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, nAChRs

Xigetu He,1,* Bailing Wang,1,* Xiujuan Jia,1 Yanfei Li,2 Hongxia Yan,1 Qiri Mu,1 Shana Chen3 1Department of Dermatology, International Mongolian Hospital of Inner Mongolia, Hohhot, 010020, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Dermatology, The First Hospital of Hohhot, Hohhot, 010010, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Hematology, International Mongolian Hospital of Inner Mongolia, Hohhot, 010020, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Qiri Mu, Department of Dermatology, International Mongolian Hospital of Inner Mongolia, China, 83 University East Street, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, People’s Republic of China, Email muqiri28@163.com Shana Chen, Department of Hematology, International Mongolian Hospital of Inner Mongolia, 83 University East Street, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, People’s Republic of China, Email csnxyk@163.comAbstract: Facial flushing is one of the common conditions in dermatology, which affects the aesthetic of patients to a great extent, and even leads to psychological and economic burdens. The most common causes of facial flushing are often inflammatory skin diseases such as rosacea, contact dermatitis, and others, but the facial flushing as a sign can also be the cutaneous manifestation of systemic disease. Telangiectasia macularis eruptiva perstans (TMEP) is a rare disease associated with mast cells. Here, we describe an unusual clinical finding with persistent facial flushing in a patient with TMEP.Keywords: facial flushing, telangiectasia macularis eruptiva perstans, cutaneous mastocytosis, dermoscopy, mast cells

Tegexibaiyin Wang,1,* Fen Liu,2,* Xiujuan Jia,3 Jing Tan,3 Baopeng Qi,4 Jingxue Guo,4 Qiri Mu,3 Hong Zhang5 1Laboratory of Pharmacy, International Mongolian Hospital of Inner Mongolia, Hohhot, 010065, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Intensive Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, 250014, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Dermatology, International Mongolian Hospital of Inner Mongolia, Hohhot, 010020, People’s Republic of China; 4Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, 010010, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Pediatrics, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Qiri Mu, Department of Dermatology, International Mongolian Hospital of Inner Mongolia, 83 University East Street, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, 010020, People’s Republic of China, Email muqiri28@163.com Hong Zhang, Department of Pediatrics, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, 107 Wenhua West Road, Jinan, 250012, People’s Republic of China, Email zhanghong681011@163.comBackground: The biomarker to predict the depression in patients with rosacea was absent.Objective: We aimed to explore the potential association between BDNF and depression in patients with rosacea, and also to determine whether serum BDNF level is a potential biomarker for identifying depression in patients with rosacea.Methods: The patients with rosacea, rosacea with depression and healthy control were included, clinical evaluation (DLQI, RSSs, BDI-II) and serum BDNF levels detection were performed on subjects, the comparisons and correlation analysis of the obtained data were performed.Results: In clinical evaluation, whether DLQI or RSSs, rosacea with depression group was significantly higher compared to rosacea group. Besides, we found the serum BDNF levels were lower in patients with rosacea and rosacea with depression compared to healthy controls, also in the rosacea with depression group, serum BDNF levels were lower than in rosacea patients. Whatever in rosacea or rosacea with depression group, the statistical significance of serum BDNF levels between the different subtypes like the ETR and PPR was not found. In further correlation analysis, we found no correlation between serum BDNF and RSSs in patients with rosacea whatever the subtype of ETR or PPR. Interestingly, we found a negative correlation between serum BDNF levels and BDI-II in rosacea with depression group, the decreased serum BDNF levels were associated with the increased BDI-II, also the ROC confirmed it can evaluate the depression in patients with rosacea.Conclusion: Serum BDNF level is a potential biomarker for identifying depression in patients with rosacea.Keywords: rosacea, biomarker, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, depression

Cong Shi,1,&ast; Shengping Gong,2,&ast; An Wu,3 Tingting Niu,1 Ningning Wu,1 Yi Zhang,1 Guifang Ouyang,3 Qitian Mu1 1Laboratory of Stem Cell Transplantation, Ningbo First Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China; 2Cancer Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy Center, Ningbo First Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China; 3Hematology Department, Ningbo First Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Guifang Ouyang; Qitian Mu, Email nbhematology@163.com; muqitian@163.comBackground: Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a group of heterogeneous myeloid clonal diseases originating from hematopoietic stem cells. It has been demonstrated that fibrinogen (FIB) is associated with disease risk in several cancer types. Coagulation and fibrinolysis problems are widespread in MDS patients. Therefore, FIB might be one of these indicators. We thus examined the role of FIB levels in the prognosis of MDS.Methods: A cohort of 198 MDS patients were retrospectively analyzed to explore the prognostic value of the plasma FIB levels at diagnosis. Patients were divided into the high FIB group and low FIB group. The prognostic significance of FIB was determined by univariate and multivariate Cox hazard models.Results: In our cohort, the FIB levels in 198 MDS patients were higher than those in 100 healthy donors (3.9 g/L vs 2.9 g/L, P < 0.0001). MDS patients with high FIB levels had significantly shorter overall survival (OS; P = 0.001) and decreased leukemia-free survival (LFS; P = 0.036). Multivariate cox proportional hazards regression analysis indicated that, in addition to older age, gender, lower HB, poorer karyotype for OS, lower NE, and higher bone marrow blast percentage for OS and LFS, elevated FIB level was also an independent adverse prognostic factor for OS (P = 0.045) but not for LFS (P = 0.188).Conclusion: Elevated FIB levels may be associated with mortality risk among MDS patients and could predict disease progress and patient prognosis. Thus, assessment of FIB levels may promote the determination of the prognosis of MDS patients.Keywords: myelodysplastic syndrome, IPSS-R, prognostic, overall survival, fibrinogen

Rina Wu,1,&ast; Mengying Leng,2,&ast; Qila Sa,1 Qiri Mu,1 Haiguang Zhao2 1Department of Dermatology, International Mongolian Hospital of Inner Mongolia, Hohhot, 010020, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Plastic Surgery, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266035, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Qiri Mu, Department of Dermatology, International Mongolian Hospital of Inner Mongolia, 83 University East Street, Hohhot, 010020, Inner Mongolia, People’s Republic of China, Email muqiri28@163.comAbstract: With the rapid development of minimally invasive cosmetic procedures, the group receiving minimally invasive cosmetic procedures is gradually on the rise. The adverse reactions or complications of minimally invasive cosmetic procedures also show an upward trend, but clinicians especially the cosmetic dermatologist should be identified and pay attention to the prevention and treatment in such reactions associated with minimally invasive cosmetic procedures in clinical practice. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), which as a novel treatment option for acne scars, has shown good cosmetic results. Here, we report a case with eczema herpeticum following skin microneedling plus PRP therapy in a patient with atrophic acne scars.Keywords: microneedling, cosmetic, infection, complication, PRP

Caifen Zheng,1 Yongping Zhang,2 Yingchun Zhao,3 Yuanfang Duan,1 Qianghua Mu,1 Xinying Wang1 1Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First People’s Hospital of Lianyungang, Lianyungang, People’s Republic of China; 2Blood Purifying Center, The First People’s Hospital of Lianyungang, Lianyungang, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The First People’s Hospital of Lianyungang, Lianyungang, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Yingchun ZhaoDepartment of Cardiovascular Medicine, The First People’s Hospital of Lianyungang, No. 6 East Zhenhua Road, Haizhou, Lianyungang, Jiangsu, 222061, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-0518-85767023Email zyc6469@126.comBackground: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been identified to play roles in the respiratory diseases. Here, this study aimed to elucidate the function of circRNA oxysterol binding protein like 2 (circOSBPL2) in the development of smoke-related chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD).Methods: The expression of circ-OSBPL2, microRNA (miR)-193a-5p, and bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) was detected using qRT-PCR and Western blot assays. Cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-induced human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs) was applied to mimic smoke-related COPD in vitro. Flow cytometric analysis of cell apoptosis and ELISA analysis of interleukins (IL)-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels were performed. The malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) production levels were analyzed according to the kit instructions. The binding interaction between miR-193a-5p and circ-OSBPL2 or BRD4 was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation assays.Results: Circ-OSBPL2 was highly expressed in lung tissues of smokers without or with COPD, particularly in smokers with COPD. Also, the expression of circ-OSBPL2 was dose and time-dependently elevated in CSE-induced HBECs. Circ-OSBPL2 down-regulation in HBECs attenuated CSE-evoked cell proliferation arrest, and cell apoptosis, inflammation and oxidative stress promotion. Mechanistically, circ-OSBPL2 served as a sponge for miR-193a-5p, and miR-193a-5p inhibition reversed the effects of circ-OSBPL2 knockdown on CSE-mediated HBECs. Besides that, miR-193a-5p directly targeted BRD4, and miR-193a-5p re-expression in HBECs abolished CSE-induced HBEC injury, which was reverted by BRD4 up-regulation. Additionally, we also found circ-OSBPL2 could indirectly regulate BRD4 via miR-193a-5p.Conclusion: Circ-OSBPL2 contributed to the apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress of HBECs in smoke-related COPD by miR-193a-5p/BRD4 axis, suggesting a novel insight on the pathogenesis of COPD and a potential therapeutic strategy for future clinic intervention in COPD.Keywords: circ-OSBPL2, miR-193a-5p, BRD4, COPD

Miaomei Yu,1 Lili Pan,1 Chen Sang,2 Qinfeng Mu,1 Lu Zheng,1 Guanghua Luo,1 Ning Xu31Comprehensive Laboratory, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213003, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213003, People’s Republic of China; 3Section of Clinical Chemistry and Pharmacology, Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Lunds University, Lund S‑22185, SwedenObjective: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors with high mortality-to-incidence ratios. Apolipoprotein M (ApoM), a member of the apolipoprotein family, is mainly synthesized in the liver, whereas its role in HCC has not been elucidated. Here, we examined the effect of ApoM on the biological behavior of HCC cells and the possible mechanisms.Methods: We used CRISPR/Cas9 technology to knock out ApoM in SMMC7721 cells. Differentially expressed genes before and after ApoM knockout (KO) were analyzed by GeneChip microarrays and confirmed by qRT-PCR. Cell assays of proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion were performed in SMMC7721 cells, and the expression of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers was performed by western blot. And we performed functional recovery experiments by overexpressing vitamin D receptor (VDR) in SMMC7721.Results: The ApoM-KO SMMC7721 cell line was successfully constructed using the CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Our results showed that silencing ApoM suppressed apoptosis and promoted proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT of SMMC7721 cells. The microarray data revealed that a total of 1,868 differentially expressed genes were identified, including VDR. The qRT-PCR and western blot verification results demonstrated that knocking out ApoM could significantly reduce the expression of VDR. The functional recovery experiments indicated that VDR overexpression could offset the inhibition of cell apoptosis and the promotion of cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT caused by knocking out ApoM in SMMC7721 cells.Conclusion: ApoM could function as a tumor suppressor to inhibit the growth and metastasis of SMMC7721 cells via VDR signaling in HCC.Keywords: apolipoprotein M, CRISPR/Cas9, hepatocellular carcinoma cells, GeneChip microarrays, vitamin D receptor

Compacted loess is widely used as a construction material in engineering practices. The compaction dry density and compaction water content have significant effects on the hydromechanical behavior of compacted loess, thereby influencing the serviceability and safety of engineering structures. The former was widely studied in previous studies, while the latter is rarely known. In this study, the water retention, compression, and collapse behavior of compacted loess at different compaction water contents are investigated through pressure plate and oedometer tests. Microstructure analysis was carried out for insight analysis of the test results. The air entry value and yield stress of compacted loess decreased by 64% and 50%, respectively, with the compaction water content increasing from 12.4% to 19.0%. This is due to the fact that the number of clods increases with increasing the compaction water content, leading to many large-sized pores (i.e., diameter > 1,000 μm) and weaker soil skeletons. The influence of compaction water content on the water retention and compression behavior of loess is more pronounced at lower compaction dry densities and lower testing water contents, respectively. In addition, the specimen shows smaller collapse indexes at higher compaction water contents, mainly because of the larger deformation induced by the initial compression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the effects of in-situ drying–wetting pattern on the stress-dependent water retention curve of intact loess is vital for addressing geotechnical problems in loess regions. The principal objective of this study is to investigate the influence of in-situ drying–wetting on the stress-dependent water retention behavior of intact loess. To meet this objective, six drying–wetting tests were carried out using a suction- and stress-controlled pressure plate extractor. Intact loess was sampled from three different depths: 1.0, 3.0, and 5.0 m. For specimens from each depth, two vertical net stresses (i.e., 0 and 50 kPa) were applied prior to the drying–wetting cycle. Experimental results revealed that the in-situ drying–wetting pattern greatly affected various aspects of the water retention behavior, particularly the hysteresis. The hysteresis of the specimen from 5.0 m is about 82% and 77% larger than that of the specimens from 1.0 and 3.0 m, respectively. This is because the specimen from 5.0 m has some large-size pores (i.e., >400 μm), which were not found in specimens from 1.0 and 3.0 m. These large-size pores enhance pore nonuniformity and hence the hysteresis. Furthermore, specimens from different depths consistently showed a reduction of hysteresis when the stress was increased from 0 to 50 kPa. The reduction is the most significant for a specimen from 5.0 m due to the collapse of large-size pores under compression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the association of inflammation and immune responses with the outcomes of patients at various stages, and to develop risk stratification for improving clinical practice and reducing mortality. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We included 77 patients with primary outcomes of either death or survival. Demographics, clinical features, comorbidities, and laboratory tests were compared. Linear, logistic, and Cox regression analyses were performed to determine prognostic factors. RESULTS: The average age was 59 years (35-87 years). There were 12 moderate cases (16.2%), 42 severe cases (54.5%), and 23 critical cases (29.9%); and 41 were male (53.2%). Until March 20, 68 cases were discharged (88.3%), and nine critically ill males (11.7%) died. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels on the 1st day were compared with IL-6 values on the 14th day in the severe and the critically ill surviving patients (F=4.90, p=0.034, ß=0.35, 95% CI: 0.00-0.10), and predicted death in the critically ill patients (p=0.028, ß=0.05, OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.01-1.10). CD4+ T-cell counts at admission decreased the hazard ratio of death (p=0.039, ß=-0.01, hazard ratio=0.99, 95% CI: 0.98-1.00, and median survival time 13.5 days). CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrated that IL-6 levels and CD4+ T-cell count at admission played key roles of predictors in the prognosis, especially for critically ill patients. High levels of IL-6 and impaired CD4+ T-cells are seen in severe and critically ill patients with COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to discuss the prognostic significance of peripheral interleukin-6 (IL-6) and CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in COVID-19. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighty-four COVID-19 patients were retrospectively analyzed and classified into three groups, including the moderate group (15 cases), the serious group (45 cases), and the critical group (24 cases). The levels of peripheral IL-6, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells and CD4+/CD8+ were determined for each group. It was assessed whether these indicators were correlated to the prognosis and death risks of COVID-19 patients. RESULTS: The three groups of COVID-19 patients differed significantly in the levels of peripheral IL-6 and CD4+ and CD8+ cells. The IL-6 levels in the critical, moderate, and serious groups were increased successively, but the changed levels of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were just opposite to that of IL-6 (p<0.05). The peripheral IL-6 level increased dramatically in the death group, while the levels of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells decreased significantly (p<0.05). The peripheral IL-6 level was significantly correlated with the level of CD8+ T cells and CD4+/CD8+ ratio in the critical group (p<0.05). The logistic regression analysis indicated a dramatic increase in the peripheral IL-6 level in the death group (p=0.025). CONCLUSIONS: The aggressiveness and survival of COVID-19 were highly correlated with the increases in IL-6 and CD4+/CD8+ T cells. The fatalities of COVID-19 individuals remained at increased incidence due to elevated peripheral IL-6 levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(B) Physical examination showed solitary swelling and erythematous cutaneous lesion with a central ulcer involving the forefinger of the left hand. A 35-year-old otherwise healthy male shepherd was presented with a 5-day history of solitary cutaneous lesion on the forefinger of his left hand with slight pain. Physical examination showed solitary swelling and erythematous cutaneous lesion with a central ulcer involving the forefinger of the left hand (Figure 1B). [Extracted from the article]

Emanuel, R. L., J. S. Torday, Q. Mu, N. Asokananthan, K. A. Sikorski, and M. E. Sunday. Bombesin-like peptides and receptors in normal fetal baboon lung: roles in lung growth and maturation. Am. J. Physiol. 277 (Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol. 21): L1003-L1017, 1999.--Previously, we have shown that bombesin-like peptide (BLP) promotes fetal lung development in rodents and humans but mediates postnatal lung injury in hyperoxic baboons. The present study analyzed the normal ontogeny of BLP and BLP receptors as well as the effects of BLP on cultured normal fetal baboon lungs. Transcripts encoding gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP), a pulmonary BLP, were detectable on gestational day 60 (ED60), peaked on approximately ED90, and then declined before term (ED180). Numbers of BLP-immunopositive neuroendocrine cells peaked from ED80 to ED125 and declined by ED 160, preceding GRP-receptor mRNAs detected from ED125 until birth. BLP (0.1-10 nM) stimulated type II cell differentiation in organ cultures as assessed by [[sup.3]H]choline incorporation into surfactant phospholipids, electron microscopy, and increased surfactant protein (SP) A- and/or SP-C-immunopositive cells and SP-A mRNA. BLP also induced neuroendocrine differentiation on ED60. Cell proliferation was induced by GRP, peaking on ED90. Similarly, blocking BLP degradation stimulated lung growth and maturation, which was completely reversed by a BLP-specific antagonist. The dissociation between GRP and GRP-receptor gene expression during ontogeny suggests that novel BLP receptors and/or peptides might be implicated in these responses. gastrin-releasing peptide; phyllolitorin; CD10/neutral endopeptidase 24.11; surfactant phospholipid synthesis; deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis

Previous investigations of the volume change of soil with different fabric patterns have been mostly carried out at a constant temperature. To investigate the influence of the specimen preparation method on the volume change of saturated clay under cyclic thermal loads, reconstituted, intact and recompacted specimens were tested. Thermal axial strains of these specimens in a normally consolidated state were measured using a temperature-controlled invar oedometer apparatus. The soil fabric of each specimen was evaluated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a mercury intrusion porosimeter (MIP). All specimens showed continuous contraction as the number of thermal cycles increased, albeit at a decreasing rate. After five heating and cooling cycles with temperatures ranging from 15 to 70°C, the accumulated plastic axial strain of the reconstituted specimen was 38% and 68% larger than those of the intact and recompacted specimens, respectively. The SEM visualisations and MIP measurements demonstrate that these observed differences can likely be attributed to different distributions of clay particles in the soil specimens (with a 28% clay content). In the intact and recompacted specimens, most of the clay particles formed silt-size aggregates. In the reconstituted specimen, the clay particles filled the spaces between silt particles and the soil fabric was homogeneous overall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elemental Carbon (EC) has significant impact on human health and climate change. In order to evaluate the size segregation of EC emission and investigation of its influence on atmospheric transport processes in Europe, we used the fully coupled online Weather Research and Forecasting/Chemistry model (WRF-Chem) at a resolution of 2 km focusing on a region in Germany, in conjunction with a high-resolution EC emission inventory. The ground meteorology conditions, vertical structure and wind pattern were well reproduced by the model. The simulations of particle number/mass size distributions were evaluated by observations taken at the central European background site Melpitz. The fine mode aerosol was reasonably well simulated, but the coarse mode was substantially overestimated by the model. We found that it was mainly due to the nearby point source plume emitting a high amount of EC in the coarse mode. The comparisons between simulated EC and Multi-angle Absorption Photometers (MAAP) measurements at Melpitz, Leipzig-TROPOS and Bösel indicated that coarse mode EC (ECc) emission in the nearby point sources might be overestimated by a factor of 2-10. The emission fraction of EC in coarse mode was overestimated by about 10-30% for Russian and 5-10% for Eastern Europe (e.g.: Poland and Belarus), respectively. This overestimation in ECc emission fraction makes EC particles having less opportunity to accumulate in the atmosphere and participate to the long range transport, due to the shorter lifetime of coarse mode aerosol. The deposition concept model showed that the transported EC mass from Warsaw and Moskva to Melpitz may be reduced by 25-35 and 25-55% respectively, due to the overestimation of ECc emission fraction. This may partly explain the underestimation of EC concentrations for Germany under eastern wind pattern in some other modelling research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The WACMOS-ET project aims to advance the development of land evaporation estimates at global and regional scales. Its main objective is the derivation, validation and inter-comparison of a group of existing evaporation retrieval algorithms driven by a common forcing data set. Three commonly used process-based evaporation methodologies are evaluated: the Penman-Monteith algorithm behind the oficial Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) evaporation product (PM-MOD), the Global Land Evaporation Amsterdam Model (GLEAM), and the Priestley and Taylor Jet Propulsion Laboratory model (PT-JPL). The resulting global spatiotemporal variability of evaporation, the closure of regional water budgets and the discrete estimation of land evaporation components or sources (i.e. transpiration, interception loss and direct soil evaporation) are investigated using river discharge data, independent global evaporation data sets and results from previous studies. In a companion article (Part 1), Michel et al. (2015) inspect the performance of these three models at local scales using measurements from eddy-covariance towers, and include the assessment the Surface Energy Balance System (SEBS) model. In agreement with Part 1, our results here indicate that the Priestley and Taylor based products (PT-JPL and GLEAM) perform overall best for most ecosystems and climate regimes. While all three products adequately represent the expected average geographical patterns and seasonality, there is a ten dency from PM-MOD to underestimate the flux in the tropics and subtropics. Overall, results from GLEAM and PT-JPL appear more realistic when compared against surface water balances from 837 globally-distributed catchments, and against separate evaporation estimates from ERA-Interim and the Model Tree Ensemble (MTE). Nonetheless, all products manifest large dissimilarities during conditions of water stress and drought, and deficiencies in the way evaporation is partitioned into its different components. This observed inter-product variability, even when common forcing is used, implies caution in applying a single data set for large-scale studies in isolation. A general finding that different models perform better under different conditions highlights the potential for considering biome- or climate-specific composites of models. Yet, the generation of a multi-product ensemble, with weighting based on validation analyses and uncertainty assessments, is proposed as the best way forward in our long-term goal to develop a robust observational benchmark data set of continental evaporation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The WACMOS-ET project has compiled a forcing data set covering the period 2005- 2007 that aims to maximize the exploitation of European Earth Observations data sets for evapotranspiration (ET) estimation. The data set was used to run 4 estab- lished ET algorithms: the Priestley-Taylor Jet Propulsion Laboratory model (PT-JPL), the Penman-Monteith algorithm from the MODIS evaporation product (PM-MOD), the Surface Energy Balance System (SEBS) and the Global Land Evaporation Amsterdam Model (GLEAM). In addition, in-situ meteorological data from 24 FLUXNET towers was used to force the models, with results from both forcing sets compared to tower-based flux observations. Model performance was assessed across several time scales using both sub-daily and daily forcings. The PT-JPL model and GLEAM provide the best performance for both satellite- and tower-based forcing as well as for the considered temporal resolutions. Simulations using the PM-MOD were mostly underestimated, while the SEBS performance was characterized by a systematic overestimation. In general, all four algorithms produce the best results in wet and moderately wet climate regimes. In dry regimes, the correlation and the absolute agreement to the reference tower ET observations were consistently lower. While ET derived with in situ forcing data agrees best with the tower measurements (R² =0.67), the agreement of the satellite-based ET estimates is only marginally lower (R² =0.58). Results also show similar model performance at daily and sub-daily (3-hourly) resolutions. Overall, our validation experiments against in situ measurements indicate that there is no single best-performing algorithm across all biome and forcing types. An extension of the evaluation to a larger selection of 85 towers (model inputs re-sampled to a common grid to facilitate global estimates) confirmed the original findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Hydrological Sciences Journal/Journal des Sciences Hydrologiques is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Case: The authors report a case with spontaneous renal hemorrhage caused by invasive mole. The diagnosis was gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD), with metastasis to brain, kidneys, and lungs at Stage IV. The patient was given etoposide-methotrexateactinomycin D plus cyclophosphamide-vincristine (EMACO) treatment regimen for 11 times including three times with consolidation chemotherapies. Laparoscopically-assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH) + laparoscopic-assisted left renal excision + evacuation of the left perirenal hematoma were performed during the eighth chemotherapy. Conclusion: Post-operational pathological examination revealed trophoblasts within the lesions present in uterine fundus and the residue images of a few trophoblasts present in the left renal mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma is known as a paraganglioma. This report describes a patient with a rare primary functioning hepatic paraganglioma that resulted in hypertension. Computed tomography showed a highly vascular lesion located in segment 6 of the liver; it measured 6 x 5.5 cm. A right hemihepatectomy was subsequently performed; this was followed by an uneventful recovery and the disappearance of hypertension. The imaging characteristics and therapeutic principles of this rare tumor were gleaned from a review of the literature. Identification of this malignant tumor or possible recurrence is difficult, so longterm follow-up is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although superconductivity in the vicinity of an antiferromagnetic (AFM) instability has been extensively explored in the last three decades or so, superconductivity in compounds with a background of ferromagnetic (FM) spin fluctuations is still rare. We report 75As nuclear quadrupole resonance measurements on the A2Cr3As3 family, which is the first group of Cr-based superconductors at ambient pressure, with A being alkali elements. From the temperature dependence of the spin-lattice relaxation rate (1/T1), we find that by changing A in the order of A = Na, Na0.75K0.25, K, and Rb, the system is tuned to approach a possible FM quantum critical point (QCP). This may be ascribed to the Cr2-As2-Cr2 bond angle that decreases towards 90°, which enhances the FM interaction via the Cr2-As2-Cr2 path. Upon moving away from the QCP, the superconducting transition temperature Tsc increases progressively up to 8.0 K in Na2Cr2As3, which is in sharp contrast to the AFM case where Tsc usually shows a maximum around a QCP. The 1/T1 decreases rapidly below Tsc with no Hebel-Slichter peak, and ubiquitously follows a T5 variation below a characteristic temperature T* 0.6 Tsc, which indicates the existence of point nodes in the superconducting gap function commonly in the family. These results suggest that the A2Cr3As3 family is a possible solid-state analog of superfluid ³He. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is largely unidentified concerning the underlying genetic causes responsible for triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC), with unpredictable disease recurrence. This study aimed to examine the role of ZNF703 (Zinc finger 703) in the malignant behaviors of TNBC and its role in predicting disease-free survival (DFS)., Methods: After downregulation of ZNF703 with short interfering RNA (siRNA), we examined the proliferation of TNBC cell line MDA-MB-231 by sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay, the invasion of cells by a transwell invasion model, and the migration of cells by the monolayer wound-healing experiment. mRNA-sequencing data of ZNF703, BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, CHEK2, CDH1, PTEN, STK11, ATM, and TP53, and corresponding clinical information were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset for a total of 157 stage I-III TNBC samples. The selection of modeling features was executed using the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression algorithm to avoid model overfitting. The TIMER 2.0 algorithm determined the associations between immune score and gene expressions. Kaplan-Meier analysis was conducted to plot survival analyses., Results: The aggressive tumor morphology, cell proliferation, cell migration, and cell invasion were partly reversed by the siRNA knockdown of ZNF703 in MDA-MB-231 cells. ZNF703 knockdown markedly enhanced the killing ability of cisplatin These phenomena were verified by another TNBC cell line BT-549. Patients with high expression of ZNF703 had an inferior DFS for TNBC patients at 8 years [Hazard ratio (HR) for high expression vs. low expression was 2.71; 95 %CI, 1.03 to 7.14, P = 0.044]. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was also developed, indicating the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.744 (95 %CI, 0.628 to 0.861) at 5 years and 0.738 (95 %CI, 0.552 to 0.924) at 8 years, respectively. In addition, LASSO regression results showed that the optimal penalization parameter corresponds to two prognostic genes - ZNF703 and STK11. The risk score was computed as Risk Score (RS) = 0.1033*ZNF703 + 0.2131*STK11 (named "ZS -TNBC model"). The high expression of both ZNF703 and STK11 had as high as 7.035 HR in comparison to the low-expression category (95 %CI, 2.044 to 24.206, P = 0.00197)., Conclusion: ZNF703 is required for the growth, invasion, and migratory behavior of TNBC cells. Downregulation of ZNF703 increases cisplatin efficacy. This study suggests that either ZNF703 alone or in conjunction with STK11 can be utilized to predict DFS in TNBC., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) with psychotic symptoms may predict more severe impairment in social functioning, but the underlying biological mechanisms remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate alterations in subcortical structural volume in PBD with and without psychotic symptoms., Methods: We recruited 24 psychotic PBD (P-PBD) patients, 24 non-psychotic PBD (NP-PBD) patients, and 18 healthy controls (HCs). All participants underwent scanning with a 3.0 T Siemens Trio scanner. The FreeSurfer 7.4.0 software was employed to calculate the volume of each subcortical structure. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was performed to identify brain regions with significant volume differences among the three groups, and then the inter-group comparisons were calculated. Partial correlation analyses were conducted to identify relationships between subcortical structural volumes and clinical features. Finally, receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was employed to verify the capacity to distinguish between P-PBD and NP-PBD, P-PBD and HCs, and NP-PBD and HCs., Results: ANCOVA revealed significant differences in the volumes of bilateral lateral ventricles, third ventricle, left thalamus, and right pallidum among three groups. Compared with HC, the third ventricle volume was increased in both groups of PBD patients, whereas the left thalamus and right pallidum volumes were decreased, and the bilateral lateral ventricles were enlarged in P-PBD patients. In contrast, only the third ventricle showed further enlargement in the group of P-PBD patients compared with NP-PBD patients. Partial correlation analyses revealed that episode times were associated with the third ventricle volume in P-PBD patients. Furthermore, ROC analyses indicated that volume in the left lateral ventricle exhibited the greatest capacity to distinguish between the P-PBD and NP-PBD, and the third ventricle performed best in distinguishing both the P-PBD group from HCs and the NP-PBD group from HCs. The combined metrics demonstrated greater diagnostic value in two-by-two comparisons., Conclusion: Current research suggests that PBD with psychotic symptoms may have more extensive lateral and third ventricular volume enlargement. Bilateral lateral ventricles may serve as potential neurobiomarkers to distinguish P- PBD patients from NP-PBD patients., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest We declare that we have no financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that can inappropriately influence our work. No professional or other personal interest of any nature or kind could be interpreted as influencing the position presented in the manuscript entitled “Alterations of subcortical structural volume in pediatric bipolar disorder patients with and without psychotic symptoms” The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/ or publication of this article., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Fused silica is extensively used across various industries due to its superior properties, but densification can significantly alter its performance. Detecting these changes requires high spatial resolution, which challenges the limits of current testing methods. This study explores the use of scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM) to analyze densification in fused silica through a combination of experimental techniques-atomic force microscopy-based infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR) and s-SNOM-and computational methods, including first-principles calculations and the finite dipole model (FDM). The findings reveal that near-field phase signals are more accurate than amplitude signals in reflecting changes in densification. Building on these results, a quantitative model for characterizing densification in fused silica is proposed. These findings are compared with the results from the literature and comparison results show good concordance. This study introduces a nanoscale range precise, nondestructive method for assessing densification, offering a novel and reliable approach for characterizing point defects in fused silica.

Renowned for its invaluable undercoat, the cashmere goat is well known. The growth of cashmere fibre initiates when the relatively inactive telogen stage transitions to the anagen stage, which involves active proliferation. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for this process are still unclear. Here, SWATH mass spectrometry (MS), a comparative proteomic analysis, was conducted to examine the proteomic alterations in Inner Mongolia cashmere goat skin samples at two different developmental stages (anagen and telogen). In total, 2414 proteins were detected, with 631 proteins showing differential regulation (503 upregulated proteins and 128 downregulated proteins). Bioinformatic analysis revealed that these proteins, which are differentially regulated, play crucial roles in the pathways associated with metabolism and fatty acids according to the GO and KEGG analyses. Furthermore, interactome analysis revealed that differentially regulated keratins have a crucial impact. The localization of KRT25, KRT71, and KRT82 using immunohistochemistry revealed that these proteins were expressed in the secondary hair follicles of cashmere goat skin. The keratin family plays an irreplaceable and important role in the process of hair follicle growth., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The experimental animals were privately owned by the Aerbasi White Cashmere Goat Breeding Farm, and our experiments were performed after informed consent was obtained from the farm. All the animal investigations followed the International Guiding Principles for Biomedical Research involving animals and were approved by the Special Committee on Scientific Research and Academic Ethics of Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, which is responsible for the approval of Biomedical Research Ethics of Inner Mongolia Agricultural University (Approval No: (2020)056, project title: the International Guiding Principles for Biomedical Research involving animals, approval date: May 6th, 2020). The skin samples were taken aseptically using a biopsy punch under local anaesthetic to minimize pain and suffering to the animal. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)