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Summary: What is known and objective: An imbalance in the genetically controlled pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory cytokine production could potentially promote ongoing low‐grade inflammation following an episode of acute gastroenteritis and, subsequently, could result in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS; post‐infectious IBS, PI‐IBS). Since there is very little known on the impact of pro‐inflammatory cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) on IBS, we conducted the present study with aims of determining the correlation between TNF‐α gene polymorphisms (‐308 G > A and ‐238 G > A) and susceptibility to IBS and drug efficacy in children. Methods: Diarrhoea‐predominant IBS patients and healthy subjects were recruited for DNA extraction. The genotypes were tested using polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism. In addition to conventional symptomatic treatments, Live Combined Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus and Enterococcus Powder and Montmorillonite Powder were administered to all the patients participating in the study for consecutive 4 weeks. The efficacy was evaluated 2 weeks after the withdrawal of the drugs. The association between gene polymorphism and drug efficacy was analysed by means of binary logistic regression analysis. Results: Patients in the IBS group were susceptible to IBS with GA genotype and A allele of ‐308 G > A so were those with AA genotype and A allele of ‐238 G > A. The symptoms were also alleviated following treatment. The cure rate of patients with GA genotype of ‐308 G > A and AA genotype of ‐238 G > A was low. These findings suggested that the haplotype AA could potentially be associated with the cure rate of IBS patients. GA genotype of ‐308 G > A, AA genotype of ‐238 G > A, enterobacteria and 5‐hydroxytryptamine in serum may act adversely, whereas bifidobacterial may be beneficial to the efficacy of IBS treatment. What is new and conclusion: The above findings evidently suggest that the frequency of TNF‐α gene ‐308 G > A carrying GA genotype and A allele and ‐238 G > A carrying AA genotype and A allele is higher in children with IBS. Additionally, GA genotype of ‐308 G > A and AA genotype of ‐238 G > A may act adversely to the efficacy of IBS treatment, which may be a reference index for predicting the curative effect of IBS. The frequency of TNF‐α gene ‐308 G > A carrying GA genotype and A allele and ‐238 G > A carrying AA genotype and A allele is higher in children with IBS. Additionally, GA genotype of ‐308 G > A and AA genotype of ‐238 G > A may act adversely to the efficacy of IBS treatment, which may be a reference index for predicting the curative effect of IBS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. During in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) treatment, the reproductive endocrine regulatory mechanisms hold pivotal importance. Specifically, the serum estradiol ( E 2 ) level during ovulation emerges as a critical factor influencing pregnancy outcomes. This retrospective study aimed to comprehensively compare two common clinical regimens based on the grouping of serum E 2 levels and the number of oocytes retrieved on the trigger day. Our objective was to evaluate the pregnancy outcomes in IVF-ET patients across different ovarian response groups, exploring the efficacy of the dual-trigger and single-trigger regimens to provide valuable insights for optimizing clinical strategies in the context of IVF-ET. Methods. A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 2778 infertile patients who underwent ART (IVF/ICSI). Subsequently, a detailed statistical analysis was performed on 1032 patients following an antagonist regimen. Participants were categorized into single-trigger and dual-trigger groups based on real-world trigger protocols, considering different ovarian responses. Comprehensive statistical assessments were conducted on baseline characteristics, ovulation induction, and pregnancy outcomes. Results. Baseline characteristics and cycle parameters among the three patient groups (high ovarian response, normal response, and poor response) exhibited no significant differences between the dual-trigger and single-trigger regimen groups. Despite the dual-trigger regimen utilizing a significantly lower HCG dose, no notable discrepancies were observed in laboratory results and pregnancy outcomes (embryo transfer rate, pregnancy rate, and live birth rate) for normal and high responders. Remarkably, E 2 levels were higher in the dual-trigger group compared to the single-trigger group. In high and normal responders, the dual-trigger regimen demonstrated increased oocyte counts and oocyte acquisition rates, coupled with decreased transfer cancellation rates attributed to ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). Intriguingly, patients with a poor ovarian response experienced no graft cancellations due to OHSS prevention in either group. Conclusion. For patients with high and normal ovarian responses, the utilization of a dual-trigger regimen on the trigger day effectively mitigates the risk of OHSS. Our large sample study supports the substitutability of the dual-trigger regimen over the single-trigger regimen without compromising pregnancy outcomes. However, this conclusion is not applicable to patients with poor ovarian responses. The results of this study highlight the necessity of adopting a customized and individualized treatment approach that should be based on the patient's ovarian response. Additionally, recognizing the pivotal role of the endocrine environment in influencing pregnancy outcomes and the occurrence of OHSS, further exploration of the effects of different triggering regimens on endocrine parameters is warranted. Such investigations will contribute to enhancing the reproductive outcomes of IVF-ET technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The urchin‐like NiCo2O4 material was prepared by a one‐step hydrothermal method. The optimal synthetic conditions were systematically investigated by an orthogonal test method and single factor of hydrothermal time to evaluate the influence of sample morphology and electrochemical performance. The synthesis conditions for preparing NiCo2O4 with different morphologies were systematically studied. In the single factor experiment, when the hydrothermal time is 6, 12, 16, and 24 hours, the corresponding morphologies are urchin‐like (NCO‐U), flower‐like (NCO‐F), sheet‐like (NCO‐S), and block‐like (NCO‐B), respectively. The element content of the prepared materials under different synthesis conditions was tested by an inductive‐coupled plasma emission spectrometer, and an interesting phenomenon was found. As the reaction time increases, the content of Ni+ gradually decreases and the content of Co+ gradually increases, which may be one of the factors that affect the morphology and electrochemical performance of the material. The specific capacitances of NCO‐U, NCO‐F, NCO‐S, and NCO‐B are calculated to be 914.3, 392.2, 313.3, and 277.4 F g−1, respectively, at a current density of 1 A g−1. Benefiting from the large specific surface area and rich oxygen vacancy, the as‐fabricated urchin‐like NiCo2O4 as electrode materials for supercapacitor demonstrates its promising application potential for supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A compact monopolar microstrip patch antenna (MPA) with enhanced‐bandwidth is proposed. In order to achieve the miniaturized patch, the zeroth‐order mode of the MPA instead of its higher‐order modes is employed at first by loading the shorting pin around the center of the patch. After that, a L‐shaped microstrip line with a shorting pin is introduced at the periphery of the patch radiator to excite an additional non‐radiative mode for bandwidth enhancement. In final, the proposed MPA is fabricated and measured. The results illustrate that the antenna generates an enhanced‐bandwidth of about 4.1% ranging from 2.39 to 2.49 GHz, which is significantly larger than that of the traditional MPA around 1%. Meanwhile, the dimensions of the radiating patch are obviously decreased down due to the employment of zeroth‐order mode, which are kept as small as about 0.17 λ0 × 0.22 λ0 × 0.026 λ0 (λ0 is the free‐space wavelength). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Care‐giving burden and internalised stigma are prevalent among family caregivers of people diagnosed with schizophrenia. Internalised stigma has been regarded as a source of care‐giving burden. But it remains unclear if high levels of internalised stigma directly contribute to an increased risk of care‐giving burden or if the effects could be buffered by psychological factors. This cross‐sectional study was to investigate the relationship between internalised stigma and care‐giving burden, and to determine the mediating effects of coping styles and social support. Data were collected from 344 Chinese family caregivers of adults diagnosed with schizophrenia in a psychiatric outpatient department of a tertiary hospital in Changsha, Hunan between April and August 2018. A self‐reported questionnaire was used to collect data anonymously. Instruments included the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale and the Caregiver Burden Inventory. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, the Spearman correlation and regression analysis to estimate direct and indirect effects using bootstrap analysis. Results showed that internalised stigma, social support and passive coping were significant correlates of care‐giving burden; social support partially mediated the relationship between internalised stigma and care‐giving burden; active coping did not show impacts on internalised stigma and care‐giving burden. This study provided social workers and healthcare providers with a better understanding of the development of care‐giving burden. Comprehensive interventions should be designed to provide supportive resources and reduce the possibilities of internalisation of stigma and passive coping, to alleviate care‐giving burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A miniaturized wideband dual‐polarized microstrip patch antenna with enhanced radiation performance is proposed in this letter. First, eight parasitic patches loaded are employed in order to achieve apparent compact size. Then, four parasitic substrates are introduced to further decrease the resonant frequency of the antenna for size reduction. More importantly, the cross‐polarization (cross‐pol) is significantly reduced as the electric field at the edge of the radiation patch is balanced via these parasitic elements. After that, two coupled lines and transition lines placed on the substrate are connected by the probes, resulting in forming a new mode to effectively broaden the impedance bandwidth, and offer a good impedance matching. With these improvements, the volume of the antenna element is only kept of about 0.0032 λ03 (λ0 is the free space wavelength at the center frequency). Meanwhile, its bandwidth is obviously enhanced to about 15.8%. Finally, the 1 × 4 antenna array is fabricated and measured to validate the predicted performance. It presents that the impedance bandwidth of the array is about 18.8%. Besides, its dimension (0.0324 λ03) is only about 0.119–0.58 times of these previous works. Particularly, the wide HPBW and low cross‐pol are successfully acquired during the operating band. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) includes a series of typical lesions affected by retinal microvascular damage caused by diabetes mellitus (DM), which not only seriously damages the vision, affecting the life's quality of patients, but also brings a considerable burden to the family and society. Astragalus Membranaceus (AM) is a commonly used medicine in clinical therapy of eye disorders in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In recent years, it is also used for treating DR, but the specific mechanism is unclear. Therefore, this study explores the potential mechanism of AM in DR treatment by using network pharmacology. Methods. Based on the oral bioavailability (OB) and drug likeness (DL) of two ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion) parameters, Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database (TCMSP), Swiss Target Prediction platform, GeneCards, and OMIM database were used to predict and screen the active compounds of AM, the core targets of AM in DR treatment. The Metascape data platform was used to perform Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis on the core targets. Results. 24 active compounds were obtained, such as quercetin, kaempferol, and astragaloside IV. There were 169 effective targets of AM in DR treatment, and the targets were further screened and finally, 38 core targets were obtained, such as VEGFA, AKT1, and IL-6. EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance, AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and other metabolic pathways participated in oxidative stress, cell apoptosis, angiogenesis signal transduction, inflammation, and other biological processes. Conclusion. AM treats DR through multiple compounds, multiple targets, and multiple pathways. AM may play a role in the treatment of DR by targeting VEGFA, AKT1, and IL-6 and participating in oxidative stress, angiogenesis, and inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. In China, Oldenlandia diffusa (OD) is a natural herb that is widely used and has been proven to be effective in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study aimed to preliminarily reveal the mechanism by which OD exerts its beneficial effect. Methods. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography photodiode array was applied to identify the absorbable compounds in the plasma of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model rats. After 2 weeks, an OD decoction or the identified absorbable compound was administered to CIA rats. Morphology, X-ray images of the joints, pathological images, arthritis index, and cytokine (TNF-α and IL-6) levels were evaluated. Results. p-Coumaric acid (p-CA) was identified as the absorbed compound in plasma. After administration of p-CA solution or the OD decoction, symptoms in the treated rats were alleviated as compared to the untreated model rats, and inflammatory cell infiltration was suppressed. The arthritis index and serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were decreased as compared to the control group. Conclusions. OD may exert its anti-inflammatory effect on RA via its active ingredient, p-CA. This information sheds light on the mechanism by which OD exerts its anti-inflammatory effort in RA and forms the basis for further development of therapeutic agents for RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]