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Xin-Ying Cai,1 Shao-Yan Zheng,2 Zhen-Su Lin,2 Su-Zhi Chen,2 Wei-Yi Zhu,2 Jia-Jia Huang,2 Ze-Li Zheng,2 Yu-Hua Zhou2 1Clinical Research Center, Shantou Central Hospital, Shantou City, People’s Republic of China; 2Nursing Department, Shantou Central Hospital, Shantou City, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Yu-Hua Zhou, Nursing Department, Shantou Central Hospital, Wai-ma Road 114, Shantou City, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 0754-88903584, Fax +86 0754-88548117, Email zhouyuhua1023@163.comBackground: Medical workers have been increasingly involved in emergent public health events, which can lead to severe stress. However, no standardized, officially recognized, unified tool exists for mental distress measurement in medical workers who experienced the public health events.Purpose: In the present study, we propose the Global Health Events-Mental Stress Scale (GHE-MSS), as a revised version of the Impact of Event Scale-Revision (IES-R), for assessment of medical workers’ acute mental stress responses within one month and their chronic mental stress responses within six months after major health events.Patients and methods: The IES-R was slightly modified, developed, and its reliability and validity were tested using the Delphi survey, primary survey with 115 participants, formal survey with 300 participants, and clinical evaluation with 566 participants.Results: Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis confirmed a promising validity of the scale. The values of Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, the Spearman-Brown coefficient, and the retested Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the scale applied for the clinical evaluation were 0.88, 0.87, and 0.98, respectively, which confirmed a good internal consistency and stability. The results of the goodness-of-fit test indicated a good adaptation of the model. A correlation analysis was conducted to assess the correlation between the GHE-MSS and the PCL-C, which had a correlation coefficient of 0.68 (P< 0.01).Conclusion: GHE-MSS can be applied with a promising reliability and validity for the assessment of the acute mental stress response of medical workers experiencing public health events. This method can also be used for the screening of mental stress-associated disorders.Keywords: IES-R, global health events, mental stress scale, medical workers, mental disorders, mental stress responses

The insect gut bacteria play important roles in insect development and growth, such as immune defense, nutrient metabolism, regulating insect adaptations for plants, etc. The Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) is a destructive invasive pest that mainly feeds on solanaceae plants. However, the relationship between gut microflora and host adaption of T. absoluta remains to be known. In this study, we first compared the survival adaptability of T. absoluta feeding with two host plants (tomatoes and potatoes). The T. absoluta completed the generation cycle by feeding on the leaves of both plants. However, the larvae feeding on tomato leaves have shorter larvae durations, longer adult durations, and a greater number of egg production per female. After Single Molecular Real-Time (SMRT) sequencing, according to the LDA Effect Size (LEfSe) analysis, the gut bacterial biomarker of T. absoluta fed on tomato was Enterobacter cloacae and the gut bacterial biomarker of T. absoluta fed on potatoes was Staphylococcus gallinarum and Enterococcus gallinarum . Furthermore, a total of 6 and 7 culturable bacteria were isolated from the guts of tomato- and potato-treated T. absoluta , respectively. However, the isolated strains included bacterial biomarkers E. cloacae and S. gallinarum but not E. gallinarum . In addition, different stains bacterial biomarkers on T. absoluta feeding selection were also studied. E. cloacae enhanced the host preference of the SLTA ( T. absoluta of tomato strain) for tomato but had no impact on STTA ( T. absoluta of potato strain). S. gallinarum improved the host preference of STTA to a potato but did not affect SLTA. The results showed that the gut bacteria of T. absoluta were affected by exposure to different host plants, and the bacterial biomarkers played an important role in host adaptability. This study not only deepens our understanding of gut bacteria-mediated insect-plant interactions but also provides theoretical support for the development of environmentally friendly and effective agricultural pest control methods.

Background: This study aims to assess the associations of admission systolic blood pressure (SBP) level with spontaneous reperfusion (SR) and long-term prognosis in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients., Methods: Data from 3809 STEMI patients who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention within 24 h, as recorded in the Chinese STEMI PPCI Registry (NCT04996901), were analyzed. The primary endpoint was SR, defined as thrombolysis in myocardial infarction grade 2-3 flow of IRA according to emergency angiography. The second endpoint was 2-year all-cause mortality. The association between admission BP and outcomes was evaluated using Logistic regression or Cox proportional hazards models with restricted cubic splines, adjusting for clinical characteristics., Results: Admission SBP rather than diastolic BP was associated with SR after adjustment. Notably, this relationship exhibits a nonlinear pattern. Below 120mmHg, There existed a significant positive correlation between admission SBP and the incidence of SR (adjusted OR per 10-mmHg decrease for SBP ≤ 120 mm Hg: 0.800; 95% CI: 0.706-0.907; p<0.001); whereas above 120mmHg, no further improvement in SR was observed (adjusted OR per 10-mmHg increase for SBP >120 mm Hg: 1.019; 95% CI: 0.958-1.084, p = 0.552). In the analysis of the endpoint event of mortality, patients admitted with SBP ranging from 121 to 150 mmHg exhibited the lowest mortality compared with those SBP ≤ 120mmHg (adjusted HR: 0.653; 95% CI: 0.495-0.862; p = 0.003). In addition, subgroups analysis with Killip class I-II showed SBP ≤ 120mmHg was still associated with increased risk of mortality., Conclusion: The present study revealed admission SBP above 120 mmHg was associated with higher SR,30-d and 2-y survival rate in STEMI patients. The admission SBP could be a marker to provide clinical assessment and treatment., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04996901), 07/27/2021., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Neurodevelopmental disorders are currently one of the major complications faced by patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). Chronic hypoxia in the prenatal and postnatal preoperative brain may be associated with neurological damage and impaired long-term cognitive function, but the exact mechanisms are unknown. In this study, we find that delayed neuronal migration and impaired synaptic development are attributed to altered Atoh1 under chronic hypoxia. This is due to the fact that excessive Atoh1 facilitates expression of Kif21b, which causes excess in free-state α-tubulin, leading to disrupted microtubule dynamic stability. Furthermore, the delay in neonatal brain maturation induces cognitive disabilities in adult mice. Then, by down-regulating Atoh1 we alleviate the impairment of cell migration and synaptic development, improving the cognitive behavior of mice to some extent. Taken together, our work unveil that Atoh1 may be one of the targets to ameliorate hypoxia-induced neurodevelopmental disabilities and cognitive impairment in CHD., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: The apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele exerts a significant influence on peripheral inflammation and neuroinflammation, yet the underlying mechanisms remain elusive., Methods: The present study enrolled 54 patients diagnosed with late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD; including 28 APOE ε4 carriers and 26 non-carriers). Plasma inflammatory cytokine concentration was assessed, alongside bulk RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs)., Results: Plasma tumor necrosis factor α, interferon γ, and interleukin (IL)-33 levels increased in the APOE ε4 carriers but IL-7 expression notably decreased. A negative correlation was observed between plasma IL-7 level and the hippocampal atrophy degree. Additionally, the expression of IL-7R and CD28 also decreased in PBMCs of APOE ε4 carriers. ScRNA-seq data results indicated that the changes were mainly related to the CD4+ Tem (effector memory) and CD8+ Tem T cells., Discussion: These findings shed light on the role of the downregulated IL-7/IL-7R pathway associated with the APOE ε4 allele in modulating neuroinflammation and hippocampal atrophy., Highlights: The apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele decreases plasma interleukin (IL)-7 and aggravates hippocampal atrophy in Alzheimer's disease. Plasma IL-7 level is negatively associated with the degree of hippocampal atrophy. The expression of IL-7R signaling decreased in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of APOE ε4 carriers Dysregulation of the IL-7/IL-7R signal pathways enriches T cells., (© 2024 The Author(s). Alzheimer's & Dementia published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Alzheimer's Association.)

The traditional treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) mainly focuses on symptomatic treatment, and cannot restore the physiological structure and function of the intervertebral disc. Therefore, more and more scholars begin to pay attention to the application of regenerative medicine and its derived therapeutic methods in IVDD. From the histological perspective, the early stage of IVDD shows the imbalance between synthesis and catabolism, but the cell number and tissue structure are relatively complete, and the intervention of exogenous molecules or gene therapy can achieve extracellular matrix (ECM) regeneration. With the progress of IVDD, the replenishment of healthy cells is the key to treatment. In the final stage, the cell number and tissue structure are disordered. Biological materials with certain mechanical strength and cell load can be used to supplement ECM and healthy cells to realize the repair and regeneration of IVDD. Molecular, cell and gene therapy, combined with the application of new biomaterials, the treatment of IVDD is more inclined to compensate for the shortcomings through a combination approach in the future, in order to achieve the purpose of repair and regeneration.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of one-stage anterior debridement and bone graft fusion for the treatment of cervical pyogenic spondylodiscitis. Methods: This is a retrospective case series study. Retrospective analysis of clinical data from 23 patients with cervical pyogenic spondylodiscitis treated with one-stage anterior approach debridement and bone graft fusion was performed in the Department of Spinal Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from January 2015 to January 2020. There were 14 males and 9 females,aged (51.9±12.8) years (range:26 to 82 years). Preoperatively, 14 patients had neurological deficits, classified according to the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale as follows: grade A in 1 case, grade B in 1 case, grade C in 5 cases, and grade D in 7 cases . All patients underwent the one-stage anterior debridement and fusion procedure. The surgical time, blood loss, hospital stay, fusion time, and surgical complications were documented. Clinical efficacy was assessed using the visual analogue scale (VAS), the neck disability index (NDI), and the ASIA impairment scale. Preoperative and postoperative data were compared using paired sample t tests, repeated measures analysis of variance, and generalized estimating equations. Results: All the 23 patients underwent the operative procedures successfully. The operation time was (102.8±19.8) minutes (range:60 to 140 minutes), blood loss was (84.4±40.2) ml (range:30 to 160 ml), and the length of hospital stay was (17.4±6.0) days (range:10 to 30 days). Blood cultures were positive for the causative pathogen in 14 cases (60.8% positivity rate), while 9 cases had negative results. Irrigation fluid cultures yielded the causative pathogen in 19 cases (82.6% positivity rate), with 4 cases negative. All patients were followed up for more than 12 months, with a follow-up duration of (19.0±5.9) months (range:12 to 36 months). At the final follow-up, VAS improved from (5.9±1.1) points preoperatively to (0.8±0.3) points; NDI improved from (38.3±6.0)% preoperatively to (9.3±3.0)%, with statistically significant differences (both P <0.01). All patients experienced improvement in neurological function, with the exception of one patient in grade C and two in grade D, all other patients recovered to grade E. The C 2-7 Cobb angle and the affected segment Cobb angle were corrected. white blood cell, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein levels returned to normal. All patients achieved bony fusion, with a fusion time of (8.9±1.9) months (range:6 to 12 months). Two diabetic patients developed postoperative incision infection; no other surgery-related complications occurred in the remaining patients. Conclusion: One-stage anterior debridement and bone graft fusion can correct kyphosis, restore normal alignment, and improve neurological function in the treatment of single and double segment cervical pyogenic spondylodiscitis, representing a viable treatment option for cervical pyogenic spondylodiscitis.

Background: Saliva has a crucial role in determining the compatibility between piercing-sucking insects and their hosts. The brown planthopper (BPH) Nilaparvata lugens, a notorious pest of rice in East and Southeast Asia, secretes gelling and watery saliva when feeding on rice sap. Nlsalivap-5 (NlSP5) and Nlsalivap-7 (NlSP7) were identified as potential planthopper-specific gelling saliva components, but their biological functions remain unknown., Results: Here, we showed by transcriptomic analyses that NlSP5 and NlSP7 were biasedly expressed in the salivary glands of BPHs. Using the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9-mediated genome-editing system, we constructed NlSP5 and NlSP7 homozygous mutants (NlSP5 -/- and NlSP7 -/- ). Electrical penetration graph assay showed that NlSP5 -/- and NlSP7 -/- mutants exhibited abnormal probing and feeding behaviors. Bioassays revealed that the loss-of-function of NlSP5 and NlSP7 significantly reduced the fitness of BPHs, with extended developmental duration, shortened lifespan, reduced weight, and impaired fecundity and hatching rates., Conclusion: These findings deepen our understanding of the BPH-host interaction and may provide potential targets for the management of rice planthoppers. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

The cerebellum is heavily connected with other brain regions, sub-serving not only motor but also non-motor functions. Genetic mutations leading to cerebellar dysfunction are associated with mental diseases, but cerebellar outputs have not been systematically studied in this context. Here, we present three dimensional distributions of 50,168 target neurons of cerebellar nuclei (CN) from wild-type mice and Nlgn3R451C mutant mice, a mouse model for autism. Our results derived from 36 target nuclei show that the projections from CN to thalamus, midbrain and brainstem are differentially affected by Nlgn3R451C mutation. Importantly, Nlgn3R451C mutation altered the innervation power of CN→zona incerta (ZI) pathway, and chemogenetic inhibition of a neuronal subpopulation in the ZI that receives inputs from the CN rescues social defects in Nlgn3R451C mice. Our study highlights potential role of cerebellar outputs in the pathogenesis of autism and provides potential new therapeutic strategy for this disease., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Higher Education Press.)

Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) is the most prevalent pathogen contributing to acute respiratory tract infections (ARTI) in infants and young children and can lead to significant financial and medical costs. Here, we developed a simultaneous, dual-gene and ultrasensitive detection system for typing HRSV within 60 minutes that needs only minimum laboratory support. Briefly, multiplex integrating reverse transcription-recombinase polymerase amplification (RT-RPA) was performed with viral RNA extracted from nasopharyngeal swabs as a template for the amplification of the specific regions of subtypes A (HRSV A ) and B (HRSV B ) of HRSV. Next, the Pyrococcus furiosus Argonaute ( PfAgo ) protein utilizes small 5'-phosphorylated DNA guides to cleave target sequences and produce fluorophore signals (FAM and ROX). Compared with the traditional gold standard (RT-qPCR) and direct immunofluorescence assay (DFA), this method has the additional advantages of easy operation, efficiency and sensitivity, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1 copy/μL. In terms of clinical sample validation, the diagnostic accuracy of the method for determining the HRSV A and HRSV B infection was greater than 95%. This technique provides a reliable point-of-care (POC) testing for the diagnosis of HRSV-induced ARTI in children and for outbreak management, especially in resource-limited settings., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Liao, Feng, Zhang, Yang, Zhan, Zeng, Huang, Lian, Ke, Cai, Zhang, Fang, Cai, Chen, Lin, Lin, Chen, Liu, Huang, Lin and Lin.)

Background: Colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) is one of the most common malignant tumors. The interplay involving ferroptosis between tumor and immune cells plays a crucial in cancer progression. However, the biological basis of this interplay in COAD development remains elusive., Methods: Transcriptome data of COAD samples were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas and National Center for Biotechnology Information databases. Using single-sample gene set enrichment analysis, we calculated the ferroptosis score (FS) and immune cell infiltration levels for each sample, leveraging the expression levels of genes related to ferroptosis and various immune cell types. Samples with FSs greater than the 75th percentile were classified into the high-FS subgroup, while those below the 25th percentile were categorized as the low-FS subgroup. Moreover, tumor tissue samples and adjacent normal tissue samples were collected from twenty colon patients. Using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, we validated the expression of certain genes in these samples., Results: The COAD samples with high FSs experienced favorable survival probability and heightened sensitivity to anticancer drugs, with FSs negatively associated with the pathological stages. Moreover, the up-regulated genes in high-FS subgroup exhibited enrichment in immune-related pathways, suggesting a correlation between immunity and ferroptosis. Importantly, we discovered a key lncRNA-mRNA co-expression network linking tumor cell ferroptosis and immune infiltration (e.g., neutrophil) in the progression and classification of COAD. Further analysis identified several ferroptosis-related lncRNAs (e.g., RP11-399O19.9 ) within this network, indicating their potential roles in COAD progression and deserving in-depth study., Conclusions: Our findings provide novel insights into the underlying biological basis, particularly involving lncRNAs, at gene expression level associated with ferroptosis in COAD and cancer therapy. Nevertheless, further analysis and validation are required to expand the findings., Competing Interests: 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., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Introduction: Household particulate matter (PM) air pollution is substantially associated with lung cancer. Nevertheless, the global burden of lung cancer attributable to household PM2.5 is still uncertain., Methods: In this study, data from the Global Burden and Disease Study 2019 are used to thoroughly assess the burden of lung cancer associated with household PM2.5., Results: The number of deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) attributable to household PM2.5 was found to be 0.08 million and 1.94 million, respectively in 2019. Nevertheless, the burden of lung cancer attributable to household PM2.5 decreased from 1990 to 2019. At the sociodemographic index (SDI) district level, the middle SDI region had the most number of lung cancer deaths and DALYs attributable to household PM2.5. Moreover, the burden of lung cancer was mainly distributed in low-SDI regions, such as Sub-Saharan Africa. Conversely, in high-SDI regions, the age-standardized mortality rate and age-standardized DALY rate of lung cancer attributable to household PM2.5 exhibit the most rapid declines. The burden of lung cancer attributable to household PM2.5 is heavier for men than for women. The sex difference is more obvious in the elderly., Conclusions: The prevalence of lung cancer attributable to household PM2.5 has exhibited a declining trend from 1990 to 2019 owing to a concurrent decline in household PM2.5 exposure., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: There is growing evidence linking the age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index (aCCI), an assessment tool for multimorbidity, to fragility fracture and fracture-related postoperative complications. However, the role of multimorbidity in osteoporosis has not yet been thoroughly evaluated. We aimed to investigate the association between aCCI and the risk of osteoporosis in older adults at moderate to high risk of falling., Methods: A total of 947 men were included from January 2015 to August 2022 in a hospital in Beijing, China. The aCCI was calculated by counting age and each comorbidity according to their weighted scores, and the participants were stratified into two groups by aCCI: low (aCCI < 5), and high (aCCI ≥5). The Kaplan Meier method was used to assess the cumulative incidence of osteoporosis by different levels of aCCI. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to estimate the association of aCCI with the risk of osteoporosis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was adapted to assess the performance for aCCI in osteoporosis screening., Results: At baseline, the mean age of all patients was 75.7 years, the mean BMI was 24.8 kg/m 2 , and 531 (56.1%) patients had high aCCI while 416 (43.9%) were having low aCCI. During a median follow-up of 6.6 years, 296 participants developed osteoporosis. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that participants with high aCCI had significantly higher cumulative incidence of osteoporosis compared with those had low aCCI (log-rank test: P < 0.001). When aCCI was examined as a continuous variable, the multivariable-adjusted model showed that the osteoporosis risk increased by 12.1% (HR = 1.121, 95% CI 1.041-1.206, P = 0.002) as aCCI increased by one unit. When aCCI was changed to a categorical variable, the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios associated with different levels of aCCI [low (reference group) and high] were 1.00 and 1.557 (95% CI 1.223-1.983) for osteoporosis (P <  0.001), respectively. The aCCI (cutoff ≥5) revealed an area under ROC curve (AUC) of 0.566 (95%CI 0.527-0.605, P = 0.001) in identifying osteoporosis in older fall-prone men, with sensitivity of 64.9% and specificity of 47.9%., Conclusions: The current study indicated an association of higher aCCI with an increased risk of osteoporosis among older fall-prone men, supporting the possibility of aCCI as a marker of long-term skeletal-related adverse clinical outcomes., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The NLRP3 inflammasome has been recognized as a promising therapeutic target in drug discovery for inflammatory diseases. Our initial research identified a natural sesquiterpene isoalantolactone (IAL) as the active scaffold targeting NLRP3 inflammasome. To improve its activity and metabolic stability, a total of 64 IAL derivatives were designed and synthesized. Among them, compound 49 emerged as the optimal lead, displaying the most potent inhibitory efficacy on nigericin-induced IL-1β release in THP-1 cells, with an IC 50 value of 0.29 μM, approximately 27-fold more potent than that of IAL (IC 50 : 7.86 μM), and exhibiting higher metabolic stability. Importantly, 49 remarkably improved DSS-induced ulcerative colitis in vivo . Mechanistically, we demonstrated that 49 covalently bound to cysteine 279 in the NACHT domain of NLRP3, thereby inhibiting the assembly and activation of NLRP3 inflammasome. These results provided compelling evidence to further advance the development of more potent NLRP3 inhibitors based on this scaffold.

Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) are economical and environmentally friendly, forming an essential part of integrated pest management strategies. We screened six strains of Beauveria bassiana (B1-B6) (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae), of which B4 was the most virulent to Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae). We further assessed the biological characteristics of strain B4 and the environmental factors influencing its ability to infect B. dorsalis . We also evaluated the effects of B4 on two of the natural predators of B. dorsalis . We found that strain B4 was the most virulent to 3rd instar larvae, pupae, and adult B. dorsalis , causing mortality rates of 52.67, 61.33, and 90.67%, respectively. B4 was not toxic to B. dorsalis eggs. The optimum B4 effects on B. dorsalis were achieved at a relative humidity of 91-100% and a temperature of 25°C. Among the six insecticides commonly used for B. dorsalis control, 1.8% abamectin emulsifiable concentrate had the strongest inhibitory effect on B4 strain germination. B4 spraying affected both natural enemies ( Amblyseius cucumeris and Anastatus japonicus ), reducing the number of A. cucumeris and killing A. japonicus adults. We found a valuable strain of EPF (B4) that is virulent against many life stages of B. dorsalis and has great potential for the biological control of B. dorsalis . We also provide an important theoretical and practical base for developing a potential fungicide to control B. dorsalis ., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Li, Zhang, Li, Cai, Qi and Lu.)

Two unusual N -containing heterocyclic compounds, Plagranlines B-C, were isolated from the roots of Platycodon grandiflorus . Plagranline B ( 1 ) was consisted of neolignane and monomeric quinoline constituent units and plagranline C ( 2 ) possessed pyridinone ring that was not commonly discovered in natural product. Their planar structures were elucidated based on analysis of NMR and HRESIMS spectroscopy data, and their absolute configurations were determined by quantum chemical calculations, including GIAO 13 C NMR (DP4+) calculation and ECD calculation. In addition, extensive activity screening including glycosidases, oestrogen-like, and NO inhibitory assays were performed, compounds 1 and 2 possessed the weak activities.

To study the effect of internal particle size on the microstructure properties and thermal decomposition characteristics of site mixed emulsion explosive at different altitudes. Site mixed emulsion explosive was prepared with different shear rate. The particle size, viscosity, sensitized bubbles, detonation velocity and peak pressure of the emulsion explosive were tested after stored at different simulated altitudes. The thermal decomposition characteristics of emulsion matrix prepared at three different rotational speeds were measured by thermogravimetric analyzer and kinetic analysis was performed by non-isothermal model Kissinger-Akah-Sunose (KAS) method. The results show that with the increase in altitude, the internal phase size showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing, and the number of sensitized bubbles within the emulsion explosive decreases. At an altitude of 0 m, the detonation velocity and peak overpressure of the emulsion explosive prepared by 1600 r min -1 increased 4.78% and 29.09%, respectively compared with 1200 r min -1 , and at an altitude of 4500 m, the detonation velocity increased 11.87%, the peak overpressure increased 43.98%. The thermal decomposition activation energy of the emulsion matrix at 1600 r min -1 increased 13.14% compared to 1200 r min -1 . It shows that in the production of site mixed emulsion explosive at high altitude, reducing the particle size of the internal phase of emulsion explosives in a certain range can effectively improve the performance of emulsion explosives., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Many species of the Tephritidae family are invasive and cause huge damage to agriculture and horticulture, owing to their reproductive characteristics. In this review, we have summarized the existing studies on the reproductive behavior of Tephritidae, particularly those regarding the genes and external factors that are associated with courtship, mating, and oviposition. Furthermore, we outline the issues that still need to be addressed in fruit fly reproduction research. The review highlights the implications for understanding the reproductive behavior of fruit flies and discusses methods for their integrated management and biological control. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Di (2-ethyl-hexyl) phthalate (DEHP) mainly enters the human body through the digestive tract, respiratory tract, and skin. At the same time, it has reproductive and developmental toxicity, neurotoxicity, and so on, which can cause the decrease of sperm motility. Asthenospermia is also known as low sperm motility, and the semen quality of men in some areas of China is declining year by year. Interestingly, previous studies have shown that sleep disorders can also lead to asthenospermia. However, the relationship between sleep, DEHP, and asthenospermia is still unclear. Analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) population database showed that DEHP was associated with sleep disorders, and subsequent experiments in mice and Drosophila indicated that DEHP exposure had certain effects on sleep and asthenospermia. Furthermore, we analyzed the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD) to find out the common signaling pathway among the three: hypoxia-inducible factor 1(HIF-1). Then Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) was used to screen out the proteins that DEHP affected the HIF-1 pathway: glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), serine/threonine-protein kinase (AKT1), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and finally Western blot analysis was used to detect the expression levels of the three proteins. Compared with the control group, DEHP decreased the protein expression levels of GAPDH and AKT1 in the HIF-1 pathway, and caused sleep disorders and decreased sperm motility. This study provides preliminary evidence for exploring the mechanism among DEHP, sleep disorders, and asthenospermia., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is the most common cyanotic congenital heart disease. Children with TOF would be confronted with neurological impairment across their lifetime. Our study aimed to identify the risk factors for cerebral morphology changes and cognition in postoperative preschool-aged children with TOF., Methods: We used mass spectrometry (MS) technology to assess the levels of serum metabolites, Wechsler preschool and primary scale of intelligence-Fourth edition (WPPSI-IV) index scores to evaluate neurodevelopmental levels and multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect cortical morphological changes., Results: Multiple linear regression showed that preoperative levels of serum cortisone were positively correlated with the gyrification index of the left inferior parietal gyrus in children with TOF and negatively related to their lower visual spaces index and nonverbal index. Meanwhile, preoperative SpO 2 was negatively correlated with levels of serum cortisone after adjusting for all covariates. Furthermore, after intervening levels of cortisone in chronic hypoxic model mice, total brain volumes were reduced at both postnatal (P) 11.5 and P30 days., Conclusions: Our results suggest that preoperative serum cortisone levels could be used as a biomarker of neurodevelopmental impairment in children with TOF. Our study findings emphasized that preoperative levels of cortisone could influence cerebral development and cognition abilities in children with TOF., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of cell death, plays a crucial role in the progression of various cancers, including colon adenocarcinoma (COAD). However, the multi-omics signatures relevant to ferroptosis regulation in COAD diagnosis remain to be elucidated., Methods: The transcriptomic, miRNAomic, and methylomic profiles of COAD patients were acquired from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Ferroptosis activity in these patients was determined, represented by a ferroptosis score (FS), using single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) based on the expression of ferroptosis-related genes., Results: Results showed that the COAD patients with high-FS displayed favorable survival outcomes and heightened drug sensitivity. They also exhibited an up-regulation of genes involved in immune-related pathways (e.g., tumor necrosis factor signaling pathway), suggesting a correlation between immunity and ferroptosis in COAD progression. Furthermore, three survival prediction models were established based on 10 CpGs, 12 long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and 14 microRNAs (miRNAs), respectively. These models demonstrated high accuracy in predicting COAD survival, achieving areas under the curve (AUC) >0.7. The variables used in the three models also showed strong correlations at different omics levels and were effective at discriminating between high-FS and low-FS COAD patients (AUC >0.7)., Conclusions: This study identified different DNA methylation (DNAm), lncRNA, and miRNA characteristics between COAD patients with high and low ferroptosis activity. Furthermore, ferroptosis-related multi-omics signatures were established for COAD prognosis and classification. These insights present new opportunities for improving the efficacy of COAD therapy., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2024 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.)

Background: Concerns have been raised regarding the impact of preoperative intravenous dexamethasone on postoperative glycemic control in diabetic patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty (TJA). This study aimed to determine relationships between preoperative different dexamethasone regimens and postoperative fasting blood glucose (FBG), as well as to identify risk factors for postoperative FBG ≥ 200 mg/dl in diabetic patients undergoing TJA., Methods: This retrospective study included 1216 diabetic patients undergoing TJA and categorized into group A (dexamethasone = 0 mg), group B (dexamethasone = 5 mg), and group C (dexamethasone = 10 mg). All dexamethasone was administered before skin incision. FBG levels were monitored until postoperative day (POD) 3. Analyses were conducted for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) and wound complications during 90 days postoperatively. And the risk factors for postoperative FBG ≥ 200 mg/dl were identified., Results: Preoperative dexamethasone administration resulted in a transiently higher FBG on POD 0 and POD 1 (all P < 0.001). However, no differences were observed on POD 2 (P = 0.583) and POD 3 (P = 0.131) among three groups. While preoperative dexamethasone led to an increase in postoperative mean FBG and postoperative maximum FBG (all P < 0.001), no differences were found in wound complications (P = 0.548) and PJI (P = 1.000). Increased HbA1c and preoperative high FBG, but not preoperative dexamethasone, were identified as risk factors for postoperative FBG ≥ 200 mg/dl. Preoperative HbA1c level of ≥ 7.15% was associated with an elevated risk of postoperative FBG ≥ 200 mg/dl., Conclusions: Although preoperative intravenous administration of 5 mg or 10 mg dexamethasone in diabetic patients showed transient effects on postoperative FBG after TJA, no differences were found in the rates of PJI and wound complications during 90 days postoperatively. Notably, patients with a preoperative HbA1c level of ≥ 7.15% and elevated preoperative FBG may encountered postoperative FBG ≥ 200 mg/dl., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a frequent complication following percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), may lead to severe conditions like pulmonary embolism. Current knowledge on postoperative DVT risk factors is, however, limited. The aim of our study was to investigate the risk of DVT after PCNL., Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on patients who underwent PCNL from March 2020 to March 2023 at our institution. Patient demographics and clinical data, including, DVT-specific information, preoperative labs, and surgical details, was evaluated., Results: One hundred patients were included. Thirty-two (20 males, 12 females, mean age 52.5 ± 7.4 years) developed lower limb DVT post-surgery, while the remaining 68 (48 males, 20 females, mean age 51.1 ± 5.5 years) had no DVT symptoms. Analysis revealed significant correlations between hyperlipidemia, operating time, postoperative bed rest duration, D-dimer level on the first day after surgery, Caprini risk assessment model (RAM) score, and DVT risk. D-dimer on the first day after percutaneous nephrolithotomy, postoperative bed rest time and Caprini RAM scores were independent risk factors for DVT after PCNL. Sex, age, hypertension status, diabetes status and smoking and drinking habits were not significantly associated with DVT risk., Conclusions: D-dimer on the first day after PCNL, postoperative bed rest time and Caprini RAM scores were independent risk factors for DVT after PCNL.

Short-chain dehydrogenase/reductases (SDRs) belong to the NAD(P)(H)-dependent oxidoreductase superfamily, which have various functions of catalyzing oxidation/reduction reactions and have been generally used as powerful biocatalysts in the production of pharmaceuticals. In this study, ScSDR1 and ScSDR2, two new SDRs have been identified and characterized from Stachybotrys chartarum 3.5365. Substrate scope investigation revealed that both of the enzymes possessed the ability to oxidize β -OH to ketone specifically, and exhibited substrate promiscuity and high stereo-selectivity for efficiently catalyzing the structurally different prochiral ketones to chiral alcohols. These findings not only suggest that ScSDR1 and ScSDR2 might be potent synthetic tools in drug research and development, but also provide good examples for further engineered enzymes with higher efficiency and stereo-selectivity.

Patients with Rett syndrome suffer from a loss-of-function mutation of the Mecp2 gene, which results in various symptoms including autistic traits and motor deficits. Deletion of Mecp2 in the brain mimics part of these symptoms, but the specific function of methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) in the cerebellum remains to be elucidated. Here, we demonstrate that Mecp2 deletion in Purkinje cells (PCs) reduces their intrinsic excitability through a signaling pathway comprising the small-conductance calcium-activated potassium channel PTP1B and TrkB, the receptor of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Aberration of this cascade, in turn, leads to autistic-like behaviors as well as reduced vestibulocerebellar motor learning. Interestingly, increasing activity of TrkB in PCs is sufficient to rescue PC dysfunction and abnormal motor and non-motor behaviors caused by Mecp2 deficiency. Our findings highlight how PC dysfunction may contribute to Rett syndrome, providing insight into the underlying mechanism and paving the way for rational therapeutic designs., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Peripheral neuropathy (PN), one of the commonest neurological complications of chronic kidney disease (CKD), was associated with physical limitation. Studies showed that a decrease in physical capability in patients with CKD is related with an increased risk of mortality. The objective of our research was to directly explore the relationship between PN and risk of mortality in patients with CKD., Method: 1,836 participants with CKD and 6,036 participants without CKD, which were classified by PN based on monofilament examination in National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), were collected from the 1999 to 2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were conducted to assess the relationships of PN and deaths in patients with CKD and non-CKD., Results: During 14 years of a median follow-up from 1999 to 2015 and 2004 to 2015, 1,072 (58.4%) and 1,389 (23.0%) deaths were recorded in participants with CKD and without CKD, respectively. PN was related with increased all-cause mortality even after adjusting possible confounding factors in population with CKD (hazard ratio [HR] 1.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.17-1.53) and without CKD (HR 1.27, 95% CI 1.12-1.43). And the adjusted HRs (95% CI) for cardiovascular mortality of the people with CKD and without CKD who suffered from PN were 1.42 (1.07, 1.90) and 1.23 (0.91, 1.67), respectively, versus those without PN., Conclusion: PN was related with a higher risk of all-cause and cardiovascular death in people with CKD, which clinically suggests that the adverse prognostic impact of PN in the CKD population deserves attention and is an important target for intervention., Competing Interests: All authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2023 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

The forkhead box O (FoxO) protein is the main transcriptional effector downstream of the insulin/insulin-like signaling pathway and regulates many developmental and physiological processes. Holometabolous insects with loss-of-function mutations in FoxO exhibit phenotypes distinct from those of hemimetabolous insects in which RNA interference was used. Despite the functional importance of FoxO, whether hemimetabolous insects share an evolutionally conserved function of FoxO with holometabolous insects remains to be clarified. We used the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) genome editing-system to establish a homozygous FoxO-null mutant (NlFoxO 4E ) of the wing-dimorphic brown planthopper (BPH) Nilaparvata lugens, an economically important insect pest of rice fields. The phenotypes of NlFoxO 4E mutants included extended nymphal duration, shortened lifespan, reduced reproduction, and decreased stress resistance. In addition, depletion of NlFoxO promoted cell proliferation in wing buds and led to 100% long-winged morphs, in stark contrast to short-winged wild-type BPHs. These findings indicate that NlFoxO is highly functionally conserved with its counterpart in holometabolous insects, and is required for optimal fitness of N. lugens. The insights from FoxO studies may facilitate the identification of potential target genes for BPH control applications., (© 2022 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.)

Jun B proto-oncogene (JunB) is a crucial member of dimeric activator protein-1 (AP-1) complex, which plays a significant role in various physiological processes, such as placental formation, cardiovascular development, myelopoiesis, angiogenesis, endochondral ossification and epidermis tissue homeostasis. Additionally, it has been reported that JunB has great regulatory functions in innate and adaptive immune responses by regulating the differentiation and cytokine secretion of immune cells including T cells, dendritic cells and macrophages, while also facilitating the effector of neutrophils and natural killer cells. Furthermore, a growing body of studies have shown that JunB is involved in tumorigenesis through regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, senescence and metastasis, particularly affecting the tumor microenvironment through transcriptional promotion or suppression of oncogenes in tumor cells or immune cells. This review summarizes the physiological function of JunB, its immune regulatory function, and its contribution to tumorigenesis, especially focusing on its regulatory mechanisms within tumor-associated immune processes., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Ren, Cai, Yao and Fang.)

Immunotherapy combined with antiangiogenic targeted therapy has improved the treatment of certain solid tumors, but effective regimens remain elusive for refractory recurrent/metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (RM-NPC). We conducted a phase 2 trial to evaluate the safety and activity of camrelizumab plus apatinib in platinum-resistant (cohort 1, NCT04547088) and PD-1 inhibitor resistant NPC (cohort 2, NCT04548271). Here we report on the primary outcome of objective response rate (ORR) and secondary endpoints of safety, duration of response, disease control rate, progression-free survival, and overall survival. The primary endpoint of ORR was met for cohort 1 (65%, 95% CI, 49.6-80.4, n = 40) and cohort 2 (34.3%; 95% CI, 17.0-51.8, n = 32). Grade ≥ 3 treatment-related adverse events (TRAE) were reported in 47 (65.3%) of 72 patients. Results of our predefined exploratory investigation of predictive biomarkers show: B cell markers are the most differentially expressed genes in the tumors of responders versus non-responders in cohort 1 and that tertiary lymphoid structure is associated with higher ORR; Angiogenesis gene expression signatures are strongly associated with ORR in cohort 2. Camrelizumab plus apatinib combination effectiveness is associated with high expression of PD-L1, VEGF Receptor 2 and B-cell-related genes signatures. Camrelizumab plus apatinib shows promising efficacy with a measurable safety profile in RM-NPC patients., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between pneumonia and chronic kidney disease (CKD), to elucidate potential risk factors, and to develop a new predictive model for the poor prognosis of pneumonia in CKD patients., Method: We conducted a retrospective observational study of CKD patients admitted to Tongji Hospital between June 2012 and June 2022. Demographic information, comorbidities or laboratory tests were collected. Applying univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, independent risk factors associated with a poor prognosis (i.e., respiratory failure, shock, combined other organ failure, and/or death during hospitalization) for pneumonia in CKD patients were discovered, with nomogram model subsequently developed. Predictive model was compared with other commonly used pneumonia severity scores., Result: Of 3,193 CKD patients with pneumonia, 1,013 (31.7%) met the primary endpoint during hospitalization. Risk factors predicting poor prognosis of pneumonia in CKD patients were selected on the result of multivariate logistic regression models, including chronic cardiac disease; CKD stage; elevated neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and D-dimer; decreased platelets, PTA, and chloride iron; and significant symptom presence and GGO presentation on CT. The nomogram model outperformed other pneumonia severity indices with AUC of 0.82 (95% CI: 0.80, 0.84) in training set and 0.83 (95% CI: 0.80, 0.86) in testing set. In addition, calibration curve and decision curve analysis (DCA) proved its efficiency and adaptability., Conclusion: We designed a clinical prediction model PNPI (pneumonia in nephropathy patients prognostic index) to assess the risk of poor prognosis in CKD patients with pneumonia, which may be generalized after more external validation., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Cai, Fan, Cheng, Ge and Xu.)

Background: Existing evidence on the association between sedentary behavior (SB) and cognitive function remains inconclusive. Therefore, this study investigated the association between SB and the risk of cognitive decline (CD) or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in the elderly., Methods: A comprehensive search was independently conducted by two researchers (XC and GQ) in seven electronic databases, including Medline (via PubMed), China Biology Medicine, Embase, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang database, and VIP database for Chinese technical periodicals, covering studies published from the inception of database to June 2023. Studies that investigated the relationship between SB and the risk of CD or MCI in the elderly were included. The quality of the literature was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) assessment tools. The combined effect size analysis, subgroup analysis, and publication bias assessment were performed using STATA 14.0., Results: A total of 13 cross-sectional and 6 cohort studies involving 81,791 individuals were included, comprising 17 high-quality studies and 2 medium-quality studies. We found that SB was significantly associated with an increased risk of CD [odds ratio (OR) = 1.69, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.47-1.94] or MCI (OR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.14-1.56) among the elderly. Subgroup analysis stratified according to comorbidity, lifestyle, family structure, publication year, and region showed statistical differences between groups, and the consistency of the results revealed the sources of the heterogeneity., Conclusion: This meta-analysis showed that SB is positively associated with the risk of CD or MCI in the elderly, providing a higher level of evidence for the promotion of healthy behaviors by clinicians and health policymakers. Due to the number and quality of the included articles, more high-quality longitudinal studies are needed to further confirm our findings., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Cai, Qian, Wang, Zhang, Da and Liang.)

Background: Fruit flies are internationally important quarantine or invasive pests of many fruits and vegetables and can cause serious economic losses. Long-term reliance on insecticides for controlling these pests has led to increasing resistance to multiple insecticides; hence, a new agent is needed. In this study, the acute toxicity and sublethal effects of the novel insecticide broflanilide on four adult fruit fly species, Bactrocera dorsalis, Bactrocera cucurbitae, Bactrocera tau, and Bactrocera correcta, were evaluated., Results: Broflanilide was effective against B. dorsalis and B. correcta, with lethal concentration values (amount required to kill 50% of animals; LC 50 ) of 0.390 and 1.716 mg/L. However, for B. cucurbitae (19.673 mg/L) and B. tau (24.373 mg/L), the LC 50 was 50-60 times higher than that of B. dorsalis. The survival rates of B. correcta and B. cucurbitae were significantly lower under LC 50 treatment than those of the control (corrected for mortality rate). Sublethal concentrations of broflanilide stimulated fecundity in all species except B. tau. The hatching rate at LC 50 was significantly lower for B. correcta and B. tau compared with the control and even more so for B. correcta, which was zero., Conclusion: Broflanilide is potentially an effective insecticide for controlling B. dorsalis and B. correcta. However, the variation in toxicity of broflanilide to the four fruit flies suggests that species variation needs to be carefully considered. Our results highlight the importance of clarifying the sublethal effects of insecticides on target insects to ensure the comprehensive evaluation and rational use of insecticides. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Studies have revealed that vasa vasorum (VV) neovascularization is vital for the progression and vulnerability of coronary atherosclerotic plaques. The correlation between VV, plaque constituents, and the no-reflow phenomenon (NRP) in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains elusive. We explored plaque constituents in iMap-intravascular ultrasound (iMap-IVUS) and NRP during PCI for VV lesions. We studied 166 coronary lesions in 166 patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) (118 lesions with VV) undergoing pre-intervention intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). We evaluated the diversity in plaque morphological status and post-PCI results based on the presence or absence of VV. The lesions with VV group had significantly higher high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels than the lesions without VV group (8.41 ± 4.98 vs 4.19 ± 3.69 mg/L, P < .001). The frequency of after-stent deployment thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grades 0, 1, and 2 was remarkably greater in lesions with VV than in those without VV (22.9% vs 10.4%, P < .001). Plaques at the minimum lumen, necrotic core (1.26 ± 0.64 vs 0.92 ± 0.61 mm2, P < .001; 20.95 ± 7.19 vs 13.34% ± 6.54%, P < .001), and fibrous areas (4.23 ± 1.32 vs 3.92 ± 1.01 mm2, P = .006; 61.01 ± 9.41 vs 56.92% ± 11.42%, P = .001) were considerably larger in the lesions with VV than in those without VV. In addition, densely calcified plaques (0.41 ± 0.26 vs 0.81 ± 0.59 mm2, P < .001; 3.63 ± 2.19 vs 7.18% ± 2.01%, P < .001) were considerably smaller in the lesions with VV than in those without VV. Multivariate analyses revealed that VV and plaque volume were independent predictors of NRP after stent deployment (odds ratio [OR]: 5.13, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.19-15.32, P = .002; OR: 4.79, 95% CI: 1.08-9.01, P = .005). Lesions with VV exhibited considerable plaque vulnerability in patients with ACS, and they displayed more NRP during PCI. VV and plaque volume were independent predictors of NRP after stent deployment., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

In order to improve the stability and catalytic activity of Fe-TAML, mono-6-oxy-cyclodextrin bonded Fe-TAML catalyst (CD-Fe-TAML) was prepared by bonding Fe-TAML with cyclodextrin (CD) through chlorosulfonylation reaction, metal chelation reaction, and nucleophilic substitution reaction. The catalytic activity and stability of CD-Fe-TAML and the oxidation degradation efficiencies of 34 organic micropollutants such as antibiotics and pesticides by activation of H 2 O 2 in water were studied. Compared with that of Fe-TAML, CD-Fe-TAML at pH 7.0 had a 49-fold and 25-fold increase in the rate of activating H 2 O 2 to produce iron (Ⅴ/Ⅳ)-oxo intermediates and the degradation rate of the substrate, respectively, and its self-oxidation rate was reduced by 70%. The stability of CD-Fe-TAML was 0.7-699 times higher than that of Fe-TAML in the pH range of 3.0-10.0. Specifically, the stability of CD-Fe-TAML was 33-699 times higher than that of Fe-TAML in the pH range of 3.0-7.0. The sulfonic acid group in the molecular structure of CD-Fe-TAML had an electrophilic effect, which could increase the positive charge density of Fe in the active center, accelerate the O-O bond cleavage of H 2 O 2 and the generation of iron(Ⅴ/Ⅳ)-oxo intermediates, improve the catalytic activity of Fe-TAML, and also improve its hydrolysis stability. Meanwhile, the CD group in the molecular structure had the "electron shuttle" effect and inclusion effect. The former could accelerate the electron transfer between the active center Fe-TAML and H 2 O 2 to improve the catalytic activity of Fe-TAML. The latter could inhibit the hydrolysis and self-oxidation of the active center Fe-TAML by inclusion or binding of the hydrolysis sites and oxidation sites, thus improving its stability. The degradation efficiencies of micropollutants by CD-Fe-TAML/H 2 O 2 under weakly acidic and neutral conditions (in the pH range of 5.0-7.0) were 0.4-59 times higher than those of Fe-TAML/H 2 O 2 . The degradation efficiencies of CD-Fe-TAML/H 2 O 2 on nine micropollutants with a molar volume less than 0.20 L·mol -1 , such as acetamiprid and sulfadiazine, were 0.3-1.1 times higher than that of Fe-TAML/H 2 O 2 at pH 8.0, and there were no significant differences between CD-Fe-TAML/H 2 O 2 and Fe-TAML/H 2 O 2 for micropollutants with a molar volume greater than 0.20 L·mol -1 . The results of iodide oxidation by CD-Fe-TAML/H 2 O 2 showed that I - was not oxidized to produce iodo-disinfection byproducts (I-DBPs). The degradation of micropollutants by CD-Fe-TAML/H 2 O 2 in the surface water sample was not disturbed by water components. The CD-Fe-TAML/H 2 O 2 system has a potential application in the removal of organic micropollutants from water.

Hyaluronic acid (HA), a main component of the extracellular matrix, is widely utilized to deliver anticancer drugs due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, non-toxicity, non-immunogenicity and numerous modification sites, such as carboxyl and hydroxyl groups. Moreover, HA serves as a natural ligand for tumor-targeted drug delivery systems, as it contains the endocytic HA receptor, CD44, which is overexpressed in many cancer cells. Therefore, HA-based nanocarriers have been developed to improve drug delivery efficiency and distinguish between healthy and cancerous tissues, resulting in reduced residual toxicity and off-target accumulation. This article comprehensively reviews the fabrication of anticancer drug nanocarriers based on HA in the context of prodrugs, organic carrier materials (micelles, liposomes, nanoparticles, microbubbles and hydrogels) and inorganic composite nanocarriers (gold nanoparticles, quantum dots, carbon nanotubes and silicon dioxide). Additionally, the progress achieved in the design and optimization of these nanocarriers and their effects on cancer therapy are discussed. Finally, the review provides a summary of the perspectives, the lessons learned so far and the outlook towards further developments in this field.

The cerebellum is involved in learning of fine motor skills, yet whether presynaptic plasticity contributes to such learning remains elusive. Here, we report that the EPAC-PKCε module has a critical role in a presynaptic form of long-term potentiation in the cerebellum and motor behavior in mice. Presynaptic cAMP-EPAC-PKCε signaling cascade induces a previously unidentified threonine phosphorylation of RIM1α, and thereby initiates the assembly of the Rab3A-RIM1α-Munc13-1 tripartite complex that facilitates docking and release of synaptic vesicles. Granule cell-specific blocking of EPAC-PKCε signaling abolishes presynaptic long-term potentiation at the parallel fiber to Purkinje cell synapses and impairs basic performance and learning of cerebellar motor behavior. These results unveil a functional relevance of presynaptic plasticity that is regulated through a novel signaling cascade, thereby enriching the spectrum of cerebellar learning mechanisms., Competing Interests: XW, LZ, BD, FX, DW, ES, XC, YW, NW, SJ, WC, MS, JZ, CD, YS No competing interests declared, (© 2023, Wang, Zhou, Dong et al.)

Background: Since January 2020, measures has been adopted in the Chaoshan area to limit the spread of COVID-19. Restrictions were removed after August 2020. At the same time, children returned to school. We previously reported the changes of 14 main respiratory pathogens in hospitalized children before and during the COVID-19 outbreak in Chaoshan area. However, the changes of respiratory pathogen spectrum in hospitalized children after the epidemic are still unknown, which will be elucidated in this study., Methods: There are 6201 children hospitalized with respiratory tract infection were enrolled in the study, which were divided into two groups: 2533 from outbreak group (1 January 2020-31 December 2020), and 3668 from post-outbreak group (1 January 2021-31 December 2021). Pharyngeal swab samples were collected. 14 respiratory tract pathogens were detected by liquid chip technology., Results: The positive rate of pathogen detection is significantly lower in the outbreak group (65.42%, 1657/2533) than that in the post-outbreak group (70.39%, 2582/3668; χ 2  = 17.15, P < 0.05). The Influenza A virus (FluA) detection rate was 1.9% (49) in 2020, but 0% (0) in 2021. The detection rates of Bordetella pertussis (BP) decreased from 1.4% (35) in 2020 to 0.5% (17) in 2021. In contrast, the detection rates of  Influenza B virus (FluB), Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Haemophilus influenzae (HI), Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP) increased from 0.3% (8), 24.7% (626), 2.0% (50) and 19.4% (491) in 2020 to 3.3% (121), 27.9% (1025), 4.6% (169), 22.8% (836) in 2021, respectively (P < 0.01)., Conclusions: The detection rates of pathogens such as FluA, FluB, CMV, HI, SP, BP were statistically different between 2020 and 2021. From 2020 to 2021, the positive rates of Flu, CMV, HI and SP increased, while the positive rates of FluA and BP decreased. After the COVID-19 prevention and control measures are gradually relaxed, the positive rate of respiratory pathogens in children aged from 6 months to 6 years will increase., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Patients with lumbar degenerative spine diseases (LDSDs) commonly report sensory symptoms before and after lumbar spine surgery., Aim: To explore the changing patterns of sensory symptoms-namely pain, numbness, stinging, itching, and burning-and investigate the influences of sensory symptom changes on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients who experienced lumbar spine surgery., Methods: All sensory symptoms (i.e., pain, numbness, paresthesia) were measured using a visual analog scale. The Chinese versions of the Oswestry Disability Index, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Clinically Useful Depression Outcome Scale, and EuroQol-five dimensions (EQ-5D) Scale were used to assess patients 1 week prior to surgery and 6 weeks and 6 months after surgery. A generalized estimating equation was used for data analysis., Results: A total of 101 patients with mean age of 58.38 years were included. All sensory symptoms declined significantly over time (all p < .05) with the exception of itching (feeling on toes and thighs). Patients experiencing moderate-to-severe pain had poorer QoL over time, even after controlling for other sensory symptoms and potential confounders., Conclusions: Sensory symptoms gradually declined after surgery, but itching symptom did not. Moderate-to-severe pain was the only sensory symptom that influenced HRQoL over time in patients with LDSDs., (Copyright © 2022 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Previous studies have shown that monotherapy with apatinib, an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has promising efficacy for treating recurrent or metastatic (RM) nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients. In this study, we aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of apatinib combined with capecitabine as a second-line therapy or beyond for treating RM-NPC patients who failed the first-line platinum-based chemotherapy., Methods: In this single-arm, phase II study, we enrolled RM-NPC patients who had at least one measurable lesion according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST v1.1). The sample size was determined using Simon's two-stage design. All patients were administered with apatinib 500 mg once daily and capecitabine 1000 mg/m 2 twice per day on days 1-14 of each 21-day cycle. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate (ORR), and the secondary endpoints comprised disease control rate (DCR), duration of response (DoR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety., Results: We enrolled 64 patients from September 2018 to August 2020. The ORR and DCR were 39.1% (95% CI, 27.1-52.1) and 85.9% (95% CI, 75.0-93.4), respectively. The median DoR was 14.4 months (95% CI, 7.8-21.0). As of April 20, 2021, the median follow-up duration was 12.0 months. The median PFS was 7.5 months (95% CI, 5.0-10.0) and the median OS was 15.7 months (95% CI, 11.3-20.1). The most common toxicities of any grade were anemia (75.0%), hand-foot syndrome (65.6%), and proteinuria (64.0%). Grade 3-4 toxicities were observed in 36 (56.3%) patients, with hypertension (14.1%), mucositis (12.4%), and fatigue (10.9%) most commonly observed., Conclusions: Apatinib plus capecitabine shows promising efficacy as a second-line treatment option in pretreated platinum-refractory RM-NPC patients. Dose selection of this combination needs further investigation considering the toxicity., Trial Registration: Chi-CTR1800017229., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The cost of childbirth has been confirmed as a vital factor in families' fertility decision-making, and family welfare policies are capable of compensating for the increase in household living expenses regarding childbirth, such that the country's fertility situation can be optimized. In this study, the fertility promotion effects of family welfare policies in OECD(Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries are investigated through regression analysis, grey correlation (GRA), and the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis fsQCA method. As indicated by the results: (1) Family welfare policies notably boost fertility, and the boosting effect is long-lasting. However, this boost will be weakened in countries where fertility rates remain below 1.5. (2) The contribution of welfare policy measures to the fertility-promotion effect varies by country. The contribution of cash benefits is highest in over half of the countries worldwide, the contribution of relevant services and in-kind expenditure is highest in 29% of the countries, and that of tax incentive expenditure is highest in 14% of the countries. (3) The policy mix to boost fertility also varies according to the social context, with three policy groups derived using the fsQCA method. To be specific, the core antecedent conditions comprise cash benefits, relevant services, and in-kind expenditure. On that basis, China should pay attention to the following three points when formulating family welfare policies to tackle their demographic challenges. First, a system of family welfare policies should be developed as early as possible in the context of increasingly severe demographic issues since the incentive effect of family welfare policies will be weakened in countries with chronically low fertility rates. Second, the effects of improvements vary by country, and China should comprehensively consider its national circumstances when formulating and dynamically adjusting the mix of government fertility support policies in accordance with its social development. Third, employment is the main means of securing family income and takes on critical significance to sustaining families. Unemployment exerts a significant disincentive effect, such that it is imperative to reduce youth unemployment and enhance the quality of youth employment. On that basis, the disincentive effect of unemployment on fertility can be reduced.

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who are being treated with immunosuppressive medications are at risk for developing Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP). We attempted to characterize the clinical aspects of PCP in CKD patients in order to alert high-risk patients with bad prognosis. A retrospective study of CKD patients was conducted from June 2018 to June 2022. Based on PCP diagnostic criteria, these patients were divided into PCP and non-PCP groups. Using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis, risk indicators were evaluated, and nomogram and decision tree were developed. Of the CKD patients screened for Pneumocystis carinii nucleic acid, 1512 were included. Two-hundred forty four (16.14%) were diagnosed with PCP. Of the PCP, 88.5% was receiving glucocorticoid (GC) therapy, of which 66.3% received more than 0.5 mg/kg GC. Multivariate analysis showed that membranous nephropathy (OR 2.35, 95% CI 1.45-3.80), immunosuppressive therapy (OR 1.94, 95% CI 1.06-3.69), and ground glass opacity of CT scanning (OR 1.71, 95% CI 1.10-2.65) were associated with increased risk of Pneumocystis carinii infection. The AUC of nomogram based on logistics regression was 0.78 (0.75-0.81). The mortality in patients with PCP was 32.40%. Univariate analysis and decision tree showed that pulmonary insufficiency (PO 2 : OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.96-1.00), elevated APTT (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.04-1.11), and reduced hemoglobin (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.96-0.98) were associated with poor prognosis. PCP is not rare in CKD patients, particularly in those treated with immunosuppressive therapy. Considering the high mortality of the cases, further studies on the prevention and management of these patients are needed., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Autosomal dominant lateral temporal epilepsy (ADLTE) is an inherited syndrome caused by mutations in the leucine-rich glioma inactivated 1 (LGI1) gene. It is known that functional LGI1 is secreted by excitatory neurons, GABAergic interneurons, and astrocytes, and regulates AMPA-type glutamate receptor-mediated synaptic transmission by binding ADAM22 and ADAM23. However, > 40 LGI1 mutations have been reported in familial ADLTE patients, more than half of which are secretion-defective. How these secretion-defective LGI1 mutations lead to epilepsy is unknown., Results: We identified a novel secretion-defective LGI1 mutation from a Chinese ADLTE family, LGI1-W183R. We specifically expressed mutant LGI1 W183R in excitatory neurons lacking natural LGI1, and found that this mutation downregulated K v 1.1 activity, led to neuronal hyperexcitability and irregular spiking, and increased epilepsy susceptibility in mice. Further analysis revealed that restoring K v 1.1 in excitatory neurons rescued the defect of spiking capacity, improved epilepsy susceptibility, and prolonged the life-span of mice., Conclusions: These results describe a role of secretion-defective LGI1 in maintaining neuronal excitability and reveal a new mechanism in the pathology of LGI1 mutation-related epilepsy., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

A new highly oxygenated cycloheptane derivative crustane ( 1 ), along with fourteen known compounds ( 2 - 15 ) were isolated from Penicillium crustosum JT-8. The structure of compound 1 was determined by extensive spectroscopic data, DP4+ probability analyses and dimolybdenum CD method. Compound 1 exhibited moderate antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus with MIC of 4.0 μg/mL.

Objective: Thrombectomy greatly improves the clinical prognosis of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). The aim of this study is to develop a nomogram model that can predict the prognosis of patients with acute ischemic stroke undergoing thrombectomy., Methods: We retrospectively collected information of patients with acute ischemic stroke who were admitted to the stroke Green Channel of the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from September 2018 to May 2022. The main outcome was defined as a three-month unfavorable outcome (modified Rankin Scale 3-6). Based on the results of multivariate regression analysis, a nomogram was established. We tested the accuracy and discrimination of our nomogram by calculating the consistency index (C-index) and plotting the calibration curve., Results: National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score (OR, 1.418; 95% CI, 1.177-1.707; P ＜0.001), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (OR, 2.705; 95% CI, 1.203-6.080; P = 0.016), Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (ASPECTS) (OR, 0.633; 95% CI, 0.421-0.952; P = 0.028), infarct core volume (OR, 1.115; 95% CI, 1.043-1.192; P = 0.001) and ischemic penumbra volume (OR, 1.028; 95% CI, 1.006-1.050; P = 0.012) were independent risk factors for poor clinical prognosis of AIS patients treated with thrombectomy. The C-index of our nomogram was 0.967 and the calibration plot revealed a generally fit in predicting three-month unfavorable outcomes. Based on this nomogram, we stratified the risk of thrombectomy population. We found that low-risk population is less than or equal to 65 points, and patients of more than 65 points tend to have a poor clinical prognosis., Conclusion: The nomogram, composed of NIHSS, LDL-C, ASPECTS, infarct core volume and ischemic penumbra volume, may predict the clinical prognosis of cerebral infarction patients treated with thrombectomy., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Background: Chronic liver disease (CLD) related thrombocytopenia increases the risk of bleeding and poor prognosis. Many liver disease patients require invasive procedures or surgeries, such as liver biopsy or endoscopic variceal ligation, and most of them have lower platelet counts, which could aggravate the risk of bleeding due to liver dysfunction and coagulation disorders. Unfortunately, there is no defined treatment modality for CLD-induced thrombocytopenia. Recombinant human thrombopoietin (rhTPO) is commonly used to treat primary immune thrombocytopenic purpura and thrombocytopenia caused by solid tumor chemotherapy; however, there are few reports on the use of rhTPO in the treatment of CLD-related thrombocytopenia., Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of rhTPO in the treatment of patients with CLD-associated thrombocytopenia undergoing invasive procedures., Methods: All analyses were based on the retrospective collection of clinical data of patients with CLD who were treated in the Department of Infectious Diseases at The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University between June 2020 and December 2021. Fifty-nine male and 41 female patients with liver disease were enrolled in this study to assess the changes in platelet counts and parameters before and after the use of rhTPO for thrombocytopenia. Adverse events related to treatment, such as bleeding, thrombosis, and disseminated intravascular coagulation, were also investigated., Results: Among the enrolled patients, 78 (78%) showed a platelet count increase after rhTPO use, while 22 (22%) showed no significant change in platelet count. The mean platelet count after rhTPO treatment in all patients was 101.53 ± 81.81 × 10 9 /L, which was significantly improved compared to that at baseline (42.88 ± 16.72 × 10 9 /L), and this difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.001). In addition, patients were further divided into three subgroups according to their baseline platelet counts (< 30 × 10 9 /L, 30-50 × 10 9 /L, > 50 × 10 9 /L). Subgroup analyses showed that the median platelet counts after treatment were significantly higher ( P < 0.001, all). Ninety (90%) patients did not require platelet transfusion partially due to an increase in platelet count after treatment with rhTPO. No serious adverse events related to rhTPO treatment were observed. Overall, rhTPO demonstrated good clinical efficacy for treating CLD-associated thrombocytopenia., Conclusion: rhTPO can improve platelet count, reduce the risk of bleeding, and decrease the platelet transfusion rate, which may promote the safety of invasive procedures and improve overall survival of patients with CLD., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article., (©The Author(s) 2022. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Despite tremendous developments in the luminescene performance of perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs), the brittle nature of perovskite crystals and their poor crystallinity on flexible substrates inevitably lead to inferior performance. Inspired by pangolins' combination of rigid scales and soft flesh, we propose a bionic structure design for self-healing flexible PeLEDs by employing a polymer-assisted crystal regulation method with a soft elastomer of diphenylmethane diisocyanate polyurethane (MDI-PU). The crystallinity and flexural strain resistance of such perovskite films on plastics with silver-nanowire-based flexible transparent electrodes are highly enhanced. The detrimental cracks induced during repeated deformation can be effectively self-healed under heat treatment via intramolecular/intermolecular hydrogen bonds with MDI-PU. Upon collective optimization of the perovskite films and device architecture, the blue-emitting flexible PeLEDs can achieve a record external quantum efficiency of 13.5% and high resistance to flexural strain, which retain 87.8 and 80.7% of their initial efficiency after repeated bending and twisting operations of 2000 cycles, respectively.

Endophytic fungi are striking resources rich in bioactive structures with agrochemical significance. In order to maximize the opportunity of search for bioactive compounds, chemical epigenetic manipulation was introduced to enhance the structural diversity of the fungal products, and an UPLC-ESIMS and bioassay-guided separation was used to detect novel bioactive metabolites. Consequently, four previously undescribed compounds including two cyclopentenones (globosporins A and B) and two monoterpenoid indole alkaloids (globosporines C and D), as well as three known compounds, were isolated from the endophytic fungus Chaetomium globosporum of Euphorbia humifusa by exposure to a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-azacytidine. Their structures including the absolute configurations were elucidated by the analysis of NMR spectroscopic data, HRESIMS, and TD-DFT-ECD calculations. The indole alkaloids (globosporines C and D) showed antimicrobial activities against three phytopathogenic microbes (Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, X. oryzae pv. oryzicola, and Pseudomonas syringae pv. lachrymans) with MICs in the range of 14-72 μg/mL. Mostly, globosporine D was proved to be potently anti-phytopathogenic against X. oryzae pv. oryzae in vitro and in vivo, which suggested that it has the potential to be developed as a candidate for the prevention of rice bacterial leaf blight. This work provides an efficient and environmentally friendly approach for expanding fungal products with agricultural importance., 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 © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)