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Intravenous thrombolysis with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) is the primary treatment for ischemic stroke. However, rtPA treatment can substantially increase blood‐brain barrier (BBB) permeability and susceptibility to hemorrhagic transformation. Herein, the mechanism underlying the side effects of rtPA treatment is investigated and demonstrated that ferroptosis plays an important role. The ferroptosis inhibitor, liproxstatin‐1 (Lip) is proposed to alleviate the side effects. A well‐designed macrocyclic carrier, glucose‐modified azocalix[4]arene (GluAC4A), is prepared to deliver Lip to the ischemic site. GluAC4A bound tightly to Lip and markedly improved its solubility. Glucose, modified at the upper rim of GluAC4A, imparts BBB targeting to the drug delivery system owing to the presence of glucose transporter 1 on the BBB surface. The responsiveness of GluAC4A to hypoxia due to the presence of azo groups enabled the targeted release of Lip at the ischemic site. GluAC4A successfully improved drug accumulation in the brain, and Lip@GluAC4A significantly reduced ferroptosis, BBB leakage, and neurological deficits induced by rtPA in vivo. These findings deepen the understanding of the side effects of rtPA treatment and provide a novel strategy for their effective mitigation, which is of great significance for the treatment and prognosis of patients with ischemic stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) can predict the prognosis and sensitivity of tumors to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) therapy, whether it can be noninvasively predicted by radiomics in hepatocellular carcinoma with liver transplantation (HCC‐LT) has not been explored. In this study, it is found that intra‐tumoral TLS abundance is significantly correlated with recurrence‐free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). Tumor tissues with TLS are characterized by inflammatory signatures and high infiltration of antitumor immune cells, while those without TLS exhibit uncontrolled cell cycle progression and activated mTOR signaling by bulk and single‐cell RNA‐seq analyses. The regulators involved in mTOR signaling (RHEB and LAMTOR4) and S‐phase (RFC2, PSMC2, and ORC5) are highly expressed in HCC with low TLS. In addition, the largest cohort of HCC patients is studied with available radiomics data, and a classifier is built to detect the presence of TLS in a non‐invasive manner. The classifier demonstrates remarkable performance in predicting intra‐tumoral TLS abundance in both training and test sets, achieving areas under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs) of 92.9% and 90.2% respectively. In summary, the absence of intra‐tumoral TLS abundance is associated with mTOR signaling activation and uncontrolled cell cycle progression in tumor cells, indicating unfavorable prognosis in HCC‐LT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a heterogeneous autoimmune disease associated with B‐cell hyperactivity. Telitacicept is a transmembrane activator, calcium modulator, and cyclophilin ligand interactor‐Fc fusion protein, which can neutralize both B‐cell lymphocyte stimulator and a proliferation‐inducing ligand. Patients with active SLE who received telitacicept were prospectively followed at month 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 after telitacicept initiation. Thirty‐seven participants were involved and followed for 6.00 [3.00, 6.00] months. SRI‐4 rate at month 6 was 44.7%. The median dosage of prednisone was decreased by 43.8% (from 10 to 5.62 mg/d) at month 6. The anti‐dsDNA level was significantly decreased, while complement levels were significantly increased at month 6 from baseline. Continuously significant reductions in serum immunoglobin (Ig)G IgA, and IgM levels were also observed. Patients experienced significant decreases in the numbers of total and naive B cells, whereas memory B cells and T cell populations did not change. The number of NK cells was significantly increased during the follow‐up. At month 6, 58.3% (14 out of 24) patients experienced improved fatigue accessed by FACIT–Fatigue score exceeding the minimum clinically important difference of 4. Most adverse events were mild, but one each case of severe hypogammaglobulinemia, psychosis with suicidal behavior, and B‐cell lymphoma were occurred. In our first prospective real‐world study, telitacicept treatment led to a significant clinical and laboratory improvement of disease activity, as well as fatigue amelioration in patients with SLE. Safety profile was favorable overall, but more studies are greatly needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), caused by SARS‐CoV‐2, have profoundly affected human health. Booster COVID‐19 vaccines have demonstrated significant efficacy in reducing infection and severe cases. However, the effects of booster COVID‐19 vaccines on key immune cell subsets and their responses in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are not well understood. By using single‐cell RNA sequencing (scRNA‐seq) combined with scTCR/BCR‐seq analysis, a total of 8 major and 27 minor cell clusters were identified from paired peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) which were collected 1 week before and 4 weeks after booster vaccination in stable RA patients. Booster vaccination only had limited impact on the composition and proportions of PBMCs cell clusters. CD8+ cytotoxic T cells (CD8+T_CTL) showed a trend toward an increase after vaccination, while naive B cells and conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) showed a trend toward a decrease. Transcriptomic changes were observed after booster vaccination, primarily involving T/B cell receptor signaling pathways, phagosome, antigen processing and presenting, and viral myocarditis pathways. Interferon (IFN) and pro‐inflammatory response gene sets were slightly upregulated across most major cell subpopulations in COVID‐19 booster‐vaccinated RA individuals. Plasma neutralizing antibody titers significantly increased after booster COVID‐19 vaccination (p = 0.037). Single‐cell TCR/BCR analysis revealed increased B cell clone expansion and repertoire diversity postvaccination, with no consistent alterations in T cells. Several clonotypes of BCRs and TCRs were identified to be significantly over‐represented after vaccination, such as IGHV3‐15 and TRBV28. Our study provided a comprehensive single‐cell atlas of the peripheral immune response and TCR/BCR immune repertoire profiles to inactivated SARS‐CoV‐2 booster vaccination in RA patients, which helps us to understand vaccine‐induced immune responses better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cysteine and glycine‐rich protein 2 (Csrp2) has emerged as a key factor in controlling the phenotypic modulation of smooth muscle cells. The phenotypic transition of airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) is a pivotal step in developing airway remodeling during the onset of asthma. However, whether Csrp2 mediates the phenotypic transition of ASMCs in airway remodeling during asthma onset is undetermined. This work aimed to address the link between Csrp2 and the phenotypic transition of ASMCs evoked by platelet‐derived growth factor (PDGF)‐BB in vitro. The overexpression or silencing of Csrp2 in ASMCs was achieved through adenovirus‐mediated gene transfer. The expression of mRNA was measured by quantitative real‐time‑PCR. Protein levels were determined through Western blot analysis. Cell proliferation was detected by EdU assay and Calcein AM assays. Cell cycle distribution was assessed via fluorescence‐activated cell sorting assay. Cell migration was evaluated using the scratch‐wound assay. The transcriptional activity of Yes‐associated protein (YAP)/transcriptional coactivator with PDZ‐binding motif (TAZ) was measured using the luciferase reporter assay. A decline in Csrp2 level occurred in PDGF‐BB‐stimulated ASMCs. Increasing Csrp2 expression repressed the PDGF‐BB‐evoked proliferation and migration of ASMCs. Moreover, increasing Csrp2 expression impeded the phenotypic change of PDGF‐BB‐stimulated ASMCs from a contractile phenotype into a synthetic/proliferative phenotype. On the contrary, the opposite effects were observed in Csrp2‐silenced ASMCs. The activity of YAP/TAZ was elevated in PDGF‐BB‐stimulated ASMCs, which was weakened by Csrp2 overexpression or enhanced by Csrp2 silencing. The YAP/TAZ activator could reverse Csrp2‐overexpression‐mediated suppression of the PDGF‐BB‐evoked phenotypic switching of ASMCs, while the YAP/TAZ suppressor could dimmish Csrp2‐silencing‐mediated enhancement on PDGF‐BB‐evoked phenotypic switching of ASMCs. In summary, Csrp2 serves as a determinant for the phenotypic switching of ASMCs. Increasing Csrp2 is able to impede PDGF‐BB‐evoked phenotypic change of ASMCs from a synthetic phenotype into a synthetic/proliferative phenotype through the effects on YAP/TAZ. This work implies that Csrp2 may be a key player in airway remodeling during the onset of asthma. Significance statement: This study reported that Csrp2 plays a crucial role in the phenotypic transition of ASMCs. Overexpression of Crsp2 repressed the phenotypic change of PDGF‐BB‐stimulated ASMCs from a contractile phenotype into a synthetic/proliferative phenotype through inhibition of YAP/TAZ. Given that the phenotypic transformation of ASMCs plays a critical role in the development of airway remodeling in asthma, the Crsp2‐regulated YAP/TAZ pathway may represent a critical mechanism for the pathogenesis of asthma. Therefore, therapeutic approaches target and promote Csrp2 expression may have potential applications in treatment of asthma in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selective logging is one of the most prevalent land uses of forests worldwide, affecting biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. However, the effect of selective logging on the dual nature of temporal stability, and the scale dependence of this effect, remain to be elucidated. By conducting several decade‐long experiments in temperate forest ecosystems, we tested the effects of selective logging on aggregate and compositional stability at multiple spatial scales. As expected, forest ecosystem stability at larger spatial scales was enhanced both by the stability of local scales (i.e. α stability) and asynchronous dynamics among local communities (i.e. spatial asynchrony). We found that the negative effects of selective logging on both facets of forest stability propagated from local to larger spatial scales due to reduced α stability and the biological insurance effects of α diversity. However, both spatial aggregate and compositional asynchrony were not affected by selective logging. Interestingly, despite the selective logging, α diversity still provided biological insurance effects for maintaining aggregate and compositional stability. Our results imply that selective logging may destabilize the aggregate ecosystem functioning and species composition of forest ecosystems at local and larger spatial scales. To our knowledge, this study provides the first evidence of the scale dependence of aggregate and compositional stability of forest ecosystems in response to selective logging. Our findings suggest that forest management should avoid excessive selective logging and strive to protect forest diversity to safeguard the sustainability of the functioning and composition of natural forest ecosystems at multiple spatial scales. Keywords: aggregate stability, compositional stability, diversity, ecosystem functioning, spatial asynchrony, stability [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using a catalytic amount of a porphyrin‐based covalent organic framework (Por‐Ad‐COF) as the efficient recyclable photocatalyst, the photocatalytic oxidative [3+2] cycloaddition reaction between tetrahydroisoquinolines and N‐substituted maleimides was developed under aerobic conditions at room temperature. Various substituted pyrrolo[2,1‐a]isoquinolines were obtained in moderate to good yields via the dipolar [3+2] cycloaddition and oxidative aromatization cascade process under visible light irradiation. This was the first example to employ the covalent organic framework as the heterogeneous photocatalyst to perform the photocatalytic dipolar [3+2] cycloaddition reaction for the synthesis of pyrrolo[2,1‐a]isoquinolines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a booming class of crystalline porous materials, covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have attracted increasing attention and various methods to construct COFs have been investigated including solvothermal synthesis, ionothermal synthesis, microwave synthesis, mechanical synthesis, sonochemical synthesis, interfacial synthesis, and electrochemical synthesis. Recently, photochemical reaction has emerged as a powerful approach for COF synthesis, which utilizing the non‐toxic, abundant and renewable light as the energy source. Benefitting from its outstanding properties of low‐cost, safety, and environmental friendliness, the photochemical reaction was considered as a promising alternative to the conventional thermal reaction for COF synthesis. In this concept article, we summarized the up‐to‐date reports about the photochemical synthesis of COFs and provided a future perspective in this field. It is anticipated that this concept could be beneficial for the further development of photochemical synthesis of COFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assumption that greater biodiversity enhances ecosystem stability, commonly known as 'portfolio effect', has attracted considerable research attention. However, the potential portfolio effects on spatial stability (the similarity of ecosystem functioning among forest communities) are still poorly examined especially at different spatial scales and under varying environmental stress conditions. Accordingly, this study investigates the biodiversity–spatial stability relationship among regional communities across different spatial scales and environmental conditions in a temperate forest region.We define spatial stability as the invariability of the productivity of woody plants among plots within a regional community. To test spatial stability, the N closest plots to a given plot were aggregated to form regional communities representing different spatial scales. Structural equation modelling was used to evaluate how biodiversity (including taxonomic [TD] and phylogenetic diversity [PD]) increases spatial stability via species asynchrony and/or population stability across spatial scales. Hierarchical Bayesian modelling was used to evaluate the environmental dependence of the portfolio effects on spatial stability.TD and PD both increased the spatial stability by increasing asynchrony, but decreased population stability. The portfolio effect of TD on spatial stability became stronger and reached saturation at the intermediate scale and then decreased as regional communities became larger. The portfolio effects of TD were weaker under the stressful conditions of drought, high precipitation seasonality and high elevation but unchanged across temperature seasonality and human disturbance. PD showed no discernable effect on spatial stability and did not change across spatial scale and environmental condition.Our results suggest that the positive effect of biodiversity on species asynchrony overcomes the negative biodiversity effect on population stability to buffer the spatial change in productivity in diverse communities. Future research of the biodiversity–spatial stability relationship may thus benefit from incorporating different spatial scales and environmental conditions into the analysis. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our planet is facing a variety of serious threats from climate change that are unfolding unevenly across the globe. Uncovering the spatial patterns of ecosystem stability is important for predicting the responses of ecological processes and biodiversity patterns to climate change. However, the understanding of the latitudinal pattern of ecosystem stability across scales and of the underlying ecological drivers is still very limited. Accordingly, this study examines the latitudinal patterns of ecosystem stability at the local and regional spatial scale using a natural assembly of forest metacommunities that are distributed over a large temperate forest region, considering a range of potential environmental drivers. We found that the stability of regional communities (regional stability) and asynchronous dynamics among local communities (spatial asynchrony) both decreased with increasing latitude, whereas the stability of local communities (local stability) did not. We tested a series of hypotheses that potentially drive the spatial patterns of ecosystem stability, and found that although the ecological drivers of biodiversity, climatic history, resource conditions, climatic stability, and environmental heterogeneity varied with latitude, latitudinal patterns of ecosystem stability at multiple scales were affected by biodiversity and environmental heterogeneity. In particular, α diversity is positively associated with local stability, while β diversity is positively associated with spatial asynchrony, although both relationships are weak. Our study provides the first evidence that latitudinal patterns of the temporal stability of naturally assembled forest metacommunities across scales are driven by biodiversity and environmental heterogeneity. Our findings suggest that the preservation of plant biodiversity within and between forest communities and the maintenance of heterogeneous landscapes can be crucial to buffer forest ecosystems at higher latitudes from the faster and more intense negative impacts of climate change in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to cope with the problem of the robustness conditions dependence on system parameters information, this paper investigates a data‐based iteration learning control (ILC) for multiphase batch processes with different dimensions and system uncertainty. Firstly, by minimizing the residual between the actual subsystem output and the approximated subsystem output, a gradient‐type approximation law is designed to approximate the system lower triangular parameters matrix and initial state. Secondly, by minimizing the approximated tracking error between the desired trajectory and the approximated output, a data‐based ILC is constructed in an interactive mode with the approximation law. Finally, the boundedness of the approximation error of the real system parameters from the approximated parameters is derived by means of vector norm theory, while the unconditional robustness of the proposed data‐based ILC is proved. Simulation results illustrate the effectiveness and practicability of the proposed data‐based ILC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive hepatic lipid accumulation is involved in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). A previous study showed that the circular RNA (circRNA) PTK2 was significantly downregulated in NAFLD mice. However, the detailed function of circ PTK2 in NAFLD remains unclear. A high‐fat diet (HFD) was used to establish a mouse model of NAFLD, and free fatty acid (FFA) treatment was used to establish an in vitro model of NAFLD. Oil red O staining was used to evaluate lipid accumulation. The pathological changes in mice were observed by HE staining. Western blotting and RT–qPCR were applied to assess protein and mRNA levels, respectively. A dual luciferase reporter assay and RIP were used to explore the relationship among circ PTK2, miR‐200c and SIK2. Circ PTK2 and SIK2 were downregulated and miR‐200c was upregulated in NAFLD. Upregulation of circ PTK2 reversed lipid accumulation in FFA‐treated HepG2 cells. Moreover, circ PTK2 bound to miR‐200c, and SIK2 was identified as the direct target of miR‐200c. Moreover, the miR‐200c inhibitor‐induced decrease in lipid accumulation was reversed by SIK2 knockdown. Furthermore, the impact of circ PTK2 overexpression on PI3K/Akt signaling was partially reversed by SIK2 silencing. Circ PTK2 overexpression alleviates NAFLD development via the miR‐200c/SIK2/PI3K/Akt axis. Thus, our work might provide new methods for NAFLD treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimating forest above‐ground biomass (AGB) productivity constitutes one of the most fundamental topics in forest ecological research. Based on a 30‐ha permanent field plot in Northeastern China, we modeled AGB productivity as output, and topography, species diversity, stand structure, and a stand density variable as input across a series of area scales using the Random Forest (RF) algorithm. As the grain size increased from 10 to 200 m, we found that the relative importance of explanatory variables that drove the variation of biomass productivity varied a lot, and the model accuracy was gradually improved. The minimum sampling area for biomass productivity modeling in this region was 140 × 140 m. Our study shows that the relationship of topography, species diversity, stand structure, and stand density variables with biomass productivity modeled using the RF algorithm changes when moving from scales typical of forest surveys (10 m) to larger scales (200 m) within a controlled methodology. These results should be of considerable interest to scientists concerned with forest assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Understanding the biodiversity–stability relationship has become a central issue in ecology and conservation biology. Although the stabilizing effects of tree species diversity on ecosystem productivity are well recorded in small local communities, they remain poorly understood across scales (from local to larger spatial scales). This study evaluates biodiversity–stability effects from local to larger spatial scales in a large temperate forest region, considering a range of environmental conditions and environmental heterogeneity. Location: North‐eastern China (c. 700,000 km2). Time period: 2005–2017. Major taxa studied: Woody plants. Methods: We define stability as the temporal invariability of biomass productivity. Regional metacommunities representing larger spatial scales were developed by aggregating multiple sets of local field plots. Simple regression analysis was used to test biodiversity–stability relationships in metacommunities. Piecewise structural equation modelling was then used to disentangle the effects of diversity and abiotic variables on forest stability at local and larger spatial scales. Multiple mixed‐effects regression models were used to determine the relative contribution of individual predictive variables to stability across spatial scales. Results: We found that local diversity (alpha diversity) was positively related to the stability of local communities (alpha stability), whereas species turnover across space (beta diversity) was positively related to asynchronous dynamics among local communities (spatial asynchrony), regardless of whether abiotic factors were considered or not. We also found that environmental conditions and environmental heterogeneity affected forest stability across scales. The effect of spatial asynchrony on gamma stability was greater than that of alpha stability. Main conclusions: Our results imply that spatial asynchrony is a key to maintaining the stability of ecosystem productivity within a large temperate forest region. We suggest that diverse forests and heterogeneous landscapes should be sustained at multiple spatial scales to buffer the negative effects of climate change and forest degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several descriptive studies have reported that higher neutrophil count (NC) may be correlated with poor prognosis in patients with confirmed COVID‐19 infection. However, the findings from these studies are limited by methodology and data analysis. This study is a cohort study. We nonselectively and consecutively collected a total of 663 participants in a Chinese hospital from January 7 to February 28. Standardized and two‐piecewise Cox regression model were employed to evaluate the association between baseline neutrophil count (bNC), neutrophil count change rate (NCR), and death. bNC had a U‐shaped association with death. In the range of 0.1 to ≤1.49 × 109/L (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.05–0.66) and >3.55 × 109/L of bNC (HR = 2.82, 95% CI = 1.19–6.67), the trends on bNC with mortality were opposite. By recursive algorithm, the bNC at which the risk of the death was lower in the range of >1.49 to ≤3.55 × 109/L (HR = 13.64, 95% CI = 0.25–74.71). In addition, we find that NCRs (NCR1 and NCR2) are not associated with COVID‐19‐related deaths. Compared with NCR, bNC has the potential to be used for early risk stratification in patients with COVID‐19 infection. The relationship between bNC and mortality was U‐shaped. The safe range of bNC was 1.64–4.0 × 109/L. Identifying the correlation may be helpful for early risk stratification and medical decision‐making. Highlight: Identifying the safe rage of bNC may be helpful for early risk stratification and medical decision‐making for COVID‐19 patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrafast optical control of intramolecular charge flow was demonstrated, which paves the way for photocurrent modulation and switching with a highly wavelength‐selective ON/OFF ratio. The system that was explored is a fac‐[Re(CO)3(TTF‐DPPZ)Cl] complex, where TTF‐DPPZ=4',5'‐bis(propylthio)tetrathiafulvenyl[i]dipyrido[3,2‐a:2',3'‐c]phenazine. DFT calculations and AC‐Stark spectroscopy confirmed the presence of two distinct optically active charge‐transfer processes, namely a metal‐to‐ligand charge transfer (MLCT) and an intra‐ligand charge transfer (ILCT). Ultrafast transient absorption measurements showed that the ILCT state decays in the ps regime. Upon excitation to the MLCT state, only a long‐lived 3MLCT state was observed after 80 ps. Remarkably, however, the bleaching of the ILCT absorption band remained as a result of the effective inhibition of the HOMO–LUMO transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a subtype of lung cancer (LC), which is the most common tumor worldwide. Accumulating evidence has elucidated an important role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in mediating the development and progression of several tumors. The purpose of this study was to explore the role and underlying mechanism of miR‐15b in LUAD. Methods: CCK‐8 and Transwell assays were conducted to measure the capacities of cell viability and migration in SPC‐A1 cells. Luciferase assay was utilized to verifymiR‐15b direct binding to BCL2 mRNA 3′‐UTR. Results: We determined that miR‐15b was overexpressed in LUAD and miR‐15b overexpression predicted a significantly worse outcome in patients with LUAD. miR‐15b improved LUAD growth in vitro and vivo. miR‐15b enhanced cell migration and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in LUAD. miR‐15b promoted cell viability, migration and EMT through inhibiting BCL2 expression by targeting to its mRNA 3′‐UTR. BCL2 reversed functions of miR‐15b on promoting cell proliferation, migration and EMT in SPC‐A1 cells. Conclusions: miR‐15b promoted cell viability, migration and EMT by targeting BCL2 in LUAD. The newly identified miR‐15b/BCL2 axis provides a novel insight into the pathogenesis of LUAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tridentate organic ligand 4,4′,4′′‐(4,4,8,8,12,12‐hexamethyl‐8,12‐dihydro‐4H‐benzo[9,1]quinolizino[3,4,5,6,7‐defg]acridine‐2,6,10‐triyl)tribenzoic acid (H3L) has been synthesized (as the methanol 1.25‐solvate, C48H39NO6·1.25CH3OH). As a donor–acceptor motif molecule, H3L possess strong intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) fluorescence. Through hydrogen bonds, H3L molecules construct a two‐dimensional (2D) network, which pack together into three‐dimensional (3D) networks with an ABC stacking pattern in the crystalline state. Based on H3L and M(NO3)2 salts (M = Cd and Zn) under solvothermal conditions, two metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), namely, catena‐poly[[triaquacadmium(II)]‐μ‐10‐(4‐carboxyphenyl)‐4,4′‐(4,4,8,8,12,12‐hexamethyl‐8,12‐dihydro‐4H‐benzo[9,1]quinolizino[3,4,5,6,7‐defg]acridine‐2,6‐diyl)dibenzoato], [Cd(C48H37NO6)(H2O)3]n, I, and poly[[μ3‐4,4′,4′′‐(4,4,8,8,12,12‐hexamethyl‐8,12‐dihydro‐4H‐benzo[9,1]quinolizino[3,4,5,6,7‐defg]acridine‐2,6,10‐triyl)tribenzoato](μ3‐hydroxido)zinc(II)], [Zn2(C48H36NO6)(OH)]n, II, were synthesized. Single‐crystal analysis revealed that both MOFs adopt a 3D structure. In I, partly deprotonated HL2− behaves as a bidentate ligand to link a CdII ion to form a one‐dimensional chain. In the solid state of I, the existence of weak interactions, such as O—H...O hydrogen bonds and π–π interactions, plays an essential role in aligning 2D nets and 3D networks with AB packing patterns for I. The deprotonated ligand L3− in II is utilized as a tridentate building block to bind ZnII ions to construct 3D networks, where unusual Zn4O14 clusters act as connection nodes. As a donor–acceptor molecule, H3L exhibits fluorescence with a photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 70% in the solid state. In comparison, the PL of both MOFs is red‐shifted with even higher PLQYs of 79 and 85% for I and II, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lifestyle and risk factor management may improve outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We aim to evaluate the prevalence of modifiable risk factors and how these factors impact clinical outcomes in patients with AF. Methods and Results: Data on 17 898 AF cohort patients with AF enrolled between 2011 and 2016 was analyzed. A healthy lifestyle was defined as not smoking, not drinking, a healthy body mass index (BMI), untreated total cholesterol less than 200 mg/dL, untreated blood pressure (BP) less than 120/80 mm Hg, and untreated fasting plasma glucose (FPG) less than 100 mg/dL. The association between risk factors and risk of the composite endpoint of all‐cause mortality and nonfatal ischemic stroke were assessed using Cox proportional hazards regression model. Only 4.0% of patients achieved a healthy lifestyle. In multivariate analysis, current smoking, a low BMI, not well‐controlled FPG were independently and significantly associated with higher risk of all‐cause mortality and nonfatal ischemic stroke, with corresponding hazard ratio (HR) estimates 1.22 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00‐1.47), HR = 1.72 (95% CI, 1.34‐2.20), and HR = 1.25 (95% CI, 1.06‐1.46), respectively. High BP was also associated with higher risk with the outcomes (HR = 1.15, 95% CI, 1.00‐1.34). Compared with patients with no risk factor, those who failed to maintained or achieved optimal risk factor control had a progressively higher risk of death and nonfatal ischemic stroke (HR for 1 risk factor = 1.44; 95% CI, 1.07‐1.92; and more than 2 risk factors =  1.75; 95% CI, 0.99‐3.09). Conclusions: Maintenance of well‐controlled risk factors may substantially lower the risk of death and ischemic stroke in patients with AF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myocardial ischaemia–reperfusion injury (MIRI) is a main pathophysiologic change following CPB surgery. L‐carnitine, a natural amino acid, is able to transport fatty acids for generating energy and has a protective effect on MIRI. We aim to investigate the protective effect of L‐carnitine on MIRI in patients with rheumatic valvular heart disease (RVHD) performed CPB surgical operation and the underlying mechanism. In this study, patients were randomized to three groups. L‐carnitine was added to the crystalloid cardioplegic solution for experimental group 1 (6 g/L) and experimental group 2 (12 g/L), whereas no L‐carnitine was used in the control group. Our results showed that L‐carnitine significantly attenuated myocardial injury after surgery in these patients. L‐carnitine decreased serum markers of myocardial injury including CK‐MB, cTnI, hs‐cTnT and IMA. L‐carnitine increased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) but reduced wall motion score index (WMSI) after operation. L‐carnitine also inhibited myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and inflammatory cytokines in the myocardium of patients after unclamping the aorta. Additionally, L‐carnitine increased levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) while decreased levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl content in the myocardium of patients after unclamping the aorta. Moreover, L‐carnitine suppressed the activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF‐κB) and activated nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2). There was also no significant difference in these indices between two experimental groups after unclamping the aorta. Taken together, L‐carnitine had a protective effect against CPB‐induced MIRI in patients with RVHD, which might be related to its modulation of NF‐κB and Nrf2 activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The liquid biopsy is being integrated into cancer diagnostics and surveillance. However, critical questions still remain, such as how to precisely evaluate cancer mutation burden and interpret the corresponding clinical implications. Herein, we evaluated the role of peripheral blood cell‐free DNA (cfDNA) in characterizing the dynamic mutation alterations of 48 cancer driver genes from cervical cancer patients. We performed targeted deep sequencing on 93 plasma cfDNA from 57 cervical cancer patients and from this developed an algorithm, allele fraction deviation (AFD), to monitor in an unbiased manner the dynamic changes of genomic aberrations. Differing treatments, including chemotherapy (n = 22), radiotherapy (n = 14) and surgery (n = 15), led to a significant decrease in AFD values (Wilcoxon, p = 0.029). The decrease of cfDNA AFD values was accompanied by shrinkage in the size of the tumor in most patients. However, in a subgroup of patients where cfDNA AFD values did not reflect a reduction in tumor size, there was a detection of progressive disease (metastasis). Furthermore, a low AFD value at diagnosis followed a later increase of AFD value also successfully predicted relapse. These results show that plasma cfDNA, together with targeted deep sequencing, may help predict treatment response and disease development in cervical cancer. What's new? Liquid biopsy is increasingly being integrated into cancer diagnostics and surveillance. However, critical questions still remain, such as how to precisely evaluate cancer mutation burden and infer clinical implications. Here, the authors develop a new algorithm that evaluates in an unbiased manner the mutation deviation of every single site in the target regions covered by a cancer panel, including the sites that usually fail to pass the single nucleotide variations (SNV)‐calling criteria of most algorithms. By analyzing 93 cervical cancer samples, they demonstrate that this algorithm is able to efficiently monitor patient response to treatment and prognosticate tumor progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

4,4′‐{9,9′‐Spirobi[10H‐acridine]‐10,10′‐diyl}dibenzoic acid (L, C29H26N2O4) was designed and synthesized as a new donor–acceptor motif molecule. Due to the large dihedral angle between the planes of the carboxyphenyl group and the spiroacridine moiety, L possess thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF). By applying L as a ligand and using Cd as a metal connector, we synthesized the coordination polymer catena‐poly[hemi‐μ‐aqua‐aqua(μ3‐4,4′‐{9,9′‐spirobi[10H‐acridine]‐10,10′‐diyl}dibenzoato)cadmium(II)], [Cd(C29H24N2O4)(H2O)1.5]n, (I). X‐ray crystallographic analysis revealed that this coordination polymer exhibits one‐dimensional chains constructed from molecular twist‐ring moieties, with Cd2O11 clusters as the connection nodes. The stacking pattern of the two‐dimensional network was formed by C—H...π interactions in the solid state. Similar to L, (I) presents a sky‐blue TADF emission, together with a photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 40%. It is worth noting that the photocatalytic activity toward the generation of singlet oxygen of this coordination polymer is confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this paper is to investigate the dynamical behavior of a general nonlinear delayed viral infection model with cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) immune response. The intrinsic growth rate of uninfected hepatocytes, incidence rate of infection, removal rate of infected hepatocytes and capsids, production and removal rate of viruses, activation rate of CTLs, and decay rate of CTLs are given by general nonlinear functions with a set of conditions on these general nonlinear functions, which make the analysis of the model more difficult. The global threshold dynamics with respect to the reproduction numbers for viral infection R0 and for CTL immune response R1 have been presented by constructing suitable Lyapunov functionals. Numerical simulations are carried out for a model with specific forms of the general functions to confirm the theoretical results and show that both the numerical and theoretical results are consistent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To explore the performance of routine assessment of patient index data 3 (RAPID3) in reflecting disease activity in Chinese rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Method: The clinical data of 189 consecutive RA patients, including RAPID3 questionnaire, Disease Activity Score based on 28‐joint count (DAS28), clinical disease activity index (CDAI) and simplified disease activity index (SDAI), and ultrasonography of hand and wrist joints were collected. The consistency between RAPID3 and DAS28, CDAI, SDAI in RA patients with different disease activities was performed by Spearman's correlations, kappa and/or weighted kappa coefficients. Result: RAPID3 score was significantly associated with DAS28 and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), DAS28 with C‐reactive protein (CRP), CDAI, SDAI (r = 0.797, 0.786, 0.784, and 0.760 respectively, P < 0.001 for all). RAPID3 was also significantly correlated with tender joint count, swollen joint count, ESR and CRP. The agreement of RAPID3 with DAS28 scoring systems was better in patients with moderate/high disease activity than those in remission/low disease activity. Ultrasonographic subclinical synovitis was presented in 42.3%‐48.6% of patients in remission/low disease activity defined by various scoring criteria including RAPID3 with no significant difference observed (P = 0.22, >0.05). Conclusion: RAPID3 showed good correlation with DAS28 scoring systems, especially in patients with moderate/high disease activity. RAPID3 is a reliable and convenient tool to monitor disease activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate whether ureteroscopy (URS) before radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for upper tract urothelial carcinomas (UTUCs) has an impact on oncological outcomes. Patients and Methods: We performed a systematic literature search of PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE for citations published prior to September 2017 that described URS performed on patients with UTUC and conducted a standard meta‐analysis on survival outcomes. Results: Our meta‐analysis included eight eligible studies containing 3975 patients. The results were as follows: cancer‐specific survival (CSS; hazard ratio [HR] 0.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.59–0.99; P = 0.04), overall survival (OS; HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.48–1.21; P = 0.24), recurrence‐free survival (RFS; HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.69–1.14; P = 0.37), metastasis‐free survival (MFS; HR 1.06, 95% CI 0.82–1.36; P = 0.66), and intravesical recurrence‐free survival (IRFS; HR 1.51, 95% CI 1.29–1.77; P < 0.001). When excluding previous bladder tumour history, the result for IRFS was a HR of 1.81 (95% CI 1.53–2.13; P < 0.001). Conclusions: This meta‐analysis indicated that URS before RNU did not have a negative impact on CSS, OS, RFS, or MFS in patients with UTUC. However, patients were at higher risk of intravesical recurrence after RNU when they had undergone URS before RNU. Further studies are needed to assess the effects of post‐URS intravesical chemotherapy on intravesical recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A family of organic emitters with a donor-σ-acceptor (D-σ-A) motif is presented. Owing to the weakly coupled D-σ-A intramolecular charge-transfer state, a transition from the localized excited triplet state (3LE) and charge-transfer triplet state (3CT) to the charge-transfer singlet state (1CT) occurred with a small activation energy and high photoluminescence quantum efficiency. Two thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) components were identified, one of which has a very short lifetime of 200-400 ns and the other a longer TADF lifetime of the order of microseconds. In particular, the two D-σ-A materials presented strong blue emission with TADF properties in toluene. These results will shed light on the molecular design of new TADF emitters with short delayed lifetimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A discrete multi-group SVIR epidemic model with general nonlinear incidence rate and vaccination is investigated by utilizing Mickens' nonstandard finite difference scheme to a corresponding continuous model. Mathematical analysis shows that the global asymptotic stability of the equilibria is fully determined by the basic reproduction number [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An alginate lyase producing bacterial strain, Cobetia sp. WG-007, was isolated and identified from rotting seaweed. The alginate lyase, Aly-W02, was purified by procedures of ultrafiltration, Q-Sepharose Fast Flow, Phenyl Sepharose 6 Fast Flow, and Superdex-G100 with specific activity of 21,285.5 U/mg. Aly-W02 had an apparent molecular mass of 35 kDa. It exhibited maximum activity at 45 °C in 50 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 8.5). This alginate lyase was stable in the pH range of 6.0-8.5. Among the tested metal ions, the addition of K+, Na+, and Mg2+ ions can enhance the enzyme activities, while Ba2+, Ni+, Cu2+, Mn2+, Zn2+, Ag+, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid decreased the activities. It displayed high salt-tolerant ability; 0.8 M NaCl or 1.5 M KCl significantly enhanced the enzyme activity. Furthermore, Aly-W02 mainly released disaccharide, trisaccharide, and tetrasaccharid from alginate. It showed potential in producing low molecular weight alginate oligosaccharides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A delayed multi-group SVEIR epidemic model with vaccination and a general incidence function has been formulated and studied in this paper. Mathematical analysis shows that the basic reproduction number [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of efficient metal-free organic emitters with thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) properties for deep-blue emission is still challenging. A new family of deep-blue TADF emitters based on a donor-acceptor architecture has been developed. The electronic interaction between donor and acceptor plays a key role in the TADF mechanism. Deep-blue OLEDs fabricated with these TADF emitters achieved high external quantum efficiencies over 19.2 % with CIE coordinates of (0.148, 0.098). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) displaying a wide range of emission colors with emission peaks from 450 to 665 nm using a single emitting material, avobenzone boron difluoride (AVB-BF2), are reported. Color tuning is achieved by controlling the aggregation of AVB-BF2 and the formation of a 'triadic' exciplex of an AVB-BF2 dimer and a host molecule. Various electroluminescent devices containing AVB-BF2 cover the whole visible light spectrum and a white-emitting device with CIE coordinates of (0.35, 0.37) is obtained with a single emitting material in a single emissive layer. Furthermore, an exceptionally high external quantum efficiency of nearly 13% is achieved for a green-emitting OLED because AVB-BF2 exhibits thermally activated delayed fluorescence by forming the exciplex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Liver fibrosis is the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) resulting from chronic liver diseases. Efficient and well-tolerated drugs for its treatment are urgently needed. This study aims to identify the active ingredients of Antrodia camphorata by a bioassay-guided fractionation approach and explore the acting mechanism by using a hepatic stellate cell (HSC) line CFSC-8B stimulated by transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). Methods The accumulation of collagens was evaluated using chromogenic precipitation reaction with picro-sirius red (PSR) dye solution and quantified by spectrophotometric analysis of the dissolved stain. MTT assay, cell migration assay, quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting analysis were used to determine the cell viability, cell migration and gene expression. Results We established a rapid colorimetric assay suitable for screening of anti-hepatofibrotic reagents. Stimulation with 10 ng/mL TGF-β1 for 48 h and 200 μL PSR dye solution were optimal for the colorimetric assay in CFSC-8B cells. We used SB431542, silybin and another 11 antifibrotic reagents to verify the cellular model. Within the safe doses, they attenuated ECM production induced by TGF-β1. Bioactivity-guided fractionation led to the identification of antrodin B from A. camphorata. Antrodin B significantly ameliorated cell proliferation, cell migration, suppressed HSC activation marker α-smooth muscle actin expression and ECM components Col1, Col3 and Fn expression, and blocked the phosphorylation of Smad2/3 induced by TGF-β1 in CFSC-8B cells in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion We developed a simple assay based on TGF-β1-induced total collagen accumulation in CFSC-8B cells and identified antrodin B which may serve as a potential candidate for treatment of liver fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by type 17 helper T cell (Th17)/regulatory T cell (Treg) imbalance. The objective of this article is to study whether insufficient apoptosis contributes to the imbalance of Th17/Treg in rheumatoid arthritis. Methods Twenty-one rheumatoid arthritis patients and eight healthy volunteers were involved in this study. The percentage of CD4+ interleukin ( IL)-17+ T cells and CD4+ transcription factor-forkhead box protein 3 (Foxp3)+ T cells were measured by flow cytometry, and active caspase-3 labeling was used to detect early apoptosis. The number of T cell subtypes in peripheral blood between the two groups was compared, as well as the apoptotic ratio. Results Neither the number of Th17 nor Treg cells was significantly different between rheumatoid arthritis patients and healthy controls. However, the number of regulatory T cells positively correlated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate, Disease Activity Score of 28 joints and rheumatoid factor. For the apoptosis of T cell subtypes, the percentage of apoptotic Th17 cells was higher in peripheral blood of rheumatoid arthritis patients compared to controls. Furthermore, peripheral Th17 cells were more sensitive to apoptosis than Treg cells, but there was no difference between rheumatoid arthritis patients and controls. Conclusion It seemed that there was no relationship between the number and apoptosis ratio of peripheral Th17/Treg cells. But the number of Treg cells positively correlated with disease activity. Furthermore, Th17 cells are more sensitive to apoptosis after freezing, especially in RA patients. This serendipitous finding may provide new areas for the further study of these two cell populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a new knowledge for clinical presentations and findings of imagine in patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head ( ONFH) in recent more than ten years. According to clinical data in Chinese huge patients with ONFH, the guideline for diagnosis and treatment of ONFH has been put forward by Chinese specialists. The newer contents of guideline include the definition for predisposing risk factors of ONFH, the new knowledge for clinical manifestations, the new interpretation for changes of imagine, important differential diagnosis. Based on the supplementary and revision for widely used staging and classification system, the new Chinese staging and classification system have been established. The advantages of Chinese staging and classification system accord with clinical and pathological features, it could be predicted the prognosis, and clinical applications are convenient. The guideline gives a brief account of principles for treatment selection and treatment methods for enhancement of diagnosis and treatment for ONFH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports a randomized controlled trial to investigate whether mindfulness training can successfully improve inner peace in participants with no known mental disorder. Fifty-seven participants were randomized to either mindfulness training ( n = 29) or wait-list control ( n = 28). The experience sampling method was used to measure the fleeting momentary experience of inner peace in participants. In addition, we used an experimental approach to assessing ability to focus attention: the Meditation Breath Attention Score, as well as the self-report Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). Compared with the wait-list control group, mindfulness training led to an increase in scores of inner peace, Meditation Breath Attention Score and FFMQ, using analysis of repeated measures analysis of variance. Change in inner peace was not, however, mediated by changes in self-rated mindfulness (FFMQ) nor by increased attentional focus. The findings provide first evidence suggesting that using mindfulness training improves the participants' inner peace. The focus here was on the immediate effects and future studies need to use follow-up. © 2013 The Authors. Stress and Health published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new organic semiconductors, in which either two methoxy units are directly linked to a dibenzotetrathiafulvalene (DB-TTF) central core and a 2,1,3-chalcogendiazole is fused on the one side, or four methoxy groups are linked to the DB-TTF, have been synthesised as active materials for organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). Their electrochemical behaviour, electronic absorption and fluorescence emission as well as photoinduced intramolecular charge transfer were studied. The electron-withdrawing 2,1,3-chalcogendiazole unit significantly affects the electronic properties of these semiconductors, lowering both the HOMO and LUMO energy levels and hence increasing the stability of the semiconducting material. The solution-processed single-crystal transistors exhibit high performance with a hole mobility up to 0.04 cm2 V−1 s−1 as well as good ambient stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tibetan alpine grasslands, sharing many features with arctic tundra ecosystems, have a unique non-growing-season climate that is usually dry and without persistent snow cover. Pronounced winter warming recently observed in this ecosystem may significantly alter the non-growing-season carbon cycle processes such as soil respiration ( Rs), but detailed measurements to assess the patterns, drivers of, and potential feedbacks on Rs have not been made yet. We conducted a 4 year study on Rs using a unique Rs measuring system, composed of an automated soil CO2 flux sampling system and a custom-made container, to facilitate measurements in this extreme environment. We found that in the nongrowing season, (1) cumulative Rs was 82-89 g C m−2, accounting for 11.8-13.2% of the annual total Rs; (2) surface soil freezing controlled the diurnal pattern of Rs and bulk soil freezing induced lower reference respiration rate ( R0) and temperature sensitivity ( Q10) than those in the growing season (0.40-0.53 versus 0.84-1.32 µmol CO2 m−2 s−1 for R0 and 2.5-2.9 versus 2.9-5.6 for Q10); and (3) the intraannual variation in cumulative Rs was controlled by accumulated surface soil temperature. We found that in the summer monsoon-dominated Tibetan alpine grassland, surface soil freezing, bulk soil freezing, and accumulated surface soil temperature are the day-, season-, and year-scale drivers of the non-growing-season Rs, respectively. Our results suggest that warmer winters can trigger carbon loss from this ecosystem because of higher Q10 of thawed than frozen soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A compact and planar donor-acceptor molecule 1 comprising tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) and benzothiadiazole (BTD) units has been synthesised and experimentally characterised by structural, optical, and electrochemical methods. Solution-processed and thermally evaporated thin films of 1 have also been explored as active materials in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). For these devices, hole field-effect mobilities of μFE=(1.3±0.5)×10−3 and (2.7±0.4)×10−3 cm2 V s−1 were determined for the solution-processed and thermally evaporated thin films, respectively. An intense intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) transition at around 495 nm dominates the optical absorption spectrum of the neutral dyad, which also shows a weak emission from its ICT state. The iodine-induced oxidation of 1 leads to a partially oxidised crystalline charge-transfer (CT) salt {( 1)2I3}, and eventually also to a fully oxidised compound { 1I3} ⋅1/2I2. Single crystals of the former CT compound, exhibiting a highly symmetrical crystal structure, reveal a fairly good room temperature electrical conductivity of the order of 2 S cm−1. The one-dimensional spin system bears compactly bonded BTD acceptors (spatial localisation of the LUMO) along its ridge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To analyse the predictive factors for worse pathological outcome (muscle invasive pT2+, non-organ-confined pT3+ or N+ and histological Grade 3) of upper tract urothelial carcinoma ( UTUC) in a Chinese population from a nationwide high-volume centre in China., Patients and Methods Predictors were studied by retrospectively reviewing the clinicopathological data of 729 consecutive patients with UTUC treated in our centre from January 2002 to December 2010., Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used., Results There were more female patients (56.4%) than males and more tumours were located in the ureter (52.7%) than in the pelvis., In multivariate analysis, male gender (hazard ratio [ HR] 1.898, P = 0.001), sessile architecture ( HR 3.249, P < 0.001), high grade ( HR 5.007, P < 0.001), ipsilateral hydronephrosis ( HR 4.768, P < 0.001), renal pelvis location ( HR 2.620, P < 0.001) and tumour without multifocality ( HR 1.639, P = 0.028) were predictive factors for muscle-invasive UTUC., Male gender ( HR 2.132, P < 0.001), renal pelvis location ( HR 3.466, P < 0.001), tumour without multifocality ( HR 2.532, P = 0.001), sessile tumour architecture ( HR 3.274, P < 0.001), and high grade ( HR 3.019, P < 0.001) were predictive factors for non-organ-confined disease., Chronological old age ( HR 1.047, P < 0.001), sessile tumour architecture ( HR 25.192, P < 0.001), ipsilateral hydronephrosis ( HR 1.689, P = 0.024), and positive urinary cytology ( HR 1.997, P = 0.006) were predictive factors for histological Grade 3 UTUC., Conclusions There was a predominance of female patients and ureteric tumours in UTUCs of this Chinese population., Male gender, sessile architecture, tumour location, tumour without multifocality, high histological grade and preoperative ipsilateral hydronephrosis were independent predictive factors for worse pathological outcome of UTUCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To investigate the differences of B lymphocyte stimulator ( Bly S) level and frequency of lymphocytes between sero-negative and sero-positive rheumatoid arthritis ( RA) patients. Methods Sixty-nine RA patients were enrolled into this study and their clinical data were recorded. The Bly S levels in plasma, frequency of T and B lymphocytes, as well as T-helper ( Th) subgroups were compared between sero-negative and sero-positive RA patients. Furthermore, the correlations between clinical features and immunological features were analyzed. Results The plasma Bly S level in sero-negative RA was higher compared to the sero-positive RA patients (1.73 ± 1.71 vs. 0.99 ± 0.59 ng/mL, P < 0.05) and osteoarthritis ( OA) patients (1.73 ± 1.71 vs. 0.59 ± 0.12 ng/mL, P < 0.05). Plasma Bly S level was correlated with disease activity score ( DAS-28, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein), but had no correlation with the titers of rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti- CCP) antibodies. The patients with more advanced changes in X-rays had high plasma Bly S levels. No significant differences in the frequency of T lymphocytes, Th subpopulations and B lymphocytes in peripheral blood were observed between sero-negative and sero-positive RA patients. Conclusions Plasma Bly S level was correlated with disease activity and radiological progress, which indicates that plasma Bly S level may become a useful biological marker to reflect DAS and to predict RA prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Aim Our aim was to address the potential effect of the geographical range size of species on the relationships between plant traits, soil and climate in Chinese grasslands. Previous analyses tended to examine plant-environment relationships across many species while ignoring that species with different range sizes may respond differently to the environment. Here we hypothesized that leaf traits of narrow-ranging species would be more strongly correlated with soil and climatic variables than those of wide-ranging species. Location Chinese grasslands. Methods Data on leaf traits, including nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, carbon/nitrogen ratio, nitrogen/phosphorus ratio and specific leaf area, as well as species range sizes for 208 species distributed across 178 sites in Chinese grasslands were collected. Soil and climate information for each study site was also gathered. The effects of range size on leaf traits were tested using one-way ANOVA. Correlations between leaf traits, soil and climate were calculated for all species pooled together and for species partitioned into range size quartiles, from the first (narrowest- ranging 25%) to the fourth (widest-ranging 25%). Results Narrow-ranging species tended to occur at high altitude with lower temperature but higher soil nutrient concentrations compared with wide-ranging species. No direct link between leaf traits and species range sizes was detected. However, patterns of leaf-soil nutrient relationships changed significantly across levels of range size. Narrow-ranging species tended to be more sensitive to variation in soil nutrient availability than wide-ranging species, resulting in a shift from a positive leaf-soil nutrient relationship for narrow-ranging plants to no relationship for wide-ranging plants. Species responses to climatic variables were unrelated to their range sizes. Main conclusions The close relationship between leaf and soil nutrients indicates a specialization of narrow-ranging species to particular habitats whereas wide-ranging species may be able to better withstand changes in environment such as soil fertility over a large area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]