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To identify the representative attributes of the five elements of a person with a qualitative methodology and provide the basis for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of "people with the five elements in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)." Data collected from the literature review, two sessions of brainstorming of experts with related experience in "people with the five elements in TCM" from October 2020 to December 2020, and six rounds of in-depth interviews with 30 participants who had various attributes of the five elements from March 2021 to October 2021 were analyzed. Triangulation was used in this study, and theming and synthesizing were used to analyze the data. A total of 31 experts and 30 interviewees participated in this study. The median age of the experts and interviewees were 48.0 and 38.5 years, respectively; 51.66% and 54.8% of experts and interviewees, respectively, were men. The descriptors of facial diagrams of "people with the five elements in TCM" were complexion, shape, distribution state of facial bones, convergence trend of facial muscles, and facial expression. A theoretical model of "people with the five elements in TCM" was shaped based on these findings. The study suggests a possibility for bridging the gap between personality and bodily state, identifying an avenue for personality research from the perspective of TCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palliative care is fraught with numerous challenges when it comes to conducting practical teaching as it involves caring for people facing the complexities of end-of-life and death. Insufficient clinical practice hinders nursing students from mastering knowledge, attitude and ability of hospice care. Virtual clinical simulation has demonstrated its effectiveness as a valuable educational tool in nursing. However, there is a dearth of evidence supporting its utilization in the context of palliative care practice education. To develop a virtual clinical simulation education system and assess its impact on enhancing nursing students' knowledge, ability, and attitudes toward palliative care. A single-group pretest-posttest design and focus group interviews were employed. The study was conducted at a medical university in southwest China. A total of 76 third-year nursing students participated. Participants underwent a 1-hour learning session using the virtual clinical simulation education system. Pre-test and post-test evaluations were conducted to assess the participants' knowledge, ability, and attitudes toward palliative care. Survey questionnaire was administered to gauge the students' acceptance and perception of virtual clinical simulation. Focus group interviews were integrated to gain insight into students' subjective perceptions and feedback on the virtual clinical simulation. There were notable enhancements in the students' overall scores of palliative care knowledge, ability, and attitudes after the learning session. Students positively evaluated the usefulness and usability of virtual clinical simulation. Students' feedback regarding virtual clinical simulation can be categorized into four themes: the value of virtual clinical simulation education system, its role as a complement to clinical practice teaching, the enjoyment and accessibility of learning, and the technological challenges encountered. Virtual clinical simulation is an effective learning tool in palliative care practice education, which has the potential to enhance students' knowledge, ability, and attitudes toward palliative care. • We developed a novel and innovative virtual clinical simulation education system for nursing students' palliative care education. • Virtual clinical simulation can provide a realistic clinical learning environment to address the challenges of teaching palliative care practice. • The virtual clinical simulation education system can potentially improve the palliative care knowledge, ability, and attitudes of nursing students. • The virtual clinical simulation education system is a beneficial and promising instructional tool, and most nursing students think it is useful and easy to use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal-organic framework (MOF) materials have highly sought after in electromagnetic materials and functional devices, due to the unique three-dimensional structure and electronic state. Herein, the tailoring strategy of MOF materials, including MOF precursors and carbonized derivatives, is combed for high-efficiency microwave absorbers. The design idea from microstructure to electromagnetic response is constructed. Based on these theories, the current research progress about MOF-based absorbers is presented, and the effect of microstructure tailoring to electromagnetic property and microwave absorption is revealed. In addition, the application of MOF materials in functional device is outlined. Finally, the current challenges for MOF materials and devices are overviewed, and the future development is expected. Image 103774 Tailoring the microstructure of MOF materials can effectively tune electromagnetic property and obtain great microwave absorbers and devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plantaginis Herba (Plantago asiatica L.) has the effects of clearing heat and diuresis, oozing wet and drenching. As the main active components of Plantaginis Herba (Plantago asiatica L.), plantamajoside have a wide range of antitumor activities but very low bioavailability. The process of interacting between plantamajoside and gut microbiota remains unclear. To illustrate the process of interacting between plantamajoside and gut microbiota based on high-resolution mass spectrometry and targeted metabolomics methods. This experiment was divided into two parts. First, metabolites produced from plantamajoside by gut microbiota were identified and quantified based on high-resolution mass spectrometry and LC–MS/MS. Additionally, stimulation of plantamajoside on gut microbiota-derived metabolites was determined by targeted metabolomics and gas chromatography. We first found that plantamajoside was rapidly metabolized by gut microbiota. Then, we identified metabolites of plantamajoside by high-resolution mass spectrometry and speculated that plantamajoside was metabolized into five metabolites including calceolarioside A, dopaol glucoside, hydroxytyrosol, 3-(3-hydroxyphenyl) propionic acid (3-HPP) and caffeic acid. Among them, we quantitatively analyzed four possible metabolites based on LC‒MS/MS and found that hydroxytyrosol and 3-HPP were final products by the gut microbiota. In addition, we studied whether plantamajoside could affect the short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) and amino acid metabolites. We found that plantamajoside could inhibit the acetic acid, kynurenic acid (KYNA) and kynurenine (KN) produced by intestinal bacteria and promote the indole propionic acid (IPA) and indole formaldehyde (IALD) produced by intestinal bacteria. An interaction between plantamajoside and gut microbiota was revealed in this study. Unlike the traditional metabolic system, the special metabolic characteristics of plantamajoside in gut microbiota was found. Plantamajoside was metabolized into the following active metabolites: calceolarioside A, dopaol glucoside, hydroxytyrosol, caffeic acid and 3-HPP. Besides, plantamajoside could affect SCFA and tryptophan metabolism by gut microbiota. Especially, the exogenous metabolites hydroxytyrosol, caffeic acid and endogenous metabolites IPA may have potential association with the antitumor activity of plantamajoside. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Pilocarpine concentration-dependently enhanced the glycine currents in ventral horn neurons of the spinal cord. • M 3 -AChR and Ca2+-dependent PKC participated in the pilocarpine effect. • IP 3 receptor was involved in the potentiation by pilocarpine of the glycine currents. Our study aimed to determine the effects of pilocarpine and the mechanisms involving muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) on glycine receptors (GlyRs) in neurons of the spinal cord ventral horn. An enzymatic digestion combined with acute mechanical separation was applied to isolate neurons from the spinal cord ventral horn. Patch-clamp recording was then used to investigate the outcomes of pilocarpine. Our results indicate that pilocarpine increased the glycine currents in a concentration-dependent manner, which was blocked by the M 3 -AChR selective antagonists 4-DAMP and J104129. Pilocarpine also enhanced the glycine currents in nominally Ca2+-free extracellular solution. Conversely, the enhancement of glycine currents by pilocarpine disappeared when intracellular Ca2+ was chelated by BAPTA. Heparin and Xe-C, which are IP 3 receptor antagonists, also totally abolished the pilocarpine effect. Furthermore, Bis-IV, a PKC inhibitor, eliminated the pilocarpine effect. Additionally, PMA, a PKC activator, mimicked the pilocarpine effect. These results indicate that pilocarpine may increase the glycine currents by activating the M 3 -AChRs and IP 3 /Ca2+/PKC pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim of the study: Rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts (RASFs) are known to produce matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and cause joint destruction. The purpose of this study is to develop a potential medicine for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Materials and methods: To this end, first, the MMPs inhibition factor was purified from an alkali-solubilized fraction of RJ (Apis mellifera) by C18 reverse-phase column chromatography and identified as 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10H2DA) by LTQ XL analysis. Next, Experimental test 10H2DA how to inhibited the activities of MMPs: with RASFs isolated from rheumatoid tissues by enzymatic digestion, cultures in monolayers were treated with 10H2DA (0.5mM, 1mM, and 2mM) or PBS for 2h followed by stimulation with TNF-α (10ng/ml) for 2h, mRNA. Protein levels of MMP-1 and MMP-3 were measured by real-time PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the DNA-binding activity of activator protein-1 (AP-1) and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), and the protein kinase activity of p38, ERK and JNK by kinase assay. Results: The molecular investigation revealed that the 10H2DA-mediated suppression was likely to occur through blocking p38 kinase and c-Jun N-terminal kinase–AP-1 signaling pathways. In contrast, 10H2DA had no effect on extracellular signal-regulated kinase activity, NF-κB DNA-binding activity and IκBα degradation. Conclusion: These results suggest that 10H2DA may be of potential therapeutic value in inhibiting joint destruction in RA. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

COVID-19 has led to unprecedented public health measures such as school and university closures across the world. While initial surveys show an increase in anxiety, we have little information on the subjective experience of adolescents and young adults (AYAs). The aims of this study were to understand the lived experience and needs of AYAs related to home confinement and preventive measures due to COVID-19. A total of 25 AYAs (13–24 years old) with diverse gender, age, or health conditions, living in Québec (Canada), were interviewed in May 2020, during the COVID-19 home confinement period. Four virtual focus groups were held via a virtual video-conferencing platform (Zoom©). Thematic analysis was conducted. Thematic analysis revealed five main themes: (1) challenges and opportunities related to the experience of home confinement; (2) variable risk perception of COVID-19 infection; (3) development of coping strategies to maintain well-being; (4) need for information and accompaniment; (5) apprehensions related to perceptions of the future. AYAs did not feel considered in public health decisions, fostering an increase in anxiety, especially in more vulnerable AYAs living with chronic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Orexin-A potentiated the glycine currents in the spinal cord ventral horn neurons. • OX 1 R and Ca2+-dependent PKC were involved in the orexin-A effect. • IP 3 receptor was involved in orexin-A-induced potentiation of the glycine currents. Orexin-A/B modulates multiple physical functions by activating their receptors (OX 1 R and OX 2 R), but its effects in the spinal cord motor control remain unknown. Using acute separation (by digestive enzyme) of cells and patch-clamp recordings, we aimed to investigate the effect and mechanisms of orexin-A on the glycine receptors in the spinal cord ventral horn neurons. Orexin-A potentiated the glycine currents by activating OX 1 R. In Ca2+-free extracellular solution, orexin-A still increased the glycine currents. While, the orexin-A-induced potentiation was blocked when Ca2+ was chelated by internal infusion of BAPTA, and the orexin-A effect was abolished by the IP 3 receptor antagonists heparin and Xe-C. The PKC inhibitor Bis-IV nullified the orexin-A effect. In addition, orexin-A did not cause a further enhancement of the glycine currents after bath application of the PKC activator PMA. In conclusion, after OX 1 R is activated, a distinct IP 3 /Ca2+-dependent PKC signaling pathway, is likely responsible for the orexin-A potentiation on glycine currents in the spinal cord ventral horn neurons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Role of LEF-1 in rats with PAH was investigated. • Activation of β-catenin signaling pathway led to PAH. • Activation of β-catenin signaling pathway led to pulmonary vascular remodeling. • LEF-1 gene silencing inhibited the activation of β-catenin pathway. • This study provides a new approach and basis for the treatment of PAH. Abstract Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) has been known to result in progressive pulmonary artery pressures (PAP), pulmonary vascular resistance, and right ventricular failure. Emerging evidence has highlighted the function lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1 (LEF-1) exerts in human diseases along with its potential participation in PAH. Herein, the present study aims to investigate the mechanisms by which LEF-1 affects the pulmonary vascular remodeling in rat models of PAH via the β-catenin signaling pathway. Both pulmonary vascular remodeling and PAP in the rat pulmonary arterioles were observed by using blood gas analysis as well as plasma NO level detection. Cells from the rats were then treated using monocrotaline (MCT) with PM2.5 also being treated with either shLEF-1, HU-308 (agonist of β-catenin signaling pathway) or shLEF-1 + HU-308. Expressions of the following: LEF-1, GSK-3β, β-catenin, PCNA, Caspase-3, survivin, and Bax were all determined by employing both RT-qPCR and Western blot. Cell proliferation, senescence, and apoptosis calculations were all measured by using the CCK-8 assay, SA β-Gal and flow cytometry methods, respectively. Rats that were treated with the combination of MCT + PM2.5, afterwards presented with a noticeably higher degree of pulmonary vascular remodeling and PAP, and reduced plasma levels of NO; besides, the expressions of LEF-1, GSK-3β, β-catenin, PCNA, and survivin were all elevated, while the expressions of both Caspase-3 and Bax were reduced. Following treatment of HU-308, cell senescence, and apoptosis were all inhibited, while cell proliferation had been contrarily enhanced; the transfection of shLEF-1. reversed the tendency. These results suggested demonstrate that LEF-1 gene silencing inhibited the activation of β-catenin signaling pathway, thereby suppressing both the occurrence and pulmonary vascular remodeling of PAH. Therefore, LEF-1 gene silencing may become a novel target for PAH treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Atherosclerosis occurs as a result of a chronic inflammatory response in the arterial wall associated with an increased uptake of low-density lipoprotein by macrophages and the subsequent transformation of this lipoprotein into foam cells. It has been found that miR-188-3p can suppress autophagy and myocardial infarction. Therefore, we conducted the present study with determining the suppressive role played by miR-188-3p in atherosclerosis. Methods The atherosclerosis model was established using ApoE knockout mice. The healthy C57BL/6J wide-type mice were used as control, while miR-188-3p mimics or inhibitors were applied for the elevation or the depletion of the miR-188-3p expression in mice. The macrophage content was observed in atherosclerotic plaque. Once the miR-188-3p expression was determined, the effects of the over-expression of miR-188-3p on the lipid accumulation and macrophage inflammatory response were accessed. The plasma levels of pro-inflammatory factors and serum RANTES level, as well as OLR1, iNOS, ABCA1 and KLF2 expression were determined in order to evaluate the potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidative activities of miR-188-3p. Results ApoE knockout mice with atherosclerosis presented with increased lipid accumulation and macrophage content. MiR-188-3p was found to reduce intravascular lipid accumulation in atherosclerotic mice. In addition to the alleviation of macrophage inflammatory response, the upregulation of miR-188-3p also leads to the suppression of oxidation with reduced macrophage accumulation, plasma expression of pro-inflammatory factors and serum RANTES level, OLR1 and iNOS, while it increases ABCA1 and KLF2. Conclusions In conclusion, the findings from our study found a new potential therapy for atherosclerosis by investigating the inhibitory effects of miR-188-3p on macrophage inflammatory response and oxidation. Highlights • The role of miR-188-3p in atherosclerosis is explored. • MiR-188-3p reduces intravascular lipid accumulation in atherosclerotic mice. • MiR-188-3p alleviates macrophage inflammatory response. • MiR-188-3p lowly expressed in ApoE knockout atherosclerotic mice. • The study highlights miR-188-3p as a novel target for atherosclerosis treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel UV 222 /PAA process can synergistically enhance the degradation of ECs. • The EE/O values of CBZ degradation followed the order of UV 222 >UV 222 /PAA. • HO•, RO•, and 1O 2 contributed to CBZ degradation in the UV 222 /PAA process. • The UV 222 /PAA process showed excellent performance under different water sources. Krypton chloride (KrCl*) excimer lamps (222 nm) are used as a promising irradiation source to drive ultraviolet-based advanced oxidation processes (UV-AOPs) in water treatment. In this study, the UV 222 /peracetic acid (PAA) process is implemented as a novel UV-AOPs for the degradation of emerging contaminants (ECs) in water. The results demonstrate that UV 222 /PAA process exhibits excellent degradation performance for carbamazepine (CBZ), with a removal rate of 90.8 % within 45 min. Notably, the degradation of CBZ in the UV 222 /PAA process (90.8 %) was significantly higher than that in the UV 254 /PAA process (15.1 %) at the same UV dose. The UV 222 /PAA process exhibits superior electrical energy per order (EE/O) performance while reducing resource consumption associated with the high-energy UV 254 /PAA process. Quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) detection confirm that HO• play a dominant role in the reaction. The contributions of direct photolysis, HO•, and other active species (RO• and 1O 2) are estimated to be 5 %, 88 %, and 7 %, respectively. In addition, the effects of Cl−, HCO 3 −, and humic acid (HA) on the degradation of CBZ are evaluated. The presence of relatively low concentrations of Cl−, HCO 3 −, and HA can inhibit CBZ degradation. The UV 222 /PAA oxidation process could also effectively degrade several other ECs (i.e., iohexol, sulfamethoxazole, acetochlor, ibuprofen), indicating the potential application of this process in pollutant removal. These findings will propel the development of the UV 222 /PAA process and provide valuable insights for its application in water treatment. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Atherosclerosis, a chronic inflammatory disease, is the most relevant cause of carotid artery stenosis. Vascular endothelial cells (ECs) play a significant role in the development of atherosclerosis. In this chronic inflammatory environment, we aimed to investigate whether PCSK9 could mitigate atherosclerosis progression by reducing tissue factor expression in ECs via in vivo and in vitro assays. In vivo, we investigated the effect of PCSK9 inhibition on preventing atherosclerotic lesion formation in ApoE-/- mice fed a western diet. The results showed that inhibiting PCSK9 could significantly downregulate the protein expression of tissue factor (TF) in ECs to reduce the area of atherosclerotic plaques. In vitro, we incubated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We found that LPS-induced TF elevation was suppressed by a PCSK9 inhibitor at both the mRNA and protein levels and that the TLR4/NF-κB pathway was also suppressed by a PCSK9 inhibitor. With respect to plasma samples from patients with carotid artery stenosis, we also demonstrated that the expression of TF was positively correlated with that of PCSK9. Thus, in addition to regulating lipid metabolism, the regulation of endothelial cell TF expression through the TLR4/NF-κB pathway may be a potential mechanism of PCSK9 in promoting atherosclerotic carotid stenosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Analysis of debris filtration in the bottom nozzle using a bidirectional fluid–solid coupling method. • The numerical simulation method was used to calculate the filtration efficiency of debris in the bottom nozzle, and the correctness and feasibility of the method were verified by comparing it with experimental results. • The movement behavior of typical debris near the bottom nozzle was analyzed and studied. According to the IAEA report, debris fretting is the second largest factor causing fuel rod cladding rupture and causing fuel rod failure, accounting for 11%. As the first structural component for fluid entering the fuel assembly, the bottom nozzle has the function of filtering debris entering the core area, effectively reducing the possibility of debris entering the fuel area causing fretting. Currently, there is no suitable numerical simulation method for calculating it. Therefore, based on the coupling method of discrete element method and computational fluid dynamics, considering the stress and contact models of typical debris in the complex flow field near the bottom nozzle under different structures, this study established the fluid solid coupling numerical simulation method between the solid debris and the flow field near the bottom nozzle. Compared with the test results, the error is less than 10%, which verifies the correctness and reliability of this method, And based on this method, typical debris filtering behavior analysis was conducted. The numerical simulation method studied in this article provides support for the design and optimization of the filtration structure of the fuel assembly's bottom nozzle for debris filtration efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retraction notice to "LEF-1 gene silencing inhibits pulmonary vascular remodeling and occurrence of pulmonary arterial hypertension through the -catenin signaling pathway" [Biomed. This article has been retracted at the request of the authors as the validity of the pulmonary vascular remodeling indicators cannot be guaranteed. The authors tried post publication to reproduce the results of the cell proliferation and cell aging, however they were not able to confirm the data that was presented by the article. [Extracted from the article]

Fluid loss is serious in low-pressure fractured reservoir. In this paper, the technique of wellbore isolation for temporary plugging is proposed to reduce the loss of workover fluid. Based on radical polymerization, the high-strength nanocomposite gel plugging agent was prepared by introducing nano-silica. Firstly, the strength properties of gel plug were studied through stress and strain evaluation, viscosity modulus test and wellbore sealing pressure evaluation, respectively. The working mechanism was revealed by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis. The study shows that under 50% compression strain, the compression capacity of the nanocomposite gel with 5% nano-silica is nearly three times higher than that of without adding nano-silica, and the thermal stability is improved by 38%, which has the potential to buffer the pressure of the liquid column in the bottom hole and perform good thermostability. Secondly, the actual wellbore simulation system confirmed its ability to seal the perforation zone. Result shows that the pressure-bearing gradient is 20 MPa/100m in the oil tube, and gel plug length can be designed according to the positive pressure demand. The addition of nano-silica makes the network of nanocomposite gel becoming denser, in favor to store more energy. The hydrogen bond generated in the nanocomposite gel increases its mechanical strength. Finally, the successful application of the nanocomposite gel for wellbore temporary plugging in a low-pressure carbonate gas well was summarized. This study provides an avenue to develop various nanocomposite gels for downhole jobs. • The working mechanism of the nanocomposite gel plug was revealed. • Hydrogen bonds between nano-silica, polymer and water molecules improve the crosslinking performance. • Nanosilica prefers to fill the gel network to promote nanocomposite gel formation. • Nanocomposite gel is feasible for wellbore isolation in low-pressure leak channel developmental reservoir. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a rare case of a patient presenting with epileptic seizures and headaches who was diagnosed with spontaneous intracerebral dermoid cyst rupture via radiographic imagery, and rupture was confirmed via a pathology report. We report the case of a woman aged 26 years who presented with a history of chronic headache for 9 years without other symptoms, and progressive worsening of her headache had occurred for 1 month prior to admission. Radiologic examination showed a large mass located in the left temporal fossa and a large amount of homogeneous matter in the subarachnoid space of the ipsilateral cerebral hemisphere, then the tumor was completely excised. A left pterional craniotomy was conducted under general anesthesia for removal of the tumor, and pathological examination showed a dermoid cyst. We discuss the clinical and radiologic features, as well as the treatment of this patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The supraorbital keyhole approach (SKA) and pterional approach (PA) have been recommended for clipping intracranial aneurysms (IAs). We conducted a meta-analysis to systematically and comprehensively compare the clinical outcomes between the 2 approaches. We retrieved potential academic studies that had compared the clinical outcomes of SKA and PA for clipping IAs from the Cochrane Library, Medline, PubMed, and EMBASE databases. The references of the identified studies were carefully reviewed to ensure that all available documents had been included in the present study. The meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with the acknowledged PRISMA (prioritized reported items for systematic review and meta-analysis) guidelines. A total of 8 studies with 1016 participants were included in our study. Of these 1016 patients with IAs, 518 were assigned to the SKA group and 498 to the PA group. Our results showed that the SKA is preferable for clipping IAs compared with the PA because of its shorter operative time (weighted mean difference, −3.163; 95% confidence interval [CI], −5.577 to −0.749; P = 0.01) and length of stay, especially for the patients with unruptured IAs (weighted mean difference, −52.107; 95% CI, −81.597 to −22.618). However, a lower risk of postoperative infection was found in the SKA group (4.6% vs. 8.5%; odds ratio, 0.398; 95% CI, 0.186–0.850; P = 0.017), which seemed to derive from the ruptured IAs (OR, 0.330; 95% CI, 0.136–0.800; P = 0.014). However, no significant difference was found in the incidence of frontal sinus opening, completed occlusion, procedural complications, intraoperative rupture, postoperative hematoma, or cerebral vessel spasm. The SKA was associated with a shorter length of stay and operation time and a lower risk of postoperative infection. Hence, the SKA seems to be equally effective and safe for clipping IAs compared with PA and should be recommended for surgeons who have acquired sufficient experience with this technique owing to its advantages compared with the PA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To systematically assess the efficacy and safety between flow diversion and coiling for patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms. Potential academic articles were identified from Cochrane Library, Medline, PubMed, EMBASE, ScienceDirect, and other databases. The time range we retrieved from was the inception of electronic databases to February 2019. Gray studies were identified from the references of included literature reports. STATA version 11.0 was used to analyze the pooled data. A total of 11 articles (10 retrospective studies and 1 prospective study) were involved in our study. The overall participants of the coiling group were 611, whereas 576 were in the flow diversion group. Our meta-analysis showed that flow diversion was preferable for unruptured intracranial aneurysms as its lower value of total cost per case (weighted mean difference, 5705.906; 95% confidence interval [CI], [4938.536, 6473236]; P < 0.001), fluoroscopy time per case (weighted mean difference, 25.786; 95% CI, 17.169–34.377; P < 0.001), and retreatment rates (odds ratio [OR], 7.127; 95% CI, [3.525, 14.410]; P < 0.001), at the same time, a higher rate of immediate completed occlusion (OR, 0.390; 95% CI, [0.224, 0.680]; P = 0.001) and follow-up completed occlusion (OR, 0.173; 95% CI, [0.080, 0.375]; P < 0.001) was demonstrated in the flow diversion group. There was no difference on intraoperative complication rates (P = 0.070), procedure-related mortality (P = 0.609) and rupture rates (P = 0.408), modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 0–2 at discharge (P = 0.077), and mRS 0–2 at follow-up (P = 0.484). The use of flow diversion for the treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms may reduce total cost per case, fluoroscopy time per case, retreatment rates, and increases immediate completed occlusion and follow-up completed occlusion rates without affecting the results of mRS and intraoperative complication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to conduct a meta-analysis to systematically compare the incidence rates of in-stent restenosis after carotid artery stenting (CAS) and restenosis after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) for patients with atherosclerotic carotid stenosis. We retrieved potential academic reports comparing restenosis between CEA and CAS from the MEDLINE, PubMed, and EMBASE databases and the Cochrane Library from the date of the first CEA (January 1951) to July 20, 2018. The references of the identified studies were carefully reviewed to ensure that all available reports were included in the present study. Our meta-analysis included 27 studies (15 randomized controlled trials, 12 nonrandomized controlled trials) and 20,479 participants with atherosclerotic carotid stenosis. A statistically significant difference was found in the cumulative incidence of restenosis >70% between CEA and CAS (risk difference, −0.033, 95% confidence interval [CI] −0.054 to −0.013; P = 0.002). For the restenosis >70% outcomes, although CEA was relevant with a lower rate of restenosis than CAS within 6 months (odds ratio [OR], 0.495; 95% CI, 0.285–0.861; P = 0.013) and 1 year (OR, 0.626; 95% CI, 0.483–0.811; P < 0.001), no statistically significant differences were found at 1.5 years (P = 0.210), 2 years (P = 0.123), 4 years (P = 0.124), 5 years (P = 0.327), or 10 years (P = 0.839). For the restenosis >50% outcomes, a significant difference was found in the rate of restenosis between the CEA and CAS groups within 1 year (OR, 0.317; 95% CI, 0.228–0.441; P < 0.001) but not at 1.5 years (P = 0.301), 2 years (P = 0.686), or 5 years (P = 0.920). No nominally significant effects were demonstrated with respect to the cumulative incidence of occlusion (P = 0.195) or the cumulative incidence of restenosis for symptomatic patients (P = 0.170) between CEA and CAS. Although CAS was preferred over CEA, regardless of restenosis >50% or >70% after revascularization within 1 year, no significant difference was observed with extension of the follow-up period to >1 year. CAS was not associated with a greater cumulative incidence of occlusion or the cumulative incidence of restenosis for symptomatic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type-2 diabetes not only causes gray matter injury but also induces widespread white matter damages, which may contribute the cognitive impairments. This study aimed to assess the structural alterations of the gray and white matter in 20-week-old diabetic db/db mice using magnetic resonance imaging including T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and to correlate them with the cognitive performance detected by Morris water maze (MWM). The results revealed impaired spatial learning and memory in db/db mice. T2WI detected severe brain atrophy involving the hippocampus and cortex after diabetes. DTI showed reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) in the cortex, hippocampus, corpus callosum/external capsule, and increased radial diffusivity in the corpus callosum/external capsule of the db/db mice. The immunostaining confirmed the MRI findings showing decreased cell density in the cortex, hippocampus, and reduced integrated optical density of Luxol fast blue staining in the corpus callosum/external capsule. The correlational analysis revealed that the T2WI-derived tissue atrophy and DTI-derived FA in the relevant gray matter and white matter significantly correlated with the behavior performance in the MWM test. Collectively, the present in vivo MRI detected varying degrees of structural abnormalities in the gray and white matter of db/db mice, which might be favorable predictors of diabetic cognitive dysfunction. Our findings might provide new clues for identifying gray and white matter damages associated with cognitive decline, which is imperative for the evaluation of potential pharmacological therapies in preclinical phase. • Twenty-week-old db/db mice exhibit spatial learning and memory impairments. • T2WI demonstrates brain atrophy in the hippocampus and cortex of db/db mice. • DTI detects microstructural injuries in the gray and white matter of db/db mice. • Brain atrophy and FA correlates well with the cognitive performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has drawn growing attention to retrieve heavy metal concentration in naturally contaminated arable soil by its spectral reflectance. However, such a spectral reflectance is generally affected by various heavy metal elements, posing a significant challenge to ensure the inversion accuracy for a specified heavy metal concentration. The Deep Forest 2021 (DF21) algorithm shows excellent performance in the deep learning, which provides a potential method for hyperspectral inversion with high precision. This paper takes the Chromium (Cr) and Zinc (Zn) concentrations as examples, it explores the DF21 for retrieving heavy metal concentration by the spectral reflectance of the naturally contaminated arable soil. By so doing, various spectral pretreatments and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) are applied to the spectral reflectance. Subsequently, the obtained spectral data, combined with the DF21, are used to establish inversion models. Further, the performances of established models are compared to identify the optimal one for retrieving the Cr and Zn concentrations. The results show that the spectral pretreatment could potentially impact the inversion accuracy, but it exerts little or even a negative impact on the inversion performance once the PCA is applied. As a result, the DF21, together with the original spectra processed by the PCA, i.e., the ORI-PCA-DF21 model, has the optimum performance for retrieving both Zn and Cr concentrations. It is also found that the Cr concentration, which shows a relatively lower degree of heterogeneity, has higher inversion accuracy, suggesting that the spatial heterogeneity could potentially affect the performance of the ORI-PCA-DF21 model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermogravimetric (TG) analysis and differential thermal analysis (DTA) measurements were conducted on ZSM-5 zeolite/poly ( l -lactide) (PLLA) composites with two different zeolite loadings. The experimental data were collected under nitrogen atmosphere with heating rates of 5–30 K min −1 and the thermal features were examined from resultant TG and DTA curves. The results show that one-stage thermal decomposition mainly occurs in the temperature range 580–690 K, and the incorporation of ZSM-5 zeolite has substantially boosted the thermal stability of PLLA. Kinetic analysis of the mass loss versus temperature data was performed with different temperature-integral methods, the Flynn-Wall-Ozawa, Coats-Redfern and Madhusudanan–Krishnan– Ninan methods. With the first order reaction assumption, the activation energy and pre-exponential factor values can be readily obtained over the entire conversion range, and they are both much higher than those of pure PLLA. The ZSM-5 zeolite-filled composites required higher E a values for thermal decomposition than pure PLLA, possibly resulting from enhanced thermal stability. With kinetic parameters thus obtained, the thermal conversion curves have been reconstructed over the entire conversion range by using three kinetic analysis methods, resulting in excellent agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Berberine (BBR) is a non-prescription drug to treat various bacteria-associated diarrheas. However, BBR has also been reported to cause diarrhea in clinic, with underlying mechanisms poorly understood. Because altered gut microbial ecology is a potential basis for diarrhea, this study was conducted to investigate the impact of BBR on gut microbiota of treatment-emergent diarrhea. BBR treatment (200 mg/kg, i.g.) in normal rats exhibited no significant changes in serum biochemical parameters but mild diarrhea occurred, accompanied with the decreased gastrointestinal transit time and increased fecal moisture, suggestive of the local effects of BBR in the intestine. Colon histology revealed the decreased abundance of mucus-filled goblet cells in BBR group. Although BBR-treated rats had the enlarged cecum with watery caecal digesta, short-chain fatty acids concentration was significantly lower than control group. Additionally, BBR caused gut microbiota dysbiosis by evaluating the decreased observed species number and Shannon index. BBR increased the relative abundances of families Porphyromonadaceae and Prevotellaceae as well as genera Parabacteroides , Prevotellaceae _UCG-001 and Prevotellaceae _NK3B31_group. Spearman's correlation analysis revealed family Prevotellaceae and genus Prevotellaceae _UCG-001 as the most prominent drivers of the BBR treatment-emergent diarrhea, correlating positively with fecal moisture but negatively with gastrointestinal transit time. This study therefore demonstrated that the treatment-emergent mild diarrhea of BBR was most likely due to the dysbiosis of the gut microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]