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Male urinary incontinence (UI) affects quality of life and leads to a significant burden to the health care system. However, the contemporary prevalence and recent trends in UI and its subtypes among US men remain unknown.We evaluated 20-yr trends in the prevalence of UI and its subtype in US men aged ≥20 yr.A serial, cross-sectional analysis of the US nationally representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey among men from 2001 to 2020.Prevalence of any, stress, urgency and overflow UI were derived. The frequency of UI was assessed in four categories: less than one time per month, a few times per month, a few times per week, and every day and/or night. All analyses were conducted using sample weights, stratification, and clustering of the complex sampling design. Sociodemographic and lifestyle correlates of UI over time were identified using multivariable logistic regressions.Data on 22994 US men (mean age, 46.6 yr [standard error, 0.20]; weighted population, 848642150) were analyzed. The prevalence of any UI increased from 2001-2002 (11.5% [95% confidence interval {CI}, 10.0-13.0]) to 2017-2020 (19.3% [95% CI, 17.2-21.3]), driven by urgency (from 9.0% [95% CI, 7.5-10.4]) to 15.2% [95% CI, 13.4-16.9]) and overflow UI (from 3.3% [95% CI, 2.7-4.0] to 5.5% [95% CI, 4.5-6.4]; all p for trend0.01). UI affects 38.5% US men ≥60 yr of age, with increasing trends in urgency and overflow UI and a decreasing trend in stress UI (all p for trend0.05). Racial/ethnic disparities were noted, with patterns differed by UI subtype. Compared with non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black men were more likely to report urgency UI (odds ratio [OR], 1.94 [95% CI, 1.71-2.20]). Hispanic men were more likely to report urgency UI (OR, 1.33 [95% CI, 1.14-1.56]), but less likely to report stress (OR, 0.74 [95% CI, 0.56-0.98]) and overflow (OR, 0.75 [95% CI, 0.58-0.98]) UI. Men with higher body mass index and current smokers were more likely to report any, stress, and urgency UI than their counterparts. A higher prevalence of any UI was found in men with low family poverty ratios and chronic diseases, and those who were physically inactive.From 2001 to 2020, the overall prevalence of UI increased among US men, particularly for urgency and overflow UI.In this report, we looked at the prevalence of urinary incontinence among US men in a nationally representative sample. We found that urinary incontinence increased in the past 20 yr driving by the urgency and overflow urinary incontinence.

Correction to Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol 2022; 7: 627-47. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2022 Aug;7(8):704. doi: 10.1016/S2468-1253(22)00210-2. PMID: 35809605. Background: Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Given the recent increasing trends in colorectal cancer incidence globally, up-to-date information on the colorectal cancer burden could guide screening, early detection, and treatment strategies, and help effectively allocate resources. We examined the temporal patterns of the global, regional, and national burden of colorectal cancer and its risk factors in 204 countries and territories across the past three decades. Methods: Estimates of incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for colorectal cancer were generated as a part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 by age, sex, and geographical location for the period 1990-2019. Mortality estimates were produced using the cause of death ensemble model. We also calculated DALYs attributable to risk factors that had evidence of causation with colorectal cancer. Findings: Globally, between 1990 and 2019, colorectal cancer incident cases more than doubled, from 842 098 (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 810 408-868 574) to 2·17 million (2·00-2·34), and deaths increased from 518 126 (493 682-537 877) to 1·09 million (1·02-1·15). The global age-standardised incidence rate increased from 22·2 (95% UI 21·3-23·0) per 100 000 to 26·7 (24·6-28·9) per 100 000, whereas the age-standardised mortality rate decreased from 14·3 (13·5-14·9) per 100 000 to 13·7 (12·6-14·5) per 100 000 and the age-standardised DALY rate decreased from 308·5 (294·7-320·7) per 100 000 to 295·5 (275·2-313·0) per 100 000 from 1990 through 2019. Taiwan (province of China; 62·0 [48·9-80·0] per 100 000), Monaco (60·7 [48·5-73·6] per 100 000), and Andorra (56·6 [42·8-71·9] per 100 000) had the highest age-standardised incidence rates, while Greenland (31·4 [26·0-37·1] per 100 000), Brunei (30·3 [26·6-34·1] per 100 000), and Hungary (28·6 [23·6-34·0] per 100 000) had the highest age-standardised mortality rates. From 1990 through 2019, a substantial rise in incidence rates was observed in younger adults (age

The protective effects of maternal folate on neural tube defects are well-established. Emerging evidence has shown paternal folate also is related to pregnancy outcome and offspring health.This study aimed to assess the status of red blood cell (RBC) folate and serum folate, vitamin B-12, and homocysteine (Hcy) and their associated factors in a cohort of pregnancy-preparing couples.This was a cross-sectional study involving 14,178 participants from the extension of the Shanghai Preconception Cohort conducted in 2018-2021. Circulating biomarker concentrations were measured, and the prevalence of abnormal status was reported. Linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine associations of demographic factors (age, education, and income), lifestyle factors (smoking, drinking, and folic acid supplement use), and BMI with concentrations of the folate-related biomarkers, abnormal status of folate (deficiency and insufficiency) and vitamin B-12 (deficiency and marginal deficiency), and hyperhomocysteinemia.The geometric mean (95% CI) concentrations of RBC folate, serum folate, vitamin B-12, and Hcy were 490 nmol/L (485, 496 nmol/L), 20.1 nmol/L (19.8, 20.3 nmol/L), 353 pmol/L (350, 357 pmol/L), and 7.54 μmol/L (7.48, 7.60 μmol/L) in females, respectively, and 405 nmol/L (401, 409 nmol/L), 13.5 nmol/L (13.4, 13.7 nmol/L), 277 pmol/L (274, 279 pmol/L), and 12.0 μmol/L (11.9, 12.2 μmol/L) in males, respectively. Prevalence of abnormal status was higher in males than females for the 4 folate-related biomarkers: RBC folate deficiency (340 nmol/L, 32.2% compared with 18.9%), serum folate deficiency (10.0 nmol/L, 26.5% compared with 7.3%), RBC folate insufficiency (906 nmol/L, 96.6% compared with 90.1%), serum folate insufficiency (15.9 nmol/L, 65.5% compared with 31.4%), vitamin B-12 marginal deficiency (148-221 pmol/L, 21.4% compared with 8.8%), and hyperhomocysteinemia (15.0 μmol/L, 22.1% compared with 2.5%).Most pregnancy-preparing couples failed to achieve the optimal RBC folate status (906 nmol/L) as recommended by the WHO. These findings call for attention to the insufficiency status of folate and promising strategies to improve the folate status of the pregnancy-preparing population not exposed to folic acid fortification.

The association between total and truncal body fat and kidney stone (KS) remains unclear.To evaluate the association between total and truncal body fat and KS in the US adult population.The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) comprises a series of nationally representative cross-sectional surveys. Data from females and males aged 20-59 yr who participated in four 2-yr NHANES cycles between 2011 and 2018 were obtained.Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models were used to investigate the association between dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan-measured total and truncal body fat percentage and mass with KS.A total of 10 271 participants (50.3% females) were included. Weighted KS prevalence was 8.11% in femalesand 7.55% in males. In males, higher fat percentage was associated with higher odds of KS (per 5% total fat: odds ratio [OR] = 1.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08-1.32; per 5% truncal fat: OR = 1.22, 95% CI 1.10-1.35), particularly in those aged 40-59 yr (per 5% total fat: OR = 1.36, 95% CI 1.16-1.59; per 5% truncal fat: OR = 1.41, 95% CI 1.20-1.65, p-interaction0.05). In females, higher fat percentage was associated with higher odds of KS overall (per 5% total fat: OR = 1.23, 95% CI 1.10-1.37; per 5% truncal fat: OR = 1.20, 95% CI 1.08-1.33) and in both age groups (20-39 and 40-59 yr, p-interaction0.05). The observed associations were stronger in "other" ethnicities and non-Hispanic white. Similar patterns were observed for per 5 kg body fat mass.Total and truncal fat parameters are associated with a higher prevalence of KS in adult females and males who are ≥40 yr old. Truncal fat mass may be at least equal or superior to total fat mass in assessing the association of body fat with KS. Further studies are warranted to elaborate on the pathophysiologic mechanism of this association to decrease the prevalence of KS.Total and truncal body fat are associated with a higher prevalence of kidney stone (KS) in adult females and males aged ≥40 yr. Truncal fat mass may be similar or superior to total fat mass in assessing the association between body fat and KS.

Background The contemporary prevalence and trends of kidney stones are not clear. Objective To evaluate the gender-specific prevalence and trends in kidney stones among the US population. Design, setting, and participants Data on self-reported history of kidney stones from 34 749 participants aged ≥20 yr from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were analyzed. Intervention Six 2-yr study cycles (2007–2008 to 2017–2018) of nationally representative series of surveys evaluated the health status of the US population. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis Weighted prevalence estimates of kidney stones and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated in each study cycle. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models were used to investigate the temporal trends. Results and limitations In the 2017–2018 cycle, the prevalence of kidney stones was 10.9% (CI: 9.3–12.7) in men as compared with 9.5% (CI: 8–11.2) in women. The prevalence of kidney stones increased steadily from 6.5% in the 2007–2008 cycle to 9.4% in the 2017–2018 cycle (ptrend = 0.001) among women but not among men (ptrend = 0.1). These trends remained after adjusting for sociodemographic correlates in both genders. Sensitivity analyses further adjusting for dietary information held the same results in trends (men: ptrend = 0.15; women: ptrend = 0.001). Non-Hispanic white ethnicity, obesity, gout, history of two or more pregnancies, menopause, and using female hormones were associated with a higher prevalence of kidney stones. The main limitation is the cross-sectional design of the study. Conclusions Although kidney stones are more common in men than in women in the USA, the gender gap in kidney stone prevalence appears to be closing in the past decade. Kidney stones are consistently higher among non-Hispanic white and obese, and women who have had multiple pregnancies or have used female hormone therapy. Patient summary The prevalence of kidney stones remains higher in adult US men than in women, but the trend has been increasing only in women, closing the gender gap in kidney stone prevalence.

Prolonged sitting and reduced physical activity lead to low energy expenditures. However, little is known about the joint impact of daily sitting time and physical activity on body fat distribution. We investigated the independent and joint associations of daily sitting time and physical activity with body fat among adults.This was a cross-sectional analysis of U.S. nationally representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2018 among adults aged 20 years or older. Daily sitting time and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) were self-reported using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. Body fat (total and trunk fat percentage) was determined via dual X-ray absorptiometry.Among 10,808 adults, about 54.6% spent 6 h/day or more sitting; more than one-half reported no LTPA (inactive) or less than 150 min/week LTPA (insufficiently active) with only 43.3% reported 150 min/week or more LTPA (active) in the past week. After fully adjusting for sociodemographic data, lifestyle behaviors, and chronic conditions, prolonged sitting time and low levels of LTPA were associated with higher total and trunk fat percentages in both sexes. When stratifying by LTPA, the association between daily sitting time and body fat appeared to be stronger in those who were inactive/insufficiently active. In the joint analyses, inactive/insufficiently active adults who reported sitting more than 8 h/day had the highest total (female: 3.99% (95% confidence interval (95%CI):3.09%-4.88%); male: 3.79% (95%CI: 2.75%-4.82%)) and trunk body fat percentages (female: 4.21% (95%CI: 3.09%-5.32%); male: 4.07% (95%CI: 2.95%-5.19%)) when compared with those who were active and sitting less than 4 h/day.Prolonged daily sitting time was associated with increased body fat among U.S. adults. The higher body fat associated with 6 h/day sitting may not be offset by achieving recommended levels of physical activity.

To study the effects of La on the microstructure and mechanical properties of refractory high entropy alloys, NbMoTiVSi0.2 alloys with different La contents were prepared. Phase constitution, microstructure evolution, compressive properties and related mechanisms were systematically studied. Results show that the alloys with La addition are composed of BCC solid solution, eutectic structure, MSi2 disilicide phase and La-containing precipitates. Eutectic structure and most of La precipitates are formed at the grain boundaries. Disilicide phase is formed in the grains. La can change the grain morphologies from dendritic structure to near-equiaxed structure, and the average grain size decreases from 180 to 20 μm with the increase of La content from 0 to 0.5 at.%. Compressive testing shows that the ultimate strength and the yield strength increase with the increase of La content, which is resulted from the grain boundary strengthening. However, they cannot be greatly improved because of the formation of MSi2 disilicide phase with low strength. The ductility decreases with the increase of La content, which is due to the La precipitates and brittle MSi2 disilicide phase.

Background Previous studies conducted in high altitude regions showed that maternal altitude was associated with low birth weight. The effect size of birth weight reduction is inclusive with unknown effects due to preterm birth. We systematically reviewed the literature and synthesize evidence on associations between altitude elevation from sea level and birth weight. Method We searched MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane database, from inception to May 5, 2020 for studies that reported maternal altitude and birth weight. Bayesian multilevel effect models were employed to estimate the effect size on birth weight (and gestational age) associated with altitude. Bayesian multilevel effect models were employed to estimate the effect size on birth weight (and gestational age) associated with altitude. Results The systematic search identified 1020 articles, with 52 articles meeting the inclusion criteria providing 207 estimates for the association of altitude and birth weight (n = 4,428,563), and with 22 articles providing 71 estimates for gestational age (n = 2,149,627). A reduction in mean birth weight of 96.98 g was associated with every 1000 m increase in altitude across 52 studies. A statistically significant but numerically minimal effect of maternal altitude elevation was observed on the gestational age (0.3 days), corresponding to a negligible estimation of 5 g lower birth weight. A relatively high heterogeneity of between-study association (I2>84.1%) and small study effect was found. Conclusion A clinically meaningful birth weight reduction was associated with maternal altitude elevation beginning from sea level. Future longitudinal studies are needed to elucidate the causal association and to understand the late effect of maternal altitude.

Nephronophthisis (NPHP), the leading genetic cause of end-stage renal failure in children and young adults, is a group of autosomal recessive diseases characterized by kidney-cyst degeneration and fibrosis for which no therapy is currently available. To date, mutations in >25 genes have been identified as causes of this disease that, in several cases, result in chronic DNA damage in kidney tubular cells. Among such mutations, those in the transcription factor–encoding GLIS2 cause NPHP type 7. Loss of function of mouse Glis2 causes senescence of kidney tubular cells. Senescent cells secrete proinflammatory molecules that induce progressive organ damage through several pathways, among which NF-κB signaling is prevalent. Herein, we show that the NF-κB signaling is active in Glis2 knockout kidney epithelial cells and that genetic inactivation of the toll-like receptor (TLR)/IL-1 receptor or pharmacologic elimination of senescent cells (senolytic therapy) reduces tubule damage, fibrosis, and apoptosis in the Glis2 mouse model of NPHP. Notably, in Glis2, Tlr2 double knockouts, senescence was also reduced and proliferation was increased, suggesting that loss of TLR2 activity improves the regenerative potential of tubular cells in Glis2 knockout kidneys. Our results further suggest that a combination of TLR/IL-1 receptor inhibition and senolytic therapy may delay the progression of kidney disease in NPHP type 7 and other forms of this disease.

Semiconductor refrigeration utilizes Peltier effects to achieve cooling, and does not use any refrigerants. Due to its simple and compact structure, semiconductor refrigeration has become one of the most promising cooling technologies. However, as a semiconductor refrigeration system, the interactions among the main external factors that affect its performance are complicated. Based on experimental results and thermodynamic models, deeper insights are presented into semiconductor refrigeration in this study. Broader coupling between performance and main external parameters are analyzed, including the driving voltage of fans at both the hot and cold sides, and the working voltage of the semiconductor refrigeration chip. Optimal external parameters corresponding to a maximum COP and a maximum cooling capacity are obtained. For example, under the optimal working voltage of a semiconductor refrigeration chip with a fan driving voltage of 4 V at the hot side and 6 V at the cold side, Qc,max was increased by 60%, and was 326% higher than chips under 2 V and 10 V working voltages. Under the optimal fan driving voltage at the hot side with a 6 V fan driving voltage at the cold side and a 3 V working voltage of the chip, the maximum value of COP was respectively 140.3% and 104.3% larger than those with 0 V and 12 V fan driving voltages at the hot side. It is also found that the driving voltage of fans at the hot side has a greater influence on the optimal working voltage of a semiconductor refrigeration chip. This investigation could be applied in the optimization of the design and operational control of semiconductor refrigeration systems.

Noncoding RNAs play an important role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). In this study, we investigated the roles of hsa_circ_0016070, miR-942, and CCND1 in PAH. circRNA microarray was used to search circRNAs involved in PAH, whereas real-time PCR and western blot analysis were performed to detect miR-942 and CCND1 expression in different groups. In addition, the effect of miR-942 on CCND1 expression, as well as the effect of hsa_circ_0016070 on the expression of miR-942 and CCND1, was also studied using real-time PCR and western blot analysis. Moreover, MTT assay and flow cytometry were used to detect the effect of hsa _circ_0016070 on cell proliferation and cell cycle. According to the results of circRNA microarray analysis, hsa _circ_0016070 was identified to be associated with the risk of PAH in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. The miR-942 level in the COPD(+) PAH(+) group was much lower than that in the COPD(+) PAH(−) group, while the CCND1 level in the COPD(+) PAH(+) group was much higher. CCND1 was identified as a candidate target gene of miR-942, and the luciferase assay showed that the luciferase activity of wild-type CCND1 3′ UTR was inhibited by miR-942 mimics. In addition, hsa _circ_0016070 reduced miR-942 expression and enhanced CCND1 expression. Furthermore, hsa _circ_0016070 evidently increased cell viability and decreased the number of cells arrested in the G1/G0 phase. In summary, the results of this study suggested that hsa_circ_0016070 was associated with vascular remodeling in PAH by promoting the proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) via the miR-942/CCND1. Accordingly, has_circ_0016070 might be used as a novel biomarker in the diagnosis and treatment of PAH. Keywords: hsa _circ_0016070, PAH, smooth muscle, miR-942, CCND1

This paper studies the structural, electronic and optical properties of a new group IV-V two-dimensional (2D) material GeP under the influence of different strains by using the first-principles calculations. The strains discussed in this paper include both the uniaxial strain along the different lattice vector directions, as well as the biaxial strain. The results show that monolayer GeP is a 2D dynamically stable semiconductor with low structural symmetry. In terms of the electronic property, regardless of the compressive strain or tensile strain applied in any direction, the band-gap of the monolayer GeP exhibits a decreasing tendency, and it remains semiconductivity in the range of −10% compressive strain to 10% tensile strain. As for the optical property, it is anisotropic. When GeP is subjected to a strain, regardless of the directions, the optical property of monolayer GeP is significantly affected more by tensile strain than by compressive strain. When the monolayer GeP is subjected to a tensile strain, its optical absorption and reflectivity in the visible light region to some extent increase, while its transmittance reduces. When it is subjected to a compressive strain, the main change in optical properties such as absorption and reflectivity occurs in the deep ultraviolet region. In particular, the monolayer GeP is most susceptible to deformation by the strain in a direction, and only compressive strain in a direction will cause GeP to undergo a transition from an indirect band-gap semiconductor to a direct band-gap semiconductor, which results in the improvements of absorption efficiency and reflectivity efficiency in the low energy region. Our calculated results indicate that the electronic and optical properties of monolayer GeP can be efficiently and regularly regulated by strain. In the future, it can be a suitable 2D materials used in optically polarized devices, blue light-emitting diode devices, and strain-tunable photoelectric nanodevices .

By using first-principles calculations, we characterized the structural stability, electronic and optical properties of novel two-dimensional (2D) monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) HfX2 (X = S, Se). In our study, the PBE method is mainly used to calculate the electronic and optical properties, and the HSE06 method is used to further modify the band gap and optical absorption edge. It is indicated that monolayer 1-T HfS2 and HfSe2 present a stable indirect band gap semiconductor when the strain is 0%. The band gap of all monolayer 1-T HfX2 decreases significantly and the optical absorption edge shows an obvious red-shift trend with an increasing in-layer biaxial compressive strain. When the compressive strain is greater than −8% in HfS2 and -6% in HfSe2 respectively, the band gap decreases to zero, and so the semiconductor-metal transition was produced. Conversely, the band gap increases insignificantly with the increasing in-layer biaxial tensile strain from 0% to +10% while the absorption edge reveals an inconspicuous blue-shift trend. The general rule for the change of the band gap and the absorption edge tuned by strain of monolayer HfX2 could be explained well according to the different changes of near-band-edge states. Moreover, with the vertical electric field (E-field) increases, there is the band gap decreases and the absorption edge red shifts in all monolayer HfX2 under different in-layer biaxial strains. Our study suggests that the strain and electric field (E-field) engineering are effective tunable approaches to alter the electronic and optical properties of monolayer HfX2. Namely, we suggest that the functions of TMD could be changed by setting up suitable strain and E-field on few-layer materials in the future.

With the global rise in sea levels caused by climate change and frequent extreme weather processes, high-density population aggregation and human development activities to enhance coastal areas vulnerability, populations, resources, and the ecological environment are facing huge pressure. Natural coastlines are being destroyed, and increasingly serious problems, such as coastal erosion and ecological fragility, have become disasters in coastal zones. The coastal vulnerability changed by climatic variables has created a major concern at regional, national and global scales. By comparing the data of two periods in the past 40 years, coastline vulnerability of coastal erosion in mainland China were evaluated by use of reverse cloud model and AHP with 10 indicators, including natural, anthropogenic, social and economic factors, etc. The main factors controlling coastal erosion included the proportion of Quaternary strata, the gradual reclamation of marine areas as land areas (in kilometres) and the percentage decrease in coastal sediment entering the sea. The secondary impact factors included the high proportion of artificial coastlines and the impacts of waves and storm surges under the influence of relative sea level changes. Human activities could further influence coastal vulnerability, making the erosion risk a considerable concern. Legislation, coordinated management system and technology are proposed to improve the quality of the marine ecological environment.

Adults with high-risk smoking histories benefit from annual lung cancer screening. It is unclear if there is an association between lung cancer screening and smoking cessation among U.S. adults who receive screening.We performed this population-based cross-sectional study using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (2017-2020). We defined individuals eligible for lung cancer screening as adults 55-80 years old with ≥ 30 pack-year smoking history who were currently smoking or quit within the last 15 years. We assessed the association between lung cancer screening and current smoking status.Between 2017 and 2020, 12,382 participants met screening criteria. Current smoking was reported by 5685 (45.9 %) participants, of whom 40.4 % (2298) reported a cessation attempt in the prior year. Lung cancer screening was reported by only 2022 (16.3 %) eligible participants. Lung cancer screening was associated with lower likelihood of currently smoking (odds ratio [OR] 0.705, 95 % CI 0.626-0.793) compared to individuals who did not receive screening. Screening was also associated with higher likelihood of reporting a cessation attempt in the prior year (OR 1.562, 95 % CI 1.345-1.815) compared to individuals who did not receive screening.Receipt of lung cancer screening was associated with lower smoking rates and more frequent cessation attempts among U.S. adults. Better implementation of lung cancer screening programs is critical and may profoundly increase smoking cessation in this population at risk of developing lung cancer.

Although airway fibrosis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) contribute to airway remodeling in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the mechanisms underlying their development have not been fully elucidated. In the present study, we aimed to assess heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (HB-EGF) expression in the airways of patients with COPD and to elucidate the possible role of HB-EGF in the pathology of COPD. Sputum and lung tissue HB-EGF expression was evaluated in control subjects and patients with COPD. The relationships between HB-EGF expression, disease severity, collagen deposition (fibrosis), and EMT were investigated. In vitro, human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells and lung fibroblast cells exposed to the recombinant HB-EGF, collagen deposition and EMT were assessed. We found that sputum HB-EGF expression was significantly increased in patients with COPD compared with non-smokers and smokers without COPD. There was a significant positive correlation between sputum HB-EGF and COPD assessment test (CAT) score. HB-EGF expression was significantly increased in the lung tissue samples of patients with COPD and associated with collagen deposition and N- and E-cadherin, and vimentin expression. In vitro, HB-EGF promoted collagen production in lung fibroblasts. Moreover, HB-EGF induced the EMT process through induction of N-and E-cadherin, and vimentin expression in HBE cells. Collectively, HB-EGF induces airway remodeling by modulating airway fibrosis and pulmonary EMT, and contributes to the COPD severity. The current data may provide insight into the underlying pathogenesis of COPD, in which HB-EGF has an important pathogenic role.

Background Although airway remodeling is a central feature of COPD, the mechanisms underlying its development have not been fully elucidated. The goal of this study was to determine whether histone deacetylase (HDAC) 2 protects against cigarette smoke (CS)-induced airway remodeling through IL-17A-dependent mechanisms. Methods Sputum samples and lung tissue specimens were obtained from control subjects and patients with COPD. The relationships between HDAC2, IL-17A, and airway remodeling were investigated. The effect of HDAC2 on IL-17A-mediated airway remodeling was assessed by using in vivo models of COPD induced by CS and in vitro culture of human bronchial epithelial cells and primary human fibroblasts exposed to CS extract, IL-17A, or both. Results HDAC2 and IL-17A expression in the sputum cells and lung tissue samples of patients with COPD were associated with bronchial wall thickening and collagen deposition. Il-17a deficiency ( Il-17a –/– ) resulted in attenuation of, whereas Hdac2 deficiency ( Hdac2 +/– ) exacerbated, CS-induced airway remodeling in mice. IL-17A deletion also attenuated airway remodeling in CS-exposed Hdac2 +/– mice. HDAC2 regulated IL-17A production partially through modulation of CD4 + T cells during T helper 17 cell differentiation and retinoid-related orphan nuclear receptor γt in airway epithelial cells. In vitro, IL-17A deficiency attenuated CS-induced mouse fibroblast activation from Hdac2 +/– mice. IL-17A-induced primary human fibroblast activation was at least partially mediated by autocrine production of transforming growth factor beta 1. Conclusions These findings suggest that activation of HDAC2 and/or inhibition of IL-17A production could prevent the development of airway remodeling by suppressing airway inflammation and modulating fibroblast activation in COPD.

The United States Preventative Services Taskforce recently updated lung cancer screening guidelines for U.S. adults with high-risk smoking histories. This has generated a previously undescribed patient population in which the prevalence of cigarette and e-cigarette use has not been described.We performed a cross-sectional study using population-based data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (2017-2018). We defined lung cancer screening eligibility as adults 50-80 years old with ≥ 20 pack-year smoking history who were currently smoking or quit within the last 15 years. We assessed several smoking-related outcomes including current cigarette use, ever e-cigarette use, and current e-cigarette use among respondents.Among 7541 screening-eligible adults, current cigarette use was reported by 3604 (47.8%) participants. Ever and current e-cigarette use were reported by 3003 (39.8%) and 670 (8.9%) participants, respectively. Compared to individuals who were previously eligible for screening, individuals newly eligible for screening (i.e., between 50 and 55 years old with a 20-30 pack-year smoking history) were more likely to currently smoke (aOR 1.828, 95% CI 1.649-2.026, p 0.001). While newly eligible respondents were more likely to report a history of ever using an e-cigarette (aOR 1.144, 95% CI 1.034-1.266, p = 0.009), current e-cigarette use was similar in this group compared to those individuals who were previously screening-eligible (aOR 1.014, 95% CI 0.844-1.219, p = 0.88).Cigarette and e-cigarette exposure are common among U.S. adults who are eligible for lung cancer screening. Expanded USPSTF criteria will capture a patient population with greater exposure to both of these products.

As one of the most potentially ideal carriers of single-atom catalysts (SACs), two-dimensional materials have been widely concerned by researchers. In this work, the electronic properties and electrocatalytic activity of precious metals (PM) adsorbed silicene are studied based on density functional theory (DFT). The results show that Ru-, Rh-, Pd-, Os-, Ir-, and Pt-adsorbed silicene at the H-site are more stable. Secondly, From the comparative analysis of the adsorption energy and free energy of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) intermediates and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) intermediates of the stable adsorption systems, it can be concluded that the Ru, Rh, and Ir adsorption systems can promote the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) process, while the Rh adsorption system has good oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity. Besides, the electronic properties of precious metals (PM) adsorbed silicene are also discussed. Our theoretical studies indicated that silicene supported precious metals (PM) have good electrocatalytic performance, which could contribute to the application of silicene in electrocatalysis in the future.

As a member of the binary group-Ⅳ monochalcogenide monolayer materials, GeSe monolayer possesses better property than most others due to its direct band-gap and small carrier effective mass. Hence, we chose GeSe monolayer as the object to embellish and modify. Using density functional theory calculations, we have investigated its tunable electronic and magnetic properties via absorbing light non-metallic atom (H, F, Cl). From our study, we can see that, in H adatom-decorated system, the electronic property of GeSe monolayer can be effectively manipulated, and keeps the direct band-gap in most situations. H adatom-decorated structures have dilute magnetic states. Most of them cause a bipolar semiconducting behavior, while the rest owns a spin-gapless-semiconducting feature. For most of the F and Cl adatom-decorated systems, they own p-type semiconducting feature. Meanwhile, the magnetism appears only in F adatom-decorated D-Se structure. These results demonstrate that the decoration for GeSe is an available approach to tune its electronic and magnetic properties. After the modification, the GeSe monolayer shows desirable potential in the application of spintronics and optoelectronic devices.

Early growth response factor 1 (Egr-1) is a zinc finger transcription factor which responses rapidly to a variety of extracellular stimuli. Previous studies have suggested that Egr-1 exerts pathological functions in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by regulation of cigarette smoking-induced autophagy, cell death, and inflammation. However, little is known about the role of Egr-1 in regulation of mucus production in airway epithelium. In this study, we observed that cigarette smoke extract (CSE) induced a successive expression of Egr-1 and MUC5AC in human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells. Knockdown of Egr-1 markedly attenuated CSE-induced MUC5AC production, and chromatin immunoprecipitation revealed that Egr-1 transcriptionally bound to MUC5AC promoter upon CSE stimulation. Concurrently, CSE increased the expression of c-Jun and c-Fos, two subunits of activator protein 1 (AP-1) which also critically regulates CSE-induced MUC5AC in HBE cells. CSE also induced a physical interaction of Egr-1 and AP-1, and knockdown of Egr-1 significantly decreased CSE-induced expression of c-Fos and c-Jun. Furthermore, knockdown of c-Fos remarkably attenuated the CSE-induced Egr-1 binding to MUC5AC promoter. These data taken together demonstrate that Egr-1 is essential for CSE-induced MUC5AC production in HBE cells likely through interaction with and modulation of AP-1, and re-emphasize targeting Egr-1 as a novel therapeutic strategy for COPD.

The inspection of the process of gas pressure change is important for some applications (e.g. gas tank stockpile or two phase fluid model) which need quantitative and non-touchable measurement. Neutron radiography provides a suitable tool for such investigations with nice resolution. The quantitative cold neutron radiography (CNR) is developed at China Mianyang Research Reactor (CMRR) to measure the hydrogen gas pressure with metal shield. Because of the high sensitivity to hydrogen, even small change of the hydrogen pressure can be inspected by CNR. The dark background and scattering neutron effect are both corrected to promote measurement precision. The results show that CNR can measure the hydrogen gas pressure exactly and the pressure value average relative error between CNR and barometer is almost 1.9%.

Airway and lung inflammation is a fundamental hallmark of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) has been reported to negatively regulate many pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. However, little is known about the impact of ATF3 on the inflammatory response of COPD. Since cigarette smoke (CS) is considered to be the most important risk factor in the etiology of COPD, we attempted to investigate the effects and molecular mechanisms of ATF3 in CS-induced inflammation. We observed an increase in the expression of ATF3 in the lung tissues of CS-exposed mice and CS extract (CSE)-treated human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells. In vitro results indicated that ATF3 inhibition significantly increased the expression of proinflammatory cytokines interleukin 6 (IL6) and interleukin 8 (IL8) in CSE-stimulated HBE cells. Furthermore, in vivo data verified that CS induced inflammatory cell recruitment around the bronchus. In addition, neutrophil infiltration in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of CS-exposed Atf3-/- mice was markedly higher than in stimulated WT mice. Finally, ATF3 deficiency increased the in vitro and in vivo expression and phosphorylation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), a positive mediator of inflammation. Thus, this study shows that ATF3 plays an important role in the negative regulation of CS-induced pro-inflammatory gene expression through downregulating NF-κB phosphorylation.

Background Women are disproportionately affected by urinary incontinence compared with men. Urinary incontinence results in physical and psychological adverse consequences and impaired quality of life and contributes to significant societal and economic burden. Previous studies reported high urinary incontinence burden in the United States. However, the current prevalence and recent trends in urinary incontinence and its subtypes among US women have not been described. In addition, correlates of urinary incontinence among US women have not been systematically evaluated in the contemporary population. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and trends in urinary incontinence among adult women in the United States from 2005 to 2018. In addition, this study aimed to investigate the relationship of urinary incontinence subtypes with several sociodemographic, lifestyle, health-related, and gynecologic factors. Study Design We used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationally representative series of surveys that was designed to evaluate the health status of the US population. Data on urinary incontinence from 7 consecutive 2-year cycles (2005–2006 to 2017–2018) were used for this study. A total of 19,791 participants aged ≥20 years were included. Weighted prevalence estimates and 95% confidence intervals were calculated in each study cycle for stress, urgency, and mixed urinary incontinence. Multivariate-adjusted weighted logistic regression was used to investigate the temporal trends in urinary incontinence, in addition to determining the association between urinary incontinence subtypes with several participants’ factors. Results In the 2017–2018 cycle, stress urinary incontinence was the most prevalent subtype (45.9%; 95% confidence interval, 42.1–49.7), followed by urgency urinary incontinence (31.1%; 95% confidence interval, 28.6–33.6) and mixed urinary incontinence (18.1%; 95% confidence interval, 15.7–20.5). The prevalence rates of urgency and mixed urinary incontinence were higher in women aged 60 years and older (urgency, 49.5% [95% confidence interval, 43.9–55.2]; mixed, 31.4% [95% confidence interval, 26.2–36.6]) than in those aged 40 to 59 years (urgency, 27.9% [95% confidence interval, 23.6–32.1]; mixed, 15.9% [95% confidence interval, 12.9–19.0]) and those aged 20 to 39 years (urgency, 17.6% [95% confidence interval, 13.8–21.5]; mixed, 8.3% [95% confidence interval, 5.4–11.3]). The overall prevalence of stress and mixed urinary incontinence was stable throughout 2005 to 2018 (both Ptrend=.3), with increases in mixed urinary incontinence among women aged 60 years and older (P=.001). The prevalence of urgency urinary incontinence significantly increased, particularly among women aged 60 years and older (both P=.002). Age, obesity, smoking, comorbidities, and postmenopausal hormone therapy were associated with higher prevalence of all types of urinary incontinence. Black women were less likely to report stress urinary incontinence but more likely to report urgency urinary incontinence. Conclusion Although the estimated overall prevalence of stress and mixed urinary incontinence remained stable from 2005 to 2018, the prevalence of urgency and mixed urinary incontinence significantly increased among women aged 60 years and older. All subtypes of urinary incontinence were higher among women with obesity and comorbidities, those who used postmenopausal hormone therapy, and those who smoke.

Based the China Mianyang Research Reactor (CMRR) and D-T accelerator neutron source, thermal neutron, cold neutron and fast neutron imaging facilities are all installed at China Academy of Engineering Physics (CAEP). Various samples have been imaged by different energy neutrons and shown the neutron imaging application in industry, aerospace and so on. The facilities parameters and recent neutron imaging development will be shown in this paper.

Coded source imaging (CSI) technique could increase the utilization rate of neutron when high L/D required in neutron imaging. The images need to be reconstructed from the raw projections. The reconstruction would amplify the noise of the raw projection, which will affect the quality of reconstructed images. Study of Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) in CSI shows image quality depends on geometry structure and neutron beam parameters. With analysis method based on correlation reconstruction arithmetic, SNR was detailed to assess the effects from different geometry factors. Numerical simulation as a further supplement proves the rationality of analysis method. The comparison of SNR between CSI and traditional neutron radiography (NR) shows that the SNR of CSI could be better than NR in some conditions.

Arsenene is the monolayer gray arsenic which was proposed only recently. Herein, we study the magnetic properties and electronic structures of transition-metal-doped arsenene by using first-principles calculations. Three doping concentrations are considered in our investigation. The results show that not all 3d transition metal (TM) atoms can induce the magnetic state in arsenene. Moreover, the doping concentration hardly affects the magnetic moment except for Fe- and Ni-doped systems. We believe, in particular, that the magnetism is dominantly controlled by the doping TM atoms, and no significant contributions are induced, even by their nearest arsenic atoms. In addition, the multiplicate electronic structures of TM-doped arsenene, such as semiconductor, metal and half-metal, have also been revealed and discussed in this work, which may provide a new attention for the doped arsenene nanosheets.

We propose that a half semiconducting state can exist in trigonal-prismatic transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) monolayers of d 1 configuration. In that state both electrons and holes are spin polarized and share the same spin channel. At the level of hybrid density functional theory, our results show in particular that VS 2 monolayers are half semiconductors with a direct band gap. Moreover, we find that the conduction electron spin orientation of VS 2 switches under moderate strain. Our analysis of trigonal-prismatic group-V MX 2 (M = V, Nb, Ta; X = S, Se, Te) monolayers reveals a broad diversity of electronic states that can be understood qualitatively in terms of localization of d electrons.

It is hopeful that fusion-fission hybrid energy system will become an effective approach to achieve long-term sustainable development of fission energy. U-10Zr alloy (which means the mass ratio of Zr is 10%) fuel is the key material of subcritical blanket for fusion-fission hybrid energy system which the irradiation performance need to be considered. Indirect neutron radiography is used to detect the irradiated U-10Zr alloy because of the high residual dose in this paper. Different burnup samples (0.1%, 0.3%, 0.5% and 0.7%) have been tested with a special indirect neutron radiography device at CMRR (China Mianyang Research Reactor). The resolution of the device is better than 50 µm and the quantitative analysis of swelling behaviors was carried out. The results show that the swelling behaviors relate well to burnup character which can be detected accurately by indirect neutron radiography.

The plasma etching behavior of Y2O3 coating was investigated and compared with that of Al2O3 coating under various conditions, including chemical etching, mixing etching and physical etching. The etching rate of Al2O3 coating declined with decreasing CF4 content under mixing etching, while that of Y2O3 coating first increased and then decreased. In addition, the Y2O3 coating demonstrated higher erosion-resistance than Al2O3 coating after exposing to fluorocarbon plasma. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis confirmed the formations of YF3 and AlF3 on the Y2O3 and Al2O3 coatings, respectively, which acted as the protective layer to prevent the surface from further erosion with fluorocarbon plasma. It was revealed that the etching behavior of Y2O3 depended not only on the surface fluorination but also on the removal of fluoride layer. To analyze the effect of porosity, Y2O3 bulk samples with high density were prepared by spark plasma sintering, and they demonstrated higher erosion-resistances compared with Y2O3 coating.

Regulating orbital properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials has received tremendous interest. Here, we propose theoretically a new class of 2D materials XBi (X = Si, Ge, Sn, and Pb) with metal monochalogenides structure to host tunable orbital properties. As an example, the SnBi system is mainly discussed. It has found that spin-orbit coupling (SOC) transforms the electronic properties of SnBi from semiconductor into metal, and the external strain can lead to a novel Dirac electronic state. Surface chemical-decoration is confirmed to be an effective way to obtain Bi-pz orbital filtering effect and p-p orbital inversion, which may be realized through PbTe-based heterostructure and quantum-well in experiment. Particularly, the orbital regulation can give rise to fascinating Rashba spin-splitting in H-SnBi single-layer and PbTe/SnBi heterostructure. These findings provide a new class of 2D materials to explore orbital interaction.

Polarimetric neutron tomography provides a powerful tool for direct visualization of magnetic fields in the bulk of matter. However, the measurable field strength has been severely restricted because neutron spin precession angles have to be limited below π due to the phase wrapping problem. In this article we show that in most cases the spin precession limit can be extended by identifying and correcting discontinuities in the sinograms. We present an improved method so that Algebraic reconstruction technique can be applied in the precession interval [ π , 2 π ] to improve the reconstruction quality. Robustness of this method against device parameters and statistical noise has been studied through numerical simulation, some unexpected influence have been found and discussed.

The separation behavior of soft tissue under the impact of a high-speed waterjet is actually the effect of continuous fracture, which is accompanied by elastic deformation of the soft tissue. The dynamic monitoring and quantification of deformation behavior is of great significance to understand the mechanisms of fracture and separation of soft tissues. As a common soft tissue substitute, the dynamic separation process of gelatin samples under high-speed waterjet impact was quantified by optical methods. This study found that the deformation of soft tissue under high-speed waterjet impact has a large frequency, indicating that the elastic energy of soft tissue is alternately released and stored under waterjet impact. Based on the Radial Basis Function (RBF) neural network and adjacent average method, the elastic energy storage and release frequency and amplitude during the separation process were reduced and extracted through the reduction model, which provided a reliable method for the numerical quantification research of the fracture mechanics of the soft tissue separation process. The reduction model has stronger reducibility in the impact depth range of approximately 3 mm. The results show that the greater the frequency of dynamic deformation, the greater the average amplitude. Under the same impact conditions, the elastic energy storage and release of the tissue with a smaller elastic modulus during impact separation is more intense, and its utilization of the waterjet kinetic energy is lower, that is, the energy conversion efficiency of the waterjet kinetic energy into the tissue fracture energy is lower.

Silicene is a single-layer silicon film, and metal atom doping can effectively regulate its physical properties. In this paper, we study the electronic and magnetic properties of light rare-earth (RE) doped silicene based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Through the study of three doping concentrations, it is found that light rare-earth (RE) doped silicene can produce large magnetic moment, and their magnetic properties are mainly derived from the f states of rare-earth (RE) atom. Except for Pm- and Sm-doped silicene, the bonding strength of the Si–Si bond of other doping is weakened. Moreover, we also find various electronic properties of light rare-earth (RE) doped silicene, such as half-metallic, metallic, and semiconducting properties, which may provide some new ideas for the application of silicene.

Introduction VO2peak (peak oxygen consumption) during cardiopulmonary exercise testing is a key prognostic test in patients with non-congenital heart failure (HF). It helps physicians decide which HF patients would derive the greatest survival benefit from cardiac transplant. The predictive value of VO2peak in patients with congenital heart disease on outcomes is not as clear. Hypotheses 1) VO2peak will predict event-free survival in patients with congenital cardiac disease; 2) Patients with congenital heart disease will have longer event-free survival for the primary outcome of death, heart transplant, or LVAD placement compared to patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) even after adjustment for VO2peak. Methods Patients were from a registry of cardiac patients who completed an exercise test in the VO2 Laboratory at Washington University School of Medicine between May 1993 and October 2012. Patients with HFrEF (left ventricular ejection fraction Results A total of 276 patients (138 congenital, 138 HFrEF) were included. Mean (±SD) age was 33.9 ± 11.7y in the congenital group and 40.3 ± 9.7 in the HFrEF group (p=0.00001). Women made up 44.9% of each sample. VO2peak was 21.56 ± 7.15 ml•kg−1•min−1 in the congenital group and 15.99 ± 5.95 ml•kg−1•min−1 in the HFrEF group (p Conclusions A congenital cardiac diagnosis portends longer event-free survival compared to patients with non-congenital HFrEF. Further studies are warranted to investigate if peak VO2 can be used to guide timing for cardiac transplant in the congenital cardiac population.

Objectives To describe the pattern of health care providers' advice on lifestyle modification to older adults, and identify correlates of receiving such advice. Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting and participants Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey study from 2007-2016 on adults ≥65 years (n = 3758) were analyzed. Methods We estimated the weighted prevalence and correlates of receiving advice on the following lifestyle modifications: (1) increase physical activity, (2) reduce fat/calories, (3) control/lose weight, and (4) a combination of control/lose weight and physical activity. Data were analyzed according to level of comorbidity (number of chronic conditions including high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, type 2 diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, and arthritis) and body mass index (BMI). Results Physical activity was the most widely prescribed lifestyle modification, reported by 15.7% of older adults free of chronic conditions and 28.9%, 35.4%, and 52.6% of older adults with 1, 2, and ≥3 comorbidities. Advice on reducing fat/calories was reported by 9.2%, 18.5%, 26.3%, and 40.9% of older adults with 0, 1, 2, and ≥3 comorbidities, respectively, and advice on weight loss/control was reported by 6.5%, 19.1%, 20.8%, and 37.5%, respectively. The combination of advice on weight loss/control and physical activity was least commonly reported: 5.1%, 13.5%, 16.6%, and 32.0%, respectively. Overall, lifestyle modifications were more frequently advised to older adults who were overweight, obese, or Hispanic. Conclusions and implications In the United States, lifestyle modifications are not routinely recommended to older adults, particularly those free of chronic conditions, presenting a missed opportunity for chronic disease prevention and management. Among those advised to lose or manage weight, concurrent advice to increase physical activity is not consistently provided.

The paper introduces a sub-binary architecture in 16-bit split-capacitor successive-approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). The redundancy in sub-binary capacitors array provides ways to correct the dynamic errors in conversion procedure with a smaller overall conversion time. So the redundancy can be used to solve the mismatch or parasitic problems in split-capacitor CDAC SAR. A background digital calibration method with perturbation is utilized to calibrate the conversion errors. The behavioral simulation and measured results show that the 16-bit SAR ADC performance can be improved after the digital calibration. The prototype was fabricated in 0.18µm CMOS process. The INL are -6/7.813 LSB, the DNL are -0.925/1.313 before calibration. After calibration, the INL are -0.813/0.938, the DNL are -0.625/0.688. The measured ENOB is 11.42bit and SFDR is 79.95dB before calibration, while the ENOB is 14.46bit and SFDR is 95.65dB after calibration.

The synergy effect on structural properties, electronic properties, and optical properties when changing strain and the number of layers at the same time of 2D black phosphorus (BP) are calculated in this paper by using first-principles calculations. The results show that with the number of the layer increased, the band-gap shows a decreasing trend, whereas the absorption edge shows a trend of red-shift. When we put different in-layer biaxial strain from −10% compressive strain (a/a0 = 90%) to 10% tensile strain (a/a0 = 110%) on all few-layer BP layers, the electronic, optical and structural properties change. In terms of electronic property, few-layer BP shows an increasing trend of the band-gap, and at the same time, a distinct change of chemical bond has been observed. As for the optical property, an anisotropic variation of the absorption and reflectivity occurs. And for the structural property, there is a noticeable regular anisotropic change of the stacking order. In our opinion, the increasing number of layers affects band splitting around the Γ point and entire BZ, which leads to the decrease of the gap. The changing of the layer from 5 L to 1L and the strain from −10% compressive strain to 10% tensile strain affect the stacking order and the change of near-band-states of few-layer BP, which further impacts the band-gap, chemical bond and its transition from metal to semiconductor of BP. Besides, the strain effect leads to the anisotropic change of the structure, which further results in the anisotropic change in the optical properties of the few-layer BP. This study implies that we can alter the function of the few-layer material by setting up the suitable strain and the number of the layer in the future.