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Continuous SiC fibers with excellent mechanical properties and high‐temperature resistance possess immense potential as reinforcements for aeroengines. In this work, we prepared functionalized boron nitride nanosheet (F‐BNNS) composite SiC (F‐BNNS/SiC) fibers by polymer‐derived method. Due to the existence of F‐BNNS, the F‐BNNS/SiC fibers demonstrate an improved tensile strength up to 2300 MPa, representing a 25% increase compared to the original SiC fibers. Furthermore, owing to the chemical bonds established between the F‐BNNS and the SiCxOy network, the decomposition of the SiCxOy amorphous phase and the crystallization of SiC at high temperatures is effectively suppressed. The F‐BNNS/SiC fibers exhibit improved high‐temperature resistance, maintaining a tensile strength of 720 MPa up to 1500°C, while the SiC fibers completely degraded under the same conditions. The successful preparation of BNNS/SiC fibers may offer new insights into the performance enhancement of advanced ceramic fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strong potential of platinum single atom (PtSA) in gas sensor technology is primarily attributed to its high atomic economy. Nevertheless, it is imperative to conduct further exploration to understand the impact of PtSA on the active sites. In this study, the evolution of PtSA on (100)CeO2 and (111)CeO2 is examined, revealing notable disparities in the position and activity of surface PtSA on different crystal planes. The PtSA in (100)CeO2 surface can enhance the stability of Ce3+ and construct a frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) to form a double active site by combining the steric hindrance effect of oxygen vacancies, which increases the response value from 1.8 to 27 and reduce the response‐recovery time from 140–192 s to 25–26 s toward five ppm NO2 at room temperature. Conversely, PtSA tends to bind to terminal oxygen on the surface of (111)CeO2 and become an independent reaction site. The response value of PtSA‐(111)CeO2 surface only increased from 1.6 to 3.8. This research underscores the correlation between single atoms and crystal plane effects, laying the groundwork for designing and synthesizing ultra‐stable and efficient gas sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diffusion of credit cards may have relaxed households' liquidity constraints, thereby stimulating the diffusion of commercial insurance. By investigating Chinese urban households who had no commercial insurance in 2013, we find that their initial access to credit cards significantly increased the likelihood of their holding commercial insurance in 2015. Our instrumental variable (IV) estimations confirm the causality. This positive effect is more pronounced among more liquidity‐constrained households and among households with more financial knowledge. Last, the initial access to credit cards also significantly enhanced commercial insurance renewal in 2015 among those households who had commercial insurance in 2013. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute lung injury (ALI) caused by acute bacterial infection remains a common life‐threatening lung disease. An increased inflammatory response is the basis for the occurrence and development of ALI. Most antibiotics can only reduce the bacterial load but do not protect from lung damage because of an excessive immune response. Chrysophanol (chrysophanic acid, Chr), as a natural anthraquinone extracted from Rheum palmatum L., has various biological functions, including anti‐inflammatory, anti‐cancer activities, and ameliorative effects on cardiovascular diseases. Considering these properties, we investigated the effect of Chr in Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP)‐induced ALI mice and its potential mechanism. Our results showed that Chr had protective effects against KP‐infected mice, including increased survival rate, decreased bacterial burden, reduced recruitment of immune cells, and reduced reactive oxygen species level of lung macrophages. Chr reduced the expression of inflammatory cytokines by inhibiting the toll‐like receptor 4/nuclear factor kappa‐B (TLR4/NF‐κB) signaling pathway and inflammasome activation and strengthening autophagy. Overactivation of the TLR4/NF‐κB signaling pathway by the activator Neoseptin 3 led to Chr losing control of inflammatory cytokines in cells, resulting in increased cell death. Similarly, overactivation of the c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase signaling pathway using the activator anisomycin resulted in Chr losing its inhibitory effect on NOD‐like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 (NFRP3) inflammasome activation, and cell viability was reduced. In addition, autophagy was blocked by siBeclin1, so Chr could not reduce inflammatory factors, and cell viability was markedly inhibited. Collectively, this work unravels the molecular mechanism underpinning Chr‐alleviated ALI via inhibiting pro‐inflammatory cytokines. Thus, Chr is a potential therapeutic agent for KP‐induced ALI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. This study was aimed at studying the diagnostic value of aortic dissection (AD) risk score, coagulation function, and laboratory indicators in acute aortic dissection (AAD). Methods. In this retrospective study, 57 patients with AAD and 57 with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). During the same period, 50 healthy subjects were selected as the control group admitted to our institution which were assessed for eligibility and recruited. They were assigned to an AD group (AAD patients) and an ACS group (ACS patients). The AD risk scores, coagulation function indexes, and laboratory indexes of the two groups were compared. With digital subtraction angiography- (DSA-) based diagnosis result as the gold standard, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the diagnostic value of various indexes for AD, and the sensitivity, specificity, and optimal diagnostic value (Youden index) of the diagnostic indexes were calculated. Additionally, the overall blood clot formation strength (MA), clotting factor function (R), platelet function (MAp), and functional fibrinogen (MAf) levels were evaluated. Results. AAD risk, AD screening, early diagnosis of AAD, fibrinogen degradation products (FDP), fibrinogen (Fib), prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), tenascin C (TN-C), D-dimer (D-D), and N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide precursor (NT-proBNP) in the three groups were statistically different (P < 0.05). Further pairwise comparisons showed that the AD patients got higher scores of AAD risk, AD screening, and early diagnosis of AAD versus ACS patients (P < 0.05). AD was associated with lower levels of fibrinogen degradation products (FDP) and fibrinogen (Fib), shorter prothrombin time (PT), and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) versus ACS (P < 0.05). AD also resulted in higher levels of tenascin C (TN-C), D-dimer (D-D), and N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide precursor (NT-proBNP) versus ACS (P < 0.05). The three risk scores, various laboratory indicators, and various coagulation function indicators were of high diagnostic values for the diagnosis of AAD (A U C > 0.9 , P < 0.05). The sensitivity of the AD screening scale and TN-C expression level to the diagnosis of AAD was up to 100%, and the specificity of TN-C expression level was up to 98.25%. The influencing factors of AAD included Fib, FDP, PT, APTT, D-D, TN-C, and NT-proBNP. MA, MAf, and MAp displayed the same trend and reached the lowest point at T2. R was the opposite and reached the highest point at T2. At T4, a higher Map and a lower MAf were found than before surgery, and R and MA returned to preoperative levels. The positive detection rate of ACS by CT scan was positively correlated with the degree of stenosis (r = 0.814 , P < 0.05). Conclusion. AD screening scale, TN-C, and FDP are of the highest diagnostic value in the risk score of AD, laboratory indicators, and coagulation function. It has implications for the diagnosis of ADD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The value of caregivers with respect to ensuring safety during home nasogastric tube (NGT) feeding is increasingly acknowledged. However, little attention has been given to the experience of caregivers. Methods: A qualitative descriptive design using semi‐structured interviews via purposive sampling at a comprehensive hospital in China was employed. Family caregivers of patients with home NGT feeding were recruited. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed qualitatively using inductive content analysis. Results: Thirteen family caregivers of patients with home NGT feeding were interviewed. Four main themes were generated: negative experience (uncertainty and ambivalence, transition gaps between hospitals and home care services), new role: adapting to the lifestyle (participating in decision‐making, being responsible for everything, adjusting own life to NGT feeding), perceived benefit of caregiving (personal growth, development of positive attitudes and achievements) and expectations (expectations from continuity health system services, expectations from social support). Conclusions: The present study highlights the vulnerability and perceived benefits embedded in the role of a family caregiver. Improving communication and standardising practices between home and hospitals should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This clinical study was conducted to evaluate the impact of rifampicin on the pharmacokinetics of fuzuloparib. Methods: In this single‐centre, single‐arm, open‐label, fixed‐sequence study, healthy male subjects took a single 50 mg dose of fuzuloparib on two separate occasions: the first was on Day 1 as monotherapy, and the second was on Day 12 after oral administration of rifampicin 600 mg once daily for 8 days. Series of blood samples were obtained before and after fuzuloparib administration at different time points: pre‐dose, and 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 72 hours post‐dose. All samples were examined using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. PK parameters were estimated by using a non‐compartmental method with Phoenix WinNonlin software. Safety was assessed by monitoring for changes in vital signs and laboratory tests, physical examinations, and incidences of adverse events (AEs). Results: A total of 16 Chinese male subjects were enrolled. Of these, 16 and 15 cases were evaluable for PK analysis following administration with fuzuloparib alone and pretreatment with rifampicin, respectively. Pretreatment with rifampicin resulted in a statistically significant reduction in the systemic exposure to fuzuloparib. The treatment ratio and 90% confidence intervals (CIs) for AUC0‐∞ and Cmax were 0.10 (0.095–0.115) and 0.32 (0.281–0.365), respectively. A single administration of fuzuloparib after multiple oral dosing of rifampicin was well‐tolerated, without severe AEs. Conclusion: The exposure of fuzuloparib was dramatically decreased when pretreated with rifampicin. Strong CYP3A4 inducers should be avoided during fuzuloparib treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides current evidence for efficacy and safety of treating COVID‐19 with combined traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and conventional western medicine (CWM). Six databases were searched from January 1 to December 31, 2020. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), case–control studies (CCTs), and cohort studies on TCM or TCM combined with CWM treatment for COVID‐19 were included. The quality of included RCTs was assessed by Cochrane risk of bias tool, and the Newcastle‐Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to assess the quality of cohort studies and CCTs. Review Manager 5.4 software was used to perform meta‐analysis. The quality of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. A total of 35 studies (3,808 patients) composing 19 RCTs and 16 observational studies were included. The results of meta‐analysis revealed that comparing with CWM alone, integrated TCM and CWM had significant improvement in total effective rate, improvement rate of chest CT, the rate of disease progression, as well as improvement of fever, fatigue and cough. The overall quality of evidence was very low to moderate. In conclusion, TCM combined with CWM was a potential treatment option for increasing clinical effective rate, improving the clinical symptoms, and preventing disease progression in COVID‐19 patients. High‐quality clinical trials are required in the further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple, rapid, and sensitive liquid chromatography (LC)/mass spectrometry (MS) method was established and validated for simultaneous quantitation of pyrazinamide, isoniazid, rifampicin, and ethambutol in human blood sample. Samples were pretreated by a single-step precipitation with acetonitrile. Chromatographic separation was achieved on XSelecT HSS T3 column by gradient elution with a total run time of 5.0 min. MS detection was performed by a triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer in the multiple reaction monitoring mode with a positive electrospray ionization source. Isotope-labeled internal standard, especially rifampicin-D8, was applied to adjust for the loss during sample treatment. The established LC-MS/MS method showed a wide analytical range (pyrazinamide: 1.02∼60.0 μg/mL, isoniazid: 0.152∼10.0 μg/mL, rifampicin: 0.500∼30.0 μg/mL, and ethambutol: 0.0998∼5.99 μg/mL) and a good linearity (r > 0.99 for the four analytes) with acceptable accuracy and precision (90.15%∼104.62% and 94.00%∼104.02% for intra- and interaccuracy, respectively; RSD%: <12.46% and <6.43% for intra- and interprecision, respectively). It also showed excellent recoveries (79.24%∼94.16% for all analytes) and absence of significant matrix effect. This method was successfully applied to the quantification of four first-line antituberculosis (anti-TB) drugs, suggesting its suitability for therapeutic drug monitoring in the clinical practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tripartite combination of a high density and stability of surface reaction sites, complemented by the longevity and efficient transfer of interface carriers, along with the effective adsorption and activation of target gas molecules, jointly determines the efficiency of chemiresistors. In this work, the strong metal–support interaction (SMSI) of Pt─Ce3+ is formed by the NaBH4 reduction method and thus prepares metal‐dynamically stable PtNR─CeO2 with Pt─Ce3+ and Pt─Pt reaction sites. The formation of SMSI induces the recombination of the chemical structure of the CeO2 surface causing the localization of electron‐rich Ce3+, which greatly increases the charge concentration at the interface. The experimental findings of the strong interaction of Pt─Ce3+ bonding and the catalytic effect of Pt optimized the adsorption mode of PtNR─CeO2 on target gas, which maintains stable catalytic activity at 20–500 °C and achieving a notable detection response value of 1.43 for 20 ppb NO2. This work offers fresh insights into designing stable oxide chemiresistors with efficiency and stability by customizing reaction sites at the atomic level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aluminum borate ceramics (ABCs) with a skeleton structure of rod‐like crystals were established via a solid‐state reaction synthesis. The influence of heat treatment systems on the phase composition and microstructural evolution of an anisotropic grain were firstly studied. Next, the impact of boric acid content on the activation energy of reaction, microstructure, mechanical properties, and neutron shielding capability were investigated. The results demonstrate that orthorhombic Al18B4O33 formed between 900°C and 1000°C which was the stable phase during heating treatment. In addition, increasing the boric acid content was favorable for reducing the activation energy of forming aluminum borate, resulting in increased in situ formation and growth of aluminum borate whiskers in fired samples. Next, mircropores could be generated by the decomposition of boric acid at high temperatures, which had a considerable influence on the physical properties of the sample. Furthermore, the Monte Carlo particle transport program simulation and neutron shielding experiments showed that the prepared ABCs could shield neutron effectively manifested as possessing a high neutron absorption cross‐section in the case of porous materials. Moreover, ABCs have potential application value as thermal insulation material in the nuclear energy field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise of the Study: Polymorphic microsatellite primers were developed for greater duckweed, Spirodela polyrhiza (Lemnaceae), to investigate genetic diversity and structure for application in a bioremediation program. Methods and Results: A total of 401 publicly available S. polyrhiza whole‐genome shotgun sequences were searched for simple sequence repeat loci of two or more nucleotides. Of these, 60 primer pairs were selected to analyze 68 individuals of S. polyrhiza from three populations. Nineteen polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed. A total of 108 alleles were detected with an average of 5.7 alleles per locus. The levels of expected and observed heterozygosity were 0.0511–0.8669 and 0–0.8750, respectively. Ten loci also successfully amplified in 16 individuals of Lemna perpusilla. Conclusions: The results demonstrate the broad utility of these microsatellite loci for studying population genetics in S. polyrhiza. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The auditory function develops and matures after birth in many mammalian species. After hearing onset, environmental sounds exert profound and long-term effects on auditory functions. However, the effects of the acoustic environment on the functional development of the peripheral auditory system, especially the cochlear sensory hair cells, are still unclear. In the present study, we exposed mouse pups to frequency-enriched acoustic environments in postnatal days 0–14. The results indicated that the acoustic environment significantly decreased the threshold of the auditory brainstem response in a frequency-specific manner. Compared with controls, no difference was found in the number and alignment of inner and outer hair cells or in the length of hair bundles after acoustic overstimulation. The expression and function of prestin, the motor protein of outer hair cells (OHCs), were specifically increased in OHCs activated by acoustic stimulation at postnatal days 7–11. We analyzed the postnatal maturation of ribbon synapses in the hair cell areas. After acoustic stimulation, the number of ribbon synapses was closer to the mature stage than to the controls. Taken together, these data indicate that early acoustic exposure could promote the functional maturation of cochlear hair cells and the development of hearing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tau-fluvalinate (TFLV) is one of the most potent chiral synthetic pyrethroids to control a wide range of pests in agricultural fields, especially in apiary. In this study, two stereoisomers of TFLV were fully separated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a semipreparative chiral column using cellulose-tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) as chiral stationary phase and n-hexane and 2-propanol (96/4, v/v) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 2.5 mL min−1. The (+)-stereoisomer was first eluted by detecting with an optical rotation detector. After obtaining pure single stereoisomer of TFLV, acute toxicities of each isomer and TFLV standard to zebrafish were evaluated. The results showed that the (+)-stereoisomer exhibited 273.4 times higher toxicity than the (−)-stereoisomer and 6.7 times higher than TFLV standard, according to their LC50 values at 96 h after exposure. This indicates that the toxicity of TFLV mainly originates from (+)-stereoisomer. These results are very helpful to prepare single stereoisomer of chiral pesticides and evaluate their different toxicological effects to aquatic organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor ( MIF) involves the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis ( AS) and increased plasma MIF levels in diabetes mellitus ( DM) patients are associated with AS. Here, we have been suggested that MIF could be a critical contributor for the pathological process of diabetes-associated AS by using adenovirus-mediated RNA interference. First, streptozotocin ( STZ)-induced diabetic animal model was constructed in 114 apolipoprotein E-deficient mice (apoE−/− mice) fed on a regular chow diet. Then, the animals were randomly divided into three groups: Adenovirus-mediated MIF interference (Ad- MIFi), Ad-enhanced green fluorescent protein ( EGFP) and normal saline ( NS) group ( n ≈ 33/group). Non-diabetic apoE−/− mice ( n = 35) were served as controls. Ad- MIFi, Ad- EGFP and NS were, respectively, injected into the tail vein of mice from Ad- MIFi, Ad- EGFP and NS group, which were injected repeatedly 4 weeks later. Physical, biochemical, morphological and molecular parameters were measured. The results showed that diabetic apoE−/− mice had significantly aggravated atherosclerotic lesions. MIF gene interference attenuated atherosclerotic lesions and stabilized atheromatous plaque, accompanied by the decreased macrophages and lipids deposition and inflammatory cytokines production, improved glucose intolerance and plasma cholesterol level, the decreased ratio of matrix matalloproteinase-2/tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 and plaque instability index. An increased expression of MIF and its ligand CD74 was also detected in the diabetic patients with coronary artery disease. The results suggest that MIF gene interference is able to inhibit atherosclerotic lesions and increase plaque stability in diabetic apoE−/−mice. MIF inhibition could be a novel and promising approach to the treatment of DM-associated AS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Regulator of G protein signaling 6 ( RGS 6) is an important member of the RGS family and produces pleiotropic regulatory effects on cardiac pathophysiology. However, the role of RGS 6 protein in cardiomyocytes during angiotensin II - and pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy remain unknown. Methods and Results Here, we used a genetic approach to study the regulatory role of RGS 6 in cardiomyocytes during pathological cardiac hypertrophy. RGS 6 expression was significantly increased in failing human hearts and in hypertrophic murine hearts. The extent of aortic banding-induced cardiac hypertrophy, dysfunction, and fibrosis in cardiac-specific RGS 6 knockout mice was alleviated, whereas the hearts of transgenic mice with cardiac-specific RGS 6 overexpression exhibited exacerbated responses to pressure overload. Consistent with these findings, RGS 6 also facilitated an angiotensin II -induced hypertrophic response in isolated cardiomyocytes. According to the mechanistic studies, RGS 6 mediated cardiac hypertrophy by directly interacting with apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1, which further activates the P38-c- JUN N-terminal kinase 1/2 signaling pathway. Conclusions Based on our findings, RGS 6 aggravates cardiac hypertrophy, and the RGS 6-apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 pathway represents a potential therapeutic target to attenuate pressure overload-driven cardiac remodeling.