Search

Wenying Yi,1,2 Haibo Wu,1,2 Weibin Fu,1,2 Huimei Feng,1,2 Jie Huang,1,2 Haijing Li,1,2 Zhen Song,1,2 Yuwei Chen,1,2 Yingjun Zheng,1,2 Shenglin She1,2 1Department of Psychiatry, the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Shenglin She, Department of Psychiatry, the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou MedicalUniversity, No. 36 Mingxin Road, Liwan District, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-13825154669, Fax +86-20-82068107, Email shenglinshe@gzhmu.edu.cnBackground: To assess the prevalence and risk factors of NAFLD in non-obese patients with schizophrenia in a public psychiatric hospital in China.Methods: A total of 1,305 adult inpatients with schizophrenia in 2019 were included in this retrospective study. Body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m2 was considered obese, and BMI < 25 kg/m2 was considered non-obese. We obtained the data from electronic records of the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University.Results: A total of 1,045 non-obese patients and 260 obese patients were included in this study. The prevalence of NAFLD in non-obese patients was 25.0%, and it was much lower that in the obese patients (25.0% vs 64.6%, p < 0.001). Among the non-obese patients, there were significant differences in age, BMI, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), metabolic indices, and the prevalence of diabetes and hypertension between patients with NAFLD and patients without NAFLD. According to the results of binary logistic regression analysis, age, BMI, ALT, triglyceride (TG) and diabetes were significantly related to NAFLD among non-obese patients with schizophrenia. In contrast, HDL-C was was negatively associated with NAFLD among non-obese patients.Conclusion: This study suggested that NAFLD was common in patients with schizophrenia, even in non-obese patients with schizophrenia. In non-obese patients with schizophrenia, age, BMI, ALT, TG and diabetes are significantly associated with NAFLD. Moreover, HDL-C level was an independent protective factor against NAFLD. Given the adverse outcomes of NAFLD, it is necessary to increase awareness of NAFLD in patients with schizophrenia, especially in non-obese patients with schizophrenia.Keywords: schizophrenia, NAFLD, non-obese, obese, risk factors, China

Suhua She, Yulong Shen, Kun Luo, Xiaohai Zhang, Changjun Luo The Second Department of Neurosurgery, Hunan University of Medical General Hospital, Huaihua, Hunan, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Changjun Luo, Email 843329331@qq.comBackground: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is prevalent in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and is associated with mortality. This study aimed to verify the predictive accuracy of different machine learning algorithms for AKI in patients with ICH using a large dataset.Methods: A total of 1366 ICH patients received treatments between 2001 and 2012 from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-III (MIMIC-III) database were identified based on the ICD-9 code: 431. The main outcome of AKI during hospitalizations was confirmed based on the KDIGO criteria. Overall, ICH patients were randomly divided into the training cohort and validation cohort with the ratio of 7:3. Six machine learning algorithms including extreme gradient boosting, logistic, light gradient boosting machine, random forest, adaptive boosting, support vector machine were trained in the training cohort with the 5-fold cross-validation method to predict the AKI. The predictive accuracy of those algorithms was compared by area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC).Results: A total of 1213 ICH patients were included with the incidence of AKI being 29.3%. The incidence of AKI was 29.3% among the 1213 patients with ICH. The AKI group had higher 30-day mortality (p< 0.001), longer ICU stay (p< 0.001), and longer hospital stay (p< 0.001). Among the six machine learning algorithms, the random forest performed the best in predicting AKI in both the training cohort (AUC=1.000) and the validation cohort (AUC=0.698). The top five features in the random forest algorithm-based model were platelets, serum creatinine, vancomycin, hemoglobin, and hematocrit.Conclusion: The random forest algorithm-based predictive model we developed incorporating important features, including platelet count, serum creatinine level, vancomycin level, hemoglobin level, and hematocrit level, performed the best in predicting AKI among patients with ICH.Keywords: Acute kidney injury, intracerebral hemorrhage, machine learning, random forest, predictive model

Yi Liu,1 Taiyong Bi,2 Qijie Kuang,1 Bei Zhang,3 Huawang Wu,1 Haijing Li,1 Bin Zhang,1 Jingping Zhao,4 Yuping Ning,1 Shenglin She,1 Yingjun Zheng1 1Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510370, People’s Republic of China; 2Centre for Mental Health Research in School of Management, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, 563000, People’s Republic of China; 3General and Experimental Psychology, Department of Psychology, LMU, Munich, Germany; 4Mental Health Institute of the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University; Chinese National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders; Chinese National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders; Hunan Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Yingjun Zheng; Shenglin She Email brainzheng@gzhmu.edu.cn; shenglinshe@gzhmu.edu.cnObjective: Impaired face perception is considered as a hallmark of social disability in schizophrenia. It is widely believed that inverted faces and upright faces are processed by distinct mechanisms. Previous studies have identified that individuals with schizophrenia display poorer face processing than controls. However, the mechanisms underlying the face inversion effect (FIE) in patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FSZ) remain unclear.Methods: We designed an fMRI task to investigate the FIE mechanism in patients with schizophrenia. Thirty-four patients with FSZ and thirty-five healthy controls (CON) underwent task-related fMRI scanning, clinical assessment, anhedonia experience examination, and social function and cognitive function evaluation.Results: The patients with FSZ exhibited distinct functional activity regarding upright and inverted face processing within the cortical face and non-face network. These results suggest that the differences in quantitative processing might mediate the FIE in schizophrenia. Compared with controls, affected patients showed impairments in processing both upright and inverted faces; and for these patients with FSZ, upright face processing was associated with more severe and broader impairment than inverted face processing. Reduced response in the left middle occipital gyrus for upright face processing was related to poorer performance of social function outcomes evaluated using the Personal and Social Performance Scale.Conclusion: Our data suggested that patients with FSZ exhibited similar performance in processing inverted faces and upright faces, but were less efficient than controls; and for these patients, inverted faces are processed less efficiently than upright faces. We also provided a clue that the mechanism under abnormal FIE might be related to an aberrant activation of non-face-selective areas instead of abnormal activation of face-specific areas in patients with schizophrenia. Finally, our study indicated that the neural pathway for upright recognition might be relevant in determining the functional outcomes of this devastating disorder.Keywords: first-episode schizophrenia, face inversion effect, task-related fMRI, face recognition, social functional outcome

Shenglin She,1,* Bei Zhang,1,* Lin Mi,1 Haijing Li,1 Qijie Kuang,1 Taiyong Bi,2 Yingjun Zheng1 1Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders (Changsha), Guangzhou 510370, China; 2School of Management, Zunyi Medical University, Guizhou 563000, China *These authors contributed equally to this work Purpose: Working memory (WM) deficits have been observed in people with schizophrenia (SZ) and are considered a core cognitive dysfunction in these patients. However, little is known about how stimuli and memory load influence visual WM deficits. Patients and methods: In the present study, we adopted a match-to-sample task to examine the visual WM in 18 first-episode patients with SZ and 18 healthy controls (HCs). Faces and houses were used as the stimuli, and there were two levels of memory load – one item and two items; the average accuracy (ACC) and reaction time were calculated for each condition. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and the Personal and Social Performance scale were used to assess the psychiatric symptoms and social function, respectively. Results: The results showed equivalent levels of WM deficit when using face and house stimuli. Moreover, the WM deficits were not related to the duration of illness, medication, or SZ symptoms. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that stimuli may have little impact on ACC in WM tasks in people with SZ. In addition, the memory load may have little impact on WM ACC when the load is relatively low. Keywords: visual working memory, first-episode schizophrenia, face perception, match-to-sample, memory load, working memory deficit

Qiuzhen Liang, Xinghua Song, Shengli She, Zhen Wang, Chong Wang, Dawei Jiang Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi 830054, China Background: Low drug concentration in the tuberculosis (TB) lesion and bone defects or nonunion after debridement are two major problems that occur in the course of treating osteoarticular TB. Thus, the combination of drug-delivery system and bone tissue repair appears to be the most promising option for osteoarticular TB treatment. Materials and methods: Herein, we report a novel anti-TB dual delivery system based on rifapentine polylactic acid microspheres (RPMs) to treat infections, with the addition of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) seeded in hydroxyapatite/tricalcium phosphate (HA/TCP) to promote bone formation. Cell proliferation, osteogenesis, and apoptosis were performed to investigate the effects of rifapentine on ASCs. The RPMs were synthesized by emulsion-solvent evaporation method, and then the monolayer composite (ASC + RPM) and three-dimensional (3D) composite scaffold (ASC + RPM + HA/TCP) were constructed, respectively. The alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and real-time PCR were used for determining the osteogenic differentiation. The concentrations of rifapentine resulting from the composites were detected. Results: The results showed that rifapentine has no influence on ASCs proliferation and osteogenesis when the drug concentration was below 20 µg/mL, which was significantly higher than minimal inhibitory concentration. The drug loading and encapsulation efficiency of RPMs were 40.56%±2.63% and 70.24%±2.18%, respectively. The proliferation of the cells in monolayer was higher than that in 3D composite, and the addition of RPMs slightly increased the proliferation. The ALP activity and gene expression of osteocalcin and osteopontin were higher in the 3D composite than those in the monolayer. Good biocompatibility was observed by microscopic image and H&E stain. The release tests revealed that the 3D composite exhibited sustained release profiles of rifapentine for 76 days. The dual delivery systems in 3D composite could moderate the burst release and extend the length of release time when compared to single delivery in monolayers. Conclusion: In conclusion, such dual delivery antituberculotic scaffold represents a potential new strategy for TB infections and bone defects. Keywords: tuberculosis, rifapentine, drug delivery, release system, scaffold, tissue engineering

Considering the fact that ships at sea will be affected by waves, sea breeze and air currents, which usually results in serious interference of equipment that needs to work in a stable environment, such as lifting platforms, radar signal capture, etc. In response to the above problems, the S-RPS-SPS parallel mechanism is established to stabilize the platform. It can realize the roll angle of the rotation around the X axis and the pitch angle of rotation around the Y axis; it can also indirectly eliminate the rotation of the hull on these two axes. Model this parallel mechanism in Solidworks software and verify the degrees of freedom. The relation between the length of two driving rods and the pose angle of the moving platform is calculated by the method of inverse pose solution. Two sets of data are obtained by inputting different angles in the range of the rotating angle of the moving platform and the expansion length of the driving rod. The calculation formula, rotation angle range and coordinates are simulated by algorithms in Matlab software, and the correctness of the moving platform pose is verified. The simulation results show that the accuracy and reliability of this mechanism in terms of kinematics are well guaranteed.

BackgroundWomen may develop severe symptoms of stress disorder following childbirth， which may be exposed to a risk of developing mental health problems， and even lead to the recurrence of the illness in female patients with schizophrenia， while comparatively limited research has been undertaken concerning the clinical characteristics and treatment of puerperal schizophrenia in China.ObjectiveTo explore the clinical characteristics of puerperal schizophrenia， so as to provide references for the clinical treatment.MethodsA total of 24 patients with puerperal schizophrenia who were hospitalized in the female ward of adult psychiatry department of the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from 2012 to 2020 and met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders， fourth edition （DSM-IV） diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia were included as puerperal group. Another 48 non-puerperal women with schizophrenia were concurrently enrolled as control group. Then the basic data， scores on Positive and Negative Symptom Scale （PANSS） and the discharge medication were recorded.ResultsThe percentages of newly onset and positive family history of psychosis in puerperal group were larger than those in control group， with statistical significance （χ2=9.321， 5.240， P

The flexible DC line protection based on the double-ended method with large communication and long action time is greatly affected by factors such as noise, which makes it difficult to set. Based on this, a pilot protection method of flexible DC line based on Jaccard similarity integration criterion is proposed. Firstly, the fault characteristics of voltage and current change rate in the case of internal and external faults of flexible DC lines are analyzed, and the conversion relationship between analog quantities and logical quantities is constructed respectively. Then a Jaccard similarity model based on the comparison of logical quantities under the 0.5 ms data window is proposed. The integrated criterion is constructed with high similarity to realize fault type identification, and fault starting and fault pole selection criteria are not required. Finally, the double-ended longitudinal protection scheme based on the comparison of logical quantities realizes the rapid protection of the flexible DC line. The scheme is easy to be implemented, because the protection principle of that is simple with fast action speed. Using the four-terminal flexible straight model built by PSCAD/EMTDC, the protection effectiveness in various scenarios such as different fault types, high-resistance grounding, and noise interference inside and outside the zone were verified.

Due to many outliers in the pitch period detection of noisy speech signal, an improved pitch period detection method is proposed. Firstly, combining spectral subtraction and wavelet transform for noise reduction, we first windowed and framed the useful speech signal sequence obtained after noise reduction for signal endpoint and vowel subject detection. Then, in the second windowing and framing process, the multi window spectrum estimation method was introduced to further reduce the influence of some formants and residual noise on pitch detection. Finally, the improved main body extension method was used for pitch detection. The experimental simulation results show that compared with the traditional pitch detection method, the sample rate of the segment collected by the improved method is 87%, which is at least 5% higher than that of the traditional one. The improved method has higher accuracy of pitch detection.

Based on the practical problem of fatigue life prediction of landing gear, the fatigue life prediction model of landing gear components with surface treatment was studied. The calculation process of the traditional local stress-strain method was introduced, and the factors that affect the local stress-strain method for fatigue life prediction were systematically explained; The actual engineering research shows that the main factors for predicting the fatigue life of landing gear by using the local stress-strain method are surface treatment and surface roughness. By modifying the strain-life curve, a model for predicting the fatigue life of landing gear components is proposed. The two calculation examples show that the predicted results are in good agreement with the experimental results, and the proposed method for revising the strain-life curves under different surface conditions is reasonable.

ObjectiveThe main purpose of the study was to translate the Effort-Reward Imbalance Scale for University Students (ERIUS) and assess its psychometric properties in the Chinese cultural context.MethodsWe translated the original English version of the ERIUS into Chinese and undertook exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis using data collected from university students. The Stress Scale for College Students was selected as the criterion measure to examine the association between psychological stress and effort-reward imbalance. The validity and reliability of the translated version of the ERIUS were also assessed, and a sub-sample of participants (n = 120) completed the measure twice, with a two-week interval to assess test–retest reliability.ResultResults of the exploratory factor analysis using data from 314 students showed that the Chinese version of the ERIUS had 14 items and 3 factors: effort, reward and overcommitment. Confirmatory factor analysis using data from 584 students showed that the Chinese version of the ERIUS had adequate structural validity (χ2 = 107.10, df = 32, RMSEA = 0.08, NFI = 0.90, CFI = 0.91, GFI = 0.90, PGFI = 0.62).ConclusionThe Chinese version of the Effort-Reward Imbalance Scale for University Students has adequate psychometric properties in the Chinese cultural context and can be used as an effective tool to measure psychosocial stress of university students in China.

ObjectiveTo explore the component factors of anhedonia in first-episode schizophrenia patients and the relationship with clinical symptoms， cognitive and social functioning.MethodsA total of 31 patients with first-episode schizophrenia who met the diagnostic criteria of the International Classification of Diseases， tenth edition （ICD-10） and another 33 healthy controls were enrolled. Then， the anhedonia level， mental symptoms， cognitive and social functioning were assessed using Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale （TEPS）， Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale （PANSS）， Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status （RBANS） and Personal and Social Performance Scale （PSP）. Thereafter， Pearson correlation was used to discuss the correlation of anhedonia level with clinical symptoms， cognitive and social functioning.ResultsThe consummatory anhedonia score in TEPS of first-episode schizophrenia patients was lower than that of healthy controls， with statistical difference ［（27.71±5.48） vs. （31.58±5.92）， t=2.705， P=0.009］. Correlation analysis showed that consummatory anhedonia had no correlation with PANSS， RBANS and PSP scores in first-episode schizophrenia patients（P>0.05）.ConclusionFirst-episode schizophrenia patients have consummatory anhedonia， and the consummatory anhedonia may be independent of clinical symptoms， cognitive and social functioning.

The landing gear of an aircraft bears a large impact load during landing, which causes the internal shock absorber to withstand high oil pressure and air pressure, and the buffer performance is greatly influenced. Firstly, based on the axial load of the buffer, the pressure formula of each cavity of the buffer is deduced. Then, the differential equation of the landing motion of landing gear is established by using the two mass system. Finally, the landing gear buffer pressure simulation model is built by using MATLAB/Simulink, which is used to analyze the variation of the pressure of each chamber with time and buffer stroke at different landing speeds, and the influence of oil chamber pressure on the cushioning performance with different oil return areas. The results show that, at different landing speeds, the pressure of each cavity presents a certain regularity at a specific moment of the landing process; the positive stroke oil return hole should not be too small, ensuring that the oil fills the oil return cavity, and the reverse stroke oil return hole cannot be too large to ensure that the oil fills the main oil chamber; the oil pressure in the buffer during landing process affects the stability of the plunger.

Limited by the hardware, the bandwidth of the transmitted signal is not wide enough for super resolution; this is the same for cross resolution, which is limited by the observation angle. In this paper, we propose a technique for imaging fusion using 2D-imaging super-resolution by using multi-radar data from different observation locations, and the resultant effective band is proposed. First, a sparse 2D parametric model based on GTD theory is introduced to construct a dictionary by matching the scattering theory of the radar observation target. Then, the multi-radar fusion imaging framework is constructed. Meanwhile, the 2D model’s sparse parameters are obtained in low SNR using an expansion-compression variance-component algorithm. Finally, radar echo data is expanded to realize the fusion imaging process. The simulation results show that the image quality is improved after multi-radar fusion, which is better than that of the single radar echo, verifying the effectiveness of our method.

The passive radar detection system receives secondary reflection signal by the navigation satellite signal. The secondary reflection signal is too weak to detect the target. The method to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of weak targets is proposed based on the accumulation algorithm. First, short-time correlation of the echo signal sequence is accumulated in the short-time coherence. Then long-time coherent accumulation is used in the frequency multiplication sequence. Finally, incoherent accumulation is used to detect weak target. By simulation, the SNR of target signal increases 8 dB than tradition method.

The spillover effect between Pro-environmental behaviors is not enough studied, which is of great significance to understand the dynamic behavior of consumers as a whole. Based on a questionnaire survey and empirical analysis based on structural equation model, this paper reveals the spillover effect of consumer recycling behavior on Pro-environmental behavior, and examines the influence mechanism from the psychological perspective of emotion and environmental identity. The results show that recycling efforts positively affect Pro-environmental behavior through the mediating mechanism of pride and environmental identity.

With the rapid development of DC asynchronous interconnection, in order to ensure the frequency quality, higher requirements are put forward for the primary frequency control of hydropower units. In the high proportion hydropower system, it is difficult for the governor parameters to meet the requirements of primary frequency control and dynamic stability simultaneously. In order to solve the problem, this paper proposes a recommended parameter switching method by referring to the Nordic system. The parameter optimization methods before and after switching are proposed, and the effectiveness of the method is verified by time domain simulation.

In order to enhance the penetration ability of the rocket and the damage degree of the target, the trajectory design and optimization of the rockets are carried out, and the cooperative strategy of multiple rockets is designed. Firstly, the particle motion model of rocket is established, and the power and guidance scheme are given. Then, a cooperative attack strategy based on different launch points for multiple rockets is proposed, which transforms the cooperative attack into the optimization of launch points. The optimization model of the launch point under the expected attack time is established, and the model is solved by the cultural algorithm. The distribution of the launch point under different attack time is obtained and fitted as curves under corresponding conditions. Finally, aiming at the problem of multiple rockets cooperative combat, using the obtained curves, three kinds of cooperative strategies which are suitable for different attack time requirements are proposed and verified by simulation.

Abstract Background Nm23 gene was isolated as a metastatic suppressor gene. The antimetastatic effect of Nm23 has been an enigma for more than 10 years. Little is known about its molecular mechanisms. In this study we overexpressed Nm23-H1 in H7721 cells and observed reduction of cell adhesion, migration and extension of actin stress fibers in cells stimulated by fibronectin (Fn). Methods pcDNA3/Nm23-H1 was introduced into H7721 cells, and expression of Nm23-H1 was monitored by RT-PCR and western blot. Cell adhesion, actin extension and wound-induced migration assays were done on dishes coated with fibronectin. Phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and total amount of integrin alpha5 and beta1 in Nm23-H1 transfected cells and control cells were measured by western blot. Flow cytometry was used to detect expression of surface alpha5 and beta1 integrin. N-glycosylation inhibitor tunicamycin was used to deglycosylate the integrin beta1 subunit. Results Overexpression of nm23-H1 in H7721 cells reduced cell adhesion, migration and extension of actin stress fibers on dishes coated with Fn. Phosphorylation of FAK in Nm23-H1 transfected cells was also attenuated. Integrin alpha5 and beta1 gene messages were unaltered in nm23-H1 overexpressed cells as detected by RT-PCR. However, while cell surface integrin alpha5 was unchanged, surface expression of beta1 integrin was downregulated. Western blot also showed that the total amounts of integrin alpha5 and beta1 were unaltered, but the level of mature integrin beta1 isoform was decreased significantly. Furthermore, partially glycosylated precursor beta1 was increased, which indicated that the impaired glycosylation of integrin beta1 precursor might contribute to the loss of cell surface integrin beta1 in nm23-H1 overexpressed cells. Conclusion These results suggest that by modulating glycosylation of integrin beta1, nm23-H1 down-regulates integrin beta1 subunit on cell surface and mediates intracellular signaling and subsequent suppression of the invasive process, including cell adhesion and migration.

Ammonia is a promising alternative energy to fossil fuels for reducing CO 2 emissions. Plasma catalysis technology for ammonia production using clean energy is gaining attention. Introducing catalysts to the plasma increases ammonia synthesis rates, but the effect of catalyst particle movement in the plasma region, such as in a fluidized-bed reactor, is less explored. The study investigates plasma catalytic ammonia synthesis using fluidized-bed and fixed-bed dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactors with M/Al 2 O 3 (M = Co, Ru, Ru-Co) catalysts. Results show the ammonia synthesis rate in the fluidized-bed DBD reactor was significantly higher than in the fixed-bed DBD reactor. This intensified plasma discharge substantially increased ammonia production. The dynamic movement of catalyst particles in the fluidized-bed reactor enhanced the plasma-surface interaction, thereby accelerating the interaction with reactive species and promoting ammonia synthesis. This research provides insights into reactor design and catalyst packing for plasma catalytic ammonia synthesis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Three-atom transition metal clusters (TATMCs) with remarkable catalytic activities, especially Nb 3 , Zr 3 , and Y 3 , are proven to be suitable candidates for efficient ammonia production. The pursuit of effective strategies to further promote the ammonia synthesis performance of TATMCs is necessary. In this study, we systematically investigate the effect of external electric fields on tuning the N 2 adsorption and NN* activation performances of Nb 3 , Zr 3 , and Y 3 . Our findings demonstrate that the medium and low positive fields promote the N 2 adsorption performance of Nb 3 , while both positive and negative fields enhance nitrogen adsorption on Zr 3 . Additionally, electric fields may impede N 2 fixation on Y 3 , yet the N 2 adsorption performance of Y 3 remains considerable. Negative electric fields enhance the NN* activation performance of Nb 3 and Y 3 . But only high negative fields weaken the NN bond on Zr 3 , which is attributed to the promotion of the charge accumulation around two N atoms. Notably, Nb 3 and Zr 3 are identified as two TATMCs with the potential for simultaneous optimization of their E N and ICOHP values. This work sheds light on the field effects on the N 2 adsorption and NN* activation performances of TATMCs and guides the design of catalysts for achieving more sustainable ammonia synthesis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Regulating product selectivity in photocatalytic CO 2 reduction to enhance the yield of valuable hydrocarbons remains a formidable challenge because of the diversity of reduction products and the competitive reduction of H 2 O. Herein, ultrathin Bi 2 O 3 / Co-doped SrBi 4 Ti 4 O 15 S-scheme photocatalysts (Co-BS) were synthesized using a hydrothermal method. The Bi 2 O 3 /Co-doped SrBi 4 Ti 4 O 15 photocatalyst exhibited significantly higher selectivity for CH 4 (62.3 μmolg -1 ) and CH 3 OH (54.1 μmolg -1 ) in CO 2 reduction compared with pure SrBi 4 Ti 4 O 15 (27.2 and 0.8 μmolg -1 ) and the Bi 2 O 3 /SrBi 4 Ti 4 O 15 S-scheme without Co (30.2 and 0 μmolg -1 ). The experimental results demonstrated that the inclusion of Co into SrBi 4 Ti 4 O 15 expanded the range of light absorption and generated an internal electric field between Co-doped SrBi 4 Ti 4 O 15 and Bi 2 O 3 . Density functional theory calculations and other experimental findings confirmed the formation of a new doping energy level in the Bi 2 O 3 /SrBi 4 Ti 4 O 15 S-scheme heterojunction after Co doping. The valence band electrons of Bi 2 O 3 /SrBi 4 Ti 4 O 15 transitioned to the Co-doped level because of the interconversion between Co 3+ and Co 2+ under the action of the internal electric field. Furthermore, the corresponding characterizations revealed that the adsorption and electron transfer rates of the surface active sites were accelerated after Co doping, enhancing electron involvement in the photocatalytic reaction process. This study presented a metal-doped S-scheme heterojunction approach for CO 2 reduction to produce high-value products, enhancing the conversion of solar energy into energy resources., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) have enormous application potential in the flexible energy storage field due to their large theoretical specific capacities and high energy densities. However, lithium-sulfur batteries face a notorious shuttle effect problem. To address this challenge, this work reports a three-dimensional (3D) structure of binary transition metal selenides (B-TMSe) hierarchical composites (CC/NiCoSe 2 -NiO) on carbon cloth as a self-supporting sulfur host for flexible LSBs. According to the density functional theory (DFT) calculations, NiCoSe 2 can exert a synergetic effect of high affinity with Lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) and electrocatalytic activity to lower the adsorption energy barrier and accelerate the sluggish reaction kinetics of polysulfides. Consequently, the CC/NiCoSe 2 -NiO-based electrodes realize a large specific capacity of approximately 1363 mAh/g at a current density of 0.1C, excellent rate performance (454.66 mAh/g at 5C) and a reversible specific capacity of 978.9 mAh/g at 1C, along with impressive cycling stability with an attenuation rate of 0.038% per cycle for 1000 cycles. They also achieve a large reversible cycle capacity of 919.43 mAh/g at 0.2C even at a high sulfur loading (3.5 mg/cm 2 ). With a lean electrolyte (E/S ratio 10 µL/mg) and a high sulfur loading of 2.65 mg/cm 2 , a large capacity of 934.1 mAh/g is retained after 150 cycles at 0.5C. The assembled pouch cells from S@CC/NiCoSe 2 -NiO electrodes show a high initial discharge capacity of 1039.5 mAh/g at 1C at a sulfur loading of 2.65 mg/cm 2 and maintain strong stability under high twisting and buckling., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) based on photo-Fenton reaction has been widely used in refractory organic wastewater treatment. However, the mineralization rate and H 2 O 2 utilization in AOPs is relatively low. Herein, a photothermal-assisted photocatalytic-Fenton-like process with CuO x /γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst was designed to solve the above issues. The utilization rate of H 2 O 2 and mineralization rate of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) in the 3%-CuO x /γ-Al 2 O 3 /H 2 O 2 /full spectrum light system were significantly increased to 72.0% and 74.3%, respectively, which were ascribed to the synergy of photothermal effect and photocatalytic-Fenton-like reaction. During the simultaneous removal of TC and Cr(VI), the reaction efficiency of 3%-CuO x /γ-Al 2 O 3 /H 2 O 2 /light system was much higher than that of 3%-CuO x /γ-Al 2 O 3 /H 2 O 2 system. In addition, the 3%-CuO x /γ-Al 2 O 3 /H 2 O 2 /light system was not only active in wider pH range (3-9), but also effective in various organic pollutants and Cr(VI) coexisted solutions as well as different water conditions. More importantly, a possible photothermal-assisted photocatalytic-Fenton-like reaction mechanism for the simultaneous removal of TC and Cr(VI) in the CuO x /γ-Al 2 O 3 /H 2 O 2 /light system was proposed. This work may pave a new way for efficient simultaneous removal of refractory organic pollutants and heavy metals in wastewater., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The current global pandemic has laid bare the importance of national food security to human survival. Many cultivated lands in the hilly, mountainous, and other marginalized areas have been abandoned on a large scale, resulting in a tremendous waste of agricultural resources, thereby threatening national food security. Here, we studied abandoned farmland in Xingning City, a mountainous area in northern Guangdong province. According to the "seeding-growing-harvesting" life cycle of cultivated plots, spatial superposition method and remote sensing change detection method were applied to identify abandoned arable land. Logistic regression model was used to reveal the influencing factors and occurrence mechanism of abandoned cropland at plot scale, and cluster analysis was used to discuss the classification and management strategies. Result showed that 16.83% of the cultivated land in the study area was severely abandoned, attributed to poor location, poor basic conditions, and fragmentation of the land. Further, the abandoned farmland was divided into output-driving type, cultivation condition-driving type, and plot-condition driving type. Based on these types, we proposed some countermeasures, such as adjusting agricultural structures, tamping agricultural infrastructures, strengthening land circulation, popularizing appropriate scale operations. These measures provide a reference to effectively curb abandoned farmland and improving the utilization efficiency of cultivated land, especially in recent years., Competing Interests: Guangdong Youyuan L and Information Technology Co., Ltd provides support in the form of salaries for author Wu Minghua, but this does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

Developing a low-cost and efficient photocatalysts activated peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for organic pollutants degradation are recognized as an importance way for dealing with environmental pollution. In this work, Fe-rectorite catalyst was synthesized by a simple impregnation-calcine method to synergetic photo activate PMS for antibiotics degradation. As expected, the Fe-rectorite/PMS/Light system exhibits superior catalytic performance for tetracycline (TC) removal, which achieving 96.4% removal rate of TC (30 mg/L) under light within 60 min. Fe-retorite has better degradation performance for TC than rectorite under photo-mediation. The enhancement of the degradation performance of TC by Fe-retorite can be attributed to the improvement of the separation efficiency of photogenerated electrons and holes in the rectorite by the loading of Fe 2 O 3 , and the accelerated active Fe(Ⅱ)/Fe(Ⅲ) cycle on the surface under photo-mediation. The large specific surface area and abundant hydroxyl groups of rectorite can also provide active sites for PMS activation. The quenching experiment and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) test were indicated that the h + , SO 4 • - , •OH, and O 2 - • all contributed to TC degradation. And the possible degradation pathway was proposed by LC-MS. This work helps induced a novel direction that design green, efficient, and recyclable heterogeneous catalysts to synergetic photoinduced PMS activation for enhanced degradation of TC., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The main aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of advanced respiratory support (ARS) for acute respiratory failure in do-not-attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation order (DNACPR) COVID-19 patients. Methods: In this single-center study, the impact of different types of ARS modality, PaO 2 /FiO 2 (PF) ratio, clinical frailty score (CFS) and 4C score on mortality was evaluated. Results: There was no significant difference in age, type of ARS modality, PF ratio and 4C scores between those who died and those who survived. Overall survival rates/hospital discharge of patients still requiring ARS at 5 and 7 days post admission were 20 and 17%, respectively. Conclusion: Our study showed that ARS can be a useful tool in frail, elderly and high-risk COVID-19 patients irrespective of high 4C mortality score.

Photocatalytic CO 2 reduction is typically limited by the separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers for a single semiconductor. Thus, fabricating a two-dimensional/two-dimensional (2D/2D) heterojunction photocatalyst with high separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers has become a research priority. Here, a 2D/2D g-C 3 N 4 /NaBiO 3 ·2H 2 O (CN/NBO) heterojunction photocatalyst was successfully synthesized for CO 2 photoreduction. With the assistance of the nature of CN, the 10CN/NBO composite showed the best performance with the production yield rates of 110.2 and 43.8 µmol g -1 for CO and CH 4 , respectively. Our experiments showed that the introduction of CN in CN/NBO composites, which is under the step-scheme (S-step) transfer direction of photogenerated carriers, could greatly inhibit the recombination of photogenerated e - -h + pairs to prolong the carriers' lifetime, which was further confirmed by analysis of photoluminescence and photochemical characterization. As we expected, the CN/NBO composites show improved photocatalytic CO 2 reduction activity. The in situ infrared spectroscopy was also performed to study the intermediate products of the photocatalytic CO 2 reduction process. This study provides a way to design CN-based heterojunction photocatalysts for CO 2 photoreduction., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aim: COVID-19 is a known risk factor for pulmonary embolism (PE). In this retrospective, multicenter study, we aimed to determine an optimal D-dimer cutoff to predict PE in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Materials & methods: A total of 193 patients underwent computerized tomographic pulmonary angiography imaging and were classified into PE positive and negative groups. Physiological, radiological and biochemical parameters were compared and receiver operator curve analysis was conducted to determine a predictive D-dimer threshold. Results: An optimal D-dimer cutoff of 2494 ng/ml was selected (Youden index: 0.906), giving a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI: 100-100) and specificity of 90.62% (95% CI: 90.5-90.8) for predicting PE. Conclusion: We propose that in the absence of other clinical signs, a D-dimer threshold of 2495 ng/ml could be used with high sensitivity and specificity to predict PE in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

The wide use and distribution of sulpiride (SP) has caused potential threats to the water environment and human health. In this study, ultrathin S-doped graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets (US-CN) was successfully synthesized and characterized, and its SP removal efficiency was evaluated under various conditions via the visible-light-assisted peroxydisulfate (PDS) activation method. The degradation pathways and mechanism were also discussed through quenching experiments, density functional theory (DFT) calculations, and intermediate products detection. After sulfur doping and ultrasonic treatment, graphitic carbon nitride (CN) possessed an ultra-thin and porous structure, which facilitated the electronic distribution and more photocurrent, thus resulting in the excellent stability and removal efficiency for SP via PDS activation upon visible light irradiation. The singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) generated by the US-CN/PDS/VL system played a significant role in SP degradation. Based on the bonds of electron-rich atoms fracturing and the SO 2 extrusion, the SP degradation pathway was proposed. This work provides a useful information for the SP photocatalytic degradation via PDS activation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) productivity is greatly affected by soil salinity and melatonin (MLT) has long been recognized as a positive molecule that can alleviate the damage caused by salt. Here, the role of nitric oxide (NO) in the regulation of salt tolerance by MLT was investigated in rice. MLT pretreatment increased the fresh and dry weight of rice seedlings under salt stress. Its beneficial effects include less relative electrolyte leakage (REL) and better K + /Na + homeostasis. MLT increased the activity of nitric oxide synthase (NOS). The polyamines (PAs) content and the utilization of arginine were also increased, thereby increasing NO content in salt-stressed rice seedlings. Pharmacological approach showed that NO, as a necessary downstream signaling molecule, was involved in the regulation of MLT on the K + /Na + homeostasis of rice. Under salt stress, MLT improved the H + -pumps activities in plasma membrane (PM) and vacuole membrane (VM) in roots, MLT also increased the ATP content of rice roots by increasing the NO content of rice. Thus, the efflux of Na + and the influx of K + were promoted. When endogenous NO was scavenged, the regulation of K + /Na + homeostasis by MLT was blocked. Therefore, MLT mediated K + /Na + homeostasis of rice under salt stress by mediating NO., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

In this study we systematically reviewed 1203 research papers published between 2008 and 2018 in China and recorded related data on eight kinds of soil heavy metals (Cr, Pb, Cd, Hg, As, Cu, Zn, and Ni). Based on that, the pollution levels, ecological risk and health risk caused by soil heavy metals were evaluated and the pollution hot spots and potential driving factors of different heavy metals in different provinces were also identified. Results indicated accumulation of heavy metals in soils of most provinces in China compared with background values. Consistent with previous findings, the most prevalent polluted heavy metals were Cd and Hg. Polluted regions are mainly located in central, southern and southwestern China. Hunan, Guangxi, Yunnan, and Guangdong provinces were the most polluted provinces. For the potential health risk caused by heavy metals pollution, children are more likely confront with non-carcinogenic risk than adults and seniors. And children in Hunan and Guangxi province were experiencing relatively larger non-carcinogenic risk. In addition, children in part of provinces were undergoing potentially carcinogenic risks due to soil heavy metals exposure. Furthermore, in our study the 31 provinces in mainland China were divided into six subsets according to corresponding potential driving factors for heavy metal accumulation. Our study provide more comprehensive and updated information for contributing to better soil management, soil remediation, and soil contamination control in China., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. The founding sponsors had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript or in the decision to publish the results., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Thiazole-Zn is a systemic fungicide synthesized and developed in China that has been used for the prevention and treatment of bacterial and fungal diseases on fruits and vegetables. Thiazole-Zn is a new thyroid disruptor chemical. The purpose of this study was to clarify the thyroid-disrupting property of thiazole-Zn and the mechanism responsible for thyroid hormone (TH) biosynthesis inhibition in male rats induced by thiazole-Zn. First, the effects of different thiazole-Zn doses and exposure times on the thyroid weights, thyroid morphology and serum hormone levels of rats were investigated. The results showed that thiazole-Zn increased thyroid weights and serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels and induced thyroid cell hypertrophy and hyperplasia in a dose-related and time-related manner. Furthermore, measurement of thyroid radioiodine uptake in vivo in rats confirmed that thiazole-Zn inhibited active iodide uptake into the thyroid, which reduced circulating levels of serum T3 and T4. Decreases in circulating THs resulted in a compensatory increase in serum TSH levels through a negative feedback system. Subsequently, sustained excessive stimulation of the thyroid gland by TSH led to thyroid follicular cell hypertrophy and hyperplasia. In addition, thiazole-Zn increased sodium/iodide symporter (NIS) expression in the rat thyroid, and the increased NIS expression promoted and restored iodide uptake into the thyroids of rats. The risk of iodine intake inhibition by thiazole-Zn to humans, especially susceptible individuals, such as children and pregnant women, warrants additional attention., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

By applying an optimized chelate gas phase deposition technique, a Yb/Ce codoped aluminosilicate fiber with ultra-low loss of 1.55 dB/km was successfully fabricated and reported. The fiber showed homogenous distribution of the refractive index and dopant concentration devoid of central dip and clustering. Using the fiber as the amplifier stage, it delivered 1023 W near-single-mode laser output (M 2 =1.35) with a high slope efficiency of 85.1%, and the fiber temperature was less than 24.2°C, primarily benefiting from the ultra-low background loss. The fiber also exhibited low photodarkening-induced loss, illustrating its outstanding photodarkening resistance. These results indicate that the ultra-low-loss Yb/Ce codoped aluminosilicate fiber is a prospective candidate for stable and reliable fiber laser applications.

Proper organization and orderly mitosis of radial glial progenitors (RGPs) drive the formation of a laminated mammalian cortex in the correct size. However, the molecular underpinnings of the intricate process remain largely unclear. Here we show that RGP behavior and cortical development are controlled by temporally distinct actions of partitioning-defective 3 (PARD3) in concert with dynamic HIPPO signaling. RGPs lacking PARD3 exhibit developmental stage-dependent abnormal switches in division mode, resulting in an initial overproduction of RGPs located largely outside the ventricular zone at the expense of deep-layer neurons. Ectopically localized RGPs subsequently undergo accelerated and excessive neurogenesis, leading to the formation of an enlarged cortex with massive heterotopia and increased seizure susceptibility. Simultaneous removal of HIPPO pathway effectors Yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) suppresses cortical enlargement and heterotopia formation. These results define a dynamic regulatory program of mammalian cortical development and highlight a progenitor origin of megalencephaly with ribbon heterotopia and epilepsy., (© 2018 Liu et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.)

We previously reported that Smad ubiquitin regulatory factor 2 (Smurf2) activity was decreased in human fibrotic livers. Here, we overexpressed Smurf2 in livers of transgenic mice and observed inhibited collagen deposition and hepatic stellate cell activation in fibrotic model induced by carbon tetrachloride treatment or bile duct ligation. Hepatic Smurf2 overexpression also inhibited the production of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), a central mediator of liver fibrosis. Using miRNA array and bioinformatics analyses, we identified miR-132 as a mediator of this inhibitory effect. miR-132 directly targets the 3'-untranslated region of CTGF and was transcriptionally upregulated by cAMP-PKA-CREB signaling. In addition, Smurf2 activated cAMP-PKA-CREB pathway by interacting with phosphodiesterase 4B (PDE4B) and facilitating its degradation. Thus, we have demonstrated a previously unrecognized anti-fibrotic pathway controlled by Smurf2., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Sleep is a ubiquitous, tightly regulated, and evolutionarily conserved behavior observed in almost all animals. Prolonged sleep deprivation can be fatal, indicating that sleep is a physiological necessity. However, little is known about its core function. To gain insight into this mystery, we used advanced quantitative proteomics technology to survey the global changes in brain protein abundance. Aiming to gain a comprehensive profile, our proteomics workflow included filter-aided sample preparation (FASP), which increased the coverage of membrane proteins; tandem mass tag (TMT) labeling, for relative quantitation; and high resolution, high mass accuracy, high throughput mass spectrometry (MS). In total, we obtained the relative abundance ratios of 9888 proteins encoded by 6070 genes. Interestingly, we observed significant enrichment for mitochondrial proteins among the differentially expressed proteins. This finding suggests that sleep deprivation strongly affects signaling pathways that govern either energy metabolism or responses to mitochondrial stress. Additionally, the differentially-expressed proteins are enriched in pathways implicated in age-dependent neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's, Huntington's, and Alzheimer's, hinting at possible connections between sleep loss, mitochondrial stress, and neurodegeneration., Competing Interests: All the authors have indicated no financial conflicts of interest.

The eukaryotic ribosomal RNA (rRNA) is associated cotranscriptionally with numerous factors into an enormous 90S preribosomal particle that conducts early processing of small ribosomal subunits. The assembly pathway and structure of the 90S particle is poorly understood. Here, we affinity-purified and analyzed the constituents of yeast 90S particles that were assembled on a series of plasmid-encoded 3'-truncated pre-18S RNAs. We determined the assembly point of 65 proteins and the U3, U14, and snR30 small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs), revealing a stepwise and dynamic assembly map. The 5' external transcribed spacer (ETS) alone can nucleate a large complex. When the 18S rRNA is nearly complete, the 90S structure undergoes a dramatic reorganization, releasing U14, snR30, and 14 protein factors that bind earlier. We also identified a reference state of 90S that is fully assembled yet has not undergone 5'ETS processing. The assembly map present here provides a new framework to understand small subunit biogenesis., (© 2016 Zhang et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.)

MMS19 is an essential component of the cytoplasmic iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster assembly complex in fungi and mammals; the mms19 null mutant alleles are lethal. Our study demonstrates that MMS19/MET18 in Arabidopsis thaliana interacts with the cytoplasmic Fe-S cluster assembly complex but is not an essential component of the complex. We find that MMS19 also interacts with the catalytic subunits of DNA polymerases, which have been demonstrated to be involved in transcriptional gene silencing (TGS), DNA repair, and flowering time regulation. Our results indicate that MMS19 has a similar biological function, suggesting a functional link between MMS19 and DNA polymerases. In the mms19 null mutant, the assembly of Fe-S clusters on the catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase α is reduced but not blocked, which is consistent with the viability of the mutant. Our study suggests that MMS19 assists the assembly of Fe-S clusters on DNA polymerases in the cytosol, thereby facilitating transcriptional gene silencing, DNA repair, and flowering time control.

Background and Objective: Inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) have been well investigated in human cancers, where they are frequently overexpressed and associated with poor prognosis. Here we explored the role of baculoviral IAP repeat containing 6 (BIRC6), a member of IAPs, in human colorectal cancer (CRC)., Methods: We used Western blotting and immunohistochemistry to examine BIRC6 expression in 7 CRC cell lines and 126 CRC clinical samples. We determined the biological significance of BIRC6 in CRC cell lines by a lentivirus-mediated silencing method., Results: We reported that BIRC6 was overexpressed in CRC cell lines and clinical CRC tissues. BIRC6 overexpression was correlated with tumor size and invasion depth of CRC. BIRC6 overexpression is associated with worse overall survival (OS) (P = 0.001) and shorter disease-free survival (DFS) (P = 0.010). BIRC6 knockdown inhibited cell proliferation, arrested cell cycle at S phase, downregulated cyclin A2, B1, D1 and E1 levels, and sensitized CRC cells to chemotherapy in vitro and in vivo., Conclusions: Taken together, these data suggests that BIRC6 overexpression is a predictor of poor prognosis in colorectal cancer and BIRC6 could be a potential target of CRC therapy.