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Feng Yao,1,* Chenguang Wang,2,* Jie Ding,1 Qian Zhang,1 Liang Zheng,1 Qin Zhang,1 Tianshu Yang,2 Xunmin Zhang,2 Yong Shan,2 Sheng Hou,2 Hao Wang,2 Renpeng Zhou,1 Wei Hu1 1Department of Clinical Pharmacology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People’s Republic of China; 2Taizhou Mabtech Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Taizhou, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Wei Hu; Renpeng Zhou, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No. 678 Furong Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230601, People’s Republic of China, Tel/Fax + 86 0551 65997164, Email huwei@ahmu.edu.cn; zhourenpeng@ahmu.edu.cnPurpose: Secukinumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin (IL)-17A, is approved for the treatment of psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis, enthesitis-related arthritis, and hidradenitis suppurativa. This study compared the pharmacokinetics (PK), safety, and immunogenicity of CMAB015, a candidate secukinumab biosimilar, with the reference product secukinumab (Cosentyx®) in healthy Chinese male subjects.Patients and methods: This double-blind, parallel-group study randomized healthy Chinese male subjects (N=130) to receive either a single dose of 150 mg CMAB015 or secukinumab subcutaneously. Primary study endpoints were PK parameters such as the maximum concentration (Cmax) and area under the curve from zero to infinity (AUC0-inf), while safety and immunogenicity were secondary endpoints.Results: The 90% confidence intervals (CIs) of the geometric mean ratios (GMRs) of Cmax and AUC0-inf for CMAB015 to secukinumab were all within the bioequivalence limits (80.00– 125.00%). Other PK parameters were comparable between the groups. The safety profile of CMAB015 was similar to that of secukinumab, with no serious adverse events related to treatment. The incidence of TEAEs was slightly higher in the CMAB015 group, but these events were mild to moderate in severity and did not lead to any withdrawals from the study. Immunogenicity analysis revealed low rates of anti-drug antibody (ADA) positivity, with similar rates between CMAB015 and secukinumab.Conclusion: This study demonstrated equivalent PK, comparable safety, and immunogenicity of CMAB015 to secukinumab in healthy Chinese male subjects. These findings support further clinical evaluation of CMAB015 as a secukinumab biosimilar.Trial Registration: The trial was registered on Clinicaltrials.gov (Identifier No. NCT05734482) and Chinadrugtrials.org.cn (Identifier No. CTR20230105).Keywords: CMAB015, secukinumab, biosimilar, pharmacokinetics, safety, immunogenicity

Yifan Wang,1,2,* Fen Yao,2,* Shenglong Chen,3 Xin Ouyang,4 Jinhua Lan,5 Zheng Wu,2 Yirong Wang,2 Jingchun Chen,2 Xipei Wang,6,7 Chunbo Chen1 1Department of Critical Care Medicine, Shenzhen People’s Hospital, The Second Clinical Medical College of Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518020, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Critical Care Medicine, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, 510080, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Intensive Care Unit of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, 510080, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Pharmacy, General Hospital of Southern Theatre Command, Guangzhou, 510010, People’s Republic of China; 6Research Center of Medical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, 510080, People’s Republic of China; 7Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, 510080, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Chunbo Chen, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Shenzhen People’s Hospital, The Second Clinical Medical College of Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518020, People’s Republic of China, Email gghccm@163.com Xipei Wang, Research Center of Medical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, 510080, People’s Republic of China, Email xipei_wang@163.comPurpose: To develop a population pharmacokinetic model describing teicoplanin concentrations in patients hospitalized in intensive care unit (ICU) and to perform Monte Carlo simulations to provide detailed dosing regimens of teicoplanin.Methods: This single-center, prospective, observational study was conducted on 151 patients in ICU with 347 plasma samples. The population pharmacokinetics model was established and various covariates were evaluated. The probability of target attainment (PTA) of various proposal dosing regimens was calculated by Monte Carlo simulations.Results: The two-compartment model adequately described teicoplanin concentration-time data. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) associated with systemic clearance (CL) was the only covariate included in the final model. The estimate of CL was 0.838 L/h, with the eGFR adjustment factor of 0.00823. The volume of the central compartment (Vc), inter-compartmental clearance (Q) and volumes of the peripheral compartments (Vp) were 14.4 L, 3.08 L/h and 51.6 L, respectively. The simulations revealed that the standard dosage regimen was only sufficient for the patients with severe renal dysfunction (eGFR ≤ 30 mL/min/1.73 m2) to attain target trough concentration (Cmin, PTA 52.8%). When eGFR > 30 mL/min/1.73 m2, increasing dose and the administration times of loading doses were the preferred options to achieve target Cmin based on the renal function and types of infection.Conclusion: The most commonly used standard dosage regimen was insufficient for all ICU patients. Our study provided detailed dosing regimens of teicoplanin stratified by eGFR and types of infection for ICU patients.Keywords: teicoplanin, pharmacokinetics, Monte Carlo simulation, intensive care unit, renal function

Ting Gui,1,* Fengxia Yao,2,* Xinzhuang Yang,2 Xi Wang,3 Min Nie,3 Xueyan Wu,3 Qinjie Tian1 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Clinical Research Center for Obstetric and Gynecologic Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Medical Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Endocrinology, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Qinjie Tian, Department of obstetrics and gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, No. 1, Shuaifuyuan Road, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 010-69158335, Email tqj_tianqinjie@163.comObjective: The 5α-reductase type 2 deficiency is mainly caused by mutations in the SRD5A2 gene. Our study aims to investigate the SRD5A2 gene mutations and their corresponding manifestations.Methods: Four unrelated Chinese patients with 46, XY ambiguous genitalia were studied. Molecular genetic alterations and clinical presentations were analyzed.Results: Five variants in the SRD5A2 gene were identified, all highly conserved in vertebrate orthologs. The p.P251A was a novel variant, predicted to “Affect protein function” and to be “probably damaging”. Combining patients’ gene mutations with their external genitalia and male sexual characteristics, we found that three variants, p.Q6X, p.N193S, and p.H90Y, were associated with severe undervirilization of external genitalia, and the other two, p.G203S and p.P251A, probably retained part of the enzyme activity.Conclusion: Mutation analysis of SRD5A2 gene is crucial for differential diagnosis in patients with 5α-reductase type 2 deficiency. Patients’ variable manifestations depend on the mutation type and residual enzyme activity. The novel variant p.P251A enlarges the spectrum of SRD5A2 mutations.Keywords: 5α-reductase type 2 deficiency, SRD5A2 gene mutation, androgen receptor insensitivity, disorders of sex development, differential diagnosis

Feifei Yao,1 Jing Zhao,2 Yong Cui,3 Dandan Yu,4 Xiangyu Tang5 1Accreditation Department, Shekou People’s Hospital, Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, 518067, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Preventive Health, Daqing People’s Hospital, Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Oncology, Shekou People’s Hospital, Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, 518067, People’s Republic of China; 4Jiangsu Center for Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring, Nanjing, 210002, People’s Republic of China; 5Gastroenterology Department, Shekou People’s Hospital, Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, 518067, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Xiangyu TangGastroenterology Department, Shekou People’s Hospital, Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, 518067, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail 347535969@qq.comPurpose: The role of sleep duration in the development of hypertension remains controversial. Little is known about the combined effects of nocturnal and daytime sleep. We assessed the association between total sleep duration and the development of hypertension in middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults.Patients and Methods: Data were obtained from 3 waves of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study surveys. Middle-aged and elderly Chinese initially without hypertension were followed biennially from 2011 to 2015. Sleep duration was self-reported. Hypertension was defined as a systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 140/90 (mmHg), the current use of anti-hypertensive medications or self-reported hypertension.Results: Over 31,392 person-years of follow-up, 2682 of 10,176 participants developed hypertension. The multivariable adjusted hazard ratios (HR) (95% confidence intervals, 95% CI) for the development of hypertension between those with 0– 30 minutes and ≥ 30 minutes daytime sleep vs those without daytime sleep were 0.67 (0.58, 0.77), and 0.73 (0.59, 0.92), respectively. The protective role of longer periods of daytime sleep (> 30 minutes) varied between different subgroups. Compared with moderate nocturnal sleepers, long nocturnal sleepers (HR: 1.66, 95% CI=1.25– 2.21) had an increased risk of hypertension. Compared with moderate nocturnal sleepers without daytime sleep, HRs (95% CI) for hypertension were 0.52 (0.45, 0.59) for short nocturnal sleep plus short daytime sleep and 0.55 (0.49, 0.62) for short nocturnal sleep plus long daytime sleep. People with extremely short (HR: 1.34, 95% CI=1.22– 1.48) and long (HR: 1.28, 95% CI=1.13– 1.44) combined sleep periods had an increased risk of hypertension. Consistent results were also found in subgroups stratified by age and gender.Conclusion: Both extremely long and short total sleep periods were associated with an increased risk of hypertension. People with short or moderate nocturnal sleep durations, especially short nocturnal sleep duration, can benefit from habitual daytime sleep to prevent hypertension.Keywords: sleep duration, daytime sleep, hypertension, middle-aged and elderly

Xipei Wang,1,* Yifan Wang,2,3,* Fen Yao,2,3,* Shenglong Chen,2,* Yating Hou,4 Zhijie Zheng,1 Jinbiao Luo,5 Binghui Qiu,6 Zhanfu Li,7 Yirong Wang,2 Zheng Wu,2 Jinhua Lan,2 Chunbo Chen8,9 1Department of Medical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangzhou, 510080, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Critical Care Medicine, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 3School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Oncology, Maoming People’s Hospital, Maoming, 525000, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Neurosurgery, Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510180, People’s Republic of China; 6Department of Neurosurgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 7Department of Intensive Care Unit, Guangdong 999 Brain Hospital, Guangzhou, 510510, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 8Department of Intensive Care Unit of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Laboratory of South China Structural Heart Disease, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 9The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510000, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Chunbo ChenDepartment of Intensive Care Unit of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Laboratory of South China Structural Heart Disease, 96 Dongchuan Road, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail gghccm@163.comPurpose: The aim of this study is to use a population pharmacokinetic (PK) approach to evaluate the optimal dosing strategy for linezolid (LNZ) in critically ill patients.Methods: This multicenter, prospective, open-label, observational study was conducted in 152 patients, and 117 of them were included in the PK model, whereas the rest were in the validation group. The percentage of therapeutic target attainment (PTTA) comprising two pharmacodynamic indices and one toxicity index was used to evaluate dosing regimens based on Monte Carlo simulations stratified by low, normal, and high renal clearance for MICs of 0.25– 4 mg/L.Results: A single-compartment model with a covariate creatinine clearance (CrCL) was chosen as the final model. The PK parameter estimates were clearance of 5.60 L/h, with CrCL adjustment factor of 0.386, and a distribution volume of 43.4 L. For MIC ≤ 2 mg/L, the standard dosing regimen (600 mg q12h) for patients with severe renal impairment (CrCL, 40 mL/min) and standard dosing or 900 mg q12h for patients with normal renal functions (CrCL, 80 mL/min) could achieve PTTA ≥ 74%. The dose of 2400 mg per 24-h continuous infusion was ideal for augmented renal clearance (ARC) with MIC ≤ 1 mg/L. For MICs > 2 mg/L, rare optimal dose regimens were found regardless of renal function.Conclusion: In critically ill patients, the standard dose of 600 mg q12h was sufficient for MIC ≤ 2 mg/L in patients without ARC. Moreover, a 2400 mg/day 24-h continuous infusion was recommended for ARC patients.Keywords: critically ill patients, linezolid, population pharmacokinetic

Yang Zhang,1 Fang Yao,1 Xiaohong Kuang,1 Lijuan Li,1 Lihua Huang,1 Qi Zhou,1 Jiazhu Peng,1 Qingyu Chang2 1Department of Nursing, Zhangjiagang TCM Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Suzhou 215600, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Surgery, Zhangjiagang TCM Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Suzhou 215600, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Xiaohong Kuang Email zjgszyyykxh@aliyun.comPurpose: To evaluate the quality of systematic reviews/meta-analyses (SR/MAs) on alternative exercise traditions in cancer care.Methods: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Ovid, EBSCOhost, WanFang Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and VIP Database were searched from their inception to June 30, 2020. The search used a combination of subject words and free words. The search terms included “Tai Chi,” “Qigong,” “Baduanjin,” “Yoga,” “Pilates,” “Cancer,” “Meta-analysis,” and “Systematic review.” Two researchers independently performed literature screening and data extraction and used AMSTAR scale and PRISMA statement to evaluate the methodology and the quality of the evidence.Results: A total of 26 SR/MAs were included. The AMSTAR scale score was 5– 10 points, with an average of 7.46± 1.33 points. Overall, the methodological quality was considered to be moderate. The PRISMA list score was 13– 24 points, with an average of 19.19± 2.86 points. Among the papers evaluated, eight reports were relatively complete. A total of 15 papers indicated certain defects. A total of three papers showed relatively serious information defects.Conclusion: Relative to the control group, alternative exercise traditions may be effective in improving the quality of life, anxiety, depression, distress, and fatigue of cancer patients. However, they may not necessarily improve patients’ sleep outcome, body mass index, and pain. During convalescence, cancer patients can be encouraged to start engaging in physical exercise, and professionals can develop appropriate exercise alternatives to ensure the expected effect of exercise while ensuring the safety of patients. The methodological quality of the systematic evaluations of the intervention effects of alternative exercise traditions on cancer patients is not satisfactory. Hence, focus should be directed to the improvement of the preliminary design scheme, publication status, literature retrieval, conflict of interest, and other aspects.Keywgords: alternative exercise traditions, cancer care, COVID-19, overview

Yueting Tang,1 Yirong Li,1 Jiayu Sun,2 Huaqin Pan,3 Fen Yao,2 Xiaoyang Jiao2 1Department of Clinical Laboratory, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Critical Care Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Xiaoyang JiaoShantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-754-88900459Fax +86-754-88557562Email xyjiao@stu.edu.cnPurpose: It is difficult to predict the prognosis of COVID-19 patients at the disease onset. This study was designed to add new biomarkers into conventional inflammatory panels to build an optimal combination panel, to better triage patients and predict their outcomes.Patients and Methods: Biochemical parameters representing multi-organ functions, cytokines, acute-phase proteins, and other inflammatory markers were measured in COVID-19 patients on hospital admission. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, logistic regression, event-free survival (EFS), and Cox analyses were performed to screen and compare the predictive capabilities of the new panel in patients with different illness severity and outcome.Results: This study included 120 patients with COVID-19, consisting of 32 critical, 28 severe, and 60 mild/moderate patients. Initial levels of the selected biomarkers showed a significant difference in the three groups, all of which influenced patient outcome and EFS to varying degrees. Cox proportional hazard model revealed that procalcitonin (PCT) and interleukin 10 (IL-10) were independent risk factors, while superoxide dismutase (SOD) was an independent protective factor influencing EFS. In discriminating the critical and mild patients, a panel combining PCT, IL-6, and neutrophil (NEUT) yielded the best diagnostic performance with an AUC of 0.99, the sensitivity of 90.60% and specificity of 100%. In distinguishing between severe and mild patients, SOD’s AUC of 0.89 was higher than any other single biomarker. In differentiating the critical and severe patients, the combination of white blood cell count (WBC), PCT, IL-6, IL-10, and SOD achieved the highest AUC of 0.95 with a sensitivity of 75.00% and specificity of 100%.Conclusion: The optimal combination panel has a substantial potential to better triage COVID-19 patients on admission. Better triage of patients will benefit the rational use of medical resources.Keywords: COVID-19, diagnostic panel, cytokine, acute-phase protein

Fengjiao Yao, Yacong An, Xundou Li, Zhaoyi Li, Jinhong Duan, Xian-Da Yang Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Xian-Da Yang Email ayangmd@hotmail.comPurpose: Chemotherapy is the primary treatment for advanced colon cancer, but its efficacy is often limited by severe toxicities. Targeted therapy in the form of selectively drug delivery system (SDDS) is an important strategy to reduce adverse effects. Here, we aim to design a novel SDDS with potential for practical application using biocompatible components and scalable production process, for targeted delivery of doxorubicin (Dox) to colon cancer cells.Methods: The SDDS was made of a self-assembled DNA nano-cross (Holliday junction, or HJ) functionalized by four AS1411 aptamers (Apt-HJ) and loaded with Dox.Results: Apt-HJ had an average size of 12.45 nm and a zeta potential of − 11.6 mV. Compared with the monovalent AS1411 aptamer, the quadrivalent Apt-HJ showed stronger binding to target cancer cells (CT26). A complex of Apt-HJ and doxorubicin (Apt-HJ-Dox) was formed by intercalating Dox into the DNA structure of Apt-HJ, with each complex carrying approximately 17 Dox molecules. Confocal microscopy revealed that Apt-HJ-Dox selectively delivered Dox into CT26 colon cancer cells but not the control cells. Moreover, Apt-HJ-Dox achieved targeted killing of CT26 cancer cells in vitro and reduced the damage to control cells. Importantly, compared with free Dox, Apt-HJ-Dox significantly enhanced the antitumor efficacy in vivo without boosting the adverse effects.Conclusion: These results suggest that Apt-HJ-Dox has application potential in targeted treatment of colon cancer.Keywords: colon cancer, targeted therapy, aptamer, holliday junction, doxorubicin

Qiwen Wang,1,2,* Bingyu Ye,1,2,* Ping Wang,1,2 Fenjie Yao,1,2 Chunyan Zhang,1,2 Guoying Yu1,2 1Henan International Joint Laboratory of Pulmonary Fibrosis, College of Life Science, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, Henan, People’s Republic of China; 2State Key Laboratory Cell Differentiation and Regulation, College of Life Science, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Chunyan Zhang; Guoying YuCollege of Life Science, Henan Normal University, 46# East of Construction Road, Xinxiang, Henan 453007, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 373 3325654; +86 373 3326001Fax +86 373 3326524Email zcy1119sdc@163.com; guoyingyu@htu.edu.cnAbstract: microRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenous short, non-coding RNAs that regulate a multitude of genes at the post-transcriptional level. miR-199, which is a highly conserved miRNA family, consists of miR-199a and miR-199b. Researchers mainly focused on miR-199a over the past few years. Functional studies have demonstrated that mature miR-199a is a key player in the maintenance of normal homeostasis and in the regulation of disease pathogenesis. Here, we summarize the biological functions of miR-199a and review recent research on its roles in the physiological processes of cancer cells, such as proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, autophagy and glycometabolism.Keywords: microRNA-199a, target genes, carcinoma, biomarker, regulatory mechanisms

Fei Yao,1 Qiang Wang,1 Qingming Wu1,21Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430065, People’s Republic of China; 2Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430065, People’s Republic of ChinaAbstract: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), longer than 200 nucleotides in length, play important roles in the development and progression of various cancers. An increasing number of studies have revealed that lncRNAs function as potential oncogenes or tumor suppressors to influence biological processes, such as cell growth, invasion, migration and apoptosis. Urothelial carcinoma associated 1 (UCA1), an oncogenic lncRNA, was first found in bladder cancer and highly expressed in multiple cancers, including gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer and breast cancer. UCA1 promotes tumorigenesis mainly via binding to tumor-suppressive microRNAs (miRNAs), activating several pivotal signaling pathways and alteration of epigenetic and transcriptional regulation. In addition, high expression of UCA1 is related to poor clinicopathological features especially for shorter overall survival, suggesting that UCA1 might be regarded as a prognosis biomarker in human cancers. In the present review, we summarized current studies on UCA1 to explore its prognostic value and underlying regulation mechanisms in the development of multiple cancers in order to provide a glimmer of hope for the prevention and treatment of malignant tumors.Keywords: UCA1, lncRNA, cancer, prognostic, mechanism

Chunyang Du,1,2,* Yonghong Shi,1,2,* Yunzhuo Ren,1,2 Haijiang Wu,1,2 Fang Yao,1,2 Jinying Wei,1,2 Ming Wu,1,2 Yanjuan Hou,1,2 Huijun Duan1,2 1Department of Pathology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, People’s Republic of China; 2Hebei Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, Shijiazhuang, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: The dysregulation of cholesterol metabolism and inflammation plays a significant role in the progression of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Anthocyanins are polyphenols widely distributed in food and exert various biological effects including antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antihyperlipidemic effects. However, it remains unclear whether anthocyanins are associated with DN, and the mechanisms involved in the reciprocal regulation of inflammation and cholesterol efflux are yet to be elucidated. In this study, we evaluated the regulation of cholesterol metabolism and the anti-inflammatory effects exerted by anthocyanins (cyanidin-3-O-β-glucoside chloride [C3G] or cyanidin chloride [Cy]) and investigated the underlying molecular mechanism of action using high-glucose (HG)-stimulated HK-2 cells. We found that anthocyanins enhanced cholesterol efflux and ABCA1 expression markedly in HK-2 cells. In addition, they increased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) and liver X receptor alpha (LXRα) expression and decreased the HG-induced expression of the proinflammatory cytokines intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM1), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP1), and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFβ1), as well as NFκB activation. Incubation with the PPARα-specific inhibitor GW6471 and LXRα shRNA attenuated the anthocyanin-mediated promotion of ABCA1 expression and cholesterol efflux, suggesting that anthocyanins activated PPARα-LXRα-ABCA1-dependent cholesterol efflux in HK-2 cells. Moreover, the knockout of LXRα abrogated the anti-inflammatory effect of anthocyanins, whereas the PPARα antagonist GW6471 does not have this effect. Further investigations revealed that LXRα might interfere with anthocyanin-induced decreased ICAM1, MCP1, and TGFβ1 expression by reducing the nuclear translocation of NFκB. Collectively, these findings suggest that blocking cholesterol deposition and inhibiting the LXRα pathway-induced inflammatory response might be one of the main mechanisms by which anthocyanins exert their protective effects in DN. Keywords: 3-O-β-glucoside chloride, cyanidin chloride, diabetic nephropathy, inflammation, liver X receptor alpha

Chuang Chen,1 Jing-Ping Yuan,2,3 Wen Wei,1 Yi Tu,1 Feng Yao,1 Xue-Qin Yang,4 Jin-Zhong Sun,1 Sheng-Rong Sun,1 Yan Li2 1Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Wuhan University, Renmin Hospital, Wuhan, 2Department of Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University and Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors and Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan, 3Department of Pathology, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Wuhan, 4Medical School of Jingchu University of Technology, Jingmen, People’s Republic of China Background: Hormone receptors, including the estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and other biomarkers like Ki67, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR, also known as HER1), the androgen receptor, and p53, are key molecules in breast cancer. This study evaluated the relationship between HER2 and hormone receptors and explored the additional prognostic value of Ki67, EGFR, the androgen receptor, and p53. Methods: Quantitative determination of HER2 and EGFR was performed in 240 invasive breast cancer tissue microarray specimens using quantum dot (QD)-based nanotechnology. We identified two subtypes of HER2, ie, high total HER2 load (HTH2) and low total HER2 load (LTH2), and three subtypes of hormone receptor, ie, high hormone receptor (HHR), low hormone receptor (LHR), and no hormone receptor (NHR). Therefore, breast cancer patients could be divided into five subtypes according to HER2 and hormone receptor status. Ki67, p53, and the androgen receptor were determined by traditional immunohistochemistry techniques. The relationship between hormone receptors and HER2 was investigated and the additional value of Ki67, EGFR, the androgen receptor, and p53 for prediction of 5-year disease-free survival was assessed. Results: In all patients, quantitative determination showed a statistically significant (P0.05) between the five subtypes. EGFR and Ki67 had prognostic significance for 5-year disease-free survival in univariate analysis, but the androgen receptor and p53 did not. Multivariate analysis identified that EGFR expression had predictive significance for 5-year disease-free survival in hormone-receptor positive patients and in those with the lymph node-positive breast cancer subtype. Conclusion: Hormone receptor expression was indeed one of the molecular profiles in the subtypes identified by quantitative HER2 and vice versa. EGFR status may provide discriminative prognostic information in addition to HER2 and hormone receptor status, and should be integrated into routine practice to help formulate more specific prediction of the prognosis and appropriate individualized treatment. Keywords: quantum dots, breast cancer, molecular classification, prognosis, prediction

Background: Peritoneal dialysis catheter migration, a common complication in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis, often leads to poor dialysate drainage, infection, and abdominal pain. Timely and effective treatment of catheter migration is essential to ensure uninterrupted dialysis. Case presentation: This study presents three cases of peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheter displacement in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), involving three elderly individuals aged 80, 81, and 76 years. All instances of catheter displacement were primarily localized to the upper abdominal region. Following unsuccessful attempts with traditional repositioning methods (such as positional adjustments, ambulation, and saline infusion), a two-person collaborative repositioning technique was employed, combining external manual pressure with rapid saline injection. Consequently, all catheters were successfully repositioned to the pelvic area and remained stable throughout the follow-up period. Conclusions: This re-port preliminarily demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of two-person collaborative repositioning approach in elderly patients with PD catheter displacement. Although the results have potential application value, further studies are needed to verify their generality and long-term efficacy in larger samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pomacea canaliculata is a pest species of freshwater neotropical gastropod that has colonized the coastal regions of southern China since the 1980s and has expanded its range into temperate regions of the Yangtze River Basin. The breeding and overwintering populations of P. canaliculata have increased during its gradual northward expansion over the past 40 years. There is a high likelihood that P. canaliculata can overwinter in areas conducive to breeding due to the impacts of a changing climate. Yet, the potential future changes in the range of P. canaliculata and associated climatic determinants remain unclear. This study examined the relationship between the limits of geographic distribution and key climate variables determining suitability for P. canaliculata breeding and wintering periods using the ensemble species distribution models from the R package BIOMOD2. Future climate suitability and changes were assessed under two representative concentration pathways (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5). The predictions indicated that P. canaliculata is most sensitive to monthly minimum temperature and that this species will extend its breeding range towards northern latitudes and will establish increased wintering locations in China. The predictions for both breeding and overwintering populations suggest a northward shift in the most suitable habitat, a reduction of highly suitable areas in the south, and an increase in suitable areas along the center and east of the Yangtze River Basin extending further northwards. Within the context of an overall expansion in P. canaliculata and climate warming, there should be a focus on the center of the Yangtze River Basin in which this species can overwinter for breeding only. Early monitoring and proactive measures to effectively prevent further spread of this species should be prioritized in this region characterized by abundant rice cultivation and fish breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem service value accounting is a preliminary exploration and concrete practice of the "Two Mountain Theory." In this study, data on land use/land cover changes (LUCC) in various leagues and cities in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China, from 2001 to 2020 were used to calculate the ecosystem service value (ESV) and ecosystem dynamics (EC) of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The study calculated the equilibrium of ecosystem service values at the league and county levels and conducted spatial autocorrelation analysis on the unit ecosystem service value and equilibrium, revealing the differentiation patterns and characteristics of ecosystem service values in Inner Mongolia. The results indicate that the overall trend of ecosystem service values in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is stable with a slight decline. In the past 20 years, the maximum value occurred in 2013, with an ESV of 9765.4 billion yuan, and the minimum value occurred in 2019, reaching 9664.41 billion yuan. The average ESV over 20 years is 9727.96 billion yuan. In the past 20 years, the distribution of city-level ecosystem service values in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has generally shown a pattern of higher values in the east and lower values in the west, with significant spatial differentiation characteristics. The overall per capita ecosystem service value in county-level areas of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has slightly increased in the northeast, slightly decreased in most of the central and southeast areas and showed overall an upward trend in the western region. The combination of ecosystem service values and equilibrium in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region exhibits four categories, seven regions, and one belt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fibre laser was used to weld Q345D/20Mn2 dissimilar steel with and without a Ni60 powder filler. Finite element (FE) simulation of the temperature and stress fields in the laser beam welding (LBW) was conducted COMSOL. Experimental investigation determined the effect of Ni-based powder filled welding on the microstructure, morphology, element content, microhardness and fracture morphology of the weld cross-section. The results show that when the laser power was 2700 W, the scanning speed was 1 mm/s and the out-of-focus amount was 0 mm, the tensile properties of Q345D/20Mn2 steel welds were optimal and deformation was minimal. Under such conditions the depth of the weld pool can reach 2.7 mm and the width 2.8 mm. After the Ni-based powder melts and penetrates the bottom of the base material (BM) along the weld seam, small cytosolic, equiaxed and columnar crystal grains can be observed near the fusion line, and the Ni-based filler powder can achieve a good metallurgical bond with the BM. The location of tensile fracture is at the weld and small tough nests can be observed in the cross-section leading to judgment that the fracture mode is ductile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through simulation based on the Workbench platform in ANSYS the optimal laser remelting process parameters were identified to achieve the maximum performance of a Ni60 coating laser clad onto a H13 steel surface. Laser remelting with a fibre laser was conducted according to the optimal process parameters obtained and the coating morphology, microstructure and microhardness after remelting were analysed. The results show that when the laser power was 1200 W and the scanning speed was 4 mm/s the remelted coating has the smallest residual stress value, pores in the coating were basically eliminated, the organization was dense, the hardness improved and the coating quality was the best. When the laser power was 900 W and the scanning speed was 2 mm/s the maximum residual stress value of the remelted coating was slightly smaller than that of the un-remelted coating, the coating morphology quality was better, and there were very few bubbles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas and a strong ozone‐depleting substance. Ocean is an important natural source of atmospheric N2O, which has attracted increasing attention recently as to understand the biogeochemical cycles of nitrogen in marine systems. Nitrification is one of the major N2O production pathways during which N2O is produced as a side product and hydroxylamine (NH2OH) is produced as an obligate intermediate. However, few studies have reported the NH2OH variability in natural seawater and its relationship between N2O remains ambiguous. In summer 2022, spatial distribution and influencing factors of N2O and NH2OH in the northern South China Sea (SCS) were investigated. Dissolved N2O varied from 5.79 to 34.80 nmol L−1 in water column and generally increased with water depth above 800 m. N2O was correlated with dissolved oxygen and nitrate, inferring that N2O was mainly produced via nitrification. NH2OH varied from below detection limit to 3.91 nmol L−1. The adoption of multiple standard additions can largely reduce the bias in NH2OH measurement. Structural equation modeling showed that NH2OH has a potential effect favoring excessive N2O. Surface N2O saturation ranged between 102% and 278%, indicating that the northern SCS was a net source of atmospheric N2O in summer. Plain Language Summary: Hydroxylamine (NH2OH) is an important intermediate product and a precursor of N2O in nitrification, but debates persist regarding NH2OH variability and N2O production. We investigated the distribution, variation and regulatory mechanism of dissolved N2O and NH2OH in the northern SCS, analyzed their potential relationship during nitrification, and provided a new perspective for the greenhouse gas research in the future. We have also proved that a shift in recovery factor can cause large error and thus necessitate the introduction of multiple calibration curves in NH2OH measurement. We have found a weak but positive correlation between NH2OH and ∆N2O, indicating the potential contribution of NH2OH to N2O production during ammonia oxidation. Key Points: A shift in recovery factor from different depths necessitates the introduction of multiple calibration curves in NH2OH measurementA weak correlation between NH2OH and excessive N2O indicated the potential NH2OH oxidation to N2O production via nitrificationThe northern South China Sea (SCS) is a net source of atmospheric N2O [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Droplet evaporation coupled with gravity and surface tension on a wall with the radial temperature gradients is numerically studied with the arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian method. The influence of the wall temperature distribution on the droplet evaporation process, which is less considered in the existing literature, is mainly discussed. The droplet temperature coefficient of the surface tension and the viscosity on the droplet profile evolution, flow, heat and mass transfer characteristic are also discussed. The results indicate that the droplets become flat first and then retract under the gravity and Marangoni convection during droplet evaporation. There are two high-velocity regions inside the evaporating droplet. One region is at the droplet axis, in which fluid flows to the wall from the droplet top. The other region is near the droplet surface, where fluid flows to the droplet top. There are turning points on the two sides of which the influence of wall temperature distribution on the ratio between the droplet height and the radius of the three-phase contact line (h/Rc), the velocity in the droplet and the surface temperature converts. All of them are larger before the turning point when the wall temperature slope is positive. After the turning point, these are reversed. For both h/Rc and average surface temperature, there is one turning point, which are t*=1.63×10-4 and t*=1.05×10-4, respectively. For maximum velocity and average velocity in droplet, there are two turning points, which are both t*=1.63×10-4 and t*=1.7×10-5. The droplet morphology changes more obviously when it is with a greater temperature coefficient of surface tension. Moreover, the turning point is delayed from t*=6.41×10-5 while a is 8 K/m to t*=7.91×10-5 while a is -8 K/m, which indicates that the negative wall temperature slope is beneficial to inhibit the Marangoni effect on droplet evaporation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to provide a reference for enhancing child-friendliness in outdoor recreation spaces (ORSs) and the design of child-friendly public spaces. In recent years, many evaluation systems have been proposed for ORSs, but the comprehensive evaluation of their child-friendliness needs further improvement. This study proposes an assessment tool for comprehensively evaluating the child-friendliness of ORSs based on a child-friendly theoretical framework, which includes three primary indicators, six secondary indicators, and 40 tertiary indicators. Moreover, this study used the factor analysis method with 1,408 questionnaires to analyze and validate the assessment tool. Each factor’s contribution rate was calculated using the correlation weight method of SEM. It concluded that the service friendliness of the first-level indicators accounted for the highest percentage, and the service accessibility and site security accounted for the higher percentage of the second-level indicators. Finally, an empirical study of three ORSs in Shenyang found a positive correlation between the level of child-friendliness of ORSs and the time of their construction. Children’s ORSs are gradually improving in the three dimensions of site security, spatial embodiment, and use comfortability. However, they still need to upgrade the three dimensions of natural accessibility, facility playability, and service accessibility.

Abstract Structured air laser generated through establishing high-gain air media in a cavity-free scheme by intense ultrashort pulses is promising for optical manipulation and quantum communication at standoff distances. However, the mechanism how the orbital angular momentum (OAM) information can be entangled into strong-field-induced gain media is still controversial, making manipulation of the topological charges of structured air laser remain a challenge. Here, we report the realization of a composite vortex N2 + air laser with controllable OAM by manipulating the relative positions, polarization directions, and intensity ratio between a Gaussian-shaped pump and an external vortex seed. Numerical simulations reveal the essential role of the interference between self-seeded Gaussian-shaped and externally-seeded vortex lasing emissions in the topological charge transformation. Our findings not only shed light on the generation mechanism of vortex air lasers, but also open up avenues for quantum manipulation of structured light through strong-field laser ionization of molecules remotely.

Abstract Hepatic ischemia‒reperfusion injury (HIRI) is a common pathological phenomenon after hepatectomy and liver transplantation. Here, we aim to explore the role of Axin formation inhibitor 1 (Axin1) in HIRI. In this work, we find that the expression of Axin1 is upregulated after HIRI. Cellular experiments confirme that Axin1 knockdown alleviated hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced inflammation and apoptosis. Subsequently, we construct a HIRI model based on transgenic hepatocellular-specific Axin1 knockout and overexpression male mice and find that Axin1 deletion alleviated inflammation and apoptosis. Transcriptome sequencing reveal that the genes whose expression differed after Axin1 overexpression are significantly enriched in the PPAR signaling pathway. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Axin1 negatively regulates the expression of PPARβ, thereby activating the NF-κB pathway. Mechanistically, Axin1 binds to PPARβ to enhance the ubiquitination-mediated degradation of PPARβ by the E3 ubiquitin ligase RBBP6. Notably, adenovirus-mediated Axin1 knockdown block I/R damage in mice. Our study results demonstrate that Axin1 exacerbates HIRI by promoting the ubiquitination and degradation of PPARβ, which in turn activates the NF-κB signaling pathway. These results suggest that Axin1 may be a potential therapeutic target for HIRI.

Abstract Background The stress hyperglycemia ratio (SHR) was developed to reduce the effects of long-term chronic glycemic factors on stress hyperglycemia levels, which was associated with adverse clinical outcomes. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between the postoperative SHR index and all-cause mortality in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Methods Data for this study were extracted from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) database. Patients were categorized into four groups based on postoperative SHR index quartiles. The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause mortality, while the secondary outcomes included in-hospital, 90-day and 360-day all-cause mortality. The SHR index was analyzed using quartiles, and Kaplan–Meier curves were generated to compare outcomes across groups. Cox proportional hazards regression and restricted cubic splines (RCS) were employed to assess the relationship between the SHR index and the outcomes. LASSO regression was used for feature selection. Six machine learning algorithms were used to predict in-hospital all-cause mortality and were further extended to predict 360-day all-cause mortality. The SHapley Additive exPlanations method was used for visualizing model characteristics and individual case predictions. Results A total of 3,848 participants were included in the study, with a mean age of 68 ± 12 years and female participants comprised 30.6% (1,179). Higher postoperative SHR index levels were associated with an increased risk of in-hospital, 90-day and 360-day all-cause mortality as shown by Kaplan–Meier curves (log-rank P

Abstract Reaction optimization plays an essential role in chemical research and industrial production. To explore a large reaction system, a practical issue is how to reduce the heavy experimental load for finding the high-yield conditions. In this paper, we present an efficient machine learning tool called “RS-Coreset”, where the key idea is to take advantage of deep representation learning techniques to guide an interactive procedure for representing the full reaction space. Our proposed tool only uses small-scale data, say 2.5% to 5% of the instances, to predict the yields of the reaction space. We validate the performance on three public datasets and achieve state-of-the-art results. Moreover, we apply this tool to assist the realistic exploration of the Lewis base-boryl radicals enabled dechlorinative coupling reactions in our lab. The tool can help us to effectively predict the yields and even discover several feasible reaction combinations that were overlooked in previous articles.

This study investigated the effects of different cooking methods and durations on the contents and activities of bioactive compounds in shiitake mushroom digested in vitro in simulated gastrointestinal juices. The contents of total phenols, total flavonoids, crude polysaccharide and eritadenine in steamed, boiled, air fried, or roasted mushroom digested in vitro in simulated gastrointestinal juices were determined, as well as their in vitro antioxidant, hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic activities. Furthermore, the correlation between the contents of bioactive compounds and the in vitro activities of the digests was analyzed. The results showed that compared with steaming, boiling, and air frying, roasting was more conducive to the retention of the four bioactive substances in shiitake mushroom. The contents of total phenols, total flavonoids and crude polysaccharides in the sample roasted for 5 minutes and the content of eritadenine in the sample roasted for 15 minutes were the highest, which were (222.13 ± 3.57) mg/g, (4.49 ± 0.06) mg/g, (5.57 ± 0.28) g/100 g and (551.31 ± 3.76) mg/100 g, respectively. After in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, the release of bioactive compounds from roasted mushroom was the highest, followed by air fried mushroom. The release of total flavonoids decreased with roasting time, while the release of all other bioactive substances had no significant correlation with cooking time. The in vitro activity of the simulated intestinal digest of steamed mushroom was the highest. The 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity of the in vitro intestinal digest of shiitake mushroom steamed for 20 minutes and the 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical cation scavenging capacity of the in vitro intestinal digest of shiitake mushroom steamed for 10 minutes were the highest (P 0.05) in the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of the intestinal digests of shiitake mushroom cooked by different methods. The highest pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity of (49.42 ± 2.32)% was found in the intestinal digest of shiitake mushroom steamed for 10 minutes (P > 0.05). The results of correlation analysis showed that the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of the gastric digest was significantly positively correlated with the contents of total phenols (P < 0.01) and eritadenine (P < 0.05), while the ABTS radical cation scavenging capacity was significantly positively correlated with the contents of total phenols (P < 0.05) and crude polysaccharides (P < 0.01). The pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity of the intestinal digest was significantly negatively correlated with the contents of all four bioactive substances (P < 0.01). In summary, roasting was more conducive to the retention and digestive release of bioactive substances, while steaming was more conducive to improving the in vitro activity of simulated digested shiitake mushroom. This study provides guidance for the scientific and rational processing of shiitake mushroom.

Fine-grained recognition plays a pivotal role in the field of remote sensing image analysis, particularly in critical applications such as reconnaissance and early warning, intelligence analysis, and intelligent interpretation. However, the extensive coverage of remote sensing images, the low pixel ratio of targets, and the subtlety of features pose significant challenges for fine-grained recognition of aircraft targets. This article addresses the issues of missed and false detections in existing aircraft target fine-grained recognition algorithms for remote sensing images by proposing an improved algorithm based on YOLOv8, called FD-YOLOv8 (Focus Detail-YOLOv8). Initially, this article designs a local detail feature module to tackle the problem of information loss in shallow networks. This module enhances the capture of semantic information while extracting shallow features, thereby preserving more fine-grained features and improving the network's feature extraction capability. Subsequently, a focus modulation mechanism is employed to enhance the network's interactive understanding of local and global features, thereby improving the recognition accuracy for small and challenging targets. Finally, a multitype feature fusion is designed, which optimizes the generation of feature maps by integrating local features, high-level semantic information, and low-level texture information, enhancing the accuracy of fine-grained target recognition. Experiments conducted on the public remote sensing image dataset FAIR1M demonstrated that the YOLOv8n algorithm achieved a mean average precision (mAP) of 81.8% for aircraft category recognition tasks. In contrast, FD-YOLOv8 exhibited superior performance, with an mAP of 85.0%, indicating a significant advantage in fine-grained recognition.

OBJECTIVE: A meta-analysis (MA) was carried out to examine the influence of metformin on autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) patient prognosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed and examined scientific articles from PubMed, Clinicalkey, Google Scholar, Medline, Embase, and Cochrane from the initiation date till June 2023 to identify investigations that examined metformin performance in managing ADPKD. Among the employed search terminology, we searched for terms such as “metformin” and “ADPKD”. MA was conducted using the Cochrane Collaboration’s RevMan version 5.3.0 (The Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford, UK). RESULTS: We identified 4 investigations, with 164 total subjects who fulfilled our inclusion criteria. The experimental cohort displayed a marked reduction in the decline of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) relative to controls [mean difference (MD) = 2.31, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.82-3.79, p = 0.002]. We observed no obvious difference in the height-adjusted total kidney volume alteration, gastrointestinal side effects, and hypoglycemia between the two cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: Metformin was easily tolerable and safe and substantially reduced the eGFR decline among ADPKD patients. Moreover, although metformin-treated patients were more likely to suffer gastrointestinal adverse events, we observed no discernible difference between the two cohorts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intense vortex beam is expected to empower captivating phenomena and applications in high power laser-matter interactions. Currently, the superposition of multiple vortex beams has shown the unique ability to tailor and enhance the vortex field. However, traditional strategies to generate such beams suffer from large volume or/and low laser-induced damage threshold, hindering the practical widespread applications. Herein, a single high-threshold metasurface is proposed and experimentally demonstrated for the generation and superposition of multiple collinear vortex beams. This scheme takes advantage of the high conversion efficiency of phase-only modulation in the metasurface design by adopting the concept of a sliced phase pattern in the azimuthal direction. An optical hot spot with an enhanced intensity and steady spatial propagation is experimentally achieved. Moreover, femtosecond laser-induced birefringent nanostructures embedded in silica glass are utilized as the building block with high optical efficiency. Transmittance greater than 99.4% in the near-infrared range and laser-induced damage threshold as high as 68.0 J/cm2 (at 1064 nm, 6 ns) are experimentally verified. Considering these remarkable performances, the demonstrated high-threshold metasurface has promising applications in a host of high-power laser fields.

Abstract Quantum conferencing enables multiple nodes within a quantum network to share a secure conference key for private message broadcasting. The key rate, however, is limited by the repeaterless capacity to distribute multipartite entangled states across the network. Currently, in the finite-size regime, no feasible schemes utilizing existing experimental techniques can overcome the fundamental rate-distance limit of quantum conferencing in quantum networks without repeaters. Here, we propose a practical, multi-field scheme that breaks this limit, involving virtually establishing Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger states through post-measurement coincidence matching. This proposal features a measurement-device-independent characteristic and can directly scale to support any number of users. Simulations show that the fundamental limitation on the conference key rate can be overcome in a reasonable running time of sending 1014 pulses. We predict that it offers an efficient design for long-distance broadcast communication in future quantum networks.

Electronic integrated chips based on metal interconnections face increasing challenges, including crosstalk, delay, heat dissipation, and power consumption, making it difficult to meet the growing demand for data processing. Optoelectronic integration is considered to be the next generation interconnect technology. As this technology continuous to evolve, the industry's requirements for the size and performance of optoelectronic devices are becoming increasingly demanding.【Objective】To address the device size and loss of the Bragg phase shift grating, this paper proposes a Bragg phase shift grating based on Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) nanowires.【Methods】By leveraging photolithography technology, periodic grooves are created on silicon nanowires to construct the grating structure, effectively reducing the transmission loss of optical signals. In order to verify the performance of the Bragg phase-shifted grating, the transmission modes and characteristics of the device are analyzed and studied using the finite element method and the finite-difference time-domain method under conditions with an incident wavelength range of 1 400 to 1 600 nm. Additionally, to obtain the best structural parameters of the Bragg phase-shift grating, the Q factor is introduced as the optimization target parameter.【Results】The results show that the Bragg phase shift grating has excellent wavelength selection performance in the wavelength range of 1 400～1 600 nm, and has a ultra-low transmission loss. Notably, when the maximum Q factor is 159, the Bragg phase shift grating achieves the best performance, with the grating period N of 60.【Conclusion】This grating offers significant advantages over surface plasmon-based Bragg phase shift gratings in terms of manufacturing cost and transmission loss of optical signal. As a result, it has wide applications in dense wavelength division multiplexing, biological sensing, filtering, and other related fields.

Abstract Background polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are a category of fatty acids that contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which constitute a substantial portion of the Western diet and are vital for maintaining human wellness. The extent to which circulating PUFAs influence the effects of BMI on leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is unknown. Additionally, the impact of circulating PUFA on LTL remains controversial in observational studies. Methods Using publicly accessible datasets, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was carried out to determine genetic association estimates for BMI, circulating PUFAs, and LTL. The circulating PUFAs considered were omega-3 PUFAs (i.e., docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and total omega-3 PUFAs) and omega-6 PUFAs (i.e., linoleic acid (LA) and total omega-6 PUFAs). Two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) was used to investigate the causal relationships between BMI and PUFA with LTL. Additionally, we examined whether certain PUFA mediate the impact of BMI on LTL. Results None of the evidence supported a causal effect of genetically predicted DHA and total omega-3 PUFA on LTL (DHA: β = 0.001, 95% CI: −0.023 to 0.026, p = 0.926; total omega-3 PUFA: β = 0.008, 95% CI: −0.013 to 0.029, p = 0.466). After conducting sensitivity analyses to account for various models of horizontal pleiotropy, the causal association between higher levels of LA and longer LTL persisted (β = 0.034, 95% CI 0.016 to 0.052, p

Abstract Background With increasing incidence and treatment costs, chronic kidney disease (CKD) has become an important public health problem in China, especially in females. However, the genetic determinants are very limited. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) based on creatinine is commonly used as a measure of renal function but can be easily affected by other factors. In contrast, eGFR based on both creatinine and cystatin C (eGFRcr-cys) improved the diagnostic accuracy of CKD. To our knowledge, no genome-wide association analysis of eGFRcr-cys has been conducted in the Chinese population. Methods By conducting a Genome-Wide association study(GWAS), a method used to identify associations between genetic regions (genomes) and traits/diseases, we examined the relationship between genetic factors and eGFRcr-cys in Chinese women, with 1983 participants and 3,838,121 variants included in the final analysis. Result One significant locus (20p11.21) was identified in the Chinese female population, which has been reported to be associated with eGFR based on cystatin C (eGFRcys) in the European population. More importantly, we found two new suggestive loci (1p31.1 and 11q24.2), which have not yet been reported. A total of three single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified as the most important variants in these regions, including rs2405367 (CST3), rs66588571(KRT8P21), and rs626995 (OR8B2). Conclusion We identified 3 loci 20p11.21, 1p31.1, and 11q24.2 to be significantly associated with eGFRcr-cys. These findings and subsequent functional analysis describe new biological clues related to renal function in Chinese women and provide new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment development of CKD.

Abstract With the development of urbanization, the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of the urban landscape pattern play a decisive role in the intensity of the urban heat island (UHI) effect. A panel data model was constructed to study the relationship between the UHI effect and landscape pattern in Kunming from 1995 to 2020 at four different scales. The results indicate: (1) The landscape pattern of Kunming changed obviously with time, the artificial patch increased, the natural patch decreased, and the UHI effect became more and more obvious; (2) With an increase in scale, the number of influencing variables continues to grow, and the impact of artificial patches gradually intensifies; (3) The normalized difference water index (NDWI) has the greatest influence on the UHI, and the cooling effect is more obvious with the increase in scale. Unlike previous studies, the spatial configuration of the landscape in Kunming City had a stronger effect on the UHI effect than the landscape grouping and vegetation index; (4) This paper introduces the panel data model into the discussion of the UHI for the first time, providing a new method for better understanding the changing patterns of the urban thermal environment.

Abstract To compare the economic burden of disease and quality of life in patients with premature ejaculation (PE) and erectile dysfunction (ED). A convenience sampling method was used, and self-designed general information questionnaire, disease economic burden questionnaire, and SF-12 quality of life questionnaire were used to investigate 494 patients with ED and 285 patients with PE who attended a tertiary hospital in Taiyuan City from October 2021 to May 2023, and the relevant data were analysed using SPSS26.0 statistical software. The direct, indirect, intangible, and total economic burdens of the two groups were compared, and the differences were statistically significant (P

In this article, we mainly establish the local extra fractional differentiability (Besov regularity) of weak solutions for the following divergence nonlinear elliptic equations of pp-Laplacian type: divA(Du,x)=divF,\hspace{0.1em}\text{div}\hspace{0.1em}A(Du,x)=\hspace{0.1em}\text{div}\hspace{0.1em}{\bf{F}}, where AA is a Carathéodory function with p−1p-1 growth for 1

To address the significant issue of hidden terminal interference that severely impacted resource management in ultra-dense Internet of things (UD-IoT) environments, a deep deterministic gradient-based conflict-free resource allocation strategy using graph convolution neural network was proposed. The conflict graph model was constructed by employing matrix transformations to represent potential hidden terminal interference among devices. Then, using the concepts of maximal cliques and hypergraph theory, the conflict graph model was transformed into a conflict hypergraph model. This transformation allowed the conflict-free resource allocation problem to be formulated as a hypergraph vertex coloring problem. A deep deterministic gradient-based conflict-free resource allocation algorithm, leveraging graph convolutional neural network reinforcement learning, was developed to achieve conflict-free resource allocation and maximize resource reuse. Simulation results demonstrated that the proposed algorithm achieved higher resource reuse rates and throughput compared to existing methods, providing superior performance in ultra-dense IoT.