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Abstract The Lin Yimu’s tomb in Zhejiang Province, China, is a significant Qing Dynasty tabia structure that, despite relatively good preservation, has suffered damage from weathering, necessitating urgent restoration. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive scientific analysis of archaeological samples from the tabia of Lin Yimu’s tomb, employing a range of analytical techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), chemical methods, and measurements of hardness and strength. Analytical results revealed that the main phases of the sample are calcite, quartz, illite/mica, feldspar, with a minor presence of Tung oil. The proportion of calcium carbonate is approximately 27%, and the ratio of earth to sand is 1:2, suggesting a raw material formula mass ratio of lime-earth-sand of 3:4:8. The surface hardness of the sample is measured at 293 ± 15 HL, with a compressive strength of 5.5 ± 0.2 MPa. The sand used in the raw material has a medium particle size of 250 μm, while earth particles are predominantly around 17 μm. The sample exhibits a porosity of 27.5%, with pore sizes concentrated at 95 nm. These findings contribute significantly to our understanding of Qing dynasty tomb construction technologies and provide a solid scientific basis for the restoration of such historical sites.

Abstract As one of the most common tumors in women, the pathogenesis and tumor heterogeneity of breast cancer have long been the focal point of research, with the emergence of tumor metastasis and drug resistance posing persistent clinical challenges. The emergence of single-cell sequencing (SCS) technology has introduced novel approaches for gaining comprehensive insights into the biological behavior of malignant tumors. SCS is a high-throughput technology that has rapidly developed in the past decade, providing high-throughput molecular insights at the individual cell level. Furthermore, the advent of multitemporal point sampling and spatial omics also greatly enhances our understanding of cellular dynamics at both temporal and spatial levels. The paper provides a comprehensive overview of the historical development of SCS, and highlights the most recent advancements in utilizing SCS and spatial omics for breast cancer research. The findings from these studies will serve as valuable references for future advancements in basic research, clinical diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer.

[Objective] TIFY gene are involved in the regulation of growth and development in plants. This experiment involves the identification of the TIFY family members in Luffa cylindrica, selecting the highly expressed members in fruits, and further cloning and investigating their expression patterns in different tissues, in order to provide basis for the functional identification of these genes. [Methods] Bioinformatics methods were used to identify the TIFY gene family members in L. cylindrica. Transcriptome analysis was performed to screen the highly expressed members in L. cylindrica fruits, followed by cloning genes using RT-PCR. Tissue expression was analyzed using qRT-PCR. [Results] L. cylindrica genome contains 17 TIFY genes, which were unevenly distributed across 9 chromosomes, with CDS lengths ranging from 297 bp to 1 353 bp, classifing into four subfamilies. Transcriptome analysis revealed that LcTIFY2, LcTIFY7, LcTIFY11, and LcTIFY13 were highly expressed in L. cylindrica fruits. The CDS sequences of these genes were cloned, comprising 3, 5, 6, and 2 exons, respectively. Tissue expression analysis indicated that all four genes had the highest expression in the peel of L. cylindrica fruits. Additionally, LcTIFY7 and LcTIFY13 showed significantly higher expression in reproductive organs, while LcTIFY11 exhibited significantly higher expression in female flower buds and ovaries. [Conclusion] The TIFY family members LcTIFY2, LcTIFY7, LcTIFY11 and LcTIFY13 may play roles in reproductive growth and fruit development in L. cylindrica.

The main purpose of this article is to study the problem of calculating the 2mth power mean of the generalized quadratic Gauss sums, and using the analytic method and an interesting combinatorial identity to give a sharp asymptotic formula for the 2mth power mean. Thus, a new simple proof of this existing result [N. Bag, A. Rojas-León, and W. P. Zhang, On some conjectures on generalized quadratic Gauss sums and related problems, Finite Fields Appl. 86 (2023), 10213] is provided.

Jimei Li,* Yulin Xiong,* Shengyan Li, Qiong Ye, Yan Han, Xiuxin Zhang, Tongxiu Zhao, Yuan Yang, Xiaoshan Cui, Yinglan Li General Medicine Department, Qinghai Provincial People’s Hospital, Xining, Qinghai, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yinglan Li, General Medicine Department, Qinghai Provincial People’s Hospital, Gonghe Road 2, Xining, Qinghai, People’s Republic of China, Tel +8613997233103, Email qhlyl@126.comPurpose: This study aimed to establish the prevalence of pulmonary embolism (PE) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with secondary polycythemia (SP) and explore the risk factors for PE in COPD patients with SP.Patients and Methods: We analyzed the prevalence of PE among COPD patients with SP who were hospitalized at Qinghai Provincial People’s Hospital between January 2015 and December 2020. From January 2021 to January 2024, we enrolled patients into three groups (COPD+SP+PE, COPD+SP, and control) and performed laboratory measurements, biomarkers, echocardiography, and pulmonary function tests. Patients in the COPD+SP group received clinical treatment, and biomarkers were measured again seven days after treatment.Results: The prevalence of PE in patients with COPD SP was 5.21%. We found that COPD+SP+PE group had significantly higher levels of erythrocyte distribution width (RDW), platelet volume distribution width (PDW), mean platelet volume (MPV), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), monocyte to large platelet ratio (MLPR), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), activated protein C (APC), urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA), thrombomodulin (TM), interleukin-38 (IL-38), tissue factor (TF), and fractalkine (FKN) in contrast to COPD+SP group. Biomarkers, such as FKN, β-thromboglobulin (β-TG), APC, u-PA, TM, TF, and IL-38, were risk factors for COPD patients with SP who are complicated by PE. Clinical treatment significantly reduced the levels of β-TG, IL-38, APC, endothelin-1 (ET-1), u-PA, FKN, TM, 5-HT, and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in patients with COPD+SP.Conclusion: PE incidence was significantly higher in patients with COPD and SP. In COPD patients with SP, routine joint detection of blood and cardiac markers, blood gas analysis, and pulmonary function tests can help to identify patients with PE. APC, u-PA, TF, FKN, TM, and IL-38 are risk factors for PE in patients with COPD and SP, and clinical treatment can effectively reduce this risk.Keywords: chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, secondary polycythemia, pulmonary embolism, biomarker, risk factors

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease caused by bacterial biofilms, which leads to the destruction of periodontal tissue. Current treatments, such as mechanical cleaning and antibiotics, struggle to effectively address the persistent biofilms, inflammation, and tissue damage. A new approach involves developing a Janus nanomotor (J-CeM@Au) by coating cerium dioxide-doped mesoporous silica (CeM) with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). This nanomotor exhibits thermophoretic motion when exposed to near-infrared (NIR) laser light due to the temperature gradient produced by the photothermal effects of asymmetrically distributed AuNPs. The NIR laser provides the energy for propulsion and activates the nanomotor's antibacterial properties, allowing it to penetrate biofilms and kill bacteria. Additionally, the nanomotor's ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) can modulate the immune response and create a regenerative environment, promoting the healing of periodontal tissue. Overall, this multifunctional nanomotor offers a promising new approach for treating periodontitis by simultaneously addressing biofilm management and immune modulation with autonomous movement.

Relative permeability modifier (RPMs) is a water control technique that is implemented for enhancing gas recovery rates and prolonging well productive life during fracturing the tight gas reservoir. RPMs filtrate into formation for a certain depth along with the fracturing fluid to control water output by a “drag” effect on water phase only. To optimize RPM treatment, both experimental investigation and numerical simulation are used in this paper. In laboratory, transient core-flooding tests were conducted to investigate the water control performance of newly formulated polymer (RPM). The relative permeability of gas was corrected due to gas volume changes during displacement. The results showed that the selective water control effect of RPM by reducing water relative permeability dramatically with little impact on gas relative permeability. The RPM concentration was optimized as 0.01 %XSJ-14(A)+0.05 %XSJ-14(B) while injection volume as 5PV by comparison of relative permeability curves. A 2D fracture model of a tight gas model was built to compare the production before and after RPM treatment. The results of numerical simulation confirmed the different flow control effect of RPM on water and gas. A sensitivity analysis was conducted for the effect of fracture length, fracture conductivity, RPM filtration and RR value. The results indicate that there are limits of all the factor on RPM’s water control performance.

As more and more large-scale winter events are held in different areas, a reasonable configuration of service facilities is crucial for ensuring the successful execution of these events. Based on an analysis of the passenger flow for large-scale events in outer suburbs, this study has developed a dynamic evolution model to well simulate passenger arrival distribution among nodes and queue performance over time. Subsequently, an optimization model for service facility configuration based on node linkage is proposed. Using a large-scale winter event as a case study, we conclude that assigning a higher objective weight to spectators’ queuing time cost in the optimization model leads to an increase in the number of configured service facilities among nodes, thereby enhancing service quality. Different facility layouts for security checks and ticket checks have no significant effects on the optimal number of configured service facilities and spectator queuing time costs. However, implementing a remote security check can alleviate passenger congestion at downstream nodes and reduce the overall queuing time cost. The dynamic evolution model and the service facilities configuration model are suitable for coordinating passenger flow under limited-service facility provision along with measures such as adjusting facility layouts and controlling passenger flow. Thus, a good match between passenger flow distribution and facility service capacity can be achieved. The research conclusions can provide a reference for the analysis of passenger flow, service facility configuration, and passenger flow organization for large-scale events held in the outer suburbs.

Objective To study the reasons for ambiguous blood matching in a patient who received multiple blood transfusions, and explore how to reduce the risk of producing homologous antibodies in patients who received multiple blood transfusions. Methods The antibody specificity was detected by serum antibody screening and identification, polyethylene glycol(PEG) immunoglobulin assay and dimercaptoethanol method based on clinical data analysis. Results The unexpected antibodies in the patient's serum were anti-C and anti-Wra, and anti-Jkb was detected after using polyethylene glycol immunoglobulin enhancement experiments. The anti-Wra was detected as IgM by dimercaptoethanol method, with a titer of 16, anti-C of 8, and anti-Jkb

ObjectivesNanofluid technology is an important means to improve the thermal conductivity of energy storage materials in solar thermal power plants. However, the nanoparticles in actual molten salt based nanofluid usually aggregate and settle down, which significantly affects the thermal performance of the composites. To gain a deeper insight into the variation of thermophysical properties of molten salt based nanofluids, the silica nanoparticles with different aggregation morphologies were constructed in solar salt.MethodsThe effects of system temperature, mass fraction of nanoparticles, and micromorphology of aggregates were investigated based on the molecular dynamics simulation and lattice Boltzmann method.ResultsIt is found that the inclusion of nanoparticles can effectively enhance the thermal conductivity of the base fluid. Compared with the uniformly dispersed nanofluid, the heat conduction performance of the aggregated nanofluid is better, and it decreases with the increase of fractal dimension of agglomerates. Moreover, the thermal conductivity of nanofluid is negatively correlated with temperature and aggregate size, and positively correlated with mass fraction of nanoparticles, backbone length of each aggregate and degree of agglomeration.ConclusionsThe research results reveal the mechanism of nanoparticle aggregation on the heat transport within phase change materials and provide critical reference on the design of thermophysical properties of molten salt based nanofluids.

ObjectivesCompressed air energy storage (CAES) is a new type of energy storage system that utilizes the mutual conversion of electrical energy and compressed air potential energy to balance the fluctuation of power grid. The accumulation of relevant experience in the construction and operation of CAES power station is of great significance to the development of CAES technology. In view of the low efficiency of information transfer between the designer and the site, the difficulty of construction control, and the difficulty of overall project process supervision, a whole-process intelligent system suitable for CAES power station was proposed.MethodsFirstly, the construction process of CAES power station was analyzed and its engineering characteristics were found out. Secondly, based on the whole process from design to operation and maintenance of CAES power station, the whole process intelligent construction system of CAES power station was constructed in space and time dimensions. Finally, in the design stage, the key techniques such as forward design drawing were proposed. In the stage of equipment manufacturing, the key technologies such as virtual pre-assembly of equipment were proposed. In the construction stage, the key technologies such as 5D construction management were proposed. In the operation and maintenance stage, the key technologies such as data delivery oriented to operation and maintenance were proposed.ResultsThe verification results of a 300 MW CAES demonstration project show that the construction of the whole process intelligent system of CAES power station is reasonable, and the application of key equipment and software provides technical support for the project.ConclusionsThrough the intelligent system of the whole process of CAES power station and its key technologies, the interworking chain of each stage of power station construction is opened, and the information management of the whole life cycle of CAES power station is realized.

Abstract Anderson localization and non-Hermitian skin effect are two paradigmatic wave localization phenomena, resulting from wave interference and the intrinsic non-Hermitian point gap, respectively. In this study, we unveil a novel localization phenomenon associated with long-range asymmetric coupling, termed scale-tailored localization, where the number of induced localized modes and their localization lengths scale exclusively with the coupling range. We show that the long-range coupling fundamentally reshapes the energy spectra and eigenstates by creating multiple connected paths on the lattice. Furthermore, we present experimental observations of scale-tailored localization in non-Hermitian electrical circuits utilizing adjustable voltage followers and switches. The circuit admittance spectra possess separate point-shaped and loop-shaped components in the complex energy plane, corresponding respectively to skin modes and scale-tailored localized states. Our findings not only expand and deepen the understanding of peculiar effects induced by non-Hermiticity but also offer a feasible experimental platform for exploring and controlling wave localizations.

Abstract Nitrogen (N) fertilizer application ensures crop production and food security worldwide. N-controlled boosting of shoot branching that is also referred as tillering can improve planting density for increasing grain yield of cereals. Here, we report that Sugar Transporter Protein 28 (OsSTP28) as a key regulator of N-responsive tillering and yield formation in rice. N supply inhibits the expression of OsSTP28, resulting in glucose accumulation in the apoplast of tiller buds, which in turn suppresses the expression of a transcriptional inhibitor ORYZA SATIVA HOMEOBOX 15 (OSH15) via an epigenetic mechanism to activate gibberellin 2-oxidases (GA2oxs)-facilitated gibberellin catabolism in shoot base. Thereby, OsSTP28-OSH15-GA2oxs module reduces the level of bioactive gibberellin in shoot base upon increased N supply, and consequently promotes tillering and grain yield. Moreover, we identify an elite allele of OsSTP28 that can effectively promote N-responsive tillering and yield formation, thus representing a valuable breeding target of N use efficiency improvement for agricultural sustainability.

Abstract Oral corticosteroids represents the most prevalent treatment for idiopathic granulomatous mastitis. Ductal lavage with triamcinolone acetonide and antibiotics followed by observation (DL-OBS) has emerged as a novel strategy, but a comparison of them remains lacking. Here in this multicenter, open-label, non-inferiority, randomized trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03724903), we assigned 140 patients to oral corticosteroids (N = 71) and DL-OBS (N = 69), stratified by baseline M-score. The primary outcome is complete Clinical Response rate at 1 year. The non-inferiority margin is −15%. The primary outcome is 85.5% in DL-OBS and 87.3% in oral corticosteroids (difference: −1.8%; 95%CI, 13.2 to 9.5; Pnon-inferiority = .01) in intention-to-treat population, and 92.6% vs 98.2% (difference −5.6%; 95%CI −13.4 to 2.2; Pnon-inferiority = .01) in per-protocol population, respectively. The most common (>15%) adverse events were Cushingoid, epigastric pain and arthralgia in oral corticosteroids, and irregular menstruation in DL-OBS, respectively. Here, we report that DL-OBS shows similar efficacy to oral corticosteroids but with better safety profile.

BackgroundAgitated behaviour in male patients with schizophrenia can lead to serious consequences for the individual and the society. Non-invasive drug delivery may help to rapidly control agitation and improve the overall patient satisfaction， but there are limited studies on the efficacy of olanzapine oral soluble film for the treatment of agitated behaviour in patients with schizophrenia.ObjectiveTo compare the efficacy and safety profile of olanzapine oral soluble film versus intramuscular haloperidol against agitated behaviour in male patients with schizophrenia， so as to provide a reference for the treatment of agitated behaviour.MethodsFrom May 2022 to July 2023， a consecutive sample of schizophrenic patients （n=44） with agitated behaviour who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders， fifth edition （DSM-5） were recruited in the male psychiatric closed ward of the Third People's Hospital of Fuyang. Patients were assigned into two groups using the random number table method， each with 22 cases. Study group was treated with olanzapine oral soluble film 10 mg/d， while control group was given intramuscular haloperidol 8 mg/d. The severity of agitated behaviour was determined using Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale-Excited Component （PANSS-EC） and Agitation Calmness Evaluation Scale （ACES） at the baseline and after 6 h of drug administration. The treatment response rate was calculated based on the reduction of PANSS-EC score， and the drug side effects were assessed using Rating Scale for Extrapyramidal Side Effects （RSESE） and Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale （BARS） after 6 h of drug administration.ResultsAfter 6 h of drug administration， no statistical difference was reported in PANSS-EC score and ACES score between two groups （F=0.039， 0.082， P>0.05）， and the treatment response rate yielded no statistical difference between two groups （χ2=0.419， P=0.517）， while study group reported a lower incidence rate of adverse reactions compared with control group， with statistically significant difference （P=0.031）. BARS scores noted no statistical significant difference between two groups （t=0.587， P=0.561）， whereas study group scored lower on RSES compared to control group， with a statistical difference （t=-7.367， P

BackgroundPatients with schizophrenia of Yangming Fushi syndrome experience more severe symptoms， and a substantial proportion of patients derive inadequate benefit from antipsychotics and suffer from serious adverse effects， yet few studies have been conducted on the treatment of schizophrenia of Yangming Fushi syndrome with Zengye Chengqi decoction.ObjectiveTo explore the efficacy of Zengye Chengqi decoction combined with olanzapine in the treatment of schizophrenia of Yangming Fushi syndrome， in order to provide references for the treatment of schizophrenia with the combination of traditional Chinese and western medicine.MethodsA total of 60 patients attending the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical College from January 2022 to August 2023 and fulfilling the International Classification of Diseases （ICD-10） diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia were enrolled， and assigned into study group （n=30） and control group （n=30） using random number table methods. All patients were treated with olanzapine， and study group was given Zengye Chengqi decoction on this basis. Treatment for both groups lasted for 4 weeks. All participants were assessed using Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale （PANSS）， Montreal Cognitive Assessment （MoCA） and Event-Related Potential P300 at baseline and end of treatment. The occurrence of adverse reactions was recorded at the end of treatment.ResultsStudy group reported a higher treatment effective rate compared with control group （χ2=9.320， P=0.002）. After treatment， study group detected a significant reduction in PANSS subscales and total scores （F=10.287， 8.258， 8.844， 20.079， P

Shen Liu, Bijia Song, Liang Zhang, Xiuliang Li, Lingli Cui Department of Anesthesiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100050, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Lingli Cui, Email clinly@126.comIntroduction: Liver transplantation is considered an effective treatment for end-stage liver disease. Laparoscopic donor hepatectomy (LDH) has become a new standard procedure. And it is important to minimize the pain of the donor. Good postoperative analgesia can reduce the occurrence of postoperative complications and promote the early recovery of the donor. Ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block can provide effective analgesia for liver donors and reduce postoperative opioid consumption. This study aims to use ultrasound-guided TAP block for LDH to improve postoperative analgesia for donors while reducing opioid consumption and improving patient rehabilitation quality.Methods/Analysis: This study is a prospective blinded, randomized, controlled clinical trial with a concealed allocation of patients (living liver donors) scheduled to receive laparoscopic partial hepatectomy 1:1 to receive local infiltration anesthesia or TAP block. This study will recruit a total of 80 patients. The primary outcome is the dosage of opioids within 24 hours after surgery.Ethics and Dissemination: This trial has been approved by the Institutional Review Board of Beijing Friendship Hospital of China Capital University. This trial study protocol was approved on 8 May 2023. The trial will start recruiting patients after being registered on the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry.Trial Registration Number: ChiCTR2300071694.Keywords: liver transplantation, liver donor, laparoscopic hepatectomy, TAP block, postoperative analgesia

In this study, the optimal conditions for inducing the spore germination of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris were determined, and the effect of spore induction pretreatment on the quality of ultra-high pressure (UHP) treated ‘Hanfu’ apple juice was explored. Meanwhile, the changes of nutritional quality and volatile flavor during storage were investigated. The results showed that the optimal induction conditions were as follows: activation temperature of 41 ℃, activation time of 15 min, L-alanine concentration of 38 mmol/L, induction temperature of 40 ℃, and induction time of 20 min. Induced spore germination of A. acidoterrestris combined with UHP treatment reduced the microbial load of ‘Hanfu’ apple juice to less than 1 (lg(CFU/mL)), and improved the phenolic content and total antioxidant capacity compared with UHP treatment. Electronic tongue analysis showed that the taste of ‘Hanfu’ apple juice subjected to the combined UHP treatment was well preserved during refrigeration. Compared with UHP treatment, the combined treatment significantly increased the types and amount of aroma compounds as determined by solid phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). This study provides an important theoretical basis for the cold sterilization of ‘Hanfu’ apple juice and provides a new idea for the industrial application of ‘Hanfu’ apple deep processing.

The effects of immersion freezing and air freezing at different temperatures (-18 and -38 ℃) on the quality of braised beef with potato were studied by physicochemical measurements, microstructural observation and sensory evaluation. The results showed that freezing at -38 ℃ maintained better quality of braised beef with potato compared with freezing at -18 ℃, and immersion freezing was significantly superior to air freezing. The freezing time of beef and potato in the dish under -38 ℃ immersion freezing was shortened by 96.02% and 97.34%, respectively, compared with air freezing at -18 ℃, and the time required to pass through the maximum ice crystal formation zone for beef and potato was 9.67 and 10.92 min, respectively, suggesting improved freezing rate of the dish. Under this condition, the L*, a* and b* values of beef and potato were closer to those of the unfrozen dish; the hardness and elasticity of beef were significantly higher than those of the other frozen treatment groups (P < 0.05), and the shear force was 25.35 N, which was closer to that of the unfrozen sample (26.70 N), indicating good toughness of beef; the hardness of potato was 341.95 g, which was significantly higher than that of (P < 0.05) air-frozen samples, indicating good texture. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that beef muscle fibers were not broken after immersion freezing at -38 ℃, the gap between muscle fiber bundles was the smallest, arranged in an orderly manner; the cell contour of potato was clear and compact. The overall sensory score of the immersion-frozen sample was higher than that of the air-frozen one, and the sensory scores of beef and potato in the dish after -38 ℃ immersion freezing were 88.80 and 86.80 points, respectively, indicating higher acceptability. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the development of freezing preservation technologies for industrialized Chinese dishes.

The human microbiota, a diverse community of microorganisms living on or within their hosts, play an irreplaceable role in maintaining human health. Dysbiosis of the microbiota is associated with the pathogenesis of diverse human diseases. In recent years, growing evidence has been presented to support the substantial effect of human microbiota on the progression of infectious diseases. In this review, we describe the functional role of human microbiota in infectious diseases by highlighting their Janus-faced effects in the regulation of acute and chronic infections as well as their related co-morbidities. Thereafter, we review the latest advances elucidating the mechanisms underlying tri-directional interactions between the microbiota, hosts, and invading pathogens, with a further discussion on external environmental factors that shape this interconnected regulatory network. A better understanding of the regulatory functions and mechanisms of human microbiota in infectious diseases will facilitate the development of new diagnostic, preventive, and therapeutic approaches for infectious diseases.

Abstract Background Data accuracy is essential for scientific research and policy development. The National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) data is widely used for discovering the patterns and causing factors of death. Recent studies suggested the annotation inconsistencies within the NVDRS and the potential impact on erroneous suicide-circumstance attributions. Methods We present an empirical Natural Language Processing (NLP) approach to detect annotation inconsistencies and adopt a cross-validation-like paradigm to identify possible label errors. We analyzed 267,804 suicide death incidents between 2003 and 2020 from the NVDRS. We measured annotation inconsistency by the degree of changes in the F-1 score. Results Our results show that incorporating the target state’s data into training the suicide-circumstance classifier brings an increase of 5.4% to the F-1 score on the target state’s test set and a decrease of 1.1% on other states’ test set. Conclusions To conclude, we present an NLP framework to detect the annotation inconsistencies, show the effectiveness of identifying and rectifying possible label errors, and eventually propose an improvement solution to improve the coding consistency of human annotators.

Abstract Altering the mechanisms of tumor cell death and overcoming the limitations of traditional chemotherapy is pivotal to contemporary tumor treatment. Inducing ferroptosis, while circumventing safety concerns associated with ferrous vectors, through nonferrous ferroptosis is a promising but underexplored frontier in cancer therapy. Histidine phosphatase (LHPP) has emerged as a novel therapeutic target in treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the precise mechanism of LHPP against HCC remains unclear. Herein, we explore the effects of upregulating LHPP expression on ferroptosis and tumor immunogenicity induction by simply delivering a miRNA-363-5p inhibitor (miR-363-5pi) via a previously optimized gemcitabine-oleic acid (GOA) prodrug. Efficient miRNA encapsulation was achieved through hydrogen bonding at an optimized GOA/miRNA molar feed ratio of 250:1, affording spherical nanoparticles with a uniform hydrodynamic size of 147.1 nm and a negative potential of -21.5 mV. The mechanism of this LHPP-ferroptosis crosstalk is disclosed to be an inhibited phosphorylation of the PI3K/Akt pathway, leading to a remarkable tumor inhibition rate of 88.2% in nude mice bearing Bel-7402 tumor xenografts via a combination of LHPP-triggered nonferrous ferroptosis and GOA-induced chemotherapy. The biocompatibility of GOA/miR-363-5pi is strongly supported by their non-hematologic toxicity and insignificant organ damage. In addition, the tumor immunogenic activation potential of GOA/miR-363-5pi was finally explored. Overall, this study is the first work that elucidates the precise mechanism of LHPP for treating HCC via ferroptosis induction and achieves the transformation of chemotherapy and gene therapy into ferroptosis activation with tumor cell immunogenicity, which lays a new therapeutic foundation for the clinical treatment of HCC. Graphical Abstract

Objective With the acceleration of tunnel construction in China, various diseases in operating tunnels become increasingly prominent. Despite of many in-depth researches by scholars on various diseases, that on the hazards of waterproof board cutting secondary lining is still insufficient. Therefore, it is necessary to deeply explore the secondary lining cutting hazard in operating tunnels and propose effective remediation schemes. Method Based on the waterproofing and force mechanism of waterproof boards, numerical simulation technology is used to systematically study the secondary lining cutting hazard in operating tunnels. Focusing on the waterproof board arch bending moment, the Mises stress and the lining displacement under different circumferential and longitudinal cutting lengths, the changing law of their key indicators are emphatically analyzed. On this basis, a new remediation design scheme is proposed, and the rationality-superiority of the remediation design scheme is verified by comparing the changes in the lining structure vault displacement before and after the waterproof board remediation. Result & Conclusion With the increase in the circumferential and longitudinal cutting lengths of the waterproof board, the arch bending moment, the lining stress and displacement all show a significant growth trend. In particular, the longitudinal cutting length of the waterproof board has a more significant impact on the three indicators such as lining displacement. Through comprehensively analyzing the sudden change areas of bending moment, stress and displacement, it is found that when the waterproof board circumferential and longitudinal cutting lengths are in the range of 2~3 m, the impact on stress and deformation of the lining structure is most unfavorable.

Objective With the continuous improvement of socio-economic situation, there are more and more special subway projects. Traditional fire protection codes and standards are difficult to meet the needs of some subway stations with special designs. Therefore, it is urgent to adopt more targeted new design methods to meet these challenges. Method Combined with the specific technical problems encountered in the design process of a subway station in Shenzhen, an in-depth analysis and summary is carried out. On this basis, a corresponding special fire protection design scheme is proposed. By using the fire dynamics simulation software FDS and the evacuation simulation software PathFinder, the design scheme is validated. Result & Conclusion The special fire protection design scheme of this station excels in fire safety and successfully passes the approval of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, verifying its scientific validity and feasibility.

Introduction: Patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) are highly vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to investigate the risk factors associated with the severity of COVID-19 and death after the complete liberalization of epidemic control in China. Methods: We followed the outcomes of the HD patients of Central Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, from December 6, 2022 to January 8, 2023. The non-contrast enhanced chest computed tomography (CT) was performed on all COVID-19-infected hospitalized patients. We recorded the patient's clinical characteristics, demographic features, vaccination history, treatments, and lung lesions. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using logistic regression models to identify independent risk factors for COVID-19-related severity and mortality. Results: This study included a total of 858 hemodialysis patients, of which 660 were infected with COVID-19. The mean age was (55.61±14.61) years, with a median (interquartile range) dialysis duration of 44.5 (69.5) months. Over half (60%) of the study participants were male, and the majority had hypertension as a comorbidity. Multivariable analysis revealed that age, pre-dialysis diastolic pressure, fever, white blood cell (WBC) count, potassium, β2-microglobulin level and calcium were independent risk factors for disease severity, while platelets, urea nitrogen and creatinine were identified as independent protective factors. Furthermore, total iron- binding capacity and vaccination were found to be independent protective factors against mortality, and WBC count was an independent risk factor for in-hospital mortality (p < 0.05). The most frequent CT finding among hospitalized patients with chest symptoms was patchy shadow or pleural effusion, observed in 64.8% of cases. More than half of the patients exhibited bilateral lung lesions, and over 60% involved two or more lobes. Conclusion: The majority of HD patients are susceptible to COVID-19. Demographic, clinical features and laboratory indicators can be used to predict the severity and mortality associated with COVID-19. Our findings will assist clinicians in identifying markers for the early detection of high mortality risk in HD patients with COVID-19.

Zhongbao Zuo,1,&ast; Jing Wu,1,&ast; Miaochan Wang,1 Rui Wu,2 Xiaojing Zhang,2 Lanlan Hu,1 Huaizhong Cui,1 Ting Feng,3 Aifang Xu,1 Shourong Liu2 1Department of Clinical Laboratory, Hangzhou Xixi Hospital, Zhejiang, 310023, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Hepatology, Hangzhou Xixi Hospital, Zhejiang, 310023, People’s Republic of China; 3Ultrasound Department, Hangzhou Xixi Hospital, Zhejiang, 310023, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Aifang Xu; Shourong Liu, Email 13616500869@163.com; lsr85463990@126.comIntroduction: This study aimed to explore serum HBV pre-genomic RNA (pgRNA) levels and its associated factors among HBV-infected patients in the real world.Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted from May 10, 2023, to January 15, 2024. Univariate logistic analysis for positive serum HBV pgRNA was performed first, and variables with statistical significance were included in a multivariate logistic model. A decreasing trend of serum HBV pgRNA and HBV DNA levels was also detected first by univariate logistic regression and then by multivariate logistic regression.Results: 482 patients were included in our analysis at baseline, and 191 patients were followed up. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that positive HBV DNA (AOR: 2.63, 95% CI: 1.46– 4.75, P=0.001), ≥ 1000 hBsAg (AOR: 2.29, 95% CI: 1.08– 4.89, P=0.03), positive HBeAg (AOR: 28.26, 95% CI: 15.2– 52.55, P< 0.001), and ALP (AOR: 1.01, 95% CI: 1.001– 1.02, P=0.03) were positively correlated with positive HBV pgRNA at baseline. Two independent multivariate logistic regression models were constructed for the decreasing trend of serum HBV pgRNA and HBV DNA for the 191 follow-up patients. Results showed that the decreasing trend of HBV pgRNA was positively correlated with positive baseline HBV DNA (AOR: 4.60, 95% CI: 1.84– 11.51, P=0.001), baseline HBsAg ≥ 1000 IU/mL (AOR: 8.74, 95% CI: 1.09– 70.10, P=0.04), and HDL (AOR: 5.01, 95% CI: 1.28– 19.66, P=0.02). The decreasing trend of HBV DNA was positively correlated with positive baseline HBV pgRNA (AOR: 3.80, 95% CI: 2.00– 8.83, P< 0.001) and AST (AOR: 1.06, 95% CI: 1.03– 1.08, P< 0.001).Conclusion: Our study revealed that HBV DNA, HBsAg, HBeAg, and ALP were significantly correlated with positive HBV pgRNA at baseline. The baseline HBV DNA, HBsAg, and HDL were significantly correlated with decreasing levels of HBV pgRNA. A decreasing trend of HBV DNA significantly correlated with patients’ baseline HBV pgRNA and AST.Keywords: chronic hepatitis B, HBsAg, HBV pgRNA, HBV DNA

Yajie Wang,1,&ast; Bo Yuan,2,&ast; Wei Liu,3,&ast; Jianlin Cui,2 Xueyan Zhou,2 Liyun Yuan,2 Zihao Deng,4 Yuhao Li,5,6 Xiaoyong Yuan1,2 1Tianjin Eye Hospital, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Tianjin Eye Institute, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China; 3Tianjin Zhonghe Gene Technology Limited Company, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China; 4Cancer Center, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 5Central Laboratory, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing Geriatric Medical Research Center, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 6Optometry Institute, Nankai University, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Xiaoyong Yuan, Tianjin Eye Hospital, Tianjin key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Tianjin Eye Institute, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China, Email yuanxy_cn@hotmail.com Yuhao Li, Central Laboratory, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing Geriatric Medical Research Center, Beijing, People’s Republic of China, Email liyuhao@xwhosp.orgBackground: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is becoming the leading cause of blindness in the aged population. The death of photoreceptors is the principal event which is lack of curative treatment. Xaliproden, a highly selective synthetic 5-OH-tryptamine (5HT) 1A receptor agonist, has the neuroprotective potential. However, its application has been limited by the insoluble formulation, low utilization efficiency and side effects caused by systemic administration.Methods: Nanoscale zirconium-porphyrin metal-organic framework (NPMOF) was used as a skeleton and loaded with xaliproden (XAL) to prepare a novel kind of nanoparticle, namely, XAL-NPMOF. The human umbilical vein endothelial cells, zebrafish embryos and larvae were used to test the biotoxicity and fluorescence imaging capability of XAL-NPMOF both in vitro and in vivo. A photoreceptor degeneration model was generated by intense light injury in adult zebrafish and XAL-NPMOF was delivered to the injured retina by intraocular injection. The photoreceptor regeneration, inflammatory response and visual function were explored by immunohistochemistry, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and optomotor response analysis.Results: Following a single XAL-NPMOF intraocular injection, the injured retina underwent the faster photoreceptor regeneration with a recovery of visual function via promoting cell proliferation, suppressing the inflammatory responses and increasing the expression of antioxidases.Conclusion: As an amplifier, NPMOF can enhance the anti-inflammatory efficacy and neuroprotective effect of xaliproden. XAL-NPMOF could be a novel and convenient option for the treatment of AMD.Keywords: nanoscale zirconium-porphyrin metal-organic framework, xaliproden, photoreceptor, anti-inflammatory effect, regeneration

Lei Zhu,1,&ast; Ryan Au,2,&ast; Luming Dai,3,&ast; Yanan Li,2 Feng Xu,2 Yuan Cui,2 Jingyi Hu,1 Hong Shen1 1Digestive Disease Research Institute, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, City Nanjing, People’s Republic of China; 2First Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, City Nanjing, People’s Republic of China; 3Digestive Department, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, City Nanjing, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Hong Shen; Jingyi Hu, Digestive Disease Research Institute, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, City Nanjing, People’s Republic of China, Email Shenhong999@njucm.edu.cn; hjytcm@163.comBackground: Electroacupuncture (EA) exerts beneficial effects on ulcerative colitis. However, its underlying mechanisms remain elusive. In this study, we investigated the impact of high and low-frequency EA at Zusanli (ST36) on the gut microbiota and metabolite profile in the dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis mouse model.Methods: Colitis was established using DSS, and daily electroacupuncture at ST36 with varying frequencies was administered. Changes in body weight and fecal characteristics were monitored. Pro-inflammatory cytokines were detected, and the core molecule of intestinal barrier function were analyzed. The composition of intestinal flora was analyzed using 16S sRNA sequencing, while the changes of metabolites in colon tissue were detected by Ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC/MS/MS).Results: Treatment with both high and low frequencies of EA at ST36 significantly ameliorated the symptoms of colitis, while also exerting systemic and local anti-inflammatory effect by downregulating the proinflammatory cytokines, iNOS and MPO. EA at ST36 enhanced the intestinal barrier by upregulating the expression of MUC2 and ZO-1. Furthermore, high-frequency EA at ST36 remarkably restored the gut microbial composition and diversity, as well as modulated the gut microbial metabolism of phenylalanine.Conclusion: Our results suggest that EA treatment may alleviate colitis by reducing colon damage through gut microbiota-phenylalanine metabolism, which provides insight into EA’s underlying mechanisms in the treatment of colitis.Keywords: ulcerative colitis, electroacupuncture, gut microbiota, phenylalanine metabolism

Objective To explore the application value of functional movement screening (FMS) and targeted physical fitness training in military training for armored troops in cold area. Methods A total of 160 male new recruits were selected from an armored synthetic brigade by random number table method, and then divided into the experimental group and the control group (n=80). The common subjects in the military training program were given to the control group. Besides the common subjects, the experimental group were also given targeted physical fitness training, including core strength training and targeted movement correction training. Before and in 6 months after training, FMS test was carried out for the 2 groups. The occurrence of training injuries were observed and recorded in 2 groups during the 6 months of new training. Results Before the new training, there was no statistical difference in the FMS score between the experimental group and the control group (15.64±2.95 vs 15.67±3.42, P>0.05). After 6 months of training, the FMS score of the experimental group was 18.33±2.67, which was significantly higher than that of the control group (16.75±3.31, P < 0.05). The overall incidence of training injury was 12.50% in the experimental group, which was significantly lower than that in the control group, but no significant difference. In both groups, the incidence of training injury was significantly higher in those with FMS score < 14 than those with the score ≥14 from the same group (P < 0.05). The incidence in the experimental group with FMS score < 14 was 23.53% (4/17), significantly lower than that in the control group with FMS score < 14 [64.29% (9/14), P < 0.05]. Conclusion Application of FMS is conducive to understanding and judging the fundamental movements in officers and soldiers, and targeted physical fitness correction training can enhance their own physical quality and reduce the occurrence of training injuries.

Abstract This study aims to broaden the morphological scope of SDH-deficient renal cell carcinoma and to assist clinicians and pathologists in better understanding this entity to prevent misdiagnosis. This study used immunohistochemistry staining and the first-generation sequencing Sanger method for gene detection. It retrospectively analysed the clinical pathology, molecular characteristics, biological behaviour, and treatment information of one case of SDH-deficient renal cell carcinoma. The patient was a 57-year-old female with right back pain for more than 20 days and had no personal or family history of kidney tumours. In addition, the tumour cells had clear boundaries in morphology, and residual normal renal tubules could be seen around them. There were also ossification and adipose tissue around the tumour centre. The tumour cells were arranged in a glandular tubular and cord-like manner. Vacuolar and eosinophilic inclusion bodies could be observed in the cytoplasm. The nucleus was regular, the chromatin distribution was fine, and there were no obvious nucleoli. They were low-grade nuclei. In addition, no atypical mitosis or necrosis could been found. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry staining showed SDHB-negative and keratin 20 -positive tumour. Meanwhile, the first-generation sequencing also pointed out the presence of SDHB gene mutations in the tumour. After 12 months of follow-up, there was no evidence of disease recurrence in the patient. SDH-deficient renal cell carcinoma is a rare tumour associated with SDH gene germline mutations, and suspected cases should undergo SDHB immunohistochemistry staining. Most SDH-deficient renal cell carcinomas have a good prognosis, but undifferentiated cases require long-term follow-up.

Abstract Mitochondrial calcium overload plays an important role in the neurological insults in seizure. The Rab7 GTPase-activating protein, Tre-2/Bub2/Cdc16 domain family member 15 (TBC1D15), is involved in the regulation of mitochondrial calcium dynamics by mediating mitochondria–lysosome membrane contact. However, whether TBC1D15-regulated mitochondria–lysosome membrane contact and mitochondrial calcium participate in neuronal injury in seizure is unclear. We aimed to investigate the effect of TBC1D15-regulated mitochondria–lysosome membrane contact on epileptiform discharge-induced neuronal damage and further explore the underlying mechanism. Lentiviral vectors (Lv) infection and stereotaxic adeno-associated virus (AAV) injection were used to regulate TBC1D15 expression before establishing in vitro epileptiform discharge and in vivo status epilepticus (SE) models. TBC1D15’s effect on inter-organellar interactions, mitochondrial calcium levels and neuronal injury in seizure was evaluated. The results showed that abnormalities in mitochondria–lysosome membrane contact, mitochondrial calcium overload, mitochondrial dysfunction, increased levels of reactive oxygen species, and prominent neuronal damage were partly relieved by TBC1D15 overexpression, whereas TBC1D15 knockdown markedly deteriorated these phenomena. Further examination revealed that epileptiform discharge-induced mitochondrial calcium overload in primary hippocampal neurons was closely associated with abnormal mitochondria–lysosome membrane contact. This study highlights the crucial role played by TBC1D15-regulated mitochondria–lysosome membrane contact in epileptiform discharge-induced neuronal injury by alleviating mitochondrial calcium overload.

Abstract Pedicel length is a crucial agronomic trait of cucumbers. Fruit deformation can occur When the pedicel is too long or too short. Moreover, an appropriate pedicel length is advantageous for mechanized harvesting. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the molecular regulatory mechanisms underlying cucumber pedicel length. In the current study, we obtained a short pedicel mutant through EMS mutagenesis and discovered that the reduced cell number was the primary cause of the shortened pedicel. Upon analyzing the hormone content, we found that the level of trans zeatin in the long-pedicel material was significantly higher than that in the short-pedicel material. Further transcriptome sequencing analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes were enriched in cytokinin synthesis-related pathways. Based on these results, the present study concluded that cucumber pedicel length is regulated by genes related to the cytokinin synthesis pathway and that differences in length result from differences in zeatin content and cell number.

Abstract Stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) is a prevalent malignancy that is highly aggressive and heterogeneous. Intratumor heterogeneity (ITH) showed strong link to tumor progression and metastasis. High ITH may promote tumor evolution. An ITH-related signature (IRS) was created using as integrative technique including 10 machine learning methods based on TCGA, GSE15459, GSE26253, GSE62254 and GSE84437 datasets. The relevance of IRS in predicting the advantages of immunotherapy was assessed using a number of prediction scores and three immunotherapy datasets (GSE78220, IMvigor210 and GSE91061). Vitro experiments were performed to verify the biological functions of AKR1B1. The RSF + Enet (alpha = 0.1) projected model was proposed as the ideal IRS because it had the highest average C-index. The IRS demonstrated a strong performance in serving as an independent risk factor for the clinical outcome of STAD patients. It performed exceptionally well in predicting the overall survival rate of STAD patients, as seen by the TCGA cohort’s AUC of 1-, 3-, and 5-year ROC curves, which were 0.689, 0.683, and 0.669, respectively. A low IRS score demonstrated a superior response to immunotherapy, as seen by a lower TIDE score, lower immune escape score, greater TMB score, higher PD1&CTLA4 immunophenoscore, higher response rate, and improved prognosis. Common chemotherapeutic and targeted treatment regimens had lower IC50 values in the group with higher IRS scores. Vitro experiment showed that AKR1B1 was upregulated in STAD and knockdown of AKR1B1 obviously suppressed tumor cell proliferation and migration. The present investigation produced the best IRS for STAD, which may be applied to prognostication, risk stratification, and therapy planning for STAD patients.

Abstract Background To evaluate the comprehensive effect of translucency, thickness, cement shades, and background color on the masking ability of resin-matrix ceramic veneer restorations. Methods Resin-matrix ceramic specimens with 2 translucencies (LT, HT) and 3 thicknesses (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mm) were made of Upcera Hyramic (A2 shade). Cement specimens were made of Variolink N in 4 shades (yellow, white, transparent, and bleach XL). Five background specimens were made of IPS Natural Die Material in 5 shades (ND1, ND2, ND3, ND4, and ND5). Color coordinates of 120 subgroups (n = 5) of combined specimens composed of different ceramic, cement, and background specimens were obtained using a spectroradiometer. Color difference (ΔE00) compared with a 4-mm thick specimen of LT and HT ceramics was calculated and four-way ANOVA was used for statistical analysis (α = 0.05). Results Translucency, thickness, cement shade, background color, and their interaction had significant effects on ΔE00 (p

Shouye Sun,1 Qian Wang,2 Bin Zhang,3 Yutao Cui,1 Xinghui Si,4 Gan Wang,1 Jingwei Wang,1 Hang Xu,1 Baoming Yuan,1 Chuangang Peng1 1Orthopaedic Medical Center, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Otolaryngology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Spinal Surgery, The 964th Hospital of PLA Joint Logistic Support Force, Changchun, People’s Republic of China; 4Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Baoming Yuan, Orthopaedic Medical Center, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130041, People’s Republic of China, Email yuanbm@jlu.edu.cnPurpose: During treatment of infected bone defects, control of infection is necessary for effective bone repair, and hence controlled topical application of antibiotics is required in clinical practice. In this study, a biodegradable drug delivery system with in situ gelation at the site of infection was prepared by integrating vancomycin into a polyethylene glycol/oxidized dextran (PEG/ODEX) hydrogel matrix.Methods: In this work, PEG/ODEX hydrogels were prepared by Schiff base reaction, and vancomycin was loaded into them to construct a drug delivery system with controllable release and degradability. We first examined the microstructure, degradation time and drug release of the hydrogels. Then we verified the biocompatibility and in vitro ability of the release system. Finally, we used a rat infected bone defect model for further experiments.Results: The results showed that this antibacterial system could be completely biodegradable in vivo for 56 days, and its degradation products did not cause specific inflammatory response. The cumulative release of vancomycin from the antibacterial system was 58.3% ± 3.8% at 14 days and 78.4% ± 3.2% at 35 days. The concentration of vancomycin in the surrounding environment was about 1.2 mg/mL, which can effectively remove bacteria. Further studies in vivo showed that the antibacterial system cleared the infection and accelerated repair of infected bone defects in the femur of rats. There was no infection in rats after 8 weeks of treatment. The 3D image analysis of the experimental group showed that the bone volume fraction (BV/TV) was 1.39-fold higher (p < 0.001), the trabecular number (Tb.N) was 1.31-fold higher (p < 0.05), and the trabecular separation (Tb.Sp) was 0.58-fold higher than those of the control group (p < 0.01).Conclusion: In summary, this study clearly demonstrates that a clinical strategy based on biological materials can provide an innovative and effective approach to treatment of infected bone defects.Keywords: infected bone defects, drug delivery system, hydrogel, vancomycin

Yin-shan Jin,&ast; Yuan-qing Cui,&ast; Yan-ping Xu,&ast; Jie Chen, Xue-bao Zhang, Xiong Wang Department of Reproductive Medicine, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai, 264000, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Xiong Wang, Department of Reproductive Medicine, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, No. 20, Yuhuangding East Road, Yantai, 264000, People’s Republic of China, Email wangxiong01903@163.comIntroduction: Varicocele is a dilatation of the internal spermatic vein and it is generally recognized as one cause of male infertility. This study aimed to analyze the roles of activating transcription factor 6 (ATF-6) in experimental varicocele-induced epididymal epithelial cells.Methods: Experimental left varicocele was established in rats through partial left renal vein ligation. At 8 weeks after surgery, the left epididymal damage was observed using H&E and TUNEL staining. The expressions of neutral α-glucosidase (NAG), ATF-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and phospho-nuclear factor (p-NF)-κB p65 (S536) in the left epididymis were measured by immunohistochemistry. ATF-6 silence in rat epididymal epithelial cells was established by ATF-6 siRNA transfection. The cells were treated with hypoxia for 24 h, and cell viability was measured by CCK-8, levels of NAG, TNF-α, and interleukin (IL)-8 in cells were measured by ELISA, levels of p-NF-κB p65 (S536)/NF-κB p65 protein in cells were measured by Western blotting.Results: The results showed that the experimental left varicocele induced hypertrophy and apoptosis of epididymal epithelial cells (p< 0.05), and decreased the expressions of NAG in the epididymal epithelial cells compared with the sham-operated control rats (p< 0.01). Meanwhile, the expressions of ATF-6, TNF-α, and p-NF-κB p65 (S536) were increased in the epididymal epithelial cells after the experimental left varicocele compared with the sham-operated control rats (p< 0.05). In the hypoxia-treated cells, ATF-6 silence increased the cell viability and decreased the levels of TNF-α, IL-8, and p-NF-κB p65 (S536) compared with the control cells (p< 0.05).Discussion: The ATF-6 pathway was activated in a rat’s left varicocele-induced epididymal damage. Inhibition of the ATF-6 pathway might be a possible novel therapeutic approach for left varicocele-induced epididymal damage.Keywords: epididymal neutral α-glucosidase, hypoxia, left varicocele, nuclear factor-kappa B p65, NF-κB p65

This study describes a new species, Sinocyclocheilus xiejiahuai sp. nov., discovered within a cave located in Hongguo Town, Panzhou City, Guizhou Province, southwestern China, with the type locality in the Nanpanjiang River basin. Phylogenetic trees reconstructed based on mitochondrial genes show that the new species represents an independent evolutionary lineage with large genetic differences, 1.9%–13.8% in mitochondrial Cyt b, from congeners. Morphologically, this species can be differentiated from the 79 species currently classified under the genus Sinocyclocheilus by several characteristics: absence of horn-like structures and indistinct elevation at the head-dorsal junction, absence of irregular black markings on the body lateral and scaleless, eyes large, eye diameter 13% of head length, dorsal-fin rays, iii, 6½, last unbranched ray strong, with serrations along posterior margin, pectoral-fin rays, i, 13, anal-fin rays, iii, 5, pelvic-fin rays, i, 7, lateral line pores 74, gill rakers well developed, nine on first gill arch, pectoral fins short, tip not reaching to pelvic-fin origin. The number of Sinocyclocheilus species has been increased from 79 to 80 since the description of this new species.

Abstract The prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is significantly higher than in the general population. However, the mechanisms underlying this remain obscure. This study aimed to explore the mechanisms by identifying the genetic signature of SARS-CoV-2 infection in PCOS. In the present study, a total of 27 common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were selected for subsequent analyses. Functional analyses showed that immunity and hormone-related pathways collectively participated in the development and progression of PCOS and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Under these, 7 significant hub genes were identified, including S100A9, MMP9, TLR2, THBD, ITGB2, ICAM1, and CD86 by using the algorithm in Cytoscape. Furthermore, hub gene expression was confirmed in the validation set, PCOS clinical samples, and mouse model. Immune microenvironment analysis with the CIBERSORTx database demonstrated that the hub genes were significantly correlated with T cells, dendritic cells, mast cells, B cells, NK cells, and eosinophils and positively correlated with immune scores. Among the hub genes, S100A9, MMP9, THBD, ITGB2, CD86, and ICAM1 demonstrated potential as possible diagnostic markers for COVID-19 and PCOS. In addition, we established the interaction networks of ovary-specific genes, transcription factors, miRNAs, drugs, and chemical compounds with hub genes with NetworkAnalyst. This work uncovered the common pathogenesis and genetic signature of PCOS and SARS-CoV-2 infection, which might provide a theoretical basis and innovative ideas for further mechanistic research and drug discovery of the comorbidity of the two diseases.

Abstract Polyploidization plays an important role in plant speciation and adaptation. To address the role of polyploidization in grass diversification, we studied Phragmites australis, an invasive species with intraspecific variation in chromosome numbers ranging from 2n = 36 to 144. We utilized a combined analysis of ploidy estimation, phylogeny, population genetics and model simulations to investigate the evolution of P. australis. Using restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq), we conducted a genome-wide analysis of 88 individuals sourced from diverse populations worldwide, revealing the presence of six distinct intraspecific lineages with extensive genetic admixture. Each lineage was characterized by a specific ploidy level, predominantly tetraploid or octoploid, indicative of multiple independent polyploidization events. The population size of each lineage has declined moderately in history while remaining large, except for the North American native and the US Land types, which experienced constant population size contraction throughout their history. Our investigation did not identify direct association between polyploidization events and grass invasions. Nonetheless, we observed octoploid and hexaploid lineages at contact zones in Romania, Hungary, and South Africa, suggestively due to genomic conflicts arising from allotetraploid parental lineages.

Abstract Introduction Pyroptosis, inflammatory necrosis of cells, is a programmed cell death involved in the pathological process of diseases. Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), as a protective stress response of cell, decreases the unfold protein concentration to inhibit the unfold protein agglutination. Whereas the relationship between endoplasmic reticulum stress and pyroptosis in pulmonary hypertension (PH) remain unknown. Previous evident indicated that circular RNA (circRNA) can participate in several biological process, including cell pyroptosis. However, the mechanism of circRNA regulate pyroptosis of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells through endoplasmic reticulum stress still unclear. Here, we proved that circSSR1 was down-regulate expression during hypoxia in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells, and over-expression of circSSR1 inhibit pyroptosis both in vitro and in vivo under hypoxic. Our experiments have indicated that circSSR1 could promote host gene SSR1 translation via m6A to activate ERS leading to pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell pyroptosis. In addition, our results showed that G3BP1 as upstream regulator mediate the expression of circSSR1 under hypoxia. These results highlight a new regulatory mechanism for pyroptosis and provide a potential therapy target for pulmonary hypertension. Methods RNA-FISH and qRT-PCR were showed the location of circSSR1 and expression change. RNA pull-down and RIP verify the circSSR1 combine with YTHDF1. Western blotting, PI staining and LDH release were used to explore the role of circSSR1 in PASMCs pyroptosis. Results CircSSR1 was markedly downregulated in hypoxic PASMCs. Knockdown CircSSR1 inhibited hypoxia induced PASMCs pyroptosis in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, circSSR1 combine with YTHDF1 to promote SSR1 protein translation rely on m6A, activating pyroptosis via endoplasmic reticulum stress. Furthermore, G3BP1 induce circSSR1 degradation under hypoxic. Conclusion Our findings clarify the role of circSSR1 up-regulated parental protein SSR1 expression mediate endoplasmic reticulum stress leading to pyroptosis in PASMCs, ultimately promoting the development of pulmonary hypertension.

Abstract Dopamine (DA) neurons play a crucial role in the development and manifestation of depression, as well as in response to antidepressant treatments. While the function of the predominantly distributed DA neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) is well established, the contribution of a small fraction of DA neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) during depression remains unclear. In this study, we found that chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) induces depression-related behaviors and decreases spontaneous firing rates, excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic currents of DA neurons in the DRN associated with reduced excitatory synaptic transmission in male and female mice. The chemogenetic inhibition of DA neurons in the DRN produces depressive phenotypes. Conversely, their activation completely reversed the anhedonic and despair behaviors induced by CUS. Furthermore, we showed that a DRN dopaminergic projecting to the dorsal bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (dBNST) selectively controls depressive behaviors by influencing the neural activity and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) mediating EPSC of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II+ (CaMKII+) target neurons by regulating dopamine neurotransmitter and dopamine receptor 2 (DR2) in the dBNST. Overall, these findings highlight the essential role of the DRNDA → dBNSTCaMKII+ neural circuit in bi-directionally mediating stress-induced depression-related behaviors. Our findings indicate that DRN DA neurons are a key component of the neural circuitry involved in regulating depression-related behaviors, making them a potential therapeutic target for depression.

Xin Wang,1,&ast; Xuerong Cui,2,&ast; Huaping Fan,3 Tianyang Hu4 1Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Deyang People’s Hospital, Deyang, Sichuan, 618099, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Respiratory Medicine, People’s Hospital of Shizhu Tujia Autonomous County, Chongqing, 409199, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Cardiology, 63650 Military Hospital, Urumqi, Xinjiang, 841700, People’s Republic of China; 4Precision Medicine Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Huaping Fan, Email doctfhp@163.com; Tianyang Hu, Email hutianyang@stu.cqmu.edu.cnPurpose: The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index is a surrogate biomarker of insulin resistance which has been widely used in intensive care unit (ICU) to predict prognosis. However, its role in critically ill acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) patients remains largely unknown.Material and methods: A total of 645 AECOPD patients were induced in this retrospective cohort study, which extracted data from the eICU Collaborative Research Database (eICU-CRD). The TyG index was calculated as Ln (fasting triglycerides (mg/dL) × fasting plasma glucose (mg/dL)/2). The primary endpoint includes in-hospital mortality and ICU mortality. The secondary endpoint was sepsis, acute kidney injury (AKI), and acute respiratory failure (ARF).Results: Multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed that the TyG index was independently associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality (hazard ratio, HR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.04– 2.01, P = 0.028) and ICU mortality (HR: 2.13, 95% CI: 1.28– 3.54, P = 0.004). Moreover, the TyG index was independently associated with an increased risk of sepsis (odds ratio, OR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.24– 1.93, P < 0.001), AKI (OR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.26– 2.02, P < 0.001) and ARF (OR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.20– 1.87, P < 0.001). Kaplan–Meier survival analysis revealed that higher TyG indexes were also related to increased in-hospital mortality and ICU mortality. In addition, the restricted cubic splines regression model demonstrated that the in-hospital mortality and ICU mortality increased linearly with increasing TyG index (P for non-linearity = 0.897, P for non-linearity = 0.897, respectively).Conclusion: Elevated TyG index was independently associated with an increased risk of poor clinical outcomes in critically ill AECOPD patients. A prospective study to define TyG as a biomarker for prognosis prediction in critically ill AECOPD patients is warranted.Keywords: triglyceride-glucose index, AECOPD, mortality, eICU-CRD database

ObjectiveTo compare the air disinfection effects of different human-machine coexistence disinfection methods in the high-risk areas of airborne diseases in medical and healthcare institutions, and to provide a reference for the prevention and control of airborne diseases in medical and healthcare institutions.MethodsField trials were conducted in the fever clinic, the infection disease department, and dental clinics of a tertiary hospital in Shanghai, respectively. The existing air disinfection methods (plasma air disinfection machine, circulating air ultraviolet disinfection machine or negative pressure ventilation system), upper-room 222 nm ultraviolet germicidal system, and the combination of the existing air disinfection methods and upper-room 222 nm ultraviolet germicidal system were all used in each location in the experiment group. The control group did not adopt specific air disinfection methods. Air sampling was conducted by the six-level sieve hole microbial sampler or the flat slab exposure method. The daily air sampling time was from 8:00 a.m. to 16:00 p.m., with one sample per hour, and a total of 9 samples were taken. The disinfection effects were compared by calculating the total number of airborne bacteria colonies and the sterilization rate for each disinfection method.ResultsThe total numbers of airborne bacteria colonies in the fever outpatient infusion room, the ward and nurse station of infection disease department of 222 nm group were lower than that in the control group (P=0.005, P

Iron-copper modified coal gangue(Fe2O3-CuO/rCG) was prepared using coal gangue(CG) as raw material through calcination, acid leaching and metal modification. The morphology and structure of Fe2O3-CuO/rCG were characterized and analyzed, and the degradation efficiency and mechanism of Fe2O3-CuO/rCG system on benzotriazole(BTA) were studied. The results showed that the specific surface area and total pore volume of Fe2O3-CuO/rCG significantly increased after modification. Fe2O3 and CuO were successfully filled inside the pores of materials. The optimal preparation conditions for Fe2O3-CuO/rCG were calcination temperature of 650 ℃, calcination time of 3 hours, and metal ion loading concentration of 0.07 mol/L. The optimal conditions for BTA degradation in Fe2O3-CuO/rCG/H2O2 system were BTA concentration of 30 mg/L, Fe2O3-CuO/rCG dosage of 2 g/L, H2O2 concentration of 7 mmol/L, temperature of 25 ℃, and rotational speed of 240 r/min. After 2 hours of reaction, the highest degradation rate of BTA in system could reach 94.86%, and the removal rates of TOC and TN could reach 87.69% and 84.27%, respectively. The Fe2O3-CuO/rCG coupled Fenton system had two main mechanisms for removing BTA:adsorption and catalytic degradation. Adsorption mainly involved gap filling, ligand adsorption, and hydrogen bonding. During the catalytic degradation process, ·OH and 1O2 were the main active species, with dominated by 1O2. Moreover, the redox cycle of Fe2+/Fe3+ and Cu+/Cu2+ accelerated the generation of active species in Fenton-like system.

We propose a new classification model—a new classification model for clustering overlapping problems based on K-Means and neural networks. K-means clustering algorithm belongs to unsupervised learning. It is a classic algorithm for solving clustering problems. Since this algorithm calculates its categories based on distance, the results tend to converge to the local optimal solution and have poor boundary clustering properties. The K-Means classification algorithm defines clusters by the distance between the cluster center value and the target object, and the optimal result is obtained through continuous iteration. Therefore, clustering results are overlapped, and there are often outliers that do not belong to the current cluster, resulting in unsatisfactory clustering results. Our model offers a new method to segment non-ideal data in overlapping regions. Since clustering algorithms cannot effectively identify and classify this part of the data, we split this part of the data and train it using a neural network. The results are then integrated into the clustered data. In the experiment, the k-fold cross-validation method ensures the model stability of the results. We used the accuracy to evaluate the quality of the model, and we used standard deviation and mean deviation to detect clustering results. Five sets of experimental data from the cross-experiment show that compared with the K-Means classification model, the accuracy of our model is effectively improved. Doi: 10.28991/HIJ-2024-05-03-012 Full Text: PDF

ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of diagnosis-related group(DRG) payment reform on medical resource utilization and healthcare quality among hospitalized lung cancer patients, so as to provide critical insights into China's healthcare payment reform and enhance medical efficiency and quality.MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted using medical records from a tertiary oncology hospital in Shandong province, with a focus on patients diagnosed with malignant lung tumors between January 28, 2021 and April 16, 2024. A self-paired design was implemented, with October 26, 2021 serving as the intervention point. Data from the same patients were collected for two periods: pre-DRG payment (January 28, 2021-October 25, 2021) and post-DRG payment (October 26, 2021-April 16, 2024). An interrupted time series(ITS) regression model was employed to compare the changes in medical resource utilization indicators (e.g., length of stay, total hospital expenses, reimbursement expenses, out-of-pocket expenses, number of chemotherapy/radiotherapy sessions, number of targeted/immunotherapy sessions, and number of nursing examinations) and healthcare quality indicators, including the incidence of major complications or comorbidities (MCC), complications or comorbidities (CC), and 30-day readmission rates.ResultsA total of 944 patients were included in the analysis, with 49.4% male and 50.6% female; 67.1% were under 65 years of age, while 32.9% were 65 years or older. After the DRG payment, there was a significant reduction in length of stay (β2=-3.235, P < 0.001), total hospital expenses (β2=-5155.900, P < 0.001), reimbursement expenses (β2=-2120.350, P=0.020), and out-of-pocket expenses (β2=-3035.555, P < 0.001). However, the number of chemotherapy/radiotherapy sessions, targeted/immunotherapy sessions, and nursing examinations did not exhibit significant changes. The incidence of MCC/CC significantly increased (β2=3.011, P < 0.001), whereas the 30-day readmission rate remained unchanged.ConclusionsThe DRG payment reform effectively reduces medical costs and shortens hospitalization duration, thereby enhancing hospital management efficiency. However, it may also lead to an increased incidence of complications, which could potentially affect healthcare quality. Therefore, the possible implications of DRG reform on healthcare quality should be carefully monitored and addressed.

A middle-aged male came to Peking Union Medical College Hospital for treatment because of "pain for 10+ years, aggravated with emotional instability for 5 years". The patient's pain had a huge impact on life, with poor results even after repeated diagnosis and treatment in other hospitals. After multi-disciplinary discussion, it had been clarified that the pain was mainly caused by gout. The disease was heavily influenced by psychosocial factors. Therefore, the patient fits the diagnosis of "Psychological and Behavioral Factors Affecting Physical Diseases". The multi-disciplinary comprehensive management of the patient was carried out to identify and treat psychological factors affecting other medical conditions. After this mental treatment was performed, the patient's conditions significantly improved. The diagnosis and treatment of this patient demonstrates the importance of the multi-disciplinary treatment team for somatic symptoms (disorders).