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Abstract Dysregulated gene expression and imbalance of transcriptional regulation are typical features of cancer. RNA always plays a key role in these processes. Human transcripts contain many RNAs without long open reading frames (ORF, > 100 aa) and that are more than 200 bp in length. They are usually regarded as long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) which play an important role in cancer regulation, including chromatin remodeling, transcriptional regulation, translational regulation and as miRNA sponges. With the advancement of ribosome profiling and sequencing technologies, increasing research evidence revealed that some ORFs in lncRNA can also encode peptides and participate in the regulation of multiple organ tumors, which undoubtedly opens a new chapter in the field of lncRNA and oncology research. In this review, we discuss the biological function of lncRNA in tumors, the current methods to evaluate their coding potential and the role of functional small peptides encoded by lncRNA in cancers. Investigating the small peptides encoded by lncRNA and understanding the regulatory mechanisms of these functional peptides may contribute to a deeper understanding of cancer and the development of new targeted anticancer therapies.

Abstract Estrogen excess in females has been linked to a diverse array of chronic and acute diseases. Emerging research shows that exposure to estrogen-like compounds such as bisphenol S leads to increases in 17β-estradiol levels, but the mechanism of action is unclear. The aim of this study was to reveal the underlying signaling pathway-mediated mechanisms, target site and target molecule of action of bisphenol S causing excessive estrogen synthesis. Human ovarian granulosa cells SVOG were exposed to bisphenol S at environmentally relevant concentrations (1 μg/L, 10 μg/L, and 100 μg/L) for 48 h. The results confirms that bisphenol S accumulates mainly on the cell membrane, binds to follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) located on the cell membrane, and subsequently activates the downstream cyclic adenosine monophosphate/protein kinase A (cAMP/PKA) signaling pathway, leading to enhanced conversion of testosterone to 17β-estradiol. This study deepens our knowledge of the mechanisms of environmental factors in pathogenesis of hyperestrogenism.

Abstract In the process of preserving historical buildings in southern Fujian, China, it is crucial to provide timely and accurate statistical data to classify the damage of traditional buildings. In this study, a method based on the improved YOLOv8 neural network is proposed to select aerial photographs of six villages in Xiamen and Quanzhou cities in Fujian Province as the dataset, which contains a total of 3124 photographs. Based on the high-resolution orthophotographs obtained from UAV tilt photography, the YOLOv8 model was used to make predictions. The main task in the first stage is to select the buildings with historical value in the area, and the model's mAP (Mean Accuracy Rate) can reach 97.2% in the first stage task. The second stage uses the YOLOv8 model to segment the images selected in the first stage, detecting possible defects on the roofs, including collapses, missing tiles, unsuitable architectural additions, and vegetation encroachment. In the second stage of the segmentation task, the mAP reaches 89.4%, which is a 1.5% improvement in mAP50 (mean accuracy) compared to the original YOLOv8 model, and the number of parameters and GFLOPs are reduced by 22% and 15%, respectively. This method can effectively improve the disease detection efficiency of historical built heritage in southern Fujian under complex terrain and ground conditions.

Abstract The development of electric vehicles (EVs) exhibits rapid and remarkable progress nowadays, serving as a crucial route to accomplish the target of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. As an integral part of the thermal management system oriented toward electric vehicles, the heat pump air conditioning system for electric vehicles is the result of a comprehensive choice that trades off the cooling and heating performance, environmental performance and economic cost. Particularly, different regions around the world suffer varying cooling and heating challenges due to the complicated climatic characteristics. Thus the most suitable refrigerant and system cycle structure may differ. This paper focuses on evaluating both the refrigerants and cycle structures to screen the most suitable choice. According to the climate conditions of different cities, the annual energy consumption, life cycle climate performance, and economic cost of the basic system (Base), two-stage compression system (TSC,IC), and vapor injection (VI) system with CO2, R134a, and R1234yf refrigerants respectively, are quantitatively analyzed and evaluated. Subsequently, through comparative analysis, a comprehensive selection map for heat pump systems in electric vehicles worldwide is developed and the most suitable heat pump air conditioning system for each cites is determined. The results can provide a selection reference and decision-making for the air conditioning system of electric vehicles from regional considerations. It was found that the CO2 HPACVI was recommended for cold regions to meet both environmental and economic requirements. In warm region, the R1234yf HPACBase system was recommended to be used. For regions transitioning from cold to warm climates, the R1234yf HPACVI system was suggested. In hot region, the R1234yf AC system was recommended.

Abstract Background Mounting evidences shows that the ubiquitin‒proteasome pathway plays a pivotal role in tumor progression. The expression of 26S proteasome non-ATPase regulatory subunit 9 (PSMD9) is correlated with recurrence and radiotherapy resistance in several tumor types. However, the role and mechanism of PSMD9 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression remain largely unclear. Methods PSMD9 was identified as a prognosis-related biomarker for HCC based on analysis of clinical characteristics and RNA-seq data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and the JP Project of the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC-LIRI-JP). PSMD9 expression was analyzed in cancer tissues and adjacent noncancerous tissues via immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. Multiple in vivo and in vitro experimental techniques (such as CCK-8, colony formation, EdU, and Transwell assays; flow cytometry; Western blotting; quantitative RT-PCR; Coimmunoprecipitation assay and immunofluorescence confocal imaging) were used to assess the functions of PSMD9 in the pathogenesis of HCC. Results We found that the expression of PSMD9 was upregulated and associated with a poor prognosis in HCC patients. PSMD9 promoted HCC cell proliferation, migration, invasion and metastasis. Knockdown of PSMD9 significantly inhibited HCC cell proliferation by inducing G1/S cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that PSMD9 promoted HCC cell proliferation and metastasis via direct interaction with the E3 ubiquitin ligase c-Cbl, suppresses EGFR ubiquitination, influenced EGFR endosomal trafficking and degradation and subsequently activated ERK1/2 and Akt signaling. In addition, we showed that PSMD9 knockdown sensitized HCC cells to the tyrosine kinase inhibitor erlotinib in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions Collectively, our results indicate that PSMD9 drives HCC progression and erlotinib resistance by suppressing c-Cbl mediated EGFR ubiquitination and therefore can be a potential therapeutic target for HCC.

Objective The different cutting mode of robot‐assisted TKAs may influence the accuracy of alignment. The purpose of this study was to compare alignment accuracy and early clinical outcomes between a CT‐based, saw cutting robotic system (MAKO) and a CT‐free, jig‐guided robotic system (ROSA) for total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Methods A total of 20 MAKO TKAs and 20 ROSA TKAs from June 2021 to June 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Differences in the postoperative hip‐knee‐ankle (HKA) angle, lateral distal femoral angle (LDFA), medial proximal tibial angle (MPTA), posterior tibial slope (PTS) and 3° outlier frequency of the HKA, LDFA, MPTA and PTS were studied at 3 months and 1 year of follow‐up. The operative time and total blood loss (TBL) were compared between these two groups. Clinical outcomes at 1 year after surgery, including range of motion (ROM), Western Ontario McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score, and Knee Society Score‐2011 (KSS‐2011), were also compared between these two groups. Results The baseline characteristics of the two groups were comparable. There were no significant differences in the mean deviations of postoperative HKA, LDFA, MPTA or PTS between the two groups at 3 months or 1 year (all ps > 0.05). Moreover, there was no significant difference in the percentage of 3° outliers for HKA, LDFA, MPTA, or PTS between the two groups at 3‐month or 1‐year follow‐up (all ps > 0.05). The mean operation time of MAKO was longer than that of ROSA (112.7 ± 12.8 min vs 94.8 ± 23.0 min, p = 0.001), but the mean TBL (1356.7 ± 648.5 mL vs 1384.5 ± 676.3 mL) and transfusion rate (15.0% vs 5.0%) were not significantly different between the two groups (all ps > 0.05). No significant differences were found in postoperative ROM, WOMAC score or KSS score at 1 year (all ps > 0.05). Conclusion The MAKO and ROSA had similar accuracy and precision in TKA alignment. The clinical outcomes at 1 year after surgery were also comparable.

Abstract Thermal-integrated pumped thermal electricity storage (TI-PTES) could realize efficient energy storage for fluctuating and intermittent renewable energy. However, the boundary conditions of TI-PTES may frequently change with the variation of times and seasons, which causes a tremendous deterioration to the operating performance. To realize efficient and flexible energy storage in operating conditions, a novel composition-adjustable TI-PTES is proposed, and the operating performance is investigated and compared with composition-fixed TI-PTES. Simulation results show that, compared to composition-fixed TI-PTES, the energy storage efficiency of TI-PTES could be enhanced by the absolute value of 4.4–18.3% by introducing composition adjustment method under various boundary conditions. Besides, tuning sub-system composition could simultaneously adjust the capacities of power input, heat storage and power output, realizing a more flexible operating range for TI-PTES. A case study for an isolated energy community shows that composition-adjustable TI-PTES could realize 100% conversion of off-peak electric energy and reduce daily investment by 35.6% compared with composition-fixed TI-PTES.

BackgroundLong term hypertension seriously promotes target organ damage in the brain and heart, and has increasingly become serious public health problem worldwide. The anti-hypertensive effects of capsaicin has been reported, however, the role and mechanism of capsaicin within the brain on salt-induced hypertension have yet to be elucidated. This study aimed to verify the hypothesis that capsaicin attenuates salt-induced hypertension via the AMPK/Akt/Nrf2 pathway in hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN).MethodsDahl salt-sensitive (Dahl S) rats were used as animal model for the present study. Rats were randomly divided into four groups based on their dietary regimen (0.3% normal salt diet and 8% high salt diet) and treatment methods (infusion of vehicle or capsaicin in the PVN). Capsaicin was chronically administered in the PVN throughout the animal experiment phase of the study that lasted 6 weeks.ResultsOur results demonstrated that PVN pretreatment with capsaicin can slow down raise of the blood pressure elevation and heart rate (HR) of Dahl S hypertensive rats given high salt diet. Interestingly, the cardiac hypertrophy was significantly improved. Furthermore, PVN pretreatment with capsaicin induced decrease in the expression of mRNA expression of NADPH oxidase-2 (NOX2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), NOX4, p-IKKβ and proinflammatory cytokines and increase in number of positive cell level for Nrf2 and HO-1 in the PVN of Dahl S hypertensive rats. Additionally, the protein expressions of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (p-PI3K) and phosphorylated protein kinase-B (p-AKT) were decreased, phosphorylated adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (p-AMPK) were increased after the PVN pretreatment with capsaicin.ConclusionCapsaicin pretreatment attenuates salt-sensitive hypertension by alleviating AMPK/Akt/iNOS pathway in the PVN.

BackgroundIt is important to figure out the immunity of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) reinfection to understand the response of humans to viruses. A serological survey for previously infected populations in Jiangsu Province was conducted to compare the antibody level of SARS-CoV-2 in reinfection by Omicron or not.MethodsReinfection with SARS-CoV-2 was defined as an individual being infected again after 90 days of the initial infection. Telephone surveys and face-to-face interviews were implemented to collect information. Experimental and control serum samples were collected from age-sex-matched reinfected and non-reinfected cases, respectively. IgG anti-S and neutralizing antibodies (Nab) concentrations were detected by the Magnetism Particulate Immunochemistry Luminescence Method (MCLIA). Antibody titers were log(2)-transformed and analyzed by a two-tailed Mann–Whitney U test. Subgroup analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between the strain type of primary infection, SARS-Cov-2 vaccination status, and antibody levels. Multivariate linear regression models were used to identify associations between reinfection with IgG and Nab levels.ResultsSix hundred thirty-one individuals were enrolled in this study, including 327 reinfected cases and 304 non-reinfected cases. The reinfection group had higher IgG (5.65 AU/mL vs. 5.22 AU/mL) and Nab (8.02 AU/mL vs. 7.25 AU/mL) levels compared to the non-reinfection group (p

Abstract Background Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a serious condition that causes bone tissue death, femoral head collapse, and hip joint destruction. Early intervention through hip-preserving treatment is crucial to slow down disease progression, preserve hip joint function, and improve the quality of life of patients. We analyzed the knowledge map, research gaps, and future research directions in the field of hip-preserving treatment for early ONFH. Methods All publications related to hip-preserving treatment for early ONFH published between 2010 and 2023 were identified from the Web of Science Core Collection and analyzed using VOSviewer 1.6.19, CiteSpace 6.2.R2, and Scimago Graphica 1.0.35. Results In total, 234 articles were analyzed. The results showed an exponential growth trend in the number of publications related to hip-preserving treatment for early ONFH in the past decade. China and the USA were the main contributors. International Orthopaedics published the most papers in this field, whereas Bone and Joint Surgery-American Volume had the highest average citation count per article. Several stable research topics were noted in this field, including core decompression (CD), osteotomy, bone transplantation in hip-preserving surgery, and cell therapy, which have become research hotspots in hip-preserving treatment. Conclusions Hip-preserving treatment for early ONFH has received increasing attention, and research in this field is expected to grow. Stable research topics include core decompression (CD), osteotomy, bone transplantation, and cell therapy. Future research is predicted to focus on cell therapy and combination therapy, resulting in an increasing number of publications on hip-preserving treatment for early ONFH.

Abstract Background Amelogenesis imperfecta (AI) is a developmental enamel defect affecting the structure of enamel, esthetic appearance, and the tooth masticatory function. Gene mutations are reported to be relevant to AI. However, the mechanism underlying AI caused by different mutations is still unclear. This study aimed to reveal the molecular pathogenesis in AI families with 2 novel pre-mRNA splicing mutations. Methods Two Chinese families with AI were recruited. Whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing were performed to identify mutations in candidate genes. Minigene splicing assays were performed to analyze the mutation effects on mRNA splicing alteration. Furthermore, three-dimensional structures of mutant proteins were predicted by AlphaFold2 to evaluate the detrimental effect. Results The affected enamel in family 1 was thin, rough, and stained, which was diagnosed as hypoplastic-hypomature AI. Genomic analysis revealed a novel splicing mutation (NM_001142.2: c.570 + 1G > A) in the intron 6 of amelogenin (AMELX) gene in family 1, resulting in a partial intron 6 retention effect. The proband in family 2 exhibited a typical hypoplastic AI, and the splicing mutation (NM_031889.2: c.123 + 4 A > G) in the intron 4 of enamelin (ENAM) gene was observed in the proband and her father. This mutation led to exon 4 skipping. The predicted structures showed that there were obvious differences in the mutation proteins compared with wild type, leading to impaired function of mutant proteins. Conclusions In this study, we identified two new splicing mutations in AMELX and ENAM genes, which cause hypoplastic-hypomature and hypoplastic AI, respectively. These results expand the spectrum of genes causing AI and broaden our understanding of molecular genetic pathology of enamel formation.

[Introduction] In order to change the current patrol inspection mode of power plant mainly based on manual patrol ins-pection, improve the intelligent level of power plant patrol inspection, and fully grasp the design method of robot autonomous patrol inspection system. [Method] This paper started from the design idea of the robot autonomous patrol inspection system, defined the system functions, and gave the design scheme of the patrol inspection system from the hardware architecture and software functions. Based on this design scheme, a 5G+ robot autonomous patrol inspection system integrating progressiveness and practicality was designed. In addition, in order to make the robot's patrol inspection results more intuitively reflect the actual operation of the power plant, this paper, based on intelligent image processing technology, completed the analysis and processing of instrument readings, valves, button switch status and other information. [Result] The 5G+ robot autonomous patrol inspection system can realize map construction, task deployment, autonomous navigation and execution of patrol inspection tasks, automatic identification of patrol inspection equipment, and use 5G to return patrol inspection data, complete the analysis of patrol inspection results and automatically generate patrol inspection reports. [Conclusion] The 5G+ robot autonomous patrol inspection system in intelligent power plant developed in this paper can significantly improve the patrol inspection efficiency, improve the intelligent level of power plant operation and maintenance, provide strong technical support for the independent patrol inspection operation of the power plant, provide reliable basis for professionals to comprehensively grasp the operation status of the boiler room, steam turbine room, booster station and auxiliary workshop, and ensure the safe operation of equipment in key areas while reducing personnel and increasing efficiency, better assist the construction of smart power plants.

Objectives The reconstruction of bone defects in tibial revision knee arthroplasty is challenging. In this study, we evaluated the primary stability of a novel three‐dimensional (3D)‐printed custom‐made metaphyseal cone for Anderson Orthopedic Research Institute (AORI) IIb or III bone defect reconstruction in tibial revision knee arthroplasty using the combination of finite‐element analysis and biomechanical experiments. Methods In the finite‐element analysis, AORI II b and III medial tibial bone defects were designed at varying depths. A novel 3D‐printed custom‐made metaphyseal cone was designed and used to reconstruct the bone defect with or without a stem in simulated revision total knee arthroplasty (RTKA). A no‐stem group and a stem group were established (based on whether a stem was used or not). Von Mises stress and micromotion were calculated with varying depths of bone defects, ranging from 5 mm to 35 mm, and then micromotions at the bone–implant interface were calculated and compared with the critical value of 150 μm. In the biomechanical experiment, the no‐stem group was used, and the same bone defects were made in four synthetic tibias using patient‐specific instruments. Micromotions at the bone–implant interface were investigated using a non‐contact optical digital image correlation system and compared with the critical value of 150 μm. Results When the bone defect was

Background Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is an endocrine disorder with high serum calcium and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. Excessive secretion of PTH can cause bone loss and may have potential damage to implant fixation after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, there is currently no research or literature reporting prosthesis loosening after TKA associated with PHPT. Case presentation This case report describes a TKA failure of tibial prothesis loosening associated with PHPT. The patient faced aggravated pain and difficulty in walking 6 months after the primary TKA. Further examinations showed high serum calcium and PTH levels indicating the presence of PHPT. After the surgery of parathyroidectomy, the patient received revision TKA with 3D‐printed metaphyseal cone. Knee symptoms and function were finally improved. Conclusion PHPT is a risk factor for prosthesis loosening after TKA. Preoperative screening test of serum calcium and PTH levels is important to diagnose PHPT. For patients with PHPT undergoing TKA, preoperative endocrinotherapy and parathyroidectomy are recommended to improve the survival of prosthesis.

Abstract The supercritical CO2 (sCO2) power cycle could improve efficiencies for a wide range of thermal power plants. The sCO2 turbine generator plays an important role in the sCO2 power cycle by directly converting thermal energy into mechanical work and electric power. The operation of the generator encounters challenges, including high temperature, high pressure, high rotational speed, and other engineering problems, such as leakage. Experimental studies of sCO2 turbines are insufficient because of the significant difficulties in turbine manufacturing and system construction. Unlike most experimental investigations that primarily focus on 100 kW‐ or MW‐scale power generation systems, we consider, for the first time, a small‐scale power generator using sCO2. A partial admission axial turbine was designed and manufactured with a rated rotational speed of 40,000 rpm, and a CO2 transcritical power cycle test loop was constructed to validate the performance of our manufactured generator. A resistant gas was proposed in the constructed turbine expander to solve the leakage issue. Both dynamic and steady performances were investigated. The results indicated that a peak electric power of 11.55 kW was achieved at 29,369 rpm. The maximum total efficiency of the turbo‐generator was 58.98%, which was affected by both the turbine rotational speed and pressure ratio, according to the proposed performance map.

Fruit storage is optimized at the lowest safe temperature to maximize storage life whilst avoiding chilling or freezing injury. The few published studies of freezing in kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.) have been conducted with A. chinensis var. deliciosa ‘Hayward’ fruit, with freezing temperatures reported in the range of −1.5 °C to −2.5 °C. In China, a large number of kiwifruit cultivars have been commercialized recently, with at least ten being commonly planted. In this research, freshly harvested fruits from 45 kiwifruit germplasm accessions were measured for freezing point, soluble solids content (SSC) and water content (WC). The difference in freezing point of different tissue zones within a fruit and after different periods of cold storage were determined for the fruit of three representative main cultivars: the green-fleshed ‘Hayward’, the red-fleshed A. chinensis var. chinensis ‘Donghong’, and the yellow-fleshed interspecific hybrid A. eriantha × A. chinensis ‘Jinyan’. The the freezing point of kiwifruit was found to be highly correlated with the SSC. This relationship was found irrespective of whether the measurement was made at harvest, at different places in the fruit, or after ripening during storage. These findings agree with previous reports for kiwifruit and other fruits, although it appears that the relationship may differ among kiwifruit cultivars, something not previously reported and which requires further confirmation.

ABSTRACTHow much the vaccine contributes to the induction and development of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) of breakthrough cases relative to those unvaccinated-infected cases is not fully understood. We conducted a prospective cohort study and collected serum samples from 576 individuals who were diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 Delta strain infection, including 245 breakthrough cases and 331 unvaccinated-infected cases. NAbs were analysed by live virus microneutralization test and transformation of NAb titre. NAbs titres against SARS-CoV-2 ancestral and Delta variant in breakthrough cases were 7.8-fold and 4.0-fold higher than in unvaccinated-infected cases, respectively. NAbs titres in breakthrough cases peaked at the second week after onset/infection. However, the NAbs titres in the unvaccinated-infected cases reached their highest levels during the third week. Compared to those with higher levels of NAbs, those with lower levels of NAbs had no difference in viral clearance duration time (P>0.05), did exhibit higher viral load at the beginning of infection/maximum viral load of infection. NAb levels were statistically higher in the moderate cases than in the mild cases (P

Objective: To analyse the proximal femoral morphology on three-dimensional reconstructed imagery to explore the factors influencing the relevant parameters. Method: The cross-sectional study was conducted at Peking University Third Hospital in northern China from January 2019 to August 2020, and comprised healthy adults who underwent computed tomography scanning. Three-dimensional computed tomography reconstruction of the proximal femoral medullary cavity was performed using Mimics 22. The anatomical parameters related to total hip arthroplasty were measured to examine the relationship among gender, age and femoral length. Data was analysed using SPSS 20. Results: Of the 63 adults, meaning 126 hips, 21(33.3%) were males, meaning 42(33.3%) hips, and 42(66.6%) were females, meaning 84(66.6%) hips. The overall mean age was 51.5±23.1 years (range: 23-68 years). The inflection point of the medullary cavity curved at 5-10mm distal to the lesser trochanteric line. Most horizontal plane parameters significantly differed between men and women (p

Few studies have investigated whether improve electronic health (eHealth) literacy can alleviate food neophobia in university students. We explored the associations among online health information (OHI)-seeking behaviors, eHealth literacy and food neophobia. A questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study of 5151 university students in China was conducted from October to December 2022. The study used Chinese versions of the eHealth literacy scale (C-eHEALS), and the food neophobia scale (FNS-C), as well as the OHI-seeking behaviors scale. Data were collected through Wenjuanxing software. Analysis of variance, t -tests, the Pearson correlation coefficient and chi-square tests were performed for data analysis. The average (SD) scores of C-eHEALS and FNS-C were 26.81 (5.83) and 38.86 (6.93), respectively. University students in China had a low C-eHEALS and a high FNS-C level, and there were significant differences between the high and low groups of C-eHEALS ( P < .001) and FNS-C ( P < .001). There was also a significant correlation between eHealth literacy and food neophobia ( P < .001), and a lower eHealth literacy level indicated a higher probability of food neophobia occurrence. University students with high FNS-C and low C-eHEALS show more OHI-seeking behaviors. When schools, communities, and parents want to alleviate students’ food neophobia, OHI-seeking training to improve eHealth literacy may be a good intervention.

Abstract The rapid development of network technology has revolutionized information dissemination and made it possible for various new communication channels to gradually seep into people’s daily lives. The primary task within the context of new media is the creation of agricultural products live e-commerce. This study first analyses and categorizes the preferences of product purchasers using a collaborative filtering process in order to achieve this. It then suggests a clustering algorithm based on ROCK that improves the link rather than the previously used distance as a criterion for cluster split and can successfully address the problem of data scarcity based on collaborative suggestion. The difficulties of live e-commerce entrepreneurship and the need of fostering new farmers’ live e-commerce entrepreneurship skills are also discussed in this essay. The case study illustrates that the research’s strategy can successfully examine the path towards developing new farmers’ live e-commerce skills.

Abstract Background Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) causes not only pain, stiffness, and dysfunction of the knee, but also the reduction of the joint range of motion (ROM). This study explored the demographic and radiographic factors for knee symptoms and ROM in patients with symptomatic KOA. Methods The demographic variables, Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grade, and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) of patients with symptomatic KOA recruited in Beijing were collected. The knee ROM of all patients were also measured. We analyzed the influencing factors for WOMAC and ROM using a generalize linear model, respectively. Results This study included a total of 2034 patients with symptomatic KOA, including 530 males (26.1%) and 1504 females (73.0%), with a mean age of 59.17 (± 10.22) years. Patients with advanced age, overweight or obesity, a family history of KOA, a moderate-to-heavy manual labor job and use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) had significantly higher WOMAC and lower ROM (all P

In recent years, the use of zinc (Zn) alloys as degradable metal materials has attracted considerable attention in the field of biomedical bone implant materials. This study investigates the fabrication of porous scaffolds using a Zn-1Mg-0.1Sr alloy through a three-dimensional (3D) printing technique, selective laser melting (SLM). The results showed that the porous Zn-1Mg-0.1Sr alloy scaffold featured a microporous structure and exhibited a compressive strength (CS) of 33.71 ± 2.51 MPa, a yield strength (YS) of 27.88 ± 1.58 MPa, and an elastic modulus (E) of 2.3 ± 0.8 GPa. During the immersion experiments, the immersion solution showed a concentration of 2.14 ± 0.82 mg/L for Zn2+ and 0.34 ± 0.14 mg/L for Sr2+, with an average pH of 7.61 ± 0.09. The porous Zn-1Mg-0.1Sr alloy demonstrated a weight loss of 12.82 ± 0.55% and a corrosion degradation rate of 0.36 ± 0.01 mm/year in 14 days. The Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was used to check the viability of the cells. The results showed that the 10% and 20% extracts significantly increased the activity of osteoblast precursor cells (MC3T3-E1), with a cytotoxicity grade of 0, which indicates safety and non-toxicity. In summary, the porous Zn-1Mg-0.1Sr alloy scaffold exhibits outstanding mechanical properties, an appropriate degradation rate, and favorable biosafety, making it an ideal candidate for degradable metal bone implants.

The spatiotemporal distribution of geomorphological incidents was examined in the present study, including the characteristics of obstruction distances and durations, by utilizing nationwide incident mitigation data and precipitation observation records from the period spanning 2019 to 2022. By comparing rainfall features over different temporal scales across various regions, the aim of the present study was to enhance the current comprehension of the patterns through which regional precipitation initiates incidents on highways by comparing rainfall characteristics over distinct temporal scales across diverse geographical areas. The findings indicate that: (1) The spatial distribution of highway incidents in China is significantly correlated with regional natural environments, predominantly concentrated in the southern parts of the country’s second and third topographical terraces. The temporal distribution closely aligns with annual and monthly precipitation patterns, with the majority of occurrences taking place from June to September. Further, notable disparities in the distribution of highway-related incidents were observed among counties across most provinces; (2) National highways experience a notably higher frequency of incidents than expressways and provincial roads, with most obstruction lengths concentrated within 1 km and durations predominantly under 3 days; (3) The probability of daily rainfall inducing highway incidents is distinctly higher than that of short-duration rainfall, with eastern and southern China experiencing significantly greater inducing precipitation volumes than other regions. The majority of areas are susceptible to incidents within a 3-day window following heavy rainfall or within 24 h after intense short-duration rainfall. Moreover, it is observed that incidents are more closely associated with extreme precipitation occurring within a single day; (4) There is a certain lag between the timing of incidents and the occurrence of extreme short-duration heavy rainfall, with the highest frequency of incidents coinciding with continuous rainfall periods of 3 to 6 days.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the change in posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) tension by directly measuring the pressure changes in the knee joint when the ligament was released or resected during total knee arthroplasty. Methods We prospectively analyzed 54 patients who underwent primary total knee arthroplasty (67 knees) from October 2019 to January 2022. An electronic pressure sensor was used to measure the pressure changes in the medial and lateral chambers on PCL retention, recession or resection. Results At 0°, 45°, 90° and 120° of flexion, the total pressure in the knee joint of PCL retention was significantly higher than with PCL recession, and even higher than PCL resection. PCL recession or resection affected knee joint extension, and the medial/lateral pressure in the knee joint decreased. Pressure in the lateral compartment showed no significant change during knee flexion, whereas pressure in the medial compartment was significantly decreased, which also led to a change in the ratios of the medial and lateral pressures in the knee joint. After PCL resection, the flexion gap (90°) increased significantly more than the extension (0°) gap, while 46 cases displayed the same change in the flexion and extension gaps after PCL resection of the 67 cases. Conclusion The PCL retained partial function after tibial recession. PCL resection affected both the flexion and extension gaps; although the average flexion gap increased more than the extension gap, the change in most cases of these two gaps was the same.

Abstract Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis) is a critically endangered fish inhabiting the Yangtze River and Chinese coastal waters. Numerous research projects and conservation efforts have focused on artificial propagation and release to restore this endangered species. However, genomic and full-length transcriptomic sequencing of Chinese sturgeon has rarely been reported. In this study, a total of 10 Chinese sturgeon tissues were used for PacBio Iso-seq and RNA-seq analyses. A total of 19,538 full-length transcripts were obtained with sizes from 51 bp to 7,033 bp. Moreover, cluster analysis of gene families and phylogenetic analysis of 14 species were performed. Furthermore, lncRNAs and coding sequence (CDS) were identified in all Chinese sturgeon tissues. Finally, gene expression profiles and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed among 10 tissues in Chinese sturgeon. Taken together, full-length transcripts and the gene expression profile from Chinese sturgeon tissues will provide gene sequences and expression information for future functional genomic study and be very helpful for comprehensive understanding of the genetic mechanism of endangerment in Chinese sturgeon.

The anthocyanins from red radish (ARR) rich in polyglycosylated pelargonidin glucosides were used as pigment. However, bioavailability of anthocyanins was considered at low level. This work examined the intensive effects of fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS) on ARR bioavailability. Pelargonidin, cyanidin and pelargonidin-3-glucoside showed higher level in serum of mice fed with FOS together with ARR for 8 weeks than that fed with only ARR. Co-ingestion of FOS and ARR more effectively elevated the hepatic antioxidant activity by increase in total antioxidant capacity and activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase when compared with intake of ARR. FOS also markedly increased pelargonidin level in cecum of mice. 16S RNA sequencing found that Bacteroides genus play an important role in FOS elevating bioavailability of ARR. Fecal bacteria transplantation verified the positive effects of FOS on ARR bioavailability. These results suggested that combined ingestion of FOS and ARR is effective strategy for bioactivity of ARR.

ABSTRACT In the situation of mass vaccination against COVID-19, few studies have reported on the early kinetics of specific antibodies (IgG/IgM/IgA) of vaccine breakthrough cases. There is still a lack of epidemiological evidence about the value of serological indicators in the auxiliary diagnosis of COVID-19 infection, especially when the nucleic acid results were undetectable. Omicron breakthrough cases post-inactivated vaccination (n = 456) and COVID-19-naive individuals with two doses of inactivated vaccination (n = 693) were enrolled. Blood samples were collected and tested for SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels based on the magnetic chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay. Among Omicron breakthrough cases, the serum IgG antibody level was 36.34 Sample/CutOff (S/CO) (95% confidence interval [CI], 31.89 to 40.79) in the acute phase and 88.45 S/CO (95% CI, 82.79 to 94.12) in the recovery phase. Serum IgA can be detected in the first week post-symptom onset (PSO) and showed an almost linear increase within 5 weeks PSO. Compared with those of breakthrough cases, IgG and IgA titers of the postimmune group were much lower (4.70 S/CO and 0.46 S/CO, respectively). Multivariate regression showed that serum IgG and IgA levels in Omicron breakthrough cases were mainly affected by the weeks PSO (P

We studied the layer structure of bubbles just below water/air and water/EPE (Expand aple poly ephylene) interfaces using high-speed photography. The layer structure was generated by floating spherical clusters, the source bubbles of which were identified to come from the attachment of bubble nuclei at the interface, the floating of bubbles in the bulk liquid, or bubbles generated on the surface of the ultrasonic transducer. The boundary shape affected the layer structure, which assumed a similar profile below the water/EPE interface. We developed a simplified model composed of a bubble column and bubble chain to describe interface impacts and the interaction of bubbles in a typical branching structure. We found that the resonant frequency of the bubbles is smaller than that of an isolated single bubble. Moreover, the primary acoustic field plays an important role in the generation of the structure. A higher acoustic frequency and pressure were found to shorten the distance between the structure and the interface. A hat-like layer structure of bubbles was more likely to exist in the low-frequency (28 and 40 kHz) intense inertial cavitation field, in which bubbles oscillate violently. By contrast, structures composed of discrete spherical clusters were more likely to form in the relatively weak cavitation field at 80 kHz, in which stable and inertial cavitation coexisted. The theoretical predictions were in good agreement with the experimental observations.

Abstract The sCO2 Brayton cycle has gained interest because of its flexibility and ability to provide higher thermomechanical conversion efficiency. Studies on failure conditions and corresponding emergency measures are of great significance to ensure the safety of the system, while there are limited studies related to the sCO2 Brayton cycle because the test circuit has not been applied in practice at present. In this study, we have developed a dynamic model of the CO2 Brayton cycle, and carefully validated its components against experimental data. Preliminary safety assessment and dynamic response under loss of cooling water (LOCW), loss of heat source (LOHS), and pipeline leakage have been analyzed. Emergency strategies are proposed to maintain the safe operation under failure conditions. The primary objective of this study is to reveal the dynamic performance and emergency measures under failure conditions of the sCO2 Brayton cycle. The results demonstrate that the system net power decreases at rates close to 10%/s and less than 0.1%/s under LOCW and LOHS, respectively. The system responds more dramatically under LOCW compared with LOHS. The system needs emergency measures under LOCW, while it has sufficient time to realize a normal slow shutdown under LOHS. The leakage rate is at least five times higher in the high‐pressure pipeline compared with the low‐pressure pipeline for the same area of the leakage hole. Under pipeline leakage, the heat source should be cut‐off slowly, and the rotation speeds of the main compressor and recompressor should be reduced simultaneously to protect the system.

Abstract Adsorption desorption is an important behavior affecting the migration of phenanthrene in soil. In this study, three typical soils of loess, silts and silty sand in Guanzhong Basin, Shaanxi Province, China were used as adsorbents. Batch equilibrium experiments were carried out to study the adsorption desorption kinetics and isotherm of phenanthrene in different soils. Response surface method (RSM) was used to study the effects of temperature, pH, phenanthrene concentration and organic matter content on soil adsorption of phenanthrene. The results showed that after adsorption, the outline of soil particles became more blurred and the degree of cementation increased. The kinetic adsorption of phenanthrene by soil conforms to the quasi second-order kinetic model, and the adsorption desorption isotherm is nonlinear and conforms to the Freundlich model. Due to the difference of soil properties, the adsorption amount of phenanthrene by soil is loess > silty sand > silts. The thermodynamic results show that the adsorption of phenanthrene by soil is spontaneous and endothermic, and the desorption is spontaneous and exothermic. Through RSM, the interaction between phenanthrene concentration and soil organic matter in Loess and silts is significant, and the interaction between temperature and soil organic matter in silty sand is significant. Among the four factors affecting the adsorption rate of loess, silts and silty sand, soil organic matter is the most significant. The theoretical optimum adsorption rates of loess, silts and silty sand are 98.89%, 96.59% and 93.37% respectively.

Conservation tillage and deep-side fertilization both hold the potential to reduce nitrogen leaching and improve grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency in fragrant rice cultivation practices. However, the combined impact of different tillage practices with deep-side fertilization on nitrogen leaching remains uncertain. Therefore, this study conducted on-site experiments for four rice-growing seasons in both early and late seasons in 2018 and 2019 using the fragrant rice varieties “Meixiangzhan 2” (MX) and “Xiangyaxiangzhan” (XY). The four experimental treatments included the following: conventional tillage with regular fertilization (T1), conventional tillage with simultaneous deep fertilization (T2), reduced tillage with simultaneous deep fertilization (T3), and no-tillage with simultaneous deep fertilization (T4). Our results indicate that the T4 treatment exhibited higher nitrogen leaching rates and potential nitrogen losses throughout the entire rice growth cycle, with a 4.51% increase in total mineral nitrogen leaching (TMNL) and a 1.86% increase in potential nitrogen leaching compared to T1 treatment. In contrast, the T2 treatment demonstrated the lowest nitrogen leaching rate, resulting in a 6.01% reduction in TMNL and a 9.57% decrease in potential nitrogen leaching compared to T1, demonstrating the most optimal performance. It is important to note that a reduction in nitrogen leaching does not directly translate into an increase in rice yield. Our study involved the cultivation of two fragrant rice varieties, ‘Meixiangzhan2’ (MX) and ‘Xiangyaxiangzhan’ (XY), and the results revealed some interesting insights. For MX, the T1 treatment resulted in lower daily grain outputs compared to the other treatments, with disparities ranging from 5.35% to 9.94%. Similarly, for XY, the T1 treatment yielded significantly lower daily grain outputs compared to the other treatments, with discrepancies ranging from 6.26% to 10.81% during the late season of 2019. Therefore, this study suggests that conventional tillage combined with deep fertilizer application can be considered as an effective agricultural strategy to reduce nitrogen leaching and enhance fragrant rice yields.

Objective: We investigated the expression of miRNA-214 in human osteoporotic bone tissue and tested the utility of adeno-associated virus (AAV) expressing a miRNA-214 inhibitor in terms of preventing local osteoporosis of the femoral condyle in a rat model of osteoporosis.Methods: (1) Femoral heads of patients who underwent hip replacements at our hospital because of femoral neck fractures were collected and divided into osteoporosis and non-osteoporosis groups based on preoperative bone mineral density data. MiRNA-214 expression was detected in bone tissues exhibiting obvious bone microstructural changes in the two groups. (2) A total of 144 SD female rats were divided into four groups: the Control, Model, Negative control (Model + AAV), and Experimental (Model + anti-miRNA-214) groups. AAV-anti-miRNA-214 was injected locally into the rat femoral condyles; we explored whether this prevented or treated local osteoporosis.Results: (1) MiRNA-214 expression in the human femoral head was significantly increased in the osteoporosis group. (2) Compared to the Model and Model + AAV groups, the bone mineral density (BMD) and femoral condyle bone volume/tissue volume (BV/TV) ratio in the Model + anti-miRNA-214 group were significantly higher; in addition, the number (TB.N) and thickness (TB.Th) of the trabecular bones were increased (all p < 0.05). MiRNA-214 expression in the femoral condyles of the Model + anti-miRNA-214 group was significantly higher than that in the other groups. The expression levels of the osteogenesis-related genes Alp, Bglap, and Col1α1 increased, while those of the osteoclast-related genes NFATc1, Acp5, Ctsk, Mmp9, and Clcn7 decreased.Conclusion: AAV-anti-miRNA-214 promoted osteoblast activity and inhibited osteoclast activity in the femoral condyles of osteoporotic rats, improving bone metabolism and slowing osteoporosis progression.

Growing cancer cells effectively evade most programs of regulated cell death, particularly apoptosis. This necessitates a search for alternative therapeutic modalities to cause cancer cell's demise, among them – ferroptosis. One of the obstacles to using pro-ferroptotic agents to treat cancer is the lack of adequate biomarkers of ferroptosis. Ferroptosis is accompanied by peroxidation of polyunsaturated species of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) to hydroperoxy- (-OOH) derivatives, which act as death signals. We demonstrate that RSL3-induced death of A375 melanoma cells in vitro was fully preventable by ferrostatin-1, suggesting their high susceptibility to ferroptosis. Treatment of A375 cells with RSL3 caused a significant accumulation of PE-(18:0/20:4-OOH) and PE-(18:0/22:4-OOH), the biomarkers of ferroptosis, as well as oxidatively truncated products - PE-(18:0/hydroxy-8-oxo-oct-6-enoic acid (HOOA) and PC-(18:0/HOOA). A significant suppressive effect of RSL3 on melanoma growth was observed in vivo (utilizing a xenograft model of inoculation of GFP-labeled A375 cells into immune-deficient athymic nude mice). Redox phospholipidomics revealed elevated levels of 18:0/20:4-OOH in RSL3-treated group vs controls. In addition, PE-(18:0/20:4-OOH) species were identified as major contributors to the separation of control and RSL3-treated groups, with the highest variable importance in projection predictive score. Pearson correlation analysis revealed an association between tumor weight and contents of PE-(18:0/20:4-OOH) (r = −0.505), PE-18:0/HOOA (r = −0.547) and PE 16:0-HOOA (r = −0.503). Thus, LC-MS/MS based redox lipidomics is a sensitive and precise approach for the detection and characterization of phospholipid biomarkers of ferroptosis induced in cancer cells by radio- and chemotherapy.

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a progressive disease that often necessitates hip replacement if hip preservation therapy fails. ONFH places a heavy economic burden and severe psychological pressure on patients. At present, ONFH is treated by either surgical or non‐surgical methods. In clinical practice, stem cells combined with surgery has achieved some positive results, but many problems remain to be resolved. Exosomes are small vesicles of 30–150 nm, which are rich in various nucleic acids, proteins, and small molecules depending on the cells from which they are derived. A growing number of studies have found that exosomes play an important role in tissue damage repair. In comparison with stem cells, exosomes have lower immunogenicity. Also, exosomes can promote cell proliferation and inhibit tumor growth. In addition, exosomes can also be used as natural carriers of drugs. Many studies have shown that exosomes have therapeutic effects in hormone‐induced ONFH. Exosomes have the effect of promoting vascular regeneration and show good application prospects in ONFH. Here, we present a review of studies on the application of exosomes in ONFH to provide a reference for future research.

Abstract Pinocembrin (Pin) has been confirmed to exert anti-inflammatory and antiatherosclerotic effects. Here we have explored whether and how Pin would protect vascular endothelial cells against pyroptosis elicited by the exposure to oxidized low density lipoprotein (oxLDL). Our results showed that Pin preconditioning dose-dependently suppressed oxLDL-stimulated HUVEC injury and pyroptosis, which were manifested by improved cell viability, lower lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels and DNA damage as well as decreased expression of pyroptosis-related markers, such as NOD-like receptor pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3), apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase activation and recruitment domain (ASC), pro-Caspase-1, cleaved Caspase-1, N-terminus of Gasdermin D-N (GSDMD-N), pro-interleukins-1β (pro-IL-1β), IL-1β and inflammatory cytokines (IL-18 and IL-1β). All of the effects were similar to those of MCC950 (an NLRP3 inhibitor). As expected, Pin distinctly activated the Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) antioxidative signaling pathway assessed through increased expressions of Nrf2, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1). Furthermore, after transfection with small interfering RNA of Nrf2, the inhibitory effects of Pin on oxLDL-triggered NLRP3 inflammasome/GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis and oxidative stress in HUVECs were weakened. Additionally, Pin up-regulated Nrf2/HO-1 axis and down-regulated NLRP3 inflammasome/GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis signals in Apoe−/− mice fed with high fat diet. These results contribute to the understanding of the anti-pyroptosis mechanisms of Pin and provide a reference for future research on the anti-atherosclerotic effect of Pin.

Objective To review the clinical outcomes of revision total knee arthroplasty (RTKA) with massive proximal tibial bone defects using patient‐customized three‐dimensional (3D) printed highly porous metaphyseal cones. Methods A retrospective study of all patients at our institution who underwent RTKA with the Anderson Orthopaedic Research Institute type III tibial defects using patient‐customized 3D‐printed highly porous metaphyseal cones was performed from 2016 to 2018. Seven patients were enrolled in this study. General results (age, sex, and body mass index); intraoperative results (interface compatibility and stability, and operating time); and perioperative complications (total blood loss, blood transfusion rate, and deep venous thrombosis) were recorded and analyzed. Clinical improvement and functional evaluation (survivorship of implant, improvement of Hospital for Special Surgery Score and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, and improvement of range of motion [ROM]), and radiographic improvement and implant evaluation (progressive radiolucent lines or radiographic loosening, and mechanical alignment) were evaluated at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, and then annually, postoperatively. Results The mean age at diagnosis was 68 (61–77) years. The mean follow‐up was 25.3 (19–36) months. At the latest follow‐up, no aseptic loosening, prosthetic joint infection, or other complications were noted. The mean Hospital for Special Surgery Score increased from 49 (39–63) to 78 (70–83) (P

Osteoclast over-activation leads to bone loss and chloride homeostasis is important for osteoclast function. Here, the authors show that Anoctamin 1 controls bone resorption by coupling Cl− channel activation with RANKL-RANK signaling transduction.

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a crippling disease which is due to a lack of effective therapeutic measures. Its natural progression is rapid, the internal bone structure of the femoral head changes dramatically, and the subsequent fractures and collapse cause severe hip pain and loss of hip function. Femoral head collapse is a critical turning point in the development of ONFH and is related to the prognosis of patients. Early prevention and intervention help to preserve the hip joint and delay femoral head collapse. However, the mechanism of collapse still needs to be further studied because it is affected by different complex factors. This review discusses the underlying causes of femoral head collapse from two aspects: structural degradation and regional changes of biomechanical properties in the necrotic femoral head.

Metabolic homeostasis balances the production and consumption of energetic molecules to maintain active, healthy cells. Cellular stress, which disrupts metabolism and leads to the loss of cellular homeostasis, is important in age-related diseases. We focus here on the role of organelle dysfunction in age-related diseases, including the roles of energy deficiencies, mitochondrial dysfunction, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, changes in metabolic flux in aging (e.g., Ca2+ and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), and alterations in the endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondria contact sites that regulate the trafficking of metabolites. Tools for single-cell resolution of metabolite pools and metabolic flux in animal models of aging and age-related diseases are urgently needed. High-resolution mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) provides a revolutionary approach for capturing the metabolic states of individual cells and cellular interactions without the dissociation of tissues. mass spectrometry imaging can be a powerful tool to elucidate the role of stress-induced cellular dysfunction in aging.

The quantitative evaluation of fluid saturation is important for formation evaluation of shale oil. However, there is currently no effective method to identify the fluid occurrence state and quantitative evaluate the fluid saturation of lacustrine shale oil because of the complexity of diagenetic minerals and pore types. In this paper, a method is proposed for the quantitative evaluation of fluid saturation based on nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements for shale samples of Fengcheng Formation, Mahu sag in Junggar Basin, China. These studies revealed that the shale oil rocks mainly contain quartz, feldspar, dolomite, calcite and clay minerals, both develop organic and inorganic pores. The fluids mainly occur in the form of bitumen, clay bound water, bound water, bound oil and movable oil in this study area. Based on the findings from these experiments, a mixed rock index (MI) and mud index (SI) were proposed to divide the shale oil formations into three types, including sand shale, dolomitic shale and mudstone. A T1−T2 2D NMR fluid occurrence state characterization map was established to identify the different fluids by the MI, SI and NMR characteristics. Furthermore, a method was proposed to quantitatively calculate the coefficient distribution of bound and movable fluids for shale oil in different formations. Finally, the proposed method was successfully applied into the lacustrine shale oil in the Fengcheng Formation to identify fluid occurrence state and evaluate fluid saturation quantitatively.

Abstract Objective To explore the feasibility and clinical efficacy of a modified medial collateral ligament indentation technique in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with severe type II valgus deformity. Methods Consecutive patients with Krackow type II valgus deformity >20° who underwent a primary unilateral TKA between May 2008 and June 2017 were studied retrospectively. A medial collateral ligament indentation technique was performed in 20 patients (MCLI group), and 23 patients received the routine lateral structures release technique (LSR group). Radiological parameters, such as the valgus angle (VA), and functional outcomes including the use of constraint implants, Knee Society Score (KSS), Knee Society Function score (KSF), and thickness of the polyethylene insert were compared between the two groups. Results A total of 43 consecutive patients had a minimum 2‐year follow‐up. The preoperative VA was comparable between the MCLI (23.5° ± 5.8°) and LSR groups (21.3° ± 3.2°, P = 0.134), as was the postoperative VA (1.1° ± 2.1° and 2.5° ± 3.0°, respectively, P = 0.084). The mean KSS and KSF scores in the MCLI group were 30.2 ± 4.8 and 38.8 ± 4.8, respectively, before surgery, and they increased to 91.3 ± 2.6 and 86.5 ± 2.4 at the last follow‐up. The scores in the LSR group were 31.5 ± 7.5 and 36.5 ± 7.8 before surgery and 92.4 ± 3.5 and 88.5 ± 3.6 at the last follow‐up. While no statistically significant differences in pre‐ or postoperative functional scores were found between the two groups, the MCLI group had thinner polyethylene inserts (9.5 ± 1.1 mm vs 12.9 ± 1.5 mm) and less use of constrained condylar inserts (15% vs 69.6%). During follow‐up, the MCLI group had fewer complications. Conclusion A modified MCLI technique can achieve good outcomes in TKA with type II valgus deformity of >20°. It can maintain a normal joint line level, reduce the use of constrained condylar knee prostheses, and is a reliable choice for severe genu valgum.

Aberrant expression of SNX5 can contribute to tumorigenesis, invasion, and metastasis of several human cancers. However, the clinicopathological and biological significance of SNX5 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remain unclear. In this study, we found that SNX5 expression was downregulated and negatively correlated with tumor size, American Joint Committee on Cancer stage, tumor thrombus of inferior vena cava, and poor prognosis in human ccRCC. Ectopic expression of SNX5 inhibited ccRCC cell proliferation and metastasis, whereas knockdown of SNX5 increased these activities both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, overexpression of SNX5 blocked internalization and intracellular trafficking of CD44 in ccRCC cells. Knockdown of SNX5 was associated with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in ccRCC cells. Overexpression of SNX5 inhibited TGF-β-induced migration, invasion, and EMT in ccRCC cells. KLF9 directly bound to the SNX5 promoter and increased SNX5 transcription. Moreover, we found that the combination of SNX5 and CD44 or E-cadherin or KLF9 was a more powerful predictor of poor prognosis than either parameter alone. Collectively, our data reveal a mechanism that KLF9-mediated SNX5 expression was associated with poor prognosis via trafficking of CD44 and promoting EMT in ccRCC. SNX5 may be a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for patients with ccRCC.

Abstract Background Tourniquet is currently widely used in total knee arthroplasty to reduce intraoperative blood loss. The academic view of tourniquet application in TKA is now in dispute. Some scholars argue that tourniquet may cause quadriceps injury and bring extra side effects, so they oppose the application of tourniquet. Others find that tourniquet application has no significant adverse impact on TKA patients. Regarding its advantages in reducing intraoperative blood loss, they advocate the regular application of tourniquet in TKA. Quadriceps injury is considered the main cause of tourniquet side effects. There are now many high-quality trials about tourniquet application in TKA but few of them concentrate on quadriceps morphology and function. Methods A prospective, single-blind, randomized controlled trial will be adopted. The target sample is 130. Patients who meet the eligibility criteria will be randomly allocated to the tourniquet group and non-tourniquet group. The primary outcome is quadriceps thickness evaluated by ultrasound test. Secondary outcomes include quadriceps stiffness, rehabilitation outcomes, operation time, intraoperative and postoperative blood loss, blood transfusion rate, thigh circumference, VAS score, opioid consumption, d-dimer and C-reactive protein level in the serum, knee function score, postoperative satisfaction score, and complications. Discussion This proposed study will contribute to improve evidence of tourniquet application in total knee arthroplasty. This will be a high-quality single-blind randomized controlled trial with a sufficient sample size and strict study design. It will investigate the effects of tourniquet application especially on the morphology and function of quadriceps in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty and offer advice for tourniquet application in clinical practice. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2000035097 . Registered on 31 July 2020

The tiny sizes of pores and throats in shale gas reservoir increase the complexities of the flow mechanisms, which challenge the accuracy of current productivity models during optimization design and prediction for multistage fractured horizontal wells (MFHWs). This paper established a productivity prediction model for MFHWs with cased hole completion and open hole completion. The model couples the gas flow in the matrix, fractures, and wellbore using potential superposition principle and considers multiple mechanisms of gas flows in a shale gas reservoir, such as stress-sensitive effect, wellbore friction, as well as interference between fractures. Based on the developed model, a productivity prediction method for MFHWs in shale gas reservoirs has been established, and sensitivity of the impact factors on productivity was analyzed. The analysis revealed that MFHWs are suitable for shale gas reservoirs with certain thickness. The number of fractures has significant impact on the production of shale gas reservoir. And the fractures at the both sides have higher production rate than the intermediate ones for multistage fractured horizontal wells. The fracture half-length has insignificant effect on the productivity of MFHWs. The production of shale gas reservoir also increases with pressure drop. The wellbore friction has insignificant effect on the production of MFHWs. The findings of this study can provide a basis for scientific evaluation of the production of MFHWs in shale gas reservoirs.

BackgroundThe quantitative level and kinetics of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) in individuals with Omicron breakthrough infections may differ from those of vaccinated individuals without infection. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the difference in NAb levels to distinguish the breakthrough cases from the post-immunized population to identify early infected person in an outbreak epidemic when nasal and/or pharyngeal swab nucleic acid real-time PCR results were negative.MethodsWe collected 1077 serum samples from 877 individuals, including 189 with Omicron BA.2 breakthrough infection and 688 post-immunized participants. NAb titers were detected using the surrogate virus neutralization test, and were log(2)-transformed to normalize prior to analysis using Student’s unpaired t-tests. Geometric mean titers (GMT) were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Linear regression models were used to identify factors associated with NAb levels. We further conducted ROC curve analysis to evaluate the NAbs’ ability to identify breakthrough infected individuals in the vaccinated population.ResultsThe breakthrough infection group had a consistently higher NAb levels than the post-immunized group according to time since the last vaccination. NAb titers in the breakthrough infection group were 6.4-fold higher than those in the post-immunized group (GMT: 40.72 AU/mL and 6.38 AU/mL, respectively; p

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a common postoperative complication of knee/hip arthroplasty. There is a continued need for artificial intelligence-based methods of predicting lower extremity DVT risk after knee/hip arthroplasty. In this study, we performed a retrospective study to analyse the data from patients who underwent primary knee/hip arthroplasty between January 2017 and December 2021 with postoperative bilateral lower extremity venous ultrasonography. Patients’ features were extracted from electronic health records (EHRs) and assigned to the training (80%) and test (20%) datasets using six models: eXtreme gradient boosting, random forest, support vector machines, logistic regression, ensemble, and backpropagation neural network. The Caprini score was calculated according to the Caprini score measurement scale, and the corresponding optimal cut-off Caprini score was calculated according to the largest Youden index. In total, 6897 cases of knee/hip arthroplasty were included (average age, 65.5 ± 8.9 years; 1702 men), among which 1161 (16.8%) were positive and 5736 (83.2%) were negative for deep vein thrombosis. Among the six models, the ensemble model had the highest area under the curve [0.9206 (0.8956, 0.9364)], with a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and F1 score of 0.8027, 0.9059, 0.6100, 0.9573 and 0.7003, respectively. The corresponding optimal cut-off Caprini score was 10, with an area under the curve, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive values of 0.5703, 0.8915, 0.2491, 0.1937, 0.9191, and 0.3183, respectively. In conclusion, machine learning models based on EHRs can help predict the risk of deep vein thrombosis after knee/hip arthroplasty.

The CO2 power cycle (CPC) system is an efficient and environmentally friendly method for waste heat recovery (WHR). However, the traditional design and optimization process of a CPC system is very complex and time-consuming. This paper proposes a novel goal-oriented design method based on machine-learning methods for quickly designing an optimized CPC system with given performance indicators. And taking the design of the CO2 transcritical power cycle (CTPC) system for internal combustion engines (ICEs) as an example. Firstly, the net output power and the total cost of the system prediction models are trained by simulated data. Then the multi-objective optimization of the system is carried out by using the genetic algorithm coupled with the prediction models, and the optimization results are used to train a classification model. Finally, the given target indicators are input into the classification model for goal-oriented designing and getting the optimal configuration. The results of the goal-oriented design validation show that the goal-oriented design method can design the CTPC system well. And, once the classification model is trained, the CTPC system's future goal-oriented design process only needs to be calculated once, significantly reducing design time. In conclusion, the goal-oriented design method based on machine-learning proposed is a novel and promising method. This is a technology that combines computer science and energy science and can provide users with a quick and reliable CPC system design method.

AimTo compare differences in life satisfaction between widowed and non-widowed elders based on social support.MethodsA total of 4,560 widowed and 3,655 non-widowed elders were selected from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS-2018). Ordinal logistic regression models and t-tests were performed using SPSS v20.ResultsBoth widowed and non-widowed elders had high levels of life satisfaction. Personal characteristics had a significant impact on the life satisfaction of both widowed and non-widowed elders. Endowment insurance, social trust, residence, self-rated health, and living with family had a significant impact on the life satisfaction of widowed elders (p