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Summary: Background: The worldwide geographical and temporal variation in the prevalence of diabetes represents a challenge, but also an opportunity for gaining etiological insights. Encompassing the bulk of East Asians, a large and distinct proportion of the world population, China can be a source of valuable epidemiological insights for diabetes, especially in early life, when pathophysiology begins. We carried out a nationwide, epidemiological survey of Prevalence and Risk of Obesity and Diabetes in Youth (PRODY) in China, from 2017 to 2019, to estimate the population-based prevalence of diagnosed pediatric diabetes and screen for undiagnosed pediatric type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods: PRODY was a nation-wide, school population-based, cross-sectional, multicenter survey by questionnaire, fasting urine glucose test and simple oral glucose tolerance test (s-OGTT), among a total number of 193,801 general-population children and adolescents (covered a pediatric population of more than 96.8 million), aged 3–18, from twelve provinces across China. The prevalence of the self-reported pediatric diabetes, the proportion of subtypes, the crude prevalence of undiagnosed T2D and prediabetes in general juvenile population and the main risk factors of type 1 (T1D) and type 2 (T2D) diabetes had been analyzed in the study. Findings: The prevalence of all self-reported pediatric diabetes was estimated at 0.62/1000 (95% CI: 0.51–0.74), with T1D at 0.44/1000 (95% CI: 0.35–0.54) and T2D at 0.18/1000 (95% CI: 0.13–0.25). For undiagnosed T2D, the crude prevalence was almost ten-fold higher, at 1.59/1000, with an estimated extra 28.45/1000 of undiagnosed impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and 53.74/1000 of undiagnosed impaired fasting glucose (IFG) by s-OGTT screening. Maternal diabetes history is the major risk factors for all subtypes of pediatric diabetes in China. Interpretation: The PRODY study provides the first population-based estimate of the prevalence of pediatric diabetes China and reveals a magnitude of the problem of undiagnosed pediatric T2D. We propose a practical screening strategy by s-OGTT to address this serious gap. Funding: The National Key Research and Development Programme of China, Key R&D Program of Zhejiang, the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Zhejiang Provincial Key Disciplines of Medicine, Key R&D Program Projects in Zhejiang Province.

BackgroundThe optimal outcome of assisted reproductive technology is a successful live birth after fresh embryo transfer. However, the success pregnancy rate of fresh embryo transfer cycle in antagonist protocol is lower than that observed in other protocols. Despite the use of antagonists (GnRH-ant), the incidence of luteinizing hormone surge and elevated progesterone levels remain at approximately 5%-38%. Progesterone is widely recognized to exert adverse effects on fresh embryo transfer outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the impact of luteinizing hormone surge and progesterone levels on live birth rate following fresh embryo transfer and explore appropriate progesterone thresholds to enhance pregnancy outcomes.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study included a total of 1,177 antagonist protocol cycles with fresh embryo transfer. The patients were divided into four groups based on the presence of premature LH surge and progesterone level on trigger day>1.5ng/ml. Then, the relationship between the variables and the pregnancy outcome was analyzed and compared in each group.ResultsThe transient rise of luteinizing hormone did not impact pregnancy outcomes (P=0.345; P=0.3; P=0.787), in contrast to progesterone levels on the day of hCG administration (P=0.047*; P=0.015*; P=0.021*). In cases with luteinizing hormone surge, elevated progesterone levels were correlated with higher antral follicle count (AFC), and as progesterone levels increased, a greater quantity of oocytes and embryos were obtained. However, there was no statistically significant difference in pregnancy outcomes. In cases without luteinizing hormone surge, elevated progesterone levels led to significantly poorer pregnancy outcomes. Furthermore, the curve-fitting and threshold-effect analysis revealed a notable decline in live birth rates when progesterone exceeded or equaled 1.10ng/ml (OR, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.09–0.66; P = 0.005*).ConclusionThe GnRH-ant dosage addition should be carefully selected in flexible antagonist protocols. The presence of elevated progesterone levels may be associated with improved embryo quality when luteinizing hormone surge occurred. In the absence of a luteinizing hormone surge, progesterone levels showed a larger impact on the pregnancy outcome, and fresh embryo transfer should not be performed if the progesterone level on the day of hCG administration is higher than 1.10ng/ml.

Abstract Background The attrition of nursing staff significantly contributes to the shortage of healthcare professionals. This study entailed an examination of the propensity of nurses to sustain employment within Grade-A tertiary general hospitals and the various influencing factors. Methods A total of 2,457 nurses from three grade-A tertiary general hospitals were surveyed. The survey instruments included a general information questionnaire, a scale measuring their willingness to continue working, and a Chinese version of the Magnet Hospital Factor scale. Results The scores of the willingness to continue working scale and the Magnet Hospital Factor scale were 21.53 ± 4.52 and 145.46 ± 25.82, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in the scores of willingness of nurses to continue working across various factors, including the department, age, marital status, family location, length of service as nurses, professional title, position, and employment type, upon comparison (P

Abstract Background Cellular senescence frequently occurs during anti-cancer treatment, and persistent senescent tumor cells (STCs) unfavorably promote tumor progression through paracrine secretion of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have recently emerged as a novel component of the SASP and primarily mediate the tumor-promoting effect of the SASP. Of note, the potential effect of EVs released from STCs on tumor progression remains largely unknown. Methods We collected tumor tissues from two cohorts of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients to examine the expression of p16, p21, and SERPINE1 before and after anti-cancer treatment. Cohort 1 included 22 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) who received neoadjuvant therapy before surgical resection. Cohort 2 included 30 patients with metastatic CRC (mCRC) who received first-line irinotecan-contained treatment. CCK-8, transwell, wound-healing assay, and tumor xenograft experiments were carried out to determine the impacts of EVs released from STCs on CRC progression in vitro and in vivo. Quantitative proteomic analysis was applied to identify protein cargo inside EVs secreted from STCs. Immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometer identification were utilized to explore the binding partners of SERPINE1. The interaction of SERPINE1 with p65 was verified by co-immunoprecipitation, and their co-localization was confirmed by immunofluorescence. Results Chemotherapeutic agents and irradiation could potently induce senescence in CRC cells in vitro and in human CRC tissues. The more significant elevation of p16 and p21 expression in patients after anti-cancer treatment displayed shorter disease-free survival (DFS) for LARC or progression-free survival (PFS) for mCRC. We observed that compared to non-STCs, STCs released an increased number of EVs enriched in SERPINE1, which further promoted the progression of recipient cancer cells. Targeting SERPINE1 with a specific inhibitor, tiplaxtinin, markedly attenuated the tumor-promoting effect of STCs-derived EVs. Additionally, the patients with greater increment of SERPINE1 expression after anti-cancer treatment had shorter DFS for LARC or PFS for mCRC. Mechanistically, SERPINE1 bound to p65, promoting its nuclear translocation and subsequently activating the NF-κB signaling pathway. Conclusions We provide the in vivo evidence of the clinical prognostic implications of therapy-induced senescence. Our results revealed that STCs were responsible for CRC progression by producing large amounts of EVs enriched in SERPINE1. These findings further confirm the crucial role of therapy-induced senescence in tumor progression and offer a potential therapeutic strategy for CRC treatment.

Narrow-linewidth lasers mainly depend on the development of advanced laser linewidth measurement methods for related technological progress as key devices in satellite laser communications, precision measurements, ultra-high-speed optical communications, and other fields. This manuscript provides a theoretical analysis of linewidth characterization methods based on the beat frequency power spectrum and laser phase noise calculations, and elaborates on existing research of measurement technologies. In addition, to address the technical challenges of complex measurement systems that commonly rely on long optical fibers and significant phase noise jitter in the existing research, a short-delay self-heterodyne method based on coherent envelope spectrum demodulation was discussed in depth to reduce the phase jitter caused by 1/f noise. We assessed the performance parameters and testing conditions of different lasers, as well as the corresponding linewidth characterization methods, and analyzed the measurement accuracy and error sources of various methods.

Abstract Bicyclic boronates play critical roles in the discovery of functional materials and antibacterial agents, especially against deadly bacterial pathogens. Their practical and convenient preparation is in high demand but with great challenge. Herein, we report an efficient strategy for the preparation of bicyclic boronates through metal-free heteroatom-directed alkenyl sp 2-C‒H borylation. This synthetic approach exhibits good functional group compatibility, and the corresponding boronates bearing halides, aryls, acyclic and cyclic frameworks are obtained with high yields (43 examples, up to 95% yield). Furthermore, a gram-scale experiment is conducted, and downstream transformations of the bicyclic boronates are pursued to afford natural products, drug scaffolds, and chiral hemiboronic acid catalysts.

ABSTRACTSenescence frequently occurs in cancer cells in response to chemotherapy (called therapy-induced senescence). Senescent cells can exert paracrine effects through the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) promoting cancer recurrence and chemoresistance. The altered gut microbiota has been closely associated with cancer progression through the direct interaction with cancer cells. However, little is known about the relationship between the gut microbiota and therapy-induced senescent cells. This study aimed to explore the impact of the gut microbiota on therapy-induced senescent cells and the SASP. We found that esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cells were induced into senescence following platinum-based chemotherapy, accompanied by the secretion of a robust SASP. Furthermore, senescent ESCC cells exerted a tumor-promoting effect through the SASP both in vitro and in vivo. Through 16S rRNA gene sequencing and fluorescence in situ hybridization, we identified that Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum) was abundant in human ESCC cancerous tissues and correlated with poor prognosis in ESCC patients. Notably, F. nucleatum further promoted the secretion of the SASP by senescent ESCC cells. Compared with the conditioned medium from senescent ESCC cells, the conditioned medium from F. nucleatum-treated senescent ESCC cells accelerated tumor growth in xenograft models, enhanced migration and invasion abilities, and potentiated chemoresistance both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, F. nucleatum invaded and survived in senescent ESCC cells and induced an increase in DNA damage to further activate the DNA damage response pathway, thus enhancing the SASP. Altogether, these findings reveal for the first time that F. nucleatum promotes the secretion of chemotherapy-induced SASP to drive ESCC progression and chemoresistance, which supports F. nucleatum as a potential target for ESCC therapy.

Abstract Background The outcome of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF) is often determined according to follicle and estradiol levels following gonadotropin stimulation. In previous studies, although most of them analyzed the estrogen level from ovaries or the average estrogen level of a single follicle, there was no study on the ratio of estrogen increase, which was also correlated with pregnancy outcomes in the clinic. This study aimed to make timely adjustments to follow-up medication to improve clinical outcomes based on the potential value of estradiol growth rate. Methods We comprehensively analyzed estrogen growth during the entire ovarian stimulation period. Serum estradiol levels were measured on the day of gonadotropin treatment (Gn1), five days later (Gn5), eight days later (Gn8), and on the trigger day (HCG). This ratio was used to determine the increase in estradiol levels. According to the ratio of estradiol increase, the patients were divided into four groups: A1 (Gn5/Gn1 ≤ 6.44), A2 (6.44 21.33); B1 (Gn8/Gn5 ≤ 2.39), B2 (2.39 3.84). We analyzed and compared the relationship between data in each group and pregnancy outcomes. Results In the statistical analysis, the estradiol levels of Gn5 (P = 0.029, P = 0.042), Gn8 (P

Background and aim: Although studies have associated elevated prenatal obesity with increased risk of various diseases in offspring, little is known regarding the immune system. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between prenatal obesity and levels of cytokines in umbilical cord blood and development of allergic disease during the first 10 years of life in an offspring. Methods: A cohort of term infants born at the ShaoXing Women and Children Hospitals in China in 2011 was enrolled in this study. Flow cytometry was performed to measure levels of various cord blood cytokines, namely IL1β, IL2, IL10, IL6, IL8, IL17, IL12, TNF-α and IFN-γ. Next, logistic regression was used to explore the association of prenatal BMI with the development of allergic disease. The relationship between levels of each cord blood cytokine with prenatal BMI, and allergic disease development was tested using linear and logistic regression analyses, respectively. Results: After 10 years of follow-up, higher prenatal BMI was significantly associated with development of allergic disease in children (HR = 2.45, 95% CI:1.08–5.57, P = 0.033). We also adjusted for maternal age, education and infant gender, and found that prenatal BMI was significantly associated with higher levels of IL12 (P = 0.023) and IL1β (P = 0.049) in cord blood. Moreover, we adjusted for maternal age, education, allergic dermatitis, gestation age and infant gender, and found that increase in each unit (1.26 pg/ml) in IL17 was associated with a 55.5% higher risk of allergic disease in 10-year-old children (HR = 1.55, 95%Cl: 0.99–2.45, P = 0.056). Meanwhile, after adjusting for maternal age, education level, gestation age, prenatal BMI, gestational weight gain, infant gender and birthweight, we found that for every unit increase in IL10, IL6 and IL1β, the risk of overweight/obesity in children after 10-year follow-up increased by 18.7% (HR = 1.19, 95%Cl: 1.01–1.40, P = 0.042), 13.9% (HR = 1.14, 95%Cl: 1.02–1.27, P = 0.021) and 41.3% (HR = 1.41, 95%Cl: 1.02–1.95, P = 0.036), respectively. Conclusions: Prenatal obesity was positively correlated with allergic diseases in offspring. Cord blood cytokine may play mediating roles in the associations of prenatal obesity with offspring allergic diseases.

Background: Cisplatin (CIS) is widely used to treat various cancers but can cause ototoxicity and sensory hair cell loss in the inner ear. Copper induces an excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in hair cells, leading to the development of various antioxidants.Methods and results: This study aimed to evaluate the potential antioxidant properties of curcumin (CUR) in the inner ear organ of corti-1 cells (OC1) and animal models (zebrafish and guinea pigs). Graphene oxide quantum dots (GOQDs) enabled CUR to penetrate the round window membrane (RWM) and maintain the concentration in the perilymph after inner ear administration. The results showed that CUR/GOQDs had favorable biocompatibility and strongly affected ROS generation induced by CIS in OC1 cells. DCFHDA Green staining demonstrated that CUR/GOQDs successfully reversed the decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential induced by CIS in vitro and rescued cells from early cuproptosis, which was confirmed by FDX1 staining. Additionally, the experiment found that CUR decreased the expression of cuproptosis proteins (FDX1, LIAS, and LIPT1) and increased the expression of the Bcl-2 protein.Conclusion: The results demonstrate that CUR/GOQDs is a promising therapeutic agent that can prevent CIS-induced ototoxicity by blocking the cuproptosis signal pathway.

Abstract Accurately predicting photovoltaic output power is one of the most important basic tasks for the rapid development of the smart grid. The factors that influence photovoltaic output power are not fully considered in the current forecast model. To this end, an all‐factor photovoltaic short‐term output power prediction model based on improved ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) and the seeker optimization algorithm (SOA) ‐BP neural network model is proposed here. First, different similarity algorithms are used in the selection of similar days of different weather types. Second, the factors that affect the PV output power are divided into deterministic parameters and stochastic parameters. The stochastic parameters of similar daily samples are used to constitute a time series, which is decomposed into several stationary signals by EEMD, and then, these signals are trained separately by the SOA‐BPNN model. Finally, the final forecast result can be synthesized with the deterministic parameters and the accumulation of the predicted data of individual signals. Compared with the results of different prediction models, the prediction accuracy of the proposed model is much higher.

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical incidence and characteristics of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) of children and adolescents at the time of initial diagnosis in China.MethodsData on all pediatric patients with newly diagnosed T1DM were retrospectively collected from 34 medical centers in 25 major cities in China from January 2015 to January 2020. Patients were classified into three age groups:

Dielectric elastomer generators (DEGs) provide a new solution for vibrational energy harvesting. Currently, a type of impact-based DEGs, which can harvest energy from ambient vibrations, has been proposed and studied through simulations. However, the energy conversion mechanism and the performance evaluation approach of such impact-based DEGs have not been fully studied yet, thus limiting the reliability of the research on the system design/optimization and performance evaluation. In this paper, a single-sided impact (SSI) model is proposed to reveal the impact-based energy conversion mechanism. Based on this model, a complete four-stage impact process is analyzed to reveal the energy conversion mechanism, and the electrical outputs and energy conversion efficiency are derived as the energy harvesting performance evaluation indexes. To use the developed analytical model to predict the system electrical response accurately, some important parameters including the coefficient of restitution (COR) and largest deflection of the membrane at impacts were obtained experimentally, and the system output voltages at impacts were measured to verify the theoretical approaches in calculating the system electrical outputs and studying the parameters' influences. Furthermore, the influences of the pre-stretched ratio, impact velocity, and input voltage on the system energy harvesting performance are studied through simulations. The research results can provide guidelines to improve the energy harvesting performance of the impact-based DEGs in real applications.

Abstract Background Monosialotetrahexosylganglioside (GM1) is a neuroprotective glycosphingolipid that repairs nerves. Oxaliplatin‐based chemotherapy is neurotoxic. This study assessed the efficacy of GM1 for preventing oxaliplatin‐induced peripheral neurotoxicity (OIPN) in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients receiving oxaliplatin‐based chemotherapy. Methods In total, 196 patients with stage II/III CRC undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy with mFOLFOX6 were randomly assigned to intravenous GM1 or a placebo. The primary endpoint was the rate of grade 2 or worse cumulative neurotoxicity (NCI‐CTCAE). The secondary endpoints were chronic cumulative neurotoxicity (EORTC QLQ‐CIPN20), time to grade 2 neurotoxicity (NCI‐CTCAE or the oxaliplatin‐specific neuropathy scale), acute neurotoxicity (analog scale), rates of dose reduction or withdrawal due to OIPN, 3‐year disease‐free survival (DFS) and adverse events. Results There were no significant differences between the arms in the rate of NCI‐CTCAE grade 2 or worse neurotoxicity (GM1: 33.7% vs placebo: 31.6%; P = .76) or neuropathy measured by the EORTC QLQ‐CIPN20 or time to grade 2 neurotoxicity using NCI‐CTCAE and the oxaliplatin‐specific neuropathy scale. GM1 substantially decreased participant‐reported acute neurotoxicity (sensitivity to cold items [P

The radiation mechanism of fast radio bursts (FRBs) has been extensively studied, but still remains elusive. Coherent radiation has been identified as a crucial component in the FRB mechanism, with charged bunches also playing a significant role under specific circumstances. In the present research, we propose a phenomenological model that draws upon the coherent curvature radiation framework and a magnetized neutron star, taking into account the kinetic energy losses of outflow particles due to inverse Compton scattering (ICS) induced by soft photons within the magnetosphere. By integrating the ICS deceleration mechanism for particles, we hypothesize a potential compression effect on the particle number density within a magnetic tube/family, which could facilitate achieving the necessary size for coherent radiation in the radial direction. This mechanism might potentially enable the dynamic formation of bunches capable of emitting coherent curvature radiation along the curved magnetic field. Moreover, we examine the formation of bunches from an energy perspective. Our discussion suggests that within the given parameter space, the formation of bunches is feasible. Finally, we apply this model to FRB 20190520B, one of the most active repeating FRBs discovered and monitored by FAST. Several observed phenomena are explained, including the basic characteristics, frequency downward drifting, and bright spots within certain dynamic spectral ranges.

The evolutions of a neutron star’s rotation and magnetic field (B-field) have remained unsolved puzzles for over half a century. We ascribe the rotational braking torques of pulsar to both components, the standard magnetic dipole radiation (MDR) and particle wind flow (MDR + Wind, hereafter named MDRW), which we apply to the Crab pulsar (B0531 + 21), the only source with a known age and long-term continuous monitoring by radio telescope. Based on the above presumed simple spin-down torques, we obtain the exact analytic solution on the rotation evolution of the Crab pulsar, together with the related outcomes as described below: (1) unlike the constant characteristic B-field suggested by the MDR model, this value for the Crab pulsar increases by a hundred times in 50 kyr while its real B-field has no change; (2) the rotational braking index evolves from ∼3 to 1 in the long-term, however, it drops from 2.51 to 2.50 in ∼45 years at the present stage, while the particle flow contributes approximately 25% of the total rotational energy loss rate; (3) strikingly, the characteristic age has the maximum limit of ∼10 kyr, meaning that it is not always a good indicator of a real age. Furthermore, we discussed the evolutionary path of the Crab pulsar from the MDR to the wind domination by comparing with the possible wind braking candidate pulsar PSR J1734-3333.

We demonstrate a narrow-linewidth, high side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR) semiconductor laser based on the external optical feedback injection locking technology of a femtosecond-apodized (Fs-apodized) fiber Bragg grating (FBG). A single frequency output is achieved by coupling and integrating a wide-gain quantum dot (QD) gain chip with a Fs-apodized FBG in a 1-μm band. We propose this low-cost and high-integration scheme for the preparation of a series of single-frequency seed sources in this wavelength range by characterizing the performance of 1030 nm and 1080 nm lasers. The lasers have a maximum SMSR of 66.3 dB and maximum output power of 134.6 mW. Additionally, the lasers have minimum Lorentzian linewidths that are measured to be 260.5 kHz; however, a minimum integral linewidth less than 180.4 kHz is observed by testing and analyzing the power spectra of the frequency noise values of the lasers.

Abstract This paper describes the fossil fruits of Scirpus weichangensis X.Q. Liang, sp. nov. from the early Miocene of Guangyongfa Village, Weichang County, Hebei Province, North China. The fossil fruits are obovate in shape and their lateral sections are plumply trigonous. The cell walls of the surface are straight. The persistent stout bristles have downward-directed barbellae in distal 1/2. The occurrence of the fossil Scirpus indicates that Guangfayong was a wetland in the early Miocene. Based on the fossil data, the genus likely originated in Western Siberia in the Oligocene, spread during the Miocene, and was finally distributed worldwide in the Holocene.

Abstract A new Bergeria (Lepidodendrales, Flemingitaceae), B. wenquanensis sp. nov., is described in this paper, typically characterized by the longest and elongated leaf cushions ever found. The specimen, collected from the Mississippian of Wenquan County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China, is represented by a fossil stem about two meters long, with distinct leaf cushions. The genus Bergeria has usually been assigned to partially decorticated Lepidodendron stems. Although Cathaysian Lepidodendron have been extensively reported in China, most of them were found in the central, eastern and southern parts of the country, rarely in northwestern China. This new species is so far the westernmost record and the most isolated representative from the Cathaysian Lepidodendron center. Based on the distribution of the Cathaysian Lepidodendron during the Mississippian, most of the species were in the South China Plate near the Equator, while the new species is discrete in the north, far from the Equator. According to the spatiotemporal distribution of Cathaysian Lepidodendron, this genus appeared during the Mississippian, a period which was represented by rather few species, it flourished and expanded northwards during the Pennsylvanian, taking the north block of the South China Plate as the center. Since the Cisuralian to the Guadalupian, the genus became gradually sparser in all areas of distribution, probably due to strong climate change. During the Lopingian, the genus migrated southwards to the South China block and had a broader distribution range again, and it became extinct to the end of this interval. The new species is also significant for the evolution of Lepidodendron leaf cushions. During the Mississippian, the primitive species of Lepidodendron usually had narrow, fusiform leaf cushions, while the Pennsylvanian or Permian species were more variable in shape of leaf cushions, from inverted water-drop, rhomboidal, hexagonal, trapeziform to horizontal rhomboidal.

The effects of exogenous GSH (reduced glutathione) on photosynthetic characteristics, photosystem II efficiency, absorbed light energy allocation and the H2O2-scavenging system in chloroplasts of salt-stressed tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) seedlings were studied using hydroponic experiments in a greenhouse. Application of exogenous GSH ameliorated saline-induced growth inhibition, the disturbed balance of Na+ and Cl− ions and Na+/K+ ratios, and the reduction of the net photosynthetic rate (Pn). GSH also increased the maximal photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm), the electron transport rate (ETR), the photochemical quenching coefficient (qP), and the non-photochemical quenching coefficient (NPQ). In addition, GSH application increased the photochemical quantum yield (Y(II)) and relative deviation from full balance between the photosystems (β/α–1) and decreased the PSII excitation pressure (1–qP) and quantum yield of non-regulated energy dissipation (Y(NO)) in leaves of salt-stressed tomatoes without BSO (L-buthionine-sulfoximine, an inhibitor of key GSH synthesis enzyme γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase) or with BSO. Further, the addition of GSH depressed the accumulation of H2O2 and malondialdehyde (MDA), induced the redistribution of absorbed light energy in PSII reaction centers, and improved the endogenous GSH content, GSH/GSSH ratio and activities of H2O2-scavenging enzymes (including superoxidase dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) and key enzymes in the AsA-GSH cycle and Grx system) in the chloroplasts of salt-stressed plants with or without BSO. Therefore, GSH application alleviates inhibition of salt-induced growth and photosynthesis mainly by overcoming stomatal limitations, improving the PSII efficiency, and balancing the uneven distribution of light energy to reduce the risk of ROS generation and to mediate chloroplast redox homeostasis and the antioxidant defense system to protect the chloroplasts from oxidative damage. Thus, GSH may be used as a potential tool for alleviating salt stress in tomato plants.

The taxonomical position of species of the genus Tamarix (Tamaricaceae) has been criticized because of their gross morphological similarities (such as slender, smooth and reddish–brown branches, grey–green foliage and scale leaves), and their systematic relationships remain unclear. In this paper, the leaf epidermal features of 17 species from China are studied based on the micro-morphological characters of the epidermal cells, stomata, salt glands, papillae and epidermal hairs. According to the studies, the leaf epidermal features, together with the character of the flower, are taxonomically clearly distinct. The establishment of Tamarix albiflonum is consolidated. Tamarix korolkowi and Tamarix ramosissima have minimal differences in epidermal characters, and the former is suggested to be a junior synonym. Tamarix ramosissima, Tamarix tarimensis, Tamarix arceuthoides and Tamarix hohenackeri are most similar with respect to their leaf epidermis; considering the common morphological features, habit, distribution and especially the hybridization, it is suggested that these four species are closely genetically related and that the variations among them are probably intraspecific. The new taxonomical evidence indicates the occurrence of 13 species and four variants in China. Presently, Tamarix is a typical plant of arid and semi-arid regions, but its Eocene ancestors lived in warm and humid climates in the coastal areas of the ancient Mediterranean Sea. Thus, the papillae or epidermal hairs, which are outgrowths of the outer epidermal cells facilitating the leaf to respond to water stress and commonly seen in the plants growing in arid or semi-arid areas rather than the plants in warm and humid climates, are of relatively recent origin in Tamarix. The primitive species lack papillae or epidermal hairs, while in evolved species these structures are abundant. Based on the ecological adaptations of the epidermal features, the palaeogeographic implications of Tamarix in the Late Cenozoic of Northwest China are also discussed. Keywords: Anatomy, Arid region, Epidermis, Ecological adaptation, Phylogenetic evolution, Tamarix, Northwest China

This paper proposes a novel method to track table tennis ball in real time by a low-speed camera instead of a high-speed one. Several difficult problems are solved for practical applications, such as environmental interference, smear in low-speed video images and slow processing speed. In view of these difficulties, the VOCUS system is used to segment images and mark the three significant regions based on three contrast colour channels. These regions are utilized for image matching using the LGP+adaboost algorithm. As a strong classifier based on machine learning, adaboost algorithm can recognize the features of smear balls with different shapes. Therefore, the region that is most similar to smear ball from the three significant regions is regarded as a target. Afterwards, through the moving ROI area algorithm, the identification time is greatly shortened in real-time video tracking. Finally, the feasibility of the algorithm is examined by experiments.

Background: Breast cancer is characterized by a distinct metastatic pattern involving the regional lymph nodes, bone marrow, lung and liver. This study is aimed to investigate the effects of silencing the HAS-2 gene on the proliferation and apoptosis of human breast cancer cells. Methods: MCF-7 cells were collected and assigned into control, scrambled siRNA and HAS-2- siRNA groups. After transfection, the morphological changes in the MCF-7 cells were observed using phase contrast microscopy. qRT-PCR and Western blot assays were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression of apoptosis-related proteins. CCK-8 and flow cytometry were performed to evaluate cell proliferation, the cell cycle and apoptosis. Results: In the control and the scrambled siRNA groups, cells grew adhered to the wall and mainly showed a spindle shape with a clear nucleolus. Compared with the control and scrambled siRNA groups, increases in the number of cells in early apoptosis and metaphase cells in apoptosis were observed in the HAS-2-siRNA group. The HAS-2-siRNA group showed decreased expression of HAS-2 relative to that in the control and scrambled siRNA groups. No significant differences in cell proliferation, cell cycle distribution or apoptosis were noted between the control and scrambled siRNA groups. In the HAS-2-siRNA group, the cell proliferation ability decreased significantly, but the number of cells in the G0/G1 stage, the number of apoptotic cells and the expression of caspase-3 and caspase-9 increased significantly. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that HAS-2 gene silencing may inhibit proliferation and promote apoptosis in the MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line.

Background: Several studies have reported the favorable effect of leucine supplementation on insulin resistance or insulin sensitivity. However, whether or not leucine supplementation improves leptin sensitivity remains unclear. Design: Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with either a high-fat diet (HFD) or HFD supplemented with 1.5, 3.0, and 4.5% leucine for 16 weeks. At the end of the experiment, serum leptin level was measured by ELISA, and leptin receptor (ObR) in the hypothalamus was examined by immunohistochemistry. The protein expressions of ObR and leptin-signaling pathway in adipose tissues were detected by western blot. Results: No significant differences in body weight and food/energy intake existed among the four groups. Serum leptin levels were significantly lower, and ObR expression in the hypothalamus and adipose tissues was significantly higher in the three leucine groups than in the control group. These phenomena suggested that leptin sensitivity was improved in the leucine groups. Furthermore, the expressions of JAK2 and STAT3 (activated by ObR) were significantly higher, and that of SOCS3 (inhibits leptin signaling) was significantly lower in the three leucine groups than in the control group. Conclusions: Leucine supplementation improves leptin sensitivity in rats on HFD likely by promoting leptin signaling.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the incidence and related factors of acute asymptomatic brain infarcts (aABI) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) via the right radial approach. Patients and methods: Two hundred ten consecutive patients with AMI were enrolled. Multiple factors were compared between patients with (n = 37) and without (n = 138) aABI in 175 patients who underwent PCI. Results: Of 175 patients with AMI, 37 (21.14%) developed aABI as determined by diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Incidence of hypertension, proportion of primary PCI (p-PCI), Killip > 1 on admission, duration of procedure, and the frequency of device insertion into the coronary artery significantly differed between the aABI and non-aABI groups. These significant factors were reevaluated using logistic regression. Proportion of p-PCI, duration of the procedure, and the frequency of device insertion into the coronary artery were indicated as independent factors related to the incidence of aABI and others did not. Conclusion: Cranial MRI imaging following PCI revealed that 21.14% of the patients with AMI had aABI. The independent factors related to aABI following PCI were p-PCI, duration of the procedure, and the frequency of device insertion into the coronary artery.

Non-Markovianity may significantly speed up quantum dynamics when the system interacts strongly with an infinite large reservoir, of which the coupling spectrum should be fine-tuned. The potential benefits are evident in many dynamics schemes, especially the continuous-time quantum walk. Difficulty exists, however, in producing closed-form solutions with controllable accuracy against the complexity of memory kernels. Here, we introduce a new multiple-scale perturbation method that works on integro-differential equations for general study of memory effects in dynamical systems. We propose an open-system model in which a continuous-time quantum walk is enclosed in a non-Markovian reservoir, that naturally corresponds to an error correction algorithm scheme. By applying the multiple-scale method we show how emergence of different timescales is related to transition of system dynamics into the non-Markovian regime. We find that up to two long-term modes and two short-term modes exist in regular networks, limited by their intrinsic symmetries. In addition to the effective approximation by our perturbation method on general forms of reservoirs, the speed-up of quantum walks assisted by non-Markovianity is also confirmed, revealing the advantage of reservoir engineering in designing time-sensitive quantum algorithms.

OBJECTIVE: To date, no study in the published literature has investigated the role of various serum uric acid (SUA) concentrations in the development of angiographically-proven coronary artery disease (CAD) in premenopausal women. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the role SUA levels may play in the prevalence, severity, and prognosis of CAD in premenopausal women. METHODS: This cross-sectional retrospective study included 607 premenopausal women who had undergone coronary angiography. The CAD diagnosis was based upon stenosis affecting ≥ 50% of the luminal diameter. Association of the SUA levels with CAD prevalence, severity, and clinical outcomes were assessed by statistical analysis. RESULTS: In total, 369 (60.8%) of the patients were diagnosed with CAD. The CAD patients had significantly higher SUA levels than those without CAD (5.3 ± 1.9 vs. 4.8 ± 1.7 mg/dL, P = 0.001). The SUA levels were found to be significantly associated with CAD prevalence (P = 0.013). Patients with higher levels of SUA also showed increased rates of multivessel disease and composite end-points, such as major adverse cardiac events. Furthermore, multivariate analysis identified abnormally high levels of uric acid (hyperuricemia) as an independent risk factor for CAD (OR 1.51 (1.11-2.53), P

With the integration of industrial control systems (ICSs) and modern IT networks, the security of ICSs has been threatened while increasing their efficiency. Existing intrusion detection methods based on machine learning, such as Support Vector Machine (SVM), Decision Tree, etc., usually rely on manually designed methods for feature learning and have low accuracy for intrusion detection of high-dimensional network traffic of ICSs. Although the detection accuracy of Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and Gated Recurrent Units (GRU) based methods is significantly improved compared to Simple Recurrent Neural Network (SimpleRNN), there is the problem of long training time consumption. To solve the above problem, this study proposed an intrusion detection method for ICSs based on 1D Convolution Neural Networks (1D CNN) and Bidirectional Simple Recurrent Unit (BiSRU), fully learning the correlation and dependency of network traffic data of ICSs in spatial and temporal dimensions. With skip connections employed, the optimized bidirectional structure of the Simple Recurrent Unit (SRU) neural network can further alleviate the problem of gradient vanishing and improve the training effect. Mississippi State University's Gas Pipeline dataset was used to train and test the model. Experiments show that the proposed method is significantly better than other existing methods in terms of accuracy and training time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]