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Abstract Background Qin-Yu-Qing-Chang decoction (QYQC), an herbal formula from China, is extensively employed to manage ulcerative colitis (UC) and exhibits potential benefits for colonic function. Nevertheless, the fundamental molecular mechanisms of QYQC remain largely uncharted. Methods The primary constituents of QYQC were determined utilizing UHPLC-MS/MS analysis and the effectiveness of QYQC was assessed in a mouse model of colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium. Evaluations of colon inflammatory responses and mucosal barrier function were thoroughly assessed. RNA sequencing, molecular docking, colonic energy metabolism, and 16S rRNA sequencing analysis were applied to uncover the complex mechanisms of QYQC in treating UC. Detect the signal transduction of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) both in the nucleus and cytoplasm. Furthermore, a PPAR-γ antagonist was strategically utilized to confirm the functional targets that QYQC exerts. Results Utilizing UHPLC-MS/MS, the principal constituents of the nine traditional Chinese medicinal herbs comprising QYQC were systematically identified. QYQC treatment substantially ameliorated colitis in mice, as evidenced by the improvement in symptoms and the reduction in colonic pathological injuries. Besides, QYQC treatment mitigated the inflammatory response and improved mucosal barrier function. Furthermore, QYQC enhanced the mitochondria citrate cycle (TCA cycle) by triggering PPAR-γ signaling and increasing the proportion of PPAR-γ entering the nucleus. This prevented the unconstrained expansion of facultative anaerobes, particularly pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli, family Enterobacteriaceae) and thus improved colitis. Results of molecular docking indicated that the representative chemical components of QYQC including Baicalin, Paeoniflorin, Mollugin, and Imperatorin bound well with PPAR-γ. The impact of QYQC on colitis was diminished in the presence of a PPAR-γ antagonist. Conclusions In summary, QYQC ameliorates UC by activating PPAR-γ signaling and increasing the proportion of PPAR-γ entering the nucleus, which enhances the energy metabolism of intestinal epithelial cells and thereby preventing the uncontrolled proliferation of facultative anaerobes.

Purpose: To investigate the renal pathophysiological processes and protective effect of quercetin on contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI–AKI) in mice with type 1 diabetic mellitus(DM) using diffusion tensor imaging(DTI).Methods: Mice with DM were divided into two groups. In the diabetic + contrast medium(DCA) group, the changes of the mice kidneys were monitored at 1, 24, 48, and 72 h after the injection of iodixanol(4gI/kg). The mice in the diabetic + contrast medium + quercetin(DCA + QE) group were orally given different concentrations of quercetin for seven days before injection of iodixanol. In vitro experiments, renal tubular epithelial (HK-2) cells exposed to high glucose conditions were treated with various quercetin concentrations before treatment with iodixanol(250 mgI/mL).Results: DTI-derived mean diffusivity(MD) and fractional anisotropy(FA) values can be used to evaluate CI-AKI effectively. Quercetin significantly increased the expression of Sirt 1 and reduced oxidative stress by increasing Nrf 2/HO-1/SOD1. The antiapoptotic effect of quercetin on CI-AKI was revealed by decreasing proteins level and by reducing the number of apoptosis-positive cells. In addition, flow cytometry indicated quercetin-mediated inhibition of M1 macrophage polarization in the CI-AKI.Conclusions: DTI will be an effective noninvasive tool in diagnosing CI-AKI. Quercetin attenuates CI-AKI on the basis of DM through anti-oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammation.

Purpose: The current study aims to implement steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs) in quantifying the binocular imbalance of amblyopia and to assess the predictive value of SSVEP-derived indices for amblyopic stereoacuity. Methods: We measure frequency-tagged SSVEP responses elicited by each eye (F1 = 6 Hz through the fellow eye; F2 = 7.5 Hz through the amblyopic eye) within a binocular rivalry paradigm among a cohort of anisometropic amblyopic observers (n = 29, mean age: 12 years). Binocular suppression was quantified by assessing the disparity in SSVEP amplitudes between the eyes, while the strength of interocular interaction was evaluated through the intermodulation response at F1+F2 = 13.5 Hz. Subsequent analyses explored the associations between these neural indices and relevant behavioral metrics in amblyopia. Results: Results reveal a significant difference in SSVEP amplitudes elicited from the fellow eye and the amblyopic eye, with the former exhibiting notably higher responses. Moreover, the fellow eye demonstrated prolonged dominance duration compared to its amblyopic counterpart. Furthermore, a negative correlation between binocular suppression and interocular interaction was observed, with stereoacuity showing a significant correlation with binocular suppression. Utilizing stepwise mulptiple linear regression analysis, we established that a predictive model combining binocular suppression and visual acuity of the amblyopic eye provided the best prediction of stereoacuity. Conclusions: These results highlight the potential of binocular suppression, as assessed by SSVEPs within a binocular rivalry paradigm, as a promising neural predictor of stereopsis in amblyopia.

A novel (8.5Al3BC + 14.5Al2O3)/Al composite was fabricated with exceptional elevated-temperature properties and stiffness. The composite boasts an average Young’s modulus of 99 GPa, with ultimate tensile strength and elongation of the composite at 350°C averaging 188 MPa and 4.4%, respectively. The synergistic strengthening effect of Al3BC and γ-Al2O3 is responsible for the high-temperature properties, while they both contribute to the improvement of stiffness as they have a high initial Young’s modulus. This innovative composite design holds promising potential for advancements in material engineering and performance optimization.

Tactile sensing enables high-precision 3D shape perception when vision is limited. However, tactile-based shape reconstruction remains a challenging problem. In this paper, a novel visuotactile sensor, GelStereo Palm 2.0, is proposed to better capture 3D contact geometry. Leveraging the dense tactile point cloud captured by GelStereo Palm 2.0, an active shape reconstruction pipeline is presented to achieve accurate and efficient 3D shape reconstruction on irregular surfaces. GelStereo Palm 2.0 achieves a spatial resolution of 1.5 mm and a reconstruction accuracy of 0.3 mm. The accuracy of the proposed active shape reconstruction pipeline reaches 2.3 mm within 18 explorations. The proposed method has potential applications in the shape reconstruction of transparent or underwater objects.

The aging population in China is increasing the prevalence of degenerative diseases such as knee osteoarthritis (KOA), which significantly impacts the elderly’s quality of life. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) massage has been effective in alleviating KOA symptoms; however, the physician-patient ratio and the physical demands on practitioners pose challenges. This study introduces the KOA massage robot, designed to replicate the seated knee adjustment manipulation, a specific TCM technique. The robot’s structural design and a Particle Swarm Optimization-Back Propagation (PSO-BP) algorithm are integrated to reduce the manipulation required by physicians and to assist in KOA massage treatment. The robot’s force prediction accuracy was determined to be 5.34N on average, and its therapeutic efficacy was supported by Surface Electromyography (sEMG) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) assessments, demonstrating pain relief and improved quadriceps muscle activation in KOA patients. The experimental validation involved a comparison between traditional manual massage and the robotic intervention. The results showed that the robot could achieve an average increase in integrated EMG (iEMG) of 47%, closely mirroring the 45.37% increase observed in the manual treatment group. Similarly on VAS scores, the robotic intervention group obtained a decrease of 28.12%. This study’s findings not only highlight the potential of integrating TCM principles with modern robotics but also pave the way for a new paradigm in elderly care, where personalized and efficient KOA management is within reach.

Visual selective attention studies generally tend to apply cuing paradigms to instructively direct observers’ attention to certain locations, features or objects. However, in real situations, attention in humans often flows spontaneously without any specific instructions. Recently, a concept named “willed attention” was raised in visuospatial attention, in which participants are free to make volitional attention decisions. Several ERP components during willed attention were found, along with a perspective that ongoing alpha activity may bias the subsequent attentional choice. However, it remains unclear whether similar neural mechanisms exist in feature- or object-based willed attention. Here, we included choice cues and instruct cues in a feature-based selective attention paradigm, allowing participants to freely choose or to be instructed to attend a color for the subsequent target detection task. Pre-cue ongoing alpha oscillations, cue-evoked potentials and target-related steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs) were simultaneously measured as markers of attentional processing. As expected, SSVEP responses were similarly modulated by attention between choice and instruct cue trials. Similar to the case of spatial attention, a willed-attention component (Willed Attention Component, WAC) was isolated during the cue-related choice period by comparing choice and instruct cues. However, pre-cue ongoing alpha oscillations did not predict the color choice (yellow vs blue), as indicated by the chance level decoding accuracy (50%). Overall, our results revealed both similarities and differences between spatial and feature-based willed attention, and thus extended the understanding toward the neural mechanisms of volitional attention.

Abstract Aims HNF1B syndrome is caused by defects in the hepatocyte nuclear factor 1B (HNF1B) gene, which leads to maturity‐onset diabetes of the young type 5 and congenital organ malformations. This study aimed to identify a gene defect in a patient presenting with diabetes and severe diarrhea, while also analyzing the prevalence of hypomagnesemia and its correlation with the HNF1B genotype. Materials and Methods Whole exome sequencing was used to identify responsible point mutations and small indels in the proband and their family members. Multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification was carried out to identify HNF1B deletions. Furthermore, an analysis of published data on 539 cumulative HNF1B cases, from 29 literature sources, was carried out to determine the correlation between the HNF1B genotype and the phenotype of serum magnesium status. Results Using multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification, we identified a de novo heterozygous HNF1B deletion in the patient, who showed dorsal pancreas agenesis and multiple kidney cysts, as detected by magnetic resonance imaging. Magnesium supplementation effectively alleviated the symptoms of diarrhea. Hypomagnesemia was highly prevalent in 192 out of 354 (54.2%) patients with HNF1B syndrome. Compared with patients with intragenic mutations, those with HNF1B deletions were more likely to suffer from hypomagnesemia, with an odds ratio of 3.1 (95% confidence interval 1.8–5.4). Conclusions Hypomagnesemia is highly prevalent in individuals with HNF1B syndrome, and those with HNF1B deletion are more susceptible to developing hypomagnesemia compared with those with intragenic mutations. The genotype–phenotype associations in HNF1B syndrome have significant implications for endocrinologists in terms of genotype detection, treatment decisions and prognosis assessment.

Abstract Aims/Introduction Different types of diabetes show distinct genetic characteristics, but the specific genetic susceptibility factors remain unclear. Our study aimed to explore the associations between the ribosomal protein S26 (RPS26) gene rs1131017 polymorphisms and susceptibility to type 1 diabetes mellitus, latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) and type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Chinese Han population, and their correlations with clinical features. Materials and Methods Genotyping of the rs1131017 variant was carried out for 1,006 type 1 diabetes mellitus patients, 210 LADA patients, 642 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients and 2,099 control individuals. Results We found that the rs1131017 C allele was a risk locus for both type 1 diabetes mellitus and LADA (odds ratio [OR] 1.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.33–1.69, P

In contemporary medical practice, perioperative visual guidance technology has become a critical element in enhancing the precision and safety of surgical procedures. This study provides a comprehensive review of the advancements in the application of Augmented Reality (AR) technology for perioperative visual guidance. This review begins with a retrospective look at the evolution of AR technology, including its initial applications in neurosurgery. It then delves into the technical challenges that AR faces in areas such as image processing, 3D reconstruction, spatial localization, and registration, underscoring the importance of improving the accuracy of AR systems and ensuring their stability and consistency in clinical use. Finally, the review looks forward to how AR technology could be further facilitated in medical applications with the integration of cutting-edge technologies like skin electronic devices and how the incorporation of machine learning could significantly enhance the accuracy of AR visual systems. As technology continues to advance, there is ample reason to believe that AR will be seamlessly integrated into medical practice, ushering the healthcare field into a new “Golden Age”.

GATA proteins are transcription factors of zinc finger proteins, which play an important role in plant growth development and abiotic stress. However, there have been no identification or systematic studies of the GATA gene family in eggplant. In this study, 28 SmGATA genes were identified in the genome database of eggplant, which could be divided into four subgroups. Plant development, hormones, and stress-related cis-acting elements were identified in promoter regions of the SmGATA gene family. RT-qPCR indicated that 4 SmGATA genes displayed upregulated expressions during fruit developmental stage, whereas 2 SmGATA genes were down-regulated expression patterns. It was also demonstrated that SmGATA genes may be involved in light signals to regulate fruit anthocyanin biosynthesis. Furthermore, the expression patterns of SmGATA genes under ABA, GA and MeJA treatments showed that the SmGATAs were involved in the process of fruit ripening. Notably, SmGATA4 and SmGATA23 were highly correlated with the expression of anthocyanin biosynthesis genes, light-responsive genes, and genes that function in multiple hormone signaling pathways and the proteins they encoded were localized in the nucleus. All these results showed GATA genes likely play a major role in regulating fruit anthocyanin biosynthesis by integrating the light, ABA, GA and MeJA signaling pathways and provided references for further research on fruit quality in eggplant.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on public mental health, leading to a surge in loneliness, depression, and anxiety. And these public psychological issues increasingly become a factor affecting social order. As researchers explore ways to address these issues, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a powerful tool for understanding and supporting mental health. In this paper, we provide a thorough literature review on the emotions(EMO) of loneliness, depression, and anxiety (EMO-LDA) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, we evaluate the application of AI in EMO-LDA research from 2018 to 2023(AI-LDA) using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling. Our analysis reveals a significant increase in the proportion of literature on EMO-LDA and AI-LDA before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also observe changes in research hotspots and trends in both field. Moreover, our results suggest that the collaborative research of EMO-LDA and AI-LDA is a promising direction for future research. In conclusion, our review highlights the urgent need for effective interventions to address the mental health challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings suggest that the integration of AI in EMO-LDA research has the potential to provide new insights and solutions to support individuals facing loneliness, depression, and anxiety. And we hope that our study will inspire further research in this vital and revelant domin.

Abstract Observational studies suggest certain sleep traits are associated with telomere length, but the causal nature of these associations is unclear. The study aimed to determine the causal associations between 11 sleep-related traits and leukocyte telomere length (LTL) through two-sample Mendelian randomization and colocalization analyses using the summary statistics from large-scale genome-wide association studies. Univariable Mendelian randomization indicates that genetically determined short sleep is associated with decreased LTL, while morning chronotype is associated with increased LTL. Multivariable Mendelian randomization further supports the findings and colocalization analysis identifies shared common genetic variants for these two associations. No genetic evidence is observed for associations between other sleep-related traits and LTL. Sensitivity MR methods, reverse MR and re-running MR after removing potential pleiotropic genetic variants enhance the robustness of the results. These findings indicate that prioritizing morning chronotype and avoiding short sleep is beneficial for attenuating telomere attrition. Consequently, addressing sleep duration and chronotype could serve as practical intervention strategies.

Metallic glasses have received a lot of interest because of their excellent mechanical, physical, and chemical qualities. For example, they have a stronger resistivity than crystalline metals composed of the same elements and a lower viscosity coefficient. However, the difficulty in creating alloy compositions has been a concern for researchers. Traditional amorphous alloy systems design approaches, such as empirical trial-and-error methods and methods based on density functional theory (DFT), have assisted researchers in exploring numerous amorphous alloy systems during the growth of materials science over the last few decades. However, with the continuous development of materials science, these methods have been difficult to meet the needs of researchers due to their long development cycles and low efficiency. Additionally, the complex and long-range disordered structure of metallic glasses makes it difficult to understand their structure and nature in a comprehensive and clear way by conventional methods. Amorphous alloy composition design and property analysis are now often conducted using machine learning techniques because of their low experimental cost, short development cycle, strong data processing capability, and high predictive performance, among other advantages. They present new approaches and chances to address significant key bottlenecks in the field of metallic glass. In this study, the main processes of machine learning model building were introduced. Subsequently, the related studies on data pre-processing, model construction, and model validation were presented. For data pre-processing, data selection, feature engineering, and advanced data balancing methods were primarily described. In the feature engineering part, the model performance with various input features was examined, and it was shown that either employing physical properties or directly using the alloy compositions as the model input might result in high performance. Four machine learning algorithms were used to generate the machine learning model: artificial neural networks (ANN), support vector machines (SVM), random forest (RF), and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost). A comparison indicates that SVM models work best with small data sets, whereas the performance of all other models tends to get better as the amount of training data increases. Generally, the XGBoost method outperforms several other methods and is, therefore, often used in machine learning competitions. Model validation approaches: K-fold cross-validation and leave-one-out cross-validation methods were presented. A good metallic glass performance prediction method needs to perform well in both validation methods. Finally, this study provides several possible future research directions on feature engineering, dataset construction, validation, and machine learning models.

Abstract In the present work a simple enzymatic approach (Novozym 435) for transesterification to synthesize pyrrole esters was reported. To generate the best reaction conditions, which resulted in the optimum yield of 92%, the effects of lipase type, solvent, lipase load, molecular sieves, substrate molar ratio of esters to alcohol, reaction temperature, reaction duration, and speed of agitation were evaluated. The range of alcohols was assessed under optimal circumstances. The spectrum observations conclusively demonstrated that the compounds could be generated with high yield under the circumstances utilized for synthesis. The odor characteristics of the pyrrolyl esters obtained were examined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry-olfactometry (GC–MS–O). Among them, compounds of benzhydryl 1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylate (3j), butyl 1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylate (3k) and pentyl 1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylate (3l) present sweet and acid aroma. In addition, the thermal degradation process was further studied using the Py–GC/MS (pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry), TG (thermogravimetry), and DSC (differential scanning calorimeter) techniques. The outcomes of the Py–GC/MS, TG, and DSC techniques show that they have excellent thermal stability.

Abstract Background Follicular development in mammalian ovaries is a complex and dynamic process, and the interactions and regulatory-feedback loop between the follicular microenvironment, granulosa cells (GCs), and oocytes can affect follicular development and normal ovary functions. Abnormalities in any part of the process may cause abnormal follicular development, resulting in infertility. Hence, exploring the pathogenesis of abnormal follicular development is extremely important for diagnosing and treating infertile women. Methods RNA sequencing was performed with ovarian cortical tissues established in vitro. In situ-hybridization assays were performed to study microRNA-338-3p (miR-338-3p) expressed in GCs and oocytes. In vitro culture models were established with GCs and neonatal mouse ovaries to study the biological effects of miR-338-3p. We also performed in vivo experiments by injecting adeno-associated virus vectors that drive miR-338-3p overexpression into the mouse ovarian bursae. Results Sequencing analysis showed that miR-338-3p was expressed at significantly higher levels in ovarian cortical tissues derived from patients with ovarian insufficiency than in cortical tissues derived from patients with normal ovarian function; miR-338-3p was also significantly highly expressed in the GCs of patients with diminished ovarian reserve (P

Introduction: The transmembrane channel-like (TMC) protein family contains eight members, TMC1–TMC8. Among these members, only TMC1 and TMC2 have been intensively studied. They are expressed in cochlear hair cells and are crucial for auditory sensations. TMC6 and TMC8 contribute to epidermodysplasia verruciformis, and predispose individuals to human papilloma virus. However, the impact of TMC on peripheral sensation pain has not been previously investigated.Methods: RNAscope was employed to detect the distribution of TMC6 mRNA in DRG neurons. Electrophysiological recordings were conducted to investigate the effects of TMC6 on neuronal characteristics and M channel activity. Zn2+ indicators were utilized to detect the zinc concentration in DRG tissues and dissociated neurons. A series of behavioural tests were performed to assess thermal and mechanical sensation in mice under both physiological and pathological conditions.Results and Discussion: We demonstrated that TMC6 is mainly expressed in small and medium dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons and is involved in peripheral heat nociception. Deletion of TMC6 in DRG neurons hyperpolarizes the resting membrane potential and inhibits neuronal excitability. Additionally, the function of the M channel is enhanced in TMC6 deletion DRG neurons owing to the increased quantity of free zinc in neurons. Indeed, heat and mechanical hyperalgesia in chronic pain are alleviated in TMC6 knockout mice, particularly in the case of heat hyperalgesia. This suggests that TMC6 in the small and medium DRG neurons may be a potential target for chronic pain treatment.

Visual stimuli within an immersive virtual environment impact human perception and behavior in notably different ways compared to the real world. Previous studies have presented evidence indicating that individuals in various emotional states exhibit an unconscious attentional bias toward either positive or negative stimuli. However, whether these findings can be replicated within an immersive virtual environment remains uncertain. In this study, we devised an attention-based experiment to explore whether the correlation between participants' emotional states and the valence of visual stimuli influences their attentional bias. Participants (n=28) viewed 360-degree videos with varying valence levels (positive and negative) to evoke emotions. Subsequently, we utilized standard emotional human faces as stimuli to assess how the consistency in video valence and emotional faces affects reaction time (RT) in Go tasks and error rates in No-go tasks. We employed the Ex-Gaussian approach to analyze the RT data. The parameters—mu (μ), sigma (σ), and tau (τ)—were computed to denote response speed and attentional lapses, respectively. Our findings revealed a significant increase in tau (τ) when the valence of the video and emotional faces aligned. This suggests that the Go/No-go paradigm is effective in evaluating the impact of emotion-evoking stimuli within an immersive environment.

ObjectiveTo compare the diagnostic performance of automated breast ultrasound (ABUS) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in breast cancer.MethodsPublished studies were collected by systematically searching the databases PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science. The sensitivities, specificities, likelihood ratios and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were confirmed. The symmetric receiver operator characteristic curve (SROC) was used to assess the threshold of ABUS and CEUS. Fagan’s nomogram was drawn. Meta-regression and subgroup analyses were applied to search for sources of heterogeneity among the included studies.ResultsA total of 16 studies were included, comprising 4115 participants. The combined sensitivity of ABUS was 0.88 [95% CI (0.73–0.95)], specificity was 0.93 [95% CI (0.82–0.97)], area under the SROC curve (AUC) was 0.96 [95% CI (0.94–0.96)] and DOR was 89. The combined sensitivity of CEUS was 0.88 [95% CI (0.84–0.91)], specificity was 0.76 [95% CI (0.66–0.84)], AUC was 0.89 [95% CI (0.86–0.92)] and DOR was 24. The Deeks’ funnel plot showed no existing publication bias. The prospective design, partial verification bias and blinding contributed to the heterogeneity in specificity, while no sources contributed to the heterogeneity in sensitivity. The post-test probability of ABUS in BC was 75%, and the post-test probability of CEUS in breast cancer was 48%.ConclusionCompared with CEUS, ABUS showed higher specificity and DOR for detecting breast cancer. ABUS is expected to further improve the accuracy of BC diagnosis.

PurposeRecent investigations observed substantial enhancements in binocular balance, visual acuity, and stereovision among older children and adults with amblyopia by patching the amblyopic eye (i.e., inverse patching) for 2 h daily over 2 months. Despite these promising findings, the precise neural mechanisms underlying inverse patching remain elusive. This study endeavors to delve deeper into the neural alterations induced by inverse patching, focusing on steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs). We specifically investigate the changes in SSVEPs following monocular deprivation of either the fellow eye or the amblyopic eye in older amblyopic children and adults.MethodTen participants (17.60 ± 2.03 years old; mean ± SEM), clinically diagnosed with anisometropic amblyopia, were recruited for this study. Each participant underwent a 120 min patching session on their fellow eye on the first day, followed by a similar session on their amblyopic eye on the second day. Baseline steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs) measurements were collected each day prior to patching, with post-patching SSVEPs measurements obtained immediately after the patching session. The experimental design incorporated a binocular rivalry paradigm, utilizing SSVEPs measurements.ResultsThe results revealed that inverse patching induced a heightened influence on neural plasticity, manifesting in a reduction of interocular suppression from the fellow eye to the amblyopic eye. In contrast, patching the fellow eye demonstrated negligible effects on the visual cortex. Furthermore, alterations in interocular suppression subsequent to inverse patching exhibited a correlation with the visual acuity of the amblyopic eye.ConclusionInverse patching emerges as a promising therapeutic avenue for adolescents and adults grappling with severe anisometropic amblyopia that proves refractory to conventional interventions. This innovative approach exhibits the potential to induce more robust neural plasticity within the visual cortex, thereby modulating neural interactions more effectively than traditional amblyopia treatments.

How to cultivate innovative talents has become an important educational issue nowadays. In China’s long-term mentorship education environment, supervisor-student relationship often affects students’ creativity. From the perspective of students’ psychology, we explore the influence mechanism of supervisor-student relationship on creativity by machine learning and questionnaire survey. In Study 1, based on video interviews with 16 postgraduate students, we use the machine learning method to analyze the emotional states exhibited by the postgraduate students in the videos when associating them with the supervisor-student interaction scenario, finding that students have negative emotions in bad supervisor-student relationship. Subsequently, we further explore the impact of supervisor-student relationship on postgraduate students’ development in supervisor-student interaction scenarios at the affective level. In Study 2, a questionnaire survey is conducted to explore the relationship between relevant variables, finding that a good supervisor-student relationship can significantly reduce power stereotype threat, decrease emotional labor surface behaviors, and promote creativity expression. The above results theoretically reveal the internal psychological processes by which supervisor-student relationship affects creativity, and have important implications for reducing emotional labor and enhancing creativity expression of postgraduate students.

In the onset and progression of psoriasis, redox imbalance is a vital factor. It's widely accepted that too much reactive oxygen species (ROS) always make psoriasis worse. Recent research, however, has shown that the accumulation of ROS is not entirely detrimental, as it helps reduce psoriasis lesions by inhibiting epidermal proliferation and keratinocyte death. As a result, ROS appears to have two opposing effects on the treatment of psoriasis. In this review, the current ROS-related therapies for psoriasis, including basic and clinical research, are presented. Additionally, the design and therapeutic benefits of various drug delivery systems and therapeutic approaches are examined, and a potential balance between anti-oxidative stress and ROS accumulation is also trying to be investigated.

ObjectiveTo explore the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES), illness perception, social functioning, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of young and middle-aged maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients and the internal mechanism of action.DesignA multicenter cross-sectional study.MethodsAn aggregate of 332 young and middle-aged MHD patients were enrolled from hemodialysis centers in four general hospitals in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, from June to December 2022. The questionnaires used included one for general demographic data, the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ), Social Dysfunction Screening Scale (SDSS), and the 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12).ResultsBoth SES and HRQoL were negatively correlated with illness perception and social functioning, respectively. SES was positively correlated with HRQoL. Illness perception was positively correlated with social functioning. The indirect effects of illness perception and social functioning on the relationship between SES and HRQoL were 0.33 and 0.31, making up 41.06% and 38.91% of the sum. The chain indirect effect of illness perception and social functioning was 0.10, making up 12.59% of the total effect, while gender did not play a moderating role.ConclusionIllness perception and social functioning may independently and accumulatively mediate the association between SES and HRQoL. Nurses should consider developing individual intervention program for young and middle-aged MHD patients with low SES, focusing on establishing targeted counseling and health education strategies corresponding to illness perception and social functioning to help patients improve their HRQoL.

This work investigated and compared the impact on performance and emission characteristics of diesel engine fueled with five different proportions of biodiesel blends. Firstly, the three-dimensional simulation software CONVERGE was used to create a 3D simulation model of in-cylinder combustion for a diesel engine. Secondly, the experimental data of cylinder pressure and NOx emissions at 50% and 100% loads were employed to verify the simulation model. Finally, the combustion processes of blends with proportions of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% biodiesel were simulated and compared by using the model. The study showed that the brake thermal efficiencies (BTEs) of biodiesel blends with 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% of biodiesel were increased by 1.24%, 1.89%, 3.13%, and 3.82% at 50% load, respectively, compared with pure diesel. In addition, the soot emissions were decreased by 1.20%, 2.64%, 3.88%, and 4.65%, respectively. However, as the proportion of biodiesel in the biodiesel blends increased, the brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) and NOx emissions increased. At 50% load, the BSFCs of biodiesel blends with 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% of biodiesel increased by 0.61%, 1.34%, 1.42%, and 2.17%, respectively, compared with pure diesel. Additionally, the brake powers (BPs) were decreased by 0.64%, 1.31%, 1.88%, and 2.62% at 100% load, respectively.

BackgroundSerum lipid levels seem to be abnormal in Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, the specific manifestation of abnormal serum lipid levels in IBD are heterogeneous among studies and have not been sufficiently determined yet.MethodsPubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were searched. Serum lipid levels were compared between IBD patients and Health individuals, Crohn’s (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), active and inactive, mild and non-mild patients, respectively. Meta-analyses were performed by using a random-effect model. Weight mean difference (WMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.ResultsOverall, 53 studies were included. Compared with healthy controls, IBD patients had significantly lower TC (WMD = −0.506, 95%CI = −0.674 to −0.338, p

Objective To explore the association between the controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score and disease activity in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). Methods This retrospective study enrolled patients with UC. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were collected and compared. The CONUT score was obtained for each patient. The association between the CONUT score and laboratory parameters was analysed and the ability of the score to assess disease activity was evaluated. Results A total of 182 patients with UC were enrolled. Patients with active disease showed significantly increased inflammatory biomarkers and decreased nutritional biomarkers compared with patients in remission. Malnourished individuals had significantly elevated inflammatory biomarkers and significantly reduced haemoglobin, prealbumin and retinol-binding protein. The CONUT score was inversely correlated with haemoglobin, prealbumin, retinol-binding protein and was positively correlated with faecal calprotectin, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and platelet/lymphocyte ratio. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.655 (95% confidence interval, 0.557–0.752). The optimal cut-off value was 1.5 points, with a sensitivity of 75.7% and a specificity of 50.0%. Conclusion The CONUT score may evaluate the inflammatory response and nutritional status of UC patients, so it could be a potential biomarker to assess disease activity in UC.

Summary: Background: Patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) present intestinal disturbances. Recent epidemiological data have showed that, worldwide, over half of newly diagnosed T1D patients were adults. However, the gut microbial alterations in adult-onset T1D are unclear. We aimed to identify the signatures of gut microbiota and metabolites in patients with adult-onset T1D systematically, comparing with T2D patients and healthy controls (HCs). Methods: This study enrolled 218 subjects from February 2019 to April 2022 (discovery cohort: 36 HCs, 51 patients with adult-onset T1D and 56 patients with T2D; validation cohort: 28 HCs, 27 patients with adult-onset T1D and 20 patients with T2D). Gut microbial profiles of the study subjects were investigated by metagenomic sequencing, and their faecal and serum metabolites were measured with targeted metabolomics. The study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05252728). Findings: Patients with adult-onset T1D had significant differences in the composition of bacteria and their metabolites, characterized by notable depletion of short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria, especially Eubacterium rectale. This was associated with a severe loss of phenolic acids and their derivatives, including gallic acid (associated with glucose metabolism) and 3,4-dihydroxyhydrocinnamic acid (linked with glucose metabolism and pancreatic beta cell autoimmunity). A predictive model based on six bacteria and six metabolites simultaneously discriminated adult-onset T1D from T2D and HCs with high accuracy. Interestingly, bacterial-viral or bacterial-fungal trans-kingdom relationships, especially positive correlations between bacteriophages and beneficial bacteria, were significantly reduced in adult-onset T1D compared to HCs. Interpretation: Adult-onset T1D patients exhibit unique changes in host-microbiota-metabolite interactions. Gut microbiota and metabolite-based algorithms could be used as additional tools for differential diagnosis of different types of diabetes and beyond. Funding: National Key Research and Development Program of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

To solve the problem that noise seriously affects the online monitoring of parts signals of outdoor machinery, this paper proposes a signal reconstruction method integrating deep neural network and compression sensing, called ADMM-1DNet, and gives a detailed online vibration signal monitoring scheme. The basic approach of the ADMM-1DNet network is to map the update steps of the classical Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM) into the deep network architecture with a fixed number of layers, and each phase corresponds to an iteration in the traditional ADMM. At the same time, what differs from other unfolded networks is that ADMM-1DNet learns a redundant analysis operator, which can reduce the impact of outdoor high noise on reconstruction error by improving the signal sparse level. The implementation scheme includes the field operation of mechanical equipment and the operation of the data center. The empirical network trained by the local data center conducts an online reconstruction of the received outdoor vibration signal data. Experiments are conducted on two open-source bearing datasets, which verify that the proposed method outperforms the baseline method in terms of reconstruction accuracy and feature preservation, and the proposed implementation scheme can be adapted to the needs of different types of vibration signal reconstruction tasks.

Reliable transfer techniques are critical for the integration of 2D materials with arbitrary substrates. Here, the authors describe a method to transfer 4-inch and A4-sized defect-free graphene films onto rigid and flexible substrates with controllable conformal contact, leading to improved electrical properties and uniformity.

With the rapid technological progress of society and increasingly stringent environmental regulations, further reduction of emissions has become an important issue for environmental protection. This study developed a response surface model with the biodiesel blending ratio (BBR), load, and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) as independent variables and brake thermal efficiency (BTE), brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), and NOx, and CO emission rates as dependent variables. Simulations were performed and calculated. The results of the response surface approach with the objectives of maximizing the BTE of the engine and minimizing BSFC, NOx emissions, and CO emissions show that when the BBR is 20%, the EGR rate is 15%, and the engine load is 74.52%, pollutant emissions are significantly reduced while the engine power’s performance is maximized.

Thanks to the high spatial resolution and multi-mode tactile sensing, visuotactile sensing technology has been widely applied to various robotic manipulation tasks, such as robotic active perception, pose estimation, and in-hand manipulation.Firstly, the current mainstream visuotactile sensing technologies based on sensing principles were summarized, which could be mainly divided into three categories: GelSight-type visuotactile sensors, binocular (multi-view) visuotactile sensors, and other types.Meanwhile, the sensing methods of different tactile sensing modes were further summarized, including contact surface 3D geometry, force/torque, and sliding.Furthermore, focusing on the field of robot operation, the specific application scenarios of visuotactile sensors were discussed.Finally, future work of the visuotactile sensing technology and how they can be further applied to robotic dexterous manipulation tasks were given.

The dexterous manipulation of robots has always been a hot topic in the field of robotics.In many dexterous manipulation tasks, robots need not only visual feedback, but also tactile feedback at the fingertips, especially in poor lighting conditions.Currently, 3D shape sensing of objects using tactile servo is still very challenging.The flat GelSight tactile sensors are not suitable for 3D shape sensing of objects.Therefore, the design of GelSight tactile sensor was improved to make it more suitable for the acquisition of edge information of 3D objects.At the same time, an object edge tracking control strategy based on tactile servo and a 3D object edge reconstruction method based on tactile point cloud were proposed to support the generation of dexterous manipulation strategies for robots.For a variety of complex 3D edge models, the effectiveness of the proposed method was verified by the tactile servo tracking and 3D edge reconstruction experiments.

Abstract Background Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms reported by patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), while it has not been fully recognized and taken seriously in clinical practice. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of fatigue in patients with UC and identify the factors associated with fatigue and its severity in China. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine from May 2020 to February 2021. Demographic and clinical characteristics were collected. Fatigue was evaluated with the Fatigue Severity Scale and the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Index Scale and the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool were respectively used to evaluate the anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance and nutritional risk of patients with UC. Results A total of 220 UC patients were enrolled in this study. The prevalence of fatigue in patients was 61.8%, of which in patients with disease activity was 68.2%, and in patients in remission was 40.0%. Univariate analysis indicated that the Montreal classification, disease activity, anemia, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance and high nutritional risk were the factors associated with fatigue in Patients with UC. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the Montreal classification (E3: E1, OR = 2.665, 95% CI = 1.134–6.216), disease activity (OR = 2.157, 95% CI = 1.055–4.410) and anxiety (OR = 2.867, 95% CI = 1.154–7.126) were related to an increased risk of fatigue. Disease activity (RC = 0.240, 95% CI = 0.193–0.674) and anxiety (RC = 0.181, 95% CI = 0.000–0.151) were associated with severity of fatigue. Conclusions This study demonstrated that the prevalence of fatigue among UC patients in China. The Montreal classification, disease activity and anxiety are associated with an increased risk of fatigue.

Here, the authors report the direct growth of periodic arrays of 2D semiconductor ribbons by exploiting the step edges of high-miller-index Au facets, showing potential for 2D electronic devices. The synthesized ribbons could also be merged to obtain wafer-scale single-crystal monolayers.

Abstract Background The mammalian follicle is the basic functional unit of the ovary, and its normal development is required to obtaining oocytes capable of fertilization. As women get older or decline in ovarian function due to certain pathological factors, the growth and development of follicles becomes abnormal, which ultimately leads to infertility and other related female diseases. Kuntai capsules are currently used in clinical practice to improve ovarian function, and they contain the natural compound Baicalin, which is a natural compound with important biological activities. At present, the role and mechanism of Baicalin in the development of ovarian follicles is unclear. Methods Human primary granulosa cells collected from follicular fluid, and then cultured and treated with Baicalin or its normal control, assessed for viability, subjected to RT-PCR, western blotting, flow cytometry, and hormone analyses. The estrus cycle and oocytes of CD-1 mice were studied after Baicalin administration and compared with controls. Ovaries were collected from the mice and subjected to hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemistry analysis. Results We showed that Baicalin had a dose-dependent effect on granulosa cells cultured in vitro. A low concentration of Baicalin (for example, 10 μM) helped to maintain the viability of granulosa cells; however, at a concentration exceeding 50 μM, it exerted a toxic effect. A low concentration significantly improved the viability of granulosa cells and inhibited cell apoptosis, which may be related to the resultant upregulation of Bcl-2 expression and downregulation of Bax and Caspase 3. By constructing a hydrogen peroxide-induced cell oxidative stress damage model, we found that Baicalin reversed the cell damage caused by hydrogen peroxide. In addition, Baicalin increased the secretion of estradiol and progesterone by upregulating P450arom and stAR. The results of the in vivo experiment showed that the intragastric administration of Baicalin to aged mice improved the estrous cycle and oocyte quality. Furthermore, we observed that Baicalin enhanced the viability of granulosa cells through the mTOR pathway, which in turn improve ovarian function. Conclusion These results indicate that Baicalin could improve the viability of ovarian granulosa cells and the secretion of steroid hormones and thus could help to improve degenerating ovarian function and delay ovarian aging.

Abstract Water quality is the restrictive factor for both ecosystem health and social development in the Chinese Loess Plateau, a unique area with most severe soil erosion, fragile ecology, and water shortage. Understanding the characteristics of the pollutant loads is of vital importance for the sustainability of eco-environment in the Loess Plateau. This study investigated the spatiotemporal changes of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) loads by combining the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and regression model Load Estimator (LOADEST) in a typical loess hilly and gully watershed—the Yan River Basin (YanRB). Results showed that the model simulations of monthly streamflow and pollutant loads were in good agreement with those derived from the in situ observations. The temporal variation analysis suggested that the pollutant loads were generally rising in the study period (2001–2018) at four of the five stations and reached the maximum in 2014, and the multi-year (i.e., 2001–2018 with 2013 being excluded due to extreme rainfall) average loads of COD, TN, and TP at the Tanjiahe station, which is close to the outlet of the basin, were 15,021 kg/day, 3835 kg/day, and 168 kg/day, respectively. The spatial distribution of the TN and TP loads along the river seemed to be quite unique because the TP level were obviously higher at the midstream (e.g., Zhujiagou and Ganguyi) than the downstream (e.g., Tanjiahe), and the TN level decreased when the river flowed from Zhujiagou to Ganguyi. Further, the seasonal analysis indicated that the nutrient loads were the highest in summer, followed by autumn, and the loads in these two seasons contributed the most of the annual pollution loads—about 76% and 84% for TN and TP, respectively, indicating the higher flow, the higher pollution load, a similar point based on the inter-annual analysis. In addition, the contribution analysis of point source and non-point source pollutions demonstrated that NPS led to most of the pollutant loads at the whole watershed—70%, 67%, and 71% of the COD, TN, and TP loads, respectively. Overall, this study provided spatiotemporal distributions of the key pollutant loads in the YanRB and can be valuable for water quality protection and pollution control in this area.

A novel approach for transesterification of methyl pyrrole-carboxylate with alcohols is reported. The transformation is performed with t-BuOK and a series of new pyrrole ester were obtained under the optimized conditions. The odor characteristics of the pyrrolyl esters were evaluated by GC–MS-O (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-olfactometry). Among them, compounds of 4-isopropylbenzyl 1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylate (3d) and naphthalen-2-ylmethyl 1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylate (3 l) present nuts and almond-like aroma, respectively. The Py-GC/MS (pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry) approach was applied to evaluate the pyrolysis intermediates of the pyrrole esters in oxidative conditions. It clarified that 3d and 3 l occurred different degrees of pyrolysis throughout the pyrolysis temperature from 30 °C to 900 °C. In addition, the TG (thermogravimetry) and DSC (differential scanning calorimeter) approaches were applied to investigate at the thermal degradation process. They have good thermal stability under certain temperature according to the results of TG analysis.

BackgroundIntracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) has tremendous advantages for resolving the problem of male infertility. However, ICSI fertilization can fail in some patients because of various reasons, primarily because of the failure of oocyte activation. Oocytes have been activated using calcium ionophore (A23187) in previous clinical cases of ICSI fertilization failure. However, studies on the efficiency of calcium ionophore (A23187) activation, its effects on the developmental potential of embryos, and its effects on pregnancy outcomes after embryo transfer are relatively limited.MethodsIn this study, we investigated the safety and long-term efficacy of calcium ionophore (A23187) by analyzing its effects on fertilization, embryonic development, aneuploidy, and pregnancy outcomes in patients undergoing preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) cycles.ResultsComparative analyses of the activation followed by PGT (A-PGT) and PGT groups revealed no significant differences between the oocyte cleavage rate and high-quality embryo rate (98.19% vs. 98.63% and 63.13% vs. 68.39%, respectively, p > 0.05). Although the blastocyst formation rate was significantly lower in the A-PGT group than that in the PGT group (52.22% vs. 59.90%, p < 0.05), no significant difference was observed in the blastocyst aneuploidy rates of the two groups (24.49% vs. 24.55%, p > 0.05). Furthermore, no significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of the live birth rate (43.75% vs. 52.99%), week of delivery, and birth weight of the infants after transfer of euploid blastocysts (p > 0.05). Furthermore, the 2PN rate, oocyte cleavage rate, blastocyst formation rate, and live birth rate were found to be significantly lower in the A-ICSI group than those in the ICSI group (p < 0.01), but there was no significant difference between the two groups in the week of delivery and birth weight of live births (p > 0.05).DiscussionThese results suggest that the use of calcium ionophore (A23187) activation as an option in cases of ICSI fertilization failure does not affect the ploidy of developing blastocysts and has no significant effects on the week of delivery or birth weight after transfer. Thus, we provide a scientific basis for the clinical safety of oocyte activation using calcium ionophore (A23187).

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic autoimmune disease with insulin deficiency due to pancreatic β cell destruction. Multiple independent cohort studies revealed specific lipid spectrum alterations prior to islet autoimmunity in T1DM. Except for serving as building blocks for membrane biogenesis, accumulative evidence suggests lipids and their derivatives can also modulate different biological processes in the progression of T1DM, such as inflammation responses, immune attacks, and β cell vulnerability. However, the types of lipids are huge and majority of them have been largely unexplored in T1DM. In this review, based on the lipid classification system, we summarize the clinical evidence on dyslipidemia related to T1DM and elucidate the potential mechanisms by which they participate in regulating inflammation responses, modulating lymphocyte function and influencing β cell susceptibility to apoptosis and dysfunction. This review systematically recapitulates the role and mechanisms of various lipids in T1DM, providing new therapeutic approaches for T1DM from a nutritional perspective.

Homologous recombination (HR) is a double-strand break DNA repair pathway that preserves chromosome structure. To repair damaged DNA, HR uses an intact donor DNA sequence located elsewhere in the genome. After the double-strand break is repaired, DNA sequence information can be transferred between donor and recipient DNA molecules through different mechanisms, including DNA crossovers that form between homologous chromosomes. Regulation of DNA sequence transfer is an important step in effectively completing HR and maintaining genome integrity. For example, mitotic exchange of information between homologous chromosomes can result in loss-of-heterozygosity (LOH), and in higher eukaryotes, the development of cancer. The DNA motor protein Rdh54 is a highly conserved DNA translocase that functions during HR. Several existing phenotypes in rdh54Δ strains suggest that Rdh54 may regulate effective exchange of DNA during HR. In our current study, we used a combination of biochemical and genetic techniques to dissect the role of Rdh54 on the exchange of genetic information during DNA repair. Our data indicate that RDH54 regulates DNA strand exchange by stabilizing Rad51 at an early HR intermediate called the displacement loop (D-loop). Rdh54 acts in opposition to Rad51 removal by the DNA motor protein Rad54. Furthermore, we find that expression of a catalytically inactivate allele of Rdh54, rdh54K318R, favors non-crossover outcomes. From these results, we propose a model for how Rdh54 may kinetically regulate strand exchange during homologous recombination.

BackgroundPancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive malignant tumor of the digestive system. Its grim prognosis is mainly attributed to the lack of means for early diagnosis and poor response to treatments. Genomic instability is shown to be an important cancer feature and prognostic factor, and its pattern and extent may be associated with poor treatment outcomes in PDAC. Recently, it has been reported that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a key role in maintaining genomic instability. However, the identification and clinical significance of genomic instability-related lncRNAs in PDAC have not been fully elucidated.MethodsGenomic instability-derived lncRNA signature (GILncSig) was constructed based on the results of multiple regression analysis combined with genomic instability-associated lncRNAs and its predictive power was verified by the Kaplan-Meier method. And real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used for simple validation in human cancers and their adjacent non-cancerous tissues. In addition, the correlation between GILncSig and tumor microenvironment (TME) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was investigated by Pearson correlation analysis.ResultsThe computational framework identified 206 lncRNAs associated with genomic instability in PDAC and was subsequently used to construct a genome instability-derived five lncRNA-based gene signature. Afterwards, we successfully validated its prognostic capacity in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort. In addition, via careful examination of the transcriptome expression profile of PDAC patients, we discovered that GILncSig is associated with EMT and an adaptive immunity deficient immune profile within TME.ConclusionsOur study established a genomic instability-associated lncRNAs-derived model (GILncSig) for prognosis prediction in patients with PDAC, and revealed the potential functional regulatory role of GILncSig.

Study region: Upper Heihe River Basin, Northwest China. Study focus: We investigated potential climate change under three Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP 2.6, 4.5, and 8.5) and their impacts on frozen ground in the upper Heihe River Basin using the ensemble climate data from eight general circulation models and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). New hydrological insights for the region: Air and ground freezing indices declined significantly during the baseline period (1976–2015), whereas the thawing indices increased, indicating the heat accumulation in study area. The frost depth, which refers to the potential frost depth of active layer in permafrost areas and the maximum frost depth in seasonally frozen areas, decreased significantly at the rate of 3 cm/10 yr. The SWAT-simulation and gray relational analysis revealed that soil water was controlled by precipitation and frost depth in spring and autumn. Compared to that of the baseline, the projected frost depth is projected to decline by 0.07–0.1 m during the near future (2020–2059) and 0.08–0.36 m for the far future (2060–2099). In addition, we developed a long-term warning system, which indicates that the degree of frozen ground degradation would be mild during the near future and would be severe for the far future under RCP 8.5. This study provides valuable insights into the protection of frozen-ground in the Upper Heihe River Basin.

Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) is a type of diabetes characterized by slow autoimmune damage of pancreatic β cells without insulin treatment in the early clinical stage. There are differences between LADA and classical type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) in genetic background, autoimmune response, rate of islet function decline, clinical metabolic characteristics, and so on. The disease progression and drug response of patients with LADA are closely related to the level of islet autoimmunity, thus exploring the pathogenesis of LADA is of great significance for its prevention and treatment. Previous studies reported that adaptive immunity and innate immunity play a critical role in the etiology of LADA. Recent studies have shown that the intestinal microbiota which impacts host immunity hugely, participates in the pathogenesis of LADA. In addition, the progression of autoimmune pancreatic β cell destruction in LADA is slower than in classical T1D, providing a wider window of opportunities for intervention. Therefore, therapies including antidiabetic drugs with immune-regulation effects and immunomodulators could contribute to promising interventions for LADA. We also shed light on potential interventions targeting the gut microbiota and gut-associated immunity, which may be envisaged to halt or delay the process of autoimmunity in LADA.

Functional diarrhea (FD) is a common type of chronic diarrhea in children. Recurrent diarrhea can negatively impact children's quality of life and raise healthcare costs significantly. However, conventional treatments are ineffective and limited. Moreover, children with chronic conditions have poor medication compliance. Therefore, non-pharmacological and complementary treatments are urgently needed. In China, abdominal massage is widely used to treat diarrhea in children. Numerous clinical studies have verified its usefulness in treating gastrointestinal disorders as well. Nevertheless, its intrinsic mechanisms are still unclear, and the impact of massage direction on treatment effects has received less attention. In our study, we found that FD was not associated with pathogen infection. A dysbiosis of the intestinal microbiota and disruption of the intestinal barrier are most likely to cause FD. Moreover, this study also substantiates that abdominal massage can mitigate functional diarrhea by altering the intestinal microbiota structure and decreasing the number of bacteria that damage intestinal mucosal barriers. The reduction of Ruminococcus_torques_group and Clostridium_innocuum_group at the genus level potentially mediated the beneficial effects of abdominal massage on alleviating diarrhea. Furthermore, massaging from two different directions, clockwise (CW) and counter-clockwise (CCW) massage, would not significantly influence the effect of the massage on intestinal microbiota or tight junction proteins. In summary, abdominal massage is an effective complementary therapy for children suffering from functional diarrhea.

Abstract Background Ultrafiltration decreases total body water and improves the alveolar to arterial oxygen gradient. The aims of the study were to investigate the efficacy and safety of early ultrafiltration in acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) patients. Methods 100 patients with ADHF within 24 h of admission were randomly assigned into early ultrafiltration (n = 40) or torasemide plus tolvaptan (n = 60) groups. The primary outcomes were weight loss and an increase in urine output on days 4 and 8 of treatment. Results Patients who received early ultrafiltration for 3 days achieved a greater weight loss (kg) (− 2.94 ± 3.76 vs − 0.64 ± 0.91, P

Next‐generation robots are being designed to function autonomously in complex and unstructured environments. In particular, based on the real‐time measurement and differentiation of normal pressure and shear force, robots can be equipped with the capabilities of damage‐free grasp within minimum force limits, as well as dexterous operation through surface roughness and slip information. Herein, a flexible tactile sensor with a small cylinder protrusion and four arc‐shaped protrusions is developed. Due to its center symmetry and axisymmetry characteristics, the normal pressure and shear force can be decoupled from the complex stress without any interference from torsion. The flexible tactile sensor exhibits good linearity and superior cycling stability and is capable of determining the magnitude and direction of the applied force accurately. The flexible tactile sensor is comfortable to wear, and it is integrated onto the manipulator to realize various delicate and dexterous tasks, such as pressure detection, interaction with fragile objects, and roughness identification. Moreover, intelligent recognition of the sliding and stationary states can be achieved by decoding signals of sliding friction and static friction from the feedback information, leading to real time and precise adjustment of the grasping state of the manipulator.

A practical method to synthesize N-heteroaryl esters from N-heteroaryl methanols with acyl cyanides via C–C bond cleavage without using any transition metal is demonstrated here. The use of Na2CO3/15-crown-5 couple enables access to a series of N-heteroaryl esters in high efficiency. This protocol is operationally simple and highly environmentally benign producing only cyanides as byproducts.

GelStereo sensing technology is capable of performing three-dimensional (3D) contact shape measurement under various contact structures such as bionic curved surfaces, which has promising advantages in the field of visuotactile sensing. However, due to multi-medium ray refraction in the imaging system, robust and high-precision tactile 3D reconstruction remains a challenging problem for GelStereo-type sensors with different structures. In this paper, we first propose a universal Refractive Stereo Ray Tracing (RSRT) model for GelStereo-type sensing systems to realize 3D reconstruction of the contact surface. Moreover, a relative geometry-based optimization method is presented to calibrate multiple parameters of the proposed RSRT model, such as the refractive indices and structural dimensions. Furthermore, extensive quantitative calibration experiments are performed on four different GelStereo sensing platforms; the experimental results show that the proposed calibration pipeline can achieve less than 0.35 mm in Euclidean distance error, based on which we believe that the proposed refractive calibration method can be further applied in more complex GelStereo-type and other similar visuotactile sensing systems. Such high-precision visuotactile sensors can facilitate the study of robotic dexterous manipulation.

Psoriasis, the most common skin inflammatory disease, is characterized by massive keratinocyte proliferation and immune cell infiltration into epidermis. L-Theanine (L-THE), a nonproteinogenic amino acid derived from green tea (Camellia sinensis), has been proved to possess the properties of anti-inflammatory, antidepressants and neuroprotective. However, whether L-THE has a therapeutic effect on psoriasis is still unknown. In this study, we found that the epidermal thickness and inflammatory response were significantly reduced in Imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis mice by applying with L-THE on mice skin. The expression of proliferation and inflammation associated genes such as keratin 17, IL-23 and CXCL1-3 was also downregulated by L-THE. Furthermore, L-THE inhibited the production of IL-23 in dendritic cells (DCs) after IMQ treatment, and decreased the levels of chemokines in keratinocytes treated with IL-17A by downregulating the expression of IL-17RA. RNA-seq and KEGG analysis revealed that L-THE significantly regulated the expression of IL-17A and NF-κB signaling pathway-associated genes. Metabolomics analysis displayed that L-THE promoted propanoate metabolism which has been reported to inhibit the activity of TH17 cells. Therefore, our results demonstrated that L-THE significantly decreases the levels of IL-23 and chemokines, and attenuates IMQ-induced psoriasis like skin inflammation by inhibiting the activation of NF‐κB and IL-17A signaling pathways, and promoting the propanoate metabolism. Our findings suggest that topical applied L-THE can be used as a topical drug candidate for the treatment of psoriasis or as an adjuvant treatment of ustekinumab or secukinumab to prevent the relapse of psoriasis.

Background: Amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) can measure in-vivo demyelination in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the value of 18F-labeled amyloid PET tracer, 18F-florbetapir in the longitudinal study for monitoring myelin loss and recovery has not been confirmed. Methods: From March 2019 to September 2020, twenty-three patients with MS and nine healthy controls (HCs) underwent a hybrid PET/MRI at baseline and expanded disability status scale (EDSS) assessment, and eight of 23 patients further underwent follow-up PET/MRI. The distribution volume ratio (DVR) and standard uptake value ratio (SUVR) of 18F-florbetapir in damaged white matter (DWM) and normal-appearance white matter (NAWM) were obtained from dynamic and static PET acquisition. Diffusion tensor imaging-derived parameters were also calculated. Data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation with 99% confidence interval (99%CI). Finding: The mean DVR (1.08 ± 0.12, 99%CI [1.02 ~ 1.14]) but not the mean SUVR of DWM lesions was lower than that of NAWM in patients with MS (1.25 ± 0.10, 99%CI [1.20 ~ 1.31]) and HCs (1.29 ± 0.08, 99%CI [1.23 ~ 1.36]). A trend toward lower mean fractional anisotropy (374.95 ± 45.30 vs. 419.07 ± 4.83) and higher mean radial diffusivity (0.45 ± 0.05 vs. 0.40 ± 0.01) of NAWM in patients with MS than those in HCs was found. DVR decreased in DWM lesions with higher MD (rho = -0.261, 99%CI [-0.362 ~ -0.144]), higher AD (rho = -0.200, 99%CI [-0.318 ~ -0.070]) and higher RD (rho = -0.198, 99%CI [-0.313 ~ -0.075]). Patients’ EDSS scores were reduced (B = 0.04, 99%CI [-0.005 ~ 0.084]) with decreased index of global demyelination in the longitudinal study. Interpretation: Our exploratory study suggests that dynamic 18F-florbetapir PET/MRI may be a very promising tool for quantitatively monitoring myelin loss and recovery in patients with MS. Funding: Shanghai Pujiang Program, Shanghai Municipal Key Clinical Specialty, Shanghai Shuguang Plan Project, Shanghai Health and Family Planning Commission Research Project, Clinical Research Plan of SHDC, French-Chinese program ''Xu Guangqi''.