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Congenital diarrheal disorders (CDD) are a group of rare inherited intestinal disorders, among which CDD7 was recently identified to be associated with only 24 mutations in gene coding for diacylglycerol-acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1).

Shi-Yuan Fan,1,* Zi-Chi Zhao,1,* Xing-Lv Liu,1 Ying-Gang Peng,1 Hui-Min Zhu,1 Shi-Fan Yan,2 Yan-Juan Liu,2 Qin Xie,2 Yu Jiang,2 Sai-Zhen Zeng1 1The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University (Hunan Provincial People’s Hospital), Changsha, Hunan, 410005, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Emergency, Institute of Emergency Medicine, Hunan Provincial People’s Hospital (The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University), Changsha, Hunan, 410005, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Sai-Zhen Zeng, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University (Hunan Provincial People’s Hospital), 61 Jie-Fang West Road, Fu-Rong District, Changsha, Hunan, 410005, People’s Republic of China, Email 55445321@qq.com Yu Jiang, Department of Emergency, Institute of Emergency Medicine, Hunan Provincial People’s Hospital (The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University), 61 Jie-Fang West Road, Fu-Rong District, Changsha, 410005, People’s Republic of China, Email jiangyu@hunnu.edu.cnBackground: Globally, the subsequent complications that accompany sepsis result in remarkable morbidity and mortality rates. The lung is among the vulnerable organs that incur the sepsis-linked inflammatory storm and frequently culminates into ARDS/ALI. The metformin-prescribed anti-diabetic drug has been revealed with anti-inflammatory effects in sepsis, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to ascertain metformin’s effects and functions in a young mouse model of sepsis-induced ALI.Methods: Mice were randomly divided into 4 groups: sham, sham+ Met, CLP, and CLP+ Met. CLP was established as the sepsis-induced ALI model accompanied by intraperitoneal metformin treatment. At day 7, the survival state of mice was noted, including survival rate, weight, and M-CASS. Lung histological pathology and injury scores were determined by hematoxylin–eosin staining. The pulmonary coefficient was used to evaluate pulmonary edema. Furthermore, IL-1β, CCL3, CXCL11, S100A8, S100A9 and NLRP3 expression in tissues collected from lungs were determined by qPCR, IL-1β, IL-18, TNF-α by ELISA, caspase-1, ASC, NLRP3, P65, p-P65, GSDMD-F, GSDMD-N, IL-1β and S100A8/A9 by Western blot.Results: The data affirmed that metformin enhanced the survival rate, lessened lung tissue injury, and diminished the expression of inflammatory factors in young mice with sepsis induced by CLP. In contrast to sham mice, the CLP mice were affirmed to manifest ALI-linked pathologies following CLP-induced sepsis. The expressions of pro-inflammatory factors, for instance, IL-1β, IL-18, TNF-α, CXCL11, S100A8, and S100A9 are markedly enhanced by CLP, while metformin abolished this adverse effect. Western blot analyses indicated that metformin inhibited the sepsis-induced activation of GSDMD and the upregulation of S100A8/A9, NLRP3, and ASC.Conclusion: Metformin could improve the survival rate, lessen lung tissue injury, and minimize the expression of inflammatory factors in young mice with sepsis induced by CLP. Metformin reduced sepsis-induced ALI via inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway and inhibiting pyroptosis by the S100A8/A9-NLRP3-IL-1β pathway.Keywords: sepsis, pediatric, inflammation, pyroptosis, ALI

YiLin Luo, Xin Yue Bai, Lei Zhang, Qian Qian Hu, Ning Zhang, Jun Zhi Cheng, Ming Zheng Hou, Xiao Long Liu Yan ‘an Small Molecule Innovative Drug R&D Engineering Research Center, School of Medicine, Yan’an University, Yan’an, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Xiao Long Liu, Email liuxiaolong@yau.edu.cnAbstract: Ferroptosis, a unique form of programmed cell death, is initiated by an excess of iron accumulation and lipid peroxidation-induced damage. There is a growing body of evidence indicating that ferroptosis plays a critical role in the advancement of tumors. The increased metabolic activity and higher iron levels in tumor cells make them particularly vulnerable to ferroptosis. As a result, the targeted induction of ferroptosis is becoming an increasingly promising approach for cancer treatment. This review offers an overview of the regulatory mechanisms of ferroptosis, delves into the mechanism of action of traditional small molecule ferroptosis inducers and their effects on various tumors. In addition, the latest progress in inducing ferroptosis using new means such as proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs), photodynamic therapy (PDT), sonodynamic therapy (SDT) and nanomaterials is summarized. Finally, this review discusses the challenges and opportunities in the development of ferroptosis-inducing agents, focusing on discovering new targets, improving selectivity, and reducing toxic and side effects.Keywords: ferroptosis inducers, small molecules, PROTACs, PDT, SDT, nanomaterials

Qin Ma,1 Yao-Bang Liu,2 Tong She,3 Xin-Lan Liu4 1Department of Radiation Oncology, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, 750004, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Surgical Oncology, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, 750004, People’s Republic of China; 3Hospital of Zhongwei, Zhongwei, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Medical Oncology, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, 750004, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Xin-Lan Liu, Tel +8613709577339, Email nxliuxinlan@126.comObjective: This study determined the cut-off value of Ki-67 expression and discussed the interaction between Ki-67 and histological grade, further explored the prognostic role of Ki-67 in hormone receptor-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (HR+/HER2-) breast cancer;.Materials and Methods: We assessed the Ki-67 expression of 956 patients with HR+/HER2 breast cancer diagnosed in the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from 2015 to 2019 by immunohistochemistry (IHC), The disease-free survival (DFS) was defined as the time from postoperative to the first local recurrence, distant metastasis or death of the disease. The follow-up by means of inpatient or outpatient medical records and telephone.Results: 22.5% was used as the cut-off for low/high Ki-67 expression in HR+/HER2- breast cancer. Compared with the value of 14%, which is commonly used in clinic at present, the consistency of the two values is moderate (Kappa = 0.484, P< 0.001). The expression of Ki-67 was increased with the grade. (Median: G1:10%; G2:20%; G3:40%. Mean: G1:13%; G2:23%; G3:39%, P < 0.001). Survival analysis was based on all patients for a median of 51 months (24– 89 months), 63 cases had recurrence or metastasis during the follow-up, which 21 cases had low expression of Ki-67 and 42 cases had high expression. The patients with Ki-67 ≥ 22.5% had a 2.969 higher risk of early recurrence and metastasis than the patients with Ki-67 < 22.5%. There were 4 cases of local recurrence, 7 cases of regional lymph node metastasis, and 52 cases of distant metastasis in all patients, the common distant metastases were bone, liver, and lung, and rare metastases were adrenal gland, bone marrow, and pericardium.Conclusion: In HR+/HER2- breast cancer, patients with Ki-67 > 22.5% have a worse prognosis and are more likely to have early recurrence and metastasis.Keywords: Ki-67, breast cancer, cut-off value, histological grade, recurrence and metastasis

Qiang Guo,1,2,&ast; Xiao-Li Liu,3,&ast; Kui Zhai,4,&ast; Cheng Chen,1 Xi-Xian Ke,1 Jun Zhang,2 Gang Xu1 1Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Ultrasound, The People’s Hospital of Jianyang City, Jianyang, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Thoracic Surgery, Xingyi People’s Hospital, Xinyi, Guizhou, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Gang Xu; Jun Zhang, Email xglhl333@163.com; 13508684276@139.comAbstract: Cancer was one of the common causes of death in the world, and it was increasing year by year. At present, Progestin and AdipoQ receptor family member 3 (PAQR3) was widely studied in cancer. It has been found that PAQR3 was down regulated in various cancers, such as the gastric cancer, osteosarcoma, glioma, hepatocellular carcinoma, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, esophageal cancer, breast cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and colorectal cancer. The decreased expression of PAQR3 was associated with short overall survival and disease-free survival in patients with gastric cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, esophageal cancer, breast cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer. PAQR3 could inhibit cancer progression by using the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK, PI3/AKT, EMT and other mechanisms, and was negatively regulated by the miR-543, miR-15b-5p and miR-15b. The roles and signaling mechanisms of PAQR3, and the relationship between the expression of PAQR3 and prognosis in cancer progression are reviewed in this article, and provides new tumor marker and idea to guide cancer treatment.Keywords: PAQR3, overall survival, disease-free survival, tumor suppressor

Xiang-Ling Liu,&ast; Fa-Jin Lv,&ast; Bin-Jie Fu, Rui-Yu Lin, Wang-Jia Li, Zhi-Gang Chu Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Zhi-Gang Chu, Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1&num; Youyi Road, Yuanjiagang, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400016, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 18723032809, Fax +86 23 68811487, Email chuzg0815@163.comPurpose: To investigate the influence factors for the various boundary manifestations of pulmonary non-neoplastic ground glass nodules (GGNs) on computed tomography (CT).Materials and Methods: From January 2015 to March 2022, a total of 280 patients with 318 non-neoplastic GGNs were enrolled. The correlations between degree of inflammatory cell infiltration and relative density (ΔCT) and the boundary manifestations of lesions were evaluated, respectively.Results: Nongranulomatous nodules (283, 89.0%) with fibrous tissue proliferation and/or inflammatory cells as the predominant pathological findings were the most common non-neoplastic GGNs, followed by granulomatous nodules (28, 8.8%). Among nongranulomatous GGNs, cases with more and less/no inflammatory cells were 15 (10.9%) and 122 (89.1%) in 137 well-defined ones with smooth margin, 16 (24.6%) and 49 (75.4%) in 65 well-defined ones with coarse margin, 43 (91.5%) and 4 (8.5%) in 47 ill-defined ones with higher ΔCT (> 151HU), and 4 (11.8%) and 30 (88.2%) in 34 ill-defined ones with lower ΔCT (< 151HU). The proportion of cases with more inflammatory cells in well-defined nodules was similar to that in ill-defined ones with lower ΔCT (P = 0.587) but significantly lower than that in ill-defined ones with higher ΔCT (P < 0.001). Among the granulomatous nodules, ill-defined cases with higher ΔCT (16, 57.1%) were the most common, and they (7/8, 87.5%) frequently had changes during short-term follow-up.Conclusion: Nongranulomatous nodules are the most common non-neoplastic GGNs, their diverse boundary manifestations closely correlate with degree of inflammatory cell infiltration and density difference.Keywords: tomography, X-ray computed, solitary pulmonary nodule, pathology

Rui Wang,1 Xiao-li Liu,1 Xiao-jiao Jia,1 Yan Liu,2 Qiang Lu1 1Department of Endocrinology, The First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province, People’s Republic of China; 2Medical department, The First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Qiang Lu, Email luqiangtg@163.comObjective: The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between one-hour post-load plasma glucose levels and early arterial stiffness in subjects with different glucose tolerance.Methods: This case-control study included 57 subjects with normal glucose tolerance, 38 subjects with pre-diabetes, and 30 subjects with type 2 diabetes. All subjects underwent an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) with 75 g of oral anhydrous glucose at 8:00 AM. The brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) was used as a surrogate marker of early arterial stiffness.Results: baPWV was significantly higher in the diabetes group than in the normal glucose tolerance group (diabetes group: 1501.8 ± 270.4 cm/s, pre-diabetes group: 1428.6 ± 173.1 cm/s vs normal glucose tolerance group: 1368.0 ± 242.8 cm/s) (p < 0.05). baPWV was positively correlated with age (r = 0.512, p < 0.001), systolic blood pressure (SBP) (r = 0.526, p < 0.001), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (r = 0.298, p = 0.001), fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (r = 0.213, p = 0.017), 1-h plasma glucose levels from the OGTT (r = 0.407, p < 0.001) and 2-h plasma glucose levels from the OGTT (r = 0.202, p = 0.024). When baPWV was considered as the dependent variable in a multiple regression analysis, the 1-h plasma glucose level from the OGTT maintained an independent association with baPWV (β = 23.129, 95% CI: 8.142– 38.115, p = 0.003, R2 = 0.036).Conclusion: The present study demonstrated the presence of early arterial stiffness in diabetes. Elevated 1-hour post-load plasma glucose level is closely related to the change of arterial elasticity in diabetes.Keywords: early arterial stiffness, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity, post-load glucose

Bin-Bin Liu,1,&ast; Zi-Ru Niu,2,&ast; Xiao-Jiao Jia,3 Xiao-Li Liu,3 Qiang Lu3 1Department of Functional Inspection, Qinhuangdao First Hospital, Qinhuangdao, 066000, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050000, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Endocrinology, Qinhuangdao First Hospital, Qinhuangdao, 066000, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Qiang Lu, Department of Endocrinology, Qinhuangdao First Hospita l, No. 258 of Wenhua Road, Haigang District, Qinhuangdao, 066000, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-0335-5908385, Fax: +86-0335-3032042, Email qianglu_123@163.comBackground: Cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPETs) are widely used non-invasive and reliable functional evaluation methods. This study investigated the correlation between cardiopulmonary endurance indices and plasma glucose levels and abdominal visceral fat in males with new-onset type 2 diabetes.Methods: A total of 136 male individuals, who had been treated in the First Hospital of Qinhuangdao City, were selected to form a new-onset type 2 diabetes group (66 cases) and a control group (70 cases); individuals were divided into three groups (Q1, Q2, and Q3) from low to high according to their anaerobic threshold (AT) oxygen uptake (VO2), AT VO2/kg (VO2 per kg of body weight), peak VO2, peak VO2/kg, AT heart rate (HR), peak HR, and HR recovery after 1 minute. A cardiopulmonary exercise test was used to determine the VO2 of each group of subjects for VO2 max and AT VO2/kg, HR, and HR recovery after 1 minute. The differences in fat areas and plasma glucose levels were compared under different cardiorespiratory endurance indicators.Results: Compared with the control group, the abdominal visceral fat (AVF) area, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and postprandial plasma glucose (PPG) levels increased in the new-onset type 2 diabetes group. Concurrently, AT VO2, AT VO2/kg, peak VO2, peak VO2/kg, AT HR, peak HR, and 1-minute HR recovery all decreased, and the difference between the groups was statistically significant (P< 0.05). The higher the AT VO2 and peak VO2 values, the lower the PPG level (P< 0.05) and the smaller the area of abdominal visceral fat (P< 0.05). The AT VO2/kg and peak VO2/kg values were negatively correlated with the abdominal visceral fat area, while other indicators had no obvious relationship with either plasma glucose levels or the area of fat.Conclusion: The levels of blood glucose and visceral fat are correlated with cardiopulmonary function. With the increase in blood glucose levels and visceral fat, the indices of cardiopulmonary function gradually decrease. The correlation between different cardiopulmonary function indices and blood glucose levels and visceral fat was different.Keywords: cardiopulmonary function, type 2 diabetes, abdominal visceral fat, plasma glucose

Xiang Li,1,2,&ast; Shu-Jie An,3,&ast; Xiao-Ling Liu,1,&ast; Ai-Ling Ji,4 Yi Cao,5 Ying Xiang,1 Xiang-Yu Ma,1 Qin Hu,1 Zhi-Quan Yuan,1 Ya-Fei Li,1 Yuan-Gang Lu,2 Tong-Jian Cai1 1Department of Epidemiology, College of Preventive Medicine, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, People’s Republic of China; 3Medical Department, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University (Fourth Military Medical University), Xi’an, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Preventive Medicine & Chongqing Engineering Research Center of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing Medical and Pharmaceutical College, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Health Economics Management, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University (Fourth Military Medical University), Xi’an, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yuan-Gang LuDepartment of Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, 10 Changjiang Branch Road, Daping, Chongqing, 400042, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-23-68757597Fax +86-23-68757596Email skin515@163.comTong-Jian Cai Email ctjcsl@fmmu.edu.cnBackground: Post-adolescent acne is a common skin disease faced by adults. However, whether air pollution (AP) serves as a risk factor for post-adolescent acne remains elusive.Aim: To determine the relationship between short-term AP exposure (within 7 days) and outpatient visits for post-adolescent acne.Methods: Daily outpatient visit data for post-adolescent acne and routinely AP data between 2010 and 2013 were collected from Xi’an, China. A generalized additive regression model was used to analyze the relationship between outpatient visits for post-adolescent acne and short-term ambient AP exposure. The gender-specific analyses were conducted as well.Results: Totally, 27,190 outpatient visits for post-adolescent acne were included. The results revealed that a 10 μg/m3 increase in PM10, SO2, and NO2 at lag 0– 7 day was associated with the increase of outpatient visits for post-adolescent acne at 0.84% (95% CI: 0.53%, 1.16%), 1.61% (95% CI: 0.12%, 3.10%), and 3.50% (95% CI: 1.60%, 5.40%), respectively. The significant positive associations of PM10, SO2, and NO2 were found at both single-lag models and moving average models. The gender-specific analyses showed that the effect estimates of PM10 was stronger for females than for males, while there was no observed gender difference in the effects of SO2 and NO2.Conclusion: Short-term exposure to AP was associated with increased outpatient visits for post-adolescent acne, especially for females in the effects of PM10.Keywords: short-term, air pollution, post-adolescent acne, adult acne, time-series analysis

Feng-Juan Hu,1,2 Hu Liu,3 Xiao-Lei Liu,1,2 Shu-Li Jia,1,2 Li-Sha Hou,2 Xin Xia,2 Bi-Rong Dong1,2 1Center of Gerontology and Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China; 2National Clinical Research Center of Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Liver Surgery, Liver Transplantation Division, Laboratory of Liver Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Bi-Rong DongCenter of Gerontology and Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, GuoXueXiang 37, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-28-85421550Fax +86-28-85421550Email birongdong123@outlook.comPurpose: Mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) is a simple, noninvasive anthropometric indicator. This study evaluated the applicability of MUAC as an alternative screening instrument to appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI) for detecting sarcopenia, and determined the optimal MUAC cutoff values.Patients and Methods: A total of 4509 subjects ≥ 50 years of age from the West China Health and Aging Trend study were included in the present study. ASM was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis. MUAC, calf circumference (CC), and grip strength were evaluated and the Short Physical Performance Battery and 3-m timed up-and-go test were administered. Low muscle mass was diagnosed based on Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 (AWGS2019) and updated European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2 (EWGSOP2) criteria.Results: ASMI was positively correlated with MUAC in both men (r=0.726, P< 0.001) and women (r=0.698, P< 0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for MUAC as an indicator of low muscle mass in men and women was 0.86 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.85– 0.88) and 0.85 (95% CI: 0.84– 0.86), respectively, according to AWGS2019 criteria; and 0.86 (95% CI: 0.85– 0.88) and 0.86 (95% CI: 0.85– 0.88), respectively, according to EWGSOP2 criteria. Optimal MUAC cutoff values for predicting low muscle mass were ≤ 28.6 cm for men and ≤ 27.5 cm for women. There was no significant difference between the AUCs of MUAC and CC in men according to the 2 reference standards (P=0.809), whereas the AUC of CC was superior to that of MUAC in women according to AWGS2019 (P< 0.001) and EWGSOP2 (P=0.008) criteria.Conclusion: MUAC is strongly correlated with ASMI among community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults in China. MUAC can be used as a simple screening instrument to ASMI for diagnosing sarcopenia, especially in men.Keywords: anthropometry, low muscle mass, diagnosis, older adults

Since the first plasma realized in 2020, a series of key systems on HL-3 (known as HL-2M before) tokamak have been equipped/upgraded, including in-vessel components (the first wall, lower divertor, and toroidal cryogenic/water-cooling/baking/glow discharge systems, etc.), auxiliary heating system of 11 MW, and 28 diagnostic systems (to measure the plasma density electron temperature, radiation, magnetic field, etc.). Magnet field systems were commissioned firstly for divertor plasma discharges. During the 2nd experimental campaign of HL-3 tokamak, several great progresses have been achieved. Firstly, the successful operation with plasma current larger than 1 MA was achieved under a divertor configuration. Secondly, the advanced divertor concept with two distinct snowflake configurations was realized. It is found that the distribution of ion saturation current and heat flux on bottom plate becomes wide due to magnetic surface expansion, demonstrating the advantage of such configuration in the heat flux mitigation. In addition, using the combination of NBI, ECRH and LHCD, the standard sawtoothing high confinement mode of megampere plasma was firstly accessed on the HL-3. The successful commissioning of HL-3 is beneficial for the initial operation of ITER.

CaoYuan Yao,1 XiaoLi Liu,2 Ze Tang3 1Department of Respiratory Medicine, Yongchuan Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, 2Diabetes Department, Yongchuan Traditional Chinese Medical Hospital, 3Department of Critical Care Medicine, Yongchuan Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China Background and objectives: Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is one of the leading causes of hospitalization and is associated with considerable mortality, for which clinicians are seeking useful and easily obtained biomarkers for prognostic evaluation. This study aimed to determine the potential role of the neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet–lymphocyte ratio (PLR) as prognostic makers for hospital mortality in patients with AECOPD. Methods: We included 303 patients with AECOPD in this retrospective study. Clinical characteristics, NLR, PLR, and serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and other data were collected. Relationships between NLR/PLR and CRP were evaluated by Pearson’s correlation test. Receiver operating characteristics curve and the area under the curve (AUC) were used to assess the ability of NLR and PLR to predict hospital mortality in patients with AECOPD. Results: Mean levels of NLR and PLR of all patients with AECOPD were 7.92±8.79 and 207.21±148.47, respectively. NLR levels correlated with serum CRP levels (r=0.281, P

Le Chang,1 Xiao Li Liu,1,2 Dai Di Fan,1 Yu Qing Miao,1 Huan Zhang,1 He Ping Ma,1 Qiu Ying Liu,1 Pei Ma,1 Wei Ming Xue,1 Yan E Luo,1 Hai Ming Fan1,3 1Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Degradable Biomedical Materials, School of Chemical Engineering, Northwest University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore; 3Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule Chemistry of the Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China Abstract: Magnetic hyperthermia is a promising technique for the minimally invasive elimination of solid tumors. In this study, uniform magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) with different particle sizes were used as a model system to investigate the size and surface effects of human-like collagen protein-coated MNPs (HLC-MNPs) on specific absorption rate and biocompatibility. It was found that these HLC-MNPs possess rapid heating capacity upon alternating magnetic field exposure compared to that of MNPs without HLC coating, irrespective of the size of MNPs. The significant enhancement of specific absorption rate is favorable for larger sized nanoparticles. Such behavior is attributed to the reduced aggregation and increased stability of the HLC-MNPs. By coating HLC on the surface of certain sized MNPs, a significant increase in cell viability (up to 2.5-fold) can be achieved. After subcutaneous injection of HLC-MNPs into the back of Kunming mice, it was observed that the inflammatory reaction hardly occurred in the injection site. However, there was a significant presence of phagocytes and endocytosis after the injection of nonconjugated counterparts. The overall strategy to fabricate HLC-MNPs can serve as a general guideline to address the current challenges in clinical magnetic hyperthermia, improved biocompatibility, and enhanced heating characteristics through protein coating. Keywords: Fe3O4 nanoparticles, human-like collagen protein, SAR value, biocompatibility

Studying tropical hydroclimate and productivity change in the past is critical for understanding global climate dynamics. Northwest Australia is an ideal location for investigating Australian monsoon dynamics, the variability of the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF), and their impact on past productivity and Pacific warm pool evolution, which remain poorly understood during the 40 kyr world in the mid-early Pleistocene. In this study, we present multi-proxy records from International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Site U1483 in the Timor Sea spanning the last 2,000 ka, including orbitally-resolved records from the 40 kyr world between 2,000 and 1,300 ka. Our results suggest that northwest Australia underwent a step of increased aridification and that productivity in the Timor Sea declined during the transition from ∼1,700 to ∼1,400 ka. We attribute this aridification to the reduced moisture supply to this region caused by the ITF restriction and warm pool contraction. We ascribe the declined productivity to a decrease in the nutrient supply of the Pacific source water associated with global nutrient redistribution. At orbital timescale, multiple mechanisms, including sea level changes, monsoon, and the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) dynamics, and variations in the ITF and Walker circulation could have controlled variations of productivity and terrigenous input in the Timor Sea during the 40 kyr world. Our bulk nitrogen and benthic carbon isotope records suggest a strong coupling to biogeochemical changes in the Pacific during this period. This research contributes to a better understanding of tropical hydroclimate and productivity changes during the 40 kyr world.

Yan Gao*, Xin-Ling Liu*, Xiao-Rong LiTianjin Medical University Eye Center, Tianjin, China *These two authors contributed equally to this workAbstract: RNA interference is a powerful method for the knockdown of pathologically relevant genes. Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) have been widely demonstrated as effective biomedical genetic-therapy applications for many diseases. Unfortunately, siRNA duplexes are not ideal drug-like molecules. Problems hindering their effective application fundamentally lie in their delivery, stability, and off-target effects. Delivery systems provide solutions to many of the challenges facing siRNA therapeutics. Due to some fatal disadvantages of viral vectors, nonviral carriers have been studied extensively. Aside from liposomes, nanoparticles and cationic polymer carriers have exhibited improved in vivo stability, better biocompatibility, and efficiency for gene silencing with less cellular toxicity. They may represent a promising strategy for siRNA-based therapies, especially as nanomaterials. The present review also summarizes other methods of siRNA delivery and the side effects of the nanoparticles.Keywords: small interfering RNA, nonviral vector, gene therapy, delivery system, nanoparticles, biocompatibility

Abstract X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy has been used to measure the valence band offset (VBO) of the w-InN/h-BN heterojunction. We find that it is a type-II heterojunction with the VBO being −0.30 ± 0.09 eV and the corresponding conduction band offset (CBO) being 4.99 ± 0.09 eV. The accurate determination of VBO and CBO is important for designing the w-InN/h-BN-based electronic devices.

Abstract Diamond is not only a free standing highly transparent window but also a promising carrier confinement layer for InN based devices, yet little is known of the band offsets in InN/diamond system. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to measure the energy discontinuity in the valence band offset (VBO) of InN/diamond heterostructure. The value of VBO was determined to be 0.39 ± 0.08 eV and a type-I heterojunction with a conduction band offset (CBO) of 4.42 ± 0.08 eV was obtained. The accurate determination of VBO and CBO is important for the application of III-N alloys based electronic devices.

The interplay between topological electronic structure and superconductivity has attracted tremendous research interests recently as they could induce topological superconductivity (TSCs) which may be used to realize topological qubits for quantum computation. Among various TSC candidates, superconducting BaSn3 (Tc∼4.4K) has been predicted to be a topological Dirac semimetal (TDS) hosting two pairs of Dirac points along the Γ-A direction. Here, by combining the use of angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and ab initio calculations, we identified the predicted topological Dirac fermions and confirmed the TDS nature of the compound. In addition, we observed surface states connecting the Dirac points. Our observations demonstrate BaSn3 as a superconductor with nontrivial topological electronic structures.

A new wake-up receiver (WuRx) designed in 0.13 μm CMOS process is hybrid-integrated with a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) RF resonator. While only consuming 166 nW of power (18.8 nW for the comparator and 147 nW for periphery), the WuRx is capable of detecting RF signals as weak as -60 dBm. In order to achieve this sensitivity, a passive voltage-boosting network comprised of a high quality factor (high-Q) piezoelectric MEMS resonator is utilized, in place of an inductor, to amplify the received voltages applied to a CMOS rectifier. The output of the rectifier is then applied to a low-power comparator used to set a logical bit that indicates when an RF signal has been detected. The trade-offs in designing the voltage boosting network are explained and an equation for the optimum number of rectifier stages is derived.

This paper presents a tunable active bandpass filter with adjustable notch close to the passband for blocker rejection. The proposed filter is based on two-path signal cancellation and consists of a top-C coupled tunable bandpass filter in parallel with an inductor. The proposed filter is implemented with high-Q N-path filter/resonator blocks in 65-nm CMOS process. The passband of the filter is tunable from 0.4 GHz to 2.2 GHz with a 3-dB bandwidth of 14.4-15.6 MHz, an insertion loss of 3.6-5.8 dB, a noise figure of 3.8-6 dB, and a total power consumption of 12.4-42 mW. Transmission zero is created close to the passband with a minimal offset of 40 MHz and are tunable across a 25 MHz range with up to 54 dB rejection. The blocker 1-dB compression point is 8.5 dBm and the out-of-band IIP3 is 23.5 dBm. The proposed filter provides a promising solution to multi-standard, multi-frequency software-defined radio applications.

© 2014 IEEE. We introduce conferencing-based distributed channel quantizers for two-user interference networks where interference signals are treated as noise. Compared with the conventional distributed quantizers where each receiver quantizes its own channel independently, the proposed quantizers allow multiple rounds of feedback communication in the form of conferencing between receivers. We take the network outage probabilities of sum rate and minimum rate as performance measures and consider quantizer design in the transmission strategies of time sharing and interference transmission. First, we propose distributed quantizers that achieve the optimal network outage probability of sum rate for both time sharing and interference transmission strategies with an average feedback rate of only two bits per channel state. Then, for the time sharing strategy, we propose a distributed quantizer that achieves the optimal network outage probability of minimum rate with finite average feedback rate; conventional quantizers require infinite rate to achieve the same performance. For the interference transmission strategy, a distributed quantizer that can approach the optimal network outage probability of minimum rate closely is also proposed. Numerical simulations confirm that our distributed quantizers based on conferencing outperform the conventional ones.

The advances in science have resulted in the emergence of nanotechnology, which deals with the design and use of tools and devices of size 1-100 nm. The application of nanotechnologies to medicine is thus termed nanomedicine. Significant research has been focused on this new and exciting field and this review article will describe the basics of nanomedicine. This is followed by its experimental and clinical applications in diagnostics, drug therapy and regenerative medicine. Safety issues of in vivo use of nanomaterials are also discussed. In the future, it is foreseen that nanomedicine will facilitate the development of personalized medicine and will have a major impact on the delivery of better healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]