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Jian Zou,&ast; Jia-Yun Zhong,&ast; Yan-Xin Liu, Yu Liu, Dan Huang, Bian-Tiao Xu, Xi-Wen Li, Wen-Jun Gong, Jia Tao Department of Clinical Pharmacy, The People’s Hospital of Pengzhou, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Jian Zou, The People’s Hospital of Pengzhou, No. 255 Second Section of South Third Ring Road, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 28 86239898, Email 70336641@qq.comPurpose: Quality control circle (QCC) has acquired success in many fields in healthcare industry as a process management tool, whereas its efficacy in surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis (SAP) remains unknown. This study aimed to implement QCC interventions to improve the appropriateness of SAP.Methods: A QCC activity team was established to grasp the current situation of SAP in clean surgery procedure, set target, formulate corresponding countermeasures and implement and review them in stages. The plan-do-check-act (PDCA) method was cyclically applied.Results: The appropriateness of antibiotic prophylaxis before (January to December 2020) and after (January to December 2021) the implementation of QCC activities were evaluated based on relevant international and Chinese SAP guidelines. The overall SAP appropriateness was significantly improved from 68.72% before QCC to 93.7% post QCC implementation (P< 0.01). A significant improvement (P< 0.05) was also determined for each category: selection (from 78.82% to 96.06%), duration (from 90.15% to 96.46%), indication (from 94.09% to 97.64%), timing of first dose (from 96.55% to 99.21%), antimicrobial usage (from 96.8% to 99.41%), re-dosing of antimicrobial (from 96.55% to 99.21%).Conclusion: Implementation of a QCC program can optimize the use of antibiotics and improve the appropriateness of SAP and is of practical importance to their standardization.Keywords: surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis, quality control circle, appropriateness

Hui Wang,1,2 Shan Hai,1 Yixin Liu,1 Li Cao,1 Ying Liu,1 Ping Liu,2 Jianghua Zhou,3 Ying Yang,3 Birong Dong1,2 1Center of Gerontology and Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People’s Republic of China; 2National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Chengdu 610041, People’s Republic of China; 3Chengdu Fifth People’s Hospital, Chengdu 611130, People’s Republic of China Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of sarcopenia and depressive symptoms and estimate the association between them in elderly Chinese community-dwelling individuals.Patients and methods: A total of 948 elderly Chinese community-dwelling individuals were recruited through leaflets and posters from three communities in Chengdu, and 865 participants were analyzed in this cross-sectional study. Muscle mass was measured using the bioimpedance analysis, handgrip strength was measured with a handheld dynamometer, and physical performance was assessed via usual gait speed on a 6 m course. Sarcopenia was defined according to the recommended diagnostic algorithm of the Asia Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Chinese version of 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) with a score of ≥5 indicative of the presence of depressive symptoms.Results: A total of 865 participants were included in the analysis. The participants had a mean age of 68.68±6.46 years. Sixty-one (7.1%) participants and 71 (8.2%) participants were identified as having sarcopenia and depressive symptoms, respectively. After adjusting for age, sex, and other potential confounders, sarcopenia was found to be significantly associated with depressive symptoms (odds ratio [OR]: 2.23, 95% CI 1.06–4.92).Conclusion: The prevalence rates of sarcopenia and depressive symptoms were 7.1 and 8.2%, respectively, in elderly Chinese community-dwelling individuals, and sarcopenia was significantly associated with depressive symptoms. Keywords: community-dwelling, depressive symptoms, elderly, Geriatric Depression Scale, sarcopenia

Rongchong Huang,1,* Xiantao Song,2,* Jian Wu,1 Wei Huang,2 Aaron L Leppin,3 Michael R Gionfriddo,3,4 Yongxian Liu,1 Kasey R Boehmer,3 Henry H Ting,5 Victor M Montori3,6 1Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 2Department of Cardiology, Beijing An Zhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 3Knowledge and Evaluation Research Unit, 4Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 5Value Institute, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, The University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell, New York, NY, 6Division of Endocrinology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using the Statin Choice decision aid to have discussions about starting a statin medication for cardiovascular risk reduction in Chinese patients with stable coronary artery diseases.Methods: A prospective, pilot study of the Statin Choice decision aid in two teaching hospitals in Northern China was conducted. A total of seven clinicians were enrolled and underwent a 12-hour, group-based, in-person training on shared decision making (SDM) and the Statin Choice decision aid. Then, these clinicians used the Statin Choice decision aid in patients during a clinical encounter. A total of 86 patients aged 40-80 years, who had stable angina, were enrolled. All clinical encounters were video recorded. A team of three researchers viewed and scored all the encounter recordings to evaluate the SDM process and fidelity to the intervention using the OPTION scale and Fidelity scale, respectively. All the patients were followed up for 12 months to record adherence to statin and any major adverse cardiac events (MACEs).Results: The average scores on the OPTION normalized score and Fidelity scale were 21 (range, 3–32; out of a possible, 48) and 10 (range, 6–10; out of a possible, 10), respectively. This suggested that Chinese clinicians who were using Statin Choice in their patients were able to exhibit behaviors consistent with SDM at a level that is similar to that reported in Western countries. After SDM, the statin adherence was 94.5% (69/73), and the proportion of MACEs was 2.9% (2/69).Conclusion: Using an encounter decision aid developed in the US, it was feasible to implement SDM in a referral cardiology practice in Mainland China. Further work to ensure that the encounter aid is pertinent to the Chinese population and that SDM is tested in at-risk patients could contribute to the implementation of SDM across Mainland China. Keywords: Statin Choice, decision aid, stable angina, statin adherence, shared decision making, China

Contents The present study was performed to investigate the numerical distribution of mast cells (MCs) in the uteri of pregnant Meishan pigs to explore the functions of MCs in pig pregnancy. The uterine samples from pregnant (on days 15, 26 and 50 of gestation) pigs were obtained respectively and stained with toluidine blue. The results were as follows: MCs were constitutively located in the uterus of the Meishan pig, with the distribution varying with gestational stages. On days 15 and 26 of gestation, MCs were mainly distributed around the blood vessels and uterine glands within the endometrium. On day 50 of gestation, MCs were mostly distributed in the myometrium. These results indicated that uterine MCs possibly have versatile functions in pig pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guan-Xin-Er-Hao (GXEH) is a Chinese medicine formula for treating ischemic heart diseases (IHD) and has a favorable effect. Our aim was to examine whether or not acute oral GXEH could protect the heart against myocardial infarction and apoptosis in acute myocardial ischemic rats. If so, we would explain the antioxidative mechanism involved. The left anterior descending coronary artery was occluded to induce myocardial ischemia in hearts of Sprague-Dawley rats. At the end of the 3h ischemic period (or 24h for infarct size), we measured the myocardial infarct size, myocardial apoptosis and the activities of antioxidative enzymes. GXEH reduced infarct size, myocardial apoptosis and the serum level of malondialdehyde (MDA), increased the activities of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and GSH-peroxidase (GPX) activities and the serum level of glutathione (GSH). GXEH exerts significant cardioprotective effects against acute ischemic myocardial injury in rats, likely through its antioxidation and antilipid peroxidative properties, and thus may be used as a promising agent for both prophylaxis and treatment of IHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine the role of the migrant population in the transmission of tuberculosis (TB), we investigated the distribution and magnitude of TB in permanent residents and migrant populations of Beijing, People's Republic of China, from 2000 through 2006. An exploratory spatial data analysis was applied to detect the "hot spots" of TB among the 2 populations. Results, using the data obtained from 2004-2006, showed that people who migrated from the western, middle, and eastern zones of China had a significantly higher risk of having TB than did permanent residents. These findings indicate that population fluctuations have affected the rate of TB prevalence in Beijing, and interventions to control TB should include the migrant population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explored a genetic detection method for Treponema pallidum (TP) in the peripheral blood of infected patients to compare the loads of treponemal DNA before and after therapy and to see if this new technique enabled assessment of therapeutic effect and detection of serum resistance. Polymerase chain reaction was used for a qualitative detection of TP DNA in peripheral blood and then a semiquantitative method was adopted to estimate the load of TP DNA in blood, both before and after treatment of syphilis. Among 30 untreated patients, three cases were TP DNA-positive. Among 42 treated patients with demonstrated serum resistance, three cases were TP DNA-positive. Five cases in which the rapid plasma reagin had become negative had no detectable TP DNA in their peripheral blood. The TP DNA load in blood after treatment was significantly lower than that before therapy. We conclude that the detection of TP DNA in peripheral blood of TP-infected patients is not yet sufficiently sensitive, but we observed that TP DNA load declines significantly after treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Before 1986, scrub typhus was only found endemic in southern China. Because human infections typically occur in the summer, it is called "summer type". During the autumn-winter period of 1986, a new type of scrub typhus was identified in Shandong and northern Jiangsu province of northern China. This newly recognized scrub typhus was subsequently reported in many areas of northern China and was then called "autumn-winter type". However, clinical characteristics of associated cases have not been reported.Methods: From 1995 to 2006, all suspected scrub typhus cases in five township hospitals of Feixian county, Shandong province were enrolled. Indirect immunofluorescent assay (IFA) was used as confirmatory serodiagnosis test. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) connected with restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and sequence analyses were used for genotyping of O. tsutsugamushi DNAs. Clinical symptoms and demography of confirmed cases were analyzed.Results: A total of 480 scrub typhus cases were confirmed. The cases occurred every year exclusively between September and December with a peak occurrence in October. The case numbers were relatively higher in 1995, 1996, 1997, and 2000 than in other years. 57.9% of cases were in the group aged 21-50. More cases occurred in male (56%) than in female (44%). The predominant occupational group of the cases was farmers (85.0%). Farm work was reported the primary exposure to infection in 67.7% of cases. Fever, rash, and eschar were observed in 100.0%, 90.4%, and 88.5% of cases, respectively. Eschars formed frequently on or around umbilicus, abdomen areas, and front and back of waist (34.1%) in both genders. Normal results were observed in 88.7% (WBC counts), 84.5% (PLT counts), and 89.7% (RBC counts) of cases, respectively. Observations from the five hospitals were compared and no significant differences were found.Conclusion: The autumn-winter type scrub typhus in northern China occurred exclusively from September to December with a peak occurrence in October, which was different from the summer type in southern China. In comparison with the summer type, complications associated with autumn-winter type scrub typhus were less severe, and abnormalities of routine hematological parameters were less obvious. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) including leucine, isoleucine and valine have been linked with metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. BCAAs homeostasis is tightly controlled by their catabolic pathway. BCKA dehydrogenase (BCKD) complex is the rate-limiting step for BCAA catabolism. Mitochondrial phosphatase 2C (PP2Cm) dephosphorylates the BCKD E1alpha subunit and activates BCKD complex. Deficiency of PP2Cm impairs BCAA catabolism, leading to higher plasma BCAA concentrations. Emerging evidence shows that bile acids are key regulators of glucose, lipid and energy metabolism. In this study, we investigated whether a direct link existed between BCAAs and bile acids metabolism. Wild-type mice were fed with normal-BCAA or high-BCAA diet, while PP2Cm deficiency mice were fed with normal chow for 14 weeks. The mice were fasted for 6 h before tissue harvest to exclude metabolic changes due to immediate food intake. We showed that the bile acids in tissues and feces were significantly elevated in wild-type mice fed with high-BCAA diet as well as in PP2Cm deficiency mice fed with normal chow. These mice displayed significantly increased expression of cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase (CYP7A1), the rate-limiting enzyme of bile acid synthesis in liver, and 7α-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one (C4), a freely diffusible metabolite downstream of CYP7A1 in plasma. BCAAs induced Cyp7a1 expression in cultured hepatocytes. In mouse liver and cultured hepatocytes, we demonstrated that elevated BCAAs inhibited fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) expression and ERK signaling pathway. Direct inhibition of ERK by U0126 (800 nM) markedly induced Cyp7a1 expression in cultured hepatocytes. Moreover, the induced Cyp7a1 expression and inhibitory effects of BCAAs on ERK signaling pathway were abolished by treatment with recombinant FGF21 protein in mouse liver and cultured hepatocytes. Collectively, this study demonstrates a direct link between BCAAs and bile acid synthesis. BCAAs promotes Cyp7a1 expression and bile acid synthesis in liver via inhibiting FGF21-ERK signaling pathway. BCAAs-regulated bile acid synthesis and homeostasis may contribute to developing novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of metabolic disorders., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Pharmacological Society.)

Protein natural diversity offers a vast sequence space for protein engineering, and deep learning enables its detection from metagenomes/proteomes without prior assumptions. DeepMetagenome, a Python-based method, explores protein diversity through modules for training and analyzing sequence datasets. The deep learning model includes Embedding, Conv1D, LSTM, and Dense layers, with sequence feature analysis for data cleaning. Applied to metallothioneins from a database of over 146 million coding features, DeepMetagenome identified over 500 high-confidence metallothionein sequences, outperforming DIAMOND and CNN-based models. It showed stable performance compared to a Transformer-based model over 25 epochs. Among 23 synthesized sequences, 20 exhibited metal resistance. The tool also successfully explored the diversity of three additional protein families and is freely available on GitHub with detailed instructions., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Non-Hermitian physical systems have attracted considerable attention in recent years for their unique properties around exceptional points (EPs), where the eigenvalues and eigenstates of the system coalesce. Phase transitions near exceptional points can lead to various interesting phenomena, such as unidirectional wave transmission. However, most of those studies are in the classical regime and whether these properties can be maintained in the quantum regime is still a subject of ongoing studies. Using a non-Hermitian on-chip superconducting quantum circuit, here we observe a phase transition and the corresponding exceptional point between the two phases. Furthermore, we demonstrate that unidirectional microwave transmission can be achieved even in the few-photon regime within the broken symmetry phase. This result holds some potential applications, such as on-chip few-photon microwave isolators. Our study reveals the possibility of exploring the fundamental physics and practical quantum devices with non-Hermitian systems based on superconducting quantum circuits., Competing Interests: Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background and Objectives: Maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients are at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), a common complication and leading cause of death. Persistent micro-inflammation is a unique feature of MHD. Given the established role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, this study aims to explore whether novel inflammatory markers (inflammation index) can serve as independent risk factors for CVD in MHD patients., Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on patients from three dialysis centers, categorized into a CVD and non-CVD group based on medical history, laboratory tests, and physical examination. Fasting blood samples were collected from all participants for indicator testing., Results: The analysis of 209 patients revealed that 104 had concurrent CVD. Patients in the CVD group were significantly older and exhibited higher anxiety and depression scores. Forward stepwise multivariate logistic regression results identified the inflammation index neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (OR = 1.27, 95% CI 1.082-1.491, P < 0.05) and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) (OR = 1.001, 95% CI 1.0001-1.002, P < 0.05) as independent risk factors for CVD in MHD patients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated that SII, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), and NLR all possess predictive diagnostic values for CVD events in this patient population., Conclusions: Hemodialysis centers can utilize simple and cost-effective inflammatory markers to proactively identify patients at risk of CVD. Future research into how inflammation contributes to CVD in MHD is required., Competing Interests: Declarations Ethics approval and informed consent The Ethics Committee of Dongzhimen Hospital, Affiliated with the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, approved this study (2024DZMEC-313–02), and all enrolled patients signed valid informed consent forms. Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: An interspecific interaction is an important reason for the yield advantage of interspecific cropping compared with sole cropping, and the relative sowing time of species is an important factor affecting interspecific competitiveness. Our purpose was to explore the effects of different relative sowing times on the interspecific competition-recovery phenomenon in wheat and maize intercropping systems., Methods: Three planting methods (wheat/maize intercropping, wheat and maize sole cropping) and different relative sowing times of wheat were used to carry out field experiments over two years. Sequential harvest of subplots was performed between 3 and 6 times, and the biomass data were fitted to logistic growth model., Results: Delaying the sowing time of wheat reduced the wheat yield, biomass and nutrient acquisition and increased those of maize, but wheat still had an intercropping advantage during the co-growth period. At the same time, the nutrient acquisition of maize was still inhibited, but its recovery growth advanced. Changing the relative sowing time of wheat significantly changed the maximum instantaneous growth rates of wheat and maize. Delaying the relative sowing time of wheat significantly reduced its maximum instantaneous growth rate, while enhancing that of maize, leading to a balanced mutual benefit., Conclusions: Delaying the sowing time of wheat to the same sowing time as maize will change wheat/maize intercropping from asymmetrical interspecific facilitation to symmetrical interspecific facilitation. However, in this case, intercropped wheat still had an interspecific competitive advantage in the co-growth stage, and intercropped maize still underwent a competition-recovery process., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Sun, Zhu, Pang, Liu, Sun, Zhang, Li and Liu.)

Flupyrimin (FLP) is a novel class of insecticide acting on insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) and shows robust insecticidal activity. However, the toxicological effects of FLP on Spodoptera litura have not been revealed. In this study, the results showed that the larval survival rate decreased significantly with increasing concentration of FLP. The hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining showed that FLP exposure damages the structure of the larval midgut. Additionally, FLP treatments significantly increased the activities of detoxification (GST and CarE) and digestive (α-Amylase and Trypsin) enzymes and reduced lipase activity. Transcriptome sequencing identified 855, 1493 and 735 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at 12 h, 24 h and 48 h after exposure to 3 mM FLP, respectively. Gene function enrichment analysis revealed that DEGs were mainly related to fatty acid metabolic, protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum and drug metabolism-cytochrome P450. The DEGs associated with food digestion and detoxification was validated by reverse-transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Furthermore, a total of fifteen energy-related metabolites were identified, among which thirteen metabolisms were significantly influenced after FLP treatment based on 1 H NMR-based metabolome analysis, including tyrosine, glucose, trehalose, malate, threonine, proline, glycine, lysine, citrate, alanine, lactate, valine, and leucine. Taken together, these results provide useful information for revealing the toxicological effect of FLP against S. litura., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a cancer with high morbidity and mortality. Studies have shown that histone modification plays an important regulatory role in the occurrence and development of HCC. However, the specific regulatory effects of histone modifications on gene expression in HCC are still unclear. This study focuses on HepG2 cell lines and hepatocyte cell lines. First, the distribution of histone modification signals in the two cell lines was calculated and analyzed. Then, using the random forest algorithm, we analyzed the effects of different histone modifications and their modified regions on gene expression in the two cell lines, four key histone modifications (H3K36me3, H3K4me3, H3K79me2, and H3K9ac) and five key regions that co-regulate gene expression were obtained. Subsequently, target genes regulated by key histone modifications in key regions were screened. Combined with clinical data, Cox regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were performed on the target genes, and four key target genes (CBX2, CEBPZOS, LDHA, and UMPS) related to prognosis were identified. Finally, through immune infiltration analysis and drug sensitivity analysis of key target genes, the potential role of key target genes in HCC was confirmed. Our results provide a theoretical basis for exploring the occurrence of HCC and propose potential biomarkers associated with histone modifications, which may be potential drug targets for the clinical treatment of HCC., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Although breakthroughs have been achieved in gastric cancer (GC) therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting programmed death-1 (PD-1) and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), the acquisition of high response rate remains a huge challenge for clinicians. It is imperative to identify novel biomarkers for predicting response to immunotherapy and explore alternative therapeutic strategy for GC., Methods: The transcriptomic profiles and clinical information of GC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) database was used to screen differentially expressed lncRNAs between the tumor specimens and the paracancerous tissues. The TargetScan, miRDB and miRcode database were then utilized to construct competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks and identify pivotal lncRNAs. An independent dataset from GEO (GSE70880) and 23 pairs of GC specimens of our cohort were subsequently performed for external validity. The relationship between clinical variables and gene expression were evaluated by Kruskal-wallis test and Wilcoxon signed-rank. The prognostic value of the candidate genes was assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression models. CIBERSORT and Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were used to determine immune cell infiltration. Gastric adenocarcinoma AGS cells and human embryonic kidney 293T (HEK293T) cells with knockdown of LINC01094 were generated by siRNA transfection, followed by detecting the alteration of the target miRNA and PD-L1/PD-L2 by RT-qPCR. Besides, the interaction between lncRNA and the miRNA-PD-L1/PD-L2 axis were verified by dual luciferase reporter assay., Results: Twenty-two intersecting lncRNAs were identified to be PD-L1/PD-L2-related lncRNAs and LINC01094-miR-17-5p-PD-L1/PD-L2 was constructed as a potential ceRNA network. LINC01094 was increased in tumor specimens than adjacent normal samples and was positively associated with advanced tumor stages and EBV and MSI status. Furthermore, LINC01094 expression was an independent risk factor for poor overall survival (OS) in GC patients. CD8 + T cell exhaustion-related genes were enriched in high-LINC01094 tissues and high-PD-L2 group. A strong positive association of LINC01094 expression was established with M2 macrophages, IL-10 + TAM, as well as PD-L1 and PD-L2 levels, therefore a LINC01094-miR-17-5p-IL-10 network was proposed in macrophages. Using the exoRBase database, LINC01094 was assumed in blood exosomes of GC patients The results of knockdown experiments and luciferase reporter assays revealed that LINC01094 interacted with miR-17-5p and served as a miRNA sponge to regulate the expression of PD-L1 and PD-L2., Conclusion: LINC01094 dually regulates the expression of PD-L1 and PD-L2 and shapes the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment via sponging miR-17-5p. LINC01094 may serve as a potential prognostic predictor and therapeutic target in GC., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Zhang, Chen, Liu, Zhang, Hong, Li, Liu, Chen, Peng and Huang.)

Insecticides are commonly utilized in agriculture and forestry for pest control, but their dispersal can pose hazards to humans and environment. Understanding resistance, inheritance patterns, and fitness costs can help manage resistance. A λ-cyhalothrin-resistant population (LCR) of Cydia pomonella , a global pest of pome fruits and walnuts, was obtained through selective insecticide breeding for 15 generations, showing stable moderate resistance (23.85-fold). This population was cross-resistant to deltamethrin (4.26-fold) but not to β-cypermethrin, chlorantraniliprole, chlorpyrifos, and avermectin. Genetic analysis revealed the resistance was autosomal, incompletely dominant, and controlled by multiple genes. Increased activity of glutathione S-transferases and cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) played a primary role in resistance, with specific genes up-regulated in LCR, and exhibited significant expression in midgut. LCR also exhibited fitness costs, including delays in development, reduced fecundity, and slower population growth. These findings contribute to understanding λ-cyhalothrin resistance in C. pomonella and can guide resistance management strategies.

Plant diversity significantly impacts ecosystem processes and functions, yet its influence on the community assembly of leaf fungi remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated leaf epiphytic and endophytic fungal communities in a Chinese subtropical tree species richness experiment, ranging from 1 to 16 species, using amplicon sequencing to target the internal transcribed spacer 1 region of the rDNA. We found that the community assembly of epiphytic and endophytic fungi was predominantly governed by stochastic processes, with a higher contribution of dispersal limitation on epiphytic than on endophytic fungal communities but a higher contribution of selection on endophytic than on epiphytic fungal communities. The plant-epiphytic fungus interaction network was more complex (e.g., more highly connected and strongly nested but less specialized and modularized) than the plant-endophytic fungus interaction network. Additionally, tree species richness was positively correlated with the network complexity and diversity of epiphytic (α-, β- and γ-diversity) and endophytic (β- and γ-diversity) fungi, but was not associated with the contribution of the stochastic and deterministic processes on the community assembly of epiphytic and endophytic fungi. This study highlights that tree species diversity enhances the diversity and network complexity, rather than alters the ecological processes in community assembly of leaf-associated fungi., (© 2024. Science China Press.)

Studies on the piezoelectric materials capable of efficiently outputting high electrostrains at low electric fields are driven by the demand for precise actuation in a wide range of applications. Large electrostrains of piezoceramics in operation require high driving fields, which limits their practical application due to undesirable nonlinearities and high energy consumption. Herein, a strategy is developed to enhance the electrostrains of piezoceramics while maintaining low hysteresis by incorporating lead magnesium niobate relaxors into lead zirconate titanium at the morphotropic phase boundary. An ultrahigh inverse piezoelectric coefficient d 33 * of 1380 pm/V with a reduced hysteresis of 11.5% is achieved under a low electric field of 1 kV/mm, outperforming the major lead-based piezoelectric materials. In situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction and domain wall dynamics characterization with sub-microsecond temporal resolution reveal that the outstanding performances originate from facilitated domain wall movement, which in turn is due to reduced lattice distortion and miniaturized domain structures. These findings not only address the pending challenges of effective actuation under reduced driving conditions but also lay the foundation for a more systematic approach to exploring the origin of large electrostrains., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Selective uptake and elution of trace amounts of hazardous radioactive 90 Sr from large-scale high-level liquid waste (HLW) is crucial for sustainable development. Here, we propose a site differentiation strategy, based on the presence of distinct selective metal capture sites (concavity site and tweezer site) within the giant polyoxoniobate (PONb) nanoclusters of an all-inorganic PONb framework (FZU-1). Through this strategy, FZU-1 can not only effectively remove 98.9% of Sr²⁺ from simulated nuclear liquid waste, performing best among the reported Sr adsorbents, but also achieve desorption of adsorbed Sr²⁺ ions by selectively loading Na⁺ ions, thus enabling the recycling of FZU-1. Based on the well-defined single-crystal structures and theoretical studies, it can be revealed that the rapid and selective uptake of Sr²⁺ is attributed to the strong binding energy between the Sr²⁺ ions and the concavity sites. The effective elution of Sr²⁺, on the other hand, stems from the preferential binding of Na⁺ ions at the tweezer sites, elevating the cluster's electrostatic potential and indirectly facilitating the elution of Sr²⁺ ions. The exceptional stability of FZU-1, along with its rapid and selective Sr²⁺ capture and elution capabilities, positions it as a promising candidate for large-scale nuclear waste treatment and groundwater remediation applications., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Kirsten rat sarcoma virus (KRAS) mutation is associated with malignant tumor transformation and drug resistance. However, the development of clinically effective targeted therapies for KRAS-mutant cancer has proven to be a formidable challenge. Here, we report that tripartite motif-containing protein 21 (TRIM21) functions as a target of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 (ERK2) in KRAS-mutant colorectal cancer (CRC), contributing to regorafenib therapy resistance. Mechanistically, TRIM21 directly interacts with and ubiquitinates v-myc avian myelocytomatosis viral oncogene homolog (c-Myc) at lysine 148 (K148) via K63-linkage, enabling c-Myc to be targeted to the autophagy machinery for degradation, ultimately resulting in the downregulation of enolase 2 expression and inhibition of glycolysis. However, mutant KRAS (KRAS/MT)-driven mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling leads to the phosphorylation of TRIM21 (p-TRIM21) at Threonine 396 (T396) by ERK2, disrupting the interaction between TRIM21 and c-Myc and thereby preventing c-Myc from targeting autophagy for degradation. This enhances glycolysis and contributes to regorafenib resistance. Clinically, high p-TRIM21 (T396) is associated with an unfavorable prognosis. Targeting TRIM21 to disrupt KRAS/MT-driven phosphorylation using the antidepressant vilazodone shows potential for enhancing the efficacy of regorafenib in treating KRAS-mutant CRC in preclinical models. These findings are instrumental for KRAS-mutant CRC treatment aiming at activating TRIM21-mediated selective autophagic degradation of c-Myc., Competing Interests: Competing interests statement:The authors declare no competing interest.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a secondary metabolite of Fusarium fungi and belonged to trichothecenes, and it widely presents in various food commodities. Previous studies have highlighted its potent toxicity, adversely affecting the growth, development, and reproductive in both humans and animals. However, the potential impact of DON on porcine oocyte organelles remains elusive. In present study, we delved into the toxic effects of DON on mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi during the porcine oocyte maturation. Our findings revealed that DON exposure significantly impeded granulosa cell diffusion and the expulsion of the first polar body. Additionally, mitochondrial fluorescence intensity and membrane potential underwent notable alterations under DON exposure. Notably, lysosomal fluorescence intensity decreased significantly, suggesting protein degradation and potential autophagy, which was further corroborated by the enhanced fluorescence intensity of LC3. Furthermore, endoplasmic reticulum fluorescence intensity declined, and DON exposure elevated endoplasmic reticulum stress levels, evident from the upregulated expression of GRP78. Concurrently, we observed disruption in the fusiform cortex distribution of the Golgi apparatus, characterized by reduced Golgi apparatus fluorescence intensity and GM130 expression. Collectively, our results indicate that DON exposure profoundly affects the fundamental functions of porcine oocyte organelles during meiosis and maturation., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Hypertension may result in atrial fibrillation (AF) and lipid metabolism disorders. The Sirtuins3 (SIRT3)/AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway has the capacity to regulate lipid metabolism disorders and the onset of AF. We hypothesize that the SIRT3/AMPK signaling pathway suppresses lipid metabolism disorders, thereby mitigating salt-sensitive hypertension (SSHT)-induced susceptibility to AF., Methods: The study involved 7-week-old male Dahl salt-sensitive that were fed either a high-salt diet (8% NaCl; DSH group) or a normal diet (0.3% NaCl; DSN group). Then DSH group was administered either oral metformin (MET, an AMPK agonist) or intraperitoneal injection of Honokiol (HK, a SIRT3 agonist). This experimental model allowed for the measurement of Systolic blood pressure (SBP), the expression levels of lipid metabolism-related biomarkers, pathological examination of atrial fibrosis, and lipid accumulation, as well as AF inducibility and AF duration., Results: DSH decrease SIRT3, phosphorylation-AMPK, and very long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, (VLCAD) expression, increased FASN and FABP4 expression and concentrations of free fatty acid and triglyceride, atrial fibrosis and lipid accumulation in atrial tissue, enhanced level of SBP, promoted AF induction rate and prolonged AF duration, which are blocked by MET and HK. Our results also showed that the degree of atrial fibrosis was negatively correlated with VLCAD expression, but positively correlated with the expression of FASN and FABP4., Conclusions: We have confirmed that a high-salt diet can result in hypertension, and associated atrial tissue lipid metabolism dysfunction. This condition is linked to the inhibition of the SIRT3/AMPK signaling pathway, which plays a significant role in the progression of susceptibility to AF in SSHT rats., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of American Journal of Hypertension, Ltd. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) exposure have been identified as risk factors for Helicobacter pylori seropositivity, possibly due to the immune suppression by Cd and Pb. Physical activity (PA) can induce an immune response. However, whether PA can reduce the effect of Cd and Pb on H pylori infection remains elusive. This study aims to investigate the association of blood Cd and Pb levels with H pylori infection and explore the intermediary effects of PA. This cross-sectional survey was conducted using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) of the 1999 to 2000 cycle (n = 9965). Participants without clear serological testing data, or absent in PA, blood Cd, and Pb information were excluded. Collinearity analysis was performed to remove the variables with high collinearity. Restricted cubic spline curve analysis was adopted to assess the nonlinear association of Cd and Pb with H pylori infection. The logistic regression analysis, generalized linear models, sensitivity analysis, and P for trend test were used to further analyze their relationship. Then, we analyzed the association of Cd and Pb with H pylori infection in 2 PA groups. Totally 3638 participants were divided into H pylori-negative (n = 2545) and H pylori-positive group (n = 1093). Pb exhibited a linear relationship but Cd had a nonlinear relationship with H pylori infection. Besides, the elevation of Cd and Pb both independently predicted H pylori infection after adjusting various variables (P < .05). The robust relationship was confirmed by the P for trend test (P for trend < .05). Under Cd exposure, the risk of H pylori infection was lower in the active PA group than in the inactive group (P < .05). A reverse result was found under the Pb exposure (P < .05). Exposure to Cd and Pb are positively linked to H pylori infection. PA may alleviate the effect of Cd on H pylori infection but may enhance H pylori infection under Pb exposure. Therefore, PA should be recommended in the appropriate season or region., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

The innovation of integrating medical treatment and prevention mechanisms is a key task deployed by the government, aiming to promote the construction of a Healthy China and address the prevalent "treatment over prevention" mindset in healthcare services and society. Vaccination is an effective strategy for preventing and controlling infectious diseases; however, adult vaccination rates in China remain low due to insufficient awareness and enthusiasm among the public and healthcare professionals. In recent years, various regions have begun to explore the model of physicians in medical institutions prescribing vaccines to improve vaccination rates. This article analyzes the positioning, current implementation status, and challenges of vaccine prescriptions, and proposes recommendations advocating policy formulation, improving service models and supporting measures, improving funding mechanisms, and strengthening publicity and education to promote the widespread implementation and effectiveness of vaccine prescriptions.

Background: Z-Ligustilide (ZL) is an essential phthalide found in Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort, a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine for treating atherosclerosis (AS) clinically. ZL has been shown to be effective in treating AS. However, the underlying mechanism of ZL against AS and its potential targets remain elusive., Purpose: The purpose of this research was to assess the influence of ZL on AS and explore the role of the gut microbiome in mediating this effect., Methods: A well-established AS mouse model, apolipoprotein E deficient (ApoE -/- ) mice was used to examine the effects of ZL on AS, inflammation, and the intestinal barrier. To analyze the changes in gut microbial community, we employed the 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Antibiotic cocktail and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) were employed to clarify the contribution of the gut microbiota to the anti-AS effects of ZL. The mechanism through which ZL provided protective effects on AS and the intestinal barrier was explored by untargeted metabolomics, as well as by validating the involvement of cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2R) in mice and Caco-2 cells., Results: Oral administration of ZL inhibited the development of atherosclerotic lesions, improved plaque stability, inhibited the increase in serum and atherosclerotic inflammation, and improved intestinal barrier function. Fecal bacteria from ZL-treated mice induced similar beneficial effects on AS and the intestinal barrier. We used 16S RNA gene sequencing to reveal a significant increase in Rikenella abundance in both ZL-treated mice and ZL-FMT mice, which was associated with the beneficial effects of ZL. Further function prediction analysis of the gut microbiota and CB2R antagonist intervention experiment in mice and Caco-2 cells showed that the activation of CB2R resulted in the enhancement of the intestinal barrier by ZL. Furthermore, the analysis of metabolomic profiling revealed the enrichment of capsaicin upon ZL treatment, which induced the activation of CB2R in human colon epithelial cells., Conclusion: Our study is the first to demonstrate that oral treatment with ZL has the potential to alleviate AS by reducing inflammation levels and enhancing the intestinal barrier function. This mechanism relies on the gut microbiota in a CB2R-dependent manner, suggesting promising strategies and ideas for managing AS. This study provides insights into a novel mechanism for treating AS with ZL., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Background Coronary CT-derived fractional flow reserve (CT-FFR) has been used in patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD); however, whether it decreases invasive coronary angiography (ICA) use and affects prognosis remains insufficiently evidenced. Purpose To explore the effectiveness of adding CT-FFR to routine coronary CT angiography (CCTA) on short-term ICA rate and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in a Chinese setting. Materials and Methods A multicenter randomized controlled trial was conducted in 17 Chinese centers, with patient inclusion from May 2021 to September 2021. Eligible individuals with 25%-99% stenosis at CCTA were randomly assigned 1:1 to a strategy of CCTA plus automated CT-FFR or CCTA alone for guiding downstream care. The primary end point was the ICA rate 90 days after enrollment. Secondary end points included 90-day and 1-year MACE rates (comprised of all-cause mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and urgent revascularization) and 1-year cardiac events (comprised of cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and urgent revascularization). The Cox proportional hazards model with center effect adjustment was used for survival comparisons. Results A total of 5297 participants (mean age, 63.5 years ± 10.8 [SD]; 3178 male) were included. During the 90-day follow-up, ICA was performed in 263 of 2633 participants (10.0%) in the CCTA plus CT-FFR group and 327 of 2640 participants (12.4%) in the CCTA-alone group (absolute rate difference: -2.40%; 95% CI: -4.10, -0.70; P = .006). The MACE rates at 90 days (0.5% [12 of 2633 participants] vs 0.8% [21 of 2640 participants]; P = .12) and 1 year (2.9% [74 of 2546 participants] vs 2.8% [72 of 2531 participants]; P = .90) were similar for both groups. At 1-year follow-up, fewer cardiac events were observed in the CCTA plus CT-FFR group compared with the CCTA-alone group (0.5% vs 1.1%; adjusted hazard ratio: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.27, 0.99; P = .047). Conclusion CT-FFR added to CCTA led to a lower 90-day ICA rate and similar 1-year MACE rate in a Chinese real-world setting. Further follow-up is warranted to demonstrate the long-term prognostic value of this management approach. © RSNA, 2024 Supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Pundziute-do Prado in this issue.

Background: Primary electrical disorders (PEDs) are a group of cardiac rhythm abnormalities that occur in the absence of detectable structural heart disease and are a significant cause of sudden cardiac death (SCD). The initiation of cardiac muscle contraction and relaxation is orchestrated by the action potential (AP), generated through ionic changes across the membrane. Mutations in the AP-related gene CACNA2D1 have been identified as a causative factor for PED., Methods: We recruited a Chinese family with a history of arrhythmia. The proband has experienced palpitations and chest tightness for over 40 years, with symptoms worsening over the past year. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was used to determine the genetic etiologies in this family., Results: A novel heterozygous missense mutation (NM&#95;000722.3: c.1685G > C;p.G562A) of CACNA2D1 gene was detected. Genotyping of the proband's parents indicated that the arrhythmia phenotype in the proband was caused by a de novo mutation., Conclusions: WES was utilized to explore the genetic etiology in a family with arrhythmia, leading to the identification of a novel mutation in the CACNA2D1 gene. This study not only expands the mutation spectrum of the CACNA2D1 gene but also contributes to genetic counseling and clinical diagnosis for this family., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Competing Interests: Declaration of interests We declare no competing interests.

Scientific risk assessment of exogenous and endogenous toxic substances in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is of great significance. The present review comprises a comprehensive summary of progress in the health risk assessment of harmful exogenous substances in TCMs. Such substances include heavy metals, pesticide residues, biotoxins, and endogenous toxic components involving pyrrolizidine alkaloids. The review also discusses the strengths and weaknesses of various bioaccessibility and bioavailability models, and their applications in risk assessment. Future avenues of risk assessment research are highlighted, including further exploration of risk assessment parameters, innovation of bioaccessibility and bioavailability techniques, enhancement of probabilistic risk assessment combined with bioavailability, improvement of cumulative risk assessment strategies, and formulation of strategies for reducing relative bioavailability (RBA) values in TCMs. Such efforts represent an attempt to develop a risk assessment system that is capable of evaluating the exogenous and endogenous toxic substances in TCMs to ensure its safe use in clinics, and to promote the sustainable development of the TCM industry., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)