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Abstract Prediabetes is an early phase before diabetes. Diabetes and dietary inflammation are two crucial factors that are strongly associated with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Dietary interventions slowed the progression of diabetes and CVD. However, the associations between CVDs and dietary inflammation in different stages of pathoglycaemia have not been investigated. To explore the effect of a proinflammatory diet on CVD incidence at different stages of diabetes, NHANES (2001–2018) data were collected and analysed. A total of 3137 CVD patients with a comparable non-CVD group (n = 3137) were enrolled after propensity score matching (PSM) analysis. These patients were subsequently categorized into three subgroups: those with diabetes (n = 3043), those with prediabetes (n = 1099) and those with normoglycemia (n = 2132). The DII (Dietary inflammatory index) is a risk factor for CVD, both in overall individuals and in each subgroup of population-based information. In diabetic individuals, the odds ratios (ORs) (95% CIs) of CVD incidence for the DII were 1.10 (1.05, 1.15) and 1.08 (1.03, 1.13) according to the crude and adjusted models, respectively. For individuals with prediabetes, the ORs (95% CIs) of CVD risk for DII were 1.05 (0.97, 1.14) and 1.11 (1.01, 1.22) according to the crude and adjusted models, respectively. After adjusting for population-based information and hypertension status, the DII appeared to have the highest OR for individuals with prediabetes, and no significant association was found between the DII score and CVD risk in the normoglycemia group. Moreover, the OR of CVD for DII in the uncontrolled diabetes group was 1.06 (0.98, 1.16)*. These results suggest that the DII is more closely associated with the risk of CVDs in prediabetic and diabetic populations, and we should pay more attention to diet control before a person develops diabetes to prevent CVD progression.

This study investigated the efficacy of radial yield support as an active measure to mitigate stress and deformation in deep soft rock tunnels experiencing large deformation. Traditional support methods have shown limited success in addressing this challenge. Leveraging a three-dimensional geomechanical model, this study proposes an active support system centered around radial yield pressure. This system releases stress in the surrounding rock before resisting deformation, thereby improving the mechanical properties of the tunnel and effectively controlling displacement and deformation during excavation. Through analysis using the three-dimensional geomechanical model, this study evaluated the control effect of radial yield support on surrounding rock deformation and support bearing capacity, focusing on a typical large deformation section of a highway tunnel. The results demonstrate a significant reduction in relative deformation of the surrounding rock compared to conventional support methods, with a reduction of 75.8% in tensile strain and 67.6% in compressive strain as evidenced by bolt deformation. Additionally, the contact pressure between the surrounding rock and primary support is reduced by 80%, indicating the effective control of radial yield support on plastic zone development and stress release in the surrounding rock. These findings offer valuable insights for the application of similar technologies in controlling surrounding rock in deep soft rock tunnels.

Abstract Obesity shapes anti-tumor immunity through lipid metabolism; however, the mechanisms underlying how colorectal cancer (CRC) cells utilize lipids to suppress anti-tumor immunity remain unclear. Here, we show that tumor cell-intrinsic ATP6V0A1 drives exogenous cholesterol-induced immunosuppression in CRC. ATP6V0A1 facilitates cholesterol absorption in CRC cells through RAB guanine nucleotide exchange factor 1 (RABGEF1)-dependent endosome maturation, leading to cholesterol accumulation within the endoplasmic reticulum and elevated production of 24-hydroxycholesterol (24-OHC). ATP6V0A1-induced 24-OHC upregulates TGF-β1 by activating the liver X receptor (LXR) signaling. Subsequently, the release of TGF-β1 into the tumor microenvironment by CRC cells activates the SMAD3 pathway in memory CD8+ T cells, ultimately suppressing their anti-tumor activities. Moreover, we identify daclatasvir, a clinically used anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) drug, as an ATP6V0A1 inhibitor that can effectively enhance the memory CD8+ T cell activity and suppress tumor growth in CRC. These findings shed light on the potential for ATP6V0A1-targeted immunotherapy in CRC.

This paper proposes a residual flux detection method based on the different polarities of response currents. When a positive–negative alternating DC voltage is loaded, the direction of the residual flux can be determined by the difference between the various polarities of the response current waveforms. As a result, residual flux value can be calculated using the empirical formula that relates residual flux to the responce current. In this formula, unknown parameters can be obtained using the field-circuit coupling method. Finally, this paper employs a closed iron core as an example to obtain the corresponding formula and then verifies its accuracy through experiments. The results show that the accuracy of the proposed method is less than 5%, which is higher than that of other existing methods. The method presented in this paper not only accurately detects the residual flux of a transformer but also requires no additional energy from the transformer.

Insects represent one of the most diverse groups in the organism world with extremely rich species and morphological diversity, playing important roles in natural and city ecosystems. Regional compilation of insect species lists helps to clarify the richness of insect species in a region, enhances our understanding the structure and function of a local ecosystem and promotes the protection and development of insect resources. Moreover, it also serves as a valuable reference for cities with small area, large population and high urbanisation like Macao. Macao (Macau) Special Administrative Region (SAR) is situated at the Pearl River Delta on the southeast coast of mainland China. With urban development accelerating at great rate in a quite restricted area, Macao still has rich fauna, within which the insect diversity is surprisingly high.In this study, we systematically sorted out major references items of manuals or handbooks, monographs, articles, dissertations, official websites and other publicly available information sources about the insects recorded in Macao and, thus, generated a checklist of 15 orders, 166 families, 868 genera, 1,339 species and 118 subspecies. During this process, the preliminarily summarised list was re-examined to eliminate synonyms and invalid species, based on many more extensive literature reviews. Besides, spelling errors of scientific names, authors and years were corrected. Meanwhile, the catalogue revealed a different composition pattern of species diversity between orders from those of the world and China. Even based on the most conservative estimates, the number of insect species in Macao should not be lower than 3,340 species, which hints at the necessity of deeper investigations with adequate collecting in the future to achieve more comprehensive recognition and understanding of Macao’s insect biodiversity.

The genus Micronecta Kirkaldy, 1897 is the most species-rich genus in the family Micronectidae, containing more than 160 species. Micronecta is currently divided into 11 subgenera, five of which are monotypic. Moreover, the subgenus Micronecta is an empirical mixture group. The definitions of some subgenera were based on only a few aberrant morphological features, which are specializations with few phylogenetic significances. The relationship between these subgenera remains unclear. In this study, we newly sequenced mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) and nuclear rDNAs (nrDNAs) for 13 Micronecta species, representing seven subgenera, and those for ten other water bugs. Our phylogenetic analyses showed that the subgenus Lundbladella represents the sister group to all other studied subgenera of Micronecta. The subgenus Unguinecta was the sister group to the clade that contains Dichaetonecta and Sigmonecta. More importantly, the subgenus Micronecta represents a paraphyletic group, which further forms a monophyletic group together with the subgenera Basileonecta and Ctenonecta. This is for the first time that the phylogeny of the genus Micronecta was investigated based on molecular data and the paraphyly of the subgenus Micronecta was revealed. Such evidence suggested the necessity of the revision of the taxonomic system of the genus in the future, and may also serve as a reference for the delimitation of subgeneric characters.

Abstract Background Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) have become a global health concern, which can lead to diabetic foot infection (DFI), lower leg amputation, and even mortality. Though the standard of care (SOC) practices have been recognized as the “gold standard” for DFU care, SOC alone may not be adequate to heal all DFUs and prevent their recurrence. The use of dermal matrix has emerged as an adjuvant treatment to enhance DFU healing. The current study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of dermal matrix application as an adjuvant treatment to the SOC. Methods The databases of PubMed, Embase and CENTRAL were independently searched by two authors, with the following key terms: “diabetic foot ulcer”, “acellular dermal matrix”, “wound healing”, and so on. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluated the efficacy and safety of dermal matrix in the treatment of DFUs were eligible for inclusion. The primary outcomes analyzed included time to complete healing and complete healing rate at the final follow-up, while secondary outcomes included wound area, ulcer recurrence rate, amputation risk and complication risk. Meta-analyses were performed using random-effect or fixed-effect models, based on the heterogeneity test. Results This study included a total of 15 RCTs with a total of 1524 subjects. Of these, 689 patients were treated with SOC alone, while 835 patients received SOC plus dermal matrix. Compared to the SOC group, significantly shorter time (MD = 2.84, 95%CI: 1.37 ~ 4.32, p

Abstract El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), an irregular alternation between warm El Niño and cold La Niña phases, is the most prominent air-sea interaction phenomenon on Earth and greatly affects global weather and climate. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether human activity can alter the characteristics of ENSO. We demonstrate, using reanalysis data and coupled general circulation models, that deforestation over the Maritime Continent (MC) favors a rapid transition of El Niño to La Niña. Deforestation over the MC can induce a regional enhancement in precipitation, which in turn leads to the strengthening of the easterly trade winds over the western equatorial Pacific owing to the Gill-response. These stronger trade winds, by inducing a shoaled thermocline in the eastern Pacific, are favorable for the development of cold sea surface temperature anomalies in the eastern equatorial Pacific during El Niño decaying years. Our results suggest that El Niño is more likely to be followed by La Niña if MC deforestation continues in the future.

Abstract Tobacco polysaccharides were extracted by hot water extraction, and purified and separated using DEAE-52 cellulose chromatography columns, and three purified polysaccharide fractions, YCT-1, YCT-2, and YCT-3, were finally obtained. The physicochemical properties of the three fractions were analyzed by ultraviolet spectroscopy, high-performance liquid chromatography and high-performance gel chromatography. The in vitro antioxidant activity of tobacco polysaccharides was compared among different fractions by using DPPH radical, hydroxyl radical scavenging assay and potassium ferricyanide method. The in vitro hypoglycemic activity was compared using α-amylase and α-glucosidase activity inhibition assay. And the in vitro hypolipidemic activity were investigated by using pancreatic lipase activity inhibition assay and HepG-2 intracellular lipid accumulation assay. All the results showed that the constituent monosaccharides of the three tobacco polysaccharide fractions were similar, but the molar percentages of each monosaccharide were different. The average molecular weights of the three components were 27,727 Da, 27,587 Da, and 66,517 Da, respectively, and the scavenging activities on DPPH radicals and hydroxyl radicals were at a high level with good quantitative-effect relationships. The reducing power were much lower than that of the positive control VC, and the three polysaccharide fractions had a weak inhibitory ability on α-amylase activity, but showed excellent inhibitory ability on α-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase activity. In addition, the results of cellular experiments showed that all three fractions were able to inhibit lipid over-accumulation in HepG-2 cells by increasing the mRNA expression levels of PPAR-α, CPT-1A, and CYP7A1 genes, and the tobacco polysaccharide YCT-3 showed the best effect. The mechanism by which YCT-3 ameliorated the over-accumulation of intracellular lipids in HepG-2 cells was found to be related to its influence on the expression of miR-155-3p and miR-17-3p in the exosomes of HepG-2 cells. Graphical Abstract

Abstract The classification system and the higher level phylogenetic relationships of Pentatomomorpha, the second largest infraorder of Heteroptera (Insecta: Hemiptera), have been debated and remain controversial over decades. In particular, the placement and phylogenetic relationship of Idiostoloidea are not well resolved, which hampers a better understanding of the evolutionary history of Pentatomomorpha. In this study, for the first time, we reported the complete mitochondrial genome for two narrowly distributed families of Idiostoloidea (including Idiostolidae and Henicocoridae), respectively. The length of the mitochondrial genome of Monteithocoris hirsutus and Henicocoris sp. is 16,632 and 16,013 bp, respectively. The content of AT is ranging from 75.15% to 80.48%. The mitogenomic structure of Idiostoloidea is highly conservative and there are no gene arrangements. By using the Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian site‐heterogeneous mixture model, we inferred the phylogenetic relationships within Pentatomomorpha and estimated their divergence times based on concatenated mitogenomes and nuclear ribosomal genes. Our results support the classification system of six superfamilies within Pentatomomorpha and confirm the monophyletic groups of each superfamily, with the following phylogenetic relationships: (Aradoidea + (Pentatomoidea + (Idiostoloidea + (Coreoidea + (Pyrrhocoroidea + Lygaeoidea))))). Furthermore, estimated divergence times revealed that most pentatomomorphan superfamilies and families diverged during the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous, which coincides with the explosive radiation of angiosperms.

Abstract Background The true bugs (Heteroptera) occupy nearly all of the known ecological niches of insects. Among them, as a group containing more than 30,000 species, the phytophagous true bugs are making increasing impacts on agricultural and forestry ecosystems. Previous studies proved that symbiotic bacteria play important roles in these insects in fitting various habitats. However, it is still obscure about the evolutionary and ecological patterns of the microorganisms of phytophagous true bugs as a whole with comprehensive taxon sampling. Results Here, in order to explore the symbiotic patterns between plant-feeding true bugs and their symbiotic microorganisms, 209 species belonging to 32 families of 9 superfamilies had been sampled, which covered all the major phytophagous families of true bugs. The symbiotic microbial communities were surveyed by full-length 16S rRNA gene and ITS amplicons respectively for bacteria and fungi using the PacBio platform. We revealed that hosts mainly affect the dominant bacteria of symbiotic microbial communities, while habitats generally influence the subordinate ones. Thereafter, we carried out the ancestral state reconstruction of the dominant bacteria and found that dramatic replacements of dominant bacteria occurred in the early Cretaceous and formed newly stable symbiotic relationships accompanying the radiation of insect families. In contrast, the symbiotic fungi were revealed to be horizontally transmitted, which makes fungal communities distinctive in different habitats but not significantly related to hosts. Conclusions Host and habitat determine microbial communities of plant-feeding true bugs in different roles. The symbiotic bacterial communities are both shaped by host and habitat but in different ways. Nevertheless, the symbiotic fungal communities are mainly influenced by habitat but not host. These findings shed light on a general framework for future microbiome research of phytophagous insects. Video Abstract

In the steep terrain of southwestern China, there are numerous complex strata characterized by thin overburden layers and well-behaved underlying bedrock, yet excavation poses significant challenges. This situation is unfavorable for the construction of transmission towers’ foundations. To address this issue, inclined anchor short-pile foundations have been proposed as foundations for transmission towers. These foundations not only reduce the depth and construction difficulty of excavation but also make full use of the load-bearing capacity of the bedrock. To investigate the influence of the anchor rods’ layout on the uplift resistance characteristics of inclined anchor short-pile foundations, numerical models were established using FLAC3D. The effects of the anchor rods’ position and the length of the free segment on the uplift resistance characteristics of inclined anchor short-pile foundations were explored. The results indicated that variations in the anchor rods’ position and the length of the free segment had minimal impact on the uplift resistance characteristics of inclined anchor short-pile foundations. The pile head displacements of short piles with different anchor rod positions were similar under both loading conditions. Under pure uplift loads, the maximum displacement before failure was approximately 13 mm, while under combined uplift and horizontal loads, the maximum displacement before failure was around 15 mm. Placing the anchor rod too low increased the difficulty of construction, while positioning it too high resulted in a shorter embedment length of the anchor rod in the pile’s body, leading to potential failure at the pile–anchor node. Therefore, it is recommended to position the anchor rod near the center of the short pile’s body. As the length of the free segment of the anchor rod decreased, there was a slight reduction in the displacement under the same uplift loading conditions, with an overall difference of less than 5%. However, if full-length anchoring was adopted, the anchor rod was prone to tensile shear failure. Compared with short-pile foundations of the same size, inclined anchor short-pile foundations demonstrated enhanced ultimate bearing capacity under uplift and combined uplift and horizontal loading. The improvement was more significant when horizontal loads were present. Under horizontal loading, the ultimate uplift bearing capacity of inclined anchor short-pile foundations decreased by only 14%, whereas that of single-pile foundations decreased by 24%.

Due to the higher lateral stiffness, load-carrying, and energy dissipation capacities compared with traditional reinforced concrete (R.C.) shear walls, steel shape-reinforced concrete (SRC) shear walls, in which steel profiles are encased in the boundary elements, have been widely applied in high-rise buildings. In order to simplify the on-site construction procedure, this paper proposes a novel partially prefabricated steel shape-reinforced concrete (PPSRC) shear wall using throat connectors. Based on the pseudo-static tests of two large-scale specimens, the effect of construction methods (prefabricated or cast in place) on the cyclic behavior of PPSRC shear walls was investigated by the hysteretic loops, skeleton curves, stiffness degradation, energy dissipation, and deformation decomposition. The test results indicated that PPSRC shear walls could exhibit a comparative cyclic response with the cast-in-place SRC shear walls, and the proposed throat connectors could effectively transfer the stress of the longitudinal reinforcements. Finally, a macro-modeling of PPSRC shear walls based on the multi-layer shell elements in OpenSees 3.3.0 was established and validated by the test results, and the parametric analysis of the axial compression, steel ratio, and concrete strength of prefabricated and cast-in-place parts was then conducted.

The relationship between gut microbiota and its metabolites with cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been proven. In this review, we aim to conclude the potential mechanism of gut microbiota and its metabolites on inducing the formation of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque, and to discuss the effect of intestinal metabolites, including trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), phenylacetylglutamine (PAG), short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) on plaque stability. Finally, we include the impact of gut microbiota and its metabolites on plaque stability, to propose a new therapeutic direction for coronary heart disease. Gut microbiota regulation intervenes the progress of arteriosclerosis, especially on coronary atherosclerosis, by avoiding or reducing the formation of vulnerable plaque, to lower the morbidity rate of myocardial infarction.

Background. The pineal region represents significant challenges in terms of neurosurgery. Currently, anatomical research that simulates surgery for the endoscopic keyhole approach to the pineal region is lacking. This study aims to summarize the exposure range and operational characteristics of total endoscopic surgery under the four supratentorial and infratentorial keyhole approaches, through rigorous quantitative anatomical research. We also aim to understand the surgical exposure characteristics and surgical feasibility under each approach. Method. Six wet cadaveric head specimens (a total of 12 sides) were subjected to simulated surgery with a keyhole bone window size of approximately 3 × 4 cm. The median endoscopic supracerebellar infratentorial approach (M-ESCITA), the paramedian endoscopic supracerebellar infratentorial approach (PM-ESCITA), the endoscopic occipital transtentorial approach (EOTA), and the endoscopic interhemispheric high occipital transtentorial approach (EHOTA) were used to measure the surgical path depth, maximum distance between the tentorial margins, maximum operable area, operable angle, and relative degree of freedom of each approach. Results. There was no difference in the exposure range of the surgical area. The surgical path of PM-ESCITA was the longest (p

The soil microbial community plays a critical role in promoting robust plant growth and serves as an effective defence mechanism against root pathogens. Current research has focused on unravelling the compositions and functions of diverse microbial taxa in plant rhizospheres invaded by Ralstonia solanacearum, however, the specific mechanisms by which key microbial groups with distinct functions exert their effects remain unclear. In this study, we employed a combination of amplicon sequencing and metabolomics analysis to investigate the principal metabolic mechanisms of key microbial taxa in plant rhizosphere soil. Compared to the healthy tobacco rhizosphere samples, the bacterial diversity and co-occurrence network of the diseased tobacco rhizosphere soil were significantly reduced. Notably, certain genera, including Gaiella, Rhodoplanes, and MND1 (Nitrosomonadaceae), were found to be significantly more abundant in the rhizosphere of healthy plants than in that of diseased plants. Eight environmental factors, including exchangeable magnesium, available phosphorus, and pH, were found to be crucial factors influencing the composition of the microbial community. Ralstonia displayed negative correlations with pH, exchangeable magnesium, and cation exchange flux, but showed a positive correlation with available iron. Furthermore, metabolomic analysis revealed that the metabolic pathways related to the synthesis of various antibacterial compounds were significantly enriched in the healthy group. The correlation analysis results indicate that the bacterial genera Polycyclovorans, Lysobacter, Pseudomonas, and Nitrosospira may participate in the synthesis of antibacterial compounds. Collectively, our findings contribute to a more in-depth understanding of disease resistance mechanisms within healthy microbial communities and provide a theoretical foundation for the development of targeted strategies using beneficial microorganisms to suppress disease occurrence.

Using the difference-in-differences method, we examine the impact of environmental regulation on individual health, employment, income, and welfare. We find that environmental regulation significantly improves health, but reduces employment and wage levels, although the effect on income is not statistically significant. The impact of environmental regulation is heterogeneous at different stages of economic development, and the high-age and the less educated are the main gainers and bearers of health benefits and economic costs. The welfare effect suggests that the welfare gains from improved health due to environmental regulation effectively compensate for the welfare losses from reduced employment.

Abstract Natural defects, such as joints, structural surfaces and voids, significantly affect the mechanical properties and fracture modes of rock mass. Hidden fissures are widely distributed in magmatic rock, while their influences on the mechanical properties and the cracking mechanism are still unclear. Laboratory tests were conducted on prefabricating hidden-fissured rock-like specimens, as well as intact specimens and close-fissured specimens as a comparison. The real-time digital image correlation technology and acoustic emission monitoring technology were synchronously adopted to capture both the external and internal cracking process. The results show that the hidden fissures can weaken the uniaxial compression strength, while the deterioration effect of hidden fissures is weaker than closed fissures due to the internal cohesion among fissure internal particles. What’s more, the initiation behavior of the α = 90° hidden-fissured specimen is different from that of β = 90° closed-fissured specimen. Finally, the cracking mechanism of hidden-fissured specimens was revealed by analyzing the RA–AF relationship. The failure of the close-fissured specimens is mainly the tensile-shear mixed fracture mode, while the failure of the hidden-fissured specimens is mainly the tensile fracture mode and supplemented by the shear. The experimental results contribute to the understanding of cracking properties in hidden-fissured rock.

Power line communication (PLC) faces a wide range of illegal device access, wiretapping and data tampering. To ensure the confidentiality and integrity of data information, protection technologies based on data encryption and identity authentication are widely used. As one of the defense methods against wiretapping attacks, this paper takes into account the characteristics of the physical layer channel, and proposes a method for locating PLC wire-tapping equipment. First, the physical layer channel characteristics are extracted based on the communication protocol as the device fingerprint. Then the collected fingerprints are compared with the fingerprint library for device identity authentication. And when the identity authentication fails, a branch location method for wiretapping devices based on fingerprint transfer vectors is further proposed. Finally, by modeling the PLC channel and simulating eavesdropping scenarios, it is verified that the proposed method has a high accuracy rate of wiretapping equipment locating.

Key Clinical Message There was an 83‐year‐old man having coronary artery disease associated with coronary artery ectasia who occurred ventricular fibrillation suddenly during coronary artery angiography. As Kawasaki disease was suspected to the most likely reason which led to coronary artery lesion.

IntroductionIn tandem with economic growth and enhanced individual income levels, the demand for superior food quality has seen a significant uptick, leading to increased consumer interest in organic food products. However, studies focused on organic food consumption reveal a strikingly low conversion rate of this interest into actual purchasing behavior, particularly in the context of China. It is, therefore, crucial to implement effective strategies to bridge this gap, thereby fostering the growth of China's organic food sector.MethodsThis research introduces the theory of perceived values and innovation resistance into the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) theoretical model, exploring the interrelationships among various facets of food safety concerns, perceived values, perceived risks, and organic purchasing behavior. Furthermore, the moderating influence of trust in these relationships is taken into account. Employing structural equation modeling, data from 352 organic food consumers in China's premier cities were analyzed.Results and discussionFindings substantiated the significant interplay between perceived values and risks with food safety concerns. It was also observed that perceived values had a positive and significant impact on purchasing behavior, while perceived risks exerted a negative and significant influence. Importantly, the relationship between nutritional value and risk barrier with purchase behavior was found to be moderated by the level of trust. This study may help organic food producers, retailers, and policymakers bridge the consumers' intention-behavior gap.

ABSTRACTBackground The vitamin D level in the blood is associated with the incidence of hypertension. The present study investigated whether or not calcitriol, an active form of vitamin D, reverses age-related hypertension.Methods Young (3-month-old) and aged (12-month-old) C57BL/6 male mice were administered with or without calcitriol at 150 ng/kg per day by oral gavage for 8 weeks. Blood pressure was measured by tail-cuff plethysmography and telemetry, and superoxide production in renal tissue was assessed by fluorescence imaging, and the protein expression of AP1/AT1R signaling pathway was examined by Western blot.Results We showed that 24-hour renal sodium excretion was impaired and blood pressure was increased in aged mice, which was related to the enhancement of renal AT1R expression and function. In addition, the expression of transcription factor AP1 (a dimer of c-Fos and c-Jun) and the binding of AP1 to the AT1R promoter region was significantly enhanced, accompanied by decreased nuclear translocation of Nrf2, abnormal mitochondrial function including decreased ATP production, NAD+/NADH ratio and mtDNA copy numbers, and increased reactive oxygen species. Calcitriol increased 24-hour urinary sodium excretion and reduced blood pressure in aged mice. Mechanically, calcitriol increased the nuclear translocation of Nrf2, improved mitochondrial function, reduced AP1 binding ability to AT1R promoter, which reversed enhanced AT1R expression and function, and lowered blood pressure in aged mice.Conclusions Our findings indicated that calcitriol reversed age-related hypertension via downregulating renal AP1/AT1R pathway through regulating mitochondrial function. Thus, calcitriol may be a valuable therapeutic strategy for age-related hypertension.

Objective: Repair of free skin flaps to soft tissue defects is common in the clinic. Arterial crisis is a common complication after free flap surgery. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Fogarty catheter embolectomy combined with catheter-based drug thrombolysis to treat arterial embolism after free flap operation. Methods: Eight patients with soft tissue defects in foot and ankle repair with a free flap were analyzed. All patients received Fogarty catheter embolectomy combining catheter-based drug thrombolysis. Operation time, intraoperative blood loss, arterial patency rate, and complications were recorded. Flap survival was observed, and the curative effect was evaluated by the American orthopedic foot ankle society (AOFAS) score. Results: Among eight patients, six flaps completely survived (primary (I) incision healing), one case had partial flap necrosis (secondary (II) incision healing), and one case developed threatened arterial supply again (secondary (II) healing). The causes of defects included crushing injury (three cases), crush injury (two cases), explosive injury (one case), burn injury (one case), and cutting injury (one case). Excluding one patient who changed to incision and exploration, the artery patency rate in eight patients was 87.5 % (7/8), with an average operation time of 65 min (55–90 min) and an average intraoperative blood loss of 65 ml (35–70 ml). At the last follow-up, the flap survived well, foot and ankle function improved, the satisfactory flap rate was 85.71 % and the excellent/good AOFAS ankle hindfoot function rate was 71.42 %. For the typical patient, after 1.5 years of follow-up, the curative effect of the flap was satisfactory and the AOFAS score was 92, demonstrating excellent ankle function. Conclusions: Fogarty catheter embolectomy combined with catheter-based thrombolysis is minimally invasive, fast, safe, and effective for the treatment of arterial embolism after free flap foot and ankle transplantation.

Introduction Nowadays, invasive prostate biopsy is the standard diagnostic test for patients with suspected prostate cancer (PCa). However, it has some shortcomings such as perioperative complications, economic and psychological burden on patients, and some patients may undergo repeated prostate biopsy. In this study protocol, our aim is to provide a non-invasive diagnostic strategy we call the ‘prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) combined model’ for the diagnosis of PCa. If patients are diagnosed with PCa using PSMA combined model, we want to prove these patients can receive radical prostatectomy directly without prior prostate biopsies.Methods The SNOTOB trial adopts a prospective, single-centre, single-arm, open-label study design. The PSMA combined model consists of a diagnostic model based on what we previously reported and 18F-PSMA-1007 positron emission tomography/CT (18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT) examinations in series. First, patients use the diagnostic model (online address: https://ustcprostatecancerprediction.shinyapps.io/dynnomapp/) to calculate the risk probability of clinically significant PCa (csPCa). When the risk probability of csPCa is equal or greater than 0.60, 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT will be applied for further diagnosis. If patients are still considered as csPCa after 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT examinations, we define this condition as positive results of PSMA combined model. Subsequently, we will recommend these patients to accept radical prostatectomy without prostate biopsy directly. Finally, the diagnostic performance of PSMA combined model will be verified with the pathological results. Totally, 57 patients need to be enrolled in this clinical trial.Ethics and dissemination This study was approved by the ethics committee of The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC (No. 2022KY-142). The results of this study will be published in peer-reviewed journals and reported at academic conferences.Trial registration number NCT05587192.

Abstract Background CSF-soluble platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (sPDGFRβ) is closely associated with pericyte damage. However, the changes in CSF sPDGFRβ levels and their role in blood–brain barrier (BBB) leakage at different stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), with or without cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) burden, remain unclear. Methods A total of 158 individuals from the China Aging and Neurodegenerative Disorder Initiative cohort were selected, including 27, 48, and 83 individuals with a clinical dementia rating (CDR) score of 0, 0.5, and 1–2, respectively. CSF total tau, phosphorylated tau181 (p-tau181), Aβ40, and Aβ42 were measured using the Simoa assay. Albumin and CSF sPDGFRβ were measured by commercial assay kits. CSVD burden was assessed by magnetic resonance imaging. Results CSF sPDGFRβ was the highest level in the CDR 0.5 group. CSF sPDGFRβ was significantly correlated with the CSF/serum albumin ratio (Q-alb) in the CDR 0–0.5 group (β = 0.314, p = 0.008) but not in the CDR 1–2 group (β = − 0.117, p = 0.317). In the CDR 0–0.5 group, CSF sPDGFRβ exhibited a significant mediating effect between Aβ42/Aβ40 levels and Q-alb (p = 0.038). Q-alb, rather than CSF sPDGFRβ, showed a significant difference between individuals with or without CSVD burden. Furthermore, in the CDR 0.5 group, CSF sPDGFRβ was higher in subjects with progressive mild cognitive impairment than in those with stable mild cognitive impairment subjects (p < 0.001). Meanwhile, CSF sPDGFRβ was significantly associated with yearly changes in MMSE scores in the CDR 0.5 group (β = − 0.400, p = 0.020) and CDR 0.5 (A+) subgroup (β = − 0.542, p = 0.019). Conclusions We provide evidence that increased CSF sPDGFRβ is associated with BBB leakage in the early cognitive impairment stage of AD, which may contribute to cognitive impairment in AD progression.

Dealing with municipal sludge in an effective way is crucial for urban development and environmental protection. Co-processing the sludge by burning it in a decomposition furnace in the cement production line has been found to be a viable solution. This work aims to analyze the effects of the co-disposal of municipal sludge on the decomposition reactions and NOx emissions in the decomposing furnaces. Specifically, a practical 6000 t/d decomposition furnace was taken as the research object. To achieve this, ANSYS FLUENT with a UDF (user-defined function) was applied to establish a numerical model coupling the limestone decomposition reaction, fuel combustion, and NOx generation and reduction reactions. The flow, temperature, and component field distributions within the furnace with no sludge were firstly simulated with this model. Compared with site test results, the model was validated. Then, with sludge involved, the structure and operation parameters of the decomposition furnace for the co-disposal of municipal sludge were investigated by simulating the flow field, temperature field, and component field distributions. Parametric studies were carried out in three perspectives, i.e., sludge mixing ratio, preheating furnace arrangement height, and sludge particle size. The results show that all three aspects have great importance in the discomposing process. A set of preferable values, including a sludge mixing ratio of 10%, preheating furnace height of 21.5 m, and sludge particle diameter of 1.0 mm, was obtained, which resulted in a raw material decomposition rate of 89.9% and a NO volume fraction of 251 ppm at the furnace outlet.

Hardness is a critical mechanical property of grains. Accurate predictions of grain hardness play a crucial role in improving grain milling efficiency, reducing grain breakage during transportation, and selecting high-quality crops. In this study, we developed machine learning models (MLMs) to predict the hardness of Jinsui No.4 maize seeds. The input variables of the MLM were loading speed, loading depth, and different types of indenters, and the output variable was the slope of the linear segment. Using the Latin square design, 100 datasets were generated. Four different types of MLMs, a genetic algorithm (GA), support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), and long short-term memory network (LSTM), were used for our data analysis, respectively. The result indicated that the GA model had a high accuracy in predicting hardness values, the R2 of the GA model training set and testing set reached 0.98402 and 0.92761, respectively, while the RMSEs were 1.4308 and 2.8441, respectively. The difference between the predicted values and the actual values obtained by the model is relatively small. Furthermore, in order to investigate the relationship between hardness and morphology after compression, scanning electron microscopy was used to observe the morphology of the maize grains. The result showed that the more complex the shape of the indenter, the more obvious the destruction to the internal polysaccharides and starch in the grain, and the number of surface cracks also significantly increases. The results of this study emphasize the potential of MLMs in determining the hardness of agricultural cereal grains, leading to improved industrial processing efficiency and cost savings. Additionally, combining grain hardness prediction models with the operating mechanisms of industry machinery would provide valuable references and a basis for the parameterization of seed grain processing machinery.

PDC (polycrystalline diamond compact) drill bits are widely employed for rock-breaking in many industries like underground engineering and building constructions. The cutter layout would directly affect the overall performance of the drill bits. Field applications show that the staggered cutter layout strategy of dual-cutter can increase the drilling efficiency of the PDC bit. In order to explore the rock breaking mechanism of this type of drill bit, a numerical model of a dual-cutter and rock breaking with damage evolution based on a hybrid finite and cohesive element method (FCEM) has been established in this work. The model is verified through Brazilian disk tests. The rock breaking processes of this type of bit have been analyzed, including crack initiation, propagation, and the formation of rock debris. Moreover, the effects of horizontal and vertical offset of the back cutter on the MSE (mechanical special energy) have been investigated. Results demonstrate that the dual-cutter can prominently reduce the MSE compared to a single-cutter. The vertical offset of the back cutter has a minor effect on the MSE, while the horizontal offset is of great significance on the MSE. On this basis, the relationships between the MSE and both the vertical and horizontal offset coefficients have been built based on the response surface methodology (RSM). Finally, an optimized layout solution, with optimal vertical and horizontal offset coefficients of 0.641 and 0.497, is determined via the Gray Wolf algorithm.

Pitch-based carbon fiber, as one of the important engineering materials, has been widely used in aerospace, defense, sports, and other fields. In the long production process of pitch-based carbon fiber, the property of pitch precursor is significant for the mechanical performance of obtained carbon fiber. Thus, it is crucial to improve the property of pitch precursor by efficient means. Halogenation–dehalogenation is a newly developed method for the controllable synthesis of a pitch precursor from the molecular dimension, including fluorination–defluorination, chlorination–dechlorination, and bromination–debromination. This work reviewed the mechanism and application, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each halogenation–dehalogenation method.

A new genus and species of Schizopteridae, Cornonannus bui gen. et sp. nov. is described from Yunnan Province, China. The new genus is closest to Pachyplagia Gross, 1951, Ogeria, Distant 1913, and Kaimon Hill, 2004 in morphology, but it can be distinguished from these genera by the male having a frontal process, the absence of pronotal collar, the distinct venation of forewing, a tarsi formula of 3-3-3, and the middle area of abdominal tergites I to VII with small, round tubercles. Photographs of the male habitus, head, thorax, abdomen, appendages, and genitalic structures, as well as scanning electron micrographs of the male head, thorax, abdomen, and genitalic structures and drawings of male genitalia, are provided. Moreover, a key to all known Chinese schizopterid genera is presented.

Purpose Biomechanical study of fixation methods post hallux valgus minimally invasive osteotomy using finite element technology hasn’t been reported. This study aimed to compare maximum displacement and stress distribution of osteotomy ends after minimally invasive osteotomy fixed by bandage, Kirschner wire, Herbert screw. Methods Foot CT images of a patient with mild-moderate hallux valgus were collected. Three-dimensional finite element model of hallux valgus was established through CT image. This study simulated bandage, Kirschner wire and Herbert screw fixation, and analyzed maximum displacement and stress distribution of osteotomy ends in plantar flexion position of foot after fixation. Results Maximum equivalent stress of osteotomy end fixed with bandage, Kirschner wire, Herbert screw was 7.8615, 14.253, 8.3156 MPa, respectively. Total displacement of osteotomy end fixed by bandage, Kirschner wire, Herbert screw was 0.26,896, 0.022,779, 0.029,195 mm, respectively. Maximum stress of Kirschner wire and Herbert screw near osteotomy end was 154.7 and 46.404 MPa, respectively. Fixation strength and stability of Kirschner wire and Herber screw were better than bandage. Kirschner wire had stress concentration phenomenon, with potential fracture risk. Stress of Herbert screw was evenly distributed around osteotomy end, and there was a certain stress concentration, playing an important role in maintaining fracture end stability. Conclusions Herbert screw showed good fixation strength and stability, and stress distribution was uniform, which can well maintain stability of minimally invasive osteotomy ends. Findings of this study would provide a theoretical basis for selection of fixation methods after clinical minimally invasive osteotomy for hallux valgus.

BackgroundMeditation apps have the potential to increase access to evidence-based strategies to promote mental health. However, it is currently unclear how meditation apps are situated within the broader landscape of meditation practice and what factors may influence engagement with them. ObjectiveThis study aimed to clarify the prevalence and correlates of meditation app use in a population-based sample of individuals with lifetime exposure to meditation in the United States. In addition, we sought to identify the concerns and desired features of meditation apps among those with lifetime exposure to meditation. MethodsA total of 953 participants completed an initial screening survey. Of these 953 participants, 434 (45.5%) reported lifetime exposure to meditation and completed a follow-up survey (434/470, 92.3% response rate) assessing their meditation app use, anxiety, depression, loneliness, initial motivation for meditation, and concerns about and desired features of meditation apps. ResultsAlmost half (434/953, 45.5%) of the participants who completed the screening survey reported lifetime exposure to meditation. Among those with lifetime exposure to meditation (ie, meditators), more than half (255/434, 58.8%) had used meditation apps at least once in their lives, and 21.7% (94/434) used meditation apps weekly or daily (ie, active users). Younger age, higher anxiety, and a mental health motivation for practicing meditation were associated with lifetime exposure to meditation apps. Among meditators, those with lifetime exposure to meditation apps were more likely to report concerns about apps, including concerns regarding the cost and effectiveness of apps, time required for use, technical issues with apps, and app user-friendliness. Meditators who used meditation apps weekly or daily (ie, active users) were younger, less likely to be men and non-Latinx White individuals and have lower income, and more likely to have an initial spiritual motivation for meditation. Active users reported more concerns regarding usability and technical problems and were less likely to report disinterest in apps. Headspace and Calm were the most frequently used apps. Tips and reminders for practice, encouragement of “mini” practices, and mental health content were the most desired features. Participants were less interested in social features (eg, the ability to communicate with other users or teachers). ConclusionsMeditation apps are commonly used by meditators in the United States, with a higher use among certain demographic groups. Future studies may increase user engagement in meditation apps by addressing concerns (eg, cost and effectiveness) and incorporating desired features (eg, tips and reminders for practice).

Light is scattered and partially absorbed while traveling through water, hence, underwater captured images often exhibit issues such as low contrast, detail blurring, color attenuation, and low illumination. To improve the visual performance of underwater imaging, herein, we propose a two-step method of zero-shot dehazing and level adjustment. In the newly developed approach, the original image is fed into a “zero-shot” dehazing network and further enhanced by an improved level adjustment methodology combined with auto-contrast. By conducting experiments, we then compare the performance of the proposed method with six classical state-of-the-art methods. The qualitative results confirm that the proposed method is capable of effectively removing haze, correcting color deviations, and maintaining the naturalness of images. We further perform a quantitative evaluation, revealing that the proposed method outperforms the comparison methods in terms of peak signal-to-noise ratio and structural similarity. The enhancement results are also measured by employing the underwater color image quality evaluation index (UCIQE), indicating that the proposed approach exhibits the highest mean values of 0.58 and 0.53 on the two data sets. The experimental results collectively validate the efficiency of the proposed methodology in enhancing underwater blurred images.

The well installed status of raft vibration isolation is undoubtedly of great significance in marine engineering, especially for submarines. To achieve this, the accurate measurement of the installation space of the vibration isolation is necessary. The traditional measuring technique has many drawbacks. Therefore, simultaneously measuring the multi-point spacing with high precision between two metal surfaces is the focus of this work. Based on eddy current sensing principle, a multi-point spacing measuring system with a simple structure and good measurement accuracy has been developed and reported. The system includes a sensor array component, an integrated controlling component, and a calibration platform. The measured data from multiple points are obtained at the same time through the sensor array and are uploaded to the host computer and a corresponding LabVIEW program was exploited to display, process, and store the spacing results. Furthermore, the least square algorithm has been employed to calculate the flatness of the measured metal surfaces, and the GUM (guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement) method has been applied to evaluate the flatness error uncertainty. The experimental tests show that each measuring duration only lasts for seconds to get results and the error uncertainty of the measured surface flatness could reduce to less than 1.0 μm. The developed measuring system has better efficiency and higher precision compared to traditionally manual operations. The measuring and analysis method could also be applied to other related situations.

The overhead gas-insulated transmission line (GIL) in ultra-high-voltage converter stations, distinct from traditional buried pipelines, demands a thorough investigation into its seismic behavior due to limitations in existing codes. A refined finite element model is established, considering internal structure, slip between various parts, and the relative displacement at the internal conductor joint. Seismic analysis reveals the vulnerability of the GIL at the corner of the pipeline height change, with two failure modes: housing strength failure and internal conductor displacement exceeding the limit. Furthermore, the acceleration amplification coefficient of the support generally exceeds 2.0. Two retrofit methods, namely increasing the fundamental frequency of all supports and fixing the connections between all supports and the housing, have been proposed. The results indicate the effectiveness of both methods in reducing the relative displacement. Fixing all the supports effectively reduces the stress, whereas the other one yields the opposite effect. The seismic performance of a GIL is determined not by the dynamic amplification of supports, but by the control of relative displacement between critical sections, specifically influenced by the angular deformation of the pipeline’s first-order translational vibration mode along the line direction. Seismic vulnerability analysis reveals a reduction of over 50% in the failure probability of the GIL after the retrofit compared to before the retrofit, with the PGA exceeding 0.4 g.

Potato virus Y (PVY) mainly infects Solanaceous crops, resulting in considerable losses in the yield and quality. Iron (Fe) is involved in various biological processes in plants, but its roles in resistance to PVY infection has not been reported. In this study, foliar application of Fe could effectively inhibit early infection of PVY, and a full-length transcriptome and Illumina RNA sequencing was performed to investigate its modes of action in PVY-infected Nicotiana tabacum. The results showed that 18,074 alternative splicing variants, 3,654 fusion transcripts, 3,086 long non-coding RNAs and 14,403 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Specifically, Fe application down-regulated the expression levels of the DEGs related to phospholipid hydrolysis, phospholipid signal, cell wall biosynthesis, transcription factors (TFs) and photosystem I composition, while those involved with photosynthetic electron transport chain (PETC) were up-regulated at 1 day post inoculation (dpi). At 3 dpi, these DEGs related to photosystem II composition, PETC, molecular chaperones, protein degradation and some TFs were up-regulated, while those associated with light-harvesting, phospholipid hydrolysis, cell wall biosynthesis were down-regulated. At 9 dpi, Fe application had little effects on resistance to PVY infection and transcript profiles. Functional analysis of these potentially critical DEGs was thereafter performed using virus-induced gene silencing approaches and the results showed that NbCat-6A positively regulates PVY infection, while the reduced expressions of NbWRKY26, NbnsLTP, NbFAD3 and NbHSP90 significantly promote PVY infection in N. benthamiana. Our results elucidated the regulatory network of Fe-mediated resistance to PVY infection in plants, and the functional candidate genes also provide important theoretical bases to further improve host resistance against PVY infection.

Introduction: Acoustic metasurfaces for underwater wave manipulation have great potential use, but the strong solid-fluid interaction caused by impedance closeness between the structure and water brings design difficulty, especially in the low-frequency range.Methods: Here a locally resonant metasurface for transmissive underwater acoustic waves is proposed using finite element method for which each metasurface unit consists of one channel and three subunits. Each subunit has one plate and two rubber spacers to form a resonator. By changing the height ratio of the plate over the subunit, arbitrary phase shifts within the full 2π coverage can be obtained at will with transmission ratio always higher than 60%.Results: Three applications, including asymmetric transmission, self-bending, and source illusion, are chosen to validate the design methodology.Discussion: Compared with previous transmissive type underwater metasurface, this design has the advantage of low frequency and simple fabrication. This work provides a novel paradigm of modulating waves for ocean exploration, underwater communication, and submarine stealth and antidetection.

Nowadays, since the air pollution problem is becoming global and denitrification is efficient to control nitrogen oxides, research and development of burners with low pollutant emissions in industries are urgent and necessary due to the increasingly severe environmental requirements. Based on the advanced CFD (computational fluid dynamics) numerical analysis technique, this work focuses on developing an industrial denitration-used burner, aiming to decrease the emission of nitrogen oxides. A burner with multiple ejectors is proposed, and the gas premixing and combustion process in the burner are systematically studied. Firstly, for the ejector, the well-known orthogonal experiment method is adopted to reveal the premixing performance under different structural parameters. Results show that the angle and number of swirl blades have significant effects on the CO mixing uniformity. The CO mixing uniformity first decreases and then increases with thr rising swirl blade angle, and it enhances with more swirl blades. Through comparison, a preferred ejector is determined with optimal structure parameters including the nozzle diameter of 75 mm, the ejector suction chamber diameter of 290 mm, the blade swirl angle of 45∘, and the swirl blade number 16. And then, the burners installed with the confirmed ejector and two types of flues, i.e., a cylindrical and a rectangular one, are simulated and compared. The effects of ejector arrangements on the temperature distributions at the burner outlet are analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. It is found that the temperature variances at the outlets of R2 and C1 are the smallest, respectively, 13.12 and 23.69, representing the optimal temperature uniformity under each type. Finally, the burner of the R2 arrangement is verified with a satisfied premixing performance and combustion temperature uniformity, meeting the denitration demands in the industry.

This research paper presents an investigation into the shear behavior of binary mixtures composed of cubic and spherical particles, employing the discrete element method (DEM) through triaxial tests simulations. A range of binary particle samples with varying volume fractions of cubic and spherical particles is generated for analysis. The study primarily focuses on examining the contracting-dilatancy relationship of binary granular material samples by scrutinizing deviatoric stress and volumetric strain curves, while considering the influence of confining pressure, initial porosity, and particle size ratio. Furthermore, the paper sheds light on the evolution of microstructures during the shearing process by presenting coordination numbers and rotational velocity fields for different particle types (overall particles, cubic particles, spherical particles), as well as between cubic-spherical particles. The findings demonstrate the substantial impact of both the volume fraction of cubic particles and the particle size ratio on the shear behavior of binary particles at both macroscopic and microscopic scales. Additionally, a comprehensive investigation reveals the dependence of anisotropy in normal contact forces, tangent contact forces, and contact orientations on the volume fraction of cubic particles.

This work studied the phase constitution, bond characteristics, and microwave dielectric performances of Sr2TiO4 ceramics. Based on XRD and Rietveld refinement analysis, pure tetragonal Ruddlesden–Popper type Sr2TiO4 ceramic is synthesized at 1425~1525 °C. Meanwhile, the microstructure is dense and without porosity, indicating its high sinterability and densification. Great microwave dielectric performances can be obtained, namely an εr value of 39.41, and a Q × f value of 93,120 GHz, when sintered at 1475 °C. Under ideal sintering conditions, the extrinsic factors are minimized and can be ignored. Thus, the intrinsic factors are considered crucial in determining microwave dielectric performances. Based on the P–V–L complex chemical bond theory calculation, the largest bond ionicity, and proportions to the bond susceptibility from Sr–O bonds suggest that Sr–O bonds mainly determine the dielectric polarizability. However, the Ti–O bonds show lattice energy about three times larger than Sr–O bonds, emphasizing that the structural stability of Sr2TiO4 ceramics is dominated by Ti–O bonds, and the Ti–O bonds are vital in determining the intrinsic dielectric loss. The thermal expansion coefficient value of the Sr2TiO4 structure is also mainly decided by Ti–O bonds.

Abstract Background Secretory phospholipase A2 group IIA (sPLA2-IIA) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but its role on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level has not been clarified. The aim of the present study was to explore the association between circulating sPLA2-IIA and HDL-C, and to evaluate if sPLA2-IIA enhances cholesterol efflux capacity through regulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPAR-γ), liver X receptor α (LXR-α), and ATP-binding cassette A1 (ABCA1). Methods 131 patients with coronary artery disease were enrolled. The plasma level of sPLA2-IIA was tested with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit, and serum lipids were assessed by biochemical analyzer. Human monocyte-macrophage cell line THP-1 was co-incubated with sPLA2-IIA in the presence/absence of selective PPAR-γ antagonist GW9662 in vitro. Real-time PCR and Western-blot were employed to measure the mRNA and protein expressions of PPAR-γ, LXR-α, and ABCA1, respectively. The cholesterol efflux was evaluated by using an assay kit. Results In subjects, circulating level of sPLA2-IIA was positively related with that of HDL-C (r = 0.196, p = 0.024). The plasma level of sPLA2-IIA was significantly higher in the high HDL-C (≥ 1.04 mmol/L) group (7477.828 pg/mL) than that in low HDL-C (

Abstract Background Osteoporosis (OP) is a well-known chronic degenerative disease, with impaired mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) function and suppressed osteogenic differentiation. Total glycosides from Eucommia ulmoides seed (TGEUS) was a Chinese medicine and have rich pharmacological effects. This study was designed to explore the mechanism of TGEUS in promoting osteogenic differentiation and bone formation in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. Methods Adipose‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) were isolated and treated with different concentration of TGEUS. Cell viability was assessed using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Osteogenic capacity was identified by ALP staining and ARS staining. Moreover, RNA sequencing between control and TGEUS treated ADSCs were further performed to reveal the mechanism of TGEUS in promoting osteogenic differentiation. The expression of Jag1, Lfng and Hey1 were measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRTPCR). Osteogenic markers were further assessed by western blot. DAPT and NICD were further used to identify whether Notch signaling pathway involved into TGEUS promoting osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs. Ovariectomy-induced bone loss rats model was established and divided into three groups: sham, OVX and OVX + TGEUS groups. HE staining and immunohistochemical staining were further performed to identify whether TGEUS could promote bone formation. Results TGEUS treatment significantly enhanced the cell viability and ALP activity than control group, the optimal dose of TGEUS was 5 μM. We selected 5 μM TGEUS for further study. TGEUS significantly enhanced ALP activity and calcium deposition than that of control group. Activation of Notch signaling fully blocked TGEUS-induced osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs. Following TGEUS treatment, the trabecular bone of the rats was significantly increased, thickened, and more connected compared to the OVX group. With the treatment of TGEUS, the expression of Osterix (Osx), Osteocalcin (OCN) and RUNX Family Transcription Factor 2 (RUNX2) increased than OVX group. Conclusion TGEUS enhanced osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs and promoted bone formation in ovariectomy-induced bone loss rats. Our study broadened the understanding of TGEUS as a therapeutic target against osteoporosis.

ABSTRACT True bugs (Hemiptera, suborder Heteroptera) constitute the largest suborder of nonholometabolous insects and occupy a wide range of habitats various from terrestrial to semiaquatic to aquatic niches. The transition and occupation of these diverse habitats impose various challenges to true bugs, including access to oxygen for the aquatic species and plant defense for the terrestrial phytophagans. Although numerous studies have demonstrated that microorganisms can provide multiple benefits to terrestrial host insects, a systematic study with comprehensive higher taxa sampling that represents aquatic and semiaquatic habitats is still lacking. To explore the role of symbiotic microorganisms in true bug adaptations, 204 samples belonging to all seven infraorders of Heteroptera were investigated, representing approximately 85% of its superfamilies and almost all known habitats. The symbiotic microbial communities of these insects were analyzed based on the full-length amplicons of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene and fungal ITS region. Bacterial communities varied among hosts inhabiting terrestrial, semiaquatic, and aquatic habitats, while fungal communities were more related to the geographical distribution of the hosts. Interestingly, co-occurrence networks showed that species inhabiting similar habitats shared symbiotic microorganism association types. Moreover, functional prediction analyses showed that the symbiotic bacterial community of aquatic species displayed richer amino acid and lipid metabolism pathways, while plant-feeding true bugs benefited more from the symbiont-provided xenobiotics biodegradation pathway. These results deepened the recognition that symbiotic microorganisms were likely to help heteropterans occupy diverse ecological habitats and provided a reference framework for further studies on how microorganisms affect host insects living in various habitats. IMPORTANCE Symbiotic bacteria and fungi generally colonize insects and provide various benefits for hosts. Although numerous studies have investigated symbionts in terrestrial plant-feeding insects, explorations of symbiotic bacterial and fungal communities in aquatic and semiaquatic insects are rare. In this study, the symbiotic microorganisms of 204 aquatic, semiaquatic, and terrestrial true bugs were explored. This comprehensive taxon sampling covers ~85% of the superfamilies of true bugs and most insect habitats. Analyses of the diversity of symbionts demonstrated that the symbiotic microbial diversities of true bugs were mainly affected by host habitats. Co-occurrence networks showed that true bugs inhabiting similar habitats shared symbiotic microbial association types. These correlations between symbionts and hosts together with the functions of bacterial communities indicated that symbiotic microbial communities may help true bugs adapt to (semi)aquatic habitats.

Oxidative damage generally exists in stroke and impairs stem cells’ survival; however, the problem is difficult to treat. In order to help stem cells to resist this damage, we inserted a magnetotactic bacteria (MB) gene, mms6, into the neural stem cell genome by lentiviral transfection. It was found that the transfection of mms6 significantly improved the survival rate of stem cells in the condition of iron overload but not hypoxia. The bioenergetic profile also revealed that iron overloading weakened the mitochondrial respiration and spare respiration capacity of stem cells, but that these were enhanced after the expression of mms6. Additionally, Western blotting (WB) data revealed that mms6 upregulated the expression of glutathione peroxidase (GPX4), which protected stem cells from oxidative damage and ferroptosis. In order to determine the possible mechanisms, we analyzed the interactions between the MMS6 protein, Fe2+, and GPX4 via analog computation. The predicted models found that the MMS6 protein had a direct chelating site in the region of M6A with divalent iron; it also had weak binding with GPX4. Taken together, the magnetotactic bacterial gene mms6 protected stem cells from oxidative damage via binding with Fe2+, which could help them adapt to the microenvironment of stroke.

Long term high-fat diet (HFD) will lead to obesity and its complications, such as lipid metabolism disorder, insulin resistance and inflammation. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the mechanism of Lactobacillus paracasei Jlus66 to improve dietary fatty liver in obese mice model. C57BL/6J male mice were randomly divided into three groups (Control, HFD and HFD + Jlus66). Proteins of many pathways related to insulin resistance (IRS-1, AKT, GSK3β, GLUT4 and PTP1B), to jejunum permeability (Zo-1, Claudin-1 and Occludin) were detected by using western blotting. Correspondingly, genes of inflammation (Inos, Tnf-α and Il-1β), mitochondrial dysfunction (Cox5b, Cox7a1, CoxⅡ, Cox8b, Cycs and Sirt1) and oxidative stress (yGcs, Mnsod, Nqo-1, Gpx1 and Ho-1) were detected by using RT-qPCR. As results, Jlus66 effectively improved lipid metabolism disorder and mitochondrial dysfunction, ameliorated insulin resistance and inflammatory response in the liver, jejunum and adipose tissue of HFD-induced obese mice model. Moreover, Jlus66 treated also protected jejunum barrier integrity and alleviated oxidative stress. In conclusion, Jlus66 might be a nutritional strategy for obesity and its complications.

Vertical stirred mills (VSM) are widely used for powder processing in many situations like mechanical alloying preparation and raw material crushing and shaping. Many structural and operational parameters like stirrer helix angle and rotating speed have great significance on VSM performance, especially in a large industry-scale situation. Therefore, it becomes essential to investigate these parameters systematically to obtain high energy efficiency and good product quality. In this work, the discrete element method (DEM) was used to examine the effects of stirrer helix angle (α), stirrer diameter (d), and rotating speed (n) on the grinding performance in an industrial VSM, and then the response surface method (RSM) was employed for multi-objective optimization in the VSM. It is found that a media vortex phenomenon may happen near the stirring shaft. The media collisions are significantly influenced by α, d, and n. Through multi-objective optimization design (MOD), the power consumption (P) of the stirrer reduced by 8.09%. The media collision energy (E) increased by 9.53%. The energy conversion rate (R) rises by 20.70%. The collision intensity and frequency are both improved. This optimization method can help determine good operating parameters based on certain structures.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate clinical efficacy of posterior tibial artery perforator technique combined with iliac crest autograft in treatment of medial soft tissue and medial malleolus loss. Methods This study involved 11 cases of medial soft tissue and medial malleolus loss from October 2011 to March 2016. Patients were treated with posterior tibial artery perforator technique combined with iliac crest autograft, and given routine treatment, such as rehydration, anti-inflammation, anticoagulation and vasodilation. Ankle function of patients was evaluated according to the American Orthopedic foot and ankle Association (AOFAS) ankle-hind foot scoring system. Results All flaps survived without bone exposure, and the appearance of skin flaps was satisfactory. There was one case of arterial crisis, one case of venous crisis, one case of skin edge necrosis and one case of incision infection. Wounds of the above patients were healed. Skin flap was soft and elastic without secondary contracture. The two-point discrimination of skin flap was 5–11 mm. The ankle range of motion was 10–60°. X-Ray showed that grafts healed within 8.6 months. According to AOFAS evaluation, four cases were excellent, four cases were good, and three cases were poor. The excellent and good rate was 72.8%. Conclusions In this study, posterior tibial artery perforator technique combined with iliac crest autograft was used to treat medial soft tissue and medial malleolus loss. The findings demonstrated that this treatment was reliable and efficacious.

BackgroundThis research aimed to evaluate the impacts of transfusing packed red blood cells (pRBCs), fresh frozen plasma (FFP), or platelet concentrate (PC) on postoperative mechanical ventilation time (MVT) in patients with acute Stanford type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) undergoing after total arch replacement (TAR).MethodsThe clinical data of 384 patients with ATAAD after TAR were retrospectively collected from December 2015 to October 2017 to verify whether pRBCs, FFP, or PC transfusion volumes were associated with postoperative MVT. The logistic regression was used to assess whether blood products were risk factors for prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) in all three endpoints (PMV ≥24 h, ≥48 h, and ≥72 h).ResultsThe mean age of 384 patients was 47.6 ± 10.689 years, and 301 (78.39%) patients were men. Median MVT was 29.5 (4–574) h (h), and 213 (55.47%), 136 (35.42%), and 96 (25.00%) patients had PMV ≥24 h, ≥48 h, and ≥72 h, respectively. A total of 36 (9.38%) patients did not have any blood product transfusion, the number of patients with transfusion of pRBCs, FFP, and PC were 334 (86.98%), 286 (74.48%), and 189 (49.22%), respectively. According to the multivariate logistic regression of three PMV time-endpoints, age was a risk factor [PMV ≥ 24 h odds ratio (ORPMV≥24) = 1.045, p = 0.005; ORPMV≥48 = 1.060, p = 0.002; ORPMV≥72 = 1.051, p = 0.011]. pRBC transfusion (ORPMV≥24 = 1.156, p = 0.001; ORPMV≥48 = 1.156, p < 0.001; ORPMV≥72 = 1.135, p ≤ 0.001) and PC transfusion (ORPMV≥24 = 1.366, p = 0.029; ORPMV≥48 = 1.226, p = 0.030; ORPMV≥72 = 1.229, p = 0.011) were independent risk factors for PMV. FFP had no noticeable effect on PMV [ORPMV≥48 = 0.999, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.998–1.000, p = 0.039; ORPMV≥72 = 0.999, 95% CI: 0.998–1.000, p = 0.025].ConclusionsIn patients with ATAAD after TAR, the incidence of PMV was very high. Blood products transfusion was closely related to postoperative mechanical ventilation time. pRBC and PC transfusions and age increased the incidence of PMV at all three endpoints.