Search

Abstract Marine cold spells (MCSs), characterized by pronounced seawater temperature declines, are representative marine responses to atmospheric and climatic extremes. Notably, during the boreal winter, MCSs in the Taiwan Strait (TS) have caused substantial economic losses due to the concurrence of juvenile development stages in mariculture and labor shortages during China’s New Year vacation. Understanding the spatio-temporal features of MCSs and the underlying mechanisms is imperative for mitigating the associated economic detriments. This study, for the first time, delineates two MCS hotspots in the northeastern and western TS, based on various sea surface temperature datasets. Our findings reveal a notable frequency and intensity of MCSs in the 1980s, followed by a period of suppressed phase, reaching a historic low point in 2002. However, contrary to expectations of the overall trend of global warming, MCSs have experienced a resurgence since 2002, with a pronounced focus on the western coast of the TS. Diagnostic analyses suggest that the Winter East Asian Monsoon-driven cold current and the Pacific basin scale dynamic-forced warm current jointly regulated the spatio-temporal features of the MCSs. This study contributes a novel perspective on the impacts of climate change on extreme marine events along subtropical coastal areas.

Abstract Background Neutral Lipid Storage Disease with Myopathy (NLSDM) is a rare lipid metabolism disorder caused by PNPLA2 gene mutations. Clinical manifestations are heterogeneous, and diagnosis is often delayed, usually gaining patients’ attention due to the increased risk of cardiomyopathy. Case presentation We herein report a 36-year-old Asian male presenting with progressive limb weakness, muscle atrophy of limbs and trunk, dysarthria, and heart failure. Electromyography indicated myogenic changes, and muscle biopsy results revealed characteristics of lipid storage myopathy. Genetic analysis of PNPLA2 revealed two heterozygous mutations: c.757 + 1G > T (chr11-823588, splice-5) on intron 6 and c.919delG (chr11-823854, p.A307Pfs*13) on exon 7. The patient improved limb strength, and dysarthria disappeared after the Medium Chain Fatty Acids diet. Conclusions In conclusion, we report for the first time that the two heterozygous mutations PNPLA2 c.919delG and c.757 + 1G > T together induced NLSDM, which was confirmed by muscle biopsy.

Cordyceps sinensis (CS) has been widely used as a dietary supplement or traditional medicine for the prevention, treatment, and prognostication of various diseases, because of its pleiotropic pharmacological properties. However, the potential pharmacological action of CS in sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (S-AKI) remains poorly understood. Herein, we investigated the potential pharmacological action of CS against S-AKI and the underlying mechanisms. CS treatment effectively ameliorated renal dysfunction and injury in mice with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced S-AKI, as indicated by the suppression of inflammatory cytokine expression and secretion. Multi-omic analyses suggested that the promotion of mitochondrial energy metabolism might be a potential mechanism through which CS protects mice against S-AKI induced by LPS. Subsequent validation assays confirmed that CS treatment substantially restored the activity of mitochondrial complexes, mitochondrial membrane potential, and ATP production. Moreover, CS concomitantly promoted transition of M1 macrophages to M2 macrophages with increased oxidative phosphorylation, thus indicating that macrophage polarization may also be a potential target for S-AKI treatment. Our findings demonstrated that CS significantly ameliorated renal injury and inflammation in S-AKI by regulating mitochondrial energy metabolism and macrophage polarization, thus providing new insights into the clinical use of CS for the prevention and treatment of S-AKI.

Abstract Real‐time monitoring of the coal caving process in fully mechanized mining is crucial for achieving intelligent and efficient top‐coal caving. While the coal gangue identification method, employing vision and deep learning, has advanced in the realm of intelligent monitoring, it exhibits a dependency on high‐performance hardware. This reliance poses challenges for deploying identification equipment on mobile terminals, hindering the widespread application of this method. To address the issues above, the paper presents a lightweight algorithm, utilizing You Only Look Once version 5s (YOLOv5s), utilizing YOLOv5s for the real‐time perception of the top‐coal caving state in fully mechanized caving mining. We replace the backbone network of YOLOv5s with the ShuffleNetv2 structure that is more suitable for lightweight deployment, and add the Simple Attention Mechanism attention mechanism to the network structure to enhance the model's receptive field and feature expression ability, and reduce the impact of falling debris on the detection results. A dynamic experimental platform for top‐coal caving in fully mechanized caving mining for thick coal seams is set up, and preprocessing operations such as brightness, sharpening, and denoising are performed on the image data sets collected by high‐speed industrial cameras. Research results show that compared with the traditional YOLOv5s, the improved model's P, mAP, F1 score, and other indicators have increased by 3.4%, 2.1%, and 1.1%, respectively, the model size is 70% of the original, and the detection frames per second value has increased by 48.1%. The lightweight algorithm stabilizes the accuracy of coal gangue identification dramatically in real time. It dramatically reduces the computing pressure on the mobile terminal, providing basic theory and practice for real‐time monitoring of fully mechanized coal caving mining.

PurposeWe sought to develop and validate a nomogram for predicting extra-urinary recurrence (EUR) following radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) in patients with upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC).MethodsData from 556 UTUC patients post-RNU at the First Hospital of Jilin University were retrospectively analyzed. These patients were categorized into a training group (n=389) and a validation group (n=167). Variables significantly associated with prognosis were identified using univariate Cox regression and most minor absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analysis. These independent predictors were incorporated into the nomogram to estimate extra-urinary recurrence-free survival (EURFS). Validation of the nomogram involved ROC curves, calibration plots, and decision curve analysis (DCA). Patients were stratified into two risk categories based on their nomogram scores to compare EURFS using the Kaplan-Meier method.ResultsEight predictors were identified: T-stage, N-stage, tumor grade, local and nerve invasion, preoperative hemoglobin level, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and creatinine, all proving to be independent predictors of EUR. A nomogram was created based on these eight factors, and using the ROC, calibration curves, and DCA, good prediction results were shown in both the training and validation groups. The training and validation groups also showed reliable predictive performance. In particular, there was a significant difference in survival between the high-risk and low-risk groups (P

ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to profile the transcriptional profiles of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and their immune repertoires affected by anti-synthetase syndrome (ASS) at the single-cell level.MethodsWe performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis of PBMCs and bulk RNA sequencing for patients with ASS (N=3) and patients with anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5-positive dermatomyositis (MDA5+ DM, N=3) along with healthy controls (HCs, N=4). As ASS and MDA5+ DM have similar organ involvements, MDA5+ DM was used as a disease control. The immune repertoire was constructed by reusing the same scRNA-seq datasets. Importantly, flow cytometry was performed to verify the results from the scRNA-seq analysis.ResultsAfter meticulous annotation of PBMCs, we noticed a significant decrease in the proportion of mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells in ASS patients compared to HCs, while there was a notable increase in the proportion of proliferative NKT cells. Compared with MDA5+ DM patients, in their PBMCs ASS patients presented substantial enrichment of interferon pathways, which were primarily mediated by IFN-II, and displayed a weak immune response. Furthermore, ASS patients exhibited more pronounced metabolic abnormalities, which may in turn affect oxidative phosphorylation pathways. Monocytes from ASS patients appear to play a crucial role as receptive signaling cells for the TNF pathway. Immunophenotyping analysis of PBMCs from ASS patients revealed an increasing trend for the clone type CQQSYSTPWTF.ConclusionUsing single-cell genomic datasets of ASS PBMCs, we revealed a distinctive profile in the immune system of individuals with ASS, compared to that with MDA5+ DM or healthy controls.

An important goal in the opioid field is to discover effective analgesic drugs with minimal side effects. MCRT demonstrated potent antinociceptive effects with limited side effects, making it a promising candidate. However, its pharmacological properties and how it minimizes side effects remain unknown. Various mouse pain and opioid side effect models were used to evaluate the antinociceptive properties and safety at the spinal level. The targets of MCRT were identified through cAMP measurement, isolated tissue assays, and pharmacological experiments. Immunofluorescence was employed to visualize protein expression. MCRT displayed distinct antinociceptive effects between acute and chronic inflammatory pain models due to its multifunctional properties at the μ opioid receptor (MOR), µ-δ heterodimer (MDOR), and neuropeptide FF receptor 2 (NPFFR2). Activation of NPFFR2 reduced MOR-mediated antinociception, leading to bell-shaped response curves in acute pain models. However, activation of MDOR produced more effective antinociception in chronic inflammatory pain models. MCRT showed limited tolerance and opioid-induced hyperalgesia in both acute and chronic pain models and did not develop cross-tolerance to morphine. Additionally, MCRT did not exhibit addictive properties, gastrointestinal inhibition, and effects on motor coordination. Mechanistically, peripheral chronic inflammation or repeated administration of morphine and MCRT induced an increase in MDOR in the spinal cord. Chronic administration of MCRT had no apparent effect on microglial activation in the spinal cord. These findings suggest that MCRT is a versatile compound that provides potent antinociception with minimal opioid-related side effects. MDOR could be a promising target for managing chronic inflammatory pain and addressing the opioid crisis.

The carbon cloths made of carbon fiber as 3D integrated cathode for lithium-ion batterie were studied. The graphitization degree of three types of carbon cloths after heat treatment were qualitatively analyzed and quantitatively calculated. Using lithium metal as the counter electrode, the graphitized carbon cloth electrodes show first discharge specific capacities of 83.6, 94.5 mAh∙g-1 and 115.2 mAh∙g-1 under 0.1-0.5 V, respectively. After 50 cycles, the specific capacities of carbon cloth electrodes remain 55.0, 80.0 mAh∙g-1 and 88.0 mAh∙g-1.With LiFePO4-loaded graphitized carbon cloths as cathodes, the initial discharge specific capacities of electrodes are 73.2, 109.5 mAh∙g-1 and 130.2 mAh∙g-1, respectively. The carbon cloth whose graphitization degree is 76.02% shows stable specific capacity of about 90.0 mAh∙g-1 after 50 cycles, and shows better comprehensive performances. This carbon cloth is more suitable for the integrated flexible cathode of lithium-ion batteries. By establishing the mechanical model of the interaction between LiFePO4 particles and carbon fiber, the relationship between mechanical, electrical and electrochemical properties of the integrated cathode were discussed.Using carbon cloth as an integrated cathode for lithium-ion batteries can simplify the conventional production process and innovate its production process.

The purpose of the study is to investigate the sulfate resistance of portland-dolomite cement (PDC) with varying dolomite contents, when exposed to sodium sulfate solution at 5 ℃ and 20 ℃. Visual appearance, expansion, mass change, and compressive strength of PDC mortars were tested, and XRD, FTIR, and SEM analyses were conducted to examine deterioration products and microstructure. Results indicate that at 20 ℃, the incorporation of 10 % dolomite in PDC had a negligible impact on sulfate resistance, whereas higher dolomite replacements of 20 % and 30 % notably diminished it. In contrast, exposure at 5 °C led to more severe deterioration in all PDC samples, regardless of dolomite content, and the higher dolomite content, the poorer resistance to sulfate attack. The increased formation of ettringite and gypsum resulted in reduced sulfate resistance of PDC at 20 ℃. However, at 5 ℃, the presence of dolomite significantly promoted the formation of thaumasite at later stages, which caused initial ettringite and subsequent late-stage thaumasite sulfate attack, ultimately leading to the failure of PDC. The findings suggest that PDC should be carefully considered when used in sulfate-rich environments, particularly at low temperatures.

The near-eye display (NED) systems, designed to project content into the human eye, are pivotal in the realms of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), offering users immersive experiences. A small volume is the key for a fashionable, easy-to-wear, comfortable NED system for industrial and consumer use. Freeform surfaces can significantly reduce the system volume and weight while improving the system specifications. However, great challenges still exist in further reducing the volume of near-eye display systems as there is also a limit when using only freeform optics. This paper introduces a novel method for designing compact freeform NED systems through a powerful optical–digital joint design. The method integrates a geometrical freeform optical design with deep learning of an image compensation neural network, addressing off-axis nonsymmetric structures with complex freeform surfaces. A design example is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Specifically, the volume of a freeform NED system is reduced by approximately 63% compared to the system designed by the traditional method, while still maintaining high-quality display performance. The proposed method opens a new pathway for the design of a next-generation ultra-compact NED system.

Oxidative stress and its impact on aging are critical areas of research. Natural anti-oxidants, such as saponins found in Polygonatum sibiricum, hold promise as potential clinical interventions against aging. In this study, we utilized the nematode model organism, Caenorhabditis elegans, to investigate the pharmacological effects of Polygonatum sibiricum saponins (PKS) on antioxidation and anti-aging. The results demonstrated a significant anti-aging biological activity associated with PKS. Through experiments involving lifespan and stress, lipofuscin, q-PCR, and ROS measurement, we found that PKS effectively mitigated aging-related processes. Furthermore, the mechanism underlying these anti-aging effects was linked to the SKN-1 signaling pathway. PKS increased the nuclear localization of the SKN-1 transcription factor, leading to the up-regulation of downstream anti-oxidant genes, such as gst-4 and sod-3, and a substantial reduction in intracellular ROS levels within the nematode. In conclusion, our study sheds light on the anti-oxidant and anti-aging properties of PKS in C. elegans. This research not only contributes to understanding the biological mechanisms involved but also highlights the potential therapeutic applications of these natural compounds in combating aging-related processes.

Coal gangue is the byproduct of coal mining and preparation. Due to its susceptibility to spontaneous combustion, it causes significant environmental hazards when piled up in open dumps. The fire not only harms the environment but also poses health risks to nearby residents. Therefore, accurately identifying the location and extent of the coal gangue dump fire is crucial for effective fire suppression. However, the clarity and precision of detection face challenges. This article proposes a novel technique that utilizes thermal infrared oblique photography captured by unmanned aerial vehicle to create three-dimensional (3-D) surface temperature field models of fire areas. In addition, batch preprocessing software is designed to standardize the temperature threshold and color distribution across each thermal infrared image, and the effects of different temperature thresholds are investigated. The article focuses on the spontaneous combustion area of the south coal gangue dump at the Antaibao open-pit mine in Shanxi Province. The findings demonstrate the rapid and precise reconstruction of the 3-D temperature field in the fire area, the elimination of pseudo-high-temperature areas, and the accurate identification of the fire within the coal gangue dump. This method facilitates effective fire suppression and controls measures for the burning coal gangue dump, reducing the associated risks.

Abstract Background Brucellosis poses a significant public health concern. This study explores the spatial and temporal dynamic evolution of human brucellosis in China and analyses the spatial heterogeneity of the influencing factors related to the incidence of human brucellosis at the provincial level. Methods The Join-point model, centre of gravity migration model and spatial autocorrelation analysis were employed to evaluate potential changes in the spatial and temporal distribution of human brucellosis in mainland China from 2005 to 2021. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR), and Multi-scale Geographically Weighted Regression (MGWR) models were constructed to analyze the spatial and temporal correlation between the incidence rate of human brucellosis and meteorological and social factors. Results From 2005 to 2021, human brucellosis in China showed a consistent upward trend. The incidence rate rose more rapidly in South, Central, and Southwest China, leading to a shift in the center of gravity from the North to the Southwest, as illustrated in the migration trajectory diagram. Strong spatial aggregation was observed. The MGWR model outperformed others. Spatio-temporal plots indicated that lower mean annual temperatures and increased beef, mutton, and milk production significantly correlated with higher brucellosis incidence. Cities like Guangxi and Guangdong were more affected by low temperatures, while Xinjiang and Tibet were influenced more by beef and milk production. Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang were more affected by mutton production. Importantly, an increase in regional GDP and health expenditure exerted a notable protective effect against human brucellosis incidence. Conclusions Human brucellosis remains a pervasive challenge. Meteorological and social factors significantly influence its incidence in a spatiotemporally specific manner. Tailored prevention strategies should be region-specific, providing valuable insights for effective brucellosis control measures.

Abstract Designing high-performance thermal catalysts with stable catalytic sites is an important challenge. Conventional wisdom holds that strong metal-support interactions can benefit the catalyst performance, but there is a knowledge gap in generalizing this effect across different metals. Here, we have successfully developed a generalizable strong metal-support interaction strategy guided by Tammann temperatures of materials, enabling functional oxide encapsulation of transition metal nanocatalysts. As an illustrative example, Co@BaAl2O4 core@shell is synthesized and tracked in real-time through in-situ microscopy and spectroscopy, revealing an unconventional strong metal-support interaction encapsulation mechanism. Notably, Co@BaAl2O4 exhibits exceptional activity relative to previously reported core@shell catalysts, displaying excellent long-term stability during high-temperature chemical reactions and overcoming the durability and reusability limitations of conventional supported catalysts. This pioneering design and widely applicable approach has been validated to guide the encapsulation of various transition metal nanoparticles for environmental tolerance functionalities, offering great potential to advance energy, catalysis, and environmental fields.

Abstract Objective Circulating N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a marker for heart failure in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and associated with glycemic abnormalities. Studies on the association and diagnostic value of NT-proBNP in carotid plaques (CAP) in patients with CHD are limited. Methods The relationships between NT-proBNP and the risk of CAP in different glucose metabolic states, sexes, and age categories were also examined using 5,093 patients diagnosed with CHD. The NT-proBNP tertiles were used to divide patients into three groups in which the NT-proBNP levels, blood glucose levels, the occurrence of CAP, and the number and nature of CAP were measured using normoglycemic (NG), prediabetes (Pre-DM), and diabetes mellitus (DM) glucose metabolic statuses. Logistic regression analyses were used to compare the relationship between NT-proBNP and the risk of CAP occurrence and the number and nature of CAP. The diagnostic value of NT-proBNP for CAP risk was measured using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results We found a 37% relative increase in the correlation between changes in NT-proBNP per standard deviation (SD) and the incidence of CAP. After adjusting for potential confounders, NT-proBNP at the T3 level was found to be associated with an increased CAP odds ratio (OR) when T1 was used as the reference. This relationship was also present in males, patients aged > 60 years, or both pre-DM and DM states. NT-proBNP was more likely to present as hypoechoic plaques at T1 and as mixed plaques at T3. We also measured the diagnostic accuracy of CAP for NT-proBNP in patients with CHD, with an AUC value of 0.627(95% CI 0.592–0.631), sensitivity of 50.7%, and specificity of 68.0%. Conclusion An increase in NT-proBNP was significantly associated with the risk of CAP in patients with CHD, especially in males and patients aged > 60 years, and exhibited specific characteristics under different glucose metabolism states. Trial registration The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Approval number TJUTCM-EC20210007) and certified by the Chinese Clinical Trials Registry on April 4, 2022 (Registration number ChiCTR2200058296) and March 25, 2022 by ClinicalTrials.gov (registration number NCT05309343). Graphical Abstract

Abstract Osteoporosis is a prevalent bone disease with multigene involved, and the molecular mechanisms of its pathogenesis are not entirely understood. This study aims to identify novel key genes involved in osteoporosis to discover potential pharmacological targets. We analyzed three microarray datasets and identified four differentially expressed genes. The LASSO model indicated that RNA-binding motif protein 5 (RBM5) is associated with osteoporosis and is a potential drug target. We conducted the Spearman correlation analysis and found 52 genes that were significantly related to RBM5. Enrichment analysis showed that these genes were primarily involved in RNA splicing and osteoclast differentiation pathways. By using lentivirus-based shRNA, we successfully knocked down RBM5 expression in RAW264.7 cell line, which showed that RBM5 knockdown significantly impaired their differentiation potential to mature osteoclasts and significantly inhibited bone-resorbing activity. RT-qPCR analyses revealed the expression of osteoclastogenesis marker genes was downregulated along with RBM5 expression. These findings suggest that RBM5 plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis and provides a new potential pharmacological target.

β-AlFeSi is one of the most common and most damaging intermetallics in aluminum alloys containing silicon. The study of its growth behavior is crucial for alloy design. In this work, Al-8.1Si–5Fe and Al–13Si–3Fe alloys were cast to study the growth of β-AlFeSi. The skirt like β-AlFeSi clusters formed by splitting were discovered, and this phenomenon was found to be mainly caused by thermal stress. By micro to atomic scale electron microscopy studies, a layer-by-layer growth mode along the (001) crystal plane was proposed for β-AlFeSi. In addition, it is found that β-AlFeSi grows along the heat flow, and the preferred growth orientation is determined to be [100]/[010]. Other characteristics of β growth, such as stacking faults and inducing formation of pores, were also reported and discussed.

Abstract Background Thalassemia is an extremely prevalent monogenic inherited blood disorder in southern China. It is important to comprehensively understand the molecular spectrum of thalassemia in an area with such a high prevalence of thalassemia before taking appropriate actions for the prevention and treatment of this disorder. Herein, we explored the clinical feasibility of using next-generation sequencing (NGS) for large-scale population screening to illustrate the prevalence and spectrum of thalassemia in Southern Jiangxi. Methods Blood samples collected from 136,312 residents of reproductive age in Southern Jiangxi were characterized for thalassemia by NGS. A retrospective analysis was then conducted on blood samples determined to be positive for thalassemia. Results In total, 19,827 (14.545%) subjects were diagnosed as thalassemia carriers, and the thalassemia prevalence rate significantly varied by geographical region (p T accounting for 35.257% of these β-thalassemia genotypes. Furthermore, 74 genotypes were identified among 608 individuals with combined α- and β-thalassemia. Notably, most individuals with rare thalassemia mutations had mildly abnormal hematologic parameters including microcytic hypochromia. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate the great heterogeneity and diverse spectrum of thalassemia in Southern Jiangxi, emphasizing the importance and necessity of persistent prevention and control of thalassemia in this region. Additionally, our findings further suggest that NGS can effectively identify rare mutations and reduce the misdiagnosis rate of thalassemia.

Abstract Wind‐induced crop lodging can reduce agricultural production and impact food security. However, a systematic evaluation of large‐scale crop lodging and its drivers is lacking, mostly due to the limited observations available. Such knowledge gaps hinder the application of effective management practices to mitigate yield losses. Here, we quantify maize‐lodging induced by three consecutive typhoons in Northeast China in 2020 using direct crop canopy height observations from the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigations (GEDI) instrument and optical satellite imagery. We show that the canopy water‐related vegetation index provides a robust wall‐to‐wall mapping of crop lodging, supported by changes in GEDI canopy height. Our spatially contiguous lodging maps show that lodging intensity is mainly due to typhoon intensity (64.34%), with maize plantation fraction (11.94%) and phenology (7.94%) as secondary factors. The shelterbelt forest may partly alleviate the lodging risk, but its effect requires further investigation. Considering the recent expansion of maize cultivation and the poleward shift of landfalling typhoons alongside climate change, the lodging risk may increase for maize and further threaten China's food security.

Abstract Inpainting high-resolution images with large holes challenges existing deep learning-based image inpainting methods. We present a novel framework—PyramidFill for high-resolution image inpainting, which explicitly disentangles the task into two sub-tasks: content completion and texture synthesis. PyramidFill attempts to complete the content of unknown regions in a lower-resolution image, and synthesize the textures of unknown regions in a higher-resolution image, progressively. Thus, our model consists of a pyramid of fully convolutional GANs, wherein the content GAN is responsible for completing contents in the lowest-resolution masked image, and each texture GAN is responsible for synthesizing textures in a higher-resolution image. Since completing contents and synthesizing textures demand different abilities from generators, we customize different architectures for the content GAN and texture GAN. Experiments on multiple datasets including CelebA-HQ, Places2 and a new natural scenery dataset (NSHQ) with different resolutions demonstrate that PyramidFill generates higher-quality inpainting results than the state-of-the-art methods.

A series of heterostructured materials with variable ratio of 316 powders in 18Ni300 powders were prepared by laser melting deposition (LMD). The microstructural evolution and its influence on tensile features were explored before/after aging treatment or solution-aging treatment. The results indicated that the fraction of γ phase was increased gradually with increasing 316SS, and dislocation caused by the deformation could be migrated and annihilated within the region of γ phase, second phase strengthening could contribute to excellent elongation for 18Ni300 maraging steel. The elongation of the AF4 sample was 235.2% higher than that of the AF0 sample when a 37.5% reduction in the ultimate tensile strength occurred. In addition, thermal stress could exist in the as-cladded sample, an appropriate heat treatment could release the thermal stress and precipitate nanoscale intermetallic compound. Their synergistic effect could contribute to overcoming the strength-elongation trade-off. A relatively ideal sample, a discontinuous γ phase surrounded by α phase, which displayed high strength of 1678.4 MPa with high elongation of 10.9% after solution-aging treatment. Compared with laser cladded 18Ni300 maraging steel, a 41.7% increment in the elongation was obtained at the cost of 11.3% reduction in ultimate tensile strength.

Forage supply has been stressed due to the rapid increase in China's livestock consumption. However, the long-term dynamics of the relationships between forage demand and multi-sourced supply are not understood. Here, we examine the annual forage demand, or practical carrying capacity (PCC), and supply, or theoretical carrying capacity (TCC) from 2000 to 2019 in China. We construct a forage supply-demand index (FSDI) to represent the forage supply pressure using MODIS-derived net primary productivity products and provincial statistical datasets, and we consider two scenarios. First, natural grasslands are the sole source of forage. Second, natural grassland forage supply is supplemented with straw crops. We find an increase in PCC in northwestern China's major pastoral and agropastoral provincial regions, including Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Ningxia and Qinghai, at rate of 0.24-3.59 million sheep units (SU) a year. As the primary source of forage, the theoretical carrying capacity of natural grasslands (TCCgrass) expanded at a rate of 3 million SU/yr nationally. Crop straws fed 126.58 million SU nationally in 2019, which accounted for 11.3% of the total practical carrying capacity and alleviated the forage supply pressure by reducing FSDI by 26.56%. During 2000–2019, the theoretical carrying capacity of straw crops (TCCcrop) increased rapidly from 76.5 million SU to 126.6 million SU, which accounted for 10%-15% of the total forage supply at the national scale. We also discovered large carrying capacity gaps (TCCgap) in the northwestern pastoral provincial regions of Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Gansu, and some agricultural provinces such as Shandong and Henan, when we considered forage supply from both natural grasslands and straw crops. Our findings showed a large forage gap in the traditional pastoral regions, and we also discussed green fodder as a potential solution for balancing the supply of and demand for forage, which may shed light on crop and forage planning.

Summary: Background: Optimal treatment strategy for severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) remained unknown. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) on SFTS. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted based on medical records of the laboratory-confirmed SFTS patients hospitalized during 2010–2020 in the 154th hospital, China. A 1:1 propensity score matching with age, sex, the interval from symptom onset to admission, presence of chronic viral hepatitis, diabetes and disease severity was performed between Non-IVIG group (supportive therapy) and IVIG group (IVIG plus supportive therapy). The matching variables were adjusted to compare the case fatality rates (CFRs), viral load and laboratory parameters between the two groups. Risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were reported. Findings: Totally 2219 SFTS patients were recruited. CFRs were significantly higher in 1051 patients in IVIG group than 1168 patients in Non-IVIG group (19.0% vs. 4.6%, RR = 4.30, 95% CI 3.12–5.93). The difference remained significant after matching (17.2% vs. 5.1%, RR = 4.02, 95% CI 2.71–5.97). The CFR of IVIG group was significantly higher in all age groups, two IVIG therapy delay groups and two therapy duration groups compared to that of Non-IVIG group (all P

The gut microbiota consistently shows strong correlations with lipid metabolism in humans and animals, and whether the gut microbiota contributes to muscle fatty acid (FA) deposition and meat traits in farm animals has not been fully resolved. In this study, we aimed to unveil the microbial mechanisms underlying muscle FA deposition in pigs. First, we systematically revealed the correlation between the gut microbiome and muscle FA levels in 43 obese Ningxiang pigs and 50 lean Duroc Landrace Yorkshire (DLY) pigs. Mutual fecal microbial transplantation showed that the obese Ningxiang pig-derived microbiota increased the muscle FA content and improved meat quality by reshaping the gut microbial composition in lean DLY pigs. Lactobacillus reuteri has been identified as a potential microbial biomarker in obese Ningxiang pig-derived microbiota-challenged DLY pigs. A gavage experiment using lean DLY pigs confirmed that L. reuteri XL0930 isolated from obese Ningxiang pigs was the causal species that increased the muscle FA content. Mechanistically, SLC22A5, a carnitine transporter, was downregulated in L. reuteri XL0930-fed DLY pigs, resulting in reduced muscle carnitine levels. Muscle and intestinal L-carnitine levels, which correlated with the muscle FA content, impeded fat synthesis and FA accumulation in in vitro and in vivo models. In conclusion, we uncovered an unexpected and important role of the obese Ningxiang pig-derived microbiota in regulating muscle FA metabolism via the SLC22A5-mediated carnitine system.

Abstract There are a number of resilience scales with good psychometric properties. However, the various scales differ in their item content in accordance with the model of resilience the developer had in mind. Culture is one of the reasons for the difference. Thailand, one of the Buddhist cultures, has a different view on resilience compared with Western culture. This study aimed to develop and validate a resilience inventory created based on the inner strength concept using a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Rasch measurement model. The resilience inventory (RI) was developed by creating new items representing inner strengths attributed to resilience. The inner strength was adopted to form the resilience construct, including perseverance, wisdom, patience, mindfulness, loving-kindness and equanimity. In addition, face and content validity were examined by experts in both mental health and Buddhism. The final RI comprised nine items with a 5-point Likert-type scale. The RI-9 was completed by 243 medical students who participated in the study, along with other measurements, i.e., Inner Strength-Based Inventory (iSBI), measuring the ten characteristics of perfection or inner strength, and the Core Symptom Index, measuring anxiety, depression and somatization symptoms. CFA, internal consistency and the Polytomous Rasch rating model were used to investigate the RI-9 construct validity. The mean age of the participants was 22.7 years (SD, 0.8); one-half were male (50%). The RI-9 construct demonstrated item hierarchy as follows: perseverance, patience (tolerance), mindfulness and equanimity, wisdom and loving-kindness. CFA showed that the unidimensional model fitted the data well. Rasch analysis showed no misfitting items and local dependence. The reliability of the person and item was good, and no disordered threshold was observed. Two items were found to exhibit differential item functioning due to sex. RI-9 scores were significantly related to all ten strengths from the iSBI, whereas they were negatively related to depression, anxiety, somatization and interpersonal difficulties. The RI-9 demonstrated validity and reliability. It constitutes a promising tool for outcome assessment in nonclinical populations. Further investigation on external validity as well as psychometric validation in other different cultures, should be encouraged.

Highlights Biochar carried microbial agent (BCMA) was applied into sheep manure composting. BCMA prolonged thermophilic phase, reduced N losses and promoted compost maturity. Physical properties were improved by preventing the formation of large clumps. Adding BCMA reduced CH4 by 65.23%, NH3 by 42.05% and N2O by 68.64%. BCMA affected the microbial structure.

Abstract Background Diet and chronic inflammation might play a major role in the pathogenesis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). In addition, peripheral blood leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) might mediate the relationship between inflammation and MCI risk. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate whether inflammatory potential of diet assessed by dietary inflammatory index (DII), chronic inflammation, peripheral blood LTL, and mtDNAcn were associated with the risk of MCI. Results A population-based cohort study was conducted with a total of 2944 participants. During a median follow-up of 2 years, 438 (14.90%) individuals were new-onset MCI. After adjustment, a higher score of DII (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.056, 95% CI: 1.005, 1.109), a higher log systemic immune inflammation index (SII) (HR: 1.333, 95% CI: 1.089, 1.633) and log system inflammation response index (SIRI) (HR: 1.487, 95% CI: 1.024, 2.161) predicted elevated risk of MCI. An increased mtDNAcn (HR: 0.843, 95% CI: 0.712, 0.997), but not LTL, predicted a decreased risk of MCI. Negative associations of log SII with LTL (β:-0.359, 95% CI: -0.445, -0.273) and mtDNAcn (β:-0.048, 95% CI: -0.090, -0.006) were found. Additionally, negative associations of log SIRI with LTL (β: -0.035, 95% CI: -0.052, -0.017) and mtDNAcn (β:-0.136, 95% CI: -0.216, -0.056) were also found. Path analysis suggested that SIRI, LTL, and mtDNAcn, in series, have mediation roles in the association between DII score and MCI risk. Conclusions Higher DII, SII, and SIRI might predict a greater risk of MCI, while a longer LTL and an increased mtDNAcn were linked to a reduced risk of MCI among the older population. LTL and mtDNAcn could play mediation roles in the association between DII and MCI risk.

Objective To investigate the effectiveness and safety of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation for patients with colorectal liver metastases (CRLMs) who were unsuitable for hepatectomy.Methods This is a multicenter retrospective study. 238 CRLM patients underwent ultrasound-guided HIFU (USgHIFU) ablation in three medical centers from October 2014 to December 2020. Patients who had complete colorectal cancer resection, but exhibited extra-hepatic metastasis were excluded from this study. HIFU ablation procedure was performed, and contrast-enhanced MR imaging and/or contrast-enhanced CT examinations were conducted and mRECIST was used for the assessment of tumor ablation effectiveness before and after treatment, and every 3 months thereafter. Adverse events and complications were recorded.Results 43 CRML patients (27 male, 16 female, aged 29–82 years) were enrolled and underwent a USgHIFU ablation procedure. CR (complete response) was achieved in 21 patients, while PR (partial response) was observed in 21 patients and SD (stable disease) was achieved in one patient, respectively. The objective response rate was 97.7%. Median OS (overall survival) was estimated to be 31 months, and1-year and 18-month overall survival was 90.7% (39/43) and 72.1% (31/43), respectively. For CR and PR patients, the median OS was 35 months and 23 months, respectively (p = 0.00). The majority of adverse events were pain in 22 cases (51.2%) and local skin edema in 33 cases (76.7%). No severe adverse events or complications were reported and recorded.Conclusions USgHIFU ablation is a safe and effective treatment option for CRLM patients, especially for patients who are unsuitable for hepatectomy.

Context Depression is a mental disorder characterized by low mood, reduced interest, impaired cognitive function, and vegetative symptoms such as sleep disturbances or poor appetite. Iridoids are the active constituents in several Chinese classical antidepressant formulae such as Yueju Pill, Zhi-Zi-Hou-Po Decoction, Zhi-Zi-Chi Decoction, and Baihe Dihuang Decoction. Parallel to their wide usages, iridoids are considered potential lead compounds for the treatment of neurological diseases.Objective The review summarizes the therapeutic potential and molecular mechanisms of iridoids in the prevention or treatment of depression and contributes to identifying research gaps in iridoids as potential antidepressant medication.Methods The following key phrases were sought in PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI) without time limitation to search all relevant articles with in vivo or in vitro experimental studies as comprehensively as possible: (‘iridoid’ or ‘seciridoid’ or ‘depression’). This review extracted the experimental data on the therapeutic potential and molecular mechanism of plant-derived iridoids for depression.Results Plant iridoids (i.e., catalpol, geniposide, loganin), and secoiridoids (i.e., morroniside, gentiopicroside, oleuropein, swertiamarin), all showed significant improvement effects on depression.Discussion and conclusions Iridoids exert antidepressant effects by elevating monoamine neurotransmitters, reducing pro-inflammatory factors, inhibiting hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hyperactivity, increasing brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptors, and elevating intestinal microbial abundance. Further detailed studies on the pharmacokinetics, bioavailability, and key molecular targets of iridoids are also required in future research, ultimately to provide improvements to current antidepressant medications.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV), an emerging tick-borne bunyavirus, causes mild-to-moderate infection to critical illness or even death in human patients. The effect of virus variations on virulence and related clinical significance is unclear. We prospectively recruited SFTSV-infected patients in a hotspot region of SFTS endemic in China from 2011 to 2020, sequenced whole genome of SFTSV, and assessed the association of virus genomic variants with clinical data, viremia, and inflammatory response. We identified seven viral clades (I-VII) based on phylogenetic characterization of 805 SFTSV genome sequences. A significantly increased case fatality rate (32.9%) was revealed in one unique clade (IV) that possesses a specific co-mutation pattern, compared to other three common clades (I, 16.7%; II, 13.8%; and III, 11.8%). The phenotype-genotype association (hazard ratios ranged 1.327-2.916) was confirmed by multivariate regression adjusting age, sex, and hospitalization delay. We revealed a pronounced inflammation response featured by more production of CXCL9, IL-10, IL-6, IP-10, M-CSF, and IL-1β, in clade IV, which was also related to severe complications. We observed enhanced cytokine expression from clade IV inoculated PBMCs and infected mice. Moreover, the neutralization activity of convalescent serum from patients infected with one specified clade was remarkably reduced to other viral clades. Together, our findings revealed a significant association between one specific viral clade and SFTS fatality, highlighting the need for molecular surveillance for highly lethal strains in endemic regions and unravelled the importance of evaluating cross-clade effect in development of vaccines and therapeutics.

Morchella sextelata was used as experimental material to explore the effects of NaCl stress on mycelia growth and physiological indexes. The mycelial growth index, mycelial morphology, biomass, mycelial membrane permeability, osmotic regulatory substance content and antioxidant enzymes of M. sextelata were measured under different concentrations of NaCl (0, 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 mmol/L). The effects of different levels of NaCl stress on mycelial growth and resistance physiology of M. sextelata were analyzed. Correlation analysis and principal component analysis were used to screen the key physiological indexes during the mycelial growth of M. sextelata under different NaCl concentrations. The results indicated that as the concentration of NaCl in the medium increased, the mycelial growth rate, mycelial biomass, mycelial diameter and intercellular polysaccharide (IPS) content of M. sextelata showed a downward trend, while the osmotic pressure (OP) and electrical conductivity (EC) showed an upward trend. The soluble protein content, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, proline (Pro) content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, peroxidase (POD) activity and catalase (CAT) activity all increased first and then decreased with the increasing of NaCl concentration. At 200 mmol/L NaCl concentration, the malondialdehyde (MDA) content, peroxidase (POD) activity and catalase (CAT) activity peaked, proline content and SOD activity peaked at 300 mmol/L salt concentration, while soluble protein content peaked at 400 mmol/L NaCl concentration. Through principal component analysis, the accumulative contribution rate of the first three principal components was 96.611%. Among them, when NaCl concentration was 0~100 mmol/L, the indicative physiological indexes were growth rate, mycelial diameter, dry weight, fresh weight and IPS content. When NaCl concentration was 100~200 mmol/L, the indicative physiological indexes were MDA content, soluble protein content, SOD activity, POD activity and CAT activity. When NaCl concentration was 200~400 mmol/L, the indicative physiological indexes were Pro content, soluble protein content and SOD activity.

ABSTRACT: Adipose tissue of ketotic dairy cows exhibits greater lipolytic rate and signs of inflammation, which further aggravate the metabolic disorder. In nonruminants, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a key organelle coordinating metabolic adaptations and cellular functions; thus, disturbances known as ER stress lead to inflammation and contribute to metabolic disorders. Enhanced activity of diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) in murine adipocytes undergoing lipolysis alleviated ER stress and inflammation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential role of DGAT1 on ER stress and inflammatory response of bovine adipose tissue in vivo and in vitro. Adipose tissue and blood samples were collected from cows diagnosed as clinically ketotic (n = 15) or healthy (n = 15) following a veterinary evaluation based on clinical symptoms and serum concentrations of β-hydroxybutyrate, which were 4.05 (interquartile range = 0.46) and 0.52 mM (interquartile range = 0.14), respectively. Protein abundance of DGAT1 was greater in adipose tissue of ketotic cows. Among ER stress proteins measured, ratios of phosphorylated PKR-like ER kinase (p-PERK) to PERK and phosphorylated inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (p-IRE1) to IRE1, and protein abundance of cleaved ATF6 protein were greater in adipose tissue of ketotic cows. Furthermore, ratios of phosphorylated RELA subunit of NF-κB (p-RELA) to RELA and phosphorylated c-jun N-terminal kinase (p-JNK) to JNK were greater, whereas protein abundance of NF-κB inhibitor α (NFKBIA) was lower in adipose tissue of ketotic cows. In addition, mRNA abundance of proinflammatory cytokines including TNF and IL-6 was greater in adipose tissue of ketotic cows. To better address mechanistic aspects of these responses, primary bovine adipocytes isolated from the harvested adipose tissue of healthy cows were subjected to lipolysis-stimulating conditions via incubation with 1 μM epinephrine (EPI) for 2 h. In another experiment, adipocytes were cultured with DGAT1 overexpression adenovirus and DGAT1 small interfering RNA for 48 h, respectively, followed by EPI (1 μM) exposure for 2 h. Treatment with EPI led to greater ratios of p-PERK to PERK, p-IRE1 to IRE1, p-RELA to RELA, p-JNK to JNK, and cleaved ATF6 protein, whereas EPI stimulation inhibited protein abundance of NFKBIA. Furthermore, treatment with EPI upregulated the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines into culture medium, including TNF-α and IL-6. Overexpression of DGAT1 in EPI-treated adipocytes attenuated ER stress, the activation of NF-κB and JNK signaling pathways, and the secretion of inflammatory cytokines. In contrast, silencing DGAT1 further aggravated EPI-induced ER stress and inflammatory responses. Overall, these data indicated that activation of DGAT1 may act as an adaptive mechanism to dampen metabolic dysregulation in adipose tissue. As such, it contributes to relief from ER stress and inflammatory responses.

Abstract Purpose The development of risk prediction models for breast cancer lymphedema is increasing, but few studies focus on the quality of the model and its application. Therefore, this study aimed to systematically review and critically evaluate prediction models developed to predict breast cancer-related lymphedema. Methods PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, MEDLINE, CNKI, Wang Fang DATA, Vip Database, and SinoMed were searched for studies published from 1 January 2000 to 1 June 2021. And it will be re-run before the final analysis. Two independent investigators will undertake the literature search and screening, and discrepancies will be resolved by another investigator. The Prediction model Risk Of Bias Assessment Tool will be used to assess the prediction models’ risk of bias and applicability. Results Seventeen studies were included in the systematic review, including 7 counties, of which 6 were prospective studies, only 7 models were validation studies, and 4 models were externally validated. The area under the curve of 17 models was 0.680~0.908. All studies had a high risk of bias, primarily due to the participants, outcome, and analysis. The most common predictors included body mass index, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and axillary lymph node dissection. Conclusions The predictive factors’ strength, external validation, and clinical application of the breast cancer lymphedema risk prediction model still need further research. Healthcare workers should choose prediction models in clinical practice judiciously. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42021258832

Abstract This study uses the model in which a central government gives a subsidy to the jurisdictions, and analyzes the optimal matching grant rate for local public spending that has characteristics of both public goods and public inputs. If the expenditures are public inputs, they raise the productivity of the jurisdiction which provides them. Their spillover effects to other regions are assumed to influence consumption and/or production. Contrary to this approach, traditional analyses of matching grants for public spending have only focused on public goods and consumption spillover. By considering these factors, this study obtains some intriguing results. The productive effect of public inputs on the optimal matching grant rate depends on whether the degree of the production spillover is higher than that of the consumption spillover.

Accurate information concerning the spatial distribution of invasive alien species’ habitats is essential for invasive species prevention and management, and ecological sustainability. Currently, nationwide identification of suitable habitats for the highly destructive and potentially invasive weed, Solanum rostratum Dunal (S. rostratum), poses a series of challenges. Simultaneously, research on potential future invasion areas and likely directions of spread has not received adequate attention. This study, based on species occurrence data and multi-dimensional environmental variables constructed from multi-source remote sensing data, utilized Principal Component Analysis (PCA) in combination with the Maxent model to effectively model the current and future potential habitat distribution of S. rostratum in China, while quantitatively assessing the various factors influencing its distribution. Research findings indicate that the current suitable habitat area of S. rostratum covers 1.3952 million km2, all of which is located in northern China. As the trend of climate warming persists, the potential habitat suitability range of S. rostratum is projected to shift southward and expand in the future; while still predominantly located in northern China, it will have varying degrees of expansion at different time frames. Notably, during the period from 2040 to 2061, under the SSP1-2.6 scenario, the habitat area exhibits the most significant increase, surpassing the current scenario by 19.23%. Furthermore, attribution analysis based on PCA inverse transformation reveals that a combination of soil, climate, spatial, humanistic, and topographic variables collectively influence the suitability of S. rostratum habitats, with soil factors, in particular, playing a dominant role and contributing up to 75.85%. This study identifies target areas for the management and control of S. rostratum, providing valuable insights into factor selection and variable screening methods in species distribution modeling (SDM).

Abstract Aims This study retrospectively investigated the morphological, immunohistochemical and molecular genetic features of papillary renal neoplasm with reverse polarity (PRNRP), a recently described renal tumor. Methods and results Eleven cases of PRNRP were collected, and 16 cases of type I and 9 cases of type II papillary renal cell carcinoma were included as a control series. Pathological features were evaluated based on HE staining and immunohistochemistry. KRAS exon 2 and BRAF V600E mutations were detected by Real-time PCR and Sanger sequencing. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was conducted for identification of chromosomal abnormalities. Hemosiderin deposition was found in a small amount of tumor cells in 6 cases. Multifocal or patchy necrosis (5/11), small focal invasion of the pseudocapsules or renal parenchyma (6/11), and breakthrough of renal capsule with nerve invasion (1/11) were revealed, inconsistent with the previous view that the tumor lacks necrosis and intercellular hemosiderin. Immunohistochemical staining (diffusely positive for CK7 and GATA3, negative for CD117 and vimentin, and negative to weakly positive for P504S) and high frequency of KRAS mutations in exon 2 (9/10) supported the identification and inclusion of our cases. Chromosome 7 trisomy (1/7), chromosome 17 trisomy (0/7) and chromosome Y deletion (0/5 male patients) were seldom detected in this tumor. All patients were alive without metastasis or recurrence at the end of the follow-up. Conclusion Our findings may highlight the possibility of a low malignant potential of this emerging entity. We suggest that the tumor be classified as a novel renal cell tumor subtype independent of papillary renal cell carcinoma.

Purpose: To compare the clinical efficacy and safety of pre-indwelling double-J stents versus ureteral catheters for artificial hydronephrosis in percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 1,258 patients who underwent PCNL for kidney stones from August 2017 to July 2020 in our hospital. Among them, 682 patients had double-J stents inserted (DJ group) and 576 patients had ureteral catheters (UC group). We analyzed baseline patient characteristics, perioperative outcomes, and complications in both groups. Results: The puncture success rate was 97.9% and 97.4% in the DJ and UC groups, respectively (p>0.05). The operation time was 74.5±37.8 minutes in the DJ group compared with 80.8±38.5 minutes in the UC group (p=0.004). The total stone-free rate in the DJ and UC groups was 80.5% and 78.7%, respectively (p>0.05). The incidence of perioperative complications was relatively low in both groups and showed no obvious differences. In the subgroup analysis, the operation time for patients with no obvious or mild hydronephrosis preoperatively was significantly shorter in the DJ group than in the UC group (p

Abstract In this study, we employed a recall test to investigate how memory load affects the learning curve of gesture-letter pairs for younger and older users. The gesture-letter pairs were carefully designed to mimic real-world gesture-function/command associations on a touchscreen mobile phone. Both younger and older user groups showed lower recall accuracy as the memory load of gesture-letter pairs increased, and recall performance improved with repeated memory training. More specifically, younger users improved rapidly over repeated memory sessions under all memory loads, whereas older users benefited much less from repeated memory sessions except the lowest memory load of 6 gesture-letter pairs. These results reveal that the memory load differentially modulated younger and older users’ learning curves of gesture-letter pairs. Thus, our work suggests an upper limit when adding new gesture-function associations on mobile phones and special attention should be devoted to old users.

Abstract Objective Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is often accompanied by undiagnosed dyslipidemia. Research on the association of unconventional lipid markers with prediabetes (pre-DM) and T2DM simultaneously is limited in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients. Methods This study included 28,476 patients diagnosed with CHD. Their lipid levels, including triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), were measured, and non-traditional lipid parameters were calculated. The patients were divided into three groups based on the diabetic status including normoglycemic (NG), pre-DM, and T2DM. Multiple logistic regression was used to compare the association of TG/HDL-C and other non-traditional lipid parameters with pre-DM and T2DM. The tertiles of TG/HDL-C included T1 (TG/HDL-C 1.89). Low and high TG/HDL-C was defined with sex-specific cutoff points. Results Multiple logistic regression results showed that the non-traditional lipid parameters, including non-HDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C, TC/HDL-C, non-HDL-C/HDL-C and TG/HDL-C, were all correlated with the risk of pre-DM and T2DM. Meanwhile TG/HDL-C showed the strongest correlation (odds ratio [OR]: 1.19; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16–1.23), (OR: 1.36; 95% CI 1.33–1.39). When dividing TG/HDL-C into tertiles, using T1 as a reference, T3 was observed to have the highest association with both pre-DM and T2DM (OR: 1.60; 95% CI 1.48–1.74), (OR: 2.79; 95% CI 2.60–3.00). High TG/HDL-C was significantly associated with pre-DM and T2DM (OR: 1.69; 95% CI 1.52–1.88), (OR: 2.85; 95% CI 2.60–3.12). The association of TG/HDL-C with T2DM and pre-DM existed across different sex, age, smoking, and drinking statuses. Conclusion Elevated non-traditional lipid parameters were significantly associated with pre-DM and T2DM in CHD patients, especially TG/HDL-C. High TG/HDL-C was the risk factor with a strong correlation with the risk of pre-DM and T2DM.

Abstract Background Triglyceride glucose (TyG) index is a new marker associated with atherosclerosis. This study aimed to assess the association between TyG index and the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and further explore the association between TyG index and CAD severity in different glucose metabolic states. Methods This multi-centre retrospective study included 731 patients with CHD between January 1, 2014 and September 30, 2020 in China. All patients were stratified into groups based on the tertiles of TyG index (T1: 5.48 ≤ TyG index ≤ 7.17; T2: 7.18 ≤ TyG index ≤ 7.76; T3: 7.77 ≤ TyG index ≤ 10.82). The number of diseased vessels [single-vessel and multi-vessel CAD (≥ 50% stenosis in ≥ 2 large vessels)] represented the severity of CAD, which was measured using coronary angiography (CAG). Glucose metabolic states were defined by the American Diabetes Association as normal glucose regulation (NGR), prediabetes mellitus (Pre-DM), and diabetes mellitus (DM). Results The baseline analysis results showed significant differences in the clinical and biological characteristics of CHD patients according to TyG index tertiles (P

Background: To explore the development of central nervous system (CNS) symptoms and clinical application in predicting the clinical outcomes of SARS-COV-2 patients. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed on the hospitalized patients with SARS-COV-2 recruited from four hospitals in Hubei Province, China from 18 January to 10 March 2020. The patients with CNS symptoms were determined. Data regarding clinical symptoms and laboratory tests were collected from medical records. Results: Of 1268 patients studied, 162 (12.8%) had CNS symptoms, manifested as unconsciousness (71, 5.6%), coma (69, 5.4%), dysphoria (50, 3.9%), somnolence (34, 2.7%) and convulsion (3, 0.2%), which were observed at median of 14 (interquartile range 9–18) days after symptom onset and significantly associated with older age (OR = 5.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.78–11.73), male (OR = 1.73, 95% CI 1.22–2.47) and preexisting hypertension (OR = 1.78, 95% CI 1.23–2.57). The presence of CNS symptoms could be predicted by abnormal laboratory tests across various clinical stages, including by lymphocyte counts of

Death from acute hemorrhage is a major life-threatening. Spacer fabrics-based composite dressings have been widely concerned because of their good hemostasis and protection in wound healing, but the poor liquid absorption and compression recovery properties hinder their utilization. Herein, we report a soluble hemostatic spacer dressing based on a braided yarn of PTFE (core yarn)/carboxymethylated viscose (shell yarn) as the skin contact layer, a wrapped yarn of nylon monofilament (core yarn)/Coolmax (shell yarn) as the spacer layer, and UHMWPE yarn as the waterproof layer for wound healing. Among these, carboxymethylated viscose can stop bleeding, while PTFE has low adhesion and ensures the structural integrity of the spacer fabric. Moreover, the nylon monofilament can endow the dressing with excellent comfortability, resilience, and fatigue resistance. Coolmax can absorb blood. The as-prepared spacer dressing shows excellent mechanical, comfortable, and hemostasis properties. F2 had a hemostasis time of 5.15 min, a low coagulation index of 7.96%, a hemolysis rate of 0.98%, and a blood absorption rate of 159.09%. This work presents an integrated molding method to achieve large-scale manufacturing of spacer dressing, which is expected to guide materials design for future innovations in biomedical applications.

Abstract Although transition metal phosphide electrocatalysts display unique electronic structure that serves as functional centers for hydrogen evolution reaction, the synthesis of this class of materials for oxygen evolution remains a challenge due to the complex multielectron transfer pathways and sluggish reaction kinetics. This study details an in‐situ modification and transformation of cyanide‐bridged nickel‐iron (CN‐NiFe) organometallic hybrid into the preferential Fe2P phase with prevailing exposed 12¯0 faceted active centers by leveraging on the facile coordinate cleavage dynamics and compound reactivity of labile metal organic coordination frameworks. The resultant transition metal phosphide attains high electrochemical surface area, low Tafel slope, and low overpotential for the oxygen evolution reaction, while also demonstrating bifunctional electrocatalytic performance for overall water splitting. Comprehensive experimental studies and density functional theory calculations reveal that the exceptional catalytic activity originates from the transformation of framework metallic sites into preferential active sites allows an optimal adsorption of oxygen evolution reaction intermediates.

Knowledge graph (KG) representation learning aims to encode entities and relations into dense continuous vector spaces such that knowledge contained in a dataset could be consistently represented. Dense embeddings trained from KG datasets benefit a variety of downstream tasks such as KG completion and link prediction. However, existing KG embedding methods fell short to provide a systematic solution for the global consistency of knowledge representation. We developed a mathematical language for KG based on an observation of their inherent algebraic structure, which we termed as Knowledgebra. By analyzing five distinct algebraic properties, we proved that the semigroup is the most reasonable algebraic structure for the relation embedding of a general knowledge graph. We implemented an instantiation model, SemE, using simple matrix semigroups, which exhibits state-of-the-art performance on standard datasets. Moreover, we proposed a regularization-based method to integrate chain-like logic rules derived from human knowledge into embedding training, which further demonstrates the power of the developed language. As far as we know, by applying abstract algebra in statistical learning, this work develops the first formal language for general knowledge graphs, and also sheds light on the problem of neural-symbolic integration from an algebraic perspective.

Skin is a barrier to maintaining the stability of the human environment and preventing the invasion of pathogens. When skin tissue is exposed to the external environment, it will inevitably develop defects due to trauma, injury, burns, ulcers, surgery, and chronic diseases. Rapid skin repair is the key to reducing infection, relieving pain, and improving quality of life. Dihydroquercetin is a kind of flavonoid that has a wide range of pharmacological activities and can improve skin repair, skin inflammation, skin cancer, and so on. In this paper, the application of dihydroquercetin in medical dressings and the research progress in the treatment of skin-related diseases are reviewed, so as to provide reference for further developing dihydroquercetin as a drug for the treatment of skin diseases.

Cerebral ischemia, a leading cause of disability and mortality worldwide, triggers a cascade of molecular and cellular pathologies linked to several central nervous system (CNS) disorders. These disorders primarily encompass ischemic stroke, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), epilepsy, and other CNS conditions. Despite substantial progress in understanding and treating the underlying pathological processes in various neurological diseases, there is still a notable absence of effective therapeutic approaches aimed specifically at mitigating the damage caused by these illnesses. Remarkably, ischemia causes severe damage to cells in ischemia-associated CNS diseases. Cerebral ischemia initiates oxygen and glucose deprivation, which subsequently promotes mitochondrial dysfunction, including mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) opening, mitophagy dysfunction, and excessive mitochondrial fission, triggering various forms of cell death such as autophagy, apoptosis, as well as ferroptosis. Ferroptosis, a novel type of regulated cell death (RCD), is characterized by iron-dependent accumulation of lethal reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation. Mitochondrial dysfunction and ferroptosis both play critical roles in the pathogenic progression of ischemia-associated CNS diseases. In recent years, growing evidence has indicated that mitochondrial dysfunction interplays with ferroptosis to aggravate cerebral ischemia injury. However, the potential connections between mitochondrial dysfunction and ferroptosis in cerebral ischemia have not yet been clarified. Thus, we analyzed the underlying mechanism between mitochondrial dysfunction and ferroptosis in ischemia-associated CNS diseases. We also discovered that GSH depletion and GPX4 inactivation cause lipoxygenase activation and calcium influx following cerebral ischemia injury, resulting in MPTP opening and mitochondrial dysfunction. Additionally, dysfunction in mitochondrial electron transport and an imbalanced fusion-to-fission ratio can lead to the accumulation of ROS and iron overload, which further contribute to the occurrence of ferroptosis. This creates a vicious cycle that continuously worsens cerebral ischemia injury. In this study, our focus is on exploring the interplay between mitochondrial dysfunction and ferroptosis, which may offer new insights into potential therapeutic approaches for the treatment of ischemia-associated CNS diseases.

This paper is concerned with the finite time annular domain robust stability (FTADRS) analysis and controller design for T-S fuzzy positive systems with interval uncertainties. The concept of finite time annular domain stability is first introduced for positive systems. Based on this and using the copositive Lyapunov function approach, some sufficient conditions for FTADRS are derived. Subsequently, the finite time annular domain robust controller is designed via the linear programming technique. Finally, two numerical examples and an application example are employed to show the effectiveness of our results.

Anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-immunoglobulin G (IgG) associated disorder (MOGAD) is an immune-mediated central nervous system (CNS) inflammatory demyelinating disorder that has been widely recognized in recent years. It is distinct from multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), which are separate disease spectrums. Here we report the case of a 5-year-old boy who was admitted for 3 days with fever, headache, and vomiting. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed abnormal hyperintensity in the left thalamus and positive serum IgM for M. pneumoniae. After treatment with azithromycin, the headache gradually disappeared, but paralysis and urinary retention occurred on the 6th day after admission. MRI re-examination showed that the original abnormal signal in the left thalamus was significantly weakened, but new abnormal signals appeared in the brain and cerebrospinal cord, and the serum MOG-IgG was positive. After treatment, the child has fully recovered and is still receiving follow-up care. We believe that this is a case of MOGAD in a child with a biphasic ADEM phenotype secondary to M. pneumoniae infection, which has potential value in elucidating the pathophysiology of MOGAD.

The discharged capillary plasma channel has been extensively studied as a high-gradient particle acceleration and transmission medium. A novel measurement method of plasma channel density profiles has been employed, where the role of plasma channels guiding the advantages of lasers has shown strong appeal. Here, we have studied the high-order transverse plasma density profile distribution using a channel-guided laser, and made detailed measurements of its evolution under various parameters. The paraxial wave equation in a plasma channel with high-order density profile components is analyzed, and the approximate propagation process based on the Gaussian profile laser is obtained on this basis, which agrees well with the simulation under phase conditions. In the experiments, by measuring the integrated transverse laser intensities at the outlet of the channels, the radial quartic density profiles of the plasma channels have been obtained. By precisely synchronizing the detection laser pulses and the plasma channels at various moments, the reconstructed density profile shows an evolution from the radial quartic profile to the quasi-parabolic profile, and the high-order component is indicated as an exponential decline tendency over time. Factors affecting the evolution rate were investigated by varying the incentive source and capillary parameters. It can be found that the discharge voltages and currents are positive factors quickening the evolution, while the electron-ion heating, capillary radii and pressures are negative ones. One plausible explanation is that quartic profile contributions may be linked to plasma heating. This work helps one to understand the mechanisms of the formation, the evolutions of the guiding channel electron-density profiles and their dependences on the external controllable parameters. It provides support and reflection for physical research on discharged capillary plasma and optimizing plasma channels in various applications.