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AbstractA new coumarin (1) and a new flavonoid (2) were isolated from the air-dried flower buds of Ochrocarpus longifolius, together with ten known compounds (3–12). The structures of two new compounds were established by 1D and 2D NMR and MS data. In addition, the new compound 2 showed significant proliferation inhibitory activity on Eca-109 and MGC-803 cells. The results of this study may enrich the diversity of compounds from O. longifolius and provide a basis for further research on its natural products and pharmacological activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's "the Belt and Road Initiative" (BRI) is a top-level cooperation initiative among countries proposed by China, which has promoted China's cooperation with relevant countries in various aspects and fields. Research reports from think tanks and experts on the evaluation, analysis, and research conclusions of the BRI can reflect the stance, opinions, and demands of various countries abroad regarding the initiative. This paper takes the BRI reports of important think tanks in the " Global Go To Think Tank Index Report 2020" as the subject of its research, and analyzes the key points and development trends of foreign think tank research on the BRI by using text mining, topic evolution, and social network analysis. It provides reasonable suggestions and ideas for promoting the construction of the BRI and deepening related cooperation in China. Research shows that the thematic distribution of research reports on the BRI by think tanks is mainly focused on the fields of politics, economy, and military. The research areas are relatively stable, and there is not a strong trend of thematic evolution. The evolution paths are also mainly distributed in the fields of politics, economy, and military. There are not many expansions in the thematic evolution directions over the years, and there is a strong inheritance of themes. The connection between research themes and the main purpose of the BRI is somewhat inadequate, indicating a certain limitation in the understanding of the BRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the extent of heritability of a plant-associated microbiome (phytobiome) is critically important for exploitation of phytobiomes in agriculture. Two crosses were made between pairs of cotton cultivars (Z2 and J11, L1 and Z49) with differential resistance to Verticillium wilt. F2 plants were grown in a field, together with the four parents to study the heritability of cotton rhizosphere microbiome. Amplicon sequencing was used to profile bacterial and fungal communities in the rhizosphere. F2 offspring plants of both crosses had higher average alpha diversity indices than the two parents; parents differed significantly from F2 offspring in Bray–Curtis beta diversity indices as well. Two types of data were used to study the heritability of rhizosphere microbiome: principal components (PCs) and individual top microbial operational taxonomic units (OTUs). For the L1 × Z49 cross, the variance among the F2 progeny genotypes (namely, genetic variance, VT) was significantly greater than the random variability (VE) for 12 and 34 out of top 100 fungal and bacterial PCs, respectively. For the Z2 × J11 cross, the corresponding values were 10 and 20 PCs. For 29 fungal OTUs and 10 bacterial OTUs out of the most abundant 100 OTUs, genetic variance (VT) was significantly greater than VE for the L1 × Z49 cross; the corresponding values for the Z2 × J11 cross were 24 and one. The estimated heritability was mostly in the range of 40% to 60%. These results suggested the existence of genetic control of polygenic nature for specific components of rhizosphere microbiome in cotton. Key points: • F2offspring cotton plants differed significantly from parents in rhizosphere microbial diversity. • Specific rhizosphere components are likely to be genetically controlled by plants. • Common PCs and specific microbial groups are significant genetic components between the two crosses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A horizontal smooth copper tube and two enhanced tubes (a dimpled tube and a diamond-shaped tube) with a length of 2 m and an outer diameter of 9.52 mm were studied in a two-phase condensation experiment using R410A and R32 as heat transfer working fluids. The condensation heat transfer performance of different heat transfer tubes at various mass fluxes ranging from 150 to 400 kg/(m²s) and different vapor qualities ranging from 0.8 to 0.2 was studied experimentally. For R410A, the heat transfer coefficients (HTCs) of the dimpled tube and the diamond-shaped tube were found to be 1.39-1.52 times and 1.30-1.35 times higher than those of the smooth tube, respectively. For R32, the HTCs were found to be 1.46-1.59 times higher for the dimpled tube and 1.26-1.35 times higher for the diamond-shaped tube than for the smooth tube. The diamond-shaped tube was found to be effective in directing the flow of the liquid phase and in thinning the liquid film thickness. The dimpled tube was found to promote droplet entrainment and disturbance. Both of those effects contributed to improving the HTCs in the two enhanced tubes investigated. The HTCs of R410A were found to be lower than those of R32 because of the smaller specific heat capacity, smaller latent heat of condensation, and relatively poorer thermal conductivity of R410A. Taking the combined effect of heat transfer and pressure drop into account, a performance enhancement factor (PEF) was computed and was found to range from 0.9 to 1.51. Based on the experimental data collected, a new empirical correlation equation has been proposed with a maximum error band of 10%. Flow pattern maps for the tested tubes have also been generated and are presented in the paper. Both of the two enhanced tubes were found to promote the development of annular flow. The HTCs were found to be highest when the flow pattern was of the annular flow type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For crushable sand, compared to non-crushable sand, this paper describes the experimental phenomenon of the opposite turning direction of stress–dilatancy curve after the peak stress ratio. Then, based on the first law of thermodynamics, we derive a new stress–dilatancy model which incorporates the derivatives of breakage energy and rearrangement energy to account for the opposite turning hook of crushable sand. In the framework of this model, the mechanism for opposite turning hook is attributable to the breakage-caused change of particle size distribution, which leads to the decrease of the critical stress ratio M and the decrease of the rearrangement-energy-related term. Our model is verified through our triaxial tests on crushable calcareous sand, non-crushable silica sand, and artificial particles, which well depicts the opposite turning phenomenon. Our model is also verified through other crushable sands from two existing literatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new noncentrosymmetric strontium borate, P1‐Sr2[B5O8(OH)]2 ⋅ [B(OH)3] ⋅ H2O (1), has been synthesized under the hydrothermal condition. The P1‐Sr2[B5O8(OH)]2 ⋅ [B(OH)3] ⋅ H2O shows a layered B−O network with 9‐ring windows in the ab plane. Sr2+ cations, H3BO3, and H2O molecules are located in the voids of layers and interlayers, respectively. The P1‐Sr2[B5O8(OH)]2 ⋅ [B(OH)3] ⋅ H2O is the first synthetic phase of veatchite, while the other three polymorphs are found in different natural minerals. This strontium borate is a potential deep‐ultraviolet‐transparent nonlinear‐optical (NLO) crystal whose second‐harmonic‐generation (SHG) intensity is 1.7 times that of KH2PO4 (KDP) and is phase‐matchable. The short wavelength cutoff edge of compound 1 is below 190 nm. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that the B−O units are responsible for the nonlinear optical property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural nonpoint source pollution (ANPS) can cause systemic pollution of the ecological environment, directly threatening sustainable agricultural development and human health and safety. Accurate estimation of ANPS loads, clarification of the sources and spatial distribution patterns of ANPS, and effective control and management of ANPS in the watershed require identifying critical source areas. This case study focuses on the Danjiang River basin, a critical water source for China's South-to-North Water Division and demonstrates the efficiency of ArcGIS's spatial statistical analysis methods in discovering the hidden spatial pattern of ANPS and extracting the causes associated with the spatial pattern, as well as the accuracy of identifying critical source areas of ANPS. In this study, two spatial statistical analysis methods, Anselin local Moran's I and hot-spot analysis (Getis–Ord Gi*), are applied to propose a method for accurately identifying critical source areas of ANPS based on the spatial distribution of ANPS loads. The results of the study are as follows: (1) based on the MIKE LOAD model, the annual ANPS loads of chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen (NH4), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) in the Danhan River basin are calculated as 182,530.15, 16,137.39, 58,285.92, and 2,962.84 t/yr , respectively. (2) Clusters are mainly distributed in the southwestern part of the watershed, and the spatial pattern is directly related to land use and rural population; the spatial pattern of outliers is related to agricultural modes and geographical characteristics. (3) Hot spot clusters are concentrated in the hinterland of Hanzhong Plain; the regional specialty of agriculture is the dominant factor in determining the spatial pattern of cold-spot and hot-spot clusters. (4) Based on these findings, seven critical subbasins and one critical source area of ANPS that need to be prioritized for control in the study area are identified. Agricultural nonpoint source pollution (ANPS) is a significant cause of ecosystem pollution, which directly threatens the sustainable development of agriculture, human health, and safety. The Dan–Han River Basin is a crucial water source in China for the South-to-North Water Diversion Project and provides water to 140 million people. It is essential to ensure that the water quality of the Dan-Han River remains unpolluted. The ANPS as a major source of water pollution in the watershed is difficult to identify and control. Accurately identifying the sources and spatial distribution patterns of ANPS pollutants is a prerequisite for maintaining water quality and controlling ANPS. Our study offers a new perspective on methods to reveal the hidden spatial pattern and identify critical source areas of ANPS in watersheds. This research demonstrates the effectiveness of ArcGIS's spatial statistical analysis methods in discovering the hidden spatial pattern of ANPS, extracting the causes associated with the spatial pattern, and accurately identifying critical source areas of ANPS. These methods can also be applied to study nonpoint source pollution in other watersheds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indoline‐fused polycyclic scaffolds are virtually universal in biological and pharmaceutical. Here we demonstrate a facile electrooxidative cascade cyclization for indoline‐based derivatives, employing amidyl radicals with ynones under mild conditions. The efficient method enables the formation of two new C−N and C−C bonds in a single step with high regioselectivity. Various indoline‐based tetracyclic 6/5/6/6 skeletons can be achieved through a biscyclization/dehydrogenation cascade process. Additionally, this electrochemical strategy proceeds in a sustainable metal‐ and oxidant‐free condition, with H2 being the solely byproduct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen as a sustainable and clean energy source has been widely noticed, but it is urgent to find an efficient and stable electrocatalyst to increase its hydrogen production. For the catalytic performance of electrocatalysts, defects, doping, and stress are usually selected to enhance the catalytic performance, on the basis of which in this paper, MSi 2 N 4 (M = Mo, W) system containing vacancies and bimetallic doping was constructed and analyzed for its HER performance. The results show that the formation energy of all structures is stable and Ni doping can significantly improve the stability according to formation energy of the structures with vacancy. Both ipsilateral doping and contralateral doping can significantly improve the Gibbs free energy of MA 2 Z 4 materials, especially the MoSi 2 N 4 doped with double Co. In particular, the values of Gibbs free energy of C-Ni-V N @MoSi 2 N 4 -N in and C-Co-V N @WSi 2 N 4 -N in are −0.027 eV and 0.041 eV, significantly better than the performance of the recognized electrocatalyst Pt, which has a free energy of only 0.09 eV. After doped with transition metallic atoms, the energy bands of all materials present semiconductor property. Our work provides a novel method for the regulation of MA 2 Z 4 family materials and a theoretical strategy for designing efficient HER electrocatalysts. • Screening of bimetal-doped MA 2 Z 4 with defective structures for HER catalytic activity. • The HER performance of the ipsilateral doping is better than that of the contralateral doping. • The vacancies can significantly improve the formation energy of Ni doped materials. • The MoSi 2 N 4 defect structure doped with double Co has a near-zero ΔG H. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goose astrovirus genotype 1 (GAstV-1) has emerged in goose farms in some provinces of China in recent years and is considered to be one of the pathogens of gout in goslings in China. However, few studies have been conducted on the dynamic distribution, tissue tropism, and pathogenesis of GAstV-1 in goslings. In 2022, an epidemiological investigation of goose astrovirus (GAstV) in goslings was conducted in seven provinces of China. During the investigation, a GAstV-1 designated as GAstV-JSXZ was identified in the kidney of an 8-day-old gosling and was successfully isolated from a goose embryo. The full genome sequence of GAstV-JSXZ was determined using the next-generation sequencing technique. The complete genome of GAstV-JSXZ was 7299-nt-long. Interestingly, the phylogenetic analysis revealed that Chinese GAstV-1 has formed two distinct subgroups based on the ORF 2 genomes, designated GAstV-1 1a and GAstV-1 1b. The GAstV-JSXZ shared the highest identity with GAstV-1 1a strain FLX and TZ03 in nucleotides (ORF1a: 98.3–98.4%; ORF1b: 92.3–99.1%; ORF2: 95.8–98.8%) and amino acid sequences (ORF1a: 99.4–99.5%; ORF1b: 98.2–98.8%; ORF2: 97.0–99.4%). To evaluate the pathogenicity of GAstV-1, 1-day-old goslings were inoculated with the virus by oral and subcutaneous injection routes, respectively. The results revealed that the virus causes extensive pathological organ damage, especially in the kidney, liver, and thymus. Virus-specific genomic RNA could be detected in the cloacal swabs and tissues of infected goslings throughout the experiment. The viral copy numbers examined in the kidney and intestine were the highest, followed by the liver and spleen. These results are likely to provide a new understanding of the pathogenicity of GAstV-1 in geese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I theoretically construct a kind of new angular momentum coherent states by virtue of the nonlinear Bose SU(2) generators, and investigate their nonclassicality by analyzing the sub-Poissonian distributions, photon number distributions, entanglement entropy and Wigner phase-space distributions. The results show that the new states always have the sub-Poissonian distributions for all of the photon number sum na+nb=q of two modes, the photon number distributions are subjected to the parameter q, and the entanglement always increases quickly and then decreases slowly with increasing ς, and the new states for odd q possess more stronger nonclassicality than for even q. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular death, overall mortality and heart failure in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The present study investigated the additive effects of paroxysmal AF on left ventricular (LV) function and deformation in T2DM patients with or without AF using the cardiovascular magnetic resonance feature tracking (CMR-FT) technique. Methods: The present study encompassed 225 T2DM patients differentiated by the presence or absence of paroxysmal AF [T2DM(AF+) and T2DM(AF−), respectively], along with 75 age and sex matched controls, all of whom underwent CMR examination. LV function and global strains, including radial, circumferential and longitudinal peak strain (PS), as well as peak systolic and diastolic strain rates (PSSR and PDSR, respectively), were measured and compared among the groups. Multivariable linear regression analysis was used to examine the factors associated with LV global strains in patients with T2DM. Results: The T2DM(AF+) group was the oldest, had the highest LV end‑systolic volume index, lowest LV ejection fraction and estimated glomerular filtration rate compared to the control and T2DM(AF−) groups, and presented a shorter diabetes duration and lower HbA1c than the T2DM(AF−) group. LV PS-radial, PS-longitudinal and PDSR-radial declined successively from controls through the T2DM(AF−) group to the T2DM(AF+) group (all p < 0.001). Compared to the control group, LV PS-circumferential, PSSR-radial and PDSR-circumferential were decreased in the T2DM(AF+) group (all p < 0.001) but preserved in the T2DM(AF−) group. Among all clinical indices, AF was independently associated with worsening LV PS-longitudinal (β = 2.218, p < 0.001), PS-circumferential (β = 3.948, p < 0.001), PS-radial (β = − 8.40, p < 0.001), PSSR-radial and -circumferential (β = − 0.345 and 0.101, p = 0.002 and 0.014, respectively), PDSR-radial and -circumferential (β = 0.359 and − 0.14, p = 0.022 and 0.003, respectively). Conclusions: In patients with T2DM, the presence of paroxysmal AF further exacerbates LV function and deformation. Proactive prevention, regular detection and early intervention of AF could potentially benefit T2DM patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The correlation between the change in foveal thickness measured using optical coherence tomography (OCT) following surgery for infectious endophthalmitis and preoperative and postoperative visual acuity is uncertain, and there are few pertinent studies on this topic. OBJECTIVE: We explored the variations in macular thickness using OCT after emergency vitrectomy for post-cataract infectious endophthalmitis and the relationship between macular thickness with changes in visual function. METHODS: We included 10 cases of post-cataract infectious endophthalmitis. Each patient underwent 25-G vitrectomy. RESULTS: The infection in all 10 patients was under control and visual function improved. Postoperative vitreous humor culture was positive in 8 patients, including 7 cases of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus epidermidis and 1 case of Lactobacillus acidophilus. The average age of these 10 patients was 71.60 ± 8.71 years (P < 0.05, two-tailed). There was no significant correlation between time 2 (the time of onset after cataract surgery) and visual prognosis. The average time 1 (the time of the vitrification surgery caused by the onset of the disease) was 1.45 ± 0.76 days (P < 0.05, two-tailed). The postoperative 3dVA ranged from 0.20 to 3.00, with an average visual acuity of 1.87 ± 1.12, which was superior to the preoperative value (P < 0.01, two-tailed). The correlation between the post3dVA and post 1mVA was significant. The post 1mVA ranged from 0.05 to 2.20, with an average visual acuity of 0.94 ± 0.74 (P < 0.05, two-tailed). The correlation between post 1mVA and post3mVA was significant. Also, paired t -tests comparing preoperative and postoperative visual acuity revealed a significant correlation (P < 0.05, two-tailed). The post3mVA was 0–1.00 with an average visual acuity of 0.44 ± 0.41. The postoperative foveal thickness ranged from 176.00 to 514.00 μ m, with an average thickness of 281.10 ± 113.12 μ m. CONCLUSION: Emergency 25-G minimally invasive vitrectomy can improve visual acuity and decrease the reoperation rate for patients who have acquired post-cataract infectious endophthalmitis. There were significant correlations between age, disease onset to operation time, preoperative and postoperative visual acuity, and postoperative macular thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significance: Diabetes can lead to the glycation of proteins and dysfunction of skin collagen. Skin lesions are a prevalent clinical symptom of diabetes mellitus (DM). Early diagnosis and assessing the efficacy of treatment for DM are crucial for patient health management. However, performing a non-invasive skin assessment in the early stages of DM is challenging. Aim: By using the polarization-sensitive optical coherent tomography (PS-OCT) imaging technique, it is possible to noninvasively assess the skin changes caused by diabetes. Approach: The PS-OCT was used to monitor the polarization characteristics of mouse skin at different stages of diabetes. Results: Based on a multi-layered adhesive tape model, we found that the polarization characteristics (retardation, optic axis, and polarization uniformity) were sensitive to the microstructure changes in the samples. Through this method, we observed significant changes in the polarization states of the skin as diabetes progressed. This was in line with the detected microstructure changes in skin collagen fibers using scanning electron microscopy. Conclusions: This study presents a highly useful approach for non-invasive skin assessment of diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to clarify the impact mechanism of shallow buried soft rock tunnel excavation on the upper existing highway, as well as the mechanism of pipe shed reinforcement, a combination of theoretical analysis and on-site monitoring was used to conduct in-depth research on the Diantou Tunnel Crossing the existing highway project of Dayong Expressway. The impact of shallow buried soft rock tunnel crossing construction on the existing highway and safety control issues were studied, a new deformation control index, namely deformation difference rate, was introduced. The results show that the main lateral area of influence of rock deformation is within a distance of one diameter, and the overall area of influence is within a distance of twice the diameter. From the perspective of axial tunnel deformation, the deformation of surrounding rock tends to be stable when the excavation face passes through the monitoring section about twice the tunnel diameter. Effectively controlling rock deformation depends on the total amount of settlement deformation, the change rate of deformation, and the difference rate of deformation. For V-class shallow buried tunnel surrounding rock, in order to prevent cracks on the surface, the cumulative deformation of the surrounding rock needs to be less than 50 mm, the change rate needs to be less than 3 mm/day, and the difference rate needs to be less than 5 mm/m. Finally, the proposed control standard for surface subsidence is given for similar engineering reference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The main subtypes of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs)--polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM)--are often presented as interstitial lung disease (ILD) in clinical practice; therefore, many researchers have combined the three studies into PM/DM with ILD. Methods: Using bibliometrics, the research status, progress, and hotspots of PM/DM with ILD between 2000 and 2022 were studied. Literature data on PM/DM with ILD were retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) database for the research period. Visualization software, including VOSviewer, Pajek, CiteSpace, and Scimago Graphica were used for bibliometric analysis. Results: A total of 1555 relevant articles were obtained, and the overall research in this field showed an increasing trend. Regarding contributing countries and venues, Japan published the most articles while Rheumatology was the most prolific journal. Regarding authors, the most published article was by Wang Guochun from Changchun University of Technology in China. Keyword analysis and cocited literature cluster analysis showed that diagnosis, classification, autoantibodies, antibodies, prognosis, complications, and treatment of PM/DM with ILD have been hot topics in this field recently. Moreover, our study shows that anti-mda5 antibody, mortality, gene 5 antibody, IIMs, double-blind, and prognostic factors, among others, may be new hot topics. Conclusion: This study found that research on PM/DM with ILD has increased over time, and scholars are paying more attention to this field. The development of new drugs for the management, treatment, and prevention of PM/DM with ILD is the primary task of researchers and a direction for future research in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The development of left ventricular (LV) remodeling has been associated with an increased cardiovascular risk and cardiogenic death, and different patterns of remodeling result in varying levels of prognosis. Objective: To investigate the association between different patterns of LV remodeling and clinical outcomes in the preclinical stage of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Materials and methods: A total of 148 patients with DMD and 43 sex- and age-matched healthy participants were enrolled. We used the four-quadrant analysis method to investigate LV remodeling based on cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Kaplan-Meier curves were generated to illustrate the event-free survival probability stratified by the LV remodeling pattern. Cox regression models were constructed and compared to evaluate the incremental predictive value of the LV remodeling pattern. Results: During the median follow-up period of 2.2 years, all-cause death, cardiomyopathy, and ventricular arrhythmia occurred in 5, 35, and 7 patients, respectively. LV concentric hypertrophy (hazard ratio 2.91, 95% confidence interval 1.47–5.75, P=0.002) was an independent predictor of composite endpoint events. Compared to the model without LV concentric hypertrophy, the model with LV concentric hypertrophy had significant incremental predictive value (chi-square value 33.5 vs. 25.2, P=0.004). Conclusion: Age and late gadolinium enhancement positivity were positively correlated with clinical outcomes according to the prediction models. LV concentric hypertrophy was also an independent predictor for risk stratification and provided incremental value for predicting clinical outcomes in the preclinical stage of patients with DMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Microvascular pathology is one of the main characteristics of diabetic cardiomyopathy; however, the early longitudinal course of diabetic microvascular dysfunction remains uncertain. This study aimed to investigate the early dynamic changes in left ventricular (LV) microvascular function in diabetic pig model using the cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR)-derived quantitative perfusion technique. Methods: Twelve pigs with streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus (DM) were included in this study, and longitudinal CMR scanning was performed before and 2, 6, 10, and 16 months after diabetic modeling. CMR-derived semiquantitative parameters (upslope, maximal signal intensity, perfusion index, and myocardial perfusion reserve index [MPRI]) and fully quantitative perfusion parameters (myocardial blood flow [MBF] and myocardial perfusion reserve [MPR]) were analyzed to evaluate longitudinal changes in LV myocardial microvascular function. Pearson correlation was used to analyze the relationship between LV structure and function and myocardial perfusion function. Results: With the progression of DM duration, the upslope at rest showed a gradually increasing trend (P = 0.029); however, the upslope at stress and MBF did not change significantly (P > 0.05). Regarding perfusion reserve function, both MPRI and MPR showed a decreasing trend with the progression of disease duration (MPRI, P = 0.001; MPR, P = 0.042), with high consistency (r = 0.551, P < 0.001). Furthermore, LV MPR is moderately associated with LV longitudinal strain (r = − 0.353, P = 0.022), LV remodeling index (r = − 0.312, P = 0.033), fasting blood glucose (r = − 0.313, P = 0.043), and HbA1c (r = − 0.309, P = 0.046). Microscopically, pathological results showed that collagen volume fraction increased gradually, whereas no significant decrease in microvascular density was observed with the progression of DM duration. Conclusions: Myocardial microvascular reserve function decreased gradually in the early stage of DM, which is related to both structural (but not reduced microvascular density) and functional abnormalities of microvessels, and is associated with increased blood glucose, reduced LV deformation, and myocardial remodeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an interesting photocatalytic material, black TiO2 has high research and application value. Some desirable adsorption and photocatalytic composites will be fabricated in combination black TiO2 with montmorillonite (MMT). In this paper, nano-structures of TiO2/MMTs were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, Raman, XPS, PL and UV–Vis DRS. It can be concluded that the existence of MMT delays the crystal transformation of TiO2. New Ti–O–Si bonds, oxygen vacancy clustering and minimal Ti (III) contents were emerged and intensified in black TiO2/MMT. These special structures are helpful to preventing the recombination of electrons and holes which were used to degrade the dye molecules. The photocatalytic performance was determined by the decolorization ratio of two kinds of dyes under sunlight or indoor visible light. The degradation efficiencies of rhodamine B (Rh B) and methyl orange (MO) can reach 78.7% and 53.2%, respectively, after illuminated for 140 min under sunlight. The assessment of radical scavengers shows that the main functional radicals in the degradation of Rh B and MO were ·O2− and ·OH, respectively. These new catalysts have wide range of utilization in the degradation of phenols, aromatics, pesticides and antibiotics compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poultry production in China has been experiencing a high incidence of broiler arthritis /tenosynovitis caused by avian orthoreovirus (ARV) since 2013. In the spring of 2020 severe arthritis cases from broiler flocks were identified in a large-scale commercial poultry company in Anhui Province, China. Diseased organs from dead birds were sent for diagnosis to our laboratory. ARVs, including seven broiler-isolates and two breeder-isolates, were successfully harvested and sequenced. Interestingly, the genotypes of ARVs isolated from infected chickens were inconsistent between different flocks, or even between different houses on the same flocks. Pathogenicity testing in chicks confirmed that the seven broiler-isolates were pathogenic strains, which could cause arthritis in infected chickens. Subsequently, a total of 89.66% serum samples collected from apparently healthy adult broiler flocks not vaccinated against ARV tested positive for ARV antibodies, suggesting that low and high virulence reovirus strains may be co-circulating in the farm. To this end, we collected dead embryos of unhatched chicken eggs for pathogen tracing, and the two ARV breeder-isolates isolated indicated that vertical transmission from breeders to progeny should not be underestimated for the prevalence of ARV within broiler flocks. The findings have implications for the evidenced-based formulation of prevention and control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: MicroRNAs (miRs) are involved in endogenous neurogenesis, enhancing of which has been regarded as a potential therapeutic strategy for ischemic stroke treatment; however, whether miR‐199a‐5p mediates postischemic neurogenesis remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the proneurogenesis effects of miR‐199a‐5p and its possible mechanism after ischemic stroke. Methods: Neural stem cells (NSCs) were transfected using Lipofectamine 3000 reagent, and the differentiation of NSCs was evaluated by immunofluorescence and Western blotting. Dual‐luciferase reporter assay was performed to verify the target gene of miR‐199a‐5p. MiR‐199a‐5p agomir/antagomir were injected intracerebroventricularly. The sensorimotor functions were evaluated by neurobehavioral tests, infarct volume was measured by toluidine blue staining, neurogenesis was detected by immunofluorescence assay, and the protein levels of neuronal nuclei (NeuN), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), caveolin‐1 (Cav‐1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were measured by Western blotting. Results: MiR‐199a‐5p mimic enhanced neuronal differentiation and inhibited astrocyte differentiation of NSCs, while a miR‐199a‐5p inhibitor induced the opposite effects, which can be reversed by Cav‐1 siRNA. Cav‐1 was through the dual‐luciferase reporter assay confirmed as a target gene of miR‐199a‐5p. miR‐199a‐5p agomir in rat stroke models manifested multiple benefits, such as improving neurological deficits, reducing infarct volume, promoting neurogenesis, inhibiting Cav‐1, and increasing VEGF and BDNF, which was reversed by the miR‐199a‐5p antagomir. Conclusion: MiR‐199a‐5p may target and inhibit Cav‐1 to enhance neurogenesis and thus promote functional recovery after cerebral ischemia. These findings indicate that miR‐199a‐5p is a promising target for the treatment of ischemic stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A topological space X is monotonically star countable if for every open cover u of X we can assign a subspace s(u) ⊆ X, called the kernel, such that s(u) is a countable subset of X, and st(s(u), u) = X, and if V refines u, then s(u) ⊆ s(V), where st(s(u), u) = S {u ∈ u : u ∩ s(u) ≠ ∅}. In this paper we study the relation between monotonically star countable spaces and related spaces, and we also study topological properties of monotonically star countable spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message : The extensive application of CRISPR in cotton was limited due to the labor-intensive transformation process. Thus, we here established a convenient method of CRISPR in cotton by CLCrV-mediated sgRNA delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have rarely reported on preoperative predictors of prognosis of patients undergoing liver resection (LR) for HCC ≥10 cm. We developed a simple model to predict overall survival (OS) of these patients. We enrolled 305 patients with HCC ≥10 cm undergoing LR. Cirrhosis and imaging-defined AJCC stage were used to develop a preoperative model. Patients were divided into three groups based on the Kaplan–Meier estimator. Group 1 included patients with AJCC stage 1 and no cirrhosis (n = 86), group 2 those with AJCC stage 1 and cirrhosis plus those with AJCC stage 2 or 3 and no cirrhosis (n = 166), and group 3 those with AJCC stage 2 or 3 and cirrhosis (n = 51). The five-year OS of group 1, 2, and 3 was 55%, 32%, and 25%, respectively (p < 0.001). With group 1 as the reference, multivariate analysis of OS showed that group 2 (HR = 2.043; 95% CI = 1.332–3.134; p = 0.001) and group 3 (HR = 2.740; 95% CI = 1.645–4.564; p < 0.001) were independent predictors of OS. We developed a simple model to predict OS of patients undergoing LR for HCC ≥10 cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we examine the theoretical performance of perturbed-chain statistical associating fluid theory based density functional theory (DFT) in predicting gas adsorption and separation in metal–organic frameworks by using simulation and experimental data as the benchmark. Adsorption isotherms of methane and ethane in pure gas and mixtures and selectivities for ethane/methane mixtures are calculated. The predicted isotherms by DFT are in excellent agreement with simulation and experimental data for pure methane and ethane, whereas for the mixture, DFT is in semi-quantitative accordance with simulation results. For fast and high-throughput screening of material purpose, three algorithms including Picard iteration with line search, Anderson mixing, and Picard–Anderson-hybrid algorithm are proposed to calculate the three dimensional density distribution of confined gases. The advantages and limitations of the three algorithms under various conditions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We applied a fully automated pixel-wise post-processing framework to evaluate fully quantitative cardiovascular magnetic resonance myocardial perfusion imaging (CMR-MPI). In addition, we aimed to evaluate the additive value of coronary magnetic resonance angiography (CMRA) to the diagnostic performance of fully automated pixel-wise quantitative CMR-MPI for detecting hemodynamically significant coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: A total of 109 patients with suspected CAD were prospectively enrolled and underwent stress and rest CMR-MPI, CMRA, invasive coronary angiography (ICA), and fractional flow reserve (FFR). CMRA was acquired between stress and rest CMR-MPI acquisition, without any additional contrast agent. Finally, CMR-MPI quantification was analyzed by a fully automated pixel-wise post-processing framework. Results: Of the 109 patients, 42 patients had hemodynamically significant CAD (FFR ≤ 0.80 or luminal stenosis ≥ 90% on ICA) and 67 patients had hemodynamically non-significant CAD (FFR ˃ 0.80 or luminal stenosis < 30% on ICA) were enrolled. On the per-territory analysis, patients with hemodynamically significant CAD had higher myocardial blood flow (MBF) at rest, lower MBF under stress, and lower myocardial perfusion reserve (MPR) than patients with hemodynamically non-significant CAD (p < 0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of MPR (0.93) was significantly larger than those of stress and rest MBF, visual assessment of CMR-MPI, and CMRA (p < 0.05), but similar to that of the integration of CMR-MPI with CMRA (0.90). Conclusions: Fully automated pixel-wise quantitative CMR-MPI can accurately detect hemodynamically significant CAD, but the integration of CMRA obtained between stress and rest CMR-MPI acquisition did not provide significantly additive value. Key Points: • Full quantification of stress and rest cardiovascular magnetic resonance myocardial perfusion imaging can be postprocessed fully automatically, generating pixel-wise myocardial blood flow (MBF) and myocardial perfusion reserve (MPR) maps. • Fully quantitative MPR provided higher diagnostic performance for detecting hemodynamically significant coronary artery disease, compared with stress and rest MBF, qualitative assessment, and coronary magnetic resonance angiography (CMRA). • The integration of CMRA and MPR did not significantly improve the diagnostic performance of MPR alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the background of the continuous impact of new media, with the deepening of art education reform, more creative teaching thinking and teaching methods are integrated into the art design education classroom in universities. In the continuous progress of art design major, how to change the traditional art education classroom and make the teaching more innovative has become one of the research contents that the teaching workers focus on. Therefore, in order to export interdisciplinary talents to the society, it is an inevitable trend for universities to act interdisciplinary teaching and learning mode in combination with the background of new engineering and the widely used STEAM concept. This paper analyzes the teaching mode of art design major in higher education, and then analyzes the current situation of engineering practice courses in universities. According to the characteristics of art students and engineering students, it explores the interdisciplinary teaching mode of introducing art design elements into engineering practice courses, which can provide the orderly development of art education with reference in universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goose astrovirus 2 (GAstV-2) causes visceral gout in goslings and has resulted in significant economic losses in the goose industry of China since its outbreak in 2017. To further investigate the distribution and localization of GAstV-2 in different tissues at different times, a monoclonal antibody (mAb)-based immunohistochemical (IHC) assay was developed to detect GAstV-2. A total of 80 1-day-old healthy goslings were inoculated with GAstV-2 via the oral (n = 40) and intramuscular routes (n = 40). GAstV-2 in the tissues of interest was detected using the established IHC assay. The results showed that positive signals were detected in most tissues at 1 day post-infection (dpi). Viral antigens were mainly distributed in the cytoplasm, and the staining intensity was higher in the renal tubular epithelial cells than in other cells. Taken together, our data demonstrated that GAstV-2 has a broad tissue tropism and primarily targets the kidneys. These results are likely to provide a scientific basis for further elucidation of the pathogenesis of GAstV-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Minerals have crucial biological functions in metabolism and are primarily obtained through diet. As a result, various dietary patterns can impact blood mineral levels. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between dietary patterns and the concentration of calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and copper in the bloodstream. Methods: Three hundred eighty healthy children (53.7% male) were recruited in a region of Hunan Province in September 2019. We gathered basic information and measured physical proportions, along with completing a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Using principal component analysis (PCA), we determined dietary patterns. To analyze mineral levels in the blood, we used flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). We utilized linear regression models to investigate if certain dietary patterns are related to mineral concentration. Results: Three dietary patterns were identified: 'Vegetables/Nuts,' 'Snacks/Beverages,' and 'Cereal/Beans.' Children from high-income families (annual average income > 50,000 yuan) prefer the 'Vegetables/Nuts' dietary pattern (P = 0.004). In comparison, those from low-income families (annual average income < 20,000 yuan) prefer the 'Snacks/Beverages' dietary pattern (P = 0.03). Following adjustment for age, gender, guardian's identity, education level, and annual household income. We found that an increase in the 'Vegetables/Nuts' pattern score (β = 0.153, CI: 0.053 ~ 0.253; P = 0.003) and 'Snacks/Beverages' pattern score (β = 0.103, CI: 0.002 ~ 0.204; P = 0.033) were significantly associated blood copper concentration. Conclusions: Household income was found to be associated with dietary behavior. Furthermore, higher blood copper concentration was significantly correlated with the 'Vegetables/Nuts' dietary pattern and 'Snacks/Beverages' dietary pattern, but the correlation is extremely low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To deeply understand the effects of support properties on the performance of Mo-based slurry-phase hydrocracking catalysts, four Mo-based catalysts supported on amorphous silica alumina (ASA), γ-Al2O3, ultra-stable Y (USY) zeolite and SiO2 were prepared by the incipient wetness impregnation method, respectively, and their catalytic performances were compared in the vacuum residue (VR) hydrocracking process. It is found that the Mo/ASA catalyst exhibits the highest VR conversion among the different catalysts, indicating that both the appropriate amount of acid sites, especially B acid sites and larger mesoporous volume of ASA can enhance the VR hydrocracking into light distillates. Furthermore, Mo catalysts supported on the different supports show quite different product distributions in VR hydrocracking. The Mo/ASA catalyst provides higher yields of naphtha and middle distillates and lower yields of gas and coke compared with other catalysts, it is attributed to the highest MoS2 slab dispersion, the highest sulfuration degree of Mo species, and the most Mo atoms located at the edge sites for the Mo/ASA catalyst, as observed by HRTEM and XPS analyses. These features of Mo/ASA are beneficial for the hydrogenation of intermediate products and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to restrict the gas and coke formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malignant hyperthermia susceptibility (MHS) is an autosomal dominant pharmacogenetic disorder that manifests as a hypermetabolic state when carriers are exposed to halogenated volatile anesthetics or depolarizing muscle relaxants. In animals, heat stress intolerance is also observed. MHS is linked to over 40 variants in RYR1 that are classified as pathogenic for diagnostic purposes. More recently, a few rare variants linked to the MHS phenotype have been reported in CACNA1S, which encodes the voltage-activated Ca2+ channel CaV1.1 that conformationally couples to RyR1 in skeletal muscle. Here, we describe a knock-in mouse line that expresses one of these putative variants, CaV1.1-R174W. Heterozygous (HET) and homozygous (HOM) CaV1.1-R174W mice survive to adulthood without overt phenotype but fail to trigger with fulminant malignant hyperthermia when exposed to halothane or moderate heat stress. All three genotypes (WT, HET, and HOM) express similar levels of CaV1.1 by quantitative PCR, Western blot, [3 H]PN200-110 receptor binding and immobilizationresistant charge movement densities in flexor digitorum brevis fibers. Although HOM fibers have negligible CaV1.1 current amplitudes, HET fibers have similar amplitudes to WT, suggesting a preferential accumulation of the CaV1.1-WT protein at triad junctions in HET animals. Never-the-less both HET and HOM have slightly elevated resting free Ca2+ and Na+ measured with double barreled microelectrode in vastus lateralis that is disproportional to upregulation of transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) 3 and TRPC6 in skeletal muscle. CaV1.1- R174W and upregulation of TRPC3/6 alone are insufficient to trigger fulminant malignant hyperthermia response to halothane and/or heat stress in HET and HOM mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crystalline borates have received great attention due to their various structures and wide applications. For a long time, the corner-sharing B–O unit is considered a basic rule in borate structural chemistry. The Dy4B6O15 synthesized under high-pressure is the first oxoborate with edge-sharing [BO4] tetrahedra, while the KZnB3O6 is the first ambient pressure borate with the edge-sharing [BO4] tetrahedra. The edge-sharing connection modes greatly enrich the structural chemistry of borates and are expected to expand new applications in the future. In this review, we summarize the recent progress in crystalline borates with edge-sharing [BO4] tetrahedra. We discuss the synthesis, fundamental building blocks, structural features, and possible applications of these edge-sharing borates. Finally, we also discuss the future perspectives in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As improving low-performing schools has become a critical strategy to achieve educational equity in China, local educational departments have implemented various school collaboration programs. Drawing on international literature and empirical data from in-depth interviews and policy documents in two Chinese urban districts, this multiple-case qualitative study examines local educational departments' roles in the school collaboration implementation. Our analysis shows that both local educational departments set clear district-wide expectations of school collaborations. While various strategies were implemented to improve low-performing schools, limited opportunities were provided for school-based educators to contribute to decision-making processes. Both districts relied more on structural changes to create conditions to improve teaching and learning, and lacked long-term investments in building professional capacity and fostering data-use cultures. Finally, local educational departments' goals of equity and school improvement were sometimes overshadowed by other political and economic priorities. This study offers new evidence on the leadership roles that local educational departments play in Chinese school reform implementation, thus responding to a scarcity of district-level empirical research in Chinese literature. It also expands the existing international research base that is largely Western-focused and not necessarily applicable to all countries, especially developing countries where school improvement efforts are often situated in conflicting policy systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The wearable device market is growing rapidly, as evidenced by the growth in sales of smartwatches. However, these have a tiny touch screen so users cannot perform complex operations with a smartwatch. Few studies address the user experience of gestures to interact with wearable devices. This study uses a bone-conduction smartwatch to study the user experience of gestures for interaction with a wearable device in terms of four dimensions: pragmatic quality, hedonic quality–identification and hedonic quality–stimulation and attractiveness. Task loads ae also evaluated for further analysis of the user experience This study determines the relationship between these factors to determine the effect of using hand gestures to interact with wearable devices.The results of this study show that all of the users easily accept gesture interaction with wearable devices. Pragmatic quality, hedonic quality–identification and hedonic quality–stimulation are positively associated with attractiveness. A higher level of attractiveness reduces the perceived task load. Attractiveness has a significant positive effect on performance and task load has a significant negative effect on performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) generally shows low or undetectable expression in most normal tissues but is highly expressed in fibroblasts in almost all carcinomas. FAP is one of the potential molecules to detect activated fibroblasts and has multiple roles in tumour progression. We generated transgenic mice that specifically expressed tdTomato along with FAP promoter activity. Coculturing a mouse gastric cancer cell line and FAP‐tdTomato transgenic mouse‐derived fibroblasts showed that tdTomato expression was elevated in the cocultured fibroblasts. Moreover, stomach wall transplanted tumours in mice also showed FAP‐tdTomato expression in fibroblasts of the stomach and each metastatic legion. These results indicated that FAP‐tdTomato expression in fibroblasts was elevated by stimulation through the interaction with cancer cells. Functionally, collagen production was increased in FAP/tdTomato‐positive fibroblasts cocultured with mouse cancer cells. These FAP‐tdTomato transgenic mice have the potential to be used to investigate real‐time FAP dynamics and the importance of FAP expression in tumour development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Watch a video of this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goose astrovirus genotype 2 (GoAstV2), as a contagious pathogen of fatal visceral gout in goslings, has been widely distributed in major goose-producing regions in China since 2017, leading to significant economic losses to the Chinese goose industry. In this study, a novel goose astrovirus (GoAstV-SDHZ) was isolated and identified from laying hens with nephritis for the first time. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequenced genome of ORF2 gene revealed that the GoAstV-SDHZ strain clustered into Group 2 GoAstVs and shared the highest identity with the other representative GoAstV2 in the nucleotide (ORF1a: 97.2–99.7%; ORF1b: 98.4–99.8%; ORF2: 97.2–99.9%) and amino acid sequence (ORF1a: 98.2–100%; ORF1b: 98.8–99.6%; ORF2: 97.4–99.6%). In summary, this study provides the first evidence of the GoAstV2 infection in Chinese laying hens, which raises potential threat to the poultry industry in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spectral variation accompanied by flux variability is a commonly observed phenomenon for blazars. In order to investigate the optical spectral feature of blazars further, we collected the long-term optical V- and R -band data of 27 blazars (14 BL Lacaerte objects, BL Lacs, and 13 flat-spectrum radio quasars, FSRQs) and calculated their optical spectral indices. The results show that the spectral indices vary with respect to brightness for all of these blazars. In general, the optical spectrum progressively becomes flatter (or steeper), when the brightness increases. However the spectrum changes more and more slowly, until it tends to stability. In other words, the source becomes bluer (or redder) and then gradually stabilizes when it brightens, behaviours that are referred to as bluer-stable-when-brighter (BSWB) and redder-stable-when-brighter (RSWB), respectively. A total of 13 of the 14 BL Lacs show the BSWB behaviour, the exception being AO 0235+164. In contrast, most of the FSRQs (10 out of 13) exhibit the RSWB trend. It is confirmed that blazars follow the two universal optical spectral behaviours, namely BSWB and RSWB. The model of two constant-spectral-index components can explain the optical spectral features well both qualitatively and quantitatively. The results illustrate that the optical emission is composed mainly of two stable-colour components, namely less variable thermal emission and highly variable synchrotron radiation. Furthermore, in most cases, the thermal component of BL Lacs is redder than that of synchrotron radiation, whereas the opposite is true for FSRQs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The food safety issues caused by microorganisms are a great threat to human life and society. However, most edible packaging films are insufficient to meet antimicrobial applications. Thus, recent research has been focused on the combination of various antimicrobial agents with edible films. Herein, antioxidant and antibacterial starch-based edible films with different concentrations of eugenol/gelatin microspheres were developed. Gelatin microspheres were introduced as the carriers for eugenol to improve its compatibility in the composite films. The optimum composite films presented a compact and uniform structure with low water vapor permeability and low solubility. The tensile strength of the composite film reached 31.87 MPa with 2.14% elongation at break. The eugenol conferred edible films with effective antioxidant and antibacterial activities against E. coli and S. aureus. The apple cubes wrapped by the prepared films can be stored at room temperature at 50% humidity for 7 days. The fabricated composite films show promising practical applications in food packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supersonic boundary layer transition induced by a streamwise vortex is experimentally investigated based on the nanoparticle-based planar laser scattering technology, with an inflow Mach number of 2.7 and a unit Reynolds number of 8.79 × 106 m−1. Though the vortex is outside the boundary layer, it results in obvious difference of transition position along spanwise direction. On the up-wash side, transition to turbulence is completed in advance compared to the vortex-free case, and transition position moves more upstream as the vortex approaches the wall. Conversely, the transition process on down-wash side is inhibited. The promotion and inhibition effects on transition are found to be induced by the influence of vortex on streak density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim of the Review. This study aims to summarize the therapeutic effect of luteolin on the pathogenesis of viral pneumonia, explore its absorption and metabolism in the human body, evaluate the possibility of luteolin as a drug to treat viral pneumonia, and provide a reference for future research. Materials and Methods. We searched MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Google Scholar and collected research on luteolin in the treatment of viral pneumonia and related diseases since 2003. Then, we summarized the efficacy and potential of luteolin in directly inhibiting viral activity, limiting inflammatory storms, reducing pulmonary inflammation, and treating pneumonia complications. Results and Conclusion. Luteolin has the potential to treat viral pneumonia in multiple ways. Luteolin has a direct inhibitory effect on coronavirus, influenza virus, and respiratory syncytial virus. Luteolin can alleviate the inflammatory factor storm induced by multiple factors by inhibiting the function of macrophages or mast cells. Luteolin can reduce pulmonary inflammation, pulmonary edema, or pulmonary fibrosis induced by multiple factors. In addition, viral pneumonia may cause multisystem complications, while luteolin has extensive protective effects on the gastrointestinal system, cardiovascular system, and nervous system. However, due to the first-pass metabolism mediated by phase II enzymes, the bioavailability of oral luteolin is low. The bioavailability of luteolin can be improved, and its potential value can be further developed by changing the dosage form or route of administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/objective: To determine the impact of microvascular invasion (MVI) on outcome in patients with solitary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) of ≤ 2 cm undergoing liver resection (LR). Methods: This retrospective study enrolled consecutive patients between 2007–2019 with newly diagnosed solitary HCC ≤ 2 cm who were undergoing LR at our institution. Overall survival (OS) and recurrent-free survival (RFS) were compared between patients with or without MVI. Results: Of the 229 patients included in this study, 71 had MVI. The median follow-up period was 28.8 months (interquartile range: 13.5–70.1). Although the 90-day mortality rate was 0, 18 deaths occurred during the study, and the 5-year survival rate was 87.1%. Tumor recurrence occurred in 45 cases, and 5-year RFS was 71.9%. The presence or absence of MVI did not significantly affect the OS and RFS rates (log rank test, p = 0.10 and 0.38, respectively). In univariate and multivariate analysis, the presence of MVI was not associated with OS and RFS. Conclusion: The presence of MVI was not associated with OS and RFS in patients with solitary HCC ≤ 2 cm who underwent LR in this cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reveal the microscopic mechanism of synergetic thermal–electrical degradation during a partial discharge process in epoxy insulation materials, the decomposition of crosslinked epoxy resin is investigated using reactive molecular dynamics simulations under high electric field and thermal degradation conditions. Bond-boost acceleration method is employed in reactive molecular dynamics simulations to successfully establish epoxy polymer models with a crosslink degree of 93%. Active molecular species derived from electrical partial discharges are considered in the current work. Small molecule products and decomposition temperature in the degradation process under an electric field are calculated to elucidate the effect of nitric acid and ozone molecules, being the active products generated by electrical partial discharges, on the synergetic thermal–electrical degradation of epoxy resin. Both nitric acid and ozone exacerbate thermal impact decomposition of crosslinked epoxy polymer by decreasing initial decomposition temperature from 1050 K to 940 K and 820 K, respectively. It is found that these active products can oxidize hydroxyl groups and carbon–nitrogen bridge bonds in epoxy molecular chains, leading to the aggravation of epoxy resin decomposition, as manifested by the significant increase in the decomposed molecular products. In contrast, thermal degradation of the epoxy resin without the active species is not expedited by increasing electric field. These strongly oxidative molecules are easily reduced to negative ions and able to obtain kinetic energies from electric field, which result in chemical corrosion and local temperature increase to accelerate decomposition of epoxy insulation materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system has been recommended for prognostic prediction. However, prognosis is variable at different BCLC stages. We aimed to evaluate whether the radiographic tumor burden score (TBS) could be used to stratify prognosis in different BCLC stages. Methods: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients undergoing liver resection (LR) at BCLC-0, -A, or -B stage in our institution in 2007–2018 were divided into derivation and validation cohorts. Overall survival (OS) was analyzed according to the TBS and BCLC stage. TBS cutoff values for OS were determined with X-tile. Results: Of the 749 patients in the derivation cohort, 138 (18.4%) had BCLC-0, 542 (72.3%) BCLC-A, and 69 (9.2%) BCLC-B HCC; 76 (10.1%) had a high TBS (> 7.9), 477 (63.7%) a medium TBS (2.6–7.9), and 196 (26.2%) a low TBS (< 2.6). OS worsened progressively with increasing TBS in the cohort (p < 0.001) and in BCLC-A (p = 0.04) and BCLC-B (p = 0.002) stages. Multivariate analysis showed that the TBS was associated with OS of patients with BCLC-A (medium vs. low TBS: hazard ratio [HR] = 2.390, 95% CI = 1.024–5.581, p = 0.04; high vs. low TBS: HR = 3.885, 95% CI = 1.443–10.456, p = 0.007) and BCLC-B (high vs. medium TBS: HR = 2.542, 95% CI = 1.077–6.002, p = 0.033) HCC. The TBS could also be used to stratify the OS of patients in the validation cohort (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The TBS could be used to stratify the OS of the entire cohort and BCLC stages A and B of HCC patients undergoing LR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been used since 2018. However, whether any significant difference in overall survival (OS) exists between patients with T1a and T1b HCC who undergo resection has been controversial. We aim to clarify this issue. Methods: We consecutively enrolled newly diagnosed HCC patients who underwent liver resection (LR) from 2010 to 2020 at our institution. OS was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method and compared using log-rank tests. Prognostic factors for OS were identified by multivariate analysis. Results: This study enrolled 1250 newly diagnosed HCC patients who underwent LR. No significant differences in OS were identified between patients with T1a and T1b tumors among all patients (p = 0.694), cirrhotic patients (p = 0.753), non-cirrhotic patients (p = 0.146), patients with alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) > 20 ng/ml (p = 0.562), patients with AFP ≤ 20 ng/ml (p = 0.967), patients with Edmondson grade 1 or 2 (p = 0.615), patients with Edmondson grade 3 or 4 (p = 0.825), patients positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg; p = 0.308), in patients positive for anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody (p = 0.781), or patients negative for both HBsAg and anti-HCV antibody (p = 0.125). Using T1a as the reference, multivariate analysis showed that T1b is not a significant predictive factor for OS (hazard ratio (HR): 1.338; 95% confidence interval (CI):0.737–2.431; p = 0.339). Conclusion: No significant difference in OS was observed between patients who underwent LR to treat T1a and T1b HCC tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) guidelines designate monofocal hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) > 2 cm as BCLC A, and large monofocal HCC is defined at > 5 cm. We aimed to evaluate the optimal cutoff value for large monofocal HCC based on prognosis stratification. Methods: From 2011 to 2018, 3055 patients with newly diagnosed HCC, who were managed in our institution, including 868 patients with monofocal HCC > 2 cm and 330 patients with BCLC B, were enrolled in this retrospective study. Results: Monofocal HCC > 5 cm patients had worse overall survival (OS) than monofocal HCC 2–5 cm patients (5-year OS: 54% vs. 57%; p = 0.047), confirmed by multivariate analysis (hazard ratio (HR): 1.492, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.055–2.110; p = 0.024). Monofocal HCC > 5 cm patients had better OS than BCLC B HCC patients (5-year OS: 54% vs. 25%; p < 0.001), confirmed by multivariate analysis (HR: 0.670, 95% CI: 0.481–0.934; p = 0.018). Using 7 cm as the monofocal HCC cutoff value resulted in worse OS than monofocal HCC 2–7 cm (5-year OS: 50% vs. 57%; p = 0.02), confirmed by multivariate analysis (HR: 1.625, 95% CI: 1.039–2.540; p = 0.033). Monofocal HCC > 7 cm patients had better OS than BCLC B patients (p = 0.006). However, no significant difference was identified in the multivariate analysis (HR: 0.726; 95% CI: 0.473–1.115; p = 0.144). Conclusions: The prognosis of monofocal HCC > 7 cm was similar to that of BCLC B, indicating that 7 cm represents an optimal cutoff value for prognosis stratification in large monofocal HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let P be a topological property. A space X is said to be star P if whenever is an open cover of X, there exists a subspace A ⊆ X with property P such that , where. In this paper, we investigate the relationships among star Lindelöf spaces, star almost Lindelöf spaces and star weakly Lindelöf spaces, and also study topological properties of star weakly Lindelöf spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While radiotherapy remains the cornerstone of head and neck cancer treatment, oral mucositis is a very serious side effect, especially grade III/IV oral mucositis. Oral mucositis not only seriously reduces the quality of life of patients, but also affects the ongoing treatment of patients. Use of honey for the remediation of oral mucositis promising, but clinically controversial. Therefore, to further ascertain its role in oral mucositis, an extensive literature search was performed in the Pubmed, Embase and Cochrane databases. Thirteen randomized controlled trials with 899 patients were included in the analysis. Pooled Odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals was analyzed. The results show that a significantly fewer number of patients treated with honey experienced grade III/IV oral mucositis after radiotherapy (OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.13-0.44, p < 0.001). The administration of honey concurrently with radiotherapy decreased the rate of graded III/IV oral mucositis. Thus, the use of honey during radiotherapy may represent a feasible strategy for preserving tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Verticillium wilt is a kind of plant vascular disease caused by the soilborne fungus Verticillium dahliae, which severely limits cotton production. Our previous studies showed that the endophytic fungus Gibellulopsis nigrescens CEF08111 can effectively control Verticillium wilt and induce a defense response in cotton plants. However, the comprehensive molecular mechanism governing this response is not yet clear. To study the signaling mechanism induced by strain CEF08111, the transcriptome of cotton seedlings pretreated with CEF08111 was sequenced. The results revealed 249, 3559 and 33 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at 3, 12 and 48 h post inoculation with CEF08111, respectively. At 12 h post inoculation with CEF08111, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis indicated that the DEGs were enriched mainly in the plant–pathogen interaction, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway-plant, and plant hormone signal transduction pathways. Gene ontology (GO) analysis revealed that these DEGs were enriched mainly in the following terms: response to external stimulus, systemic acquired resistance, kinase activity, phosphotransferase activity, xyloglucan: xyloglucosyl transferase activity, xyloglucan metabolic process, cell wall polysaccharide metabolic process and hemicellulose metabolic process. Moreover, many genes, such as calcium-dependent protein kinase (CDPK), flagellin-sensing 2 (FLS2), resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv. maculicola 1(RPM1) and myelocytomatosis protein 2 (MYC2), that regulate crucial points in defense-related pathways were identified and may contribute to V. dahliae resistance in cotton. Seven DEGs of the pathway phenylpropanoid biosynthesis were identified by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), and these genes are related to lignin synthesis. The above genes were compared and analyzed, a total of 710 candidate genes that may be related to the resistance of cotton to Verticillium wilt were identified. These results provide a basis for understanding the molecular mechanism by which the biocontrol fungus CEF08111 increases the resistance of cotton to Verticillium wilt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous researches on large animal models of diabetic cardiomyopathy were insufficient. The aim of this study was to evaluate early changes in left ventricular (LV) function and morphology in diabetic pigs using a cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) time-volume curve and feature tracking technique. Methods: Streptozotocin (STZ) was used to induce diabetic in sixteen pigs. 3.0T MRI scanned the pig's heart before and 2, 6, 10 and 16 months after modelling. CMR biomarkers, including time-volume curve and myocardial strain, were compared to analyse the longitudinal changes in LV function and morphology. Pearson correlation was used to evaluate the relationship between LV strain and remodelling. Cardiac specimens were obtained at 6, 10, and 16 months after modelling to observe the myocardial ultrastructural and microstructure at different courses of diabetes. Results: Twelve pigs developed diabetes. The 80% diastolic volume recovery rate (DVR) at 6 months after modelling was significantly higher than that before modelling (0.78 ± 0.08vs. 0.67 ± 0.15). The LV global longitudinal peak strain (GLPS) (− 10.21 ± 3.15 vs. − 9.74 ± 2.78 vs. − 9.38 ± 3.71 vs. − 8.71 ± 2.68 vs. − 6.59 ± 2.90%) altered gradually from the baseline data to 2, 6, 10 and 16 months after modelling. After 16 months of modelling, the LV remodelling index (LVRI) of pigs increased compared with that before modelling (2.19 ± 0.97 vs. 1.36 ± 0.45 g/ml). The LVRI and myocardial peak strain were correlated in diabetic pigs (r= − 0.40 to − 0.54), with GLPS being the most significant. Electron microscopy and Masson staining showed that myocardial damage and fibrosis gradually increased with the progression of the disease. Conclusion: Intravenous injection of STZ can induce a porcine diabetic cardiomyopathy model, mainly characterized by decreased LV diastolic function and strain changes accompanied by myocardial remodelling. The changes in CMR biomarkers could reflect the early myocardial injury of diabetic cardiomyopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]