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Abstract Background The present study is to evaluate the clinical characteristics of patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Methods A total of 3362 TMD patients were included. Each participant had complete medical records according to the diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders (DC/TMD). The clinical characteristics including symptoms and signs in relation to age and gender were analyzed. Results The mean age of the patients seeking care was 29.89 ± 13.73Y, and 68.6% of patients were aged 16–35 years. The female-to-male ratio of patients was 2.2: 1, and the average age of males was significantly lower than that of females. The prevalence of clicking symptoms decreased with age, while the prevalence of pain symptoms and limitations in jaw movement increased with age. Females were more likely to have limitations in jaw movement than males. Among the patients with pain, the average visual analogue scale (VAS) was 2.96 ± 1.23. The average VAS score of acute TMD patients (≤ 3 months) was significantly higher than that of chronic TMD patients (> 3 months). Conclusions The majority of TMD patients seeking care were young people. The number and average age of female patients was higher than the males. Female patients were more likely to have limitations in jaw movement than males.

Lilium are highly economically valuable ornamental plants that are susceptible to Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum. Lilium regale Wilson, a wild lily native to China, is highly resistant to F. oxysporum. In this study, a WRKY transcription factor, WRKY11, was isolated from L. regale, and its function during the interaction between L. regale and F. oxysporum was characterized. The ectopic expression of LrWRKY11 in tobacco increased the resistance to F. oxysporum, moreover, the transcriptome sequencing and UHPLC-MS/MS analysis indicated that the methyl salicylate and methyl jasmonate levels rose in LrWRKY11 transgenic tobacco, meanwhile, the expression of lignin/lignans biosynthesis-related genes including a dirigent (DIR) was up-regulated. The lignin/lignans contents in LrWRKY11-transgenic tobacco also significantly increased compared with the wild-type tobacco. In addition, the resistance of L. regale scales in which LrWRKY11 expression was silenced by RNAi evidently decreased, and additionally, the expression of lignin/lignans biosynthesis-related genes including LrDIR1 was significantly suppressed. Therefore, LrDIR1 and its promoter (PLrDIR1) sequence containing the W-box element were isolated from L. regale. The interaction assay indicated that LrWRKY11 specifically bound to the W-box element in PLrDIR1 and activated LrDIR1 expression. Additionally, β-glucuronidase activity in the transgenic tobacco co-expressing LrWRKY11/PLrDIR1-β-glucuronidase was higher than that in transgenic tobacco expressing PLrDIR1-β-glucuronidase alone. Furthermore, the ectopic expression of LrDIR1 in tobacco enhanced the resistance to F. oxysporum and increased the lignin/lignans accumulation. In brief, this study revealed that LrWRKY11 positively regulated L. regale resistance to F. oxysporum through interaction with salicylic acid/jasmonic acid signaling pathways and modulating LrDIR1 expression to accumulate lignin/lignans.

Abstract To elucidate the neurological features of Hansen disease. The medical records of patients with confirmed Hansen disease transferred from the neurology department were reviewed, and all medical and neurological manifestations of Hansen disease were assessed. Eleven patients with confirmed Hansen disease, 10 with newly detected Hansen disease and 1 with relapsed Hansen disease, who visited neurology departments were enrolled. The newly detected patients with Hansen disease were classified as having lepromatous leprosy (LL, n = 1), borderline lepromatous leprosy (BL, n = 2), borderline leprosy (BB, n = 2), borderline tuberculoid leprosy (BT, n = 1), tuberculoid leprosy (TT, n = 2), or pure neural leprosy (PNL, n = 2). All of the patients with confirmed Hansen were diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy (100.00%, 11/11). The symptoms and signs presented were mainly limb numbness (100.00%, 11/11), sensory and motor dysfunction (100.00%, 11/11), decreased muscle strength (90.90%, 10/11), and skin lesions (81.81%, 9/11). Nerve morphological features in nerve ultrasonography (US) included peripheral nerve asymmetry and segmental thickening (100.00%, 9/9). For neuro-electrophysiology feature, the frequency of no response of sensory nerves was significantly higher than those of motor nerves [(51.21% 42/82) vs (24.70%, 21/85)(P = 0.0183*)] by electrodiagnostic (EDX) studies. Nerve histological features in nerve biopsy analysis included demyelination (100.00%, 5/5) and axonal damage (60.00%, 3/5). In addition to confirmed diagnoses by acid-fast bacteria (AFB) staining (54.54%, 6/11) and skin pathology analysis (100.00%, 8/8), serology and molecular technology were positive in 36.36% (4/11) and 100.00% (11/11) of confirmed patients of Hansen disease, respectively. It is not uncommon for patients of Hansen disease to visit neurology departments due to peripheral neuropathy. The main pathological features of affected nerves are demyelination and axonal damage. The combination of nerve US, EDX studies, nerve biopsy, and serological and molecular tests can improve the diagnosis of Hansen disease.

This study explores the plastic deformation mechanism and microstructural evolution of as-homogenized and as-forging Inconel 718 alloy through low temperature and slow strain rate hot compression deformation. The stress-strain curves of Inconel 718 alloy were analyzed by modulating the deformation temperature, strain rate, and strain, and the extreme grain refinement process from cast billets (with abnormally coarse grains) to the final compression sample was revealed. The results show that the true stress levels are lower during both low temperature and slow strain rate hot compression, relative to high temperature and fast strain rate deformation. For the as-homogenized Inconel 718 sample, the same grain refinement as the high temperature and fast strain rate (i.e. forging deformation) was achieved by the low temperature and slow strain rate compression deformation. For Inconel 718 samples after forging, uniform, equiaxed, fine grains with an average size of 2.9 μm are obtained at lower deformation temperatures and slower strain rates. Based on these results this low temperature and slow strain rate metallic forming process demonstrates the potential for the application of plastic deformation in controlling grain size, morphology, and distribution, providing a direct, economical, and efficient approach to achieving fine equiaxed grain structures in as-forging metallic materials.

Study region: The Guantian headwater watershed is located in the subtropical region of South China. Study focus: This study examined how changes in precipitation and consequent shifts in streamflow affect dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrate (NO3−) concentrations in a headwater stream. New hydrological insights for the region: The results indicate that stream DOC and NO3− concentrations decrease from spring to winter (0.16 mg/L/month for DOC and 0.18 mg/L/month for NO3−) and have a generally positive relationship with streamflow (p < 0.05). Changes in precipitation-concentration, precipitation-amount and consequent shifts in streamflow remarkably affect stream DOC and NO3− concentrations. When precipitation events are more heavily concentrated (when precipitation concentration index (PCI) changed from 12.81 to 18.33) from May to July, the stream DOC and NO3− concentrations tend to increase from May to July but decrease before and after this period. In addition, an increase in precipitation-amount tends to increase stream DOC and NO3− concentrations before the occurrence of peak flow and in the dry period from September to December, but decreases them in the wet period from June to September. When the precipitation-amount decreases, the trend of the change in concentration is exactly the opposite. These findings suggest that stream DOC and NO3− concentrations in the headwater stream are highly chemodynamic: they are transport-limited before the occurrence of high flow and in the dry period from September to December, while they are supply-limited in the June-September period.

As a fundamental element of global carbon storage, the storage carbon in terrestrial ecosystem is significant for climate change mitigation. Land use/cover change (LUCC) is a main impact element of ecosystems’ carbon storage. Evaluating the relation between land use change and carbon storage is vital for lowering global carbon emissions. Taking Hainan Island as an example, this paper employs the InVEST as well as the CA-Markov models to assess and predict how different land use affects carbon storage in various situations from 2000 to 2020 and from 2030 to 2050 on Hainan Island. The influence factors, together with driving mechanisms of carbon storage spatial distribution are quantitatively analyzed as well in this paper. The results demonstrate that, from 2000 to 2020, Hainan Island’s net increase in built land was 605.49 km2, representing a growth rate of 77.05%. Over the last 20 years, Hainan Island’s carbon storage and density have decreased by 5.90 Tg and 1.75 Mg/hm2, respectively. The sharp rise in built land mainly makes the carbon storage decline. From 2030 to 2050, land use changes on Hainan Island are expected to result in differing degrees of carbon storage loss in various scenarios. In 2050, Hainan Island’s carbon storage will decline by 17.36 Tg in the Natural Development Scenario (NDS), 13.61 Tg in the Farmland Protection Scenario (FPS), and 8.06 Tg in the Ecological Protection Scenario (EPS) compared to 2020. The EPS can efficiently maintain carbon sequestration capability, but it cannot effectively prevent cropland area loss. Regarding the carbon storage’s spatial distribution, Hainan Island generally exhibits a pattern of high carbon storages in the low and middle carbon storages in the surrounding areas. Areas with high value are primarily located in Hainan Island’s central and southern mountainous areas, whereas areas with low value are primarily located in surrounding areas with lower elevations, primarily encompassing built land and cropland. Geographic detection presented the spatial differentiation of carbon storage in Hainan Island is mainly influenced by factors like slope, land use intensity, and DEM, as well as its interaction with other factors is significantly strengthened (p

Acidic bacterial biofilms-associated enamel white spot lesions (WSLs) are one of the hallmarks of early caries, causing demineralization and decomposition of dental hard tissues. Therefore, to effectively prevent and treat WSLs, it is important to inhibit the activity of cariogenic bacteria while promoting the remineralization of demineralized enamel. Amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) favors hard tissue remineralization due to its biological activity and ability to release large amounts of Ca2+ and PO43-. However, ACP-based biomineralization technology is not effective due to its lack of antimicrobial properties. Here, carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) was employed as a reducing agent and stabilizer, and dual-functional nanohybrids CMCS/AuNPs/ACP with biofilm resistance and mineralization properties were successfully synthesized. The addition of AuNPs enhances the antimicrobial activity and participates in regulating the formation of hydroxyapatite (HAp). The nanohybrids exhibited significant destructive effects against cariogenic bacteria and their biofilms and showed bactericidal activity under bacteria-induced acidic conditions. More importantly, this nanohybrids showed superior results in promoting the remineralization of demineralized enamel, compared to fluoride and CMCS/ACP in vitro. The CMCS/AuNPs/ACP nanohybrids not only reverse the cariogenic microenvironment at the microbial level, but also promote self-repairing of enamel WSLs regarding the microstructure. The present work offers a theoretical and experimental basis for using the CMCS/AuNPs/ACP nanohybrids as a potential dual-functional agent for the clinical treatment of enamel WSLs.

Abstract Dysregulation of anti-apoptotic and pro-apoptotic protein isoforms arising from aberrant splicing is a crucial hallmark of cancers and may contribute to therapeutic resistance. Thus, targeting RNA splicing to redirect isoform expression of apoptosis-related genes could lead to promising anti-cancer phenotypes. Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common type of malignant brain tumor in adults. In this study, through RT-PCR and Western Blot analysis, we found that BCLX pre-mRNA is aberrantly spliced in GBM cells with a favored splicing of anti-apoptotic Bcl-xL. Modulation of BCLX pre-mRNA splicing using splice-switching oligonucleotides (SSOs) efficiently elevated the pro-apoptotic isoform Bcl-xS at the expense of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-xL. Induction of Bcl-xS by SSOs activated apoptosis and autophagy in GBM cells. In addition, we found that ionizing radiation could also modulate the alternative splicing of BCLX. In contrast to heavy (carbon) ion irradiation, low energy X-ray radiation-induced an increased ratio of Bcl-xL/Bcl-xS. Inhibiting Bcl-xL through splicing regulation can significantly enhance the radiation sensitivity of 2D and 3D GBM cells. These results suggested that manipulation of BCLX pre-mRNA alternative splicing by splice-switching oligonucleotides is a novel approach to inhibit glioblastoma tumorigenesis alone or in combination with radiotherapy.

The deformation of the curved pipeline in the mining subsidence area may be different from the ordinary straight pipeline. Curved pipeline is prone to large deformation in the mining subsidence area, which may cause pipeline accidents. Thus, it is of great importance to investigate the mechanical properties of the curved pipeline in the mining subsidence area. The numerical simulation model of pipeline-soil coupling was established by the nonlinear numerical simulation method in this study. The mechanical responses of the curved pipeline under the stratum settlement, collapse, and suspension are investigated. The results show that when the settlement area is located below the curved section of the pipeline, the maximum stress is in the middle of the curved section, there will be more high stress areas when the curved angle larger. When the settlement area is located below the half curved part and half straight part of the pipeline, the high stress area of the pipeline is located at the end of the curved section. The stress and displacement increase with the increase of angle in both cases, but the maximum stress in pipeline is not reached the yield strength. Whether the collapse interface is located in the middle of the curved section or at both ends of the curved section, the high stress area occurs near the collapse interface, the large curved angle of the pipeline is prone to generate large high stress area and produce large plastic strain, and the cross section of the pipeline has a tendency to squeeze to one side. For the suspended curved pipeline, the stress, plastic strain and displacement of the suspended curved pipeline increase with the increase of suspended length and curved angle.

Objective To evaluate the HBsAg detection results of HBsAg+ samples after 8 years refrigeration by ELISA and evaluate the effectiveness of the current storage policy of retained samples. Methods A total of 100 HBsAg+ plasma samples by ELISA from May 2014 to March 2015 and refrigerated at -20℃ were collected and retested for HBsAg using the same method after thawing in 2023. Results The HBsAg retest results of 100 plasma samples were all positive, with the concordance rate of 100%, though there was a significant decrease in the S/CO value after refrigeration(27.52 vs 19.03, P

Abstract Radiopharmaceuticals play a vital role in cancer therapy. The carrier of radiopharmaceuticals can precisely locate and guide radionuclides to the target, where radionuclides kill surrounding tumor cells. Effective application of radiopharmaceuticals depends on the selection of an appropriate carrier. Herein, different types of carriers of radiopharmaceuticals and the characteristics are briefly described. Subsequently, we review radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and their derivatives, and novel strategies of radiolabeled mAbs and their derivatives in the treatment of lymphoma and colorectal cancer. Furthermore, this review outlines radiolabeled peptides, and novel strategies of radiolabeled peptides in the treatment of neuroendocrine neoplasms, prostate cancer, and gliomas. The emphasis is given to heterodimers, bicyclic peptides, and peptide-modified nanoparticles. Last, the latest developments and applications of radiolabeled nucleic acids and small molecules in cancer therapy are discussed. Thus, this review will contribute to a better understanding of the carrier of radiopharmaceuticals and the application in cancer therapy.

ABSTRACTThis study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of a novel droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (DDPCR) assay in sepsis patients. In this prospective cohort study, univariable and multivariable Cox regressions were used to assess risk factors for 28-day mortality. We also monitored pathogen load together with clinical indicators in a subgroup of the cohort. A total of 107 sepsis patients with positive baseline DDPCR results were included. Detection of poly-microorganisms [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 3.19; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.34–7.62; P = 0.009], high Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score (adjusted HR = 1.14; 95% CI = 1.01–1.29; P = 0.041), and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score (adjusted HR = 1.18; 95% CI = 1.05–1.32; P = 0.005) at baseline were independent risk factors for 28-day mortality while initial pathogen load was not associated (adjusted HR = 1.17; 95% CI = 0.82–1.66; P = 0.385). Among 63 patients with serial DDPCR results, an increase in pathogen load at days 6–8 compared to baseline was a risk factor for 28-day mortality (P = 0.008). Also, pathogen load kinetics were significantly different between day-28 survivors and nonsurvivors (P = 0.022), with a decline overtime only in survivors and an increase from days 3 and 4 to days 6–8 in nonsurvivors. Using DDPCR technique, we found that poly-microorganisms detected and increased pathogen load a week after sepsis diagnosis were associated with poor prognosis.IMPORTANCEThis prospective study was initiated to explore the prognostic implications of a novel multiplex PCR assay in sepsis. Notably, our study was the largest cohort of sepsis with droplet digital polymerase chain reaction pathogen monitoring to date, allowing for a comprehensive evaluation of the prognostic significance of both pathogen species and load. We found that detection of poly-microorganisms was an independent risk factors for 28-day mortality. Also, pathogen load increase 1 week after sepsis diagnosis was a risk factor for 28-day mortality, and differential pathogen load kinetics were identified between day-28 survivors and nonsurvivors. Overall, this study demonstrated that pathogen species and load were highly correlated with sepsis prognosis. Patients exhibiting conditions mentioned above face a more adverse prognosis, suggesting the potential need for an escalation of antimicrobial therapy.Registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05190861).

Objective: To screen for tea peptides with inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase. Methods: The response surface method was used to optimize the preparation process of tea peptides. Affinity ultrafiltration was used to isolate tea peptides that bind with α-glucosidase, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to determine the sequence of the isolated peptides. Virtual screening was performed using bioinformatics methods. Results: The optimal preparation process of tea leaf enzymatic hydrolysis products was alkaline protease hydrolysis temperature of 50 ℃, enzymatic hydrolysis time of 3 h, and a liquid-to-solid ratio of 10:1 (mL/g). The α-glucosidase inhibitory rate was 57.29%. From this, 624 peptide segments were identified, and LIGF was selected for its α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. At a concentration of 5 mg/mL, LIGF exhibited a maximum inhibition rate of 88.13% against α-glucosidase and an IC50 value of 1.22 mg/mL. Molecular docking showed that LIGF could form 5 hydrogen bonds with α-glucosidase, and the binding energy was −3.51 kJ, indicating a high affinity, stability and ability to bind to α-glucosidase. Conclusion: LIGF had potential value as a therapeutic drug for type II diabetes.

Variations in volatile flavor components in pigmented onion bulbs (purple, white, and yellow) before and after cooking were characterized by headspace gas chromatography-ion migration spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS) to investigate their odor traits. Results showed that 39 and 45 volatile flavor compounds were identified from pigmented onion bulbs before and after cooking via the HS-GC-IMS fingerprinting, respectively. Sulfurs (accounting for 50.65%–63.42%), aldehydes (13.36%–22.11%), and alcohols (11.32%–17.94%) ranked the top three prevailing compound categories in all pigmented onions (both raw and cooked). Compared to the raw colored onion bulbs, the relative proportion of sulfurs in cooked onions decreased, whereas the relative proportion of alcohols, esters, pyrazines, and furans increased. Two reliable prediction models were established through orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), and 8 and 22 distinctive odor compounds were sieved out by variable importance in projection (VIP>1.0) as volatile labels, respectively. Both principal component analysis (PCA) and clustering heatmap exhibited favorable distinguishing effects for various pigmented onion bulbs before and after cooking. These results might offer insights into understanding the odor characteristics of different pigmented onions.

BackgroundPrevious retrospective studies have shown a correlation between depression and increased risk of infections, including a moderate rise in sepsis likelihood associated with severe depression and anxiety. To investigate the potential causal links between depression, sepsis, and mortality risks, while considering confounding factors, we employed a Mendelian randomization (MR) approach.MethodsIn this two-sample Mendelian randomization study, we analyzed data from a large-scale genome-wide association study on depression, involving 807,553 European individuals (246,363 cases, 561,190 controls). We extracted SNP associations with sepsis and 28-day mortality from UK Biobank GWAS outcomes. The correlation analysis primarily employed the inverse-variance weighted method, supplemented by sensitivity analyses for heterogeneity and pleiotropy assessment.ResultsOur analysis revealed a potential causal link between depression and an increased risk of sepsis (OR = 1.246, 95% CI: 1.076-1.442, P = 0.003), but no causal association was found with sepsis-induced mortality risk (OR = 1.274, 95% CI: 0.891-1.823, P = 0.184). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings.ConclusionsWe identified a potential causal association between depression and heightened sepsis risk, while no link was found with sepsis-induced mortality. These findings suggest that effective management of depression could be important in preventing sepsis.

The rapid development of global urbanization and industrialization not only promotes a significant improvement in the level of socio-economic development, but also exacerbates the complexity and vulnerability of regional land resource utilization, resulting in frequent land use conflicts and seriously constraining the sustainable development of regional socio-economic and ecological environment. Taking Funan County as an example, based on interpretation data of Landsat TM/ETM remote sensing image data from 1980 to 2020, this paper analyses the temporal and spatial evolution characteristics of land use conflict in Funan County from 1980 to 2020 using the ArcGIS spatial analysis method, land use conflict measurement model, geographically weighted regression and geographical detector and then deeply analyses the main factors affecting land use conflict in Funan County and its driving mechanisms. In descending order, land use types undergoing the most change include cultivated land, urban and rural construction land, grassland, forestland and water area. The results of land use change are mainly the occupation of cultivated land by construction land, water area and forestland. Overall land use conflict in Funan County is serious with approximately 80 % of land use in the county in conflict, the severe land use conflict is mostly concentrated in urban and township built-up areas, and there is an increase trend year by year. Land use conflict is the result of multiple factors. Policy, economic development, and the social population and natural environment are the key driving factors behind land use conflict, which have a significant impact on the direction, location, scale and rate of land use transfer.Accurately identifying regional land use changes and conflicts and exploring the driving mechanism behind land use conflicts are of great significance for achieving the sustainable development of regional social economies and ecological environments.

Vaccination by inactivated vaccine is an effective strategy to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the detailed molecular immune response at single-cell level is poorly understood. In this study, we systematically delineated the landscape of the pre- and post-vaccination single-cell transcriptome, TCR (T cell antigen receptor) and BCR (B cell antigen receptor) expression profile of vaccinated candidates. The bulk TCR sequencing analysis of COVID-19 patients was also performed. Enrichment of a clonal CD8+ T cell cluster expressing specific TCR was identified in both vaccination candidates and COVID-19 patients. These clonal CD8+ T cells showed high expression of cytotoxicity, phagosome and antigen presentation related genes. The cell–cell interaction analysis revealed that monocytes and dendritic cells could interact with these cells and initiate phagocytosis via ICAM1-ITGAM and ITGB2 signaling. Together, our study systematically deciphered the detailed immunological response during SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and infection. It may facilitate understanding the immune response and the T-cell therapy against COVID-19.

Abstract Background Hydrogen/oxygen therapy contribute to ameliorate dyspnea and disease progression in patients with respiratory diseases. Therefore, we hypothesized that hydrogen/oxygen therapy for ordinary coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients might reduce the length of hospitalization and increase hospital discharge rates. Methods This retrospective, propensity-score matched (PSM) case–control study included 180 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 from 3 centers. After assigned in 1:2 ratios by PSM, 33 patients received hydrogen/oxygen therapy and 55 patients received oxygen therapy included in this study. Primary endpoint was the length of hospitalization. Secondary endpoints were hospital discharge rates and oxygen saturation (SpO2). Vital signs and respiratory symptoms were also observed. Results Findings confirmed a significantly lower median length of hospitalization (HR = 1.91; 95% CIs, 1.25–2.92; p

Further assessment of ultraviolet C light-emitting diode (UVC-LED) irradiation for influencing shiitake mushrooms’ (Lentinus edodes) volatile and sensory properties is needed. In this study, a comparison of UVC-LED irradiation treatment on the flavor profiles in various parts of shiitake mushrooms was conducted using gas chromatography–ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) and sensory analysis. Sixty-three volatile compounds were identified in shiitake mushrooms. The fresh shiitake mushrooms were characterized by the highest values of raw mushroom odors. After UVC-LED treatment, the content of C8 alcohols decreased, especially that of 1-octen-3-ol, while the content of aldehydes increased, especially the content of nonanal and decanal. The score of fatty and green odors was enhanced. For fresh samples, the mushroom odors decreased and the mushroom-like odors weakened more sharply when treated in ethanol suspension than when treated with direct irradiation. The fruit odors were enhanced using direct UVC-LED irradiation for fresh mushroom samples and the onion flavor decreased. As for shiitake mushroom powder in ethanol suspension treated with UVC-LED, the sweaty and almond odor scores decreased and the vitamin D2 content in mushroom caps and stems reached 668.79 μg/g (dw) and 399.45 μg/g (dw), respectively. The results obtained from this study demonstrate that UVC-LED treatment produced rich-flavored, quality mushroom products.

Xylaria is a widely distributed genus in the Ascomycota phylum that can decompose wood. It is an essential decomposer in ecosystems and a source of bioactive secondary metabolites. Based on morphological characteristics and molecular evidence, this article thoroughly describes two new species discovered on the fallen leaves in Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park, along with illustrations and comparisons with similar species. Xylaria diaoluoshanensis is characterized by filamentous stromata with long infertile apexes, ascospores sometimes with non-cellular appendages. Xylaria fulvotomentosa differentiates itself from other Xylaria species that grow on fallen leaves by its stroma surface, being yellow tomentose. These two new species of the genus Xylaria were found by phylogenetic analysis using the ITS-β-tubulin-RPB2 sequence dataset. Furthermore, a species first discovered in China, X. petchii, is described. Finally, a search table for 44 species related to fallen leaves and petioles in the world is established.

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) geofoam is a light and deformable geosynthetic that can reduce the pressure on the pipe by surrounding soil. The protective effect of geofoam bocks protection on the buried pipe under stratum settlement was investigated. The effect of settlement displacement, diameter-thickness ratio, internal pressure, surrounding soil, and EPS thickness on the axial strain and ovalisation of pipe were analyzed. The results show that the axial strain and ovalisation of pipe protected with EPS are smaller than that in soil. With the increase of the pipe diameter-thickness ratio, the axial strain and ovalisation of pipe with or without protection increase. With the increase of internal pressure, the buckling mode of pipe buried in soil changes from collapse to wrinkle gradually, but the ovalisation changes of pipe protected with EPS is small. When the surrounding soil is rock, buckling occurred in the without protection is more obvious. The safety of the pipeline is better with thicker EPS.

Abstract Background Folate is considered to be related to lipid metabolism. With the increasing numbers of folic acid fortification nations, the associations of dietary folate and serum folate with lipid profiles deserve more attention and are worth further study. Methods US adults aged ≥ 20 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were evaluated. Participants taking folic acid supplements were excluded. The multivariate linear regression model and smooth curve fitting were applied to assess the associations. The segmented regression model was employed to examine the threshold effect of nonlinear relationships. Results Our cross-sectional study included 3706 participants in total. There was a negative relationship between serum folate (log transformed) and triglycerides (β = –0.223, 95% CI: –0.337, –0.110) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (β = –0.152, 95% CI: –0.296, –0.007) and a positive relationship between serum folate (log transformed) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (β = 0.090, 95% CI: 0.033,0.146). There was a negative association between dietary folate (log transformed) and total cholesterol (TC) (β = –0.299, 95% CI: –0.465, –0.134) and LDL-C (β = –0.266, 95% CI: –0.409, –0.123). A nonlinear relationship was found between dietary folate (log transformed) and HDL-C. Threshold effect analysis showed that the inflection point was 377.57 ug. Within the inflection point, the β-coefficient of HDL-C was 0.105 (95% CI: 0.018, 0.192); beyond the inflection point, there was no relationship (β = –0.067, 95% CI: –0.162, 0.028). Conclusions Optimal dietary folate and high serum folate were associated with favorable lipid profiles. Dietary folate, in the recommended 300–400 ug/d, had a beneficial effect on improving lipid profiles.

Metabolomics analysis revealed the metabolic heterogeneity of cervical cancer (CC) cell lines C33A and CaSki, and their molecular mechanisms were explored. Using the modified Bligh-Dyer method, the endogenous metabolites of C33A and CaSki cells were divided into polar and nonpolar fractions. The metabolites were analysed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS). Then, the differential metabolites were screened by combining multivariate statistical analysis and volcano maps, and functional enrichment and pathway analysis of the differential metabolites were performed. Finally, association analysis was carried out in combination with transcriptomics, and the important differential metabolisms were experimentally verified by real-time PCR (RT−qPCR) and oil red staining. The results showed that between the C33A and CaSki cell lines, there were significant differences in amino acids, nucleotides and lipids, such as in threonine, arachidonic acid and hypoxanthine, in the metabolic pathways. These compounds could be used as markers of differences in cellular metabolism. The heterogeneity of lipid metabolism accounted for 87.8%, among which C33A cells exhibited higher contents of fatty acid polar derivatives, while CaSki cells showed higher contents of free fatty acids and glycerides. Based on correlation analysis of the above metabolic differences in HPV pathways as well as lipid metabolism-related genes, p53 and the genes involved in lipid metabolism pathways, such as Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor Gamma(PPARG) and stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD), are relevant to the metabolic heterogeneity of the cells. The differential expression of some genes was validated by RT−qPCR. CaSki cells showed significantly higher glyceride levels than that of C33A cells, as verified by oil red O staining and glyceride assays. The above results showed that the metabolomic differences between C33A and CaSki cells were relatively obvious, especially in lipid metabolism, which might be related to the decreased expression of PPARG and p53 caused by HPV E6. Further studies on the molecular mechanism of lipid metabolism heterogeneity in cervical cancer cell lines with or without HPV could provide a new reference for the development of CC and individualized treatments of tumour patients.

Background: Urethral strictures are common injurious conditions of the urinary system. Reducing and preventing urethral strictures has become a hot and challenging topic for urological surgeons and related researchers. In this study, we developed a catheter loaded with nanoparticle/pirfenidone (NP/PFD) complexes and evaluated its effectiveness at inhibiting urethral stricture in rabbits, providing more references for the clinical prevention and reduction of urethral stenosis.Methods: Twelve adult male New Zealand rabbits were selected and divided into the following four groups in a ratio of 1:1:1:1 using the random number table method: Group A, sham; Group B, urethral stricture (US); Group C, US + unmodified catheter; and Group D, US + NP/PFD catheter. On the 30th day after modelling, retrograde urethrography was performed to evaluate urethral stricture formation, and histopathological examination was performed on the tissues of the corresponding surgical site. Meanwhile, changes in the expression level of Transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) in the tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry.Results: The NP/PFD complexes adhered uniformly to the catheter surface. They remained on the surface of the catheter after insertion into the urethra. In addition, the NP/PFD complexes spread into the urethral epithelium 2 weeks after surgery. Ultimately, urethral strictures were significantly reduced with the placement of the NP/PFD complex catheter.Conclusion: Our catheter loaded with NP/PFD complexes effectively delivered PFD to the urethral epithelium through continuous local delivery, thereby reducing fibrosis and stricture after urethral injury, which may be associated with the inhibition of TGF-β1 expression.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess whether β-blockers are associated with mortality in patients with sepsis.MethodWe conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with sepsis using the Medical Information Market for Intensive Care (MIMIC)-IV and the emergency intensive care unit (eICU) databases. The primary outcome was the in-hospital mortality rate. The propensity score matching (PSM) method was adopted to reduce confounder bias. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed to test the stability of the conclusions.ResultsWe included a total of 61,751 patients with sepsis, with an overall in-hospital mortality rate of 15.3% in MIMIC-IV and 13.6% in eICU. The inverse probability-weighting model showed that in-hospital mortality was significantly lower in the β-blockers group than in the non-β-blockers group [HR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.66–0.75, p

PURPOSEEarly monitoring and intervention for patients with novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) will benefit both patients and the medical system. Chest computed tomography (CT) radiomics provide more information regarding the prognosis of COVID-19.METHODSA total of 833 quantitative features of 157 COVID-19 patients in the hospital were extracted. By filtering unstable features using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm, a radiomic signature was built to predict the prognosis of COVID-19 pneumonia. The main outcomes were the area under the curve (AUC) of the prediction models for death, clinical stage, and complications. Internal validation was performed using the bootstrapping validation technique.RESULTSThe AUC of each model demonstrated good predictive accuracy [death, 0.846; stage, 0.918; complication, 0.919; acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), 0.852]. After finding the optimal cut-off for each outcome, the respective accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.854, 0.700, and 0.864 for the prediction of the death of COVID-19 patients; 0.814, 0.949, and 0.732 for the prediction of a higher stage of COVID-19; 0.846, 0.920, and 0.832 for the prediction of complications of COVID-19 patients; and 0.814, 0.818, and 0.814 for ARDS of COVID-19 patients. The AUCs after bootstrapping were 0.846 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.844–0.848] for the death prediction model, 0.919 (95% CI: 0.917–0.922) for the stage prediction model, 0.919 (95% CI: 0.916–0.921) for the complication prediction model, and 0.853 (95% CI: 0.852–0.0.855) for the ARDS prediction model in the internal validation. Based on the decision curve analysis, the radiomics nomogram was clinically significant and useful.CONCLUSIONThe radiomic signature from the chest CT was significantly associated with the prognosis of COVID-19. A radiomic signature model achieved maximum accuracy in the prognosis prediction. Although our results provide vital insights into the prognosis of COVID-19, they need to be verified by large samples in multiple centers.

Abstract Background Ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO) nanoparticles are of potential magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents for tumor diagnosis. However, ultrasmall particle size or negative surface charge lead to relative short half-life which limit the utilization of USPIO for in vivo MRI contrast agents. Methods Superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles coated with polyacrylic acid (PAA)were synthetized, and modified by 3-amino propanol and 3-diethyl amino propyl amine. The characteristics of superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles were investigated through transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, Zata potential analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and relaxation properties analysis. Magnetic resonance imaging animal experiment was performed. Results The synthetized nanoparticles were irregular spherical, with small particle size, few agglomeration, and good dispersion in water. After modification, the potential fluctuation of nanoparticles was small, and the isoelectric point of nanoparticles changed to high pH. After 3-amino propanol modification, the weight loss of the curve from 820 to 940 °C was attributed to the decomposition of 3-amino propanol molecules on the surface. The T1 relaxation rate of nanoparticles changed little before and after modification, which proved that the modification didn’t change the relaxation time. Brighter vascular images were observed after 3-amino propanol modification through measurement of magnetic resonance tumor imaging. Conclusion These data indicated the Fe3O4 nanoparticles modified by 3-amino propanol should be a better contrast agent in the field of magnetic resonance tumor imaging.

Abstract The outbreak of COVID-19 has become a global crisis, and brought severe disruptions to societies and economies. Until now, effective therapeutics against COVID-19 are in high demand. Along with our improved understanding of the structure, function, and pathogenic process of SARS-CoV-2, many small molecules with potential anti-COVID-19 effects have been developed. So far, several antiviral strategies were explored. Besides directly inhibition of viral proteins such as RdRp and Mpro, interference of host enzymes including ACE2 and proteases, and blocking relevant immunoregulatory pathways represented by JAK/STAT, BTK, NF-κB, and NLRP3 pathways, are regarded feasible in drug development. The development of small molecules to treat COVID-19 has been achieved by several strategies, including computer-aided lead compound design and screening, natural product discovery, drug repurposing, and combination therapy. Several small molecules representative by remdesivir and paxlovid have been proved or authorized emergency use in many countries. And many candidates have entered clinical-trial stage. Nevertheless, due to the epidemiological features and variability issues of SARS-CoV-2, it is necessary to continue exploring novel strategies against COVID-19. This review discusses the current findings in the development of small molecules for COVID-19 treatment. Moreover, their detailed mechanism of action, chemical structures, and preclinical and clinical efficacies are discussed.

A COVID-19 booster vaccination is being comprehensively evaluated globally due to the emerging concern of reduced protection rate of previous vaccination and circulating Variants of Concern (VOC). But the safety and immunogenicity of homologous BBIBP-CorV boosting vaccination are yet to be thoroughly evaluated. We conducted this prospective, open-label study in Huashan Hospital using a third 6.5U BBIBP-CorV administered at an interval of 4–8 months following the previous two doses in healthy adults. Safety, anti-RBD response and neutralizing titers against SARS-CoV-2 and VOCs were examined. Sixty-three and forty participants entered the booster and the control group, respectively. A significant increase in IFN-γ SFU per million PBMCs was observed on day 14 against N peptide (20 vs. 5, P

Shanghai has been experiencing the Omicron wave since March 2022. Though several studies have evaluated the risk factors of severe infections, the analyses of BA.2 infection risk and protective factors among geriatric people were much limited. This multicentre cohort study described clinical characteristics, and assessed risk and protective factors for geriatric Omicron severe infections. A total of 1377 patients older than 60 were enrolled, with 75.96% having comorbidities. The median viral shedding time and hospitalization time were nine and eight days, respectively. Severe and critical were associated with longer virus clearance time (aOR [95%CI]:0.706 (0.533–0.935), P = .015), while fully vaccinated/booster and paxlovid use shortened viral shedding time (1.229 [1.076–1.402], P = .002; 1.140 [0.019–1.274], P = .022, respectively). Older age (>80), cerebrovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease were risk factors of severe/critical. Fully vaccination was a significant protective factor against severe infections (0.237 [0.071–0.793], P = .019). We found patients with more than two comorbidities were more likely to get serious outcomes. These findings demonstrated that in the elderly older than 60 years old, older age (aged over 80), cerebrovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease were risk factors for severe infection. Patients with more than two comorbidities were more likely to get serious outcomes. Fully vaccinated/booster patients were less likely to be severe and vaccinations could shorten viral shedding time. The limitation of lacking an overall spectrum of COVID-19 infections among elders could be compensated in other larger-scale studies in the future.

To further describe the effect of the “fragile population” and their “higher-risk” comorbidities on prognosis among hospitalized Omicron patients, this observational cohort study enrolled hospitalized patients confirmed with SARS-CoV-2 during the 2022 Omicron wave in Shanghai, China. The primary outcome was progression to severe or critical cases. The secondary outcome was viral shedding time from the first positive SARS-CoV-2 detection. A total of 847 participants were enrolled, most of whom featured as advanced age (>70 years old: 30.34%), not fully vaccinated (55.84%), combined with at least 1 comorbidity (65.41%). Multivariate cox regression suggested age >70 years old (aHR[95%CI] 0.78[0.61–0.99]), chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 4–5 (aHR[95%CI] 0.61[0.46–0.80]), heart conditions (aHR[95%CI] 0.76[0.60–0.97]) would elongate viral shedding time and fully/booster vaccination (aHR[95%CI] 1.4 [1.14–1.72]) would shorten this duration. Multivariate logistic regression suggested CKD stage 4–5 (aHR[95%CI] 3.21[1.45–7.27]), cancer (aHR[95%CI] 9.52[4.19–22.61]), and long-term bedridden status (aHR[95%CI] 4.94[2.36–10.44]) were the “higher” risk factor compared with the elderly, heart conditions, metabolic disorders, isolated hypertension, etc. for severity while female (aHR[95%CI] 0.34[0.16–0.68]) and fully/booster Vaccination (aHR[95%CI] 0.35[0.12–0.87]) could provide protection from illness progression. CKD stage 4–5, cancer and long-term bedridden history were “higher-risk” factors among hospitalized Omicron patients for severity progression while full vaccination could provide protection from illness progression.

Background: Germline HLA class I molecule supertypes are shown to correlate with response to anti-PD-1 therapy. Here, we investigate the significance of germline HLA-A and HLA-B supertypes in tumour microenvironment of non-small-cell lung cancer. Methods: Totally 278 NSCLC patients were collected retrospectively. HLA genotyping was conducted using next-generation sequencing. The evaluation of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes was performed by multiplex immunohistochemistry assay. Correlations among HLA supertypes, tumour infiltrating lymphocytes, and clinicopathological characteristics were assessed. Results: HLA-A03 and HLA-B62 were the supertypes with the highest proportions, at 69.1% and 52.2%, respectively. HLA-A02 or HLA-B62, but not HLA-A03, associated with higher PD-L1+ tumour and stromal cells levels, CD68+ cells, and CD68+PD-L1+ cells. Patients with both HLA-A02 and HLA-B62 supertypes displayed significantly higher PD-L1+ cells, CD68+ cells, and CD8+ cells levels than patients with other supertypes (P = 0.0301, P = 0.0479, P = 0.0192). These cells collectively constitute a hot but immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment. Accordingly, patients with both HLA-A02 and HLA-B62 supertypes had short progression-free survival after surgery (HR = 2.27, P = 0.0373). Conclusions: The HLA-A02B62 supertype could serve as a possible indicator of poor prognosis in early-stage lung cancer. However, it may also act as a favorable prognostic factor for immunotherapy, given its association with a PD-L1-positive tumour microenvironment.

Abstract Background Temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA) is characterized by abnormal subchondral bone remodeling and cartilage degeneration. As a non-invasive biophysical technology, pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) treatment has been proven to be efficient in promoting osteogenesis. However, the potential bone protective effect and mechanism of PEMF on abnormal subchondral bone remodeling in TMJOA are unknown. Methods Unilateral anterior crossbite (UAC) was used to create TMJOA model in rats, and 17β-estradiol (E2) were injected daily to mimic patients with high-physiological levels of estrogen. Mouse osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells treated with recombinant murine IL-1β was used to establish inflammatory environment in vitro. The treatment group were subjected to PEMF (2.0mT, 15 Hz, 2 h/d). Micro-CT scanning, histological staining, real-time PCR and western blotting assays were preformed to observe the changes in the subchondral bone. Results Abnormal resorption of subchondral bone induced by UAC, characterized by decreased bone mineral density, increased osteoclast activity and expression of osteoclast-related factors (RANKL) and down-regulated expression of osteogenesis-related factors (OPG, ALP, Runx2 and OCN) at the early stage, could be reversed by PEMF exposure, which was similar to the effect of estrogen. In addition, PEMF exposure and E2 supplement may have a synergistic effect to some extent. Moreover, PEMF exposure could promote the ALP activity and osteogenic mineralization ability of MC3T3-E1 cells. PEMF promoted the expression of factors related to Wnt/β-Catenin signal pathway both in vivo and in vitro. Conclusions Appropriate PEMF exposure have a protective effect on subchondral bone in TMJOA at early stage, in which canonical Wnt/β-Catenin pathway may be involved. PEMF may be a promising biophysical approach for early intervention of TMJOA in clinic.

Abstract TP53, a crucial tumor suppressor gene, is the most commonly mutated gene in human cancers. Aside from losing its tumor suppressor function, mutant p53 (mutp53) often acquires inherent, novel oncogenic functions, which is termed “gain-of-function”. Emerging evidence suggests that mutp53 is highly associated with advanced malignancies and poor prognosis, which makes it a target for development of novel cancer therapies. Herein, we provide a summary of our knowledge of the mutp53 types and mutp53 spectrum in cancers. The mechanisms of mutp53 accumulation and gain-of-function are also summarized. Furthermore, we discuss the gain-of-function of mutp53 in cancers: genetic instability, ferroptosis, microenvironment, and stemness. Importantly, the role of mutp53 in the clinic is also discussed, particularly with regard to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Last, emphasis is given to emerging strategies on how to target mutp53 for tumor therapy. Thus, this review will contribute to better understanding of the significance of mutp53 as a target for therapeutic strategies.

Accurate organ at risk (OAR) segmentation is critical to reduce the radiotherapy post-treatment complications. Here, the authors develop an automated OAR segmentation system to delineate a comprehensive set of 42 H&N OARs.

In the application of long-distance transmission pipeline, the explicit mathematical model method may not completely obtain all accurate values since the parameters along the line cannot be measured point by point. A practical method based on CNN-LSTM neural network was proposed. This method uses CNN network to find spatial features and uses LSTM to explore temporal features. The real data collected from operating pipeline are used to train and verify the deep learning model, and then use the model to predict the flow rate, with an error range from 0.3% to 0.7% of main line's flow rate. By continuously comparing the actual with the predicted values in real time, a pipeline leak can be found. In addition, an improved location algorithm based on the curve distance between relevant pressure points was proposed. The field test on actual pipeline shows that the proposed new algorithm has reliable performance and does not generate false alarms during pressure fluctuation such as the operation of pipeline equipment.

Abstract Background Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) is the most common cause of permanent hearing loss in children in the developing world. A large component of the permanent hearing loss is sensory in nature and our understanding of the mechanism of this has so far been limited to post-mortem human specimens or acute infection models that are not representative of human CSOM. In this report, we assess cochlear injury in a validated Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) CSOM mouse model. Methods We generated persisters (PCs) and inoculated them into the mouse middle ear cavity. We tracked infection with IVIS and detected PA using RT-PCR. We assessed cochlear damage and innate immunity by Immunohistochemistry. Finally, we evaluated cytokines with multiplex assay and quantitative real-time PCR. Results We observed outer hair cell (OHC) loss predominantly in the basal turn of the cochlear at 14 days after bacterial inoculation. Macrophages, not neutrophils are the major immune cells in the cochlea in CSOM displaying increased numbers and a distribution correlated with the observed cochlear injury. The progression of the morphological changes suggests a transition from monocytes into tissue macrophages following infection. We also show that PA do not enter the cochlea and live bacteria are required for cochlear injury. We characterized cytokine activity in the CSOM cochlea. Conclusions Taken together, this data shows a critical role for macrophages in CSOM-mediated sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL).

The recovery annealing process, which reheats the relaxed metallic glass (MG) to a certain temperature above glass transition temperature and subsequently rapid quenched, could tailor the sample to a less relaxed state, called as rejuvenation process. During the recovery annealing process, the final cooling rate, isothermal time and annealing temperature all affect the obtained rejuvenated state. In the present study, we investigated the changes of configurational potential energy and atomic structure of Cu–Zr MG under various different parameters by using molecular dynamics simulation. We found that when the final cooling rate after recovery annealing exceeds the cooling rate of the as-cast sample, a transition point from ageing to rejuvenation exists in the annealing temperature ranging from 900 to 1000 K. Meanwhile, the degree of ageing when annealed at 900 K, as well as the degree of rejuvenation when annealed at 1000 K, improves with a longer isothermal time. The transition behavior from ageing to rejuvenation at different annealing temperatures is mainly caused by the variation of proportions of Cu-centered and Zr-centered polyhedra in the supercooled liquid region. This work provides a profound understanding of the change in configurational potential energy and atomic structure during recovery annealing with different thermal parameters.

Abstract Background Sepsis is still a major public health concern and a medical emergency due to its high morbidity and mortality. Accurate and timely etiology diagnosis is crucial for sepsis management. As an emerging rapid and sensitive pathogen detection tool, digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) has shown promising potential in rapid identification of pathogens and antimicrobial resistance genes. However, the diagnostic value and clinical impact of ddPCR tests remains to be studied in patients with suspected sepsis. PROGRESS trial is aimed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of a novel ddPCR assay compared with standard practice. Methods PROGRESS is a multicenter, open-label, pragmatic randomized controlled trial (pRCT) set in ten hospitals, including departments of infectious disease and intensive care units. In this study, a total of 2292 patients with suspected sepsis will be randomly assigned to two arms: the ddPCR group and the control group with a ratio of 3:1. The primary outcome is the diagnostic efficacy, that is, the sensitivity and specificity of the ddPCR assay compared with the synchronous blood culture. Secondary outcomes include the mortality rates and the mean Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score at follow-up time points, the length of stay in the hospital, the time to directed antimicrobial therapy, duration of broad-spectrum antibiotic use, and the EQ-5D-5L score on day 90. Discussion It is the first multicenter pragmatic RCT to explore the diagnostic efficacy and clinical impact of the ddPCR assay in patients with suspected sepsis, taking advantage of both RCT’s ability to establish causality and the feasibility of pragmatic approaches in real-world studies (RWS). This trial will help us to get a comprehensive view of the assay’s capacity for precise diagnosis and treatment of sepsis. It has the potential to monitor the pathogen load change and to guide the antimicrobial therapy, making a beneficial impact on the prognosis of sepsis patients. Trial registration: ClinicalTrial.gov, NCT05190861. Registered January 13, 2022—‘Retrospectively registered’, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05190861 .

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of triple‐phase bone scanning and the temporal impact of prosthesis implantation on the diagnostic efficacy of triple‐phase bone scanning for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). Methods Patients who were admitted to our hospital for joint pain and dysfunction after total joint arthroplasty between 2014 and 2020 were retrospectively included. Triple‐phase bone scanning was performed, and the blood pool images were evaluated to obtain the semi‐quantitative criteria. The patients were then grouped into six groups according to the time interval from index primary arthroplasty to triple‐phase bone scanning. We examined whether there were significant differences in sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy between the groups. Results Overall, 66 patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty (THA) and 74 patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty (TKA) were analyzed. No significant differences were observed between visual analysis and semi‐quantitative measurement in terms of sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy. For patients with a time interval from prosthesis implantation to bone scanning of >1 year, visual analysis had a higher PPV (100%) in patients who underwent THA and the use of semi‐quantitative criteria had a higher NPV (85.7%) in patients who underwent TKA. Conclusion The semi‐quantitative criteria showed no advantages in the diagnosis of PJI. In addition, triple‐phase bone scanning demonstrated good clinical diagnostic efficacy when the time interval from prosthesis implantation to bone scanning was >1 year.

Pest herbivory regulation is one of the key functions provided by diverse ecosystems, especially when compared to species depauperate agro-ecosystems and in the context of increased pest outbreaks due to global change. The dilution effect of host diversity on insect herbivory suggests that mixed plantations are feasible for regulating pest herbivory in agroecosystems. Dilution effect of increased plant diversity on insect herbivory has been widely observed, yet little is known about how it may change with plant phylogenetic relatedness and herbivore specialization, especially at the community level. Here, we compared herbivore richness, abundance, and degree of herbivory (i.e., the ratio of trees damaged by pest and total trees in a given area) among the two monocultures and the four mixed plantations in Wenchang city, Hainan Province, China. We also respectively assessed the effects of phylogenetically close or distant species on generalist and specialist herbivores in monocultures and mixture. We found that increasing the number of phylogenetically closely-related tree species could dilute generalist herbivore richness, abundance, and degree of herbivory but amplify specialist herbivore richness, abundance, and degree of herbivory. In contrast, increasing the number of phylogenetically distant tree species increased generalist herbivore richness, abundance, and degree of herbivory, while reducing specialist herbivore richness, abundance, and degree of herbivory. Our results suggest that plant phylogenetic relatedness and herbivore specialization can indeed interact to influence pest control efficiency when using mixed plantations to manage pest herbivory in agroecosystems. Thus, both herbivore specialization and plant phylogenetic relatedness should be taken into account in the management of agro-ecosystems and biodiversity conservation with respect to herbivory.

IntroductionAs the global climate crisis worsens, carbon neutrality has attracted the attention of various nations.MethodsBased on panel data from 282 Chinese prefecture-level cities from 2008 to 2019, this research considers the execution of the artificial intelligence strategy as a quasi-natural experiment. It uses the difference-in-differences (DID) model to evaluate the effect of artificial intelligence construction on carbon emission reduction.ResultsThe findings indicate that implementing the artificial intelligence strategy into practice can lower carbon emissions and advance carbon neutrality, and this conclusion still passes after various robustness tests. The mediating effects reveal that developing green technologies and upgrading the industrial structure are crucial mechanisms for achieving carbon neutrality. The implementation effect varies with time, geographical location, natural resource endowment, and city level.DiscussionThis article examines the influence of artificial intelligence on urban carbon neutrality at the city level, adding to the notion of urban carbon neutrality and providing research support for urban development transformation.

Tropical rainforests in the central hilly section of Hainan Island are the source of the Nandu, Changhua, and Wanquan rivers, which are crucial for water conservation and ecological protection. The quantitative assessment of water yield in the three basins is beneficial for developing regional water resource protection plans, establishing ecological compensation mechanisms, and maintaining ecological balance. Based on land use data from five periods between 1980 and 2020, this paper adopts the InVEST model and geographic detectors to investigate the spatial-temporal variation characteristics and driving factors of water yield in three major basins of Hainan Island. The results demonstrate that forestland, which makes up more than 70% of the total area in the three basins of Hainan Island, is the predominant land use type. With a depth of 1269.18 mm, Wanquan Basin is the deepest of the three basins, followed by Nandu Basin and Changhua Basin. The total water yield of three basins shows a slightly decreasing trend from 17.991 billion m3 in 1980 to 17.864 billion m3 in 2020. The spatial distribution of water yield is high in the southeast region and low in the northwest region, with strong autocorrelation and significant aggregation. According to geographic detection, land use type is the dominant factor for the spatial differentiation of water yield in the three basins, with a contribution rate of 0.563, and soil type and annual precipitation are important impact factors. The interaction and synergy of soil types and land use types jointly affect the spatial differentiation of water yield in the basin. The results of this study can provide data support and scientific references for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration in the three major basins of Hainan Island.

In order to explore the changes of physicochemical indexes and volatile components of giant salamander meat during cold storage (4 ℃, 0~8 d), the sensory evaluation, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) value and total bacterial count of giant salamander meat during cold storage were regularly determined, and headspace solid phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) was used to analyze the changes of volatile components in giant salamander meat. The results showed that the sensory quality of giant salamander meat decreased gradually with the extension of refrigeration time, while TVB-N and total bacterial count increased. Among them, the sensory quality of giant salamander meat was not acceptable on the 5th day, the TVB-N value exceeded the upper acceptable limit (30 mg/100 g) on the 7th day, and the total bacterial count exceeded the upper acceptable limit (6 lg CFU/g) on the 6th day. A total of 58 volatile substances in 7 categories were detected in giant salamander meat at different refrigerating times. Among them, the contents of 14 alcohols and 12 esters were relatively higher. With the extension of refrigeration time, the alcohol content decreased, while the ester content increased, and other compounds fluctuated slightly during refrigeration storage. Cluster analysis showed that the giant salamander meat with different refrigeration time could be clustered into four categories, namely, 0~4 d, 5 d, 6~7 d, and 8 d. Correlation analysis showed that hexyl caproate, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, 2-heptanone, 2, 3-butanedione and linalool could be used as potential markers of corruption and deterioration of giant salamander meat during cold storage. This study provides a reference for the freshness evaluation and quality control of giant salamander meat during cold storage.

Abstract Background Quadratus lumborum block is a truncal block with several technique variations. It has been reported as providing effective analgesia for postoperative pain. The aim of this study is to determine the efficacy of the QL block in providing postoperative analgesia for hip surgery when compared with placebo or no block or other analgesic techniques. Methods Randomized trials evaluating quadratus lumborum block benefits in elective hip surgery were sought. The primary outcome was the 24 h opioid requirement after surgery. Two independent reviewers selected the studies and extracted the data. Results Thirteen randomized-controlled trials were included in this study. The included studies had significant heterogeneity regarding comparator groups; therefore, a limited quantitative analysis was undertaken for the comparison of QL block versus no block or placebo only. QL block reduced the opioid use by 15.78 (95% CI, 2.31 to 29.26) mg IME in the first postoperative 24 h compared with no block or placebo with no difference in static pain scores, pain grade was reduced by 2.95 (95% CI, 2.40 to 3.60) in the QL block group compared with placebo or no block in the first postoperative 24 h during movement. Conclusions Our meta-analysis indicates that QL block may be effective for analgesia in patients after hip surgery compared with placebo or no block. There is currently limited evidence comparing QL block with other analgesic techniques for hip surgery.

The genus Ecpyrrhorrhoe Hübner, 1825 is revised. Most type materials were examined, and a preliminary phylogeny is presented based on a combined dataset of COI, 16S rRNA, 28S rRNA and EF-1α gene regions. The tree topology and morphological characters suggest that Paliga Moore, 1886 is a new synonym of Ecpyrrhorrhoe, and Yezobotys Munroe & Mutuura, 1969 is restored as a valid genus. According to the morphological evidence and tree topology, 17 species are recorded, including five new species described from China: E. allochroa Zhang & Xiang, sp. nov., E. rosisquama Xiang & Zhang, sp. nov., E. exigistria Zhang & Xiang, sp. nov., E. brevis Zhang & Xiang, sp. nov. and E. longispinalis Zhang & Xiang, sp. nov. Seven new combinations are created, E. damastesalis (Walker, 1859), comb. nov., E. minnehaha (Pryer, 1877), comb. nov., E. obliquata (Moore, 1888), comb. nov., E. rufipicta (Butler, 1880), comb. nov., E. fimbriata (Moore, 1886), comb. nov., E. machoeralis (Walker, 1859), comb. nov., and E. rubellalis (Snellen, 1890), comb. nov., as well as eight new synonyms, namely Leucocraspeda auratalis Warren, 1895, syn. nov., Pionea schenklingi Strand, 1918, syn. nov., Paliga rubicundalis Warren, 1896, syn. nov., E. angustivalvaris Gao, Zhang & Wang, 2013, syn. nov., Pyrausta pygmaealis South, 1901, syn. nov., E. multispinalis Gao, Zhang &Wang, 2013, syn. nov., E. aduncis Gao, Zhang & Wang, 2013, syn. nov., and E. ruidispinalis Zhang, Li & Wang, 2004, syn. nov. All adults and their genital structures are illustrated and an identification key based on adult external morphology and genitalia is provided.

5xxx Al-Mg based alloys are widely applied as non-heat-treatable alloys. In this work, we designed a dispersion-strengthening Al-4Mg-1Mn-0.3Fe-0.2Si-0.2Zr-0.2Cr (wt.%) alloy. By applying ramp heating and 400 °C isothermal aging, a significant dispersion-strengthening effect through the formation of various types of dispersoids was achieved. Detailed scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis revealed the precipitation behaviors of nanoscale Mn-rich dispersoids and Al3Zr nanoparticles during heat treatments. As a result, an increment of 48 MPa in yield strength was obtained compared with the reference 5182 alloy. Meanwhile, the modified alloy shows a good heat resistance at 400 °C with little loss of yield strength until 200 h of heating. This has been attributed to the further precipitation of Al3Zr particles which counteracts the coarsening of Mn-rich dispersoids. Moreover, the addition of peritectic element Cr was found to significantly promote the precipitation of Al6(Mn,Fe,Cr) in dendritic center regions, thus improving their global distribution across dendrite arms. The presence of dense dispersoids can also improve the recrystallization resistance of the deformed alloy during annealing, thus retaining the deformation fiber structure and significantly retarding the recrystallization behavior. This research demonstrates an effective strategy to develop high-performance 5xxx series alloys strengthened via dispersoids.

Hainan Island has undergone rapid landscape transformation leading to habitat fragmentation.Thus, exploring the spatiotemporal change from its past habitat quality provides insights into its future ecological protection. This study investigated the spatiotemporal changes of the habitat quality of Hainan Island from 1980 to 2020 using the InVEST and CA-Markov models and predicted the habitat quality for the time frame of 2020–2040. We found that the habitat quality index first increased from 0.73 in 1980 to 0.74 in 1990 and then will decrease to 0.70 in 2040 with an accelerating rate. The habitat quality inside the national park was significantly better and more stable than that outside the national park. The simulation and prediction results showed that the habitat quality inside the national park would continue to improve from 2020 to 2040, while that outside the national park would decline. The spatial distribution of the changes in the habitat quality of Hainan Island was significantly autocorrelated and clustered, enhanced over time. Our results suggest that the overall decline in the habitat quality of Hainan Island mainly result from the habitat quality change outside the national park, and the habitat quality change inside the national park will play a key role in stabilizing and supporting the habitat quality of Hainan Island, which highlights the importance of national park conservation.

Abstract Background Encephalitis/meningitis brings a heavy disease burden, and the origin of disease remains unknown in 30–40% of patients. It is greatly significant that combinations of nucleic acid amplification and autoimmune antibody testing improves the diagnosis and treatment of encephalitis/meningitis. Moreover, though several diagnostic methods are in clinical use, a recognized and unified diagnosis and treatment process for encephalitis management remains unclear. Methods IMPROVE is a multicenter, open label, randomized controlled clinical trial that aims to evaluate the diagnostic performance, applications, and impact on patient outcomes of a new diagnostic algorithm that combines metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS), multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and autoimmune antibody testing. The enrolled patients will be grouped into two parallel groups, multiplex PCR test plus autoimmune antibody group (Group I) or the mNGS plus autoimmune antibody group (Group II) with a patient ratio of 1:1. Both groups will be followed up for 12 months. The primary outcomes include the initial time of targeted treatment and the modified Rankin scale score on the 30th day of the trial. The secondary outcomes are the cerebrospinal fluid index remission rate on the 14th day, mortality rate on the 30th day, and an evaluation of diagnostic efficacy. The two groups are predicted to comprise of 484 people in total. Discussion To optimize the roadmap of encephalitis/meningitis, precise diagnosis, and treatment are of great significance. The effect of rapid diagnosis undoubtedly depends on the progression of new diagnostic tests, such as the new multiplex PCR, mNGS, and examination of broad-spectrum autoimmune encephalitis antibodies. This randomized-controlled study could allow us to obtain an accurate atlas of the precise diagnostic ability of these tests and their effect on the treatment and prognosis of patients. Trial registration ClinicalTrial.gov, NCT04946682. Registered 29 June 2021, ‘Retrospectively registered’, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04946682?term=NCT04946682&draw=2&rank=1