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Background: We explored whether there are splice variants (SVs) of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARG) in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients and its relationship with clinical features and KGN cell functions. Methods: We performed a study involving 153 women with PCOS and 153 age-matched controls. One type of PPARG SV was detected by SMARTer RACE. The correlations between PPARG SV expression levels, clinical features, and KGN cell functions were analyzed. The effect of the PPARG SV on the expression of important genes in metabolism-related pathways was explored by PCR array. Results: The expression of the PPARG SV in PCOS patients was significantly higher than that in the controls. Clinical features were more significant in the PCOS group with the SV. Compared with overexpression of PPARG, the overexpression of the PPARG SV inhibited the proliferation, migration, and apoptosis of KGN cells in vitro. The genes related to the PPARG SV were mainly involved in lipid metabolism. Conclusion: While granulosa cells contribute greatly to the development of follicles, our results suggest that the identified PPARG SV may regulate cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis in granulosa cells, which could partially explain the mechanisms of ovulation dysfunction in PCOS. Further investigation of the utility of this PPARG SV as a biomarker for PCOS is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring high‐efficiency and stable halide perovskite‐based photocatalysts for the selective reduction of CO2 to methane is a challenge because of the intrinsic photo‐ and chemical instability of halide perovskites. In this study, halide perovskites (Cs3Bi2Br9 and Cs2AgBiBr6) were grown in situ in mesoporous TiO2 frameworks for an efficient CO2 reduction. Benchmarked CH4 production rates of 32.9 and 24.2 μmol g−1 h−1 with selectivities of 88.7 % and 84.2 %, were achieved, respectively, which are better than most reported halide perovskite photocatalysts. Focused ion‐beam sliced‐imaging techniques were used to directly image the hyperdispersed perovskite nanodots confined in mesopores with tunable sizes ranging from 3.8 to 9.9 nm. In situ X‐ray photoelectronic spectroscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy showed that the built‐in electric field between the perovskite nanodots and mesoporous titania channels efficiently promoted photo‐induced charge transfer. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the high methane selectivity was attributed to the Bi‐adsorption‐mediated hydrogenation of *CO to *HCO that dominates CO desorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring high‐efficiency and stable halide perovskite‐based photocatalysts for the selective reduction of CO2 to methane is a challenge because of the intrinsic photo‐ and chemical instability of halide perovskites. In this study, halide perovskites (Cs3Bi2Br9 and Cs2AgBiBr6) were grown in situ in mesoporous TiO2 frameworks for an efficient CO2 reduction. Benchmarked CH4 production rates of 32.9 and 24.2 μmol g−1 h−1 with selectivities of 88.7 % and 84.2 %, were achieved, respectively, which are better than most reported halide perovskite photocatalysts. Focused ion‐beam sliced‐imaging techniques were used to directly image the hyperdispersed perovskite nanodots confined in mesopores with tunable sizes ranging from 3.8 to 9.9 nm. In situ X‐ray photoelectronic spectroscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy showed that the built‐in electric field between the perovskite nanodots and mesoporous titania channels efficiently promoted photo‐induced charge transfer. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the high methane selectivity was attributed to the Bi‐adsorption‐mediated hydrogenation of *CO to *HCO that dominates CO desorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We review the experimental and computational data about the propagation of neural signals in myelinated axons in mice, cats, rabbits, and frogs published in the past five decades. In contrast to the natural assumption that neural signals occur one by one in time and in space, we figure out that neural signals are highly overlapped in time between neighboring nodes. This phenomenon was occasionally illustrated in some early reports, but seemed to have been overlooked for some time. The shift in time between two successive neural signals from neighboring nodes, defined as relay time τ, was calculated to be only 16.3 μs–87.0 μs, i.e., 0.8 %–4.4 % of the average duration of an action potential peak (roughly 2 ms). We present a clearer picture of the exact physical process about how the information transmits along a myelinated axon, rather than a whole action potential peak, what is transmitted is only a rising electric field caused by transmembrane ion flows. Here in the paper, τ represents the waiting time until the neighboring node senses an attenuated electric field reaching the threshold to trigger the open state. The mechanisms addressed in this work have the potential to be universal, and may hold clues to revealing the exact triggering processes of voltage-gated ion channels and various brain functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To examine the effects of family functioning and resilience on self‐management and glycaemic control among youth with type 1 diabetes and to determine whether resilience mediates the effects of family functioning on self‐management and glycaemic control. Background: Poor self‐management and glycaemic control are common in youth with type 1 diabetes. Family functioning and resilience are known to be important psychosocial factors that contribute to individual health and development. However, no studies have explored the effects of family functioning and resilience on self‐management and glycaemic control among youths with type 1 diabetes in mainland China. Design: This study was conducted using a survey with a convenience sample following the STROBE guidelines. Methods: A total of 204 Chinese youth who had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes for at least 6 months were recruited. Family functioning, resilience, self‐management and diabetes distress were measured using self‐reports and standard measurement tools. Glycaemic control was assessed by glycated haemoglobin (HbA1C) levels. A structural equation model was used to test the hypothesised model. Results: The final model accounted for 52.1% and 19.5% of the total variance of self‐management and HbA1C level, respectively. Resilience had a direct effect on self‐management and an indirect effect on control of HbA1C. Family functioning had an indirect effect on both self‐management and control of HbA1C through resilience. The model remained invariant across the mild‐distress and severe‐distress groups. Conclusion: In Chinese youth with type 1 diabetes, resilience positively affected self‐management and ultimately optimised glycaemic control, even in the presence of diabetes distress. Family functioning positively affected self‐management and glycaemic control by promoting resilience. Relevance to clinical practice: This study found that family functioning and resilience had positive effects on self‐management and glycaemic control in youth. This study confirms the importance of incorporating resilience assessments and family‐based resilience interventions into clinical nursing practice with youth with type 1 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudorabies virus (PRV), the agent of pseudorabies, has raised considerable attention since 2011 due to the outbreak of emerging PRV variants in China. In the present study, we obtained two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) known as 2E5 and 5C3 against the glycoprotein E (gE) of a PRV variant (JS-2012 strain). The two mAbs reacted with wild PRV but not the vaccine strain (gE-deleted virus). The 2E5 was located in 161RLRRE165, which was conserved in almost of all PRV strains, while 5C3 in 148EMGIGDY154 was different from almost of all genotype I PRV, in which the 149th amino acid is methionine (M) instead of arginine (R). The two epitopes peptides located in the hydrophilic region and reacted with positive sera against genotype II PRV (JS-2012), which suggests they were likely dominant B-cell epitopes. Furthermore, the mutant peptide 148ERGIGDY154 (genotype I) did not react with the mAb 5C3 or positive sera against genotype II PRV (JS-2012). In conclusion, both mAb 2E5 and 5C3 could be used to identify wild PRV strains from vaccine strains, and mAb 5C3 and the epitope peptide of 5C3 might be used for epidemiological investigation to distinguish genotype II from genotype I PRV. • Two novel linear epitopes of PRV gE recognized by mAbs was defined. • The epitope peptide 161RLRRE165 is conserved while 148EMGIGDY154 is different in genotype I and genotype II PRV. • The mAb and the peptides were valuable tools to distinguish genotype II from genotype I PRV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Super-resolution of facial images, a.k.a. face hallucination, has been intensively studied in the past decades due to the increasingly emerging analysis demands in video surveillance, e.g., face detection, verification, identification. However, the actual performance of most previous hallucination approaches will drop dramatically when a very low-res tiny face is provided, due to the challenging multimodality of the problem as well as lack of an informative prior as a strong semantic guidance. Inspired by the latest progress in deep unsupervised learning, this paper focuses on tiny faces of size 16 × 16 pixels, hallucinating them to their 8 × upsampling versions by exploring the potentials of Wasserstein generative adversarial networks (WGAN). Besides a pixel-wise L 2 regularization term imposed to the generative model, it is found that our advocated autoencoding generator with both residual and skip connections is a critical component for WGAN representing the facial contour and semantic content to a reasonable precision. With the additional Lipschitz penalty and architectural considerations for the critic in WGAN, the proposed approach finally achieves state-of-the-art hallucination performance in terms of both visual perception and objective assessment. The cropped CelebA face dataset is primarily used to aid the tuning and analysis of the new method, termed as tfh -WGAN. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed approach not only achieves realistic hallucination of tiny faces, but also adapts to pose, expression, illuminance and occluded variations to a great degree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vascular dementia (VaD) is caused by chronic decreases in brain blood flow and accounts for 15-20% of dementia cases worldwide. In contrast to Alzheimer's disease (AD), no effective drug treatments are currently available for VaD. Previous studies have suggested that oxidative stress and neuroinflammation in the brain play important roles in the pathogenesis of VaD. Honokiol (HKL) is a well-known bioactive and nutraceutical compound that can act as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory molecule. HKL can protect against memory impairments in AD mouse models. In this study, we explored whether the application of HKL was also protective against the insult of chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH) in rats. We found that HKL supplementation prevented the memory impairments in the inhibitory avoidance step-down and Morris water maze tasks in CCH rats. HKL also suppressed the levels of oxidative stress and inflammation in CCH rats. Moreover, HKL prevented dendritic spines abnormalities in CCH rats. We also found that HKL inhibited the activity of GSK-3β, which may be critical for the neuroprotective activity of HKL. Thus, our study demonstrated the protective role of HKL in VaD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanisms of magnetoreception have been proposed as the magnetite‐based, the chemical radical‐pair and biocompass model, in which magnetite particles, the cryptochrome (Cry) or iron‐sulfur cluster assembly 1 (IscA1) may be involved. However, little is known about the association among the molecules. Here we investigated the molecular characterization and the mRNA expression of IscA1 in different developmental stages, tissues and magnetic fields in the migratory brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens. NlIscA1 contains an open reading frame of 390 bp, encoding amino acids of 129, with the predicted molecular weight of 14.0 kDa and the isoelectric point of 9.10. Well‐conserved Fe‐S cluster binding sites were observed in the predicted protein. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated NlIscA1 to be clustered into the insect's IscA1. NlIscA1 showed up‐regulated mRNA expression during the period of migration. The mRNA expression of NlIscA1 could be detected in all the three tissues of head, thorax and abdomen, with the highest expression level in the abdomen. For the macropterous migratory Nilaparvata lugens, mRNA expression of NlIscA1 and N. lugens cryptochrome1 (Nlcry1) were up‐regulated under the magnetic fields of 5 Gauss and 10 Gauss in strength (vs. local geomagnetic field), while N. lugens cryptochrome2 (Nlcry2) remained stable. For the brachyterous non‐migratory Nilaparvata lugens, no significant changes were found in mRNA expression of NlIscA1, Nlcry1 and Nlcry2 among different magnetic fields. These findings preliminarily reveal that the expression of NlIscA1 and Nlcry1 exhibited coordinated responses to the magnetic field. It suggests some potential associations among the putative magneto‐sensitive molecules of cryptochrome and iron‐sulfur cluster assembly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economy and safety are important factors for the layout design of chemical process plants. However, safety factors are often translated into economic indicators as a part of the objective function for layout optimization in previous studies. This may result in safety performance of chemical process plants does not meet the actual production requirements. In this paper, a multi-objective optimization method for chemical process plant layout is proposed to obtain series of solutions that can achieve the trade-off between economy and safety. The economic objective function is characterized by the total capital cost, including land cost, pipe cost, protection device cost and expected property loss from accidents. The safety objective function involves inherent safety which is evaluated by the Comprehensive Inherent Safety Index (CISI). The proposed multi-objective optimization model solved by non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) is applied for layout optimization of an acrylic acid production plant. The results show a strong trade-off between competing economic and safety objectives according to the Pareto curve. The optimal solution ranges from 236,099 $ to 379,622 $ for total cost, corresponding to 87.7–132 for CISI. Safety will be improved significantly in the low-safety layout scheme when the capital investment increases slightly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryptochromes (CRYs) are blue and UV light photoreceptors, known to play key roles in circadian rhythms and in the light-dependent magnetosensitivity of insects. Two novel cryptochrome genes were cloned from the brown planthopper, and were given the designations of Nlcry1 and Nlcry2, with the accession numbers KM108578 and KM108579 in GenBank. The complementary DNA sequences of Nlcry1 and Nlcry2 are 1935 bp and 2463 bp in length, and they contain an open reading frame of 1629 bp and 1872 bp, encoding amino acids of 542 and 623, with a predicted molecular weight of 62.53 kDa and 70.60 kDa, respectively. Well-conserved motifs such as DNA-photolyase and FAD-binding-7 domains were observed in Nlcry1 and Nlcry2. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated the proteins of Nlcry1 and Nlcry2 to be clustered into the insect's cryptochrome 1 and cryptochrome 2, respectively. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed that the daily oscillations of messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in the head of the brown planthopper were mild for Nlcry1, and modest for Nlcry2. Throughout all developmental stages, Nlcry1 and Nlcry2 exhibited extreme fluctuations and distinctive expression profiles. Cryptochrome mRNA expression peaked immediately after adult emergence and then decreased subsequently. The tissue expression profiles of newly emerged brown planthopper adults showed higher expression levels of CRYs in the head than in the thorax or abdomen, as well as significantly higher levels of CRYs in the heads of the macropterous strain than in the heads of the brachypterous strain. Taken together, the results of our study suggest that the two cryptochrome genes characterized in the brown planthopper might be associated with developmental physiology and migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thrombin was immobilized on dynabeads ® M-270 epoxy by direct covalent binding method for the first time. The enzyme coated magnetic beads were combined with ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry technique to establish a simple, rapid and reliable approach for screening thrombin inhibitors from Danshen preparation. The conjugation of thrombin to the magnetic beads was characterized using scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope and infrared spectroscopy, and the enzyme activity was determined by the analysis of enzyme-bead ratio and peak areas of target compounds. Several factors including amount of magnetic beads, type of elution solvent, incubation temperature and time were optimized. Additionally, two thrombin-bound compounds (protocatechuic aldehyde and salvianolic acid C) in Danshen injection were validated by conventional inhibitory assay and the IC 50 values were 286.11 and 66.09 μg/mL, respectively. Our findings suggested that the proposed method was efficient in screening active compounds from medicinal plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A green and economical method for the extraction and preconcentration of natural pigments (curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin) was developed using ultrasound-assisted extraction combined with dispersive micro solid-phase extraction. In this work, Ionic liquids (ILs) were used for the pre-extraction of natural pigments. The pure chitosan nanoparticles (CS NPs) were then used as a sorbent for the microextraction mode. The method involves the use of ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry. Operating parameters influencing the performance of extraction steps such as type and concentration of ILs, concentration of CS NPs, type of elution solvent, agitation time and pH of sample-extracting solution were investigated. Under the optimum conditions, the proposed method exhibited a low detection limit in the range of 0.11–0.36 ng/mL at S/N = 3, and good linearities with coefficients of determination (R 2 ) higher than 0.9990. The recoveries of turmeric samples were ranging from 90.45% to 105.04% for the three studied curcuminoids with SD of 3.27–6.58. The experimental results indicated that the ILs and CS NPs were the promising materials for the extraction and enrichment of target curcuminoids from complex solid samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes an on-line technique for hydrodynamic injections of long sample plugs with simultaneous stacking of iodine species in capillary electrophoresis (CE) with diode array detection. Surfactant-coated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (SC-MWNTs) were used as a pseudostationary phase for the separation of iodate, tetraiodothyronine,triiodothyronine, diiodothyronine, and diiodotyrosine. The effects of MWNTs, concentration of SC-MWNTs and salt, of buffer pH value, injection times were examined. Under the optimized conditions, i.e. detection at 230 nm, a separation voltage 25 kV, a borate running buffer of pH 7.5 and a SC-MWNT concentration of 9 μg · mL, the method gave relative standard deviations of the retention times and peak areas in intra-day assays (for n = 6) and for inter-day assays (for n = 3) of less than 4.49 and 5.80 %, respectively. The CE method was then applied to the analysis of the above iodine species in (spiked) kelp (kunbu) and porphyra, and recoveries ranged from 81.6 to 98.4 % with RSDs ( n = 3) for extraction repeatability of <3.39 % in all cases. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, two flavonoid glycosides (neohesperidin and naringin) in lime fruit were effectively extracted by miniaturized matrix solid phase dispersion (MSPD), followed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection. The best results were obtained using Florisil (150 mg) as the sorbent and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (0.4 mL, 250 mM) as the elution solvent. This work represents the first attempt of using ionic liquids as a green eluent for extraction of the investigated compounds in miniaturized MSPD. Compared with the conventional methods, the proposed method is advantageous due to improved enrichment factor and reduced reagent consumption. A good linearity was observed with r 2 values (>0.998). Meanwhile, the method gave acceptable recoveries (90.16–96.47%) for the determination of flavonoids in plant samples. The limits of detection of the two analytes ranged between 4.08 and 5.04 μg/g. The results showed that the optimized method has a great potential for sample preparation in routine analysis of complex plant samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• β-CG-DEX had pH-driven self-assemble ability. • β-CG-DEX exhibited higher encapsulation-performance than β-CG. • β-CG-DEX-Cur nanoparticles exhibited an eminent antioxidant activity. • Glycation improved the digestive stability of nanocomplexes. In this study, glycated soy β-conglycinin (β-CG) stabilized curcumin (Cur) composites were fabricated by a unique reversible self-assembly character of β-conglycinin-dextran conjugates (β-CG-DEX). Intrinsic fluorescence and far-UV CD spectra revealed that glycation did not affect the self-assembly property of β-CG in the pH-shifting treatment. The structure of β-CG-DEX could be unfolded at pH 12.0 and reassembled during acidification (from pH 12.0 to 7.0). Meanwhile, β-CG-DEX-3d, which was incubated at 60 °C for 3 days, exhibited a high loading capacity (123.4 mg/g) for curcumin, which far exceeds that (74.90 mg/g) of β-CG-Cur. Moreover, the reassembled β-CG-DEX-3d-Cur showed eminent antioxidant activity of approximately 1.5 times higher than that of free curcumin. During the simulated gastrointestinal condition, compared with β-CG-Cur, β-CG-DEX-3d-Cur nanoparticles showed a more stable and sustained release of curcumin. Thus, β-CG-DEX has immense potential to become a new delivery carrier for hydrophobic food components by means of a self-assembly strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, a novel β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) based trace matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) method was developed to extract isomers from different honeysuckle samples using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography. The structures of the analytes were characterized and determined via quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance. Under optimum conditions, 25 mg of sample was dispersed with 75 mg of β-CD, and 0.5 mL of methanol was used as the elution solvent. The proposed method produced a good linearity ( r 2 > 0.99) for the isomers, with limits of detection ranging from 1.62 to 3.33 ng/mL. The average recovery values that were obtained from analyzing the spiked samples were calculated to be in the range of 87.04–105.20%. Moreover, the trace MSPD method required less reagents and a shorter extraction time in comparison with the traditional pharmacopoeia method and other reported approaches. The developed method was successfully applied for the determination of three real honeysuckle samples that were collected from different cultivated areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel dispersive micro-solid-phase extraction (DMSPE) method using ultramicro chitosan as an adsorbent was proposed for the analysis of flavonols in Flos Sophorae tea, with detection by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography. Various parameters affecting the extraction recovery, including the concentration and viscosity of chitosan, extraction time and the pH of the sample solution were investigated and optimized. The optimized conditions were found to be 0.4 μg/mL of sorbent, pH of 7, an extraction time of 1.0 min and 100 μL of methanol as the elution solvent. The DMSPE method showed excellent linearity ( r 2 > 0.99) with pre-concentration factor values ranging from 23 to 77-fold. The limits of detection and quantification were 0.22–0.36 ng/mL and 0.72–1.21 ng/mL, respectively. This method was successfully applied to the analysis of flavonols in Flos Sophorae tea samples, and their recoveries were in the range of 95.2–102.4%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A low-oil-phase emulsion gel (Φ < 0.3) was prepared via high-pressure homogenization (HPH) of composite nanoparticles of soybean protein isolate (SPI) with different curcumin concentrations. Native-PAGE electrophoresis, fluorescence spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy demonstrated that the SPI and curcumin were bound by hydrophobic interactions within the nanoparticles (SPI-Cur-NPs). The three-phase contact angle (θ o/w) was altered by the addition of curcumin, and the particles exhibited outstanding wettability (θ o/w = 80.6 ± 1°) at a curcumin concentration of 50 μM. According to the confocal laser scanning microscopy and cryo-scanning electron microscopy images, the network of emulsion gels with an oil phase of 30% was mainly composed of compact "aggregated" oil droplets, which were mainly formed due to inter-droplet hydrophobic interactions. The formation of such a gel network and the addition of curcumin avoided oxidative deterioration, and maintained a lower peroxide value, which was 1.8 times lower than that of the blank control group during the 30-day storage experiment. Moreover, the peroxide value of this gel was maintained at approximately 0.118 μmol/L during the 14-day accelerated oxidation experiment. Therefore, the low-oil-phase-emulsion gels stabilized by SPI-Cur 50 -NPs may be used to protect easily oxidized-lipid-soluble nutrients in a low-fat diet. [Display omitted] • Hydrophobic interaction of soybean protein isolate with curcumin form nanoparticles. • Nanoparticles with curcumin concentration = 50 μM gave best wettability. • Stable low-oil-phase (φ = 30%) emulsion gel was fabricated using nanoparticles. • Nanocomposite-stabilized emulsion significantly delayed lipid oxidation in emulsions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we argue that models developed to examine cooperation and conflict in communal breeders, using a 'tug-of-war' model of reproductive skew generated by incomplete control, are an appropriate way to model human kinship systems. We apply such models to understand the patterns of effort put into competition between father and son and between brothers in conflict over family resources in a patrilineal kinship system. Co-resident kin do not necessarily emerge with equal shares of the cake in terms of reproductive output. The models show that, depending on the efficiency with which they can gain more control of the resource, on the marriage system, and on the relatedness of the partners in conflict, individuals can do better to help their relatives breed rather than fight each other for the resources needed to reproduce. The models show that when a son's father is still breeding with his mother, sons should not compete for any share of reproduction. However, under polygyny, increased effort is spent on father/son and brother/brother conflict. Fathers will win the majority of reproduction if dominant to sons (in contrast to the finding that daughters-in-law win in conflict over mothers-in-law in patrilocal kinship systems, which has been suggested as explaining the evolution of menopause). Hence who wins in the sharing of reproduction depends not just on which sex disperses but also on the relative competitive ability of all individuals to exploit family resources. Anthropologists have long argued that cultural norms can reduce conflict. These formal evolutionary models help us to quantify the effects of reproductive conflict in families, throwing light on the evolutionary basis not just of patterns of reproductive scheduling, but also human kinship and marriage systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Three cyano-bridged 3d–4f bimetallic rectangular tetranuclear compounds, [FeIII(bpy)(CN)2(μ-CN)2]2[LnIII(NO3)2(H2O)3]2·2H2O·2CH3CN (Ln=Y (1), Tb (2), Dy (3); bpy=2,2′-bipyridine), have been prepared by diffusion and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, IR spectra, elemental analysis and magnetic measurement. Single-crystal structural analysis shows that 1–3 are isomorphous and made of a neutral tetranuclear unit [FeIII 2LnIII 2] with two free water and two acetonitrile molecules. Furthermore, the tetranuclear unit [FeIII 2LnIII 2] is connected into supermolecular three-dimensional framework through hydrogen bonds. Magnetic susceptibility measurements for compounds 1–3 were performed on polycrystalline samples. For compounds 2 and 3, there is weak ferromagnetic interaction between Fe(III) and Ln(III) ions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Carboxylesterases (CarEs) usually play critical roles in the detoxification of toxic chemicals and therefore may be involved in insecticide resistance in agricultural pests. Previous work has shown that CarE 001C from Helicoverpa armigera was able to metabolize the isomers of cypermethrin and fenvalerate. In this study, seven mutants of CarE 001C with single amino acid substitution were produced and expressed in the Escherichia coli. Enzyme kinetic analysis indicated that all seven mutations dramatically reduced enzymatic activities toward the generic substrate α -naphthyl acetate, but in vitro metabolism assay showed that two of the mutations, H423I and R322L, significantly improved hydrolase activities toward fenvalerate, with their recorded specific activities being 3.5 and 5.1 nM·s−1·mg −1 proteins, respectively. Further, thermostability assay showed that the stability of one mutant enzyme was enhanced. This study will help us better understand the potential of CarEs in insecticide detoxification and resistance in H. armigera. [Display omitted] • Seven mutants of CarE 001C were produced and expressed in E. coli. • The mutations dramatically reduced esterase activities toward α -naphthyl acetate. • Two mutations, H423I and R322L significantly improved fenvalerate hydrolase activity. • The Leu mutation at 322 position significantly reinforced the enzyme thermostability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• pUL16 interacted with VP26. • Deletion of UL16 and UL35 significantly reduced the viral characteristics. Pseudorabies virus (PRV) is related to alphaherpesvirus and varicellovirus. pUL16 is a conserved protein in all herpesviruses, and studies have shown that UL16 can interact with the viral proteins pUL11, pUL49, pUL21, gD, and gE. In this study, we found that pUL16 interacted with the viral capsid protein VP26, which could not translocate into the nucleus itself but did appear in the nucleus. We further determined whether pUL16 assists the translocation of VP26 into the nucleus. We found that pUL16 interacted with VP26 with or without viral proteins, and since VP26 itself did not contain a nuclear location signal, we concluded that pUL16 assisted the translocation of VP26 into the nucleus. Deletion of UL16 and UL35 significantly reduced the 50 % tissue culture infective dose, virulence, attachment, and internalization of PRV in cells. These results show that the interaction between pUL16 and VP26 influences the growth and virulence of pseudorabies virus. Our research is the first study to show that pUL16 interacts with VP26, which may explain the targeting site of UL16 and viral capsids. It is also the first to show that UL16 assists the transport of other viral proteins to organelles. Previous researches on pUL16 usually emphasized its interaction with pUL11, pUL21, and gE, and sometimes commented on pUL49 and gD. Our research focuses on the novel interaction between pUL16 and VP26, thereby enriching the studies on herpesviruses and possibly providing different directions for researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine have suggested that electroacupuncture (EA) could improve post-stroke cognitive impairment, based on the clinical evidence. This study protocol is aimed at showing the effectiveness of theta and gamma EA for post-stroke patients on working memory (WM) and electrophysiology.Methods: After assessing their eligibility, 66 patients with stroke will be enrolled from two Chinese medicine hospitals and randomly divided into theta frequency EA group, gamma frequency EA group, and sham-EA group according to the ratio of 1:1:1. All patients will receive 20 sessions of EA procedures for 4 weeks. Patients in three groups will receive EA at two same acupoints in the head: Baihui (GV20) and Shenting (GV24). The frequency of the three groups of EA is set as follows: 6 Hz (theta-EA group), 40 Hz (gamma-EA group), and no current through the electrodes (sham EA). Patients and assessors will be blinded throughout the entire study. The primary outcome is the performance accuracy of 1-back task which is a frequently used measure of WM in cognitive neuroscience research contexts. Secondary outcome measures will include the response time of 1-back task, the Rivermead Behavioral Memory Test, Trail Making Test, Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment Scale, modified Barthel Index, and electroencephalogram (EEG) signals during 1-back tasks. A blinding index will be assessed. Data will be statistically analyzed by one-way ANOVA, at 5% of significance level.Discussion: We expect this double-center, randomized, patient- and assessor-blinded, sham-controlled, parallel, clinical trial to explore the effectiveness of theta and gamma EA therapy, compared with sham EA, for post-stroke WM.Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2000031995 . Registered on 17 April 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine whether there is a difference in 2-year prognosis among patients across the spectrum of coronary artery disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Methods: We analyzed all consecutive patients undergoing PCI at a single center from 1/1-12/31/2013. Clinical presentations were compared between sexes according to baseline clinical, angiographic, and procedural characteristics and 2-year (mean 730 ± 30-day) outcomes.Results: We grouped 10 724 consecutive patients based on sex and clinical presentation. Among patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), rates of all-cause death (6.7% vs 1.4%) and cardiac death (3.8% vs 1.1%) were significantly higher in women than in men (P < 0.05), but these rates did not differ between men and women with stable coronary artery disease (SCAD) and non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome ((NSTE-ACS). Incidence of major bleeding was greater than in men only in those women presenting with ACS. After multivariable adjustment, female sex was not an independent predictor of outcomes in STEMI (hazard ratio [HR] for all-cause death: 1.33, 95% confidence interval [CI]:0.52-3.38; P = 0.55; HR for cardiac death: 0.69, 95%CI: 0.23-2.09, P = 0.51], but was still an independent predictor of bleeding in STEMI (HR: 3.53, 95%CI: 1.26-9.91, P = 0.017).Conclusion: Among STEMI patients, women had worse 2-year mortality after PCI therapy, but female sex was not an independent predictor of mortality after adjustment for baseline characteristics. In STEMI patients, women were at higher bleeding risk than men after PCI, even after multivariable adjustment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbohydrate plays an important role in rice resistance or tolerance to pests, and also affects the continuous feeding of brown planthoppers (BPHs) on rice. However, the change in the sugar metabolism of BPH and rice plant after BPH infestation is not well studied. In this study, the rice variety Taichung Native 1 (TN1) was taken as a control group, and four kinds of common rice varieties in Zhejiang province (China), Zhong Jiazao 17 (ZJZ17), Zhong Zheyou 8 (ZZY8), Tian Youhuazhan (TYHZ), and Jing Liangyouhuazhan (JLYHZ), were taken as experimental group. The results showed that the BPHs best preferred the TN1 rice variety. BPHs in fifth instar feeding on the other four rice varieties had lower levels of trehalose, glucose, and glycogen, and the difference in sugar levels further resulted in differences in trehalose‐6‐phosphate synthase and trehalase expression and trehalase activity. In addition, after BPHs infestation, the glucose content in the sheath at 30 days decreased, while it increased in the sheath at 60 days. Moreover, the trehalose content in the sheath at 30 and 60 days decreased. The starch in the leaves at 60 days also decreased. This study demonstrated that both BPHs and rice plant showed changes in carbohydrate metabolism after BPHs feeding on rice, but these changes varied with rice varieties and rice growth stage. These results provide a basis for a better understanding the physiological interaction between BPH and rice plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies have focused on pregnancy outcomes after frozen embryo transfer (FET) performed using different endometrial preparation protocols. Few studies have evaluated the effect of endometrial preparation on pregnancy-related complications. This study was designed to explore the association between different endometrial preparation protocols and adverse obstetric and perinatal complications after FET.Methods: We retrospectively included all FET cycles (n = 12,950) in our hospital between 2010 and 2017, and categorized them into three groups, natural cycles (NC), hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and ovarian stimulation (OS) protocols. Pregnancy-related complications and subsequent neonatal outcomes were compared among groups.Results: Among all 12,950 FET cycles, the live birth rate was slightly lower for HRT cycles than for NC (HRT vs. NC: 28.15% vs. 31.16%, p < 0.001). The pregnancy loss rate was significantly higher in OS or HRT cycles than in NC (HRT vs. NC: 17.14% vs. 10.89%, p < 0.001; OS vs. NC: 16.44% vs. 10.89%, p = 0.001). Among 3864 women with live birth, preparing the endometrium using OS or HRT protocols increased the risk of preeclampsia, and intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) in both singleton and multiple deliveries. Additionally, OS and HRT protocols increased the risk of low birth weight (LBW) and small for gestational age (SGA) in both singletons and multiples after FET.Conclusion: Compared with HRT or OS protocols, preparing the endometrium with NC was associated with the decreased risk of pregnancy-related complications, as well as the decreased risk of LBW and SGA after FET. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As of June 1, 2020, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused more than 6,000,000 infected persons and 360,000 deaths globally. Previous studies revealed pregnant women with COVID-19 had similar clinical manifestations to nonpregnant women. However, little is known about the outcome of neonates born to infected women.Methods and Findings: In this retrospective study, we studied 29 pregnant women with COVID-19 infection delivered in 2 designated general hospitals in Wuhan, China between January 30 and March 10, 2020, and 30 neonates (1 set of twins). Maternal demographic characteristics, delivery course, symptoms, and laboratory tests from hospital records were extracted. Neonates were hospitalized if they had symptoms (5 cases) or their guardians agreed to a hospitalized quarantine (13 cases), whereas symptom-free neonates also could be discharged after birth and followed up through telephone (12 cases). For hospitalized neonates, laboratory test results and chest X-ray or computed tomography (CT) were extracted from hospital records. The presence of antibody of SARS-CoV-2 was assessed in the serum of 4 neonates. Among 29 pregnant COVID-19-infected women (13 confirmed and 16 clinical diagnosed), the majority had higher education (56.6%), half were employed (51.7%), and their mean age was 29 years. Fourteen women experienced mild symptoms including fever (8), cough (9), shortness of breath (3), diarrhea (2), vomiting (1), and 15 were symptom-free. Eleven of 29 women had pregnancy complications, and 27 elected to have a cesarean section delivery. Of 30 neonates, 18 were admitted to Wuhan Children's Hospital for quarantine and care, whereas the other 12 neonates discharged after birth without any symptoms and had normal follow-up. Five hospitalized neonates were diagnosed as COVID-19 infection (2 confirmed and 3 suspected). In addition, 12 of 13 other hospitalized neonates presented with radiological features for pneumonia through X-ray or CT screening, 1 with occasional cough and the others without associated symptoms. SARS-CoV-2 specific serum immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) were measured in 4 neonates and 2 were positive. The limited sample size limited statistical comparison between groups.Conclusions: In this study, we observed COVID-19 or radiological features of pneumonia in some, but not all, neonates born to women with COVID-19 infection. These findings suggest that intrauterine or intrapartum transmission is possible and warrants clinical caution and further investigation.Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2000031954 (Maternal and Perinatal Outcomes of Women with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): a multicenter retrospective cohort study). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the platelet reactivity in real-world patients with different chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and to examine whether high residual platelet reactivity (HRPR) is associated with higher incidence of adverse cardiovascular events in a 2-year follow up. A total of 10 724 consecutive patients receiving DAPT with aspirin and clopidogrel after PCI throughout 2013 were enrolled. We applied modified thromboelastography (mTEG) in 6745 patients. Kaplan–Meier analysis and Cox proportional regression analysis were applied to illustrate end points for patients. The prevalence of HRPR for adenosine diphosphate (ADP) was higher in patients with CKD3-5 than patients with CKD1-2 (47.0% vs. 37.3%, p = 0.002), but not for arachidonic acid (AA). No significant difference was observed for MACCE between patients with or without HRPR for ADP (HR 1.004, 95%CI: 0.864–1.167, p = 0.954). Patients with HRPR for ADP was associated with less bleeding events than patients without HRPR for ADP (HR 0.795, 95%CI: 0.643–0.982, p = 0.034). In this large cohort of real-world patients after PCI, the deterioration of renal function was linked to HRPR for ADP. HRPR was not associated with MACCE in patients with CKD in a 2-year follow up. Bleeding risks were significantly lower in PCI patients with versus without HRPR for ADP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Few studies have explored the association between a previous caesarean section (CS) and adverse perinatal outcomes in a subsequent pregnancy, especially in women who underwent a non-indicated CS in their first delivery. We designed this study to compare the perinatal outcomes of a subsequent pregnancy in women who underwent spontaneous vaginal delivery (SVD) or CS in their first delivery.Methods: This retrospective cohort study included women who underwent singleton deliveries at the International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital from January 2013 to December 2016. Data on the perinatal outcomes of all the women were extracted from the medical records. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to assessed the association between CS in the first delivery and adverse perinatal outcomes in the subsequent pregnancy.Results: CS delivery in the subsequent pregnancy was more likely for women who underwent CS in their first birth than for women with previous SVD (97.3% versus 13.2%). CS in the first birth was also associated with a significantly increased risk of adverse outcomes in the subsequent pregnancy, especially in women who underwent a non-indicated CS. Adverse perinatal outcomes included pregnancy-induced hypertension [adjusted odds ratio (OR), 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.20, 1.59-3.05], gestational diabetes mellitus (1.82, 1.57-2.11), gestational anaemia (1.27, 1.05-1.55), placenta previa (3.18, 2.15-4.71), placenta accreta (2.75, 1.75-4.31), and polyhydramnios (2.60, 1.57-4.31) in the mother and preterm delivery (1.37, 1.06-1.78), low birth weight (3.78, 2.07-6.90), macrosomia (5.04, 3.95-6.44), and neonatal jaundice (1.72, 1.39-2.14) in the baby.Conclusions: CS in the first delivery markedly increases the risk of repeated CS and maternal-fetal complications in the subsequent pregnancy, especially in women with a non-indicated CS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carboxylesterases (CarEs) are a major class of detoxification enzymes involved in insecticide resistance in various insect species. In this study, a novel CarE 001G was isolated from the cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera , one of the most destructive agricultural insect pests. The open reading frame of 001G has 2244 nucleotides and putatively encodes 747 amino acid residues. The deduced CarE possessed the highly conserved catalytic triads(Ser-Glu-His) and pentapeptide motifs (Gly-X-Ser-X-Gly), suggesting 001G is biologically active. The truncated 001G was successfully expressed in Escherichia coli , and the recombinant proteins were purified and tested. The enzyme kinetic assay showed the purified proteins could catalyze two model substrates, α-naphthyl acetate and β-naphthyl acetate, with a kcat of 8.8 and 2.3 s−1, a K m of 9.6 and 16.2 μM, respectively. The inhibition study with pyrethroid, organophosphate and neonicotinoid insecticides showed different inhibition profile against the purified CarE. The HPLC assay demonstrated that the purified proteins were able to metabolize β -cypermethrin, λ-cyhalothrin and fenvalerate insecticides, exhibiting respective specific activities of 1.7, 1.4 and 0.5 nM/min/mg protein. However, the purified proteins were not able to metabolize the chlorpyrifos, parathion-methyl, paraoxon-ethyl and imidacloprid. The modeling and docking analyses consistently demonstrated that the pyrethroid molecule fits snugly into the catalytic pocket of the CarE 001G. Collectively, our results suggest that 001G may play a role in pyrethroids detoxification in H. armigera. Unlabelled Image • A novel carboxylesterase gene 001G was cloned and functionally expressed in E. coli. • Carboxylesterase 001G showed high enzymatic activity toward α-naphthyl acetate. • Carboxylesterase 001G can metabolize β-cypermethrin, λ-cyhalothrin and fenvalerate. • Cypermethrin molecules fit nicely into catalytic pocket of 001G in docking analyses. • Carboxylesterase 001G is involved in pyrethroids detoxification in H. armigera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple, green and effective extraction method, namely, pyridinium ionic liquid- (IL) based liquid-solid extraction (LSE), was first designed to extract the main inorganic and organic iodine compounds (I − , monoiodo-tyrosine (MIT) and diiodo-tyrosine (DIT)). The optimal extraction conditions were as follows: ultrasonic intensity 100 W, IL ([EPy]Br) concentration 200 mM, extraction time 30 min, liquid/solid ratio 10 mL/g, and pH value 6.5. The morphologies of Laminaria were studied by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The recovery values of I − , MIT and DIT from Laminaria were in the range of 88% to 94%, and limits of detection were in the range of 59.40 to 283.6 ng/g. The proposed method was applied to the extraction and determination of iodine compounds in three Laminaria . The results showed that IL-based LSE could be a promising method for rapid extraction of bioactive iodine from complex food matrices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Stent thrombosis (ST) is a rare but catastrophic complication of percutaneous coronary intervention, leading to poor prognosis. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) plays an important role in endothelial dysfunction and thrombogenesis. However, the impact of big ET-1 level on ST in patients with coronary stenting is unknown. We aimed to evaluate big ET-1 level as a potential predictor of ST in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Materials and methods From January 2013 to December 2013, 8106 consecutive patients underwent successful coronary stent implantation and were prospectively enrolled in this study. Patients were stratified into three groups based on plasma big ET-1 level at admission. Results The incidence of definite and probable ST at 2 years postoperatively was 0.84%; ST incidence was lowest in the low big ET-1 group (0.56%), highest in the high big ET-1 group (1.48%), and intermediate in the medium big ET-1 group (0.74%, log-rank p = 0.001). Compared with the low big ET-1 group, the multivariate-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for ST in the high big ET-1 group was 2.06 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.14–3.73, p = 0.017). In subgroup analyses, high big ET-1 level was independently associated with ST in patients with acute coronary syndrome (HR 2.29, 95% CI 1.03–5.06, p = 0.041), but not in those with stable coronary artery disease ( p = 0.331), and tended to be associated with older age. Conclusions Plasma big ET-1 level is a valuable independent predictor of ST in patients with coronary stents, especially in the acute coronary syndrome population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of bentonite on the grinding efficiencies of ores has not been investigated. In this work, the relationships between the properties of bentonite-containing slurries (such as rheology and settling behaviour) and grinding efficiency are examined. The results demonstrated that the presence of bentonite in the ore negatively affected the grinding performance of the ore, and the negative effect of bentonite was mitigated by adding Ca2+ ions. The additions of Ca2+ ions reduced the repulsive forces between bentonite particles as confirmed using the zeta potential measurements as well as the water-swelling capacity of bentonite as found using the settling tests. Therefore, the ore-bentonite slurries in the presence of Ca2+ ions had reduced shear forces between particles, leading to improved settling rates and grinding performance. This is particularly true when the solid percentage of the bentonite-containing slurries was 62% or higher than that even at a lower bentonite concentration (i.e. 5%). This paper demonstrated that the changes in pulp chemistry or solid percentage can significantly improve the grinding performance of bentonite-containing ores. • Bentonite is more detrimental at a higher solid percentage. • Grinding efficiency was improved after modifying pulp chemistry. • Rheological properties were improved after adding Ca2+. • Ca2+ reduced the water-swelling capacity of bentonite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the longstanding evidence on the effect of air pollutants on preterm birth (PTB), few studies have focused on its subtypes, including spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) and medically indicated preterm birth (miPTB). Most studies evaluated only the short-term or long-term effects of particulate matter (PM) on PTB. Thus, we designed this study, based on a cohort of 179,385 women, to evaluate both short- and long-term effects of PM with diameters ≤2.5 μm and ≤10 μm (PM 2.5 and PM 10) on PTB, sPTB and miPTB in Shanghai. Generalized additive models (GAMs) were applied to evaluate short-term effects. Lagged effects were identified using different lag structures. Exposure-response correlation curves were plotted using GAMs after adjustment for confounders. ORs and 95% CIs were calculated using logistic regression to estimate the long-term effect after adjustment for confounders. There was 5.67%, 3.70% and 1.98% daily incidence of PTB, sPTB, and miPTB on average. Every 10 μg/m3 increase in PM 2.5 and PM 10 was positively associated with PTB and sPTB at lag 2 day. The exposure-response curves (lag 2 day) indicated a rapid increase in sPTB for PM 2.5 and a linear increase for PM 10 , in PTB for PM 2.5 and PM 10 at concentrations over 100 μg/m3. Regarding long-term exposure, positive associations were found between 10 μg/m3 increases in PM 2.5 and PM 10 in 3rd trimester and greater odds of sPTB (aOR: 1.042, 95% CI: 1.018–1.065, and 1.018, 95% CI:1.002–1.034), and during the 3 months before conception and miPTB (aOR: 1.023, 95% CI: 1.003–1.042, and 1.017, 95% CI: 1.000–1.036). Acute exposure to PM 2.5 and PM 10 at lag 2 day and chronic exposure in 3rd trimester was significantly associated with sPTB, while miPTB was related to chronic exposure during the 3 months before pregnancy. These findings indicate that susceptibility windows of PM exposure can be influenced by different underlying etiologies of PTB. [Display omitted] • Short-term exposure to PM 2.5 and PM 10 at lag 2 day was significantly associated with an increased risk of sPTB. • At lag 2 day, the exposure-response curve was steeper in sPTB for PM 2.5 and linear for PM 10 at concentrations > 100 μg/m3. • Long-term exposure to PM 2.5 and PM 10 in the third trimester during pregnancy adversely affected sPTB. • An increased risk of miPTB was related to long-term exposure to PM 2.5 and PM 10 during the 3 months before pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we presented a novel encoding method for tactile communication. This approach was based on several tactile sensory characteristics of human skin at different body parts, such as the head and neck, where location coordinates in the three-dimensional (3D) space were clearly mapped in the brain cortex, and gentle stimulations of vibrational touching with varied strengths were received instantly and precisely. For certain applications, such as playing cards or navigating walk paths for blinded people, we demonstrated specifically designed code lists with different patterns of tactile points in varied temporal sequences. By optimizing these codes, we achieved excellent efficiency and accuracy in our test experiments. As this method matched well with the natural habits of tactile sensory, it was easy to learn in a short training period. The results of the present work have offered a silent, efficient and accurate communication solution for visually impaired people or other users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents an effective method of using miniaturized matrix solid phase dispersion (MSPD) for the microextraction of inorganic iodine and iodinated amino acids from seaweed samples. Quantification of the target analytes was performed by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. Molecular sieve (SBA-15) was chosen as the dispersing adsorbent with an ionic liquid (1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide) as the elution solvent. The experimental conditions for the MSPD, such as the type of sorbent, ratio of sorbent to sample, type and concentration of the elution solvent, and grinding time were evaluated and optimized. Under the final working conditions, good recoveries were obtained in the range of 86.5–95.4%, with relative standard deviation values below 6.0% in all cases. The limits of detection and limits of quantitation were in the ranges of 3.7–16.7 ng/mL and 12.4 ng/mL, respectively. Compared with common ultrasound assisted extraction, the advantages of this green approach are low consumption of the sorbent and solvent, short extraction time and good selectivity, even in complicated matrices. The proposed SBA-15-based MSPD method was successfully applied to the microextraction of potassium iodide, 3-iodo- l -tyrosine, and 3,5-diiodo- l -tyrosine from kelp, nori and undaria pinnatifida, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An analytical procedure based on matrix solid phase dispersion (MSPD) microextration and ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry was developed for the determination of isomeric triterpenoid acids (maslinic acid, corosolic acid, oleanolic acid and ursolic acid) in loquat leaves. Microcrystalline cellulose was used for the first time as a solid sorbent in MSPD microextration. Compared with the traditional extraction methods, the proposed method possessed the advantages of shorter extraction time, and lower consumption of sample, sorbent and organic solvent. The MSPD parameters that influenced the extraction efficiency of isomeric analytes were investigated and optimized in detail. Under the optimized conditions, good linearity was obtained with correlation coefficients higher than 0.9990. The limits of detection and quantification were 19.6–51.6 μg/kg and 65.3–171.8 μg/kg, respectively. Meanwhile, the recoveries obtained for all the analytes were ranging from 90.1% to 107.5%. Finally, the optimized method was successfully applied for analyzing these isomeric acids in loquat leaves samples obtained from different cultivated areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the associations among ambient pollutants and various pregnancy complications are well documented, the effect of ambient pollutants on intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) has not been examined. This study aimed to explore the effects of ambient pollutants and sunshine duration on ICP. The study enrolled 169,971 pregnant women who delivered between 2015 and 2020 in two hospitals. The associations between ICP and exposure to ambient pollutants and sunshine duration, averaged throughout different periods (including the 3 months before conception, 1st trimester and 2nd trimester), were estimated using a generalized linear model. The interaction effects of ambient pollutants and sunshine duration on ICP were estimated. The fitted curves for ICP incidence were similar to the temporal trends of PM 2.5 , PM 10 , SO 2 , CO and NO 2 but not that of O 3. The risk of ICP was significantly elevated following a 10-μg/m3 increase in PM 2.5 (aOR [adjusted odds ratio] = 1.057, 95% CI [confidence interval]: 1.017–1.099) and PM 10 (aOR = 1.043, 95% CI: 1.013–1.074) and a 1-h decrease in sunshine duration (aOR = 1.039, 95% CI: 1.011–1.068) during the 3 months before conception. In the second trimester, a 1-μg/m3 increase in the concentration of SO 2 was associated with an increased risk of ICP (aOR = 1.011, 95% CI: 1.001–1.021). Increased concentrations of PM 2.5 and PM 10 had interactive effects with reduced sunshine duration during the 3 months before conception on increasing the risk of ICP. Exposure to PM 2.5 and PM 10 during the 3 months before conception and exposure to SO 2 in the second trimester were associated with an increased ICP risk. Reduced sunshine duration had an interactive effect with increased concentrations of PM 2.5 and PM 10 during the 3 months before conception on the occurrence of ICP. [Display omitted] • This is the first study to explore the effects of air pollutants on ICP. • Three months preconception is a sensitive exposure window for PM on ICP. • PM 2.5 and PM 10 interact with less sunshine duration to increase the risk of ICP. • Increased concentrations of SO 2 in the 2nd trimester aggregate the risk of ICP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the remodeling pattern of the extracranial occluded internal carotid artery (OICA) by vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging (VWI). Thirty-nine atherosclerotic OICAs from 32 consecutive cases underwent 3-Tesla VWI to acquire pre- and post-contrast T1-weighted two-dimensional fluid-attenuated inversion recovery fast spin echo sequences. 25 symptomatic CAs exhibited ipsilateral downstream cerebral ischemia or ophthalmic artery embolism within last three months. The 14 remaining CAs were asymptomatic. Twenty-four CAs from 22 patients with atherosclerosis but no stenosis were recruited as control group. The outer wall area (OWA) was calculated based on the outer contour of the carotid artery drawn on the pre-contrast VWI. Negative remodeling was defined as a lower OWA compared to that of control group. Clinical characteristics including age, sex and vascular risk factors showed no significant difference between the occluded and control group. However, the OWA was lower in the occluded group than in the control group (0.63 versus 0.90 cm2, p = 0.004). For all OICAs, the OWA was larger in symptomatic cases than asymptomatic cases (0.71 versus 0.49cm2, p = 0.025). Using a cutoff value of 0.44, the sensitivity and specificity of OWA for detecting symptomatic OICA were 0.88 and 0.57, respectively. Heterogeneous signal intensity and enhancement were more often observed at the proximal than the distal segment of occlusion (p < 0.001). The inter-observer agreement regarding the evaluation of VWI characteristics was desirable (κ = 0.805 ∼ 0.847). Negative remodeling is prevalent in OICA, especially in asymptomatic cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Poor sleep quality and maternal mood disturbances are common during pregnancy and may play pivotal roles in the development of postpartum depression. We aim to examine the trajectories of sleep quality and mental health in women from early pregnancy to delivery and explore the mediating effects of sleep quality and mental status on the link between antepartum depressive symptoms and postpartum depressive symptoms. Methods: In an ongoing prospective birth cohort, 1301 women completed questionnaires in the first, second and third trimesters and at 6 weeks postpartum. In each trimester, sleep quality was measured utilizing the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and mental health was assessed with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Postpartum depressive symptoms were evaluated by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). The bootstrap method was used to test the mediation effect. Results: The PSQI, CES-D, and SAS scores presented U-shaped curves across the antenatal period while the PSS score followed a descending trend. Antenatal sleep quality, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms and perceived stress all predicted depressive symptoms at 6 weeks postpartum. The influence of antepartum depressive symptoms on postpartum depressive symptoms was mediated by antepartum sleep quality and anxiety symptoms, which accounted for 32.14%, 39.25% and 31.25% in the first, second and third trimesters (P = 0.002, P = 0.001, P = 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Poor sleep quality and anxiety symptoms in pregnancy mediated the relationship between antepartum depressive symptoms and postpartum depressive symptoms. Interventions aimed at detecting and managing sleep quality and elevated anxiety among depressed women in pregnancy warrant further investigation as preventative strategies for postpartum depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women are vulnerable to depression during postpartum period. While several studies have shown associations between ambient air pollution exposure and depression in general population, there was few studies focused on the effect of various air pollutants on postpartum depression (PPD). This study is designed to explore the association between prenatal exposure to air pollutants and PPD, and to reveal the potential vulnerable exposure time point. The study enrolled 10,209 pregnant women who delivered between October 2019 and February 2021 in 5 participating hospitals from 3 cities in China. Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was administered at 6 weeks postpartum to identify PPD symptoms. Associations between PPD symptoms and exposure levels in PM 2.5 , PM 10, SO 2 , CO, NO 2 , and O 3 averaged over the whole pregnancy and each trimester were estimated using logistic regression models after adjusting for potential confounding factors. Distributed lag models (DLMs) were used to determine the relevant associations in each gestational week. The risk for developing PPD symptoms was significant following a 10 μg/m3 increase in PM 10 (aOR = 1.47, 95%CI:1.36–1.59), NO 2 (aOR = 1.63, 95%CI:1.44–1.85), and 0.1 mg/m3 increase in CO (aOR = 2.31, 95%CI: 1.99–2.69) during the whole pregnancy. Similar results were also found in exposure during each trimester of pregnancy. Besides, SO 2 exposure during the second trimester was a major risk factor for developing PPD symptoms (aOR = 1.10, 95%CI:1.03–1.18). Consistent effects were also observed in DLMs, except for PM 2.5 and O 3 , which showed no significant sensitive windows throughout pregnancy period. Exposure to PM 10 , CO, NO 2 , and SO 2 in pregnancy is associated with increased risks of developing depression at 6 weeks postpartum. Our findings reveal the importance of air pollution control for preventing maternal mental health disorders among the public. [Display omitted] • Exposure to PM10, NO2 and CO in pregnancy increased risk of developing depression at 6 weeks postpartum. •The second trimester of pregnancy was the most susceptible period for developing PPD when exposed to SO2. •Prenatal exposure to multiple ambient air pollutants may contribute to development of PPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there are considerable reports of magnetic field effects (MFE) on organisms, very little is known so far about the MFE-related signal transduction pathways. Here we establish a manipulative near-zero magnetic field (NZMF) to investigate the potential signal transduction pathways involved in MFE. We show that exposure of migratory white-backed planthopper, Sogatella furcifera, to the NZMF results in delayed egg and nymphal development, increased frequency of brachypterous females, and reduced longevity of macropterous female adults. To understand the changes in gene expression underlying these phenotypes, we examined the temporal patterns of gene expression of (i) CRY1 and CRY2 as putative magnetosensors, (ii) JHAMT, FAMeT and JHEH in the juvenile hormone pathway, (iii) CYP307A1 in the ecdysone pathway, and (iv) reproduction-related Vitellogenin (Vg). The significantly altered gene expression of CRY1 and CRY2 under the NZMF suggest their developmental stage-specific patterns and potential upstream location in magnetic response. Gene expression patterns of JHAMT, JHEH and CYP307A1 were consistent with the NZMF-triggered delay in nymphal development, higher proportion of brachypterous female adults, and the shortened longevity of macropterous female adults, which show feasible links between hormone signal transduction and phenotypic MFE. By conducting manipulative NZMF experiments, our study suggests an important role of the geomagnetic field (GMF) in modulating development and physiology of insects, provides new insights into the complexity of MFE-magnetosensitivity interactions, and represents an initial but crucial step forward in understanding the molecular basis of cryptochromes and hormone signal transduction involved in MFE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coenzyme Q (CoQ) is vital for energy metabolism in living organisms. In humans, CoQ 10 deficiency causes diseases and must be replenished via diet; however, CoQ content in plant foods is primarily low. Here, we report the breeding of high CoQ 10 tomato lines by expressing four enzymes with a fruit-specific promoter, which modifies the chloroplast chorismate pathway, enhances cytosolic isoprenoid biosynthesis, and up-regulates the first two reactions in mitochondrion that construct the CoQ 10 polyisoprenoid tail. We show that, while the level of the aromatic precursor could be markedly elevated, head group prenylation is the key to increasing the final CoQ 10 yield. In the HUCD lines expressing all four transgenes, the highest CoQ 10 content (0.15 mg/g dry weight) shows a seven-fold increase from the wild-type level and reaches an extraordinarily rich CoQ 10 food grade. Overviewing the changes in other terpenoids by transcriptome and metabolic analyses reveals variable contents of carotenoids and α-tocopherol in the HUCD lines. In addition to the enigmatic relations among different terpenoid pathways, high CoQ 10 plants maintaining substantial levels of either vitamin can be selected. Our investigation paves the way for the development of CoQ 10 -enriched crops as dietary supplements. • Tomato fruits were engineered to accumulate high levels of CoQ 10. • Co-expression of the four enzymes caused a 7-fold increase in CoQ 10 levels in tomato. • Polyprenyl tail formation in mitochondrion plays an important role in controlling CoQ biosynthesis. • The high CoQ 10 tomato presented changes in other terpenoids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) easily lead to some complications, such as preeclampsia, polyhydramnios, macrosomia, and so on. The traditional diagnostic protocols for GDM mainly rely on detecting elevated glucose levels in blood, often late in the second trimester. Therefore the treatment time for the patients is not enough and the serious risk to maternal and child health raise. Metabolomics is an approach that investigates the metabolic responses of living systems to internal or external stimuli or genetic modification. The application of metabolomics to GDM research will help to interpret the pathogenesis of GDM. In addition, it can also provide the theoretical and experimental support for prevention and treatment of GDM as well as the prognosis of mothers and their infants. The characteristics of the common detection methods and the metabolomics studies of GDM were analyzed and compared in detail in this paper, and the metabolomic studies in GDM was further reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paragonimus proliferus, a lung fluke of the genus Paragonimus, was first reported in Yunnan province, China. P. proliferus can infect Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and cause lung damage, but there is still no direct evidence of human infection. Until now, there has been a lack of studies on P. proliferus parasitism and development in mammalian lung tissue. The aim of this study was to perform transcriptomic profiling of P. proliferus at different developmental stages. SD rats were infected with P. proliferus metacercariae obtained from crabs; worms isolated from the lungs at different time points as well as metacercariae were subjected to whole transcriptome sequencing. Overall, 34,403 transcripts with the total length of 33,223,828 bp, average length of 965 bp, and N50 of 1833 bp were assembled. Comparative analysis indicated that P. proliferus, similar to other Paragonimus spp., expressed genes related to catabolism, whereas P. proliferus-specific transcripts were related to the maintenance of cellular redox homeostasis, sensitivity to bacteria, and immune response. Transcriptional dynamics analysis revealed that genes involved in the regulation of catabolism and apoptosis had stable expression over the P. proliferus life cycle, whereas those involved in development and immune response showed time-dependent changes. High expression of genes associated with immune response corresponded to that of genes regulating the sensitivity to bacteria and immune protection. We constructed a P. proliferus developmental model, including the development of the body, suckers, blood cells, reproductive and tracheal systems, lymph, skin, cartilage, and other tissues and organs, and an immune response model, which mainly involved T cells and macrophages. Our study provides a foundation for further research into the molecular biology and infection mechanism of P. proliferus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Based on optical coherence tomography (OCT), we aimed to determine the diagnosis, clinical characteristics, and interventions of braid-like coronary arteries, which are rare and tend to be diagnosed as a woven coronary artery (WCA) anomaly.Methods and Results: We identified braid-like lesions on coronary angiography (CAG) in 7 patients (6 men; median age 47 years; age range 26 to 57 years). All patients were heavy smokers. Four patients were diagnosed with an old myocardial infarction and the other 3 with unstable angina. The braid-like lesions were located in the left anterior descending arteries in 2 patients and in the right coronary arteries in the other 5. TIMI grade 2 flow was observed in all involved vessels. OCT findings of all lesions were consistent with recanalization of organized thrombi, which consisted of septa that divided the lumen into multiple small cavities communicating with each other. No separate three-layered structure could be defined. Based on the significance of the stenosis and its related symptoms, drug-eluting stents were implanted in all of the lesions. All patients experienced symptomatic improvement after the intervention and were followed up event-free for 12 months.Conclusions: Braid-like coronary arteries are likely to undergo recanalization of organized thrombi rather than WCA according to our OCT findings. The majority of cases affect men who smoke heavily. Percutaneous stent implantation may be beneficial in selected patients when feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]