Search

Harnessing low‐density solar energy and converting it into high‐density chemical energy through photocatalysis has emerged as a promising avenue for the production of chemicals and remediation of environmental pollution, which contributes to alleviating the overreliance on fossil fuels. In recent years, metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) have gained widespread application in the field of photocatalysis due to their photostability, tunable structures, and responsiveness in the visible light range. However, most MOFs exhibit relatively low response to light, limiting their practical applications. MOFs‐derived nanomaterials not only retain the inherent advantages of pristine MOFs but also show enhanced light adsorption and responsiveness. This review categorizes and summarizes MOFs‐derived nanomaterials, including nanocarbons and nanometal oxides, providing representative examples for the synthetic strategies of each category. Subsequently, the recent research progress on MOFs‐derived materials in photocatalytic applications are systematically introduced, specifically in the areas of photocatalytic water splitting to H2, photocatalytic CO2 reduction, and photocatalytic water treatment. The corresponding mechanisms involved in each photocatalytic reaction are elaborated in detail. Finally, the review discusses the challenges and further directions faced by MOFs‐derived nanomaterials in the field of photocatalysis, highlighting their potential role in advancing sustainable energy production and environmental remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We assessed longitudinal effects of e-cigarette use on respiratory symptoms in a nationally representative sample of US adults by combustible tobacco smoking status. Methods: We analyzed Waves 4–5 public-use data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study. Study sample included adult respondents who reported no diagnosis of respiratory diseases at Wave 4, and completed Waves 4–5 surveys with no missing data on analytic variables (N = 15,291). Outcome was a validated index of functionally important respiratory symptoms based on 7 wheezing/cough questions (range 0–9). An index score of ≥2 was defined as having important respiratory symptoms. Weighted lagged logistic regression models were performed to examine the association between e-cigarette use status at Wave 4 (former/current vs. never use) and important respiratory symptoms at Wave 5 by combustible tobacco smoking status (i.e., never/former/current smokers), adjusting for Wave 4 respiratory symptom index, sociodemographic characteristics, secondhand smoke exposure, body mass index, and chronic disease. Results: Among current combustible tobacco smokers, e-cigarette use was associated with increased odds of reporting important respiratory symptoms (former e-cigarette use: adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.39, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07–1.81; current e-cigarette use: AOR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.17–2.06). Among former combustible tobacco smokers, former e-cigarette use (AOR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.06–2.15)—but not current e-cigarette use (AOR = 1.59, 95% CI: 0.91–2.78)—was associated with increased odds of important respiratory symptoms. Among never combustible tobacco smokers, no significant association was detected between e-cigarette use and important respiratory symptoms (former e-cigarette use: AOR = 1.62, 95% CI: 0.76–3.46; current e-cigarette use: AOR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.27–2.56). Conclusions: The association between e-cigarette use and respiratory symptoms varied by combustible tobacco smoking status. Current combustible tobacco smokers who use e-cigarettes have an elevated risk of respiratory impairments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the associations between sensory impairment (SI), lack of social contact during the COVID-19 pandemic, and depressive symptoms among Americans aged 50 and above. We employed data from the 2018 and 2020 Health and Retirement Study (N = 13,460) to examine four SI groups: no SI, visual impairment (VI) only, hearing impairment (HI) only, and dual sensory impairment (DSI). First, multilevel models were employed to estimate the associations between SI and depressive symptoms before and during the pandemic using the full dataset (N = 13,460). Second, linear regression models were employed to estimate the moderation effect of lack of social contact during the pandemic using the 2020 wave data only (N = 4,133). Among older adults, 15.60% had VI only, 10.16% had HI only, and 9.66% had DSI. All SI groups reported significantly more depressive symptoms than the no SI group. The differences between older adults with VI and DSI and those without SI regarding depressive symptoms narrowed during the pandemic. There was no statistically significant moderation effect of lack of social contact for SI and depressive symptoms. Older adults with SI faced mental health challenges and demonstrated psychological resilience during the pandemic. Future research should examine other risk factors that may modify the relationship between SI and mental health during public health crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Honeycomb structures are widely used in the field of impact resistance and are constantly being developed and updated. In this paper, the design of three new aluminum alloy rotating thin-walled structures (NRTS) are examined. These structures combine common concave structures and rotating, rigid-body structures. The purpose of this study is to solve the problem of the poor energy absorption capacity of rotating, rigid-body structure due to small deformation and to provide a reference for honeycomb mechanism designs. The Young's modulus, the critical velocity, and the platform stress of the NRTS structure are derived from theoretical analysis. The dynamic response of the NRTS structure at different impact velocities is investigated using finite element simulation software. The results show that the rotating, thin-walled recessed honeycomb (RTRH) increases the plateau stress by 124% and 51% as compared to rotating, thin-walled square tubes (RTSTs) and the re-entrant hexagonal structure (RH), respectively; the rotating, thin-walled quadruple-arc honeycomb structure (RTQH) increases the SEA by 21% and 20% as compared to the RTST and RH, respectively; and the rotating thin-walled double-arc honeycomb structure (RTDH) increases the CEF by 54% and 51% as compared to the RTST and RH, respectively. During the study, it was demonstrated that NTRS also exhibits good energy absorption capacity. Then, the effect of rotation angle on the energy absorption performance was analyzed. The cell and wall thickness of the NTRS structure were optimized according to the gradient theory. It was proved that the gradient optimized structure has better energy absorption performance as compared to the uniform structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The current study aimed to investigate the neuroinflammatory hypothesis of depression and the potential anti‐inflammatory effect of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in vivo, utilizing astrocyte‐derived extracellular vesicles (ADEVs) isolated from plasma. Methods: A total of 40 patients with treatment‐resistant depression (TRD) and 35 matched healthy controls were recruited at baseline, and 34 patients with TRD completed the post‐ECT visits. Blood samples were collected at baseline and post‐ECT. Plasma ADEVs were isolated and confirmed, and the concentrations of two astrocyte markers (glial fibrillary acidic protein [GFAP] and S100β), an extracellular vesicle marker cluster of differentiation 81 (CD81), and nine inflammatory markers in ADEVs were measured as main analyses. In addition, correlation analysis was conducted between clinical features and ADEV protein levels as exploratory analysis. Results: At baseline, the TRD group exhibited significantly higher levels of two astrocyte markers GFAP and S100β, as well as CD81 compared with the healthy controls. Inflammatory markers interferon γ (IFN‐γ), interleukin (IL) 1β, IL‐4, IL‐6, tumor necrosis factor α, IL‐10, and IL‐17A were also significantly higher in the TRD group. After ECT, there was a significant reduction in the levels of GFAP, S100β, and CD81, along with a significant decrease in the levels of IFN‐γ and IL‐4. Furthermore, higher levels of GFAP, S100β, CD81, and inflammatory cytokines were associated with more severe depressive symptoms and poorer cognitive function. Conclusion: This study provides direct insight supporting the astrocyte activation and neuroinflammatory hypothesis of depression using ADEVs. ECT may exert an anti‐inflammatory effect through inhibition of such activation of astrocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhizoctonia solani is a significant pathogen affecting various crops, including tobacco. In this study, a bacterial strain, namely Y246, was isolated from the soil of healthy plants and exhibited high antifungal activity. Based on morphological identification and DNA sequencing, this bacterial strain was identified as Bacillus safensis. The aim of this investigation was to explore the antifungal potential of strain Y246, to test the antifungal stability of Y246 by adjusting different cultivation conditions, and to utilize gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to predict the volatile compounds related to antifungal activity in Y246. In vitro assays demonstrated that strain Y246 exhibited a high fungal inhibition rate of 76.3%. The fermentation broth and suspension of strain Y246 inhibited the mycelial growth of R. solani by 66.59% and 63.75%, respectively. Interestingly, treatment with volatile compounds derived from the fermentation broth of strain Y246 resulted in abnormal mycelial growth of R. solani. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed bent and deformed mycelium structures with a rough surface. Furthermore, the stability of antifungal activity of the fermentation broth of strain Y246 was assessed. Changes in temperature, pH value, and UV irradiation time had minimal impact on the antifungal activity, indicating the stability of the antifungal activity of strain Y246. A GC-MS analysis of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by strain Y246 identified a total of 34 compounds with inhibitory effects against different fungi. Notably, the strain demonstrated broad-spectrum activity, exhibiting varying degrees of inhibition against seven pathogens (Alternaria alternata, Phomopsis. sp., Gloeosporium musarum, Dwiroopa punicae, Colletotrichum karstii, Botryosphaeria auasmontanum, and Botrytis cinerea). In our extensive experiments, strain Y246 not only exhibited strong inhibition against R. solani but also demonstrated remarkable inhibitory effects on A. alternata-induced tobacco brown spot and kiwifruit black spot, with impressive inhibition rates of 62.96% and 46.23%, respectively. Overall, these findings highlight the significant antifungal activity of B. safensis Y246 against R. solani. In addition, Y246 has an excellent antifungal stability, with an inhibition rate > 30% under different treatments (temperature, pH, UV). The results showed that the VOCs of strain Y246 had a strong inhibitory effect on the colony growth of R. solani, and the volatile substances produced by strain Y246 had an inhibitory effect on R. solani at rate of 70.19%. Based on these results, we can conclude that Y246 inhibits the normal growth of R. solani. These findings can provide valuable insights for developing sustainable agricultural strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is a climate-sensitive region. The characteristics of drought and flood events in this region are significantly different as compared to other areas in the country, which could potentially induce a series of water security, ecological and environmental problems. It is urgent that innovative theories and methods for estimation of drought and flood disasters as well as their adaptive regulations are required. Based on extensive literature review, this paper identifies new situations of the evolution of drought and flood events on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and analyzes the research progress in terms of monitoring and simulation, forecasting and early warning, risk prevention and emergency response. The study found that there were problems such as insufficient integration of multi-source data, low accuracy of forecasting and early warning, unclear driving mechanisms of drought and flood disaster chains, and lack of targeted risk prevention and regulation measures. On this basis, future research priorities are proposed, and the possible research and development paths are elaborated, including the evolution law of drought and flood on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the coincidence characteristics of drought and flood from the perspective of a water resources system, prediction and early warning of drought and flood coupled with numerical simulation and knowledge mining, identification of risk blocking points of drought and flood disaster chain and the adaptive regulations. Hopefully, the paper will provide technical support for preventing flood and drought disasters, water resources protection, ecological restoration and climate change adaptation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To explore the clinical potential of multiparametric cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in evaluating myocardial inflammation in patients with exertional heat illness (EHI). Methods: This prospective study enrolled 28 males with EHI (18 patients with exertional heat exhaustion (EHE) and 10 with exertional heat stroke (EHS)) and 18 age-matched male healthy controls (HC). All subjects underwent multiparametric CMR, and 9 patients had follow-up CMR measurements 3 months after recovery from EHI. CMR-derived left ventricular geometry, function, strain, native T1, extracellular volume (ECV), T2, T2*, and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) were obtained and compared among different groups. Results: Compared with HC, EHI patients showed increased global ECV, T2, and T2* values (22.6% ± 4.1 vs. 19.7% ± 1.7; 46.8 ms ± 3.4 vs. 45.1 ms ± 1.2; 25.5 ms ± 2.2 vs. 23.8 ms ± 1.7; all p < 0.05). Subgroup analysis showed that ECV was higher in the EHS patients than those in EHE and HC groups (24.7% ± 4.9 vs. 21.4% ± 3.2, 24.7% ± 4.9 vs. 19.7% ± 1.7; both p < 0.05). Repeated CMR measurements at 3 months after baseline CMR showed persistently higher ECV than HC (p = 0.042). Conclusions: With multiparametric CMR, EHI patients demonstrated increased global ECV, T2, and persistent myocardial inflammation at 3-month follow-up after EHI episode. Therefore, multiparametric CMR might be an effective method in evaluating myocardial inflammation in patients with EHI. Clinical relevance statement: This study showed persistent myocardial inflammation after an exertional heat illness (EHI) episode demonstrated by multiparametric CMR, which is a potential promising method to evaluate the severity of myocardial inflammation and guide return to work, play, or duty in EHI patients. Key Points: • EHI patients showed an increased global extracellular volume (ECV), late gadolinium enhancement, and T2 value, indicating myocardial edema and fibrosis. • ECV was higher in the exertional heat stroke patients than exertional heat exhaustion and healthy control groups (24.7% ± 4.9 vs. 21.4% ± 3.2, 24.7% ± 4.9 vs. 19.7% ± 1.7; both p < 0.05). • EHI patients showed persistent myocardial inflammation with higher ECV than healthy controls 3 months after index CMR (22.3% ± 2.4 vs. 19.7% ± 1.7, p = 0.042). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species from China of the subgenus Scheloribates (Topobates) are studied, with description of a new species Scheloribates (Topobates) tibetensissp. nov. based on adult specimens from Tibet. The new species differs from S. (T.) lanceolatusWallwork, 1977 by heterotridactylous (versus monodactylous), shorter interlamellar seta, not forward to the tip of rostrum (versus longer interlamellar seta, beyond forward to the tip of the rostrum), genital seta g1 longer than g2–g4 (versus genital seta g1 similar to g2–g4 in length). A key to known species of Scheloribates (Topobates) is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient topochemical azide–alkyne cycloaddition polymerization of monomers, which comprised phenylene and tetrafluorophenylene units linked by alkylene linkers and terminated by azide and alkyne groups, was achieved through a supramolecular approach. The introduction of amide moieties provided hydrogen bonding to strengthen molecular preorganization in the crystal lattice. Through the cooperative intermolecular arene–perfluoroarene interactions and hydrogen bonding, alternating packing of reactive groups between molecules was obtained with the prearrangement of azide and alkyne functional groups in the crystalline state. The prearrangement facilitated the reaction and resulted in a more than 90% regioselectivity to 1,4-triazole products. This research provides a direct way for efficient and green polymerizations with regioselectivity and the regioselectivity can be modulated by the molecular structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Oxidative stress (OS) is a key pathophysiological mechanism in Crohn's disease (CD). OS-related genes can be affected by environmental factors, intestinal inflammation, gut microbiota, and epigenetic changes. However, the role of OS as a potential CD etiological factor or triggering factor is unknown, as differentially expressed OS genes in CD can be either a cause or a subsequent change of intestinal inflammation. Herein, we used a multi-omics summary data-based Mendelian randomization (SMR) approach to identify putative causal effects and underlying mechanisms of OS genes in CD. Methods: OS-related genes were extracted from the GeneCards database. Intestinal transcriptome datasets were collected from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and meta-analyzed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to OS in CD. Integration analyses of the largest CD genome-wide association study (GWAS) summaries with expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) and DNA methylation QTLs (mQTLs) from the blood were performed using SMR methods to prioritize putative blood OS genes and their regulatory elements associated with CD risk. Up-to-date intestinal eQTLs and fecal microbial QTLs (mbQTLs) were integrated to uncover potential interactions between host OS gene expression and gut microbiota through SMR and colocalization analysis. Two additional Mendelian randomization (MR) methods were used as sensitivity analyses. Putative results were validated in an independent multi-omics cohort from the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University (FAH-SYS). Results: A meta-analysis from six datasets identified 438 OS-related DEGs enriched in intestinal enterocytes in CD from 817 OS-related genes. Five genes from blood tissue were prioritized as candidate CD-causal genes using three-step SMR methods: BAD, SHC1, STAT3, MUC1, and GPX3. Furthermore, SMR analysis also identified five putative intestinal genes, three of which were involved in gene–microbiota interactions through colocalization analysis: MUC1, CD40, and PRKAB1. Validation results showed that 88.79% of DEGs were replicated in the FAH-SYS cohort. Associations between pairs of MUC1–Bacillus aciditolerans and PRKAB1–Escherichia coli in the FAH-SYS cohort were consistent with eQTL–mbQTL colocalization. Conclusions: This multi-omics integration study highlighted that OS genes causal to CD are regulated by DNA methylation and host-microbiota interactions. This provides evidence for future targeted functional research aimed at developing suitable therapeutic interventions and disease prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Chronic pulmonary inflammation caused by long-term smoking is the core pathology of COPD. Alveolar macrophages (AMs) are involved in the pulmonary inflammation of COPD. The accumulation of damaged materials caused by impaired autophagy triggers inflammatory response in macrophages. As a key transcription regulator, transcription factor EB (TFEB) activates the transcription of target genes related autophagy and lysosome by binding to promoters, whereas it is unclarified for the relationship between inflammatory response induced by cigarette smoke extract (CSE) and TFEB-mediated autophagy. Thus, we investigated the role of TFEB-mediated autophagy in inflammatory response induced by CSE in NR8383 cells, and to explore its potential mechanism. Methods: Based on cell viability and autophagy, cells treated with 20% concentration of CSE for 24 h were selected for further studies. Cells were divided into control group, chloroquine (CQ, the autophagy inhibitor) group, CSE group, CSE + rapamycin (the autophagy inducer) group and CSE + fisetin (the TFEB inducer) group. The levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin 1β (IL-1β), and IL-6 in supernatant were detected by ELISA kits. The protein expressions were tested by western blot. The intensity of fluorescence of Lysosome-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP1) and TFEB was detected by immunofluorescence. Lyso-Tracker Red staining was applied to detect the lysosome environment. Results: CSE inhibited the cell viability, increased the contents of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, the ratio of LC3II/I, and the level of P62 protein. Besides, CSE decreased the fluorescence intensity of LAMP1 protein and Lyso-Tracker Red staining, as well as the ratio of nucleus/cytosol of TFEB protein. Activating autophagy with rapamycin alleviated CSE-induced inflammatory response. The activation of TFEB via fisetin alleviated CSE-induced autophagy impairment and lysosomal dysfunction, thus alleviated inflammatory response in NR8383 cells. Conclusion: CSE-induced inflammatory response in NR8383 cells, which may be related to the inhibition of TFEB-mediated autophagy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By aiming at addressing the left-turning problem of an autonomous vehicle considering the oncoming vehicles at an urban unsignallized intersection, a hierarchical reinforcement learning is proposed and a two-layer model is established to study behaviors of left-turning driving. Compared with the conventional decision-making models with a fixed path, the proposed multi-paths decision-making algorithm with horizontal and vertical strategies can improve the efficiency of autonomous vehicles crossing intersections while ensuring safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Characterization of early breast cancer circulating tumor cells (CTCs) may provide valuable information on tumor metastasis. Methods: We used immunomagnetic nanospheres to capture CTCs from the peripheral blood of eight early breast cancer patients and then performed single‐cell RNA sequencing using our proposed bead‐dd‐seq method. Results: CTCs displayed obvious tumor cell characteristics, such as the activation of oxidative stress, proliferation, and promotion of metastasis. CTCs were clustered into two subtypes significantly correlated with the lymph node metastasis status of patients. CTCs in subtype 1 showed a strong metastatic ability because these CTCs have the phenotype of partial epithelial‐mesenchymal transition and enriched transcripts, indicating breast cancer responsiveness and proliferation. Furthermore, DNA damage repair pathways were significantly upregulated in subtype 1. We performed in vitro and in vivo investigations, and found that cellular oxidative stress and further DNA damage existed in CTCs. The activated DNA damage repair pathway in CTCs favors resistance to cisplatin. A checkpoint kinase 1 inhibitor sensitized CTCs to cisplatin in mouse models of breast cancer metastasis. Conclusion: The present study dissects the molecular characteristics of CTCs from early‐stage breast cancer, providing novel insight into the understanding of CTC behavior in breast cancer metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avian meningitis Escherichia coli (E. coli) can cause acute bacterial meningitis which threatens poultry health, causes great economic losses in the poultry industry, and has recently been speculated as a potential zoonotic pathogen. Melatonin can counteract bacterial meningitis-induced disruption of the blood–brain barrier (BBB), neuroinflammation, and reduce mortality. There are increasing data showing that melatonin's beneficial effects on bacterial meningitis are associated with intestinal microbiota. In this study, our data showed that melatonin alleviated neurological symptoms, enhanced survival rate, protected the integrity of the BBB, reduced the bacterial load in various tissues and blood, and inhibited inflammation and neutrophil infiltration of brain tissue in an APEC TW-XM-meningitis mice model. The results of 16S rRNA showed that melatonin pretreatment significantly maintained the composition of intestinal microbiota in APEC-meningitis mice. The abundance and diversity of intestinal microbiota were disturbed in APEC TW-XM-meningitis mice, with a decreased ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroides and an increased the abundance of Proteobacteria. Melatonin pretreatment could significantly improve the composition and abundance of harmful bacteria and alleviate the decreased abundance of beneficial bacteria. Importantly, melatonin failed to affect the meningitis neurologic symptoms caused by APEC TW-XM infection in antibiotic-pretreated mice. In conclusion, the results suggest that melatonin can effectively prevent meningitis induced by APEC TW-XM infection in mice, depending on the intestinal microbiota. This finding is helpful to further explore the specific target mechanism of melatonin-mediated intestinal microbiota in the prevention of and protection against Escherichia coli meningitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The leaves and bark of Lindera fragrans herbs have been conventionally used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as qi regulating drugs. This work was aimed to study the chemical constituents, possible antidepressant activity and mechanism of ethanol extract from L. fragrans leaves. In this study, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled with hybrid quadrupole-orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-Orbirap HRMS) technology was used to analyze and identify chemical components of the ethanol extract of L. fragrans leaves. In addition, chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model was established to measure the behavioral indexes of L. fragrans leaves extract on depressed mice, including weight, sucrose preference, tail suspension time, and serum corticosterone (CORT), serotonin (5-HT) and norepinephrine (NE) detected by ELISA. The results indicate that L. fragrans leaves extract contains approximately 22 compounds and can significantly increase the sucrose preference, reduce the tail suspension time, and regulate the levels of CORT, 5-HT and NE in CUMS depressed mice. This research proved for the first time that L. fragrans leaves extract treatment successfully reduced chronic mild stress-induced depressive-like behaviors in mice, as well as CUMS mice hyperactivity on the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

aim of this prospective longitudinal observational trial was to examine the clinical features and cognitive outcomes of young adults with TRD undergoing ECT. Methods: Changes in depressive symptoms and objective and subjective cognitive function were assessed using repeated evaluation at baseline, after each ECT session, and at one-month follow-up using the Montgomery-Äsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), Forward Digital Span Test (FDST), and part of the Columbia Subjective Side Effects Schedule. Results: Of 41 inpatients, 35 (85.4%) and 12 (29.3%) met the criteria for response and remission after ECT, respectively. The greatest clinical improvements occurred during the first 3– 4 ECT sessions. While 34 patients reported subjective cognitive impairment increased with ECT, immediate and delayed memory (RBANS) significantly increased after ECT, consistent with FDST results. Objective cognition significantly improved during follow-up, but subjective cognition remained impaired. Conclusion: ECT is effective in young adults with TRD. Although subjective cognitive impairment increased during treatment, objective cognitive impairments were not observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The role of laparoscopic-assisted natural orifice specimen extraction (LA-NOSE) colectomy in the treatment of left-sided colon cancer has not been well defined, and there remains confusion about how to conveniently exteriorize specimens through natural orifices. Therefore, we introduced a homemade invention, the Cai tube, to facilitate the extraction of specimens and compared the clinical outcomes of LA-NOSE with conventional laparoscopic (CL) colectomy for left-sided colon cancer. Methods: From March 2015 to August 2017, patients with left-sided colon cancer were randomly divided into LA-NOSE and CL groups. Specimens were extracted through the anus with the help of a Cai tube (Patent Number: ZL201410168748.2) in the LA-NOSE group. The primary outcome measure was postoperative pain. Secondary outcomes were the duration of operation, postoperative recovery, surgical morbidity, pathological quality of the specimen, and long-term outcomes, including 3-year overall survival, disease-free survival, local recurrence, and overall recurrence. Results: A total of 60 patients (30 per group) were recruited for this study. None of the patients required emergency conversion to conventional laparoscopic or open surgery during the operation. The postoperative maximum pain score was significantly lower in the LA-NOSE group (mean 2.5 vs. 5.1, P = 0.001), as was the additional analgesia requirement (mean 2/30 vs. 10/30, P = 0.021). Patients in the LA-NOSE group experienced a shorter first time to passage of flatus (mean 2.2 vs. 3.1 days, P = 0.026). All patients could control their defecation at 6 months after surgery. The comparison between the two groups showed no significant differences in the operative time, bleeding volume, postoperative hospital stay, surgical morbidity rates, number of lymph nodes harvested, or resection margin status. The mean follow-up was 48 months (range 7–59) and was similar in both groups. The results showed no differences in long-term outcomes between the two groups. Conclusion: In the treatment of left-sided colon cancer, compared with conventional laparoscopic colectomy, LA-NOSE colectomy using the Cai tube exhibited lower postoperative pain, shorter recovery of gastrointestinal function, and similar long-term outcomes. Registration number: ChiCTR-OOR-15007060 (http://www.chictr.org.cn/). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simultaneous transmitting and reflecting reconfigurable intelligent surface (STAR‐RIS) is capable of achieving full coverage area compared with conventional reflection‐only reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS). Motivated by this observation, the secrecy performance of STAR‐RIS‐assisted non‐orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) systems over Rayleigh fading channels is investigated, where the incident signals sent by base station are reflected and transmitted to a pair of NOMA users in the presence of two eavesdroppers. To evaluate the secrecy performance of STAR‐RIS‐NOMA systems, the exact and asymptotic expressions of secrecy outage probability (SOP) and secrecy diversity order are derived, in which the correlation of the channels between the elements of each column on STAR‐RIS is taken into consideration. As a benchmark, the secrecy performance of the STAR‐RIS strategy for orthogonal multiple access (OMA) system is also analysed. Numerical results are provided to verify the effectiveness of the analytical results and demonstrate that: The SOP of STAR‐RIS‐NOMA outperforms that of STAR‐RIS‐assisted OMA and conventional cooperative communication systems. Furthermore, the scheme proposed here can obtain full order of secrecy diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. To explore the rules of TCM medication in the treatment of constipation in network pharmacology. Methods. Collect and screen the clinical intervention literature on TCM for constipation from China's national knowledge infrastructure, Wanfang and VIP databases established a database of TCM for constipation, applied R software (3.3.1) to analyze the pattern of prescriptions for TCM for constipation, and summarized the core prescription. The effective active compounds and action targets in the core prescription were screened by Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) and Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Databases (TCMID), constipation-related targets were derived from the DisGeNET and GeneCards databases, Protein-protein interaction network (PPI) was drawn by STRING database, and enrichment analysis was conducted by the Clusterprofiler package in R software (3.3.1). Finally, molecular docking was used to validate the binding ability of candidate compounds to potential targets. Results. Two hundred sixteen target prescriptions were screened through data mining, involving 226 herbs. Association rule analysis results suggested that the "Angelicae sinensis-Radix-dried rehmanniae-Cistanche deserticola-Atractylodes macrocephala-Astragali Radix" was a strong affinity for medicine. Network pharmacology analysis of the core prescription resulted in the screening of 115 candidate compounds, such as quercetin, kaempferol, mangostin, eugenol A, and beta-sitosterol; 131 potential targets, such as PTGS2, PTGS1, and CHRM3; and 160 signaling pathways, such as lipid and atherosclerosis, proteoglycans in cancer, hepatitis B, Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus infection, and PI3K/AKT pathways. Molecular docking showed that PTGS1-formononetin, PTGS2-kaempferol, and CHRM3-kaempferol were all well bound and well matched. Conclusions. This study provides a new method and ideas for clinical applications of integrated Chinese and western medicine in treating constipation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although sleep disorder is thought as a risk factor for functional bowel disorders, its impact role in adolescents remains unknown and the contribution of different sleep dimensions may deserve further attention. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between multiple sleep dimensions and functional bowel disorders among Chinese college freshmen.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in college freshmen from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China in September 2019 with random cluster sampling method. All participants completed questionnaires about living habits, sleep and digestive symptoms. Diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome and functional constipation were based on the Rome IV criteria. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were applied to assess the association of sleep dimensions with irritable bowel syndrome or functional constipation.Results: Based on the 3335 individuals who completed the questionnaire, the overall prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome and functional constipation in college freshmen were 2.5% and 1.7%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that compared with individuals reporting good sleep quality, those reporting poor (OR = 7.269, 95%CI: 2.876-18.370) were associated with increased risk of irritable bowel syndrome. Similarly, those reporting fair (OR = 2.068, 95%CI: 1.010-4.236) and poor (OR = 5.664, 95%CI: 1.864-17.205) were associated with increased risk of functional constipation. There was no statistically significant association between other sleep dimensions (sleep duration, sleep timing, or sleep latency) and irritable bowel syndrome or functional constipation.Conclusion: Self-reported poor sleep quality was a stronger independent predictor of functional bowel disorders than other sleep dimensions among Chinese college freshmen. Future intervention studies should consider the role of sleep quality for the prevention of FBDs in adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Based on self-reported functional impairment (rather than objective measures). • Lower social engagement was associated with higher odds of cognitive impairment. • Social engagement may be protective against the risk of cognitive decline. • Large association between social engagement and cognitive impairment at all levels. Using US national nursing home data, this cross-sectional study sought to evaluate 1) the association between lack of social engagement and level of cognitive impairment; and 2) the extent to which this association differs by hearing and visual impairment. Our sample included 793,846 nursing home residents aged ≥ 50 years. The Index of Social Engagement was categorized as none/lower (0, 1, 2) or higher levels (3 through 6). Cognitive Performance Scale was grouped as intact/mild (0, 1, 2), moderate (3, 4), or severe (5, 6). Multinomial models provided adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) between none/lower social engagement and cognitive impairment. We estimated relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI) to quantify the joint effects of social engagement and sensory impairment types. Overall, 12.6 % had lower social engagement, 30.3 % had hearing impairment, and 40.3 % had visual impairment. Compared to residents with high social engagement, those with lower social engagement were more likely to have moderate/severe cognitive impairment (aOR moderate = 2.21, 95 % CI 2.17–2.26; aOR severe = 6.49, 95 % CI 6.24–6.74). The impact of low social engagement on cognitive impairment was more profound among residents with hearing impairment and/or visual impairment (RERI hearing = 3.89, 95 % CI 3.62–4.17; RERI visual = 25.2, 95 % CI 23.9–26.6)). Residents with lower social engagement had higher levels of cognitive impairment. Residents with sensory impairments are potentially more susceptible to the negative impact of lower levels of social engagement on level of cognitive impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unintentional drug overdose has increased markedly in the United States. Studies document an association between psychiatric disorder and unintentional overdose; we extend this research through a preliminary test of a causal model of recurrent injection drug use mediating this relationship. In a cross-sectional study of 241 adults in New York City with a possible current substance use disorder, we conducted conventional and Imai's mediation analyses to examine if psychiatric disorder is associated with increased prevalence of ever overdosing and if recurrent injection drug use mediates this association. Our cross-sectional data permit the first step of assessing causal models: testing if statistical associations are consistent with the model. Fifty-eight percent of the sample endorsed previous psychiatric disorder diagnosis and 35.7% reported ever overdosing. Imai's mediation analysis showed that, adjusting for covariates, the total association between psychiatric diagnosis and ever overdosing (adjusted prevalence difference [aPD] = 0.16, 95% CI 0.04–0.28) was composed of a direct effect (aPD = 0.09, 95% CI −0.03 − 0.21, p = 0.136) and an indirect effect (aPD = 0.07, 95% CI 0.02–0.13). Recurrent injecting drug use contributed to 42% (ratio of indirect effect to total effect; 95% CI 12 − 100%, p = 0.02) of the association between psychiatric diagnosis and ever overdosing. Conventional mediation analysis produced similar results. Our results provide a warrant for taking the necessary next step for assessing a causal model using longitudinal data, potentially providing a strong rationale for intervening on psychiatric disorders to stem overdose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to examine the relationship between electronic cigarette use and subsequent combustible cigarette use, controlling for confounding by using a propensity score method approach. Data from the first three annual waves of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health study were analyzed (n = 6309). Participants were tobacco-naïve at Wave 1; used e-cigarettes exclusively (n = 414), used combustible cigarettes exclusively (n = 46), or not used any tobacco products (n = 5849) at Wave 2. We conducted entropy balancing propensity score analysis to examine the association between exclusive e-cigarette or cigarette initiation and subsequent cigarette use at Wave 3, adjusting for non-response bias, sampling bias, and confounding. Among tobacco-naïve youth, exclusive e-cigarette use was associated with greater risk for subsequent combustible cigarette smoking initiation (OR = 3.42, 95% CI = (1.99, 5.93)) and past 30-day combustible cigarette use (OR = 2.88, 95% CI = (1.22, 6.86)) in the following year. However, the latter risk was comparatively lower than the risk if youth started with a combustible cigarette (OR = 25.79, 95% CI = (9.68, 68.72)). Results of sensitivity analyses indicated that estimated effects were robust to unmeasured confounding. Use of e-cigarettes in tobacco-naïve youth is associated with increased risk of subsequent past 30-day combustible cigarette use but the risk is an order of magnitude higher if they start with a combustible cigarette. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a new species of Bacillus, B. velezensis has attracted much attention because of its wide distribution in nature, strong enzyme production ability, rich secondary metabolites, stress resistance and high antibacterial activity. B. velezensis can promote the growth of animals and plants and effectively prevent and control animal and plant diseases. It has been widely studied and applied in agriculture such as biological prevention and control, feed processing, aquaculture and so on. The paper reviews the biological characteristics of B. velezensis and its application in agriculture, in order to provide reference ideas for the related research of B. velezensis and provide important theoretical basis for the development of its products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To investigate the role of leptin in regulating cell inflammation and protecting myocardium after myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats through signaling pathway at tissue and molecular protein levels. Methods. Healthy female SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups, which were sham, I/R group, leptin low-dose intervention group, and high-dose intervention group (40 μg/kg and 80 μg/kg, respectively). Cardiac hemodynamics, myocardial enzymology, inflammatory indices, and pathological changes were observed. Western blot was used to observe the expression of PI3K, AKT, and NFκB protein by leptin. Results. Leptin can improve the hemodynamics of cardiac ischemia-reperfusion rats, improve the expression of myocardial enzymology, reduce the release of cardiac and serum inflammatory factors, increased PI3k, AKT, and NFκB expression, and reduce the occurrence of inflammation from the perspective of gross pathology, thus protecting the body. Conclusion. Leptin pretreatment can reduce MIRI injury, and the protective mechanism may be that leptin upregulates PI3K-AKT-NFκB expression in myocardial tissue to reduce inflammation and promote repair of I/R injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) communication system, where the trajectories of multi-UAVs are designed for the data collection mission of IoT nodes. We aim at minimizing the mission time with constraints of UAV’s maximum speed and acceleration, the collision avoidance, and communication interference among UAVs. We propose a three-step approach to solve this problem, which is based on the K-means algorithm, and Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) with a distributed manner and a centralized manner. The mutual influences like collision avoidance and interference among UAVs are explicitly expressed in our algorithm. Numerical results show the advantage of our proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A total of 9 patients with gastric cancer underwent successful LA-NOSE gastrectomy using an auxiliary incision-free tube and standard D 2 lymph node resection. • LA-NOSE gastrectomy using the auxiliary incision-free tube to transferred the original abdominal wall incision to the natural orifice incision may reduce visible scarring, pain and faster recovery. • After a mean follow-up of 14.7±9.6 months, no transrectal or transvaginal access-site recurrence, anterior rectectomy or posterior fornix colpotomy related complications, and local recurrence or distant metastasis occurred. • Transrectal or transvaginal specimen extraction following totally laparoscopic subtotal or total gastrectomy using the auxiliary incision-free tube is a feasible procedure for patients with gastric cancer. Laparoscopic-assisted natural orifice specimen extraction (LA-NOSE) gastrectomy effectively avoids the need for an abdominal incision, unlike conventional laparoscopic gastrectomy. In this study, we documented our experience with LA-NOSE gastrectomy using an auxiliary incision-free tube (Cai tube, a homemade invention: ZL201410168748.2) in 9 gastric cancer patients and summarized the clinical results. From July 2018 to June 2020, a total of 9 patients with gastric cancer were recruited for this study. LA-NOSE gastrectomy (subtotal or total) using the auxiliary incision-free tube and D 2 lymph node dissection were performed. Specimens were extracted through the anterior wall of the upper rectum in 4 male patients and the posterior fornix of the vagina in 5 female patients using the auxiliary incision-free tube. All 9 patients underwent successful laparoscopic gastrectomy with NOSE using the auxiliary incision-free tube. No perioperative death, re-admission within 60 days post operation, natural orifice wound infection or tumor implantation was observed. The mean operating time was 365.3±41.7 min, and the mean estimated blood loss was 87.8±39.3 ml. The mean duration of hospital stay was 11.3±1.2 days, while the mean maximum pain score (visual analogue score, VAS) was 2.3±0.9 on postoperative day (POD) 1, and the mean time to ambulation was 1.3±0.5 days. The 60-day postoperative morbidity rate was 11.1% (1/9). After a mean follow-up of 14.7±9.6 months, there was no transrectal or transvaginal access-site recurrence, no anterior rectectomy or posterior fornix colpotomy-related complications, and no local recurrence or distant metastasis. Our preliminary experience indicates that this new technique, LA-NOSE gastrectomy using the auxiliary incision-free tube, is feasible for selected patients with gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malignant tumor is still a leading threat to human health. Despite the rapid development of targeted therapeutic strategies, any treatment specifically acting on single target would inevitably suffer from tumor resistance, largely due to the genetic instability and variability of tumor cells. Thus, traditional therapies such as broad-spectrum chemotherapy would certainly occupy an important position in clinical cancer therapy. Nevertheless, most chemotherapeutic drugs have long been criticized for unsatisfactory therapeutic efficacy with severe off-target toxicity. Although several chemotherapeutic nanomedicines with improved therapeutic safety have been applied in clinics, the therapeutic outcomes still do not fulfill expectation. To address this challenge, enormous efforts have been devoted to developing novel nano-formulations for efficient delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs. Herein, we aim to outline the latest progression in the emerging nanomedicines of paclitaxel (PTX), with special attention to the functional nanocarriers, self-delivering prodrug-nanoassemblies and combination nanotherapeutics of PTX. Finally, the challenges and opportunities of these functional PTX nanomedicines in clinical translation are spotlighted. [Display omitted] • Biomedical nanotechnology significantly facilitates PTX delivery. • Smart PTX delivery can be realized by designing functional nanocarriers. • Emerging prodrug-nanoassemblies of PTX shows promising application prospects. • Combination nanotherapeutics of PTX boost multimodal cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study examined the association between self-reported visual difficulty and age-related cognitive declines among older Chinese adults and how the timing of visual difficulty onset plays a role in cognitive trajectories. Methods: Data were drawn from the 2011–2018 wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, involving 9974 respondents aged 60 years or older (mean age 65.44 years, range 60–101 years). Results: At baseline, 14.16% respondents had self-reported visual difficulty. Growth curve models showed that Chinese older adults with visual difficulty experienced a faster decline in cognitive function compared to those without visual difficulty (β = −0.02, p < .01). Older adults who began experiencing visual difficulty between 61 and 75 years of age had steeper cognitive declines compared to those with earlier or later onset (β = −0.05, p < .01). Discussion: Older adults with self-reported visual difficulty experience faster rates of cognitive decline. Future research should explore potential factors that underlie the association between onset timing of visual difficulty and cognitive function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article titled "Retraction Note: A Ni(II)-Containing Complex: Treatment Activity on Chronic Congestive Heart Failure via Reducing Inflammatory Response in Cardiomyocytes" has been retracted by the Editor-in-Chief and the Publisher of the Journal of Cluster Science. The retraction was prompted by evidence of systematic manipulation of the publication process, including issues with citations, phrasing, figures, and ethics approval statements. The Editor-in-Chief no longer has confidence in the results and conclusions of the article. The authors have not responded to correspondence regarding the retraction. Springer Nature, the publisher, remains neutral in regards to jurisdictional claims and institutional affiliations. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Laparoscopic surgery with natural orifice specimen extraction (La-NOSE) is being performed more frequently for the minimally invasive management of sigmoid and rectal cancer. The objective of this meta-analysis was to compare the clinical and oncological safety and efficacy of La-NOSE versus conventional laparoscopy (CL). Methods: A search of the PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases was performed for studies that compared clinical or oncological outcomes of conventional laparoscopic resection using NOSE with conventional laparoscopic resection for sigmoid and rectal cancer. Results: Compared with CL group, the length of hospital stay and the pain score on the first day were shorter in the La-Nose group. The La-NOSE group had a lower incidence of total perioperative complications (OR 0.46; 95% CI [0.32 to 0.66]; I2 = 0%; P < 0.0001) and a lower incidence of surgical site infections (SSIs) (OR 0.11; 95% CI [0.04 to 0.29]; I2 = 0%; P < 0.0001) than the CL group, while the anastomotic leakage showed no significant difference between the La-Nose group and the CL group (P = 0.19). 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and 5-year overall survival (OS) were no significant difference between the La-Nose group and the CL group (P = 0.43, P = 0.40, respectively). Conclusions: La-NOSE can achieve oncological and surgical safety comparable to that of CL for patients with sigmoid and rectal cancer. La-NOSE in patients was associated with a shorter hospital stay, shorter time to first flatus or defecation, less postoperative pain, and fewer surgical site infections (SSIs) and total perioperative complications. In general, the operative time in La-NOSE was longer than that in CL. The long-term oncological efficacy of La-NOSE seems to be equivalent to that of CL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Youth and young adults (YYAs) are at high risk of cigar use. This study's objective was to examine progression and sociodemographic differences in current cigar use and frequency among new cigar initiators.Aims and Methods: We conducted a two-part latent growth model among a nationally representative cohort of cigar initiators (aged 15-25) to examine 24-month trajectories of current cigar use and frequency (n = 1483). The cohort was recruited via address-based sampling with online data collection from 2014 to 2019 and surveyed approximately every 6 months.Results: The unconditional odds of current cigar use (ie, past 30-day use) within 6 months of initiation was 0.72 (95% confidence interval: 0.63, 0.82), corresponding to a probability of 42%. The odds of current use among recent cigar initiates declined 6 months after initiation and was followed by a stabilization in use over time. Among continued users, frequency (# days used in past 30 days) increased linearly over time but remained low (3.47 days/months at 24 months). Younger individuals, non-Hispanic African Americans, those with lower subjective financial status, and current users of cigarettes, other tobacco products and/or marijuana were at highest risk within 6 months of initiation. Males, younger users, and current cigarette smokers had the highest risk for cigar progression over time.Conclusions: This study is the first to examine longitudinal cigar use patterns among YYA cigar initiators. Findings emphasize the need for research across the cigar use spectrum and the importance of interventions targeted by age, stage of use, cigarette, other tobacco, and marijuana use and key sociodemographics to interrupt use pathways.Implications: This study is the first to examine progression of cigar use among YYAs who have newly initiated cigars. Results show a high probability of current cigar use within 6 months of initiation followed by a rapid decline and stabilization over time. Frequency increases among those who continue using cigars. Males, younger users, and current cigarette smokers had the highest risk for cigar progression over time. Findings emphasize the need for targeting interventions by age, stage of use, cigarette, other tobacco, and marijuana use and key sociodemographics to interrupt use pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies have revealed that current secondhand smoke exposure showed highly suggestive evidence for increased risk of simultaneous sleep problems in children. Data on the associations between early-life exposure to SHS with subsequent sleep problems in children were scarce. We aimed to evaluate the associations of early-life SHS exposure with sleep problems in children. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, children were recruited from elementary and middle schools in Liaoning Province, China between April 2012 and January 2013. We assessed early-life SHS exposure (pregnancy and the first 2 years of life) via questionnaires. Sleep problems and different types of sleep-related symptoms were measured based on the validated tool of the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC). Generalized linear mixed models were applied to estimate the associations of early-life SHS exposure with sleep problems. Results: We included a total of 45,562 children (22,657 [49.7%] males; mean [SD] age, 11.0 [2.6] years) and 6167 of them (13.5%) were exposed to early-life SHS during both pregnancy and the first 2 years of life. Compared with unexposed counterparts, children exposed to early-life SHS had higher total T-scores of SDSC (β = 4.32; 95%CI: 4.06, 4.58) and higher odds of increased sleep problems (OR = 2.14; 95%CI: 1.89, 2.42). When considering different sleep-related symptoms, the associations between early-life SHS exposure and symptom of sleep-wake transition disorders (i.e., bruxism) were the strongest in all analyses. Conclusions: Early-life SHS exposure was associated with higher odds of global sleep problems and different sleep-related symptoms in children aged 6–18 years. Our findings highlight the importance to strengthen efforts to support the critical importance of maintaining a smoke-free environment especially in early life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies have revealed that current secondhand smoke exposure showed highly suggestive evidence for increased risk of simultaneous sleep problems in children. Data on the associations between early-life exposure to SHS with subsequent sleep problems in children were scarce. We aimed to evaluate the associations of early-life SHS exposure with sleep problems in children.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, children were recruited from elementary and middle schools in Liaoning Province, China between April 2012 and January 2013. We assessed early-life SHS exposure (pregnancy and the first 2 years of life) via questionnaires. Sleep problems and different types of sleep-related symptoms were measured based on the validated tool of the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC). Generalized linear mixed models were applied to estimate the associations of early-life SHS exposure with sleep problems.Results: We included a total of 45,562 children (22,657 [49.7%] males; mean [SD] age, 11.0 [2.6] years) and 6167 of them (13.5%) were exposed to early-life SHS during both pregnancy and the first 2 years of life. Compared with unexposed counterparts, children exposed to early-life SHS had higher total T-scores of SDSC (β = 4.32; 95%CI: 4.06, 4.58) and higher odds of increased sleep problems (OR = 2.14; 95%CI: 1.89, 2.42). When considering different sleep-related symptoms, the associations between early-life SHS exposure and symptom of sleep-wake transition disorders (i.e., bruxism) were the strongest in all analyses.Conclusions: Early-life SHS exposure was associated with higher odds of global sleep problems and different sleep-related symptoms in children aged 6-18 years. Our findings highlight the importance to strengthen efforts to support the critical importance of maintaining a smoke-free environment especially in early life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both cooperative non‐orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) and physical layer security (PLS) are promising techniques for future communication systems. This paper investigates the PLS performance of a cooperative NOMA system where multiple sources transmit a superposed message to two users by utilizing either amplify‐and‐forward (AF) or decode‐and‐forward (DF) relays in both non‐colluding and colluding eavesdropper scenarios. A source‐relay selection scheme is proposed for this system aiming at improving the secrecy performance. Additionally, the closed‐form expression of the secrecy outage probability (SOP) is derived for the proposed source‐relay selection schemes. It is demonstrated that in the proposed schemes, the theoretical results match well with the simulation results. In addition, the proposed schemes outperform the conventional OMA system in terms of SOP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: From the perspective of information processing, an integrated understanding of the structural and functional connectomes in depression patients is important, a multimodal meta-analysis is required to detect the robust alterations in graph metrics across studies.Methods: Following a systematic search, 952 depression patients and 1447 controls in nine diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) and twelve rest state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) studies with high methodological quality met the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis.Results: Regarding the dMRI results, no significant differences of meta-analytic metrics were found; regarding the rs-fMRI results, the modularity and local efficiency were found to be significantly lower in the depression group than in the controls (Hedge's g = -0.330 and -0.349, respectively).Conclusion: Our findings suggested a lower modularity and network efficiency in the rs-fMRI network in depression patients, indicating that the pathological imbalances in brain connectomes needs further exploration.Limitations: Included number of trials was low and heterogeneity should be noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The traffic equilibria are analytically derived for two right-of-way policies. • Adopting the frequency-based AVs-priority policy can reduce travel cost for suburban residents. • An increase in AV automation level may result in an increase in expected trip time. • If environment quality depends solely on residential density, with an increasing level of AV automation, the utility for all residents increases and the suburb expands. This study considers a closed core-suburb city connected by a highway. Two travel modes, namely on-demand and frequency-based autonomous vehicles (AVs), are used for commuting between the suburb and urban core. Each resident attempts to maximize his/her individual utility with consideration to environment quality by choosing a residential location, travel mode, departure time, and non-housing composite consumption good within an expenditure budget. The traffic equilibria are analytically derived for two right-of-way policies, namely (i) the two travel modes sharing the right-of-way and (ii) frequency-based AVs-priority, with consideration of the effect of AVs on travel and urban characteristics. It was found from the analytical results that at any level of AV automation, adopting the frequency-based AVs-priority policy can reduce travel cost for suburban residents while alleviating traffic congestion. Furthermore, an increase in AV automation level results in an increase in expected trip time if the highway capacity is less elastic than the value of travel time for on-demand AVs with respect to the automation level. In addition, if the environment quality depends solely on the residential density, with an increasing level of AV automation, the suburban population and the number of residents using on-demand AVs increase, the land rent in the urban core reduces, the suburb expands, and the utility for all residents increases. These findings help to provide a better understanding of the interactions between AVs, travel and urban characteristics, and serve as a valuable reference to transportation-urban planning in the era of driving automation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reaction of Ni(NO3)2 with KSCN and 1,3,5-tris(triazol-1-ylmethyl)-2,4,6-trimethylbenzene (TTTMB) leads to the formation of a new 3D Ni(II) coordination polymer {[Ni3(TTTMB)4(SCN)6]·3.5H2O}n (1). Furthermore, the treatment activity of the compound on the inflammatory response during chronic congestive heart failure (CHF) was detected and the mechanism was explored. Firstly, the content of the inflammatory cytokines, such as Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) released by cardiomyocytes was measured, and then the relative expression level of the NF-κB signal transduction was detected with real time RT-PCR. According to the data of molecular docking and post software evaluation, the functional groups of ligands may bind to NF-κB, thus providing a regulatory mechanism for ligands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pion superfluidity phase transition at T - μ I and μ q - μ I planes are studied in the framework of Dyson-Schwinger equations. The rainbow truncation and Gaussian effective gluon propagator are employed to calculate pion condensate, ⟨ π ⟩ , as a function of μ I at finite T and μ q . At T = (0 , 80 , 113 , 120) MeV, the ⟨ π ⟩ keeps zero when μ I is less than a critical value μ Ic (T) . The ⟨ π ⟩ at T = 113 MeV agrees with the lattice QCD result. At the T - μ I plane, the pion superfluid phase appears at low temperature and high isospin chemical potential region. At finite μ q , ⟨ π ⟩ varying with μ I almost coincide for μ q < 400 MeV. At μ q - μ I plane, the pion superfluid phase appears at μ I ≳ m π when μ q < 400 MeV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study focuses on the association between serum carotenoids and cancer-related death. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2001–2006 and 2017–2018), the study encompasses 10,277 participants older than age 20 years, with recorded baseline characteristics and serum carotenoid concentrations (including α-carotene, trans -β-carotene, cis -β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, trans -lycopene, and lutein/zeaxanthin). We hypothesized that serum carotenoid concentrations were negatively associated with cancer-related death. The weighted chi-square analyses indicate significant negative correlations between higher serum concentrations of α-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, trans -lycopene, and total carotenoids, and the risk of cancer-related deaths. Using weighted Cox regression analysis, this study confirms that α-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, trans -lycopene, and total carotenoids, as continuous or categorical variables, are inversely related to cancer mortality (P <.0001). Furthermore, considering competitive risk events, lower concentrations of serum β-cryptoxanthin (Fine-Gray P = 1.12e-04), trans -lycopene (P = 5.68e-14), and total carotenoids (P =.03) are associated with an increased risk of cancer-related deaths. The research reveals a crucial inverse relationship between serum carotenoid concentrations and cancer-related death. • Higher α-carotene concentration links to lower cancer death risk. • Higher β-cryptoxanthin concentration links to lower cancer death risk. • Higher trans-lycopene concentration links to lower cancer death risk. • Higher total carotenoids concentration links to lower cancer death risk. • Study used data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The present study encompasses 10,277 participants older than age 20 years, with recorded baseline characteristics and serum carotenoid concentration (including α-carotene, trans -β-carotene, cis -β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, trans -lycopene, and lutein/zeaxanthin). The research reveals an inverse relationship between serum total carotenoids concentrations and cancer-related death. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discuss the chiral and pion-superfluidity phase transitions at finite isospin chemical potential within the framework of Dyson–Schwinger equations. With the help of the quark scalar and pseudo-scalar condensates, which are widely accepted as order parameters of chiral and pion-superfluidity phase transitions respectively, we show that there is a second-order phase transition at isospin chemical potential μI ∼ mπ. Thereafter, we investigate the isospin effects on the chiral phase transition and on the critical point as well as the critical end point (CEP). The chiral phase transition line splits into two lines at finite μI, and the CEP splits into two CEPs as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hall Micro Thrusters (HMTs) use cold gas or accelerated plasma dual mode to provide ultra-precise spacecraft altitude control. They were operated in space for the first time as part of the demonstration payloads on Chinese Academy of Science's (CASs) Taiji-1 spacecraft since September 2019. Hall Micro Thruster Assemblies (HMTAs) were the actuators in drag-free control, and will compensate the nonconservative force for gravity wave observatories. The HMTAs meet the requirements of operating at 5–100 μ N of thrust with 0.7 μ N resolution and ≤ 0.6 μ N/Hz 1 / 2 (0.01–1 Hz) noise to deliver the nanometer-level precision control as fast as 30 ms measured by Gravitational Reference Sensor (GRS). A transfer function model in z-domain was fit and used to filter HMTs cathode voltage to predict GRSs thrust noise response. Simulations of a single or dual-frequency disturbance and the corresponding compensation demonstrated that HMTAs could deliver the required thrust profile expected. The capability to meet the requirements of thruster noise in drag-free control is critical for future missions because the acceleration noise on test mass directly relates to the gravity wave signa l. Preliminary in-orbit verification of Taiji-1 has showed HMTAs' great potential in future, and the data in the experiments are presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To explore the clinical and pathological features of renal lesions in patients with kidney involvement in idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome (IHES). Methods: The demographic, clinical, and pathological characteristics and the treatment and follow-up data were analyzed. Results: We identified 18 patients with IHES and renal involvement. Eleven patients presented with nephrotic syndrome, and 6 patients had impaired renal function. 15 patients underwent renal biopsy, and the pathological findings included the following: membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis in 3 patients; minimal-change disease in 3; mesangial proliferative nephritis in two; IgA nephropathy in 2; membranous nephropathy in two; chronic interstitial nephritis in two; focal segmental sclerosis in one; and eosinophil infiltration into the renal interstitium in 11 and into the glomerulus in 3. After treatment with glucocorticoids, the eosinophil count decreased. 15 patients were followed up, and 14 showed a decrease in urinary protein or renal function recovery. When glucocorticoids were discontinued, eosinophil increased (8 cases), urine protein increased (1 case), and 1 patient progressed to end-stage renal disease. Conclusions: Nephrotic syndrome with or without renal insufficiency is the main clinical manifestation. A wide spectrum of renal lesions can be observed in patients with IHES. Eosinophil infiltration into the renal interstitium was common in these patients. Most patients have a good prognosis after glucocorticoid therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This paper presents an output capacitor‐less low‐dropout regulator (LDO) with wide load capacitance and current ranges. A new Miller compensation technique called multipath double‐nested Miller compensation with Q‐reduction circuit is introduced to extend the ranges of the load capacitance and current. Besides, a multiple small‐gain stages technology is applied to improve the loop gain of the LDO, achieving better management accuracy. The proposed LDO was fabricated in a 130‐nm CMOS process. The measured maximum load capacitance can be extended to 4.7 nF, and the maximum load current is 80 mA. Moreover, the measured line regulation and load regulation are 4 mV/V and 0.154 mV/mA, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors herein report for the first time the complete sequence of the mitochondrial genome of Longpotamon kenliense. The results showed that the mitochondrial genome of L. kenliense is 18,499 bp in length, shares 37 genes and 1 control region with the typical metazoan mitochondrial genome, and has a strong A + T bias (74.48%), i.e., a characteristic of the metazoan mitochondrial genome. In addition, the authors used the 13 protein-coding genes from the mitochondrial genomes of L. kenliense and 67 other species of Brachyura available from the NCBI to estimate divergence times. The divergence time of L. kenliense was 14.39 Ma, which is close to the divergence times of L. xiushuiense and L. yangtsekiense , but later than that of Sinopotamon yaanense. The results indicate that the genera Sinopotamon and Longpotamon are closely related and that the genus Sinopotamon has a longer history, which may have been caused by geological events. Résumé: Les auteurs rapportent ici pour la première fois la séquence complète du génome mitochondrial de Longpotamon kenliense. Les résultats montrent que le génome mitochondrial de L. kenliense a une longueur de 18 499 pb, partage 37 gènes et une région de contrôle avec le génome mitochondrial typique des métazoaires, et a un fort biais A + T (74,48%), i.e., une caractéristique du génome mitochondrial des métazoaires. De plus les auteurs ont utilisé 13 gènes codant pour des protéines des génomes mitochondriaux de L. kenliense et de 67 autres espèces de Brachyoures disponibles à partir du NCBI pour estimer les temps de divergence. Le temps de divergence de L. kenliense a été de 14,39 Ma, ce qui est proche du temps de divergence de L. xiushuiense et L. yangtsekiense , mais plus tardif que celui de Sinopotamon yaanense. Les résultats indiquent que les genres Sinopotamon et Longpotamon sont étroitement liés et que le genre Sinopotamon est plus ancien, ce qui est peut être dû à des évènements géologiques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective * To analyze the correlation between basic information, clinicopathological characteristics, anti-tumor treatment options, prognosis and anemia in lung cancer patients. Methods * The clinical data and laboratory indexes of 246 patients with lung cancer from August 2013 to November 2014 were collected. According to the occurrence of anemia after the anti-tumor therapy, the patients were divided into anemia group and non-anemia group. And according to the survival time, they were divided into survival group and death group. Chi-square test, t test and rank sum test were used to compare the related factors of anemia and prognosis in different patient groups, and Spearman correlation coefficient was used to analyze the relationship between hemoglobin level and anemia-related factors in anemia group. Results * After anti-tumor therapy, 175 patients (71.1%) developed anemia, mainly mild anemia. Anti-tumor treatment with platinum-based chemoradiotherapy could easily cause anemia (P=0.000). There were significant differences between the anemia group and the non-anemia group in tumor stage, Performance Status score, secondary disease and serum albumin level (all P<0.05). And the hemoglobin level in anemia group was positively correlated with the serum albumin level (r=0.498, P=0.000). Compared with the death group, the levels of hemoglobin, serum albumin, serum iron and folic acid in the survival group were higher, and the levels of serum ferritin, glycosylated hemoglobin and lactate dehydrogenase in the survival group were lower (all P<0.05). Conclusion * The occurrence of anemia in lung cancer patients is affected by many factors, and is related to the prognosis. Therefore, the treatment of anemia should be given enough attention, and attention should be paid to individualized treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Opportunistic Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) has attracted increasing attention. This study aimed to evaluate the clinicopathological characteristics and clinical outcomes of UC with intestinal EBV infection and to explore the predictive value of blood EBV DNA for the presence of EBV in the intestine. Methods: Both peripheral blood and intestinal biopsies from 92 consecutive UC inpatients were included in this study. Normal colonic mucosal tissues from 20 colon cancer patients were used as controls. EBV testing and assessment were performed by EBV-DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR), EBV-encoded small RNA in situ hybridization (EBER-ISH) and immunohistochemistry. Results: A total of 36 patients (39.1%) had UC with superimposed EBV colitis [EBER greater than 2/high-power field (HPF)]. EBER counts and disease activity were significantly correlated (p < 0.05). The major endoscopic findings revealed more irregular and longitudinal ulcers in patients with superimposed EBV colitis (p = 0.016, p = 0.021, respectively). Age, steroid dependence, and irregular ulcerations were identified as possible risk factors. The best EBER cut-off point for outcome prediction was 2.5/HPF. At a cut-off value of 2035 copies/ml, the sensitivity and specificity of the blood EBV-DNA PCR analysis for predicting EBV presence in the intestine were 76.5% and 68.5%, respectively. EBV-infected cells in UC with high EBV concentrations mainly included B lymphocytes by clinicopathology, and the infection might have progressed from the latent to the lytic phase of the EBV life cycle. Conclusion: The EBER count is positively correlated with disease activity. The best cut-off point for outcome prediction is 2.5/HPF. A high EBV viremia load may effectively predict EBV presence in the colonic mucosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. To evaluate the expression of DSG1 and DSG2 and investigate their clinicopathological significance in EHCC. Method. The protein expression of DSG1 and DSG2 was measured by EnVision immunohistochemistry in 15 normal biliary tract tissues, 10 biliary tract adenoma tissues, 30 peritumoral tissues, and 100 EHCC tumour tissues. Result. The expression of the DSG1 and DSG2 proteins was significantly lower in EHCC tumour tissues than in normal biliary tract tissues, biliary tract adenoma, and peritumoral tissues (P < 0.05). Adenoma and peritumoral tissues with negative DSG1 and/or DSG2 protein expression exhibited atypical hyperplasia. DSG1 expression was positively correlated with DSG2 expression in EHCC (P < 0.01). In patients with good differentiation, no invasion, no lymph metastasis, TNM I + II stage, and radical surgery, the positive expression of DSG1 and DSG2 proteins was higher (P < 0.05). In comparison to patients with negative DSG1 and/or DSG2 expression, the average overall survival time of those with positive expression was significantly longer (P = 0.000). Cox multivariate analysis revealed that negative DSG1 and DSG2 expressions were independent of poor prognosis factors in EHCC patients. The AUC calculated for DSG1 was 0.681 (95% confidence interval: 0.594–0.768) and that for DSG2 was 0.645 (95% confidence interval: 0.555–0.734), while that for DSG1 and DSG2 was 0.772 (95% confidence interval: 0.609-0.936). Conclusions. Negative protein expression of DSG1 and DSG2 is closely related to the pathogenesis, severe clinicopathological characteristics, aggressive biological behaviours, and dismal prognosis in EHCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]