Search

Background Methods Results Conclusion Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) has been used to treat interstitial lung disease (ILD), but mycophenolate (MPA) pharmacokinetics was not reported for this use. This ancillary study of the EVER‐ILD protocol aimed at describing the pharmacokinetic variability of MPA using population modelling in ILD.Concentrations of MPA were measured during an 8‐h course for 27 ILD patients treated with 1000 mg MMF b.i.d. Absorption, distribution and elimination of MPA were described using population compartment models with first‐order transfer and elimination rate constants, while accounting for both absorption peaks using gamma absorption models.The pharmacokinetics of MPA was best described using a two‐compartment model and two gamma absorption models, model performances of this model were still similar to those of a one gamma absorption model. This pharmacokinetics seemed to be notably influenced by body weight, renal function and inflammatory status. The distribubtion value area under the concentration curve between two administrations of MMF was AUC12 = 52.5 mg.h/L in median (interquartile range: 42.2–58.0 mg.h/L).This is the first study reporting MPA pharmacokinetics in ILD. This pharmacokinetics appears to be similar to other indications and should be further investigated in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a predominant ecosystem-providing area and distinctive landscape in arid regions, an oasis plays an important role in maintaining land stability, human production, and daily activities. Studying the dynamics of oasis and its driving factors is vital to supporting arid regions' sustainable development. As a typical mountain–desert–oasis landscape, the Turpan–Hami (Tuha) Basin, located in Xinjiang, China, includes complex interactions among different land types. For this study, we revealed the spatio-temporal patterns and transition processes of the oasis using a complex network method between 1990 and 2020 in the Tuha Basin. In the oasis transition network, the degree value, betweenness centrality, and average path length were calculated to express the transition relationship, key oasis type, and oasis structural stability, respectively. Six factors related to climate change and human actives were selected to investigate the driving forces behind oasis transitions, including the average temperature and precipitation in the growing season, the total power of agricultural machinery (TAMP), the production of raw coal (PRC), the total output value of the plantation industry (TPI), and the population (Pop). Our results show that the oasis area of the Tuha Basin, including the natural oasis and artificial oasis, all grew from 1990 to 2020, with the natural oasis expanding more than the artificial oasis. The transitions between oasis types became more frequent as the area of oasis land types increased throughout the study period. Grassland acted as the most important oasis type in the network, with the highest betweenness centrality, but its importance declined due to the increasing complexity of the oasis transition network from 1990 to 2020. The transitions between oasis types became simpler, and the oasis structural stability decreased. Through driving force analysis, the oasis changes showed a positive correlation with the temperature (p-value < 0.05, r = 0.88), and urbanization and industrialization factors prompted transitions to built-up areas and cropland from grassland and shrubland. In summary, our results suggest that to create a harmonious symbiotic relationship between the natural environment in dryland and human activities, preventing grassland degradation and excessive reclamation of land cover is an available way. Meanwhile, the protection of shrubland and water resources is also important. This study provided reference and theory support for promoting the sustainable development of oases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rechargeable lithium‐metal batteries (RLBs), which employ the Li‐metal anode to acquire notably boosted specific energy at cell level, represent the "Holy Grail" for "beyond Li‐ion" electrochemical energy storage technology. Currently, the practical use of RLBs is impeded by poor cycling and safety performance, which are derived from high chemical reactivity of metallic Li and uncontrollable formation and propagation of metal dendrites during repeated Li plating/stripping. In this study, a new strategy is demonstrated to stabilize the anode electrochemistry of RLBs by applying a Mg3N2‐decorated functional separator onto the Li‐metal surface. An in situ conversion‐alloying reaction occurring at Li‐separator interface assists formation of a mixed ion/electron conducting layer that consists mainly of Li3N and Li‐Mg solid‐solution. The inorganic interlayer effectively suppresses parasitic reactions at Li‐electrolyte interface while simultaneously homogenizes Li+/e‐ flux across the interface and therefore, contributes to dendrite‐free operation of Li‐metal anode. A Li||LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 battery based on the functional separator delivers a reversible capacity of 129 mAh g‐1 after 600 cycles at 0.5 C, which corresponds to a capacity retention of 75.9%. The preparation of functional separator is scalable and adaptive to battery manufacture, which brings new opportunities to realize high‐energy RLBs with long cycle life and improved safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stem cell therapy has shown great clinical potential in oncology, injury, inflammation, and cardiovascular disease. However, due to the technical limitations of the in vivo visualization of transplanted stem cells, the therapeutic mechanisms and biosafety of stem cells in vivo are poorly defined, which limits the speed of clinical translation. The commonly used methods for the in vivo tracing of stem cells currently include optical imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and nuclear medicine imaging. However, nuclear medicine imaging involves radioactive materials, MRI has low resolution at the cellular level, and optical imaging has poor tissue penetration in vivo. It is difficult for a single imaging method to simultaneously achieve the high penetration, high resolution, and noninvasiveness needed for in vivo imaging. However, multimodal imaging combines the advantages of different imaging modalities to determine the fate of stem cells in vivo in a multidimensional way. This review provides an overview of various multimodal imaging technologies and labeling methods commonly used for tracing stem cells, including optical imaging, MRI, and the combination of the two, while explaining the principles involved, comparing the advantages and disadvantages of different combination schemes, and discussing the challenges and prospects of human stem cell tracking techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cellular states of different immune cells can affect the activity of the whole immune microenvironment. Methods: Here, leveraging reference profiles of microenvironment cell states that were constructed based on single-cell RNA-seq data of melanoma, we dissected the composition of microenvironment cell states across 463 skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) bulk samples through CIBERSORT-based deconvolution of gene expression profiles and revealed high heterogeneity of their distribution. Correspondence analysis on the estimated cellular fractions of melanoma bulk samples was performed to identify immune phenotypes. Based on the publicly available clinical survival and therapy data, we analyzed the relationship between immune phenotypes and clinical outcomes of melanoma. Results: By analysis of the relationships among those cell states, we further identified three distinct tumor microenvironment immune phenotypes: "immune hot/active", "immune cold-suppressive" and "immune cold-exhausted". They were characterized by markedly different patterns of cell states: most notably the CD8 T Cytotoxic state, CD8 T Mixed state, B non-regulatory state and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), depicting distinct types of antitumor immune response (or immune activity). These phenotypes had prognostic significance for progression-free survival and implications in response to immune therapy in an independent cohort of anti-PD1 treated melanoma patients. Conclusions: The proposed strategy of leveraging single-cell data to dissect the composition of microenvironment cell states in individual bulk tumors can also extend to other cancer types, and our results highlight the importance of microenvironment cell states for the understanding of tumor immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Data on loneliness among older adults in China during the COVID‐19 pandemic are still scarce. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of loneliness and identify its associated factors among older Chinese adults during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods: During the COVID‐19 pandemic, 1268 older Chinese adults (aged 50+ years) were recruited through snowball sampling. The Chinese version of the validated six‐item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale was used to assess participants' recent feelings of loneliness, and a cut‐off score of two or more was used to indicate the presence of loneliness. Results: Loneliness was experienced by 37.9% of the participants in recent days. Factors significantly associated with loneliness included male sex (vs. female, OR: 1.62, p <.001), an education level of middle school and below (vs. college and above, OR: 1.50, p =.007), residing in the COVID‐19 epicenter (vs. other provinces, OR: 1.48, p =.004), concern about contracting COVID‐19 (OR: 1.68, p =.001), poor knowledge of COVID‐19 (OR: 2.39, p =.012), and physical health problems (OR: 1.65, p <.001). Discussion: Loneliness is common among older Chinese adults amid the COVID‐19 pandemic. Targeted intervention programs may be more effective in reducing loneliness among older adults who are worried about contracting COVID‐19, have poor COVID‐19 knowledge, and experience physical health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is little empirical data on the heightened risk of loneliness among individuals residing in the COVID-19 epicenter or those who have recently left. This study compared the risk of loneliness in individuals residing in Wuhan, the COVID-19 epicenter in China, and those who had recently left during the initial outbreak period to those living in non-epicenter regions. During the COVID-19 outbreak in China in 2020, three samples were obtained using snowball sampling. The samples included 2882 epicenter residents, 1028 left residents, and 2963 non-epicenter residents. Loneliness was assessed using the six-item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale, with a score of two or more indicating the presence of loneliness. 53.5% and 55.2% of epicenter and recently left residents, respectively, experienced loneliness, which was significantly higher than the 43.9% observed in non-epicenter residents. After adjusting for covariates, the risk of loneliness remained statistically significant for both epicenter and left residents (OR = 1.35, P < 0.001 and OR = 1.20, P = 0.017, respectively), when compared to non-epicenter residents. Individuals residing in the COVID-19 epicenter, as well as those who have recently left, are at a heightened risk of loneliness during the outbreak. These individuals need psychosocial support to mitigate their risk of loneliness and promote their psychological wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that structure determines property, but obtaining a pair of silver nanoclusters with comparable structures to understand the structure–property relationship is a very challenging task. A new 60-nuclei silver nanocluster (SD/Ag60a) protected by a mixed-ligand shell of tBuS− and o-CH3OPhCOO− was obtained and characterized. Single crystal x-ray diffraction reveals that SD/Ag60a has an identical metal nuclearity and core–shell structural type to SD/Ag1 previously reported by our group, whereas the compositions of the core and shell have undergone a rearrangement from an Ag12 cuboctahedron core and an Ag48 rhombicuboctahedron shell in SD/Ag1 to an Ag14 rhombic dodecahedron core and an oval Ag46 shell in SD/Ag60a. The core enlargement from Ag12 to Ag14 originates from the replacement of two S2− in Ag12S15 by two Ag+, which gives a new Ag14S13 core. This result indicates that the metal frameworks of silver nanoclusters have some extent flexibility despite the same nuclearity, which can be influenced by ligands, solvents, anion templates, and others in the embryonic stage of the assembly. Interestingly, different core–shell architectures of Ag60 nanoclusters also significantly endow the different optical absorption bands, photocurrent-generating properties, and luminesecent behaviors. This work not only realizes the regulation of the core–shell structure of silver nanoclusters with the same nuclearity but also provides a comparable model for investigating the relationship of structure–photoelectric properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The development of a convenient and universal strategy for the synthesis of inorganic–organic hybrid nanomaterials with phenolic coating on the surface is of special significance for the preparation of electrocatalysts. In this work, we report an environmentally friendly, practical, and convenient method for one-step reduction and generation of organically capped nanocatalysts using natural polyphenol tannic acid (TA) as reducing agents and coating agents. TA coated metal (Pd, Ag and Au) nanoparticles are prepared by this strategy, among which TA coated Pd nanoparticles (PdTA NPs) show excellent oxygen reduction reaction activity and stability under alkaline conditions. Interestingly, the TA in the outer layer makes PdTA NPs methanol resistant, and TA acts as molecular armor against CO poisoning. We propose an efficient interfacial coordination coating strategy, which opens up new way to regulate the interface engineering of electrocatalysts reasonably and has broad application prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) targeted therapy combined with endocrine therapy has been recommended as an alternative treatment strategy for patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC). This study aimed to evaluate the role of pyrotinib, an oral pan-HER irreversible tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in combination with letrozole for patients with HR-positive, HER2-positive MBC. Methods: In this multi-center, phase II trial, HR-positive and HER2-positive MBC patients who were not previously treated for metastasis disease were enrolled. Patients received daily oral pyrotinib 400 mg and letrozole 2.5 mg until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or withdrawal of consent. The primary endpoint was the clinical benefit rate (CBR) assessed by an investigator according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1. Results: From November 2019 to December 2021, 53 patients were enrolled and received pyrotinib plus letrozole. As of August 2022, the median follow-up duration was 11.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.7–14.0 months). The CBR was 71.7% (95% CI, 57.7–83.2%), and the objective response rate was 64.2% (95% CI, 49.8–76.9%). The median progression-free survival was 13.7 months (95% CI, 10.7–18.7 months). The most common treatment-related adverse event of grade 3 or higher was diarrhea (18.9%). No treatment-related deaths were reported, and one patient experienced treatment discontinuation due to adverse event. Conclusions: Our preliminary results suggested that pyrotinib plus letrozole is feasible for the first-line treatment of patients with HR-positive and HER2-positive MBC, with manageable toxicities. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04407988. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on insects have contributed significantly to a better understanding of learning and memory, which is a necessary cognitive capability for all animals. Although the formation of memory has been studied in some model insects, more evidence is required to clarify the characteristics of memory formation, especially long‐term memory (LTM), which is important for reliably storing information. Here, we explored this question by examining Bactrocera dorsalis, an agricultural pest with excellent learning abilities. Using the classical conditioning paradigm of the olfactory proboscis extension reflex (PER), we found that paired conditioning with multiple trials (>3) spaced with an intertrial interval (≥10 min) resulted in stable memory that lasted for at least 3 d. Furthermore, even a single conditioning trial was sufficient for the formation of a 2‐d memory. With the injection of protein inhibitors, protein‐synthesis‐dependent memory was confirmed to start 4 h after training, and its dependence on translation and transcription differed. Moreover, the results revealed that the dependence of memory on protein translation exhibited a time‐window effect (4–6 h). Our findings provide an integrated view of LTM in insects, suggesting common mechanisms in LTM formation that play a key role in the biological basis of memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on the development of flexible silica aerogels (FSAs) has been ongoing due to their excellent thermal insulation, low density, and high elasticity. However, the physical properties of FSAs, such as density, thermal conductivity, mechanical strength, and surface wettability, are highly dependent on the preparation conditions. To achieve the desired properties of FSAs for various applications, it is necessary to develop a method to fine-tune their physical properties. In this paper, two modifiers of methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS)/trimethylethoxysilane (TMES) were employed to fine-tune the bulk density of a series of flexible silica aerogels (FSAs), reflecting a series of FSAs with fine-tunable physical properties. First, the precursor was synthesized by a click reaction between vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS) and 2,2′ (ethylenedioxy) diethanethiol (EDDET). The VTMS, EDDET, and the as-prepared precursor were characterized by FT-IR and NMR spectroscopy. Subsequently, the precursor was converted into a series of FSAs (denoted by FSA, FSA-M, and FSA-T) through conventional sol-gel reactions with/without MTMS/TMES. Chemical structures of synthesized FSAs were confirmed by 13C and 29Si solid-state NMR spectroscopy. The porous structure of FSAs was identified by BET and SEM, respectively. Physical properties, such as thermal conductivity, mechanical strength, and surface wettability of FSAs were determined by a Hot Disk, durometer/DMA in compression mode, and contact angle measurements, respectively. This study found FSAs containing none, 1 wt%, 5 wt%, and 10 wt% of MTMS increase the density of FSAs from 0.419 g/cm3 (FSA), 0.423 g/cm3 (FSA-M1), 0.448 g/cm3 (FSA-M5), and 0.456 g/cm3 (FSA-M10). It should be noted that the thermal conductivity, surface hardness, bulk mechanical strength, and hydrophobicity of FSA-Ms of increasing MTMS loading were all found to show a rising trend, while FSA-Ts exhibited lower density. FSA-T10 exhibited lower thermal conductivity, surface hardness, and bulk mechanical strength as compared to FSA. However, it was found to show higher hydrophobicity as compared to that of FSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyclobutenones provide a straightforward four‐carbon ring platform for further structural elaborations in that every carbon atom of the ring could be potentially functionalized. We report here a nickel catalyzed enantioconvergent Negishi coupling of 4‐iodocyclobutenones with an array of aryl or alkenyl zinc reagents to access enantioenriched 4‐substituted cyclobutenones, from which a modular approach to the synthesis of 1,2,3,4‐tetrasubstituted cyclobutanes was demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyclobutenones provide a straightforward four‐carbon ring platform for further structural elaborations in that every carbon atom of the ring could be potentially functionalized. We report here a nickel catalyzed enantioconvergent Negishi coupling of 4‐iodocyclobutenones with an array of aryl or alkenyl zinc reagents to access enantioenriched 4‐substituted cyclobutenones, from which a modular approach to the synthesis of 1,2,3,4‐tetrasubstituted cyclobutanes was demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activated coke is considered to be one of the promising CO2 adsorbents. It could be prepared using coals by a single-step method, but the physical properties and CO2 adsorption performance of the prepared activated coke were significantly different when different ranks of coals were used as the raw materials. In this study, a single-step rapid pyrolysis activation method based on entrained-flow bed was proposed to prepare powdered activated coke (PAC) for CO2 adsorption. Six typical coals covering lignite, bituminous coal and anthracite were selected as raw material to prepare PACs by the proposed method. The pore structure, surface morphologies and surface functional groups of the prepared PACs were characterized and the yields were calculated. The CO2 adsorption capacities and adsorption selectivity for CO2/N2 were determined. Results show that the PAC prepared from lignite had the maximum specific surface area of 479 m2/g, the most abundant oxygen-containing functional groups and the highest CO2 adsorption capacity of 3.35 mmol/g at 0°C and 1.2 bar. The physical properties and CO2 adsorption performance of PACs prepared using bituminous coals were greatly affected by the caking property. The PACs prepared using non-caking/weak-caking bituminous coals, such as Zhundong coal and Jinjie coal had good physical properties and CO2 adsorption performance, while those prepared using strong-caking coals had poor physical properties and CO2 adsorption performance. The yields were higher than those of PACs prepared from lignite. The PAC prepared using anthracite had the similar physical properties and CO2 adsorption performance to PAC prepared using medium-caking bituminous coal, but the yield of 72.17% was the most. It could provide references and basic support for the selection of coal for rapid preparation of coal-based adsorbents related to CO2 adsorption by the single-step method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to evaluate sex-specific association between admission systolic blood pressure (SBP) and in-hospital prognosis in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) admitted to intensive care unit (ICU). In this retrospective, observational study, 1268 ADHF patients requiring intensive care were consecutively enrolled and divided by sex. Patients were divided into three subgroups according to SBP tertiles: high (≥ 122 mmHg), moderate (104–121 mmHg) and low (< 104 mmHg). The primary endpoint was either all-cause mortality, cardiac arrest or utilization of mechanical support devices during hospitalization. Female patients were more likely to be older, have poorer renal function and higher ejection fractions (p < 0.001). The C statistics of SBP was 0.665 (95%CI 0.611–0.719, p < 0.001) for men and 0.548 (95% CI 0.461–0.634, p = 0.237) for women, respectively. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that admission SBP as either a continuous (OR = 0.984, 95% CI 0.973–0.996) or a categorical (low vs. high, OR = 3.293, 95% CI 1.610–6.732) variable was an independent predictor in male but the risk did not statistically differ between the moderate and high SBP strata (OR = 1.557, 95% CI 0.729–3.328). In female, neither low (OR = 1.135, 95% CI 0.328–3.924) nor moderate (OR = 0.989, 95% CI 0.277–3.531) SBP had a significant effect on primary endpoint compared with high SBP strata. No interaction was detected between left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and SBP (p for interaction = 0.805). In ADHF patients admitted to ICU, SBP showed a sex-related prognostic effect on primary endpoint. In male, lower SBP was independently associated with an increased risk of primary endpoint. Conversely, in female, no relationship was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) have been widely used for studying the taxonomy and phylogeny of insects. Chironomids are important bioindicators for monitoring and assessing the health of freshwater ecosystems. However, only a few complete mitogenomes of Chironomus species have been reported till now. In this study, the whole mitogenome sequences of 12 Chironomus species and one Microchironomus species are reported for the first time. Coupled with published mitogenomes, the nucleotide composition, codon usage, PCG selection pressure, and heterogeneity of the mitogenomes of 15 Chironomus species were analyzed. The phylogenetic relationships of Chironomus based on mitogenomes were reconstructed. The result showed that the mitogenomes of Chironomus species were conservative in respect of nucleotide composition and gene order. Our study enriches the library of mitogenomes of chironomids and provides a valuable resource for understanding the evolutionary history of Chironomus. (1) Background: Chironomids are biological indicators, playing an important role in monitoring and assessing the changes in water ecosystems. Mitochondrial genomes have been widely applied as a molecular marker to analyze the taxonomy and phylogeny of insects. However, knowledge of the mitogenomes of Chironomus species is scarce at present, which limits our understanding of the evolutionary relationships among Chironomus. (2) Methods: In our study, the mitogenomes and their basic structure of 12 Chironomus species and one Microchironomus species were newly sequenced. Combined with reported mitogenomes, a total of 15 mitogenomes of Chironomus were selected for a comparative mitogenomic analysis and phylogenetic reconstruction of Chironomus. (3) Results: Each mitogenome of the Chironomus species has the typical 37 genes and a control region. The basic structure of the whole mitogenomes of Chironomus species is relatively conservative, and the genetic arrangements stay the same as the ancestral mitogenome. (4) Conclusions: Our study enriches the library of mitogenomes of chironomids and provides a valuable resource for understanding the evolutionary history of Chironomus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The excessive activation of microglia cell induced by adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) leads to neuroinflammation in the hippocampus. The endocannabinoid system plays a key role in the modulation of microglia activation. Accumulating evidence suggests that regular exercise improves learning and memory deficits in AIE models. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of treadmill exercise intervention on the cognitive performance, activation of microglia cells and the expression of monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL), cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1R) and cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2R) in the hippocampus of AIE rats. Here, we show that AIE rats exhibited cognitive impairments, whereas the treadmill exercise improves the cognitive performance in AIE rats. In order to explore the possible mechanisms for the exercise-induced attenuation of cognitive disorder, we examined the neuroinflammation in the hippocampus. We found that treadmill exercise led to the decrease in the level of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α) and the increase in the level of anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10). In addition, we found that treadmill exercise reduced the excessive activation of the microglia cell in the hippocampus of AIE rats. Finally, we found that AIE led to a decrease in the expression of CB1R and CB2R in the hippocampus; however, the treadmill exercise further decreased the expression of CB2R in the hippocampus of AIE rats. Our results suggest that treadmill exercise attenuates AIE-induced neuroinflammation and the excessive activation of hippocampus microglial cells, which may contribute to the exercise-induced improvement of cognitive performance in AIE rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Missed abortion is one of the common obstetrical and gynecological complications, angiogenesis is the most important factor in fetal and placental development. However, the definite etiology and pathogenesis are not fully understood. Methods: The mRNA levels of p53, MDM2, VEGF, and HIF‐lα were detected in 60 villous samples of missed abortion patients and 64 healthy controls by quantitative reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR). Immunohistochemistry was used to explore the expression and correlation of p53, MDM2, VEGF, and HIF‐lα in villous tissues. Furthermore, we upregulated MDM2 expression in JEG‐3 and BeWo cells under hypoxia, combined with Nutlin3, the cell cycle was determined using flow cytometry and the expressions of p53, MDM2, VEGF, and HIF‐1α were determined by qRT‐PCR and western blot. Results: qRT‐PCR demonstrated that the expressions of p53, MDM2, and HIF‐1α were significantly increased and VEGF was decreased in missed abortion group compared with normal pregnancies. Correlation analysis found that p53 was positively correlated with MDM2 and HIF‐1α, and negatively correlated with VEGF in missed abortion group. After administration of Nutlin3, overexpression of MDM2 could arrest cell cycle in G1 phase and reduce the proportion of S phase. The expression of p53 and MDM2 of JEG‐3 cells and BeWo cells which transfected with pcDNA3.1‐MDM2 plasmid were markedly increased after Nutlin3 addition under hypoxic conditions, while the expression of VEGF and HIF‐1α decreased. Conclusion: Our data indicated that during the development of villi in early pregnancy, p53‐MDM2 signaling regulate cell cycle and angiogenesis through interaction with HIF‐1α and VEGF, which may be a crucial factor affecting pregnancy outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stress-induced hyperglycemia (SIH) generally occurs in critical illness. Recently, glycemic gap (GAP) has been considered to be a superior indicator of SIH. However, data on the association between GAP and prognosis in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is limited. This observational study aimed to estimate the prognostic value of GAP mean , defined as the difference between mean blood glucose level (MGL) within 24 h after admission and A1c-derived average glucose (ADAG), in patients with acute STEMI. A total of 4952 patients with acute STEMI were included in the final analysis, and they were divided into four groups according to GAP mean quartiles and diabetes mellitus (DM). The primary outcomes were all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). Cox proportional hazards regression analysis and net reclassification improvement (NRI) analysis were performed. At 30 days of follow-up, 324 (6.5%) deaths and 569 (11.5%) MACEs occurred. With the elevation of GAP mean , the incidence of all-cause mortality (4.0%, 5.6%, 6.5%, and 10.1%) and MACEs (7.3%, 9.6%, 11.4%, and 17.7%) significantly increased. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated that GAP mean was superior to admission blood glucose (ABG) and GAP adm (defined as the difference between ABG and ADAG) to detect adverse outcomes. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that elevated GAP mean was independently associated with all-cause death and MACEs. With the first quartile as a reference, the hazards ratios (HRs) for all-cause death in the second, third, and fourth quartiles were 1.49 (95% CI 1.02–2.18), 1.58 (95% CI 1.09–2.30), and 2.11 (95% CI 1.48–3.02), respectively, and the HRs for MACEs were 1.40 (95% CI 1.05–1.86), 1.60 (95% CI 1.21–2.11), and 2.17 (95% CI 1.66–2.83), respectively, which were independent of DM status. Continuous NRI analysis revealed that GAP mean significantly improved risk stratification for all-cause mortality and MACEs by 21.6% and 19.8%, respectively. The glycemic gap between MGL within 24 h after admission and ADAG was independently associated with 30-day all-cause mortality and MACEs in patients with acute STEMI, which was not affected by DM status. Further, the glycemic gap provided incremental accuracy in the risk stratification of STEMI. [Display omitted] • Elevated GAP mean is independently related to 30-day all-cause death and MACEs in STEMI, independent of the status of DM. • GAP mean is superior to admission blood glucose and GAP adm in the prediction of all-cause death and MACEs in STEMI. • GAP mean can provide additional accuracy in risk stratification of STEMI beyond that provided by conventional risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The diameters of the vertebral arteries on both sides are usually asymmetrical. Vertebral artery dominance (VAD) and congenital vertebral artery dysplasia are derived from the asymmetry of the vertebral artery diameters on both sides. They are usually regarded as normal congenital vascular variations and have no practical clinical significance. Summary: Recently, several clinical studies have found that VAD is a risk factor for posterior circulation ischemic stroke (PCIS). The existence of VAD is clinically significant for the occurrence of PCIS, and it is recognized by an increasing number of clinicians. Key Messages: This article reviews the frequency and evaluation methods of VAD, its correlation with PCIS, and its mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SOCS (Suppressor of Cytokine Signalling) proteins are intracellular negative regulators that primarily modulate and inhibit cytokine-mediated signal transduction, playing a crucial role in immune homeostasis and related inflammatory diseases. SOCS act as inhibitors by regulating the Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) signaling pathway, thereby intervening in the pathogenesis of inflammation and autoimmune diseases. Recent studies have also demonstrated their involvement in central immunity and neuroinflammation, showing a dual functionality. However, the specific mechanisms of SOCS in the central nervous system remain unclear. This review thoroughly elucidates the specific mechanisms linking the SOCS-JAK-STAT pathway with the inflammatory manifestations of neurodegenerative diseases. Based on this, it proposes the theory that SOCS proteins can regulate the JAK-STAT pathway and inhibit the occurrence of neuroinflammation. Additionally, this review explores in detail the current therapeutic landscape and potential of targeting SOCS in the brain via the JAK-STAT pathway for neuroinflammation, offering insights into potential targets for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. • SOCS is capable of regulating central immune and neuroinflammatory by JAK-STAT pathway and exhibit dual functionality. • The SOCS-JAK-STAT pathway is a promising therapeutic target and choice for inflammatory neurological diseases. • SOCS mimetics and drugs represent a new perspective for targeting the SOCS-JAK-STAT pathway to inhibit neuroinflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contact angle and micromorphology of asphalt were collected by sessile drop method and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. Then, the effect of inorganic montmorillonite (MMT) and organic montmorillonite (OMMT) as asphalt modifier to adhesion ability between asphalt and aggregate was explored and analyzed based on the surface free energy (SFE) theory and AFM. The results demonstrated a rise of SFE, dispersive and polar components of asphalt, as well as an improvement in the adhesive ability with the incorporation of MMT or OMMT. The SFE of 70#/MMT and 70#/OMMT modified asphalt increased by 6.93% and 8.03% respectively. The SFE of SBS/MMT and SBS/OMMT modified asphalt increased by 10.65% and 11.38%, respectively. Meanwhile, the microstructures of asphalt could be changed by MMT and OMMT modifiers. The root means square roughness (R q) of 70#/MMT and 70#/OMMT modified asphalt increased by 14.34% and 31.32%, respectively. The R q of SBS/MMT and SBS/OMMT modified asphalt is increased by 30.00% and 53.64%, respectively, which indicated the improvement of the adhesion ability. [Display omitted] • Adhesion between asphalt and aggregates unveiled by SFE theory and AFM. • Microstructure (bee structure, peri phase and R q) of asphalt was changed because of the MMT/OMMT addition. • Wettability and adhesion of MMT/OMMT to asphalt was quantitatively analyzed by SFE, adhesion and peeling work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shuttle effect and excessive volume change of the sulfur cathode severely impede the industrial implementation of Li–S batteries. It is still highly challenging to find an efficient way to suppress the shuttle effect and volume expansion. Here, we report, for the first time, an innovative atomic orbital hybridization concept to construct the hierarchical hollow sandwiched sulfur nanospheres with double-polyaniline layers as the cathode material for large-scale high-performance Li–S batteries. This hierarchically 3D, cross-linked and stable sulfur–polyaniline backbone with interconnected disulfide bonds provides a new type and strong intrinsic chemical confinement of sulfur owing to the atomic orbital hybridization of Li 2s, S 3p, C 2p and N 2p. Crucially, such atomic orbital hybridization of sulfur sandwiched in the double sulfur–polyaniline network is highly reversible during the discharge/charge process and can very efficiently suppress the shuttle effect and volume expansion, contributing to a very high capacity of 1142 mAh g–1 and an excellent stabilized capacity of 886 mAh g–1 at 0.2 C after 500 cycles with a suppressed volume expansion and an unprecedented electrode integrity. This innovative atomic orbital hybridization concept can be extended to the preparation of other electrode materials to eliminate the shuttle effect and volume expansion in battery technologies. The present work also provides a commercially viable and up-scalable cathode material based on this strong and highly reversible atomic orbital hybridation for large-scale high-performance Li–S batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gait disturbances may appear prior to cognitive dysfunction in the early stage of silent cerebrovascular disease (SCD). Subtle changes in gait characteristics may provide an early warning of later cognitive decline. Our team has proposed a vision-based artificial intelligent gait analyzer for the rapid detection of spatiotemporal parameters and walking pattern based on videos of the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between gait features assessed by our artificial intelligent gait analyzer and cognitive function changes in patients with SCD.Methods: This will be a multicenter prospective cohort study involving a total of 14 hospitals from Shanghai and Guizhou. One thousand and six hundred patients with SCD aged 60-85 years will be consecutively recruited. Eligible patients will undergo the intelligent gait assessment and neuropsychological evaluation at baseline and at 1-year follow-up. The intelligent gait analyzer will divide participant into normal gait group and abnormal gait group according to their walking performance in the TUG videos at baseline. All participants will be naturally observed during 1-year follow-up period. Primary outcome are the changes in Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score. Secondary outcomes include the changes in intelligent gait spatiotemporal parameters (step length, gait speed, step frequency, step width, standing up time, and turning back time), the changes in scores on other neuropsychological tests (Montreal Cognitive Assessment, the Stroop Color Word Test, and Digit Span Test), falls events, and cerebrovascular events. We hypothesize that both groups will show a decline in MMSE score, but the decrease of MMSE score in the abnormal gait group will be more significant.Conclusion: This study will be the first to explore the relationship between gait features assessed by an artificial intelligent gait analyzer and cognitive decline in patients with SCD. It will demonstrate whether subtle gait abnormalities detected by the artificial intelligent gait analyzer can act as a cognitive-related marker for patients with SCD.Trial Registration: This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT04456348 ; 2 July 2020). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unequal voting rights arrangements under dual class share structures are increasingly favoured by entrepreneurs and founders of technology companies, in order to retain a degree of control over the company that is disproportionate to their equity shareholdings. The rise of such share structures around the world has put competitive pressure on the UK Government and the country's financial regulator to relax the one share, one vote principle in the premium listing regime of the London Stock Exchange, to ensure the UK equities market remains world-leading and fit for the future development of the economy. There is, however, a long tradition of institutional investors' distaste for dual class share structures. In fact, the near extinction of dual class listings in the UK capital markets can be largely attributed to the opposition of large British institutions. Therefore, this paper will critically discuss the conflict between the demands to attract listings from high-tech and innovative companies and concerns of a race to the bottom in the UK context. It rebuts criticisms based on investor protection and argues that if dual class companies were permitted to list in the Premium Segment, the higher level of regulatory protection provided in the premium listing regime would help enhance minority shareholder protection and shareholder engagement. The additional safeguarding measures, as we have seen from other global financial centres, would also help to restrain the potential abuse of controllers' weighted voting power. Together with the market mechanism, permitting dual class listings in the Premium Segment should be welcomed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Liver fibrosis is an outcome of restoring process in chronic liver injury. Human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs) derived from amniotic membrane have multilineage differentiation, immunosuppressive, and anti-inflammatory potential which makes them suitable for treating liver fibrosis. This study aimed to explore the effect and mechanism of hAMSCs on liver fibrosis. Methods: hAMSCs were transplanted into carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver fibrosis mice via tail vein, and the effects of hAMSCs on hepatic fibrosis were assessed. The effects of hAMSCs and hAMSCs conditional medium (CM) on the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) were investigated in vivo and in vitro. Antibody array assay was used to identify the cytokines secreted by hAMSCs that may inhibit the activation of HSCs. Finally, the underlying mechanisms were explored by assessing IGF-1R/PI3K/AKT and GSK3β/β-catenin signaling pathways in the activated HSCs (LX-2) with hAMSCs and hAMSCs transfected with corresponding siRNAs. Results: Our results showed that hAMSCs possessed the characterizations of mesenchymal stem cells. hAMSCs significantly reduced liver fibrosis and improved liver function in mice by inhibiting HSCs activation in vivo. Both hAMSCs and hAMSC-CM remarkably inhibited the collagen deposition and activation of LX-2 cells in vitro. Antibody array assay showed that insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), Dickkopf-3 (DKK-3), and Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) were highly expressed in the co-culture group and hAMSC-CM group compared with LX-2 group. Western blot assay demonstrated that IGFBP-3, DKK-3, and DKK-1 derived from hAMSCs inhibit LX-2 cell activation through blocking canonical Wnt signaling pathway. Conclusions: Our results demonstrated that IGFBP-3, Dkk3, and DKK-1 secreted by hAMSCs attenuated liver fibrosis in mice through inhibiting HSCs activation via depression of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, suggesting that hAMSCs or hAMSC-CM provides an alternative therapeutic approach for the treatment of liver fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 4 (LRP4) plays a critical role in the central nervous system (CNS), including hippocampal synaptic plasticity, maintenance of excitatory synaptic transmission, fear regulation, as well as long-term potentiation (LTP). Results: In this study, we found that Lrp4 was highly expressed in layer II of the piriform cortex. Both body weight and brain weight decreased in Lrp4ECD/ECD mice without TMD (Transmembrane domain) and ICD (intracellular domain) of LRP4. However, in the piriform cortical neurons of Lrp4ECD/ECD mice, the spine density increased, and the frequency of both mEPSC (miniature excitatory postsynaptic current) and sEPSC (spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic current) was enhanced. Intriguingly, finding food in the buried food-seeking test was prolonged in both Lrp4ECD/ECD mice and Lrp4 cKO (conditional knockout of Lrp4 in the piriform cortex) mice. Conclusions: This study indicated that the full length of LRP4 in the piriform cortex was necessary for maintaining synaptic plasticity and the integrity of olfactory function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For intelligence brakes in the electronic pneumatic brake system of commercial vehicles, the pressure change rate is used as the key control parameter and evaluation index. This can improve the brake safety, stability, and ride comfort of the vehicle. The real-time detection of the brake pressure change rate for commercial vehicles is the premise for realizing the accurate control of brake pressure change rate. Based on Poiseuille's law, an efficient measurement method of brake pressure change rate is proposed for commercial vehicles, and a new measuring device with an isothermal container and laminar flow resistance tube as the core components is designed. Through thermal insulation performance tests, flow resistance tests and measurement accuracy tests, combined with simulations, the effects of structural parameters and copper wire filling density on the performance of the isothermal container are analyzed, and these key parameters are optimized to improve the thermal insulation performance. A tubular laminar flow resistance tube composed of 304 stainless steel capillaries in parallel is designed. The influence mechanism of core parameters such as the number, radius, and length of laminar flow channels on its performance is studied, and the optimal parameter array is selected to optimize its performance. The experimental platform for measuring brake pressure change rate is constructed. By comparing the measurement curve of brake pressure change rate under simulation and experiment, the correctness and effectiveness of the pressure change rate measurement principle and the key components for electronically controlled pneumatic brakes of commercial vehicles are verified to meet engineering requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the influence of the one-day diabetes mellitus (DM) clinic management model on blood glucose control and prognosis in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). A total of 930 patients diagnosed with GDM by oral glucose tolerance test screening at 24–28 weeks of gestation were selected from those who underwent outpatient prenatal checkups at our hospital and were randomly divided into one-day DM clinic group (n = 509) and control group (n = 421). A one-day DM clinic intervention was conducted in the one-day DM clinic group, and individualized dietary interventions and exercise instruction were given in the control group. The compliance rates of fasting blood glucose and two-hour postprandial blood glucose (2-h PPBG) were higher in the one-day DM clinic group than in the control group (p <.05). The compliance rates of the oral glucose tolerance test and insulin release test were higher in the one-day DM clinic group than in the control group (p <.05). There existed statistically significant differences in fasting blood glucose before delivery, together with the difference between fasting blood glucose at enrollment and before delivery and the difference between glycated hemoglobin at enrollment and before delivery (p <.05). The one-day diabetes mellitus clinic management model is more conducive to blood glucose control in patients with GDM and more conducive to the recovery of blood glucose and islet function in patients with GDM after delivery and to reduce the occurrence of adverse pregnancy outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Stress hyperglycemia is a strong predictor of adverse outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Recently, the stress hyperglycemia ratio (SHR) has been designed as an index to identify acute hyperglycemia with true risk; however, data regarding the impact of SHR on the prognosis of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of the SHR in patients with acute STEMI and to assess whether it can improve the predictive efficiency of the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) risk score. Methods: This study included 7476 consecutive patients diagnosed with acute STEMI across 274 emergency centers. After excluding 2052 patients due to incomplete data, 5417 patients were included in the final analysis. Patients were divided into three groups according to SHR tertiles (SHR1, SHR2, and SHR3) and were further categorized based on diabetes status. All patients were followed up for major cardiovascular adverse events (MACEs) and all-cause mortality. Results: After 30 days of follow-up, 1547 MACEs (28.6%) and 789 all-cause deaths (14.6%) occurred. The incidence of MACEs was highest among patients in the SHR3 group with diabetes mellitus (DM) (42.6%). Kaplan–Meier curves demonstrated that patients with SHR3 and DM also had the highest risk for MACEs when compared with other groups (p < 0.001). Moreover, C-statistics improved significantly when SHR3 was added into the original model: the ΔC-statistics (95% confidence interval) were 0.008 (0.000–0.013) in the total population, 0.010 (0.003–0.017) in the DM group, and 0.007 (0.002–0.013) in the non-DM group (all p < 0.05). In the receiver operating characteristic analysis, the area under the curve (AUC) for the original TIMI risk score for all-cause death was 0.760. When an SHR3 value of 1 point was used to replace the history of DM, hypertension, or angina in the original TIMI risk score, the Delong test revealed significant improvements in the AUC value (∆AUC of 0.009, p < 0.05), especially in the DM group (∆AUC of 0.010, p < 0.05). Conclusion: The current results suggest that SHR is independently related to the risks of MACEs and mortality in patients with STEMI. Furthermore, SHR may aid in improving the predictive efficiency of the TIMI risk score in patients with STEMI, especially those with DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine prevalence and correlates of insomnia symptoms in older Chinese adults (OCAs) during the COVID-19 outbreak.Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, insomnia is a major health concern of elderly individuals, but its subtypes have not been investigated.Methods: Altogether, 590 OCAs (50+ years) were recruited via snowball sampling during the COVID-19 outbreak. Standardized self-report questions were used to assess the presence of difficulty initiating sleep (DIS), difficulty maintaining sleep (DMS), and early morning awakening (EMA). Classification tree analysis (CTA) was used to identify correlates of insomnia.Results: The one-month prevalence (95% confidence interval) of any subtype of insomnia symptoms was 23.4% (20.0-26.8%), with DIS, DMS, and EMA being 15.4% (12.5-18.3%), 17.1% (14.1-20.2%), and 11.2% (8.64-13.7%), respectively. Worry about being infected with COVID-19 emerged as the most salient correlate of insomnia (P < .001); compared to participants who were not worried about being infected, those who were worried and very worried were 3.2-fold (24.3% vs 7.5%) and 5.5-fold (24.3% vs 7.5%) more likely to have insomnia, respectively. Among participants in the "very worried" branch, those residing in Wuhan were 1.8-fold more likely to have insomnia than those residing in other places (50.0% vs 27.5%, P = .011). Among participants in the "worried" branch, unemployed persons were 2.0-fold more likely to have insomnia than employed persons (37.0% vs 18.1%, P < .001).Conclusions: Insomnia symptoms were prevalent among OCAs during the COVID-19 outbreak. Selective intervention programs targeting elderly individuals who are worried about being infected, living in the epicenter of COVID-19, and unemployed might be effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer have a high risk of developing brain metastases. Efficacious treatment options are scarce. We investigated the activity and safety of pyrotinib plus capecitabine in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer and brain metastases.Methods: We did a multicentre, single-arm, two-cohort, phase 2 trial in eight tertiary hospitals in China. Patients aged 18 years or older who had radiotherapy-naive HER2-positive brain metastases (cohort A) or progressive disease after radiotherapy (cohort B), with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-2, received pyrotinib 400 mg orally once daily, and capecitabine 1000 mg/m2 orally twice daily for 14 days, followed by 7 days off every 3 weeks until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint was confirmed intracranial objective response rate by investigator assessment according to the Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumours (version 1.1). Activity and safety were analysed in patients with at least one dose of study drug. The study is ongoing, but recruitment is complete. The study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03691051.Findings: Between Jan 29, 2019, and July 10, 2020, we enrolled 78 women: 51 (86%) of 59 patients in cohort A and 18 (95%) of 19 patients in cohort B had previous exposure to trastuzumab. Median follow-up duration was 15·7 months (IQR 9·7-19·0). The intracranial objective response rate was 74·6% (95% CI 61·6-85·0; 44 of 59 patients) in cohort A and 42·1% (20·3-66·5; eight of 19 patients) in cohort B. The most common grade 3 or worse treatment-emergent adverse event was diarrhoea (14 [24%] in cohort A and four [21%] in cohort B). Two (3%) patients in cohort A and three (16%) in cohort B had treatment-related serious adverse events. No treatment-related deaths occurred.Interpretation: To our knowledge, this is the first prospective study showing the activity and safety of pyrotinib plus capecitabine in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer and brain metastases, especially in radiotherapy-naive population. This combination deserves further validation in a randomised, controlled trial.Funding: National Cancer Centre Climbing Foundation Key Project of China, Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals.Translation: For the Chinese translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preeclampsia (PE), a pregnancy disorder that affects 5–7% of pregnant women, is among the primary causes for maternal and perinatal mortality. PE is believed to be associated with insufficient invasion of villous and extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs), which hampers uterine spiral artery remodeling and finally induces PE. But the mechanism responsible for reduction of trophoblast invasion remains unclear. In this study, placental tissues taken from healthy donors and PE patients were used to evaluate the miR-326 expression; CCK8 and colony formation assays were used to confirm the effect of miR-326 on cell proliferation; transwell assay was used to demonstrate the effect of miR-326 on cell invasion capability; western blot was used to investigate the underlying mechanism; and luciferase assay was used to detect the effect of miR-326 on YAP/TAZ-mediated transcription activity. It was revealed the miR-326 expression was higher in placentas from PE patients than from healthy donors. After transfection of miR-326 mimics, trophoblast proliferation and invasion were impaired. Using TargetScan, we speculated that PAX8 was a target of miR-326, which was later confirmed by western blot. The YAP/TAZ expression was also downregulated after transfection with miR-326. Luciferase assay demonstrated that overexpression of miR-326 suppressed YAP/TAZ-mediated transcription activity by targeting PAX8. Overexpression of PAX8 could partly rescue miR-326-induced suppression of trophoblast proliferation and invasion. Taken together, our result indicated that miR-326 suppresses trophoblast growth, invasion, and migration by means of targeting PAX8 via the Hippo pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jujube is a crop highly resistant to drought and salinity, making it one of the main fruit trees in Xinjiang. The present study evaluated the changes in the physicochemical and antioxidant activities of jujube fruit of eight different cultivars from Xinjiang, China. The developmental stages were selected according to the days after full bloom and fruit peel colour during ripening; these stages included young (S1), fruit core-hardening (S2), green ripening (S3), half-red maturity (S4) and complete red. In present study, different cultivars of jujube fruit showed similar chemical profiles, but their amounts showed great variation. HZ had the highest content of sugars, and JY had the highest content of cAMP and cGMP, while relatively higher levels of ascorbic acid, catechin, epicatechin, rutin, proanthocyanidin and antioxidant activity were found in 'FS' than in other cultivars, indicating that 'FS' could be used as a potential natural antioxidant. Regarding the development stages of jujube fruit, the moisture, ascorbic acid, total polyphenol, catechin, epicatechin, proanthocyanidin and rutin contents decreased during the development of all jujube cultivars, while the fructose, glucose, sucrose, cAMP, and cGMP contents greatly increased. The antioxidant activity determined by DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging decreased as the fruits matured. Therefore, the results suggest that green jujube (S1) could be used for natural antioxidants (catechin, epicatechin, proanthocyanidin) and that the advanced ripening stage(S5) is the proper picking period for fresh fruit and commercial processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve energy efficiency and reduce water consumption simultaneously in lignite-fired power plants, an improved lignite predrying system integrated with heat and water recovery from wet flue gas is proposed in this study. In the proposed system, the heat source for the lignite predrying system was the latent heat from the flue gas instead of the extracted steam, so the extracted steam could return to the turbine to generate more power. Moreover, both the water from the raw lignite and wet flue gas desulfurization (WFGD) processes were recovered, which minimized the water consumption of lignite-fired power plants. This study evaluated the energy- and water-saving potential of the proposed system at both air-cooling and wet-cooling power plants firing three types of lignite separately. The results showed that the higher the moisture content of lignite, the larger the net efficiency improvement and the make-up water rate reduction. The net efficiency improvement and make-up water rate reduction in power plants firing Yimin lignite reached 2.33% points and 0.370 t/MWh , respectively, at wet-cooling power plants, and 2.18% points and 0.443 t/MWh at air-cooling power plants. This means that zero water consumption can be achieved, and water and electricity can be output at the same time at air-cooling power plants. The technical and economic analysis showed that the net present value in 10-years of power plants firing different lignite types could reach 49.31, 36.19, and 16.44 million USD depending on the predry degree. The discounted payback period was 2.34–3.67 years, which showed good economic viability in all cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This meta-analysis investigated the influence of exercise on cognitive function in people living with diabetes. Methods: Stringent criteria for literature inclusion and exclusion were defined. Searches were conducted across four English databases to gather randomized controlled trials investigating exercise interventions for cognitive function in people living with diabetes. Outcome indicators from 1193 subjects across 12 articles were analyzed using RevMan 5.4 software. Results: Exercise intervention demonstrated the ability to mitigate cognitive decline in people living with diabetes, with a combined effect size (standardized mean difference) of 0.91, 95% CI: 0.28, 1.54, P < 0.00001. The intervention effect showed significant modulation by intervention content (I2 = 95%), intervention duration (I2 = 95%), intervention frequency (I2 = 95%), and intervention cycle (I2 = 96%). Among these factors, multi-component exercise, sessions >40 minutes, exercise frequency >4 times per week, and sustained exercise for >6 months were paramount, all with P < 0.05. Conclusion: Exercise intervention emerges as a viable strategy for delaying cognitive decline in people living with diabetes. Its efficacy is subject to modulation by various variables. Optimal intervention includes multi-component exercise, individual sessions lasting 40–60 minutes, exercising >4 times a week, and continuous exercise for over 6 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The imbalance in ES supply and demand was found coupling with a high level of landscape ecological risk in Beijing. • Ecosystem service supply–demand and landscape ecological risk exhibited a significant negative correlation. • Land use, distance to settlement, and vegetation cover influenced the distributions of ES supply–demand ratio and landscape ecological risk. • We built a "status identification - relationship analysis - factor detection" framework for efficiency land use planning. The balance between ecosystem service supply–demand and landscape ecological risk are two crucial aspects influencing the sustainable development of regional ecosystems. Current evaluations ignore these aspects and lead to partial landscape planning in urban areas. As a result, a framework was built for regional planning in urban areas based on multidimensional evaluations of ecosystems for high-efficiency land use planning. First, to determine the ecosystem service balance in regional scale, the supply and demand of five ecosystem services were quantified—biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration, water conservation, food production, and landscape recreation. Second, landscape ecological risks were identified using the "natural–social–landscape" research framework combined with spatial principal component analysis. Third, spatial clustering analysis of ecosystem service supply–demand ratios and landscape ecological risks was then performed through spatial autocorrelation, which aimed to identify areas for protection and restoration priority. Finally, GeoDetector was used to determine the main factors influencing ecosystem service balance and landscape ecological risks and develop targeted planning measures. The results revealed an imbalance in total ecosystem service supply–demand in Beijing's plain area, coupled with a high level of landscape ecological risk. The combined ecosystem service supply–demand ratios exhibited a significant negative correlation and aggregation with landscape ecological risk, and the significant area accounted for approximately 31.9% of the total area. Priority areas for protection and restoration accounted for 10.39% and 19.94%, respectively, of the total regional area. Land use, distance to settlements, and vegetation cover were the primary environmental variables influencing the distributions of the combined ecosystem service supply–demand ratios and landscape ecological risk. So, this study emphasizes the need to strengthen intensive land use and prevent the uncontrolled expansion of urban land and settlements. It is crucial to enhance urban green infrastructure construction, promote the development of biodiversity-friendly agriculture, and implement measures such as afforestation restoration to increase regional vegetation cover. Overall, by integrating a framework of ecosystem services and landscape ecological risk, a comprehensive scientific reference can be provided for the efficient land use and sustainable development planning in urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Low concentrations (less than 5 mM) of EDTA improved nitrate removal rate. • High concentrations of EDTA hindered TN removal, leading to N 2 O accumulation. • EDTA increased the redox potential of pyrite, resulting in the improvement of pyrite oxidation. • Ferric iron as product of denitrification could facilitate the conversion of solid pyrite into S0. • Fe(II)/Fe(III) cycle was a critical biological process driving the bioleaching of pyrite. Pyrite autotrophic denitrification (PAD) is crucial for removing nitrate in groundwater and advanced wastewater treatment. While disulfide is typically seen as the electron donor, the role of iron in pyrite oxidation is often ignored. In this study, Ethylene Diamine Tetraacetic Acid (EDTA) had been proven to have the potential to facilitate pyrite oxidation by promoting the solubility of iron in solution, thereby enhancing the kinetics of pyrite autotrophic denitrification. Firstly, EDTA could improve PAD performance, i.e. the nitrate removal rate at EDTA addition of 5 mM was 0.69 mg N/L•h and twice that of the control. However, high concentrations of EDTA inhibited the activity of the nitrous oxide reductase, resulting in the maximum accumulation of N 2 O reaching 13.26 mg N/L with an EDTA concentration of 15 mM. Furthermore, the X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) result indicated that the EDTA addition promoted the production of bioavailable sulfur, with the concentration of S0 at 15 mM EDTA being more than twice higher than that of the control. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis indicated that EDTA could relieve the damage of iron encrustation on cell activity because it was difficult for EDTA-chelated ferrous iron to penetrate the cell membrane. Microbial community analyses showed an increase abundance of iron oxidizing bacteria, suggesting that EDTA addition promoted the bioavailability of iron for Fe(II) autotrophic denitrification. Overall, this study will provide insights into the understanding of oxidation mechanism of PAD process and the practical application for efficient nitrogen removal and N 2 O mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural drainage from catchment greatly impacts water quality in the hilly area due to high nitrogen concentrations in the central basin of Sichuan Province, China. The original ecological ditches have proven effective in removing associated nutrient loads, but their nitrogen removal efficiency is limited by the elevated nitrogen levels of overland flow and subsurface flow. Field experiments were conducted to optimize the drainage network to enhance the performance of ecological ditches and enhance nitrogen removal efficiency in hilly regions. The results suggested that ecologically permeable dam ditches exhibited superior total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) removal efficiencies compared to single dams, multiple dams, and ecological intercept dams. Specifically, in single, multiple, and ecological intercept dams, TN removal was 20.2 %, 12.7 %, and 2.5 % higher, respectively, while TP removal was 18.2 %, 10.3 %, and 3.7 % higher, respectively. The TN removal efficiency by the Hydrocotyle verticillate and Iris pseudacorus L. ditch was 15.8 % and 2.3 % higher than that of the Myriophyllum verticillatum L. and Hydrocotyle verticillata and Hydrocotyle verticillata and Thalia dealbata Fraser , respectively. The TP removal efficiency in Hydrocotyle verticillata and Thalia dealbata Fraser ditch was 11.4 % and 3.5 % higher than that in Myriophyllum verticillatum L. and Hydrocotyle verticillata and Hydrocotyle verticillate and Iris pseudacorus L., respectively. The soil bed ditch demonstrated superior TN and TP removal efficiencies, with rates of 15.2 % and 11.3 %, respectively, compared to the pebble bed and mudstone bed (2.9 % and 3.4 %, respectively). Therefore, the original ecological ditch was reinforced through a combination of fine-textured soil substrates, native emergent plants with large biomass and ecologically permeable dams to enhance the removal efficiencies of TN and TP in agricultural drainage. Following reinforcement and evaluation in 2020, the removal efficiencies of TN, TP, ammonia nitrogen (AN) and nitrate nitrogen (NN) in the strengthened ecological ditches increased to 58.1 %, 56.5 %, 56.8 % and 54.2 %, respectively. In this study, a scientific foundation for enhancing the efficacy of ecological ditches in mitigating nonpoint source pollution from agricultural drainage in mountainous and hilly regions of subtropical and developing countries is established. • Nutrient removal of agricultural drainage in hilly areas was studied. • Strengthened methods of ecological ditch in hilly areas were studied. • The strengthened ecological ditch exhibited enhanced nutrient removal performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Freshwater resources in elliptical islands are assessed analytically. • Dispersive correction factor applied to floating island lenses for the first time. • Islands with aspect ratios closest to unity have larger fresh groundwater storage. • Sea-level rise may increase the freshwater storage of a truncated lens. The vulnerability of island freshwater lenses to rising sea levels has been assessed previously using sharp-interface analytical solutions that consider islands as circular or two-dimensional strips, or the lenses are treated as entirely underlain by seawater. However, many islands do not fit these basic conditions. The current study develops an analytical solution for the freshwater-saltwater interface in elliptical islands where the interface intercepts the aquifer base, and explores (for the first time for island lenses) the applicability of a dispersion correction to the analytical solution. An analysis of the lens response to sea-level rise (SLR) and the accompanying land-surface inundation (LSI) shows that for lenses entirely underlain by seawater, the primary impact of SLR is likely the associated LSI. Counterintuitively, lenses in contact with the aquifer basement may experience an increase in the freshwater volume with SLR, although this requires that LSI is limited (e.g., the shoreline is steep) and the water table is sufficiently deep (below the land surface) to allow it to rise commensurately with SLR. The analysis also shows that as the aspect ratio of the elliptical island increases (i.e., larger values approach strip islands and circular islands have a value of 1), the lens volume decreases (for a given island area). Thus, circular islands have the maximum freshwater storage per island area. Specifically, for typical island aquifer conditions, freshwater storage decreased over 50% as a / b increased from 1 to 10. The results obtained from this study and the new analytical solution are expected to assist in the rapid assessment of the freshwater resources of elliptical-like islands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pyrolysis products are affected by the O-containing groups in coal. The influences of the introduced O-containing groups on nitrogenous gas formation are rarely explored. To investigate this issue, superfine pulverized coal samples were modified by several kinds of selected chemical reagents. 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) experiments demonstrate that a considerable amount of carboxyl, hydroxyl structures is introduced into the carbon skeleton after peracetic acid modifications. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) experiments reveal that the content of quaternary nitrogen N-Q on the surface of the samples modified by peracetic acid remain unchanged in general. And oxidized nitrogen N-X structures are formed by the oxidation of pyridinic nitrogen N-6 and pyrrolic nitrogen N-5, which induces the proportion of N-X to increase more than 40%. Because of the introduction of O-containing functional groups, the discrepancy of nitrogenous gas composition has been found between the raw and modified samples during pyrolysis. The production of N2O soars between 200°C and 300°C. After H2O2 modifications, the formation paths of nitrogenous gas do not change significantly due to the absence of O-containing group introduction. This research uncovers that the introduced O-containing groups alter the formation paths of nitrogenous gas in coal during pyrolysis and elucidates the mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early detection of gait abnormalities is critical for preventing severe injuries in future falls. The timed up and go (TUG) test is a commonly used clinical gait screening test; however, the interpretation of its results is limited to the TUG total time.Research Question: What is diagnostic accuracy of the low-cost, markerless, automated gait analyzer, with the aid of vision-based artificial intelligence technology, which extract gait spatiotemporal features and screen for abnormal walking patterns through video recordings of the TUG test?Methods: Our dataset contained retrospective data from outpatients from the Department of Neurology or Rehabilitation of two tertiary hospitals in Shanghai. A panel of three expert neurologists specialized in movement disorders reviewed the gait performance in each TUG video, and labeled them separately, with the most commonly assigned label being used as the reference standard. The gait analyzer performed the AlphaPose algorithm to track the human joint position and calculated the spatiotemporal parameters by filtering and double-threshold signal detection. Gait spatiotemporal features and expert labels were input into machine learning models, and the accuracy of each model was tested with leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV).Results: A total of 284 participants were recruited. Among these, 100 were labeled as having abnormal gait performance by experts. The Naive Bayes classifier achieved the best performance with a full-data accuracy of 90.14% and a LOOCV accuracy of 89.08% for screening abnormal gait performance.Significance: This study is the first to investigate the accuracy of a vision-based intelligent gait analyzer for screening abnormal clinical gait performance. By virtue of a pose estimation algorithm and machine learning models, our intelligent gait analyzer can detect abnormal walking patterns approximate to judgements made by experienced neurologists, which is expected to be a supplementary gait assessment protocol for basic-level doctors in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evolutionary analysis of Prodiamesinae has long been impeded by lack of information, and its phylogenetic relationship with Orthocladiinae remains questionable. Here, ten complete mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of Orthocladiinae sensu lato were newly sequenced, including three Prodiamesinae species and seven Orthocladiinae species. Coupled with published mitogenomes, a total of 12 mitogenomes of Orthocladiinae sensu lato were selected for a comparative mitogenomic analysis and phylogenetic reconstruction. Mitogenomes of Orthocladiinae sensu lato are conserved in structure, and all genes arrange the same gene order as the ancestral insect mitogenome. Nucleotide composition is highly biased, and the control region displayed the highest A + T content. All protein‐coding genes are under purifying selection, and the ATP8 evolves at the fastest rate. In addition, the mitogenomes of Orthocladiinae sensu lato are highly conserved, and they are practically useful for phylogenetic inference, suggesting a re‐classification of Orthocladiinae by sinking Prodiamesinae as a subgroup of Orthocladiinae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To establish a prediction of HBsAg seroconversion in children with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), so as to help clinicians to choose therapeutic strategy.Methods: A total of 63 children with HBeAg-positive CHB aged 1 to 17 years, who admitted to the fifth medical center of Chinese PLA general hospital and treated with interferon α (IFNα) 48 weeks were enrolled, the clinical data were measured. Based on the results of HBsAg seroconversion (HBsAg < 0.05 IU/mL and anti-HBsAg > 10 IU/L) at week 48, the patients were divided into HBsAg seroconversion (S) group and non-HBsAg seroconversion (NS) group. Multivariate COX regression was used to identify the impact factors associated with HBsAg seroconversion. A novel prediction index was established and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was used to assess the prediction for HBsAg seroconversion.Results: The 63 patients were divided into S group (20.6%, 13/63) and NS group (79.4%, 50/63). Univariate and multivariate analysis identified age, baseline intrahepatic cccDNA and serum HBsAg levels were independent impact factors for HBsAg seroconversion. Intrahepatic cccDNA was positively correlated with serum HBsAg (r = 0.464, p = 0.000). AUROC of HBV cccDNA was 0.83 (95% CI 0.71 to 0.95) and AUROC of baseline HBsAg was 0.77 (95% CI 0.61 to 0.92). Intrahepatic cccDNA ≤ 0.08 log10 copies/106 cell is regarded as cutoff value, the positive predictive value(PPV) and negative predictive value(NPV) for HBsAg seroconversion were 86.8% and 60.0%, respectively, with a sensitivity of 92.0% and specificity of 56.2%. HBsAg ≤ 3.68 log10 IU/mL is used as cut off value, the PPV and NPV for HBsAg seroconversion were 91.2% and 56.3%, respectively; the sensitivity and specificity was 86.0% of 69.2%, respectively. There was no statistical difference between them for predicting HBsAg seroconversion (p = 0.146).Conclusions: HBsAg seroconversion can be predicted by the baseline serum HBsAg or intrahepatic cccDNA in children with CHB. Using the index, clinicians can choose more reasonable therapeutic strategy and reduce the waste of medical resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low temperature is a major stress that severely affects plant growth and development. Inducer of CBF expression 1 (ICE1) plays a key role in plant cold tolerance by regulating the expression of cold stress-responsive genes. In the present study, we characterized the function and underlying regulatory mechanism of PsnICE1 from Xiaohei poplar (Populus simonii × Populus nigra). PsnICE1 was significantly induced in response to cold stress in the roots, stems and leaves. PsnICE1 proteins were found to localize to the nucleus and exert transactivation activity via their N-terminal transactivation domain. Compared with non-transgenic poplar, transgenic poplar overexpressing PsnICE1 showed substantially enhanced tolerance to cold stress, with higher survival rates and antioxidant enzyme activity levels and reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. In contrast, plants with RNA inhibition-mediated silencing of PsnICE1 showed the opposite phenotype. PsnICE1 can bind to H-box element and abscisic acid-responsive element (ABRE), and more importantly, it mainly binds to IBS1 (a newly discovered cis-acting element) and E-box elements to regulate stress-related genes involved in ROS scavenging. Overall, these results indicated that PsnICE1 functions as a positive regulator of cold tolerance and serves as a potential candidate gene for plant cold tolerance improvement via molecular breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The literature has investigated barriers to reporting adverse events in surgery, but with less emphasis on near misses. No attempt was made to categorise near misses by type and reportability. This paper attempts to fill these two gaps in the literature. Methods: A mixed methodology approach was adopted. A sample of 16 laparoscopic surgeries were observed followed by a questionnaire distributed among professionals dealing with laparoscopies. Non-parametric tests and mediation–moderation analysis were used to compare responses and identify causal factors. Results: A total of 469 near misses were observed, and classified into two categories: reportable events and common events. Among 23 observed reportable events, only 9 events were reported. Out of 300 distributed questionnaires, we received 178 valid responses (response rate 59%). The professionals strongly disagreed that reporting near misses (Mean 4.09, STD 0.95) and adverse events (4.17, 1.02) makes little contribution to the quality of surgery. However, the results show that professionals were more willing to disclose adverse events than near misses, Heavy workload, privacy, lack of support, and fear from disciplinary actions negatively affected professionals' willingness to report near misses. Discussion: Error reporting should aim to promote safety, knowledge sharing and education. It is important to differentiate near misses that should be reported from voluntary reported events. Hospital's management might award professionals who frequently report errors and provide solutions, Quality rather than quantity of reports should be emphasised with flexibility in the way near misses are reported. Conclusion: The outcome of this study has benefits of understanding the attitudes of surgical professionals towards error reporting. It provides healthcare management with tool for enhancing safety and providing suitable training for their professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the required climatic factors to guarantee the healthy growth of crops, the magnitude, variation and spatial distribution of air temperature, precipitation and solar radiation potentially can determine the planting structure and grain yield of regional agriculture. The dependence of crops on "temperature-humidity-wind" climate condition elevates its sensitiveness on climate changes, as that exhibited by thermophiles and hydrophilic maize widely planted in China. Thus, under modern climate situation with an increasing intensity of changes, it is essential to further understand the related response of crop yields in serving the food and agriculture security. The climatic characteristics in Xinmin and Chaoyang stations were firstly analyzed in this study based on the historical meteorological data over past 40 years, and then constructed different climate scenarios according to the required climate factors coupled with warming-drying trend of regional climate change, and adopted different ground data suits to calibrate WOFOST model and verify its performance. Authors used the localized WOFOST model to simulate grain yield trends of typical rain-fed spring maize in Liaoning under configured climate scenarios. The results showed that: (1) the simulation accuracy of localized WOFOST model had good performance with the normalized root mean square errors of 8.78% and 5.96%, and the agreement index of 0.82 and 0.96, respectively for simulated and measured results. (2) Spring maize yields of both Xinmin and Chaoyang showed negative correlation with temperature and positive relationship with precipitation over the discussed climate scenarios. Under different gradients (increasing temperature, decreasing precipitation and increasing radiation) of climate scenarios, the yield decrease of Xinmin (temperature +1.2°C, precipitation -25%, radiation +4%) and Chaoyang (temperature +1.4°C, precipitation -25%, radiation +3%) spring maize yields respectively reached 92.5% and 85.9% relative to that of normal condition, which can be used as a cautionary scenario for rain-fed spring maize crop failure in the study area. (3) Compared with the significance effect of precipitation on the spring maize yields of Xinmin, Chaoyang showed apparent sensitiveness to temperature, but yields of both stations haven't shown a marked variation within the given changes of solar radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a unipolar focused-RF device used to rejuvenate the middle and lower face and to create an assessment system. This retrospective study comprised 52 patients with mild-to-moderate skin laxity and wrinkles who received 1–3 treatments 1 month apart and were followed up for 1–7 months. At baseline and post-treatment, three blinded observers measured facial contour and lines, analyzed VISIA scores, and assessed the results using Alexiades Comprehensive Grading Scale (ACGS) and Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS). Significant improvements were observed (P <.05) in facial width (left 5.95%, right 5.66%), nasolabial folds (left 18.98%, right 20.56%), marionette lines (left 18.88%, right 25.80%), and cheek lines (left 3.35%, right 3.05%) and in the scores of wrinkles (15.37%), texture (13.67%), pores (6.48%), and red areas (6.57%) using VISIA. There was an obvious reduction in wrinkles, laxity, erythema/telangiectasia based on ACGS, and 75% improved and 5.8% much improved using GAIS. There was no severe side effect. We suggest that the unipolar focused-RF device is an effective and safe technique for middle and lower face rejuvenation and provides a series of comprehensive assessment methods based on standardized photos using VISIA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-human parsing aims to segment every body part of every human instance. Nearly all state-of-the-art methods follow the "detection first" or "segmentation first" pipelines. Different from them, we present an end-to-end and box-free pipeline from a new and more human-intuitive perspective. In training time, we directly do instance segmentation on humans and parts. More specifically, we introduce a notion of "indiscriminate objects with categories" which treats humans and parts without distinction and regards them both as instances with categories. In the mask prediction, each binary mask is obtained by a combination of prototypes shared among all human and part categories. In inference time, we design a brand-new grouping post-processing method that relates each part instance with one single human instance and groups them together to obtain the final human-level parsing result. We name our method as Nondiscriminatory Treatment between Humans and Parts for Human Parsing (NTHP). Experiments show that our network performs superiorly against state-of-the-art methods by a large margin on the MHP v2.0 and PASCAL-Person-Part datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]