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In recent years, harmful algal blooms (HABs) have occurred frequently along the coast of China and have caused massive shellfish mortality. However, little is known about the impacts of HABs on the metamorphosis of shellfish. In this study, the effects of 4 typical harmful algae species present in Chinese waters (Karenia mikimotoi, Alexandrium catenella, Aureococcus anophagefferens, and Prorocentrum donghaiense) on the survival and metamorphosis of abalone Haliotis discus hannai larvae were investigated. After 96 h of treatment, un-metamorphosed larvae (veligers) were significantly affected by K. mikimotoi, A. catenella, and P. donghaiense, as mean ± SD survival rates were 5.2 ± 2.1, 27.7 ± 1.4, and 63.8 ± 6.9%, respectively, compared with 86.0 ± 4.1% for the control treatment (the non-toxic alga Skeletonema costatum). Survival rates of metamorphosed larvae were significantly affected by K. mikimotoi, A. catenella, and A. anophagefferens (4.5 ± 2.8, 22.3 ± 5.8, and 26.5 ± 3.6%, respectively, compared with 46.2 ± 1.3% for the control), and metamorphosis was significantly inhibited by K. mikimotoi and A. catenella (5.0 ± 2.2 and 24.5 ± 3.1%, respectively, compared with 49.3 ± 1.5% for the control). A. anophagefferens was more toxic to metamorphosed larvae than to un-metamorphosed larvae. These results suggest that all 4 species of harmful algae have detrimental effects on the metamorphosis of H. discus hannai and that K. mikimotoi and A. catenella are more toxic to abalone larvae than A. anophagefferens and P. donghaiense.

Shutong Ren,1,&ast; Siyu Chen,2,&ast; Jingru Huang,3 Rong Yu,1 Yunli Wu,4 Xian-E Peng1,4 1Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environment Factors and Cancer, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, People’s Republic of China; 2State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361104, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Clinical Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350122, People’s Republic of China; 4Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Cancer (Fujian Medical University), Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Xian-E Peng; Yunli Wu, Email fmuxe@163.com; wuyunli422@163.comObjective: This study aimed to explore the association between serum uric acid (sUA) levels and metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) in Southeast China.Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study of 2605 subjects who underwent physical examination between 2015 and 2017 in Southeast China. To explore the association between sUA levels and the risk of MAFLD, we employed logistic regression, restricted cubic spline (RCS), subgroups and multiplicative interaction analysis.Results: Logistic regression analysis showed a positive association between sUA and MAFLD [aOR total population (95% CI)= 1.90 (1.49 ~ 2.42)], [aOR male (95% CI)= 2.01 (1.54 ~ 2.62)], [aOR female (95% CI)= 1.15 (0.62 ~ 2.11)], respectively. The RCS plot presented a significant nonlinear dose–response relationship between sUA levels and MAFLD risk, and the risk of MAFLD increased significantly when sUA> 5.56 mg/dL (Pnonlinear< 0.001). Subgroups analysis revealed that the positive association between sUA and MAFLD was consistent across strata of gender, age, BMI, drinking status, smoking status and tea drinking status. Significant associations between sUA and MAFLD were not only found in males but also existed in subjects whose age ≤ 60, BMI ≥ 24 kg/m2, drinkers, smokers and tea-drinkers. Adjusted ORs were estimated to be 2.01, 1.95, 2.11, 2.29, 2.64 and 2.20, respectively. Multiplicative interactions were not observed between gender, age, drinking status, smoking status, tea drinking status and sUA (all P interaction> 0.05).Conclusion: According to our study, sUA was positively associated with the risk of MAFLD. Additionally, the risk of MAFLD increased significantly when sUA levels exceeded 5.56 mg/dL. Our study may help clarify whether sUA plays a diagnostic role in MAFLD.Keywords: metabolic-associated fatty liver disease, serum uric acid, risk, cross-sectional study

Jiangming Yu,1 Zhengguang Xiao,2 Ronghua Yu,1 Xiaoming Liu,1 Haojie Chen1 1Department of Orthopedics, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Radiology, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Haojie Chen, Department of Orthopedics, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200336, People’s Republic of China, Email chenhaojie97@126.comBackground: Thoracolumbar vertebral fractures are common pathological fractures caused by osteoporosis in the elderly. These fractures are challenging to detect. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of Hounsfield units for osteoporotic thoracolumbar vertebral non-compression fractures in elderly patients with low-energy fractures.Methods: The retrospective case-control study included elderly patients diagnosed with osteoporotic thoracolumbar vertebral fractures and non-fractured patients who underwent computed tomography examinations for lumbar vertebra issues during July 2017 and June 2020.Results: This study included 216 patients with fractures (38 males and 178 females; average age: 77.28± 8.68 years) and 124 patients without fractures (21 males and 103 females; average age: 75.35± 9.57 years). The difference in Hounsfield units of the target (intermediate) vertebral body significantly differed between the two groups (54.74 ± 21.84 vs 5.86 ± 5.14; p< 0.001). The ratios of Hounsfield units were also significantly different between the two groups (1.38 ± 1.60 vs 0.13 ± 0.23; p< 0.001). The cut-off value for the difference in Hounsfield units to detect osteoporotic spine fractures was 25.35, with high sensitivity (98.5%), specificity (99.9%), and the area under the curve (AUC) (0.999, 95% CI: 0.999– 1). The cut-off value for the odds ratio of Hounsfield units was 0.260, with high sensitivity (99.1%), specificity (92.7%), and AUC (0.970, 95% CI: 0.949– 0.992).Conclusion: The difference between Hounsfield units and the odds ratio of Hounsfield units might help diagnose osteoporotic thoracolumbar vertebral non-compression fractures in elderly patients with low-energy fractures.Keywords: multi-slice spiral computed tomography, thoracolumbar vertebrae, fractures, osteoporosis, morphological changes

Rui Zhou,1,2,&ast; Lijuan Fu,2,&ast; Shu Liu,2,&ast; Sanjie Gao,2 Zhifu Zhao,2 Wencai Jiang,2 Li Liu,2 Weiqiao Ren,2 Dongmei Xiang,2 Xing You,2 Chunyong Tang,2 Yukai Zhou,2 Yanqing Song,2 Juan Xie,2 Li Xie,2 Ru Yu,2 Xianjie Zhang,2 Dan Zhou,2 Jia Han,2 Leqiang Xia,2 Lize Xiong1 1Shanghai Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Brain Functional Modulation, Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence, Clinical Research Center for Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Shanghai Fourth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200434, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Anesthesiology, Deyang People’s Hospital, Deyang, 618000, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Leqiang Xia, Department of Anesthesiology, Deyang People’s Hospital, No. 173, Section 1, North Taishan Road, Deyang, Sichuan, 618000, People’s Republic of China, Tel +8613547098458, Email xialq123184@163.com Lize Xiong, Shanghai Fourth People’s Hospital, No. 1279, Sanmen Road, Shanghai, 200434, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-21-55603002, Fax +86-21-56660851, Email mzkxlz@126.com; lizexiong@tongji.edu.cnPurpose: To compare the influences of propofol, ciprofol and remimazolam on dreaming during painless gastrointestinal endoscopy.Methods: This study was a single-center, prospective, parallel-design, double-blind, randomized clinical trial. Between May 2023 and October 2023, patients undergoing elective painless gastrointestinal endoscopy were recruited and randomly allocated into one of the three groups. Demographic data, intraoperative information, incidence of dreaming, insufficient anesthesia and intraoperative awareness, type of dream, patient satisfaction score, adverse events, and improvement of sleep quality were collected.Results: The difference in incidence of dreaming among the three groups was not significant (33.33% vs 48.33% vs 41.67%, p=0.061). The number of patients with intraoperative hypotension in the propofol group was larger than that of the remimazolam group (32 vs 12, p=0.001). However, the cases of intraoperative hypotension between propofol group and ciprofol group or ciprofol group and remimazolam group were comparable (32 vs 22, p=0.122; 22 vs 12, p=0.064). The percentage of insufficient anesthesia between propofol group and remimazolam group was significant (13.33% vs 1.67%, p=0.001), while no statistical difference was detected between propofol group and remimazolam group or ciprofol group and remimazolam group (13.33% vs 5.00%, p=0.025; 5.00% vs 1.67%, p=0.150). The ability of propofol to improve sleep quality at 1st post-examination day was significantly better than that of remimazolam (86.21% vs 72.88%, p=0.015), while it was not significant between propofol group and ciprofol group or ciprofol group and remimazolam group (86.21% vs 80.36%, p=0.236; 72.88% vs. 72.88%, p=0.181). Incidence of intraoperative awareness, intraoperative hypoxia, type of dream, satisfaction score, adverse events during recovery, and sleep improvement on the 7th post-examination day was not significant among the groups.Conclusion: Anesthesia with propofol, ciprofol and remimazolam, respectively, for gastrointestinal endoscopy did not induce statistical difference in the incidence of dreaming, despite that all of them are more likely to induce pleasant dreams.Keywords: propofol, ciprofol, remimazolam, endoscopic sedation, dreaming

Rongbo Yu, Yiliu Xiang, Haoduan Dou, Hewen Li, Yuyang Zheng, Bin Chen Department of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, Chengde Medical University Affiliated Hospital, Chengde, Hebei, 067000, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Bin Chen, Department of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, Chengde Medical University Affiliated Hospital, Chengde, Hebei, 067000, People’s Republic of China, Tel +8615633142760, Fax +863142279598, Email chenbinspine@163.comObjective: Endoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive option for effectively addressing lumbar degenerative diseases. This study aimed to describe the specific technology of percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic lumbar foraminotomy (PTELF) as a therapeutic intervention for managing radicular leg pain (RLP) resulting from stable degenerative lumbar isthmic spondylolisthesis (DLIS) and to present the associated clinical results.Methods: From March 2022 and April 2023, 25 patients were diagnosed with single-level stable DLIS with RLP and underwent PTELF. Clinical assessments utilized the visual analog scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and modified MacNab criteria. All endoscopic surgery videos were reviewed to interpret the pathology associated with DLIS.Results: The mean age of the cohort was 65.3 ± 11.0 years. The mean preoperative ODI score, VAS score for low back, and VAS score of the leg were 64.1 ± 8.2, 7.0 ± 0.7, and 7.3 ± 0.8, respectively. These scores significantly improved to 16.3 ± 10.4, 2.0 ± 0.6, and 1.7 ± 1.0 at the final follow-up, respectively (P< 0.01). The modified MacNab criteria indicated “good” or “excellent” outcomes in 92.0% of cases. Analysis of 23 surgical videos revealed 15 patients with disc herniation, nine with lower vertebral endplate involvement, consistent presence of uneven bone spurs (at the proximal lamina stump and around the foramen), and accumulated scars. Two patients experienced postoperative dysesthesia, and one encountered a recurrence of RLP.Conclusion: PTELF emerges as a potentially safe and effective procedure for alleviating RLP in patients with stable DLIS. However, additional evidence and extended follow-up periods are imperative to evaluate the feasibility and potential risks associated with PTELF.Keywords: radicular leg pain, lumbar isthmic spondylolisthesis, transforaminal, foraminotomy, local anesthesia

The data on diversity of adenovirus pathogens in nature and the role of the main representatives of the Adenoviridae family in poultry infectious pathology are presented. Special attention is paid to problematic issues of immunoprophylaxis due to lack of cross-immunity between different virus serotypes. There is no single and effective approach in the global strategy of immunoprophylaxis of avian adenoviruses, therefore, improving the means of avian adenovirus disease control is an urgent and important task. Avian adenovirus infections are represented by different nosological units: egg drop syndrome, hydropericardium syndrome, adenoviral gizzard erosion, marbled spleen disease of pheasants, hemorrhagic enteritis of turkeys, inclusion body hepatitis and many unclassified diseases. The paper provides data on the main nosological forms of adenovirus infections that pose a threat to cost-effective poultry farming, and highlights test results obtained by foreign authors on the effectiveness of some vaccines against adenovirus infection. Most vaccines have been developed to prevent avian hydropericardium syndrome, however, occurrence of many virus serotypes requires effective means of prevention and diagnosis in order to control other infections caused by adenoviruses. There is no registered vaccine against adenovirus infections that cause inclusion body hepatitis and adenoviral gizzard erosion. At the same time, inclusion body hepatitis alone accounts for 2.9% of all recorded avian infectious diseases. Vaccines registered in the Russian Federation are not enough to fully control these infections, and that requires a timely solution to the problem. The variety of avian adenoviruses determines the problems of their differential diagnosis and specific prevention.

Aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of problematic smartphone use, the characteristics of the content consumed and associations with other forms of online behavior among Russian and foreign medical students. Material and methods. 296 medical students were examined using the online survey method: 219 Russians (main group) and 77 foreigners (comparison group); 107 (36.2 %) boys and 189 (63.8 %) girls; age 20 [18; 21] years (median [lower quartile; upper quartile]). The structure of online behavior was assessed: adaptive, non-adaptive, and pathological (PIU) Internet use; specific forms of PIU: problematic use of computer games and social networks, mixed and undifferentiated form of PIU. The values of the total score of the scales of the applied psychometric questionnaires were determined. The indicators were compared in the general group of subjects, in groups of Russians and foreigners, including gender. Results. Problematic smartphone use is typical for 14.2 % of all surveyed. The share of smartphone addicts is higher among foreigners than among Russians (27.3 and 8.0 %, respectively), both boys and girls. PIU prevailed among foreigners (16.1 and 7.4 %), they are more often dependent on social networks (34.5 and 2.4 %). Foreign women were distinguished by a high incidence of problematic use of computer games (20.0 and 3.6 %) and social networks (25.0 and 3.1 %), as well as a mixed form of PIU (20.0 and 2.5 %). The content consumed by Russians (boys + girls) was dominated by being on social networks (77.6 Russians and 46.7 % foreigners) and listening to music (50.7 and 31.2 %, respectively). Gender differences in content included more frequent use of social networks by Russian students, both boys (81.1 and 48.1 %) and girls (76.5 and 43.5 %); more frequent listening to music by Russian males in comparison with foreign males (66.0 and 29.6 %) and Russian females (66.0 and 45.8 %). Foreign boys use smartphones for games more often than foreign girls, the preoccupation with smartphone games is higher among Russian women as well. Conclusions. The prevalence of problematic smartphone use, the characteristics of the content consumed and associations with other forms of PIU among Russian and foreign students were established. In our opinion, it is necessary to carry out further research aimed at solving an urgent medical and social problem of timely diagnosis of smartphonedependent behavior and prevention of somatic and neuropsychic health disorders associated with it in young people. The current range of indicators to be studied in people with problematic smartphone use should include an analysis of comorbid psychosomatic disorders (recurrent pain: headaches, abdominal pain, back pain) and features of psychosocial characteristics, taking into account age, sex and ethnic differences of electronic gadget users.

Eosinophilic endomyocarditis is caused by direct infiltration of heart tissue by eosinophils with the development of specific inflammation. The main etiological factor of the disease is a significant increase in the level of eosinophils in peripheral blood. Loeffler syndrome can be caused by such factors and pathological conditions as idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome, allergic diseases, parasitic infections, autoimmune processes, cancer. A clinical case of Loeffler syndrome in an 84-year-old patient with heart, lung, liver, kidney and pancreatic lesions is presented. Difficulties of differential diagnostics of this syndrome because of individual clinical picture and signs of the course are discussed in the article. Timely diagnosis of such a condition will prevent the rapid development of severe complications and carry out appropriate therapy, which will significantly prolong the life of patients with Loeffler syndrome. However, in the presence of nonspecific symptoms, the diagnosis of this disease may be diagnostically difficult for the physician.

Zupeng Xiao, Hanyi Wu, Xin Chen, Xiaoli Chen, Rentao Yu, Aijun Chen Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Aijun Chen; Rentao Yu, Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 Youyi Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400016, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 13062377863; +86-18123303562, Email chenaijun@hospital.cqmu.edu.cn; rentaoyu@hotmail.comPurpose: Herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) causes trouble in patients’ daily life and work. In severe cases, it may even lead to a decrease or loss of vision. To understand the demographic information and ocular symptoms of hospitalized patients with HZO, and to find potential factors related to improvement time of skin rash and duration of ocular symptoms at discharge, we design this study.Patients and Methods: This is a retrospective study. All patients diagnosed with HZO who were hospitalized in the Department of Dermatology of a hospital in Chongqing, China from January 1, 2015 to December 30, 2021 were included in this study. A total of 189 patients were included in this study. Clinical manifestations of the disease during hospitalization, improvement time of ocular skin lesions, and whether ocular skin lesions disappeared completely at discharge were recorded.Results: The most common ocular symptom was eyelid swelling (92.6%), followed by eye pain (48.7%). The most common ocular sign was conjunctivitis (78.3%), followed by keratitis (15.9%). There were 149 cases without residual ocular symptoms and 40 cases with residual ocular symptoms. There was no statistically significant difference in demographic characteristics between the two groups (P> 0.05). Age ≥ 70 years (B=0.381, − 0.061~0.022, P=0.005), use of glucocorticoids (B=0.260, 0.024~0.496, P=0.031), and use of topical antiviral drugs (B=0.380, 0.054~0.705, P=0.023) were factors affecting the time interval from admission to improvement of skin rash. Tearing (HR, OR=4.827, 1.956~11.909, P< 0.001) and blood urea nitrogen (OR=0.787, 0.620– 1.000, P=0.050) were factors influencing residual ocular symptoms.Conclusion: This study could help clinicians gain a deeper understanding of the clinical manifestations and partial influencing factors of HZO patients, which may contribute to future clinical work.Keywords: herpes zoster ophthalmicus, clinical manifestations, disease outcome, risk factors

Ruby Yu,1,2 Derek Lai,2 Grace Leung,2 Lok-Yan Tam,2 Clara Cheng,2 Sara Kong,2 Cecilia Tong,2 Zhihui Lu,1 Jason CS Leung,3 Amany Chan,3 Timothy Kwok,1,3 Jean Woo1,2 1Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong; 2The Jockey Club Institute of Ageing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong; 3The Jockey Club Centre for Osteoporosis Care and Control, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong KongCorrespondence: Ruby Yu, Department of Medicine & Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Room 124021, 10/F, Lui Che Woo Clinical Sciences Building, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, Email rubyyu@cuhk.edu.hkObjective: This study examined the psychometric properties of the Cantonese version of the SarQoL® questionnaire.Participants: A total of 118 (including 60 non-sarcopenic and 58 sarcopenic) community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years or above with Cantonese as their mother tongue.Methods: Translation and cultural adaptation of the SarQoL were conducted using a standardized protocol. To validate the Cantonese SarQoL, psychometric properties including discriminative power, reliability (including internal consistency and test–retest reliability), and construct validity (including convergent and divergent validity), as well as floor and ceiling effects, were assessed.Results: The translation of the questionnaire was completed without significant difficulties. Results indicated that the Cantonese SarQoL had (1) good discriminative power (sarcopenic participants had lower overall scores, mean = 66.1 vs 75.0, p < 0.001; the overall score was negatively predictive of the presence of sarcopenia, adjusted OR = 0.949, 95% CI = [0.912, 0.983]), (2) good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.835; correlations between domain and overall scores ranged from 0.576 to 0.868), (3) excellent test-retest agreement (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.801), (4) good construct validity (convergent: moderate to strong correlations were found between the overall score and almost all of the SF-36 and EQ-5D domains; divergent: weaker correlations were found between the overall score and SF-36 social functioning, ρ = − 0.098, and EQ-5D self-care, ρ = − 0.331), and (5) no floor or ceiling effect.Conclusion: The Cantonese SarQoL is valid and reliable, and thus can be used as an interviewer-administered questionnaire for assessing sarcopenia-specific quality of life in fieldwork practice.Keywords: interviewer-administered questionnaire, psychometric, quality of life, sarcopenia, SarQoL, translation, validation

Today the rate of anthropogenic transformations of the soil cover significantly exceeds the rate of its natural restoration. According to a modern digital soil map at a scale of 1 : 200,000 in the Leningrad Region anthropogenically modified subtypes of natural soils, which were formed as a result of human economic activity, predominate. The article considers anthropogenic changes in soils and soil cover of the territory of the high-voltage power line. The study area of 100×500 meters is located in the Tikhvinsky district between the settlements of Kalivets and Novaya Ust-Kapsha. The landscape of the territory belongs to the lake-glacial plain, the soil-forming rocks are lake-glacial sands and sandy loam. Natural soils that are not affected by technological works are found only in the forest, outside the clearing laid during the construction of the power line. These are Albic Podzol, Entic Podzol, Histic Albic Podzol, Histic Entic Podzol and Histic Gleysol. It was revealed that in the study area, the horizons of the original natural soils are partially or completely cut off, turbated, compacted, which led to the formation of their anthropogenically transformed subtypes: over-compacted, abraded, turbid and stratified. Sometimes soil material is exposed to the surface and moved over the study area by tens of meters. After the construction of the high-voltage line, new formations appeared in the soil cover, such as Podzol Nudispodic, buried soils and several types of non-soil formations. It is revealed that each technological operation (logging, installation of power transmission line supports, organization of places for technological operations and the creation of temporary roads) is characterized by its own special disturbances in the soil cover. Thus, after the construction of the power line, there were no natural soils with an undisturbed structure in the soil cover. In addition to the fundamental transformation of the soil cover at the site, natural vegetation was reduced, the mesorelief was partially disrupted and the microrelief was almost completely changed. All these anthropogenic transformations will affect the quality of the ecological functions of the soil cover. During the further operation of power transmission lines, such as clearing a cut-out clearing, updating fire-prevention mineralized strips, maintaining the power grid, disturbances of the soil cover will be periodically repeated, preventing the ecosystem from returning to its original state.

Our study investigates the interaction of dislocations with hexagonal close-packed (hcp) and chi-phase (χ) particles in body-centred cubic (bcc) tungsten (W) using molecular dynamics simulations. The research aims to understand how these interactions influence the mechanical properties of W, particularly in the context of neutron irradiation environments. The simulations were conducted with spherical and cylindrical particles at various temperatures and cell sizes to observe the effects on critical shear stress. Results indicate that the shape and size of the particles significantly affect the critical shear stress required for dislocation movement, with cylindrical particles requiring higher stresses than spherical ones. Additionally, the study found that temperature variations have a more pronounced effect on χ-phase particles compared to hcp-phase particles. Our findings provide insights into the strengthening mechanisms in W-Re alloys and suggest potential pathways for enhancing the material’s performance under extreme conditions.

Since Chernozems are among the most fertile soils in the world, the study of their degradation is of great interest. However, the microstructure and composition of the soil organic matter (SOM) in eroded Chernozems have not yet been sufficiently studied. We studied the SOM and aggregate states of eroded Chernozems using the example of two catenas with arable Haplic Chernozems in the Kursk region of Russia. In the plow horizons (the part of the soil most susceptible to water erosion), we determined the mean-weighted aggregate diameter (MWD), structure and water stability coefficients (SC and WS; dry and wet sieving, respectively), soil organic carbon (SOC) content, and SOM composition and content (qualitative and quantitative micromorphological analyses, respectively). It was shown that with an increase in the degree of erosion, the content of SOC decreased significantly, according to both chemical and micromorphological methods of evaluation. No significant relationships were found between the degree of erosion and the indicators of the structure (except for WS, which was significantly lower in non-eroded Chernozem than in slightly and moderately eroded soils). With the increasing degree of erosion, the humus state of these soils deteriorates at the microlevel, the intensity of humification decreases, the depth of the appearance of assimilated biogenic aggregates with finely dispersed calcite in the profile increases, the structure is destroyed, lumpy aggregates form, and the proportion of planar voids increases. The downslope transport of the soil solid phase under the impact of erosion is accompanied by the accumulation of the transformation products of carbohydrates in the Chernozems in the lower part of the catena. In the Chernozems located in the transit position of the slope, the composition of SOM is characterized by the predominance of lipids and nitrogen-containing compounds. Our unique results contribute to a deeper understanding of the formation of structure and water resistance in eroded soils.

The this paper, we introduce a pair of Sobolev spaces with special Jacobi-Gegenbauer weights, in which the general boundary-value problem for a class of ordinary integro-differential equations characterized by the positivity of the difference of orders of the inner and outer differential operators is well-posed in the Hadamard sense. Based on this result, we justify the general polynomial projection method for solving the corresponding problem. An application of general results to the proof of the convergence of the polynomial Galerkin method for solving the Cauchy problem in the Sobolev weighted space is given. The convergence rate of the method is characterized in terms of the best polynomial approximations of an exact solution, which automatically responds to the smoothness properties of the coefficients of the equation. Keywords and phrases: Sobolev space, Jacobi-Gegenbauer weight, integro-differential equation, general boundary-value problem, well-posedness, projection method, polynomial approximation, convergence. AMS Subject Classification: 45J05, 65Q20, 1. Introduction. Let m + 1, p [member of] [??], p>m. We consider the general linear boundary-value problem [R.sub.i](x)= 0, i = [bar.1,m], (1.1) for the integro-differential equation [Please download [...]

Jiaojiao Gong,1,2 Renjie Yu,1 Xiaoxia Hu,1 Huating Luo,1 Qingzhu Gao,3 Yadi Li,1 Guili Tan,1 Haiying Luo,1 Bo Qin1 1Department of Infectious Diseases, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Parasitic Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Nephrology, Bishan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Bo Qin, Department of Infectious Diseases, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Parasitic Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No. 1 Youyi Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400016, People’s Republic of China, Email cqmuqb@163.comPurpose: The accurate prediction of non-cirrhotic hepatocellular carcinoma (NCHCC) risk facilitates improved surveillance strategy and decreases cancer-related mortality. This study aimed to explore the correlation between immunogenic cell death (ICD) and NCHCC prognosis using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets, and the potential prognostic value of ICD-related genes in NCHCC.Methods: Clinical and transcriptomic data of patients with NCHCC patients were retrieved from TCGA database. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis was performed to obtain the NCHCC phenotype-related module genes. Consensus clustering analysis was performed to classify the patients into two clusters based on intersection genes among differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between cancer and adjacent tissues, NCHCC phenotype-related genes, and ICD-related genes. NCHCC-derived tissue microarray was used to evaluate the correlation of the expression levels of key genes with NCHCC prognosis using immunohistochemical staining.Results: Cox regression analyses were performed to construct a prognostic risk score model comprising three genes (TMC7, GRAMD1C, and GNPDA1) based on DEGs between two clusters. The model stratified patients with NCHCC into two risk groups. The overall survival (OS) of the high-risk group was significantly lower than that of the low-risk group. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses revealed that these signature genes are independent predictors of OS. Functional analysis revealed differential immune status between the two risk groups. Next, a nomogram was constructed, which demonstrated the potent distinguishing ability of the developed model based on receiver operating characteristic curves. In vitro functional validation revealed that the migration and invasion abilities of HepG2 and Huh7 cells were upregulated upon GRAMD1C knockdown but downregulated upon TMC7 knockdown.Conclusion: This study developed a prognostic model comprising three genes, which can aid in predicting the survival of patients with NCHCC and guide the selection of drugs and molecular markers for NCHCC.Keywords: immunogenic cell death-related genes, non-cirrhotic hepatocellular carcinoma, risk stratification, nomogram

In recent years, researchers have often encountered the significance of the aberrant metabolism of tumor cells in the pathogenesis of malignant neoplasms. This phenomenon, known as the Warburg effect, provides a number of advantages in the survival of neoplastic cells, and its application is considered a potential strategy in the search for antitumor agents. With the aim of developing a promising platform for designing antitumor therapeutics, we synthesized a library of conjugates of 3,5-bis(arylidene)-4-piperidone and sesquiterpene lactones. To gain insight into the determinants of the biological activity of the prepared compounds, we showed that the conjugates of 3,5-bis(arylidene)-4-piperidone and sesquiterpene lactones, which are cytotoxic agents, demonstrate selective activity toward a number of tumor cell lines with glycolysis-inhibiting ability. Moreover, the results of molecular and in silico screening allowed us to identify these compounds as potential inhibitors of the pyruvate kinase M2 oncoprotein, which is the rate-determining enzyme of glycolysis. Thus, the results of our work indicate that the synthesized conjugates of 3,5-bis(arylidene)-4-piperidone and sesquiterpene lactones can be considered a promising platform for designing selective cytotoxic agents against the glycolysis process, which opens new possibilities for researchers involved in the search for antitumor therapeutics among compounds containing piperidone platforms.