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Background: Transcolonic endoscopic appendectomy (TEA) is rapidly evolving and has been reported as a minimally invasive alternative to appendectomy. We aimed to characterize the feasibility and safety of a novel unassisted single-channel TEA. Method: We retrospectively investigated 23 patients with appendicitis or appendiceal lesions who underwent TEA from February 2016 to December 2022. We collected clinicopathological characteristics, procedure‑related parameters, and follow‑up data and analyzed the impact of previous abdominal surgery and traction technique. Results: The mean age was 56.0 years. Of the 23 patients with appendiceal lesions, fourteen patients underwent TEA and nine underwent traction-assisted TEA (T-TEA). Eight patients (34.8%) had previous abdominal surgery. The En bloc resection rate was 95.7%. The mean procedure duration was 91.1 ± 45.5 min, and the mean wound closure time was 29.4 ± 18.6 min. The wounds after endoscopic appendectomy were closed with clips (21.7%) or a combination of clip closure and endoloop reinforcement (78.3%), and the median number of clips was 7 (range, 3–15). Three patients (13.0%) experienced major adverse events, including two delayed perforations (laparoscopic surgery) and one infection (salvage endoscopic suture). During a median follow-up of 23 months, no residual or recurrent lesions were observed, and no recurrence of abdominal pain occurred. There were no significant differences between TEA and T-TEA groups and between patients with and without abdominal surgery groups in each factor. Conclusion: Unassisted single-channel TEA for patients with appendiceal lesions has favorable short- and long-term outcomes. TEA can safely and effectively treat appendiceal disease in appropriately selected cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is a life-saving procedure for sepsis but the benefit of CRRT varies and prediction of clinical outcomes is valuable in efficient treatment planning. This study aimed to use machine learning (ML) models trained using MIMIC III data for identifying sepsis patients who would benefit from CRRT. We first selected patients with sepsis and CRRT in the ICU setting and their gender, and an array of routine lab results were included as features to train machine learning models using 30-day mortality as the primary outcome. A total of 4161 patients were included for analysis, among whom there were 1342 deaths within 30 days. Without data augmentation, extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) showed an accuracy of 64.2% with AUC-ROC of 0.61. Data augmentation using a conditional generative adversarial neural network (c-GAN) resulted in a significantly improved accuracy (82%) and ROC-AUC (0.78%). To enable prediction on pediatric patients, we adopted transfer learning approaches, where the weights of all but the last hidden layer were fixed, followed by fine-tuning of the weights of the last hidden layer using pediatric data of 200 patients as the inputs. A significant improvement was observed using the transfer learning approach (AUCROC = 0.76) compared to direct training on the pediatric cohort (AUCROC = 0.62). Through this transfer-learning-facilitated patient outcome prediction, our study showed that ML can aid in clinical decision-making by predicting patient responses to CRRT for managing pediatric sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims Some plants germinate their seeds enclosed by a pericarp, whereas others lack the outer packaging. As a maternal tissue, the pericarp might impart seeds with different germination strategies. Plants in a community with different flowering times might separately disperse and germinate their seeds; therefore, flowering time can be considered as one manifestation of maternal effects on the offspring. The mass of the seed is another important factor influencing germination and represents the intrinsic resource of the seed that supports germination. Using seeds from a species-rich alpine meadow located in the Hengduan Mountains of China, a global biodiversity hotspot, we aimed to illustrate whether and how the type of seed (with or without a pericarp) modulates the interaction of flowering time and seed mass with germination. Methods Seeds were germinated in generally favourable conditions, and the speed of germination [estimated by mean germination time (MGT)] was calculated. We quantified the maternal conditions by separation of flowering time for 67 species in the meadow, of which 31 produced seeds with pericarps and 36 yielded seeds without pericarps. We also weighed 100 seeds of each species to assess their mass. Key Results The MGT varied between the two types of seeds. For seeds with pericarps, MGT was associated with flowering time but not with seed mass. Plants with earlier flowering times in the meadow exhibited more rapid seed germination. For seeds without a pericarp, the MGT depended on seed mass, with smaller seeds germinating more rapidly than larger seeds. Conclusions The distinct responses of germination to flowering time and seed mass observed in seeds with and without a pericarp suggest that germination strategies might be mother-reliant for seeds protected by pericarps but self-reliant for those without such protection. This new finding improves our understanding of seed germination by integrating ecologically mediated maternal conditions and inherent genetic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yangtze River (hereafter referred to as the YZR), the largest river in China, is of paramount importance for ensuring water resource security. The Yangtze River Basin (hereafter referred to as the YRB) is one of the most densely populated areas in China, and complex human activities have a significant impact on the ecological security of water resources. Therefore, this paper employs theories related to ecological population evolution and the Driving Force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) model to construct an indicator system for the ecological security of water resources in the YRB. The report evaluates the ecological security status of water resources in each province of the YRB from 2010 to 2019, clarifies the development trend of its water resource ecological security, and proposes corresponding strategies for regional ecological security and coordinated economic development. According to the results of the ecological population evolution competition model, the overall indicator of the ecological security of water resources in the YRB continues to improve, with the safety level increasing annually. Maintaining sound management of water resources in the YRB is crucial for sustainable socioeconomic development. To further promote the ecological security of water resources in the YRB and the coordinated development of the regional economy, this paper proposes policy suggestions such as promoting the continuous advancement of sustainable development projects, actively adjusting industrial structure, continuously enhancing public environmental awareness, and actively participating in international ecological construction and seeking cooperation among multiple departments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, grading of surrounding rock was based on rock mass basic quality (BQ) according to Chinese specifications. A numerical approach was used to construct a synthetic rock mass model (SRMM) to represent the jointed rock mass and then obtain the strength of the rock mass. To construct a discrete fracture network, intact rock was represented by the bonded particle model and joint behaviour was represented by a smooth joint model. In a case study (Hongtuzhang tunnel), the micro properties of granite cores with different degrees of weathering were determined and the representative elementary volume of the surrounding rock was set as 15 × 15 m. Five slightly weathered, three slightly to moderately weathered and two moderately weathered granite surrounding rock mass models were established based on the probability distribution of joint sets in each borehole, and the conversion BQ value was acquired according to the calculated strength of the SRMM. The surrounding rock grades obtained using geological surveys were found to be higher than those predicted by the numerical method. The numerical calculation was consistent with actual excavation of rock mass at a borehole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maternal diabetes has been widely reported to adversely affect oocyte quality. Although various molecules and pathways may be involved in this process, strategies to prevent maternal diabetes-induced deterioration of oocyte quality remain unexplored. Melatonin is synthesized by the pineal gland and has been shown to have beneficial effects on oocyte quality owing to its antioxidative function. In the present study, we found that the exposure of oocytes of diabetic mice to melatonin, in vitro , alleviated aberrant oocyte maturation competence. Notably, melatonin supplementation attenuated defects in spindle organization and chromosome alignment by mediating the expression of TPX2 and pericentrin localization. Importantly, melatonin eliminated the accumulation of reactive oxygen species and increased the cytosolic Ca2+ levels in diabetic oocytes by maintaining mitochondrial function. Moreover, the occurrence of autophagy and apoptosis was reversed in diabetic oocytes after melatonin exposure via decreased LC3β expression. Collectively, our findings provide evidence that melatonin supplementation can protect oocytes from maternal diabetes-related meiotic defects and poor egg quality, providing a potential strategy for improving oocyte quality in assisted reproductive technologies. [Display omitted] • Melatonin restores the maternal diabetes-induced deterioration of oocyte quality. • Melatonin improves the oocyte maturation competency of diabetic oocytes. • Melatonin alleviates maternal diabetes-induced mitochondrial dysfunction. • Melatonin suppresses the oxidative stress-induced DNA damage and apoptosis of diabetic oocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlike traditional small molecule drugs, fullerene is an all-carbon nanomolecule with a spherical cage structure. Fullerene exhibits high levels of antiviral activity, inhibiting virus replication in vitro and in vivo. In this review, we systematically summarize the latest research regarding the different types of fullerenes investigated in antiviral studies. We discuss the unique structural advantage of fullerenes, present diverse modification strategies based on the addition of various functional groups, assess the effect of structural differences on antiviral activity, and describe the possible antiviral mechanism. Finally, we discuss the prospective development of fullerenes as antiviral drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short-chained perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs, C n F 2n+1 –R, n ≤ 6) have merged as global concerns due to their extensive application and considerable toxicity. However, long-chained PFAAs (n ≥ 7) featured with high persistence are still ubiquitously observed in aquatic environment. To understand the uptake behavior of short-chained PFAAs in aquatic macrophytes, the uptake kinetics, bioconcentration, and translocation of short-chained PFAAs (3 ≤n ≤ 6) in two typical free-floating macrophytes (Eichhornia crassipes and Ceratophyllum demersum) were investigated in the treatments with and without long-chained PFAAs (7 ≤n ≤ 11). Results showed that short-chained PFAAs can be readily accumulated in both E. crassipes and C. demersum , and the uptake of short-chained PFAAs fit the two-compartment kinetic model well (p < 0.05). In the treatments with long-chained PFAAs, significant concentration decreases of all concerned short-chained PFAAs in E. crassipes and PFAAs with n ≤ 5 in C. demersum were observed. Long-chained PFAAs could hinder the uptake rates, bioconcentration factors, and translocation factors of most short-chained PFAAs in free-floating macrophytes (p < 0.01). Significant correlations between bioconcentration factors and perfluoroalkyl chain length were only observed when long-chained PFAAs were considered (p < 0.01). Our results underlined that the effects of long-chained PFAAs should be taken into consideration in understanding the uptake and bioaccumulation behaviors of short-chained PFAAs. [Display omitted] • Uptake of short-chained PFAAs in two free-floating plants fit a two-compartments model well. • Long-chained PFAAs hindered the bioconcentration and translocation of short-chained PFAAs. • C. demersum showed higher accumulation potential than E. crassipes in all treatments. • Competitions with adsorption and translocators/organelles binding may be the key mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reported prevalence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) among patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) is highly variable. We conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the prevalence and identify predictors of SIBO in SSc by summarizing all of the available data. A comprehensive literature search of the PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE databases from inception to July 2020 was conducted for studies correlating SIBO with SSc. Studies were screened, and relevant data were extracted and analyzed. The pooled prevalence of SIBO among SSc patients and the odds ratio (OR) of SIBO among SSc patients compared with healthy controls were calculated. Furthermore, predictors of SIBO in SSc were evaluated. Fourteen studies containing 700 SSc patients and 217 healthy controls met the inclusion criteria. The pooled prevalence of SIBO in SSc was 34% (95% CI 27–42%). The OR of SIBO in SSc patients was 12.51 (95% CI 6.51–24.03) compared with the healthy controls. Subgroup analyses showed that the prevalence of SIBO in SSc was higher in studies using the lactulose hydrogen breath test (LHBT) for diagnosis (56%, 95% CI 46–67%) compared with those that used the glucose hydrogen breath test (GHBT) (27%, 95%CI 20–35%) and a jejunal aspirated culture (JAC) (35%, 95%CI 25–51%). The prevalence of SIBO in SSc was higher in studies conducted in Western countries (38%, 95% CI 31–47%) than those conducted in Asian countries (15%, 95%CI 10–23%), and the prevalence of SIBO in the SSc population defined by ACR-EULAR 2013 (50%, 95% CI 0.21–0.79) was higher than the prevalence defined by ACR 1980 (30%, 95% CI 0.17–0.42) or other criteria (32%, 95% CI 0.16–0.48) Moreover, the risk of diarrhea was higher in SSc patients with SIBO than those without SIBO (OR 8.82, 95% CI 4.09–19, P < 0.00001); gender, SSc subset, digital ulcer, and pulmonary fibrosis do not seem to be associated with SIBO in SSc. Antibiotic therapy seems to be effective with SIBO in SSc patients. Approximately one-third of SSc patients tested positive for SIBO with a significantly increased risk over the controls. The prevalence of SIBO in SSc varied according to the SIBO diagnostic test performed, geographic area, and SSc diagnostic criteria. The presence of diarrhea may be a predictor of SIBO in SSc. Antibiotic treatment can lead to eradication of SIBO and gastrointestinal symptomatic improvement in SSc patients. Key Points • The pooled prevalence of SIBO in SSc patients was 34%, which varied according to the SIBO diagnostic test performed, geographic area and SSc diagnostic criteria. • The risk of SIBO in SSc was increased by nearly thirteenfold compared to the healthy controls. • Diarrhoea, but not gender, SSc subset, digital ulcer and pulmonary fibrosis, was associated with SIBO in SSc patients. • For SSc patients with SIBO, antibiotic treatment can lead to eradication of SIBO and gastrointestinal symptomatic improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the changes in microbial composition and the corresponding impact after lactitol treatment in constipated patients. Methods: Altogether 29 consecutive outpatients diagnosed with chronic constipation from three centers were recruited and stratified based on their history of diabetes mellitus. All patients were administered with oral lactitol for 2 weeks, and a symptoms diary of constipation was recorded. Fecal samples were collected before and after lactitol treatment, and were analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing and real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect gut microbiota. Results: Twenty patients with diabetes mellitus and nine without, all with chronic constipation, were enrolled in this study. After 2‐week administration of lactitol, their subscale scores and constipation symptoms significantly decreased (P < 0.05). An analysis of fecal flora using 16S rRNA sequencing found an increasing trend of abundance of Bifidobacterium in the post‐lactitol group (P = 0.08). Actinobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bifidobacteriales, Bifidobacteriaceae and Bifidobacterium were significantly more abundant after lactitol administration. Real‐time PCR showed significantly high DNA copy numbers of Bifidobacterium after lactitol treatment (1.39 × 1010 vs 2.74 × 109 copies/μL, P = 0.01). The results of 16S rRNA sequencing and real‐time PCR illustrated an increasing trend of Bifidobacterium in both patients with and without diabetes. In addition, Bifidobacterium was negatively correlated with constipation subscale scores. Conclusions: Alterations in fecal flora composition after lactitol supplementation, especially in terms of an increasing trend of Bifidobacterium, alleviated constipation symptoms. Lactitol may be a promising prebiotic candidate for patients with constipation, regardless of diabetes mellitus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the relationship between the uterine size measured by pelvic magnetic resonance and reproductive outcome in women with a unicornuate uterus.Methods: This was a retrospective study including 140 patients affiliated with unicornuate uterus diagnosed by the pelvic MR prior to their first pregnancy in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University from April 2010 to December 2017. All the length of the unicornuate uterus were re-measured and recorded by skilled radiologists during the study period. We divided all the 140 participants with complete pelvic MR imaging into four groups by the best reproductive outcomes, which refers to Group 1 (primary infertility, n = 21), Group 2 ( < 24 weeks' gestation, n = 34), Group 3 (preterm delivery, 24-35 weeks' gestation, n = 13), Group 4 ( ≥ 35 weeks' gestation, n = 72), followed them up and then analyzed the data.Results: Measurements of 140 patients with hemi-uteri were retrieved for analysis. The mean length of the uterine was 4.90  ± 0.56 cm. There were no significant differences in the uterine cavity length, cervical length, endometrial thickness and uterine wall thickness between the four groups while the uterine length (P = 0.001) was statistically significant. Women with uterine lengths  ≥  4.5 cm were more likely to experience full-term delivery compared with the other group (P = 0.001). Ordinal multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the uterine length [OR = 9.03 (95% CI: 2.90-28.13)] and uterine cavity length [OR = 0.32 (95% CI: 0.06-2.04)] were independent protective factors for better obstetric outcomes CONCLUSION: The uterine length is a reliable prognostic factor for the gestational week of delivery and an appropriate antenatal surveillance factor of women with unicornuate uterus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various studies demonstrate that CD137 (TNFRSF9, 4-1BB) promotes atherosclerosis and vascular inflammation in experimental models via interactions with the CD137 ligand (CD137L). However, the exact role of CD137 in ischemic stroke remains unclear. In this study, we analyzed dynamic changes of peripheral CD137 expression on T cells in a mouse model of cerebral ischemia-middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), as well as alternation of neurological function, infarct size and cerebral inflammatory status after inhibition of the CD137/CD137L pathway using an anti-CD137L monoclonal antibody. MCAO mice showed elevated surface expression of CD137 on T cells in both peripheral blood and lymphoid tissues during early cerebral ischemia. Remarkably, blockade of the CD137/CD137L pathway reduced the post-ischemic brain damage. Our findings indicate that enhanced CD137 costimulation occurs in early cerebral ischemia and promotes T cell activation, which in turn upregulates inflammatory immune response and possibly exerting deleterious effects on cerebral ischemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Zeolite NaA membranes have been widely used in dehydration of alcohols by pervaporation because of their excellent permeability and selectivity. However, the zeolite NaA membranes were criticized for the poor performance in acidic condition. Herein, we report a simple and effective method to enhance acid stability of zeolite NaA membranes. The key is a positively charged polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) was impregnated on the surface of zeolite NaA membranes. The PEC was synthesized from chitosan (CS) and sodium poly (vinyl sulfonate) (PVS). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results indicated that the zeolite NaA membranes suffered from severe damage in both morphology and crystal structure after contact with acid, while the PEC/NaA composite membranes remained intact. Accordingly, the PEC/NaA composite membranes（1.5 wt% PEC in solution） exhibited excellent water permeability and selectivity in acid solution. For acidic 90 wt% ethanol/water (pH = 3) mixture separation, the permeate flux was 875 g/(m2 h), the water content in permeate was as high as 99.8 wt% at 40 °C. Meanwhile, the composite membranes showed a good acid stability for more than 200 h and this was attributed to the barrier effect of PEC layer, as well as the protonation ability of -NH 2 groups in PEC. This method is expected to offer great opportunities for the dehydration of organics under acidic conditions. Graphical abstract fx1 Highlights • Positively charged polyelectrolyte complex synthesized from CS and PVS. • Acid-resistant PEC/NaA membranes prepared through dip-coating. • The structure of NaA did not suffer from acid erode at the presence of PEC layer. • The permeate water content remains above 99 wt% in acid solution against time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile approach to fabricate fluorinated molecular monolayer on the surface of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane was conducted using fluoroalkylsilane (FAS) as cross-linking agent. In detail, hydroxyl terminated PDMS were cross-linked with 1H,1H,2H,2H-Perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane and cast on porous polysulfone support to prepare PDMS membranes. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that fluorinated alkyl chains were enriched at the surface of the membranes. Moreover, the surface fluorine concentration increased with the increasing of FAS and plateaued at around 55 at% (close to that of FAS molecules) when the surface was fully covered by fluorinated monolayers. The surface hydrophobicity was proportional to the surface fluorine content as revealed by water contact angle measurement. When applied in pervaporation separation of 1 wt% n -butanol/water mixture at 60 °C, the membrane prepared with a FAS ethoxy to PDMS hydroxyl equivalents ratio of 35 (PDMS-FAS-35) exhibited a flux of 843 g − 2 h −1 and an enhanced permeate n -butanol concentration of 34.3 wt% compared with PDMS cross-linked with traditional TEOS (1375 g − 2 h −1 , 24.4 wt%). The decrease of permeate flux was because of the reduced water partial flux without sacrificing the butanol partial flux on the consequence of water repellency of FAS monolayer. The results indicated that the FAS cross-linked PDMS could increase the separation efficiency of the membrane, thereby reducing the cost and energy consumption of the pervaporation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) is regarded as an important contributor to breast cancer bone metastasis. However, previous studies did not provide direct clinical evidence for a role of RUNX2 in bone-specific metastasis in breast cancer, and the mechanism of RUNX2 in cancer cell recruitment and adhesion to the bone remains unclear. In this study, we showed that RUNX2 expression is positively correlated with the risk of bone-specific metastasis in lymph node-negative breast cancer patients. Then, we identified ITGA5 as a transcriptional target of RUNX2 from multiple candidate genes encoding adhesion molecules or chemokine receptors. We further provided experimental and clinical evidence that RUNX2, in an integrin α5-dependent manner, promotes the attraction and adhesion of breast cancer cells to the bone and confers cancer cell survival and bone colonization advantages. Overall, our findings clarify an adhesion-dependent mechanism of RUNX2 for the osteotropism and bone colonization of breast cancer cells and implicate RUNX2 and integrin α5 as potential molecular markers for the prediction of bone metastasis and therapeutic targets for the treatment of breast cancer bone metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three genuine supramolecular isomers with an identical formula of [Co(cpna)(H2O)2] (1a, 1b and 1c) [H2cpna = 5-(4′-carboxyl-phenyl) nicotinic acid] have been synthesized by adjusting the relative molar ratio of Y-shaped ligand H2cpna : CoCl2 under solvothermal conditions. Isomer 1a possesses a two-dimensional (2D) 63-hcb layer, in which the central Co(ii) adopts trigonal bipyramidal geometry. 1b and 1c contain the same edge-shared dimeric SBUs, which are further ligated by cpna2− ligands to form 2D (3,6)-connected (43)2(46·66·83)-kgd layers and a 3D (3,6)-connected (4·62)2(42·610·83)-rtl net, respectively. The coordination modes of the cpna2− ligand in 1b and 1c are the same, indicating that only the difference in the dihedral angles of the pyridine and phenyl rings contributes to different isomers. Magnetic investigation indicates ferromagnetic interactions between Co(ii) ions in edge-shared dimeric SBUs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Short-term combined use of clopidogrel and aspirin improves cerebrovascular outcomes in patients with symptomatic extracranial or intracranial stenosis. Antiplatelet non-responsiveness is related to recurrent ischemic events, but the culprit genetic variants responsible for the non-responsiveness have not been well studied. We aimed to identify the genetic variants associated with poor clinical outcomes. Methods: Patients with symptomatic extracranial or intracranial stenosis scheduled for stenting and receiving dual antiplatelets (clopidogrel 75 mg and aspirin 100 mg daily) for at least 5 days before intervention were enrolled. Ischemic events including recurrent transient ischemic attack, stroke, myocardial infarction, and vascular-related mortality within 12 months follow-up were recorded. We examined the influence of genetic polymorphisms on treatment outcome in our patients. Results: A total of 268 patients were enrolled into our study and ischemic events were observed in 39 patients. For rs662 of paraoxonase 1 (PON1), allele C was associated with an increased risk of ischemic events (OR = 1.64, 95%CI = 1.03–2.62, P = 0.029). The A-allele carriers of rs2046934 of P2Y12 had a significant association with adverse events (OR = 2.01, 95%CI = 1.10–3.67, P = 0.041). The variant T-allele of cyclooxygenase-1 (COX1) rs1330344 significantly increased the risk of recurrent clinical events (OR = 1.85, 95%CI = 1.12–3.03, P = 0.017). The other single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) had no association with ischemic events. Conclusions: PON1, P2Y12 and COX1 polymorphisms were associated with poorer vascular outcomes. Testing for these polymorphisms may be valuable in the identification of patients at risk for recurrent ischemic events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well documented that nifedipine, a commonly used dihydropyridine Ca2+ channel blocker, has also significant interactions with voltage-gated K+ (Kv) channels. But to date, little is known whether nifedipine exerted an action on Kv2.1 channels, a member of the Shab subfamily with slow inactivation. In the present study, we explored the effects of nifedipine on rat Kv2.1 channels expressed in HEK293 cells. Data from whole-cell recording showed that nifedipine substantially reduced Kv2.1 currents with the IC50 value of 37.5 ± 5.7 μM and delayed the time course of activation without effects on the activation curve. Moreover, this drug also significantly shortened the duration of inactivation and deactivation of Kv2.1 currents in a voltage-dependent manner. Interestingly, the half-maximum inactivation potential (V1/2) of Kv2.1 currents was -11.4 ± 0.9 mV in control and became -38.5 ± 0.4 mV after application of 50 μM nifedipine. The large hyperpolarizing shift (27 mV) of the inactivation curve has not been reported previously and may result in more inactivation for outward delayed rectifier K+ currents mediated by Kv2.1 channels at repolarization phases. The Y380R mutant significantly increased the binding affinity of nifedipine to Kv2.1 channels, suggesting an interaction of nifedipine with the outer mouth region of this channel. The data present here will be helpful to understand the diverse effects exerted by nifedipine on various Kv channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problem of the coal mine air compressors' pressure stability, the control method of air compressors was researched, the method of combination of fuzzy PID control and linkage control was used, the programmable controller PLC was used as the developing platform of the hardware, the air compressors' constant pressure air supply control system was designed and researched based on fuzzy PID and linkage control, the fuzzy PID control key process of air compressors was researched, and the software of Matlab/Simulink was used to construct the air compressors' fuzzy PID control system modeling, the three different operating conditions include the beginning, load surges and pressure set value change were simulated and analyzed. The results indicate that, the air compressors based on the fuzzy PID and the intelligent linkage control can be controled rapidly according to the pressure variation, the system has good dynamic and static performances, the stability of constant pressure air supply is ensured, the electric energy consumption in coal mine is saved greatly. the efficiency of coal production is improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel rotating membrane emulsification setup incorporating a 100 μm pore diameter stainless steel hydrophobic membrane is used to produce W/O emulsions consisting of 4 wt% hexaglycerin penta ester (PO-500) as emulsifier, the mixture of liquid paraffin (LP) and petroleum ether (PE) in 11:1 (v/v) as continuous oil phase and agarose solution as the dispersed phase. The agarose beads of average sizes between 108.4 and 385.4 μm can be obtained after the emulsion solidification process. The membrane rotational speed (500–2000 rpm), agarose concentration (2–4 wt%) and oil phase composition are all investigated as to their effect on emulsion droplet size and size uniformity of agarose beads. The optimal conditions for producing uniform agarose beads are an agarose solution of 3 wt%, a mixture of liquid paraffin and petroleum ether in 11:1 (v/v) and a membrane rotational speed of 900 rpm, under which the average bead diameter is 220 μm with a very narrow size distribution value of 0.76 (Span value). A model describing the operation is presented to predict droplet size under a certain condition and the prediction results fit with the experimental data fairly well. The emulsification reproducibility and stable beads properties demonstrate that the rotating membrane emulsification is a manufacturing protocol for uniform droplets and beads of controlled size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Interactions between DOM and PFAAs were explored by field and laboratory experiments. • DOM and PFAA characteristics in the northwest of taihu lake basin were assessed. • Fulvic-like substances were identified as key factors affecting PFAA variability. • PFAAs, DOM peaks, and typical metals were effectively removed in DOM self-assembly. • The affinity of PFAAs binding in DOM depended largely on their chain length. Understanding the interactions between dissolved organic matter (DOM) and perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) is essential for predicting the distribution, transport, and fate of PFAAs in aquatic environments. Based on field investigations in the northwest of Taihu Lake Basin combined with laboratory experiments, we obtained DOM and PFAA concentrations as well as compositions and investigated key factors of DOM affecting PFAA variability and capture of PFAAs by DOM. Results indicated that the total concentrations of PFAAs were 73.4–689 ng/L in surface water and that PFAAs were dominated by C3–7 perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid. The main components of DOM included tyrosine-, fulvic-, and tryptophan-like substances. The Mantel test revealed a significant positive correlation between DOM and PFAAs (P = 0.0001). Fulvic-like substances were identified as the most crucial factors affecting PFAA variability. The laboratory experiments revealed that DOM can spontaneously aggregate into a microgel. Furthermore, 19.1–50.9% of PFAAs, DOM characteristic peaks, and several metals (Ca, Mg, Cu, and Fe) can be removed during aggregation, indicating the capacity of DOM binding organic/inorganic substances. The fulvic-like substances were more effectively removed than the protein-like substances. The distribution coefficients of all PFAAs except perfluorohexanoic acid significantly correlated with their perfluorinated carbon numbers (r = 0.975, p <0.001). Our results provided insights into the interactions between DOM and PFAAs, improving the understanding of the distribution, transport, and fate of PFAAs in aquatic environments. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strength and deformation of rock masses containing nonpersistent joints are controlled by the complex interactions of joints and intact rock bridges; exploring the relationship between them is the basis of understanding the failure process in the model. In this work, discrete fracture network (DFN) technology was used to construct the fracture system, and synthetic rock mass (SRM) technology was utilized to represent rock masses containing a set of nonpersistent joints. The effect of geometrical parameters (joint dip angle, joint length, and joint density) on the mechanical properties and failure mechanism of the models was studied. The stress redistribution method was used to investigate the failure process of the nonpersistent jointed rock mass under uniaxial compression, and the mechanisms are successfully explained according to their different cracking process. Six failure modes are predicted: through a plane, stepped, rotation of new blocks, mixed, multiplane stepped, and shearing through intact rock. Damage mechanics were suitable for analysis of the nonpersistent joint model, and the initial damage variable was determined by geometrical parameters. Overall, the damage constitutive model fits the stress–strain curve of numerical simulation well and is more suitable for brittle failure of a jointed rock mass than ductile and plastic failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Value of Golgi protein 73 (GP73) in the diagnosis of Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains controversial, especially in its differentiation between HCC and cirrhosis. Besides, some papers showed that GP73 levels are correlated with liver fibrosis. This study conducts a meta-analysis to evaluate the value of GP73 in diagnosing HCC and differential diagnosing HCC from liver cirrhosis. Methods: 36 studies with a sample size of 8314 cases concerning the accuracy of GP73 in the diagnosis of HCC were selected through a systematic review. Seven of these studies included a total of 438 HCC samples and 426 cirrhosis samples and calculated the sensitivity and specificity of GP73 for differential diagnosing HCC from cirrhosis. QUADAS (quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies) was used to evaluate the quality of literature. Statistical analyses were performed using StataSE16 software. Results: The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, diagnostic odds ratio and the area under the curve were 0.79(95%CI 0.74–0.83),0.85(95%CI 0.80–0.89),5.4(95%CI 3.8–7.5), 0.25(95%CI 0.20–0.31), 22(95%CI 13–35), and 0.88 for GP73 diagnosing HCC;0.74(95%CI 0.64–0.81),0.70(95%CI 0.49–0.85),2.40(95%CI 1.3–4.7),0.38(95%CI 0.23–0.61),6(95%CI 2–19), and 0.78 for GP73 differential diagnosing HCC from liver cirrhosis. Conclusion: The results suggest that GP73 has a high diagnostic value for HCC and a moderate value for differential diagnosis of HCC from liver cirrhosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Value of Golgi protein 73 (GP73) in the diagnosis of Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains controversial, especially in its differentiation between HCC and cirrhosis. Besides, some papers showed that GP73 levels are correlated with liver fibrosis. This study conducts a meta-analysis to evaluate the value of GP73 in diagnosing HCC and differential diagnosing HCC from liver cirrhosis. Methods: 36 studies with a sample size of 8314 cases concerning the accuracy of GP73 in the diagnosis of HCC were selected through a systematic review. Seven of these studies included a total of 438 HCC samples and 426 cirrhosis samples and calculated the sensitivity and specificity of GP73 for differential diagnosing HCC from cirrhosis. QUADAS (quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies) was used to evaluate the quality of literature. Statistical analyses were performed using StataSE16 software. Results: The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, diagnostic odds ratio and the area under the curve were 0.79(95%CI 0.74–0.83),0.85(95%CI 0.80–0.89),5.4(95%CI 3.8–7.5), 0.25(95%CI 0.20–0.31), 22(95%CI 13–35), and 0.88 for GP73 diagnosing HCC;0.74(95%CI 0.64–0.81),0.70(95%CI 0.49–0.85),2.40(95%CI 1.3–4.7),0.38(95%CI 0.23–0.61),6(95%CI 2–19), and 0.78 for GP73 differential diagnosing HCC from liver cirrhosis. Conclusion: The results suggest that GP73 has a high diagnostic value for HCC and a moderate value for differential diagnosis of HCC from liver cirrhosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper authored by Lima et al. [Phys. Rev. E 61, 3260 (2000)] has discussed the dispersion relation and Landau damping of a Langmuir wave in the context of the nonextensive statistics proposed by Tsallis. However, the results obtained in this paper are not appropriate. In this comment on the paper we shall derive the correct analytic formulas for both the dispersion relation and Landau damping in the Tsallis formalism. We hope that this comment will be useful in providing the correct results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An event-related brain potentials (ERP) experiment was carried out to investigate how and when accentuation influences temporally selective attention and subsequent semantic processing during on-line spoken language comprehension, and how the effect of accentuation on attention allocation and semantic processing changed with the degree of accentuation. Chinese spoken sentences were used as stimuli. The critical word in the carrier sentence was either semantically congruent or incongruent to the preceding sentence context. Meanwhile, the critical word was de-accented (DeAccent), generally accented (Accent), or greatly accented (GreatAccent). Results showed that, relative to semantically congruent words, the semantically incongruent word elicited a parietal–occipital N400 effect in the Accent condition and a broadly distributed N400 effect in the GreatAccent condition; however, no significant N400 effect was found in the DeAccent condition. Further onset analysis found that the N400 effect in the GreatAccent condition started around 50ms earlier than that in the Accent conditions. In addition, in the GreatAccent condition, the incongruent words also elicited an early negative effect in the window latency of 110–190ms after the acoustic onset of the critical word. The results indicated that, during on-line speech processing, accentuation can rapidly modulate temporally selective attention and consequently influence the depth or the speed of subsequent semantic processing; the effect of accentuation on attention allocation and semantic processing can change with the degree of accentuation gradually. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the present study, the ERP (event-related brain potentials) technique was used to investigate how and when prosodic boundaries interact with ongoing discourse context during on-line syntactic processing and especially the precise time characteristics of this prosodic boundaries effect. Chinese question–answer dialogues were used as stimuli. The answers were syntactically ambiguous phrases, the meaning of which could be biased via changing the preceding question context or the prosodic boundaries in the carrier sentence. The results revealed that, first, presence of prosodic boundaries, relative to absence of these boundaries, evoked a P2 effect. Second and importantly, there was an immediate interaction between discourse context and prosodic boundaries. When the prosodic boundaries were inconsistent with the syntactic interpretation built upon the ongoing discourse context, a left-anterior distributed LAN effect or a combined LAN and N400 effect was elicited (time-locked to the critical words at the immediate right side of prosodic boundaries). The results indicated that prosodic boundaries can be used to guide syntactic parsing and can be immediately integrated with the ongoing discourse context during spoken discourse comprehension. In addition, the LAN effect elicited by prosodic boundaries violation indicated that prosodic information may affect the initial incorporation of a word into the syntactic structure in speech processing. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) have emerged as a global concern in aquatic environment remediation due to their abundance, persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity. To comprehensively understand the removal potential of multiple PFAAs by submerged macrophytes in aquatic environments, systematic investigations into the tolerance of the typical submerged macrophyte Vallisneria natans to 12 typical PFAAs and the removal capacity to PFAAs in V. natans -microbiota systems were carried out. Results showed that although PFAAs could induce the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde, V. natans was overall resistant to multiple PFAAs with natural concentrations. Catalase is one of the main strategies of V. natans to alleviate PFAA stress. Microbiota can remove 18.10–30.84% of the PFAAs from the water column. 24.35–73.45% of PFAAs were removed from water in V. natans -microbiota systems. The uptake of plant tissues and the bioaccumulation of microbiota were proposed as the main removal processes. The removal rates were significantly correlated with the perfluorinated carbon atoms numbers (p < 0.05). PFAAs and V. natans increased the relative abundance of Betaproteobacteria , Nostocales , Microscillaceae , Sphingobacteriales , SBR1031 , Chlamydiales , Phycisphaerae , Caldilineales , Rhodobacterales , and Verrucomicrobiales. The present study suggested that V. natans can be a potential species to remove multiple PFAAs in aquatic environments, and further providing insights into the PFAAs' remediation. [Display omitted] • V. natans can relatively tolerate multiple PFAAs via the regulation of catalase. • The presence of V. natans significantly enhanced the PFAAs removal from water. • 24.35–73.45% of PFAAs were removed via plant uptake and microbial absorption. • Dominant microbiota and biomarkers in water and biofilms were identified. • V. natans was suggested as a potential species to remove multiple PFAAs in water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Homocysteine has been identified to be associated with Alzheimer disease (AD) and methionine synthase (MS) is one of the enzymes involved in homocysteine metabolism. Confused data were reported on the association between the MS 2756 A>G polymorphism and AD. To determine if this polymorphism could affect the occurrence of AD, we investigated the association between the MS 2756 A>G polymorphism and AD risk in 353 sporadic AD patients and 346 controls in a Chinese Han population. No significant differences of allele and genotype distributions between the AD cases and the controls were observed in the total samples, neither when the samples were stratified by age/age at onset and gender. When the samples were stratified by APOE ε4 status, a trend of A allele and AA genotype over-representation in the AD patients in comparison with the controls was observed, but it was not statistically significant (for the alleles, A versus G OR=1.549, 95% CI 0.920–2.609, p =0.098; for the genotypes, AA versus AG+GG OR=1.485, 95% CI 0.861–2.560, p =0.153). Similar trend was observed in the APOE ε4 non-carrier samples of the ≥65 year subgroups and it was not statistically significant too (for the alleles, A versus G OR=1.682, 95% CI 0.901–3.140, p =0.099, for the genotypes, AA versus AG+GG OR=1.690, 95% CI 0.884–3.232, p =0.110). Our data did not reveal significant association between the MS 2756 A>G polymorphism and AD development. However, a weak effect of the A allele on developing AD could not be completely excluded. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective Study Design Results Conclusion We aimed to create specific growth velocity reference charts for monochorionic (MC) twin pregnancies and provide additional information for assessing fetal growth in MC twins.This retrospective study collected data from uncomplicated MC twins with serial ultrasound parameters. The four ultrasound parameters, including biparietal diameter, femur length, head circumference, and abdominal circumference, were used to calculate the estimated fetal weight (EFW). Multilevel linear regression models were applied to fit growth velocity charts for each biometric parameter and EFW. Analysis of variance was used to examine differences in birthweight by whether EFW velocity and EFW values were <10th or ≥10th percentiles.The final analysis encompassed a total of 5956 ultrasound examinations conducted on 487 MC twins. The growth velocity of four biparietal diameters exhibited a gradual decrease in a nearly linear fashion progressing from 18 to 37 gestational weeks. The EFW velocity increased steadily from 18 to 36 gestational weeks, reaching a peak of 178.2 g/week, and then the velocity gradually decreased until delivery. At 32 weeks for illustration, the lightest birth weight was observed when both EFW and EFW velocity were <10th percentile (1899 g). The study also found that birth weight was higher when EFW velocity was ≥10th percentile compared with <10th percentile, regardless of EFW being below or above the 10th percentile (2263 and 1906 g, respectively; P < 0.001).We developed specific growth velocity reference charts for MC twins, which could provide a valuable reference point for a more precise evaluation of fetal growth in MC twins. Preliminary findings indicate that the inclusion of fetal growth velocity in monitoring fetal growth provides additional information beyond EFW alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aerosol optical depth and Ångström exponent for 2002–2003 were derived from CE_318 sun/sky photometer observations carried out at Tazhong, Hetian, Minqin and Dunhuang, located in the source regions of mineral aerosols in China. The observed aerosol properties, including their diurnal and monthly variations, are given for each of the observation sites. The effects of meteorological parameters, such as wind and relative humidity, on aerosol optical depth are analyzed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Removal contributions of PFAAs in constructed wetlands were first investigated. • PFAAs were removed by sediment sorption, phytoextraction, and microbial absorption. • Considerable contributions of microbiota were observed in PFAA removal. • The sorption/uptake of PFAAs was mostly dependent on perfluoroalkyl chain length. • PFAAs shifted the microbial community in the water, biofilms, sediment, and rhizosphere. The broad application of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) has attracted global concern regarding their adverse environmental effects. The possible removal processes of PFAAs in constructed wetlands were excavated and quantified using two typical submerged macrophytes (rooted Potamogeton wrightii and rootless Ceratophyllum demersum). Our results showed that 33.59–88.99% of PFAAs could be removed via not only sediment sorption or phytoextraction but also by the bioaccumulation of microbiota. The sediment acts as a vital sink for PFAAs, preloading 23.51–50.09% and 16.65–52.18% of PFAAs in treatments with P. wrightii (Pw1) and C. demersum (Cd1), respectively. C. demersum showed a better capacity to accumulate PFAAs (0.91–32.03%) than P. wrightii (<10%). Considerable PFAAs were observed to be distributed in microbes, underlining the non-negligible role of microbiota in bioaccumulating PFAAs. The contributions of planktonic microbes, biofilm microbes, and extracellular polymeric substances in biofilms were 0.39–20.96%, 0.03–7.95%, and 0.39–14.15% in Pw1 and 0.23–15.68%, 0.01–15.68%, and 0.53–26.77% in Cd1, respectively. The adsorption/uptake was significantly correlated with the perfluoroalkyl chain length (p <0.05), except for the uptake of biofilms in C. demersum. Furthermore, PFAAs and submerged macrophytes could decrease the richness of microbiota but increase the relative abundance of some strains in Betaproteobacteriales, Sphingomonadales , and Cytophagales. Our results were helpful for understanding the removal processes of PFAAs in constructed wetlands and their linkages with PFAA properties, thus further providing insight into the management and removal of emerging organic contaminants. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Achalasia is a rare motility disorder of the esophagus often accompanied by immune dysregulation, yet specific underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Methods: We utilized Mendelian randomization (MR) to explore the causal effects of cytokine levels on achalasia, with cis-expression/protein quantitative trait loci (cis-eQTLs/pQTLs) for 47 cytokines selected from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis and GWAS data for achalasia obtained from FinnGen. For cytokines significantly linked to achalasia, we analyzed their plasma concentrations and expression differences in the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) profiling, respectively. We further employed bioinformatics approaches to investigate underlying mechanisms. Results: We revealed positive associations of circulating Eotaxin, macrophage inflammatory protein-1b (MIP1b), soluble E-selectin (SeSelectin) and TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) with achalasia. When combining MR findings with scRNA-seq data, we observed upregulation of TRAIL (OR = 2.70, 95% CI, 1.20–6.07), encoded by TNFSF10, in monocytes and downregulation of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) (OR = 0.70, 95% CI 0.59–0.84), encoded by IL1RN, in FOS_macrophages in achalasia. TNFSF10high monocytes in achalasia displayed activated type I interferon signaling, and IL1RNlow FOS_macrophages exhibited increased intercellular communications with various lymphocytes, together shaping the proinflammatory microenvironment of achalasia. Conclusions: We identified circulating Eotaxin, MIP1b, SeSelectin and TRAIL as potential drug targets for achalasia. TNFSF10high monocytes and IL1RNlow macrophages may play a role in the pathogenesis of achalasia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) have emerged as global concerning contaminants because of their persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicological effects. The transport and fate of PFAAs on dimension of plain river networks (PRNs) are difficult to model due to the unique regional characteristics (i.e., undirectional flows, low slope, complicated structure and connectivity) and the lack of data on PFAAs concentrations and compositions. A typical PRN (Taihu Basin, China) was selected to elucidate the spatial patterns of PFAAs in multi-matrices, including colloidal phase, soluble phase, suspended particles, and sediment. PFAAs were ubiquitously detected in plain rivers with total concentrations of 18.48–1220 ng/L in colloids, 139.07–721.37 ng/L in soluble phase, 97.69–2247 ng/g dw in suspended particles, and <72.04–178.12 ng/g dw in sediment. PFAAs were more likely to transport via dissolved phase and accumulate into sediment. Colloids carried 45.46–62.59% of ∑PFAAs in overlying water, while suspended particles contained <36.63% of ∑PFAAs, suggesting the important role of colloids in preloading PFAAs. Moreover, PFAAs variability was correlated with indicators of the structure and connectivity of river network by gray relational analysis. The mean gray relational degrees can be sorted as edge-node ratio (0.7609) > network connectivity (0.7191) > river density (0.7012) > water surface ratio (0.6887) > river development coefficient (0.6504) > functional connectivity (0.4780). These results suggested that the effects of catchment characteristics should be taken into account in understanding PFAAs fate in the PRNs. Image 1 • PFAAs variability was linked to the structure and connectivity of river network. • Colloids carried 45.46–62.59% of ∑PFAAs in overlying water. • PFAAs preferred to transport via dissolved phase and accumulated into sediment. • Edge-node ratio was one of the key factors affecting the spatial patterns of PFAAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies have confirmed that the classical cadherin (CDH) gene family may be involved in the development and progression of various tumors. However, the comprehensive assays of CDH family members in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) were rarely reported. In this study, our group analyzed TCGA datasets and identified 18 dysregulated CDH members in LUAD specimens. Several CDH members exhibited an increased level in LUAD specimens, such as CDH1, CDH2, CDH3, CDH4, CDH5, CDH15, CDH16, CDH17, CDH18, CDH24, and CDH26. However, some others exhibited decreased levels in LUAD specimens. Correlation analysis revealed that most CDH members were negatively regulated by the methylation of CDH genes, leading to their low expression in LUAD tissues. Survival assays identified 16 survival-related CDH members in LUAD patients. More importantly, we further performed multivariate analysis to determine the prognostic value of the above CDH family members and found that the expression levels of CDH17, CDH19, and CDH24 were an independent prognostic biomarker of the LUAD outcome. Finally, the results of functional enrichments revealed that CDH members participated in several tumor-related pathways. Collectively, our findings suggest that CDH Family members functioned as oncogenes or antioncogenes in LUAD and may be a potential biomarker for this malignancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a stable porous biomass carbon (BC) and gold (Au) nanoparticles modified carbon ionic liquid electrode (CILE) was prepared for the investigation of direct electrochemistry and electrocatalysis of myoglobin (Mb). BC was synthesized via pyrolysis of Hainan's natural tropical plant Lagerstroemia indica leaves, which was modified on the surface of CILE with Au nanoparticles further electrodeposited on the electrode surface. Then, Mb was cast on the nanocomposite‐modified electrode to obtain an electrochemical sensing platform with Nafion film (Nafion/Mb/Au−BC/CILE). Direct electrochemistry of Mb on the modified electrode was investigated with appearance of a pair of enhanced redox peaks, indicating direct electron transfer rate of Mb was accelerated due to the presence of Au−BC nanocomposite. Au−BC nanocomposite exhibited high conductivity, good biocompatibility, and large surface area, which was beneficial for electron transfer of Mb. The Mb modified electrode showed excellent electrocatalytic activity toward the reduction of trichloroacetic acid (TCA) and sodium nitrite (NaNO2), which was further used to establish a new electroanalytical method with satisfied sensitivity in real samples analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Shoutai Pill (STP), a famous classic herbal formula documented in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), is widely available in China for treating unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA). This systematic review and meta-analysis aims at evaluating the efficacy and safety of STP in the first trimester of pregnancy in women with a history of unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion. Methods. The following eight databases were searched from their establishment to Dec 31, 2019, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs): PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), the Chinese BioMedical database (CBM), Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), and the Wanfang database. The quality of evidence was estimated by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). Results. A total of 12 studies (916 patients) with URSA were contained in this meta-analysis. The forest plot showed that patients treated with Shoutai Pill and western medicine had a significantly lower incidence of early pregnancy loss (RR: 0.42; 95% CI: 0.34–0.52; P < 0.01 , I 2 = 0 %). Subgroup analysis revealed that different types of TCM syndrome differentiation had the similar results. Also, in the combined group, patients had a lower TCM syndromes and symptoms and serum D-dimer level, while higher incidence of live birth. Conclusions. Our findings suggest that cotreatment with STP and western medicine might be superior to western medicine alone in the first trimester of pregnancy to prevent miscarriage in women with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion, and there was no adverse event in the experimental group reported. However, the methodological quality of included RCTs was unsatisfactory; it is necessary to verify its effectiveness with further more standardized researches of rigorous design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) can cause sinus obstruction and stenosis, with potentially fatal consequences. High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HRMRI) can diagnose CVST qualitatively, although quantitative screening methods are lacking for patients refractory to anticoagulation therapy and who may benefit from endovascular treatment (EVT). Thus, in this study, we used radiomic features (RFs) extracted from HRMRI to build machine learning models to predict response to drug therapy and determine the appropriateness of EVT. Materials and methods: RFs were extracted from three-dimensional T1-weighted motion-sensitized driven equilibrium (MSDE), T2-weighted MSDE, T1-contrast, and T1-contrast MSDE sequences to build radiomic signatures and support vector machine (SVM) models for predicting the efficacy of standard drug therapy and the necessity of EVT. Results: We retrospectively included 53 patients with CVST in a prospective cohort study, among whom 14 underwent EVT after standard drug therapy failed. Thirteen RFs were selected to construct the RF signature and CVST-SVM models. In the validation dataset, the sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve performance for the RF signature model were 0.833, 0.937, and 0.977, respectively. The radiomic score was correlated with days from symptom onset, history of dyslipidemia, smoking, fibrin degradation product, and D-dimer levels. The sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve for the CVST-SVM model in the validation set were 0.917, 0.969, and 0.992, respectively. Conclusions: The CVST-SVM model trained with RFs extracted from HRMRI outperformed the RF signature model and could aid physicians in predicting patient responses to drug treatment and identifying those who may require EVT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To compare the expression level of apelin in muscle-invasive bladder cancer and matched paracarcinoma tissues and investigate the relationship between apelin and clinical prognosis in the patients. Methods. To assess apelin expression by using immunohistochemical method compared with bladder tumors and matched paracarcinoma tissues. Subsequently, the correlation of apelin expression with the clinicopathological features of bladder cancer patients was analyzed. Kaplan-Meier survival curves method was used to analyze apelin prognostic significance for muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients (including 404 muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients and 28 normal bladder tissues, in TCGA dataset). Results. Apelin protein level was overexpressed in bladder tumor tissues compared with paracarcinoma tissues. Furthermore, high apelin expression was associated with high tumor stage (P<0.05), distant metastasis (P<0.05), and vascular invasion (P<0.05). Kaplan-Meier curve analyses showed that the overexpression of apelin was a potential predictor of overall survival and disease-free survival. Conclusion. Apelin was upregulated in bladder tumor tissues compared with matched adjacent noncancer tissues, especially in the high tumor stage, distant metastasis, and vascular invasion. What is more, high expression of apelin in muscle-invasive bladder cancer indicates the poor prognosis. These data suggested that apelin might be a therapeutic potential biomarker in muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: As a proinflammatory cytokine, CD137 (4‐1BB, TNFRSF9) is present in membrane‐bound and soluble forms. Increased expression of CD137 was recently found in T cells in human atherosclerotic plaques. However, the exact role of CD137 in ischemic stroke is not clear. In this study we analyzed the protein levels of soluble CD137 (sCD137) and the expression of CD137 on CD4+ T cells in the peripheral blood of patients with acute atherothrombotic stroke by using the cytometry beads array (CBA) and flow cytometry. Within 24 hours of onset, the stroke patients showed elevated levels of sCD137 (2.7 pg/ml) and CD137 expression on CD4+ T cells (4.9 ± 3.2%) compared with normal controls (1.1 pg/ml, P < 0.01; 1.3 ± 1.0%, P < 0.01). Alterations in CD137 expression may enhance ischemia‐induced inflammatory responses via bidirectional signaling and, consequently, aggravate brain injury in early stages of this disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The title compounds (IV) are efficiently obtained by reaction of substituted 1,2-phenylenediamines, 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde, and β-keto ester using FeCl3-SiO2 as a highly active and reusable catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on three-component synthesis of 1,5-Benzodiazepine derivatives.

Background and aims: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for anastomotic lesions is technically challenging due to severe fibrosis, deformity, staples, and limited space for procedure. We aimed to characterize the clinicopathological characteristics, feasibility, and effectiveness of ESD for anastomotic lesions of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Methods: We retrospectively investigated 43 patients with lesions involving the anastomoses of the upper GI tract who underwent ESD from April 2007 to February 2021. We collected clinicopathological characteristics, procedure‑related parameters and outcomes, and follow‑up data and analyzed the impact of anastomotic involvement. Results: The median duration from previous upper GI surgery was 60 months and the median procedure duration was 30 min. The rate of en bloc resection and en bloc with R0 resection was 90.7% and 81.4%, respectively. Two patients (4.7%) experienced major adverse events, including delayed bleeding and febrile episode. During a median follow-up of 80 months, 3 patients had local recurrence and 4 patients had metastases. The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 89.6% and 95.1%, respectively. Compared with the unilaterally involving group, the straddling anastomosis group had significantly longer procedure duration, larger specimen, lower rates of en bloc resection and en bloc with R0 resection, and shorter DFS and OS (all P < 0.05). However, rates of adverse events did not differ significantly between the two groups. Conclusions: The short‑ and long-term outcomes of ESD for upper GI anastomotic lesions were favorable. Although with technically challenging, ESD could be performed safely and effectively for anastomotic lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for anastomotic lesions is technically challenging. We aimed to characterize the clinicopathologic characteristics, feasibility, and effectiveness of ESD for anastomotic lesions of the lower gastrointestinal tract. Method: We retrospectively investigated 55 patients with anastomotic lesions of the lower gastrointestinal tract who underwent ESD from February 2008 to January 2021. The lesions involving one or both sides of anastomoses were classified into the unilaterally involving anastomosis (UIA) or straddling anastomosis (SA) group, respectively. We collected clinicopathological characteristics, procedure‐related parameters and outcomes, and follow‐up data and analyzed the impact of anastomotic involvement. Results: The mean age was 62.5 years, and the median procedure duration was 30 min. The rates of en bloc resection and R0 resection were 90.9% and 85.5%, respectively. Four patients (7.3%) experienced major adverse events (AEs). During a median follow‐up of 66 months (range 14–169), seven patients had local recurrence, and six patients had metastases. The 5‐year disease‐free survival and overall survival rates were 82.4% and 90.7%, respectively. The 5‐year disease ‐specific survival (DSS) rate was 93.3%. Compared with the UIA group, the SA group had significantly longer procedure duration, larger specimen, lower rates of en bloc resection and R0 resection, and shorter disease‐free survival (all P < 0.05). However, rates of AEs did not differ significantly between the two groups. Conclusions: The short‐term and long‐term outcomes of ESD for colorectal anastomotic lesions were favorable. Although with technically challenging, ESD could be performed safely and effectively for lesions at the anastomoses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Phenanthrene (PHE) is one of the most abundant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which is a widespread environmental contaminant. Various studies showed that PHE has adverse impacts on animals and human health. It has been shown that PHE exposure induced follicular atresia and endocrine dyscrasia in female mice. However, the potential mechanism regarding how PHE affects female reproductive system especially the oocyte quality has not been elucidated. Methods and Results: In this study, we set up PHE exposure model and found that PHE exposure compromised oocytes maturation competence by inhibiting spindle assembly and chromosomes alignment. Moreover, PHE exposure induced mitochondrial dysfunction and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, leading to increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and aberrant calcium levels in cytoplasm, eventually induced oxidative stress and DNA damage in oocytes. Furthermore, we found that oral administration of PHE caused the occurrence of oxidative stress and apoptosis in female ovary. In addition, the oocyte exhibited aberrant spindle morphology and failure of actin cap formation in metaphase II oocytes. Conclusions: Taken together, our study demonstrated that mitochondrial dysfunction and ER stress‐induced oxidative stress and DNA damage are the major cause of poor oocyte quality after PHE exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the title compound, C14H16F3N3O2, the perhydro­pyridazine ring adopts a chair conformation. The amide plane is twisted away from the attached benzene ring by 17.6 (2)°. In the crystalline state, mol­ecules exist as centrosymmetric dimers, connected by inter­molecular N—H⋯O and C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the title compound, C12H14F3N3O, the perhydro­pyridazine ring adopts a chair conformation. The amide group and the benzene ring are coplanar. Inter­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol­ecules into a chain along the a axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of radial pressure force in the interlocking dynamics of double tearing modes (DTMs) is investigated by force balance analysis based on the compressible magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) model. It is found that the stability of symmetric DTMs is dominated by the radial pressure force rather than the field line bending force. Owing to the compressibility of rotating plasmas, unbalanced radial forces can just result in the rotating islands drift toward each other in the radial direction but do not trigger the explosive growth of the mode in the interlocking process, which is different from that of antisymmetric DTM without flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]