Search

STUDY QUESTION Is topical oestradiol gel effective in promoting endometrial regeneration after a surgical abortion? SUMMARY ANSWER Topical oestradiol gel is effective in promoting endometrial regeneration after a surgical abortion with few side-effects. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Oestrogen is effective in promoting endometrial regeneration. Transdermal oestrogen has been widely used in clinical practice for endometrial regeneration after induced abortion, but high-level evidence is limited. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION We conducted a multicentre, superiority, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Between 9 March 2022 and 21 February 2023, 200 women were assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either oestradiol gel (treatment) and or oestradiol gel simulant (control) for 28 days. The participants were scheduled to have their endometrial thickness (mm) measured by ultrasonographic scan at 21–23 days post-abortion. The trial was blinded for participants, investigators, medical staff, and statistical analysts until final unblinding. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Participants were women undergoing induced abortion within 10 weeks of gestation. A total of 200 participants were enrolled, with 100 in each group. Eighty-eight (88%) in the treatment group and 82 (82%) in the control group completed the study as per the protocol and were included in the per-protocol set (PPS). The intent-to-treat (ITT) analysis included all participants randomized to the study groups and used inverse probability weighting to account for loss to follow-up. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE The ITT analysis showed revealed significantly greater endometrial thickness in the treatment group (mean 8.1 ± 2.5 mm) compared to the control group (mean 6.9 ± 2.1 mm) 21–23 days postabortion (mean difference 1.2 mm, 95% CI 0.7 to 1.9; P  < 0.001). The median time to menstrual return was shorter in the treatment group (34 days, inter-quartile range [IQR] 30–38) than in the control group (35 days, IQR 32–42), with a difference of −1 day (95% CI −2.3 to −0.9; P  = 0.036). No differences were observed in the timing or volume of bleeding in the first post-abortion cycle. The PPS analysis mirrored the ITT findings. Adverse events were minimal (6% versus 8%), and the blood profile, liver, kidney and coagulation test results were comparable between groups (all P  > 0.05). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Loss to follow-up was 11% in the treatment group and 15% of controls, with no significant difference (P  > 0.05). Inconsistencies in the timing of the ultrasonographic scans may have affected the accuracy of endometrial thickness measurements. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Our findings suggest that topical oestrogen supplementation immediately after abortion within the first 10 weeks of gestation improves endometrial regeneration and growth, thereby potentially increasing the chances of a successful subsequent pregnancy. Clinical application of these findings may improve endometrial health management practices and provide a perspective on fertility treatment and women's reproductive health. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This study was supported by a grant (FW-HKKT2021111501900) from Jianmin Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd (JMPG), Wuhan, Hubei, China. Both the oestradiol gel and the simulant were provided by JMPG. The funding source had no role in the study. X.Y.L. reports JMPG grant funding paid to their institutions. All other authors declare no competing interests. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER CHiCTR2100053565. TRIAL REGISTRATION DATE 24 November 2021. DATE OF FIRST PATIENT'S ENROLMENT 9 March 2022 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coordinate determination of the rotation center of a space TT&C (Telemetry, Tracking and Command) radar is an important task of radar-calibration. The conventional method mostly using total stations is expensive, inefficient, and faces technological limitations. This paper presents a new method of measuring the rotation center coordinates of TT&C radar equipment using GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) high precision positioning technology, providing the principle, mathematical model, and data processing algorithm of the new method. According to the exclusively-designed scheme, the new method has been fully tested and validated from both simulation & real-scene radar test. The test result and comparison show that the new method requires fewer equipment, fewer participants, and shorter working hours, with 60% efficiency improvement, compared to the traditional method. The accuracy of the new method could reach millimeter level, with 45% accuracy improvement over the traditional method. In summary, the results show that the new method not only offers higher efficiency and lower cost, but also expands the application method and scene of high-precise GNSS positioning in signal-challenging environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poorly designed internal walls deter natural ventilation of buildings, causing poor indoor air quality and exorbitant energy costs when mechanical ventilation systems are used. Although one can design internal walls with minimum adverse effects on natural ventilation by controlling height, width, location, and porosity of internal walls, less research has been done to date. This study investigated how these four parameters individually and collectively influence the cross-ventilation of buildings using Reynolds-average Navier–Stokes equation-based computational fluid dynamics simulations and the local and global sensitivity analysis. When considering individual parameters, the local sensitivity analysis revealed the positive correlation between internal walls' porosity and cross-ventilation, similar to previous studies. However, the global sensitivity analysis identified the location as the most influential design parameter for cross-ventilation. Furthermore, the global sensitivity analysis revealed nonlinear, non-monotonic, and interactive relations between cross ventilation and all parameters but porosity, highlighting the importance of evaluating all design parameters together and the difficulty in extrapolating the findings for idealized to actual internal wall designs. Based on the findings, this study proposes narrow internal walls with high porosities built away from ventilation openings as a basic internal wall design to maximize the cross-ventilation of buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of three-dimensional (3D) perturbations due to an unstable n = 1 (n is the toroidal mode number) internal kink (IK) on the energetic particles (EPs) are systematically investigated for the HL-2M tokamak, utilizing the MARS-F/K code [Liu et al., Phys. Plasmas 7, 3681–3690 (2000)] and a recently developed test particle tracing module. A high-beta sawteething HL-2M scenario, simulated by the TRANSP code [Breslau et al., Transp Computer Software (2018)], is chosen for this study. In general, the 3D perturbation associated with an unstable IK is found to affect the EP drift orbit, confinement, and loss in HL-2M. The instability-induced EP loss fraction is found to be typically less than 10%, without counting for the prompt orbit loss associated with the 2D equilibrium field for counter-current particles. The latter reaches about 16% in HL-2M. For co-current EPs, a 100 G 3D magnetic field (inside the plasma) due to the IK does not induce any EP loss assuming a static perturbation. A sawtooth-like time-varying perturbation field, with the peak amplitude reaching 1000 G, can however produce about 30% loss for the co-current EPs in HL-2M. The majority of lost EPs tend to strike the lower divertor region, with a small fraction of particles striking the low-field side mid-plane region of the limiting surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are widely used in electrical vehicles (EVs), but safety issues with LIBs still occur frequently. State of charge (SOC) and state of health (SOH) are two crucial parameters for describing the state of LIBs. However, due to inconsistencies that may occur among hundreds to thousands of battery cells connected in series and parallel in the battery pack, these parameters can be difficult to estimate accurately. To address this problem, this paper proposes a joint SOC and SOH estimation method based on the nonlinear state space reconstruction (NSSR) and long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network. An experiment testbed was set up to measure the SOC and SOH of battery packs under different criteria and configurations, and thousands of charging/discharging cycles were recorded. The joint estimation algorithms were validated using testbed data, and the errors for SOC and SOH estimation were found to be within 2.5% and 1.3%, respectively, which is smaller than the errors obtained using traditional Ah-Integral and LSTM-only algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic investigation is carried out, studying the effect of the neutral beam injection induced energetic particles (EPs) on the n = 1 (n is the toroidal mode number) internal kink (IK) instability in the HL-2M tokamak, utilizing the MARS-F/K code [Liu et al., Phys. Plasmas 7, 3681 (2000) and 15, 112503 (2008)]. A high-beta sawteething HL-2M scenario, simulated by the TRANSP code [Breslau et al. Computer Software (2018)], is chosen for this study. Compared to the fluid model, non-perturbative magnetohydrodynamic (MHD)-kinetic hybrid computations with MARS-K show a generally stabilization effect on the IK, due to drift kinetic resonances associated with EPs. The bounce resonance of trapped EPs has minor influence on the mode stability. In the absence of the plasma equilibrium flow and with the assumed particle pitch distribution, the transit resonance of co-current (countercurrent) passing EPs destabilizes (stabilizes) the IK. With plasma flow, both co- and countercurrent passing EPs tend to stabilize the mode, but the effect is stronger with the countercurrent particles. These modeling results provide useful guidance for interpreting MHD instabilities in the future high-performance experiments in HL-2M. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Excessive accumulation of adipose tissue may accelerate brain aging, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Several adiposity indices were proposed to assess obesity, while their linkage with brain health in older adults remained unclear. Here we aimed to examine the associations of adiposity indices with global and regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) in older adults, while considering insulin resistance. Design: This was a cross-sectional population-based study that included older adults derived from the baseline participants in the ongoing Multimodal Interventions to Delay Dementia and Disability in rural China (MIND-China) study. Setting And Participants: The study included 103 Chinese rural-dwelling older adults (age≥60 years; 69.9% women) who underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging scans. Methods: We estimated eight adiposity indices based on anthropometric measures. We automatically quantified global and regional CBF using the arterial spin labeling scans. Insulin resistance was assessed using the triglyceride-glucose index and then dichotomized into high and low levels according to the median. Data were analyzed using general linear model and voxel-wise analysis. Results: Of the eight examined adiposity indices, only higher waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and body roundness index (BRI) were associated with reduced global CBF (multivariable-adjusted β-coefficients and 95%CI: −1.76; −3.25, −0.27 and −1.77; −3.25, −0.30, respectively) and hypoperfusion in bilateral middle temporal gyri, angular gyri and superior temporal gyri, left middle cingulum and precuneus (P<0.05). There were statistical interactions of WHtR and BRI with levels of insulin resistance on CBF, such that the significant associations of higher WHtR and BRI with lower global and regional CBF existed only in people with high insulin resistance (P<0.05). Conclusion: Higher WHtR and BRI are associated with cerebral hypoperfusion in older adults, especially in people with high insulin resistance. This may highlight the pathological role of visceral fat in vascular brain aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High time resolution and accuracy are of critical importance in the studies of timing analysis and time delay localization of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs) and pulsars. The Gravitational wave high-energy Electromagnetic Counterpart All-sky Monitor (GECAM) consisting of two micro-satellites, GECAM-A and GECAM-B, launched on 2020 December 10, is aimed at monitoring and locating X-ray and GRBs all over the sky. To achieve its scientific goals, GECAM is designed to have the highest time resolution (0.1 |$\mu {\rm s}$|⁠) among all GRB detectors ever flown. Here, we make a comprehensive time calibration campaign including both on-ground and on-orbit tests to derive not only the relative time accuracy of GECAM satellites and detectors, but also the absolute time accuracy of GECAM-B. Using the on-ground calibration with a |$\rm ^{22}Na$| radioactive source, we find that the relative time accuracy between GECAM-A and GECAM-B is about 0.15 |$\mu {\rm s}$| (1 σ). To measure the relative time accuracy between all detectors of a single GECAM satellite, cosmic-ray events detected on orbit are utilized since they could produce many secondary particles simultaneously record by multiple detectors. We find that the relative time accuracy among all detectors onboard GECAM-B is about 0.12 |$\mu {\rm s}$| (1 σ). Finally, we use the novel Li-CCF method to perform the absolute time calibration with Crab pulsar and SGR J1935+2154, both of which were jointly observed by GECAM-B and Fermi /GBM, and obtain that the time difference between GECAM-B and Fermi /GBM is 3.06 ± 6.04 |$\mu {\rm s}$| (1 σ). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The early identification and prediction of hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) play an important role in the disease prevention and control. However, suitable models are different in regions due to the differences in geography, social economy factors. We collected data associated with daily reported HFMD cases and weather factors of Zibo city in 2010~2019 and used the generalised additive model (GAM) to evaluate the effects of weather factors on HFMD cases. Then, GAM, support vectors regression (SVR) and random forest regression (RFR) models are used to compare predictive results. The annual average incidence was 129.72/100 000 from 2010 to 2019. Its distribution showed a unimodal trend, with incidence increasing from March, peaking from May to September. Our study revealed the nonlinear relationship between temperature, rainfall and relative humidity and HFMD cases and based on the predictive result, the performances of three models constructed ranked in descending order are: SVR > GAM> RFR, and SVR has the smallest prediction errors. These findings provide quantitative evidence for the prediction of HFMD for special high-risk regions and can help public health agencies implement prevention and control measures in advance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The characteristics of microbial structure in different soil degradation stages caused by the drought processes from wetland to meadow on the Qinghai Tibet Plateau were analyzed. The composition and diversity of soil bacteria and fungi were also analyzed by using high-throughput sequencing technology. The results showed that Proteobacteria was the highest abundance among bacteria, and Ascomycota was the highest among fungi. The degradation transition from alpine wetland to alpine meadow had insignificantly affected on the dominant bacteria, but had significantly affected on Gracilibаcteriaе and Ignavibacteriae bacterial phyla (P < 0.05), which characterized low abundance. The relative abundance of the dominant, fungal phyla Mortierellomycota (P < 0.05) significantly increased in soils along the degradation gradient. There was no significant difference between soil bacteria and fungi for Alpha diversity in different soil degradation stages. Beta diversity was found to be significant difference in soil bacterial structure for alpine swamp wetland and alpine meadow. Soil pH, water content, total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN) decreased significantly (P < 0.05) with the degradation stages. RDA analysis showed that TN and TOC achieved the highest effect on the bacteria number expressed as operational taxonomic units and their Shannon index, moreover soil water content significantly affected on fungi number and Shannon index. TN and bacterial number had a significant positive correlation (P < 0.05). The relative abundance of Gracilibаcteriaе, Ignavibacteriae and Elusimicrobiaе, which are beneficial to soil C and N contents and that Gemmatimonadetes are beneficial to N fixation, decreased in the drought processes of alpine wetland. This result could increase the relative abundance of the fungi phylum of Mortierellomycota, and might decrease the soil microbial diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective This study used the Taiwan Stroke Registry data to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in treating acute ischemic stroke in patients with renal dysfunction. Design We identified 3525 ischemic stroke patients and classified them into two groups according to the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at the emergency department: ≥60, and <60 ml/min/1.73 m2 or on dialysis and by the propensity score from August 2006 to May 2015. The odds ratio of poor functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale ≥2) was calculated for patients with tPA treatment (N  = 705), compared to those without tPA treatment (N  = 2820), by eGFR levels, at 1, 3 and 6 months after ischemic stroke. We also evaluated the risks of intracerebral hemorrhage, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, mortality, between the two groups by eGFR levels. Results Among patients with eGFR levels of <60 ml/min/1.73 m2, tPA therapy reduced the odds ratio of poor functional outcome to 0.60 (95% confidence interval = 0.42–0.87) at 6 months after ischemic stroke. The tPA therapy was not associated with increased overall risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding, but with increased risk of intracerebral hemorrhage. The low eGFR was not a significant risk factor of intracerebral hemorrhage among ischemic stroke patients receiving tPA treatment. Conclusions tPA for acute ischemic stroke could improve functional outcomes without increasing the risks of upper gastrointestinal bleeding for patients with or without renal dysfunction. The low eGFR was not a significant risk factor for intracerebral hemorrhage among patients receiving tPA treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four GdBa2Cu3O7-β (GdBCO or Gd123) superconductor bulks doped with different amounts of Gd3ZrO7 particles have been successfully prepared by the modified top-seeded melt-texture growth. Superconducting properties and microstructures of these bulks have been investigated in detail. All GdBCO bulks exhibit superior superconductivity with the onset critical temperature (Tc;onset) above 94 K, and the highest critical current density (Jc) of 49.1 kA/cm² was obtained in the GdBCO bulk doped with 0.8 mol.% Gd3ZrO7 particles at 77 K in self-field. During the top-seeded melt-texture growth process, the Gd3ZrO7 additions can react with the GdBCO phase, forming the BaZrO3 particles and intensifying the Gd/Ba substitution, which can improve the flux pinning performance of the GdBCO bulk. As a result, Jc was enhanced and the trapped flux density significantly increased with the increase of Gd3ZrO7 additions. The maximum trapped flux density of 0.56 T obtained in the GdBCO bulk with 0.8 mol.% Gd3ZrO7 additions is more than three times as high as that of the undoped bulk. The squared stripes around the seed crystal were found in the doped bulks, and were identified as the macroscopic appearance of inhomogeneous microstructure in which the Gd2BaCuO5 (Gd211) free region and the Gd211-containing region were separated by a BaZrO3-and-Ag layer in a small region. But such microstructural inhomogeneity can be well improved with the increase of Gd3ZrO7 additions. All these results show that Gd3ZrO7 additions improve the pinning performance of GdBCO superconductor bulks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impurity radiation from the divertor region of the EAST tokamak is dominantly in the wavelength range of vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) due to the elevated edge electron temperature. A space-resolved VUV spectroscopy is developed to measure impurity radiation in the divertor region. An eagle-type VUV spectrometer with a focal length of 1 m is adopted in this system, equipped with a spherical grating and a charged-coupled device (CCD) detector. The performance of the VUV spectrometer is preliminarily tested on a synchrotron radiation facility. The wavelength calibration is conducted near 65 nm. It is found that the wavelength range observed by the CCD detector is about 11.07 nm around the central wavelength of about 65 nm. With a linear dispersion of 0.0053 nm/pixel, it is possible to measure the ion temperature lower than 20 eV at the edge region by analyzing the Doppler broadening of a carbon line. These test results show that the performance of the VUV spectrometer is capable of measuring divertor radiation and analyzing the ion temperature of edge impurity ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, ø 3 mm × 70 mm (Zr63.36Cu14.52Ni10.12Al12)1-xYx (x = 0, 0.2, 0.5, 0.6, 1, 1.2, 1.5, 2, and 3 at.%) rod-shaped bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) were fabricated using the copper mold suction casting method and the effects of the addition of Y on the properties of Zr-based BMGs were studied. The results indicate that the properties of Zr-based BMGs can be enormously improved by the addition of an appropriate amount of the rare earth Y element. The values of the supercooled liquid region width (ΔTx), glass-forming ability (GFA) parameter (γ), thermoplastic forming (TPF) ability parameter (S), and plastic strain (εp) for the alloy with x = 0.6 reach 115 K, 0.390, 0.228, and 16.5 %, respectively, and are much higher than those of the alloy with x = 0, indicating that the alloy with x = 0.6 exhibits excellent thermal stability, glass-forming ability, thermoplastic forming ability, and compressive plasticity. It was also found that the alloy with x = 1.5 has the minimum corrosion current (icorr = 1.12 × 10-9 A cm-2), showing excellent corrosion resistance. Overall, the alloy with the Y content of x = 0.6 demonstrates excellent thermal stability, GFA, TPF ability, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance, thus displaying improved comprehensive properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To analyse the effects of the alternatively spliced fibronectin (FN) gene and its isoforms on osteoclastogenesis in radicular cysts. Methodology: Specimens of radicular cysts were collected surgically from 22 patients whose radiolucent periapical areas were measured on digital panoramic radiographs before surgery. The associations between the radiolucent areas and FN isoforms, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression or micro‐vessel density, as well as the relationships amongst them, were analysed by immunohistochemical staining using the antibodies IST‐9, BC‐1, P1F11, VEGF and CD34. Fibroblasts isolated from those specimens were used to induce Trap + MNCs, and the effects of induction were assessed by blocking FN containing extra domain A (EDA + FN), COX‐2 or VEGF in vitro. The effects of EDA exon knockout using CRISPR/Cas system were also assessed. Quantitative PCR was used to analyse relative expression of FN isoforms and osteoclastogenic genes. Data were analysed using linear regression, Spearman's rank correlation analysis, chi‐square test and Student's t‐test; P < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Micro‐vessel density and EDA + FN staining were positively associated with the size of radiolucent periapical areas (mm2; P < 0.05), consistent with a positive association between Trap + MNCs and VEGF expression in fibroblasts (P < 0.05). Blocking the interaction between EDA + FN and fibroblasts inhibited Trap + MNC formation. In addition, EDA exon knockout decreased VEGF expression and inhibited Trap + MNC formation to the extent of blocking VEGF by bevacizumab, but osteoclastogenic induction was restored by recombinant VEGF. Using retrospective clinicopathological data, VEGF staining was shown to be positively associated with EDA + FN staining, micro‐vessel density and the size of radiolucent areas (P < 0.05). Conclusion: In fibrous capsules of radicular cysts, the alternatively spliced isoform EDA + FN generated by fibroblasts stimulated VEGF expression via an autocrine effect and then facilitated osteoclastogenesis. Both blockage of VEGF and EDA exon knockout could be used to inhibit bone destruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is to fabricate a composite substrate (Ni7W/Ni12W/Ni7W) with weak magnetization, strong reinforcement, and improved cube texture via Rolling Assisted Biaxially Textured Substrates (RABiTS) route. The formation of cube texture with reduction in twin boundaries due to recrystallization annealing was investigated thoroughly. The optimized recrystallization annealing process revealed 97.4% of cube texture and 83.9% of small angle grain boundaries at an angle of (<10°). Higher W content and presence of defects (holes, dislocations, and grain boundaries) within inner layer of the substrate restricted the formation of cube texture along the normal direction (ND), as compared to rolling direction (RD). Furthermore, significant improvement in mechanical strength (σ0.2 = 205 ± 2 MPa) and saturation magnetization (2.6 emu/g) was found for Ni7W/Ni12W/Ni7W as compared to Ni7.5W substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has posed serious challenges. It is vitally important to further clarify the epidemiological characteristics of the COVID-19 outbreak for future study and prevention and control measures. Epidemiological characteristics and spatial− temporal analysis were performed based on COVID-19 cases from 21 January 2020 to 1 March 2020 in Shandong Province, and close contacts were traced to construct transmission chains. A total of 758 laboratory-confirmed cases were reported in Shandong. The sex ratio was 1.27: 1 (M: F) and the median age was 42 (interquartile range: 32–55). The high-risk clusters were identified in the central, eastern and southern regions of Shandong from 25 January 2020 to 10 February 2020. We rebuilt 54 transmission chains involving 209 cases, of which 52.2% were family clusters, and three widespread infection chains were elaborated, occurring in Jining, Zaozhuang and Liaocheng, respectively. The geographical and temporal disparity may alert public health agencies to implement specific measures in regions with different risk, and should attach importance on how to avoid household and community transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of tannins and cellulase on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood profiles, intestinal morphology, and carcass characteristics in Hu sheep. Methods: A total of 48 three-month-old meat Hu sheep (25.05±0.9 kg) were blocked based on body weight, and randomly allotted to 4 treatments with 3 replicates of 4 sheep each. The experiment lasted for 80 d, and dietary treatments were as follows: i) CON, control diet; ii) TAN, CON+0.1% tannins; iii) CEL, CON+0.1% cellulase; iv) TAN+CEL, CON+0.1% tannins and 0.1% cellulase. Results: Compared with CON, CEL, and TAN+CEL had greater (p<0.05) final body weight (FBW) and average daily gain but lower (p<0.05) feed conversion ratio, while FBW of TAN+ CEL was lower (p<0.05) than that of CEL. The apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter in TAN, CEL, and TAN+CEL groups were higher (p<0.05) than that in CON. CEL and TAN+CEL groups had greater (p<0.05) ATTD of crude fiber compared with TAN and CON, while TAN group had lower (p<0.05) ATTD of crude protein than other treatments. TAN, CEL, and TAN+CEL groups increased (p<0.05) serum globulin and alkaline phosphatase but decreased (p<0.05) albumin/globulin. Serum total protein was greatest for TAN+CEL, intermediate for TAN and CEL and least for CON (p<0.05). TAN+CEL group increased (p<0.05) dressing percentage compared with CON, while the backfat thickness of CEL was lower (p<0.05) than that of CON. The villus height of jejunum and ileum in CEL and TAN+CEL groups were greater (p<0.05) than that in CON, and the crypt depth and villus height: crypt depth of jejunum were increased (p<0.05) in TAN, CEL, and TAN+CEL groups. Conclusion: The addition of tannins and cellulase together promoted nutrient digestion, liver protein synthesis and intestinal development and thus improved growth performance and carcass characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnaporthe oryzae avirulence (AVR) genes are predicted to be involved in pathogen invasion and their virulence functions are restricted by the presence of the cognate resistance (R) genes. In this study, the distribution and variation of the avirulence (AVR‐Pii) gene of M. oryzae in Yunnan province, China were analysed to understand haplotype diversity of AVR‐Pii under field conditions. The presence of AVR‐Pii in 454 field isolates of M. oryzae collected in Yunnan province was examined using gene‐specific PCR markers. The results showed that 82 M. oryzae isolates carried AVR‐Pii. Among them, 39 (35.5%), 5 (15.2%), 4 (14.3%), 2 (13.3%), 25 (12.8%) and 7 (9.7%) of the M. oryzae isolates carried AVR‐Pii from central, southeastern, southwestern, northwestern, western and northeastern Yunnan province, respectively. Of these isolates, 55 were sequenced, while the remaining 27 isolates were not suitable for PCR‐based sequencing and were not used for further analysis. Moreover, three AVR‐Pii haplotypes were identified among the 55 isolates, in which H1 was identical with a previous sequence in GenBank (accession no. AB498874) and H2 and H3 were novel variants. All DNA sequence variations were found to occur in the protein‐coding region resulting in amino acid substitutions. One virulent haplotype of AVR‐Pii to Pii was identified among 55 field isolates, suggesting that the AVR‐Pii gene has lost avirulence function through base substitution. These findings suggest that AVR‐Pii is under positive selection and AVR‐Pii mutations are responsible for overcoming race‐specific resistance in nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thyroid hormone deficiency can impair testicular function. However, knowledge of the effects of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways on testicular mitochondrial oxidative damage induced by hypothyroidism is still rudimentary. This study aims to explore the possible mechanisms of testicular mitochondrial oxidative damage in hypothyroidism rats. Wistar male rats were randomly divided into control (C), low- (L), and high-hypothyroidism (H) groups (1 ml/100 g body weights (BWs)/day 0, 0.001% and 0.1% propylthiouracil, respectively) by intragastric gavage for 60 days. Blood samples were collected to measure the levels of serum triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). Testicular mitochondrial homogenates were used to measure the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and Ca2+-ATPase as well as protein and mRNA expression of androgen receptor (AR), p38 MAPK, and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK). Results showed that the BWs, testes weights, and levels of T3 and T4 were all significantly decreased and the testes coefficient and level of TSH were significantly increased in the H group. There were significant decreases in SOD activity in the H group as well as decreases in CAT and Ca2+-ATPase activities in the L and H groups. Additionally, protein expression of AR decreased significantly and protein expression of phosphorylated p38MAPK and JNK increased significantly in the H group. Therefore, the study suggests that hypothyroidism could affect male reproductive function by disturbing expression of AR, changing the activity of Ca2+-ATPase, inducing oxidative stress and then leading to activation of p38MAPK and JNK signaling in the testicular mitochondria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Impaired functional movement may occur after spinal surgery, which increases risk of fall episode and hip fracture. Patients with long-segment thoracolumbar spine fusions had a significantly higher risk of hip fracture than those with only discectomies. Fall prevention is necessary due to the highly increased hip fracture risk.Introduction: Spinal surgeries are performed to treat spondylolisthesis, fractures, scoliosis, or other deformities. Impaired balance mechanisms and functional movement may occur after spinal surgery. Fall episodes may cause hip fractures, which have negative impacts on quality of life and increase mortality. The incidence of hip fracture after spinal surgery is still unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between various types of spinal surgeries and hip fractures in the elderly by using a nationwide database. We hypothesized that the spinal surgeries may increase hip fracture risk in the elderly.Methods: We used the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) to identify 3345 patients undergoing spinal surgery and a random dataset to identify 6690 age-, sex- and Charlson comorbidity index (CCI)-matched controls to compare the incidence of hip fractures in an 11-year follow-up period. We also enrolled 82,730 patients with spinal surgeries from the inpatient dataset to investigate the impact of different types of spinal surgeries.Results: Patients who received spinal surgeries had higher risks of hip fractures, especially patients aged 60 to 79 years and female patients. The patients with long-segment thoracolumbar spinal fusions had a significantly higher risk of hip fracture than those with only discectomies. Short segmental lumbar spine fusions also slightly increased the risk of hip fracture compared with discectomies.Conclusion: Fall prevention for the elderly undergoing lumbar spinal surgery is necessary due to the highly increased hip fracture risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead isotope compositions provide a direct means of assessing provenance. The lead contents in bronzes cannot be used to argue against lead isotopes. Any claim for the origin of the source material for the origin of Yin‐Shang bronzes must satisfy the measured lead isotope compositions. Thus far, only southern African sources are found to meet this criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The characteristics of swell propagation play an important role in the forecasting of ocean waves as well as on research on global climate change, wave energy development, and disaster prevention and reduction. To reveal the propagation routes, terminal targets and speeds of swells that originate from the southern Indian Ocean westerly (SIOW), an intraseasonal swell index (SI) was defined based on the 45 year (September 1957 to August 2002) ERA‐40 wave reanalysis data product from the European Center for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). The results show that the main body of the SIOW‐related swells typically spread to the waters off Sri Lanka and Christmas Island, while the branches spread to the Arabian Sea and other waters. The propagation speeds of swells originated in the SIOW were fastest in May and August, followed by November, and were slowest in February. Swells usually required 4–6 days to propagate from the western part of the SIOW to the waters off Sri Lanka and Christmas Island, whereas swells usually required 2–4 days to propagate from the eastern part of the SIOW to the waters off Christmas Island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Drug susceptibility testing ( DST) of clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is critical in treating tuberculosis. We demonstrate the possibility of using a microbial sensor to perform DST of M. tuberculosis and shorten the time required for DST. Methods and Results The sensor is made of an oxygen electrode with M. tuberculosis cells attached to its surface. This sensor monitors the residual oxygen consumption of M. tuberculosis cells after treatment with anti- TB drugs with glycerine as a carbon source. In principle, after drug pretreatment for 4-5 days, the response differences between the sensors made of drug-sensitive isolates are distinguishable from the sensors made of drug-resistant isolates. The susceptibility of the M. tuberculosis H37Ra strain, its mutants and 35 clinical isolates to six common anti- TB drugs: rifampicin, isoniazid, streptomycin, ethambutol, levofloxacin and para-aminosalicylic acid were tested using the proposed method. The results agreed well with the gold standard method ( LJ) and were determined in significantly less time. The whole procedure takes approximately 11 days and therefore has the potential to inform clinical decisions. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first study that demonstrates the possible application of a dissolved oxygen electrode-based microbial sensor in M. tuberculosis drug resistance testing. This study used the microbial sensor to perform DST of M. tuberculosis and shorten the time required for DST. Significance and Impact of the Study The overall detection result of the microbial sensor agreed well with that of the conventional LJ proportion method and takes less time than the existing phenotypic methods. In future studies, we will build an O2 electrode array microbial sensor reactor to enable a high-throughput drug resistance analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd) is a hazardous environmental pollutant with high toxicity to plants, which has been detected in many wetlands. Clonal integration (resource translocation) between connected ramets of clonal plants can increase their tolerance to stress. We hypothesised that clonal integration facilitates spread of amphibious clonal plants from terrestrial to Cd-contaminated aquatic habitats., The spread of an amphibious grass Paspalum paspaloides was simulated by growing basal older ramets in uncontaminated soil connected (allowing integration) or not connected (preventing integration) to apical younger ramets of the same fragments in Cd-contaminated water., Cd contamination of apical ramets of P. paspaloides markedly decreased growth and photosynthetic capacity of the apical ramets without connection to the basal ramets, but did not decrease these properties with connection. Cd contamination did not affect growth of the basal ramets without connection to the apical ramets, but Cd contamination of 4 and 12 mg·l−1 significantly increased growth with connection. Consequently, clonal integration increased growth of the apical ramets, basal ramets and whole clones when the apical ramets were grown in Cd-contaminated water of 4 and 12 mg·l−1. Cd was detected in the basal ramets with connection to the apical ramets, suggesting Cd could be translocated due to clonal integration. Clonal integration, most likely through translocation of photosynthates, can support P. paspaloides to spread from terrestrial to Cd-contaminated aquatic habitats., Amphibious clonal plants with a high ability for clonal integration are particularly useful for re-vegetation of degraded aquatic habitats caused by Cd contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contents Vitrification has been shown to decrease the developmental capacity of mammalian oocytes, and this is closely associated with the abnormal mRNA expressions of vitrified oocytes. However, the effect of vitrification on transcriptional machinery of oocytes examined by RNA sequencing ( RNA-seq) has yet to be defined. In the present study, the mRNA transcriptomes of fresh and vitrified bovine oocytes were analysed by Smart-seq2 with the differently expressed genes determined by DEseq2 (an adjusted p-value of .05 and a minimum fold change of 2). The differentially expressed mRNAs were then searched against the Gene Ontology ( GO) and Genomes ( KEGG) database. Finally, the mRNA expressions of 10 candidate genes were validated using quantitative real-time PCR ( qRT- PCR). Approximately 12,000 genes were detected in each sample of fresh or vitrified oocytes. Of these, the expression levels of 102 genes differed significantly in vitrified groups: 12 genes mainly involved in cell cycle, fertilization and glucose metabolism were upregulated, and 90 genes mainly involved in mitochondria, ribosomal protein, cytoskeleton, transmembrane protein, cell cycle and calcium ions were downregulated. GO analysis showed that these genes were mainly enriched in terms of membrane-bounded organelles, macromolecular complex, and intracellular part. The mRNA expression levels of 10 candidate genes selected randomly were in agreement with the results of the RNA-seq. In conclusion, our results showed that vitrification affected the mRNA transcriptome of bovine oocytes by downregulating genes, which contributed to the decreased developmental capacity of vitrified oocytes. Our findings will be useful in determining approaches to improve the efficiency of vitrified oocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using version 2.0 of the TIMED/SABER kinetic temperature data, we have conducted a study on the annual and interannual variations of 6.5DWs at 20-110 km, from 52°S to 52°N for 2002-2016. First, we obtained global annual variations in the spectral power and amplitudes of 6.5DWs. We found that strong wave amplitudes emerged from 25°S/N to 52°S/N and peaked in the altitudes of the stratosphere, mesosphere, and the lower thermosphere. The annual variations in the 6.5DWs are similar in both hemispheres but different at various altitudes. At 40-50 km, the annual maxima emerge mostly in winters. In the MLT, annual peaks occurred twice every half year. At 80-90 km, 6.5DWs appeared mainly in equinoctial seasons and winters. At 100-110 km, 6.5DWs emerged mainly in equinoctial seasons. Second, we continued the study of the interannual variations in 6.5DW amplitudes from 2002 to 2016. Frequency spectra of the monthly mean amplitudes showed that main dynamics in the long-term variations of 6.5DWs were AO and SAO in both hemispheres. In addition, 4 month period signals were noticed in the MLT of the NH. The amplitudes of SAO and AO were obtained using a band-pass filter and were found to increase with altitude, as do the 6.5DW amplitudes. In both hemispheres, the relative importance of SAO and AO changes with altitude. At 40-50 and 100-110 km, AO play a dominant role, while at 80-90 km, they are weaker than SAO. Our results show that both the annual and interannual variations in 6.5DWs are mainly caused by the combined action of SAO and AO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the potential candidate microRNA (miRNA) biomarkers for the clinical diagnosis, classification, and prognosis of gastric cancer (GC). Methods: We use bioinformatics overlapping subclasses analysis to find the tumor grade and lymphatic metastasis-related GC specific miRNAs from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Then, we further investigated these GC specific miRNAs distributions in different GC clinical features and their correlations overall survival on the basis of GC patients' information and their related RNA sequencing profile from TCGA. Finally, we randomly selected some of key miRNAs use qRT-PCR to confirm the reliability and validity. Results: 22 GC specific key miRNAs were identified (Fold-change >2, P < 0.05), 11 of them were discriminatively expressed with tumor size, grade, TNM stage and lymphatic metastasis ( P < 0.05). In addition, nine miRNAs (miR-196b-5p, miR-135b-5p, miR-183-5p, miR-182-5p, miR-133a-3p, miR-486-5p, miR-144-5p, miR-129-5p and miR-145-5p) were found to be significantly associated with overall survival (log-rank P < 0.05). Finally, four key miRNAs (miR-183-5p, miR-486-5p, miR-30c-2-3p and miR-133a-3p) were randomly selected to validation and their expression levels in 53 newly diagnosed GC patients by qRT-PCR. Results showed that the fold-changes between TCGA and qRT-PCR were 100 % in agreement. We also found miR-183-5p and miR-486-5p were significantly correlated with tumor TNM stage ( P < 0.05), and miR-30c-2-3p and miR-133a-3p were associated with tumor differentiation degree and lymph-node metastasis ( P < 0.05). These verified miRNAs clinically relevant, and the bioinformatics analysis results were almost the same. Conclusion: These key miRNAs may functions as potential candidate biomarkers for the clinical diagnosis, classification and prognosis for GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modeling of periodically-structured, fiber-reinforced laminates with fibers missing is investigated, this applying as well to similarly disorganized photonic crystals at optical frequencies. Parallel cylindrical fibers are periodically embedded within a layer sandwiched between two half-spaces. Absent fibers destroy the periodicity. The supercell concept involving an auxiliary periodic structure provides subsidiary solutions, wherein plane-wave illumination can be analyzed with the help of the Floquet theorem, while the field response due to a line source can be calculated from the pertinent plane-wave expansion. Accuracy, computational efficacy and versatility of the above approaches are illustrated by comprehensive numerical simulations with in particular comparisons to results provided by a finite-element code, all-purpose but computationally demanding, this work seen as the first step to the localization of missing fibers in a damaged laminate and imaging thereof. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Inherited epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV) is a rare skin disorder characterized by susceptibility to specific types of human papilloma virus (HPV) and is strongly associated with skin carcinomas. Inactivating mutations in EVER1/EVER2 account for most cases of EV. However, more phenotypes related to but distinct from EV have been reported with an immunodeficiency state but without EVER1/EVER2 mutation, and the genetic basis for these atypical EV cases is poorly understood. Objectives To identify the causative gene responsible for three siblings affected by atypical EV but without EVER1/EVER2 mutation. Methods Whole-exome sequencing followed by Sanger sequencing was performed to identify the gene responsible for the patients with atypical EV enrolled in our study. Results A homozygous splicing mutation was detected in LCK (c.188-2A>G). This mutation resulted in an exon 3 deletion T lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase isoform, which further led to frameshift mutation and subsequent mRNA decay. Conclusions We demonstrate a novel mutation in LCK in a family affected by atypical EV with T-cell defects, HPV infection and virus-induced malignancy, providing new clues in the understanding of host defences against HPV and better genetic counselling of patients with the EV phenotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

J Intern Med 2022; https://doi.org/10.1111/joim.13400 References 1 Wu Y.-C., Chen S., Wu P.-L., Tsou H.-K., Wei J. C.-C. Regarding: Increased fracture risk after discontinuation of anti-osteoporosis medications among hip fracture patients. Increased fracture risk after discontinuation of anti-osteoporosis medications among hip fracture patients: a population-based cohort study. Authors' reply: Increased fracture risk after discontinuation of anti-osteoporosis medications among hip fracture patients. [Extracted from the article]

It can facilitate the understanding of the mechanical properties and failure laws of rocks to research on the rock failure mechanism and evolution characteristics of Acoustic Emission (AE). Under the concentrated loading condition, the fracture and instability test of a rock plate was conducted by using the rock Mechanics Testing System (MTS), meanwhile, these AE events were recorded through the AE recording system. Based on the laboratory test, the numerical simulation was completed by using FLAC3D technique under the criterion that the rupture of a cell or several adjacent cells was regarded as an AE event. The results show that the process of the fracture and instability of the rock plate can be divided into four stages, such as the stress adjusting stage, the brittle fracture stage, the rock-arch bearing load stage and the rock-arch instability stage. And the acoustic emissions display the different characteristics in each one of the four stages. The temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of the AE events with large magnitudes are very similar to those of the natural earthquakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related protein 1 (Tyr-Tyrp1) complex plays a critical role in the synthesis of melanin intermediates, which involves the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and contributes to the development of vitiligo. Based on our previous observation that rs11614913 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in miR-196a-2 could affect the risk of vitiligo by influencing Tyrp1, we hypothesized that the same SNP could also regulate the level of Tyr in vitiligo. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential association between rs11614913 SNP in miR-196a-2 and serum Tyr level in vitiligo and the regulatory role of miR-196a-2 in the expression of Tyr in melanocytes. The serum Tyr level was detected in 116 patients with vitiligo and 116 controls by ELISA plate assay. The expression level of Tyrp1 and Tyr in PIG1(normal melanocyte cell lines) cells was analyzed by western blotting. The ROS level and apoptosis rate in PIG1 cells transfected with si- Tyr or control siRNA were tested by flow cytometry. The results show that the individuals with TT+TC genotypes in miR-196a-2 and higher Tyr level in serum had an increased risk of vitiligo compared with those who had the CC genotype and lower Tyr level ( P < 0.001). Furthermore, the rs11614913 C allele in miR-196a-2 enhanced its inhibitory regulation on the expression of Tyr, the down-regulation of which in melanocytes successfully reduced the intracellular ROS levels and the apoptosis rate. In conclusion, our findings suggest that miR-196a-2 polymorphisms can regulate the Tyr levels, which influences the susceptibility of vitiligo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background T lymphocytes have been shown to cause the destruction of melanocytes in vitiligo pathogenesis. Narrowband ultraviolet B ( NB- UVB), as an effective therapeutic strategy in vitiligo, can lead to the formation of DNA photoproducts such as cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers ( CPDs) in perilesional lymphocytes and thus induce skin immunosuppression. The repair of DNA photoproducts is performed mainly through the nucleotide excision repair ( NER) pathway. We hypothesized that single-nucleotide polymorphisms ( SNPs) in NER genes might influence the repair capacity of CPDs and thus contribute to variations in phototherapy efficiency. Objectives To detect genetic polymorphisms in NER genes and their relationship with the efficacy of NB- UVB therapy in patients with active vitiligo. Methods We investigated the association of NER SNPs ( XPA A23G, XPC Ci11A, XPC C2919A and ERCC1 C118T) with phototherapy efficacy in 86 patients with vitiligo who received NB- UVB treatment. Furthermore, we examined the impact of ERCC1 C118T on the apoptosis of T lymphocytes and CPD accumulation after NB- UVB irradiation. Results We found that patients with vitiligo with the ERCC1 codon 118 CC genotype showed better efficacy after NB- UVB irradiation than those with the ERCC1 118 TT and CT genotypes, whereas no such association was documented among the genotypes of XPA A23G, XPC Ci11A or XPC C2919A. Additionally, the apoptosis rates and CPD levels of lymphocytes after NB- UVB irradiation in patients with the ERCC1 118 CC genotype were significantly higher than those in patients with the ERCC1 118 TT and CT genotypes. Conclusions The ERCC1 118 CC genotype confers better efficacy of NB- UVB therapy in patients with active vitiligo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To identify the association of fibronectin ( FN) extra domain A ( EDA) with the progression of salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma ( SACC). Accordingly, the exclusion of EDA exon through the CRISPR/Cas9 system was investigated as the rescue for such pro-oncogenic splicing. Materials and methods SACC-83 cells were transiently transfected with plasmids containing recombinant EDA, and the cellular growth and motility were then accessed in vitro. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition ( EMT) was investigated with immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and real-time PCR analysis. SACC tissues from 81 patients were used to access the associations between EDA+ FN and clinical-pathological parameters. CRISPR/Cas9 plasmids containing sg RNA were designed and co-transfected into SACC-83 cells; the effects of EDA knockout on cellular growth and motility were then accessed. Results The recombinant EDA exhibited little effect on the proliferation of SACC cells, but significantly promoted the migration and invasion of the cells ( P < 0.05), accompanied with upregulated EMT ( P < 0.05); consistently, the expression of EDA+ FN was positively associated with the metastasis, nerve invasion and recurrence of SACC ( P < 0.05). Furthermore, the EDA knockout from the FN gene in most SACC cells resulted in a decrease in cell motility and invasion, as well as prolonged population doubling time, compared with untreated SACC-83 cells ( P < 0.05). Conclusion The EDA domain significantly promoted the motility of SACC cells, and positively associated with the tumor progression in patients with SACC. Thus, it is a potential risk factor and also a therapeutic target for SACC. The CRISPR/Cas9 system may control a pro-oncogenic splicing process through the exclusion of EDA exon from the FN gene, leading to inhibition of motility, invasion and proliferation of cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corundum structured Mg4Nb2O9 dielectric ceramics with the excess of MgO were prepared by the sol-gel process and microwave dielectric properties were investigated with the excess of MgO. First, according to the stoichiometric ratio of Mg4Nb2O9 phase formation was studied by means of XRD analysis by adjusting the ratio of Mg/Nb and the ratio was ranging from 0·5 to 2·4. Subsequently, based on phase formation microwave dielectric properties of Mg4Nb2O9 ceramics as a function of ratio of Mg/Nb were obtained depending on phase change. The results showed that when the ratio of Mg/Nb was 2·1, pure phase of Mg4Nb2O9 ceramics could be obtained at 1275°C with excellent microwave dielectric properties of εr = 12·5, Qƒ = 224,000 GHz, τƒ = −42·8 ppm/°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]