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Qi Kong,1 Ling-ling Qian,1 Lei Zhang,1 Huan-huan Liu,1,2 Fan Yang,1 Xiao-lu Zhang,1 Chao Wang,1 Xiao-xi Zhao,1 Ku-lin Li,1 Ru-xing Wang1,2 1Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Wuxi People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi People’s Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, 214023, People’s Republic of China; 2Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Ru-xing Wang; Ku-lin Li, Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Wuxi People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi People’s Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, 214023, People’s Republic of China, Email ruxingw@aliyun.com; liyantong2002@126.comPurpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects and mechanisms of SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin on diabetic coronary function.Methods: A rat diabetic model was established by injection of streptozotocin. Rats in the treated group were administered empagliflozin by gavage and rat coronary vascular tensions were measured after eight weeks. Large conductance calcium activated K+ channel currents were recorded using a patch clamp technique, while human coronary artery smooth muscle cells were used to explore the underlying mechanisms.Results: After incubation with empagliflozin (10, 30, 100, 300, 1000 μmol/L), the Δ relaxation % of rat coronary arteries were 2.459 ± 1.304, 3.251 ± 1.119, 6.946 ± 3.407, 28.36 ± 11.47, 86.90 ± 3.868, respectively. Without and with empagliflozin in the bath solution, BK channel opening probabilities at a membrane potential of +60 mV were 0.0458 ± 0.0517 and 0.3413 ± 0.2047, respectively (p < 0.05, n = 4 cells). After incubation with iberiotoxin, the Δ tensions of rat coronary arteries in the control (Ctrl), untreated (DM), low empagliflozin (10 mg/kg/d)-treated (DM+L-EMPA) and high empagliflozin (30mg/kg/d)-treated (DM+H-EMPA) group were 103.20 ± 5.85, 40.37 ± 22.12, 99.47 ± 28.51, 78.06 ± 40.98, respectively (p < 0.01 vs Ctrl, n = 3– 7; p < 0.001 vs DM+L-EMPA, n = 5– 7). Empagliflozin restored high glucose-induced downregulation of Sirt1, Nrf2, and BK-β 1, while the effect of empagliflozin disappeared in the presence of EX-527, a Sirt1 selective inhibitor.Conclusion: Empagliflozin has a vasodilation effect on the coronary arteries in a concentration-dependent manner and can activate BK channels via the Sirt1-Nrf2 mechanism.Keywords: diabetes, SGLT2 inhibitor, vasodilatation, large conductance calcium activated potassium channel

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play an important role on litter decomposition, which is increasing suffering the negative impact of acid deposition. In this study, we investigated the AMF effects on litter decomposition via suppressing AMF and simulating acid deposition in a subtropical Cinnamomum camphora forest. The results showed that acid deposition and AMF suppression decelerated C. camphora leaf litter decomposition, especially at late decomposition stage; soil water content was the main factor restricting early-stage decomposition. The inhibiting effect of acid deposition was enhanced with acid intensity increase and AMF suppression aggravated the negative effect of acid stress on decomposition. Nitrogen-cycling enzymatic activity was significantly higher in later than in early decomposition stage, and acid deposition and AMF suppression significantly decreased microbial activity. Despite the seasonal effect was overwhelming, we still detected the effects of acid deposition and AMF suppression on litter nutrient release. Without or under low acid deposition, AMF suppression significantly increased organic matter and decreased alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen content of detritusphere soil. Acid deposition significantly reduced soil organic matter content, while high acid deposition intensity increased alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen content after 2- and 12-month decomposition, and decreased it at other months. Both acid deposition and AMF suppression decreased available phosphorus content, but did not affect phosphatase activity. AMF effects on invertase and nitrogen-release enzyme activities, and alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen and available phosphorus contents of detritusphere soil were highly sensitive to acid deposition. Our results revealed that AMF effects on microbial activity and nutrient release during litter decomposition are sensitive to acid deposition.

Fan Yang,1,&ast; Huan-Huan Liu,2,&ast; Lei Zhang,1,&ast; Xiao-Lu Zhang,1 Jie Zhang,1 Feng Li,1 Ning Zhao,2 Zhi-Yuan Zhang,1 Qi Kong,1 Xiao-Yu Liu,1 Ying Wu,1 Zhi-Ming Yu,1 Ling-Ling Qian,1 Ru-Xing Wang1,2 1Department of Cardiology, the Affiliated Wuxi People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, 214023, People’s Republic of China; 2Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Ling-Ling Qian; Ru-Xing Wang, Department of Cardiology, the Affiliated Wuxi People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, 214023, People’s Republic of China, Tel +0086-510-85351593, Email qianlingling@njmu.edu.cn; ruxingw@aliyun.comPurpose: Diabetes mellitus is an independent risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF), which may be related to accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). However, the mechanisms involved are not completely clear. Abnormality of gap junction proteins, especially connexin 43 (Cx43) and connexin 40 (Cx40) in atrial myocytes, is an important cause of increased susceptibility of AF. The aim of our work is to investigate the mechanism of dysregulated Cx43 and Cx40 in atrial myocytes of diabetic rats.Methods: We established a type 1 diabetic rat model by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. HL-1 cells and primary rat atrial myocytes were treated with AGEs in vitro. Using Western blotting, immunofluorescence staining, immunohistochemistry, and lucifer yellow diffusion measurements, we investigated dysregulation of Cx43 and Cx40 and its mechanism in atrial myocytes of diabetic rats.Results: Accumulation of AGEs was found in diabetic rats. The expression of Cx43 and Cx40 was reduced in the atrium of diabetic rats, accompanied by the decrease of phosphorylated Adenosine 5’-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (p-AMPK). Similar results were found in cultured HL-1 cells and primary rat atrial myocytes, suggesting a role of AGEs on gap junction proteins. An AMPK agonist, 5-Aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAR), reversed the down-regulated Cx43 expression induced by AGEs stimulation. More importantly, lucifer yellow diffusion assay showed that AGEs significantly affected gap junctional function, and these changes were reversed by AICAR.Conclusion: Thus, we conclude that AGEs cause dysregulation of Cx43 and Cx40 in diabetic atria via the AMPK pathway, thereby leading to gap junction dysfunction, which may contribute to the increased AF susceptibility in diabetes.Keywords: diabetes, atrial fibrillation, advanced glycosylation end products, adenosine 5’-monophosphate-activated protein kinase, connexin

Qingyan Kong, Mengshi Yi, Fei Teng, Hang Li, Zheyu Chen Division of Hepatic Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Zheyu Chen, Division of Hepatic Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, People’s Republic of China, Email kqydoctor@163.comBackground: Recent research has suggested that sarcopenia may have an impact on postoperative outcomes. The number of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has increased significantly over time. The main objective of this study was to investigate the impact of sarcopenia on the prognosis of HCC patients with MAFLD after hepatectomy.Methods: A multivariate Cox proportional hazards model and a propensity score matching (PSM) analysis were conducted to ensure that the baseline characteristics were similar. Kaplan‒Meier survival curves were used to compare the prognosis of the two groups.Results: This study involved 112 HCC patients with MAFLD undergoing hepatectomy. Sarcopenia was indicated as a risk factor for both recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) in HCC patients with MAFLD after multivariate analysis (p=0.002 and 0.022, respectively). After conducting PSM analysis, Kaplan‒Meier survival curve analysis revealed significant differences in both the RFS and OS between the two groups (p=0.0002 and p=0.0047, respectively). All results showed that sarcopenia had a poor prognosis for HCC patients with MAFLD undergoing hepatectomy.Conclusion: In summary, our study suggests that sarcopenia might be a risk factor for OS and RFS in HCC patients with MAFLD who underwent hepatectomy through multivariate analysis and PSM analysis. Sarcopenia imperils postoperative survival rates and this finding can guide clinical decision-making. For postoperative patients, preventing or treating sarcopenia can potentially improve survival outcomes for patients with HCC and MAFLD.Keywords: sarcopenia, metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease, hepatocellular carcinoma, hepatectomy

YiFan Wu,1,&ast; Yun Hui,2,&ast; Fang Liu,2 Huan Chen,2 KeHan Liu,1 QiYing Chen,2 YiFan He,1 Nan Hong,2 WenLiang Yan,2 QingTao Kong,2 Hong Sang1,2 1Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210002, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Dermatology, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210002, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: QingTao Kong; Hong Sang, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 025-80860092, Email kongqingtao2008@163.com; sanghong@nju.edu.cnBackground: The frequent coexistence of obesity and metabolic syndrome in patients with Androgenetic alopecia (AGA), may indicate a common pathogenetic pathway with adipokines being a possible implicating cytokine.Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the changes in serum levels of adipokines, insulin resistance, vitamin D status and their relationship with AGA, and the relationship between serum levels of adipokines and insulin resistance.Methods: 80 male patients with AGA were selected as the experimental group and 60 healthy males served as the control group. Both the AGA group and healthy control group were divided into 2 groups according to the presence or absence of insulin resistance (IR): the IR group and the NIR group. Serum levels of leptin, adiponectin, resistin, visfatin, insulin and 25(OH)D were evaluated in all subjects.Results: Compared with the control group, AGA patients showed higher serum levels of leptin and lower adiponectin/leptin (Adpn/Lep) ratio (P< 0.05), and both were positively correlated with the severity of the disease. Compared with the AGA NIR group, serum leptin levels were increased in the AGA IR group (P< 0.05). AGA IR group and AGA NIR group possessed lower Adpn/Lep ratio when compared with the healthy IR group and healthy NIR group respectively (P< 0.05). The multi-factor logistic regression analysis results showed decreased Adpn/Lep level and increased leptin level as risk factors for AGA. AGA Patients had lower vitamin D levels than healthy controls (P< 0.05).Conclusion: Patients with AGA show an imbalance between pro- and anti-inflammatory adipokines, and probably be involved in AGA pathogenesis. Insulin resistance may influence levels of adipokines, but the present findings cannot indicate insulin resistance plays a role in the onset of AGA. The insufficiency and deficiency of vitamin D are common health concern in our subjects and may be involved in the dysfunction of adipocytes and the development of AGA.Keywords: androgenetic alopecia, adipokines, leptin, vitamin D

Jing Zhao, Qianqian Kong, Minghuan Wang, Hao Huang, Xirui Zhou, Yinping Guo, Yi Zhang, Lingshan Wu, Zhiyuan Yu, Xiang Luo Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Xiang Luo, Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 27-83663337, Email flydottjh@163.comPurpose: Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) are common problems among older adults; however, their association is not clear. The present study aimed to investigate the frequency of EDS in CSVD patients and the relationship between EDS and neuroimaging markers of CSVD.Patients and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among 1076 community-dwelling older adults aged 55– 85 years. EDS was measured using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and EDS was defined as an ESS score greater than 10. Binary logistic regression was performed to assess the association between EDS and neuroimaging markers of CSVD.Results: Of the 1076 participants (mean age: 65.58 ± 6.46 years, 60.5% female), the prevalence of EDS was 10.0%. EDS was more frequent in participants with CSVD than in the total sample (20.0% vs 10.0%, p < 0.001). In fully adjusted models, EDS was significantly correlated with CSVD burden (OR = 1.39, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.68, p < 0.001), the severity of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) (OR = 1.33, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.54, p < 0.001), and presence of lacunes (OR = 2.47, 95% CI 1.53 to 4.00, p < 0.001) but not with the presence of cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) (OR=1.54, 95% CI 0.92 to 2.56, p = 0.099) or severity of enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVS) in basal ganglia (OR = 1.16, 95% CI 0.70 to 1.92, p = 0.564).Conclusion: We found a high frequency of EDS symptoms in CSVD individuals. Further, EDS was significantly associated with WMH, lacunes, and CSVD burden. Our findings further suggest patients with CSVD may exhibit abnormal sleep-wake patterns.Keywords: cerebral small vessel disease, daytime sleepiness, sleep disorders, white matter hyperintensities, lacunes

Qingxin Fan,1,&ast; Hao Wu,1,2,&ast; Qingquan Kong1 1Department of Orthopedics, Orthopedic Research Institute, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Orthopedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Qingquan Kong, Department of Orthopedics, Orthopedic Research Institute, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, People’s Republic of China, Email kqqspine@126.comBackground: The frequent occurrence of failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) seriously affects the quality of life of postoperative lumbar patients. Epidural adhesion is the major factor in FBSS.Purpose: A safe and effective antiadhesion material is urgently needed.Methods: A superhydrophilic PLGA-g-PVP/PC nanofiber membrane (NFm) was prepared by electrospinning. FTIR was performed to identify its successful synthesis. Scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and water contact angle measurement were performed. CCK-8 assays were performed in primary rabbit fibroblasts (PRFs) and RAW264.7 cells to explore the cytotoxicity of PLGA-g-PVP/PC NFm. Calcein-AM/PI staining was used to measure the adhesion status in PRFs. ELISA was performed to measure the concentrations of TNF-α and IL-10 in RAW264.7 cells. In addition, the anti-epidural adhesion efficacy of the PLGA-g-PVP/PC NFm was determined in a rabbit model of lumbar laminectomy.Results: The PLGA-g-PVP/PC NFm exhibited ultrastrong hydrophilicity and an appropriate degradation rate. Based on the results of the CCK-8 assays, PLGA-g-PVP/PC NFm had no cytotoxicity to PRFs and RAW264.7 cells. Calcein-AM/PI staining showed that PLGA-g-PVP/PC NFm could inhibit PRF adhesion. ELISAs showed that PLGA-g-PVP/PC NFm could attenuate lipopolysaccharide-induced macrophage activation. In vivo experiments further confirmed the favorable anti-epidural adhesion effect of PLGA-g-PVP/PC NFm and the lack of a strong inflammatory response.Conclusion: In this study, PLGA-g-PVP/PC NFm was developed successfully to provide a safe and effective physical barrier for preventing epidural adhesion. PLGA-g-PVP/PC NFm provides a promising strategy for preventing postoperative adhesion and has potential for clinical translation.Keywords: superhydrophilic membrane, irradiation graft, postoperative adhesion, failed back surgery syndrome, electrospinning

Zubai Cao,1 Chengcheng Yue,1 Qinxiang Kong,2 Yanyan Liu,1,3,4 Jiabin Li1,3,4 1Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Infectious Diseases, The Chaohu Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of China; 3Anhui Center for Surveillance of Bacterial Resistance, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of China; 4Institute of Bacterial Resistance, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Jiabin Li Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Jixi road 218, Hefei, Anhui, 230022, People’s Republic of China Tel +86-551-62922713 Fax +86-551-62922281 Email lijiabin@ahmu.edu.cnPurpose: This study aimed to describe trends in Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP) resistance in bloodstream infections (BSI) and to identify risk factors for a hospital-acquired carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) BSI and 28-day mortality from a hospital-acquired KP BSI.Patients and Methods: We recorded the results of antimicrobial susceptibility testing of 396 KP-positive blood cultures from January 2016 to December 2020. A total of 277 patients with a KP BSI were included in this study, of which 171 had a hospital-acquired infection and 84 had a hospital-acquired CRKP BSI. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors for a hospital-acquired CRKP BSI and 28-day mortality from a hospital-acquired KP BSI.Results: The proportion of hospital-acquired infections among KP BSI patients increased from 53.1% in 2016 to 72.8% in 2020. The detection rate of CRKP among KP BSI patients increased from 18.8% in 2016 to 37.7% in 2020. Multivariate logistic regression showed that β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations (BLBLIs) exposure (P = 0.022, OR 2.863), carbapenems exposure (P = 0.007, OR 3.831) and solid organ transplantation (P < 0.001, OR 19.454) were independent risk factors for a hospital-acquired CRKP BSI. Risk factors for a 28-day mortality from hospital-acquired KP BSI were CRKP BSI (P =0.009, OR 5.562), septic shock (P =0.002, OR 4.862), mechanical ventilation> 96 hours (P =0.020, OR 8.765), and platelet counts < 100× 109/L (P =0.003, OR 4.464).Conclusion: The incidence of hospital-acquired KP BSI continues to rise and the proportion of CRKP BSI is also increasing. We believe that the use of the BLBLIs needs to be carefully evaluated in hospital-acquired infection. Hospital-acquired KP BSI Patients with CRKP BSI, septic shock, mechanical ventilation and deficiency of platelets are more likely to have a poor prognosis.Keywords: Klebsiella pneumoniae, bloodstream infection, carbapenem resistance, hospital-acquired infection, risk factors

Yudan Liang,1,2,&ast; Qinghuo Kong,1,&ast; Huiwen Luo,1 Jinhua Tan,1 Huizheng Zhu3 1Department of Acupuncture and Rehabilitation, The Affiliated Jiangmen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Jinan University, Jiangmen, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 2Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Postdoctoral Research Station, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The 2nd Clinical Medical College (Shenzhen People’s Hospital) of Jinan University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Huizheng ZhuDepartment of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The 2nd Clinical Medical College (Shenzhen People’s Hospital) of Jinan University, No. 1017, Dongmen North Road, Luohu District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518020, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail zhuhuizheng@jnu.edu.cnPurpose: Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) pathogenesis involves mast cell degranulation induced by the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate/diacylglycerol (IP3/DAG) pathway, but the condition lacks specific biomarkers. This study was performed to investigate long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) expression profiles, identify those associated with IP3/DAG pathway, and assess their diagnostic and prognostic value for CSU.Methods: Ten samples were selected from CSU and control groups, and microarray was performed to screen differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs and mRNAs. Bioinformatic and co-expression network analyses were used to identify lncRNAs associated with IP3/DAG pathway. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to validate lncRNA expression levels. Combined with disease characteristics and serum indices detected with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, Spearman analysis and logistic regression were applied to analyze lncRNA-associated disease risk. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and 2-year follow-up data were applied to evaluate lncRNA diagnostic and prognostic value.Results: A total of 678 up- and 573 downregulated DE lncRNAs and 609 up- and 176 downregulated DE mRNAs were identified. Seven lncRNAs (upregulated T264761, T280622, ENST00000587970, T224062, ENST00000562459, and his-1_RNA_dna; downregulated ENST00000417930) were associated with the IP3/DAG pathway. D-dimer and histamine levels were significantly different between the two groups. Correlation analysis showed that his-1_RNA_dna positively correlated with the frequency of symptom appearance, while his-1_RNA_dna, ENST00000417930, T264761, and T280622 negatively correlated with the maximum wheal diameter. Regression analysis showed T264761 was associated with CSU risk. ROC analysis showed that the specificity of T264761 was 90%, with an area under the curve of 0.666. In follow-up, the rate of well-controlled disease in the low T264761 expression group was 82.61%.Conclusion: This study established lncRNA and mRNA expression profiles in CSU and identified lncRNAs associated with IP3/DAG pathway, which is mechanistically involved in this disease. T264761 may be a novel biomarker for CSU, but further study is needed to confirm its specific mechanism.Keywords: lncRNA, biomarker, urticaria, mRNA, microarray

Hui Zhang,1 Yunzhu Zhu,1 Ning Yang,1 Qinxiang Kong,2 Yahong Zheng,1 Na Lv,1 Haoran Chen,1 Chengcheng Yue,1 Yanyan Liu,1,3,4 Jiabin Li,1– 4 Ying Ye1 1Department of Infectious Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Infectious Diseases, The Chaohu Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of China; 3Anhui Center for Surveillance of Bacterial Resistance, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of China; 4Institute of Bacterial Resistance, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Ying Ye; Jiabin LiDepartment of Infectious Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Jixi Road no. 218, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-551-62922713Fax +86-551-62922281Email yeying2@139.com; lijiabin@ahmu.edu.cnPurpose: To study the in vitro and in vivo antibacterial activities of polymyxin B (PB) and other five antimicrobial agents, including imipenem (IMP), meropenem (MEM), tigecycline (TGC), sulbactam (SUL), and rifampicin (RIF), alone or in combination against carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB).Methods: Microbroth dilution method was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of ten strains of CRAB against six antibacterial drugs, and the checkerboard method was used to determine the fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI). A mouse pneumonia model was established by intranasal instillation of Ab5075 to evaluate the antibacterial activity in vivo.Results: The resistance rate of ten CRAB strains to IMP, MEM, and SUL was 100%, that to PB and TGC was 0%, and that to RIF was 20%. When PB was used in combination with the other five antibiotics in vitro, it mainly showed synergistic and additive effects on CRAB. The synergistic effect of PB and RIF was maximal, followed by MEM and IMP but was weak with SUL and TGC. In vivo, compared to the model group (untreated with antibiotics), treatment group (six antibiotics alone and PB combined with the other five antibiotics) reduced the bacterial load in the lung tissue and the serum inflammatory factors (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α). The bacterial load and the inflammatory factors of the combined group decreased significantly than that of the single group (P< 0.05). The IL-6 and TNF-α values of the PB combined with the RIF group were significantly lower than the two drugs used individually.Conclusion: The combination of PB and IMP, MEM, and RIF exerted robust in vitro synergistic effects on CRAB isolates. The combination of PB and the other five antimicrobial agents had a better effect in the mouse pneumonia model than single agent, while the combination of PB and RIF had the best effect.Keywords: Acinetobacter baumannii, carbapenem-resistant, pneumonia infection model, polymyxin B, combination treatment

Qingling Kong,1 Qing Fan,2 Xianbin Ma,3 Jian Li,4 Rong Ma5 1Office of Hospital Infection Control, People’s Hospital of Rizhao, Rizhao 276826, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Hemodialysis, People’s Hospital of Rizhao, Rizhao 276826, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Clinical Laboratory, People’s Hospital of Rizhao, Rizhao 276826, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Interventional Radiology, People’s Hospital of Rizhao, Rizhao 276826, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of General Medicine, People’s Hospital of Rizhao, Rizhao 276826, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Rong Ma Email rz3366978@163.comBackground: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumor in the world. Circular RNA hsa_circ_0008274 (circUGGT2) is reported to be upregulated in HCC tissues. Notwithstanding, the role and regulatory mechanism of circUGGT2 in HCC are indistinct.Methods: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was implemented to examine the levels of circUGGT2, microRNA (miR)-526b-5p, and ras-related protein Rab-1A (RAB1A) mRNA in HCC tissues and cells. Cell proliferation and colony formation were assessed with 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazoliumbromide (MTT) or colony formation assays. The levels of cyclin D1, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and RAB1A were detected with Western blotting. Cell cycle progression, migration, and invasion were evaluated by using flow cytometry or transwell assays. The relationship between circUGGT2 or RAB1A and miR-526b-5p was verified via dual-luciferase reporter and/or RNA pull-down assays. Xenograft assay was executed to confirm the role of circUGGT2 in vivo.Results: We observed that circUGGT2 and RAB1A were upregulated while miR-526b-5p was downregulated in HCC tissues and cells. CircUGGT2 silencing suppressed tumor growth in vivo and curbed proliferation, colony formation, cell cycle progression, migration, and invasion of HCC cells in vitro. Mechanically, circUGGT2 regulated RAB1A expression via competitively binding to miR-526b-5p. Also, the inhibitory influence of circUGGT2 silencing on the malignancy of HCC cells was overturned by miR-526b-5p inhibitor. Furthermore, RAB1A overexpression reversed the suppressive influence of miR-526b-5p mimic on the malignancy of HCC cells.Conclusion: CircUGGT2 silencing inhibited HCC development via modulating the miR-526b-5p/RAB1A axis, providing a possible target for HCC treatment.Keywords: HCC, circUGGT2, miR-526b-5p, RAB1A

Qingfang Kong, Li Yan Department of Infection Prevention and Control, Zhongda Hospital Affiliated to Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Qingfang KongZhongda Hospital Affiliated to Southeast University, No. 87 Dingjiaqiao, Nanjing, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail njkqf@163.comBackground: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is a new infectious disease. The COVID-19 outbreak has quickly spread globally and now is having remarkable effects on public health and national economies.Purpose: Effective measures for prevention and control of nosocomial infection are urgently needed to control COVID-19 infection among medical staff.Methods: Herein, we described COVID-19 prevention and control strategies that have been implemented in a tertiary hospital in the middle east of China. Hospital layout was adjusted to prevent and control transmission. Other procedures were then implemented to prevent the spread of the virus, including specialized training and evaluation of medical staff, pre-testing and triage, measures to promote early identification of patients, environmental cleaning and disinfection, new medical waste processing procedures, new patient management procedures, timely disinfection of potential sources of nosocomial infection, and strict protective measures.Results: Since the new measures were implemented, to date there have only been three new confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection, no cases of medical staff infection, and no COVID-19-related deaths at the hospital.Conclusion: The current report provides a protocol that could be implemented in medical departments in similar cities worldwide.Keywords: COVID-19, health-associated infection, infection management, SARS-CoV-2

Xuan Zhu,1– 3 Qingquan Kong,2 Xing Niu,4 Lijie Chen,4 Chunlin Ge1 1Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110001, People’s Republic of China; 2Institute of Translational Medicine, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110122, People’s Republic of China; 3Anshan Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Anshan, Liaoning 114011, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Second Clinical College, Shengjing Hospital Affiliated to China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, Liaoning, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Chunlin Ge Email gechunlin126@126.comObjective: To comprehensively analyze the global scientific outputs of nanoparticles in pancreatic cancer research.Methods: Publications regarding the nanoparticles in pancreatic cancer research published from 1986 to 2019 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). Highly frequent keywords, publication years, journals, cited papers, cited journals and cited authors were identified using BICOMB software, and then a binary matrix and a co-word matrix were constructed. gCLUTO was used for double clustering of highly frequent journals. Co-citation analysis was performed using CiteSpace V software, including keywords, references, journals author or institution cooperation network.Results: A total of 1171 publications were included in this study. Publications mainly came from 10 countries, led by the US (n=470) and China (n=349). Among the top 20 journals ranked by the number of citations, nanoscience nanotechnology was the leader with 300. Cluster analysis of citation network identified 12 co-citation clusters, headed by “stromal barrier” and “emerging inorganic nanomaterial”.Conclusion: Our findings reveal the research performance and intellectual structure of the nanoparticles in pancreatic cancer research, which may help researchers understand the research trends and hotspots in this field.Keywords: Web of Science, CiteSpace, pancreatic cancer, nanoparticles, co-citation analysis, co-word analysis

Hui Zhang,1 Yayun Zhao,1 Yahong Zheng,1 Qinxiang Kong,1,2 Na Lv,1 Yanyan Liu,1,3,4 Dongmei Zhao,5 Jiabin Li,1– 4 Ying Ye1 1Department of Infectious Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Infectious Diseases, The Chaohu Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of China; 3Anhui Center for Surveillance of Bacterial Resistance, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of China; 4Institute of Bacterial Resistance, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Infectious Disease, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Ying Ye; Jiabin Li Tel +86-551-62922713Fax +86-551-62922281Email yeying2@139.com; lijiabin@ahmu.edu.cnPurpose: This study aimed to develop and validate a personalized prediction model of death risk in patients with Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) infection and thus guide clinical research and support clinical decision-making.Patients and Methods: The development group is comprised of 350 patients with A. baumannii infection admitted between January 2013 and December 2015 in The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University. Further, 272 patients in the validation group were admitted between January 2016 and December 2018. The univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to determine the independent risk factors for death with A. baumannii infection. The nomogram prediction model was established based on the regression coefficients. The discrimination of the proposed prediction model was evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and decision curve analysis (DCA). The calibration diagram was used to evaluate the calibration degree of this model.Results: The infectious source, carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB), hypoalbuminemia, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), and mechanical ventilation (MV) were independent risk factors for death. The AUC of the ROC curve of the two groups was 0.768 and 0.792, respectively. The net income was higher when the probability was between 30% and 80%, showing a strong discrimination capacity of the proposed model. The calibration curve swung around the 45° oblique line, indicating a high degree of calibration.Conclusion: The proposed model helped predict the risk of death from A. baumannii infection, improve the early identification of patients with a higher risk of death, and guide clinical treatment.Keywords: Acinetobacter baumannii, carbapenem resistance, prediction model, risk factors

Zhang H, Zhu Y, Yang N, et al. Infect Drug Resist. 2021;14:4657–4666. Page 4660, Table 1, Notes: section, the text “RIF, susceptible ≤2, resistant ≥4 (according to Working Party Report of BSAC);” should read “RIF, susceptible ≤2, resistant ≥4 (breakpoints based on Tan et al37 and Bai et al38);”. The authors also wish to add the following two references to the end of the reference section on page 4666. 37. Tan TY, Ng LS, Poh K. Susceptibility testing of unconventional antibiotics against multiresistant Acinetobacter spp. by agar dilution and Vitek 2. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2007;58(3):357-361. doi:10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2007.02.008 38. Bai Y, Liu B, Wang T, et al. In Vitro activities of combinations of rifampin with other antimicrobials against multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2015;59(3):1466-1471. doi:10.1128/AAC.04089-14 The authors apologize for this error. Read the original article

Shao-Hong Huang,1,* Qing-Lei Kong,2,* Xue-Xia Chen,3 Jin-Yuan He,1 Jie Qin,4 Zhuang-Gui Chen5,6 1Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; 2Department of Emergency, the Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; 3Department of Nursing, Eastern Hospital of The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; 4Department of Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; 5Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, 6Institution of Respiratory Disease of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China *These authors contributed equally to this work Background and purpose: Several case reports and studies have suggested that there is an increased survival rate for patients who undergo resection of solitary adrenal metastasis from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study aimed to investigate whether NSCLC patients with solitary adrenal metastasis could gain a higher survival rate after adrenalectomy (ADX) when compared with those patients undergoing nonsurgical treatment, and to investigate the potential prognostic factors.Patients and methods: A total of 1,302 NSCLC inpatients’ data from 2001 to 2015 were retrospectively reviewed to identify those with solitary adrenal metastasis. Overall survival for those who underwent both primary resection and ADX was compared to those patients with conservative treatment using the log-rank test. Potential prognostic variables were evaluated with univariate and multivariate analyses including clinical, therapeutic, pathologic, primary and metastatic data.Results: A total of 22 NSCLC patients with solitary adrenal metastasis were identified, with an overall median survival of 11 months (95% confidence interval: 9.4–12.6 months) and a 1-year survival rate of 51.4% (95% confidence interval: 29.6%–73.2%). All of the patients had died by 30 months. There was no significant survival difference between patients who underwent primary and metastasis resection (n=10) and those treated conservatively (n=12), (P=0.209). Univariate analysis identified Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) as the significant predictor of survival (P=0.024). Age (

Keping Cheng, Jiawei Li, Qingfang Kong, Changxian Wang, Nanyuan Ye, Guohua Xia Department of Infection Control, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China Background: The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for surgical site infection (SSI) in a teaching hospital.Methods: A prospective study was initiated to investigate risk factors for SSI at a university-affiliated tertiary care center from July 2013 to December 2014. The chi-square test for categorical variables was used to determine the significance of association, whereas the multivariate logistic regression model was used to examine independent risk factors for SSI.Results: A total of 1,138 patients met the inclusion criteria, in whom 36 cases of infection occurred during the hospitalization period and two cases occurred after discharge. Univariate analysis showed that SSI was associated with the type of operation, wound classification, volume of blood loss, blood transfusion, American Society of Anesthesiology score before surgery, risk index, duration of surgery, diabetes, cancer, gastrointestinal catheter, urinary catheter, postoperative drainage, and preprocedural white blood cell count. Multivariate analysis identified six independent parameters correlating with the occurrence of SSI: diabetes (odds ratio [OR] 6.400; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.582–15.866; P=0.000); cancer (OR 2.427; 95% CI 1.028–5.732; P=0.043); preprocedural white blood cell count more than 10×109/L (OR 6.988; CI 3.165–15.425; P=0.000); wound classification (clean contaminated [OR: 7.893; CI: 2.244–27.762; P=0.001]; contaminated [OR: 7.031; CI: 1.652–29.922; P=0.008]; dirty [OR: 48.778; CI: 5.418–439.164; P=0.001]); operative duration more than 120 minutes (OR 4.289; CI 1.773–10.378; P=0.001); and postoperative drainage (OR 3.957; CI 1.422–11.008; P=0.008).Conclusion: Our data suggest that all these risk factors could be regarded as potential indicators of SSI and that relevant preventive measures should be taken to reduce SSI and improve patient outcomes. Keywords: wound classification, surgical site infection, nosocomial infection, risk factors

A remarkable ion energy increase is demonstrated for post acceleration by a laser-plasma booster. An intense short-pulse laser generates a strong current by high-energy electrons accelerated, when this intense short-pulse laser illuminates a plasma target. The strong electric current creates a strong magnetic field along the high-energy electron current in plasma. During the increase phase in the magnetic field, a longitudinal inductive electric field is induced for the forward ion acceleration by the Faraday law. Our 2.5-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate a remarkable increase in ion energy by several tens of MeV.

A remarkable improvement is presented on the energy conversion efficiency from laser to protons in a laser-foil interaction by particle simulations. The total laser-proton energy conversion efficiency from laser to protons becomes 16.7%, though a conventional plane foil target serves a rather low efficiency. In our 2.5-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations the Al multihole structure is also employed, and the laser absorption ratio reaches 71.2%. The main physical reason for the enhancement of the conversion efficiency is a reduction of the laser reflection at the target surface area;

There are well-known inequalities among the eigenvalues of Sturm–Liouville problems with periodic, semi-periodic, Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions. In this paper, for an arbitrary coupled self-adjoint boundary condition, we identify two separated boundary conditions corresponding to the Dirichlet and Neumann conditions in the classical case, and establish analogous inequalities. It is also well-known that the lowest periodic eigenvalue is simple; here we prove a similar result for the general case. Moreover, we show that the algebraic and geometric multiplicities of the eigenvalues of self-adjoint regular Sturm–Liouville problems with coupled boundary conditions are the same. An important step in our approach is to obtain a representation of the fundamental solutions for sufficiently negative values of the spectral parameter. Our approach yields the existence and boundedness from below of the eigenvalues of arbitrary self-adjoint regular Sturm–Liouville problems without using operator theory.

To realize the practical application of solar photocatalysis and photoelectrocatalysis degradation of pollutants， the efficient， stable， and easily separable catalysts should be studied. Fe3O4@SiO2@mesoporous TiO2 （FST） composite photoelectrocatalysts were prepared by sol-gel and hydrothermal methods. The successful synthesis of nano FST was confirmed by characterization analysis. Fe3O4， SiO2， and TiO2 nanoparticles were coated layer by layer with a unique core-shell structure. The FST catalyst can be easily separated from the suspension under the applied magnetic field. The surface photocurrent response and impedance test results of FST show that its activity is significantly enhanced. The photoelectrocatalysis degradation of other organic pollutants under visible light is investigated using the synthesized FST， the 90 min photoelectrocatalysis degradation rates of methylene blue， rhodamine B， methyl orange， and amoxicillin are 98%， 95%， 92%， and 90%， respectively. The main active species capture experiments show that FST produces a large amount of h+ and ·OH through photoelectrocatalysis coupling， which degrades pollutants into CO2， H2O， and inorganic ions.

Gastric cancer (GC) is a leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality globally. This meta-analysis was conducted to assess the impact of nutritional interventions on clinical outcomes in GC patients.

ObjectiveThis study analyzes the omics data resources in human-infecting coronavirus animal models collected from various public databases, focusing on data distribution, dataset quantity, data types, species, strains, and research content. It aims to enhance our understanding of biological characteristics and pathogenic mechanisms of coronaviruses, thereby providing a solid foundation for devising effective therapeutic strategies and preventive measures.Methods Query strategies, including specific virus names, time ranges, and inclusion and exclusion criteria, were defined to retrieve data from major public omics databases such as GEO and ArrayExpress. Secondary filtering was performed based on different field types to obtain a more accurate data list. An omics data text database was established for bibliometric analysis. Co-occurrence networks were constructed for the analysis of the correlation strengths between different research themes, technical methods, and involved species. The cell types, organs, and biological pathways involved in studies were examined to further elucidate the pathogenic interplay between pathogens and hosts. Results About twenty public databases containing coronavirus-related omics data were identified, with a primary focus on novel coronavirus infection. Commonly used species include humans, mice, hamsters, and monkeys, while the commonly used virus strains are Wuhan-Hu-1 and USA-WA1/2020. Lung tissues are primarily used in animal models such as mice, macaques, and ferrets, while airway epithelial cells and Calu-3 cells are predominantly employed in human-related studies. Expression profiling data indicate that gene pathways involved in inflammation, cytokine response, complement pathway, cell damage, proliferation, and differentiation are significantly upregulated after infection. Proteomics studies reveal significant changes in phosphoproteome, ubiquitinome, and total proteome of patient samples at different infection stages. Specific protein categories, including viral receptors and proteases, transcription factors, cytokines, proteins associated with coagulation system, angiogenesis-related proteins, and fibrosis markers, show alterations after coronavirus infection. In addition, metabolomics data suggest that phosphocholine, phosphoethanolamine, arachidonic acid, and oleic acid could serve as potential metabolic markers. Epigenomics research indicates m6A methylation plays a role in SARS-CoV-2 replication, infection, and transmission, affecting host cell-virus interactions. Among these, N, S, and non-structural proteins 2 and 3 exhibit the most significant ubiquitination. Trends in microbiomics research suggest that microbial communities in the gut and wastewater are emerging as new research focuses. Conclusion The data types of coronavirus omics are diverse, with a wide variety of models and cell types used. The selection of species and technical methods for modelling varies based on the characteristics of different viruses. Multi-omics data from animal models of coronavirus infection can reveal key interactions between hosts and pathogens, identifying biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets, and provide valuable information for a deeper understanding of biological characteristics and infection mechanisms of coronaviruses.

Objective In this study, inbred BALB/c mice infected with the pneumonia virus of mice (PVM) were used to establish an animal model of viral pneumonia, and the changes in the pro-inflammatory alarmin molecule, high mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1), during PVM infection were observed, as well as the in vivo intervention effects of the HMGB1 inhibitor, glycyrrhizic acid (GA), on PVM-induced lung injury.Methods Three-week-old female BALB/c mice were randomly divided into three groups, each consisting of 6 mice. One group, uninfected by PVM, served as the control group (Control). The other two groups were inoculated intranasally with PVM at a dose of 1×104 50% tissue culture infective dose (TCID50)/25 μL, and subsequently treated with GA saline solution (GA group) or plain saline solution (normal saline, NS group) via gavage for 15 consecutive days. During this period, changes in body weight and appearance were monitored in each group. At the end of the experiment, lung tissue samples were collected from all groups. The distribution of PVM and HMGB1 proteins in the lung tissues was analyzed using hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemistry. The expression levels of HMGB1 and its Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4), advanced glycosylation end-product-specific receptor (AGER), and inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in lung tissues of mice were measured using real time fluorescence quantitative PCR.Results Compared with the Control group, the NS group showed a significant weight loss after 6 days (P

Abstract Background conventional coronary artery bypass grafting (CCABG) tends to cause severe complications in patients with comorbid Coronary Artery Diseases (CAD) and diabetes. On the other hand, the Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (MICS CABG) via transthoracic incision is associated with rapid recovery and reduced complications. Adding to the limited literature, this study compares CCABG and MICS CABG in terms of efficacy and safety. Methods Herein, 104 CCABG and MICS CABG cases (52 cases each) were included. The patients were recruited from the Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery Center, Anzhen Hospital, between January 2017 and December 2021 and were selected based on the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) model. The key outcomes included All-cause Death, Myocardial Infarction (MI), Cerebrovascular Events, revascularization, Adverse Wound Healing Events and one-year patency of the graft by coronary CTA. Results Compared to CCABG, MICS CABG had longer surgical durations [4.25 (1.50) h vs.4.00 (1.13) h, P = 0.028], but showed a reduced intraoperative blood loss [600.00 (400.00) mL vs.700.00 (300.00) mL, P = 0.032] and a lower secondary incision debridement and suturing rate (5.8% vs.19.2%, P = 0.038). In follow up, no statistically significant differences were found between the two groups in the cumulative Major Adverse Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Events (MACCEs) incidence (7.7% vs. 5.9%), all-cause mortality (0 vs. 0), MI incidence (1.9% vs. 2.0%), cerebral apoplexy incidence (5.8% vs. 3.9%), and repeated revascularization incidence (0 vs. 0) (P > 0.05). Additionally, coronary CTA results revealed that the two groups’ one-year graft patency (94.2% vs. 90.2%, P = 0.761) showed no statistically significant difference. Conclusion In patients with comorbid CAD and diabetes, MICS CABG and CCABG had comparable revascularization performances. Moreover, MICS CABG can effectively reduce, if not prevent, poor clinical outcomes/complications, including incision healing, sternal infection and prolonged length of stay in diabetes patients.

ObjectiveTo provide more basic information of comparative medicine for the study of biological changes and pathogenesis of COVID-19 by systematical sorting and analyzing the transcriptome data. Methods Following a retrieval strategy, using COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 as key words, transcriptome datasets related to COVID-19 from January 2020 to May 2023 were collected from GEO, ArrayExpress and GEN Transcriptome databases. The composition, distribution, and research application of COVID-19 transcriptome data resources were analyzed. Data distribution was visually displayed and correlation analysis was performed. The research applications and limitations of existing COVID-19 transcriptome data were analyzed from the perspectives of clinical medicine and comparative medicine, focusing on clinical-related molecular mechanisms, biomarkers and related immune responses, treatment intervention strategies, etc. The research value and application prospects were discussed. Results A total of 975 sets of COVID-19 transcriptome data were included. Among three databases, datasets from humans accounted for the highest proportion, namely 71.9%, 77.9%, and 90%, respectively. Species other than humans, such as mice, were the main sources of data, with the respiratory and nervous systems having the highest distribution of data. Twenty-seven datasets were associated with clinical significance. Analysis revealed that respiratory tract injury and other related molecular mechanisms were obtained through transcriptome data mining. Biomarkers such as cfDNA could be used as therapeutic targets. The severity of COVID-19 infection was associated with cell changes and disorders represented by M1 macrophages. Comparative medical analysis showed that mice, hamsters, and other animals were susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. Rhesus monkeys and cynomolgus monkeys exhibited infection characteristics highly similar to human. Apart from respiratory symptoms, hamsters also exhibited digestive system symptoms. SARS-CoV-2 can replicate in the respiratory organs of various susceptible animals, the intestines of ferrets and the ears of minks, resulting in interstitial pneumonia, diffuse lung injury and other pathological changes of varying degrees. Based on the differences in immune responses, hamsters can be used for neutralizing antibody reaction research. Conclusion Currently there is a wealth of COVID-19 transcriptome data, but there is a lack of comparative transcriptome research. Transcriptomics can be combined with comparative medicine to further explore the differences in comparative medicine of COVID-19.

Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is a leading cause of stoke and vascular dementia, and its pathogenesis remains unclear. Research on brain histopathology has identified that the blood⁃brain barrier plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis and progression of CSVD. This article reviews the research progress on the correlation between blood ⁃ brain barrier and CSVD from imaging biomarkers, blood biomarkers and pathophysiology, to provide ideas for better diagnosis and treatment of CSVD.

Research shows radial ribs can reduce the axial force acting on the centrifugal compressor but do not involve its impact on the flow of the rotational-stationary disk cavity. By establishing a coupling model of the centrifugal compressor and the ribbed rotational-stationary disk cavity, the flow characteristics of the ribbed rotational-stationary disk cavity and the effect of the complex flow in the cavity on the axial force were studied. The ribbed rotational-stationary disk cavity is in line with the basic flow structure and characteristics of the Batchelor flow pattern, as demonstrated by the results. The radial balance equation derived based on this flow pattern is suitable for describing the radial motion of the fluid in the ribbed cavity; the rib can increase the tangential velocity in the rotating core center and elevate the proportion of core center in the cavity while weakening the effect of the boundary layer in the region close the rotational disk, which increases the swirl ratio in the cavity; based on the radial balance equation, the mechanism of radial ribs on reducing the axial force was proposed from the perspective of complex flow. The mechanism is as follows: By increasing the swirl ratio, the ribs cause the radial pressure gradient in the cavity to increase, and the average pressure acting on the rotational disk surface is reduced, which leads to a reduction in axial force.

In order to shorten the design cycle of compressor blades and improve the performance evaluation and efficiency of compressor blade profiles, a blade database using CFD based on the key parameters of the arc in the CDA blade profile and the inlet conditions of the blade profile is constructed. Based on this database, a model for the total pressure loss coefficient surrogate that can predict variable operating conditions is proposed. By combining the total pressure coefficient surrogate model with genetic algorithms, efficient optimization of CDA blade profiles can be achieved. By comparing the prediction results of the total pressure loss coefficient surrogate model with the CFD results, it was found that the mean square error of the prediction was between 0.03% and 0.04%, with a correlation coefficient higher than 0.97. The optimization results show that using this method for optimization reduces the total pressure loss coefficient of the original blade profile by 15% while significantly reducing optimization time and greatly improving optimization efficiency.

ObjectiveTo estimate the system efficiency of uncle-nephew relationship identification by increasing STR markers and adding reference samples based on the test results of simulated data and real samples, so as to provide references for selecting the appropriate number of STRs and reference samples for uncle-nephew relationship identification.MethodsFive common models of uncle-nephew relationship identification were constructed by adding different reference samples. In each model, the likelihood ratio （LR） for 10 000 pairs of uncle-nephew relationships and 10 000 pairs of unrelated individuals were simulated by detecting 19, 39 or 55 STRs, and the system efficiency at different thresholds was simulated. The samples of the Han population in Zhejiang were collected, and 55 autosomal STRs were obtained by using SiFaSTRTM 23plex kit, Goldeneye® DNA ID 22NC kit and AGCU 21+1 PCR amplification kit. When 19, 39 and 55 STRs were detected, the LR of each model and system efficiency under different thresholds were calculated and compared with the simulation results.ResultsUnder the same detection system, the calculated results of simulated data and corresponding true samples were basically consistent. In the same model, there was a positive correlation between the system efficiency of uncle-nephew relationship identification and the number of STRs detected. Moreover, the system efficiency of introducing relatives was higher than identifying only two individuals. The order of preference for the introduction of relatives was the full sibling （or mother） of the uncle and the full sibling （or mother） of the nephew.ConclusionThe system efficiency of uncle-nephew relationship identification could be improved by increasing the number of STRs and introducing known relatives, which would provide the basis for selecting the most appropriate detection system and reference individuals in actual cases.

Nano-hydroxyapatite (nano-HA) has been widely studied as a promising biomaterial because of its potential mechanical and biological properties. In this article, different synthesis methods for nano-HA were summarized. Key factors for the synthesis of nano-HA, including reactant concentration, effects of temperature, PH, additives, aging time, and sintering, were separately investigated. The biological performances of the nano-HA depend strongly on its structures, morphology, and crystallite sizes. Nano-HA with different morphologies may cause different biological effects, such as protein adsorption, cell viability and proliferation, angiogenesis, and vascularization. Recent research progress with respect to the biological functions of the nano-HA in some specific biological applications are summarized and the future development of nano-sized hydroxyapatite is prospected.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has the advantages of fast design and fabrication in clinical orthopedics. This study proposed the application of 3D-printed personalized reverse shoulder prosthesis in a reverse total shoulder arthroplasty for a patient with tuberculosis of the shoulder joint. Traditional and personalized shoulder prostheses were compared and studied. The mechanical simulation analysis was conducted on the individualized prosthesis and scapula. A personalized reverse total shoulder prosthesis was fabricated by 3D printing technology. Finite element analyses were conducted for implantation of traditional and personalized prostheses. The numerical results show that the maximum equivalent stress of screws inserted into bone tissue is 43.23 MPa in the personalized prosthesis. But in traditional prostheses, the maximum equivalent stress of screws performing the same function is 246.50 MPa. The structural advantages of the personalized prosthesis effectively reduce the local pressure of the screws to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the material during service. At the same time, the scapula paired with the personalized prosthesis also shown a smaller mean equivalent stress that can reduce patient stress. The postoperative evaluation of implant stability and patient status was good. The results indicated that 3D printing technology has important application value in orthopedic surgery.

Framework materials for supercapacitors: Supercapacitors are perfect energy storage devices with superior cycling life, remarkable power/energy density, fast charge–discharge rates, and environmental friendliness. Frameworks materials, including metal organic frameworks (MOFs), Prussian blue/Prussian blue analogs (PB/PBAs), and covalent organic frameworks (COFs), are outstanding candidates in supercapacitors. In this review, we mainly report typical research progress on framework materials, their derivatives, and composites in a supercapacitor.

To provide reference for technical feasibility and process setting of physical cold disinfection of salad dressing, the commercial salad dressing was irradiated by electron beam at different doses of 0 kGy,1 kGy and 2 kGy. The disinfection effect of electron beam irradiation on salad dressing and the changes in terms of microorganism, color, texture, flavor, stability of irradiated salad dressing after storing for 40 days at room temperature were studied. The results showed that, electron beam irradiation had a good disinfection effect on Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, the aerobic plate count, molds and yeasts of salad dressing. 1 kGy irradiation could reduce pathogenic bacteria by 3 log to 6 log, with no aerobic plate count, molds and yeasts found. After 40 days storage at room temperature, sensory evaluation showed that electron beam irradiation at 1 kGy had no significant effect on the color, texture, aroma and taste of salad dressing. There was no obvious difference in the results of electronic nose analysis, texture parameters and centrifugal resolution rate, but the taste score of 2 kGy irradiation was significantly lower than that of non-irradiation and 1 kGy irradiation. Significant difference of texture parameters was found between 2 kGy irradiation, non-irradiation, and 1 kGy irradiation. Therefore, we conclude electron beam irradiation can effectively control the pathogenic bacteria in salad dressing. The electron beam irradiation at doses of 1 kGy has no obvious undesirable effect on the color, texture, flavor, stability of the salad dressing, which could be used as a disinfection method for salad dressing.

ObjectiveTo determine the epidemic characteristics of forty-two coronavirus disease 2019 （COVID-19） cluster outbreaks in Hangzhou city and provide scientific evidence for further prevention and control measures.MethodsData of the COVID-19 cluster outbreaks in Hangzhou were obtained from the National Public Health Emergency Management Information System. Epidemic characteristics were summarized by reviewing the epidemiological investigation reports.ResultsA total of forty-two COVID-19 cluster outbreaks were documented in Hangzhou in 2020， including 130 confirmed cases and 7 cases with asymptomatic infection. The majority occurred from January to February， 2020. Moreover， 92.86% （39/42） of the cluster outbreaks were familial transmission. The proportion of the cluster outbreaks involving 2 cases accounted for 54.7% （23/42）. In the secondary cases， family members accounted for 84.15% （69/82）.ConclusionThe COVID-19 cluster outbreaks in Hangzhou mainly occur in families， and the majority of the secondary cases is family members.

Due to its balanced nutrition,quinoa has been gaining popularity in research and among consumers.Germination,as a common processing method for cereals,can improve the product flavor and sensory quality,reduce harmful substances and promote the enrichment of functional ingredients such as polyphenols and flavonoids.Therefore,quinoa has been used to the development of food for diarrhea and diabetes patients.With the aim of providing a scientific evidence for the development of new generations of quinoa products with targeted functions,this paper focuses on illustrating the changes of quinoa’s main nutrients in germination process and understanding quinoa’s functions.

Objective To study root morphology, the incidence of three root canals and the root canal anatomy of maxillary premolars. Methods The cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) data of 779 maxillary first premolars and 728 maxillary second premolars were collected from 412 patients in Zhuhai Stomatological Hospital. The root and canal morphology, incidence of three canals, bilateral symmetry and location of root canal bifurcation were analyzed. Results The incidence of three canals in the maxillary first premolars was 1.8% and that in the maxillary second premolars was 0.3%. The incidence of three canals in the maxillary first premolars was significantly higher than that in the maxillary second premolars (c2=8.304, P=0.004). The symmetrical ratio of the three-canal maxillary first premolar was 27.3%. There was no symmetrical three-canal maxillary second premolar. The anatomical morphology of the maxillary premolar can be single root, double root or trident root. Its internal root canal system is complex and diverse. There are seven kinds of Vertucci morphology: the first maxillary premolar is mainly Vertucci IV type, and the second maxillary premolar is mainly Vertucci I type. Most of the root canal bifurcations of the three-canal maxillary premolars were observed in the midthird or the cervical third of the root. All three-canal maxillary premolars had three independent apical foramens. Conclusion The root canal morphology of maxillary premolars is complex and changeable. CBCT plays an important role in the discovery of variation and extra root canals.

Ag-TiO2 photocatalysts with different doping concentration were prepared by sol-gel method using tetrabutyl titanate and silver nitrate as raw materials. The crystal structure, surface morphology, chemical composition, optical properties of the samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, XPS, DRS and PL, respectively. The photocatalytic activity of xAg-TiO2(x=1%,2%,4%,6%,atom fraction) under UV light and simulated sunlight was evaluated by the degradation of Rhodamine B by using mercury lamp and xenon lamp as the light source, respectively. The results indicate that the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 under UV light and simulated sunlight enhances as the recombination rate of photogenerated electron-hole decreases and the absorption of simulated sunlight increases by Ag doping. 1%Ag-TiO2 exhibits the best photocatalytic activity. The degradation rates of Rhodamine B are 91% under UV light and 89% under simulated sunlight, which are 1.18 and 1.24 times higher than that of pure TiO2. The reaction rate constants are 0.01257 min-1 and 0.01150 min-1, which are 1.49 and 1.74 times higher than that of pure TiO2.

Objective To investigate the incidence and morphology of C-shaped root canals in mandibular premolars by cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging, which provides a reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment. Methods The CBCT scanning data of 964 mandibular first premolars and 907 mandibular second premolars in 508 cases were collected, and the root canal morphology, incidence of C-shaped root canals, bilateral symmetry and location of radicular grooves were analyzed. Results The incidence of C-shaped root canals in mandibular first premolars was 4.1% and that in mandibular second premolars was 0.6%. The incidence of C-shaped root canals of mandibular first premolars was significantly higher than that of mandibular second premolars (χ2=25.775, P < 0.001). The symmetrical ratio of C-shaped root canals in the mandibular first premolars was 29%. There were no symmetrical C-shaped root canals in the mandibular second premolars. There were significant differences in the distribution of the C-shaped root canal configuration in the root canal (P < 0.001). The C-shaped configuration mainly existed in the middle axial and apical level of the mandibular premolars. The C2 type was more common. No C-shape was found in the coronal level of the mandibular premolars. Vertucci I single tube type was the most common type of root canal for the mandibular premolars included in this study; the incidences were 81.7% and 98.3% for the mandibular first and second premolars, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (χ2=140.544, P < 0.001). The other root canal types of mandibular first premolars were more than those of mandibular second premolars. The incidences of Vertucci Ⅱ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ, and Ⅴ and C-shaped root canals in mandibular first premolars were significantly higher than those in mandibular second premolars. C-shaped root canal mandibular premolars had radicular grooves, and most of them were located at the mesiolingual side. Conclusion The morphology of the C-shaped root canal in mandibular premolars was complicated. CBCT can provide direct and accurate imaging evidence for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Hydrate plug in the drainage line is a serious flow assurance problem for the pilot production of offshore natural gas hydrates. Current research focuses on hydrate deposition in the annular flow and the oil-dominated system. The multiphase flow system in the drainage line is a water-dominated system which is normally a bubbly flow. In this work, a new model is developed to study the temperature and pressure field in the drainage line considering that the flow pattern is bubbly flow. Combining with the methane hydrate phase equilibrium curve, the hydrate formation region in the drainage line can be established. The hydrate formation region is enlarged with the ESP pressure increasing and the water production rate decreasing, since the ESP can supply extra pressures in the drainage line and the heat transfer phenomenon is enhanced between the drainage line and environment under the low water production rate condition. The model pointed out that the risk of hydrate formation rises up as the hydrate concentration increases beyond 6%. This study can lay a theoretical foundation for the efficient prevention of gas hydrates in the drainage line during offshore natural gas hydrate pilot or long-term production.

Cheng-Ting Zi,1,2,* Liu Yang,2,* Qing-Hua Kong,2 Hong-Mei Li,2 Xing-Zhi Yang,2 Zhong-Tao Ding,3 Zi-Hua Jiang,4 Jiang-Miao Hu,2 Jun Zhou2 1Key Laboratory of Pu-Er Tea Science, Ministry of Education, College of Science, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, People’s Republic of China; 2State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, People’s Republic of China; 3Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry for Nature Resource, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Science and Technology, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Chemistry, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay ON P7B 5E1, Canada*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Zi-Hua JiangDepartment of Chemistry, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay ON P7B 5EI, CanadaTel +1 807 766 7171Fax +1 807 346 7775Email zjiang@lakeheadu.caJiang-Miao HuState Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 132, Lanhei Road, Kunming 650201, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 871 6522 3264Fax +86 871 6522 3261Email hujiangmiao@mail.kib.ac.cnBackground: Widespread concern of the side effects and the broad-spectrum anticancer property of podophyllotoxin as an antitumor agent highlight the need for the development of new podophyllotoxin derivatives. Although some per-butyrylated glucosides of podophyllotoxin and 4β-triazolyl-podophyllotoxin glycosides show good anticancer activity, the per-acetylated/free of podophyllotoxin glucosides and their per-acetylated are not well studied.Methods: A few glucoside derivatives of PPT were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxic activities against five human cancer cell lines, HL-60 (leukemia), SMMC-7721 (hepatoma), A-549 (lung cancer), MCF-7 (breast cancer), and SW480 (colon cancer), as well as the normal human pulmonary epithelial cell line (BEAS-2B). In addition, we investigated the structure–activity relationship and the physicochemical property–anticancer activity relationship of these compounds.Results: Compound 6b shows the highest cytotoxic potency against all five cancer cell lines tested, with IC50 values ranging from 3.27±0.21 to 11.37±0.52 μM. We have also found that 6b displays higher selectivity than the etoposide except in the case of HL-60 cell line. The active compounds possess similar physicochemical properties: MSA > 900, %PSA < 20, ClogP > 2, MW > 700 Da, and RB > 10.Conclusion: We synthesized several glucoside derivatives of PPT and tested their cytotoxicity. Among them, compound 6b showed the highest cytotoxicity. Further studies including selectivity of active compounds have shown that the selectivity indexes of 6b are much greater than the etoposide except in the case of HL-60 cell line. The active compounds possessed similar physicochemical properties. This study indicates that active glucoside analogs of podophyllotoxin have potential as lead compounds for developing novel anticancer agents.Keywords: podophyllotoxin, glucoside, synthesis, cytotoxicity, physicochemical properties

Ag-TiO2 photocatalysts with different doping concentration were prepared by sol-gel method using tetrabutyl titanate and silver nitrate as raw materials. The crystal structure, surface morphology, chemical composition, optical properties of the samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, XPS, DRS and PL, respectively. The photocatalytic activity of xAg-TiO2(x=1%,2%,4%,6%,atom fraction) under UV light and simulated sunlight was evaluated by the degradation of Rhodamine B by using mercury lamp and xenon lamp as the light source, respectively. The results indicate that the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 under UV light and simulated sunlight enhances as the recombination rate of photogenerated electron-hole decreases and the absorption of simulated sunlight increases by Ag doping. 1%Ag-TiO2 exhibits the best photocatalytic activity. The degradation rates of Rhodamine B are 91% under UV light and 89% under simulated sunlight, which are 1.18 and 1.24 times higher than that of pure TiO2. The reaction rate constants are 0.01257 min-1 and 0.01150 min-1, which are 1.49 and 1.74 times higher than that of pure TiO2.

To examine the feasibility of fractional exhaled nitrous oxide (FeNO) guided stepped care in patients with chronic persistent asthma.

In view of problems of rotary drilling technology for soft-fragmentized coal seam, such as shallow borehole completed depth, uncontrollable borehole trajectory, low drilling efficiency and poor gas drainage effect, pneumatic directional drilling technology was put forward to carry out gas drainage borehole construction in soft-fragmentized coal seam. Compressed air output by underground explosion-proof air compressor is used as drilling power and slag discharge medium. Wired measurement while drilling device is used to obtain borehole trajectory parameters. Compressed air monitoring device is applied to monitor parameters such as air supply pressure, temperature and flow rate in real time, which provide basis for judgment of working condition in borehole. In order to realize efficient coal dust treatment, compressed air dust removal device is used to purify coal dust in orifice. The field test was carried out in drilling field of southern region of 21608 roadway in Qinglong Coal Mine of Yankuang Guizhou Nenghua Co., Ltd. The pneumatic directional drilling technology was adopted to construct directional boreholes in soft-fragmentized coal seam with firmness coefficient of 0.37. The maximum borehole depth is 345 m, and the average effective footage of single shift is more than 30% higher than that of ordinary rotary borehole.The average gas drainage volume fraction of single borehole remains at about 70%, which is about 60% higher than that of ordinary rotary borehole. The average gas drainage volume fraction of main pipeline in drilling field is 71.2%, the average gas drainage purity is up to 4.0 m3/min, and accumulated gas drainage volume reaches 115 000 m3, which effectively covers gas drainage area of 300 m roadway to be excavated. The pneumatic directional drilling technology has advantages of controllable borehole trajectory, long borehole completed depth, high drilling efficiency and good gas drainage effect. It can be applied to gas regional drainage and pre-drainage in soft-fragmentized coal seam, which provides a new technical approach for gas control in soft-fragmentized coal seam.

Li Zhou,1,2 Qinghuan Kong,3 Yunhan Zhang,3 Wei Yang,4 Shan Yan,3 Meihui Li,3 Yidan Wang,3 Yanjie Zhou,3 Huimei Yu,3 Liying Han1 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130041, China; 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China; 3Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China; 4Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China Background: S1 is a novel BH3 mimetic that can induce death in some types of cancer cells, such as melanoma B16, ovarian cancer SKOV3, and U251 glioma cells. S1 inhibits Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 expression and induces cancer cell apoptosis. Cancer cell survival is highly dependent on glucose. Here, we observed the effect of glucose deprivation on the apoptotic response to S1 in human cervical cancer (HeLa) cells.Materials and methods: Earle’s balanced salt solution (EBSS) was used to simulate glucose deprivation. MTT assay was used to analyze the cell survival rate, and Hoechst 33342 dye was used to detect the apoptosis in HeLa cells. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of ER stress and autophagy relative proteins. In addition, lysosomes were observed with LysoTracker staining by confocal microscopy.Results: S1 decreased cell distribution density and survival rate, and MTT assay showed that EBSS enhanced the inhibitory effects of S1 on HeLa cell growth. Hoechst 33342 dye showed that S1 led to pyknosis, fragmentation, and strong staining in HeLa cell nuclei, and EBSS enhanced these effects. Western blotting indicated that EBSS enhanced the expression of apoptosis-related proteins (cytochrome C, caspase-3, and poly[ADP-ribose] polymerase 1) induced by S1 in HeLa cells. S1 decreased p62 expression and increased the autophagosome-associated protein LC3-II expression, which indicated that S1 induced autophagy in HeLa cells. EBSS enhanced S1-induced autophagy in HeLa cells. Furthermore, autophagy inhibitor chloroquine enhanced S1-induced apoptosis in HeLa cells.Conclusion: These results indicate that EBSS exacerbates S1-induced autophagy and severe autophagy induced by EBSS and S1 could lead to apoptosis in HeLa cells. The results also suggest that EBSS enhances the sensitivity of HeLa cells to S1-induced apoptosis and that autophagy plays an important role in this process. Keywords: Earle’s balanced salt solution, glucose deprivation, S1, endoplasmic reticulum stress, autophagy, apoptosis

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite that causes toxoplasmosis and threatens warm-blooded animal and human health worldwide. Simple and applicable diagnostic methods are urgently needed to guide development of effective approaches for prevention of toxoplasmosis. Most molecular diagnostic tools for T. gondii infection require high technical skills, sophisticated equipment, and a controlled lab environment. In this study, we developed a loop-mediated isothermal amplification-lateral-flow-dipstick (LAMP-LFD) assay that specifically targets the 529 bp for detecting T. gondii infection. This novel portable device is universal, fast, user-friendly, and guarantees experimental sensitivity as well as low risk of aerosol contamination. Our LAMP-LFD assay has a detection limit of 1 fg of T. gondii DNA, and shows no cross-reaction with other parasitic pathogens, including Cryptosporidium parvum, Leishmania donovani, and Plasmodium vivax. We validated the developed assay by detecting T. gondii in DNA extracted from blood samples collected from 318 stray cats and dogs sampled from Deqing, Wenzhou, Yiwu, Lishui and Zhoushan cities across Zhejiang province, Eastern China. The LAMP-LFD device detected T. gondii DNA in 4.76 and 4.69% of stray cats and dogs, respectively. In conclusion, the developed LAMP-LFD assay is efficient, minimizes aerosol contamination, and is therefore suitable for detecting T. gondii across basic medical institutions and field settings.

With collection and analysis of outburst indexs in 381 mines and 695 seams and 214 coal and gas outburst accidents occurred in 120 mines in Guizhou mining areas, a study on coal and gas outburst index distribution features and outburst features in Guizhou mining areas was conducted, and relative outburst prevention countermeasures were proposed. Enhanced coal seam outburst index measurement, developing strict management system to mining areas with high outburst strength and more outburst such as Qianbei, Zhina, Liuzhi, Panjiang and Shuicheng, enhanced outburst prevention work of coal roadway heading face, and enhanced blasting management, dynamic phenomenon monitoring and geological structure detecting could be applied to reduce coal and gas outburst accidents occurred in Guizhou mining areas.

Hemoglobin(HGB)in the blood carries oxygen from the lungs to other organs to produce energy. Calorie restriction has been shown to slow aging and extend lifespan. Thus, we hypothesized that HGB maybe associated with human longevity as a link to energy metabolism. To test this hypothesis, HGB levels in the blood of 60 centenarian(CEN) families were measured and its association with age(20-80 and 20-100 years)was studied, as well as the associations of CEN HGB with levels in first generation offspring (F1) and their spouses (F1SP). The results showed no association of HGB with age between 20 and 80 years (r=-0.097, p=0.160); however a strikingly inverse relationship with age between 20 and 100 years (r=-0.526, p

Meristems are central to plant growth and development, yet evidence of directly manipulating this control to improve crop yield is scarce. Kernel row number (KRN) is an important agronomic trait that can directly affect maize (Zea mays L.) yield. However, this trait is difficult to select by phenotyping, since it is highly variable in the mixed genetic backgrounds in early selfing generations. This study sought to improve this trait by marker-assisted backcrossing (MABC) of a weak allele of FASCIATED EAR 2 that is known to affect inflorescence meristem size, but the effect of which on yield is unclear. All of the four introgressed tropical elite inbreds of different heterotic groups, which are homozygous for the fea2-1328 allele, had 2–5 more KRNs compared to their respective recurrent parents. Furthermore, one hybrid made from crosses between two introgressed parents also had KRN increases that resulted in up to 28% yield increase compared to the original hybrid across multiple yield trials. The novel negative effects of the pericentromeric fea2 and/or its linkage drag effect on plant height, seed weight, and ear length, which could prevent line improvement, were revealed in several genetic backgrounds. Integration of conventional phenotypic selection to overcome these undesirable effects was discussed. This is the first work to demonstrate the possibility to increase yield of maize varieties using a mutation in a meristem size regulator. The crossing, selection strategies, and recombinant lines in this work can be applied to other elite maize hybrids and provide a potentially straightforward, non-transgenic way to improve the yield of an existing variety by 8–28%.