Search

Phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) affect seedling growth, root configuration, and nutrient uptake in hydroponic rice, but there are few studies on all growth stages of rice. The purpose of this experiment was to determine the response characteristics of root morphology, plant physiology, and P and K uptake and utilization efficiency to different supplies of P and K. Two local conventional rice varieties (Shennong 265 and Liaojing 294) were used as experimental materials across four treatments, including HPHK (sufficient P and K supply), HPLK (sufficient P supply under low K levels), LPHK (sufficient K supply under low P levels) and LPLK (low P and K levels) in a hydroponic setting. The results showed that HPHK and HPLK significantly decreased the acid phosphatase activity of leaves and roots from full heading to filling stages when compared to LPHK and LPLK. Sufficient supply of P or K significantly increased the accumulation of P and K (aboveground, leaves, stem sheath, and whole plant) and root morphological parameters (root length, root surface area, total root volume, and tips) during major growth stages when compared to LP or LK levels. HPHK was significantly higher than other treatments in terms of dry weight and the root activity at the main growth stage, P and K uptake rates in nutrient solutions at various stages, related P and K efficiency at the maturity stage, yield, effective panicle number, and grain number per panicle. In addition, the effect of HPHK on the above indexes were significantly greater than those of single sufficient supply of P or K. In conclusion, HPHK can improve plant configuration, increase plant P and K absorption and root activity, and increase rice yield and related P and K utilization efficiency., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Effective self-management after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) not only improves patients' knee pain and physical function but also improves quality of life. However, there is no assessment tool that can be targeted to evaluate the self-management level of patients after TKA. This study aimed to develop and validate a scale to specifically assess the level of self-management in patients after TKA., Methods: The study was conducted in 2 steps: (1) instrument development and (2) psychological tests (n = 428). For the instrument development portion, scale items were generated through a literature review and semi-structured interviews, then reviewed and revised by a panel of experts, and assessed for content validity and pilot testing. For the psychometric tests component, items were analyzed using corrected item-total scale correlations, the critical ratio method, and Cronbach's α. Construct validity was evaluated using exploratory factor analysis and validation factor analysis. Criterion correlation validity was checked by calculating Pearson's correlation coefficient using the Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale-8 and the scale developed in this study. Internal consistency reliability was evaluated using Cronbach's α and fold-half reliability, and retest reliability was assessed using intragroup correlation coefficients., Results: The Patient Self-Management Scale after Total Knee Arthroplasty (PSMS-TKA) comprises 4 factors and 23 items that assess daily behavior management, disease information management, psychosocial management, and exercise rehabilitation management. Exploratory factor analysis and validation factor analysis yielded a stable 4-factor model for the 23 items. The PSMS-TKA demonstrated good criterion-related validity when using the Arthritis Self-Efficacy-8 as a criterion. The Cronbach's α of the PSMS-TKA was 0.903, the split-half reliability was 0.934, and the test-retest reliability correlation coefficient was 0.887 (P < .01); thus, the reliability of the scale is good., Conclusions: The PSMS-TKA developed in this study has good validity and reliability and can be used to assess the level of self-management in patients after TKA. The scale helps healthcare professionals understand the level of self-management of patients undergoing TKA., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Older age and female sex are risk factors for osteoarthritis and osteoporosis (OP). This study evaluated the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) in China regarding OP and its prevention. This cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study enrolled patients with KOA at four grade-A tertiary hospitals in Shandong Province between 1st September and 20th November 2022., Methods: The administered questionnaire contained 55 items across four dimensions (demographic information, knowledge, attitude, and practice). Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with an overall questionnaire score ≥70% of the maximum possible score. SPSS 26.0 was used for the analyses; P<0.05 was considered significant., Results: The analysis included 434 participants (261 females). The median knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were 7 (interquartile range: 5-10) (possible range, 0-17 points), 44 (interquartile range: 42-49) (possible range, 11-55 points), and 43 (interquartile range: 38-47) (possible range, 13-65 points), respectively. Multivariable logistic regression indicated that female sex (odds ratio [OR], 2.421; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.558-3.762; P <0.001), age 56-65 years-old (OR, 4.222; 95% CI, 1.763-10.109; P =0.001 vs ≤55 years-old), age >65 years-old (OR, 4.358; 95% CI, 1.863-10.195; P =0.001 vs ≤55 years-old), middle/high/technical secondary school education (OR, 1.853; 95% CI, 1.002-3.428; P =0.049 vs primary school or below), and having KOA for 4-5 years (OR, 2.682; 95% CI, 1.412-5.094; P =0.003 vs ≤3 years) were independently associated with a high KAP score., Conclusion: There is room for improvement in the knowledge and practices of patients with osteoarthritis in China regarding OP. The findings of this study may facilitate the design and implementation of education programs to increase awareness about OP prevention among patients with KOA., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests in this work., (© 2024 Wu et al.)

Background: Patients with heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) are more prone to atrial fibrillation (AF) compared to those with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Nevertheless, a risk prediction model for new-onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF) in HFpEF patients remains a notable gap, especially with respect to imaging indicators., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 402 HFpEF subjects reviewed at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from 2017 to 2023. Cox regression analysis was performed to screen predictors of NOAF. A nomogram was constructed based on these factors and internally validated through the bootstrap resampling method. A performance comparison between the nomogram and the mC 2 HEST score was performed., Results: Out of the 402 participants, 62 (15%) developed atrial fibrillation. The risk factors for NOAF were finally screened out to include age, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), hyperthyroidism, renal dysfunction, left atrial anterior-posterior diameter (LAD), and pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP), all of which were identified to create the nomogram. We calculated the bootstrap-corrected C-index (0.819, 95% CI: 0.762-0.870) and drew receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves [3-year areas under curves (AUC) = 0.827, 5-year AUC = 0.825], calibration curves, and clinical decision curves to evaluate the discrimination, calibration, and clinical adaptability of the six-factor nomogram. Based on two cutoff values calculated by X-tile software, the moderate- and high-risk groups had more NOAF cases than the low-risk group ( P  < 0.0001). Our nomogram showed better 3- and 5-year NOAF predictive performance than the mC 2 HEST score estimated by the Integrated Discriminant Improvement Index (IDI) and the Net Reclassification Index (NRI) ( P  < 0.05)., Conclusions: The nomogram combining clinical features with echocardiographic indices helps predict NOAF among HFpEF patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2024 Wang, Xie, Wang and Zhang.)

Introduction and Importance: Colon cancer presenting as a large abdominal mass accompanied by abscess and rupture is rare and prone to be misdiagnosed and delayed. In addition, the treatment plan is not clear when combined with abdominal wall metastasis., Case Presentation: A 79-year-old woman presented with a large abdominal mass accompanied by abscess and rupture. It was misdiagnosed as a soft tissue infection in a local hospital, and after a comprehensive examination, it was diagnosed as sigmoid colon cancer with abdominal wall metastasis and abscess formation. The patient underwent a one-stage surgery, including en bloc resection of the tumor and invaded abdominal wall, as well as autologous tissue abdominal wall reconstruction, with a good clinical prognosis., Clinical Discussion: For the diagnosis of large abdominal masses, abdominal CT, and pus culture are more valuable than ultrasound. For colon cancer with abdominal wall metastasis, one-stage surgery to completely remove the tumor and full-thickness of the abdominal wall, and the use of autologous tissue abdominal wall reconstruction technology to repair defects is feasible., Conclusion: This case highlights the importance of using colon cancer as one of the differential diagnoses for the diagnosis for large abdominal mass accompanied by abscess and rupture in elderly patients, as well as the possibility of one-stage surgical resection of the tumor and invasion of the abdominal wall and reconstruction of the abdominal wall with autologous tissue when there is abdominal wall metastasis., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.Sponsorships or competing interests that may be relevant to content are disclosed at the end of this article., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Nanotechnology has contributed important innovations to medicine and dentistry, and has also offered various applications to the field of orthodontics. Intraoral appliances must function in a complex environment that includes digestive enzymes, a diverse microbiome, mechanical stress, and fluctuations of pH and temperature. Nanotechnology can improve the performance of orthodontic brackets and archwires by reducing friction, inhibiting bacterial growth and biofilm formation, optimizing tooth remineralization, improving corrosion resistance and biocompatibility of metal substrates, and accelerating or decelerating orthodontic tooth movement through the application of novel nanocoatings, nanoelectromechanical systems, and nanorobots. This comprehensive review systematically explores the orthodontic applications of nanotechnology, particularly its impacts on tooth movement, antibacterial activity, friction reduction, and corrosion resistance. A search across PubMed, the Web of Science Core Collection, and Google Scholar yielded 261 papers, of which 28 met our inclusion criteria. These selected studies highlight the significant benefits of nanotechnology in orthodontic devices. Recent clinical trials demonstrate that advancements brought by nanotechnology may facilitate the future delivery of more effective and comfortable orthodontic care., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Resource-based cities (RBCs) worldwide with a single industrial structure face the double pressures of sustainable development to promote development (i.e., industrial upgrading) and mitigating carbon emissions. Although building extraregional linkages is a potential path to advance this goal, the action of these linkages still requires study since there are many contradictory conclusions in the literature. To fill this gap, the study addresses the relationship between extraregional linkages, industrial upgrading, and the low-carbon transition in RBCs from 2012 to 2019 with the help of econometric panel models with proposed variables (e.g., the coupling coordination degree of extraregional technology and investment, CCD) built from multiple new data sources. The results are as follows. First, the diversification and specialization of the local industrial structure in RBCs both reduce carbon efficiency (CE). Second, extraregional technology, on its own, does not directly enhance CE as investments do. Third, the CCD not only serves to augment CE but also acts as a mitigating factor against CE reduction during industrial diversification. Based on the above findings, distinct low-carbon transition pathways are suggested for various types of RBCs, considering their positions within the extraregional linkage network., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The number of patients undergoing joint replacement procedures is continuously increasing. Tele-equipment is progressively being employed for postrehabilitation of total hip and knee replacements. Gaining a comprehensive understanding of the experiences and requirements of patients undergoing total hip and knee arthroplasty who participate in telerehabilitation can contribute to the enhancement of telerehabilitation programs and the overall rehabilitation and care provided to this specific population., Objective: To explore the needs and experiences of total hip and knee arthroplasty patients with telerehabilitation., Design: Systematic review and qualitative synthesis., Methods: Electronic databases PubMed, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, ProQuest, CNKI, Wanfang Data, VIP, and SinoMed were systematically searched for information on the needs and experiences of telerehabilitation for patients with total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty in qualitative studies. The search period was from the creation of the database to March 2024. Literature quality was assessed using the 2016 edition of the Australian Joanna Briggs Institute Centre for Evidence-Based Health Care Quality Assessment Criteria for Qualitative Research. A pooled integration approach was used to integrate the findings inductively., Results: A total of 11 studies were included and 4 themes were identified: the desire to communicate and the need to acquire knowledge; accessible, high-quality rehabilitation services; positive psychological experiences; the dilemmas of participating in telerehabilitation., Conclusions: This study's findings emphasize that the practical needs and challenges of total hip and knee arthroplasty patients' participation in telerehabilitation should be continuously focused on, and the advantages of telerehabilitation should be continuously strengthened to guarantee the continuity of patients' postoperative rehabilitation and to promote their postoperative recovery., Competing Interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

The gut microbiome plays an important role in tumor growth by regulating immune cell function. However, the role of the gut microbiome-mediated monocytes in liver metastasis remains unclear. In this study, we found that fecal microbiome transplantation (FMT) from the stool of patients with liver metastasis (LM) significantly promoted liver metastasis compared with healthy donors (HD). Monocytes were upregulated in liver tissues by the CCL2/CCR2 axis in LM patients' stool transplanted mouse model. CCL2/CCR2 inhibition and monocyte depletion significantly suppress liver metastasis. FMT using LM patients' stool enhanced the plasma lipopolysaccharides (LPS) concentration. The LPS/TLR4 signaling pathway is crucial for gut microbiome-mediated liver metastasis. These results indicated that monocytes contribute to liver metastasis via the CCL2/CCR2 axis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Rearrangements involving the neurotrophic-tropomyosin receptor kinase (NTRK) gene family ( NTRK1, NTRK2 , and NTRK3 ) have been identified as drivers in a wide variety of human cancers. However, the association between NTRK rearranged thyroid carcinoma and clinicopathological characteristics has not yet been established. In our study, we retrospectively reviewed medical records of thyroid cancer patients and identified 2 cases with NTRK rearrangement, no additional molecular alterations were observed in either of these cases. The fusion of the rearrangement in both cases was ETV6 (E4):: NTRK3 (E14). By analyzing the clinicopathological features of these two cases, we found that both were characterized by multiple tumor nodules, invasive growth, and central lymph node metastases, indicating the follicular subtype of papillary thyroid carcinoma. Immunohistochemical staining profiles showed CD56-, CK19+, Galectin-3+, HBME1+. These clinicopathological features suggest the possibility of ETV6-NTRK3 rearranged thyroid carcinoma and highlight the importance of performing gene fusion testing by FISH or NGS for these patients., Competing Interests: Authors PC, JHL, and DS were employed by the company Sano Suzhou Precision Medicine Co. Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Ke, Cao, Zhang, Huang, Chen, Liu, Shan, Ke, Wang, Liu, Li and Xiao.)

Objective: The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic and comprehensive review of qualitative research to examine the physical and psychological needs, as well as work experiences, of patients undergoing total knee replacement and total hip replacement surgeries during their process of returning to work., Methods: A systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative literature was conducted. A systematic search was conducted across 8 databases to identify qualitative or mixed-methods research on the needs and experiences of individuals with total knee replacement and total hip replacement who have returned to work. The search period extended from the inception of each database to March 2023. Two researchers independently utilized a predetermined search strategy to retrieve relevant English-language studies published in any year. The included studies were assessed for quality using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program appraisal tool. Findings from the studies were then summarized and integrated using the pooled integration method., Results: There were 10 studies in total. Three key themes were identified from the original research: needs during the return to work process and rehabilitation training, faith and support to return to work, and constraints and challenges at work., Conclusion: Health care professionals and employers should conscientiously consider the physical and psychological requirements of patients who have undergone total knee replacement and total hip replacement when they are resuming work, taking into account the specific constraints and challenges that may arise in the workplace. To ensure a seamless transition back to work, it is essential to develop tailored occupational interventions, implement comprehensive return to work programs, and offer patients sufficient understanding and support., Impact: The findings of this study offer valuable insights into the physical and psychological needs, as well as the work experiences, of patients who have undergone total knee replacement and total hip replacement during their reintegration into the workforce. These findings have the potential to assist health care professionals and employers in providing enhanced support to facilitate successful return-to-work outcomes for patients., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Physical Therapy Association. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: The objective of this study is to study the adverse effects of coal mining environment on workers to discover early effective biomarkers., Methods: The molecular epidemiological study was conducted with 502 in-service workers, who were divided into miner and auxiliary. We measured the individual levels of dust exposure for participants. Clinical examinations were conducted by qualified doctors. Peripheral blood was collected to measure biochemistry, hemogram, and karyocyte apoptosis., Results: All workers were healthy who have not found with any diseases that can be diagnosed medically in the physical examination and showed no difference in dust exposure level, age, height, weight, and body mass index between groups. The working years of miners were lower than that of auxiliaries ( p  < 0.001). Compared with auxiliaries, the concentration and percentage of lymphocytes ( p  = 0.040, p  = 0.012), basophils ( p  = 0.027, p  = 0.034), and red blood cells ( p  < 0.001) and the concentration of hemoglobin of miners were lower ( p  < 0.001). The percentage of neutrophils ( p  = 0.003), the concentration of mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration ( p  = 0.002), and the proportion of karyocyte apoptosis in miners were higher ( p < 0.001). Miners presented higher blood urea nitrogen ( p  < 0.001), ratio of blood urea nitrogen to creatinine ( p  < 0.001), the high density lipoprotein cholesterol ( p  < 0.001), lower creatinine ( p  < 0.05), and cholesterol ( p  < 0.001)., Conclusion: The coal mining environment impacted mining workers' immune function, renal function, and the hematopoietic system, including BUN/CRE, HGB, RBC, and LYMPH, which could be used as early biomarkers to screen the health of coal miners., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Chen, Ding, Zhang and Dong.)

Biochar application in rice production reduces nitrogen loss and greenhouse gases. We conducted in situ experiments for 3 years, with N 210 B 0 (210 kg N ha -1 ) as the control. Two biochar application methods (B 1 :15 t ha -1 biochar applied once and B 2 : biochar applied three times at 5 t ha -1  yr -1 ) combined with two nitrogen levels (N 210 : 210 kg N ha -1 and N 168 : 168 kg N ha -1 ) were used. Soil physicochemical properties, CH 4 and N 2 O emissions, functional gene abundance, rice yield, and nitrogen use efficiency were analyzed. Both methods improved the physicochemical properties of the soil, however, B 1 was less effective than B 2 in increasing soil pH, bulk density, organic carbon, total nitrogen, and microbial biomass nitrogen in year 3. B 1 had a higher CH 4 emission mitigation effect than B 2 in 3 consecutive years, mainly due to the higher pmoA gene abundance. B 1 showed a higher reduction effect of N 2 O emissions compared to B 2 in year 1, but the opposite was observed in years 2 and 3. B 2 had a higher abundance of AOB, nirK, and nosZ genes compared to B 1 in year 3. Compared with N 210 B 0 , rice yields were increased by 9.1 %, 9.6 %, and 3.6 % with N 210 B 1 , N 210 B 2, and N 168 B 2 , respectively, over 3 years, while N 168 B 1 improved yields in the previous 2 years. Biochar improved nitrogen use efficiency over 3 consecutive years directly due to increased use efficiency of panicle fertilizer; the effect of B 1 was greater than that of B 2 during years 1 and 2, while the opposite was observed in year 3. Both Biochar applied once and three times appeared to be promising practices to increase yield and mitigate GHGs. From the GHGI perspective, the biochar applied once combined with 168 kg N ha -1 can further improve nitrogen use efficiency, and reduce GHGs without hindering improvements in rice yield., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Nitrogen is a crucial element that impacts rice yields, and effective tillering is a significant agronomic characteristic that can influence rice yields. The way that reduced nitrogen affects effective tillering is a complex quantitative trait that is controlled by multiple genes, and its genetic basis requires further exploration. In this study, 469 germplasm varieties were used for a genome-wide association analysis aiming to detect quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with effective tillering at low (60 kg/hm 2 ) and high (180 kg/hm 2 ) nitrogen levels. QTLs detected over multiple years or under different treatments were scrutinized in this study, and candidate genes were identified through haplotype analysis and spatio-temporal expression patterns. A total of seven genes ( NAL1 , OsCKX9 , Os01g0690800 , Os02g0550300 , Os02g0550700 , Os04g0615700 , and Os04g06163000 ) were pinpointed in these QTL regions, and were considered the most likely candidate genes. These results provide favorable information for the use of auxiliary marker selection in controlling effective tillering in rice for improved yields.

Background: As either oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have a major role in both tumorigenesis and progression of human cancers, including breast cancer (BC). However, the statistical correlation between the lncRNA-lncRNA interaction and prognosis of BC remains unclear., Methods: We analyzed the fragments per kilobase per million (FPKM) lncRNA expression data in tumor tissue samples from 890 female patients with BC in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) between May 2021 and October 2022. The Cox proportional hazards model adjusted for age, race, clinical stage, neoadjuvant therapy, estrogen receptor (ER), and progesterone receptor (PR) was adopted to evaluate the lncRNA-lncRNA interaction regarding overall survival (OS) of BC. The multiple comparison was corrected by Bonferroni method., Results: RP11-10E18.7×RP11-481C4.2 was significantly associated with OS of BC patients [hazard ratio (HR) interaction =1.04, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03-1.06, P=3.35×10 -9 ]. Then, gene-gene interaction analysis was performed for genes co-expressed with lncRNAs. FOXA1×U2SURP (HR interaction =1.49, 95% CI: 1.28-1.73, P=2.16×10 -7 ) was found to have a similar interactive pattern to RP11-10E18.7×RP11-481C4.2 . after classifying the patients by intersection (3.47), we observed that the effect of FOXA1 opposite in patients with different U2SURP expression level (HR high vs . low =0.58, 95% CI: 0.34-0.99, P=0.046 in low expression of U2SURP; HR high vs . low =1.56, 95% CI: 1.18-2.87, P=0.029 in high expression of U2SURP)., Conclusions: Our comprehensive study identified RP11-10E18.7×RP11-481C4.2 as a potential biomarker of BC prognosis. The results play an essential role in the impact of lncRNA-lncRNA interaction on BC survival. Our findings elucidated potential molecular mechanisms of BC progression under complex association patterns and provided potential dynamic and reversible therapeutic targets for BC patients., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://tcr.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/tcr-23-1941/coif). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2023 Translational Cancer Research. All rights reserved.)

In this study, we propose the use of an ionic liquid crystal (ILC) as a new resistive switching layer in nonvolatile resistive random-access memory (ReRAM) devices. The high-quality vacuum-deposited ILC films of 1-hexadecyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([C 16 mim][PF 6 ]) enabled to demonstrate the first operation of ReRAM devices with a low set voltage of ∼1 V and stable switching behavior for up to ∼44 cycles. The key to the successful operation is that the ILC layer is in the liquid crystal phase (smectic A), where the electric double layers formed at the electrode-ILC interfaces play a significant role. The results of basic electrical properties and I - V curve fittings suggested the following operation principle: the formation and rupture of charge-composed filaments within the ILC film, where the current conduction is primarily governed by the trap charge limited current (TCLC) mechanism. These achievements will pave the way for advanced studies of ILC-based electronic devices.

Background and Importance: Activation of emergency medical services (EMS) is recommended for timely reperfusion therapy for acute ischemic stroke (AIS). The association of EMS utilization and time intervals from hospital arrival to a series of necessary procedures before reperfusion therapy was rarely investigated., Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the association of EMS utilization with the time intervals from hospital arrival to therapy in patients with AIS., Design: Observational study., Settings and Participants: Medical records for AIS in all emergency departments in Beijing were obtained from January 2018 to December 2021., Intervention or Exposure: Patients transported by ambulance were defined as the EMS group, whereas others as the non-EMS group., Outcome Measures and Analysis: Door-to-imaging time (DIT), door-to-needle time (DTN) and door-to-puncture time (DTP) were compared between the two groups., Main Results: There were 11 190 (46%) and 13 106 (54%) AIS patients in the EMS and non-EMS groups. Compared with the non-EMS group, patients in the EMS group were more likely to receive intravenous thrombolysis or endovascular therapy (OR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.68-1.94). For intravenous thrombolysis therapy, the DIT, ITN (time in minutes from obtaining the first brain imaging to tPA delivery) and DTN times in the EMS group were significantly shorter with time differences between the two groups of -1.1 (95% CI, -1.1 to -1.1) min, -2.6 (-2.6 to -2.6) min, and -3.7 (-3.8, -3.7) min, respectively. The proportion of DIT ≤25 min, DTN ≤45 min or DTN ≤60 min was significantly higher in the EMS group (OR, 1.03, 95% CI, 1.02-1.05; 1.11, 1.07-1.14; 1.05, 1.03-1.07). For endovascular therapy, the differences in DIT, ITP (time in minutes from obtaining the first brain imaging to groin puncture) and DTP times between the EMS and non-EMS groups were +1.1 (1.0-1.2) min, -3.8 (-4.2 to -3.5) min, -2.7 (-3.1 to -2.4) min, respectively, but no significant association was observed between EMS usage and the proportion of DIT ≤25 min or DTP ≤90 min., Conclusion: In this observational study, the use of EMS for patient with AIS was associated with a shorter time from hospital arrival to intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular therapy., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Airway management during cardiopulmonary resuscitation is particularly important for patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). This study was performed to compare the efficacy of the most commonly used out-of-hospital airway management methods in increasing the survival to discharge in patients with OHCA., Methods: We screened all relevant literature from database inception to 21st January 2019 in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. We included all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of airway management for OHCA in adults (≥16 years of age) with no limitations on publication status, publication date, or language. The primary outcome was survival to discharge. The secondary outcomes were the overall airway technique success rate, return of spontaneous circulation, and survival to hospital admission., Results: Overall, from 1986 to 2018, 9 RCTs involving 13,949 patients were included in the network meta-analysis, and the efficacy of six airway management methods for patients with OHCA were compared. However, none of the results were statistically significant., Conclusions: As the gold standard of airway management for patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in most countries, endotracheal intubation (ETI) has been widely used for many years. However, our systematic review and network meta-analysis showed that ETI is no better than other methods in increasing the survival to discharge. This is not directly proportional to the various preparations required before ETI. Additional randomized controlled trials are needed to identify more effective methods and improve patients' outcome., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest There is no conflict of interest related to this study., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The prevalence of soluble aluminum (Al) ions is one of the major limitations to crop production worldwide on acid soils. Therefore, understanding the Al tolerance mechanism of rice and applying Al tolerance functional genes in sensitive plants can significantly improve Al stress resistance. In this study, transcriptomics and metabolomics analyses were performed to reveal the mechanism of Al tolerance differences between two rice landraces (Al-tolerant genotype Shibanzhan (KR) and Al-sensitive genotype Hekedanuo (MR) with different Al tolerance. The results showed that DEG related to phenylpropanoid biosynthesis was highly enriched in KR and MR after Al stress, indicating that phenylpropanoid biosynthesis may be closely related to Al tolerance. E1.11.1.7 (peroxidase) was the most significant enzyme of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis in KR and MR under Al stress and is regulated by multiple genes. We further identified that two candidate genes Os02g0770800 and Os06g0521900 may be involved in the regulation of Al tolerance in rice. Our results not only reveal the resistance mechanism of rice to Al stress to some extent, but also provide a useful reference for the molecular mechanism of different effects of Al poisoning on plants., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wang, Su, Cui, Huang, Gu, Jiang, Feng, Xu, Zhang, Jiang and Zhao.)

Background and Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the effect of half a year of evolocumab plus moderate-intensity statin treatment on carotid intraplaque neovascularization (IPN) and blood lipid levels. Methods: A total of 31 patients with 33 carotid plaques who received evolocumab plus statin treatment were included. Blood lipid levels, B-mode ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) at baseline and after half a year of evolocumab plus statin therapy were collected. The area under the curve (AUC) reflected the total amount of acoustic developer entering the plaque or lumen within the 180 s measurement period. The enhanced intensity reflected the peak blood flow intensity during the monitoring period, and the contrast agent area reflected the area of vessels in the plaques. Results: Except for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), all other lipid indices decreased. Compared with baseline, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) decreased by approximately 57% ( p < 0.001); total cholesterol (TC) decreased by approximately 34% ( p < 0.001); small dense low-density lipoprotein (sd-LDL) decreased by approximately 52% ( p < 0.001); and HDL-c increased by approximately 20% ( p < 0.001). B-mode ultrasonography showed that the length and thickness of the plaque and the hypoechoic area ratio were reduced ( p < 0.05). The plaque area, calcified area ratio, and lumen cross-sectional area changed little ( p > 0.05). CEUS revealed that the area under the curve of plaque/lumen [AUC (P/L)] decreased from 0.27 ± 0.13 to 0.19 ± 0.11 ( p < 0.001). The enhanced intensity ratio of plaque/lumen [intensity ratio (P/L)] decreased from 0.37 ± 0.16 to 0.31 ± 0.14 ( p = 0.009). The contrast agent area in plaque/area of plaque decreased from 19.20 ± 13.23 to 12.66 ± 9.59 ( p = 0.003). The neovascularization score decreased from 2.64 ± 0.54 to 2.06 ± 0.86 ( p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis based on statin duration (<6 months and ≥6 months) showed that there was no significant difference in the AUC (P/L) or intensity ratio (P/L) at baseline or after half a year of evolocumab treatment. Conclusion: This study found that evolocumab combined with moderate-intensity statins significantly improved the blood lipid profile and reduced carotid IPN. Clinical Trial Registration: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; identifier: NCT04423406., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Chen, Zhao, Lei, Qi, Xue, Meng, Zhang, Zhang, Wang, Zhu, Cheng, Wang, Bi, Song, Jin, Niu, An, Li, Huo, Zhao and Li.)

Abstract: Niu, X, Han, P, Tang, Z, Huang, J, Li, L, He, H, Zhang, W, Zhao, L, and Zhao, L. Cold stress induced a higher level of fat oxidation in women. J Strength Cond Res 37(1): 114-122, 2023-To investigate women's fat oxidation under cold stress during incremental exercise testing and compare the effect of cold stress on fat oxidation between the sexes. Twenty-six healthy subjects performed 2 incremental exercise tests to determine maximal oxygen uptake (V̇ o2 max) on a treadmill in different ambient temperatures. Cardiopulmonary variables were continuously recorded during incremental exercise tests. Maximal fat oxidation (MFO) and the corresponding exercise intensity (Fat max ) were determined from the fat oxidation curve constructed by indirect calorimetry. Both men and women relied more on fat oxidation in cold environment ( p < 0.05). Compared with men, fat oxidation was significantly greater in women in the cold environment from 50 to 70% V̇ o2 max ( p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the change of fat oxidation as exercise intensity increased between the sexes ( p > 0.05). Women had a greater MFO ( p < 0.05) and Fat max ( p < 0.05) than men in the cold environment. When MFO was the dependent variable, sex, fat-free mass, fat mass, V̇ o2 max, and temperature accounted for 48% of its variability. We conclude that cold stress enhances fat oxidation in women. Compared with men, women have significantly higher value and rely more on fat oxidation to supply energy in the cold environment, although the increasing level of fat oxidation was similar between the sexes. These factors may have important implications in the individualization of exercise prescription in cold conditions for both men and women., (Copyright © 2021 National Strength and Conditioning Association.)

Recent developments in the field of second language acquisition have led to a growing interest in exploring the influential power of domain-general psychological properties in the L2 learning context. Several attempts have been made to elucidate the impact of properties such as boredom, resilience and enjoyment, etc. However, the association between psychopathology and second language learning psychology has received scant attention and has not been closely examined. Hence, the current study aims to explore the impact of mental disturbance on second language learning psychology and delineate the influential trajectory, by referring to the network approach as the theoretical foundation. Participants were 173 Chinese speakers of L2 English. By performing correlation analysis and structural equation modelling analysis, this research revealed that mental disturbance had a significant positive impact on L2 anxiety and a significant negative impact on L2 autonomy and L2 self-efficacy. L2 anxiety and L2 autonomy acted as mediating roles in the impact of mental disturbance on L2 self-efficacy, in which a chain mediation trajectory was detected. An expanded network approach was thus advanced. Pedagogical implication and future research were identified and discussed., Competing Interests: Declarations of interestThe authors have no competing interests to declare that are relevant to the content of this article., (© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2022, Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Background: Cardiac myxofibrosarcoma is a rare cardiac malignant tumor, whose diagnosis is challenging due to its rare and non-specific manifestations. Ultrasound is the most important tool for detecting cardiac tumors. Yet, its diagnostic value in cardiac myxoidfibrosarcoma is rarely reported. Herein, we summarized the ultrasonic manifestations of myxofibrosarcoma in a 72-year-old Han woman., Case Presentation: The patient presented with crushing chest pain without obvious inducement, lasting 3-5 min each time, which would be relieved after rest, accompanied by palpitation, chest tightness, shortness of breath, dizziness, and syncope. The electrocardiogram (ECG) suggested atrial fibrillation. Ultrasound found two moderate echogenic masses in the left atrium; one was about 48 × 31 mm in size, and the other was about 25 × 24 mm in size. The clinical diagnosis was atrial mass and atrial fibrillation. The patient underwent the operation of left atrial tumor resection + mitral valvuloplasty + atrial fibrillation radiofrequency ablation + left atrial appendectomy. The tumor was completely removed, and the patient did not receive radiotherapy or chemotherapy after surgery. The patient was reexamined by ultrasound at 6, 42, and 91 days after surgery, and no obvious abnormalities were found. On day 115, moderate echoic mass was detected on the posterior wall of the left atrium, nearing the mitral valve ring, with a size of about 28 × 23 mm. Currently, the patient is under follow-up care., Conclusion: As the most important examination method for cardiac tumors, cardiac ultrasound has good diagnostic and differential diagnosis value and can be used regularly due to its simplicity and safety. The diagnosis rate of cardiac myxofibrosarcoma can be greatly improved by summarizing the ultrasonographic manifestations of cardiac myxofibrosarcoma and differentiating them from other lesions., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

In recent years, a greater focus has been placed on the influential power of domain-general psychological properties in second language acquisition and learning. The investigations of these properties, such as grit, academic procrastination and enjoyment etc. have been extensively conducted and are well-documented. Notwithstanding the surge of academic inquiry, the link between psychopathological notions and second language learning has not been adequately established and thoroughly scrutinized. The current study, therefore, aims to broaden the spectrum of second language research and explore the impact of social phobia on willingness to communicate in the second language context. Meanwhile, this research introduces the self-construct, particularly the ideal L2 self to further examine and elucidate the impact. 173 qualified Chinese speakers of L2 English participated in the study. By conducting correlation analysis, regression analysis and structural equation modelling analysis, it was revealed that social phobia had a significant negative impact on L2 willingness to communicate in social situations of meetings and public speaking. Ideal L2 self acted as a complete mediating role in the impact. Pedagogical implications and future directions were proposed and discussed., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Zhang and Zhang.)

As a crucial component of urban green space (UGS), urban parks have been found to be closely associated with the health of urban residents. Drawing on a large-scale survey, "International First-class Harmonious and Livable Capital", in Beijing conducted in 2018, this paper examines the impact of subjective and objective characteristics of UGS on residents' self-rated health (SRH) by using a binary logistic regression model. The results indicate that the overall SRH status of urban residents in Beijing is relatively good, with 73.8% of the respondents reporting good SRH. The perceived quality of UGS and objectively measured accessibility to UGS are positively associated with residents' SRH, but the subjective indicator of UGS has a greater impact on SRH than the objective indicator of UGS. In terms of influencing mechanisms, social interaction and air quality perception were the two major mediators of UGS that affected residents' SRH. The heterogeneity analysis suggests that objective accessibility to different types of urban parks has mixed effects on residents' SRH. Access to high-quality parks is positively associated with residents' SRH, whereas access to common parks has a negative impact on residents' SRH. Our findings provide important policy implications for optimizing urban park design and improving the quality of urban park provision according to human needs in the Beijing Metropolitan Area., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Zhan, Zhang, Kwan, Liu, Zhan and Zhang.)

Objective: To investigate emergency medical service (EMS) utilization and its associated factors in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS), and further explore the urban-rural differences., Methods: Medical records for AIS in all emergency departments in Beijing were obtained from the Beijing Emergency Care Database from January 2018 to December 2021. EMS utilization was described and factors associated with EMS use were examined by multivariable logistic regression models with the generalized estimating equations. Results were compared between urban and rural districts., Results: A total of 24,296 AIS patients were included in the analysis, and 11,190 (46.1%) were transported to hospitals by EMS. The percentage of EMS usage in urban areas was significantly higher than that in rural areas (53.6 vs. 34.4%, P < 0.001). From 2018 to 2021, EMS utilization was on the increase ( P -value for trend <0.001) with a higher average annual growth rate in rural areas (12.6%) than in urban (6.4%). Factors associated with EMS utilization were age (OR: 1.20 per 10-year increase, 95% CI: 1.17-1.23), NIHSS scores, off-hour arrival (OR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.23-1.37), treatment in tertiary hospitals (OR: 1.75, 95% CI: 1.60-1.92), and possessing comorbidities such as coronary artery disease (OR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.17-1.24), atrial fibrillation (OR: 1.56, 95% CI: 1.41-1.73), prior stroke (OR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.78-0.90) or dyslipidemia (OR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.71-0.85)., Conclusion: This study demonstrated an inadequate use of EMS among AIS patients in Beijing, especially in rural areas, and revealed several associated factors. Enhanced education programs and EMS accessibility are necessary particularly for high-risk individuals and regions., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Ding, Chen, Wang, Liu, Ceceke, Zhang, Geng, Deng, Sun, Zhang and Wu.)

Cold stress is a major threat to the sustainability of rice yield. Brassinosteroids (BR) application can enhance cold tolerance in rice. However, the regulatory mechanism related to cold tolerance and the BR signaling pathway in rice has not been clarified. In the current study, the seedling shoot length (SSL), seedling root length (SRL), seedling dry weight (SDW), and seedling wet weight (SWW) were used as the indices for identifying cold tolerance under cold stress and BR-combined cold treatment in a backcross recombinant inbred lines (BRIL) population. According to the phenotypic characterization for cold tolerance and a high-resolution SNP genetic map obtained from the GBS technique, a total of 114 QTLs were identified, of which 27 QTLs were detected under cold stress and 87 QTLs under BR-combined cold treatment. Among them, the intervals of many QTLs were coincident under different treatments, as well as different traits. A total of 13 candidate genes associated with cold tolerance or BR pathway, such as BRASSINAZOLE RESISTANT1 (OsBZR1), OsWRKY77, AP2 domain-containing protein, zinc finger proteins, basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) protein, and auxin-induced protein, were predicted. Among these, the expression levels of 10 candidate genes were identified under different treatments in the parents and representative BRIL individuals. These results were helpful in understanding the regulation relationship between cold tolerance and BR pathway in rice.

Low temperature is one of the major abiotic stresses limiting seed germination and early seedling growth in rice. Brassinosteroid (BR) application can improve cold tolerance in rice. However, the regulatory relationship between cold tolerance and BR in rice remains undefined. Here, we constructed a population of 140 backcross recombinant inbred lines (BRILs) derived from a cross between a wild rice (Dongxiang wild rice, DXWR) and a super rice (SN265). The low-temperature germination rate (LTG), survival rate (SR), plant height (PH), and first leaf length (FLL) were used as indices for assessing cold tolerance under cold stress and BR-combined cold treatment at seed germination and bud burst stages. A high-resolution SNP genetic map, covering 1,145 bin markers with a distance of 3188.33 cM onto 12 chromosomes, was constructed using the GBS technique. A total of 73 QTLs were detected, of which 49 QTLs were identified under cold stress and 24 QTLs under BR-combined cold treatment. Among these, intervals of 30 QTLs were pairwise coincident under cold stress and BR-combined cold treatment, as well as different traits including SR and FLL, and PH and FLL, respectively. A total of 14 candidate genes related to cold tolerance or the BR signaling pathway, such as CBF/DREB (LOC&#95;Os08g43200), bHLH (LOC&#95;Os07g08440 and LOC&#95;Os07g08440), WRKY (LOC&#95;Os06g30860), MYB (LOC&#95;Os01g62410 and LOC&#95;Os05g51160), and BRI1-associated receptor kinase 1 precursor (LOC&#95;Os06g16300), were located. Among these, the transcript levels of 10 candidate genes were identified under cold stress and BR-combined cold treatment by qRT-PCR. These findings provided an important basis for further mining the genes related to cold tolerance or the BR signaling pathway and understanding the molecular mechanisms of cold tolerance in rice., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Guo, Wang, Yao, Cheng, Zhang, Xu, Li, Huang and Zhao.)

Recently, there has been a surge of interest in the exploration of psychological properties in a second language context. Considerable literature has grown up around the influence of these psychological properties on L2 writing specifically. However, the impact of academic procrastination, which is an important psychological property, has been understudied and it remains unclear how affective factors in L2 might play a role in the above potential influence on L2 writing. Therefore, the current study explored the impact of academic procrastination on L2 writing and examined the mediating role of L2 writing anxiety, by adopting text readability as an innovative approach to assessing L2 writing performance. Participants were 55 Chinese speakers of L2 English. By utilizing the collected questionnaire data and the readability indicators of the L2 writing task, the current research conducted correlation analysis, regression analysis, and structural equation modeling analysis. The results revealed that academic procrastination had a significant negative impact on the readability indicator of Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level in L2 writing. L2 writing anxiety played a complete mediating role in the impact. Academic procrastination can significantly affect Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level of L2 writing indirectly through L2 writing anxiety. Pedagogical implications and future studies were discussed., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Zhang and Zhang.)

Air pollution imposes detrimental impacts on residents' health and the general quality of life. Quantifying the influential mechanism of air pollution on residents' happiness and the economic value brought by environmental quality improvement could provide a scientific basis for the construction of livable cities. This study estimated urban residents' willingness to pay for air pollution abatement by modeling the spatial relationship between air quality and self-rated happiness with a Bayesian multi-level ordinal categorical response model. Using large-scale geo-referenced survey data, collected in the Bohai Rim area of China (including 43 cities), we found that a standard deviation decrease in the number of polluted days over a year was associated with about a 15 percent increase in the odds of reporting a higher degree of happiness, after controlling for a wide range of individual- and city-scale covariate effects. On average, urban residents in the Bohai Rim region were willing to pay roughly 1.42 percent of their average monthly household income for mitigating marginal reductions in air pollution, although great spatial variability was also presented. Together, we hoped that these results could provide solid empirical evidence for China's regional environmental policies aiming to promote individuals' well-being.

Promoting technological advancements and energy transitions in electricity generation are crucial for achieving carbon reduction goals. Some studies have examined the effectiveness of these measures by analysing the driving forces of "aggregate carbon intensity" (ACI) change. However, only a few studies have considered the effect of the installed capacity mix and capacity factor. Moreover, such analysis has never been applied at China's provincial level after 2015. To alleviate this gap, our study applied a temporal and multi-regional spatial IDA-LMDI model to analyse the driving factors of ACI changes and disparities among the provinces of China from 2005 to 2019. The model notably includes the effects of the installed capacity mix, thermal capacity factor, and overall capacity factor. The analysis revealed that the decline in China's ACI was diminished after 2015, while an ACI rebound was identified in five provinces. The changes in the ACI from 2015 to 2019 were mainly driven by the effect of the installed capacity mix rather than by the thermal efficiency and thermal capacity factor. The overall capacity factor was the only factor with a negative impact on the ACI change. We also found that its combined effect with the thermal capacity factor on increasing ACI can offset the effect of the installed capacity mix by reducing the ACI in provinces with significant additions of renewable energy installed capacity. The analysis of the influencing factors on the provincial ACI differences revealed that the share of hydropower installed capacity was significant. Moreover, the thermal efficiency and thermal capacity factor both played key roles in the ACI disparities in northeast, northwest, and central China. Overall, this study paves the way for data-driven measures of China's carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals by improving the capacity factor of wind and solar power, leveraging the critical impact of hydropower, and narrowing the differences in the thermal power sector among provinces.

Deep coal seam mining often leads to water resource loss due to bedrock water entering the workings of the mine and is discharged adjacent to the mining area. Using the geological conditions of the Maiduoshan coal mine, this paper applied a physical simulation experiment. The specified rock above the coal seam was hydraulically fractured in advance to form a postmining grouted fracture network, followed by grouting to construct a flexible isolation layer that blocked the infiltration of groundwater from the aquifer into the water-conducting fracture zone. Stress sensors, flow sensors and strata displacement monitoring technology were deployed inside the experimental material to study the spatial distribution characteristics and evolution law of the water-conducting fracture zone in the overlying rocks. Analysis of the water-conducting fracture zone development law, stress variation, overburden evolution characteristics, fracturing and grouting sequence of the flexible isolation layer and the effect of postmining grouting on the water barrier was conducted. These experiments verified the feasibility of fracture and grouting of the flexible isolation layer. These research results will provide practical guidance for the transition from the current safe and efficient mining methods to safe and green mining methods of deep coal mining in the western mining areas of China., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The field of rapid urbanization has recently paid more attention to the relationship between tourism development and liveable city construction. Previous studies have mainly focused on the experiences of tourists in tourist cities and seldom paid attention to the perceptions of local residents. Based on survey data of nearly 10,000 permanent residents in 40 key tourist cities in China, this study uses a multilevel model to quantitatively analyse the natural environment characteristics, sociocultural environment characteristics and comprehensive attraction of tourism in different tourist cities to explore their impact on urban liveability satisfaction. Results show that the developed tourist cities do not exactly correspond to the cities with a high liveability evaluation. The objective evaluation of both the natural environment and the sociocultural environment has an important influence on the liveability of cities, but the influence of the natural environment is stronger than that of the sociocultural environment. An intermediary effect exists in the subjective evaluation of the natural environment and environments for liveability perception. Simultaneously, residents' liveability satisfaction varies according to their age, education level, annual household income and other social and economic conditions. These findings provide insights for developing countries to further improve residents' living quality and urban construction under the condition of the rapid development of tourism.

Objectives: To explore the potential of SARS-CoV-2 spread during air travel and the risk of in-flight transmission., Methods: We enrolled all passengers and crew suspected of being infected with SARS-CoV-2, who bounded for Beijing on international flights. We specified the characteristics of all confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection and utilised Wells-Riley equation to estimate the infectivity of COVID-19 during air travel., Results: We screened 4492 passengers and crew with suspected COVID-19 infection, verified 161 confirmed cases (mean age 28.6 years), and traced two confirmed cases who may have been infected in the aircraft. The estimated infectivity was 375 quanta/h (range 274-476), while the effective infectivity was only 4 quanta/h (range 2-5). The risk of per-person infection during a 13 h air travel in economy class was 0.56‰ (95% CI 0.41‰-0.72‰)., Conclusion: We found that the universal use of face masks on the flight, together with the plane's ventilation system, significantly decreased the infectivity of COVID-19.KEY MESSAGESThe COVID-19 pandemic is changing the lifestyle in the world, especially air travel which has the potential to spread SARS-CoV-2.The universal use of face masks on the flight, together with the plane's ventilation system, significantly decreased the infectivity of COVID-19 on an aircraft.Our findings suggest that the risk of infection in aircraft was negligible.

The application of straw and biochar can effectively improve soil quality, but whether such application impacts paddy soil bacterial community development remains to be clarified. Herein, the impacts of three different field amendment strategies were assessed including control (CK) treatment, rice straw (RS) application (9000 kg ha -1 ), and biochar (BC) application (3150 kg ha -1 ). Soil samples were collected at five different stages of rice growth, and the bacterial communities therein were characterized via high-throughput 16S rDNA sequencing. The results of these analyses revealed that soil bacterial communities were dominated by three microbial groups (Chloroflexi, Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria). Compared with the CK samples, Chloroflexi, Actinobacteria, Nitrospirae and Gemmatimonadetes levels were dominated phyla in the RS treatment, and Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Nitrospirae and Patescibacteria were dominated phyla in the BC treatment. Compared with the RS samples, Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia levels were increased, however, Proteobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes, Nitrospirae, and Firmicute levels were decreased in the BC samples. Rhizosphere soil bacterial diversity rose significantly following RS and BC amendment, and principal component analyses confirmed that there were significant differences in soil bacterial community composition among treatment groups when comparing all stages of rice growth other than the ripening stage. Relative to the CK treatment, Gemmatimonadaceae, Sphingomonadaceae, Thiovulaceae, Burkholderiaceae, and Clostridiaceae-1 families were dominant following the RS application, while Thiovulaceae and uncultured-bacterium-o-C0119 were dominant following the BC application. These findings suggest that RS and BC application can improve microbial diversity and richness in paddy rice soil in Northeast China., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Focus on form has been extensively studied in text-based online dyadic chats but much less has been explored in group chats with interlocutors from different language backgrounds. Additionally, there are very few studies investigating covert focus on form. This study investigated the effects of interlocutor types on errors and focus on form episodes, both covert and overt, in text-based online group chats. We collected chat logs from two collaborative online international learning projects. One project was developed for the collaboration between an English course at a Chinese university and an art history course at a U.S. university; the other between another cohort of the same English course and a cultural studies course at a Mexican university. We compared errors, feedback, and other characteristics of focus on form episodes between the two projects. Analyses revealed significant differences in characteristics such as overtness (overt, covert), linguistic focus (mechanical, lexical, and grammatical), and source (code, message). However, no significant differences were found for the type of focus on form (preemptive, reactive), presence of uptake, uptake quality (successful, unsuccessful), and repair provider (self, other). Students showed a preference for self-repair over other-repair and for lexical focus over mechanical and grammatical foci in both projects. Overall, only a small proportion of errors were followed by feedback. Therefore, a small amount of uptake and successful uptake occurred in both projects. The results can shed light on how instructors could provide effective scaffolding and tasks to make virtual exchange projects more rewarding., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Feng, Pyun, Zhang and Márquez Flores.)

The effects of Fe(III) and Cu(II) on the sorption of atrazine (AT) and prometryn (PY) on clay minerals were investigated both preloaded and in solution. For smectite, Fe(III) preloading greatly enhanced AT and PY sorption at pH 4.0 and 6.0 but diminished AT sorption at pH 8.0. Cu(II) preloading promoted AT and PY sorption under alkaline conditions but suppressed AT sorption at pH 4.0. The adverse effects were not obvious for PY. While for illite and kaolinite, Fe(III) and Cu(II) had little or promotion effects due to the lower contents of them in these two minerals. In the co-sorption studies, for smectite, AT sorption remained at pH 4.0 and increased at pH 6.0 and 8.0, while PY sorption was inhabited over the pH range of 4.0-8.0 in the presence of Fe(III). AT and PY sorption were not affected by Cu(II) except for PY at pH 8.0, in which case, the sorption was promoted. For illite and kaolinite, Fe(III) and Cu(II) generally enhanced AT and PY sorption., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Metastatic melanoma can be difficult to detect until at the advanced state that decreases the survival rate of patients. Several FDA-approved BRAF inhibitors have been used for treatment of metastatic melanoma, but overall therapeutic efficacy has been limited. Lutetium-177 ( 177 Lu) enables simultaneous tracking of tracer accumulation with single-photon emission computed tomography and radiotherapy. Therefore, the codelivery of 177 Lu alongside chemotherapeutic agents using nanoparticles (NPs) might improve the therapeutic outcome in metastatic melanoma. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC NPs) can particularly deliver payloads to lung capillaries in vivo. Herein, 177 Lu-labeled CNC NPs loaded with vemurafenib ([ 177 Lu]Lu-CNC-V NPs) is developed and the therapeutic effect in BRAF V600E mutation-harboring YUMM1.G1 murine model of lung metastatic melanoma is investigated. The [ 177 Lu]Lu-CNC-V NPs demonstrate favorable radiolabel stability, drug release profile, cellular uptake, and cell growth inhibition in vitro. In vivo biodistribution reveals significant retention of the [ 177 Lu]Lu-CNC-V NPs in the lung, liver, and spleen. Ultimately, the median survival time of animals is doubly increased after treatment with [ 177 Lu]Lu-CNC-V NPs compared to control groups. The enhanced therapeutic efficacy of [ 177 Lu]Lu-CNC-V NPs in the lung metastatic melanoma animal model provides convincing evidence for the potential of clinical translation for theranostic CNC NP-based drug delivery systems after intravenous administration., (© 2021 The Authors. Small published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Atherosclerosis is a chronic vascular inflammatory disease, and is associated with oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction. Homocysteine (HCY) can cause damage to endothelial cells via the enhancement of the endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) pathway. Propofol has a protective effect on endothelial injury and can suppress inflammation and oxidation. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the protective effect of propofol on HCY‑induced inflammation and apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells  (HUVECs). HCY was used to establish the endothelial injury model. Cell Counting Kit‑8 assays and flow cytometry were used to detect cell viability and apoptosis, respectively. Then, ELISA was performed to examine the expression levels of inflammatory cytokines, and the expression levels of proteins related to inflammation, apoptosis and ERS were determined via western blotting. Results showed that propofol increased cell viability, suppressed NF‑κB signaling pathway activation and decreased the expression levels of inflammatory factors in HUVECs induced by HCY. Moreover, propofol could inhibit the expression of proteins involved in ERS, including ER chaperone BiP (Bip), C/EBP‑homologous protein, protein kinase R‑like ER kinase and inositol‑requiring 1α, and reduce cell apoptosis of HCY‑induced HUVECs. However, the overexpression of Bip could reactivate ERS and the NF‑κB signaling pathway, as well as promote inflammation and cell apoptosis, when compared with HCY‑treated groups. In conclusion, propofol can ameliorate inflammation and cell apoptosis of HUVECs induced by HCY via inhibiting ERS, which may provide a novel insight into the treatment of atherosclerosis.

Green space serves urban residents in various functions including promoting health, but the roles of different types of green space are unclear. A survey titled "Healthy Neighborhood" was conducted in Beijing from May to July 2019 to examine and compare the associations between three types of perceived green space (park green, public-square green and utility green) and three aspects of residents' health (physical health, mental health and social health). Results from the multilevel modeling (MLM) analysis show that the perceived park green has a positive correlation with mental health, and all three types of perceived green space correlate with social health positively. No significant correlation of any type of green space is detected on participants' physical health, nor any relation of public-square green or utility green to their mental health. Overall the role of urban green space is stronger on social health than physical and mental health. The findings support the complementary roles of different types of green space, and suggest that expansion in utility greens could be as effective as investing in more costly park and public-square greens, especially in their benefit in promoting social health., (© 2021 The Author(s).)

Background: Nitrogen-based nutrients are the main factors affecting rice growth and development. Root systems play an important role in helping plants to obtain nutrients from the soil. Root morphology and physiology are often closely related to above-ground plant organs performance. Therefore, it is important to understand the regulatory effects of nitrogen (N) on rice root growth to improve nitrogen use efficiency., Results: In this study, changes in the rice root traits under low N (13.33 ppm), normal N (40 ppm) and high N (120 ppm) conditions were performed through root morphology analysis. These results show that, compared with normal N conditions, root growth is promoted under low N conditions, and inhibited under high N conditions. To understand the molecular mechanism underlying the rice root response to low and high N conditions, comparative proteomics analysis was performed using a tandem mass tag (TMT)-based approach, and differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) were further characterized. Compared with normal N conditions, a total of 291 and 211 DAPs were identified under low and high N conditions, respectively. The abundance of proteins involved in cell differentiation, cell wall modification, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and protein synthesis was differentially altered, which was an important reason for changes in root morphology. Furthermore, although both low and high N can cause nitrogen stress, rice roots revealed obvious differences in adaptation to low and high N., Conclusions: These results provide insights into global changes in the response of rice roots to nitrogen availability and may facilitate the development of rice cultivars with high nitrogen use efficiency through root-based genetic improvements.

With the growth of the aging population, osteoporosis is becoming a global health problem. Ursolic acid (UA) is an active ingredient existed in a variety of foods and nature plants and owns plenty of pharmacological effects especially in treating metabolic disease. Our predication from network pharmacology hinted that UA has potential for ameliorating osteoporosis. Firstly through in vivo experiment, we confirmed that UA administration obviously protected against ovariectomy (OVX)-induced osteoporosis in rats by improving microarchitectural deterioration of trabecular bone (P < 0.001), decreasing numbers of TRAP positive osteoclast in vertebra (P < 0.001), as well as decreasing serum osteoclast-specific cytokines release (P < 0.001). Besides, UA ameliorated kidney damage secondary to OVX-induced osteoporosis by ameliorating glomerular atrophy, decreasing BUN and creatinine levels in OVX rats. In vitro, UA noticeably decreased osteoclastic-special marker proteins c-Fos and NFATc1 expressions (P < 0.001) in response to RANKL stimulation in macrophagy. Importantly, autophagy pathway was activated in the process of osteoclast differentiation and blocked by UA pretreatment. Furthermore, autophagy inhibitors suppressed osteoclast differentiation (P < 0.001). Collectively, UA may ameliorate osteoporosis by suppressing osteoclast differentiation mediated by autophagy. Our research provides scientific support for UA treating osteoporosis and offers an optimal dose for daily intake of UA safely to prevent bone diseases., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignant tumor originating from the superior mucosal epithelium of the nasopharynx. However, effective therapies for NPC are still required. Reducing Hedgehog signaling pathway has been shown to suppress tumor growth. In this study, we attempted to explore whether Jervine (JV), an inhibitor of Hedgehog signaling, had anti-cancer effects on NPC, and the underlying mechanisms. Our findings showed that JV treatments markedly reduced the proliferation of NPC cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase was significantly enhanced by JV, along with evident DNA damage. Moreover, JV treatment effectively induced apoptosis in NPC cells through improving Caspase-3 activation. Furthermore, ROS production and mitochondrial impairments were detected in JV-incubated NPC cells with elevated releases of Cyto-c from mitochondria. JV also dramatically triggered autophagy through blocking AKT/mTOR and increasing AMPK signaling pathways. Intriguingly, we showed that JV-induced apoptosis was mainly via an autophagy-dependent manner. In addition, the expression levels of SHH, PTCH1, SMO and GLI1 were markedly suppressed in NPC cells, demonstrating the hindered Hedgehog signaling. Importantly, we found that JV-induced apoptosis and autophagy were closely associated with the blockage of Hedgehog signaling. Our in vivo studies confirmed the anti-cancer effects of JV on NPC through inducing autophagy, as evidenced by the markedly reduced tumor growth rate and weight without side effects and toxicity. Taken together, JV may be a promising and effective agent for human NPC treatment through repressing Hedgehog signaling pathway and inducing autophagic cell death., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)

Background: Particulate pollution is currently regarded as a severe environmental problem, which is intimately linked to reductions in air quality and human health, as well as global climate change., Objective: Accurately identifying the key factors that drive air pollution is of great significance. The temporal and spatial heterogeneity of such factors is seldom taken into account in the existing literature., Method: In this study, we adopted a geographically and temporally weighted regression model (GTWR) to explore the direction and strength of the influences of natural conditions and socioeconomic issues on the occurrence of PM 2.5 pollutions in 287 Chinese cities covering the period 1998 to 2015., Result: Cities with serious PM 2.5 pollution were discovered to mainly be situated in northern China, whilst cities with less pollution were shown to be located in southern China. Higher temperature and wind speed were found to be able to alleviate air pollution in the country's southeast, where enhanced precipitation was also shown to reduce PM 2.5 concentrations; whilst in southern and central and western regions, precipitation and PM 2.5 concentrations were positively correlated. Increased relative humidity was found to reinforce PM 2.5 concentration in southwest and northeast China. Furthermore, per capita GDP and population density were shown to intensify PM 2.5 concentrations in northwest China, inversely, they imposed a substantial adverse effect on PM 2.5 concentration levels in other areas. The amount of urban built-up area was more positively associated with PM 2.5 concentration levels in southeastern cities than in other cities in China., Conclusion: PM 2.5 concentrations conformed to a series of stages and demonstrated distinct spatial differences in China. The associations between PM 2.5 concentration levels and their determinants exhibit obvious spatial heterogeneity. The findings of this paper provide detailed support for regions to formulate targeted emission mitigation policies., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak caused people to pay significant attention to urban public safety issues. The city's public safety is an important part of the high-quality development and the construction of a liveable city. To understand whether and how factors at different levels affect the public security of particular group of people in a city. This study uses data from an extensive questionnaire survey by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People's Republic of China (MOHURD) in 11 cities. This study uses the descriptive statistical method and Hierarchical Linear Model (HLM) to study the perception of urban public safety (PUPS) and its influencing factors of floating population with higher education background (FPHEB) from the three levels of city-district-individual. The study finds that (1) when FPHEB is placed in a district and a city at the same time, the influence of the city on PUPS is greater than that of the district; (2) the urban's infrastructure security and economic development security positively affect the floating population; (3) the GDP and the number of stadiums and hospitals of the district are significantly positively correlated with the PUPS of the FPHEB, whereas the increase of population density and road density have negative effects; (4) FPHEB with distinct attributes will make their PUPS also different. This study is not only a reflection on the construction of urban public security after the COVID-19 outbreak but can also be used as a theoretical reference for the government in constructing urban public security. This study also enriches the research on the floating population and makes good scientific suggestions for the city's PUPS of the FPHEB. The research results can provide a better reference for the government's urban safety construction from the perspective of residents' perception.

Background: Prophylactic pancreatic stent placement (PSP) and rectal indomethacin suppository are recommended to prevent post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) pancreatitis (PEP) in high-risk cases. Clinical trials on the use of nitroglycerin to reduce PEP have reached no definitive conclusion. Our study aimed to determine whether treatment with rectal indomethacin plus nitroglycerin could eliminate the need for PSP in patients., Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, patients were allocated into groups using a random number table, with each patient receiving a pre-made envelope containing their intervention prior to ERCP. The three treatment groups were: the placebo group, the indomethacin + nitroglycerin group, and the PSP group. The subjects were assessed for PEP and its severity by a panel of independent and blinded adjudicators., Results: A total of 526 patients were eligible for inclusion. The placebo group included 176 patients, the indomethacin + nitroglycerin group included 176 patients and the PSP group included 174.A diagnosis of PEP was made in 64 (12.2%) cases. The rate of PEP in the three study groups placebo group, indomethacin + nitroglycerin group and the PSP group was 19.3%, 5.1%, and 12.1%, respectively., Conclusions: The risk of post-ERCP pancreatitis in the indomethacin + nitroglycerin group was 7% lower than that in the PSP. Indomethacin + nitroglycerin is superior to PSP in preventing and relieving the severity of post-ERCP pancreatitis in patients with difficult intubation. Indomethacin plus nitroglycerin can avoid the need for PSP in the prevention of post-ERCP pancreatitis., Trial Registration: Current Controlled Trials ChiCTR2000033944.

The analysis of nanoparticles' biocompatibility and immunogenicity is mostly performed under a healthy condition. However, more clinically relevant evaluation conducted under pathological condition is less known. Here, the immunogenicity and bio-nano interactions of porous silicon nanoparticles (PSi NPs) are evaluated in an acute liver inflammation mice model. Interestingly, a new mechanism in which PSi NPs can remit the hepatocellular damage and inflammation activation in a surface dependent manner through protein corona formation, which perturbs the inflammation by capturing the pro-inflammatory signaling proteins that are inordinately excreted or exposed under pathological condition, is found. This signal sequestration further attenuates the nuclear factor κ B pathway activation and cytokines production from macrophages. Hence, the study proposes a potential mechanism for elucidating the altered immunogenicity of nanomaterials under pathological conditions, which might further offer insights to establish harmonized standards for assessing the biosafety of biomaterials in a disease-specific or personalized manner., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2020 The Authors. Published by WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Eco-efficiency can effectively measure the relationship between economy, resources, environment, and development. Understanding eco-efficiency is of great practical significance for decision makers tasked with addressing and delivering sustainable socioeconomic development. Based on an "undesirable output Slacks-Based Measure models," this study evaluated the eco-efficiency of 285 Chinese cities during the period 2004-2014, analyzing spatiotemporal dynamics and influencing factors using a Spatial Autocorrelation Panel Data Model. The main results are as follows: From the spatial perspective, eco-efficiency in Chinese cities generally evidenced an M-shaped trend (increasing-decreasing-increasing-decreasing), and imbalanced spatiotemporal dynamics. Furthermore, the urban eco-efficiency generally presented a distinct convergence of HH cluster and LL cluster clubs, with the latter being the most dominant. From the regional point of view, there existed a decreasing trend in the efficiencies of cities, from eastern China to central and western China. In addition, we identified significant differences in the eco-efficiency of different cities in China, and the coefficient of variation of eco-efficiency showed a general decrease. The results of our estimation of the factors affecting urban eco-efficiency showed that the economic development level, the industrial structure, import and export trade, and the information level all had significant positive influence, and local government expenditure, social retail sales of consumer goods, and infrastructure all had a negative effect on urban eco-efficiency. This paper puts forward numbers of suggestions for ways to promote social, ecological, and economic development in Chinese cities, based on our findings., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest No conflict of interest exits in the submission of this manuscript, and manuscript is approved by all authors for publication. I would like to declare on behalf of my co-authors that the work described is original research that has not been published previously. The manuscript has also not been submitted to another journal for the consideration of publication. All the authors listed have approved the enclosed manuscript., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)