Search

Background Aim Material and methods Results Conclusion During the COVID‐19 pandemic, mitigation measures were associated with a reduction in preterm birth rates; while not clearly proven, this observation has sparked significant interest.To understand the cause of this reduction by exploring the characteristics of preterm birth cohorts.We performed a retrospective cohort study where we compared women who delivered preterm in three Melbourne maternity hospitals and conceived between November 2019 and February 2020 (mitigation measures‐exposed cohort) to women who delivered preterm and conceived between November 2018 and February 2019 (non‐exposed cohort). We compared maternal characteristics, pregnancy complications, antenatal interventions, intrapartum care, and indications for delivery.In the exposed cohort, 252/3129 women delivered preterm (8.1%), vs 298/3154 (9.4%) in the non‐exposed cohort (odds ratio (OR) 0.84, 95% CI 0.70–1.00, P = 0.051). The baseline characteristic of two cohorts were comparable. Rates of spontaneous preterm labour (sPTL) without preterm pre‐labour rupture of membranes (PPROM) were lower in the exposed cohort (13.1% vs 24.2%, OR 0.47, P = 0.001) while PPROM occurred more often (48.0% vs 35.6%, OR 1.67, P = 0.003). With a non‐statistically significant prolongation of pregnancy in the cohort exposed to mitigation measures for both sPTL without PPROM (35.4 vs 34.9 weeks, P = 0.703) and PPROM (35.6 vs 34.9 weeks, P = 0.184). The rate of spontaneous labour after PPROM was higher in the exposed cohort compared to the non‐exposed cohort (40.1% vs 24.1%, OR 2.09, P < 0.001).The reduction in preterm delivery during mitigation measures may have been driven by a reduction in spontaneous labour without PPROM, which seemed to result in more PPROM later in pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: This work describes a general method for the synthesis of a series of sulfenylated and selenylated carboranes at room temperature using readily available iodocarboranes as starting materials via boron‐centered carboranyl radicals. Such hypervalent boron radicals are generated by a visible‐light‐promoted Pd(0)/Pd(I) pathway. They are useful intermediates and can be trapped by disulfides and phenylselenyl chloride for the convenient construction of B—S/Se bonds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The protein WWOX was reported to be involved in cancer progression via interaction with mTOR and DNA repair pathway. We previously reported noteworthy association of some single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in mTOR and DNA repair pathways with gastric cancer (GCa) patients' survival. We hypothesized that genetic variants in WWOX gene could predict the survival of GCa patients. By extracting WWOX genetic variants from our ongoing genome‐wide association study including 796 GCa patients from an Eastern Chinese population, we identified 51 out of 1913 SNPs to be significantly associated with survival of GCa patients, which passed the false positive probability tests. In particular, the intronic variant rs9922483, a G>T change, was associated with 21% increased death risk for GCa patients (HR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.04‐1.42, P =.015). This locus was predicted to be involved in potential enhancer by bioinformatics analysis. Genotype‐phenotype correlation analysis revealed decreased expression of WWOX by rs9922483 G>T change. Mechanistically, rs9922483 locus may exhibits long‐range interaction with WWOX promoter, and the G>T change inhibited the transcriptional activity driven by WWOX promoter in luciferase reporter system. Especially, the G>T change had an allele‐specific negative effect on NR3C1 binding, and NR3C1 promoted the expression of WWOX in GCa cells. Further functional analysis indicated an increase in proliferation, migration and invasion of GCa cells by knockdown of WWOX. In conclusion, WWOX genetic variants may modulate survival of Chinese GCa patients by exerting remote regulatory effect on WWOX expression. Our results highlight the cis‐regulatory effect of genetic variants on genes and survival modulation for GCa patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: This work describes a general method for the synthesis of a series of sulfenylated and selenylated carboranes at room temperature using readily available iodocarboranes as starting materials via boron‐centered carboranyl radicals. Such hypervalent boron radicals are generated by a visible‐light‐promoted Pd(0)/Pd(I) pathway. They are useful intermediates and can be trapped by disulfides and phenylselenyl chloride for the convenient construction of B—S/Se bonds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed banks are fundamentally important components of the wetland ecosystem. Water levels on germination in soil seed banks have been documented in many ecosystems. However, there is a lack of knowledge about water levels on seed banks in freshwater wetlands, especially in those buried by sedimentation. Three burial depths (0–5 cm, 5–10 cm and 10–15 cm) within five water level gradient zones along the elevation in Poyang Lake, Eastern China, were sampled. The seedling-emergence method in a greenhouse under moist conditions and submersion was applied to allow all active seeds to be germinated. The experiment continued over an eight-week period in late spring up to early summer. A total of 7090 seedlings emerged, belonged to 20 families, 36 genera and 49 species. In terms of results, an average active soil seed density of 17,328 ± 1675 seeds/m2 was found in 0–15 cm in Poyang Lake, and the greatest average seed density was found at 0–5 cm with 7607 ± 790 seeds/m2, along with 5–10 cm and 10–15 cm with 5419 ± 589 seeds/m2 and 3855 ± 790 seeds/m2, respectively. An obvious difference in composition was found in the species composition of the seed bank at different water levels and burial depths. The highest water level and top layer of soil had the highest diversity index, with a Shannon–Wiener value of 2.011. Seed density, species richness and diversity decreased with the water level gradient zone from low elevation to high elevation and burial depth from surface to deepness. However, there was no interaction between inundation duration and burial depth, indicating that the water level fluctuation and sediment buried had a separate impact on the seed bank composition and diversity index. The present findings can be directly applied to the ecosystem conservation of healthy wetlands, and the ecological restoration of devastated and degraded wetlands in Poyang Lake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Flooding duration and sediment texture were designed in the study to consider the response of hygrophilous plants to environmental dynamics, which involved three plant species commonly found in the Poyang Lake wetland. The results highlight that sediment texture plays a crucial role in the growth and adaptation of hygrophilous plants, although it exhibited a weaker effect than flooding duration. Additionally, sediment texture mediates flooding to affect plant stressing response and survival. Moreover, sediment texture forms interactive effects with flooding duration and has direct influences on hygrophilous plants. Our study helps provide theoretical insights from a more scientific perspective for the prediction of hygrophilous plant dynamics and to facilitate the formulation of wetland management. Flooding duration and sediment texture play vital roles in the growth and adaptation of wetland plants. However, there is a lack of research on the interactive effects of flooding duration and sediments on wetland plants. A two-factor experiment with flooding duration and sediment texture was designed in the study, involving three plant species commonly found in the Poyang Lake wetland (i.e., Carex cinerascens, Phalaris arundinacea, and Polygonum criopolitanum). Our findings were as follows: (i) Sediments play a crucial role in the growth and adaptation of hygrophilous plants, but they exhibited a weaker effect than flooding. (ii) Sediment texture mediates flooding to affect the stressing responses of wetland plant functional traits, including the leaf chlorophyll content, the plant height, and the number of leaves and ramets. (iii) Sediment texture forms interactive effects with flooding duration and directly influences hygrophilous plants. The results of this study help provide theoretical insights from a more scientific perspective for the prediction of hygrophilous plant dynamics and to facilitate the formulation of wetland management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detection characteristics of elementary tellurium (Te) nanocrystalline thin film for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) gas detection are presented. An electron beam evaporation method (eBE) was used to deposit elementary Te ultrathin nanocrystalline films at room temperature, with the thickness from 10 nm to 40 nm. An intermittent deposition method was employed to regulate the distribution of grains during the whole film deposition process. A type of compact and continuous nanocrystalline film structure was confirmed by x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy analysis. Such a structural feature of thin films is able to provide a continuous grain boundary, which can increase the surface-to-volume ratio and further improve the sensitivity of the sensors. The effects of film thickness and gas concentration with respect to the sensor performance have been evaluated. The sensor presents a ppm (parts per million)-level NO2 detection limit in an atmospheric environment, and the maximum sensitivity is up to 7.926 × 105 ppm−1. In addition, a complete evaluation demonstration system was developed for a NO2 concentration real-time monitor, which provides the possibility for the sensor to be applied to actual environmental monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The optimal treatment strategy for refractory or relapse (R/R) indolent non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (iNHL) has not been fully identified. This study aims to investigate the efficacy and tolerance of bendamustine hydrochloride developed in native Chinese corporation in the treatment of patients with R/R iNHL. Methods: A total of 101 patients from 19 centers were enrolled in this study from July 2016 to February 2019. Bendamustine hydrochloride (120 mg/m2) was given on days 1 and 2 of each 21‐day treatment cycle for six planned cycles or up to eight cycles if tolerated. Parameters of efficacy and safety were analyzed. Results: The median age of the patients was 53.44 (range, 24.4–74.6) years old. A total of 56 (55.44%) patients completed at least six treatment cycles, and the relative dose intensity was 93.78%. The overall response rate was 72.28%, and the median duration of response was 15.84 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 13.77–27.48 months). Median progression‐free survival was 16.52 months (95% CI, 14.72–23.41 months), and the median overall survival was not reached. Grade 3 or 4 hematologic toxicities included neutropenia (77.22%), thrombocytopenia (29.70%), and anemia (15.84%). The most frequent nonhematologic adverse events (any grade) included nausea, vomiting, fatigue, fever, decreased appetite, and weight loss. Seven patients died during the trial, and four cases may be related to the investigational drug. Conclusions: This study reveals that bendamustine hydrochloride is a feasible treatment option for the indolent B‐cell non‐Hodgkin lymphoma patient who has not remitted or relapsed after treatment with rituximab. All adverse events were predictable and manageable. This open‐label, multicenter study demonstrated that bendamustine is a feasible treatment option for indolent B‐cell non‐Hodgkin lymphoma patients in China who have not remitted or relapsed after treatment with rituximab. All adverse events were predictable and manageable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid lead halide perovskites are widely studied in photodetectors due to their excellent optoelectronic properties. However, most of the perovskite photodetectors require an external power source, which adds additional costs and limits their application. Here, a self‐powered photodetector based on the heterojunction formed by methylammonium lead tribromide perovskite nanocrystals (MAPbBr3 NCs) and mesoporous TiO2 (m‐TiO2) is demonstrated by a space‐confined growth method. The NCs are uniformly grown on the m‐TiO2 framework and mirco‐heterojunctions are formed. Systematic research shows that the built‐in electric field of the mirco‐heterojunctions increases the exciton dissociation and carrier transport. In the absence of an external power supply, the photodetectors display an impressive on/off ratio (>105) and high detectivity (>1011 Jones) under 100 mW cm−2 solar irradiation. In addition, the winning device shows excellent long‐term stability (photocurrent maintains over 92% after exposure of 102 days to the air), benefiting from the enhanced binding energy and reduced defect density of NCs. It is believed that this study sheds light on the further development of self‐powered perovskite‐based photodetectors with high performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective During a review on postpartum hemorrhage, we identified randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of one author conducted at the same time and place for the same condition, with large differences in baseline characteristics. We assessed the data integrity of the RCTs of this author. Study Design We undertook a focused analysis of the data integrity of all RCTs published by Dr. Ahmed M. Maged. We examined the studies for clinical logic and made pairwise comparisons of baseline characteristics and outcomes between trials. We used mathematical methods to assess whether the distribution of baseline characteristics was compatible with chance. Results Between March 2015 and December 2019, Dr. Maged published 22 RCTs (n = 3,722). The median number of participants randomized per center per month was 32 (range = 1–89). Fifteen studies were either not or retrospectively registered, with one study registered 1 year after publication. One study was submitted for publication prior to the completion of the described study period. There were many unusual findings in the studies, including biologically implausible occurrences such as the absence of an association between gestational age and birthweight in seven studies and very different body mass index between three trials, which ran at the same time in the same hospital on the same topic as well as unlikely occurrences such as limited participant drop outs. One paper contained considerable text duplication and identical data to that in a paper published by a different author group from a different hospital, with both papers submitted at the same time. Mathematical analysis of the baseline characteristics of all 22 trials indicated that at least some of the reported baseline characteristics were unlikely to be the result of proper randomization. Conclusion Our analyses of the 22 RCTs of Dr. Maged suggest potential data integrity issues in at least some of them. We suggest that journals investigate according to the Committee on Publication Ethics guidelines. The procedures demonstrated in this paper may help to assess data integrity in future attempts to verify the authenticity of published RCTs. Key Points We identified a number of findings biologically implausible in RCTs by Maged. Monte Carlo simulation found pooled data of Maged RCTs were unlikely result of proper randomization. Textual overlap and almost identical data were found between a Maged paper and another paper. The methods we described may be useful for future efforts in validating scientific data integrity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evergreen broad-leaved forest (EBLF) is climax vegetation in East China, and Jiangxi Province is located at the center of EBLF. Although many phytosociological studies have provided detailed descriptions on this forest at local and regional scales, knowledge on the high-level classification of EBLF and factors controlling their tree species composition and distribution are still lacking. We aim at providing a high-level classification framework for EBLF in Jiangxi and exploring the roles of topographic and climatic factors in driving their distributions. We investigated 205 EBLF plots covering the main alliances across Jiangxi Province. Two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN) and detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) were used to distinguish the EBLF types. Diagnostic and indicator species were detected. The nonparametric Kruskal–Wallis test was used to compare the differences between the groups of EBLFs. We also used redundancy analysis and variation partitioning to estimate the effects of climatic, geographical and topographical factors on the distribution of EBLFs in Jiangxi. The EBLFs in Jiangxi were classified into four types based on the diagnostic taxa and verified by TWINSPAN, i.e. lowland, ravine monsoon, montane typical and dwarf cloud EBLF types. These four EBLF types are associated with climatic and topographic conditions, and their distribution pattern reflects biogeographic differences. Our study provides an important basis for the syntaxonomic classification of EBLFs and further in-depth studies on humid EBLFs in East China. We also emphasize the importance of conservation practices to protect these forests as diversified Tertiary relict plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Macrophages commonly exist in two distinct subsets in different microenvironments: classically activated macrophages (M1) and alternatively activated macrophages (M2). The imbalance of M1-M2 macrophage polarization is often related to various diseases or inflammatory states. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is an imbalance in the expression of M1 and M2 macrophage-related cytokines in severe chronic periodontitis. METHODS: A total of 30 clinical specimens, including severe chronic periodontitis tissues (n = 15) and healthy control tissues (n = 15), were used in this study. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot methods were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of M1 macrophage-related cytokines (inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1)) and M2 macrophage-related cytokines (arginase-1 (Arg-1) and STAT6), respectively. RESULTS: The mRNA and protein expression levels of M1 macrophage-related cytokines (iNOS and STAT1) and M2 macrophage-related cytokines (Arg-1 and STAT6) were significantly increased in severe chronic periodontitis patients. In addition, the ratios of iNOS/Arg-1 and STAT1/STAT6 in the severe chronic periodontitis group were also significantly increased (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The imbalance of M1/M2 macrophages exists in the pathogenesis of severe chronic periodontitis, and has a tendency towards M1 polarization. Therefore, maintaining the immune balance of M1/M2 macrophages may be a novel therapeutic alternative for the management of severe chronic periodontitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]