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Sheng-Yu Li,1 Lei Liu,1 Ding-Kun Wang,1 Xiao-Song Ding,1 Wei-Ping Li,1,2 Hong-Wei Li1,2 1Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 2Beijing Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disorder Related Cardiovascular Disease, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Wei-Ping Li; Hong-Wei Li, Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 95 Yongan Road, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100050, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-13810267817 ; +86-13801396679, Email xueer09@163.com; lhw19656@sina.comPurpose: So far, ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is still the main cause of morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular diseases worldwide. Recent studies showed that pentraxin-3 (PTX3) was related to the early diagnosis and prognosis of coronary heart disease. This study aimed to investigate the dynamical change of PTX3 after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) in STEMI patients and its prognostic value.Patients and methods: In this prospective cohort study, a total of 350 patients were enrolled. The plasma level of PTX3 was measured at admission, 24-hour and 5-day after pPCI. The primary endpoint was the incidence of major adverse cardiac cerebral events (MACCEs) during 1-year follow-up.Results: Compared with the admission, PTX3 levels were significantly increased at 24 hours, and decreased at 5 days after pPCI in the whole cohort. PTX3 levels at these three time points were not significantly different between the patients with and without MACCEs. Notably, the change in PTX3 from admission to post-pPCI 24-hour (ΔPTX3) was higher in patients with MACCEs (112.83 vs 17.94 ng/dl, P = 0.001). The ROC curves showed that the cut-off value was 29.22 ng/dl and the area under curves was 0.622 (95% CI: 0.554– 0.690, p = 0.001). Multivariable cox regression models revealed that the high ΔPTX3 group was an independent predictor of MACCEs (adjusted HR = 2.010, 95% CI = 1.280– 3.186, p = 0.003). The higher ΔPTX3 group had significantly higher incidences of revascularization (HR = 2.094, 95% CI: 1.056– 4.150, p = 0.034) and composite MACCEs (HR = 2.219, 95% CI: 1.425– 3.454, p < 0.001). However, the change of PTX3 level from admission to post-pPCI 5-day had no independently predictive value.Conclusion: The higher increase of PTX3 level 24-hour after pPCI appeared to have a potential value in independently predicting the incidence of 1-year MACCEs in STEMI patients, especially for coronary revascularization.Keywords: pentraxin-3, primary percutaneous coronary intervention, ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, prognosis

Xiao-Pei Hou,1 Yan-Yang Zhang,1 Hong-Feng Zhang,1 Shan Wang,1 Yun-Li Xing,1 Hong-Wei Li,2 Ying Sun1 1Department of Geriatrics, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Cardiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Ying Sun, Department of Geriatrics, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 95 of Yong’an Road, Xicheng District, Beijing, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-010-63137740, Email ysun15@163.comPurpose: Many older patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have impaired ability for activities of daily living (ADL). Impaired ADL leads to poor prognosis in elderly patients. The Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) score is widely used for risk stratification in AMI patients but does not consider physical performance, which is an important prognosis predictor for older adults. This study assessed whether the Barthel Index (BI) score combine the GRACE score would achieve improved one-year mortality prediction in older AMI patients.Patients and Methods: This single-center retrospective study included 688 AMI patients aged ≥ 65 years who were divided into an impaired ADL group (BI ≤ 60, n = 102) and a normal ADL group (BI > 60, n = 586) based on BI scores at discharge. The participants were followed up for one year. Cox survival models were constructed for BI score, GRACE score, and BI score combined GRACE score for one-year mortality prediction.Results: Patients had a mean age of 76.29 ± 7.42 years, and 399 were men (58%). A lower BI score was associated with more years of hypertension and diabetes, less revascularization, longer hospital stays, and higher one-year mortality after discharge. Multivariable Cox regression analysis identified BI as a significant risk factor for one-year mortality in older AMI patients (HR 0.977, 95% CI, 0.963– 0.992, P = 0.002). BI (0.774, 95% CI: 0.731– 0.818) and GRACE (0.758, 95% CI: 0.704– 0.812) scores had similar predictive power, but their combination outperformed either score alone (0.810, 95% CI: 0.770– 0.851).Conclusion: BI at discharge is a significant risk factor for one-year mortality in older AMI patients, which can be better predicted by the combination of BI and GRACE scores.Keywords: older adults, acute myocardial infarction, Barthel Index, GRACE, prognosis

Di-Hui Lan,1 Yue Zhang,1 Bing Hua,1 Jin-Shui Li,2 Yi He,2 Hui Chen,1 Wei-Ping Li,1,3 Hong-Wei Li1,3 1Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 3Beijing Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disorder Related Cardiovascular Disease, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Wei-Ping Li; Hong-Wei Li, Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, 95 Yongan Road, Beijing, 100050, People’s Republic of China, Email xueer09@163.com; lhw19656@sina.comBackground: Better survival for overweight and obese patients after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) has been demonstrated. The association between body mass index (BMI), microvascular obstruction (MVO), and area at risk (AAR) after STEMI was evaluated.Methods: A prospective observational study was performed to enrolled patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) for STEMI and cardiac magnetic resonance was performed within 5– 7 days. Patients were classified as normal weight (18.5 ≤BMI < 24.0 kg/m2), overweight (24.0 ≤BMI < 28.0 kg/m2), or obese (BMI ≥ 28 kg/m2).Results: Among 225 patients undergoing pPCI, 67 (30.00%) were normal weight, 113 (50.22%) were overweight, and 45 (20.00%) were obese. BMI ≥ 28 kg/m2 was significantly associated with less risk of MVO when compared with a normal BMI after multivariable adjustment (overweight: HR 0.29, 95% CI 0.13– 0.68, p = 0.004). Compared with normal weight patients, obese and overweight patients tend to have larger hearts (greater left ventricular end-diastolic volume [LVEDV] and left ventricular [LV] mass). In adjusted analysis, increased BMI was significantly associated with a smaller AAR. In addition, obese patients had a smaller AAR (β = − 0.252, 95% CI − 20.298- − 3.244, p = 0.007) and AAR, % LV mass (β = − 0.331, 95% CI − 0.211- − 0.062, p < 0.001) than normal weight patients.Conclusion: Obesity (BMI ≥ 28 kg/m2) is independently associated with lower risks of MVO and a smaller AAR, % LV mass than normal weight patients among subjects undergoing pPCI for STEMI.Keywords: ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, STEMI, microvascular obstruction, MVO, cardiac magnetic resonance, CMR, body mass index, BMI, area at risk, AAR

The mechanism underlying colorectal cancer (CRC) initiation and progression remains elusive, and overall survival is far from satisfactory. Previous studies have shown that PDGFA-associated protein 1 (PDAP1) is upregulated in several cancers including CRC. Here, we aimed to identify the cause and consequence of PDAP1 dysregulation in CRC and evaluate its role as a potential therapeutic target.Multi-omics data analysis was performed to identify potential key players in CRC initiation and progression. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining was applied to determine the expression pattern of PDAP1 in CRC tissues. Pdap1 conditional knockout mice were used to establish colitis and CRC mouse models. RNA sequencing, a phosphoprotein antibody array, western blotting, histological analysis, 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation assay, and interactome analysis were applied to identify the underlying mechanisms of PDAP1. A human patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model was used to assess the potential of PDAP1 as a therapeutic target.PDAP1 was identified as a potential key player in CRC development using multi-omics data analysis. PDAP1 was overexpressed in CRC cells and correlated with reduced overall survival. Further investigation showed that PDAP1 was critical for the regulation of cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and metastasis. Significantly, depletion of Pdap1 in intestinal epithelial cells impaired mucosal restitution in dextran sulfate sodium salt-induced colitis and inhibited tumor initiation and growth in colitis-associated cancers. Mechanistic studies showed that c-Myc directly transactivated PDAP1, which contributed to the high PDAP1 expression in CRC cells. PDAP1 interacted with the juxtamembrane domain of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and facilitated EGFR-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling activation, which resulted in FOS-related antigen 1 (FRA-1) expression, thereby facilitating CRC progression. Notably, silencing of PDAP1 could hinder the growth of patient-derived xenografts that sustain high PDAP1 levels.PDAP1 facilitates mucosal restitution and carcinogenesis in colitis-associated cancer. c-Myc-driven upregulation of PDAP1 promotes proliferation, migration, invasion, and metastasis of CRC cells via the EGFR-MAPK-FRA-1 signaling axis. These findings indicated that PDAP1 inhibition is warranted for CRC patients with PDAP1 overexpression.

In the present study, we have prepared glutathione capped gold and platinum alloy nanoclusters (Au-PtNCs) in a controlled way by employing the hydrothermal method and optimized through adjusting the ratio of raw materials, reaction temperature, and time. Compared with the corresponding monometallic gold and platinum nanoclusters, the alloy nanoclusters' catalytic activity is improved dramatically in the oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in the presence of H2O2. And the maximum velocity is calculated to be 106 × 10−8 M∙s−1 for TMB as substrate, being much better than that of other reported metallic nanoclusters and nanoparticles. Further study shows that the high catalytic activity mainly attributes to the synergistic effect of gold and platinum. Besides, they have been applied to determine H2O2 in the presence of TMB, which shows high sensitivity with a limit of detection (LOD) at 100 nM. The proposed method has been used to determine H2O2 in milk and contact lens solutions, which shows very good recovery and exhibits high practical application potential. Therefore, the present study provides a new type of alloy nanoclusters with high peroxidase-like activity, which will inspire more research interests on doping and alloying with Pt to improve the catalytic activity of metal nanoclusters.

BACKGROUND: Invasive treatment is commonly recommended for patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTE-ACS). However, the efficacy of this approach in patients aged ≥80 years remains uncertain. METHODS: We retrospectively assessed consecutive NSTE-ACS patients ≥80 years of age who were hospitalized at our cardiovascular center from December 2012 to July 2019. Patients were divided into two groups based on whether they received invasive treatment (coronary angiography and, if indicated, revascularization) or not. Patients who died in the first 3 days after admission without receiving invasive treatment were excluded. The effect of invasive timed treatment was also explored by dividing patients into timely invasive or delayed invasive groups according to their risk classification. Multivariate COX regression, invasive probability weighting and propensity score matching were used to adjust for confounding variables. The primary outcome was all-cause death during follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 1,201 patients with a median age of 82.0 (IQR, 81.0–84.0) were divided into two groups: 656 (54.6%) patients in the invasive group and 545 (45.4%) patients in the conservative group. Follow-up survival information was available for up to 6 years (median 3.0 years). During the follow-up, 296 (24.6%) patients died. After adjusting for confounding variables, the invasive treatment strategy was significantly associated with a lower risk of long-term mortality (HR =0.70, 95% CI: 0.54–0.92, P=0.010). No difference was found between timely invasive and delayed invasive interventions with mortality (HR =0.92, 95% CI: 0.57–1.47, P=0.725). CONCLUSIONS: Invasive treatment was associated with lower mortality in patients ≥80 years of age with NSTE-ACS over a median of a 3-year follow-up. The invasive intervention time did not impact the outcome.

A new style of low temperature combustion cigarettes was prepared by implanting a thermally conductive cellulose/coper composite rod (TCCR) in the cut tobacco section, so as to explore the application feasibility at the low temperature environment. The burning temperature of the cigarettes was investigated by thermocouple to study the influence of the implanted TCCRs. The emission of conventional components and seven harmful components in mainstream smoke were also carried out to study the effect of TCCRs. The results show that implantation of TCCRs could reduce the burning temperature of cigarettes effectively, which decreased over 100 °C. In compared with conventional cigarettes, the amount of nicotine and nicotine-freed dry particulate matter (NFDPM) in mainstream smoke of TCCRs implanted cigarettes changed little, while the release of harmful components such as CO, HCN, NNK and phenol decreased over 20%. Moreover, the TCCRs, which made of copper paper with 2 g / 18 g weight ratio of pulp and copper, and 5 mm interval perforating, could reduce the burning temperature of cigarettes by 145 °C and the hazard index by 2.01.

Background It is now understood that stress hyperglycemia is associated with adverse outcomes in hospitalized patients. Herein, we aimed to investigate the association between stress hyperglycemia and mortality risk in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods This cohort study comprised 5190 ACS patients who underwent PCI from the Cardiovascular Center Beijing Friendship Hospital Database Bank (CBDBANK) from January 2013 to January 2021. Stress hyperglycemia was defined by the glucose/glycated albumin (GA) ratio, calculated as admission fasting plasma glucose divided by GA. The patients were divided into four groups according to glucose/GA ratio quartiles (Q1-Q4). Cox proportional hazards regression and restricted cubic spline were used to evaluate the association between glucose/GA ratio and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Results During a median follow-up of 4.0 years, the number of all-cause deaths was 313 (6.0%) and cardiovascular-associated deaths was 177 (3.4%). After adjustment for potential confounders, the risk of all-cause mortality increased in the lowest (HR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.01–2.03) and highest (HR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.03–2.21) glucose/GA ratio quartiles compared to Q2. The restricted cubic splines showed that the association between glucose/GA ratio and all-cause mortality was U-shaped after full adjustment (Pnonlinear = 0.008). Similar results were observed for cardiovascular mortality. In subgroup analyses according to diabetes status, the U-shaped relationship was only significant in patients with diabetes mellitus. Conclusion In ACS patients undergoing PCI, low and high glucose/GA ratio values were associated with an increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, especially in those with diabetes mellitus.

Tumor budding is a significant independent prognostic factor in colorectal cancer. Routine reporting of tumor budding is now advocated for in the colorectal cancer standard approach recommended by the International Tumor Budding Consensus Conference guidelines. However, the current tumor budding assessment system only emphasizes tumor budding quantity and ignores other features. Therefore, this study aimed to further determine the prognostic value of tumor budding based on a more comprehensive feature analysis. To this end, we conducted a retrospective pathology review of the different characteristics of tumor budding (that is quantity, structure, cell atypia, location, stromal reaction, and immunohistochemical phenotype) in 224 specimens of stage II colorectal cancer at our institution between 2009 and 2015. The mean age of the patients was 60.3±9.2 years (range, 39-84 years). Among various features of tumor budding, single-cell budding, anaplasia-like cell atypia, myxoid stroma, high tumor budding quantity, and loss of CDX2 expression were independent predictors of recurrence and mortality in patients with stage II colorectal cancer. Based on these results, we suggest that in addition to tumor-budding quantity, other tumor budding features play important biological roles in the development of colorectal cancer. Our findings provide prognostic information that could help with guiding clinical management and oncology care models for patients with stage II colorectal cancer.

IntroductionThe coal-manufacturing districts in the Eastern Yunnan province of Southwest China are the utmost occurrence and death of lung tumors. As previously reported on unique clinical characteristics of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in patients from these regions without a clear understanding of the aetiology and molecular characteristics. We aim to identify the unique driver gene mutations spectrum.Material and methodsSamples from 1120 NSCLC patients from Eastern Yunnan were gathered for next-generation sequencing. Seventeen gene targets were sequenced. We have compared individuals' medical and genetic features from the coal- and non-coal-manufacturing zones.ResultsThe mutation rates of EGFR (L858R, 19-Del, G719X+L861X, L858R+EGFR amplification) and ERBB2 (20ins) were low in patients from coal-manufacturing regions. Interestingly, EGFR (G719X, S768I, G719X+S768I), KRAS (G12C), TP53 (R158L) and NTRK3 demonstrated a much higher mutation frequency. Furthermore, EGFR compound mutations were linked with the patient's job and TNM staging IIIb-IV. The OncodriverCLUST algorithm authenticated 6 genes (KRAS, EGFR, ROS1, NRAS, BRAF, and ERBB2) as driver genes in patients from coal manufacturing. EGFR with KRAS, BRAF, RET, and TP53 with ALK and KRAS were mutually exclusive. Mutations in the TP53 signaling pathway were the most common in NSCLC patients from the coal-fabricating districts.ConclusionsOur analyses confirmed the unique spectrum of driver genetic mutations and emphasized the potential of future targeted therapy in NSCLC patients from the coal-manufacturing districts of Eastern Yunnan. Our data broaden the view of NSCLC pathogenesis and its relationship with the environmental conditions in coal-producing regions.

There are currently no vaccines or effective drugs to prevent the disorders caused by avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J). Hence, it is critical to identify potential biomarkers in ALV-J-infected chickens to prevent ALV-J-induced disorders. We hypothesized that ALV-J infection alters metabolic profile in chickens. In the present study, a nontargeted metabolomics approach based on liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was used to find differential metabolites in plasma samples from ALV-J-infected chickens and healthy controls. The parametric statistical test (Student's t-test) and fold change analysis were used for univariate analysis. Multivariate statistical analyses included principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). The levels of methyl bromide, pyraclonil, hexaflumuron, lythidathion, 3-phosphoglycerol-glutathione, bis-4-nitrophenyl phosphate, 4-ketocyclophosphamide, oxidized photinus luciferin, phenyl sulfate, and aryl sulfate significantly decreased, whereas the levels of 2-methylthiobenzothiazole, irinotecan, methadone, 3-o-ethyl-l-ascorbic acid, and o-acetylneuraminic acid markedly increased in ALV-J-infected chickens as compared to those in healthy controls. These data provide metabolic evidence and potential biomarkers for ALV-J-induced alterations in plasma metabolism.

Two previously undescribed diarylheptanoids, diosniponol E (1) and F (2), and a new phenylhexanol derivative, (rel-2R,4R)-6-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-hexane-1,2,4-triol (3), together with seven known compounds, were isolated from the bulbils of Dioscorea opposita Thunb.. Their structures were elucidated by HRESIMS and 1D/2D NMR as well as by comparison with the literature, and absolute configurations of compounds 1 and 2 were deduced by comparison of their experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroic (ECD) spectra. All the isolated compounds were evaluated in vitro for their α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. The results indicated that compounds 3 and 7 exhibited inhibitory effect against α-glucosidase with the IC50 values of 16.2 ± 2.2 and 8.7 ± 1.6 μM, respectively. Molecular docking experiments were performed to identify the probable binding mode of compound 7 in the binding sites of α-glucosidase and molecular dynamics simulations were performed to evaluate the stability over time of the main interactions observed in docking experiments.

Malignant brain tumors consist of malignancies originated primarily within the brain and the metastatic lesions disseminated from other organs. In spite of intensive studies, malignant brain tumors remain to be a medical challenge. Patient-derived organoid (PDO) can recapitulate the biological features of the primary tumor it was derived from and has emerged as a promising drug-screening model for precision therapy. Here we show a proof-of-concept based on early clinical study entailing the organoids derived from the surgically resected tumors of 26 patients with advanced malignant brain tumors enrolled during December 2020 to October 2021. The tumors included nine glioma patients, one malignant meningioma, one primary lymphoma patient, and 15 brain metastases. The primary tumor sites of the metastases included five from the lungs, three from the breasts, two from the ovaries, two from the colon, one from the testis, one of melanoma origin, and one of chondrosarcoma. Out of the 26 tissues, 13 (50%) organoids were successfully generated with a culture time of about 2 weeks. Among these patients, three were further pursued to have the organoids derived from their tumor tissues tested for the sensitivity to different therapeutic drugs in parallel to their clinical care. Our results showed that the therapeutic effects observed by the organoid models were consistent to the responses of these patients to their treatments. Our study suggests that PDO can recapitulate patient responses in the clinic with high potential of implementation in personalized medicine of malignant brain tumors.

BackgroundAs shown in previous studies, there may be sex-related differences in clinical outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, the benefits of PCI in very elderly ACS patients and the gender differences were poorly described and understood. We investigated the clinical characteristics and outcomes after PCI by sex stratification, and the predictive factors of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) in this very elderly ACS cohort.MethodsA total of 1,676 consecutive ACS patients (50.2% women) aged ≥80 years old between January 2013 and May 2020 were recruited in this study. All patients were divided into four groups according to gender and treatment: male PCI (n = 321) and conservative management groups (n = 513), and female PCI (n = 283) and conservative management groups (n = 559). Clinical and coronary lesion characteristics were compared among four groups, also the clinical outcomes. MACCE and their predictive factors were assessed using Kaplan–Meier curve and Cox regression analysis.ResultsPCI procedures were conducted in 604 patients, and 1,072 were conservative management. Men were most likely to present with prior myocardial infarction (MI), peripheral artery disease, and chronic total occlusion (CTO); women had a higher prevalence of hypertension and dyslipidemia. The proportion of men receiving PCI procedures was significantly higher than that of women (38.5 vs. 33.6%, p = 0.038). Compared to conservative management, successful PCI significantly improved composite MACCE in both men (33.9 vs. 18.4%, p < 0.001) and women (27.9 vs. 20.8%, p = 0.026). There were no differences between sex in the improvement of clinical outcomes after PCI. In addition, age, ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), log N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), P2Y12 receptor antagonist, and β-blocker were independently associated with the incidence of MACCE after PCI tested by the Cox regression model, but not gender (male: hazard ratio (HR) 1.275, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.853–1.905, p = 0.236).ConclusionIn this very elderly ACS cohort, men presented with more complex clinical conditions, and women were less likely to receive PCI treatment. Both women and men had similar benefits from the PCI procedure in the decrease of MACCE.

To investigate the effect of Rehmanniae Radix on depression-like behavior and monoamine neurotransmitters of chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS) model rats. CUMS combined with isolated feeding was used to induce the depression model of rats. The depression-like behavior of rats was evaluated by sucrose preference test, open field test, and forced swim test. Hematoxylin-Eosin(HE) staining was used to investigate the pathological changes of neurons in the CA1 and CA3 area of hippocampus. Ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS) was used to detect the contents of 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid(5-HIAA), dopamine(DA), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid(DOPAC), homovanillic acid(HVA), norepinephrine(NE), and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl glycol(MHPG) in rats. Western blot was used to detect the protein expressions of tryptophan hydroxylase 2(TPH2), serotonin transporter(SERT), and monoamine oxidase A(MAO-A) in the hippocampus of rats. Compared with the normal group, depressive-like behavior of rats was obvious in the model group. The arrangements of neurons in the CA1 and CA3 area of hippocampus were loose and disorderly. The levels of 5-HT, 5-HIAA, and 5-HT/5-HIAA in the hippocampal area were decreased(Plt;0.01). The protein expression of TPH2 was decreased(Plt;0.01), but those of SERT and MAO-A were increased(Plt;0.01). In the Rehmanniae Radix groups with 1.8 g·kg~(-1) and 7.2 g·kg~(-1), the depression-like behavior of CUMS rats and pathological changes of neurons in CA1, CA3 area of hippocampus were improved. The protein expression of TPH2(Plt;0.05, Plt;0.01) was increased, and those of SERT and MAO-A were down-regulated(Plt;0.05, Plt;0.01). The levels of 5-HT, 5-HIAA, and 5-HT/5-HIAA in hippocampus were increased(Plt;0.05, Plt;0.01). The changes in DA, DOPAC, HVA, DA/(DOPAC +HVA), NE, DHPG, and NE/DHPG were not statistically significant. The results suggested that Rehmanniae Radix improved depression-like behavior of CUMS rats, and the mechanism might be related to the regulation of synthesis, transportation, and metabolism of 5-HT neurotransmitter in the hippocampus.

BackgroundGallstone disease is a common gastrointestinal disorder, which has previously been reported to be associated with the incidence of cardiovascular disease. We aimed to investigate the association between gallstone disease and long-term outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).Materials and methodsA total of consecutive 13,975 ACS patients were included in this analysis. Gallstone disease in our study included both gallstones and cholecystectomy. The primary endpoint was cardiac mortality. The secondary outcome was all-cause mortality. Relative risks were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression.ResultsDuring a median follow-up period of 2.96 years, 518 (4.2%) patients without gallstone disease and 62 (3.6%) patients in those with gallstone disease suffered cardiac death. After multivariable adjustment for established risk factors, subjects with gallstone disease had decreased risks of both cardiac mortality and all-cause mortality [hazard rate ratios (HR) = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.55–0.95 and HR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.62–0.90, respectively]. In patients with performed cholecystectomy, the associations between gallstones and risks for cardiac mortality and all-cause mortality turned out to be non-significant. HRs varied across subgroups depending on the presence of selected established risk factors.ConclusionPresence of gallstone disease was associated with a significantly decreased risk of follow-up mortality in patients with ACS.

To investigate the role and mechanism of thymosin beta 4 (Tβ4) in oxidative stress injury of spinal cord-derived neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) induced by hydrogen peroxide (HNSPCs were isolated from Sprague-Dawley (SD) adult male rats, and divided into control group (untreated NSPCs cells), HThe expression of Tβ4 was decreased in HTβ4 attenuates H

Compared to other crops, maize production demands relatively high temperatures. However, temperatures exceeding 35°C lead to adverse effects on maize yield. High temperatures (≥ 35°C) are consistently experienced by summer maize during its reproductive growth stage in the North China Plain, which is likely to cause irreversible crop damage. This study investigated the effects of elevating temperature (ET) treatment on the yield component of summer maize, beginning at the 9th unfolding leaf stage and ending at the tasseling stage. Results demonstrated that continuous ET led to a decrease in the elongation rate and activity of silks and an elongated interval between anthesis and silking stages, and eventually decreased grain number at ear tip and reduced yield. Although continuous ET before tasseling damaged the anther structure, reduced pollen activity, delayed the start of the pollen shedding stage, and shortened the pollen shedding time, it was inferred, based on phenotypical and physiological traits, that continuous ET after the 9th unfolding leaf stage influenced ears and therefore may have more significant impacts. Overall, when maize plants were exposed to ET treatment in the ear reproductive development stage, the growth of ears and tassels was blocked, which increased the occurrence of barren ear tips and led to large yield losses.

Earphones are often exported to foreign countries by sea as consumer goods. In view of the humid marine environment, the earphone packaging box is often placed with anti-mold chips to prevent mold, while the volatilization of the anti-mold chips will also cause corrosion problems. In this study, a large number of aluminum earphone connectors were corroded in the process of ocean transportation, and the corrosion products were located in the left earphone connector close to the anti-mold chips. It’s determined that sulfate and nitrate ions lead to the corrosion of the aluminum connectors, and these are the volatilization products of the anti-mold chips. This conclusion was further confirmed by the simulation test, which was carried out on the anti-mold chips and aluminum connectors at 85 °C, 85% RH humidity for 72 h. The aluminum connectors were obviously corroded, and the morphology and composition of the corrosion products were the same as those on the actual earphones. The corrosion was successfully prevented by a PTFE coating on the surface of aluminum connectors. Keywords: Earphones; Anti-mold chip; Aluminum; Corrosion; PTFE coating

The huge discrepancies between actual devices and theoretical assumptions severely threaten the security of quantum key distribution. Recently, a general new framework called the reference technique has attracted wide attention in defending against the imperfect sources of quantum key distribution. Here, the state preparation flaws, the side channels of mode dependencies, the Trojan horse attacks, and the pulse classical correlations are studied by using the reference technique on the phase-matching protocol. Our simulation results highlight the importance of the actual secure parameters choice for transmitters, which is necessary to achieve secure communication. Increasing the single actual secure parameter will reduce the secure key rate. However, as long as the parameters are set properly, the secure key rate is still high. Considering the influences of multiple actual secure parameters will significantly reduce the secure key rate. These actual secure parameters must be considered when scientists calibrate transmitters. This work is an important step towards the practical and secure implementation of phase-matching protocol. In the future, it is essential to study the main parameters, find out their maximum and general values, classify the multiple parameters as the same parameter, and give countermeasures.

Quantum key distribution provides an unconditional secure key sharing method in theory, but the imperfect factors of practical devices will bring security vulnerabilities. In this paper, we characterize the imperfections of the sender and analyze the possible attack strategies of Eve. Firstly, we present a quantized model for distinguishability of decoy states caused by intensity modulation. Besides, considering that Eve may control the preparation of states through hidden variables, we evaluate the security of preparation in practical quantum key distribution (QKD) scheme based on the weak-randomness model. Finally, we analyze the influence of the distinguishability of decoy state to secure key rate, for Eve may conduct the beam splitting attack and control the channel attenuation of different parts. Through the simulation, it can be seen that the secure key rate is sensitive to the distinguishability of decoy state and weak randomness, especially when Eve can control the channel attenuation.

Poster presentation

Poster presentation

BackgroundPulse pressure (PP) is a surrogate of aortic stiffness, and reflects cardiac performance and stroke volume. Previous studies have indicated that PP was a robust predictor of cardiovascular outcomes and mortality. However, results have been mixed, and very few studies have focused on the association of PP with mortality in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Thus, we aimed to investigate the relationship between admission PP and the prognosis of patients with ACS.MethodsThis cohort study included 10,824 patients diagnosed with ACS from the Cardiovascular Center Beijing Friendship Hospital Database Bank (CBDBANK) from January 2013 to October 2018. Patients with cardiogenic shock, malignancy, severe trauma and, no PP at admission were excluded. Restricted cubic spline and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to evaluate the association between PP and 1-year all-cause and cardiac mortality.ResultsIn the whole cohort, a total of 237 (2.19%) all-cause deaths were reported at 1-year follow-up. Restricted cubic spline analysis suggested a J-shaped relationship between PP and mortality. Among patients with ACS, both lower and higher PP levels were related to an increased risk of mortality (Pnon–linear < 0.001); with a PP level of 30 or 80 mmHg, as compared with 50 mmHg, the adjusted hazard ratios for 1-year all-cause mortality were 2.02 (95% CI, 1.27–3.22) and 1.62 (95% CI, 1.13–2.33), respectively, after adjustments for potential confounders. Similar results were observed for cardiac deaths. The J-shaped relationship between PP and mortality remained in a series of subgroup analyses.ConclusionOur results suggested that both low and high PP were associated with an increased risk of mortality in patients with ACS.

An increase in the incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) during the acute phase of myocardial infarction (AMI) has been observed. But it is still unclear whether the implications of new-onset AF on in-hospital and long-term prognosis are of similar magnitude.Using data from the CBD Bank study, 3,824 consecutive AMI patients, without prior AF, were analyzed. During the index hospitalization, all patients were monitored by continuous cardiac monitoring, twice daily performed 12- or 18-lead ECGs and timely ECG checks when cardiac symptoms occurred. Follow-up visits were routinely scheduled after discharge. Primary outcomes were all-cause death and cardiovascular death occurring during hospitalization and long-term follow-up. Secondary outcome was MACEs during hospitalization.During the median hospital stay of 9.0 (7.0, 11.0) days, new-onset AF was documented in 133 (3.48%) patients; 95 (71.43%) patients had AF attacks within 3 days following AMI. Independent risk factors associated with new-onset AF were older age, larger left atrial diameter, higher level of NT-proBNP, and primary PCI. New-onset AF was found to be significantly associated with in-hospital all-cause death (OR 4.33, 95%CI: 2.37-7.89,New-onset AF following AMI is strongly associated with an increased risk of adverse in-hospital prognosis, but it does not affect prognosis in those who survive until hospital discharge.