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Jie Wang,* Bin Cao,* Sihao Lin, Yong Wang, Qifa Zhang, Yang Jiang, Wei Li, Yingjian Zhu Department of Urology, Jiading Branch of Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 201803, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yingjian Zhu; Wei Li, Department of Urology, Jiading Branch of Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 800 Huangjiahuayuan Road, Shanghai, 201803, People’s Republic of China, Tel +8613764490868 ; +8618117094957, Email zhuyingjian_sjtu@126.com; croma_shh@126.comPurpose: Urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome has attracted a lot of attention in the new century, and an increasing number of relevant studies have been published. Therefore, we performed a bibliometric analysis of these publications, hoping to show the current research hotspots and future research trends.Methods: The articles on were selected from the Web of Science Core Collection. Countries, authors, references and keywords in the field were visualized and analyzed using CiteSpace and VOSViewer software.Results: A total of 1014 articles on urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome were identified, with “chronic pelvic pain syndrome” being the most common keyword, with a strong association with “interstitial cystitis” and “chronic prostatitis”. The hotspot of urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome research has gradually shifted from chronic prostatitis / urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome to cystitis/bladder pain syndrome over the past few years. Future research tends to focus on urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome etiology, including oxidative stress and inflammation.Conclusion: Research on urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome is steadily growing. The United States has made the most prominent contribution in this area, and the share of China’s contribution is expected to grow further. The etiology of urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome, including inflammation and oxidative stress, have been the focus of current research and developmental trends in the future research.Keywords: bibliometric analysis, chronic pelvic pain syndrome, interstitial cystitis, chronic prostatitis, mechanisms, treatments

Zhen-Hua Li,1,&ast; Jie Wang,1,&ast; Xin Cheng,1,&ast; Yi-Cheng Mao,1 Kang-Di Zhang,1 Wen-Jie Yu,1 Ying-Qing Li,1 Kai Huang,1,2 Kun Ding,1 Xiao-Jing Yang,1 Cheng-Yang Hu,3 Xiu-Jun Zhang1,4 1Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Hospital Infection Prevention and Control, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Humanistic Medicine, School of Humanistic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of China; 4Center for Evidence-Based Practice, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Cheng-Yang Hu; Xiu-Jun Zhang, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of China, Tel/Fax +86 551 65167031 ; +86 551 65169635, Email cy.hu@ahmu.edu.cn; zhangxiujun@ahmu.edu.cnBackground: There is growing evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a dramatic impact on public mental health. However, less attention has been paid to left-behind experience college students (LBEs). This online study aimed to investigate the relationship between psychological capital (PsyCap) and anxiety among LBEs during COVID-19 pandemic, and further analyze the mediation role of self-esteem between them.Methods: A total of 9990 students were chosen using the stratified cluster sampling method. Three self-reported questionnaires were used to assess the PsyCap, self-esteem, and anxiety, respectively. All the statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 23.0 and R, and to further investigate the mediation effect of self-esteem in the association of PsyCap with anxiety, AMOS 23.0 was used to build a structural equation model.Results: PsyCap, self-esteem, and anxiety were significantly correlated among LBEs during the COVID-19 pandemic. PsyCap affects anxiety directly (β = – 0.22, SE = 0.051, 95% CI: – 0.27, – 0.17, P < 0.05). In addition, self-esteem partially mediated the relationship between PsyCap and anxiety (mediating effect value = – 0.16, 95% CI: – 0.20, – 0.13, P < 0.05).Conclusion: During the pandemic of COVID-19, left-behind experience had a negative influence on the PsyCap and self-esteem of college students. In addition, for LBEs, self-esteem plays an important mediating role between PsyCap and anxiety. Therefore, from the perspective of PsyCap and self-esteem, schools should translate them into practical educational strategies to enhance the mental health and mitigate the anxiety levels of LBEs.Keywords: left-behind experience, COVID-19, psychology, mental health

The second-order cone (SOC) is a class of simple convex cones and optimizing over them can be done more efficiently than with semidefinite programming. It is interesting both in theory and in practice to investigate which convex cones admit a representation using SOCs, given that they have a strong expressive ability. In this paper, we prove constructively that the cone of sums of nonnegative circuits (SONC) admits a SOC representation. Based on this, we give a new algorithm for unconstrained polynomial optimization via SOC programming. We also provide a hybrid numeric-symbolic scheme which combines the numerical procedure with a rounding-projection algorithm to obtain exact nonnegativity certificates. Numerical experiments demonstrate the efficiency of our algorithm for polynomials with fairly large degree and number of variables., 29 pages, 7 tables, 6 figures, extended version of the article published in the proceedings of ISSAC 2020. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1906.06179

Purpose: To study the effects of anisodamine (Ad) combined with lidocaine (Ldc) on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) in rats, and its correlation with PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.Methods: A total of 70 healthy rats were randomly divided into S group, M group, Ad group, Ldc group, Ad + Ldc group, Ad + Ldc + LY group, and LY group. The cardiac hemodynamic indices in each group were determined, and the area of myocardial infarction measured. Serum biochemical indices were also determined. Furthermore, the protein expressions of p-Akt, T-Akt, Bcl-2, and Bax in myocardial cells were determined by Western blotting.Results: Compared with those in M group, Ad group, Ldc group, Ad + Ldc + LY group, and LY group, cardiac hemodynamic indices significantly improved, while the area of myocardial infarction was significantly reduced (p < 0.01). Furthermore, serum malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration but the activities of CK, CK-MB, TNF-α, and IL-6 declined, while the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), CAT and GSH-Px rose in Ad + Ldc group (p < 0.01). In Ad + Ldc group, p-Akt, T-Akt, and Bcl-2 increased, while Bax significantly decreased. Through comparison LY294002 significantly inhibited the protective effect of Ad combined with Ldc against MIRI in rats (p < 0.01).Conclusion: Anisodamine combination with lidocaine has a protective effect against MIRI in rats via PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, thus indicating that it is a potential therapeutic strategy for the management of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion.

In recent years, with the support of the good policies of the national and local governments, the pharmaceutical industry has achieved unprecedented development, but the number of medical science and technology research and development personnel is small, the title structure is unreasonable, the enterprise product development level is low, the product added value is low, the competitive advantage is weak, the lack of independent innovation, based on the development needs of the pharmaceutical industry, Then the key factors and bottleneck problems restricting the development of the pharmaceutical industry are solved in the aspect of talent team construction. On the basis of empirical research, combining with the actual needs of the development of pharmaceutical industry, this paper discusses the specific measures of cultivating innovative talents.

PCR testing is increasingly important for microbial control in SPF facilities. However, most current PCR methods are timeconsuming and require compromise between high sensitivity and high multiplexing. We developed a one-tube multiplex nested PCR strategy (MN-PCR) for simultaneous direct (that is, without culturing) detection of multiple pathogens. We first aligned sequences for the 16S rDNA genes of selected target bacteria and a panel of closely related organisms. From these data, we designed a pair of universal primers and multiple sets of species-specific PCR primers to amplify the target sequences; the universal primers were modified to include various degenerate bases and locked nucleic acids. In a single tube, 16S rDNA sequences were amplified by using the nested PCR primers under high temperature (that is, above 65°C) during the first stage of the MN-PCR procedure, when the target-species–specific PCR primers do not support amplification due to their short length. In addition, the concentration of the nested PCR primers during the first stage was adjusted to ensure that they were consumed and did not yield visible bands themselves. During the second stage, the enriched 16S rDNA sequences then served as templates for amplification of the species-specific fragments by using the multiple PCR primers at low annealing temperatures (that is, below 60°C). The results showed that our MN-PCR method detected as little as 1 fg of target bacterial DNA in a 20-μL reaction volume, whereas conventional multiplex PCR detected a minimum of 1 pg only. Compared with traditional multiplex PCR assays, our MN-PCR system is an effective and efficient culture-free process.

Jie-Yu Wang,1,2 Xiao-Qing Lv,2 Jing-Mei Wu,2 Wang-Qin Tang,2 Gui-Ying Luo,1 Chun-Mei Liang,1 Dan-Ni Wang,3 Jing-Fang Hong,2 Yun-Xia Cao1,4,5 1Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Nursing, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People’s Republic of China; 3Teaching Center for Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People’s Republic of China; 4NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Hefei, People’s Republic of China; 5Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, Hefei, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Jing-Fang Hong; Yun-Xia Cao, Email 13739273006@163.com; hongjingfang@ahmu.edu.cn; caoyunxia6@126.comPurpose: Infertility has adverse effects on the quality of life (QoL) of infertile couples. Previous studies found important associations between sexual function, self-esteem and QoL, but mainly focused on one individual’s approach rather than both partners. This study adopted a dyadic approach to evaluate the relationship between sexual function and QoL in couples with infertility through mediation and improving self-esteem.Patients and Methods: Between October 2020 and January 2021, 428 couples with infertility (n=856) undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF) at a tertiary hospital in Hefei, China, were registered for the current descriptive cross-sectional research. The dyads’ sociodemographic and clinical features, as well as their sexual function, self-esteem, and QoL were evaluated. The Fertility quality of life scale (FertiQoL), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), and International Index of Erectile Function-15 (IIEF-15) were used to evaluate the participants. The Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model (APIMeM) was utilized to examine data from the dyadic relationships.Results: According to the APIMeM analysis, sexual function of individuals with infertility was directly and indirectly connected with their QoL, mediated through their self-esteem. The women’s sexual function was found to be positively associated with their partner’s QoL, with the women’s self-esteem acting as a complete mediator. The men’s sexual function was found to be positively associated with partner’s QoL, with the men’s self-esteem acting as a complete mediator.Conclusion: The findings suggest that boosting participants’ self-esteem can help them and their partners have a better QoL. Also, therapies aimed at improving and sustaining self-esteem of couples with infertility could help mitigate the negative influence of low sexual function on their QoL.Keywords: in-vitro fertilization, dyad, quality of life, self-esteem, sexual function

Yongting Zhou, Hao Pang, Jie Wang, Hao Wu, Zidi Xu, Xueyi Liu, Zhibo Xiao Department of Plastic Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Zhibo Xiao, Email zhiboxiaodoctor@126.comBackground: Silicone implants are currently the most widely used artificial materials in plastic surgery. Capsule formation following implant application is unavoidable. When the capsule is excessively thick and strongly contracted, it can lead to obvious symptoms, clinically known as capsular contracture. Biological factors have always been the focus of research on the capsule formation. As a growth factor, progranulin (PGRN) plays an important regulatory role in wound healing, tissue fibrosis, tumor proliferation and invasion, and inflammation regulation. At present, the research on the capsule mainly involves the regulation of tissue healing and fibrosis under the influence of inflammation. Because PGRN has a regulatory role in these processes, we believe that the study of both can provide a new theoretical basis and intervention sites for monitoring and inhibiting the development of the capsule.Methods: In this experiment, the effects of different surgical operations on the content of PGRN in the surgical site and plasma of rats were detected. Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat dermal fibroblasts were co-cultured by recombinant PGRN. The effects of r-PGRN on fibroblasts were detected by 5-ethynyl-2’-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay, wound healing assay and Western blot assay. Finally, the effect of PGRN on capsule formation and contracture was studied by changing the content of PGRN in the prosthesis in rats after operation.Results: Surgical trauma and silicone implant increased plasma and local PGRN levels in SD rats. PGRN can activate the TGF-β/SMAD signaling pathway in a dose-dependent manner, thereby promoting fibroblast proliferation, differentiation and migration and inhibiting apoptosis and enhancing cell function, thereby promoting capsule formation and contracture.Conclusion: PGRN promotes the formation and contracture of the silicone implant capsule in SD rats by activating the TGF-β/SMAD signaling pathway. This discovery may provide new therapeutic targets and detection indicators.Keywords: fibrosis, fibroblast, silicone implants, implantation, TGF-&#x03B2

We illustrate use of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) as platforms for investigating cardiomyocyte phenotypes in a human family pedigree exemplified by novel heterozygous RYR2-A1855D and SCN10A-Q1362H variants occurring alone and in combination. The proband, a four-month-old boy, presented with polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. Genetic tests revealed double novel heterozygous RYR2-A1855D and SCN10A-Q1362H variants inherited from his father (F) and mother (M), respectively. His father showed ventricular premature beats; his mother was asymptomatic. Molecular biological characterizations demonstrated greater TNNT2 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in the iPSCs-induced cardiomyocytes (iPS-CMs) than in the iPSCs. Cardiac troponin Ts became progressively organized but cytoplasmic RYR2 and SCN10A aggregations occurred in the iPS-CMs. Proband-specific iPS-CMs showed decreased RYR2 and SCN10A mRNA expression. The RYR2-A1855D variant resulted in premature spontaneous sarcoplasmic reticular Ca2+ transients, Ca2+ oscillations and increased action potential durations. SCN10A-Q1362H did not confer any specific phenotype. However, the combined heterozygous RYR2-A1855D and SCN10A-Q1362H variants in the proband iPS-CMs resulted in accentuated Ca2+ homeostasis disorders, action potential prolongation and susceptibility to early afterdepolarizations at high stimulus frequencies. These findings attribute the clinical phenotype in the proband to effects of the heterozygous RYR2 variant exacerbated by heterozygous SCN10A modification. This article is part of the theme issue 'The heartbeat: its molecular basis and physiological mechanisms'.

The research on gender and period differences in status exchange between family background and education in marriage not only reveals the changes but also allows us to evaluate the impact of heterogeneous marriage changes on society. Existing research has neglected gender and period differences in status exchange. This paper uses the 2018 Chinese Family Panel Study and applies log-linear models to analyze the gender and period differences in marriage across social origin and education boundaries from 1978 to 2018. The results show that persons with higher education but humble family backgrounds tend to marry those with lower education but more privileged backgrounds. This supports the status exchange theory. In addition, data from 1978 to 1991 show that it was more common that women exchange their relative educational advantage for men’s relative birth advantage. In all, the exchange tendency has intensified over time, and this increase is more reflected in the exchange of men’s educational advantage for women’s class advantage. However, the intensity of women exchanging their relative educational advantages for men’s relative birth advantages shows a trend of first decreasing and then increasing. At the same time, the gender differences in the degree of status exchange faded over time. With the decrease in the number of children overall and the increase of one-child families, China’s marriage culture has gradually shifted from patrilineal marriages to “dual lineage” marriages, which may be an important reason for the gradual convergence of the influences of male and female family backgrounds in the marriage market.

The concept of sums of nonnegative circuit polynomials (SONC) was recently introduced as a new certificate of nonnegativity especially for sparse polynomials. In this paper, we explore the relationship between nonnegative polynomials and SONC polynomials. As a first result, we provide sufficient conditions for nonnegative polynomials with general Newton polytopes to be SONC polynomials, which generalizes the previous result on nonnegative polynomials with simplex Newton polytopes. Secondly, we prove that every SONC polynomial admits a SONC decomposition without cancellation. In other words, SONC decompositions can exactly preserve the sparsity of nonnegative polynomials, which is dramatically different from the classical sum of squares (SOS) decompositions and is a key property to design efficient algorithms for sparse polynomial optimization based on SONC decompositions., Comment: 21 pages

Pot and field trials were conducted to investigate Cd uptake and phytoremediation efficiency of two Brassica napus cultivars (QY-1 and SYH) with applied water-soluble chitosan (WSC, Pot: 0, 2% and 4%; Field: 0 and 10 g·m−2) grown in Cd-contaminated soils. The results from the pot and field trials generally showed that WSC treatments significantly increased Cd concentrations in shoot and root tissues by 33.77–159.71% (except for SYH/JY) and 7.42–168.71% of two B. napus cultivars compared with the control (p < 0.05). The uptake of Cd by shoots of SYH was obviously higher than by shoots of QY-1 treated with WSC under pot and field conditions, which was 1.54–2.22 times than that of QY-1 (p < 0.05). The results indicated that 2% WSC treatment significantly increased the water-soluble and acid extractable Cd in rhizosphere soils of both B. napus cultivars. Furthermore, Cd concentrations in the oils of two B. napus cultivars with applied WSC (10 g·m−2) grown under field conditions were not significantly different from commercial rapeseed oils. Rapeseed oil of B. napus is not only an edible oil with high nutritional value, but it can also be converted into biomass diesel that can be used as a substitute for petroleum diesel.

Colletotrichum horii is a main causal agent of persimmon (Diospyros kaki) anthracnose and is distributed widely in persimmon-producing areas of the world. Here, we report the first high-quality draft genome sequence of C. horii strain SD010. This will provide a reference for understanding adaptive evolution of genome structure, genes, and population diversity among members of the C. gloeosporioides species complex, and also help in understanding the mechanisms of host–pathogen interactions and improve management strategies of anthracnose.

C11H15O3ClFN3S, triclinic, P 1 ‾ $P\overline{1}$ (no. 2), a = 7.8107(11) Å, b = 9.1644(13) Å, c = 11.3521(15) Å, α = 67.543(2)°, β = 72.776 ( 2 ) ∘ $72.776{(2)}^{\circ }$ , γ = 88.529 ( 2 ) ∘ $88.529{(2)}^{\circ }$ , V = 713.76(17) Å3, Z = 2, R g t ${R}_{\mathit{g}\mathit{t}}$ (F) = 0.0385, w R r e f $w{R}_{\mathit{r}\mathit{e}\mathit{f}}$ (F 2) = 0.1338, T = 296(2) K.

In Irish literature, the artist novel is famously represented by such classic texts as James Joyce'sA Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man(1916) and Oscar Wilde'sThe Picture of Dorian Gray(1891), which have received a lot of critical attention (e.g. Azizmohammadi and Kamarzade, Rando, Glover, Onose, McCombe). Many Irish artist novels have been published in the wake of Joyce and Wilde, by authors such as Aidan Higgins, Brendan Behan, Francis Stuart, Frank O'Connor, John McGahern, John Banville, Patrick Kavanagh. Compared to these famous (and less famous) artist novels by male Irish writers, artist fiction by female authors has received far less critical attention. Still, since the late 19th century, many Irish women writers have written novels with artistic female protagonists, who try to carve out a place for themselves as artists in an often hostile society. These Irish female artist novels share recurring problems and concerns, as gender norms as well as ideas of national identity become intertwined. Over the last three decades, the work of Irish women writers has been the object of several recovery studies in Irish literary studies. Since the 1980s when the first anthology of Irish female writing was published, more and more literary critics have tried to counteract the marginalization of female writers in Irish literary history and have analysed and promoted their work. Although the general marginalization of female writing in Irish literary history has been redressed in recent studies (Ingman xv), the representation of female artists in novels by Irish women writers has not yet been the topic of a sustained critical study. Furthermore, even though some case studies offer interesting insight into a few specific artist novels by Irish female writers, the genre as a whole awaits a more sustained critical study. This research proposes to fill this gap, by analyzing the constructions of the artist heroines in a larger corpus of novels by Irish women authors. On the basis of a selection of female artist novels from different periods, this research also aims to trace the development in the perception and representation of the female artist figure and the problems she faces in the social context of the time.

IntroductionDorsal root ganglia (DRG) are anatomically well-defined structures that contain all primary sensory neurons and are distension nodules of the dorsal root in the spinal cord near the medial surface of each foramen. Therefore, DRG is considered to be a desirable target for injection to manage chronic pain. But it presents a limitation in probing deep into it without in vivo injection technology.MethodsHere, we described a technique for administering intraganglionic injections of lumbar DRG under direct vision. We use partial osteotomy rather than laminectomy, which removes more bone, to preserve spinal structures while gaining adequate DRG access. To monitor the intraoperative progress of the DRG injection, a non-toxic dye was utilized. The effectiveness of the injection on the diffusion of AAV (adeno-associated virus) within the ganglion was assessed by histopathology at postoperative day 21.ResultsBehavioral tests showed that neither motor nor sensory abilities were affected by saline or AAV injections. Meanwhile, the decreased pain threshold of SNI (spared nerve injury) was considerably restored by pharmacological inhibition of DRG neurons.DiscussionOur research achieved a new minimally invasive and intuitive intra-ganglionic injection in mice. In addition, the present protocol may serve as a valuable resource for planning preclinical studies of DRG injection.

BackgroundSeminal plasma plays a pivotal role in modulating sperm viability and function. However, the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated.MethodIn this study, the bull semen production records of core breeding farms and bull stations in the past 10 years were analyzed.ResultsWe found that the semen of 5-year-old bulls collected for the first time is of the best quality (p < 0.05). Despite the bull semen collected under the above conditions, low-quality sperm is still obtained from part of bulls due to individual differences. Interestingly, seminal plasma from normal semen is capable of improving low-quality semen motility. To identify the potential key factors in seminal plasma, the differences in miRNA and metabolite profiles between normal and low-quality seminal plasma were analyzed. We found that 59 miRNAs were differently expressed, including 38 up-regulated and 21 down-regulated miRNAs. Three hundred and ninety-one and 327 significantly different metabolites were identified from the positive and negative ion models, respectively. These multiple miRNAs and metabolites collectively contribute to the motility of sperm, subsequently, affect semen quality.DiscussionTogether, these results not only revealed the critical factors of seminal plasma improving sperm quality but also provided potential miRNA- or metabolite-based biomarkers to identify the high semen quality.

ObjectivesMalignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is characterized as an incredibly aggressive form of cancer with a dismal diagnosis and a dearth of specific biomarkers and therapeutic options. For MPM patients, the effectiveness of immunotherapy may be influenced by damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP)-induced immunogenic cell death (ICD).The objective of this work is to create a molecular profile associated with DAMPs to categorize MPM patients and predict their prognosis and response to immunotherapy.MethodsThe RNA-seq of 397 patients (263 patients with clinical data, 57.2% male, 73.0% over 60 yrs.) were gathered from eight public datasets as a training cohort to identify the DAMPs-associated subgroups of MPMs using K-means analysis. Three validation cohorts of patients or murine were established from TCGA and GEO databases. Comparisons were made across each subtype’s immune status, gene mutations, survival prognosis, and predicted response to therapy.ResultsBased on the DAMPs gene expression, MPMs were categorized into two subtypes: the nuclear DAMPs subtype, which is classified by the upregulation of immune-suppressed pathways, and the inflammatory DAMPs subtype, which is distinguished by the enrichment of proinflammatory cytokine signaling. The inflammatory DAMPs subgroup had a better prognosis, while the nuclear DAMPs subgroup exhibited a worse outcome. In validation cohorts, the subtyping system was effectively verified. We further identified the genetic differences between the two DAMPs subtypes. It was projected that the inflammatory DAMPs subtype will respond to immunotherapy more favorably, suggesting that the developed clustering method may be implemented to predict the effectiveness of immunotherapy.ConclusionWe constructed a subtyping model based on ICD-associated DAMPs in MPM, which might serve as a signature to gauge the outcomes of immune checkpoint blockades. Our research may aid in the development of innovative immunomodulators as well as the advancement of precision immunotherapy for MPM.

There are frequent exchanges of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and their antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) between the external environment or livestock and wild animals. Grazing disturbance (GD) is a major factor that causes dramatic changes in China’s nature reserves. Studying the risk of ARGs in China’s nature reserves under GD has great significance for assessing the health of the habitats where wild animals live. In our study, the potential ecological risks of ARGs in soil microorganisms of wild animal habitats under GD were analyzed. Our results showed that the diversities of the ARGs in GD were higher than those in check control (CK) that not be disturbed by grazing, and 46 types of ARGs were only checked in GD. The ARGs were only carried by plasmids, and their relative abundances and the numbers of ARGs carried by plasmids were increased by GD, six types of transferred open reading frames (ORFs) carrying ARGs were detected only in GD. GD increased the relative abundances of drug-resistant pathogens, and the pathogen, Acinetobacter baumannii ACICU, that was only found in GD. Our results indicated that GD increased the risk of ARGs to the habitat of wild animals by reducing the total soil microbial species, increasing the numbers, species and mobility of ARGs in soil microorganisms and the species and abundance of drug-resistant pathogens in soil, as well as the ARG carrying capacity of microorganisms. Multidrug resistance genes (MRGs) posed the highest risk in the habitats of wild animals, and GD increased its risk because the largest proportion of ARGs carried by microorganisms were MRGs, which were also the most abundant ARGs carried by plasmids, and the highest proportion of ARGs carried by Proteobacteria (the dominant host bacterium of ARGs) were MRGs. Thus, GD may cause microorganisms in the habitats of wild animals become resistant to many antibiotics. MRGs in soil microorganisms could be used as an indicator for predicting the risk of GD in the habitats of wild animals.

The charge transport properties of conjugated polymers are commonly limited by the energetic disorder. Recently, several amorphous conjugated polymers with planar backbone conformations and low energetic disorder have been investigated for applications in field-effect transistors and thermoelectrics. However, there is a lack of strategy to finely tune the interchain π-π contacts of these polymers that severely restricts the energetic disorder of interchain charge transport. Here, we demonstrate that it is feasible to achieve excellent conductivity and thermoelectric performance in polymers based on thiophene-fused benzodifurandione oligo( p -phenylenevinylene) through reducing the crystallization rate of side chains and, in this way, carefully controlling the degree of interchain π-π contacts. N-type (p-type) conductivities of more than 100 S cm −1 (400 S cm −1 ) and power factors of more than 200 μW m −1 K −2 (100 μW m −1 K −2 ) were achieved within a single polymer doped by different dopants. It further demonstrated the state-of-the-art power output of the first flexible single-polymer thermoelectric generator.

The bioreactor based on solid-state fermentation technology has been developed for vinegar production, standardization of fermentation process and stabilization of vinegar quality. The microbial community diversity, and volatile compounds of six cultivars of vinegar samples fermented in a self-designed solid-state fermentation bioreactors were investigated using Illumina MiSeq platform and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technology. The correlations between the richness and diversity of microbiota and volatile profiles, organic acids, as well as physicochemical indicators were explored by R software with the coplot package. The findings indicated that Acetobacter, norank-c-Cyanobacteria, and Weissella played key roles during fermentation process. Norank-f-Actinopolyporaceae, norank-c-Cyanobacteria, Pediococcus, and Microbacterium had significant correlations with the physicochemical characteristics. The most common bacterial species were associated with a citric acid content, whereas the least number of bacterial species correlated with malic acid content. Findings could be helpful for the bioreactor optimization, and thus reaching the level of pilot scale and industrialization.

Atherosclerosis (AS) is the pathology of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD), characterized by persistent chronic inflammation in the vessel wall, in which monocytes/macrophages play a key role. It has been reported that innate immune system cells can assume a persistent proinflammatory state after short stimulation with endogenous atherogenic stimuli. The pathogenesis of AS can be influenced by this persistent hyperactivation of the innate immune system, which is termed trained immunity. Trained immunity has also been implicated as a key pathological mechanism, leading to persistent chronic inflammation in AS. Trained immunity is mediated via epigenetic and metabolic reprogramming and occurs in mature innate immune cells and their bone marrow progenitors. Natural products are promising candidates for novel pharmacological agents that can be used to prevent or treat cardiovascular diseases (CVD). A variety of natural products and agents exhibiting antiatherosclerotic abilities have been reported to potentially interfere with the pharmacological targets of trained immunity. This review describes in as much detail as possible the mechanisms involved in trained immunity and how phytochemicals of this process inhibit AS by affecting trained monocytes/macrophages.

BackgroundDelayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) is the major predictor of poor outcomes in patients with aSAH. Previous studies have attempted to assess the relationship between controlling blood pressure and DCI. However, the management of intraoperative blood pressure in reducing the occurrence of DCI still remains inconclusive.MethodsAll patients with aSAH who received general anesthesia for surgical clipping between January 2015 and December 2020 were prospectively reviewed. Patients were divided in the DCI group or the non-DCI group depending on whether DCI occurred or not. Intraoperative arterial pressure was measured every minute and recorded in an electronic anesthesia recording system along with intraoperative medication and other vital signs. The initial neurological function score, aneurysm characteristics, surgical and anesthetic information, and outcomes were compared between the DCI and the non-DCI groups.ResultsAmong 534 patients who were enrolled, a total of 164 (30.71%) patients experienced DCI. The baseline characteristics of patients were similar between the groups. The World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) Scale > 3, age ≥ 70 years, and the modified Fisher Scale > 2 were significantly higher in patients with DCI than those without. Though it was the second derivative of the regression analysis, 105 mmHg was adopted as the threshold for intraoperative hypotension and was not associated with DCI.ConclusionsThe threshold of 105 mmHg was adopted as intraoperative hypotension even though it was the second derivative of the regression analysis and could not be proved to be associated with delayed cerebral ischemia adjusted by the baseline severity of aSAH and age.

ObjectiveEarly identification and intervention for children with global developmental delay (GDD) can significantly improve their prognosis and reduce the possibility of developing intellectual disability in the future. This study aimed to explore the clinical effectiveness of a parent-implemented early intervention program (PIEIP) for GDD, providing a research basis for the extended application of this intervention strategy in the future.MethodsDuring the period between September 2019 and August 2020, children aged 3 to 6 months diagnosed with GDD were selected from each research center as the experimental group and the control group. For the experimental group, the PIEIP intervention was conducted for the parent-child pair. Mid-term and end-stage assessments were performed, respectively, at 12 and 24 months of age, and parenting stress surveys were completed.ResultsThe average age of the enrolled children was 4.56 ± 1.08 months for the experimental group (n = 153) and 4.50 ± 1.04 months for the control group (n = 153). The comparative analysis of the variation in the progress between the two groups by independent t-test showed that, after the experimental intervention, the developmental quotient (DQ) of locomotor, personal-social, and language, as well as the general quotient (GQ) of the Griffiths Mental Development Scale-Chinese (GDS-C), the children in the experimental group demonstrated higher progress than those in the control group (P P ConclusionsPIEIP intervention can significantly improve the developmental outcome and prognosis of children with GDD, especially in the areas of locomotor, personal-social, and language.

BackgroundAbout a quarter of the world’s population with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) are the main source of active tuberculosis. Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG) cannot effectively control LTBI individuals from developing diseases. Latency-related antigens can induce T lymphocytes of LTBI individuals to produce higher IFN-γ levels than tuberculosis patients and normal subjects. Herein, we firstly compared the effects of M. tuberculosis (MTB) ag85ab and 7 latent DNA vaccines on clearing latent MTB and preventing its activation in the mouse LTBI model.MethodsA mouse LTBI model was established, and then immunized respectively with PBS, pVAX1 vector, Vaccae vaccine, ag85ab DNA and 7 kinds of latent DNAs (including rv1733c, rv2660c, rv1813c, rv2029c, rv2628, rv2659c and rv3407) for three times. The mice with LTBI were injected with hydroprednisone to activate the latent MTB. Then, the mice were sacrificed for the bacterial count, histopathological examination, and immunological evaluation.ResultsUsing chemotherapy made the MTB latent in the infected mice, and then using hormone treatment reactivated the latent MTB, indicating that the mouse LTBI model was successfully established. After the mouse LTBI model was immunized with the vaccines, the lung colony-forming units (CFUs) and lesion degree of mice in all vaccines group were significantly decreased than those in the PBS group and vector group (PPag85ab DNA group was significantly increased than those in the control groups (Pag85ab, rv2029c, and rv2659c DNA groups significantly increased (Pag85ab and rv2659c DNA groups also significantly increased (P+CD25+FOXP3+ regulatory T cells in spleen lymphocytes of ag85ab, rv2660c, rv2029c, and rv3407 DNA groups were significantly reduced (PConclusionsMTB ag85ab and 7 kinds of latent DNA vaccines showed immune preventive efficacies on a mouse model of LTBI, especially the rv2659c, and rv1733c DNA. Our findings will provide candidates for the development of new multi-stage vaccines against TB.

Introduction: Vitamin D-binding protein (VDBP) is correlated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) through the biological functions of regulating plasma vitamin D (VD) level and the inflammatory process. Objective: This study aims to investigate the effects of VD level and VDBP gene polymorphisms on the risk of NAFLD in a Chinese population. Methods: Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 levels were measured and seven VDBP candidate genetic variants (rs222020, rs2282679, rs4588, rs1155563, rs7041, rs16847024, rs3733359) were genotyped among participants in this case-control study. The control group was frequency-matched to the NAFLD case group by age and gender. Correlation analysis and multiple linear regressions were used to screen determinants of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 levels. Multivariable unconditional logistic regression was performed to estimate odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI). The prediction capability of models containing independent factors was estimated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and Hosmer-Lemeshow test. Results: Age, body mass index, and triacylglycerol were independent factors influencing VD levels. Participants with low VD levels had significantly higher prevalence of NAFLD compared to subjects with normal VD levels (p < 0.001). A low VD level contributed to increased the risk of NAFLD, independent of metabolic factors known to affect VD levels (adjusted OR = 2.282, 95% CI = 1.422–3.661, p = 0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that individuals carrying rs7041-G allele had a significantly decreased the risk of NAFLD occurrence compared to T allele (additive model: adjusted OR = 0.814, 95% CI = 0.713–0.929, p = 0.002; codominant model: adjusted OR = 0.623, 95% CI = 0.449–0.866, p = 0.005), after adjusting for age, gender, and overweight. Stratification by multiple metabolic disorders did not alter this relationship. Moreover, we developed a simple model including age, gender, metabolic disorders, and VDBP single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) to assess NAFLD risk, an AUC of which being 0.817, significantly higher than the model not included VDBP SNP, with Hosmer-Lemeshow test fitting well (p = 0.182). Conclusions: Low plasma VD levels may increase susceptibility to NAFLD, while rs7041-G allele in VDBP contributed to a decreased NAFLD risk among Chinese population. The VDBP variant significantly improved the capability for NAFLD risk assessment, which could be used for early screening and management of NAFLD.

The current sampling errors in dual-motor group (DMG) cause more adverse effects on system performance than that in a single motor system. To solve this problem, in this article, a synergistic correction strategy for the abovementioned problems in DMG fed by double inverters is proposed. First, an orthogonal pulsewidth modulation carriers strategy is proposed to imitate the “shutdown” status of motor subsystems to obtain ascertainable current relations. Then, the current values with sampling errors in DMG at several “fixed” sampling points are derived, based on which the sampling errors in DMG are corrected. Meanwhile, the rules for the action time of active vectors and output voltage range in each inverter are analyzed for each “fixed” sampling point. Finally, the proposed strategy is verified by experimental results on a DMG system, which show that the sampling errors can be precisely estimated with the proposed strategy.

Since the reform and opening up, China has adopted the policy of "multilateral trade", which has led to rapid economic development and increasingly close international cooperation, but also created the problem of unbalanced development between urban and rural areas. This paper analyzes the dynamic relationship between import and export trade and urban-rural income gap by constructing indicators related to import and export trade and urban-rural income gap and using VAR model, the results show that: there is a long-term equilibrium relationship between import and export trade and urban-rural income gap, and this relationship is volatile, which shows that import and export trade can narrow the urban-rural income gap in lags 1, 3 and 4, and increase the urban-rural income gap in lags 2 and 5. The volatility of the relationship is increasing and then decreasing, and the effect is gradually decreasing.

In space-based observations, there are large numbers of targets with large size ranges and intensities in a given image. However, the current detection studies mostly emphasize the saliency of targets but neglect their distribution characteristics, which may result in incorrect or missed detection results. In this letter, an effective detection algorithm based on target characteristics is proposed to pursue good multitarget detection performance. First, a space target model is studied to obtain its characteristics. Next, operators are applied to reduce the influence and search for suspected target-center points. Then, local regions around these points are extracted and normalized to reduce the intensity differences among targets and the influence of light conditions. Finally, three features are designed to confirm these suspected regions and their scale information. Furthermore, the threshold setting process is intuitive and significant while keeping the developed method robust in different cases. Compared with other current algorithms, the proposed algorithm achieves superior detection performance in terms of the number of detected targets, accuracy rate, false alarm rate, and computational cost.

Introduction: Chitin and pectin are important natural polymers which are used as a natural catalyst for the synthesis of tri- and tetra- phenyl substituted 1H-imidazoles. Material and Methods: The reaction of benzil and aromatic aldehydes with ammonium acetate in the presence of chitin produces 2,4,5-triphenyl-1H-imidazoles and the reaction of benzil, aromatic aldehydes and aniline derivatives with ammonium acetate in the presence of pectin produces 1,2,4,5- tetraphenyl-1H-imidazoles, respectively. Results: The results show that the synthesis of 2,4,5-triphenyl-1H-imidazoles and 1,2,4,5-tetraphenyl- 1H-imidazoles can be catalyzed by chitin and pectin in an effective route, respectively. All synthesized compounds are in good agreement with previously reported compounds. Conclusion: In conclusion, an efficient methodology has been carried out to generate 2,4,5-triphenyl- 1H-imidazoles and 1,2,4,5-tetraphenyl-1H-imidazoles, by using non-toxic, cheap and in available catalysis (chitin and pectin).

BackgroundElectrolyte balance is an important factor to sustain the homeostasis of human body environment and in sepsis pathogenesis. Many current cohort-based studies have already revealed that electrolyte disorder may intensify sepsis and induce stroke. However, the corresponding randomized controlled trials did not show that electrolyte disorder in sepsis has a harmful effect on stroke.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to examine the association of genetically sepsis-derived electrolyte disorder with stroke risk using meta-analysis and Mendelian randomization.ResultsIn four studies (182,980 patients), electrolyte disorders were compared with stroke incidence in patients with sepsis. The pooled odds ratio (OR) of stroke is 1.79 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.23–3.06; p < 0.05], which shows a significant association between electrolyte disorder and stroke in sepsis patients. Furthermore, in order to evaluate the causal association between stroke risk and sepsis-derived electrolyte disorder, a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study was conducted. The genetic variants extracted from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of exposure data that are strongly associated with frequently used sepsis were used as instrumental variables (IVs). Based on the IVs’ corresponding effect estimates, we estimated overall stroke risk, cardioembolic stroke risk, and stroke induced by large/small vessels from a GWAS meta-analysis with 10,307 cases and 19,326 controls. As a final step to verify the preliminary MR results, we performed sensitivity analysis using multiple types of Mendelian randomization analysis.ConclusionOur study revealed the association between electrolyte disorder and stroke in sepsis patients, and the correlation between genetic susceptibility to sepsis and increased risk of cardioembolic stroke, hinting that cardiogenic diseases and accompanying electrolyte disorder interference in due course could help sepsis patients get more benefits in stroke prevention.

Changes in species composition and diversity-productivity relationships during vegetation succession are of great significance for the restoration of degraded grasslands. However, the human intervention of grassland restoration mostly considers the single ecological (diversity) or production (biomass) function of grasslands, and does not fully consider the relationships between the two to improve the restoration effects. In this study, three vegetation types (desert grassland, sandy grassland and temperate savanna) were considered to simulate the three stages of restoration of degraded temperate savanna (early, middle and late restoration). Changes in species composition, diversity, and diversity-productivity relationships during the temperate savanna restoration were explored through spatiotemporal substitution. The results showed that with the progress of succession, xerophytes decreased significantly, mesophytes and hygrophytes increased, C4 plants decreased gradually, and C3 plants increased. The change of species richness was the main reason for community differences in the process of community succession, and species replacement mainly occurred between communities in the early and middle stages of succession. Species richness increased significantly from early to late stage of restoration. Latitude was significantly negatively correlated with species diversity. In the process of vegetation restoration, the impact of species richness, Pielou’s evenness, and β-diversity on biomass gradually developed positively and continued to increase, while the Simpson index showed the opposite effect. This study provides references for the restoration of temperate savanna and emphasizes the ecological and productive functions of the grassland should be taken into account in the restoration strategy.

PurposeThe objective of this study was to evaluate the association between thyroid hormone and bone mineral density (BMD) among euthyroid adults.MethodsThis cross-sectional study researched the information from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007–2010. We included 3,759 euthyroid participants finally. We used multivariate linear regression models to evaluate the linear relationship between the thyroid hormone profile and BMD. Subgroup analyses stratified by gender and age were further performed. Moreover, the nonlinear relationship was characterized by fitted smoothing curves and generalized additive models, and logistic regression models were used to determine the association of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroxine (T4) with previous fractures.ResultsThe weighted multivariable linear regression models showed no association between TSH and BMD. Free thyroxine (FT4), T4, free triiodothyronine (FT3), and total triiodothyronine (T3) were negatively associated with the total femur BMD and the total spine BMD after adjusting for all covariates. Subgroup analyses demonstrated that all groups had a negative association between T4 and BMD, even in patients with osteopenia/osteoporosis. The nonlinear relationship characterized by smooth curve fittings and generalized additive models suggested that an obvious U-shaped, an inverted U -shaped, and an L - shaped curve was exhibited between thyroid hormone and BMD in the different subgroups. In addition, normal high-level T4 was associated with an increased prevalence of previous fractures than normal low-level T4.ConclusionsIn this sample of euthyroid adults, T4 exhibits a negative correlation with BMD, regardless of age and gender, in subjects with either normal or lowered BMD. Moreover, high-normal FT4 was associated with an increased prevalence of previous fractures. TSH was not associated with variations of BMD and the fracture risk.

BackgroundNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is recognized to be closely associated with endoplasmic reticulum stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, while previous studies have emphasized the important role of calcium homeostasis from the mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membrane (MAM) in the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria. This article will assess the association between genetic polymorphisms of Ca2+ transport proteins and molecular chaperones in MAM and NAFLD risk.MethodsA case-control study was conducted in a community of Nanjing, China during April to December 2020. 2701 subjects were enrolled and genotyped for 6 genetic variants in HSPA5 and ITPR2 genes. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess impact of these variants on NAFLD risk.ResultsAfter adjusting for age, gender, total cholesterol and glucose, we identified that HSPA5 rs12009 variant genotypes (recessive model: OR= 0.801, 95% CI= 0.652-0.986, P= 0.036), rs430397 variant genotypes (recessive model: OR= 0.546, 95% CI= 0.314-0.950, P= 0.032), and ITPR2 rs11048570 variant genotypes (recessive model: OR= 0.673, 95% CI= 0.453-0.999, P= 0.049) were associated with a reduced risk of NAFLD. Multivariate stepwise regression analysis indicated that gender, glucose, body mass index, triglycerides and favorable alleles were independent influencers of NAFLD (all P< 0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.764 (95% CI= 0.745-0.783, P< 0.001).ConclusionThe variant genotypes of Ca2+ transport-associated genes HSPA5 (rs12009 and rs430397) and ITPR2 (rs11048570) might contribute to the reduction of the NAFLD risk in Chinese Han population, which can provide new insight into NAFLD pathogenesis.

ABAC ODI Journal Vision. Action. Outcome, 10, 2, 127-143

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-tct-10.1177_15330338231167827 for Enrichment of Circulating Tumor Cells of Lung Cancer and Correlation With Serum Leukomonocyte and Tumor Biomarkers: A Retrospective Study by Zhou-Fang Mei, Jing Yan, Ling Qian, Yan-Chao He, Jing-Jing Feng, Jie Wang, Zhi-Jun Jie and Hua Zou in Technology in Cancer Research & Treatment

Additional file 2: Figure S2. CXCL13 and CXCR5 expression in contralateral SCDH of CPIP model mice.Western blot examination of CXCL13and CXCR5in contralateral SCDH of sham and CPIP model mice on day 0, 7 14.Immunostaining of CXCL13and CXCR5in contralateral SCDH of sham and CPIP model mice on day 14. NS: no significance. n = 4–5 mice/group. One-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post hoc test was used for comparisons in panels A&B. Student’s t test was used for comparisons in panels C&D.