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In this work, a chiral core-shell microspheres composite, L-his-MIL-53-NH2@SiO2, was prepared through in situ growth and chiral post-modification strategies. The core-shell microspheres were applied as a novel chiral stationary phase for HPLC enantiomeric separation. Various racemates were separated on the L-his-MIL-53-NH2@SiO2 packed column using n-hexane/isopropanol as the mobile phase. The chiral column showed excellent separation efficiency for fourteen chiral compounds, including alcohols, alkanes, esters, phenols, ketones, and organic acids. The influence of injection mass and temperature on the separation performance of the chiral column were investigated. The relative standard deviations (n = 5) of the retention time and peak area by repeated separation of benzoin are 0.28% and 0.63%, respectively. The results show that the L-his-MIL-53-NH2@SiO2 packed column exhibited good reproducibility and stability. In addition, the chiral resolution ability of the L-his-MIL-53-NH2@SiO2 packed column was compared with that of a commercial chiral column (Chiralpak AD-H). The L-his-MIL-53-NH2@SiO2 packed column exhibits unique advantages in chiral separations that can be complementary to the commercial chiral column. It was demonstrated that the chiral core-shell microspheres composite L-his-MIL-53-NH2@SiO2 prepared based on in situ growth and chiral postmodification strategies has great potential for enantiomeric separation by HPLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the requirements of high accuracy, lightweight and real-time performance of the panoptic driving perception system, this paper proposes an efficient multi-task network (YOLOMH). The network uses a shared encoder and three independent decoding heads to simultaneously complete the three major panoptic driving perception tasks of traffic object detection, road drivable area segmentation and road lane segmentation. Thanks to our innovative design of the YOLOMH network structure: first, we design an appropriate information input structure based on the different information requirements between different tasks, and secondly, we propose a Hybrid Deep Atrous Spatial Pyramid Pooling module to efficiently complete the feature fusion work of the neck network, and finally effective approaches such as Anchor-free detection head and Depthwise Separable Convolution are introduced into the network, making the network more efficient while being lightweight. Experimental results show that our model achieves competitive results in both accuracy and speed on the challenging BDD100K dataset, especially in terms of inference speed, The model’s inference speed on NVIDIA TESLA V100 is as high as 107 Frames Per Second (FPS), far exceeding the 49 FPS of the YOLOP network under the same experimental settings. This well meets the requirements of autonomous vehicles for high system accuracy and low latency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information Management Systems are vital tools for businesses and organizations to manage their data effectively, make informed decisions, ensure data security and compliance, and enhance operational efficiency. This paper presents a robust app roach to information management through the utilization of the Optimized Probabilistic Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (OP_Bi-LSTM) model. The study developed into the architecture and application of Simulated Annealing (SA) for hyperparameter optimization, emphasizing the impact of fine-tuning on model performance. OP_Bi-LSTM, rooted in Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory, exhibits superior sequential data processing capabilities, making it well-suited for a variety of information management tasks. The proposed OP_BILSTM hierarchical architecture further enhances its pattern recognition capabilities in the information management system. Results from extensive experimentation demonstrate the model's versatility and adaptability in various applications, such as sentiment analysis, fraud detection, and time-series forecasting. The proposed OP_BI-LSTM model performance analysis is evaluated for the consideration of the different customers and product data. The propsoed OP_Bi-LSTM model achieves the classification accuracy of 0.98. It is stated that OP_Bi-LSTM emerges as a powerful tool for information management, offering exceptional performance and adaptability. As the field of deep learning and information management continues to evolve, this model holds great promise for addressing complex data chal lenges and facilitating data-driven decision-making in a variety of industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial statement analysis is a critical component of decision-making for businesses, investors, and financial professionals. To enhance the accuracy and effectiveness of such analysis, this paper introduces the application of an innovative approach known as the Intelligent Swarm Regression ARIMA Model. This advanced model combines the power of swarm intelligence with ARIMA (AutoRegressive Integrated Moving Average) time series forecasting, offering a robust methodology for predicting and analyzing key financial metrics. The study begins by providing an overview of the Intelligent Swarm Regression ARIMA model and its application to financial data. Through a comprehensive analysis of financial statements, including market capitalization, revenue, net income, and other crucial indicators, the model's efficacy in predicting future values is evaluated. Additionally, the paper examines the deviations between predicted and actual financial values, offering insights into the model's accuracy and areas for potential improvement. The findings of this research are invaluable for investors, financial analysts, and companies seeking to optimize their financial performance and strategic decision-making. By leveraging the Intelligent Swarm Regression ARIMA Model, stakeholders can make well-informed choices that lead to better financial outcomes and a competitive advantage in a dynamic economic landscape. This paper represents a significant step forward in the financial analysis, providing a practical methodology and a pathway to enhanced financial decision-making. As the importance of financial data continues to grow, this research offers a promising avenue for achieving financial success and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/aim: Heavy-ion irradiation seriously perturbs cellular homeostasis and thus damages cells. Vascular endothelial cells (ECs) play an important role in the pathological process of radiation damage. Protecting ECs from heavy-ion radiation is of great significance in the radioprotection of normal tissues. In this study, the radioprotective effect of ß-D-glucan (BG) derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae on human umbilical vein endothelial cell (EA.hy926) cytotoxicity produced by carbon-ion irradiation was examined and the probable mechanism was established. Materials and methods: EA.hy926 cells were divided into seven groups: a control group; 1, 2, or 4 Gy radiation; and 10 µg/mL BG pretreatment for 24 h before 1, 2, or 4 Gy irradiation. Cell survival was assessed by colony formation assay. Cell cycles, apoptosis, DNA damage, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were measured through flow cytometry. The level of malondialdehyde and antioxidant enzyme activities were analyzed using assay kits. The activation of NF-κB was analyzed using western blotting and a transcription factor assay kit. The expression of downstream target genes was detected by western blotting. Results: BG pretreatment significantly increased the survival of irradiated cells, improved cell cycle progression, and decreased DNA damage and apoptosis. The levels of ROS and malondialdehyde were also decreased by BG. Further study indicated that BG increased the antioxidant enzyme activities, activated Src, and promoted NF-κB activation, especially for the p65, p50, and RelB subunits. The activated NF-κB upregulated the expression of antioxidant protein MnSOD, DNA damage-response and repair-related proteins BRCA2 and Hsp90a, and antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that BG protects EA.hy926 cells from high linear-energy-transfer carbon-ion irradiation damage through the upregulation of prosurvival signaling triggered by the interaction of BG with its receptor. This confirms that BG is a promising radioprotective agent for heavy-ion exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of the study is to determine the efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation on global cognition and ability in daily life activities of patients with poststroke cognitive impairment. Design: Nine electronic databases were searched from their respective inceptions through January 2022. We included the randomized controlled trials that used transcranial direct current stimulation for poststroke cognitive impairment and included at least one global cognitive function or ability in daily life activities outcome indicators. Two reviewers appraised the risks of bias through the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool and performed the meta-analysis. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 guidelines. Results: Twenty-two studies (1198 participants) were included. Most studies had no significant bias in the quality of the methodology. Meta-analyses found that compared with the control group, transcranial direct current stimulation increased Montreal cognitive assessment, Mini-mental state examination, Loewenstein occupational therapy cognitive assessment, total effective rate of cognition, modified Barthel Index, and decreased P300 latency (all P < 0.05). These results showed transcranial direct current stimulation can improve cognitive function and ability in daily life activities in poststroke cognitive impairment. Conclusions: The transcranial direct current stimulation may have a significant rehabilitation effect on global cognitive functioning and ability in daily life activities of patients with poststroke cognitive impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 120 patients admitted to affiliated hospitals of the North Sichuan Medical College between September 2020 and June 2022 were recruited for this study and received percutaneous transhepatic cholangial drainage. Patients in the control group received parenteral nutrition support, whereas patients in the treatment group received parenteral and combined enteral nutrition support. Compared to the control group, the time of first exhaustion and defecation in the treatment group was faster, and the postoperative activity time and hospital stay were shorter. Serum albumin and prealbumin levels in both groups decreased on the 1st day after surgery and recovered on the 7th day, with the treatment group reaching higher levels. After surgery, the decline in alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin, and direct bilirubin levels was higher in the treatment group. CD4+, CD8+ levels, and CD4+/CD8+ ratios in both groups were elevated, with the treatment group showing higher levels. The occurrence of complications in the treatment group was lessened relative to the control group. In summary, enteral combined parenteral nutrition support for patients with malignant obstructive jaundice after surgery can promote faster recovery of gastrointestinal function, improve nutritional status, facilitate the recovery of liver function, and promote immune function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background • Nephrotic syndrome is characterized by prolonged duration, frequent relapses, various comorbidities, and complex management. Although children with nephrotic syndrome generally adhere well to medical protocols during hospitalization under close supervision, post-discharge adherence to care plans often poses challenges. Objective • This study aims to investigate the impact of continuous home care on nursing compliance, immune function, and quality of life among pediatric patients diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome. Methods • A retrospective analysis was conducted on ninety-eight cases of discharged children with nephrotic syndrome admitted to our hospital from January 2020 to January 2023. Based on different nursing programs, the children were divided into two groups: 54 cases in the observation group and 54 cases in the comparison group. The observation group received continuous home care involving assessment of nursing problems, care, and effect evaluation, while the comparison group received conventional pre-discharge health education and regular telephone follow-up after discharge. Nursing care compliance, immune function, and quality of life were compared between the two groups. Results • The observation group demonstrated significantly higher compliance rates in areas such as diet, fluid intake, medication, dialysis regimen, daily life, and exercise compared to the control group (P < .05). Aftercare, the observation group showed greater disease cognitive ability, disease-related behaviors, beliefs about the disease, and overall scores compared to the control group, with statistical significance (P < .05). Moreover, the quality-of-life index scores of children in both groups improved aftercare, with the observation group showing higher scores in behavioral ability, physical function, psychological function, and social function compared to the control group, and these differences were statistically significant (P<.05). Conclusions • Implementing ongoing home care for children diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome significantly enhances their overall quality of life, particularly in terms of familial dynamics, self-perception, and adherence to medical treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on investigating the bidirectional causal relationship between frailty and depression using Mendelian randomization (MR). Topics include the use of genetic data from Great Britain Biobank and TwinGen for frailty, the frailty, causally associated with an increased risk of depression, and emphasize the importance of early interventions and management for individuals affected by frailty and depression.

The article focuses on determining the preferred epitaxy for III-nitride semiconductors on wet-transferred graphene, showing that the favored approach is quasi-van der Waals epitaxy (quasi-vdWe). Topics include the choice between remote epitaxy, where nonchemical bonds couple the III-nitride/graphene interface, and quasi-van der Waals epitaxy (quasi-vdWe), where covalent bonds are dominant.

Subway structure monitoring obtains structure monitoring data in real time, and the obtained subway track vibration sequence exhibits obvious time series characteristics. Therefore, the difficulties of abnormal detection of subway track vibration sequence include not only the general scarcity and diversity of data, but also the large amount of sample data. In this paper, an anomaly detection method based on the long short-term memory (LSTM) was applied to detect anomalous subway track vibration sequences. Firstly, subway track vibration signals were preprocessed. An approach to extract subway track vibration sequences was proposed. According to this method, whether the collected data constituted running data was determined via the mean square error, and track vibration sequences were then extracted from the original data according to an adaptive threshold value to obtain subway track vibration samples. Afterwards, Savitzky-Golay filtering was performed to smooth the obtained subway track vibration sequences, and then the wavelet transform was applied to denoise the signal. Second, an anomaly detection algorithm based on the LSTM was employed to detect subway track vibration sequences. Finally, compared to other algorithms, the LSTM algorithm performed better in anomaly detection on the subway track vibration dataset with a small anomaly proportion than did the other three methods. However, in the case of a large proportion of anomalies in the signal, the detection effect of the proposed algorithm was close to BPNN and superior to the LOF and OCSVM. The results indicated that the LSTM-based sequence anomaly detection algorithm attained a satisfactory detection effect for subway track vibration sequences. The anomaly detection algorithm can be applied to subway structure monitoring systems, which can monitor subway track vibration signals in real time and determine whether these signals are anomalous to ensure the safe operation of subway structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a comprehensive response to climate change and low carbon development mode, the 3S-based regional terrestrial carbon cycle model in Luanhe basin is constructed in accordance with componentbased development strategy to identify carbon cycle evolution of terrestrial ecosystem under the background of local changes, combining measured weather data, prototype observation data of soil and plants as well as remote-sensing information in different spatial and temporal scales. The model has the ability of describing canopy fluxes, net primary productivity, biomass allocation and turnover, mortality, decomposition of soil organic matter and other dynamic processes. The carbon cycle evolution in Luanhe Basin from 1995 to 2010 is simulated and analyzed. The results are shown as follows: 1) in the temporal scale, inter-annual change of leaf area index with a slight growth trend is larger than that of net primary productivity (NPP), ground and underground biomass and soil carbon content; 2) There are obvious regional differences in spatial view, spatial distribution of results are consistent with those of watershed plant and soil, displaying the characteristics that the above major variables of mountainous regions in middle-upper reaches are greater than those of grassland meadows in the upstream and plains in the downstream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The functional maturation of neurons is a prolonged process that extends past the mitotic exit and is mediated by the chromatin-dependent orchestration of gene transcription programs. We find that expression of this maturation gene program in mouse cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) requires dynamic changes in the genomic distribution of histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3), demonstrating a function for this chromatin modification beyond its role in cell fate specification. The developmental loss of H3K27me3 at promoters of genes activated as CGNs mature is facilitated by the lysine demethylase and ASD-risk gene, Kdm6b. Interestingly, inhibition of the H3K27 methyltransferase EZH2 in newborn CGNs not only blocks the repression of progenitor genes but also impairs the induction of mature CGN genes, showing the importance of bidirectional H3K27me3 regulation across the genome. These data demonstrate that H3K27me3 turnover in developing postmitotic neurons regulates the temporal coordination of gene expression programs that underlie functional neuronal maturation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To analyze the activity of metformin in endometriosis, with a view to alleviating disease progression. Methods: A search was conducted using electronic databases such as CNKI, VIP, CBM, WANFANG, Embase, PubMed, Cochrane, and Web of Science from January 1980 to January 2022 for randomized trials involving any intrapartum fetal surveillance method. A network meta-analysis was performed within a frequentist framework, and it was assessed for quality and network inconsistency of the trials. A ninety-five percent confidence interval (CI) was used to report the relationship between metformin levels and patients with endometriosis. Results: Eight eligible studies which included 688 patients were evaluated in this meta-analysis. The primary indicators were treatment efficiency and CA-125 level. Metformin significantly increased treatment efficiency (SMD = 3.29, 95 % CI 2.01, 5.40, p < 0.00001). As expected, metformin also reduced the CA-125 level in endometriosis patients as a result (Odds Ratio, OR = -1.20, 95 % CI: -1.40 - 1.00, p < 0.00001). Conclusion: Metformin alleviates pains caused by endometriosis. However, some studies had scanty information about alleviating clinical symptoms other than basic medical research. More randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm treatment efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hybrid nanocrystals of zinc oxide (ZnO), cadmium oxide (CdO) and copper oxide (CuO) were self-assembled to the nanospheres with special structure in the process of inverse Pickering miniemulsion. The 3-(methacryloxy) propyltrimethoxysilane (MPS) was used to modify the crystalline nanoparticles to obtain the partial hydrophobicity on their surfaces. The influences of the dosage ratio of MPS to the crystalline nanoparticles on the size distribution and surface hydrophobicity of modified nanoparticles were discussed. The modified ZnO, CdO and CuO nanocrystals as solid emulsifiers were self-assembled into four kind structure of nanospheres by inverse Pickering miniemulsion. The dosage usage, the three-phase contact angle and their initial dispersion positions of the modified nanocrystals codetermined the structure of hybrid oxide nanocrystals. The nanospheres of hybrid oxide nanocrystal will be successfully prepared by inverse Pickering miniemulsion; they provide the distinctively photoelectric properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context • Patients receiving in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) treatments can be anxious and depressed and have other negative emotions. Psychological interventions might improve the clinical pregnancy rate of infertile patients. Heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback can be an effective technique to treat anxiety and stress symptoms. Objective • The study intended to investigate the effects and clinical outcomes of HRV biofeedback for women undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVFET) for the first time. Design • The research team performed a prospective randomized controlled study. Setting • The study took place at the Reproduction Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University in Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China. Participants • Participants were 60 women who received IVF-ET for the first time at the hospital between January 2015 and December 2017. Intervention • Participants were randomly divided into the intervention group (n = 30), who received HRV biofeedback, and the control group, who received routine education (n = 30). Outcome Measures • At baseline and postintervention, the research team analyzed outcomes using: (1) the scores from a self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and a self-rating depression scale (SDS); (2) HRV indexes, including the standard deviation of normal to normal (SDNN), root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), percentage of successive R-R intervals that differ by more than 50 milliseconds (PNN50), total power (TP), low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), and rate of LF and HF (LF/HF); and (3) pregnancy rates. Results • The control group’s SAS scores were significantly higher postintervention, at 48.63 ± 4.75, than those of the intervention group, at 39.23 ± 7.60 (P = .000). The control group’s SDS scores, at 53.07 ± 3.89, were also significantly higher postintervention than those of the intervention group, at 41.40 ± 9.60 (P = .000). For the intervention group, between baseline and postintervention four of the HRV indexes significantly increased: (1) SDNN—from 53.67 ± 9.03 to 79.57 ± 20.48 (p=0.000), (2) RMSSD— from 54.97 ± 13.94 to. 83.74 ± 34.40 (P = .000), (5) PNN50—15.04 ± 6.06 to 22.92 ± 9.90 (P = .001) and (4) TP—from 851.32 ± 486.47 to 1579.59 ± 746.86 (P = .000). The clinical pregnancy rate in the intervention group was higher than that in the control group but the difference wasn’t statistically significant, at 60.00% and 46.67%, respectively (P = .438). Conclusions • HRV biofeedback treatment significantly increased four HRV indexes and decreased the anxiety and depression of women undergoing IVF-ET for the first time, showing a potential clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the vapocoolants for vascular puncture in children and adults. Method: The search was carried out in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and The Cochrane Library, from inception to March 2022. Randomized controlled trials comparing vapocoolants to control conditions for participants received intravenous cannulation or arterial puncture were included. Two reviewers independently performed selection of studies, data extraction, and assessment of risk of bias. The analysis was performed using fixed or random-effects model with mean differences or standardized mean difference and risk ratios. Results: A total of 25 studies involving 3143 participants were included. Compared with control conditions, vapocoolants may not decrease the pain of patients with arterial puncture (SMD = -0.36, 95% CI = -0.92 to -0.19, P = 0.20), but may more effectively relieve pain for adults received vein puncture (SMD = -0.65, 95% CI = -0.85 to -0.45, P < 0.00001). The application of vapocoolant increased the procedural difficulty of medical personnel (RR = 2.49, 95% CI = 1.62 to 3.84, P<0.000 1) and participants were more willing to use the spray in the future (RR = 1.88, 95% CI = 1.34 to 2.64, P = 0.0002). There was no significant difference for the first attempt success rate of the procedure and the occurrence of adverse events. Conclusions: Vapocoolant spray may relieve pain in adults received vein puncture and cannot cause severe side effects, but is ineffective in children. It also had no effect on patients with arterial puncture. In addition, the application of spray increases procedural difficulties for medical professionals, but does not decrease first attempt success rate, and many patients would like to use the spray again for pain relief in the future. Thus, more rigorous and large-scale studies are needed to determine its effectiveness in vascular access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proper regulation of the earth pressure on the bulkhead of earth-pressure balanced (EPB) shield tunneling machines is significant to ensure safe construction. This study proposes a procedure for regulating the bulkhead pressure by combining numerical simulations and data mining, and applies the procedure to a metro line constructed in sandy pebble stratum using EPB shield. Firstly, the relationship between the bulkhead pressure and the pressure on the tunnel face is carefully obtained from discrete element modeling, and the required supporting earth pressure is derived by considering the arching effect. Secondly, aided with the machine learning method, a model is constructed for predicting the average bulkhead pressure per ring according to the operational parameters (i.e., the average driving speed and the rotation speed of the screw conveyor). Given the target value of the bulkhead pressure, the optimal values of the operational parameters are obtained from the model. In addition, an autoregressive moving average stochastic process model is developed to monitor the real-time fluctuation of the bulkhead pressure and guide the actions taken in time to avoid dramatic fluctuations. The results indicate that the pressure difference between the tunnel face and the bulkhead is considerable, and the consideration of the arching effect can avoid overestimating the bulkhead pressure. A combination of the machine learning model and the stochastic process model provides a plausible performance in regulating the bulkhead pressure around the target value without dramatic fluctuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We establish the existence and uniqueness of viscosity solutions to the Dirichlet problem ∆∞hu = f(x, u), in Ω, u = q, on ∂Ω, where q ∈ C(∂Ω), h > 1, ∆ ∞hu = |Du| h−3 ∆∞u. The operator ∆∞u = ⟨D²uDu, Du⟩ is the infinity Laplacian which is strongly degenerate, quasilinear and it is associated with the absolutely minimizing Lipschitz extension. When the nonhomogeneous term f(x, t) is non-decreasing in t, we prove the existence of the viscosity solution via Perron’s method. We also establish a uniqueness result based on the perturbation analysis of the viscosity solutions. If the function f(x, t) is nonpositive (nonnegative) and non-increasing in t, we also give the existence of viscosity solutions by an iteration technique under the condition that the domain has small diameter. Furthermore, we investigate the existence and uniqueness of viscosity solutions to the boundary-value problem with singularity ∆∞hu = −b(x)g(u), in Ω, u > 0, in Ω, u = 0, on ∂Ω, when the domain satisfies some regular condition. We analyze asymptotic estimates for the viscosity solution near the boundary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mental health monitoring and abnormality analysis lay the basis for effective stress regulation of sports majors and help them resist mental illness and improve learning efficiency. This paper conducts mental health monitoring and abnormality analysis for sports majors based on a dynamic threshold. Firstly, the authors explained the flow of the dynamic mental health monitoring for sports majors and provided the prediction flow of the proposed model. Then, based on the Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT) model, the mental health level of primary sports college students was predicted. The research steps were detailed, including data preparation and preprocessing, model training, and prediction error calculation, and the dynamic threshold method with the sliding window was described. The non-parametric dynamic threshold setting was adopted to detect the local abnormality in the evaluation data series of the mental health level for sports majors before introducing the structure and principle of the proposed prediction model. The experimental results validate our strategy for mental health monitoring and abnormality analysis of sports majors. The results of relevant research have essential theoretical and practical significance for the works of the mental health of primary sports students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the stochastic stability of the Markovian jump systems with two additive mode-dependent time-varying delays and partially known transition rates. First, a novel mode-dependent Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional (LKF) is constructed and the single integral terms in the derivative of LKF are estimated by the generalised free-weighting-matrix-based integral inequality. Then, some stability criteria in terms of linear matrix inequalities are obtained by using the convex combination technique. Finally, two numerical examples are presented to illustrate the feasibility of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to regulate gene activity spatially and temporally is essential to investigate cell-type- specific gene function during development and in postembryonic processes and disease models. The Cre/lox system has been widely used for performing cell and tissue-specific conditional analysis of gene function in zebrafish. However, simple and efficient methods for isolation of stable, Cre/lox regulated zebrafish alleles are lacking. Here, we applied our GeneWeld CRISPR-Cas9 targeted integration strategy to generate floxed alleles that provide robust conditional inactivation and rescue. A universal targeting vector, UFlip, with sites for cloning short homology arms flanking a floxed 2A-mRFP gene trap, was integrated into an intron in rbbp4 and rb1. rbbp4off and rb1off integration alleles resulted in strong mRFP expression,>99% reduction of endogenous gene expression, and recapitulated known indel loss-of- function phenotypes. Introduction of Cre led to stable inversion of the floxed cassette, loss of mRFP expression, and phenotypic rescue. rbbp4on and rb1on integration alleles did not cause phenotypes in combination with a loss-of- function mutation. Addition of Cre led to conditional inactivation by stable inversion of the cassette, gene trapping and mRFP expression, and the expected mutant phenotype. Neural progenitor Cre drivers were used for conditional inactivation and phenotypic rescue to showcase how this approach can be used in specific cell populations. Together these results validate a simplified approach for efficient isolation of Cre/lox-responsive conditional alleles in zebrafish. Our strategy provides a new toolkit for generating genetic mosaics and represents a significant advance in zebrafish genetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In previous studies, a new Trichinella spiralis serine protease 1.1 (TsSP1.1) was identified in surface proteins of T. spiralis muscle larvae (ML) by proteomics analysis, but its functions in T. spiralis infection are unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the roles of TsSP1.1 during larval intrusion of gut epithelium. Methods: From January 2019 to March 2021, complete TsSP1.1 cDNA sequence was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 at the Department of Parasitology, Medical College of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China. Expression and location of TsSP1.1 in the parasite were investigated using indirect immunofluorescence assay (IIFA) and Western blotting. The in vitro intestinal epithelium cells (IECs) intrusion assay was used to ascertain the roles of TsSP1.1 during larval intrusion of IECs and gut epithelium. Results: TsSP1.1 was a surface and secretory protein, which was expressed at various T. spiralis stages, and principally localized at cuticle, stichosome and embryos of the nematode. rTsSP1.1 accelerated larval intrusion of IECs, whereas anti-rTsSP1.1 antibodies impeded larval intrusion. The acceleration and inhibtion was dose-dependently related to rTsSP1.1 and anti-TsSP1.1 antibodies. Block of the IIL with anti-rTsSP1.1 serum also impeded larval intrusion of gut mucosa. Conclusion: TsSP1.1 participates in T. spiralis intrusion of gut epithelium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

KDM6B-mediated epigenetic modification of the testicular regulator Dmrt1 has previously been identified as the primary switch of the male pathway in a temperature-dependent sex-determination (TSD) system; however, the molecular network of the female pathway has not yet been established. Here, we have functionally characterized for the first time an upstream regulator of the female pathway, the forkhead transcription factor FOXL2, in Trachemys scripta, a turtle species with a TSD system. FOXL2 exhibited temperature-dependent female-specific expression patterns before the onset of gonadal differentiation and was preferentially localized in ovarian somatic cells. Foxl2 responded rapidly to temperature shifts and estrogen. Importantly, forced expression of Foxl2 at the male-producing temperature led to male-to-female sex reversal, as evidenced by the formation of an ovary-like structure, and upregulation of the ovarian regulators Cyp19a1 and R-spondin1. Additionally, knockdown of Foxl2 caused masculinization at the femaleproducing temperature, which was confirmed by loss of the female phenotype, development of seminiferous tubules, and elevated expression of Dmrt1 and Sox9. Collectively, we demonstrate that Foxl2 expression is necessary and sufficient to drive ovarian determination in T. scripta, suggesting a crucial role of Foxl2 in female sex determination in the TSD system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Endometriosis is a common gynecological disease affecting up to ~10% of women at reproductive age. Prior combined studies implied that MARVELD2 might be involved in the pathogenesis of certain malignancies. Here, 211 Han Chinese samples with ovarian endometriosis were analyzed for the presence of MARVELD2 mutations. Methods: We analyze the potential presence of MARVELD2 mutations by direct DNA sequencing. Results: A total of 7 variants, 5 missense and 2 synonymous variants, were identified in our 211 ovarian endometriosis samples with different frequencies. Among the 5 missense variant, a missense rare variant p.V198M (c.592G>A), was identified in 10 out of our 211 samples (4.74%). This rare variant was identified with extremely low frequency in 766 control samples from 766 Chinese women without endometriosis (0.13%, 1/766) and control samples in the public databases. The evolutionary conservation analysis results suggested that the MARVELD2 rare variant lead to highly conserved amino acid substitutions among 14 vertebrate species from Human to Snake. Furthermore, both the SIFT and Polyphen-2 programs predicted this rare variant to be 'disease causing'. However, we failed to observe any statistical significance between the MARVELD2 rare variant and the available clinical data. Conclusions: We identified a potential pathogenic rare variant in the MARVELD2 gene in Chinese samples with ovarian endometriosis, indicating the MARVELD2 rare variant might play an active role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Fruit and vegetable byproducts were evaluated as media and carbon sources for Euglena. • When used as media, Euglena cultivated with orange peel showed the highest beta-glucan production. • When used as a carbon source, Euglena cultivated with apple pomace showed the highest beta-glucan production. • Fruit and vegetable byproducts were effective for beta-glucan production when used as a single carbon source. • It is expected to contribute to the circular economy of waste. Five fruit and vegetable byproducts were evaluated as carbon sources and media for beta-glucan production from Euglena gracilis. Orange peel showed the highest beta-glucan concentration (6.5 g/L) and productivity (1.9 g/L/day) when used as a medium. However, when employed as carbon sources, apple pomace showed the highest beta-glucan concentration (10.6 g/L) and productivity (3.5 g/L/day). The appropriate chemical oxygen demand/nitrogen ratio (71.1) and favorable carbon sources of apple contributed to beta-glucan production. Increasing sugar concentrations in apple pomace and orange peel from 10 to 30 g/L raised the beta-glucan concentration to 11.6 g/L. Using apple pomace and orange peel individually proved more effective than mixing them for beta-glucan production. Therefore, apple as a carbon source is the most effective fruit and vegetables byproduct for beta-glucan production. This is expected to reduce the cost of E. gracilis cultivation on a large-scale and contribute to the circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tai Chi (TC) is a traditional Chinese martial art with demonstrated beneficial effects on physical and mental health. In this study, the authors performed a systematic review to assess the efficiency of TC in different populations’ cognitive function improvement. Design: The present systematic review utilized the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (1915-), Wanfang (1998-), VIP (1989-), Chinese Biomedicine databases (1978-), PubMed (1950-),Web of Science (1900-), Cochrane Library (1948-), Embase (1974-), EBSCOhost (1922-), and OVID (1996-) databases to search and identify relevant articles published in English and Chinese from the beginning of coverage through October 17, 2020. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from the beginning of coverage through October 17, 2020 in English and Chinese were retrieved from many indexing databases. Selected studies were graded according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Intervention 5.1.0. The outcome measures of cognitive function due to traditional TC intervention were obtained. Meta-analysis was conducted by using RevMan 5.4 software. We follow the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Results: Thirty-three RCTs, with a total of 1808 participants, were included. The study showed that TC could progress global cognition when assessed in middle-aged as well as elderly patients suffering from cognitive and executive function impairment. The findings are as follows: Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale: mean difference (MD) = 3.23, 95% CI = 1.88–4.58, p < 0.00001, Mini-Mental State Exam: MD= 3.69, 95% CI = 0.31– 7.08, p = 0.03, Trail Making Test-Part B: MD=-13.69, 95% CI=-21.64 to -5.74, p = 0.0007. The memory function of older adults assessed by the Wechsler Memory Scale was as follows: MD= 23.32, 95% CI = 17.93– 28.71, p < 0.00001. The executive function of college students evaluated by E-prime software through the Flanker test was as follows: MD=-16.32, 95% CI=-22.71 to -9.94, p < 0.00001. Conclusion: The TC might have a positive effect on the improvement of cognitive function in middle-aged and elderly people with cognitive impairment as well as older adults and college students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND To achieve a natural postoperative appearance, hair grafts are often de-epithelialized from the epidermis during follicular unit extraction (FUE). However, the effect of de-epithelialization on the survival rate of transplanted hair follicles (HFs) has not been investigated. OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of de-epithelialization on the survival rate of transplanted HFs. METHODS A total of 64 male patients with androgenetic alopecia were included in this study. They were randomly divided into de-epithelialization and control groups. Organ culture was performed to assess the elongation of hair shaft and the percentage of anagen HFs in both groups. Patients were followed up postoperatively to evaluate complications, postoperative shedding, survival rates, and satisfaction. RESULTS No significant difference in hair shaft elongation and percentage of anagen HFs was observed between both groups. The immediate postoperative satisfaction in the control group was much lower than that in the de-epithelialization group (71.25% and 100%, respectively). No significant differences in shedding rate, graft survival rate, and complications were noticed between both groups. CONCLUSION Follicular de-epithelialization does not affect the survival rate of graft in FUE. Based on these data, de-epithelialization may improve immediate postoperative appearance and lead to a more pleasing cosmetic outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP) is the most widely used model for genome-wide predictions. Interestingly, it is also possible to perform genome-wide association studies (GWAS) based on GBLUP. Although the estimated marker effects in GBLUP are shrunken and the conventional test based on such effects has low power, it was observed that a modified test statistic can be produced and the result of test was identical to a standard GWAS model. Later, a mathematical proof was given for the special case that there is no fixed covariate in GBLUP. Since then, the new approach has been called "GWAS by GBLUP". Nevertheless, covariates such as environmental and subpopulation effects are very common in GBLUP. Thus, it is necessary to confirm the equivalence in the general case. Recently, the concept was generalized to GWAS for epistatic effects and the new approach was termed rapid epistatic mixed-model association analysis (REMMA) because it greatly improved the computational efficiency. However, the relationship between REMMA and the standard GWAS model has not been investigated. In this study, we first provided a general mathematical proof of the equivalence between "GWAS by GBLUP" and the standard GWAS model for additive effects. Then, we compared REMMA with the standard GWAS model for epistatic effects by a theoretical investigation and by empirical data analyses. We hypothesized that the similarity of the two models is influenced by the relative contribution of additive and epistatic effects to the phenotypic variance, which was verified by empirical and simulation studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional data centres often require additional energy to drive air conditioning fans etc. to dissipate heat due to the serious power generation problems of servers, which in effect raises the economic costs. Seawater, with its high specific heat capacity and fluidity, offers a viable research direction for reducing economic costs, and this paper is based on this problem. The study shows that it is feasible to use containers as the main structure of the data centre. The number of servers n 860 that can be tolerated by the cooling capacity of the container without considering the limit of geometrical constraints is obtained by calculation. Secondly, in order to enhance the heat dissipation capacity of the data centre, the 6 cm straight ribbed crown fin heat dissipation enclosure is proposed to have the best heat dissipation capacity when comparing various heat dissipation enclosure configurations. A comprehensive assessment model of material properties was established, and the weights of each straight index were determined by analytic hierarchy process, and then the metals were ranked according to the specific scores of each index. The results show that nickel alloys and aluminium alloys are the most suitable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: With nicotine dependence being a significant healthcare issue worldwide there is a growing interest in developing novel therapies and diagnostic aids to assist in treating nicotine addiction. Glutamate (Glu) plays an important role in cognitive function regulation in a wide range of conditions including traumatic brain injury, aging, and addiction. Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) imaging via ultra-high field MRI can image the exchange of certain saturated labile protons with the surrounding bulk water pool, making the technique a novel tool to investigate glutamate in the context of addiction. The aim of this work was to apply glutamate weighted CEST (GluCEST) imaging to study the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) in a small population of smokers and non-smokers to determine its effectiveness as a biomarker of nicotine use. Methods: 2D GluCEST images were acquired on 20 healthy participants: 10 smokers (ages 29–50) and 10 non-smokers (ages 25–69), using a 7T MRI system. T1-weighted images were used to segment the GluCEST images into white and gray matter tissue and further into seven gray matter regions. Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were performed, comparing mean GluCEST contrast between smokers and non-smokers across brain regions. Results: GluCEST levels were similar between smokers and non-smokers; however, there was a moderate negative age dependence (R2 = 0.531) in smokers within the cingulate gyrus. Conclusion: Feasibility of GluCEST imaging was demonstrated for in vivo investigation of smokers and non-smokers to assess glutamate contrast differences as a potential biomarker with a moderate negative age correlation in the cingulate gyrus suggesting reward network involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coordinated expression of ion channels is crucial for cardiac rhythms, neural signaling, and cell cycle progression. Perturbation of this balance results in many disorders including cardiac arrhythmias. Prior work revealed association of mRNAs encoding cardiac NaV1.5 (SCN5A) and hERG1 (KCNH2), but the functional significance of this association was not established. Here, we provide a more comprehensive picture of KCNH2, SCN5A, CACNA1C, and KCNQ1 transcripts collectively copurifying with nascent hERG1, NaV1.5, CaV1.2, or KCNQ1 channel proteins. Single-molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization (smFISH) combined with immunofluorescence reveals that the channel proteins are synthesized predominantly as heterotypic pairs from discrete molecules of mRNA, not as larger cotranslational complexes. Puromycin disrupted colocalization of mRNA with its encoded protein, as expected, but remarkably also pairwise mRNA association, suggesting that transcript association relies on intact translational machinery or the presence of the nascent protein. Targeted depletion of KCHN2 by specific shRNA resulted in concomitant reduction of all associated mRNAs, with a corresponding reduction in the encoded channel currents. This co-knockdown effect, originally described for KCNH2 and SCN5A, thus appears to be a general phenomenon among transcripts encoding functionally related proteins. In multielectrode array recordings, proarrhythmic behavior arose when IKr was reduced by the selective blocker dofetilide at IC50 concentrations, but not when equivalent reductions were mediated by shRNA, suggesting that co-knockdown mitigates proarrhythmic behavior expected from the selective reduction of a single channel species. We propose that coordinated, cotranslational association of functionally related ion channel mRNAs confers electrical stability by co-regulating complementary ion channels in macromolecular complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteomyelitis is a debilitating bone infection primarily caused by Staphylococcus aureus. Despite advancements in surgery and chemotherapy, the treatment of osteomyelitis remains unsatisfactory, characterized by antibiotic resistance and recurrent relapses. Numerous studies have confirmed that non-coding RNAs could play an emerging role in regulating gene expression, as well as in the differentiation of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, along with bone formation. In this context, we provide an overview of current knowledge regarding the roles of non-coding RNAs in osteomyelitis and explore the potential therapeutic applications of these molecules in disease management, aiming to uncover novel diagnostic and treatment approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs), such as microRNAs (miRNAs), small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), PIWIinteracting RNAs (piRNAs), and transfer RNA (tRNA)-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs), play essential roles in regulating various cellular and developmental processes. Over the past three decades, researchers have identified novel sncRNA species from various organisms. These molecules demonstrate dynamic expression and diverse functions, and they are subject to intricate regulation through RNA modifications in both healthy and diseased states. Notably, certain sncRNAs in gametes, particularly sperm, respond to environmental stimuli and facilitate epigenetic inheritance. Collectively, the in-depth understanding of sncRNA functions and mechanisms has accelerated the development of small RNA-based therapeutics. In this review, we present the recent advances in the field, including new sncRNA species and the regulatory influences of RNA modifications. We also discuss the current limitations and challenges associated with using small RNAs as either biomarkers or therapeutic drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the most prevalent gynecological cancers with a 5-year survival rate of 20–60%. Feasible prognostic molecular biomarkers of EC are necessary for accurate prediction of EC prognosis. RAC3 is a member of the Rho GTPases. Public databases including Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA2), Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER), LinkedOmics, Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING), TISIDB and cBioPortal were employed to analyze the differential expression, clinicopathologic characteristics, functional networks, immune cell infiltrates and genetic alteration of RAC3 in EC patients. RAC3 expression was elevated in EC patients analyzed by TIMER and GEPIA. Overexpression of RAC3 was obviously correlated with clinical stage, histological type, histological grade and DNA hypomethylation. Patients with high RAC3 expression displayed poor overall survival. Functional enrichment analysis showed that RAC3 was involved in translational initiation, DNA replication and mRNA processing. RAC3 expression was negatively associated with infiltrating levels of B cells, CD8 + T cells, macrophages and dendritic cells in EC. Experiments in vitro showed that RAC3 was upregulated in EC tissues and cell lines, and RAC3 induced cell proliferation and invasion by increasing fatty acid synthase (FASN) expression. High expression of RAC3iscorrelated with poor prognosis and low infiltration of immune cells in EC. RAC3 promotes cell proliferation and invasion via FASN. These results demonstrate thatRAC3 functions as an EC oncogene and reveal its underlying mechanism in EC progression, suggesting that RAC3 may serve as a potential therapeutic target in EC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Cognitive and neuroimaging assessments are still the main clinical practice methods for screening and diagnosing vascular dementia (VaD) patients. This study aimed to establish the neuropsychological characteristics of mild‐tomoderate subcortical ischaemic vascular dementia (SIVD) patients, find an optimal cognitive marker for differentiating them from Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, and explore the correlation between cognitive function and total small vessel disease (SVD) burden. Methods: SIVD (n = 60) and AD (n = 30) patients and cognitively unimpaired healthy controls (HCs; n = 30) were recruited from our longitudinal MRI AD and SIVD study (ChiCTR1900027943) and received a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment and a multimodal MRI scan. Cognitive performance and MRI SVD markers were compared between groups. Combined cognitive scores were established for differentiating between SIVD and AD patients. Correlations between cognitive function and total SVD scores were analysed in dementia patients. Results: SIVD patients showed poorer performance in information processing speed and better performance in memory, language, and visuospatial function than AD patients, although all cognitive domains were impaired in both groups compared with HCs. Combined cognitive scores showed an area under the curve of 0.727 (95%CI 0.62–0.84, p < 0.001) for differentiating SIVD and AD patients. Auditory Verbal Learning Test recognition scores were negatively correlated with total SVD scores in SIVD patients. Conclusions: Our results suggested that neuropsychological assessments, specifically combined tests including episodic memory, information processing speed, language and visuospatial ability, are useful in the clinical differentiation between SIVD and AD patients. Moreover, cognitive dysfunction was partly correlated with MRI SVD burden in SIVD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of a chemotherapy regimen combined with levofloxacin in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with Type-2 diabetes. Methods: Total 80 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with Type-2 diabetes admitted to Baoding People's Hospital from January, 2019 to January, 2022 were randomly divided into two groups: the experimental group and the control group, with 40 cases in each group. Patients in the control group were given the conventional 2HRZE/10HRE regimen, while those in the experimental group were given the chemotherapy regimen 2HRZEL/6HRE combined with levofloxacin. Sixty four slice spiral CT was used for chest plain scan before and after treatment, respectively, to evaluate the absorption of lesions based on the range of lung lesions; Venous blood was drawn to detect the changes of oxidative stress indicators, the incidence of adverse drug reactions and the negative conversion rate of sputum tuberculosis bacteria in the two groups. Results: After treatment, the efficacy of the experimental group was 90%, which was significantly higher than that of the control group (67.5%), with a statistically significant difference (p=0.01). After treatment, CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/ CD8+ and other indicators in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group, with a statistically significant difference (CD3+, p=0.01; CD4+, p=0.01; CD4+/CD8+, p=0.00), while CD8+ did not change significantly (p=0.92); The incidence of adverse reactions was 52.5% in the experimental group and 47.5% in the control group, with no statistically significant difference (p=0.66); The negative conversion rate of patients in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group at one month, three months and six months after treatment, with a statistically significant difference (p<0.05). Conclusion: Chemotherapy combined with levofloxacin is a safe and effective regimen for patients' pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with Type-2 diabetes, boasting a variety of benefits such as improved clinical efficacy, ameliorated cellular immune status, a high negative conversion rate of sputum tuberculosis bacteria, and no significant increase in adverse reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the most common gynecologic malignancies. Identification of potential EC biomarkers is essential to improve the prognosis and development of therapies against EC. Synaptotagmin-like protein 1 (SYTL1), as a small GTPase Rab27 effector, mainly plays a role in vesicle trafficking and cytotoxic granule exocytosis in lymphocytes. However the role of SYTL1 in EC remains uncertain. We performed a comprehensive assessment of the relationship between SYTL1 and patient diagnosis and prognosis by analysis of EC patients' data from TCGA. We employed the LinkedOmics and Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) database to analyze the biological function of SYTL1 in EC. In addition, the correlation between SYTL1 expression and its DNA methylation was performed by using cBioportal, UALCAN, TCGA Wanderer and MethSurv databases. We further assessed the link between SYTL1 and tumor-infiltrating immune cells by using gene set variation analysis (GSVA). Results We found that SYTL1 was highly expressed in EC patients and cell lines. And increased expression of SYTL1 was associated with age, clinical stage, histological type, histological grade and good overall survival (OS).SYTL1 DNA methylation is negatively associated with SYTL1 expression and UCEC patients' OS. SYTL1 expression is closely correlated with immune infiltration. Furthermore, we carried out in vitro experiments to verify the results of bioinformatic analysis. Conclusion Our results demonstrated that the elevation of SYTL1 expression is associated with good OS and SYTL1 might be a potential diagnostic and prognostic marker in EC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The application of vedolizumab (VDZ) subcutaneous (SC) formulation has brought more convenience and hope to patients with moderate-to-severe inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) in the coronavirus disease 2019 context. Objective: This study aimed to systematically evaluate all previous studies that used VDZ SC formulation for maintenance therapy in patients with IBD. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data Sources and Methods: The search was conducted using the subject and free terms related to ‘Vedolizumab’, ‘Subcutaneous’, and ‘IBD’, in Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, and at ClinicalTrials.gov databases between 2008 and 2022. The methodological quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies was assessed using the Cochrane Handbook of Systematic Reviews and the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale, respectively. The endpoints included efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity. Results: A total of 60 studies and 2 completed clinical registry trials were retrieved, of which 3 RCTs with high methodological quality, and 3 cohort studies with large heterogeneity were included in the meta-analysis. In the RCT study design, patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) under different conditions after treated with VDZ SC were significantly distinct than those for placebo (PBO) in clinical remission, endoscopic remission, and biochemical remission. In Crohn’s disease (CD), the aforementioned parameters were slightly higher than those for PBO, but there was not statistically significant in endoscopic remission and the efficacy of anti-tumor necrosis factor-naive patients. The clinical remission, endoscopic remission, and biochemical remission in patients with UC after VDZ SC treatment were similar to those after intravenous (IV) treatment. The risk ratios in patients experiencing adverse events (AEs) and serious AEs after VDZ SC and PBO treatments were 86% and 89% in UC, and 96% and 80% in CD, respectively. Compared with IV, safety was not statistically different. The risk of developing anti-VDZ antibody after VDZ SC treatment was only 20% of that after PBO in patients with UC, but it was 9.38 times in CD. Conclusion: VDZ SC treatment maintained the clinical efficacy of IV induction in patients with IBD without increasing the safety risk, and the efficacy was more pronounced in patients with UC. Immunogenicity might be a potential factor for the decrease in efficacy rate in patients with IBD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Biliary stents combined with percutaneous or endoscopic ultrasound-guided iodine-125 seed implantation into primary tumor have been confirmed to relieve malignant obstructive jaundice (MOJ), and prolong patient's stent patency. The aim of the study was to evaluate meaningful clinical application indications and better guide the application of this technology. Material and methods: Patients with MOJ, who have received bile duct stenting combined with iodine-125 (125I) seed implantation from October, 2010 to April, 2022, were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were adopted to indicate factors of stent patency in MOJ and influencing factors of jaundice reduction at one week after surgery. Results: A total of 90 patients were enrolled into the study, including 52 males (57.8%) and 38 females (42.2%), with a mean age of 68.66 ±12.53 years. The median stent patency was 8 months. No serious adverse events occurred during follow-up. Multivariate analysis showed that Child-Pugh score (HR = 2.221, 95% CI: 1.081-4.562), biliary infection (HR = 1.901, 95% CI: 1.084-3.335), and pre-operative jaundice duration (HR = 1.977, 95% CI: 1.106-3.533) were the independent risk factors for stent patency. Child-Pugh B/C (OR = 4.647, 95% CI: 1.080-19.982) and bile duct infection (OR = 3.583, 95% CI: 1.095-11.725) were the independent risk factors for jaundice reduction at one week after surgery. Conclusions: MOJ patients treated with biliary stents combined with 125I seed implantation, and patients with better pre-operative liver function and no biliary tract infection, present not only longer biliary stent patency, but also better early jaundice reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both music and language are found in all known human societies, yet no studies have compared similarities and differences between song, speech, and instrumental music on a global scale. In this Registered Report, we analyzed two global datasets: (i) 300 annotated audio recordings representing matched sets of traditional songs, recited lyrics, conversational speech, and instrumental melodies from our 75 coauthors speaking 55 languages; and (ii) 418 previously published adult-directed song and speech recordings from 209 individuals speaking 16 languages. Of our six preregistered predictions, five were strongly supported: Relative to speech, songs use (i) higher pitch, (ii) slower temporal rate, and (iii) more stable pitches, while both songs and speech used similar (iv) pitch interval size and (v) timbral brightness. Exploratory analyses suggest that features vary along a "musi-linguistic" continuum when including instrumental melodies and recited lyrics. Our study provides strong empirical evidence of crosscultural regularities in music and speech. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of the study is to comprehensively assess the recovery effects of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in patients with poststroke cognitive impairment. Methods: Six English and four Chinese databases were searched for relevant studies published up to January 2022. Randomized controlled trials of patients with poststroke cognitive impairment treated with high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation were included. Included studies were assessed for the risk of bias through the Cochrane Intervention Systematic Review Manual 5.1.0. The meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software. The PRISMA 2020 guidelines were followed. Results: Sixty-one randomized controlled trials (4012 patients) were included. Montreal Cognitive Assessment Score, Mini-Mental State Examination score, event-related potential P300 (P300) amplitude, Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment score, and total effective rate of cognitive function were higher in the high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation group than in the control group at the end of the treatment period, and scores of Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale and P300 latency were lower in the high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation group than in the control group. Fifty studies had selected the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex as the stimulation site for high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation. Conclusions: Compared with nonrepetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation or sham repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation not only improves the overall cognitive function of poststroke cognitive impairment patients but also has better rehabilitation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Shenqi Fuzheng injection (SFI) represents a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulation integrating Astragalus membranaceus (Huangqi, HQ) and Codonopsis pilosula (Danshen, DS). This investigation delved into elucidating the potential mechanisms and molecular targets of SFI in the context of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) through comprehensive network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses. Initially, we probed the databases for potential bioactive compounds of SFI and identified relevant COPD-related target genes. Subsequent analyses, conducted using Cytoscape 3.9.1 and STRING, facilitated the construction of a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network to discern key target genes. Following this, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were employed to delineate putative SFI-related signaling pathways, and the results were validated through molecular docking analyses. The network pharmacology analyses revealed a total of 65 active components (35 associated with DS and 30 with HQ) and 233 key targets. Notably, the top five bioactive components (quercetin, apigenin, daidzein, kaempferol, and luteolin) and the top five targets (TP53, AKT1, EP300, MAPK1, and JUN) exhibited substantial affinity and stable binding, with a binding energy ≤ -5.0 kcal/mol in molecular docking analyses. These findings suggested that SFI potentially exerted therapeutic effects on COPD through the concerted action of multiple compounds and pathways. Additionally, the outcomes of this study laid a solid foundation for understanding the pharmacological aspects of SFI, offering valuable insights for its prospective clinical application as an adjuvant therapeutic agent for COPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE: To determine the correlation between muscle strength and static/dynamic postural control among older adults. METHODS: One hundred and seven older adults (64 female,72.7±7.2 years old,161.7±7.5 cm, and 63.3±9.2 kg) were included in the study. Isokinetic (30o/sec) hip and ankle flexor/extensor/abductor/adductor muscle strength was measured using an IsoMed 2000 muscle strength testing system (D. & R. Ferstl GmbH, Hemau, Germany). Static balance, represented by the Root Mean Square (RMS) of the Center of Pressure (COP) displacement in Anterior-Posterior (AP) and the Medial-Lateral (ML) directions, were measured using a force platform (KISTLER, 9287BA, Switzerland) during bipedal standing with eyes closed for 60 seconds. Dynamic balance was assessed using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) tests. Muscle strength was tested from their dominant legs. Linear regression was performed to examine the relationship between muscle strength and static/dynamic balance. RESULTS: Ankle plantarflexion (r=0.373, p<0.001) and hip abduction (r=0.325, p=0.001) muscle strength was moderately correlated with BBS. Ankle dorsiflexion muscle strength (r= - 0.261, p=0.008) was weakly correlated with BBS. Ankle plantarflexion muscle strength (r=0.212, p=0.031) was weakly correlated with RMS of COP in the ML direction. No other significant correlation between muscle strength and balance measures was detected. CONCLUSION: Dynamic postural control was weakly to moderately correlated with the hip and ankle muscle strength, while static postural control was weakly correlated with the ankle strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CONGENITAL AMUSIA IS A NEUROGENETIC DISORDER of pitch perception that may also compromise pitch production. Despite amusics' long documented difficulties with pitch, previous evidence suggests that familiar music may have an implicit facilitative effect on their performance. It remains, however, unknown whether vocal imitation of song in amusia is influenced by melody familiarity and the presence of lyrics. To address this issue, thirteen Mandarin speaking amusics and 13 matched controls imitated novel song segments with lyrics and on the syllable/la/. Eleven out of these participants in each group also imitated segments of a familiar song. Subsequent acoustic analysis was conducted to measure pitch and timing matching accuracy based on eight acoustic measures. While amusics showed worse imitation performance than controls across seven out of the eight pitch and timing measures, melody familiarity was found to have a favorable effect on their performance on three pitch-related acoustic measures. The presence of lyrics did not affect either group's performance substantially. Correlations were observed between amusics' performance on the Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Amusia and imitation of the novel song. We discuss implications in terms of music familiarity, memory demands, the relevance of lexical information, and the link between perception and production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the effect and mechanism of ultraviolet B (UVB) on melanin synthesis and premature senescence in human immortalized keratinocytes (HaCaT) cells. Methods: HaCaT cells were irradiated with 0, 20, 50, 80, 100, 150, and 200 mJ/cm² of UVB. NaOH method was used for melanin content assay, cellular tyrosinase (TYR) activity was determined by 3,4-Dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine (L-DOPA) oxidation to dopachrome, premature senescence was analyzed by senescence-associated beta-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) staining kit, and the levels of p21, p16, p62, and GATA4 proteins were detected by Western blotting. Premature senescence was inhibited by the inhibitors of ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) or ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3–related (ATR), and the p53 signaling pathway was activated by Nutlin-3. The mRNA levels of senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) factors including tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), and interleukin-8 (IL-8) were measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction in HaCaT cells after 80 mJ/cm² of UVB irradiation. Results: The melanin level increased significantly with the elevation of irradiation dose (F = 28.19, 43.82, 143.60, P < .05), reaching the peak at the dose of 80 mJ/cm² . The tyrosinase activity increased significantly (F = 84.50, P < .05), the percentage of premature senescence increased (F = 16.31, P < .05), the levels of p62 decreased, and the level of GATA4 increased obviously with the increase of UVB dose after irradiation. The UVB-induced promotion of GATA4 level was significantly inhibited by being treated with ATM or ATR inhibitor. However, this did not occur in the Nutlin-3-treated group. The mRNA and protein expression of TNF-α increased significantly at 72 h at 80 mJ/cm2 of UVB irradiation. Conclusions: Melanin contents increased first and decreased afterward with the increasing of UVB irradiation. The decrease of p62-mediated selective autophagy was accompanied by the accumulation of GATA4 after different doses of UVB irradiation. Activation of this p62/GATA4 pathway depends on the ATM and ATR but is independent of p53, and the SASP factor was activated in HaCaT cells at 80 mJ/cm2 of UVB irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Few studies have focused on the management of inoperable ampullary carcinoma (AC), and patients with jaundice suffer from biliary stents replacement frequently. Iodine-125 (125I) brachytherapy has been used in the treatment of malignant tumors owing to its curative effect, minimal surgical trauma, and tolerable complications. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of 125I seed implantation in patients with unresectable ampullary carcinoma after relief of obstructive jaundice. Material and methods: A total of 44 patients with obstructive jaundice resulting from unresectable ampullary carcinoma from January 1, 2010 to October 31, 2020 were enrolled in the study. Eleven patients underwent implantation of 125I seeds under endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) after receiving biliary stent placement via endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) (treatment group), and 33 patients received a stent alone via ERCP (control group). Cox regression model was applied in this single-center retrospective comparison study. Results: The median maximum intervention interval for biliary obstruction was 381 days (interquartile range [IQR]: 204-419 days) in the treatment group and 175 days (IQR: 126-274 days) in the control group (p < 0.05). Stent occlusion rates at 90 and 180 days in the control group were 12.9% and 51.6%, respectively. No stent occlusion occurred in the treatment group. Patients in the treatment group obtained longer survival time (median, 26 vs. 13 months; p < 0.01) and prolonged duodenal obstruction (median, 20.5 vs. 11 months; p < 0.05). No brachytherapy-related grade 3 or 4 adverse events were observed. Conclusions: Longer intervention interval for biliary obstruction and survival as well as better stent patency and prolonged time to duodenal obstruction could be achieved by implanting 125I seeds combined with biliary stent in patients with unresectable ampullary cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytohormones play a key role in regulating tiller number. Ascorbic acid (Asc)-phytohormone interaction plays a pivotal role in the regulation of senescence. We analysed the relationship between Asc and the enzyme concentrations and gene transcript abundances related to the signal perception of strigolactones (SLs), the contents of four phytohormones (abscisic acid, ABA; jasmonic acid, JA; indole acetic acid, IAA; cytokinin, CTK), the enzyme concentrations and gene transcript abundances related to the synthesis or transportation of these four phytohormones. Our results showed that Asc deficiency leads to the upregulation of enzyme concentrations, gene transcript abundances related to the SL signal perception, ABA synthesis and IAA transport. The altered level of Asc also leads to a change in the contents of ABA, JA, IAA and CTK. These findings support the conclusion that Asc or Asc/DHA play an important role in the signal perception and transduction of SLs, and Asc may affect the coordinated regulation of SL, IAA and CTK on rice (Oryza sativa) tillering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inulin is known to be a prebiotic used in aquatic animals. However, no investigation has been conducted to evaluate its effect on freshwater crayfish. In this study, a 7-week feeding trial using diets supplemented with inulin (0.0%, 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, and 1.0% feed) was conducted on 360 red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) (initial body weight 6.58 ± 0.16 g) with four parallels each group, in order to determine the effects of dietary inulin on the growth performance, antioxidant capacity, immune response, and intestinal microbiota of this crayfish. Firstly, the feeding trials showed that the survival rate and growth performance of P. clarkii fed 0.6% dietary inulin were significantly improved and feed conversion ratio was significantly reduced. Secondly, the antioxidant capacity of hepatopancreas was significantly improved by inulin supplementation. The crayfish fed 0.6% dietary inulin had the lowest malondialdehyde content and the highest antioxidant enzyme (T-AOC, T-SOD, GSH-PX, and CAT) activities. The addition of 0.6% and 0.8% dietary inulin significantly increased the expression levels of immune-related genes in the intestine and hepatopancreas. Moreover, high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA showed that 0.6% dietary inulin altered the beta diversity and composition of the intestinal microbiota, with a significant increase in the relative abundance of the Citrobacter spp. Meanwhile, intestinal microbial KEGG pathway analysis showed that 0.6% dietary inulin promoted metabolism, digestion, transport, circulation, and cellular processes in P. clarkii. This study indicated that 0.6% dietary inulin was appropriate for P. clarkii to improve the growth, antioxidation, immunity, and intestinal health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]