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Paleosalinity is one of the important properties of paleolake water and is crucial for paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic reconstruction. However, the paleosalinity characteristics of the 1st Member in the Lower Cretaceous Prosopis Formation (P1 Member) from the Baobab North Sag have not been systematically reported until now. In this study, 16 representative mudstone samples were collected from three coring wells and detailed elemental geochemical investigations were presented to reconstruct the salinity and water types for the P1 Member. The results show that the Sr/Ba ratios range from 0.32 to 0.93, indicating fresh water and brackish water, while the B/Ga ratios range from 1.6 to 3.4, also exhibiting the presence of fresh water and brackish water. The equivalent boron contents range from 84.3 ppm to 185 ppm, with the cast point located in the freshwater interval. Moreover, salinity values ranging from 1.2‰ to 11.0‰ for the Adams’ paleosalimeter and from 6.1‰ to 9.3‰ for the Couch’s paleosalimeter are indicative of brackish water, precisely mesohaline water. After sufficiently eliminating the interferences of diagenesis from the results, combined evaluation of evolutionary profiles and cross-plots of paleosalinity proxies suggest that the B/Ga ratio is the most important proxies for distinguishing water salinity types within the studied interval. The results of the B/Ga ratio indicate that the presence of two main water salinity types: fresh water (mainly distributed in the P14 and P12 sub-members) and brackish water (mainly distributed in the P13 and P11 sub-members). Furthermore, high salinity records in the study area correspond to arid climates, while low salinity intervals correspond to semi-arid and humid pulses, which provides a useful reference for the reconstruction of paleosalinity in terrestrial closed lake basins during the Cretaceous global warming period.

IntroductionAs the aging of the population continues to deepen, the pressure on social pensions is gradually increasing, and the issue of assistance has become a problem that must be solved. With the development of science and technology, people’s living standard is constantly improving. The older-adult care services expected by the older-adult are wider than meeting the basic daily needs of individuals. The current industry should also consider combining modern science and technology with the older-adult care service industry to serve older-adult better and enable older-adult care service providers to move towards the service needs that make people happier and healthier. This research is about constructing and evaluating China’s older-adult care services smart supply chain.MethodsBased on the research results of previous scholars, this paper divides the Sun construction of the smart supply chain of China endowment service into four aspects: policy aspect, economic aspect, social aspect, and technical aspect; the four significant elements are divided into the first-level indicators, and 16 second-level indicators are divided under the first-level indicators. The importance and satisfaction of each evaluation index were obtained by distributing questionnaires to the managers who study the supply chain and the employees who are related to the old-age service.Results and discussionAfter the reliability analysis, the importance-performance analysis (IPA) quadrant analysis chart of the evaluation index was constructed using importance-performance analysis. The index of creating a smart supply chain system for China’s old-age service is given priority, the supply chain system of China’s old-age care service is further improved, and the social security of China’s old-age service is enlarged.

IntroductionSince pesticides have been widely used in agricultural production, acute pesticide poisoning (APP) has gradually become a worldwide public health problem. Recently, the number of APP cases has been high in China, and the intentional self-administration of pesticides is the main cause of APP. However, there is a lack of relevant studies on the factors influencing suicidal intent in patients with intentional APP. This study aimed to explore the current situation and influencing factors for suicidal intent among patients with intentional APP.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, we enrolled a total of 225 patients with intentional APP admitted to the emergency department of our Grade A comprehensive hospital in Shandong Province between June 2019 and January 2021. Patients were investigated using a health status interview questionnaire, Beck Suicidal Intent Scale, Duke Social Support Index, psychological stress scale, Dickman Impulsivity Inventory, Trait Anxiety Inventory, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and Beck Hopelessness Scale. Descriptive statistics, single-factor analysis, and multiple linear regression were used for data analysis.ResultsSuicidal intent scores were collected and averaged (14.23 ± 6.22). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that marital status, residential area, impulsivity, hopelessness, depression, psychological strain, and social support impact suicidal intent.ConclusionPatients with intentional APP have high suicidal intent. Therefore, different interventions should be tailored to different patients.

IntroductionThe spread and development of wildfires are deeply affected by the fine fuel moisture content (FFMC), which is a key factor in fire risk assessment. At present, there are many new prediction methods based on machine learning, but few people pay attention to their comparison with traditional models, which leads to some limitations in the application of machine learning in predicting FFMC.MethodsTherefore, we made long-term field observations of surface dead FFMC by half-hour time steps of four typical forests in Northeast China, analyzed the dynamic change in FFMC and its driving factors. Five different prediction models were built, and their performances were compared.ResultsBy and large, our results showed that the semi-physical models (Nelson method, MAE from 0.566 to 1.332; Simard method, MAE from 0.457 to 1.250) perform best, the machine learning models (Random Forest model, MAE from 1.666 to 1.933; generalized additive model, MAE from 2.534 to 4.485) perform slightly worse, and the Linear regression model (MAE from 2.798 to 5.048) performs worst.DiscussionThe Simard method, Nelson method and Random Forest model showed great performance, their MAE and RMSE are almost all less than 2%. In addition, it also suggested that machine learning models can also accurately predict FFMC, and they have great potential because it can introduce new variables and data in future to continuously develop. This study provides a basis for the selection and development of FFMC prediction in the future.

BackgroundWorkplace violence (WPV) against medical staff has been an important public health and societal problem worldwide. Although numerous studies have implied the differences between physical violence (PV) and verbal violence (VV) against medical staff, few studies were conducted to analyze the different associations between work-related variables, PV, and VV, especially in China.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among Chinese medical staff in public hospitals, and 3,426 medical staff were interviewed and analyzed. WPV, including PV and VV, were evaluated by the self-report of the medical staff. Work-related variables, physical disease, depression, and social-demographic variables were also measured. The work-related variables included types of medical staff, professional titles, hospital levels, managers, working years, job changing, working hours/week, night duty times/week, monthly income, self-reported working environment, and social position. Logistic regressions were conducted to examine the factors associated with PV and VV.ResultsA total of 489 medical staff (23.0%) reported the experience of PV and 1,744 (50.9%) reported the experience of VV. Several work-related variables were associated with PV and VV, including nurse (OR = 0.56 for PV, p < 0.01; OR = 0.76 for VV, p < 0.05), manager (OR = 1.86 for PV, p < 0.01; OR = 1.56 for VV, p < 0.001), night duty frequency/week (OR = 1.06 for PV, p < 0.01; OR = 1.03 for VV, p < 0.01), bad working environment (OR = 2.73 for PV, p < 0.001; OR = 3.52 for VV, p < 0.001), averaged working environment (OR = 1.51 for PV, p < 0.05; OR = 1.55 for VV, p < 0.001), and bad social position (OR = 4.21 for PV, p < 0.001; OR = 3.32 for VV, p < 0.001). Working years (OR = 1.02, p < 0.05), job changing (OR = 1.33, p < 0.05), and L2 income level (OR = 1.33, p < 0.01) were positively associated with VV, but the associations were not supported for PV (all p>0.05). The other associated factors were male gender (OR = 1.97 for PV, p < 0.001; OR = 1.28 for VV, p < 0.05) and depression (OR = 1.05 for PV, p < 0.001; OR = 1.04 for VV, p < 0.001).ConclusionBoth PV and VV were positively associated with work-related variables, such as doctor, manager, more night duty frequency, perceived bad working environment, or social position. Some variables were only associated with VV, such as working years, job changing, and monthly income. Some special strategies for the work-related variables should be applied for controlling PV and VV.

BackgroundSurgical sites infections (SSIs) caused by Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) constitute a major clinical problem. Understanding the transmission mode of MRSA is important for its prevention and control.AimWe investigated the transmission mode of a MRSA outbreak in a trauma and orthopedic hospital ward.MethodsClinical data were collected from patients (n = 9) with MRSA infection in a trauma and orthopedic ward from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2019. The wards (n = 18), patients (n = 48), medical staff (n = 23), and their households (n = 5) were screened for MRSA. The transmission mode of MRSA isolates was investigated using next-generation sequencing and phylogenetic analyses. The resistance genes, plasmids, and single-nucleotide variants of the isolates were analyzed to evaluate microevolution of MRSA isolates causing SSIs. The MRSA colonization-positive doctor was asked to suspend his medical activities to stop MRSA spread.FindingsNine MRSA infected patients were investigated, of which three patients were diagnosed with SSI and had prolonged hospitalization due to the persistent MRSA infection. After screening, MRSA isolates were not detected in environmental samples. The surgeon in charge of the patients with SSI caused by MRSA and his son were positive for MRSA colonization. The MRSA from the son was closely related to the isolates detected in MRSA-induced SSIs patients with 8–9 single-nucleotide variants, while ST88-MRSA isolates with three different spa types were detected in the surgeon's nasal cavity. Comparative genomic analysis showed that ST88-MRSA isolates acquired mutations in genes related to cell wall synthesis, colonization, metabolism, and virulence during their transmission. Suspending the medical activity of this surgeon interrupted the spread of MRSA infection in this ward.ConclusionCommunity-associated MRSA clones can invade hospitals and cause severe postoperative nosocomial infections. Further MRSA surveillance in the households of health workers may prevent the transition of MRSA from colonization to infection.

BackgroundIn recent decades, the prominence of medical errors (MEs) and adverse events (AEs) is fueled by several studies performed across the world. Correspondingly, a high prevalence of medical errors and adverse events have been reported. Operating room nurses (ORNs) were indispensable members of the operating process, and any kind of MEs or AEs from ORNs may cause serious results and even death to the patients. However, to the best of our knowledge, the prevalence and associated factors of MEs and AEs were never reported among ORNs in China, which is the largest country in population and health services quantity in the world.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study, which was conducted among ORNs in China, and 787 valid questionnaires were analyzed in this study. MEs, AEs, gender, age, married status, religious belief, academic degree, manager or not, working years, working hours/week, physical disease, and mental health were evaluated in this study. MEs were evaluated by eight questions about the occurrence of eight kinds of MEs for the ORNs. For ORNs with MEs, further questions about clinical harm to the patients were interviewed, which analyzed AEs. Kessler 10 was used to evaluate the ORNs' mental health. Logistic regression was conducted to examine the factors associated with MEs and AEs.ResultsThe prevalence of MEs and AEs was 27.7 and 13.9% among ORNs, respectively. The most frequent MEs that occurred among ORNs were from surgical instruments (9.1%), disinfection (9.0%), equipment and consumables (8.9%), and specimen management (7.8%). MEs were positively associated with lower working years, poor mental health, and physical disease. The physical disease was positively associated with AEs.ConclusionThe prevalence of perceived MEs and AEs was at a higher level than other kinds of nurses. Fresh ORNs with physical and mental health problems were the risk population for MEs, and ORNs with physical disease were at a higher risk for AEs. All the findings implied that MEs and AEs were an important issue for ORNs, and ORNs with physical and mental health problems should be paid attention to control MEs and AEs.

Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) is a rare genetic disease involving multiorgan systems that varies in clinical manifestations. Female genital abnormalities in patients with CdLS are rarely reported, and current guidelines for CdLS contain little information related to female genital abnormalities. We report a case of classic CdLS with an NIPBL gene pathogenic variant in a 4.5-year-old girl who experienced recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) with vesical tenesmus. Urogenital physical and imaging examinations revealed external vaginal orifice obstruction and bilateral vesicoureteral reflux (VUR). Vaginal diaphragm-like tissue resection and vaginal orifice plasty were performed on this patient. The symptoms of urination disorders and recurrent UTIs, as well as VUR grading, improved after relieving the vaginal obstruction during the operation. For female CdLS patients, especially those with VUR, it is necessary to check for genital abnormalities and perform timely treatment, which is of great significance in improving urination disorder symptoms, reducing resistance during voiding, decreasing the occurrence of secondary VUR, and controlling recurrent UTIs.

ObjectiveThe age differences in the association between screen time and sleep problems have been implied in many studies, and this study aims to distinguish the associations between evening screen time and sleep quality among different age groups.MethodsThis is a population-based, cross-sectional study among community residents aged ≥18 years in China. A total of 21,376 valid questionnaires were analyzed. Sleep quality was measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Averaged evening screen time (AEST), sociodemographic information, and health-related behaviors were also evaluated in this study.ResultsIn the 18-to-34-year age group, compared with people without AEST, ≤1 h/day (β = 0.34, p < 0.05) and >3 h/day (β = 1.05, p < 0.001) of AEST were significantly associated with poor sleep quality, and a reverse S-shaped relationship for this association was shown. In the 35-to-49-year and 50-to-64-year age groups, ≤1 h/day (β = 0.43 and 0.36, both p < 0.001), ≤2 h/day (β = 0.43 and 0.31, p < 0.001 and p < 0.01), ≤3 h/day (β = 0.62 and 0.61, both p < 0.001), and >3 h/day (β = 1.55 and 1.88, both p < 0.001) of AEST were positively associated with poor sleep quality. In the 65-year-and-older age group, a J-shaped relationship was found, and ≤3 h/day (β = 0.82, p < 0.001) and >3 h/day (β = 1.84, p < 0.001) of AEST were associated with poor sleep quality.ConclusionAssociations between AEST and sleep quality among different age groups are different. In the 18-to-34-year and 65-year-and-older age groups, acceptable AEST is not related to sleep quality. In the 35-to-49-year and 50-to-64-year age groups, AEST was harmful to sleep quality.

The application of Ericoid mycorrhizal (ErM) fungi is considered to be an important strategy for increasing plant yield and drought resistance. In this study, we isolated and identified two ErM fungi that can promote the growth of lingonberry. We tried to understand the potential of these two ErM fungi to promote the growth of lingonberry and the strategies to help plants cope with water shortage. The use value of ErM fungi was evaluated by inoculating Oidiodendron maius FC (OmFC) or Lachnum pygmaeum ZL6 (LpZL6), well-watered (WW) and severe drought stress (SDS). The results showed that the mycelium of LpZL6 was denser than that of OmFC, and both ErM fungi significantly increased the biomass of lingonberry stems and roots. They also significantly increased the chlorophyll content by 65.6 and 97.8%, respectively. In addition, inoculation with LpZL6 fungi can improve drought resistance, promote root growth and increase root wet weight by 1157.6%. Drought reduced the chlorophyll content and soluble sugar content of lingonberry but increased significantly after inoculation with LpZL6. Inoculation with LpZL6 decreased lingonberry’s malondialdehyde (MDA) content but increased the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Overall, these results indicated that the successful coexistence of ErM fungi and lingonberry alleviated the adverse effects of drought stress through higher secondary metabolites and photosynthetic pigment synthesis.

Objectives: We want to test the association between carbon monoxide poisoning (CMP) experiencing and lifetime suicidal ideation/suicide plan among community residents.Methods: This is a population-based cross-sectional study conducted among community residents in Hebei province, China. We analyzed a total of 21,376 valid questionnaires. CMP experience and lifetime suicidal ideation/suicide plan were assessed in this study. Logistic regression and false discovery rate correction were conducted to analyze the associations and correct the p values.Results: We found that CMP (OR = 2.56, p < 0.001, corrected-p = 0.001) was associated with lifetime suicidal ideation, and the other risk factors were female (OR = 0.53, p < 0.001, corrected-p = 0.001). The association between CMP and suicide plan was not supported after false discovery rate correction (OR = 2.15, p = 0.035, corrected-p = 0.385). For the CMP patients, experiencing ≥2 times CMP (OR = 2.76, p = 0.001, corrected-p = 0.011) was also in higher risk of lifetime suicidal ideation. The association between CMP times and lifetime suicidal plan was not supported after false discovery rate correction (OR = 4.95, p = 0.021, corrected-p = 0.231).Conclusion: CMP patients are in higher risk of lifetime suicidal ideation. For CMP patients, some strategies are needed to control their suicidal ideation.

BackgroundWorkplace violence (WPV) against healthcare professionals (HPs) has been recognized as important occupational health and societal problem in the world. Many studies were also conducted to explore the prevalence, risk factors, and adverse outcomes of WPV against HPs. Although the gender differences in the prevalence and risk factors of WPV against HPs have been implied in many studies, fewer studies were conducted to explore the gender differences for WPV against HPs, especially in China. In this study, we aim to analyze the gender differences in the prevalence and risk factors of WPV against HPs in Shandong, China.MethodsThis study was conducted among HPs with a cross-sectional design. WPV, social-demographic variables, occupational characteristics, physical disease, social support, and depression were evaluated for the participated HPs. The prevalence and risk factors of WPV among male healthcare professionals (MHPs) and female healthcare professionals (FHPs) were analyzed in this study. Student's t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and logistic regressions were performed to test the associated factors of WPV among MHPs and FHPs.ResultsThe prevalence of WPV among MHPs and FHPs was 61.4 and 48.8%, respectively. Being silent was the most common method of response to WPV among MHPs (52.3%) and FHPs (59.2%). For MHPs, the associated factors of WPV were master's degree (odds ratio (OR) =2.20, P < 0.05), bachelor's degree (OR = 2.49, P < 0.001), lower income level (OR = 1.81, P < 0.05), manager (OR = 1.81, P < 0.05), and depression (OR = 1.05, P < 0.001). For FHPs, the associated factors of WPV were a master's degree (OR = 1.58, P < 0.05), more working hours per week (OR = 1.02, P < 0.001), and depression (OR = 1.05, P < 0.001).ConclusionThe prevalence of WPV among MHPs was higher than FHPs, and the associated factors for WPV against HPs were also different among MHPs and FHPs. The findings remind us that some gender-specific interventions are needed to control WPV against HPs.

Carbon storage is an important component of ecosystem services. Under climate warming and human activities, land use/land cover (LULC) have been undergoing tremendous change, leading to spatio-temporal variations in carbon storage. Based on seven series of LULC data and combined with carbon module of Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model, spatial-temporal changes in LULC types and carbon storage were analyzed and estimated for Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China. Results show varied carbon storage among different types of LULC. Forest and cropland are the dominant LULC types in Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China, accounting for 46–49% (20.90 × 104–22.12 × 104 km2) and 30–37% (13.56 × 104–16.70 × 104 km2) of the total area. Areal extents of forest, grassland, and unused land declined from 1980 to 2015, by 1.22, 0.84, and 1.11 × 104 km2, respectively; while those of cropland and construction land expanded, by 3.14 and 0.08 × 104 km2, respectively. From 1980 to 2015, carbon storage displayed consistent change trends with those of LULC types: carbon storage of forest, grassland, and unused land decreased by 236.22, 116.61 and 21.82 × 106 Mg C, respectively; and those of cropland and construction land increased by 414.65 and 0.99 × 106 Mg C, respectively. The total carbon storage in the study region was 6,863.06 × 106–6,907.64 × 106 Mg C, for which the forest, cropland, and grassland were the major contributor (6,778.75 × 106–6,840.57 × 106 Mg C). Due to the conversion of large extents of forest, grassland, and unused land to cropland, which facilitated the formation of carbon sinks and thus enlarged the carbon storage by 45.36 × 106 Mg C from 1980 to 2015. Frequent forest fires, urban expansion, farmland reclamation, and engineering construction were the important factors of changes in the LULC, accelerating permafrost degradation and leading to obvious changes in the total carbon storage in the Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China. Therefore, the estimation of carbon storage in different LULC types can provide important data support and have important implications for evaluation of ecosystem services and carbon cycle.

Both medical errors and suicidal behaviors are important problems for medical staff. Although the association between them was implied in previous studies, their association has not been built until now. In this study, the first aim was to build the association between perceived medical errors and suicidal ideation, and we also want to explore the mediating role of depression in the association between perceived medical errors and suicidal ideation among Chinese medical staff. In this study, we interviewed 3,338 medical staff in Chinese general hospitals. Questions about suicidal ideation (SI) and perceived medical errors were interviewed for medical staff. Depressive symptoms were evaluated by the Chinese version of Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Social-demographic and occupation-related variables were also assessed in the data collection. This study found that the prevalence of suicidal ideation among medical staff was 9%. After the adjustment for controlling variables, suicidal ideation was significantly associated with a higher level of depression (OR = 1.10, p < 0.001) and perceived medical errors (OR = 2.41, p < 0.001). The other associated factors were female (OR = 2.21, p < 0.001), religious belief (OR = 2.66, p < 0.001), and weekly work hours (OR = 1.02 p < 0.001). The mediating effect of depressive symptoms on the association between perceived medical errors and suicidal ideation was also supported in this study, and it can explain the 38.73% of the total effects of the perceived medical errors on suicidal ideation. The medical staff, with perceived medical errors, were in higher risk of suicidal ideation, and depressive symptoms can partially mediate the association between perceived medical errors and suicidal ideation. For the medical staff who are experiencing medical errors, some scanning on their suicidal ideation and depressive symptoms are necessary to promote their mental health.

BackgroundThe associations between parental parenting styles and adolescents' development and health problems were also identified in a series of studies. However, the interactive impact of mother's and father's parenting style was less reported, which was implied in previous studies. In this study, we aim to analyze the associations between parental parenting style disparities and mental health among medical college students.MethodA cross-sectional study was conducted among medical college students in Shandong province, China, and 2,598 medical college students with parents were analyzed in this study. Items in a short form of Egna Minnen av Barndoms Uppfostran (EMBU) were used to calculate the parental parenting style disparities. Mental health was evaluated by the Kessler 10 scale.ResultsThe results of linear regressions showed that parental nurture reject disparities (RDs, β = 0.50, p < 0.001), parental emotional warmth disparities (WDs, β = 0.33, p < 0.001), parental overprotective disparities (ODs, β = 0.25, p < 0.001), and total disparities in parenting styles (TDs, β = 0.15, p < 0.001) were associated with mental health among medical college students, respectively. The other associated factors were age, ethnicity, chronic disease, above average family economic status, and good parental relationship.ConclusionOur findings supported the positive association between parental parenting style disparities and mental health problems. Further studies can test the mechanism and intervention of the findings about the importance of parental parenting style consistence on mental health.

Background: The prevalence of mental disorders is an important topic, which has been reported in different countries in the world. In China, some studies were also conducted to get the prevalence of mental disorders at the national level and in some metropolitan cities. However, the prevalence of mental disorders in Chinese underdeveloped provinces has not been reported internationally in recent decades. Due to the discrepancy in the social-economic development of different Chinese provinces, we also have reasons to believe the different prevalence of mental disorders between underdeveloped provinces and other provinces.Method: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among community residents aged 18 years and older in Hebei province, China. We screened 20,884 community residents in this study, and a Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV) Axis I disorders was used to make the diagnoses of mental disorders.Results: The weighted lifetime prevalence of mental disorders was 15.87% (95% CI 15.38–16.38%), and the 1-month prevalence was 10.79% (95% CI 10.37–11.22%). Anxiety disorder ranked first in the classification of mental disorders for both lifetime (6.56%) and 1-month prevalence (6.25%). The weighted lifetime and 1-month region–gender–age-specific prevalence of mental disorders was also analyzed in this study.Conclusions: Mental disorders have been an important issue in Chinese economically underdeveloped regions, and the prevalence was at a high level compared with the results in the 2000s. There are several serious challenges in the work of Chinese mental disorders, which should be paid more attention to.

We report a rare case of a 77-year-old man with a known left inguinal hernia presenting with groin pain following a blunt trauma of the left leg. Diagnosis of small bowel perforation away from the hernia was obtained only in surgery. Difficulty in preoperative diagnosis, rarity of histologic pattern, and surgical challenges make this case very interesting for surgeons and radiologists. Our conclusion upon dealing with the situation is that the diagnosis of small bowel perforation following blunt injury to a non-abdominal trauma is rare and difficult. The association between inguinal hernia and non-abdominal trauma may result in small bowel injuries that normally do not appear. Therefore, clinicians should be cautious in treating non-abdominal trauma patients with inguinal hernias.

Inter-basin water transfer projects play an important role in allocating water resources that vary both in temporal and spatial scale while supporting regional development. In the practical operation of inter-basin water transfer projects, high water level and less inflow runoff would result in water supply destruction, while low water level and more inflow runoff would cause abandoned water. How to play the compensation roles of hydrological characteristics and storage capacities of multi-reservoirs to maximize the utilization efficiency of water resources, the key is to select the basis for the decision-making of starting water transfer process. In this paper, we selected the “Datong-Huangshui” water transfer project as the research subject, analyzed the composition of the inter-basin water transfer system, and constructed a dispatching rule extraction model including water transfer rules, water diversion rules, and water supply rules. Then the NSGA-II was used to solve the multi-objective optimization model to obtain the Pareto frontier solution set of the dispatching rules. Finally, the optimal operation scheme was determined and discussed according to the scheduling scheme decision model. The model itself was based on the gray target model and prospect theory. We found that: (1) The optimal target frontier obtained by the two-dimensional scheduling diagram and the hedging rules for water supply was closer to the theoretical optimal frontier of the multi-objective problem. This result indicated that the two-dimensional scheduling diagram and the hedging rules for water supply could better guide the water diversion operation of inter-basin water transfer projects. (2) Based on the multi-objective optimal operation schemes set, the OPT scheme obtained by the scheduling scheme decision model using gray target model and prospect theory could generate 359 million Kwh. At the same time, it could guarantee 90% of municipal and industrial water supply and 85% of agricultural water supply.

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common degenerative joint diseases characterized by increased apoptosis and autophagy deficiency. The investigation was performed to examine the effect of valproic acid (VPA) and molecular mechanism related to miR-302d-3p/ITGB4 axis in OA.Methods: The OA clinical samples were obtained from the GEO database to analyze differentially expressed genes. An in vitro OA model was mimicked by LPS in CHON-001 cells. Autophagy-related genes were downloaded from the HADb website, and potential drugs were mined using the CTD website. The upstream factors of ITGB4 were predicted with bioinformatics analysis, which was validated by luciferase activity assay and RIP assay. Cell viability and apoptosis were evaluated using CCK-8 and flow cytometry. The expression levels, including ITGB4, miR-302d-3p, and autophagy-/PI3K-AKT pathway-related markers, were measured by qRT-PCR or/and western blot.Results: Our results showed that miR-302d-3p inhibited cell viability and promoted apoptosis of LPS-treated CHON-001 cells by targeting ITGB4. VPA treatment remarkably alleviated LPS-stimulated injury in CHON-001 cells. The inhibitory effect of VPA on LPS-stimulated damage in CHON-001 cells was weakened by miR-302d-3p overexpression, while it was intensified because of ITGB4 upregulation. Mechanistically, VPA treatment induced a significant decrease in the levels of p-PI3K and p-AKT in LPS-stimulated CHON-001 cells through regulating miR-302d-3p/ITGB4 axis.Conclusion: Overall, VPA treatment may ameliorate LPS-induced injury on chondrocytes via the regulation of miR-302d-3p/ITGB4 pair and the inactivation of the PI3K-AKT pathway.

The ambient particulate matter (PM) pollution adversely influences the human health and natural environment. The size distribution of ambient PM determines the physiochemical and optical properties of ambient aerosol, whereas it reflects the variability in local and regional PM emission sources and formation mechanisms. In the present work, the size distribution and characteristics of the carbonaceous, ionic, elemental, and saccharide species were categorically investigated for the fraction-wise PM in Tianjin during 2018 early summer. The average concentrations were 32.4, 20.9, and 49.3 μg/m3 for the PM1, PM1–2.5, and PM2.5–10, respectively. The coarse PM2.5–10 accounted for most of the PM10 mass (47%), followed by the fine PM1 (33%) and intermodal PM1–2.5 (20%). The carbonaceous and ionic species exhibited bimodal distribution and were distributed mostly to the fine size fraction and then to the coarse size fraction. The elemental species exhibited unimodal distribution and were distributed mostly to the coarse size fraction. The specific saccharide species indicated the significant contribution of biomass burning and primary biogenic emissions. The bimodal mass size distribution of levoglucosan indicated the significant biomass burning contributions to the fine and coarse size fractions. The unimodal glucose, fructose, and arabitol distribution and the bimodal mannitol distribution indicated the dominant primary biogenic contributions to the coarse size fraction. The PM1/PM10, PM1–2.5/PM10, PM2.5–10/PM10, OC/EC, SOC/OC, AE/CE, NO3–/SO42–, K+/EC, and levoglucosan/K+ ratios were used to investigate the characteristics of the ambient size-fractionated PM. The anthropogenic sources (combustion processes, traffic emissions, and secondary particles, etc.) contributed mostly to the fine PM1 and intermodal PM1–2.5 fractions, whereas the natural sources (primary biogenic, marine salt, and mineral dust, etc.) contributed mostly to the coarse PM2.5–10 fraction. This work is a significant addition to the multi-size ambient PM’s size distribution and characterization studies.

ObjectiveProgrammed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression status is a crucial index for identifying patients who will benefit from anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/PD-L1 therapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the concordance of Tumor Proportion Score (TPS) between biopsies and matched surgical specimens remains controversial. This study aims to evaluate the concordance of PD-L1 expression between image-guided percutaneous biopsies and matched surgical specimens.MethodWe evaluated 157 patients diagnosed with operable NSCLC on both surgical tissue sections and matched lung biopsies retrospectively. The patients underwent either regular computed tomography (CT)-guided biopsy (n = 82) or positron emission tomography (PET)/CT-guided biopsy (n = 75). The concordance between surgical specimens and lung biopsies for PD-L1 TPS was evaluated using Cohen’s kappa (κ) coefficient.ResultsImmunohistochemical expression of PD-L1 was evaluated in both surgical resected specimens and matched biopsies in the eligible 138 patients. The concordance rate of PD-L1 expression between surgical tissue sections and matched biopsies was fairly high at 84.1% (116/138), and the κ value was 0.73 (95% CI: 0.63–0.83, P < 0.001). The concordance rate was higher for tissue sections from PET/CT-guided biopsy than for tissue sections from CT-guided biopsy [88.6% (62/70, κ value: 0.81) vs 79.4% (54/68, κ value: 0.66)].ConclusionPD-L1 TPS was strongly concordant between surgical specimens and matched lung biopsies. Thus, the routine evaluation of PD-L1 expression in diagnostic percutaneous biopsies could be reliable for identifying patients who will benefit from anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy.

Based on data from three major pig diseases, this study calculated the animal disease epidemic index of 31 provinces and autonomous regions in mainland China. We adopted the Gini coefficient to investigate the interregional differences in animal disease epidemic risk and used the Shapley value decomposition method to illustrate the contribution of influencing factors. The results showed that the Gini coefficient remains above 0.60, indicating significant interregional differences in mainland China. Animal breeding level, ecological environment, and animal disease prevention and control contribute most to the interregional differences in animal epidemic risk. The results imply that reducing sewage discharge, increasing pig production, and changing the breeding style from free-range to large-scale farming are measures that may help improve disease prevention and control. This study has implications for providing theoretical references for preventing and controlling animal epidemics and for improving public health governance.

Insects’ olfactory receptor plays a central role in detecting chemosensory information from the environment. Odorant receptors (ORs) and ionotropic receptors (IRs) are two types of olfactory receptors, and they are essential for the recognition of ligands at peripheral neurons. Apriona germari (Hope) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is one of the most serious insect pests that cause damage to economic trees and landscaping trees, resulting in massive environmental damages and economic losses. Olfactory-based management strategy has been suggested as a promising strategy to control this wood-boring beetle. However, the olfactory perception mechanism in A. germari is now almost unknown. In the present study, RNA sequencing analysis was used to determine the transcriptomes of adult A. germari antennae. Among 36,834 unigenes derived from the antennal assembly, we identified 42 AgerORs and three AgerIRs. Based on the tissue expression pattern analysis, 27 AgerORs displayed a female-biased expression. Notably, AgerOR3, 5, 13, 33, and 40 showed a significant female-biased expression and were clustered with the pheromone receptors of Megacyllene caryae in the phylogenetic tree, suggesting that these AgerORs could be potential pheromone receptors for sensing male-produced sex pheromones in A. germari. The AgerIRs expression profile demonstrated that AgerIR2 had high expression levels in male labial palps, suggesting that this receptor may function to detect female-deposited trail-sex pheromone blend of A. germari. In addition, the phylogenetic tree showed that the Orco gene of five cerambycidae species was highly conservative. These results provide a foundation for further studies on the molecular mechanisms of olfactory chemoreception in A. germari apart from suggesting novel targets for the control of this pest in the future.

The citrus long-horned beetle (CLB), Anoplophora chinensis (Forster) is a destructive native pest in China. Chemosensory receptors including odorant receptors (ORs), gustatory receptors (GRs), and ionotropic receptors (IRs) function to interface the insect with its chemical environment. In the current study, we assembled the antennal transcriptome of A. chinensis by next-generation sequencing. We assembled 44,938 unigenes from 64,787,784 clean reads and annotated their putative gene functions based on gene ontology (GO) and Clusters of Orthologous Groups of proteins (COG). Overall, 74 putative receptor genes from chemosensory receptor gene families, including 53 ORs, 17 GRs, and 4 IRs were identified. Expression patterns of these receptors on the antennae, maxillary and labial palps, and remaining body segments of both male and female A. chinensis were performed using quantitative real time-PCR (RT-qPCR). The results revealed that 23 ORs, 6 GRs, and 1 IR showed male-biased expression profiles, suggesting that they may play a significant role in sensing female-produced sex pheromones; whereas 8 ORs, 5 GRs, and 1 IR showed female-biased expression profiles, indicating that these receptors may be involved in some female-specific behaviors such as oviposition site seeking. These results lay a solid foundation for deeply understanding CLB olfactory processing mechanisms. Moreover, by comparing our results with those from chemosensory receptor studies in other cerambycid species, several highly probable pheromone receptor candidates were highlighted, which may facilitate the identification of additional pheromone and/or host attractants in CLB.

Acinetobacter baumannii is an important nosocomial pathogen worldwide. A more comprehensive understanding of the within-host genomic evolution of A. baumannii would provide a molecule basis for improving treatment of A. baumannii infection. To understand the evolutionary mechanism facilitating A. baumannii survived in human body, we here reported the genomic analysis of A. baumannii isolated sampled from Chinese patients. We used whole-genome sequence of A. baumannii isolates from the same patient to determine single-nucleotide variants, insertion sequence mapping, and gene change. The MICs for 10 antimicrobial agents were determined. Motility assay and microscopy were performed on the isolated pairs harboring ptk mutations. The gene ptk encoded a putative protein tyrosine kinase involved in the production of capsular polysaccharide. Approximately half (39/86) of the strains isolated from the same patient harbored the same MLST patterns, and during the replacement of international clonal lineage II (ICL-II) and non-ICL-II strains, most of the alteration was that non-ICL-II strain was replaced by ICL-II strain (10/12). A. baumannii was resistant to major antimicrobial agents, whereas the strains were more resistant to ceftazidime, azithromycin, and sulfonamides after within-host evolution. Isolates from the ICL-II lineage displayed greater resistance to antimicrobial agents than non-ICL-II isolates. Isolates from ICL-II harbored more resistance genes and mobile elements than non-ICL-II strains. Several lineages evolved a more mucoid phenotype. Genome sequencing revealed that the phenotype was achieved by genetic changes in the ptk gene. ICL-II (especially ST195 and ST208) was the terminal destination for bacteria after within-host evolution. These results indicate that the molecular basis and the treatment for ICL-II strains needed further investigation.

Introduction: Currently, the development of new antiviral drugs against COVID-19 remains of significant importance. In traditional Chinese medicine, the herb Euphorbia fischeriana Steud is often used for antiviral treatment, yet its therapeutic effect against the COVID-19 has been scarcely studied. Therefore, this study focuses on the roots of E. fischeriana Steud, exploring its chemical composition, antiviral activity against COVID-19, and the underlying basis of its antiviral activity. Methods: Isolation and purification of phytochemicals from E. fischeriana Steud. The elucidation of their configurations was achieved through a comprehensive suite of 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic analyses as well as X-ray diffraction. Performed cytopathic effect assays of SARS-CoV-2 using Vero E6 cells. Used molecular docking to screen for small molecule ligands with binding to SARSCoV-2 RdRp. Microscale thermophoresis (MST) was used to determine the dissociation constant Kd. Results: Ultimately, nine new ent-atisane-type diterpenoid compounds were isolated from E. fischeriana Steud, named Eupfisenoids A-I (compounds 1-9). The compound of 1 was established as a C-19-degraded ent-atisane-type diterpenoid. During the evaluation of these compounds for their antiviral activity against COVID-19, compound 1 exhibited significant antiviral activity. Furthermore, with the aid of computer virtual screening and microscale thermophoresis (MST) technology, it was found that this compound could directly bind to the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp, NSP12) of the COVID-19, a key enzyme in virus replication. This suggests that the compound inhibits virus replication by targeting RdRp. Discussion: Through this research, not only has our understanding of the antiviral components and material basis of E. fischeriana Steud been enriched, but also the potential of atisane-type diterpenoid compounds as antiviral agents against COVID-19 has been discovered. The findings mentioned above will provide valuable insights for the development of drugs against COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: After spinal cord injury (SCI), the excitability of the primary motor cortex (M1) lower extremity area decreases or disappears. A recent study reported that the M1 hand area of the SCI patient encodes the activity information of both the upper and lower extremities. However, the characteristics of the M1 hand area corticospinal excitability (CSE) changes after SCI and its correlation with extremities motor function are still unknown. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on the data of 347 SCI patients and 80 healthy controls on motor evoked potentials (MEP, reflection of CSE), extremity motor function, and activities of daily living (ADL) ability. Correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were conducted to analyze the relationship between the degree of MEP hemispheric conversion and extremity motor function/ADL ability. Results: The CSE of the dominant hemisphere M1 hand area decreased in SCI patients. In 0--6 m, AIS A grade, or non-cervical injury SCI patients, the degree of M1 hand area MEP hemispheric conversion was positively correlated with total motor score, lower extremity motor score (LEMS), and ADL ability. Multiple linear regression analysis further confirmed the contribution of MEP hemispheric conversion degree in ADL changes as an independent factor. Conclusion: The closer the degree of M1 hand area MEP hemispheric conversion is to that of healthy controls, the better the extremity motor function/ADL ability patients achieve. Based on the law of this phenomenon, targeted intervention to regulate the excitability of bilateral M1 hand areas might be a novel strategy for SCI overall functional recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Axial muscles are involved earlier and to a greater extent in late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) than in myotonic muscular dystrophy type 1 (DM1). We aimed to evaluate abdominal muscles in LOPD compared in DM1 using muscle ultrasonography. Methods: Patients with LOPD (n = 3), DM1 (n = 10), and age- and gender-matched healthy subjects (n = 34) were enrolled for muscle ultrasonography. Patients with LOPD and DM1 were 20 to 59 years of age with a disease duration ranging between 7 and 30 years. A multifrequency linear transducer was used to evaluate quality and thickness in the abdominal muscles and extremities. Results: The quantitative muscle echo score revealed a higher Z score in abdominal muscles in Patients with LOPD (scores were relatively normal for the biceps and flexor digitorum groups). Patients with LOPD had significantly lower abdominal muscle thickness than patients with DM1. Abdominal muscle strength was significantly correlated with the muscle echogenicity, trunk impairment scale, and trunk control test. The extremities' sum score was correlated with the total Medical Research Council score. Discussion: The increased quantitative muscle score in abdominal muscles, sparing the biceps and flexor digitorumgroups, may offer differential diagnosis between LOPD and DM1. Ultrasound can easily access abdominal muscles and investigate muscle echogenicity and thickness. A quantitative approach usingmuscle echogenicity rather thanmuscle thicknessmay provide a greater correlation with trunk muscle function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The overlapping clinical presentations of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) and idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) make clinical diagnosis challenging. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of the distributions and characteristics of muscle fat substitution and edema and aims to differentiate those two diseases. Methods: This retrospective study reviewed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of seventeen patients with pathologically proved diagnosis, comprising 11 with LGMD and 6 with IIM. The fat-only and water-only images from a Dixon sequence were used to evaluate muscle fat substitution and edema, respectively. The degrees of muscle fat substitution and edema were graded and compared using the appropriate statistical methods. Results: In LGMD, more than 50% of patients had high-grade fat substitution in the majority of muscle groups in the thigh and calf. However, <50% of IIM patients had high-grade fat substitution in all muscle groups. Moreover, LGMD patients had significantly higher grade fat substitution than IIM patients in all large muscle groups (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in edema in the majority of muscle groups, except the adductor magnus (p = 0.012) and soleus (p = 0.009) with higher grade edema in IIM. Additionally, all the adductor magnus muscles in LGMD (100%) showed high-grade fat substitution, but none of them showed high-grade edema. Conclusions: MRI could be a valuable tool to differentiate LGMD from IIM based on the discrepancy in muscle fat substitution, and the adductor magnus muscle could provide a biosignature to categorizing LGMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neuromuscular ultrasound is a complementary technology that aids in the diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy. The interpretation of neuromuscular ultrasound results requires the use of accurate normative cross-sectional area (CSA) reference values. This study aims to provide CSA reference values specific to Taiwanese adults for Sonography of peripheral nerves in the upper and lower extremities. Methods: The study cohort included 66 healthy subjects (36 women; 30 men). A linear probe was used to measure the CSA of the median, ulnar, radial, tibial, sural, and peroneal nerves at multiple sites. These data were analyzed to determine standard ranges for the CSA at each site (reference range = mean ± 2 × SD) and identify correlations between the CSA and patient characteristics. Results: Normative CSA ranges were determined for all the assessed nerve sites, revealing that the nerve sizes in this Taiwanese population were smaller than Caucasian populations but comparable to those reported for other Asian cohorts. Men tended to have larger nerves than women, even after adjusting for height and weight. The size of ulnar nerve in the cubital tunnel and the peroneal nerve in the popliteal fossa correlated negatively with increasing age. The nerve size correlated positively with increasing weight and BMI at several sites, correlation of median nerve in the forearm with weight and BMI was significant after multiple testing. Significant correlation was also found between size of ulnar nerve in cubital tunnel and decreasing height. Conclusion: We provide reference ranges for neuromuscular ultrasound CSA values for the upper and lower extremities that are specific to the Taiwanese population. These reference values may be useful for evaluating peripheral neuropathy in Taiwanese subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fluctuations of dissolved oxygen (DO) often lead to hypoxia in aquaculture, which has a huge adverse impact on fish. This study mainly investigated the effects of long-term hypoxia on oxidative stress, immune response, and cell apoptosis in the liver of golden pompano (Trachinotus blochii), which is not tolerant to hypoxia. So we conducted a 14 day low oxygen stress experiment on the golden pompano with a DO of 3.0 ± 0.2 mg/L, then restore the DO to normal levels and continue the 14 day reoxygenation experiment. Results showed that hypoxia and reoxygenation led to significant changes in liver structure. During hypoxia and reoxygenation, the expression of oxidative stress related genes (SOD1, SOD2, GSH-Px, and CAT) and levels of antioxidant enzymes (CAT and MDA) in the liver were increased. Liver lysozyme activity and the relative expression of the pro-inflammatory factors interleukin (IL)-1β were significantly increased, but the expression of IL-34 was down-regulated during hypoxia. The expression of IL-12β was significantly increased during reoxygenation. The expression of anti-inflammatory factor IL-11 was decreased duringreoxygenation. The expression of toll like receptors (TLRs) -7, -8, and -9 increases after hypoxia and decreases after reoxygenation, indicating that both hypoxia and reoxygenation affect the immune response. In addition, during hypoxia and reoxygenation, TUNEL-positive signals increased, the bcl2/bax ratio decreased, the expression levels of caspases-3 and -8 were significantly up-regulated during hypoxia, and expression levels of caspases-9 was up-regulated during reoxygenation. In summary, hypoxia and reoxygenation can cause oxidative stress, induce inflammatory reactions, inhibit immune processes, activate apoptosis, and lead to liver damage of the golden pompano, which may be irreversible.

Golden pompano (Trachinotus blochii) is becoming increasingly popular and produces high yields, but the growth differences between males and females are a concern. In this study, the differences between the growth of males and females were compared, and the transcriptome analysis of muscle tissues was performed. A significant difference between the growth of males and females was observed; females were found to be 17% larger than males after reaching 7 months of age. Gonadal histological analysis revealed that the ovaries were arrested in 7- to 9-month-old golden pompano, whereas the testes continued to develop. The AMPK and adipocytokine signaling pathways were also found to be involved in the regulation of muscle growth and metabolism. After reaching 7 months of age, the expression levels of glut1, glut4, ldh, gys, acsl and cpt2 in the muscle of females were lower than those in males, but the hk gene, which is involved in glycolysis, was found to remain highly expressed in females. Additionally, in females, the synthesis of arginine and ornithine and the production of carnosine were found to be inhibited, but the breakdown of glutamine was found to be enhanced and OXPHOS ability was found to be stronger in females after reaching 7 months of age. These results support a certain negative correlation between gonadal development and muscle metabolism depending on differences in energy distribution. Clearly, the faster growth in females after reaching 7 months of age was found to be associated with the more active metabolism of glucose, and amino acids, as well as stronger oxidative phosphorylation levels.

Starch nanoparticles (SNPs) were produced from sweet potato starches by ultrasonic treatment combined with rapid nanoprecipitation. The starch concentration, ultrasonic time, and the ratio of starch solution to ethanol were optimized through dynamic light scattering (DLS) technique to obtain SNPs with a Z-average size of 64.51 ± 0.15 nm, poly dispersity index (PDI) of 0.23 ± 0.01. However, after freeze drying, the SNPs showed varying degrees of aggregation depending on the particle size of SNPs before freeze-drying. The smaller the particle size, the more serious the aggregation. Therefore, we tried to treat SNPs with dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma before freeze drying. Properties including morphological features, crystalline structure and apparent viscosity of various starches were measured by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and rheometer, respectively. The results showed that, after cold plasma (CP) treatment, the aggregation of SNPs during freeze drying was significantly inhibited. Compared to the native sweet potato starch, SNPs showed a higher relative crystallinity and a lower apparent viscosity. After CP treatment, the relative crystallinity of CP SNPs was further higher, and the apparent viscosity was lower. This work provides new ideas for the preparation of SNPs and could promote the development of sweet potato SNPs in the field of active ingredient delivery.

In this study, cascade membrane technology was applied to classify polysaccharides from the peels of stem lettuce (PPSLs), and three graded polysaccharides (PPSL100, PPSL10, and PPSL1) were obtained using ultrafiltration membranes of 100, 10, and 1 kDa in sequence. The physicochemical properties and immune-modulatory activity of three PPSLs fractions were analyzed and compared. Results showed that all three fractions have characteristic absorption peak of polysaccharides determined by FT-IR, and their monosaccharide composition only consisted of glucose determined by HPLC. PPSL10 had the highest contents of total sugar (88.09 ± 3.52%), uronic acid (2.55 ± 0.10%), and sulfate group (4.15 ± 0.20%). Besides, all three fractions exhibited immune-enhancing activities using RAW264.7 macrophages model, and PPSL10 was the best able to promote phagocytosis of neutral red and nitric oxide generation, which might relate to the high contents of above compositions and medium molecular weight (32 kDa). The findings indicated that PPSL10 could be developed as immune-modulator in the field of functional foods.

The clinical use of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) is limited by its short serum half-life. In this study, a long-acting strategy for site-specific modification of rhG-CSF with 1-pentadecyl-1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione (C15 fatty chain-maleimide, C15-MAL) was studied in mixed DMSO-aqueous solutions. The factors influencing the conjugation reaction were investigated and optimized, and a high yield of the desired product (C15-rhG-CSF) was achieved. Subsequently, C15-rhG-CSF product was efficiently purified using preparative liquid chromatography, and further characterized. Circular dichroism spectroscopy analysis showed that the secondary structure of C15-rhG-CSF had no significant difference from unmodified rhG-CSF. C15-rhG-CSF retained 87.2% of in vitro bioactivity of unmodified rhG-CSF. The pharmacokinetic study showed that the serum half-life of C15-rhG-CSF in mice was 2.08-fold longer than that of unmodified rhG-CSF. Furthermore, C15-rhG-CSF by single-dose subcutaneous administration showed better in vivo efficacy than those of both PEG10k-rhG-CSF by single-dose administration and rhG-CSF by multiple doses administration. This study demonstrated the potential of C15-rhG-CSF being developed into a novel drug candidate as well as an efficient process for the development of long-acting protein and peptide drugs.

Cordyceps militaris is a parasitic edible fungus and has been used as tonics for centuries. Polysaccharides are a major water-soluble component of C. militaris. Recently, C. militaris-derived polysaccharides have been given much attention due to their various actions including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-diabetic, anti-atherosclerotic, and immunomodulatory effects. These bioactivities are determined by the various structural characteristics of polysaccharides including monosaccharide composition, molecular weight, and glycosidic linkage. The widespread use of advanced analytical analysis tools has greatly improved the elucidation of the structural characteristics of C. militaris-derived polysaccharides. However, the methods for polysaccharide structural characterization and the latest findings related to C. militaris-derived polysaccharides, especially the potential structure-activity relationship, have not been well-summarized in recent reviews of the literature. This review will discuss the methods used in the elucidation of the structure of polysaccharides and structural characteristics as well as the signaling pathways modulated by C. militaris-derived polysaccharides. This article provides information useful for the development of C. militaris-derived polysaccharides as well as for investigating other medicinal polysaccharides.

Glyconanomaterials with unique nanoscale property and carbohydrate functionality show vast potential in biological and biomedical applications. We investigated the interactions of noncovalent complexes of single-wall carbon nanotubes that are wrapped by disaccharide lactose-containing glycopolymers with the specific carbohydrate-binding proteins. The terminal galactose (Gal) of glycopolymers binds to the specific lectin as expected. Interestingly, an increased aggregation of nanotubes was also observed when interacting with a glucose (Glc) specific lectin, likely due to the removal of Glc groups from the surface of nanotubes resulting from the potential binding of the lectin to the Glc in the glycopolymers. This result indicates that the wrapping conformation of glycopolymers on the surface of nanotubes potentially allows improved accessibility of the Glc for specific lectins. Furthermore, it shows that the interaction between Glc groups in the glycopolymers and nanotubes play a key role in stabilizing the nanocomplexes. Overall, our results demonstrate that nanostructures can enable conformation-dependent interactions of glycopolymers and proteins and can potentially lead to the creation of versatile optical sensors for detecting carbohydrate-protein interactions with enhanced specificity and sensitivity.

The fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (S. frugiperda) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a worldwide, disruptive, agricultural pest species. The larvae of S. frugiperda feed on seedling, leave, and kernel of crops with chewing mouthparts, resulting in reduced crop yields. Serotonin is an important biogenic amine acting as a neural circuit modulator known to mediate lots of behaviors including feeding in insects. In order to explore the serotonergic neural network in the nervous system of larval S. frugiperda, we performed immunohistochemical experiments to examine the neuropil structure of the brain and the gnathal ganglion with antisynapsin and to examine their serotonergic neurons with antiserotonin serum. Our data show that the brain of larval S. frugiperda contains three neuromeres: the tritocerebrum, the deutocerebrum, and the protocerebrum. The gnathal ganglion also contains three neuromeres: the mandibular neuromere, the maxillary neuromere, and the labial neuromere. There are about 40 serotonergic neurons in the brain and about 24 serotonergic neurons in the gnathal ganglion. Most of these neurons are wide-field neurons giving off processes in several neuropils of the brain and the gnathal ganglion. Serotonergic neuron processes are mainly present in the protocerebrum. A pair of serotonergic neurons associated with the deutocerebrum has arborizations in the contralateral antennal lobe and bilateral superior lateral protocerebra. In the gnathal ganglion, the serotonergic neuron processes are also widespread throughout the neuropil and some process projections extend to the tritocerebrum. These findings on the serotonergic neuron network in larval S. frugiperda allow us to explore the important roles of serotonin in feeding and find a potential approach to modulate the feeding behavior of the gluttonous pest and reduce its damage.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, online education has become an important approach to learning in the information era and an important research topic in the field of educational technology as well as that of education in general. Teacher–student interaction in online education is an important factor affecting students’ learning performance. This study employed a questionnaire survey to explore the influence of teacher–student interaction on learning effects in online education as well as the mediating role of psychological atmosphere and learning engagement. The study involved 398 college students studying at Chinese universities as the research object. Participants filled out a self-report questionnaire. The study found that (1) the level of teacher–student interaction positively affected students’ learning effects (r = 0.649, p

Large numbers of chemosensory genes have been identified in the peripheral sensory organs of the pest Mythimna separata (Walker) to increase our understanding of chemoreception-related molecular mechanisms and to identify molecular targets for pest control. Chemosensory-related genes are expressed in various tissues, including non-sensory organs, and they play diverse roles. To better understand the functions of chemosensory-related genes in non-sensory organs, transcriptomic analyses of M. separata brains were performed. In total, 29 odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) and 16 chemosensory proteins (CSPs) putative genes were identified in the transcriptomic data set. The further examination of sex- and tissue-specific expression using RT-PCR suggested that eight OBPs (OBP5, -7, -11, -13, -16, -18, -21, and -24) and eight CSPs (CSP2–4, -8, CSP10–12, and -15) genes were expressed in the brain. Furthermore, bands representing most OBPs and CSPs could be detected in antennae, except for a few that underwent sex-biased expression in abdomens, legs, or wings. An RT-qPCR analysis of the expression profiles of six OBPs (OBP3–5, -9, -10, and -16) and two CSPs (CSP3 and CSP4) in different tissues and sexes indicated that OBP16 was highly expressed in male brain, and CSP3 and CSP4 were female-biased and highly expressed in brain. The expression levels of OBP5 and OBP10 in brain were not significantly different between the sexes. The findings expand our current understanding of the expression patterns of OBPs and CSPs in M. separata sensory and non-sensory tissues. These results provide valuable reference data for exploring novel functions of OBPs and CSPs in M. separata and may help in developing effective biological control strategies for managing this pest by exploring novel molecular targets.

Background: The overlapping clinical presentations of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) and idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) make clinical diagnosis challenging. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of the distributions and characteristics of muscle fat substitution and edema and aims to differentiate those two diseases.Methods: This retrospective study reviewed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of seventeen patients with pathologically proved diagnosis, comprising 11 with LGMD and 6 with IIM. The fat-only and water-only images from a Dixon sequence were used to evaluate muscle fat substitution and edema, respectively. The degrees of muscle fat substitution and edema were graded and compared using the appropriate statistical methods.Results: In LGMD, more than 50% of patients had high-grade fat substitution in the majority of muscle groups in the thigh and calf. However,

Background: Neuromuscular ultrasound is a complementary technology that aids in the diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy. The interpretation of neuromuscular ultrasound results requires the use of accurate normative cross-sectional area (CSA) reference values. This study aims to provide CSA reference values specific to Taiwanese adults for Sonography of peripheral nerves in the upper and lower extremities.Methods: The study cohort included 66 healthy subjects (36 women; 30 men). A linear probe was used to measure the CSA of the median, ulnar, radial, tibial, sural, and peroneal nerves at multiple sites. These data were analyzed to determine standard ranges for the CSA at each site (reference range = mean ± 2 × SD) and identify correlations between the CSA and patient characteristics.Results: Normative CSA ranges were determined for all the assessed nerve sites, revealing that the nerve sizes in this Taiwanese population were smaller than Caucasian populations but comparable to those reported for other Asian cohorts. Men tended to have larger nerves than women, even after adjusting for height and weight. The size of ulnar nerve in the cubital tunnel and the peroneal nerve in the popliteal fossa correlated negatively with increasing age. The nerve size correlated positively with increasing weight and BMI at several sites, correlation of median nerve in the forearm with weight and BMI was significant after multiple testing. Significant correlation was also found between size of ulnar nerve in cubital tunnel and decreasing height.Conclusion: We provide reference ranges for neuromuscular ultrasound CSA values for the upper and lower extremities that are specific to the Taiwanese population. These reference values may be useful for evaluating peripheral neuropathy in Taiwanese subjects.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a noninvasive technique that uses electromagnetic fields to stimulate the brain. rTMS can restore an impaired central nervous system and promote proliferation of neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs), but optimal stimulus parameters and mechanisms underlying these effects remain elusive. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of different rTMS stimulus parameters on proliferation and apoptosis of spinal cord-derived NSPCs, the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) after rTMS, and the potentially underlying pathways. NSPCs were isolated from mice spinal cord and stimulated by different frequencies (1/10/20 Hz), intensities (0.87/1.24/1.58 T), and number of pulses (400/800/1,500/3,000) once a day for five consecutive days. NSPC proliferation was analyzed by measuring the neurosphere diameter and Brdu staining, apoptosis was detected by cell death enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and flow cytometry, and NSPC viability was assessed by cell counting kit-8 assay. We found that specific parameters of frequency (1/10/20 Hz), intensity (1.24/1.58 T), and number of pulses (800/1,500/3,000) promote proliferation and apoptosis (p < 0.05 for all), but 20 Hz, 1.58 T, and 1,500 pulses achieved the optimal response for the NSPC viability. In addition, rTMS significantly promoted the expression of BDNF at the mRNA and protein level, while also increasing Akt phosphorylation (Thr308 and Ser473; p < 0.05). Overall, we identified the most appropriate rTMS parameters for further studies on NSPCs in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the effect of magnetic stimulation on NSPC proliferation might be correlated to BDNF/Akt signaling pathway.