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Monozygotic (MZ) twins cannot be distinguished using conventional forensic STR typing because they present identical STR genotypings. However, MZ twins do not always live in the same environment and often have different dietary and other lifestyle habits. Metabolic profiles are deyermined by individual characteristics and are also influenced by the environment in which they live. Therefore, they are potential markers capable of identifying MZ twins. Moreover, the production of proteins varies from organism to organism and is influenced by both the physiological state of the body and the external environment. Hence, we used metabolomics and proteomics to identify metabolites and proteins in peripheral blood to discriminate MZ twins. We identified 1749 known metabolites and 622 proteins in proteomic analysis. The metabolic profiles of four pairs of MZ twins revealed minor differences in intra-MZ twins and major differences in inter-MZ twins. Each pair of MZ twins exhibited distinct characteristics, and four metabolites—methyl picolinate, acesulfame, paraxanthine, and phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid—were observed in all four MZ twin pairs. These four differential exogenous metabolites conincidently show that the different external environments and life styles can be well distinguished by metabolites, considering that twins do not all have the same eating habits and living environments. Moreover, MZ twins showed different protein profiles in serum but not in whole blood. Thus, our results indicate that differential metabolites provide potential biomarkers for the personal identification of MZ twins in forensic medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psoriasis is an immune-mediated disorder which primarily affects skin and has systemic inflammatory involvement. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) are novel complete blood count (CBC)-derived markers which can reflect systemic inflammation. This study aimed to systematically investigate the associations of NLR, PLR, SII, and MLR with psoriasis. This study was performed in compliance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses statement. A comprehensive search of Pubmed, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar was conducted for relevant studies. Observational studies evaluating the correlations of NLR, PLR, SII, or MLR with psoriasis were included. The primary outcomes were the associations of these inflammatory markers with the presence and severity of psoriasis. The random-effect model was applied for meta-analysis. 36 studies comprising 4794 psoriasis patients and 55,121 individuals in total were included in the meta-analysis. All inflammatory markers were significantly increased in psoriasis groups compared to healthy controls (NLR: MD = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.47–0.7; PLR: MD = 15.53, 95% CI: 8.48–22.58; SII: MD = 111.58, 95% CI: 61.49-161.68; MLR: MD = 0.034, 95% CI: 0.021–0.048; all p < 0.001). Between-group mean differences in NLR and PLR were positively correlated with the mean scores of Psoriasis Area Severity Index (NLR: p = 0.041; PLR: p = 0.021). NLR, PLR, SII, and MLR are associated with the presence of psoriasis. NLR and PLR serve as significant indicators of psoriasis severity. These novel CBC-derived markers constitute potential targets in the screening and monitoring of psoriasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the surgical outcomes of endoscopic enucleation of the prostate in older males with or without preoperative urinary retention (UR). Material and methods: We conducted a study on selected patients with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) who underwent either thulium:YAG laser (vela XL) prostate enucleation (ThuLEP) or bipolar plasma enucleation of the prostate (B-TUEP) at the geriatric urology department of our institution. The studied patients were categorized into two groups, namely the UR group and the non-UR group, on the basis of whether they experienced UR in the 1 month preceding their surgery. Their clinical outcomes following prostate endoscopic surgery were evaluated and analyzed. Results: Our results revealed comparable outcomes for operation time, length of hospital stay, percentage of tissue removed, re-catheterization rate, and urinary tract infection rate within the 1 month between the B-TUEP and ThuLEP surgery groups, regardless of UR history. However, the non-UR B-TUEP group experienced more blood loss relative to the non-UR ThuLEP group (P =.004). Notably, patients with UR exhibited significantly greater changes in IPSS total, IPSS voiding, and prostate-specific antigen values relative to those without UR. Conclusions: Both ThuLEP and B-TUEP were effective in treating BPH-related bladder outlet obstruction. Our study identified more pronounced changes in IPSS total, IPSS voiding, and prostate-specific antigens within the UR group. Moreover, the rate of postoperative UR in this group was not higher than that observed in the non-UR group. Our study also revealed that the presumed benefits of laser surgery in reducing blood loss were less pronounced for patients with UR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, spatial transcriptomics (ST) research has become a popular field of study and has shown great potential in medicine. However, there are few bibliometric analyses in this field. Thus, in this study, we aimed to find and analyze the frontiers and trends of this medical research field based on the available literature. A computerized search was applied to the WoSCC (Web of Science Core Collection) Database for literature published from 2006 to 2023. Complete records of all literature and cited references were extracted and screened. The bibliometric analysis and visualization were performed using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, Bibliometrix R Package software, and Scimago Graphica. A total of 1467 papers and reviews were included. The analysis revealed that the ST publication and citation results have shown a rapid upward trend over the last 3 years. Nature Communications and Nature were the most productive and most co-cited journals, respectively. In the comprehensive global collaborative network, the United States is the country with the most organizations and publications, followed closely by China and the United Kingdom. The author Joakim Lundeberg published the most cited paper, while Patrik L. Ståhl ranked first among co-cited authors. The hot topics in ST are tissue recognition, cancer, heterogeneity, immunotherapy, differentiation, and models. ST technologies have greatly contributed to in-depth research in medical fields such as oncology and neuroscience, opening up new possibilities for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Moreover, artificial intelligence and big data drive additional development in ST fields. Spatial transcriptomics (ST) technologies and application prospects. (1) Imaging-based approaches, including in situ sequencing (ISS)—where transcripts are amplified and sequenced in tissue—and ISH-based approaches—where imaging probes are sequentially hybridized in tissue. (2) NGS-based techniques, in which positional information is encoded onto transcripts prior to NGS sequencing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To observe the angiogenesis effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at Shuigou acupoint (GV 26) in the treatment of cerebral ischemia, and explore the value of miRNA-7 (miR-7) in it. Methods: First, 48 mice were randomly divided into sham operation, middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model, and EA treatment groups. Then 9 mice were divided into carrier control group, miR-7 knockout group and miR-7 overexpression group (n=3 each group). Finally, 20 mice were divided into model and carrier control group, model and miR-7 knockout group, EA treatment and carrier control group and EA treatment and miR-7 overexpression group, with 3–6 mice in each group. The MCAO model was established in the MCAO and EA groups. Neurological deficit score and 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining were used to evaluate the severity of cerebral ischemia. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to describe basic pathological changes. Immunohistochemistry was used to quantify cerebral microvessel density. Real-time PCR and Western blot were used to detect the expression of miR-7 and its downstream target genes Krüppel-like factor 4/vascular endothelial growth factor (KLF4/VEGF) and angiopoietin-2 (ANG-2) in the ischemic cerebral cortex. Results: After EA, neurological deficit scores and infarction volumes decreased, and the density of cerebral microvessels increased. In the MCAO group, miR-7 expression was higher than that in the sham group (P<0.01). After EA at GV 26, miR-7 expression decreased (P<0.01) and the expression of downstream target genes KLF4/VEGF and ANG-2 increased as compared with the MCAO group (P<0.01). After EA combined with overexpression of miR-7, the expression of downstream target genes KLF4/VEGF and ANG-2 decreased compared to the control EA group (P<0.01). After miR-7 knockdown, the expression of KLF4/VEGF and ANG-2 increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Conclusions: EA could promote angiogenesis in MCAO mice likely by inhibiting the expression of miR-7 and relieving inhibition of downstream target genes KLF4/VEGF and ANG-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Postoperative urinary retention (PUR) is a common complication after prostate enucleation, which leads to an increased length of hospital stay and decreased postoperative satisfaction. This study determined the predictive factors of postoperative urine retention within 1 month after prostate enucleation and investigated whether PUR influences surgical outcomes at the 2-week, 3-month, and 6-month follow-up time points. Methods: Data were collected from the electronic medical records of 191 patients with benign prostatic obstruction (BPO) during October 2018 to September 2021. Of them, 180 patients who underwent thulium laser or plasma kinetic enucleation of the prostate (ThuLEP, PKEP) were separated into the PUR group (n = 24) and the non-PUR (NPUR) group (n = 156). Uroflowmetry and the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) questionnaire were followed up at 2 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months postoperatively. Results: The PUR group had a significantly higher percentage of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) than the NPUR group. Postoperatively, compared with the NPUR group, the PUR group had significantly less improvement in changes in the IPSS Quality of Life scores at 2 weeks, the total IPSS(International Prostate Symptom Score) at all follow-up times, the IPSS-S(IPSS storage subscores) at 2 weeks and 3 months, and the IPSS-V(IPSS voiding subscores) at all follow-up times. Predictive factors for PUR include lower preoperative maximum urinary flow (Qmax), lower preoperative total IPSS, and higher operation time. Conclusion: Lower preoperative Qmax, lower IPSS scores, and longer operation time were risk factors for PUR. Furthermore, PUR could be a prognostic factor for prostatic enucleation surgical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dysfunction of extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs) might cause early pregnancy failure by interfering with embryo implantation and/or placentation. We previously reported that the villus miR-3074-5p expression level was increased, whereas the peripheral level of GDF15, a predict target gene of miR-3074-5p, was decreased in recurrent miscarriages (RM) patients, and miR-3074-5p could enhance apoptosis but reduce invasion of human extravillous trophoblast cells (EVTs). The aim of this study was to further explore roles of miR-3074-5p/GDF15 pathway in regulation of EVTs function. It was validated that GDF15 was not the direct target of miR-3074-5p, whereas EIF2S1, an upstream regulator of GDF15 maturation and secretion, was the direct target of miR-3074-5p. The villus expression levels of GDF15 and EIF2S1 were significantly decreased in RM patients. Knockdown of GDF15 expression presented inhibitory effects on proliferation, migration, and invasion of HTR8/SVneo cells. Up-regulated miR-3074-5p expression led to the significant decreased GDF15 expression in HTR8/SVneo cells, and this effect could be efficiently reversed by the overexpression of EIF2S1. Meanwhile, the suppressive effects of miR-3074-5p on proliferation, migration, and invasion of HTR8/SVneo cells could be intercepted by the treatment of recombinant human GDF15 protein. Collectively, these data suggested that miR-3074-5p could reduce GDF15 production via targeting inhibition of EIF2S1 expression, and the deficiency in GDF15 function might lead to the early pregnancy loss by attenuating proliferation and invasion of EVTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research focused on the synthesis of tin oxide (SnO2) by a facile sol–gel method because its advantage had a low-cost process. SnO2 was then annealed from 300℃ to 700℃ to obtain crystal nanopowders with different surface morphologies and grain sizes. In addition, ultraviolet laser processing equipment was used to fabricate an interdigitated structure on indium tin oxide (ITO) films coated on glass plates as an electrode layer of gas sensors. The annealed SnO2 nanopowder was drop-cast on the interdigitated ITO electrode as a gas detection layer. The developed gas sensors were used to detect air pollution. Moreover, a SEM, an XRD, and a four-point probe were applied to measure the morphologies, structural characteristics, and electrical properties of ITO thin films and SnO2 nanopowders, respectively. After gas detection tests, the gas sensor based on SnO2 nanopowders annealed at 600 ℃ demonstrated a relatively large response of 9.7% and fast response and recovery times of 12 s and 16 s. Furthermore, the SnO2 nanopowder-based gas sensor at a NO2 concentration of 5 ppm had better repeatability with an average response of 9.57 ± 0.22% after the 11-cycle test and an excellent sensitivity to NO2 compared to the gases CO2, H2, NO, CO, and NH3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species identification of biological specimens can provide the valuable clues and accelerate the speed of prosecution material processing for forensic investigation, especially when the case scene is inaccessible and the physical evidence is cumbersome. Thus, establishing a rapid, simple, and field-adapted species identification method is crucial for forensic scientists, particularly as first-line technology at the crime scene for initial rapid screening. In this study, we established a new field-adapted species identification method by combining multiplex multienzyme isothermal rapid amplification (MIRA), lateral flow dipstick (LFD) system, and universal primers. Universal primers targeting COX I and COX II genes were used in multiplex MIRA-LFD system for seven species identification, and a dedicated MIRA-LFD system primer targeting CYT B gene was used to detect the human material. DNA extraction was performed by collecting DNA directly from the centrifuged supernatant. Our study found that the entire amplification process took only 15 min at 37 °C and the results of LFDs could be visually observed after 10 min. The detection sensitivity of human material could reach 10 pg, which is equivalent to the detection of single cell. Different common animal samples mixed at the ratio of 1 ng:1 ng, 10 ng:1 ng, and 1 ng:10 ng could be detected successfully. Furthermore, the damaged and degraded samples could also be detected. Therefore, the convenient, feasible, and rapid approach for species identification is suitable for popularization as first-line technology at the crime scene for initial rapid screening and provides a great convenient for forensic application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microalgae are an effective soil biostimulant. However, pathways for the enhancement of plant growth are still unclear. In this study, the effects of Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris) on wheat growth promotion and its direct and indirect mechanisms were investigated under hydroponic experiment condition in pots in a constant temperature indoor laboratory. Living C. vulgaris showed significant promoting effect on wheat growth in terms of root length (52.41%), shoot length (44.44%) and dry weight (13.86%). Besides the function of supplying inorganic nutrient, the organic molecules in the culture supernatant and cell extract of C. vulgaris promoted wheat growth directly through interaction with the plant roots. The culture supernatant fraction increased root length, shoot length and dry weight of wheat by 27.59%. 11.84%, 16.53%, respectively. The cell extract fraction had a larger effect with the increase in root length, shoot length and dry weight by 33.10%, 20.86% and 27.10%, respectively. Changes in the bacterial community in the rhizosphere under co-culturing of bacteria and microalgae was also investigated to determine indirect mechanisms on plant growth promotion. The results showed living C. vulgaris and rhizosphere bacteria had a synergistic interaction. Compared with initial rhizosphere bacterial community at genus level, the number of beneficial rhizosphere bacteria such as Sphingobacterium, Comamonas, Acetobacter and Mucilaginibacter significantly increased when co-cultured with the supernatant of C. vulgaris. In conclusion, considering the presence of bacteria in the soil environment, it is important to maintain the activity of microalgal cells to release extracellular polymer substances sustainably to promote plant growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study is centered on the critical role of anterior fibromuscular stroma (AFS) preservation in prostate enucleation, an emerging strategy aimed at minimizing postoperative urinary incontinence—a common concern in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) surgeries. By focusing on postoperative voiding volumes (VV), our research investigates the efficacy of AFS preservation. This approach, distinct in its methodology, is hypothesized to improve urinary function post-surgery, thereby offering a potentially significant advancement in BPH surgical treatments. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted, comparing patients who underwent prostate enucleation in 2017 without intentional AFS preservation to those in 2019 with this technique. We examined variables including age, BMI, diabetes, hypertension, and preoperative VV to assess their effect on post-catheter removal VV. The study's methodology includes a thorough review of the primary statistical analysis methods employed. Results: Our analysis indicates that while the 2017 and 2019 cohorts were similar in most preoperative parameters, the 2019 group that underwent AFS-preserved surgery showed a significant improvement in postoperative VVs. This was less pronounced in the patient group aged over 70, underscoring the importance of this demographic in our study. Conclusions: The study concludes that intentional preservation of AFS during prostate enucleation positively impacts early postoperative VVs, with limited improvement in older patients. These findings highlight the potential of AFS preservation not only in enhancing urinary outcomes post-surgery but also in shaping future BPH surgical procedures and research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: How to factor both tumor burden and oncogenic genomic mutations as variables to predict the outcome of endocrine-based therapy (ET) in ER-positive/HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer patients (MBC) remains to be explored. Method: Blood samples prospectively collected from 163 ER-positive/HER2-negative female MBC patients, before ET, were used for cell-free tumor DNA (cfDNA) analysis. cfDNA was subjected to next-generation sequencing (NGS) to interrogate oncogenic PIK3CA hotspot and TP53 DNA-binding domain (DBD) mutations, including single nucleotide variants (SNVs) or small insertions and deletions (InDels). The variant calling threshold was set at 0.5%. Progression-free survival (PFS) was measured from the start of the ET treatment to the time of disease progression of the same treatment regimen. Results: Overall, the median PFS was 8.3 months (95% CI 5.7–11.1 months). The median cfDNA was 38.5 ng (range 4.4–1935 ng). The proportion of patients with PIK3CA and TP53 alterations were 25.1 and 15.3%, respectively. Patients with high total cfDNA (HR 1.74, p = 0.003), PIK3CA mutation (HR 1.74, p = 0.007), and TP53 mutation (HR 1.64, p = 0.047) in liquid biopsy conferred worse outcome after ET. Even for patients with low tumor burden, the detrimental effect of PIK3CA or TP53 mutation remained significant (p < 0.001). For patients with either PIK3CA (p < 0.001) or TP53 mutation (p = 0.004), there was significant positive correlation between allele frequency (AF) and total cfDNA. Conclusion: After adjustment of cfDNA level, PIK3CA and TP53 mutations observed in liquid biopsy exerted detrimental effects on the outcome of ET-based regimens. The AF of PIK3CA or TP53 may be a surrogate marker for PFS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fluorescent microgel for BPA detection has been successfully prepared by cross-linking linear poly(styrene-co-glycidyl methacrylate) (poly (STY-co-GMA)) with L-cysteine-capped CdSe quantum dots (Lcys-caped CdSe QDs). The microgel contained specific binding sites created by the covalent grafting of the copolymer onto the QDs via the GMA units, allowing for selective trapping of BPA molecules through π–π and hydrogen bond interactions with phenyl, carboxylic, and amine groups. After binding, electron transfer from the QDs to the analyte quenched the fluorescence at a wavelength of 547 nm when excited at 400 nm. The rational compositional and structural design allows the microgel to accurately detect BPA concentrations over a wide dynamic range of 1.0×10−1 to 1.0×105 μg/L with a low detection limit (7.0×10−2 to 8.0×10−2 μg/L) in deionized, drinking, and tap waters within just 2.0 min. On top of that, the sensitivity for BPA detection was 2.0–4.6 times higher than that of the other 3 structural analogues, even molecular imprinting was not involved. The influence of the STY/GMA compositions in the copolymers and environmental conditions, including pH and ionic strength, on the sensing performance was determined. Moreover, the sensing mechanism and the selectivity with respect to the molecular features were elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Benign prostate obstruction (BOO) is becoming increasingly important in this aging society. Some urge/stress urinary incontinence (UUI/SUI) still occurs after endoscopic enucleation of the prostate (EEP). It remains unclear how post-EEP incontinence can be avoided. Currently, early apical release to ameliorate the traction of the external sphincter is the best technique for incontinence prevention. Objective: To describe our surgical technique of anterior fibromuscular stroma (AFS)-preserved EEP for BOO. Design, setting, and participants: The medical records of 60 consecutive patients who underwent AFS-preserved EEP for BOO in our center from September 2019 to December 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Surgical procedure: AFS-preserved EEP starts at the 12 o'clock position of the urethra, and the junction between the AFS and transitional zone (T-zone) was identified. The AFS and T-zone were separated first to protect the AFS in the initial operative procedure. Then, following the usual enucleation procedure, AFS-preserved EEP could be achieved. Measurements: Postoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA), testosterone, urethral stricture, and voiding status, such as incontinence, uroflow, and postvoiding residual urine were assessed. Results and limitations: The data show that AFS-preserved EEP could achieve similar surgical outcomes as other early apical release approaches. Conclusions: The preserved AFS provides a nice landmark at the 12 o'clock position during EEP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benggang is a special type of soil erosion, which widely distributes in the granite residual soil area of southern China. Owing to the influence of local climate and topography, shallow cracks having different morphological characteristics are easily formed on the slope surface. These shallow cracks damage the surface structure of the slope and accelerate water infiltration, making it easier to cause severe soil and water loss. However, the mechanism of Benggang process is still unclear, especially for slopes with different shallow crack characteristics. In this study, granite residual soil was collected from Benngang erosion area in Yudu County, Jiangxi Province, southern China. Three experimental treatments with slope surface crack rates of 0%, 5.23%, and 11.70% were performed. Simultaneous monitoring of moisture content and soil temperature in the slope were carried out during rainfall, and the characteristics of preferential flow were monitored with different crack rates. Morphological development and evolution process of Benggang with different crack rates were studied. Results show that high surface crack rate of the shallow surface on the slope accelerated the development of shallow gully erosion, leading to premature occurrence of gully erosion. As the shallow crack rate increased from 0% to 5.23% and 11.70%, the width-depth ratio of the rills at the slope bottom increased from 0.69 to 1.02 and 1.16, respectively. At the same time, a correlation between moisture and temperature data was observed for the process of water-heat coupled migration. The upper soil temperature of slope decreased quickly due to preferential flow. The simultaneous monitoring of soil moisture and temperature can effectively track preferential flow and indicate the water movement. Temperature data was a more sensitive indicator of the seepage paths of preferential flow compared to moisture data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fabrication of vertically stacked SiGe nanosheet (NS) field-effect transistors (FETs) was demonstrated in this study. The key process technologies involved in this device fabrication are low pressure chemical vapor deposition SiGe/Si multilayer epitaxy, selective etching of Si layers over SiGe layers using tetramethyl-ammonium-hydroxide wet solution, and atomic layer deposition of Y2O3 gate dielectric. For the fabricated stacked SiGe NS p-GAAFETs with a gate length of 90 nm, ION/IOFF ratio of around 5.0 × 105 and subthreshold swing of 75 mV/dec were confirmed via electrical measurements. Moreover, owing to its high quality of Y2O3 gate dielectric, the device showed a very small drain-induced barrier-lowering phenomenon. These designs can improve the gate controllability of channel and device characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine the incidence and severity of symptoms of patients with cervical cancer within 6 months after radiotherapy and chemotherapy, form a symptom burden report, evaluate the distribution characteristics of symptoms, identify symptom clusters, and provide a basis for clinical doctors and nurses to improve the symptom management of patients with cervical cancer after radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Methods: The patients with cervical cancer within 6 months after radiotherapy and chemotherapy were recruited to investigate their symptom burden. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify symptom clusters. Results: A total of 250 patients participated in the study. The study found that the most common symptom among the 40 symptoms was fatigue, and the most serious symptom was nocturia. Based on the occurrence rate and severity of symptoms, nine symptom clusters were identified, including psycho–emotion-related symptom cluster, pain–disturbed sleep-related symptom cluster, menopausal symptom cluster, tinnitus–dizziness-related symptom cluster, urinary-related symptom cluster, dry mouth–bitter taste-related symptom cluster, intestinal-related symptom cluster, memory loss–numbness-related symptom cluster, and emaciation-related symptom cluster. The three most serious symptom clusters are pain–disturbed sleep-related symptom cluster, urinary-related symptom cluster, and memory loss–numbness-related symptom cluster. Conclusion: The symptoms of patients with cervical cancer within 6 months after radiotherapy and chemotherapy are complex, and nine symptom clusters can be identified according to the incidence and severity of symptoms. We can find the potential biological mechanism of each symptom cluster through the discussion of previous mechanism research and clinical research. The number of symptom clusters and the number of symptoms within the symptom cluster are closely related to the symptom evaluation scale selected for the study. Therefore, the symptom cluster study urgently needs a targeted symptom evaluation scale that can comprehensively reflect the patient’s condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to synthesize Ti3C2Tx (MXene) through selective etching of Ti3AlC2 (MAX) using the in situ hydrofluoric acid method. ZnO was then grown on the Ti3C2Tx surface to form Ti3C2Tx (MXene)/ZnO composites (M-ZnO) using the hydrothermal method. To increase adhesion between the M-ZnO sensing composite and the laser-patterned interdigitated electrode surface, PEDOT:PSS was used as an adhesive layer to obtain PEDOT:PSS/M-ZnO-based gas sensors. The surface morphology, cross-sectional profile, elemental analysis, and structural and chemical compositions of M-ZnO composites were characterized using scanning electron microscope with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometer, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results of the sensing test indicated that the responses of the gas sensors were 3.66%, 6.62%, 8.12%, and 10.23% when PEDOT:PSS/M-ZnO were exposed to 400, 600, 800, and 1000 ppb NO2 concentrations, respectively. The sensitivity of the PEDOT:PSS/ZnO-, PEDOT:PSS/MXene-, and PEDOT:PSS/M-ZnO-based gas sensors was 0.67, 1.37, and 10.61, respectively. The PEDOT:PSS/M-ZnO-based gas sensor had the highest sensitivity of 10.61, which was 15.8 times higher than the PEDOT:PSS/ZnO-based gas sensor. Additionally, the PEDOT:PSS/M-ZnO-based gas sensor displayed good stability and excellent sensing selectivity for NO2 gas at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schizophrenia (SCZ), bipolar disorder (BD), and major depressive disorder (MDD) are common neuropsychiatric disorders that lead to neuroinflammation in the pathogenesis. It is possible to further explore the connection between inflammation in the brain and SCZ, BD, and MDD. Therefore, we systematically reviewed PubMed and Web of Science on brain inflammatory markers measured in SCZ, BD, and MDD postmortem brains. Out of 2166 studies yielded by the search, 46 studies met the inclusion criteria in SCZ, BD, and MDD postmortem brains. The results were variable across inflammatory markers. For example, 26 studies were included to measure the differential expression between SCZ and control subjects. Similarly, seven of the included studies measured the differential expression of inflammatory markers in patients with BD. The heterogeneity from the included studies is not clear at present, which may be caused by several factors, including the measured brain region, disease stage, brain source, medication, and other factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Wells-Riley model invokes human physiological and engineering parameters to successfully treat airborne transmission of infectious diseases. Applications of this model would have high potentiality on evaluating policy actions and interventions intended to improve public safety efforts on preventing the spread of COVID-19 in an enclosed space. Here, we constructed the interaction relationships among basic reproduction number (R0) − exposure time − indoor population number by using the Wells-Riley model to provide a robust means to assist in planning containment efforts. We quantified SARS-CoV-2 changes in a case study of two Wuhan (Fangcang and Renmin) hospitals. We conducted similar approach to develop control measures in various hospital functional units by taking all accountable factors. We showed that inhalation rates of individuals proved crucial for influencing the transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2, followed by air supply rate and exposure time. We suggest a minimum air change per hour (ACH) of 7 h−1 would be at least appropriate with current room volume requirements in healthcare buildings when indoor population number is < 10 and exposure time is < 1 h with one infector and low activity levels being considered. However, higher ACH (> 16 h−1) with optimal arranged-exposure time/people and high-efficiency air filters would be suggested if more infectors or higher activity levels are presented. Our models lay out a practical metric for evaluating the efficacy of control measures on COVID-19 infection in built environments. Our case studies further indicate that the Wells-Riley model provides a predictive and mechanistic basis for empirical COVID-19 impact reduction planning and gives a framework to treat highly transmissible but mechanically heterogeneous airborne SARS-CoV-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are highly heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impaired social interaction skills. Whole exome sequencing has identified loss-of-function mutations in lysine methyltransferase 2E (KMT2E, also named MLL5) in ASD patients and it is listed as an ASD high-risk gene in humans. However, experimental evidence of KMT2E in association with ASD-like manifestations or neuronal function is still missing. Relying on KMT2E+/− mice, through animal behavior analyses, positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, and neuronal morphological analyses, we explored the role of KMT2E haploinsufficiency in ASD-like symptoms. Behavioral results revealed that KMT2E haploinsufficiency was sufficient to produce social deficit, accompanied by anxiety in mice. Whole-brain 18F-FDG-PET analysis identified that relative amygdala glycometabolism was selectively decreased in KMT2E+/− mice compared to wild-type mice. The numbers and soma sizes of amygdala neurons in KMT2E+/− mice were prominently increased. Additionally, KMT2E mRNA levels in human amygdala were significantly decreased after birth during brain development. Our findings support a causative role of KMT2E in ASD development and suggest that amygdala neuronal development abnormality is likely a major underlying mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/hypothesis: This study aimed to assess the real-world outcomes of people with diabetes mellitus treated with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1RAs) compared with those treated with sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) in terms of major adverse cardiovascular and limb events. Peripheral artery disease is a common cause of morbidity in people with diabetes. Previous cardiovascular outcome trials have demonstrated the benefits of GLP1RAs and SGLT2is for reducing various cardiovascular events, but the safety and efficacy of these drugs on limb outcomes remain subject to debate and ambiguity. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in which data were collected from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. In total, 379,256 individuals with diabetes receiving either GLP1RA or SGLT2i with treatment initiated between 1 May 2016 and 31 December 2019 were identified. The primary outcome was major adverse limb events (MALE), defined as the composite of newly diagnosed critical limb ischaemia, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty or peripheral bypass for peripheral artery disease, and non-traumatic amputation. The secondary outcome was major adverse cardiac events, which was a composite of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction and non-fatal ischaemic stroke. Other examined outcomes included death from any cause and hospitalisation for heart failure. Propensity score matching was performed at a 1:4 ratio between the GLP1RA and SGLT2i groups to mitigate possible selection bias. Results: A total of 287,091 patients were eligible for analysis, with 81,152 patients treated with SGLT2i and 20,288 patients treated with GLP1RA after matching. The incidence of MALE was significantly lower in the GLP1RA group than in the SGLT2i group (3.6 vs 4.5 events per 1000 person-years; subdistribution HR 0.80; 95% CI 0.67, 0.96), primarily due to a lower incidence of critical limb ischaemia. The reduced risks of MALE associated with GLP1RA use were particularly noticeable in people with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (subdistribution HR 0.66 vs 1.11; p for interaction 0.006). Conclusions/interpretation: In people with diabetes, GLP1RA use was associated with significantly reduced risks of MALE compared with SGLT2i within the first 2 years after initiation, especially among people with diabetic neuropathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Correction Notice in the International Journal of Legal Medicine addresses an error in the original article titled "Metabolomics efficiently discriminates monozygotic twins in peripheral blood." The correction involves updating the incorrect address for Affiliation 5 to "Shenyang, P.R. China" instead of "Taichung, Taiwan." The corrected affiliation is now "Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medicine, China Medical University, Shenyang, P.R. China." The correction has been made to the original article, and Springer Nature maintains neutrality regarding jurisdictional claims and institutional affiliations. [Extracted from the article]

The high temperature may cause the insulation of electrical cables to age, resulting in insulation breakdown and electrical fire. The influence of two key factors, namely incident external heat flux and thermal aging time, and aged wires were prepared. A cone calorimeter is used to test the combustion performance of different aging degrees ZR-BVR wires under 35KW m−2 and 50KW m−2 radiation. In addition, the time-to-ignition (TTI), heat release rate (HRR), gas generation rate, and smoke generation rate under the two kinds of external radiation were compared and analyzed. And, the fire risk of the samples was comprehensively evaluated by Analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and entropy mass method. The results indicated that the longer the aging time, the less likely the sample to be ignited, the longer the time to reach the peak heat release rate increases, and the peak heat release rate (pHRR) of ZR-BVR10 is the largest, with a maximum value of 208.64KW m−2, the consumption of O2 and the production of CO2 and CO decreased significantly, and there was a great difference before and after 30 days of aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing a new type of superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic oil/water separation membrane with high separation efficiency, high throughput and bacteria separation has essential theoretical and practical significance for treating oily and medical wastewater. This work modified commercial PVDF membranes by knife coating and cross-linking, and PVDF/PVA/LPB/MOF hybrid separation membranes are manufactured. Hydrophilic polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) endows the separation membrane with good hydrophilicity. Lauramidopropyl Betaine (LPB) enhances intermolecular hydrogen bonding and improves the mechanical properties of the membrane. A Metal-organic framework (MOF) with excellent biocompatibility, UiO-66-NH2, plays a vital role in the separation of bacteria. The results of the morphology and surface chemistry of characterization analysis show that the PVDF/PVA/LPB/MOF hybrid separation membrane exhibits excellent superhydrophilicity (with a contact angle of 2°) and high-water flux (15600 L/m2h) and high separation efficiency (99%), and the nature of filtering bacteria while separating oil. After modification, the separation efficiency increased from 30% to 99%, showing strong oil stain resistance. Our finding suggests that the new type of super-hydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic oil/water separation membrane has potential value in practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The goal of this meta-analysis is to examine the association between Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) and Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR) in patients with Retinal Artery Occlusion (RAO). The analysis aims to provide insight into the potential of NLR and PLR as inflammatory biomarkers for RAO.Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search in PubMed, Embase, and Scopus identified eight eligible studies. The analysis assessed serum NLR and PLR levels in RAO and non-RAO groups by employing standardized mean differences (SMDs). Sensitivity analyses and publication bias were examined. The diagnostic performance of these markers was evaluated with a quantitative synthesis.The meta-analysis, involving 1,444 participants, demonstrated significantly elevated NLR (SMD = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.49–1.28, P < 0.001) and PLR (SMD = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.16–0.73, P < 0.001) levels in individuals with RAO. Significant heterogeneity was noted. Sensitivity analysis showed robustness and no significant publication bias was found. Summary results of diagnostic performance revealed promising discriminatory power for NLR and PLR.The results support a possible connection between systemic inflammation, as indicated by NLR and PLR, and the occurrence of RAO. Although there was heterogeneity, sensitivity analyses showed the findings to be robust. While immediate diagnostic applications are limited, understanding the role of NLR and PLR in the pathological process of RAO provides valuable insights for developing future predictive models, risk management approaches, and treatment strategies. Further research exploring mechanistic insights and conducting prospective studies is warranted to validate their clinical utility.What is knownRetinal artery occlusion (RAO) is a serious condition with potential links to systemic inflammation and thrombosis.Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are emerging inflammatory markers.Retinal artery occlusion (RAO) is a serious condition with potential links to systemic inflammation and thrombosis.Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are emerging inflammatory markers.What is newThis is the first meta-analysis examining the association between NLR, PLR and RAO.Elevated NLR and PLR levels were observed in patients with RAO compared to controls.NLR and PLR show potential as indicators of systemic inflammation in RAO pathogenesis.This is the first meta-analysis examining the association between NLR, PLR and RAO.Elevated NLR and PLR levels were observed in patients with RAO compared to controls.NLR and PLR show potential as indicators of systemic inflammation in RAO pathogenesis.Methods: The goal of this meta-analysis is to examine the association between Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) and Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR) in patients with Retinal Artery Occlusion (RAO). The analysis aims to provide insight into the potential of NLR and PLR as inflammatory biomarkers for RAO.Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search in PubMed, Embase, and Scopus identified eight eligible studies. The analysis assessed serum NLR and PLR levels in RAO and non-RAO groups by employing standardized mean differences (SMDs). Sensitivity analyses and publication bias were examined. The diagnostic performance of these markers was evaluated with a quantitative synthesis.The meta-analysis, involving 1,444 participants, demonstrated significantly elevated NLR (SMD = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.49–1.28, P < 0.001) and PLR (SMD = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.16–0.73, P < 0.001) levels in individuals with RAO. Significant heterogeneity was noted. Sensitivity analysis showed robustness and no significant publication bias was found. Summary results of diagnostic performance revealed promising discriminatory power for NLR and PLR.The results support a possible connection between systemic inflammation, as indicated by NLR and PLR, and the occurrence of RAO. Although there was heterogeneity, sensitivity analyses showed the findings to be robust. While immediate diagnostic applications are limited, understanding the role of NLR and PLR in the pathological process of RAO provides valuable insights for developing future predictive models, risk management approaches, and treatment strategies. Further research exploring mechanistic insights and conducting prospective studies is warranted to validate their clinical utility.What is knownRetinal artery occlusion (RAO) is a serious condition with potential links to systemic inflammation and thrombosis.Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are emerging inflammatory markers.Retinal artery occlusion (RAO) is a serious condition with potential links to systemic inflammation and thrombosis.Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are emerging inflammatory markers.What is newThis is the first meta-analysis examining the association between NLR, PLR and RAO.Elevated NLR and PLR levels were observed in patients with RAO compared to controls.NLR and PLR show potential as indicators of systemic inflammation in RAO pathogenesis.This is the first meta-analysis examining the association between NLR, PLR and RAO.Elevated NLR and PLR levels were observed in patients with RAO compared to controls.NLR and PLR show potential as indicators of systemic inflammation in RAO pathogenesis.Results: The goal of this meta-analysis is to examine the association between Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) and Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR) in patients with Retinal Artery Occlusion (RAO). The analysis aims to provide insight into the potential of NLR and PLR as inflammatory biomarkers for RAO.Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search in PubMed, Embase, and Scopus identified eight eligible studies. The analysis assessed serum NLR and PLR levels in RAO and non-RAO groups by employing standardized mean differences (SMDs). Sensitivity analyses and publication bias were examined. The diagnostic performance of these markers was evaluated with a quantitative synthesis.The meta-analysis, involving 1,444 participants, demonstrated significantly elevated NLR (SMD = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.49–1.28, P < 0.001) and PLR (SMD = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.16–0.73, P < 0.001) levels in individuals with RAO. Significant heterogeneity was noted. Sensitivity analysis showed robustness and no significant publication bias was found. Summary results of diagnostic performance revealed promising discriminatory power for NLR and PLR.The results support a possible connection between systemic inflammation, as indicated by NLR and PLR, and the occurrence of RAO. Although there was heterogeneity, sensitivity analyses showed the findings to be robust. While immediate diagnostic applications are limited, understanding the role of NLR and PLR in the pathological process of RAO provides valuable insights for developing future predictive models, risk management approaches, and treatment strategies. Further research exploring mechanistic insights and conducting prospective studies is warranted to validate their clinical utility.What is knownRetinal artery occlusion (RAO) is a serious condition with potential links to systemic inflammation and thrombosis.Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are emerging inflammatory markers.Retinal artery occlusion (RAO) is a serious condition with potential links to systemic inflammation and thrombosis.Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are emerging inflammatory markers.What is newThis is the first meta-analysis examining the association between NLR, PLR and RAO.Elevated NLR and PLR levels were observed in patients with RAO compared to controls.NLR and PLR show potential as indicators of systemic inflammation in RAO pathogenesis.This is the first meta-analysis examining the association between NLR, PLR and RAO.Elevated NLR and PLR levels were observed in patients with RAO compared to controls.NLR and PLR show potential as indicators of systemic inflammation in RAO pathogenesis.Conclusions: The goal of this meta-analysis is to examine the association between Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) and Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR) in patients with Retinal Artery Occlusion (RAO). The analysis aims to provide insight into the potential of NLR and PLR as inflammatory biomarkers for RAO.Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search in PubMed, Embase, and Scopus identified eight eligible studies. The analysis assessed serum NLR and PLR levels in RAO and non-RAO groups by employing standardized mean differences (SMDs). Sensitivity analyses and publication bias were examined. The diagnostic performance of these markers was evaluated with a quantitative synthesis.The meta-analysis, involving 1,444 participants, demonstrated significantly elevated NLR (SMD = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.49–1.28, P < 0.001) and PLR (SMD = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.16–0.73, P < 0.001) levels in individuals with RAO. Significant heterogeneity was noted. Sensitivity analysis showed robustness and no significant publication bias was found. Summary results of diagnostic performance revealed promising discriminatory power for NLR and PLR.The results support a possible connection between systemic inflammation, as indicated by NLR and PLR, and the occurrence of RAO. Although there was heterogeneity, sensitivity analyses showed the findings to be robust. While immediate diagnostic applications are limited, understanding the role of NLR and PLR in the pathological process of RAO provides valuable insights for developing future predictive models, risk management approaches, and treatment strategies. Further research exploring mechanistic insights and conducting prospective studies is warranted to validate their clinical utility.What is knownRetinal artery occlusion (RAO) is a serious condition with potential links to systemic inflammation and thrombosis.Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are emerging inflammatory markers.Retinal artery occlusion (RAO) is a serious condition with potential links to systemic inflammation and thrombosis.Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are emerging inflammatory markers.What is newThis is the first meta-analysis examining the association between NLR, PLR and RAO.Elevated NLR and PLR levels were observed in patients with RAO compared to controls.NLR and PLR show potential as indicators of systemic inflammation in RAO pathogenesis.This is the first meta-analysis examining the association between NLR, PLR and RAO.Elevated NLR and PLR levels were observed in patients with RAO compared to controls.NLR and PLR show potential as indicators of systemic inflammation in RAO pathogenesis.Key messages: The goal of this meta-analysis is to examine the association between Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) and Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR) in patients with Retinal Artery Occlusion (RAO). The analysis aims to provide insight into the potential of NLR and PLR as inflammatory biomarkers for RAO.Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search in PubMed, Embase, and Scopus identified eight eligible studies. The analysis assessed serum NLR and PLR levels in RAO and non-RAO groups by employing standardized mean differences (SMDs). Sensitivity analyses and publication bias were examined. The diagnostic performance of these markers was evaluated with a quantitative synthesis.The meta-analysis, involving 1,444 participants, demonstrated significantly elevated NLR (SMD = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.49–1.28, P < 0.001) and PLR (SMD = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.16–0.73, P < 0.001) levels in individuals with RAO. Significant heterogeneity was noted. Sensitivity analysis showed robustness and no significant publication bias was found. Summary results of diagnostic performance revealed promising discriminatory power for NLR and PLR.The results support a possible connection between systemic inflammation, as indicated by NLR and PLR, and the occurrence of RAO. Although there was heterogeneity, sensitivity analyses showed the findings to be robust. While immediate diagnostic applications are limited, understanding the role of NLR and PLR in the pathological process of RAO provides valuable insights for developing future predictive models, risk management approaches, and treatment strategies. Further research exploring mechanistic insights and conducting prospective studies is warranted to validate their clinical utility.What is knownRetinal artery occlusion (RAO) is a serious condition with potential links to systemic inflammation and thrombosis.Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are emerging inflammatory markers.Retinal artery occlusion (RAO) is a serious condition with potential links to systemic inflammation and thrombosis.Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are emerging inflammatory markers.What is newThis is the first meta-analysis examining the association between NLR, PLR and RAO.Elevated NLR and PLR levels were observed in patients with RAO compared to controls.NLR and PLR show potential as indicators of systemic inflammation in RAO pathogenesis.This is the first meta-analysis examining the association between NLR, PLR and RAO.Elevated NLR and PLR levels were observed in patients with RAO compared to controls.NLR and PLR show potential as indicators of systemic inflammation in RAO pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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There have been a large number of reports about glial cell dysfunction being related to major psychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia (SCZ), bipolar disorder (BD), and major depressive disorder (MDD). In this review, we provide an overview of postmortem studies analyzing the structural changes of glial cells in these three major psychiatric diseases, including the density, number and size of glial cells, and the expression of related markers. Up to May 1, 2021, 108 articles that met the inclusion criteria were identified by searching PubMed and Web of Science. Although most studies evaluating total glial cells did not show abnormalities in the brains of postmortem patients, astrocytes, microglial cells, and oligodendrocytes seem to have specific patterns of changes in each disease. For example, out of 20 studies that evaluated astrocyte markers in MDD, 11 studies found decreased astrocyte marker expression in MDD patients. Similarly, out of 25 studies evaluating oligodendrocyte markers in SCZ, 15 studies showed decreased expression of oligodendrocyte markers in different brain regions of SCZ patients. In addition, activated microglial cells were observed in patients with SCZ, BD, and MDD, but suicide may be a confounding factor for the observed effects. Although the data from the included studies were heterogeneous and this cannot be fully explained at present, it is likely that there are a variety of contributing factors, including the measured brain regions, methods of measurement, gender, age at time of death, and medications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Horizontally stacked pure-Ge-nanosheet gate-all-around field-effect transistors (GAA FETs) were developed in this study. Large lattice mismatch Ge/Si multilayers were intentionally grown as the starting material rather than Ge/GeSi multilayers to acquire the benefits of the considerable difference in material properties of Ge and Si for realising selective etching. Flat Ge/Si multilayers were grown at a low temperature to preclude island growth. The shape of Ge nanosheets was almost retained after etching owing to the excellent selectivity. Additionally, dislocations were observed in suspended Ge nanosheets because of the absence of a Ge/Si interface and the disappearance of the dislocation-line tension force owing to the elongation of misfit dislocation at the interface. Forming gas annealing of the suspended Ge nanosheets resulted in a significant increase in the glide force compared to the dislocation-line tension force; the dislocations were easily removed because of this condition and the small size of the nanosheets. Based on this structure, a new mechanism of dislocation removal from suspended Ge nanosheet structures by annealing was described, which resulted in the structures exhibiting excellent gate control and electrical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We theoretically designed a dual function of nearly zero dispersion flattened and polarization maintaining photonic crystal fiber (DF–PM-PCF) with ultra-broadband. The numeric results show that the DF–PM-PCF performs the nearly zero dispersion values between − 1.00 and − 0.12 ps/km/nm over a bandwidth range of 482 nm (1218–1700 nm). The operation band expands from O band (1260–1360 nm) to U band (1625–1675 nm). In the meanwhile, the birefringence values of the proposed DF–PM-PCF were estimated and show that they are 0.93 × 10−3–1.25 × 10−3 in the operation band. Confinement losses of some wavelengths in the operation band were calculated and confirmed that they are reasonable. The numeric results indicate that the DF–PM-PCF has confinement losses of 2.75 × 10−3–3.39 × 10−1 dB/km in the operation band. Furthermore, the mode properties of the proposed DF–PM-PCF were simulated and confirmed that it works in single mode in the operation band. The device can be well used in a WDM communication system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/hypothesis: Several cardiovascular outcome trials on sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) have been released recently, including trials enrolling patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Comparisons of the efficacy and safety of SGLT2i, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i) thus require an update. Assessments in patient subgroups, i.e., as stratified by age or the presence of CHF, CKD or atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), are also currently lacking. Methods: We searched the PubMed, Embase and Cochrane databases for relevant studies published up until 5 December 2020. RCTs comparing SGLT2i, GLP-1RA and DPP-4i with placebo (or other controls) or with each other with cardiovascular (CV) or renal outcomes were eligible for inclusion. The primary efficacy endpoint was 3-point major adverse cardiovascular events (3P-MACE), which are defined as CV death, non-fatal myocardial infarction and non-fatal ischaemic stroke. All-cause mortality, hospitalisation for heart failure (HHF) and composite renal outcomes were also analysed. Pre-specified subgroup analyses of 3P-MACE were also performed. Results: A total of 21 trials with 170,930 participants were included in this network meta-analysis. Both GLP-1RA and SGLT2i were associated with lower risks of 3P-MACE than placebo (RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.84, 0.94 and RR 0.88, 95% CI 0.83, 0.94, respectively). GLP-1RA and SGLT2i were also associated with lower risks of 3P-MACE than DPP-4i (RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.82, 0.98 and RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.81, 0.97, respectively). A comparison between SGLT2i and GLP-1RA demonstrated no difference in their risks of 3P-MACE (RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.91, 1.08). Only GLP-1RA was associated with a lower risk of stroke compared with placebo (RR 0.85, 95% CI 0.76, 0.94). SGLT2i is superior to GLP-1RA in reducing HHF (RR 0.76, 95% CI 0.68, 0.84) and renal outcomes (RR 0.78, 95% CI 0.65, 0.93). Subgroup analyses indicated that the benefits of SGLT2i and GLP-1RA were more pronounced in elderly patients, white and Asian patients, those with established ASCVD and those with longer durations of diabetes mellitus and worse glycaemic control. Conclusions/interpretation: SGLT2i and GLP-1RA are superior to DPP-4i in terms of CV and renal outcomes. GLP-1RA is the only drug class that reduces the risk of stroke. SGLT2i is superior in reducing HHF and renal outcomes. Therefore, the choice between SGLT2i and GLP-1RA should be individualised according to patient profiles. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42020206600. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/hypothesis: The safety and efficacy of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1RAs) and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4is) in major cardiovascular adverse events were previously examined in cardiovascular outcome trials. However, the effects of these drugs on adverse limb outcomes were poorly examined. This study aimed to determine the real-world outcomes of patients with diabetes mellitus receiving GLP1RAs as compared with those receiving DPP4is in terms of major adverse cardiovascular and limb events. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted with data collected by the Taiwan National Health Insurance database between 1 May 2011 and 31 December 2017. Patients who were treated for type 2 diabetes with a GLP1RA or DDP4i during this period (n = 1,080,993), were identified. The primary outcome was a composite of major adverse limb events, defined as peripheral artery disease (PAD), critical limb ischaemia, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty or peripheral bypass for PAD, and amputation. The secondary cardiovascular outcome was the composite of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction and non-fatal ischaemic stroke. Propensity-score matching (PSM) at a 1:3 ratio between GLP1RA and DPP4i groups was done to minimise possible selection bias. Results: A total of 948,342 individuals treated between 1 May 2011 and 31 December 2017, were identified, with 4460 in the GLP1RA group and 13,380 in the DPP4i group after PSM. The incidence of primary composite outcome events was significantly lower in those treated with GLP1RAs compared with those treated with DPP4is (2.59 vs 4.22 events per 1000 person-years; subdistribution HR [SHR] 0.63 [95% CI 0.41, 0.96]), primarily due to lower rates of amputation (1.29 events per 1000 person-years for GLP1RAs vs 2.4 events per 1000 person-years for DPP4is; SHR 0.55 [95% CI 0.30, 0.99]). Treatment with GLP1RAs was also associated with significantly lower risks of secondary composite outcome events (11.02 vs 17.95 events per 1000 person-years; HR 0.62 [95% CI 0.51, 0.76]). Moreover, the observed beneficial effects of GLP1RAs on reducing composite adverse limb outcomes were particularly noticeable in the non-cardiovascular patients and statin users (p for interaction <0.05). Conclusions/interpretation: In individuals with diabetes, the use of GLP1RAs was associated with significantly lower risks of major adverse limb events when compared with the use of DPP4is. The reduction in risk was driven largely by reduced rate of amputations. Moreover, treatment with GLP1RAs was also associated with lower risks of cardiovascular death, non-fatal stroke, non-fatal myocardial infarction and death from any cause. However, some unexplored confounding factors may exist in this observation study and future large-scale randomised controlled trials are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many molecular alterations are shared by embryonic liver development and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Identifying the common molecular events would provide a novel prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for HCC.Methods: Expression levels and clinical relevancies of SLC38A4 and HMGCS2 were investigated by qRT-PCR, western blot, TCGA and GEO datasets. The biological roles of SLC38A4 were investigated by functional assays. The downstream signalling pathway of SLC38A4 was investigated by qRT-PCR, western blot, immunofluorescence, luciferase reporter assay, TCGA and GEO datasets.Results: SLC38A4 silencing was identified as an oncofetal molecular event. DNA hypermethylation contributed to the downregulations of Slc38a4/SLC38A4 in the foetal liver and HCC. Low expression of SLC38A4 was associated with poor prognosis of HCC patients. Functional assays demonstrated that SLC38A4 depletion promoted HCC cellular proliferation, stemness and migration, and inhibited HCC cellular apoptosis in vitro, and further repressed HCC tumorigenesis in vivo. HMGCS2 was identified as a critical downstream target of SLC38A4. SLC38A4 increased HMGCS2 expression via upregulating AXIN1 and repressing Wnt/β-catenin/MYC axis. Functional rescue assays showed that HMGCS2 overexpression reversed the oncogenic roles of SLC38A4 depletion in HCC.Conclusions: SLC38A4 downregulation was identified as a novel oncofetal event, and SLC38A4 was identified as a novel tumour suppressor in HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clinical efficacy of ticagrelor versus clopidogrel has not been replicated in East Asian populations. The pronounced bleeding risk with ticagrelor was of concern given the increased bleeding tendency in Asian populations. This study evaluated efficacy and safety of ticagrelor versus clopidogrel in patients with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) in the entire Taiwan. We used the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database to identify 6203 patients aged ≥ 20 years with NSTEMI hospitalization and prescription of dual antiplatelets at discharge between January 2014 and December 2014. Cohorts of ticagrelor and clopidogrel were matched 1:1 based on propensity score matching to balance baseline covariates. The primary composite efficacy endpoints included death from any cause, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and non-fatal stroke. The secondary efficacy endpoints were the individual components. The primary safety endpoint was major bleeding requiring hospitalization. The incidence of primary efficacy endpoint was 20.3% in the ticagrelor users and 20.7% in the clopidogrel users (adjusted HR 0.94; 95% CI 0.73–1.22), with the median (interquartile range, IQR) follow-up period of 5.2 (2.3–8.5) months. The incidence of primary safety endpoint was 2.3% in the ticagrelor users and 3.2% in the clopidogrel users (adjusted HR 0.67; 95% CI 0.33–1.35). Regarding the secondary efficacy endpoint, patients treated with ticagrelor had significantly lower incidence of stroke (adjusted HR 0.44; 95% CI 0.21–0.94; p = 0.033). In this nationwide Taiwanese cohort of NSTEMI, treatment with ticagrelor after discharge, as compared to clopidogrel, had similar rates of ischemic composite events and major bleeding. Nevertheless, the median follow-up time was only 5.2 months, and the reduced stroke events with ticagrelor compared to clopidogrel needs further verification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automatic text summarization (ATS) has achieved impressive performance thanks to recent advances in deep learning (DL) and the availability of large-scale corpora. The key points in ATS are to estimate the salience of information and to generate coherent results. Recently, a variety of DL-based approaches have been developed for better considering these two aspects. However, there is still a lack of comprehensive literature review for DL-based ATS approaches. The aim of this paper is to comprehensively review significant DL-based approaches that have been proposed in the literature with respect to the notion of generic ATS tasks and provide a walk-through of their evolution. We first give an overview of ATS and DL. The comparisons of the datasets are also given, which are commonly used for model training, validation, and evaluation. Then we summarize single-document summarization approaches. After that, an overview of multi-document summarization approaches is given. We further analyze the performance of the popular ATS models on common datasets. Various popular approaches can be employed for different ATS tasks. Finally, we propose potential research directions in this fast-growing field. We hope this exploration can provide new insights into future research of DL-based ATS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With reference to international guidelines for the development of tools—Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system approach and reasoning, this practice guideline has been drafted reflecting the characteristics of acupuncture to improve effectiveness and safety of acupuncture treatment for allergic rhinitis. This guideline includes outlining the acupuncture diagnosis and treatment principles for allergic rhinitis, suggesting recommendations and related evidence for the acupuncture treatment of allergic rhinitis, and defining operating methods and precautions for the acupuncture treatment of allergic rhinitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing evidence suggests that abnormal regulation of neurotrophic factors is involved in the etiology and pathogenesis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). However, clinical data on neurotrophic factor levels in children with ASD were inconsistent. Therefore, we performed a systematic review of peripheral blood neurotrophic factors levels in children with ASD, and quantitatively summarized the clinical data of peripheral blood neurotrophic factors in ASD children and healthy controls. A systematic search of PubMed and Web of Science identified 31 studies with 2627 ASD children and 4418 healthy controls to be included in the meta-analysis. The results of random effect meta-analysis showed that the peripheral blood levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Hedges' g = 0.302; 95% CI = 0.014 to 0.591; P = 0.040) , nerve growth factor (Hedges' g = 0.395; 95% CI = 0.104 to 0.686; P = 0.008) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) (Hedges' g = 0.097; 95% CI = 0.018 to 0.175; P = 0.016) in children with ASD were significantly higher than that of healthy controls, whereas blood neurotrophin-3 (Hedges' g = − 0.795; 95% CI = − 1.723 to 0.134; P = 0.093) and neurotrophin-4 (Hedges' g = 0.182; 95% CI = − 0.285 to 0.650; P = 0.445) levels did not show significant differences between cases and controls. Taken together, these results clarified circulating neurotrophic factor profile in children with ASD, strengthening clinical evidence of neurotrophic factor aberrations in children with ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: In general, a sufficient supply of ATP can promote the synthesis of ATP-driven metabolites, but excessive ATP will lead to the inhibition of cell growth. For enhancing the co-production of glutathione(GSH) and S-adenosylmethionine(SAM), a dynamic ATP regeneration strategy was developed. Results: The novel ATP regeneration strategy consisting of ATP-sensing riboswitch ydaO motif, polyphosphate kinase (PPK), and Vitreoscilla hemoglobin (VHb) was successfully applied in Escherichia coli. The intracellular ATP level was always around 0.60 mg/g dry cell weight during the fermentation process, resulting in significantly enhanced co-production of GSH and SAM. The GSH titer and SAM titer in the strain CGS-2 increased by 137.40% and 82.18% after fermentation for 24 h, compared with the control strain. Conclusions: The ATP regulation strategy is expected to be a favorable tool to improve the efficiency of microbial cell factories. The proposed ATP dynamic regeneration approach may be applicable for cost-effective, high-yield production of ATP-driven metabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Susceptibility to primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is in part genetically determined. In our previous PBC genome-wide association study (GWAS) in 1118 Han Chinese PBC and 4036 controls, we noted that multiple SNPs in the runt-related transcription factor 3 (RUNX3) regions showed a nominally significant association. The tag SNP rs7529070 was genotyped using a TaqMan assay in a separately collected 1435 PBC and 3205 controls. A meta-analysis with a combined 2553 PBC and 7241 controls showed that rs7529070 is still nominally associated with PBC (p = 1.7 × 10–4, odds ratio (OR) = 1.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.08–1.28). Further analysis indicated that the risk allele of rs7529070 (G allele) is in complete linkage disequilibrium (LD) (r2 = 1) with the G allele of rs4648889, which is known to be associated with increased RUNX3 expression. Bioinformatic analysis with existing expression data showed that the expression of RUNX3 is significantly increased in PBC patients (p = 0.001) and the expression level is correlated with disease severity. Consistently, we also found significantly increased RUNX3 expression (p < 0.01) in the livers of dnTGFβRII mice (a PBC mouse model). This study suggests that the RUNX3 locus may associate with PBC in Han Chinese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neonicotinoids (NEOs) are a class of pesticides widely used worldwide. This study analyzed post-cooking residues of NEO pesticides and assessed their potential health risks for preschool children (0–6 years old) by conducting a total diet study (TDS). It involved food sampling, preparation, analysis of pesticide residues, estimation of food consumption data, and assessment of food safety risks. Food sampling was conducted between March and June 2015. A total of 128 food samples were obtained from 4 parts of Taiwan. After the food had been prepared, the 128 samples were aggregated into 32 composite food items and the NEO residues analyzed. Acetamiprid had the highest detection rate of the NEO residues (59.4%), and the concentrations ranged from not detected to 80.5 μg/kg. The estimated daily intake (EDI) of NEO residues among preschool children was found to be lower than the adjusted acceptable daily intake (ADI) even for highly exposed groups. The results showed that NEO pesticides were primarily detected in preserved fruits, cherry tomato, rape, bell fruit, and baby bok choy. The main health risk posed by detected NEO residues at high consumption rates for preschool children was attributed to acetamiprid (34.20 %ADI) and imidacloprid (23.69 %ADI), respectively. Therefore, this research implicates that the present level of NEO residues in the diets for preschool children in Taiwan does not exceed 100 %ADI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]